Neeva’s reaction to your departure is ambivalent. The mountains taper off quickly into badlands as you head East. Gideon finds a scant few invertebrates under a rock and calls it a meal. You imagine the elves have already hunted the easy game here. Near the end of the night, you find a pair of cacti with a variety of green and purple needles. The cacti are bright green, rising to around 7 feet fall.
You identify it as a spider cactus, a dangerous plant able to shoot poisoned spines at a short distance.
on Gideon
on Rennoc
Dai holds out a cautionary hand.
"We should avoid those cacti, very dangerous. Called Spider cactus. They can shoot those spines a short distance. The spines are also poisonous."
She pauses briefly.
"While I have no knowledge that it might be so, perhaps we could extract the poison from them. Though it is likely not worth the risk unless we could enact a foolproof method for disabling the plants or gaining the spines without injury…"
Half Giant a question... Could you perhaps call forth an exceptionally long spear to prod the cacti from a safe distance?
Chumani considers the question for a moment and then responds. "I should be able to do that." Looking at Dai for direction, "How far do you think they will be able to shoot?"
Rennoc thought about the problem and then saw the answer. Look around the cacti themselves, as far as one sees the bones of the dead will be the range of the spines I would wager...
"Rennoc speaks the truth. I have only a rudimentary knowledge of these particular plants - the Oba kept so many in her gardens and arboretums. I learnt but a little before my tutelage was cut short by Balican slavers..."
There are no bones visible, although the more perceptive among you notice that the dirt around the cacti, out to about fifteen feet is disturbed, as though something was dragged across it.
Dai studies the sand, and points out the disturbed area.
"That may be the deathzone. Perhaps they have another limb, or manipulate the sand somehow to bring prey close."
Dai thinks further, her brow furrowed in concentration...
"Perhaps we could stand either end of a rope and just pull them over."
Seems reasonable, we still have the rope from the pool, shall we try?
As you maneuver the center of the rope in to prod at the cactus, a barrage of purple needles shoot out. The rope is unaffected by the attack. Each needle is connected to a thin tether and immediately begins retracting back into the cactus.
It takes some effort, but your are eventually able to uproot the spider cacti and knock them over. They continue to periodically fire and retract their spines as long as the rope is in contact, but the sprays are random and unfocused from this angle. In the roots you see the remains of a few animal bones, but nothing of real use.
Well, that could have gone worse, at least its on the ground now, and we know how to handle any more that we may find.
"Indeed. Shall we get back on the road?'
We should, I also am wondering what these fruits we were given do...
The next day Chumani stumbles across a Kes'Trekel nest and nabs some eggs, taking the edge off of your hunger. It takes another whole day to reach the road. It is a simple affair, packed earth winding North by Northwest through more badlands and South by Southeast into a barren plain pockmarked by small rocks. Further to the West, you can just barely make out the tell tale haze on the horizon indicating the shore of a silt sea. However, you are not alone.
Waddling towards you from the Southwest is a highly unusual beast. It has sleek contours, four webbed claws and a broad tail and appears to be some form of monstrous reptile. Only when you realize that it is still several hundred feet away when you spotted it do you. The thing is the size of a full grown mekillot.
As far as you knew, this thing is a myth. A Water Drake. Elemental priests whisper about them reverently, despite the extreme danger they can pose.
Daishata berths very slwoyl and carefully as she peers at the creature. She shakes her head and looks again, as if it were one of many sand mirages she has seen in her life. Yet the beast IS real, and still plods toward her and her companions. As if in a reverie, Dai explains.
"A…water drake. I did not believe this type of creature still existed - it is considered the stuff of myths. This is an auspicious sign, though obviously a very dangerous occurrence."
Coming fully to her senses, Dai adds a warning..
"I advise we hide or retreat - I do not think we should allow it to make us its next meal. If we could capture or subdue it, we might have an unheard of treasure. But I imagine succeeding at such a task is well beyond our capabilities..."
Somehing that large, I agree with the suggestion to run.
All while saying this Gideon is staring at the beast approaching, astounded.
"Agreed." Chumani starts looking around for somewhere to hide, if there really is any.
Looking to Dai he asks a quick question, "Do the myths talk about it having any special senses? Like magic or psionics?"
I agree on running, even if we could kill the creature I fear that it might anger the priests of Water... Never anger someone who could be invaluable to our survival...
Dai suggest flat out evasion rather than hiding.
"If it hasn't seen us yet, then let's get away. If we hide and it finds us…"
As to Chumani's query, Dai shakes her head.
"I am afraid I know little more about these than I did about the cacti - barely anything about water drakes at all but that they are so rare as to be almost mythical. That we have seen one is surely reward enough for all of us." she smiles weakly.
It's seen you. The serpentine bulk continues its inexorable waddle in your direction. Plumbing the utter depths of your memory about drakes of the more common elements, only a few things come to mind. One, while not quite animal level, they are fairly stupid. Two, while vicious, they can sometimes be capricious. And three, they are very, very dangerous.
Shall we begin running then, I wouldn't want to find out more about it, as that likely means being close enough to be eaten
"Running works for me.'
The creature eagerly pursues you for nearly a mile. You are nearly out of breath, when you glance back to see it sniffing the air, now interested in something to the East. It veers course to follow this new prey and you continue on for a distance yet before catching your breath. You make much better time on the road, finding a modicum of small game and dew as you go.
In another two days, you sight a bustling city, ringed by a fifteen foot wall. It lies in the center of a mountain pass at the meeting of four roads. A single large gate is currently admitting a caravan. In the distance you can see what appears to be gate guards conversing with everyone who enters.
Dai crouches down in her accustomed position, Gouge harnessed but hanging at her side. She watches the guards at the caravan for a while.
"Well, we can go in as groups or singly. I'm not too sure about Altaruk, but it looks like they are letting people in. I think it unlikely we have much to hide or fear - news of some few escapees from Grak's Pool should not have reached here, and even if it did - so what?"
Gideon can tell you that Altaruk is a bustling trade town. Never quite big enough to merit a sorcerer monarch, it is ruled by a coalition of the Wavir, Rees, and Tombaldor merchant houses. You also know that there is a tax on entrance. However, that fee does entitle you to a night of room and board at one of the town's inns.
Rennoc knows that Altaruk was sacked by giants and rebuilt about three and a half decades ago. This occurrence has happened multiple times throughout the town's history.
This town has through out it's history been the target of giant attacks, the last one happened thirty five years ago...
The city charges a tax to enter... now that is a problem, how are we going pass through the gates? We have very little funds, shall we check what their price is?
These fruits we carry could serve as the tax, if they are like potion gourds especially so.
"Sure. If we can't afford the toll, let's pass on by. Or we say we have information to sell - the news of a water drake should likely have the entire militia out hunting for it. I at least am happy there are no templars here…"
A portly human, dressed in some kind of hide uniform and armed with a bone short sword stops you as you reach the gate. He takes a good look at you, then holds out his hand, palm up. In a monotonous drone, he recites as if by rote “Welcome to Altaruk travelers. The entrance tax is a ceramic a person and a hundred for a beast of burden.”
He seems interested in the brands on your shoulders. He’s trying his best to hide this fact.
The guard appears to be rather bored.
"That is far from unfair, what do you three say? Shall we enter?"
"See something you like?" Dai smiles at the guard good-naturedly, shifting her gouge on her shoulder slightly, though not attempting to hide the brands at all.
You never saw an ex-slave before? The brand may be permanent, but the condition of slavery is not."
The guard looks at his own feet, his hand still outstretched and waiting. "Whatever you say, lady. Do you want entrance or not?"
With a grunt, the gate guard accepts your payment. He hands each of you a carved bone chit and waves you into the town. “Present those at an inn for an evening’s service.” he says in a tedious tone. The town is compact, but bustling, mostly catering to merchants on their way to or from one of the larger cities.
Using these rules
Lawful Neutral Plutocracy
corruption +3 (bluff vs officials, stealth outside buildings)
crime +3 (sense motive vs bluff, sleight of hand)
economy +5 (craft, perform and profession to generate income)
law +1 (intimidate to make civilians friendly, diplomacy vs officials & to call guards)
lore +1 (gather information and knowledge checks using city resources)
society -1 (disguise, diplomacy vs non officials)
qualities (Defensible, Trading Post, Prosperous)
danger +5
Daishata isn’t able to find much in the way of rumor concerning the water drake.
You find a trader who will buy your extras. Bartering most of the gear is pretty straightforward. For the jewelry, he makes the following offers:
Diamond: 400 ceramic
Opals: 150 ceramic each
Large Onyxes: 90 ceramic each
Small Onyxes: 40 ceramic each
Carved Bone: 100 ceramic
Tortoise Shell Necklace: 500 ceramic
The trader seems fairly interested in the last two items.
Not his place to sell gear without approval of the others, Gideon is unsure if selling the last two would be acceptable. However, in the rest of the downtime, depending on how long we have, Gideon will begin working to craft another bow, taking 10, totaling 15 due to the lack of tools.
Having made it to town Chumani enjoys getting to eat regular meals and not sleep on the ground for a few days. But once they get established and all the things they had found are sold and new gear is purchased he has time to think.
He slowly starts to retreat back in to him self much as he was when first arriving at Grak's Pool, doing enough to keep himself alive and protect him self if needed.