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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jabba Von Hutt" data-source="post: 5208026" data-attributes="member: 291">This post may contain spoilers beware.For those interested in the setup and intro to this season I'm copying the following from the encounters group page. The 6 pre-gens are:1) Phye - Human Enlightened Ardent2) Barcan - Human Cosmic Sorceror3) Jarvix - Tiefling Telepathic Psion4) Castri - Elf Marauder Ranger5) Shikirr - Thir-kreen Quick Battlemind6) Yuka -  Mul Brawling Fighter  Altaruk is a small merchant village. It is maintained by three merchant houses (Wavir, Rees, Tomblador) and is heavily fortified (15' wall, 500 mercenaries armed with mekillot-hide shields, wooden lances, daggers of sharpened bone). A powerful Preserver commands the warriors, named Arisphistaneles. Because of this, the Veiled Alliance is openly tolerated in Altaruk. Altaruk is regularly attacked by giants wading in from the Sea of Silt. The village has been rebuilt after these raids.  The veiled Alliance have sent written orders for Jarvix and Barcan to join a caravan to Tyr and ascertain the situation there following the death of the Sorcerer-king Kalak, Barcan's sister and adventuring partner Phye is accompanying them. They approach the Caravan master Duicann and attain a spot in the caravan using letters of credit in the orders from the Veiled alliance.  Castri, Shikirr and Yuka have just been sold to the merchant Thormbus to be porters on the upcoming caravan to Tyr.  The Caravan departs in the hours just before dawn travelling until about four hours past noon when it breaks till dusk to travel again till full dark to avoid the hottest part of the day.  The caravan consist of four carapace covered carts pulled by two Inix (a large lizard with a thick shell on its backs) in harness lead by a walking drover with a viscous flail of leather and stones (to drive the Inix like a whip). The carts contain various essentials for the expedition to Tyr. There are also 40 slave (including three of the PCs) porters carrying "lighter" trades goods in pack frames being forced forward by four overseers armed with master's whips and flint daggers.  The Caravan is guarded by four Kank (a large domesticated beetle like mount) rider mercenary guards with flint tipped spears and Javelins.  There is also a representative of the Merchants family Wavir Sub matron Alandi seeking to find if there is any profit to be made in the city of Tyr with the current situation. She rides in a chitin palanquin carried by 16 slaves and protected by a mixed group of ten Half-giant, Mul and human guards eight are equipped with bone long swords and tortoise blade shields, The other two are equipped with Long bows with flint tipped arrows with puchik as melee weapons.  After the caravan stops for full dark cooking fires alight and most of the group settles down for a short sleep and rest from the brutal heat before arising before dawn to continue... Barcan wanders a short distance from the fires to commune with the stars in solitude. At first peace runs thru him away from the constant mumbling and distraction of the others...then with rising horror some stars began to fall in an omen of disaster undefined but imminent.  Barcan decides he must tell Jarvix as he is much better in handling dealing with others. After hearing the tale from Barcan, Jarvix heads to Duicann's tent to tell him of the auspice. After being told he is unimpressed the Caravan will go on the next day, for to wait in the desert is just as deadly as to move on.  As the storm moves closer it seems to have a strange black color moving in the reddish orange dust. As the caravan stops and prepares for the sandstorm, a hazardous but not uncommon event the Caravan drovers and Duicann begin to appear very nervous as the sandstorm is anything but typical.  Screaming erupts from the back of the caravan as the storm overtakes the caravan. Its obvious now that this is not a typical sandstorm as the guards, slaves and drovers are taken into the sandstorm, red fills the air down wind of them. Small razor edged flecks of obsidian the size of flat peas are thrown out to the area where you stand. You see larger fist sized chunks of flattened shards fly in the storm too.  The Six of you and the cart's drover dash into the only available shelter, the lead carapace covered cart, hoping it will stop the deadly projectiles that are moving forward ripping flesh and grinding bone from those at the rear. You see others near the other carts doing the same. You pull down the the hide covers at either end of the cart as the storm overtakes you, the wind and shards pelting the carapace almost deafen the howls of pain from the Inixes harnessed to your cart. The cart jerks forward as the pain driven beasts try to escape the tempest. The Drover huddling in the front of the cart suddenly gasp as a larger shard of obsidian slices thru the carapace and rips thru his chest and out his back. After about 30 yards the cart stops along with the pain filled groans of the Inixes. You huddle in the cart to the timpani of sounds trying to patch any holes ripped in your "shelter" with any materials at hand.   After what seems an eternity the pelting of shards on the cart lessen. You look around the cart and see fate has smiled on you in more ways than one. This cart was carrying much of the food and water for the expedition things you will need desperately if the caravan has fared badly.  Also the gear taken from Castri, Shikirr and Yuka has been stored here along with a small ornately carved chest.  Then while the pattering of stones diminishes to a light drumming, you hear a horn blown from in front of you and the sound of more horns more distant to the rear.... Looking out to the front you see the eroded bones of the two Inix and  several small bipedal reptiles leap from the surrounding silt.  They are light on their feet and keen to pick through the remaining cargo.  You quickly scan the area and see more of them lurking on all sides with many, many more to the south.  The best path away from the hordes and the worst of the strom is directly through the nearest foes.</blockquote>

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