The lead rider wore horn lamellar armor and used a composite shortbow (strength +2) with 37 arrows. The other three riders each wore lamellar cuirass' and used normal shortbows. The two with the lead rider have 37 arrows, and the one further back has 39.
Each rider rode a light horse equipped with a military saddle and a scimitar hanging from their side.
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Wrapping the bows up in his cloak Zephri fills his pack with the scimitars and removes the saddles and tack of those horse which will allow him to before swatting their rumps and sending them off to their freedom. He trudges back slowly flings the spoils onto the boat, passing the bows to his companions with greater care. Then he leaps back aboard and sets the boat underway again.
"I'll take a bow in case we get ourselves in that situation again."
Due to Gorn's fumbling at the wheel, Dagat's first arrow goes wide, landing nowhere near the rider. Her second arrow, however, lands solidly in the rider's back, nearly 300' away.
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Once Gorn is satisfied that the bard is alright, he gets to work helping load the mass of gear onto the boat, lowering it into the shallow hold area.
Noting that the horses are there by the bodies, Gorn attempts to use a bit of loose planking to build a ramp the horses could use, and ushers the horses into the pack animal area, hoping that there's a bit of food in there, with anyone's help who would do so.
"If'n it's all the same to you, whether they attacked us or not, they still deserve a proper burial."
Gorn will dig some shallow graves for their attackers, not a mass grave. He says a small prayer to Torag, and then returns to the boat, ready to go.
"One shouldn't disrespect the dead, whether we killed them or they slaughtered us."
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"We'll make good time with these horses... or we'll eat well, your pick. Ah'm not above waitin' to bury 'em, but their allies may locate them and track us along the river. So, buryin' and respectin' may buy us time to save our own hides and fewer arrows bein' shot at ye. Ah can take it, but poor Noorzad got struck down hard. Ah'm not lettin' any of my charges-err-- fellow Pathfinders-- be lost o'er this mission fer lack of bein' thorough."
Gorn sets his feet with typical dwarven stubbornness, and if the others insist on going ahead without, he offers to ride alone with one of the horses to catch up after he buries the bodies.
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"Gorn we will come back if we can, we need to return the boat in any event. But our mission comes before burying bandits, you do not know there customs anyway, maybe they prefer to be burned their kin or friends finding them might be better, and tracking us is not an issue if anyone is they know we are on this river, finding these fools will tell them nothing," Zephri says, sighing.
"We are not leaving you alone, you are a Pathfinder you agreed to this mission and you understood there was a time limit. Your duty is to your mission, and us, not to those who tried to kill you. besides a shallow grave is just a larder for animals, there is a reason men are buried six feet deep."
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After patching everyone up, Hyeon-ae joins Gorn in collecting up the horses. She calls out quietly to them and calms them down, clearly having a way with animals... rather unsurprising, really, considering her close bond with Jin.
By the time she returns from belowdecks after getting the horses settled down and putting out some hay and oats for them to eat, she runs right back into Zephri and Gorn arguing about... graves, it seems. Hyeon-ae hesitates between the two men, trying to decide whether to make herself scarce or intervene... in the end, her noble heart demands she butt in, although not without some reservations.
"Though I do not wish to dishonour the dead," the young Hwan speaks up awkwardly, "Zephri-ssi is right in that we owe these bandits nothing. Their honour was forfeit the moment they chose this path of theft and violence. Your concern is most respectable, though, Gorn-ssi." She nods her head to him.
"... I do sincerely hope their souls can properly learn of justice and honour in their next life." Hyeon-ae clasps her hands together and closes her eyes with the quick prayer.
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Gorn, glaring at the Gunslinger, and nodding towards Hyeon-ae, sighs as well.
"If'n ye promise to come back an' help with a proper burial, Ah will come with. Ah'll be holdin' ye to yer word. Ah didn't bury bodies when Ah'd faced the hordes of Belkzen, fightin' like madmen they were. Unfortunately, after we won, they found us later and shaved me clean. Ah'm assumin' they were gonna eat me, but ye never know what those things were gonna do."
"We ne'er buried their bodies. That's how they tracked us, and, ah believe, their spirits guided 'em to us. After we escaped, Ah haven't had nary a hair on me whole body since. Ah believe it to be because of that mistake. Ah'd like a beard again some time. Heck, a full head o' hair would be nice!"
Having come to some sort of agreement, the group travels on. Another half-day's travel downriver from the Kogendu Basin brings the Pathfinders to the Jhemulit camp. Several horses and goats contentedly graze about the wide grassy plain on either side of the river, but the fields look as though they have been recently flooded. A half-dozen yurts, drenched from a recent storm, dot the northern shoreline, smoke curling from their rounded roofs. Two small shrines sits a few yards east of the camp, surrounded by wildflowers.
A short, middle-aged Tian-La man with graying hair and a scraggly beard sees your ship approach from around a bend in the river and waves you ashore on the northern bank of the Tuunma. Once you have disembarked, he leads you to a small shrine a short distance away from the camp so you can discuss important matters in private.
"Ah, Pathfinder's! It is not often we receive visitors so far away from the roads. I am Ogokai, shaman of the Jhemulit. If you have nowhere else to spend the night, you must accept my offer to stay the night with my tribe. We also have as much food and drink as you need."
"Of course! They can graze with our livestock and horses. There is plenty to eat for everyone!"
He looks at Dagat sadly, "We have mixed the incense, yes, but I am afraid we cannot give it to you. As soon as we placed the herbs in the crates the Gokan woman left, a terrible storm fell upon us. Many of our horses and goats were scared away by the thunder, and one man was struck by lightning. It is clear - the Sky Spirits are displeased we would give the sacred gifts of the land to outsiders. You may take back the hides the Gokan woman traded us, but you may not take the incense."
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Gorn sizing the gentleman up, makes a gesture towards his spiritual nature.
"Ah understand your dilemma. Perhaps there is a way to appeast these 'Sky Spirits?' Perhaps there is something we can do to assist your tribe? We wish to be kind and honor yer traditions and yer spirits as well. We are honorable folk here, and we dinnae wish to cause trouble. If'n yer sky spirits are angry already, we won't take the chance of offending them further while on this river."
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Hyeon-ae greets Ogokai with a deep and respectful bow. As they move to the shrine, her eyes are caught by the grazing horses, and she winds up lagging to the back of the group before hurrying to catch up. Everyone knew of the Tian-La's exquisite horse stock; even her companion Jin could not hold a candle to the quality borne from the keen eyes of the nomadic La peoples.
When the shaman continues to explain the misfortune wrought by the Sky Spirits, she nods in understanding. Sometimes the spirits of the land were capricious indeed, although there was always a chance to sway hearts and minds. "I agree with my companion here, Ogokai-nim. We are in true need of the incense, but I would not wish to tempt the Sky Spirits' wrath. Can we help you with anything?"
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"You made a deal, if there is something we can do to appease your spirits, we are willing to do it - within reason - but that is our incense. How would your tribe regard someone who went back on a deal already done?" Zephri says, trying to be as reasonable as possible, though its clear he is very irritated.
“I am afraid that the Sky Spirits have spoken, and unless you can provide proof that you are worthy of accepting these gifts of our land, then I do not wish to give you the incense,” he says, bowing his head respectfully.
He smiles sadly and spreads his hands, "I am sorry, but our tribe's survival is more important than foreign hides. I do not know in what way you could prove that you are worthy, but surely there must be some way?"
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"Perhaps you can tell us more of the Sky Spirits and your usual rituals to honour them?" Hyeon-ae offers gently, hoping this would spark something to diffuse Zephri's building wrath. "I have heard tell that they take to the skies above Shaguang. Perhaps a dance, or an offering, would sate their wrath this time?"
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Dagat whispers to the others when she is sure that they would not be heard, away from the shaman. "I would like to confirm if what the shaman said had indeed occurred. This may another plot by those who wish for our mission's failure. I will check their medical area; if the man struck by lightning survived, he should be healing. I will leave our discussions to you."
Saying that, she starts looking around.
You're able to track the man down. Right now he's sleeping in a small tent, his legs and arms wrapped in bandages soaked in foul smelling salves. His head and chest are bare, but sport massive bruising. A thin green paste is slathered over both. A tiny elderly woman sits on a mat in a darkened corner, her chanting interrupted by your entrance as she glares up at you.
She looks up to Zephri with an evil look, "Mutabi qì! Líkāi zhège nánrén zài hépíng de Tiānkōng liè Jiǔ duì nǐ zuò shénme zhīqián, tāmen zuòle tā!"
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"She says the spirits might do to us - well, to you - what they did to him. Says we should leave him alone. Or possibly make him lonely, but I'm guessing the former. My Tien is still pretty crap."
"Regardless, I think we can gather these herbs ourselves if we need to with a few hours good honest work. Which, frankly, sounds awful, but what can you do."
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Dagat nods to woman before leaving the tent.
To what Noorzad said, she whispers, "Then we shall do so. I do not recognize the herbs, but I will assist. We shall tell the shaman we will seek a way to appease the Sky Spirits and gather those herbs. If we do find a way, then the better, but we need not return her when we have what we need."
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Hyeon-ae bows deeply to the healer woman, murmuring a long stream of apologies in Tien before backing out of the tent. Only then does she explain to the foreigners of the medicine-woman's anger at being interrupted. "She threatened the wrath of the Sky Spirits on us. I don't think we will have much luck here."
When Noorzad explains that they may be able to manufacture their own incense, the inquisitor breathes a sigh of relief. "Let us do that then, and not bother the local deities while we stay here."
Deciding not to steal the incense, or murder the tribe, and lacking the talky skills needed , you instead follow Noorzad's lead and pick the plants necessary for the incense. After
4 hours, you have enough to mix the herbs into the proper incense, which only takes a DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check! Everyone looks to Zephri, who sighs in frustration, mumbling something about guns and temples, perhaps.
Taking 10, Zephri is able to make the proper incense in
4 hours!
It is well past dark o'clock by the time you are finished, but you have the proper incense now. That invitation from Ogokai to spend the night doesn't seem so awful right now.
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"Bah. Probably some faewine or somesuch elven nonsense. Ah'll be glad to get back to the other side o the continent when this is all done. This place is strange, honor here, break your word 'n still keep honor. 'least we've got the skills to get what we need, but we're sorely behind schedule.... I'm thinkin' an hour buryin' bandits would've been served just as well. An' we may've not angered these 'sky spirits.'"
Gorn finally finishes his grumbling, very cranky at this point. He refuses to sleep in the town, going to the boat for his rest and to ensure the incense are hidden properly on the boat.