Tales Under a Burning Sun

The people of the muddy oasis, you couldn’t call the small collection of mud huts around the water hole a village, stared at the old ashik. He knew that he had grasped their attention with his tale and so he ploughed onwards, the words falling from his mouth as if he was possessed by someone else telling the story through him. Having defeated the Erdlu patrol the group quickly agreed to push on for the remainder of the night incase others came looking for them, there was no doubt that the rider who escaped was racing to get help. Miloch took the lead to give Kank a chance to regain his focus, and cover everyone's tracks as best as possible. Although his wounds had been treated, he'd suffered a severe blow to his head and he was still recovering! Miloch found a suitable place to wait out the day, far enough from the path to not be noticed by passers by, but close enough to make a hasty escape if needed. They settled in to rest for the day. During their rest, they heard a pat...

The old ashik looked around at the faces staring expectantly up at him. The sibling herders had told their family and neighbours of the old ashik’s tales, and they had all settled around the firepit beside the muddy oasis waiting for him to weave his magic. He thought hard for a short while, wondering how he would introduce those new faces to his tale without retelling all that he had already spun, and then a thought came to him. He looked up and said in his quiet but unusually strong voice, ‘Let me tell you of the skirmish on the mountain path. For that was the day that Kank slayed an erdlu with a single punch!’ The group of freed slaves were travelling from the Hidden Village of The Free to the City State of Tyr in order to make contact with a spy within the city in order to gain some unknown, but vital information. They are travelling by night and resting up under cover during the long, hot day. They are a three quarters through their third night of travel when a huge sandstorm bl...

The old ashik surveyed the small collection of mud brick buildings clustered around the small muddy oasis and smiled. He looked at the sibling herders as they were greeted by those few people in the village, if that few buildings could be called a village, he then hobbled forwards as the older of the brothers introduced him to the elder. He was welcomed with the warmth of the desert people and was told that they looked forward to hearing his tale, and a little later sat outside one of those mud brick dwellings he carried on his story. Looking down at the elf laying at her feet, Scar swings hard with the Sword of Kemalok but the elf rolls out of the way at the last moment. On the driving deck of the mekillot wagon both Arthur and Marvek swing for the same elf, the unfortunate individual stands no hope against two such powerful blows and dies before he knows what has hit him. On the north side of the wagon two elves had managed to clamber over the balustrade and were facing off against...

The sibling herders shared a brief glance and smiled. They had both grown very fond of the old ashik and his tale, and both of them wished to hear it through to its conclusion. The old man wasn’t any trouble. He didn’t eat much. He didn’t drink much. He never complained and he kept pace with them, surprisingly. And now that they were less than a days travel from their home they were thinking about him leaving them, and they found that they didn’t want that to happen. For now, however, they just listened. After a long day of haggling, Kollus heads back to the mekillot wagon so that he can rest. As well as the trading, holding his face in an imitation of the Merchant House Ianto trader is extremely tiring. The rest of the group join him to keep a low profile from the representatives of Merchant House Resherek. The following morning Arthur, Kank and Miloch load all of the goods that Kollus purchased into one of the cargo compartments whilst Balboa and Scar keep an eye on the bazaar from...

The old ashik was deep in his tale and the siblings were hanging on his every word, it was just how the old man liked it. A little smile caressed his weather worn face and he made a decision. He knew that he would not be able to finish his tale before the herders reached their small village in the middle of the blasted desert, beside the mud hole that they referred to as an oasis, but he decided that he would try and stay with them and finish his tale. Having met back at the mekillot wagon Arthur, Balboa, and Scar quickly update the others on what they found in their quick scout around the bazaar. Kollus listens carefully and then says that he is going to spend the rest of the day trading the cargo. Kank and Scar both volunteer to act as his guards, mostly because they both stand out with Scar being very tall and lithe and Kank having a wooden peg for a right leg. Miloch agrees to remain on guard, and in reserve, on the mekillot wagon leaving Arthur and Balboa free to spend time l...