Muqaq bows, and keeping his eyes low reports. "Yes. We lost Brother Larvendi and the monk Gin. The monastery was home to a tribe of the same gremlins that cause the fire in camp. We slew them, as well as some large carrion birds and some stirges. Gin died battling the gremlin king, and Larvendi when he failed to follow an order to retreat. When we left, all the rooms were clear of hostiles. The monastery will need quite a bit of work before it's whole again, but if we move there quickly it should remain ours."
Akhom's eyes roam around the camp constantly, his youthful curiosity coming to the fore as they enter. He follows Gruthic's lead as they meet Almah, bowing low in acceptance of her praise. He loses the battle with his inquisitiveness as she stops speaking.
"Pardon ma'am, but what is the purpose of this camp? Is it a scouting, or raiding party against the beasts of the desert?" he asks politely.
The Lady Almah turns to Akholm and answers, "Kind of you to take interest, young man. I'm afraid that the business of the camp is, for the time, private. I will say this much though, we are here to reclaim things that were left behind when this area was abandoned to the gnolls. I thank you for the assistance you have rendered so far. You appear capable; if you are interested, there may be further opportunities for you to assist us. Please, take you rest and we may speak more on the matter after my scouts return. If the opportunity interests you, I encourage you to remain that long at least."
As the desert dawn flashes from darkness to full light within moments, the strange way that the equatorial sun does, a bedraggled group marches back. Akholm, who is saying his morning prayers, and Gruthic, who is feeding the oxen, are awake to bear witness as the company are met at the perimeter, allowed in, and as they settle in the camp. Some of them, evidently worshipers of the Dawnflower as well, a red skinned man, a dark skinned keleshite with brilliant blue eyes, and a petite woman, perhaps the most beautiful you have ever seen, despite the soot and travel dust that clings to her garments; they stop, and like you, make their morning ablutions before the newly raised sun. The last, a half-orc, stands mute witness.
When they are finished, they gather together once more, and after some brief talk, head toward the Lady Almah's tent.
The Lady's face turns more serious, "Two dead. One to gremlins, and the other to? He failed to retreat? I wonder, why was retreat necessary, and why were your orders not followed. Did I make a mistake in choosing you to captain this venture? It is good news to hear that the Monastery is ours; we will have to complete the preparations to move ourselves there immediately. It is sad to hear however that it could only be accomplished with the loss of life our two of our champions. Have they been laid to rest, or are there still funeral rites to prepare? Garavel? Do we know what faiths the men subscribed to?
Garavel looks up from his letter in answer, "Brother Levendi was a devotee of Cayden Cailean, and quite vocal about it I might add. The monk I believe followed the Everlight. Seif-al-Din ibn-Subhi is a priest of some sort in her tradition I believe, yes? And perhaps the best suited to see to his funerary needs.
Almah resumes, "We will make sure it is seen to, regardless. Now, someone tell me what happened, in detail."
"Muqaq, leadership is not an easy burden. How do you feel you have handled it? Was the mistake yours? Do you wish to be relieved?"
At Almah's word's Muqaq's lip begins to curl into a sneer Trussed up c*nt, I ought to burn her in her slee....NO! That is not your way any more. The expression of displeasure disappears before it is fully formed. Closing his eyes for a second, he takes a deep breath before continuing, "Their bodies have been burned and buried. I do not know why those men died, but I can tell you how." Muqaq then goes on to tell everything that happened after they left the camp in excruciating detail. "It is not for me to say how wise or foolish your choice of captain was. If you find me lacking I will not argue. Perhaps I would rest easier at night without the souls of men who died on my watch haunting me."
"As of yet, I have no way of knowing if you were lacking, or if the task was simply overwhelming. For all I know, the only reason any of your team made it back at all, let alone succeeded was due to your leadership. I sought your opinion on the matter."
Almah looks away and thinks in silence for a few minutes.
"Regardless, it is time we were away from this exposed position. Do any of you require rest, or can you return to the monastery now? If you fear something entering and setting up before we are able to get there, it would be nice to have an advanced team hold the position."
Having heard both sides Xanyon nods and steps forward.
"Muqaq led us as best he could. That men died was unfortunate but there is nothing he could've done to prevent that and still fulfill the mission. As for rest, it would be better if we move out now. The site is clear for now but not likely to remain so for long in this land."
Blighted blasted desert. We lost two on a side mission, how will we fare against the real threat?
"Muqaq led us as well as anyone could have under the conditions. Those gremlins, the jackel-rats, they had the entire site rigged with traps, and it took a great effort to root them out. The vulture thing was larger than any horse I've ever seen, and was a formidable opponent. Gin was killed in the course of battle, and there is nothing anyone could have done to prevent it, other than burn down the monastery, which would go directly against our objective. Tarin... he died bravely, but he died trying to take on that bird; a task none of us could have accomplished alone."
"I feel as well that Muqaq has done an admirable job, and I feel comforted with the knowledge that he is in the lead."
"Thank you for your kind words my friends." Muqaq says, nodding at Sati and Xanyon. "Yes my lady, let us return quickly lest all our hard work be in vain."
Seif-al-Din nods.
"Yes, we should return as quickly as possible, so that we can formalise our control of the area. It will need a fair bit of work to fix it up, though..."
"Well, you suit it right back. Couldn't ask for a more charming partner. I'll bet you could sell sand to the Sultan."
As Gruthic finishes his supper and prepares to turn in for the night, he offers one last bit of wisdom.
"Being on the road can be quite exciting. Don't let it keep you up at night, unless it's your watch. You need good rest to deal with what the road throws your way - and you never know what that might be."
Akhom sighs. "How did you know I was going to go and meet some of the guardsmen?" Seeing Gruthic's expression, Akhom sighs. "You're right, I suppose. But I'm sure they know all manner of good stories..." Akhom finishes his supper and makes for bed.
He rises before the sun, in order to greet it as it rises. Just before the sun's holy light returns to the land, he catches a glimpse of the strange, tired-looking crew that enters camp from the wilderness. "Gruthic," he calls out to the dozing dwarf. "Look what the dawn brings."
Gruthic yawns, and stretches sleepily, not sharing the tradition of Sarenrae. He looks about and spies the returning crew.
"Ah, the treasure-seekers return. Come, Ahkom. They seem tired, but not dejected. Perhaps they have found something of worth; perhaps it is burning holes in their pockets. We can help them with that!"
He climbs out of his hammock and into the wagon, where the sounds of him rustling about can be heard briefly. He grunts and jumps back down.
"The Lady Almah cleaned us out pretty well. We have some trinkets and trifles, but nothing that would catch the eye of these warriors. Perhaps you can mingle with them and discover what comforts of home they desire on this expedition. Solku is not too far away, and if they've found a hoard, it would be well worth our time."
He makes a shooing motion to the boy. "I'll see to the chores this morning. Go, go! Drum up some business!"
Wandering over to his team with a pair of buckets, a brush, and a stool, he feeds the oxen and brushes them, standing on the stool to reach their broad backs. He occasionally glances toward Almah's tent and the adventurers there, doing a poor job of hiding his curiosity.
Akhom eagerly makes his way over to the Lady's tent, nodding to the guards with a friendly smile and trying to wait patiently for the adventurers to emerge.
After a short while, however, his resolve cracks, and he turns to the nearest guard. "Hi there,"he begins amiably. "How goes the camp? Has there been word of any gnolls about?"
The lady continues, "Excellent. Now, as you seem to be up for the effort, I would like you to return to the monastery, to make sure that we maintain a presence there. I hope this will allow you some rest as well, as it sounds as though the days have been trying for you. We will be moving the camp as soon as we're able, and I think you will get far more rest guarding the site than you would here, helping wagons get over the sand hills. Thank you for your efforts, and for the sacrifice of your comrades. Return to the monastery, and guard it as best you can until we arrive."
With that, the interview appears to be over, and one of the body guards holds the tent flap open for your departure.
Following nearly on the party's heels, Garavel emerges and moves to a central position near the now blackened tree known as the Sultan's Claw. In a loud booming voice he calls out,
Following his announcement, he approaches Gruthic and waves for Akhom to come over as well. "The Lady Almah requests the pleasure of your company. If you are available for continued employment, she has an opportunity she would like to discuss."
Once the party has left the tent Xanyon turns to Muqaq.
"Let's grab some food and other supplies and head back then?"
Gruthic listens attentively to Garavel's announcement, trying to get a feel for the direction of the move. It doesn't sound like an order to retreat, and his assessment is confirmed when the major-domo approaches.
Gruthic bows deferentially to Garavel and replies, "We are at the Lady's service. Please tell her to expect us shortly."
He waves down the boy and cleans himself, wiping his face and combing his beard to remove any traces of the morning duties. He secures his silk headwrap and adjusts his brass beardrings to ensure they are in symmetrical alignment.
Once satisfied with his appearance, he bids Ahkom to follow closely and sets off with a purposeful stride toward Almah's tent.
Seif-al-Din nods to Xanyon.
"That sounds good to me."
"Indeed. I wouldn't want to lose our hard won ground. Everyone gather as much food as you can carry, and attend to any other business you have, then lets head back."
When Gruthic and Akhom are ready, they are led into Lady Almah's tent, flanked by two of her bodyguards.
"Thank you again gentlemen for accepting the commission to bring us the supplies. You made the journey in short order, and the supplies themselves are much appreciated."
"I have a proposition for you, for your consideration; you both seem like capable men, and given that no typical merchant would brave these wastes on something so simple as a supply run if they were not confident of their abilities to take care of themselves. As you may have guessed, we are not out here for our pleasure, but rather to explore an opportunity and to right wrongs. We have made gains in our quest and will be moving to a more defensible position; a wise precaution I think given the dangers out here. The gains did not come easy though, and we lost two of our crew in the fighting. I would like to offer you the opportunity to join us in our venture."
"Until you agree I cannot share too many details with you, but know that there will be dangers, you will fight gnolls and possibly others, and that you will be helping me. You will join the crew of men and women we have assembled to confront these dangers at our vanguard, and I will match your pay to theirs, with what they have negotiated: 500 gold pieces each when our mission is accomplished, a task that may take up to a few weeks. There will be dangers, but this is no suicidal task, and I aim for us to succeed. What are your thoughts, gentlemen? Will you accept?"
At the mentioned gnolls, Akhom turns his head slightly to look Gruthic hard in the eye for a moment. When the lady has finished speaking, he once again looks at the dwarf very seriously, and when Gruthic makes eye contact, Akhom gives an almost imperceptible nod. He says nothing however, waiting to let the older traveller take the lead.
Gruthic catches Ahkom's serious look and clenches his teeth, remembering the lad's tale of his family's demise. When Ahkom does not succumb to youthful impetuousness and accept on the spot - or worse - spout some vengeful oath, Gruthic smiles with pride.
He tugs on his thick beard and speaks carefully, looking Lady Almah in the eye.
"My Lady, you have treated fairly with us. You paid fairly for a dangerous job and did not seek to cheat or steal from us as some have. I will return your honesty and candor with my own. I am a merchant, by birth. I have traveled throughout Garund - the civilized part, anyway - and have dealt with all manner of unpleasant obstacles. Ahkom is my protegee and has not seen so much of the world yet, but he has been well-trained in Solku and is not lacking in martial skill."
"Your offer does intrigue us, but there are things we must know before we can accept. The pay is generous, and most mercenaries will do any job if the coins are heavy enough. We are not those sort of men; we are men of conscience and faith. The group that returned earlier are also part of your crew, I assume. I noticed a number of the faithful among them, so I believe you are not that sort of employer, either."
"Can you tell us anything more about what you seek to accomplish here before you require our answer?"
"I am trying to be oblique because I dare not allow the gnolls here to learn of our plans and prepare themselves against us. Can you promise me that should you accept my offer, you will follow my instructions to the best of your ability, within your conscience, of course? And should you decline, that you will depart the area and do nothing that might alert our foes to our presence or betray our motives? I swear to you that nothing we are attempting would offend even the most devout. If you can agree to this, I will tell you all you wish to know of our goal. If not, I can share nothing, and you will have to depart."
Gruthic looks to Ahkom to affirm that he is still in agreement, and continues.
"We are honorable men, Lady Almah. If sworn to your service, we would serve with integrity and zeal. Ahkom and I share little love for the savage gnoll, so whatever our decision, you have my word, sworn to you in my name, on my great-uncle's grave, and under the watchful eye of Torag that no word of your plans shall reach them on our account. And furthermore, though we would depart immediately per your request, I would ask you still consider our services in supplying this camp if that were the case."
"But! We have not declined your offer yet. I understand your need for secrecy, and you can rely upon our discretion. I can provisionally agree for us to join your crew for the purpose of hunting gnolls, but I suspect you have grander plans than that. If you will tell me what else you will require us to do, my provisional acceptance can become absolute."
She nods at Gruthic and smiles.
"Quite simply, we are trying to liberate the town of Kelmarane, destroyed in some sort of cult uprising some 20 years ago, and abandoned to the gnolls ever since. It was once an outpost of life in this area, allowing it to be settled, patrolled, traded in and lived in with relative safety, and we intend to see it so again. Our team has ousted the local monsters from a monastery dedicated to the Dawnflower, just some few miles from here. We are moving there to plan the next stage of our efforts to force the gnolls and other vile creatures from Kelmarane so that it might be a center of commerce once again."
"Kelmarane; an abandoned town, a cult." Gruthic murmurs. He ponders the information briefly, but resumes talking before the silence grows uncomfortable.
"Lady Almah, I swear to serve you faithfully until the town of Kelmarane is liberated from the gnolls or you release me from your service. My axe and shield will stand between you and your enemies, and this town will once again know peace and prosperity."
Having given his oath, he nods to Ahkom. He is willing to speak on the boy's behalf in trading matters, but will not swear an oath for him.
Akhom drops to one knee, his fist over his heart. "By the Dawnflower, I swear to serve you, Lady Almah, with bow, blade or back, till Kelmarane stands free of foul gnolls, or death take me. By the Light of Sarenrae, I will stand true to your cause." He stands slowly, his face just barely displaying his passion.
"Impressive oaths, both of them. I will endeavour to prove worthy of them. Find the man names Muqaq, he leads the advanced party at present. He should not be hard to find, he has red skin. Let him know that you have been hired on to assist him. Follow his instructions; he is mt factor in this. You can also introduce yourself to the crew, and determine amongst youself what your role will be on the team. Again, thank you for service, past and future."
When the two new arrivals go out to find their new teammates, one of the guards informs them that the party in question has already left for the monastery. Spying their wagon still waiting, they decide to concentrate on moving it, with the other supplies, and meet up with the group again upon arrival.
The team makes their way back to the monastery without trouble, and finds it exactly how they left it. Splitting up the duties, they post two to watch for danger, while the other two rest.
Though the trip to the monastery is only a couple of miles by foot, it is over sandy hills and unstable roads. Where the other party found the trip relatively easy, the main camp has a long and difficult journey. First, a path passable to wagons must be scouted out, and this occasionally involves breaking out shovels to dig out a ramp onto a berm of sand, or shoring up soft ground with planks stolen from the wagons. One such plank breaks, leaving a wagon with two wheels in the air, and a third wheel completely buried in loose sand. All in all, it is a labor of the whole day to get there. Upon arrival, the campers are dusty, tired, frustrated, and ready for sleep.
Having traded off during the day and gotten some rest, the advanced party is asked to extend their watch, if they are able, and keep the perimeter while the rest sleep.
Lady Almah and her men scout for a suitable location to set up. The lady herself chooses the library, as though even though it is a mess, it is private and has a whole roof. Despite the smell, her personal guards set up in the quarters right next door, where the baboons had been nesting when the team first arrived. The guards spend some time cleaning it up, and toss out every piece of cloth and furniture, it all smelling of the beasts.
The morning comes without incident, and again having traded off watches during the night, the team is rested and ready to go by no later than midmorning Now is the time to decide how to proceed, to meet your new comrades, and debate how best to scout the forsaken town in the valley just to the north.
Akhom has been excitedly fidgety until the time has come to meet their new companions, and as he and Gruthic move to meet them, he says "Sooo... Would you like me to do the talking? No offence, but... well, you sometimes come across as a bit... grumpy." Akhom looks straight ahead as they walk, his face expressionless.
Muqaq wakes with the dawn and does his morning prayers to the rising sun. After that he stands in plain view outside, waiting for his companions to gather, and for the new recruits to introduce themselves. As he stares into the sand, a wind of foul intent blows past pushing the grains into the shape of a laughing face. He can hear whispers on the wind. Doomed....doooooooomed.... The red skinned man grimaces at the empty desert before him. I must truly be cursed now. I wonder if I will ever sleep soundly again? Will the dwarf and his dark skinned friend fall like those they are replacing? How many deaths must rest on my shoulders sweet Sarenrae?
Seif-al-Din always feels calmest in the pre-dawn light, in the few minutes of calm whilst the horizon is suffused with pink and orange halo.
Closing his eyes, he smiles as he feels the warm light of another newly risen sun spill across the desert sand, and wash over him.
Every day, in every way, is a blessing.
Once the others have finished their morning preparations, and gathered together, he frowns.
"What do you think? Quietly scout-out the periphery, to look for a good ingress point, or simply conduct a no-holds-barred frontal assault?"
Xanyon wakes quickly and checks his gear, cleaning any dirt or sand that has accumulated in the night.
"Best to scout, look how hard a frontal attack on this place was."
"Yes. Best to do some scouting. Lets go take a look at the valley and see what we see. We can proceed from there. I'm just waiting on everyone to gather together."
Gruthic grins a wry grin. "I don't think the sun in the sky could stop you from talking, Ahkom. Best put that torrent of words to use and go introduce us."
Gruthic will go check the camp's teamsters before catching up with the group. If he doubts their competence, he will insist on driving his wagon to the monastery himself.
---
After day breaks, he wakes in a cheerful mood and walks around the monastery, getting a good look at the place in the morning light.
Once he finds a suitable corner with adequate handholds, he will climb up the wall to the roof and peer out over the valley. He secures his rope at the top, so that the others can use it to ascend to the vantage.
Then he sits on the roof, keeping watch and honing the blade of his waraxe to a razor edge.
As Akhom and Gruthic approach the advance party, the dusky young paladin, the size of a man but unmistakeably still little more than a lad, nods companionably to the strange red man, the beautiful woman, the large, handsome bronzed fellow, and the man with the orcish cast to his features. "Well met, adventurers," he greets them, his basso voice smooth and warm."My name is Akhom, son of Wayullah and Ruqiyah. This is my companion and employer Gruthic Shalebreaker, honourable dwarf and peerless merchant. The Lady Almah has requested our aid, and we are recently become her oath-sworn soldiers. She instructed us to report to... you, good sir?" he asks Muqaq inquiringly.
"Aye. I'm Muqaq Al-Varisi. What skills do you bring with you?"
Xanyon watches as the newcomers approach.
I hope they fare better than the last members of our group...
"Aye. I'm Muqaq Al-Varisi. What skills do you bring with you?"
The lad's swiftly shifting expression at the red-skinned Muqaq's question betrays a war between the egotism of youth and sense of humility, but he simply responds with, "My faith is strong and my bow shoots straight. I have a way with people, and the Dawnflower lets her healing light shine through me." He takes a half-step back and bows his head in deference to Gruthic.
"May her light always shine upon you Akhom son of Wayullah. You and your bow are welcome. Gruthic, are you also a fighting man?"
"I am. Where I set my shield, no foe may pass without kissing my axe. I also a scout and an infiltrator."
"This should be a good addition to the group Muqaq. I feel much better about the scouting mission with an avowed tracker. As soon as Sati and Seif are ready we should head out."
"Indeed, it is good to have you both. Especially another of Her faithful." Muqaq says with a genuine smile for Akhom. "With three of Her clergy among us, how can we fail? No amount of darkness can stand against the coming of the dawn. Friend Gruthic, we were just discussing how to best approach scouting the valley ahead. What say you?"
Akhom gives a quick, warm smile at Muqaq's kind words, then quickly returns to an expression of attentiveness.
"I have constructed a vantage to observe the valley on the roof. It is now easily accessible by all - even those unused to making an ascent. The vantage will provide us a good space to observe the area inconspicuously. Once we have a better idea of the number of gnolls encamped, we can conduct reconnaissance without inadvertently alerting them to our presence. I would recommend surveilling the area throughout the morning and doing recon in the afternoon, with the sun at our backs."