OOC: Caerth cast
resist elements on himself, Phar, and Aureus.
@Neurotic, who got Maur's second
resist elements spell? Quinn?
The horses manage to find some comfort under the shade of some of the taller cacti in the valley, but in most places, the plants are not 10 feet tall. They labour through the heat and take whatever help you can give. Aureus shade her water with her horse, Lady. But, only as much as she can spare.
The waterhole in the copse was good for the animals and allowed you all to refill your waterskins. The water tastes slightly silty but is clean.
At the geyser, Aureus glances towards the sky while shielding her eyes. There isn't a cloud to be seen. She pats Lady on the neck to comfort the animal.
moving quickly back into the protection of the cacti forest, you find the path noted in the book Phar is using. It is well used. Even in modern times. You find several old camps along the trail, which leads to the edge of the cacti forest near the rim of the valley. The trail passes through an are of open scrub that isn't even a mile wide. Several low hills sit south of the scrub. The path from the book moves back into the cacti forest. It ends near an outcropping of hills that jut into the forest. The ridge above is steep to climb but, it does offer shade from the sun.
Caerth looks towards the hills.
"The journal notes that there is a deep gully just within the hills. It should be filled with vegetation and a small oasis of water. It might be the best place to rest the horses." The half-orc druid looks at the parched ground around them.
"It would be better than here. But, I can create more water for us and the horses. Twice today."
Aureus nods.
"Anything is better than here. These cacti look half-dead."
You push on into the hills. The gully lies a bit south of the outcropping. You find it is filled with lush cacti and desert-willows and a shallow oasis filled with clean water. It looks like the oasis is normally much larger. The surrounding hills block out part of the sun but not much of the heat. The horses are soon drinking as much water as they can guzzle.
Caerth says a prayer to the spirits of the oasis, and soon gallons of water pour from above like rain. you prepare whatever you can to capture as much of the water as possible, but most of it spills into the oasis until it is bursting. The water cools off the horses. The smell of the clean fresh water draws the attention of many animals, birds, and insects including a small herd of antelope. The herd stick to the other side of the oasis and if you move toward them at all, they bolt back into the hills.
"We should rest here for a while," Caerth suggests.
"Wait for the sun to touch the horizon before traveling more. The horses need a break."
How much farther until we reach this cross place.
"Ralix's Cross," Caerth says while flipping through The Hermit's journal.
"It says here that it is less than a mile from here. The original cross was once a natural formation that looked like an 'X'. It was massive. The Boots destroyed it during there time, but the local tribes refused to give up what they believe is a sacred site to punish foes and traitors."
"It sounds like we shouldn't go there," Aureus says.
"Perhaps, it is along the way, but shouldn't be to hard to avoid. The hills are mainly barren with few places to find water or shade. Well, that's what it says here, and it was a long time ago."
Caerth looks at a small foldout map that was hand-drawn and glued into the journal.
"From here, it is less than 2 miles to the barrier. After that, we will be in the pocket plane." He reads a short passage silently and then re-reads it out loud:
"The magical barrier did not block our path to into the spawning grounds of She-Who-Offers-Sorrow. Yet, once beyond it, the land changed completely. Darkness shrouded everything. While the sun was visible in the sky, it was only a pinprick. At night, you could not see the stars. But, the moon is large, and bright, and ominous.
The bones of dead animals can be found in the gloom. At first, there were only a few scattered remains, half eaten. But, once we passed from the barren hills into the greyness of the Wicked Heart, the bones soon become scattered fields. Mass offerings of sacrifices both animal and humanoid. At night, some of these restless bones rose as undead. Be wary, traveller, in Angrboda's Gloom."
"Sounds dreadful," Cruel Justice says out loud and with a bit of zeal.
"Many foes to be put down, Sir Quinn. You all must be prepared to face death in such a place!"
"And know when to run away," Qi adds.
"NEVER!" Cruel Justice retorts.
Qi makes a sound similar to sighing.
"Why don't you go back to being silent. It isn't up to you. Or to me. We guide, we do not force."
Quinn listens telepathically as Cruel Justice fumes to itself.
"Qi has a point," Aureus says.
"I know we want to honour Lady Pendour's wishes, but if the danger becomes too much, we retreat, right?"
