Tales Under a Burning Sun

The father of the sibling herders also acted as the small village’s headman, he sat towards the rear of the group listening to the old ashik and as he listened a frown of concentration creased his sun worn features. Something about the old man's story had triggered a memory, but it would not come to the fore and every time the headman reached for the thought it would disappear like a drop of water on sand. The headman shrugged, it would come back to him, for now he focused once again on the old ashik’s tale. Scar leaned lithely against the wall and attempted to subtly chat up the half giant doorman. But subtly was not in the half giants vocabulary, nor were many other words, and the conversation boiled down to the half giant asking if Scar liked his spiked maul. Realising that he lacked looks and brains, Scar gave up the chase and returned back inside. She found the rest of the group tucking into inix steaks and fermented kank nectar, she took a seat and helped herself and then n...

The following morning, after the women had seen to the herd and the men and children had prepared breakfast, the whole village sat down to eat and listen to the old ashik’s continuing tale. The old man could not remember a time that he had been so happy, his tale was being told and people were listening. His tale would live on! The Great Dwarven Trade Route had narrowed down to an ornate archway that led into a fifty foot high plaza that was clearly the meeting point of several main routes. To the left of the archway there was a small room that Kank surmised must have been some kind of old guard post, Arthur and Balboa ducked into the small room and searched it while the others kept watch. They find nothing of any note and Arthur makes the point that the ancient dwarves must have abandoned this structure in an organised manner as they have taken everything with them. Miloch sneaks down to the edge of the plaza in the dark, using the left hand wall as a guide, and once it is obvious...

The fire had burned low, and the younger children had fallen asleep in the arms of their parents. But everyone else was engrossed in the old ashik’s tale, he was spinning his web so well that even he was enjoying its telling. And so he ploughed straight on, and his audience went with him. Scar swings the fabled Sword of Kemalok, one of the swords of the dwarven kings, and removes the head of one of the chitine. The sight of his brood siblings head bouncing away is enough to convince the other chitine to run, as he turns Balboa catches him a glancing blow with his stone mace but the creature skitters away. Inside the deserted armourers, Arthur backhand swings his maul and destroys the chest of the final chitine inside. As it collapses to the floor Miloch rushes out into the passage to help the others, but he finds that the fight has ended and all is quiet. With the fight over, at least for now, Kank stares forlornly at his left leg. It has been severed just above the knee and while ...

With the chores of the day done, and the kank herd milked and grazed, the small group of residents at the muddy water hole looked forward to a shared meal and the continuation of the old ashik’s tale. The old ashik had spent the day helping the elders of the village preparing the meagre meal and helping to repair some of the kank harnesses. But now it was time for him to do what he did best, tell his tale. Having recovered from the fight with the crystal spider, and Arthur having found the gems that had caused him to enter the side room, the group agree that it is time to push onwards. Taking a more cautious approach Kank picks up a large stone and throws it down the passage to try and disturb anything hiding within its shadows, he hears it clatter along the floor in the dark and its noise is followed by nothing but silence. The group push on into the unknown and after a few yards they discover that the passage opens up into a large hall lined with statues. Major Drog’s words come ba...