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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Plane Sailing" data-source="post: 748170" data-attributes="member: 114">Sweating despite the cold the party bandage wounds, Alavarielle plying her healing trade with skill while Dariol gazes mournfully at the ruin that was his bonded eagle. The sleeping orcs are butchered by common consent, the Elves reverting to type with their elegant knives. There is little treasure but a single gem on the ogre’s body.Dariol sniffs the wind and points out a way back to the caravan by a short route despite the mist. Vladimar is impressed by the encounter, a wise choice then this odd mix of companions.Later that night as various people stand guard, Alavarielle’s keen eyes pick out a strange shadow under one of the wagons. Calling for assistance a light-enhanced crossbow bolt is shot into the side of the wagon, casting deeper shadows beneath. An alarm is raised as one shadow detaches and disappears into the night. Drucilla is quick off the mark and her bat streaks after the fleeing form, bouncing into it despite the darkness. The touch spell fails to still the creature, and it is lost in the darkness as the bat thankfully navigates safely back to hang again on Drucilla’s ear. The soldier inspects the underside of the wagon, and notices that one of the axles has been carefully sawn. One hard jolt on a rock and this would probably break. Sabotage!They are all on their guard the following day, but there is little to distract the caravan as it descends finally from the hills onto the plains. Although the ground still undulates, the horizon grows steadily father away. The thin scrub and rocks slowly turn into tall grass and stunted bushes, and although there are still occasional rocky scarps and sudden rifts, the number of turns diminishes until they can travel in a straight line for miles at a time.Day 7 and the morning sun leaks over the horizon, the peace suddenly shattered by a scream. One of the soldiers stands in shock, gazing down at the corpse of his compatriot, still in bed and to all intents asleep except for a red rent torn across his throat. Murder! There is a general furore, and Vladimar appears swiftly. Muttering curses he gazes into the eyes of all present. Did anyone see or hear anything? There are no witnesses, but Fang is sniffing at the blood inquisitively. ‘Follow that scent boy’ commands Dariol and Fang is away with a vengeance clearly tracking well. In moments his nose ends up at the hip of one of the soldiers stopped halfway through packing his horse. Dariol checks with Fang whose simple animal certainty is based on an inability to lie.  ‘Explain yourself man’, commands Vladimar as the party advance. The fellow looks mystified and wrings his hands nervously, ‘I know nothing my lord’, and disappears in an instant. Rapidly the space where he stood is cut through with many blades to no avail, and focussed detection spells fail to find him. Fang however still has the scent and is off in pursuit, Katarn and Drucilla close behind. Meanwhile Clint has clocked the fellow’s horse and prods the saddlebags from outside with a stilleto. It meets with an audible ‘clink’, so he rummages within with care.The pursuit trails off to nothing as Fang circles, confused by the sudden disappearance of the scent. Dariol, Katarn and Drucilla muse over the magic necessary to achieve this feat when there is an audible explosion back in the camp.Clint dives nimbly out of the way, his body twisting instinctively from the great sheet of flame that flashes forth from the saddle bags as the trap he failed to spot is triggered. Alchemical flame engulfs the area and the horse dies instantly. Dusting himself down Clint shrugs as Alavarielle speculates about the fact that the other saddlebag now under the horse didn’t explode on impact with the ground. Many hands haul the smoking bulk over, and Clint and Alavarielle fumble about in the ruins.  They sense broken pottery, and a slimy substance that Clint quickly determines is probably inert, certainly not magical, but it could be PLAGUE!The space around the two of them is suddenly huge, and Vladimar passes them a flagon of vinegar hung on a spear point to wash themselves with. Before long they reek from head to toe, to the relief of all present. The horse corpse is piled with faggots of wood and the whole area set ablaze. The camp is packed at double speed and almost ready to roll by the time the others have returned empty handed.Morale is especially low now, and the Muleteers and wagonners are surly, muttering about cursed caravans under their breath. Vladimar seems especially glum and Mischa’s lighthearted reassurances ineffective.Day 8 and the country has become deceptive, long inclines forming the ground into gentle swells. A rider returns from picket to report something large lying in the grass, and Clint and Dariol ride forth to investigate. Careful approaches reveal the thing to be a newly dead male adult centaur, slain by multiple archery wounds. It’s baggage has been torn roughly from the body leaving the straps behind. A baying noise attracts them to a rise, from the grass clad crest of which they can see three horse barbarians circling about 100 yards away. They are arching at something in the long grass and after a few more circles a young centaur breaks cover and bolts towards the crest. It is a hopeless endeavour as the nimble riders run it down and finish it with swift shots to the back of the torso. The half grown form slumps into the grass, and the Barbarians lean down from their mounts to pluck it’s baggage before riding off across the slope laughing.Far off to the left of the caravan a string of horse barbarians can be seen, trailing numerous travois, clearly a largish tribal group. Amazingly, Katarn spurs his horse forward from the cover of the caravan, and rides towards the tribe showing open palms as a sign of peace. The company stare at his receding form incredulously, giving scant credence to Alavarielle’s vaguely recalled explanation that Katarn wanted to learn something of the Harper history tradition among these people. By now it is too late, five riders from the tribe have already intercepted him, and he has disappeared among them in the distance.</blockquote>

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