The PCs gather up supplies from the Iosyne Commissary before embarking on their temporary exile and investigation into the ancient creature that violated their minds and got several villagers killed. Happy gets a voucher for a suit of leather armor, while the rest either keep or leave behind the chain shirts, pilums and gladius they are issued by the Tribune. Timon does some shady dealing to the side, with some valuables exclusive just to him. They head to the village gate, where Sthenelaus informs them the Tribune expects them to stay away for a fortnite while he cools down the villagers, already grieving over the loss of Elfchin. They meet up with Happy's father, 'No-Neck', their chaperone, and they've been given a llama, cart and rations for a few weeks. They exit and trek off across the Flats, towards the Alpha Dig site where they plan to spend the evening en route to the Nine Idols' Rest.
Once arriving at the Dig, as evening falls, they notice a fire is lit and another torch or two are lit inside one of the supply tents. The place has been occupied by a giant hyena and a gnoll drifter. After Timon and Lucretia sneak down the ramp to the Dig to check it out, they are noticed by the animal, and attract the ire of the gnoll, who is armed with pistols, and fires off a shot at them. Thanks to Lucretia's master of the gnoll tongue, and Klytus's handsome bravery in the face of danger, a truce is met, and several of the PCs are invited to share the fire. The gnoll introduces itself as a bounty hunter, seeking out the 'Son of Vozz', and the PCs tell him of their own plight over the sharing of rum and pipeweed. The gunslinging gnoll tells them he ran across their ancient quarry at a safe distance, but his pet and companion didn't like the scent of them. The PCs offer a friendly parting, and the gnoll sleeps in the campsite, where they sleep up on the ridge.
Octavius 11, 340 EE.
During Timon's watch in the early morning, he sees the gnoll and his hyena depart the campsite. After waking the group, they look over to make sure nothing important was disturbed or stolen, and nothing was apart from a little animal spoor and fur on some of the blankets. After taking some breakfast rations, they set out northward from the Dig, with the winds picking up and whipping salt and dust around in increasing anger. After several more hours, they arrive at a cliffside face where they believe the transport lift to the Nine Idols' Rest is located. They find a wooden cage suspended 150' up the sheer face of the Saltspines, but no way to get it down until Timon discovers a mirror. After fiddling with it, Happy eventually signals up the mountainside, and another mirror wielder up top responds with a few flashes. The cage is lowered, and they decide how to divvy up weight to ride it back up.
Timon, Lucretia and No-Neck will take the first ride, while Happy and Klytus calm their llama and prepare some ties and a blind so it won't be afraid if they send it up alone. After the cage ascends about 75', half way, the group is attacked by a trio of what look like giant whip scorpions, two of which vault from the cliff-face onto the rising cage, and the other races down to face the PCs on the ground! Happy quickly smashes that one, but the others hassle the three in the cage, dropping Lucretia before Happy and Timon can dispatch them all. At the last minute, the final surviving insect is blasted by a flash of energy once the cage has hit the top of the cliff, and it plummets to the Flats below. With the PCs divided, they hope whoever made that attack is a friendly...
PCs: Kai Flintcoat, Klytus Bassa, Lucretia Tertula, Timon Bassa
Experience: 1200
Class Unlocked: Gunslinger
NPC
Empress (dire hyena female): This large hyena has a thick head, rheumy red eyes, and a mouth filled with sharp, powerful teeth. A long mane of black, bristly hair rides down its shoulders and all the way to where its tail begins. It has a patch of fur singed off its left flank that appears to have been branded and tattooed with a series of pawprints.
