The reincarnated druid looks at Morythine sagely for the span of several heartbeats. Despite her youthful exterior, her eyes belied the untold years of her cyclical existence.
She reaches out with a hand and caresses the dhampir's cheek. "Poor child, lost and lonely but surrounded by friends. You should know there are always alternatives. I can do as you ask, of course."
Then Rilee draws in close and, standing on tiptoes, presses her soft lips on his.
For whatever reason, Setsuna has yet to emerge from the depths of cave.
Unless Mory pulls away, the kiss stretches across several moments. Then Rilee steps back, her eyes fluttering open. "You see?"
She tucks a stray hair behind her ear. "I confess I do not know what it is like being a dhampir. Or I've forgotten. I did not realize this taste of life would be too sweet for you to bear. But you have friends who will be heading to battle in the morning. This will be an option for you as long as I exist. Must you go now?"
Zoli's eyes well up with tears. "It's...being alive is really like that for you? I...I had no idea. Oh, Mory!
"But life, the world, there's so much richness, so much to discover. And you have done so much good. You could do so much more."
Zoli is quiet for several long moments. "Have you really thought this through? I understand this is the first taste of a cure to the burden of your unlife. I...I can't really understand what that burden feels like, but I could never fault you wanting to be free of it, it's just...to give up on your old life and live out your remaining days as an eagle. It's so extreme.
"...and I'd miss you."
Eugeni stands by mutely, understanding Morythine's pain. He had had himself murdered after all. He would do nothing to stop the dhampir from fleeing a form that was a trap to him.
Morythine savours the kiss, and then blushes, perhaps for the first time in his life. “You’ve all shown your skills in battle time and time again. You don’t need me to defend Sandpoint. I’m fond of the place, but it will never be a true home as a dhampir. Give me freedom, please.”
"Very well," Rilee says resignedly. She looks deep into his eyes and sees his resolve.
"Though I have one condition." She reaches around Morythine's neck and pulls herself close. She again kisses him, but where the first one was soft and tender, this one is full and passionate. When they break, she has hold of something around his neck. She pulls out the unholy symbol of Zon-Kuthon from beneath his shirt and holds it up.
"This does not go with you."
Rilee looks at him evenly, though her cheeks are flushed. She appears ready to cast the spell, but there is also an invitation in her eyes.
Like a zombie, Setsuna shambles out of the depths of the cave. She maintains a death grip on the group's particularly fat bag of holding.
"...I don't think you're going to change his mind, Rilee," the Oracle says, her voice deader than the Kreeg clan. "...However, I also agree with Zoli."
Needless to say, she seems stressed.
"This does not go with you."
Morythine barely spares a glance at the pewter symbol. "Smash it. Then cast your spell." He smiles at Rilee, for the first time unburdened by suspicion. He reaches out to squeeze Zoli's shoulder, then waits for the magic to take effect.
A flicker of disappointment crosses her face when it appears Mory has declined her unspoken invitation. She renews it one more time with a "come hither" look and leads him back to the interior of the cavern if he accepts.
* * *
* * *
Rilee says nothing more to Morythine. She just weaves her hands in ancient patterns and voices archaic syllables that draw the energies of Nature to coalesce around the dhampir. When the spell finishes, she says one word.
"Soar."
Then she steps back, tears streaming from her eyes, and watches solemnly as the eagle takes flight towards the sky.
Setsuna tries to convince herself that she is fine with Mory's decision... and fails. Immediately, her eyes begin to glow with black mist, and her fingers crackle with anti-magic. As Rilee completes her spell, Setsuna readies herself to counter it.
However, realizing that dispelling the magic with Mory in mid-flight would likely just result in him plummeting to his death, the Oracle just barely regains her composure. The dark mist gives way to heavy tears. She slams her back against the cave wall and slowly slides down to a sitting position.
Her eyes absolutely dead, Setsuna looks at Rilee for a long, long minute before sobbing.
Eugeni looks at Setsuna. He says nothing, but goes to crouch next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. He's probably a lot more happy now. Let him have his peace.
Setsuna slowly wraps her arms around Eugeni and pulls him close.
"M-Mom j-just... c-contacted m-me," the Oracle whisper-explains very softly. "...My f-father j-just... p-p-passed a-away. F-First him. N-Now M-Mory. W-Who's n-next, Eugeni? "
Rilee stares for a long time after the fading speck. She trembles a few times, and it's easy to imagine that she is contemplating shifting into an eagle herself and following Morythine. She tilts her head, indicating that she heard Setsuna describe her bad news.
"Giants, Setsu. Lots and lots of giants."
"Oh. Hon..." Eugeni keeps holding Setsuna tightly.
Zoli watches her friend fly away. Soar on, buddy. You deserve it. And I hope I see you again.
She keeps watching until she can no longer make out the spec on the horizon. She reaches up to the top of her head and realizes that she's got his black tricorn now, the only reminder of him left. Zoli pulls it down over her thick head of braids and realizes to her surprise that it actually fits her quite nicely.
She turns hears Setsu's trembling voice--realizing she's not just expressing pain at Morythine's departure, but also at the loss of her father.
Zoli walks back from the cliff edge and wraps her arms around Setsuna. "Oh Setsuna. I'm sorry."
And for a moment love for a friend--and her own memories of her father's death--far outweigh any of the recent awkwardness in their friendship.
It takes about an hour, but Setsuna eventually collects herself. Being hugged and soothed by two of the people she loves the most definitely helps. When the embraces (including one that Setsuna drags Rilee into) break, she tells everyone the story.
"...It was a heart attack," the Oracle explains quietly. "Dad was pushing seventy, but I've always been told humans usually live just a little longer. We were all expecting him to be around at least five more years. Then again, he hasn't exactly lived the easiest life..."
Setsuna looks out toward Jorgenfist.
"My father escaped Galt when he was a young man. Changed his name and set up shop in my home city of Greengold, Kyonin. He runs... ran a modest shipping business as well as a popular restaurant, where he met Mom. Sabs and I were born like a year later. Since Mom was always traveling, he largely raised us both.
"He had to deal with a lot of nonsense over the years. When we are around ten, my twin sister Sabrina and I were kidnapped by some Grey Gardeners from Galt for ransom. Long story short, Mom rescued us, but it really stressed out Dad. And then Sabrina started acting up and ran away when she was fifteen. There was a heated argument before she bolted, and I don't think they've spoken since. That also did a number on him."
Setsuna sighs and looks at Rilee with a light smile.
"...Mom couldn't bring him back. She tried three times. It was old age. Now she's contemplating Reincarnation Roulette. He left the choice to her. I know it sounds... petty for her to try and cheat death like this, but she loves him deeply, and thirty-one years is barely anything for an elf. For instance, I think that Grandpa Rileon was over five... six hundred when he passed. In short, Mom blinked, and Dad was an old man. She blinked again, and he was gone."
Setsuna takes a deep breath.
"...I'm fine now," the Oracle insists mostly truthfully. "I've made peace with the idea of him departing long ago. It was just the combined shock of suddenly losing him and Mory. I can grief after we defeat Mokmurian; it's literally tradition in our family to wait a month before any funeral. Mom has the resources to Gentle Repose his remains until then."
Setsuna looks at her three friends and smiles kindly.
"...Thanks for listening."
Eugeni nods, "Any time."
"Unpleasantness always puts me in a bad mood...what do you say we go vent on some giants?"
Setsuna pauses for a moment and thinks.
"Normally, I'd take you up on that offer, but I also don't want to tip off Mokmurian about our presence. Also, I'm not sure how we could go vent on the giants without them dogpiling us. Teraktinus and his twelve goons were already something of a struggle for us."
Setsuna gazes out at Jorgenfist.
"...Rilee mentioned two more caves near the river. Maybe those go into the depths of the fortress. We really don't have the time to whittle down the army with guerilla tactics, so I think cutting the head off this snake is the best way to go. From the way that giant spoke, it sounds like Mokmurian doesn't have nearly as much security down there."
Zoli nods, eager to focus back on the (rather intimidating) business at hand. "There's just the one more cave, I think. the other turned out to just be a shadowy dent on the cliff face. I agree the next step should be to check out that lower cave though. I'm not complaining about stumbling onto a dragon's horde...but I still wonder if we might find a secret entrance into the Jorgenfist. It happens often enough the Great Plays, anyways.
"Maybe Olympus can ferry us down to check out?"
Rilee breaks her long silence. "No, there's definitely two caverns by the river. I can carry someone and Olympus can carry someone. But to avoid multiple trips, Olympus might be able to carry you and another rider," she says, doing a bit of weight calculation in her head. "I always make sure Olympus has the spell to increase his carrying strength. I think as long as we leave the dragon's treasure here, he should be able to do it."
Setsuna holds up Marcello's old Bag of Holding.
"I actually stuffed a lot of the dragon's horde in here. Between it, my magic haversack, and my backpack, I think we can carry everything with us. As for getting to the caves, I can probably get there under my own power. Wings aside, I have a nice little spell called Air Walk that lets me walk on air. It lasts a good one hundred minutes. Combine with my Ring, it should be a fairly safe trip for me."
Setsuna glances at the lumbering brutes below.
"So do we go now or early in the morning? I think we have time to rest. The giants don't look like they're about ready to march anywhere."
Rilee nods to Setsuna. "Okay. You can walk, if you want to. Eugeni can ride on Olympus while I'll take Zoli. We should move under the cover of darkness, since we may be spotted in daylight. We'll set out for the caves about an hour before sunrise. That should give us enough light to travel by, but still dark enough the giants won't spot us."
Setsuna nods at Rilee's plan, "Fine by me."
"...Dad's passing has left me thinking out my List," she begins quietly as she sits down next the Zen Archer. "And it just occurred to me that there is something I can partly accomplish right now; I think I can contact your mother with Sending. Granted, she has to be 'familiar' to me, so if you can give me a name and maybe a physical description of her...? Oh, and what you'd like for me to say to her. If nothing else, we'll know if she's alive, and she'll know that you're doing well."
A musky smell lingers near the entrance to this cave—a thick, almost reptilian stink. Dozens of bones, many immense mammoth or aurochs remains, lie scattered on the ledge overlooking the river fifty feet below.
__________
On this particular night, Setsuna does not Dream of any of Azathoth's Secrets; she spends her time safely chatting with Desna, which she naturally forgets entirely in the morning.
In the morning, Setsuna casts Endure Elements on herself and Magic Vestment on her buckler. One the group is ready to depart, the Oracle casts Paragon Surge to grab Air Walk and Sending through Expanded Arcana. She casts the former, conjures her shadow armor, and then vanishes from sight. Since the Half-Elf has to literally walk to the caves at the same speed Zoli would travel in a full suit of armor, she arrives last.
"Here," Setsuna announces quietly when she reunites with the others.
Rilee shifts into a dire bat and gives Zoli a ride while Olympus carries Eugeni and Setsuna manages on her own. Using her shape's echolocation, she hopes to get an idea of what lurks within the cave.
Zoli enjoys the ride down on Rileebat, and then tries to quietly examine the fascinating bones. Some of these are HUGE!
As the group approaches the entrance of the large cave, they see within a large fire opal sparkling in the sunlight atop a mound of sand in the middle of the cave. Surrounding the gemstone, in three separate alcoves, are three large shapes cloaked in the shadows of the cave.
As they emerge from the shadows, the large, scaled creatures begin speaking to one another...
"Kill them! Kill them before they take it!" another commands.
All three roar in rage as they spread their wings and take flight, two close to the ground, another near the ceiling, and all headed straight for the nearest targets, Zoli and Rilee!
The first two manage to bury their stingers into Rilee's flesh, while the third tries to snatch Zoli from her back with it's jaws, but fails to close them around the nimble halfling.
__________
...Of course.
An annoyed, invisible Setsuna clasps her hands together and starts calling in a friend.
Zoli sees three wyverns fly out, each the size of a winged crocodile. She feels their hot breath, and the whipping wind of their stingers flying right past her...and feels the sweat start to roll down her brow. When two successfully sting Rilee she exclaims ”Yikes! Are you OK? I’ve read that wyvern’s stings can be quite poisonous.”
The swashbuckaeologist lashes out twice quickly at one of the two who hit Rileebat. Having seen Rilee just get stung twice, she couches her attack cautiously...and as a result only connects once, missing with her initial swing.
__________________
Should anyone try to attack Zoli, the ermine on her shoulder gives her a guiding chitter and nudge, helping her to avoid getting squashed.
AC 32 vs first 3 attacks, thanks to Grettela’s ermine insight, then 30 AC. (fighting defensively)
HP 67/67 +14 THP
Luck 19/20
Panache 4/4
Charmed Life 4/4
Luck o’ the Scene 1/1
False Life 0/1
Buffs
False life (round 1/3000)
Luck (no longer lingering; round 1/20): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
Eugeni sighs as the draconic creatures attack, and begins firing arrows at Zoli's target.
19 for 34
31 for 19
35 for 18 (crit)
30 for 15 (crit)
28 for 13
Rileebat drops back to cast a spell on the wyvern, bringing about a whirling thundercloud to throw lightning at it.
Zoli's feat of acrobatics and attack causes one of the wyverns stinging Rilee to become flustered and distracted, leaving itself open to the volley of arrows being launched by Eugeni, which manages to fell the draconic creature.
A large humanoid being of pure electricity materializes to the side of the wyverns as a roiling cloud of thunder and lightning appears right next to the other, which manages to avoid making contact with it for now.
The wyvern that snapped its jaws at Zoli maneuvers in the air above her, putting itself somewhat above both the halfling and the bat.
__________
Rilee continues to fall back, throwing the miniature stormcloud again at her attaker in desperation.
With her leathery bat wings, she reaches out and touches the cave wall nearby and with a strained screech, causes the stone to melt like water for an instant. The stone flows around her in a bubble. When she finishes, there is a sheet of stone that surrounds her completely except for a small hidden fissure near the top.
Seeing that Rilee is barely alive, Setsuna quickly moves over to her ancestor and belts her with the strongest healing spell she has.
Setsu's Large Lighting Elemental arrives in a shower of sparks and quickly starts swinging at the nearest wyvern. One his blows lands quickly solidly on the beast's head.
Zoli lands gracefully on her feet. Seeing a wyvern hovering just overhead, trying to sting, bite, and bludgeon her, she dances left and then right. When it comes in for it's bite she seizes the opportunity, leaping up and swinging for the narrow spot of it's neck, slicing almost entirely through.
The wyvern gasps and gurgles, still struggling, when a slice to the wing finishes it off.
She steps back toward Eugeni and Olympus as the enormous corpse crashes down just where she had been standing, reading to chop at the tail of the next one to attack her.
"Alright Eugeni, don't think you get all the glory, you hear?", she grins at the lightning-fast archer.
_____________
Should anyone try to attack Zoli, the ermine on her shoulder gives her a guiding chitter and nudge, helping her to avoid getting squashed.
AC 29 vs first 3 attacks, thanks to Grettela’s ermine insight, then 27 AC
HP 67/67 +14 THP
Luck 18/20
Panache 4/4 (-1 parry, +1 crit)
Charmed Life 4/4
Luck o’ the Scene 1/1
False Life 0/1
Buffs
False life (round 2/3000)
Luck (no longer lingering; round 2/20): +2 to hit, damage, skill rolls, saving throws
Seeing Zoli seems to have one of the wyverns in hand, Eugeni turns his bow on the other.
29 for 35
16 for 16
26 for 19
16 for 14
The remaining wyvern lashes out frantically at the nearest remaining humanoid, hoping desperately to land a blow, but in vain as Zoli proves too evasive for the creatures attacks.
Amazed by Zoli-senpai's awesome display of combat prowess, the Oracle finds herself so blown away that she is unable to act.
The Large Lightning Elemental moves forward to continue fixing the remaining wyvern's little red wagon.
A tiny mouse crawls out of the stoney cocoon near the top of the cavern and drops to the ground once all becomes quiet.
The mouse quickly reshapes to Rilee, who is looking pale and ashen. She glances up and clicks her tongue, calling Olympus to her side. She gives him a great big hug and then looks around. "Was anyone else stung?"
As the roc nuzzles her, she takes several deep breaths to calm her nerves. "I-- I almost rode the Wheel there."
Zoli sighs with relief as the third wyvern falls. Then she looks over at Rilee's stoney cocoon and squeals when the druid emerges alive.
She runs to give Rilee a hug. Shaking her head, Zoli says, "No, I was able to avoid their attacks (with the help of some timely advice from Grettela here)." Zoli pets her ermine familiar's head. "But how are you? Is the poison still effecting you? Do you have any magic to stop it? You, um, look terrible."
Since she doesn't want to both burning a spell to talk to him for new orders, Setsuna dismisses her Elemental.
"...I can't treat poison, only its effects; I'll put fixing that problem that on my List," Setsuna says with a heavy sigh as she reappears and Air Walks over to Rilee.
"There. You look much better," Setsuna remarks she gives her now healed ancestor a hug as well. The Oracle looks at her Halfling... friend and adds with a blush, "By the way, you were amazing out there, Zoli. I think Sparky was jealous."
Once the dust settles, Setsuna says, "Well, let's take a look around. It really doesn't look like there's a secret entrance around here, but I could be wrong. Besides, if these dragons are anything like Big Red, then they probably have a nice contribution to the Sandpoint Reconstruction Fund laying around."
As she searches, Setsuna remarks, "Before we head into the next cave, I'm going to send in a Lantern Archon to make some noise. If he survives, then he can lure out any threats. If he doesn't, then we at least get a warning and avoid some nonsense."
She returns Zoli's embrace and gives her a kiss on the forehead. Then she shakes her head. "No, the poison has run its course. I think. I had a spell that could have neutralized it, but it wouldn't help me if I got stung again. So I had to get away first."
Once Setsuna applies her healing spells, Rilee looks much improved. The wounds are gone and the damage to her constitution lessened. She still shakes and her voice trembles. "I know I'd have come back, but that would have seemed... pointless." She looks at her hands, turning them back and forth. "And sad," she whispers softly to herself.
She then brushes herself off and grabs Olympus' beak and lets him pull her to her feet. "Good idea, Setsu."
Setsuna nods at Rilee's remark. Once everyone is ready, she turns invisible again and conjures a Lantern Archon via Summon Monster III. She tells him to enter the next save, start making lots of noise, and maybe even fire a few lasers at the ceiling or ground.
Seeing everyone is alive, Eugeni lets the girls talk while he goes about retrieving his arrows.
Resting atop a low mound of sand is a large fire opal. The fire opal is worth 200 gp, a paltry sum compared to the value of the rest of their treasure that lies heaped, almost forgotten, in the southwest spur cave. Buried under a collection of favorite skulls, horse and elk thighbones, and well-gnawed bits of hide is a chest containing 1,435 gp and 2,987 sp. Behind the chest lies an ancient staff topped by a swirling cloudy stone and wrapped with black iron filigree.
"Oooooh, treasure!" Zoli coos, and tries her hand at identifying the staff.
"Hmmmm, I read a play with a staff just like this in it! I'm pretty sure this is a Staff of Eternal Flatulence...but maybe Setsu should confirm."