Karethas is so excited about Faelar's spell that he wings an acid blob out over the river. Amir fires an arrow that bounces off the thick scales, but apparently the beast has had enough. It turns to slither away, but not before Kzrira gets a departing shot into the reptile's eye and it contorts and writhes pounding the silty beach before it finally stills and moves no more.
I turn and look at Faelar. While I love the extra motivation that your songs provide. If you can keep monsters paying attention to nothing like that. You have my support every time.
"So now what do we do with the thing?"
Lotta meat there. I suppose we should take the venom back to the lady in the tannery. Perhaps I could skin it and we could take some meat back to the camp for dinner. I hear that snake is pretty good over a barbecue.
With the entire snake head and a few not too mangled snake steaks, the team makes its way up from the river and stealthily past the bridge to the tannery. Once Undra is convinced that it is only you, she carefully opens the door and her eyes widen with surprise at the head of the snake.
"How wonderful. You are indeed powerful to have slain the great cobra!" She falls to her knees sobbing before Faelar. "You have restored my hope that the cruel genie shall be slain and you become my new master."
With the entire snake head and a few not too badly mangled steaks, the team makes its way up from the river and past the bridge. Once Undra is convinced it is only you, she carefully lets you in and secures the door. Her eyes widen with delight when she sees the snake head, "It is true. You must be powerful to have slain the great cobra!" She falls upon her knees before Faelar. "You have restored my hope that the cruel genie will die and you will become my new master. Please say it will be so."
I shake my head and whisper to Amir and Karethas: Please no, can you imagine having Faelar as your master?
At this comment, I have a difficult time not throwing back my head and laughing.
As the last arrow pierces the snake my image turns into a flock of crows and flies away, disappearing into the sky. "Well , that worked better than I had expected. I will have to remember that one!"
Once back at the tannery I look down to Undra, kneel down and help her back to her feet. "I think we just have a good sense of team work, for I am not very powerful. Together we brought you the head you sought. The Genie shall be put to rest, but I will not be a master unless I can command you to live free and be nobodies slave. I am in greater need of friends than I am slaves, I do not wish to own any slaves, but I wish to make many friends."
Don't believe him. He is a master snake charmer. You should have seen that thing sitting there with its head waving back and forth. I do believe that he must have trained with the masters in Katapesh and perhaps Qadira as well.
Undra bows her head at Faelar's words and then giggles behind her veils demurely at Kzrira's quip. "You are all surely tired and in need of rest after your ventures today. I will work through the night to prepare the poison. Visit me tomorrow and all will be ready."
******
The night is well dark by the time you reach the monastery. This time you are greeted by Zataran who summons Hadra to prepare your dinner. The gnome informs you that Almah has finally heeded your requests for equipment and sent Garavel and half of the mercenaries to resupply in Solku. He then asks how your day has gone.
Karethas smiles at Kzrira's joke, "The truth is aanesa that we had a good plan and caught the snake unaware. Very soon we hope to be confronting the genie you have spoken of. You will still be able to make that poison for us, yes?"
Once back at the monastery, I sit down and look at Zataran, "I think today went well, we took out a large cobra, made friends with a woman in a building and took out some of the patrols. My friends also dispatched a very large hyena, a hyena that nearly dispatched me, I must add. I think tomorrow we shall be focusing our attention on the Gnolls patrols."
I look over to my friends, "Should we check out that Church tomorrow too? It might offer another ambush point for taking care of the patrols?"
Zataran claps his hands in delight. "That's the spirit! Take the battle to them! I must admit I'm a little concerned that we are somewhat vulnerable with Garavel and half the guards gone."
Karethas looks up from his spellbook with a thoughtful expression, "If I was Kardswann, then I would increase the numbers in tomorrow's patrols because of today's missing one. So we should be prepared for that." He smiles as he holds up his book, "Luckily, I have completed my research into a few new spells and I think I have figured out a way to summon a few new creatures at need, so that should help. I do think we should explore whatever buildings are left in the lower town as well, they have been most interesting thus far."
I agree we should search and much like today as things progress we should assess whether we continue or stop. So much of our ability to proceed is based on whether we have the resources to live through another given encounter... Amir smiles as he strokes his moustache Though I must admit that having found a solution to Faelar's broken wand problem has been advantageous.
When I arrive, I find the cook.
Not sure what you all had for dinner, but I managed to salvage a few nice slices of snake steak. Any chance you know how to prepare this with some hot spices and flavor?
_______________
Once back with the group:
Speaking of that wand, Faelar, could you or Auri show me how it works? Should the two of you get knocked down, I would like to be able to get you back up. Without your songs and spells, I am guessing that we would have been a lot more beat up by the end of today.
Oh, and speaking of the wand, is there any chance that it might run out? We might want to invest in another if we are to succeed. Also, are there any other similar wands that we could use? Something to make my arrows strike harder like Faelar's music does for instance? Or to make us all quieter?
I look to Kzrira, drawing the wand (if he got it back) and walk towards her. "All I do is hold it like this and touch the tip to the sore place. I read somewhere that there is a knack to using a wand, some people find it harder than others. Great Aurichalcum obviously has this knack better than I for he is much better with it than I. Maybe he should show you the correct way of using it?"
"Well its clearly Dragon magic then isn't it? All my kind are innately gifted with great powers of Magic, although they have somehow also managed to grow to enormous size and be a threat with tail and talon too, but I must say I feel a little stronger today, like my magic is growing... hey do I look bigger? You sure? Look! I think I'm bigger see?" Auri stretches out and flexes up, but is most assuredly no larger than before.
"Faelar is telling it correctly, be the wand... feel the wand..."
Amir looks at the group with a bemused expression and shakes his head while laughing out loud. If you have the gist of magic it works. In all my times in the markets this was so. Random chance affects the wands. Are you casting when the moon is full? When a star is easy to see? Is the wound very large? Small? I have seen many men and women, all with the magic sometimes the wand is amazing, sometimes not so much. Always the wand is fickle, as magic is. Never the person if they had the right magic.
Amir takes off his turban a moment and puts some water on his neck. The "trick" is those of us who have no magic. That is where a "knack" comes in. We must trick the wand into thinking there is magic. To thinking we know what the wand wants. Magic is living yes? In a way. You just flit it about. I must lie to it. That is a "knack".
When I arrive, I find the cook.
Not sure what you all had for dinner, but I managed to salvage a few nice slices of snake steak. Any chance you know how to prepare this with some hot spices and flavor?
Hadra and Hadar stare at the thick slabs of meat. "This is snake?!" Hadra starts.
"But snake is like this!"Hadar makes a loop with his thumb and forefinger as a demonstration.
Hadra sniffs it suspiciously and Hadar notes, "Looks good, we can make something."
Zataran is quite eager to try giant cobra and donates some of his special spices to jazz it up and supervises the cooking. The result is a tasty red rice stew that leaves you satisfied!
I also try some of the stew, it takes me a while to eat it, but I eventually finish the meal, "That was most delicious." I leave the group to go and feed Gnasher and Grinder, rub them down and then come back to the group. Once back I sit down and start to write more of what happened in my book.
Once I have caught up on where we got to, I turn to the others, "Well, I am going to get some sleep now. See you all on the morrow." With that I head to Gnasher and Grinder, climb up into the wagon and fall asleep quickly. Not even a peep is heard from me until I wake in the morning.
Auri likewise crawls up into his hole and falls asleep.
Kzrira stand up and stretches in a rather unladylike manner.
Yes, I think that sleep is calling. I must say though that after recalling the fights against those gnolls, I think I have determined a pattern to their defenses. I do not think I could describe it, but I bet I will be able to hit them a little harder tomorrow.
After dinner, the crimson haired gnome heads to his wagon with a final note, "So I'm off to sleep. Make sure you check in with Almah in the morning. She'll probably want to handle things more directly with Garavel gone to Solku."
The night's rest does you good and you arise to the chill of the morning feeling refreshed and more confident of your abilities after your recent adventures.
The remainder of the caravan gathers for breakfast; the slave couple, three mercenaries, Zataran, and a pair of Almah's pactmaster guards. One of her guards leaves to deliver her breakfast to her room, but soon returns to tell you that she will see you once she is ready.
When I wake up in the morning, I borrow some hay from one of the herders and set up a target which I begin to use for target practice. Getting a few good shots in is always important to make sure that you are on when it is important later.
To the others: So, what do you think the princess is going to want this morning? For us to fetch some exotic coffee? Perhaps she thinks that we can get her a pet dragon or a giant ruby. Bah. We should have just left her on the trail to fend for herself.
And on a more important note, I seem to be able to draw this bow a little faster today. Not sure why, but I can definitely get off more arrows in a shorter period of time.
I climb out of my wagon and take a drink of water from my waterskin, before splashing some water on my face and refilling it from my water supply. I head out to the breakfast area muttering something incomprehensible quietly to myself, but stop once I see Karethas. Walking up to Karethas I speak up, "I think I finally understand the pattern now, could you correct me if this is wrong?"
I turn to face Kzrira, "Faster? Maybe you are just used to it a bit more? All I know is I have finally remembered how to recall lost information. I used to be able to remember most things I have read, but I always forgot bits and have been working on a way to remember them. It has taken me many, many years but I have finally done it! I don't know if this will help you at all, but I am happy about it and in a very good mood." I smile broadly.
"I look forward to the challenges of this day. At least I am more refreshed...and I am certain I am bigger, even if you haven't said I am. Maybe you just didn't notice before because it was dark perhaps"
Auri continues stretching and flexing, to no avail.
I study Auri, "Now that you mention it ... you do look a little bigger. Maybe fighting all these Gnolls is helping you unlock the secret to your growth?"
Auri looks triumphant, and to that effect his smile lights up with a small lick of flame. Small smoky tendrils rise from his nostrils.
I stop shooting for a moment and look at the wee dragon.
Not sure, but perhaps you are right. I think your wings are a little longer, and I would hate to be the victim of those claw, they look pretty sharp.
You have plenty of time the next morning for study, stretching, and practice before your audience with Almah. Finally you are led by one of her red chitin armored guards into what now serves are her chambers. You see that someone has been busy transforming the old library into a fairly luxurious boudoir.
All the moldering old books and shelves are gone, the chamber swept and scrubbed. Canvas from her pavilion has been used to cover the old stained walls and rugs and pillow cover the floor and you aren't even sure where she obtained the over-sized canopied bed, basins, wardrobes, and other furniture. Thick clouds of pricy incense cover any displeasing odor left from the old books. She sits apart on a low backed chair flanked by a pair of guards and beckons you to sit and tell her of your progress and plans to quickly win back Kelmarane.
Karethas bows slightly before sitting. "We did well yesterday,ameera. We were able to take out a patrol, some other guards and a giant hyena that the gnolls were breeding. We also made contact with some sort of enslaved alchemist in town who is seeking to free herself from the gnolls. All in all, a very productive day."
I am humming a jolly tune as I walk into the library, but stop suddenly and a look of horror plays across my face, "The books ..."
I work my way over to Almah, sitting myself beside Karethas. I continue to look around for any survivors that may have escaped this woman's wrath.
But fail to find any, I sniff the air, "That smells most delightful"
At the mention of the enslaved Alchemist I look up, "Your Royal Highness, this slave; Undra, has been generous to us. All she wants is to be free and live in the town she grew up in, in peace. I would like to request that once you have reclaimed the town from the Gnolls that she be allowed to stay. She may even prove to be a useful ally for yourself too."
Auri manages to wind his way between Karethas feet, but merely observes the conversation.
We are doing your dirty work. I hope you appreciate it. Yesterday we left over a half dozen gnolls dead as well as several huge hyenas and a giant cobra - you may have enjoyed some of the snake steak we brought back for dinner last night.
Today we plan on returning and seeing if we can start to make it into the town proper and slowly weed out the gnolls. Our understanding is that there is some type of demon or something leading them.
The princess asks many details of Karethas and Faelar generally ignoring the brash Osiriani woman. Her eyes follow Karethas' delightful little familiar during the questioning. She allows that the slave woman should be set free with the defeat of the gnolls.
The interview lasts some time and it is near noon when another of the pactmaster guard enters the chamber to tell Almah that the gnolls are up to something. Everyone moves to better vantage points where off in the distance at the edge of the pesh fields outside of town, a group of ten gnolls is staking three captives spread eagle to the ground.
I mentally talk with Auri - Want to do something funny. You should sneak out there and then use your mind talk ability to pretend you are god and put some fear of the heavens into their heads.
Auri follows the group out, his reptilian eyes peer off into the distance to see what is going on.
"Hmmm I think that could be quite a great trick! I'd have to get in close though, wonder if it would work?"
"I don't think this is going to end nicely though, why would they be doing that? Can anyone make out what is going on?"
"If the group requires, I am willing to fly out and see what is happening." Auri finally offers.
"Maybe I could talk to them and let them hand us the poor captives? Either way we should go and help them. If they do not want to talk to us, you could always practise your faster firing speed; my dear Kzrira?"
"I don't think this is the time for diplomacy, Faelar. I do agree that we must intervene though. I suppose there could be a trap, maybe Auri should scout it out a bit as the rest of us approach at our best speed?"
Lets stay back, my guess is that if we just charge, they will kill the captives. They are clearly laying out a trap. I am hoping that Auri, despite being substantially larger than yesterday, will be able to crawl out there in the scrub and then convince them to flee, or go to the river for a snack, or put their weapons down and bow their heads in worship, or something. I am all for shoot first and ask questions later, but there are ten of them and only five of us and the last thing I want is for those poor people to be injured. If there were no slaves, I would say we set a trap for them and start killing.
One of the gnolls looks to be building a fire while six others continue working on the bound humans. The final three move back toward the ruins.
Karethas surveys the situation for a moment. "That fire is going to be used for bad purposes. We may not have much time. Auri should go provide what distraction that he can." He points down to the road. "It seems that they will not be able to see us on the road. If we get down there unseen, then we can surprise them. Three are leaving. We can take the rest on before the others get back to us. If we are going to save those people, then it may mean that news of us may get back to Kardswann. I am for doing it anyway."
I look in the direction Karethas points in, "We should go now then, should we not? From what I remember of Gnolls, they don't like to cook so I am pretty sure they are not cooking a meal for those other 3."
I turn to face Auri, "If you go ahead now; Oh great and powerful Aurichalcum, we should not be too far behind you." With that I shall turn away and start trying to leave the Monastery.
"I will go now then, and sweep a wide circle around. Flying directly at them would be obvious, and from a distance they might mistake me for a vulture or other large bird. I will circle back to report what I find"
With that, Auri takes to the air and starts a long fish-hook flight, first away, then winding around to a decent vantage point.