IC: The first pawn moves: Rather than climbing back up to cruising altitude the plane keeps climbing until it is just barely under its maximum service ceiling at 30,000 ft. Thankfully the stealth capabilities of the plane have so far kept it hidden from enemy radar screens. The extreme height is to give the plane plenty of cloud cover. Once the plane is over the coastal mountain range on the southern coast of Oriab the jump light flashes orange yet again to signal the Garnel team to get ready to jump while the cargo door opens once again. After the door is fully open and the plane is over the dropzone the flashing orange light turns a solid green once more signaling it is time to jump.
The Garnel team has been given specific orders to not open their parachutes until the last possible moment to avoid detection. They were also informed that because of these anti-detection measures they have not been given backup parachutes. Unlike the first team, the Garnel team will land scattered across a small mountain valley and have to regroup before moving on to rendezvous with their designated Oriab contacts.
IC: A march through Hell: The Volohkian team, having scaled the coastal cliffs and entered desert, begins making their way through the desert to rendezvous with their designated contacts. During their travel across the sands they come across a large sand dune. They discover a half-buried tent embedded in the dune.
Do they dare explore it?
IC: The Labyrinth: The Garnel team, having managed to regroup and make their way down to the valley floor, find themselves at the entrance to a maze-like canyon. Not long after entering the canyon they find a split in the path. There are three paths: one to the left, one in the middle, and one to the right.
Which path will they choose.
Volohk and Garnel
Garnel
The leader remembering his garō tactic training remembers that in times like these were logical decisions are impossible to make when time is on the line chances are left to fate or chance, so he throws a stick in the air, the direction the pointiest end points too will be the direction he goes
He and the garō Go the left path...should they see civilization or some human gathering ahead they know they might be going the right direction as it means that it’s common for people to go this way or something along those lines
Volohk
The team leader throws up a hand signal to stop. With a few more hand signals the team takes a room-breaching formation and slowly approaches the entrance.
OOC: They still very much in the wilderness. This maze of narrow canyons is rarely used except by the rare sheep herder. The Garnel team is still in the mountains and will have to find the right path in order to get into the desert.
IC: After walking for about an hour through the narrow canyon on the left the Garnelian team finds themselves back at the entrance of the maze of canyons. There are two, unexplored paths before them now. The one in the middle and the one on the right.
IC: As the team enters the half-buried tent they find what appears to be a dry-rotted wooden traveling desk with a brass oil lamp on the desk top. On the floor there is the remains of what was a fire with a simple, small silver tea set. Taking up the bulk of the space in the tent is a ruin hammock covered in blankets and sand. Lying in the hammock are the dried, desiccated remains of the presumed owner of these things.
Garnel
Garnel
The leader throws the stick up in the air again, it points to the right, which he and his group go through
IC: After walking for several hours the team finally reaches an end to the maze of slot-canyons and step out onto the hot sands of a vast sea of sand dunes which stretches out before them. Suddenly a strange animal call is heard echoing out from the canyons behind them. It can be safely assumed that the team picked the right path beyond a shadow of a doubt. The Garnelian team can now truly begin their journey.
Does the team begin traveling across the desert?
Garnel
Garnel
The leader makes sure they have everything they need and gather everything they don’t, they prepare to leave but rest first...they’ll need a lot of energy to cross the desert
IC: The Garnel Team makes the wise choice of waiting for sunset before traveling across the desert. They double check their gear and supplies before setting out at sunset to avoid the heat.
After traveling across the shifting sands for several hours the team comes across some sort of ancient stone monument jutting up from the sand. The monument consists of five standing stones, each about 2 feet tall, in a star formation 12 feet apart. In the center of these standing stones is a flat topped, pock-marked stone that stands about 1 foot tall. From where the team stands they can see something glinting in the moonlight on the center stone.
IC: The Volohk team searches the small traveling desk. The wood has been sandblasted due to its time here. The finish of the desk is patchy at best and there are a number of small cracks and holes in the wood filled with sand. Upon searching the desk the team finds all of the drawers are empty but they do find that one of the drawers has a lock and is currently locked.
How does the team open the drawer?
Garnel
The leader investigates the ruins, the rest of the team stands back as it could be literally anything, the leader does practically anything everything under the sun to it trying to see if it will reveal or do something, even pressing the center piece
IC: Upon approaching the center stone at the center of the strange monument it becomes more detailed. The 5 standing stones are made of sandstone, carved with some vague, sandblasted pattern, and of a conical shape with the blunt pointed tops of the stones curving inward towards the center. The center stone is obviously of a different type of material from the standing stones. Even with an untrained eye it is clear that it is some sort of meteorite that is a mix of some sort of iron ore and rock. It has been roughly hewn into its current shape. At the center of the altar-like stone is a large green gemstone that is clearly the source of the glinting light. It wouldn't take much for someone with a knife to pry the gem out of the stone.
Pushing on the stones does nothing. It is clear that these stones are not merely resting on the ground but must have a substantial amount of their mass buried beneath the sands.
Garnel
Garnel
The leader decides to pry the gem out to see what happens
IC: Upon prying the gem from the stone the standing stones rise up out of the sands to reveal their true size. The standing stones then begin to close in upon the team leader. The stones are wide enough to prevent escaping between them and tall enough to prevent jumping over them. If the team leader or his team members don't think of something he will be crushed by the stones.
Garnel
Garnel
Luckily the garō prepare for quite literally anything, part of thier stealth tactics includes a rope with a claw at the end, luckily the leader was the one carrying it, the leader throws it over the stones as hard as he can and yells “KACTL!” Or “CATCH!” The Garō catch and all together pull the rope hoping they aren’t too late
IC: The grappling hook goes over the stones but rather than landing on the surface of the sand it lands and sinks immediately. The inward movement of the stones causes large gaps full of loose sand to form behind them. These gaps of loose sand are death traps in and of themselves. The weight of the hook pulling the rope over the stone causes the surface of one of the soft, sandstone standing stones to cut a shallow line in the surface of the stone.
The stones grow even closer just a few minutes away from crushing the Garnel team leader. They probably only have one more chance to try and get out before it's too late.
Garnel
Garnel
The team desperate throws a silent explosive Grenade known as a “Gunundrum” at the stones crushing the leader, the explosion causes a shockwave rather than explosive energy into the pillar,
After A few seconds it bursts And one of them pulls out their sword and hacks away at the stone noticing a shallow line being cut into it from the hook out of desperation aided by the shockwave caused by the explosive
IC: A large crack forms in one of the stones from the explosive. The stone, broken around its middle, falls backwards providing an opening for escape and a bridge across the shifting sand. The remaining 4 standing stones are still moving.
The soldier who pulled out his sword and approached the stones falls into the void of loose sand that was created by the stones moving just like the rope and hook that had been thrown over seconds before and visibly sank into the very same sand.
The team leader escapes the trap just as the stones slam together. Having completed their track towards the center the remaining 4 stones begin to retract from the center back to their original positions. The team has only a moments to pull their comrade who is neck deep in sand.
Garnel
Garnel
The solider who knows how to handle quick sand moves Semi slowly, the team use the rope from the hook and throw it towards him, allowing him to reach for it and they can pull him out
IC: Despite having a rope thrown at him for him to grab he cannot grab it due to the fact that he is neck deep in the sand and his arms trapped by the sand.
Garnel
Garnel
Realizing this one person drags and ties the rope around thier waist and jumps in after him to grab him and the others will pull both out