Early afternoon.


Seven days of travel…Alone in the Wastes, following faint tracks of friends he hadn't seen in over a year, Harratt was glad to find the pool, he was thirsty and could do with wiping the dust from his face.

He'd arrived at the Bison Grasslands in his father's retinue, Conrad Redhelm, StormKhan and leader of the Two Stroke warband. They'd been away for a year, leaving shortly after his initiation into the Sun Hawk Society.

His father hadn't been impressed, sure that his son would follow ThunderBird, but it was not to be as the Spirits had other plans for the youth, born of Bison and Sun. Nevertheless Conrad had insisted that he accompany him on imorptant buisness to the West, crossing the Zola Fel and vanishing into Prax.

What followed was a whirlwind tour of Holy sites, settlements and Oasis, filled with negotiations, standoffs and violence. Then eyes widened to the differences of the world, a season spent in Horn gate being cured of a Broo infected disease and clutching his magical coin in his hand, he'd found himself back amongst family and friends, with new scars, stories and a head filled with strange premonitions and dreams of ancient Copper clad warriors, Tada and a Wasteland made Green again.

Throughout these visions, gained during his Initiation and over many near sleepless nights, were his old friends Melock, Fireborn, Salen, Kobal, Greeshar, Kaonu, Hacha Lor and Amara.

Greeshar and Amara, twins from the Sky Watcher Rhino Clan, who since Moonbroth had lived with the Prairie Thunder Clan.

Once Haratt had caught up with his mother, his first questions had been about these friends, whom he'd then learned had thwarted Leaping Bear attacks on their herd and warned the Clan about a scheming Shaman. A shaman dispatched by an avenging warband sent by their Khan.

Unable to join the Warparty his friends, now going by the name of the Wandering Rangers, had instead headed off on a pilgrimage to the Rhino Rocklands a weeks journey to the North. Smokey Jojo, his Sun Hawk Shaman, had explained that his friends had all been chosen by a Feathered Rival, just as he had the year previously. Each clutching a coloured feather, much like the Golden one he know wore in his hair.

Chosen. For what purpose? He'd felt alone before, not sure of his path, but now he knew that there were others, his friends, who carried the feather.

It was all the brave needed to know and ensuring that his Father was too busy to notice and promising his mother that he would soon be back, he set off under cover of a dust storm….

Seven days following a well worn trail, picking up his friends' tracks though nearly two weeks old by this stage, whilst evading pack lizards and a large band of Impala riders from the Red Feather clan heading West, he at last came to a water filled gully. Behind him followed the Ostrich he'd found the day before wandering aimlessly, a blanket on its back bearing the markings of the Big Pecker Clan.

Shelter and somewhere to camp.

Following a winding gully, it's walls towering over his head and filled with the marks of previous pilgrims, he'd come across fresh knot writing hanging from an Acacia Tree, warning of Spirits in the water, though saying the campsite itself was safe. The knots had been made by someone in his clan. Looked like Salen's work, a hunter and one of his friends.

Thanks to the surprisngly large amount of rain earlier in the season, the vegetation is both abundant and lush and the pool at the base of the ravine looks deep and fresh, covered with flowering lilly pads and colourful dragon flies buzzing just above it's surface.

On both sides are low ledges, overhangs and several cave openings, black marks along the eastern wall showing that there have been many fires here in the past. From where Harratt sits atop his mount he can see that the mud around the pool has been churned up by many large beasts and humanoids too.

As he scans the area, taking in the 15m high walls and noting that it's a javelin throw wide, there's the flash of movement at the far end of the ravine and the brave catches the flick of a lizard's tail as it scurries out of sight.

Rock Lizard for sure.

As we're separate from the others we can do our OOC stuff here. I like conversation in this Blue from everyone as lots of colours does my head in for some reason :)

Here's a map. You are the red dot. There are two other exits and the lizard looked like it went off down the Western one. The Western side is in sunshine, the Eastern side in shadow. 30m wide at it's widest point.


This message was last edited by the GM at 11:52, Thu 08 May 2014.

The gully looked like a natural ambush site to Haratt. The presence of a Rock Lizard both concerned and at the same time comforted him. The creature would not show itself if other, more dangerous predators of all types where around. 'Unless its a spirit.' he thought, but that seemed unlikely since the sign of recent travelers was all around. 'But even if its, what of it?'

Haratt rubbed his coin. Lately he found himself talking more and more to his grandfather's spirit. Old Nick proved to be good company and full of advise. He was not a nomad, so his advise was mostly useless on things that 'mattered', but sometimes ... sometimes he was much wiser than the Wise Ones of the clan. Dealing with Rock Lizards, tracking and gullies was not something he would know much about though, and talking to him know would be a distraction.

Haratt need to find the was his friends traveled and to do that he would need to check out at least one of the paths out. Haratt got off Oberon his bison and patted him on the shoulder to let him know that everything was alright. The plan of action was clear in Haratt's mind: He would travel up the Western side of the gully staying in Yelm's light with Oberon on his left side, Little Peck the Ostrich, Haratt's new pack animal, who carried the Kumiss, he lead behind. In Haratt's right hand was a javelin, just in case the lizard decided to attack. Not wanting to take chances, Haratt called upon the spirits of his clan and warded Oberon and himself before proceeding, then focused on Jarr to keep Sun Hawks blessing in mind.

OOC: Cast Protection 1 on Oberon and myself. Get ready to cast Firearrow on the javelin and proceed into the gully on the western side using Oberon as cover.

The magical charms flicker over both brave and beast as they advance up the Western side of the ravine.

Birds warble, sounding normal to his ears, and a small fish jumps making him start ever so slightly….

There's less tracks over here, some of a small dog and humans too, most of the action seems to be over the other side below the largest of the overhangs where the smoke marks are.

There!

Another lizard high up on the North Western side, above a lone Skull Bush, it's tail flicking enough to catch Haratt's eye. But apart from that the place is quiet.

Knowing that the Rhino Rocklands lies perhaps a day to the North, it's an easy guess that that is the way his friends went. There's tracks that back this up, but amongst them he spies those of a party of Morokanth. They've come in from the North about a week ago, but there was no sign of them when he entered from the South and there's no prints leaving via the Western exit either…..

Maybe taking the western side was not such a good idea, the glare of the rocks and the water seemed to almost blind Haratt. Not wanting to linger too long in the area, Haratt increased his speed. Once passed the Western exit, he planned to mount up and go a bit faster as well.

Just before mounting up Haratt sees that the week old  tracks head up towards the Eastern overhang and that they seem to be leading Bison! The same Bison that you'd been following for the last week.

Strange.

And there are the footprints of Salen. Footprints mind, so he was walking which is odd in it's self…. You see them crisscrossing the area and then heading up the Eastern side to the South. Probably to one of the caves there.

It looks like the Morokanth had taken his friends' Bison at some point and were followed by Salen.

Haratt stops to think. The tracks appear to be very confusing. The only way they appear to make sense if his friends made this area their base camp and were planning to come back. If that was the case, then all he would need to do is wait for them here. Having made up his mind, Haratt looks for a suitable location and makes camp.

The most sensible place seems to be the main overhang….

Leaving Oberon below Haratt heads up to investigate

Stacks of wood are found in the back and large earthen ware pots, most likely used for storing water in preparation for Fire Season. On close inspection they are all found to be full and surprisingly cool.

Hanging from the ceiling are strings of dried edible roots and herbs, and many gourds filled with seeds from Acacia, Sunflowers and Melons. By the fireplaces are other containers containing oil, made from pressed Skull bush seeds.

A well stocked camp in deed….. And surprisingly tidy as if it had been recently cleaned.

Walls are covered with the now familiar scratches, drawings and graffiti, that have filled Haratt's  previous stop overs at other well used campsites. Some are stories and others merely pictures saying that some one was here.

There's a fresh mural, perhaps a week or two old. It depicts the pool, with what is certainly a female form standing in it and before her  a man. Next to it the same figures, this time the female form is touching the male, who had dropped to the ground. Then finally the female form is all alone.

Grandpa Nick's voice fills the braves head "Nereid…Water spirit. I'd keep away from the pool me lad, unless you want her to suck you dry in more ways than one….There's also a guardian spirit of the camp, one of Help Woman's lot. Hearth spirit to keep it clean. Best leave a gift….Something else, watching from across the pool. Old….Eh….Friendly I think."

As the brave examines the mural his head bangs into a waterskin hanging from the ceiling. Made from zebra it wobbles. Kumiss. And by the smell and look of the workmanship on the skin made by a Gern.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:23, Fri 09 May 2014.

Yes, Haratt did not know the proper rituals to approach a Water spirit and if he tried it come out ... badly. You did not just go around messing down the path you knew nothing about. Grandpa's advice was valuable.

All the signs pointed that this was the place and the people he was looking for would be here soon. Haratt decided that he would make a place welcoming for when they returned and set about starting a campfire.

The fire takes a bit to get going despite the dry wood and a charm cast. It's Waterday, so not surprising and Haratt can feel that there will be a short shower in an hour or so. Surprising as Summer is already on it's way.

There's a crackle as twigs burst into flame, and then the brave's attention is grabbed by the flicker of movement just out of view.

"Camp spirit…best leave it an offering son" comes Grandpa Nick's voice, sounding just like the fire.

Then there's voices, the sound of Bison and Rhinos, and coming in the through the Southern exit, weapons at the ready, are Fireborn, Melock….Amara on her Rhino and then another Rhino rider whom he doesn't recognise with a second pack rhino following.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:50, Fri 09 May 2014.