Tales Under a Burning Sun

The sibling herders respond quickly to the muted shouts from the little village beside the muddy oasis. But oddly enough, not as quickly as the old ashik. As the trio rushed from the quiet of the dark dunes back towards the merchant caravan, they could hear the screams of the women and children, as well as the grunts of the men being knocked unconscious. They charged into the fray, the old ashik fighting like a cornered Tembo and killing two of the slavers before he was captured. When the brothers came too, they found themselves bound in the dark confines of the slavers' wagons, they also found that the old ashik was continuing to tell his tale. Leaving the unconscious Kank where he lay, Ferulah sneaks quietly along the passageway and can see three bandits sitting around a small fire talking. The bandit facing the passage suddenly says; There’s something in the passage! Can you guys see that? They all scramble to their feet and start to draw weapons. That is enough for Ferulah, who...

The old ashik slipped out of the Headsman's hut just as the sun was setting, he wanted to make sure that the caravan was what it claimed to be. One of the sibling herders saw him leave and, nudging his brother, they sneaked after him. They lost sight of him as he circumnavigated the muddy oasis, and so they continued on towards the rear of the merchant caravan. They stopped within sight of the rear of the wagons, hidden in the deep shadows of the oasis edge. In the light of the caravan’s fires they could just make out the inside of one of the wagons, and it looked like… Slavers! The old man whispered. He had appeared out of the darkness behind them and he gestured for them to follow him further into the dark away from the oasis, and there he continued to tell his tale. Kank looked up at the woman holding the bow and could see that she was wearing a mask to hide her features, bandits he thought. Scar said quietly; I reckon that there are at least another four hidden in the rocks. Th...

The caravan turned up without any fanfare or warning, the two large mekillot wagons appearing over the dunes on the near horizon a few hours after dawn. The adults in the village rushed to arm themselves as mothers hid children inside the Headsman's hut. A small group of adults, including the sibling herders walked out to meet the wagon and negotiate a price for the use of the waterhole. One of the brothers looked around and realised that the old ashik was nowhere to be seen, but he thought nothing of it at the time. Inside the Headman’s hut the old ashik sat cross legged on the floor and calmed the children by continuing with his tale. On the sixth day the Company of the Cloaked Inix left Kled. All of them were now freemen, unmarked by slave brands thanks to Ferulah, and as they passed through the village gates they were waved off by the Dwarves of Kled with hails of thanks and good lucks ringing in their ears. The night before, they had agreed to travel as the Aaracokra flies to ...

The night had passed quietly and before dawn the old ashik joined the sibling herders in checking their beasts. Having rounded up a rogue female kank, the brothers headed back to the small village by the muddy oasis for breakfast, and as they walked the old ashik picked up his tale again. As the fight continues to rage around him, an injured Kank drags himself clear of the battle only to find himself in the path of another Elf joining the fray. Kank thrusts his hand at the Elf and summons what little mental strength he possesses, a gout of flame leaps from the big Mul’s hand and washes over the Elf. Once the flames clear, Kank is dismayed to see that the Elf is uninjured and all the Mul has managed to do is attract the Elf’s attention. Scar stands trading blows with Toramund and his four mirror images, the defilers fell magics sowing confusion in the battle. Scar strikes out with the Sword of Kemalok hitting Toramund, but when the Toramund that she hits disappears into thin air she rea...

With the evening meal eaten, and the burning sun long settled below the horizon, some of the younger children were starting to fall asleep in their parents arms. But the older ones, and their parents, where still rapt by the old ashik’s tale, and so he continued his story of the battle of the Dura Dai. Overcome by the defiler's sorcery, Kank launched himself at Miloch, but whether through luck or a mighty effort of resistance his blow narrowly missed the somewhat surprised Human warrior. The quick-thinking Balboa called upon the power of the gnomes of the earth and dismissed the foul sorcery affecting Kank. The heavily muscled Mul immediately shakes free of the enchantment and with a burning hatred in his eyes he charges for Toramund the Elf leader. Meanwhile, Miloch and Scar are facing off against a pair of injured Elves, nevertheless, the two Elves are not going down without a fight. After a flurry of blows, and narrow misses, the two wounded elves are dispatched freeing up both ...