Exhaling, Ekee stands picks up her bow and quiver then moves slowly north. Stopping after 10 paces.
"I've got 4 arrows left. What ever is coming, is more than welcome to them."
Wordlessly, Ko-tik takes up a protective position.
Ekee and Ko trudge ahead and find some higher ground. Moving ponderously towards the Oasis is a large animal that from this distance almost resembles a boulder in a bamboo patch. A thick carapace studded with a dozen protrusions of some sort protects the beast's chelonian torso.
Some other flash of movement catch's the trained warriors' attention. Something smaller and more agile.
The large stony creature stops moving and seems to settle into the loose sand near a patch of petrified and long-dead scrub. The various scavengers slowly return to the feast, only to scatter again after a few minutes when an explosion occurs about twenty feet from where the animal dug in. The explosion comes from what seemed at first to be a patch of petrified trees. It is a second one of the animals! The explosion came from the protrusions, which fired a volley of bony darts into the air. A large scavenging bird is struck by one of the darts. It struggles to break free of a thin line connecting the dart to the tortoise-like beast, but eventually is forced to land in exhaustion. The second beast begins crawling toward the bird, which tries to take off but is cut short by the sticky strand, now shorter as the creature has crept up on it's prey.
Cassiel makes sure to stand away from anyone else, hunched over his burning torch, making a show of keeping the flame burning bright.
Supposedly, it'd help keep the spell he was casting under his breath out of sight.
Spending most of the morning tracking, Yarig notices his prey is just right over the ridge. Seeing the prey using its projectile, Yarig gets ready to pounce but notices something out of the corner of his eye. Seeing the figures just over the ridge, Yarig sulks back down behind the ridge, not knowing if they are hostile or not.
"Stone creature eat air creature. No hunt us. Clutch kill eat, yes no?" Ko prepares herself to scuttle in to conflict as to avoid those terrible darts.
After studying the creatures for a moment Ekee says.
"I don't think I'm that hungry. Maybe we should pass these guys by."
The creature creeps ever slowly toward the captured bird, which tries from time to time to take off and flee to safety. Over time it becomes fatigued from the attempts.
As the slow moving predator closes the distance to only a few feet there is a terrible cracking sound. Sand and rock gives way beneath it's feet and it is swallowed up in a sudden sinkhole. The poor bird is dragged down with it. As the sand flows away a building is revealed for the first time in ages. It seems to be made of worked stone and looks quite sturdy. There are no windows, but a single door which stands open.
The first of the turtle monsters emits a bellow from it's protrusions, which is answered by another of it's kind from not far beyond the area. It repeats the bellow, which comes from it's pipes like a pained buzzing moan, over and over again. The fallen creature does not bellow in response; only the third, unseen one elsewhere responds.
Seeing the three animals separated from each others, Yarig seizes his opportunity and throws his bolas in an attempt to get the lone bellowing beast off balance. Yarig then he brings his massive shield to bear, fearing retaliation from the beast.
Taget Number of 12
Thac0 18
Yariq's bolas bounce straight off of the hardened carapace of the chn'thrang, which hardly seems to notice as it is consumed with worry for the fallen creature.
Standing and peering into the hole, Ekee purses her lips and says.
"Well that was unexpected."
Moments later when a figure springs up from behind the dune and attacks the turtle monster.
"You know for a supposed lost city in the middle of nowhere, it gets a lot of visitors."
"Some of them even arrive without meaning to eat anyone." Cassiel comes up alongside Ekee with a lit torch.
Sienna frowns slightly and says, "Is there even any reason to pick a fight with these things?"
"No, and I don't think we should tangle with the creatures either." She says with a little smirk.
"Greetings Sir Hunter. We are friendly."
Still a little weary and outnumbered, Yarig looks into the newly created hole at the fallen creature.
"Yarig, my name is Yarig." he says while still keeping up his guard.
"Welcome Yarig. I am Ekee and these are my companions. Sienna, Cassiel, and Ko-Tik. We were just thinking of exploring this ruin."
Yarig beings to pull the dead beast out of the pit and ready it for transport.
"It's dangerous out here, deadly beast abound. You might need someone who knows the land. I would gladly like to aid you in search, if you would have me. But first I must deliver this" He points to the creature. "to my client in Raam. If you care to join me on my way to Raam, I would gladly aid you in your quest as soon as I deliver this beast.
Yarig begins to drag the creature to a cart he has stashed nearby.
Sienna cocks her head, then says, ”Better than staying out here, I suppose.”
Looking first to Ko then to Sienna and finally to Cassiel the Half-Elf shrugs and nods.
"So is there much profit in these creatures?"
"Why, certainly. I suppose Raam's quite lovely this time of year."
Yarig looks at the half-elf. "Depends on the creature.
This one pays decent, the more dangerous ones fetch more money"
A few wispy clouds follow the group over the course of the next few days as they haul the preserved carcass of the chn'thrang over the wastes.
Yarig's contact meets him in the market district, a sprawling bazaar where it is easy to avoid direct observation by the templars. Tall and olive skinned, the man who pays Yarig in real gold, is wearing ostentatious silken robes in bright colors. His half-giant bodyguards wheel the prize off to a warehouse.
"This is most wonderful work Yarig, yes? Most wonderful!" the noble says in a slightly effeminate tone. "And what...lovely porters you've hired." He eyes the thri-kreen and says 'lovely' in a way that is less approving. "I wonder...no. I couldn't impose..." he starts as he walks to a well shadowed alley and withdraws a jingling coinpurse. He pulls out a handful of real gold coins and begins counting. "Oh, but you did so well with this assignment...would you, perhaps, be willing to bring me something else? Yes? Not an animal, exactly. Oh, silly me, I should just get right to the point and be blunt, yes? In the mountains is a bird called a roc. You are familiar, yes? I need one roc egg." He hands twenty gold coins to Yarig and a gem that is easily worth another twenty gold. "It would be worth real money, not these ceramic scraps I am paying you. You understand, yes?"
"Thank you, thank you sir." Yarig says as he accepts the payment. "A Roc egg, is what you need huh. A Roc is a very dangerous foe, especially a Roc mother defending her nest. Maybe too dangerous for me, but I might still be able to help you out. Let me speak with my colleagues for a minute and I'll get back to you."
Yarig walks up to the groups and begins to speak to them.
"I know i don't know you all very well, but I have a business proposition for you. My contact would like for me to acquire something for him but its not going to be easy. It might be a job too dangerous for me alone but with your help I think we can succeed. He is willing to pay handsomely for a Roc egg. If you are willing to help, we can split the payment it evenly."
Cassiel's eyes widen when he sees the amount of money dumped into Yarig's hands.
...20 gold... 20 gold... how much water could you buy with that?! That's insane!
His eyes dart around, looking for anyone else who might have their eye on the noble, and he catches a glimpse of a bearded man in a cloak. He turns his eyes back to Yarig and the noble.
"Well. You earned a noble's ransom with a monster carcass. With a reward like that, what sane man would refuse such an opportunity?" Cassiel chuckles.
There has to be something more to this. There has to be a trick. No one is this generous.
Sienna uses her minor magics to tend the wounds of the team while they travel across the dunes; more surprisingly, she uses her spells to call down blessings of rain that fill their canteens with refreshing, clear water from out of the air!
As the group approaches the city, she becomes more guarded, and explains, "If my... talents... are discovered, it's likely that I would be enslaved by the templars, both as a heretic and so that I can be sold to some noble to use my magic for their gardens and foot-washes. So I try not to draw too much attention when in the city."
"I'm... not averse to earning more money," says Sienna guardedly, "though I'm not a skilled climber, and aren't rocs found high in the mountains?"
"If my... talents... are discovered, it's likely that I would be enslaved by the templars, both as a heretic and so that I can be sold to some noble to use my magic for their gardens and foot-washes. So I try not to draw too much attention when in the city."
"Rest assured, they won't learn of them from me." Cassiel shrugs. "I mean, if they snatched you up I'd have to return to grubbing for water out in the desert. That's not exactly fun."
"The arena in Raam is most impressive a natural amphitheater. The shape amplifies voices...the screams echo greatly. It is a great crowd please'er."
The payment in gold causes Ekee to raise eyebrows.
"Well I for one have no other plans at the moment. I don't know much about Rocs. Other than that they can be very formidable. That being said. I am in."
Cassiel feels a momentary wave of relief before it's replaced with his usual caution.
He takes note of the dingy little building with the bas relief tigone.
"How soon are we to set out? If we're going into the mountains, we ought to make preparations first."
Yarig walks back to his contact and begins to speak.
"I have discussed your proposition with my colleges and we are open to your offer, we just would like to know how much you propose to pay for the Roc's egg? Also as you know getting to a Roc's nest is very difficult and requires some spacial climbing equipment for my colleges and I."
"How does another one hundred sound to you and your mates? Sounds like a deal, yes? My scouts found a nest south east of here in the Right Gauntlet mountain range. And, the gear? I just paid you, yes? Ha! It is called 'reinvesting in your business!'" His bodyguards return and he starts to head off with them. "Good luck! Toodles!"
Watching his contacted and his body guards walk away, Yarig turns to the group. My contact says he has located nest south east of here in the Right Gauntlet mountain range. He is willing to pay each of us 20 gold for our efforts. I know that the mountains might be a bit dangerous but with the proper precautions we should be fine. Yarig reaches into his bag and tosses everyone a gold piece. This should cover any climbing gear we should need.
Cassiel blinks in disbelief. He catches the gold piece thrown to him and cradles it as if it were a newborn babe.
There is no way on Athas that this noble is on the level. Who is he, really?
"...of course." He smiles and puts the gold piece in his purse. "I'll see about procuring my gear now."
With that, he makes his way to the building with the bas-relief tigone.
"Yes we should check out the local market. There could be interesting items. Or at least more lethal ones."
"Er--"
"--yes, I--"
"--uh--"
...quite a pair of lungs on him.
Eventually, once the man slides a gold piece of his own towards him, Cassiel finally sees a chance to get a word in. "...yes. Hello, my name is Cassiel. It's a pleasure to meet you." He starts, rather bewildered.
"I figured this... Lord Trilsta, was it? Was up to no good. I make a point of never trusting anyone richer than I am." He takes the offered gold piece.
"Should I warn the others? I'm certain they have their suspicions as well."
"By the way, I didn't get your name."
"Food, climbing gear... should be straightforward," suggests Sienna.
...I suppose I should've seen that coming, really.
He waits a few minutes before departing and looking for the others.
Once he's reunited with the others, Cassiel gives them a grin. "Well, we're not going to get anything done standing about. To the market!"
And once they've started moving, he walks next to Sienna. "What do you make of our employer?" He asks, his voice low.
Once he's reunited with the others, Cassiel gives them a grin. "Well, we're not going to get anything done standing about. To the market!"
And once they've started moving, he walks next to Sienna. "What do you make of our employer?" He asks, his voice low.
"He sure flashes around a lot of money. For a seemingly simple errand. I'm not sure... that kind of wealthy extravagance speaks of a noble who has no care in the world. I just... I guess we should be careful, just in case he's not what he seems, but maybe we got lucky for once?"