Holding her hands out - a sign of peace - Juliet smiles. "Of course, my friend is being vague. We are exploring this sea cave and things did seem to go topsy-turvey. We are also not here to kill you, and would hope that you feel the same way."
Juliet stares at the man, trying to make out in the dark if he matches the description of the one they are supposed to save - Jierre's kin.
"Forgive our obtuseness - we of course wish to tell you more, but if I may... who are you? What are you doing down here?"
Messer held up his hands - a great way to make people think you were less dangerous than you were, when one hand was a weapon all on it's own - and said, "We had heard there were some problems here, but when that...whatever the hell that was...hit, and we needed to make land for a bit and recover. We never intended to try and harm you or invade your mine because we had no idea that's what it was, but if you can tell us what's going on here - and what that was a minute ago - it would be really helpful."
"Good sir," Alexandra starts, the light light twirling around her makes her kind of hard to miss, "I am Alex. We had nothing to do with the harm that befell you or your... friends. As you can see, we just came from the ocean cave. As my colleagues have stated, we had no idea this mine, was yours. If you allow, we will pass through and be on our way."
The man scoffs, but appears to be willing to continue talking for the time being. "Do you take me for a fool? I know Risuri when I see them. You just randomly happened to be exploring the coastline of a Danoran island and stumble upon a sea cave that just so happens to open up into an excavation site that leads to the surface. All on an island that was just invaded by your countrymen. Don't make me laugh. If you're not part of the invasion, then who are you?"
"Not at all Sir." Alex starts and continues peaking upward towards the gentleman, "We never stated that we were not Risuri."
There is a longer pause before she continues, "In short, we are here not part of any invasion, we are not here for you, and we had no part of killing any of your men. We merely want to pass. We will not bother afterward."
"We're here to avoid a war," Juliet says, keeping her hands facing palms up, as if a saint posing for a portrait. "We're not here to hurt you or your people - we need to find someone before they do something disastrous, and both our countries pay. Let us pass, there's too much time at waste..."
Not wanting to undermine this attempt at diplomacy Preach stayed quiet. He hoped this situation could be resolved peacefully but the twins were loaded with rubber bullets in case it went sideways. He resisted reaching for their familiar solidity, such an action might be precipitous...
The man's eyes narrow suspiciously, "I don't like the smell of this one bit, but maybe no one needs to die here. I'm going to step out onto the catwalk here." He points to the one opposite the party. "You move along where you are, and go along your merry way."
"Agreed?"
"If that's what you want, although it would be helpful if you could answer some questions for us first, please? Also, in the spirit of honesty, we have a friend who should be joining us in a few minutes."
Alsah moves over to the pillar a takes the gold thingi there that was mentioned earlier
"Yes," Juliet says, thankful that Messer spoke up for Bryn. "We'll be moving along when our friend shows. If you don't mind me asking, you said this is your mine? Fascinating - I've never been in a mine before. Do you own it? What do you know about that intriguing pillar? It seems you can hear voices if you stand near it, like someone speaking behind a thin wall..."
While he didn't say anything, Preach nodded subconsciously when Bryn's arrival was mentioned. They'd have to wait before moving along.
"Don't see much to be gained from talking to strangers. This is a Danoaran mine, full of Danoran property, and I'm its foreman."
Seeing Alsah move towards the golden disk, he points his pistol in her direction. "And I won't see it plundered on my watch. That's far enough Risuri. If you're here to stop a war, great, the war's outside. Time to be moving along."
At the this point there's a splash, as Bryn arrives on the scene.
Alexandra moves towards the water as Bryn makes an appearance and whispers, "Easy, we have company and have hopefully come to an understanding to let us pass through."
And leave it with you? Danoran's would waste it. She looks at the others.
We may need this. It is important. Too important to leave here with...a Danoran.
The woman turns from Bryn to Aslah with an inquisitive look, "What do you mean? What is it that you found?"
She looks up towards the man again and tightens her own grip on her weapon but does not raise it, yet.
Sighing slightly Preach reminded them, "Folks we're not here to take his stuff... Unless that's something of earth shattering importance I suggest you put it back and we get out of here."
Juliet nods, agreeing with Preach. "Yes, exactly. Let's move on... and you," Juliet says, turning to the stranger, her eyes alight with anger, "Don't help anyone by pointing weapons around. Lower your pistol, please."
It is of earth-shaking purpose. I think. See here, the constellation of the eagle. This item is important. I feel that.
Alsah starts to explain skyseer theory. It's a bit esoteric. But the upshot is that Alsah thinks it is important to take. And that it should stay out of Danoran hands.
Rising to the surface with a splash and taking in a large breath of air as he shakes head to clear any dripping water, Bryn looks around the room to get his bearings. Seeing that he's arrived in a tense moment, he checks to see if anyone has noticed his arrival... in particular, the Danoran.
The man sneers at Alsah, "So you are just another bunch of looting Risuri scum."
At Juliet's comment he adds, "You don't get to tell me what to do. I'm supposed to be here. You're the ones invading the island."
She sighs and starts trying to be brief and to the point, "I can tell that you are not sure what to make of us. You are not likely up on your Risuri politics, but it is the Duchess, the King's sister, she attempted to assassinate her brother and many other dignitaries of an event not so long ago. She is the one who is responsible for this incursion. We have been asked, but Danor, to help bring this to an end."
"So, Sir, we are supposed to be here. Invited even." She says on a more stern side.
"As to your assertion we are looting, judging by the age of things here, we are no more looting than you." She motions to Aslah, "My friend here is a Skyseer, I hope I do not have to explain who and what they are? She has unique insights beyond that of normal people, like you and I. Perhaps we give her some latitude?"
Just in case, is that shiny object retrievable from the water level?
Juliet had considered coming clean with the stranger herself, and nods along when Alexandra spills the details of their mission. "If we're stopped, there will be a war. Again, we're here to stop that from happening. Please lower the gun."
Preach tried put himself in the man's shoes and he couldn't imagine lowering that gun... To Juliet he said, "I don't think he's gonna..." Turning to Alsah he reminded her, "Don't forget our orders, starting a fight here isn't going to help. Please put that back, and let's go!"
I know that, but this is important. And its not like he would slow us down if it came to it.
The man rolls his eyes, "Oh so now you're here by invite? I thought you were just randomly exploring sea caves?"
"I don't care two copper bits about your backwards religion. This is an archeological dig site on Danoran soil. Find your own damned relics, in your own damned country."
"If you're here to deal with your countrymen, I wish you well, but they are outside. If you're going to insist on putting your noses where they don't belong, then we're going to have a problem."
"We can't have the coin and complete our mission as ordered," Messer murmured to the others. "And it's not our country, our mine, or our item to take. Forcing it would be theft, clear and simple."
taking out this loser will not hurt our mission at all Alsah murmurs back. If you want to back down to one guy and a thing he has summoned, then OK. But I think we will regret it.
"But see that's the thing, we're not supposed to take anyone out..." Adam pointed out trying to keep his voice level and friendly.
Then a little pointedly he told Alsah, "Look I know this coin could be important, but do you actually need it? Would a rubbing and a good description suffice?"
alsah looks at Preacher with a pained expression.
It's a magic item of sorts, so no, a rubbing and good description will not suffice
She steps back
Fine. leave it the hands of the crazy mine man. but this is an error
Alex is not thrilled at how the events have played out. Give the guy the truth and he goes off the deep end.
She looks to Alsah with a nod of aknowledgement, "Those who choose to remain ignorant have only have themselves to blame. Gives a shrug and a deep sigh before she looks up at the man and starts upward. She still has her weapon more than at the ready.
She moves upward along the the path opposite the man and towards the exit of the dig site.
The man grunts, but lowers his pistol, "Ya, ya, take your complaints to the Ministry of Antiquities. You get official approval and I'll give you the guided tour myself."
Everyone relaxes a touch as the volatile situation diffuses from immanent hostility to simple open dislike. The mine foreman waves you on through, ever wary of an attack. Exiting the mine is relatively easy, as the industrious Danorans hung signs with handy directions. As you move along the passageways, you can't help but notice that iron rods have been driven into the walls at regular intervals and thinking back on it, you remember seeing the same thing in the cavern you originally arrived in.
At the mine’s forested exit, you come across a mound of fresh dirt, which looks to be a recently filled mass grave. Looking about, you find signs that someone tried shooting and hacking at trees, like the forest itself attacked them.
From your briefing, you have a good idea of where you are and how to get to the Axis Fortress, the question is how do you want to try to get there. Travel by road provides the quickest route, but leaves you more exposed, while trekking through the jungle has its own dangers.
"So the iron of the mine most likely prevented whatever happened in this place occuring in the mine," Messer realized.
Looking at the wounded trees, and the grave, Messer looked to the road. "Perhaps we should avoid the woodlands?"
Preach tried not make a big deal of what happened but he was very glad they'd spared the man in the end. It was one thing to kill a man in battle but what nearly occurred would have grossly offended his sense of honour and justice. This wasn't to say that the coin was unimportant, Alsah clearly though it was and he was inclined to believe her but there was a proper way of going about things.
Outside he looked at the mound of dirt and the trees and felt a cold shiver go down his spine, all this supernatural weirdness was more than a little bit scary, give him a fight against soldiers any day - that he understood.
Glancing at Messer he nodded, "Normally I'd suggest we take the cover of the woodland to avoid being spotted but events round here are far from normal. We'll be faster on the road anyway."
As the group exits the cave she takes her ioun stone and tucks it away in her pouch. In a quiet tone "With the Island's propensity to lash out I agree, we have still have the cover of darkness as well, for a time. I believe I can find us the best route, but be ready to find cover on the side of the road as well, should we come across anything or anyone"
Juliet stands aside and lets the others pass up and out of the range of the miner's gun, eyeing him with a wary - and weary - eye the whole time, her scythe gripped tight.
Topside, she kneels at the gravesite while the others discuss the best route, half-listening as she searches for clues as to who may be buried here.
Standing, Juliet rubs a bit of dirt from her leather pant and looks towards where the Axis Fortress lies, obscured in the dark. "Yes, the road seems faster and safer. I've no desire to see what happens in that forest."
The road it is then
Deciding on a course of action, the party takes the bearing and then heads out along the dirt road. The jungle encroaches close to the road, with branches of the massive tropical tree leaning overhead, bathing all in a mottled shade. Here and there are signs of recent conflict, scorch marks, trees scared by musket fire, the remains of a burned cart. Now though, the forest is alive with the sounds of monkeys and birds.
All of a sudden you are gripped by vertigo. Your surroundings briefly flicker, revealing a wooded marsh filled with croaking yellow frogs, where a blue sun sets in a purple sky. Then the world snaps back to its normal form. It all seems like a bizarre hallucination except for your now mucky shoes and fresh water dripping from the hem of your cloaks.
As your vertigo fades and sense of confusion grows, Juliet, Alexandra and Alsah all catch the faint sound of footfalls approaching along the road.
"What the hell was that?" Bryn asks, looking around. "Did we just overlap with another plane?"
"Seems so," Messer replied in a strained voice, "And not one I'd prefer to go on holiday to."
A different world.
She pauses
Someone approaches. That way She points and moves to the side of the path.
Reeling still, Messer followed her lead.
Preach was alarmed and disoriented by that strange episode. "Imagine if it did that mid-battle..." he breathed...
When the others warned of approaching footfalls, Preach's hands moved to the hilts of his guns as he followed Alsah off the path.
The woman took a deep breath as she regains herself and catching herself she senses what Aslah is talking about. "As Aslah has mentioned, something is coming our way." She also makes her way to the side of the road.
She whispers again towards Bryn, "Very unpleasant I assure you."
The woman makes sure that any of the others make it to some sort over cover before moving deeper within as well and ashe clutches her bow and readies for trouble.
Juliet scowls and stumbles into the forest by the side of the road, the world still spinning a bit, her clothes dripping water onto the path. The Mystic's mind spins, upended as much as her reality was a second before. Shifting reality was a novel experience, she thinks, though one she'd prefer not repeat again. Darting behind a tree, Juliet doubles over and waits for the people coming down the road to make themselves known.