This sessions begins with the adventurers receiving roaring applause and cheers from the arena audience as workers drag off the bodies of the group's opponents. The group is not sure if more recognition in this place is a good thing quickly remove themselves from the gladiatorial arena floor. There they are each paid 100 gold bits for their victory in the games.A smarmy looking dwarf approaches the group and offers them a chance to become gladiatorial legends in the games circuit, He would set up the games and take a small fee for his efforts. He assures the group that they would flourish and earn many bits. The group has no desire to stay in this dying land any longer than they have to. They move on leaving the dwarf disappointed.
Kirvin is eager to find his mentor who he feels will be pleased that he has returned to Athas with the group that he believes the prophecy speaks of. They move through the city to Warrens, the sprawling slums of Tyr. They are quickly inundated with elven children, dark skinned from the sun, lean and long legged, surrounding them trying to get the group to buy their wares. The group can tell that the products offered are of poor quality and they ignore the pleas. Kirvin finds his destination after crossing an old bridge that in ages past crossed a large deep river. Entering the cool earthen building and escaping the heat, Kirvin talks to a human out of earshot while Ninaki tries to purchase mind altering drugs from a group of shady looking elves. They warn the mul that he should be careful of what he asks for. Ninaki assures them he can handle it and they for 20 gold bit hand over a small phial of 'DevilWeed Wine'.
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| Rule #49 Don't Buy From Elves In Athas |
Kirvin returns to the group downhearted and tells them that apparently several years have passed since leaving Athas to find the group. His mentor, Arisphistaneles, has since returned to his city of Altaruk. They must leave at once to Altaruk. The group convinces him that traveling after a nights rest would be preferable, so Kirvin concedes. Finding lodgings the adventurers come across an inn, The Emerald Fang. This establishment is simply a weather worn tent with thread bare carpets on the floor and patrons lying in the dim light of oil lamps. There Ninaki is on the prowl for female companionship. He finds both a hookah filled with a small amount of Mordayn and a veiled female.
Sparrow feels he is able to procure females based on his charm and proceeds to find the most attractive woman there and begins to chat her up and offer her drinks. The evening ends with Sparrow and Fluffy spending a great deal on drinks with not a whole lot to show for it (well maybe a little).
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
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| "It's like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot." - Neil Simon |
Part of the group went back to keep an eye on their newly acquired sand skiff, as well as Ninaki procured tools to remove the old elven name of the skiff.
The next day the group, after a bit of searching, comes across a water well in a wealthier part of the city and ends up buying several pounds of water which they load up on their skiff. Zaya is able to put 80 pounds of water in her bag of holding. The well attendants have never seen such a horde of water purchased at one time and loaded up in small leather bag to boot.
With the basics taken care of and the sand skiff newly renamed to 'Oswald, the adventurers set off towards Altaruk. During the trip Sparrow is unable to take both the heat and movement of the skiff and he vomits. A reckless loss of water and he must dip into his water supplies.They cannot make it all the way there in one day so stop off at a well trafficked well, name Grak's Pool. There they meet Grak, a half-elf who welcomes them into his tent. He is friendly to Arcanists and Kirvin informs him of their mission, to obtain a seed from the Tree Of Life in order to save Athas.
Ninaki is again off in search of females. Instead he encounters an old dragonborn named Mafoun. Mafoun offers to tell Ninaki a prophecy in return for a drink. Ninaki offers him the 'DevilWeed Wine' that he purchased from the shady elves back in Tyr. The old dragonborn asks what Ninaki wishes to know. The mul asks 'How will I die?', to which Mafoun asnswers, "By the hand of someone you didn't think an enemy". With that, Mafoun downs the 'powerful drug' and walks away. No ill effects could be seen in the old creature. Ninaki, Sparrow and Fluffy watch as the old creature walks away. Sparrow and Fluffy conclude that Ninaki was simply sold a very expensive phial of simple wine.
Ninaki decides to continue his quest for females and is doing a pretty good job of it until the father of the sisters, Ninaki has been eyeing interrupts and ushers his girls back into the tent. With that adventure cut short, the evening progresses and morning finds the group ready to move on, as well the group notices that the father with the 3 girls has during the night pulled stakes and moved on.
The group also finds that they have been in Athas and have been surrounded and infused by Athas' psionic energy long enough that they have acquired new psionic abilities. 'Boy' spends the morning moving his point of view, without moving, in all sorts of directions. Zaya on the other hand is a newborn pyromaniac as she attempts to light various things on fire.
This time on the trip it is Aelar that succumbs to the hear and motion and looses water. But he by now has a handle on how to manage the skiff and is getting proficient enough with its navigation. Not able to make it completely to Altaruk yet, Kirvin spots an outcropping of rock in the distance and calls for Aelar to make towards the shelter for the night.
The Eensy-Weensy Spider
1,025 XP
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| This one won;t be able to be squished under your boot. |
Before the group can come to terms with what is happening, 2 very large crystal spiders emerge from beneath the sand. They quickly attack the group with devastating poison. But Ninaki quickly, easily and effectively moves through them delivering tremendous damage with his axe. Before the group can relax too much two more spiders emerge from behind the group, These ones climb aboard the skiff and attack both Aelar and Sparrow. Fairly soon Aelar is lying on the skiff dying, poison coursing through his body.
The group quickly notices and while Ninaki, Sparrow, Fluffy and 'Boy' work together to fend off the spiders, Zaya rushes to Aelar's side. Kneeling by her fellow elf, Zaya uses all her healing knowledge to stop the spread of the poision and stop Aelar from dying, but her knowledge is poor and she fails. The group, realizes that Aelar is going to die and there is nothing they can do about it. But from below decks Kirvin, who has been seeking refuge inside the skiff, emerges knowing that he is defenseless against such great foes, rushes to Aelar's aid. He may not be a great mage but he knows a thing or two living in the desert his whole life. He quickly takes a knife and cuts at the spot where the spider's venom entered the elf's body and places his mouth on the spot and sucks out as much poison as he can. Aelar comes back to consciousness and is healed further by Fluffy.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
In the meantime, 'Boy' uses his new found psionic ability to pursue the crystal spider as it climbs atop a rocky cliff. The group attacks the spiders until only crystal shads remain.
With the enemies in pieces, the group decides perhaps it's better to push on.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
They soon arrive at Altaruk, a large village in the desert, surrounded by a large earthen wall. They pass through the gates, leaving their skiff outside to be protected by a well paid guard, as they each pay the entrance tax. Altaruk is much smaller than Tyr and they soon find the central large tent in which resides, Arisphistaneles the governer of Altaruk. He happens also to be a leader in the Veiled Alliance, a secret group of arcanists which continue to practice a safe form of the magic.
Kirvin presents the group as the one prophesied in the ancients texts, as the ones who will save Athas. It is quite clear that Arisphistanles does not share the same conviction. As Kirvin and Arisphistanles confer 'Boy' is presented a chance to study a magical tome which is laying open on a pedestal. He learns both a handy ritual and the fact that their most senior arcanist is not much more learned than he is.
Kirvin and Arisphastanles argue and the more senior member is clearly winning. They will not get help from the Veiled Alliance. Kirvin says that he will set off anyway and beckons the group. The group though inquires of Arisphistanles if he knows of a way back to Sigil or their own home world of the Nentir Vale. He doesn't but Zaya notices that Kirvin looks awkward at the mention. The group turns to Kirvin.
Aelar threatens Kirvin in order to learn what Kirvin knows. Aelar summons his ring which he believes to contain his rapier. Unfortunately, the ring has contained, since the battle in the Juren Forest with the Hangman Trees, a flying dagger. The dagger, released from it's prison in ring form flies out and hits the first thing it sees. It hits Kirvin. In the head. Kirvin is dead.
This is unfortunate.
MetaGame Spoiler Inside
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