Ormiz slowly dons his now chewed coat, and tries to look impressive - rather than brutally injured - as Master Akanarton starts talking. In order to help he drinks a 'healing draft' - in fact an experimental drug he's been trialling on himself that...
It feels as if a veil is taken from his eyes.
It feels as if the wizard has slowed his speaking as Ormiz's mind speeds up. As Akanarton starts to speak the Alchemist's mind starts putting conclusions together. A thousand memories and facts start flitting together, like the time he saw a man turned into a thousand flying gnats by an angry wizard - only backwards.
It all makes sense. Too much like good luck for me. Of course Geb sees a way to destroy Nex's descendants. Of course he is offering the council eternity.
This calls for a decision. Work with the Aclords, defect to Geb, or betray the Arclords to the Council. Equivocation will be deadly. No-one trusts a man who turns coat twice.
Logic does not dictate which side will win. Given the uncertainty all choices are equal. And all choices being equal I want to keep my fellows alive. So I am with him.
Given I am with him, the missions must be evaluated on two criteria; which mission do I believe I can best survive, and which mission to do I believe I can best accomplish - no, we. We can accomplish. This is a strange recruitment method, and rough, but it must have worked for him before.
I need men I can trust in the so called Debtors Camp.
While my infiltration skills are adequate, they are not exceptional. I see several other members of this group are distinctive. I conclude that this mission would poorly suit our combined skill sets.
I need men to travel into Geb and strike at the Bloodlords to buy us time.
Our group consists almost entirely of ranged fighters. That suggests a disruptive guerilla campaign into Geb could be very productive. We have a native to guide us. We could do a lot of damage, but at the risk of eventually fighting a unified Geb force, or a Vampire.
And our native does not appear overcome with enthusiasm for returning home
And I need men to treat with the wasteland tribes and gain their allegiance.
We have some serious survivalists, and at least one native tribal. We have ranged forces for attacking. We don't have a strong dependency on magic.
Further, given the obvious time pressures we have no reason to assume the testing is not still underway. A rapid and decisive choice and victory may bring further rewards and accolades. of all these missions this is the only one that is easily measured.
"Alright - 'you can count on me'. I say wastes."
When the second ant finally goes down and Staryth helps Grimward, Criss immediately draws another arrow and looks around, expecting more summoned monsters to appear. His breathing is off balance and fast so he does his best to calm himself. Two of them almost down, was such a lethal test really necessary? If the wizard wanted to test their strengths he could think of equally useful tests for their skills. Criss would not let this test defeat him, he had survived the hardships of the land and similar other beasts. When his breathing was finally normal again a few seconds later he heard a thump. Whirling around ready to loose at the first thing that moved he found himself pointing his readied arrow at the wizard. No more beasts had appeared, yet. He loosened his grip and lowered his aim slightly. arrow wouldn't even make it halfway to such a powerful wizard anyway... He chuckled at such a crazy thought. He'd have all of Nex after him if this wizard somehow went down. But it was this wizard that somehow needed his help. For all this talk of using them. To Criss that equalled needing them.
"I am of good standing with many of the tribes, though I'm sure you know of my origins already. With the right incentive I can see them giving allegiance to Nex." The tribes would not want to be under undead leaders that much is certain. If they could be convinced such is possible and soon then they could be swayed.
I've been wondering how long it would be until they decided to off me. This is about as efficient as anything else, and gets them a little something extra. Figures.
"Yeah, alright." the spellcaster said with a bit of a drawl. "Given a choice, I'd rather not try t' infiltrate a prison camp, so I'd go for the wastes too."
Grimward rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he pondered the options.
Attack Geb? Sounds like a suicide mission. Infiltrate the Debtors Camp? Somehow Grimward doubted his skills of guile, stealth and cunning up to the task.
Yet the thought of reentering the Mana Waste was intriguing. Perhaps I could now have a chance to scout out previously uncharted areas, make new discoveries, befriend the tribes...
The last thought filled him with nervousness. His father had made several enemies in the Spellscar Desert, and Grimward feared that the mutant tribes might not distinguish father from son.
"All right. The wastes is the only real option in my opinion."
He then noticed Ormiz's wounds. Grimward calmly places his hand on the alchemist's shoulder and begins a chant.
"I got a question - are you freakin' mad?" Gwen steps up into the wizard's face, never one for subtlety. Her knife is back in her boot, though her hand lingers fairly closely to her holster. "You come in here, all high and mighty, and drop some giant ants on us. What if they'd have killed one of us? Half a bite more and his head would be rolling on the ground right now." She gestures to Grimward with a jabbing thumb. "Would you just say, 'Oh, well, I guess he was unworthy. It's bad when other people kill you guys, but fine when I do it.'? Why in the Great Hell should we trust you when you just tried to kill us? Because you said so? Because you say that there's a big conspiracy out there, and you're the only one who can stop it? You got anything to let me know that you're not in on it and just trying to get us to do some dirty work?" Having rattled off a dozen questions, she intensely stares at the wizard with defiance, waiting for a satisfactory answer.
Gwen's display of temper, no matter how justified, surprised Staryth. Having lived in Geb, Staryth knew that those who opposed beings of power directly, often didn't live to tell the tale. Yet he can't help but admire her She's brave...and I surely hope she lives through this.
"If I may, Shieldmarshall," Staryth asks, "It may not matter. Do you know of a better chance to free Geb from its oppression?"
"Not dying before we get started would be nice...
"Because I am the torniquet and they are the gangrene. Because am a ruthless murdering irritable mastermind who had no desire to rule, and because they are fools who have sold their souls for the right to reign over an undead kingdom as blood draining vampires for all eternity and will most likely turn your corpses in to slave labor. And no I would not have allowed any of you to die, but only because I could not see he use of doing so. Should I feel you are of more use to me dead than alive then I would kill you with little compunction, be assured of that.
As to assuring you I am not in on it, ask yourself does that make sense. Had we not summoned you you would have been rounded up shortly with the rest. They plan for the camps to appear mundane, work camps to pay of the debt of 3000gp. But I would not bet on your long term chances. Leave if you wish, I have no talent for coddling, and you are not important enough for me to waste more time upon.
Now for those of you who are willing. The third and fifth largest tribes in Nex's wastelands the Karoun and the Hadari are at war, over some nonsense with a priest. You need to find out what you can of this, resolve it if possible, and get them to join our cause. I have drafted an agreement that would make their allegiance contingent upon events unfolding broadly as I predict, so if I am wrong they shall be little inconvenienced. I will also give you two vials of seed slime, one for each tribe. It is a fungus I have developed, and grows a mold which eats magic to survive, it should render land arable within a year or two and is easily burnt off. Atix will provide you with the rest of the details."
Akil then turns and leaves shutting the door behind him, as Atix flies in front of you hands raised placatingly,
"Sorry, sorry, Master has not slept in nearly five months, not enough time! Magic is wonderful and all, but not the same as true sleep. I'll answer any questions you have as well as I can. So?"
Still covered in his own blood, Grimward listened to the mage's rant with mild amusement. Almost cruel... But he may be right. Sometimes being cruel is the best, even only, way. Grimward bit his lower lip at the thought; it was not a concept he liked the sound of.
"You know, I rather like this Akil character. It's been a while since I've been so trialed." He grinned one of his ugly grins at Gwendolyn as he wiped blood of his jaw. "Don't worry Gwen. At least he didn't kick me while I was down. Besides, our healer here can clearly keep us going." He glances over to Staryth with a polite nod.
He turns his attention to the mephit, "So Atix, what can you tell us about this argument between these two tribes? And the fungus?"
"Thank you, 'Cuz'!" Ormiz smiles at Grimward in gratitude.
I want to find out about the new guy - but maybe getting details first is a good idea....
"Healer?" The musician chuckles, "I suggest we find someone who actually knows about healing."
Atix flies down and takes a seat upon the bottom step,
"Well, the Hadari are tribe that live in the heavily magical waste area near to the Mana Wastes called the red desert. They are virtually all deformed or mutated in some way. My Master believes they will degenerate into Mongrel men within a half dozen generations. The Karoun are followers of Gozreh famed for taming wasteland beasts, by all accounts there women are third class citizens, behind their beasts I've been told. The Karoun try to purge themselves of weakness, and abandon deformed babes atop an ancient ziggaraut. The Hadari take those babes and this ritual is overseen by a Priest, the Priest has gone missing, and the Karoun are blaming the Hidari."
"As for the fungus, well you just gloop it on the ground and if there is enough residual magic in the ground it grows and spreads a half dozen feet a day. It should basically eat the magic and then die deprived of its main source of food, but it also burns pretty easy. But you can't really prove it will do that, so you will need to be persuasive..."
Grimward notes Staryth's reply with a furrowed brow. Although saved from certain death, he feared that the next adversary may be even more formidable. His thoughts were interrupted by Atix's monologue.
"Well, the Hadari are tribe that live in the heavily magical waste area near to the Mana Wastes called the red desert. They are virtually all deformed or mutated in some way. My Master believes they will degenerate into Mongrel men within a half dozen generations..."
Sound like my type of folk. Strong, adaptable, survivors. Grimward thinks to himself with a slight smile.
" The Karoun are followers of Gozreh famed for taming wasteland beasts, by all accounts there women are third class citizens, behind their beasts I've been told. The Karoun try to purge themselves of weakness, and abandon deformed babes atop an ancient ziggaraut.."
His smile turns to a grimace. A vile group if ever I heard one.
"As for the fungus, well you just gloop it on the ground and if there is enough residual magic in the ground it grows and spreads a half dozen feet a day. It should basically eat the magic and then die deprived of its main source of food, but it also burns pretty easy. But you can't really prove it will do that, so you will need to be persuasive..."
"And I suppose more arable land is something both tribes want? Grimward knew better than to assume that changing a people's homeland, even beneficially, would be well received. Not everyone likes change. Even if it is for the better.
An idea slowly formed in the mind of the slow-witted half-orc."Out of curiosity... Has the fungus been tested in the magic-blasted Spellscar Desert?"
The idea of turning the entirety of the Mana Wastes fertile seemed unlikely, even to Grimward, yet the occasional storms that occurred in the Spellscar Desert were rich in primal energies. Perhaps these storms could sustain the fungus. Perhaps.
Atix nods excitedly,
Yes that's how I got this job! The giant fungal sand kraken killed Master's former familiar, a snake, and then tore the Master's wife in half and ate her! So we're reluctant to trial it in the spellscar again..."
"Fungal Kraken... right."
I hate this already.
Ormiz, his mind still whizzing wonders aloud
"What happens to the area when all the magic has been eaten?"
"Nothing the Master think it attracted the Kraken, but we've grown areas near the waste that have not called to the creatures. Once the fungus dies off the land is free of magic and marginally more arable as the dead fungus acts as fertilizer."
"Neither tribe sounds particularly pleasant," Staryth admits after hearing of them, "I've been told I'm likable, but we'll most likely need more than word, rather deed, to win either tribe's trust."
"Does magic come back"
Gwen does not seem remarkably pleased with the wizard's callous answer. She notes that he clearly has his own motivations, and that their protection is not on the list of things that he cares about. She even rolls her eyes at Atix's excuse for her master. She has seen many men like him before in the Shieldmarshals, more invested in their own plots and agendas than the well-being of those who worked under them. In most cases, this involved better pay or more prestige, not casual murder, but the principle remains the same. When Atix explains the inner workings of the two groups, she grimaces. "Why not help out the Hadari? What kind of cause do we fight for if we enlist the aid of the Karoun, who seem the be barbaric, uncivilized patriarchic fools and child-killers? What do the Harari do with the children when they take them? If they're saving the children that would otherwise die for no fault of their own, let's help them and not just try to ram a peace down their throats that neither's going to follow for more than a few weeks? And anyway, why in Hell would he think that these nomads are going to say, 'Hmm, a piece of paper will certainly ensure my loyalty!'? His ivory tower must be awfully nice." She looks to the others for some support in her arguments, especially Criss.
Atix nods to Staryth and then Ormiz,
"Yes, and the fungus does not make a dead magic zone or anything, it just removes saturated magic from the land."
The mephit raises his hands and waggles his fingers at Gwen,
"The Karoun are the larger tribe and the stronger, we need them, and they are honorable, or at least they would consider themselves honorable - they do honor their bargains. They don't really kill their deformed children they give them to the Hidari. You have zero chance of creating a situation where the Hidari can beat the Karoun in a war, they have more troops and are stronger man for man. And if you don't get both tribes onside, then our efforts to prevent most of them being turned into the latest in Gebbian undead agricultural aides will suffer a serious blow. You can't be prissy about morales, this is Nex, the whole nation is about survival over niceties."
"Oh." in Ormiz's head visions of conquering Geb by the end of the week fade away.
"He's right. Perhaps you believed the stories Nex puts out about being a great place to live, but that's only if you're powerful, and preferably a Wizard. If you aren't - well, from what I've heard Geb is worse, and the Mana Wastes are worse, but that's not saying much. We're not some soft easy country like Ustalav or Cheliax here. Kill or be killed, and hope you can find some mates to watch your back while you sleep."
He looks at the shieldmarshal
"Let me ask you this - have you ever heard of a Nex Wizard standing trial for killing someone what lives in the slums?"
"Sounds like we either get these tribes to come fight for our new Lord and Master, or we're dead, and eventually they will be too. Might need Staryth to rephrase that though as 'Come die for us and maybe some of you will live' isn't a great recruiting speech."
Temporarily silenced (and disturbed) by Atix's response, Grimward perks up at the resulting conversation. He shows particular interest in Ormiz's statement.
"He's right. Perhaps you believed the stories Nex puts out about being a great place to live, but that's only if you're powerful, and preferably a Wizard. If you aren't - well, from what I've heard Geb is worse, and the Mana Wastes are worse, but that's not saying much. We're not some soft easy country like Ustalav or Cheliax here. Kill or be killed, and hope you can find some mates to watch your back while you sleep."
Grimward nods in agreement. He had tried to avoid Nexian 'civilization' in favour of travel and exploration, but he knew enough to know that the horrors of Geb were considerably less pleasant to deal with. At least the Mana Wastes were merely chaotic and indifferent to life. Wise words. Hmm, I wonder where Cheliax and Ustalav are? They sound like pleasant, peaceful places.
"Let me ask you this - have you ever heard of a Nex Wizard standing trial for killing someone what lives in the slums?"
"Sounds like we either get these tribes to come fight for our new Lord and Master, or we're dead, and eventually they will be too. Might need Staryth to rephrase that though as 'Come die for us and maybe some of you will live' isn't a great recruiting speech."
Grimward chuckled at the last part of Ormiz's speech.
"Agreed. The wastes are a brutal place, and I doubt we can change that anytime soon. What we CAN do is bring both tribes to a peaceful settlement and save lives. We have the... fungus, and if we can find out what happened to the priest, then we have a shot at this."Grimward struggles with a thought for a moment, trying to remember something from his teachings as a child. He looks over to Atix.
"Ummm... This 'magic' in the land. You know, that the fungus eats. Is it from the blight that Geb did to the Nexian environment long, long ago? Is that why things don't grow much?"
"Trust me, Geb is worse," Staryth sighs, "Take it from one who was born and raised there."
To Grimward's last question Atix replies,
"Well Nex and Geb really, but mostly Geb, and the problem isn't always that things don't grow, often as not its how they grow, and how large they grow - or how many tentacles."
"For the record, I'm with you, lady." the newcomer said to the lady with the mighty fine gun.
"Unfortunately, we don't have much choice. There's a labor camp out there for folks with our blood. I don't particularly like that and have been wanting to do something about it for a while now. I might not particularly like our patron or his little flappy pal here, but they have resources we don't. That might come in handy when it comes to keeping out of that camp, but probably only if we play nice."
"You've seen the camp, stranger?"
Nice to have a little more corroboration, even if it is from someone I haven't met before.
"Not up close, but I've heard plenty. None of it good."
Criss stands there listening to the wizards explanation. He knew the ants weren't even the worst thing they would have to face no matter where they went. Sometimes he preferred killing strange beast over dealing politics or negotiations. As Gwen makes her accusations and suggestions he is inclined to agree for the most part. Though he would like to know what went on at the ceremony the priest oversaw. The world is a barbaric place however, Nex included. Perhaps he should visit this Alkenstar someday. He understood the tribes, doing what they could in a barren land. Strange customs or efforts to succeed were likely to appear, slow to change, and when it should change because the original need for it was gone, no one could remember why. He hoped this magic eating slime would be able to change things with their help. Abandoning children was not something he liked and would not want it to continue if he could help it. When Gwen looks to him he nods, "We need to help them both to help one of them, I think they are too interconnected."
This priest is most likely the key to it all. Find him, know how the tribes do their little business deal, try and make peace, somehow get them loyal to Nex...
"I come from a small tribe, and I've only met some. But not everyone is malformed. Myself here for one. The Karoun seem to be full of whole-bodied. How are they such a large tribe when they abandon such a percentage of their population?" He pauses for a little effect, "Where are the Hadari' whole-bodied?" There may be more to this than he thinks but for now he cannot think what it might be. All things considered, two tribes seemed a small thing. One thing at a time I guess. He asked Atix one last question, "What about the other large tribes? Does your master have a plan for them also?"
"Its mostly about where they live, the Hadari live in the Red Desert which is heavily magic saturated, while the Karoun live in the Bleak Hills. Not all of the Karoun are normal, they just only keep those with mutations that they feel enhance their strength. if there are Hadari, whole-bodied as you call it, then we don't know of them, its possible there are some. As for the larger tribes, well they both have representatives on the Council of Three and Nine, so its much trickier, my Master is working on it I'm sure."
"Did the master leave some magical transportation for us, or are we supposed to march through the wastes?"
Please please please...
Atix nods,
"Well I'm to determine where you are headed first, which means you need to. But Master Xavan will take care of your transport. The Karoun have a permanent settlement named Rashadar, sort of a trading post slash combat arena, and the Hadari move around the Red Desert in several Followings. There is also the ziggaraut of course."
Yes! Yes! Yes!
"I suppose that's acceptable - uh, who is Master Xavan?"
"Just another wizard, I think he's one of Arclord Jelari's Apprentices?"
"Do you have some notes on these tribes and their members we can read? And maybe some supplies? And some lunch? I don't know why but I'm starving!"
Ormiz looks at the floor, and sees the big red stain where he... blood... ant.
Looking pale he asks again
"And a chair? Can we sit down?"
"Then I suppose the question is whether we want to go to the Red Desert and meet the Hadari or Rashadar to meet the Karoun. Hmm... Or we can go to the ziggaraut itself."
Grimward pauses as he contemplates the options.
"I think we should go to this ziggaraut, find out what's going on and find the priest."
"I was thinking meeting members of each tribe first to find more details might better prepare us, but it's just a thought and I'm up for anything," Staryth smiles. "Well, almost anything. It all sounds equally dangerous."
"I was thinking meeting members of each tribe first to find more details might better prepare us, but it's just a thought and I'm up for anything," Staryth smiles. "Well, almost anything. It all sounds equally dangerous."
Grimward shrugs, "I got no problem with that idea... although you might want to do the talking. I'm not much of a people person." He says with one of his ugly grins.
Criss ponders the information for a moment, letting the others speak first. When an opening presented itself to him he spoke. "We should go to where this whole potential war seems to have started. It all revolves around this practice of theirs apparently," he looked at them all when he said the word 'practice' and paused before continuing. "That's the obvious first place to start. Then we seek out the leaders of the tribes, or follow any trail or clues we can find, I think I may have a few friends in the area I can call upon." He pauses for a few moments, coming to a conclusion he had been working on. "If there is magic involved, we have several ways to deal with that," he says looking at Vance who he had seen creating those blinding colours upon the ants, and Staryth who had healed Grimward, "If there is information to be gathered, Ormiz is particularly skilled in that area as well as burning things." He smiles, looking at the blackened area on the floor. "When there is enemies to capture, we have our very own shield marshal and a ferocious half-orc," he says in a friendly way. "And of course Grimward and I know our way through the wilderness." He didn't usually say so much and he had run out of words making him feel slightly awkward so he took a step back, indicating he had said his share.
Gwen shakes her head ruefully. "This seems like a terrible idea, working for a mad, amoral wizard and his summoned pet." She gestures towards Atix with a bit of a shrug. "But - it's the only way I'm going to find any truth about who is killing the descendants of Nex. I'll go and help out. I have to ask, though, why anyone would trust magic for movement? Are we just hoping for the best and that they're not going to simply transmogrify us? 'Whoops, you're a llama now. Magic!'" She stands with a hand on her hip, defiant as always.
"Hey - Atix isn't a pet. And I'm sure they wouldn't turn us into llamas by accident!"
Not by accident, anyway. Don't piss of Atix! He's our boss now!
Atix shrugs,
"Eh labels, it is what it is right? Doesn't change it if I get called pet, familiar, or Almighty Sultan of Nex. I suspect most pets don't do as much paperwork as I do, maybe I ought to be envious... Anyway, you can find Xavan on gate duty for the rest of the day, and I believe he's staying above the glassworks with a young lady if you can't find him there - they are just off this square to the north. He has maps on him, and if you want any more information on the tribes you will need to consult the library."
"Transmog... what? Llamas? " Criss seems confused. Having no idea what a Llama is nor understanding transmogrification. "He can do that?" As absurd as the idea of coming all this way to transform him into an animal, Criss still hesistates. "If it's not too far, I prefer my own feet. Or even a horse." On the way here he had ridden one for the first time and it didn't seem too hard to master. He might even like one of his own. "That's quite a heavy shield. Are you going to carry that everywhere?" he says to Gwen.
"You have any idea how much it costs to get magical travel? This might be the only time in your life experience it!"
Ormiz calls upon his most persuasive argument
"It's free!"
"Sounds like a plan. I for one want to find out more about these tribes."
Grimward begins to leave, looking around for anyone who wants to do some study.
"It might be worth seeing what we can find at the library. I will go with you and help, as I am not very good at research myself.
Criss goes with Ormiz and will aid him.
Knowledge(local)untrained
+2 to your check Ormiz
Ormiz, unsure how long he will have, starts by hiring several librarian aides, and puts Grimward and Criss to sorting through the resulting mass of volumes.
At the end of the exhaustive process he summarises his findings
"On the tribes of the Wastelands"
"On the affair of the missing priest"
The library is clearly a place that intends to be taken seriously. The entry hall is having marble tiles lain by a number of workers, and two sculptors are busily carving a detailed and beautifully contoured map of Golarion onto a forty foot long stone wall - they are about two thirds of the way complete, having just the more northerly climes to finish. Before the great map is a large reception desk, it appears to contain several dozen sections, but only two are currently occupied.
Ormiz makes his way to the desk and a young man with white hair and one eye a full two inches lower than the other carefully records his request before pulling a cord in a small box upon the desk.
Two librarians, wearing white robes trimmed in gold arrive minutes later and after discussing Ormiz requests with him briefly set off. One leads the groups to a large stone table where they are asked to wait. After ten minutes or so a different librarian, arrives with a stack of books and scrolls and hands them over for perusal, this happens a couple more times until there are some fifteen works and a dozen scrolls laid out before them.
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The current leader of the Karoun is named Yandeer Toothless, and in his late fifties he still wins in the arena, though he now only accepts a single challenge a year. He is Toothless because his teeth are fused into one solid mass that gives him something akin to an internal beak which he uses to devastating effect in battle. His chief rivals are his son Yandeer the Reaper, and the eight foot giant known simply as Bloodgore.
The Karoun are raiders, and sheep and goat farmers, they also raise and train many ferocious beasts and monsters which they sell to armies, nobles, arenas, and menageries. They keep Manticores for themselves and the most feared of their warriors ride these beasts into battle, some Manticores are even regarded as tribe members, though many others are dumb beasts. Ten years ago the tribe had a number of dinosaurs imported at great expense and they have been trying to breed these creatures.