GF's Dark Sun Redux IC

[Battlemage]

"Bloodwind" Kilian

Kilian stands at the front of the group, his spear at the ready, looking for any sign of the potential predator ahead.

[Ghostfoot]

Sieglinde listens carefully with her arrow at the ready. She doesn't hear anything unusual, just the periodic rustle, scratching and scraping as the wind stirs the brambles and sand shifts about. The warrior lets fly an arrow into the entrance to the thicket, and it sails in without drawing any response.

As the rest of the group wait from cover, a furrow marks the sand as the small rock-being Guldun swims through the sand toward the entrance. You see the furrow stop nearby as he waits near the thicket, again no response or activity has been provoked...

[Cavir]

Earthshake observes the thicket from the closer vantage point but doesn't know what kind of plant it is. The bones are too telling though. The pterran moves up to spell range, still clear of the bones, and begins a spell. A small four legged, flat faced reptilian beast with nasty teeth appears among the bones and with Earthshake's direction runs straight through the path offered up by the thicket.

Spoiler: OOC

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Lose Produce Flame to cast SNA I to summon a jhakar. Appears among the bones and runs through. Only lasts the round.

Does the thicket surround the water or could we go around?

[Phasm]

Salome keeps watching and waiting, hopefully her more wilderness-savvy companions will be able to determine what left all those bones there. She's sure not going to charge in and find out the hard way!

[Woggle]

Sieglinde continues to scan the thicket, and knocks another arrow. She inches forward very slightly, but with no vision or sound of any creature, she stops after a pace and shrugs her shoulders. "Any ideas? Don't feel like rushing into something that left all these bones about," she whispers to the others.

[Ghostfoot]

The pterran murmurs the words of a spell and a squat jhakar pops into existence. At Earthshake's insistence the lizard snarls and bounds along the path into the thicket. After several metres there is a yelp of pain and a flurry of activity. The jhakar is visible thrashing about as the thorny thicket actually moves, entwining and constricting the poor beast. Even as you watch the lizard's movement draws more thorny vines whipping about stabbing into it and you see them begin to pulse and fatten as the predatory thorns suck the lifeblood from the small jhakar...

Spoiler: rolls etc

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damage to jhakar (1d6)[5]. It's not quite fertilizer just yet but is quite hampered.

Does the thicket surround the water or could we go around?

The thicket completely surrounds the water.

[razorback]

Pezuka has a look of both slightly horrified and admiration fighting for dominance on his face for a moment as he shakes his head, coming back smiling.

"Well, that answers that, I suppose. Don't figure that thing moves very well, if at all, ya know? I suppose we can throw rocks at it until it dead then, bam! we have water. Probably some goodies under it, too, if we are lucky," he says as he scratches his head, coming back with something wiggling, squishes it between his fingers before shoving it into his mouth.

[Woggle]

Watching the poor creature get its life sucked away by the thorns, Sieglinde relaxes the tension of her bow and sits back on her heals. Gingerly rubbing at her cheek, she looks to Pezuka as he speaks, nodding. "I'm not sure how much we can really hurt the thing just with rocks. Do we have any way of starting a fire? We may be able to more effectively combat it, though the smoke could draw attention from afar."

Sieglinde then proceeds to look about for suitable kindling for a fire.

Spoiler: OOC

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A search check, I suppose, to look around (being careful to avoid the thorn plant) for any suitable fuel for a fire.

Search - (1d20)[13]

A survival check if that is at all relevant or needed.

Survival - (1d20+1)[19]

[Phasm]

Salome pops her head up over the dune just in time to witness the jhakar's grisly demise. "...That's, ah, something I've never seen before." She nods at Sieglinde's suggestion. "Burning sounds like a better way to kill a plant than rocks. I think we would run out of rocks long before it died. Flints make sparks, don't they? Or I've heard of some way of making a fire with a sort of bow, I don't know the details though. Earthshake, do you have any idea how that might be done?"

[Ghostfoot]

There are plenty of desiccated twigs and slender branches around the thicket where they have broken free and fallen in the sands. You manage to start a small fire and soon have a bundle of twigs burning smokily. With the amble dry materials it's pretty easy to ignite the thicket in a few places and soon the wind picks it up and whips the flames through it. As it burns the thorny vines whip about almost as if the bloodsucking plant was sentient and feeling pain.

A while later, as the flames die down, you're able to poke through the smoldering remains. Other than now-charred bones you find little of use. Even the "water" that you spied from afar turns out to be a sticky sap-like substance extruded by the animal-hunting plant. An effective lure but no good to drink. The desert it seems is a harsh place...

[Cavir]

Earthshake walks through the charred remains to the enticing fake pool of water. He sits on his knees near the edge of the liquid and studies the aspects of the now dead plant, learning what he can of it after the fire. He is somewhat melancholy.

"A shame. It didn't have to die, but it's success in the desert to this point was it's own downfall. The scent and sight of the fire and the 'water' may still attract other creatures, which may mean food for us or us as food for something bigger. Do we camp here for the night? The sap may be usable for burning and combined with the bones around here we may have some semblance of torches and a campfire."

[Woggle]

Sieglinde stands near Earthshake, gazing about the charred remnants of the thorn plant. "It's a shame we couldn't have known the water was false before hand, but the chance of it was to valuable, I think." She looks up, noting the Sun hanging low in the sky. "I doubt we'll find a better place to camp before nightfall. But perhaps we want to move a little away from the remains, just incase something was attracted."

[razorback]

"Agreed, this be'in a good a spot as we are likely to find. Know we could find much worse, especially if we be stumbling around in the dark. Plus, other creatures only hunt during the night... big things."

[Battlemage]

"Bloodwind" Kilian

The albino Mul studies the charred remaints of the plant with a stoic expression. "Fire was a good choice. It tried to kill us, we killed it instead. It's the way of the world." He does not voice his disappointment about the lack of water. Complaining would not wet his throat, and he had learned to expect the worst.

Looking into the distance, he adds: "We will have to fight again, very soon, and a tired warrior quickly becomes a dead warrior. This is as good a place as any, though I agree about keeping some distance to the plant."

[Phasm]

Salome sighs, obviously disappointed at the revelation that the water was a trick. "I agree. However, we should probably start traveling at first light and find shelter if possible during the heat of the day. My spell can only do so much."

[Ghostfoot]

You make camp close to the torched plant, the warm embers going some way to comfort you against the freezing cold of the desert night. After a chill evening the first hint of dawn appears at the horizon and you see the new day approach.

The next day passes without incident. The heat is scorching, but with your magical protection you are able to avoid the worst of it. You take shelter during the furnace of the midday heat and travel only during morning and late afternoon. The environment seems unchanged and you find yourself traversing on or around dune after dune of yellow sand.

Camping again in the lee of a dune you arise the next day and set off once more. Blinking against the late morning glare you hear an angry buzzing from behind a large dune ahead. Moving carefully closer you spy a combat unfolding - two tall lanky vulture-like humanoids with impressive wingspans swoop about a large flying insect. The insect resembles a man-sized wasp but is blood-red in colour. Clutched in it's mandibles is a waxy looking sphere. Periodically the aarakocra lash out with their talons trying to slash the insect which jabs its stinger at them in return.

Spoiler: info

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Overnight you can fashion more appropriately sized spears or clubs for Pezuka if you wish.

Spoiler: Knowledge checks - Pezuka & Earthshake

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The vulture-men are aarakocra - xenophobic avians from the Ringing Mountains who frequently exact tolls on those passing through their territory.

The insect is a wezer worker - wezers live in hives much like termites that extend underground. They are omnivorous and survive on honey and water, but have a feared reputation for abducting travelers which they then impregnate their larvae into to hatch later alien-style.

[razorback]

Pezuka is thankful that the others help him make the huuuge club into a more wieldy spear.

As the travel, he tries his best to keep in the shade of the larger member of the group, especially the monstrously huge Mul, trying to make small talk.

As they happen upon the Aarakocra and the Wezer worker, he explains what he knows as best he can, hoping Earthshake adds in any details he knows.

Spoiler

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The vulture-men are aarakocra - xenophobic avians from the Ringing Mountains who frequently exact tolls on those passing through their territory.

The insect is a wezer worker - wezers live in hives much like termites that extend underground. They are omnivorous and survive on honey and water, but have a feared reputation for abducting travelers which they then impregnate their larvae into to hatch later alien-style.

"Can't imagine we'd get any help from either. If we lay low while they fight, we can move in and take the wounded victor. Get some tools or weapons, maybe, and a few bites to eat and maybe some water. Whootcha think?"

[Woggle]

Sieglinde settles near Pezuka and peers carefully over the crest of the dune. She nods, listening intently as the halfling shares his knowledge of the creatures. Taking particular note of the waxy orb the red insect-creature carries, she says: "Perhaps it is one of its eggs? Or one of the birds? If their reputations are correct, perhaps it is better not to interfere, without knowing more." Sieglinde continues to watch the creatures carefully.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spot check in order to (if possible) determine wether one or the other of the creatures is the aggressor.

Spot - (1d20+1)[15]

[Battlemage]

"Bloodwind" Kilian

Kilian looks at the conflict without showing much emotion. He nods at the halfling's words.

"Let them fight it out, then kill who's left and take whatever's useful."

This was the wasteland. You did what you had to to survive.

[Phasm]

"The aarakocra might help us if we help it. Risky, but it might be worthwhile, especially since we have numbers on our side. Since it flies, it could very well know where the nearest settlement is. Does anyone know if aarakocra honor such debts?" Salome makes no move to help, though. She's not about to leave the relative safety of the group. If they don't want to interfere, neither will she.

[Ghostfoot]

Watching the flying creatures spin and tussle it is clear to Sieglinde that the two aarakocra are the aggressors. The outmatched insect darts, buzzes and jabs with it's stinger but the vulture-men work well as a team and are wearing it down and preventing it from escaping.

[razorback]

"I say as soon as it looks like the Aarakocra are about to beat the big bug, we swoop in and finish them all off." the halfling says with a mad glint in his eyes.

[Cavir]

"Once they stop fighting they will notice our cloud easily enough. If we are going to attack we should use our bows since they can fly out of our reach. I can cast a spell to make our arrows fly better. If we try talking, we can offer some water since that seems to be what they are after but I've read they tend to be disdainful of others."

"I could also distract them by putting words in their head if they start winning against the insect."

Earthshake readies his bow, but it is obvious he is not very good with it.

[razorback]

"If it comes to a fight, I some abilities... I can shoot a ray of energy or I can entrap them within a bit of ectoplasm. I have to be fairly close, in either case, but I can sneak pretty close, I think."

[Woggle]

Sieglinde readies her bow carefully in anticipation of fighting, but otherwise uncertain, waits for the outcome. She listens interestedly to the other's suggestions, nodding slightly in agreement. "We may be able to drive off the victors and take the spoils for ourselves when they have finished fighting," she adds.

[Cavir]

"If we chase them away, they'll come back with more. They are territorial and demand tolls, which we have little of. If we fight we need to finish them quickly. Does anyone want to try talking to them?"

Earthshake directs Guldun to move just below the melee and stay out of sight until we start fighting with them.

[Woggle]

"If we chase them away, they'll come back with more. They are territorial and demand tolls, which we have little of. If we fight we need to finish them quickly. Does anyone want to try talking to them?"

"No, you're right. We definitely don't want to deal with more of the winged things." Sieglinde keeps her bow at the ready.

[Phasm]

Salome shrugs. "Were they a more familiar race, I might try talking, but I don't know enough about aarakocra to be comfortable with that. A comment that's completely innocent to a human or elf could be a deadly insult to them."

[Ghostfoot]

As you watch from cover and whisper among yourselves the two aarakocra finally get an overwhelming upper hand over the tiring insectoid. Wings torn it crashes to the ground twitching with the birdmen quickly following to finish it. The waxy globe falls to the sand and rolls to the feet of one of the aarakocra who raises the sloshing receptacle high cawing loudly as the two of them celebrate their victory preparing to alight with their spoils.

[razorback]

"Well, here's our chance. Either we take it or let them go." he halfling says anxiously, halfway rising to charge at the aarakocra. "Come'on, there's only two of 'em!"