"That sounds fine to me. I've only hear tales of gnolls as a child, but never seen one. Hopefully, we can find them quickly."
Volreg didn't like the lawlessness of this place. No order that could be seen by his eye as he sighs deeply.
With the sun down, and the sky a dark field of midnight blue decorated with glittering stars and a quarter moon, the winds blow across Anfa, cold and howling like wolves among the desert stones and buildings of the port town.
"We should make camp or go and settle in somewhere. It will get cold, and I doubt you all would wish to huddle together for warmth. Skin to Skin."She said as she smiled and looked around.
"Let's go, we should find lodging at the Caravannsani"
We can set up a fire...I'll take a watch in the middle of the night...my eyesight is rather good. If you want to get close for warmth with each other, who am I to tell you no...Vanna says cheekily
A fire is set, and so is a night watch, and the adventurers camp out in the bazaar near the caravanserai...
The next morning is the seventh of January...
" Fine" She says as she walks out of the light slipping off her clothes.
"I must commune with Kiku" She says as the last bit of her clothes is shed and she slips off to converse with Kiku for an entire hour.
The Fey kept out of sight while the bigs talked to the Slaver, then when camping he did what he always did and opened his magic cloak so hes home was accessible. Inside on his bed, he slept the night away, after a wee tot or two. When morning came his is up early and once again fleeting about looking into everything.
Warming himself with the fire, Volreg's eyes widen as Mwikali walks of to commune before staring into the flame. "I do have to say, camping is quite enjoyable, especially with others. As for that large man earlier tonight. You seemed quite nice to him Wulfgar. Maybe we will have a job from him in the future?"
Sulayman sits by the fire and says, "I must agree. I quite enjoy sleeping out under the stars. Besides, it's always good to share drinks with others."
He never seems to fell the cold or heat, sitting there outside his small fey home, he looks into the embers as the sun comes up.
"This is how it used to be, long ago, mortals have been doing sitting around the flame from before today's gods where whispers of on the breath."
He looks up at the stars.
"That's how we found you, the light from your camp fires in the night. We come close in wounder at this new cleaver being. Fire, then words, stories around the fire, who could resist. Then later, much later, writing and books, we learned that from you, you know. Magic in books, what a thing. That's why I admire mortals, so creative, so inventive."
He chuckles to himself as if to a privet joke.
"A know a fey who has spent a thousand years perfecting his garden. Moving this bush there and that flower here. Its a wounder yes, but I tell him, I have seen gardens here in the realm of mortals that are exquisitely beautiful, gardens made of sand and rocks, flowers in fields of ice, Places with water tumbling over traces of lush green, with fountains of wine. wondrous places, yet he never wants to leave his own little garden."
He looks back and smiles at the group.
"So mules then"
"I see. So they aren't good men, and seem to be making a living by selling others they take away from their homes and their families. While I don't believe killing him is the best of choice, I also don't know what laws they have here to stop you when out of the city. I'm sure they may have an eye on us as well, since we are traveling with Mwikali."
Yawning, the farmer looks at the others with a grin, "I'll be on last watch, as I am used to the early hours. Nothing like watching a sun rise with the dawn winds to warm one up in the morning. Though, i do miss milking the cows and gathering eggs before everyone else wakes up. I hope everyone sleeps well."
Pulling out a pack of rations, the farmer eats his breakfast and sips from his waterskin as the sun rises, closing his eyes and feeling the warmth of the sun hit his face. "I do agree with Wulfgar. Maybe, if the gnolls are close enough, we can travel by foot to the cave and save a bit of money." Packing his things, and stretching a bit, he smiles while packing his gear. "Camping is nice. I get to feel the wind all through the night, which seems right."
The idea of slavery repulses me. I know it is common in this part of the world....it is just....repugnant.
"I can see it to pay off debts, but that is in the most extreme of cases. As long as there is a bond that someone can work their way free, I don't see the problem. The way I have seen most slaves, is that they should be freed if they have worked for their freedom from being an indentured servant."
Inquiring around the bazaar and the caravanserai, Wulfgar and Altin learn that the gnolls are believed to lair in a cave some half a league (a mile-and-a-half) southeast of Anfa...
Some Berber trackers offer to guide the adventurers directly to the site for fifteen gold shekels...
Hahaha! Did I say gold shekels!? Wow! Too early in morning! Haha! Haven't had my second cup of gaveh yet! Hehehe! I meant fifteen COPPER shekels, my friend!
The three trackers lead the party of adventurers directly from Anfa across about a mile-and-a-half of rugged, rocky desert, to a stony hill split by a dark cave mouth...
It is around nine o'clock in the morning of the seventh of January when the party reaches the lair of the Blood-Lapper Gnolls...
Sun-bleached skulls and bones of humanoids and beasts lay scattered around near the dark rift in the hillside, and the chuckling of hyenas seems to echo from within...
We go no further! Give us our copper shekels so we can go!
The trackers eye the dark cave fearfully...
When she comes back she chuckles."My Northern friend you obviously missed out on a lot of fun warming up with your clothes on!" She said giggling before she looked to Volreg.
"Many eyes look on me Volreg, I speak of spirits and look like I walked out of the shadows to steal their souls or switch their children for goblins or the Gods know what! After that Men look on me as I am alluring, something about me makes fires light the passion in them!" She says smiling as she then goes to sleep throwing out her cloak and using her pack as a pillow.
Mwikali wakes and drinks a bit of water before she looks at her travel clothes and then to the others."These Gnolls are vile creatures taking animals and people to eat and 'play' with!" She says sharpening her spear head.
The bravest of the three answers Wulfgar: These Blood-Lappers have been around at least the past three years... No telling how many there are in the cave, but there's never been seen more than six or seven of them at a time, usually with a hyena or two... They use axes and flails to kill in their raids!
Yessir, Mister Wulfgar, if you are still alive tomorrow, we show you where tomb is! The tracker grins agreeably at the big Northman...
" I will be ready with spells, I think if our tiny friend is able too, Mayhap scout ahead?"She said clutching her spear, a spell coming to her mind just incase she has need of them.
CAVE OF THE BLOOD-LAPPER GNOLLS
The cavern mouth is twenty-feet-wide and fifteen-feet-high, like the gaping mouth of a giant in the rocky hillside...
"You'll have my aim for anything that may rush towards us." Taking out his crossbow, Volreg loads a bolt into the weapon, with a glint of electricity in his eyes.
Lord Perpireen looks at the cave, as if to himself he says.
"Humm, We could pull them out, make an attack line here, at range, hit them when they come, once hit they will ether charge or pull back. If they Charge cut them down in cross fire. If they pull back we smoke them out with flame. I can go in a invite them to follow me out."
"Who has range weapons?"
"Who has range weapons?"
Altin hefts his bow. "It's my preferred weapon. I think if we set up to the side, as Wulfgar suggests, and have Lord Perpireen draw them straight out from the cave, it will give us more chances to shoot them before they close on us. Of course, if they all have bows they could outshoot us."
'The spell I have prepared fans flames from my fingertips in an arc. As for range I have a sling and this spear" She says with a smile as she walks forward determined to aid them.
"If need be I can animate my cloak or dress to strike, We could go in waves, first let the heavy hitters in and we soften them up without ranged attacks. Or come in to unleash spells if need be?" She suggests looking at the others.
*SNIFF!*Man-flesh! Males and females...YUK! YUK! YUK! YUK! YUK! PREY!!
As soon as the dark opening is within 60 feet, a cacophony of alarming yelps echoes from the cave mouth!