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Though he is unable to determine the nature of the wounds that caused their deaths, Serellig sees it as his duty as a clergyman to at least say a prayer over these fallen. "In the endless cycle of destruction and rebirth, may you find yourselves at peace, wrapped in the embrace of Gozreh's beauty as your bodies, once so full of life, now help provide life for the plants, the bird, the creatures of this jungle that they, in turn, may carry forward your legacy and the endless cycle of destruction and rebirth. Praise be to Gozreh," and with that, he stands from where he was squatting by the corpses.
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The halflings have pointed teeth and bearing a strange amulet Serellig doesn't recognise it but it is giving him the creeps
As you approach any scavengers disappear but Kit and Boaz both spot one house cat sized dinosaur stays close to one of the grippli bodies and keeps nudging it with its head
Sobek spots the tracks of about 8-12 halflings heading off to the southwest where some kind of actual standing structure stands
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Sobek bows his head when Serellig offers a prayer to the fallen. He offers his own prayer in silence.
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Putting his weapon onto his back, Sobek slowly approaches the little dinosaur. He holds his hand out as a friendly gesture.
In a soft and friendly tone, he tries not to scare the little thing away.
Hello, little one.
Sobek moves a bit closer as he crouches and slowly pulls out some dried meat from his rations.
It's okay. We're not going to hurt you.
And crouches closer, but not too close...
Are you hungry? Here. Have this, little one.
He tosses the bit of jerky to the creature.
Facing the creature, Sobek slowly turns his head to address his companions while trying to keep an eye on the little creature.
Any of you have an affinity for beasts? I think this little one is sad about the loss of his master. Try to console him, if possible.
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The little dinosaur looks rather disdainfully at the scarp of jerky butlooks on curiously at Boaz and hops the other side of the grippli bobbing its head as if to say help him
Serillig realises the grippli is not dead and applies his wand and the grippli wakes and looks round groggily. The dinosaur chirps excittedly
The small, frog-like humanoid sits up slowly, her bulging eyes darting nervously. “You’re not Hazh’a,” she says in a high, reedy voice, the relief clear. “They may still be in the city. They have to be stopped or my tribe’s work will be forever undone.”
"Thank you for your aid give me a moment and I will cast a further healing spell on myself" The dinosaur chirps again
"And thank you to you too Chirps
It appears Sobek had read the creature's nature accurately
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"Glad we could help, friend," Serellig says, still squatting by the Grippli's side. "And allow me to grant you more of Gozreh's healing," and he pokes her again with his wand.
"Now, who must be stopped? Oh, and would that well," gesturing to the one across the battlefield, "Hold the legendary waters of Kaddodi?"
And after she is healed more and has a chance to answer, Serellig adds, "Goodness, I've forgotten my manners. I'm Serellig, divine wizard in service to Gozreh, and these are my travelling companions: Kit, Sobek, Llyrr, Boaz, Akter, and Kit."
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The Osirion kneels down and helps the grippli sit up. Here, let me help you. Take it easy now. We are fortunate that your companion here alerted us to your presence and that you were still alive. He nods at the small dinosaur.
Greetings. I am Sobek.
Who are the Hazh'a? Are they in there? He points towards the ruins.
Please, tell us how we can help. What is meaning of "your tribe's work"?
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Kit just sighs Yep ... love sick puppy ... not the first time I've seen it either. Plus he's going to have to learn to be more subtle .. otherwise he's likely to put prospective girlfriends off
She turns to Serellig. When this is done, you and me need to sit down together and have a serious talk. Although, if all you're looking for is a friend. I'd be honoured to be that friend.
Anyway ... as I said before .... we're on mission. Work first, play later. Now let's see what this grippli can tell us
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"Glad we could help, friend," Serellig says, still squatting by the Grippli's side. "And allow me to grant you more of Gozreh's healing," and he pokes her again with his wand.
[dice=Cure Light Wounds]1d8+1"Now, who must be stopped? Oh, and would that well," gesturing to the one across the battlefield, "Hold the legendary waters of Kaddodi?"
"The Hazh’a? Wicked halflings who worship fiends as if they were proper gods. We have clashed with them a few times, but only ever in brief skirmishes. This time they brought an army, and were victorious.”
The well is taboo for us The grippli cleans her face with her back leg* This line is edited
And after she is healed more and has a chance to answer, Serellig adds, "Goodness, I've forgotten my manners. I'm Serellig, divine wizard in service to Gozreh, and these are my travelling companions: Kit, Sobek, Llyrr, Boaz, Akter, and Kit."
“My name is Purpurrup, and I am an apprentice to the fiend keeper of my tribe. He is now dead, as are many of my people.” after a brief pause she adds "I must given them proper washing and burial"
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The Osirion kneels down and helps the grippli sit up. Here, let me help you. Take it easy now. We are fortunate that your companion here alerted us to your presence and that you were still alive. He nods at the small dinosaur.
"Yes Chirps is a good friend"
Who are the Hazh'a? Are they in there? He points towards the ruins.Please, tell us how we can help. What is meaning of "your tribe's work"?
“The tradition among my people is we siphon the hateful energy from fiends and put it toward productive uses, strengthening our souls while weakening the monster’s power. My tribe’s keeper was especially revered, as his fiend is physically here, trapped within a ruined temple of this city. The Hazh’a must be here to free this monster and undo our labors.”
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She looks a little bemused at the interaction between Kit and Serellig and nods in appreciation at Llyr
Boaz sits down, cross legged. "Can you tell us what happened here?". He nods at the grippli. "If you need our help, please don't hesitate."
“This city had only a small amount of us—fewer than fifty. I fear most of them are dead. There are many clans of us scattered throughout this land. More of my people will come here to secure the fiend. If it is not freed first. The Hazha came with a small army fighting with bare hands, their fingers twisted into claws. Their leader was merely a child, but he wore the robes of a priest and carried a polearm longer than he was tall. There is an abandoned temple where the fiend here is trapped. The halflings must be going there to free it. I have only been there once myself—in its lower level there is a wall covered in wards and symbols behind which the fiend is held.” She sighs wearily
" First I must help my kin. The dead must be washed, buried and mourned. If you have need of the dwellings or the water of the well please use it my people have no more need of these things"
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You help Purpurrup with the bodies you also note The well in the center of Kaddodi is clean and clear, seemingly untouched by age or violence. Which is strange given it has just witnessed a battle. Perhaps the grippli taboo meant they did not go near it. The chalice sits in a backpack
If anyone wants to drink the waters of the well from the chalice let me know
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Before going anywhere near the well, Serellig helps Purpurrup with tending to the dead. After the washing, burying, and mourning, Serellig would be willing to join in with anyone drinking from the well.
Despite Serellig's own leanings as a cleric divine wizard of Gozreh, he is very deliberately trying to follows the practices and procedures as the Grippli is doing them to respect their customs.
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I was once a guardian of the royal tombs in Osirion and know a little of burial rituals. If I can be of any assistance, I will help wash and bury your dead. Sobek says to Purpurrup.
He assists the grippli bury the dead and collect stones to make cairns for each grave. He listens to the grippli prayers and offers burial chants of his land as well.
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To learn the rituals of different cultures is to open worlds of knowledge. Sobek says to his companions as he kneels before the well and stares into the water.
Do any of you wish to join me? The water does look unspoiled. Would any of you like to start, or shall I?
Sobek looks around at the blank stares on his companion's faces.
Very well. I will start.
He dips the chalice into the water and raises it high in front of him allowing the sunlight to gleam off the sparkling chalice. With a quick and silent blessing to the Osirion god of health, and a deep breath, he quaffs the entire contents of the chalice. He closes his eyes and waits for any effect, good or ill, to happen.
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Akter keeps his silence. For times, the ranger learned, silence spoke volumes. When Sobek took the chalice to drink, Akter thought about offering to do so himself - it was clear that the mission required it, so he had no issues in doing so - but since the fighter just asked a questions and immediately drank it without waiting for answers, he just held his position.
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Sobek drinks the water and left eye bulges in its socket while his right clouds over He looks around and then starts staring into the air above your heads
the cyclops you seeAs he is a giant you will be looking up at him
Those who drink from the Sargava Chalice find that one of their eyes swells to twice its normal size, while their other eye goes cloudy and blank, as if suffering from cataracts. A PC with the Sight of the Cyclops takes a –2 penalty on ranged attack rolls, but gains a +2 insight bonus on initiative checks. You think permanent disfurgement unlikely unless your venture captain was most lax in his research
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Boaz will sit back and watch what happens. "How do you feel, my friend. Any differences you notice?"
After cleaning and burying the dead, he'll then turn to the grippli. "What are you going to do now? Do you have somewhere else to go? Other clans, perhaps?"
Well if you are willing to pursue the halflings and try and prevent their atrocities I will gladly accompany you and offer my insight and return the healing. Otherwise I must await others of my cla-. What has your friend done Those waters are best left alone Purrpurupp responds
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Kit sits down next to Purrpurupp
Well ... our Venture Captain asked up to investigate the old Cyclops civlisation that was there. And to do that .. we were told to bring this chalice to this well, put the well water in the chalice and drink from it. I can only guess Sobek here, is trying to look like a cyclops and may be experiencing some sort of vision.
What do you know about these waters?
She then looks over at Sobek What do you see?
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Wonderful things. He remarks, awestruck.
Sobek opens his eyes and turns to look at his companions. They notice one of his eyes is bulging twice its size out of its socket and the other has sunken inward and is milky white.
My vision feels... strange. I saw the cyclopean city in the past. You must give it a try. Here...
He hands the chalice to whomever chooses to drink from the well.
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Serellig steps forward to take the chalice. "Don't worry, all," he says, "I can still watch your backs even with only one...weird...cyclopian eye." And with that, he says, "Apologies, Purrpurup. I guess I'm just a born risk-taker," and he tips back the chalice, swallows, and...
And since Kit is taking notes on it, Serellig describes what he sees, the cyclopian city in its prime, but cautions that drinking from the chalice might make fighting a bit harder since his perspective is thrown off a bit, and adds that he can see a Cyclops who is addressing him and says, "Hang on, let me see if I can get some details from him."
Serellig then looks up and says, "Thank you for your patience, friend,I am Serellig, divine wizard in service to Gozreh. Who might you be?"
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Your friends should not have drunk from the well. Bad juju Says Purpurrup And Chirps chirps in agreement
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“My vision of you is hazy, as if it comes through the vastness of time. My own death is inevitable, but perhaps you can do some small service to me and restore the dignity of the old ways.”
“Please perform three tasks. First, an idol of the sun and moon was sealed away and thrown into a lake so it could never see the light again. It must be restored and have sun or moon shine upon it once again. Second, my people created a monstrous hybrid, part cyclops and part ape. Ancient prayers must be said over its tomb to consecrate the family line forced into such a hideous fusion. Finally, beneath that tomb lies the Hall of Broken Gods, where hundreds of icons and artifacts were destroyed for sheer spite. They must be disposed of respectfully to appease the sun and moon.”
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Still in a dream-like state, Sobek mumbles as if repeating words being spoken to him...
Yes, Akmon... Three tasks... Idol of sun and moon in lake. Restore and have sun or moon shine upon it.
He sways, trancelike, and continues.
Part cyclops and part ape. Pray over tomb to consecrate family line.
And continues mumbling in a trance...
Beneath tomb lies Hall of Broken Gods. Hundreds artifacts destroyed. Must be disposed of respectfully. Appease the sun and moon.
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Purpurrup answers Llyr "As fiend keepers we siphon the hateful energy from fiends and put it toward productive uses, strengthening our souls while weakening the monster’s power. Keeping this place free of any taint and well maintained was part of that process. There is a tale passed down through many spwanings of Gurgurrap drinking from this well and then running off claiming to be chased by unseen giants never to be seen again. I had always thought it most fanciful but no one drank from the well among our people
A small, marshy lake sits by the side of the road, a ruined temple looming in the distance to the south. The buzz of insects is heavy in the air and ripples appear on the water’s surface, as if fish were swimming just below it.
Purpurrup cautions you "Careful, Many predators like to ambush the unwary here especially the mutuWHAK!" he slowly advances a hand fingers together with thumb underneath as he finishes naming the beast he snaps his hand together and twists it back and forth. "I do not know its name in your tongue"
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Mutuwhak? What you describe sounds similar to what we call crocodiles in Osirion. We must be cautious. Sobek says to Purpurrup.
With bulging eye, he turns to the group.
In the vision, a cyclops carried what seemed like a stone chest and hurled it into this lake. The Idol of Sun and Moon is contained within. We need to pull it out of this lake.
He holds his guisarme with the end firm in the pebbles of the lake shore.
So, who would like to go for a swim? Do any of you have magic to breath water or make swimming easier?