Tying Knots: The MIsison So Far

As we move into Phase 2 of the game, here's some clarifications/streamlines to illuminate the adventure so far and the party's objectives. (This shouldn't be ret-conning anything, just clarifying all the loose threads.)

The Naga Threat

The party has encountered evidence that the Nagas, pushed out of the deserts long ago, are somehow mustering power. This is manifested mainly in two ways:

1. Forces in the west, like the Haritacandra bandits, have been sowing discord among Tahirah and the border city of Cairona (see Adventures 3-6). You found strange silver coins among the Haritacandra (and the goblins beneath Rhotas Barav, and renegade Sirrusha around Kali) that were revealed to be  Naga currency: they're paying groups off (and using some form of hypnosis) to weaken Tahirah and Majirah.
2. In your first adventure you found old books, which were later revealed to be written in Auran (the language of the wind). These tomes recounted some of the power of the Djinn Lords, who were considered immensely powerful and sealed away by Kazim the Abjurer during the Second Age, causing the djinn to eventually migrate into the eastern wasteland deserts and hide. Scholars and arcanists believe that unlocking the power of the Djinn Lords can grant wishes or grant strength (physical and magical) that would make mortals nigh unstoppable. 

It is believed the Nagas are trying to uncover the brass vessels wherein the Djinn Lords are sealed and eventually strike back at the kingdoms of Majirah and Tahirah (mostly Majirah, who drove them out with the help of the djinn and Adanir). With the Djinn Lords beside them, they could easily take over the whole Middle Kingdom.

See the relevant posts here:

• http://dnd-middleworld.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-auran-tomes.html
• http://dnd-middleworld.blogspot.com/2015/06/adventure-5-elf-queen.html

Moving Forward

• The party's goals, then, are twofold, and this is why Shivan entrusted you with the carpet.
• Go to each of the main kingdoms (Majirah, Tahirah, and Taishan) and try to convince and recruit them against the Naga's impending invasion (it seems the Nagas have already begun infiltrating and affecting each region).
• Find out about the brass vessels containing the Djinn Lords and recover or destroy them. This may require finding out more about Kazim the Abjurer and the djinn, and since it often deals with languages outside your ken, will involve other historians/librarians/adventures to find someone who speaks whatever languages, etc. (Again, consult past adventures and texts.)

You have a wide array of options moving forward, and as you travel to all these new places, more opportunities for character adventures and stories will present themselves (and your heroes will come into their own, and drama will ensue!).

Majirah: The Land of the Suns

Majirah is the hub of the Astara Desert communities, the seat of power for the Shah of the Kingdom of Majirah, and a major power in the route between the eastern Empire of Taishan and the western elflands of Tahirah.

Characters looking to peruse the black market of magic goods, spices, and lost lore can find Majirah a welcoming place. It inhabits a realm of desert mysticism that lies mainly untouched by the Celestial Court.
 

  

CITIES

Majirah: The capital and major urban point, the grand city of Majirah sits on an oasis. It is overseen by the Shah, KHALID.

The-Bin: A mid-sized town, linked to the city of Cairona via the underground RIGUN PASS. [See Adventure  7).

Rhotas:A small town that raises livestock in the hills of the mountains. The underground cistern was plagued by goblins before the arrival of the party (see Adventure 1).

Mohr-Mer: A temple-city devoted to the teachings of Annayur, the gold dragon (see Adventure 7).

Koso-Mehr: A temple-city devoted to the ways of the silver dragon AMUN-BAL. The party's paladin, ARDESHIR ROUHANI, is from Koso-Mehr.

Garm: The western dwarf citadel.

Adanir: The hidden city of the Elder Elves (see Adventure 11).

DANGEROUS PLACES

Al-Duram: An old trade-city now in ruins. Beneath it lay a spear that RUSTAM took (see Adventure 2).

Nemburu: An old fort-city, it is now the home of the hyena-like KAFTAR peoples. The Kaftar raid desert caravans. (See Creatures: KAFTAR)

Denkri Cataract: A ruin built around a waterfall from the eastern mountains.

Pharat: A temple in the Pharon Woods, Pharat is home to the monkey-sage RAJASARU (see Adventure 2).

GEOGRAPHY

The ASTARA DESERT is surrounded mostly by the tall SACANNO MOUNTAINS, which are fairly steep and treacherous (see adventures 8-11). 

The northern range, around Garm, houses an old citadel called GHABRIN, where AMUN-BAL, the silver dragon, reigns. Deep underdark caverns lead to ruins of the Second Age, and some go even into the SCAR, which was created when the best LEVIATHAN was killed.

POLITICS

SHAH KHALID rules over Majirah, taking council with the various sheiks of the tribes who subsist in the desert. Three Emirs also help run the districts of Majirah, acting as a city council of sorts.

Organized groups, called tanzims, act as guilds and organizations to oversee other elements of the city. Some tanzims are good or innocuous (like the Gardening tanzim, or the Librarian tanzim), while many more are gangs that work in the shadows of the city. These tanzims are often made up of bandits and thieves who operate organized crime and "down-to-earth" protection of the people and city.

RELIGION

Much of Majirah still follows its Old Ways, an animistic tradition around the life of the desert and unhindered by interference from the Celestial Court.

Temples to Phoenos, El-Ahrairah, and Zu are mainstays in the peoples' lives, who view prayers to each spirit as necessary depending on the situation. Most often the gods of the Fox and Tabin are seen as cults, operating in the darker corners of the city. Buud especially is seen as taboo, given his prominence with the Kaftar.

THE UNDERGROUND

Much of Majirah is in the shade: tanzims help coordinate and move goods to and from the city, and a black market has sprung from this. Called the SINDHURIS, the "Goods-River," the black market is a staple for those wishing to find rare or secretive items or works.

Rumor and bribery run amok among the tanzims who operate in this underground world, and it is said even the Shah has sources within the underworld to help maintain his stake in the information and secrecy that exists beneath Majirah's main streets.