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As they travel, Rhul pores over the scroll, carefully reading its arcane language, able to pick up some, though not all, of its meaning. He also uses his lens to record key passages for later reference.

Erudite Check: [2d6+2]=8+2=10

There is a plot to have the steppe tribes ravage the City of Masks so that "projectors" can be installed there and trained on ...? Also of interest is a mention of ancient aircraft.

The weather is fine as you travel southward toward Byzaron. The ancient Wall of Star Kings is barely visible as a silvery glimmer that rises above the beryl green of the jungles that spreads across the very distant horizon ahead. The city Byzaron also can be seen as a faint dark smudge, much closer than the jungles of the Beryl Scale. Byzaron's eight slender spider towers jut upward from the tiny bulk of the city, barely distinguishable each from the other at this distance. It will take ten days steady walking to reach the city of the webmasters.

On the second night a cold breeze blows across the plain. It is difficult to settle with only your cloaks and a fitful fire for warmth. Does one of you keep watch in turn?

I guess I missed a few posts! I didn't mean to drop out in the middle of a conversation with Lyin.

Etul volunteers to take first watches for the duration of their hike. He wants to see if he can't decipher the additional bit of the stolen script if he takes his time with it. Any talk of projectors is interesting, since they're usually some sort of valuable artifact.

Any chance I can get a bonus for taking my time

Rhul agrees to take second watch, and hands Etul the plans. "Knock yourself out," he says, before trying his best to sleep in the cold.

The fire of dried dino scat dwindles to glowing chips that emit a faint foul odor. The night on the plains is dark, very dark. High up in the deep purple sky, stars glow white and blue and red around the pale yellow moon (a waning half).

As Etul sits with his back barely warmed by the fire, he hears a faint clattering that stops and starts. That noise is known on the plains, the scene of many ancient battles. It's a sound to somewhat dread: the Restless Dead approach!

Etul, hearing the clattering, quietly puts away the documents and creeps over to Rhul. As quietly as he can, he wakes his companion.

"Be as quiet as you can. I hear the restless dead. I do not know if they have noticed us. With some luck, we may be able to evade their notice. I propose we rebase ourselves away from our fire. I suspect they are following that. Or we're just unlucky. Either way, let's move before we have to fight."

I'm hoping we can escape without a fight, since who knows how many of them there are.

You sneak away from the fire, carrying two items each as you try to move stealthy.

Now you hear the Restless Dead conversing as they close in on the smoldering fire, which light must have drawn their attention. These raiders of the plains have their own lingo, guttural and sibilant and unknown to normal folk. The rattle of rib-bones dangling from their man-leather belts and harness announces all that any ordinary person needs to know about them.

It's said the eyes of the Dead can pierce darkness. As if to prove that point, one of them squats over the fire and, apparently impervious to rising steam, begins to piss it out. The other four rummage the gear that you left behind as you crept away. Their snarling laughter ripples over the soft grass of the plain to where you lie, barely breathing, watching them.

Once you post your rolls, we can move forward.

Rhul grabs his scalpels and crowbar as he attempts to sneak away from the rummaging dead.

Skulking Check: [2d6+1]=8+1=9

You notice the marauders carry naginata and wear bulky satchels, but no armor other than their bone adornments. Then the fire completely dies and you are left to watch them moving around your encampment in moonlight.

Etul brings his star kings carbine and the documents for their spymasters.

The Restless Dead appear to be settling into your campsite. The cold night doesn't seem to bother them, but it's not comfortable for either of you even wrapped in your cloaks. Do you dare sleep? Do you move further away? The marauders don't seem to notice, or don't seem to care, that you might be nearby.

You believe there are five of the intruders. They seem to be having a good time. You are not. Without a fire the plains are cold. The Dead don't bother to relight your fire. Their strange speech and savage laughter echo around them.

Hours pass and then the sky begins to lighten in the direction of the Copper Veins. Looking the other way, you see the very tips of the towers of the City of Masks, glowing faintly as the sunlight reaches them first.

You realize your position is exposed. The Restless Dead easily could see you if they happened to look your way. What do you do?

Rhul searches for a small rock to throw in a distant direction to draw their attention away while making his way to the slope to hide.

Skulking Check: [2d6+1]=6+1=7hoping maybe that rock can put me over the edge...

The grass of the plains is soft and lies low. No shrubberies. The ground is not quite flat; there are various low spots and high spots nearby.

Rhul's fumbling about to find a stone, grunt of effort, and generally poor aim from trying to throw while still lying flat … draw the attention of the Restless Dead. They had been moving somewhat aimlessly around the cold bed of last night's fire. Now, all five of them move toward your position. Their steps are smooth and suggest predation. Their naginata blades glisten in the dawn.

You have time to run away, or to set yourselves for a hand-to-hand fight, or perhaps to shoot at them with the Star Kings carbine. Which do you choose? Is there a fourth option?