"We've been here a few times, but always hearin' noises coming from further in. This is where we found the coins before, though we're certain there's more."
(Make an investigation check for me :) )
(First roll of the day literally a Nat 20)
You glance around at the canyon walls, your sharpened senses taking in all the details. You notice old carvings, faded away from centuries of wind and sun. Kicking your feet through the sand on the ground you hear a clink. Picking up what you kicked, you find another faded coin that matches Irok's.
You see cracks along the walls to your left. They appear to whistle as if a wind is blowing through them. An entrance is apparently further ahead, but... you can't help but think these also connect to some inner caverns.
Atriox approaches what he thinks is a side passage in and feels it with one of his hands. After a more careful examination he whistles to the rest
“I think I found something.....a second way in.”
Rark and Kiz come over to look at the wall with you. They examine what you've found in detail and Kiz smiles.
"This could work in our favor... what's your idea?"
Atriox thinks on it still feel the wall
“With our combined weight together we might be able to break some of this away.”
The others look at each other and laugh. "Sounds good!" They rush up, as small as they are, and wait for your signal.
(With advantage got 24 strength)
With your superior size and strength, both natural and supernatural, you head the assault on the wall with your companions. Claws dig into the fractured rock and sandstone, and with a strong slam from all of you at once a part of the wall gives way.
The crumbing pieces shower over the small gnolls around you. Gyzz and Gazz cackle with elation. The hole is now big enough for them, but a tight squeeze for you.
(Nat 19 acrobatics )
You exhale deeply, forcing your body through as best you can. It's horridly tight but at least smooth. The gnolls see your attempt and try to help, pushing and tugging a you to get you through the rest of the way.
Finally you land on the other side, stumbling into the darkness as your eyes adjust. Your feet clink on small coins littering the tunnel you're in.
It seems like something or someone tried moving the treasure here... perhaps multiple times...
Kiz, Gyz, Gazz, Irok and Rark follow leaving the mother, pup and grandfather to watch the wagons.
Irok comes up beside you, tugging on your arm. "Listen, you can hear the sounds of the beasts deeper in."
The more you try to focus, the more sound you hear. It's very echoy in these chambers, like a spiderweb of tunnels where sound reverberates every which way. The breathing of some creature, or creatures, is distinct. Almost like snores; draconic, loud and grizzly.
Atriox looks at them all
“ if it indeed is some sort of dragon kind the first option is not to fight it you hear me ? The first thing to do is access the situation and then I’ll talk to it. Now let’s do this “
They look at each other, finding the thought ridiculous but keeping it to themselves. The boys look ready to laugh but the sister growls low to shut them up.
Rark nods. "Understood. We're right behind you."
You make your way down the primary tunnel, following the sounds as best you can. It's difficult with the echoing.
(Make a check of your choice to try to navigate the tunnels, and feel free to explain why xD I wanna leave this skill challenge up to your creativity)
(You need to succeed at 3 out of 5 checks to find the right "exit".... each skill check you use needs to be a different skill)
Atriox looks around examining all the different tunnels to see which one has been used the most by the creature within
(Investigation 17
(success 1)
Although each tunnel shows scratches and gouges from strange draconic claws, a smaller tunnel off to the left looks freshest. The dusty sand hasn't settled into the cracks as well, and you lead the gnolls in that direction.
(Next skill of your choice!)
Atriox bends down low in the tunnel using his knowledge of dragon kind to find any clues and which way the beasts home is
(Insight 14+3)
(Success 2!)
You figure the creature you're hunting is close to the treasure, as dragons tend to be. Coins continue to litter the floor. The sounds still come from every direction, like a multitude of enemies surrounding you. The gnolls are definitely jumpy, hands on their weapons and trying to keep to their word to not attack.
It feels warmer further in. That also seems likely for these sorts of beings you're hunting... You press onward, straight down the next tunnel.
(Next skill of your choice)
Atriox uses all his senses to his advantage to continue guiding the way
(Perception raw 19)
(3 in a row... you win xD)
You sense movement in the darkness ahead of you. A clanking, clinking noise as coins are jostled along the floor. A scraping of claws and a large tail.
Gazz can't help but let out a small whine in terror. He can sense it too and backs away slightly, tripping into his brother.
Atriox growls lowly
“Steady yourselves. Fear will not help you. Stay calm, stay in control, and you’ll see the end of this “
(14 persuasion)
Atriox forges onward
You step forward and suddenly the movement stops. All is quiet. Dark. You see a room full of treasure--strange artifacts, coins and material littered about. It's not as large as Tyranus' hoard, but it is still sizable and ancient.
A growling comes from the corner. Eyes light up the room.
(Make a Dexterity Save for me XD)
(14)
A massive shape leaps from the darkness, slamming you to the floor. All the wind is knocked from your stomach, your bones and muscles aching horridly after the trouble you've been having the last several days. This did not help at all.
Looking up you see the gaping maw of a rather sizable draconian like beast. Made of rough rock-like armor and plates, it had no wings but instead short, powerful limbs. It's stomach glows blue in the darkness, contrasting the sandstone color of its back and head. Beady eyes watch you hungrily, looking a little confused that you yourself are dragon-like.
Atriox growls a lift bit at the pain and the being on top of him. He switches to Draconic even though the gnulls won’t understand him
“Stop......Stop. We wish you no harm and would rather not fight.”
The felldrake lifts its head, mouth closing. It stares down in curiosity at you with a low, jittering gurgle. Then it looks over at the gnolls. Its mouth opens again in hunger. A thick saliva drips from its teeth. There is no attempt to respond back, but you get the feeling it understood you.
Atriox nods and continues in draconic
“I know you understand me. I was truthfully not expecting to find any of my brethren here. Spose I should have know better. How about you calm down and let me up eh ?”
(Roll.... animal handling check for me)
(16)
It whines slightly chomping its jaws. Backing off of you, you can finally breathe. The sand dragon winds its way around the room again, sniffing and growling, burrowing its face in the piles of coin as it goes.
Atriox gets up and stretches his sore body. Afterwards he motions for the gnulls to back up for a bit and leave it to him
Atriox approaches the dragon slowly and calmly before bending on one knee and continues to try and calm it
“Hello there. Your a magnificent specimen of dragon kind. Are you all alone down here ?”
Its head pops up from metal, sniffing and snorting in a pleased manner. Chomping its teeth again it merely looks around. There is certainly no one else here, but the echoes of is movement bounce from wall to wall like a dozen others.
Head to tail its likely at least ten feet in length, but without rearing back it only stands three to four feet from the ground. Compared to the gnolls he'd be a massive opponent, but to you...
Atriox smiles at the beast as it it acts somewhat silly. He grunts some steam and then pats the ground in front of him
“Say how about you come over here and I throw a proposition your way ? You like treasure ? Well I got more where this game from.”
It snorts, sniffing its way over to you as if smelling for treasure on your person. It looks interested for sure. The gnolls peek in from the entryway, completely intrigued by what you're doing.
Atriox chuckles a little and holds his hand up slowly
“I won’t hurt you. I swear it on our shared blood.”
Hoping it believes him he begins to scratch it behind its ears an under its head gently
“I have a lot of treasure of my own. And me friends came here for this treasure as well. Now seeing as you were her first I don’t just want to take it so how about this. We let them take a little of it for there trouble and the rest here we’ll add to my horde. You like treasure don’t you ? We’ll if you come with me you’ll have plenty of it to bury your head in and sleep on. How’s that sound ? Plus you won’t be alone anymore.”
You look around and see that, despite the piles of coppers and silvers lining the corners, there is an abundance of items. Old tapestries, strange scroll cases, boxes of strange figurines... It was definitely the remains of an old civilization, all gathered here by this little monster.
The little dragon snuffs your hand, pushing its face into it. Almost bowling you over, but in a friendly way. It seems to like the idea.
The gnolls don't seem to argue much with what you're doing, seeing as you've somehow magically tamed the beast they thought they'd have to fight tooth and nail with.
Atriox scratches it some more with a happy smile
“Alright then you’re coming with me ! But no eating anybody.....yet. Now I have to go speak with those fur balls over there. Get ready to leave.....in whatever way you do that.”
Atriox awkwardly gets up and heads over to the gnulls to talk
They laugh and jump on you as you approach, like a gladiator after a fight.
"That was amazing!"
"So it's going to leave?"
"Now what?"
"Is there an easier way out?"
Atriox snickers at there excitement and questions
“ Yes it’s leaving.....with me. I’ve talked it into coming along on my journey. Now friends it’s time we haggle our terms of the treasure. Now I’m not gonna bullshit you. I know from my short time with you that you all value honesty.Seeing as I’m the one who guided you in here and talked this out without a fight I’ll be taking the biggest share. I’m willing to give you guys 15% of the Gold. Once I’ve arranged the items I may gift you some of the items through out this horde.”
Atriox holds up his hand to stem any comment
“I’m not done. I have an offer for you all as well. How attached are you to the Komodori ? Would you ever leave ?”
Each of them has a different mix of looks on their faces about the share of the cuts. But at the second question they glance at one another with uncertainty.
"It's what we know. Never been anywhere else." Irok cautiously speaks up for the others, used to being their voice. "Why do you ask?"
Atriox looks at him directly
“Because you and your family showed me kindness that’s why. You saved me. I don’t care your specific reasons for doing it. You seem like honorable warriors who live to hard day to day. I am offering you the same chance I offer many. Come with me, live more fulfilling lives. There’s opportunity for all of you.”
Surprise is evident on his face. The brothers whisper excitedly to one another. Rark looks skeptical but Irok shrugs.
"I can... Speak with my mate when we meet with her again? It is true these lands have become more dangerous..."
"But familiar. We know how to manage." His brother mutters.
Kiz glances between them. "Why not? We could return later if we choose. Couldn't we?"
Irok laughs. "Let me consider your kind offer. It's... Difficult to pass up. What is this Arkoshia like?"
Atriox nods
“ fair enough. And my homeland is definitely more temperate than this but my mountain kingdom can accommodate just about anyone I believe. And if you think this is a lot of gold my friends you haven’t seen anything.”
The boys gicker under their breaths with excitement.
"I see..." Irok chuckles, scratching his neck again. "You're a funny fellow. I'm glad we didn't eat you."
Chewing on his tongue, he thinks for a minute longer. "Well......... I suppose we would be stupid not to accept." He reaches up to shake your hand with his paw and a snaggletoothed smirk.
"You are very kind, Atriox."
Atriox chuckles while shaking his hand
“What happened to asking your mate ?”
Kiz cackles very unlady-like.
"If ma found out he'd hesitated on an offer like that, she'd skin him."
Irok snorts and shrugs in agreement.
Atriox just simply laughs throwing his head back
****
****Meanwhile...****
"Idiot...!"
Bonebreaker Dorokor stomps across the ship deck practically leaping from the railing. The sun burns her eyes and makes her skin crack but she could care less.
A sailor who saw her land from such a height rushes over to see if she's alright. With a swift shove, she knocks him out of her way right into the water.
"All idiots..."
She scans the docks and the coastline... Looking for a ship, a boat, whatever she can find that would get her to the mainland.
She'd almost taken Tak up on his offer as a meal... Except she didn't want to get drunk off his gamey, alcohol-ridden blood. Not to mention this was the first time she'd completely lost her appetite.
She'd given him quite a thumping for his stupidity, and was honestly surprised the pitiful little whelp didn't die from it. She would have snapped his neck except for a shred of pity thinking of Atriox.
There wasn't any way he'd been felled by some... insect. The vampire, the dragonborn, housing some kind of dark curse, something that kept him alive beyond even vampiric supernatural means... there was no way he could be dead.
...Could it?
She hissed viciously as the thought invaded her mind, killing it. The last few times she'd been around Atriox were awkward at best. Bitter and uncomfortable if she were honest... She still didn't know how to feel about everything that's happened, especially given the circumstances now. But honestly at this point... none of that mattered.
"I'm going to find that moron... Alive." She mutters under her breath. "And then I'm going to kill him myself." She snarls, seeing only red. There was no way she'd admit she was worried. She willingly let her anger overwhelm her to mask it.
"...Idiot..."
Down near the far side of the docks Kora spots a boat that fits her liking. It would do well enough for one person.... Two, later. She cared not who it belonged to. It was hers now. Damned be anyone who tried to stop her.
She kneels to untie it. But before her hands can finish undoing the knot, her mind and body seize up. A wand is pressed roughly against her spine. She is suddenly paralyzed, like a gripping hand is squeezing her.
A seething, deep, dangerous voice whispers in her ear.
"Why... Hello Bonebreaker. Been waitin' for you."
****
*small time skip*
The gnolls help Atriox find the main entrance, clearing away fallen rubble before they start hauling out the goods. It's amazing how quickly they work. As small as they are, they definitely have stamina.
Irok laughs with Lurth as he explains the circumstances. She's obviously happy with his choice and you're sure Kiz wasn't wrong. The brothers have fun goofing off, playing with the old battered crown they found along with capes made from old tapestries.
At one point there is a mad scramble of terror as they accidentally activate a magical item. A large elephant appears between them, almost squishing them underfoot. It trumpeted, looking around placidly, before Rark figured out how to reduce it back into a figurine. For the next several hours the boys couldn't stop laughing and crying in delight at their brush with death.
It takes most of the afternoon to pack everything up, and in the cool breeze of evening you make your way out of the canyon.
Everyone is quite happy and excited, laughing and singing songs. The grandpa, bumping along in the back of one of the carts, sits up straight and whistles.
All their ears perk up and they look out along the rocks, bathed in dusk. Skittering movement stirs the sand nearby. Kiz gets a evil grin on her face.
"Mind joining us for one last hunt here, Atriox? We have some traditions I'll be missing."
Atriox looks at her curiosly
“Ohhh and what’s that ?”
The sand dragon comes up beside you and bumps your hand with its head roughly as if for a pet. Kiz snickers.
"Scorpions. Venom is great for coating weapons. Fun to try to avoid. Then we roast their heads and legs til they pop over the fire."
Her brothers jump up on the carts to get a better view. They pull out their own spears and bows with utter joy on their faces, licking their lips.
Atriox chuckles while petting his new friend
“ I think I’ll pass but thank you I’m honored. This brutal desert has taken it’s toll on me. But I’ll help with the fire after ?”
Atriox gives her a mischievous grin
The carts speed up, Rark and Irok pulling with all their might to keep up the momentum; their vibrations being what attracted the scorpions in the first place.
The kids howl with laughter, leaping from their positions and rushing across the sand. Weapons on their backs or in their mouths, they transition to running on all fours like feral animals. You've never seen someone run as fast as Kiz can.
Scorpions start crawling out from the rocks--not at all the size you'd expected. Like everything else here they seem huge--at least a few feet across, some even bigger than that. Their carapaces gleam emerald in the light. Kiz slams the glaive down into the sand, vaulting over the scorpions in the front before swinging it around and snapping all their legs.
Her brothers yip and jump around two different insects, dodging the stings with great dexterity. Their eyes gleam in the moonlight, teeth snarling in delight. A mighty contrast to their silly demeanor that morning, they are most definitely fearsome hunters with years under their belts to show for it.
After several minutes they catch up to you and the others near the bottom of the hill, hauling the carcasses behind them by the tails. Panting and elated they all celebrate with a renewed course of baying.
"Fire for the feast?" One of the brothers chuckles, his mouth and face covered in gore. You can only assume he pinned his and killed it with a bite from his jaws.
Atriox chuckles
“Get some wood and then I’ll light it. This is gonna be one hell of a fire .”
He licks his lips and rushes with his brother to not only just get you wood, but to tear down an entire tree--a scraggly dead one nearby. Marked as the sacrifice, the boys are on it in an instant.
Now crashed to pieces on the desert floor they bow like court jesters. "How does this entertain the lord?"
Atriox dismisses then with a wave
“Smart asses the lot of ya. I’ll show you something.”
Atriox concentrates for a moment and then opens his maw and unleashes a torrent of draconic flames upon the tree
They jump back in surprise, completely elated. The fire reaches up, crackling and popping as it devours the impossibly dry wood. Yipping and howling continues all around you, their shadows dancing like imps across the ground. It reminds you of the first night you saw them.
After some preparation and rather disgusting show of the carcasses popping and oozing, Irok walks over and hands you a cooked scorpion leg. It's the size of a king crab leg and absolutely massive. The kids are cracking and sucking the meat out of them like ravenous little wolves.
"Care to join us?" He chuckles, his eyes gleaming in the light.
Atriox holds a hand up
“No but thank you Irok. I do appreciate it. Once I would have gladly accepted it..... before...well”
Atriox flashes his red eyes in the night to show what he means
“But perhaps my friend over there would like it.”
Atriox takes it over to the Sand Dragon and talks in Draconic
“Here boy would you like this ?”
The drake sniffs it, mouth open and snorting the smell. A large flat tongue flicks out and wraps around it, crunching it in its jaws.
It begins shuffling against you, sniffing and snorting for more. It headbutts you in the leg and almost knocks you down.
Atriox stumbles back chuckling
“Woah boy easy there I don’t know if there’s more where that came from”
He snorts before wanders to the fire, burying his face in the coals and pulling out a roasted scorpion head. Within seconds he crunches it open, green boiling brains oozing out.
The small Tut squeals in delight, clapping his paws together. Gyzz stares open mouthed. "Coooool!!"
The night continues on merrily for hours. As the fire dies out, the stars take over and light the expansive wastes.
It's early before dawn when the gnolls scramble up, growling. It wakes you from your doze.
"Someone is here..." Kiz whines angrily, drawing the broken glaive.
A loud, piercing whistle echoes across the sky causing them all to cry out and cover their ears. Once it reaches its pinnacle...
KABOOM!
A large flash of writing covers the sky in rather fancy, scrawling, pink cursive:
"Where are you, dipshit?!"
Atriox holds his drawn sword out at the ready. He’s almost certain they’re referring to him but he’s cautious
“Who goes there ?!”
The boys leap up and rush off toward the cliffs, sniffing and howling as they go.
As they disappear around the corner there's a shriek and a clang of steel as swords meet, a shout, lastly followed a loud yelp.
"Atriox?!" You recognize the voice instantly. It's Dahlia.
Atriox growls and rolls his eyes. To the gnulls he yells
“It’s alright guy’s she’s a friend. Stand down please.”
Atriox goes and looks where her voice came from his sword over one shoulder
As you approach you find not only Dahlia but also Gogrog, his own sword drawn and holding back the two gnolls.
As soon as she sees you she rushes forward, tackling you in a hug and bursting into tears. "You really are alive!! Oh gods above!"
In her hand is a fizzling wand and in the other, a crudely drawn map.
Gogrog sighs and steps back, sheathing his weapon. The gnolls scramble away, gawking and cackling at everything as if it was the funniest thing on the planet.
Atriox embraces Dahlia and let’s her work out her emotions. After a minute he pulls her back a little bit
“And just how did you find me ?”
Dahlia steadies her shaky breath and smiles. "Um, well, I uh..." she glances at Gogrog who just shrugs, eyeing the gnolls gathered nearby.
"I heard what happened--what everyone thought happened, anyway... Um..." She shakes her head as if she still can't believe it.
"I knew alive or not, you had a work to do. So I hoped at least to recover your things, if not give you a proper burial."
Gogrog wanders over. "Weren't tryin a lot. Saw your flames from a distance. She insisted we come tonight."
Atriox grunts
“Yes I suppose I wasn’t hiding very well. Come everybody let us return to said fire”
They oblige and the gnolls rekindle the fire, warming you all against the chill. Dahlia can't stop holding your hand, amazed still that you're alive.
"We camped near the shore... Gogrog was insistent that the night was too dangerous here. We were to look for you in the morning. But the light from the flames in the distance... I just knew..."
She leans forward, kissing your hand and bowing her head as if once more in thankful prayer.
"Oh!" She sits up, embarrassed. "I'm sorry about the writing! I didn't know--"
Dahlia hides her face again both aghast and humored.
"Oxious made some wands for emergencies. If people were lost, boats were too far, or... I'm not sure... I just grabbed one... He called them signal flares."
Atriox grunts and rolls his eyes
“Yep that sounds like Oxious alright. Well thank you for coming to find me. The thought is appreciated from both of you and thank you for defending Dahlia Gorog. Now let me introduce you to my new friends who’s saved me and who are joint our little expedition.”
Atriox goes pointing and introducing everybody who’s around the fire
The gnolls are more than thrilled. In the time following, the boys play with the spent wand like wizards, Rark sits with Gogrog and talks about the old days of Komodori, and Dahlia asks Irok a million questions as to his medicine techniques.
As dawn approaches, the caravan heads back to the sea.
The boat there is a perfect size, moored just off the coast with a half dozen kobolds guarding it.
At your approach there is a wild chatter followed by squeals and yips of delight. A few literally jump from the side and swim to greet you, like a ghost from beyond the grave.
Atriox laughs and waves at them. Though he won’t admit it he’s happy that they clearly missed him
****
****Meanwhile....****
"Why do you care, Tanarukk?"
Kora's voice is hoarse and cracking, her hands bound above her head in the dark basement. She winces again as for the umpteenth time, a trickle of holy water burning its way down her bare back. It hangs above her in a bloated sack.
"I can't explain why. But I've always cared, Bonebreaker." A massive orc sits across from her on a chair, twirling a stolen wand around. It's hardly bigger than a twig in his hands... unlike the massive, serrated greatsword on his back.
His eyes harden with a look alone that could kill. "But despite that, you left us. You led the others away. To slaughter your OWN CLAN on the battlefield! And for what?"
She coughs against the bile in her throat, the recent vomit on the floor a testament to her body's rejection of what he'd force fed her already.
"I was TRYING to save the clan you bastard! That necromancer used our brother's flesh in his experiment shit! I'm sure you saw that!"
Tanarukk stands, shrugging his heavily tattooed arms. "A job is a job. We've always known that." He snorts through his heavily pierced nose. "We aren't afraid of sacrifices."
"Screw you."
He walks around her, taking her in. "And look what happened... You'd been caught up in some stupid scheme. Swayed to help the humans. All those lesser beasts." The orc stops in front of her for a moment, looking with disgust at her bruised stomach. "Half-bred trash..."
"...And if it wasn't for Shagrol, I wouldn't have known at all where you were leaving to."
She grimaces, another drip scalding her spine. She at least had the satisfaction of watching Atriox burn that rat alive on her ship. Tanarukk walks to a shredded painting on the wall, a landscape of the Freetown coastline.
"I thought I'd lost you, Bonebreaker. Especially when our ship wrecked off the coast from those monsters.... ah, but what am I saying..."
He walks forward, taking her chin in his hand and forcing a hard kiss on her. "When I heard about those mutilated piss-ants on the island north of here, I knew." He grins, kissing her passionately again against her will. "I knew it was you. Broken arms. Shattered skulls. Aaah... Sounded just like the old days, sweetheart."
She tries to bite him but he just laughs. Coldly. All her fangs are gone, pulled and discarded across the ground.
"And now that I've found you again..." He grunts, grabbing her neck. "I'm going to fix this stupid curse on you. It obviously skews your judgment." With his other hand he forces a vial in her mouth, holy water pouring down her throat. Her eyes flare bright red as she struggles, gagging. He clasps her mouth shut but it doesn't help-- just like before, everything comes back up again. He steps back, irritated, and hits her across the face.
"I don't know why you're resisting... You'll thank me later." He backs away, heading for the stairs. The sounds of orcs in the room above merrymaking and whoring are just barely muffled.
Tanarukk sneers as he exits. "I've missed you, Dorokor."
Kora spits at him. "Go f*** yourself."
He laughs and slams the door.
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