Aboid Jamahl A doctor returned from starting a hospital in the barbaric plains, he carries more than his experiences

with him. Inside one of his suitcases is a Haolstad Prism, a theoretical transplanar meta-divination device, which triggers in certain corded people. Cording, or cords (see corded). People recognized by the Haolstad Prism, obviously. Always characters controlled by the players. Attempts to find patterns among the results have so far been futile. The first person to suggest a viable explanation is eligible for the 1 million gp reward. Area 0: Revelations on the Planes The PCs are returning from a trip when one of their baggage appears to be misplaced. Inside is a Haolstad Prism, which does not act like normal magical devices. It exudes magic but resists identify. Spellcraft checks hint at the device being a tangible implementation of theoretical arcana, but it is otherwise too obscure. Hooks A PC with an interest in weird artifacts remembers there is a reward if someone figures out the function of a Haolstad Prism. A PC knows a powerful magic-user (or one of his professors at the arcane academy). A PC wants to return the prism to its rightful owner. On the baggage is the identification tag of a Dr. Aboid Jamahl.

Progression The PCs decide to find Dr. Jamahl and/or bring the device to someone knowledgeable.

Area 1: To Now Where Placed What and Whom The PCs investigate the function of the Haolstad Prism, asking magic-users, professionals, experts and so forth. They learn various things about it. It glows when a PC holds it and does not for an NPC. The reward is 1 million gold pieces (meko). It is fragile and can be broken with magic missile. It is made of glass forged from prismatic spray cast into a furnace enriched with one (or more) drops of azer blood, and then scried during a timestop. The standard rituals do not appear to apply, and more information can only be gleaned by consulting a meta-arcanist (suggested by one of the experts or Dr. Jamahl himself). Progression The PCs get the lead for Dr. Jamahl while also learning of the prisms properties. (Hint as necessary.)

Area 2: Avocational Aberrants Mythologizing Jestfully At Dr. Jamahls apartment discovered via his personal web page or through an academic reference, phonebook, etc the landlord says hes not in: hes at the local comedy club preparing a routine titled,

We are, none of us, any tracks concentric involved mediation. Definitely an indie kind of thing. And a little crazy. But if the PCs want any answers, theyll go and spend an evening at the Guffaw Palace. Progression The PCs decide to go to the comedy club to speak with Dr. Aboid Jamahl.

Area 3: Central Situationers Fare Well Daily Dr. Aboid Jamahl is onstage and doing his routine. During it, he drops hints about the Haolstad Prism to an oblivious audience. Most of his jokes the PCs already know to be facts. Others will be new information. At the end of the show, the PCs can try to go backstage or wait for him at his apartment to speak with him. Some Jokes So I was a doctor to this tribe, and the first day they had me smoke what felt like a metric ton of weed because I had to catch up with everyone else! [truth] You dont want to mess with these people, ok theyre terrible, just dangerous. One of them took an axe, right, and threw it in the air right over the guys head and it the axe, not the head it goes flying to land in someones roof. But the guy, right he falls down like he just got knocked in the balls. Crazy! [truth] I was digging around for a proper-sized leaf when my foot slipped in the last guys poo, and probably around this time I must have hit a tree or something but I wake up, and this fourarmed monkey gives me a present. Do you know what it was? Well. Given my line of research, it was quite the happy ending. [false] Let me tell you something about magical science I mean, arcane thaumatergics. Its the most beautiful, worst thing that can happen to your life. Its true! One day you sit down and memorize the things you forgot the day before except how to read them and then, you find out the entire plan of the universe is sketched in a day. [unsure]

Progression The PCs decide to speak with Dr. Jamahl either at the club or at his apartment.

Area 4: Sos Round and Waiting for One The PCs are within eyesight of Dr. Aboid when he is confronted by an atach, a three-armed giant. He turns to flee. The PCs have a chance to save him. The atach will flee after Dr. Jamahl dies or if the PCs start a fight: its goal was only to kill the doctor. If saved, Dr. Jamahl pretty much confirms what the PCs know as well as the reward, though for his life he does them a favor: there is no million gp. It was a poor attempt to garner attention for the field of meta-divination, but every wizard disavows the ideas as utter crock. The doctor is convinced the prism only functions as a fancy randomized glowing thing.

Dr. Jamahl doesnt know how he ended up with the prism, but says the design was conceived on a discarded napkin at an arcana conference, and he happened upon it. He picked it up and decided to keep it on a whim. All he knows is that he left the plains with an item that shouldnt exist. The PCs have an enemy with their attempt to save the doctor. Questioning the atach only brings grunts and clipped phrases of nonsense. Pain makes it more aware, and it finally utters, Capsule. Then it dies as the trigger word liquifies its brain. Progression The doctor bids good night and heads home. The PCs may or may not decide to keep a watch for him. If they do not, he requests them to watch his place. The PCs can either agree or head home with the Haolstad Prism, a strange artifact with the power to glow in the hands of any PC.

Area 5: No One but Us Angels The PCs are confronted by a solar an extremely powerful angel in the form of a man with glowing eyes. The solar asks if the PCs guard the man inside. He asks them to step aside, for he is on a mission. He promises not to hurt him. The angel will proceed to wipe Dr. Jamahls memory. Progression Fighting a solar is futile. He is unarmed. His eyes glow as a sign of his angelic power. He detects as Lawful Good. He is there to restore balance to the planar cosmos by removing the idea of gods beyond gods from a man. The solar tells the PCs as much. The solar will respond to attacks with subdual damage. It is not interested in the prism, although it will take it if offered.

Area 6: Against the Darkness The scene ends with a voice from faraway: I cast magic missile.