Vor looks at the rest of the group, "Caravan guards anyone?"  He grins.  "Moight be able t' talk'em inna payin' us t' go along."  He quaffs a huge amount of bitters and belches most exuberantly.  "Say a gold apiece 'n board?  Moight jes make th'r stingy hearts sing and th'r greedy fingers twitch."  He shrugs a bit and quaffs some more.  "Moight e'en ask fer more."

"Thank you."  Lia tells the serving person.  Once she is gone Lia would glance to the others.  "I don't like the sounds of the merchants, but, if they travel in the same direction as we do, it might be good to go with them at least for a bit." She shrugs.  "I think finding a mount for us and getting supplies should be our first order of business though.  Then we can set out, either with the merchants or on our own, and try to get to this place before the wizard gets there.  We just have to worry about bandits as well from the sound of it..."

"Normally I'd be all for acting as caravan guards and making a little money on the side," Chikra says. "But I do want to beat the witch to the punch." She pauses to eat. "Though it might be possible that the witch is planning to use the caravan as well, so it couldn't hurt to check them out. See if anyone working for them has seen her."

(OOC: Let me try to clear up the timing.  I didn't say it explicitly, so I will now.  It will probably take the rest of today and tomorrow to purchase and pack everything you need for the trip, so the fastest you could leave would be with the caravan.)

The is the overview map you received showing the location of the fortress.  The gold colored path is the trade route taken by merchants.  The red is a fork off of the trade route that goes to the fortress.

"Well let us plan on leaving with the merchants and we can always split off if they are moving too slow or too fast for us."  Lia says with a nod to the others.  "I suggest we go and purchase some mounts and the gear in the morning, then see about speaking with these merchants to set up things for the trip ahead, and, yes, to see if the wizard has been seen of late."

“So, bes on a thes’ crawlers as a movin’ fort ‘n camel as walk-in’ meat lockers, jes in case wes be gettin’ ‘ungry like, no?” Vor seems desirous of being done will all the figuring.  “Oi t’inks it bes good t’ try ‘n figur’ oot if’s th’ wizard been ‘round aboot doin’ wizard thin’s, like tryin’ t’ sniff out folk like us. Ya thin’ she nae is aware o’ us?”

"Well, guess we should finish up lunch here and see if we can find anyone selling mounts."  Lia says as she finishes her meal.  "Who wants to come with me to talk to someone about the mounts, while others start looking about at getting us the other gear we will need for the trip?"

(OOC: I'm going to do a little bit of a fast forward to the departure)

It takes the remainder of the evening, and most of the following day to gather up what you need, and pack for the journey.  In the morning you join the band of merchants gathering at the north end of of Sheizar.  You overhear the merchants saying that signs and portents suggest that some of the titans may be returning to the world.

(OOC: Does Vor want to roll persuasion against a DC of 15 to see if you can convince the merchants to pay you as guards?)

(OOC: So that I can figure out what rolls to make for encounters, Who is riding the scouting camel(s), and are they just riding ahead, or on the flanks as well?)

((Hallanann would want to hang back and bring up the rear of our little party - not necessarily the rear of the whole group of merchants. He'll have his hood up while they travel, and his staff at the ready.))

Chikra's probably not got good enough perception to be a good scout, she'll stay with the main group. Which would probably also be best if we do get hired as guards.

Vor persuasion   18

Vor will ride flank scout, seeings as how he was not very convinging.   Perception   4

Initiative, if needed   18

OCC If they laugh too hard, Vor just might slip a stiletto into their gizzards.

Osso

The inked dwarf walks up to the camel he intends to ride. He starts talking softly to it in Dwarven.

 "Me and camel take lead. I speak to beasts to help in scouting." He volunteers himself as one of the scouts for the group. His exuberance a little subdued today. Perhaps the heat, perhaps the gravity of the task at hand.

Lia would be riding on the dune crawler, where she can ride with a bit more comfort.

Krusk shall ride on the dune crawler, since his equipment along with him are pretty heavy and he doesn’t want to run the risk of a camel getting injured or not being able to carry him.

(Oh, PS, did we see or hear any sign of Maghiel amongst the merchants?)

Vor riding flank Perception 17

Osso, PocketMouse, Chikra, Hallanann, Lia, and Krusk are with the main group (do I have that right?)

Pocket mouse talks to the merchants about what they may have seen and hears that a civil war is brewing between those Asaatthi who wish to assimilate and those who wish to return the rule of the titans to Scarn.

Vor sees a camp of 13 bandits and a druid just out of site of the main road.  Also a bandit captain is sizing up the caravan.  It's unclear at the moment if they will attack or not.  The merchant caravan is composed of the 6 of you, your 8 camels, your dune crawler, 12 merchants, 6 guards, and 15 hired hands to tend the 20 camels the merchants are using to transport their wares. 

((Can we assume that if a fight were to break out, there would only be the 6 of us and the 6 guards to participate?))

Yes, Lia is with the main group.

OOC: Krusk is with the main group