Looking in awe and shock Bjoern at his healing wounds."WITCH"
He jumps for a moment back and is about to spit out, but then his pragmatism is winning. "You can do real magic! That is rare!"
Looking at the Jackals for a moment he adds.
"There was an deer, quite well poached over the ridge. It draw first some wolves, which the hunter slew and then those jackals. Well there is still very good meat at the deer, and we can also eat those wolves. But their meat is not good, I wager."
Looking in awe and shock Bjoern at his healing wounds."WITCH"
He jumps for a moment back and is about to spit out
She Who Knows reaction to this is to move side on to Bjeorn and to rise onto the balls of her feet. She Who Knows relaxes when Bjeorn does and replies:-
"A witch, precisely. Relax, I am healing your wounds, at least in part, not inflicting more. The jackals succumbing to slumber during combat was my doing too. Is there any wood near the deer's carcass Bjeorn. If yes, maybe we can cook and eat some of the meat and take some cooked meat with us for tomorrow's breakfast. Have any of you seen any sign of water? What we are carrying won't last forever. I can heal wounds and work magic, but my outdoor survival skills are... lacking."
Anhur eyed the witch with some suspicion, but magic was not entirely strange to him. "Ah... I have heard the women of Yar-Ammon know dark arts. So it's true." He then looked to the other and asked, "Are you a witch too?"
He faced Bjoern with a focused stare and spoke. "You fight like a warrior. But can you track like a hunter?" He swept his hand out in front of him to gesture at the scene Bjoern had discovered. "What have you found?"
"How did you suddenly become able to run so fast Anhur. That could be magic, perhaps."
"All of my brothers were swift. Does magic guide the Bear's blade?" Anhur responded, making a point.
"Is anyone else hurt?"
"I am unharmed, Sister. Thank you."
Tairin moved off the corpse of the jackal, careful that the hem of her shift and cloak did not touch and absorb the creature's blood and viscera. Wiping her blade clean on the Jackal's fur, she sheathed it and listened as talk moved to Red being a witch. Bjoern's reaction to the woman caught her a little by surprise, yet she did not address it. She merely cast a critical, assessing eye over Red the Healer for a moment before pondering what Bear had to say in regard to the deer and hunter.
"What kind of weapon did this hunter use? If the kill was recent, then perhaps the hunter was one of the nomads we met by Kharjah Pass."
"Are you a witch too?"
Tairin's eyes moved to the Azimban warrior and her answer was steady, as a strange smile played across her lips, "I am no witch." After a moment's thought, she added, "I do not possess healing magic, as Sister Red, here, but I do know how to tend to wounds and alike. Bear, let me look over your remaining wounds and then you may search." And without waiting for his compliance in the matter, Tairin examined the remaining bite marks on her bodyguard and tried to clean them as best as possible out on the sand dunes.
The party spends some time cleaning and bandaging their wounds after the use of sorcery to assist in the healing process.
As Bjoern discussed the remains of the well-butchered Ibex, the party naturally considers the remains.
Bjoern offers little information about the remains he discovered, but it is probable that anyone could gauge what he now did with him offering some brief details while they searched the place. This doesn't seem too bad of a plan as - other than the dead jackals near you and the dead wolves somewhat north of you - the dead Ibex is still cleanly killed with a good chunk of meat on him.
Bjoern shrugs at the question about the weapon.
"Someone is using a longbow to hunt. Pretty unusual in this area. But then, this is caravan country. Let me get some more choice pieces of the Ibex, it will fill our belly for a day or two."
Using his blade he takes a few more choice pieces and the two legs for roasting them on the fire at dinner time.
Tairin was pleased with her work on Bjoern's wounds and then listened as he spoke of a bow. A memory sparked inside her and her eyes widened and she uttered aloud, "There was a lone man, sitting by the Nomads last eve. He was not part of their caravan, yet neither did they send him away. He appeared it be of mixed blood; his skin was the colour of olives, yet he was not Azimban or one of the other southerners. He did not speak; simply stared at us as we asked for the bean porridge. He carried weapons and I recollect he had a most uncommon bow. The grip seemed off-centre - unusual - as though it were designed for shooting from horseback or while concealed. I wonder... The man departed before we left the Priest's tent and I did not see him again. He may be this hunter you speak of...", her voice trailed as talk gave way to silent pondering.
Her dark eyes watched as Bjoern cut off the better parts of the mangled Ibex. The man certainly could not pass up meat. When he was just about done, she said, "Best we find our way back to the main trail to Bethaar. We have tarried here long enough and I would see us gain more ground before nightfall. Come," and with that she picked up her pack, wound the head veil around her nose and mouth (both against the dust and the wind) and then started making her way back toward the last marker.
The party took it’s time to rest from the combat and gather some much needed meat. They made it back to the place that is known to be the road, but the marker stones seem to be harder to notice as they travel, but this is largely because of the increasing amount of dust and dirt which is blowing south from the sandy plains to the north. Still, it is known that the road veers to the south and east and this is enough to be able to navigate the journey with care.
The weather is growing increasingly cooler as the sun dips to the horizon. You are confident that it will not grow nearly as cold as it did on the mountains, but the North Wind seems to have other ideas as it blows harshly on the companions.
As the sun moves west below the peaks of mountains behind them they are relieved that the night is clear enough that the moon can offer them enough light to see by as they journey. Even so, it is a fact that they had not prepared
Despite this, the party advances doggedly, hoping to make good time before the sun goes down and they’re stranded in this barren place with little supplies but food, and nearly no real fuel to make a fire.
As the moon shines more brightly in the twilight, Tairin peers forward down the road and sees something which catches her attention.
You can make out a large group of unmoving shapes laying scattered in the sparse grass roughly which grows south of the road.
The shapes are roughly 50 feet from the road. You can see a few birds circling in the air above it, but not many. You are not sure, but it could be a campsite, but there is no sign of movement nor any sign of light or cooking fires. Given what you know about night animals it is likely that predators are more likely to come at night rather than day so having a fire would be especially useful to drive them away, yet again, you see no fire…
She Who Knows seemed almost unaffected by the combat and resumes the march without complaint or apparent tiredness.
However, by the time the sun has fallen she is looking travel worn and cold.
Then She Who Knows suddenly becomes animated and alert, a hand emerging from her cloak points at the figures and she say's:-
"Look! There, figures on the ground. Birds above, no movement, no fire. It could be a camp or an ambush, but the birds suggest carrion. Possibly people. I say investigate."
Anhur surveys the horizon in the twilight and agrees.
"Bodies. They litter the ground ahead. I do not think they live."
He grasps his spear firmly and tries to make out more of the scene as they approach.
Shielding his eyes Bjoern nods at Anhur´s word. "I am afraid you are correct. I would investigate? One never knows what is waiting for us. And the dead can tell many a story to one who can read their tale."
Tairin took the lined, hooded cloak from her pack and donned it to keep the cool evening wind from giving her a chill.
"It seems we can all see them. And I say why must we investigate every possible dead thing on this road to Belthaar...," her frustration was evident in the tone of her voice. And Bear's words about the dead telling tales, she wondered if he could indeed read such tales since none of the companions deemed to acknowledge her prior thoughts on the hunter. All Bear could think of was meat for his belly.
"If you believe them dead, then why must we go see them? If it was indeed a camp, then there would be fire to keep the wild creatures at bay. But as you all can see there is none. It could well be a trap to lure us in." Her voice was intentionally low as the the wind could carry words and if it were an ambush she would rather not have her words overheard, or, her person even be seen/noted. She listened intently for any sounds on the wind.
"I think the Bear speaks wisdom. If there is a slayer on this trail, we should be aware."
Anhur pulls his robe more tightly around himself and curses at the cold under his breath.
Her voice was lower than before, "We can still be aware of threats on the trail without seeing every dead body. And where was Bear's wisdom when he came upon the Ibex and Jackals on his own...", she knew her tongue had grown sharper and did not care. She had not warmed to the Azimban and he had made no effort to be tolerable.
"Sister, we all acknowledge your thoughts. The rest of us think we should investigate. I think we should do so. A group of bodies would make a strange trap and we will be cautious." says She Who Knows in a friendly tone. She then moves to investigate the bodies, all alertness and caution.
Red's words filtered through and for a mere second Tairin was reminded of her elder sister, Hunra. Her hands had curled into small fists by her side and in an instant they uncurled and her long fingers lay flat against the cloak. Turning dark eyes to the witch-healer, Tairin smiled and whatever thoughts reared in her mind, none passed her upturned lips. She did respond to her fellow Yar-Ammonite, quietly in their native tongue, "It appears you have training in traps, Sister. As you say, then, let us proceed with certain caution."
Tairin removed her scimitar from its sheathe and began to quietly follow the group, her eyes scanning the surrounds, still uncertain if this was a lure of some kind or a trap had been set in place for unwitting travellers.
.
"...where was Bear's wisdom when he came upon the Ibex and Jackals on his own..."
Anhur couldn't help but chuckle as the women castigated Bjoern's judgment. "This one has a strong spirit." Anhur said to him with a smile.
The party advances slowly, some of the members electing to use stealth while the others seem to brazenly stride forward. You do not wish to split the company, but these shapes are not far from the road itself, certainly closer than what you discovered before; and certainly close enough that it would not derail you from the road should you investigate it.
As you walk closer you notice that there seems to be a tent which looks very much like the ones you saw back at the camp you had been in the previous night. However, the side of the tent has been slashed and one of the support poles seems to have been broken so that while the tent stands erect, the side facing the west has been slashed through.
Laying before the tent is a human with a long arrow in his throat. Another is laying in the entrance to the tent itself with an arrow in his left eye and a second in his chest.
You at once recognize these men as the bodyguard of the priest you had met the night before.
A quick examination outside the tent reveals that the place where the tent had collapsed, or was cut, the body of the priest lays in the sand. There is blood on his back, but his head looks like it had been jerked back rather viciously and his throat was cut deeply leaving a gaping slice under his jaw.
Bjoern asks for a minute and quickly dons his armor. He then walks slowly forward lighting a torch to better see the carnage.
As she approaches the ruin of the camp site, She Who Knows excliams "Solas " as she employs the light cantrip.
She Who Knows then proceeds to thoroughly search the priest's body, rummaging exhaustively through his clothes while muttering "I didn't trust him anyway" and will move on to search the tent.
Beneath the dusklight, Tairin could make out the Susrahnite priest's slaughtered caravan. For one so heavily guarded, none were sparred. What did this? she mused silently.
"I am glad we did not take up his offer to travel in his company. His Sun god will judge him now."
Lifting her hands, palm upwards, her fingers made strange gestures and she spoke softly in an ancient dialect of her native tongue, "Nawwar!" and two balls of golden white light appeared from each hand and floated up on either side of Tairin . She pointed in the direction she wanted them to move and they bobbed and weaved, spreading light over the darkened places of the silent camp as she commanded.
Seeing Red search the priest, Tairin quietly advised, "If he has a signet ring, then take it so we may return it to his noble family in Belthaar." They may reward us upon its return when bringing them news of his death.
Looking once again at the arrows lodged in the throats and chests of the guards, Tairin asked Bejoern, "Bear, are these arrows the same as the ones you saw by the Ibex? I am wondering if it is the same hunter..."
Looking about the campsite; the warm pulsating lights moving before her, Tairin searched for the animals ... Did not the Priest and his men have camels or other beasts of burden? Surely a man of his station and reputation did not travel by foot.
Seeing Red search the priest, Tairin quietly advised, "If he has a signet ring, then take it so we may return it to his noble family in Belthaar." They may reward us upon its return when bringing them news of his death.
"If he has such a ring I will find and remove it" replies She Who Knows, thinking along with anything else of value he carried.
While looking through the tent, She Who Knows tries to asses if the damaged tent could be repaired and used.
Anhur considered the scene for a moment until the women started commanding light into existence. He swore and his eyes darted between them rapidly, obviously sizing them up. "You master the light of the stars?" He seemed tense, but didn't make a move. After a moment he considered Bjoern and the fact that he'd traveled with these witches before, apparently. And surely he was no worse for it. And so Anhur relaxed a bit, but his eyes kept glancing back towards the women as he searched the area.
"May you not bring down the wrath of gods or demons upon our heads." He mumbled in his native tongue.
Anhur noted the arrows and spoke grimly. "I did not think these arrows were for game; I did not think our hunter was a hunter of beasts." He looked around for what would have been a fire and checked the bodies for money, weapons, or trinkets.
Bjoern asks for a minute and quickly dons his armor. He then walks slowly forward lighting a torch to better see the carnage.
It takes Bjoern a few minutes to put on his armor; the party does not seem to protest as he does. When it is on, he advances slowly to examine things with a lit torch.
At this time the others prepare various light sources and also move forward to aid Bjoern in his search.
She Who Knows then proceeds to thoroughly search the priest's body, rummaging exhaustively through his clothes while muttering "I didn't trust him anyway" and will move on to search the tent.
Red goes through his items quickly as Tairin moves to her.
Seeing Red search the priest, Tairin quietly advised, "If he has a signet ring, then take it so we may return it to his noble family in Belthaar."
Glancing up at Tairin, Red nods in response.
"If he has such a ring I will find and remove it" replies She Who Knows, thinking along with anything else of value he carried.
You are surprised to see that he’s dressed almost as much as you saw him before. His clothes are obviously heavily bloodstained, but his body does not look like it has been looted. In fact, you still see the rather ornate dagger on his person which you had noticed before that lays untouched. Further, he does indeed seem to have a ring on his finger that may be made of gold, but you are not yet certain. In any case, it has not been touched or taken, either.
Only one thing you miss from your meeting with him and that is his staff.
As the party ponders this new turn of events, Tairin turns to Bjoern.
"Bear, are these arrows the same as the ones you saw by the Ibex? I am wondering if it is the same hunter..."
Anhur considers the arrows as well and makes his response.
Anhur noted the arrows and spoke grimly. "I did not think these arrows were for game; I did not think our hunter was a hunter of beasts." He looked around for what would have been a fire and checked the bodies for money, weapons, or trinkets.
Bjoern’s normal stoicism when faced with such a question would surprise none that knew him. In response he bends to the body of one of the bodyguards and tears an arrow out and holds it up.
At this point Amhur moves to study the bodies of the bodyguards.
Both are armed with scimitars; nothing special about them. Further, they each have studded leather armor on under light, linen robes. One of them is carrying a curved dagger which you believe is a kukri. The armor, while covered in blood, seems in fairly good condition, given that the assailant aimed for the faces of the bodyguards.
Both have small pouches on them with some coin.
Pouch 1 –
17 Gold, 27 Silver, 8 Copper
Pouch 2 –
12 Gold, 15 Silver, 23 Copper
Other than that they don’t seem to have much else on them.
As the bodyguards are searched, Red examines the slashed tent thoughtfully.
While looking through the tent, She Who Knows tries to asses if the damaged tent could be repaired and used.
As Red examines the tent, Tairin studies the site and shifts her gaze to the surrounding land.
Looking about the campsite; the warm pulsating lights moving before her, Tairin searched for the animals ... Did not the Priest and his men have camels or other beasts of burden? Surely a man of his station and reputation did not travel by foot.
You recall that there were camels in the night that were not there in the morning and recall that the priest left with camels for his tent and other gear, his guards walking besides him while he rode. Yet as you consider that, your eyes search the surrounding terrain in vain for any sign of animals, but you do not see any.
Anhur relieves the guards of their purses and makes his way to the damaged tent. He looks it over and declares, "We can shelter in this tonight." He begins working on a way to repair the tent as he continues, "Our hunter was hunting men. A deadly assassin, no doubt." He grunts. "But we are not his mark, I think. We should be safe here tonight."
When the conversation invariably turns to setting a watch, Anhur offers to take first.
Red goes through his items quickly as Tairin moves to her.
Seeing Red search the priest, Tairin quietly advised, "If he has a signet ring, then take it so we may return it to his noble family in Belthaar."Glancing up at Tairin, Red nods in response.
"If he has such a ring I will find and remove it" replies She Who Knows, thinking along with anything else of value he carried.
She Who Knows stands up after searching the priest's body, reporting to her comrades:-
"It does not look like his body does not look like it has been looted. Well, before now. I found a ring, which could well be gold and possibly the signet ring you were after Tairin and a rather fancy dagger. He had a staff when we met him and that is not here."
She Who Knows holds up a rather ornate dagger and a ring. She Who Knows proceeds, in a very matter of fact manner, to clean the blood off the items and her hands on the deceased man's clothes.
As the bodyguards are searched, Red examines the slashed tent thoughtfully.
While looking through the tent, She Who Knows tries to asses if the damaged tent could be repaired and used.It can; a secondary pole on the side is broken as well as the primary support pole; but both can be be lashed together with heavy cord and held upright.
The flaps of the tent have been ripped apart in one small section, but it would be easy to try to stitch it together with some needle and thread. Failing that, the torn flaps could simply hang down – there would be a small gap which sand could blow through, but it would offer far better shelter from the sun and wind then what you have currently.
The chief concern is the size of the tent, not the weight. The tent itself – if broken down and folded – would be so many layers of fabric that it would require at least one person to use two arms to carry it as there is a lot of fabric and it’s thick to keep those inside warm on cold nights. It would be best if you had some sort of animal to carry it, as even a strong person wouldn’t be as bothered by the weight as much as how awkward it would be.
You believe that there may be other things in the remains of the damaged tent which could be salvaged if you or your companions wish to search it, too. You can feel the rugs on the sand where you stand by the slashed opening which still remain, as well as lumps of other things hidden under the folds of fabric laying strewn about.
"I was thinking of trying to repair this tent, but it seems too large to be conveniently carried, even by Bjeorn" says She Who Knows thoughtfully "I plan to search through the rest of this tent to see what is here. We can clean up the remains of this tent, remove the body and shelter here for the night. Build a fire and dine on fresh roasted Ibex. What was on the other two bodies, in particular, was there any water? I agree with Anhur, whoever killed these men was a formidable assassin, but is not pursuing us."
So saying, She Who Knows begins cleaning up and searching the tent.
She Who Knows stands up after searching the priest's body, reporting to her comrades:-
"It does not look like his body has been looted. Well, before now. I found a ring, which could well be gold and possibly the signet ring you were after Tairin and a rather fancy dagger. He had a staff when we met him and that is not here."
She Who Knows holds up a rather ornate dagger and a ring. She Who Knows proceeds, in a very matter of fact manner, to clean the blood off the items and her hands on the deceased man's clothes.
So saying, She Who Knows begins cleaning up and searching the tent.
Carefully checking the guardians equipment Bjoern checks booth scimitars and the kukri, as he knows just too well that weapons break.
He then moves forward and checks the content of the tent, doing the heavy lifting.
"The accursed camels probably fled, panicked during the attack. I am not a tracker, so if we want to find and gather them so we may ride to Belthaar, then someone better skilled at tracking should try to see which direction they went." Tairin spoke the words aloud to any of her party who would listen and/or heed them.
Hearing Bjoern say the arrows were the same as the earlier ones with the wolves, Tairin continued to think on the lone outsider carrying the strange bow, but did not speak of him again as the last time she had, none of her companions had responded, making her think they had no thoughts or concerns on the matter.
Bending down next to the nearest fallen guard, Tairin used her training in the healing arts to gauge how long ago the man was killed. She checked the colour of his skin, eyes, rigidity of her muscles/form and the wound sites. She manoeuvred her ghost lights to give her more light with which to work with.
As her companions continued their own searches and conversations, Tairin, without looking up, responded, "If we are to stay here this night, then we must move, wrap or bury the bodies lest we attract nightly scavengers. I have had enough of scavengers attacking this day."
Upon Red's disclosure she had found the Priest's ring, Tairin nodded, "Good. Keep it safe until we enter Belthaar. As to the staff, it must be an important talisman to have been taken. If the assassin knows how to wield it correctly, then he is even more dangerous."
As her examination of the dead guard was concluded, Tairin began her own search of his person, hoping to find something that Anhur may have missed or not even cared about.
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The party goes about the business of dealing with the remains.
Carefully checking the guardians equipment Bjoern checks booth scimitars and the kukri, as he knows just too well that weapons break. He then moves forward and checks the content of the tent, doing the heavy lifting.
Bjoern is not overly surprised to see that the bodyguards have weapons of good quality. They are made well and sturdy. Although they’ve seen action you suspect that they won’t break any more easily than the weapons you currently have.
Meanwhile, Tairin does what she can to determine when the guards were killed.
Your search reveals that the bodies have been dead for several hours. Based on the current time and when you’d guess they died, you’d wager that the assailant made the kill shortly after 7:00 PM. You’d also guess that the camp was probably set up at that time, or shortly before. In short, you’d wager the camels would have likely been wandering for potentially two hours with no source of water. They may have journeyed for some time to find a water source.
17 Gold, 27 Silver, 8 Copper
12 Gold, 15 Silver, 23 Copper
50 gold, 34 silver, 15 copper, 1 key
Your party now moves to search the inside of the tent.
- Six heavy water skins filled with water; untouched – each can sustain a person on the trail for a day
- To simplify, you also find 3 basic Survival Kits within
- You find two wineskins; each having different vintages in it and a third which is empty
- You find a well-made bronze lantern/lamp which uses oil as the fuel
- You find two bronze plates, a bronze pitcher and two small bronze cups
- You find six bottles of lamp oil
- You find several well-made carpets and rugs inside, as well medium sized chest with a lock on it
- Assuming the key on the priest goes with the chest you open it –
You find 137 gold, 246 silver and 587 copper
You find three bags with different types of incense in it
You find two small kits; one you believe is a scriveners kit, the other you believe is a “séance kit” (links found - Here – NOTE: Ignore the magical scrolls mentioned in the séance kit)
You find a crude map of the surrounding area; it seems to be a rough map of Susreh as a nation, but with little defined details on it
During your search you’re able to get the central pole of the tent lashed tightly together and it is lifted up enough that you could all get inside it. The torn flap is hanging loose, but you’re able to bind it together firmly enough that it should at least stay closed during the night to keep out wind.
The bodies are removed from the tent and laying a few feet to the west of the tent, but no real effort has been made to move them.
The time is now 9:30 PM and you have not eaten since noon time.
There have been some good suggestions from people at this point, but what are your plans now specifically, given what you’ve found?
Standing up after examining the body, Tairin advised her companions, "They have been dead for several hours, possibly killed just after the camp was set up for the night. If the camels ran off then, they would have been wandering for at least two hours with no water. They would be moving to find water by now. There would be no use attempting to track them as it would take too much time to find them - time better spent walking toward Belthaar or resting."
With what she had discovered on the guard, she laid the items/coin etc with the other items discovered by her companions.
Quietly, she murmured, "Let us hope we are not accused of killing these people. The priest, Bahram Khan, was a man of standing in Belthaar."
"A valid concern Tairin. As to chasing the camels, I don't have a strong view and will be guided by the majority. As for what to do right now, I suggest wrapping the bodies in something and dragging them away a distance. We can then build a fire and cook and eat the Ibex, then sleep in the tent, setting watches. Maybe in the same order as previous nights. Then tomorrow, we figure out how many of these items we can carry. We should take the water and the more valuable things we can carry, even leaving some of our own possession that are not essential or valuable. What say the rest of you?"
Hearing Tairin - and then Red - suggest to move the bodies, Bjoern and Anhur naturally do that very thing.
First, they take one of the rugs and heap the corpses on it, then they drag it about a quarter of a mile into the south, knowing that the north winds would blow the smell further away from their camp. Then they leave the bloody bodies and rug, and blood-covered armor, there in the scrub; knowing that even bloody rags could cause problems to creatures hunting blood in the night.
While they are in the southern plains they take a moment to gather as much as the thicker branches from scrub brush that they can find and bring it back to the women in the camp where a fire is then kindled inside the tent, the smoke rising through a flap above – warming the tent and shading the light from those who might see the light from a distance.
While they are gone the two women again consider the gear that they have found and do what they can to prepare food for all of them. When the other two return they all share the information that they have gleaned during this brief interlude.
At this time the party in is agreement that the lone assailant who followed the priest at least from the mountain pass on foot, then slaughtered the men at this camp, is someone worth considering.
There was no evidence of this person having a mount, yet the assailant did not take any of the animals after doing the deed. Whatever his purpose is – as yet – a mystery; for not only did he leave the animals, but he left also the excellent blade on the priest with the gold and ivory hilt; the priest’s ring; the food, the water, the pouches of coin on the priest and his bodyguards, and generally anything of value – except for a staff.
As for the value of the items in question? It would be possible to attempt to ascertain and Appraise their value at some point, but it has been a trying day and there are other concerns.
For example, based on the signs, the assailant left on foot as night was coming and made no attempt to use the remains of the area as a place to camp, even though it would be unlikely that there would be a better place to camp nearby than the already erected tent filled with supplies.
Or would there?
However, the hour is late and the company is weary from the long journey on foot. For now they set up a watch schedule and prepare to sleep and prepare themselves for what the next day will bring them…
Anhur eyes the women and speaks from his instinct. "You wish to carry the dead priest's treasures into a town where he is honored, yet you fear they may suspect you for his murder?" He makes a disapproving hushing sound while shaking his head. "We should take the water and leave the rest to the sands."
"Except for the gold I have already taken."
The large Ikuna then looked out into the night and declared with authority, "I will have the first watch."
The Azimban warrior had vexed her again.
"Red proposed an idea and there is no need to make such a disapproving sound." Tairin's dark eyes remained on Anhur.
"None of the items discovered, apart from the signet ring and dagger, bear the priest's colours or crest, and would not be distinguishable from other armours, weapons or household goods. If you fear being seen with them, then we can attempt to sell them in an underground market where they are not concerned with such things. It matters not to me if we leave the armours, weapons and any articles we do not require behind."
"As to the coin, we divide the entire sum equally among us. We can then buy what we need to."
She then turned her focus back onto some of the other items they had discovered and attempted to determine their value in the market, just for something else to occupy her mind.
Also, Tairin thought on the priest's missing staff and wondered if it had any religious significance and thus why it was stolen by the assassin. Had she heard or read of any legends pertaining to staffs ... she thought long and hard.
She Who Knows smiles appreciatively as Tairin defends her against Anhur's criticism but does not comment further.
After finishing the search, indicating some of the items found, she asks:-
"Does anyone know how much these things may be worth."
The large Ikuna then looked out into the night and declared with authority, "I will have the first watch."
"I think it best if we kept to our previous watch duty arrangement - Firstly, Red, then myself, you-Anhur and lastly Bjoern." Tairin gave a definitive nod and smiled as if broaching no objection on the matter.
Anhur cast his gaze about the party but said nothing. He set about the task of bedding down, which for a man from the wilds was not a very lengthy process.
His mind walked through the reality of present events and he closed his eyes as he considered the hunter. "He is a strong man. If I meet him on the road, I will eat his heart and become stronger."
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Appraise Checks
Bronze Lamp: 9 You’d gather it’s worth roughly 1-2 gold, no more – 1 lbs.
Plates/Cups: 21 They seem to be in good condition, but you’d not pay more than 5 gold for the whole set – 3 lbs.
Rugs: 15 You find 5 rugs. Each rug is roughly 5x8 feet in size. They have beautiful weaving on them depicting constellations on one, but the others have the motif of a rising sun. On closer inspection you can see that it’s not truly woven so beautifully, but much of the patterns are dyed on or colored – in short, they look like a rug with mostly solid pale colors which someone “painted over” (not technically accurate, but you get the idea) in various parts to make it look more elaborate/valuable – basically you’re looking at a cheap knock-off of a fancy rug. If you sold the rug you could either get roughly 100 GP per rug (if the buyer doesn’t pay that close attention, or doesn’t really care) but more likely you’d get about 10 gold a piece – each rug is roughly 20 lbs. when rolled up.
Incense: 10 Nothing fancy. It’s basically sweet smelling incense. Full details are found - Here -. There are 36 sticks left.
Knowledge Religion: 17 – Staff The staff had the golden head of a ram and you believe the staff may belong to the followers of Baal-Khardah.
Baal-Khardah is the lord of the sky, protector and judge of humankind, yet he is considered to be a distant god, usually worshipped only by nobility. The common people tend to favor the more earthly passions of his mate, Belet-Lil. His lavish temples are filled with ram-headed statues, golden sun-discs, and sacred swords.
You believe the missing staff may have been used as a sign of power or status which marks a High Priest in that religion. In short, a person who carries this staff would be a High Priest or someone of great standing within the church of Ball-Khardah.
Knowledge Local – legends pertaining to staffs: 10 You have heard many legends in which wizards carried magical staffs, but most enlightened folk believe those to be merely legends as no god or power typically resides in a staff. Yet it is also said that more barbaric peoples believe that certain items or even places beyond mere temples can be sacred unto themselves – tales of the dark and ancient rock worshipped by bestial creatures known only The Black Stone; the strange gemstone called the “Heart” or “Fire” of Asshurbanipal, the oaken boughs that northmen often hung over their doorway to gain some modicum of protection for their house from some forgotten god and so on...
All of these things strike you as interesting, yet you cannot think of anything specific dealing with such legends and this staff.
Knowledge Arcana on Staff: 19 Your knowledge would glean much from a spell that is cast, perhaps, yet you do not think the staff had any spells cast upon it when you were in its presence. You do believe the staff is not necessarily magical as much as it is counted sacred by certain religious orders.
The night grows cold indeed as you rotate your watch. In time you awake shortly before the dawn and are somewhat aggravated by the sound of the wind blowing more fiercely from the north.
You begin your daily rituals of gathering your gear and preparing your morning meal and decide your plans.
When you wander outside your tent you are able to feel the bite of the dry wind blowing south upon you. Despite this grit and dirt in the air you do not feel it to be anything but frustrating and not dangerous, though you suspect it may be more difficult to find the marker stones which mark the road unless you are more careful in your journey.
Meanwhile, you recall that there is supposed to be a small village roughly ten miles or so from here and it occurs to you that you may find answers more readily there.
"I think we should strike out for the village. Running down camels seems uncertain to succeed and could take us anywhere. How much of this gear can people carry? I can take nearly nothing I am afraid." asks She Who Knows as she finishes her morning meal.
Waking and undertaking her morning rituals, Tairin put herself to right and assembled her pack.
She hastely bid "Good morning," to her companions before launching into some of her nightly pondering,
"I recollect the Priest's staff had the head of a golden ram atop it. From my readings of my late father's sacred scrolls, I believe Bahram Khan was a noble-born High Priest of Baal-Khardah, lord of the sky, protector and judge of humankind. One of my tutors, Hagiel, once told me that wizards carried such staffs - whether the staff was unremarkable or sacred I cannot tell you. But since it was taken, I would hazard to say it was not unremarkable."
Turning to Red, "If you mean to carry the Priest's ring and dagger on your person, I advise you wrap the items securely and stow them until we can return them to his relations."
Looking at the other items they had collected, Tairin added, "I also do not believe it wise to chase after the camels. Bear, Anhur, can either of you construct a sled to carry the things we want to take with us? You men could take turns dragging it as we walk to Belthaar."
"The staff didn't have any spells cast on it. It might have been enchanted but I couldn't see any sign. The staff is something worth killing for, why... I can't say. And I will do as you suggested with the priest's items."
True to her word, She Who Knows takes a small piece of fabric from in the tent and wraps the priest's ring and dagger in it. She then stows the package in the towards the bottom of her backpack.