Buckeran sifts through his pack for something useful... "I'm under strict instructions not to engage in combat. As much as I relish the idea of capturing some Dragon Army soldiers for interrogation in Santekh," he chuckles sheepishly, "And getting my hands on a dragonnel, we're not here to assist the war effort. We're here to find a dragon's lair to end the blight on this desert."

He pulls out his Elder's Cartographer's Glossary, and his monacle. "I technically do not possess the power to use this properly, but sometimes it comes in handy."

He drags a nub along the pages, and jabs his fingers at what appears to be an incoherent scribbling. "If we follow the outer wall of the ruins, we can go through here. The air is toxic to breath though, and the sand scorches the land like simmering coals. It will be like walking into an active volcano. We can expect to encounter powerful monsters that can only survive in such conditions, but the Dragon Armies would not follow us there. We will need a way to breathe the air, and something to survive unbearable heat. But if we survive the trek, we'll come out the other side back on the trail."

Orr the Unseen appears behind Hastos as if blinking to existence. "Buckeran, this plan sounds like something we are unlikely to all survive. I can cast Fly on you, so you can avoid the worst of the fumes. And I can cast Cone of Cold if the heat becomes too unbearable for the rest of us. But sadly, I can only do that once per day, and there is a chance the sudden change in temperature could rupture the earth, or kill us."

Buckeran offers Orr the Unseen a weak smile. "I know our options are few. Any path we choose leads to danger and the risk of death. But our best chance of success lies in avoiding open conflict. And I have secrets regarding the resistence that you all aren't privy to. If I am captured, it could spell disaster for Santekh and her allies if I am unable to resist their methods of interrogation."

“I don’t like those options. Not that I have any better ideas. Beings we can fight, but nature? I wouldn’t bet on our chances. Can we not also go through the ruins to get to the other side?”

“Well, the road goes through right? And being amongst those old buildings will give better cover for sure” Merkas pulls out the maps they took from the patrol and the ones he and Buckeran had and starts comparing them to see what differences they have (Cartography = 4). “With the garbage maps we got from the soldiers it doesn’t help much with another route. Avoiding the soldiers is probably best, though we stopped the last guys they still hit pretty hard. So I vote for going through, at the least if we can hit it we might survive, bad air is just bad all around”

Sera stared at the distant speck circling high above—the dragonell and its rider. Her Clairvoyance potion assured her they hadn’t been spotted yet, but that grace would not last. Buckeran’s suggestion echoed in her mind: the ruins. The blistering heat, the choking poison gas… unpleasant, dangerous, painful—but survivable. And more importantly, a path that avoided Thakisis’s soldiers.

“Buckeran is right,” Sera said firmly. “Our mission is to reach the old dragon lair and end the blight on the land… not fight the forces of Thakisis. Not this time.”

She stepped up beside Merkas, who was bent over the maps, and tapped the place where the ruins lay.

“Let us go through. Hurry!” she urged. “The dragonell rider might spot us any moment.”

Without waiting for debate, Sera sprinted toward the broken archways ahead. The air changed immediately—hot drafts rolling over her like a furnace blast. A foul tang stung her nostrils as the first hints of the poison gas drifted in.

She felt her living armor react at once. The plates softened and reformed, sliding up over her jaw and cheeks, shaping into a tight, smooth face-mask that sealed instinctively. Tiny channels opened, filtering the fumes into something breathable.

Sera kept running, hand on her sunblade hilt, eyes fixed on the shadows ahead.

The ruins were deadly—but far less deadly than being caught in the open by a dragonell and its master.

“How about…” Hastos’ stops mid sentence as Sera blasts through the archways and into the poisonous gas.

”Uhh, quickly…” Hastos looks to Merkas and Buckeran, “… you think Bucky can carry you two fast than you can run?”

“Yeah, Barkly is better at running than I am for sure, thing is having you all keep up” Merkas says just before tearing off after Sera, He holds onto the bag of holding ready to put it over Bucky’s head if he needs a breath of cleaner air, “Hey you think that fancy jug of yours could supply us with clean air if needed? I remember hearing about people that would  use jugs and stuff to go under water and get clams and stuff to make purple dyes, maybe you could do that too to stop the poison stuff from getting to you as much!” 

(Buckeran has an alchemy jug right? Have him ask it for air and put it over his head as a divers helmet also Given that a creature can survive for a time inside a bag of holding I figure it would work to keep himself with good air or maybe even put it over Barklys beak to breath easier, DM caveat of course)

“Don’t worry about Orr and I you two just get through this as fast as you can. Orr and I will watch out for each other.” With a nod to Orr Hastos looks around. “Let’s get through this!”

You rush haphazardly towards the ruins, using the crumbled walls as cover from the Dragon Army. As you rush past you hear a strange tapping on the stone. Then the ground rumbles unnervingly. Five horrific looking armored reptilian creatues burst forth from the sand behind you hissing and clicking while spraying you with needle-like spikes! The monsters have the Initiative advantage. You do not have to engage. If you do we will enter a battle map. But they seem to not be pursuing. Only defending their ruins. The four-legged beasts target the rear-most part of the party, launching a vicious assault on Orr the Unseen and Hastos! First Attack: 25 (Crit), Damage: 9 (Piercing) Orr the Unseen - Multiattack: 11, Miss (Orr the Unseen) Second Attack: 25 (Crit), Damage: 10 (Piercing) Hastos - Multiattack: 17, Miss (Hastos) Third Attack: 22, Damage: 5 (Piercig) Hastos - Multiattack: 24, Damage, 5 (Piercing) Hastos Fourth Attack: 13, Miss - Multiattack: 19, Damage 5 (Piercing), Orr the Unseen Fifth Attack: 12, Miss (Hastos) - MultiAttack: 15, Miss (Hastos) A dart hisses through the air, searing into Orr the Unseen's calf! They stumble mid run, before tearing the needle out and charging forward. But another one catches them in the lower back, Grimacing in pain, Orr the Unseen charges the magic in their hands, ready for a fight, should it come to that!

Orr the Unseen takes 14 Damage (Piercing)

Before Hastos can react, he's blasted by a pallisade of needles that bore angrily into his flesh between the gaps of his formiddable armor! The needles snap as he runs, causing the splints to cinch tightly against the stabbing invasion! Your neck and thighs sting from painful wounds!

Hastos takes 20 Damage (Piercing)

The creatures stay close to the wall, and seem to be avoiding the harsh light of the desert sun, but their threatening stomping appears to be more posturing than any attempt to pursue.

Hartos feels the sting of the needles as they pierce his skin. He glances back and sees that they don’t seem to be chasing them. “Keep going! Are you injured?” He yells forward to Orr.

Sera hurried through the shimmering haze of the ruins when a sudden hiss snapped her attention forward. Reptilian shapes—lean, scaled, and wickedly fast—darted out of the broken masonry. A spray of sharp needles peppered both Orr and Hastos before either could dodge.

“NO—!” Sera skidded to a stop, sunblade half-drawn. Too far to strike, too close to ignore.

She yanked a card from her Deck of Illusions and flung it down the towards them. It struck the ground with a snap of magic. Thirty feet ahead, a towering illusionary veteran appeared—scarred, armored, and roaring a furious battle-cry as he lifted his huge greataxe. The sudden threat was loud enough and fierce enough to drag the creature’s attention away from her friends....she hoped. The creatures did nio look intelligent.

Sera dashed to Orr and Hastos, dropping to one knee beside them as they plucked needles from their limbs.

“Are you okay?” she asked, breath tight with worry. Her fingers hovered, wanting to help but not wanting to cause more pain. “It looks painful…”

Her eyes flicked back to the illusion holding the line—every heartbeat counting until her friends were clear of the creature’s painful  barrage.

Orr the Unseen stays with the group. They appear to be more or less fine. "It is nothing," they force out through a wince. "I sense no venom. They are merely a defense weapon."

The illusiory warrior creates a ruckous and the creatures seem interested in charging it to tear it to shreds with their lance-like limbs. The continued rumbling seems to cease, as if the burrowing creatures are confused by the messages being sent by the other of their hive that have surfaced.

Buckeran pulls out the alchemy jug and looks up at Merkas dubiously. “Yeah that ain’t gonna work, just hold on tight ok?” With that Merkas drops the bag of holding over the older kenders head and spurs Barkly into a sprint. (50’ movement plus 50’ from dash action)

”Guys sorry but gotta get Bucky through here fast” Leaning into the striders neck he yells back at Bucky, not sure if he can hear through the bag, “Given how much it holds you should have ten minutes or so, for now we’re heading through fast” (Nat 20 Survival check, no modifiers so 20 total) 

“Absolutely! Get through this as fast as you can!” He replies to Merkas. 

“Agreed.” Hastos says to Orr. “I just wasn’t lucky. They got a lot of them through my armor. But I’ll be ok. Thanks for coming back. Let’s keep moving shall we?” He throws Sera a wink as he pulls the last of the barbs from between two of the plates of armor. You can sees all smears of blood along the edges of where the barbes were.