The Casbah Caper

The outpost town of Crimson Casbah was shut down because there was intelligence that a stolen Roadani artifact was in the fortress. Three strangers trapped in the Casbah stumbled across the artifact while stuck inside. Over the next few hours they found a way to sell it for thousands of regents and were able to make their escape from the Casbah. The Roadani eventually recovered the artifact and arrested the Toallan art collector who bought it.

Player Characters

 * Ben: A Roadani deserter who returned to the sight of the battle from which he fled.
 * Ford: A wanderer from Toalla, more interested in adventure than money.
 * Miles: An old water mage from Toalla, looking to make a profit.

NPCs

 * Elnin Jaral: A local art collector with connections to the criminal underground.
 * Gilberta Skap: A tavern owner and West Merchants Association member.

Summary
On the third of Rallius in the year AeP 438 trouble came again to the Crimson Casbah. On that evening, several people found themselves in the visa office trying to leave the fortress. Twenty years ago the Casbah had been part of Toalla, until it was won by Roadon in the Second Desert War. The battle for the Casbah had been bloody, but was long over. Now it stood on the border between the two nations, governed by Roadon.

Miles, an old man from Toalla and semi-competent wizard trying to make a profit in Roadon selling water, found himself next in line. Right before he could make his case, a Roadani sergeant barged into the visa office. He waved a piece of paper in the air and had fury in his eyes. He turned to the only Toallan militia member in the room and yelled “Did you see this?” He was pulled aside by the visa lieutenant along with the Toallan guard. Miles didn’t realize what was happening and kept trying to get his visa. He had to be threatened off by the sergeant. He didn’t hear what they said, but two others did, Ben a tea maker from Roadon, and Ford a wanderer from Toalla. Someone had stolen a cultural artifact called the Vixerahi from the south of Roadon. Intelligence said it came here to the Casbah. The visa office was closed until it was reclaimed.

Leaving the office Ford and Ben managed to piece together what had been said. The two of them and Miles were walking back to the bunkhouse they had been staying at, griping about the fact that they couldn’t leave. As they walked through the cool evening, they noticed a faint yellow glow coming from an alley. Miles realized it was the glow of magic. The three of them turned to find a bald man piss drunk, unconscious in the street. The glow was coming from in his bag. Inside was what must surely be the Vixerahi. It was a bronze orb about eight inches in diameter etched with images of two people, the Sun God Yaerrin and General Doro Jarem, founder of Roadon. The sphere was separated into two hemispheres slightly apart from each other. The glow inside came from a wealth of magic. The Vixerahi was worth thousands of silver regents from the magic alone, even more from the cultural importance. This would be the end of their monetary woes if they managed to sell it. The three made a pact to get rid of the orb and split the money. Ben grabbed it and they quickly headed to the Toallan tavern in the Casbah. Before they did Miles left a glass of water next to the man for when he woke.

The Boar and the Bow was the watering hole for all those who hailed from the northern side of the border. It was full of brightly dressed patrons singing along to loud music. Ford took a place watching from the door as Ben and Miles sat down at the bar. They were served by the owner and West Merchants Association member, Gilberta Skap. Ben ordered two large ales for himself and a small one for Miles. Miles let slip they knew why the Casbah was closed. Ben tried to find information about the part of town beyond the law, and asked after a brothel. He was going to talk to the owner to try and sell the orb there. Gilberta herself was unwilling to buy the Vixerahi since she did legitimate business with the Roadani. After he slipped Gilberta a few coins, he got a location. He downed his beers, they collected Ford, and left.

Ben led them through the brick buildings of the fortress. The other two soon realized he wasn’t quite going the right way. Miles chalked it up to Ben being from Roadon. Soon it was revealed why he had led them on a detour. He stopped in front of a small house, pulled his stringed instrument from his back and played a few short notes. He walked on with tears in his eyes.

Soon they found the brothel. It was an unmarked building with a large man standing outside. With a few silver regents placed in his hands they were allowed in. The inside was ostentatious and cheaply decorated. A man in a cheap suit greeted them asking what they were after. They indicated their desire to speak privately about other business. The man led them to a side room and shut the door. As soon as he did Ben slammed the orb down on the table catching him in surprise. Ben wanted to know if he knew a buyer. He indicated that he did, but would require a cut of the profits. Ben asked Miles for some water just below boiling and began to make tea. While Miles slipped out for a detour, Ford and Ben negotiated a price. They settled on twenty percent of the profit. The buyer was a man named Elnin Jaral who owned the art house here in the Casbah. He also told them to leave through the north gate because the Toallans who helped guard it could be bribed. Ford and Ben collected Miles and left.

They found the art house closed for the night. However light was coming from the second floor window. Miles and Ford decided to peek through and with some difficulty placed Miles on top of Ford’s shoulders. Miles knocked on the window, catching the eye of Jaral who was making dinner. Just then Ben noticed a Roadani guard patrol wandering by. Without warning he kicked out Ford’s legs so that Miles would fall. By doing this they avoided being spotted by the soldiers. Jaral poked his head out the windows and after seeing the Vixerahi let them upstairs. He was cautious about buying it as the soldiers would most likely search his house tomorrow, but he agreed to buy it immediatly for three thousand regents. Ford counted the money, finding it all there. The three decided they needed to leave soon so they wouldn’t be caught up in any problems should the orb be found. They split up to each make their own preparations.

Miles wandered the city looking for a night godstone as he was out of magic. He ran into another Roadani patrol who demanded to know his business. After he explained to them that he was looking for a night stone so he could bring the water to the people of the desert, the soldiers determined that he was crazy, roughed him up a bit and left. He found his night stone and went to meet his partners in crime. Ford went back to the brothel to give the owner his cut. Before he left he demanded that Ben pay him back since he was the one who promised the owner twenty percent. He gave the man his six hundred regents and asked after one more piece of information. An extra ten regents got him what he needed to know, the name of a Roadani officer who frequented the brothel. There was a new lieutenant out of officer academy named Adrian. He hadn’t yet been caught by his superiors. Meanwhile Ben went back to the Boar and Bow to get more information. Gilberta met him and for another price told him of two groups of people who would be willing to start a fight if paid. He waited a bit, nursing his drink before walking over to one of the tables and asking “you want to fight?” There was momentary confusion as the drunk Toallans thought he wanted to fight them, but he quickly cleared it up. He would buy them their next two rounds if they started a fight with anyone. They agreed and he revealed he wanted them to fight the guards at the gate. The men hesitated but after encouragement agreed. Ben told them to be ready in one hour.

Miles and Ford arrived at the tavern. Ford only asked Ben for three hundred regents, half the money he had given away. Before leaving, Ben decided he wanted to play a song for the bar. While he waited for the current performers to finish, Miles talked at Ford in a completely one way conversation. When Ben got up he pulled his instrument from his back and played a slow sad song. “These desert sands wipe away scars” he sang. When he was done the whole place was in tears.

There were twenty minutes before their distraction arrived so they hurried to the gate. As they made their way, two men stepped out in front of them with clubs. From behind them a voice called out “I think you took something of mine” It was the man from the alley who originally held the orb. He was standing with a man holding a crossbow. Despite Miles’s reminder that he had left water next to the man, he was still angry. The three men decided to make a break for it. Suddenly, Ben threw his kettle still full of scalding water, at him. It got in his eyes and the eyes of his crossbow man. Then they ran. With the help of Ford, Miles got away into a side alley. Ford and Ben kept running as a crossbow bolt came their way. They split up. The men with clubs chased Ford. The leader and the crossbow man chased Ben. Ford, who had lots of experience in towns, managed to slip away from his trail. He and Miles met up and made their way to the gate. Ben found himself alone with the bald man and his crony. He had no choice but to fight even though he had no weapon. He was struck with a crossbow bolt. The bald man stabbed at Ben but left himself open. Ben pulled the spear from his grasp. It was quickly up against the bald man’s throat. The crony dropped the crossbow. They exchanged words and the bald man prepared for death. Ben dropped the spear. He told the man the sphere was in the art house, then walked away.

Ford and Miles had beaten him there. Miles walked up to the Toallan guards with fifty silver regents in a small bag. “I think you’re needed that way” he said, tossing them the silver. They agreed and began to walk away from the gate, much to the distress of the Roadani guards. As the Roadani were trying to figure out what to do Ford ran up to them. He told one that Adrian was off drunk. He wanted to warn the guard so it wouldn’t become a public embarrassment. He then produced Ben’s sun amulet which had been handed off to him earlier. It was believable, a few guards ran off leaving four at the gate, just in time for the drunk men to approach. “You want to fight?” their leader called. The three rushed at the guards along with the drunks. Half the soldiers went to deal with the drunks. Miles cast a shadow cloud over the eyes of the two soldiers going to stop him, but covered his eyes as well. Ford and Ben went to the cranks to open the gates and turned them enough to roll under. The soldiers lost their patience and stabbed the leader of the drunks. The other drunks hesitated but ran after encouragement from Ben. Ford grabbed Miles, pulling him along. Miles stuck his staff below the gate to hold it open long enough to roll under leaving the staff to crack. The three men stood up outside the Casbah and ran with soldiers on their tail.

They ran knowing that if they could make it to the woods mere hundreds of feet away, they could escape. The Roadani followed them into Toalla and were gaining ground. Ben called to them that the orb was in the art house causing some of the guards to head back. Ford threw his money hoping to distract the soldiers. Some of them stopped to claim it for the Empire. That left only a lieutenant leading chase with two men. So Ben put on his best military voice and demanded they stop to discuss it over tea. It actually worked. Miles and Ford escaped into the woods. Ben sat down and quietly made tea. The orb he told the lieutenant, was cursed. The lieutenant demanded his arrest anyway but Ben remained calm. He convinced the lieutenant that he was on orders from the Grand General to retrieve the Orb but could no longer go back into the Casbah. The Grand General was nearby and he had to go report to her. They believed him and so he left to make his way north.

Conclusion
Miles found cabbages in the woods outside town. He realized that the people of the desert didn’t need water but instead they needy leafy greens. He stayed in the woods to try and use his money to sell cabbages to the Roadani. Ford wandered off and went on to clear his debts. He wandered Toalla and Roadon never caring much for money again. Ben went North to Pok to find the boy he had saved all those years ago. The Roadani recovered the Vixerahi and arrested the men who stole it. Their leader was tried and hanged. Elnin Jaral was banished from Roadon for his part in the caper. He was branded with a moon scar on the back of his hand to indicate this. His art was seized for the empire. And things in the Casbah went back to normal.