While the loot is being studied, counted, and appraised, Rilee folds her arms and muses on recent events.
Then Rilee gasps, her eyes wide with revelation. Several sparks fly off her hair, causing a whiff of ozone to fill the air.
"Karzoug! Zoli and I saw his statue! That was him, wasn't it? And he's drawing power from those marked with the Sihedron! Xaneesha and the others were targeting greedy souls! Marking them! And Karzoug is the Runelord of Greed! It's making sense! Mokmurian wasn't worshiping some outer god, he's a follower of a runelord of Thassilon!"
"Well... Karzoug could very easily be the puppet of an Outer God, Rilee," Setsuna says (still somehow) somewhat convincingly. "Maybe I wasn't grappling with Mokmurian, but rather, a Karzoug-possessed Mokmurian! He literally just revealed that he has that ability; he made the guy's decapitated head talk!"
"I see your point. But I think there's something we're missing. Didn't we just see a book entitled, Karzoug, Lord of Lords and Master of All? Does that sound like someone who would be another servant?" She shakes her head, clearly puzzled by how the pieces do not seem to fit together.
Rather than saying anything else and possibly jeopardizing her narrative of "Let's blame Mokmurian Karzoug!", Setsuna again decides to let Rilee reach her own wild conclusions.
"Regardless, it seems that we have a new enemy to face. Luckily, we also have an entire library on him. I propose we go back there, rest up, and study. After we're fully recovered, we present Conna with Mokmurian's head and explain the full extent of his 'blasphemy' to her."
"Karzoug!", Zoli cries. "He--he should've died centuries ago! What--has he returned? How? If he's who Mokmurian served...well I guess it's time to go back and dive into that library!"
...
When the head doesn't talk any more, she shrugs and goes to look through the bag of holding. What does Mokmurian keep in here?...
...
She also gives the map a hard look. "Hmmmm, what's a Hellstorm Flume Ruin? And a Runeforge? And who's this Xaliasa?"
________________
The bag of holding Mokmurian possessed contains a collection of leather bound tomes, containing notes and writings that seem indecipherable...
"If I had to guess, these would be Mokmorian's spellbooks," Setsuna notes thoughtfully as she flies off her perch and starts to help Eugeni recover his arrows.
Once finished, unless someone stops her, the Oracle retreats to the library. If the door is closed, she summons an Earth Elemental to Earthglide through the stone wall and turn the handle from the inside.
"Metal Man, do you have any more material about Karzoug?" Setsuna inquires as she sits down at the table and gently opens up Lord of Wealth: Karzoug’s Trade and Conquests.
"Indeed. Of the 24,491 volumes contained here, 24,489 mention Karzoug in some manner," it replies.
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Zoli replies in Thassilonian, "Gosh, that's a lot! Can you help us sort through them? There's so much I'd like to learn, and I bet you could be a big help!"
The machine replies, "Certainly. What subject would you like to study?"
Zoli answers "Thanks! I have a bunch. What's a Hellstorm Flume Ruin? And what's a Runeforge? And who is or was Xaliasa? And where did Karzoug live when he ruled Xin-Shalast?"
"Runeforge does not compute. Xaliasa does not compute. As to your other topics..."
The metal man moves back to the books and begins retrieving a vast number of tomes, helping guide you all through the research...
Karzoug’s armies were composed primarily of giants who followed his every command—the giants were ruled by towering monsters known as rune giants, who were themselves runelord pawns. Karzoug counted other powerful creatures as his allies as well, such as blue dragons, eerie denizens from the nightmare realm of Leng, blood- drinking outsiders known as scarlet walkers, and immense lamia harridans who towered over most giants.
Karzoug focused his magic on the school of transmutation, magic associated in Thassilonian times with the virtue of wealth. Under his reign, though, this virtue of rule became more associated with the sin of greed. Among the runelords, his mastery of greed magic was uncontested, yet in the schools of illusion and enchantment (related to the sins of pride and lust), his skills had atrophied greatly. Many believed that weapons infused with illusion and enchantment magic, known as “dominant weapons,” would be particularly potent against Karzoug, yet no record of someone attacking the runelord with such a weapon exists within the library.
Karzoug warred with his neighbors, but none more so than Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath and ruler of Bakrakhan. Between their nations, along a ridge known as the Rasp, Karzoug built immense sentinel statues to watch over Bakrakhan, while Alaznist built towers called Hellfire Flumes to prevent Karzoug’s armies from invading. Citizens of both nations worried that the war between Karzoug and Alaznist would soon escalate to the point where they could bring about the end of the world.
Xin-Shalast was the capital city of an empire called Shalast, one of seven that composed the ancient empire of Thassilon. Legend holds that Xin-Shalast lay at the headwaters of the sacred River Avah—which Varisian folklore says leads to an earthly paradise sacred to Desna. Unfortunately, no record of where this river may have once flowed exists today, and most scholars believe the river itself to have been destroyed during Earthfall.
In the final centuries before Earthfall ended Thassilon, Xin-Shalast was ruled by Runelord Karzoug, one of the lords of the Thassilonian Empire. The primary architects of the immense city were tribes of giants, themselves ruled by powerful beings known as rune giants.
The Spires of Xin-Shalast stand upon the mythical mountain of Mhar Massif. This mountain of legendary proportions pierces the skies above the Kodars, and is said to be the highest peak in the entire range of stupendously inhospitable mountains.
Mhar Massif is said to serve as a bridge to strange realms beyond Golarion—notably, to the nightmare dimension of Leng. The connections with the nightmare realm of Leng were said to have infused the region around the peak of Mhar Massif with dangerous eldritch and otherworldly energies.
Early on into the research, Zoli and Setsuna return to their normal stature!
Making liberal use of her buffing magic to assist her efforts, Setsuna decides to be very thorough with her studies.
After she finishes, the Oracle promptly passes out to recover her spells.
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As Karzoug and Alaznist’s war intensified, and as wars between other runelords threatened more than just their armies, the runelords devised methods in which they could escape the world and enter a state of suspended animation, so they could ride out cataclysms. In theory, their surviving minions would then waken them to reclaim their empires once the cataclysms had ended.
The Plateau of Leng is believed to be either a pocket within the Dimension of Dreams or accessible through it. It is a dry desert littered with ruins. The greatest of these ruins is the abandoned city of Sarkomand, the original home of the denizens of Leng. The most powerful being in Leng, perhaps its ruler, is the mysterious yellow-clad High-Priest Not to be Described, who presides over the plateau's culture of blood sacrifice. The fabled city of unknown Kadath, while not itself in Leng, can be reached through that dimension.
The primary inhabitants of Leng are the mysterious denizens and fiendish humans who resemble them. Others include the massive Leng spiders, dragonlike monstrosities called shantaks, and the infamous hounds of Tindalos. The runelords of Thassilon were aware of Leng and often conjured its inhabitants to do their bidding; Karzoug the Claimer even built his capital, Xin-Shalast, in a location where the border between Leng and the Material Plane was unusually thin to take advantage of the dimension's eldritch energies.
Knowledge of Leng is sketchy at best, limited to glimpses in nightmares and drug-fueled visions. Its origin is unknown. Some believe it to exist physically on the Material Plane or another dimension. Others claim it is a surviving piece of a dead plane from before the current Multiverse. Yet others believe that Leng is the nightmares of mortal dreamers shaped into a physical place.
As she reads more and more about Leng, Setsuna cracks a big smile.
"Here's the missing link, Rilee!" the Oracle says enthusiastically as she places the book in front of her great grandmother.
"It all makes sense now! Like many arrogant arcanists, Karzoug - this 'almighty' Runelord - thought himself Lord of Lords and all that nonsense. He decided that he was so awesome that he was gonna build his big ol' capital city in a spot where he can take advantage of Leng's eldritch energies; I imagine that it would've been a big boon for him in his war against Alaznist if he had harnessed it properly.
"However, Karzoug didn't. Instead, he was exposed to the madness of an Outer God and its cult, which promptly subverted his mind for their own nefarious purposes! Thankfully, Thassilon fell before their evil plan was fully enacted. Now Karzoug seeks to return to the world from his state of suspended animation and finally enact the schemes of his foul deity. That said, he needs a bunch of greedy souls to return, so he found a stooge of his own: Mokmurian!
"Based on these notes, Karzoug clearly has designs for Sandpoint, so he had Mokmurian organize a raid. As per that message back at Hook Mountain, there is something there that Karzoug needs, and as shown when he spoke to us, we know that this Outer God pawn has powerful sensory magic; I wouldn't be surprised if Mok Mok was scrying the battle or something.
"The invasion force was killed to the last giant. Angered that his evil plan was stopped, Karzoug flew into a rage and saw it fit to further beat down the good people of Sandpoint. How dare we lowly ants foil him! Since this state of suspended animation probably limits what he can do directly, Karzoug possessed Mokmurian to use him as a proxy and then tried to unleash a wicked eldritch spell upon our little town. Thankfully, I counterspelled them before anyone was killed. Mokmurian might've been some two-bit chump, but based on these texts, such terrible magic is easily within the power of a Runelord."
...I wonder if that's actually what happened, Setsuna wonders as reality seems to distort itself in a very Sabrina-like manner to fit her crazy story.
Before she rests, Setsuna heals everyone in the group back to full health.
5th - 3/5
4th - 6/7
3rd - 5/8
2nd - 3/8
1st - 3/8
After she recovers her spells, Setsuna secures Mokmurian's head in some cloth and then places it in her haversack. The Oracle then sneaks her way back to Conna. After finding her... friend (?), she presents the grim trophy.
"Mokmurian is dead. As I speculated earlier, he was very much involved with what your people consider blasphemy; he truly was but a pawn for a more sinister entity. Ever wonder why all those lamias were lurking about? That's why.
"This Giant army? Mokmurian was planning on marching the Plateau People to their doom. The seven-sided star sacrifices to the soul of anyone who wears it to Mokmurian's Lord. Hundreds would've died on every side for nothing, Conna."
Setsuna lets the point sink in.
"Unless I'm missing something, it seems like the fear of Mokmurian was the only thing holding this army together. Do you think you can get them to disband peacefully?"
As Setsuna moves to leave, the metal man speaks up, "I suggest you eat something before you depart, to avoid any possible risk of discomfort or starvation upon leaving the preservative effects of the Library. It has been three days, five hours, forty-two minutes and seventeen seconds since you entered."
"Huh."
Setsuna thinks about the advice and then looks at her ring fingers.
"...I should be fine, Metal Man; I have a Ring of Sustenance. However, thank you for letting us know. As for my friends... Rilee, maybe you can prepare that feast spell you used back in Sandpoint? Dehydration shouldn't be an issue; I can summon water by the gallon at will."
Before she departs, Setsu makes sure that everyone is sufficiently hydrated.
You step out of the library, and Olympus and Grettela is nowhere to be seen . A commotion can be heard elsewhere in the complex, however.
As Setsuna moves through the halls , she spies Olympus frantically trying to get to Grettela, who is using her keener intellect to avoid the hungry roc by darting through the narrow passages to the "silo room."
__________
Upon reuniting with Setsuna, Conna kneels down to be closer to the human's size. She listens and thinks for seemingly a long time before replying, "Perhaps I can. The Tribes all have their own chieftain, but all tribes answer to the High Chief, once my husband, then Mokmurian. If I can convince them to follow my command, then there will be peace. But Mokmurian was wise...he replaced most all the other chiefs with ones loyal to his call for glory and power. It will be difficult to convince them otherwise, and their likely will be turmoil with the Plateau People for years to come. But this," she reaches and takes Mokmurian's head, "will strengthen my claim. I shall go to the surface and call a Grand Council."
She moves to,the ramp to the surface and pauses to turn her head back, "If I do not return, it means I have failed, and another has claimed the mantle. If that is the case...do not linger. It will not be safe."
Setsuna stealthily returns to the group; she uses another Earth Elemental summon to open up the door via the inside handle if necessary.
"Conna is going to call a Grand Council and try to disband the Giant army; evidently, Mokmurian was smart and handpicked several Yes Men as leaders for each individual tribe, so... it might not work out. However, before he was assassinated, Conna's husband was High Chief for all Varisan stone giants. As such, Conna has a solid claim to being the next High Chief, especially if she presents Mokmurian's severed head."
The Oracle sighs and massages her temples.
"...I think our next move should be to return to Sandpoint and locate what exactly Mokmurian was so interested in. Maybe it can help us find out how to stop this... Rise of the Runelords."
"Rilee, if I have to be a brain dead bird for the return trip, I want to be a great horned owl. Alternatively, we can sneak out the back and walk home. Or take the Elvis Express."
"I don't like the thought of letting Conna try to gain control of the stone giants on her own. We should see if she requires help. We could give testimony about Mokmurian's evil, or even help her remove those that he put in place. That way, we won't have to worry about Karzoug just finding a replacement and doing this all over again," Rilee says, still amazed that Setsuna went by herself.
She had reduced Olympus to a statue, thinking that they could sneak out again through the redcap tunnels and then approach from the sky at the topmost level. It was bold, but presenting the head of Mokmurian should have made the giants pause. "We should go get her before she walks into a possibly deadly situation."
"Sorry for not being clearer. Conna has already departed to go call the Grand Council, and she took Mokmurian's head with her. She also told me, 'If I do not return, it means I have failed, and another has claimed the mantle. If that is the case... do not linger. It will not be safe.'
"I really don't think us showing up would help her case. Conna aside, these stone giants seem to think of us smol folk as... insignificant. Even if he was ultimately some chump that we killed in like twenty seconds, Mokmurian had a presence to the Plateau People; he could liberally ignore their ancient sacred traditions without a care. And then Conna shows up, throws Mokmurian's head on the table, and says he's dead. It looks she killed him, which greatly cements her authority. And she is also the wife to the previous High Chief, so her claim to the throne probably beats any of theirs.
"Us showing up complicates that narrative, Rilee. Very often, it's the most effective to present a half-truth and let people reach their own wild conclusions."
Golarion's biggest hypocrite fails to see the irony of her own words.
Rilee puts her face in her palm when she hears Conna has already left. The thought of so much at stake resting on a tentative ally seemed hideously reckless. "We wouldn't necessarily had to have been obvious about our support. Your stealth, my ability to become an innocuous animal, we could have helped."
Then she looks upward, contemplating the levels above them. "We also have to decide if we go back the way we came or go up through the upper levels. To use this plan, we should sneak back out through the redcap caverns. But that could leave additional powerful allies of Mokmurian alive, who may flock to Karzoug with him gone. Better to deal with them now."
"Let's compromise. If she does not return soon, let's sneak out the back and then check up on Conna; we park Olympus, Eugeni, Zoli, and Grettla at the dragon cave and then you and I sneak into the Grand Council. If Conna manages to take control and dissolve the army, then we head home. If she fails? While our warriors rest in the dragon cave, you and I, Rilee, will take the next few days to cripple these fools. You see, I recently learned a new trick," the Oracle says as she spawns her cloak of shadows.
Setsuna attempts to vanish into Rilee's shadow.
"Imagine how much havoc we will unless on them as I use my stealth and Dimension Door to Feeblemind Mokmurian's remaining lackeys into drooling vegetables while some random, innocuous eagle flies around Stone Spiking their camps."
Rilee rolls her eyes and points to the lenses on her face. "I can still see you. Which means that others could, too. We could get overwhelmed. I agree we should check up on her, but I don't think it should fall to just the two of us to deal with all the giant tribes of the Plateau."
"Huh. I guess it still needs work," Setsuna admits, though she is left wondering if Rilee is just an outlier in terms of perceptiveness; Mokmurian and his hound had both failed to react to her presence. "Well, if I lair it with Invisibility, then I should be fine. And we aren't openly fighting all the giants, Rilee. We'd be targeting just Mokmurian's lackeys via guerilla warfare. Without their leadership, I imagine the rest will spend years fighting among themselves."
A couple of hours pass, and eventually, two stone giants, one very frustrated one that is almost comically human sized, make their way to the entrance of Mokmurian's lair. Their weapons are not drawn, and they look the four of you over, before saying, "Come with us. The High Chieftain has summoned you."
Relieved that Conna has mostly likely succeeded, Setsuna nods and follows the giants without word.
Rilee rises from her seated position and similarly follows the giants.
As you are led through the complex back towards the surface, the second giant succumbs to the reduction effect of the strange chamber, eliciting a curse from him and retributive jib from the second.
As you emerge onto the surface, you are forced to squint against the harshness of the sunlight, having been underground for several days. The pit and buildings within are surrounded by the fifty foot high ring-shaped wall of Jorgenfist and its towers. To the right is a large stable, clearly sized for beasts more massive than horses. Looming over it from behind like a black spectre. Next is a large (in human standards) store building.
A pair of screeches draw your eyes up to the top of the tall central spire, where a pair of rocs gaze down at you from their perch at the top of the 150' high spire. Dozens of giants mill about the courtyard, laughing at their shrunken comrades and glaring at you as you pass. You are led towards a massive feast hall to the left of the pit, it's doors stand open.
This huge hall is well stocked with smoked meat, bread, casks of ale, and long benches and tables built for giants. It’s hard to see in the hall’s dim light; the only illumination comes in through the doors and through smoke holes in the ceiling. A large, crackling firepit burns eagerly in the middle of the large hall.
A pair of giants are actively tossing stone giant bodies atop the firepit, while another busies himself with cleaning blood from the floor and walls. Among the bodies, the group can easily see the lifeless form of Conna, slowly burning among the coals.
A deafening roar cuts through the low din of giants talking, drawing your eyes forward once more. As the giants turn to regard you, they fall silent and part to the side, clearing your view of a well muscled stone giant with a cloudy eye and claw scars across his face. He is sitting next to a grizzled cave bear that stands nearly 14 feet tall at the shoulder, dwarfing the scarred giant who calmly strokes the bear's fur. "So you're the ones Conna the Wise mentioned."
Upon seeing the lifeless form of Conna, Setsuna opens her mouth and then pauses.
...Maybe I should listen to Rilee more often, the Oracle thinks wearily.
"I presume that you're the new High Chieftain? What might I call you? And if you wouldn't mind telling us, what happened here?" Setsuna asks respectfully as she slips into Diplomacy Mode.
"She made a claim, but Conna was never much of a fighter. Doach challenged her, he won. Zinderall challeneged him, and lost. Drogart challenged and won. Then I claimed the seat from him. None, as of yet, have opposed me. Now the Crannoch clan rules the Plateau People," the giant speaks, gesturing to the firepit as he explains the apparent turmoil that developed.
Looks like Conna decided not to claim that she killed Mokmurian then. Or they called her bluff.
"What do you intend to do now? As we told Conna, Mokmurian was but a thrall for a more wicked, blasphemous entity. Upon death, his seven-sided star feeds the soul of anyone wearing it to his master, and he intended to march the Plateau People on Varisia to ensure multiple sacrifices. It would've been a pointless, destructive conflict for all involved except Mokmurian and his Lord. If you want proof, we do have a message in his handwriting to an underling of his named Barl. Moreover, stone giants do not strike me as the type to willingly associate with lowly creatures like trolls, ogres, and lamias."
If prompted, Setsuna presents Mokmurian's message to Barl.
Rilee remains silent as Setsuna speaks. She doesn't assist, knowing full well that she appeared as nearly a child so her words would most likely be dismissed. Not that she had ever been all that skilled at persuading people in the first place.
She stoically watches the interplay as she studies the forces arrayed against them, if this new chieftain decides to order them killed. Escape through the air would most likely be the best option, surrounded as they were. What most troubled her was the pyres, meaning that coming back to find the remains of anyone who falls for reincarnation would involve sifting through a bunch of ashes.
She grips her staff tightly and eyes the full-grown rocs perched high above, and then the great cave bear next to the chieftain. She waits and watches.
"You dare to come in here and demand questions of us!?!?" one of the giants near the chieftain scolds, taking a step forward aggressively.
"Enough!" the chieftain roars. "When I need your council, Vlorian, I will ask for it." Despite clearly being older, the offending giant silences himself and steps back.
Looking around the room, the chieftain then says, "Leave us. I wish to speak to these short-ones alone."
Vlorian looks at him, concerned, "Oriandian, is that wise? If they were able to kill Mokmurian..."
"If they kill me, then I die," the chief says.
With no further argument, the remaining giants begin to file out.
The chief stands and calms the bear beside him before continuing, "Our people hold little regard for those of your kind. And it is that lack of respect I intend to use to convince them of another course of action. I do not share their traditional views. I have seen a small serpent kill a bear with its bite. Size does not dictate power. And so, I will use their misguided beliefs to lead them to deal with a greater threat to the Plateau People, rather than guide them on the warpath with the humans of the lowlands. Mokmurian had enlisted the alliance of a tribe of frost giants, and their emissaries did not take the transition of power well. They have gone to meet their clan, which is marching this way, to update them and rally them to try and claim my mantle. I intend to stop them, and then return my people to their homelands."
"That sounds... very wise, High Chieftain Oriandian," Setsuna admits after a minute of thought. "I admittedly don't know much about frost giants, but... if they were so hasty as to declare war on the Plateau People over this transition of power, then that does not speak highly of them. Both the stone giants and smaller humanoids of Varisia deserve better than what Mokmurian and his master intended for us. Also, I apologize if I'm... coming across a bit strong. You did peacefully summon us here, so... is there anything you wish to say?"
Zoli--still a bit tearful at seeing Conna's body burning--does her best to focus on this moment instead.
Bowing slightly, she says, "High Chieftain Oriandian, You see more clearly than many. I wish you well against those frost giants. If I may though...did Mokmurian have this symbol placed on your fellows?" Zoli holds up her lucky Thassilonian amulet. "If he did, it puts their souls at risk--taking them to serve an ancient Azlanti wizard instead of going to their rightful resting place. Before anyone else fights or dies, I would counsel you to have this removed from the bodies of any of your fellows."
After a pause to allow Oriandian to answer, she adds, "Our interest was always in stopping the threat of this wizard--who made a pawn of Mokmurian, and who yet wishes to conquer both my people and your own. We will continue on this quest while you go to put down those frost giants. Is there anything we can do or say to aid you in your business? And--if you would--is there anything you know of (some associate, or locale, or suspicion) that might aid us in stopping the wizard who made a pawn of Mokmurian?"
As she stops talking, she feels and smells the warm breath of the bear standing before her. Nice bear. Nice bear. Remember what we learned from...Thal Bearson: the bear can be more sensible than the papa.
Looking at the halfling with a sneer, Oriandian replies "We knew nothing of this wizard of which you speak. But we have more pressing issues to deals with than some wizard who may or may not exist. If you wish to aid us, then leave the Plateau People in peace, and convince the other lowlanders to do the same."
"Then we have an agreement; we will leave you in peace and spread the word accordingly," says Setsuna with a nod. She turns slightly to her friends, "Let's be on our way; we have places to be."
Rilee nods. She mulled over the notion to offer assistance in helping repel the frost giants, but ultimately decided that such matters would best be left to the giants themselves. Their meddling may have unwanted repercussions, so she could only hope that Oriandian or his successors would be too involved in their own internecine struggles to worry about the smaller folk.
"I agree. I think we've accomplished what we've set out to do," she says turning to Setsuna. She looks to the chieftain and waits for him to give permission to leave, and she encourages the group to be escorted from the fortress.
"We've gathered what treasures we can carry, and we've learned what can be learned from that library, right?" if anyone asks why they're walking out. "Besides, I can't have us all fly out just yet. I've chosen my spells this day for battle. Tomorrow morning I can turn you all into birds again. Oh! Or deer! Cute little gazelles who can run swiftly across the plateau! Would anyone like that?"
Rilee's excitement fades instantly as she suddenly remembers Morythine. She looks up into the sky, frowning.
Eugeni spends most of their meeting with the giants trying to keep his temper in check and wondering about Setsuna. Her story makes sense, but that doesn't explain what happened to me very well.
In the end the archer's contribution to the diplomacy is little more than glares and flared nostrils.
Once they are clear of the giants he finally speaks. "I'm not sure I like leaving such potentially wicked and violent creatures to wander free, but we can't really afford a war right now."
Turning to the druid he says, "No offense, Rilee, but I think I'd rather stay the way I am. I can outrun a horse pretty easily at this point, and leap over pretty much any obstacle we might run into, so I shouldn't have an issue keeping up. If we need to cross a canyon or something, Olympus could carry me for a bit."
"Unlike... say... ogres, the stone giants don't strike me as inherently malicious creatures. To some degree, they have a sense of honor; Conna, her husband, and Oriandian are good examples," Setsuna says to Eugeni. "It seems like they were ultimately bullied into submission by Mokmurian, who then killed most of, if not all their original leaders and replaced them with his loyal lackeys. I get the impression that they're struggling with the fallout."
When thinking about the return trip, Setsuna decides, "I'd rather get moving as soon as possible. How about I take Olympus while you turn into something and carry Zoli? I'd fly myself, but I can only manage half of Olympus' usual pace."
Rilee looks a little crestfallen, but nods in understanding. "Well, I think I can do one better. It'll still be best if we load everything up in those holes and bags of holding to lighten the load as best we can, but I think we can manage. Let's see... Setsu and Zoli should be able to fit on Olympus, and I'll be able to carry Eugeni if he doesn't mind riding without a saddle. Maybe at some point we'll need to get one for me if this becomes a habit."
She oversees the distribution of weight as best she can, with her taking plenty of the load knowing that it will meld with her form. Then she wild shapes into a falcon easily as big as Olympus.
Rilee lets out an inviting screech, lowering herself down so Eugeni can easily climb on.
"You guys want to stop off in Riddleport to sell all the loot?" Eugeni asks, climbing on to Rilee's back.
"Good idea. Given who we're fighting, we will need as much firepower as we can get."
Not able to voice her agreement, Rilee simply nods and flies as Eugeni directs her. She and Olympus climb high into the air with their riders and ride the currents.
Zoli enjoys being back in the air again, riding on Olympus's back toward the sea and a brand new city.
As she soars along she finds herself keeping an eye open for other birds. Morythine, is that you? Where have you flown off to? I...I hope you're happy. You deserve it.`
After several days of travel, hundreds of trails of chimney smoke on the horizon signals the arrival at their destination.
Riddleport: the City of Cyphers.
You land a mile or so out of the city and travel the rest of the way on foot, to draw less attention to yourselves. The city is nothing like Magnimar, clearly more lawless, chaotic, and corrupt. Bars, brothels, and gambling houses are abundant, and even in the middle of winter, people openly stumble through the streets, inebriated.
You quickly learn that, in order to fulfill your enchanted item requests, you must deal with the Order of Cyphers, the local mage's guild in the city.
As Setsuna begins inquiring about making arrangements for supplies for Sandpoint, she is soon requisitioned for a meeting with Gaston Cromarcky, Overlord of Riddleport...