Nomen Infernale X: Into the Fire Report

Still enraged in the Wulfwōd after the last of the fell Abythian Hounds had been slain, Asbjørn lunged at Kegho, intent on feeding his companion’s blood to Hegge. Fortunately, Kegho was able to deftly deflect the scimitar strike with the orichalcum edge of his mighty Skullcleaver. Brother Theo then was able to sing out the honeyed words of Mercy to the Rhenish barbarian before Asbjørn was able to collect himself for another strike.

The party snuffed Abet's still-burning corpse and began clearing away the bodies of the extinguished hounds from their campsite. Brother Theo recalled that as a Medjay of Khemia, Abet would've followed the old ways of the Metdjenite priesthood and would have expected to be mummified upon death. However, without the proper priests or elements, La Compagnia was not be able to give him his preferred final repose, and thus, Abet's akh would be forever cut off from the afterlife of his people. Abet and his sister Ashat would be reunited in that, at least. Brother Theo, perhaps counting on Maya's mercy to provide a home for Abet in Ourana, built a cairn so that the desert ranger's remains would remain undisturbed by the beasts that were so abundant in the Senu Desert. As they cleared the earth and dug the grave they all reminisced on this stern but caring man and his impeccable sense of mystery. Eventually, Teleptyon suggested that they pack up their campsite and move on a ways before eating their morning meal out of deference to Alex's aversion to eating graveside.

They trudged through a particularly desolate stretch of desert before finding a suitable place to camp. After the fire was built, Their porter, camel-tender, and camp cook, Zahur, while Theo added the bark to his nearly depleted first aid satchel. Brother Theo performed his evening prayers in the company of his small flock of Riven and Teleptyon while Alex and Kegho went wandering into the surrounding desert to forage for something like moss that might be used to staunch bleeding or lightning-charred oak that might be used to draw off the miasmatic taint of Nekhtebu. Kegho found tiger nuts and bark lining that would be good for bandages, while Alex tumbled gleefully from a tree with a whole honeycomb with filled with larva and royal jelly. Upon returning to the camp, Zahur was pleased to fortify the rations with the forgaged nuts and honey as Brother Theo appreciated being able to add the bark lining to his satchel.

Their bellies full, the party settled down for the night. Kegho took the first watch of the evening, which was blessedly uneventful. Riven's watch was less so - She heard something near the edge of the encampment, and when she grew near to investigate, the sand gave way beneath her! She screamed as she slipped and twisted her knee. In the small space of the nest an giant antlion appeared before her. She struck at it with her daggers but her blades could not penetrate the hard chitin of its exoskeleton. Unable to dispatch the beast, she tried to scramble up the side of the pit, but the sand was loose and her knee was injured. Kegho and Alex were soon on the scene; Alex threw rope into the pit and handed Kegho the other end. With their assistance she was able to escape the nest.

The party hoped that they had they had deprived the antlion of unusual size of their meal and could go back to sleep when Asbjørn ran up to see what the commotion had been about and slipped into a different antlion hole. The antlion Riven had just escaped followed her out of its nest, and effortlessly missed strikes by Alex, Kegho, and Theo. Riven struck a glancing blow. The antlion attempted to return the favor but missed.

A second antlion appeared in the nest that Asbjørn was in. He swung his sword at it, but in the tight space had difficulty maneuvering. The antlion had no such issue and raked him with its mandibles. Teleptyon sent a bolt of Ar at the antlion. The first antlion dealt a mighty blow to Kegho at which point Theo changed tactics and charmed the beast. He found the connection mediated by Bira alien, but was able to encourage the creature to return to peaceful ways and bury itself deeply and far from the party.

Kegho jumped into the second antlion nest to rescue Asbjørn but his jump attack was ungainly. Asbjorn, Kegho and Alex all successfully strike the remaining antlion and it expired.

Theo healed Asbjørn.. Kegho and Riven and Zahur made a delicious meal using some of the tigernuts and honey and chided them again for eating straight out of the pot with their hands.

The party continued toward Akbyset and stumbled upon a fire giant wandering in the distance, apparently distracted by the nest of a large bird in one of the needle-leafed trees growing in the crags of the sandstone hills. Chastened by their recent troubles they snuck by quietly and let it forage in peace.

Once at Akbyset they paid the guards and Zahur, and gave him extra to do some shopping, They returned to the gem dealer to inquire after the purple gem they had traded away on their last visit and to get more jade to protect Alex. The merchant obviously tried to cheat them and Alex retrieved his scales and was able to reduce the asking price and get information added to the bargain. The merchant told them that Naldus Bascio's family had owned the mines and that he and that the gems were a byproduct of some of the dark rituals that had been performed there. He told them that Naldus had been looking for ways to restart the rituals that had so corrupted the lands in the first place.

Abet would be very upset by this news if he were still alive.

As they finished with the merchant, Elissa stepped out of the inn.