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Carver has no new information, but is quite excited to hear about your finds!
You spend the next few days on chores and crafting. On the fourth day, Soran returns! He seems somewhat worse for wear, and explains that he must have fallen asleep while fishing and woke to find himself lost at sea. It took him several days to find his way back.
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Karl gives Soran a hug.
SHHHHHAKKKKKAAAASSSSPHK
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Karl says, "Don't ever do that again."
He gives Soran a bladder full of kelp tea to stay awake. There's more where that came from.
Silt watches Soran as he interacts with Karl, looking for invisible worms
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Joli, ever watchful for trouble, visits Soran with comfort. "I'm so glad that you've returned, Soran. We were so worried! And my tummy was none the better for it either! Silt kept trying to feed me rassberries to tide me over."
Thinking that the whole settlement must know of Silt's blood feud, he gauges Soran's reaction. He stays a bit longer, asking friendly questions about the man's life and feeling him out.
The supply ship has not returned, but if there was stuff you knew you were going to buy, you could have ordered it last time. If there is new stuff you want to get, you'll have to wait until next time, or trade with the locathahs.
The man jumps back at Karl's attempted embraces. Neither Silt nor Joli detects any sign of charm or domination, but he is a little circumspect about the details of his past in response to Joli's questions.
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"A boat sounds like a pretty uncomfortable place to take a nap. Did you have weird dreams of the world rocking back and forth?"
Purpose Creche spends the vast majority of his time in his rooftop "workshop" conducting a psychic parade of disparate materials.
Joli maintains a calm demeanor as Soran evades the substance of his questions.
"After all the days we spent at sea, Toby, I think most of us could sleep through a hurricane." He gives Soran a goofy smile and bids him good day.
Once the party is out of earshot, he says to his friends, "Jalaijatali has taught me to hear much in the music of someone's voice. Though I sense no enchantment, I did notice he was avoiding any real details about his life... It makes me wonder if he truly knows those details..."
He looks to Purpose. "There's a mystery here, don't you think? I suggest we observe him closely while we're here. Have you any magics that might help us confirm that he is truly Soran? I can pray to Jalaijatali could reveal even more truth in his words."
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Purpose puts his eyes on my neck to scout the fields. He gestures to the little Purpose Creche medallion.
He fidgets with his hat. But to peek at Soran without telling? If I catch little eyeballs peeping me, I will crush them — like bloody rass-berries!
He makes a popping motion. And rightly so. He licks his lips.
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”It’s a conundrum for sure. People have a right to their privacy, but we do have to consider the safety of the village.” Cedar scratches his bearded chin.
”I know I wouldn’t want Purpose spying on me all the time either. I mean, I’m an interesting guy and all, but sometimes people have secrets. It doesn’t they’re evil or dangerous or up to no good.”
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Silt nods. Secrets, yes. Unmasking can lead to anger, and hurt, too.
He turns and whispers to Cedar, Last sunrise I caught Karl napping with a bunny rabbit that had burrowed near his favorite tunnel. I moved away before they woke. Don't tell — if he thought I peeked on him, he would rage through the fields and melt my best potato patch.
Joli settles into his crafting of song sticks several hours each day, while being watchful of the town. He spends some of that time with Medrinnah.
"I would ask something of you — keep watch over the town. Most especially, Soran. I've an ear for these things: He does not quite seem himself. Be cautious, and do not confront him or anyone else acting suspiciously. I shall return soon, to hear what you've observed."
He looks at her with appreciation, knowing that she is among those villagers most likely to navigate treacherous waters.
He also confides his misgivings to Ramona. "I have no proof, but there is something about Soran. He evaded small details of our past together when I chatted with him. There are strange magics in this world that can change a man, or allow one to assume the form of another. Be watchful."
Finally, he offers a suggestion to Purpose.
"If you think it's not too intrusive, perhaps you have some divinatory magics that you could use on Soran and his possessions. I feel strongly there's something amiss, and I feel hesitant to leave the village alone without knowing more."
He does not press Purpose, however.
In the end, Joli presents two song sticks to the party. One with an unusually hard, dried seaweed nodule at the end, which makes a reedy sound as it's waved through the air . The other is a more simple piece of driftwood with a bit of coral afixed .
You complete your crafting and sail off toward the island of the strixes. When you dock and head inland, you see that their village is a wondrous sight: a settlement of numerous wooden and stone structures suspended high in the boughs of massive live oaks and pines. All the structures are built around the base of a massive, octagonal tower of glittering blue crystal that reaches into the sky.
As you approach, two strix fly over to intercept you. They have the black wings and dark gray skin of their eastern cousins, but their features are softer and less influenced by infernal forces. Additionally, they have decorated their bodies with art, using colorful pigments to tattoo their skin and painting their wings in vibrant chromatic hues, giving them the appearance of iridescent peacock feathers. One has patterned scars on her arms.
"Who are you? Why do you approach our village?"
Joli hops forward to greet her. "I'm Joli Toli. These are my friends. That's Cedar, and Silt, and Toby, and of course Purpose there. We've come with some bad news. Some terrible creatures on the neighboring island killed one of your people... We have brought their body with us, along with our sorrow."
"Those creatures were gross, and very mean."
The two strix share a look. "We better go get Skalorah. You stay here until she returns."
Assuming you stay put, another strix arrives. (And she has art!)
"I am Skalorah, the leader of this village. Thank you for returning our friend to us. We can bury him properly now. But what else brings you here? I cannot believe that you would come this simply to deliver a body."
Skalorah seems wary, but not hostile.
Joli jumps in. "The Rillsong would say, let the melody of friendship and peace unfold naturally. It cannot be rushed. We saw your fallen kin, and knew we would also seek a bond with you. What else would one do for a dear one?"
He looks toward the larger island. "We know that friendship is needed in these islands, for there are many with evil intent. The sea hag has held much of this place in her sodden grip. There is an aboleth who wishes to subjugate the islands in her place. In response we have helped and befriended the locathahs and the naga Vriskirsa. We would hope to earn your trust and friendship as well."
Yes, we are nice friends. We are good at making new friends. We gave Karl goblin bones. We gave potatoes to locathahs. We gave a red reef to a naga. We crush rass berries, vigilant always.
She crosses her arms defensively, though her face softens. "I am surprised you came here if you are friends with the locathahs."
"If you have bad blood with the locathahs, that's your business; we're not trying to take sides. Who knows, though? Maybe we can help you patch things up."
"Have you spoken with the locathahs? What has been your experience with them?" Joli attempts to discern the nature of her comment — a history of violence? Strix belief in their own superiority?
Skalorah drops her arms to her hips. "No, no, you misunderstand. They have a grievance against us. It all goes back to a hunting trip. Two locathah and two strix. It was on the very island you inhabit, in fact. They were attacked, by servants of the hag. Everyone fled, but well, we can fly and they can't. The locathah thought that we set them up, and they've never forgiven us. I would have assumed that they would have said unkind things about us."
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Silt's eyes dilate as he imagines the strix floating away into the air while locathah struggle on the land.
If strix were hunting under waves, would they be sad if locathah friends swam away when grinning sharks arrived?
Locathah flounder on land, like strix in waves. To fight death and see your friends glide away — up into the bright air, or down to the dark depths — is a hurtful thing.
Even if it was the right thing, it was a hurtful thing. When friends hurt, friends think wrong things. I think this is what Locathah are thinking. Wrong things about Strix friends.
We are here. The island changed. We bring Locathah potatoes. We bring Strix bones. Our island, free of berries, free of hag-friends, can be be a bridge between feather and fin, Skalorah and Koloshkora, Strix and Locathah.
Joli listens as Skalorah shares her version of history and Silt adds a piscine perspective.
"My friend speaks true. The locathah have expressed no desire to harm your people, and we can see you bear no ill will to them. Perhaps as friends to both we can help make all of our peoples stronger. For the hag and the aboleth do both mean us all harm."
"Our people fled for their lives, but yes, we can understand why the locathah resent us. We would like to be friends with them again, but they are too angry at us."
"Well, maybe you could help us. We hope to defeat the hag, but then also make sure all of our peoples are united against the aboleths. Would you have anything that could help us? I’m sure it would help us all be friends!"
We can help locathah not think wrong things. There are invisible worms, and hags, and ableths. Very dangerous. Nice to have more friends to watch out for friends.
Is there a present to bring them? Warty potatoes, moist yams? He licks his lips.
Is there a thing we can do for you, to build friendship between our village and you?
"We would be very interested in trading with you. We would be happy to work with the locathah again, too, but you may need to speak with them on our behalf."
"Well that's good. They seemed friendly enough to me; I bet we can convince 'em!"
Joli beams. "That’s wonderful! What concerns or needs do you have that we could help address?"
"We would love to hear news of our cousins who went eastward! What became of the strix who left Arcadia? They went to your land, yes? Your original land?"
Joli looks to Purpose .
There's no required check here; you can use player knowledge if you'd like!
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Silt takes off his hat and puts it on while thinking in the long silence that follows her question.
Original land? A potato farmer told me a story of a far away and bad land, called Shelly Axe. They love devils — devils red as red rass berries — they are so bad.
Shelly Axe near the seashore has a high rock, called Devin's Perch. Strixes watch all the lands from the tippy top, where only they can fly. Strix say, as far as their sharp eyes can see, belongs to them and not to the Shelly Axe. To me, this seems like a good plan… but others think the Strix have stolen Devin's Perch.
But Shelly Axe like to steal things from others, themselves. They have done this for a long time. So, I think the strixes are thinking right. A thief has no right to keep stolen things. I think the land is for the strix.
The farmer told me the strixes are mean, too, but I think they love their home and want to keep it. The wind must scream on the top of Devin's Perch, tearing away the rass berries in its fury and letting the tubers burrow deep and safe in the patches of dirt — who would not love this place?
If the strix love their lovely home, they may seem mean to thieves trying to steal it from them. It is something to work hard to understand.
The strix village is a large village, larger than our island village. The strixes love their land, like we love this island. They are making it a home, like we are here.
The farmer told me this is the only place the strixes live, in Shelly Axe on Devin's Perch.
Joli’s mouth gapes at Silt’s strange eloquence. He returns to beaming at the Strix.
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She is delighted to hear Silt's story. "Oh, what wonderful news! Perhaps some of us should go to this Devin's Perch and meet them! It will have to be next season though; the winds aren't right for that kind of travel..."
Silt blinks at Cedar. Cedar, you are not as traveled as a potato farmer!? You know, you can visit Soran's Perch too — it smiles over the fireplace in our village tavern.
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You pass an enjoyable evening with the strix, and the next day, you head out to the sunken laboratory. Silt scouts from the skies and sees a large impact crater more than a hundred feet across punching into the mountainside, shrouded in dense vegetation and surrounded by toppled stone blocks, crumbling pillars, and shattered statues obscured by the island’s lush flora. Small streams flow down from the mountainside into the yawning crater that descends into the earth.
Map on Slide 2!
Since Silt scouts the area, you can decide which direction to approach from. Also, please let me know what precautions you're taking.
Silt recommends we start with some people on the higher ground near the edge of the pit (where his token is) but is open to other suggestions.