Underfed Returns! pt4

There's that dragon. Yes, the one and he same. It has arrived.

And it's coming down in the ditance from the caravan. It's presence, given what you endured earlier, is hardly a coincidence. The entire mission has, after all, been avoiding one set of horrific dangers after another.

From the caravan, one sees the guards on patrol cringing. They evidentally do not much like the dragon.

GAME: Victor casts Message. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15

Victor casts a quick spell. He points his hand in the direction they left K'nap and speaks in the faintest whispering. "K'nap," he begins. "The dragon appears to be from the Emporer, as is the elemental. We're are attempt to provoke them into attacking the caravan. You may want to begin withdrawing. If all goes well we may see you back at the fallen tower we found." He pauses for a frw moments. And then adds, "Good luck."

While the magic is being cast, Asmli simple waits. Magic is not his thing, so he turns back to watch the caravan with narrowed eyes.

There's a ploof of sand in the distance. Seems K'nap got the message.

A single soldier begins to walk away from the camp, heading out towards the dragon. He has a limp, it would appear.

Victor peeks the upper part if his head out from behind the sand dune and watches the figure. He tries not to move, other than his eyes.

The soldier continued to walk out towards the dragon, limp heavy. He stops dead a few dozen feet from the creature and then raises his arms up and starts speaking. The dragon leans forward and then proceeds to lunge forward and snatch up the soldier in its massive maw. It bites him in half.

GAME: Victor rolls perception: (4)+7: 11

GAME: Asmli rolls perception: (11)+4: 15

GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (6)+10: 16

Asmli is similarly crouched behind the sand dune, peeking up much as Victor does. When the dragon bites him in half, he .... -stares-. "That ... that ain't human," he whispers to the others. "It's ... still moving."

Edinaz crouches as well, wincing. "Walking dead things?" It's not really helpful speculation -- just speculation.

"If the guards are undead," Victor nods in agreement. "That would fit some of our theories." The party had oh so many theories, after all. "It may also mean the attack of a dragon would not be as catastrophic as we had hoped. Any members of the caravan it kills were virtually disposable to begin with."

Edinaz nods slowly. "It might mean, though, and they'll come apart easier next time." Ever the optimist.

"Maybe," Asmli mutters. "Don't like it. Dragon might give us our chance to strike, though."

The dragon bellows. It is not a happy sounding roar at all. It paws the ground. Slowy, another pair of soldiers begin to walk out, dragging a chest by a pair of chains.

Edinaz gestures towards the chest. "There. That looks ominous. Look at the chains."

GAME: Asmli rolls perception: (17)+4: 21

GAME: Edinaz rolls perception: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)

Victor nods slowly. "The elemental said the caravan would be given refuge, and referred to payment...but could the payment be something else? And the caravan will continue to their 'refuge' with the Agony Engine?"

GAME: Victor rolls perception: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)

Edinaz waves a hand vaguely at the caravan. "Is that refuge?" He's got /no/ idea, but hey, shiny scales on the dragon.

"Nah." Asmli is watching the caravan intently. "It's quiet in there. Too quiet. Don't think there are that many living in there. I'd say more dead than alive."

Victor says, "Then...it seems the only thing we can do might be to wait. If the dragon takes the chest and departs, we can later try to follow it."

The two guardsmen bend, carefully and unsteadily, and then proceed to open the chest.

Inside appears to be... gold? Gold and gems. From your vantange, you can see that. The drwagon is tilting its head. The fee is certainly kingly, given the density of coins inside. Dragons *are* fond of wealth, after all.

Edinaz nods slowly, hunkering down. "Okay." A little sigh. "Look at alll of that." Dreamy.

Victor turns his eyes slowly to peer at the wagons again. "It must still be in one of the wagons."

Asmli likes shiny things ,too, being the khazad that he is, and his eye is most definitely drawn. "Bribes," he murmurs. "What they want it to do? I ain't no diplomat, think we could convince it the attempt at a bribe's an insult?"

"How are we to get close? We can't fight a dragon. Or outrun it or sneak past it." Victor pauses "I died not too long ago. By fire. To creatures significantly less dangerous."

The dragon picks up the chest in its mouth and...

...swallows it.

Yes, it just *ate all that beautiful gold*. It flaps its wings once and then proceeds to speak the trade tongue, loud enough that its voice echoes.

"YOUR MASTER COWERS. I NOTE THE DISRESPECT. YOUR PAYMENT WILL SUFFICE... FOR NOW, BUT I HUNGER FOR... MORE THAN CHASING PHANTOMS AND BURNING YOUR FEARS ALIVE." It wings flap once and then it streaks into the sky, pulling one of the guards with it in its great talons and dropping him into the camp as he flies over it.

Well, if you *wanted* a distraction, you have one now.

Edinaz gestures, "Let's just go and find the things." He gets into a crouch, and starts hustling towards the wagons. Presumbly, people aren't looking at him.

GAME: Edinaz rolls athletics: (18)+6: 24

GAME: Victor rolls athletics: (10)+9: 19

GAME: Asmli rolls athletics: (15)+5: 20

They're distracted, yes, and so you take the moment to make a run for the caravan. Pasting yourself to the exterior of one of the wagons, you reach it in what feels like a very short space of time. You're at least past some of the outter guard rings, but it won't be long before you're noticed unless you push through between the wagons. Which you can do, of course. Between the wagons, you can now peer in to the camp. It looks... sandy, and dug in. From the exterior, you couldn't see it, but the wagons have surrounded what appears to be a pit in the center of them. Two skeletons are coming out of it right now, carrying large cloth sacks. Yes, skeletons, bones bleached white by the ever burning desert sun.

You can see the other signs of life in the camp, though. Guards on break, watching the less lively ones go about their patrolling business. SOme of them are playing dice, trying to stay busy. They don't look happy to be here. From the interior of nearby wagons, you can hear whispering. One wagon towards the opposite side of you appears more elaborate than the others. Suffice to say that, and the tarp over it, are likely the domain of the mummy, if he's not down the pit dug out in the center here.

GAME: Victor casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15

Edinaz focuses on the elaborate wagon, and looks over at Victor and Asmli. "I think we got to get there. Any good ideas?" Oh, spellcasting! He pauses briefly.

Victor murmurs in eldritch. His eyes begin to glow and then he looks at the elaborate wagon. He stares for a while and then gives a tiny shake of his head. Then he begins to pan his gaze across the area. He stops when he is looking at the pit in the center. He points in that direction.

Not being a magic user of any sort, Asmli looks between the other two, nodding when Victor indicates the middle.

From your position, you can see a couple of guards drag the crushed body of the guard inside. They...

... drag it to the pit and...

... to it down it.

Edinaz nods, cursing. "Of course it's the middle fucking pit." It's been a long trip. He's swearing. Drawing both swords, and holding them low. "Right."