"The town is too far to make out many details without a spyglass. However, the vantage should still be useful to Almah's guards - it provides a commanding view of the area around the monastery. I'll just need to get them to set up their own rope; I need mine for scouting."
"We should set out within the hour, Muquaq. There seems to be a decent amount of vegetation to the south of the town, and that will conceal us. Once we get close enough, we can see what we're dealing with."
"A sound plan. Since this is a scouting mission I will allow you to lead the way. Sati and Seif should be here shortly and we can depart."
Sati spends her morning in the Sanctuary. She is up before dawn, and spends more time trying to clean and cleanse the profaned alter that lies there. She does the best she can to get what is left of the filth off of it, after the others tried to wash most of it away. When the sun rises, she does her ablutions there, bowed in prayer. Mohgwier waits quietly off to one side. After the morning prayers are done, she moves outside to where the other's are standing.
"Good morning, Dawnflower shine on you. Greetings gentlemen," she nods to Gruthic and Akhom, "Are you going to join us on this endeavor? What is our next step, Muqaq?"
"We're off to scout the valley under Master Gruthic's guidance."
"Lead the way."
Finally, a dwarf to follow! It'll be like back home.
During the hour Gruthic spends observing, not much is visible in the town. Many of the outlying buildings are dilapidated, ruins, or even just rubble. A massive domed building dominates the center of the town, and is large enough to house many people. A few wisps of smoke can be seen rising from various parts of that building indicating that multiple cook fires are probably present within. During the entire time he watches, the only figures that can be seen is a party of four creatures, humanoids, and presumably gnolls, though the distance makes it hard to be sure. They wander around the town a bit, seemingly patrolling in a fashion that makes sense to them. After about twenty minutes, they disappear back into the domed structure.
It being early after dawn, the team heads out towards the village, cutting across what were once the village's Pesh cactus fields. Evidence of the former crop can be seen here and there, in small stunted cacti that still live here and there. However, without cultivation, most of the crop has long since withered away, leaving little of the original vegetation in place. Instead, dust, sand, and rocks compose most of the area of the field. The team moves along, quickly and quietly, keeping silent lest their voices carry to an unseen scout or lookout. They skirt the edges of the Pesh field, heading for the river, to cross and observe the village from the East, near where the ruins of and old Shrine are visible.
Muqaq
As the team is stepping across the desolate field, without warning the ground opens up and caves away, as though a sinkhole chose just that moment to open. The spot it happens to choose lies right beneath Muqaq's feet, and he drops away from sight.
From Muqaq's perspective, as the earth caves away, a ten foot deep hole is revealed, with a dusty, starfish shaped creature at the bottom. Its tentacles fly at him, trying to wrap around and secure him. A massive maw looms, with which it intends to swallow him whole.
. The tentacles grab him, getting a firm grip and beginning to position him to slide down into the monster's gullet.
Round 1:
Muqaq pulls out his dagger and begins to stab at the creature, "Help!" he cries.
With a guttural battle cry, Seif-al-Din jumps in after Muqaq, and takes a swing at the beast below!
"Stone below!"
Gruthic is startled by the collapse of sand and whirls around. He reaches to the side of his pack and unties the coil of rope hanging. Cocking his arm back, he hurls the coil toward the pit, holding fast to the other end of it. Even before the rope lands, he is moving toward the nearby stone, intending to loop the rope around it and use it as an anchor.
Akhom leaps into action, drawing an arrow as he moves to the boulders.
Reaching the top, he faces down at the creature and looses his arrow.
Round 1
HP = 26/26
AC/T/FF = 19/15/14
Weapon Equipped = None
Grit = 2/2
Orc Ferocity = 1/1
Bullets = 30/30
Black Powder = 30/30
Alchemical cartridge (paper) = 18/20
Speed = 30'
Status Effects = None
"Muqaq!"
Seeing his leader attacked by a ravenous desert starfish, Xanyon quickly loads and fires at the beast.
Akhom leaps into action, drawing an arrow as he moves to the boulders.
[dice=Acrobatics]1d20+1Reaching the top, he faces down at the creature and looses his arrow.
[dice=Mwk Comp Longbow]1d20+8
[dice=Damage]1d8+2
[dice=Crit confirm]1d20+8
[dice=Crit Dam]1d8+2
For a split second, Sati reacts with shock as Muqaq sinks below the sand; then hearing him shout and realizing the danger, she reaches out and casts a spell to aid Mohgwier in confronting the beast.
Receiving the boost to her deadly abilities from her master, Mohgwier runs and jumps into the sinkhole, ready to attack. She then launches herself at the tentacle holding Muqaq, hoping to destroy it before it can be used to pull Muqaq into the waiting maw.
Round 1:
Muqaq pulls at his dagger in order to attack the villain that holds him; however, in his haste he loses his grip, and the dagger falls onto the beast and churning soil below.
Sati casts her enhancing spell on her companion, and Mohgwier dives into the hole in order to attack. Her movement is not unnoticed by the creature, and it slaps at her with a tentacle as he dives in. . The weasel faced creature is moving too fast however, and the Dust Digger fails to connect with her. The last of Mohgwier's blows is a savage, raking claw, and it tears into the tentacle fiercely, nearly severing it.
Seif dives into the hole as well and hacks at the beast with his newfound sword. The blade bites deep, and blackish ichor sprays forth from the wound.
Gruthic tosses in a rope for the creatures below to grab in order to escape, and secures it to the rocks.
Akhom dashes up to the rocks and begins to climb. The dust that covers them proves an obstacle however, and he slips and stumbles on his first attempt at an accent. He swiftly ties again, and makes it without too much trouble the second time.
Xanyon draws his pistol and fires into the monster. The shot hits squarely, and another gush of black fluid flows forth.
The Dust Digger drops Muqaq, though whether in surprise, in shock and ferocity of the counter attack, or because of the damage inflicted by Mohgwier's claws to the limb is uncertain. However, it composes itself quickly, with the other four limbs and tooth filled mouth snapping at the nearest prey.
The tentacles lash out at all the foes in reach, but they are dodged, missed, or deflected, all but for Muqaq. He is scooped up again in another limb, and once again the maw opens in preparation to receive him.
Round 2:
As he closes, Gruthic tries to identify the desert dweller.
With his rope providing an out from the sand trap, he then draws out his waraxe and barrels into the fray. Detouring around ferocious feline-creature on the way down, he swings at the dirt devil hoping to further distract it from Muqaq.
Unperturbed by the tentacles flailing all around him, Seif-al-Din continues to hack away at the monster.
Muqaq struggles against the monster's grip. "You will not eat me!"
Sati moves closer to the edge of the pit, and stands ready to help pull anyone free should they attempt to climb out.
Mohgwier lashes out and the beast, clawing and biting in a fierce frenzy.
Round 2
HP = 26/26
AC/T/FF = 19/15/14
Weapon Equipped = Pistol
Grit = 2/2
Orc Ferocity = 1/1
Bullets = 29/30
Black Powder = 29/30
Alchemical cartridge (paper) = 18/20
Speed = 30'
Status Effects = None
"Stop letting it eat you."
Guess we're not sneaking now.
Round 1:
Muqaq struggles against the beast trying to break free of its iron grip. At last he feels something shift, and he drops out of its clutches.
Seif slashes the beast, scoring a large rent in its flesh.
Gruthic dives into the hole hacking with his axe as he falls. Black ichor sprays up as he strikes its body.
Akhom looses an arrow from his vantage point, and it strikes solidly.
Mohgwier starts to tear into the beast, blood and guts flying everywhere.
Finally, as the thing looks more mess and cuts than alive, and as it struggles to breath and move, Xanyon levels is pistol, aiming for the thing's gasping mouth, and fires. The shot goes right through the maw, and dead center through the beast. Ichor sprays out as what must have past for the brain of this creature explodes. Silence follows, except for the occasional echo of Xanyon's gunshots off the mountains to the north and east, each one a little quieter than the last.
"Damn. I'm sorry about the noise. Didn't want to see you eaten. We should probably move quick, yes? Unless somebody wants to search it's gut for anybody else it might've eaten?"
Like the scorpion.
Muqaq retrieves his dagger, and then quickly rifles through the thing's viscera looking for anything that might be called loot. He flips it over like an old matress to look underneath as well. When he's finished he creates water over his head and washes himself clean. "Good work. But that was too loud, lets move before our gnollish friends arrive. Gruthic, find us a hiding spot."
Unfortunately, a search of the monster reveals no hidden treasure. The creature burrows through the earth and has no lair you know of, so any non-digestible items are probably spit out at random places, or excreted somewhere underground.
You make your way away from the site of the battle quickly, fording the shallow river without any trouble. The way up to the old shrine is not difficult, but the earth ramps up as you approach the foothils of the low mountains beyond.
You spot the shrine on the hill, and the structure looks much the worse for wear. Though probably abandoned at around the same time, the small structure is in much worse shape than the monastery of Sarenrae. Nothing indicates that anything hostile lives in the place, and the site looks like an ideal location to sit and observe the village. Less than half a mile away, you can make out individuals clearly in the town, and with the elevation, you can even see most of the buildings and alleyways.
You see a party of gnolls, four of them, head out into the pesh fields, apparently looking for source of the noises they heard. However, they are moving slowly, and unconcernedly, and their search pattern appears lazy and inefficient.
As you scout the location to make sure it is safe, you come across a man, human, bent and kneeling in prayer at the alter of the Shrine. The symbols thereabouts indicate it is dedicated to Nethys. He has not noticed you, however.
Akhom looks at the rest of the group, then holds up his hand, opening and closing fingers and thumb to mimic a mouth opening and closing, then pointing at the devotee.
Gruthic keeps a wary eye out as the gnolls start out into the pesh fields. He sighs in relief when their chaotic, bestial nature reflects in their poor efforts. As they near the ruins, he makes an observation.
"This shrine is a perfect for observing the village. Exactly what we wanted."
Gruthic inspects the runes on the ruins as they scout. When they discover the old man, he speaks up again.
"We should find out if this old man is willing to let us use his ruins for a bit. This place was once dedicated to Nethys, The All-Seeing Eye; the old man seems to venerate him. Nethys is said to be an insane god. Let us hope his servant still has his sanity."
"More gods and magic."
Xanyon eyes the man nervously but leaves his gun holstered.
"Hail, servant of Nethys." Muqaq says to the praying man once they are within thirty feet or so.
The man stops his chanting, and peers at you over his shoulder. The horizontal pupils of goat eyes grace his yellow eyes. He turns and rises to his feet. He is a small man, perhaps 5'4" and appears to be leaving his middle years soon behind. He raises a hand in greeting, and you see that his fingers are long, very long, each possessing an extra joint and phalange beyond the norm. When he speaks, a puff of grey smoke escapes his lips.
"Who entreats at the alter of Nethys?
"We are travelers come to observe Kelmerane from this vantage. Are you the priest of this place?"
Perhaps once, but the only flock I've had for some time is one of the more literal variety. I am Haidar. Are you of the faithful? Or practitioners of the art? Why come to see the village? Nothing there but dogs these days..."
Seif-al-Din inclines his head in acknowledgement.
"That may be true now, but it was not always so, and it may not be so in the future... Re-birth is a wonderful thing, after all.
I am afraid that I am neither a practitioner of the Art, nor a member of the Faithful, but although my heart belongs to the Everlight, I nonetheless acknowledge and respect the God of Magic.
Tell us, what do you know of the village's current occupants, and its past?"
"Arcane magic flows in my veins, but I have also dedicated myself to the Dawnflower as priest. We come here as her dogcatchers, eager to redeem this place."
Xanyon stands and watches, uncomfortable with the talk of gods and dogs and the spelling thereof.
Pah! the man spits on the ground. "Gnolls. Many gnolls. They've learned to leave me alone. One or another of them comes up occasionally to ask for something... a potion, a cure for some pox. Adventurers, eh? Not with that lot that went in a few days ago, I take it? They got eaten up in no time. Don't go hunting in a dog's den unless you're prepared to get bit."
"Not much down there, now... the dogs seem to be trying to run something out of the old arena. I see merchants and mercs head in there now and again. They have a few odd beasties down there too. Don't know exactly what, but I see 'em walkin' around or fly overhead every once and a while. The place is best left alone. Or kill them all, I don't really care."
"We plan to do the latter. Is there any assistance you could offer us? Once we clear this place of gnolls, people will return. You might have a flock again, and not such a lonely time tending to your shrine."
"What can you tell us about the other group, from a few days ago?"
"Sounds like an organized city of gnolls. That make make things difficult for us."