Researches and Developments

Being a summary of a number of downtime activities undertaken by various characters:

1) The Demon-Klackon Cash-Strings
Bearer of All Things Gan ad-Din recently sought through the city of Cothon to find "the right buyer" for a hoard of Klackon cash-strings, which were recovered as part of the haul from a recent expedition into the Necropolis of the Tel, where it was rumored there had been some kind of demon- or ghost-Klackons awakened from their ancient tombs.

Having gotten only paltry offers from a number of pawnbrokers operating through the city, Gan was almost in despair of finding a buyer. Returning to the tavern Cothon-Under-Star to contemplate his next move, he happened to find the Klackon philosopher Li-Rey in attendance at the bar, and having been acquainted with him before, on a whim Gan showed him one of the strings of coins.

The dore-philosopher's antennae stood up in excitement as he looked upon the coinage. "That is very interesting!" he said drily, but made good his interest by offering to introduce Gan to a Klackon antiquarian in the western Klackon-districts of the city. They set out as soon as their drinks were finished, and thus did Gan earn the interest of a second Klackon patron (after Katax)--one Chiriq'tai, a dore who had served the former Philosopher-Queen of the Xholda-Klackons, and who now composes poetry amongst the gardens overlooking the Roads.

Chiriq'tai was indeed most interested in the coins, informing Gan that they were of the type once carried by the Doulii-Klackons, whose Immortal Columns had once threatened Tsur al Qadim, and similar to the custom of nomadic Free Klackons even now, who punch holes through coins to carry them more easily as they wander the lands.

Though the coming of the Doulii predates the coming of the Attines or Xholda, Chiriq'tai is nevertheless interested in any bit of Klackon history, as an antiquarian, and so offers to purchase the hoard of coinage at its full value of 6500 dinars (ea. of the 13,000 coins being roughly equivalent of a nufdinar). He notes that this is in part his way of funding future expeditions that might turn up such artefacts, and hopes that Gan, his employer, and their associates will continue investigating wherever the coins were found, and to offer him, Chiriq'tai, first refusal of whatever is discovered--and most especially, not to attempt to sell any such discoveries to the Free Klackons!

• 1000 dinars each to Bartholomew Pettibone, Heijo, Durham, Avin, Sesel, and Revna
  500 dinras to Gan ad-Din
• Chiriq'tai will buy future artefacts related to Klackon history at full value, without Gan having to roll for finding the right buyer

(perhaps Gan deserves a bit of a "seller's commission" from the company?)

2) The Xentronium Halberd of the Qumqum
One of the items recovered by the party who accompanied Lars (then still "Fangripper") on his quest for the Ghar was a marvelous halberd, forged entirely of an alien black alloy, hard as adamant and with an edge that could almost bite steel. It had been wielded by an invisible demon in an ancient tomb-comnplex--the qumqum, or "thunderer--and yet, as none of the company had need of it, they granted it to fellow barbarian-adventurer Arngeir of the Green Gleam.

Curious as to the strange alloy's nature, Arngeir took the halberd to Durham of the Ringing Anvil, whose knowledge of metallurgy allowed him to craft weapons and armor out of another legendary alloy, the greenish zortrium--the very metal that Durham had worked into plate armor for Arngeir!

Looking it over and poring through his codices of metallurgy, Durham guessed that the halberd was forged of xentronium, an alloy even more rare--and more durable--than the incredibly scarce zortrium. But his codices had little to say about xentronium, other than to note that it was unworkable, even when heated in the hottest forge. Whatever form the alloy took, thus it would remain until the end of time--unless one could somehow win through to the workshops of the Demons in the Fortress Moon, or find a forgotten forge of Gods or Heroes.

Determined to learn more, Arngeir turned to the library of the Herm & Stone tavern, where he is a member, hoping that in their collection of works about minerals and alloys that something more could be learned of xentronium. There, he found reference to it in some of the oldest legends and epics of the Gods and Heroes, some tales from even before their battles against the Demons, e.g.:

... In those days, they resolved to return to Paradise. So they sent round their heralds with their echoing helms, did Shaddam, Sikander, and Arcturos, and gathered their hosts, and the lanterns of their ships outnumbered the stars in the sky. That was when the stars were fixed, and the Star of Paradise shone west.

But they found the Guardian they had set over the Gates of Paradise stood there still, and as they had commanded it to let none enter there, so it denied them entrance, faithful to the end. A giant it was, clad in black armor, and a lance of death was in each of its hundred hands so that even alone it was an army. That was a battle that shook heaven.

And when the Guardian was at last laid low, it was Shaddam's champion Parvenius who stripped off its black armor, and took its cuirass for himself. That was when Loxanar revealed himself, and because the Gods had forgotten much that they had left behind, he taught them again the crafting of xentronium, as the armor was called, and how to pierce the veil, and other secret things. He it was who warned them of the Demons, and some say he was an heir of the Gods, and others that he was a Demon leading them into a trap. ...

(excerpt from the Shahnakhtab by ibn Kheir, a "book of kings" tracing kings and prophets all the way back to the age of the Gods)

Other references to xentronium indicate that it was said to be found almost always in the possession of Demons, in their Fortress Moon, or held by those who have dealings with Demons, or those few who have defeated them and plundered their holdings. Dalan II., ancient king of Tsur al Qadim, was said to have armed his bodyguard with xentronium after his expedition against the Fortress Moon.

The alloy is always said to be indestructible, and impossible to work--save in the workshops of the Fortress Moon, where it can be shaped by forces incomprehensible to mortals. It resists even the hottest fires, and yet is said to be particularly suitable for certain deep enchantments.

3) The Map to the Glorious Cloak of Eyes
From amongst the plunder recovered from the Sixth House of the Attines, Durham of the Ringing Anvil claimed and was granted a woven Klackon text and tapestry seeming to indicate that it was a map to an artefact called the Glorious Cloak of Eyes. The work is of a combined nature: one part is a pictorial "map" artistically rendered; the other a companion periplus-account, a kind of literary-historical "map".

The finely woven tapestry depicts a Klackon heroine (identified as Qatax the Blind, sometimes called Qatax the Sage, contemporary of the warrior Tihirok of Do-Chitik) wearing a robe of eyes and leading an expedition of fellow Klackons and their Princess to colonize the caverns of what must surely be the Tel al Safina in the days when Tsur al Qadim still stood proudly to its south. Entering the caverns of the Tel, the Klackons fight back other inhabitants of the underworld while digging out their own place amongst the caverns; and yet an ominous presence seems to wait for them in the nearby strata ...

A somewhat crude representation of the tapestry-map

The accompanying periplus-history (not really a "periplus", which means "sailing around", but a description of a journey in the same vein) gives an account of the expedition's trials and travails, their descent into the caves, selection of a site to begin their colony, &c. That much can be gleaned by a casual question posed, for instance, to Tki'it the Klackon bartender at Cothon-Under-Star, or any other Klackon willing to look over the knotted khipu-strands making up the account.

As for getting the specific details that will help to actually locate the proper caverns, Durham will have to spend downtime to hire a Klackon interpreter to translate the relevant passages, or perhaps commission someone to magically read it (and maybe assist on an expedition to find the lost colony of Qatax!).

4) Help Wanted! Najm Seeks a First Mate
From about 28 August to 18 September, Najm ibn Marwan was gone from Cothon, travelling with his crew on his ship the Saint Iskameen to and from the north-eastern coastal town al Agadrein, from which Najm hails. There, he offered to help his uncles in their fishing-ventures with his new-won wealth, but was rebuffed by his family as one "putting-on-airs", and they squandered his money.

Despite the failure of this intent, the short jaunt along the coast proved useful for Najm in learning that he was in need of a strong second-in-command to aid operations on his ship--he needed a First Mate!

To that end, immediately he had disembarked once more into Cothon, he established himself at the harbor-tavern Fara's Hole-in-the-Wall, frequented by sailors, and put out a call via criers that he would be receiving as candidates anyone interested in taking on the responsibilities--and opportunities!--of being his second in command. He is looking in particular for a fighting-woman or -man who wields their sword with a sure hand, and knows something of command over the men-at-arms Najm has also hired to protect his interests. This character will be paid a share of profits from fishing ventures, a stipend directly from Najm, and will have the chance to participate in ventures into the Underworld to win their own share of riches!

Which is to say, anyone interested in writing up an NPC hireling, this is your chance to send them my way (i.e. send them to Cullen via Discord). Najm will hire one character out of whatever pool of candidates present themselves to him by 30 October. Any others who are not taken up will then join the general list of hirelings looking for work in the city, and thus be available for hire by other player-characters.