The Sarcophagus Legion IV

[HorizonsDream]

Imani puts on some resistance to being staked to the ground, but in the end she ends up like all the others. "I will get out of this," she assures the mage. Even as she is chained to the ground, she tries to pull one of the stakes free, but she doesn't have any success what so ever.

Bend Bars Check (36, fail).

[JadedDM]

"I think not," the vizier says to Imani. "But at least you can go to your death knowing your son will be well provided for. Not only is he the heir to the Mayakhur tribe, but soon...he will be heir to the High Khan, leader of the seven united tribes! Once Khan Mehmet conquers and unites all of Khur, nothing will stop him."

"Boss," one of the Baaz says. "Gotta problem. Donkey won't move."

Timur-i-Ling sighs with exasperation. "Then make it move! If it refuses, then slit its throat. That's more humane than leaving it here to die with them." It seems odd to hear the vizier speak of being humane, but none of his men comment on it.

The Baaz shrugs and draws his sword. He slaps at the ass's...ass, hoping to get it moving.

[Breila]

"Go with them, Dekker" Babushka tells her faithful donkey, hoping he would understand. He, at least, should live, if she got him back or not. Tears come to her eyes, but she wills them back. She would need as much liquid within her body as possible, if she wanted a chance at survival.

[JadedDM]

Whether it obeys Babushka's command or is just interested in its own survival, the donkey ceases its poor cooperation after a couple of slaps with the flat of the blade. Once the party is firmly staked to the ground and the chains are secured, the group makes ready to leave.

"You head back, and bring the khan up to date on everything," Timur-i-Ling says to some of the men. They break away, heading back to AK-Tubal. "The rest of you, come with me." The draconians and half of the human soldiers go with him, heading northwest, taking Dekker and Syriana with them.

After about five minutes, they are gone, and the party is left alone. It is nearly noon, when it is hottest, and the sun beats down on them without mercy.

"Well..," Ulster says. "This isn't good."

"Relax," Thuskar says. "We'll find a way out of this."

"Sure, sure. Hey, look, maybe we can ask those circle birds for help," Ulster replies. Sure enough, a handful of vultures have taken note of the party and are lazily circling overhead, waiting for their prey to die.

==========

It is now 11:49 AM and 106 F degrees.

Locky's Bless spell ends.

[Breila]

"I wish we had a dog or some other animal that could scratch loose the sand around the pegs our manacles are chained to" Babushka says. "Or does anyone have an idea?"

(OOC: Could it be possible to wiggle the pegs free? After all, we're in a sandy desert. Constant, soft wiggling on the peg should loosen them after some time)

Babushka tests all of her chains. Is there one that seems to be moving a bit when she moves? She will try to move it little by little, hither and thither, using not so much strength alone, but a mix of strength and dexterity

[Jerrard]

"We have to get out of here." Jerrard frowns as he struggles against the bonds. How had they got in this situation? He wracks his brain thinking of what spells he has to help.

Using a cantrip he tries to loosen the sand around the pegs holding his wrists (Assume he can still move his hands?)

[Jenara]

"There aren't many things that can trap a Kender!" Locky mutters, copying Babuskha's actions, trying to loosen the pegs.

[JadedDM]

Unfortunately, as the party is right at the base of a mountain, the sand here is fairly thin. The stakes have been pounded into the ground itself, not just the sand. No amount of wiggling will suffice, even if the sand was loosened.

=========

(OOC: A successful BB/LG check can break the chains, though.)

[Jenara]

Locky tries her hardest to pull the chains, but cannot move.

BB LG 1d100=7 Sooo close.

[Jerrard]

Jerrard too tries to break free, failing totally.

BB/LG: 1d100=94 FAIL!

[Breila]

Babushka tries her luck as well, but she too fails.

1d100=16

[Jerrard]

"Stupid!" Jerrard curses himself, wiggling his fingers he concentrates on the stakes, attempting to transform them from wood to bunches of flowers..

(Change spell from Peakos book O' Cantrips, don't have the link but you can find it online)

[JadedDM]

Jerrard's efforts are in vain, as the ability to polymorph one object into another is an advanced spell far beyond his ken, and not something any kind of cantrip could hope to replicate.

Thuskar and Ulster attempt to break their own bonds, but to no avail. The harsh sun is getting only brighter and hotter as time passes. It's only been a few minutes so far, but their struggles have left them thirty already.

"You know..," Ulster says with a sense of resignation, "we should look at this as an opportunity to get to know each other better. We never, ya know, just talk. So...I'll start. Anyone read any good books lately?"

"Ulster...shut up," Thuskar says, looking intently to the east.

"Sure, just come over here and make me."

"No, seriously...I think I see something."

"A mirage?" asks Ulster.

"No, riders. Coming this way."

"That's a terrible mirage. A better one would be a beautiful oasis filled with half-naked women. I swear, Thuskar, you have no imagi--" Ulster stops suddenly when he hears the neighing of horses and realizes there is a group of riders heading their way.

Sure enough, there are ten of them, dressed in the typical white robes and hoods of the desert folk, their horses kicking the sand up behind them in a cloud. Once they arrive, they come to a halt. Some of them dismount, a few remain where they are, and a couple make a loose perimeter and keep an eye on the horizon. While some stretch and get water, one in particular approaches the group.

He's a bit bulkier than the others, his robes not fitting too well as a result. He looks from Jerrard to Locky to Imani, and so on, taking in each one in turn. Finding the robes too encumbering, he decides to remove them, and tosses them aside. His coppery scales gleam in the sunlight, making him difficult to look at. Squinting her eyes, Locky realizes she recognizes him...he's the same kapak she saw back in the tavern in Ak-Tubal.

Kneeling down, he grins, bearing his many, dagger like teeth. "I thought those guys would never leave," he says conversationally. Looking over his shoulder, he calls out. "Hey, Safa, c'mere. I'll need some help with these chains." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out some picks. "Don't wiggle around. This won't take long."

=============

Thuskar makes a BB/LG check (1d100): 38, fail.
Ulster makes a BB/LG check (1d100): 11, fail.

(OOC: Sorry, I don't allow rules from third party netbooks. This is a definitive list of what rules I allow, and from what sources.)

[Breila]

"These might be just the allies we need" Babuhska murmurs in gnomish, mostly to herself. She watches the draconians as they free the party. "Whatever power sent you, you sure are a gift of the Gods" she tells the one who frees her, hardly ever having felt such relief.

[JadedDM]

"Just one god, actually," the kapak says as he moves on to the next person. "More of a demi-goddess, really. It's a long story, though, and we don't have a lot of time. If the Sarcophagus Legion is raised, we're all seriously dead."

=====

(OOC: I wasn't clear at all in this, but only one of the group is a draconian; the rest appear to be human or close to it.)