Parity moves over and up, so he's just north of Tuna-k. He's still 5 feet below him as well. He channels Belker's Claws, thrusting a smoking Suishen forward.
Harlan channels healing energy over himself, Ulf and Malnival. On the ram halfway down, Heng pauses to sling another bullet at Tunuak, but the ice slips his balance and aim.
Maeve climbs a little further, trying her wand once more. She lets out a shout of triumph as it finally activates, but her joy is short-lived: the fiery beam is completely absorbed by a protective ward surrounding Tunuak.
"Foolish girl," Tunuak scoffs. "Did you not think that the Hungry Storm would warn me of your coming? That I would not be prepared for your pitiful tri-"
The shaman's words are suddenly stopped as Parity climbs up and silently drives Suishen through his torso. As Tunuak dies, the magical allies fade away, as do his wings. He falls to land unceremoniously atop the vile altar below. If the sword thrust did not kill him, the landing surely did.
"Mmm, maybe I should have waited till he finished. What the hell is a Hungry Storm?"
Parity walks down to the bottom to rifle through things.
Malnival yells to the others as he continues to look around the chamber. "The demon is still in here somewhere!"
Maeve frowns, looking around quickly for traces of illusion magic.
After several minutes of waiting and searching, the quasit makes no reappearance.
A more deliberate search of the area reveals that the many bones scattering the basin are all marked with the same three-fingered skeletal hand rune.
Up close, the pictograms arrayed along the ramp are full of details. The first shows strange black standing stonesrising from icy hills.
The second displays a cluster of towers glowing with an eerie blue light.
A third shows a single monolithic tower rising above what seems to be a black lake, with distinct towering white mountain peaks behind it.
A fourth depicts a spiraling storm with long arms ending in ice-fanged jaws devouring Erutaki villages, but with longer jaw-arms reaching toward forests, crudely-drawn castles and cities, and what may be ships at sea.
The final pictogram shows a blue-skinned woman with dark wings and hair, wearing a silver crown. Her hand grasps one of the claw-symbols like a sceptre, and spiraling streaks of silver and white curl from it in every direction.
When you reach the basin, you find the crude altar is covered in a number of white shards, similar to ceramic in texture.
ring of mind shielding would be awesome for some espionage types. Staff of journeys has freedom of movement as the most handy thing and some other more specific use stuff on it.
Knowlede Planes:
Linguistics:
Malnival points to notes below the pictogram. "Here he goes on about his love for a woman named Katiyana, who "speaks to me on the winds from her tower within the Storm." I guess that is the blue skinned lady with the wings."
Knowledge arcana:
That seems to be all I can figure out here>"
Harlan shakes his head.
"It was sad. I wonder how Tunuak lost his way."
He beings to shift through the mans possessions, after Heng or Parity removes them from the gore of Tunuaks landing.
Maeve finds herself just watching the proceedings, stunned by...well, something. It only takes a few minutes of picking over the remains before she screams in frustration and starts to stalk off. "I have to go think. I'll see you back at the camp!" She favors Parity with an absolute death-glare before stalking off.
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geography #1
geography #2
Heng ponders the murals, "I do not recognize the lake or the monolith, but I have always made an effort to know the mountains of the north. These remind me of the Alabastrine peaks still further north."
"Maeve!" Heng shouts, his voice close to anger. "You must stop running off. There is still a demon around somewhere and who knows what other hazards."
"To be honest, although we have traveled together all these miles, we do not feel like a team. This encounter was far too chaotic for my tastes. We must discuss how to work better as a team to conquer the foes that ever increase in our path. Imagine being this disorganized and trying to deal with a dragon. Surely the risk will be dire."
"The demon's gone Heng. I'd have detected something by now if it were hanging around in the area. And it wouldn't be able to handle any one of us without a skilled host to possess. That's fairly unlikely without the shaman to aid it. As for the rest, a lot of that is what I need to think about. I know there's a lot of stuff on dragons in the scrolls I picked up, maybe they'll have something to say." Maeve's voice has an edge to it, like she's still ready to just snap and start hitting something but is doing her best to keep it under control.
Malnival looks between Maeve and Parity before turning to Harlan and shrugging his shoulders. "Humans. Right?"
"Hey, everybody calm down, okay?" Ulf chimes in. "It wasn't pretty, but we won. And that little bastard won't bother us if we stick together." He turns to Maeve,"Now, what are you so chaffed about? Tell us what's on your mind... maybe we can group-think through it."
Harlan nods at Malnival.
"I think it's because they're so tall. By the time the blood makes it to their brains it isn't as smart."
Harlan smiles knowingly at this wisdom.
"Lucky for them I have just the soup to fix that. It speeds up circulation."
"We could have used that on the trail. Maybe we could have been warmer.
Parity is oblivious that he may even be an object for Maeves displeasure since nothing was stated outright. He's become numb to her outbursts so is essentially ignoring this one.
Harlan carefully gathers Tunuak's possessions as well as the ceramic shards from the alter.
"Nobody knows what these are?"
Shaking his head at the rest he follows Heng back to the caravan and village. Along the way he stops at the formerly possessed hunter.
"Parity can you carry this man back with us? Or maybe Heng can do it. We shouldn't leave him here."
Harlan carefully gathers Tunuak's possessions as well as the ceramic shards from the alter.
"Nobody knows what these are?"
Maeve finally just snaps around and storms off, heading back to the caravan ahead of the others.
...of course, once she's there she immediately heads to her wagon and starts going through, chucking all of her stuff out the door like someone else is kicking her out.
... she immediately heads to her wagon and starts going through, chucking all of her stuff out the door like someone else is kicking her out.
As the rest of the group gathers up to leave the bore, Sonavut arrives at the head of a half-dozen Iqaliat hunters (a mix of conspicuously young and very old). She takes in the scene with a look of horror and surprise, and turns pale at the sight of Tunuak and his vile shrine.
"How... how could he?" she asks to no one in particular. "He was our shaman for over fourty years! How could this happen?" She then turns to you, bowing her head. "Iqaliat owes you much for exposing this treachery. If you had not arrived, who can say if we would have before it was too late. At this point, we can only guess at Tunuak's motivations."
"Nanquut has taken Qalvanaq back to the village, under guard, until we can be sure he is safe. Thank you for sparing his life."
The hearthmistress sighs and looks embarrassed. "What will you do now? Will you... are you still willing to aid us against the dragon?"
"On the tip of my tongue, but can't quite place it ..."
"I've been keeping my thoughts to myself since the incident back in Kalsgard. But it's the same thing I found difficult coming to terms with. What we're doing, even just what I represent, affects a lot of people. Some people are going to suffer, and die, just because I exist. And I'm marching headlong into a conflict that will likely cause more of the same." She shakes her head in thought, eyes distant. "But I came to realize, with the help and support of you and the others, that its not just about me. If I do nothing... run away to Sargava, whatever... many people will continue to suffer and die."
"Destiny, fate, gods and spirits... pshaw. I can't think about that. I need to do what I do and stay true to myself, or I'm lost. We have to continue, because who are the 'right people', if not us? There isn't anyone else!"
... well, that's not true either. We don't know the situation in Minkai, really have no idea what to expect, other than that enemies await. But if there are foes, surely there are allies too, even if we do not yet know them."
Ameiko lets out another sigh, giving you a rueful grin. "Heady stuff. What I wouldn't do for a proper tavern right now. I'd kill for a pint! This fermented goats' milk just ain't cutting it, you know?"
"I'm rambling, and you have proper concerns. Tell me what's biting at you. Why do you think we're going to end up destroying Minkai?"
Ameiko sighs and sits down, clearing you a spot. "But that's the real question, isn't it? Are we doing this to save Minkai, or are we doing this to save me? I don't think you and the rest are making this epic journey out of altruism for a million strangers."
"I've been keeping my thoughts to myself since the incident back in Kalsgard. But it's the same thing I found difficult coming to terms with. What we're doing, even just what I represent, affects a lot of people. Some people are going to suffer, and die, just because I exist. And I'm marching headlong into a conflict that will likely cause more of the same." She shakes her head in thought, eyes distant. "But I came to realize, with the help and support of you and the others, that its not just about me. If I do nothing... run away to Sargava, whatever... many people will continue to suffer and die."
"I...I know that this isn't just about us. I think that really just hit home after Kalsgrad. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of the implications. I...I can admit that it may just be too big for me." Maeve swallows nervously. "I may need help, but..."
"Destiny, fate, gods and spirits... pshaw. I can't think about that. I need to do what I do and stay true to myself, or I'm lost. We have to continue, because who are the 'right people', if not us? There isn't anyone else!"
... well, that's not true either. We don't know the situation in Minkai, really have no idea what to expect, other than that enemies await. But if there are foes, surely there are allies too, even if we do not yet know them."
"...but the attitude is part of what I'm talking about." Maeve continues. "We've already met the representatives of our opponents and our first allies. Destiny, spirits...don't you see? It's already all tied up in what we're doing. That wasn't a woman back in Kalsgard. If we try to beat them without even acknowledging what we're up against like that, we're already done. We may not have to play by their rules, but we have to at least know the game as well as any mortal can."
A deep, shuddering breath to steady herself, nearly on the edge of sobbing. "...and I can't say for sure, but from what I've read so far...we can't just be doing this for the wrong reasons. If all of us aren't comporting ourselves like we're doing the right thing for the right reasons...it won't go well. We don't need to be saints, but right now...after what I just saw...Ameiko...I lo...no, not the right time Maeve." The last two bits are whispered, almost so quietly that they can't be heard. Almost.
"I'm rambling, and you have proper concerns. Tell me what's biting at you. Why do you think we're going to end up destroying Minkai?"
"...Parity just tried to kill someone...a helpless innocent. And the others...they didn't see anything wrong with it. It was horrible! Monstrous! If we go into Minkai like that...how can we be any better than the tyranny of the Oni we're hoping to replace?"
The hearthmistress sighs and looks embarrassed. "What will you do now? Will you... are you still willing to aid us against the dragon?"
Harlan looks around for Heng or Maeve. Seeing them gone he steps up quickly.
"We will help. I don't know what your former shaman was up to here but I think we had better go talk to this dragon and find out. Our caravan will need to stay in your village for a time if that's ok? I know we're in a hurry guys but I'd rather find out about this dragon now than get attacked on the trail. Remember the chimeras? It took us a week to deal with that. A dragon would be worse."
Malnival can not hide his excitment. "I agree when need to take care of this dragon as soon as we can. For the village of course."
Maeve gulps and takes a seat. "Ame...I..I need to break this down or it's all going to come out a jumble again and no one's going to understand and you're all going to think I'm just being silly and I'm sick of being treated like I'm stupid and just an idiot girl who doesn't know anything, all right?"
Ameiko nods, "Whimsical, stubborn at times... but no one who knows you would call you stupid or an idiot."
A deep, shuddering breath to steady herself, nearly on the edge of sobbing. "...and I can't say for sure, but from what I've read so far...we can't just be doing this for the wrong reasons. If all of us aren't comporting ourselves like we're doing the right thing for the right reasons...it won't go well. We don't need to be saints, but right now...after what I just saw...Ameiko...I lo...no, not the right time Maeve." The last two bits are whispered, almost so quietly that they can't be heard. Almost.
"I agree with you, truly. Your confusion mirrors my own when we were in Kalsgard. I saw the implications for what we are doing firsthand, and it scared the crap out of me. I was all in for an adventure, a story to tell by the tavern hearth, a good swashbuckle... but the truth is much more real, more serious, and I've never been the most serious person."
"And I came to realize since then that it doesn't need to be that scary. Whatever our individual motivations, I believe we're in this to do the right thing. There are a lot of things I don't know yet - what's going on in Minkai, what we're really up against, what can we do to help - but I don't need to know them right now, because I can't get those answers until we finish this journey."
"...Parity just tried to kill someone...a helpless innocent. And the others...they didn't see anything wrong with it. It was horrible! Monstrous! If we go into Minkai like that...how can we be any better than the tyranny of the Oni we're hoping to replace?"
Ameiko looks a bit taken aback by your statement. "Well, I wasn't there, so I don't know what happened. But I've known Parity for years. He can be cold, but he's never cruel. Harlan and Heng are both gentle souls, in their own way. Malnival is difficult to read at times, but Shalelu trusts him. I find it hard to believe they'd countenance the murder of an innocent. What happened, exactly?"
"Our caravan will need to stay in your village for a time if that's ok?"
Malnival can not hide his excitment. "I agree when need to take care of this dragon as soon as we can. For the village of course."
Sonavut looks relieved, though still fighting anxiety and shock from the recent battle. "Thank you. Of course, your caravan will be able to stay in Iqaliat as long as required. I'm sure you'll need a night or two to rest and prepare. I will speak with the village and see if we can provide some gear and a guide to aid you."
Finally, when she's ready, she opens her eyes again. "...we were fighting one of the warriors from the village. Something didn't seem right, his movements weren't quite natural. At first I thought it was the battle-rage some people experience, but then his wounds started to close on their own. That was how I identified the source of his abilities - demonic possession. He wasn't in control of his actions in any sense, just trapped in his own body, being forced to use his own skills to fight us."
A little bit of emotion creeps back into her voice, only to be ruthlessly squashed. "I called it out. By this point Mal was trying to cut him down while Heng held him, but Mal stepped back to let me move in when I told them. But then, after that, Parity fired his blast and tried to kill the man," she says, about as coldly and analytically as Maeve is capable of. "There was...couldn't see any hesitation, any reluctance. He knew what was going on and at the very least didn't care." A very long pause after that, to make sure she isn't forgetting anything.
"I stepped into place to interrupt his line of fire and knocked the man out. After that, the demon decided his purpose was served and appeared. Everyone else...didn't seem to care to much about stopping the real problem so much as making sure the possessed man wasn't a threat, although they just tied him up, I think. I was...a bit angry, I don't remember the next part too well."
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Heng sips his tea as he relates the events in Tunuak's bore to Koya.
"To be honest, I am uncertain of how we will fare against a dragon, Koya. If Harlan had not mentioned that the little demon attacked him and fled, I might believe Maeve or Parity had become possessed with their irrational behavior. Maeve is becoming a hazard not only to herself, but the rest of the party with her capriciousness. And though I realize Parity has had a difficult life, I do not believe that that excuses his callousness. I myself have suffered much brutality before I escaped from Belkzen, but I have not let that harden my heart. Perhaps I owe this to my father's training."
He sighs looking into his cup, "I wish I knew more of who he was. My mother's orcish blood aided me in the physical aspects of his training, but it has also made me a slow learner. I have only recently become able to understand Tian after years of study and far too late. The scrolls he kept were long ago burned by the raiders that killed him and my mother. Her own people.... and I could do nothing, but run."
"I do not know if this was best to rush across these frozen lands into the grasp of our enemies. Perhaps I should have found a master in Kalsgard and completed my training first. I just know nothing of demons and very little of the dragons we face. My father placed some importance on dragons though he would not say what exactly. I know they are paragons of physical and arcane power. Do you know more, Koya?"
"Thank you Sonavut. We will gather together tomorrow and being our planning."
Harlan will make the evening meal as well as he can, assisting the village cooks and learning local cooking techniques from them as much as possible.
The next day he will gather the group together around hot mugs of coffee and muktuk.
"Ok everyone, here's the situation. The village here is being terrorized by a dragon and we've agreed to help. I know some of you think that this isn't our problem but here's how I see it. If we help the village they can return the favor by resupplying us and helping us travel more quickly to Minkai. Second is that these undead are a problem and by scouting the situation we can avoid taking Ameiko and the others into danger without knowing what's going on. Third and least important is that this dragon may be open to negotiation and could be willing to help us now that Tunuak is gone. It may have treasures that would help us in our fight against the oni. Let's face it, we're going to need all the help we can get."
Harlan takes a breath and looks around the group.
"Now, some things to think about. We don't know what kind of dragon we're facing. We don't know where the quasit went, it could be stirring up trouble now. These undead gathered around the pillars could be coming for us right now. Anything I'm missing?"
"Now, I don't think we could have afforded to stay in Kalsgard much longer than we did. Your life experiences have prepared you better than you may think. Already, you have faced challenges others would pale to imagine... and come through victorious. Desna's path is not always clear, and one who spends their life preparing often misses the point: to succeed in life, you have to live it." She gives you a warm smile. "You have already done that more than most."