1.0 The Wyr River: Ambushed

As each of you stir and wake up, you feel like you've lived through a stampede of Aneen while drinking that rotten ale (-2 points to all three pools). It takes you a moment to get your senses, but when you do, you carefully sit up. You take a quick inventory of your possessions and find nothing, your weapons and ciphers are gone. Searching around, you find the most of the members of the caravan are dead, blood coming from their ears, eyes and noses. You reach up and find some dried blood yourself. You are lucky. Searching the bodies finds nothing, not even a shin.

A casual search of the wagons, you see the wagons and carts appear to have been stripped bare as well. Walking to the river, the mud bank you remember seeing the mud men dive into has hardened in the mid day sun, but the impressions are still visible. It is two days travel back to the trading post, and the same amount of time to the destination. either way, the trail bosses are not going to be happy. Losing an item or crate is one thing, but the entire shipment...you are sure heads will roll.

What are you going to do?

Everything we have is gone (tools, shins, armor not worn) or just the weapons and cyphers?

Tools, ciphers, weapons, though they left any armor being worn. As you examine the bodies of your company, you find the captain. You did not not speak to him much (his station was a few higher than yours). His armor is missing, and you know it was good quality and most likely had some cypher enhancements. Most everyone else still has their armor on, including yourself.

You find a few shins (1D10) when you search the mud/clay, but nothing more. Searching the body reveals no visual wounds. All the bodies have blood, now dried, coming from the eyes, ears and nose. You had less, but some.

After taking time to search, you find a few muddy foot print and mud droppings (you hope it is mud) near the trees. They appear from no where coming from the mud wash. They lead into the camp and back to the wash. However, as you are studying the area that one of the individuals stopped in, you notice a glint from inside the bush. Pulling back the branch, you see a piece of mud covered Numenera.

Rolls from above:


Afterwards I will join Osred to see if anything has turned up.

(Good Rolls, both of them)

Scouring the wagons, you find on the captains wagon a secret compartment under the wagon. It is very well hidden and locked (lvl 6 lock). You search the body of the captain and while they stripped him of his armor, weapons and valuables, they managed to miss the key. Opening the compartment, you find some cyphers and a small weapons cache.

There are two swords, 4 punch daggers, one razor ring and a razon net (like a gill net, this one will attached itself to its prey and cut into the soft flesh to snag it). There are 137 shins and 6 cyphers.
There is :
A level 4 Cat's Eye that looks weird.
A level 5 Sleep Inducer, wearable patch.
A level 3 Stim, Injector
A level 4 Spatial Warp, large device attachment
A level 4 Speed boost, pill
A level 9 shocker, wearable device

As to what they were, you have never seen these creatures before, though you recall having heard vague stories. There were folk tales and campfire stories told to you when you were growing up of men made of mud and dirt. They would come from the ground and return there, leaving little to no trace. They would ambush travelers and disappear into the dirt like they were walking through air, or water. Very few ever lived to talk about it, which is why most people (including yourself) thought they were just a myth.

Sorry about the wrong kind of dice. It's late here. But a 1 is a 1.
Osred will use a level of effort to heal.

Turning his head, the dried blood turns wet (the d10 roll...oops) and you know that is not good. Still, his body is warm and you know there is something you can do. You look closely... his lips are starting to turn blue and his skin is getting clammy. If only you had the root your grandmother used, maybe.... maybe its too late. Perhaps water, and making him comfortable.

As you cradle his head in your arms, you feel a warmth spread to him and he licks his lips. His eyelids flutter a bit and then open. He stares out into the light above you, his eyes bloodshot and empty. His life force seems to be returning, slowly. He blinks and his eyes focus on you. For a moment, you see panic, then recognition and his body shudders. He raises his hand to yours and his lips move, "Thank you", though no sound comes out.