Session Seventeen: Spines in the Sand

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

Sandstorms are dangerous.

The storm picked up and raged around the characters as they hid in their makeshift shelter. Kalino took the opportunity to do further work on his chitin khopesh and show Kyran, one of the freed slave children, how to build weapons.
Alaxander altered some of Atkil's clothes to make a tunic for Kyla, another of the children. Vashti and Julius tested the children for psionics and finally had the time to ask them their names. There was Cara, Kyla, and Osian, who had the will. There was also Kyran, Ben, and Dean, who did not.
The storm raged for the rest of the day and all through the night. The group decided to keep watch, just in case the sand crocodiles returned.


Day 11, Week 2, Dominary, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

The storm had not yet abated. Kalino made a salty dish from the sand crocodile meat and then continued to work on his khopesh. The rest of the group relaxed and slept, enjoying the respite from their travels. The storm stopped just after mid-day and the group decided to stay and smoke a good portion of the sand crocodile meat.
They used the skin of the crocodile to craft smoke teepees and found a dead, uprooted tree buried nearby. They made the teepees and Kalino smoked the meat. While the meat was smoking, vultures descended on the sand crocodile carcass and picked it clean. The group slept there for one more night.

Day 12, Week 2, Dominary, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

The road had been buried by the storm, but Vashti used the way to direct them toward Tyr. The sand caused them to travel more slowly, but just before high sun, they reached a trade fort. The fort was flying a flag with a black diamond on a red-brown field. No one recognized the flag, but they decided to take their chances.
They were forced to park outside, so Kalino and Julius kept watch over the kids, wagons, and animals. Vashti pulled out some gems and had Shade appraise them. One was worth a significant amount, so Vashti, Shade, and Alaxander went inside the fort to trade. They were able to trade the gem for two iron daggers. Shade took one and Alaxander the other.
Vansti traded some of their crocodile meat and other goods for food and water. She also purchased some medical supplies. Satisfied with their purchases and with a lot of daylight remaining, the characters departed for Tyr.

Hilarity will ensue.

An hour later, Julius stepped on something and cried out. Everyone stopped and looked at Julius, but then Kalino cried out in pain also. They both had something buried in their feet, with some sort of tether leading into the sand beneath them. Julius cut the tether, while Vashti left her wagon to extract the sharp spine stuck in his foot.
Kalino cut the tether as well, but could see blood dripping from it. Vashti extracted his as well. On the way back to her wagon, she cried out in pain as she stepped on a spine, it was lodged in her foot. Kalino, Jamil, and Shade all went to assist her.
Julius jumped into the back of the wagon Alaxnder was driving. Kalino, Jamil, and Shade tried to cut the tether in Vashti's foot, but it was proving to be too flexible. The spine and tether were obviously draining blood from Vashti and she got a little light headed.
Jamil finally sliced through the tether and they were able to dislodge the spine from her foot. She got into her wagon and everyone continued on. However, as Kalino was walking, he stepped on another of the spines. He tried to cut it, but cut his leg instead. Vashti went to assist, as Kalino tried cutting it again, but he once more struck his own leg. Vashti helped him extract it and magically healed him.
Kalino climbed into the forward wagon, and Vashti tried to join him, but stepped on one of the spines again. Kalino raised his khopesh to cut at it, but Vashti yelled at him not to. She extracted the spine herself after a few moments, then she climbed into the wagon herself.
Shade climbed into the wagon and called his dog, Spike, to him. Shade avoided the spines, but Spike stepped on one. Shade ripped the spine from Spike's paw and injured the dog further. Vashti inspected the dog's paw and found that a piece of the spine was buried inside of it. Shade soothed his dog, while Vashti dug the piece out of Spike's paw.
Finally satisfied, with their wagons overloaded, they inched away from the area. After about one thousand feet, Vashti stopped the wagon and told Jamil, Kalino, and Shade to get out, for fear of harming their kank. They did as they were told and found that there were no more spines to step on. Relieved, they continued toward Tyr.
As the sun set, they could see a fort a short distance away. They decided to press on and camp outside of the fort. This fort had a banner displaying a gold circle on a black field. Jamil told Vashti that it was a symbol for the merchant house based in Gulg. They camped outside of the gates.

*Hick* Hey!

During Julius' watch, a drunk human stumbled into their camp and started rambling. Suspicious, Julius looked around for an ambush or thieves. He saw none, but stayed alert and did not engage the drunk in conversation. Eventually the drunk wandered off. However, the drunk returned to flirt with Vashti during her watch, but she too ignored him. She warned Alaxander of the drunk and went to bed.

Day 13, Week 2, Dominary, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

Alaxander was happy to engage the drunk in conversation and wanted to use the way to frighten him. Alaxander had wanted to use the way to make the drunk's bottle sound like it was talking, but made a mistake in his concentration. A loud boom reverberated out from where Alaxander was sitting. Everyone in the area was awakened and ran to see what was going on.
Alaxander blamed the drunk and the drunk was very frightened and confused about what was happening. The drunk's friends dragged him away and apologized for disturbing them. The guards were grumpy, but went back to work. Alaxander laughed to himself.

Join us in four long weeks for another exciting session of Adventures Under the Dark Sun.

2nd edition AD&D Dark Sun Cast of Player Characters
Julius: Human male psychokinetic. 22 years old. Played by Dave. Speaks Balican, Tyrian, and Giant.
Alaxander: Human male psychokinetic. 17 years old. Played by Ben. Speaks Balican, Tyrian, and Elf.
Kalino: Human male fighter/preserver. 20 years old. Played by DM. Speaks Rammin, Tyrian, and Balican.
Vashti: Human female clairsentient/water cleric. 20 years old. Played by my wife. Speaks Nibnese, Gith, and Balican.
Shade: Half-Elf male ranger/thief, 18 years old. Played by Chad. Speaks Elf and Tyrian.