It nods in return, the fire behind it flaring momentarily as Zstelian claims his prize.
Kyson continues to try to determine the properties of the ring, pearl, and sword, agate and fang, and the rest. If he cannot figure them out, he will ask individually.
The fang's overwhelming aura again continues to be too much, stunning Kyson once again.
However, the servant of Zotzilaha answers his questions, telling you that the items are:
* a ring of invisibility
* Pearl of power (4th level)
* Firefang, A flame-tongue longsword
* a stone of good luck
It pauses when Kyson asks about the fang.
"This is not one of Zotzilaha's treasures," it says. "I know not what it is nor where it came from. You may take it if you want, without it counting as one of your choices."
Kyson explains things to Khaz, Seka, and Linah, as to help their decisions.
He ponders he fang, eventually taking it along with something else.
Sekathral takes the ring of invisibility
"I'll have that, and thankyou"
The creature did not react to Linah's choice.
Khazmia takes her time looking over the offered choices. Her fingers linger on the wooden tiger, then traipse over to the elephant headed ivory carving. Finally, she turns to the others, saying a little wistfully, "I can't decide."
* A small wooden coffer containing 500 ancient platinum coins bearing a serpent on one side and a crown on the other.
* An ivory carving of an elephant-headed humanoid gripping a tarnished scepter encrusted with jade. -???
* A wooden carving of a tiger with two small sapphires for eyes. - figurine of wondrous power?
* A necklace with a single dragon tooth -??
* A beautifully made bucker in the shape of Iomedae's holy symbol -???
* A breastplate made of a glittering silver metal. - +4 mithril breastplate
* A longsword sheathed in a leather scabbard worked to look like flames. - Flametongue!
* A golden ring - Invisibility
* A simple pearl - PoP 4
* A small chunk of agate - stone of good luck?
* A fetish amulet of some sort, crafted out of leather - Amulet Nat Armor +3?
* A rolled-up strip of leather containing a long, thin fang. - Artifact?
Kyson shows the items that are unknown to Khaz, to see if she can help. Kyson has not yet made up his mind.
* An ivory carving of an elephant-headed humanoid gripping a tarnished scepter encrusted with jade. -
* A wooden carving of a tiger with two small sapphires for eyes. -
* A necklace with a single dragon tooth -
* A beautifully made bucker in the shape of Iomedae's holy symbol -
* A longsword sheathed in a leather scabbard worked to look like flames. - Flametongue!
* A simple pearl - PoP 4
* A small chunk of agate - stone of good luck?
* A fetish amulet of some sort, crafted out of leather - Amulet Nat Armor +3?
* A rolled-up strip of leather containing a long, thin fang. - ?
"I don't know if I can tell any more than you, Kyson." She looks to the bat creature. "What sort of thing is this tiger, or this ivory carving? They seem... special."
"A tiger is a ferocious jungle cat, native to parts of Tian-Xia," it replies. "The sapphires have some value among many societies, and some care for the whole as a piece of art.
"The carving of the humanoid comes from far-off Vudra, ironically carved from the trunks of an elephant, which is the animal the figure's head resembles."
The fang, like with Kyson, proves to have an overwhelming aura, stunning Khaz momentarily as she looks at it.
Kyson pockets the Pearl (along with the fang), and readies to hastily depart the volcano and potentially super-evil bat deity.
"Uh, thanks."
Khazmia sways on her feet for a long moment, then shakes it off. She jerks her hand away from the fang, taking the stone instead. "This is nice."
You make it back to Tanaroa, where the villagers are grateful for your assistance and promise again to provide soldiers to help when the pirates attack, and from there back to Farshore, the entire trip having taken about a week.
Kyson nearly runs from the Bat Temple with his Pearly prize, happy to be away. When he gets back, he immediately finds Urol and shoves the Fang into the gnome's hands.
"I found this, but I don't know what it does. It hurts to think about it, in fact. But I bet you can puzzle it out. I think it's strong magic...very strong that might be good against the pirates. I can try to help you figure it out...if we have time."
On the boat ride home, Kyson thinks about things to do....
#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:Any PC that can cast healing spells can spend a week helping in various tasks such as healing, maintenance, sermons and other spiritual matters; at the end of the week, a Knowledge (religion) check indicates that the spiritual well-being of the colony increases morale, which can help in the fight.
#5:Notes, much of it semeingly in Olman alphabet and pictograms line the walls and tables, fighting for space with lab equipment and drying herbs. A Heal check can increase the infirmary's efficiency, though doing so will take a week.
#6:Farshore's militia consists of 18 human guards, you learn at the barracks Building 8, with six on duty for eight-hour shifts most of the day. Half of the guards live here, though the barracks can hold three dozen with ease. Tolin Kientai, the Jade Raven, lounges here, Ulvar informing you that the good-looking warrior joined shortly after he arrived. You can spend a week to try to increase the militia's numbers with a Diplomacy check; this can be done more than once.
#7:A new watchtower could be instructed in the northeastern corner of the palisade and another on the southwestern bluff overlooking the harbor; though hey would probably take three weeks each to build.
Kyson muses to others about what to do next.
"What should we do next?"
"Well, that was alright", comments Sekathral. "Nice bloke, for a fiery bat god" He spits on his new ring and polishes it with his sleeve to bring out the shine, holding it up to the light to watch it glimmer.
"What do you say - shall we ***k off to the temple of the rat-catchers, or whatever they were called, and pick up them sharpies?"
"We should." Khaz sighs.The idea of even more jungle mucking wearies her soul. She closes her eyes for a moment. "Honestly, I wish I could just close my eyes and be back in Farsh..."
"Yes, we must do what we can to aid in the defense of Farshore. We still have some time until the Crimson Fleet is set to arrive."
"Yes, we must do what we can to aid in the defense of Farshore. We still have some time until the Crimson Fleet is set to arrive."
Kyson looks at his hand scribed list of things to do.
Kyson then looks at Linah, worried about being seen as a talk-backer. Worse, he fears that Linah would report him as being uncooperative or unhelpful back at the monastery. Still, he feels the need to make his point.
"That's the point of this list I made of ideas we have to help Farshore. I think we need to decide on which ones to do..."...rather than state the obvious.
If Linah accepts and reads the list, Kyson will continue.
"A couple of us want to go get tar. Maybe after that, we go after the phantons."
Kyson looks at his hand scribed list of things to do.
Kyson then looks at Linah, worried about being seen as a talk-backer. Worse, he fears that Linah would report him as being uncooperative or unhelpful back at the monastery. Still, he feels the need to make his point.
"That's the point of this list I made of ideas we have to help Farshore. I think we need to decide on which ones to do..."...rather than state the obvious.
If Linah accepts and reads the list, Kyson will continue.
"A couple of us want to go get tar. Maybe after that, we go after the phantons."
"I will aid in any way that I can. I do not want to talk out of turn but I think there is some merit to the idea of trying to find the lost weapons while we have time. We know where the tar pit is and can therefore make a likely calculation on when we can bring it here. Finding the remains of the lost cultures is more uncertain. I would rather venture out in search of these hidden caches now while we have time. Should we pursue the weaponry of the rakastas and phanatons, of course. As I understand it the tale is a legend."
"Back to Farshore then. Kyson, see if you can gather up some laborers and livestock to help haul the stuff back in barrels. You can be pretty persuasive in your own special way when you put your mind to it."
Kyson gives a look to Zstelian, not liking that he was being ordered around. After all, isn't that what Linah was there for? How many people did he need to tell him what to do?
"Your...mother...grumble...persuasive...grumble..." Kyson says under his breath.
By the time he gets back to Farshore, Kyson has mellowed a bit and tries to help find ways to carry tar back here.
He will ask the villagers to help him find ways to get the tar back.
Diplomacy
"Only wankers travel by horse", opines Sekathral. "Look at Avner. However, as luck would have it, I've always wanted to be a wanker, so let's round up some ****ing nags and locals to haul this bloody stuff back"
He puts his charisma to work, helping Kyson recruit some labourers.
With a little effort, and despite his salty language, Sekathral is soon able to get a group of villagers to agree to help transport the tar. You make your way back to Tanaroa once again, where the villagers explain you can follow the well-worn footpath to the tar pits. However, they wanr you they haven't been able to gather tar for several weeks: Temauhti-tecuani, a massive thunder lizard , has claimed the pits as his territory and is feasting on anyone who comes to close.
"So we have to kill this uhh, Temauhti-Tecuani before we can get tar for the ships? That sounds... interesting. Perhaps we can put it to some use in our fight against the pirates, afterward."
Kyson erps at the mention of the dinosaur, remembering what happened to brave Silvio. He doesn't want that to happen to anyone important: namely, *him*.
"Maybe when we see the beast, we should run away, except for those who can fly and have ranged attacks. Kill it from orbit, that's the only way to be safe," Kyson suggests.
When the party is ready to go, he will take his own advice and Air Walk up 40' in the air, hoping to see the beast before it gets too close.
Percetion
Survival
Kyson doesn't see anything, though there's enough jungle canopy to make surveillance difficult.
"Is there anyway for us to scare it away from the area? I do not feel comfortable leading the our caravan into the hunting grounds of a terrible beast."
Zstelian sends Kayle into the sky to survey.
"Seka, you think you can keep an eye out for that thing without ending up as its lunch?"
"Happy to help, mate, but it'll be him or us at some point, no matter what"
Sekathral loads his pistol.
Kyson, despite the canopy, stays high up, walking quite high and hoping to either hide from the predator both high up and in the foliage.
No monster would look for me up here.
Kyson looks and listens for the SilvioSlayingBeast as he walks towards the tar pits.
Your precautions serve you well as a couple hours into the tar-gathering, you become aware of a disturbance in the woods. Some 300 yards distance, you see a mighty dinosaur -- similar to the one that nearly killed Silvio, though even more grizzled, with scars covering it and one of its eyes missing and one arm ending in a jagged stump -- emerge. Running in front of it are a dozen small figures, some sort of creature that looks like a cross between a raccoon and monkey.
Khazmia casts fly and shoots up into the air.
Round 1
Kyson yips as the SilvioKillersaurus comes into view.
He casts Air Walk and begins to trudge away from the beast and into the air as fast as his scared legs will take him. As he moves, he tries to end up over tar so that the beast might not have an easy charge or way to get at him.
Sekathral ducks behind a tree, waits for the bellowing behemoth to thunder past him, then unloads both barrels into its back
"Stay here. Do not make any sudden moves", Linah tells the villagers and moves forward to face the incoming dinosaur.
[ooc]Just in case it wasn't clear, it's 200 yards away and right now focused on the creatures. Ahead of you is a 40-yard strip between the jungle and the nearest tar pit./ooc]
"What do we do? Should we run away or run away really fast?!" Kyson asks.