Sand And Stone- A new land of Misfits(Dark Sun Kingmaker) (Inactive)

Game Master william Nightmoon

It's been weeks... Storms and Giants alike have made this trip all the more unbearable. The captain gave orders to start taking from the supplies a week ago, and you thankfully still have enough dried food and water for at least a month.

Everyone is sick of watching the endless wastes of Silt when someone shouts: An Island? No! That's coastline!

The captain moves to have a look and cries out in joy. Land! Oh, lords know I never thought there'd be a day I was relived to see Desert... he orders the crew to pull the ship over to the waiting sands...

Dot.

Nox was just as glad to see something other than just silt. Here she was, one of the few of her people to be foolish enough to brave the sun. What was she thinking?!

Nox is very slender. A lithe figure, her black skin a contrast to that of her surface kin. One can see well toned muscle on the parts of her skin that was exposed from under her robes. Her eyes too are very different from the surface elves, but also from her own people. Copper slits split her white eyes in half, as it scans the area for trouble. Her hair long and glints like silver in the scorching sun.

Tkk-tkk pulls hard on the lines as they set a course for sand. Two hands keeping the line taut while the third wraps the slack around her fourth forearm. While she had learned the ways of the sea, it would be good to hunt on real land again.

K'aketak comes to the taffrail when he hears the captain call out. He watches for a few moments.

"This makes me glad. I have grown tired of all this silt. This voyage has gone on far longer than I expected."

He looks around at the others.

"Everyone has even grown tired of my juggling."

K'aketak peers at the coastline ahead, and rubs his forelimbs together in anticipation.

"Yes, it will be good to stretch my legs on hard ground again. Where do you think we are?" he asks the captain.

A tall and slender elf wrapped from head to toe in rags steps to the edge of the ship upon hearing the captain's words. The goggles on his face protect his eyes from the blowing sand. He had been enjoying his time as a merchant on the Sea of Silt, but the last few weeks had been draining. Any harbor would have been a welcoming sight to see. Not seeing much from the rail, he grabs a rope and begins climbing to the top of the mast.

He slips slightly midway up, and his hood falls to his shoulders. A shock of bright red hair pours out of it. From his perch atop the mast, he has a great vantage point to see the island. He calls down any relevant details to his shipmates below.

At almost thirteen feet, Anakim is tall even for a half-giant. But against all odds, despite his brutal past, he is a gentle creature.

He stares at the land beyond, and wonders: Freedom?

He thanks his Ancestors that K'aketak is here. He has found in the Thri-Kreen an unlikely friend who shares many of his values. And the others also have shown themselves to be good travelling companions.

"Life is a path, not a destination," he reminds himself, as usual reciting the old wisdom that he learned from his father.

The captain, a Man named Oleg, turns to the thri-kreen and smiles. Anywhere but here... And if it's some new land, then let the Sorcerer-kings burn! We'll land, set up camp, and see if we can find any resources, water and the like. he then commands the crew to get ready for landfall.

Minutes pass before the ship hits sand, and it crawls once more into land. Oleg is one if the first to get off the ship. Tell the slaves they can have their freedom, so long as they help us here! We need scouts, is anyone willing to have a look around? Find out how large this island really is?

Nox makes her way to Oleg, her robe trailing behind her
"Pardon me, captain. I may not have the skills to survive on my own, but i do have a rather keen eye that could help those who can treck this new land"

Anakim recalls the chains that have bound him his whole life, and stands as a volunteer.

"Captain, I am skilled as a scout and hunter. I volunteer to go with the tall and the burned. We shall find what there is to find in this new land."

I am an able scout, Captain. Varro says in a gruff voice. I volunteer to go scout this new land.

He shoulders his spear and checks his bowstring. Ready when you all are.

"The desert holds no fear for me. I would be happy to stretch my legs and see what this land holds for us."

He looks at Tkk-Tkk.

"Perhaps we will find game. It would be good to hunt again."

Tkk-tkk responds with the buzzes of their language.
<It will be a glorious hunt>

"Can we take some supplies?" Anakim asks simply.

Over the course of your voyage, you have come to know Anakim to be able and strong, and wiser than most half-giant brutes. He knows that he is ill equipped to survive in the desert. But staying here, remaining a slave when freedom has been offered, would be insufferable.

"And I believe, that is the land I saw in my dreams..." Illuriel mutters, her eyes dreamy. "Let us step off to this promised land."

K'aketak lifts his antennae at Tkk-tkk. The Thri-Kreen equivalent of a smile.
<Indeed, may there be much game. I pray the defilers have never set foot here.>

K'aketak looks around.

"Six of us should be sufficient as a scouting group. Too many people would be unwieldy. We can leave as soon as we are close enough to shore."

"Anything to get a chance to get out of this heat" she sniffs as she gathers the little bit she had on her. This was getting too much, and now with the chance to get off of this boat, she was getting antsy

Varro casts a sideways glance at the woman muttering to herself about having seen this land before. Damned humans. Do anything, and they will take credit...

The clicks and clacks that are obviously the Thri-Kreen language emanate from Varro. <Let's hope the defilers haven't touched this land, but I have low hopes for that.> The blowing sand of the Sea of Silt had died down on this island, allowing Varro to remove his goggles and breath fresh air.

"Then the land calls that we stand up in her defence against the defiler yoke." Illuriel answers.

Oleg nods at the volunteers and sighs. "Alright! If any of you need weapons we have clubs, bows, and Spears, have your pick..."

"Spear and a club please." Illuriel replies.

"Food and water?" the half-giant asks.

"I normally rely on my Chatkchas," K'aketak says, "but I suppose a longbow could be useful if we encounter something at a long distance. Likewise a longspear would be useful if I never need to keep something at a distance."

After taking the supplies, as soon as the ship gets close enough to and for K'aketak to wade ashore, K'aketak jumps down.

"For our first foray we shouldn't go too far. Just get an idea of the local area and report back."

"It will be a good idea yes. Investigate our surroundings. Know our immediate area before we try to explore a desert land" she nods

-Posted with Wayfinder

Tkk-tkk seems fine with the sling wrapped around her arm. A pouch of ceramic bullets at her belt supplies the ammo. She doesn't have any melee weapons, nor does she request any.

Tkk-tkk seems fine with the sling wrapped around her arm. A pouch of ceramic bullets at her belt supplies the ammo. She doesn't have any melee weapons, nor does she request any.

I don't really need them either, but I can see circumstances that might arise where they could be useful.

Anyway, GM: I think we are all ready to go.

Anakim grabs whatever food and water is made available to them, and is ready to go!

Oleg gives you all 3 days worth of food and water. Unfortunately he only has short bows, but arrows are in abundance. He expects you back within three days(unless your exploring and clearing He's that shouldn't take long.)also, if someone could find a way to map he's out online that would be awesome!

Anakim grabs the supplies and a spear, and climbs off the ship. He is glad to be standing on solid ground. He takes a first step, figuring that the others will follow...

Tkk-Tkk leaps off onto the land.

Nox wades onto the more stable earth. She looks back at the ship. Hoping that that part was done. She brushes herself off. A task never truly finished. But it was a habit. She looks across the sand. Yes. Hopefully something was out there that was.... She looks back at the ship again... more

"Let us be off"

-Posted with Wayfinder

also, if someone could find a way to map he's out online that would be awesome!

Do you mean in-character? Or out of character?

In character, K'aketak has a Scrivener's kit, so he can write things down.

Out of character, I use dungeonographer and hexographer as mapmaking tools. Both have free versions available for download.

To actually display maps, I use Google Drawings. You can get a link and decide whether the drawing will be editable or merely viewable by others.

Varro heads off into the uncharted territory, slightly ahead of the group.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Unsure but resolute, Anakim follows, some distance behind Varro.

"I have no idea where we're going," he admits, inviting any one of the others to guide the expedition.

At that Varro's long ears prick up noticeably. Neither do I! But I'm about to find out! He shouts over his shoulder excitedly.

Tkk-tkk will move forward. "Then perhaps somebody who does know what they are doing should lead the way." He looks out to try and read the feel of the lands and seek anything useful.

survival: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

"Yes, ah, as soon as this... dust cloud... clears."

As you come over a crest of a sand dunes you see beyond a streaching landscape. It seems the sands here only go for a mile, then turn to flat plains, in the distance can be seen the faintest trace of green, at least half a day's travel south west.

In the distance hills can be seen, just as far as the forest...

The land here is still the same arid as everywhere else, but the untouched landscape suggest either a lack of Defiling, or the help of a great many druids.

"Now that is a beautiful sight." she says as she looks over the distant greenery. "I think we'll like it here."

"There must be water," Anakim states the obvious as he looks at the forest in the distance. He turns to Tkk-Tkk, to lead the way.

Tkk-tkk will bound forth, leading the party onward to the green.

"I see green... an oasis? It looks like a big one."

K'aketak marches forwards with the others.

Varro is taken aback by the sudden discovery of greenery. He looks down at his clothes where his tattoos would be and back up. It was a couple seconds before he realized the group had moved on. He follows, always keeping his eyes on the green.

It takes you all at least 4 hours to half the distance to the forest. However the heat is bearing down on you... The sun is now at it highest point and temperature has risen to almost lethal levels. You may be able to make it to the forest, but in 4 hours unless you Hussle.

Make An endurance Check to avoid exaustion

This is a CON check, right? Can it be boosted with a successful survival check?

K'aketak tries to fashion himself a sort of sun shade from his robes.

Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 Don't know if that's a success.

CON +1 for desert clothing: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 2 + 1 = 14 If this is the same as a check for forced marches then I should be good. If the roll is supposed to be a Fortitude save then add +2 to this roll.

Fortitude roll for heat exhaustion 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

The heat bears down on the group, but Varro barely notices. Years of wandering in the desert and the sight of this possible oasis drove him to ignore much of the heat. He takes a small sip of water and holds it in his mouth to stave off dehydration and preserve his precious water supply. His eyes never stray from the green area. Too many times had he been fooled by a mirage in the distance only to find more damned sand.

Fort save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Fort save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Illuriel takes the heat in her stride - it isn't much different from back home.

"Most people avoid the heat by doing their traveling early morning or at dusk." She remarks.

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Anakim may be large and unaccustomed to surviving in the open expanses of the desert, but he is extraordinarily tough and resilient. He endures the heat without a word.

Still, when Illuriel offers some sound advice, he takes note.