The next morning, the group gathers on the roof of the inn, and with the sun coming up over the horizon take flight, raising up over the city and heading northish.
From the air, they have a good view of the city and the surrounding area, beyond the wall white sand and rock cover the land as far as they can see. About a mile outside the city, they see a line of compounds, each with different architecture, no doubt the temples they were told had been mandated to be outside the city to cut down on collateral damage when one god's followers attack another.
Oooh! That's my temple! Oh it looks so lovely from the sky! You did know that I have an Eagle I ride didn't you? There's a reason I get along so well with things that have wings. The voice is excited. Can we do a fly over?
The group makes a slight detour, and flies over a rocky outcropping where a temple has been built. As they fly over, they notice that the majority of those walking around are halflings. As they fly over, a dozen giant eagles launch, each with a halfling on it. The eagles wing over, and fly close to the group. One of the riders calls out in tradespeak. "Ahoy! Never saw people with wings before! And halflings too! The eagles aren't going to be happy about that!" The Blonde haired eagle-rider screams over the wind.
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Connor handed everyone a signal whistle (.8 gp, negligible weight), reminding them "Does everyone have their gladiator's gauze?"
He explained "Flann, I have bloodblock in my pouches, a psionic tattoo of natural healing (3 points), and my backpack and bag has four healer's kits, three antitoxin, three antiplague, an antidote kit, a psionic bandages of rapid recovery, six more gladiator's gauze, a dojre of body adjustment, two waterskins and a jug of water!" Laughing, Connor said "I'm real glad to have an actual Vitalist with us this time!"
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Connor flew with Hero on his psicrystal staff lashed across his back, so that the crystal was above his head.
"Just a flyover!" Connor told Volita and the others. "I need to ask about this temple." To the rider, "Blessings from Tenfa!" Connor called out cheerfully. "Is that a real temple to the godess?"
"Blessings? Don't know much about the old thieving witch do you?" The halfling laughs. "Well, if you ask the original owners, it's a temple of Kalaban. We stole it fair and square though, so now it's a temple of Tenfa!" The whole wing of halflings laugh. "We did have to remodel it. Stole some right good stuff to do so too."
Ah, it's a lovely temple, and so much better now that it's with it's rightful owner.
Adran remains quiet but keeps watch making sure they are not getting surrounded for an ambush or attack.
He will remain his happy go lucky self flying a little closer to get a look at the eagles.
"Nice bird."
He remains cautions and aware but lets Connor do the talking.
Connor made a mental note: building a new temple might not be necessary, as "re-appropriating" one would be just as good. But the islands of home had no temples to begin with. "Ah, well!" Connor called out. "Maybe I'll see you all on the way back!" He angled his wings back on-direction to the oasis.
Flann bobs in the air, a bit nervous around large birds. They just don't make sense aerodynamically.
The eagle riders wave, after making a few more jests, and then head off on their own patrol.
The Atalantians meanwhile continue wining north north east, and the day spins away on strong thermals and tricky desert winds that try to blow the group off course.
All day they have seen giant scorpions treading on the sands and stone, scuttling from one spot to another doing who knows what.
Just after noon, they see a truly massive scorpion attacking a small herd of wild animals with odd humps in their backs. It picks one up as it's claws snap forward, and blood sprays the air as the animal screams in agony. Then the screaming cuts off, and the scorpion ignores the rest to hunker down and chow down on it's meal.
Leaving the nightmare inducing creature behind, as the sun begins to drop on the horizon, the group finds the Oasis settled down in some low hills.
Curiosity nearly spoils the pudding. A closer look at the devilish creatures nearly becomes a fatal spill.
"I should maybe- hoof! exercise a bit more."
"That is a very large bug."
Adran gains a bit more height when flying over the seen.
At the Oasis:
He settles in and makes up his sleeping area then give the Oasis a once over making sure everything is secure.
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As they pass the horrid scene of the large insect making sport with the mammals, Volita speaks up. "Might we take pause and kill that creature? My reasons for asking are myriad.
For starters, if we mean to kill a dragon, we need to brush up on our skills at killing large creatures. We can hardly hope to keep our edge running and fetching for royalty.
Also, it seems we could kill thins thing very easily. Flann could simply shoot it to death.
Of course, it might run or burrow itself, so I shall try to keep it engaged for the nonce.
Also, it shouldn't take much time.
What say you?"
Connor's experience with Surface winds paid off. He resisted the crosswinds.
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"We do need the practice." Connor admitted. He unstrung his light crossbow from his back. "Keep it to a single psionic use or less than a quarter of your ammunition." he warned.
"I mean I kill when I have to or if I got paid too. While it is a monster I may dream and have nightmares about tonight, it is just trying to eat. And it's a giant bug. Not like it's killing children or something. I don't do any of this for the sport, but I will watch you guys take target practice if your that bored."
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"Oh?" Volita asks."And where did that herd of animals come from? Do you see great swaths of grass for them to feed upon?
Does it not seem reasonable, that, in this desert land of little water and less food, that those animals belong to a village, or group of nomad tribesmen?
Isn't it reasonable to suppose that that bug is eating someone's dinner, and a group of families will now go hungry for want of a buffalo, or whatever they are, for them prepare for their own table?
So too, do you think a bug that large possess no threat to any of the people around here? Does a bug get that large by never eating a human?
And do not think that "someone else will kill it if it becomes a threat". The world is full of threats. That is one of them, and we have a chance to do something about it.
Does not stopping the crime before it happens seem sweet to you?"
"Nope don't care bout none of that. My ego's good. Don't need to squash just cause I can. Go on entertain yourselves."
While the others negotiate, Flann stops to hover, finding a thermal he can use to glide in place with enough stability to try and use his rifle. He settles into an area 40 feet in the air, and 175 feet away, staying within the 180-foot range of the sniper pistol, and well out of the scorpion's reach.
Once he's stable, he braces the rifle against his shoulder, breaths, and aims for the creature's tail.
Flann's new weapon barks, and a small puff of sand near the thing rises into the air.
The creature, busy eating the camel, doesn't seem to notice the missed shot.
The kickback sends Flann tumbling back through the air, but he's able to stabilize.
"Hamburgers! I missed. Probably should be shooting this thing from the ground. It's hard to choke up on it in the air..." He looks over at the rest of the party.
"I'd stay in the air, Flann. We don't need a casualty before we even get to the oasis." Connor opined. He coasted in and went vertical, flapping his wings to hover and aim closer than Flann, about 60 feet from the monster. Connor lifted his crossbow and shot.
Connor's crossbow bolt bounces harmlessly off the creature's hard shell, but it does seem to get it's attention. It stops nibbling on the still blood gushing neck of the creature it was eating.
As Volita's construct comes swooping down from above, the scorpion's tail twitches...
Volita's construct slams into the scorpion, and manages to pierce it's shell, the creature makes a high pitched sound that makes everyone's bones ache.
The creature then attacks the construct!
It rapidly rips the construct apart!
Seeing the construct torn apart, Flann is sure to pull Connor, Volita, and Adraniel into his network, moving if necessary to keep each of them within 160 feet.
"My interest in this conflict has waned as well..."
The group takes a few seconds to attack the truly massive scorpion and to see how horribly it renders their constructs into so much whisp before heading on.
Behind them, the scorpion, annoyed over being attacked, grabs it's dead camel and begins to burrow into the sand, vanishing from sight.
Leaving the nightmare inducing creature behind, as the sun begins to drop on the horizon, the group finds the Oasis settled down in some low hills.
Adran does as stated before. Sets up his camp/sleeping area then patrols making sure the area is secure as can be.
"You and I could probably make a few astral constructs to keep its' attention, Volita." Connor said, impressed with the speed and viciousness of the giant scorpion. "But let's not." He put his crossbow away, winging back up to flying altitude.
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"Temporary camp only." Connor reminded Adran. "Our instructions are to open the first scroll under the full moon, so we break camp at moonrise." But he was grateful to rest his wings and back.
As the group sets up a temporary camp, a fire pit, in the circle of stones set up for such.
As the sun goes down, the wind begins to pick up. Sand slams into the group at high speeds. The winds aren't to the level of a full on sandstorm, but they are painful.
The sand makes it hard to see, but eventually the moon comes up, about three hours later. It's full and although obscured, it's visible about an hour after it rises.
When Connor cracks the case open, the scroll unfurls. At first, it seems blank. But when the moonlight shines on it, writing begins to glow in ancient runes. At first the runes do not make sense, but then as you look at it, they swim in your sight and rearrange themselves.
By the light of the moon full...
Scroll unfurl, by light of moon glow...
To the Prison of Elements, feel the pull...
'Til sunrise do you have to go...
The key you will need, the door to open...
The door appear will with the Guide in hand...
At sunrise vanish will the dungeon...
Gone 'till 20 and 5 years do span...
Connor suddenly feels a strong tug on the scroll, and, still glowing a light blue, it rips out of his hand and shoots off across the desert!
Adran is a bit surprised as the scroll shoots off. He takes flight and is able to follow with relative ease. He calls out to the others and continues to do so to follow him and not worry about the scroll.
Flann loses his sense of direction and flies headfirst into the top of a sand dune, followed by a ludicrous head over tailfeathers tumble down the other side. By the time he got back into the air, the glow of the scroll was obscured by the sandy wind, but he could just make out his fellow Atalantians in the distance, and was able to follow along behind them.
"What the-!" Connor exclaimed. "Follow that scroll!" he shouted, taking wing. Surprisingly, Connor had no problems navigating the crosswinds as the scroll flew ahead of everyone.
Seeing Flann dive into a sand dune, Connor ordered Hero on his back to note where the Halvavian landed. His own eyes on the glowing blue scroll, Connor manifested a fiery energy wall above himself. A ribbon of glowing red flames erupted in the sky, twenty feet tall; lengthening and twisting and turning as Connor flew after the fleeing magical scroll. "Follow the wall if you get lost! Adran, you've got the lead!" Connor tried to shout above the sand-filled winds hurting his wings. He concentrated even as he flew.
Adran follows along, calling out to the others falling behind continuously so they have a point to follow even if lost by sight.
Rinse, repeat.
Volita quickly loses her way and falls behind. But so she begins following the group instead of the glow. Then she loses sight of the group, but then can follow Flan who's following the group . Finally though, she loses sight of Flan, . Just as she's about to give up, she notices Connor's flaming wall far in the distance and tries to catch up.
Finally, bedraggled, sand burned, with her hair in wild disarray and looking like she had a fight with a giant scorpion, Volita catches up.
The scroll flies into the deepest part of the wind storm, and then slams into the ground, releasing a pulse of blue light.
From the ground, stone groans as it rises and a portal rises up out of the desert. Around the doorway, designs of water, fire, air, and earth are engraved in the stones of the gate.
The gateway is just a stone arch currently, the opening shows more desert on the other side, as if someone built a gate to nothing.
Adran lands looking on.
well this is not ominous looking at all...
A moment later he draws his bow and fires an arrow through the gate into the sand just behind, unless it goes somewhere else.
When the others land.
"Hey boss, looks like you got to turn this thing on now if we are to go through. So we have till sunrise or the next 25 years to really get to know each other huh? Sounds fun." He smiles waiting to see if he can do anything to help.
The arrow goes through the gateway, hits the sand, and probably sends up a plume but it's lost in the wind with sand.
The wind continues to get stronger, and the sand is now beginning to bite hard.
"Did everybody make it?" Connor nearly shouted over the winds. He looked around. "Now's the time for buffs, if you want to activate them." The Humavian manifested inertial armor on himself.
Connor saw the sand-covered Adran and Volita. "Y'know," he started, "there's this material called griffon mane that really helps with flying. It's a tad expensive, but you should think about buying some when we get back."
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"The key you will need, the door to open, the door appear will with the Guide in hand." Connor quoted back to Adran. "This looks like the door." He read the elemental sigils on the archway. "These wizards and sorcerers are the selfish types, always making the doors to their towers and such requiring magic to use. Like arcane lock instead of psionic lock. So this 'Prison of Elements' probably requires all the elemental forces to open."
Connor looked around them at the screaming winds and sand. He held out his hands to look at his palms, the sand grains coating his skin. "I think we've got the wind and earth already." he told everyone, almost shouting to be heard. "Let's get the fire and water as well."
Connor stepped within range of the archway, pointing at the fire symbol, and manifested energy splash right at it. A flicker of flame jumped from his fingertip to the stone, Connor limiting the fire to just enough to light a torch.
Adran nods and watches as Connor does his thing. He holds onto his bow ready to fire if anything pops out at the doorway at them.
"Ready boss. You got this thing figured out?"
"Just use sustenance, he says. No need for rations and water, he says. Who's the hero now?" Flan unscrews his canteen and, after watering his armor, pours the remainder out on the archway where it seems the water symbol is.
As the four elements touch the stone simultaneously, a doorway flickers in the arch, but then vanishes, as if something were missing from the ritual.