Saaresha continues to stomp and trample her way through the brush, grumbling in infernal. Her skin glows a little redder and she seems to be itching to reach for her sword.
Maybe it is because of Rauve's heavy body, and bad leg or maybe he just unlucky but Rauve completely fail's at avoiding the cactus rather he more or less goes in a straight line. Reaching the other side covered in thorns.
This is clearly everyone's unlucky night, because while Saresha manages to make it out to the other side she is covered in needle-like thorns
"Well Snowball, looks like there is only one way through here and its going to hurt." Beinir pulls as many exposed areas inside his armor as possible and proceeds to bull his way through the field of cactus.
Ghirhuk takes his time with the whole endeavour. If the rest of the group heads off after the trail, he'll just return to the caravan and wait.
bahram, after reaching the goat attempts to free it from its rope confinement.
Lombard is too agitated to be easily calmed, and you are out of luck the calming words you intended to say, were full of the annoyance you felt at having to traverse the cactus. At the same time Bahram manages to untie the foolish goat, but Lombard begins to run in cirlces around him making Bahram lose his balance.
Beinir barrels trough the cactus ending covered in thorns too, but at least in a much more graceful manner.
Snowball as you continue in your endeavor Dahski helps by cutting cactus with his Scimitar, he nods to you: Well lizard, you're smart, I bet there's a pugwampi hiding and laughing at your friends somewhere around.
Beinir makes a grab for Bahram, trying to keep him from falling off into the ravine.
Beinir grabs Bahram before he falls down the ravine, a fall that might have been proven fatal to him. Lombard is still struggling around you guys with the rope partly tied to you. You all hear annoying shrill yell and have your attention arrested by a small creature that looks like a hideous lap-dog that has learned to walk, it's dog mouth open as the hideous little creature screams in gnol:
The pugwampi moves towards you Saresha with a drawn dagger, that he carries more like a sword, this particular creature is also carrying a shortbow in his back.
Rauve, Snowbal, Saresha.
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Pugwampi
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Beinir, Bahram.
Saresha, happy for something to fight that isn't a cactus, and yells a curse at it in Ignan, swinging her greatsword at the tiny thing's head.
"Gotcha Bahram! Can't have you plummeting to your doom already." Now tangled up with the rogue, Beinir tries to spin his head when he hears the highest pitched gnoll-speaker he's ever heard.
"We'll see who's funny now...whoa, maybe I should've closed my eyes. You've got to be the ugliest gnoll I've ever seen!"
Seeing the small beastie advance on the paladin that owes him her life, Ghirhuk points a finger and unleashed a ray of elemental cold. No! Mine! he shouts in Draconic.
Saresha you swing your sword, but you end up cutting air as your aim was too high.
As the creature is ready to drill Saresha's foot a white ray flies trough the cactus hiting the creature making it fall, as you look closer you see steam coming from the creature now dead body.
After the ray hits, Dashki turns towards you Ghirhuk says: Good aim. Speaker was it?
Bahram pulls himself together.
ahh, thanks Beinir, that was a close one, I should have known that was going to happen
By the time he gets himself together the critter is lying there dead
So is this what we were after?
"I think so. Think I'll drag his ugly carcass back to camp. Any more luck with that goat Rauve or should we knock it out so we can drag that back too?" Beinir takes a look over the dead creature and then hoists its frozen body onto his shoulder.
Yes that is one of the damned creatures. Says Dashki while casting the light of his torch in the direction of the corpse. We should go back.
Rauve calms the goat, after that you all traverse trough the cactus, with utmost care avoiding getting more thorns.
When you come back to the camp the main fire has been set and you can feel the aroma of cooking stew permeating trough your noses, but before you can go eat you must complete your work. You find that Garavel and Almah have been waiting for you, upon seeing the corpse you carry Almah notes: Uhm, interesting creature, so these pugwampis really cause bad luck... She says while she observes the thorns and wounds you have acquired.
Well that concludes your investigation, and It shows that this camp is in a too open location. We need to change that, but it shall be done on the morrow. For now we should discuss your employment. While she talks Almah moves toward her tent. There she points to a pile of cushions while she herself sits in one of them.
Before you all can enter though, Hadrod sees Lombard, and gets in the way shouting in delight:Lombard! Dear Lombard you are alive! He then turns towards Rauve whom he has talked before and is leading the goat and adds: [b]Thank you friend! Thank you friend! Tank you for finding him and briging him back! He then gets dragged by his wife for interrupting things, and the pair drags Lombard along. Finally you manage to get inside the tent:
Now my proposal is 400 gold scarabs for each of you.
Saresha is quite irritable by the time they've gotten back to Almah's tent. She's scowling and even glares at Snowball for 'claiming' her which she usually takes in good enough humor. She is thus quiet as she clanks into Almah's presence. She says nothing about the gold either way, having other interests.
For finding Goat? Deal. Ghirhuk isn't quite sure what he's being paid for. But being paid is always good.
Bahram follows along. still picking cactus needles out of his clothing and hair.
when Hadrod comes to claim the goat Bahram smiles. and after he thanks Rauve and runs off.
sure no problem he mumbles
noticing Saresha in a rather grumpy mood he keeps his distance from her allowing her to chose a seat first.
never come between a woman and her anger I always say
Bahram nods to Almah and gives her a smile and then takes a seat.
I agree to the moneybahram adds not looking to negotiate for more.
If you need some scouting then I will voulenteer my services.
Bahram seems a bit too eager for this and to not negotiate more money is a touch out of character for the city Rogue
Beinir listens to Almah's offer. "My lady, if Rauve is correct and your offer is to assist you with taking back Kelmarane, it is most generous. However, more than the gold, I would like to ask a boon of you in exchange for my assistance. I believe my father's forge, a relic of my people, to lie in the town's ruins. I seek an opportunity to reclaim the forge, assuming it is still present, and to restablish the church of Torag in the town. Would you grant me this boon?"
Saresha grins, nodding at Beinir. Seems like she'll help with that, sweeping her cloak off of her banded chest to show the holy symbol of Torag etched there.
Beinir smiles in return, "Interesting. How apt then that I believe his forge to have been the Flameforge. It would appear that Torag's hand and hammer may be shaping this endeavor in more ways I have yet to understand."
Then we have a deal! 400 scarabs to each of you, and the forge to Beinir. Garavel if you might write the contracts.Swiftly the major-domo writes in six parchments a simple contract. Each of you is asked to sign one of them, and another that is Almah's copy.
Saresha signs happily. No thought of money currently in her head. She's excited about the forge and her own Pathfinder adventures there.
Beinir smiles, "Thank you lady." He signs the documents without question.
Bahram signs the contract.
Our first step should be retaking an old monastery about one mile from here, it will serve as our base. Now I say Kelmarane is about 2 miles from here. For now you should go eat and rest.
After a good night of rest, you all are awakened by the hot sun, and Hadrah toiling a small bell while chanting: Breakfast is ready wake up!Wake up! After being rudely awakened and directed towards a small rug where an assortment of bread with and some tarts have been set. After a good time eating Hadrah's cooking you are all called by Garavel:
Saresha, Ghirhuk, Beinir, Bahram and Rauve. As you heard yesterday from Almah we need to move the camp but before we can do so, the monastery must be explored and cleared of any dunngers it might have. This task We are giving to you, as we cannot spare the mercenaries from their duty guarding the camp.
Saresha straps her sword on with a nod, and swings herself up on to Daystar, clinking a bit in the process.
Ghirhuk is up and about early, sunning himself to warm up after the cold desert night.
Bahram wake as late as he is allowed. having a fitfull sleep, tossing and turning.
finally he joins everyone. tucking his shirt in and looking a bit disheveled. mornin' all he says beig as polite as possible and he tries to straighten out his hair and clothing more to look more presentable.
Before turning in for the night, Beinir heals his wounds and tends to Bahram.
Beinir wakes before dawn and comes over to soak in the warmth of the cookfire. He lowers a metal ingot into the hottest coals and meditates with Torag while the soft metal turns a glowing red-orange. An hour later as the camp begins to stir, he extends a long metal rod into he flames and draws it back out, placing it on a small, portable anvil and spends another hour hammering it into a smooth thin ring before joining breakfast with the ring of Hadrah's bell.
He nods good morning to Bahram and turns his attention to Father Zastoran, "Say Father, I have some healing ability as you may have seen last night, but is there any chance you have healing potions here? I don't know what we'll find in this monastery, but it seems like a good idea to prepare for the worst."
Yes I have potions... But you should just be careful... You know keep your shield high. Not be reckless eh? No reason you need to get hurt and waste potions is there? You notice he is loathe to sell his potions. Plus Almah said I have to sell them for half the price! Half the price! ridiculous! If any of you is hurt I can heal you all now. The small cleric goes swiflty towards the assembled party and look at each of you and cast cure light wounds in everyone all while saying: Let me see that... Okay you're next... Stop moving... I have potions of cure light wounds, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, and lesser restoration... But you don't really want to buy do you?
"Reckless? Do you take me for a priest of Angradd? No, he is the reckless brother. Torag guides and rewards the patient."
Good than you don't need a potion! Well good luck! If you get hurt I probably to patch you up, so don't get hurt!
After traveling for about a mile of uninteresting dry land you reacan old monastery up in a small hill, it walls made of stone, broken in certain places, some patches of vegetation invading this once holy place. When you look north you can see the abandoned twon of Kelmarane, from this distance it looks indistinc except for its battle market a big building of stone, where perhaps you can see gnolls moving or perhaps it is simply the desert playing tricks to your eyes. Regardless Kelmarane must wait a while longer, your challenge today is the monastery. You enter the bulding trough one of the ruined walls getting into the nave , 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.
Enough sun. We go in monk place? Ghirhuk gestures towards the monastery as they approach.
The Kobold sniffs the air and gazes about the cool dry place that's freed him from the heat.
Snowball your Kobold expertise makes you realize that though the roof is mostly broken, the overall structure of the building seens solid enough.
Upon entering the ruin, Beinir takes a long look around the nave. "Looks like this was an impressive building at one time." Beinir looks for signs of which god was once worshiped here.
Bahram takes a survey of the floor area. buildings are old familiar turf for the city boy.
looking for signs of inhabitants besides fabled ghosts.
If the town itself were occupied this would make a good outpost for a perimiter guard.