[4E] Ages of Athas

[Shular]

Huren

A tought occured to Huren, but before he could speak the necrotic explosion pushed him backward. Already weary from the desert journey, he now looks like he's having trouble standing, clutching at his stomache.

With annoyance he tries to remember what he wanted to say, then grasps upon it. "Enough of this foolishness. How do we even know the splinter's in the box? Because of the word of the enemy? If the leaders of Tyr were sending it to another socerer-king, then for all we know it's a booby-trap meant to kill him. Whatever it is, I need some rest. Call me when you're all done bickering and ready to DO something."

With that, he leaves the group to find a bed and a meal, preferably in that order.

[Arthurian]

Van - [Iron Mines - Exterior]

Van turns just as the energy begins to sweep across the room. Reacting out of instinct more then anything else, Van raises his blade before him to defend himself. Surprisingly it seems to work, cutting through the energy and reflecting it away from him and anything behind him. Unfortunately, the guard beside him was not so lucky.

As the last of the energy fades once more, Van turns to the guard just as the trident is pulled from his throat by pisonic energy. It was a gruesome move, but it was not the gladiators fault that the man had been struck. It was the halflings. Angry, Van turned to the halfling and leveled his sword at the small man. "Do not touch the box again. I don't care what your goal is or what it means to you. You just killed a man."

Van looks to the others, leveling his best angry glare on them, and says aloud. "You're all idiots. You've seen this thing kill others and leave nothing but smoking craters behind and you decide to argue over it in a populated area? Get out of here, all of you, and don't come back until you decide what to do. If you try anything at all..." Van walks over to the chest and turns to the others, "I'll set off it's trap, killing the lot of you. You'll all come back in the morning with your decision and then we'll carry it safely out of this populated area."

[SandDemon]

Lazam

The blast blows Lazam backwards, his short stature tumbled end over end as he lands smack face down with a painful thud. Clawing at the ground with his claws as he seeks to right himself upward, his face shows a deep purple and red...the blast clearly injured his face and tore away flesh. Without thinking, a coalescence of sand and water flows together as his stormy companion rises from nowhere. Struggling to stand, Lazam finally gives in and stays on one knee, breathing deeply as his face repairs itself under his own healing power. Keeping constant eye on the others, Lazam begins to rise but his stormy companion pushes him back to one knee. An eerie sound eminates from the being, a high-pitched voice like wind chimes...."No, child. Now is not the time. If they seek to betray the children of Athas, so they may. Let it be and come home no matter what." Lazam seems resolved to silence as he sits for a moment.

Spoiler

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Ardent Surge: (1d6+7)[8].

[Felhammer]

DAMAKOS

Twitching in pain, the rust-colored Tiefling whispers, "All of us here have ideas and desires for the contents of this box, yet it stymies our attempts to pry it open. This is due to a particular element of energy that we here lack. That missing ingredient can be generated by one of two possible beings - a Sorcerer-King or the Oracle. I believe we all know our eventual fate if we took this box to capricious king... Thus our only hope is the Oracle. With her power combined with our's, we shall sunder this box and release it's contents. The box must be opened before any of our desires or designs can be acted upon. I say we table our discussion for plans with the shard until after the box's magic has been successfully circumvented. Let us all tend to our wounds, purchase supplies and ready our hearts for the long trek north towards the Forest Ridge."

[Meltheim]

All - [Iron Mines - Exterior]

The group has little difficulty finding a place to stay for the night, though nobody wants any contact with them. The box, as they see it, is a bringer of death. Death was not entirely uncommon in the wastes, but even then it was not a welcome friend at the campfire.

Van's earlier interactions in the small mining town seem to work as a shield against any aggressive activities by the townsfolk. After an uninterrupted night of sleep, the party wakes again in the morning. Their wounds are tended to by Eveve, who has now taken up her mantle as the healer in the area. She makes promises that the party is always welcome should they travel through the area. Gimp 'nuzzles' at Calder's leg, in the two of them say their goodbyes and wish them on their way.

The other guard from the gate approaches the group, gesturing toward the high mountain ridge that outlines the mines. "Path through the Ringing Mountains. It will take a few days, as you know," he says, with regard to Lazam's heritage, "and it's full of half-giants, kirre, ghosts, all sorts of things."

[SandDemon]

Lazam

Seeing the path home, Lazam produces the first smile in a long time. "Half-giants, kirre, ghosts...you've clearly not seen the truly scary things of my home. What it does include though is our future." Turning to the group, not wishing to discuss much of their recent past, Lazam nods his silent goodbye to Eveve and then sets his side of the chest down (part of the group's punishment for his and Calder's little spat...forcing them to walk it together). "It's likely best I lead this way since I know and love this place." He grows eerily quiet as he whispers the following: "And keep your eyes open...if death comes, you will not hear it ever - you either react quickly or never again."

[Tegu8788]

Calder

Adjusting to the change in weight, the half-elf bites his tongue, and lowers his own side down. "If you don't warn me next time you do that, you won't see it coming either. You're lucky this box isn't triggered by my armor, otherwise you'd have just blown us both to bits again!" Being considerably taller than the halfing, this was a particularly arduous task. He was still getting used to the new balance, his old shield having shattered protecting him from the last blast zone. Van had helped him acquire a new stout shield to match the large blade he carried. If metal could possibly deflect that destructive energy, Calder certainly wanted his hands on some of it. If he couldn't have the splinter, he'd at least be able to protect himself from it. And if there was anything the arena had taught him, he knew that a good defense was more important than offense.

Spoiler

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Two surges spent to get back to full health. Metal shield acquired, to match Van's Sword.

[Arthurian]

Van - [Iron Mines - Exterior]

Van, who had slept beside the box with one of the cities guards changing watch shifts with him every few minutes, was watching the two carrying the box carefully. It was obvious to him that this group was fractious and Van was the only one who really didn't give a damn. That made him the only neutral party, the only mediator. Part of him wondered why he didn't just stay in this town. The damn place had decent alcohol thanks to their trade and the guards, well most of the guards at least, weren't idiots. Some had even earned Van's respect in the fight he had participated in before the groups arrival.

That said, the contents of the chest, and the chest itself even, were far to valuable to leave alone. Van wasn't interested in the profit or power that might come from it. No, his concern was what use others might put it too. It was possible that the contents of the box could do a lot of damage, and Van intended to make sure they wouldn't, so that when Van could go back to drinking himself to oblivion without having to worry about someone going and blowing up a city or something.

When the group were met at the gate by the sole guard remaining, Van nodded to him. "I'm sorry about your friend. If I could have, I would have done something." The human resists the urge to glare at the rest of the ragtag group he was leaving with. As they start to set out, Van would reassuringly pat the mans shoulder and say, "Good luck."

He would wait until the guard was out of ear shot before turning to the group. He trusted each and everyone of them about as far as he could throw them, save the halfling, though only because he could throw the little guy further then he trusted him. Unlike the others who were dodging the issue from yesterday, Van was blunt enough to get right to the point. "You're not the only one whose traveled that paths little man, so don't try anything funny. I'll be checking your course and if you lead us into an ambush I'll happily set this box off a few times, got it?"

Van turns to Calder then and eyes him as well, "And unless you can point that shield two ways, I'd be careful what you do as well. Don't try and steal it when you think no one is looking and don't try anything stupid either."

He shifts his gaze so it falls upon the group equally. "The fact is, I want to survive this. I'd like to do it without killing any of you. The only damn I give about the contents of the chest are that it goes to someone who won't try and destroy whatever hole I dig myself into after everything is said and done. I'm already not getting paid for this, so if I'm a bit short in temper you can probably understand why. No one tries anything with the box. Period. Otherwise, same rules apply when we're out in the waste. We watch each others backs. If any of you think you can take me on and get rid of one of your obstacles, I suggest you try now when your life isn't at risk in the wastes." Van pauses to look at each member of the party in turn, waiting to see if there was anyone who would try anything. His shield was already strapped to his arm, as it always was when he was ready for trouble, and his hand was on his new swords hilt, ready to draw at a moments notice.

If no one tried anything, he would nod to the group. "Alright then. Lets get moving." And then he would start walking, purposefully turning his back to the group. To any paying close attention, his footsteps were careful and measured and the hand on his hilt tightened ever so slightly.

[Tegu8788]

Calder - [Iron Mines - Exterior]

Despite the threat, Calder allows a small grin to cross his tattooed face. I can see why Rikus spoke so highly of him, he thinks to himself, and it's a good thing to have someone take charge, impose some order on these fools. He rolls his shoulders forward, to ready himself for carrying such a heavy object so low to the ground.

[Felhammer]

DAMAKOS

Damakos groans audibly as he rolls his eyes. "Such petty, petty posturing," he thinks. "Why on Athas would any one attempt to steal the box before it has reached the Oracle? Only a fool would attempt such a reckless and ill advised maneuver... But,"" The Tiefling eyes the other members of the party, "There are many fools in my midst. Perhaps I should keep an eye on these people..." A coy smirk crosses his face as he remembers an old phrase his master was fond of saying, "Two, as often as I can spare them." The Tiefling synches his bag and slings it over his shoulder. He takes his staff and knocks it against his boot six times for luck, then pounds it against the ground. He looks up at Van and simply says, "We should leave before our welcome has worn too thin."

[Meltheim]

All - [Outside the Iron Mines]

The guard opens the gate, allowing the group to leave the small community. With the deadly, mysterious box between them, the party has been pointed in the direction of fabled Forest Ridge, which lies just on the other side of the Ringing Mountains.

The sun is still low on the horizon, and the group can easily get a full day's travel in, should they wish. At a decent pace, they could be at the base of the mountain range by nightfall. That is, if they go uninterrupted.

[Shular]

Huren

Huren shrugs, and walks along with the rest of the party, just happy to be heading to the mountains and out of the desert.

[Meltheim]

All - [Road to the Ringing Mountains]

The 'path' to the Ringing Mountains is unmarked, though the sheer size of the mountain range means the direction of travel is obvious, at the very least.

After a few solid hours of travel, the sun has slowly moved up the sky until it rests solidly overhead. Though the party has not encountered any wildlife (rare, to be sure), they have had their fair bit of struggles. Calder and Lazam's differences in height, personal philosophy,diet and unwillingness to relinquish the obsidian ark has led to more than a few arguments. Despite this, the group soldiers on.

As the evening approaches, the group finds themselves at the base of the Ringing Mountains. The path leads several thousand feet in elevation, taking the group through treacherous crevices, past dozens of caves and over loose stone that threatens rockslide at the slightest misstep.

[Arthurian]

Van - [Road to the Ringing Mountains]

Van does his best to try and quell any in fighting with short, firm words of rebuke, but his already sour attitude is slowly growing worse the further they progress. This was the longest he had been without a drink in ages, having not had time to enjoy whatever the town near mines had carried before the group departed, and it certainly didn't make the situation any easier for him. On top of not getting paid, Van was starting to recall memories that the alcohol usually served to drown out. Even as his steps became more sure of themselves from past experience, his disposition grew darker. The familiar feeling of travel. It wasn't bad, but it carried with it bad things for this scarred warrior.

When they finally reached the base of the mountains, Van would make a quick sweep of the area, then looks to the group. "Alright people. A few quick things for those of you who don't know about the paths. First, watch out for any sign of loose rubble or falling rocks. Second, keep your voices down. If you're too loud in certain areas you can start a rock slide. Third, look out for the caves. Depending on how far we go we may have to use one for shelter, but not all of them are empty. And finally, walk lightly. Understood?"

Van wouldn't wait for an affirmative. He would simply turn and start up the path, his footsteps noticeable lighter and more careful and his pace more measured.

OOC

Spoiler

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Nature- (1d20+7)[20]

Does Van recall anything about the path that he should know?

[Tegu8788]

Calder

The grudging respect Calder had for Van was more grudging at the moment. Taking full advantage of the change in elevation to ease his back, the tall half-breed held up his end of the heavy, deadly, box. "I can't imagine there are many things out here much more dangerous than what I fought in the arena. At least, if we do get attacked, we have a pretty good way to clear them out." Despite his verbose boast, he uses his trident to poke at the ground before he steps forward.

Spoiler

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Insight for anything that he may have fought that lived around these parts. (1d20+8)[26]

[Arthurian]

Van - [Road to the Ringing Mountains]

Van grunts noncommittally to Calders comment. "I wouldn't know. Never watched the fights and it's been a long time since I've been anywhere near this area." It was actually a long time since Van was anywhere near any wild area like this, having proffered to remain as close as possible to what amounted to trade routes since he started mercenary work. "I'm also not to keen on feeding the box's... power or whatever the hell it is that eating people. Especially in this area. Remember what it did to the house, then multiply that by a hundred when your up in the mountain where rock slides are not only possible but common. Now consider that you'll either be at the very top of the rock slide or right beneath it."

[Felhammer]

Damakos

Damkos huffs and puffs and stumbles along. His body is more akin to that of a withered old man than a young, spry Tiefling of no more than 20-ish years. Since becoming a mage, he'd allowed his impressive muscular frame to wilt like a tree left in the Athasian sun. He exercised his mind at the expense of his body. He was now paying for his folly. Damakos falls behind the party a ways, relying on his walking stick as if it were a third leg. His companions were fit and well suited to fast treks across the wasteland. Damakos knew he had to push, give his all to keep up; to be left alone in the desert without an ally was folly of the worst kind. The mountains in the distance grow closer and closer, their impressive height was truly something to behold.

As they rest in the foothills, Damakos lets out a long sigh of relief. He collapses on the ground and pants heavily, slowly regaining his breath. He had tried to hide this weakness from the others but... He could do it no longer. Damakos cringed as he realized he would have to put a bit more trust into these blackguards than he had originally intended.

Damakos looks over at Calder and smiles, "There are many things more dangers in the wastelands of Athas than you fought in your arena. There are creatures in these parts, the likes of which you could nary imagine or believe... But, stories of such beasts will only serve to frighten our dear companions... Let us simply pray we do not cross paths with such behemoths..."

[Tegu8788]

Calder

He grumbles as the Tiefling belittles his experiences. "Had you seen the monsters that didn't make it to the arena, you may think differently. A couple dead gladiators made for a good show, but if it killed us all that would have caused a panic, and we all know the fights were designed lull the masses. I've seen my fair share of monstrous beasts, I assure you." Pausing, he turns to see how the mage would respond to that, only to find he has fallen to the ground. "Great, now we either have to stop, or drag him along. Van, Huren, do something about him."

[Meltheim]

All - [Ringing Mountains]

From deep within his exhausted mind, Damakos hears a voice.

"Come to me. I am waiting. I will give you rest. I will give you food. I will give you water. Come to me."

Damakos receives an image of a location which he 'feels' is about a half mile away, to the northeast.

[Felhammer]

DAMAKOS

The Tiefling sits bolt up right, thrusts his hand into the air and yells, "A VOICE IN MY HEAD JUST TOLD ME WHERE FOOD AND WATER IS! WE MUST TRAVEL THERE POST HASTE!" Damakos jumps to his feet and takes one big, comically large step forward. A thought then crosses his mind. He pauses for a moment, then utters, "Hmm... The heat is making me irrational. Someone was talking in my head. Did anyone else hear it? I could be delirious, or there could be some one watching us... Should we go where the voice told me to go or do we press on?"

[SandDemon]

Lazam

Lazam doesn't take much pause in his stride. "If voices in the head was so safe, there'd be a lot more disturbed alive. Only a fool would listen to the calls of some vague siren promising good." He continues walking albeit his steps are more precautious and eyes more peeled for trouble.

[Arthurian]

Van - [Ringing Mountains]

Van had his sword drawn the moment the tiefling began speaking of voices. His eyes immediately began looking around the group, searching for any sign of trouble. He wasn't exactly the best to do such things but sometimes he got lucky. He knew a trick that allowed him to do just that, but it was a very close ranged trick. "It certainly sounds like a trap. A rather poorly concieved one though, don't you think? Who would be foolish enough to trust a voice in their head that they had never heard before?"

Van was pretty darn certain it was a trap, but that was because he thought everything out in the wastes was a trap. It was one of the reasons he had survived so long. But why such a crappy way to execute it? Voices in ones mind rarely made for a compelling reason to do something. It, ironically, made Van curious to find out what was in the cave. "Can you keep going Damakos? If not, I suggest we find something to put our backs to while you break... er, take a break."

[Meltheim]

Damakos - [Ringing Mountains]

"Do not listen to them," the voice purrs in Damakos' head, "they are just jealous. You know how it is in these lands - everyone is out for themselves. But you are brave, strong, smart - you deserve more than they do."

After a moment of brief silence, the voice resumes a soft humming purr that is clearly intended to relax Damakos even further.

[Felhammer]

DAMAKOS

The Tiefling stands and ponders what to do as the melodic voice whispers sweet nothings in his head. "A-Are you sure we shouldn't investigate this voice... I mean, it does not sound threatening... A-And even if it is... We should be more than a match for anything that may come our way..." Damakos stares blissfully off in the direction the voice told him to go.

[Tegu8788]

Calder - [Ringing Mountains]

Wiping the sweet off his brow, Calder reaches out with his mind, taking the mental projected image of a feathered snake, and leaps into the mage's thoughts. Once inside, he flaps his wings, hovering in the mental landscape of the Tiefling's consciousness. Flicking his forked tongue in and out, searching for the trace of any other external influences. Swooping down from the heights, Calder looks for thoughts about water that the wizard was rambling out to devour with his large fanged mouth.

Spoiler

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Arcana for what Calder finds inside Damakos' head. (1d20+7)[14]

[Meltheim]

Damakos and Calder - [Ringing Mountains]

Calder sees an image of a beautiful pool of water shaded by a tree. He can almost taste the sweetness and feel the coolness running down his throat.

The voice whispers again in Damakos' head, "You can share this with your friend, but not the others. They will take it from you. Come to me, come to me."

[Felhammer]

DAMAKOS

While in the thought-scape, the Tiefling appears as a well dressed noble with a flowing semi-transparent, azure-blue robe. He wears a stark white turban, bejeweled with the finest gems imaginable. He wields a golden scepter, emblazoned with the word "Freedom". As Damakos flies about the ephemeral space, he spots Calder and greets him warmly. The two stare off at the distant pool of cool, refreshing water while hovering in midair. The Tiefling whispers, "We must do something about this and quickly," to his companion.

[Tegu8788]

Calder - [Ringing Mountains]

Flapping his wings, he darts to the oasis, and wraps his long tail around the shady tree. Dipping down, he opens his mouth wide, and bites the water's surface. With his four long fangs, he injects his venom into the water, tainting it as more venom than would make sense pours of his mouth. Eyes locked on Damakos, he says without his mouth "You spend your life studying wizard, and that has made you weak. I have spent my life choosing a hard path, and that makes me strong."

[Shular]

Huren

Huren watches the two who are obviously communicating psychically. He chooses not to project his own mind into the conversation, instead shoring up any mental defenses in case of some potential psionic attack.

[Meltheim]

All - [Ringing Mountains]

"Fools" the voice says within the thought-scape.

Outside, in the physical world, a low growl eminates from the east, while three others come from the west, north and south. The party is surrounded by something unseen.

Spoiler

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I wrote something up last night but I think it's on my other computer

Anyway, combat time! Roll initiative!!!