Dull as he is, my wizard is often right.
At these words Karethas gives a sullen glance at Amir and nervously smooths his robes in an attempt to calm and compose himself. He looks back intently at Idi when Amir asks for ideas on terms.
Idi gives Amir a calculating look, "I do not know if your master can match what I expect to receive in Kelmarane. He is welcome to participate in the auction, of course. Did you not bring slaves to sell as well or do you just seek to pilfer mine?"
Keeping his face impassive Karethas leans down and whispers in Amir's ear, "I don't know about you, but I don't have a good answer to that. We may have taken the wrong track on this."
Amir waves off Karethas blithely, In gold? No I suspect not... but my master has much more than gold to offer. Contacts. Contracts. Information. And we of course have our own own slaves, some we might part with. We have elves of our own. I have one, a male, very fresh but well trained already. Pretty. Knowledgeable... Amir frowns sullenly. But a little frail and not quite right. My master has a certain aesthetic taste and your new treasure would match a more recent acquisition of ours better than the male currently in our possession.
Amir will stretch languidly and push a piece of food into his mouth. I see no auction block here, no crowd or onlookers. Gentlemen of means can always find accommodations away from prying eyes. I have my master's full confidence. Name you price...
Slow Idi flashes his stained teeth and pulls at his earring, "Do you carry much gold with you?"
Much gold? No. My master arranges transportation of funds to the markets separate from his representative. It ensures more...civil proceedings...
Sensing treachery from the old slaver Amir shrugs after his comment. Turning to Karethas languidly Amir notes, Slave trading can be such dirty business. Springing from his seat Amir dives towards Slow Idi, the knife leaping to his fingers from his mechanical sheath. Amir yells as he leaps forward. Kzrira!
Edit:
Karethas senses that the conversation is not going well. He twists his ring nervously and when Amir attacks he begins waving his hands in a slow hypnotic pattern at the Gnoll by the door. His voice raises into a sonorous chant.
Amir
Karethas
Faelar
Kzrira
Idi
Gnolls
Amir leaps upon the scrawny slaver much to his surprise. The dagger meets some sort of invisible yet tangible resistance, but manages to cut deep into Idi's chest. Blood spraying from his chest, Idi scrambles back taking a puff from his hookah and blowing out a cloud of pesh smoke that fills the entire tent.
Hearing the call from within:
Faelar, time to have fun.
I fire my crossbow at the gnoll by the entrance (G5)
Attack:
Damage:
After hearing Kzrira's comment, I spend the turn untying Xilla and myself. I guess the whole slave trading didn't work then? Shame, that could have been done so peacefully.
'Xilla, do you have any abilities that could enhance our comrades in this battle or anything to stop a few enemies?' After hearing her answer, I will climb out of the wagon, Rapier drawn.
'Xilla, do you have any abilities that could enhance our comrades in this battle or anything to stop a few enemies?'
Xilla shakes her head as she draws her dagger, "Sadly, unless you need a scroll read or item quickly identified, I have little to offer."
Kzrira's bolt hits the gnoll in the gut, majorly harshing his pesh buzz.
'That is a shame, I suggest you stay hidden in here then and stay safe. Xander would not be happy if you were to come all this way, just to get hurt or die here, just when you were about to save him from his nightmare.'
The thick cloud of pesh fills the entire tent limiting vision and overwhelming Amir and Karethas with the intoxicating effect. Karethas is quickly brought back to reality with a clout to the head as a gnoll suddenly loom before him and strikes him with a sap.
Outside the wounded gnoll quickly draws his hooked blade and swings at Kzrira, but grimaces and nearly doubles over at the pain from the bolt in his gut. The gnoll by the slaves grabs some sort of odd polearm that is tipped with a metal scorpion claw and advances toward the crossbower with the hyenas at his heels. Faelar frees himself and leaps in front of the wagon while Xilla slips her own ropes and stands.
Round 2
Faelar, flank this gnoll if you can.
5-foot move to H3.
Attack gnoll:
Damage:
I move so that Kzrira and myself are flanking the Gnoll . 'I am sorry about this, I did not want to resort to violence.' I draw my rapier and begin to sing a familiar Elven battle song.
Amir sways and coughs, the pesh filling his lungs and clouding his sense in a miasma of euphoric and sickening sensations.
Amir continues to stare deeply into the clouds of pesh uninterested of the action around him. Somewhere in the smoke Idi casts another spell.
Kzrira steps to the side of the gnoll but is put on defense as she switches weapons.
With Kzrira stepping behind the other gnoll, the one with the scorpion claw mancatcher turns it on Fealar. The claw snaps closed on the elf and he nearly slips out before it tightens on him pinching him with cruel barbs.
Kzrira's foe suddenly sweeps low with his khopesh and knocks her feet out from under her. Meanwhile the frightened mules begin kicking and pawing the ground. Xilla does her best to control the wagon team, but Hota bolts and the delighted hyenas instinctively follow.
I try to wriggle free of the Gnolls grip, 'Please let me go!'
I try to wriggle free of the Gnolls grip again, 'Please?!'
Karethas steps back from the Gnoll who attacked him and attempts to cast a spell again. He waves his hands in a slow hypnotic pattern at the Gnoll by the door, his voice raising into a sonorous chant.
Karethas steps back from his attacker to cast a spell and then the gnoll looms back toward him in the haze only to lower his sap and look a bit confused as to why he was attacking the kindly magician.
Amir smiles at the gnoll reclining next to him and the gnoll returns a relaxed claw-thumbs up. From somewhere in the smoke Idi begins another spell.
Faelar struggles against the scorpion claw device but makes no headway.
Karethas points at Idi, "Sahibi! That man, Idi, is trying to harm me and my companions. Please help us!" He then makes some arcane motions and a shimmering field
surrounds him momentarily. "Should have done that before we entered camp," he mutters to himself.
Round 3
Seeing that I am in a bit of a conundrum, I swing at the gnoll's legs with my rapier and then make a 5-foot movement away from him.
Attack:
Damage:
Crit Confirm:
Damage:
5-foot move to J3 since I assume the wagon is no longer there. On the slim chance that the gnoll went down, I will stand up.
As the gnoll lifts the heavy khopesh above his head to finish Kzrira, she suddenly thrusts her rapier into his chest just above the protruding bolt so that she pierces his heart and he topples over.
The gnoll twists the scorpion claw elfcatcher tearing Faelar's skin, but it causes him to loosen his grip on the pole and with a quick twist Faelar breaks free.
'Thank-you, at last I am free again!' I look about to see if I can see Xilla anywhere and if she is in danger.
Once I have had a glance around, I will 5 ft step towards the Gnoll .I shall try to use my rapier to injure this claw wielding Gnoll.
Round 4
Seeing the knoll above me topple over, I assume that I stood up last round.
I move so that Faelar and I are flanking the gnoll if possible.
Attack-Rapier:
Damage:
Idi completes another spell and tiredness settles on everyone in the tent.
Faelar moves to engage the gnoll with the mancatcher slashing him. Kzrira begins circling around the dogman and gives him another deep wound as he drops his pole arm and draws his khopesh. He focuses on defending imself as he howls something in gnoll. Cackling laughter is returned from over the dunes.
Xilla has got the mules back under control and leaps off the wagon to rush toward the slaves. "Xander, are you here?"
Karethas cringes a bit when Idi finishes his spell, not knowing what to expect. He shakes off his sudden lethargy and looks over at Amir, knowing that he has still been struggling with the effects of the pesh Karethes fully expects Amuir to fall over asleep.
Round 5
Stop barking like a dog and talk like a real person.
Attack-Rapier:
Damage:
'Kzrira; my dear lady, he told Bonechipper and Gutripper to return to him. I can only guess that he means the two Hyena's.'
I quickly glance over at the Hyena's to see how long until they get back here or see if they are listening to their master.
Not being able to see them, I strike at him again, making sure that he is placed between Kzrira and myself again.
Amir giggles to himself slightly then passes out.
The now friendly gnoll walk toward the voice trying to fan the obscuring
haze away from his face. He growls in frustration, "I can't see anything in here. Huh-?" There is the sound of a scuffle at the side of the tent. Karethas shakes Amir awake and the gnoll returns and shrugs, "They went under the tent wall."
Kzrira strikes her gnoll down leaving Faelar an opportunity to look around in the gathering night. His sharp elven sight sees two dark shapes racing back toward the camp.
He also hears Xilla's joyous yell from near the slave pen, "Xander! We've found you! You are still alive!"
Xander yelps, "Wait, Idi is escaping!"
Round 6
Hearing the hyenas approaching, I draw my crossbow and ready a shot as soon as I see them.
Attack-Crossbow: <-- +1 as < 30'
Damage: <-- +1 as < 30'
'I shall see who is fleeing, could you take care of the Hyena's Kzrira?' With that I move towards Xilla and seeing fleeing figure as I am moving, so I change my course to chase them down.
Blustering into consciousness the rogue looks about the camp with unease. Do I hear that Idi escapes? We must not let that happen!
Amir will bound to his feet and attempt to head in the direction it migh seem the slaver is heading.
Amir makes his way through the dispersing smoke toward the back corner of the tent and then spots a gap that reveals the clear air of the night outside.
Faelar moves around the tent to spot Idi dodging behind the tent and loading a camel. He quickly follows catching up with the slaver. Kzrira fires as the hyenas clear a dune, hitting one that tumbles tail over head and then shakily gets back up to follow the other runnning toward the crossbower in its awkward gait.
Someone get that damn Idi-ot. I will keep the mutts at bay.
Attack-same hyena as last time:
Damage:
Idi you are more cowardly than the dogs that serve you! Face me!
Amir pushes his way through the tent eager to get his hands on the slaver.
I will remain close to Idi and attack whenever I can.