Mad Dash to The Temple

While keeping watch over the party, Ziegfried had a vision of the past. He was beaten to a pulp and left nearly dead at the office door of a dwarf popularly called "The Bonebreaker.”  This was at the behest of a high-ranking paladin named St. Cuthbert the Assayer.  The Bonebreaker scanned over Ziegfried's file, cocking an eyebrow at a few details, and commenced fulfilling the obligation of this particular sentence.  "Savages. I hope the old man knows what he's doing."

The Bonebreaker introduced Ziegfried to a small desk model of The Scales, noting in particular that while people see two dishes in the balance, Justice has, in fact, three: Act, Punishment, and Penance.

A symbol of The False Dichotomy, a theory championed only by the oldest of those in service to Justice.

Ziegfried snapped out of his reverie to spy the sandstorm-cloaked dragon spying back, like a cat waiting for a mouse to make a move.

Suddenly, a guard patrol of gnolls fell upon the campsite, with a Pack Lord coordinating the effort upon a giant hyena! As our heroes defended themselves, there was a faint rumbling underfoot, increased in intensity.

It took some effort, but the party routed the would-be attackers. Before the party could collect their spoils, a wild Elder Bulette breached the surface to swallow the corpse of the giant hyena and spot live prey!

The party, clearly outclassed, immediately mounted their horses and rode away, trying to evade the Elder Bulette. Dalton spied with his glasses that the ancient brown dragon was stalking the Elder Bulette, which, in turn, was chasing after the party!

Kun-Ghar noted a sort of groove within the teeming sand dunes that the group could use to ride towards the mountain. Wreck’t kept the horses in formation as best he could, as though the half-orc fighter was truly "Born to the Saddle." By the time they reached the mountain paths, the gnolls immediately launched projectiles at the ancient brown dragon, surmised to be Sandwing. It would only be a matter of time before either the gnolls from the mountain exterior repel the dragon or, much more likely, the dragon grew bored of them and left for more satisfying prey.

It took all day, but the party finally made their forced ride to the mountain in record time. Poor Ziegfried was exhausted and spent from keeping control of the flow of the battle while his allies improvised a defense strategy. Thanks to Kun-Ghar's nomadic life in the badlands, he immediately set up a defensible campground beneath a mountain crag to await the results of Sandwing's choice.

"Someone must finish what Sandwing spares.  Gnolls... too dangerous.  Cannot leave alive."

Jing Dao raised his head and replies, "I shall aid in keeping us safe from exterior threats, gentlemen.  We cannot have surprise guests cutting off our escape route." Dalton nodded, adding, "I'm with you, then." He instructed Wreck't, "Take point inside, you need to keep them off Ziegfried so he can keep you and Kun-Ghar alive."

"You got it, boss!"

< Previous Adventure Next Adventure >