With pressure on her, the lives of her friends in her hands, Chi nervously takes the herbs and potions combining them to make a milky white foul tasting drink, but her first efforts fail to produce the correct results.
Evening, Day 15
Night, Day 15
Morning, Day 16
Midday, Day 16
Evening, Day 16
Night, Day 16
Day 16 passes without incident, although you find yourselves wondering how the other castaways are doing back at your new camp. In Aycenia's grove, Gwenyth and Chi manage to successfully brew two potions of anti-plague throughout the course of the day, while Aycenia does her best to restore the health of Tun'ada and Ambroze; the latter seeming to be suffering much more. Mawj has also caught Ghoul Fever, but the effects of it on him are minimal.
Con regained (Ambroze)
Con regained (Ambroze)
Con regained (Tun'ada)
On the morning of Day 16, Aycenia also shares this information with you.
The land has revealed to me the presence of an ancient temple, near the strange stone by Red Mountain. I... I struggled to understand what the land was telling me, but it spoke of an ancient curse on the land tied to the Undead here and a 'demon blood-drinker of the ancients'. I was also able to confirm, Ieana has gained access to this temple, and is still inside.
Chi sings a little song as she and Gwen work together over the potions.
When we get back to the grove on the evening of Day 15.
Gelik! I think we have something here your going to like.
Morning of Day 16
Marcus rises in the morning feeling more refreshed than he can remember. Whether its the dryad's magic or the feeling that they might soon have a way off the island is hard to say.
His good feeling lasts through breakfast. When Chi and Gwen raise their plans he nods. Good idea but I think I should head back to the lighthouse and see if Sa.. the others are all right. They won't know we were successful and I wonder if we managed to get all of the savage's warriors. Anybody else want to come?
Not getting any takers, Marcus elects to go himself, taking care to keep to the previously established "safe" route.
Ambroze sleeps fitfully in Aycenia's grove, his fevered dreams again plagued by visions of Nylithati and her lacedon children chasing him through labyrinthine passages underneath Smuggler's Shiv.
Ambroze thanks Aycenia for using her powers to alleviate some of the effects of the ghoul fever. The gnome scholar spends the day talking with the dryad about the various flora and fauna found throughout the island while Chi and Gwenyth work diligently to brew more potions of antiplague to aid himself and Tun'ada.
Not getting any takers, Marcus elects to go himself, taking care to keep to the previously established "safe" route.
Having no real reason to stay in the grove, Tun'ada will follow Marcus back to the lighthouse.
When we get back to the grove on the evening of Day 15.
Gelik! I think we have something here your going to like.
Day 15
You hand over the captain's last log to Gelik, whose eyes light up in delight.
Tell me the whole story- this could be my ticket back to grace with the Pathfinders! he implores, his face full of hope.
After racking your brain and your considerable set of notes for a time, you realise that if you assume that 'the ancients' are the Azlanti, the 'demon blood-drinker' would be a reference to vampirism; or more specifically, the ancient Azlant Queen turned Demon Lord, Zura.
Link for more information, you may assume Ambroze knows all of this.
Not getting any takers, Marcus elects to go himself, taking care to keep to the previously established "safe" route.Having no real reason to stay in the grove, Tun'ada will follow Marcus back to the lighthouse.
Day 16
You return to the lighthouse camp, to find that the other castaways are making good progress in making the place less filthy and more of a home for you all. As you get closer, you can hear laboured breathing and retching sounds coming from behind a makeshift set of curtains. Outside this tent, Jask sits by a small fire, brewing something. He smiles wearily as the three of you approach and Sasha runs over to Marcus to give him a big hug. Before long, Aerys joins you as they begin to ask what has transpired in the past few days. Aerys in particular seems worried that not all of you returned... By process of elimination you surmise that Ishorou has been quarantined by Jask.
Marcus goes a bit red at Sasha's greeting but hugs her back. Um.. yeah its good to see you too. I mean everyone, its good to see everyone!
Everyone is OK. We met Mawj's mistress and killed some big plant, funghis thing and found the papers Gelik wanted. The others are brewing some curing potions or something, should be a day or so.
Hows Ishorou? He sounds awful.
Jask sighs heavily. He has caught Firegut- an incredibly tenacious disease which is causing him to vomit bile. It is also highly contagious so I was forced to quarantine him. While it is not lethal, hes unlikely to be able to shake it off until we get off the island.
Mercenary camps have their fair share of disease, but Marcus can't help but shudder at the thought of this one.
That doesn't sound good at all. Pity. We could use his skills against this woman but we'll have to do without him.
He takes Jask aside.
The others are determined to face this Ieana. I suspect we will be leaving tomorrow, whether the others are fully recovered from disease or not. Where they go, I go and I have this feeling that time is running short. Can you get the others working on repairing the lighthouse? Aerys will have to handle the camp defense without Ishorou.
Give us three days. If we haven't returned by then, I want you to gather the others and get them off the island however you can. There should be no rescue parties. No heroics. If there is no word from us by that time then we are all dead. The others will listen to you. Will you do it?
[ooc]I will wait to se what happens to the diseased folks on their saving throws, before I act, although I guess we'll start making our way to the deal with the demon blood drinker..I'll learn spells in a bit.[ooc]
After assisting Chi with her herbalism knowledge, Gwen sits quietly in the glade, scribbling on an old map fragment, sometimes furiously, other times leisurely. After a while, she stows the map fragment in her backpack, gets up and makes her way over to Aycenia.
Thank you for your help, Lady. It beguiles me that I have not the skill yet to relieve my companions of their distress. Sometimes I can feel the power just beneath the surface, yet other times it seems so very far away. How does magic feel to you, lady? With me, I am almost overcome by it, almost as though it is a living thing inside me, yearning for release. It is my hope to one day master it, and control it as I wish - but that day is not today. I would know more of your wisdom, that it might help me in my journey.
She spends as much time as the lady will take talking about the nature of magic. As the afternoon fades to evening, Gwen smiles brightly as Chi approaches, holding two corked vials.
I knew you could do it, my friend.
Gwen hugs Chi, wondering if it is the last peaceful moment she will have in quite some time.
e to do without him. [/b]
He takes Jask aside.
The others are determined to face this Ieana. I suspect we will be leaving tomorrow, whether the others are fully recovered from disease or not. Where they go, I go and I have this feeling that time is running short. Can you get the others working on repairing the lighthouse? Aerys will have to handle the camp defense without Ishorou.
Give us three days. If we haven't returned by then, I want you to gather the others and get them off the island however you can. There should be no rescue parties. No heroics. If there is no word from us by that time then we are all dead. The others will listen to you. Will you do it?
Work has already begun on the lighthouse. I... I will do what I can. I expect the others will insist on looking for you all if you don't make it back though.
Thank you for your help, Lady. It beguiles me that I have not the skill yet to relieve my companions of their distress. Sometimes I can feel the power just beneath the surface, yet other times it seems so very far away. How does magic feel to you, lady? With me, I am almost overcome by it, almost as though it is a living thing inside me, yearning for release. It is my hope to one day master it, and control it as I wish - but that day is not today. I would know more of your wisdom, that it might help me in my journey.
It is I who should thank you, for the risk you took in destroying the blight. Magic to me feels innate. Part of who I am. Natural and small. But it is growing; ever so slowly. It has taken me centuries to even master this little, and using it drains me. Most Dryads have little to no magic, but I am an old soul; the land has blessed me with some of its power. I suspect your potential for magic far exceeds my own, Gwenyth.
Jask returns from his chat with Marcus to see to Ishorou once more, while Aerys resumes her vigil and Sasha follows Gelik's confusing written instructions to restore the lighthouse. Mawj slinks off into the meat storehouse to feed Uli.
Marcus suggests they head back to the grove in the evening, wanting to get a look at the lighthouse.
All during the day, Chi is seen talking with a ginger cat, as though the cat knows more about the process than she does. Gwen, her knowledge of the herbs and ingredients, is shown by the exceptional quality of the plants and extracts produced. Her hand wipes away the sweat from her brow, brushing her hair to one side. Working in the heat and with such concentration brings on beads of perspiration matting her hair. For once Chi seems in a world of her own, hardly communicating with any more of the party, except Gwen when she brings her help. At last as the day ends, Chi looks up from under her untidy long hair and places the two vials safely away, smiling at Gwen. "It is done, there is no more I can do to help Ambroze or Tun'ada. It's up to them and their tenacity to beat off the disease." With that, she accepts Gwen's embrace, hugging her and hoping that the gods smile on her two friends as they fight for their health and lives.
That night under the stars, sleeping on the soft grasses under the dryad's protection, Chi and her cat sleep soundly.
An inspection reveals very little progress has been made on the lighthouse. Sasha blushes in embarassment, gesturing to a complex diagram left by Gelik.
I know how to paralyze a man in thirteen ways by application of a single finger, but i'll be damned if I understand engineering. She sighs heavily, depressed by what she says next. I think I miss Gelik... I'll get it right eventually.
That night under the stars, sleeping on the soft grasses under the dryad's protection, Chi and her cat sleep soundly.
Tun'ada, Marcus and Mawj return to the grove by the evening. Before night falls, anti-plague is administered to them after some ministration by Gwenyth.
Fort Save: (gwen, antiplague)
Through the ministrations of Gwen and the medicinal magic of Chi's potion Ambroze sleeps peacefully, his dreams thankfully free of the fevered nightmares of the past two nights.
Chi wakes reinvigorated and stretches in the early morning sun,without disturbing the ginger cata at her side. Today, a new day, what can be in store, she thinks and smiles with the optimism of someone who has helped her friends. As they wake she watches them regain their faculties as the sleep drains from their minds and bodies, "So how do you feel today, all better and ready to take on what the day throws at us?" She smiles, confident they can make great strides in ridding the island of the next evil. Tucking into the nuts and berries for breakfast.
An inspection reveals very little progress has been made on the lighthouse. Sasha blushes in embarassment, gesturing to a complex diagram left by Gelik.
I know how to paralyze a man in thirteen ways by application of a single finger, but i'll be damned if I understand engineering. She sighs heavily, depressed by what she says next. I think I miss Gelik... I'll get it right eventually.
More reminder, if any is needed, for me not to make you angry at me. Yeah its meaningless to me as well. Well we'll bring Gelik back tomorrow morning.
Night Day 17
Marcus does his very best to learn Gelik's techniques although it is soon clear that he has about as much talent for performance comedy as the funghis men.
He is quiet for the rest of the night, wondering who else might be claimed by the island before this battle is done.
Morning Day 17
In the morning as the group enjoys possibly their last breakfast he is all business as he answer's Chi's question.
I've been thinking about our enemies. So we know a little about what we may be facing. The winged demon thing. We know it wasn't affected by Ambroze's sleep spell. We need to be prepared to fight it at range. Do we have any more of those tangly bags? If we can stick it then hopefully Tun'ada and I can end it.
The woman. What do we know. She can use charm magic. She used potions to heal herself. So she's a magi? I'm a bit out of my depth there. Is there anything we can do to prepare ourselves against her magic?
Are the two allies? Enemies? I guess we have to assume the former.
Aycenia does her best to restore Tun'ada and Ambroze back to health, counteracting some of the effects of the Ghoul Fever they are fighting off.
Ambroze dex damage healed
Tun'ada dex damage healed
Tun'ada dex damage healed
Gelik wishes you the best in your quest, promising he'll get the lighthouse fixed in the next few days. Aycenia gathers you before you leave and smiles, her unearthly beauty radiating in the morning sun.
I will do what I can to have the land help you and of course Mawj will accompany you in honour of our agreement. I do not know what you will find beneath the surface of the land, but I expect you will make great discoveries. My prayers are with you; good luck...
In terms of thwarting her magic, I will have my crossbow trained on her. if she attempts to cast, I'll try to shoot her. That's the best I can do, I'm afraid. And it isn't very good.
Day 15
You hand over the captain's last log to Gelik, whose eyes light up in delight.
Tell me the whole story- this could be my ticket back to grace with the Pathfinders! he implores, his face full of hope.
Ambroze is happy to see Gelik's joy at receiving the log from the Nightvoice, and is delighted to recount the whole story of what transpired on the silent island.
Ambroze thanks Chi and Gwen profusely for laboring so hard to brew the antiplague potions.
Over dinner Ambroze recounts what he remembers regarding the ritual to be performed at the strange stone by Red Mountain, as well as the winged demon that killed James less than a week ago.
"Remember the temple to Ydersius we found in the lacedons' cave? The one that Ieana evidently was so interested in? The carvings that she seemed particularly interested in translated to say:"
To Command the Very Tides to Rise Up and Eschew What Lies Below:
Empower the Four Sentinel Runes with the Blood of a Thinking Creature Tempered by the Kiss of a Serpent's Tongue.
Anoint the Tide Stone with Waters Brought from the Sea in a Vessel of Purest Metal.
Invoke the Lord's Sacred Name to Wrap His Coils around the Sea Itself that He Might Lay Bare What Lies Below and Cast Down Your Enemies on the Waves above.
"So near as I can figure from what I remember of the carvings, we need to mark the Four Sentinel Runes carved on the upright stones at the Tide Stone with someone's blood and 'temper' the blood by letting a serpent lick the blood - although I'm not sure if just one serpernt carried to all four stones would work of if we need to use four serpents simultaneously. Then we pour sea water on the pyramid-shaped block of red stone - I'm assuming that's the Tide Stone - using a 'Vessel of Purest Metal.' After that we 'Invoke the Lord's Sacred Name' - with the reference to coils, I'm assuming that means Ydersius."
"Now as for the winged demon that killed James - from the glimpse I caught of it I think it's a winged chupacabra, a magical beast. Although chupacabra are usually the size of dogs and flightless, winged beasts of their species are known to exist, and are usually the size of a human. However, the one that attacked James seemed more akin to the size of an Ogre," Ambroze pauses for a moment to allow that revelation to sink in before continuing in a lecturing tone.
"The winged chupacabra is a flier of average skill, but it is incredibly tough and acrobatic. It makes use of fly-by attacks against groups of foes, pouncing upon an isolated foe at the first chance it gets with teeth and claws. Disturbingly, the chupacabra is also known to drain the blood if its victims, their life force speeding up the beast in a manner similar to a spell of hastening. The creature is also very stealthy, especially in long grass or rocky terrain."
"The winged chupacabra understands Aklo, but cannot speak. It is also too powerful to be affected by spells and effects that cause the subject to fall asleep."
"It tends to be a lone predator, and is often used by ancient races as a guardian. Which makes sense since the subterranean temple that Ieana entered probably dates back to Ancient Azlant, if I had to guess."
"Ahh, but can it withstand the power of my mind to fall into slumber or is it immune to all enchantments that might attack its mind" asks Chi. "For none save those with no mind or with a mind stronger than mine can resist my urges to find the solace of sleep." Chi smiles to Ambroze.
Flicking her hair confidently she takes in Ambroze's words, "So, where do we find the blood, or do we give our own drops? Do we have the pure metal, or where may we find it?" Her confidence seems to crumble as she realizes that the way ahead is not as simple as she had at first hoped. Her eyelids drop as she looks to the ground for inspiration.
OK this is starting to sound like a plan. We go in with ranged weapons ready. Assuming this chupacabra tries to ambush us and carry someone off, Chi works her magic on it and others throw the bags.
Lets not lose hope Chi. We can try a few drops of our own blood first. As for the metal, my shield, he raps it with a knuckle, is steel. It can't be too hard or require things that are too rare or the woman wouldn't have been able to use it.
A slightly worried look on her face, Gwen turns to Marcus.
I know very little - very little of metalsmithing, but when Master Durback was smithing swords back in Promise, he referred to steel as an 'alloy'. Doesn't that mean it's made up of two different metals? I'm worried about fulfilling that requirement properly. Does anyone have a tin cup? I'd think that would be a better answer...
And Lady Aycenia, do you have the power to cause a snake to come to us? We wouldn't harm it, we'd merely keep it in a sack until we needed it to perform the ritual, then we'd let it go.
Her eyes turn icy cold.
As for the blood, we'll use mine. There is a delicious irony in the god's messenger using her blood to ensure that a long-dead god stays that way.
Her face brightens again, and she shrugs.
As to the battle plan, good Marcus - it sounds great, but I have found that in battle, little goes as it ought to. Let us stick together and fight for each other. We will prevail, I don't doubt.
And Lady Aycenia, do you have the power to cause a snake to come to us? We wouldn't harm it, we'd merely keep it in a sack until we needed it to perform the ritual, then we'd let it go.
Of course- just give me a few moments. Aycenia says, placing both hands upon her tree and concentrating. In under a minute, a small snake works its way to her, climbing up around her arm. She places it in the sack.
I'm afraid he IS poisonous so be nice to him she warns.
Marcus frowns at Gwen's words. I don't know. I guess it comes down to whether "pure metal" means all metal or all of one metal. Lets take what we have and try each in turn. Unless that will offend this snake god and have us smited or something?
As for the battle plan. Sure. You can generally count on things to go to sh.. hell at the worst possible time but at least we should all be heading in the same direction. He looks at Mawj when he says the last.
Gwen hugs Aycenia, thanking her again for her help before turning for the path out of the glade and gesturing to the rest of the group.
Off we go, then.