Underfed (part 3)
Our heroes have braved a trek acorss a hazardous stretch of Veyshanti desert in pursuit of a mummified Charnese artificer who's located somethung they call 'the agony engine', a mana engine powered by sentient suffering.
Your mission is to collect it. It is to not be allowed to amke it to its destination, a fortress belonging to the mysterious figure known as the 'Diamond Emperor', whose forces number Mantis-Men, elementals and bandits, where it will be smuggled out of VEyshan and to Charn itself. To this end, you and your Eaglerin guide have been climbing through the canyons in the midst of the desert, where you've just finished squelching a horrible cactus monster that 's left a few of you in runinous shape.
Your eaglerin friend's wings have been shredded by its fired needles, and he is not looking too happy about it. It's going to take him a while to recover from that, even with healing magic, as feathers don't regrow so fast.
That means the climbing is gonna be the hard way out now.
Still wrapped in desert clothing, now rather more tattered, Seldan shakes his head. "I will never look at a cactus in the same way," he says as he trudges across the section of canyon in which they find themselves.
"You are absolutely right," Nasrin replies to Seldan cheerfully, moving forard as she does. "I never knew they were so badass." Laughing, she reaches out to try to punch the man in the shoulder. There's a breastplate, so she is unlikely to do much harm, gauntlets or no. "We'd best move quickly if we want to see this through. They're usually ahead of us by now."
Victor strides along beside the others. "Yes, and if our guide cannot fly we lose our advantages in climbing, and in the ambush once we find our quarry."
"...damn it," says the eaglerin. "We're going to have to double time it, then, to try to avoid as losing so much of what we've already gained." He lets out a sigh. "Few people are foolish enough to take this path for a reason! WEll, that and the fact that it is a treacherous canyon full of monsters but you know.." The eagle caws once in disdain, "Come. You will need to climb faster."
And then he's limping off.
Seldan takes the punch good-naturedly, with a genial smile - breastplates are good for that. His smile fades, though, at the mention od double-timing it, and while he does pick up his pace, he drops the conversation to save his breath for the climb.
Victor follows along. He finds it much easier to keep with Egalrin now that he is grounded. In fact, Victor finds himself slowing his pace so as not to get ahead of their guide. "Perhaps you could give us directions or draw a map for us. If you need to slow or take a break we can continue on without you..."
GAME: Victor rolls athletics: (15)+9: 24
GAME: Seldan rolls athletics: (15)+0: 15
GAME: Echo rolls Athletics: (6)+3: 9
GAME: Nasrin rolls athletics+2: (15)+3+2: 20
Alaryn has arrived.
Good news, everyone! Despite the harder climb, everyone is actually making pretty decent time!
...that is until Echo hits a snag. Hey, Echo's a golem. He's heavy. This can't be helped. The rest of you wind up at the top of a canyon plateau, staring off and realizing you're only half way through this mess of narrow plateaus, drops, ledges and climbs and that it's getting light out. You're going to need to find shade and water, and soon.
Your guide is fairly convinced he knows there's a safe spot for water /fairly/ nearby. IT's questionable if you'll make it there before the heat starts to get oppressive.
"We had best hurry, it grows light above." Seldan's been making decent time, although not the best. "How far to your water source?"
GAME: Nasrin refreshes spells.
GAME: Nasrin casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
Victor tries to recall landmarks and natural featured from the map they were shown before setting out. Finally he turns to the guide. "Would it be better to rest in a cave, or some other natural feature of this terrain." He looks to the Egalrin.
Echo, after holding back the party a bit, manages to at least make it up the rest of the way. The golem shakes some sand out of his cloak as he looks around. "That source had better be close."
"A cave sounds promising," Nasrin notes quietly, looking relatively unperturbed by the heat as the group travels. Echo earns a nod from the tall redheaded Cleric of Kor. Nasrin is wearing white, having removed her heavy plate armour in favour of gambeson and the clothes worn underneath. She reaches up to wipe a bit of swat away from her brow. "Whate ver we do we best figure it out quickly."
"That's exactly what we're looking for. There's a rocky outcropping a couple miles from here, just down the other side of the plateau, about halfway. There's a waterfall, a small one, with a trickle enough to let us restock and not dip too far into the rations."
HE flaps his wings, and then sets off to lead the way.
Let's face it: You're a bit slower now and the climbing is far more fatiguing, but thqanks to potionsd and magic you're a bit safer from the worst of it than you would be.
You reach the cave, sore, dirty and exhausted, and it is as much described, a a rocky overhang in the shade that's part of a small waterfall. It's a small renant of the flood that must've served to help create this set of water-eroded canyons in the first place.
Seldan's hair is slicked back against his head beneath the head coverings, his underclothing soaked in sweat beneath the breastplate, by the time they reach the rocky outcropping. "Augh," he laments, flopping down near the waterfall. Before he starts to drink from it, though, he pauses, dips a finger in it, and sniffs it to be sure there isn't anything overtly weird in it.
Slightly steaming, tired, and making his way into the overhang, Echo moves to settle down off to one side as he looks around now that they are mostly safe. Hopefully.
Victor stands near the entrance to the cave, positioned so that he can see outside but shouldn't be as visible to someone outside. "We should set up watches," he notes.
Nasrin breathes a soft sigh as they finally reach the cave. She rerubs her forehead again, her expression one of deep thought. "Well. It's something. I'll take second and third watch since I got the best of it on the hike," the redhead states finally before moving to place her back against tthe outcropping near the waterfall. Drawing a knee in toward her chest Nasrin produces a drum and begins to bang something out on it, hands moving smoothly as she does.
Nasrin begins to sing in a rich, throaty voice. Part war chant, part religious devotion, the song goes like so:
"Go forth, Children of Dranei, the land of Brave Souls.
With left hand, the shield put forth proudly;
The spear we raise with our right!
Go forth and show your courage;
Never fearing for your life!
For fear one's own life
Will not free us from our strife."
Victor looks at the Egalrin. "Do you have any idea how much longer until we reach our destination? More than a day?"
GAME: Echo refreshes spells.
The eagle shakes his head.
"Hard to say. Depennds on weather, amongst other things. WE're looking at least another couple days, but the desert is dangerosu! As you've already seen, the hazards are great. WE could get delayed."|
GAME: Seldan refreshes spells.
GAME: Victor refreshes spells.
Victor nods as he listens to their guide. "I can prepare more spells to help us withstand the head," he offers the rest of the party. "As well as spells that will allow others to levitate, or glide if they are having difficulty climbing." He carefully avoids looking at Echo as he says this. "I am willing to take the first watch, as well."
Echo shrugs, "It may be a good idea. I do know my own limits, and I am not ashamed to say I slowed us down back there. At least I am not one of my cousins that likes to wear actual armor."
Seldan nods at Victor. ?Yes, that is not a spell I?ve mastered yet, and it seems most useful.? He?s refilling his waterskin as he talks, and hasn?t sat up yet.
Edinaz kept quiet during the climb, and comes back now tired, but ready to keep an eye out. Leaning on his javelin, he offers. "We should go as fast as we can -- not faster. If we're attacked as we climb, again, we'll be wishing for armour."
The Pygmy Bulette gnaws on Nasrin's drumsticks.
Or at least it tries to.
In the meantime, four watches are settled with K'narp taking one, grumbling and preening his feathers.
You settle in, listening to the eerie sound of the wind whistling through the canyons.
GAME: Victor rolls perception: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (13)+2: 15
GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (9)+9: 18
GAME: Nasrin rolls perception: (4)+3: 7
GAME: Echo rolls Perception: (12)+7: 19
Echo frowns, then looks out at the opening. "... I believe I heard something? Like a beast of some sort?" He looks to the others to see if they heard it as well. Just in case, he moves to hold his quarterstaff ready.
"I also heard it," Seldan agrees, from where he is seated near the waterfall. He's since sat up and assumed a cross-legged pose, longsword across his knees. "I do not think it is very near, but we should be quiet."
Victor looks at Echo then turns to examine the entrance. He opens his mouth to say something, then pauses when Seldan suggests quiet. Instead he stares at the entrance. Not even needing to breathe, he holds himself so still that even his cape doesn't sway.
Edinaz looks up, and nods. He agrees in a quiet voice. "I heard it to. Let us be quiet."
K'narp sighs.
"That's not good," whistles the eaglerin at the thought of them hearing something. HGe eyes the pygmy bulette. "Best lets agree on queit now. WE don't want to be heard by... whatever that is."
So you settle in. The night starts to pass. Watch turns are taken, but the sounds of the creature hunting are heard again and again, getting louder, louder...
It's on Seldan's watch that the earth suddenly shakes. Uh oh.