[D&D&D&D] I poke them, you chop them. That's teamwork. (IC)

Winky

As you approach the base of the mesa you can clearly make out a main path leading up the edge to the top. You can also make out a number of smaller paths leading upwards towards the summit, but they seem much less sure and more perilous. You can already see, higher up along the main path, a sturdy looking gate and small guard tower, upon which two marksmen are perched. The wooden tower blended in well with the side of the mesa, and only as you approached did you begin to make out the forms that constituted it. The tower is so placed that the marksmen on it can see far into the distance. In fact, you presume that they could even see your group as you battled against the starving coyotes. They do not seem to be particularly alert, their weapons are lowered, but you do get the impression that they are carefully watching you.

Chanus

"I would think that heading up to the tower might be prudent, rather than adventuring along the less-well-tread paths. They don't seem antagonized by our presence and if they are friendly they might know something. They certainly couldn't know less."

Spoiler:

Roll to see if I can determine whether they seem friendly or foely.

Not sure if it'd be Insight or Perception... I bet you could guess which roll I'd rather use.

Insight: 1d20+4 6

Perception: 1d20+11 25

Thomamelas

"I don't see that we have a lot of choices." Pieter looks at the walls and tower, watching them as his body language shifts a little bit. His movements become slightly less precise, his expression becomes a bit more haughty as he moves up towards the gates.

Spoiler:

Perception: 1d20+6 16

Winky

As you come a little closer towards the gate you can make out more of the details of the guards in the tower. They do not seem to be especially well equipped; their armor appearing to be somewhat cobbled together, pieces of plate mixed with flowing, faded cloth. Certainly not the uniforms of a conventional army. Their demeanor is somewhat lax as well. While they lean on the edges of wooden beams and watch the approaching group they seem to be almost bored.

Casual Eddy

Adrian concentrates for a moment, taking care to clear away or hide any insects that might arouse suspicion.

"How bad could a few guards be after that mess of coyotes?"

Thomamelas

"It's not the guards we can see that worry me." Pieter says in a whisper before they reach the gate, resisting the urge to check the dagger hidden in his sleeve. He calls out to the guards "Hail, we are travelers seeking entrance."

Spoiler:

Diplomacy: 1d20+8 26

Winky

One guard adjusts his crossbow ever so subtly into a more ready position, but the other waves at the approaching group and then shouts back further up the road in a strange dialect, almost similar to common but so strangely accented so as to be almost entirely incomprehensible. From around a bend further down the road a man riding a large, plated beast appears. He is shirtless, but wears a tightly wrapped turban and baggy cloth pants, as well as peculiar metal boots.


He hops from his mount with a smile on his face, the intentions of which remain distinctly unreadable. He approaches the gate and calls out to the group from behind the other side in an extremely heavy, but untraceable accent. He still, however, manages to make himself very clear.

"H'ya there! Th's quite a trophy!" He gestures animatedly towards the beast slung over Solleb's shoulder. "I trust your journey to the temple was fruitful."

Thomamelas

Pieter takes a moment to take it all in. "We didn't quite find the temple. We were waylaid in the desert and have been wandering for the last day or so."

Spoiler:

Bluff: 1d20+9 21 And an insight test against his reaction. Insight: 1d20+8 23

Winky

The man looks genuinely surprised, and a little confused. He glances up to the guard, who shrugs.

"Well I suppose you can trust an outsider to get lost over even the shortest distances in the desert, eh?" he chuckles "But you really couldn't make it to the temple? Perhaps there is too much sand in the eyes of my scouts. They told me they saw you go in shortly after you left here three days ago, and that you left on your horses headed North two days ago! Yet here you are, wandering the desert and hunting coyotes, so there will be many whippings for my scouts tonight, eh?" He keeps up his jovial demeanor, despite being a little disturbed by the inconsistencies.

"Well then, come in, come in!" he waves at the guard who in turn begins cranking the primitive mechanism that raises the gate. "Surely you'll be wanting to rest and resupply before heading back out...of course supposing you've got any gold left for us, eh?"

He takes the reigns of the great beast and gestures for the group to follow him up to the top of the mesa.

Thomamelas

"Wait, you saw us here two days ago? But we were not here then. Perhaps it is not your scouts being in error but something a little darker." Pieter frowns as he follows.

Casual Eddy

Adrian murmurs just loud enough for the party to hear

"All that mirror business - who were they, riding to the north?"

Winky

"So someone stole your horses, eh?" the man leads his beast slowly up the path to the top of the mesa. As you look out, you can see far off into the horizon. The mesa really is an ideal spot for monitoring traffic through the desert. "Now, my scouts couldn't clearly identify the riders. You see, we're trackers, we make inferences, but six horses in a desert is a notable occurrence. As is six individuals. We make it our business to know who travels the desert."

Winky

On the top of the mesa there is sitting a giant rock.

The rock falls.

Results are predictable.