Down a blind alley [D1, LA, Maze]

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

It was almost like a reflex at this point. He didn't think about it so much as just did it. Was it the same square he had been in before? It could have been. Probably was. Did it matter?

He set up the usual cloth on the ground, placed on it a basket with apricots, dates and flatbread and a bucket with water, a ladle ready to serve those who might come for it. Besides the food and water, some tools he'd use to help those who might need treatment.

It was almost like a ritual at this point. A small thing, something that might hopefully provide some help for those who needed it most. But would it change anything?

After what had happened two weeks earlier, stopping to think about this became harder and harder.

So, for now, instead of thinking, he just did it.

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D1 LA, Maze - Finding the Path. Hunting/Perception vs TN10 | 2k2 ⇒ 13 (TN: 10) - Safely found a square to offer food, water and treatment for those in need.

[Al-Haddar]

Not long ago, Al-Haddar had awakened from his afternoon nap, grabbed his "bag of mysteries" (a quite normal bag filled with various things he had obtained here and there, that were more or less salable, and he hoped to sell: pieces of clothes, tools, children toys, etc.), and exited the hovel he called home, in the general direction of the merchant caravan, the caravan, any place blooming with business at dusk really.

On his trip through his native Maze, he met an unusual fellow.

"Good day to you sir. Waiting for someone? Dust Plaza is never the the spot of the Maze that gets the most traffic, but when the sun is that high, only fools and that good al-Haddar cross it."

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Way of the Land: The Maze, so no roll required

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

Not long ago, Al-Haddar had awakened from his afternoon nap, grabbed his "bag of mysteries" (a quite normal bag filled with various things he had obtained here and there, that were more or less salable, and he hoped to sell: pieces of clothes, tools, children toys, etc.), and exited the hovel he called home, in the general direction of the merchant caravan, the caravan, any place blooming with business at dusk really.

On his trip through his native Maze, he met an unusual fellow.

"Good day to you sir. Waiting for someone? Dust Plaza is never the the spot of the Maze that gets the most traffic, but when the sun is that high, only fools and that good al-Haddar cross it."

"Sayyid", the man greets the local rather solemnly from the ground, his attention still on settling his supplies in front of him. "Waiting, yes. But not for anyone in particular. Someone always comes for something", he says with a weak smile pointing at the food and medical supplies in front of him.

Another, more careful look at the man and he raises one brow very slightly. "I believe I've seen you before, Sayyid? The festival the week before last, maybe?" Then seeing his attire and the bag with him. "... not one of the contestants, I think?"

[Al-Haddar]

"Sayyid", the man greets the local rather solemnly from the ground, his attention still on settling his supplies in front of him. "Waiting, yes. But not for anyone in particular. Someone always comes for something", he says with a weak smile pointing at the food and medical supplies in front of him.

Another, more careful look at the man and he raises one brow very slightly. "I believe I've seen you before, Sayyid? The festival the week before last, maybe?" Then seeing his attire and the bag with him. "... not one of the contestants, I think?"

"Shilah no! Never held a weapon in my life, and certainly not a bow. I would have cut my fingers on the string more surely than I would have ever fired any arrow.

I was around however. There was a banquet of free food at the end, I wasn't going to miss that!"

Thinking of it, he did speak aloud at said feast. Foolhardiness runs on a full belly apparently.

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"Shilah no! Never held a weapon in my life, and certainly not a bow. I would have cut my fingers on the string more surely than I would have ever fired any arrow.

I was around however. There was a banquet of free food at the end, I wasn't going to miss that!"

Thinking of it, he did speak aloud at said feast. Foolhardiness runs on a full belly apparently.

The comment brought a very slight grin to the man's face. "If it's any help, I found out cutting your fingers on the string is not as easy as it sounds. Shooting, though?"

He shakes his head, the grin widening a bit.

"Quite something, the banquet, wasn't it? It's funny how easy it is for some to gather all that, while..." he gestures around. Another very weak smile. "Makes one thing, doesn't it?"

He gestures to some of the few people who start moving closer, then points to a place beside him on the cloth extended on the ground. "Some pita, Sayyid?" He takes one of the pieces of bread, broke smaller pieces from it and offered one to the younger man. "Oh. Wait... were you the one who made that moving speech on Sayyeda Lamis' performance?"

A surprising coincidence, if so. He wondered if any word that someone would be leaving the city together with the winner of the last competition of the festival had got to the streets. Probably not?

[Al-Haddar]

The comment brought a very slight grin to the man's face. "If it's any help, I found out cutting your fingers on the string is not as easy as it sounds. Shooting, though?"

He shakes his head, the grin widening a bit.

"Quite something, the banquet, wasn't it? It's funny how easy it is for some to gather all that, while..." he gestures around. Another very weak smile. "Makes one thing, doesn't it?"

He gestures to some of the few people who start moving closer, then points to a place beside him on the cloth extended on the ground. "Some pita, Sayyid?" He takes one of the pieces of bread, broke smaller pieces from it and offered one to the younger man. "Oh. Wait... were you the one who made that moving speech on Sayyeda Lamis' performance?"

A surprising coincidence, if so. He wondered if any word that someone would be leaving the city together with the winner of the festival had got to the streets. Probably not?

Al-Haddar grabbed the free food first, and thought later.

"Lots of people made a lot of speech that day. Quite possible I made one. As my dear sister says: Had', your sharp tongue is going to be the death of yours one day."

I think everyone in our family has said that at some point Had'. Even cousins who had only known you for a few minutes, whispered the spectral voice of his brother.

"But a man's gotta do what nature has granted him. I don't have the muscles, I don't have the daredevilry, I don't have the inheritance, so the talk what's left."

Licking the last crumbs out of his fingers:

"So, you often come to the Maze offering food to random strangers?"

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

Al-Haddar grabbed the free food first, and thought later.

"Lots of people made a lot of speech that day. Quite possible I made one. As my dear sister says: Had', your sharp tongue is going to be the death of yours one day."

I think everyone in our family has said that at some point Had'. Even cousins who had only known you for a few minutes, whispered the spectral voice of his brother.

"But a man's gotta do what nature has granted him. I don't have the muscles, I don't have the daredevilry, I don't have the inheritance, so the talk what's left."

Licking the last crumbs out of his fingers:

"So, you often come to the Maze offering food to random strangers?"

The answer brings another grin to the man's face. "Must do our best with what life affords us, yes?" His smile widens slightly and he gestures at the things offered. "You say random strangers, I say brothers and sisters. But that said... yes, I try to do what little I can. The Maze, the Mekhem district - I live right at the border, so one could almost say it's helping neighbours here. Also the Khesir Quarter, at times. There are many places the city's reaches hardly reach, mish heek?"

He takes a small bite of his own bread as he gestures for an older lady with a limp to come closer. "Do you want me to take a look at that, hajje?", he says calling the woman closer before turning to Al-Haddar again. "Do you live nearby yourself, Sayyid?"

[Al-Haddar]

The answer brings another grin to the man's face. "Must do our best with what life affords us, yes?" His smile widens slightly and he gestures at the things offered. "You say random strangers, I say brothers and sisters. But that said... yes, I try to do what little I can. The Maze, the Mekhem district - I live right at the border, so one could almost say it's helping neighbours here. Also the Khesir Quarter, at times. There are many places the city's reaches hardly reach, mish heek?"

He takes a small bite of his own bread as he gestures for an older lady with a limp to come closer. "Do you want me to take a look at that, hajje?", he says calling the woman closer before turning to Al-Haddar again. "Do you live nearby yourself, Sayyid?"

"Khesir? Sure you don't have a death wish? There are dangers in the Maze, but they're still human in nature. A resourceful man can always find a common ground with his fellows, even when said fellows have a knife between their teeth and one more in each hand.

But Khesir is where the bad stuff of stories roam, the one you cannot outrun or negotiate favorably with. You know, witches, living dead, curses, that kind of things."

Haddar stroked his chin.

"Well, I guess that description also applies to the palace, but this one has high walls to prevent innocent fellows from accidentally wandering in there.

As for my present lodging, it's a few streets away from here. So a two minutes walk if you know your way around here, and one month of wandering if you do not."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"Khesir? Sure you don't have a death wish? There are dangers in the Maze, but they're still human in nature. A resourceful man can always find a common ground with his fellows, even when said fellows have a knife between their teeth and one more in each hand.

But Khesir is where the bad stuff of stories roam, the one you cannot outrun or negotiate favorably with. You know, witches, living dead, curses, that kind of things."

Haddar stroked his chin.

"Well, I guess that description also applies to the palace, but this one has high walls to prevent innocent fellows from accidentally wandering in there.

As for my present lodging, it's a few streets away from here. So a two minutes walk if you know your way around here, and one month of wandering if you do not."

Despite his attention being partly devoted to examining the foot of the old woman who finally decided to approach and let Faruq take a look at her, Haddar will still see his brows raising slightly. "A death wish? I sure never thought of it as that, Sayyid. It is a strange place - and a dangerous one, I suppose. Never truly understood what happens there. Happened? It could be under a curse or something." He shrugs.

"But far as I know, that curse could just be letting those whose luck or money run out fend for themselves. Do they deserve that? Have you chosen to live here instead of the River Quarter, Sayyid? Do you deserve it?"

"And if they get there, should they just be left to suffer without a second glance?"

He shrugs again, and that weak smile grows on his lips again. "Change seems ever so distant and hard, mish heek? And still... it happens. If that change is one piece of bread reaching an empty stomach... that's still one less hungry soul".

He gets a scalpel, opens a wound on the woman's foot that was more or less closed but clearly had some festering inside. It's not a pretty process - but it's clearly a necessary one for healing.

"...Even if the rest of the bread goes bad for no apparent reason, I suppose." Another shrug. "Maybe we'll see more change and healing in the Khesir one day."

He starts cleaning the wound.

"There are so many things under the surface here, laa?..." Was he talking about the foot? The city?

"Anyway - I'd suppose you'd never wander for a month here, yes?", he says with a grin raising his head to Haddar after most of the wound is cleaned. "And the Khesir - I suppose you've seen what is there that gives way to all the stories?"

[Al-Haddar]

snip

"Born and raised in the Maze. I've wandered in its streets for far more than a month in my life. Though not all at once.

As for the Khesir Quarter... Once bitten, twice shy. I keep myself as far away as I can from dark magic."

Al-Haddar snapped his fingers:

"As for you, you definitely have the doctor's curse.

To treat an infectious disease, a doctor must often expose themselves to the disease in some capacity. But if the doctor catches the disease, then they die, and cannot heal anyone anymore. That's the doctor's curse. Having to balance between short term good and long term good."