Ubasu takes a small step back when Pilzip asks for a practiced caster who can weave illusions.
Patizamo shrugs. "Illusions aren't in my wheelhouse, really, except for one that creates duplicates of myself. Mokhasi, do you have any?"
Baldrek shrugs when it is revealed that none of them do have expertise with illusions. "It was a good idea Pilzip, but I think we'll have to do with our current resources."
"Very well, lets work with those cages and get them ready to lock onto angry drakes."
Pilzip helps to set up the cages, arranging them carefully.
Using magic, Ubasu casts his voice beyond that which is physically possible. He cups his hands around his mouth and moos, filling the air with the loud promise of tasty bovine meat being on the menu.
Baldrek chokes as Ubasu makes a 'moo' sound... after they were called to help since the drakes were eating GOATS! "They like goats!"
Nevertheless, he keeps watch, waiting for the opportunity to get his hands on the drakes' eggs.
It seems the drakes enjoy the taste of cows as well as goats, as they suddenly swoop down with a surge of speed, heading right for you! They hiss and bare their fangs, the barbed stingers on their tails glistening with venom!
Patizamo gets ready to attempt to lock the drakes in the cages.
"Oh..."
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Baldrek dives aside as the drakes surge past him, slamming into the cages. Patizamo quickly locks the angry dragons inside! They shriek and rail, spitting sticky globs of venom towards you, but you are able to avoid them and use spells from range to incapacitate the drakes. Once they are unconscious, it is a relatively easy matter to relocate them, and the three eggs in their nest atop the waterfall, to the location Ibisu recommended.
Returning to Ibisu, the farmer is incredibly pleased with your results. She gives you a keepsake that she has had for some time--a bag of cats.
"Yes, please call on the academy again if you need anything," Pilzip tells the grateful farmer.
"Well, I learned something about drakes. Evidently they are crazy for cattle!" Pilzip makes a note to study drakes in his next semester.
"Shall we investigate the mysterious fires? I want to know who is setting them, and why!" The grippli can hardly contain his excitement at poking his nose into the mystery.
"Yes, now is the time to investigate the fires."
Ubasu beams a smile at his companions. Sure, the drakes didn't exactly enjoy the smoothest of landings, but they had managed to avoid unnecessary violence. "It fills me with joy to know we handled that without having to resort to violence, and all we really did was use our brains and a splash of magic! And yes, Pilzip, let us do that. There's ever more to do, giving meaning to the morrow."
Janatimo welcomes you into his office. ”Greetings conversants! I suspect you’ve heard about the fires around campus. I am glad no one has been hurt yet, but I feel that someone’s lighting those fires to draw our attention to something. Whoever or whatever this fire-starter is, they don’t understand that fire is like magic: you don’t ever fully control it, and the more you think you have it wholly contained, the more likely it is to hurt you or someone else.
“I’d like to find whoever’s responsible and stop them before they end up learning this lesson the hard way and causing real damage. I’ll need your help to investigate and track them down.
“If the aim were to hurt someone specific or to destroy a particular building, they certainly could’ve done so by now. I’ve come to understand that the arsonist used a sophisticated blend of magic and alchemy to ignite the fires. It would’ve been trivial to compound the reagents or the magic to amplify the effect and create a conflagration. These blazes are meant to make a statement, in my opinion.
“I sincerely hope it is not a student responsible, but you may want to talk to Xhokan and see if anyone has checked out supplies that seem suspicious.” Janatimo knows that Haibram Thodja is often a suspect when strange fires are to blame, but some discreet inquiries have already shown Janatimo that Haibram hasn’t been on campus when most of the fires were set.
The Alijae gets what Janatimo is trying to say, even though he doesn't fully agree with him. Fire isn't so much like magic, it's that fire is an extension of life, and aren't so many of us obsessed with life? He takes mental notes of Janatimo's descriptor of the firestarter's modus operandi and goes over the students he knows who are into alchemy.
"I thank you for entrusting us with this responsibility, Janatimo. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we will look into the matter, and if possible, resolve it quickly."
"There's nothing like a good mystery. If this person wanted to send a message, why not just talk to the masters?" Pilzip scratches his head. "I'm sure Xhokan will at least give us a promising lead."
Baldrek nods, agreeing with the plan.
"Perhaps the arsonist doesn't possess the means to deliver a message any other way, or there are others preventing them from doing so outside of destruction. I wonder if this arsonist is affiliated with a criminal element, and it is dangerous for them to speak to us openly."
Xhokan has looked into the burn marks and noticed the residue came from a highly refined alchemical gel that reacts only at high temperatures. He tells you that he doesn’t stock that gel at the school because such compounds are too advanced for most students to use effectively. He does know where you can find such a gel, however: Fire-Pot Ubanu’s Forge just outside of town. Xhokan warns you that Fire-Pot is cranky and unwelcome to visitors on his best days, so he may be unwilling to answer questions.
***
Fire-Pot’s Forge is at the bottom of a riverside cliff on the outskirts of Nantambu. The gravelly path winds down the cliff until it fans out into a large open shore, which is spotted with a campfire and a few shoddily built huts. A variety of weapons and alchemical goods sit on display in front of the huts, and beyond is a wide-mouthed cave.
The campfire in the middle of the huts has been quenched recently, smoke rising lazily from the burnt logs. Shelves of full vials and racks of weapons stand near the huts.
Two hulking minotaurs stand outside the huts, their skin scorched and toughened with fire over time. They grunt as you approach. "You come to buy weapons?" one asks.
Taken aback by the imposing minotaurs, Ubasu needs a second to regain his composure. "Eh, ahem, yes. We have heard that Fire-Pot sells the best alchemical gel in town."
Sometimes, a few kind words can be the key you need. However, since they're dealing with minotaurs and an alleged maestro of crankiness, Ubasu is not entirely convinced sweet words alone will be enough to get them what they need.
Patizamo smiled at the two minotaurs, but otherwise let Ukase talk for now.
Knowing his tendency to put a foot in his mouth with his over-curious questions, Pilzip lets others do the talking.
One of the minotaurs squints at you. "What's with the fancy masks? You from the Magaambya?"
"Yes, we are." Baldrek replies, knowing that is never wise to lie unnecessarily. "Are you friends to the Magaambya?"
Ubasu was about to respond that it is an Alijae custom, but Baldrek's answer makes it clear that the minotaurs meant those masks. But of course.
When Baldrek answers in the affirmative, the minotaurs snort and raise their axes! "The boss said you might be coming. It's time you pay your school's debts in blood!" one bellows!
"I think we discovered about the message." Baldrek tells the others as he raises his ranseur and puts himself in front of his more squishy companions.
His weapon crackles with electricity as he sends a bolt towards the chargings minoaturs.
Pilzip gulps, tries to remember what he can about minotaurs, and sprays a blast of frost at the closest enforcer.
for
The Alijae opens up his lungs and fills the air with a vibrant hum that cancels out any bothersome thoughts and doubts. It even seems to put a layer of protection between the Magaambyans and their foes, causing the very air itself to slow down the weapons of their enemies.
As Ubasu begins to harmonize, Pilzip recalls that minotaurs are master hunters that like to impale their prey on their horns or cut them down with sweeping strikes of their axes. The grippli blasts one in a sensitive spot with his ray of frost. Baldrek zaps that same one with lightning, but the other minotaur avoids the electric arc.
The minotaurs lower their horns and charge Baldrek, both managing to impale the fighter! The second one follows up with a slash of his axe as well, leaving Baldrek critically injured!
Pilzip draws his sword and runs into the fray, trying to stab the wounded minotaur in the back.
for and
Baldrek lowers his ranseur against the first minotaur, hoping to stop him from connecting or at least slow him down, before he gets beaten by them. Even if very wounded, the fighter retaliates with two powerful stabs before looking at his own wounds and trying to patch himself up.
Ubasu interrupts his humming to weave a healing spell. Tears of the Mwangi rain down upon Baldrek and where they splash upon his skin, flesh starts to knit back together.
Patizamo draws out his short sword and moves into a flanking position on one of the minotaurs before stabbing it and quickly casting a spell to shield himself.
Baldrek impales the first minotaur on the end of his ranseur as he charges in! The brutal blow causes the minotaur to stagger back and crumple to the ground, though the second foe still slams into the warrior and slices him with his axe.
Patizamo moves to flank the remaining minotaur, slicing his hamstrings in a critical hit! Pilzip delivers a sneak attack, then Baldrek stabs the minotaur twice, leaving him badly wounded.
The minotaur snorts and throws his axe down. "I'm not going to die for Ubanu. Tell the alchemist I quit!" he bellows before storming off.
In the aftermath of the fight, you search through the shelves and weapon racks near the minotaurs' huts. There is a lot of useful equipment here, though it’s clear that this equipment is considered the shop’s wares and belong to Ubanu. There are a variety of standard weapons of skilled make but no greater value than normal weapons of their type.
The valuable items in the huts include three stone fist elixirs, two moderate juggernaut mutagens, a low‑grade cold iron dogslicer, and three +1 scimitars.
Past the huts, the mouth of a cavern is obscured by the long shadow cast down from stones high overhead on the cliff’s edge.
"Let's treat Baldrek's wounds, then head into the cave to find Ubanu."
Ubasu is visibly relieved when the minotaur surrenders, but there is still a lot to do - notably, they have to find Ubanu and make him answer for his crimes. And if the reaction of the minotaurs is anything to go by, Ubanu won't surrender without a fight. "Ubanu is an alchemist, correct? We might want to check if we have any means to protect ourselves, or at the very least, Baldrek, from the elements. I can cloak us with invisibility before we go into the cave."
"I'm already in pretty good shape, Patizamo, and thanks Ubasu." He says, getting ready to lead the others deeper inside.
"It is really unfortunate to be on the receiving end of a grudge, justified or not, without knowing the specifics of what happened... I'm not giving up on trying a peaceful solution, but we should prepare ourselves for the worst." He points out. "Protection would be good, but invisibility would not paint us as tricksters and lower even further our chances of peace?"
The Alijae shrugs. "It is up to you. All this Ubanu has done so far has been nothing but violent and destructive, and I imagine we can expect more of that going forward. If we get the drop on him, I can try to subdue his anger using magic, but ... I can't promise it will work."
|
Mokhasi looks through his spellbook, "I could learn some protective magic if you all would like, but it would take a few minutes. Are we interested in rushing in immediately?"
He then rummages in a satchel, "there is also this stick we found which has magic in it. Perhaps that could protect Baldrek or all of us from fire?"
"I believe we have enough time, and protection from fire is certainly useful and I don't feel would interfere in eventual negotiations."
"I concur. Let's use the staff to protect as many of us from fire as we can."
Ubasu is happy to know they won't be heading into the cave wide-eyed stupid. "It is settled then. When we expect to be running into immediate trouble, I'll use the crown's power to apply a shield to you, Baldrek."
Just past the cave entrance is an iron gate barring further progress. With a bit of work, Pilzip is able to pick the lock and allow you to continue on.
The next room's intense heat emanates from a large pit with a metal pipe rising out of it and into the cave wall. Near the wall, the pipe is outfitted with a large valve.
After a few seconds, two creatures crawl up out of the pit! They appear to be lithe and long-limbed humanoids composed of shifting-hued flames churning within skeleton-like frameworks. They crackle angrily as they prepare to attack!
Before you can react, one of them rushes over to the pipe and turns the valve. The room begins to slowly fill with smoke. The other one rushes at Baldrek and attacks with its flaming fist!
Pilzip tries to recognize the creatures from his studies, and flings a bolt of ice at the one who hasn't acted yet, figuring he might cool it down.
for and
Pilzip recalls that these are fire elementals known as striding fires, embodiments of the speed and chaos of a spreading blaze. Like most elementals, they are immune to bleeding, paralysis, poison, and sleep effects. They are immune to fire but weak to cold, and they can see perfectly through smoke!
Patizamo moves to flank the elemental attacking Baldrek and says, "Can someone close that vent? We don't want the smoke to fill the place." He then wove magic with his blade and stabbed the elemental with a blade of cold.