"Swan song of the lonely tree, I would pay to see that play" Sindri will say with a smirk on his face.
Sindri will hop onto the camels hump, balancing carefully so he might get a slightly better vantage point.
Sindri will listen, trying to pick on any sort of sound.
"These parts are filled with slavers and raiders, this could be a trap."
The area could contain slavers, pirates, bandits, desert nomads, and of course the expected native creatures of the desert. As with Silas, you can't really make much out other than that it is probably several miles distant. No sounds can be heard coming from that direction.
Sliding off of the camel, the Svirfneblin will draw his bow.
"Could be a trap, could be someone in help. The desert is a harsh mistress, survival is the only law out here. So what will it be, go out and investigate it or stay here at camp?" Addressing the group
Sindri will turn to the guide,"What say's you? We paid you to guide out here, we're not going to ask you to help us fight, but from your experience in these lands, what do you think is the best course of actions? have you seen sightings like this or heard anything strange in these parts?"
"Well I think we need to go. We're looking for something odd, and this is odd. "
"Specifically we're looking for magical anomalies, for all we know it could be a pile of bodies being burnt. I'm not discounting it though. I will go with whatever everyone thinks is best."
"I say we get closer so that Sindri can sneak up and check it out."
Sindri will smile,"that's what I'm paid for."
Having been silent for a while, Sig did his best to keep up with the group. His body made continued travel like this a breeze, never knowing concepts like fatigue or thirst. He wouldn't draw his weapon yet but he was ready for battle, his glowing eye focus on the smile fire ahead, sneaking forward carefully.
Sindri will venture out stealthily,making sure not to give away their position.
Lucius follows along as sneaky as a bag of cans.
Silas, normally not very stealthy, manages to step softly as follows along.
In response to Sindri's question the guide comments, "Well, if it be a fire, as it appears, then whatever lit it is intelligent. That suggests whatever is out there is humanoid."
The group travels in the direction of the light for some time under the growing darkness of the desert night. Upon getting closer it can be seen that there are two fires actually, more or less in a line with each other. From this closer vantage though it seems the second is another 100 or so yards further on. The shadowy figures of humanoids can be seen around the fires.
Sindri moves closer to the first to get a better look, the others, save the guide who stays back a little, following.
Closer up it can be seen the humanoids, dressed in white colored clothing that covers head to toe, are working an excavation near the flames. What could not be seen previously against the dark night sky is several pillars and a partial wall demarking ruins that have been largely buried by the desert sands. Near the flames is a pile of sagebrush and other things which one of the figures occasionally tosses into the fire to keep the flames going.
Six figures are coming in and out of the hole periodically with wheelbarrows filled with sand, which they dump at the outskirts of the area they have cleared.
Sindri will move in for a better look, moving carefully Sindri sneaks closer to the mysterious men.
'Strange dress for working in a desert night, who could they be?'
Sindri will try to listen in on them, from his distance it might be for nought.
There manner of dress and speech tells you they are one of the nomadic desert tribes. You have no idea what city or people once owned these now buried ruins.
Sindri listens to the workers as they chat among themselves.
"I'll be glad to be done with this place. Hopefully the shiek finds what he is looking for and we can head back out into the desert."
"No kidding. This place gives me the creeps. Long buried buildings and empty hallways - I'll take the open desert anytime."
"Looks like they're digging something up that's probably better left buried."
'Desert Nomands huh? I will inform the rest.'
Sindri will sneak back towards the others.
'But who is this Shiek figure?
Talking in a low hushed tone,"They're from a nomadic desert tribe, so probably not too dangerous. Some figure wanted them to look for something, I say we take it. Also they appear to be afraid of the ruins. So I figure we sneak by there, battle and scare them off get whatever relics as a bonus and delve into the unknown ancient ruins."
"How about we scare and then battle? They are probably harmless if they are just ditch diggers. "
Sindri will think it over,"I suppose so, either way their boss wants something they think they found, the desert life is harsh. We take it and they leave with their lives. Sounds fair to me."
For now, Sig kept quiet and let his eye shift between one ally to another. Unable to really regulate his voice, he chose only to observe and move with whatever the group decided.
There are an unknown number of nomadic desert tribes, and thus an unknown number of men who might be called shiek. Whoever this shiek is though would have absolute command over those under his tribe.
"I also vote for scare, then fight."
Silas casts mage armor on himself.
"Alright I'm going back in, let's surprise them. I'm going to sneak closer to them and press fire with my arrows. "
Bow still in hand, Sindri will draw from his quiver some poorly made goblin arrows.
As the short guy disappears into the shadows Lucius asks "But when do we follow?"
He will give it a couple rounds and clank on up in full battle rattle (accent on the rattle).
"I think we wait for him to get in position and move up to attract their attention so that he has the chance to surprise them."
Sindri slips closer with no difficulty, neither spotted nor heard by the workers.
Sindri will sneak closer to the group of workers, hiding behind one of the ancient stone pillars
Once behind the pillar, Sindri will climb up it. Laying slow as not to attract too much attention.
Once on top of the pillar sindri will wave an arrow to his comrades signaling for them to approach.
Seeing a signal, Lucius will come clanking his way up to the dig site.
"Hey there, what you fellows up to in the middle of the night?"
Silas tries to be sneaky as he approaches.
While the workers are busy within the excavation, Sindri climbs atop the northernmost pillar. From that vantage he can see that there is an opening in the excavated area showing a narrow passage leading to the east. It is from this opening passage that the workers are hauling more sand out of.
At Lucius approach and words several of the workers jump with a startle. After their initial shock, several place hands on the hilts of daggers in their belts but do not draw them. One of the men speaks, "Well... why don't you come and see?"
None of the workers look in the direction of Sindri crouched low atop the pillar, or Silas off to the side of Lucius.
The man seems overly eager for Lucius to come down into the excavation area.
"Well sure. Mighty neighborly of you fellows. " and we walks on over.
Silas shrugs and walks along with Lucius, his left hand resting on the sheathed hilt of his Katana.
"I really did think they were burning the last tree in the desert..."
Sindri stares as his comrades begin walking into the mysterious pit.
'What are they doing?! So you just meet someone and walk into a random hole?
Sindri will draw one of his arrow and fire it towards feet of the man corralling his comrades
As Sindri's arrow strikes the sand between the mans feet he jumps backwards. "Seize them" he calls out.
"So much for being neighborly. "
and he will close with and chop at one with his cutlas.
power attack
Finally seeing a change in the action, his time for hiding and watching had ended. The wooden automaton knew that the gambit had no failed and charged into conflict, rushing at the first nomad he could reach as he drew his blade. They were now enemies, and their reasons and stories meant nothing to the war titan.
Silas uses a mythic point to cast Shield and improve his armor class.
A disk of green energy coalesces around his left hand, protecting him from the tribesmen's attacks.
A mythic force pulses through Sindri, overtaken by his new found power. It was time for a field test.
Sindri fires his first two arrows at two nomads to his left.
His next volley aimed at the man leading lucius.
Lucius nearly beheads the the man next to him, the man falls to the send gurgling blood for a moment before expiring.
Sindri puts an arrow through the chest of the second, he falls to his knees in stunned shock, then collapses on his face.
Sig charges at a third, knocking the man out cold.
The remaining three, seeing the vicious and deadly onslaught turn tail and run south into the dark desert.
Lucius will let them run.
"Shoulda been more neighborly!" he shouts after them.
Sindri will hop off the pillar and search the dead and unconscious.
"Well it's a shame that didn't go according to plan, only two of them are dead and one is still unconscious. Where ever that man wanted to lead you into was surely not a good place, nobody under the cover of night in the middle of the desert just welcomes someone into some ancient ruins. "
"Yes, I figured that, but it never hurts to have them let you get close without suspecting you. "
Sindri will smile, "now you're learning the art of subterfuge."
His expression will shift to a serious one,"while I agree under normal circumstances we're dealing with ancient ruins here, who knows what curses or foul magic lies within these halls. The gods let this place be lost to the annals of history. We should all be on our toes."
"Warning: Let us proceed with caution. We also cannot rule out that these six were probably not all of them. More skilled enemies could equally be lurking in the shadows," the construct added, finally able to speak with their stealth broken. His lone, pink eye scanned from one ally to the next, his body limber and ready while he was prepared to cast whatever was needed to aid them in their infiltration.
"I don't know, reckless abandon hasn't failed us yet. "
but he still defers to Sindri if he wishes to scout ahead.
"The tribesmen obviously weren't the source of the power we are searching for. Perhaps we should investigate what they were focused on unearthing."
"Agree, those tribesmens were simply looking for something for their sheik. I agree that we should investigate the area, I'm willing to scout ahead."
"Satisfied: Whether we choose to rush in together or scout out first, I will support the group all the same," he replied, giving a nod when he did.