Khaz sighs and tries again, "No, we haven't gone evil. You went... well, a little off. You refused to help us bring back the ship, and even threatened us with the Lady's Fire if we didn't leave. We didn't want to tie you up, but we had to, for all of our sakes." Khaz eyes her friend carefully, hoping this time he will hear her.
Kyson moves on.
It takes a few days, but Kyson's magics finally repair the badly damaged Sea Wyvern, and with the cheers of sailors ringing across the water, Amella pilots it back into the surf and the two boats finally finish their voyage to Farshore.
The village seems like a welcome respite from your most recent travails, but you know danger is only a matter of weeks away, and time continues to move ever onward.
Kyson wipes the sweat from his brow, surprising how much of the work is being placed on his shoulders...with Sarenrae's help.
Maybe they just released me so I could work for them...evil bastards.
Despite some lingering resentment, Kyson is pleased when the Sea Wyvern sails again and they can return to Farshore.
Of course, upon returning to Farshore, Kyson remembers the obvious feeling of dread coming over him when he is there...the imminent attack, the pirates, the unhappiness to come.
Kyson sleeps on the first night of his return, dreaming what to do next...
#1:"But if you could travel to Tanaroa, perhaps we could get the support of the Olman warriors. Maybe they would be enough to tip the scales in our favor."
#2:The phanatons are a group of rodent-like creatures, while local legends also tell of a race of catlike humanoids called rakastas. The locals believe that the last of the rakastas have died out, but they were renowned for their masterwork weapons. Perhaps hidden caches still exist at the sites of their old temples.
#3:The Isle of Dread has other resources that could prove helpful. A large tar pit could supply the isle with tar to shore up defenses and repair damaged ships and building, but only if you can get access.
#4:
#5:
#6:
#7:
* * *
In the morning, Lavinia and Urol, seeking information about Dream #2: "Urol, can you tell me more about the rakastas? Where are they?"
Khaz watches as the villagers work on the palisades, frustrated in her lack of skills that might help. Finally, she goes in search of the others.
"Sekathral, I can't do this. I can't just wait around here for the pirates to come back, and I keep hitting my thumb when I try to help with the palisades. We should go do something. Either go in search of some of those old caches of weapons, or try our hand at diplomacy with the natives."
Khaz rubs her chin, her tusks jutting up thoughtfully. "We could be diplomatic, don't you think? My dad was pretty diplomatic. Do we have wine to use?"
Lavinia and Urol admit they don't know much about the rakastas. Legend has it that they were originally some sort of shamanistic shapeshifters who in time became lycanthropes. The legends say that they eventually transformed even more, becoming in fact cat-like humanoids. Supposedly they're all been wiped out now, but perhaps the Olmans or more likely the phanatons can tell you more, they explain.
Khaz watches as the villagers work on the palisades, frustrated in her lack of skills that might help. Finally, she goes in search of the others.
"Sekathral, I can't do this. I can't just wait around here for the pirates to come back, and I keep hitting my thumb when I try to help with the palisades. We should go do something. Either go in search of some of those old caches of weapons, or try our hand at diplomacy with the natives."
Khaz rubs her chin, her tusks jutting up thoughtfully. "We could be diplomatic, don't you think? My dad was pretty diplomatic. Do we have wine to use?"
Sekathral chews his lip. "Tell you what, mate, I bet there's all sorts of things out there"
He flings his arm wide to indicate that he's referring to the jungle.
"We could use if we wanted a bit of a recruitment knees-up. I'll have a word with the gnome - see if he can find us some goodies, then we'll do a spot of brewing. Afterwards, or if it don't work, we'll ***k off and look for them sharps you're on about"
Sekathral will then lope off and enlist Urol in his hunt for psychoactive flora.
"I can travel to the Olmans and ask for their aid and information about the rakastas, although I would require a translator since I do not speak Olman (or what the language is called)", Linah offers. "Or I could help with the infirmary."
"Urol, how far away are the phanatons? And how far away is Tanaroa? Can we make it to either and back before too long?" Kyson asks.
Urol listens as Sekathral explains what he wants and looks dubious.
"I don't know that they're going to want that ... but I guess I can help you look."
"Do you know what they might like instead, Urol? Allies cannot but be beneficial, don't you think?" Khazmia asks, discomfited by Urol's answer.
Sekathral looks disappointed.
"Well, what do they have a drop of when they want to relax, then?", he asks.
"See, me and Khaz are having a recruitment drive and we want to make things convivial. Failing that, we're going to find the rakastas. Incidentally, what is a rakasta?"
"I'm not sure. They're not unfriendly, as you yourselves saw, but they haven't been willing to offer more aid to Farshore. The villages seem to follow Tanaroa's lead, so if you can find some way to convince them, perhaps the others will help too?"
The gnome looks a little annoyed at Sekathral's question.
"Do I have to explain this to each of you? They're some sort of cat-like humanoids. But that's all I know. I've yet to see one, an supposedly there may not be anymore of them anyway."
Kyson agrees to follow Seka and/or Khaz, liking the way they are thinking.
"Well", snaps Sekathral, taking slight umbrage at the gnome's tone of voice, "Let's ***k off to Tana-whotsit then. Hopefully we can sail there, like civilised folks. I've got to start learning the bloody lingo here", he mutters to himself as an afterthought.
"Yeah, let's go to Tanaroa. These pirates are a danger to us all...and they should bear the responsibility of stopping the raids. After all, they could be next!" Kyson agrees with Seka, packing whatever might be need to get to Tanaroa.
"Let's go!"
Khazmia gathers what few things she has and is ready to heady to Tanaroa with the others. "We should hurry."
Once your set, you make your way to Tanaroa first by boat and then by foot. As you arrive in the village, you find it in the middle of a religious ceremony.
A pulsating rhythm pounded out on hollowed logs accompanies a frenzied dance by dozens of warriors wearing large masks depicting a monstrous bat. All the while, the villagers chant to a charred bat totem at the center of a huge flaming pyre erected at the foot of the village's central pyramid. The word they chant is the same one, over and over: "Zotzilaha."
From what you can tell, the entire village is gathered for the ceremony, and no one seems to pay attention to your arrival. Before you can make your presence known or reach any of the villagers you previously met, the effigy flashes with a sudden blast of brilliance. A cascade of sparks and flame from the pyre elicits startled screams from the villagers and a shape becomes momentarily visible in the fire as the effigy itself comes to life.
A lean humanoid figure covered in short black fur rises from the flames, its head that of a snarling bat with glowing red eyes. Large membranous wings from its back beat against the flames like a bellows, sending hot cinders siwrling. The creature shrieks out a short phrase in the villagers language.
"Zotzilaha hears your sniveling prayers! You would appearse the Great Bat? Then return what has been stolen or burn!"
[/spoiler
[spoiler=Zstelian]
Oddly, you understand what he's saying, and you realize somehow that he's speaking of the golden bat idol you found ages ago.
The batlike humanoid form bursts into flame, sending a flight of bats with wings of fire spiraling into the air above the effigy. At the same moment, a tremor rumbles through the ground and in the distance to the northwest, two volcanoes flash with fresh plumes of fire and smoke, causing even more panic among the villagers.
Even worse, the flight of bats begin swooping down, attacking the villagers, who quickly begin to flee.
Khazmia:
Kyson:
Linah:
Sekathral:
Zstelian:
Fire bats:
Round 1, Init 14
"What the piddlespot?! Khaz?! What's going on?"
Kyson casts Air Walk, going up 5' as to have more mobility.
"I...I'm not sure." Casting tongues she tries to understand what the voice is saying.
"Wait! I've got it now, That nasty looking thing in the fire said, 'Zotzilaha hears your sniveling prayers! You would appease the Great Bat? Then return what has been stolen or burn!'"
Round 1, init 7
"Never a moment's ****ing peace, is there?"
Sekathral takes out his rapier and attempts to kebab the nearest fire-bat.
"By the light, what have they done?", Linah gasps. "Keep it away from the villagers!"
Zstelian: 12
Linah: 11
Sekathral: 7
Khazmia: 18
Kyson: 14
Fire bats: 13
Khazmia waits as she struggles to understand what's going on, while Kyson casts air walk on himself.
As the bats swoop after the villagers, who run in terror. Two of the villagers dive to the ground to avoid the creatures, but four of the bats make contact, latching on to terrified villagers, who scream in pain as they begin to burn!
Kyson cringes as the townspeople burn.
Oh no! Sarenrae, get ready! I'll need you soon!
"Nothing I'm willing to see hang around! Ugly creatures!!!" Carefully, so as not to harm friends or villagers, Khazmia casts lightning bolt.
Round 2
Kyson mentally goes through his list of prayers for something that might be helpful against the batty things.
Uh...light the candle? No. Burning hands? No. Fireball? No. Uh...Wall of Fire? Flame Strike? No! No! Gah!!
Kyson casts Protection from Fire, Communal and air walks to touch his companions.
Linah look horrified at the destruction caused by the elementals. ”Get behind me!” she calls out and stretches her arms in pose to mimic the dawnflower. The paladin emits a burst of pleasant glowing light that stretches out and blankets the nearby olmans.
Sekathral delicately swats firebats away from the tribesfolks.
Zstelian: 12
Linah: 11
Sekathral: 7
Khazmia: 18
Kyson: 14
Fire bats: 13
Zstelian and Kyson call on their goddesses' favor as Kayle swoops to attack, talons ripping through one of the firebats, which turns on her in return. Kayle easily avoids it, Kyson's magic keeping her from suffering horrible burns.
Linah's power heals the burned peasants, though the bats remain attached and they quickly begin to burn again. Sekathral stabs one of the creatures, blade flashing through it, while Khazmia's lightning bolt singes the flaming wings of the sole remaining bat not in melee.
Immediately, though, the bats' flame seems to begin renewing itself, growing brighter as you watch and they turn to attack. The villagers with bats attached to them cry out in pain as they begin to burn again, the creatures devouring their flesh.
Khazmia also finds herself in danger, the last remaining bat swooping down and biting her. Kyson's magic protects her from burns, though she can feel the heat from the creature as it latches on.
B1: *3
B2: *3
B3: *4
B4: 1 *3
B5: 5
B6: 7
Khaz tries to free herself of the bat's attention.
Linah tries to make it to the elementals harrassing the villagers and strikes with her scimitar.
Round 2
Kyson looks around, wishing the mighty Silvio was around. He would have, assuredly, taken care of these evil fires already.
Kyson casts Blessing of Fervor, hoping Sarenrae's magics will help the party be more like Silvio.
He climbs a bit higher in the sky, drawing his sword.
With this blessing, you call your allies to move forth and empower them to conquer and become victorious. Each round for the duration of this spell, each of your allies can choose one of the following bonuses for that round at the beginning of its turn (their choice).
- Increase its speed by 30 feet.
- Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
- Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
- Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
- Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.
Inspired by Kyson, Sekathral, with two feather-light flicks of his rapier, attempts to swat a pair of bats away from a frantic Olman.
Zstelian: 12
Linah: 11
Sekathral: 7
Khazmia: 18
Kyson: 14
Fire bats: 13
Kayle and Zstelian are able to destroy a pair of the bats as Linah and Sekathral combine to dispatch a third.
Kyson's magic blankets the area, as Khazmia's touch is enough to send her attacker back to the hell that spawned it.
The remaining two bats remain attached to their Olman victims, who both suffer horrific burns, cries of pain suddenly ending as death claims them.
B1: *6
B4: *6
The fight over as quickly as it began, most of the villagers are gone, hiding in their huts.
Still, one wizened old woman, hair white and brown skill wrinkled, approaches; you recognize her from your brief earlier stay here as J'kal, the chieftain of Tanaroa. In broken Common, she thanks you.
"Thank you, outsiders. You have saved the village."
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Linah hurries over to any motionless villagers and emits a wave of positive energy . "I am sorry that we could not save all of you. What was those creatures?"