Flynn, the fire elemental is unable to find Jiro at the moment but after a few moments searching you see where something crashed through the brush into the jungle.
Horatio paces through the stone courtyard for a moment, then he notes the break in the brush and his eyes narrow.
Amen-set moves over to him.
"What is thy plan, hatey-a', shall we two then track him?" she asks.
Horatio stares at the wall where the break is.
"Your Elemental is alive and untouched - if you send it on point, then Jiro will be able to see it sooner - rather than later," he says, hoping that Jiro would be able to see the Elemental and then be able to come back to them.
Amen-set nods and orders the Elemental up to the break.
"It may follow commands, my hatey-a', but it cannot perform a task that it is not already skilled in," she adds and he nods.
"Then we need somene who can track near it to help direct it..." he says.
"For now, order it about ten feet into the break in the brush - that may help Jiro see a safe way back."
"Meanwhile, if we had the Pilot-Major on point she could probably track better..." he says, very aware that not only had none of the other company exited the chamber, both Rain and Dhaavan had not even spoken since the enemies were scared off.
He waits for Amen-set to send the Elemental on point and then turns back and strides over to the chamber and looks inside.
"Hey, Nightstorm - looks like Jiro took off into the woods. We need a tracker up front, and maybe we should all go check things out?" he adds, then turns and heads off to help Amen-set and the Elemental.
He does not speak to the others at this point, confident that they will listen to Variel.
Horatio looks behind him at the entrance to the chambers the others are in.
He looks at the place in front of him where the Fire Elemental is waiting.
He sighs and then moves to the front and peers at the ground...
At this point he uses his best guess and advances into the woods on the path that Jiro had made.
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Variel watches Amen-set and Flynn head off after thanking the man for the wellness check. Don't rush off too far. We will set up a defensive location if possible to guard the area till your return. Good luck finding Jiro.
Thanks as well Rajah. I hope we don't need more of your abilities any time though.
Variel then sets about making sure that the area is a defensible as possible even though he knows that with creatures able to go through walls and floors there is not much he can do at this moment.
Variel watches Amen-set and Flynn head off after thanking the man for the wellness check. Don't rush off too far. We will set up a defensive location if possible to guard the area till your return. Good luck finding Jiro.
Horatio pauses at the exit of the perimeter as he glances back at Variel.
"Hey - it's me!" he says with a cocky grin as Amen-set sighs and rolls her eyes then follows him.
Flynn, Variel, and anyone else that might be near, you hear a roar in the distance, in the direction you think Jiro might have gone in.
Seijiro feels like he's failing another fear save... and elects to stay high up in the tree and not move as he looks about for the source of the roar.
Looking out over the treetops, you see trees swaying back and forth, shoved aside by an unseen massive creature. It seems to be heading towards you.
Snapping his attention in the direction of the roar, "Well. It's not everyday one finds oneself proceeding toward such a sound. Typically the other direction is most preferable. BUT, it is most fortunate that this 'day' is not 'everyday'," he says with a wink, immediately taking off after the magus.
Seijiro sees the trees swaying wildly as this thing gets closer and decides staying in a tree may not be very safe after all... he shimmies down the tree and if he spotted the direction of the harbor or the tower when he was up there, he runs that way... otherwise, he just runs opposite to the creature's direction... as fast as he can possibly run!
Horatio's excellent tracking skill was clearly good enough to lead him where he wanted to go.
He wishes that they had someone like Rain to take charge of the tracking, even with his best speed he knows he cannot move very quickly through the brush else he'll lose the trail.
However, he is confident that the others will be able to find him with ease, given that the Fire Elemental is burning brightly and clearly making a path that is easy to find in the jungle brush.
you hear a roar in the distance, in the direction you think Jiro might have gone in...
At the sudden sound of the roar he pauses...
"Yeah... I think we're going to head back to something a bit more defensive..." he says slowly.
Horatio will then turn and move back to the fort and - likely - see Variel and Rajah.
"Don't know what's out there, but it's coming this way. I'd rather be behind a wall then in the woods..." he tells them as he rushes back to the fort with Amen-set and the Fire Elemental in tow...
Another monstrous sound reverberates across the jungle, the sounds of snapping branches and falling trees coming towards you Jiro. In your terror you suspect that it might have caught your scent. You burst into a large clearing just as your companions burst through the line on the other side. You are about 300 feet away from each other. Jiro makes it 60 feet into the clearing before a gigantic dinosaur bursts through, knocking trees down in it's quest for the sweet taste of kitsune flesh.
Another monstrous sound reverberates across the jungle, the sounds of snapping branches and falling trees coming towards you Jiro. In your terror you suspect that it might have caught your scent. You burst into a large clearing just as your companions burst through the line on the other side. You are about 300 feet away from each other. Jiro makes it 60 feet into the clearing before a gigantic dinosaur bursts through, knocking trees down in it's quest for the sweet taste of kitsune flesh.
Horatio's skin grays as what he sees even as his eyes narrow.
"Well, damn..." he mutters.
Meanwhile, Amen-set sees the creature and begins to whistle with anticipation of fighting a foe of flesh and sinew; of blood and muscle, and not some foul creature of vile darkness which steel cannot touch...
His spells still up from before Variel is as protected as possible. Seeing the dinosaur Variel casts haste on the group around him. He then moves 60 feet towards Jiro.
Horatio stares at the creature and then pushes his fear aside by diverting his thoughts to analysis and cold calculation...
"Given it's size and relative weight and the speed it's moving... If that thing wished to attack the walls of the fortress I doubt it would have any trouble smashing through them with any issue whatsoever..." he says, hoping to keep the fight far enough from the fortress so as to prevent it from being damaged.
"In other words; don't use the walls for cover - they won't do any good against that thing, and that thing will likely smash through them with ease!" he says, warning the others.
Eyes going wide, Rajah casts a bit of divine magic upon himself and prepares to cast again upon the rogue headed their way.
Seijiro runs... as fast as he can! like the wind even!!!
The dinosaur pauses, seeing all of you on the opposite side of the clearing. It sniffs the air before roaring and charging across the field. You brace yourselves, knowing you cannot outrun the charging beast, when a shadow falls over you.
A massive winged dinosaur lands and screeches at the T-Rex, challenging it by flapping it's 50' wingspan and stamping it's feet. The T-rex looks at it and roars back, darting towards the flying dinosaur. The flying creature, screeches in return and holds it's ground, it's dinner plate sized eyes locked upon the T-rex. It bobs it's head slightly and screeches again, this time the T-rex pulls up short in apparent confusion. The winged creature, it's green scales shining in the sun, screeches at it again. The T-rex roars before deciding to search for different food elsewhere and charges back into the trees.
The winged dinosaur begins it's plodding march towards you, it's giant beaked maw bobbing as it goes. Once it gets about 30' from you the form begins to melt and shift into the beautiful form of your lost friend... Anasrianna.
The winged dinosaur begins it's plodding march towards you, it's giant beaked maw bobbing as it goes. Once it gets about 30' from you the form begins to melt and shift into the beautiful form of your lost friend... Anasrianna.
Amen-set swings her weapon to bear on the flying creature, watching it with cold eyes. When she sees the transformation, she says nothing, but lowers herself down to stand by Horatio.
The weapon is still at the ready.
Horatio's pistol hangs loosely in his hands as his eyes range from the monstrous creature which had almost devoured Jiro, and the sudden appearance this female who showed up just in time to save the kitsune from danger.
He glances at Amen-set and an entire conversation seems to pass between their eyes, though no words are spoken.
The pistol still loose in his hands, he walks over to Variel.
"Dhaavan and Rain never came out of the buildings after all the howling, roaring and chaos."
"They should have been out a long time ago; or at least told you their plans, or their actions, or their intentions...." he says with a glance at Anasrianna - knowing that among all of them Dhaavan would be the most interested in seeing her.
His eyes move from Anasrianna and Jiro for a moment, then he shrugs.
"I'm going to go back and find Rain and Dhaavan - we didn't finish searching that place; they may have gotten into trouble," he says.
He turns and jogs back to the ruins where Rain and Dhaavan were last seen and Amen-set follows him, trusting the others can deal with this new situation.
Amen-set glances at the others for only a brief moment.
Then she follows Horatio.
When they come back to the fortress they enter the main gate and pause a moment to scan the courtyard for any signs of danger or distress...
"Ana!" Seijiro flashes her a broad smile. "You just saved us all, I think!" He bows to her, overcoming the western urge to run and hug her. "Come, let's join the others, they will all be overjoyed to see you again!" He starts following Flynn, hoping he knows the way to the tower.
If Rain and Variel are in the clearing as well.... he bows to them and smiles... "Thank you for coming after me... I don't know what came over me other than abject terror... it was unforgivable, but I had no other choice except to flee. It is good to see Ana again... I'd be lizard chow now if not for her."
"Ana!" He starts following Flynn, hoping he knows the way to the tower.
Watching the confrontation between the T-rex and the flying creature, Rajah breathes a sigh of relief when the dinosaur runs off back into the jungle. "By the Dawnflower what a relief."
Taken aback by the winged dinosaur's transformation and the fact that Seijiro recognizes her, "You know our rescuer?" he asks, clearly confused.
Aye... she traveled with us for a time, then went apart from us out of grief for a dear companion... We thought we'd lost her. Oh, Ana, it is SO good to see you again... come back with us, will you? There's much news to share and I'm sure you have been busy since we parted too."
Ana comes over and says My apologies for my absence. I was...unavoidably detained. I will explain more fully when we have the group together but I have news that should be useful to you all.
You all head back to the fort and manage to make it together without any further attacks. Things are quite quiet now in within the stone walls, almost as if the fort itself is holding it's breath. You are able to gather together and decide what to do next.
You all head back to the fort and manage to make it together without any further attacks. Things are quite quiet now in within the stone walls, almost as if the fort itself is holding it's breath. You are able to gather together and decide what to do next.
Horatio looks at Rain and Dhaavan -
"You two alright?" he asks them.
When Seijiro and Ana and Rajah arrive back at the fort, Seijiro sighs and apologies again... "I'm so sorry I ran from that fight... it was like I had no choice... I would never abandon my you, my shipmates, by my own will... And look who's back! Ana is here... and she says she has some news for us... before we explore any more, perhaps we should hear her out, in case her news might affect what we do here."
Things are quite quiet now in within the stone walls, almost as if the fort itself is holding it's breath.
Horatio looks at Rain and Dhaavan and gives them a somewhat relieved expression, but Amen-set seems more pleased at their safe discovery.
Horatio glances beyond Rain and Dhaavan.
"Dhaavan - we found your sister in the woods. Jiro was being attacked by some massive thunder lizard out there, but - luckily - she swooped out of the woods and saved him."
"She's looking for you, though..."
He waits for Dhaavan to digest that and then turns to Rain.
"You up for exploring?" he asks her politely.
Then he turns and heads to the room to their north.
Horatio looks at Rain and Dhaavan -
"You two alright?" he asks them.
"Aye. It seemed you four could locate Jiro. I was guarding this place, lest the Animated Dreams returned. If you're curious, they have not. It has been quiet since you gave chase to Jiro."
"I'm so sorry I ran from that fight... it was like I had no choice... I would never abandon my you, my shipmates, by my own will... And look who's back! Ana is here... and she says she has some news for us... before we explore any more, perhaps we should hear her out, in case her news might affect what we do here."
"You were compelled by magic to give unto that fear, so you are not to blame, Jiro," trying to reassure the the kitsune. "Glad you were not hurt out there." Rain's eyes then moved to Ana, "So you have returned to us, good. Are you well, Ana? And what knowledge do you have of this place?", thinking of how grief-stricken the lass had been upon Brightscale's death.
Then turns to Rain. "You up for exploring?" he asks her politely.
Then he turns and heads to the room to their north.
Her eyes moved back to Flynn as she waited to hear Ana's reply. "Aye, but first let us hear what Ana has to say before we continue. It may be wise to know what we may be walking into."
Ana waits until the group is together before saying, My apologies for my absence but while I was mourning the loss of Brightscale under the waves, I had a most horrifying encounter. I happened upon an injured hippocampus, tangled in nets on the outskirts of an undersea forest of kelp. Moving to help the poor creature I soon realized that it was a trap that I foolishly fell into. A coven of Sea Hags captured me and brought me to their lair on the edge of deep black hole in the ocean floor. I was to be sacrificed to a creature that lived within it seemed. I was able to entually make my escape by shifting forms and escaping my bonds but as I fled I heard one of the hags scream "SHENXUA ET OCCIDERE NOS!" which I later found out meant, "Shenxua will kill us." After that I made my way back to the surface and eventually found out that you had won the Free Captain's Regatta and come here. Do you know what this Shenxua means?
As soon as Ana says Shenxua et occidere nos Variel and Rajah, you both get a vision that strikes you at your very core.
The room to the north - This once well-stocked kitchen has been thoroughly ransacked, as has the root cellar beneath, accessible through a trap door in the room’s north corner.
There is also a set of stairs heading up to an upper floor in the mess hall you are in.
"Aye. It seemed you four could locate Jiro. I was guarding this place, lest the Animated Dreams returned. If you're curious, they have not. It has been quiet since you gave chase to Jiro."
Amen-set turns to Rain.
"I know little about such things, senet, and I regret this. Things of flesh and blood which bend to steel and flame - these I know... But what we encountered? Of this I know little - would that I did, for I deem I did not aid as well as I might have..." she says with a frown.
Then he turns and heads to the room to their north.
Her eyes moved back to Flynn as she waited to hear Ana's reply. "Aye, but first let us hear what Ana has to say before we continue. It may be wise to know what we may be walking into."
Horatio pauses for a moment and looks at Rain.
"I think that - no matter what she says - we won't know much of anything... I think that there are powerful forces of magic on this place - the thing which attacked Jiro is proof of that to me."
His eyes darken as something seems to be bothering him; something clearly connected to the scowl on his face when he mentions magic, but instead, he checks his attitude and nods to Rain politely.
"I will wait for Anna to speak, though..." he says, then turns to her and the rest of the company who are now here and listens to Jiro and then Anna speak.
His eyes are flat and he seems unmoved by the vague assonance between "Shanxia" and "Shenxua", though.
When Anna has finished speaking he turns to Rain.
"Begging your pardon, but I feel that Anna's tale would have made fine conversation when this place has been cleaned of any and all threats and has been made a secure bastion for our lads aboard ship."
"I have no desire to marginalize her comments; but I have already burned through half of my abilities to do anything successful in a fight this day and while it feels like months - all we have done is splashed around a harbor finding threats we did not finish - ascend towers to find no threats at all - and then fought a creature we could not hope to beat, only to have it flee..." he adds, clearly frustrated that he has wasted so many of his abilities with little actual results this day.
"You are fierce, bold and one who has fire inside you. I have no issue with speaking to Anna about her adventures, but I would prefer that until after we subdue the threats in this fortress... But so far I do not see that happening soon... Yet my heart tells me that if at least you come with me then - perhaps - the gods will respond better to working to search this place."
"What do you say? In my mind we can talk to Anna at length after we finish securing this fortress. But I do not wish to wait any further; will you help me?" he asks her with a respectful tone.
Seemingly lost for a moment as it appears the priest is staring at nothing in particular, he draws in a deep breath and shakes his head to gather his wits as he wakes from his reverie. "My my that was... odd. Hm."
Turning his attention to Anasrianna, "Yes, milady, I do. Shenxua is a cult. A cult who thrives on inflicting pain ... even to the point of death. And no one - and when I say no one I include those who are a part of this horrific cult - is exempt."
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Variel listens intently to the words of Ana as he tries to decipher just what is meant by the hags screaming SHENXUA ET OCCIDERE NOS. So intently is he concentrating that it seems that he drifts off for a moment.
bluff
You can tell that Variel was not just listening but rather he lost focus entirely on Ana as something else entered his mind. The fact that he is not saying something aloud though is telling as Variel has been as open as possible up to this point with regards to Shanxia and what he knows of any connection to it.
Blink his eyes he looks back at Ana as he speaks softly contemplating, That does not sound too far off though. I mean it sounds reasonable that something out there would want revenge on or feel obligated to remove a group of hags. In fact if those hags are near here I would insist upon it ourselves to minimize any threat to the island from them.
After Rajah mentions the pain part though and thinks of Adular. There is that of course. We have already discovered the great lengths to which that cult will operate.
Horatio looks at Variel and Rajah and then back to Rain.
"Sounds good," he says to them with a polite voice.
Horatio as you ascend the stairs you come out into a hallway. There is a set of double doors to your left, then another door down a hallway to your right that branches off the main one you are in. At the end of the hall you are in there is another door on the right as well.
The upstairs is all bedrooms, having been in enough brothels, you suspect that this was used as such for the fort's inhabitants at one point. Unfortunately there is not much else here. The lace for the bedding has long since rotted away and it does not appear that there is anything of value in these rooms. That said, this would make a good area for the officers of your ship once they are cleaned and refurbished.
Horatio looks around the rooms above for a while. It's clear there is nothing of value here, though he suspects the rooms might be decent if they were ever cleaned.
He then turns and heads back down the stairs.
"The upstairs seem clean of threats," he says to the others as he stands before them.
He watches them for a moment, then looks at Amen-set.
"Come on," he says to her and she nods.
The two of them exit the room and then head across the courtyard to the next room.
Horatio had intended to do a room by room search until he is sure that all the rooms on the island are safe and clear of any threats or dangers.
Therefore, he moves on to the next room with Amen-set.
Horatio pauses at the doorway to this new room for a moment and listens for any threats.
He then opens the door and looks inside, his pistol loose in his hand.
Amen-set stands behind him with her musket ready to fire on any threat in the room...
A cult? Related to Shanxia? That seems odd. The hags spoke about Shenxua almost as if it were a being of some sort. The hags are not nearby thankfully. I traveled a great distance to get here. What have you found so far?
Doors lead from this room in four directions. The ceilings rafters rise fifteen feet overhead and a narrow set of stairs by the north wall leads underground.
Doors lead from this room in four directions. The ceilings rafters rise fifteen feet overhead and a narrow set of stairs by the north wall leads underground.
Horatio glances at Amen-set who seems unsure what to do.
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Variel keeps his eyes and eras open for any sounds from Horatio as the gunslinger went upstairs. Turning to Ana Variel shakes his head from side to side. Well that is the problem. Shanxia, Shanxua, and everything in between is all related yet nothing specifically is known. It is something that I have been searching for answers to my whole life. Yet it seems the glimpses that I have found in answers only lead to more questions. I am tied to all of it as well but so far it is beyond me other than I know and feel my destiny and heritage is bound up in it.
What we have found here so far is a dilapidated fort with ghost like creature called animate dreams. In the cove is a giant squid that we drove off temporarily but will have to face again surely to remove it as a threat. You abilities to interact with animals may be a great boon to us in that. I do not need the squid to be killed as long as it is not attacking anything in the bay. If you could talk and convince it to leave or not attack then it could be possible for it to stay.
If you could talk and convince it to leave or not attack then it could be possible for it to stay.
Horatio returns from the stairs and overhear Variel as he moves across the room to examine the next room.
"This assumes the beasts on the island are not mere illusion..." he says as he pauses in the doorway to light a cheeroot.
"The creature we encountered when we helped Jiro? That thing was a carnivore - and it's a scientific fact that a carnivore needs to consume roughly fifty times its weight in food annually to survive," he says, ratting off general knowledge about the wild.
"Based on its size I'd guess it was maybe roughly nine tons... That means, on average, it'd need to eat about 1,000,000 pounds of animal flesh a year," he adds as a he takes a long drag from his smoke, exhales it, then grins wryly.
"This island is only a hundred miles square - roughly... do you really think there's that much flesh roaming this place for one of those things to eat, even in a year?" he asks - somewhat rhetorically, as he turns and leaves.
"It's either a real beast which defies the laws of nature - or, and more than likely, it's part of some magical, haunted, island curse in which we only thought was real..."
"But I guess we'll find out," he adds over his shoulder as he heads back to the room across the courtyard with Amen-set.
Ana nods at the mention of the animals. I would be more than happy to help wherever I can. I am sorry for my absence from you all. It seems the activity on this island is quite robust as Horatio has stated. It is possible that magical emanations are causing the animal growth beyond the possibility of illusion as well. I did see what looked like some ruined stone towers further to the north on the island so perhaps there is ruins that explain the unnatural size of the creatures.
She looks at Variel and says I am sure the gods will provide answers at the appropriate time. We can only make sure we are watching for the signs.
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Variel shrugs his shoulders at the idea that the occupants of the island were just illusions. Illusions did not cause the fort to be abandoned or explain the rumor of cyclops in the area. VAriel waits while Horatio finishes his exploration as he informs Ana of the rest of their purpose here. Right now we are looking at making this fort a staging area in order to explore the rest of the island. However that has proven harder than expected so far. Those ruined stone towers farther north will have to be explored though at some point.