Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Trench's Legacy of Fire (A Ptolus Gestalt): The Trouble With Pugwampis (Updated 1/27)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Trench" data-source="post: 6031965" data-attributes="member: 40464"><p>Abud bows deeply and his hand touches his heart, mouth and forehead. "We hear and obey, mistress."</p><p></p><p>Jadid nods. "Well I see no use in waiting further."</p><p></p><p>Dima says nothing in the corner. Chasing jackal rats? hardly what she came out here for. She sighs internally as Abud commits them all to a wild Bustard chase, and follows as they leave the tent.</p><p></p><p>Gerber empties his cup with a sigh and sticks his head outside the tent to toss the cup back to the mercenaries before pulling back in. </p><p></p><p>"I'm ready." It's not clear he understands where the group is going or what they're doing.</p><p></p><p>"We are to collect jackal rats for her. They may have started the fire." Jadid says in Imperial.</p><p></p><p>Gerber frowns, closing his eyes and nodding. "That's about the only thing I'm suited for these days, I suppose."</p><p></p><p>The night is dark and eerily silent as the six walk out toward beyond the edge of the camp. Strange sound bristle in the night. </p><p></p><p>They come upon Dashki kneeling down on the ground, pawing at it and snuffling. "Small tracks. Seems there's a goat as well. See here? It's been led-" </p><p></p><p>Dashki turns and sees the whole group assembled behind him. His hand goes to his scimitar and he growls.</p><p></p><p>"Don't be foolish,” Jadid says. “Almah sent us to find the creatures with you."</p><p></p><p>"I'm not a fool!" Dashki snaps at Jadid. </p><p></p><p>"Yes, yes, yes...” Abud says. “Pugwampis....little devils messing up things...can you track them?"</p><p></p><p>"Yes I CAN track them,” Dashki spits. “There's goat hoof-prints here. And they were pulled. See the smaller tracks next to it?" </p><p></p><p>Indeed, in the dim light from the camp's torches, the party can see obvious animal tracks leading away from the camp. </p><p></p><p>"It goes into the night. We'll need light. Unless any of you can see in the dark," Dashki sneers.</p><p></p><p><em>"Did you set the fire back there?"</em> Gerber asks Dashki.</p><p></p><p>"What is he babbling about?" Dashki cocks a thumb at the northern knight.</p><p></p><p>Gerber sees the confusion on the man's face and tries again in broken Uraqi. "The burnings of you did place, did not you?"</p><p></p><p>Dashki's face darkens. "No! I had nothing to do with the fire you stupid foreign swine. A thousand d*cks in your religion!" </p><p></p><p><em>"Khara beek, muti!"</em> Gerber tries to swear back. Unsuccessfully.</p><p></p><p>"Enough,” Jadid snorts. “Who has a light?"</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Dima looks down to see her familiar has finally made an appearance, a lizard clamped firmly between its teeth.</p><p></p><p>"Kashif, you clever little fox!" she coos quietly to him while everyone else argues, scratching lightly at the ruff of his neck in praise. Then she looks back to to the tracks. <em>Kashif, smell, sniff! Can you follow these?</em></p><p></p><p>Kashif paws at the ground and sniffs experimentally. <em>Stinks. This way.</em> The desert fox bounds off into the night.</p><p></p><p>"Let their prejudices and offenses roll off your back Dashki,” Mahjub says. “The important thing is that you've been given a task by Almah herself, one she will be pleased to have fulfilled," Mahjub says with a smile and a wink. "A pugwampi she wants, and a pugwampi we shall deliver to her. As to your earlier question, I am able to see in low light conditions. I assume it would be in our favor to approach pugwampis in darkness, yes?"</p><p></p><p>"They can see in the dark better than any of us," Dashki says, darting an angry look toward Gerber. "But it could help. I can't see in the dark," Dashki says sullenly.</p><p></p><p>"Hrm," Mahjub emits. "Well, we need you to track them Dashki, it's as simple as that. Light it is."</p><p></p><p>"When you're all ready..." Dima interrupts from a short distance away in the darkness, "... the trail leads this way." She walks off following her fennec. </p><p></p><p><em>Stay close my friend. The stink might be something nasty.</em></p><p></p><p>After fifteen minutes or so, Dima suddenly crouches to let Kashif run back to her arms and up to her shoulders. </p><p></p><p>"Gentlemen, I believe the goat is very close by, and something has my familiar a little nervous. Perhaps our pugwampis?" </p><p></p><p><em>My brave little Kashif, well done! Could you smell many?</em></p><p></p><p>Kashif rubs his nose against Dima. <em>Goat stink. Sharpy plants</em></p><p></p><p>"Pugwampis," Abu’l the imam snorts. "Ignorant peasant superstition, meant to cover up for the thieving ways of nomad children."</p><p></p><p>Jadid grunts. "Oh, yes, invisible creatures of light who created us all, that is easy to believe. But creatures you can actually see, oh, they must not exist."</p><p></p><p>"I can see unruly children just fine."</p><p></p><p>"The rest of us cannot see,” Jadid waves to the darkness ahead of them. “At some point, that might be to our disadvantage. And I would wonder what children you saw at the camp that no one else did. Was it a gift from your imaginary benefactor?"</p><p></p><p>Dima sighs loudly this time in obvious irritation. She detaches her hooded lantern from her pack, makes sure the oil is full, and lights it. "Something small made those tracks around the goat. And they didn't look like human footprints. You want to stop bickering and get on with it?"</p><p></p><p>The desert night is quiet as the group tramps through, feeling almost unbearably loud given the silence. Occasionally, there is a rustle and Dima's lamp whirls toward the source of the sound- only to see a nocturnal desert lizard scurrying under a cactus or a jack rabbit hurtling away as Kashif darts after it. The backs of everyone's necks are prickly and their shoulders are tense for seemingly no reason, as if they expect the worst. The pesh cactuses begin to cluster together as they walk and Kashif leads them down the trail the fox has found. </p><p></p><p>A cry pierces the night.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Trench, post: 6031965, member: 40464"] Abud bows deeply and his hand touches his heart, mouth and forehead. "We hear and obey, mistress." Jadid nods. "Well I see no use in waiting further." Dima says nothing in the corner. Chasing jackal rats? hardly what she came out here for. She sighs internally as Abud commits them all to a wild Bustard chase, and follows as they leave the tent. Gerber empties his cup with a sigh and sticks his head outside the tent to toss the cup back to the mercenaries before pulling back in. "I'm ready." It's not clear he understands where the group is going or what they're doing. "We are to collect jackal rats for her. They may have started the fire." Jadid says in Imperial. Gerber frowns, closing his eyes and nodding. "That's about the only thing I'm suited for these days, I suppose." The night is dark and eerily silent as the six walk out toward beyond the edge of the camp. Strange sound bristle in the night. They come upon Dashki kneeling down on the ground, pawing at it and snuffling. "Small tracks. Seems there's a goat as well. See here? It's been led-" Dashki turns and sees the whole group assembled behind him. His hand goes to his scimitar and he growls. "Don't be foolish,” Jadid says. “Almah sent us to find the creatures with you." "I'm not a fool!" Dashki snaps at Jadid. "Yes, yes, yes...” Abud says. “Pugwampis....little devils messing up things...can you track them?" "Yes I CAN track them,” Dashki spits. “There's goat hoof-prints here. And they were pulled. See the smaller tracks next to it?" Indeed, in the dim light from the camp's torches, the party can see obvious animal tracks leading away from the camp. "It goes into the night. We'll need light. Unless any of you can see in the dark," Dashki sneers. [i]"Did you set the fire back there?"[/i] Gerber asks Dashki. "What is he babbling about?" Dashki cocks a thumb at the northern knight. Gerber sees the confusion on the man's face and tries again in broken Uraqi. "The burnings of you did place, did not you?" Dashki's face darkens. "No! I had nothing to do with the fire you stupid foreign swine. A thousand d*cks in your religion!" [i]"Khara beek, muti!"[/i] Gerber tries to swear back. Unsuccessfully. "Enough,” Jadid snorts. “Who has a light?" Meanwhile, Dima looks down to see her familiar has finally made an appearance, a lizard clamped firmly between its teeth. "Kashif, you clever little fox!" she coos quietly to him while everyone else argues, scratching lightly at the ruff of his neck in praise. Then she looks back to to the tracks. [i]Kashif, smell, sniff! Can you follow these?[/i] Kashif paws at the ground and sniffs experimentally. [i]Stinks. This way.[/i] The desert fox bounds off into the night. "Let their prejudices and offenses roll off your back Dashki,” Mahjub says. “The important thing is that you've been given a task by Almah herself, one she will be pleased to have fulfilled," Mahjub says with a smile and a wink. "A pugwampi she wants, and a pugwampi we shall deliver to her. As to your earlier question, I am able to see in low light conditions. I assume it would be in our favor to approach pugwampis in darkness, yes?" "They can see in the dark better than any of us," Dashki says, darting an angry look toward Gerber. "But it could help. I can't see in the dark," Dashki says sullenly. "Hrm," Mahjub emits. "Well, we need you to track them Dashki, it's as simple as that. Light it is." "When you're all ready..." Dima interrupts from a short distance away in the darkness, "... the trail leads this way." She walks off following her fennec. [i]Stay close my friend. The stink might be something nasty.[/i] After fifteen minutes or so, Dima suddenly crouches to let Kashif run back to her arms and up to her shoulders. "Gentlemen, I believe the goat is very close by, and something has my familiar a little nervous. Perhaps our pugwampis?" [i]My brave little Kashif, well done! Could you smell many?[/i] Kashif rubs his nose against Dima. [i]Goat stink. Sharpy plants[/i] "Pugwampis," Abu’l the imam snorts. "Ignorant peasant superstition, meant to cover up for the thieving ways of nomad children." Jadid grunts. "Oh, yes, invisible creatures of light who created us all, that is easy to believe. But creatures you can actually see, oh, they must not exist." "I can see unruly children just fine." "The rest of us cannot see,” Jadid waves to the darkness ahead of them. “At some point, that might be to our disadvantage. And I would wonder what children you saw at the camp that no one else did. Was it a gift from your imaginary benefactor?" Dima sighs loudly this time in obvious irritation. She detaches her hooded lantern from her pack, makes sure the oil is full, and lights it. "Something small made those tracks around the goat. And they didn't look like human footprints. You want to stop bickering and get on with it?" The desert night is quiet as the group tramps through, feeling almost unbearably loud given the silence. Occasionally, there is a rustle and Dima's lamp whirls toward the source of the sound- only to see a nocturnal desert lizard scurrying under a cactus or a jack rabbit hurtling away as Kashif darts after it. The backs of everyone's necks are prickly and their shoulders are tense for seemingly no reason, as if they expect the worst. The pesh cactuses begin to cluster together as they walk and Kashif leads them down the trail the fox has found. A cry pierces the night. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Trench's Legacy of Fire (A Ptolus Gestalt): The Trouble With Pugwampis (Updated 1/27)
Top