OEPT10: Kicking the Anthill

[greentongue]

The fungus "bomb" and the water both hit the the "worker" closest to the charging guardsmen.
They were all enveloped by a fog of spores somewhat dampened by the flung water.

The fungus bomb also hit the "boss bug" with great effect, hiding him from sight in another cloud of spores.

The cloth triangles served the guardsmen well and they continued on into the dense cloud around the "boss bug" to knock over the portal.

The "worker" at the Qol pile took what looked like a defensive posture.

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Huruyan. Quick. Hit the boss bug now."

Kumahl takes after the bug in the defensive stance with his hooked fishing staff. Trying to drive him into the spore clouds if possible. If he won't back up then Kumahl will swing for his lower legs and attempt to hook one and pull the insectoid's legs from underneath him.

Huruyan:
Huruyan checks on the guardsmen to make sure that they get the gate knocked down, and seeing that the "boss bug" and the one nearest the gate are enveloped in clouds of spores tries the find the invisible one. If he finds him he will attack and try to force him into the spores. If he can't find the invisible one he will assist Kumahl in driving the other worker into the spores or stab him with his spear.

[greentongue]

Please roll (D20) for attack on the defending "worker".

To be clear, Kumahl is between the gate and the pile of Qol where the "worker" has taken position.
So, to drive it towards the gate and the spore cloud, you will need to swing around behind it and towards where the "invisible" bug was last noted by Huruyan.
If that was your intention, please document that.

Kumahl:
Yes positioning is important.

Boss bug is NOT the invisible bug?

---
The "boss bug" is hidden now in the cloud of spores surrounding the "gate".
So, you could call it invisible but I think you mean the bug that dropped off the Qol body and left, when you first looked into the clearing.

[Private to Huruyan: As you may recall ...
two insectiods with the body between them entered a hexagonal portal and disappeared
the remaining insectoid turned towards the right side of the clearing and the limp body of another Qol "floated" into the clearing.]

[greentongue]

Huruyan:
Since we are between the worker and the spore cloud it is more reasonable to just attack.

"The boss bug is almost certainly infected with the spores, and so is 1 of the workers. So all we need to contend with is the 1 worker and the invisible 1," pointing to the worker by the Qol bodies, "Let's get him Kumahl!"

"The Boss bug is in the cloud of spores near the gate, the invisible bug is still out there somewhere."

marvelous! Huruyan rolled 2 on D20 for attack on worker

---
The "worker" at the Qol pile, still in a defensive posture, easily danced around Huruyan's attack.

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
Kumahl attempts to follow up Huruyan's attack on the "defensive" bug by sweeping his staff at the legs of the bug.


17:34, Today: Kumahl rolled 8 using 1d20. attack on worker.

---
Kumahl's staff attack caused the insectoid to ripple its legs in avoidance just barely missing getting hooked.
There was a scraping sound as the blade was deflected at the last second.

As the guardsmen moved forward they passed through the area of the spore cloud around the now toppled portal and joined Huruyan and Kumahl at the Qol pile.

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Guardsman SSiyor. Guardsman Ninue. Cover our backs."

"Huruyan, let me know when and if you sense the other bug."

Huruyan:
"All of you try to see any distortion in the air which might show us where the invisible bug is."

In a much lower volume, Huruyan asks Kumahl,"Do you think your ESP or telepathy spells would let you track the invisible bug?"

---
Behind everyone, the other "worker" expired from fungus induced suffocation.
Both clouds of spores settled in circles on the ground and busily sprouted.

The fungus was also rapidly consuming the leather straps of the guardsmen's shields and harness.
Even the cloth triangles seemed to make a nice home for a crop.

The other "worker" warily watched the humans in front of it.
It seemed to be very light on its feet for something twice the size of a human.

Nobody noticed any unusual shimmering besides what the normal heat and humidity produced.

[Private to Kumahl: The ESP and Telepathy spells are intended for humans but if a bugs mind was not too different and could be targeted,
some communications could be established.]
*** If a Player Character

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Guardsmen remove the triangle masks and place them carefully on the ground. There is no need for you to die today."

Looking to Huruyan, "Provide me some cover. I will try to connect."

Kumahl takes a position, in between the guardsmen and Huruyan, hopefully they have circled and taken defensive stances. [Cast Telepathy - using it first on the bug at the Qol pile.]

Huruyan:
"I didn't mean to cast a spell immediately, but after we take care of the worker and can concentrate on the invisible one."

Kumahl:
"I need to understand the mind of the enemy, in order to find him. So one of his tribe should have a similar brain wave and thought pattern. Hence the telepathy."

[Kumahl focuses on the mind of the worker.]

Huruyan:
"Keep watch you two and I will as well."
Then Huruyan calls out to the porters, "bring everything into the clearing, where we can watch and protect you."
Huruyan walks over to the gate and assures himself that it is secure.

[greentongue]

Everyone else in the party cautiously entered the clearing while staying away from the circle patches of fresh spores.

The porters clumped together nervously while the guardsmen that ran through the spore clouds discard their cloth triangles and their fungus ridden clothes and equipment.

Carefully they tended to their weapons while keeping a sharp eye out for anything out of the ordinary from their positions on either side of Kumahl.
While reduced to shields and no armor they still looked capable.

Huruyan was acutely aware that not only was the "invisible bug" missing from the clearing, so was the "boss bug".

Meanwhile Kumahl had performed the ritual for invoking telepathy and gotten a head full of gibberish.
There was so little frame of reference between the bug and himself that nothing made sense.
Connecting with the "worker" was almost effortless however, like it was a natural receptor.

[greentongue]

Huruyan:
"What happened to the boss bug? He should have died right next to that worker, but he is nowhere to be seen."

"Could the boss bug have turned invisible?"
Huruyan checks carefully around the new fungus patches to see if possibly the boss bug was invisible but also dead in the fungus.

Kumahl:
Kumahl motions for the worker to enter the fungal patch where the last worker suffocated and thinks the same thing, directing his thoughts towards the bug near the Qol pile.

[greentongue]

Huruyan saw that there were only the lumps from the basket and the portal frame in the fungal patch where the "boss bug" was.
The other fungal patch covered the contorted shape of a dead "worker bug" and the other basket.

The guardsmen stated there was nothing there when they ran through, after knocking over the portal.
They think it must have ducked into the portal since it was standing right next to it.

Huruyan:
Huruyan continues to look around for the invisible bug and starts to look for valuables.

[greentongue]

With the "worker bug" encircled by the guardsmen, Huruyan surveyed the clearing from inside it.
He found another fresh trail of bug prints, some deeper than others, as if sometimes something heavy had been carried.

Huruyan didn't see anything especially valuable except maybe the crude ornaments that the Qol bodies still had on them.

Before Kumahl started working with the porters to try and sort out the things they were carrying now that they had five baskets worth of stuff and only three baskets left, he approached the horizontal portal.

Just then, everyone heard a disturbance in the bushes in the direction from which the party had come originally.

Huruyan:
Huruyan gets ready for whoever or whatever is coming. To the guards, "Get ready, just in case."

Kumahl:
Kumahl drops the spell. No sense in probing an empty mind.

He pulls from his belt his bolos and waits to see who approaches.

[greentongue]

Warriors in pale purple with splashes of orange burst into the clearing from several places.
With spears ready they approach, as behind them a well armored man in the same colors pushes forward from the original path.
A slave holds a silvered cloth parasol above him so that he is shadowed from the sun.
"I am Lord Captain Kureshu of the Blazoned Cresent and I have come for revenge!"
"You, bandits, prostrate yourselves before me!"

As he spoke more guards, accompanying a covered palanquin with a heavy set man in robes of a soft fabric with a basic pattern of purple and orange zig-zag, could be seen behind him.

Kumahl:
Kumahl is amazed that so many have made it through the spore fields.

Placing his staff in the ground beside him, Kumahl bows and then stands, "Lord Captain, it is an honor to meet you. What bandits were you referring to? My brethren and I have been trailing some insectoids." With that Kumahl gestures to the one near the Qol pile and the others that are covered in spores.

"If we are in the way of some quest for vengeance, by all means please let us know the details that we may join you."

Huruyan:
Huruyan puts his spear on the ground and with a small bow smiles, "Yes we would be happy to lend any aid that we can to your most noble selves."

"I am Huruyan and this is my clan brother, Kumahl. Oh and of course our guardsmen and porters," waving in their general direction.

[greentongue]

Lord Captain Kureshu:
Addressing Kumahl, as he and the porters are the only ones in clan colors, "If you are not bandits, why have you not identified your clan?"

"We know that bandits have attacked a caravan of our clansmen."
"That net bag you have", pointing to the one sticking out of an overloaded basket near a porter, "contains items with our clan colors."

"Why should we believe that you are not bandits with a Hylss ally."
"I fact, anyone dealing with Hlyss must be enemies!"

Kumahl:
"Lord Captain, it is true we have things bearing your clan colors and markings. We were out hunting Kheshchal when we wandered across the ruins of the caravan of which you mentioned. There were several tracks and we decided to follow them. There were no bodies at the scene of the attack, so we assumed there were prisoners and someone needed help. We collected these items so that we could prove we were here to help."

Pointing to Huruyan and the guardsmen without clan colors, "It is obvious you followed our other trail. The first one brought us through the fungal fields and we lost a man due to the fast action spores. We used those fungus and spores to take down the bugs you see."

Motioning to the porters, "Place your baskets in front of you that the Lord Captain and his men may inspect them."

[greentongue]

07:59, Today: GM rolled 1 using 1d20. belief.

Lord Captain Kureshu:
"Clearly you are lying", exclaimed Lord Captain Kureshu.
"Obviously there were bodies."
"There were unburied skulls and bones still scattered in the clearing."

"You, disarm them! commanded Lord Captain Kureshu to the men on his right hand side.
"Kill them if necessary!"

"You secure this clearing!" he commanded the men on his left.
"We'll get the truth from them one way or the other."

---
The covered palanquin with the heavy set man was brought forward.
"How are you able to converse with the Hlyss?" the man asked.

"You may have value to us."

His insignia indicates that he is a Su'umel of Ksarul.

Kumahl:
"I don't speak with the Hlyss. None of us do."

"If we were bandits and had attacked your clan's caravan, we wouldn't have left in evidence."

"As it is, we came upon the wreckage and figured we would be out manned if we encountered all the groups that had been through there before us. Surely you and your men inspected the scene of the tragedy Lord Captain."

Huruyan:
"Noble sirs, we found the place where many people had been attacked and followed the trail to here. When we got here we found the bugs using a portal to transport bodies somewhere. We then attacked to stop them and then you came. I repeat I am Huruyan and this is my clan brother Kumahl both of the Ferretri clan and these are our guards and porters. We went through an area with where fungi spores covered our clothing and caused them to rot away, and that is why we stand before you nearly unclothed. We are not bandits." This last said with great emphasis.

[greentongue]

Lord Captain Kureshu:
"If you are of this clan 'Ferretri/Fishing Bird' why did you not declare it from the first?"
"What are you hiding involvement in?"

"Where is this portal you claim the Hlyss were using?"

"If you are not working with that Hlyss, why is it just standing there waiting for you?"

"Search their things for evidence!" directed to the soldiers.

---
The Blazoned Cresent soldiers have taken position in the clearing and have corralled both your guardsmen and the "worker bug".

A separate group of soldiers have a watchful eye on Kumahl, Huruyan and the porters.

Some soldiers are rifling through the parties' things after dumping them on the ground.

[greentongue]

Huruyan:
"We are not hiding anything, however the small island we come from has only our clan on it and so we never had to mention our clan before our recent arrival on the mainland. The portal had to be knocked down and is over there. We knocked it down because we believe that many bugs are on the other side, so be careful with it."

Kumahl:
Kumahl secretly hopes that the Lord Captain and his men trigger off another spore cloud, it would be quite humorous to see them with out their colors.

[greentongue]

Lord Captain Kureshu:
19:53, Today: GM rolled 3 using 1d20. Curious.

"We are here on clan business and if you are not involved in our missing possessions then, we may overlook your dealings with the Hlyss."
"That is, if you can be of use to us."
"Otherwise, it is our duty to turn you over to the Imperial authorities."

Lord Seer Epengar:
20:02, Today: GM rolled 9 using 1d20. Curious.

The heavy set man on the palanquin surveyed the clearing.

"You, Kumahl of the Fishing Bird is it?"

"Why did you allow that Hlyss to live?" he asked as he gestured towards the "worker bug".

Kumahl:
"Lord Seer," bowing low before him, "I was intending to find a few other insects that were here before we stormed in. Attempting to connect through this mindless drone has been challenging."

Lord Seer Epengar:
"So, you admit to working with the Hlyss," said with some haughtiness.

With that he gives a meaningful look to Lord Captain Kureshu.

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Lord Seer, in what way would I have been working with the Hlyss?"

"I encountered my first Hlyss gate a few days ago, when my brother," nods in Huruyan's direction, "and I were asked to solve a flooding problem in a Shrine of Chegarra. We found that a Hlyss gate had been used there."

Lord Seer Epengar:
"There is rumor of people trading with the Hlyss for a highly expensive, if also highly illegal, drug called Zuur."

"As far as we know you could be trading Qol bodies for this valuable drug."
This last was said in a questioning tone.

Kumahl:
Kumahl is grateful that he did not bring any of his inventions or contraptions along on this adventure. The way these pompous asses are handling things, it is likely that he would have to replace all of them.

"Would it help, if we dumped the baskets for you? Honestly, we have no interest in whatever the name of the drug is you mentioned. We were anxious to lend a hand but it seems we are to stand accused of yet another crime for which we did not commit."

"I am quite certain that means are at your disposal for determining the truth and not just speculating. Lord Seer, would it be too much to ask to be done with this, quickly."

Pointing to the sky, "The hour is getting late and we have only an hour or so to make camp for the night."

[greentongue]

Huruyan:
"If I may ask, what is it that you are trying to do? I only ask so that we may provide help. Also, Kumahl was trying to connect with the bug to help determine the location of what appears to be an invisible bug. It is still out there I think."

Lord Captain Kureshu:
"We had provided a dowry for a clan maiden that our diviners determined has been hijacked by bandits."
"The diviners then determined that the first expedition sent to recover it was also lost."
"They also determined that there was intervention by an unknown force or forces."
"We are here to get the dowry back."

"We are on guard against that unknown force but, it doesn't seem that it is you."

"What is this invisible bug you mention?"

Lord Seer Epengar:
To Kumahl, "Yes, you do seem to be telling truth."
"It seems strange to find you here though with that," gesturing towards the worker Hlyss.

"I suppose hunting birds could be expected from a bird clan ..."

Turning to Lord Captain Kureshu, "They don't seem to be directly involved with our mission."
"What shall we do with them?"

[greentongue]

Huruyan:
"Since you don't seem to want or need our help in your mission, I suggest that we pick up our gear and just get out of your way." With that Huruyan motions to the porters to start reloading their baskets.

Lord Captain Kureshu:
"We need to find the lost dowry, with or without your help."

"We also need to identify the unknown force that killed our other expedition, with or without your help."

"We are not convinced that you were not involved but at this point we can't determine how."

"Blindingly trusting strangers you meet in the wilderness is not wise so, pardon our suspicion if you truly are innocent."

"Lord Seer Epengar thinks that you were not involved in our clan members deaths but how you knew his name, prompts more questions than it answers."

"Something is not right here and it does not seem wise to leave you at our exposed backs."

Huruyan:
"If we shouldn't be at your backs, then maybe we should be beside you? That is we all try to find out what happened to your dowry? "

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Lord Captain, whose name are you concerned with us knowing?"

"I am a priest of Thurmis. I study the old way to protect the budding futures of those who encounter them. The Hlyss are new to me, though i have studied some of their remnants, trying to understand them better. I have no need to involve myself with them."

"My brother is a formidable tracker. We changed our hunt when we saw the damage done to the caravan. There are numerous individuals involved, but haste dictated a decision and so here we are, doing nothing. It is a shame that we were the most recent to visit the scene, therefore a natural conclusion is that we are involved."

"Up until two days ago, we had been hunting rare birds and their feathers. Our other associate, Kumahl hangs his head for a moment, "brought us here to recover the dowry. He witnessed the attack and brought my brother and I, as he felt others would mistrust him and his status. The fear was that he would be considered a bandit and in league with those who murdered the caravan, much like the position we are in now."

"It would seem that Chodo's fears have come to life and we are where he hoped to not be."

"Chodo recounted having been out hunting, when he came upon the scene unfolding. One unseen assailant attacked the caravan, seeking one item only. When we arrived today, it was evident that the valuables had been carried off in another direction, some nearby ruin I believe." Kumahl produces from his own pockets a purple gem.

Working his way to the porter's basket who has the remaining usable pieces they found, he presents them to the Lord Captain. "These were the only things of value, Lord Captain. As to my other knowledge, a number of your clansmen, including Lord Seer, I believe, are followers of Ksarul, and would stand to reason that the followers of Ksarul would seek to reclaim their own, dowry or not."

Lord Seer Epengar:
To Kumahl he said, "A priest of Thumis. That explains the snooping into the business of others in an effort to help."

His eyes gleamed when the purple gem was offered.
"I will take back that gem if you please."
"I would also be happy to hear what you have learned of this affair and how you recognized me."

Lord Captain Kureshu:
"Who is this Chodo and where is he?" asked Kureshu as he glanced around the clearing again.

"It does seem we have need of someone to track down the bandits or whoever now has the dowry."
"Our trackers we have found you and not it, as they were instructed."

"Do have any idea where else the bandits or whoever stole the dowry may have gone?"
"There is some nearby ruin as Kumahl mentioned?"

"If you are not working with this Hlyss, then you won't mind if we kill it?"
"That I don't intend to leave at my back."

Huruyan:
"Certainly, we planned on killing it ourselves but you may have your people kill it. As for tracking, we are both hunters with tracking ability, which is how we tracked them to here. Unfortunately, we did take a wrong turn and wound up in the fungus field which in turn lead to the death of Chodo by spore infestation. We were told that there is a ruin close to the place where your people were killed, but we chose to follow the oldest set of tracks which lead us here. "

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Lord Seer, your entourage arrived while I was trying to divine information from the Hlyss drone," pointing to the insectoid standing near the Qol pile. "Drones have little in the way of minds per say, being empty, your mind being divinely guided like my own, was the first one that I read. Please excuse the intrusion but that is how I knew your name, Lord Seer."

"As I do not have the drone's language mastered or know of it, the drone is of little use to our getting the dowry returned and seeing justice served."

"As to Chodo his body lays among the spore fields. These fungi overtook very fast. Maybe you could speak with his spirit for additional details on the events that transpired."

Lord Seer Epengar:
"I have always felt that Thumis is a little too free in giving knowledge to his faithful."

"It is interesting that it is so mindless, which explains why it just stands there over those dead Qol."

Lord Captain Kureshu:
"Kill that thing!" commanded Kureshu to the soldiers surrounding the worker Hlyss.

As they were doing that he turned to Kumahl.
"You can have us led to these ruins?"

[greentongue]

Kumahl:
"Lord Captain, Lord Seer. Might I suggest we secure the Hlyss gate? It comes apart and travels well. Easier to study when you decide to re-assemble it. I am not in favor any Hlyss sneaking up on us."

Huruyan
"I think we should secure it as well. There may be hundreds of them on the other end of that connection!"

Lord Seer Epengar
"What is this gate that you keep mentioning and how does it work?"
Lord Seer Epengar asked Kumahl with great interest.

"How do you know so much about them?"
"Since you seem to, where does it lead?"
"Might the dowry have been taken through it?"

[greentongue]

Kumahl
"As I mentioned earlier, I found one in a shrine where it did not belong. Each gate has a partner gate. The one I found in the shrine, its partner had slipped into a shallow lake and flooded the shrine."

"I disassembled the gate and gave it to the priests of the shrine to study.

With that Kumahl carefully approaches the fallen gate and the spore field that has sprouted around it. Before beginning the extraction of the gate, Kumahl ties another dry cloth around his face and gently begins removing door frame pieces, one at a time.

Kumahl separated the door frame and lays the pieces a safe distance away.

Huruyan
"The only way to know where the other end is, is to step through the gate. In this case that would be very unwise since we know the bugs were using it, and therefore it must lead to a place that they control. As for the dowry, it might have been taken through."

Lord Seer Epengar
"Before you break it, are you sure you can put it back together?"
"How are we supposed to go after the dowry if you make it stop working?"

Lord Captain Kureshu
"Where are these ruins from here?" Kureshu asked Huruyan.
"Do you think the invisible Hlyss is there?"

"Lord Seer Epengar, can you do anything with those Qol?"
"Somehow they are still alive."

[greentongue]

Huruyan
"The ruins are close to where your people were killed, not here. As for the invisible Hlyss I think it is somewhere around here. It has probably been stranded here with the collapse of the gate. The Qol are likely still alive as my understanding of the Hlyss is they need their victims living."

Kumahl
Pointing to various features along the disassembled gate, Kumahl shows Lord Seer how to reassemble the gate when wanted.

"From our analyses of the caravan attack, the Hlyss were after something other than the dowry. They came in while the bandits were robbing the caravan and killed everyone. A second group should up afterwards and took off with the valuable of the dowry and headed for the ruins. The Hlyss were after something else entirely. My guess is that they were after living victims they could use for whatever Hlyss use humans for."

Lord Seer Epengar
"We will take this gate with us. I wish to study it further."
"So there is a matched pair to this one? That would be very good to find."

With that Epengar directs his followers to pack away the portal frame.

"Lord Captain Kureshu, I may be able to command these Qol but not in the condition they are now."
"I'm not sure how long the Hlyss's paralyze venom lasts."
"We may as well go ahead and kill all but one. That one we can monitor to find out how long."

Lord Captain Kureshu
"If you are who and what you say, lead us to the ruins," Kureshu directs Huruyan.

With that the Blazoned Cresent party kills all but one Qol and prepares to move out.

[greentongue]

Huruyan
Huruyan gives a small bow to Lord Captain Kureshu, "Please follow me." With that Huruyan moves off back back the way we came toward the ruins.

Kumahl
Kumahl gathers up the fallen items from the baskets and assures that the porters and guardsmen are taken care of before following after Huruyan.

---
The Blazoned Cresent party allowed Huruyan to pass through them as they reorganized to head back the way they had came.

There was quite a racket as the various groups of soldiers and porters made way for each other and wheeled around in the clearing.

In-between the milling groups, Kumahl managed to get five baskets worth of items into the remaining three baskets.

Soon things died back down to a murmur as everyone found their places and the party moved forward towards the initial ambush clearing.

With Huruyan's skilled guidance it didn't take long to arrive.
As he started to head down the trail he believed lead to the ruins, Lord Captain Kureshu called a halt.

[greentongue]

Lord Captain Kureshu
"We should take this opportunity to give our fallen clansmen proper burial", stated Kureshu.

"The extra time won't make much difference to our quest at this point but, it will make a difference to our fallen."

"Huruyan of the Fishing Bird, will you be able to follow the trail as well after a short delay?"

Huruyan
"Yes, and I agree the fallen should be given a proper burial. If you don't mind however I would like to look for the tracks and check them for direction while you take care of your clansmen."

---
The members of the Blazoned Cresent clan scattered over the clearing and gathered even the smallest scrap that remained of their fallen comrades.

A large hole was excavated to hold all the remains and their belongings.
Even the items that Kumahl had collected were interned with the remains.

Once everything that could be found was in the ground and it was time to fill it in, Lord Captain Kureshu turned to Kumahl.

[greentongue]

Lord Captain Kureshu
"Lord Seer Epengar has not studied as a priest and I noticed from your insignia that you have," stated Kureshu to Kumahl.

"Would you do us the favor of giving them a proper funeral prayer?"
"It would mean a lot to them, and to us."

Kumahl
"Lord Captain, I would be willing to help in any way possible."

Kumahl takes the time to implore the Gods to preserve the remains and to leave the grave site undisturbed that all who rest within my enjoy peace. He also mentions being welcomed back to the Gods favorably as the dead fulfilled their responsibilities in mortality, honorably and faithfully. As he concludes, Kumahl pauses to say a silent prayer for Chodo and to wish him well.

---
Even Lord Seer Epengar makes a point to thank Kumahl for doing the rites over the fallen.

The other members of the Blazoned Cresent are less stand-offish afterwards.

With the fallen properly buried, it falls on Huruyan to lead them along to path to the ruins.

After careful inspection the path was determined and several mounds of shaped stone are reached.

One of the mounds is more squared than the others. They look like squat pyramids.
The squared one has an entrance that is clearly often used.

As the Blazoned Cresent forces are arrayed around it there comes a report that one of the bearer is missing.
Nobody knows what happened, they were there then suddenly gone.

Lord Captain Kureshu alerts his soldiers to be ready for any sneak attacks.
He then calls Huruyan and Kumahl together and asks them if they know anything that can help decide how many should stay back and not go into the ruin at this time.

[greentongue]

Kumahl
Not certain if he has had enough time to regain any of his spells Kumahl will go with out.

Standing where he is, Kumahl does his best to remember every detail and every person. Next he looks to the spot where the bearer was then looks to the Qol to see if it is alert. Following these actions, Kumahl will carefully approach the last position of the bearer. Searching the ground, Kumahl will check for tracks and also for mud or dirt.

---
A quick inspection of the Qol showed that it is still paralyzed and lethargic.

Kumahl and a couple of clan guards backtrack to where the missing bearer was last seen.

His careful inspection of the back trail led him to find tracks of the kind he had seen before.
One of the Hylss had recently been beside the party's trail and from the signs, snatched the bearer.

The rest of the party cannot be seen from where Kumahl is but they can be heard.

[greentongue]

Kumahl
"Brother Huruyan, our prey has followed us. Lord Captain, the invisible Hlyss has stolen your man."

Pointing to the tracks, Kumahl shouts, "I cannot track the unseen. Lord Seer, might there be something you could divine or uncover. Something that is outside my novice skills? We risk losing more men, if we stay to far apart."

---
In the distance Kumahl hears the faint sound like that of a large wasp approaching.
The sounds stops suddenly while still far away.