"Cave shelter. Too small for lion birds. Gesturing again at the brothers. They bring death or freedom. Better than trap here. The gnoll makes large circular motions with both hands.
Ami looks at the gnoll, then at his brother, waiting permission to slay what is clearly a Servant of the Rough Beast. He hasn't charged yet because the thing had spoke in a civil tongue and wasn't saying dumb things like 'you food' or 'rovagug is the best' or 'halfling is dinner'.
Ami's small hands clench on Yeen's shoulders.
"You were a bird just a little bit ago, now you're a gnoll, so are you a gnoll-who-can-turn-into-a-bird, or are you neither-bird-nor-gnoll? You've picked the wrong form, if you're the latter, not the former, or you're unlucky, if you're the former, not the latter."
Aldebert agrees with Pent, nodding absently. He looks at his brother, marveling at his restraint.
"Yes, what are you exactly?" he concentrates, using his paladin ability to Detect Evil on the creature.
"This me. Grabbing at the leaves and grass. Pointing at the trees. This in other world give wings."
More small birds are joining the group above, but more are being forced into the tall trees.
Aldebert looks at the gnoll, and shakes his head. "Can any of you make sense of what he just said?"
He turns to Ami, "Brother, these are not gnolls as we understand them. I do not think they serve the rough beast. They seem innocent."
max DC 10 (are they 'local' or do we take them back?)
He shrugs and looks to the group for answers in his confusion. "Are we to take them back with us too?"
Ami hisses at Aldebert's potential blasphemy...but is willing trust and see where the truth might lie in this place.
"Who do you serve, gnoll? What god(s) do you honor?" Ami asks, waiting for an answer that will allow him to pounce and rend gnoll from gnoll skeleton.
"What go. Ga.. das?"
The gnome gives up on any reasonable conversation with the creature in Common.
"Hello, hello, let's start again. You've got a poor grasp of the Common tongue, I'm afraid, and it may make matters worse if you continue to try and explain things in broken words, when the halflings here are looking for a reason to see you dead. Well, at least one of them. So, are you some kind of shape-shifting gnoll, who can fly like the birds because you can take their form? We're looking for folks to take back to a Waypoint here, so we can bring you all back with us when this world collapses. Are you amenable to such things, or are you a creature of this world, and are fixing to stay?"
As more small birds are forced into the trees, too few fly up to take there place. The gnoll looks up with concern.
"Lead the way. We can talk more, once our worry wanes."
Pent looks at the others. "The gnoll invites us back to a cave, where we won't have to worry about the impending return of the griffon attacks. I thought we had finished with a majority of the griffons, but I was wrong. Look." The gnome points upwards, at the still griffon-occupied sky.
"The birds were a distraction, but they're retreating. Not sure the birds up there are more gnolls-in-flight, but I think we don't want to stand our ground here, and find out. Heading back to the cave appears to be in order, because a broken Common conversation will have more time to breathe. Unless we want to keep talking in Gnoll, where some of us don't have the tongue for it, I think?"
"Lead... the... way... bird-gnoll." Pent pantomimes a shooing action, as well as a follow-it gesture.
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Ami agrees, but only because he expects to be able to kill many more gnolls in the gnoll-home rather than having to track down the lair.
He proceeds with little complaint or outright aggression...yet.
The gnoll nods and then heads into the trees beyond where the group was standing. Something seems to speed the group's progress through the thickening shrub. As trees shorten near the shore, the shrub become a tangled mess that the griffons seem hesitant to breach. Just as they seem ready to try, large rocks near the shore quickly offer up the cave the gnoll spoke of. Within the cave is a dimly glowing crystal and bits of wood. A tattered blanket sits near the rear of the cave, which is hardly large enough for everyone. The entry way as promised is much to small for griffons. The gnoll turns to the group. "This my nest. Hide here from lion birds. Talk now? Or rest?
The gnoll shrugs, walks toward the corner where the tattered fabric sits and lays down. Soon his eyes are closed and he begins snoring.
Aldebert agrees as well, and leads Gretiem to follow the unknown creature.
"Pent, you seem to speak this creature's language. See if you can find out if they're local or not. Do we need to escort them out of this world?" he wonders.
"Oh. OK, let's rest then and we can talk with them in the morning. Standard watches I think." he suggests.
Happy to rest the night.
Beyond the frustrated noises of griffons that become increasingly distant all that makes its way into the cave is the sound of water crashing into rock.
The gnoll wakes with the first sign of light coming into the cave. He sits quietly with a small rock, which he uses to carve markings on a bit of driftwood. He looks up at those that wake first.
"Time for talk now. He ask questions. The gnoll points at Pent. Me Bur’aw. Be many creatures. Like bird best. Yes. Freedom. I have waking dream. Points at Aldebert and Ami. See them. Brothers kill many gnolls. Brothers know way out. Take way out? Not kill?"
Ami seems to shocked to speak...let alone prompt Aldebert to speak.
Yes, yes, I have killed many gnolls. It was a good start.
Pent looks from Bur'aw, to Aldebert, and back. "Looks like his Common got a little better. Probably gets twisted up when he takes to feather. And sleep. Looks like sleeping on it did some good."
"Keep it up, Bur'aw. You're doing fine. You might want to explain why you're in Kakishon, and why you think the brothers should take you along, when everyone leaves. If you're finding words difficult, just say what you need to say in Gnoll, and I'll translate it into Common."
Bur'aw nods at Pent's words. "Me came here when small. Egg maker brought me. He turns to Pent.
Turning back to the group, he continues, "Brothers do what brothers do. Me ask if I can live. If others can live. Trap no way to live. If kill. No different than trap. Turning to Aldebert and Ami. Me question. Why kill?"
"Me question. Why kill?"
Ami blinks his eyes, thinking. Obviously, Ami has never met a calm and somewhat rational gnoll before. It confuses him. He asks the question again, hoping that Pent can help translate the confusing answer.
"What god(s) do you serve, Bur'aw? Do you oppose the Rough Beast in all its faces?" Ami asks.
Aldebert wonders, "Is he saying he was made when this place was made? So he's local maybe, but still wants out. He and his kin."
"I wonder if that's even possible. I don't know. This is all very confusing, and I worry about just how many creatures we're meant to free from this place." the enormous task before them keeps getting bigger. He starts to wonder if it's all just too overwhelming.
"Brother, I think they don't even know who the Rough Beast is. They're not like the gnolls back home. The look alike, but they are not the same. I think we should help them if we can."
Bur'aw looks confused. "This word. Gaaddddaa. What mean? Beast? Like bear or lion? All beasts have faces. I with all. Birds. Bears. Lions. Even lion birds. With trees. With grass and waters." He turns to Pent.
Turning to Aldebert, No. I very young when I trapped here. No remember. Story told me. There not many gnolls. Most with elemental man." He turns again to Pent.
Pent finds Bur'aw a very frustrating conversationalist. Very frustrating. Very, very frustrating. Almost frustrating enough to overcome his usually sweet disposition, and leave alone the halfs and their interogatee to their own conclusions.
"We pray to powerful gods and goddesses. You seem to not know about such things. There are good gods, and not-so-good gods, and the halfling is looking for you to say that you pray to Rovagug, a particularly evil god, so he can kill you."
"I don't think he understands religion like we understand it. Aldebert has the right of it, I think."
"You're looking for the word..."
"Genie."
"So, we should probably ask you, Bur'aw- are the other gnolls like you? Or are you special?"
Bur'aw nods excitedly. "Sky speakers. No. I not speak to sky. No GODs. Not Rove a gug. I speak animals. Trees, Rocks. All real things. No voices in air. No gnoll like me. Some make boats. Some cut trees. All different. looking to the brothers. why kill for sky speakers? For GODs? Different voices. All same sky."
Aldebert, though his head aches from trying to follow, nods. "How many of you are there? We have a boat, and will depart to leave this realm at some point, I know not when. There is so much we have to do." he looks unhappy about it.
"But when we do leave, you may leave with us I think." he looks to the others for input.
Bur'aw makes markings in the dirt near his feet as he speaks, drawing boat shapes around five groups of three. "Not many. I gather them. They on other island. I fly here. They take small boats. Can meet here. You show way out? Not kill?"
"Why kill for sky speakers?"
Ami begins to giggle. And more giggling. Then more giggling.
Ami is slow to compose himself.
The dwarf sets up a sleeping spot near a cozy pile of rocks . He rests lightly, his dreams interrupted by interspersed wondering when the gnoll's screaming will wake him up.
When he wakes he listens, mostly in wonderment that Bur'aw is still alive, and keeps an eye on Amiamble during the conversation.
As the halfling starts to giggle, Otah thinks to himself "Gods, what happens next? Bur'aw is clearly not like any gnoll they've met before."
"Pent. How does he know that the brothers kill gnolls? We avoided the ones on the island when coming in. Can he see outside this place? Has he been watching us?"
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"Gnoll druid, struck by a 'waking dream'. Seems perfectly reasonable." Pent rolls his eyes at Otah, sharing the same thought. "We're often the ignorant ones, Odie. In the lands of Kakishon, the one-eyed gnoll is king." The gnome rubs his forehead, finding it tender, and in need of some saner measures to work their way back home.
"Aldebert, these are likely some of the ones the egg lenders want to see herded back to them. Not sure how many we can shuttle back and forth. Not sure how they're gonna fare, when the boat goes over the edge of creation again."
Bur'aw repeats his earlier question, clarifying his intentions as best he can. "You show way out? Not kill? Won't bring gnolls if kill."
Pent looks at Bur'aw, then Aldebert. "He seems to have a real thing for you, Aldi. Not sure if he's looking for a pet on the head, but you should say something to ease his fears, otherwise we're going to be here for an eternity, making puppy-dog eyes back and forth."
Aldebert tries to join his brother in the giggles, but nothing here entertains him and all he can manage is a smile.
"No, we're not going to kill you I don't think. I cannot speak for everyone of course, but we will do nothing to directly harm you."
He hopes the creature understands.
"All gnolls live? Yes? No?" He looks at Pent.
Pent rubs a palm down his face.
"The halfs don't like making promises they may not want to keep. He said 'no'. You heard him. You also heard him say that only he said 'no'. You also heard him say that 'we' will do nothing to directly harm you 'all', so you have to decide if you trust Aldebert enough to think that he said 'no', like you want him to mean it."
Otah shakes his head, clearly struggling to accept the thought that the gnoll's dreams were visions.
"I don't like this place." he turns to the halflings, "Would you two just tell him 'I won't kill gnolls' so we can go?"
He stares at Ami, waiting. And maybe mean it?
Bur'aw nods at hearing Pent's words. "One brother laughs. One say, I do not think. He closes his eyes, rubbing his head he speaks to no one in particular. Death natural. The little ones so small. Trap here no life. He looks up. I tell others. They pick. I show way to boat place now? He looks at Otah as he speaks.
Mahdi has listened with an initial scowl and frown to the words of the gnoll...thing, that is not entirely a gnoll. As the creature has spoken, the fire mage's attitude has eased somewhat. He sits in a crouch, his elbows on his knees, gazing at Bur'aw, and then speaking in the Gnoll tongue himself.
"The halfling here speaks of killing because he follows a chief who he thinks wishes him to kill. I myself have killed gnolls, because a gnoll killed my parents: the ones who created me. Where we come from, those who look like you are my enemy. But if you and your people want a peace, I will have a peace... unless I am attacked. Is this fair?"
A new voice catches Bur'aw's attention. He turns to Mahdi and speaks quickly, almost excitedly. He points at Mahdi, Otah, and Pent as he barks in his native tongue.
Ami is content to not-kill the gnolls as long as they don't attack the party nor evince any worship of the Rough Beast. Mostly, he'll be delighted to see their faces when they meet their other/same kind in the 'real world'.
After resting, Ami will apply his usual buffs to Yeen & Aldebert and be ready to travel.
As usual and where appropriate, he will outride and scout to and fro, ranging on Yeen and delighting in the freedom. His scarf still, as always, covers his face.
Ami doesn't speak again, unless spoken to. His giggles speak enough.
Otah continues to stare at Amiamble and Aldebert, waiting for a response.
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Mahdi looks sourly on at Ami's descent into mad giggling. "Aldebert, perhaps you would like to share whatever your brother is babbling and snickering about to you with the rest of us so that we can all get in on the joke....? Currently I'm trying to broker a peace with this fellow, but he's very concerned about the apparent lack of agreement among us."
He responds to the gnoll in the gnoll tongue, thinking darkly what his parents would say, to hear him speaking in the same tongue as their murderers.
Bur'aw nods, "I listen. All say not kill be good. I wait. Much light now. Can take to boat place soon."
Ami, who had stopped giggling long ago, returns a look to his good friend Mahdi.
"Agreement? What agreement, Madhi? You'll have to explain...all I hear you doing is growling and howling and the beast doing the same."
Bur'aw shakes his head. "He not listen. He laugh. I show you boat place now." The gnoll walks from the cave, leaving the tattered bit of fabric that served as his blanket.
He stays just close enough to the cave that you can see him when you decide to come out. Likewise he keeps his distance from everyone as he makes his through the forest, staying close to the rock line of which the cave was a part. He slows only if everyone else does, but continues to keep his distance.
Aldebert turns to Mahdi, "Oh, he's just entertained that there's a good gnoll in the world. Quite different from all other gnolls we've met to date that's for sure." he smiles weakly.
He turns to Bur'aw and tries to be clearer, "Relax. You don't harm us, and we won't herm you, but the trip is difficult so be prepared."
He follows along, curious to see what there is to see.
Bur'aw wordlessly continues on his way. In short order everyone arrives within sight of the harbor. The gnoll gives a quick point, looking to see that everyone sees the harbor. Nodding wordlessly his extended arm quickly takes the form of an outstretched wing which as quickly carries him into the air and off into the clouds.
The blaring of the horn and perhaps the one from Pent's rear end as well bring about the boat quickly. Ram headed helmsman waits wordlessly, ready to take the group to whatever island they name.