Underfed Returns! pt3

What a long, strange trip it's been, right? That's what peopler say. You've fought through the desert, avoided a dragon, avoided thri-kreen, travelled through a destroyed city-state's territory, fought undead (and before that plant creatures and giant insects and...)

...anyway, you're now finally on a dune, overlooking a caravan which has circled its wagons, the great black flag of Charn raised over it. IT's your ultimate destination, and ther it is. WIthin that wagon train lays the Agony Engine that you're to destroy at all costs, even the cost of your own lives.

Hopefully it won't come to that, but given the tale of the caravan's overlord, an undead charnese patrriarch, it's not gonna be easy.

Good luck.

Realizing that they're overlooking their target, Asmli drops to his belly behind the dune, only eyes and blonde hair potentially showing above it as he assesses the situation. "Be nice to throw a sandstorm at 'em about now," he mutters.

Victor raises his head out from behind a dune and watches the caravan. After a few moments he lowers his head again. Then he turns to look at the rest of the party. "Is anyone skilled in stealth? I am unfortunately not, but I may be able to cause a distraction to draw their attention..."

Echo shakes his head, "I am not... hm... I do not know of any prayers that could change the weather, unfortunately..."

"If only," replies K'nap to ASmli's bout of wishful thinking. He stays belly to the sand himself.

"So... if ya'll have any bright ideas, now's the time. OPtherwise, we can just... wait around a while and see what happens."

Echo considers, "Wait for nightfall, then, and hope they don't continue on." He says to the others, keeping watch as best as he can with his cloak hiding the crystals that make up his body.

Victor tilts his head back to examine the skies and the position of the sun. "Will undead be less active during the night?" He glances at the others. "Or less?"

Asmli nods at the mention of waiting for nightfall, and sinks back down below the top of the dune. 'Ain't rightly know,' he mutters, then abruptly looks at the other three, his hands moving rapidly. "point flick wiggle thumb" the gestures say. <unknown>

"They'd be more active, actually, but we would have cover to get closer if we're lucky and the moon's not shining down." Echo says.

K'nap nods towards ASmli. He seems to, anyway.

Victor states at Asmli blankly. Then he turns towards K'nap and then Echo, questioningly.

Echo shrugs at Victor and K'nap. "I don't know what he's saying either."

Asmli scowls and shakes his head, but nods towards K'nap and looks towards the caravan as if through the dune. "Blast," he mutters. "Wait for nightfall, then,"

TIme passes.

The caragvan remains where it is. It shows no signs of going anywhere, actually, as if its just...camped out. When night falls, there's still no more activity than there was. Oh, sdure, you watch guards pass here and there, being rleieved by other guards and what not, but it's just not... /going/ anywhere.

Once it's dark, you'll have your chance to get a closer look, and the desert night is dark indeed.

Victor looks over the other party members once more. "Most of us do not need light to see," he murmurs to K'nap. "Perhaps you should stay here and wait while the rest of us move closer." Their guide has had his share of mishaps on this journey, and perhaps vision is not the only reason the golem suggest he remain behind.

Echo glances at his fellow war golem, then nods "We keep to the dunes as much as we can. Best way to sneak up, I'd say."

"If only I could still fly," mutters K'nap, grumpily.

A good breeze has picked up in the meantime.

Echo nods, "It will be fine... c'mon. And keep quiet." He moves to sneak towards the caravan, arming himself with his sansestukon as he goes. He uses the dunes to mask his approach as much as he can, creeping closer as he watches for camp fires or any other signs of guards.

"Ain't likely to fly anytime soon," Asmli grumps at K'nap. "Not 'less someone throws me." He hangs back, knowing that he isn't exactly quiet.

GAME: Asmli rolls stealth: (13)+-2: 11

GAME: Victor rolls stealth: (10)+2: 12

GAME: Echo rolls Stealth: (8)+2: 10

The wind is kicking up even more as you approach. It's not a sand storm, unfortuntely, but it is enough to be a stiff breeze!

So far, you've been able to get closer unnoticed. The guards are more than likely human and lacking the long range sight to be able to see your approach just yet. Still, you're not stealthy, and it's only a matter of time before they do.

And that's when you the lightning arrives.

The lightning draws eyes to it, and it's on the move. A cloud of it heading *straight* for the caravan, unnatural to be sure. And... shaped...

...shaped like a vaguely, humanoid thing. A sswirling, vaguely h umanoid cloud of lightning, wind and sand.

GAME: Victor rolls knowledge/the planes: (3)+9: 12

GAME: Echo rolls Knowledge/The Planes: (2)+6: 8

A tiny crease appears between Victor's eyes as he watches. "It is an air elemental of some sort," he whispers. "This desert truly is a dangerous place." He flicks his gaze to the caravan and tries to gauge how they react. "But perhaps this will be an effective diversion."

Echo looks thoughtful, nodding, then motions to the others. "Let's go. I need to be in close so I can try to sense the magic of this thing. And we can see if these are undead or living."

Asmli looks over at K'nap and shrugs expressively. Magic is not the khazad's thing, so he leaves that to the others and follows in their wake, trying to stay down and use the diversion as much as he can.

...you can heasr the guards inside, some of them talking loudly. They sure sound alive, animated.

"THE MASTER," howls the wind, "WISHES TO KNOW WHY YOU DAWDLE FAR FROM HIS SANCTUARY. THERE IS AN AGREEMENT."

Victor halts. He swivels his head to look at the rest of the party. Then he looks back at the elemental. He puts one finger on the side of his own head where an ear would be. Then he points at the elemental.

GAME: Echo casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 2 DC: 13

Echo nods, then casts as silently as he can, whispering the spell, "By Eluna's grace, let me see magic."

GAME: Edinaz rolls stealth: (20)+0: 20

Edinaz creeps along, hunkered down. He tries very hard not to bang into anything, step on anything, that kind of stuff. He's a big, hulking half-yrch so there are upper limits to this. He watches the elemental interaction silently.

Good news, everyone!

You're abl to get closer unnoticed because of the /giant air elemental/ that's observing the caravan. It's not going to save you for too much longer, but you're closer, that's for sure.

There appears to be someone speaking to it, but you can't really hear what they're saying this far out.

"THE EMPEROR'S PATIENCE IS NOT INFINITE. YOU ASKED FOR SANCTUARY. YOU SHALL RECEIVE IT, BUT KNOW THAT THE PRICE WILL INCREASE THE LONGER HE HAS BEEN MADE TO WAIT. THOSE ARE HIS COMMANDS. KNOW THAT THE SANDS SHALL SWALLOW YOU SHOULD YOU DELAY TOO LONG. THIS LAND IS HIS TO COMMAND."

It's voice crackles like lightning even as it forms trade-speak words.

Echo looks uneasy, then looks to the others. He waves at them to get their attention before drawing a circle in the sand, and putting a dot right in the center. Hopefully they get the meaning. His face actually scowls at that before he points at the circle, then the caravan.

Victor peers at the circle in the sand. Then he looks at the party, from one to the other, to confirm they've seen it. Once he's sure he reaches out his own hand towards the sand. He hesitates and gestures with his other in the direction of the elemental. Then he points with that hand at the circle. Or more precisely at his other hand that has been poised near Echo's circle all this time. Still pointing at the hand, he finally lowers it. And carefully pushes a mound of sand over the circle and dot.

GAME: Echo rolls Perception: (2)+9: 11

GAME: Asmli rolls perception: (3)+3: 6

GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (9)+9: 18

GAME: Victor rolls perception: (19)+7: 26

Echo nods, then starts trying to peek around the carriages as he hopes to spot whatever the device is that they are trying to destroy.

Edinaz creeps closer, squinting towards the caravan.

Edinaz freezes, then points off in the distance, mouth moving wordlessly.

Echo looks at Edinaz, then mouths 'what' towards him. As best as he can. Then he goes back to trying to peer around the caravans and see what's inside or possibly where the arcane instrument of doom is.

Victor is also staring in that direction. The crease on his normally unexpressive brow becomes a furrow. He points in the same direction as Edinaz. "Dragon," he whispers.

Asmli looks around at the others, completely baffled but saying nothing. He didn't hear a thing!

Edinaz also mouths 'dragon', then creeps closer to the others. He hisses. "Dragon. Over there." He points again. "We have company."

GAME: Echo rolls Spellcraft: (13)+7: 20

Echo turns at the whisper, "Dragon? Hey..." He looks considerate, then to the center of the camp. Then to the others, "... anyone feel like making it angry and running for it?"

Victor turns a surprised look on Echo. Then he nods. "It may be our best plan yet," he admits. His tone is completely even.

There is silence from the camp as the lightning waits for something. Some kind of response. One is being given but you can't /hear/ it. It's too... distant. Too queit.

Whatever it is, the leemntal seems to be hearing it.

"IS FURTHER DEMONSTRATION NECESSARY? YOU HAVE PAID THE PRICE ONCE BEFORE, DARE YOU TO PAY IT AGAIN?"

Echo nods, "We need to break that thing as well... some of us sneak around to the side, and the rest make that dragon mad and run into the camp. Make it follow us and if we can make it hit that thing on the way, we can get out of here hopefully." He keeps his voice low, but hopefully it's a good plan! The only problem was bait. He shrugs at the others, "I am willing to try to make it mad and go after the thing."

Victor nods in agreement. "As am I. If we split up perhaps we can increase the chances thar some or us can get away."

Edinaz pauses. "Alright. Do we know that they will fight?" He exhales. "It sounds bold. I like it."

Echo shrugs, "I don't know. But it's worth a shot. Where's K'nap? He's injured and should not be part of this, I think."