The Sarcophagus Legion IV

[Jenara]

Locky takes Babuskha's hand tightly, there was something in the grip that the Gnome didn't reckonise. Not fear, but concern never the less.

[HorizonsDream]

"Once Locky and Babushka are on Artemis, I'll lead you in the direction the dwarves. Remember, armor is going to make it hotter out there for those of you that wear it," Imani reminds everyone. "Keep your skin covered as much as possible, and try not to over exert yourself." With all of that state, she takes the lead out of the mountain and out into the desert sun.

[JadedDM]

The sight of Babushka and Locky riding on an invisible horse is a strange one. They appear to be just...floating there, in the air.

Ulster takes Dekker's reins and takes the lead, with Syriana, now dressed as a dervish, sticking close to him.

As soon as they step out into the hot desert, the glaring sunlight blinds them for a few seconds. During this time, Syriana screams.

"You betrayed me! You betrayed me!" she shrieks. As the party blinks and shades their eyes, they see what she is reacting to.

Outside the front door is the vizier, sitting upon a magnificent black steed, waiting for them to emerge. He is accompanied by ten Baaz janissaries (long swords at the ready), ten mounted light lancers, and ten mounted archers--all of which have their bows drawn and arrows at the ready.

"Ah, you see," the vizier says. "I told you they would emerge eventually. Congratulations on finding the lost princess."

"You did this! You did this, didn't you?!" Syriana screeches at Imani.

"Now, now, princess," Timur-i-Ling states calmly. "We all had our roles to play in this. And we played them well. Now, all of you, drop your weapons and surrender the princess, or...or things might have to get messy," he adds, fingering a wooden wand.

[Breila]

The stream of gnomish swear words issuing from Babushka's mouth is colorful, but entirely useless, as much as the magical fungus staff that probably snapped rigid as they left the mine, moments too late. Sitting behind Locky, she cannot draw her daggers to drop them (and they are in her boots, so not visible to the Khan's men) so she does nothing else.

(ooc: Maybe the staff snapping stiff hurt and startled Artemis, so she bolted?)

[JadedDM]

The Fungus Staff did not stiffen at all, in fact. Which is probably for the best. Had it startled the horse and sent it running, it likely would have fallen to the archer's arrows before it got very far.

[Jenara]

Locky sags her shoulders, it wasn't supposed to work like this, things always worked out in the end but right now even she felt slightly hopeless. She watches the Vizier for a moment, then looks around at the others. What could she actually do here?

"What do you plan to do with us? I mean watching someone get their eyes pecked out is interesting, but I am not sure if I want to actually experience it, besides your guards look rather ugly, and Ugly creatures are usually quite grumpy..." The Kender rambles, fumbling in a pouch, "So you want the Princess? See if you had that many people I am not really sure why you needed us, see she wasn't that far away..."

[Breila]

Still swearing, Babushka looks the enemy group over. Do they have enough waterskins and/or saddle bags to have come from Ak-Tubal? If not, Babushka tries to disbelieve that they are there. In the midst of her gnomish swearing, Jerrard can make out the words "do they have enough water? are they even there?"

1d20=8, save vs spell failed

[Jerrard]

Jerrard lets out a faint sigh of disappointment, they had walked into a trap? How could that be possible? The staff hadn't activated, he would have to take a look at it at some point in time.

"Locky." He says rasing his voice, "Unpleasant you say?" Looking to the pit beside him he knew already what the answer was.

What was Babuskha saying? They were illusions?
1d20=8 Failed save.

[HorizonsDream]

Imani looks to the shrieking Syriana, and simply shakes her head. "I don't have a reason to do any of this," she says to the younger girl. Though, she knows that Syriana isn't going to believe her at this point. Turning to the vizier, she speaks. "What was the point of all of us coming out here to find her if you were only going to follow us? What is so important about her that you would do this?"

[JadedDM]

"Take her," the vizier orders, and two of the baaz step forward and grab Syriana's wrists, dragging her away from the group. She kicks and screams futilely the whole time.

As the draconians bind her arms and legs, Timur-i-Ling turns his attention to the party. "You chose your champions well, Princess Imani," he says. "We never would have found her, and so quickly, on our own." He grins. "And we never would have been able to scry on the group so well had you not gone with them. Why else do you think the khan would let you go on such a dangerous mission?" He laughs. "He surely did not marry you for your brains!

"As for what we are going to do with you...well, my scrying showed me everything...including your plans to betray the khan, infiltrate his palace, and kidnap his heir. Therefore, you are all under arrest for treason."

Once Syriana is tied up, he says to the other baaz, "Disarm them. Take their weapons and gear. Kill any who resist."

[Breila]

Babushka does her best to stay completely limp and indifferent as the baaz approach her. With some luck, they would not see the daggers in her boots if she was cooperative, but she doubted it. She does her best to ignore her surroundings, dreaming instead of the lush forests of her homeland, Leafloam the treant, the old ranger who taught her...

[Jenara]

"It appears we have no choice." Jerrard says with resignation, dropping his arms, he could make a good number sleep. But it was useless, he would die.

"Well i am kind of along for the ride, you see it all started when i found one of the head priests coin purses in my pockets.." Locky rambles. Slipping a dagger into a pouch, (pick pockets check= 25)

[HorizonsDream]

Imani looks to the the rest of the group to see them giving in. She turns her attention to the tied up Syriana, as if trying to figure out a way to save her from this. Though, there were too many, and then she would never get her son back. This has turned from hopeful to hopeless. She puts her weapons down, and waits to see what happens.

[JadedDM]

Once Syriana is properly trussed up and gagged, the baaz bring her to the vizier and help heft her up onto his horse. Meanwhile, the other soldiers relieve the party of any visible weapons, packs, pouches, and sacks. Locky manages to slip a dagger into her pouches, but unfortunately, they take those, as well. They never think to check Babushka's boots, though.

After the party's weapons and gear are in a neat little pile, the khan's men break out chains and large stakes and hammers. "Lie down on the ground, spread-eagle," says one of them to the party. Assuming the party does not resist, they find themselves chained to the stakes, which are pounded deep into the ground.

"Do not worry overmuch about the fate of the princess," the vizier says with a sneer to the party. "Worry about yours. The broiling sun will burn the skin from your bodies. You will writhe in agony. You will scream for mercy and try to shut your eyes to the searing glare, but the sun will peel back your eyelids and render you blind. Jackals and vultures will play with you as a cat would with a small mouse. After a while, you will die. Can you think of a more fitting death for such treasonous fools?"

"What shall we do with their gear?" asks one of the draconians. "It may have some valuables in it."

The vizier shakes his head. "We don't have any time to waste. We must make haste to the temple at once. Toss their gear into the pit. We will collect it on our way back." Nodding, the draconians do so, tossing the equipment into a nearby, 10 foot deep pit in the sand.

"What of the donkey? Also, there's a horse, but...it seems invisible," says another.

"Leave the horse. We don't have time to bother with it. Take the donkey with us. It may prove useful, and it looks to be of an excellent breed," the vizier responds.

[Breila]

Babushka does not resist, hoping Jerrard will find a way to loosen their shackles, or the chains, or the pegs, or loosen the sand around them once the enemy have left.

Dekker, however, is another matter. True to the reputation of the donkey, he's stubborn, and refuses to move an inch once he realises he is led away from Babushka.