Post by David on Sept 30, 2005 12:29:46 GMT -5
The morning of the 13th, the heroes finished reconnoitering the oasis while Harbinder used her mental powers to heal each person one by one. Around noon, a whirlwind could be seen speeding across the desert wastes toward them; it was Kamar, the djinni.
A holy warrior had been captured by an evil sha'ir while trying to free another of Kamar's friends from the sha'ir's control. Now, Kamar is at a loss for he has no one to help rescue the djinni, Namared, as well as this paladin. Because the enemy is a sha'ir with a genie prison, Kamar dare not face her himself. So he turns to the party for succor.
The party bats around a few plans and finally agrees to follow Subatai's suggestion that Namared transports the group to the edge of the mountains BEYOND the Genie's Garden and they hike in from there. Namared takes the party in stages, leaving their surviving mounts behind in the oasis.
By the morning of the 15th of April, the heroes depart Kamar's djinni-created pavillion and head along the edge of the Sea of Salt. The first day passed without incident and it wasn't until the group made camp on the 17th that they met any resistance...
Ling was on watch when nearly a dozen hunting ogres crept up on the party's camp site and attacked. At first all seemed loss, for Sabuto was dropped by a lucky shot and Harbinder stunned herself. Ling took on four of the ogres, bathing them all in darkness. Isaac faced two and two more moved in to finish Sabuto. One struck at Subatai and two more nearly finished Harbinder. Amazingly, however, Flint was ignored, and he began casting spells...
Ling's assaults did little to hurt the ogres, so she drank her potion of storm giant strength, only to discover it was delusionary. Flint's magic missiles first seriously wounded an ogre, then he dodge their blows long enough to unleash a second volley that killed it. Isaac killed one ogre with his two-handed sword and then a second, just as Flint surged, transforming each of his magic missiles into mini fireballs that left his foe a smouldering outline of ash. And Ling's foes began to drop as well.
The ogres not fighting Ling fled. Subatai gave chase while Flint and Isaac went to check on Sabuto and Harbinder. Ling kept fighting, slowly wearing her foes down within her darkness while depriving them the opportunity to strike back. These ogres fled as well, but Ling took out one while Isaac struck down the other. Flint administered his potion of healing to Sabuto, saving his life. Ling then cast a cure light wounds spell to restore him to consciousness, casting a second such spell on Harbinder for the same effect.
Unfortunately, soon afterward, Isaac and Ling discovered Subatai's remains; the ogre he was fighting had turned on him and shattered his skull. The group tended their wounds, with Harbinder making the rounds to heal the group.
The next day, on the 18th, the group encountered a dao's head buried in the ground with the word "LIAR" branded on his head. The dao tried to convince the party to release him, but he let slip his crimes so they moved on.
The morning of the 19th, very early as the group just began to make progress, the Ling noticed a beautifully carved chess piece in the dirt at her feet. Looking carefully at it, she suddenly became the Black King as a chess board materialized out of nowhere. Although Ling's side was bare save her, the other side had a row of pale gnoll Pawns, bone-colored gargoyle Bishops, ghost-shaded huge scorpion Bishops, massive sandstone earth elemental Rooks, a light-skinned desert giantess Queen, and a powerfully-bult dao as King.
The dao spoke, saying, "you friends soul is mine, but I'm willng to offer you the chance to save her through a game of Genie Chess."
Sabuto entered the board as the King's Bishop. Isaac became the Queen. Flint took on the role of the Queen's Rook, while Harbinder became the Queen's Knight. And suddenly, more pieces appeared on the board as well...dark-skinned dwarven warriors for Pawns, a rock-hued sandling Queen's Bishop, an ebony-coated centaur King's Knight, and a deep brown eight-headed hydra King's Rook...
...and the dao-King laughed...
A holy warrior had been captured by an evil sha'ir while trying to free another of Kamar's friends from the sha'ir's control. Now, Kamar is at a loss for he has no one to help rescue the djinni, Namared, as well as this paladin. Because the enemy is a sha'ir with a genie prison, Kamar dare not face her himself. So he turns to the party for succor.
The party bats around a few plans and finally agrees to follow Subatai's suggestion that Namared transports the group to the edge of the mountains BEYOND the Genie's Garden and they hike in from there. Namared takes the party in stages, leaving their surviving mounts behind in the oasis.
By the morning of the 15th of April, the heroes depart Kamar's djinni-created pavillion and head along the edge of the Sea of Salt. The first day passed without incident and it wasn't until the group made camp on the 17th that they met any resistance...
Ling was on watch when nearly a dozen hunting ogres crept up on the party's camp site and attacked. At first all seemed loss, for Sabuto was dropped by a lucky shot and Harbinder stunned herself. Ling took on four of the ogres, bathing them all in darkness. Isaac faced two and two more moved in to finish Sabuto. One struck at Subatai and two more nearly finished Harbinder. Amazingly, however, Flint was ignored, and he began casting spells...
Ling's assaults did little to hurt the ogres, so she drank her potion of storm giant strength, only to discover it was delusionary. Flint's magic missiles first seriously wounded an ogre, then he dodge their blows long enough to unleash a second volley that killed it. Isaac killed one ogre with his two-handed sword and then a second, just as Flint surged, transforming each of his magic missiles into mini fireballs that left his foe a smouldering outline of ash. And Ling's foes began to drop as well.
The ogres not fighting Ling fled. Subatai gave chase while Flint and Isaac went to check on Sabuto and Harbinder. Ling kept fighting, slowly wearing her foes down within her darkness while depriving them the opportunity to strike back. These ogres fled as well, but Ling took out one while Isaac struck down the other. Flint administered his potion of healing to Sabuto, saving his life. Ling then cast a cure light wounds spell to restore him to consciousness, casting a second such spell on Harbinder for the same effect.
Unfortunately, soon afterward, Isaac and Ling discovered Subatai's remains; the ogre he was fighting had turned on him and shattered his skull. The group tended their wounds, with Harbinder making the rounds to heal the group.
The next day, on the 18th, the group encountered a dao's head buried in the ground with the word "LIAR" branded on his head. The dao tried to convince the party to release him, but he let slip his crimes so they moved on.
The morning of the 19th, very early as the group just began to make progress, the Ling noticed a beautifully carved chess piece in the dirt at her feet. Looking carefully at it, she suddenly became the Black King as a chess board materialized out of nowhere. Although Ling's side was bare save her, the other side had a row of pale gnoll Pawns, bone-colored gargoyle Bishops, ghost-shaded huge scorpion Bishops, massive sandstone earth elemental Rooks, a light-skinned desert giantess Queen, and a powerfully-bult dao as King.
The dao spoke, saying, "you friends soul is mine, but I'm willng to offer you the chance to save her through a game of Genie Chess."
Sabuto entered the board as the King's Bishop. Isaac became the Queen. Flint took on the role of the Queen's Rook, while Harbinder became the Queen's Knight. And suddenly, more pieces appeared on the board as well...dark-skinned dwarven warriors for Pawns, a rock-hued sandling Queen's Bishop, an ebony-coated centaur King's Knight, and a deep brown eight-headed hydra King's Rook...
...and the dao-King laughed...