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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tormenet" data-source="post: 1638700" data-attributes="member: 15690">The Tadu attack and the plot grows complicatedAfter a few minutes, Brother Ismail stopped at one of the goat-tracks that led into the mountains surrounding the Shar Jehna.  He turned and faced Cato; the two knew each other well from their work at the Sanctum.“This trail widens a short distance from here,” Ismail said.  “At the far end you will see two narrow tracks. Anyone coming along them will not be from our town. Stay there until either the sun rises or I return.  Understood?”  Cato nodded and motioned for the others to follow.The sun was setting as they were entering the southern end of a gorge. It was about two hundred feet long. At the north end, forming a “Y” with the gorge, were the tracks the group was charged with guarding.  Along the gorge’s western side, about forty feet up a cliff face, ran another track. Thirty feet short of the left hand track, conveniently large enough to conceal a man, was a swelling of rock. About midway up the gorge a natural pillar of stone jutted upwards.  Several of the low thorny scrub bushes common in the Sind Killer Mountains struggled for existence on the gorge’s floor.Splitting up, the inexperienced warriors placed themselves where they felt best.  Corum Hazar spent a few moments climbing the stone pillar and went prone with his crossbow.  Volgar Dost found a spot behind the swelling of rock where he could see the right and left hand trails.  Ending up between the two, Ajax crouched down almost in the open.  Behind them all Cato stood watching.The setting sun was slowly replaced by a gloriously bright moon.The stars were wheeling past the middle part of the night when, from the direction of Shar Jehna, Corum began hearing the sounds of fighting.  Glancing that way, the student wizard saw the distance suddenly flash bright and then go dark.    Ajax ventured forward placing himself just next to where the left-hand trail met the gorge. He crouched into the shadows.From his hiding spot atop the rock pillar, Corum saw movement in the trails.     Coming down the left-hand trail were two Tadu warriors.  Both carried spears.  Two more men- who obviously saw Ajax’s exposed back- were emerging from the trail on the right.  One of them, who had two dogs on leashes, shouted a warning to his fellows.  Then, smiling, the Tadu dropped the leashes.  The dogs, however, fiercely stood their ground. Smile evaporating, the man cursed the animals.Snapping his head toward the shouted warning, Ajax saw the Tadus emerging from the right-hand trail. One sprinted toward him.  At the same time, the two at his front began jabbing at him with their spears.Corum hurled a cantrip at the dogs. Just before the beasts’ muzzles, ethereal lights started flashing in and out of existence.  Deciding this was the reason their master was cursing them they attacked the foul lights with abandon.  Behind them, the Tadu dog handler’s vulgarities went up in pitch.Rushing forward to aid Ajax, Volgar spotted two more Tadu warriors in the trail behind his companion’s assailants.  Clearly visible around one’s neck was a trinket exactly matching that worn by Cato.  Another of Avasara’s servants was joining the fight.  Seeing Cato, the Tadu dog handler gave up on the fool animals and sprang into action.  He ran forward to one of the low, scrub bushes and aimed a crossbow at the rock Cato was using as shelter.  If Cato emerged, he was to be impaled by a bolt.Amazed, Corum realized that none of the attackers had noticed him.  Aiming his crossbow at the man who was stalking Cato, he saw a clear shot.  However, Corum’s bolt missed so badly the man remained unaware that he was under attack.  Working in tandem, Ajax and Volgar were quickly gaining the upper hand over their foes.  Two lay sprawled on the ground already.  Volgar now found himself confronting the young Tadu cleric.  Like most Duranni, he had a great respect for those who served the Creator. Slashing, Volgar hoped the man’s death would be quick.Knowing he was being stalked, Cato popped his head out from behind the rock, wincing in anticipation of violent impact.  Instead, the Tadu cursed as his weapon fouled.  The man then jumped as a crossbow bolt sank into the ground between his feet.Up on his perch, Corum hissed and reloaded.Control of this fight was now definitely in the companion’s hands.Bloodied, Ajax sank his short sword deep into the last remaining Tadu to his front. The man sighed heavily and dropped to the ground.The dogs finally ceased their fruitless attacks on Corum’s lights.  As one, they seemed to spot Cato and they rushed toward this new foe at breakneck speed.  Confident now that his first summoning was so effective, Corum reached out for anatmiya, the purest primal energy from which all matter derives, and pulled forth more of the present reality’s vigor. A small rodent appeared on the gorge floor and sped toward the Tadu with the broken crossbow.  Where bolts failed the beast succeeded. The man fell dead after being raked by the creature’s claws.Now only the dogs remained.  They had Cato fighting for his life, back against the rock.  Volgar, Corum’s summoning, and a well placed rump shot from Corum’s crossbow quickly resolved the cleric’s predicament.Seeing the situation well in hand, Ajax turned to begin looting the bodies.  To his mind, the blood seeping down his side entitled him to first pickings.By chance, his eyes strayed to the high trail running along the gorge’s western wall.There, face impassive as stone, lurked a humanoid form. The stranger was wearing a simple pair of gray pants and sleeveless shirt.  Each arm was covered in heavy black tattoos.“There’s someone on the upper trail,” Ajax called out.The others all turned, each feeling that they were being coldly assessed.A loud boom rumbled in from the east as the fighting there reached its peak. Corum’s summoning scurried toward the humanoid.  The stranger snapped his arm and something sped toward the rodent.  The impact drove the creature back several feet and, at the end of its tumble, it lay bloody and still before fading back into unreality.The stranger then made a quick gesture and stepped back, deftly melding into what little shadow there was on the ledge.At the gesture, Cato crashed to the ground—white foam spewing from his mouth.  At the same time, Ajax cried out in alarm as the figure he was looting reached out for his throat.</blockquote>

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