Under a Dark Sun(2nd Ed. AD&D)

[Reynolds]

The halfling froze in place, hearing something...someone approaching the clearing. She took a deep breath to prepare herself, as she stood up and off of the rock, turning towards the sound. She's startled, though, as the human suddenly steps out from behind her. The halfling stumbles, nearly pitching into the fire before she manages to regain her balance. Her worn face breaks into a snarl as she reaches for one of her many weapons...gripping a protruding haft with one hand as the elf she'd heard approaching moved next to the human woman.

She relaxes her grip on the weapon, as the elf continues to speak. She seems wary, but not threatened...by him, at least. The one-eyed halfing looks away from the pair standing in front of her, watching the bushes and rocks for movement. "I'm not as backwards as some of my kin...and how many more friends you got creeping around out here, eh? And are they all as...strange as you two?"

The halfling sneered at the elf as he crouched down and continued his story. "Get up already. You look even more ridiculous like that. Just where did people like you come from?" She's given up on trying to locate anyone else hiding around the clearing...her one good eye not up to the task of detecting a ranger and druid in the great outdoors.

"No, I ain't seen any elves. Normal or weird ones. All I've been dealing with today are sloths." She turns to spit near one of the corpses. "Blasted things ripped my 'escort' to shreds. Poor fools fought like they were pregnant *and* lame. Wouldn't have lasted a week where..." She blinks. "...forget that. So, is there some reward for finding this elf? And does he have to be in one piece to collect it?"

She grins. "I know my way around this place pretty good. Better than I really want to, truth."

[Kazilan]

Bas remained behind his tree, peering around it to watch the confrontation. His eyes widened as the halfling spoke a recognizable language.

Paranoia kept the druid hidden, as he was still certain that this was all a ruse to buy time. Surely there was a small army of these creatures on their way, driven by primal aggression and hunger!

[Man Who Fights Like Woman]

Lorath stayed right where he was, in the same pose. He didn't take orders from some halfling they had just met. "You say we're strange," he began, "but we're not the ones sitting in the wilderness surrounded by dead bodies and blood. So it's a moot point."

"We're trying to find him as a personal thing. There's no posted reward, but we'd be more than willing to make it worth your while if you help us." He stood back up and took a few steps back. "And if it makes it easier, I would prefer he not be in one piece."

[Armen]

Tamora

Tamora rolled her eyes as she heard the dismissive tone in which Lorath referred to the forest as “the wilderness” still, she had to admit that he seemed to be getting on ok with the woman so who was she to say.

Concluding that the party’s best negotiators were already on the job she saw little advantage in making an appearance and several in staying where she was for now. Keeping half an eye on the encounter in the clearing she looked around her immediate surroundings to see what she could learn if anything and paid attention to the wider forest alert for any animals or people approaching. She was comforted by the thought that Bas would be doing the same on the other side of the clearing.

[Reynolds]

The halfling glances behind herself, at the various bodies strewn about. "..hmph." She pulls off her hat and scratches her head, again, as she considers those words. And her situation. "Well, I need somewhere to disappear to. This should keep me busy."

She starts to describe the area, her gruff voice not really seeming eager to get through the information quickly. Slow and steady, to get through it all. She idly strokes the grip end of a weapon as she forces her mind to focus on the details of the nearby terrain.

The mountains are home to a particularly unpleasant creature called a Braxat. They're, large lizard-like things, thankfully solitary but unfortunately pretty smart. They snatch and grab members of travelling parties in the dead of night, dragging them back to their lairs for consumption in peace.

The nearest trail is also a tricky one. Not long after heading up into the rocky foothills of the mountains, the path splits. One route goes straight across the mountains, one takes a more circuitous route and a last is barely any better than just climbing, but is - oddly enough - the safest of the three.

No one is quite sure what lies past the first route, but no one has made the trip and returned to tell the tale. Those who've gone some distance along the path, however, report an eerie glow which made them desire to turn back. The second path is, because it's neither a mountain climb or a deathtrap, often full of lurking predators and bands of enterprising bandits.

The third, safest route is also the slowest. The others are faster, but you could reach a terminal end to your travels on them more easily. Not to say the hardest path is COMPLETELY safe, that is. There are few walking threats, but Athas does have some unpleasant flying creatures as well.

[PurpleXVI]

Tamora

The ranger saw and heard no dangers creatures approaching in the night, the only ones that approached the clearing were small scavengers who nibbled at the dead sloths, but generally appeared to avoid the halfling corpses.

While she waited, she also easily picked up Balth's trail again. It was headed towards the mountains, but looked older than it had in a while. It had rarely been more than a day old so far, but it was at least two days since the elf had been where they were.


Bas

Bas' cowering in fear behind a tree served excellently to keep him unassailed by halflings and animals both, the exception being a small monkey who threw a nut at him as it passed by, hitting him right on the brow and leaving a bruise.


Anne, Lorath, "Spot"

No one inside the clearing saw or heard Bas or Tamora, the party's hippies apparently having elected to stay out of things for the moment, as well as abstaining from noisy or highly visible activity.

[Man Who Fights Like Woman]

Lorath rested his chin in his hand, pondering what would be the best course of action. Maybe the better question is, be where would Balth have gone? If Balth knew the land around here, and Lorath was sure he did, then he would know everything that the halfling had just shared. He didn't remember Balth having any climbing equipment, so that branch would be right out. It also wasn't likely that Balth would like to spend hours navigating a path for a few hundred yards of progress. That left them with just the second path as the most likely one, which would also be the path of least resistance for their target, since he would be fairly able to defend himself against bandits.

Of course, none of this thinking would mean anything if they couldn't follow his trail to the mountains properly. Seeing no need to keep the others concealed for now he asked somewhat loudly, "Hey, Tamora, have you managed to pick up on his path again?"

[Armen]

Tamora

Tamora had listened to the halfling woman’s account with interest. It had brought home to her how useful a local guide could be to them but they would have to be careful. She made a mental note to speak to Bas. The Learned at home had ways to determine the truth of someone’s words and though she had come to realise that Bas what not as powerful as those she had distantly known he might be able to learn something.

She had taken a last look around the surrounding and started to move to the clearing when she heard Lorath’s question. She ignored him for the time it took her to walk from the clearing and back towards the group. “There was no need to shout Lorath,” she said as she drew near, “I had not gone far. A trail runs east but seems older than I would expect. I may have missed something. I shall check again in the daylight.”

Tamora turned to face the stranger and regarded the halfling for a moment, her elongated fingers stretching out then curling around the shaft of her recently liberated weapon. Without preamble she said, “I am Tamora the Hunter from the People of Shadowfel Forest. As had already been told, these others and I are travelling through this land on the trail of an elf known to us as Balth who claimed membership of the Sun Runner tribe.” She paused, then indicated the forest around them with a sweep of her free hand. “Who claims these lands?”

[Reynolds]

The halfing seemed relieved that her speech was finished, removing her hat and fanning her face with it. She gripped the brim tighter, scowling as one of the hidden travellers steps out to join them. She plops the hat back onto her head, rubbing her fingers carefully over the hilt of one of her weapons as she admires the stranger one held by Tamora.

"Hmph. I see. How'd you get mixed up with these people?" She shakes her head. "Nobody besides bandits really live in these mountains. The forest behind us is the territory of my people...and the humans live on the other side. Not as pleasent as home by a longshot, and I'd really like to avoid their military settlements..."

[Kazilan]

Bas rubbed the bruise on his forehead as Tamora stepped into the clearing. He still did not trust the halfling, but if the Hunter was willing to approach the creature, the druid would as well.

Bas moved from his hiding place but kept a step behind Tamora. His mouth was a rigid line as he nodded to the newcomer. Any moment now he expected an ambush from all sides, and as such kept a tight grip on his staff.