The Oasis

[OGRE MAGE]

Strong Armed
The Oasis
4:00pm, Windy, Dusty, Dry

After the group of newcomers agrees to take on this likely dangerous task with this unknown stranger from a strange land, the next thing they will need to do is find this so called oasis.

Kang knows a safe route along the north edge of town where the group passes by the nearby Grotto Of Rel. Tuurma spots her admirer, One-eyed Amos, standing outside the entrance. He smiles wide and bows low as he sees the group approaching, frowning dramatically when the ashen skinned woman passes him by yet again. (poor Amos )

The trip through town and into the Old City is uneventful, only slowed somewhat by the first timers gawking at the distant buildings and towers that dominate the cityscape. The massive statue of Helios standing above his sprawling temple being the most distractive, especially for Akhilleus, with the huge fighting arena a few blocks away bringing up a close second. It becomes obvious fairly quickly by seeing all the fancy stone mansions and decorative houses around Xambaala, that the docks area you’ve explored is definitely a poorer part of town.

Along the route through the Old City, you see mostly forgotten, half buried houses and buildings, the indomitable sands of the Zakath desert slowly devouring everything in its path. Sadly, this area seems to be where the majority of the slave caste make their homes in whatever open holes in the sand they can find. Throughout this entire area are a scattering of these makeshift dwellings, and you spot a few of the square featured Esquimaux-Ixian natives around the Old City as well.

About a half mile out into the desert, you can see a circle of tall, tenacious palm trees that must surround the spring fed water pool of the oasis you seek. Looking at all the rundown shacks and other undersized makeshift dwellings in that area, it becomes obvious fairly quickly that the villagers and farmers you are about to help are actually more of these native slave people.

Actions?

I will describe the oasis in more detail once you get closer, as this intro post is already long winded. Go ahead and ask if you have any questions about the areas you’ve seen so far.

Oasis.jpg (274.44 KiB) Viewed 1595 times

The tall palms and rundown slave shacks are not pictured here, but the water is at least this nasty.

[sastaz]

Tuurma looks with great interest at the buildings as they pass (and nods at Amos).

"Just this one thing I have to assist my friends with. I'll be back."

She takes mental note of the location of the Grotto.

When passing the Helios statue she notices Akhilleus' mixed feelings.

"What does that statue mean to you? Is that your god?"

Finally, as they approach the oasis.

"So this is where they live, all of the less fortunate. What a life, huh? Outcasts, with no families, no one to protect them, shunned by their very community. And what did they do to deserve it?! Born by the wrong parents no doubt. Or with the wrong set of attributes. Who even gets to decide? It's madness!" Was there a tear in here eye right there? She clears her throat. "Anyway, we need to help them. Now, Kang, where was that sandsnake last seen and by whom? Valkrina, I'm afraid this is where you come in. How do we best lure the beast from its hiding? Bait?"

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

"Valkrina, I'm afraid this is where you come in. How do we best lure the beast from its hiding? Bait?"

Startled that the plated warrior thinks she has some expertise in monster killing.

"Bait? Yes, we could tie a sacrificial offering to that tree over there and wait I suppose", a satirical rather than sarcastic reply. Her experience of hunting is really limited to whales, shouting, "there she blows" and rowing like mad to get close enough to throw a harpoon.

A sand worm might have a similar pattern if such creatures migrate across the sand dunes. But generally predators are territorial and have a lair to spring from.

"We need a proper report. It might be unsympathetic but perhaps we need to get survivors or family to give testimony of what happened, where, what time. Any clues that might indicate the creatures habits, you know like wearing red irritates a bull or it attacked children only as they came to draw water or where in a certain palm grove."

Kang might have already gained the trust of these people and can get us to meet those affected.

[Rex]

Drest

"I agree we should at least hear from the villagers who have seen this thing. Maybe it has a weak spot underneath along its belly. Most predators where water is scarce will try and ambush prey when it come to the water to drink."

[shaidar]

Xenos

"Yes, we need information from the locals. I would suggest we speak to them and then wait until morning to attack, when we are fully rested and have a full days light. It also gives me a chance to choose some more suitable spells.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

When passing the Helios statue she notices Akhilleus' mixed feelings.

"What does that statue mean to you? Is that your god?"

The fighting man looks at the statue with a melancholic smirk. "He was the patron god of my old mercenary company. It brings some memories. But those days are gone.

What did you speak about with that acolyte of Rel?" He ignores her comments about them needing to help the inhabitants of the oasis.

He also pays attention to their surroundings, especially the arena, a quick, if violent way of gaining gold, maybe, but the best one he knows. When walking through the Old City he looks around him with suspicion. Their weapons and armor is surely very valuable for the dispossessed.

Once at the oasis, he concurs with Valkrina and the others that asking the locals about the beast's habits is the best place to start.

[OGRE MAGE]

Since Tamerlaine is a fellow player, and doesn't actually know any more about the details of this encounter than the rest of you do, I will try to answer any questions directed towards him for the moment. Kang can ask away with any questions or make suggestions just as the other players might from here on. Thanks!

True Squalor
The Oasis
4:30pm, Windy, Dusty, Dry

The foot tracks through the desert sands here between the Old City and the nearby Oasis are plentiful. Tuurma is the most disturbed by the awful conditions the slaves are forced to endure, while the others seem less concerned. The natives appear most interested in Valkrina as she walks through their numbers, but they gawk at each of you as you pass, and especially at any exposed shiny metal weapons.

Kang brings the group to the Esquimaux-Ixian family he has been staying with for the last few days, and the native desert dwellers appear excited to learn he found help. These slave folk have a dark grey, almost green complexion, dark hair, and very square heads and jaws. Most wear only simple loincloths and several appear to have filed their teeth into sharp points inside their mouths. A few of them wear rusty iron shackles around their ankles, while a few others are draped with chains. Fewer still have large iron gears of some kind permanently affixed around their strong necks, with chains that run all the way to their ankles, preventing movement other than a stifled walk.

There are people of all ages living in this congested area, and the more you look around, the worse the conditions get. Young folks fish near the pond, occasionally pulling out a stunted prize to eat, while women gather the contaminated water from the pool in all manner of makeshift vessels. The dilapidated wooden shack you are brought to is the largest in this area by far, with enough room for the entire party to spread out on the sandy dirt floor to sleep. But the living conditions here almost make you wish you would have checked the filthy brothel floor instead. It is pretty clear that these folks have either very little else to offer, or nothing at all.

A pair of heavily chained and collared brothers, introduced by Kang as Yuka and Yutu, invite you into their open home. They try to understand your questions, and answer the best they can, but it becomes obvious that they don't speak common fluently.

8A52AC6F-9F04-402B-8713-3C8ACC19733E.jpeg (140.19 KiB) Viewed 1559 times

"Friend Kang find help kill iron worm?"

"Rest now, kill soon?"

"No big scorpion."

"Soon find worm hole?"

Actions?

[shaidar]

Xenos

It is difficult to read the Ixians reaction as he passes through the slaves filthy conditions.

On meeting the two brothers he tries to communicate in the ixian tongue

"Greetings, do you understand me? Can you tell me more of the creature

[Rex]

Drest

Ask them if it comes out of the water or sand.

[sastaz]

Akhilleus

The fighting man looks at the statue with a melancholic smirk. "He was the patron god of my old mercenary company. It brings some memories. But those days are gone.

What did you speak about with that acolyte of Rel?"

Tuurma walks beside Akhilleus

"Mercenary company right? Well, I must confess that I've played with the idea of joining one as well. I mean, at least you'd have someone to fight beside. Beats walking alone all day. Instead I ended up here. Well..."

She gazes towards the horizon and the setting bloated sun.

"Anyway. I thought Amos knew something about my past, but turns out he doesn't. At least he won't tell. She looks Akhilleus straight into his eyes. "Do you really think he's out to get you? I have a decent gut feeling about these things, and he doesn't strike me like a vile traitor at all."

With that said, she turns her attention to the brothers and eagerly awaits their answers to the questions.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

Tuurma walks beside Akhilleus

"Mercenary company right? Well, I must confess that I've played with the idea of joining one as well. I mean, at least you'd have someone to fight beside. Beats walking alone all day. Instead I ended up here. Well..."

Akhilleus nods at Tuurma's words when talking about joining a mercenary company. "Indeed. Brave men and women fighting side by side. You won't trust anyone more than someone you've been bleeding with and has saved your life innumerable times. We were a big company but our numbers dwindled. Some of us tried to hold it together, but it didn't work.

Maybe some day I'll found my own company, who knows. It's what I've been doing almost my whole life and what I best know. I started as a kid serving my father in the company."

"Anyway. I thought Amos knew something about my past, but turns out he doesn't. At least he won't tell. She looks Akhilleus straight into his eyes. "Do you really think he's out to get you? I have a decent gut feeling about these things, and he doesn't strike me like a vile traitor at all."

"What do you mean "about your pass"? How is it that you ended up here anyway?

I don't think that he will necessarily betray us. It's not that I don't trust him. I just don't trust his god."

He then turns to the conversation with the oasis slaves and lets Xenos do the talking.

[sastaz]

"What do you mean "about your pass"? How is it that you ended up here anyway?

I don't think that he will necessarily betray us. It's not that I don't trust him. I just don't trust his god."

Tuurma frowns at the remarks.

"He seemed very interested in me, don't you think? Why would he talk like that if he didn't know something about me? And how come you are so curious about this anyway? Are you hiding something yourself?"

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Tries not to stare at the chained people. Certainly they are off from their appearance, the gray skin, Neanderthal features. Filing their teeth to a point? Maybe a diet thing? She wonders what tribe of people they are (if indeed they are 'people' and not some other sub-human race).

Then she tries not to stare at the chains. Chains indicate slaves, prisoners, dangerous people. Kang has their confidence, so maybe they are not that dangerous. But in this place, where are the slave-masters? Why don't they take the shackles off? Why doesn't the slave-master deal with the issue affecting them?

They look at the weapons. Are they armed in any way, beyond agricultural equipment?

So many questions in her head but unusually she decides to stay quiet and listen.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest looks them over, trying to figure if the remaining chains are locked on or riveted.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

Akhilleus smirks at Tuurma's comment. "What could I have that's worth hiding? Maybe that Amos had something interesting to say that could be of use to us. Information about this city, for instance.

But you have to admit you have been calling the attention of many people here. I don't know about you're heritage, but you don't see ashen haired people every day.

But let's speak about this later. Let's see what the slaves have to say." He crosses his arms and eyes the chained brutes for a second.

[OGRE MAGE]

True Squalor
The Oasis
4:35pm, Windy, Dusty, Dry

Tuurma and Akhilleus continue to discuss personal matters as the group goes about their business, getting to know each other better a bit, since they may need to fight for each others lives at some point. Maybe soon.

The chain draped Esquimaux-Ixian brothers listen as best they can to the common tongue, but they appear to have trouble with long, drawn out sentences. When Xenos tries speaking in the Thracian tongue of his native Ixian people, these slaves seem to have the same problem understanding. They get most of the words, but they have trouble piecing them all together. When they speak amongst themselves in their strange pidgin language, none of you can understand their dialect either. Kang just nods his head, having already dealt with this language barrier himself for the last 2 days.

Valkrina notices the strange looking slave people staring at her pretty features regularly, especially the men. They look upon her as if they had never seen a true Esquimaux from the tundra before. She is glad to see that they are not armed in any way, but their chains and collars continue to give her pause. Drest looks closely at their shackles, not seeing any rivets in their construction, meaning these atrocious accouterments were forge welded and bent in place while burning hot. Even a man as hard as he shudders at the thought of such a notion.

Yuka notices the attention on their rusty iron burdens and tries to get back to the topic at hand. "Rest now? Show Kang friend worm now?"

Yutu uses a stick to draw a figure in the dirt floor. It looks something like this.

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Actions?

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Looks at the drawing with some hint of recognition. "I have heard of these. A Sarcosuchus, spawn of great ancient beasts that lurk in the deltas and rivers. A giant crocodile!

Maybe fortune will favour us and it is just a man sized beast. They have a soft underbelly, less plated scales, hard as iron so they say."

They might prefer to stalk and hunt at night. Should we scout the waterside for tracks and perhaps a cave it might reside in?

[sastaz]

Tuurma

"I'm in strange lands, and I do not know any of these beasts, but it sounds like a good idea to me."

She turns to the brothers and asks:

"Worm hunt night? Hunt day?"

[shaidar]

Xenos looks at Tuurma

"A crocodile is a kind of lizard, with good armour on it's flanks and top. It has a large snout, with a mouth of sharp teeth. They lurk in rivers and lakes, pulling the unwary under the water to drown and eat them. They can stay underwater for prolonged periods. The normal kind is around the size of a man or smaller, but you can get bigger ones. It would be a mistake to hunt it in the dark unless there is no other option."

[Rex]

Drest

"I agree with Xenos, we should hunt in the day if at all possible. I am not well equipped to fight something like this but will have to make do for now."