Road to Respite

Kero's Tent

 * Lavish red & purple drapes, various tables scattered with candles, and behind a curved desk, an aging Najran woman sits. Her long, black hair is tied into a ponytail behind her, and the candlelight illuminates her long, pale face. She intently shuffles a deck of cards, before placing a few on the table, face-down. You notice a thin layer of smoke covering the table which billows slightly as the cards are very gently dealt.
 * As you enter, she raises her head to you. "Cartomancy is an intriguing pastime, is it not? With such a magical world, tangible methods of prophesising exist... Yet pure chance is sometimes more useful advice than that of mystics and oracles. Come, let us see what luck has prepared for you, travellers...

Cartomancy
Dramak: The Moon (Reversed) Hilde: The Star (Upright) Ilyas: Death (Reversed) Lujayn: The Chariot (Reversed) Valerio: The Hermit (Upright) Yara: The Magician (Upright) Zix: The Fool (Upright)
 * "Fear, Confusion... The moon provides us with light in darkness... yet... it is only a reflection. A reflection of something much brighter... That which we display is brighter than that which we do not. Perhaps the brighter light is more of a reflection than you think..."
 * She cocks her head to the side; "Dreams are a mysterious beast, battlerager... They offer great insight, but are deceptive... They see your inner reflection, and make you aware of it. Perhaps disobeying your dream's instinct would be wise for a while... Perhaps not. Cards are also a mysterious beast."
 * "Spirituality, Inspiration... You are a fortunate child. At least for now. Even when the universe appears to work against you, perhaps you would be a wiser woman to trust the movements of the land beneath you. I may disagree with prophecies, but perhaps you should not."
 * "A persistent child. Not to your benefit, I imagine. Persistence is so often a negative trait... Resolving the past is all well and good, but what good has it done to a child such as yourself? Limbo is a dangerous place to rest.
 * "You have a passion, do you not? One which has perhaps driven you to anger and bloodshed. One which was not always your own. You would do well to remember that magic will flow with you exactly as it would without. Struggling against luck can sometimes bring more pain."
 * "You stand upon your accomplishments. Accomplishments earned with a silver tongue, no? The Hermit calls for soul-searching, to find significance, both in people and places. A burrow of significance is worth more than a mountain of meaninglessness. Perhaps you are different to most."
 * "The magician is the first card. The first of something has meaning, much more so than the second. Meaning can sting, but to many, the sting only empowers the purpose of the first. Perhaps, to someone already stung, a second sting means less..."
 * "Fools are interesting. Their folley could be their stubbornness, or their compliance. The fool is both the beginning and the end. He is new experiences, with old friends. A safe risk, if you will. An upright Fool would advise moderation, but then who ever believed a fool's advice?" She grins and chuckles to herself.

Outside the City
Day 1: Day 2:
 * Rolling plains, where you can see for miles ahead. In the distance, the landscape becomes lightly wooded as it approaches the forest. WEATHER
 * You've been travelling for a while now, nearly 2 days, and as the forest grows denser, you're a little worried that you've gone off track somewhere. All the while, the sun continues to set, the day almost over already.

Gnoll Territory
As you enter further into the forest, the trees seem to get taller and taller, broader and broader. After a while, the canopy becomes so thick that very little light makes its way to the forest floor. The floor itself is uneven, and it appears that lots of creatures come through this place.

Pit Trap; DC10 to spot, 10 foot deep. d6 damage, prone.

Hidden Pit Trap; DC15 to spot, 20 foot deep. 2d6 damage, prone.

Crude Bear Trap; DC 13 to spot, +6 to attack, 2d8 damage, crippled.