Meanwhile in the main thread of that FW game

[jayphailey]

The are in node C (-01)

That is one node to the left of the arbitrary Node Zero for that game.

The prime world for this Node is Toril, the planet where Forgotten Realms is set.

Gavin Travis is a survivor from post apocalyptic world. One day in the 2000s everything just stopped working, and the world became increasingly cold and dark. No one knows why this happened.

This character is modelled off the film "The Road" (2009)

Lydia Anderson was an old lady, she'd been a house wife to an L.A. Cops for years and years.

They both woke up in fresh young bodies in pocket dimension where a damaged droid told them they were needed to fight the Mellor. But it didn't know what a Mellor was really or what had been going on.

Gavin and Lydia kitted up and started looking around. They found themselves in a node that roots in Bullseye. Bullseye is like Earthm but at some point in the past and massive impact left the world in a different shape. Instead of continents all over like Earth, Bullseye had a large ring shaped continent with an Island in the middle and another craggier and uglier island on the other side of the world.

Bullseye had humans and nations that echoed the nations of the Earth they knew, but altered. Like a funhouse mirror.

In an Alternate timeline of Bullseye they found a world where an evil dictator had won the great war fought 20 years previously.

There they met Geoff and Iago, two explorers from Faerun. They were being held in a psychiatric hospital

What with one thing and another, they found that Iago and Geoff were members of a cult called "The Golden Army" Iago is a true believer, but Geoof was drafted because he is Fringeworthy. The Golden Army coerced Geoff by holding his family hostage against his good behavior.

What with one thing and another, Gavin and Lydia took Iago Prisoner and have resolved to go rescue Geoff's wife and son from captivity by the Golden Army.

Difficulty, they cannot use the gateway at Mythdrannor. That gate is solidly owned and guarded by The Golden Army.

So they chose another gate.

Now they are travelling across Zakhara, a saudi arabian/ middle eastern flavored D&D setting to get to the coastal city of Utaqa. There they hope to gain working passage on a Corsair heading to the Sword Coast and Baldurs Gate.

From Baldur's Gate, they will head inland through Cormyr to the Dale Lands, and try to sneak up on the Golden Army Emcampent from the outside to liberate Mrs Geoff and Geoff Junior from captivity.

[jayphailey]

Utaqa is a city on the North coast of Zakahara, facing "The Great Sea"

it is an independently minded trade town. They are loyal to the Caliph and the native population adhere to the religions of the "The Enlightenment"

But they have a lot of outlanders and they do a lot of trade there. They don't care if you're and infidel as long as you're on the up and up and you have money or goods they want.


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From the Forgotten Realms Wiki

Utaqa

Utaqa, located at the mouth of Al-Zulma River[2], was the northernmost of Zakhara's Free Cities. Laying almost 200 miles (322 km) from its nearest neighbor, Hafayah, Utaqa's citizens felt on the edge of civilization, and took pride in their independence from authority.
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So I'd also borrow a lot of cinematic Bagdad from the Douglas Fairbaks thief of Badgdad movie.

https://youtu.be/SC1PybVAA5c

Oooohhhhh, Shit!

We'll aahhhhh

We'll leave out the Yellow Peril stuff. Holy Shit!

[jayphailey]

Probably borrow some from this one as well

https://youtu.be/TMiF67ggUOM


The setting, not the plot. Jesus this plot has been done to death.

[jayphailey]

From Utaqa

We'll probably steal from every Sinbad movie I can get my grubby paws on

https://youtu.be/8oljFBOWeeU

[jayphailey]

Utaqa, City of Free Men
Located at the mouth of the river Al-Zulma, Utaqa is the northernmost point in the line of Free
Cities stretching along the coast of the Great Sea.

Its closest neighbor, Hafayah, lies nearly 200 miles to the southwest. Every citizen feels Utaqa’s distance
from civilization, for the city has a decidedly independent spirit.

The Ruler: Caliph Agara al-Gandar (hmT/mr/13) was a merchant with a thriving business and diluted
blood-ties to the throne of Utaqa. During the most recent insurrection in the city, the previous caliph and
his family were put to the sword by Qudran mamluks. The people of Qudra installed “Agara the Dandy” as
their puppet, exerting their influence in Huzuz to receive the Grand Caliph’s confirmation of their
choice.

Qudra had one goal: to provide a safe and fully compliant fortification at the opposite end of the Free
Coast, bracketing the cities.

It has not worked out exactly as they planned. AlGandar quickly discovered that in order to get anything done in the city, he had to return to the citizens and merchants a measure of the autonomy they had previously known.

As long as the people of Utaqa are allowed to do as they see fit, they are content. Huzuz has not interfered; as long as Utaqa continues to pay its respect and its taxes to the Grand Caliph, the Grand Caliphate is also content. Nor has Qudra interfered to date, for as long as Utaqa’s caliph assures Qudra’s emir that the northern tip of the empire is secure, the emir is also content.

The only unhappy man in the entire situation seems to be Agara al-Gandar, who must balance the desires of these factions to retain his position. The lines on the caliph’s face deepen with each passing month.
The Court: Caliph Agara al-Gandar is blessed with an overabundance of advisors and aides, most of whom
have their own interests in keeping Agara on the throne. As a result, they will gladly bend the truth,
lose paperwork, and deliver bribes and favors to keep the status quo. Here are three of those people:

* Chawus al-Rark (hmF/c/10) is a prominent merchant. He made his fortune among the wilds of the
north, and he maintains it by dealing with the Corsair Domains. His arrangement with the corsairs is as follows: he helps them smuggle goods, and in turn they leave the ships that fly Utaqa’s colors alone—for the
most part.

•* On-Basi al-Garn (hmT/mr/12) is the court’s chief scribe. He is responsible for the glowing descriptions of
Caliph Agara that are sent to the courts of Qudra and Huzuz. His descriptions are often too glowing, however, because they result in additional demands being placed on Utaqa. On-Basi does try to control his
tendency to embellish, but he is at heart a boaster and a tale-spinner. His most recent error: he reported
Caliph Agara’s victory over an incursion of yak-men.

Eventually, this tale reached the ears of those evil creatures in the World Pillar Mountains. In response,
the yak-men sent several angry dao to Agara’s bedroom.
•

* Allena al-Ajami (hfW/aj/14) is the court’s chief vizier. A foreigner from the distant North, she is apparently on the run from one or more powerful individuals in that region. Allena relates well to other outlanders, and problems concerning outsiders and mercenary barbarians usually fall into her lap. She supervises the coordination (and more importantly, the payment) of mercenary barbarians in Utaqa.

Population: 70,000.

Features of the City: More than any other city in the north, and perhaps even throughout the Land of
Fate, Utaqa is a place on the edge of civilization. The combination of barbarian and enlightened views have
produced a very independent attitude toward the world that is neither of Zakhara nor of the world
outside. The city’s people are basically honest and blunt, often to the point of seeming rude. They are
pragmatic in that they recognize the need for some sort of government, so they feel they might as well make the most of it. All of the clergy in the major mosques are pragmatists, a rarity in the Land of Fate.

The Utaqans are also stridently opposed to slavery, in all its forms. In particular, they oppose the mamluks,
whom Utaqans describe as “the tattooed attack dogs of oppression.” Slaves brought into the city will be
rescued (whether they want to be or not).

Mamluks are rarely found in the streets except as an occupying force.

Visiting merchants who own slaves grant them temporary freedom while in Utaqa, paying them as
employees until both leave the city, when they resume their relationship as master and slaves.

Utaqans see themselves as good and decent folk confronted with decadent authority and tyrannical
rule. The city’s official color is white, symbolizing their purity (to their detractors, it also symbolizes
the color of surrender).

Smuggling and similar acts are illegal only by declaration of a far-off power. “A man should be ruled by his own internal Law” is the unofficial Utaqan motto.

Major Products: Trade, smuggling, mercenaries.

Armed Forces: 4,000-man city guard; 30-ship navy; ten units (10,000 men) of mercenary barbarians who
make Utaqa their home base, of which about half are present at any time.

The city has a large mamluk fortification upstream on the Al-Kufr River, which houses three units of 900 trained men (2,600 total), representing the Studious, the Valiant, and the Dutiful. Ostensibly, these units are strategically positioned to aid the caliph in times of need. The real reason for their proximity: to capture the city if the Utaqans get out of hand.

Major Mosques: Hajama, Hakiyah, Haku, Najm.

The city also boasts a number of temples devoted to savage (unenlightened) gods, and such temples are a
rarity in the civilized world.

Rumors and Lore: Intrigue abounds in Utaqa, on a level which even rivals that of Hiyal. A regular crisis
involves rumors from Hafayah, claiming that an inspector from Qudra is traveling incognito, looking
for corruption and excess. From the viewpoint of mamluk-ruled Qudra, all of Utaqa is corrupt and
excessive. But perhaps that’s the only way the city can function. Top-heavy with outlanders and barbarians, a normal system of government would crumble here, as it has done in the past.

The inspector on his or her way to Utaqa may not agree, however, and the sagacious heads of court are looking for him, hoping to shut his mouth with either gold or steel

[jayphailey]

The Al-Qadim land of Fate world book abuse the shit out of Middle Eastern terms and this makes it hard to understand sometimes.

From the Context there they seem to be using "Caliph" as "Local Prince"

I guess th Mamluks are the enforcers of the centralizes rule. The narcs.

[jayphailey]

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Mamluk


Mamluk

Taken from unenlightened tribes as children, mamluks were individuals who grew up as slaves in Zakhara.

These children were brought to enlightenment and schooled in various areas including warfare, discipline and administration.

Organization
Children were matched with whatever mamluk organization paired best with his or her natural talents.
Mamluks were supervised by superior officers. The Grand Caliph in Huzuz ultimately supervised all mamluks since they were technically his property. Mamluk soldiers were the most elite fighting force in Zakhara. The different mamluk groups had special facial tattoos they used to identify members. More elaborate tattoos denoted a higher rank. Attempts to mimic mamluk tattoos was a crime in Zakhara.

[jayphailey]

So I need an encounter that vibes with that "Thief of Bagdad", Sinbad, Independant minded people thing.

Any suggestions?

[jayphailey]

Once they're out of Utaqa and on the sea, I'll be stealing from every Sinbad movie ever

https://youtu.be/3qrRSQ7ZJE8


But boy they needed to work on their trailer game back in the day

[jayphailey]

https://youtu.be/lRRcrY8-XyM

This is Steal-a-mation!