A Push of the Fates.... Zakhara... You Jewel!

Game Master Insnare

Nura follows Uday as a fox into the hole. As a fox, Uday was probably double as fast as Nura but in the tunnel he is closer to triple.

Round 2

Initiative Party 1d10 ⇒ 1, Enemy 1d10 ⇒ 10

Uday's fox form darts as fast as he can and at the end of his turn he is just to the entrance of the chamber where Zairiah is as he transforms starts to transform into his vixen form, which looks very appealing and feminine and then shifts into a more masculine vulpine Uday hybrid.

Party

Fadilah stays aboveground and keeps an eye out for where Nura might pop out of another hole on the surface.

"Foxes and snakes... this is almost like a storybook tale!" she says with some disgust. "How do we always wind up in the middle of these things?"

Thanks for digging up the info on the staff. I was able to find it in the backlog by searching for "staff of the sea" so I have that linked on my sheet now.

Not sure how many I can unlock in a round, but I am going as fast as I can... unlocking the next one, etc. until I am done, or until someone forcibly stops me from doing so.

Zairiah continues to unlock the Zin.

This is the third one. And there is one left.

With the guard gone, Aggrammar shrugs, and decides to delve into the pavilion tent further, looking for his companions.

Zairiah unlocks the third zin, Nura continues to follow Uday but is severely outpaced crawling in the hole. Fadilah stand near the hole and Agrammar gets into the bedroom where Fadilah is. Nura's zin is also ahead of her.

Round 3

Initiative Party 1d10 ⇒ 5, Enemy 1d10 ⇒ 9

Uday in his vixen form moves to attack by biting Zairiah 13 - 1d20 ⇒ 13 - (13) = 0 hits doing 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7 damage.

Uday says, "You must have taken my pets and are trying to take the rest. Did you take my adopted daughter as well?"

Party

Assuming the "her" that he is attacking is me.

Zairiah wonders how idiot Uday is awake and down here already when she has barely had time to turn a key three times, but she continues despite the bite, knowing that freeing the Zin was more important than physical defense. His "godlike powers" needed to be neutralized.

She unlocks the last collar and then says

Sentient beings are not pets, and people don't keep their daughters in cabinets, or shrink them for that matter. I didn't take anyone with me that didn't want to go. It's not theft, but freedom, you big blowhard, pretending to be a god. Are you insane, or just so hyped up on your own ego that you've lost all sense? Why would anyone tempt the wrath of the true gods like that?

Yes, I fixed it. Disgruntled Werefoxes in the wrong body are going to hate. Also I think you should have 12 Hp. It has been at least three days since the last time you took damage.

Does Agrammar go into the hole?

Nura continues crawling towards Uday, trying to reach him before he can do much damage to Zairiah.

Agrammar, do you go into the hole?

A dwarf fears no hole in the ground!

Agrammar goes into the hole as well and due to his smaller stature almost catches up to Nura.

Sham attacks the werefox vixen 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (10) = 5 hitting the Uday, 1d6 ⇒ 6 Saving throw 1d20 ⇒ 17 pass

The first zin that Zairiah freed shakes its head and sees Sham.

Fadilah stands guard at the opening of the hole.

Round 4

Initiative Party 1d10 ⇒ 10 Enemy 1d10 ⇒ 4

Party

Zairiah isn't all that comfortable with hand-to-hand fighting, but she doesn't want to back off to use her bow and leave Sham or the other Zin to get killed, so she grabs her scimitar and swings with all her might at Uday.

Attack (Scimitar): 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (16) = 2
Damage (Slashing): 1d8 ⇒ 4

Agrammar can move to attack Uday in this round but Nura will be able to next round.

Sorry guys, was on vacation last week and thought I would be able to keep up :P

"Time for ye ta stand down - forgiveness is still an option" - Aggrammar grunts at Uday, stepping forward and swinging.

Scimitar (THAC0 17): 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (13) = 2
Damage: 1d8 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 1 + 2 = 11

Both Agrammar and Zairiah hit the target but it looks as though Zairiah's attack almost heals right away.

Sham and the first zin both attack Uday 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (11) = 4 saving throw 1d20 ⇒ 9 fail

Uday takes the bite and falls in a catatonic slumber.

Combat Over

Zairiah addresses the Zin, saying mentally and verbally.

Thanks!

She then searches Uday and takes all of his stuff.

After that, she addresses the group.

Okay, what do you guys want to do now? Expose him so that these people stop worshipping him undeservedly? It could backfire of course, but might help your brother Aggrammar. ... Or, do you just want to make sure there aren't any other slaves around here and then leave?

She brings out the tiny girl that they found in Uday's cabinet so she can have her say as well.

"Impressive" - Aggrammar smiled at the Zin.

Okay, what do you guys want to do now? Expose him so that these people stop worshipping him undeservedly? It could backfire of course, but might help your brother Aggrammar. ... Or, do you just want to make sure there aren't any other slaves around here and then leave?

"I would like to do both" - Aggrammar nodded - "But how can we expose him? Drag him through da streets?" - he added, while tying Uday and gagging him - "We might just be stoned by his believers"

Maybe you could privately go and tell your brother you have proof that he is a fraud, we show him the evidence, and then, if he believes, he can suggest others to show little by little? ... And if he doesn't, then we try someone else, and if we get someone that believes, good, and if we get three that refuse to believe, we take that as a sign that we are not fated to expose him?

Uday in his vixen form(fox-human) is covered in silver fur and has a pronounced vulpine snout with arms and legs. The only thing on his body is a belt made of some sort of reptile skin presumably dyed in a deep green color.

Iyda says, "Thank you for bringing me along. Uday is a dastardly individual and shrank me and wanted to make me his daughter and his plan had something to do with removing that belt around his waist and it was Zin's fault that he looks so ugly."

Sham says, "He should be sleeping for 24 hourrsss."

Nura, finally arriving on the scene, examines the unconscious Uday. "Doesn't seem sporting to just kill him, I suppose." She sheathes her scimitar.

About to remove said belt, Zairiah pauses and says...

Wait... the removal of the belt was a good thing or a bad thing? And the Zin made him ugly?

She asks Sham to explain, out loud if possible so that everyone can understand.

Sham and Iyda looks at Zairiah a bit confused and then the oldest Zin of the group which has been dazed since having its collar removed, pipes up and says, "Ssssupposedly, Uday was once called Ualda who was ssstolen from her parentssss by a werefox as is their cusssstom, she grew up eventually as all lycanthropes do and due to their "fox gift" are not able to have children themsssselvesss. The way Uday tells the story he or she was not at fault. Another zin, played a trick on her because Werevixens are all a bit vein, gifted her a caimen skin belt and now Ualda is Uday. He blames all zin for his predicament and now his werefox powers do not work like they normally would."

"I might be able to fetch a spell to remove the belt," says Fadilah. "A spell that will remove curses and changes like this."

I think that is a good idea. If we are saving people from things that they have been forced into here, then we should save Ualda as well, if we can. Perhaps that will cure the hatred of the Zin. Better to end the war peacefully than carry it on.

"This might take a while, so let's take Uday somewhere secure, where we can be safe once I cast the spell."

Fadilah ditches the improved phantasmal force once her gen returns and immediately sends it out on a chance errand...

Fetch spell: remove curse (<=40%): 1d100 ⇒ 51
Fetch spell: remove curse retry (<=30%): 1d100 ⇒ 17

Fetch spell retry time in turns: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

It takes an hour, but the gen finally returns with a remove curse spell (wizard version).

(Hopefully the party takes Uday somewhere safe while we wait for the spell to arrive.)

That's a good idea... and perhaps the people will be more likely to hear us out without Uday around? Let's go before the guards come back.

Hopefully they are able to take Uday with them as they go camp an hour away while they wait for Fadilah's spell.

Just a note that we also need to restore Iyda to her proper size and also restore her to wherever she was kidnapped from. ... as well as completing the mission we were sent out here for, although I can't remember offhand what that is. I'll check my notes later if no one else knows off the top of their heads... we need to figure out what to do next, if we are able to wrap up the Uday thing.

Your goal is to get that religious text for the priest of Zann for one and try to find Yodfah as well.

The party rolls Uday up in a rug and leaves the tent via the slit in the side and then they make their way back to camp with the extra zin wrapped around them until you leave the tent city and then they slither alongside you.

After about an hour you make it back to your caravan.

Fadi's gen appear and says, "I have your spell, mistress."

Uday in his vulpine form is laying tied up and in a catatonic slumber.

"Thank you," says Fadilah to the gen. "Hm. A complicated spell. Let's see if this works."

She takes a moment to study the sleeping Uday, then after that slight hesitation, she invokes the remove curse spell to undo the effects of the belt.

Wow, what a choice. Although I guess we can ask for another spell to help him with his lycanthropy... her lycanthropy... if she wants it gone.

Sorry guys, had a horribly busy week at work. Catching up.

Iyda tumbles over to you after you get back and she says, "It is great that you have captured Uday. Are you going to grant his wish to be made female again?"

As Fadilah, casts remove curse, she removes the belt from the Vulpine creature and the bound silver fox gains a more feminine shape and Iyda says, "Make sure you tighten his bindings."

Zairiah nods, and moves forward to tighten the bindings since the form has changed.

She takes the belt and stows it away.

Okay, well, maybe that will make her less bitter. Does she also not want to be a werefox? Do we know that? And how do we restore Iyda?

Do you Zin know any other reasons that Uday hates you? And couldn't you have restored him before this?

She pets Sham, glad that she helped him, but uncertain if he actually knows what his family have done, and what part they played in all of this.

Could they release Uday after solving his problems, or was it impossible to overcome years of bitterness?

"I don't really know how... fox-shifting works. Is she a natural fox-woman? Or was she cursed after being bitten, or by a genie, or something else? We don't know and likely can't know without waking her up and asking her," says Fadilah.

The Zin just explained that werefoxes can't have children, so they steal children from their parents and change them. I assume that is what Uday, well, Ualda, was planning with Iyda. So, definitely not natural. I am assuming bitten.

Iyda says, "Uday, either way is a horrible person or thing. I want to go home." and then she starts crying.

Sorry Iyda. I know you've been through a lot. Where is your home?

She says, "My family is from the town of Ganam."

Do we know where that is, like a major city, or do we need to roll to recognize / ask further?

It would be on the party's map that they bought in Muluk. It is on the campaign tab. Specific information about the town would require a roll.

Okay, we'll get you back to your proper size and get you home somehow. It just might take a little bit longer. I'm sorry you have to wait.

All... ideas here? What should we do with Uday/Ualda? Leave him, cure him of lycanthropy/leave him, expose his fraud/leave him... or something else? Maybe let the Zin have him? I don't think we have a justification for killing him really, but feel free to argue that too if you like.

I dunno if we can cure Ualda's theriamorphy, if it's natural. Also even if infected, curing a long-term theriamorph takes a 12th-level cleric casting remove curse while the target is shapeshifted, so I don't think we can manage that.

I'm not inclined to murder Ualda, but certainly she and the Zin need to go separate ways.

We could probably manage it if Ualda wants to be cured, but it might take a while to find someone like that. The Zin did say that Ualda was stolen as a child, and that werefoxes are sterile (so couldn't be natural) but given, the Zin might not be fully trustworthy either. You bring up the excellent point about what the Zin are doing from here too though, so perhaps I will just ask that.

Zairiah addresses all of the Zin through her friend Sham:

What are the Zin's plans going forward now that you are free? Do you need transportation back to your home as well?

Fadilah, thanks to you I have learned a new word. Theriamorph.

The oldest of the zin slithers forward and speaks audibly for everyone to hear and says, "We thank you and your group profusely for rescuing us. We zin do like to play pranks and have fun. We plan on moving through the desert to find a new home for ourselves. We will probably break into smaller groups because it is easier to stay hidden from poachers."

Well Ualda isn't exactly a were-wolf so... I went with something broader!

"I have no quarrel with the zin," says Fadilah. "Ualda, though, we still need to figure out what to do about... and especially the people she defrauded."

Zairiah addresses the Zin.

Good luck to you then. I advise you to try to stick to pranks and fun that don't have any lasting negative consequences associated with them... otherwise others may also develop grudges against your kind, and you will not be safe.

She says to Sham

I will miss you.

To Fadilah she says

Well, maybe just take her back to the community that she told that she was a deity, and let them accept her or not, without the help of the Zin?

"Yes, but we should also ask around to see if the community has a local lawgiver, or a council that decides cases. I'd rather that she be handled by the mechanisms of whatever legal system they have—if any—than just handed over to some very angry people to be stoned," says Fadilah.

"Though I'm not sure if stoning would be effective against a theriamorph if you're not using silver rocks."

"I wish ye good luck" - Aggrammar nods at the Zin - "I'm not one fer likin' mischief much" - he smiled at Zairiah, then turned to the Zin again - "But all are entitled their freedom. And ye should enjoy yours. If any of ye want to join us, and ye promise to behave, that could also be an idea"

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Re: Uday.

The dwarf stared at the female for for a long time, pondering - "Should we be wakin' her? And ask her about her motives?"