Post by David on Aug 12, 2005 11:46:33 GMT -5
After driving off the vishap, the heroes decided to first track the creature, but then realized they would never be able to overtake it and were having a seriously difficult time even following the creature's trail. Instead, they headed back to the fortress in order to find a desert scout or ranger. Arriving shortly after midday, the heroes explained the situation to Commander Faroul and tended to their wounds. The Commander assigned two of his best scouts to accompany the heroes, Ari and Shareena. Together, the group returned to the wizard's tower and followed the vishaps trail.
For the desert hunters, it was easy to follow the prints some four miles, to nearby hills. There, the heroes discovered a massive cavern with a chasm at the inside opening. Chloe and Sabuto hopped over and began to investigate while Herrod and Shareena stripped off their armor. Then a voice spoke to them, asking what they were doing and who they were. The voice was deep, gravely, and inhuman, taking strange intereste in Isaac. Herrod and Shareena got their armor off and leapt the pit, Herrod pressing forward to find the voice.
Just then, the voice cried out "Ghish! Attack!" and TWO vishap struck at the party -- a huge one invisibily pouncing on Herrod while a smaller, wounded one leapt at Isaac and Flint. Within an instant Herrod was down. The creature then turned on Sabuto. With a flick of its tail, it struck at Shareena and Ling. Somehow, miraculously, Isaac avoided serious injury from the smaller one and managed to score a serious slash across the creature's flank. Sabuto, Ling, and Shareena attacked the larger vishap, wounding it too. Deciding discretion the better part of valor, both creatures fled. Sabuto, Shareena, and Ling chased the larger one, but it brought the cavern down on them with a tail flick and escaped.
The heroes searched the lair, discovering a huge wealth of treasure, including lamellar armor, scrolls, vials of perfume, and vast sums of coins. The party gathered what they could and headed back, first opening the magic scrolls and testing the perfume. Unfortunately, Isaac, Flint, and Sabuto fell in love with Harbinder! Oy
The group returned to the fortress (Harbinder took a bath) to rest and recover. Commander Faroul gave the group three light warhorses in order to run down the beasts.
The morning of the 24th, the heroes set out again, lookng for vishap tracks at the lair. In the process, the group also discovered that the vishap had cleaned out the lair. Unfortunately, the trackers could find no trace of the beasts. Then Ling suggested looking for coins. Sure enough, the heroes found a few scattered about, enough to deduce that the vishap had taken the time to lick up their own blood as best they could.
Following the trail, the heroes came to an apparently deserted oasis. The trackers mentioned that this one should be inhabited. When the party entered, they discovered the truth; the entire community had been murdered, apparently while asleep!
The group set about looking for the monsters. Meanwhile, the heroes left their horses with Ari, outside the oasis. Within minutes, they heard the sound of scared horses bolting. Racing back, the group found Ari's head and foot, as well as the three slaughtered light war horses. Ling, using her detect magic spell was able to spy the pouncing vishap before it was able to slaughter the party as in leapt invisibly among them. Ling attempted to use her martial skill to hurl the charging dragon, but was instead thrown to the ground herself. The creature oriented on Sabuto, flicking its tail at Shareena, Flint, Isaac, and Ling's fallen form. The lashing caused serious injury, most of all to Ling's prone form. Harbinder and Flint tended to Ling, pulling her from the battle and administering a potion of extra-healing. Meanwhile, the heroes counter attacked!
Again wounded, the vishap fled. Flint and a recovering Ling tended to one of the warhorses, restoring it enough to ride. Ling, followed by Sabuto, Flint, and Harbinder, rode after the fleeing vishap. The monster turned itself invisible again, but Ling found it and attacked. It fought back, wounding Ling further (only the potion of extra-healing allowed the priestess to fight, much less move!). From horseback Flint attemtped to magic missile the beast, but his spell bounced off the creatures hide to become a pair of strange mud-like creatures. Finally Sabuto arrived, finishing the "desert dragon" off with a single, kiaied blow!
For the desert hunters, it was easy to follow the prints some four miles, to nearby hills. There, the heroes discovered a massive cavern with a chasm at the inside opening. Chloe and Sabuto hopped over and began to investigate while Herrod and Shareena stripped off their armor. Then a voice spoke to them, asking what they were doing and who they were. The voice was deep, gravely, and inhuman, taking strange intereste in Isaac. Herrod and Shareena got their armor off and leapt the pit, Herrod pressing forward to find the voice.
Just then, the voice cried out "Ghish! Attack!" and TWO vishap struck at the party -- a huge one invisibily pouncing on Herrod while a smaller, wounded one leapt at Isaac and Flint. Within an instant Herrod was down. The creature then turned on Sabuto. With a flick of its tail, it struck at Shareena and Ling. Somehow, miraculously, Isaac avoided serious injury from the smaller one and managed to score a serious slash across the creature's flank. Sabuto, Ling, and Shareena attacked the larger vishap, wounding it too. Deciding discretion the better part of valor, both creatures fled. Sabuto, Shareena, and Ling chased the larger one, but it brought the cavern down on them with a tail flick and escaped.
The heroes searched the lair, discovering a huge wealth of treasure, including lamellar armor, scrolls, vials of perfume, and vast sums of coins. The party gathered what they could and headed back, first opening the magic scrolls and testing the perfume. Unfortunately, Isaac, Flint, and Sabuto fell in love with Harbinder! Oy
The group returned to the fortress (Harbinder took a bath) to rest and recover. Commander Faroul gave the group three light warhorses in order to run down the beasts.
The morning of the 24th, the heroes set out again, lookng for vishap tracks at the lair. In the process, the group also discovered that the vishap had cleaned out the lair. Unfortunately, the trackers could find no trace of the beasts. Then Ling suggested looking for coins. Sure enough, the heroes found a few scattered about, enough to deduce that the vishap had taken the time to lick up their own blood as best they could.
Following the trail, the heroes came to an apparently deserted oasis. The trackers mentioned that this one should be inhabited. When the party entered, they discovered the truth; the entire community had been murdered, apparently while asleep!
The group set about looking for the monsters. Meanwhile, the heroes left their horses with Ari, outside the oasis. Within minutes, they heard the sound of scared horses bolting. Racing back, the group found Ari's head and foot, as well as the three slaughtered light war horses. Ling, using her detect magic spell was able to spy the pouncing vishap before it was able to slaughter the party as in leapt invisibly among them. Ling attempted to use her martial skill to hurl the charging dragon, but was instead thrown to the ground herself. The creature oriented on Sabuto, flicking its tail at Shareena, Flint, Isaac, and Ling's fallen form. The lashing caused serious injury, most of all to Ling's prone form. Harbinder and Flint tended to Ling, pulling her from the battle and administering a potion of extra-healing. Meanwhile, the heroes counter attacked!
Again wounded, the vishap fled. Flint and a recovering Ling tended to one of the warhorses, restoring it enough to ride. Ling, followed by Sabuto, Flint, and Harbinder, rode after the fleeing vishap. The monster turned itself invisible again, but Ling found it and attacked. It fought back, wounding Ling further (only the potion of extra-healing allowed the priestess to fight, much less move!). From horseback Flint attemtped to magic missile the beast, but his spell bounced off the creatures hide to become a pair of strange mud-like creatures. Finally Sabuto arrived, finishing the "desert dragon" off with a single, kiaied blow!
Glad to see no one was killed...sounded pretty dicey there for a while!