"Oh yes -- I think the bow will serve nicely as a reward for rescuing you! If you join us in finding the pyramids you discovered so long ago, I'm sure we shall all be pleased to leave this desert together afterwards!"
then, quietly, as an aside to Marius:
"I understand your enthusiasm for all things magical, sir -- for I now honor the power of Nethys myself, although perhaps not with your level of peity -- but I do not think it is proper to demand all of the possessions of those we've aided! Did I not rescue you with the same remedy, my friend? I certainly will not demand you surrender any of your things! I feel rewarded enough by your friendship. Perhaps these two should have the opportunity to reward us in their own way..."
Logos rolls his eyes and looks at the ceiling. "Oak preserve me if I don't sometimes feel as if I've fallen in with thieves and murders, rather than explorers and world savers." He says to nobody in particular, after the way the group is talking to the strangers. "If you can show us where the pyramid is, I would personally be grateful, and will do my best to get you back to civilization." He tells the two politely.
The group agrees and sets off north.. Although they take a few to get their bearings the couple are certainly fine survivalists and in a few days time you see an Oasis on the horizon. Or at least u think it is..
The desert gives way to a bloom of color, where a cluster of date
palms towers over a spring of clear blue water.
The woman looks at the group.. [b]"I dont remember this. Perhaps we should head more west.. Regardless this looks like a good spot to rest for the night."{/b]
As yall get closer you see and pair of black tents set up down by the water. There seem to be some men standing guard..
"I can sneak in a take a closer look to see if they are hostile if you like. Though adds are they saw us coming. Kind of hard to keep to cover in a desert. "
the small air elemental that is Hadjii likes Hemket's scouting idea:
"Perhaps Ms Voni can keep us all in communication with her: you can report your findings from 180' away..."
"Sounds good. Although why our ranged expert is also our scout still plagues me." Logos responds, still a bit grumpy.
Marius sighs as once again the group prevents the holy work of Nethys being done.
When Hemket offers to go scouting Marius nods. "Good luck and keep out of sight." Marius then shoots a glance over at Logos. "Well maybe if we had someone else who was good at hiding then they could go scouting but until then just wait."
Hemket will sneak down to the tent and do a bit of eavesdropping.
bah
The female follows Hemket in for a closer look..
and she blends right in with desert terrain..
Once the two of you get closer you see a few wagons with camels and lots of goods.. This appears to be a traveling merchant of some sort.
Calla will cast Message between their group and also invisibility on Hemket.
Hemket will report back
"Just looks like a bunch of harmless merchants. Of course that probably means we're doomed, but who's to say? "
"Wonder if they have ice cream..."
"I-i-ice cre-e-eam-mm!"
The Hadj will assume his normal human form, and cast Carry Companion on Sheeba, placing her figurine in his Polymorphic Pouch. Then he'll just be an average Obsidian Eye kinda guy as we enter the oasis.
Calla whisper some wisdom to the others as they start to let their guard down. "We are in the path from nowhere to anywhere! There's nothing to be seen or done here for days of travel. There's no reason for a caravan to be here nowadays... This must be trouble, be careful!"
"Perhaps a Major Image of one of us approaching could determine their reaction! I suppose both Mr Bergan and Ms Voni could each cast the spell: we could gauge their reaction to two of the party approaching..."
The party discusses tactics on say hello..
Logos shrugs. "Or I could just go down and say hi. And you lot could blast them to hell and gone if they turn hostile on me. I've got the fastest movement, I could be back here in 5 seconds if they attack."
"That works for me. I'm at least somewhat inclined to let them prove hostile before we get all paranoid and all. "
Logos approaches the caravan tents the guards go on the defensive.. "Halt! Who goes there!" This quickly attracts 4 other guards for a total of 6.. They all weild longspears and look adept at using them.. They await your response.
"I'm Logos, I was wondering if you have any ice cream for sale!" He calls out. "You are merchant's aren't you? You know, ice cream? Sugar, milk, cold?"
As the men size you up a fat merchant type comes pushing through.. "A customer you fools, lower your weapons! Greetings Logos! Welcome to my camp, come, come, see my wares! While i dont have have any frozen cream i do have lots of good things.. Are you out here alone?"
Logos smiles. "Only a madman would be in the desert alone." He says, smiling widely and showing much white teeth. "Oh, I am Logos the Mad, although it is a shame you don't have ice cream. I rather miss it." Logos approaches closer, his only apparent weapon the dozen chakrams that hang from his body in various places. [b]"What sort of wares do you have then? Not firewood I hope, it's a bit hot for firewood."[b]
The group see's Logos chatting the ten being invited into the camp, which he appears to be walking towards..
"My name is Agymah and these are my wares.."
scroll of blade barrier(1,650 gp)
scroll of heal(1,650 gp)
scroll of teleport(1,125 gp)
scroll of rainbow pattern (700 gp)
scroll of stoneskin (950 gp)
wand of lightning bolt (7 charges; 1,575 gp)
onyx dog figurine of wondrous power (15,500 gp)
stone salve(2 ounces, 4,000 gp each)
horn of blasting(20,000 gp)
cloak of resistance +4(16,000 gp)
staff of healing(29,600 gp)
12 20-gallon barrels of fermented date wine (100 gp per barrel)
10 pounds peppered camel jerky (1 gp per pound)
20 pounds of cinnamon (20 gp per pound)
15 pounds of pepper (30 gp per pound)
20 pounds of tobacco (10 gp per pound)
three polished gnoll skulls (5 gp each)
eight hyena pelts (1 gp each)
the ornate sarcophagus of Remekin III, a former merchant-prince of Eto (250 gp, mummy not included)
the supposed ashes of a lammasu held within a glass sphere (500 gp)
Last but not least he has a large egg thats blue with yellow flecks that he says is a blue dragon egg (20,000 gp)
"Doesn't look like Logos is getting attacked, so we can head on down. " and he will do so.
"Indeed -- perhaps he's found ice cream!"
IF this merchant purchases the loot we need to sell, Hadjii is interested in that scroll of Stoneskin he has for sale...
Hadjii will pick some berries, casting Goodberry to replenish his supply ().
Once Logos is sure the merchant is friendly, he'll give the signal for everyone to come down.
Calla is very suspicious about this merchant party, so she first engages them in conversation to obtain some extra information. "Hello, how are you doing guys? You know, I was kinda surprised to find someone in the middle of this desert. Do you use this road often? Or have you settled your shop here?" She asks, although the idea would be ridiculous.
The Arcanist approves everything they want to buy, but she wants to negotiate everything, and she proposes to the merchant that they make a large exchange with several products that would benefit all of them.
So, depending on how much does he want to pay for this, we will get all that money in products, and pay the difference. Here are the full prices:
+3 Bracers of Armor 9000
+2 Punching Dagger 8302
Copper wind chime decorated with gold jackal heads 200
Hadjii will try to glean mission-related clues -- masking his queries in the guise of general interest:
"Have you run across any interesting sites in the desert, sir? I have always been interested in the lost ruins and forgotten tombs that have been taken by the sand!"
and gauging the responses for unusual reactions and false statements:
The man will barter/trade with you pretty much straight up on items, that is with a good diplomacy check, but if he buys them its 1/2 by the book.. "We use this Oasis for respite as we travel from here to ther collecting things.. You just happen to catch me here! Lucky us!"
To Hadjii.. "I have traveled this desert many times, so ive seen just about it all. There are some pyramids west of here a few days travel.. You dont wanna go there though. Cursed place it is.."
Looking around his stuff spread out.. "See anything you like?"
scroll of blade barrier(1,650 gp)
scroll of heal(1,650 gp)
scroll of teleport(1,125 gp)
scroll of stoneskin (950 gp)
wand of lightning bolt (7 charges; 1,575 gp)
nothing interests Hemket.
He will accpet your trade and the additional 109gps for his items.. You all have a nice rest and awake the next morning to an empty Oasis. Where once the caravan tents was is now empty.. There aren't even any tracks left..
Yall set out with your 2 new companions to the west insearch of the cursed pyramids..
assuming we still got 4,500gp for the bracers -- minus 109gp -- that adds 4,391gp to our pool (or 879gp available spending per character...)
Yall pack up your stuff, feed the camels and head out.. The first day is uneventful but your new party members help keep the group on track..
The second day the desert gives way to low lying hills and lots of rocks.. The terrain becomes more difficult to navigate.. Late in the day you some upon a sight..
"A large, vaguely hexagonal mound stands atop a stone outcrop jutting out of the badlands. Below, winding gullies and steep ravines carve through the harsh landscape."
You all see smoke rising from the structure..
"Odd looking place. Think it's worth a look? We're looking for pyramids right?"
As the group moves in closer for a look yall all see a around a dozen creatures moving about. They appear to be tending to wounded or dead. They seem to be humanoids with an upper body of a human and the lower body of a bee. You also see about a dozen very large bees flying about. By the look of it their hive thing has been attacked and many caualities were had.
You have not been noticed yet and aroudn roughly 100' away from the closets humanoid.
"Looks like someone beat us here, and them in general. Want me to go down first and say hi? I look the least armed of us all."
"I don't know Logos, but if you do go down there bee careful."
"Oh, yes! Please be-hive yourself -- honey!"
"Worst joke ever, Austins. We need one of the sides, or even kill all of them. Let's think about it." She analyzes what she knows of this creatures to make a decision.
Marius high fives Hadjii for his great joke before considering the people in need. Part of Marius wants to charge them for help, but the other part recognizes that he had just done that, and even if he failed to collect the reward, falling into a cycle of constantly charging for help wasn't his way.
"Well I'm going down there to help out at least."
Marius then casts Tongues upon himself using Wild Arcana for communication purposes, drops his weapons off with the group, puts his scepter away, and then approaches the bee people. He makes sure that he is highly visible so as to not give off any impression of stealth.
"Hello, I am a cleric traveling these lands and I saw that you have wounded. I would like to assist in healing them."
"You guys know anything about bee pee..." Logos begins to ask their anachronistic allies, when Marius takes off at a fast walk and begins talking to them. "Oh well, let's see if the squishy guy get's stung for his impatience."