After the Son of Nibenay's death

[DM Bob]

The night passes...

...for the most part.

Early, just before first light, you see the odd swirling glow of a massive purple & azure portal near the small walled settlement. (For simplicities sake, this can happen just after you speed immolate the remains and as morning memorization/prayers have finished.)

Pairs of goliaths charge through the dark light and to the ramshackle walls. Within a minute over a dozen have cleared the light... and more keep coming. They robustly swing yellowed mekillot bone clubs and simply wear loincloths... there's some sort of design or pattern to it and if Laahk had to guess? Probably Nibenese, and most likely a checked print, could it be the Shadow King's elite? A few tear at the barrier with bare hands. Faint screams are heard as well as the pounding of club on rock and wood... all of the sounds melding into the omnipresent scream and screech of the winds.

At that moment Laahk gets a mental tag from Shardivan... and a ghostly vision of a thri-kreen appears before everyone present and looks about, vanishing almost as quickly as she's seen (Kri-kcht knows).

<"We were able to get what was promised.">

A glimmery bundle the size of a small tent pops into existence where the kreen was just spotted. Spider's silk.

He pauses.

<"My friend says that there's something going on beyond your camp. I take it you all lived through the evening?">

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

Pallia stays extremely quiet as the mob of half-giants sweeps into the nearby raider encampment.

Eventually, as the screaming is dying down, she whispers, "That was meant for us."

"We can't stay here. The sorcerer-monarch will have them on patrol, moving out in expanding circles, looking for us physically while his psychics continue to search for us mentally."

[Attilius]

May 24, 2021 6:00:53 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

...A glimmery bundle the size of a small tent pops into existence where the kreen was just spotted. Spider's silk.

"Yiska, help me wrap everyone with silk like a traveling cloak!"

HurK quickly wraps the warstaff and the cut Tergite sections (the other items were wrapped last night). He then stows them in and on his pack. He'll then help everyone wrap themselves up, starting with Laakh and himself.[/quote]

"Kri, what direction and how far is the buried city from here?"

[remie]

To Hurk: "@#@ Kri-kcht not sure. He le't 'rom 'own of Spoil North North east to buried city. Maybe we 'ind a 'amiliar oasis and 'ind the buried one 'rom there #¤°¥"

[Deleted]

Once wrapped up in spider silk, Mak will encant a "Pass Without Trace 10'r" spell over the entire party, then they'll move directly away from the settlement attempting to keep low and out of LoS. Once a sufficient distance away we'll resume our path towards the buried city ruin.

[DM Bob]

Just holding on for any additional thought-speech from Laahk to Shardivan.

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

"Let's say we do find and deal with Dote Mal Payne... what then? How do we escape the baleful gaze of the sorcerer-monarch?" says Pallia. "We're going to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders unless we can figure that out."

[Attilius]

May 24, 2021 7:58:32 GMT -12 @rpgagmjay said:

Once wrapped up in spider silk, Mak will encant a "Pass Without Trace 10'r" spell over the entire party, then they'll move directly away from the settlement attempting to keep low and out of LoS. Once a sufficient distance away we'll resume our path towards the buried city ruin.

seconded

May 24, 2021 6:00:53 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

<"My friend says that there's something going on beyond your camp. I take it you all lived through the evening?">

<We did. Thank you for the silk, not a moment too soon. Nibanay's half giant elite guard have wormholed in and are tearing apart a small town. We're on the move now...>

[Attilius]

May 24, 2021 9:34:34 GMT -12 Coden Rokos (Jesse H.) said:

"Let's say we do find and deal with Dote Mal Payne... what then? How do we escape the baleful gaze of the sorcerer-monarch?" says Pallia. "We're going to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders unless we can figure that out."

"A bridge we'll cross once Dote Mal is taken care of and we have our friends back..." HurK says while keeping his body low to the ground

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Kem listens without saying a word, just in case her whispers could be hear in the distance, her sight plunged in the nearby massacre until everything is ready to move on or until her help is needed

[Attilius]

***Just to be clear, besides his possessions, we also wrap the sack of Dhojakt's ashes, that Mak's carrying, in silk too***

[DM Bob]

<"It seems you're busy then. We're on the march the next few days ourselves... please keep correspondence to a minimum. The next time you need silk though? You'll probably need to do the leg work. We lost a couple hunter scouts and the kreen are wary of starting a war on another front, even though they do love a hunt."> Mentally closes the elder psion.

As you pass, you notice that a melee, nay a slaughter, has erupted at the walls. A mul warrioress has led a small group of grizzled veterans to the shattered walls in a feeble response. Perhaps it's more a rout? A diversion? As the sun peeks from the west and you pass the settlement (the gorge to your left) you notice an exodus of odd sailed land-craft heading to the east and south-east... split into two fleeing parties.

The silk is just enough to cover what you think is necessary...

You hope. At least you're leaving little or no physical evidence as you flee the bloodshed. The heavier trace is on your hearts, as if it weren't for your presence, they would not be in such dire straits themselves.

[Niachi]

Lakh grimly keeps an eye on the massacre as he fusses with the spider silk, helping others wrap up. He signs off to Shardivan with thanks. Before they all hustle away under magical concealment, he measure how much spider silk remains after everyone and all dead mutant parts are wrapped.

OOC Bob: What is the demeanor of our ?captive? cilops.
Assuming there's not enough silk left to wrap a 15-foot long bug, Laakh figures it is a liability at this point. But tries something:

Contact the cilops, only for purposes of a quick training session. He uses slow calming hands and gestures mimicking what he saw the templar riders do, offering it a chunk of food on the ground. Goal: "You are free. No tracking US, run away full speed opposite direction we are heading. Never track US we are friends."

Contact score -6 for arachnid: need 13, rolled 11. cost 3.
Animal Training need 18, rolled 7.

[DM Bob]

Mak has cast animal friendship upon the cilops.

It will hold until he cuts loose...

If that's what you wish to do.

[Niachi]

OOC: While I was keen on the idea of having our own cilops to track Dote & Wyan, seems like it's just a target, esp since cilops can be trained to hunt their own kind. Trting to set it free unless anyone gives enough reason to keep it. Sending it running in our opposite direction.