The party stabilizes Ittik and checks on the elves. With everyone ok or on the mend the adventure continues…

The party rests and searches the bodies of the fallen raiders. Kitano finds a bag with some weapons and gear in it. The raiders also carry obsidian daggers and wear hide armor. After collecting the items and themselves the group is thanked and praised by Kaldras, the caravan moves on.

Shortly up the trail Ittik notices a figure lying on the ground ahead. Otiril approaches and sees something most rare…a minotaur. He is bound and unconscious, but alive. Kitano gives him some water and shortly thereafter he comes to.

The minotaur tells the adventurers he was ambushed and outnumbered. He is unsure how long ago his encounter with the scavengers occurred but they took his weapons. Kitano shows him what they found in the sack and the minotaur confirms they are his. The minotaur says his name is Meldrick and asks if he can join the caravan. Kaldras obliges the request and they begin their journey again.

The next couple of days are a pure grind as the party crosses through the heat and terrain of the badlands. Meldrick is able to goad on the kanks while Otiril and Arannis keep the group well supplied and rationed. Finally the caravan arrives at the gates of Altaruk.

Kaldras talks to the guards and he slips them some ceramic coins. He motions the caravan through the gates and leads them to the elven market. Kaldras greets his tribe and a few begin to unload the cargo. He asks the adventurers to unhitch the kanks as he fetches their payment from a nearby tent.

Unfortunately the party fails to notice the elves unloading the cargo begin to reach for weapons. In the next instant chatkchas are flying at the party and some nearby kanks spit at them.

The elves manage to hit Meldrick and Ittik while the kanks hit Ittik and Arannis. The kank spit burns and causes those hit to move slower. Meldrick steps up to a nearby kank and swings wildly missing. Ittik rushes two snipers slashing one with his claws and killing him.

Meanwhile Kaldras comes out of the tent and stabs Arannis then quickly moves behind Otiril and cuts him with his bone longsword. Arannis retaliates sliding Kaldras across Otiril’s path. The half-giant takes a swing with his large axe and Kaldras screams in pain.

Out of nowhere a loud stern voice shouts, “Stand down!” Guards enter the market from every passage. The human speaking introduces himself as Tellemon, captain of the guard in this quarter. As he speaks everyone’s eyes are drawn to the metal short sword.

The party stands down and Kitano explains they were hired then attacked by Kaldras and his men. Kaldras paints a different picture, saying the adventurers are escaped slaves. He tells Tellemon that he was hired to return them to their owners.

Kitano tries to prove his noble status, but Tellemon says that the dispute can be resolved in the arena!

The guards escort all involved in the squabble to Bloodsand Arena where they are fed and given water. Then they are lead to the sandy floor of the arena. In front of the group is a pile of large coins. Further in the distance are Kaldras and his men. To the right and left at the mid-point of the arena wall is a closed coffer. There are patches of brambleweed in pots scattered throughout the arena. The thick thorny plant is tough to get through and tougher on your skin.

The party is then told they may not attack the other group. If they do they’ll be disqualified and face the appropriate punishment. They are also told the object of the match is to get as many coins in the coffer (to the right) as they can before time is up. If they have more coins deposited in their coffer than Kaldras’ team they win. If not, they lose and must pay reparations to the elves. The adventurer’s weapons lay at their feet, as they pick them up a gong is heard.

Two of the elves run toward the center and grab coins as they head to their coffer. Another runs straight for the coffer and opens it. Meldrick charges the elf that opened the coffer knocking him into the brambleweed. The crowd erupts in cheers as the elf lands in the prickly bush.

Kitano runs to the coffer and opens it just as Ittik places a coin in it. Otiril and Arannis also grab coins and head to their side of the field. Kaldras follows suit grabbing a coin from the center and heading to their side.

One of the elves charges at Ittik trying to push him into some brambleweed. Ittik braces himself and shrugs the push off. Otiril drops a coin in the coffer as another elf tries but fails to push Meldrick.

Ittik quickly grabs another coin and drops it into the coffer. The elves gawk at how fast the thri-kreen runs. Meldrick takes the seventh and last coin from the center pile and heads to his side. Seeing there are no more coins Otiril pulls one from the grasp of an elf.

Kitano distracts the elfs with psionic power but noone seems to notice his use of psionics. Kaldras rushes to close his coffer before the adventurers take more coins.

At that moment gates open on the arena walls and out come three jhakar trapjaws. Ittik sprints and opens Kaldras’ coffer. Meldrick keeps the elf off-balance by rushing him using the coin.

Two elves hurry to the adventurer’s coffer and grab coins. Otiril takes the opportunity to charge one of them, but misses. One of the jhakar grabs Kitano while the other one kills an elf. The third jhakar charges toward Ittik.

Kitano attacks the jhakar that has him and misses. The other jhakar bites and grabs onto Ittik. The monk escapes the beast’s large jaws just as Meldrick drops a coin in the coffer.

The gong sounds ending the match with the party victorious. Ittik spits on Kaldras as the crowd cheers loudly.

DM Notes:
The game in the arena was fun but, stealing coins and was not well defined. Also I got the jhakar out one round too late as there was a decent amount to keep track of.