Talk Me To Death

Throckmorton came to. His head was throbbing.

"I suppose I should be grateful that he only used the flat of his blade on me," he thought.

Looking around, he saw that he was on a barge on the Nyle surrounded by hawk-faced warriors. The warrior called Kamenwati was seated on a large ebony throne at one end of the barge. Humans were chained to the oars of the barge and were rowing as though their lives depended upon it. Perhaps they did. The welts on their backs certainly indicated that the overseer was merciless. Seeing that Throckmorton was awake, Kamenwati rose to his feet and came forward to address him.

"So, foolish mortal, thou thought that thou could'st steal our sacred artefacts and drive us from our land, this very Aegyptus. Be glad that thou wilt not see the end of thy nation's dominion in this land. The Nyle calls to us and I have risen to its call. I shall lead our forces against thy troops and crush them under my chariot wheels. My people are ready to follow me. We are preparing the way. Once I have the Feathered Crown of all Aegyptus I shall be as a god unto my people once more and thou shalt be naught but an ant to be crushed under my sandals."

Kamenwati ranted on in similar vein. It was painful to listen to and Throckmorton suffered greatly as a result, but at least he was well in body, even if his brain was hurting now. While Kamenwati was ranting, Throckmorton was working his bonds. to see if he could get his hands free.

Kamenwati won the Talk Me to Death test by 1 success so Throckmorton suffered but was not killed out of hand.

As Kamenwati extolled his own strength and glory, Throckmorton was able to slip a hand free from the rawhide ropes that bound him. In the heat he was sweating somewhat and his sweat helped the ropes expand a little. With his hands free Throckmorton thought he might now stand a chance. Kamenwati had started strutting backwards and forwards as he ranted. The warriors were all watching Kamenwati now. Their eyes reflected the predatory look of their leader. As Kamenwati turned his back on him to stride back down the barge in masterful fashion, Throckmorton saw his opportunity. His feet were still bound but he leapt to his feet and dived for the side of the barge. Throckmorton stumbled as he hopped but still managed to tumble over the side before the warriors could catch him.

Both scored the same number of successes on the Escape table so the character escapes. Cue the chase scene.

Just before he hit the water, Throckmorton took a deep breath. He allowed himself to sink below the barge, while he removed the rope from his ankles. Then, his chest starting to feel tight, he struck out under the heavy silt-laden Nyle waters towards the bank and the reed beds that lined it. Above the water, the warriors were in uproar, although Throckmorton could hear nothing of this. Nor did he hear Kamenwati yell, "Catch him, you fools!"

By the time he reached the reed beds, Throckmorton's chest was burning. He doubted he could ever reach them without surfacing, but still he forced himself to try. He could see the reeds ahead and with his lungs bursting, Throckmorton surfaced among them. He gasped and spluttered as he got air into his lungs. Looking back the way he had come, he could see the warriors in uproar on the barge but they had not spotted him. He moved carefully away from the barge through the reeds for what seemed like an age before he lost sight of it, but eventually he succeeded.

Geoff and Cordelia had decided the continue their quest. They had agreed that the best way to find Throckmorton was to find the object of their quest. Clearly the warrior they had encountered was involved somewhere. Therefore, they believed that if they found one they would find the others. So, it was a great surprise when they were hailed in English from the shore by a rather bedraggled Throckmorton.

Throckmorton beat the warriors on the Chase table and escaped with no consequences for himself. Back to looking for clues now.