Whit fires off two shots and one of the arrows lodges in Ben-Garri's shoulder. Scruffy takes aim but the musket fires wild and misses Ben-Garri. Bahiti stands up and swings mightily, cutting deep into Ben-Garri's flesh. Ben-Garri slashes back with his kukri.
With an arrow to the knee from Vortwyn and a mighty swing from Bahiti, Ben-Garri falls.
The body of Targos Min-Katheer is the other room, thankfully as yet untouched by the Lamashtan cultists.
After securing the corpse of Targos Min-Katheer and preparing it for travel, you find that the Pathfinder Society has arranged for a number of domesticated dromedary (one-humped) camels to serve as their mounts as they cross the high desert and make for Katheer. One camel is provided for each of you, including sufficient supplies and waterskins to make the trip, and another camel is granted to bear the shrouded body of the deceased venture-captain during the journey.
Despite having the necessary means of transportation, you will still require assistance in crossing the desert on the trade road. This is best accomplished by joining one of the so-called “silken caravans” that traverse the Silken Way. The Pathfinder Society contacts in Lopul direct you to one such caravan master whom the PCs can bargain with for passage with a caravan. The caravan in question is run by a Qadiri noblewoman of the deep desert tribes named Jamila al-Shafah. She can be found at a caravanserai at the edge of Lopul
When you arrive at the caravanserai on the other side of town, find Jamila al-Shafah seated at a table with a large Taldan man in battered but serviceable half-plate armor, a shorter Qadiri man in a city-dweller’s vest and fez, and an Osirian trader in white robes with an elaborate gemstudded pectoral.
Jamila al-Shafah is a dark-skinned beauty with henna-streaked hair and green eyes highlighted with kohl. She dresses in traditional desert rider garb, although the luxurious fabrics and cosmopolitan cuts display her wealth and success as a trader of silks and precious stones of the desert.
"Welcome!" she smiles at each of you individually as you approach. You are the Pathfinders I have been tasked with escorting? And who do we have here then?"
After listening to everyone's introductions, Jamila replies, "Very well! I think we shall get along just fine. I was just signing on several final travelers who are heading the same way. May I introduce you to Gaspar du Mar?"
The aged Taldan man leans back in his chair, stroking his handlebar mustache and chin beard as he looks each of you over. Jamila continues, [b]"Gaspar will have several camels carrying some weapons he picked up in Kelesh that he hopes to resell in Katheer."
Gaspar speaks up, "And allow me to introduce my assistant Mahmoud". Gaspar waves lazily to the Qadiran man sitting next to him. Mahmoud nods politely at each of you.
The Osirion man in the white robes stands up proudly to shake each of your hands. "And my name is Hokama Pashket. It is my pleasure. I am but a simple water merchant from Osirion, but I hope to establish some new contacts on our journey. If you need anything along the way, please feel free to ask. I will be bringing along Atmar, my slave, and I would be happy to loan him to you. We shall be friends soon enough."
Jamilia smiles. "Welcome to my caravan, then. We shall be leaving from Lopul's west gate next dawn. You should ready yourselves and your. . . cargo. . . and meet us there. See you tomorrow."
The caravan gathers in the cold hour before dawn and sets out northwest just as the first bit of pink touches the eastern horizon. You are given the ignominious rearmost position in the camel train eating the trail dust of the others since you were the last to sign up. Directly in front of you are the camels of Hokama Pashket tended by him, his slave Atmar, and a pair of drivers.
The first day is grueling and hot but luckily you take a break during midday to cool off in the tents provided by Jamila .
On the second day, you spend the morning traveling through the endless sands of Qadira before taking another customary break at midday. As you are heading out for the afternoon, the wind begins to pick up.
A sudden wind blows in off the erg carrying a wall of dust and grit - it appears a sandstorm is coming. The skilled caravan, however, keeps moving.
Vortwyn and Scruffy are able to keep Hokama's crew in sight and you are able to draw nearer to the water seller’s camels during a slight lull in the storm. A cry from the merchant’s young slave rings out as he points into the blowing sand where several humanoid creatures approach, most smaller than humans and all muffled in heavy robes. Each stranger’s head has a great helm wrapped in keffiyehs, and each faceplate has only a small eye slit to keep out the fury of the storm. Each holds a curved sword, and it is clear they are converging on your position.
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Scruffy's curses are probably drowned out by the yelling and winds and...well, he's not the sort to think about it too much, so he scoots over to get a clear shot at one of the bigger targets out there (the hobgoblin indicated), and fires!
BLAM! (Musket fire, Deadly Aim included, vs. Touch AC (and maybe flatfooted too since Scruffy saw/acted first?))
If a hit, Bullet Damage: piercing/bludgeoning
Scruffy's shot flies wild and all of the raiders move in on you, the goblins wielding short swords and the hobgoblins wielding longswords.
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Regardless of what everyone else does, Scruffy is going to curse and try to get back to a position he can shoot from, or else he'll be less than useless here!
He takes a five-foot adjust closer to the center and tries to stab Goblin 3 with his bayonet, Fighting Defensively, but using his Halfling Adaptable Luck.
Stab?
Damage? Piercing
GM: .
Scruffy will also shout out, "Look out for that one behind you Bahiti!"
Everyone gets +1 Attack/Damage vs Goblin 2 until it dies or Scruffy identifies a new target for this ability.
Vortwyn stabs with his rapier and manages to draw blood. Scruffy's bayonet slips on the goblin's armor, but Bahiti slices at one of the creatures and it falls to the ground. Whit slashes with his longsword but misses the goblin in front of him.
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Scruffy shouts out in reply to Bahiti, "Can't fire unless ya'll give me time to reload, lady!"
He takes a five-foot adjust back towards the drovers, shouting at Goblin 3, "You green-skinned pipsqueak, you're no meaner than my wife on a good day!"
Everyone gets +1 Attack/Damage vs Goblin 3 until it dies or Scruffy identifies a new target for this ability.
Once again he tries to stab Goblin 3 with his bayonet, using his Halfling Adaptable Luck (2nd of 3 uses for today).
Stab?
Damage? Piercing
Until now Hokama, Atmar, and the Drovers have been taking up defensive positions trying to protect themselves and their camels but when Goblin 4 turns to Drover 2, the drover slashes the goblin's head off with a slice from his scimitar. Seeing his companion enter the fight, Drover 2 steps forward and takes out Goblin 2. Unfortunately Goblin 1 and Hobgoblin Leader 1 then turn to the drover and stab him, dropping him bleeding to the ground. The rest of the goblins reposition themselves and attack.
Goblin 1 attacked Drover 2
Hobgoblin Leader 1 attacked Drover 2
Hobgoblin Leader 2 attacks Drover 1 but misses
Whit successfully dodges Goblin 1, but Goblin 8 and 9 take a swing as he runs past.
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Scruffy winces as one of the goblins' blades slices his side, taking a five-foot adjust back another step. Gritting his teeth, he shouts out, "I survived my wife's cooking and three generations of Flaxseeds, ain't lettin' a bunch of gobs take me down!"
Scruffy will risk the attack of opportunity from Goblin 3 as he grabs his only iron pellet grenade from his belt, lights it, and throws it at the ground at Hobgoblin 3's feet, then reloads his musket with an alchemical cartridge (also provokes from Goblin 3 if he has combat reflexes).
Ranged attack vs Hobgoblin 3's square, AC 5:
Grenade Damage when it explodes: All creatures in the blast radius get a DC 15 reflex save for half damage from the total
Fire Damage:
Piercing Damage:
Bludgeoning Damage:
He then shouts out, "This' gonna be loud folks - hope Vortwyn can hang on just a few seconds!"
The blast goes off and Goblin 10 falls. The drover winds up and Hobgoblin Leader 3 goes down. Hobgoblin Leader 2 swings at the drover and misses. Hokama and Atmar take up defensive stances behind their camels as Golbin 1 and Hobgoblin Leader 1 close in.
Goblin 1 is moving for Atmar.
Hobgoblin Leader 1 is moving in on Hokama and Hobgoblin Leader 2 is sparring with the drover.
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Scruffy only has 2 HP left, but he makes it to Vortwyn and gives him just barely enough first aid to save him!
"Get out of there Bahiti! Grab Whit, we need to retreat!"
The just-today-turned 60-year-old Halfling grinds his teeth on his last cigar and tucks a few personal belongings into Vortwyn's bag. "Grab Vortwyn too...I'll hold 'em off so you can escape!" He readies his musket, seeming determined to make a stand!
Scruffy rushes over to Vortwyn and staunches the worst of his wounds. Bahiti breaks away from the goblins, grabs Vortwyn and Whit, and rushes for the camels, which have run scared to the top of the nearby dune.
Hokama and Atmar cower behind their camels as Goblin 1 slices the camel open. The drover takes down Hobgoblin Leader 2 but is then stabbed in the back by Goblin 3.
Hobgoblin Leader 1 calls out to his underlings, "Rally to me! Rally to me! A charge to finish them off!" The goblins rush over with a crazed look in their eyes and turn to the group of wearied and bloodied adventurers, preparing for a final rush of blood.
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As his temporary haste wears off, Scruffy sees the goblins spreading out to charge and spits out his stogie into the burning desert sand.
"Like ya said before lady...I'm a little one, and a full step slower than you or the goblins - they'll catch me in a heartbeat, and we'll both be even slower than that if we're draggin' these two..."
Scruffy takes a five-foot adjust so he can get a clear line-of-sight on the Hobgoblin Leader, hoisting his musket, "Ol'Ev" to his shoulder and sighting in on the goblionoid's head.
"Get goin'! Tell the Flaxseeds that gramps went down shootin', and got to enjoy being a Pathfinder agent before he turned the big 6-0 tomorrow mornin'."
And with that, Scruffy squeezes off the trigger to Ol'Ev, planning to make his stand so the others can make a run for it.
A parting shot! vs. Touch AC (Deadly Aim and Adaptable Luck - 3rd use of 3 for today - included)
Bullet Damage if a hit:
Scruffy's shot goes off and catches the leader in the soldier. He screams in pain. "You're mine!" The captain yells out to the assembled goblins in front of him in a harsh and ugly language.
Goblin 1 slashes away at the camel, not heeding his captain's commands.
The hobgoblin leader and Goblin 8 draw bows, aiming their arrows at Scruffy.
The goblins eyes light up as they hold their short swords above their heads and charge on the halfling, screaming wildly, their red eyes gleaming in the hot desert sun.
Bahiti, carrying the bodies of his two fallen comrades Vortwyn and Whit, runs up the sand dune and begins to throw their bodies on to one of the camels.
