Atzi, following the directions of the villagers, starts swimming down into the depth's looking for the pearl bed among the outcroppings of the reef...
Atzi waits a few minutes before zipping off towards the reef as the fisherman discribed it to them. She enjoyed the water as it rushed past her and she poked and prodded at the various fish that came by as well. So long as they weren't bigger then her.
Eventually, after munching on a rather tasty clown fish she works her way into the oyster bed~
Atzi finds the oyster bed without any trouble..
Next she needs to make a Survival roll DC30
Atzi pokes around for several minutes, ambitiously trying to find the pearl they needed will simultaneously getting distracted and feeding on shrimp and other floating bits of small meat.
and as you get a +2 on each roll after the first you succeed..eventually
Once she found her prize she snacks on another passing fish, who strayed to close to the whip quick eel's maw and then she scoops up the pearl in her teeth if she is able and starts to make her way back to the surface.
Yes it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete that task.
As Atzi is gone a while, Corvus plucks up the courage to speak to Caithan and Stebo.
He clears his throat a few times...
"I was thinking, well more than thinking, planning you'd probably say. Planning on how I could be of use when it comes to..." Corvus raises his fists as if to emulate boxing. "You know...fighting. My strength is, as you know, magic and my spells don't naturally lend themselves to..." Again, he waves his fists.
"But what I can do," his eyes sparkle at this point, "Is help you fight. I have a few spells that could make you larger - so you'd do more damage, or make you stronger or more dexterous. But I'd need your permission first. What do you think?"
Corvus fidgets nervously until the others respond.
"That's nice of you to ask permission chum but don't expect me to give you a lot of advice on it. I've purposely kept myself ignorant on matters as far as magic goes."
"Not a problem, my friend, skill at wits can be as useful as skill at arms," Helga says, and shrugs easily. "Any time you want to make me stronger or faster is good by me."
Corvus stared into the gloomy depths as his colleagues responded to his suggestion. 'So, I can do as I please. Well that makes sense - they may have the brawn but I do have the brains after all.'
A smug grin plays across his face. He looks around for the crow that rarely travels far from his side and sees it fighting a few seagulls for some scraps of fish on some nearby rocks. Shaking his head, he mutters, "Idiot bird," under his breath before staring once more in the water.
After about 45 minutes Atzi-eel returns
Atzi surfaces, pearl clenched in her large maw as she swims around the boat excitedly. Enjoying the feel of being one with the sea but also trying desperately to get someones attention and take the Pearl from her.
Once someone had taken the Pearl from her she transforms back into her normal form and climbs aboard the boat with relative ease. "Eating fish as an eel is a great time, i'm stuffed! So what will be the next challenge?"
"Let's take this back to our new friend and find out," Helga suggests lightly.
You head back to the cliffs and land with little difficulty on the beach (tide is now out)
With pearl in hand Atzi departs the boat and approaches the Tempest. "The first challenge is compete! What is next?"
The Old man gives you a toothless rin..
"Ah perhaps you are tougher and smarter than you look"
“The task of wind is a simple one. All Gozreh requires is a single complete feather from a humble stormbird. One such magnificent creature, named Chirok, lives but a day’s walk east. There, at the end of peninsula, you’ll spot a lone promontory known as Gozreh’s Crest. The bird nests at the top of the cliff. Return when you have a feather.”
"Shouldn't be all that bloody difficult. Bird shed feathers all the time."
"We'll see " the old man cackles.."oh yes We'll see"
Corvus nods at Caithan. "Tell me about it! There's nothing worse than taking a good mouthful of ale or wine and finding a feather in it."
He glowers at Macro - who squawks indignantly.
Atzi chuckles at the continued humor between Corvus and his bird companion Macro. At the Tempests cackle she looks at him sidelong, her smile fading but a smidgen as she considers the implications of the next challenge...
Knowledge (pretty much anything): What's a "stormbird"?
"A stormbird? We'll that's obvious. You're talking to a walking encyclopaedia of nature don't forget. A stormbird is a...well it's a..."
Corvus racks his brains for what he can remember.
Atzi smiled at the continued conversations around as she searched her mind for anything she may have heard about a Stormbird. ..
The Stormbird or Ercinee is a large Avian capable of producing a screech that confuses its foes. They are rumoured to be able to attack with searing rays of light and to shed droplets of light behind them.They are not noted for fighting to the death.
"In the Saga of Eric the Wooden-Legged, a Stormbird used it's screech to confuse his crew, that attacked him with rays of light. It's a fierce monster by all accounts, but perhaps we can avoid offending it?" Helga casts a sidelong glance at Atzi.
"Perhaps..." She thought hard on what they could bring with them to help avoid confrontation with the Stormbird. "Lets hope it isnt there when we find their nest..."
Shortly after the you set out, the sky darkens and it begin to rain heavily. As per Nkechi’s description, Gozreh’s Crest sits at the very edge of the peninsula, an ominously scarred chunk of dark granite worn into a steep, wave-like shape by centuries of wind and rain. Its face catches the ocean, creating a natural wind tunnel that amplifies the wind andcreates howling updrafts. These updrafts have become the favored spot of larger seabirds, which ride them high into the sky, where they hover above the sea watching for fish.
Even without the wind, the promontory is a difficult climb. The smooth, wind-beaten eastern face is impossible to ascend. Only the western face is jagged enough to allow for solid footing (Climb DC 20). The storm bird’s nest sits almost at the top of the crest, about 500 feet above sea level, overlooking the water.
Corvus beckons for Macro to come to him. After a fashion the bird lands on his shoulder, clearly looking for food.
"Right - about time you earned your keep. What I need is a feather from that nest. Just the one - but a decent one, nothing tarnished. Do you think you can do that?"
By way of explanation, Corvus points to the nest, picks up a feather that the crow has just shed and then points to the nest again.
"Off you go then...
He tries to radiate a feeling of happiness and an image of holding one of the stormbird's feathers.
"Don't get yourself killed of course."
With that, Corvus waits patiently.
Corvus tilts his head in the way crows do.. hops about a bit.. then gives a croaking call and flaps off...
About 5 minutes later a bedraggled and windswept Crow returns without a feather..You reckon the winds combined with the heavy rain are probably too strong for a bird his size.
Corvus sighs. "Is that it? Is that it? Disappointed doesn't even come close."
Despite his public admonishment, the tall elf takes a tidbit from his pocket and places it on his shoulder. The bird hops on and helps itself.
"Never mind..." Corvus says in a voice barely more than a whisper. "I suspect you did your best. Better than I could muster I'm sure."
"Let me try..."
Atzi transforms into a small Pteranodon again and wordlessly flies off into the wind in an attempt to ascend to where the Stormbirds nest lies...
Pteranadons are able to ride the wind currents much better than crows and Atzi soars high up around the pillar to find a nest that dwarfs any she has seen before.
She lands and searches for a couple of minutes before she finds the required feather. Just as she is about to leave the nest there is an angry shriek aubible even over the rain and wind and the Stormbird returns..Atzi manages to slip away just in time and the massive bird settles back on it's nest.
Atzi returns to the group with the feather.
She hands the feather to whoever was closer when she landed. After she was human again she looked over her shoulder. "We should go. Before the Stormbird notices we are here..."
"Beautifully done, Atzi. It seems these challenges are effortless for a druid, but a trial for anyone else."
"Hrm, just kind of takes all the fun out of it really."
Atzi chuckles at the mixed reaction and shrugs. "Now we can get on to the real fun. Like finding that lost city! Eh Caithan?"
You trudge back through the rain to the cave and deliver your feather to the Tempest who is somewhat surprised..
"Well well you succeeded..you didn't cheat did you?..No No off course you didn't..
He retreats into his hermitage for about half an hour, leaving you at his doorstep. Eventually, Nkechi returns with a smile. Inviting you inside his abode, he asks you to sit in a circular pattern on his f loor about a large clay brazier filled with herbs. Nkechi picks up a wooden mortar filled with reddish paste, and proceeds to draw mystic symbols on your faces with the paste as he walks around the circle chanting esoteric words. He firmly snaps, “Do not interrupt!” at anyone who dares to speak during the ceremony. When finished, he pulls out a pouch filled with some small roots, eats a piece, and requests that you do the same. If queried about the root or his actions, he responds with earnest gravity, “We are going to speak to Gozreh.”
Corvus takes the piece of root as instructed but waits to see if the others eat it before popping it into his mouth.
Atzi smiles and takes the root and eats it as instructed. "Dis will be fun. "
Helga munches, looking forward to a new and strange experience.
You feel your conciousness leave your body and float higher and higher..though you cannot see you comrades you can sense them near you..eventually you are looking down on the entire Mwangi Expanse.
The sky turns red and you reform as animal spirits in muted translucent. pastel colours.
Helga is now....A Hyena
Atzi is now...A Buffalo
Corvus is now..A Gorilla
Caithen is now...An Elephant
N'cheki is now...A Giant Crab
During the strange trance, Nkechi foreshadows the unveiling of the ruins of a forgotten city from ancient folklore. But he warns that many rivals seek the city, and it is unclear who shall be first to claim the location. He also sees a darkness within the city, and ominous storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
His Divinations are interupted by the arrival of a Massive Serpent.
ASta is taken aback by the serpent's arrival, preparing herself to fight! She puffs through her flat nostrils and whips her tail in agitation as she angles her horns to meet the coming beast!