Qadesh Conspiracy Reboot.

[TheRedStranger]

[As quick reminder all out character and rules/technical stuff will be in brackets.]

{All DM Exposition will be in Curly braces.}

In character narration will be written out in thoughtful prose with the best grammar as possible, like you were writing in a novel. I will give Inspiration to those who write their parts well and KEEP TO THE PAST TENSE. 
_____

https://youtu.be/ZeZL2R9jDJM

{You start your adventures upon a lowly traveling caravan. You all have been hired by an aging Half-elf named Adelia who is traveling from the green hills and lush forests of Celtivayne to the semi-arid and mountainous isthmus known as Hâr-wâdi-géshar. Adelia has all hired you to protect her caravan of goods and supplies for an outpost in the dead center of the trade route through this peculiar wilderness named Ardanth's Hope. The trade-colony of Ardanth is in need of vital supplies after stretching their resources after recent expansion. 

 None of you are merely here for guard duty as you travel through this spiny bridge between two worlds. You all are denizens of Celtivayne and are seeking out the Sunderlands for your own reasons. It is the continent all your combined ultimate destinations lie, the ancient land of Qadesh, the realm of grand monoliths, ancient culture, forgotten truths, and arcane treasures. What you all find on the way, what you seek if you succeed in reaching its blazing sands and vibrant oases, will be determined by the actions you choose to make, the sides you choose take. Qadesh's secrets, it's politics and intrigue, it's tombs and challenges, all await you obscured in the sands of time immemorial...}

Prologue - Trek through The Thorned Ring.

Mujammed felt the sting of sand as it whipped against the delicate ivory scales of her face. Her inner eye-lids instinctually blinked away the irritating grit and she let out an icy huff through her sun-scorched snout. She gave her pack-mule a spurring whip and egged it onwards to keep a steady pace whilst towing her covered carriage. She had been out here too long and her mouth was uncomfortably dry, the heat was taking its slow, gradual toll on this strange draconic traveler.

 It the caravan's fifth day on the road from the green forests and fields of Celtivayne and already the world had become a much more dusty place. The uneven mountains that lined the thin band of this land had a tendency to drink up the rain in uneven ways, arbitrarily allowing some showers to slip passed one moment only to greedily drink all a thunderhead's bounty during the next. To Mujha, an amature (but by all means talented) merchant by trade the rough, uneven mountainscape reminded her of a crooked tax-collector, one garnering tariffs without a solid standard. The wadis were either as water-glutted as a floodplain or as dessicated as a mummy's corpse. One would be easy to cross, a gradual depression of sand speckled with dry-rotted driftwood around easy inclines out and in on either side. The other would be a mucky mosquito-bogged marsh of clay where brackish water pooled after the waters stilled after a long rain. And others, swiftly transformed by a torrential flood, malformed into a rabid rip-tide whose only intent was dragging you to death downstream. 
 
 Truly this isthmus of Hâr-wâdí'géshar  (or the "Whip of Water and Fire" as sung by Celti bards of the northlands) was realm of harsh extremes, a tenuous, fickle ring of land that chained civilizations together and bound continents like joint and sinew. They had to press through this whip-like sprawl in spite of its caprice and treacherous wiles, keeping their eyes peeled for bandits and bad omens. But beyond trading trinkets, deep down,  the dragonkyn had a more personal goal, a driving muse, a grandiose aim that she would no longer be slaked by dreams or supressed by skeptics' demurres. She would she reach the heated sands of Qadesh, explore its history, culture, and ancient wonders, be a part of its conflict and chaos, and, just maybe, reap the wealth of its whirlwind. There was saying in her clan - Crisis is tinder, conflict is flint, when the spark alights those prepared find warmth, the foolish and flat-footed are burned.

She would be neither flat-footed or foolish... 

 As for the guarding adventurers by her side, unbeknownst to her, this caravan was also a means to an end. Adelia was a wizened half-breed, someone destined to always be in traveling and shifting between two states of being, both in her heart by way of her feet. As was the way with half-elfs, and in so being they made excellent guides through treacherous lands such as these. The adventures riding aside the ginger-haired half elf, her hair streaked with frost, and the ivory-scaled Dragonkyn, her eyes blue as sea-ice, were four in number. On point was an eleven maiden, hair fair, silvery chain-mail gleaming, under a emerald, white, and gold tunic. Her name was Hennethwen, initiate The Order of The Apostlí, the theocratic warriors of Byzhan, worshippers of the True-God.  To her left  was a another knight so it seems, hair ruddy orange like a sea-side citrus fruit. He was thick in stature with fuzzy sideburns, yet carried himself like man barely out of childhood. His youthful cerulean eyes swayed side to side in wonder at the high craggy mountain-ranges aside him. They stood ragged. Like the skeletons of two twin dragons, their deformed spines mirrored each other, hiding their adjacent coasts, making the land look infinite and imposing. Only the thick, battling thunder-clouds above those fractured peaks gave any evidence of the nearby waters. It was a constant battle in those shadows of the mountains for the nature of the land, soaked or barren. Each season the odds would change, each wind blown in favor of one or the other meant a lunging  flood or parrying  sandstorm.

 Unlike the Knights the other two adventures stood stalwart at the back flanks of the caravan. This third was a young half-elf mage, his hood obscured his amalgamate features and protected him from the sands and seering sun as he thumbed through his green and gilded leather spell book. The last besides Mujha and her trade partner was mercenary, yet another half-Elf, his burgundy and feathered caviler hat partially obscuring his pointed ears and golden eyes. His riding coat hiding his arsenal of weapons.  Though distinct, both were men of secrets. 

[Everyone make a Con check.]

[Wulfsbane]

[15]

Hennethwen, with one hand on her longsword, followed along with this caravan. "Kardeen, if it's not for a God, what do you fight for? It feels like you are just in it for personal satisfaction and not for the benefits of the people. To me it feels like you have no driving motivation to do what you do."

[Mike Arcade]

[Constitution Check: 14]

"It is however a fleeting belief." the scarlet haired young man retorted to the half-elf in the caviler hat "If you only put your value in gold then when it runs out you'll only be back where you started. Gold won't help you defend against an infernal daemon, only the protection of our god can do so." he turned to the elven maiden "Well, depending on who you believe in I suppose, she and I don't believe in the same god as you can tell."

[WarTraveller]

[Con Check: ...5. Dang it.]

Mujha groaned and growled as she pushed herself along, her boots protesting from the obnoxious softness of the sand below her, daring to give way and shift them enough to push her onto her backside. Even with her form and figure, with ice itself coursing through her veins just as much as her own blood, transversing this land was getting rougher and rougher as the grass began to vanish and the sand began to take its place. It was bad enough that she was suffering physically - tired, footsore, hungry and thirsty - but the bickering of those behind her was starting to take effect on her mind. All throughout the trip the various members of this caravan group had been chatting and arguing, over gods and gold, and Mujha had tried her best to remain out of it. But with the pack mule offering little intelligent communication, and herself slowly becoming more and more bored as the soft sights of before were replaced with vast quantities of nothing, Mujha sighed and turned to face them.

"Well..." she said with a tone of curiousness, walking backwards all the while, "Perhaps the gold could save him from a demon if he ran all of the way towards a weapon shop and purchased a sword. Or perhaps he could bless the gold with Holy Water, and eradicate the inferno that way..."

[ILOVEVHS]

[Rolled a 4...]

The whole time that this strange group has been traveling, Caleb just kept his face in a book, uninterested and frankly confused by any conversations that he overheard. Frankly, he didn't care about any treasures or discoviers that this journey was going to bring. He only came to keep an eye on his brother, Karden. At the very least, he also hoped to maybe find a lady friend that would suit his interests, but that hope had sank for now.

[TheRedStranger]

[Caleb and Mujha are feeling the start of the first level exhaustion. You will have a disadvantage on ability checks in three turns if you do not find water. Everyone else is spared from such. Everyone won Inspiration for great Roleplay! Reminder: Inspiration points are a gift from the DM for good playing; they let you reroll or roll with advantage (roll twice pick the highest).]

 The elderly half-elf rode on her albino camel in the midst of them, her comically overstuffed carriage protected by their swords and spells. She sighed ruefully and shook her head, patting the huffing camel as he plodded lazily along, towing every iron tool, pot, pan, and kick-knack strapped in tow all across the burgeoning carriage. "Now Vurtiz," she crooned as she wrangled her gloved fingers through the camel's pale fur, "be patient; we are nearly there. You can handle this heat better than all of us...I don't need your dry tongue to start bickering as well now - so shush..." The big beast snorted and gave a playful shake of his head as if in acceptance. She smiled in self-satisfaction at the camel, clearly happy that he at least was agreeable for this last stretch of the trip to Ardanth's Hope. She then cleared her throat aloud, gathering the group's attention. 

"Now folks," she assured them, "were nearly half way there. Let's not get to talkin' about religion and politics and the most thirsty stretch of the road. Someone is liable to start a nasty argument for no good reason. We best keep our eyes peeled an' such. And for goodness sake, stick to the roads...Weather has been bad enough leavin' the Byzhani-mountains. Last thing we need is to get lost in a sandstorm and it be sundown all because we were too busy jawin' an' croakin' about differences of opinion now. Am I right?"

{You can continue to you to talk and not heed her advise if you wish. It's all your choice. You notice the road is winding across a steep corner across a knobby hill patched with high dried out grass.}

[WarTraveller]

[Question: How much water do we have as a group?]

[TheRedStranger]

[You all had packed with you enough for ten days, ten gallons. However the heat has been hellacious and has doubled your water needs to two gallons each per day.  You are now running out. You each have a half gallon. This may stave off exhaustion for this later half of the day , but then you will need to find water immediately the next day.] 

{So what do you all want to do? Move onwards? Find water? Eat each other?Make sure to Roleplay your decision. XP}

 

[Wulfsbane]

"Ohh Karden, it's not that I do not have an issue with what you do. My argument is if you fight for a God or a Diety, they could tip the scales in your favor. Maybe even learn some new abilities to help you in combat. At least keep an open mind about it, you may learn something new as I may with you. But let us continue on. I do apologize m'lady." Hennethwen checks her waterskin and sees she does not have enough water for the next few days, not even enough for tomorrow. "I'm low on water, how is everyone else's water supply? We may have to ration or find a spring."

[Mike Arcade]

"I agree, it's best to stock up on Water now than later." Azrael peeked inside his own waterskin to see it a little more then half empty, if The Apostli follower is low whose to say anyone else is, or everyone for that matter? Even the Camel they ride could use some water if the need should arise. "I'd say we find the nearest oasis or spring as I'm low as well, we all could use more water especially our camel friend here just in case, better than drying up in any oncoming sandstorm or heat wave."

[ILOVEVHS]

For once, Caleb lifted his head from his reading, the trip thus far having taken a toll on him. "Yes...I agree with them...for some reason, my stamina isn't as plentiful as I'm used to it being. Does anyone have an idea where we could even find an oasis, though?" His eyes scanned the area for anything not completely covered in sand. At the same time, he put away his book, not wanting to risk it damaged by his sweat.

[TheRedStranger]

[Make a perception check, Caleb. D20 plus your Wisdom score, or your perception bonus if you have that skill checked on your sheet. ]

[WarTraveller]

"I do not know..." Mujha said at last, eyeing her own waterskin carefully, "Were this the lands of my home, I would know it like the back of my hand. But alas, I do not. I would be able to create new water via my own frost breath, but..." she eyed the travellers carefully, "I...very much doubt anyone would want to drink that."

Finally, her own thirst got the better of her. She openend and checked her own waterskin - just like everyone else, it was little more than half full. She did not care, downing the rest of the contents rapidly like a drunken fool would have downed a pint of Horsekick Ale. She sighed with satisfaction once the deed had been done...but already it was slowly being overtaken by the pounding guilt of having done the act.

"Right..." she sighed, "Oasis, okay...well, I am a merchant, of a merchant's guild. I am sure they have followed in the footsteps of others beyond them. Perhaps I have a map of this area on me somewhere..."

[Request Perception check to see if I remembered to bring a map...or if I have a map at all]

[TheRedStranger]

[Mujha's waterskin is now empty. It will stave off exhaustion for this half of the day. Okay. Go ahead and roll. If you work with Caleb with his roll I will give you advantage on the roll.]

[TheRedStranger]

9 minutes ago, TheRedStranger said:

[Caleb rolled a 19. Choose White over Black. Rolled 90 on chart.]

 As Mujha surveyed the land around them and spied for a map in her Mule's pack. Caleb's half-eleven ears, long and tapered  spied the sound of a sob about the hillside ahead of them, where the road curved about a flat taper between the hill's smooth leftward gradient and the eroded crest of a valley to their right. It was a faint, weak moan of a cry. It was feminine, and one of distress. In middle of her rummaging Mujha sensed her mule pause in mid stride, ears twitching. She then also heard the faint mewling sound over the wind. All the while the others were too on guard or preoccupied with their water skins to notice. Even the pals camel Vurtis was huffing and puffing, bending back his neck and moodly nipping up at Adelia's canteen. 

 "Oh, don't you complain, you spoiled overgrown child." The old half-elf chided the camel. "You have enough water in this ol' swag-back of yours to last you until we poor two-foots shrivel up like raisins. "Spoiled, spoiled!"

 Vutiz huffed, red-pink eyes blinking, almost as if pouting. His michevious animal eyes somewhat aside his ivory head took note of the two squire's ahead of him, fixating on their water skins about their belts...

{Okay. Perception check from Azriel and Hennethwhen.}

 

[Wulfsbane]

[19+3]

[WarTraveller]

[Okay, Perception Check: 11]

[Mike Arcade]

[Perception 16]

[TheRedStranger]

  As Adelia examined and measured the sun's height on the horizon with an outstretched palm, the camel took his chance. He peeled back his thick lips and furtively stretched his neck outwards. With flat teeth he quietly began to nuzzle at Hennethwhen's water-skin about her belt. However a small jingle over her chain-mail betrayed him to both the initiates.  Instantly he stared up with guilt eyes, at the elven maiden, as if to appeal for mercy. 

{Both Caleb and Mujha notice someone is possibly in distress down the hill as implied in my prose above. Either one can inform the party or not if they so choose.}

[ILOVEVHS]

Immedately as the sound hit his ears, Caleb listened intently, trying to make out what it was. It is clearly someone else unlucky enough to be traveling this desert, and whatever predicament they were in was clearly not good, but who was it? He spoke up, "Fellows...do any of you hear something? I thought I heard someone in peril..."

[Mike Arcade]

Azrael was tempted to take a sip from his waterskin, yet fought the urge to do so "Are you sure you hear something, could we be close to a small village or cottage that needs help. Adellia, would that be possible around here?" His chain mail jingled as he turned and tried to peer ahead, placing his hand on the hilt of his blade.

[TheRedStranger]

Adelia lowered her hand to her waist underneath her rider's overcoat, clutching a dagger hidden in her sash. "Big fellow, I have traveled this here road for many years and I have never known many to strike up a claim on the surrounding land longer enough to more than pitch a tent. This here son is nomad's land" She pulled Vurtis's reigns slightly to slow and soften his pace. As with his pace so followed her voice, hushing to a whisper. "There is ore in these here mountains, yes. Mine colonies to the right and left of us miles upon miles both ways. Outside of Ardanth's Hope I don't see much prospects on raisin' a family in a land so barren as this...Unless of course you plan to farm thisle-berry, feed your children silt-cactus juice,  and forge insects an' salamander-meat all their life, it's not a place of much bounty." 

[WarTraveller]

"...Well I like salamander meat..." Mujha shrugged, still rumaging for the map with no current success, "Perhaps we should check it out. After all, it could be a poor soul in need of help...or a fellow trader with water to spare."

[Wulfsbane]

Hennethwen pet the camel as an act of forgiveness, but motioned that she was keeping an eye on him. Turning back towards the party, Hennethwen gazed around the landscape. "Three of us should go to investigate the sounds of distress. We should keep at least two of us by this caravan in case this is some elaborate ruse for an ambush." She peered over her companions. "They may provide us with some info in the area or the location of some fresh, drinkable water."

[TheRedStranger]

{Okay. Hennethwhen has proposed  a troop movement across the curve of the hill. How would you all like to approach?}

[WarTraveller]

"I can lead the flank," Mujha said, moving out of the carrige, "I can't find the map and my frostr powers can stop any threat in my way. Who wants to join me?"

[ILOVEVHS]

Caleb stepped up from the caravan, standing beside Mujha. "I will volunteer to go too. If it is a person in danger, I want to help, besides, it's something for me to actually do. Anyone else?" He looked towards his brothen. "Karden, would you be willing to come with us both? I know for a fact you have experience to handle such a thing... " 

"As long as you're not alone." He thought to himself. Caleb is slightly too protective towards any family of his.

[TheRedStranger]

[Hennethwen/Ben is going to stay with the old tradeswoman and Vurtiz as he is currently driving from my house from vacation in Kentucky back to boring ol' Massachusetts. I will roll for him in the meantime.  Mujha is on the left front flank closest to the hill. Claeb is on the right. Karden is in the middle behind them a ways. This makes a sort of upside down triangle.]

{Mike/Azreal. What would you like to do? Go with the scouting group? Or hang back and guard the caravan?}

 

[Mike Arcade]

"I'll stay with Adelia and Hennethwen to keep guard, best to have some numbers in case some wayward bandits try to flank us." Azrael turns and pats the camel on his head "Isn't that right Vurtiz".

[TheRedStranger]

Vurtiz huffed and craned his long neck to nuzzle the man's smooth cheek. The camel then lightly nibbled his ruddy side burns as if to make sure they were not some off-color patch of delictable rare grass. He then took a trusting step closer to the Paladin and licked the sweat off his face.

"He likes you, Azreal." Adelia chuckled, amused at the display. She peeled away her googles and began to clean them with a cotton cloth. Her eyes were an unnatural elven shade, vivid emerald green lined with silver like the first frost of a Celtivayne autumn. Their deep color contrasted with this dry, dusty, and sun-bleached steppe. "He's usually not as quick to trust. Must sense something good in you, young man. We will follow your lead then. I recommend you stand point and Hennethwhen guard the rear. I and my old useless self will stay of course in the center." She gave them an only half-hearted, rueful smile at this bit of self-deprication. "It will be the full spectrum man, mâr, and the mess in between. Speaking of which..."

 She turned and nodded to Karden. "Keep the dragonkyn safe an watch that absent-minded brother of yours. If he was as admant about bows as he was books then he'd might be at less of risk to have an arrow in his back, but sadly you're going to have ta lend'm one of your eyes."

 {I will give you guys an opportunity to respond if you wish. Or you can choose to head out and you will see what's across the corner. *Grins impishly.*}

 

[ILOVEVHS]

Caleb heard her speaking to Karden, turning his head to speak. "I resent that. We don't know what's even there, why would I not pay attention to something like this?" He looked a bit agitated, like someone poked a small bruise on his body.

[WarTraveller]

"Alright, enough bantering..." Mujha said, reaching into her scabbard and pulling out her trusty-and-rusty longsword, "Let us see what this is all about..."

[TheRedStranger]

 

https://youtu.be/v99pX8dj8XA

 

 

 

Adelia nodded.  "Luck be with you. Don't be too paranoid now, Mujha dear. Don't go slicing off a fellow guildsmen's head." 

 

  With those words of warning the party split into two. The forward group, consisting of an inverted triangle.  Mujha at the left face of the hill, Caleb at the right edge of the road, and Karden centered at the rear. The group approached the bend of the hill with caution, as ready for action as the bolt loaded in Karden's crossbow. Dust whipped around them as they could see over the the sprawling, craggy, sandstone cliff-side to dust-swept and rocky hills below. The hill to their left, a mountain now weathered and broken by time, almost shadowed the afternoon sun. It's light hovered at its ragged peak like a fowl trying to pull free from sinking deep into the jaws of some old snaggle-toothed predator... It was then that the party heard the shrill cry of what seemed to be vultures in the distant sky. They were circling the aged mountain and the weathered and winding road, lazily drifting on hot currents of dirty wind, patiently waiting as if for even them to die in this withering realm. 

 

 The feminine moan they once heard repeated itself, more breathy but shrill. As if aware of their presence. As they turned slowly about the bend, the hillside slid back from view like an earthy curtain to reveal a toppled and smouldering carriage slightly tottering on the edge of cliff-face . One of its wheels idly spinning. A single stallion laid still on its side nearby, still tethered by its reigns... Approaching this scene, the sun finally slipped behind the craggy peak of the once-mountain just enough to shade them all in dark, yet altogether unsettling coolness. A wind blew their way, brining with it the faint mouldering stink of freshly lingering death. 

 

{What would you like to do?}

 

[WarTraveller]

"By the gods..." Mujha gasped as she studied the fallen and damaged carriage, "What happened here? What caused this destruction?"

[Wulfsbane]

[I'm back so I'll take charge again when it's time]

[TheRedStranger]

4 hours ago, WarTraveller said:

"By the gods..." Mujha gasped as she studied the fallen and damaged carriage, "What happened here? What caused this destruction?"

[Would you all like to make a perception or certain skill check to investigate? Describe how and what you do and I will give advantage and disadvantage accordingly.]

{You all keep your formation as you approach. Your planning has served you with a boon to your protection. Remember you all have Inspiration to use as a reroll for your good writing.}

 Mujha inner frost coursed cold as her heart stilled and stuttered in beat at the sight. So engrossing was the scene splayed before the party  that only the two paladins uphill from the forward eschelon of the now divided caravan heard a second curious sound. The fast uneven patter of foot steps from behind and a voice, shrill and breathless, panting. 

 

 

[WarTraveller]

[I pick a Perception/Wisdom roll: 11 + 1]

"Well...this is going to be an interesting sort of day..." Mujha said, unaware of the sound playing behind her - even if she was close enough, which she wasn't, it would be drowned out by the course winds, "I will search the wreckage. Even if we do not find survivors, we may find some extra supplies for our journey. Perhaps find some interesting items to trade. Not something I enjoy in a moral sense, but...needs must. Caleb," She turned to the Half-Elf, "Keep guard and make sure if there is anything out there, it does not get past us. And Karden? Search a bit further beyond the perimeter. If anyone did survive this crash and managed to crawl away, they could be seeking shelter nearby."

[TheRedStranger]

{Okay I need Caleb to make a Perception check as well. Or Investigation if he would like to check the wreckage rather than listen to Mujha's orders. The carriage is tossed over. 

{Mujha, would you like to open the door to the tossed over carriage?}

[ILOVEVHS]

[11. + 2 is 13, correct?]

"Understood." Caleb started on the opposite side of where Karden is, and scanned the horizons around the area for anything, hostile or otherwise.

[TheRedStranger]

[Mood music]

As Karden glared underneath the shaded brim of his hat he spied a trickle of blood, then another, then another, all trailing down the steep embankment. His tipped ears caught a faint sound on the wind, something akin to a human sigh below him. Upon the ears of his twin, Caleb, lay only the sounds of the vulture above his hooded head. The creature trailed the weathered mountain to his side as if intent to perch there and stare down at them. Mujha's findings were however all the more immediate... As she reached her hand to the carriage door, her snout was overwhelmed with the scent of death. A small door from the back of the long carriage began to latch open, out of it toppled a gagging, robed woman, her head covered in a black headress, her face pale, one eye bruised black as if struck. Her thin lines about her face and a silver-streaked tangle through her black bangs showed the early signs of aging. The human woman gibbered under her breath and on her knees, coughing and gagging.

"There is nothing here for you if you are scavengers... " Croaked the women finally in the common-tongue through her chapped lips, her accent thick. "My carriage has already been picked by the vultures, the two-legged kind." She sobbed, but it was a dusty thing, dry, tearless. She stayed on her knees, heaving... "Leave if you wish to take. There is nothing but half a life to steal. D-do...you have water?"