Kenner breaks a piece of bread and uses it to sop up some of the stew in his bowl thoughtfully before glancing between the faces of those seated nearby. He frowns.
"Vhere ees Pan Xander?" he asks, suddenly, tensing.
Ary purses her lips and looks back towards the entryway. "Maybe..." then catches herself and turns back to Kenner, "Maybe he's using the restroom?" she says, then looks to Isilme, "Does he even still need to use the bathroom, since he doesn't need to eat?"
It doesn't even occur to her that Xanderghul had managed to chide her for doing something and then done it himself an hour later.
Sitting around a family table felt...odd, but good.
Even though we don't share a language, there's something relaxing about working side by side with someone who doesn't see me as clan-liege or two-hearted shaman...though, if I'm being honest, they still looked at me like I was strange...and can I blame them? Unafe glances with a bemused grin at the cloud of spirits that surrounds her.
At the daughters' introduction, Unafe nods. "Pan Skrovlov, Adula and Klara are hard workers. You must be quite proud of them."
Unafe realizes Xander is gone at the same time that Skrovlov does.
Hopefully Ary's right, and he's relieving himself...though knowing that reckless witch he could be doing anything.
She looks around, hoping someone who knows him better than she does will offer to check up on him. Then she continues, "Pan Skrovlov, this stew is delicious! Thank you for sharing your food and home with us. I saw Adula crumble a dried, curled herb into it. What do you call that leaf in Iobarian?"
Hinagiku, who had been waiting on the porch for Xanderghul to enter before her knew that he had not answered nature's call, but had simply decided to stay out. She looks at her companions as they either try to steer the conversation away or perhaps make excuses…. though considering Ary’s directness and that she was the one having come up with natural needs, it might be that she really thought Mr. Xanderghul was busy. After a second more of hesitation, Hinagiku gently speaks up.
”Pan Skrovlov, my friends and I are magically linked in a way that allows us to whisper to each other through great distances. If you allow me, I will whisper to Mr. Xanderghul and ask if anything has happened to him.”
”Mr. Xanderghul, is everything alright? We are waiting for you to join dinner.”
Meanwhile, Isilme explores the inside of the other building, now vividly illuminated by the light emitting from her ioun stone. She finds that the interior of the house is far nicer than the outside. Animal skins and woven rugs adorn the walls and floors, helping to keep out the cold weather, and dried flowers and pleasant-smelling herbs hang from the ceiling. A small table stands against the eastern wall, directly across from the door, upon which sits a large silvery bowl filled with water.
Meanwhile, Isilme continues to explore the small, well-kept home. She finds there are only four rooms - the entrance hall, where the silvery bowl is kept. Several fur cloaks are hanging off of hooks along the walls, revealing at least three different occupants of different sizes, likely human, according to their size. That room leads into a large kitchen, which is lined with herbs, and holds the fireplace. There are several cabinets in this room as well. There is a small pantry, in which a large amount of cured meat is kept, as well as jarred preserves of various fruits. This room leads to two more rooms, both bedrooms. One bedroom has one bed, the other has two smaller ones. Both are covered with enormous animal furs - a necessity to keep warm in the bitter cold Iobarian nights. In the room with one bed, there is a longbow mounted on the wall, and a hatchet on the bedside table.
Ary looks about the room with interest until she has filled her plate. "Your home is a lot nicer on the inside... I spent some years in a home like this when I was very young... though further south and west. My father used to take me out hunting... I was only just barely old enough to draw a bow myself, back then. I'm... not really certain as to why we lived in the Stolen Lands. I know my family left Mendev a little after I was born, but I never found out why there. They built the house piecemeal, and neither was really an architect. It was spacious, but a bit drafty." Ary pauses for a moment, chewing her lip, her food still resting on her plate for now. "What brought you and your family out here?"
Xander, who is still writing notes in his journal on a nearby porch, whispers back. "Yes, I am fine. I am just outside, looking out for Ehren and everyone's pile of discarded armor. I don't need to eat. It doesn't seem as if I am trusted to negotiate, so I think I can find something more useful to do than sit demurely."
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Pan Skorvlov nods at Ary and Hinagiku. "Ah, I see. Did he take the vater from the spring that runs to the north of here? Very dirty vater. Eet runs downstream from a thicket where many boars live, their filth gets een the vater, eet ees very dirty. Use the stream to the vest of here instead, eef you need vater," he advises in a wise, fatherly sort of voice. He seems to relax instantly, coming to accept that Xander was simply not feeling well, rather than snubbing his gracious offer of food and company. "Eef you vuld like, Adula ees very gifted at making gastrics. She takes after her mother een this way. Vill make heem feel right as a spring salmon!"
"My daughters are my greatest blessing," Kenner beams approvingly, returning back to his previous good mood. His guests were not disrespecting his home with bad manners, and furthermore, they had brought very good gifts, in the form of delicious food for his family, and a beautiful arrangement of local plants, that Kenner mounted on one of the walls near his fireplace.
"The stew ees flavored vith rasca. Eet grows naturally een this clearing een the springtime, and ve gather the berries to dry them for use through the vinter," he answers, gesturing to a bundle of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling.
That dried herb is known as caraway in Taldane. Also called "Garundi cumin". Caraway grows in northern Garund and western Avistan. It has a has a nutty, bittersweet sharpness with a hint of citrus, pepper, and anise. It is also used medicinally, typically to relieve stomach upsets.
He turns back to Ary. "Thank you, Pani," he responds. "My family has alvays lived een Iobaria. For hundreds, maybe thousands of years! But ve know better than to live een large homes, here. Too many hearts invites heartbreak, that's vat they say. Vhen I found my vife, ve vent looking for a place to homestead, and ve found this abandoned place. Together, ve helped patch one of the safer buildings." He frowns. "There ees much sadness here. Some of the buildings here are haunted by tormented spirits. But they do not bother us, as long as ve do not bother them." He shakes his head. "Eet ees no vonder. This village ees much too large vor Iobaria. Too many hearts invites heartbreak," he repeats again.
"My vife left us when Klara was but a babe. She came to be unhappy. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love ees to set them free. But I and my daughters, ve are very happy here. The Norinor provides for us, as long as ve respect eet. This ees the way of the Green."
Unafe smiles at the mention of the Green. "Pan Skrovlov, you show great wisdom and understanding, both in your acceptance of Klara's needs and in your understanding of the Green. We are fortunate to have met you, and I am certain that if the fates allowed me to stay long in Iobaria, I could learn much from you.
"While I come from far away, and my people's traditions differ from yours, following the way of the Green--along with the ways of our sacred ancestors--is fundamental to what my elders have taught me...and now that they have passed, the responsibility of guiding my people in the way of the Green has fallen to me."
As they chat, Unafe continues to eat the stew, bread, and other sundries. When Kenner mentions the haunted buildings, Unafe frowns. "I am sorry to hear that. I believe I know something of why those souls are tormented...and I have a bit of hope that perhaps I can help to bring them the ease they deserve."
She pauses there, ready to explain more if Kenner is ready to dig into the subject, but wanting to follow his pace.
Kenner finishes off his loaf of bread before responding. "Ah, yes, Pani Dau-Galon. These people that once lived here are of your family, no? Eef I remember correctly, Pan Xander said that you were looking for something you believe to be here?"
Unafe nods. She wipes her chin with her napkin, and--just in time--remembers to place it back on the table instead of her lap. "Yes, they were my kin. They fled here from Sarkoris when demons invaded our homeland. My kin were watched over by Dolok Graddfa-dywill, a spiritual protector of our people, the sacred companion of the wise elder who founded our tribe, generations ago. Dolok kept them alive and defended them from harm for many years."
Keeping eye contact with Kenner, Unafe takes a deep breath and then continues. "...Protected them from harm until something went wrong. From what we've heard, something suddenly our ancient protector started acting mad. Killed some, while others fled."
Unafe frowns, her brow creasing. "Why did Dolok turn on the Demetae, after generations of protecting us? I do not know, but my ancestors have charged me with helping Dolok return to himself...or else find the release from torment that he deserves. It is my sacred responsibility, and I would be deeply in your debt if you would aid me in my duty to my ancestors.
"My fervent hope is that whatever had tormented Dolok enough that he would turn on his own people has passed, but I would be lying if I said I was sure of that. What I am sure of is that my ancestors would not have led me here if I wasn't capable of healing Dolok, or at least releasing him to rejoin the ancestors in peace. With good fortune, perhaps we can set the other ghosts here to rest as well.
"To put this Dolok's spirit to rest, I need four items: a statue and necklace which we found by looking through the ruins here, a small polished stone with a mottled pattern--which I wonder if you've seen?--and a silver bowl with engraved images from my clan's history." With that, she nods to the bowl. "I would be grateful to be able to trade with you for the bowl, and the stone--if you've seen it. If you'd prefer, I would also understand if you want to keep the bowl, after our ritual is complete.
"Whether you would prefer to be here when we complete the ritual, or prefer for us to do it while you are off hunting, I leave entirely to your judgement. But please..." Unafe bites her lip, clearly distressed, "Please do not ask me to disobey my ancestors, or to leave my people's sacred protector to an eternity of torment.
"Given the kindness you've shown us, it wouldn't be right for me to just bargain for the bowl and the stone and not tell you the full truth of why I'm here. We would gratefully pay you for them both--even for their use--but I share the full story because your hospitality, and my honor, demands it."
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"Oh, um. Ary Bishop." Ary says, as she recognizes that she hadn't introduced herself. "And... yeah. I get that. The too many hearts thing. We have a lot of people counting on us back home. This particular trip doesn't seem to be life-or-death but it certainly is something we need to work out."
When Kenner segues into the hauntings, Ary listens to Unafe speak on the topic, then recognizes that there were some gaps in Unafe's knowledge here.
"Back home, we found a village similar to this one that had become haunted. The villagers - Sarkorians - and the Crusaders - Mendevians - had not been properly laid to rest. The results were hauntings like this. I'm not certain as to whether helping Dolok, or giving them a proper burial would put them at ease, but I'd like to do so. The least they should get is a bit of rest." she says, chewing her lip. "If you would, letting us know which buildings you know to have spirits inside could help me in tracking them all down."
Then she elaborates on what Unafe has shared. "We recently found the remnants of Unafe's people in a ruined city, they had made a pilgrimage from Iobaria to their homeland. They, unfortunately, brought a plague with them, and combined with a whole host of political issues they're already facing... the possibility of it coming to light that they were a cause of an illness would have dire ramifications. The plague isn't deadly on its own, just particularly capable of spreading. We learned that the disease comes from a type of monstrous ooze, and we believe that the ooze is somewhere nearby. The former shaman had been looking to find a solution... but was killed by Dolok before he could manage to do so. I was hoping we might find some notes that he had left, but barring that, we need to perform a ritual to summon their guardian spirit so that we can hopefully ask what he knows."
She continues after a moment, "We should be able to move the statue and its altar out into the forest so as not to summon him close to your home, in case he's... still not himself. It would also be helpful if we could avoid doing so near important locations to the Centaurs you mentioned, or any rare flora or fauna. If we can't perform the ritual, we can try to find another answer... but I don't know that we'll manage it."
Unafe smiles as Ary speaks.
Would I ever have dreamed that a Southern soldier would be supporting the Demetae so?
"Thank you, Ary...and you make an excellent point. There's no reason we couldn't move the altar far from your home, Pan Skorvlov, if that is your preference. I hope it's clear that--while I am duty-bound to bring peace to Dolok (and hopefully the other tormented souls here), and to learn what I can of the cure for the disease that ails my clan--I respect that this is your home now, not mine, and that my clan's bowl has come fairly into your possession.
"For these reasons, as a matter of respect and fair treatment to a fair and wise man, I fervently hope you and we can find a way for me to do my duty to my clan and my ancestors, in a way that respects your family and this home you've worked so hard to build. And if you would accept a reward you for your aid, we would be honored to do so."
Isilme mostly listens during the discussion, allowing Unafe to do most of the talking. There was simply nothing she could say that would be more effective than their host hearing why the ritual items were important and needed directly from Unafe, after all.
When Unafe and Ary have both finished, Isilme chimes in herself, "As Unafe says, we are happy to offer recompense for the bowl and any information you might have on the stone, even if only to borrow the bowl. Despite the rough start, I hope you can see how we could all benefit from this deal: Unafe is able to complete the duty she owes her clan and ancestors, and you can come away with not only gold, but possibly our direct aid if there is anything you might need done but could not accomplish on your own ordinarily between you and your daughters. The Archdruid, Xanderghul and myself all are capable of magic, and we are all capable of aiding in physical tasks--though some of us more so than others," she says, nodding towards Unafe and Ary.
Kenner listens to Unafe and Ary's story. Afterwards he is silent for many long minutes, carefully thinking over their words.
"Vell, eet ees obvious that you are blessed by spirits," he says, with a short gesture towards Unafe. "So eet ees easy to take you at your vurd, that such a remarkable tale is true. I wish you vell on these challenging endeavors. Ve are independent people here een the Norinor, not slave to gold nor silver, so I do not mind giving the bowl back to eets rightful people."
"Een the morning I vuld be happy to show you around the village and speak to vhich buildings are dangerous and vhich are not. Better not to tempt the tormented creatures at night, no good can come of such things. As for the stone of vhich you speak, my girls used to play with colorful stones that are buried een the building to the north of our own. I had to tell them to stop, for I can sense some sort of magic that ees laced in those stones, though I not know of their true nature."
At this moment, Ehren returns back from his hunt. He can see Xanderghul sitting by himself on the stoop of a decrepit homestead. The others are nowhere to be seen.
Unafe begins to cry with relief. "Thank you, Pan Skorvlov! Thank you!
"As you say, we will do what we can tomorrow. For now...do you and your daughters like to sing? Perhaps around a fire? If you would care to, I would be pleased to learn some of your songs, and I would be happy to share my own if you'd like."
After collecting his kill, Ehren retraces his steps at a leisurely pace, taking about two hours to return to the homestead. He arrives with the dead goat hanging limply over his shoulder and looks to Xanderghul, not entirely surprised to see him alone. Finding no cause to be too concerned about the others, he walks up to the wizard and sets Dolok's offering on the ground.
"I trust that everything went well in my absence?" he asks, finding that neither their companions nor the Iobarian family are anywhere in sight. "Any luck finding the rest of the totems?"
Hinagiku eats her soup slowly, controlling her metabolism as she does to allow her to eat what is for her enough food for a few days. The woman then politely refuses any further servings.
As the others eat, Hinagiku politely listens, nodding every so often and making certain to maintain eye contact. Her expression passes from concerned, when Isilme and Unafe reveals their lie, to smiling, when she hears Kenner’s response.
”Your are quite generous Pan Skrovlov. Perhaps, has Mrs. Isilme suggested, we can help you with something. Maybe some preparation for the spring, finding extra food, or materials that are difficult to find. I am certain we can at least delay our return by a day or two”
Unafe and the Skorvlov family spend the rest of the evening singing by their lit fireplace, until Kenner notices his youngest nodding off, at which he thanks those who stayed with them for their company and promises to join them in the morning after their morning prayers.
Xander looks up when he hears Ehren crunching his way back into the abandoned town. The man was getting easier and easier to notice (not that he was ever particularly quiet), and Xander could swear that the man was beginning to glow. He is pleased to see that Ehren has returned with meat for the offerings, despite his present grumpiness.
He jerks a thumb back towards the house he explored earlier. "I found the saurian-tooth necklace in that house," he explains. "It's inside of a room choked with poisonous vines, and I didn't feel like taking another one for the team after my first exposure, so it's still in there."
He pulls out the darkwood saurian statuette as well. "We have the statuette, and we are in negotiations for the bowl inside. I can see that we have the fresh meat as well, which means that we only need to locate a small, mottled stone."
Xander frowns. "I tried to use magic to locate it, but evidently the image in my head of this stone must be wrong. I'm afraid I have no better ideas for the moment of what we must do to locate a specific small stone in this whole village, except for turning over every stone and every plank in a manual search."
"We must also obviously prepare for the conversation with Dolok. We must decide what we are trying to say to him, and we must prepare for the inevitable battle."
After dinner, Hinagiku spends a bit of time chatting with the Skrovlov family before leaving them to their singing and joining Ehren and Xanderghul outside. She greets her Ehren-kun with a kind smile, commenting briefly on his hunt.
”We had quite dinner ourselves, Mr. Skrovlov was a good host and his daughters proper. Although, he does think that you were being sick Mr. Xanderghul, possibly due to drinking bad water from a nearby river. There was a slight misunderstanding regarding this, and Pan Skrovlov came to this conclusion mostly by himself.” Hinagiku adds, concerned her companion might dislike the excuse he was given. ”He also offered to help us avoid the haunted houses of this town and guiding us toward a house with many polished stones…. I overheard you mentioning to Ehren-kun how this could be difficult, but maybe with the Skrovlov family’s help we can find it quicker. In the meanwhile, I could maybe fetch the necklace you mentioned… you said it was surrounded by poisonous vines? If so, I might need your magic skills to provide some light… since it is getting quite dark.”
Once Xanderghul agrees, Hinagiku will retrieve the necklace.
"Thank you very much for your aid, Pan Skrovlov. I look forward to working with you in the morning." Ary says, inclining her head in thanks and returning to her meal. She listens to the group singing and waits for the cue that it's okay to leave... uncertain if they were meant to simply leave when they wanted or when they were bidden to do so. When no one else leaves immediately, she waits to be dismissed.
Once outside, she immediately checks that the dinosaur hadn't begun to devour the bones she'd left inside of her cloak and then begins the task of readying her breastplate and donning it, though she would need assistance for the rest. She doesn't ask for aid immediately, though.
"If... we have time, we should replace the bowl with another. It is clear that it's meant as part of a ritual for them upon entering their home. Would either of you be capable of such a thing?" she asks, looking towards Xanderghul and then Ehren.
Xander purses his lips. "Hmm." he says, thinking for a moment. Through his illusion, he twirls his goatee. "I could create a metal bowl, but it would only last for a few hours. It wouldn't be a practical solution, as the Skrovlovs could just go without washing their faces for a day."
"I think we simply need to do the ritual nearby, so that we can return the bowl to them afterwards."
Figuring that it would be rude to interrupt the meal, Ehren passes the time with Xanderghul outside. He briefly considers dressing his kill but decides against it, somehow doubting that an apex predator such as Dolok would much care what his offering looks like. When the others finally emerge from the homestead later that evening, the druid is happy to learn that the negotiations went well.
"I could fashion a bowl from stone easily enough," Ehren offers as an alternative, aware that the bowl is a Demetae relic. "These people strike me as the practical sort - I doubt that they would much care what it is made of."
Before Ehren could think to offer to retrieve the necklace - being immune to poison - Hinagiku takes on the task herself. Well aware of how nimble she is, he raises no objections.
Once they have thanked their host, Isilme heads out to join the others in retrieving the necklace, restoring her ioun stone to its orbit around her head and enchanting a small rock with light to toss into the room to help guide Hinagiku.
"That sounds like an excellent idea," she says when Ehren answers Ary's suggestion by pointing out he could make use of stone shape to do so. Once the necklace is secure, she heads back to grab her gear.
"Do you think you can provide us shelter for the evening? We can investigate the house with the rocks that Pan Skrovlov mentioned in the morning. I'm certain we'll find what we need there."
Xander certainly helps Hinagiku out with retrieving the necklace from the ruined house. Though he hadn't prepared dancing lights, his wayfinder provides more than enough light to see by. He watches Hinagiku's acrobatic antics carefully, as he hopes to one day be able to perform such circus tricks himself someday.
After the necklace is retrieved, Xander heads to the house with the mottled stones. He remembers it from his locate object spell earlier. He himself doesn't need light to see, but he keeps his wayfinder lit just the same. He searches through the rubble in that house for a mottled polished stone that looks ceremonial.
Xanderghul digs around in the dirt in the last house adjacent to Kenner's that he hadn't explored yet. He searches for about 45 minutes before finally finding a small hole that was dug in the ground that is full of large mottled stones. They are black and white mottled, and have been tumbled to smooth them to a shiny finish.
Xander scoops up a handful of the mottled stones and pockets them. Heading back into the center of the small village, he holds one up. "Look! That's three for me," he cries, grinning. "We have everything we need, now. What do you all say to performing the ritual now?"
"I'd say we take care of it in the morning," Isilme says when Xander asks about doing the ritual immediately. "There is no urgency, nor is there any particular reason it needs to be done at night. Having daylight will be an advantage in dealing with the spirit if it is berserk."
"Agreed... those of us who do need light will likely be at a disadvantage." Ary says, eyeing Hinagiku and Unafe. She knew that Hinagiku was unlikely to accept her offer, especially given the blindfold she perpetually wore would clash with the goggles, so after a moment, she looks to Unafe. "Speaking of... do you want to consider these on loan?" Ary asks, offering the nightvision goggles to the shaman-in-spirit.
"I still have that spell that lets us stay awake... except it's enough for everyone, now. So, if you have things you want to do, like writing in a journal, or prayer, you'll have a bit more time for it." she says, offering to the others, now that they've all gathered.
After sharing some songs at the campfire, Unafe heads out to bed down with her companions.
At Ary's offer, Unafe--curious--looks through the goggles. "Woah! That's a generous offer. You don't need these, for now? If not, I'd be grateful to be able to wear them, until you need them back." She lifts and then lowers them several times, experimentally. [b]"That's...marvelous. Thank you.
"As for sleep...I think it would be wise for me to enter the Dream Realm tonight, before attempting to restore Dolok, and learn what he can teach us. It's possible the Ancestors will have a message for us, that is best delivered in that realm."
When she hears that Hinagiku has found the necklace and Xander has found the stone, she thanks both in turn, and examines each. "...And thank you too, Archdrui--errr--Ehren, for hunting. I'm sorry you missed a meal with our hosts.
"If there are no objections, I would like to perform the ritual tomorrow, upon first light."
12 Desnus 4717
Ten hours of night pass before the sun rises again. It is cold, and a light breeze rustles through the evergreen woods. Apart from the occasional wild animal, nothing disturbs the ruined Demetae village through the night.
At Isilme's request, Ehren drew on his mythic power to cast his sylvan hideaway spell, providing his companions with a subterranean abode for the evening. As often as he has used the spell as of late, it might make a worthwhile addition to his daily repertoire.
"There is no need to apologize," Ehren replies with a smile, shaking his head. He packs away his kill, not wanting its scent to lure predators towards the homestead. "I am just glad that they did not take offense to my absence. If all goes well, then we will have our answers by tomorrow."
He spends the night listening to Unafe's songs and asking her about what she remembers of Lost Sarkoris.
Xander remains aboveground for the night, preferring the crisp forest air and the moistness and the wind to the stale sterileness of the underground cave. It reminded him too much of his youth, back when a dark cave was the best thing that kept him safe.
He no longer needed it. He could stand proudly anywhere and feel confident in his safety. He carried everything he needed in his backpack, and he barely needed to sleep two hours.
He sets up a small camp in the driest portion of the most intact house that he can find, unrolling his bedroll and placing his wayfinder as a lantern. He reads for a short time and then tries to get a few hours of rest while other people are still awake. He awakens in the dead of night. He spends an hour meditating on the nature of his own existence, contemplating future goals and priorities. Then he spends an hour studying his spellbook, eyebrows knit together in concentration as he tries to divine the perfect combination of spells.
While it is still dark, he packs up his belongings into his backpack. Crossbow and machete in hand, he ventures into the forest to collect meat, berries, flowers and dry wood. His aim is to have a rabbit stew cooking breakfast for everyone who wishes to eat by the time the morning begins, as well as a small offering for the Skrovlov family.
"Not while I'm in this form, no. I spent... a very, very large amount of time dealing with fighting unseen foes, and I found a more permanent answer to that. The goggles were almost literally a godsend, though. We received them as a reward for cleaning up part of one of our mistakes in Heaven. Hopefully you don't have to deal with fighting blind." she says, offering a wink.
"I'm not sure about first light, though if everyone can get prepared quickly, it will work well. We'll also need to clear the buildings of the unburied." she adds, cloak still where she left it.
Ary doesn't really understand why Xanderghul has chosen to distance himself from the others... but figures it's best not to ask, just now, either. When he heads into the woods on his own early in the morning, her concern continues.
She stays awake throughout the night, generally staying outside of the Sylvan Hideaway, though if the temperature drops significantly during the night, she'll head inside in order to prevent having to waste her resources on comfort.
As the sun begins to rise, she's kneeling with her sword behind her shield facing it, as has become her routine. She stands and performs some katas... and then digs out a notebook and jots down a few things. Her magic flares for a moment as she rebuilds her momentum pool.
"A lot to do today." she comments to no one in particular. "I'll need some help to get back into my full armor." she adds.
Unlike the others, Isilme's prayer and preparation of spells tended to happen before sleep instead of after it, since that was the time when she had the strongest connection to her Lady Starsong. After leaving her gear in the hideaway, she heads to the surface to find a spot where she can see the stars clearly and begins to meditate, naming each visible star one by one. In many ways it was enjoyable to be able to camp out somewhere outside the bounds of the worldwound, where the normal stars of Golarion were visible. Normally she needed to make use of her cloak to see what the night sky looked like where they were in the world.
When she finishes her meditation and spell preparation she heads back down into the hideaway to get her two hours of sleep. The remainder of the time she spends taking inventory of her scrolls and gear, something she was often too busy to deal with when in Drezen.
"I can help you with that," Isilme says as she comes out of the hideaway shortly after sunrise. "Hopefully the summoning of Dolok will go well. I wonder if Unafe received any messages through her dreams regarding the ritual." She tosses her gear off to the side of Ary and heads over to sit next to her. The pain from her drawing upon her lifeforce to mimic divine magic had faded for now, something she was still getting used to, although hopefully she'd be able to find a more permanent solution before long.
It is a sunny morning in Iobaria, and Xanderghul is busy cooking a delicious rabbit stew. Kenner and his daughters have not emerged for the morning yet, though they have opened the windows to let the light in.
Xander calls out to the others as they start to emerge from the hideaway. "Breakfast is available," he says, "And I am prepared for battle."
"When are we going to perform the ritual? Are we going to do anything with the Skrovlovs when we do?"
After retrieving the necklace, and thanking everyone who accompanied her to either light her way or help her out if she gets poisoned, Hinagiku returns the Demetae artefact to Unafe, holding it into both her palms and ceremoniously presenting it forward.
The guardian then stays up for most of the night, first making sure Xanderghul sleeps safely, then innocuously sitting by Isilme during her meditation and listening to the names of the stars. ”Beautiful” she says when the seance comes to a close.
Afterward, she spends some time by Ary’s side, simply keeping watch by her side, and only once volunteering a comment, one spoken with kindness and care: ”This is your chance to rest Ary, we are far from the war, from your duties, and there are plenty of us to keep watch. Remember to dream.”
Finally, after giving a hand to Xanerghul while he searches for the stone, Hinagiku follows with her own meditation and sleep, waking up to the wonderful smell of Xanderghul’s cooking just a few minutes before dawn.
”Thank you for the food Mr. Xanderghul.I think the most polite thing to do would be to let Pan Skrovlov know that we have everything we have come to seek and then I believe one of us suggested moving the statue further away before the ritual… I believe this would be best for the Skrovlov family. ”
Ary nods to Hinagiku, "Sure, but there's a lot to think about, still. It... always feels wrong being so far from the war, even when there's good to be done. Is it unfair of me to be so focused on that one place?"
* * *
"Thanks, Isilme." Ary says as the azata moves to aid her with her armor, though her attention moves to Xanderghul's question, which Hinagiku is already addressing. "Yeah, I figure if the Demetae moved it out here... then it's more about the doing than about the location. How are we going to set up for the ritual? Unafe and Hinagiku and I between the altar and you guys?" she suggests.
She glances over to her cloak and purses her lips. "At this rate, do you think we could get an adamantine shovel?" she asks, half-joking.
As Unafe falls asleep, her belongings fade into the dream realm. While she's there, she has the idea to craft a new mithral bowl as a gift to Pan Skrovlov and family.
All within her dream realm, Unafe fires up her forge, gathers some of the raw ore, grabs her hammers and tongs, and gets to work. At first, she thinks it's coming together. Then she misses and dents it badly...and every attempt to correct the dent makes it worse, until it's a crumpled, twisted mess.
Disgusted with herself, shortly before awakening, she throws the ruined ingot into the fire.
At dawn, she awakens and smells the rabbit cooking. Sniff! Sniff!...OK, so maybe EVERYTHING isn't crap. Heading out, she sees Xander cooking.
"Mmmmmm. This is delicious. Thank you.
"And...thank you for finding the necklace, stone, and the madfall teyrn statue. I won't lie. Your approach to negotiating made me nervous. I'm glad we told Pan Skrovlov the truth. Still, even if I disagreed with that choice...you were willing to be flexible, and you've been very helpful, and I appreciate it."
. . .
Unafe agrees with the suggestion to bring the altar out into the forest some ways back the way they'd come, to a spot that seemed safely out of the way.
"I certainly hope that we're being over cautious. Perhaps time alone, or my presence, will be enough to help Dolok find ease...but I'd be lying to say I was certain."
Her face darkens. By Goryon's green sandals, what IS there for me to be certain about, now? I never found my Ancestor Heart. Perhaps I am unworthy of redeeming Dolok, just like I was unworthy of receiving my Ancestor Heart?!?
Suppressing a frown, she continues, "When we first met the remnants of the Demetae, you all respected my request to stay your hand if at all possible. I would ask the same of you here. I pray that I will be able to call Dolok Darkscale--Goryon the Wise's faithful companion--back into our world...and that I, or we, can sooth his spirit. If he is enraged I will do my best to restrain and subdue him, but not to do him harm. I don't really know if a spirit like him can be killed, but I ask your word that you won't try to do so. Not unless there's truly no other way to stop Dolok from killing again. Will you agree to this?"
. . .
Once the altar is set up in a suitable location, Unafe puts on the necklace. She places the bowl on the altar, and the stone in the bowl. She places the meat offering that Ehren had supplied to the left and the statue to the right of the bowl. At that point, she looks at each of her companions and says, "If you have any preparations you want to do, now is your time."
Unafe prays to the ancestors in a loud, clear voice for protection from anything that might impede her, or obscure her sight, and to soften the edge of the worst mishaps she might suffer. As she does, the spirits whip around--and through--her with great ferocity.
When Unafe's prayer is done--and everyone else nods their readiness--she slices off a piece of meat and place it in the bowl with the stone, and pours water over it until the bowl is full. She prays again, "Graddfa dywyll Dolok, Cydymaith Mawr Goryon, Amddiffynwr Mawr doeth Demetae, I - Unafe dwy galon - galwch atoch chi. Rydych chi wedi gwasanaethu'r Demetae ers cenedlaethau lawer, ac am hynny mae gennych chi fy niolch. Rwy'n gwybod bod rhywbeth wedi achosi poen i chi, ac rwy'n galaru nad wyf yn gwybod beth ydyw, na sut y gallwn ei unioni ... ond gweddïaf y byddwch yn rhoi cyfle imi geisio. Os gwelwch yn dda, O amddiffynwr mwyaf y Demetae, dychwelwch unwaith eto. Dewch fel y gallaf i - a fy nghymdeithion - wneud ein gorau i roi'r seibiant rydych chi'n ei haeddu i chi ... ac os gwelwch yn dda, os ydyn ni'n llwyddo, rhowch y rhodd i ni o rannu'ch gwybodaeth gyda ni, er mwyn i ni wasanaethu orau a amddiffyn y Demetae."
As she prays, tears stream down her face. When she is done, she kneels before the altar, and waits.
"Sages say to learn everything from everything and perfectr all. Which appears as a contradiction since you must pour your heart wholly into something to perfect it. But they also teach that everything is connected, and so you can learn about fighting onis even far from them, and you can learn about leading from from the city, simply open your mind to what you see... or maybe even let you dream open your mind."
Ary winces at Hinagiku's response. "That's another koan, isn't it? I can't do koans." She tilts her head back and forth, though. "I do sleep back in Drezen. I'm just not comfortable sleeping out in the world. My armor isn't exactly designed for that level of comfort... which means stripping down and possibly risking someone's life if they were to need to save me, you know?"
* * *
"So... your plan, worst case scenario, is to get repeatedly bitten by the spirit of a giant animal, until it either gives in, or until you call for us to knock it out? I mean... I'm not sure how well I'll be able to hold back. I'll try. And... Daisy is quite effective at subdueing targets even when we're intent on bringing them down by any means necessary. Her way usually wins the race." she says, offering the kitsune a grin.
"We'll probably want to use magic to figure out which of the stones to use... there are a lot in that bag from the sounds of it."
* * *
"I... don't really have any preparations to make unless it uses some sort of elemental attacks that you're aware of. It isn't a giant fire-breathing dinosaur, is it?"
Once Unafe grows serious, she quiets down, though, floating near to her less-martially-inclined allies - feet just touching the ground. She maintains her presence between them and the altar, just in case.
Ehren partakes in the breakfast that Xanderghul has prepared, pleasantly surprised by how flavorful it is. Unlike almost everyone else, he had gone without a robust supper, a fact he is entirely too proud to complain about.
Before the attempt to perform the ritual, Ehren inspects the stones that Xanderghul found for any traces of magic. Nelket had insinuated that the totems were unique, so it was unlikely that just any one of them would be suitable for their purposes. Given that the lot of them were almost wholly identical, there has to be some other property that sets the totem apart from the other stones.
"We will do what we can to resolve this peacefully," Ehren assures Unafe, but not without a dire frown. "But the guardian of the Demetae must be mighty indeed, if his rage truly caused such disaster. Defending ourselves might mean that we cannot afford to hold back. So let us not let it come to that."
As Unafe begins the ritual proper, the druid casts a quick spell to heighten his senses, wanting to stay on his toes for their audience with the madfall teyrn.
At Unafe's thanks, he simply inclines his head. "I was just getting the job done," he says. "And even now, we're not even halfway through our current task. There is still much to be done."
Xander has no special preparations to make for encountering the dinosaur spirit, other than making sure the Skrovlov family receives his offering of fruits, flowers, and breakfast rabbit stew. He has no real idea of what to expect from this encounter other than that he expects it to be difficult and surprising. He follows along with the others while Unafe lifts the dinosaur altar and carries it out into the forest, walking along behind her.
When she starts to call out to Dolok Darkscale, he makes a bit of distance from her -- about fifty feet. He has no wish to be the first meal of this Darkscale beast.
"Of course Mrs. Unafe, I will respect your wish... but will do my best to protect you and the others if needed. And, if Dolok Darkscale cannot be reasoned with, then I will make sure we can restrain him." having said that, Hinagiku makes sure that she stands by Unafe while the Clan-Liege carries the ritual to evoke the guardian of her people.
"Friends," calls Xander. "Today I have access to both remove curse and break enchantment. I prepared them for use on Dolok, in the hopes that I could free him from whatever plagues his mind, but it's also a dangerous tactic. Do you all think I should risk getting within arm's reach in order to use these spells on him? And Ary -- would you accompany me to Dolok's side to help me see it through?"
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"Thank you. You know witchcra--err...arcane magic far better than I, but if your...arcane magic can help to free Dolok, then I'm in your debt.
"Standing back for now is certainly wise. I can't at all say what state he'll be in if--when--I call him back to us. Ary and Hinagiku's aid could help you approach safely, or else--with the grace of the Ancestors--I'll be able restrain Dolok, should that prove necessary."
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Tyrannosaurians are enormous, apex predator saurians that resemble enormous feathered lizards. They are around 40 feet long. They have tiny arms, but enormous jaws and teeth. They have a fearsome bite, and typically aim to swallow smaller prey whole.
You are aware of all of contents of the Tyrannosaurus statblock.
The heroes wait for a bit for Xanderghul to finish enjoying breakfast with the Skorvlov family, who stop by for a quick meal. Finding that they can no longer understand what the heroes say, they have no real reason to linger, and so they leave to head into the forest after breakfast with a quick wave good-bye.
Afterwards, Unafe assumes her saurian hybrid form, newly enormous, and helps move the altar and statue further away from the ruined Demetae village, then performs the ritual to summon Dolok.
Within moments of ritual's completion, an enormous black spectral tyrannosaur walks slowly towards the altar, appearing out of nowhere, his form slowly coming into view like a creature walking out of a fog. His shoulders are covered in a mantle of brightly colored feathers that are arranged to create a rainbow that cascades down his back, and his form is semi-translucent.
He comes to a halt near the statue behind the altar -- a striking resemblance to the real thing-- and takes a deep breath. "Fi yw Dolok ar Raddfadywyll, ysbryd coll a gwarcheidwad y clan Demetae tynghedu. Sut meiddiwch chi dynnu fy sylw oddi wrth fy ngofid tragwyddol?" he rumbles in a deep, booming voice.
"I am Dolok Darkscale, lost spirit and failed guardian of the doomed Demetae clan. How dare you distract me from my eternal sorrow?"
Isilme is not surprised when the ritual works, however the size of Dolok certainly was more than she had expected. It was incredible to think creatures like this had roamed the Demetae lands and out side there were myths at best--if people had even heard of saurians at all.
Thinking it best to leave the introductions to the effective leader of the current Demetae, she waits quietly for Unafe to answer the spirit's question, trying to keep an eye on its demeanor in case it shows signs of becoming hostile.
For a moment after her prayers end, Unafe kneels (her bowed head still somewhat above her standing allies, now that she had grown to twenty feet in height). Her first sign that she'd succeeded was a frisson that shot through the spirits that are always near her.
Unafe stands, sees herself dwarfed by Dolok, gasps, and then laughs.
It's really him!! Dolok Darkscale, with my own eyes!
She nods to Dolok and then looks at him and says, ”Dolok ar raddfa dywyll, Cydymaith Mawr Goryon, Amddiffynwr Mawr doeth Demetae, mae'n anrhydedd i mi fod yn eich presenoldeb. Maddeuwch imi aflonyddu arnoch chi, ond gweddïaf y gallai eich gofidiau ddod i ben mewn gwirionedd.
“Rwy'n Unafe Dau-Galon, prentis Old Aye, wedi fy maglu gan Snjóbyl Soulhammer am gan mlynedd mewn rhew ond wedi fy rhyddhau yn ddiweddar ... a nawr Clan-Liege i'r Demetae, a'u siaman. Mae'r ffaith bod ein llinach yn aros o gwbl, waeth pa mor wan ydyw, diolch i'ch amddiffyniad, felly ni fyddaf yn cadw at unrhyw un sy'n eich galw'n fethiant. Os oes unrhyw un yn wir fethiant yma, fi ydyw. Rhagwelodd Old Aye y byddwn yn amddiffyn y Demetae, ac eto yn ein moment o angen ni chyrhaeddodd fy Nghalon Ancestor erioed. Ni wn pam, ond rhaid tybio nad oeddwn yn ddigon teilwng.
“Boed hynny fel y bo, rwyf wedi dod o hyd i gynghreiriaid nerthol. Ni fyddaf yn dweud celwydd wrthych. Mae cythreuliaid yn dal i bla Cwm Taranau cysegredig, ond rwyf wedi dod o hyd i gynghreiriaid sy'n ymladd yn erbyn y llanw, ac rwyf wedi ymuno â nhw. Mae archddyfarnwr Sarkoris ei hun yn eu plith, a gweddïaf y gallwn, gyda'i arweiniad - a'ch gwybodaeth a'ch doethineb eich hun - adfer y Cwm i'w gwariwr ryw ddydd, ac anadlu bywyd newydd i'r sawriaid cysegredig, fel y gwnaeth Goryon ei hun unwaith gwnaeth.
Os yw o fewn fy ngallu, byddaf yn gwneud popeth o fewn fy ngallu i'ch rhyddhau o'ch gofidiau ... ac os gwelwch yn dda, fel Clan-Liege y Demetae, rwy'n gweddïo y byddwch yn fy helpu i ddeall y llwybr sydd ger fy mron ... ac os oes yna wyddoch chi sut y gallai'r pla sy'n helbul y Demetae gael ei wella, neu ffynhonnell y llysnafedd a'u heintiodd, atolwg y byddwch yn ateb hynny hefyd.
“Yn gyntaf serch hynny, dywedwch wrthyf: sut y gallaf leddfu eich poen?“