Post by David on Sept 16, 2005 14:29:03 GMT -5
The heroes spent the night of the 1st in the Oasis of Talv. There, they were treated to the hospitality of the local people. While eating, however, the heroes saw many stars fall from the sky and the whole of the heavens twist and wobble.
The party made its way deeper into the desert, following the wadi toward the last oasis before the Genie's Garden and Al-Anwahr. The second day out in the late afternoon, four spiders nearly as big across as a man is tall lept out of hidden alcoves in the sand. No one was seriously wounded save Flint's horse. Indeed, one of the camels was bitten but completely shook off the spider's toxin.
While Flint and Ling dealt with the poisons in Sabuto's body, the party was suddenly surprised by four, then six, then eight thri-kree. The bugmen charged, hurling their crystalline throwing wedges. Subatai shot an arrow back, but the thri-kree merely batted the missing out of the sky.
The heroes were immediately sore-pressed. In the first few moments of combat, both Isaac and Sabuto were bitten and both began salivating and losing control of their bodies quite quickly. Harbinder managed to mentally stun half of the bugmen, but paid for her psionic assault by also being bitten. Soon it was only Flint and the now-surrounded Ling still fighting. Things looked bleak.
Subatai rode in, using Ling's heavy warhorse to crush one thri-kree and save Sabuto. And miraculously, two that Harbinder assaulted mentally dropped but did not stand again. Subatai lead the charger to trample these bodies one by one as Ling kept the attention of the three remaining bugmen. Slowly, Subatai's steed and scimitar strokes reduced the thri-kree to a greenish paste. Unfortunately, Ling was bitten twice more in that interval. Instead of battling blindly, however, Ling used a slow poison to defer the toxin until after the battle. Harbinder, meanwhile, attacked one or another fighting bugman in turn, erasing their memories and scrambling their perceptions.
With only four enemies left, Sabuto managed to stumble back to his feet. He delivered a pair of coup de grace in rapid succession, only to then discover he was slowly bleeding to death... Flint moved to help him, just as Subatai lead Ling's charge to help her. In a few more moments, there was just a single thri-kree left standing. Badly wounded, it fled into the desert.
The party took stock of their injuries and tended the wounded. No one died, although Toranaga, Sabuto's new hippogriff, was mortally wounded from internal hemorrhaging and dying slowly. The heroes made camp, dragging the bug bodies away.
In the morning of the 4th, things seemed more hopeful. In the middle of the night, Harbinder had used her mental powers to heal nearly everyone back to full strength. With the light of dawn, she arose and managed to stabilize Toranaga's condition enough to travel. The hippogriff would survive...
The next few days passed uneventfully as the party made their way toward the next oasis...
The party made its way deeper into the desert, following the wadi toward the last oasis before the Genie's Garden and Al-Anwahr. The second day out in the late afternoon, four spiders nearly as big across as a man is tall lept out of hidden alcoves in the sand. No one was seriously wounded save Flint's horse. Indeed, one of the camels was bitten but completely shook off the spider's toxin.
While Flint and Ling dealt with the poisons in Sabuto's body, the party was suddenly surprised by four, then six, then eight thri-kree. The bugmen charged, hurling their crystalline throwing wedges. Subatai shot an arrow back, but the thri-kree merely batted the missing out of the sky.
The heroes were immediately sore-pressed. In the first few moments of combat, both Isaac and Sabuto were bitten and both began salivating and losing control of their bodies quite quickly. Harbinder managed to mentally stun half of the bugmen, but paid for her psionic assault by also being bitten. Soon it was only Flint and the now-surrounded Ling still fighting. Things looked bleak.
Subatai rode in, using Ling's heavy warhorse to crush one thri-kree and save Sabuto. And miraculously, two that Harbinder assaulted mentally dropped but did not stand again. Subatai lead the charger to trample these bodies one by one as Ling kept the attention of the three remaining bugmen. Slowly, Subatai's steed and scimitar strokes reduced the thri-kree to a greenish paste. Unfortunately, Ling was bitten twice more in that interval. Instead of battling blindly, however, Ling used a slow poison to defer the toxin until after the battle. Harbinder, meanwhile, attacked one or another fighting bugman in turn, erasing their memories and scrambling their perceptions.
With only four enemies left, Sabuto managed to stumble back to his feet. He delivered a pair of coup de grace in rapid succession, only to then discover he was slowly bleeding to death... Flint moved to help him, just as Subatai lead Ling's charge to help her. In a few more moments, there was just a single thri-kree left standing. Badly wounded, it fled into the desert.
The party took stock of their injuries and tended the wounded. No one died, although Toranaga, Sabuto's new hippogriff, was mortally wounded from internal hemorrhaging and dying slowly. The heroes made camp, dragging the bug bodies away.
In the morning of the 4th, things seemed more hopeful. In the middle of the night, Harbinder had used her mental powers to heal nearly everyone back to full strength. With the light of dawn, she arose and managed to stabilize Toranaga's condition enough to travel. The hippogriff would survive...
The next few days passed uneventfully as the party made their way toward the next oasis...
