Myra nods at Evan's suggestion.

"That's a great idea!" She climbs down from her lizard, and takes a few moments to tie it (and Evan's, if he wants) to one of the trees before pulling out some of the rations to share with the Sage. "It's not fancy, but we're happy to share."

"Yes, please," says Harran. "My own rations are, well, meager. Their key characteristics are 'don't take up too much space' and 'won't go bad for a very long time.' You'll notice that I didn't mention 'yummy' on that short list."

"Thank you, Sir. We have to get used to food from out the deserts way and I am pretty sure they won't be very yummy either."

He helps set up the impromptu pic-nic.

"Ah, well, it just depends. The nomadic tribes eat very well when they're entertaining company."


(Harran's pic is not 100% the way I wanted it, but it's the best I've been able to find.)

"So, Sage, what is your specialty? What is your favorite subject?"
He relaxed back and shared some of their own food as well and tried some figs.

"I am a student of culture-- both the cultures of history, and of the present-day."

In reply to The Sage Harran (msg # 29):

Myra looks like she's bursting with questions, but she spares a wry glance at Evan. "We should definitely tell him the Tale of the Dread Pirate Harkaway," she says, before turning back to Harran. "But first... you said that you've studied the Anadi Empire? And that they created dangerous, mad things before the Empire fell? What happened to them? Why is the city such a threat?"

Harran spreads his empty hands. "No one really knows. Although based on what's happening now, I'm guessing that it involved magic getting out of hand. But whether that was the usual arcane magic or the divine magic of the gods-- or whether what's going on now involves either..." He shakes his head.



"Those were dangerous times, especially when the empire was collapsing. They had magical constructs that they used as war machines, or to enforce their theocratic law systems... They probably, among other things, made those a bit too powerful, or made too many of them, or perhaps both."

In reply to The Sage Harran (msg # 31):

Myra nods as she nibbles at her food absentmindedly. "They sound like they were magically powerful..." She pauses to think about this before asking her next question. "Do you think that the Lost City is simply displaced through time? Or is it a portal to the distant past?  I mean -- do you think there's a chance that visitors could get stuck there?"

"Boy, I hope not. Though constructs would be a different sort of thing then we are used to huh Myra ?" His eyebrows rose.

In reply to Evan (msg # 33):

"... yeah." Myra shudders as the memory of a ghost-infused set of armor crosses her mind.

Shaking it off, she looks back at Harran. "Anything else you can share with us would be very appreciated," she says. "And we'd be happy to share some of our stories with you as well. Have you ever visited the town of Hanging Tree?"

"I do not know. I can make no guarantees. But since you are asking my professional opinion-- my guess is that no, the whole city is not lost in time. One of-- you see..." Harran sighs. "Theology is very important for understanding the lost Empire. Without knowledge of their theology, it's harder to understand the rest. Most of their gods wouldn't mean much to many people alive today. Moridin, Master of Coils. Sati-Arjun, the Arbiter. Meheli, the Twisted Weaver. Only Noric, Lord of Freedom is still active today, or at least he's the only one still called by his original name of Noric. But the god of the sun was N'resh, The Shining, and he was pretty important. If the large sandstorm that was reported a couple of weeks ago uncovered... something... that, say, operated by having sunlight shine on it... that might have been enough to start setting certain events into motion..."



"Well, do you have any other questions...?"



"I have, once or twice, yes..."

In reply to The Sage Harran (msg # 35):

Myra nods as she sees what Harran could be describing.

"So, if there were some kind of focus for sunlight -- for N'resh's power -- it might be what's causing these things!" She looks at Evan as she speaks. "Maybe it's not that the city is lost in time, but instead some kind of magical device is now being powered, and it's continuing with a task that's no longer relevant to the world. Hmm." She looks back at Harran, nodding again in appreciation.

"We owe you a story," she says, "and since you've been to Hanging Tree, then you'll appreciate this one all the more." She opens her mouth to begin, but then looks at Evan. "Wait, did you have any more questions about the city?"

"I am not sure, I guess are there any old magics that still effect how things work in the city ?  Any lore that might affect those destined to walk within it ?" He glanced to Myra.

"That's certainly possible."




"I'm not sure about the first part. As for lore... yes, I could tell you many things... so many, it's hard to know where to begin..." Harran frowns, thinking...

In reply to The Sage Harran (msg # 38):

Myra nods her approval of Evan's line of thinking.

"Well, you could start with things that would definitely keep us from coming out again -- like deadly poisons, or mind control, or sticky plants that slowly sap your will to run away? And then move to less and less dangerous things after that?" She smiles brightly at the sage as she speaks, clearly quite interested in whatever he has to share with them.

"'Coming out again'? ...Oh! I see, 'in one piece' you mean. Er. Well. Yes. Um."

(Roll Charming, please-- not to convince him to talk, but to try to spark/inspire his memory...)

I had to go back and look over the rule changes! Is it ok for me to update my character sheet?

Myra nods enthusiastically, and leaps to her feet, allowing her cape to billow in the wind behind her.

"It wouldn't be a proper adventure if the Bold Crew did not return in one piece, right?" She glances down at herself, then at Evan. "Well, two pieces ideally... err, that is, one piece each. Like we are right now."

Charming Roll: 14:50, Today: Myra rolled 7 using 3d4 ((1,4,2)).

(Yes)



Harran thinks. "Well the biggest thing will be the animated brass armor... Then, um, there's bound to be some clerics of the old gods, and for all I know, their miracles will still work even in this modern age... there might be some military folks running around, though if it's the last days of the Empire, those'll probably be spread pretty thin... then there may be, um, crocodiles... Er..." Harran frowns. "Um... if I came with you... do you two think you could keep me safe...?"

"We would love to have you along. You could gain more knowledge of the place and we should be able to keep you safe !" Evan says with some confidence.

Harran gets excited. "I really want to do this. It'll be the learning experience of a lifetime-- and if I can help you, I can try to help make sure that history remains history. I'm going to trust you two to keep me safe-- you just feel like experienced professional adventurers to me..."

(When you're ready to leave this fig-grove-lunching-area, Harran will come with you.)

In reply to The Sage Harran (msg # 44):

Myra nods as Harran starts his descriptions; then, when he asks about keeping him safe, her face freezes. At Evan's confident response, however, she suddenly nods in agreement. And, when Harran says that they feel like experienced professional adventurers, her nodding somehow becomes even more enthusiastic, almost to the point of threatening to send her head sailing from her shoulders.

"Of course!" she adds enthusiastically, and strikes another majestic pose as her cape flutters in the (non-existent) breeze behind her. "We ARE experienced professional adventurers! And with your knowledge and wisdom, this will be our most compelling adventure series yet!"

She lets the image soak in for a moment or two, before grinning at Harran. "Great! And we can tell you all about our previous adventures on the way!"

OOC: I'm ready to move on! And if Harran isn't impressed with the Tale of the Dread Pirate Harkaway, Myra is not above making up additional adventures that are suitably impressive.

Evan adds to Myra's tales with a bit of magic to add to the impressiveness of it.

Crashes of thunder, a flash of lightning or two, and his own additions seemingly having as much fun as an entertainer as an adventurer.

Harran is suitably impressed. Near the end of the Harkaway tale he even gets out a little notebook and starts taking notes.

(Just let me know when it's time to move on. No rush tho.)

"Well we can talk more along the way. We can gather some of the fruit here to help us out with food stuffs." Evan starts helping pack up letting Harran write his notes.