Day One
Hearing the announcement for roll call, you gratefully leave the Cold Moonshine and join the assembly of expedition hopefuls. Barune stands on a podium and opens a piece of paper. He gaze at the near one hundred applicants with a rather unpleasant scowl.
He clears his throat and speaks as loud as he can. ”Alright listen up. I already had an elite team of explorers put together for this expedition already and I wasn’t personally looking for any additional hands. So consider yourselves lucky my employer insisted on five more. Now, step forward as I call your names.” Barune proceeds to rattle off a list of names, none of which are yours. He continues. ”Alright I have who I want, the rest of you go home.”
As the crowd begins to disperse and the five men, reasonable looking recruits, make their way to the caravan, you hear a booming voice announce. ”Barune you did not select the applicants I wanted!” From one of the wagons steps a tall elf who has a weathered and wise appearance of someone who has been on in his years.
The elf has shots of grey in his beard and his hair but his complexion is still remarkably fair. The most unique feature of this elf is the strange red stone that fills out his entire right eye socket. A most disturbing sight. He carries himself with an equally disturbing heir as he strides to the podium. He almost seems to be floating. His very appearance emanates power.
He confronts Barune. ”I said I wanted specific people for this role.”
Barune coughs and does his best to explain. ”Sir you put me in charge of this caravan and it is my job to ensure that we have the right men for the job. You are already putting me at five over capacity for a journey of this caliber and I need to think of our survival. We will run out of food before we ever reach Aridia.”
The elf leans in and stares hard at Barune with his stone eye. ”Of the two of us, who has been to Aridia?” He says in a barely audible menacing voice. Barune lowers his head and steps back. The elf steps up and speaks. ”It looks like I will do the choosing here as these are people I am specifically requesting go along.”
He looks over the gathered people. ”I am Yalandere and I am looking for specific people to go to Aridia.” He steps down from the podium and out among those gathered,
As he does he comes up to each of you specifically and states. ”I have need of you, pack your things, we leave soon.”
When he is finished he begins to return to the caravan, the five men who were chosen originally step in his path. The gruffest of these announces. ”Hey big shot! We were chosen! What’s wrong with taking us along!”
Yalander gazes at the man and simply responds. ”I have no need of you. Now out of my way.”
The men persist in blocking his path. ”I came a long way to simply just be turned down. Your taking me with you!”
Suddenly the stone eye of Yalandere glows and suddenly all five men pass out where they stand. You are unsure as to what spell was cast but it was powerful. Yalandere merely floats past the unconscious men to his wagon saying nothing more.
You retrieve your things and join the caravan.
-Week One-
The caravan set out without a problem and the journey to the desert had begun. During this week things are pretty standard. Barune has his people hunt, collect water, and other resources as often as possible to try and expand their food supply.
The caravan is run very well and Barune himself is not as inept as you may have thought. His people are efficient and some even better than some of you at doing things. During this whole time however, Yalandere does not make another appearance. Even at feeding times he stays locked in his wagon and does not come out once.
-Week Two-
Two weeks at the desert and you just keep going. It is rough and some of you have never been this far into the Sarengave. The stories were true, the further in you go, the scarcer the resources. Still, Barune is more than prepared for this and he and his people do there best to ration what food they have to ensure that you are always fed.
The Summons
Halfway into week three Barune meets with each of you. ”I was told to send you to Yalandere’s tent. He wants to speak with you about something.” As he wanders off you hear him mumble something along the line of “whats so special about them anyways”
The five of you are let into Yalandere’s wagon. There is room enough for the five of you to sit and for Yalandere to sit at the end of the wagon where he can address all of you. He looks to each of you. ”No doubt you have questions. Feel free to ask and I will answer as I chose.”
Meriui sits in the floor along one wall, as much out of the way as he can get. "There are, of course, other questions, but the first in my mind is simple enough. I know why I wold have picked me for this journey. I am certain each of our companions know why the would have picked themselves for this journey. I would like to know why you picked us for your trek to Ar'Dya."
Yalandere looks to Meriui and grins. "The question I was expecting." He touches his stone eye. "Visions my friends. Through the great seer Turval Umadi I was given a vision of the champions needed to reach Aridia and return. You five were there specifically and it is the destiny of you five to go to Aridia and conquer it's perils and claim it's rewards. Aridia is no place you can simply walk into. No. First when we arrive we must seek out Umadi. Only he can tell us how to reenter the land of Aridia. He is the one who saw you and he is the one who will guide us to the vast wealth of Aridia. He is a very old and dear friend of mine and I trust him with my life. You are to become the champions of Aridia and he and I will help you accomplish that title. No pressure."
Faruq stood towards the front of his companions, one hand on the hilt of his scimitar, as of yet unused on the journey.
"How much further until we reach this Turvul Umadi?"
Yalandere looks right at Faruq. "Five weeks if all goes well."
Quietly listening to his companions ask their questions, Ghersh mulls over the answers before asking his own question. "Who rules in Aridia?"
Yalandere sighs. "Each breed of elemental genie ruled a corner of Aridia. Before just a couple of decades ago, Daiga ruled all of it and them. The genies initiated a coup and overthrew Daiga casting him from his throne. Once the seat was empty, they couldn't decide among themselves who would replace Daiga, and then the great genie war of Aridia began. No one has seen Daiga since the coup took place. He is supposedly hiding somewhere preparing to take back his throne. At the moment, no one really rules Aridia. They are just fighting over it. Human and half-genie stewards and governors set the laws for the common folk now. However, with all the military pulled for the war, the people of Aridia are left to fend for themselves."
Wyldryn listens to Yalandere's explanations, but what he says about Daiga concerns him greatly. "I understand genies are powerful, but... to overthrow a god? Such a concept is quite disconcerting." He ponders a moment.
"What of the lands of Aridia, Yalandere? The legends of my people say it is a land of plenty. I am eager to see the fabled lands!" His excitement is palpable and he is practically grinning.
The display of power by Yalandere was impressive to say the least.
As the caravan got underway, 'Abal spent her time studying her companions. Being the only woman in the group she expected them to consider her less, especially considering that the majority of them were clearly capable warriors.
As the weeks wore on she took their measure as they shared meals and water, learning of each other's skills and talents.
"So you propose for us to venture into the hidden city, plunged into a war among beings capable of overthrowing the great God of the desert himself?" Her expression went far beyond skeptical.
"How do you propose we accomplish what the Master of the Sarengave cannot?"
Yalandere nods. "Aye. Daiga being defeated in such a manner was a shock to everyone. Aridia is falling apart because of this. Aridia itself is still the beautiful land Daiga had intended it to be, it is just in a state of war now. Hopefully the war will leave us alone and we can move freely. But I am prepared in the event it does not."
To Abal he says. "We are trying to enter Aridia my dear, not overthrow it. The seer Umadi will tell us what the next step is. We are going to see him first and then we will enter Aridia. Whatever any of you hoped to gain from Aridia can still be found. Even Daiga himself is still alive. The genies were strong enough to drive him from his throne but not strong enough to destroy him."
Meriui shakes his head. "He finds a way to steal even peace." He looks at the group around him. "We do what he can not by doing things he would not do. If Ar'Dya is still the land of milk and honey, then we must work not to claim it, to help others be confident of their place there. These are things Daiga would not do."
Faruq stroked his goatee; he was disturbed by what he was hearing.
"What manner of god could be defeated by genies? What sort of power could they possess to manage such a feat?"
Yalandere takes a heavy breath. "What I am about to say may come as a shock to you, but....Daiga is not an actual god. Not in the way the gods are defined. He's different. He's a mortal but a mortal with extraordinary power and will. He created Aridia, all of it. He ruled it for centuries. It took four armies of genies. We are talking thousands of extraplanar outsiders whose common folk are ten times stronger than an average mortal citizens to conquer just one person. They even had to unite. The four elemental genies have never been able to unite before but they did so because they would not have been able to defeat Daiga otherwise. Now they are divided and fighting each other once again. Even if we ourselves had to fight any of them, it would not be the same foes Daiga faced. They are a poor fraction of the strength Daiga faced and they will never be able to muster that power again. I suspect Daiga is waiting for the right time to retake his throne, when the genies completely lose the advantage they had over Daiga for good, he will return."
A shock indeed. Wyldyrn's mouth dropped open for a moment upon hearing Daiga was not a deity; the Being to whom he had devoted his entire life... How could this be? "I... I don't understand, Yalandere. You must be mistaken. I have followed Daiga my entire life, for over a century! He promised my people a place in the lands of Aridia! I cannot believe that!"
The sudden fire disappeared as quickly as it came. Wyldyrn's head dropped into his hands, seemingly defeated. "My entire life devoted to a lie... My people, I promised to lead them to our home... how can I return to them now?"
"Look at how much Daiga has stolen from you, and from your tribe. It matters not what we call Daiga, he takes what he wants, unless we protect it."
Ghersh listens intently to Yalandere's tale. All the races of the Djinn came together to overthrow a single man? That is as remarkable as it is horrible.
At the elf's proclamation, Poor elf. To serve a mystery all one's life only to discover that is a man, a terribly powerful man, but still a man. The cavalier shakes his head in commiseration.
Yalandere gazes at Wyldyrn. "I apologize. But you seem to have misunderstood something. Golorion has it's gods, these deities, but Daiga does not fall into that category. He is a god of a different kind. I do not know what part of Daiga was a lie. He used to be a mortal but so was Cayden. Daiga created Aridia, he made it a sanctuary for his people, his "followers". Daiga summoned the genies to be his servants and to watch over those people. People like those of your tribe. He kept it this way for near 800 years. Then the genies turned against him. They were jealous of his followers. They wanted his power and admiration for themselves. So they rebelled against him. They may have defeated a god, but they could not destroy him. Daiga is still out there and he intends to take back Aridia for his followers. The clerics and priest draw power from him as they would any deity, even if he is not the traditional kind, he is his own kind of god. I know this, I fear him. Best never to be on Daiga's bad side. The genies themselves will regret their actions before long."
Faruq's head swam, trying to conceive the powers that were being discussed. If these tales of Daiga were true, that would put him on par with figures like Old-Mage Jatembe or Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant. That was the power of legend.
He quickly closed his mind to such thoughts. It was not the time to ponder over the abilities of false gods. He met Yalandere's gaze. "What do you seek in Aridia? And why did you specifically pick us?"
'Abal glares at Meriui. Over the weeks she had come to tire of his constant complaining of what Daiga took.
"The drinking god of the wetlanders was once a mortal man as well. Yet he is a God. If a man should transcend the fragilities of humanity and ascend to Godhood, what then is he? Man or God? Does it matter what you call him?"
She looks at each of the men in turn, her gaze comforting when she looked at the elf seer, unforgiving when turned upon the deep desert warrior.
"If a man wields the power of a God, and possesses the immortality of a God then he may as well be a God."
She looks directly at the monk.
"Daiga does not take. The Sarengave takes. Daiga provides. But he is not a wetnurse. Daiga provides for those strong enough and resourceful enough to make use of what is given. He does not cater to mewling babes who wished to be served their next meal, but to those who understand and respect the land that does not easily surrender her treasures. Daiga teaches strength through struggle, a lesson you seem to have learned despite your ungratefulness."
"Ah, he has taken your heart, I see. A shame."
"Ah, he has taken your heart, I see. A shame."
Yalandere looks to each of you. "I chose you because Umadi saw you in a vision. You would help me. When the genies claimed Aridia, they sealed in from Daiga's followers who are now trapped in the waiting land of Aradina. Aradina is a habitable oasis that surrounds the land of riches Aridia. It is a place where Daiga's people wait until he permits them to settle in Aridia. Well, it was that way. Now they genies let no one in. In fact, they kicked everyone else out. Me included. I left something very important behind and I need to get it back. But no one in Aradina possesses what I need. Umadi said you do and that i simply need to find you and bring you to him. That is why I came, to collect you, to help me recover my personal treasure. In return you will find Aridia and everything you wanted on this journey will be waiting for you there."
He looks to each of you awaiting more questions.
Wyldyrn is silent as he listens to the others' words, and they ring true in his heart; despite his new understanding of Daiga's nature, nothing truly has changed. 'Forgive my lapse in faith.'
"No more self-pity. I will go with you to see this Umadi. I shall venture into the mythic land of Aridia for my people. And I will seek out Daiga once all this has been completed. For all that I have given him, Daiga should grant me an audience."
He gives a nod to his companions for their empathy, save for the cold Meriui; he is of several tribes who had fallen prey to the unfriendliness of the Sarengave. It was a harsh place with harsh lessons, but it also taught Wyldyrn's people long ago that survival required cohesion and at times... compassion.
"What is this treasure you seek, Yalandere? Is it something that will aid us in our journey? Also, what should we expect to encounter during our travels in the Fabled Lands?"
"So, we are to follow you to Ara'Dyna. From there we will find a secret way into Ar'Dya where we will scurry about under the watchful gaze of beings of great power, and steal back those things to which you lay claim? I think I understand the task, though the titles you try to bestow do not seem to match with the task. This suggests that I do not understand your intent on how we will accomplish this thing. Please, explain why champion will be an appropriate title."
Yalandere nods. "The treasure I seek is of I personal matter. I would tell you when we come to trust one another more. If we ever end up trusting one another. What I seek is at the end of our journey and my purpose for reaching out to you in the first place."
Yalandere hardens the gaze of his one eye. "There may be a chance of facing genies. There will be training and plenty of preparation before that happens. However, when we arrive in Aradina, we will face Anubites. They are the scourge of Aradina and they terrorize it's people. They are half man half jackal creatures that were created by a powerful Alchemist named Anubis. If I had to compare them to something it would be Gnolls. There are a good many similarities between the two. Be cautious of them."
At Meriui. "I see you are the fun one of the group. The title champion was meant to apply to the return home. Nobody has ever returned from Aridia in one piece, physically or mentally. This is because people never knew how to cope with the powers that influence this land. To come here and return with whatever you came for makes you the champion. I may have mislead you into thinking your are to follow me all the way to recover what I lost but that is not the case. I need you to simply get into Aridia. Once inside we all get what we came for and leave. Maybe, if I feel I can trust you, I will let you help me recover my prize."
"I believe that is all the questions we have for now. If you have further need of me, I will be in my tent." Faruq took his leave.
Yalandere lowers his head. "You know what I want from you and what to expect. Either way I have told you all I can. Be ready for when you arrive. Aradina is also known as the proving grounds and it is given that name for a reason. None yet have proven themselves but you will be the first I am sure."
With that Yalandere dismisses you and you return to your duties with the caravan.
Week Three-
This week is particularly hard. Food is scarce and you are now tapping the caravan's rations considerably. Most nights the hunters return with no food. On the nights they do it is nothing more than large insects or desert snakes.
The people are beginning to murmur. Most turn back after this distance but Yalandere assures Barune the course is good and they are making progress.
Week Four-
Food is dwindling. None is collected anymore. Barune tries desperately to ration resources. The rests of the workers are growing delusional from the heat and lack of nutrition, Barune rotates shifts frequently so people can sleep to reserve their energy and keep their sanity. Most don't sleep well and simply stare at the ceilings of the caravans
You fair only so well yourselves. The heat is getting to most of you. The lack of food and water is becoming more and more hard to manage. You hear people dreading the possibility of never returning and toying with the idea of forcing Barune to turn back.
Week Five-
The point of no return. Once this point is reached and crossed, there is no going back. Expeditions that have come this far won't have enough food stored to return. It is impossible to keep food and water beyond this point.
Barune stops the caravan. He addresses Yalandere, you can hear the argument from outside Yalandere's wagon.
"Hey you pointy eared witch! We are at the point of no return and are stores are already dwindling thanks to your five additional mouths! The caravan was not big enough to accommodate such strain. No food we'd have would last that long!" Barune shouts.
Yalandere calmly responds. "Mister Bandelvis I have preserved your food well it won't go bad on it's own. The problem is you are not watching your men and there are several among them sneaking extra helpings."
You hear Barune snarl. "WHAT!?!" Suddenly the door to Yalandere's wagon opens and Barune storms out. He tracks down one of the men working with one of the draft animals. "You! I thought someone was sneaking rations. Since the last time I caught you I am sure it was you again."
The man pleads. No it wasn't me! Not this time. It was Gazeed! He took the food."
Suddenly another man appears shouting. "How dare you blame me you thief!"
Before you know it a ruckus is breaking out and now the two men are armed with daggers. Their fighting has drawn another two men into the fray also armed with daggers.
Barune is desperately trying to break up the fight but another man stabs him in the process. He recoils and looks at you. "Hey! Subdue them! I don't care how, just take them out however you chose!" Barune has clearly been hurt badly and very angry.
How do you wish to handle this situation. There are five men fighting in all. Two on two and the fifth man seems to be looking for a place to get in. They are all wearing leather armor and armed with daggers. Barune has given you the okay to use lethal force since they already have. It is up to you how to proceed.
Your turns
Moving calmly towards the fight, empty-handed, Meriui states simply "Spilling blood at this point does no one any good. You should stop this fighting, now." he moves specifically towards the pair on the left, hands up and spread slightly beyond shoulder width.
‘Abal weathered the next two weeks of travel far better than any of the others. The heat had little negative effect on her, as inured to the sweltering temperatures as she was. Where the others were suffering form dehydration and hunger, she kept her waterskin as well as those of her companion group full, calling upon her magic to draw water from the desert while others slept. In providing sustenance as well, her gifts served her, preparing a spell in her mind each day that allowed her to dream of a great feast each night while the desert nourished her body as a mother would a child.
As the melee begins, the men falling upon each other with knives like maddened jackals, she calls out to the Sarengave to show them why they should fear the land and band together rather than turn each other.
”Fools. To prey on each other is to fall prey to the land and all that dwell within her.” she shouts as she begins a rhythmic chant accompanied by jerky sinuous movements.
Ghersh seems to thrive in the blistering heat of the Sarengave, always a smile and a laugh to any of his fellow travelers comments. His camel seems to be fairing the extreme weather as well as it's master.
At the sight of the men fighting, Ghersh approaches astride his camel. At a gentle flick of his crop, the camel responds by spiting at the nearest man.
"Stop this foolishness! Lives are at stake and none more than your own. Killing each other deprives us of two men, the one you kill and the one we exile out into the wastes on his own! Please do not force such a decision upon us."
Wyldyrn assists Abal in keeping water flowing for the caravan, though he is unable to help with additional sustenance. He has since come to grips with the shock about the truth of Daiga... Although his understanding has changed for his patron, Wyldyrn still supplicates to the entity, whatever he may be...
Wyldyrn curses the men for their weakness, allowing their brains to fall prey to the heat of the Sarengave. He approaches Barune, allowing the others to handle the melee for the moment. The orcale whispers of healing waters and his hands are suddenly covered in a deep blue glow, like the color of pure, deep water. Wyldyrn places his hands over the caravan master's wound and Barune feels the pain of his injury lessen and begin to heal.
It takes ten rounds to complete a diplomacy and you can take no aggressive actions while doing so.
I am waiting on Faruq. If he does not post by evening today I will post for him.
Faruq rushes over to the fray, scimitar drawn and shield readied. He had been waiting for this moment, when the brutal heat and lack of food would break the spirit of some of his fellow travelers. Nobody would die if he could help it.
He lashed out at the nearest man wielding a dagger, trying to hit him with the flat of his blade.
Round One Results
Barune looks to Wyldyrn, "Thanks, I'll be fine. Go deal with those bastards. I have no use of men who cannot tough out the desert."
Due to the camel's spit, one of the men is pretty sickened.
The remaining men turn to attack you.
One attacks Faruq with a dagger. He just hits for 3 damage. Lethal.
Another attacks Meriui missing cleanly
Two others attack Ghersh atop a camel. One of them is the sickened one. One hits for 4 damage.
The last attempts to interrupt Abal's spell. He scores a hit for 4 damage. You need to make a concentration check DC 15 or lose the spell.
Round 2 Begins
Your turns
As the caravaneers turn and attack Ghersh, all thoughts of preserving their lives flee and he takes up his lance. He attacks the nearest of the two men attacking him, directing his camel to attack the other man.
Barune looks to Wyldyrn, "Thanks, I'll be fine. Go deal with those bastards. I have no use of men who cannot tough out the desert."
Wyldyrn nodded his understanding to the caravan master. The elf stood and took in the battlefield with a glance and watched as Ghersh quickly took down his two combatants and he saw Abal take a nasty knife wound that caused her spell to falter. He decided to come to the druid's aid!
As Wyldryn crosses the impromptu battlefield his hands are suddenly wreathed in bright, white flames. He approaches the man attacking Abal from behind and places his hands upon the vile man's back! The flames quickly spread along him, burning much of his body!
As the first man attacks Meriui, the desert dweller attempts to knock the attacker to the ground.
---
---
Frowning at his own ineptitude, the young tribesman flurries against his attacker, striking out unarmed twice, trying to deal nonlethal damage.
---
Hissing in pain as the knife scores a cut across her skin, 'Abal steps back as Wyldyrn moves against her attacker and draws her scimitar, the dark metal noticeable for its lack of gleam in the sunlight.
A shimmer seems to envelop her, making her outline waver and shift, the air around her distorted.
Cursing as the man's dagger wounds him, Faruq strikes back, his earlier concern for these men gone.
Round Two Results
Gersh takes down one of the thugs and his mount finishes the job.
Faruq DOES confirm his crit, these guys are basic thugs with no armor, and cuts the man's head off.
Two of the men are hurt badly but still resisting.
One of the men manages to stab Meriui for 4 damage.
Round Three Begins
Your turns.
One of them did attack you and missed, he's in your face.
One is in Meriui's melee
One is still attack Abal
Faruq faces his other attacker and bashes with his shield, while bringing his bloodied scimitar down in a vicious arc.
Wyldyrn looks grim as Ghersh rides past on his camel, missing the attacker! Once more the white flash burst into being around his hands with a roar as he reaches out to grasp the foolish man...
Wyldryn pays no attention to the screams of the man as the burning wrath of the Sarengave claims yet another unworthy soul. Instead he draws his boomerang from his sheath at the small of his back and scans for another target.