Xanderghul shrugs noncommittally. "I'm willing to sit around and wait for you for a few hours," he drawls. "And to carry a couple of scrolls, if you're able to find them. Let's start walking now, though."
He stands from the rock he is sitting on and gestures for Valais to come. He marches out, headed for Drezen's northern gate.
The heroes move out of the northern gate together, though they have to make a short detour so that Ehren can invite along his friend, Lann. Lann lives inside of a small one-story dwelling in Southbank, though he often complained to Ehren that he was thinking of moving, due to his rowdy neighbors. Lann is a friendly, if unusual looking man, apparently part elf, part goat, and part lizard. "Of course, I'd love to come help. Tell me more about where we're headed," he says, eagerly, once he has a chance to pack some things. When he emerges again from his home, he is dressed like a Mendevian soldier, shield strapped to his back and a sword at his waist.
Now that everyone is together, the group walks several miles northward of Drezen, coming to pause a hill that sits flanked by two copses of small, young trees. This was normally the home of the unicorn called Külə, but he didn't seem to be present today. Atop the hill is a circle of large menhir stones. Once all those who are staying get situated, Ehren grabs Isilme's hand and touches one of the stones, and two vanish without a trace.
The hill is quiet, save for the sound of the wind over the grass. The silence is interrupted rudely by a set of loud snores, from what appears to be a slowly undulating pile of rocks nearby... but upon looking more closely, it is actually a sleeping elemental.
Isilme did not know offhand of any shadow illusionists more powerful than Xanderghul with wares for sale in Nerosyan, but she did recall having recently met an Ashavic dancer called Brishan perform at her dance hall that incorporated shadow magic into his performance. The aasimar dancer had delighted in learning that the theatre owner was a Desnan, and invited her to a dance beneath the moon and stars the night after his performance. There she had learned more of his devotion to Ashava, and that he was a rather talented scribe, a talent he had picked up in his native Varisia.
She knew he was scheduled to perform next week in Nerosyan, so it was just a matter of asking around for where he was staying. She found Brishan brunching in a nearby cafe, always seen with a colorful silk scarf tied around his neck. Upon explaining her situation, Brishan happily agrees to part with some of his emergency scrolls - but only on one condition.
"You have to get me a word in with your tailor," he says, pointing at her starlit cape.
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Isilme laughs at Brishan's request, taking off her cape so he can admire it more closely. "I would recommend speaking with the Loumises in Drezen. They've done all the tailoring work for me, the Commander Bishop and several of our companions. I'm certain they can whip you up something fashionable, although you'll need to get it enchanted if you want it to be as fabulous as mine." She gives Brishan a wink and pays up for the scrolls, stowing them inside one of her scroll cases for sorting out later.
"If possible, I would like to have a magical bag that can protect books from the elements and magical attaccks." Hinagiku ask just before sending Ehren off to Nerosyan.
"Mr. Xanderghul, should we not wait for Mrs. Isilme and Ehren-kun to join us back here?"
Ehren felt bad about making Unafe wait even longer, but Isilme's suggestion was compelling enough to convince him that a trip to Nerosyan was worthwhile. In the city, once they have agreed on a time to rendezvous at the menhir, he decides to venture off on his own, trusting that Isilme can find the scrolls they need on her own.
The druid browses the wares of numerous shopkeepers, searching for a bag that would meet Hinagiku's expectations. At the very least, something that he could modify to suit her tastes later on. In the meantime, he keeps an eye out for any items that stand out. He did not have anything particular in mind for himself, but it was hard to predict what one might find in such a large city.
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Ehren, Ary, and Isilme split up after emerging through the wardstone in Nerosyan. At this point, Ehren has made so many trips to Nerosyan that his sudden appearance does not startle the guards stationed out in front of the chamber - they merely ask to quickly scan the three before they are allowed out into the city.
Ehren then heads to the Egelsee district, home of the First-Crusade neighborhood of Egelsee - a nice neighborhood largely composed of older Mendevian families, temples dedicated to Iomedae, and enormous stables to house the steeds of the Nerosyan cavalry. The central engineering office of the Crusades was also housed here, a place Ehren had accompanied Aron to on multiple occasions while they were working out the logistics of re-claiming Icerift in the past year. While Aron was working out calculations with the other engineers, Ehren had passed the time by wandering through the district's many winding streets lined by various shops and sundries.
He had remembered one shop in particular - Zlasta's Curios - had an entire wall of both decorative and functional extra-dimensional bags on display. All of the bags were second hand - Zlasta was no crafter, but she was willing to pay good Mendevian gold for curiosities brought back by adventuring types, so she had a pretty diverse assortment of goods for sale. Unfortunately, the nature of adventures in the area meant that much of her goods are things taken from the bodies of slain cultists.
The shop itself is located on Caford Street, a street riddled with noisy inns and bold Mendevian soldiers. The street outside is filled with the scent of burning wood to keep its occupants warm on a crisp Mendevian spring morning. The shop is a single story stone-walled building, with a reinforced wooden door. A small wyvern's skull hangs over the hearth.
Zlasta herself is a stern looking half-orc woman in her fifties, but she breaks into a tusked smile upon seeing Ehren. Apparently she was rather fascinated with ancient Sarkorian civilization, so she immediately recognizes his crown on sight. It actually makes it difficult for him to shop for a bag for his girlfriend, because she keeps interrupting him to ask questions about his crown and his garb.
Zlasta eventually leaves for the back to introduce Ehren to her husband, Garim, before asking him to make sketches of him before he leaves. "My husband is a very talented artist - you'll see - Garim, make sure you get the crown right..."
As long as Ehren is willing to let Garim sketch drawings of him, Zlasta is happy to elaborate on the other curiosities found in her shop:
---> A silver hairpin designed in the shape of a lunging dragon. Tiny emeralds form the dragon’s eyes. The hairpin is in need of a good polish. (50 gp)
---> A cunning composite longbow (+5 STR) (2,000 gp). Each strike is accompanied by a flash of light.
---> A weeping light steel shield with shield spikes engraved with stylized insect motifs (3,169 gp)
---> A 50% off sale for potions of fox's cunning - the bottles glow a faint blue color. (150 gp each)
---> A 75% off clearance sale for the final potion of tongues. The potion is variegated green and gold. (190 gp)
---> 2 rings of evasion. They appear to originally have been of a wedding set - the male's ring is made of gold, and rather battered, like something with powerful teeth was chewing on it. The female's ring boasts a beautiful ruby. (25,000 gp)
---> A rod of Withering (25,000 gp) made of crystal and etched with geometric patterns.
---> A staff of abjuration - thin and made of ash. Zlasta says it was sold to her by a retired adventurer (82,000 gp)
---> A staff of illusion, ornately made. Zlasta claims it was taken from the crypt of a Lich called Valeuva in Ustalav, and seems rather eager to get rid of it. (62,000 gp)
---> A wand of spell immunity with 23 charges remaining (10,660 gp).
---> A thundering cold iron scimitar whose hilt is shaped as a holy symbol of Sarenrae (4,030 gp)
---> A purple canvas belt of superior maneuvers +4 (32,000 gp)
---> A brass horn of Valhalla (50,000 gp) reclaimed from the tribal hall of the Wintersun clan
----> Drums of Panic also reclaimed from the tribal hall of the Wintersun clan (30,000 gp)
---> A body wrap of mighty strikes enchanted with dispelling burst (12,000 gp)
---> A Gem of Seeing, in the form of a large green tourmaline. Zlasta claims it was taken from a dragon's horde. (75,000 gp)
Before Isilme, Ehren, and Ary leave, Xanderghul pulls out a small, tightly-rolled scroll. "I'd like these items acquired, if the budget exists," he says. "I have been looking to expand my capabilities, and these should help nicely."
The scroll is very small, and written on it in Valais' hand is:
'A machete, anathema to demons'
'A wondrous figurine of a bronze griffon'
He also unholsters his crossbow. "I'd also like to sell this. May I come along?"
"Oooh. Oooh. Are you going to Nerosyan, boss?" Variska fidgets around in her coin purse and pulls out two silver. Before heading to the menhir, Xanderghul had vanished to go find Variska, who is currently living in a large manor house in Northbank that she can't really afford. ("It keeps me from slacking off, now I have to make more gold," she had told Xanderghul with a blasé sort of attitude.)
Variska gives Unafe a raised eyebrow and a curt wave upon their meeting. She's a tall, strongly built woman with auburn hair. She lacks any distinctive features of any one human ethnicity, indicating a mixed heritage. Pale white scars against her light skin betray a long life of battle and warfare.
"Can you get me some chouquettes? From that little bakery southeast from Saint's Gate. The one run by the halfling couple." Chouquettes were Variska's favorite treat.
Regardless of if Xanderghul heeds Variska's request or not, it' pretty simple for Xanderghul to hunt down a blacksmith in the confluence district that sells enchanted cold iron machetes. Cold iron weaponry, and weaponry made specifically for slaying demons, were plentiful in Nerosyan, so it was just a matter of finding someone who crafted machetes. He was able to trade his old crossbow for it (with a handful of platinum) without much hassle.
The figurine, however, is a different story. He has to ask around a bit to find a shop that carries wondrous figurines, and even then, most don't carry any capable of transforming into a winged mount.
Eventually though, he finds a large store called The Dragon's Emporium located close to the Starrise Spire. It is a single story half-timbered building, with a tiled mosaic floor. It is brightly lit by magical candles and chandeliers. Outside of the door is a panhandler. He smells strongly of grain alcohol, and he rattles his cup at Xanderghul as he passes.
Inside, the shop-keeper is a brightly smiling elf called Eramiel, clad in a long, sweeping metallic bronze dress. "Welcome, welcome! Is there anything I can help you find?"
Xanderghul finds a shelf dedicated to various wondrous figurines, as well as a number of other curiosities:
---> A sale on pearls of power - 25% off! Eramiel carries pearls from 1st level through 7th.
---> A small engraved bone cube that makes Xanderghul's palms itch as he gets near. Eramiel says it is a Cube of Force (62,000 gp)
---> A glove of storing - Eramiel's lips are sealed as to how he procured this one. (10,000 gp)
---> A Pearl of the Sirines - pawned, apparently, by a halfling paladin down on his luck after he was scammed by a goblin. (15,300 gp)
---> A Forge Fist Amulet - the amulet itself a transparent, round, porcelain sphere on a piece of frayed hemp. (13,000 gp)
The figurine is expensive, but Xanderghul brought along the small chest of gold he had received from enduring Dornarnus' family, which is more than enough to handle the cost.
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When Zlasta finally steps away, Ehren is left with the harrowing task of selecting a bag for his girlfriend. Hinagiku’s request had merely mentioned the function of the bag, but he wanted to get her one that looked nice as well. After all, minimalistic as she is, the one he chooses would likely go on to contain everything she owns. Ehren immediately dismisses some of the more garishly colored bags, as well as anything that might interfere with her fluid fighting style. Ultimately, he decides on a blue messenger bag with deceptively small side pockets. A simple floral pattern decorates the flaps and strap of the bag, subtle so as not to be too distracting.
And not a moment too soon. When the shopkeeper reemerges with her husband in tow, Ehren politely greets him. Despite being slightly flustered by the prospect, he consents to being drawn. Being the subject of such scholarly interest reminds him of Valais (only without the monologuing), or even Nurah. Just the thought of that last name elicits an involuntary grimace that would hopefully go uncaptured by Garim’s sketch.
Fortunately, Ehren is able to distract himself from his troublesome thoughts by browsing the other curios available in the shop and listening to Zlasta’s descriptions of their respective functions and histories. They are fascinating to look at, even if they are either too expensive to afford or too niche to be of use. However, the two relics from the Wintersun tribal hall do grab his attention. Many clans might take exception to their ancestral treasures being sold away by some “southerner” shopkeep, but in these trying times, just as many have traded theirs away of their own volition. In either case, it is not in his place to judge.
In the end, Ehren only purchases the most inconspicuous (and least expensive) item of the lot. While he does not usually care for mundane trinkets and baubles, even he has to admit that the hairpin is pleasing to the eye. Perhaps it would make a nice gift for a certain someone.
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Xander is pleased by the selection in the Dragon's Emporium, and spends a few extra minutes perusing. He is particularly tempted by the pearl of the sirines. It's expensive, sure, but it also provides pretty much full functionality in the water at the cost of merely a palm. However, he had come here with the intention of spending the money that he had already spent. It would not do to spend all of the group's cash on himself, even if it was on a pearl that could be handed off at will to whomever needed it.
He compliments Eramiel on the quality of his selection before leaving the shop. When he does, he drops five platinum pieces into the cup of the panhandler, along with a flier with information on Xanderghul's training programs in Drezen. "Consider it," he says quietly to the man, "A warm bed, a hot meal, and free education await. If not, consider spending this on a month's inn and some new clothes." Then he walks away, his cloak sweeping.
He stops by the bakery and gets not only chouquettes, but also a variety of scones and cookies for the rest of the group. Then he heads back to the menhir fort to meet up with the others.
Clan Wintersun descends from a proud lineage of warrior kellids. They refused to give up their roaming lands (they were nomadic, like many Sarkorian clans), and resisted the demons through the entirety of the First Crusade. In the Second Crusade, however, the demons overwhelmed them, driving them east. Ehren isn't sure what became of them after that.
Three hours later....
"YEAH!!! CHOUQUETTES!" Variska yells, pumping both fists into the air. She recognized the color of boxes Xanderghul was carrying as soon as he materialized in the center of the standing stones. She digs in while her boss conjures up a carriage for them to ride in.
The first day of travel is smooth and uneventful, as the heroes pass through the territory fully restored by the power of Mother Heartwood. The northern reaches include immense swaths of farmland, out to the extent of the Sword of Valor's influence. The legendary banner once carried into battle by Iomedae herself was kept at Citadel Drezen, and it warded the city and its surrounds from demonic teleportation, preventing unpleasant ambushes. Knowing the extent of its reaches could be life or death for a fleeing citizen or Crusader, so decorated flag posts mark its boundary lines out in the open fields.
They reach the end of the Sarkorian Plateau, but a simple wooden stair is available here for them to climb down to the bottom of the cliffs, making it much easier than it was trying to descend the plateau at its western edge. At the top of the stair is a Crusader-manned watch-tower, that keeps an eye on the lowlands to the north for demonic activity. The heroes pause here for Ary to meet with the troops, who have nothing noteworthy to report as of late. At the bottom of the stair, a small Desnan wayshrine sits, left behind by Valaria on one of her travels.
The heroes then proceed on foot, northwards towards the Lake Lost to the Sun, which sits in the distance. The lake is nearly ten miles across, and over thirty miles long. Despite the sunny sky its glassy surface is pitch black. Despite the breeze being rough enough to whip around the heroes' cloaks, its surface is perfectly still.
They had decided beforehand that they wanted to avoid disturbing whatever unpleasantness lurked within the lake, and instead granted it a wide berth as they turned eastwards to circle around it towards the Taranau Valley.
It isn't until the next day, then, that they leave the bounds of Mother Heartwood's influence. There is no grass here, just endless wasteland, and the temperature immediately climbs until the heroes no longer need to wear such heavy furs. Even before the Worldwound opened, this area was too cold for agriculture, and the strange influence of the nearby lake seemed to keep most animals away.
A few hours later, a horrific ashstorm suddenly sets in, with very little warning. The heroes were already on edge when the skies began to blacken - storms in the Worldwound could turn incredibly deadly extremely quickly. But Ehren was able to tuck them away into his sylvan hideaway, just as the winds started to kick up choking ash that got into the heroes' eyes, noses and mouths.
The ashstorm persists for a full twelve hours, seriously setting them back.
The next day is characterized by a horrifically oppressing heat wave, and the day after that, snow.
16 Gozran 4717
The terrain further north from the lake dips down into a natural valley that is nestled up against the Rimethirst Mountains. Before they even reach the valley, there is a noticeable change in vegetation. The husks of what were once enormous trees dot the landscape, but they mostly lack branches, and their surfaces are scaled - completely unlike the evergreen trees that grow this far north. The entire landscape is blanketed with a thin layer of freshly fallen snow that crunches beneath the conjured horses' hooves as they walk.
It is much too cold to be in the Taranau Valley. It never snowed here, only rain during the rainy season. Unafe knows that the supernatural warmth - a gift said to be given by Goryon the Wise, the greatest of the Demetae shamans - is necessary for the saurians to survive.
Within the valley there was once a lush forest, now only the withered husks of the largest trees remain, and rotting brown bushes and foliage grow along the forest floor. Draped along the trees are what appear to be vines from far away, but when viewed up close, are actually some sort of intestine, glistening, pulsing and twitching.
The dead and mutated foliage become too thick for the carriage to pass, and so the heroes have to continue forwards on foot. It's deathly quiet, until Valais breaks the silence with a sudden yelp - she nearly trips face forward on a branch protruding up from the snowy ground.
"Hey, Professor, look at this..." Valais says, pointing. It isn't a branch, but the tip of an enormous rib cage. She digs away at the soil around it, and finds that she can't reach the bottom for its enormous size.
"Wow. Is this a dragon?" asks Lann. He shoves away an enormous elephant-ear shaped leaf studded with wicked spikes and points to the right of the group: the top of a Tyrannosaurus skull is jutting out of the earth a few yards away.
Once noticed, more and more saurian bones become apparent, all somewhat obscured by the strange half-dead foliage coating the decaying forest floor. Like some sort of mass grave site.
Variska crosses her arms and scowls. Her familiar, a small arctic fox, keeps close to her feet. Variska didn't like forests. She had told Xanderghul as much several times before. And this one smelled bad, like rot and decaying things. "We should keep movin', I don't like this place. Anyways, what's the plan? How we doin' this? We can't be far from the Demetae camp, now. Should we send a few people in ahead of time, to scope out the place, or what?" she asks in hushed voice.
You are about an hour's walk away from the Demetae village.
Had things been right, there is no chance such a big group of loud Southerners would have gotten so far into Demetae territory without being found by the raptor-riding outriders charged with watching over the borderlands. Things are not even close to right.
When the group disembarks from the carriage, Xander casts false life and overland flight upon himself. Surely there will be trouble within nine hours, he reasons.
He crouches with Valais when she finds the massive bone. Then he directs her to sketch it. For Variska, he reserves a curt nod. "I agree, this place is... distressing." His gestures indicate the strange intestines wrapped around the trees. "These things are pretty typical for the Wound, which is distressing on its own."
He takes a moment to direct his followers. "Valais, document the conditions here. Variska, keep Valais safe. If either of you see anything unusual -- especially any other people -- alert the rest of us at once."
He gestures around. "Perhaps we split up, look for people? Or perhaps we circle the wagons. Set up camp, while Ehren and Unafe venture ahead alone to meet any potential locals."
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Unafe looks at the chouquettes with a mix of suspicion and fascination, but when she smells their intense sweetness she puts aside their strangeness and bites in. "Mmummph! Wow!! These awr welly goowd." she declares, while licking the cream off her lips. "This is a Southern thing?"
The closer to the Taranau Valley, the jumpier Unafe gets. When they get past the lake and into the valley proper, she mutters, "Na, nid yw hyn yn iawn. Nid yw'n oer yma. Mae bob amser yn wyrdd. Ni all y sawriaid dywydd hyn..."
Sicrwydd, sniffing the air from Unafe’s shoulder, is clearly disturbed as well.
To Variska's question: ”We’re about an hour’s walk from my home, at your pace.” Her ability to be patient with the speed of the Southerners is clearly losing out to rising anxiety--and a touch of desperate hope. It looks as though she might sprint ahead on her own. ”And everything’s wrong. We should’ve encountered patrols--saurian and human--on ground or in the sky.”
”Archdruid, perhaps you and I go ahead? We can travel faster, and warn the Demetae not to be alarmed by the Southerners. They will listen to a Two-Hearted warrior of the clan, and to the Archdruid, unless...unless they...” She trails off, shaking her head anxiously.
”...But if a patrol comes from behind, while we aren’t here to explain? Uuugh! Maybe...thank you for bringing me here, truly. You've been kind, but maybe you should all go now.”
Despite her words, she seems deeply ambivalent about the thought of being left alone at this point.
Grabbing the Archdruid's arm, Unafe demands, "Ble mae'r patrolau? dywedasoch fod y Demetae eto'n fyw!"
Hearing Xander's last suggestion, Unafe nods. "Perhaps that makes sense. You make camp here, and wait for the Archdruid to return. He and I can go and find my...what's left of my people. We can go faster, and we won't endanger you, if you stay in one of the Archdruid's Sylvan Hideaways like we did yesterday."
While Unafe is enjoying her chouquette, Hinagiku receives Ehren's gift with a smile which broaden as she looks at the embroidied flowers.
"I don't think I have ever seen those, do they grow to the south? They would look nice with Chrysantemums."
Hinagiku follows the others into the forest. Her amazement and sadness at its dismal states only grows as Variska's discovery is compounded by the huge skulls and bones they find on their path.
"I a concerned that the Demetae might find use while you are gone. And if they report this, the leaders might think that you have tried to hide use... perhaps it would be safer for all of use to go together and Ehren-kun and yourself to make the introductions. Nothing hidden, everything in plain sight."
While the others decide on their course of action, Hinagiku approaches one of the intestine covered three and genly brushes it with her hand, hoping she might glean something it is essence.
While the others slip away to do their shopping, Ary wastes no time heading off to inform her superiors about the change in plan - that Daisy had apparently been capable of the magic necessary. She then debriefs on what they learned about the fallen Erastillian cleric and the appearance of the blasphemy demon within her burial vault. Afterwards, she goes to fetch a small amount of bread - Variska having caused her stomach to desire her own comfort food - and then return to waiting in the central room for everyone else to return, paging through her notesbook.
* * *
The trip northward was precisely as expected. Things just got worse and worse the further they went... right up until the world itself began trying to kill them. Par for the course around here, really. She's careful, though, to watch how Unafe is reacting to all of it, knowing that she didn't know what to expect.
During the times that she is enclosed in the coach or the fey hideaway, she gives Unafe a crash course on all of the kinds of demons the group has fought, ensuring that she would have some semblance of knowledge of what to watch out for amongst the weaker demons, should they be attacked.
Each night, as everyone else is going to bed, Ary pauses and focuses... some part of her body transitioning from purely human to anthropomorphic animal. One day her legs extend to half again their normal size and her skin turns to a pallid yellow-green, and on yet another her gauntlet split between the fingertips to make room for webbing, a thin layer of fur growing across her body.
She looks deeply uncomfortable with the entire affair, but forces herself to use the appendages. Afterwards, she casts Keep Watch on the group to ensure someone would be awake to guard them in the unlikely event someone did manage to find them.
Even still, as they move past the Lake Lost to the Sun, her spirits return a bit higher. They were growing close to the place that Unafe called home... and close to whatever kept the place secret and safe. But the nearer they came to the valley, the more foreboding the entire area became... culminating in the understanding that all that was left here was death and rot. Still, there was the possibility that the Demetae yet maintained some safe space within the lands, that could be controlled and guarded.
If they had truly been nearly wiped out, then their numbers wouldn't be nearly powerful enough to maintain a large guard. But, the conversation with Nurah had left a slight nagging feeling in the back of her mind - if the Demetae had retreated to a place nations away, who were these that claimed the lands? And who would have remained even within all of this decay? As Unafe reacts as Ary had expected her to, she doesn't meet the woman's eyes, instead watching Hinagiku move to one of the trees.
Ary was fairly certain at this point that the Demetae that remained did not worship the green.
As Hinagiku asks her question, Ary begins to search around the ground to see any signs of passing, heeding Unafe's warning of the likelihood of patrols. "I honestly don't know the best course of action here, but if Unafe believes her people will react poorly to our existence here, we should trust her." she says, looking up from the ground to look at Ehren. She just had to trust him - and Unafe - to be able to get to safety quickly should things go awry. And amongst Ary's allies, the person who had always shown himself to be most capable of avoiding harm, clubs not-withstanding, had been Ehren.
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Ehren inspects the surrounding death and decay with a deep frown, brushing the exposed tyrannosaur skull with his hand. He had grown up with tales of the Demetae's lands, of their fierce protectors and the tropical warmth they lived in, in defiance of its place in the cold north. None of that is here now. The druid is immeasurably disappointed, but he is hardly surprised.
The writhing ruin that is the Worldwound taints everything that it touches, without exception. That is an unfortunate reality that Unafe would realize, soon enough. He tries not to wince when the Two-Hearted warrior grabs his arm, wanting to weather her desperation and confusion with the patience she deserves.
"Ni wn, Unafe. Ond wedi'r holl amser hwn, mae'n debygol eu bod yn llawer llai o ran nifer. Ni allant amddiffyn eu tiroedd mor drylwyr ag y gwnaethant unwaith," he reasons, but it is abundantly clear that he does not speak with any degree of certainty. Even so, he tries to give her a reassuring smile. "Nid ydym yn mynd i'ch gadael chi yma. Ddim fel hyn."
Gently pulling away from Unafe's grasp, Ehren steps out a bit further and pinches the bridge of his nose slightly, casting a bit of his extrasensory magic. He then looks to the ground, searching for any signs of recent passage. He listens to everyone's suggestions on what to do next, trying to determine what their next course of action should be. Under ordinary circumstances, it would be appropriate for him to go on ahead with Unafe, to meet with the clan on their own. However...
"I believe we should proceed together," he says in agreement with Hinagiku, looking to Unafe. "With us at the fore, if your people remember the old ways, then they should at least hesitate to attack. I would not risk the possibility of the Demetae discovering my friends without us at their side. And... your people may no longer be the only ones residing in these lands."
.
The trip up is uneventful and enjoyable, at least until they begin to pass the lake. Running alongside the carriage, Isilme takes pleasure in the journey itself, something she had not had the luxury of in a long time.
Even though Drezen and its surrounds had become significantly less dangerous, and the group had less emergencies to deal with, her duties as Spymaster and time spent with Ai'sintar had quickly expanded to fill up whatever time might have been freed. Between that and Ehren's ability to port them to menhirs, Isilme had little call for travel that wasn't as quick and short as possible.
Upon leaving the protection of Heartwood, and on the far side of the rather eerie lake they were bypassing, the worldwound provided a reminder of exactly how lucky they were to have successfully cleansed the her. Thankfully the group was far more capable these days, and with Ehren's magic there was no need to venture into hag-infested barrows for shelter from the abyssal weather.
The days that follow allow them further progress, albeit miserably, and their arrival at the valley with its dead trees and skeletons boded poorly for the remainder of their time up here.
As they move nto the valley and abandon their carriage due to the thicker foliage, Isilme joins Xanderghul in preparing, making use of her armor's overland flight spell.
She listens to the back and forth about how best to proceed, and thinks it over for a moment before contributing to the discussion.
"I agree that we should proceed together. There is plenty of reason to believe that their scouts may find us here, and that if they do, it will end up in a fight. Better for us to approach as a group as Ehren suggests."
"Parting ways here would be a mistake, Unafe. While these are no doubt your people, the worldwound and demonic forces have changed a lot of people. There are other Kellid tribes who fell in with the demons, or worked hard to avoid any interaction with the outside world so as to avoid the demonic presence entirely. Clan member or not, whomever rules your tribe now might not look kindly upon those arriving from outside given the chance it might upset whatever order they'd managed."
Unafe nods (and seems a bit relieved, perhaps, that the Southerners aren't leaving her yet).
"Then I will lead on. Archdruid, it is your right to be at the fore beside me." Unafe casually grows into her hybrid form, and starts to lead the way forward. "It's OK to have weapons in your hands, but please: My people may well take your presence as a sign of aggression, especially if they don't recognize that I am Two-Hearted--or the Archdruid's crown, as I did.
"So understand, if they greet you with aggression, know that they may simply believe they are responding in kind to your tresspass. Promise me...promise that you'll allow me to speak, before you harm them." If any are left. If they haven't been corrupted by foul demons and witchery. If...
Unafe shudders again and then walks ahead, Sicrwydd on her shoulder. Both have an uneasy edge to them as they walk further into the valley.
Xander accepts Unafe's decision without complaint or argument. He merely directs his followers to take frequent samplings and follows along. He keeps a wary eye on the trees for anything that might ambush them, his staff in his hand and his other hand empty.
The loamy forest ground is soft and retains tracks rather easily. Exploring around, Ehren notices many prints that seem to belong to small reptilian creatures traveling in groups.
There is nothing in this unnatural tree but rot and corruption.
While the others discuss their approach, Valais sketches and takes notes on the saurian bones, and also of the unique corrupted plant life that lived here. She reaches for a banana fruit - a thing she had only seen for sale in Absalom - with a gloved hand, but upon grazing its flesh it wilts and starts to ooze blackened, rotting fruit. She wrinkles her nose at the smell.
Unafe and Ehren then take the lead ahead of the group as they walk out for the final hour towards the Demetae village. Thirty minutes pass until...
It's hard not to notice the sudden appearance of the fresh tracks of some sort of enormous bird-like creature. The prints are at least five feet long - a gargantuan creature.
This is a Therizinosaurus, or, in the Demetae dialect of Hallit, a Bladuraderyn (literally - Scythe-Bird). They look like this and are gentle herbivores. The scythes are for cleaving through underbrush to eat.
"Edrychwch yma, mae'r traciau hyn yn ffres," Ehren says suddenly, kneeling down and gesturing to the large prints on the ground. Despite having heard the stories, he is not nearly familiar enough with saurians to know what kind they might belong to. Fortunately, they had Unafe with them. "Rhaid i'r creadur hwn fod yn hollol enfawr. Ydych chi'n gwybod beth ydyw?"
Isilme trains her attention on their surrounds while Ehren investigates some tracks he'd apparently found. She does a quick circle around the group looking for any signs they might be being observed by the residents of the valley. After all, they'd successfully ambushed and wiped out trained scouts from Drezen, it was best to assume they had lookouts stationed and had spotted the group already.
Unafe's heart leaps as she sees the gargantuan tracks. With tears in her eyes, she looks at her gen cain companion and exclaims. "Sicrwydd, edrych! Bladuraderyn, yn fyw!"
Turning to the Archdruid and his companions, she explains, "It's a Bladuraderyn! You might call it a scythe-bird. They're herbivores, not threatening, though like with any large saurian it's best not to startle it. Their blade-like claws might look intimidating, but they mostly use them to cut through the underbrush.
"Oh, they're alive! Come, quick!!"
After having fallen into a more tense, defeated gate, the sign of a Bladuraderyn nearly puts a skip in her massive, muscled step.
The plant growth is thick here. The heroes are surrounded on all sides by thick, dense underbrush.
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Ary was much less excited at the prospect of a giant, gentle creature than Unafe... given a history of fighting plagued Aurochs... but she doesn't have the heart to suggest to Unafe that the creature may now use those same blades for a very different purpose. Especially given that the trees were now fleshy.
As they walk into the direction of the Demetae village, Hinagiku whisper through the spell that links them all:"Everyone, the trees and wines are corrupted, but I do not believe they are dangerous... except to eat."
Then, hearing Unafe's call, Hinagiku makes her way from the back of the group to the front. Here eyes grow slightly wider in surprise at the sight of the giant print in the ground. Kneeling besides Ehren-kun she takes time to appreciate the size of the print.
"They must really be impressive." she softly says. And, with that said, Hinagiku lays an open palm into the trace on the ground. Closing her eyes, she focuses on the wisdom of Body Outside Body. If she had understood correctly, the essence of a being could linger were they have been. So perhaps she could peer into the essence of the Saurian despite it being gone. With that in mind, she lets the sensations from her palm slowly occupy her mind, letting them form an image of the creature that had been there.
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Xanderghul's eyebrows go up when Ehren and Unafe mention the appearance of a huge beast. When Hinagiku kneels to inspect it's print, he takes a few steps forward to peer curiously into the undergrowth. "Somehow I don't look around at the flesh-forest and feel encouraged by the appearance of a scythe-bird," he drawls. "But, I suppose let's continue. We rarely do anything other than leaping headfirst into danger, am I right?"
As they get closer to the expected encounter with the Demetae, Xanderghul casts additional magic. He cloaks his mind with illusory enchantments, tricking himself, in a way, into greater mental performance. He wasn't planning on missing anything important. "Now let's get a move on," he adds. "We've got some demonic dinos to meet."
Unafe doesn't get very far ahead of the group before the heroes can hear the loud thud, thud, thud of something enormous trudging through the vegetation. They can hear the rustling of vegetation as it comes closer, then a loud, booming, squawking noise, like that of an incredibly low-pitched duck.
Hinagiku glimpses in her mind's eye an enormous creature that looks like this, except its eyes burn a glowing, crimson red. Thick gobs of drool ebb from its open mouth, and its hide looks diseased - it is missing patches of feathers, like it is molting. Its claws are bone white and wicked sharp, and a line of sharp spikes crest down its back and its tail.
Ehren can understand the voice of the saurian.
"Where are you? I'm going to find you..."
At the edges of your vision, Unafe can see a glimpse of the head of the massive Bladuraderyn just through the trees. It seems to have not noticed you just yet. It is squawking loudly and sniffing at the air. Its eyes are a glowing, crimson red color.
Unafe recalls Bladuraderyns as sort of similar to enormous hens. Enormous and gentle, but not particularly intelligent. The enormous unfertilized eggs they leave everywhere are extremely delicious.
Surprise Round!
Battlemap is up to date.
Red eyes?
Unafe’s pleasure at seeing a great saurian still living in this too-cold place is short lived, and the odd sight causes her to tense somewhat. What’s the matter with you, big girl?
Something in her feels like attacking, but she quiets it. This is my cousin. Let me give her a chance.
Unafe steps toward the gargantuan saurian, saying, ”Hei yno, un addfwyn. Rwy'n ffrind.”
1. Ary (25)
2. Hinagiku (18)
3. Isilme (16)
4. Variska (16)
5. Valais (13)
6. Therizinosaurus (12)
7. Ehren (9)
8. Unafe (8)
9. Xanderghul (7)
10. Lann (2)
Reptiles cannot survive in the cold. But abyssal-tainted creatures can easily survive extreme heat and extreme cold.
As Unafe moves closer to the enormous bird-like creature, it becomes more and more clear how wrong it is. It looks diseased, large patches of bare skin exposed where feathers had molted off in clumps. Thick strings of drool dribble down from its open mouth, and its enormous scythe-like front talons are twice the size of any Bladuraderyn she had ever seen. Its eyes blaze crimson red, and a crest atop its head flares upwards, revealing wicked spikes cresting down its neck and back along its vertebrae, each formed of exposed white bone. It squawks angrily at Unafe - the honking nose it makes would be comical, were its claws not each the size of a fully grown human.
"MEAT."
Round 1!
Ary, Hinagiku, Isilme, and Valais are up!
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Valais cranes her neck to see ahead, but there are too many trees and ferns and other plants in the way. Forging ahead through them was possible, but it would take forever, and she might not get a look at this demonic dinosaur before it had been killed.
Unacceptable. She pulls herself together, drawing on the Heavenly magic she had been infused with. Angels were able to teleport, and so was she. She could bypass the difficulty of the terrain and move directly to the fore.
She appears right next to Unafe without incident, her notebook and inkpen in hand, ready.
As she had predicted, it was only a matter of time before they ran into something, though she had expected scouts from Demetae. The thunderous stomping audibly approaching them led her to believe that this was likely one of the large 'saurians' that they'd observed the skeletons of earlier.
Isilme drifts forward above the undergrowth, drawing her enchanted rapier and moving up alongside Ehren. She then quickly imbues her weapon with magic as she comes to a stop.
Not wanting to risk provoking whatever the creature was with song or spell, she opts to wait for Unafe or the creature to make the first move. "I will aid us should you decide to attack Unafe," she says, preparing to use her bardic magic to bolster her allies.
Ary and Hinagiku are up!
Unsettled by the creature's voice, Ehren follows after Unafe, pushing his way through the dense foliage. When he first lays his eyes on the massive saurian, his eyes widen first with wonder, and then disgust. There was obviously something terribly wrong with the poor creature. The druid thinks to years back, recalling a time that they encountered diseased, flesh-eating herbivores. Could this be the same affliction?
"Be careful, Unafe. This creature is not following its nature," he warns, sensing the hunger in its voice.
At this distance, Ehren cannot tell if the creature is undead or not (Plagued Beasts are all undead.) The easiest way to tell is by how it bleeds, undead creatures tend to exude a thick, coagulated goo, rather than fresh blood.
"I... don't think normal dinosaurs will have been able to survive this weather." Ary whispers to the others as she slips easily through the forest. Her stance moves from wide to tall as she does so, dipping between trees. "I won't be able to properly guard anyone in here, so be careful... if I can see it, I'll try to 'talk' it down, but I don't like my odds."
"It's very likely to be highly resistant to weapons that aren't good-aligned, as well as heat and cold. Whoever it focuses on first should try to get away in order to prevent it from using its abyssal focus to its full extent." she continues... but doesn't quite reach where she would need to to be able to see it, so she moves forward to be nearer to Ehren, more out of force of habit than any ability to actually defend him.
Variska slaps her face as her ward teleports out of her ability to protect her. She curses to herself softly as she slowly trudges through the thick forest towards Xanderghul. She hated forests. She perks up as she hears the creature honk angrily up ahead, and tries to pick up her pace.
The saurian rushes forward at Unafe. Ehren reacts quickly, but finds it is difficult to aim at a giant demonic bird-lizard rushing through the trees: his conjured acid sears a hole through a fern-like tree ahead, which gives out a wail akin to a baby crying. All the while Isilme begins her oration unfazed.
The feathered saurian lashes out at Unafe with one of its scythe-like talons, the blades simply slicing through the small brushes and trees that are in its way.
Round 2!
The Heroes Are Up!
Isilme works her way around to the side, using the trees to her advantage and launching off them to try to avoid the saurian's attacks. Once she closes in, she launches herself off a tree to attack the creature with her rapier, but the vines on the tree wrap around her foot maliciously at the last second, causing her to tumble through the air.
As this perversion of a saurian steps closer, Unafe gasps with horror and disgust.
She grabs a clump of feathers, punches, and tries to grapple the corrupted Bladuraderyn.
Xanderghul floats forward, his progress impeded by the thick foliage. Still, he gets close enough to view the creature and its terrible attack upon Unafe. While he doesn't place extremely high importance on the survival of such a new friend, he remains concerned that such a large and powerful creature remains among his friends and allies.
It also would not do to exhaust resources at such an early juncture. There were sure to be more powerful and difficult foes to destroy later in the day, so Xanderghul simply raises his hands. From his body radiates cosmic healing energy. The energy surrounds his friends and takes note of their current state. Xander then would be able to concentrate and return their condition to its current state. If the therizinosaurus managed to land another hit, he would be able to reverse the damage with time.
"UNAFE!" he shouts, "Move away! Let it shift its focus to Hinagiku or Ary! It's smited you!"
Valais cowers before the immense creature. She knows that if she tries to move away, it will strike out in retaliation. If the blow that carved into Unafe was any indication, it would quickly be able to kill her. Instead of attempting to retreat, she hunkers down into a defensive posture and radiates an aura of space manipulation. If the creature attempted to strike at her, she would be able to use physical magic to avert the strike.
She watches the battle between Unafe and the dinosaur carefully, attempting to record every detail in her memory for her notes.