Into The Desert:
The wagon is finally packed and after a few practice runs for the characters that aren't using to riding axebeaks much, and some pointers from Thane, and both Thane and Belok trying to consciously avoid looking at Lilliana everytime she walks by..which Phelen points out gleefully. and Delmar making a brief but spirited attempt at explaining one of his pamphlets to the stableboy who couldn't read it... you set off.
It's still the morning hours as you move out onto the dusty track that leads towards Shabu's tower. The map is infrequently passed back and forth from person to person but you all seem to be pretty sure this is the right direction.
Out in the desert you note the desert flora of cacti and straggly rock-ivy and sage is just coming into bloom. To the far north there is a dark cloud and a distant rumble of thunder. Thane assesses that it may rain by nightfall.
After an hour or two of travel you reach the small turnoff trail that leads to Shabu's tower. It is marked by a tiny traveller's shrine to the fire spirit Rahiti. The flame has gone out, but the blackened stone head of the idol inside the brazier bowl looks to have been used as recently as last night. Some of the ashes are still warm. Desert nights can be cold- so it is likely some traveller rested here for a while.
To the south is a far stand of palm trees and a series of dunes that seem to form a cupped area of sandy hills and colorful earthy wastes.
In the distance, beyond this area, surrounded by 4 very odd stone formations you can see a low, squat tower with strangely fashioned cupolas.
Just then, approaching from the direction of the dunes you can see two figures approaching. One is moving with a strange jery gait. It seems to not know where it is going. It goes in one direction, stops and freezes. Then turns around in circles and walks in another direction with a weird puppetlike gait. The humanoid figure behind it tries to tap it to make it move whenever it stops short. Eventually they start to come towards you. You recognize it is Sher Farhid, and some sort of strange mechanical man or construct made out of wood.
OOC: Ok, you are all together! Just pretend the construct has been leading Sher Farhid around in circles all night, so he arrives at the same time you do to the traveller's shrine. No penalties for Farhid staying up all night, he'll just be really tired or need an extra hour of sleep or something.
So now, you are all together, about 15 minutes from the tower down a nicely paved trail. As soon as the construct reaches the shrine, however, he points towards the tower and bows, as if he is showing you the way all along.
