Secrets revealed...

The old ashik knew that he was running out of time, and that his story was a long one and could not be told in the days of travel that the herders had left until they reached their small village. But he knew that his story must be told and so the following morning over breakfast he continued his tale.

The attack on the trade caravan of Merchant House Ianto was well underway and Scar decided that it was time to get involved in more up close and personal action. She leaps off of the ridge line and slides down the embankment towards the base of the mekillot wagon seeking cover below the thrust of the balcony, on the far side of the mekillot wagon Miloch starts to climb towards the opposite balcony and he is closely followed by Balboa. Scar pulls out her gourd and swallows a couple of mouthfuls of the healing Weezer honey.

On the driving deck Kank is still reeling from the mental attack that crashed through his feeble mental shields, unable to do anything but defend himself he fends off the blows from the two human guards that are raining blows down on him. Arthur, who has healed himself, looks over the edge of the roof down into the driving deck and sees Kank hard pressed, so he leaps from the roof into the fray swinging his mighty maul and smashing one of the caravan guards in the arm breaking it, and forcing him to drop his two handed great axe.

Miloch clambered over the balcony balustrade and finds himself facing a guard laying on the floor with an arrow stuck through his leg. A smile slowly splits Miloch’s face and he swings down with his obsidian battle axe at the guard, but the smile turns into a snarl of rage as the prone guard parries the death stroke with his own blade. At the same time Balboa climbs over the balcony and, looking beyond Miloch and the prone guard, locks eyes with the caravan master. On the other side of the wagon Scar attempts to climb to her balcony but slips and falls, fortunately the noise from the two fights inside mean that she is not heard. She dusts herself off and tries again, this time making it and sliding silently over.

Arthur’s reverse stroke catches the injured caravan guard in the legs smashing them out from under him. The guard drops to the floor and lays still. His companion swings hard with his sword at the still stunned Kank, the razor sharp obsidian blade slices clean through Kank’s right leg just below the knee. Kank drops to the floor with his life blood flowing out across the driving deck.

Balboa attempts to dominate the mind of the caravan master and control his emotions but the mental thrust ripples off of the caravan masters mental shields. The guard on the floor stabs Miloch in the leg with his blade but Miloch finishes the fight with a single downward stroke of his axe. The caravan master is so focused on Balboa and Miloch that he fails to hear Scar creeping up behind him. That lack of awareness costs him his life as Scar removes his head from his shoulders with a single sweep of the Sword of Kemalok. Seeing this the dwarf guard at the rear of the wagon decides to run and climbs over the rear loading ramp, his actions put him in the sights of Kollus who finishes him off with two well placed arrows.

On the drivers deck the final guard drops his weapon and puts his hands in the air. Arthur swings his maul and breaks one of those arms then says;

You will talk!

Kank manages to tie a tourniquet around his leg and staunch the flow of blood, but he is very weak from blood loss and just slumps back against the drivers seat. The others converge on the driving deck and Balboa takes over the questioning of the captured guard, asking about the Merchant House Ianto and the caravan master. The guard tells him that they are carrying silk and spices but does not know much else and so Balboa gives up and leaves him to Arthur. The guard starts to panic and babbles an apology for Kank’s leg, but Arthur is not interested and lifts him over his head and throws him from the wagon.

Balboa tends to Kank as the others search the wagon and dragged the bodies out of sight to the far side of the ridge, knowing full well that by the following morning the beasts of the harsh desert will have disposed of them. Balboa uses his power to heal Kank’s wounds, but there is nothing that he can do to repair Kank’s severed right leg, and so he leaves the big Mul to smoulder and joins the others who are leafing through the caravans ledger. The ledger states that the wagon is carrying twenty crates of exotic spices, forty bales of cloth, and twenty five bales of quality silk. The stated worth of the full cargo is five hundred gold pieces, but when Arthur’s eyes light up Kollus reminds them that they will need the money to trade.

The group settle down for what is left of the night and the following morning over breakfast Kollus says that he will take on the caravan masters name, as he says this his features melt like wax and reform so that he looks like the dead caravan master. Kollus also suggests that they are better off saying that Kank lost his leg in an accident with the mekillot, it will also give them a good excuse for why the caravan master is driving the mekillot wagon. Everyone agrees and Kank skulks off to the mekillot driver's cabin.

The day passes uneventfully, with Kollus teaching Arthur and Balboa how to drive the mekillot wagon and Scar and Miloch acting as guards. Towards the end of the day Kank reemerges from the mekillot driver’s cabin, but he is now hobbling on a peg leg that he has crafted from materials within the cabin. The group pull off to the side of the path and settle down to camp the night. They set watches and the night passes quietly until the final watch, Scar hears something large moving out in the night and moments after she hears it the mekillot begins to make a loud and low thrumming noise. The mekillot also thumps the ground, and the combined noise wakes everyone within the wagon. After a short while the mekillot quietens down and group assume that whatever was out there has been scared off by the agitated mekillot.

The following day Kollus teaches Kank and Scar how to handle the mekillot wagon while the others act as guards. Towards the end of the day Arthur spots eight riders moving to intercept the mekillot wagon. As they draw closer it is clear that they are riding erdlu and are dressed in yellow tabards, Kank says;

Be careful, they are soldiers of Urik!

The group man the crossbows and try and look like guards while Kollus continues to drive the wagon forwards. As soon as they are within hailing distance the lead soldier shouts for them to halt and Kollus reins in the mekillot as Scar eyes the soldiers in a way that makes the others nervous. The lead soldier rides forwards and says;

I am Sergeant Pinatas in the service of King Hamanu of Urik, what is your business?

Kollus tells him that they are heading to Urik to trade in spices and silks, and Sergeant Pinatas asks to come aboard and inspect both the ledger and the cargo. Kollus agrees and gets the others to lower the loading ramp. As the sergeant inspects the goods Arthur invites the rest of the soldiers onboard for a cup of water.

Satisfied with everything Sergeant Pinatas relaxes a little, and when he discovers that his men have been treated as guests he talks freely with Kollus about the new oasis. He tells him that Urik have solved the issue of tax evasion at the oasis by stationing a group of Urik Templars there to enforce the law. Urik has also increased patrols in the area to make sure that the law is upheld outside of the oasis too. The sergeant says that they are due to return to the oasis and offers to escort the caravan wagon there. Kollus happily agrees, for to do otherwise would look very suspicious.

Early on the fourth day since the hijack, the mekillot wagon of Merchant House Ianto pulls into an area set aside for wagon parking on the outskirts of the oasis bazaar. As they look down upon the oasis the group can see that the water has receded about a third in the two months since they first discovered it. Sergeant Pinatas points out a blue and yellow striped pavilion tent towards the centre and tells Kollus that it is the administration tent and that Kollus will have to go there first before he can trade. The sergeant then bids Kollus well and heads with his squad towards a cluster of yellow tents.

The wagon is met by a guard in a black and red uniform at the wagon park, it is clear that the Black Sand Raiders are still a force at the oasis despite the presence of the Urik Templars. Once the mekillot is fed, watered, and secured in a pen Kollus heads towards the administration tent. He is escorted by Miloch and a still limping Kank, while the others head off to scout out the bazaar.

The administration tent is guarded by two guards in yellow tabards, but they allow Kollus and his escort to enter the large tent. The tent is cross-sectioned halfway down its length by a canvas wall with four door flaps in it and from one of those doors steps a very attractive but stern looking woman dressed in a blue and yellow striped tabard. She looks us up and down and then addresses Kollus;

Business?

Kollus turns on the charm and informs the female Templar that we plan on staying for three days to trade and shows her the ledgers. The Templar seems happy with everything and finally turns her gaze to Kank, she stares at his leg and asks what happened. Kank looks a little sheepish and then answers;

Something big spooked our mekillot during the night and when I went out to calm it, it attacked me and tore off my leg.

The Templar smiles a little and replies;

They are very temperamental beasts! Do you have money?

Kank looks to Kollus, and Kollus says that if the trade goes well then they will have money and the Templar says that for the right price they will be able to regrow Kank’s leg. Kank looks hopeful and Kollus, playing his role, says that they will see if he is worth the cost. The Templar laughs and waves a hand dismissively, ending the meeting.

Meanwhile, the others have discovered that the bazaar hosts general stores merchants, timber traders, obsidian merchants, cloth traders, spice traders, a food and water trader guarded by soldiers in the black and red livery of the Black Sand Raiders, weapons sellers, and two dwarven armourers. They also find a large tent guarded by four Black Sand Raiders, the sides of the tent are rolled up to allow merchants to view the slaves held within the four cells under the canvas. The cells are not full but there are more than thirty slaves locked up in them. The majority of them are human, but there are several Muls and Dwarves, as well as a couple of Half-Elves. There are also three Elves being held in a cage on their own. Scar spots that none of the slaves have slave marks yet and so are all clearly recently captured.

Arthur then moves on towards the mausoleum which is being guarded by two soldiers in yellow tabards, the soldiers look very bored but block Arthur as he attempts to walk into the mausoleum. Arthur steps back and says;

Can I have a look?

The guard looks at him and says;

It’s none of your concern Dwarf. It is being studied by the Templars of Urik.

Arthur shrugs his massive shoulders and turns around and rejoins the others. Once he has caught up with Balboa and Scar they all head back to the mekillot wagon to meet up with Kollus, Kank and Miloch. It is time to plan what they are going to do next.