After I explain what I remember about Kraken Whales, I turn to Natria to see her contribution to the conversation.
Do you have something to add, Lady Natria?
Tom thinks hard about what he should reveal and when... The final words of his vision echoing through his mind, vengeance at last..
He turns to Belym, I don't want t' reveal more now, but in the smallest circle possible I need t' reveal what I saw. It maybe should even wait until after the current mission.
"Agreed. If you had a related vision, it sounds like we should sit and figure out what needs to be done... It certainly sounds like bad things are astir."
But if this mission has relevance to your visions, being aware of the full situation may help our efforts. For example, I still don't know if my home and everyone I care about is currently on fire because you refuse to tell me the details of your visions.
Your home is not in peril... yet. There be omens that are yet to come, so we should focus on those. It does seem directly related to the Aboleths.
Conwall
If I am hearing correctly, and I think I am, these ears aren't just for show, You lot are talking aout Aboleths, as if they are a present danger She begins They've been gone for centuries, imprisoned by the power of the gods. They could never return She says, it sounds as if she is trying to convince herself as much as you
Sheridan
One of the guards, an older man who has been playing polo with you, places his hand on your shoulder Calm down lass, it's okay, yer safe with us he says
Tom
Ron
Your companions appear... flustered one of the guards says, he, a young jackanapes and another one, a girl of roughly the same age, are riding beside you, having chosen to hang back from the screaming mermaid and fuming elf. What do you do?
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Tom peers into the orb, thinking about the alter he saw at the beginning of his vision.
I look to Natria, trying to at least portray some calm. Iron Tom is holding the contents of his visions close to his chest, but it sounds as though he's seen them, maybe locked away in their prison. They want to return. We won't let them.
I turn to Tom, but don't want to interrupt as he plays with the orb. I have more to say when he's done.
Tom
The orb shows you a clearing, in the centre of it an altar. A woman stands in front of the altar, a wickedly serrated knife clutched in her hand. Beside her is a man, unearthly and beautiful, smiling as he looks at the woman. Before the altar are three dozen prostrate figures, and behind them, a dozen battered people, in torn robes or broken armour, mostly wearing gold-coloured fabrics, lay there bound, and guarded by a trio of twelve foot tall, scorpion-lke demons. The beautiful man whispers something in the womans ear.
Bring Him forward! The woman commands, and an old man is dragged forward, and placed on the altar. This is the fate of those who defy us! She says as she plunges the knife into the mans solarplexus, low enough to miss the heart, but close enough that he will bleed out anyway. the man rasps his last breaths as the congregation chants in an beautiful tongue, almost a hymn. as the man dies, from the altar spring a pair of winged serpents, perhaps 20 feet in legth, with a 35 foot wingspan.. the vision ends as the beasts spread their prismatic wings, and shriek to the heavens.
What do you do?
Conwall
Tom is... an oracle? or a prophet? or is this a common thing for adventurers? Natria asks with a smirk, either reassured by you, or having regained enough composure to pretend to be. what do you do?
I look a little uneasy at that question. He's certainly taken to that role, but I'm not positive he's fully qualified for such a task. He's meddling with forces he does not fully understand.
The absurdity of the older man's statement cracks through Sheridan's distress and throws her into a slightly hysterical fit of giggles. "That's right sweet of ye ser." Then she sees Tom ogling the orb. "Crikey! Father Iron, I know a shiney whatsit like that has lots of terrible secrets to b'stow, but fer all we know, it's only feeding us our greatest fears. Let's not hold it quite so close to our eye. I know I shouldn't ask, but what was it ye saw this time? Between the wisdoms and my notes, we aught to be able to identify these risks."
Ron approaches Tom and Conwall and speaks quietly. We appear to be unsettling our escorts. Let's await a private time to discuss these visions further. Conwall, I have seen ye fight, and I can only imagine the carnage a nation of yer brothers and sisters would bring down upon anyone seeking to harm yer forests. If the forests currently burn, which I doubt, what would our small band truly add to the might of yer brethren? Let's speak more of this once we reach Ghostmoor.
I nod hesitantly, then whisper to Ron.
I can save everyone in the forest if I warn them, but if the elves know of the threat they'll burn the ruins, Ghostmoor and Norwich for good measure. I don't want that. We have to succeed at our mission so the elves never know...but if we fail when I could have saved my people at the expense of yours, that's something I won't be able to live with. Do you think we'll be successful?
the trees get more sparse as you go further south, becoming plains. The autumn weather has left the fields brown, and the scarecrows in the farmers fields have taken on a sinister aspect. these fields eventually give way to hills.
You are camping on the 6th night, describe your campsite (and anyone who isn't at full health, and has debilities, heal it all.)
I see in the dark, barely sleep and find the idea of burning wood to be sacraligious, so this whole "campfire" thing is a bit out of my knowledge zone. I let Ron take point on establishing our camp. I volunteer to take a long watch though
Belym's eyes and need for sleep aren't as good as the elf's, but they're still better than ordinary human ones, so she'll volunteer for a watch as well. She'll also pull out a Dwarven hearth-stone, an alchemical construct that produces heat and light without combustion or smoke (quite handy underground. Usually not needed on the surface, so Belym has a couple that she's been carrying since her flight.)
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At the end of the ten day stretch, Sheridan is locked up in TAM with indigestion from all the cooked meat she's been eating. She'll be up intermittantly to bring whoever's on watch a drink. She floats through the camp like a moaning phantom, sucking on a cuttlefish bone. Rather than having her own smash cut in the camp montage, she's just persistently trudging across the screen as the scenes smash around her.
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Tom blesses the campsite by casting sanctuary to detect any potential enemies entering the area.
Aye, we'll be successful. Belym and Tom, and even I, have powers I've never seen before. And I've never seen anyone fight like ye. Sheridan has more tricks up her sleeves than I can imagine. These demons won't know what hit em.
Ron organizes the camp in his habitual military fashion, ensuring that the horses are well secured. Conwall, sounds like ye'd like first watch. Wake me at the slightest sign of trouble.
Ron sets his armor aside, and uses his shield as a pillow, gripping Remorse in both hands while he sleeps.
I settle down in a secure spot to keep watch.
When she gets up to settle her stomach for the first time, Sheridan tries to compare notes on ancient races with Conwall for a few minutes before she trudges back to TAM for another crack at sleep. Her accounts of creatures are eerily personal.
As the two of you talk about your people Conwall, You notice a serpentine head, about a mile to the north. A second one is visible cresting a ill to the northwest, roughly the same distance. this one's multicoloured wings are visible. What do you do?
Well, it's actually a misconception that Elves are an older race that humans. We're actually descended from ancient humans and...ut-oh...
I quickly wake the rest of the group.
Giant winged snakes on the horizon. There's a chance they don't know we're out here...
I fear this conflict is unavoidable, but if we hide I can sense when they enter the area around our camp and can give a signal. That way we would know if they pass without keeping eyes on them directly.
How large of an area can you warn? These snakes are...quite big...
Ron awakens and immediately begins putting on his armor.
Belym quickly gets to her feet, and extinguishes the hearth stone. "I could try and create an overhang to hide us, though I'm not sure it would work, and the attempt could well draw their attention."
"Belym, you stubborn fool, ye can't uproot the locals every time ye need ter scuff the mud off yer feet. This camp is too visible to hide nearby for their passing. We need ter use the camp as the focal point of an ambush."
Sheridan finds her pack and checks the heavy basket. She sends a query for wakefullness, and a sense of darting shadows overhead.
I like your thinking, Sheri. Expand on it a bit? They're above us, they'll see us hide...
Belym quickly gets to her feet, and extinguishes the hearth stone. "I could try and create an overhang to hide us, though I'm not sure it would work, and the attempt could well draw their attention."
"They'll be in as soon as they see th' way our camp's pressed down the- the- air... kelp... stuff. We anticipate their angle of attack, and catch them from behind." Sheridan makes for the rocks to get a better view of their campsite. All the while she's pulling on the chain tunic and pulling out the cavalry saber, placing it in her mouth.
I nod.
And where do you want me?
" Uproot the what?" Belym asks to Sheridan's back. She quickly looks at the winged figures, trying to get an idea of how far they might be able to reach. Then, she reaches down, punches the ground at her feet, and...
A few broad, flat stones launch themselves from the earth, fusing with the cliff face about six feet off the ground. Looking at Tom, she says " There's a hiding place for any who need it."
The Creatures are moving in, about a click out now. incidentally, Tom, these are absolutely the same kind of Demon Einora summoned in your vision. What does everyone do?
I move benieth the overhang, ready to strike as needed. Is there an easy way to the top if I have to get up there?
Belym peers out from the cliff face at the oncoming serpents. Aside from the obvious (sheer size, claws), what else does she know about these creatures and the dangers they present?
Belym
You remember this kind, vaguely. They are usually used in the jungles of the south. these creatures, Quetzal demons, have a breath weapon of some sort, you can't remember what, and they look bug enough to swallow Ron Or Tom whole. plus, you know, fangs and wings (No claws, actually)
also, is there an easy passageway up t the top of the overhang?
At the impact of the stone, Sheridan slides down the rocks a few feet. "Oi!" Giving Belym a sour look, Sheridan mounts the apophis and slides into taller grass in the direction of the incoming demons. To hide her own blue skin, she pulls a sandy cloak from her pack.
One of the things that came in the kit the Travelers gave her, the cloak is reversible with mottled tan on one side and mottled slate on the other.
Tom whispers a blessing.
Ron looks to the approaching demons and quickly realizes that this will be a fight to hold Belym's overhang. He gives Natria's hand a comforting squeeze and then moves to stand beside Conwall.