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D&D: The Genjobi Pass

Lighting his lantern, Darius swung it around the camp, checking the immediate area. Between the cliff edge and the entrance to the gorge, there was barely fifty square feet of ground, barren and empty, where the camp had been set. And beyond it the mountain path continued ever-upwards and was lost in morning darkness.

"Hunting?" he snapped, looking back at Sales, "In the middle of the night?"

For a moment, a shiver ran through the Paladin. A series of coincidences seemed to connect themselves, memories jumping into place as if directed by an unseen hand.

Xenoxis's sudden appearance yesterday...

His failure to find Jillian...

His refusal to fight the Lemures...

What Kryx had said to Darius... how the Emperor's assassin dressed like Xenoxis...

His skills at theft and deception...


Was this all a part of it... Xenoxis leading each of them away, one-by-one, doing the bidding of the Scorpion, destroying from the inside...?


Darius rubbed his face as he composed himself. His three-day stubble was itching, like the thorns of his own paranoia, and he scratched at it. The hand lingered over his eyes as he took a breath to calm himself. Then he returned to the others.

"Alright. We check the gorge as far as the rockslide. If we find nothing, we assume they've gone on ahead."

Fielli was clutching her snake against her chest, shivering in the absence of the campfire. "Ahead? But why would..."

"I don't know," Darius replied, a little too sharply, as he brushed past her. "Perhaps Kryx or Angus have a plan. Or the boy Karwik got in trouble. I don't know. But dead or alive... we find them."

He picked up his breastplate, slinging it on and reaching for his gauntlets and greaves.
 
There was movement in the camp as Xenoxis, Angus, Kryx, and Karwik approached at a fairly fast walk. It looked like the remainder of the people were suiting up to look for them in the night. Not a good idea by any estimation, as that would mean that Darius and the others might get lost. "Hey! Darius!" Karwik shouted at the top of his lungs, "We're over here!" With Xenoxis's torch burning ever so brightly as well, the group would be pretty noticeable if Darius looked their way.
 
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Fielli flattened herself into the shadow cast by Darius, the flickering lantern giving her little comfort. Fielli closed her eyes and let the scents waft through the air around her. Meditation with Pipqua had taught her many things, how to see the air by scents.

Fielli contemplated whether or not to speak, breaking the sound with the hoarse, gentle rasping of her voice, strained from sleep and not as melodic as it should be.
"I'm sure... nothing has happened. They would have... woken us." Reassurance was not Fielli's strongpoint, and she quieted quickly, before she could add in anything about being eaten too quickly to call for help.
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Fielli had barely finished when Darius whirled, drawn by the distant shout. His eyes narrowed as he focussed on the gorge, where the light of Xenoxis's everburning torch had pierced the darkness. Bucking his chestplate, the paladin strode to the gorge-entrance, falchion at the ready.

"Our camp was raided!" he cried as Karwik's group came into view. He swung his falchion, using it to point at the comrades behind him. "They might've been killed! You forfeit our lives for a hunting trip?!"

Though rested, there was no mistaking Darius's mood. His face was twisted with anger, his body trembling. The stone-mounds built in honour of Reyer, Tong and Jillian were just catching the morning light behind him.

Perhaps with his rage he could stay the hand of death... perhaps with his rage he could keep them all safe...


 
The earth did not feel like home.

Evident in the unstable shift beneath his feet, the lizard man walked gingerly. His people were more suited to the murk and damp of the swamps rather then this arid geography, but to complain would be to offend the spirit of this land. Not one to invite unforeseen disaster, Kryx remained silent wish his reservations...seeking to adapt rather then fall behind.

In returning to camp, Kryx found himself preoccupied with the creature from the gorge. It had not been like any creature he had seen before...breath like flames and eyes in sooty luminescence. Perhaps this creature was akin to the stone monsters from before...a common place of origin and likely a similar master. What point had there been in sending such a powerful creature without support? It was mighty, assuredly, but the beast had been felled easily through the use of tactics...certainly a conjurer would see the shortcomings in an abrupt assault.

Kryx frowned...or as much of a frown as he could muster. Mostly his kind flared the flaps of gills on their neck when ill tempered, but the meaning would be lost on his companions. Instead, the lizard man attempted to pull thin lips in a manner that his face could not support, managing only light twitches across his scaly snout.

It was only in Chieftan Darius's admonishments that Kryx began to see what the conjurer might have planned. In the fray of the present he had forgotten himself and simply followed Karwik to the aid of the rogues. In doing so, he and the others had left the camp unguarded...slumbering in wait of foul death by fiends who struck from shadows as snakes from sunken logs.

Kryx was the first to step forward, bowing his head in shame and crossing his arms, both hands laid plainly on his chest.

"For my failure I apologizzzzze Chieftan," he hissed with unblinking eyes. "I did not think when aiding the ssssscoutssss againssssst the Burning Hound...I accept ressssssponsssssibility for each item losssst to our enemies."

While certainly the blame was not his entirely, a miscalculation in strategy could have ended in utmost disaster. Kryx could have spit upon himself...first his brethren fallen to human blades and now he had failed again. Certainly Jalgarus had turned his eyes from such an ignoble creature.

He did not look at Darius, merely awaited his punishment as he fairly deserved.
 
Xenoxis' vision was blurred and his hearing muffled, his mind slightly addled. He lifted his head just enough to a figure in the distance waving a sword in celebration and shouting proclamations of joy at the victorious warriors returning. He returned these welcome favors with a soft smile and a weakened wave. He then turned his focus to keeping walking. By the time they reached the camp, Xenoxis gave another weak smile, and slumped tot he ground, unconcious once again.
 
Karwik himself was also feeling quite dizzy by the time he made it to the camp. Staggering, he fell over onto his hands and knees. He tried to push himself back onto his feet, but only succeeded in tipping over backwards. "Now's...not a very good time for that," Karwik said softly, raising his head. "We were attacked out there...a wolf of some kind...that breathed fire." Tipping his head over towards Ayumi, he asked, "Would you mind? We're kind of...dying here."

The rogue didn't really know whether or not he was dying really, but he did know that he had lost far too much blood, and even if he managed to pull himself back to his feet right now, he'd probably be knocked over by a moderate breeze. Right now, he mainly felt tired, tired and aching, and so far as he was concerned, he would just lie down here and take a good nap. Everything would be perfectly fine in the morning, and he'd realize that this late-night battle was just a horrible nightmare. Just a nightmare...

Before the rogue had even realized it, he had drifted off into unconsciousness himself. However, his rest would be anything but peaceful.
 
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Fielli let her eyes flash with hurt at the lack of protection shown to her after her moment of vulnerability, until the anger seemed to abruptly simmer away. Fielli melded herself silently to the inky shadow cast by Darius. Pipqua, meanwhile, slithered barely noticeable beneath the feet of Kryx. A low hiss sounded, the snake darting into the trees.

"Pip, you idiot..." Fielli thought with a frown.
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Angus went to his bedroll while the others apologized, while he didn't like Darius' complaints, and didn't feel like taking blame for having gone to help Xenoxis and Karwik not getting killed by a giant fire-spitting wolf, the others had taken too much time speaking to him either way.

He looked at Darius with tired eyes, they could fight tomorrow, he didn't wish to stay up any longer, the paladin's words fell on deaf ears, he wasn't in the best mood to discuss the happenings. He dropped his weapons besides his bedroll, grunting as he undressed and got into the bedroll, the paladin could berate him back and forth all he wanted tomorrow.
 
"Really, you guys..." Ayumi went to work checking over the wounds that Xenosis and Karwik had sustained during their journey, over the barely mumbled complaints from each. She patched up the obvious cuts, then used some of the magic granted to her on each of the two.

She looked up from them at Darius. "They'll hear you better in the morning. Is there anything you need?"

(Ayumi casts cure light wounds on Xenosis and converts one of her light of lunia spells for the rest of the day to another cure light wounds. Xeno gains 11 hp, Karwik gains 5 hp)
 
Sales was next to Ayumi as she healed Xenosis and Karwik. They were defantly beaten around a bit, also a little singed by fire it would seem. Sales wanted to ask what happened, but they were way too exhausted.
Sales helped best he could with what healing he had left.

[Karwik get 10hp, Xenosis gets 3hp]

Sales then prepared himself to take watch over his sorry looking companions and maybe get a glimps of whoever stole the equipment from their camp.
 
Darius kept watch with Sales for the remainder of the morning. The trust and comfort he had found the evening before, when they had built the burial mounds, had now been eroded. There would be more deaths and more hardship ahead. Darius was a fool to think otherwise. With bloodshot eyes and slow, rocking motions he kept watch over the camp, giving no further conversation to anyone, not even the apologetic Lizardman.

And in time the sun rose fully over the peaks of the Fallen Phoenix Mountains, glinting white on the snowcaps and silver on the streams below. The party roused, some readying breakfast as the clerics prayed, while others sharpened blades. The extent of last night's theft was made clear in the daylight. Sales had lost a dagger, Ayumi her chainmail and Darius his father's scroll-case. Even Fielli was missing a candle. It had been taken out of its canvas wrapping. Just one candle.

It didn't make any sense.

But no one discussed it. To do so would only spark more arguments about the night before.


* * * * *


And so the party continued onwards, following the mountain paths that led up from the gorge. The trails were narrow and treacherous, the old routes of goat-herders no doubt. At times they were exposed directly to the cliff-face, where cold winds sought to pluck them to their dooms. They were nearing the cloud level, above which the snow and blizzards waited like hungering beasts. It would soon be getting very cold, but for now their strenuous climb kept their bodies warm.

It was midday when Angus gave a sharp whistle, warning the others behind him. Stooping low, the party crept through the jagged alley of boulders and found the ranger crouched on a ridge. Ahead of them was a short plateau, running flat for about 200ft before the mountain sloped again. And here they saw the continuation of the main road on which the Watchpost had been built.

Convoy.jpg

Darius motioned for everyone to get low and find cover. From there they watched a convoy of wagons winding its way up the road. They seemed to be heading towards a junction, with the main road continuing onwards and a fork leading off to a cave entrance. The wagons themselves were fully enclosed, but they could hear the sounds coming from them.... sobs, cries of mercy, the coughs of the sick and elderly, the wailing of infants.

"Slave wagons," whispered Xenoxis.

The convoy was guarded by a platoon of the Scorpion's soldiers, a third of them on horseback while the others kept pace on foot or sat atop the wagons with crossbows.

"What does the Scorpion need slaves for?" muttered Darius as he peered above the rocks, but before anyone could hazard an answer a guttural roar echoed across the plateau.

As the convoy reached the junction, a creature of moss green and putrid grey emerged from the cave. Though well over 8ft, it was hunched over, shoulders sagging as it dragged its arms along the floor behind it.

A call went out from the lead horseman, and was followed by commotion around the middle wagon. Two of the Scorpion Guards threw open the caged door and reached in, shouting and striking with the hilts of their swords. The cries of the civilians grew louder, followed by pleading whimpers as three of them were dragged onto the roadside.

The first was a woman, dressed in peasant clothes and with an abdomen swollen by pregnancy. She was followed by a girl, barely eight years of age and clutching a straw doll as the guards shoved her. And bringing up the rear was an old man in sagely robes, whose white hair was already flecked with blood.

The three slaves were pushed and cajoled along the road then forced to their knees in front of the lead wagon. And all the while the Troll in the cave entrance stood his ground and roared in delight. The creature seemed to be waiting as the soldiers bound the three slaves together with rope.

Darius unslung his shield, knowing what was coming. He watched as a guard wrenched the pregnant woman back to her feet and drove her towards the cave with the point of his sword. The three slaves, bound together by the rope, were helpless to resist and began their fatal approach toward the hungering beast.

"We can't let this happen," said Darius, readying his mace.
 
Angus shifted the grip on his bow, cursed or not, that was still the weapon he was best at. He let out a shaky sigh, the visible air from his nostrils distracting him for a few moments before he saw it disappear.

He looked once again to the road, and his eyes widened at the sight of the Troll, unlike the demons, or the hellhound they had faced before, the troll was bigger and a lot scarier for a man whose biggest hunt a week before had been a large boar.

The ranger wasn't too intent on charging straight ahead, too many people on their side, not enough on theirs, if only the Jill and Tong were still alive… He looked down, for a moment he wondered if it was better to be sad that they were gone for their usefulness or for their company.

"We can't just charge there, Darius, we need a plan!" he said in a breathy voice, just to warn Darius in case he ran straight to do his holy duty, and at least for him, a fool's duty,"We can distract the troll and make him think the guards want him dead, and let them kill it for us…"

"And while that happens, one of us could go and get the slaves."

He had an arrow at the ready, and his legs were bent to start spiriting towards the woods as quickly as they could take him.
 
Xenoxis takes stock of the situation a Angus holds back Darius from what could only have resulted in suicide. As Angus states his plan and knocks an arrow on his bow, Xenoxis, realizes that none of the soldiers have bows. Xenoxis quickly puts out a hand in front of Angus. However, Angus doesn't lower his bow. Keeping his eyes on his target, he asks, "What are you doing? We have to stop them. This is the best way." Xenoxis looks at him and replies in a whisper, "Hold on. While the troll may fall for the ruse, I doubt it would take the soldiers long to notice it was an arrow that had been fired, as opposed to a bolt from a crossbow. Let us see if one of our companions has such a weapon, and if so, I say we let them take the shot. At the very least, it'll give us a few more moments before the enemy realizes the shot came from elsewhere." After a moment's pondering, Angus nods and lowers his bow, though leaves the arrow knocked, just in case. The two began glancing at their comrades. It was Angus who spotted the crossbow at Karwik's side.
 
Karwik glared hard down at the scene hanging below. Back when he had been younger and more foolish, he had been tempted to sign up with the slavers after hearing that they made a good amount of money from their work. What a stupid thing to even consider. Gazing at the horrible scene that was about to unfold, he wondered what exactly any of this group could do against such a monster.

And then he realized that everyone was suddenly looking at him.

"W-wait, you want me to...but at this distance, my shot would have to be almost perfect!"

But then again, what choice did the group have? If they didn't do anything, these people were going to be violently eaten right before the group's eyes. There really only was one option.

"Please," he mumbled as he raised his crossbow, "please hit."

Had Karwik been more pious, perhaps prayer would have meant something. But as it was, the bolt simply fell short, bouncing off the stone ground in front of the troll. "No..." Karwik said, ducking back from the ledge, whether to hide his body or simply his shame. Right now, he knew something for certain, that all those slaves down there in the caravan were going to die, and it was his fault.
 
The events unfolding in the valley below raised all sorts of questions for Ayumi. Who were these people? Why were they being given to a monster? The scorpion rebellion was just that-a rebellion, not a army of darkness. Maybe the prisoners were political enemies...

But that didn't matter right now. They needed to save the prisoners, and fast.
"The troll should be our last target. First we need to get the guards out of the way and rescue the prisoners, then fight the troll. I'll try taking them out with spells; Sales, Fielli, can I count on you for backup? That should draw their attention, and then after we take the guards we can focus on the troll." She hardly noticed Karwik's shot on the edge of her vision, too busy thinking on how to deal with the situation. They were seriously outnumbered and facing a troll, so staying hidden may have been the wisest option...but that didn't mean it was what she wanted.
 
One of the individuals in the back-most wagon was not in tears. No, he was in serious thought and concentration, biting his lower lip in panic... he did wish he was a smarter individual, then he wouldn't have gotten into this mess. Nooo - he had to go and see the world that's in a state of rebellion at the moment.

Skin of a pale blue color, white hair falling around his shoulders and past his pointed ears, he just there and thought. He had made the mistake of not preparing the 'Mage Hand' cantrip earlier that morning, preferring spells with more explosive power in them... it would have proved very valuable. The Scorpion had taken his spellbook, or he would have prepared it anew. Luckily, they didn't know it was a spellbook, and thus hadn't been treating him as a spell-user.

Reaching forward to touch the bars of the cage, he continued to think. 'Could I use acid to melt the bars? It's a small orb... wouldn't get the others in the wagon... but if I'm melting something with acid, might as well be the lock and get us all out of here... other than that, all I have is fire...' He turns, looking towards the troll in the distance. '...Which I'd rather save if that monstrosity looks my way'.

He knew of the crossbowman on the roof... two guarding the door. They'd definitely see him if he tried anything flashy... pity for him, as an Evoker, everything he had was flashy.

'...Wait.'

Looking up from his thoughts, he bit his lip. 'If I could kill the first two guards there with a burning hands spell, I could probably kill the crossbowman up top with a magic missile, clearing the way to get the cage's key and allowing those inside to escape... the townsfolk don't outnumber the Scorpions here... but I think... I'd rather go down fighting.'

He bites his lower lip once more, 'As much as I hate waiting, doing so now is suicide... damn me for my cowardice...'

Nodding, he slides to the back of the cage. "Hey there... guard." One of the guards looks up. The elven man leans slightly out of the cage. "Hey, how 'bout you let me get out of here? I'd do anything... and I do mean... anything."

The guard looks at him in a disgusted manner, moving forward to shove him back into the cage, "You'll get your turn!"

'Worth a shot' the elven man thought - and slipped his hand forward as the man came closer, attempting to grab the key off of his belt... from the guard who was just distracted not to notice.

Just barely, he takes the key, slipping it into a cufflink with an apologetic whimper. "S-sorry."

Now, he would just stay quiet... and wait for his chance.

(The Sleight of Hand and Bluff is actually 2 higher on the result - forgot my Favored Enemy: Human bonus).
 
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Fielli tilted her head, her soft lips drawn into a hard line. It would be difficult, this situation, to escape without these people dying. Fielli knew little of trolls, only that they were best avoided. Why would the Scorpion be appeasing the trolls? Did they need something from them?

Fielli still felt a sense of unease, thinking back to all the unusual events of late. And so many brutal creatures, what was the world breeding, filth and despair? Or were they products of man...

"I'm here for spells, yes, Ayumi."
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As Karwik's shot fell short, the party held their breaths...

The first three wagons were too far ahead and too intent on the troll-feast to notice the little bolt clattering to the floor. And, unbeknownst to the party, the soldiers of the rear wagon were having their own problems with the troublesome Snow Elf. But the riders around the fourth wagon were a little more on-guard than their comrades, and just caught a glimpse of the projectile.

"Alarm!" the lead horseman shouted and all along the convoy the sound of swords unsheathing echoed over the mountainside.

Up front, the soldiers cajoling the prisoners froze and turned. Questions were shouted and infantrymen and horseman took up positions around the wagons. On top of each vehicle the crossbowmen loaded up and peered at the rocks.

"Get down!" hissed Darius, flattening himself behind the boulders. But it was too late. There wasn't enough terrain to hide himself behind, let alone his shield and backpack. He was spotted.

The call went out along the convoy and all eyes turned to the south.

The element of surprise had been lost.
 
In times of duress, the people of Jalgarus rose as one. Two hundred years of tribal life and close quarter tactics had hardened each lizard folk member into a working cog on a great machine. Here, things were different. The humans were varied in tactics as well as purpose, leaving Kryx to wonder what, if any, cohesive strike could be used against the humans.

The troll kept its muddy eyes on its intended meal, a vile reminder of life in all its dangerous glory. The strong consumed the weak...and the weak were being paraded at the end of a short leash.

No predator would pass up such an opportunity.

For a moment, the lizard man wondered the purpose at such a gesture. Slaves were not entirely uncommon in the Lizard man realm of thought...kobolds, their lesser cousins, were often kept for nimbler services...as likely were these humans. So what did this enemy gain in feeding slaves to a troll?

Not the most intelligent of the group, Kryx could only guess at some reason to keep the beasts locked in a cave...parading humans forth to coax their instinct into indolence.

A logical move if they wanted a guardian on the road, but such efforts!

When Darius ducked, the alarm had already sounded. Harsh green against the gray rocks, Kryx had little hope he would not be spotted as an anomaly against the otherwise somber atomosphere...even in the wake of overwhelming opposition...perhaps he could draw their fire and allow his party the chance to retaliate with needed haste.

Roaring aloud, no doubt drawing the eyes and attention of the caravan, the hulking Lizard Man leaped over the rocky crag an descended toward the guards with loping strides. His battle axe, a glimmering behemoth in the afternoon light, followed in his wake...blade dipped toward the left as the lumbering warrior descended.

The element of surprise might be lost...but there was no doubt what the humans might view a more potent threat.
 
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