Taidus tries to slap the masked man as he casts a spell.
Grog rips apart both red and pink, killing them outright. Seeing this, Doodle redirects his attack to blue, doing close to the same.
Namel likewise tries to redirect his attacks, but is unsure of the new target.
Stepping back further into the next room, the masked leper casts a spell aimed at Grog, who he just watched rip apart two men.
The masked man takes a 5' step and tries to cast a spell defensively.
The spell has indeed expired, although a protection from good spell is in it's place. Taidus is good, then it is just enough to turn away his attack.
However, despite Meran's and Doodle's good standing in society, they both manage to drive their attacks home, killing the man who was so destined to be destroyed anyway.
Riceak spends 20 minutes looking around, concentrating on detecting magic and finally comes across a vial containing some magical oil.
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Having never paid any attention to any of the magical theory, he does not even attempt to identify the bottle.
Instead he heads over to the body.
Without touching it directly: Narnel examines the Venture-Captain's body to see if he notices anything amiss or generally what the masked man was doing to the body.
It is hard to tell what these leper's were doing here. They were wrapping the body, perhaps in preparation for taking it?
Now secured, you are able to finish preparing the VC for transport. You also learn 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 know that you will still require assistance in crossing the desert on the trade road.
You know that many travellers try to work together by joining one of the so-called “silken caravans” that traverse the Silken Way.
Through your Pathfinder Society contacts in Lopul, you know of one potential caravan run by a Qadiri noblewoman of the deep desert tribes named Jamila al-Shafah .
Meran finds the location of the Jamila al-Shafah at a caravanserai at the edge of Lopul where she is taking on the final few travelers to join her caravan.
She 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.
You find her 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 gem-studded pectoral.
"Yes?"
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After walking up to the table she bows politely, "Good Day. My name is Meran Thanlos. I've heard good things about your caravan from my fellow Pathfinders. We are taking the body of one of our Venture Captains on his final journey along the Silken Way to his home city of Katheer, there to rest with his ancestors. We would like in joining up with your caravan for that journey. We have our own supplies and transportation, but don’t have the expertise to find the way. Are you interested?”
"Sorry, folks, my roster is full."
The others at the table are quiet.
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"Wait a minute. All we need is to ride close to you. We have the means of going, and our own gear, and we are good in a fight, and you are refusing us? How about we just ride close to you anyway, whether you like it or not? What would you do about it then? I don't mean to be ugly, but that's not very nice of you!"
"We might know the way to Katheer, but I bet we are good enough trackers to follow your path." Doodle was highly angry at the caravan master's stance.