Into The Long Wet Darkness

[shaidar]

Xenos shows no emotion as Drest is struck

He replies to the leader in Ixian "Sometimes you have little control over who you travel with. The rude one is a fool who often speaks before he thinks. I am surprised he has reached the age he has. He does have certain skills that mean he is of some use." he then switches back to common "Where is the closest civilization?"

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Looks shocked at the sudden aggression. She would make some remark about the man's shadow being marked (that Drest will look for revenge), but thinks better of it.

Instead she just blows a few chords into her flute while the men decide what to do.

https://youtu.be/LhyZPpvJSzQ

not sure what sort of roll you might require but using the skill checks for performing I rolled this:

Valkrina: flute performance & charisma check [2d6]=5

There is presently no intent to add in any bardic sorcery or suggestion to her playing though if more attacks happen she might imbue such to pacify the group.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus chuckles at Drest comment, but more so at the Ixians' reaction. "Well, harsh enviromments makes people tougher." He crosses his arms on his chest and just listens to Valkrina's music. "Thank you for the water... How far are we from the closest civilized settlement? And, what are you doing here?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ixian patrol nods and smirks at the words of Xenos, their leader replying again in their own tongue. "If it were not for you being with them brother, we likely would have killed the lot of you. But since we know you were hardened by the desert, I believe you can help them make it to Xambaala alive. Do not take the generosity of the Witch Queen idlily." The rest of the group can see the pain in the expression of Xenos when he hears where they are.

The men all stop and listen to the music of the groups entertainer, swaying slowly to the eerie rhythms that struggle to drown out the ever present winds. They look upon Valkrina with focused, dangerous eyes, but make no move or mention of maleficence towards her.

Addressing the remainder of the group in common again, the man with steely blue eyes and a hard leather face continues. "You have apparently been washed up upon the dangerous shores of the great Zakath desert, a place no normal man would desire to be." He points inland. "We are a desert patrol under the command of the Witch Queen of Yithorium, who presides and rules over all of these forsaken lands. We comb the shores of the sea weekly to see what horrors the water has puked up onto the land."

A second man speaks up before being stink-eyed back into silence from their leader. "And we find some pretty horrible things out here, too!"

Their captain shades his eyes with his hand and looks up the coast from your current position. "There is a large costal settlement about a day and a half journey along the shores. We have just come from that direction and saw nothing that should cause you trouble, if you think you are hale enough to attempt the trek. I can tell you of a spring along the way where you can rest and refill your water supply. That area is only a half days journey, which you could still make by nightfall, if you leave soon enough." He points to the unmoving Drest. "Sorry for the extra load on your first stretch."

Looking around the area, you see nothing that appears remotely close to any kind of civilization, so if you intend to make the trip on foot, you will need to take these Ixians at their word.

[shaidar]

Xenos looks pointedly at the others.

"I'm sure we all appreciate the generosity of her majesty. I suggest we waste no time in leaving, except to gather our belongings and try to do what we can to make our clothes more appropriate for the desert. At least there is the sea for food." .

[Rex]

Drest

Out.

[Bluetongue]

That area is only a half days journey, which you could still make by nightfall, if you leave soon enough."

Valkrina

Looks about the ship, what can be turned into supplies. Could the sails act as a tent or tarpaulin, we should have ropes, boarding pins could be hammered into the ground.

How long until early evening? Would it be less wearing to travel by night and pitch up by day?

Does this Ixian patrol have a camel or pack mule they can sell us?

"We are a desert patrol under the command of the Witch Queen of Yithorium, who presides and rules over all of these forsaken lands.

"She is generous indeed." she says in regard to either the decision to let us live, sell us a pack mount or both.

Folklore: To identify or recall a random fact or sliver of knowledge regarding ancient artefacts, legends,myths, folklore, and other oddities. Whether anything exists to be gleaned, as well as the extent and veracity of the information, is ultimately the purview of the referee.

Valkrina: Wisdom vs 15, Intelligence vs 10: Using Folklore to recall facts about Witch Queen. [1d20]=12

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

He nods in respect. "Then thank you and thanks to your Queen for her generosity." He looks at the direction they pointed out. "I think we'll manage from here on. We have an Ixian with ourselves, after all. Tell us where this spring is and we'll be on our way."

He nods at Drest. "I'll drag him."

[OGRE MAGE]

The patrol are on horseback, but Val doesn’t want to know what she would need to trade to get one of them.

The wrecked ship is stripped of anything remotely useful, those tattered remains adding to the burden of the upcoming slog.

The men tell you exactly where to find the hidden spring before giving Xenos a few hard biscuits and a chunk of camel jerky. “Eat in the morning so you have energy to make Xambaala before darkness sets in. They have enacted a curfew lately, so if you haven’t been there in a while, things might seem a bit different to you now. Be careful in the area around the old city. They say it is crawling with undead abominations that come out to hunt after dark, forcing this new overnight lockdown.”

Drest eventually starts to stir again, rubbing the huge fresh welt and cut on the back of his aching and pounding head.

The patrol captain nods to Xenos before clapping forearms. “Good luck, brother. And watch your ass if you do make it there. The place isn’t exactly as welcoming as it once was.”

“Before you leave, will you each give us your names so we may record this meeting in our reports?”

[shaidar]

Xenos nods back

"Thank you captain. My name is Xenos. Last time I was there there were rumours of some kind of slave uprising." he looks disgusted at the idea "Is that part of the problem? Does anyone know the source of these undead?"

[Rex]

Drest

Drest tries to clear his foggy brain. "Drest."

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus tells the Ixians his name while he helps Drest up.

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Not wanting to get caught up in any bureaucratic accounting, she introduces herself using a stage name.

"I am Kaz. A simple anthropologist, a
teller of story and song.

May your brave deeds echo in the taverns of Xambaala."

[OGRE MAGE]

Let's continue this action where it actually belongs:

https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 13&t=12151

[dmw71]

Let's continue this action where it actually belongs:

https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 13&t=12151

It looks like this game switched forums.

Should this one be archived?

[Scott308]

Let's continue this action where it actually belongs:

https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 13&t=12151

It looks like this game switched forums.

Should this one be archived?

Yes.

[OGRE MAGE]

I swear I was going to mention this as soon as I was done transferring information to the new threads.

[OGRE MAGE]

And actually, this game was "completed".

The characters are simply moving to another game.

[dmw71]

And actually, this game was "completed".

I've moved it accordingly.

[OGRE MAGE]

Thanks for everything you do around here.