KHAZUUL

"Oh no, that wouldn't do at all. My hair defines me." Flint replies to Cutwell, his pale face reddening at such an admission, especially among strangers. "It is quite an impressive contraption. How did you come upon such a gift?" He adds in answer to the man's next question, "You wouldn't believe some of the things I've seen, but let's leave it at that."

Freki's enthusiasm for the sword is admirable and amusing. "Indeed Freki, it's all about balance and footwork. You will learn if you have the aptitude. Some don't. Rhythm, balance, grace. They work in concert together, rather like a lethal dance.

As a shy, sullen face girl comes upon the group, Flint, a connoisseur of women, or so he would like to think, appraises her openly.

Pretty underneath that scowl and dirt.

"Perhaps if the girl would deign to look at me I would tell her who I am?"

The company continues and recover from the challenges of the day, warming and drying out by the canopied fire pits.

If anyone asks around, its not hard to find Falco Sparra. The young Syrian barely can grow a moustache, but perhaps his youth is the source of his industriousness. He is happy to display his wares for you, unlocking a heavy chest to display his current wares. He accepts payment in both gold and glass.

Antitoxins - 22
Bandages (3 uses) - 33
Rations (3 uses) - 11
Tarps - 11
Torches (3 uses) - 6
Wilderness Clothes (petty) - 17

"Falco's got you covered. Lost your tarp in the storm, did ya? Or maybe you thought we had log cabins and warm hearths to warm your toes by? Aye, tarps popular this season. Staying dry never goes out of style. 12 pieces, gold or glass."

If anyone argues about the prices, he'll tell them Raven's got it cheaper up in Vanguard and they're welcome to hike up The Winches.

Sow looks at Freki, then Cutwell before she turns fully and answers. "Sow. Like the needle 'an thread."

Freki goes to check out Falco's chest. When he comes across a tarp that doesn't look too worn he says, "This looks decent, how much?"

He hands over 11 beads in payment then brings it over to the groups campsite to set it up.

Before tucking in for night he checks on the kennels and while he's there he hangs his lure from a peg in the sheltered area. He doesn't think he'll need it for the journey tomorrow and figures no one except maybe Tully comes in here, so it's probably safe to stash it there until he gets back.

"Made it, didn’t I?" Cutwell says with a shrug. "I do a bit of everything." he says, before noticing the man watching the women again. Might be best to keep him out of the way.

"Seeing as how you’re trading secrets, why don’t you show him how you set up with the dogs at night, Freki? Keeps him nice and warm, don’t it? Nice and dry."

Day 5, Third Watch
Hex: 3
Wilderness Action: Make Camp
Weather: Inclement (Add a Fatigue or add +1 watch)

The company has a helping of fresh dinosaur flank - cooked until black and crisp to burn out any parasites.You take to your shelters and try to sleep after today's horrific encounter. Freki takes Flint to the kennels, but there isn't room for one more, alas. Saffron points out that her tent does fit two, and offers to share her tent with Flint.

Day 6, First Watch
Hex: 3
Wilderness Action: TBD
Weather: Extreme (Add a Fatigue and add +1 watch)

The night passes uneventfully, but you wake to the sounds of Khazuul's howling winds and are immediately pelted by near-horizontal rain as you get Emerge your tents.

"Bloody great weather!" you hear Tunny cry out. He stands amidst the rain, embracing the warmth of the tropical downpour streaming over his face and attire. "Couldn't ask for better!"

"Easy for him to say. He’s sat around here all day, far as I can tell." Cutwell mutters to the others, as he gets immediate use out of the waterproof cloak he had bought himself yesterday.

Waking up to the awful weather motivates Freki to find Falco again and spend the rest of his glass and gold on some protection from the weather.

Flint acknowledges Sow with a nod of his head, and thinks about making a joke about pigs but decides against it. Something about the girl's demeanor scared him off.

With little gold, Flint looks at Flaco's wares and shakes his head. There was nothing there he could afford as he thinks, my, how the mighty have fallen.

The dino dinner tastes alright. It was tough and certainly not what the blonde haired man was used to but food was food so he tried to enjoy it, tough as it was.

"Thanks for the idea, Freki," he says to the man after the kennel tour. "It seems like I've managed to find a spot with Saffron." Flint would behave. He wasn't a complete cur and he was tired. Upon waking in yet another downpour, he was resigned to spending the day soaked to the skin. At least it was warm.

Saffron follow suit and also trades in beads for an over-sized traveller's cloak. You notice the clothes guard quite well against the weather, and are properly vented so that you don't drench yourselves with sweat.
Just as you are about to strike out into the wilderness, Tunny catches up with you. He directly addresses Cutwell, who the other Black Skulls seem to recognize by name now, even if it isn't his actual name.

"Ironfist, is it now? Ha! Well, it's true you've got iron in you, and it's not just that arm. But best your crew brings back some Black Lotus soon. On account of the weather and Grimjaws and all that, we can understand low numbers on your first week. But don't forget the Black Skulls are a business, and you need to earn your keep."

"Speaking of which, where's your skulls, eh? Next time I see you, I want to see you wearing 'em. Avoid confusion when you're Hunting in these parts. You don't want to get an arrow in your back because a Black Skull mistook you for a filthy Dreadwing!"

---

The company strikes out into the dreary rain, fighting against the rain and wind with every step. The sun just barely cuts through Khazuul's clouds at this early morning hour to make it possible to navigate. Equipped with Cutwell's compass and Freki's hound, you do your best to stay on course.

Several hours into the journey, you hear shouts of men and the sounds of pitched battle coming through the trees. Advancing to the edge of a clearing, you see seven men battling atop a wide, vine-enshrouded stone ruin, ducking between broken pillars and crumbled arches as they trade blows. Five wear feathered headdresses, bucklers, and spears. The other two wear Black Skull masks fight with swords, back-to-back. Beset from all sides, the Black Skulls cannot retreat. Death lingers in the air; you can see three slain bodies already.

"What's our move?" Saffron whispers urgently.

"Looks like it's time to use Thorn's Immolator!" But looking at Saffron he suggests to her and the others in a low voice, "We are outnumbered and should probably run. Leaving our fellow Black Skulls to their fate wouldn't be the best situation but it's us or them, I fear."

Sow, dressed in her heavy new cloak and boots as well, keeps low as she peers at the fight, then glances at Saffron to see what the other woman is thinking. "Aren't we expected to help them?"

"Gave our word that we would, ain’t we?!

Now, they don’t know that, do they? We ain’t got the appropriate head gear. So, we could walk right up and gut the other lot before they know which hat we’re supposed to be wearing out here."

"If that was two of us up there, I'd be pretty disappointed if no one came to our aid. I mean if we join the fight we will out number them. It might be different if it was a lost cause," Freki says.

"The question is do we rush them, or just make ourselves known and hope that's enough to scare them off. If it's not, we lose the advantage of surprise."

Flint hasn't cared much about expectations throughout his life but he figured he would do as the group decided.

"I'm behind whatever the group decides to do. I can fight or not."

"I've an idea," Sow says from the back, quietly. She's gotten mud smeared all over her face as she somehow often seems to do, regardless of the weather.

"Three of us hide. Then two call out to them Dreadwings, try to either scare them off, or draw them in. If they don't bolt and instead come rushing our way... we trip the ambush. But we need to act now if we are going to do that..."

Freki nods in agreement with Sow's plan ... and she's right, we don't have much time to act, he thinks. So he runs out of cover to the foot of the ruins, which would have left him vulnerable if not for the blustering rain and wind. He's careful to keep his distance so that he'll have a chance to run back to cover if he gets their attention. He uncoils his whip and cracks it with all his strength towards the fight sending a shocking boom of sound across the crumbling overgrown structure.

"Hey!" he yells, "This is Black Skull territory. Flee now or feel the wrath of Thorn's Immolator." A quick flick of the wrist recoils the whip around his body and then he lifts the large flame-etched sword high above his head with both hands hoping the challenging gesture will either scare them off or draw a bunch after him.

Cutwell whips his wicked knife out of his belt, and throws the wet-resistant cloak over his shoulder to reveal his metallic arm.

"Oi! Yeah. Piss off out of here!" he shouts, as he steps up beside the man, and tries to look as intimidating as possible!