A Push of the Fates.... Zakhara... You Jewel!

Game Master Insnare

"Aren't there... creatures... that mimic humanoid cries to try to lure people to them?" suggests Fadilah.

For the rest of the night, just when you think you would get some sleep, the howling and bleating of goats starts up again and then suddenly stops preventing you from getting any real rest.

When the sun comes up and you eat breakfast, you tie your camels to each other to climb up the goat path. Even though it is only 800 feet up, the terrain is very steep and it takes about four hours to climb.

What is the marching order?

"Should we be tryin' and track whatever that was last night? Now that we have the advantage of the daylight?" - Aggrammar suggests - "I am not fer believin' this is just a coincidence"

I am sympathetic to wanting to help that voice that we heard... but with nothing to go on, I think we should focus on our task, in case it was supposed to be a trap as Fadilah mentioned. If we don't find someone to rescue there, we can look around more later. Something strange is at work here, and whatever we are hunting is likely at the heart of it... the faster we take care of it, the better.

Nymeria sighs and nods in agreement.

In terms of marching order, Nymeria would like to be in the middle.

Oh, sorry... um, marching order. is it single file, or two abreast, or what? Maybe something like Nura, Zairiah, Nymeria, Fadilah, Aggrammar?

The goat path is only single file up the "mountain" with camels and stuff.

Oh, sorry... um, marching order. is it single file, or two abreast, or what? Maybe something like Nura, Zairiah, Nymeria, Fadilah, Aggrammar?

That marching order works for me.

Yeah I figured first would either be Nura or Agrammar.

Your group knows that Mahara may not have eaten nor drank anything for at least two weeks so you press forward with Nura pulling her camel by its reins single file up the goat path. Followed by Zairiah and her camel and Nymeria and her camel and Fadilah and Agrammar both followed by their camels. It is painstaking work in the sun and after four hours...

GM Rolls

Nura comes up on the crest of the hill and she sees the small valley is barely 200 yards deep and littered with scrub growth, nourished by a feeble
spring. Four caves can be found in the small valley.

Initiative for Nura 1d10 ⇒ 7 and enemy 1d10 ⇒ 8
Round 1
Nura smells the foul odor of the Hyena before it strikes 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (13) = 2 doing 2d6 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3 damage

Nura

Her new scimitar flashes in the daylight as it clears its scabbard. Nura slashes at the hyena.

I have no idea of the pluses or minuses of the scimitar, so I'll make a normal attack roll.

Nura vs. hyena (THAC0 15): 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (20) = -5 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Damage Crit: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

GM Rolls

Nura retaliates with a vicious attack with her new scimitar.

Initiative Party 1d10 ⇒ 9, Enemy 1d10 ⇒ 10

The hyena strikes back at Nura 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (3) = 12 thrashing out at her but missing.

Because of the windy precarious nature of the goat path winding up the mountain, Zairiah can try to give me an acrobatics or dexterity to make her way into melee or she can try to shoot at the hyena with her bow through the legs of Nura's camel and Nura... The others can advance past one camel carefully... or two with a dexterity/ acrobatics or handle animal check...

Party

Dexterity (16) Check to move into melee: 1d20 ⇒ 3

Zariah dodges obstacles to get up beside Nura at the entrance to the valley, in order to help take down the Hyena.

Attack (Jambiya): 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (14) = 4
Piercing and Slashing Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Considering how narrow the trail is, Nymeria opts not to try shooting into the melee and pulls out her ocarina to inspire others instead.

I'll start playing a tune to inspire the party, to give them a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

Fadilah sends off for a sleep spell, hoping that it will come quickly.

Fetch spell (<75%): 1d100 ⇒ 9
Fetch spell time (rounds): 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Aggramar draws steel and moves ahead - "I'm coming lass"

Draw weapon and shield + move if there is a safe path to navigate to the front, and a spot to occupy for attacking the hyena. If not, Aggrammar just guards the rear. Even if I can get there, I doubt I can attack this round? If I can:

Attack (Scimitar THAC0 18): 16 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 - (18) = -2
Damage if it hits: 1d8 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 5

Nura desperately slashes at the hyena again.

Nura vs. hyena (THAC0 15): 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (16) = -1 Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

The combination of Nura and Zairiah's attacks leave the hyena in a massive heap of flesh at the entrance of the dale.

Combat Over

The group moves their camels into the dale. Where you see four caves with one directly from which the hyena had attacked from to your left upon fully ascending up the trail.

"Huh." Nymeria puts her ocarina away and retrieves her bow. "Think we ought to investigate?"

Ozodo told you that Mahara lived in one of the caves in this Dale, this is information that she had told you but she did not specify which one exactly... or did I write it.

Nymeria blinks. "...oh, wait. Yeah, you suppose Mahara's in one of these caves?"

Fadi's gen appears and says, "Mistress, I have you spell!

Well, shall we try the hyena cave first, and make sure another one of these isn't going to be at our heels?

"Yes," Nura nods her agreement with Zairiah, moving towards the hyena cave, scimitar at the ready.

You walk into the first that faces the trail leading into the
dell. Inside the cave you see a large pile of gnawed on goat bones for the most part. It has the stench of a hyena.

Zairiah looks around, but if the cave doesn't go any deeper, then she suggests that they try the next cave.

The cave is only about 30 feet deep and you take a stick looking through the pile of bone but there is no items under the bones.

Your group moves toward the closest cave to the one you had been to, which is directly across from you. Overlooking the valley below.

And from out of the brush from further within the dale, an attractive looking woman with black hair and a torn chador comes and says, "Help me! I have been stuck here fearing for my life."

Nura spins about, scimitar at the ready for this new threat. When she sees that it is only a woman, she lowers her guard somewhat.

Zairiah is skeptical that this woman is on the up and up, with the whole false screaming/non-human tracks thing fresh in her mind, but she plays along saying

Don't worry. We've come to help. Just wait and hide a bit longer and we'll take care of the problem.

She definitely doesn't let the woman get close enough to touch her though.

Nura is thinking were-hyena, personally.

The woman says, "I am from Talv. Mahara's cave is further in and he has been walled off by stone with only a small hole to breathe through. There are hyenas living around here and Mahara said a Dao walled him in due to him not being able to solve his riddle. All of my companions have been eaten but I hid." as she starts to cry more.

"Dao...?" Nymeria thinks aloud.

...does she mean the genie that posed us a riddle earlier?

She looks to the others, her expression worried and uncertain.

”Poor lass” - Akkrammar approaches the girl without hesitation, grabbing his waterskin - ”Here, have some water. I knew that Dao fella was up to nothin’ good”

Zairiah is still skeptical, since hiding from hyenas probably wouldn't do much good, especially this close... they can smell. However, the mention of the Dao does match up with reality at least to a certain extent, so she tries to hold in her cynicism and not shout out a warning to A...

Wait... is "Akkramar" a new character replacement, or is one of the shape-shifting hyenas actually AMONG US?!?

...nevermind, she just backs up, and gets her bow out, trying to see everywhere at once.

Damn it! My bad guys :/

Nura, sensing Zairiah's distress, readies her scimitar.

The girl drinks the water offered by Akk(gg)rammar.

She says, "Thank you greatly! Shall I guide you to Mahara or would you like to go on your own."

Um, we'll go on our own. We should check all of these caves as we go. We don't want to get caught unaware by the hyenas. Stay hidden and if we make it back safely, then we'll take you with us when we go back.

The woman says, "OK, I will wait for you in my hiding spot." she then takes off from whence she came.

You find the second cave near the mouth of the small
valley overlooking a sheer cliff going down into the main valley, there are 272 gp and a garnet scattered throughout the large pile of human bones.

”But perhaps she should join us? I’m not sure how safe she will be on her own” - Aggrammar adds to Zairiah.

”And what the heck ate yer companions? We’re that hyenas?” - he asked the girl - ”And do ye have a name?”

I think we can continue - I assume this will only be retcon.

She says, "My name is Soraya. Yes my companions were eaten by hyenas."

We can't protect her and also fight. If she's been okay so far, she's safer in hiding than in going to confront the enemy.

____

Zairiah collects the gold and the garnet, and if there is nothing else in that cave, they proceed on to the next one.

You grab all of the money and the stone and you press further into the dale. You follow the moutain side and then while searching, hidden at the
end of the valley behind three large boulders, you find one of the caves.

GM Rolls

Initiative Party 1d10 ⇒ 6, Enemies 1d10 ⇒ 5

The party being aware notice three hyenas jump from behind the boulders to attack, all three of them are bigger than the one which was slain prior. One is right next to Agrammar, the other next to Fadilah and the other next to Nymeria.

Round 1

Party

Nymeria shrieks in fright and recoils from the hyena that leapt out at her, running away from it and firing two arrows as she goes!

Shot 1: 17 - 1d20 ⇒ 17 - (14) = 3
Damage?: 1d8 ⇒ 5

Shot 2: 17 - 1d20 ⇒ 17 - (19) = -2
Damage?: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Now Fadilah has the perfect time to unleash the sleep spell that her gen fetched!

Sleep hit dice: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5

Zairiah shoots at a non-sleeping hyena.

Attack (Shortbow): 16 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 - (5) = 11
Damage (Sheaf Arrow): 1d8 ⇒ 7

Nymeria's two arrows hit the hyena that is attacking her
GM rolls

Fadilah casts her spell but it seems as though the hyenas are immune.

Zairiah's attack miss the target.

Agrammar, Nura

We can't protect her and also fight. If she's been okay so far, she's safer in hiding than in going to confront the enemy.

Aggrammar hesitates with a raised eyebrow, but does not push the matter forward - ”Ok, stay hidden lass. We’ll be coming back fer ye”

When they encounter the hyenas, the dwarf meets one of them head on - ”So ye’re the ones that have been terrifyin’ and being nasty all around? Let’s put an end to that, shall we?”

Attack (Scimitar THAC0 18): 16 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 - (4) = 12
Damage if it hits: 1d8 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 12

A raspy male voice comes out of the hyena that Agrammar attacks and misses and says, "Dwarf, I cannot wait to be feasting on your sweet breads this evening. Roaaaaarrrrrrrrr!"

Since the sleep spell didn't work, Fadilah sends her gen off for an ol' standby.

Fetch spell: magic missile, <75%: 1d100 ⇒ 1
Fetch spell time: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 rounds