alright i change my post..."Vizigog tells the Proffesser what happened." ......better?
Also, from the swag sack, Vernon takes a look at the MW longbow what we nicked, He attaches the bowstring and pulls the weapon. "Not bad." He grunts and replaces his light crossbow, also taking the 20 arrows.
Vizigog approaches the Prof who is doing jumping jacks and flexing his calf muscles "Check this out Doc, a real dinky-di thralmasaurian amulet!"
What does Crowley have to say about the Sehedron amulet?
"Also Proffesser, what the deuce is up with them legs? One has the distinct recollection that you were once indeed, with all due respect of course, a raspberry ripple! This appears to be quite the recovery sirrah! Pray, tell us of your remarkable rejuvenation." Spouted Vizigog incessantly.
alright i change my post..."Vizigog tells the Proffesser what happened." ......better?
The professor listens carefully to your story, interrupting with questions:
When he hears about Lambert nearly dying
“Angazhan’s balls, Yeth Hounds! Vernon! How could you let this happen! I was a fool to not arrange a healer to accompany you. By Erastil’s grace you survived. But only just…”
When he hears about the plans for the second attack
“I knew there was something strange about the raid. It was only a feint. The sheriff will want to hear of this immediately. When we arrived at Ruapekapeka we found the chief had been away for some time. It is extremely unlikely the savages would carry out an act as audacious as an attack on Woodenhead without his knowledge”
When he hears the description of Nualia
“ An Aismaar? Turehu….. White one… Moekuri must have been speaking of her! Now that I think about it I have heard it being used in relation to Knight-Sergeant Rua who also appears to bear the mark of the Aisimaar. I have a feeling the Wetawhakawi view those touched by the celestial plane with reverence and fear. I would not go bragging of killing an Aisimaar too loudly…”
When he hears of the battle with Nualia and her cronies
“Master Benzo, it is no small feat to subdue two opponents and survive. Erastil surely guides your fists. Baasa made the kill you say? And so savagely?” He glances over at Baasa who is tearing chunks out of a Tapir thigh “ It looks like we are going to need a bigger cage…”
Nualia’s History
“A foundling you say? Had she been raised among more enlightened folk her heritage could have been a boon rather than a curse; some of the great heroes of the rebellion against Cheliax bore the mark of the Celestial plan.”
The Catacombs of Wrath
“ A Laamashtu cult! Under the town! Erastils grace! Who would believe it! Even with the threat of another raid diminished there this still constitutes a great threat to the citizens of Woodenhead! We must return and seal the complex until we can devise a way to cleanse it!”
Tsuto and Collusion with Kreed
He nods grimly “ It is as Idris suspected. The savages gained access to the town too easily. With the evidence you have gathered we can build a strong case against Kreed. The problem now is to find someone who will listen…”
The professor sits back in his chair and thinks. “We must speak with the Sherriff as soon as possible. Despite his doubts, he is duty bound to act on Kreed’s orders unless he is given good cause not to. Now he sits camped by the gates, awaiting the return of the chief. Your testimony and the evidence you have gathered should be enough to persuade him that his orders are unjust”
“There is also the matter of the Wetawhakawi. Their honor has been besmirched and their people are being persecuted for these false accusations. There have been rumors of native lumberjacks being beaten and abused. We must clear their name if there is any hope of peaceful future for Woodenhead. We will wait for the chief to return. He will need to be consulted on any actions that we take in the tribe’s name”
Also, from the swag sack, Vernon takes a look at the MW longbow what we nicked, He attaches the bowstring and pulls the weapon. "Not bad." He grunts and replaces his light crossbow, also taking the 20 arrows.
Vizigog approaches the Prof who is doing jumping jacks and flexing his calf muscles "Check this out Doc, a real dinky-di thralmasaurian amulet!"
What does Crowley have to say about the Sehedron amulet?
The professor turns the 7 pointed amulet over in his hands. He closes his eyes and concentrates.
"dammit, it is going to take awhile to get used to this" he mutters under his breath
"Yes the magic aura is close to what I felt in the town during the attack; If this is indeed Thasslonian then the Catacombs must be too. I wish I had the time and resources to study it further. Perhaps we can ask this Lyrie character about it. She could read the runes at least"
I'm assuming you want to unload some of your junk and ask him about places you could sell it
"Any metal and weapons you have are likely to fetch a very good price in Ruapekapeka. However, the natives use gems as currency so do not expect to be paid in gold. I expect the tribes armorer will be happy to trade with you, he may even have amulets and other items to offer in return. I will make some inquiries and have introduced"
He looks over your pile of tikis
"For the Wetawhakawi the tikis of a defeated enemy are a sign of martial prowess and mana. It would be unseemly to try and sell them, and I doubt any would buy them. I think it will serve you better to wear them with pride whilst you are here. I am sure you will be able to find a seller once we return to town...whenever that may be..."
"Also Proffesser, what the deuce is up with them legs? One has the distinct recollection that you were once indeed, with all due respect of course, a raspberry ripple! This appears to be quite the recovery sirrah! Pray, tell us of your remarkable rejuvenation." Spouted Vizigog incessantly.
"Why yes!" The professor stands and walks unsteadily across the room " It has been many years since I have been so.... independent" he glances at Vernon.
"When we arrived we were granted an audience with Moekuri outside her cave. She took one look at me and began wailing and chanting. I felt a strange heat coming from my amulet.. He gestures towards the red tiki hanging around his neck..and felt compelled to draw it out. She became even more agitated when she saw it and her chanting became even louder. I must admit that I was overcome and fell into a swoon"
"When I awoke I was lying in Moekuris chambers with this ..he gestures to the green tiki.. around my neck. To my amazement i felt a vigor that I had though lost forever. I was able to stand and walk for the first time in almost 30 years! I suspected there was a link between the Wetawhakawi and those who cursed me with this amulet, but this.... this was much more than i could have hoped for"
"Moekuri speaks in riddles, and I have been hard pressed to understand the truth that lies beneath the legends but I think there is much more to the Wetawhakawi then even they know. I hope we can resolve this nasty business so that I can dig a little deeper. I shall have to have some of my books sent up from Almas...hmmm..The confessions of Yithdul would be perfect...." The professor seems lost in thought for a moment.
"So, does Grandad have any more sagacity to imbue or can we spend some cash?" Queried Vizigog, whilst shining a PP on the sleeve of his fine new blue silk blouse.
"So, does Grandad have any more sagacity to imbue or can we spend some cash?" Queried Vizigog, whilst shining a PP on the sleeve of his fine new blue silk blouse.
If you don't have any more questions for the moment.
"Well Prof, it seems like a good slice of justice pie has been served hot this day!"
Vizigog flipped the PP into the air where it vanished with a pink flash.
"Reckon you should have a good pow-wow with this miserable bint that we kidnapped, maybe old Idris the Eagle too. As for me, well Ive the sorry task of offloading all this junk, so pray sir point me to the local gem dealer and I shall waste no more of your precious pondering minutes. Promise I'll be back in a bit! Tirrah!"
Vizigog stalks off with the sack of swag, "C'mon Benzo perhaps they've in stock some of them fancy nunchuckers that you love so much!"
What the fudge is that slack Sherrif up to? Does that layabout ever get back to Woodenhead?
" As for me, well Ive the sorry task of offloading all this junk, so pray sir point me to the local gem dealer and I shall waste no more of your precious pondering minutes. Promise I'll be back in a bit! Tirrah!"
The professor looks up from his reverie. "One moment my good man. Protocol must be observed. The armorer is held in some esteem in the community and it would not do to turn up on his doorstep unannounced. Let's rest for tonight and I will make the necessary arrangements in the morning"
What the fudge is that slack Sherrif up to? Does that layabout ever get back to Woodenhead?
"As I said, he and his men are camped by the gates awaiting the return of the chief. Apparently the chief will return within the next few days as he is expected to preside over an event that is the native analogue to the swallowtail festival. Hopefully he will not have to wait much longer. I will not bother him tonight, perhaps we should call on him in the morning after you visit the armorer?"
"Gimme a dolla an I'll tell you something trippy"
"But I have already given you a "dolla" good sir" with a flourish, Vizigog reaches over and pulls a copper coin from out of the startled boys ear and drops it into his outstretched hand.
The boy examines the coin "Faa! This is metal! Thanks mister!" he drops the coin into a pouch hanging from his woven flax belt. He leans close, looks about conspiratorially and leans in to whisper in your ear: "I heard my dad talking about one of the Manaia getting pinched the other day. Apparently some fulla snuck into the knights' stables, jumped on one and took off into the bush with it. All those knight fullas are buzzing out coz no-one is supposed to be able to ride em without doing all these rituals and s*&@."
After some questioning you establish that, in addition to the Moa, the Wetawhakawi ride a larger and much more fearsome creature known as a Manaia or Axe-Beak. Apparently these are very hard to catch and train and so are reserved for the most elite warriors. That a mere commoner was able to ride off with one is nothing short of scandalous.
You also learn that Moa races are traditionally part of the festivities for the upcoming festival which Junior calls "Matariki".
Is there anything else you want to ask these kuds?
"Yes, yes, the day to day skullduggery that happens amongst you natives is none of my business thank you very much!" Dismissed Vizigog with a wave of his hand, "Where my business does lie, methinks, is with this Hoiho character. Pray lead me too him, oh swift and brave young warriors!"
Eustace Vizigog casts Ghost Sound on the Moas
Spellcraft check
For the remaining decades of his life, Junior Tamete swore that his Moa turned to him and said in fluent Korero,
"C'mon Cuz, lets go back to Hoiho! Gonna have a mean as feed eh!Seeds and sshit"
Junior seems stunned for a moment but shakes his head.
"Mista, I think there's something up with Betina, I better take her down to see Hoiho. You can come too if you wanna meet him" Junior nudges the Moa with his knees and leads the way down the hill.
You follow the boys along a different path than the one the professor led you up on. You pass a number of occupied huts, and see Wahine going about their domestic duties, busily grinding fernroot and smoking fish in the sun. They seem to carry themselves with dignity and poise in contrast to the poverty of their situation. They stare at you as you pass, but you feel it is more to do with your extravagant costume than your appearance; you see a number of older women who look much more orcish than you.
After a time, the boys lead you through a translucent crystal tube down to the bottom of the hill. The stream has been dammed here and a long pond stretches from the base of the hill about 500m to a palisade that seems more decorative than defensive. A stout looking bridge spans the pond here and you see extensive fields of kumara and fern root on the other side.
Where the pond meets the palisade a large corral has been erected. As you pass you see a young man, presumably a handler, leading a skittish looking Moa out of darkened pen.You detect a momentary burst of magic and the Moa seems to calm down, the handler whispers something to it and leaps on its back. It lurches and staggers at first but, with some more whispering and goading, starts to walk unsteadily around the corral.
"Hoihoi! Get off your fat arse and wake up! Betina's gone retarded or something"
A decidedly corpulent native sits dozing outside the front of a small hut to the side of the corral
He grunts as you approach and struggles to his feet
"Ho ho! Whats this? My pretty Betina is sick! Get off her Junior and let me look at her."
He takes the reins from Junior and strokes the Moa's head tenderly. You feel another surge of magic <dice roll - you are certain it is "speak with animals"> and he confers to the bird in a combinations of screeches and barks for a minute. He clear his throat and speaks in human again.
"Ho ho! There's nothing wrong with her at all, she says your mate here was playing a trick on you! Ho ho!" He chuckles.
"Ho ho! There's nothing wrong with her at all, she says your mate here was playing a trick on you! Ho ho!" He chuckles.
"Many thanks, noble young warriors!" Vizigog hands them another copper each. " Now run along, Im sure there is much adventure awaiting young bloods such as yourselves."
-2 coppers from personal stashVizigog turns now to address the beastmaster Hoiho.
"Noble Mr Hoiho I presume, master of these fine Moa, I am Vizigog, humble adventurer and entrepeneur. It is a fine honour indeed to make your aquaintance."
Roll for diplomacy
"Im extremely interested in these Birds of yours..."
"Im extremely interested in these Birds of yours..."
Hoiho's fat face is almost split in half with a grin
"Ho ho! and right you should be! The Moa is a fascinating and noble bird! Did you know that the female Moa is 2 or 3 times bigger than the male? The female Moa are the best for riding, the males are lazy and fat, they just wanna sit on their arses on their eggs all day eh? Ho ho! Why I remember when Kaihau tried to ride a stumpy male! Ho ho! that was a laugh..."
<Hoiho is babbling, you feel he could go on for hours like this...>
"Ah the females, yes, very fine beasts to be sure." Vizigog mused "My compatriots and I have just been up to Opukokino and back with the good ranger Idris. We showed those blackgaurds a thing or two i tell you!"
"But, good Hoiho, I digress, while adventuring about in this magnificent forest, I have seen some amazing feats of dexterity and grace done with ease by the riders of these Moa. Which is breathtaking I assure you, but Hoiho, I wonder, how well can these Birds perform on the flat, on a plain for example?"
"Can they manage speed for lengths of time I wonder?"
Hoiho stops mid sentence to listen, it seems he is used to people talking over him.
"Ho ho! Upoko Kino,eh? Maybe you saw old Hikoio riding on his Kawekaweau?" He spits on the ground "You'd have to be retarted or something to ride on something like that! Ho ho! I remember when he was a little fulla he always..."
He babbles on for a good 5 minutes before you manage to get him back on topic
"Hmmmm. Well fulla you're asking old Hoiho a pretty funny question. Us Maori fullas, we don't much like being out of the forest, eh? What would we need a Moa that can run fast out there? In the forest dexterity's more important than speed eh? Ho ho! You run too fast you trip over a root or smash your upoko on a tree. Ho ho! Once you chuck a big fulla on them with his armor and s&*& they don't go much faster than running pace. A warrior could get a couple of hundred yards of speed outta them but then they'd be f~++ed till they had a sit down, eh?"
"Ain't got much use for the skinny fast ones, we give em to the kids until they get too big to take em then chuck em in the umu. Ho ho!"
Hoiho cracks up and takes a moment to catch his breath.
"Seriously cuz, you seem like a nice fulla. I dunno if I can help you but maybe you wanna talk to my boy Ko? He was mad about Moa racing when he was a kid, eh? Won all the races and s+$$ eh? He's a little fulla, not like his dad! Ho ho!"
Hoiho slaps his fat belly for effect
"Was never really interested in being a warrior, eh? Works with me breaking in the Moa. Ho ho!"
Hoiho waddles over to the corral
"Hey Ko! haul your skinny arse over here! This city fulla wants to have a korero. Ho ho!"
The young man you noticed earlier wanders up to the gate and listens intently whilst his father babbles at him, occasionally gesturing in your direction. They seem to be having a heated arguing about something. Eventually Hoiho grabs Ko by the ear and shoves him your direction.
Ko is a slight fellow, covered in dust and bearing the unmistakable odor of Moa. He sizes you up.
"My names Korora but you can call me Ko. My Koro reckons you're interested in Moa racing. I reckon you've been set up by those dicks at the Pa to take the piss out of me, yeah?"
Surreptitiously Eustace produced his fine ivory smoking pipe from within the folds of his sleeve. He put the pipe to his lips and with a click of his fingers he had a flame with which to smoke. He held Ko's gaze for a few moments then exhaled a collosol blue cloud.
The dandy Manorc then prestidigitated the rolling cloud into the shape of a Moa and jockey, and with a profane utterance cast ghostsound .
Echoed an official voice over the distant sound of a small crowd cheering.
"Im looking to start up a Moa racing club, Im going need some help to get some birds into shape. Shall probably have to start by getting some eggs." Vizigog stated to the boy, " If you're interested, you can show what makes a bird into a good racer."
Ko scrutinizes the mysterious mountebank...
E.V rolls for Dip
"Aue!" Ko exclaims " For real? Mista, this is like some kind of dream! I'll show you Moa racing alright! I'll show you s$~@ that'll turn you as white as a Kotaku! Wenerei's my day off, come meet me here in the morning and I'll take you somewhere where I can show you some tricks!"
He pauses for a moment and peers over your shoulder. You follow his gaze and see Hoiho dozing again outside his whare. Ko stares you in the eye
"Mista, you gotta get me outta this place. These fullas, they don't understand the potential of Moa like I do. They mock me and beat me up, call me Moa-f#!~er. I'm sick of it! I wanna make it big and show these horis how small their world is! How small their ideas are!"
He leans closer to whisper
"When you head back to Maungarewera, Woodenhead, you take me with you yeah?"
Vizigog beamed from ear to ear, his perfect white teeth and dainty tusks gleaming in the summer sun.
He extended his hand in friendship to Ko and he took the offer readily.
"My name is Eustace Vizigog, chief Soothsayer of the clan Thurimvor, its a pleasure to do business with you Ko son of Hoiho."
After bidding farewell to Ko, Vizigog retraces his steps to the Professors Whare. A pair of comely savage women are busy removing leaf-wrapped packages of food from a newly open umu, under the watchful eye of Knight-Captain Rua. As Vizigog approaches Rua walks over to greet him.
"Master Vizigog, it is good to see you safe and sound. We did not know where you had gone and wondered for your safety; we are not used to visitors in Ruapekapeka and we are traditionally wary of strangers. Ariki Korro has appointed me chaperone you and your friends during your visit. Come let us eat together, it has been a while since I have enjoyed a hot meal!"
The party enjoys a delicious meal of earthy tasting steamed game and vegetables. The serving wahine are shy at first but eventually overcome their nervousness and spend the evening sharing dirty jokes and attempting to teach Lambert the savage game of knuckle bones.
The party retires to simple, but comfortable pallets, in the whare and awaken to the first rays of sunlight streaming in. Outside the whare, bowls of berries, stacks of honey sweetened fernroot biscuits and flagons of mead have been left for your breakfast.
As you tuck in to the feast you see the professor approaching in the distance, accompanied by Knight-Captain Rua.
"Ah, I hope breakfast was to your liking? The native fare is simple...but delicious. a far cry from the Otyugh tongues and Bloodsuckle tubers on offer in Almas.... I have made arrangements to visit the tribes armorer, a most ... singular fellow by all accounts. We should also visit the Sheriff, we have unfinished... business in Woodenhead that must be attended to. The Sheriff would be very interested in what you have gleaned from the Aismar's journal."
"So where first? The armorer or the Sheriff?"
Benzo has been spending the day gaping at the green crystal tunnels and standing inside them trying to hum a resonant frequency.
At the mention of the Sheriff his sense of righteous, divinely sanctioned outrage snaps back into focus.
"GREAT WRONGS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED! TREACHERY IN THE UPPEREST ECHELONS!" he yelps, "WE GOTS TA TELL THE SHERIFF ALL ABOUT IT!"
Vizigog deftly toyed with a set of knucklebones on the tips of his fig green fingers. One by one they subtley changed into shining silver pieces.
roll for Sleight of hand
"Indeed, Im sure this Mr Kreed will give anything to keep this scandal under wraps. I wonder what price our noble Sheriff would ask of him?"
"What are you looking at Benzo? For hells sake man, I am saying that we might as well take all his money before we kill him eh?"
To recap
.. Now having the power of knowledge such as this in your grasp, you must ask first of yourself, how best would the weight of this information best benefit you and yours hmmm? I know that often many men of such power would be most generous to keep such foulplay under wraps what?"
The Sheriff's eyes narrow and his lips pull back in a sneer. You can almost see a line of red rising up from his neck..."
"Sheriff Baleson, I prithee pay the mountebank no heed, he is under my moral tutelage and I fear is... very much a work in progress."
"Just as Grayrook, the Stone Hobbit, was shaped from granite by the drip-drop of water over ten thousand years," he expounds solemnly, "so do I gently smooth away the imperfections of this man-orc to reveal the perfect being within."He coughs.
"That's the idea anyway."
The sheriff stands up, thrusts his broadsword into the ground, and steps towards Vizigog with murderous rage in his eyes "You g@@+&& c#%%!!!!%*!"
Vizigog blanches and takes a step back, a flicker of flame appearing at his fingertips...
Rua steps calmly between the two men. "Sheriff, please. I hope you would not insult the hospitality of the Wetawhakawi by assaulting one of our honored guests? Mr Vizigog, perhaps we could examine the barrows over yonder whilst Master Benzo recounts your findings"
Rua leads a shaken Vizigog away, smiling at the sheriff and exchanging a meaningful glance with Benzo.
"Forgive me Sir I do not mean to interfere in your business, but as long as you are our guest I am pledged to protect you. Besides, this place belongs to the ancients, there's strong tapu here. It would not be respectful to commit violence here"
He leads the still shaking man-orc around the side of a moldering barrow. A small stone bench sits in the shade of the ruined hut and Vizigog slumps down onto it, taking a few moments to catch his breath.
"I think it would be wise for us to wait here a while. I am sure Master Benzo can take care of himself for a while."
Anything you wanna talk to Rua about?
The sheriff's deputies have gathered at the sound of the commotion. A tall, dark haired man spits on the ground and mutters "F!&$en n1ggers, they're all the same".
The sheriff spins on his heel and backhands the man across the face, knocking him to the ground. Eyes blazing he towers over the man jabbing a thick finger in his face "Bruce, shut your gods-dammed hole! I'll not have that kind of language from an officer of the law! I hate to say it but the savage is right, we are guests here. I shouldn't have lost my temper! Goddesses grace! The gall of that thrice damned c%$~@$!~*@!!" The sheriff turns back to watch Rua and Vizigog disappear around the grass covered remains of a whare.
Bruce is helped to his feet by one of the other men. A trickle of blood seeps from a cut above his brow and drips onto the dry soil. He mutters something under his breath and stands sulking at the edge of the group.
After a moment the sherrif lets out a huge sigh and turns to Benzo
"I'm sorry you had to see that, it was most unprofessional of me. By Iomedae's grace I am a lawman, a man of honor, I would lay down my life for the people of Woodenhead! For your companion to even consider that I would betray them...."
He shakes his head in disgust
"If it is truly your quest to reform that man I pity you. I've seen his kind before.... Now, your report, if you will.
"Sheriff, great wickedness has been wrought in Woodenhead and indeed Kreed has manipulated the bandits of Upoko Kino to engineer a crisis that plays to his advantage. Did you not wonder why his crews were banned from attending the Swallowtail festival? The very night of the attacks, how convenient that none of his workers should present to risk injury or death!
The sherrif nods "Idris was right then, and I have been sent on a fools errand."
But that is merely circumstantial. In hard evidence we offer the journal of one Tsuto Kaijutsu, whom we also hold captive along with another of the renegades, the scholar Lyrie. And oh brother, is that dame a handful
"Prisoners you say, and they can corroborate your story? Perhaps the Lady is smiling on me. If it is as you say then I must take them into custody at once." He pauses for a moment and wrinkles his brow "But what am i going to do with them? If Kreed find out he'll stop at nothing to silence them... perhaps the professor can help"
But it was Tsuto who brokered the deal between Kreed and the outlaws and I'm sure his testimony will be of great interest to you..."
"Tsuto Kaijatsu? That worthless wretch. I knew he would come to no good but this is beyond anything I could have imagined. His family once ran a tavern in town but, when their father died Him and his sister Ameiko moved to Magnimar to start a new life. I never thought I'd hear about him again.."
"My only wish is that justice be served and the good families of all Darkmoon Vale be protected from the evil of politics!" exclaims Benzo.
"Just so master hobbit!" The sherrif laughs " If only my deputies had your resolve I could clean up Woodenhead in a day"
"Oh and I think there might be a dungeon under the town as well..."
Let's assume you tell him the whole story
"Then we do not have time to waste! Men! Strike camp! I will waste no more time here whilst the people of Woodenhead are in peril! As soon as we can secure these prisoners we will all be on our way!"
He crouches to be able to look Benzo in the eye
"I meant what I said Master Hobbit. If you truly performed such deeds as you say then you have done more for Woodenhead than any of my men have done in their whole careers. Woodenhead owes you a great debt. I hope I can repay you one day. I must ask another favor of you - I must speak with the professor - he should be able to get the prisoners released to my custody so we can get on our way. Will you ask him to come and speak with me?".
Benzo's top secret response to the surprising events!!!
"Sure thing! Say, Prof --"
He looks over his shoulder and does a double take.
"Huh I thought for sure he came with us! Now that his legs work it'll be that much harder to keep track of him I guess. Maybe he doesn't like conflict, I bet he slunk away when he saw you were gonna blow up at Mr. Vizigog! Gee whillikers, I can't hardly blame you for that one. But he's a prideful one, Mr. Vizigog, you gotta be patient and reaaaal subtle if you wanna bring a fellow like that around. That's what Master Strokebeard told me anyway, he had this idea about the 11 Types of People, you know, it's a real swell theory, breaks it all down, there's 11 points on the Star you see and 7 Permissible Vertices and 6 Inspiring Folds, it's a complete geometrical theory of personality and how folks can get along! Hey anyway I'll go find the Professor though."
He trots off in towards the Professor's whare to find him.
If the Professor is not there he will ask around.
A mass of blue smoke tendrils escaped from his nostrils and enveloped Rua like some kind of ephemeral eldritch ectoplasm.
Roll for Diplomacy!
"I'll be just fine here without your mewling Master Rua , thank you you've have been too kind but I simply must away and see to my meditative astrologies." Sulked the gorgeous Vizigog.
"Huh I thought for sure he came with us!
Nah he was busy remember - from the gmail thread:
"The Professor nods " Very well. Unfortunately I will not be able to join you as I have some...unfinished business to attend to. We will regroup this evening. Knight-Captain Rua, lead our friends to the Sheriffs camp, if you please"
"I'll be just fine here without your mewling Master Rua , thank you you've have been too kind but I simply must away and see to my meditative astrologies"
"Of course, my apologies" Rua moves off to a lean against a darkwood sapling a few yards away, where he quietly observes Benzo's discussions with the Sherrif.
After a 15 minutes or so he returns and interrupts Vizigog's sesh.
"Sorry to disturb you, sir but it appears that Master Benzo has concluded his conversation with the Sheriff. We have an appointment to visit our Tohunga o Tumatauenga, the weaponsmith. He has heard you have castle forged steel and is eager to barter".
Given that Benzo knows the Professor isn't going to be at his Whare, shall we assume that he regroups with Rua and Vizigog to go and see this Tohunga?
Sure
Benzo does that.
As the sheriff sets to organizing his men for departure, Benzo trots over to the ruined whare and rejoins Rua and a sheepish Vizigog.
Rua leads you back along a narrow, fern-lined path through the ruins. The sun gradually rises above the treetops to the east; golden rays of lights burn away the last of the morning mist. At one point you pass through a grove of ancient plum trees, disturbing a small flock of fat kereru who fly heavily away, their white breasts stained dark red with plum juice.
Rua follows the flight of the pigeons approvingly
"You fullas ever eaten a fat Kereru that's been stuffing his face with juicy plums for a month? It's kapai, eh? Should be a good harvest this year, if you fullas stick around till the rahui's lifted we could chuck some in the umu and have a big feed eh?"
You reach the other side of the grove and enter a grassy meadow. Dark green crystals protrude from the ground like the jagged stumps of giant darkwood trees. Weaving your way between the crystals you soon come within site of the village's main thoroughfare. A stout man in a dogskin cloak drives two giant, taro-laden Honu before him. A group of wahine follow behind him laughing and chattering as they carry their strings of water-filled calabashes back from the stream. You fall in step behind the women, who, upon noticing Rua, start whispering amongst themselves and quicken their pace.
You are forced to wait at the bottom of the giant hollow crystal that leads to the second terrace while the farmer attempts to coax his stubborn Honu into the tunnel. Suddenly there is a loud shouting and hollering from above. A group of moa-mounted warriors, standing silhouetted at the edge of the next terrace , shout down obscenities to the farmer below. He shakes his fist at them and reluctantly maneuvers his beast away from the you the tunnels mouth. The warriors disappear, only to emerge from the bottom of the tunnel a minute later. They are clad in full ponamu armor and armed with spears but their leader, an old, but hale looking fellow with three falcon featers in his hair an old, but hale looking fellow with three falcon feathers in his hair, wears an battered iron breastplate and greaves and carries an ancient looking mace at this hip. As they thunder past you the leader nods curtly at Rua before leading his men off towards the main gate.
Rua turns to watch them go "Aue! That was General Kawiti! Where's he off to in such a hurry?" The sound of arguing from the tunnel breaks his reverie; The group of women have nagged and needled the farmer to allow them to head up the path ahead of him.
"Hurry up fullas, or we'll be stuck behind old koro for ages eh?" You follow Rua into the veridian gloom of the crystal, swiftly emerging blinking in the sunlight at the top of the next terrace.
As you approach the Professor's whare you see Vernon sitting on the porch in conversation with a muscular youth who is taking tentative puffs on one of Vernon's cigarettes. A large honu is tethered to a darkwood tree nearby.
Vernon smiles and jerks his finder at the youth "Where have you bastards been? Young Rangi here has been sent to fetch you and the weapons."
Rangi and Rua hongi and clasp hands "Good to see you cuz! Are these the fullas with the steel?" Rangi smiles over Ruas shoulder "Hey fullas, I'm Rangi. I work with Koro Tu in the stoneworks. He's real keen to see your pakeha weapons".
scuse the spelling mistakes et al. More soon.
Rua follows the flight of the pigeons approvingly
"You fullas ever eaten a fat Kereru that's been stuffing his face with juicy plums for a month? It's kapai, eh? Should be a good harvest this year, if you fullas stick around till the rahui's lifted we could chuck some in the umu and have a big feed eh?"
"Wow, Dire Pigeons! They're some big fatties!" enthuses Benzo.
He twirls his sling staff."Just say the word, I can knock them outta the sky as easy as Mr. Vizigog plucks an apple from the tree! My brothers and I used to hunt them in the hills around Bitterbridge sometimes, though I never saw so many in one place. Good eating!"
Honu is the Maori word for Glyptodon, a beast of burden prized for its strength and endurance.
"Just say the word, I can knock them outta the sky as easy as Mr. Vizigog plucks an apple from the tree! My brothers and I used to hunt them in the hills around Bitterbridge sometimes, though I never saw so many in one place. Good eating!"
Rua laughs "I'll bet you could too! Better not try with these ones though, they're tapu till the tohunga sez they've raised their little ones, eh? We all wanna eat Kereru next year too, eh!"
"Kiaora Rangi, we have a few items that may pique your masters interest...this fine breastplate for example, exquisitely crafted wouldnt you agree?" Purred the now re-inflated ManOrc "Also, we possess many precious stones and metals...some in the form of...*ahem*...blasphemous effigys of gold and silver. Tell me Rangi, of what worth would your master place on these I wonder?
"Kiaora Rangi, we have a few items that may pique your masters interest...this fine breastplate for example, exquisitely crafted wouldn't you agree?" Purred the now re-inflated ManOrc "Also, we possess many precious stones and metals...some in the form of...*ahem*...blasphemous effigys of gold and silver. Tell me Rangi, of what worth would your master place on these I wonder?
Rangi eagerly examines the breastplate, his eyes sparkling with delight
"Aue, that breastplate looks pretty funny, eh? Not sure how it's supposed to protect you if you puku is hanging out. Hang on, it's got t#@~ built into it! Not much use for anyone but a lady... Aw, I can see whose gonna get this! Faaa..The boys are gonna go nuts when they see her in it!"
Rangi glances at the gems and idols incredulously
"Tohunga should be happy to swap the gems for whatever stuff he's got lying around. The gold stuff is nice, would be better if we could figure out how to work it into something useful eh? How about you load your gear up on Mo (he gestures towards the grazing honu) and we'll go see what Tohunga has to trade?"
Whilst Rangi was examining the loot, Rua has been looking nervously up to the top of the Pa.
"Rangi, my freind. I just saw Kawiti and his boys heading out of town in a big hurry, do you know what's going on?"
Rangi takes a big drag on his cigarette and looks thoughtful for a moment
"Nah, bro. I've been sitting here all morning eh? Maybe you should go check in up the hill. I'll look after these fullas for you."
Rua nods thankfully and, bidding the heroes goodbye, hurries up the path and out of sight.
He's a good egg that Rua, but he takes himself too seriously, I reckon. Probably just needs to get laid ,eh?"
Vernon helps load up the honu but declines the offer to visit the armorer
"The prof came and took Lambert and Baasa off to meet some savage shapechanger. He's hoping he can teach them some new tricks, get that bloody ape under control. Like as not, Bassa will rip the buggers arm off and we'll be run out of town."
Vernon laughs grimly then settles back on the porch to roll a durry.
With a sharp word Rangi goads his honu into action and heads off.
OK, off to make a loot table for the shop - gotta work out what kind of things they would have for sale, eh?
Rangi leads you along the main path and up, though a crystal tunnel, onto the next terrace. Rangi shouts out to various people as he passes them, they laugh and joke with him, clearly he is well liked in the community. Eventually you leave the main path and follow a well worn path through a patch of bracken, eventually arriving at a sheltered grotto at the base of the terrace. Water falls from the terrace above, splashing into a small pool and flowing away into the bracken. Behind the waterfall is a cave from which a low chanting can be heard issuing.
Rangi motions for silence and enters the cave. After a few moments he emerges, followed by a small, smiling white haired old man.
"Greetings honored guests, I am Te Heuheu, privileged to be the armorer for the tribe. I hear you bring castle-forged weapons and armor? I would be most interested in seeing them"
You spread out your loot on the ground in front of him. He takes great delight in the armor, sword, kukuri and earrings. He will take the gems at face value. He is less interested in the gold and silver items, you might get a better price back in Woodenhead. He won't buy the tikis.
"We have some items you might be interested in. Unfortunately we have not yet mastered the art of metal-shaping so I can only offer traditional tribal wares"
Woo, Benzo could really use that Belt of Honu's Strength...
Vizigog is manhandling the amulet of natural armour, carved beautifully from bone into the shape of a curled up echidna, from the corner of his eye he notices Benzo running his fingers along the belt of honu's strength which Te Heuheu is so proudly exhibiting.
"I say good sir, It would seem my little friend here is quite taken by this girdle of power you have. While I assume it is no doubt fine quality, and indeed a powerful artifact, I wonder if you would negotiate on the price, as we, being noble adventurers, must consider our finances carefully if we are to successfully stand stalwart in the face of impending danger and doom. What say you old fella?
I wonder if you would negotiate on the price, as we, being noble adventurers, must consider our finances carefully if we are to successfully stand stalwart in the face of impending danger and doom. What say you old fella? [/b]
Te Heu Heu smiles and chuckles softly
You truly have a silver tongue my friend, but, I must admit, I had hoped that you would bring more of these Pakeha weapons. These taonga take months of work to create and represent the best protection we can give our warriors. But even then, they aren't much good against a fella in metal armor waving a sword around, eh?
Let's make a deal. For now, you pay full price, but bring me enough of this castle-forged and magic stuff and our boys will have less need for amulets and belts, yeah? I'll be able to give you a permanent discount. You bring me heaps more, well, I might have some free time on my hands, might be I can make you something to order, yeah?
Heck, what I really want is for us to be able to craft pakeha weapons and armor ourselves. Me, I'm too old to learn, but my apprentice, Rangi here, he's young and strong. You find a way for him to learn to craft steel - Aue, then we could make you some powerful makutu. This Poukai cloak? That's the most powerful thing I've made in years. But that's nothing compared to what I am capable of. What say you pakeha?
What say you pakeha?
Your generosity surely knows no rival, master Heuheu, but it would be wise to put your money on the moa with best chance of winning no? Supply us with superb amulets and our foes will vanish before us like honey roasted kereru at a hangi eh?
What say you selling to us the amulet of the echidna here (Natch armor +2] and the fine belt of strength that mister wickerfloat is holding, for 7000gp all up, a princely sum i must add.With these tokens of power, we will be able to bring you back much castle forged armour and treasures with which to make your enemies be driven before you. Consider my offer a moment noble master... Vizigog pauses for a moment, his gaze set on Heuheu. He continues in Orcish "But dont call me Pakeha, my blood is green...as is that of your Iwi." The Manorc smile beamed with his fangs protruding dramatically.
..for 7000gp all up, a princely sum i must add.
Like I said, friend, If you had brought more steel, maybe I could give you a discount. That's a pretty flash dagger you got there - chuck it in the pile and maybe we can do a deal
Vizigog pauses for a moment, his gaze set on Heuheu. He continues in Orcish "But dont call me Pakeha, my blood is green...as is that of your Iwi." The Manorc smile beamed with his fangs protruding dramatically.
Te huehue looks puzzled for a moment, perhaps the natives do not speak orcish...
Your fangs may be impressive to you, but, to a wise and powerful tohunga like Te Huehue, you are about as intimidating as this guy
Ha! This dagger is worth a sight more than 1000gp my friend. How about a trade, this magically forged dagger, Brightflame, for the amulet? You did say that this artifact was the very thing you sought, and thus it must be my final offer...
And Benzo, if you so desperately desire the belt, heres the geeps.
Vizigog produces from his sleeve a hefty sack brimmin' with gold bitz which he passes to the wee fellow.
Ha! This dagger is worth a sight more than 1000gp my friend. How about a trade, this magically forged dagger, Brightflame, for the amulet? You did say that this artifact was the very thing you sought, and thus it must be my final offer...
As you draw the magical dagger the runes on the hilt glow and the blade shimmers like liquid fire. Te Huehue nods appreciatively
"Aue, that's the stuff we need! You have a deal!"
Ok so EV loses the brightflame, gains the amulet of +2 Natch...we lose 4000gp's and Benzo gains belt of strength+2!
I'd like to say it was a pleasure doing business with you sir Heuheu...but instead I'll just say I shall look foward to our next transaction. Hopefully when next we meet we can bring you alot more of what you are after. Toodle doo.
Eustace bows with a flourish and steps out for a pipe.