Trace simply follows Shardon's example for the same reasons Tread is. After hearing Seluku answer Surya's question, Trace comments,
“Even with those reasons, we were fortunate to deal with the threats we faced as easily as we did, fate is fickle so while I agree we had some luck, we should not discount our skill either.” as Trace offers his opinion on the matter.

After the brief formality of confirming that the box brought back is indeed the box that the group had been sent to retrieve, Governor Arisphistaneles says, "This is indeed the box, and you all have passed your Test of Action. The Veiled Alliance is truly blessed to be gaining new members as capable as you all are."

The Governor then uses his key to open the box and inspect the scrolls within it and smiles as he adds, "These scrolls are in good condition given their age and seem to have been written by Aravek himself. This will definitely prove helpful in our research." Arisphistaneles  then has one of his scholars, no doubt a member of the Veiled Alliance cell take the box and its scrolls out of the room, presumably so that the research can begin in earnest while the governor continues to deal with the group.

When the governor is told about the Ssurran that had been among the Silt Runners, he is concerned about what a Ssurran tribe in the area would mean. The Governor then has one of his guards approach him and he instructs the guard to inform the Town guard captains to keep an eye out for more Ssurrans, and that he wants the captains to consider turning the ruins that the group found the drivers at with its small cistern into a scouting outpost since it is a place that can provide shelter and water for a small group of people. The guard then salutes the governor and heads off to inform the town guard captains the new orders.

The Governor then turns back to the group and says, "I'm sure you are all tired from your ordeal today, so lodging is ready for you and you should relax and have time to enjoy your reward for retrieving House Wavir's cargo. Don't be surprised if Rhotan Vor seeks you out for additional tasks in the future."

Shardon gives a small bow of respect with a smile. "A piece of history in the right hands? That is certainly a bonus to our payment. But we'll gladly take your advice, rest a bit, and be ready for any future assignments. Be well, governor."

When permitted to leave, Shardon leads the group out. On the way out, he asks the group, "Should we stick together? After all, I'm here to speak to others on your behalf whenever you conduct any business."

Tread nods. "We should stay together at all times."

  "Most of the supplies we would all desire would be in the same locations, traveling together will not make things any less efficient in that regard.  We have been fortunate so far in our work providing for our survival needs or close enough for it to matter little.  This will no doubt change."  Seriously, the survival day consumption so far had been nonexistent due to their employers.  Such luxury was not something to expect when pursuing their own goals, or working for less generous sorts.

  Fletch was looking forward to a better crossbow, if not looking forward to the inevitable need to use it.

"Thank you, Governor," Surya says with a bow.

She nods in agreement with the others and follows their lead.

The group's excursion through Altaruk as the group visits several merchants before finding the items that the group had been looking as the day yields to twilight. Afterwards, the group's return to the quarters provided by the governor is uneventful.

The next morning, a knocking can be heard on the door and when Trace opens the door, Rhotan Vor is standing at the door and asks, "May I come in? I have a proposal I wish to discuss, in light of how successful you all were in recovering the wagon's cargo and some information I have recently come into my possession."

Seeing no harm in hearing Rhotan out Trace lets Rhotan Vor inside as Seluku answers, “There is no harm in listening, so what is this proposal.”

After Trace closes the door, Rhotan answers, "When I was last in Balic, I encountered an individual who said he was a descendant of Darom Madar, the last elder of the now long-dead Madar merchant house. This man claimed to know the location of Darom Madar's treasure vault, and for a price I managed to get the location of the treasure vault, although not a precise location. I don't know if any of you have heard of the rumored treasure vault of Darom Madar, but I wish to employ you all to both escort the caravan to the location and then ascertain if the vault can be found based on the information I now have. If the vault exists, it will contain more treasure than you can hope to carry yourselves, I'll let you all have first pick of the treasure within the vault and collectively you'll also get a 10% share once I sell the remainder of the goods and artifacts in Tyr, which is my next destination."

Fletch and Trace both know that while House Madar was once a successful merchant house in the livestock trade, it was crushed in a trade war with its rival House Tsalaxa over a hundred years ago. House Tsalaxa is still an active merchant house and has all but cornered the livestock trade in the Tablelands. Furthermore, House Madar was not crushed by competition, but wiped out by hired assassins employed by House Tsalaxa. It is rumored that the head of House Madar, Darom, hid their vast wealth somewhere in the Tablelands before the house was destroyed. It is believed that there are no living descendants, as any that are alive no doubt fear being assassinated by House Tsalaxa's assassins, and the location of the treasure, if it indeed exists is lost.

Trace also knows that there is a dark legend stating that many of the house Madar Elders, including Darom Madar himself, were sealed into the hidden vault along with the treasure. The same legend further implies that Darom and those buried with him stand eternal vigil against any who would defile their tomb. Trace freely reveals what he knows about the history of House Madar and it's treasure vault to everyone present.

Rhotan Vor nods and says, "And that is why I need a group that can both guard the caravan, find the hidden entrance to vault and then clear out the dangers that lurk within the vault. I have heard from Corrin that you all have experience as caravan guards which is convenient."

[OOC: Also are Tread's and Shardon's shopping done yet? Their character sheets have not been updated to reflect what shopping has been done as they list no magical gear or new adventuring gear.]
This message was last edited by the player at 07:47, Thu 01 Dec 2011.

  Fletch considers the offer, it was likely there would be worse undead than some desiccated zombies to be found.  "Guarding seems to involve much more in the way of preemptive attack than the title would imply."  Seriously, everything they have guarded past the Cloister has involved a case 'Move ahead and kill everything' (Of course, this was still better than attempting to fight such things and protect something at the same time).

  "I assume you would seek out this vault with or without our aid specifically, but we are your first choice for those would may succeed."   Being too cheap to hire someone better still counts.  "If the distance required to travel there is not long, I would not be adverse to this.  So long as the rest of us are also willing to take up this task."

  Fletch could think of why not.  Going treasure hunting wasn't exactly on the way to their main goal.  However, they were still lacking leads in that end.  A reminder from one of his allies in regards to better 'Sorcerer King Bad.  This Stop Sorcerer King' projects than he could think of at this moment would not be unwelcome.  Otherwise, not like they were doing anything else.

  Shame that 'All the loot you can carry' means there is doubtlessly going to be little in the way of residuum despite such a vault's reputation.  even a hackey sack's worth of the stuff would last them into Paragon.  And that's if they SPLIT it.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:33, Fri 02 Dec 2011.

Shardon inquires, "And what of this descendant you encountered? Do you know where he is? I'm willing to bet his dead ancestors could smell their family's blood in him and might actually leave us to the treasure. How else could the elders expect their descendants to recover the treasure for themselves at a later date?"

---

(OOC: Character sheets are updated. Shardon got the Reading Spectacles head item. Tread got the Feet slot item Boots of Adept Charging. I figure Tread could use that shift to position for flanking in plenty of situations. And Shardon can use those specs to read the writing on any ancient areas that would otherwise be a language long lost or such.)

Tread says, "I'll go if my allies do." without much thought. She then listens to Fletch and Shardon. She considers the fact the guy is willing to give 10% even AFTER the excursion. That's a sweet deal.

Considering the treasure is only 100 years old, there may very well be residuum to split among the group.

---

(OOC: As a side note, Tread could easily buy a cart to carry extra treasure in. But it would be extra to carry through the desert AND the guy is gonna give us 10% of everything on top of whatever we carry anyway. Which is generous. Still, to those who were considering grabbing still more treasure, a cart could get us quite a bit.)

A fool's errand if Surya's ever heard of one.  Even if in the unlikely case that the information paid for turns out to be real, it's not enough to go on.  And even if in the unlikely event the vault is found on so little information, the place has probably been looted.  And even if in the unlikely event it hasn't already been looted, it's probably because the last several groups that tried succumbed to the curse/trap/monster(s) inside and have become undead guardians themselves.  Surya's sticking with a more practical approach and expecting the first scenario without giving much thought to the others.

"Since you're offering such a generous reward," Surya says with a bow, "I would humbly request one minor addition: merely that we each be paid a day's wage for each day worked up to the point when we find the treasure."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:34, Fri 09 Dec 2011.

Rhotan Vor looks at Surya and tries to figure out if Surya is just trying to be greedy, or if Surya is trying to hedge his bet against the possibility of there being no treasure and thus getting paid nothing since 10% of nothing is still nothing.

Seluku suspects he realizes what Surya is trying to say and asks, “I believe what my companion is trying to request is that if there is no treasure due to the vault not existing, or possibly already having been secretly looted, can be be assured of getting paid something if there is no treasure to be found.”

Rhotan Vor rubs his chin as he understands the 'concern' since even he doesn't want to admit the possibility that the information he paid for is no good, either due to someone else having already looted the treasure, the treasure never having reached the vault in the first place, or that the vault might be located somewhere else. "Ah, I understand, if there is no treasure you would still need some compensation for services rendered as you'd still be guarding the caravan." Rhotan knows that even if there is no treasure, there will still be dangers to be faced and dealt with, so he considers a standard caravan guarding fee as a 'consolation' if there is no treasure, since such a fee would be a small price to pay to be able to retain the services of a good group of guards. Especially since he knows that even if there is no treasure, having a group of adventurers that are willing to work for you can be very beneficial. Especially since some of the future House Wavir Caravans are going to need additional security given the rumors he's heard about new threats in the areas House Wavir does business in. Rhotan Vor only seems to pause long enough to seemingly run a through calculations through his mind before he continues, "Then in the situation where there is no treasure then you'll be paid for your services in protecting the caravan for the duration of the journey, which would be 360gp worth of ceramic pieces and 720gp worth of residuum for the six of you to split upon reaching Tyr at the end of the journey. Would that be satisfy your concern?" Rhotan Vor then looks around to see the group's response.

Trace gives his response by simply nodding, while Seluku replies, “I believe that would be a fair solution.”

[OOC: I'll admit that it does seem to be a oops in the 'official plot hook' in that you get nothing if there is no treasure to recover, in part due to the 'metaknowledge' that there IS a treasure. However in hindsight I should have built in a 'in the case of no treasure here is the consolation clause' as even Rhotan would realize it is a risk, and why should a group take a risk if they aren't necessarily hurting for job options. But Rhotan is banking that vault is there and the treasure is still in it, so the guarding fees would be a paltry amount to find out if a group of adventurers can be of future use to a major house.]

Shardon doesn't think of things like this since he's of the mentality that if someone tricks him, he'll just kill them and take their money. He's dead, so he doesn't care. But now that it's been brought up, he makes a mental note to not let that slip by. After all, killing important people can be an obstacle to the mission. "Thank you for your accommodation."

Tread ohs and just nods.

Sounds like a nice pile of money...

"Sounds good to me," Surya answers softly with a bow, "Thank you.  What is the expected duration of the journey?"

---

OOC: Apologies if it seems like Surya is nitpicking.  Fletch said "if the distance is not too long," but Surya feels like there's too much room for interpretation there.  Don't want to agree to the equivalent of $10,000 split 6 ways if that's going to be your wages for a half a year.  Even for a month's work, that's on the low end of what a security guard would expect to be paid.  Two weeks and you're on the waaay upper end.  So a specific time limit in the verbal contract would be important to know.

The group is on an important mission.  Earning a big windfall would be great to help them along on that mission, and she's all for that.  Just she's paranoid of the group being taken advantage of or getting in over their heads.

Rhotan Vor says, "From Altaruk it will take us three days to reach the Silver Spring where we'll spend one day resupplying and gathering information about the area we'll be traveling through since we need to go to the Canyon of Gothay which the Elven Chieftain Toramund has information about the canyon and the dangers within it. From Silver Spring, it will take two days to reach the Canyon of Gothay, and I'm expecting it will take three days to exploring in the area regarding the vault and if after three days you haven't returned I'll assume the worst and I'll take the caravan back to Silver Spring. Then I'd be spending the next three days getting ready for the trip to Tyr. However if you do check in during those three days while at the Canyons with an update on progress then I'll keep the caravan at the Canyons longer, but after a total of a 17 days at the canyon or 3 days without contact with you I'll head back to Silver Springs to resupply, although if it is due to the passing of 17 days we'd immediately return to the canyon after resupplying. However I doubt that finding, entering, and exploring the vault will take 17 days but the sand skiffs can only carry 3 weeks of supplies with the amount of space we have to reserve for cargo. After successfully finding the treasure in the vault we'll head for Tyr, or Silver Springs if we need to resupply before heading to Tyr."

  "I find your preparations acceptable.  It would do you no good to let the sun kill you in the process."  There was also the fact that if it came to it, they could potentially make it back to civilization if left behind.  Entering a vault system with a week of supplies, would remain a week of supplies until traveling overland to them...

  Hmm, it was likely due to the nature of sand and the various subterranean beasts that had prevented long term projects for the creation of a tunnel network between major points of interest.  The grueling workload involved would have meant nothing to those in power to work on such projects.

Shardon nods. "Let's get started then."

Once the team heads out, Tread asides to the others quietly, "It's beginning to sink in just how... depressing this world is. I had no idea how lonely, creepy, and downright sad it would be outside of home. Supposedly everywhere used to be like our home. Now look at it all."

After all, it's one thing to hear about "the rest of the world is desert". It's a whole other thing to experience it. She specifically didn't mention the Crystal Cloister, using the term "home" so that on the off chance the group accidentally had eavesdroppers, they wouldn't hear such a key thing as "Crystal Cloyster".

Surya nods, picking up on the careful choice of words.

"I too am feeling the urgency of our mission," she whispers, "Which is why I was reluctant to accept the given terms without something to show for our efforts when we discover the treasure was a lie.  But once we secure home from danger, I want to try and find some way to lessen the suffering of those who live outside it...  Well... if there's any who actually deserve it."

As the group heads towards the city gates to meet up with Rhotan Vor's caravan of three sand skiffs, along the way the group overhears a group of guards discussing the bounty on several bandits operating at an oasis between Altaruk and Silver Spring known as the Crimson Vipers, and that anyone who eliminates the bandits or drives them away form the oasis will get a reward of 60 gp worth of residuum and 12 gp worth of ceramic pieces.

At the gates, it is clear that Rhotan Vor's caravan isn't ready yet, and an elven woman approaches the group and introduces herself, "You all must be the group Rhotan Vor hired to guard his caravan which I know will be passing through Silver Springs. I am Iseel, and I am a relative of the Silver hand chieftain Toramund. I have a information about his son that I need taken to him. I can pay a dozen pieces of ceramic now with another dozen being paid when you deliver the message at Silver Springs along with six Survival Days. Will you carry my message to Toramund?"

Extra money? Downpayment now and more when they arrive? And it's on the way? "Certainly, Iseel." Shardon responds in the most pleasant tone he can muster. He gives her a half-smile, quickly eying her from head to toe and back. "I am Shardon, and these are my allies. We are indeed the ones Rhotan Vor hired, so your request is quite reasonable as it won't be much out of our way."
This message was last updated by the player at 19:41, Tue 03 Jan 2012.

"Our notoriety must be growing if we are considered the best available means for delivering such an important message," Sura comments, "As our reputation may suggest, encountering danger has become commonplace for us.  So obviously, there is a chance that we will all die in transit, making the message undeliverable.  I'm sure if at least one of us survives, he will no doubt do his best to deliver the message, but perhaps we should mention this message to the rest of the caravan so they can deliver it should us guards become unable."

She glances over at the other group of guards then back at her allies.

"Perhaps we should inquire about details.  The reward may not be much, but if we wind up having to defend ourselves against those bandits, we may as well be prepared to collect the bounty."

  Insert dour insight of how the comforts of the cloister were not his to enjoy here.  They all start to sound the same after enough of them.

  after the rumors of bandit removal float by, Fletch comments to the Revenant "If you keep any souvenirs should we run into them Shardon, be prepared to part with the more readily identifiable ones as proof."  This isn't WoW where there are enough severed heads from a single named bandit for everyone, of course.  No matter what certain people say about 4th Edition.

  When the easily acceptable request for message bearing comes along, he adds "I see no reason not to do this, though I must ask who shall be providing the rest of our payment if you will not be making the journey yourself." maybe Toramund is a very nice tipper? But it was best not to assume such things.

  Still, even if stiffed payment, it was still at least a dozen ceramic now for something not difficult in itself.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:10, Wed 11 Jan 2012.

Iseel smiles and replies, "Thank you, and Chief Toramund will be providing the rest of the payment since the message is for him and him alone," as she hands over the 12gp worth of ceramic pieces and the coded message is on a piece of thin leather used as a cheap alternative to parchment paper to Shardon.

Seluku uses his short ranged telepathy to communicate with the rest of the group sop that no one else hears what he says, 'I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to know what this note for Toramund says since we need to speak with him anyways. But don't hand me the note to see if I can decrypt it until we are out of Altaruk... last thing we want is to be spotted by Iseel while I am decrypting it.'

When Surya asks the group to find out about the bandits, Seluku nods and replies, “I'll handle that, and be right back.”

Seluku then walks over towards where the guards were talking about the bandits and after listening in on the still ongoing conversation, Seluku returns and says, “It appears that the bandits are striking groups between here and the Silver Springs, and they all wear crimson sashes around their waists, and those bloody sashes would be sufficient proof and can be handed into either Cheif Toramund or Arisphistaneles. So I agree if we run into them we might as well collect the bounty on them.”

Trace comments “Seems like Toramund and Arisphistaneles have agreements between each other and probably jointly posted the reward for the Crimson Vipers. But still good to know.”

Rhotan Vor notices the group and walks over before he says,  "Ah greetings, from here to the Silver Springs I expect that you'll be able to scout ahead to keep the path clear of any danger that would otherwise threaten the three sand skiffs so I recommend starting out by scouting out a full day ahead ahead of the skiff's departure from Alturak, since it should take you 4 days to reach Silver Springs, while it will only take the skiffs 3 days to cover the same distance and it would be dangerous for the skiffs to arrive in Silver Springs before you reach the Springs yourself."

Shardon asks, "Wouldn't it make more sense to stick together? If we scout ahead, what's to stop someone from coming later to a spot we already scouted and then ambushing you while we're a day ahead of you unaware?"

Surya hides her surprise well behind her silt-mask and full face veil when she "hears" Seluku's telepathic message.  It hadn't occurred to her to read someone else's mail, but now that he mentions it...  What if the message is: "The carriers of this message are magical constructs working for the Veiled Alliance.  Interrogate them, then destroy them."?

Would be good to know.

She's also surprised at Rhota Vor's suggestion.  Since Shardon raised the first point, Surya adds, "Or if a group attacks and destroys us while we're a day or two ahead of you, how will you know?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:44, Wed 08 Feb 2012.

  Fletch had at times considered the very point Surya brought forth as he guarded the perimeter of the cloister's lands.  Though the answer there was most likely 'because they did not come back'.

  "Our travels shall bring us across a regular route, so far as the sands can keep one.  Most dangers with enough thought to ambush a caravan would do so along this path, so we shall meet them first.  Even if we die, it shall harm them in the process leaving the caravan in a more safe position than otherwise."

  While it would but a serious crimp in their own plans if they perished, Fletch is a bit more familiar with the 'expendable guards' mindset.

OOC Style:  Seth think your points are good points.  Which of course the Module doesn't cover, heh.