Finding that a foe has seemingly presented itself, Gethric seeks to close into the fray.
Asanna keeps a grip on the end of the rope attached to the goat with her offhand while unsheathing her scimitar with her other. As a small arrow grazes her, she points the slim blade's length toward the little dogman creature and she swells up her voice as she speaks in Common, "Little puppy beware, your life's span is quickly running out of hourglass sands. If another drop of my blood is spilt upon the ground, I promise you an eternity of torment spit upon my sword."
Tamuud moves to B,-1 and readies an action to attack an enemy entering melee range.
Drellik drops his dagger, moves to B,0 and draws his scimitar.
Barakus moves to C1 to avoid shooting through compatriots and lets the bolt fly at the small dogfaced imp.
Gethric moves to get close into the fight trying to help the allies he has made. As he is doing this the little creature attempts to fire once again, missing Asanna. Omaz than fires at the creature missing it because of its small size. Asanna than threaten the creature seeming to scary it but not telling for sure. Drellik moves forward to ready himself to attack the creature. Barakus than moves forward and with a excellent aim shot the creature in the chest casing it to follow to the ground.
"Excellent shot, Barakus," Omaz says admiringly
Sighing at the fact he has submitted himself to the assault of thorns where his action was not actually required Gethric beckons "Retrieve it's corpse... for the sake of presenting as proof" as he extricates himself from the briars.
"No problem."
Drellik moves to retrieve the corpse, tossing it over Tamuud's back for the trip back to camp.
"A good suggestion," Omaz agrees
The group heads back to the camp after the corpse. Almah is waiting for them to return she than looks at the body carefully for some time. Finally she looks up to the group "Thank you for finding this thing for me. Seems that Dashki was indeed telling the truth." Dashki who had not said much to the group as they traveled nods after Almah speaks. Almah than turns to Garavel telling him to get rid of the body. Dashki shakes his head and takes the body for himself.
Almah looks at Dashki oddly before speaking to Garavel some more she than turns to the group "I do not believe that this area is safe I know of a much more secure location for us to move the camp to." She looks the group over very carefully before saying "Well I would like to pay you all for the wonder service you have done for me as well as asking you to do some extra work for me because of your skill. I can give each of you 200 gold pieces, for this what do you all say?"
"Twohundred Gold?" Omaz is stunned by the generous offer. "What sort of extra work would we do for this kind payment?"
Drellik stands beside Omaz and nods at the question, obviously curious about what tasks Almah has in mind.
Asanna stands in contemplation at the number of gold that Almah is offering. She glances to Omaz, "Obviously, for that amount of gold you can gurantee that there is some level of danger. You don't pay 200 gold for someone to take a leasurely afternoon of exploring the wineries of the surrounding villages or a stroll along the beach. Correct, Almah?"
"All I care about is my freedom, if accomplishing this task for you gets me closer, then so be it."
'Obviously, for that amount of gold you can gurantee that there is some level of danger. You don't pay 200 gold for someone to take a leasurely afternoon of exploring the wineries of the surrounding villages or a stroll along the beach. Correct, Almah?"
"Hence my hoping for more details. It's a generous sum by anyone's standards, and I would not wish to sound ingrateful, but for such payment I expect our risk would be great and I try to be prepared for risks if specifics can be found out before hand."
As they return to camp, Kaspar leaps from Alem's shoulder, scampering into the tree. He seems to think that spontaneously conflagrating trees are a safer place than his master's shoulder after the events of the evening.
Almah's offer gives Alem pause for thought. After a moment of careful consideration, he bows deeply. "Mistress Almah, you have my humblest thanks for your generous offer. However, I cannot accept it." Returning to an upright position, he exposits his reasoning. "In his great wisdom, my master Hassan has bestowed upon me my freedom in return for my serving Garavel, and you as well by association, on this venture in his stead. I will serve in any capacity that I may as a free, but willing, servant, as he would. I cannot accept any payment rendered for these services; to do so would impugn my honor in violating the terms under which I have received my freedom. I merely request the hospitality due any such servant; such would be the only terms that my master Hassan would accept were he able to fulfill the duties that I have taken in his place, and so they are the only terms that I may accept as his succedaneum. Though I forgo payment I must admit that, like the others, I am curious about these duties that command such reward. Please, tell us more."
Almah looks at the group as they speak before speaking herself "Yes the jobs I will send you all on might be dangerous as to what types of jobs it will depend on what the situation calls for. Some of it may be like what I had you all do today. Other times I may ask you to scout for us. Other time I may ask you to do some pest control. I cannot tell you any more than that on what I might have you do." Turns to look at Barakus "If you do as I ask I can do just that." Next turns to look at Alem "That is fine. Now than are there any other questions you wish to ask of me?"
"Understood, and speaking of myself, accepted. Eventually there will be..." A pause, "Family matters to attend to, but this extra coin maybe most useful in that."
Drellik thinks for a long moment, then responds, "If I am to understand you, we are to join your company as employees, then to do whatever you ask of us. Is that correct?"
He thinks again before continuing, "As long as what you ask of me is not in violation of my faith or honor, then I happily accept. I assure you, I do not have any obscure or strange beliefs that must be obliged."
Alem clears his throat before speaking up. "With all due respect, mistress, is there anything else you require of us this night? The hour only gets later, and there will be much to do tomorrow."
Looks at the group before answering the questions that they all had first Drellik "I do not know if what I may have you do will be in violation of your faith. If it is let it be known to me. Going against ones faith is not something I wish to do." She than turns to Alem "You all are free to go now if you all wish."
"Thank you, Almah, once again for your generous offer. I hope I please you in service." Omaz seems much uplifted. I had worried my personal performance was rather lackluster thus far. It seems not, and that is a great relief.
Drellik nods, "Fair enough, thanks for the offer. I'm in."
Asanna thinks for another moment before chiming in, "Count me as interested as well. As long as the jobs aren't boring, you have my full attention."
Bowing and muttering his thanks, the mage leaves the gathering.
After the group leaves to talk among themselves, they all rest. The following morning the caravan heads out to the area that Almah had spoke to them. It appears as an abandoned Monastery, a forlorn edifice once holy to the faith of Sarenrae, goddess of redemption and the sun. The ruins are located about a mile the Sultan’s Claw which means the trip is does not take to much time. Once at the ruins Almah tells the group to go inside and clear it out before it could be used as a base.
"As you like," Omaz agrees and moves off at once. However he does not rush towards the monastery right away, instead he takes a slow approach and checks the area.
He whispers to the others, "It may not be as empty as we hope. Some animals would value its shade, as well as bandits. We should move as quietly as we can." He moves with bow ready.
Gethric nods and follows Omaz in silence and with scimitar drawn.
Stealth:
Drellik moves in, Tamuud at his side.
Asanna slips her bow free from her shoulder as she crepts up behind Omaz and Gethric, "See any man-sized tracks? Or anything that walks on two legs and possesses possible intelligence?"
Alem turns his head and whispers something into Kaspar's ear, and the monkey listens intently. Apparently understanding, he leaps off of his master's shoulder onto the caravan and perches. He makes no noise, but he watches the party arm themselves and make their way toward the temple.
The tall mage is silent, his face grim and determined. While the others search for tracks or signs of habitation, he cooly inspects the temple from afar.
As the group walk up to one of the entrances to the ruins they see,a scrub brush and a light, patchy carpet of weeds invade the monastery through two huge fallen sections of the western wall. The exposed nave beyond is a huge hallway littered with bits of debris ranging from tiny rocks to enormous sections of collapsed masonry. Most of the roof above the long promenade is gone, but several jagged pillars remain.
The groups looks about the area noticing that there seems to have activity but cannot tell what the activity is from or what could of made the tracks.
"I hope this place is still secure," Omaz says quietly moving in slowly, "And these tracks are a mystery."
Gethric eyes the monastery warily, and keeps his scimitar drawn as they approach.
Asanna nods to Omaz for his take on the situation, "Then how bout we uncover this mystery." before she stalks forward toward the hall opening. Once by the opening, the tiefling slowly leans out around the frame to give a quick glance into the interior.
Drellik and Tamuud advance forward 20 feet, backing up Asanna while also keeping an eye on the other opening.
"Well, yes, it must be done." He follows behind the bold Asana, bow ready and looks around.
"I believe that this temple of Sarenrae was once important in this region. It seems neither the sands of the desert nor those of time have been kind to it. Whatever it once was, it has most certainly fallen into disuse by the faithful." Readying himself, Alem moves forward with the group, keeping to the rear, always watching for the stirrings of danger lurking around.
The group moves forward to take a better look at the ruins that they have been tasked with searching over. They look about as they enter a large debris-laden chamber once held a shrine and wooden altar, but all of that was smashed decades ago by vandals. The ceiling here has remained intact over the years, helping to preserve a huge bas-relief statue of a muscular humanoid man with a pointy beard gesturing toward a huge mountain in the background, his face a picture of mortal concern.
Most of the group does not notice much about the room but Alem, seems to notice that the area seems to hold much traffic for whatever leaves inside of these ruins. If any of the group wishes to go inside they notice that there is a large area to the left of where they entered() and something to look through directly in front of them.
Alem frowns as his eyes sweep the expanse. "It is clear that these ruins are not not uninhabited. Something has been here, recently and often. What are those tracks?" He gestures with his staff and casts a small spell. The area he indicates glows, faintly outlining the clue.
Omaz nods, "Good eyes, Alem."
Gethric enters the ruins and sniffs the air... unsure of what they might find within.
Asanna sighs under her breath, "Wonderful." She holds her hand up for holding while she quickly darts across the room to the wall opposite them. While moving across the open hall, Asanna glances both ways before pressing her back against the wall next to another opening.
Omaz looking about after being told about the tracks seem to notice a great many things. First of which is there seems to be some group of primates in the ruins along side the gremlins that the group had fought earlier. Second thing he finds out is the tracks lead him to areas close by.
As Asanna moves forward to look she reaches an archway, that leads to a hallway. This large but plain interior hallway leads to the various chambers of the monastery’s southern wing. A weatherworn statue of a winged woman stands in the middle of the hall. Based off of what you know the statue would be of the goddess Sarenrae.
Need history check for more on him.
Omaz whispers, "I am unsure, but it seems to me that we will find more of those damned pugawumpis or however you say it. And, there are tracks... hard to tell what sort. Apes, humanoids..." He gestures where they go.