Editing Amethyst Guard (section)

===Midnight in the City of Brass===
Over the next several months, the Amethyst Guard continued to take various jobs while repairing and furnishing their new home in Oakhurst. During this time, Gilia decided to depart for Eastport to further her magic studies, and Sigurd decided to go along with her as her bodyguard. Soon after, two new adventurers approached with an interest in joining the Amethyst Guard: a monk named Sai, and a wizard named Richter. Little else happened until, one day, without warning they found themselves teleported into a large courtyard in a palace of basalt and metal, beneath an orange sky. A trio of tall figures dressed with flowing silk garments stood above them on a balcony; the one dressed in white robes and a fez bowed deeply and declared that his "Conjure Minor Mortals" spell had succeeded. Before they could try to take stock of where they were, they found themselves facing a trio of hell hounds. After slaying the beasts, the three figures began to walk away, when suddenly a salamander erupted from a nearby brazier and threw something at one of the trio. It struck her in the mouth, causing her to collapse. As the salamander vanished in a puff of smoke, the other two figures began pointing at the Amethyst Guard and accused them of attempting to murder Ghunayya bint al-Sultha, scion of a line of efreeti sorcerers.

Under a ritual that confirmed the truth of their words they professed their innocence, and in the ensuing questioning they learned they had been summoned to the City of Brass in the plane of fire by Umar, a servant of Ghunayya, though he would be unable to reverse the spell. Neither he nor his companion, Manira, had seen the salamander appear from the brazier, though what it had thrown into Ghunayya's mouth was a seed of the sweet shiverrod plant and would kill her within three days. Only one thing could cure her: an antidote made from the rare Rose of Nightengale. Umar told them that Ghunayya had the power to send them home, but only if they saved her life. Should they fail, he would see them enslaved in the mines for a thousand years.

After Umar shooed them out of the manor, they wandered about the City of Brass searching for information on the Rose of Nightengale, only to find themselves largely ignored by the myriad elementals populating the city. Eventually, however, they noticed an efreet trying to get their attention. She told she was Nabila, Ghunayya's physician, and she wanted to help them. Though her loyalty was to Umar, and thus she stood only to gain by his gaining leadership of the house upon Ghunayya's death, she was moved by something far more important: love. She wished to be with Badiat al-Sugûr, daughter of the ice devil Moshir, but did not have the status to be worthy of her. She wished them to bring back a rare treasure that would win Badiat's heart: the egg of a two-headed roc. In exchange, she would tell them where to find Rose of Nightengale. Seeing little alternative, the Amethyst Guard agreed.

Following Nabila's directions, they sought out a blind human fortune teller named Ali ben Ali. After pressing a coin into his hand and speaking the passphrase given by Nabila, he took them to a secret door leading down below the city, to an old thoroughfare called the Street of Roses. There they would find a tower called the Burj al-Anwar, within which the egg could be found. As he departed, he offered a final warning about the vengeful azer that dwelled below. The warning proved prescient, as several azer attacked them as they made their way through along the broken underground street to the Burj al-Anwar. The first defense within the tower was a magic circle warded against celestials, fiends, and elementals... Though the sorcerers who laid it did not consider mortals worthy of protecting against, and they crossed without issue. Beyond was a bejeweled chamber covered in fine rugs, at the center of which was a rotating platform upon which an enormous egg sat upon a pillar of blue crystal. Lizard jumped onto the platform and managed to keep his footing as he picked up the egg, which was surprisingly light. However, as he did so, the jewels adorning the wall came alive, revealing themselves as hostile constructs, and attacked the heroes. As Lizard ran across the room with the egg, he also had to contend with the rugs coming alive and trying to rap him. However, the animated rugs and jeweled constructs were no match for them, and soon they were crossing the Street of Roses once more.

As they neared the passage that would return them to the surface, a salamander appeared from behind a ruined building and attacked them. Though a powerful warrior, he soon fell before them. As he died he muttered, "the plan was perfect... the fez..." before his body melted into molten rock. Though disturbed by this, they still returned to Nabila at the designated rendezvous with the egg. Ecstatic at having a treasure to finally woo her beloved, she readily traded them a lead-lined box containing the Rose of Nightengale. As it was nearing sunset, she told them to take it to Umar in the morning, and mentioned off-handedly that he hadn't been himself lately; he used to be patient and jolly, but had recently become short-tempered and demanding. When they mentioned the fez, she confirmed that the change occurred right around the time he started wearing it. As Nabila left with her prize, the Amethyst Guard found a very expensive inn willing to cater to mortals to pass the night.

They were awoken in the morning by the sound of drums, songs, and explosions, as the city celebrated its annual Carnival of Flames. Though they considered partaking, they did not want to risk Ghunayya perishing as they did and so hurried to her compound. When they arrived, they found the gate firmly locked and the windows dark. Growing suspicious, they picked the lock on the gates only to find themselves attacked by gargoyles and imps guarding the gatehouse. Searching through the manor they first found Nabila's quarters (and the dreadful poetry she had written for Badiat), and then Umar's, which curiously did not appear to have been used in many days. It was when they entered the antechamber before Ghunayya's quarters that they found Umar's fez sitting on the floor. Before they could investigate further, they heard a scream coming from the next room. Rushing into Ghunayya's chambers, they saw a horrific devil standing over her prone form, while a swarm of insects buzzed around Nabila, biting her. The creature demanded to know why they even cared about the fate of Ghunayya or her house and questioned whether they would even honor the deal made to send them home. When they attacked him anyway he gloated about how the power he would gain from them would allow him to grow even stronger than the Archdevils themselves. As he did not yet have that power, however, they quickly made short work of him and the swarm.

Between questioning Nabila and inspecting the tablet in the devil's possession, they were quickly able to discern what had occurred: the devil had trapped Umar within a quill pen, and used the fez--a magical hat of disguise--to assume Umar's identity. He had arranged for the salamander to assassinate Ghunayya, using the recently-summoned adventurers as cover. Breaking the quill freed the real Umar, who immediately set to work curing Ghunayya. Though he labored in his laboratory all day, he succeeded in saving her life. Ghunayya apologized to the Amethyst Guard for what had occurred, explaining that for untold ages mortals had summoned her kind as servants, and she intended to create a spell to inflict the same indignity back upon them as revenge. Naming them as friends and allies of House al-Sultha, she cast a spell that returned them to their home.