After purchasing some needed supplies, the Shadows leave Fort Ya-Aldin on their new mounts. They travel a dozen miles without incident but then approach increasingly rocky and deserted terrain. Amari, always on the lookout for tracks, notices that large predators are becoming increasingly rare. In addition, he occasionally sees clawed footprints where each footprint is about 18 inches across. As the group passes through a narrow gorge, he and Zaza suddenly hold up their hands to call a halt.
Around the bend of the gorge, you hear a shifting of sand.
<Stop!
Something ahead.
Lo, do you know what those tracks are?
It's a behir.
Behir's are very tough, can't be tripped, and have a breath weapon.
You know the stats of behirs.
A behir is a dragon-like creature which does not fly. They are quite huge, tough, and hits very hard with teeth and claws.
Amari's eye widen as they put together the pieces and he comes to a conclusion.
<Careful. Get back. We have to make a detour.
There is a big-dangerous-ground-dragon lair ahead.
We should not face such a beast without a very good reason.>
Lo'Laan carefully turns around to leave the lair far behind.
Taking the rear, Amari walks carefully backwards, keeping the gorge well in his eyes.
You hear a shifting of sand and a huge, gray snout pokes its way around the corner of the gorge. Shockingly blue eyes stare right into you as you stumble backward with your unwieldy camels. A rumbling bass voice chuckles. The grinning creature, mouth full of teeth almost as big as your arm, begins stretching and rolling its massive thick neck.
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As Zaza starts her melody; Agaban will back away with the rest of the group but going to stay within ~20 feet or so of Zaza so she will have the benefit also of the obscuring mist spell he can cast.
Hope we don't have to fight this thing and not sure if hiding in the mist will work since it seems intelligent...at least intelligent enough to have learned a language which is never good for something that large and hungry.
The big creature stands still upon its many legs. It closes its eyes and listens to Zaza's song for as long as she'll play it, giving you time to withdraw.
Amari is thunderstruck.
Shaken enough to speak out loud.
"By the demons of the sand...
Well done, Zaz..."
You rush away from the behir and out of the gorge, winding around on a different route. You push the camels until they begin growing very weary. The sun set a couple of hours ago.
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Still amazed they didn't become ground dragon food Agaban offers up another prayer of thanks.
<Amazing job Zaza...though lets keep an eye for any more tracks instead of tempting fate another time.
Pausing briefly as they reach the crest of a dune he takes a look at the horizon in front of them for any interesting landmarks.
<Anyone see any shelter or will we just rest between a set of dunes?
Lo'Laan laughs once they're clear of the beast. "Marvelous work Zaza."
The Hunter surveys the area looking for a decent campsite.
Amari will help Lo and Agaban search for a good place for the night.
You find a sheltered outcropping of rock on top of a dune where you have stone to your back and a good view of the surrounding area and settle in to rest, taking turns keeping watch, of course.
The night passes uneventfully and you wake rested and restored.
You proceed along, much as before, traveling the sands toward your distant destination.
The hills you are going to pass through first are known for having venomous snakes. The river you will need to cross to get to Fort Seleukka has crocodiles. How will you prepare for this at the beginning of the day?
As you traverse the desert, you come across an area in the hills with many mounds of earth. You think nothing of it until you are walking through the very middle of them. Then slithering forms emerge from burrows all around you, moving toward you aggressively. You react immediately!
This is the Qadiran cobra. It is extremely aggressive toward those who enter its territory.
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Seeing them surrounded by the snakes and not seeing anything to gain really with them being mounted and hopefully able to outpace the snakes as long as they can break the encirclement.
Zaza can you fascinate one of them on the left so we can run. Don't see much to gain and just cost us time to fight these if we can get outside their nests.
Lo'Laan and Serenity attack swiftly targeting the pair of snakes hoping to create an opening.
Remembering a time long past, Amari lets go of the Camels handles and steers it slightly to the left to follow Lo at a slow pace using only his weight and knees to do so.
The camel is not all to eager about this new way but follows anyway.
Seeing the duo rush those snakes at the front, Amari quickly switches aim towards a snake that is dangerously close to Agaban and Zaz, loosing off two arrows in quick succession.
With savage blows, Lo'laan, Serenity, and Amari pick off a snake each. Amari's ability to kill a snake with [i]arrows is quite remarkable.
The surviving snakes rush forward in a reckless, territorial assault. Two attack Agaban while a third attacks Zaza. But the seasoned warriors sidestep their blows with grace.
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Unsure what to do after the rest of the group moves quickly and starts to decimate the snakes around them he still snaps off a quick spell Icicle at the lower left snake.
Seeing his spell fly wide and being left behind he still guides his camel a little ways away from the snakes while pulling out his long spear and attempting to skewer the one he missed earlier.
Lo'Laan and his partner continue to decimate the snake pit with vicious attacks.
Seeing his companions fall back to finish of the snakes, Amari turn the camel with the knees and rides back to get a clear bead on the snake that tries to bite Agaban.
The group finishes off the remaining snakes with shaft, claw, and blade. They catch their breath in the hot sun, dead cobras twitching at their feet.
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Seeing all the snakes dead Agaban slides down off the camel to see if any of Amari's arrows can be salvaged.
Anyone know how to collect the poison or if the hides are worth anything...would feel bad letting their deaths go to waste.
Turning towards the mounds and taking a look around the area.
Think there is anything worthwhile around here gotta figure there would be other victims to a nest this large.
Agaban doesn't notice anything else of note but he is able to harvest six doses of cobra venom.
You continue on until you reach the river. As you walk along toward the bridge to Fort Seleukka, a hulking shape rushes out of the water with lightning speed and strikes at Lo'laan! But it can't quite get its teeth through his armor. Everyone but Amari reacts quickly to the threat.
It's a crocodile. You're really in trouble if it grabs you in its jaws.
Lo'Laan and Serenity move into position to flank the deadly predator.
As Lo'Laan deftly moves his camel into position, the crocodile snaps at him but can't get a hold with his teeth. With Zaza encouraging them onward, Lo'Laan and Serenity quickly dispatch the great reptile. Agaban has trouble getting his camel into position and isn't able to land a blow.
The Shadows cross the river with little difficulty. Up ahead, you can see Fort Seleukka a little ways along the river bank.
Lo'Laan takes care to skin the croc while the group discusses strategy.
While Amari helps Lo with the skinning (auto-succeed at aid another survival) he signs:
<Good thinking. Although this is a fort.
Anyone knows if hunters usually come here to sell their goods?>