A3: Ch4: Arruce Kingdom

The party finds themselves in a warehouse where Pirav dropped them off. It is filled with weaponry and supplies for the war effort. Shen rubs dirt... and other things on himself to disguise himself and venture into the city to obtain a map before they set out. Aire's vision he had was of a vast desert area which is most likely in the nation of Tova Naa. Shen finds himself in the town center where he sees a board with bounties there were many he did not recognize, but among some of the most valuable he found himself, Xar, Aire, and though they did not know Bink's real name only an alias of Jon there was one for him as well. The bounties read as follows:   Wanted Dead or Alive - “The Dropout” Shen Qa. 2,500 Dead, 5,000 Alive This human fugitive knows magic, known to be erratic and unpredictable. Hunters, use extreme caution. By decree of the King.   Wanted Dead or Alive - “Ambassador” Xarlasar Known Aliases: “Melbon” 2,250G This lizardman serves as a Galrenian councilman, non-magical, heavily armored swordsman, engage from a distance. By decree of the King.   Wanted Dead or Alive - “Jon” 1,000 Dead or 1,500 Alive Suspected gnome. Unconfirmed reports of magic use. By decree of the King.   Wanted Dead or Alive - “Ghandon Prodigy” Aire 2,000G Elven warrior monk from Ghandon monastery. May be magically enhanced. May be reasoned with though deadly if engaged. By decree of the King.   Wanted Dead or Alive - “Nightstride” Grandmaster Urvash 8,000G Grandmaster of Ghandon Monastery. This Orc though elderly is rumored to still formidable. May be Magically enhanced.   Wanted Dead or Alive - “Wolf of Picris” Queen Selren 12,000G Dead 18,000 Alive The once exiled elven queen of Galren was one of the founders of the terrorist organization known as the Severed. Magic user and extremely dangerous. Approach with utmost caution.   Wanted Dead or Alive - General Rydel 9,000G General of the Galrenian army. Led a small group of bandit elves after the colonization of South Vithrin. Astute strategist and greatly skilled in bladed combat. Carries a keltiri steel blade.   “Archmage of Galren” Daxius 10,000G Dead 20,000 Alive Rumored to be the most powerful magic user in the land. Self proclaimed member of the original Ildari and said to be thousands of years old. Do not engage alone or without the accompaniment of spellbreakers.   Afterwards Shen went to a shop and the shopkeep sold him a map just to get him out as quickly as possible. Bink and Aire take some arrows and bolts from the stockpiles and they decide to head out. They take the cart with the false bottom and Bink uses find steed hoping he can mask the magic by using pass without trace. Along the way they find a wayshrine which Aire leaves an offering and receives a blessing (inspiration). Each day they travel Aire notices they are being followed. Finally after a few days, during the night they are ambushed by spellbreakers led by a man with a peculiarly elven looking bow. Shen in a moment of panic send a fireball down at his feet encompassing everyone in the burst. They are able to take out all but the leader who begins to flee. Xar and Aire manage to hunt him down and bring him back unconscious. They stabilize Shen and the next day when the leader regains consciousness, Xar begins to torture him going as far as even gouging out an eye. Eventually they kill him, Shen raises the body as a zombie and sends him off with one of Aire's poems to a nearby city.    In the last few days of travel they run into a man on a rainy day whose cart ahs lost a wheel. Xar decides to help him and they set off. a couple days later they come to a farm where they see the same man back home tending to his crops, they decide to keep moving. Finally they reach a border camp called Demit's Pass. They pass by the guards who are curious about the bandages some of them are wearing (from the fireball burns) but ultimately let them through. They each go to the markets and buy desert travel clothes. Bink finds medicine to help the burns for himself and Aire. Shen finds a strange man selling trinkets of which he buys three, a black feather quill, a set of dice, and a small transparent orb.    Shen and Xar head into the tavern where they are greeted by a man trying to sell his services in guiding through the desert wherever they may be going. Another man seeing them comes up and pushes the first one out saying he will be there guide. His name is Cal and the original salesman calls him Crimson. They agree to Cal's fee and will set off the next day after they get supplies such as rations and water. Shen reads Cal's mind and finds he's thinking about getting enough coin so he can go back to someone named Tilly. The next day the party meets up with Cal and they set off into the desert.