Over a thousand years ago, in a time between times, there was a region ruled by powerful Sorceror Kings. The Imaskari Empire’s borders were vast ~~ they ruled from the Endless Wastes to the Golden Water to the frontiers of Kara-Tur.

This was a time of powerful magic and artefacts of the like that Faerun had never seen before and likely has never seen since. It was a time of wondrous beauty but also cruel tyranny. The Sorceror Kings of Imaskar were not benevolent and kind rulers. They were tyrannical, oppressive rulers who ruled over their subjects with an iron fist, putting many of the Imaskari civilians into slavery and demanding tributes. These Sorceror Kings were believed to be the walking incarnations of the Gods, and as such they demanded nothing but total obeisance from those who dwelt within their realm.

Within the borders of Imaskar, a young man lived in a small village. His name was Tsenya Garbo, and from a young age he was marked for greatness. Believed to have the favour of the Padhra Mahavidi, Tsenya Garbo became a spiritual leader for the villagers. Unlike the Sorceror Kings of Imaskar that ruled over them all, Tsenya Garbo was both wise and just, and under his guidance and abilities, the villagers were kept safe from the worst excesses of that time.

Deep within the Katakoro Shan mountains, situated at the bottom of a valley, the village was hidden inside the many mountain passes that went through the region. And so, the village grew, both in size and prosperity, becoming a beautiful kingdom in its own right. The people inside it lived lives of harmony and peace.

Yet it would not always be so.

There were some in the village that had dark hearts and darker thoughts. One, in particular, was a young man by the name of Ambuchar Devayam. Of a similar age to Tsenya Garbo, Devayam harboured deep within him a no small amount of jealousy over the rise of his friend. Ambuchar Devayam believed that he was worthy of the Padhra’s favour more than Tsenya, and that his friend’s elevation was undeserved. Over time that jealousy evolved into obsession and finally smouldering hatred.

Ambuchar Devayam left the village, travelling through the mountain passes and coming to what would one day become the Empire of Solon.

There, he uncovered several hidden artefacts, artefacts that would bestow upon him great powers. From there he studied the dark arts in preparation for the time that he would return home and take what he perceived to be his kingdom from Tsenya Garbo.

What happened after is shrouded in mystery and conjecture, but it is believed that Ambuchar Devayam used the artefacts to murder the empress of what would become Shou Lung and become emperor in his own right.

But in the end you reap what you sow.

Ambuchar Devayam was overthrown as emperor of Shou Lung and fled into the depths of the Great Empire of Dust, Raurin. There he sought more artefacts to further increase his power. When he finally returned, he did so with an army of death at his back. He quickly took a portion of the Shou Lung empire, naming it Solon. But Devayam was not satisfied with ruling his own nation. He wanted more. He wanted to cast down Tsenya Garbo and take the beautiful city within the Katakoro Mountains as his own.

Tsenya was forewarned of the coming of his old friend in prophetic dreams sent by the Padhra Mahavidi. He knew that his people could not stand against Ambuchar Devayam‘s army, that they could not defeat the army of the dead that he had created. Thousands of lives would be lost in a tidal wave of blood.

And so Tsenya travelled, alone, into the mountain passes where he knew Ambuchar Devayam was leading his armies. He called out his former friend and appealed to his one weakness ~~ his pride. Tsenya Garbo challenged Devayam to a duel. If Devayam could defeat him, the city would be his. If Tsenya were to win, then Ambuchar Devayam would be banished from the region, unable to return for a thousand years.

Devayam, so sure of his superiority and power, accepted the challenge and the Padhra, hearing the accord as it was struck, enforced it with her divine will.

At the top, at the very peaks of the Katakoro Shan, Ambuchar Devayam and Tsenya Garbo met, and they fought. For three days and three nights they battled each other, so evenly matched were they in both power and ability. They battled amongst the mountain tops with fist, spell and steel. The mountains themselves shook from the conflict, to the extent that those who were not aware of the titanic clash that was taking place believed that the gods themselves were about to cast the snowy peaks down on the world below.

Yet, when it was over, Tsenya Garbo was victorious. Defeated and bloodied, Devayam nevertheless honoured the terms of their battle -- the Padhra herself demanded no less. Taking his army, he retreated to the empire of Solon, and there he consolidated the grip on his throne. As he did so, he kept his jealous eyes on the beautiful realm he so desired for his own, even as he once more built up his power. And as years rolled into decades rolled into centuries, the warlord remained patient, for the time would come when the terms of their conflict would pass, and the time would come to strike once more.

Today, it is 1361 DR, the Year of Maidens. Today is 21st Eleint. It is the Autumn Equinox. Midsummer has passed and the first chill of Autumn that will eventually lead into Winter has come to Faerun. The leaves have started to fall from the trees, and everywhere worshippers gather in celebration.

Much has happened in the intervening years. The Imaskari Empire is no more, and from its ashes have risen the kingdoms of Mulhorand, Unther and Thay. However, although memories of that empire have faded into the dust that it has now become, there are still remnants of the power that the Sorceror Kings once wielded buried under the golden sands that now lay on top of the skeletal ruins of once great and powerful cities.

Some things however, have not changed.

The Autumn Equinox for this particular year marks another important milestone.

It marks a thousand years to the day since the battle between Tsenya Garbo and Ambuchar Devayam.

Today would turn out to be a very important day for other reasons..... Today marked the day that a young, enterprising orphan by the name of Kian Le stole into an armed contingent, stealing away a golden lockbox that carried something very, very important inside of it.



“Stop! Thief!"

Over the years, the merchants of the Kuo-Te'Lung bazaar had been greeted with many unusual sights. However, on this particular day, they were greeted by one perhaps stranger than the rest. A young man wore a blue brocade belted over a white, silken shirt. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail that flowed freely from the slight breeze that blew through the marketplace on this particular day. In his hands, the Kian Le clutched tightly to his chest a golden lockbox. The lockbox was clasped shut with a lock that was fashioned with the insignia of a serpent. He did not know what was inside it, but so convinced was he that this lockbox contained within it the key to riches and fortune that, quite frankly, he did not care. All that he was bothered about right now was escaping the contingent of armed guardsmen that, as of this moment right now, were running through the open-air market behind him.

Eyes the colour of sapphire glanced back as the youngster continued to run straight forwards. Behind him, the guardsmen, about six strong, ran as fast as they could after him. He could hear the jangle of metal on metal as their scimitars, belted to their waist, clattered on the armour that they wore. Whereas Kian was small and agile enough to evade the merchants and buyers both, the guardsmen were not so subtle. They simply barrelled straight through anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way, sending passersby flying to one side in the path of their impotent rage.

Kian was not foolish. He knew that if he got caught a swift hanging was the best fate that he could possibly hope for. Turning his head back to the path at hand, the youngster continued to run -- determined as he was that this was not a fate that he would suffer.

Around him the marketplace was in full swing. The sun was shining in the sky and it was roughly midday in the town of Kuo-Te'Lung. Merchants were hawking their wares, and more than one of them were in heated negotiations with buyers, looking to purchase their goods at the cheapest price possible. Carts were propped up, some of them holding fruit, others holding meats and still others with jars of exotic spices within them. In addition to that, merchants were looking to sell furs and animal skins, and others had expensive looking jewellery. It was one of those stalls that Kian reached out and quickly swiped what seemed to be a necklace adorned with a beautiful emerald.

"Hey! You!"

The merchant, a portly, balding man with a red face, came running around to try and tackle Kian, but the orphan agilely ducked underneath the man's outstretched arms, rolling and coming up on the other side. As the man shook his fist in Kian's direction, he turned and shrugged, bowing slightly by way of apology. Putting the necklace in one of his pockets, he drew out a couple of shining silver coins, throwing them towards the merchant by way of recompense for the stolen goods. As the man bent down to pick them up though, the first of the guards ran straight into him. There was a sickening crunch from the head-on collision between the two, and Kian inwardly winced as he continued running.

Five guards remained on his tail as the sixth tried to pick himself up from the floor where he had knocked himself half-unconscious. Running past a fruit stall, Kian reached out, unhooking the clasp on the cart on his way past. And as melons, apples, oranges and coconuts (of all things), poured into the path of the onrushing guards he turned around and once more tossed a couple of silvers towards the angry merchant.

This was proving to be a very expensive day....

Behind him there was a yell as the other five guardsmen charged straight into the fallen fruit. They crashed into each other and then fell in a heap onto the floor. Chuckling, Kian waved at them as he put the lockbox inside his pocket, turning to run.

Kian had one goal in mind. He had to get to a merchant caravan that he knew was leaving the city this very day. His plan was to steal aboard, and then possibly return once things quietened down a little.



"You will escort me to the Bitter Well Oasis, as per the arrangement. There, the choice is yours as to whether or not you decide to continue onwards across the Dragonwall. This is acceptable, no?"

Merchant Haldemar was a bored-looking man. Around the age of fifty with a weather-beaten face and greying hair he had seen many, many things in his years providing mercantile goods to people who needed them, and those that didn't (he tended not to discriminate between the two when looking for a potential sale).

Opening the brown cover that separated the exterior of the caravan from the interior, Haldemar revealed a number of different wares. Mostly animal skins and furs, though there were some foodstuffs there too. The cheese was particularly aromatic.

"Stay on the outside at all times."

Haldemar walked over to the two horses pulling the wagon, climbing onto the carriage next to them and taking the reins. "And before you even think about it, I've taken a complete inventory. I will know if something is missing so keep your eyes off them. I will pay you half your allotted sum when we get halfway, and the other half on completion. We will leave in a couple of minutes so I would advise you make yourselves comfortable."

He moved over to the front of the wagon and mounted one of the horses.

From the rear, out of the marketplace, a young man wearing a blue brocade and white silken shirt came charging forwards, running as if his life depended on it. Every so often he glanced back, black ponytail fluttering in the breeze. Running up to the wagon, he dived straight into it.

Within seconds, the wagon began to move....

---

Atyna was busy packing the things he would need for the trip. His guild boss had been easy on Atyna for the last six months, after all he had saved the Boss's daughter, Asano, from a rival gang. She was seventeen and it had been a heat of the moment things that happen when two young people end up trapped in a small space for two days. There had been tension between the two of them but, that warm night hidden in a warehouse, the energy changed from potential to kinetic and now the evidence of that conversion was showing. Master Nisun Choi, the guild boss, was under the impression that Atyna had killed the man who had done this to Asano. But Nisun was observant and had a different inclination of what really had happened to his daughter. The problem was Atyna.

There were three problems that Master Nisun had with Atyna. The first was racial, like the city he was between the east and the west, a half-breed. His mother was from the east and his father was western. He was a part of both but belonged to neither culture. That made him troubling as he didn't think or act like either group, he picked and chose how he acts. The second was that Atyna was like his father, an actor and a confidence man. You could never know when Atyna was setting you up or telling the truth. The final thing was that Asano had eyes for Atyna and Atyna was not good enough to be her husband. When she was around him, she acted.... Western expressing her opinion and worse, saying no to her father's requests. Atyna had probably only done honest work a handful of days in his entire life. To make matters worse, Atyna was wearing Asano's necklace pendant and family dagger in the front of his pants and Master Nisun knew it. The trouble was that Atyna was loyal, well as loyal as a thief can be to the clan and had helped setup some big jobs. Nisun needed to deal with him quietly and quickly.

The meeting that happened a mere thirty minutes earlier was quick and to the point. There was a caravan leaving town into new territory and Atyna was going to be part of it. His messenger bag was loaded with items that were "to hot" to fence in the region, so he could sell them where they ended up or killed by the guards for having them, a new set of thieving tools, a set of throwing daggers, a small bag of coins, and letters to help him negotiate and establish the illegal side of the caravan route. The merchant did not need to know everything that was coming with them. He packed what he thought he might need in a pack. He included some packets of healing herbs from his mother's shop, in case of bad water and other traveler's afflictions. He had been living in an apartment above the shop, so she could keep an eye on him.

As he came down, Asano was there visiting his mother who knew the truth at this point. She had heard from the houe staff what her father had decided. Atyna's mother slapped him and said, "I knew you would bring shame on yourself."

Then the three of them hugged. His mother said, "Come back when you have made something of yourself." Asano kissed him to the shock of her maid and told him "Come back alive."

As he arrived at the caravan, one of Master Nisun's lieutenants was there to see him off. A few words and a handshake with the merchant sealed his fate. He loaded his pack of stuff under the front bench of the wagon. Being told to stay out of the wagon. As he climbed on the front bench and waved to the assassin, he watched as his new fellow guard came running in, probably being chased by the guards and dive into the wagon.

As Kian Le barrelled into the wagon, he immediately grabbed at one of the furs on the back and pulled it over himself to hid himself from view. Although he was conscious of the fact that he had been seen by the other guard at the back of the caravan, he allowed himself to take a small chance on the guard's benevolence, and was somewhat rewarded when perhaps surprisingly enough the alarm was not raised.

The merchant, Haldemar, seemingly none the wiser to his presence, kicked the horses off. The caravan lurched forwards, stowaway hidden in the back.

And there he lay, hidden underneath the fur that lay on top of him. Not making a move, he lay completely still. Inwardly, he wondered when would be the best time to throw the fur off and make a run for it with his prize. Reaching down, his hand touched the golden lockbox that he had concealed within. Shaking it slightly, he grinned at the sound of something rattling from inside.

"You are going to make me very, very rich," he whispers to himself.

Outside, it was a beautiful day indeed as the cart left the busy city of Shou Lung behind it. Following a dusty, windswept road, the caravan travelled across the countryside. The cobblestone streets of Shou Lung, and the business of the city were left behind, to be replaced by the calmness and serenity of the road, surrounded as it was on both sides by rolling green grasslands. Overhead the silhouettes of birds flying above the caravan could be seen.

It was just past midday, and Haldemar looked to the road ahead, his voice drifting back to Atyna from the front.

"Soon we will enter the steppes. They are home to the barbarian tribes that live in the region. They are a honourable sort, of a fashion. I don't anticipate any problems with them, but if we are accosted by them we need to be mindful of their customs."

Inside the caravan, Kian finally pushed the fur to one side. Dragging himself over to the back of it, he dangled his legs over the side as he regarded Atayna.

"Hey, sorry if I caused you any trouble climbing into the back of the wagon like that," he began, sapphire eyes flashing with merriment as he continued to whisper, mindful of Haldemar's proximity. Fortunately, the sounds of the horse and the caravan's wheels traversing the dusty road were enough to drown out the sound of his voice. "I couldn't take the chance of the guards catching me and I needed to leave the city pretty quickly."

The young man grinned slightly before continuing, "My name is Kian Le, and we are well met. Thank you for not giving me away to grumpy over there," he nodded over towards Haldemar's back

Reaching into the folds of his silken shirt, Kian finally withdrew his prize. A small, rectangular lockbox. Holding it up, he laughed softly as he glances Atyna. Shaking it, he was gratified to hear the sound of something rattling again inside it. Seemingly without a care in the world he set the box on his lap as he continued to dangle his legs over the back of the wagon.

"Now, I wonder what lovely delights you hold." His hand reached down to a small pocket knife belted to his waist. "Open sesame," he muttered as he placed the thin blade into the serpent shaped clasp.

The lockbox itself was small, not even spanning the length of one of Kian's knees. It was inlaid by a golden surface, lock carved into the shape of a serpent. Around its edge was a dark brown strip. It had the look of something that was extremely expensive. Moving the edge of the blade about in the lock, Kian's smile gradually lessened, finally turning into a frown. Despite his best efforts, the lock did not open.

"Stubborn little.....," he began, continuing to fumble with the lock....

@Meleck

---

The young man grinned slightly before continuing, "My name is Kian Le, and we are well met. Thank you for not giving me away to grumpy over there," he nodded over towards Haldemar's back

Atyna rode his horse well and nodded to Kian. He knew that the Master Haldemar was going to have a fit when Kian was found, he said not to go into the waggon. Could he help it Kian was there already? It would be nice to have a wingman.

Switching to oriental thieves cant he started to sing softly hoping that Kian had some training, "I am Atyna. A Left Talon of the Golden Dragon's claw. You are my younger brother, by deed. To the Master you are my blood stowed away. You will ruin the clasp if you pry. Let me help you with it later, so you don't ruin it." He winked and let the horse drop a couple steps back. He switched over to the eastern Common and sang a song that Haldemar would recognize about a chicken, a maiden, and a mare all drinking beer. It was very vulgar, but colorful and had made its way into the western pubs too. He started to sing it a bit louder and intentionally off key so that Master Haldemar would tell him to knock it off.

He could show Kian how to use lock picks when they rested. He wasn't going to give his new picks to someone who tried to use a knife to open an expensive lock.

@Marrakt