Saraon took some small comfort from the fact that whatever creature Ugra's meat came from, it appeared to be too big to come from any sort of humanoid. It wasn't cannibalism if SHE was eating it, but all the same, Saraon didn't wish to offend.
He takes the offered food and munches on it.
"Thank you for your generosity, Ugra," he comments politely.
"Mighty, mighty kind." Katheryn said with a nod as she tried to eat some of the food provided, mainly focusing on the cheese first.
Ugra takes a look at the assembled party and her eyes fall on Godric,
"No, don't worry Ugra. The metal men had him tied up, and when he was untied, he helped us fight them," Saraon replies gently.
Godric carefully steps forward toward the giant, distinctly aware of the size difference between them. "Mighty Ugra, I was set upon by the metal men and held captive. You and I shared a common enemy, and when these brave souls arrived, they helped to free me and in turn, I struck out at the metal men who would bring us harm. But, if you have any concern, would you touch my arm, and see I am made of flesh?" He pulls back the sleeve of his left arm and raises it, offering it as a sign of trust.
She leans across the "table" towards Godric, breathing heavily. The smell is...worse than description allows. A lifetime of blood and sweat, all sweltering under the desert sun without even a suggestion of bathing can barely do it justice.
Taking a deep sniff in Godric's direction she seems satisfied and goes back to eating her dried meat and cheese.
"Certainly, Ugra! In fact, we can just open it and take what's inside, so you can keep the footstool," Saraon replies.
"We thank you mighty Ugra. Enjoy your drink."
He offered already moving to get what they needed from the tree trunk.
The party opens up the cache.
Inside is another piece of some sort of ancient firearm, likely highly advanced.
A box made of the same strong, clear material that the gold bars of the last cache were in contains six silver disks that Sprig recognizes as batteries.
Next to it is a metal box, four metallic cylinders inside. One are marked with a lightning bolt, one is marked with a feather, and two with what looks like stars or flashes of light.
There's also a mask made of clear material, two large cylinders near where the mouth would go.
Godric looks on in wonderment at the strange items pulled forth from the chest. Sure, he had seen some items of the bygone days before, but these are magnificent. Perhaps, more intriguing though, is that his newfound allies knew this giant had them wasting away in its 'footstool'. 'Who are these people?' he wonders to himself as he watches...
Saraon bows to Ugra and after the items are removed from the cache, he returns the "footstool" to Ugra.
"Thank you again, Ugra. May the moon goddess guide your steps and blessed be as blessed is!" he says before they depart for good,
"Let be gitten' out of here." Katheryn muttered to the others after they had gotten their prize. "Be taken' a closer look once we're uha, safe."
The roads of the Barrens stretch out before the party. Glowing Springs is nearby, imperiled by mutant slavers. The final cache awaits the party, and beyond it, the bunker that the mysterious disc found in the dwarven bandit Svedka's fort was bound for.
"Would you like to continue travelling with us, Godric?" Saraon asks, assuming Sprig would make a similar offer.
Godric takes in a breath of fresh air as they beyond the giant's rancid hovel. At Saraon's offer, Godric turns, "The fates lead our paths together, it would be folly for us to deny such a chance encounter. Where do the road now lead you? Do you seek more relics such as the ones recovered here today?"
Sprig nodded with Godric's words. "There's jes' one more left now. Then Ah suppose we head back t' Exchange'n see if there's somethin' that needs doin'."
The little lizard paused for a moment, before turning to face the pale man. Looking Godric in the eyes, best he's able, Sprig spoke. "Forgive me, Ah've been rude. My name's Sprig Snaggletooth and Ah'm th' one in charge of this caravan. If you don't mind a little honest work, then Ah'm always happy t' have another hand."
In what he knew was a Tallfolk gesture, the kobold extended a claw to shake.
"To be fair I've just been taggin' along. OH! I'm Katheryn, Katheryn McHaven." She said with a nod. "Mighty rude I agree. Forgive me."
"Uh Im Bas, Mr. Sprig has me along for uh... dealing with unsavory sorts. "
The large man began his voice kinda soft. It was obvious he wasnt that great with speaking with folks. He kinda cringed and hung his head when speaking too. The burn scars were very obvious along most of his body. That might have to do with his hesitance.
He glanced back torwards where the hillgiant's home lay. Hopefully she didnt cause problems for others.
"Think those folk being harresed by those mutant slavers will be safe if we head after the last cache boss? I mean I want to get my hands on whatever that tech is myself it seems mighty important those muties though... they make me uncomfortable."
He asked the little kobold.
Godric listens as each member of the band introduces themselves. After a pause, he looks around at each of them. "I am Godric. At some time I acquired the moniker Graywalker, though I honestly don't remember where. I am capable with the blade, and have no problem using it against those who would do ill. I also can... mend flesh, as it were. I would gladly join on for this honest work you offer."
He extends his ghostly pale hand toward the diminutive kobold.
"Godric, nice meet ya." Katheryn said with a smirk before she looked to Sprig. "So, where to next mate?" She asked as she leaned on her musket.
"I'd recommend making our way towards Glowing Springs. If they're under threat, maybe we can turn the tide or at least ensure their safety. The cache will still be there when we're finished," Saraon says.
Sprig took Godric's hand in an equally pale claw and shook it vigorously. "Wonderful, Ah'm glad to have you."
Tilting his head as the others spoke their thoughts, the kobold sighed with a low hissing sound. "Ah can't say Ah'm inclined t' let slavers run free reign 'round these parts, it's jes' bad business... A-Ah'm not excited to head into danger, but there's some things that Ah jes' can't abide an' this is one of them!'
Shouting the last few words, the lizard leaps into the wagon to prepare for travel.
As they rode and he'd sufficiently calmed down, Sprig started musing over a plan of action. "Let's take a grasp of the sitch-e-ation when we near town. Ah thought Ah heard th' slavers took over th' town proper, best keep a look out."
The party sets off towards Glowing Springs.
It's rough going along the roads, and as the party draws closer to Glowing Springs obvious signs of hostile mutant activity can be seen. Monstrous effigies made of human remains sit along the roadside, a testament to these slaver's cruelty.
What's likely a few miles out from the town, Godric and Saraon hear something in the distance. It sounds the rhythmic drumbeat and chanting of a marching cadence, along with the occasional crack of a whip.
As the others discuss slavers, Godric's demeanor immediately changes. A hard, grim visage comes over his face, "Slavers, eh? I guess the fates did have a purpose for bringing me here after all..."
-----
Godric winces at the sight of the macabre flesh sculptures. At first he turns away, but then he looks back and stares. He lets the memory of his old master's cruelty echo in his memory. It is only after a few minutes of hearing the drums and the whip that he realizes it is not a flash from his past. "They are near, I can hear the sound of their horrific ways."
Saraon's face is hidden by his mask, but it's clear he's just as repulsed by the gory tableau as Godric is.
"When we finish here, we will take these down and return them to the soil, so that new life may spring from this tragedy."
He then nods at Godric's words.
"I hear it too. They're as cruel to their own as they are to their victims."
"A'right, that's nasty." Katheryn said as she watched the sculptures made of flesh go past them as they moved on their way. "Ain't right."
"Their ways?" She asked as she looked to their newest member, who was no longer her.
Sprig's reptilian face belied little emotion. When he speaks, it's colder than usual, but controlled. "Let's find somewhere to stow th' wagon. Ah'd rather they not spot us."
Sprig's reptilian face belied little emotion. When he speaks, it's colder than usual, but controlled. "Let's find somewhere to stow th' wagon. Ah'd rather they not spot us."
Saraon nods, casting his eyes about for the natural features of the landscape that would work to accommodate Sprig's request.
Saraon's keen eyes cast around the area and he spots a gulley that the wagon could be maneuvered into without too much difficulty.
The party creeps closer to the sounds and the horrific source becomes clear. A large procession of more than 20 chained humans marches down a desert road. They're dirty, wounded, and thin, all evidence of horrific treatment suffered at the hands of their captors.
Five mutants surround them.
The one in the front is a massive abomination, almost the size of Ugra the giant but looking like several human bodies fused together, and beats a drum with a large club.
The rest are human sized, a few carrying whips that they're using to cruelly "encourage" the humans along the road. One of the mutants in the front wields an axe and a whip, the other a large spear. In the back, a particularly well-dressed mutant carries a handaxe and a pistol, and the other carries a whip and has a crude shotgun slung over their shoulder.
The mutants chant in a barely recognizable pidgin language as they force march their captives through the harsh sun. Just ahead of them is an old wooden bridge over a deep ravine with a barely-flowing creek at it's bottom.
"Say the word boss and I'll hit the big guy."
He whispered lowly licking his lips and cracking his neck. He had no doubts it would hurt and he might not be up to taking out the large one, one on one, but he was pretty sure he had the best chance to keep the big one occupied while the others did what needed to be done.
He ran a thumb along the bardiche and grinned as he hit a few rough spots... it would hurt when he hacked into the monster and that was good. Let em suffer.
Sprig took quick stock of the situation, peering over the battlefield. "Les' cut them off at the bridge! If we can draw 'em towards us, Ah might be able t' separate them from each other... Ah can't be certain how th' captives might react, but it's best Ah got fer now. Bas, Godric, if yew can hold 'em from crossin' the rest of us'll put 'em through th' wringer."
The kobold takes a last minute check of his pistol, takes a deep breath and says "Y'all ready?"
He nodded and crept forward towards the edge of the bridge doing his best to keep out of sight so that he could slip across the bridge and stop their progress.
The huge mutant seems totally unaware of Bas' presence, but the two warriors up front look at each other and the axe wielder shouts back to the mutants in the back, "Whip-driva! Trouble broon ahp pasda gulley! Halta convoy, wiegan to check it."
The mutant is saying to the whipper in the back that they've spotted trouble past the ravine, and are asking to stop the march so they can check it out.
The procession stops with a ferocious bark from the shotgun wielder as the two man-sized mutants up front start heading towards the bridge. They've spotted Bas, just barely, and it won't be long until they get to him,
Godric draws his heavy blade as he begins to move forward with Bas. He keeps his response simple, "It would be my pleasure." Following Bas's lead, he keeps low and tries to skirt his way up to the stone outcrop.
Seeing the mutants take notice of them and halt the caravan, he looks at Bas and nods up to the bridge, "They've seen us. I'll make a play for it. Be ready."
Rising from behind the stone, he walks out to the end of the bridge, hid blade hanging low as he does. Calling out to the two mutants approaching, "You claim their lives as your own, as chattel... then I claim YOUR lives as mine own, as restitution! Come, pay forth on your debt!"
Saraon casts a spell and bark spreads over his body.
Then he begins approaching the bridge with Bas and Godrick, curve-blade in hand.
Sprig moves up to take cover by the boulder Bas was nearby, preparing to cast a spell.
Katheryn followed suit after Sprig and from the boulder and took aim at one of the mutants, ready to shoot once things went south... because things always went south.
The big mutant lumbers forward with surprising speed, letting out a thundering roar from it’s gaping maw. Saraon and Katheryn, fast and perceptive both of them, just manage to beat the other mutants!
With their cover gone, Katheryn darted out and took aim at the large lumbering mutant.
Saraon chants as he approaches behind Godric and grabs a handful of sand and pebbles from the ground and casts them into the air, where they seemingly vanish...until a rain of rock and dirt pours from the sky onto the big mutant in the lead and his two allies tailing behind him, pelting them!