Grelthaga scowls at Morythine's snide remark and stamps over to her other sister's sides.
Briselda's eyes furrow with anger at Zoli's comment. She turns to Larastine and says, "But I wanted to make a necklace out of them!"
Larastine holds a hand up to silence her sisters. "Yes, I understand what it looks like. But, if you weren't already aware, we are already capable of raising the dead as mindless creations, without those gems, but" she holds out her arms to gesture around them, "do you see a vast army of undead lined up against you? Hell, we didn't even do this to Lamatar, it was Barl's doing."
She continues her explanation, "The Spellbook is a curiosity to me, as I would like to learn the arts of weaving magic myself. Our magic is of a natural variety, not a learned one. And the weapons and armor are for bargaining tools and trade items with the other ogre clans up here. There are plenty more besides the Kreeg, and without their protection, we need something to offer to keep them from taking our heads."
She shakes her head, "No, I'm afraid our offer will need to stand as is. But we have little to offer you in regards to Barl's and the Lamia's plans. Barl just put the Kreeg to work crafting weapons and armor tirelessly, and would send them off. However," she says with an arched eyebrow, "as a sign of good faith, I offer you one last olive branch, that may serve to give you what information you seek. I noticed you struggle to read that message," she points to the mammoth hide holding the message in Giant. "I will add to the deal an accurate translation of that message. It may be nothing. It may hold the answers you seek."
Zoli raises a curious eyebrow. "Where are the arms being sent? And since when?"
She shrugs, "Don't know, and since Barl took over about a month ago."
Zoli eyes Larastine. "OK, thank you for your answers. I don't speak for all of us but I'll speak honestly for myself.
"You seem to be bargaining in fairness and I don't have reason to fight you. At the same time, you ask for treasure worth nearly twenty thousand gold, for the privilege of not interfering with us returning a tormented soul--a good man by all counts--to his rightful rest.
"I'm just as inclined to say: You've cast your lot in with evil giants, ogres, and a lamia who were ravaging the countryside. By your own admission, you raise the undead, an act of unholy evil. If you agree to mend your ways, I'd want you to have the chance...but if you want to continue abetting ogres and and meddling with necromancy, and want to be paid for letting us grant Lamatar his final rest...I'm afraid this discussion is over for me."
She wags a finger at the halfling, "I said we could. Not that we had. The lamia and Giants were forced upon us. But yes, we have worked with the Kreeg...for our own protection. Not many things are bold enough to attack an ogre clan in their clan hold."
“To my mind, we give them a chance. That’s what Varisian rangers are meant to do. They may not be paladins, but neither is Morythine.”
Looking at the hags, he says to them directly. “Case you didn’t catch that, we range Varisia and protect her. I’ll take your deal, but if I ever hear you betrayed our trust, I will be back, and you all will be dead.”
Rilee again speaks up after some thought.
"You say you can create mindless undead already, and Barl created Lamatar, who is obviously not mindless. I propose this: We take the pages of the spellbook out that allowed Barl to create creatures like Lamatar. You can have the rest of the book. The bargain remains otherwise intact."
Setsuna nods at Rilee's suggestion.
"I think that is a good compromise."
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Larastine smiles and says, "Agreed," holding a hand out to accept the terms.
Once the gems, torn spellbook, and weapons and armors are handed over, Briselda takes the mammoth hide and begins translating it over to common on a side scrap of the hide. She then presents it to the group.
Larastine then looks to the group and says, "Lamatar, serve them as best you can. Now, if you don't mind, we'd like to start tidying up our abode..."
Setsuna makes sure that Vale's and Jakardros' bodies are recovered as well. It would be wrong to leave them to rot in the Kreeg caves of all places.
Opting not to immediately read the letter, Setsuna cautiously takes Lamatar aside. Thankfully, the worst the former ranger does is give her a cold glare.
...Well, he clearly isn't a mindless zombie, so... time to see I can charm a corpse.
"Commander Lamatar... I want to apologize for what I said earlier. I was under the false impression that you were some mindless zombie. I was wrong, and I arrogantly misspoke. I'm very sorry.
"The thing is... your beloved in Whitewillow... Myriana I believe... misses you. Your passing and current... state have greatly distressed her. According to my friend, she's currently a ghost in great agony. We are on a bit of a clock. She is getting ready to destroy Turtleback Ferry if we fail to get you to her. We have one day left. I don't know if you remember her, but she really wants to reunite with you.
"...Do you remember her? Myriana?"
Eugeni takes thetranslation and reads it. He hurriedly pulls Zoli aside as Setsuna deals with the undead ranger.
“They’re going after home, Z! They’re gonna hit Sandpoint. We have to get back right away!” He waves the note at her to emphasize his point.
The undead creature looks directly at Setsuna, it's face an emotionless mask, it's eyes looking straight through her, "I am not the creature I was before. I have no memory of that existence. I care not for the worries of these people."
As the exhaustion inflicted by Barl’s magic slowly fades away, Morythine overhears Eugeni’s urgent news. “What? Eugeni’s right. We’ve got to get home as swiftly as possible.” Grabbing the note from the half-orc and scans it. His fangs press into his lower lip in alarm. “Ulp. It says ‘dragon’ here. Can we fight a dragon? Zoli? Erm . . . it says dragon here.”
"We don't have a choice. Hopefully our luck will hold out. I could really use a magical quiver and a lot more arrows...I keep running out mid fight."
"...Well, rest assure, I've changed my mind. I look forward to working with you," Setsuna easily lies.
The group departs from the cave in a hurry, given the grave news of the threat to Sandpoint. As they head back down the trail, Rilee manages to find a comparatively safe cave to set up camp in for the night. It is clearly one that sees regular use, likely as a hunting stop off point or watch post for the Kreeg.
The group takes turns setting watches, and shortly after Setsuna takes watch, she slips away into the night to Lamatar's assigned watch post...
Several minutes later...she returns dragging the now truly dead body of the ranger, her skin shining with sweat from a recent fight, though she appears to be unharmed.
"Zoli, Rilee, I would airlift this guy to Whitewillow as soon as the sun starts to rise," the Oracle says as she props Lamatar's body against the cave wall. "I did the math, and we'll be too late if we go on foot."
Rilee looks at Setsuna with concern. She starts to ask if she was all right, but stops herself.
Instead, she says, "Olympus is faster than anything I can change into. He should be able to carry me, Zoli and Lamatar, but not everyone. If we want to risk slowing down, we might be able to figure something out. I could carry someone, Mory has that owl, and you have wings yourself."
"Then you and Zoli take Olympus and go as soon as possible. I only have nine minutes of flight a day, and I don't think Mory's owl lasts very long. Zoli knows Myriana the best, and you need to get her there. Mory, Eugeni, and I can stumble our way back to town on foot."
“Got feisty did he?” Eugeni asks, nudging Lamatar with his boot. “Don’t worry about us walking. Mory and I both walk faster than horses. I want to run straight to Sandpoint in fact...soon as morning comes. I see no reason for all of us to go to Turtleback unless it’s on the way.”
Zoli has to read the note twice before she can speak. A REAL dragon? Coming to Sandpoint!?!
She racks her brain trying to remember everything she can about the names Teraktinus and Jorgenfist, and of course the plays and stories she's read about dragons.
. . .
She nods at Setsuna's plan. "OK then. Setsu, if you want to borrow my anklet of striding and springing, it'll help you keep up with Eugeni and Mory...at least mostly. We'll meet you as fast as we can--maybe even beat you there!"
As the dark sky begins to show the faint signs of morning light, Rilee is up and praying to the forces of nature. Once complete, she returns to the camp and touches Olympus gently. The roc lifts its massive head from its roost and looks at her with his intense eyes. "Helo, ffrind. Rydym yn mynd i angen i hedfan yn gyflym heddiw. Ydych chi'n barod am hyn?" she coaxes sofly.
"Hello, friend. We're going to need to fly fast this day. Are you up for it?"
The great bird stands and stretches his huge wings and gives a shake of his head. "Excellent!" Rilee exclaims, giving him a hug around his feathered neck. Then she softly incants several spells and lays them upon her companion.
"A little help to ward off the chill... There! Now to give you some extra strength, and now some speed!"
She saddles Olympus and gestures to Zoli. "Come on. Time to go." She gives Zoli a casting of endure elements and then straps the halfling into the saddle. Once the corpse of Lamatar is secured, she clicks and whistles to Olympus and they soar into the sky and bank towards the south.
As they fly, Rilee strikes up a conversation. "So, I've been meaning to ask, did Ta-- did your father ever get to put on that play he wrote?"
"Thanks Zoli; that should make the trip a bit faster," says Setsuna as she puts on the anklet.
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This revelry all fades when the Shimmerglens comes into view. The growing blight and cursed earth seems to be growing at a visible rate now, rapidly expanding as Myriana's wrath grows.
Once Zoli picks out the pond clearing where she encountered the ghost nymph before, she points it out to Rilee, who commands Olympus to land. With proper warning, the two heroes are careful to keep their eyes averted as the nymph princess' spirit materializes from the water. She quickly spots the body of her beloved, and holds out a hand, floating the corpse from the women's arms and levitating it above the water.
As she floats above her love, a single, ghostly tear falls from her cheek and lands on his forehead. From where it lands, the death and decay that had overtaken his body begins to wash away with a powerful, radiant light. Myriana's body begins to change and fade too, the arms and legs seeming to reattach to her torso...the sorrow and pain appears to wash away from her spirit, returning her horrific form to one of supernatural beauty.
She leans down and delivers a final kiss to Lamatar's now blindingly glowing body, and says lovingly, "Live well...my love," before her spirit fades from existence.
The glowing form of Lamatar, still just a blinding light to the heroes, floats back to the shore and lays to rest at the edge of the pond. When his body touches ground, the magic radiates out from the point of impact, quickly washing over the tortured lands around the group. As it passes, the plant life becomes instantly restored, returning Whitewillow and the Shimmerglens to its previous, pristine, beautiful state.
Zoli, and Zoli alone, hears the lovely voice of the nymph seeming to whisper into her ear, "Thank you, for your service. I can never repay the kindness you have done for me, but know that, for the rest of your days, I shall be watching over you."
"Wh...where am I?" a feminine voice draws Zoli's and Rilee's eyes back to the water's edge, where a Kellid woman rises up from the ground, wearing Lamatar's equipment. She looks around confused for but a moment, but then hangs her head into her hands and mutters, "Oh gods...I've failed them all! I've left them all to ruin! And my love! Ravaged by those...monsters!"
Zoli and Rilee hop onto Olympus' back and bid their farewells to Lamatar before lifting off once more and heading straight to Turtleback Ferry. Mayor Shreed gives them the 1,000 gold as promised upon learning of their victory at Skull's Crossing, and begins to plan a celebration in their honor...before being informed of the urgency with which they need to return to Magnimar and Sandpoint. Understanding, he begins pulling what strings he can to arrange a turtle-shell raft is prepared, stocked, and staffed for when the others arrive...
The group of runners arrive in town two hours after Rilee and Zoli, their lungs heaving, their muscles aching. Setsuna hops lightly out of Eugeni's arms and, with a bit of magic, removes the fatigue from the warriors as well as the pains in their muscles. Mayor Shreed lets the Varisian Rangers know that their boat is prepared, and thanks them all once again for their services to the town and region. They are escorted out of town to the sound of vigorous applause and cheers for all the good deeds they have accomplished. Tillia Henkenson, the lovely young school marm the group rescued from the nightbelly boa, gives the group a fresh-baked snow-apple pie for the journey, handing it to Morythine and offering him a light kiss on the cheek in thanks for their heroics. She then blushes and steps back into the crowd.
The turtle-shell raft is stocked with enough food supplies to get the group to Magnimar, as well as to see that the four boat men handling the vessel are well fed for the return voyage. It takes nearly five days before they dock in Magnimar once more, thanks to the fact that they are traveling with the current and the boatmen work in shifts through the night to keep the boat floating safely even through the nights. By the time the boat is tied off, the group has all their belongings ashore, and bid farewell to the boatmen, it is roughly two hours after noon.
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Rilee knew well the dangers of staring directly at the nymph, so she used the water's reflection to observe her. She let Zoli do most of the talking, standing back and watching the effervescent halfling with intense pride.
The restoration of the Shimmerglens was glorious, and she laughed and cried with joy at the renewal of nature. She couldn't restrain herself; she throws her heavy gear off and frolics in the green newness. She splashes into the pond and shifts into an otter, playing in the crystal waters. After a time, she returns to her natural state and flicks some droplets at Zoli. "I've been old for too long. I'd forgotten what it's like to be young. I needed this."
Rilee continues to cavort until she hears Lamatar's soft, confused voice. Brought back to the present, she sobers and watches silently as the last surviving Black Arrow processes her grief and loss.
She doesn't try to coax Lamatar back to civilization. Instead, she suggests, "If you wish to give your rangers another chance, I can help to bring them back, much in the same way you have been. Other business calls me away, but I will be back. If you can gather the necessary rare plants and herbs for the ritual, the Black Arrows can be reincarnated. They may be a motley bunch after riding the Mael-- no, it's gone! The Wheel is back. They can ride the Wheel and be reborn."
If Lamatar is agreeable, Rilee gives her the list of components needed for her to begin collecting.
Rilee doesn't spend much time on the turtle-shell boat during the river journey to Magnimar. Much like the trip to Turtleback Ferry, she alternates between riding on Olympus soaring high above the river, or Wild Shaped in some form or another moving along with the boat. This time, however, she sometimes tests her new limits of her Wild Shape ability as she takes on the huge forms of an elephant or hippopotamus.
One late evening, a dripping Rilee pulls herself out of the water and onto the boat. The overcast sky and heavy canopy plunges the whole night into total darkness, requiring those with darkvision to stay on alert. Rilee spots Mory on lookout and sits next to him.
"This is... familiar. I seem to recall having a conversation with you on a night very much like this one. Though I don't remember the details very well. If anything important was shared, I'm sorry.
"Are you well? Did you recover fully from the giant's spell?"
At some point on the journey, Rilee takes the half-orc aside. "I had, I think, a memory return. Or perhaps it was a dream. Sometimes though, they are the one and the same, so I do not wish to alarm you. But I should ask. It was a vision of a hairy dog-furred man killed ritualistically for a purposeful reincarnation. The druids who killed him then shifted into predatory animals and savaged the corpse, taking pieces with them in many directions. They were all finished with their grisly business by the time the new body awakened. That body looked like the one you have now.
"Were you aware that this had happened?"
At some point on the journey, Rilee sees Setsuna and looks at her oddly. After a moment, she says to her in a matter-of-fact tone, "What you told the three sisters about me: was that purely misdirection, or do you think I'm crazy? The Wheel exists, you know. Or do you truly think the one you knew as Riley is simply dead?"
When she remembers her comments, Setsune winces and looks away from the Druid in shame.
"I don't think you're crazy, Rilee. I was lying when I said that to misdirect them," Setsuna says softly. "...I'm sorry for my insensitive remarks. It seems that I really hurt you."
The Oracle begins to count and then snaps her fingers.
"I can make it up to you. Want me to fix what's the remaining damage to your soul? It's been seven days by my count, so... I can heal you... if that's okay with you I mean!"
Zoli shakes her head with a sad smile. "It's nice that you remember that, though. He actually ended up writing a trilogy: Turrey Butterhill: Chef for Hire, Turry Butterhill and the Toothsome Treacle, and finally, Turrey's Slurry of Furious Elderburry. He tried several times to get Cyrdak to put one of them on--each one stands alone, more or less, and I think they’re really pretty solid--but, well, Cyrdak was always concerned that a play with halfling leads wouldn't fill the house.”
Zoli smiles a stubborn smile she learned from her father, ”Cyrdak actually offered to stage them if Tanitus would rewrite them with human leads, but there was no way Papa’d do that.
“I have the originals back home, of course. Would you like to read them? Assuming they and all of Sandpoint haven’t been burnt to cinders, that is!” Her genuine grin is a reminder of her peculiarly halfling ability to find humor in dark times…and it’s clear she’s anxious to get back home.
Zoli fidgets with her sihedron medallion as they approach Myrianna. ”Don’t look her in the eyes.” she warns Rilee, remembering how both Morythine and Eugeni were blinded. She holds her breath as the ghostly nymph weeps over Lamatar’s dried corpse, and only breathes easy again when she sees the tearful ghost speak words of love and then dissolve.
Zoli turns to Rilee to whisper, ”It worked! We brought her peace! We--”...and the her whispers to the druid are interrupt as Zoli hears the voice of the released nymph echoes in her own ears: "Thank you, for your service. I can never repay the kindness you have done for me, but know that, for the rest of your days, I shall be watching over you."
The little swashbuckler’s eyes go wide and she squeals and says, ”Did you hear that!?” and then, patting herself all over, ”Do I look different? I feel…shimmerier.”
As they climb back onto Olympus and take flight, Zoli notices a stowaway crawling out of her napsack: a snow-white ermine. It crawls out to nuzzle with the halfling, hopping onto her shoulder and licking her cheek. Against the sound of the wind and Olympus’s beating wings, Zoli holds up the ermine and shouts,
Riley smiles and shakes her head at Setsu's apology. "I suspected you were trying to fool the sisters, but you were rather convincing. But don't worry. I've been called crazy before. Lots of times, come to think of it. All these lives, they build up. I forget a lot, but sometimes the memories bubble up, especially after I've ridden the Wheel recently."
She accepts the spell Her eyes go wide. "Thank you! I've never felt so quickly improved after a reincarnation. Well, aside from the now living and not being dead part."
Rilee laughs at the titles of the plays. "Oh, those sound delightful!"
She looks sympathetically at Zoli when she talks about the halfling leads. "I'm glad he never compromised. It was a sore spot for him. He had this idea for an epic adventure starring a halfling hero who found a human baby in the river, which led him on a quest. It was nothing if not ambitious; skilled swordsmen, trolls, an evil queen sorceress. I'm not sure how he would have done the two-headed dragon."
She gets a distant look when offered to read his plays. Rilee's eyes brim with moisture as she nods. "Yes, I'd like that very much."
Rilee tilts her head to the side as she appraises Zoli.
"Well, sometimes a mortal can gain a nymph's favor. It's a great boon, something that protects him -- or her, in this case -- and can inspire great works of beauty. Looks like the Lady liked you."
When they fly back and discover their unexpected passenger, the druid shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know."
She reaches out a hand gently to get a sense of the ermine. "Hello, friend. What do you want?"
This is... familiar. I seem to recall having a conversation with you on a night very much like this one. Though I don't remember the details very well.
“I don’t recall either I’m afraid” lies Morythine.
“Riley and I didn’t spend a lot of time together. It brings me no pleasure to say it, but although he was brave in battle your previous incarnation also had . . . failings.”
Rilee gathers her hair and twists it, wringing the excess water out. As she does, she looks at Mory with a frown. "Well, I suppose if the old me was perfect, it would be him sitting here, not me."
After a pause, she says, "While we're being honest with one another, why don't you tell me those failings? This is a chance for a fresh start for me, after all. I wouldn't want to continue any bad habits."
The ermine gives Rilee hand a lick and brushes up against Rilee’s arm and chitters before nestling into the warm crook between the druid and the halfling. She gets the sense that the ermine is already unusually friendly toward the two of you. She also seems somewhat magical, and perhaps as though she’s bonded or bonding with Zoli.
”It’s amazing,” Zoli says to any who’ll listen. ”Myriana was so lost and unpredictable when we saw her the first time, I didn’t know what would happen when we met her again--I mean, she blinded Eugeni and Morythine, and didn't even care--but she was able to reincarnate Lamatar, and that seemed to melt her broken heart and let her fade into the afterlife that she was meant for.
“Well, I don’t remember, do nymphs have an afterlife, or go back to the First World, or do they just fade away? I’m not sure, but her ghosty-ness faded and it really seemed like she got her heart back. As she was fading I heard a whisper echo in my ear. She said she’ll be watching over me and I--I think maybe she is. I feel so inspired suddenly, like I could make anything, like I could sing more beautifully, tell better stories.”
She looks down at the snow-white ermine on her lap and scratches it behind the ears. ”And then Grettela here just snuck right into my pack and stayed with me. Isn’t that cool!?” The ermine chitters happily. "She’ll let you pet her, won’t you Grettela?”
Rilee doesn't spend much time on the turtle-shell boat during the river journey to Magnimar. Much like the trip to Turtleback Ferry, she alternates between riding on Olympus soaring high above the river, or Wild Shaped in some form or another moving along with the boat. This time, however, she sometimes tests her new limits of her Wild Shape ability as she takes on the huge forms of an elephant or hippopotamus.
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Eungei listens to the memory and then shakes his head. "No, I wasn't. But, at the same time that doesn't really bother me. Do you think that what they did could be dangerous to this new me somehow?"
Morythine looks at Rilee nervously.
“He pushed his nose into things that weren’t his business. I don’t know why. He was divisive. Perhaps he was jealous of the bond that Zoli, Eugeni and I share. After all, we’ve been in this since the beginning.”
In Magnimar
Once again in Underbridge, in the shadow of Magnimar’s great, decrepid Irrespan, Morythine seeks out a now familiar establishment. Near the junk shop where his discovery of the Umbral Leaves showed the monk a way to survive in a world where all the other gods had spurned him, another even dingier, darker, festering place languishes between a noisy brothel and a collapsing flop house.
Removing his tricorn and baring his fangs at the armoured guard whose rusted, spiked chain swings idly, he ducks through the low door.
“You again,” observes the hunched creature sat in the middle of the cluttered room, where it works at some vile concoction, periodically hurling palmfuls of coloured powder into a copper pot bubbling with murky liquid.
“That stinks,” remarks Morythine.
“You should smell the stench I create when I brew your potions,” retorts the witch “the blood of creatures that should not bleed, plus boiled latrine leeches, ettin armpit hair and troll bile.”
“Urgh, don’t tell me, just sell me.”
“They’re over there. Small green bottles, the cabinet under the stuffed cockatrice. Not such a powerful batch. I’ve got four.”
“I’ll take them all. Got anything else which might interest me?”
“Maybe,” answers the witch, dropping something small and squealing into her pot before covering it with a black lid. In a cobwebby corner, a skeleton, seemingly covered in gold leaf, displays a mismatching collection of clothes and accessories. The witch peels a glove off each of its fleshless hands and passes them to Morythine. Each glove is stained deeply with dried blood.
“What are these? Magic? What do they do?”
“Come and find out,” says the witch, beckoning the dhampir through a curtain of glittering beads adorned with all sorts of runes (including, Morythine notices, a Sihedron star).
In a stinking backroom, the witch guides Morythine to a stack of barred crates. In the cramped confines of each thrashes a malnourished, adolescent goblin. “Some adventurers dropped these off when they were babes.” explains the witch, as she fiddles with the latch of one of the crates. “Best put those on.”
Morythine has barely had time to wiggle the tight gloves onto his hands when the witch yanks open the hatch on the crate, and a skinny starving goblin comes barrelling out, intent of savaging the dhampir. Morythine lashes out a foot, catching the goblin under the chin, snapping shut its slathering jaws with such force it severs its own protruding tongue, splattering the monk with blood. Before it can recover, Morythine grabs the goblin by both ears, twisting its head around until its neck snaps with a soft pop. Dropping the carcass to the ground, he looks at the witch for further instruction.
“Bathe the gloves in the goblin’s blood.”
As Morythine does so there is a clatter as the witch drops four horsechoppers on the floor and opens four more crates. The monk feels a momentary whisper of empathy for the quartet of captive wretches as he dispatches them effortlessly.
“Easier wasn’t it. Pity them a bit did yer? That’s the magic of the gloves. Soak them in the blood of a fallen foe, and they’ll give you a deeper insight into its kind. Makes killing more of them swifter and easier when you know how they think and move. But some find the intimacy of understanding their victims so deeply dampens the killing spirit.”
Morythine looks down at his stained hands, a toothy smile creeping onto to his face. “Oh, I think I’ll manage just fine.” He reaches into pouch, the blood making the coin and gems slippery as he digs out the witch’s payment.
Rilee rocks back, wide-eyed. The corners of her mouth turn down as she listens to the dhampir speak of her previous incarnation, then considers her own memories.
She tilts her head and leans forward, studying him; Mory is able to see sparks like distant thunderclouds in her eyes. "Okay," she finally says, softly.
She certainly could not remember any jealousy he felt, but denying his accusations would likely be counterproductive. She thinks for moment, then responds, "If it helps, then on behalf of Riley Tobias, I apologize for sticking my nose in your business. Well, his nose. In the wrong business."
She forces a smile and holds out her hand out for a shake. "It's obvious to me that you highly value that bond between you, Zoli and Eugeni, probably over anything else in this world. Let me know if you think I'm... threatening that."
Rilee grimaces as she shakes her head. "I'm not sure. It doesn't sound good, though."
In Magnimar Eugeni spends his time quickly buying up a large amount of arrows and quivers, as well as having his cloak of resistance upgraded. He also buys a wand he hopes Setsuna can put to good use. He really wants to bump up his belt as well, but finds himself a little short on funds.
He seeks out the others and asks them if they might help. "Hey, can I borrow 800 gold from anyone? I will pay you back 1000 from our next haul."
Rilee nods to Eugeni, but bites her lip looking unsure.
When he asks about borrowing some gold, she digs into her pouch and produces the requested coin. "Sure. I've found a couple items I wanted to buy, but I've got a lot of money left over."
She holds up one hand showing a shiny new ring with feather motifs on one finger. Her other trinket is a modest-sized pearl infused with power.
“Thanks! I can get my belt upgraded now. It might make the difference against this dragon we’re meant to face.”
"It's obvious to me that you highly value that bond between you, Zoli and Eugeni, probably over anything else in this world. Let me know if you think I'm... threatening that."
Morythine shrugs. "I wouldn't go that far." Accepting Rilee's handshake, he continues "I'm glad we talked.'
Zoli spends the days wandering the stalls and shops of Magnimar (walking with anyone who's interested in shopping together). As she does she passes the shrine to Chaldira that Reverend Dunner Butterhill had invited her to speak at when the Varisian Rangers were last in the city.
As she is about to pass by, Reverend Butterhill calls out from the doorway, ”Ho ho, is that Zoli the Bold, Dashing Blade of Chaldira, returning victorious from Turtleback ferry? I heard tell you bravely drove off Black Magga and stopped the destruction of the dam at Skull’s Crossing! Perhaps you can tell us those stories as well, say for our Moonday afternoon meeting?”
Zoli blinks at the glorified summary of their last few weeks, thinking of all the death and senseless violence along the way. Shalelu. Jakrardos. Vale. Marcello….But, well, I guess his version does make for the better story…and some tale spinning might take my mind off of worry for Sandpoint...
”Aye,” she winks at him. ”I could tell that tale. And of how we helped reunite true lovers who had been driven to undeath, and how love granted them the peace they deserve. And of slaying the lamia matriarch whose grand scheme involved harvesting the greed itself from countless people toward some mad end.”
Reverend Butterhill grins and says, ”Perfect! And before you go...I’ve been meditating on the tales you told us last time, and have enchanted something with you in mind. If you’d care to see?”
A curious Zoli comes into the back room of the shrine, where the cleric of Chaldira pulls out a red tailed hawk feather, ”Stick this here feather in your cap; it’ll help you to fight with even more panache.”
As Zoli’s admiring it, he says, ”If you have a few days, there’s an enchantment I’ve been working on for your scimitar as well: something to help you parry and riposte with even more luck and accuracy.” Zoli smiles at the blade her headstrong friend had forged her--only months back, but it felt like so much longer. ”I’d be honored,” she says, handing him the scimitar. ”Take good care of Baern’s Breath. We’ve been through a lot together.”
. . . .
As she’s heading back to the inn they’re staying at, Zoli hears Grettela chittering...and realizes she understands what she’s saying!?! Stopping dead in her tracks, the swashbuckaelogist sputters, ”What? Did you really say something!?”
The ermine nods. ”I was wondering when you'd figure out how to hear me. I said ‘mice’! Mind stopping at that feed shop? I think I smell mice in there and I’m starving.”
Zoli nods dumbly in reply and buys Grettela a sack of mice for dinner. ”This is amazing! You’re a magical talking ermine. How cool is that?!”
When she returns to the inn, Zoli holds up the ermine and says, ”Guys! Guys! Grettela can talk! Say something, Grettela.”
The ermine chitters and squeaks.
With a look of puzzlement on her face, Zoli says, ”Ohhhhhhhh...Grettela says there’s a magic bond between her and me now, and that she can understand you, but only I can understand her. Oh, and probably Rilee, if she turns into an ermine or weasel or mongoose herself.”
Rilee goes shopping with Zoli, heavily laden with the gold from their recent escapades. When the halfling cleric of Chaldira rushes out to greet the swashbuckler, Rilee stands quiet but wide-eyed, watching the reverend intently.
After his business with Zoli is concluded, she says softly with a face full of memory, "Dunner Butterhill... Many years ago, you were attacked during a goblin raid. A goblin was about to kill you, but another one stopped him, and took a dogslicer in his gut for the effort. You stayed and comforted that goblin as he died. And buried his body."
Rilee blinks a few times, smiling. "And then a day later, you found a confused halfling girl -- you thought she escaped from the goblins. You adopted her... Ryllibelle."
A few days after your return to Magnimar, a series of messengers locate you and says your presence has been requested back at the Pediment building.
There, sitting near a marble fireplace, sits Valanni Krinst, placing another log on the flame as he bundles himself up in a heavy dire wolf fur. As the group enters, he looks up and smiles, "Damnable cold, eh? I was shocked to learn of your return to Magnimar, without reporting in, no less. Even so, it would appear the 'Varisian Rangers' have returned victorious, without so much as a casualty, I might add! Tell me, how fair the Black Arrows?"
"...I knew that I was forgetting something," Setsuna says as she messages her temples. "I apologize, Mr. Krinst; we have reason to believe that Sandpoint is going to be attacked soon. We got distracted. It's a long story, so I'll sum it up and then get into more detail.
"In short, the Kreeg Ogre Clan slayed the Black Arrows to the last man: everyone from Commanders Lamatar and Jakardros to the newest recruit. Remember that Xanesha character? Her older sister Lucrecia was organizing a similar conspiracy. In retaliation, we killed her and effectively wiped out the Kreegs. You see..."
Setsuna explains the whole story, though she leaves the less flattering details such as her mental breakdown and the group's dealings with the Sisters.
"Again, I apologize for not reporting sooner. Between seeing so much death at the Fort and the impending attack on Sandpoint, I think that we were all left... a little rattled."
Once the meeting is over, Setsuna finds a way to get a message to Sandpoint about the impending attack ASAP.
"An attack on Sandpoint? This is troubling news. If there are indeed giants organizing and attacking the smaller settlements...perhaps we should bolster defenses here as well. Nevertheless, this does pose a new problem, in regards to your reward," he says as he unfolds a document and holds it up.
"I had prepared this writ to use the 5,000 gold to prepare a shelter for the homeless of Underbridge, as per your earlier request. However, with the vacancy of Fort Rannick, the village of Turtleback Ferry, Pendaka, Bitter Hollow, and others are vulnerable, and this coin could be used to hire reinforcements. Also...if an attack on Sandpoint is imminent, defenses perhaps should be bolstered there," he sighs, "Perhaps now you see the dilemma of rulership? This money could be used for good in any of those three locations, but there simply isn't enough to do all three adequately. It is your coin, by right, so I leave the choice to you. Aid the people of Underbridge, reinforce and resupply Fort Rannick, or provide hazard pay to Magnimar guards and deploy them to Sandpoint?"
______
A few days after your return to Magnimar, a series of messengers locate you and says your presence has been requested back at the Pediment building.
There, sitting near a marble fireplace, sits Valanni Krinst, placing another log on the flame as he bundles himself up in a heavy dire wolf fur. As the group enters, he looks up and smiles, "Damnable cold, eh? I was shocked to learn of your return to Magnimar, without reporting in, no less. Even so, it would appear the 'Varisian Rangers' have returned victorious, without so much as a casualty, I might add! Tell me, how fair the Black Arrows?"
Rilee coughs lightly, looks around, but stays silent.
"We already promised that money to the beggars, who we already know are suffering, right now. These other scenarios are hypothetical, and ones that we plan to handle personally. That money should have already gone to them by now. Why are you still holding the writ?" Eugeni says, his anger clearly simmering beneath the surface.