"Tomorrow my companions and I intend to face Scorizscar in battle. I already know your feelings on the matter, but this is not a foe we can afford to ignore. Not if your people, our people, are to be safe. Should Marhevok wake in our absence, can you convince him to wait for us?"
“Likewise, I do not have much power left at all,” Ehren says to Hinagiku, having expended much of his power during their foray into Delamere’s tomb. The intervening days had not left him much time to recover. ”We should fight the beast in broad daylight, in any case. We will need every advantage we can muster.”
"Unafe, where are the mithral mines? Are they within a day's reach?" he asks the new Demetae clan-liege, aware of how sensitive this information is. "Even if we do not intend to face the dragon there, she might not leave us with much choice. Or, if she has any sense, it will be where she flees to when wounded."
Towards the end of the discussion, Ehren hesitates before speaking up again.
”There is one more thing,” he starts pensively, reaching into his pocket. He withdraws the sapphire blue tincture they found just after reclaiming Citadel Drezen. ”There is not a doubt in my mind that we will succeed… but it might not be without a cost. If Scorizscar can truly unmake reality, then should one of us fall in battle, there might be nothing left to raise. But with this, we have… insurance.” Ehren frowns. Needless to say, contemplating the potential deaths of his friends is making him uncomfortable. ”We should all leave something behind. Locks of hair, or the like. Should the worst happen, this oil should be sufficient to bring them back.”
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Xanderghul attends the discussion meeting before going to bed. He knows his part -- enhance Ary, Unafe, and Hinagiku's ability to dish out the hurt and hope they are able to do so fast enough. He nods acknowledgment at the possibility that one or more of them wouldn't be walking away from this encounter. "I agree, there is a strong possibility of somebody's death," he adds. "And unless I am the only dead, that oil is getting used on someone else, so I wouldn't bother trying to raise me if that's the case."
He elects not to leave behind bits of himself in case of reincarnation. "Let's all try not to get sucked into the Maw of the Abyss, yeah?" he adds. "It's more important that we live than it is we kill the creature. If we die, Drezen loses its protectors. I somehow doubt Irabeth and Lymirin could hold the fort forever."
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Unafe nears the end of her chanted prayers--anguish flowing through her in waves--when she hears a woman's voice whispering.
What? Find Dolok Darkscale? That older man--what was his name?--mentioned that somehow Dolok remained by their side even once Old Aye had joined the ancestors! Where is he now?
Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of someone approaching loudly. She immediately tenses.
A clumsy ambush? Oh!
Her tension fades to confusion as the Crusader approaches. Unafe listens to her words, and looks at the eggs, and bursts into tears again. "Thank you, thank you! These eggs...I...Old Aye used to teach that when Goryon the Wise first led us to this valley, she breathed life into ancient bones, much like these eggs. It is good you brought them to me.
"...And I think that's good advice. I feel I must get back to my clan soon but, well, as it happens...see that pile of rubble over there? It used to be a statue with two faces--one of Goryon and another of Dolok Darkscale, her Tyrannosaurus companion--and it watched over this field, where we used to hold our larger ceremonies. At the time, it was beautifully ornamented with mithral filigree. There's nothing to be done about the mithral today, and I can see that it was looted crudely from the statue, but perhaps if we worked together we could get it more-or-less back together. That would be a comfort."
After a few false starts, and a good bit of sweat, Unafe steps back and a slight smile creeps onto her face. "Yes, that'll do for now. Thank you." She lays her hand on the Crusader's back.
When they get back together, she nods at Isilme's advice. "That seems wise, thank you."
It would take your group about three hours to reach the mines on foot, almost due north of the Demetae settlement.
Caitlyn nods in response to the Archdruid's request. "Rydych chi'n iawn, nid Marhevok yw'r math i fod eisiau gorffwys yn hir. Ond byddaf yn ei orfodi i aros yma ac adfer, hyd yn oed os yw'n cwyno."
The kellid with the Crusader's Cross strapped to his back thinks for a moment before replying, "Rydw i eisiau "bastard sword", fel maen nhw'n ei ddweud yn Taldane."
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Guarding Isilme during her prayer had prevented Hinagiku from following Ary after her tense discussion with Ehren and Caitlyn. She had hoped to find her when she had finally left the roundhouse, but the commander was already gone. When she finally returns, Hinagiku finishes distributing the food before silently joining Ary in burying the dead. However, the monk clearly struggles to drag the bodies as she lacks Ary’s strength. Despite this, she does her best to help. And, when all bodies are interred and Ary is done with her prayer, she recites her own, hoping to help them rest.
The endearing care displayed by Ehren as he plans for the worst is met by a gentle smile from Hinagiku. She changes back into her human shape and, after tying a lock of her hair with a lace, she leans forward, presenting it to the druid. ”Please take it and let go of your worries. ”
After the meeting is over, Hinagiku makes her way to the door of the roundhouse by which she sits in the lotus position; if her companions did not have the inner strength to recover their centre, then she needed to, for the sake of protecting them if the woundwyrm decided to attack during then night. She closes her eyes and slowly lets her inner ocean join with the flow of the world. As the power of the earth fills her mind, it settles the small ripples of the ocean that had slowly accumulated through the day.
Hinagiku spends the rest of the evening and night keeping guard, taking only a single hour of sleep after Xanderghul wakes up.
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As everyone else in the settlement prepares to bed down for the night, Ehren wanders off on his own, searching for a vacant patch of land near the longhouse. On any other night, he would seek out Ary or Hinagiku and talk things over. Both are likely to be at the forefront of the battle, against a monster who could erase their very existence… and they are both people that he cares for very much. But as worried as he is about them, his time would be better spent doing what he can to avert any tragedy before it happens.
Finding a satisfactory spot, Ehren waves his hand, casting the sylvan hideaway spell he had been using to provide his companions with shelter. He has no one to hide from tonight, but for his purposes, it would work fine. At the very least, seclusion would certainly make his task a little easier. After closing the earthen portal behind him, Ehren makes his way down the short passage, using an orison to light his way. Left to his own devices, he has only his thoughts to accompany him.
He thinks back to the anger he felt when Marhevok ordered his and his friends’ deaths, and how willing he was to wipe the ancient clan off the face of the earth. The former clan-liege’s willingness to forsake his own people and the clan’s willingness to forsake themselves had sickened him to the core. It was so easy to judge them for their weakness.
But truthfully, they were not so different from the rest of his people. Wounded pride, misplaced anger, a lost legacy, a broken dream… all things that made them entirely too easy to manipulate. Under Unafe’s leadership, he is all but certain that a bright future awaited the Demetae. Before they can do that, however, they would need to restore their hope. For starters, the dragon holding them hostage would have to die.
They are fortunate indeed to know so much about their enemy before facing them. One night is a woefully insufficient amount of time to prepare for such a formidable foe, but it is time enough for him to make one key preparation. After a short walk, he reaches the main chamber, modified in such a way that there are no beds and no pillar at the room’s center - only a raised dais. The druid climbs atop it and settles down into a meditative position. He has a long night ahead of him.
Reaching into his pouch, Ehren takes out one of the blocks of incense they had recovered from the Bishop family’s tomb in Sesker’s Gully. He eyes it closely and sniffs at it slightly, hoping that its magic will work the way it is supposed to. He will need all the power he can get if he is to be of any use against Scoriszar. He sets the cube of incense down in a small indent and then sets it aflame - immediately, curls of fragrant, pearly-hued smoke fill the air. Ehren breathes in deeply, half-expecting to cough and sputter. Instead, the smoke enters his lungs as easily as air, an indescribably pleasant and invigorating aroma. He closes his eyes and relaxes, not quite going to sleep, but allowing his consciousness to go still.
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When Unafe gets back, she calls for all the Demetae to sleep together, in the Hall of the Ancestors.
As they gather, she catches the eye of the older warrior she'd spoken with on their arrival. "Fe wnaethoch chi siarad yn blaen â mi ar ôl cyrraedd. Diolch am hynny. Os gwelwch yn dda, mae gen i gais arall: a oeddech chi'n fyw pan oedd Dolok Darkscale yn dal i amddiffyn y Demetae? Neu a oes unrhyw un yma a oedd? Hoffwn wybod yn iawn beth ddigwyddodd iddo, a lle roedd ei esgyrn yn gorwedd."
Once the whole clan are together, she says, "Tra cefais fy ngharcharu, rydych chi wedi byw gyda phoen mawr am gyfnod rhy hir. Byddwn yn dweud celwydd i ddweud y byddai hynny i gyd yn newid ar unwaith. Rwyf wedi gweld digon o'r Clwyf hwn yn y Byd i wybod ein bod ni mewn ymladd hir.
“Byddaf yn addo ichi wneud fy ngorau glas i'ch cadw'n ddiogel. Mae rhan o hynny yn golygu aros yma yn y tŷ crwn hwn am y noson, a pheidio â chrwydro ymhell tra byddaf i, yr Archesgob, a'i ffrindiau'n mynd i hela'r wyrm drwg sy'n stelcian gerllaw. Hyd nes y byddwn yn llwyddo, rwy'n amau y bydd y wyrm yn gwneud ymdrech i adael Cwm Taranau yn drychineb. Unwaith y byddwn yn ôl, fe'ch arweiniaf at ras Mama Calongoed lle mae ffrwythau'n dal i faethu yn lle llygru cnawd.
“Yn y cyfamser, mae gen i addewid arall hefyd. Byddaf yn eich cyfarwyddo, hyd eithaf fy ngallu, yn y llwybr a osododd Goryon the Wise pan arweiniodd hi gyntaf i Gwm Taranau ... ac fe basiodd hynny ataf mewn llinell ddi-dor, gan groesi milenia."
With that, Unafe begins to sing.
Her first song is an epic called The Three Gifts of Goryon and it teaches of their founding shaman's three greatest gifts: the Valley, the Saurians, and the Mithral. It tells of how Goryon the Wise first led the Demetae to the Taranau Valley, how she caused the earth to warm and blossom with her passing. It tells of how she called forth the saurians from the earth, and taught the Demetae that the saurians were their cousins to protect, and live in harmony with. Finally, it tells of how Goryon showed the Demetae how to extract mithral from the mountain, and how to use just what they needed for holy work and sacred armaments. The song promises that as long as the Demetae hold to her teachings: to remember that all life is ultimately born of the soil beneath their feet, and therefore any perceived differences between living things were merely superficial, that Goryon would forever watch over them. And in times of need, Goryon's spirit would find those most worthy of her presence, and would return to the Demetae as the Two-Hearted One, to lead them whenever they had fallen astray.
After she finishes that song, Unafe is silent for a long minute. After soaking in the silence, she says she has one more short song to offer, one Old Aye learned from the Autumn King, about Mama Calongoed:
"Pawb sy'n plannu o dan ei boughs euraidd /
A fydd yn medi bounty y Grîn /
Mama Calongoed, Mama Calongoed /
Tynnwch fy nagrau i ffwrdd.”
”Cysgu'n dda fy mherthynas, a breuddwydio am Mama Calongoed. Yfory, gofynnaf ichi ddal yn dynn, a gweddïo ar ein cyndeidiau fy mod i a'm cynghreiriaid yn fuddugol dros y wyrm cythraul. Yna rydyn ni'n teithio gyda'n gilydd, i le lle gallwch chi wella a dysgu ... er mwyn i ni ddychwelyd Cwm Taranau un diwrnod yn fuan i'w gynhesrwydd a'i lawnder, a chyd-fyw unwaith eto gyda'r sawriaid cysegredig.”
Is it really possible? Old Aye would say yes. Me? I’m just going to have to try and believe.
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Ary chews her lip for a moment as the kitsune monk adds her own prayers, before nodding to her. "Thank you, Daisy. I... needed the company for this. It was my burden to bear, but it's nice to have people to help carry it."
Ary simply nods her response to him, appearing a bit distant, "Byddaf yn gweld iddo fod un yn cael ei ddarganfod neu ei wneud."
As Unafe breaks into a smile for the first time in what felt like hours, Ary can't help but smile back. It was good that not everything was terrible and pointless in this trip. "So, do you believe Ehren may be able to do something with the stones, then?"
She looks to the statue that Unafe suggests and appears hesitant, at first. "I... that seems like quite delicate work, and I'm hardly artistic in that sense. But... yeah, sure. We can try to at least maneuver it back to where it is meant to be. If we have a few spare moments after the fight with the dragon tomorrow, maybe we can have Isilme or someone else restore some of the broken bits and pieces. Just tell me which direction it's supposed to face... and if I start to put the wrong bits in the wrong places."
When they finally return to the camp, Ary moves about, finding out where the others have gone. Xanderghul's camp is easy to find, Isilme and Hinagiku as well, Unafe is right where she was left... that just left Ehren who has mysteriously disappeared. Ultimately, her short-lived search is fruitless, and she sees to it that her friends are safe throughout the night. When she spots Caitlyn, she pauses, and then crosses the threshold into the room Ehren had transformed into an infirmary. She speaks quietly so as not to disturb the others in the room, but it is clear that her focus is on the kellid woman who stayed by the ex-chief's side. Her words are slow and steady, carefully chosen from what the Crusader speaks of Hallit, "Rwy'n gallu hud a fydd yn caniatáu ichi aros yn effro heb fod angen gorffwys am y noson, er mwyn ichi fod yn effro ac wrth ei ochr pan fydd yn deffro. Hoffech chi imi ei rannu gyda chi?"
17 Gozran 4717
The difference in air pressure is slight - but you can feel it in the back of yours eyes and in your jaw. There is a storm coming.
The night before Ary had found Caitlyn already asleep, half-obscured under a heap of thick furs, her head resting on Marhevok's chest. He was visibly getting better already. The disgusting yellow and purple bruises Unafe had covered his body with were starting to heal, at least from what was visible underneath the bandages protecting his broken ribs.
That rate of healing is superhuman (or maybe one of your friends helped him out).
By morning the temperature had risen to the mid 50s (~13 C). Roiling violet clouds obscure the sun, and a fierce wind was shaking the Demetae's hastily constructed roundhouses. The kellids do not dare to go outside, fearing the wrath of the demonic saurians that no one was brave enough to watch over without Marhevok goading them to do so. But when Unafe goes out to check in the morning, she finds that they had all escaped back into the jungle, save for a stegosaur, that had succumbed to its wounds. A few small raptors are outside feasting on its corpse, though they squack and shriek at Unafe's approach and take off running for the treeline.
Lann, Variska, and Valais had all camped with Xanderghul, constructing a set of well-made tents some distance away from the Hall of Ancestors. Valais had just emerged from her tent (she was a heavy sleeper), to find Lann working through his morning drills and exercises.
"Yikes, it's windy out here!" Valais yelps as her long hair goes flying. She hastily pulls out a leather strap to tie it up. "Glad these Crusader-made tents are built to withstand just about anything...."
Xanderghul rises early -- nearly as early as Hinagiku. He spends an hour carefully poring over his book and his scrolls, knowing that today the group would foolishly set out in search of death. He would do what he could to stave it off. Maybe he would land a solid blow on the Woundwyrm as well, if he was lucky.
Following his spell preparation, he would find a rock or something else that could look out over the landscape. He sits cross-legged on that rock for awhile in the night, practicing his attention. Xanderghul gets to watch the sunrise, and he participates in rousing the others for their day of action.
The first thing he does is give instruction to his underlings.
"Variska, Valais, I want you to get these people ready to go. Determine what can be brought and what can be left behind. Help pack things onto carts if you can. If we don't return, you'll want to push the others to set out before the day gets too ripe."
He tells Variska where she can find the reward he promised her -- Chorussina's spellbook. "Your arcane studies are still important to focus on, even if your teacher has passed. Hopefully you can decipher the book and use it to accelerate your learning."
Then he goes to meet with the others. A meeting that, given the intense winds, probably takes place inside the crowded longhouse.
"So..." he begins, "Where are we going to look for this Woundwyrm? And are we all ready to go?"
After eight hours of relaxed meditation amid the holy incense, Ehren's mind stirs, quickened by his body's own natural rhythm. For another hour he remains much like he was before, only this time in conscious communion with the Green. As is always the case in the Worldwound, despite the rot and corruption present on these lands, he has no trouble drawing on the raw essence of nature to fuel his magic. He can feel the sheer power that his spells will carry today, each of them elevated to their maximal potential. Hopefully, it would be enough.
Ehren finally emerges from his hideaway feeling invigorated, his clothing still carrying faint traces of the pleasant aroma. He rolls his neck around and sniffs at the air, his cloak billowing in the strong wind.
The first thing the druid does is seek out Lann, catching him in the middle of his exercises. He smiles at him pleasantly, waiting patiently for him to wrap up.
"Lann, I'm not your commanding officer, but I think that Ary would agree that you should stay here and await our return," Ehren tells him frankly. He retrieves a small cloth bundle from his pouch - containing the locks of hair he had collected from everyone sans Xanderghul, as well as the bottled oil of life - and holds it out to the underfolk crusader. "You should hold onto this until we return. No one plans to die on this dragon hunt, but it won't do us any good if this ends up going down the beast's gullet."
After sorting out the details of his little contingency plan, Ehren joins the others.
"The mithral mines are our only lead," Ehren replies, all but certain that Scoriszar has chosen to lair there. "But there is still the question of how to lure her out."
Xander grins cheekily. "I could play bait again," he says with a chuckle. "Though I suspect this creature is somewhat more dangerous than bulettes."
Unafe's lip tightens as she sees the angry, purple sky This too has happened to our world? In how many ways can it be broken?
She shoos off the scavenging raptors, muttering to herself. If--with the aid of our ancestors--we ever bring back the saurians, I'll surely have to hunt down the lot of these twisted mockeries.
To Xander's question, Unafe replies, "As the Archdruid says, unless the Tender of Dreams has given Isilme some other clue, I believe we must head to the mines. I would see how they've fared, at any rate; they are part of my sacred obligation. The dragon clearly comes first though. We can decided how to approach the mines once we arrive...assuming it doesn't ambush us on our way there.
"Now, while the others prepare, I must see to Marhevok. I don't know if he's returned to the realm of the living yet, but if he is it's important that I tell him myself that I am Clan-Liege now, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
With that, Unafe goes off to the makeshift infirmary. If he's awake...
Having stood guard outside pretty much all night long, Hinagiku had witnessed the escape of the saurians without much concern; the beasts would be better off in what passed as nature in the Wound.
As her allies awaken, she greets each of them with a gentle good morning and, to Ary and to Unafe she adds: "I have been meditating most of the night on the fight that is to come, thinking about the techniques I have been practicing. There is one that would allow me to redirect its acid attack from anyone near me, so, when we see this creature, please keep to my side."
When everyone convenes, Hinagiku stays mainly silent, simply nodding in affirmative when inspecting the mines is mentioned.
Xanderghul nods acknowledgment to Unafe. "I agree. We should go and look, and then decide what to do once we've seen."
He stands from where he was crouching. "I am ready to go now. When we get close, we can send somebody in to check and see if the beast is indeed inside. I have prepared a fly spell today, and if we're lucky the creature's reliance on tremorsense should help an agile scout avoid detection. Once we've established the field of battle, I have several spells I can cast to help."
Ary doesn't seem to bothered by the fact that Caitlyn is asleep - she simply goes about her business. She takes a small amount of time, across from Hinagiku, digging through her bags and pulling a few things out.
* * *
As the others - save Hinagiku - awaken, Ary has just arisen from her morning prayers and has taken out her notebook, digging through it and reading snippets. She crosses out a bit here and there, and makes a small note nearby as she goes. The goggles are still down, covering the top portion of her face. As a result, she doesn't even notice that the clouds are an unusual color.
She crosses over to meet Hinagiku for a moment, and attempts to hand her a vial that they had collected in the underdark. "In case it's needed in a pinch."
Ary arrives shortly behind Ehren, "In fact, as your commanding officer... listen to the Archdruid." she says, offering him a small, playful smile. "But on that note..." she says, heaving both of her heavier packs off, "I'm going to need you to keep these safe. I'll feel somewhat naked without them, but they're the most valuable things I can do without. There is a wand that someone is likely to be able to use that should buy some time against any predators that we run into by causing the surrounding vegetation to grasp at them. There's some food, some healing potions, invisibility potions, and Crusader Crosses. If I don't make it back, please see to it that the Crusader's Crosses do." Her smile fades a bit as she continues, "Likewise, please exchange a bastard sword for the Crusader Cross that the Demetae man carries. It belongs to a friend."
Isilme spends some time pondering what spells to prepare for their excursion to deal with the worm the next day. Ideally she would have the information from the second divination she planned to do in the morning for preparing the spells, but the timing of things being as they were, that would be impossible. Instead she prepares all the spells she can to bolster her allies and protect them from the threat posed by the woundwyrm. In addition, she memorizes clarion call just in case the same strategy that worked against Soltengrobbe could be leveraged against Scorizcar.
She would need to speak to Ary once they had a moment. Though things had not gone well between her and Caitlyn, she knew Ary had not intended her words to have the effect they had. It was further supplemented by the stark cultural differences between her friend and Caitlyn, which led to a clash between the two. In many ways it was somewhat like when Xanderghul rubbed her the wrong way--which admittedly was quite often lately. Isilme had noted her absence in the aftermath, and what glimpses she'd gotten of Ary after that suggested that she was pained by the situation. The loss of the crusaders and the careless way in which their bodies had been disposed of probably weighed heavily on her mind.
Nevertheless, that discussion would have to wait until after the terrible lizard--a flying and abyssally tainted one at that--had been dealt with. The safety of the group and the tribe had to come first, earnest discussions after.
In the morning Isilme's first order of business is to repeat the ritual she had used the previous day. Laying out another of her cloths, this one embroidered with a map of the lands surrounding Silvershore. She smooths it out and lights the incense, then invokes the magic, consuming the silver thread of the offering in the process. "Song of Spheres, guide our steps through this perilous journey before us this day. We intend to do battle with Scorizcar and seek to draw him out to battle on terrain that will favor our success. Grant us the wisdom to see this task through so we might save the people of this tribe."
"Nid wyf yn gwybod ble roedd esgyrn Dolok yn gorwedd. Nid oedd y Dolok roeddwn i'n ei adnabod yn fy ieuenctid ond ysbryd, a wysiwyd i'n cynorthwyo. Pan oeddwn yn ifanc, aeth Dolok yn wallgof, a lladd llawer o'n clansmen. Gorfodwyd ni i ffoi. Ni wn beth ddaeth ohono ar ôl hynny," responds Caerau.
Unafe knows that the Sacred Mountain has two, enormous stone doors, engraved with the likeness of Goryon and Dolok on each door. It opens up into an enormous entry way, which leads down many tunnels. Mithral exists extremely deep, it is a long descent to reach that sacred bounty. However a great number of other sorts of ores and precious stones are available along the way. The Demetae were skilled metallurgists.
The Demetae used saurians to assist with mining operations, so the tunnels were all carved out large enough for their passage.
The mines have existed for millennia, so the tunnels are extremely complex and expansive. Unafe doesn't really know how to navigate them. She isn't a miner, nor does she possess magic useful for the bending of stone or steel, so she has never really had reason to go down there.
The silver thread re-materializes in the form of intricately embroidered silver butterflies. They dance across the map in a pattern, flying from east, to west, then back again, before snaking into the Rimethirst Mountains.
"At evenfall, the mountain's sovereign returns to her grotto of extinguished lives and woeful misfortune. There, she rests fitful and unsatisfied, an eternity of hunts n'er enough to fill the infinite emptiness of space."
While caring for the ill amongst the Demetae, Ehren is already rather accustomed to the usual diseases spread by the Worldwound, but he identifies that four of the Demetae are ill with slime fever. A rare, lethal disease that is spread through direct contact with slime that exudes from the infected. Most who contract it suffer for many years before succumbing to the disease, experiencing symptoms similar to leprosy, except their wounds often ooze copious amounts of slime. Magical healing is effective treatment to cure the disease within the first two weeks, but once the disease has taken hold, Ehren is unaware of any known ways to cure it. Luckily (or unfortunately, depending on how you frame it), those who suffer from slime fever often live for many years before finally passing away.
Lann's brow furrows at the weight of the responsibility Ehren was bestowing on him. "Well, you'd better return, or I'll be right cross with you," he says finally, with a lop-sided grin. "There's no way in hell you'll be forcing me to report your deaths to everyone back home. To Ledsa. To Yulin."
Meanwhile, Variska and Valais assist with getting everyone ready to move. Several men are needed to heft Marhevok's heavy, unconscious body onto a pallet to be transported by hand and by rope. Other carts are being assembled for the other ill still within the healer's roundhouse.
Her ritual complete, Isilme heads out to join the others after folding up the spent swatch of silk. She waits until she can gather the group together at the far edge of the tribe's space, and encourages everyone to check for scrying devices before she begins explaining what she had divined.
"'At evenfall, the mountain's sovereign returns to her grotto of extinguished lives and woeful misfortune. There, she rests fitful and unsatisfied, an eternity of hunts n'er enough to fill the infinite emptiness of space,'" she recites, before giving the obvious interpretation. "We must find the woundwyrm's grotto well before dusk. If we do so we will be able to set up an ambush. Do you remember any grottos which might make a suitable lair for a beast so large, Unafe?"
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Unafe shudders at Caerau's story. "Aeth ysbryd Dolok yn wallgof, a throi ymlaen clansmen Demetae ?? Stori ddifrifol yw honno yn wir. A allwch ddweud wrthyf ble y gwelwyd Dolok ddiwethaf gan ein pobl? Neu pwy allai wybod? Ar ôl cael pawb i ddiogelwch Mama Calongoed, hoffwn weld a allaf leddfu beth bynnag a fyddai mor aflonyddu ar Dad yr holl Sawriaid."
"I can tell you that the Sacred Mountain has two enormous stone doors, big enough for a saurian to walk through, as the saurians have always aided the Demetae in our mining. I am not a miner and as such never ventured in, though even as a child I knew that the mithral is found very very deep beneath the surface (with other ores and precious stones found along the way down). All know it's a long descent toward Golarion's heart. Beyond that, I'm afraid I know nothing of what grottos we'll find."
After a moment, she adds, "I must add, I feel very uneasy telling Southerners about this. I must not betray the charge that Goryon the Wise put upon us. Please, promise me that you will not take anything you find down there without discussing it with me first."
Xanderghul sighs, his shoulders drooping, as he learns that it may well be a long search through underground caverns. "Just to make sure somebody said it out loud, there's absolutely no way that we could just go home instead of doing all this, right?"
"Ar un adeg roeddem ni'n Demetae yn byw mewn pentref yng Nghoedwig Norinor, ond fe'n gorfodwyd i gefnu ar y lle hwnnw, a gwasgarodd llawer ohonom i'r pedwar gwynt wedi hynny," responds Caerau, his expression darkened from having to relive such unhappy memories.
Unafe shakes her head. "Diolch, Caerau. Fe'ch gadawaf i'ch cwsg nawr. Pan ddaw'r bore, af i hela'r wyrm cythraul. Os gwelwch yn dda, gwnewch eich gorau i gadw pawb yma yn bwyllog ac yn ddiogel nes i ni ddychwelyd."
Unafe looks at Xander, still not completely sure how to read him. "I appreciate your support, if it's freely given, but you are not beholden to me or my people. I would understand if you did not want to face this beast."
. . .
Still thinking of what she learned the night before, Unafe approaches Ehren, and any others who are around. "Archdruid, I have been told that when we were attacked a century ago my mentor Old Aye managed to summon the spirit of Dolok Darkscale, Goryon the Wise's legendary tyrannosaur companion. Caerau, who we spoke to when we arrived, remembers Dolok's spirit watching over the people even when he was a child in the Norinor forest...but somehow the story took a dark turn. Caerau claims that Dolok's spirit somehow went mad and killed many Demetae, and the rest fled. I can't really even fathom how that could happen to the Father of all Saurians, but he was clearly shaken by the memory. It is very important that--after we get the Demetae to the safety of Mama Calongoed--I track Dolok's spirit down, if it is still manifest in Sarkoris. I would be grateful for any aid you might offer; I confess I know not how to heal a spirit that has been driven to madness."
"Mr. Xanderghul might balk, but he always stand by us and works toward helping the crusade, you don't have to worry too much Mrs. Unafe, other than maybe finding a way to make a trip into caves more pleasant." she says to Unafe, before turning to Xanderghul, and withotu malice saying: "Mr. Xanderghul, if your keen mind and skills with magic are not enough to avoid this, then I don't think we can. "
When Unafe mentions the secrets of the Demetae, Hinagiku simply nods in agreement. It would never have crossed her mind to take anyting anyway. As the warrior goes one, Hinagiku listens and nods a few more times.
"Maybe I can ask the crusaders I fight with at the front for any rumors about such as spirit Mrs. Unafe... or perhaps Drezen's scout. With a ghost, it sounds like it would be difficult to track in other ways..."
"Don't worry, friend. You know that I'm not in the habit of doom saying," Ehren says with a wry grin, clapping Lann on the shoulder. He gives Ary a grateful nod, having figured that they were of a like mind. As she walks away however, he lowers his voice and continues. "It is not myself I am worried about, in any case."
As they plan their strategy for dealing with Scoriszar, Ehren frowns at the implications of Isilme's divination.
"Space enough for a saurian? Then there is almost certainly enough for a dragon," he surmises, rubbing his chin. It seemed to suggest that they should fight the woundwyrm within her own lair - the opposite of what they had initially planned. "I suspect that we will have to delve into the mine itself. If Scoriszar travels by burrowing through the earth, then there is little guarantee that we could catch her en route."
The druid chuckles at Xanderghul's remark, but it sounds a little forced. Without a hint of mockery, he says, "Don't lose your nerve now. This will make a fine chapter for that book of yours, no?"
To Unafe, he adds reassuringly, "You are the clan-liege of the Demetae now. These are your lands, by right. We will honor your wishes."
Ehren listens attentively as Unafe speaks of Dolok Darkscale, attempting to recall any stories of the legendary tyrannosaur, whether they were from a menhir's memories or his own.
“I cannot say for sure what happened to Dolok, but all corruption in Sarkoris can be traced back to the Wound,” Ehren explains grimly. It is a lesson he has learned time and time again. “The natural order has long been twisted by the chaos of the Abyss. The land, and those tied to it most intimately, suffer for it. We were able to save Mama Calongoed, but others like the mighty Carrock have fallen victim to the blight. I suspect that Dolok Darkscale was similarly afflicted.” After a brief silence, the archdruid cracks a small smile. “That is to say, I will do all I can to help you.”
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Variska, who was busy helping carry a large basket filled with clothes and blankets to a pallet for transport, pauses as she overhears the heroes' conversation. "Norinor's 'snot in the Wound," she grunts. "Norinor's a forest in Iobaria. Lots of settlements hidden within the trees there. Safer to live there than in the highlands, that's for sure."
Iobaria is a country to the east of here. (To the east of the Worldwound is Mendev, and to the east of Mendev is Brevoy, and to the east of Brevoy is Iobaria - so Iobaria is over 1,000 miles to the east).
Iobaria is a cold, harsh country that is mostly empty space with a few human settlements scattered around it. There was once a great Iobarian Empire, but its last resurgence died out 100 years ago. As a result there are no major Iobarian metropolises.
In addition to human settlements, Iobaria boasts one of the largest centaur populations on Golarion. The humans and centaurs who live there constantly contend with aggressive goblinoid settlements, as well as cyclopean ones.
Iobaria's recent instability is mostly due to the Worldwound. After Sarkoris fell, the majority of ancient Sarkorians fled east into Iobaria. The mass migration of kellids came into conflict with the native Iobarians, and the resulting wars resulted in the collapse of the Iobarian empire. As a result, tensions between native Iobarians and the descendants of the migrant Sarkorian population are high.
Also, despite plagues typically being associated with warmer climates, Iobaria struggles with mysterious incurable plagues and blights, which end up keeping the humanoid populations down.
The Demetae were known for summoning spirits and spectres into battle, and in their final battle for their home many such summons were brought into play. Ehren knows of the legendary Dolok Darkscale being the crowning achievement of them, capable of rending through demons while they themselves were helpless to affect his spectral form with mere claws and teeth. However, Ehren does not know much of what became to Dolok, after the Demetae fled east.
All of the continued taunting causes Xander to frown ever deeper. "As if I would allow all of you to go on a foolish dragon-hunt without me. I wasn't asking if I could bow out, just whether or not this truly needs to be done. There's no sense in seeking our deaths like this when death will surely find us another way, after all."
He sighs, and runs his hand across the top of his head. "Well, like I said, I'm ready. I suppose I'll just have to dictate today's events to Valais later."
"We certainly have no choice in the matter. Either the problem is dealt with when it is to our advantage to do so, or when it is not to our advantage. I, as I am sure you would agree, would greatly prefer the former," she responds.
The worldwound spat out threats at them regularly, but this one seemed like one of Jerribeth's major pieces in her continuing gambit against Drezen and the Crusades. While knocking it out wouldn't result in a win, it would certainly force her to rework any plans she'd had that made use of the woundwyrm. In fact the wyrm itself could have been intended as a way to deal with Saint Lymirin, being that it would likely be unaffected by the Sword of Valor.
"I agree, we should get moving. We need to be there in time to properly prepare our welcome in the wyrm's grotto," she says, taking a moment to adjust the straps on her pack and her scabbard for the trip ahead.
Ary pauses, before digging into her belt pouch and taking out her notebook hesitantly. "Could you also see to it that either Anevia or Irabeth get this to the Poet? She may be able to make heads or tails of what I've been working on." she says, offering the book to Lann.
"Well, if we want to get there fast, Archdruid, do you want to fly us there. That'll give us more time to search for this grotto, which may well involve delving deep into the mines...and it might also help keep us from getting ambushed on the way, if--as you said--it senses prey via the vibrations from their footsteps."
The last few years in the wounded land had put Hinagiku's mental training to the test. Her first experiences in this strange land had often come to shake her will. But, today, with her experiences and mastery of meditation, she did not worry about what they might find, or what would happen. She would do her best to protect her companions and friends. And that was it. Without a word, she silently waits for the other to discuss the strategy.
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"I do not think its senses are so broad as to sense us miles away," Ehren replies, thinking it over. "Still, it would not hurt to get there a little faster, and get a bird's eye view of your lands along the way."
If there are no objections, Ehren finds a wide, open space outside, not wanting to cause any unnecessary damage. Just as he is about take on his usual heron form, however, it occurs to him that there is a shape that would be more appropriate given where they are. Recalling childhood stories of immense winged shadows that once swept across the Taranau Valley, Ehren rapidly grows in size as he takes on the form of one of the ancient saurians.
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Unafe beams as the Archdruid reveals his wondrous connection to the Great Saurians.
"Beautiful! May the Sacred Saurians guide your wings."
The other five can all fit onto Ehren's enormous back, and by air it takes less than an hour to clear the outskirts of the Demetae settlement and make it to the Rimethirst mountains at its back. As they move closer, they can see that the land here seems like it has experienced some sort of tremendous upheaval. The earth here is soft, and has been tilled seemingly randomly. It reminds some of the heroes of Old Ironfin's lair. In other places, though, deep crevasses, cracks, and marred holes jettison out of the earth. The ground here seems terribly unstable.
At the foot of one of the mountains is an enormous, cavernous entrance. There are no doors, so, the cavernous maw opens straight into darkness. The landscape here is barren, jagged, and broken in appearance, and there is no cover to be seen.
Islime gazes down at the wrecked terrain, clearly the result of the ravenous woundwyrm's rampaging throughout the area. "It's a good thing we travelled here by air. The path on foot would have been treacherous to say the least, and there's no telling where out in that area the wyrm is at the moment. The fact we can clearly make out where it has been hunting, however, gives us an idea of how far out it will be returning from."
"We should approach the cave carefully, perhaps Xander and I can scout it out without touching ground while you all circle up here, then if clear we'll signal you to descend. What do you think, Xander?"
Xanderghul floats in the air above the wrecked ground. He keeps a constant slow motion so as not to fall, circling and looping back and forth around the area.
"I think I'm not excited about going in solo to an unknown cave that contains a creature which can instantly annihilate me," he mutters. "I think if we go in here, we should go all together."
Constant Magic: None
Magic Items: staff of freedom's command, shirt of prestidigitation, wayfinder, hat of disguise, spellguard bracers, battle-strider boots, ring of sustenance
"I will go ahead then, and return if it's clear within," Isilme says before casting one of the few spells she'd managed to recover from her knowledge as a Raelis. In a flash her form condenses and shifts into that of an osprey, before hopping off of Ehren's back and diving towards the ground.
As she approaches the cave, she slows down, gliding as quietly as possible towards the opening and scanning the area for any signs of Scorizcar.
Isilme flies off of Ehren's back in the form of a much smaller bird, and swoops up close to the entrance of the enormous cave. The light from outside fills up 100' of the 45' tall cavern, before the cavern bends around in the darkness and out of sight. There are a lot of large stalagmites, as well as an enormous piece 50' long of rubble that has fallen onto its side, which obscure Isilme's full sight into the cave.
The ground inside the cave is soft and uneven, though about 40' from the entrance there is a large mound of soft dirt, sort of reminiscent of a molehill. Isilme can see a lot of marks and patterns that look like tracks in the ground, but she lacks the training to make much sense of them.
It is difficult at all to tell that this place was once a mine and not just a natural cavern. The walls here are a strange texture - that of natural stone but sorted of distorted, almost as if they had melted and then re-solidified. Only the large wall of upended rubble hints to its first purpose - the wall is plated with shimmering mithral, which has been worked and embossed into the form of an intricate mural, depicting both human forms and saurians.
Isilme flies into the cave and makes a circuit around the area lit from outside, listening for any signs that the cave is currently occupied. After making a full loop, she flies back out and up to rejoin the others, landing atop Ehren's back.
Isilme carefully flies around inside of the portion of the cave lit from the outside. There doesn't seem to be anything here but rubble and destruction. Not finding the woundwyrm, she flies back up to others.
Isilme gestures down towards the cave then alights from Ehren's back and leads him down towards the entrance.
Xanderghul follows Isilme into the cave, flying from rock to rock. His flight is not particularly graceful, so he alights on stopping points periodically before continuing onward.
Once inside, he looks around briefly before addressing his companions. "So it looks like we are to wait here until nightfall?"
Xanderghul flies after Isilme's osprey form, his half-orc eyes able to see further into the darkness than her bird-form could. He flies around the bend and finds the cavern proceeds at least another 60' around the bend (as far as Xanderghul see in the black-and-white darkness), but he stops moving forwards when he notices a strange rippling effect blanketing the air that takes up the entire tunnel. Despite the strange visual distortion, however, he can clearly see further into the cave.
When Unafe sees the ravaged mountainside she shakes her head, but she's no longer surprised.
She clenches her fists nervously as Isilme and Xander head off into the mine on their own. For once I agree with The Witch; I think going together is more prudent...but it's too late for that now.
While she awaits their return, she turns to the others. "Do any of you have magics that enable one to see in the dark? If not, then I have some torches I could light."
Hybrid form: Su, activated, indefinite duration
Ancestors' aid (Serendipity aura): Sp, activated, indefinite duration
Empathic link with Sicrwydd: Su, constant
Wearing:
- Armor (mithral, comfort, defiant vs evil outsiders)
- arm wraps (adamantine, bane vs evil outsiders)
- arm bands of the brawler
- boots of the Cat
- handy haversack
- muleback chords
Given the all-clear by Isilme, Ehren swoops down and lands just within the entrance of the cave. Between his long neck and the folded wings he uses as forelegs, he resembles some kind of mutant giraffe as he takes a few steps forward, before lowering himself enough for everyone to dismount. And then in a blur, he shrinks back down to his human form. Should he need to fly again, it would be better to take on a form more suitable for combat.
"Our quarry is blind, so light should not be a problem," he says, retrieving his daylight wand from his belt. He presses it against the crook of his rod, causing it to shed brilliant light reminiscent of the sun's own majesty. Holding the rod aloft, he begins to step further into the cave. "It did not take us long to get here, so if we must, we can still make it to the village and back before the wyrm is due to return. But in the meantime, we should acquaint ourselves with the area."
Ongoing Effects - incense of meditation
Buffs - ant haul, endure elements, greater longstrider
Magic Items - archdruid's crown, archdruid's garb, healer's satchel, polymorphic pouch, righteous medal of spirit, rod of the python
Xander points at the strange rippling he sees further into the cave. "Does anyone else see that?" he asks. He then casts detect magic, his eyes flashing with a pale white light. He gazes at the strange rippling to see if it gives off any kind of aura.
Grumpily, Xander points out, "It sure does seem like a waste to spend an entire day squatting in some cave. Are we sure that this creature is supposed to return here? Relying on vague divinations is so strange."
Isilme quickly flies out of the grotto once the others have entered and flies a wide sweep of the surrounding terrain, scanning for any signs of Scorizcar in the surrounding region before heading back into the cave.
As usual, Hinagiku takes care of guarding the rear of the group, keeping her eyes peeled for any possible threats. And, as the other begin to discuss the possibility of returning to the village toe wait the creature’s return, she kneels down and touches one of the many visible tracks on the ground of the cave. Closing her eyes, he slowly lets the essence of the creature form an image in her mind.
”Yes, I noticed the ripples too Mr. Xanderghul…. Strange, could it be some magic?” she says after opening her eyes and standing back up. ”I do think we should stay here, even if for a while, the more we know about a place, the easier it is to fight well in it.”
Buff: Endure elements (CL1).
Magic items: Belt of tumbling(CL 1), shawl of lifekeeping (CL 3), ring of serence contortions (CL3), handy haversack (CL 9), righteous medal of valor (CL 11), Transcendent sight (CL ?), quite a few one use items.
Automatic bonus progression.