"I just cannot believe she is gone...
Ik' Skull screams in horror. "No... no! Qotal be merciful." She grabs onto Otzali's arms, pale face and stricken with horror at the pointless death.
After crossing the river you see a very large building that evidently must have been where the high priests of Qotal, Maztica and Kulkul were housed but it is in severe disrepair. You see an entrance covered in thick spiderwebs.
Orren steels his resolve, a mercenary must deal with the loss of comrades there can be no help for it.
"Do we have torches we can burn those webs away with?"
Otazi shakes his head at the obvious omission. "I carry little, too little it would seem. We will have to make due. "
Trying not to touch the webbing he peers past it into the passageway, hoping to find torches waiting for them in sconces just inside the entrance.
Orren keeps the words of a spell on his lips as he follows Otzali into the building.
You make your way into the former temple and you see altars for all of the non evil gods of Maztica. But they are all in huge disrepair. You get the feeling there may have been an earthquake a long time ago but most things are a shambles, there are no lights but you can see the hall decently illuminated from the entrance whence you came and the entrance to a courtyard beyond.
The jungle seems to do, what jungles do, reclaim the wastes of man.
Orren turns to his companions and speaks in Payit, "The cour ty ard next?" though he still struggles with the language a bit.
Ik' Skull steals ahead for a bit to scout the courtyard, motioning for the others to hold back. She pads on her soft leather moccasins.
She is a shadow among shadows...
GM rolls
Ik' Skull looks about the courtyard, looking briefly for threats. If it seems safe, she will retreat back and summon the rest.
Orrem will nod still a bit shaken by Meri's death, "Let us see what we see".
Otzali also nods his agreement. "The Land guided us here. We should see why."
"Ik'Skull, any warnings?"
Everyone goes into the courtyard.
GM Rolls
Otzali
Ik Skull
Ik' Skull whispers. "Arrowheads - their kind is from the North. We may not be alone here."
After clearing through the temple complex you move further and you come across what used to be a road and then the abandoned city opens up. This roadway is pitted in places, and largely covered by
jungle growth. Stones have been systematically removed in some
spots. The road provides an excellent view of the tall pyramid. To the right there is a juncture that has three ruined residences. Further down the street to the left you see what looks like the remains of a large palace and further to the right you see a somewhat smaller palace before the steps to the pyramid.
"...I saw no man or beast, though Otzali." Ik' Skull continues her thought to Otzali.
She peers down the road to the other buildings.
"Lords, I think we should look there first?" Ik' Skull inquires, pointing to the palace. She softly steals ahead a bit, to see what she can see.
Orren holds still so his lack of stealth does not ruin Ik'Skull's soft padding towards the ruined palace.
"I've seen few signs as well." Otzali holds up a good condition obsidian blade. He tucks the weapon into his belt and follows behind the pluma weaver.
Ik Skull
once-opulent palace is in ruins. One
whole section has collapsed into
rubble. Murals decorate the walls,
and although most have faded,
some remain clear They depict
battle scenes and religious
ceremonies. Dirt and debris cover
the floor through most of the
palace.
Ik' Skull pads back silently and motions for the others to follow.
"The ways seems clear. Paintings on walls ahead."
Orren heads forward to investigate the murals. Perhaps they will provide a clue to the item they seek, if nothing else they will depict part of the history of this mysterious land and are interesting even if only for those purposes.
Orren searches the room and find 3 gqs amongst the murals.
Orren shows the findings to Ik'Skull and Otzali. "It seems things of great value have been left behind here. Shall we search further?"
Otzali looks around, saddened at the state this place has fallen into but well aware that it is the way of the True World.
"Anything we find thats valuable or useful will help us along the way. Let's keep exploring."
You walk across the street to a more subdued palace but was definitely once a house of wealth. This ruined building has only a few standing walls, and the wood and grass roof is now gone. Vultures sit along
the walls.
Orrren moves forward with the natives as their ability to spot traps exceeds his own.
GM Rolls
Two vultures peel off from the rest and attack
Round 1
Vulture 1 swoops down to attack Orren , Orren steps aside as the bird misses its attack.
Vulture 2 down to attack Ik'Skull , Ik'skull dodges deftly the vulture.
Party
Orren gestures and speaks in the language of magic and fires a Magic Missile at one of the Vultures. Auto Hit. Damage
"Do these scavengers attack the living? Seems unusual..."
The magical energy strikes the vulture frying it in mid air.
Otzali, Ikskull
Seeing the birds on the offensive, Otzali's warrior instincts kick in. In a single fluid motion he unshoulders a short bow, fits an arrow to the string, and releases at the circling vulture.
Otzali
Otzali shoots the other vulture, killing it.
Combat Over, you each get 50xp
You search the ruins but this particular building doesn't have any salvage value. Once you walk away you see the other four vultures eat the two vultures you have slain.
As you clear the building with the vultures you see a strange humanoid which for Ik'Skull and Otzali seems to be completely foreign to you.
"I hope that this stranger is ... civilized."
The plumaweaver steps out into the open, taking a deep breath. She smiles disarmingly, without showing any teeth.
(Nexalan)"Hail! We come without malice; we wish to talk." She repeats the same in Payit.
His bow still in his hands, otazi slowly nocks another arrow, ready to protect the plumaweaver if her gesture of greeting is met with violence.
Slowly trudging behind the weird creature is a native Nexali both look in dire need of help.
Orren reaches for a Healer's Bag with one hand if these people are truly friendly and need help, with his other hand he grabs a pinch of sand in case he needs to put them to sleep.
The Nexali man looks weathered and a bit battered. He wears fiber armor and a wooden shield is gripped in one hand, though he holds it limply by his side. In his other hand he holds a club, and his hand twitches as he spots strangers, but he doesn't move to raise the club. He seems both wary and weary.
It's clear that the Nexali was unprepared for travel, as a cord looped over his body holds a sleeping mat and he has little else in the way of possessions.
"Strangers," says the lean man in the local tongue, "I hope that no bloodshed will pass between us. What brings you here, to this desolate place?"
Orren responds in broken Payit, "Too do we hope this. Ruins", he points around them "bring us here".
"We are trying to avoid the monsters that have come recently," says the Nexali man slowly. "Little hope of safety."
"Yes. we come to know more of this city and its story, although it has already cost us in blood. But we are merely passing through to... to a place of darkness in the True World. We are strangers here; come from Ulatos in Payit. I am Ik' Skull, Plumaweaver; I travel with both the true folk and those from the far side of the Taylola sea. We mean no harm at all"
"I am Manauia, a servant of Qotal from the Nexal people. Since the coming of the beasts of the Viperhand, Nexal has been safe no more, and I seek to untangle the dreams of the feathered serpent god and discern how our people may yet live. This strange one," he says with a gesture to his companion, "is also a traveler from across the sea. Together we have sought shelter but found only challenges."
Manauia indicates Ik'skull's satchel and says, "You are a weaver of the feather arts? Perhaps our meeting was foreordained, as I give supplication to the rainbow serpent Qotal."