Mirama positions herself at the next window, and uses her blowgun versus the stirges.
Mirama wounds one stirge with a dart, and Kara slices another open.
Unfortunately, two remain attached to Kara, and their hollow probosci jab into her. One bloats and detaches, rising back towards the rafters, leaving only the wounded one attached.
Mirama, realizing that Kara is seriously wounded, moves to Kara and tries to just yank the stirge away from Kara trying to throw it in front of Javeed.
Ikethru was horrified at the sight of the two stirges feeding off Kara like gigantic ticks. She joined Mirama and tried to provide cover for the wounded halfling, taking a wild swing with her scimitar at the stirge the Mwangi warrior had wounded already with her blowgun. She was focusing more on Kara's back, however. She needed tending to, and soon.
Javeed slashes at the retreating stirge to no avail.
Javeed's AO on stirge (1d20+6=11, 2d4+8=13)
Martika steps next to Kara, and slashes at the attached stirge, and comes closer to harming the halfling than the parasite.
Martika scimitar vs stirge (1d20+2=3, 1d6+1=7)
Mirama pries at the stirge, but its pincers have locked in place.
She draws her hand back as Ikethru and Javeed slash at the beast, with Javeed's falchion ending the menace.
Javeed attack vs attached stirge (1d20+6=25, 2d4+8=12)
Khalit scrambles through the window.
Acrobatics (1d20+2=6, 1d20+2=16)
Kara swings her dagger again as one of the stirges tries to fly away.
AoO dagger (1d20+5=14)
Dmg (1d3+1=4)
Kara manages to strike down the ungainly, bloated beast as it attempts to fly away.
Still in a bit of a panic, Kara whimpers as she tries to reach the wounds on her back, pulling at them to be sure the needles are out.
"Kara, are you alright? You look awfully pale."
"Ikethru, can you do anything for her? I don't want anything to happen to my investment." Khalit winks.
"Kara, are you alright? You look awfully pale."
"Ikethru, can you do anything for her? I don't want anything to happen to my investment." Khalit winks.
Ikethru winced at Khalit's jest. She knew he did not mean any harm, but the words still struck too close for comfort. She put it out of her mind immediately though as she went to work.
"Dawnflower's mercy, she's lost a lot of blood..." She dropped to her knees and gently tried to keep Kara's hands away from her back, speaking softly in an attempt to calm the poor girl. "Shhh, you will be alright, I promise you."
She turned to the others as she continued to work, daubing the puncture wounds with a cloth from her pack and keeping pressure on the wounds. "I can stop the bleeding, but she's going to need a lot of rest, food, and care to recover completely. I...I am not close enough to my goddess so that I can call upon her to cure her. Perhaps Father Zastoran can..." She seemed somewhat ashamed to admit her own failings in that regard.
Already feeling dazed and not entirely stable on her feet, Kara finally allows herself to collapse into the clerics arms as she tends to her. She flops an arm to point at the pile of refuse and mumbles some barely coherent words "saw...shiny...something..." before closing her eyes and allowing herself to rest momentarily while the healer tends to her.
Ikethru determines that Kara's blood loss is beyond her limited power to heal.
A silver bowl lies half buried where Kara indicated.
Ikethru patted Kara's shoulder as she pointed towards the bowl, smiling sadly at the girl's seeming eagerness to serve even as she lay there wounded. "Yes, you've done well..."
When she had done what little she could, Ikethru sat Kara up gently. "The bleeding has stopped, but you're still going to need a lot of rest before you've recovered. Until then, it would be best if you stayed close to us, alright? We won't let you come to further harm." she promised, looking to the others afterwards and silently asking them to do their best to protect the girl.
She had little interest in the bowl. As far as she was concerned at the moment, it was practically Kara's considering the trouble she had gone through. She was more focused on securing the room they were in. If anything had heard the sounds of battle...
Ikethru took a position near the door leading out of the room, listening closely for any sound of approach and looking to the others, knowing that many of them had sharper senses than hers.
Kara unsteadily gets to her feet, sheaths her dagger, and pulls out a dart, wandering towards a wall away from the door and taking her place towards the rear of the party. Oh...I think I've had enough of being in the front lines for today. Kara's knees wobble a bit but she manages a weak smile at her companions. "No use fussing any more over me - we'd best move on. Sooner we get this place cleared out, the sooner I can get that rest."
Ikethru hears nothing beyond the motions of the party.
Beyond the archway lies a small antechamber.
It is difficult to make out too much in that room with only the light coming in through the windows behind you.
As the rest of the party is trying to decide what to do next, Javeed recovers the silver bowl, a silvery chime, and an assortment of coins from the rubbish.
"Are we better to press on? Or should we take Kara back to the old cleric?"
Ikethru looked back and forth between Khalit and Kara, obviously torn between two duties. Kara did need help; it was far too dangerous here for someone in her condition and they had sworn to protect her. But...she loathed leaving the monastery in the condition in which they had it had been found. She had to see this building reclaimed in her goddess' name.
She clutched her wrapped forearms and turned her face upwards. Oh Dawnflower, what would you have me do? She spoke, uneasily venturing the suggestion, "Kara needs healing that I cannot give. It would be best if someone took her from this place at least. But if we leave any sign of our having been here...whatever may be here will be ready for us when we return. Or may even follow us back to our camp."
It was clear in her voice that she wanted Kara taken back at least, but it pained her to leave before the job was done.
"Ikethru, sometimes you cannot serve all those you love and like at once. Saraenra surely can wait another day or two, before you free her temple of whatever evil it holds now. But Kara needs help now, so let us come back, strenghtned and more prepared than we've been today, to see this temple getting cleaned for your goddess again!"
With that, Mirama holds Ikethru by her shoulders, and nods firmly, looking straight into her eyes.
"Ikethru, sometimes you cannot serve all those you love and like at once. Saraenra surely can wait another day or two, before you free her temple of whatever evil it holds now. But Kara needs help now, so let us come back, strenghtned and more prepared than we've been today, to see this temple getting cleaned for your goddess again!"
With that, Mirama holds Ikethru by her shoulders, and nods firmly, looking straight into her eyes.
The priestess' eyes met Mirama's for a moment, then bowed her head in shame. "You are right...it is selfish of me to push us further while one in our care is such a state..."
She seemed absolutely crestfallen, but grateful as well, as she looked back up, "Thank you, Mirama." She placed a hand over one of the Mwangi woman's. "The goddess would want us to care for a soul in need before tending to one of her houses."
She sheathed her scimitar and looked about the room once more. "We should leave no sign of our being here, if it can be helped. Perhaps we should even leave the bowl where we found it?" She put the last suggestion forward gently. It could be used in exchange for medicine for Kara, perhaps...
She went to work picking up the stirge corpses and preparing them to be carried out to be disposed of elsewhere. Who knew, someone might actually have a use for them, somehow.
When the time came to leave, she picked Kara up from the ground. "You have lost too much blood to be walking across the desert." she said with a gentle smile, intending to discourage an protests from the halfling before they began. "Singing may not be a problem though, once we are far from this place." she added with a widening grin, hoping to keep the girl's spirits up.
Kara halfheartedly murmurs a complaint insisting that she's fine, but makes no effort to fight the cleric. Once outside the building (assuming Ikethru continues to carry her - piggyback style?) she allows her head to rest on the larger woman's back and is quickly lulled asleep by the steady pace of the march.
Feeling Kara grow still and restful against her back, Ikethru looked at Mirama with a smile and bowed her head slightly, thankful that she had reminded her of what her true duty to Sarenrae was supposed to be.
Now she prayed that their journey would remain peaceful on the way back to the caravan.
Ikethru's prayers are answered, as the return journey passes without incident.
However, when the party arrives at the Sultan's Claw, they find the oasis has been stirred up like a termite's nest. The livestock seem near panic, as their handlers try to calm them. The guard are out retrieving spent ammunition, evidence of recent exertion showing on their faces.
Dashki approaches the group, hawks and spits. "Almah's tent."
"What is it? Speak!!!"
Ikethru quickly put Kara down as gently as she could, barely fully taking in the sight of the camp before Dashki approached.
"Yes, what has happened?! Is Lady Roveshki safe?"
Ikethru had the sinking feeling that there was going to be much need for a healer tonight.
Kara blinks several times as they arrive at their destination and looks around at the disarray wearily. I reckon I've got a whole lot of cleaning to do this evening...
Dashki is his usual exuberant, cheerful self.
He shrugs and answers, "Safe? Yes. Happy? No."
He gestures towards Almah's tent and turns to limp away.
Ikethru scowled disapprovingly at Dashki as she lifted Kara again. "We had better hurry then!" she said to the others before she made haste for Almah's tent.
The sooner they found out what was wrong, the sooner they could get to work on making it right.
Kara kicks her legs and protests loudly this time as she's lifted from the ground. "No! Put me down! If she's already in a foul mood, seeing me sick won't help at all!"
Ikethru's eyes widened in surprise, but she gently let go as Kara demanded. Perhaps I underestimated just how strong, and proud, she really is... She tried to hide her smile as she quickly bowed in apology to the halfling. "You are right. I am sorry, Kara. Let us hurry then!"
Almah looks up as you are shown in to her tent.
It appears that the party has interrupted her giving an audience to two men whom you have not seen before.
Almah addresses you, "Good. You're back. That will save some trouble."
"These are Thadeous and Azten, here to help us with the reclamation of Keldarane."
"Unfortunately, none of you were here to help us ward off that vulture. A situation which we will need to prevent occurring again."
Ikethru was surprised by the sight of the newcomers, though any extra help was appreciated, especially in light of their apparent new troubles. An old man and a young man. The elder had the look of a mage. Master and apprentice? Or is the younger man his bodyguard?
She awkwardly and hurriedly bowed, a sense of urgency in her voice. "Hello, it is good to meet you. I am Ikethru, servant of Sarenrae."
She immediately turned back to Almah, hoping to get to the heart of the matter as the others introduced themselves. "Is anyone hurt? Anyone that may need healing? You said a vulture attacked?" There was confusion in her voice. She didn't think a mere vulture could cause much trouble for a camp full of armed men and women.
She added, more quietly so that she could spare a bit of the halfling's pride, "Kara is wounded. She was set upon by bloodsuckers. She will need rest and treatment before she goes out with us again." She continued, looking directly into Almah's eyes, "She was quite brave, moreso than should be asked of a slave put in harm's way."
"Hello, it is good to meet you. I am Ikethru, servant of Sarenrae."
"It is good to meet another of the Church, I am Azten, one of Sarenrae's warriors. You are one of her priests if my eyes donot deceive me."
He smiles and bows to her as well.
"I am glad to be traveling with you and your group."
Kara stares a bit at the newcomers but says nothing. She looks a little dazed.
Thadeous looked into the faces of the people around him. They all seemed so young and capable, even the young lady who was sick, Kara, the Osirion had called her. He was a bit shocked to hear that she was a slave, though he tried not to let it show. He had little taste for a person who would hold another in bondage. Whose slave was she? he wondered. Ikethru’s? Almah’s? How many others here are slaves? Perhaps the Osirion is also a slave?
Slaves or not, these people all had the look in their eyes of people who had done things and seen things that he had only read about in books. The young man beside him, Azten, also had that look. Doubt began to creep over him, threatening to overwhelm him.
How much would they expect of him? Would they be like the master of the caravan he had travelled to Katapesh with? That man had thought he was a master mage. He had tried to explain that he was more of a researcher than a wizard, but the man had not listened.
This woman, Almah, seemed to have the same idea. Perhaps I should have stayed at the library, he thought. I’m nothing but an old fraud.
His moment of panicked doubt began to pass and he steeled himself against it, resolving to do his best to meet the expectations of these brave people. He had chosen this path, and it was too late to back out now. He may not be a master mage, but he knew a trick or two, and he could still be of value.
“I’m Thadeous. It’s very good to meet you all.” He bowed then hurriedly sorted through his pack and took out his waterskin, offering a drink to Kara.
Kara gratefully accepts the waterskin and takes a long drink from it, even though when she gives it back it doesn't feel much lighter than before. Then, as if catching herself in the stare, she quickly looks at her own feet and subconsciously steps close to Ikuthru.
Almah answers Ikethru, "No one was seriously injured, but the vulture carried off two goats, and panicked the rest of the livestock."
Kara rolls her eyes and shakes her head, then catches herself and suddenly looks very concerned. "Oh no, not again! Do we need to go rescue the goats again?"
Almah raises an eyebrow at Kara's response.
"We are less concerned about recovering the goats, and more concerned that the camp was attacked by a carrion bird that could carry away one goat in each talon."
"The guards estimated its wing span at 25 feet."
Ikethru smiled and bowed again as Azten and Thadeous introduced themselves. "Yes, it is good to have another of the Dawnflower's servants with us." she said with a look back to Martika. Surely Sarenrae had much that needed doing here if so many of her servants had been called to this place.
Ikethru had looked confused at the talk of a vulture taking two goats. A vulture? But then Almah gave further details.
"By the Dawnflower, that large?!" Hadrad and Hadrah surely must be upset... She tried to imagine how much such a beast would have to eat. "If it took two goats, it may be some time before it returns...until then all I can recommend is that we keep the livestock close and our eyes open. We have our wounded to care for in that time anyway."
She looked to Mirama and Javeed with a questioning look, wondering if her advice was sound. She had to admit she knew little about survival out in the wilds. She certainly had not expected the camp to be set upon by giant vultures. "Where could it have come from? Could we track it to its nest rather than wait for it to strike again?"
Kara's eyes open wide at the description of the huge bird. "Tents won't protect us from something that big...we need more permanent and defensible quarters. We need to go back to the monastery - all of us."
Oh God, Larcifer. I am so sorry.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones. If you ever need to talk, we'll be here for you.
Please, please don't worry about us or the game. Just take all the time you need.
|
Larcifer, I'm sorry something like that happened to you. My sister has has lost two daughters to SIDS, so I can understand a little bit about what you might be dealing with. I understand and encourage your need to help and be with wife, and I hope you and her can be happy and remember your son as something to be happy about.
"Where could it have come from? Could we track it to its nest rather than wait for it to strike again?"
"With a crature that large, it's nest could be very far away, and high. If we are to fight it, I suggest we fight it on our terms."
His expressions softens a little.Kara's eyes open wide at the description of the huge bird. "Tents won't protect us from something that big...we need more permanent and defensible quarters. We need to go back to the monastery - all of us."
"But first we must either make preparations or head to this monestary Kara mentioned. If we could lure the giant bird inside, it may not be able to fly, thus making it a less dangerous threat."
He looks at Kara with the expression of a proud older sibling.
"A good idea, Kara."
Thadeous, impressed with Kara's tactical thinking, shook his head in agreement.
"The monestary sounds like an excellent idea to me, as well."
Perhaps I can learn something from these young people, he thought.