[IC]Shadow over Stygia

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:35 pm

"She's seven feet tall and several hundred pounds, and it's not entirely unlikely that she is a snake woman like the other concubines were. Even if she is not, she can defend herself by falling over. My women will see to her. If her continued existence becomes a problem, we will deal with it."

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:54 pm

"Fine. We should still make a copy of the map, and she's getting the same amount of food the rest of us do."

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:57 pm

"Of course."

Nebuchadnezzar · Post by **Nebuchadnezzar** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:45 pm

"Gentlemen, I think we can dismiss the second choice out of hand. To follow a map without perspective into the desert in hopes of a series of obelisques showing us the way out is tantamount to suicide. There is something to be said for the ruin of Mogul, particularly if time is of the essence. The pilgrimage route is the one most likely to be taken by Kasetshuset and his retinue, which we wouldn't want to approach from the road and have to somehow overtake.

My vote is that we head for the Hill of Black Sorcery."

Whipstitch · Post by **Whipstitch** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 10:06 pm

Isandro folds his arms "I'd sooner wed an aurochs. If you think that map is bad, then you've never seen what passes for a Shemite nautical chart. Landmarks may be lost to time, but tunnels collapse."

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 10:58 pm

"The Hill of Black Sorcery? There aren't many things in this world I don't like, but elevated positions, darkness, and wizards are three of those things. I fancy keeping my soul in my chest."

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 1:36 pm

While you are discussing the route, Karanthes and his boy have vanished. Ajula and his Kushites wait patiently, several of the men whistling and making appreciative jokes when they catch sight of Nekka.

Nebuchadnezzar · Post by **Nebuchadnezzar** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:36 pm

"So, is anyone opposed to the old pilgrimage route, then?"

Kurama314 · Post by **Kurama314** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:12 pm

"The old pilgrimage sounds like the best option to me. If Kasetshuset is taking it as well then it could be for the best. We'd know where he was and there could be an opportunity to harass and cripple his expedition. Provided of course that he and his retinue don't kill us."

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 4:58 am

"Let's get moving. We don't want Atty to catch up to us and his favourite hippopotamus."

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:46 pm

The First Night
Having reached general consensus to use the old pilgrimage route, your small caravan of camels and horses sets off. Ajula orders his Kushites around the caravan, to ward off bandits or other threats; he seems uninterested in where they are going, but glad enough to leave Kheshatta behind him. His men, meanwhile, treat Nekka as a goddess come amongst them, and now and then you hear them whisper and address her as Derketa-welo.

After perhaps ten miles, as the stars start to fade and the sky brightens, you see a small ugly, twin-headed stone effigy by the side of the road. According to the map, this is the marker, and you leave the road, heading into the open desert.

Behind you the Jackal's Gate is a small rectangle of gray stone, but at its base you make out several flashes and dust - the sign of a troop of armored men.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 4:22 pm

"Well, that could be a problem. We should make efforts to hide our tracks, and if worst comes to worst lay an ambush."

Kurama314 · Post by **Kurama314** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 4:52 am

"Hopefully it's unrelated but I doubt it, we did anger someone quite powerful. I agree with Karlus, we should try and disguise our tracks."

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 3:05 pm

"I'm not much of a country man, so I'm open to ideas of how to do that."

Kurama314 · Post by **Kurama314** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 7:48 pm

"Yeah, I've spent my life in cities and at sea so I have no idea."

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:54 pm

"The Kushites can help disguise our tracks, if need be."

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:33 am

"How many armored men are in pursuit of us?" While we're searching for the temple it seems inevitable that they will catch up, I'd rather face them on grounds of our own choosing"

Whipstitch · Post by **Whipstitch** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:20 am

(I know some Southern Islander and Black Coast, which are apparently linguistic cousins to Kushite, is that enough to have any idea what Derketa-welo means?)

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:40 am

(It's the Kushite name for an aspect of Derketo, goddess of death that is associated with fertility and rebirth. She is normally portrayed as a large, rotund pale woman.)

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:23 am

Ajula rides up next to you, shading his eyes against the sun. "Sixty men in armor, and servants behind them. Perhaps a hundred in all. The private army of some city prince, not some Stygian army on parade. With our animals we can outdistance them across the sands, but we will have to push hard, for they can march longer and on less water. I would not like to meet them at dusk at an oasis."

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:19 am

"That sounds good to me. If we can do that and disguise our tracks as well, I'd imagine it'd stymie them a good bit."

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:01 am

"They'll also be able to see the dust clouds that we'll throw up. Perhaps we should attempt to travel by night."

Nebuchadnezzar · Post by **Nebuchadnezzar** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:50 pm

Since his companions are discussing countertracking, Neb. advises those on foot to wrap cloth around their sandals, so as to soften the edges of their footprints, as well as to travel from smallest to largest in one rank in hopes of disguising their numbers. He however puts more stock in a quick appeal to Shu, the Withered One of the desert air, to express his exasperation at having to hold his children apart less they would copulate by huffing a bit. He also calls upon the three-fold sun gods Khepra/Harakht/Ehtum to shine particularly fiercely, to demonstrate the foolishness of wearing armor in the desert.

"We should ride hard in hopes of outdistancing them. Should we have to engage the longer we can put it off the better chances of sun-sickness affecting the armored troops."

(How many people don't have mounts at this point? I figure Ajula's men, the six of us, and Nekka are mounted, and the 13 servants aren't?)

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:16 pm

(The Ibis worshippers provided a dozen camels loaded with food, water, and tents, and four mules with additional miscellaneous supplies that some of the servants could ride if they wished.)

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:11 am

"I didn't want to say this, but perhaps we should dismiss these servants. They can't fight, can't ride, can't survive in the deserts and won't be of much use beyond a few hungry mouths to feed, and even then if we can't find mounts for them they'll do nothing but slow us down."