Stretching to the limits of your sight, the grey mounds of the desert roll with ashen stillness into the distance, baked by the blazing sun. Not a single stone shows through the powdery plane nor a single insect scurries across its surface. All about you, the burning silence of the sand-sea is oppressive and forbidding. No landmark steers your way, except the sun, its track seeming to sink ever closer and hotter towards your own path. The ash-dust billows under your feet and chokes your parched throats.

Location on Map: A (though out of sight of the lost pyramids)
Travel Time for One Desert Hex: 2 hours
Provisions: 7 Days -- 10k GP weight
Current Time of Day: 8 AM
Vixl: Camel
Tarrahn: Camel
l'Atreq: Camel
Eonwe: Camel
Fodor: Camel
Orum: Horse

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:36, Sun 04 June 2023.

Eonwe spends his first moments in the desert trying to get acquainted with his camel, having never before experienced riding a beast with a giant hump. Soon after leaving, he bangs his forehead with his fist in frustration. "I forgot to ask for a hide," he mutters to himself and spends the next couple of hours in the doldrums.
This message was last updated by the player at 22:40, Sat 03 June 2023.

She thanks her, but declines. "Save it for your fight with Zargon."
At only 4'9", there was no way she would ever effectively use something like that, and it just was not worth carrying across an uncertain, unknown desert.


She tried to keep the camel on track, like with Eonwe it was a new experience.

Loran leans across and hands something to Vixl. "Thanks for this but I won't be needing this. I've decided to stay here." It's the wand of paralysation with eight charges. Then, with a lot of difficulty she turns her camel around and returns it from whence it came.

Although she was a surprised, V took the scepter back. "It was an honor to fight at your side, Loran. Fight the good fight against Zargon."

"The honour was mine," Loran calls back over her shoulder. "Thank you for the privilege."

l'Atreq watched the younger Cleric leave and sighed.  That might change things but nothing could be done for now, until he prayed for the next day's power.  For now, he kept his attention firmly on the destination, the 'salvation' marked K on the map.

Inauspiciously, the infidel's planned late afternoon departure gets pushed back. When Fodor and Eonwe climb back to the top of the pyramid door, one with a mind to trade up and the other with a last-minute request, they find the ingress sealed and no amount of pounding or cursing will summon the Cynidiceans forth. By the time they have finished their glum descent, an hour has been lost (departure time -> 17:00).

Then one of the camels, Eonwe's, proves even more ornery than the rest. It takes him an exhausting hour of coaxing before the beast submits to the half-elf's will (departure time -> 18:00).

Thus, with the sun having all but set, the outfit starts its journey to the pyramid of Amun-Re, following a well-marked path, the hooves and feet of previous travelers having marked the way.

Eight hours later, bruised and dizzy from the irregular cadence of the camels, save for Orum, the riders reach their first cynosure:

Rising up out of the dust, twin pillars of stone stand slanting at odd angles, their surfaces pockmarked and sand-worn. Odd inscriptions are faintly visible in the pockmarked surfaces.

                                                               ~~~

Location on Map: A (though out of sight of the lost pyramids)
Travel Time for One Desert Hex: 2 hours
Provisions: 7 Days
Current Time of Day: 02:00

Fodor gets camel spit in his eyes, blinding him for two rounds, but he convinces his camel to be ridden for the day.
Vixl's camel tries to spit in her eyes but she dodges the globules. She convinces her camel to be ridden for the day.
l'Atreq's camel tries to spit in his eyes but he ducks in time. He convinces his camel to be ridden for the day.
Tarrahn's camel tries to spit in his eyes but he raises his staff in time. He convinces his camel to be ridden for the day.
Eonwe's camel refuses to rise for a full hour before it can be convinced to be ridden for the day.
Orum and his horse immediately form a lifelong bond.

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:16, Mon 05 June 2023.

"Thank you, Primo," Orum says as he nimbly slides down from his fine and friendly mount. "Let me see if I can decipher the inscriptions,"

Parasols are also useful for blocking camel spittle, as it turns out.

As they stop, V pulls out the Queen's scepter. "I didn't want to pass it off right in front of Loran, but my earlier belief still stands. While I could make use of it, others could make better use."

She offered the scepter of paralyzation to Orum first, thinking that his would be the best hands for it, but if declined, suggested Eonwe next.

When at the pillars, she joined Orum in going to look them over. Not having expected to run into script while traveling, she had not memorized read magic or comprehend languages, but perhaps it was related to one of the languages she did know, or maybe she could at least offer some guesses if it seemed to be magical in nature, assuming Orum did not immediately translate the writing.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Tue 06 June 2023.

Fodor will see to tying up the mounts to a suitable post/rock/tree/brush and then keep watch while the smart folks try to read the pillar inscriptions.

Tarrahn secures his equipment from the camel and places it near their camping area.  "I may have a spell that could keep our ornery mounts in check during this journey!"

Orum strokes his chin before rising to his full height and declaiming:



With that, the caravan resumes it travels in a southerly direction, following the trail as it curves gently to the west and then back to the east, the wastes extending as far as the moon and torchlight permits the eye to see.

Location on Map: Two hexes south of the double X's on the trail
Travel Time for One Desert Hex: 2 hours
Provisions: 7 Days
Current Time of Day: 06:00 (You have been traveling for 12 hours).

This message was last edited by the GM at 22:01, Tue 06 June 2023.

Suggest we keep heading south for another 1-3 hours - but looking out for an oasis or shaded area where we can stop and rest during the heat of the day (10:00-16:00) before we get to the next point marked on our map.

V tried to think of anything 'Sule' that came to mind. But other than Suleiman al-Kalim, nothing came to mind. That might still be fitting though, although she could not think of any way to use that knowledge, if there was anything to it at all.

As discussion came up over a stopping point, she suggested, "That's reasonable, but if we push on four hours, we hit the area labelled E on the map. Since we still have nearly all spells prepared, that seems like a better stopping point, rather than reaching it an hour or two into the following travel day. Plus since it is where the trail splits, it would be more likely to have some amenities that travelers might need. So I think it is worthwhile to continue to E, especially since the camels are all walking now."

"And yes- Tarrahn- any spells you have for ornery mounts would be very good to prepare!"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:43, Wed 07 June 2023.

Fodor and Vixl both spur the outfit further down the desert trail, praying that they will find any manner of shelter, even a bluff, within the wastes.

They don't.

But nothing finds them either.

With the sun bearing down upon all but Vixl, the caravan reaches the next landmark identified on King Alexander's map:

Lying here in the sands, half buried, is a fallen obelisk (a four-sided pillar), its top pointing toward the southwest. Carved runes are visible on its surface.

Location on Map: E
Travel Time for One Desert Hex: 2 hours
Provisions: 7 Days
Current Time of Day: 10:00 (You have been traveling for 16 hours).

NB: Three large tents with poles, 10feetx20feet in size, weighing 4,000 gp each were provided by the cultists. They require four turns (40 minutes) to set up or take down.

I suggest we camp here. Same procedure for reading the inscriptions?