Cesar: Learning about the Prydaen & the dancers, then encounters an arcane machinist.

After dinner, Cesar moved to the study, where he started to peruse the limited information presented to him about the dancers that were ****. That limited information, in this particular case, being the contracts from families that weren't so well-off, and were willing to sell their daughters in question. As for information on the Prydaen, he perused the written accounts from the royal guards, as well as that of merchants, & other travelers.

"So we have four women that we are looking for?" Cesar asked the grand sultan, as he looked at the sketches of the four women. "These aren't much to look at, but it is a start. How are we to know we've found them, especially if they have other people they've ****?"

"Our magicians magically brand each one of them, which you will see, when you visit the harem." The grand sultan tells Cesar. "When I use my arcane gauntlet, their brands glow a light shade of blue. Other officers in the royal guard have such devices, which is useful for seeking & finding any of them that go astray."

"What if these cat-like people, the Prydaen, manage to cut off those pieces of skin?" Cesar asks the grand sultan. "How will we be able to identify them?"

"Any part of their bodies will emit the mark." The grand sultan tells him. "It is a failsafe that my grandfather devised, after a cunning thief stole a few of his harem girls away, and we were unable to find them."

"What can you tell us about the Prydaen?" Cesar asks the grand sultan.

"Tall, strong, fast, and agile." The grand sultan tells him. "In ideal conditions, it is said that a clan of them can cover hundreds of kilometers, going from one part of the Great Desert, to another. Sometimes, they can come in ship-like crafts that skim the sands--or dune-crafts."

"Did any survivors spot any such craft, when the dancers were ****?" Cesar inquires next.

"There was only survivor," the grand sultan tells him, "and he barely spoke about a large dune-craft, before he died. About the size of a frigate, three sets of sails, and some kind of strange contraption that can fire multiple arbalest bolts in rapid succession. Unfortunately, he claimed there was no name on that dune-craft."

Cesar nodded, and recorded it all down in his journal, before allowing the grand sultan to guide him to the harem. Once there, he saw that it was a large royal harem, with plenty of women from all over the world. With the wave of his arcane gauntlet, the clear gem on the wrist area begins to glow a light blue color. Cesar watched as the royal mark magically hidden in the harem girls begin to glow on exposed body parts. Some of them that weren't busy tending to other things come forward, and kneel in front of the grand sultan.

"So you see, Lord Cesar," the grand sultan tells him, "this is how we can identify any missing dancers. When you are ready to begin the search, we will hand you a device that can help you find them. I do hope you can find them alive & well."

"We will do our best," Cesar tells him, "when we are ready to begin. I can see you have plenty of women in your harem, but I am wondering, if you have a native woman that can help us navigate the Great Desert? I am not just talking about any woman, but one that is capable of fighting, and will be of minimal liability to the guild."

"I had a feeling you would mention that, Lord Cesar." The grand sultan tells him. "I believe I have an ideal woman for that job."

So it was that the grand sultan led Cesar out of the harem, and out of the main building of the Great Ziggurat. Walking past a large garden, the grand sultan led Cesar to a building in a corner of the royal grounds. With the wave of his hand, the grand sultan makes an opening through a protective, magical ward, and opens the door. When Cesar walked in, he saw what looked like a series of contraptions on one side, and a library of arcane books on the other. In the center of the room, he saw a young, human woman, working on some strange device, and reasonably covered in the soot of various substances. A cloth has been wrapped around her head, to help protect her dark hair. A pair of glass-like goggles cover her eyes, and she's wrapped another cloth around her nose & lips. Cesar watches as she works some gears into the strange device, the covers it with some kind of metallic plate. As he & the grand sultan watched her work, he could get an idea of what it was that she's working on. Her nimble fingers flip a gear to an azurite gem, then she loads the weapon by putting some gunpowder into it, then a strip of paper, and a metallic ball. She then packs it all in with a rod, then stood up, and headed to an open area. Cesar watched her full body move in her native robes, as she took aim at a straw dummy, and pulled a trigger-like mechanism. A loud bang could be heard, and Cesar watched as the icy projectile hit the dummy, and left an icy patch at the point of impact. The woman turned around, only to notice Cesar & the grand sultan, and she quickly walks up to them, and bows.

"Grand sultan, my lord." The woman tells him. "I apologize for not recognizing your presence earlier."

"Apology accepted, Amaya." The grand sultan tells her. "Rise, and meet our guest for tonight."

"Oh my!" Amaya pulls down the cloth that covered her nose & mouth, letting Cesar see the piercings on her ears & nose. "Cesar of The Briarwolf Guild, I believe? I heard that the grand sultan was trying to summon you, but I did not think you would come so soon."

"Aye." Cesar tells Amaya. "The guild has come to help your leader find the **** dancers, as well as help with the Sea Elves problem. Your profession looks strange, though. I've seen many professions back home in Freeport, but never something like this."

"Oh?" Amaya tells him. "I'm an arcane machinist. Since Sheba is a central trading hub between the Dragon Continent, and the lands to the West, we receive many strange contraptions, only rivaled by the Dwarves. I've been dabbing with saltpeter lately, trying out a mix of substances that would make this kind of device viable in combat. The Shebans call it a musket."

"Gunpowder?" Cesar asks her. "Some of the ships we've seen use gunpowder-like weapons, albeit with a 50% failure rate, and mostly from non-Dwarven gadgets."

"I've been trying to see if I can fuse this new technology," Amaya tells Cesar, "with magical properties, as you saw earlier. It's still a work-in-progress, but if it works, it may give Sheba an edge in keeping our enemies at bay."

"Perhaps you can use it to a more immediate use, Amaya." Cesar tells her. "The guild can use some help in finding the **** royal dancers, and maybe address the Sea Elves that are marauding the coastline. We can use a native person to guide us."

"I have an extensive knowledge of The Great Desert," Amaya responds, "learned alongside the royal scholars. If the grand sultan allows it, then I would be willing to lend a hand."