Meh. He should'a held his breath before making the jump. Good thing he masters all'a his spellz.
And you know what his problem is? Dis lady of his. Before he met her, he had a five year plan and would'a had all his Arts covered and ready to train an apprentice by now. But then he had this epic adventure he never stops yammering about, met the mermaid princess, decided he wanted a life of adventure at sea, got involved working and slaving away for dese Andorra Masters, and has totally neglected his studies. He hazn't even cracked open an Aquam text yet.
mewower
Say, do you happen to have any more wine with you?
"Alas, I do not," Bashir replies. "It is forbidden by my religion, so I only use it for medicinal purposes."
Eh? All kinds'a Moors drink wine all'a the time. They make some of the best stuff. It's all totally medicinal too.
kaff-kaff
Roberto starts to wake up.
[size=85]$#@%&^%*...., where am I?[/size]
"I cannot speak for 'all kinds'a' Moors," Bashir replies in a friendly tone. "I can only speak for myself. And I do not drink wine, except when necessary for medical treatment."
Then he hears Roberto's cough and crouches down by the magus's bunk. "You are back on the ship," he explains. "Your spell brought you back just before you collapsed. I think I was able to drain the water from your lungs before any permanent damage occurred. How do you feel?"
How do I feel? Like a stupid @$$hole that recklessly endangered the mission on some rash impulse.
Miquel smirks. Usual for the guys up above to do that. This one admits it, though, a welcome change of path
Roberto continues.
You don't know what it is like Doc. The Gift, it is more of a curse. I have always figured that those effects, and that of the Dominion, are God's way of keeping magi humble. It wasn't so present in my early childhood. But after my home was burned and I was on my own, it became more and more pronounced. People hate you for no good reason, having just met you and knowing nothing about you, yet they suspect you of all manners of malice. You got to work twice as hard to earn half the respect.
I managed to make a few friends. I thought they eased up after getting to know me, which is half true. People you frequently associate with grow accustomed to your Gift. Like Carlos out there. Known the guy almost thirty years. I wondered often if he would have been patient enough to get used to my Gift if it were not for the fact that we were assigned to the same unit. But he did, and he is still with me after all these years.
I saw the look on Antoni's face, and Miquel's words sting sharper than a scimitar. It made me angry. But more so I worried about Carlos. True Love has lessed me with the Gentle Gift, and the past few years have been the best of my life! If my magical air were to return, Carlos and Johan and my stalwart comrades, they would have to get used to me all over again and i wouldn't blame them if they couldn't handle it.
My Master had the Gentle Gift, my Mentor has a Blatant one. I have been exposed to the effects without the protection of Parma, yet when covered by another or after I learned Parma on my own, it was like night and day.
And like I said, this blessing of the Gentle Gift, it came about because I had found True Love. Princess Soteria of Heracleion. If the Gentle Gift flickers or perhaps fades away, what does that mean for my love? Is she in danger? Has she spurned me? Is there some disruption in the regio surrounding her home?
I heard Cidito tell you what happened. I'm sure you only understood half of what he said, but I'm sure you got the gist of it.
As Roberto is talking, Cidito wanders off and returns with three cups. He wanders off again and returns with a little mini keg. Or a cask. Not sure of size nomenclature 
It is honey sweetened lemonade :mrgreen:
You have no idea where he got it from, but it is a-okay for Bashir to drink.
He also produces a flask of vodka, again you have no idea where he got it. He adds that to his drink and Roberto's.
At Yuvall's, the bartender reaches for the vodka and discovers it is missing. It was there a minute ago. He goes nuts for the next few minutes looking for it before giving up.
"I have heard people speak of the Gift, and the curse that comes with it," Bashir replies. "And I have seen its effects first hand. Initially, it is hard to overcome. And it never really goes away. But in time, it is possible for the head to rule over instinct. We are, after all, men and not animals - no offense intended Cidito. You are certainly a cat among cats." He turns back to Roberto. "But I think you do an injustice to Carlos and Johan. They have been with you for years and they know you. Though the Gift may foster feelings of mistrust in them, they know from their time with you that this is a false feeling." He waves a hand. "Oh, I don't mean that it doesn't feel any less real than true distrust, envy, or malice. But knowing here," he touches his head, "what the cause is, helps us overcome the feeling here." He touches his abdomen. "They are strong men. They shall not falter."
"I pray to Allah that you keep the Gentle Gift that you have been blessed with since you found your true love. But should it fade, I have every belief that you shall continue on strong with your stalwart friends at your side. In such a case, I too shall maintain my friendship with you. I don't pretend that there won't be awkward moments. And I can't promise that I won't react at times by instinct and do or say something hurtful. But knowing who you are in my mind and in my soul, I have made the decision to become friends with you. A simple feeling of unease will not take that decision away from me. It will be a struggle at times, I know. But then all of life is a struggle. And it is by persevering in the face of hardship that can achieve greatness."
In rare form, Roberto remains quiet and contemplative for the rest of the night. The next morning, we get the ship resupplied and head off down the river towards Cairo. Then shortly after that, Covenant of Pyramids. Roerto and Johan decide to bend the rules a bit, and in the dead of night we sail over the land to get there quickly enough.
I am woefully unprepared. I will study up Blood and Sand and whence I return to this thread I will be able to present you the scene and cast of characters 
Covenant of Pyramids (founded 1178); 5 members (Hermetic ages)
Ruth filia Orestes of Bonisagus (32)
Head; eldest member, only remaining founding member, wracked with warping and twilight, Visions, Hermetic Theurgy
Helieobus Inepu Ex-Miscellanea (24/15)
North East; Egyptian Priest magic lineage, lives in a regio with ghosts, Hermetic Spirit Magic
Oestrides filius Ruth of Bonisagus (14)
North West; raised up and dwelt here since he was seven, born in Alexandria of mixed Greek/Coptic parents, talented inventor, created Roberto’s carpet and has many more devices, has learned the secret of Amulet spells, has already taken an apprentice named Rachel
Najib filus Paraiah of Criamon (11)
South East; local boy taken in and trained by Paraiah (the other founding member, lost in twilight nine years now), mix of Criamon mysteries and Hermetic Spirit Magic
Inet en Inepu Ex-Miscellanea (5)
South West; youngest member, from the same priestly lineage as Heliobus (same grand-parens)
The Covenant of Pyramids is located on the Giza Plateau amidst the great Necropolis, consisting of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. The members all have different sanctums tucked away in regiones. Each member has a station ranked by the five corners of a pyramid, with rank assigned by age. However, the public authority begins in the middle with Oestrides, the two eldest members are quite withdrawn. And it is Oestrides that comes to greet you (having been told of your arrival by his mater Ruth, who has Visions).
He shakes hands with Roberto ("good to see you again, blahblahblah"), then introduces himself to the rest of you.
Salve sodales. I am Oestrides filius Rith filia Orestes of Bonisagus. Welcome to the Covenant of Pyramids. Your arrival has been forseen, and we know of your intended quest. We also know of the great threat we all face as the 'Afrit expand their control over the desert. But there is much more that we don't know, and I fear for your souls as well as your lives.
"Our souls?" Adan perks up at a theological implication with a disturbing glee, speaking clearly out of turn. "Please, do elaborate."
Oestrides looks solemn. As you may know, the Malik of the City of Brass is a mighty 'Afrit of unimaginable power. He has the power to destroy your soul and transform you into a genie. Be not seduced, for he only offers this twisted gift to those that serve him, and once transformed he has the authority to command them.
"Destroy your soul? I thought only God could do that."
(What is the language being spoken? Latin?)
Lucas makes the proper greetings to Oestrides, and then accepts his warning. "Truly, it is a dangerous place that our magi intend to go."
Then Bashir replies to Adan's comment. "But men have free will, do they not? Perhaps then, a man could consent to have his soul destroyed and thus grant a creature the power to do so."
"Perhaps, but I would still have to doubt such a thing, for those who commit suicide would clearly prefer to destroy their soul, yet wind up instead condemned to Hell. Indeed, I would imagine any person facing hell would prefer the destruction of their soul. Are these Effreet of demonic origin? Perhaps they promise destruction but offer damnation instead."
"You make a good point," Bashir replies. "Perhaps the Afrit simply delays final judgement by granting the appearance of eternal life."
Yes, but Oestrides speaks several languages (including Greek, French, and various forms of Coptic).
Oestrides raises one hand in a gesture of calm wisdom and explains. "The Soul is made up of five parts. The Heart, the Shadow, the Name, the Persona, and the Essence. Persona and Essence combined form the Intellectual Soul, but when you Transform into a Magic or Faerie being, your essence, your Ka, is replaced with supernatural energy. The capacity for the Soul to reunite with God is thus forever lost.
((note that this guy is mixing Ancient Egyptian theology with Platonic metaphysics and his own kooky ideas.))
Adan is taken aback for a moment. "I had always learned the soul was of one essence, indvisible. We must speak more at length later about this, and where you have come across such information. Incidentally, do you know much of the etymology of the names of God?"
OOC: that would be a conversation which could drive some people insane to listen to