Kallik finds some tracks that seem consistent with the group you saw earlier. The footprints avoid some of the more difficult and blocked-off areas. The airy stone arcades were likely impressive yesterday; now they are clogged with debris and reek of death.
Neither Kallik nor Inam is terribly familiar with brutbreve - something to do with a heavy ball and hoops. From the edge of the stands, you see the field is littered with chunks of masonry, cracks, craters, and...bodies. A muscular ifrit corpse, eyes wide open, seems to be grinning maniacally as he holds the brutbreve ball in a death-grip. His legs are gone.
Silence reigns as the scene flashes in your imagination: nothing could have escaped this blast. Everyone who did not run at the first sign of trouble died, and died quickly. Those who did get away spread even more destruction, out of panic or anger.
Inam, you receive a sharp peck from Etrah. Your head swivels immediately, and you see something you struggle to comprehend. Down on the field, near the largest crater, is an efreeti statue. And it just moved.
"Oh my...HHreTCH" mumbles the elen upon seeing the images. Turing away from her companions, she retches violently, turning her lunch into vile slime.
"Sorry..." she mumbles. "Just wasn't expecting that.... Why haven't they removed the bodies?"
Turning at Etrah's prod, Inam gasps. "Any of you see that?! That...That statues is alive!"
You have a sudden recollection of one clear detail from your ordeal earlier in the day: the doctors took your enchanted sword as payment for their services, but gave you a small portion of it back, in powdered form. In a cleverly sewn pocket on your pack, you find a small lockbox that you are sure contains the material. However, it is a combination lock, and you have no idea what the key is.
Drawing her blade, Inam slowly approaches the statue. "Elen, are you ok?" She calls out tentatively. "Are you real? What...what are you?"
'I must be losing my mind. Statues aren't alive...' considers Volcano's servant, as she glances back to Kallik. 'Well...then again I have been traveling with one for some time now...'
Pulling Egret down from her shoulders and mumbling, "Go to Eo and if I tell you to leave with him do it, ok. I find you at the temple." Lifting her eyes to look at Eo, "If I say run you take her back to the Temple and keep her safe."
Not moving forward but turning to watch Inam with both hands tightly gripping her guisarme.
Ibinu wakes with a start, the details still fresh in his brain. Finding the pocket that he missed earlier, he pulls out the locked box and stares at it intently, trying to remember further details. Okay, let's think about this logically. Firstly, this was obviously hidden and locked. If the doctors wanted to hide this from me they could have just taken it and I would never have remembered. So, they weren't the ones it was hidden from. The only reasons I can think otherwise to hide it would be either to keep it away from someone dangerous or so that it can force me to remember something important. Either way, I can't recall any possible combination right now. I should probably try to figure out more about myself. If that fails I can always try to jimmy it open or just break it. But for now, I don't want to waste a possible clue.
He looks around at the empty room. Hmm.... they aren't back yet. I should probably go look for them and hopefully get some more answers. Ibinu stands up, slips on his armor and over-clothes, slings his pack over his shoulder and adjusts the straps a bit to minimize the strain. He takes the simple drawing and slips it into his pocket. Walking to the door he checks to see if it is one that locks. If so, he looks for a key and locks it behind him. If not he trusts the room won't be disturbed significantly in his absence.
Outside he looks around for assistance, asking the first person he finds for assistance locating where his companion might have gone. If asked to describe them he simply says 'a lady Oread, if you have not seen her can you think of anyone who might be able to help me?'
The pretty, orange ifrit girl you approached gives you a helpless shrug. Before she says anything, her companion, also wearing a green vest, says, "I heard you guys talking this morning in the breadbox. That weird girl with the chicken was asking Eo about the explosion at the arena, and I saw them headed that way earlier." She points over her shoulder, and you see the vague outline of a tall structure rise above the squat houses of the slums to the east of the Temple. The first girl then moves closer, speaking in conspiratorial tones. "You're part of So Khong's little group, right? What are you guys up to?"
---
Egret whispers, "Okay," in a very small voice. Eo nods, gently leading the girl a safe distance away from the two of you.
The statue's head turns to you. Its leering face is frozen in a grin that shows dozens of needle-sharp teeth. A scraping voice grates out, in a language you have never heard before,
Stopping at the sounds made by the statue, Inam turns back to Kallik. "Uh...I didn't catch that. Can you translate for me? Its one of your kind, right?"
Looking back to the statue, she remarks "Seems it may be a cross-breed. Didn't know oreads and efreets could do that..."
Ibinu smiles back with a birdlike dip, similar to a bow, "Thank you very much ladies, I appreciate the assistance. He then drops his voice to a whisper right before he leaves, "I honestly can't tell you, but if you can find us later we might be able to talk. I can't guarantee anything though. What's your name?"
He then heads out towards the tall structure, walking with purpose. His head slightly down and long strides eating up the distance. Hopefully anyone who sees me just thinks I'm heading to make a delivery. Everyone seems to be quite interested in what I am doing, maybe I can be a little more discreet. He looks around at all the ifrits... or maybe I'm just an outsider.
Tensing at the needle teeth, "I have never known an oread to look like the."
Moving up to stand next to Inam. Keeping her weapon in her hand but using it as a walking staff. Leaning on it and looking out at the statue, "Were you hurt in the explosion."
The pretty one touches your shoulder. "I'm Elisa, and this is Gianna. Eo can show you where to find us." The two walk off, and you hear a few hushed giggles. That is the second time the girls mentioned "Eo", a name which sounds almost familiar.
Eo speaks softly, still far behind you. "Uh, guys? It's speaking Geni. As in, the language that real efreet and other scary things speak. It said something like 'we are commanded to guard the blessed'."
The statue has not moved since it spoke to Inam.
"You able to talk to it?" Inam calls back to the ifrit. "If so, try asking it what it means? Who or what it believes is the blessed..."
Relaxing her hold on the blade, she takes another cautious step forward. 'I suppose it makes sense that not all statues are related...was I being racist towards her kind?'
Taking a moment to gather her thoughts as she watches the creature, she whispers to her own team's statue. "Sorry if I offended you with my assumption. I meant no disrespect."
As the sylph continues to approach the potential threat, Etrah takes the opportunity to hop off his perch on Inam's shoulder. Staying close behind the elen, he keeps it between him and the efreet-rock thing.
'Bawk, BUKAW...broook' considers the bird.
Ibinu glances up periodically as he continues moving along.
Eo attempts to address the statue in Geni, but it completely ignores him. Its gaze does not waver from Inam. As she takes a step forward, the thing creaks,
After a moment, Eo says, "It just asked if you are here to take 'them'. Or 'those' maybe?"
The area around the arena is conspicuously absent of any other elens. This strikes you as odd, until you remember the roiling crowds of elenity grubbing for bread around the Temple, summoned by the high brass bells.
One ifrit, however, has not heeded the call for ashbread. You catch him lurking in the shadows about sixty feet away. You catch the glint of metal in his hand.
Ibinu sighs slightly and slips into a side street, still trying to get to the arena. I'd rather not face a mugger at this point. I don't exactly want a field test of my 'special abilities' right now. Someone might get hurt.
Once out of sight of the suspected mugger he pulls out his crossbow, loads it and slips it back over his shoulder.
Looking at the oread/efreet/thing a bit puzzled, she calls back to Eo. "Any chance you can get a more specific description of what it's talking about? Does it want us to take...them?"
'What a strange statue....at least my friendly monolith can express herself intelligently...'
"My friend, what do you make of this?" she mumbles to Kallik beside her as she takes another tentative step forward.
You do not see the statue move - not even a blur. And yet, its clawed hand is suddenly inches from Inam's face. The hand is upturned, as if expecting something. The sharp talons gleam red in the waning peaklight of the evening.
Eo stammers, "Umm, uh, 'prove yourself and take the blessed' I think?"
Not taking her eyes off the strange statue, "Eo does it mean prove yourself by combat or some skill?"
Eo furrows his brow and stammers, trying to figure out any subtle shades of meaning he may have missed.
"Yeah, Eo...any specifics as to it's meaning would be...helpful" squeaks the sylph, afraid to even swallow. Cautiously, she removes a hand from the hilt of her blade. Slowly...oh so slowly...she raises the hand and traces her fingers over the stone claw.
"Uh...sir...statue thing." she stammers. Chancing a breath, her confidence increasing as she considers 'Why should I fear this? I AM a servant to the true god!' With much more confidence, she continues "I am a vessel for The Warrior! Without further details on what it is you desire...and what these blessed are, I can not...WILL not agree to any terms. If it be my time to join the blessed Volcano, so be it!"
With a surprised *ChirP*, Etrah shakes his head. 'BraWka Caw...' and proceeds to give the paladin a tentative peck on the right heel.
Inam, your right hand twitches with surprise as Etrah pecks you. You press upon the statue's claws more forcefully than you intended; two hot streaks of pain open on your palm, and blood spills steaming onto the cold stone hand.
The thing lifts it gaze upward, mouth open wide.
Cracks begin to appear all over the statue, snapping and popping as they expand. With the sigh of an unlocked mausoleum, the grinning statue falls backward and crumbles into pieces. With one last halting movement, an arm and a lone index finger point toward the large crater in the middle of the field. Then, all is still once more.
Looking down at the crumbled mess, wide-eyed, Inam gasps. "Oh! Uh.."
Glancing to Kallik and back down to the pile at her feet, she opens her mouth for a moment, only to immediately close it again. Turning to Etrah, she receives only a head bob and 'shrug' from the bird.
Inam promptly sits on the dirt, tugging her borrowed book and her worn pamphlet out. Frantically, she flips through the pages, trying to find some passage to explain what just happened. Coming up emptyhanded, she looks up to her sculpted companion, a tear in her eye. "I...I didn't mean too kill it. That wasn't a darkspawn...that was sentient."
Eyeing the arena, eyes unfocused for a moment, she mumbles "We should bury it...Eo, you know what the rights would be for such a creature?"
Ibinu’s eyes grow wide as he sees the carnage before him. As the statuesque creature crumbles to the ground before his kin he let’s out a loud gasp. He sprints towards the statue jibbering quickly, ”Oh my gosh that is amazing. How did you do that. That thing just crumbled to dust. Did you use a chemical? What kind of reaction caused that? How did you know how to take it down?”
As he hops over a body in his hurry he glances down and skids to a halt, surveying the carnage. His gleeful intruigue quickly replaced by sadness, ”oh no, this is terrible. Just so terrible. How could such a thing happen?” He looks at the stone pieces on the ground as anger builds in his voice, ”did that thing do this?
Feeling her heart leap up into her throat when Inam touches the statue. "That makes no.." Turning to stare confused at Ibinu. That is more than I think I have ever heard him say.
"Supposedly those guilty of the crime already sit in a prison." Sighing and starting to move forward, "We did not want to kill it.
Grimacing and gancing back to look at Egret before turning her eyes to sweep the area, hoping that nothing else seems to be moving.
Eyes unfocused, Eo mutters, "The key that opens many doors...?"
Shaking his head, he looks at Inam. "Uh, what? Inam, I don't know what the thing was. Efreet aren't hunks of rock, they were big, fleshy, fiery monsters. These are just mean-looking statues...I thought. If they're of Volcano...how do you burn stone?"
Kallik discerns no other movement in the arena.
"Spéir! That was so scary! Are there any other monsters around here?" Egret is holding Eo's hand, looking around enthusiastically.
Ibinu glances over as the Oread speaks, then furrows his brow and stammers, "I... I think I know you?"
As he starts to search his pockets something clicks and his golden eyes widen. He turns back to the Sylph, "okay, I've got it! Alright. Some of the bodies were killed by that thing you vanquished so wonderfully." He whispers discretely, "you are going to have to show me how you did that." He looks around for something and continues speaking, "but these bodies are older... and appear to be blown up?"
Glancing up to her fellow sylph, she inquires "I...Ibinu? I...I don't know how I did that...Where'd you come from?"
Looking around the arena at the bodies, as if for the first time, she mumbles "We're going to have to see these are all given proper burials...Eo, why have the bodies just been left here?"
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Frowning at Ibinu, "What do you mean you think you know me?"
Answering Inam's question, Eo looks down and says, "Well, uh, Ibinu just said some of these fresher bodies were killed by the statue." He pauses. "They were the ones that were trying to take the bodies away. Maybe even rescue survivors. And they got killed for it."
Ibinu turns to the smaller sylph and opens his hands to the air. "Burial? Surely there is no better gift than to be returned to Sky's grace."
He starts looking at the carnage again and then appears to be startled by the oread's voice. Turning to her, "hello again. So uh... I think I can keep this sortove short."
Ibinu takes a deep breath and launchies into a flurry of words. "So you might know about my curse. Honestly you may know more than I know right now. But apparently I got so fed up with it I sought some drastic measures. I went to some alchemists or doctors or something and... woke up a bit later... and everything was quite different." He takes a pause and grabs a breath before continuing, "so I wake up with a pounding headache and pretty much no memory. I mean, I knew my name was Ibinu and I knew some stuff about the world but other than that... nothing. Not only that, but now my head was full of odd formulas and mixtures. That part started clearing up though and I have some really cool things..." He starts pulling vials and packets and all sorts of things out of his pockets excitedly mumbling about what each one does...
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Frowning at Ibinu's suggestion, Inam quickly spouts "Why would we try to return them to a dead god?! That'd be worse than leaving them to rot in the sewers! Besides, they aren't all sylph. We should at least give them a proper burial..."
'He can't be seriously considering violating these elen's souls...'
Pausing as her strange friend tries to answer Kallik's question, she listens for a moment. A sly grin crossing her face, she prods "Wait, you don't remember swearing allegiance to me? Our Children?!"
For the statement, Etrah lets out what could only be described as a high pitched scream as he fervently pecked at Inam's ankles.
"OW! OW! Oh, Alright! Don't worry, we're not married." she laments and receives another sharp beak to the thigh. "Volcano! Jeeze!. Fine we don't have kids either. Seriously though, you don't remember anything about the caravan? What about our the poor undine that couldn't figure out how to use the pointy end of the spear?"
Turning to her sculpted companion, she whispers "You buying this? He is acting...odd...but really? Surely there was a better way to overcome his curse."
Looking confused and looking Ibinu up and down. Something is very off with him.
Keeping her weapon in her hand and moving toward him only to turn and stare at Iman, "Children?"
Flexing her fist and slamming the butt of her polearm onto the ground, "Has everyone lost their mind!" Shooting a glare back at Inam.
Ibinu's eyes grow wide as he realizes his error, but before he gets a chance to rectify it confusion sets in. Children? I'm pretty sure I would rememb... oooh, I see. I think the chicken must be the lawful one.
As he starts trying to figure out whether to chuckle or stammer a response he listens to the exhorting of the sylph, hoping her comments trigger a memory.
With a large sigh, he finally responds. "I'm sorry, some things have come back slowly and I hope that more will come. Especially with triggers. It is why I came to find you all."
He pauses with a brief frown before responding to both of their questions. "I honestly don't know if what I did was smart. I get the feeling that I may have been extremely frustrated and did something out of stupid anger. Which I think may have been part of the curse. Regardless, I do not think there is an easy way back." He quickly continues, "but I don't think it was a change for the worse. I feel... content in my life's purpose now."
He walks over to the sylph, "I am very sorry for my comment. I made a racist assumption about burial customs. I know my words may not mean much, but I will prove my apology with my actions and help you put these poor souls to rest." He takes deep breath, "but that needs to come after we determine the cause of the explosion so we can prevent this tragedy from occurring again."
Ibinu, you do get some brief flashes of a young, witty undine. A few snatches of songs and jokes...and then an ugly scene of that same young elen dying at the claws of darkspawn monsters.
Ibinu holds his head in his hands for a moment, sadness reflects in his eyes as he speaks.
"I remember... some things. Our Undine companion..." a ragged breath "...died?"
A few seconds later he yells in anger, "AHHHHHH!!! And I DON'T even remember their name!"
"It's ok Ibinu. Truthfully, your comment wasn't so much racist as it was vulgar. I mean...give them back to Sky? Really? Why not give them to a chair for crying out loud for all the good it would do...." she gripes.
Taking a deep breath, Inam continues more calmly. "So if your memory is as bad as you say...what made you think of us? What prompted you to find us specifically?"
As the sadness washes over the man's face, she steps forward. Wrapping her arms around the sylph in a sympathetic embrace before she can stop herself, she whispers "It's ok. We...we saw that he was entombed per his traditions. Brinn is at peace now."
'Am I really hugging him? What is going on? Entombed....yeah. We fed him to a crocodile...!' crosses the paladins mind as she quickly breaks the embrace, stepping back a few paces.
With a nod, Etrah adds "Caw, baWK. BukaW" in an affirmative tone.
As the lady grabs him with a comforting hug, Ibinu's anger and frustration fade. As the small tear rolling down his cheek evaporates he whispers, "thank you. Thank you for helping me remember."
He composes himself quickly back to a more controlled demeanor. "Well I vaguely remembered staying at the temple and when I came back to it an Undine stopped and helped me. We talked a bit and I got the feeling he is very interested in our actions, possibly not altruistically. We should discuss how to handle him later though. I was then shown to our room and I found this, which triggered a memory of you." He points at Kallik and pulls out the crude drawing he found in the room, showing it to both elen. "Eventually I decided to seek out where you had gone and a nice lady ifrit pointed me towards this arena. We also might want to discuss speaking with her later." He puts his arms to his side and opens his hands palms out, shrugging. "And that's about it."
Watching Inam naturally move to comfort Ibinu quietly. Leaning on her polearm tiredly, "We all have only known each other a short time. Brinn a little short time but we are stuck together. My name is Kallik."
Offering a half-hearted grin, "Just don't tell So Khong when we reintroduce you to him again. Though I would rather talk with the elen who helped you before we deal with So Khong and there are a few things we need to catch you up on."
Nodding to Ibinu's reply, she ponders 'Hmmm...Biann maybe? I wonder if the one was the same we saw at morning bread?'
Looking back around the arena, she sighs heavily. "This task is going to be an arduous one...." Without another word, she starts collecting the bodies, dragging them towards the exit they came in.
'At least it'll be easier for them to be collected this way...'
Ibinu slips the drawing back into his pocket for safekeeping and offers his hand in greeting to Kallik with a wry smile, ”it is good to meet you again.” He looks down at the two hanging back a bit and introduces himself, ”hello, I am Ibinu. I don’t know if I’ve met you before, but regardless I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
After some introductions are made he refocuses on the carnage and works his way towards the detonation location, searching for clues and trying to figure out what caused it.
The main explosion was certainly caused by a violent alchemical reaction. You catch a whiff of residue - a nauseating combination of vinegar and methanol - that brings Gasp to your mind. The addicting drug made from asphyxiated sylphs, you know--somehow--that Gasp-making is a notoriously volatile process. Judging from the raw scale of the damage, this was likely caused by an industrial-scale facility, apparently located under the arena.
---
You make significant progress with the bodies, as most of them are not whole. You notice that all but two of them are ifrit - there is also one oread and one sylph. The sylph, surprisingly, is dressed in the robes of a priest of Volcano, and holding onto a censer.
It occurs to you that, using your sword's flame, you could burn these bodies to ensure they do not continue to rot under the dark, dead sky. If you consult Etrah about this, he gives you an enigmatic shrug.
Ibinu relays the information to his companions and then assists with dragging the bodies to where Inam is putting them. "When we are finished here I am going to take a closer look at that pit. It may have been an accidental explosion but there is plenty to learn about the illegal activity that took place here."
Glancing over at Eo and Egret before moving to silently help Inam move the bodies. My tribe would have never left bodies laying out like this. This city is a vile place.
Disturbed from her thoughts by the changed Ibinu. Looking over at Inam, "I would rather though two not be left alone up here." Tilting her head towards Egret and Eo, "Do you want to go with Ibinu or should I?"
Eo pipes up, "If there's going to be trouble, shouldn't we all be together? I, uh, don't really want to hang around the pile of bodies."
Grimacing at the sight of the bodies, she begins pondering the situation. 'There's no way we're going to be able to drag all these back to the temple for proper rights...especially in this state.'
Suddenly, a thought pops into her head...not one of her own...it sounded different. Turning to Etrah, she inquires "Was, was that you?" To which the chicken merely shrugs. "Well...it could work" mumbles the elen.
Without another word to any of her companions, she whips her blade high over her head and hollers "Volcano! I HEAR YOU!" before twirling the weapon in a clockwise arc and bringing it down upon the pile of the expired. Not wanting to make matters any worse for the poor souls, she turns the sword at the last moment, hitting the mound with the flat side of her weapon.
As the fire subsides, she turns back to Kallik, "Huh? Oh, sure I can go with him."
Leaning in close to Inam, [smaller]"Are you alright?" Is she losing her mind too?
Waiting for an answer before moving over to Eo and Egret. Looking down at Egret, "Thank you for staying back." Glancing up at Eo, "I do not know how easily you can get away if you can go down. You can help keep her safe right."
Ibinu shrugs as the sylph mutters things to herself, is that what worshiping a god does to someone? So far I'm not exactly impressed.
As the blade is engulfed in flame and the entire funeral pyre of bodies catches fire his eyes widen... though I can see the benefits!
As the fire lessens, he starts scrambling down the slope. "I don't know what we will find down here, but I think I should go first. I'm probably most able to identify further chemical dangers before we blunder into them.