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The Battle for Tarithnesti

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07 Deepkolt 349 AC EN ROUTE TO TARITHNESTI “Damnit! We’ve been tricked! A damn illusion!” Kysek shouts. “They know we’re coming! This was meant as a distraction and to give away our position! No matter! We’ve got this!” the elf adds. He brings Dusk back to the tree tops and turns an 45-degree angled path to the right of what his original trajectory was. He sticks to the trees and shadows of the forest intent on changing his arrival approach after being  duped into giving away his position. The two now fly for the city. No stopping; only watching for something that can actually attack. The forest rushes past in a blur of frost-covered trees. Needles and leaves are dragged along in Dusk's wake as the mighty griffon races along. Branches whip by, dangerously close as she weaves between bough and limb at a reckless pace. Kysek’s eyes dart to and fro, searching for enemies ahead. Bubo clings to his shoulder, the owl watches the sky and their back trail. For several tense minutes, the...

Road Trip to the Dragon Isles - Deep Shale Hold (Part 1)

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  03 Newkolt 349 AC Granite leads the group through the second half of the Cactus Forest. At times, progress is slow with the group having to dismount and lead Nightrend and the camels through spots where the path narrows dramatically. But the land changes once the group emerges from the narrow trails that wind through the towering succulents. Ahead, the land becomes less sand dunes and brush to exposed stone and jagged outcroppings as the group leaves Khur behind. Granite's focus seems to change. His eyes linger on formations of stone, his fingers trace exposed rock as if he is reading by touch. The open desert gives way to fallen rock, wide cracks, sinkholes leading down into the dark earth. The road snakes back and forth around all of these, in places, stone bridges - obviously built by dwarves and worn down over time - span the larger gaps. Phineas breaks the silence first, peering over the edge of one of the nearer drops. “So this is the Delving,” he says quietly. “Feels li...

Yes, But What if it was Shadowrun (Part 7)?

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The kitchen was narrow, cluttered, and warm. Magnets from long-defunct superhero charity drives clung to the refrigerator beside faded photographs of people Raven did not recognize. One showed Rudy in his Char costume decades younger, grinning beside a line of caped heroes in front of a burning building. A decades old "Char" action figure "with swivel arm combat grip" hung on the wall, still in its plastic package. Rain rattled against the van's windows. Rudy Chavez stood at the counter assembling tacos with the practiced efficiency of a man who had spent years working inside of a truck barely larger than a coffin. An artificial knee clicked quietly with each step he took. "You want hot sauce?” he asked without turning. Raven eyed the simmering pan suspiciously. “Is it poisonous?” The ex-hero laughed, “You might find it... spicy." Cipher chuckled. “That means yes.” Rudy laughed and handed him a plate anyway. "Used to be, I hated spicy food. E...

Tarithnesti - Distractions and Maneuvers

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07 Deepkolt 349 AC EN ROUTE TO TARITHNESTI Kysek continues his flight with Dusk. The elf continues to switch his sight from his own to Bubo’s. He focuses on trying to see everything he can through Bubo’s eyes when doing so. When he focuses on his own surroundings, he keeps a keen eye for ground forces that may have not reached the city yet. He is always reassuring Dusk, “Keep out of sight, girl! Fly silently! Keep a keen eye for enemies! If we find them along the way; it may be our way to help save the city. You’re doing great! Remember; we are the ghosts in the darkness!” As Kysek urges Dusk to fly as fast as she can toward Tarithnesti, he spots it: a narrow stretch of road cutting between two hedgerows shows faint signs of passage: crushed grass, fresh hoofprints, and the glint of metal catching brief sunlight through the canopy. Not a full formation… but scouts. Or outriders. Moving fast enough to avoid drawing attention, but not careful enough to erase their trail entirely. And ...