The explorers are greeted with much fanfare upon their return to Abu Dhabi, especially when it's evident that they have brought with them marvelous treasures – even if the specifics aren't known quite yet.

Dancers cross the court, pulling gauzy drapes that flutter behind them, weaving back and forth betwixt each other, the veils providing only tantalizing hints of the wondrous treasure being wheeled in on a cart behind them, to the accompaniment of tambourines, bells, finger-harps and flutes.

Envoy is quite overwhelmed by it all, and uncertain how to act. For now, she simply keeps close to Lochinvar and waits for an attendant to tell her where to go.

On the highest dais, the Emir sits cross-legged upon his cushions, fanned by Savanites bearing truly immense feathery fans; the Wazir, Rukhim, sits immediately next to him and rubs his chinfur with the pained look that suggests the thought "Oh no, more expenses" weighs heavily upon his mind. The Emir looks pleased by the dancers' display, letting the anticipation build up as he drinks from his wine goblet.

Though a little taken aback at the activity, Lochinvar does his best not to let it all distract him. He gives a pleasant smile here and there when someone says something, but for the most part he waits until he's shown where to go.

The two adventurers are guided along the wheeled cart as it makes its procession before the Emir – who is only vaguely seen through the weaving banners of gauze and zolk.

At last, the wagon rolls to a stop, under the cover of the dancers and their veils. Savanite servants throw down cushions for the guests to kneel upon, though no doubt with this much fanfare, they may be asked to change seating soon enough. The dancers, meanwhile, continue their musical and acrobatic obfuscation for the entertainment of the Emir and his court.

The Mage takes her place, kneeling on the proffered cushion, and watches the dancers as well. Maybe she should learn how to dance sometime.

At last the Emir whispers to the Wazir, who whispers to a saluki dressed in the court colors with a chitin breastplate – apparently one of the high courtiers rather than an actual guard. The saluki hastens to the end of the hall where the dancers and wagon and the explorers await, and gestures to the trumpeters, who are all leonine Khattas of rather imposing builds, to lift their instruments.

Lochinvar takes a place on the cushion next to Envoy, nodding briefly to her, then waiting silently for the Emir to head their way.

Envoy whispers to the Hekoye, "Maybe we returned on a national holiday or something… "

*Taran-tara!* "The Emir of Abu Dhabi," the saluki begins. "Guardian of the sands and the oases, keeper of the Scrolls of the Sun, wise and benevolent shepherd of his people, long may they enjoy the bounty of the fields and preserve the legacies of the First Ones, is pleased to welcome… " He takes a deep breath. Apparently this is going to be a production of productions, even for Abu Dhabi.

The Ranger shrugs a little, but keeps silent for now.

"… the mysterious and far-famed Mage Envoy of Lothrhyn," the saluki continues in a voice that resounds from the far ends of the hall, "Mistress of the Element of Earth, Alumnus of the Collegia Esoterica, Defeater of Golems, Explorer of Fortunatis and the City of Hands, and the accomplished Ranger Lochinvar of Rephidim, Explorer of Arcadia and Opener of the Earth Tower of Barabbas, from their journey to the hidden secrets of the desert, long concealed by the shifting sands and now unveiled by the all-seeing eyes of the Mage and the Ranger… " As he gestures, the dancers begin to move aside.

Envoy blinks at the "all-seeing-eyes" appellation, but otherwise remains quiet.

The herald finishes, "The Emir bids you welcome to his humble abode, my lords, and prays that you enjoy his simple hospitality, a woefully insufficient recompense for the toils and hardships that you have endured in your faraway journey and the terrors that you have overcome for his sake; he bids you welcome and vows that whatever your needs, they shall be satisfied here, or he shall be overcome by the sands of woefulness and regret; he bids you welcome, that you may break bread and drink water under the pavilion of the sky which roofs us all over, as honorary citizens of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This, be it known, is only token of his gratitude, my lords; rise from your humble seats and sit by the Emir himself, that he may hear your tales!"

At the same time, servants move in to drape lovely golden-colored robes over Envoy and Lochinvar's shoulders.

The dancers slip off to the sides with their gauzy banners, revealing the honored guests in their gilded finery, the zolken robes cut to drape softly down from their shoulders, cut to make room for their wings.

On the carts sit several blocks of amber, and vague shadows in the shapes of strange beasts of various sizes can be seen in their depths.

The Hekoye rises from the cushion he was kneeling on, and looks to Envoy, ready to offer assistance in rising should she need it.

There are various "Ooos" and "Ahhs" from the gathered guests as the strange wonders are revealed, brought back from the depths of the Himaatian desert.

The Aeolun rises as well, still looking a bit stunned by everything.

Numerous aristocratic-looking people of Abu Dhabi sit among the other cushions along the way, illustrating a gradual rise in status from simple merchants to minor nobles. A black-and-orange-and-white Khatta winks at Envoy from somewhat closer to the Emir than most of the merchants, apparently recognizing her. He looks familiar…

Lochinvar looks at Envoy, whispering slightly, "We should head towards the Emir now. Disrespectful to dawdle."

Envoy smiles and bows her head to Demes Oresta, the trader that brought her along to Shkarkin Hive so long ago, and then hurries to catch up with Lochinvar.

Servants gesture toward cushions laid near to the Emir in places of great honor, while others stand by with trays laden with delicacies even more lavish than those offered during the first visit to the Emir's court.

The Mage takes her seat, careful not to get tangled in the ornate robes she's been given, and tries not to blush at the attention.

There are xocholatl liquors, of course, Saskanar wine, fruits imported from Ur at no doubt great expense and risk, glazed meats, artistically arranged greens, xocholatl-covered candies … even spicy Vartan drink, if Lochinvar's keen nose tells him properly.

The Emir is dressed in truly lordly fashion; it'd be surprising if he can still move amidst the robes that glitter with gold and gems, and his tufted ears are virtually hidden by a massive headdress. He bears the regalia with equanimity as if he's had long practice in bearing up with courtly appearance. He beams toward Envoy and the winged coyote. "A momentous occasion, my friends, calls for a certain degree of pomp and circumstance, especially as it serves to bring good news to my people. I hope that you will not find it all too much for your tastes, ah?" He doesn't quite wink but there's a Khatta ear-flick that's much like one.

Taking his seat too, the Ranger accepts the spicy drink and a couple of candies.

Envoy swallows, and takes a sip of water to overcome the sudden dryness of her mouth. "It … it is truly an honor, Your Highness."

The dancers continue to traipse around, trailing smaller veils and ribbons in intricate maneuver that at a casual glance might seem to just be careless prancing about … but upon closer observation, it's a wonder that they aren't tripping over each other's feet or stepping on tails or snagging veils, so closely they brush past each other and so quickly. And all the while, they step in time, joining the music with rhythmic jingles of the bangles on their wrists and ankles and tails.

The Wazir Rukhim looks roof-ward for a bit, then leans over to whisper, "The Emir means that he wants an exciting story so his people will think they're getting good value for all the money he's spending here. Try not to make it sound like a shopping trip, all right?"

Lochinvar nods also, and offers, "Indeed, Revered Emir. We are humbled by your graciousness. But that's not to say it's too much for us." The last part he says with a slight grin.

The lynxish Khatta laughs. "Ah, ever the disrespectful advisor, my Wazir. Be at ease, my friends. I would hear the story of what you found at the Earth Tower. You needn't take pains to… embroider your story overly much with the imagery of which we of Abu Dhabi are so fond. Allow my heralds something to do."

Indeed, several heralds dressed similarly to the saluki are nearby and listening with great interest, as is a scribe writing busily.

"Oh," Envoy whispers, "I don't know how to begin. I wish I could show you the Tower itself; it's so beautiful, standing alone there in the eye of a hurricane."

The Emir perks his ears forward.

"That," Lochinvar says, "would be because of the sandstorm that surrounds the tower. Barabbas, the mage who built the tower, set it up to keep people away from it – one of the many devices for preventing looting and people getting in there who wouldn't know what to do with things when they found it."

"The base is a great tree," Envoy adds. "It was grown from magic seeds of extreme rarity and power, so that several trees fused into one to form the walls."

The Wazir coughs slightly. "Yes, you may gloss over unnecessary details in the interest of national security. We wouldn't want just any Abu, Saleem, or Sinbad traipsing into the premises," he says in a quiet voice.

The Emir looks far away, as if seeing the tower slowly unveiled by Envoy's words.

"We rode a giant flower to the entrance, which had an enchanted door knocker," the Aeolun says. "Just inside was a fabulous guardian, seemingly made out of ruby. We didn't bring that one back, I'm afraid. It was too dangerous."

Lochinvar nods. "We had to make very sure that no-one touched that," he says. "Last time, someone pricked their finger and bled on it. The blood made it come alive and attack our group then."

The dancers continue to sway and move about the court, but not so elaborately as before, so as not to distract the Emir from the story.

The Wazir rubs his chinfur again, as the story unfolds between Envoy and Lochinvar.

"We had to traverse a series of steps over a floor of deadly amber," Envoy says. "But the inside of the tower was like … an oasis."

Lochinvar says, "The lower part of the tower, at least. That's where the garden is. It has a small pond of water, and a variety of 'frozen' creatures there that Barabbas created and put to 'sleep' when he knew his time was near."

Envoy perks up at this part. "We did bring one of the animals there back. Barabbas described it in his notes as the ultimate guard beast."

The Wazir narrows his eyes. "Indeed? The ultimate guard beast? I trust it doesn't swallow whatever is to be guarded and then run off to defend itself most ferociously in a lair… " He motions a guard closer and whispers to him.

"Come now, Rukhim, I'm sure the Mage but describes what Barabbas thought," the Emir responds. He nods encouragingly to Envoy. "I am certain it is a fascinating sight… "

A few more guards move into place, keeping watchful eyes on the amber-encased creature brought from the tower.

The Aeolun blinks at the Wazir. "Oh, I'm sure Barabbas meant that it was fiercely loyal to the one it was meant to protect. At least, the control spells seemed to indicate that. If there is no direct sunlight here to fall upon it, I can peel back the amber or make it more transparent so that you can see it."

Lochinvar sips on some of his drink, taking advantage at a bit of the story he can't really quite relate well, since he knows little about it anyway.

Near Lochinvar, one of the guards whispers to a fellow – so quietly that only the Hekoye-Vartan's keen ears can pick it up, "Heh. We could use a beast like that to keep an eye on Prince Saledin… "

The Ranger turns his head slightly, giving the guard who said it a brief glance, which also shows that he likely heard the comment.

It appears that the hall is lit by torches and braziers that give off no smoke … some sort of mage-light enchantment, perhaps. There seems to be no sign of any glaring sunlight to spoil the ambiance.

The guard, meanwhile, resumes his solemn expression, doing his best to pretend that nothing was said.

"If you're certain that no harm might result, I would be most delighted to view your find," the Emir says to Envoy. He looks quite curious indeed, and the moral of the story about the Khatta and curiosity is well known.

Envoy focuses on calming herself down a bit. "In that case, Sire, if your guards could bring forth the large block that appears to be made of solid gold, I will turn it transparent so as to reveal the marvelous treasure captured … safely … within."

The Wazir whispers to a guard again, then mutters, "Try not to get the Emir killed, all right? It took me a long time to get him trained." He chuckles as the Lynxish Khatta makes a move to elbow him, but can't get enough freedom of movement to do so effectively.

Audience members, forced to make do with snatches of what they can overhear from the Emir's dais and from whispers passed along by those fortunate enough to be closer, watch the proceedings with great fascination.

A few more guards subtly move closer to the Emir. Meanwhile, the block rolls forward, pushed along by Savanite slaves, until it is presented before Envoy and the Emir.

The Emir leans forward himself, as if trying to see beneath the covering of gold to whatever fearsome beast lies within.

Envoy takes several deep breaths, then sings out a single pure tone to aid her concentration. Focusing on the amber, she begins to sing the tint cantrip to lighten the amber, using her second voice to run the range from a deep "dark" bass upwards towards a clear bell-like soprano tone to mirror the fading of the resin.

The Hekoye looks away from the guard who caught his attention, turning it now towards the creature being rolled in. However, he keeps an ear out for anything else that might be said.

The amber obligingly follows the dictates of the mage, slowly turning more and more translucent, then nearly transparent … revealing a remarkable statue of gold inside. It resembles a ferocious beasthound, crouched down on six legs, with a wickedly barbed tail arched over its back like that of a scorpion, poised to strike.

The Wazir draws back. "First Ones defend us, it's a monster," he whispers. "Er – that is, it's of a most striking appearance, wouldn't you say, Emir? Many would think twice before essaying something – or someone – defended by a creature of that sort."

The Emir nods, apparently simultaneously delighted and impressed by its fearsomeness.

Several nearby Khattas shrink back as well, and a noble lady actually swoons into someone's arms – whether real or feigned is not immediately apparent.

The Mage lowers her voices, and begins to reverse the tinting, albeit more slowly this time, until the amber block once again appears solid. "One of the treasures of Barabbas, my Lord."

"Are they all so fearsome, Mage?" the Emir says, ears askew as if envisioning a zoological garden of monstrosities.

Wazir Rukhim mutters, just loud enough to be heard by the Hekoye-Vartan, "Bugs… Let's hope they're not all bugs."

The Ranger grins a little in the Wazir's direction, and gives an answer by shaking his head.

"Oh no," Envoy assures, "Many are quite lovely, and harmless. Beautiful fish and birds that have never graced the skies of this world before, and pleasant blends of more familiar creatures, such as the butterfly-winged Creens and bushy-tailed vermites of exceptional … playfulness."

"Playful … vermites? I'll hope that those are not an environmental disaster in the making," the Wazir mutters. "Thousands of little kittens losing their pet 'fluffites' into the granaries could be a catastrophe."

The Emir all but claps. "Marvelous, Mage! Truly, you have done well in your survey of the Tower. And what of the enigmatic Barabbas himself? Did you find any records of his?"

"We found the Mage himself," Envoy relates, "having preserved himself in similar manner to his creations, although never intending to be revived."

The Wazir's eyebrows shoot up. "Hmm. This raises an interesting question, my lord," he says to the Emir. "If the Mage could be revived, is he alive or dead?" He pauses. "And if he's alive, how much does he owe in taxes?"

Lochinvar speaks up, "I do not believe that he is alive. Nor would I think that he would wish to be revived, should that even be possible."

The Emir's tufts wiggle. "Heh! Be good, Wazir. How is it that you believe Barabbas does not wish to be revived? Did he leave behind a letter or will of some kind?"

The Mage looks to Lochinvar, since the Ranger was the one to find the item in question.

"He did indeed, your Highness," replies the Ranger. "His Last Will and Testament, of sorts, decreeing that the tower belong to whomever gets past the traps and puzzles to find it, as they would have been worthy to continue on with his work. However, when my former companions and myself found the tower, it was apparent that we lacked the skills to fulfill his wishes."

"He also wished for his work to be continued," Envoy adds, "by mages of the Spheres of Earth and Life."

The Emir reaches up to rub his chin, but doesn't quite make it. "Blasted robes… Ahem! My dear?" A Savanite reaches down to rub his chin for him, which doesn't quite put across the look of thoughtful contemplation he had hoped for. "Ah well, then. How would you proceed from here then, were you granted free license, O Mage of Wondrous Knowledges, O Ranger of Strange Lands?"

The Wazir winces at the words "free license", no doubt envisioning a fountain cascading coins into the sky amidst a geyser of water.

Envoy quietly says, "I am certain that the College Esoterica would be interested in annexing the Earth Tower, turning it into the place of learning and research that Barabbas wished for." Glancing up at the Wazir, she adds, "With due consideration for the continued protection and aegis of His Eminence, of course. Perhaps even aiding in the construction and maintenance of his visionary zoological gardens."

"And you, Ranger Lochinvar?" the Emir asks.

"I am unable to offer much insights into matters of a magical sense, Wondrous Emir," the Hekoye says. "So I must agree with Mage Envoy's analysis. I can certainly vouch for the fact that magical expertise is needed in order for the tower's creatures to survive."

The Wazir chokes on the words "annexing", and then suggests, "We might be willing to investigate a sharing of visions with regard to the development of the Earth Tower, certainly… "

The Emir waves a paw. "That was understood, O Seeker after the Truths of the First Ones. But what is your place in the story of Barabbas, begun so long ago in seeds planted in the arid desert, growing to unlikely blossoms? Do you desire a place here, investigating his truths? Or perhaps aiding in ventures more far flung?"

The Wazir leans toward Lochinvar and translates, "What do you want?"

The winged coyote cocks his head slightly. "Begging your pardon, gracious Emir," he asks, "but I'm not sure I understand the question?"

Somewhere behind, a few nobles whisper suggestions to each other. "Ask for a harem!" "Ask for a bag of gold!"

The Wazir temporizes. "The gratitude of the Emir is a considerable asset, Ranger of Rephidim," he says. "As our ruler is wise and generous, his recompense to you will go beyond the simple passing of coins from hand to hand at day's end for a job well done. Within reason… ," his voice trails off briefly to emphasize this, "… if you have something you wish, perhaps it may be arranged through the Emir's good graces?"

Lochinvar ahs, slightly, and thinks for a moment. "Your Highness," he starts. "I thank you for your kind offers. Were I to ask of your generosity, I would be extremely interested in 'ventures far flung', as you eloquently put it. If some of those were to be beyond the Gateway Tower, those would pique my interest further. There are a number of more destinations other than Arcadia, after all."

"Then," the Emir says with a wide smile. "I think we can find much fertile ground between us from which may spring the rich crops of future years. So be it – by the word of the Emir, we shall seek agreement with the Collegia Esoterica in which the Tower may be explored to our mutual satisfaction, and I trust that you will be a vital part of this exploration, Honored and Illustrious Mage… And I shall essay to provide the Ranger Lochinvar with as much adventure and exploration as you may care to enjoy, ah, Far Traveler?" He looks to the two travelers to see if this meets their satisfaction so far.

The Hekoye-Vartan smiles and nods. "You are most kind, O Generous Emir," he says.

Envoy smiles happily at the proclamation. Now the higher ranked Mages can't keep her out of the Tower! "The First Ones themselves could not help but bow to such wise generosity, Your Eminence."

"In addition, I confer upon you both the titles of Honored Keepers of the Zoological Museum and the annuities and privileges thereupon associated," the Emir continues. "A medallion shall be struck so that you may wear it in pride for your signal achievements, and I pray that the First Ones shall see fit to pave your way toward their ultimate truths. I thank you – all of Abu Dhabi thanks you – for all that you have done for us!" He sweeps his hands about the room in a gesture to spark applause from the assembled populace.

The court breaks out in applause, like the crashing of waves upon the sandy beach, joined by the fanfare of trumpets.

The Mage can only blush at the extra attention.

The Wazir phews. No bags of gold being handed out today. He summons a scribe and begins recording the declarations.

Envoy whispers across to Lochinvar, "It was much easier to handle this when I was in the Opera."

And Lochinvar – he is speechless also, but wondering if he should ask if the medal may be made such that he could wear it in his tail.