Mwikali finds ancient grimoires in the small monastery library that contain the following witch spells:
0 level: bleed, detect poison, mending, purify food and water
1st level: bungle, cause fear, charm person, command, cure light wounds, detect secret doors, enlarge person, hex ward, ill omen, infernal healing, mage armor, ray of enfeeblement, summon monster 1
2nd level: alter self, blindness/deafness, burning gaze, cure moderate wounds, daze monster, delay poison, false life, find traps, glide, hold person, see invisibility, summon monster 2, summon swarm
3rd level: arcane sight, bestow curse, deep slumber, communal delay poison, dispel magic, fly, heroism, lightning bolt, remove curse, remove disease
Tuesday afternoon, January 18th:
The company assembled by the satanic witch Lucrezia begins mining for diamonds in the divination-indicated areas of the northern slopes of the Atlas Mountains. The witch and her crew of locally-recruited gnoll overseers and whip-crackers push the team of mostly Italian and Spanish laborers to their limits, with several succumbing to exhaustion and being raised as zombies to continue their labor tirelessly and for free...
Altin smirks at Wulfgar. "She is handy as a scout, that's for sure. But perhaps you have other reasons? Funny, I thought you and our African queen were getting friendly to begin with!" He gives Wulfgar a friendly elbow in the ribs. "But I have no objection. Achiko could be very useful."
Mwikali borrows the book reading it as she goes absorbing as much of the lore possible. In fact she will fall asleep with the other women of the harem doing just so.
In the morning she will looks for a some garments and also appoint a few of the harem women to greet her people and show them around when they get there. After that she will confer with a few others about helping run the temple and aid the dwarves in running Safi.
In the morning Mwikali comes down grabs some food in just a loin cloth and a body band as the Christians were a bit more sensitive to bare flesh than her people. After a quick bite, she grabs a sheer white cloth and does a quick alteration to make it a loose toga for her to wear on this next trip.
After that, she continues to read with Kiku piping in directions here and there. In the end, she ends up at outside the stable.
"Is it that time already?" She says as Kiku pipes in her native tongue."Is my stuff already here? And are we good on food and water?"
Kiku replies as some of the people the saved bring out her gear and she awkwardly thanks them, in her sheer silken toga."Thank you. You are to kind."
Lord P spends the night, flying high and then free falling down until just before the ground where he activates the ring of father falling.
Landing on his feet at the last moment. He Seems to find great glee and joy in doing this. Laughing thought the night, the next morning he is fast asleep, in his tiny house.
Before he goes to bed Wulfgar, approaches Achiko of The Yellow Reed and asks, "Achiko, it seems like our task is very suited to you skill set, would you mind accompanying us?"
Achiko’s eyes (the only part of her lovely face visible above her veil and below her hood) sparkle with pleasure. I am at your service, Honorable Wulfgar-San! She bows deeply.
With the governance of Safi well in the gladiators’ and harem women’s hands, the Desert Jackals, with Achiko of the Yellow Reeds, and the Buzzard Brothers as scouts, depart across the Moroccan desert for Marrakech to assassinate the wicked Emir, and possibly Boombada the Behir...
The adventurers are well equipped with loot taken from the vampire’s and the monastery treasury, and with provisions and steeds from Safi...
Not long after the Desert Jackals depart Safi, about an hour into their desert trek, to be exact, at around 10 AM, a band of robed Bedouin nomads mounted on camels, a dozen altogether, appears on the horizon about a hundred yards east of the adventurers... They pause and watch the Desert Jackals from a distance... It is clear that they are armed with scimitars and bows....
"ZZZzzzzzz"
Happy asleep in a saddle bag.
Giving a weary smile at the deep bow, Wulfgar shrugs, "I don't know about honorable, but I'm glad your riding with us. Sleep well tonight, tomorrow we head for Marrakesh."
Remounting on the large bay stallion, Wulfgar leads the intrepid adventurers into the desert toward Marrakesh, keeping a keen eye out for trouble,
[dice=perception]1d20+9
Wulfgar cannot miss their caravan of twelve camels and robed riders armed with scimitar and bow...
Vanna waves to the bedouins, knowing they can see her.
let's see if we can make a few friends...don't feel like fighting this early in the day...she says as she trots over and calls out.
Ho, there, my good sirs. Might we parley...a civil conversation. Maybe a cup of tea as well? What say you?
The Bedouin nomads behave themselves around the Desert Jackals, seeing that they are armed and dangerous individuals...
Mwikali blinks and looks at the others. Seeing the others talking to Bediouns she went back to her book.
Altin greets the Bedouins reasonably warmly, hoping that his nomadic cultures mores and rules of etiquette translate across to these wanderers. He offers drink, and shares what general news he has, although he doesn't mention any of the party's activities specifically. He also enquires after whatever news of the road the Bedouins might be able to share.
Altin greets the Bedouins reasonably warmly, hoping that his nomadic cultures mores and rules of etiquette translate across to these wanderers. He offers drink, and shares what general news he has, although he doesn't mention any of the party's activities specifically. He also enquires after whatever news of the road the Bedouins might be able to share.
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+14
[dice=Kn Local]1d20+10
The Bedouin nomads take to Altin warmly, regarding him as a nomad chief. They admit that they are raiders and bandits who make their living by extorting goods and coins from merchant caravans crossing the desert, but offer peace and friendship to the Desert Jackals, and even offer to share what food and drink they have on hand.
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A little drunk Lord P is recanting a tail of him and an Amorous Trollmaid.
"So with that she picks up the horse, slings it over her shoulders, saying. Well if you wan't ride him I will and walks off.
He falls over in peels of laughter.
A little drunk Lord P is recanting a tail of him and an Amorous Trollmaid.
"So with that she picks up the horse, slings it over her shoulders, saying. Well if you wan't ride him I will and walks off.
He falls over in peels of laughter.
The Bedouin raiders regard Lord Perpireen with a mixture of amusement and supernatural trepidation, careful not to invoke the Fey Lord’s wrath. They laugh uproariously at his antecdotes and keep their wide eyes fixed on his every movement.
The Bedouins report that they were in Marrakech a few days ago, and that the Emir was planning a great feast to celebrate some victory or other, which was to include several days of gladiatorial combats in the arena, with the dreaded behir Boombada featured as the Emir’s champion...
Mwikali Stayed quite through most of the encounter studying her book. Until Lord P finished and she laughed."You are dirty little lord"
"Arr! but I had a bath the other mouth, so I did."
And again he falls over in peels of laughter.
"Arr! but I had a bath the other mouth, so I did."
And again he falls over in peels of laughter.
Bwahahahahahaha!!
Three cheers for the Little Lord! Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!
As the sun passes its zenith, the nomads break camp and bid farewell to the Desert Jackals as each goes their way.
The adventurers ride among hot, sun baked rocks ranging from the tiny desert grain of sand to the towering formations on which buzzards, wyverns, griffons and hippogriffs are apt to perch upon. They see such predatory beasts soaring on the thermals in the distance, but none come near enough to notice the earthbound travelers...
As the sun begins to redden and sink westward, the Dsert Jackals come within sight of a peculiar monument: a ruin of inestimable age, perhaps only recently unearthed by the shifting desert sands...
Lord P flies and lands on a chunk of stone, looking over the long ruined place, and to himself in sollum tone, he says a poem.
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said— “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Lord P flies and lands on a chunk of stone, looking over the long ruined place, and to himself in sollum tone, he says a poem.
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said— “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
bidding the Bedouin goodbye Wulfgar rides out with the Desert Jackals. As they begin looking for a place to camp, they come upon the beautiful ruins. Wulfgar smiles, unconsciously touching his breastplate, remembering the last ruins they entered."What a lovely place, why don't we stay here? We should look around before we settle in, Just in case." He then takes the time to ride around and through the ruins, looking for anything that may be a threat.
[dice=knowledge: geography]1d20+7
[dice=perception]1d20+9
As Wulfgar rides into the shadows of the westernmost edge of the mysterious domed and pillared ruins, he hears the scraping and shuffling of movement from one or more creatures within...and smells an unfamiliar, reptilian scent...
Six bipedal reptilian creatures armed with primitive stone clubs emerge from the shadows of a nearby sandstone gazebo...
In Draconic: HIIIIISSSSS!!! Halt, paleskin! This is Dunecrawler territory! You are trespassing, and riding on delicious hoofmeat! You bring us tribute of hoofmeat?
Mwikali prepared her spells and looks over at the others as she notes the new ruins. She looks at the others."So a new Ruin. Wonder if there will be more Undead. Honestly, I am a bit tired of people not enjoying there afterlife enough to stay dead"
Turning to the hissing lizard, Wulfgar asks slowly pronouncing his words carefully and loudly. "Do you understand any other language? Arabic... Celestial... Danish... English... Greek ... Latin ... Persian ... Spanish?"
The six lizard creatures hiss impatiently and raise their stone clubs in a defensive stance!
GGggRRAaarRRgh!!! HIIISSS!!! SSSssrRrAAArrGh!!!
Dismounting quietly, the ninja pulls her horse back behind the party and stepping behind it, vanishes from sight!
Turns and looks at the Dragon kin and casts Share Language.
"GerrARRGGge!!!YISSSREEEUUUSHEEhhh!! FARRRGeeAGG BRANDY!!"
"Hoofmeat! who needs hoofmeat, when we can offer in tribute Fire water BRANDY"
and from his magic pouch pulls out a flask of fine Brandy and shakes it at them.
"GErrrAGgger!!YissGherrr!!RusssSSS!!ArrrrGH!REEGghhheRR! GRiiishhhhh!! MUUUEEER!!!"
"All we ask is that you offer a little information in turn. Do this any my fine fellows and the fire drink is yours!"
He shakes the bottle again.
"Such odd noises coming from such a mouth! Strange. Still, I have heard that language before"She says trying to place it.
"They where talking draconic, so I made this one speck Italian. I just offered him a bottle of brandy in place of eating one of our horses."
He says to the others.
Obviously curious about this “fire brandy” the little lord offers, the lizard folk lower their clubs and shuffle closer, eyes on the bottle and tongues licking their scaly chops...
In formation? We can do in formation! Form up, Dunecrawlers! Then the little one gives us the fire drink!
The six form a line with clubs raised menacingly!
He pulls out some glasses and fills them, talking one himself he drinks it.
"Arrr, thats good that is"
He holds a filled glass to the Lizard man.
"Here my friend, try it"
He pulls out some glasses and fills them, talking one himself he drinks it.
"Arrr, thats good that is"
He holds a filled glass to the Lizard man.
"Here my friend, try it"
The apparent leader (or at least most curious) of the lizard men shuffles nearer to Lord P and tentatively reaches out a scaly claw to take the tiny cup of fire brandy... and quaffs it greedily!
*GASP!* ... *Huff! Huff!* ... His scales change a fiery orange hue!
In Draconic: It buuurrrrrrnnnssss!! Verrry gooood!! Hisss!!
He grins a toothy grin at the Fey Lord... A parley has been successfully accomplished through the power of alcohol!
The lizard Kong’s invite the Desert Jackaks into their lair of connected sandstone gazebos...
According to these lizard kings, the ruins have been buried by the desert sands for millennia, and were only recently uncovered by the shifting dunes—a few days at most. These six are guards warding the main entrance to the lair of their people—the Dunecrawlers.
Load P talked to the Desert lizard king about setting up a trade root with the Desert Jackaks, under a licence agreement. Where food, goods and other utilities can traded for items the Desert lizard kin may find on the runes. Giving the tribe a revenue stream. He offers to write letters of passage to the keep, and asks if 4 Lizard Kin can be employed into the Keeps Guards. So that they can be trained in modern weapons and tactics. He also agreeing that the land and Runes belong to the lizard kin who have sole rites over its exploitation and access to them. Explaining that they can charge others for access and tax them in what they find. They can also run a store for goods that such others looking into the ruins may need. Again as another revenue stream for the Tribe. If this is agreed to, then a mutual protection pact will be put in place, so that if the Desert lizard are attacked the keep will send aid.
"You see in this way you turn what would have been bandits on your borders into alies who have a vested interest in protecting the keep. Scouts who know the lay of the land, and a means to get them into the modern world and have a place in it. A state is never taken, states have to be built"
He says to his fellow Desert Jackaks once the talks are done.
"We might bring them proper colors for them to wear so they are known and respected Lizardfolk. To also aid in distinguishing them for all who come by. A sort of tribal banner1"