In the Plaza

Zama flexed her fingers around the handle of her umbrella. The light rain pelted on the orange-red canvas which guided the meandering rivulets of water to the mud about her feet.

Her hirelings were late, again.
At least a few contract-workers answered the call.

"They say Ikhtanabu Xul sought immortality inside those walls. I won the rights to this building at last month’s auctioneer hall. Thanks to the backing of the Caravaneer Guilds, I am now the owner of this place.

I already have a buyer lined up. We clear this tower and I can sell for a tidy profit."

Then she slowly makes eye contact with each of her contractors.

"But if we fail, the Caravaneer Guilders will send their collectors, if you know what I mean." Debt collectors happy to collect blood or gold, depending on the circumstances.

"That means, the faster we do this the better. And, more importantly, if I happen to die during all this…well… all bets are off. The Caravaneer Guild will come to get what they can. And I can guarantee they will not see a reason to compensate you."

Zama looked over her shoulder. Where are those ungrateful hirelings?, she thought to herself.

She pans her gaze upon this impromptu crew, and her eyes fall on Azif of Mazad. Her nostrils flair at the trappings of another Ahyada acolyte. She steps closer to this worshiper of Taraam.

"Tell me, Azif is it? Why is a Taraam acolyte interested in the ruins of Ikhtanabu Xul’s tower?"

Azif look Zama Mu-Ram in the eyes, a small smile appears in his thin pale face.
"I have good sources that there is great knowledge to be found, do not worry our path is intertwined, i can see it now, great Ahyada"
Azif takes this moment to look around
"I’m also curious about all of you, what drives you to this dangerous task, just wealth?"

Arius rocks back and forth on his heels throughout Zama’s speech, unimpressed and clearly impatient to get going. His face and hands are covered in faint scars— souvenirs from previous jobs — and he wears a grim, no-nonsense expression. He didn’t notice Azif staring at his dagger because his eyes are fixed on the tower.

"Just here to help Madame Mu-Ram clear out her tower and make a little money doing it," he responds to Azif’s question. Probably best not to admit to his new teammates that he thinks he might be going crazy. He asks Zama, "Shall I check the door for traps while we wait for your other hirelings to join us, ma’am?"

"Need not be scared of collectors, if the stories about this tower are true.", Orloth says as he stands. He scans the tower and the horizon, trying to ignore his ferret's nervous chattering from inside his rutsack.

The rain hits his stoic brow causing him to give thanks for his leather cloak. He sniffs the air, taking in the faint scent of earthworms as they escape their muddy burrows fleeing the rain-soaked ground.

Orloth smiles and a fleeting thought fills his mind.

"Lovely day for dire work.", he thinks.

He silently curses this dreary place, but he cannot back out now. He needs that treasure. His people need that treasure.

Turning towards Zama he says, "Let's hope the rumors are true. At least the rumors of treasure."

Zama takes some cautious steps in the mud, and considers the tower.

How tall is the tower?
Is this a circular tower, square, octagon? What is the diameter, roughly?
Any windows, balconies, drain pipes, etc..?
Does the plaza completely surround the tower where the tower juts out of the middle?

Zama tilts her head and looks down her nose at Orloth.

"And how did a Nomad such as yourself learn of such treasure?"

Despite her dislike for the uncivilized nomads, and their horrible habits of keeping filthy pets (she glares at the ferret), she can't deny that sometimes the peoples from outside the city have their ways of knowing...

"You are the expert here when it comes to cleaning out this tower, proceed as you see best. Azif, what say you?"
She looks to Azif, to see how the group dynamics will play out now that Arius has offered the first suggestions. Will Azif demure or speak up, she wonders.

Before speaking Azif inspects the surrounding terrain for signs of passage. Is this place as avoided like everyone says?

Arius approaches the tower and begins to methodically search the entrance for signs of traps or other defences.

Orloth raises his eyebrow at Zama's distain.

"I have my ways. When one listens to nature, they learn all sorts of interesting information. ", he says and the thinks, "or I just hung out and listened to gossip for 5 minutes."

He watches as Arius observes the tower.

Azif nods slowly
"Mr. Arias shows great wisdom in his prudency, we all should follow is exemple"
Azif then moves towards the door, patiently waiting for Arius to finish his task and also to inspect the door more closely.
"Who knows what type of danger we will face"

Arius points out the claw marks in the stone to the rest of the crew and says, "There’s deviltry worked into the bricks. Seems that it might require a pass phrase or something of the sort to safely cross the threshold."

Zama’s face flushes with a mixture of rage and shame.
Any land purchaser worth their salt would have required the warding passwords as part of the deal. This shows poorly upon her.

Her eyes dart, waiting to see which one of her contractors turns this on her first, calling her out on such a lapse.

Seething at herself for forgetting something so fundamental, her mind races. Then she has an idea.

Her hirelings. Once they arrive, she’ll blame the hirelings for not knowing. Though she wonders, maybe someone could track down one of Ikhtanabu Xul’s apprentices. Surely some of them are still in Belthaar.

"Deviltry work.. pass phrase to enter...how interesting"

Azif casually turns his attention from the door to Arius' dagger, do the necromancy runes hold any clues?