"I've got first watch, you two rest up. I am decent enough with crossbows and you two need sleep more than I do, all that magic looked stressful. We can find a place to rest and hide our unconscious ally."
Gideon grabs a light crossbow and 10 bolts and piles the rest of the equipment up off to the side, then finds a pace to sit and keep watch.
You drag Chumani’s body a couple caverns over before the torchlight burns down.
The night (at least what you assume to be night) passes without any further altercations. At one point, you think you hear the echo of some shuffling down a passage, but nothing comes of it.
Chumani groans in pain as he wakes from his forced nap, happy to realize he is awake and doesn't seem to be tied up or restrained in any way.
I guess this means we won.
Looking around in the pitch dark doesn't tell him much, but he hears the rhythmic breathing of people sleeping, and tries to do more of the same himself.
After regaining her strength and energy from a period of rest, Dai kneels over the fallen warrior and invokes the power of spirit:
Chumani wakes to the warmth of Dai's healing power flowing through him. Once she he finished he nod's and thanks her. "Thank you! That's much better, do we have any thing to eat or should I be looking as we travel?"
"There are some rations, a lemon, and a raspberry, I ate well enough in the pit so I can wait. Regarding our next move, shall we continue upstream? I fear they may send more after us when they realize that those three aren't exactly as they were when they left."
"Rations would be good. Upstream makes sense, the more distance we can put between us and them the better."
Holding up his hand and speaking a word his hand burst with purple lightning...
My friends our Light problem has been fixed...
By the strange purple luminescence, your travel along the streambed is much speedier. The water flow increases as you go, and there is a noticeable incline to your path now. Just as your legs begin considering taking a break in the pace, you spot a softer, more natural light emanating from ahead. You emerge onto the surface by wading out in a shallow pond and an awe inspiring sight. A majestic sunset is crests a pair of rocky peaks, painting orange and red patterns of light upon the sky. Or perhaps this is a sunrise, your sense of time hobbled by so long in the dark. Looking about, you appear to be on a small plateau amidst a mountain range. The terrain is a little steep, but hardly impassable. After a minute, the sun dips below a ridge and the twin moons become visible, confirming your sunset hypothesis.
From Grak’s Pool, you know that Ledopolus is somewhere South and Altaruk is somewhere North.
How this relates to exactly where you are now, you are not sure.
You know that the main road in this region goes all the way from Balic in the Southeast to Tyr in the Northwest.
On your way, you collect more roots and fungi. In the mud under the pond you catch a plethora of edible invertebrates. While Gideon isn't much help, the rest of you put together a veritable feast which sates even the hungriest among you. There would be leftovers to spare if it didn't spoil.
"Now that we light shall we get moving? I will hang to the side at the edge of the light and I suggest another of you do the same. Should we encounter guards then surprising them could make a big difference."
After exiting
"Ahh freedom, so shall we camp? Or put space between us and the pit?
We must first figure out where we are and then make plans for our long term survival...
"Agreed. We should have a plan before we leave."
Chumani stands and watches the sun drop behind the ridge in the distance, thinking back over the last week and trying not to break down in tears.
Looking around as the light fades Chumani tries to get his bearings, but has no luck. "I have no idea where we are, how about any of you?"
Dai joins Chumani on the rise watching the sun fade.
"Not I. I was a stranger to these parts long ere I wound up in the pits. And even when I knew where I was, it was just another pit, and that one somewhat more deadly."
Gideon takes a look around, trying to survey the general area, hoping he'd passed here before.
"There is a road somewhere nearby, its goes all the way from Balic to Tyr. If we assume we are directly west of the pit, unlikely but possible, Ledopolus should be to the South and Altaruk to the North... probably. Where would you three like to go?
The Key to Survival is power, the kings of the city states have proved this time and time again... As such we must find a way to become powerful.
Dai looks askance at the horizon.
"Not to Balic. Anywhere but that place. If I thought we would be welcome in Gulg i would say there... but my mistress likely would not greet all of us equally."
"I have no ties to anywhere now, so as Rennoc suggests I will go where I can gain power, where ever that may be."
An idea comes to mind, once this blasted, blighted land we call Athas was actually lush and green... Now it is nothing more then a wind swept hell conjured forth from the dreaming's of tormented djinn. Except for one corner of Athas, the lush lands that exist beyond the mountains. The lands filled with lush trees and cannibalistic Halflings... These lands are untamed, lush and if my own suspicions are correct they may hold the secret to our survival. For if one could found a colony or town in those lands one would enjoy a major advantage over all other city states in Athas. However I do not deny the difficulty of such a venture, it will take the bold and the cunning to prevail in those lands...
Dai looks at Rennoc, listening with studied care.
"Much as my home of Gulg and the Crescent Forest is green, the lands you speak of, the Forest Ridge, is green. And I speak Halfling. Though they tend to eat first and ask questions later as you have indicated…"
The former gladiator squats, holding her shovel across her knees. She stares at the sand for a long moment, as if observing hidden mysteries in the sand before raising her head and holding each of your in her vision.
"Bold we are, for, so far, we have escaped Grak's Pool. And cunning to dispense with Grak's underlings. Perhaps foolhardy too, to set out away from sustenance. Still, a life in bondage is no life at all. I would see the Forest Ridge…
Gideon fiddles with the new crossbow as he listens to Rennoc.
"If we do go there we will need supplies, and if we want to found a colony we will need more people. Four is enough to rule or establish, but should we wish to thrive we can not do it alone, and certainly not in this state.
There is another problem with this plan however, the mountains between here and the Forest Ridge are dangerous... Even without the beasts and others who infest them the mountains tend to make one as I have heard "light headed". As for where to get our supplies and intrepid colonists... Tyr has always been a place of chaos and of opportunity, for some enterprising individuals it could be the key to attaining power.
"So it sounds like Tyr would be our next goal, but first we gotta survive to get there.
"Well, let us rest for the night, we can begin moving in the morning. Tyr is on the north western side of the road I mentioned earlier. So would you three rather search for the road and travel by it, or simply head in the general direction of Tyr."
"I agree. I have magic to restore before we travel again..."
As for the road or no, I say we stay off the road. Though we are to almost all intents and purposes merely travellers - to the slaver's of Grak's Pool we are escaped chattel, property. If we find the road let us move with it, parallel, but not on it. Otherwise, yes - in the general direction of Tyr.[/b]"
Dai will volunteer to take first watch...
"Agreed, find the road and use it as a guide, but not stroll down the center of it. After we sleep and rest that is."
Chumani will take what ever watch needs to be covered.
Let us rest then...
Sleeping under the stars on the pool’s banks is practically pleasant compared to the past few days. The next morning’s sunrise is obscured by the mountain side from which you emerged, creating an extended twilight.
Chumani rises after the quite night feeling better than he has since returning home to find the life he had built destroyed by a person he had once called friend.
It's not a great plan, but at least its a direction, and one that we are choosing ourselves, not at the end of a slavers whip. I had hopped to never the skills I used when I was younger again, but hope can only do so much.
As the others rise, Chumani manifests his weapon of choice, the over sized maul and begins to go through the routines he was taught years before. Trying to get his muscles accustom to its weight and improve his control of its bulk. After working with the maul off and as well as the mace he had acquired from the slaver he stops and returns to the pool to get a drink and rinse off a little.
"So do we travel during the day or by the stars at night?"
Gideon wakes in the morning, taking a look at the surroundings in the new light.Gideon then grabs the water skins and fills them in the lake
"So nice to sleep in the open again, hated that pit and that cave. And this water may not be clean but its what we have. I vote we travel by night, it feels as if it'd be safer, don't want to be caught by those who work for Grak."
Grabbing his Crossbow Gideon sits and waits for Rennoc to prepare for the day.
"After we get to a town where we will, hopefully, be safe I will be making my own shortbow, much more convenient than a crossbow and that would give us enough weapons that we will each have one to use at range, which I feel may be of use. If one of you would prefer a bow to a crossbow I may be able to make one for you as well"
"Perhaps a bow that would let me take advantage of my great strength? That way when I do hit it makes up for all the times I miss."
Dai smiles, both at the half-giant's self-assessment and honesty. She looks up from the task at hand, fashioning a gouge's side-handle to her shovel, and looks to Gideon, shading her eyes from the first rays of morning sun peeping over the crest of mountain rock.
"Oh, a longbow! What I wouldn't give for a fine longbow. I would be in your debt Gideon."
When you shoot lighting out of your fingers and electrocute muls one begins to regard bows as child toys, no thanks.
"Then the moment we get somewhere safe I have a new task. I may not be the best but it will be cheaper than purchasing weapons, assuming we could even find a place to sell them"
The day lazily passes. By ducking under the cave mouth around midday, you are able to avoid the worst of the heat.
As dusk falls, you set out to the east, making your way through the mountains. The going is treacherous by starlight and Rennoc’s eldritch flame. You collect dew, and the shoots of a few hardscrabble grasses as you travel. A lucky find nets you a trove of lizard eggs, filling your bellies today.
After traversing the mountains for several hours, you notice a strange sight. Staccato bursts of light briefly emanate from a nearby valley, then return to darkness. Adjusting your course slightly to check it out, you can barely discern the outline of a copse of trees nestled against a cliff wall.
Dai watches the lightss with interest, the flashes making sharp contrast with Rennoc's wyrd emanation on her sharp features. When she spies the copse, Dai gazes at the sight of trees longingly, but is too versed in the dangers of Athas to approach any closer just yet.
on the strange lights
on the trees
The lights could very well have been the result of magic, but only seeing reflections from a distance, Dai is not sure.
The outline of the trees looks deciduous. Hard to determine anything more in the dark.
"If I use a spear and crossbow I may be able to get started on a bow, are either of you opposed to this?"
The flashes of light startle Gideon, a stark contrast tot he boredom of the day. Scratching his head he turns to Rennoc and Daishata.
"What was that? It seems a bit out of place, considering how quiet things have been
It had been nice to have the day to relax and rest. Chumani was starting to think it my just be possible that the slaver's from Grak's had given up on finding them.
The trek while tiring was refreshing as well, giving Chumani a chance to reflect more on the last few weeks of his life and consider what he might do if this crazy plan to start their own town actually works at some point.
Seeing the lights, Chumani is disturbed and has a bad feeling. "I say we avoid them and where ever they may have come from."
knowledge, arcana
detect magic
The flashes you saw earlier could have been the result of spell casting. A couple of your own spells can produce similar light patterns. You can't really determine anything beyond that from the light flashes alone.
The copse of trees is a good 100' away at the moment (too far for Detect Magic). The only auras you are getting at the moment are on Chumani and yourself. Would you like to move closer?
Can any of you see a hill that would overlook the copse of trees? This interests me however I don't want to rush in blind if it can be avoided.
Chumani steps forward to look and see what is with in sight.
The trees are pressed right up against a cliff face. While you could potentially circle around to be on top of the cliff, the major impediment to getting a better look is the lack of light at night. While it can be kept going indefinitely, Rennoc's spell is only as effective as an ordinary torch.
You can barely make out some kind of small structure a midst the trees.
"I may be able to sneak closer and see what is happening, assuming it is lit down there as well."