NPC: Oren

Text may not be 100% complete. Most quest text is not included.
Due to multiple options when speaking, text below may not be in comprehensive order.

You see a deeply tanned man staring upon his reflection in the pool. As you peer into the water as well, you briefly see a small child garnEL-DB.comished in sand-colored robes standing next to him, yet when you look up, no one is there. The reflection has disappeared when you look back.

Did you see that?

See what? *He appears confused.* Oh I'm sorry, did you say hello? I thought you were one of the orcs and didn't pay attention to your arrival. Please excuse my ignorance, I typically do not see people wandering in here anymore.

The small child

You saw Izet as well? *He says with a surprised tone.* Well, all be damned, you must be a special person or entirely too lucky.

Who is Izet? And who are you?

Again, please excuse my ignorance. *He bows to you.* You may call me Oren and I am the high priest of Izet. *He can tell you are confused by the name.* Fear not, I am not offended because you do not know of my god. In fact, I take pride in it. You see, Izet is a deity only worshipped by the Matajin. He is the Spirit of the Sands and the guardian to the desert domain.

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Seems fitting with all the sand which lies outside this cave. *He appears amused.* As one of the survivors of Matajin still living in Tahraji, Izet and I share a bond and communicate often. You just witnessed a meeting between us... he came to me within the reflections of this pool. Don't waste your time trying to communicate with him here though, he only speaks to me.

Orcs

Alas, they are a leftover of the attack on my once-great city. The remaining hoards still roam in the hot desert sun. Tahraji has become such a wasteland since the Great War. The beasts that remain and the savages that choose to murder others here ruin its reputation.

Savages

Warriors come here to fight to the death or jump unsuspecting prey. But even they aren't safe with the magic cast upon the sands by Izet. You see, rostogol stones do not work while you roam the sands of Tahraji - a great triumph over the countless amounts of savages.

Anymore?

After the city of Matajin fell, many survivors took refuge in this very cave, hoping for someone to rescue them. Izet took pity upon them and created a passage leading to safety in Portland. It stilEL-DB.coml remains here for any traveler who may find themselves trying to escape. Some are not very lucky. I remember a researcher named Ertan who was here a while ago. He met his demise in this very cave.

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And a scholar named Ahshta used to regularly visit here. He found the diary of Verue's royal advisor and how she single-handedly destroyed the city. *He sneers as he speaks her name.* She is called Vesepia. Don't ask me where she is now, because I do not know, nor do I ever wish to cross paths with her again. Izet tells me I must forgive her, but my nature is hard to overcome.

How did she destroy the city?

Her diary is published, or to be published, somewhere. You can read her account on it. I'd rather not speak of the tragic events.

Verue

He was the king of Matajin and a wise one at that. He was a master of sand magic and a descendant of one of the wealthiest mercantile families to ever live within the walls of the city. It's a pity that the city fell under his rule. No one would have ever predicted that with such a strong ruler.

Matajin

Only ruins of the city stand now - most of it fell into the sea when Lucaa turned against her people and aided the invaders. The temple in which I used to practice in also lies at the bottom of the sea. But what a marvelous city it once was! It even put the likes of White Stone City to shame. Very few people still follow the culture of Matajin. It is mainly now just the survivors and tribes that still roam.

You live here?

*He shakes his head.* I do not live in the cave if that's what you mean, but I do live with the Tahjrah tribe. While I did not see eye to eye with them before, they took me in as one of their own. I am the acting priest for all the tribes of Tahraji now, as well as anyone who may still worship Izet.

Sand magic

*With the twirl of his hand, the sand in the cave combines and creates a small sandstorm. It ends when Oren's hand falls to his side.* Manipulating and controlling the sands was taught to the very first residents of Matajin by Izet and it has been passed down to each generation. It can be a very powerful force when it surrounds you. It has given us a great appreciation for the sands.

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We even celebrate the annual Festival of the EL-DB.comSands to honor the life these sands bring us.

Festival of the Sands

It may seem quite odd to an outsider thanking the sands for life - especially since they are viewed as dry death for most. But to us, that is quite opposite. We know the secrets of the fertile sands so we may grow crops, we used the sands and sediments to build our homes and walls, and the sands have created impenetrable borders for our enemies with the help of magic.

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The festival is used to show our appreciation to our guardian, creator and giver.

Tribes

Although many think that Tahraji only had the people of Matajin - they are wrong. The sands have always been populated by tribes such as Tahjrah or the Majini, in fact, members of those tribes were the first residents of Matajin. While the tribes were at times a pain to Verue, in our time of need, they would always ally themselves with us. And they have been hospitable to survivors like Lehha and I.

Lehha

She was part of palace staff for Verue. She was able to survive the siege and destruction of the city and decided to remain in Tahraji to help and live with the tribes. She is a skilled warrior and her abilities help defend the tribes against the attacks of the remaining beasts from the War. I've even seen her sometimes act as a diplomat between spectators and the tribes to ensure peace.

I thought Izet was your God?

He is the god I serve, yes, however Matajin was founded upon three deities. Selain, who was the patron god of merchants, which made up the majority of Matajin's population. There was Izet, the patron god of the sands. Lastly, there was Lucaa, the goddess of the seas. Much of our trade came via sea, so we always paid homage to her.

Spectators? In Tahraji?

After Matajin's destruction, a group of mage summoners created a summoning arena from some of the ruins of the city. You can find it floating out upon the sea, away from all the pestilence of the desert. A very respected journalist has been seen in the vicinity. Onyx, I believe is her name.

Goodbye

May Izet bless your travels. Be wary, the desert is aEL-DB.com volatile place if you do not know what you're doing.