Kano sits by the fire and gestures the others to come closer. "I am not half the tale teller my father was." he says with a hefty sight. "But his tale was burned into my mind long before I took the Demon's Maw. As a young man he told a tale to the children. Years ago, my father, the great Haku Speaks with Fire told my generation of creatures from the deepest depths of the earth. Creatures that drank the blood of Kali in the sacred fire-mountain. The very fire mountain my people consider sacred ground today. When these creatures drank their meal; the burning blood of Kali, their blood was filled with fire. It filled them with a rage that drove them to attack the People. But the creatures had one weakness; They feared the sun and did not attack during the day." the big man pauses as he gazes at the bodies of the beasts. ...until today. he clears his throat. "It is strange that these creatures attacked my village. Not only have they not been seen outside tales, but they came during the day. I believe the Demon's Maw and the creatures have some connection with the great fire mountain."
Ulani approaches you and tugs softly on your arm, Kano, when you finish your recitation. In a quiet, concerned voice, she tells you that one of the little girls of the tribe just informed her that the hunters have left the village grounds. They were bearing their weapons and had their faces painted, and looked grim. She scowls as she tells you this, the expression hardening her pretty features.
Atlatl, meanwhile, is not listening to Kano share his stories. With some other younger adolescents, he is boasting of his involvement in the battle to any of the girls of the tribe that will listen. His brother Bromm is receiving a lot more female attention than Atlatl is, but Bromm by contrast looks very uncomfortable at being in the spotlight. He focuses primarily on looking after Garn, who is still recovering despite the healing he received.
Olivius listens to the tale with an energy in his gut. I wish Death had given me a definition for his idea of "Noble". he tries to picture the story as its told to help him understand.
We have experienced odd and drastic changes in beasts as well. It is all connected. We need to go up this mountain of yours and see what's what. Possibly put out some purple lights. And we need to do it sooner rather than later, I think.
Sinathel took the time to remove the eye still stuck on her talon before peering back at the forest. She focused and listened, not trusting that the Bug-tribe had gone far. They wanted Temellen pretty badly. Maybe... maybe he was just a target of opportunity. He is even more prey like than Olivius. What could they want him for? She thought back to those ruins found in her jungle.
Not that she could really think right now. All these people talking and boasting, cheering even. With her improved hearing, the noise was reaching an unbearable level. Taking flight from her perch she began to abandon her current form, changing from eagle to elf as she glided to the ground near the others. Talons became feet, feathers merged into herskin. Her wings, the last to change, became arms and hands and a spear reformed in them. "I do not think it is just the mountain we need to be concerned about. We should be prepared to be hunted and possibly ambushed." She looked directly at Temellen, her tone was not judging but one for stating fact, "They have come for you twice now. They will come again based on their most recent attempt, and you, as well as us, should be prepared for the inevitable next encounter."
Sinathel, as you finish speaking your final few words are interrupted by a peal of delighted laughter. The voice is dry and raspy, old, and phlegmatic. Your eyes are drawn to a place far from the fire, on a small pile of jungle furs that most casual observers took to be just a pile of clothes and a stick. Now the clothes straighten up as the old woman underneath straightens up, laughing still.
Kano: the woman is Meredith, a woman older than anyone else in the tribe, who has forgotten more than many here assembled will ever know. She keeps to herself mostly, only rarely leaving her hut in times of great need of her skills around a cauldron. She had been sitting off by herself, and no one paid her any mind until she began making that strange laughing sound.
When Sinathel looks at her, the old woman gestures, pointing at you with the knobbly head of her walking-stick. "Nature spirit, nature spirit!" she wheezes, laughing again. "Druid, elf's a druid! It's true, it's all true..."
You hear thunder rolling off in the distance. A storm is brewing, it will likely hit the island tonight.
Kano turns to look at the thunder in the distance as if it was on cue. "An ambush is a danger we can face any time. From the bug men or the traitors. I say we rest briefly. Tend to the wounded. Then once the storm is over, we head for the sacred ground. He looks down at Ulani's arm "They will be dealt with. Don't worry. I'd end this with as little fighting as possible if I can." Kano tells here reassuredly. He raises an eyebrow at the shifting of the elf. Apparently the old woman knew what she was. He leaves the elf to deal with the old woman and instead he goes over to Temlen and leans over the mainlander. "And if you are hiding something mainlander, I will find out. I don't think you would be as arrogant to hide from a man that hears the gods."
"It will be hard to reach Numaloyo in these conditions and I may need to commune with Kukailimoku for guidance. The storm is here. Take shelter and perhaps some of you foreigners can tell me about who you actually are." He shot a glance at Sinathel and gestured towards one of the larger thatched huts before getting up and beginning to head on in.
Olivius knows a veiled demand when he hears one. He follows the massive island man into the hut without protest. As he enters, he motions Temlen into the hut and indicates that he should sit within his sight.
(If Tamlen decides to stay with Hawke, that will be acceptable)
Temellen meekly follows Olivius' gestured order after surrendering the ranger's longbow to him. He still seems shaken by his near-abduction, and glances about himself nervously at the dark-eyed islanders.
Si-Yi enters the tent with the others, glad to finally have an opportunity to rest for a while. Taking on mind-controlled monks, harpies and salamander-monsters on the course of one day is exhausting enough even without timetravel-induced jet lag.
The decor on the inside is surprising to the outsiders in how lavish it really is. Kano's tribe, despite existing at primitive levels of technology, has nonetheless demonstrated great mastery of expression, producing rich paintings and small statues carved from sea-stones.
Olivius immidiately starts calculating. Most of this would sell for good money in a decent market. Oh. There is no decent market on this forsaken rock.
He stops counting.
"So...I already have learned a number of things. You are on a mission of great importance. You are looking for beekan and travelling with a mainlander elf. Because Ku looked upon you favorably, I grant you my protection as prince of the Demon's Maw. Others have not seen what I saw and doubt my judgement. Saying outsiders should not be trusted. Do not prove them right. Relations with mainlanders have not been good. Not as bad as they were, but still not good. I have seen your quest in visions. As well as some glimpses from the future. Ku has granted me much knowledge I would not otherwise have, and for that I am blessed. But barring the mission, I know next to nothing about you. Who you are, where you come from, how you got here. Until you give trust, you will not gain trust. I will ask these things of you and if you wish you may ask whatever you wish of me.
Sinathel looked at the old woman, a soft smile on her face. Reaching out to the spirits of the land, she inquired about her as she approached the older woman.
The woman continues cackling as Sinathel approaches. She points at her again with one finger, the knuckles swollen. She speaks quietly, so quietly you cannot hear it - you can just barely recognize the words she's making by using your lip reading to assist what your ears barely pick up. Are those...Druidic words? Student...island...future?
She bades you to come closer. She speaks, and every word cycles from language to language, producing a dizzying polyglot gobbledegook. When you come closer to her, you can hear her whispering to you in Elven. "Fear is on your path and dogging your steps, pretty young one...I can help you..."
But before she can continue, Ulani appears. Kano's second-in-command has an authoritative posture, and before the old woman can continue Ulani is hushing her. "Shhh now, Boba," she murmurs, lifting a small draught to the old woman's lips. The old woman's eyes unfocus briefly before she smiles at the smell, slowly sipping it. "There now," Ulani continues, helping the old woman back into a comfortable seat on her rickshaw. With a short whistle, Ulani summons a small teenaged boy to bring Boba back to her hut.
Ulani stands up again as Boba is taken away. She turns to you. "I beg your pardon...you were exciting her overmuch," is all she says, before turning and walking off.
Sinathel watches Ulani leave, knowing there is something being hidden. She liked the older woman, Boba. But this Ulani... now that she wasn't sure. But this... Kano... he seemed to be in charge. If she played nice, she might just get to talk to Boba. With one last look in the direction Boba was taken, she heads to enter the hut Kano and the others entered earlier.
Olivius starts the introductions. My name is Olivius. I grew up in... he hesitates. How to describe a city to a man who likely hasn't seen a house taller than he is?
... a place where men pile stones high to make houses. I am one who finds lost things, or makes them lost, in exchange for my life's needs.
Hawke would move to the entryway of the hut and stand there. He was antsy from the fighting, however his body was tired to the point where he allowed himself to lean on his axe's pommel, it's great serrated blades resting upon the ground.
Sinathel gave Olivious a sideways glance before muttering in Elvish, "City Dwellers." While they were talking, she was more interested in the sea stone statues. Remembering the Spirit of the Scarab, she sensed out curious of these small statues held spirits as well.
"Since no one else wants to speak up, I guess I will. I am Hawke and I come from the future. I got here through the will of the gods." As he finishes the last statement, he spits on the ground.
Oh, ya, forgot to mention that. We're not from this time. It's a little confusing, by we got sent here by Gaia. You should ask your god if he and Gaia have met. Might speed this "save the world" process along.
After Hawke has spoken, it suddenly dawns on Si-Yi that he's the next on the imaginary "introduce yourself" list. "Uh, well, I'm Si-Yi, and I come from the future as well. Came on the same will of the gods as the rest."
Sinathel looked sideways over at her companions as they seemed to be going through introductions. She looked away, to her braid, adjusting one of the many colorful feathers there as the others spoke. She looked up at Kano, after the others said their part. "It is with the aid of Gaia and mercy of Chronos that we arrived here. This island, this time, is where the end began. It must be stopped. We have been task with doing so." She looked away at one of the sea-stone statues she had been inspecting earlier before looking back at Kuno. "I am Sinathel." She dropped silent for a moment. "What can you tell me of the woman they called Boda?"
Kano nods, looking satisfied, until the druid speaks, and then he looks deeply troubled. "It is good you told me these things. I will help any way I am able. I know the importance of what you are doing." He pauses for a second and seems hesitant to speak and frought with worry. He snapped back to the matter at hand with the mention of the old woman. "Boba? Sorry if she bothered you. She is....very old. The years have not been kind to her. She was an herbalist. Saw her share of loss. Over time this took a toll on her mind. Boda's been with us as long as I can remember. If you want to know more, ask her yourself. I try not to pry."
We are thankful for your help. Gods know I'm less than useful in this jungle.
As Kano speaks, you see a number of bare and lightly sandaled feet stopping outside the doorflap and talking excitedly among themselves. The flap is pulled aside, slightly, and a bold-looking face - you recognize the younger brother of Garn, Kano - pushes into the tent. "We gathered fruit for the outsiders!" you hear, and the children push inside bearing a platter on the arms of five of them, positively laden with fruit, delicious sweetened coconut water, and chia paste - a chalky substance that produces mild and pleasant hallucinations when smeared on the upper lip and allowed to permeate the lungs.
Olivius eyes the fruit, but doesn't move until instructed. He is unsure of the protocol here, so he waits for Khano to indicate what to do.
While he has nothing against fruit, Si-Yi can not help but feel that the platter seems slightly... Protein-deficient. You can't build an impressive musculature like his without having some dead animal once in a while, after all.
"Hm, must be excited to get visitors. Kano says scratching his head. He pulls away the chia paste. "I'm going to say its best to not be touching this stuff. For now. Help yourself to the rest. I would think your travel would have left you very hungry."
"No, no, she did not bother me. I hope to speak with her. She said something that interested me. I was," Sinathel paused as if debating the best word, "prevented from speaking with her earlier. Seems I was 'exciting her overmuch'."
Sinathel smiled seeing the fruit. "The jungle always provides. Thank you for your hospitality." Choosing a tasty and ripe mango, she happily began to consume it.
Once Sinathel breaks the ice Olivius dives in. He also snatches a mango and relishes it.
The fruit is perfectly in season, with a sharp, powerful flavor that surprises you. (warning, run-on sentence incoming) If you've ever had a cold for a really long time, like a month, and you're used to feeling congested and stuffy - and suddenly you're not, and you bite into a mango with a clean palate and fresh mouth? It tastes like that. True island flavor.
Looking down at the fruit, you see that it is not completely raw, but that certain small spices appear to be sprinkled throughout. These spices add a certain smoky tanginess to the fruit that only heightens the delicious flavor.
The weather the following morning is gray and ominous. The sunshine from the previous day is gone, replaced by clouds that cover up the whole sky, leaving no traces of sunlight or blue skies through. All around the tribal lands, the animals of the island awaken and greet the day with their various cries and bellows.
As you walk through the tribe's main clearing, you see the body of one of the salamanders being cut apart with the heavy, crude blades of machetes wielded by two tribesmen. You also see children being educated in what appears to be a small classroom-like area, with a map being pointed to by an old female, not Boda. The smoldering ashes of a large bonfire from the previous evening are being stoked back to life in another area near the borders of the clearing. What do you do?
Olivius takes his finer, sharper blades and joins the men carving. He is able to get much more precise cuts around tendon and ligament, improving the overall cut of the beast. Throughout the process he teaches and learn in turn from the tribesmen. While he teaches more efficient cutting techniques and blade sharpening methods, he learns how to better store and preserve meat in the sweltering, humid jungle climate.
Olivius, through your inquisitive nature you befriend the tribe's unofficial butcher, a man nearly as rotund as Kano with a wild mane of black hair that frames his face like a halo. His name is Marrakesh, and he provides you with salted salamander meat for your journey.
In return, you teach finer blade-preserving techniques to the tribesmen, and show them how the blade will stay sharper longer using the modern strategies you've picked up over the years. After all, as a thief, it's important to keep your tools ready at a moment's notice.
When you're cutting away at one side of the salamander, you overhear the two younger apprentices talking between themselves of the golden pearls that were just fished from the ocean by this morning's platoon of pearl divers. You follow their eyes and see a small hut off to one side of the village where the pearls are being taken. It looks like the hut is largely unattended...
Olivius doesn't let his gaze wander too much. It would be disadvantageous to let the watchers know what he was watching. He does pay attention, however. He notes village routine and whether the people are excited that these golden pearls were found as a measure of their value. He also pays attention to the hut itself and how it's constructed and guarded as a judge of how much value is placed on the objects therein and the habits of the guards, but is careful to not seem unduly interested.
What should I be on the lookout for?
What is not as it appears?
What here is useful or valuable?
When night falls, Kano tells everyone he is in the spirit world. In times of great turmoil, he does this practically every night. Every night he prays. Every night he communes with Ku for guidance and every night Ku restores his power and bestows wisdom upon his avatar. He sits in a meditative pose, smears the chia paste around his eyes, and as his eyes roll back he goes into a trance that must remain uninterrupted for an hour. Kano tells one of boys to tell the others no one is to interrupt him. The process is delicate. In the morning, he is refreshed, but sometimes beset with a bewilderment from the vivid visions he acquires from the world of spirits. He petitions his deity with an offering of the salamander his group felled. With this petition, he hopes Kukailimoku, Seizer of Lands, will offer some guidance.
Spells replenished: all rotes, 1 cure wounds, 1 magic weapon
[dice=Discern realities +1 from race]2d6+2+1
What should I be on the lookout for?
As you glance about the village, you see tall male warrior-hunters also eyeing the local women. They're being led by Otan, whose face is marked now with a whitish paint that gives his face a skeletal appearance. They don't pay you much mind for now, except for occasional narrow-eyed glances in your direction.
What is not as it appears?
The hut is guarded by a primitive door trap - a series of coconuts that are tied together on the far end of the door, that jangle noisily when disturbed.
What here is useful or valuable?
The weapons of the hunters are primitive, but finely made. The thought occurs to you that authentic, tribal, ancient-era weapons might go for a good price in a modern museum...beyond that, the golden pearls that were mentioned earlier should CERTAINLY be valuable.
[dice=Spout Lore +1 from race]2d6+2+1
What are you spouting lore about exactly?
Spout lore on ancient watch keeping and village defence with a focus on how ancient cultures determined the guilt of a thief.
Spells replenished: all rotes, 1 cure wounds, 1 magic weapon
You feel a sense of pride as you offer up the salamander to Kukailimoku. They were a real and present threat to the village and you helped to smash them upon the rocks, as Ku demands.
You are beset by visions dreaming and waking. You awaken and fall asleep again many times over the course of the night, unable to stay in a restful sleep.
In your first dream you are floating in an endless sea. All around you are rocks and debris. Looking about yourself, there is no sign of your island. Your dream ends when two strong arms hook under your armpits and pull you out of the water. You don't see who has you.
Your next dream is upon Numaloyo, the sacred mountain. The storm that rages through the evening is incorporated into your dreams. Lightning flashes all about you and you battle with shadowy foes who stab at you with lightning-quick strikes. However, at the end of your dream, the storm itself joined its strength with yours, and a mighty lightning strike connected with your weapon as you held it aloft and screamed.
The light illuminates the faces of the shadowy foes that you fight. Their faces are human, but twist suddenly and violently into the shape of the face of a soldier ant. Their oversized mandibles click together loudly as they lunge for you. In your left hand is a torch that blazes with righteous fire, that you use to hold the ant-men back.
You awake in the morning, your weapon clutched in one fist.
Spout lore on ancient watch keeping and village defence with a focus on how ancient cultures determined the guilt of a thief.
Interesting, not-immediately-useful information, per your 7 roll - you know that ancient cultures regarded crime as one individual offending another, not one individual offending the laws of a government-state. As a result, punishments were less institutionalized, less consistent, and more personal, often more spiteful. Thieves were often forced to lose a body part, the specific part depending on the worth of the object stolen, and whether it can be returned in its original state.
I could probably play dumb, as long as I avoid that coconut trap, or get someone else to trigger it.
Olivius plans and prepares for the rest of the evening. He secretly applies a dose of Oil of Taggit to his rapier and one each to two of his throwing knives while cleaning them in order to neutralize any guards. He makes sure his consealed pouches in his clothes are ready to receive cargo. If he can't get his hands on the pearls, Olivius plans to steal whatever looks like it would fetch the most in a modern museum.
When darkness falls, he sneaks over to the hut and throws a poisoned dagger to scratch, not harm.
If it hits, the guard instantly passes out. Olivius then quietly disables the coconut trap,
-what else is hidden here?
-consequences, I get them.
The heist isn't going perfectly, but its going.
He enters the treasure but and looks around.
-what is valuable to me?
You masterfully execute your plan. Your dagger leaves your finger with an almost lazy-looking underhand lob, slicing mostly harmlessly along the guard's biceps. He collapses and you drag him out of the light of the nearby torch.
The trap's mechanisms are downright primitive compared to what you're used to. The coconuts knock against each other a little bit as you disable the net's trigger, but nothing more. Glancing over your shoulder, you don't appear to be detected yet; none of the tribespeople are looking away from the huge bonfire that is roasting salamander flesh for supper.
When you enter the hut, your eyes widen a little. The golden pearls were not even the primary treasure here - they were meant to form the base for a weapon display. Being a militaristic, martial culture, this tribe venerates tales of valor, bravery, sacrifice and glory over all else.
The pearls are evenly distributed in a small wooden bowl, that has a hole in the bottom. Rising through the hole is a pedestal, upon which rests an ornate-looking dagger. It appears to have been carved from bone, with a wooden sheath below it. Reference pic!
What do you do?