Title:           Wf+6 Ijmaquest Ijma means "the consensus of the Islamic community". Keep
Author:          Wf6
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/hcmRN8XY
First Edit:      Wednesday 23rd of May 2012 04:37:31 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Wednesday 23rd of May 2012 04:37:31 PM CDT

Wf+6
 
Ijmaquest
 
Ijma means "the consensus of the Islamic community". Keep it in mind as you progress!
 
Commands by “players” are denoted by >in line quotes.
This story is driven entirely by player commands. Make your own adventure!
 
----
 
The year is 922 AD. Your name is Ahmad ibn Fadlan, and you are the faithful ambassador of your liege, the Caliph of Baghdad. You have been dispatched to serve as a diplomatic envoy to the King of the Bulgars in the North.
 
To serve you on your journey, your liege has provided you with a caravan with 14 oxen, 14 courtiers, 14 fine cloaks, 14 swords, and 140 pounds of meat.
 
What pace should you set for your journey?
 
>Grueling
 
You set out on a grueling pace, headed north along the Tigris River.
 
In the first 13 days, you encounter nothing of note, but on the 14th day, your courtiers begin to complain of feeling uneasy. They feel your choice to set a grueling pace has impeded their ability to perform the Salah, or worship through facing the Kaaba in prayer.
 
You could settle this dispute by slowing your pace, or ignore it. What do you do?
 
>Faster
 
You set out faster, and the next 14 days pass quickly. Your courtiers begin to complain of sun sickness, and your oxen grow raggedly tired.
 
You will reach the border of Abbasid territory within the next 14 days at this rate.
 
Your food supply is beginning to run low. Your courtiers ask permission to go on a hunt to find fresh meat. This should not be difficult, as you are still following the rich Tigris.
 
Do you give them permission?
 
>Yes
 
You have them set about the river killing animals as you go, but at the end of the day, they have only brought back dead pigs and vultures. Islam expressly marks the consumption of pork as Haraam (unlawful), because it is impure. You believe the vulture meat to be impure for similar reasons, but it is not forbidden expressly.
 
You could take one, both, or neither to eat.
 
>Pork
 
You decide to consume the pig flesh. Your courtiers are disturbed at your choice to ignore Islamic law, but they say nothing because they are exhausted and hungry.
 
Your trip continues for 12 more days, and you arrive at the last Abbasid outpost before going into the lands not controlled by the Caliph. This is your last chance to buy supplies. What should you stock up on?
 
>Food
 
You stop at an outpost on the edge of the Caspian Sea and purchase food for the journey. In all, you buy 280 pounds.
 
Your next goal is to make it to Samandar, a city also on the western edge of the sea, built by Turkish nomads and famous for its wine.
 
Is there anything else you require in this city before you leave Abbasid land?
 
>Water and advice
 
Your men reminds you that the Turks are heathens who do not know the light of Allah, and are untrustworthy at best, deadly at worst. They warn you should be ready for battle at a moment's notice. Further, they warn you to venerate Allah more carefully in the future.
 
You freely fill your waterskins at the Caspian Sea.
 
You set out from the fortress headed north to Samandar in the mysterious Turkish lands. Your men profess an omen has befallen you, because only two days into the Turkish lands, three of your oxen have perished from exhaustion, and a wheel on your caravan has snapped. One of your courtiers is a skilled woodworker, but he tells you it will take two days to repair it. In the mean time, you will have to occupy yourself. You also salvaged the oxen meat.
 
Some of the suggestions from your men are to relax to recuperate. Another suggests to spend the two days praying, to gain the favor of Allah, to fight this omen. The next suggests scouting for these days, to make sure the Turks do not sneak up on you. Another yet argues that by swapping out courtiers carrying the axle without a wheel, you can gain ground while the new wheel is repaired.
 
You may choose any of these, or even something else...
 
>Let your men rest and pray
 
You have the better part of your men pray, and whether or not Allah is now on your side, your men feel somewhat better.
 
As you travel north, you reach the base of the Caucasus Mountains. Attempting to cross them would be difficult, but not impossible, because they do not reach as extreme altitudes near the Caspian Sea. However, it may be too much strain, so you could go around (closer to the shore of the Caspian), but it would take a much longer time. Also, sticking close to the coast may expose you to Turkish pirates.
 
>Stick to the mountains
 
The next 14 days are the worst of your life thus far. The first eight are not terrible, but on the ninth day, a huge rock slide collapses upon your caravan, killing ten of your courtiers, and five of your oxen. The meat could not be salvaged. You have four courtiers and six oxen left. It takes three days to repair the damage to the caravan, and you set out again.
 
Tired, and ragged, you approach Samandar on the 14th day. You hope to find reprieve inside, but you are wary about approaching while appearing weak, for it is a Turkish settlement.
 
>Wait outside the gates
 
You stop a day outside the city to recuperate, but it doesn't help. If anything, stopping and dwelling on your losses makes you and your courtiers feel worse. You pack up quickly the next morning and set out for Samandar.
 
Upon arriving in the city gates, you are greeted with dirt roads and wild heathens who have drunk themselves silly on their famous wine. You consider stopping to buy food, but you are well stocked, and your oxen are capable of transporting your food and courtiers. They do not sell oxen, otherwise you would purchase more.
 
Inside the city, there are a few Muslims who migrated north. They warn you that there has been strange activity outside the city to the north, and to be careful on your journey.
 
You wait in Samandar for two days and drink within moderation, but you allow your courtiers to drink more heavily. You set out the next day with a cask of wine for the trip.
 
Twelve days north on the road, you are confronted by a river. You may try to ford it, cock your caravan's wagons, or look for a shallow crossing.
 
>Look for shallows
 
You spend a day looking for shallows and can't find any. You've stocked up on river water, though.
 
>Stake trees, then ford the river.
 
You try to stake the trees, but due to the width of the river, it doesn't help much. You attempt to ford the river.
 
The current is strong, but the water is not terribly deep. You feel that if you had cocked it, you would have been washed completely down river. That is not to say your trip was not without losses, however. Two oxen and a courtier, as well as the first two out of four parts of your meat stores were swept downriver.
 
You continue your journey, hopeful that you will at least make it to the next city to restock, but after seven days, you are confronted by twelve warriors of pale skin. They profess to not know the teachings of Muhammad, but they speak of the prophet Jesus. They kill your remaining courtiers, meat, and take your oxen, then take you captive.
 
They offer you the opportunity to live, if you travel with them west to fight what they refer to as the "horsemen of the east". They believe the number thirteen is good luck, and that your presence will grant them a boon.
 
Do you demand to be executed, or agree to go east to see these horsemen?
 
>Ask if you may keep your faith
 
They don't care what your faith is. Moreover, they think you're some weird heretical sect of their religion, for some reason. You seem to share at least some common beliefs about Abraham and Jesus.
 
>Accompany them
 
You travel east with the twelve warriors for fourteen more days. On the last of these days, you enter a vast forest, and you begin to feel very uneasy.
 
As you pass through the jungle, you mutter prayers, as huge wildlife seems to cross through the branches, but the warriors ignore them. At sundown, you make camp in a clearing.
 
In the night, you try to drown out the terrible noises, but you are eventually awoken by a terrible roar. By the time you have your sword drawn, you can see by the flickering light of the fire that the aggressor is some sort of huge, lion-like beast.
 
The sentries are dead, but the remaining nine warriors have engaged the monster. Do you join the melee, try to get a better look at the monster, or flee?
 
>Fight!
 
You join the battle, and fight furiously, though it is hard to see. To your horror, you observe that the monster has wings of a bat, and it takes wing and strikes your fellow warriors from above. As it passes above you, you see it has a deadly scorpion tail, which it uses to impale one warrior most grievously.
 
As the blood drains from his face, you charge the beast's flank, and score a mighty blow, but you are swept aside by a single slash of the claws, and fall, bleeding, into the brush. You are a diplomat, not a warrior, and quickly you succumb to your bloodloss and fall unconscious.
 
...
 
You sleep dreamlessly for several hours, but are awoken by the harsh sun on your cheeks. You drag yourself out of the bush, and see the courses of your previous captors strewn about. No survivors. You stand uneasily, but you have the uncomfortable feeling you are being watched. You reach for your sheathe, but notice your blade was lost in the melee. You wonder if you could get to a sword on the ground without spooking whatever might be watching you. You definitely don't feel like turning around. What do?
 
>Crawl for a weapon
 
You drop to your knees and crawl for the nearest weapon. You grab the blade, and every hair on your neck stands up. Every nerve in your body is screaming that there is something right behind you. Your heart is beating like a drum: can you turn around quickly enough to defend yourself? Should you just flee? Why haven't you been struck yet?!
 
>Roll into a defensive position
 
You attempt to roll over and brandish your blade most fiercely, but you snap out of your roll about halfway through when you can see your "aggressor". You feel every muscle in your knotted stomach relax at once, as you let loose a cry of joy and relief. Standing slowly and wiping the sweat from your brow, you examine your observer more closely.
 
It appears to be a strange breed of yellow horse, but very small. You had read that the Mongolians rode very short horses, but you are surprised to find out just how short it is. Compared to your own five foot eight stature, this horse couldn't be more than three or four feet. It is adorned with large green saddlebags that cover its flanks, and is staring at you in what appears to be a mix of interest and paralyzing fear.
 
You are relieved to find a pack animal, for as the Quran says, "And He created the horses, the mules, and the donkeys for you to ride and for luxury. Additionally, He creates what you do not know."
 
You are not surprised that such a dull creature would naturally seek out a human to take care of it. You intend to take very good care of this horse, even if you're not sure if it's old enough to ride yet.
 
How should you approach it so as to not spook it and make it bolt?
 
>Shout Allah at it
 
You shout at the horse that it must serve you in Allah's noble order, and in return, you will keep it safe. Apparently, loud noises spook horses, because it bolts almost immediately. Ouch.
 
Still, a dull animal weighed down by saddlebags probably can't get far. You sigh and search the camp for anything to salvage. You liberate the least-bend blade for your sheath, as well as a pack full of gear. It seems whatever attacked you last night ate all of your food before leaving, so you hope to have some luck in the forest.
 
You're totally without orientation except the way you came. Do you return back west, follow the horse's bolting path east, or do something else?
 
>Head west
 
You begin to set out west, but you remember you don't have any food for the trip. Suddenly, a hike through the woods to try to gather food is looking a lot more appetizing. You're not about to eat human flesh, no matter how desperate you get.
 
Where to first?