While the Wayfarers were trapped within a pocket dimension sealed in a magical scroll, the newly-freed Efreeti Lord Jhavul that traded places with them sent the scroll off to be secured in his labyrinthine treasure vaults back in the Plane of Fire. Eventually escaping from one strange place to another, the party now wandered these heated halls, searching for a way back home. The last thing they expected to find here was a tremendous, bouyant water genie who shared their fate.

Bound to a mystic fountain to serve as one of the Efreeti Noble's many treasures, the water spirit would not be set free until he enchanted his captor with ten-thousand tales he'd never heard before. Unfortunately, Jhavul had long since lost interest in pursuing the sultry Marid, his heart instead drifting to seek the attention of the Elemental Lord of Fire, Ymeri, leaving the poor water genie to lanquish forgotten in his prison for centuries.

Born to a royale line within the Cerulean Courts of the Plane of Water - Shazathared - 'Shaz' for short - was the youngest of twelve brothers, far beyond entertaining any dreams of inheriting the crown himself. But the structure of the courts demanded a Princess to fulfil certain duties for the royal line, and lacking any daughters, the King instead groomed Shaz for the position. Shaz prided himself on his flexibility, and though it would not be his first choice of pursuits, in his opinion, he fucking crushed it. Mastering courtly graces, diplomatic relations, and a dizzying array of other courtly duties that fell to the Princess, Shaz served his role diligently for many years - attracting countless would-be suitors for his troubles - the Efreeti Noble Jhavul unfortunately among them.

Shaz could lay no blame upon his house for failing to rescue him from his kindappers - for the Plane of Fire was an inordinately inhospitable realm to any creature not born of flame, much less those of opposing elemental alignment. Captive as he was to the flame spirit for countless years, Shaz could not help but slowly warm to the smouldering charisma of the Efreeti Lord. Though he still dreamed towards his distant freedom, he made the best of his time in captivity - mastering the art of weaving tales to sow wonder and delight to his listeners, a passion he'd once pursued as a mere hobby in his old life, now his only means to slowly crawl free of this imprisonment. The stories told by the masterful Marid could transport listeners far away, enrapturing them the flow of his fantastic recollections - always ending each one with his signature "I know this, for I saw it myself~".

He'd fulfilled over half his quota before Jhavul departed for conquest across the face of Golarion in the name of Ymeri, leaving him sequestered alone in the depths of the palace's treasure vaults for countless years until the Wayfarers arrived. Delighted to finally have guests to entertain, the Princess introduced himself and indulged the tired and weary adventurers with his tales as they joined him in the comfort of his fountain. In return for his kindness, they pledged to free the princess from his prison, working to break the curse that had consumed the whole of the palace so they could all escape together.

With the removal of the planar binding trapping them there, the Wayfarers were finally able to break the curse binding Shazathared to the fountain. As an expression of his limitless gratitude, Shazathared offered his once-annual wish to the Wayfarers. Thanks to Gauzhe's ability to leap across the planes, the Wayfarers' thoughts traveled to a more pressing issue - the damaged scroll of Kakkishon, and the Wayfarers currently trapped inside of it's pocket plane. Repairing the scroll was as simple as a snap of his fingers.

Despite his appreciation, Shazathared needed to return to his court, so after a heartfelt goodbye he weaved his magic to transport himself home. Ionatrix, who had grown close to the Princess in their short time together, begged him to spend one more day with them. Instead, Shazathared offered her one more day with him at his palatial manor, an offer she simply could not refuse.

Description by  lemuel

---

If you enjoy my work consider supporting me monthly on Patreon
Or sending a one-time donation by Buying Me a Ko-Fi

Posted using PostyBirb