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You all sleep well that night, even though the threat of Hanscombe is still fresh in your minds, and wake refreshed the next morning. it doesn't take long to get directions to the old hermit's place, and only about an hour or so of travel to get there.
Upon arrival, his hut seems weirdly out of place on an island that is mostly a business for pirates. Strange tribal totems line the path to his front door, as well as statues of various iterations of Gozreh and Desna, some representing both of them as one being. There is also a small shrine to Besmara.
The most creepy part of the whole place is a string of shrunken heads, which crisscrosses from tree to tree and serves as a sort of macabre roof to the winding path.
As you approach, a small Mwangi man pops out of the brush, about fifteen feet from his front door. His skin is dark, and he wears a strange assortment of hide, cloth, and wooden clothing/armor. A club and blowgun are strapped to his back, and a bandolier made of some sort of skin holds many vials of strange liquids. A belt with several sticks, a few pouches, and a slightly larger shrunken head than the ones above finish the ensemble. He grins and speaks.
Ah, ya be tha one's tha spirits said was comin'! I be M'bungie, tha one what protectin' this island, seein'? Tha spirits be sayin' ye be havin' big job ta be doin' though, and M'bungie ta help! Ya be protectin' tha life o' tha sea an' her people from tha right dread ones, ya? Big destinies, big paths ya walkin...
Sunny skips along with every one else, enjoying the warmth of the sun upon her self. upon sighting the decor about the hut Sunny is at first as curious as always. Though she peers closely at some of the decorations, she does refrain from touching or poking any of them.
At the fellow's appearance she beams brightly at him and skips forwards to introduce herself after he has done so.
"Hey-YA there! M'name be 'Suny' in'a speakin' of tha' peoples!" Bouncing forwards and offering a tanned hand to be shaken. (^_^)
As for M'bungie's comments about protecting the oceans and such Sunny nods her head in agreement
"Aye! M' kin be of tha' sea an' all'a ways lookin' out fer things an' such." (^_^)
Looking at the strange man, and instantly looks at sunny when she starts talking
Aye, my name is Captain Dagger, and this here be me crew. What Spirits says that we were coming?
what spirits said that we need help?
We could use you if you are wanting to join us
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I know who ye be Dagga! I know all o ye! Sunny, Noro, Alistah, Dagga, Urlak, an' da rest! Da spirits be tellin me! Wha spirits, y ask? All o dem! Da island spritis, da ocean spirits, dey all be worried bout da dread devils a comin! Dey be tellin me ya was on ya way, an ya needed M'bungie's help! I be waitin for ya eveah since da dragon wrecked ya ship, seein?
M'bungie, who had been staring up into Harvey's face the whole time, scampers off, and returns a moment later with a small goat, who is saddled with a travelling pack, and a sack of supplies.
Da spirits be tellin me dat ya be seekin da keys to da old World Weapons... Dey be tellin me dat dere be a cave onna small island, offa da coast o this one, where dere be a room where one-a da weapons was made... dey say go dere, an learn about what ya gotta do ta stop da dread devils a comin! M'bungie take ya dere, seein?
Sunny listens with rapt attention to the wise man's words.
"A caster and a sage. With this information we can move to prepare ourselves for what is to come."
M'bungie, do you think that we will be back before the ship is ready? Also what do you know about Hanscombe?
Old World Weapons? I gather that there is something to them, if you can promise me that we will be back before the ship is ready, I'll be willing to go and see what you are talking about
Let's roll out to the island then
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The small island M'bungie speaks of isn't at all that far away. You are able to spot it from the small beach the sage leads you to, and it only takes about twenty minutes to paddle to in the small boat he has hidden under a bunch of tree branches and leaves.
Da spirits, dey be tellin' me ta leave dis here, ya.
Once you arrive, all is quiet, and after about ten minutes of walking, you are at the entrance to a dark, dank cave that smells of mold, moistness, and dirt.
The island animals were making the appropriate noises, but fall silent as you look into the cave's depths.
Sunny emerges from the waves, having passed on the offer of a seat on the canoe, shaking herself passably dry as she skips up the sands and joins every one else at the entrance to the cave.
"Awe... an' here I were thinkin' we's gon'a go lookin' at more trees an' stuff..." She sighs in a whisper at the prospect of wandering about in a dank cave.
Sunny absently rubs a bare, brown foot against the back of a bare, brown leg as she looks and listens....
-----
M'bungie, this is the right place? Your leading us in there sir. we will follow you.
Alistar follows, he draws his sword and prepares for any surprises.
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The cave goes on a winding path, sometimes getting so tight you all have to squeeze by single file. Eventually, though, it ends abruptly, at a stone and mortar wall, with a window in it. In fact, if you weren't underground at the moment, you would swear that you were looking at the outside of a building of some sort. A moment of study reveals that you are indeed looking at the outside of a wall, and it has sunken into the ground over time. A little digging at the top of the "wall" even reveals that the roof of the "building" is intact.
Even more interesting is the fact that you all recognize the type of stone as the same kind that the Azlanti fortress was made of.
As you all enter the building, Sunny takes point with her darkvision. It proves to be unnecessary, though, because as soon as you all enter, small sconces on the walls all light up with vibrant blue flames, illuminating the place wonderfully. It seems to be a one floor building, and the room you entered in looks to be the entrance room, as evidenced by a set of double doors that open to reveal a wall of dirt.
The next two rooms both have entrances off the main room, and neither locked nor trapped.
The first is through a rather mundane door, and opens up to a room full of shelving containing rotted and mildewed books, scrolls, and other writings. A rotted bed sits in one corner, a rotted desk in another. At the foot of the bed, however, is a large wooden chest that shows absolutely no signs whatsoever of age or disrepair.
Otherwise, this room is empty.
The other room is larger, and contains only a raised dias in the middle, with an altar upon it. The altar is empty, save for a picture drawn upon it in vibrant color and beauty. It is a picture of a massive hurricane, the size and ferocity unmatched by any seen by Golarion.
Otherwise, this room is empty as well.
Alistar will detect magic in both rooms and scan the area.
Sunny peers around at everything, though she doesn't touch just looks...
"Alright M'bungie, what did the spirits want us to see here. I can see the alter has magic to it but have no idea what it can do."
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Da spirits dun work like dat me friend. Dey just tell M'bungie where ta go, an not always da why. Dey dun be sayin' what ta be doin, ya.
The small Mwangi man peers at the altar and concentrates for a moment.
Da magic dere be old ya, jast like da tattoo on Dagga's hand. Mebbe dey da same?
At the chest, he looks at it intensely, and runs his weathered hands over it.
Dis be old too, much old. Made outta driftwood. Sunny, da spirits say ya got da skills to open tings, no? Mebbe open dis?
"Okeys!" Sunny replies brightly to M'bungie's request, bouncing happily over to the big wooden box and then slowly proceeding to check this new thing out.
"Okeys!" Sunny replies brightly to M'bungie's request, bouncing happily over to the big wooden box and then slowly proceeding to check this new thing out.
(^_^)
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Sunny is able to get the chest open, and inside are several items.
A set of chainmail armor, a longspear, a longbow, a pair of boots, and a longsword. All of them radiate as magical.
There are is also a book bound in leather, with a closing strap on the front, and a bag with what appears to be old, degraded and rotten spell components.
It's obvious the chest can hold more than it appears to be able to, much like a bag of holding.
"Ooooo! Shiny!" (^_^) Suny exclaims, beaming happily at every one as the contents of the chest is/are revealed.
Suny experimentally puts her arm into the chest... to see just how far it can go....
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Sunny isn't able to reach the bottom. In fact, looking in, it seems that the chest opens up to a small storage area of about a 20ft square.
The journal, upon being opened, is in the same language you saw in some places in the first Azlanti fortress, the carvings on the chest, and the writing on the altar. It's safe to assume that it is ancient Azlanti.
Suny manages to not over-balance and fall into the chest.
She looks intently at all the stuff every one has found.
"I wonder whut 'tis every thing does?" She asks, then blushes a little. "I mean, other than whut t'is they look like they be doin', like..." She adds for clarity.
She picks out the spear. "This be lookin' right naffy!" She holds the weapon up for every one to see even as she slowly tests the ballance and weight.
"Nice find Suny. Perhaps you should go to the alter captain. Maybe you can activate it so we can study it, but if this is a weapon we could cause more harm then good by going at it blind."
Sunny, Do me a favor and Do not fall in that chest, I am not in the mood to loose another crew member.
M'bungie, what do you know of these items?
moves up to the alter and stands on the alter and closes his eyes for a moment
grumbles abit
We're keeping the chest and the items inside. Place them back in and we will take them back to the ship, Once we have had a chance to identify some of these items we will hand them out as we see fit.
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When Harvey stands at the altar, he feels his tattoo begin to burn. Not in a painful way, but like it suddenly connected to the altar. When Harvey looks at the artwork on the altar, he could swear the illustration of the hurricane is moving!
No one else sees or hears anything out of the ordinary yet.
Harvey gingerly touches the altar, because for some reason it feels like the right thing to do. When he does, several things happen.
First, the wind in the room starts whipping around. Second, the altar melts away like water and reforms in the air in front of Harvey, constantly swirling and spinning (like a ball of water would in zero-g, if something were holding it together.) Third, a voice begins speaking in all of your minds.
Who are you, he who is not Errij Nal Vassk, wielder of the wind? How did you come to possess me?
Alistar holds his tongue as he expects. This thing wants to talk to the captain.
Sunny gives a small 'eeek' as things go swirling and flying all about the place.
I have come wield thee thru fate, I have been tasked by the fates to help you, I am not Errij Nal Vassk, I am Captain Harvey Dagger the year is xxxx ( gm fill in the year ). I happened to touch an orb in a chest that we possess. This power came to me via that way. There is a group of people who are out for this, but it is my goal to keep it away from them
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The voice rumbles in your heads.
I have no knowledge of you, Captain Dagger, but I can sense your words are true. Here, at this altar, my soul can see yours, and my power is complete. But, why do you seek to keep my brothers and I from becoming one, as is our purpose? The orb you touched, and is bonded to you, is me, The Wind. Do you truly have no knowledge of us, the weapons forged by the alliance between Thassilon and Azlanti? Of the war, with the Aboleth kingdoms? The year is long past my birth, and we have slumbered, but I cannot see the world forgetting such a scar on its people...
As you all listen to the ancient spirit, Alistar and Noro hear something in the other room, a sound like someone forcing themselves through the same entranceway that you came in!
The Wind continues speaking.
Captain Dagger, I am a weapon of war. A soul, comprised of thousands of warriors who sacrificed themselves to create me. My brothers are the same. You say you are trying to keep me away from someone. Is their intent malicious?
Suny skips over and peers around the entry door's edge.
Alistar gives Noro a nod as the Captain continues to talk to the ancient.
"Noro, Sunny. We are not alone."
He grasp at his blade and moves to flank the entrance setting up an ambush for any that enter.
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As the three of you pad to the entryway, you see three people entering as quietly as they can.
Laurastine, and two others, a man and a woman, in curious red leather with two curiously saw toothed blades on their backs.
Once they're all three in, they draw their blades and start moving silently toward the room Harvey is speaking to the Spirit of the Wind in.
Sunny gives Noro and Alistar a bright cheery mischievous grin, a 'Thumbs up' and simply 'disappears',
Use Ninja trick 'Vanish' which gives Sunny two rounds of bein' all better an' sneaky like ta' be slippin round behind tha' rear most one (Tha' other woman, maybe?)
Will continue to 'shadow' tha' peoples an' try an' be in'a bestest position fer when they's comin' through tha' door... Or Noro attempts ta' bonk 'em... whut ever be happenin' first.
Sunny can stay 'Vaished' for up to ten rounds. Though more likely she'll be spendin' Ki on doin' other things.
(^_^)
Alistar shrugs as he sees them enter. He calls on some divine power casting divine favor on himself. He raises his blade high in the air and looks to Noro.
I have no knowledge of you, Captain Dagger, but I can sense your words are true. Here, at this altar, my soul can see yours, and my power is complete. But, why do you seek to keep my brothers and I from becoming one, as is our purpose? The orb you touched, and is bonded to you, is me, The Wind. Do you truly have no knowledge of us, the weapons forged by the alliance between Thassilon and Azlanti? Of the war, with the Aboleth kingdoms? The year is long past my birth, and we have slumbered, but I cannot see the world forgetting such a scar on its people...As you all listen to the ancient spirit, Alistar and Noro hear something in the other room, a sound like someone forcing themselves through the same entranceway that you came in!
GM Screen:
The Wind continues speaking.
Captain Dagger, I am a weapon of war. A soul, comprised of thousands of warriors who sacrificed themselves to create me. My brothers are the same. You say you are trying to keep me away from someone. Is their intent malicious?
I only have the knowledge that you have given me at this point. I am trying to keep you away from some people that are trying to use you and your brothers for some more foul and viscous then you could ever imagine. They want to use you for their own purpose not your own. Where I am willing to help out the cause as long as I find it just. I am more then happy to help you come to peace when we can.