Luthien proceeded in, with the magical axe and gauntlet.

"Greetings, sir. We've a couple of identifications we'd like done today."

  There was a rather thin lookin  fellow, with the same , neatly trimmed  beard, that the guard had. He looked middle age or so.

  ...well Sarah?... he points to the  wooded board  above his head, written in snadfolkc  scribbles  was the type  of spells  offered, and the pricing.

 ..may I see the  color of your  coin?

"Certainly."

Luthien has gold, of course, plus whatever the captain chose to give him for this excursion.

The magnifying glass Kree loaned him will hopefully tell him the spells and prices.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:38, Mon 05 Feb 2018.

  The  MAge  seems  put off, but  Luthien's use of the lens.  Ivy   takes out the Pouch that Kree gave them opening it a bit  to show him the coin.

 Another Mage  comes  down, and Older  woman with  sliks on she shows  much Contempt  for Ivy  who just grins at her, and  has his eyebrows go up and down..
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:34, Sun 11 Feb 2018.

In reply to Kree's Unit (msg # 28):

Brie has a bit of trouble with finding the right weaponry for someone so small but allow for room to grow and learn.

She let the lass dabble with a variety of stuff until they come to a compromise.  Once ready to leave and head back she shuffles her into a private area to change and she musses with her hair folding in ribbons and tying off with leather to give her a bit more of a mature look than when they left.

Once both girls were happy they made their way back to Kree and crew.

 As they return, a Pair of  Beggar Toughs come from another direction. The Merchant doesn't look pleased at thier  sight.

 The One tough, looks a bit more in shape then the other, and its  clear  the 'dirt ' on him has been recently put on, while the other   grew  with his,

 ..I wish to speak to the Leader of this...outlander Group.

 Kree looks at them and Looks  away watching the last  few camels  get their  blankets  secured and finish thier  drinking.

 .. if you are wise.. you take  your friend  and go back to where you came from... two  dead Beggars  aren't going to bring in coin for your Guild, and you already lost one to our group...thanks   to your  disrespect for out landers...and...elves...

  ..we want the whelp back..she's ours, she is..and you don't have the right...

 Kree turned   slowly taking a step towards  Brie and  the girl...you know.. we are Arrows, Aye?..So..I will ask you this  question..because?  I know  how this same  question would be answered in the beggar's Guild, in Ironmound....and..keep in mind.. we are Arrows...

 The  Fellow snapped,..speak then Outlander, so we  may get this over with...

 ... The Guild In Ironmound, and ...indeed..all empire  cities... is voluntary..we come..you go.. you pay your  share to the guild..Now?..Slavers   use  Beggars to  make money, solely  for the purpose  of  making money for them.. they are slaves...... Kree's hand  reaches  across and grabs the Hilt of his   sword,..so?..Tell me... are you slavers.....

 ..slavery is part of  life in these lands  You cannot...

 ..ARE.... you...slavers.... I will not ask again....I will take silence  as  an 'aye'..and ..according to 'my custom'.. i will have to cut you to bits...

 The younger   beggar took a few steps   Back..kree  tilted His ehad  with a smile  as his  sword  slides out  like a shiny snake,with no sound from the  fur lined sheath

 ....we... i ....mean... no.. we are not slavers....


Them the girl stays  with us, and you leave..before bad things  happen....

 The   fellow  backed  up slowly,..you and yours  would  be  cut to bits  by the mob, once they heard you struck us down....

 ..Maybe?.... But you would never Know.. you would  be lying in the street with no arms or legs..until you bled out... now me?  I have alot of years behind me... i have alot more infront?...can you say that?

  The Fellow   backed  away  and they left,  the younger  guys   said  something and was cuffed on the back of the head for his troubles.

   Kree shook his head,..the  more  we are harrassed , the more i think the Dark Path is the way to live .... he looks at the Girl,..well Girl? Like it or not.. you are  stuck with  us, at elast..until we can find a  good  place  for you to live...
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:50, Wed 07 Feb 2018.

Apparently, the mage is put off just enough by Luthien's use of the lense to charge a little extra...not much extra, in the greater scheme of things. Perhaps he grudgingly respected the fact Luthien was prepared to actually read the prices as marked.

Still, even the Charismatic Knight can't quite negotiate the price back down to normal this time. Well, everyone misses now and then.

  The  Older  Mage  woman take  the Gauntlet over to a  stone  table... the   'desk' mage  brings the ax.

  She begins to perform  the spells (  hafter the  Desk mage asks  for the Money.. Ivy has to  empty out the purse, and add a few coins of his own.. but will not let the mage touch it, until the spell is cast.

  The woman Looks at Luthien and asks if he is sure they are magic...

  Ivy speaks up,..let us say... we are paying you to find out...and?  shoudl we  find out you are a sham , word  will spread..very fast...

Luthien does peer closely at the wizards as they work.

"As he says. Honest coin for honest answers."

Luthien IS Pretty good at ferreting out deception after all.

  when the  woman is done with the spells  she  nods and she leans on the stone table.

  ..The Ax cuts  well..better the Clamsport steel.. But here is added power against  reptiles and such... Lizard folk? serpents... Dune creatures....it was Made way to the west..most like a Red Eleven Wizard to fight the creatures in thier harsh lands..

 ..The Gaunlet should have a Mate... regaless... by itself it  will make one a bit  stronger, and the hand  that wears it ...a bit faster..should you  ever find the Mate?.. you would be a mighty warroir ..indeed....

 ..Now?..Long Ear, may we have the coin we have earned...

    Ivy  removes the  scimatar Balde from between the  pile of Mixed coins  and the Young Mageling....there you go..grandmother....we 'longears' just want  fair business, like  any dirt colored  sandfolk...

In reply to Brie (msg # 34):

Brie watched the men approach but turn on their heels as soon as they came.

"All the better" she said to Kree but looked at the girl a moment.

   The Camels  were  watered. the Merchant threw in an extra  Blanket for Inda.

   As Soon  as    The others Get back  we   will leave.  Kree  saw to the water  skins  two per  Camel were  slung on and full. Then they waited.

  As they stood around  or sat they did notice  an extra Guard or  two would  walk by, while  'beggars' settled in, rather badly.. to watch.

Luthien would return with the items and Ivy.

While he offered others a chance to carry them, he was highly shocked to find nobody else wanted them. So now he wears the gauntlet and the axe is holstered in its place, one of 4 weapons he can use at need.

..Right Then, Let us Mount  up.... It seems Laf has   left us..  so we will take his camel as an extra...

 The Merchant leads him to the gate  he uses to   graze his stock, letting   the Group pass, he   offers  a plump hand to Kree,..I did not Like you, Sirrah....when first we met.... but i was ask the Sand Gods to aid you in your quest for you missing comrades...

 Kree  took the  hand  and said,..may the Sisters    aid you.... and I hope  we are  able to return your Beasts....

 The filed out of  Mok   Ivy in the lead  .. Brie and the girl  follow him..Kree  next.. the others  strung out behind  them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:41, Sun 11 Feb 2018.

Being honorable as ever, he says, "If we live to return them, you may rely on their return."

  The group moves  down the  well worn path.....if you follow this   path  for  many, many days,, you will arrive at Clamsport... they are  more Open to outsiders... but  they are still sandfolk... many people have  shops there.. even Red Isle Halfings.... I was there one  time..but no one there wanted to buy me..i was too little...

 ..But  we will take the   Right  turn.. that leads over the Hill towards the  sands.... we  will camp at a pond there,, for the next 6 hours..

 Kree frowns,..why camp now.. the  sun has  already tipped over... it  will be dark by  that time!

 ..Yes.... and you will thank me for that...
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:39, Sun 11 Feb 2018.

"I believe that's the idea, Captain. Facing the sun is a terrible idea. We're going to move almost exclusively at night."

While not familiar with deserts, per se, Luthien had a VERY high share of common sense.

  the Camels  took a bit getting used to.. but after  an hour or so, most of the Unit seemed to be  alright.

  They  Came upon  the Poud.. or small lake from the bubbles  it   must be fed from underground.. a small stream lead  down  hill to the River  below.

  There  are  some tents  set up. A skinny Sandfolk man approaches  them,..Greetings, Fair  travellers ... I am a seller of provisons.. dry  friut.. rations... dried  meat and of course.. water  bags..

  how  much for   8 bags, to be saddled across the  riderless camel?

  ...20 silvers..o mighty warrior... that is the discaount i give you, for buying so many.. they have  fur  covering  to help keep the  heat  from the water... and we will fill them for you... night water is the best...cooler....

  ..What is the fruit...

  .. we have  Dried Aprocots ...Prunes....figs...dates  and..of course.. raisens...

     Give  me a  bag of  each...

 ..But,,,Sirrah?.. they are in 5 Lb  Bags  surely...

 ..even better.. i bag of  each... what is the costs ?

  ....5 Gold  Sirrah?.. they are...

 ..throw in  saddle bags for the  spare  camel.. secure  the Fruit... and  I'll give you 6  gold..

 The  Fellow bows   as he nods his head  with  greed  and  runs towards the Tents shouting for his helpers.

 The Girl looks at  Brie.....in a few hours  you will see the wisdom of  our travels..

 Shadowmist was  quiet as she led the camel over to the trough they used  for   beasts, keeping the  pond free from animals.. a  High fence  was built  around it in a semi circle.. the open end was the camp site. Diana , Lucy and Orlin settled in.. as   silk covered  women tended a cook fire  and Offered Meat and rice   to the travelers ( fore  2 coopers a plate)

  Ivy looked out over the dark clear sky.. stars were starting to  appear..what do you think of Laf?

 ..if he is wise.. he went back to the ship  and will sail with them..if not...well.. one arrow against at whole  city..is not great odds..
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:38, Sun 11 Feb 2018.

"Let us hope the fruit doesn't dry out too quickly. Fruit tends not to do well in oppressive heat, and that's exactly what we've got every time the sun rises..."

He'd avail himself of the meal offered, though.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:08, Sun 11 Feb 2018.

  The merchants play some stringed instruments , one has a pipe of sorts  as the  woman danced , and offered  some wine to the group..The First of the Moons  rose to the Northeast, to make its   nightly  Journey .. it was  near Full.

  Inda, the  Girl  said to kree,..if you wish to travel teh sands.. we should  mount  now... The first Moon will give  us some 6 hours of light... The second will be  half Full.. and  follow soon after... we  will have a cool Journey  for  at lest 10 hours...

  alright?  Let us Mount up.... The  Lady says  its  time to move...

 The merchant Hustles Over.....But Sirrah!.. You will face the Night Devils!

  Kree smiles  a bit,..maybe?.. but one thing is certain... if a creature can harm you... you most likely , can harm them back...

  9 Camels left the  camp.. full water skins.. rations. * had Riders.. Riku sat atop Brie's Camels  Hump , near Inda.

  Once they  went over the Dunes  Inda pointed towards   the   north and west,..we follow that star.... the star will reach  the Middle of the far off peaks..use that as our Guide..

 Ivy asks,..But..are not the ruins in the sands?

 Inda nodded, ..there are Many ruins, in the sands ... Fools have  purchased maps.. and found those  ruins, only to die there, from  thieves traps, and Sandfolk hate

  ..The Ruins  you seek are  near the  Demon's  Horns..that is the peaks we see... If your  group sought that... that is where they should be.... if they were foolish, we  will never find them.. the sands are too vast, and the Ruins...too many.

  Ivy rode on the left.. Kree on the right..  Brie and Inda in the  front Middle

  Diana was on the 2nd row left..then the  supply cample... then Lucy

   Luthien  was   on the  right   ..Orlin in the middle.. and Shadowmist of the left

"As he says. Devils I can fight. The sun I can't. Given the choice between the two of them, I'll take the thing I can fight."

Luthien considers the odds they won't find who they're looking for...

"Let us hope they exercised good sense, then."

Brie kept her weapon out in case the need arose that she needed to aim and fire.  She enjoyed the brief moment that they rested, but knew that they had to have a different time of travel than normal.  This would take some getting use to as they crossed the sandy dunes.

What do you mean "wisdom of the travels"? she asked Inda as they moved along.  This child had probably seen more things than some of their group would probably ever want to see.  She had her own wealth of knowledge.

Riku rested on a hump and attempted to keep herself covered.

  The Moon was  climbing, to the  Arrows, it looked  like snow  , with the white light of the Moon.. Millions of stars  lit up the blackness...now and then.. a fire ball would  burn across the sky and  Vanish..

  ..we travel now..its   dark, and Cool... we  can travel  10 hours.. then we can  did in  for the  Heat of the day..if  all would go well... we reach teh Demon's Horns  by the end of  the next night.... had  we  traveled by day.. Most of us would be dead,  and we would ahve aken 4  days to reach  the Horns..even the Camels, like the night..

"It makes sense. There's no reason to face the sun, and every reason to hide from it."

Then again, he could see pretty well in the dark, so it didn't bother him much.

    Lnda  spoke  more as the   ride  got longer,..it is good, that we  have the two moons... one is  always full.. one  is  always  half.. and when they share the same  size.. they give of  equal light.. there  is the .." 2 days ' of dread.. when Both moons go away.. and only the stars  light  up the night... that is when it is folly, to even leave you home..

 Kree   chuckles,..nights like that, are what  we hope from, on some missions...