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"You confuse the methods of the old ways. Are your people now safe? How can you say the new way was not just the result of the old ways bringing safety to your people? It was not the new ways that brought us here to eliminate the etheral corruption. Perhaps you also do not give the old ways enough credit for bringing the aid that the Pathfinder Society and Aram Zey provided."
Pooka offers the storm some food for thought and a different perspective.
Pooka manages to talk down the emotion and the voices quiet only to be replaced with fresh ones, their words edged with fear.
The river went dry because the old gods abandoned us
If we return to the old ways, Aram Zey will smite us
We brought ruin on our world and only the new god can save us.
The fearful voices seem appeased and a more prideful group gains volume.
Our leader is chosen by the divine
I am the only one who can save my people
I am a prophet and my course was set by Aram Zey
Grisaia and Kenath just manage to get the prideful voices to quiet down. Next the voices become ashamed as they speak.
The old leader abandoned us.
My father wanted Onhae to die.
The sacred flower showed me the evil spirits surrounding him. I had no choice.
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Perplexed, Nugats looks at the plant. "Abandoned you? Wanted Onhae to die? How can you say that when so much good has come. As a denizen of nature you must know that a prune here or there is necessary for the overall health of the flower. But you do not rip the flower from its roots. A gentle hand will do."
The storm quiets and the squall dies away. You find yourselves in the center of town. The High Priest is walking toward you having just come from the altar. She is still flanked by her guards, but her whole demenour seems to have changed, as if her mind had cleared and a weight removed from her shoulders.
Greetings again.
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"Greetings, High Priestess. It seems that this time you are mayhaps a bit more amendable to a discourse with us?" Nugats gauges the woman's reaction before proceeding.
"We have a tale to tell. It seems that your Sacred Plant ... well" Nugats fills the High Priestess in with the most recent heroic deeds of the Pathfinders.
"And then I said, 'A gentle hand will do' just something I had overheard when liberating the Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment."
Finally pausing for a breath, Nugats waits expectantly for either one of his companions or the high priestess herself to continue the conversation.
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“Greetings again. As my colleague said, this plant is no more, but do not mourn its loss, this particular one appears to evoke strong emotions from its victims to feed itself. One thing though, I have a hard time believing that your village could have survived 100s of years as the victims of such a creature without some bearing countless tragedies, triumphs, and consequential events for its benefit. Given what have gleaned from your culture, this seems unlikely, so consequently I posit that perhaps this is not your true sacred flower. ” Kenath adds.
According to legend, the Sunsu Godae lands are home to a rare purple flower with great magical powers, said to bloom only once every 144 years. I suspect that the recent fluctuations and surges of magic in the tapestry may have triggered the flower to bloom out of cycle.
Oh, you are interested in our sacred flower? You are welcome to take it as this season's bloom has brought us nothing but hardship and trouble. She sends one of her guards into the forest and they return after 40 minutes with the sacred plant wrapped in leaves to keep it safe.
The villagers around you seem to be more sorrowful than they were before. Inquiring as to this you learn that the previous High Priest was killed by the current high priest, who is also his daughter. They argued and then fought over the old religion and the new religion, the young priestess twisted by the Etheroot and its false visions.
Now please, leave us to pick up the pieces of our lives. We thank you for freeing us, but we have much to consider and rebuild as a village.
The villagers bid you farewell and you exit the tapestry with your research notes and the sacred plant.
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Nugats graciously accepts the plant as the self appointed leader of the the group of Pathfinders.
"Many thanks for this, and for your hospitality as we visited your beautiful village. It seems that you have much and more to decide on as a community. Change is hard, traditions are important, but the world moves even if we want to stay still. I pray that Aram Zey gives your High Priestess wisdom to advise those who choose to lead.
"As a leader among the Pathfinders and gnomes in general, I know the hardships of leadership. But know you do not have to do this alone. As long as the Tapestry is open to us, the Society will be there to help. If you choose to let us, of course.
"May the sun warm your face, may the stream quench your thirst and the sows grow big and fat."
Nugats waits for the others to add to his wisdom before returning to the Society and giving a proper report.