Continuing south you take care to avoid areas where you could easily be ambushed, while also making as good time as you can with the bulky scale. You frequently need to stop and adjust the tackle.
Around midday you crest a small hill and can see the edge of the Dead Zone.
While you think this would normally be a cause for great relief, the relatively abundant vegetation of the chapparal has suffered much under this long winter.
Still, your mounts should be able to find areas in which to graze and froze pools of water they can lick.As you cross the threshold you immediately feel a restored connection to the magic of Glorantha.
You've left behind the Dead Zone and brought out the treasure, but not without sacrifice. 
Proceeding in the direction of the Block without event, as you are setting up camp Tuari spots forms to the southwest that are approaching cautiously and seem to wish to remain unseen.
Vorrik quietly says "Look, riders to the north" and points to a few dismounted figures approaching from the north; it's hard to tell how many as they are mostly walking single file.
They also seem to be attempting to be stealthy with a little more success than the southwest group, moving slowly between obstacles in a serpentine pattern.

"Now we're out of the Dead Place, Hon'..." Norajia says, picking an imaginary spec of dust from Vorrik's linothorax,

" ...could you use a little bit of magic to get a good look at what sort of mounts these stalkers were riding?"

Vorrik blushes a bit at the attention. "Ahem. Well, uh, let's see here..."
Vorrik touches one of the runes on his helmet, and chants a few words in firespeech. When he opens his eyes, they glow with faint golden light. 
"Well, those skulkers to the north... a bit of a hodge podge, like us!
I see a couple zebras (I think), and something big, maybe a bison."
He tries to climb on the bolo lizard to get more height but doesn't have much success, as the creature is ready to be done for the day.
"Well, OK... to the south looks like a couple horse (sigh), a llama and... a rather large Uz."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Sat 19 Dec 2020.

Norajia  gives Vorrik a big smile, but leaves other to puzzle over his useful intelligence, as she draws a pattern in the dust with her toe.

"Interesting, outlaws or at best mercenaries behind us, and in front outlanders."

He looks forward and behind and then says "Can we make a pace that will put us all together at once?"

"With Waha's luck they will hate each other more than want to interfere with us."

"Horses!" Lemak spits.



"That seems like a good idea.  We travel forward at a slow pace (if all our mounts can manage it) and try to adjust so that both groups reach us at about the same time.  Unless the two groups are working together.  Then we are out of Luck."

You are able to take a path to the southeast such that the two groups converge at around the same position as you.
As you resume your migration, the north and southwest groups abandon their efforts and stealth and ride in your direction.

You note with some dismay that the familiar way that they fall into formation means that they are probably part of the same band... on the other hand, you have maneuvered so that they are not surrounding you, if that was their original plan.

Vorrik's description of the group seems mostly accurate:
From the group approaching from the north, two are on zebras and the third is on a sad looking bison. Seeing their pitiful state adds to your appreciation of Thangar's care of your beasts during your absence.
The five figures from the southwest also begin to trot toward and converge on your position. Two are on horse, on one sable, one on high llama.
All the mounts appear mangy and in poor health; apart from being underfed they look under-cared for; with the exception of the bison, their coats knotted and filthy, as if these riders treat their beasts as commodities and not as partners in the covenant.
The riders themselves don't look much better, wearing dirty furs and ill fitting combinations of attire from the various homelands of Dragon Pass. One of the horse riders wears a soiled but mostly intact Lunar uniform.
The final figure is unmounted but is as tall as some of the steeds. It moves quickly on foot, it's long muzzle and curved tusks identifying it as an Uz--either a huge dark troll or a smaller great troll.
They are armed with a mixture of javelins, clubs, shields and leather armor. The Llama and Lunar wear linothoraxes. The Uz wears only a bronze helmet and loincloth, and carries a huge mace.

Mabwe casts his eyes over the gathered group, disgusted at the way they obviously treat their mounts, these outsiders who know nothing of the proper ways. But then his gaze moves past them to look generally about.

Norajia also studies the pursuing group(s) (but with a slightly more sympathetic expression on her face than Mabwe has.

"I would have suggested telling them we ride at the call of the Great Spirits of the Plains" she says quietly "But it looks like only the Bison is Wahano"

As the two groups approach, Lemak has his dagger-axe ready in his hands, in case they attack.  Seeing their ragged state, he sits straighter on Lobber, hoping to look more imposing and threatening.  Prouder.  The Uz looks dangerous though.

He has a quick look to see how the lizard is taking in the two groups approaching them, and then tries to discern if the two groups have any reaction to the lizard among them.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:44, Mon 21 Dec 2020.

The llama rider appears to be the leader. He doesn't look Praxian but is some kind of outlander. He speaks in Tradetalk.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?
Trespassers, that's what it looks like to me. What do you think, Kresh?" he asks the troll.
The troll says nothing but licks his lips.
"Kresh here, he don't say a lot, he talks mostly with his club, ain't that right Kresh?"
Kresh just keeps licking his lips.
"Heh, yeah. You lot look real pleased with yerselves with yer fancy beasts there and overgrown newtling, but between that hill over there and this, uh, this rock over here, this is the territory of the Kuldaral Gang."
The non-Lunar horse rider, an older toothless man with a scraggly beard, says "But boss, I thought you said our territory was where we caught them newtlings last week."
"Shut up, you! You'll have to excuse Darnast there, he gets a bit confused on the local geometry. So, where were we, oh yeah, you are trespassing and you gotta pay a little toll, ain't that right, Kresh?"
...
"Anyway, lessee here, I'd say a fair price for our trouble and to remind you not to do it again, ehm, I could use a replacement llama (I'll even leave you this one), the bison for its coat and meat, and the little lizard for Kresh here. Plus, uh, a peek at whatever you're lugging along.
Otherwise things could get a little rough. Whaddya say?"
The outlaws subtly adjust their positions as if they are ready to fight.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:31, Mon 21 Dec 2020.

Lemak is mildly surprised he gets the gist of the llama rider's babble.

He looks to the others and says, in his basic Tradetalk, "Let's kill the man who talks much."

Tuari says in Praxian using a friendly tone, "You little sister why do you ride with these men? They are not Wahano and your bison deserves better than riding with these horsemen.  Come join Ondina and I as brother and sister should." he pats the enourmous bison on the shoulder.

Norajia rolls her eyes and adds (in Praxian) "Look past the 'little' part, Bison, and it's a good offer."

"Be a hero with us at the Block instead of a lost soul haunting the Dead Place"

"Eh, what's he goin' on about?" the leader asks the Praxian.
She seems uncertain, making eye contact with Tuari and then Norajia for a moment and then staring at the ground.
"Yer with us, Belina, and don't think they'd welcome you back to yer tribe."
She looks again at Tuari.

Mabwe speaks up taking his queue from the others "The Great Spirits have sent us. If you want this winter to end, and don't want the Red Moon to rain down Chaos and burning rocks on our land then join us."

"If you want your name to be sung around the fires, to be counted amongst those who aided us in carrying out Waha's, Storm Bull's, Little Brother's and the White Lady's designs to save this land, then join us."

"If you want your name forgotten though, to be counted as just another outsider who fell before us, then stay with these foreigners and fall. When your spirit is used up I may then let it free... maybe."

Lemak frowns.  It seems the others have not chosen combat.  He speaks again, but this time in Praxian, to the bison rider.  "The gods sent us on this task.  The Wastes are under threat and we have only about a week to stop it.  We will not surrender to this wetlander.  How often do you see braves of different tribes riding as one?  We were called by the gods.  Join us.  To ride with horses is shameful."

Tuari gives a brief laugh "To me everyone is little Norajia, except perhaps Mabwe. He turns to the Bison rider "Belina is it, I offer you the protection of my clan and should you prove yourself a place for you and your herd."

Kuldaral, the llama riding bandit leader does not seem to like the way things are headed.
"Take them!" he cries out.

Belina pulls her bison back, head low and not joining the fight at the moment.

The outlaws attack, but you are ready for them. 

<Please tell me your statement of intent and if you can add strike ranks that would be helpful.
We won't count hexes but refer to this general layout


Z1 and Z2 are the two zebra riders, B is Belina the disgraced Bison rider, K is the leader Kuldaral and the troll icon is Kresh the troll, H1 and H2 are the two horse riders (lunar deserter and other).>
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:37, Wed 23 Dec 2020.

Norajia casts a spell in the diertion of the troll, but the butterfly image that flies between them is very feint

<OOC Cast Sleep  backed by 2MP at the troll
16:41, Today: Norajia rolled 1 using 1d100.  POW resistance Roll for Sleep on Troll.
16:39, Today: Norajia rolled 33 using 1d100.  Spellcasting Roll (for Sleep).
Let's hope he has really low POW, really low >

Kicking Lobber forward, Lemak heads for the leader Kuldaral, raising his dagger-axe to attack, unless the zebra riders are fast enough to obstruct his path or threaten him from the flank, in which case he swings at the zebra rider in his way.

<OOC:
16:17, Today: Lemak rolled 60 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe attack at SR 5.  Just misses  :(
16:20, Today: Lemak rolled 39 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe parry.  Success.>
This message was last edited by the player at 08:22, Thu 24 Dec 2020.

Mabwe raises his paw and a bolt of blackness shots from it to one of the horses (H1) in the hopes of making it harder to ride, with luck throw its rider or even bolt!

Almost immediately after that the Morokanth's skin seems to darken and take on a rougher earthy look as he steps forward to meet the leader and swings wildly at the human. His claws then also seem to darken and almost grow a little.

His Beast side is seeming stronger in this fight than the Man in him, his swing misses and catches the strap on his shield which breaks and falls from his arm to the ground.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:22, Thu 24 Dec 2020.

Tuari spurs Ondina forward driving between the two zebra riders, he drives his lance at the one on his right and parrying the one to his left.


20:36, Today: Tuari rolled 76 using 1d100.  Shield parry 90%.
20:20, Today: Tuari rolled 5 using 1d20.  Hit Location.
20:19, Today: Tuari rolled 22 using 1d10+1+6d6.  Lance Damage 1d10+1+6d6.
20:18, Today: Tuari rolled 46 using 1d100.  Lance Attack 75%.

<OOC: whew, I think I got it all...>

Combat Round 1

SR1 the Lunar horse rider thrust his kopis into the air with a cry in his hateful language.
Translucent red tendrils seem to pour forth from the blade and whip past the troll, striking the dragonewt on the head and penetrating his skull. "Klanth and utumna" lets out a hideous gasp and topples to the ground, motionless.
The Zebra rider on your left prepares to hurl a javelin at Tuari. Thangar lets loose an arrow from his composite bow. 
<11:05, Today: Secret Roll: Gargle rolled 19 using 1d20.  location of Thangar's crit.11:03, Today: Secret Roll: Gargle rolled 2 using 1d100.  thangar at sr2 on Z2.>
The arrow whistles through the air and hits Ramanos the outlaw zebra rider in the eye, the arrow tip protruding through a weak spot in the back of his leather cap. He falls from his saddle, dead. Thangar looks at his bow with delight and nocks another arrow.

SR2 Power flows from Norajia and an image of a butterfly darts over to the the huge troll, landing on its nose. There is a smell of lilacs and the troll crashes to the ground, snoring loudly.

SR3: Tuari drives Ondina at the right zebra rider (whose partner has just been killed) with his lance; although there is not enough distance to mount a proper charge, he strikes the rider bringing his own considerable strength and size to bear. The zebra rider brings her spear up to block the attack and is partially successful, the lance striking her in the leg and penetrating her leather greave.

Mabwe raises his paw and a bolt of blackness shots from it to one of the horses (H1) in the hopes of making it harder to ride, with luck throw its rider or even bolt! The shot connects with the animal and a wound appears on its forequarters, it grunts in pain. Perhaps because of this its rider's sling stone flies wide of Vorrik. 

SR5 Lemak swings his dagger axe at Kuldaral the llama riding leader but the vicious sweep misses the target.

SR6: Kuldaral swings his broadsword on Mabwe, who is unable to scramble out of the way. The well aimed blow is slowed by both the magical protection and Mabwe's thick hide, but still cuts through for 3 damage.

Lonthela the zebra rider drives her spear at Tuari, who blocks the spear with his shield. The spear penetrates into the shield and is jerked from the rider's grasp, the shaft hanging from the shield. (Parry will be reduced to half until you take a round to remove the impaled spear).
   
SR8 The lunar horse speaks an incantation and pale red light shoots toward the troll. It murmurs and blinks its eyes, and begins rising to its feet.

SR11 Vorrik sees the opportunity to attack, he hopes, without offending Norajia and thrusts at the troll, hitting it in the right arm; black blood drips from the wound but the troll retakes its feet by the end of the round.

Belina the Bison rider throws a javelin at horse 1, but the shot goes wide.
She drives her bison away from the melee and cries out in Praxian "I am sorry, there can be no redemption for me."

<OOC Round 2 intention >

Norajia leaps to the ground to attend to Klanth and Utumna
This message was last edited by the player at 14:00, Sun 27 Dec 2020.

Mabwe's wounds start to close as he attempts to parry the next blow he expects from the leader. He then swings his paw in a vicious counterattack trying to knock the disgusting outsider from his mount.

Tossing aside his lance and shield Tuari draws his sword and engages the zebra rider he remains oddly quiet.



23:25, Today: Tuari rolled 27 using 1d100.  Sword attack 95%.
23:25, Today: Tuari rolled 8 using 1d8+3+1d6.  Broadsword Damage.
23:26, Today: Tuari rolled 14 using 1d20.  Hit Location.
23:27, Today: Tuari rolled 40 using 1d100.  Broadsword Parry.

Round 2
From the northwest the sable rider, who had held back, charges at Thangar with his lance, will arrive at SR 10.
Belina rides off for a distance and turns, observing the battle.

SR1
Thangar lets loose at the charging figure on SR 1 and 6. His first shot is rushed and goes wide.
SR4
The troll swings his huge club at Vorrik; the blow is savage. Vorrik partially blocks the blow with his damaged shield but behind the shield bones crack under the force. Vorrik gasps and is incapacitated. The troll roars in triumph.
A dark glow wraps around Mabwe's injured leg, which stops bleeding.

SR5
The remaining zebra rider has readied a second spear. Noraji dismounts and approaches the felled dragonewt.
His head is twisted to the side and his tongue is hanging out. He blinks stupidly. You think healing might help his injury and make it harder to kill him, but probably only time will heal his fractured mind, if that is possible. You can cast heal by the end of the round (only heal 3 is needed).

Lemak slashes at Kuldaral with his dagger axe. Kuldaral parries with his broadsword, and the weakened blow does not quite penetrate the outlaw's vambrace.

SR6
Kuldaral attacks Mabwe with his broadsword. Mabwe swats the blow away.
Mabwe attacks Kuldaral with a savage slash of his claw. The bandit brings his broadsword up just in time, but the claw nevertheless penetrates deep through the vambrace of his left arm. The limb hangs useless but the outlaw is still in the saddle. 

Thangar lets fly another shaft at the nearing sable rider striking him in the leg.

SR 7
Seeing the opportunity to finish off a weakened foe, the lunar horse rider slings at Vorrik, unworried about throwing into melee or possibly hitting their troll comrade. The shot goes into the air missing everyone.The other horserider throws a javelin at Vorrik, unworried about throwing into melee. The projectile hits the hapless sundomer in the thigh and he collapses, overcome by his wounds.

Sr10
The charging Sable rider attacks Thangar with his lance. Thangar is unable to dodge the lance which rips through the right leg of the diminutive impala rider, dumping him on the ground.  

Tuari attacks the remaining zebra rider; unable to dodge the blow, Tuari's broadsword bites through the stiff leather armor through flesh and tendon of the right arm. The hapless rider again drops her spear, somehow staying in the saddle, and attempting to disengage.

The disposition of the battlefield after round 2-

Thangar, Dragonewt and Vorrik are down.

Zebra rider 2 is dead.

Zebra rider 1 is hurt, disarmed and trying to flee.

Kresh the troll is free and will move toward Mabwe. He has a pretty nasty wound on his right arm but is still able to hold his huge club.

Kuldaral is bleeding badly from his left arm but still able to fight.

Horse 1 and Lunar horse are uninjured. (Horse 1's horse is injured with a disruption spell but still up) and the sable rider is free in the back of the battlefield.

Belina of the Bison tribe is charging back toward the direction of the horse riders, looking resolute.

Surveying the carnage, Norajia chokes back a sob as she leaves Vorrik and Klanth-and-Utumna to rush over to Thangar, where she relocates his severed leg and calls on her great spirit

Thangar's body is briefly surrounded by a silken haze, which retreats towards Norajia's hands leaving his exposed dark skin glistening as if he's just stepped out of a sweat lodge. The silk moves across Norajia's hands coating her arms up to the elbow. Norajia stares at her upraised hands in surprise. Blinking away tears from her eyes she turns and rushes back to Vorrik.

<OOC 11:04, Today: Norajia rolled 2 using 1d100.  Runespell vs Harmony (85). for Heal Body>

{corrected Impala tribe skin colour}
This message was last edited by the player at 21:53, Mon 28 Dec 2020.

Mabwe strikes at the leader again, but noting his falling comrades, not before calling on Waha's blessing to guard him. Noting the Troll, the greatest threat is now free, he tries to keep the leader's mount between the two.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Mon 28 Dec 2020.

Hearing Thangar's cry Tuari let the zebra rider flee and turned his attention to the sable rider. He dug his heals into Ondina driving him towards the sable "Crush him old friend." he said to the giant Bison.


OOC: Broadsword attack on the sable rider and parry if required, Ondina Butt's the Sable

23:42, Today: Tuari rolled 39 using 1d100.  Broadsword attack 95%.
23:43, Today: Tuari rolled 17 using 1d20.  Hit Location.
23:43, Today: Tuari rolled 11 using 1d8+3+1d6.  Broadsword Damage.
23:44, Today: Tuari rolled 66 using 1d100.  Broadsword Parry 95%.

23:51, Today: Tuari rolled 26 using 1d100.  Ondina Butt.
23:52, Today: Tuari rolled 6 using 1d20.  Hit Location.
23:52, Today: Tuari rolled 20 using 2d10+3d6.  Ondina Butt Damage.

SR1 
Norajia's healing of Thangar as described above.
Thangar looks with wonder at his reattached leg calling thanks after Norajia who scrambles back to the inert form of Vorrik, as Tuari carefully weaves around her as he gallops at the sable rider.
Thangar hastily grabs for his bow and chants an incantation over the arrow he prepares.

SR5
Lemak swings his huge dagger axe at Kuldaral but the blow lands short.

SR 6 
Kuldaral the desperate bandit leader is seriously doubting that this attempted robbery was a good idea. He slashes at Mabwe, his violent blow possessing plenty of power to get through the thick skin of the Morokanth's right leg, only for his sword to be magically  stopped short, reverberating in his grip.

SR6-7
In the north of the battlefield Belina has charged back into the fray, engaging the two horsemen. The three exchange desperate spear jabs and kopis slashes but no one is struck.

SR7
Mabwe attacks Kuldaral the bandit leader with magically enhanced claws. The bandit manages to bring his broadsword into the path of the claw swipe and the weapon is shattered, Mabwe's claw does not penetrate the bandit's armor.

SR 8
Kresh the troll comes tromping into the scrum, neither threatening Norajia nor getting out of her way, and brings his huge club down on Mabwe's left arm with bone crushing force, only for the blow to bounce off. The troll's jaw drops in surprise.

SR10-11
The sable rider has pulled back enough to prepare a charge into the fray, but sees the imposing figures of Tuari and Ondina charging in his direction. He turns to engage with his spear.
The sable rider jabs his spear but in his panic the thrust goes wide. Tuari slashes with his broadsword, the blow striking the outlaw in his left arm and cutting through the shoddy leather vambrace. Stronthelos the outlaw falls from his saddle and is crushed under Ondina's hooves. 

Thangar looks from group to group to try to identify a target that won't require firing into melee.


<OOC: Alive and/or conscious members of the party are: Lemak, Tuari, Norajia, Mabwe, Thangar.
Out of the fray: Vorrik, Dragonewt.
Alive and/or conscious and/or not fled members of the outlaws are:
Kuldaral, the troll and the two horse riders. Zebra 1 has fled.>

Mabwe strikes at the leader again hoping to end him and perhaps the resolve of the remaining enemies.

As he does so he speaks to the troll "Yield troll or I'll kill you next in Waha's name and trap your soul!"

Frustrated that all his blows have either missed or been blocked, Lemak gives a mighty bellow and swings again at the leader.

<OOC: I don't know if you'd already rolled for me, Gargle, but just in case you haven't:
16:21, Today: Lemak rolled 14 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe attack.  Success!
16:22, Today: Lemak rolled 9,3 using 3D6+1,1D4.  Dagger-axe damage.  12HP damage.
16:23, Today: Lemak rolled 15 using 1d20.  Hit location.  Right arm.
16:23, Today: Lemak rolled 97 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe parry.  Failure.>

Tuari swings Ondina around and rides for the horses he gives Thangar a grin as he goes past the Impala rider his sword raised in preparation.  He rides Ondina once more to attack the mount as he swings his sword.


21:12, Today: Tuari rolled 29 using 2d10+3d6.  Ondina Butt Damage.
21:11, Today: Tuari rolled 28 using 1d100.  Ondina Butt.

21:11, Today: Tuari rolled 1 using 1d20.  Hit Location.
21:11, Today: Tuari rolled 14 using 1d8+3+1d6.  Broadsword Damage.
21:10, Today: Tuari rolled 54 using 1d100.  Broadsword attack 95%.

Norajia is kneeling beside Vorrik, but there is no sign of the sort of healing magic that Thangar received.

Round 4
SR1 
Kuldaral the bandit desperately shrieks out an incantation and the wispy shape of a disorder rune begins to take form above his head but immediately evaporates as he is unable to channel the gods' power.

SR4
The troll seems enraged by Mabwe's words. He swings his big club at the Morokanth, the deadly weapon missing and slamming into the ground raising a cloud of frost.

SR 5
Lemak attacks Kuldaral, the dagger axe blow dealing a vicious blow to the wily bandit, chopping through the leather armor of the bandit's shoulder. Unable to get out of the way, Kuldaral the exiled  Sartarite is dumped off of his mount, dead, never to plague another traveler through the already deadly lands of Prax. 

SR 6-7
Belina the bison rider and the two horse riders continue their fight. The nonlunar horse's spear shatters from a wicked parry by Belina. The Lunar deserter strikes Belina in the abdomen, his kopis cutting deep. She groans but remains in her saddle.Thangar considers firing into the melee, the arrow crackling with energy but holds his aim, unwilling to risk hitting a friend.

SR 7 
Mabwe lashes out at the Troll who miserably fails in his parry, dropping his large club. Mabwe's claws tear deep into the creatures arm, dropping it onto the ground, dead.

SR12
Tuari arrives at the three duelling figures at the north of the battle, crashing into the horse ridden by Darnast, another outlander. The unholy creature is killed by the combined slash of Tuari's broadsword and Ondina's head butt, the rider cries out and is dumped on the ground.
The Lunar horse maneuvers Belina between himself and Tuari and makes to disengage.

Seeing the bandit leader topple off his high llama, Lemak roars in victory "your leader is dead!"  He kicks his own high llama forward to swing at the fallen horse rider, raising the tip of his dagger-axe to bring it down, slashing at an angle.

<OOC:
Edited cos the troll is dead, and one horse is dead.

11:52, Today: Lemak rolled 50 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe attack.  Success.
11:52, Today: Lemak rolled 15,1 using 3D6+1,1D4.  Dagger-axe damage.  16 HP damage.
11:52, Today: Lemak rolled 14 using 1d20.  Hit location.  Right arm again.
11:54, Today: Lemak rolled 13 using 1d100.  Dagger-axe parry.  Success.>
This message was last edited by the player at 05:51, Wed 06 Jan 2021.

Norajia moves to Belina the bison rider and gives her first aid

Mabwe raises his paw towards the Lunar's horse and a bolt of darkness shoots from it and seems to wrap itself around the beast's legs.

Tuari pushed Ondina forward to give chase to the lunar horseman, "Come brother let us remove the beast from the plains." he utters as he bends down low in the saddle to give chase.

OOC

09:55, Today: Tuari rolled 15 using 1d8+3+1d6.  Broadsword Damage.

09:54, Today: Tuari rolled 17 using 1d20.  Hit Location.

09:54, Today: Tuari rolled 23 using 1d100.  Broadsword Attack 95%.

09:53, Today: Tuari rolled 11 using 1d100.  Ride roll. - Special!

<OOC: Sorry to be off the grid for a bit there, strange goings on in my homeland>

So not keeping track of strike ranks too much unless it becomes necessary:

Lemak  add +5 to your hit location to the now dismounted Darnast the Sartarite horse rider, and the dagger axe splits the thin leather cap and cleaves the bandit's skull, ridding the plains of another murderous bandit.

Tuari takes off after Varim the Lunar horserider.
The prey starts with a 2 lengths head start and moves unnaturally fast. 

Mabwe uses his focus and a dark bola like shape darts toward the legs of the fleeing horse, but the creature resists the spell. 

Norajia makes her way to Belina, the injured bison rider and applies first aid.

At the end of the round the Lunar horse rider is outpacing his pursuer. One zebra rider has fled and the rest of the bandits are dead.

A little more detail on distances:
At the end of the round, the accelerated Lunar horseman is out of Mabwe's spell range, about 90 m from the scale. He is moving like the wind.
He has a lead on Tuari of about 40 meters, which is increasing.
Tuari and Ondina have traveled about 50 m northeast from the scale

Unable to assist in the chase, Mabwe begins searching the fallen enemies.

Lemak considers a charm to lighten Lobber's hooves and speed after the horseman, but decides it's better to ensure the dragon scale is safe, and continue with their mission back to The Block.  Rearing in his mount, he turns back to check the party is safe and search the dead for anything useful.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:41, Sun 10 Jan 2021.

Tuari pursues the  Lunar horse rider, but you are pretty sure that if you don't slow him down somehow, he will escape, his lead more than tripling by the minute. 

Norajia makes her way to Belina, the injured Bison tribe exile. Belina does not make eye contact, but tenderly lifts her damaged leather hauberk to allow Norajia to perform her ministrations.

Lemak and Mabwe watch Tuari's fierce pursuit of the fleeing surviving horserider  for a few moments, and then begin to sort through the gory remains.

From the gear of Kresh the Troll, Darnast the horse rider, Stronthelos the sable rider, Ramonos the zebra rider, and Kuldaral the exiled Sartarite llama rider, you recover 397 Lunars worth of booty. 

Lemak scans the area again to ensure the outlaws have no reinforcements coming, then watches Tuari in his chase, and waits for Norajia to heal the exile.

After some time, Norajia nods her satisfaction as she finishes ministering to Belina. After a brief squeeze of the bison rider's arm, she turns her gaze to the still motionless form of Vorrik Brighthelm. Squaring her shoulders with a shiver she starts walking back.

<OOC -  18:52, Today: Norajia rolled 5 using 1d3+3.  HP restored first aid (Belina). >

Thangar assists with the collection of the plunder.

Lemak squints as he scans the horizon, seeing no sign of bandits other than the speck in the distance of the fleeing horseman followed by the much larger speck of Tuari and Ondina. He also senses no chaos in the area.

Norajia's expertise in treating Belina's injury  is astounding, the bandages and salves providing amazing relief to the severe wound.

Belina stares after Norajia as she approaches the fallen form of Vorrik.

Lemak checks the dragon scale is still intact, then goes to check on the lizard, though he doubts he can do much if Norajia has already tended to the creature.

He notes the healer walk to Vorrik and almost feels a pang of guilt at having forgotten about the man, but then rationalises that Vorrik is an outlander.

Mabwe asks Norajia "What's up with the dragonewt? It's mind hurt or something? Don't think it's possessed." as he looks it over with the eye of a shaman.

Tuari turns Ondina back unable to keep pace with the fast moving horse, he had thought to throw a bolt of lightning to stop the rapidly moving animal and rider but he couldn't feel it within himself.  He returned to the group a little crest fallen.  Still he hadn't recieved any injuries and had put several of the banits down.  Not a bad day after all.

"Now to speak with Belina and see what her story was and if she knew where the herds were.

Norajia seems not to have heard Marbwe. She takes off her white jacket and folds it up, then kneeling beside Vorrik she removes his helm, resting his head on the jacket.

Placing one hand on his neck she looks to the skies in several directions, lip quivering.

After a few moments she hangs her head, and wipes something from Vorrik's brow with a deep sigh.

"I failed to save them. Chaos grows" she says.

She looks from Belina to Vorrik to the Scale, and then returns to the dragonnewt "Lunar magic" she says, "maybe it will pass"

Then she goes to catch the bandit's sable

Lemak looks at the bodies of the lizard and Vorrik, then at the scale, gauging the size of each.  Then he kicks Lobber forward to catch the zebra whose outlaw rider is dead.

Mabwe asks a general question as he looks over the troll's remains, breaking a tusk off of the thing in case he might some day have to summon a troll spirit and of course know how. "Why are we bringing the golden man? He is dead, so why not perform the rites here?"

"Or do you intend to fix his body and force his soul back into it? This must be done soon, for every day his soul remembers less of what it was and gets closer to the oasis of similar souls."

He looks past the others, considering the slain bodies and the surrounding area looking for spirits of the fallen or any attracted by the arrival of the dead.

"His Great Spirit sent him to the tree. I'm taking him to the tree" Norajia says.
She puts Modesty's saddle on the bandit sable and slings Vorrik on Modesty

The sun is setting as you round up the mistreated Praxian beasts. Thangar suggests making camp at least a short distance from the bodies of the outlaws.

Lemak chases down the zebra, such that in addition to your normal mounts you also have:
a bolo lizard
a malnourished zebra
a malnourished high llama
the body of a sun domer
a brain addled dragonewt

Norajia is able to put Vorrik onto Modesty and wrangle the new sable. You can tell it's been beaten badly by its last owner, with oozing welts along its neck.




Tuari rides over to Belina, who speaks to him in a quiet tone.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:18, Sun 17 Jan 2021.

Lemak nods in agreement with Norajia.  "I had thought of performing rites here, but... with the great quest we have each been set, I thought it best to bring him back to the tree as well."



As they make camp, Lemak offers to take first watch.  During the evening, waiting for a moment when Belina does not appear to be near Tuari, he wanders next to the big bison brave and says softly, "What did she say?"

Mabwe shrugs "OK, perhaps we'll see him again there then."

 Tuari kept his voice soft, this was a tribal matter as far as he was concerned and though his companions where all Praxian none belonged to the Bison tribe.

Tuari sweeps Belina up in a hug then smiling places her down gently, smiling he turns to the rest of the group "Belina will ride with us, I give her my protection and that of the Snow Bison clan.  Now let us gather what arms and armour we can salvage from these bandits as well as anything of worth."

Later that night when Lemak approaches he smiles and nods keeping his voice low he replied "She met Elder Leadclaw and froze, he clan exiled her upon her return.  I have offered her a path to her redemption but I fear we are not done with Elder Leadclaw and we will cross his path again.  Tell me Lemak can you call upon the Bull's powers do you think?  Our old Khan could call upon him and embolden the most fearful, is that something you could do?"

When camp is made Norajia lays Vorrik's body on the ground and covers it with her white jacket.

Later she sings a song.

"He looked up into her brown eyes.
He said "Say a prayer for me"
She threw her arms around him
Whispered "Lightfore set us free"
The could hear the Lunars footfalls
He said "This is my last fight"
"If they take me back to Slavewall"
"They won't take me back alive"

There were eight Gamatae angels
At the Altar of the Sun
They were praying for the lovers
In the valley of Dwarf Run
When the slingstones finished falling
There was thunder from the throne
And eight Gamatae angels
Lit another angel home

She bent down and picked the bow up
That lay thrumming in his hand
She said "Father please forgive me"
"I won't ride without my man"
And she knew no battle magic
And she knew she couldn't win
But her final prayer was answered
When the slingers loosed again

There were eight Gamatae angels
At the Altar of the Sun
They were praying for the lovers
In the valley of Dwarf Run
When the slingstones finished falling
There was thunder from the throne
And eight Gamatae angels
Lit another angel home

Now the people of the valley
Say that when the sky is right
You see the rider and his lady
Course across the careless night
And their low and languid laughter
Lays its blessing and its curse
There's no fate to fear thereafter
There's no line to leave but verse

There are eight Gamatae Angels
At the Altar of the Sun
They're still praying for each other
You and me and everyone
When the slingstones finish falling
And there's thunder from the throne
Count on eight Gamatae Angels
Lighting one more angel home"

<OOC  17:08, Today: Norajia rolled 85 using 1d100.  Sing. (Fail) >

You sit around the campfire listening to Norajia's song.
During the second stanza, Thangar produces a bone flute and joins in.
Belina sits close to Tuari, her eyes fixed on the fire.
The Red Moon undergoes her normal nightly rotation, showing you the dark surface of the beginning of Clayday, the day when Lunar magic is at its weakest.
Thangar puts his arrows in a neat pile, tugging on each of the leather fittings and smoothing the fletchings. 
"Well friends, tomorrow the Block; we'll pass the scale to Shollak or whoever is there to take it, and I suppose that's it..."
He sighs.
"What will you all do after our great feat is accomplished?For me, I suppose I shall return to my tribe and see how they fare. Someday I hope to be a great Khan of Waha, leading my clan and my tribe to great deeds with great renown! What do you think?" he says with a grin. 

"I shall be returning to my clan. It has been too long for them with no one to keep the living and the dead apart."

Lemak listens, and then nods slowly.  "I have not called upon the Great Bull since we left the Dead Place, but I still feel His presence.  I don't feel anything different compared to before we entered the Dead Place.  If we have to fight again, I will watch Belina.  If it looks like she is wavering, I will call upon the Furious One to bless her with His divine rage."



Lemak smiles and speaks in turn.  "With what you have done for us (and for Lobber), Thangar, I call you a true friend.  If you have need in future, send word for Lemak.  I don't know if our task will be finished once we bring this scale to The Block.  If it is, then I must ride like the wind back to my clan.  In my vision, they came under fiery attack, and I need to make sure they are safe.  Then... well... there is always Chaos to hold back, and now with the Red Moon, it grows bolder.  The Eternal Battle continues... and I think it grows fiercer each day now..."

Norajia smiles gratefully at Thangar.

Norajia's smile thins and she tilts her head.

"If we are successful, I shall look for my clan and my girls, and if they are not easily found, maybe I shall go to Vorrik's folk and tell them our tale."

"If I can, I shall make my Khan understand what has been done by us of the Silver Fleece, Dark Water, Snow Bison, Unwilling Flatterer, and, and... What is your clan Thangar? I shall hope that a measure of respect and friendship might be due between them."

"I too am in your debt Thangar, and if you send for my aid I shall bring it. And you others, Belina, Klanth-and-utumna, all of you, send word if you need me and I shall join you. We were in the hills above the Paps, last I knew. You have kept me safe, I wish I had kept more of us alive."

"Do you follow Eiritha Belina? it occurred to me that perhaps I was called because Eiritha could not send aid to the Dead Place. Then again Little Brother and Sun Daughter sent someone, so who is to say how the Plains Spirits decide these things"
 

"Daggerhoof clan," replies Thangar. "A powerful name for a small clan I'm afraid. Yes, maybe our peoples will work together to resist the Lunars! And as for me, Norajia, I thank you for replacing my leg. It is better than new!" He hops up and down a few times.

Belina pulls her furs up around her throat and says quietly, "My clan disowned me. I have... done little to regain my honor since I became an exile.
Tuari has given me more hope."

"I do not know what I will do, the air is still to me and I do not know where my clan is, or what has happened since we left the Block.  I may seek out  White Bull and form my own band to fight against the red menace.  If I do any of you are welcome to foin me with a place of honour." Tuari looked towards the moon frowning for a moment before looking back towards Thangar "As the others have said Thangar, you have brought much honour to your clan, if you ever have a need then Call and I will come."

Norajia gazes unblinking at Tuari,  eventually a tiny nod is forthcoming.

She smiles at Thangar's exhuberence, but not without a sidelong glance at the motionless form beneath her jacket.

Belina offers to share Tuari's turn at watch.

The Dragonewt's tongue hangs out of its mouth and its eyes are wide open through the evening, but it is breathing normally as far as you can tell. 


During Lemak's shift, without any moonlight to see across the plains, Lemak peers into the darkness. You hear a whistling sound and a crack--the bolo lizard crumples to the ground dead. 




A second whistle and a second projectile whistles into the camp striking the sable that Norajia has been riding (not Modesty) and it collapses.

Everyone is awake.

Norajia scrambles to Belina and tries to keep her under cover.

"Stay down, Bison. If that Lunar deserter's back it may slow him down if he can't find you."

"Chaos!" hisses Lemak.  He runs to mount Lobber, and peers again towards the south, from which he feels the foulness emanate.

Tuari strapped his shield on as he rose to his feet, he concentrated briefly before casting a charm of protection upon Ondina.  He peered into the darkness looking for their assailant.

Mabwe points off into the darkness to the south of them as he focuses on a spell, but cannot weave the powers together quite right.

Belina pulls away from Norajia."I must do this," she says. She grabs her spear and races for her bison.




Tuari concentrates on his focus and Ondina shimmers with a blue light.

Lemak and Tuari mount up.

<OOC: A couple questions-1. I'm assuming your mounts are not saddled through the night? You can scurry up the side of your mounts, who will kneel down at your command. Please make a riding roll since you are under some duress.
2. Do you want to grab a brand from the fire? It's dark out on the plains tonight and footing will be uncertain. On the other hand that could make you an easier target.>

"It's running away fast. I suspect that it will be back."

Tuari, despite his enormous size, acrobatically leaps onto Ondina charging into the darkness.


Both Lemak and Belina struggle to get their fearful mounts, who have just witnessed the death of two of their herd, under control, but make their way out of the camp to join Tuari.

You ride into the shadows, about 50 meters south of the camp where Tuari spotted the creature.

Lemak's skin tingles from the presence that had until recently crawled on this ground, but it itself does not seem to be close enough to detect. 
Looking for tracks, you find none in the darkness, but you do see two objects on the ground near the hooves of your steeds.

Scanning the horizon you see no sign of your attacker.

Lemak backs up Lobber, in case the objects bear disease.  "Some light!" he says, trying to make out the objects in the Darkness.

Norajia lights her oil lamp and takes it over to Lemak

As the light from Norajia's lamp falls on the objects,  you can see that they are vaguely round and red.
Belina indicates one of the heads with her spear and says, flatly, "That one was Lonthela. She was Esrolian I think. And the other was Varim, the Lunar renegade. He was the strongest of us and would have been the leader, I think, but he spoke not one word any of us could understand. My... companions. They deserved worse. As do I." 

Unable to match their speed and Mabwe remains back at the camp to look over the dragonewt and the outlander's body. Taking a brand from the fire he goes to look over the fallen mounts to determine exactly what dropped them with a single hit each.

Norajia goes up to Belina, kisses her on the cheek and gives her a one armed hug (she still has the lantern in her other hand).

"We should burn them," says Lemak.  "Destroy any Disease that may infect them."  He looks to Norajia.  "Do you have enough lamp oil?"

Belina does not pull away immediately from Norajia's comforting embrace. After a few moments, she scans the horizon, listening for any signs of the creature, and begins to guide her bison back in the direction of the camp, but pauses, waiting for Tuari.


Mabwe investigates the injuries of the sable and lizard.

In spite of the poor illumination, the Morokanth's keen vision and knowledge of beast anatomy reveals that both creatures were killed by single, well aimed sling bullets with considerable strength behind the projectiles. The lizard was struck in the head and the sable in the heart.

"Whether the Yassa comprises Great Tribes or just a few hunted Independents may turn on how Belina chose yesterday. Judgment is hard to get right, particularly self judgement." Norajia says.

Norajia gives Lemak her supply of oil and the lamp. There is enough to burn the heads.

Lemak accepts the oil and lamp and pours enough to douse the two heads before setting them alight.  Passing the flask and lamp back to Norajia, he chants before the burning heads.

"Great Desert Wind, raise a gale to take these souls,
Grant them your blessed rage,
Lend them your strength,
Gather them to the Eternal Battle,
To face the Devil's spawn once more.
Pin them!
Trample them!
Gore them!
Destroy them!"

With a final roar, he mounts Lobber and returns to the camp.

You return cautiously to the camp, resting little as you anticipate another attack. 
You can decide how to dispose of the two animal carcasses, given the manner of their demise you may not want to consume or butcher them. 
As the night drags on, no further assault materializes.

After a long cold night, Yelm finally rises, giving little warmth. The clouds are still motionless in the sky and in the same positions as when you first emerged from the underground fortress.

Norajia checks on Klanth and Utumna hoping to see some signs of improved awareness since yesterday.

She loads Vorrik's corpse back onto Modesty to continue the journey.

She offers no opinions on the night's events

Returning to the camp, Lemak proposes burning the two carcasses in case of disease, and does so if there's no objection.

In the morning, he mounts Lobber, eager to continue the journey back.  As they ride, he takes the van, trying to feel out any hint of Chaos.

"Well, it was powerful spiritually and it was a mighty shot, it's lucky it aimed for the mounts. It has managed to slow us."

"We've not the fuel to burn the dead mounts, unless you propose scouring the land for sufficient brush? We might have to leave them to the scavengers."

"Are they diseased Norajia?"

"There's no disease in them. I'm suspicious of those sling stones though. Could be poison there"

"How many days to the Block would you say?

<OOC: You expect to reach the block today, barring any interruptions...>

Mabwe is correct, as you survey the area for flammable brush there is very little available. Burning the fallen beasts will be difficult.
<OOC: rolled a 7 "reaction roll" on percentile dice> :(

The scrawny llama is not much help in carrying the scale.
Vorrik's corpse is draped over Modesty the sable.
You have a big Dragonewt and a bigger scale. I think earlier the plan was to drag the scale behind two mounts, maybe with Klanth-and-utumna supine on the scale.
Can someone can describe how you want to organize this (i.e., which mounts?)

"That's true," concedes Lemak.  He'd rather not ask Norajia for more oil.  And at least the healer has confirmed there is no disease.

He sizes up the party and their mounts.  "Perhaps it's best that Tuari and I drag the lizard on the dragon scale.  My high llama and his bison might be best suited to pulling this weight."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:47, Thu 18 Feb 2021.

Mabwe snorts "Or you can walk with me and tie them across your beast."

"Either way we should make haste, I think that there are more dangers than whatever it was last night, and the sooner we get there the better."

As you break camp and resume your southward journey, the scale and mindblasted dragonewt arranged to be slowly and safely dragged behind Lobber and Ondina, you suddenly hear a distant rumbling, crescendoing to a roar.

The thunder is accompanied by a rushing wind from the south and west, the air growing warmer as it continues to spill across the wastes. After a few moments, the air becomes more still but there is still a steady breeze. The chilly mist dissipates and you can see the Block in the distant south.

"It seems that the Little Brother struggle against whatever bonds the Moon has put him under, and here at least might be winning!" Mabwe says as he savours the relative warmth that the wind brings up from the south and west.

"Let us go see how we can help in breaking those bonds completely!" and he sets off for the Block with renewed vigour.

Tuari stood up in the saddle feeling the wind on his face for the first time in too long, he spread his arms wide to increase the surface area of his body.  "I feel you again Wind Khan you return to the world."he breathes deeply as the fresh air blows away the stagnant mist.

"Soon my friends we will see this journey's end and the wind blows is a good sign for all the plains."

"If Waha had intended us to walk, he would not have proposed the Survival Covenant and given each tribe (each tribe of humans at least) a riding animal."  Lemaks snorts in return.  "I won't be walking back to The Block."

Later...



"Perhaps it is the Eternal Battle renewed!" says Lemak.  He wants to kick Lobber forward a faster pace, but is mindful of the scale and lizard that Lobber is pulling behind.

The temptation to take off into a trot and then a gallop is high, but Tuari and Lemak continue their careful, deliberate pace to avoid dumping the Dragonewt in its fugue state onto the dirt.
Making only gentle adjustments and avoiding large hills, you make your way ever closer to the block, and think you should reach Shollak's tree in the next couple of hours. 

Skirting around a small hill you see before you the ruins of an old shrine, which was probably dedicated to Waha but is now out of service.
It is in the form of a circle of large stones with some collapsed structure in the center and piles of debris throughout. 
You see that whatever runes had been carved into the stones have been scratched over and chaos and death runes are in their place. 

You can avoid the shrine or explore it, but you expect that probably can not bring your mounts that are dragging the scale through.

"A curse upon the Devil and its spawn!" hisses Lemak, eyeing the ruins.  But he directs Lobber to head past the desecrated shrine.  "We have a task to complete.  We're not too far from The Block.  I can come back once we've made it to the tree, or let any brothers or sisters that we come across know of this."

Norajia looks tense but says nothing

Mabwe nods "Yes we should go round, there'll be time enough to deal with this if we succeed in our task. If not then it nothing will be left to worry about!"

Tuari nods at Lemak, looking for trouble when they were so close to the end of their quest seemed foolish even to the Bison brave.  "I will join you Lemak when you return to cleanse this place."

Lemak raises a fist to Tuari in salute.  "Yes, brother, we'll do it together!"

Still, as they ride past the shrine, he remains alert, senses on the lookout for any active Chaos.

You steer clear of the defiled shrine, keeping an eye on it for any pursuit as you slowly and carefully pick your way over the plains, avoiding large rocks that would dump Klanth-and-utumna onto the earth.


By and by, the ruin drops out of sight and the nagging sense of oppression is left behind with it. 

You continue on your trek and the day goes by uneventfully.
Then, seeing it first as a speck, growing steadily larger as you approach, you see the tree from which you began your journey.
It is what you hear, though, that sets you on edge. 
(OOC: Lemak, Mabwe and Tuari get a listen check)
At first the sound reminds you of cicadas, or perhaps hyenas except for its continuous duration, broken up by gasps. It is a mixture of hissing, panting, snorting, wheezing... Drawing nearer,  you at last recognize it as human laughter but that is somehow very wrong.

As they move away from the ruins Mabwe speaks "I will return with you to that place to cleanse it. There is a powerful spirit within."

Later, as they near the shaman's tree and hear the sound Mabwe looks concerned "It is as the Bad Man was when I faced him, like us but wrong.

As the laugher becomes perceptible Norajia looks at the lifeless Vorrik and then the still mobile Tuari and she misses a step.

"You are still Orlanth, Tuari," she says "...whatever is happening in the world. You will find the right words."

Tuari stood up in his saddle and raised a hand to shade his eyes, searching for the source of the laughter. "I see a red flag over there" he blurts out indicating.   He looks across at Norajia and nods and smiles.

Tuari paused for a moment then holding his thrusting his lance up towards the sky called out.

"Foul slime, curse of existence, begone!
Turn your back and flee from me!
I will kill you, you are evil.
Lie and whimper before me."

At Tuari's call, the laughter stops abruptly...

After a moment's pause, though, it explodes again louder and more uncontrolled than ever.

"I guess you don't see the Five Tribes pull a dragon out of a hole in the ground every day." Norajia says.
"Not my problem" She shrugs and continues leading Modesty towards the tree.

Lemak gives a grim smile to the morokanth and another shake of his fist in acknowledgment.



Lemak reins in Lobber for a moment, particularly as Tuari has paused too, and rises from his saddle, as is this will help him understand the laughter better.  "I do not sense Chaos," he says, somewhat puzzled.  "It does not seem so unnatural to me.  Just strange..."  He kicks his high llama forward again.

Thangar frowns at the unsettling laughter, but follows along with Norajia and Lemak as they head in the direction of the laughter.
Belina follows the lead of Tuari.
As you get nearer to the tree, you see the source of the hysterics.
Half a dozen Lunar infantrymen are literally rolling on the ground, laughing hysterically. 
One of them has removed his helmet and placed it over the sandal of his left foot which he holds aloft, shaking it and giggling idiotically.
Two of them are facing each other, one crudely shaving the other's beard with his kopis, making a bit of a mess of it, his arm trembling as they both chortle about the results.
One points at Norajia and Thangar's approach, letting out a high pitched, rapid wheezing.
You notice that although they are all cackling, there is no joy in their appearance, their lips are grimacing and several have tears running down their faces.
You also notice a makeshift swing in the tree, and a figure gently swinging back and forth. From time to time one of the soldiers notices and begins laughing all the harder. 

"Looks to me more like the laughter of Hyena than of true mirth, I'd say that spirit has a hand in this perhaps and given who they are, all the better!" Mabwe says taking in the scene before him.

"I've always had a fondness for that spirit." he adds as an afterthought.

"Not Chaos, but Chaos friends," says Lemak in a low, angry voice.

His right hand twitches towards his dagger-axe, but pauses he see what the others do.  Maybe striking down one of the Lunars might break the others out of their magical constraints.

Norajia pauses when she recognises the Lunar uniforms, and approaches much more cautiously trying to see what is swinging in the tree. She pats the shoulder of Vorrik's body as if for reassurance.

Tuari looked at the laughing lunar troops, he was surprised they had come so close to the block and it's guardians.  He rode alongside Norajia to protect her if it became necessary.  "This is strong Hyena magic it seems" he said with a nod to Mabwe.

Mabwe snorts "We didn't come all this way... and Time, to stop and watch. If it is the tree we must go to then that is where we must go." and he walks on to the tree looking about for the source of this behaviour.

Picking your way through the hysterical soldiers, their laughter never ceasing but the forcefulness of their breath growing weaker, their voices raspy and hoarse, you move closer to the tree. You avoid them as you navigate, dragging the Dragonewt on the scale by Ondina and Lobber, with Vorrik's body draped over Modesty.

You see a simple standing swing that has been constructed, dangling from a branch of the holy tree. 
With her back to you, a young woman dressed in a vest and leggings, both made from stitched leather, swings lazily back and forth, singing a crude song in the Praxian tongue about zebras and their riders.

With Lobber and Tuari's bison pulling the lizard and the dragon scale, Lemak decides it's not worth trying ride around to the front of the woman at present.  Instead, he addresses her back.

"I am Lemak of the Silver Fleece clan.  Where is Shollak Sees-Far?  We were sent on a mission by him, and have returned."

He continues to maintain a watch on the laughing Lunars, in case any show signs of stopping their laughter, his hands ready to reach for his dagger-axe.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:02, Mon 08 Mar 2021.

In reply to Lemak (msg # 122):

The woman casts a quick scowl over her shoulder at Lemak, clears her throat dramatically, then repeats the chorus with more volume, holding the last note, before disengaging from the swing.
She removes her foot from the strap with exaggerated difficulty, and turns to face you.
She has dark skin, shoulder length black hair, and tattoos on her arms, neck and cheeks.
She looks you over, her gaze lingering a bit on Tuari and Norajia, and says, "Well, THAT was fast! Let me get this straight, you lot took a little jaunt from the Spike to the Dead Place and back... by way of Fonrit?!" 

Norajia swallows and glances towards Tuari, "Isn't that..." she says in an undertone. Her right hand makes a harmony sign in the small of her back. She looks confused at the mention of Fonrit.

Tuari looks from the woman to Norajia and back, he recognised her but they had never formally met.  "We encountered strange magic along the path, it slowed time so that what was no more than an hour to pass for us, years passed on the outside world.  I don't know if it was dragon magic or something else.  Has the White Bull sent you to wait for us?" Tuari asked curious about what had been going on.

"You said it, bison! The Boss sent me to fetch the little trinket you gang schlepped down here.
The Lunies seemed a little interested too. Right Lunies?"
 she calls out loudly, resulting in a renewed burst of sickening giggles from the incapacitated infantry men.
Stepping over toward the scale, around the crumpled quivering forms of the Lunar soldiers, she peers between Lobber and Ondina, "Ew, I don't think I want your scaly pet though, just the scale, please."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:51, Tue 09 Mar 2021.

Lemak turns from the rude woman who has not named herself, to look at Norajia and Tuari.  He makes no move to deal with the dragon scale.  "Who is this?"

"This," Norajia licks her lower lip "is Elusu the Murderess, right hand woman of the White Bull"

She gestures left-handed at the Lunar soldiers

"...or some other powerful trickster who knows what Elusu looks like"

She waves at the others in turn,

This is Lemak, Klanth-and-Utumna, Tuari, Belina, Mabwe, Thangar, I am Norajia, and our companion Vorrik was killed yesterday

"Oh it's me alright, healer!" she says.
"And while lugging that big scale to the Boss is not exactly the most glamorous task I've ever been charged with, it's gonna help the Boss do big things. I mean, really big. Like..."
she spreads her arms as wide as possible, grunting with the strain.
"So come on Lemak, Tuari, help me dump that nasty Dragonewt off the scale so I can take it and go home. Pleeaaasseeee?" She flutters her eyelids.

Mabwe doesn't know about this woman, but the scale he knows is needed to save Prax, not to put it into the hands of another outsider. "Varantas has been quiet, but I dare say she'll have some opinion on this." he says looking at the others.

Lemak doesn't move, regarding the woman.  White Bull?  I don't know the White Bull.  Certainly not greater than the Storm Bull.



"Yes," says Lemak, looking at Mabwe.  "We followed Varantas to the scale.  We should follow Varantas now."

To Elusu, he repeats the question she ignored. "Where is Shollak Sees-Far?"

Tuari was torn between giving Elusu what she wanted and returning the scale to Shollak as Mabwe made comment on Varantas Tuari nodded and drew the bone out of his pouch and stabbed her once more into his thigh.  "Mabwe see what she says." he said with a grunt of pain.

Noarajia moves to within reach of Klanth-and-Utumna but she doesn't touch him or the scale.

"Shollak?" Elusu replies, "The eyeless prophet who inhabited the area around this tree? I believe your four footed furry friend knows the answer to that"

As Tuari drives the pointed end of the bone home, Elusu cries "Ewwww!" and one of the crumpled Lunar soldiers lets out a quiet, raspy laugh, that at this point sounds very unhealthy. 

The tip of the bone slowly rises and points toward Elusu.

Mabwe nods at apparently nothing and then addresses the one they call Elusu "You must feed the spirit within the bone in this way" he lies, knowing that any amount and kind of blood will likely do "otherwise she can get... more difficult."

Then to the others he says "Give her the bone and the scale, she must go with the trickster and return the scale. She says farewell Tuari."

"I appreciate that you have your own safety to consider Elusu, " Norajia says "and I don't like seeing these Broo-huggers near the Block, but it pains me to watch people die in front of me, even people in red. Can't we immobilise them in some other way for you ,now that we're here?"

Lemak nods.  Fair enough.  He dismounts and starts to untie the scale and drag the lizard off it.  "What do we do with this?" he says, hoping Elusu or someone might have some idea about the lizard.



"Having Moon worshippers so close to The Block is not a good sign," says Lemak to Norajia.  "I guess once we pass this scale to this woman, our mission is complete.  I'll stay back and take care of these Moon worshippers when you leave."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:24, Wed 17 Mar 2021.

Tuari applied pressure to the gash in his thigh as he offered Varantas up "Good bye Varantas.  Elusu what has happened since we were last here?  It would seem the journey to find the scale has taken much longer than expected."

In reply to Tuari (msg # 138):

Elusu watches the exchange between the pacifistic healer and chaos slaying Storm Bull with gleeful interest.
"One thing about these Lunies, they do have a greeeaaat sense of humor!" which brings on another burst of croaking laughter.
"You can do what you like with'em after I hit the trail."


She takes the bone from Tuari gingerly between her thumb and forefinger."It won't be long now, girl."
She tucks it in her belt.

In response to Tuari she says,
"Well let's see, since you all went underground, um, the Lunies sent the Crimson Bat out, it did its thing for awhile, they invaded the Hendriking territories and conquered Whitewall, uh, the Boss--"she winks dramatically at Tuari and Norajia--"the Boss helped deliver a giant cradle past a Lunar blockade, and um... the Lunies killed Orlanth and Ernalda plunging Glorantha into an endless winter. They're getting better though!"
"Now if you can help me with this scale, I'll be on my way," she says cheerfully. 

Norajia takes Klanth-and-Utumna's right arm and sets her shoulder under his. She looks ready to accept anybody's assistance



Norajia's mouth purses rightwards, perhaps indicating she foresees a divergence between the White Lady and Stormbull understanding of "taking care of" incapacitated enemies.


Norajia raises an eyebrow

She makes no response to Elusu's wink or her assertions about Orlanth and Ernalda

Tuar looked from Norajia to Elusu and back before he gave a small shake of the head and dismounted Ondari.   He untied the ropes to the scale and then moved to assist with the Dragonewt.  "How do you plan to carry the scale?" Tuari asked the trickster woman "and does the White Bull need us anywhere or are we free to return to our clans?
 Belina and I at least have a scorpion to hunt."

Lemak is about to help shift the lizard when Tuari steps in first.

He ignores Norajia's pursed mouth.  Instead, he watches to see how the Murderess will deal with the scale herself.

Elusu makes a feeble move to "help" move the Dragonewt with a shove of her foot.
Approaching the scale, she kneels down and starts pulling.
The object doesn't budge. 
"It's more the awkwardness than the weight," she says to no one in particular. She puts her hands on her hips and circles around to the other side of the scale, studying it carefully. She bends down again and tugs at the huge plate, groaning and panting. 
"Grrrrhhhh .... almost....grrrrnnhhhhh."
She looks over her shoulder at your party for a moment before reapplying herself. 
"RRRRNNGGHH..."
Straightening up again, she blows on her hands, shaking them against the sting.
She then abruptly points over Tuari's shoulder and cries out, "Hey... is that... uh ...uh ... Jaldon?" 
Anyone who doesn't look away from her obvious distraction notices that she traces a tattoo on her palm and again rapidly bends down to the scale, which at her touch shrinks to the size of a guitar pick. 
"Now that's more like it!" she says, tucking the scale down the front of her vest. "Here's hopin' is stays small for a while, eh!"
She appears tired.


"Well, nothing the boss has told me anyway. Anything else you all need from poor Elusu before she continues her journey?" 

Lemak doesn't take his eyes off the trickster.



The llama brave thinks a moment.  "Is there anything you can do to help this lizard?  Its brain was addled in combat."  I figure you might know something about idiocy...

"Or do you know where the Silver Fleece high llama clan are camping at present?"

"Hmmm.... yes, yes, I've seen this before. It's a case of a powerful Lunie runespell called Illario's Vicious Lizard Brain Smothering Ensorcelment, if I'm not mistaken. You don't see this kind too often anymore. Yes, very bad. Hmmm... well, there's not much can be done for him except protect him from hyenas. But from the looks of him I'd say, he should be right as rain in... oh... five days? or maybe it's five years? Five somethings, anyway," she says cheerfully.

"Or do you know where the Silver Fleece high llama clan are camping at present?"
</quote>

She looks seriously at Lemak. "Did you know I myself am of the high llama tribe? I mean, I don't ride one. Not anymore. But as for our kinsmen, Lemak, last I heard OUR kinsmen had crossed the great river and were in the wastes east of sun county. I would look there."

Uh, thanks for the help  :/  Lemak just nods.



At these words, Lemak perks up.  Maybe she's not so bad.  "Thank you," he says, "I'll look there once I've reported to my brothers and sisters at The Block."

Mabwe had been considering quietly, but now speaks "How long will they stay like this after you leave?" as he sets about searching their gear for any valuables and removing any weapons.

"There is no need for deaths here today, nor for these Lunies to go free. You others have claimed beasts during our trip, I claim slaves."

In reply to Mabwe (msg # 147):

"I like the way you think!" she exclaims. "This one doesn't last all that long, I'd say the strongest will lose their sense of humor by nightfall and the weakest by sunrise."

Clapping her hands together, she says,"Well, this has been fun! But I should probably hit the trail.
Let's see if I can get this one timer to work... you move your hands like..."
Elusu places her hands above her head, moving her right arm in a counterclockwise circle and her left arm in a clockwise circle, distorting the light all around her from the motion.

She begins to shimmer and fade from view, very gradually at first. 

"Well, I have to say in all honesty, you all did real good. Keep your eyes open, when the Boss does the big thing, with what you brought him here, you won't be able to ignore it if you try. If it works. Seriously. It's gonna be that big."

As she continues to fade away her voice becomes more hollow as if she is speaking to you through a tunnel.

"One other thing I should tell you.
This is serious.
If you go after that Runelord scorpionman, he is pretty tough.
He's got no head, but he has two arms for slinging, two claws for chopping, and two tails for stinging.
He heals fast, as fast in a moment as a normal creature heals in like a month."

Only a smoky silhouette of the trickster remains and her voice is barely audible.

"He has only one weakness.

Everyone who has gone after him so far has made the same mistake and has failed to exploit it.

When you meet up with him, whatever you do, do NOT, under any circumstances..."

And she is gone.

Norajia spits on the ground

"Fucking tricksters..." She growls

Belina kicks dirt at the spot formerly occupied by Elusu.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:12, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

Lemak is about to object-



-but he stops.  Nods.  He doubts the Lunars will escape a morokanth herd.



"Tell your White Bull of our deeds", says Lemak.



Lemak shrugs.  He hadn't expected anything from a trickster anyway.  He looks to the others.  "Well, what will you all do now?  Our task is complete.  I guess the scorpionman that Elusu mentioned was the Chaos filth that attacked us in the night.  First, I'll ride to The Block to report to my brothers and sisters of the defiled shrine we passed."

In reply to Lemak (msg # 151):

Thangar replies, "I would join Tuari and Belina and try to bring down that scorpionman, and then if I still live, will return to my clan."

Norajia looks anxiously between Lemak and the others.

"Some of us have said that we will ride with Tuari and Belina when they face Old Kopsiclaw. Belina's faith in the Yassa may have saved the Scale from Kuldaral's band, and more of us besides Vorrik might have lost their lives without her intervention. I would hope that we will all go with her." she says. "I certainly shall."

"I had hoped to find someone here who could resurrect the Sundomer. If there is time for Lemak to go to the Block before we hunt the Scorpionman I would like to take Vorrik with him. Maybe there would be a healer there who could raise him (though I don't know how I would fund the effort). Even if not, the Block is a powerful remnant of the spike, I might get the blessing of the white Lady to be able to try to bring him back myself. I felt very close to her when I woke this morning. Call me a fool if you wish, but I had got to like him. The Great Spirits sent him to us, he could still be useful"

"It's not wise to take a Dragonnewt to the Block so if others could stay here with him I would be grateful to you. I suspect Elusu may be right in thinking the magic will wear off in a few days.

If we survive Old Kopsiclaw, perhaps I will ride with Tuari and my brother Talkaro. My girls have probably settled things between themselves. Though I am eager to see them again, my rejoining the tribe might cause... tension. We'll have to see who got through the Great Winter and what the Khan says.