The star of Ashir - Chapter 1
THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, EXPECT CHANGES
The guide pushes open a heavy door of cedar and brass, gesturing you inside before vanishing back into the gloom of the stairwell with a silence that feels practiced for many years.
The air here is old and stale and carries the dusty, vanilla-sweetness of aged papyrus, the sharp, metallic tang of alchemical tinctures and the cloying, sweet smoke of burning incense curling lazily from a brass censer. Your eyes adjust to the flicker of oil lamps, that cast dancing, skeletal shadows through the brass spheres and quadrants hanging suspended from the vaulted ceiling. The silence that should fill this room is not empty; it is filled with the rhythmic, mechanical heartbeat of three orreries- great orbs that show glowing pinpricks of light moving in paths that depict familiar constellations.
Perception (DC 18): You notice the stained-glass windows, leaded with indigo and fiery ochre, are precisely angled. At the right hour, the moonlight will bleed through these panes to paint constellations into some cleverly placed alcoves.
Society or Lore: Al'nahar (DC 15): The craftsmanship of the brass instruments is superb. These were forged painstakingly by hand in year long work
A door to the side creaks open. A man enters with a nervous, hectic gait, his brow furrowed deep-set worry. His robes are a rich indigo and the silver-threaded nebulae on his cuffs shimmer like stars caught in a web. He doesn't greet you; instead, his slender hands twist a silver ring on his index finger with an obsessive, nervous tempo.
"Welcome," he murmurs, his voice carrying a tremor he cannot quite suppress. "I am Samir, of the Celestial Circle."
He moves toward a largewooden desk-a chaotic landscape of charts held down by polished stones. With a trembling hand, he unrolls a separate, smaller chart. The parchment is yellowed, brittle, and covered in symbols that seem utterly alien to you.
"For generations, the celestial circle has mapped the sky after the great eclipse. But recently, in ruins to the west, we unearthed this. It depicts the night sky as it existed before-a time when constellations now forgotten ruled the heavens . And with it, we found a key: an astrolabe of an unknown metal, only heard in the oldest tales. We didn't think it would exist: The Star of Azmar."
His gaze drops to the desk, settling on a velvet-lined indentation that sits conspicuously empty. His hands wring together, the silver ring glinting in the lamplight. "And now, barely weeks after its discovery... it was stolen."
Recall Knowledge: The Great Eclipse (Arcana DC 12 or Religion DC 15): You remember fragments of old poems. They say that before the Eclipse, the stars didn't just move; they watched. This chart depicts "The Eye of the Void"- a constellation said to watch from the heavens
Sense Motive (DC 17): Samir is terrified, but not just of the theft. It seems he feels a profound sense of personal failure, as if he expects the very stars to punish him for the loss.
Samir produces a heavy silken purse. It chimes with the clear, melodic ring of high-purity silver as he sets it upon the wood. "Five hundred silver dinars is what I offer you. And if the Star returns before the moons complete their turn -unscathed- the sum shall grow by half. But gold is a hollow thing. Bring the Star back, and our libraries, records that have never felt the sun's touch-will be yours to tread - for a while."
With a sharp, decisive nod, he clears a path through the charts. "Come. It was not kept here. It was housed in the Inner Sanctum."
Investigation (DC 15): You lean in until your breath stirs the white sand. There are no footprints in the sand, no sighns of forced entry. This was planned and executed meticiously.
Arcana (DC 18): You reach toward the shimmering threads. They sway like reeds in the wind. The wards here weren't broken; they were convinced to open by someone who knew them intimately.
Thievery (DC 20): You peer into the lock’s housing. The internal tumblers are coated in a faint, silvery oil. It smells faintly of bitter almonds.
Acolyte Farida (Diplomacy DC 12): The young woman sits to the side and sketches the scene with charcoal. She whispers: "Master Samir is very troubled. The Star of Azmar… it was so new to us. I only saw it once, but the way it shimmered… like capturing a piece of the night sky within metal. It felt… ancient, even though it was just unearthed.""
(Possible Result: Provides a vague but evocative description of the astrolabe and hints at its age.) Acolyte Kamal (Insight DC 16): The old man peers through a lens. The lock… it is a complex mechanism, interwoven with minor enchantments to prevent tampering. There are no scratches, no signs of it being picked. It was either opened correctly or bypassed by magic. Master Elara believes a specific sequence of celestial alignments, perhaps from the pre-eclipse era, might have been used to disengage the wards, but the thief would need intimate knowledge of our most guarded rituals ." (Possible Result: Strongly suggests the thief has knowledge of the Celestial Circle's inner workings or ancient astronomical lore.)
Perception (DC 12): Along the edge of the path, where the fine sand meets the garden tiles, you find faint, hurried prints. They are shallow and sharp, distinct from the flat, measured stride of a scholar's sandals.
Survival (DC 16): You trace their path -the individual was moving with a frantic speed, leaning forward as if chased. The tracks deviate from the main gate, veering toward a narrow, shaded darb (an alleyway) that winds between two sandstone buildings.
Perception (DC 14): Caught on a low-hanging vine near the entrance of the dark alley is a single, iridescent feather. It shimmers with an oil-slick violet that turns a sickly green in the light.
Arcana (DC 15): The feather is warm to the touch, humming with traces of transmutation magic. It is born of magic, not of nature.
Samir points toward the darkened mouth of the alley as you discover the prints. "That darb... it is a discreet route, cloaked in shadows. And it bypasses the heavy traffic of the Great Library. It is the preferred path for those who do not wish to be seen. Perhaps our thief sought to lose themselves in the labyrinth of hidden courtyards that lie beyond."
As you move toward the exit to follow the trail, Samir reaches into the stiff, silver-threaded cuff of his robe. He produces a small scroll, tied with a single silken thread and closed with the wax seal of the Celestial Circle.
"Exercise caution," he whispers, and for a moment, you see it - the flicker in his eyes that betrays a deeper fear. He isn't just worried about the theft; he is worried about who was capable of it. "Whoever possesses the audacity to steal from the Celestial Circle is likely cunning and resourceful. Do not reveal the true nature of what you seek. Claim you are searching for a rare astronomical instrument on behalf of a wealthy and eccentric patron. Discretion, as I said, shall be your cloak on this journey,"
The city of Al’nahar never sleeps; it merely whispers a different tongue. As you navigate the winding arteries of the university district, the clamor of the copper-sellers market fades, replaced by the rhythmic scratching of reed pens and the low, melodic hum of scholars debating in the shadows of arched houses. There are no walls here between soul and scroll; a library sits tucked between a spice merchant and a cobbler, the scent of ink mingling with the sharp tang of turmeric.
Your guide- a figure swathed in robes the color of a bruised plum that gleam with silver stars -leads you in silence. They navigate the labyrinthine stairs of a sandstone tower that seems to reach toward the stars, as if hungry for their touch. The air cools slightly as you ascend, leaving behind the heavy scent of street-fire and roasted lamb for something thinner, colder, and more mystical.
The Observatory of the Celestial Circle
The guide pushes open a heavy door of cedar and brass, gesturing you inside before vanishing back into the gloom of the stairwell with a silence that feels practiced for many years.
The air here is old and stale and carries the dusty, vanilla-sweetness of aged papyrus, the sharp, metallic tang of alchemical tinctures and the cloying, sweet smoke of burning incense curling lazily from a brass censer. Your eyes adjust to the flicker of oil lamps, that cast dancing, skeletal shadows through the brass spheres and quadrants hanging suspended from the vaulted ceiling. The silence that should fill this room is not empty; it is filled with the rhythmic, mechanical heartbeat of three orreries- great orbs that show glowing pinpricks of light moving in paths that depict familiar constellations.
Skill Checks: Entering the Sanctum
Perception (DC 18): You notice the stained-glass windows, leaded with indigo and fiery ochre, are precisely angled. At the right hour, the moonlight will bleed through these panes to paint constellations into some cleverly placed alcoves.
Society or Lore: Al'nahar (DC 15): The craftsmanship of the brass instruments is superb. These were forged painstakingly by hand in year long work
A door to the side creaks open. A man enters with a nervous, hectic gait, his brow furrowed deep-set worry. His robes are a rich indigo and the silver-threaded nebulae on his cuffs shimmer like stars caught in a web. He doesn't greet you; instead, his slender hands twist a silver ring on his index finger with an obsessive, nervous tempo.
"Welcome," he murmurs, his voice carrying a tremor he cannot quite suppress. "I am Samir, of the Celestial Circle."
He moves toward a largewooden desk-a chaotic landscape of charts held down by polished stones. With a trembling hand, he unrolls a separate, smaller chart. The parchment is yellowed, brittle, and covered in symbols that seem utterly alien to you.
"For generations, the celestial circle has mapped the sky after the great eclipse. But recently, in ruins to the west, we unearthed this. It depicts the night sky as it existed before-a time when constellations now forgotten ruled the heavens . And with it, we found a key: an astrolabe of an unknown metal, only heard in the oldest tales. We didn't think it would exist: The Star of Azmar."
His gaze drops to the desk, settling on a velvet-lined indentation that sits conspicuously empty. His hands wring together, the silver ring glinting in the lamplight. "And now, barely weeks after its discovery... it was stolen."
Skill Checks: Assessing the Situation
Recall Knowledge: The Great Eclipse (Arcana DC 12 or Religion DC 15): You remember fragments of old poems. They say that before the Eclipse, the stars didn't just move; they watched. This chart depicts "The Eye of the Void"- a constellation said to watch from the heavens
Sense Motive (DC 17): Samir is terrified, but not just of the theft. It seems he feels a profound sense of personal failure, as if he expects the very stars to punish him for the loss.
Samir produces a heavy silken purse. It chimes with the clear, melodic ring of high-purity silver as he sets it upon the wood. "Five hundred silver dinars is what I offer you. And if the Star returns before the moons complete their turn -unscathed- the sum shall grow by half. But gold is a hollow thing. Bring the Star back, and our libraries, records that have never felt the sun's touch-will be yours to tread - for a while."
With a sharp, decisive nod, he clears a path through the charts. "Come. It was not kept here. It was housed in the Inner Sanctum."
The Inner Sanctum
He presses a hidden stud on a brass-bound pillar. A section of the wall rotates with a heavy, grinding groan of stone on stone. You step into a circular vault and thecold embrace of sandstone sends a shiver down your backs. There are no windows in this room; the only light comes from the glowing blue lines etched into floor and ceiling, forming more constellations, a nightsky hidden in darkness. And below, right at the center, lies a single, raised obsidian plinth.
Fine, white sand, meticulously sifted, blankets the floor around the plinth like ghostly frost. Above the pedestal, a lattice of azure threads, the dying embers of detection spells wafts in the air, humming with a low, discordant thrum. Robed Circle members move around silently, their hushed whispers echoing in the high chamber.
Skill Checks
Investigation (DC 15): You lean in until your breath stirs the white sand. There are no footprints in the sand, no sighns of forced entry. This was planned and executed meticiously.
Arcana (DC 18): You reach toward the shimmering threads. They sway like reeds in the wind. The wards here weren't broken; they were convinced to open by someone who knew them intimately.
Thievery (DC 20): You peer into the lock’s housing. The internal tumblers are coated in a faint, silvery oil. It smells faintly of bitter almonds.
Acolyte Farida (Diplomacy DC 12): The young woman sits to the side and sketches the scene with charcoal. She whispers: "Master Samir is very troubled. The Star of Azmar… it was so new to us. I only saw it once, but the way it shimmered… like capturing a piece of the night sky within metal. It felt… ancient, even though it was just unearthed.""
(Possible Result: Provides a vague but evocative description of the astrolabe and hints at its age.) Acolyte Kamal (Insight DC 16): The old man peers through a lens. The lock… it is a complex mechanism, interwoven with minor enchantments to prevent tampering. There are no scratches, no signs of it being picked. It was either opened correctly or bypassed by magic. Master Elara believes a specific sequence of celestial alignments, perhaps from the pre-eclipse era, might have been used to disengage the wards, but the thief would need intimate knowledge of our most guarded rituals ." (Possible Result: Strongly suggests the thief has knowledge of the Celestial Circle's inner workings or ancient astronomical lore.)
The Courtyard Trail
Skill Checks
Perception (DC 12): Along the edge of the path, where the fine sand meets the garden tiles, you find faint, hurried prints. They are shallow and sharp, distinct from the flat, measured stride of a scholar's sandals.
Survival (DC 16): You trace their path -the individual was moving with a frantic speed, leaning forward as if chased. The tracks deviate from the main gate, veering toward a narrow, shaded darb (an alleyway) that winds between two sandstone buildings.
Perception (DC 14): Caught on a low-hanging vine near the entrance of the dark alley is a single, iridescent feather. It shimmers with an oil-slick violet that turns a sickly green in the light.
Arcana (DC 15): The feather is warm to the touch, humming with traces of transmutation magic. It is born of magic, not of nature.
Samir points toward the darkened mouth of the alley as you discover the prints. "That darb... it is a discreet route, cloaked in shadows. And it bypasses the heavy traffic of the Great Library. It is the preferred path for those who do not wish to be seen. Perhaps our thief sought to lose themselves in the labyrinth of hidden courtyards that lie beyond."
As you move toward the exit to follow the trail, Samir reaches into the stiff, silver-threaded cuff of his robe. He produces a small scroll, tied with a single silken thread and closed with the wax seal of the Celestial Circle.
"Exercise caution," he whispers, and for a moment, you see it - the flicker in his eyes that betrays a deeper fear. He isn't just worried about the theft; he is worried about who was capable of it. "Whoever possesses the audacity to steal from the Celestial Circle is likely cunning and resourceful. Do not reveal the true nature of what you seek. Claim you are searching for a rare astronomical instrument on behalf of a wealthy and eccentric patron. Discretion, as I said, shall be your cloak on this journey,"
The scroll contains a list of names for your investigation:
Zayan the Pale: A reclusive historian in the House of Dust. Obsessed with "extinct" constellations and the time before the eclipse.
Layla of the Veils: An antiquities dealer in the Grand Bazaar with a reputation for finding "impossible" relics.
Kaveh the Exiled: A disgraced astronomer living in a cellar workshop near the Alchemist’s Gate. His name was struck from the Circle's rolls in shame.
APPENDIX: The Star of Azmar
The Star of Azmar is an astrolabe unlike any currently known in Al'nahar. It is crafted from a dark, almost obsidian-like metal that seems to absorb light rather than reflect it, yet intricate silver tracery inlaid across its surface shimmers with a faint, internal luminescence. It is surprisingly lightweight for its size, fitting comfortably in the palm of a hand, yet feels strangely balanced and resonant. .
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