It would be late in the day. You were at the haunted oasis this morning and set off to return to the previous oasis and probably arrived there late in the day. You can spend the evening doing magical healing stuff and recover HP from a nights rest before starting off.
Radi mutters something about folks not knowing how to haggle in a whiney voice.
"I have a Wand of Infernal Healing. You can use all five charges as long as you fill them back up while we travel." Malgrim offers Tarak the wand.
As malgrim helps Tarak get healed back up, Gnasher approached Garavel, gesturing towards the cave. "Tribe camp here for night, continue in morning."
Finding a place in the cave, he drops his pack and begins helping set up camp.
Malgrim nods and will assist in setting up camp. "So do you think those were bandits, or do you think they were hunting us." Malgrim says with a glance back to where all the corpses were piled up.
Tarak nods, ”Aye, I can refill charges once we get a rest. Thank ye.”
You can find one that is unconscious but not yet dead if you want to question them and use some of your precious healing on it.
He can. He used up his arcane slots, but he has one divine slot left.
Turning towards Malgrim Gnasher shrugs. Wishing gnolls were trying to hunt them down, Gnasher doesn't believe they could get that lucky. "Probably bandits."
Once the camp appeared to be ready, Gnasher takes a few moments walking around the perimeter, hoping he can draw the mute girl out.
@Malgrim
No smelling salts.
#Gnasher
No mute girl
"This one's still alive. Do we want to talk to him and see if they were targeting us or if this was just a random raid?" Malgrim asks.
Turning as Malgrm points out that one of the gnolls are still alive, Gnasher shrugs. "Harness and brand match gnolls from house of Beast." Gesturing towards the wounded gnoll, "Talk or don't talk, Gnasher no care."
Tarak simply watches the interrogation, not really having anything to add or any good interrogation skills.
Malgrim shrugs and leaves the gnoll to it's fate.
Not interested in questioning the fallen foes, the caravan gets a good night rest and packs up for the journey in the morning. The is mercifully uneventful except for being plagued by a few Doru's that attempt to ambush the caravan each day.
Malgrim catches sight of Radi and says, "What are you doing?"
Irritated that they couldn't catch the one who was constantly sending Duro's, Gnasher hears Malgirm as Radi what he's doing. Drawing near, Gnasher waits to see what the fellow answers.
Seeing as how he has his hand mid way through the process of lifting said item, he does not even bother to respond, but instead bolts away from the group.
Realizing Radi was attempting to steal the scroll of whatever it was called, Gnasher drops the bardiche and sprints after him, calling out. "Drop scroll or die!"
Oh, he throws the scroll to the side and continues running for all he is worth.
he yells over his shoulder, legs pumping.
Tarak shifts into his dinosaur form and gives chase as well.
That is the question. It should be easy enough to catch up with him. Will he put up a fight? That remains to be seen. So what do you do when you catch up? Grapple? Beat him until he ins unconscious? Beat him until he is dead? What are your intentions?
Retrieving the scroll tube, Gnasher checks to see if the odd scroll is still in it. Finding the scroll in place, Gnasher watches Tarak for a moment. Smirking slightly, he turns and begins to head back towards the camp. He'd told the thief drop the scroll or die. So, he had no intention of harming the fellow, but, Tarak was his own man and could do as he pleased. As he returned the scroll to its place, he wondered what the mute girl would do to the thief is she caught him. Looking back towards Tarak, he wondered if Tarak dealing with the thief wasn't a kindness.
Malgrim doesn't bother to chase the would be thief. Let the desert deal with him.
Up to you Tarak.
I sent a PM to Urah and got nothing. I think he is permanently out of commission. We could recruit someone else or just continue with the three of you and an NPC or two to help out.
or we could go gestalt :)
That would be too much work. I'd have to figure out how to beef up the enemies.
Ok, bad idea. Having ran an AP for a little bit now, I'm all in favor of just running it as is...
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Having tucked the scroll tube back in his belt, Gnasher watches Tarakosaurus rex chase down the fleeing human. Turning back towards where the group had stopped, he nears Malgrim, remembering how many times someone had tried to steal the scroll. "Maybe tribe find safer way to carry scroll?"
"I am not sure what that is. We could try putting out a fake to draw eyes, but that may not work." Malgrim says.
Using his superior speed, Tarak runs ahead of the fleeing thief and whirls around with a roar and grasping claws, hoping the man would stop and surrender or something similar.
Noticing as he does so that the rest of the group doesn’t seem to also be giving chase, he lets the man flee should he keep running with only a desultory slash of his claws has he passes.
And a day dream of launching a lightning bolt up his hindquarters.
But, that be a waste of magic
Radi is not interested in fighting and not interested in letting himself be captured, he will duck and weave and try to get away.
As Tarak-osaurus rex returns, Gnasher looks up at the sun, then nods, "Shall we continue?"
Being the beings of peace that you are, you allow the merchant to flee. Under heightened watches, you all settle in for a nervous night, though nothing happens and you continue your journey the next day. Other than a few Doru that pop up once in a while to harass you, the rest of your journey is uneventful and it is not long as caravan time goes before the bustling city of Katapesh appears on the horizon and eventually you pass through the gates.
The city of Katapesh is the second largest in the Inner Sea region, a sprawling, bustling port that forms the central hub of all trade for the nation. Governed by a mysterious group known as the Pactmasters, the markets of Katapesh are notorious for their eclectic contents and almost anarchic organization. If it can be bought or sold, it can be had in Katapesh.
As you pass through the streets you find that EVERY street or even ally seems to have its own unique market. From the Tiny Song Market where only hummingbirds are sold on up to the Great Tannery, where each street and plaza, each footpath and square has its own character and wares.
So, where to now?
"I want to deal with the scroll immediately. The sooner we get rid of it, the better. If we can get rid of it." Malgrim says.
With the thief running away, Tarak does his best impression of a human shrugging with dinosaur anatomy then wanders back to the group before shifting back to human form, chuckling a bit.
"I take it he dropped then scroll and ye wanted to let him go. I won't miss him."
Looking around the large city with some interest, Tarak follows the group as was his custom, only half paying attention to what they were doing while looking around and at the sky.
At the comment from Malgrim, he agrees "Aye, this thing be nothing but a hassle. Best if we can figure out what to do with it as soon as possible."
As Tarak-osaurus rex returns
"What you way is true, but on the other hand Garavel has contacts in the city and know Rayhan personally. I will give you a letter of introduction,"
Nodding his head in agreement with Malgrim and Tarak, Gnasher turns towards Garavel, "Princess say Garavel know Rayhan, Garavel lead tribe to him?"
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Tarak nods, ”Aye. Let’s ask him.” he agrees then adds, looking around the large city. ”We be in such a big city, once we get get done with this scroll, I want to find a circus, or zoo, or menagerie. With my new powers to take animal shape, I be wanting to study some new dangerous animals.” he finishes with a bit of an evil grin, envisioning new and horrible shapes he could take when needed, then shredding Syn and her third cursed wasp swarms.
Looking over the group, he adds, ”Urah needs help too. We should take care of that.”
Garavel leads you to Rayhan’s villa. As it happens, Rayhan’s villa is not actually located within the city walls itself, but in a well-to-do section of the city just to the southeast. It probably would have been easier to bypass the city, but by VERY popular demand you all decided to make the trek through the city. This area, dominated by Castle Clarion (home to a relatively infamous family that has made its fortune in the slave trade), is popular among several of Katapesh’s more successful merchants who enjoy the convenience of the city but not the bustle and mayhem of actual city living.
Rayhan’s villa is a modest three-story structure built from heavy clay bricks perched on a cliff overlooking the Obari Ocean. The villa is certainly not the extravagant affair one might expect such a successful merchant to own. The villa itself consists of the main house, a few outbuildings, and a well-kept garden. A gated brick wall surrounds the entire cluster of buildings.
By the time you have reached the villa, the guards have peeled off to attend to their own business. Once you are safely deposited there, with introductions, Garavel begs his leave to report back to Almah.
Rayhan is a bald-headed man who stands at a towering 6 feet, 5 inches. Just recently 50 years old, Rayhan remains spry and in fine health. He has a piercing gaze and is accompanied by a raucous raven Abaneshi. Despite his somewhat intimidating appearance and brusque nature, he warms immediately as soon as Garavel gives him Almah’s letter of introduction. Between questions of what she’s been up to and how she’s doing, he invites the PCs into his home to visit, and, after hearing your story in the study (room A7 in linked map above), sends a servant to fetch a healer. The only servant you have seen by the way.
@Rashid al-Gahiji
You have been summoned to Rayhan's Villa to perform some healing services for someone who was nearly killed by a Spectre.
Enjoying the familiar sights and sounds of the city, Gnasher follows Garavel to the villa. Admiring the modest villa as they approach, Gnasher had seen it before but never considered who it had belong to. After the introductions, when Garavel was leaving Gnasher nods politely to him then turns his attention to the bald man. Settling into the comfortable front room, Gnasher lets Urah, Tarak and Malgrim tell the tale, adding minor details to the story here and there. Pleased that their host would arrange for Urah's healing, Gnasher settled into the comfortable chair Letting his eyes drift shut, until the healer arrived.
A tall, lightly-muscled man with bronze skin, a well-groomed goatee, eyes the color of cool, deep water, and clad in a well-tailored white robe with a colorful silk turban, walks into the room.
Turning to Rayhan, he bows apologetically.
"Effendi, I am sorry. What you ask of me is beyond my current level of skill. True, I can heal a body wounded by poison or blade, but the wounds inflicted upon this patient's body and soul by the undead are something that is not so easily healed."
Seeing the other three, he smiles sadly, and bows.
"Greetings. My name is Seif-al-Din ibn-Subhi, but my friends call me Seif. I am a humble warrior-priest of the Dawnflower."
He then nods in the direction of one corner of the room, where a large lion lounges upon a huge pillow.
"That is Shadow, my companion, and bodyguard."
The servant, after fetching the priest hurries off to do his chores.
"Greetings, holy one," says Rayhan. "What can you tell us about his condition? What will it require to cure him and would you be willing to lead them to a priest that would be able to perform the miracle?"
"His life-force has been drained, rather than damaged. Since it goes to the core of his being, it is something that will never recover, without higher-level intervention, specifically Restoration."
Seif-al-Din then sighs.
"It is possible that there might be another follower of the Everlight in town who is able to cast that spell, but they tend to be fairly free-spirited individuals; I do not know where one such would be at this time.
Alternately, if you petition the Immaculate Repository, I am sure the Church of Abadar would have a caster capable of the spell, but they *would* make you pay through the nose."
Watching the lightly-muscled man examine Urah, Gnasher listens as he explains Urah's condition. Nodding as the fellow introduces himself, Gnasher makes a mental note of the deity. Having a little local knowledge, he'd heard of the Dawnflower but wasn't very familiar with her precepts. Raising an eyebrow in a very human fashion when the man gestures towards his pet cat, Gnasher responds, twisting his lips around his fangs at the difficult pronunciation of the first word. "Greetings, I Gnasher."
-----------------
Turning as the other tall man asks the humble warrior-priest about Urah's condition and where they may have to send him to for help. As bad as Urah looked it seemed they may need to leave him here in town to regain his health. Then he could return to Kelmarane with one of the caravans. As he considers the thought of leaving Urah, he wondered if the man with the pet cat may join them.
Nodding in understanding, Gnasher interrupts. "Tribe leave Firestarter to heal, him return Kemarane with caravan when healed." Looking towards Malgrim and Tarak, then back to Seif, he adds, "Tribe go kill creature that harmed Firestarter." Gesturing towards the lion on the cushion. "Maybe Cat-man join tribe, Kill evil undead."
Seif gives Gnasher a slightly confused look.
"I thought the man's name was Urah? Is Firestarter his nom-de-guerre?"
He then joined his hands together, and bowed slightly.
"If you are saying that you wish some assistance with dealing with creature that did this to him, I would happy to lend my aid."