Hanifa offered up her own tale as well:<br/><br/><em>I am Hanifa.  For 23 years I called this land of Osirion my own.  A child of the Yerbira people I wandered the lands, from the Footprints of Rovagug to the Brazen Frontier and lands beyond.  Working with the Pathfinder Society I saw many wonders of the past.  Deep in the central desert there stands a huge crystalline structure whose secrets are unknown, ruled by the dragon Susurex.  With an iron fist he rules over an army of slaves taken from outlying tribes, eager to fine the powerful magic he believes lairs beneath the Glazen Sheets.</em><br/><br/>Pausing briefly, Hanifa continued.<br/><br/><em>My family numbered among those captured.  On my 16th birthday I managed to escape, with others.  Ever since I've honed my talents, so that one day I can go back and free them all.  So many don't know about the dragon's tyranny, and those who do are powerless to stop him.  It might not come today, or this year, but nobody rules forever, not even dragons.<br/><br/>That is my story.</em><br/><br/><br/>Moved by Hanifa's own tale and appreciating the legend of blackjack, the elders granted the adventurers access to the archives of Kalit.  Preserved in a series of earthenware jugs in an underground bunker, the scrolls were regularly updated by attendant scholars, preserving thousands of years worth of personal anecdotes and tales.<br/><br/>"Please handle these relics with utmost care," one of the scribes said to Menya.  "You sought records around the time of Pharaoh Acherres II?  These scrolls located here should hopefully provide you with what you seek."<br/><br/>The archives were truly vast, spanning entire passageways of dimly lit tunnels and mined rooms.  The material alone was probably enough to rival the library over at Azghaad's Spire.  But the subject matter was more personal, more intimate, of the lives of past generations.  Nobility and commoner, human and dwarf, anybody who ever passed through the village and shared their stories.<br/><br/>Several collections in particular were pertinent of Menya's interests; one of them was a  member of the royal entourage around Acherres' time traveling south with a cadre of mages.  She told of her mission of reconciliation with Nex to the south.  Having left Sothis only a few days earlier, they planned to pass through the Brazen Frontier on Osirion's southern border.  Then they would hug the coast across the vast deserts to finally arrive at Nex.<br/><br/>Another story told of a Kelishite merchant several thousand years later, arriving from the nearly-formed nation of Katapesh which broke off from Osirion.  He mentioned an old tale that he heard from the dark markets of the capital city, where a crown intended for the mage-king of Nex passed through a region once ruled by djinn.  In spite of all the gold, riches, and promises of magical might the beings of smokeless fire promised, the Osirionions would not budge.  Patriotism could not be bought for raw coin.  The djinn were just as worried about their southern Nexian brethren as Osirion and schemed to claim the Crown for themselves.  The merchant knew little beyond this, on whether or not the Crown made its way into the hands of elemental beings or the archmages loyal to the wizard-king.<br/><br/><br/>"Well then, it looks like our next lead will take us south," Hanifa said.  "But first, let's head back to Sothis.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">Back in the Capital</span></span></div><br/>Once they came back to the shining jewel of Osirion, the two explorers couldn't be happier to sample the luxuries of metropolitan life.  Hanifa in particular was eager to take a bath (in a facility dedicated to bathing instead of erotic pleasures), meet Namir, and buy supplies.<br/><br/><strong>Stuff to Do in the City</strong><br/><br/><strong>Lottery:</strong>While passing by the giant beetle, the guards were calling for their daily lottery.  The innards of the spawn of Rovagug were hallowed out to create a virtual undercity inside, housing the center of government as well as the world-famous Sothis Exhibitory and the Shepeskan Grove populated by all manner of luminescent magical plants.<br/><br/>"Why don't we buy two tickets?" Hanifa asked Menya.  "Only a silver piece each!"<br/><br/>As the guards holding the portals to the Black Dome called out the winning numbers, Hanifa and Menya's numbers (203 and 462) came up.  For the rest of the day they had access to Sothis' most privileged quarter!<br/><br/><strong>Buy Supplies:</strong>Menya can buy any number of non-magical supplies.  Magical goods need to be purchased at the Church of Nethys at Azghaad's Spire.  Even then they sell items only of 4,000 gp or less, with more expensive ones requiring a waiting period of 1d4 days.  Magic items associated with Rovagug and Lamashtu, ones which can summon large-scale natural disasters and plagues, and things which can compromise the safety of Sothis and Osirion are banned (and the asker can be placed under arrest).<br/><br/><strong>Prostitution:</strong>Menya can act as a pre-modern version of a call girl, tempting rich Sothites to rent out her services for some fun.  She can convince Hanifa to come along with a DC 15 Diplomacy check.  In addition to getting some gold the normal way, securing an alliance with an influential patron can have some positives...<br/><br/><strong>Relaxation at the Baths:</strong>Not eager to please a bevy of male strangers unless necessary, Hanifa suggested to find a female-exclusive bath house instead of the Lovely Hands.  Easing their tired and worn bodies in the warm, refreshing waters, Hanifa stretches out in a towel on a reclining sofa as a handsome male masseuse worked his hands over her body (Menya's more than free to sample the same services).<br/><br/>"We've been on quite an adventure so far, have we Menya?  Quite unlike the past ones we've been on together.  I'm kind of scared; tracking down the most powerful of Osirionian legacies...I'm not going to leave your side, but I hope you know what we're getting into."<br/><br/>After their massage Hanifa led Menya into a private stall to continue their discussion as they washed each other's bodies.  "And there's the Cheliaxians and Aspis Consortium.  I don't want them to get their hands on the Crown; their first loyalties are to devils and gold, not Osirion."<br/><br/>Out of the corner of her eye, Hanifa spotted a robed figure in the back, rifling through the locker storage of customers.  She reached into what was undeniably Menya's belongings and removed an article of clothing containing a scroll case hanging out<br/><br/>"Thief!"<br/><br/>In an instant Hanifa was running stark naked towards the now-fleeing thief.  Any towels she and Menya grabbed for modesty were unceremoniously blown away by a gust of wind as they pursued the thief out of the bath house, forcing them to chase her naked through the streets.<br/><br/><br/><div align="center"><strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: andale mono;">Environment</span></span></strong></div><br/><em>The Progress of the chase scene is represented in units.  The thief begins 1 unit away from Menya.  A 0 indicates being right on them, 1 a distance down the street, 2 is out of sight and in danger of losing them, and 3 indicates you've lost them.  Menya can roll checks to keep units the same or change the value.</em><br/><br/><strong>Run:</strong>Menya and involved parties roll opposed Strength or Dexterity checks (+4 bonus for every 10 feet of speed above 30, -4 for every 10 feet of speed below 30).  Pursuers who succeed bridge 1 unit of distance between them and the pursued, while pursued parties who win bridge 1 unit.  This action is automatically done every round for all parties.<br/><br/><strong>Fight:</strong>Menya can engage in combat with anyone within 0 units of her.<br/><br/><strong>Distraction:</strong>With the use of illusory magic, a mage hand opening the gate of an animal stall, grease on a cart while on a hill, or something similar, Menya can cause a bit of chaos in the streets.  The thief will be hindered and distracted momentarily, but will do their best to remove themselves from the situation.  This stunt allows Menya to roll a Bluff, Spellcraft, or other appropriate skill check to evade suspicion and detection if she's being pursued, effectively gaining one unit of distance.  On a failure, the chaos affects her and will be seen as the source, losing 1 unit!<br/><br/><strong>Hue and Cry:</strong>Two pretty naked women easily attract attention.  If they can divert some of that attention to the thief, they can help witnesses point the city watch in the direction of the thief.  On a successful DC 20 Bluff or Diplomacy check, Menya gain 1 unit on the thief as she has to deal with city guards right on her.  Additionally, if Menya ever loses 3 units on the thief, she has one round to gain a unit as she follows the guards (this is in addition to the Wisdom check with Scent).<br/><br/><strong>People-Walking:</strong>With a DC 25 Acrobatics check, Menya can jump up onto the backs and shoulders of folk in the crowd, jumping from person to tent stall to rickshaw, anything to get through swiftly.  If successful, Menya can ignore difficult terrain and gain 1 unit on the thief.  On a failure she falls prone and she gains 2 units on her.<br/><br/><strong>I Got Your Scent: </strong>Thanks to the Scent special quality, Menya can pick out the thief within a busy crowd.  This is not a stunt so much as a special advantage; as long as she's within 0 or 1 units Menya can detect their presence even if she doesn't have line of sight.  Additionally, should the thief ever gain 3 units on her, she can roll a DC 10 Wisdom or Survival check, gaining 1 unit on the thief.  If she fails this check, she loses them and the chase ends.<br/><br/>Thief's Run Roll: 17. (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=62791)<br/><br/>Hanifa's Run Roll: 25. (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=62792)