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"Sensei hasn't spoken of it directly, Onna. But I noticed your rings, and Sensei has been preoccupied of late. Her own preparations to make, I am sure. If there's... anything you'd like me to do? Just say." Ikari's hand subconsciously goes to his holy symbol hanging around his neck amongst his talismans. I don't want to impose.
We're tomb robbers then. I hope Kenta doesn't realise.
"Did this ancient Lord leave a recorded Will? Anything in the official records of the city?" Kenta will just hand the artifact over if a bunch of Taldans show up and persuade him that they're the legitimate heirs.
"Did this ancient Lord leave a recorded Will?"
"Lord Tulwin was a minor lord of Taldor’s nobility. He never gained much influence because of his harsh exterior, miserly ways, and obsessive fascination with necromancy. He caught a wasting sickness that he was unable to have treated because he had invested his sizable wealth in a few, portable items of antiquity and power to keep the bulk of his assets from his hated children. Upon his death, his noble line dried up, bereft of the wealth they needed to maintain their influence and power.”
"...So as far as I can tell, his Will was 'Don't let my offspring have anything.' But that issue is long past."
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Kenta nods, "So he 'acquired' some artifacts and ran off to die, typical rich person plan. I doubt those are his artifacts though, right? I would assume most of those things belong in a museum or returned to the ruins they were found in. Which I am 100% sure is what happens to anything we pull out of ancient ruins and tombs, of course."
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Muesello fidgets a bit. "What happens varies according to the object, of course. For example, the pair of tomes you retrieved most recently are under heavy supervision within the Society's vaults as they are researched. Other things that have been retrieved are usually similarly studied-- for example, after retrieving a strand of Arshea's flowing locks, a gnome named Dentle discovered that running a long string between your teeth can lengthen the amount of time before you have to track down a sorcerer to cast Prestidigitation on your mouth to keep you from gagging your neighbors every time you speak. That's why nowadays, nearly everyone uses Dentle's Floss!"
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"Well, if we are putting a shopping list together, it sounds like some kind of cold resistance may be in order. As well as some fire for offense or to deal with the trolls." She turns toward Utara, "Not to jump to conclusions, but any chance you have access to hellfire, or any magical flames for that matter?" There is no malice or judgment to her question. She seems as if she is taking inventory of the team's abilities and available options.
Oh Itami, this would have been right up your alley. Well, not the mountain, or the cold. But the chance to toss around some fire. Yeah, you would've enjoyed that a little.
Muesello nods along at the plan. ”Very good, very good.”
Once everyone returns, Muesello guides them into the back room once more. A hooded man (who the aging Venture-Captain describes simply as "a man who owes the Society a favor") waves the group away from a crudely-drawn chalk circle on the floor. "Stand back..."
He mutters his way through a spell, and the chalk lights up in blue, a soft ethereal glow bouncing off the grooves and grains of the wood it's drawn on.
"Step there, and find yourselves at the foot of the mountain," he states.
And then, in a puff of smoke, he's gone.
the party each steps out onto the teleportation circle.
Fzzt!
With a lurch through space and time and an abrupt change in the weather conditions, it's clear that the teleportation spell worked. Looming up above you stands Mount Antios.
It's gonna be a lot of climbing.
The weather isn't bad yet; a little chill in the air, but nothing that requires more than a light jacket-- or, better yet, some thick, vulpine fur.
The question now:
How best to ascend? It's still midday in summer, so you reckon you have a solid eight hours or so before travel becomes difficult.
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Kenta is already trying to find a way up, grabbing a few possible handholds on the icewall. He shakes his paws off as they start to feel the chill, "Yes, that makes sense."
Pulling out a small but shiny scale he tries to snap it in half, "I think you need to break it to work, but it is a bit tough." He chews on it then brings the scale out of his mouth and eyes it again. With a shrug he pops it back in and swallows.
*COUGH*
*COUGH*
"Ugh, that tastes terrible. But hey, I don't feel the cold wind anymore!"
He pulls out a wand, "Who wants the magical warming option instead?"
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Stepping onto the circle Toshi's stomach lurches as she is teleported.
Landing at the foot of the massive mountain of ice Toshi immediately runs a few feet from the party then retches... repeatedly.
After a few moments she returns looking a little less chipper and a little more pale.
Ugh, what a waste of good rum.
She pulls a scale from her bag, looks over at Kenta and sees him chewing on his. She shakes her head as she rubs the scale with her right hand. They colour fades slightly from it and the cold bit of the wind ceases to be an issue for her.
What about that path? I don't see any giants or harpies that way so it may be the best, yes?
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Ikari gathers his new gear, switching the Any-Tool between various configurations of farming implement with a satisfied smile, then steps into the teleportation portal with his fellows.
Immediately deposited in a frozen wasteland, Ikari also deploys a brine dragon scale. Bastard swindled us good. I hope this works, at least. Concentrating on the scale, Ikari feels a soothing warm breeze upon him.
He drops his human disguise and pulls out his wayfinder.
"This way looks easiest." He points out a route between two walls of ice.
"Kenta, Onna, Toshi, will you join me is a short prayer before we ascend?" His fellow skulk members have done so before, but Ikari also looks to the newcomers. "You too, if you wish. It will allow me to bestow Daikitsu's blessings upon you, to alleviate fatigue or to grow tall like corn in the summer."
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The holy warrior activates the wand with a flourish, "By coldest moon and hottest sun, this make ya comfortable, hun."
He applies the magic to Utara, Onna and Phidöe (if he wants). Then looking straight up at the ice wall he shrugs and follows Ikari up the alternate path after the blessing is given.
While everyone else is pointing toward the unlikely frost that has formed over the local cliff faces, Ikari manages to find an incline that, while not easy, will still allow the group to keep their hands free... though they're quite likely to get a good leg workout. No one's been skipping leg day, right?
Meanwhile, a very confused Ulfen-looking woman blinks at the group from beside the ice wall Utara pointed out.
"Uhhhhhhhhhh hey?"
She looks at Kenta climbing the frozen cliffside, or trying to.
"Are you all, like, trying to find a good way up? Because I was just practicing my ice magic, and... uh, ice is slippery. In case you didn't know."
"Kinda thought I wouldn't be at risk of freezing anybody out here."
Upon closer inspection, aside from the two ice walls, there's no snow or ice at this level, just a cool breeze and a lot of scree. Looks like the wintry mountain conditions don't start for another.........
Oh, if you make decent time, you should be hitting that tomorrow, one might figure.
Golly, it's a long way up, though...
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Just great! "Well met cryomancer. You do some very impressive work." She looks between the team, the wizard and the top of the mountain as if considering things a moment. "As much as we would like some help, we aren't allowed any assistance. We're on a training mission, and we need to reach the top unaided. So even if we are headed down, please, let us pass or fail on our own merits." She smiles, "Besides, you wouldn't be the first time a team has been 'tempted' to get a bit of assistance. Even this early in the exercise would be enough to fail us. Best of luck to you." The bard turns to gather her flock before they can ruin anything.
She calls to the others,
”Yeah, I wasn’t... really offering, to be honest.”
”Good luck, though! Unless accepting good luck counts as assistance, in which case. Uh. Go f*** yourselves? I don’t know. Don’t mind me.”
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Kenta nods at the lady, "Ma'am, apologies for our intrusion."
He steps out from behind the ice wall and looks at the mountain. Holding his thumb out in front of him he gauges the size, "It does not look very big. See, I can cover the whole mountain with my fuzzy thumb here. This should be quick."
Onna handles the talking stuff with their new friend and then issues him instructions. He glances around, wary for dangers. Then just stares at Utara, "Do not worry, I can handle anything dangerous." Waving towards the scouted path he nods at the Asmodean, "After you, Sir."
He will spend their travel keeping a very close eye out on the definitely evil guy who will probably betray them at some point.
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Another one? A lifetime alone and now there are foxes everywhere I turn. This one's kinda cute too. Man, 'Ragi would kill me if I brought this one into the skulk...or maybe not. It would mean more help with the harvest, and keeping stuff on ice would help to keep things preserved. Oh, that woman has me all twisted in knots! I swear, a year ago I would have killed to have another fox about. Now I'm second-guessing myself so as not to hurt the one who means the most. She eyes the wizard again. She seems fine on her own, but we could be the home she doesn't even know she needs.
"If you really want someplace to train, The Pathfinder Society is always on the lookout for talent. We should be back through here in a few days. If you want to talk more about it, find me then."
She walks off toward the others. What the hell is Kenta staring at? He didn't look for evil on the 'dog' or the wizard. I am really going to have to spell it out for him. I hate being the mom.
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"Oh, I'm-- yeah. Pathfinder here too," says the broad-shouldered Ulfen, with a nod toward the retreating Kenta. "Off-duty, though. My wife's an agent, too. If you see a fat cat with a big axe, that's her."
She thinks a bit. "I don't think she's on the mountain, but she wanders a bit sometimes. I think she's a bit downhill, groping for trout in a peculiar river. ...That's not a euphemism, by the way. Actual trout. Actual river."
She waves at Toshi and Onna as they depart, then finds a nice rock to sit against, fishing out some snacks from her pack and chilling her waterskin (and its contents) with an icy-blue touch.
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Phidöe happily accepts a tap from the wand of Endure Elements - he's tempted to grab the stick and run off with it, but he recalls that they have important work at hand paw.
He also agrees with the general consensus that climbing the ice wall seems like the best way to get to the top of the mountain. "What could possibly go wrong?"
He joins Ikari's prayer group and concludes that perhaps his new comrade is not planning to turn him in for the bounty after all. Or else he's playing a long game.
He barely notices the Ulfen ice wizard on account of his excitement at the climb ahead of them. "Lookit the boulders and ravines and crevasses! You tellin' me I get paid for this?!? Let's go, let's go!" He quickly scampers up the trail, bounding from one rock to another and generally acting much more like a mountain goat than a typical dog.
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Looking from the mountain to the ice walls to the caster, he nods. 'Naturally...it would make sense for the society to drop us in a training ground. They need to get better transporters...'
"Thank you for the elemental protection, little one." he offers the paladin, awkwardly joining this 'prayer circle'.
Loudly rolling his eyes, he considers the statement 'If you could handle dangerous things you wouldn't have had to flee Cheliax.' Though saying nothing be begins up the path.
"My dear, I get the trout...and the river...but groping fish? That's a bit...inappropriate aint it? I'm not sure Asmodeus would agree with such tactics. If the fish is to be caught and eaten...no need to offend them in the process." calls back Utara, not breaking his stride.
[b]"Come 'professionals', we're burning daylight. Leave that one and her companion to their touching of fish."[/i]
Coming up to several slippery slopes of scree, he wishes he could calmly and cautiously pick through...but there is a timeline here... 'Experience with the Society dictates...someone else is aware and seeking our prize.'
Scampering upwards, he frowns at the group. 'Why do they flaunt their form so much? There's not nuance to it...they are giving away the secret of their power...The Kitsune is so much more than a human. We are predators! Not only can we hide in the night, we can hide among THEM during the day!'
About four hours into the skulk's climb and, aside from a bit of Jelly Legs Syndrome, you're all doing fine. Some of you aren't even feeling the slight chill; the rest of you are too warm from the exercise to do much but kinda-sorta appreciate it, probably.
The sun glares off the speckled stone of the mountain, unobstructed by clouds or plants more dense than low mountain shrub. A rockslide ahead covers much of the natural pathway, narrowing the trail to less than two arm spans wide.
Opposite the rockslide, a sheer drop falls away, giving a clear view of the mountainside below and the vast Tandak Plains to the west and the south.
Onna's eyes light up, however, and unless she's feeling particularly cruel today, she grabs Ikari and Kenta's sleeves to stop them.
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Onna points out the trap to the others. "Hold on a moment. There is a tripwire on the path. See there in the tree. That ax will fall on to anyone who is in the way when it comes down. Let me see what I can do. Keep your eyes open. This would be a perfect time for an ambush." The bard stalks forward and considers how best to disable the threat.
Onna looks over it and hmms and haws. Without climbing into a tree and risking a more spectacular death, the best way to work this would be to disable the tripwire portion.
Onna crouches down beside it, carefully considering the work, and soon figures out how to remove the tension without triggering the axe to swing-- with any speed, anyway. She carefully eases the axe down until it's just... hanging there, basically. The only movement it's likely to do is if someone gives it a shove and it swings back and catches them.
Hey, free axe!
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Kenta grabs the axe and slings it over his shoulder, "Excellent work there, I did not even see the wire. Onna, I do not know what we would do without you. But we better not leave this out in the open, someone might get hurt."
He moves on down the path, humming a little toon under his breath, "Hmmm, hum hmm mmmh mmmmmm, rock soup for you, rock soup for meeee."
He moves on down the path,