Missions From il'Jhain Abdos

[Inkfinger]

il'Jhain Abdos

Fallien, for long years, was a place of isolation. News from one portion of the continent took ages to reach the other areas, and even longer to reach the outside world. The founding of the Outlander’s Post changed that, a bit. Irah Yvesson, founder of the post, recently approached the Jya about beginning a messenger service from one side of the continent to the other, as a means to –if not entirely unite- bring her people a tiny bit closer to one another.

The Jya granted her permission, but had one demand: that the service should be run mostly by the Fallien people themselves. Irah, reluctantly, agreed.

This fledgling messenger system (called il'Jhain Abdos, or simply il'Jhain) by all and sundry because "messenger system" sounds better in Fallien than it does in tradespeak) is a feudal, danger-ridden form of a Pony Express, headquartered in Irrakam. It consists of three factions, to ensure that (unlike a typical messenger service where all one had to worry about was one's horse, one's health, the weather, natives and highwaymen) one needs to worry about those, the rival factions and those in one's same faction if one got a better assignment than one’s fellows.

The Jya outsourced the system to two trusted servants and one trusted outsider, believing that some form of conflict would make the system work better than a monopoly. The three factions are il'S’liaka (the Dustriders, headed by a young woman from the spice-fields of R’uuya), il’Arkmanham (the Windborne, headed by an older man from the Oasis) and the Freerunners (headed by a middle-aged Elven immigrant.)

All involved in this venture are locked in bitter rivalry, competing for the same commissions – both between the factions and within each faction itself. Each faction has their own routes through the treacherous landscape, and each faction claims that their route is the fastest (guarding said routes nigh-fanatically) while trying to discover the other faction's routes just in case, as well may be, the other's is really faster. Truth is, of course, all are about equal in danger and speed. There is an uneasy truce between the factions on Irrakam itself, but there is open warfare between them anywhere else on Fallien.

If you need money, rewards, respect, or just a way to forget battles and quests gone wrong, the messenger system might be for you. If, provided, you can believe and uphold the creed.

[Inkfinger]

Important Locations

il'Jhain Abdos Headquarters

il'Jhain Abdos is headquartered in Irrakam, in a stretch of land between the Outlander’s Quarter and the Jya’s keep. The headquarters is a long, two story building made of baked white clay, with three wooden doors set in the front and rows of windows. The motto is written on the clay on either side of the door, in Tradespeak on the left and in Fallien on the right. One might wonder why they bothered putting three doors, as each door opens into the same room, a wide post-office like setup, with three desks and three posting boards, and a member of each faction sitting behind that desk, waiting for patrons, employees and prospective employees to enter.

There are quarters for employees of all three factions on the bottom floor, built around the perimeter: simple rooms, consisting of a bed and a place to store gear when it’s not being used. The il’Jhain leaders do not advise you to leave your belongs there when you are not. These rooms are only free when, again, you’re actually sleeping in them. You may only keep the same room over multiple stays (or multiple nights) if you pay a small fee, either daily or a lump sum up front. Given the martial nature of life as an il’Jhain runner, they prefer the lump sum.

The top floor is laid out almost exactly like the floor below, only slightly smaller, with an open sitting room where the office is and quarters along the outside edge. The size difference is to allow for the open ledges on the bottom floor’s roof that serve as a sort of patio, with a ladder to the top floor’s roof. There are no walls on the patio or the roof, so you’re advised to walk with care.

Stables: The post on Irrakam and the three main waypoints contain large stables, capable of providing shelter for about fifteen to twenty beasts. They are connected directly to the posts, in case of attack or sandstorm.

Waypoints

Waypoints, like the headquarters, are neutral territory. No rider can attack another rider while at a waypoint – but once a rider is outside of ten yards, all bets are off.

• Waypoint - Oasis: The Waypoint in the Oasis is a large white tent set over a small cavern that serves as the waypoint’s stables. Mounted on the tent’s middle support pole is a large transparent gem that reflects silver-white, no matter the color of the light shining on it. Rumor has it that if the gem ever stops shining, it means the ghost of Fallien will rise to destroy the Outlanders – repeated attempts to cause the gem to fail have been unsuccessful.
  
  
• Waypoint – Spicefields: The waypoint in the Spicefields is built within the ruins of what used to be a village, right on the edge of the farm-lands. Parts are still burned out and collapsing, but other parts are slowly being rebuilt using a strange thatching made from the stalks of bushes, and somewhat amateur stucco-work. It is surrounded by a three foot high wall made of stones. A watchtower still rises over the southern edge of the ruined village, and it is here that the guardians of the waypoint stay. There is a large, dark gem mounted on the Southern side of the watchtower that seems to suck in all light that touches it.
  
  
• Waypoint - Outlander’s Post: This waypoint is simply a low building, a mixture of more-modern stucco and brightly colored tent fabrics. There is no gem on this waypoint, but it does have a rather large sign on it, proclaiming its position with the il’Jhain.

Stations

Stations are spread out every one hundred and fifty to two-hundred miles along the routes. The stations consist only of a stable and a small barracks. They are manned by teams of three, rotating once a month. During that month the only real contact they have with anyone is with the riders. They have enough rations and water for that month, and it is kept under careful lock and key. Their stables are considerably smaller than the main waypoints, only capable of housing five or six beasts, though the stables are still connected to the main buildings.

[Inkfinger]

Important NPCs

• Faziah Spiceweaver (LV: 5)
  Age: 35
  Affiliation: il'S’liaka (the Dustriders)
  Personality: Warm but brusque, businesslike and rather vicious when it comes to her work. She does not suffer fools lightly, by any means, and she is not above fighting dirty to come out on top, or to protect those under her employ. Rumor has it she’s married. No one’s been brave enough to check.
  Appearance: Faziah is, like most Fallien natives, rather short and deeply tanned. She is as slender as a dancer, with long brown-black hair that she wears in an intricate braid. Her eyes are large and brown, when you can see them. She wears veils over her eyes and around her hair, but not over the bottom half of her face. She has tattoos down the bridge of her nose, across her temples, and covering the backs of her hands. She is very, very graceful, and only becomes more graceful when she’s angry.
  Skills of Note: Faziah has no magic, but she is very well versed in spices, specializing in mixtures of Niphena, Kanyaa’dhe and Mallaku'akta, as well as (ironically) love potions.
  
  
• Azuban ash-Shamali (LV: 7)
  Age: 64
  Affiliation: il’Arkmanham (the Windborne)
  Personality: Cold, cynical and unwaveringly pessimistic. If something seems to be going right, it’s only so things will hurt more when they go wrong later on. He may appear old, but he’s as sharp as a tack, and rather more painful to cross. His one soft spot is his love of gambling.
  Appearance: Azuban is short and withered, almost skin and bone though he does have a certain amount of oft-underestimated muscle. His hair is mostly gone, and what little he has is pure white. He is missing his left eye (a fact that he hides beneath an eyepatch) as well as the top two knuckles of his left pinky. He wears those two bones on a leather chord around his neck.
  Skills of Note: He is, supposedly, a ‘retired’ Oasis shaman. Whether or not this is the truth remains to be seen, but he has a moderate amount of skill with their summons, and it is not unusual to see him traveling through the city accompanied by a hound that appears to be made of glass and sand. He also has an eerie understanding of horses.
  
  
• Îdhdaer Bireth (LV: 3)
  Age: 200 (appears to be in his late 30s, early 40s to most humans)
  Affiliation: The Freerunners
  Personality: Happy-go-lucky without being foolish, shrewd without being cynical, Îdhdaer seems to view his job as a game. He’s quick to flirt with customers and employees alike, quick to spend his money, and quick to throw himself at any challenge as it comes.
  Appearance: Tall, slender and toned, with carefully tanned golden-brown skin, long, curly red-gold hair, and gold eyes. He has three X-shaped scars – one on each cheek and one on his forehead - that long-term Outlander’s Quarters residents whisper came from losing a wager to Azuban. He wears thick bronze goggles with yellow lenses, a woven neck-kerchief, a knee-length tan duster and boots with wings etched on the ankles on at all times. One might wonder if the reason he takes such care to be seen in the same outfit all the time is so he’s not noticed in different clothes…
  Skills of Note: Îdhdaer specializes in Geomancy, specifically with earth in the form of sand and dust. He can create and dispel small duststorms (generally nothing more than ten feet across), as well as make things out of handfuls of sand. He also claims to be a poet. Most people argue the validity of this claim.

[Inkfinger]

Missions

General Missions

• Mail Delivery: The backbone of the il’Jhain is, unsurprisingly, the mail delivery. Most runners work their faction’s full route, but some only operate between certain stations.
  Reward: Each successful delivery is rewarded with one-hundred gold (in addition to the GP the quest would have awarded on its own), and one token. Deliveries can be made in the midst of other quests.
• Station Duty: The stations scattered over the island must be maintained and manned, or the entire system collapses. It’s not often an interesting job, but somebody has to do it.
  Reward: Each month of service earns two hundred gold and one token.
• Route Exploration: The il’Jhain is, by necessity, a beast with an almost-constantly-changing face. Each faction looks for their own tricks through the deadly wilderness. Can you find a better way through a treacherous pass, or a shortcut that shaves a precious hour off your time?
  Reward: Successfully finding a new route earns a gold bonus (size dependent on the practicality of said route), one token, and one additional enchantment.
• Route Spying: The beast has three heads, mind, and each wants to know what the other is doing, without the others knowing what they are doing. Find the other factions routes – find ways to ride circles around their deliveries, ways to steal their secret paths from them, or just lay in wait for their runners, it's all up to you. This mission can be a quest or a battle.
  Reward: Whatever tokens you might steal off another faction member in the thread), a gold bonus (dependent on the practicality of said route), and whatever else you might win from your rivals.

Faction-Specific Missions

il’ S’liaka:

• Predatory Pit Crew: There’s a station halfway between the Spicefields and Irrakam where the mounts, somehow, slipped their reins and…well. Drakes and cats and horses in a confined space…it didn’t end pretty. Supply the station with new mounts, but beware! The oldest, wiliest drake escaped – and he might still be hungry.

il’Arkmanham:

• A Horse is a Horse, Of Course Of Course...*: Your assignment is to take papers pertaining to the sale of a specific horse from the Oasis to the Outlander’s Quarters. For some reason, these papers are very important – and very secret. Do not, under any circumstance, let anyone take them from you.
• Rote Route: Something is stalking and ambushing runners that travel the il’ Arkmanham routes, and leaving them beaten (and, on three occasions, dead) on the outskirts of the city, with no memories of the event whatsoever. It is up to you to discover what, exactly, is doing this, and deal with it.
  Claimed By Krausus
  

Freerunners:

[LIST][*]Kits, Cats, Sacks, Wives: Deliver a harecat cub from Outlander’s Post to Outlander’s Quarters. It is meant to be part of a dowry for a wealthy Elven merchant’s daughter, and the groom is paying a hefty bonus for its safe delivery. It’s a pity that its mama’s loose, and feral, and wants her baby back…
Claimed By: Inkfinger

[Inkfinger]

Reward System Details

Every successful quest, mission or run is rewarded with a token. These tokens serve both as status symbols and as currency for rewards. Each factions token is about the size and shape of a quarter, but there the similarities come to a halt. il’S’iaka’s tokens are made of bronze and blue-tinged glass, il’Arkmanham’s are made of silver and ruby-tinted glass, and the Freerunners’ are made of copper and imported oak.

Rewards still cost money; having the proper number of tokens only grants the ability to purchase items from that rank of rewards. Many have complained about the idea – Irah has pointed out, every time, that a business has to make a profit somehow.... but in the woman’s defense, the items are vastly cheaper than their counterparts found in any bazaar or market.

There is absolutely nothing -no rules or charms or curses- keeping a rider from one faction from buying something that only those in their faction can purchase, and then turning around and trading it with someone from a rival faction. On that note, however, it is impossible to earn these rewards outside of working for the il'Jhain.

• One token:
  • Rank: runner.
  • Rewards available: enchantments (minor), map
• Five tokens:
  • Rank: courier.
  • Rewards available: weapons, enchantments (medium), trinkets
• Ten tokens:
  • Rank: captain.
  • Rewards available: mounts, enchantments (major), faction specific rewards

Rewards

• Enlisting: Belt - each il'Jhain member, regardless of faction, is given a belt when they enlist. The belts are leather, with steel buckles, and are enchanted to allow the wearer to know which way is north at all times. These belts can be worn either around the waist or as a bandoleer, and has small holes punched through the edges for mission tokens. (NOTE: the enchantment works for whoever wears the belt, regardless of whether they have actually earned it or not. People have, on occasion, joined up to get the belt and then never went on a single ride; il'Jhain riders have also been known to be targeted for them in bar brawls.)
  
• Enchantments
  The il'Jhain employs an enchanter who will enchant a rider's gear for free, depending on their rank (as measured by number of tokens acquired). It is advised to pick the item to be enchanted carefully, for if the item is sold, traded, stolen or destroyed, the enchant goes with it.
  
  • Minor: 25% chance or increase to anything you can think of – if you are, for example, a thief: you can have the token enchanted to decrease the chance of you being detected by 25%, or that you can see 25% better than you normally can in a particular light.
  • Medium: 50%; see description for minor enchantments
  • Major: 75%; see description for minor enchantments
  
  
• Map: A map of the continent, with the routes of faction you have sworn allegiance to marked clearly on it. It seems to be enchanted to update with new routes - but that is all it updates with.
  
  
  
• il S’liaka:
  • Kukri: A knife with a thick, curved blade, weighted in the front section of the blade. Made of steel. 15GP
    
    
  • Katar: These double-bladed fist weapons are generally sold in a pair, and the blade length varies from four inches to a full foot. The blades are made of steel, and are traced with intricate designs in the color of the wielder’s choice. In addition, the Katar are coated in Mukakkannati glass to cause maximum damage. 300GP.
    
    
  • Poisons: the In'wehtos see nothing wrong with selling samples of their many poisons to the riders who so helpfully aid them to spread their wares. At the moment, they only allow the il'Jhain access to Kanyaa’dhe, Mallaku'akta and Niphena (see the Rough Guide - Chapter VI for descriptions of these poisons). They sell them in 12oz vials, at a rate of 100GP per vial.
    
    
  • Herbs: Same as the poisons, only often on a more beneficial level. The herbs the In'wehtos allow the il'Jhain to use in the rewards are Tabasheer, Yarrow Flowers, and Larkspur Flowers (again, refer to Chapter VI for descriptions). These come in 12oz sacks, at 100GP per sack.
    
    
  • Spellcloaks: Two cloaks, created by the Glasswalkers, who then traded them to Faziah. These cloaks are made of a tan-brown fabric, light and soft as silk and tough as canvas, woven with intricate designs in dark brown. Both have tiny panels of glass worked into the fabric. These panels, when activated, make the bearer seem to fade into their surroundings, regardless of the color.
    
    The cloaks’ ability lasts for 30minutes before the power stored in the panels fades, after which they must be allowed to 'rest' for two hours. Also, the more the wearer moves, the less effective the cloaks are. However, given that the cloaks pick up color from all sides, they can be used effectively in open air, if one knows what one is doing.
    
    400GP apiece. Semi-Unique (2).
    
    
  • Glider Drakes: distant cousins to the strangely intelligent drakes of the Fallien sands, these drakes come in warm-metallic colors (bronzes, golds and coppers) and are slightly larger than the average draft horse. They have spade-shaped heads, rimmed with horns, spade-shaped tails, and massive teeth. Unlike their cousins, these drakes do not have wings – instead, they have wide membranes between their limbs, much like a flying squirrel, that allow them to glide over surprisingly long distances if they are given a high enough point to leap from. They also have incredibly sharp, incredibly strong claws, and are exceptional climbers. 1000GP, includes basic tack.
  
  
  
  
• il’Arkmanham:
  • Kukri: A knife with a thick, curved blade, weighted in the front section of the blade. Made of steel. 15GP
    
    
  • Tulwar: Long, curved sabers with ornate hilts, it is rumored that these weapons are made by apprentice blacksmiths in the Oasis. Regardless of their origin, the steel blades can be forged to the correct size, heft and curvature for their wielder. 100GP
    
    
  • Summon Charms: One of the secrets of the Oasis, these charms summon either a massive eagle, a huge, jackal-like hound, or a griffin to fight along side of their owner. These summons each know one offensive and one defensive skill (to be determined by their user when they receive the charm; the effectiveness and power of these skills will increase with their user’s level, but once set they cannot change). They are also incredibly fast.
    
    They are not, however, durable: three direct hits from someone one level can defeat them, and the number of hits decreases as the levels increase. They can be summoned for fifteen minute increments of time before they disappear on their own, and can be used once every three hours. 75GP
    
    
  • Transformation Charms: Turns the user into a hound, an eagle or a griffin, giving them the increased speed, agility, flight (in the case of the eagle or griffin), teeth and claws of the chosen creature.
    
    These charms only last twenty minutes or until the user becomes unconscious for any reason (whichever comes first), and can only be used once every twelve hours. 75GP
    
    
  • Swords of the Sand: These are a pair of weapons supposedly created before the Vadhya (though most are skeptical of this claim - if they were created so very long ago, they never would have fallen into Irah and the rest of the il'Jhain's hands. Nevertheless, the weapons appear old, a matching set of khanda blades. Though made of steel, the hilts and blood channels are both plated with hammered gold. One has garnets set into the hilt, the other has topaz.
    
    
    
    • Garnet: The garnet marked sword has the ability to summon a cloud of insects, created of sand and rock, to surround the wielder's enemies. the cloud only lasts about five minutes, and is only about the size of a fully grown human man, but the cloud also follows its target for those five minutes.
      
      
    • Topaz: the topaz marked sword can, when stabbed into the earth, create large patches of uneven ground beneath the opponent's feet. These holes, again, only last about five minutes, but that's more than long enough to disorient the foe.
      
      400GP apiece. May both be purchased by one player, but not at the same time. Semi-unique (2)
    
    
    
  • Horses: While these are typical horses in every other manner, breed-quality-wise, they are halfway between the horses sold to foreigners, and the best horses kept for the tribes. As such, they are generally faster, hardier and more loyal than the average horse – but not as much as a purebred Fallien stallion would be. 1000GP, includes basic tack
  
  
  
  
• Freerunners:
  • Kukri: A knife with a thick, curved blade, weighted in the front section of the blade. Made of steel. 15GP
    
    
  • Partisan: A long polearm with a shaft of oak and an arrowhead-shaped blade of steel, again etched through with designs, capped at the base with steel-plated iron. 100GP.
    
    
  • Amulet of Stars-Blessing : The Amulets of Stars-Blessing (there are many more than one; they are one of the few items of High Elven magic that can be viewed as 'mass produced') are Raiaeran in origin, created by followers of Megillion, the Silver-star. The amulets come as a set: part one is a silver amulet in the shape of an eagle with outstretched wings, a red gem clutched between its talons; part two is a sharp, thin silver spike, no longer than three inches in length, with a matching red gem set on the flattened end. Once the spike is left somewhere, the amulet can be used to transport whoever is touching it to the exact location of the spike.
    
    The amulet only works within the bounderies of a specific country; i.e. if the spike is in Fallien and the amulet's wearer is in Alerar, it will do absolutely nothing. The amulet can only be used once every 7days.
    
    90GP.
    
    
  • The Lament of Cooks: Îdhdaer Bireth is nothing if not opportunistic. He's worked with dwarves of all lands many a time, and one thing he's realized is that (among other, less stereotypical things) they love their food and drink. He negotiated a contract with the dwarves of Salvar to sell one of the dwarven secrets.
    
    The Lament is a small (six-by-four-by-two inches) box made of hardened leather set over a framework of wood. Half of the space inside the box is taken up by a small steel flask, and there is a space to store the strange combination knife, fork and spoon (also steel) included. The remaining space, once a day, can be filled, magically, with a filling meal. The flask is the same, though it can be filled twice a day. The food summoned is only ever enough for one, and it does not keep; it must be eaten or disposed of, or it will rot.
    
    100GP.
    
    
  • Boneweave: These strange devices are named after Héra Boneweaver, the Aleraran warlock who created them. At first glance, they appear to be nothing more than three symbols, carved of bone. However, when they are fixed to a bearer (quite a painful process), the edges where the bone meets the flesh begins to glow faintly. The symbols then each grant a unique ability to their user - an ability that is incredibly painful to use, though the pain is a clean pain and fades entirely within an hour of usage.
    
    
    
    • Wings (red) – this weave looks like a pair of bat-like wings, and is fixed between the user’s shoulder blades. When activated, it splits bones off of the user's rib cage, through the user's back, in the shape of wings. Each of the wings' individual 'fingers' are surrounded by a hazy red glow. The wings can be used for one long glide, or for ten shorter jumps before the user must let the weave rest for a full day.
      
      
    • Healing (green) – This weave looks like a winged serpent, and is fixed on the user’s sternum, head down. When activated, it encases the user in a cocoon of green energy, their own bone, and blood, greatly accelerating healing rates. This ability can only be used once a week.
      
      
    • Blades (yellow) – this weave looks like two halves of a sword blade; it can, indeed, split in two, with one half fixed to each of the user’s arms. However, if both halves are joined to one arm, the blades created are stronger. When in use, this weave creates weapons out of the user’s bones, weapons with about the strength of steel. These blades are still attached to their wielder, and cannot be removed or thrown, though they can spring from any point of the body. The rule of thumb, however, is that the further the point of emergence is from the weave, the more painful using the blades will be.
      
      150GP apiece. May be purchased by one player - but not all at once. Semi-unique (3 at the moment; there are more than three in existence, but Îdhdaer has yet to attain them.)
    
    
    
  • Arnabiss: Massive cat-rabbit hybrids brought to Fallien by Irah’s folks; Irah has made sure they have some from each of the three varieties on hand as rewards. 1000GP, includes basic tack.
  
  

[Mordelain]

Shifting Sands claimed by Mordelain.

[Rhaenar Talon]

A Horse is a Horse, Of Course Of Course... claimed by Rhaenar

[Krausus]

Not a claim. Yet. But what is this for? A clan/power group or just a joinin. If just a join it. I claim Rote Route. If not. Please do link the group.

[Mordelain]

Hello Krausus.

These are guided mission briefs. You are free to claim if you meet the requirements, and if you complete them, you gain the noted rewards.

So have fun!

[Krausus]

Rote Route claimed by Krausus/Arron