The Ruins of Vargin

Raxion · Post by **Raxion** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:42 am

Rashidi moved side to side, his mouth moving but not saying anything, until he slowly opened his eyes.

"Wha...what happened?" he mumbled. He sat up, and grabbed the back of his head. "Ow! Why does my head hurt?" he asked. He looked around.

"Did you kill the woman who clearly wasn't a bandit?" he said. "And why the hell did I lie there sleeping?" he pointed to the floor.

Dead Account · Post by **Dead Account** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:52 pm

Helana looks back at her dead camel. "I guess I'm coming, then."

Treize Dreizehn · Post by **Treize Dreizehn** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:58 pm

Shar sat down on a rock formation that looked out over the Desert. He'd take his watch shift now, and then get a bit of rest before sunrise. He laid the collection of stones he carried form his homeland on the ground around him, in the shape of a triangle. They glowed slightly for the briefest of moments, and suddenly the desert was laid before him. Every scorpion, every grain of sand. He could see it all, as long as he stayed still, and in this spot.

He clutched his bow and waited for the night to pass.

Venico · Post by **Venico** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:40 am

Valk assembled the group as the sun rose. The days ahead of them were going to be long and wearying, but Vargin was in reach hopefully. Rubbing at his eyes, he looked at the group and sat down on a smoothed rock in front of them. "Friends, it seems that our leader Hasan has fallen ill slightly. He should be able to carry on with us, however he doesn't feel that he can lead us any further. I suggest we let him rest as much as possible and keep an eye on his health. If any of you have any medical training, do what you can for him."

With this, the assassin stood and paced lightly. "From here on out, I shall be leading us unless Hasan makes a recovery. If anyone has any objections to this, raise them to me at a later point or in private. For now we have to break camp and get on the road quickly. If we get into combat, listen to my instructions and follow them unless it means your life." Valk looked around at his companions and nodded before making his way to the camels.

Treize Dreizehn · Post by **Treize Dreizehn** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 10:57 am

Shar nodded, moved towards the camels, and climbed on, coaxing the animal forward.

Post by **shetef** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:03 am

Kelikon nodded. "I have no objection. Let us move forward."

ooc: sorry for the one-liner, about to leave for class

Venico · Post by **Venico** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:04 am

After another three days of hard journey, the party arrived at the Abain Oasis just at mid day. Valk had Hastein lag behind a bit to cover their tracks and also do his best to scout out the incoming group. Just as the adventurers begin to set up camp, the viking returned with a report that their enemies would be arriving around sun set from the Southwest. Apparently they were being leisurely with their trek.

"Good work Hastein." Valk said as he clapped him on the shoulder and moved to the group. "Does anyone have ideas on how we should lay our trap? Of course I have some ideas due to my ahem profession. But I'd love to hear what you all have in mind." He gestured to the whole of the oasis as if it were a blank canvas to him.

The oasis wasn't particularly large but to the party this was a welcome break from the desert, plus it would allow Shar a rest from his water summoning. The pond at the middle was about waist deep when waded into, the grass and brush surrounding it only rising just above the boot. The dozen or so trees were scattered apart, only a patch of three seemed to be bunched up on the western side. A particularly large tree to the North even had small dates hanging from its branches that could refresh some of the parties supplies. Next to the fruit tree was a large rock with a jagged end that extended over the spring two or three feet. This was a little slice of paradise for the group and hopefully a place full of woe for the incoming one.

George Holland · Post by **George Holland** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:19 am

Hastein gazed around the Oasis, looking at the relatively few places where you could launch a surprise attack from.

He strode to his camel and searched through his bags. Taking out a small crossbow and a bag of bolts he put it and several other small weapons in the middle of the group. He looked at Rashidi and Dorian.

"Any of you fancy a climb? Lie on top of the rock with the crossbow and bolts. The palm leafs on the tree should provide cover. The other one of you can be bait." He smiled.

"Shar, Adrias, you see the group of three trees? I reckon that could hide the both of you, Hasan as well."

He turned to Valk. "I'll head north of the camp and loop round, taking them from behind when we attack." He eyed the pond and the reed lining it.

"How are you with getting wet?"

Venico · Post by **Venico** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:25 am

Valk smiled and shrugged. "I was thinking the same thing. Not sure about me doing it but we can figure that out." He looked at the spring and the at the sand that surrounded them. "We can also build a small wall for cover with wet sand from the way they're approaching. However if we choose to bait them completely into the camp that idea won't help much." He said rubbing at his stubble. He was still contemplating on where to hide the camels.

Raxion · Post by **Raxion** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 6:21 am

"I'll gladly act as bait." Rashidi said, almost sarcastically. He walked outwards and sat on a rock. He took out a map of some village near Alexandria, and busied himself with pretending to be engrossed in it. Suddenly his head went up

"Look here!" he took out an artifact from his bag, an old-looking metallic bracelet. He sniffed it. "Yes, this is one! It is made of pyrite, or 'fool's gold' if you will. And I know that pyrite contains brimstone. I have a handful of objects in bag made from this." He took out all the fake artifacts made from pyrite, and he banged them on the rocks until they were pulverized to dust. He smiled, and then walked over to his camel.

He stood next to his camel and waited for it to release its waste, and as if ignoring hundreds of years of social norms he picked up the manure. He walked over to the grass and grabbed a bunch, and mushed them together with water. He then put it on a rock in the heat of the sun and left it there. "That will make saltpeter... now we need some charcoal. Can someone cut a tree down? We could do without one. And Dorian, would you kindly burn a tree for me?"

He suddenly realized that nobody knew why he was doing this, and he looked like a crazy man. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm making black powder. Large explosions and such. Now then, somebody warn me the next time your camel does its business." And with that he washed his hands, sat back down next to the makeshift saltpeter and busied himself with alchemy scrolls in order to make explosives.