"That way!" Nura says with confidence, pointing in the wrong direction.
In the morning, the group awakes and Paritosh tells them that a herd of wild camels trotted nearby.
vs 13
"I am not surer where you two are trying to go, but the camels went that way." Paritosh points.
"It all looks like sand to me? I mean I come from forested hills, rivers, lakes, and well the ancient elven woodland of Cormanthyr wasnt to far away! Heck Daggerford is on a waterfall!" Frackit says as he begins to look around.
Ibn Taaib joins Paritosh without debate, curious to see how the elf wrangles wild camels.
After packing up your gear and eating breakfast, you set out following Paritosh's direction to follow the camels.
GM Rolls
You spend the entire morning following the camel trail, the extreme heat of noontime hits the party, you stop to get some water and have some food and then you back on the trail and about 4 and half hours later your party comes over a sand dune and you see the herd of 15 camels that have stopped in a very small oasis with two date palms.
"Lad, I will help ye if ye get me a camel" - Aggrammar offers Paritosh - "What do I do?"
vs 19
Paritosh finds one camel he thinks he can mold into a great camel to take with him.
"Ahhh, you see that big proud bull over there Aggramar?" Paritosh points, "the tall one that walks with a slight limp? That's the one! He's not injured, I think by that walk, he's got something stuck in the pads of his right front foot. Once we get that fixed, he will be a magnificent companion!"
Paritosh proceeds to make his plans to capture the camel. How would you like to handle this?
Paritosh will politely request the temporary use of someone else's mount. He will use that mount to ride, slowly, and in a non-threatening fashion, near the camel flock. Never going directly towards his quarry, but slowly moving closer. He will get to where he can lasso the elusive camel of awesomeness, thus capturing it, and then start a regimen of camel training over the next several weeks.
vs 11
vs 13
Paritosh is able to slowly make his way on a camel up to the herd of camels and ties his rope but thinks the knot is good. The heavy knot of the rope hits the sand next to his quarry.
GM Rolls
The thud on the ground spooks the camel herd and they all run in all directions making the cries of scared camels that you have heard uncountable times in the past.
"If it was easy, everyone would be doing it," observes Paritosh.
"Keep going until you achieve your goals!"
Paritosh tries again...
vs 11
... and again...
vs 11
... and again...
vs 11
... and finally gives up.
"It is not meant to be my friends. He returns the borrowed mount, and decides that a life afoot will be better for him until he can purchase a camel at some time in the future."
The party watches as he chases a particular camel around when dozens of other camels disperse into the desert. Dejected, Paritosh comes back as the party decides to camp for the night and has already set up their tents in an easy to find location.
GM Rolls
That evening a mild sandstorm kicked up but otherwise it ends up being uneventful.
"Fear not, Paritosh. You will find the camel that is right for you," says Fadilah.
"As the poets say, 'I was lost until I found my way, I was lost until I found the one.'"
"It is not meant to be my friends. He returns the borrowed mount, and decides that a life afoot will be better for him until he can purchase a camel at some time in the future."
"That's a shame lad, but no worries. I'm sure there are other wild camel packs out there. Mebbe ye'll find an even stronger one" - Aggrammar pats Paritosh on his back.
Zairiah is exhausted from watching all of the camel chasing and being out in the sun too long, so she is grateful when they set up camp again, and she goes to sleep right away, waking up for last watch.
Nura corrects the sheikh's direction and realized that they have been slightly off directionally the past couple of days. You notice that when you see Diliram she has been more and more dejected each time Fadilah's gen comes back without the dispel spell or when he does he comes back and it does not work. She does make it known that without her lover being rescued she is not bound to the party for the time she had said she would be.
GM Rolls
In the late afternoon, the party approaches an oasis surrounded by a camp of
three tents (one larger than the others), designated by a large, midnight blue
banner with three crescent moons.
Frackit draws a dagger and looks like he is fiddling with a piece of leather as it looks more like a leather punch instead of a regular dagger.
" Im pretty sure you all have a method of greetinf other travelers and whatnot? Why not try that but with caution" Frackit suggests having spent a decade or two fighting in a guerilla war.
Zairiah
The largest enlightened tribe of the Haunted Lands,
the House of Hanif, numbers some 10,000 and is
powerful enough to send its own ambassador to the
Court of Huzuz. As a people, the tribe has an intense
loyalty to the throne and is known for rescuing thirsty
pilgrims lost en route to Huzuz. The tribespeople are
brave, honest, and open to strangers. The leader of the group is Sheikh Khaldun bin Hanif.
Zairish recognizes the banner as belonging to the House of Hanif, which is a powerful house known for its loyalty to the throne and for its good works, such as rescuing thirsty travelers who become lost on the way to Huzuz. She tells the group that the leader's name is Sheikh Khaldun bin Hanif.
Fadilah does her best to mollify Diliram.
"Fear not, I will not give up on you. I honor my commitments, and I will keep trying until we succeed or Fate decrees an end to my days."
"How many Sheikhs do we need around here?"
Nura keeps quiet. She knows enough to be painfully aware that her etiquette is not up to the task.
"Each group has a sheikh, who is a respected leader. The sheikh holds their position through personal skills and their ability to form an alliance from various groups, often families that may have squabbles or grudges that the sheikh is able to navigate and resolve or suppress," explains Fadilah.
"This banner is that of a tribe that is known to be helpful to travelers and loyal to the throne of Huzuz. This means that a polite approach may be good, if we present ourselves as humble travelers simply seeking to camp at the oasis for the time being."
Your group is quickly intercepted by desert riders from the camp. One is a short, sturdily built young man and he arrogantly says, "Leave our camp immediately. We are not interested in commerce."
You must be fortunate indeed to not be interested in trade. We however would love to just talk, and perhaps trade stories and information rather than goods if you have no interest in those. We have our own water, so we don't intend to be a burden. May we join with the camp just for fellowship? I know that the House of Hanif has an excellent reputation for hospitality, and that is all that we ask.