Halistar reaches into his haversack and pulls out a small drum, then casts Sound Burst for damage, and a DC17 fort save or be stunned for 1 round.
Once again the creature shrugs off Halistar's spell almost unharmed, while Zanos hustles to a safer position and prepares himself for the creature's arrival.
Rameth meanwhile goes on the offensive, hurling a spell at the rapidly approaching Sphinx, whose flight becomes... a little more erratic.
It's struggles to halt it's dive, managing to pull out of it a short distance from the party. As it does so it lets out an enraged, deafening shriek, while beneath it the sand starts to slow, though not before it rolls over Shine and Willem, and buffets Halistar. Halistar manages to dodge safely out of the way, and Shine hunkers down, letting her armor take the brunt of the blast before clawing her way onto the top of the settling sand. Willem however is not so fortunate, disappearing beneath the flow of sand.
After the shriek only Halistar and Illec feeling their hearing returning to normal, the others experiencing an unpleasant ringing in their ears.
Initiative, Round 3: Shine, Illec, Halistar, Zanos, Rameth, Keten Hamu, Soldiers
Rameth draws his long sword as he the blind beast.
for
Shine drops back to Q16 (if she is not in difficult terrain) and tries to cast with the ringing of the roar in her ears.
Reflex DC 16 for half.
"I can't hear a thing!" Zanos yelled.
Zanos cast a spell to speed up himself and the five allies he could see.
The transmuted creatures move and act more quickly than normal. This extra speed has several effects.
When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. The attack is made using the creature's full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.)
A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. Any condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement. This increase counts as an enhancement bonus, and it affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for increased speed. Multiple haste effects don't stack. Haste dispels and counters slow.
Halistar casts Feather Step on himself, and goes over to where Willem disppeared beneath the sand to attempt to find him.
Active effects: Haste 1/6
Feather Step 1/6000
Spells levels cast:
1st 2/6
2nd 1/4
Shine's fireball arcs through the air towards the creature and catches it straight on, enveloping the creature in a flaming sphere. When it clears the creature remains intact and still flying, though charred now. When Shine tries to stumble her way to safety she finds the still settling sand to provide difficult footing and makes little progress
Illec looks to the slowing slide of sand, and quickly takes aim at the creature again, loosing another arrow, which again goes wide of the creature. He stows the bow then, turning towards Willem.
Halistar casts his spell and dances across the surface of the sand, but finds digging in the loose sand difficult, every scoop he makes being half filled up by the time he is ready to make another one, his progress slow.
Zanos casts his spell to speed his allies, and Rameth makes good use of it as he slogs through the sand to stand beneath the Sphinx and fire a stone into it's belly.
Blinded, blasted and bombarded by the party the Sphinx does the only intelligent thing under the circumstances, it leaves, flying as quickly as it's wings can carry it into the air, away from the scene of the avalanche.
Rameth laughs as the beast fled at the show of force, just as he knew it would. He then turns and races towards the closest buried person and digs as fast as he can.
Rameth uses his hands, unfortunately he has nothing else to use.
"Hurry, let's dig everyone out in case it comes back!" Zanos said.
He moved to the nearest area where he thought someone was and started digging.
"I'm--not--cut out--for this!" he huffed to no one in particular as the still weakened sage started digging with his hands.
"Now--I wish--I'd gotten--a traveler's--anytool!"
Shine digs with her shield, shoveling sand away as fast as she can.
As the creature flies off Illec breathes a sigh of relief, before turning to the task at hand. As he spots Halistar heading after the bearers and the fled camels he signals for them to return, which the bearers reluctantly do, bringing with them four shovels. Illec takes one, as does the other unburied soldier, with Rameth and Halistar taking the others, the bearers having to make do with their hands as Illec orders them onto the slowly settling sand.
Willem is easily uncovered quickly and safely, but finding the others proves harder as they were buried underneath the main flow of sand. After a few minutes of arduous digging a dead camel is located, which provides orientation, and less than a minute later with combined effort an unconcious form is dragged to the surface, whereupon Shine provides resuscitation, the guard hacking up a disturbing amount of sand and mud.
With the first soldier and camel located you have a rough idea of where the other lays, and a few minutes later you find the soldier and his mount; both however have passed on into Pharasma's realm...
Upon finding the last guard dead Rameth rises and flings aside his shovel and moves off to be alone while he tries to calm himself.
Sarenrae guide him. Shine says quietly, looking at her feet.
"May Pharasma grant their souls mercy, and may their passage be swift and true." Halistar says a short prayer, then looks around for rocks for a cairn, or wood for a pyre.
Zanos said nothing, but kept an eye out for any more surprises.
The underdunes are largely barren, the region too unstable to accommodate much in the way of life. A proper burial seems unlikely given the circumstances.
Illec for his part shows little emotion, but does remain silent for some time, looking down at the body of the guard. We'll take him with us... Shine, if you could pray for a spell to preserve him tomorrow." he asks, before turning to the bearers, ordering them to bring some of the cloth from their camels.
Of course. I can do so today with an open slot. Forgive me if this is not done, but should we try to preserve some of the meat from the camels?
Rameth kneels and for the first time in many moons he prays to Brigh for the soul of the guard.
Zanos looked at the diminutive cleric.
"I've had to eat camel before, so yes, we should save some of the meat."
"If you could, it will make transporting him more bearable." he observes, sounding slightly... drained. "We should have more than enough supplies, and not enough camels to carry them. Leave them." he orders, before walking away, speaking with the bearers for a few moments, who reluctantly start to gather the supplies from the downed camels and reorganize the loads to accommodate them, and it seems some items may be left behind, including the chest which formerly held the mask. Illec simply wanders a short distance further down the dune, standing alone.
Illec, I have some room in my pack for supplies. It is roomier than it seems. Let us not leave anything that we might regret not having. I can produce all the water we need but we might miss not having enough food or the right tools.
I too have room in mine. Rameth says rising from his prayer.
"If you feel that you improperly prepared for the expedition then do so, but make haste." he replies, obviously agitated about the delay butchering a camel at midday in the desert will cause.
Hallisatar it is your call.
"I'm good either way, Halistar, but Illec does have a point. We have lost valuable time already," Zanos added.
Now Shine looks agitated. I need no supplies. I was only letting you know that I can carry more gear IF you need me to and don't want to leave gear behind that YOU chose to pack. She stamps her little foot in making the point and prepares to ride double with Rameth when they do move out. Leaders are suppose to know how to lead. she mutters as she mounts up.
Let's move. Perhaps expediency is best.
Rameth guffaws at Shine's mutterings. And he reaches down to help her up.
"I too, have a bag that can hold more than it looks. Let us just load up anything that the camels cannot hold, then be off."
Halistar follows his own advice, and starts packing some things into his haversack.
Shine will have to take 10 minutes to fill the spell slot with Gentle Repose to preserve the body. She recommends everyone take that time to carefully pack and distribute any cargo.
"Ahh, I though you were still talking about butchering the camels. Very well, if you are able to accommodate the supplies and equipment we would no longer have room for then please do so." he replies, though he doesn't show much contrition. Shine can easily take the ten minutes to prepare the spell as the guard's body is wrapped in cloth, and the supplies from the two dead camels are redistributed to the remaining mounts. With Shine riding double with Rameth everything is able to be repacked, and the caravan slowly sets off again, with no sign of the Sphinx in the intervening time.
The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully, the caravan quickly descending back into the shadowy valleys between the dunes, Illec remaining more vigilant as he travels so as not to get stuck in the same situation again. The camping spot he finds that night proves far superior as well, much more sheltered and comfortable as Illec drops his campfire bead, and the bearers prepare a warm meal for everyone as the cool of night starts to fall. He makes sure the body of the dead guard is placed within the circle of firelight, away from predators...
"Same watches as last night?" Illec asks as he lays out his bed roll, preparing to bed down.
Rameth watches and chats with Shine during the first watch. When he sleeps he places the tattoo near him.
Like his watch the previous night, Halistar will slowly patrol around the camp, generally keeping his eyes away from the fire.
He will again activate his Wand of Endure Elements on himself at the start of his watch.
"Wheh! What a day. I'm glad it's over," Zanos said as they made camp.
"If anyone would like, I can cast a spell that makes you resistant to the normal temperature extremes," Zanos offered.
That night he kept a careful watch.
I would appreciate it Zanos
"No worries, Rameth," Zanos replied with a smile.
The sage then cast the protective spell on the archaeologist.
If you are cold, just stand in the fire. Shine demonstrates.
Bwahahahahahaha! I do not think I will follow your lead there Shine.
The night passes uneventfully for the most part, but as everyone is beginning to stir beneath their blankets, the day already warming Zanos detects something nearby. Illec looks up from the small book he has been writing in since it became bright enough to do so.
Zanos nudged the others awake.
"Shh! I hear someone calling for help. It might be a trick," Zanos said.
He then cast mage armor on himself as the others roused from their sleep.
Shine, sleeping deeply is hard to rouse. She stretches cat-like as she reaches consciousness and gets to her feet as Zanos' words finally sink in. Someone needs help? She glances at her studded leather sleeping armor that she is wearing and then over to the collection of enchanted plate mail stacked neatly beside her bedroll. No time to change. She laments. Lets investigate.
Rameth rises, stretching and buckles on his sword and buckler.
Then he nods at the rest to lead the way, after activating some light.
Shine hears it as well this time, it sounds if anything weaker to Zanos, no much more than a whisper. Illec quickly puts away his pen, ink and book, and makes sure his guards are awake, they rouse and quickly start putting on their armor.
Cautiously cresting the rise, the guards and bearers left behind at the camp the party find a single dying man. He appears to have been savaged by some sort of wild animal, pink sand caking most of his wounds. A wide intermittent trail of similar blood-stained sand has been left behind him where he appears to have dragged himself up the side of the dune. He looks up in a mixture of trepidation and desperation as the group crests the peak, before giving a heavy sigh as he slumps face-first into the sand.
Zanos scanned the area as he moved to the man.
Halistar will go over and cast Cure Light Wounds on the man for .