A month after leaving Uf, Lina, Green Arrow and the traders returned, wagons laden with new and exotic trade goods and purses bulging with profits. The adventurers’ share came to ten thousand gold pieces per person. "A tidy sum!" noted Edward.
Five days later, Zeff and the rest of the caravan informed the adventurers that they were ready to return to Kanak. "We thank you for accompanying us," said Zeff. "We could never have come so far without you. If you ever visit Kanak again, please look for us!" With that, the caravan departed from the Oasis of Uf. After about four months, including a lengthy visit with the brass dragons and the Enterprise security agents stationed at the dragons’ mine, the caravan reached its home in Kanak, where they became very rich from the sale of the trade goods they had obtained from Uf and points beyond.
Meanwhile, Lina couldn’t resist the urge to go shopping. She dragged Edward and Green Arrow along with her. Eventually, she came to Mojo’s House of Scrolls, an establishment selling scrolls, tomes, and maps, both new and antique. Piles and piles of scrolls, tomes and maps. Shelf after shelf stuffed full of scrolls, tomes and maps.
"Where did all this stuff come from?" Lina whispered to Green Arrow. "Looks like this is where all the lost books end up! I could browse here for days."
"Well, take your time," said Green Arrow. "This is your quest, after all."
After several hours of examining the available goods, Lina settled on three items that seemed more interesting than the rest: an old, painted parchment, an ancient and somewhat damaged tome, and a map. All the texts were in languages unknown to Lina.
She brought the items to the proprietor and asked if he knew much about them. He picked up the parchment first. It depicted an ancient king, taller than other figures on the parchment. The king seemed to be going to war. "This is an old, old parchment, from the days before the Rain of Colorless Fire," said the proprietor.
The tome was next. According to the proprietor, the volume described the ancient Suel Empire and its neighbors and surroundings. It was written in ancient Sueloise, which the proprietor did not speak. Hearing this, Edward left the establishment. After a short time, he returned with another man. "I found us a cleric," said Edward. "He’s agreed to help us read this tome." The cleric nodded, then, in return for a contribution of one hundred gold pieces from Edward, cast comprehend languages on the paladin. He began to quickly peruse the tome.
"Anything on Khemri?" asked Lina as Edward read through the ancient volume.
After about twenty minutes, Edward announced, "Ah! Here we have it!" He pointed to a section of the tome. "This is information on the ancient kingdom of Khemri. It seems to be in the same location as our notorious land of Himm!"
Lina immediately inquired of the proprietor (Mojo himself), "How much for this tome?" After vigorous negotiation, Lina pulled out five thousand gold pieces, and the tome was hers.
The third item was a worn, torn map on what started off as fine vellum. Edward translated the various inscriptions and legends on the map. It showed the far western area of the Sea of Dust (in which Uf was located), as well as the Dry Steppes. It also showed, at its left edge, the far eastern portions of lands named "The Celestial Imperium" and "Orkreich". There was also a notation, in an area far to the northwest of the Sea of Dust, beyond the Sulhaut Mountains, and extending from the mountains east of the Celestial Imperium, referring to "a dangerous land. Traders advised to proceed with extreme caution."
"How interesting!" said Lina. She had to have the map, and eventually reached an agreeable price with Mojo: two thousand five hundred gold pieces. The proprietor threw in the parchment for an additional thousand gold pieces. Edward thanked the cleric for his services.
Leaving the establishment, the adventurers found lodging (again at The Dusty Rug), and began their preparations for the journey to the land of Himm.
Next day, the adventurers sought out a cleric for hire. "Probably going to need some healing before this is all over," said Edward, "and I can’t do it all." Eventually they came across a moderately experienced cleric by the name of Aloysius, who was willing to accompany the party. He agreed to join the adventurers for a fee of one hundred gold pieces, plus two percent of any treasure obtained. The party instructed him to obtain the create food and water spell daily, so that they could travel light. Finally, the adventurers decided to look for a rug merchant who might have a carpet of flying. "Best way to travel over the desert," observed Lina. They were fortunate enough to find a dealer who had such a carpet, and paid a handsome sum to obtain it. It was good for about thirty-two miles per day, which should get them to the land of Himm in about a week or so, conditions permitting.
At dawn on the following day, the three adventurers and their hired cleric departed Uf. For two days, they traveled at speed to the southwest. Weather conditions were fair. On the third day, it was very hot and dry, but the day after that was again fair.
The fifth day began fair, but toward mid-day a large dust storm developed. Heavy winds prevented the carpet of flying from making any headway, so the party landed. Edward carried the cleric, while Lina and Green Arrow made their own way. After about four hours, the storm let up, and they re-mounted their carpet and continued.
It was now the sixth day out from Uf. "I think we’re in the general vicinity now," said Lina. The party began to search for any signs of the weathered mound of stone that would mark the location of the land of Himm.
Two hours later, Edward spotted something. A small bump on the horizon. The party immediately flew toward the location Edward pointed out.
Lina was suddenly reminded of the rest of her vision: "Four triangles and a square guard Thutep’s pride."
The adventurers reached the structure. A roughly square, tiered structure, formed from large rectangular stone blocks, having a flattened top, emerging alone from desert sands that extended for mile after mile in every direction. Marks on the sides and top of the structure seemed to indicate that some kind of external layer, or capstone, had been pried off the remaining structure.
Suddenly Lina has an insight. "It’s a buried pyramid!" she exclaimed. "And my vision! "Four triangles and a square"! A pyramid has a square base and four triangular sides!"
The adventurers landed. Edward folded up the flying carpet and stowed it. "Well, what now?" asked Green Arrow.
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