Patenemheb calls out just loudly enough to carry his voice to Bjoern, in his lightly accented take on Tharag Thulan.
"Bjoern, slay the one between you two!"
Patenemheb calls out just loudly enough to carry his voice to Bjoern, in his lightly accented take on Tharag Thulan.
Samir, hearing Paten, but not understanding him, elects to attack the wounded one between he and Bjeorn.
His scimitar struck the jackal just right and it sliced through the beast's neck, crushing through the spine and causing the head to tumble forward into the sand even as the body collapses to the ground beneath his blade.
Being further back, Tairin remains close to Paten as she cannot reach the creatures to hurt them this round...
The attack is rough, but the teeth do not manage to close on Samir's arm as he jerks it away just in time...
From beyond the remaining jackal you see a dark skinned wounded woman in traveling clothes and scale armor roll out from under one of the bodies. She quickly rises to her feet with a bow at the ready and releases.
As the arrow arcs towards the remaining beast she stands warily, bow in one hand and the other on the hilt of a large blade. She seems ready to continue fighting or flee as she watches the combat.
Moving closer into flanking Bjoerns massive blade raises... and falls.
Samir sees the brutal teeth snap close to his throat just to see the head fall, free of its body as the blade quickly decapicitates the canine.
With an easy grace Bjeorn turns and confronts the remaining jackal; a sudden shot of an arrow flies from the shadows and thuds into the ground near to the beast's feet.
Bjeorn's blade flashes down with a fast arc and not only severs the body of the beast but crumples its spine beneath the weight of the stroke.
Samir, seeing the arrow fly from them near to the body of the now dead jackal is uncertain as to the intentions of the assailant.
"Ware arrows," he calls out in Susrahite, not sure if the person is a native or not - but gambling that they may not know the Susrahite tongue.
However, given that the person did not hit them, and given that waiting under a corpse seems like an odd place for an ambush, he does not move forward to slay this new presence.
He crouches, waiting for the strange woman to go for another arrow but says nothing, his eyes intent on hers.
The woman looks a little relieved to hear a non-local language, and relaxes her stance a bit while still keeping her hands on her hilt and bow. As Susrahite is a language she just took up, it takes a second for her to parse the correct words and she speaks slowly and carefully.
"My arrows are not intended for you, unless you give me reason" she replies in the same language.
She looks around the group, trying to identify which of the less martial ones is probably in charge and then returns her gaze to the man who spoke.
"I would speak, if you were willing. Are you with those who entered the ruins a short time ago?"
Patenemheb is glad to see the jackals felled swiftly.
Less labour coming for me., he thinks to himself with dry humour.
Swiftly, Patenemheb turns to face the newcomer, taking in her general appearance, mannerisms, and armament.
In clear Susrahnite, he replies, choosing his words carefully:
"We are not. What do you seek of them?"
As he speaks, he approaches Bjoern, calmly pulling out his own surgical tools and kits.
So 6 HP restored to Bjoern
Another 9 HP restored to Bjoern, for a total of 14 HP restored.
"I seek nothing of those that entered. I seek merely to warn you if you are not allied with them. I am merely a traveler headed to Zul-Bazzir looking to hopefully make some friends. I saw this ... mess ... and came down to investigate when I was set upon by jackals."
She still stands ready to defend herself, but shows no sign of aggression. Her accent seems to be southern but you cannot place exactly where she is from. Her story seems honestly told.
"I would be happy to put our weapons aside and tell you what transpired here, but we may wish to move from the entrance. One of those who went inside left and might be returning."
Turning towards the voice shield in guard position with only the tip of the blade showing Bjoern keeps his guard up, ready to defend or attack.
"What is your name!" he asks in his heavy accented susrahite.
The woman starts backing away towards the side of the ruins, still keeping a careful watch towards the group. "I am Yasala, and I am not standing in the open outside this entrance. If you wish to talk, we need to get out of sight."
She pauses as if realizing something. "If you wish, you can pick the place for discussion, if that will make you more comfortable than following me."
Tairin had been silently moving forward ever since the first jackal attack. Noting the fighting had ceased in whole and low conversation had began, she made her way around Paten to look at the dark-skinned female named Yasala.
Glancing at the entrance of the ruins and then at the opening amongst the excavation site, Tairin quietly added in Susrahnite, as she moved with steady, careful steps, "You must possess fine skill with the bow to survive the jackals. A lone woman travelling to such a place of death is uncommon. How curious you are. If you are hurt, our healer can tend to you, once you find a more discreet vantage," casting a brief look at Patenemheb before continuing with her intended task.
Tairin, utilising the full moon's light, moved to the opening, yet did not draw too near it, even with all the bodies around it.
In low Yar-Ammonite, she began to utter the words, //"Iktishif Sihri"//, harnessing her magic to detect any magical energy surrounding or coming from the opening.
After a careful inspection of the opening, Tairin moved to the corpses and closely examined some of the bodies to determine the cause of their deaths. The jackals, as the vulture, would have been drawn to the scent of the dead; so she did not believe they had killed the workers. Samir had mentioned a fight; yet what had caused such an attack? Was it for what was recently unearthed? Samir also mentioned something about six horses and riders; she should have paid more attention, yet she was not well versed in tracking. Sabiha had spoken of an ancient, long-forgotten cult of Yar-Ammon when she hired them to find the Bey's emerald, slay Osan and return with the gem and his head to the House of Abu-Khafi. Who was the mysterious procurer that Osan was meeting here? Steady now. Concentrate on one thing at a time.
Heartened by the fact that no one has tried to attack yet, and the fact that this woman who seems like she might be in charge is offering assistance, Yasala relaxes a bit more. She carefully straps her bow to her bag, moving carefully to ensure she shows no threatening intent, but keeps her hand on the hilt of her kilij. She glances at the woman by the entrance to the ruins. "I appreciate your offer, but I still must insist that if we move out of sight. There is a group in the temple to the west and I overheard them instruct their men to slay anyone who approaches here tonight. I was planning to slip away until I saw you approach."
She backs away towards some canopies, so that she can keep both the supposedly friendly woman and the not quite as friendly men at arms in sight, and speaks to the group as a whole. "I welcome your presence, as there is safety in numbers, but if we cannot put our weapons aside to parley then I have nothing more to say."
Patenemheb chimes in, motioning his hand for Bjoern to lower his blade.
"Companions, I think Yasala from the south has a point. While we would be foolish to disarm ourselves in such a dangerous place, we at least not openly point weapons at each other. She has strapped her bow, and as far as I can tell is being straightforward with us. We should hear her out, and not with blades and bows pointed at her."
He turns to Yasala.
"I would see us parlay. We could certainly aid each other this night, and perhaps beyond."
And if I am wrong, then we will learn something regardless.
"I appreciate your offer, but I still must insist that if we move out of sight. There is a group in the temple to the west and I overheard them instruct their men to slay anyone who approaches here tonight. I was planning to slip away until I saw you approach."
Tairin gave an amused smile as she realised the foreign woman had not heard her say the healing would take place in a discreet place away from the entrance. Or perhaps she did not understand me if Susrahnite is not wholly understood by her. Tairin merely gave a nod and a quiet reply in Susrahnite, "Yes, somewhere out of sight is probably best."
"I welcome your presence, as there is safety in numbers, but if we cannot put our weapons aside to parley then I have nothing more to say."
"I would see us parlay. We could certainly aid each other this night, and perhaps beyond."
As her countryman spoke of parlay, Tairin cast a glance back at Bjoern to see if her bodyguard heeded Patenemheb's word regarding his weapon. Adding quietly once more in Susrahnite, she responded directly to Bjoern, "Bear, if you would point your glorious blade some place, then find a discreet vantage and point it toward the entrance and the enemy within. Give me a quiet warning if you see anyone coming out for I will continue my inspection here for the time being."
Tairin then continued her inspection of the opening in the ground of the excavation site and the dead bodies around it.
"I of course have no issue with applying my skills to your wounds, if that is amenable.", Patenemheb adds.
A total of 20 hp healed to Yasala.
Nodding Bjoern relocates towards the cave entrance. Moving his left shoulder forward and his left leg, resting his shield on his knee.
With a smirk he rams his blade in the ground and keeps his patient face.
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You believe she is from Azimba; her actions and gear suggest she travels and is used to traveling (not surprising given how far Azimba is from here). But she's clearly used to living and surviving in the wild. Given her proximity to the ruins at night it's possible she may have been trying to travel to Zul-Bazzir to the west and merely stopped to investigate.
However, a lone traveler who decides to investigate ruined tombs at night is possibly a bit more mercenary than a simple wanderer. She is likely someone used to combat and able to handle getting items from such places.
Based on her tone and words you believe she is not telling you everything, but you do not think she is lying about anything she says.
The opening is indeed interesting via stone cutting.
It's position is facing directly east; much like the stairs. You had noticed earlier that the walls to the valley were "roughly" 75 feet in height; the "rough" part indicating the valley covered with dirt and dust has made finding the "floor" very easy. However, what you find interesting when studying the stairway is that - (hard to tell for sure) that the stairs lead down to what you suspect is exactly 100 feet from the summit of the ridge above. Indeed, the "roof" of this building (from what you can see when you study the stonework) is roughly 20 feet in height, meaning that there was roughly 5 Feet of dirt over the roof itself. How the men knew to dig in this spot is a very lucky hunch, or they had reason to believe digging here would be wise.
However, the entire building and its opening is unusual given that the entrance to the other buildings are all roughly level to each other, and all of them are roughly 75 feet below the ridge above - this particular one was dug lower; there may be other possible buildings like this around the valley, but that seems unlikely as most of the other buildings have openings/doors roughly level with the plain you're standing on - this particular one was dug below the surface for a reason.
The stairs leading down into the earth are roughly 10 feet wide. The doorway itself is roughly 8 feet wide, with the arch around it being about one foot on either side of the doorway. The height of the door is about 15 feet in height, with what you believe to be about 5 feet of stone above it - either part of the roof or the front wall.
Surrounding the door on either side (and above it) is a stone arch that is about 1 foot thick (the 1 foot thick sides of the arch you already noticed). This "arch" for the doorway has various glyphs and symbols written upon it; you cannot make them out very well at this time, but you recognize above the door itself is the same symbol on the broken arch you saw above the stairs leading down - the symbol of the ancient Sun God of Yar-Ammon.
You had time to examine the bodies around the camp and notice several horrible things.
The bodies were not likely destroyed by mere sword strokes; most of the bodies look like something literally tore men and women apart. If something placed to sets of claws into the center of someone's chest and tore their rib cage open that would be the sort of death you are witnessing.
You also see that men's arms have been torn from their sockets; with part of their chest and shoulders attached to the arm; as well as similar conditions for heads and legs. You even notice the head of the fat, somewhat gruff/ill-mannered task-master you met with earlier - it was torn from his shoulders. However, when you look at his unseeing eyes his last expression does not convey pain; it conveys what you can only define as madness...
Moving from this horror you examine the opening of the stair that was excavated and standing on the stair you can see the bodies of dead men littering it.
Your healing check reveals that it was likely they were moving up the stairs and attacked by something from behind. You can see tools and items which suggest that these men were likely diggers who had opened the doorway.
Peering just inside the doorway you can see that the dust has been disturbed there; people went in, then exited - there is evidence of blood trails leading from inside the doorway so you think someone may be have been killed inside, beyond the door, and possibly made it out before being slain.
One thing of note, as you stand at the entrance peer down Sabra pokes her head from your shawl and stares at the entrance as well.
Her little eyes are not afraid, but there is a fierce gleam to them as if something unsettles her and she hisses softly from her place on your shawl.
Tairin returns from her search of the bodies to find Paten stitching up Bjeorn and Yasala in the shelter of a ruined house about 300 feet from the stairs - it was easy to find them, though, as they informed her where they were going.
After hearing Yasala's words about possible threats Samir goes above to warn Farrokh to move the horses.
Before the company can finish any more details, though, they note that two figures are approaching.
Nervous that is the men Yasala had mentioned, they quickly relax when they note Samir - and, to their surprise, Talar is with him.
"We yet have a task to do; before we do it, perhaps we should learn as much as we can. This place is dangerous, the more information we have the better," Samir says with a nod to Talar, indicating that he has not yet shared the full details of their quest with Talar and is waiting for the others to do it.
Yasala would not normally put herself at the mercy of someone so readily, but her recent activities have left her alone and friendless. These people were strangers, but they were skilled and they were not hostile. Quickly mulling over her situation, Yasala enters the stone house and allows the man to treat her wounds.
"Thank you for this, it is unusual to find people so quick to aid a stranger in a situation such as this. I feel I should offer you some information in exchange."
As she speaks she aids the man where she can, helping to apply salves and tie bandages so that she can ensure this all isn't just a ruse to further incapacitate her.
"I come from far south of here but my profession has led to me to travel quite extensively and I have recently found myself in Khazistan. I was on my way to Zul-Bazzir to try and find employment when I passed this place, of which I had already heard rumours. When I saw the carrion birds I was drawn to investigate out of curiosity, but I was set upon by jackals. I managed to take some down but was about to fall when another group of men came down the path and the beasts left me lying there to go attack the newcomers."
She pauses, as if trying to decide how much she should share. Information is a valuable commodity and although these are friendly strangers, they are still strangers.
"Hearing a bit of their conversation left me suspicious of their intent and unwilling to get involved in their conspiracies so I played dead until they left. Your group arrived shortly afterwards. As you have been fair with me I would ask if I might join with you at least until we return to a more civilized area. This experience has left me reluctant to continue traveling alone this evening, and I might be able to repay you by assisting in whatever you intend to do tonight."
When the man is done with her wounds, she stands and offers her thanks. As the one who left returns with yet another stranger she begins to look nervous again. How many of them are there? I hope this is all of them in case this turns out badly and I need to escape. When one of the newcomers mentions the need for information, she hesitantly speaks again.
"In terms of the others who preceded you, they seem to be locals and are led by a man called Ossan. They are waiting in the temple to the west to meet with someone they referred to as 'agents of the padishah.' Fear of being discovered in their activities by some unnamed enemies or spies led Ossan to leave instructions to kill any strangers who approach. Unfortunately I was hiding so I heard more than I saw. I have no accurate information on their numbers."
She stands to the side, waiting for the group's response. It is clear that she fears sharing her information about Ossan to the wrong people would be a mistake.
Tairin was still thoughtful as she made her way from the top of the staircase to the ravaged stone house where the rest of the party were congregated; Bjoern now healed of his injuries and the dark-skinned woman being attended to by Patenemheb. Her dark eyes quietly took in the figure of Talar standing beside Samir.
She wondered if this was an appropriate time to bring up Talar's antics and absence; yet Tairin remained silent waiting to see what Talar would have to say for himself.
With a practiced ease and stealth, Tairin quietly reverted to her native tongue and began to cast her spell; //"Nawwar"// and four, small glowing spheres of light appeared, weaving and bobbing around one another, filling the small chamber with some much needed light with which to work and converse, The stone building had enough cover from its walls and partial ceiling to obscure the light from general notice of others among the greater ruins.
With a polite incline of her head, Tairin greeted the Azimban woman, "I am Tairin. It is fortunate that you survived traversing this place alone. You are brave," and possibly foolhardy, she added the latter silently for she did not want to appear ill-mannered before the outsider. It was then Sabra peered over the edge of the shawl pouch and the little kitten stared at the woman; her black fur camouflaged against the black garb of Tairin's clothing - only her bright green eyes noticeable and intent. "This is my beloved pet, Sabra."
To the small assembly around her, Tairin proceeded to share her observations, "It is strange that the workers knew where to dig to uncover the building based on the height of the roof and the soil above it. One could easily surmise it was by chance; however I do not concur with this - it does appear they had reason to dig in this exact spot. The building was dug lower than the others. The stairs leading down into the earth appear to be around ten feet wide and the doorway eight feet wide. There is an arch, similar to the broken arch above the stairs and there are carvings of the same kind of glyphs and symbols. There was a symbol I immediately recognised - above the door itself - one belonging to the ancient Sun God of Yar-Ammon - so perhaps this building was a temple or shrine to the Sun God." She paused briefly to ensure her words were being heeded before continuing.
"The bodies littering the entrance and surrounds were not felled by swords; something physically tore their limbs from their bodies and ripped open their rib cages. I recognised one of the dead from my visit earlier in the day; the rotund taskmaster; his head had been torn right off. The final expression in his eyes was one of madness and not pain. I would say the diggers were attacked from behind as they moved up the stairs. Just inside the doorway, I noted the dust had been disturbed; footprints in and then out and blood trails leading from inside the doorway. I could not note any magical energy or presence from the base of the stairs. However, Sabra was disturbed by something down there - hissing when she sensed something beyond the reach of my scope."
Tairin discreetly gestured with her fingers by her side and rotated the dancing light orbs about the stone chamber; their soft light eerily bouncing off the stone.
Recollecting Yasala had mentioned the name Osan; Tairin's brow furrowed and then she explained the connection to the woman and Talar, who had been missing when Sabiha had visited them.
"Last eve, two thieves broke into the grand palace and absconded with a valuable emerald belonging to the Bey of Zul-Bazzir. One of the thieves, Osan, betrayed the other; stabbing him and leaving him for dead. However, the wound did not prove fatal; but the wounded partner was unable to leave to track him down. Osan planned to meet with a prospective buyer for the emerald here in the ruins. We've been tasked with finding Osan, slaying him and bringing back his head and the Bey's jewel to our employer." Tairin surmised that was enough information to give at this present time. Time was limited and it was not prudent to share all information with a relative stranger recently met in dark ruins.
"As you have been fair with me I would ask if I might join with you at least until we return to a more civilized area. This experience has left me reluctant to continue traveling alone this evening, and I might be able to repay you by assisting in whatever you intend to do tonight."
Tairin contemplated the foreigner's request and after a short while, gave a perceptible nod. "Since you are among us now I do not see why you cannot remain with us until we return to Zul-Bazzir proper. If you still wish to aid us, now knowing what our purpose is this night, then I will not object."
Talar makes his way down into the ravine, not happy to leave Ramul behind but accepting the risk isn't worth it. As he does so he examines the area, trying to find anything that the others may have missed with his eye for tracking.
Talar makes his way in besides Samir and looks over the party quietly. He lets the silence linger for a moment then takes a deep breath. "I know we have a lot to talk about, considering what I did. But...I think we should worry about that later, as it will take some time. For now, what is important is that you know I am still loyal to you all, and that I am here to help with this job you found."
"Now, what do I need to know?"
Tairin glanced at Talar as he spoke and simply replied, "Good you have joined us, Talar."
"Paten and I visited this site earlier in the day for another pursuit. We discovered, and met with, colonists from Yar-Ammon dedicated to the old gods. The place was thriving with activity - the general bustle of work and excitement of something soon to be unearthed. Now, the place is eerily silent, the diggers dead, savagely torn apart; and from I can tell, they were attacked from behind, possibly from within the unearthed temple itself. It appears that the dig has been completed. When we came down into the valley, we were set upon by jackals and it was during this time we crossed paths with Yasala, here, who was headed to Zul Bazzir however was drawn to these ruins by the carrion birds circling overhead; the creatures lingering to feast on the remains of the dead, much like the jackals. She was attacked by the jackals yet was clever enough to hide when those we seek came to this place. Yasala has advised that Osan and his people are presently waiting inside the Moon temple; the dark, obsidian temple lying half a mile on the opposite side of the valley, waiting upon agents of the padishah. She wishes to aid us for our healing of her wounds and help with the jackals, which seems an honest request. The dark temple is dedicated to Khonshu, the Moon god who escorts the spirits of the dead. In recent years, Khonshu has been considered the god of Vengeance - punishing those who have wronged another; whether they be good or evil. The obsidian temple was feared by the diggers and even the overseers when we saw it earlier this day. None would draw near it and even we were cautioned against entering, so we did not. Samir discovered the tracks of six riders at the top of the valley, before we descended, and those of a lone heavy-set rider heading due east over the desert sands. Those tracks were several hours old. Yasala has warned us that more men are coming soon, so once healing has been completed, we should make our way across the valley to the Moon Temple to lie in wait."
"Thank you for this, it is unusual to find people so quick to aid a stranger in a situation such as this. I feel I should offer you some information in exchange."
"I am Tairin. It is fortunate that you survived traversing this place alone. You are brave… This is my beloved pet, Sabra."
You are not wholly sure; the temples above the arch indicate that it is a place dedicated to the god of the sun. However, you also see that there are other glyphs flanking it; they are faded, but you believe it was a tomb created for a priest.
In your homeland such tombs would be far larger and more impressive. That this tomb’s entrance is smaller and less elaborate might suggest the person buried below was not as powerful; yet at the same time your knowledge of the glyphs which flank the entrance make you believe the person may have been given the tomb for reasons other than their tile.
You are therefore confident that what you are seeing is the entrance to a tomb; based on the customs of your people it is likely that such a tomb would be filled with various items to sustain the spirit in the afterlife. Likely weapons, tools, food, supplies and so on.
You believe it is unusual that the priest was buried here rather than a more elaborate temple; you are no certain of why that may be.
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Survival (tracking): 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 2 = 26
The tracks are largely spoiled do to the various people who have been traversing the area in the last hour. However, you are sure about several things:
1. You notice that there is a set of tracks leading to the west; likely a single man held the reigns for multiple horses and led them around the southern edge of the valley, possibly to the western side of the valley to avoid any trouble if someone comes to the path.
2. You also notice that there is set of tracks leading directly to the west. You are not sure what made the tracks, but it was likely a humanoid in that it has two legs and walks erect like a man. The tracks suggest that this individual is probably close to six feet in height, possibly a bit taller, and likely 220 pounds. The footprints seem to be leather; likely sandals, but you are not sure.
Closer examination reveals a few flecks of dried blood in the sand leading toward the east. You see the very feint paw-prints of jackals which seemed to follow the tracks a few yards into the desert; but the tracks stopped about fifty feet from the eastern edge of the valley and then return back to the trail leading to the valley.
After hearing Talar’s response Samir grunts a bit, motions to Farrokh to lead the horses west toward where the other person had led them and then leads you down the path.
As you reach the bottom you are shocked by the horror surrounding you and then Samir leads you to a ruined building where several people are collected in the shadows.
You quickly recognize your friends and an additional person and you are free to speak to them as they regard you.
Talar makes his way in besides Samir and looks over the party quietly. He lets the silence linger for a moment then takes a deep breath. "I know we have a lot to talk about, considering what I did. But...I think we should worry about that later, as it will take some time. For now, what is important is that you know I am still loyal to you all, and that I am here to help with this job you found."
Samir turns from Yasala to study Talar out of the corner of his eye.
Tairin glanced at Talar as he spoke and simply replied, "Good you have joined us, Talar."
”I hope there is no more trouble,” is all he says in response.
To the small assembly around her, Tairin proceeded to share her observations, "It is strange that the workers knew where to dig to uncover the building based on the height of the roof and the soil above it. One could easily surmise it was by chance; however I do not concur with this - it does appear they had reason to dig in this exact spot. The building was dug lower than the others. The stairs leading down into the earth appear to be around ten feet wide and the doorway eight feet wide. There is an arch, similar to the broken arch above the stairs and there are carvings of the same kind of glyphs and symbols. There was a symbol I immediately recognised - above the door itself - one belonging to the ancient Sun God of Yar-Ammon - so perhaps this building was a temple or shrine to the Sun God." She paused briefly to ensure her words were being heeded before continuing.
"The bodies littering the entrance and surrounds were not felled by swords; something physically tore their limbs from their bodies and ripped open their rib cages. I recognised one of the dead from my visit earlier in the day; the rotund taskmaster; his head had been torn right off. The final expression in his eyes was one of madness and not pain. I would say the diggers were attacked from behind as they moved up the stairs. Just inside the doorway, I noted the dust had been disturbed; footprints in and then out and blood trails leading from inside the doorway. I could not note any magical energy or presence from the base of the stairs. However, Sabra was disturbed by something down there - hissing when she sensed something beyond the reach of my scope."
Samir shakes his head with disgust at the butchery while Talar seems nonplussed. Instead, the ranger merely puts the slaughter aside and asks for what he must know about this mission.
"Now, what do I need to know?"
At this point Samir glances at Talar then lifts his hand to gesture to the others so Talar can observe what is proceeding.
"I come from far south of here but my profession has led to me to travel quite extensively and I have recently found myself in Khazistan. I was on my way to Zul-Bazzir to try and find employment when I passed this place, of which I had already heard rumours. When I saw the carrion birds I was drawn to investigate out of curiosity, but I was set upon by jackals. I managed to take some down but was about to fall when another group of men came down the path and the beasts left me lying there to go attack the newcomers."
She pauses, as if trying to decide how much she should share. Information is a valuable commodity and although these are friendly strangers, they are still strangers.
"Hearing a bit of their conversation left me suspicious of their intent and unwilling to get involved in their conspiracies so I played dead until they left. Your group arrived shortly afterwards. As you have been fair with me I would ask if I might join with you at least until we return to a more civilized area. This experience has left me reluctant to continue traveling alone this evening, and I might be able to repay you by assisting in whatever you intend to do tonight."
Samir glances from Yasala to the others.
"Since you are among us now I do not see why you cannot remain with us until we return to Zul-Bazzir proper. If you still wish to aid us, now knowing what our purpose is this night, then I will not object."
Seeing that the party seems to have accepted Yasala he nods his head.
”I am Samir, I come from Nabistaan,” he says.
"In terms of the others who preceded you, they seem to be locals and are led by a man called Ossan. They are waiting in the temple to the west to meet with someone they referred to as 'agents of the padishah.' Fear of being discovered in their activities by some unnamed enemies or spies led Ossan to leave instructions to kill any strangers who approach. Unfortunately I was hiding so I heard more than I saw. I have no accurate information on their numbers."
Samir frowns at this as he listen.
"Last eve, two thieves broke into the grand palace and absconded with a valuable emerald belonging to the Bey of Zul-Bazzir. One of the thieves, Osan, betrayed the other; stabbing him and leaving him for dead. However, the wound did not prove fatal; but the wounded partner was unable to leave to track him down. Osan planned to meet with a prospective buyer for the emerald here in the ruins. We've been tasked with finding Osan, slaying him and bringing back his head and the Bey's jewel to our employer." Tairin surmised that was enough information to give at this present time. Time was limited and it was not prudent to share all information with a relative stranger recently met in dark ruins.
Samir rubs his chin and thinks about this.
”It sound as if this girl Yasala has heard details other than what we have heard.”
He pauses and turns to Talar –
”These two ladies have spoken at length; you now know exactly the plan and what is going on,” he says to Talar with a nod.
He turns back to Tairin.
”What do you think of these differences in stories between the person we met in the city?” he asks her.
"Paten and I visited this site earlier in the day for another pursuit. We discovered, and met with, colonists from Yar-Ammon dedicated to the old gods. The place was thriving with activity - the general bustle of work and excitement of something soon to be unearthed. Now, the place is eerily silent, the diggers dead, savagely torn apart; and from I can tell, they were attacked from behind, possibly from within the unearthed temple itself. It appears that the dig has been completed. When we came down into the valley, we were set upon by jackals and it was during this time we crossed paths with Yasala, here, who was headed to Zul Bazzir however was drawn to these ruins by the carrion birds circling overhead; the creatures lingering to feast on the remains of the dead, much like the jackals. She was attacked by the jackals yet was clever enough to hide when those we seek came to this place. Yasala has advised that Osan and his people are presently waiting inside the Moon temple; the dark, obsidian temple lying half a mile on the opposite side of the valley, waiting upon agents of the padishah. She wishes to aid us for our healing of her wounds and help with the jackals, which seems an honest request. The dark temple is dedicated to Khonshu, the Moon god who escorts the spirits of the dead. In recent years, Khonshu has been considered the god of Vengeance - punishing those who have wronged another; whether they be good or evil. The obsidian temple was feared by the diggers and even the overseers when we saw it earlier this day. None would draw near it and even we were cautioned against entering, so we did not. Samir discovered the tracks of six riders at the top of the valley, before we descended, and those of a lone heavy-set rider heading due east over the desert sands. Those tracks were several hours old. Yasala has warned us that more men are coming soon, so once the healing has been completed, we shall make our way across the valley to the Moon Temple to lie in wait."
Samir looks at Talar again.
”So – now you have the entirety of our plans and policies; excepting for the confusion about the nature of this Osan person. That is something we must consider before we act,” he adds a bit nervously, the mentioning of men working with the Padishah giving him some reservation.
”However, my sayida is correct; we can speak more about this closer to our target but away from the path leading down as soon as the healing is completed.”
He turns to Yasala.
”Begging your pardon,” he says to Yasala ”this is Talar; he is a ranger of Khazistan and has aided us in the past. He is trustworthy,” he adds, though a bit tersely ”and he is one of our companions,” he adds.
As Paten finishes tending to her wounds, Yasala listens carefully to all of the details that the others brief. She nods respectfully to each in turn as they are introduced, and looks each one over carefully as they speak.
This seems like a strong band, and an interesting one. There is a large cross section of skill and ability present here, although also perhaps a bit of drama with this Talar. Perhaps I can convince them to let me stay with them after this night is over. Hopefully tomorrow will come with enough trust that I can talk to them about it.
She stands and checks her bag and straps, then strides towards the entrance to the stone house and turns, hand near her hilt, ready for action. "It is good to meet you all. It is auspicious to run into a group such as you when alone and harried by foes. Thank you again for your healing, and I am ready to move at your command. If you have a Khazastani ranger I'm sure you can read trail signs, but I can also assist with that task if necessary."
She stands and checks her bag and straps, then strides towards the entrance to the stone house and turns, hand near her hilt, ready for action. "It is good to meet you all. It is auspicious to run into a group such as you when alone and harried by foes. Thank you again for your healing, and I am ready to move at your command. If you have a Khazastani ranger I'm sure you can read trail signs, but I can also assist with that task if necessary."
Samir's eyes narrow as he studies her.
"As to commands, that remains to be seen... yet if my sayida will permit me; I would rather you enlarge upon the details you mentioned regarding this Osan..." he says with a dry voice.
"Your story conflicts with details we have heard of this person," he adds, studying her carefully "and if what you say is true, then there will be many difficulties we may have to deal with this night."
Bjoern nods to Talar and speaks up. "As a hunter, can you give me some ideas about what could have ripped this people apart. Size, weight, strenght?"
You are not wholly sure; the temples above the arch indicate that it is a place dedicated to the god of the sun. However, you also see that there are other glyphs flanking it; they are faded, but you believe it was a tomb created for a priest.
In your homeland such tombs would be far larger and more impressive. That this tomb’s entrance is smaller and less elaborate might suggest the person buried below was not as powerful; yet at the same time your knowledge of the glyphs which flank the entrance make you believe the person may have been given the tomb for reasons other than their tile.
You are therefore confident that what you are seeing is the entrance to a tomb; based on the customs of your people it is likely that such a tomb would be filled with various items to sustain the spirit in the afterlife. Likely weapons, tools, food, supplies and so on.
You believe it is unusual that the priest was buried here rather than a more elaborate temple; you are no certain of why that may be.
===
====
"As to commands, that remains to be seen... yet if my sayida will permit me; I would rather you enlarge upon the details you mentioned regarding this Osan..." he says with a dry voice.
"Indeed, I would permit such a thing. I am curious to know more about this traitorous thief, Osan." Looking to the Azimban woman, she added, "Yasala, do you know more about him?"
"All I have is a short overheard conversation to work with. I think I've already told you all, but let me see..." Thinking back carefully, Yasala tries to remember everything that was said. "His men called him 'Lord Ossan', they are meeting with agents of the padishah in the temple after sundown, and they want whatever is discussed to remain secret." She continues to go back through the conversation in her head "One of his men mentioned a plan to meet with their allies 'in that same temple.' He might have meant a third group different from the padishah's agents but I am unsure."
Talar eyes Yasala up and down. She's a dangerous one. Looks like it's not just me and Bjoern anymore. Normally he would be more suspicious, but one thing he had learned of Tairin is to trust her instincts when it came to people. If she trusted Yasala, that was good enough for Talar. For the moment anyways.
"So, it sounds like they unearthed something that was best left hidden." At one time that would have made him shudder, but after the confrontation with the Spider God his resolve had become hardened.
"I took a look at the tracks in the area." Talar says, breaking his gaze from Yasala. "There has been much damage from others traveling over them, but I learned a number of things. There is a set of tracks leading west, a single man held the reigns for multiple horses and led them around the southern edge of the valley, possibly to the western side of the valley to avoid any trouble if someone comes to the path. I assume that was our man hiding your horses."
"There is another set of tracks leading directly to the west. Something human-like, big. At least six feet tall and over 220 pounds. The footprints may be made with leather shoes."
"Lastly there was dried blood in the sand leading toward the east, along with paw-prints of jackals that come in before retreating. Again, I think this is something you already know."
He takes out his bow, testing the string and nodding. "Well, it seems we have some tracking and killing to do. Yasala, you will be joining me in the front?" He says with a raised eyebrow. Overall his demeanor seems...more mature, calmer. This is a somewhat different Talar than the group had seen before.
"I shall. I do have some skill with a bow but I am much better with this." She pats the hilt of her Kilij. "We could scout together and if we run into trouble you can cover me while I head in?"
Busying himself with tending to many wounds, the scholar replies:
"I am Patenemheb Sitayet, scholar of the Kingdom."
He casts eyes over another figure approaching - who turns out to be none other than Talar.
"Welcome back, Talar.", he adds with a level tone.
He then resumes listening to the discourse.
"We are indeed in a dangerous place, with foes, not all of which may be of this world. Keep your eyes open."
The glyphs on the arch are archaic and somewhat difficult to make out in the dim light, but you believe they are an epitaph for an honoured priest named Thoth-Apep. You are able to decipher two things of note that made them somewhat tricky to glean at first glance – the first is the name of this priest: this priest was buried here as a priest of a lesser god and that decision was made, or authorized, but a person called Demotic Hayet.
Translating the names themselves is what made it somewhat challenging and required the Linguistic check…
You have never heard of such an animal; but you suspect that, given the size and dimensions it cold be an ape, or something like that. If an ape was to have long claws or talons and thrust them into a man’s chest they could tear it apart as the bodies above were done…
You do not think it was magic that killed them. You think they entered a chamber and something lurking within it attacked the men, tore them apart, and dragged their struggling bodies toward it as they tried to flee and finished them off.
Difficult to say; you have not much experience with Undead, but you are sure that the ancients of your people would prepare the bodies of the dead. The preservation of the bodies would last some time; if they were raised they would be garbed with linen strips as well as – on occasion – gear and garb akin to their position. If such a thing was raised as an Undead it would have the general weight of a man as opposed to animated bones.
More than that you do not know; but the names of the priests seem dark and unwholesome to you for some reason that you cannot recall at this time; yet they fill you with unease…
Likely a more detailed search of the interior of the tomb might reveal more details; though, perhaps, those details are not ones you wish to visit at this time…
You have not heard of any local creature that could have done this. However, in the tales of Yar-Ammon you have heard tales of ancients that have been caused to rise from death like Undead with the powers, wit and cunning they possessed in life – a creature that had the wiles and knowledge of a man that had passed and the power of unlife animating their limbs.
Samir listens to the others talk and his eyes narrow and they flick from each of the companions.
”There seems to be some mystery in that a thing we have not seen came forth and slew all the diggers, slaves and mercenaries in this valley – but for those few who may have fled to the summit, and based on the signs this very thing then followed them up the trail and then ignored them and then wandered directly east and plunged in to the deep wastes of the desert leaving this place behind, for now…”
”Of course, we may learn more of this abomination if we elect to descend in to the maw of the place those fools unearthed, yet that is not our purpose… though, perhaps, we may choose to find out more of that later?”
He glances across the gloom of the valley to where the dark stones of the mysterious temple of the strange moon god perch on the western edge of the vale; his eyes lifting to glance at the full moon above them, then they lower to those around him.
”We are contracted to slay a petty thief and retrieve a gem of great value…” he says slowly.
”This petty thief wounded his companion, trying to slay her, even as they stole the gem from the house of the governor of the city yonder,” he says waving his hand to the north west ”and he assailed his fellow rogue so that he could keep the profit for himself and then came to this miserable place to sell the gem to some mysterious vendors.”
The muscles around his jaw tighten somewhat as he digests the information that Yasala provided.
”However, we learn from this one,” he says with a jut of his chin to the newly met armed woman ”that this same petty thief, with so few resources that he cannot seemingly deal fairly with his partner in crime – even so, this same thief has come to this place with a company of armed men, discovered the slaughter in the valley and – undeterred by its existence, perhaps because of his skill as a warrior, though obviously not as a thief… Or perhaps it is the skill of the men he hired to protect him, though some would argue this is an odd choice for a thief to have such resources… in any case; not even the carnage that he saw would deter this man and the sell-swords he employed from reaching the place he plans on conducting his business."
"Having resolved to this plan they then advanced to the temple at the far end of the valley to meet with agents of the Padishah of Khazistan… who, it seems, are in the mood to purchase a gem from this lowly thief and his entourage…”
He nods his head at this as he processes this information and then stares at the others.
”Very well; it is clear to all that we are of one mind as to what this clearly means and we are yet resolved in this course,” he says with a tight voice.
He loosens his sword in the sheathe and then follows the company to the far side of the valley to temple so they can find the thief Osan and bring his head back to the person that contracted them to slay this man and bring back the head and gem.
You eventually reach the path leading up to the temple above you. It is a dark and grim looking affair, and you can see no lights shining from its opening, but you believe that within its depths is the man you are looking to kill.
The company moves to the opening of the temple and they observe the tall, cyclopean pillars looming over you as you stare into the dark opening of the temple opening.
Patenemheb looks about warily as he enters, and silently utters a prayer for the safeguarding of his soul and those of the others. He lights no torch for now, trusting in his own keen senses and any light the others bring to bear.
When Yasala arrives at the temple, she pauses outside to wait for any group consensus. As the newest member she is hesitant to make any solo decisions if there isn't an immediate danger. When Paten begins to head inside she immediately joins him so that the scholarly gentleman is not alone in the unknown building.
As they head inside she pulls slightly ahead to scout and watch for any sign of trouble. As she is taking the lead she decides not to light her lantern so as not to warn any foes, hoping that someone behind her will provide at least enough light for her not to walk into a wall or that she will soon see signs of
light from the ones they are seeking.
===
”There seems to be some mystery in that a thing we have not seen came forth and slew all the diggers, slaves and mercenaries in this valley – but for those few who may have fled to the summit, and based on the signs this very thing then followed them up the trail and then ignored them and then wandered directly east and plunged in to the deep wastes of the desert leaving this place behind, for now…”
”Of course, we may learn more of this abomination if we elect to descend in to the maw of the place those fools unearthed, yet that is not our purpose… though, perhaps, we may choose to find out more of that later?”
Tairin, who had retreated to her thoughts since examining the bodies and the opening, simply nodded upon Samir's words and quietly added her own thoughts,
"Whatever rose and departed from the tomb is not of this world - some dark thing from the Otherworld. It was released when the diggers opened the entrance at the bottom of the stairs. The people of my homeland believe that cats are the guardians of the gates of the Otherworld. As protectors, they can sense forthcoming demons and fleeing evil spirits. Sabra reacted quite violently when we drew near to the entrance as if she smelled the dark spirit even though it had long gone to wander across the desert. I wonder at its purpose in doing so. We should take great care, if we cross paths with this evil spirit. And I concur with Samir, once we are done with these men, we should investigate the uncovered tomb/temple."
”We are contracted to slay a petty thief and retrieve a gem of great value…” he says slowly.
”This petty thief wounded his companion, trying to slay her, even as they stole the gem from the house of the governor of the city yonder,” he says waving his hand to the north west ”and he assailed his fellow rogue so that he could keep the profit for himself and then came to this miserable place to sell the gem to some mysterious vendors.”
"I am beginning to wonder about this so-called thief. Yasala told us his men referred to him as their lord. So, if we are to believe our employer and we are to slay Osan on her behest; Osan who is to meet the Padishah's agents this night, our employer would be protected for she is in Zul-Bazzir and cannot be accused of the killing. It is we who risk our necks, especially if this Osan has some intimate connection to the Padishah of this land. Again, we must tread carefully, and listen to what is being said this night when the agents come to this place. We must know what we have entered into if we are to survive this and fulfil our contract."
====
You eventually reach the path leading up to the temple above you. It is a dark and grim looking affair, and you can see no lights shining from its opening, but you believe that within its depths is the man you are looking to kill.
The company moves to the opening of the temple and they observe the tall, cyclopean pillars looming over you as you stare into the dark opening of the temple opening.
Relying on the light of the full moon and Sabra's keener sight and senses, Tairin drew her scorpion whip; holding it ready; furled in hand, and began to move along with the others, keeping to her place in the marching order. Sabra peeked up from the shawl pouch and her bright green eyes took in the surrounds she could see and her nose lifted, sniffing for scents, ears listening for any sounds; no matter how small/light. Tairin silently contemplated the surrounds as well, hoping to spot or hear something - threat or other noteworthy things. As the party moved to enter through the dark opening of the obsidian temple, Tairin and Sabra grew more alert and Tairin took great measure with her movement - attempting to be as quiet/stealthy as possible as she moved.
"Hold." Talar says. He reaches into his pack and starts rifling through it. "I have a trick for helping to scout in darker areas, but I will need some time to prepare it."
Patenemheb listens to his fellow noble of the Kingdom with great interest.
Then replies softly.
"I agree that we must be wary of such an otherworldly foe. And I would see it destroyed if we have the means and opportunity. As for Osan, there are certainly pieces missing in a puzzle. We must work out whether those are more fatal to us or Osan."
Hearing the discussion and knowing that he is supposed to do the killing Bjoern sighs and nods.
"I remember the spidermonster. Those are very hard to kill. Is the dagger ready?"
Tairin drew slow breath and then spoke in a quiet manner, yet with some insistence to Bjoern and the others, "We do not know what lies in wait inside this temple with any certainty. It is best we move quietly, find some hiding place, watch, listen and then determine if it is in our best interests to kill this man Osan. If he is indeed protected by those of elevated power and authority in Khazistan, then it does not bode well if we kill him before the congregated agents of the Padishah. No reckless actions. So, we must be patient and cunning, Bear, until we discover what is going on here. Alright? And, as to Ikhtanabu Xul's dagger, it is now in Talar's possession. He will know when to use it, if it comes to fighting fell creatures."
Yasala stays inside the entrance in case the scholarly Paten needs protection from anything within, but stops moving and looks back at the group. "I agree. We don't know each other at this point, but I've already noticed that what I saw does not seem to agree with what you say brought you here. At the moment you are helping me out so I am at your disposal and will follow your lead, but if asked my opinion I would say we should take time to discover what it truly happening here before we act."
Talar finds a spot in the shade and sits cross-legged on the ground, taking out various items from his pack. A small bowl, a blunt and well-rounded stone, various colored powders and minerals, and finally a single hawk feather. As he does so he goes through various stretches, focusing on his legs.
For fifteen minutes he works on the ingredients, mixing them and refining them and grinding them. Finally he pours some water in the concoction, mixing it until it turns to a muddy paste. He takes the hawk feather, dips it into the liquid, then looks up and carefully wipes the feather over each one of his eyes. He cleans and stows the feather away carefully as he blinks rapidly to spread and clear his eyes. When he stands his eyes look somewhat dilated and a slightly lighter shade of brown.
"I will lead and scout, stay behind me and be ready to move in." Talar moves forward into the building, his legs not having their normal bow to them as he strides quickly.
Patenemheb replies in a soft, quiet voice.
"I am in concord with Tairin and Yasala on this matter. To clarify my earlier musings, we lack key information. What have we been told that is misleading or false, and to what purpose? I agree that we approach, watch, and listen before taking any hand against the alleged thief."
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These two checks are combined. The Padishah is the local title for the “king” of Khazistan, it is merely another title for the same position. The Padishah has a massive army and has soldiers all over Khazistan. His capital is in Khazabad and the bey/governor of Zul-Bazzir is considered to be a loyal retainer.
It should be noted that there are rumors of unrest in Zul-Bazzir; some suggest that a collection of nobles are plotting to overthrow the bey; if this occurs it would likely cause issue with the strength of the Padishah himself as the bey is known to be a loyal retainer – thus, losing him would be a great difficulty.
Also combined; you have never heard of a “Lord Osan”. However, you have heard of a minor aid to the bey named Osan. You do not know why you did not think of this before, but it is likely because Osan is not that important a name and the position of the person known as Osan is indeed a minor one.
However, Osan’s position is extremely close to the bey, acting more of a personal attendant or attaché; he would have access to many things going on with the bey and it seems likely that he would be in an excellent position to spy or observe what might be going on with the bey.
That folk call him a “lord” would imply that his position with the bey is probably a ruse (if it is the same person, that is). Unless he was a lord that was merely pretending to be a lowly attendant for the purpose of observing things close to the bey. However, if that is correct then the local lords, as well as the bey himself, would know that he is not a mere servant.
You believe if this is the same person that Osan is a spy for someone; but you do not know who, but if he has connections to the Padishah then you believe he may be working for the Padishah to see what is going on in the city. This is merely a hunch, but if it is correct you do not know if the bey would know of Osan’s identity.
The Padishah is the local title for the “king” of Khazistan, it is merely another title for the same position. The Padishah has a massive army and has soldiers all over Khazistan. His capital is in Khazabad and the bey/governor of Zul-Bazzir is considered to be a loyal retainer.
He has a large army of cavalry which is noted for both its skill with mounted archery as well as its skill with the scimitar. You believe that the Padishah has held this title for at least three generations, but it may be more; you are not sure at this time.
Also combined; you have never heard of a “Lord Osan”. However, you have heard of a minor aid to the bey named Osan. You do not know why you did not think of this before, but it is likely because Osan is not that important a name and the position of the person known as Osan is indeed a minor one.
Those of you who enter the temple feel a strange feeling; a tension of fear prickles at your skin as you walk under the opening to the door.
There you see the main room of the temple’s ground level is empty, its floor covered with sand and strewn with shards of broken pottery and other worthless refuse.
To the north and west you see two small chambers; their floors are less sandy. In each chamber is a staircase that winds its way down…
Those of you skilled with tracking can discern a group of foot prints in the sand and you note that, near to the footprints, the heavy pads of a large feline have also left their mark in the sand and they head to the chamber to the north.
However, the terrifying feeling seems to fade somewhat as the light of the full moon shines eerily under the arch of the temple. This light is strange to you; it seems to spread out in a wide radius far further than the edges of the temple should allow…
Feeling uncertain for a moment Bjoern shrugs.
"I will do as you said. Please do not die, at least not loudly!"
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Her thoughts continued to turn on the name Osan and where she had heard the name before. After some silent contemplation, she remembered something and added discreetly to her companions,
"I just remembered that the Bey of Zul-Bazzir had a minor, personal aide in his employ by the name of Osan. Since it was the Bey's emerald that was stolen , it appears, by my calculations, that the aide and thief may be the very same person; although I have no solid evidence at this time. There is unrest brewing in Zul-Bazzir, and even though the Bey is considered a loyal envoy of the Padishah of Khazistan, perhaps Osan has been secretly hired as the Padisha's spy among the court of the Bey to observe and gather information on the goings-on in the city. Whether Osan has a true and formal title is still uncertain. Yet if the nobles are plotting to overthrow the Bey, this may pose a problem for the Padishah as a ruler who values his loyal servant. However, what is the significance of the stolen gem? This emerald? There are various parties interested in it, so it must be of some value beyond coin." Tairin's soft voice trailed away into silence.
Those of you who enter the temple feel a strange feeling; a tension of fear prickles at your skin as you walk under the opening to the door.
With Sabra silent and watchful from the shawl pouch around her neck, the feeling as she entered quietly through the temple opening made Tairin inwardly wonder at the physical reaction to this dark, holy place, as she studied/considered the obsidian temple with the aid of bright moonlight.
However, the terrifying feeling seems to fade somewhat as the light of the full moon shines eerily under the arch of the temple. This light is strange to you; it seems to spread out in a wide radius far further than the edges of the temple should allow.
Noting that Tairin is taking her time and studying the temple as they progress, Yasala continues to stay just ahead of the group both as scout and guard, letting the more knowledgeable Tairin and Paten set the pace.
"The matter of this 'Lord' Osan is a troubling one. Their true allegiance weighs heavily on us, whether they know of us or not. And the emerald may well have value beyond mere coin."
"His man did refer to him as 'my lord Osan', but that could have simply been a means of showing respect or subservience as opposed to a formal title. I see no method to differentiate between the two from the short conversation I overheard."