The men look shocked at hearing about the destruction of Ebb but regain their composure quickly.
"Do you have this device on you?" he pauses a moment.
"Apologize, you must all be tired from the long travel. Please come into Spilunk to resupply and get some rest. I'm sure the Elders can assist you when you are ready."
"I could use a drink and a cooked meal. I can only eat so much scorpion meat before my stomach revolts. I will meet back up with you soon for the meeting but we should get the device in the hands of the thinkers quickly to give them the most time to study it as possible."
Rose looks around at his companions nodding before he starts walking into the settlement looking for a place to drink, eat, and maybe relax with some recreation for an hour before meeting back up with the group.
"Bullets, food, drink, all seem like good ideas, perhaps some potions as well. We are taking a real beating out there..."
Xok as per usual, goes with the flow.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tomas shrugs, still looking around with the eyes of a paranoid. "We've got the device, but lets examine it somewhere private. A lotta people want it and they ain't too nice in how they ask."
"Very well." the lead guard says. "Rest, food, drinks first and then meet with the elders. I'm sorry to say the merchant will not have bullets for you but perhaps other things that may suit you."
“Spilunk” rests in a box canyon, the walls lined with colorful strata of ancient rock. A small, steep, and roughly carved stairway runs up the west side of the canyon, leading up to jagged rock formations that comprise the settlement of Spilunk. A cave in the first spire is the entrance cave to the village - and is well guarded. From here, the settlement is crammed inside the tall hollowed-out spires, making use of every bit of confined space. Where one spiral is fully hollowed out, a small wood and rope bridge connects to an opening in the next spire, making the community a complex of structures and caves reaching further and further upwards.
The spires do have small windows, which are used to circulate air and as dumping points for offal and other trash.
When you get to the market it looks like it's seen better days. There are a few items for sale that may perk your interest. You also notice that no one seems to be carrying weapons here...
Basket = 1/2 cp
Clay Jug = 1/2 cp
Juju Potion = 75 cp
Iron Pot = 1 cp
Merchants Scale = 2 cp
Sled = 20 cp
Though politely given time to restock your supplies and rations, it is obvious the elders of Spilunk eagerly await your counsel about the alliance - and recent news.
Escorted through the village and over a narrow and treacherous bridge, you ascend into the central pinnacle of rock to an open council chamber. There are one or two guards present, but their lack of physical weaponry seems to suggest that either the mutants of Spilunk are pacifists, or they have alternate means of defending themselves. In any event they seem to have nothing to fear from your group, and within moments a small group of venerable albino elders issue into the room with the fluttering of long robes and the hollow echo of ritual quarterstaffs knocked against the earth to announce the meeting’s beginning.
Xok buys 4 JuJu potions at the market despite the high cost.
Xok looks to Rose as the "voice" of the group shrugging.
Rose remains silent for a good while before he senses the others are waiting on him to take the lead. He grumbles giving them all a look before turning back to the elders.
"Elders of Spilunk, we have crossed the wastes to fight the Wastelords per our agreement with the alliance. During our travels we witnessed the fall of Ebb who sought to back out of the alliance. The Wastelords showed them no mercy in pursuit of an ancient piece of tech they wanted, a artifact we recovered and brought here with all haste. Surely the great minds of Spilunk can discern its function and if it is a weapon perhaps it is one we can use against the Wastelords themselves."
"Also not to put a fine point on it but we could all use some payment and or supplies to aid in our continuing fight against the wastelords."
"This is terrible news. They were to provide the first line of defense against the Wastelord armies. Now that they have fallen, the Wastelords will be able to strike the Three Towns with impunity – and without warning."
"Whatever this device belongs to, it must be very important if the Wastelords were willing to destroy villages to find it. We will look into it and hope to identify what the item is and what it is used for."
"Identifying the device will take some time. Until we can further research this ancient item, you can help the alliance by performing a very important task. Now that the route to Sandyville and Ebb is compromised, we must find another way to keep the Three Towns in contact, to facilitate supply, messengers, and move our forces unimpeded.
"We have long considered using the canyon through the mountains as a means of reaching Dry Fort. However, those scouts who attempted to blaze that route never returned, and so it was abandoned years ago.
"But in light of recent events, the risk must be taken to open this route once more. Gather your strength and go there with all speed. You must clear a route to Dry Fort so the alliance can survive."
"We do not have much to assist with in terms of corium but will provide you with supplies for your travels and assistance."
A man walks out with a bag full of Juju potions (3 for each of you).
Rose the Cutter nods as he accepts the Juju potions gladly.
"There is much to be done but these will help. We will pathfinder the way through the canyon for the alliance but that means we will not be near if the Wastelords attack again. I hope your defenses are fortified for their inevitable attack. If there are any spies here in their employ or they can think strategically they will know the most likely place we would bring the artifact they sought after once we obtained it."
"Morning." Tomas mutters gloomily, the thought of traipsing through even more dangerous territory leaving him distinctly underwhelmed.
He tucks the Juju potions in his pack automatically. "If ya don't have bullets, do ya have bolts or arrows?" He asks checking his quiver.
"No. Please proceed on to Dry Fort immediately, and help them with whatever preparations are needed for war. They are a suspicious, warlike people, and to keep the alliance alive we must show that we are willing to protect their people as much as our own.
"We will send a mounted messenger to Dry Fort when we have reached a consensus on the nature of the device. Until then there is still much to be done."
Rose growls as the old mutants order them to leave. He doesn't like it but there is too much that needs to happen and they will likely be another Ebb if they drag their feet too long.
"Let us go."
He slings his pack and sword and begins heading for the exit outta town.
The so-called “haunted canyon” is less than a day’s march from Spilunk, along a forgotten wilderness trail meandering through bleak sandy crag country and flat open desert valleys. Eventually the passage leads to a bottleneck of sorts, where the cliffs become sheer on either side of the gorge.
The twisting valley finally opens up into a canyon with sheer cliff walls. Slow winds blow up wisps of sand, and across the valley, what appears to be a mirage is visible in the shimmering distortion caused by the ever-baking heat of the wasteland. Set into the cliff wall is a collection of buildings, all carved from the stone of the cliff, and intact. Faint movement can be seen in a few of the windows, and there is the glittering of metallic objects farther away from you, closer to the cliff dwellings.
Your team starts making it's trek across the sands toward the shiny objects and dwellings.
Thomas, Rose and Xoknus suddenly get sucked into the sand! Navarre is quick enough to jump and fly before falling into the trap.
You fall a short distance into a small cave, landing on the fallen sand, which luckily softens your fall. Noisemakers set at the base of the shaft and on the ground cause a cacophony of echoes that reverberate out of the cave, into a narrow tunnel that winds away into total darkness. These echoes soon return, carrying with them the sounds of strange alien hooting and hungry howls…
Rose groans and slowly rises dusting himself off as he looks around. Then the gruttural howling and hooting starts and he draws he sword looking for an exit.
"S&+! we walked right into their trap. Looks like there is no way out easily. Let us try to move away and find our way up."
Rose will move to a tunnel prefering to over need to defend two pathes of attack instead of being surrounded as well as the tunnel might leave out.
Navarre
The sand looks like it sort of covers up the hole which your allies slipped into but you can still tell where it is and could probably easily descend down into it.
Everyone Else
There is no way your going to make it back up where you came. The fall was far but no injury due to the sand being so soft cushioning your fall. There is only one direction you can go. Ahead toward the sounds.
Xoknus grunts patting the sand off his huge body "Yes lets be careful and find a way out of here. I don't like tight spaces." he hefts his large weapon in his hand to be ready for anything that lurks ahead.
Rose moves forward his blade ready to strike any hidden foes.
Tomas readies his crossbow and follows behind the more martial people.
The narrow tunnel opens up into a larger room. A second narrow tunnel joins the one you emerge from in heading away into darkness, obviously leading to another chute. The room before you is littered with garbage and debris of old battles. Spent shell casings and broken weapons lay about haphazardly, while dark splashes of dried blood spread about the walls, a silent testimony to the grim purpose of these rooms. A slight shuffling sound is heard, and then three naked men advance. These decrepit, hunched-over men have long, shaggy white hair and ragged, unkempt beards. Their pale bluish-gray skin is barely visible through the layers of dirt and filth caking their bodies. Each of these men move forward, their long claws clacking together in anticipation of a feast, and grim smiles spread across their horrid countenances.
Rose doesn't hesitate as he moves and cuts in a sharp flowing motion at the lead sandman. Unfortunately the conditons are not great and the shifting sand beneath his feet cause the blade to go astray.
Tomas is very slow off the mark and his shot is a poor one, he tries to stay behind the fighters.
Round 1
Navarre - 20
Xoknus - 16
Sandman2 - 11 (def 11)
Sandman1 - 9 (def 11)
Rose - 8
Tomas - 7
Navarre's shot hits the lead creature right in the eye shooting out the back of it's head and it drops to the ground!
Xoknus charges in with his giant weapon and swings chopping the creature clean in half!
(+2 charge)
The last Sandman claws at Xoknus!
Rose and Tomas try hard but both miss the remaining Sandman!
Your group easily dispatches the 3 creatures that were about to eat you for lunch!
"Ugh...I have nothing against mutants but cannibals can rot in the depths of the waste."
He keeps his blade ready as he carefully examines their way to continue.
There is only one way you can go besides the way you came from and you continue further as as you find nothing useful in this room or on those bodies.
You emerge from the passage into a larger, squalid chamber filled with the offal of centuries of constant occupation; bones and tattered rags, remains of old armor and bones still heavy with meat. Trash and remains of past victims are scattered about the floor. Two other passages disappear into darkness; these passages are black and silent.
A deep chasm splits this cavern from the other half, which is at a higher elevation. An untrustworthy rope bridge spans the chasm, connecting the two halves.
A small crowd of the hideous pale blue blind people has organized and now advances on you, eager to defend their home and to feed. Their milky eyes show no emotion; only the hungry smiles on their lips betray their malicious intent.
Something about being underground seems to have disrupted the swordsman and his keen reflexes as he is slow to react...perhaps not even getting the chance. He however slashes out at the closest sandman who comes for him, intent to make the bastards choke on this meal.
Tomas doesn't even bother to groan as he sees the horde awaiting them.
Round 1
sandman5 - 24
sandman6 - 23
Xoknus - 17
Navarre - 16
sandwoman - 14
sandman1 - 11
sandman4 - 11
Tomas - 10
sandman2 - 10
Rose - 9
sandman3 - 7
Sandman5 charges for the biggest one of the group Xoknus with it's claws!
The claws bite into the big guy!
Sandman6 charges at Rose!
Blood flows once again as the sandmen howl at the sight of blood!
Xoknus howls in rage, his barbarian nature coming out of his and swings his giant weapon at the one that struck him!
Sandman6 gets cut in two!
The sandwoman lets out a loud howl that sounds completely unhuman and charges at the winged creature Navarre!
The claws dig into Navarre drawing blood!
Sandman1 charges at Xoknus!
Sandman4 charges at Tomas!
The mysterious invisible girl that follows the party around shrieks loudly as a Sandman tries to harm Tomas.
Taking a 5' step back Tomas tries to gut shoot the thing.
Shaking hands make that a poor shot.