The Desert of Desolation IC

[TheBarbecueChip]

A lonely group of horsemen stands huddled at the base of a range of craggy, dry mountains, the red light of a dying day casting long shadows behind them. A parched wind, still alive with the desert heat rustles their capes over their sweat soaked riding leathers. The horsemen have formed a circle astride their steeds and hunch down in their saddles against the sandy wind.

Your party stands within this circle of grizzled soldiers. The last thing you recall is enjoying the richness of the Sultan's palace and absorbing all of the strange tales of wealth and greatness told by his many guests. But now you stand, confused, amid these heavily shadowed faces under a purpling sky. The weathered face of the commander turns towards you, leather-brown skin off setting his steel-blue eyes. He pulls from his saddlebag an elegant scroll and reads loudly, over the rustling wind, its flowing and formal message:

Know ye,
By order of His Majesty Achaemenes
First of his name
Padishah of the Achaemenid Empire
Ruler and Protector of the Realm

Whereas it has been reported of late to our majesty that certain dark and vile desert raiders have crossed the terrible mountain wastes of the south, by way of long forgotten paths, thence to raid and pillage our hamlets and towns, and thence disappearing into those same forbidding hills, and Whereas our valiant troops have tracked these same vile creatures through the very teeth of that awesome range, to the utmost borders of our nation and to the edge of that most accursed land, known to the learned as the Desert of Desolation, and being knowledgeable as to the nature of that dead and haunted land did our brave host of champions thus wisely halt their pursuit, And furthermore, whereas certain characters, whose descriptions match those of the very group here assembled at my most honored and revered request, were seen in the vicinity of the tent of Wan-doo the Wondrous, Wizard of the Court, in the latter part of the evening, and Whereas those persons did attain entry to said tent and did short-sheet the wizard's bed and engage in all manner of petty pranks and did leave for the wizard a certain maid for an alleged date with said wizard, and Whereas said wizard did return to the aforementioned tent with yet another wench whereupon both the first made and the second wench did begin a loud commotion and disturbance the like of which has never before shaken the stately court, and furthermore upset the wizard to no end, Therefore, be it decreed, that said company of persons be appointed the special privilege, under the auspices of our majesty, to track the course of those raiders from the Desert of Desolation, where surely they must have some hidden strong place, find this fortress, and bring us back proof that they have done so and thus ended the threat said raiders pose to our great and glorious realm. We further decree that the members of this company may retain for themselves and their own use, divided as they see fit, all that they bring forth with them from that fabled land of treasure and death. Be it yet further decreed, that should those chosen to undertake this grand quest prefer not their decreed pursuit they may choose instead death by beheading, death by burning, either mundane, arcane, or divine, death by drowning, death by...

The listing of various means of execution goes on for some time, almost eclipsing the longwindedness of the actual decree itself, but at last, rolling the scroll back up with calloused hands, the commander leans down toward you and speaks in a more natural tone. "What this means, you poor saps, is that you have been chosen to enter that cursed, dead land south of here. It means that it doesn't matter whether you were in the tent that night or not. What matters is that you are easy to get rid of without ruffling any important feathers."

"And it also means," speaks the rugged sergeant sitting beside the commander, "That these raiders have caused his majesty a great deal of trouble with his Emirs and Sultans. You're his proof that he's doing something about them." The man's mocking laugh rolls through the hills and he is joined by several of your escort.

The commander silences them all with a sharp look before continuing. "We have brought with us certain supplies and mounts from which you may choose. There is no water within two weeks tortured ride back over the mountains from this spot, and those hills are full of cutthroat barbarians that kill for the sheer joy of it. You have made an easy journey of it under Wan-doo's enchanted slumber, but without this armed escort it would be suicide to attempt crossing back from whence we have come. Your only hope, for what it may be worth, will be to follow those tracks, and hope they lead to water." The commander lifts his arm and points southward. All eyes follow and there in the desert wanders a confused trail marring the smooth features of the sands and leading straight into the heart of that burning land.

You have heard tales of this place. They tell of an endless succession of barren, lifeless dunes rolling away from the mountains to the south, west, and east. The stories tell of a dynasty that ruled there when it was once lush and beautiful. They also tell of fabulous, unclaimed wealth that lies beneath the sands waiting to be found. As decreed by the Padishah, it's all yours for the taking. If only you can survive the journey.

---

Stretching to the limits of your sight, the grey mounds of the dunes roll with ashen stillness into the distance. Even in the light of the setting sun shimmering waves of heat still rise from their endless slopes. Not a single stone shows through the powdery plane, nor a single insect scurries across its surface. It is only disturbed by the line of tracks running south. Before you squats the burning silence of the sand sea, oppressive and forbidding. A wind whistles out of the mountains at your back stirring up swirls of fine sand and causing your throats to become dry in an instant.

"Now take your camels and your water and be off with you," the commander orders as the sergeant blows a single ear-splitting horn blast and the company of grizzled soldiers turns and rides back into the foothills.

[Master_Rahl22]

Morekal softly whistles to himself as he takes in the barren landscape before him. He turns toward the elf with a hound and says, "Is it too late to change our mind and ask for death by beheading?" He chuckles to make it clear he is joking, and begins making sure his gear is secured on the camel.

[Alabenson]

Oh good, we should have just enough supplies to keep from dying of dehydration until the sun kills us instead. Talgrun grumbles as he loads his gear onto one of the camels.

[A.A.King]

"The Sun only kills those who were not prepared to take in his blessings" the man in priestly robes replies as he too starts loading some of the supplies that the guards left them onto a camel.

[Zergh]

"Ah, serenity of the waste." Barhai inhales deeply while staring at the horizon, fixated yet again with the beauty of the desert. Dunes, sand, small wildlife, dry hot air and occasional plant adjusted to survive in harsh conditions. "Desert is full of bones of people who haven't prepared. Enough. Or were caught unprepared. Hopefully we will not follow them in their tracks." Barhai looks away from the picturesque sight, approached one camel and begun final preparations for his journey.

[farothel]

Saelihn looked at the camel with some scepsis. She would rather have stayed in the palace, where the living was a lot easier, or at least a lot more fun. Well, she would have to rely on her natural grace to ride this beast. With a sigh, she started loading their supplies on it.
"Maybe we best travel at dusk and dawn," she said, "and rest during the warmest of the day and the coldest of the night. One of the courtiers in court said that this was the way some Merchants do it. He also said that there might be a blue dragon somewhere in the desert, although that might have been to impress me."

"The rest of him was not all that impressive," she mumbled more to herself.

[A.A.King]

"While I cannot comment on the validity of the rumours I can promise you that the possible presence of a great blue dragon is not something this particular courtier invented in a poor attempt to impress you. I too have heard rumours of the great Athuraxx choosing to make his home somewhere in these deserts and I am sure that would also not be the only fearsome beast around. There exist many things that do not fear the Sun and I suggest we do not either for if we are to run into any of them as we go on this forced quest then I'd rather be awake when we do." He looks around at his fellow unfortunate companions, some of which look like they never left the comfort of the great capital city, and adds "though I understand that not everyone can tolerate the Sun at its most majestic and so I am willing to go with your plan if that is what the group decides."

[Alabenson]

Well, if there is a blue dragon wandering around this would be the sort of place it would use for a hunting range. Frankly I'm more interested in our official quarry. I've heard some bizarre rumors about the local bandits and what they're using for a base of operations, some sort of golden palace. Granted, the person I heard those rumors from was a drunken idiot, but it's better than nothing.

[farothel]

"Maybe it's the palace of the last pharaoh, or whatever they are called here," Saelihn said as she checked the ropes on the camel.
"I heard that he brought a curse on this land. Could be, could be something else. The thing is that this is not going to be a fun place to be. So, how are we. Ready to go?"

[Master_Rahl22]

Morekal turns toward the beautiful elf and says, "I think that sounds like a great idea to rest during the hottest part of the day. As for the Pharaoh's palace, it's been said that he stuffed it full of riches to enjoy in his afterlife. That would certainly attract raiders, and me for that matter.".

When the group begins discussing the dragon, he chimes in. "I've heard a poem that sounds something like that. Let's see if I can remember...

When evil walks the land again,
Will Nomadic princes come to Set
His power into his first bride's hand,
That good and evil then are met.

Who knows what that could mean, hopefully we don't find out. Any road, my name is Morekal and I'm pleased to attempt to survive a hostile, cursed, possibly dragon-infested desert with all of you."

[Zergh]

Upon hearing Saelihn remarks about pharaon, Berhai introduced himself to a elven woman and said "That one could be from Shoon dynasty, known for their massacres, avarice and cruelty. I wouldn't be suprised that they brought even a curse to the land. Than again it could be some other branch altogether."

Barhai spit into the sand while preparing his camel and checking upon last bits of his belongings. "I've heard that tomb stood test of time (and efforts of gravediggers) as it is said that it's completely proof against all forms of theft. I am deeply interested in this one as not only Star Gems are sealed within, but maybe also something I yearn. Or maybe not."

He pet his mount for a while to get her accustomed to a new smells and introduced her to Quin, starring into the sky in meantime as if to judge some weather patterns. "Yes, this will be our new ride, please don't eat her meals and treat her respectfully." Barhai squeaked a bit with little lump of hair upon his shoulder, his little rat hiding behind his black hair.

Then he grabbed the reins and turned to the rest of the group. "There, I am ready. As for blue dragon...Well, I just hope we won't run into one on this journey. Tho hope is for fools, wise one prepares. Question is, how does one prepare for a dragon? Anyone knows age of this thing?"

[Alabenson]

There's no point in worrying about the dragon. Either we won't run into it, in which case there's no need to prepare, or we will run into it, in which case if it's old enough to be called 'great' and have poems written about it then it will kill us all no matter how we plan. I'd be more concerned about the bandits since we're actually trying to find those.

[A.A.King]

"That sounds like the right attitude to me" the man in the priestly robes replied "Let's focus on the thing we should find and not on all the things that might find us. For now at least I think all we have to do is follow this trail, but I'm not sure how long it will hold." He climbs on his camel and says "my name is High Priest Azrael by the way. Lets try to get as far as possible while the night is still warm"

[farothel]

"I'm Saelihn," she replied as introductions were made. Then she climbed on her camel, following the others.
"Now, how do you get this thing to move," she asked, looking at the camel which was still lying on the ground.

[Alabenson]

Try giving it a slap behind your right leg. Riding a camel is mostly the same as riding a horse, they just tend to be a bit more stubborn. Oh, and you'll want to lean back as it stands, the camel will bring its back end up first when it gets up and you don't want to fall off. I'm Talgrun, for what its worth.

[Janwin]

As the rest prepare, the tall elf wearing browns and greens and clearly quite a ways away from where he probably should be, simply stows his supplies on the camel that was provided for him. He doesn't have many words to add to the current discussion, so he largely stays out of it. As he works, the sweat that normally would have formed on anyone else exposed to this heat has not seemed to form anywhere on his body.

The elven hound paces restlessly nearby as he does so until he reaches down and scratches her behind the ears. "It's alright, Allynna. Just another adventure to someplace new."

The hound seems to settle a little at his words.

After he finishes packing up his things, he peers off into the distance of the desert carefully gauging the smells on the wind, the paths of the clouds and the dust dancing across the ground. He perks an eyebrow as though intrigued by something and then lowers himself to one knee. He scoops a small bit of sand from the ground and...tastes it? And then frowns and sighs.

He mutters to himself, "Acid... This desert only gets worse."

He then returns to his feet and addresses the group. "Llwellyn is my name, and Allynna is my hound. One word of warning: if you see clouds, do not get your hopes up. Instead, run. The sands have been bathed with acid, not water."

[Master_Rahl22]

Morekal reacts with shock at Llwellyn's warning. "This day just keeps getting better. Does anyone have any means to protect from acid? We'll have to figure something out if not."

[farothel]

"Two actually," Saelihn quipped, "one, don't touch it or two, dilute it with water. Whoah…"

The last was because after a couple of prods, the camel decided to get up. Only her natural dexterity prevented her from falling off.
"It is higher than a horse," she said as she looked down.

[A.A.King]

"At sun rise I might be able to prepare something during morning prayer but even that wouldn't be much. I suggest sticking to the previously proposed options of 'avoiding clouds' and 'not touching it' and that we should start following this trail. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back"

[Alabenson]

Or the sooner we can die horribly, one or the other. Talgrun says as he prods his camel forward. On the upside, if there's any truth to the rumors that these bandits are hiding themselves in a palace made of gold then if we do survive this we'll be rich enough to retire.

[Zergh]

"Acidic rain. Where does it come from and what is the source of it? Curse, magic or some natural phenomenon" thought Barhai lost in his thoughts about new revelation. The view from the camel was fantastic yet again and weather was nice for riding. He could feel his body relaxing, as if adapting already to the expectation of the desert. The silence of the night, stars little bit above the horizon and sea of dunes.

"So, let's recap. Bandits, dragon, obvious conditions of the open wilderness plus acid clouds. Enjoy the ride and good luck everyone." said Barhai while prodding his mount forward. "Hopefully we'll avoid dragon and bad weather".

[TheBarbecueChip]

The camels are, to a beast, ornery creatures, slow to rise and quick to spit. But with a little bit of cajoling, lead pulling, pleading, and whipping they eventually rise to their feet and begin their swaying march into the desert. As the light from the sun fades and the sky turns from red, to purple, and finally to black, stars begin to emerge, millions of silvery dots on a jet canvas. The moon rises and the powdery surface of the sand reflects the soft blue light like a dull, scratched piece of iron. Without the raging sun the temperatures rapidly plummet towards freezing.

The party travels for five hours, into the dead of night, through an endless sea of identical dunes. Despite the warmth of the large scruffy beasts beneath them, everybody begins to shiver at the cold. Their breath would be misting before their eyes if the air was not so dry as to suck all the moisture from their mouths and lungs. Suddenly, Talgrun, at the front of the line, spots something rising out of the desert a ways off. No, a pair of somethings, great pillars perhaps. The trail leads straight too them, but even without the shimmering heat waves of the day, distances are hard to judge in this featureless place.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

So you guys have seen something interesting, but it is also time to camp and without some method of warding off the cold you're about to start having to make saves.

[Alabenson]

There's something up in the distance, looks like a pair of pillars of some kind, the trail leads straight to them. No idea how far away they are, though. Could be a day's journey, could be several days, hard to tell in the desert. That's a problem for another day, though, for now we should probably start making camp before the temperature drops any further. Talgrun commands his camel to stop and lower itself.

[Master_Rahl22]

Morekal nods and hops down off of his camel, then grabs his bedroll and begins to prepare to get what rest he can. He says, "Who wants to take first watch, and should we risk a fire?"

[farothel]

Once you got used to the motion, riding a camel wasn't all that difficult, but Saelihn was still glad to be able to stop.
"I'm sure we can risk a fire," she said as she took out her heavy winter blanket and her tent out of her bag, "but keep it a low one. We can save firewood that way."

During the day she had been checking out her companions. Most were, as far as she could see, rough adventurers. One was kinda quite though.
"Maybe we should huddle together for warmth," she said, winking at Barhei, "and I don't mind taking first watch."

She looked again at the pillars, trying to see something with her elven sight.
"Maybe those are the greak obelisks that legends said where in this desert somewhere," she said as she looked at her own tent and the big ones they had, "if so, they should be covered in glyphs of some kind telling stories about the gods, but according to legend they are corrupted and cursed and nobody looking for them has come back."

[A.A.King]

"Making Camp for the night sounds like a great idea. A tent and my sleeping bag will keep me warm enough so I'd rather not risk a fire. Given everything that can find us in this desert, I don't want to make things to easy for them" Azrael says "I'm quite interested in those glyphs though. Stories from societies long since gone about the great Sun do fasinate me!"

[Alabenson]

I'm of two minds about the fire myself. Talgrun says as he dismounts his camel and starts pulling out a tent and thick bedroll from his haversack. The priest makes a good point, a fire will be visible for miles at night, and I doubt we want to attract the attention of whatever might see it. On the other hand the cold of desert nights can kill you just as effectively as the day's heat can. I'll leave the decision to the rest of you, I'll be fine either way.

[Master_Rahl22]

"Well maybe we risk a low fire tonight and see what happens. It's already quite chilly. I'll take the second watch." Morekal nods at Saelihn and then climbs into his bed roll.

[Zergh]

"I don't think we should be too concerned about starting the fire this close to the city. If anywhere is relatively safe along our journey, it's probably here. Even so, if most of you prefer starlight, winter blankets and tents should be enough. I forgot to buy a tent, but luckily we were provided with 3 big ones." said Barhei after hearing the group's discussion and turning to Saelihn as he finished the sentence. "I'll take one of those and be doing a first watch. You can go to sleep earlier, trance away." he added.

Then Barhei stepped away, lowering his gaze to the floor. He stretched his toes feeling the sand swirling over them. "Finally." With the movement of hands, akin to a potter, sand below him became almost liquid-like and started to take shape of something.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Using Sand Shape. 8.0 cu. ft. object with fine details (DC 12). Taking 10. 12 minutes cast time.

Lasts for 10 minutes. Laughing my *** off when it dissipates and Saelihn goes with it.

After a little while there stood comfortably looking sofa, made specially for Elven frame. Runes and forest-themed decorations were imprinted into the surface of the thing. "There, enjoy the view, I'm sure you are not accustomed to vast openness like this. Obviously me and Azrael would like to hear more about societies long gone." said Barhei with a smile.

[farothel]

"Show-off," Saelihn said with a smile on her face as she tested the sofa. It was quite comfortable, although the chilly air made it a bit less so.
"And it's not because I'm an elf that I've never been on a plain or a desert," she said, "I've traveled to get here and while I like the city more, it's not as bad as I'd thought it to be. Now, if you take first watch and Morekai taking second, I'll take third. Then we just need a fourth and the two others can sleep through the night. Tomorrow, two others can sleep through the night and so on. That way we all have two nights on watch and one night off. Sounds like a plan?"