Oasis of the White Palm Background Info

Approaching the Oasis you were intercepted by a group of Symbayan Airlancers and led directly to the Sheikh himself, a richly dressed and imposing man seating on fine pillows, and attended by 2 slave girls. You showed him the medallion you had been given by the dying soldier, and Zach regaled him with tales of your heroic deeds. He quickly mellowed, and shared with you his sorry tale:

"Seven Suns ago, Shadalah, a young noblewoman from our tribe was betrothed to my first-born son Hassan.  She was the chosen bride because she had on the palm of her hand the sacred symbol.  After their betrothal a 3-day feast began.

"Yet the place was set and no man knew the time.  May Anu guide us!  Word came by runner that the army was needed to fight an Evil Efreeti in the north. The warriors departed at once.  On the following night Princess Shadalah disappeared.  The marks in the sand outside her tent told of her struggle.  The trail ended just north of our camp.

"Our warriors have struggled to hold the Evil One and his army at bay. They have kept us safe until now - but their absence has weakened my position here and made my enemies bold. I believe that my enemies in the camp, whoever they may be, have Hassan's bride.

"I wish you to help us recover Shadalah, the beloved bride of my first-born son.  My second son, Korus Elkoth, will aid you if you wish.  And if you find her, then the wealth of my tent and the friendship and service of my kingdom shall be yours."

At this point he handed you a solid gold medallion with an arcane symbol engraved on it.

Meeting Sheikh Kassim Arslan

The Amulet

On leaving the tent, Sothal, one of the slave girls pulled you all to one side and told you she was fearful for the Sheikh's safety, and that she believes some of his own guards wish to kill him if he leaves his tent to search for Shadalah himself.  She also mentioned that the manager of the Sandvoyager's Guild warehouse has disappeared, and is possible a victim of foul play.  He has not been seen for weeks, maybe months.  Worryingly, she mentioned people in the camp might be returning to worshipping the old idols.

You then went exploring the walled compound, where you met Nadron, High Priest of Anu, who carried out a service to restore life to Tarrin's broken corpse.

He affirmed to you his loyalty to the Sheikh and Anu, and mentioned his fanatical hatred of Thune worshippers.  He then spoke of the symbol on Shadalah's hand, mentioning that it is an ancient tradition, and that only one woman can ever bear it at any one time.  Some say the symbol gives the bearer great power over evil, but he believes that to be mere superstition, and that it is simply tradition.

"Shadalah must be alive, as the symbol has not returned to his altar."

"The Sheikh believes the Oasis was once the tribe's ancestral home because of writings found inside the old temple within the compound, these read The place is set, but no man knows the time"

He is more than a little unhappy that the Sheikh should believe in such sayings, as they were the words of idol worshippers, but he keeps quiet about that.

He also explained the purpose of the sacred White Palm, and how dates from the tree grow into fully fledged palm trees within a week.  "If the White Palm is harmed in any way, Anu will be angry."