Chim cracks he ting's beak as his shield bashes its face in!
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Akoril
Chimwemwe
Owl-thing 1
Kiri
Owl-thing 3
Wisps
Owl-thing 2
Binji
Akoril holds his ground, casting true strike to ignore the smoke and then produces flame at #2.
Akoril struggles to get loose.
With Binji's help Akoril escapes. "Thanks Binji!"
Akoril then tries to hit #2 with a forcefang.
Binji Help!
As the gnoll's force fangs jitter across the field the smoke dissipates.
Hoping to focus fire Owl-thing that belched flame soars over to Kiri…
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Akoril
Chimwemwe
Owl-thing 1
➤ Kiri
Owl-thing 3
Wisps
Owl-thing 2
Binji
Kiri steps toward the more injured of the owls, slashing twice. They they grasp at the crystal in their chest, which glows brightly for a moment with the same light that shines from their eyes, causing some of their damaged systems to repair themselves.
------
Kiri slashes once across the thing's chest, opening a deep wound. The fiend screeches. Their off-hand claw goes wide. Their wounds heal…
----
Owl thing one flies toward Chim, hoping for easier prey —
Its filthy beak comes away with a chunk of flesh.
[ooc]Terrain: All creatures within the cloud of ash become concealed, and all creatures outside the cloud become concealed to creatures within it.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Akoril
Chimwemwe
Owl-thing 1
Kiri
Owl-thing 3
➤ Wisps
Owl-thing 2
Binji
Wisps moves in front of Binji, and states, "We've got them right where we want them!" She fires an arrow.
Wisps pings the owl-thing…
Which promptly flies off!
Help!
Fresh green grass springs up all around where the flames had blackened the earth. Yay! Binji claps her hands.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Akoril
➤ Chimwemwe
Owl-thing 1
Kiri
Owl-thing 3
Wisps
Binji
Akoril takes the opportunity to back off and reposition on top of a ley-line from which they unleash an telekinetic arrow at #1.
Chimwemwe assaults the demon owl with his shield and then falls back into a defensive stance.
+
+
Quickly, you vanquish the remaning owl-daemon-things. Binj, in her helpful hyena mask, scampers about about collecting daemonic feathers. She rounds up a knot of copper wire — somethingn magical — dropped by one of the own-creatures. She gives to to Kiri. Help!
You notice that her Broom of Wonder shines with a new handle: it's now iron-colored and completely nondescript, except for a small button appearing on its surface.
Binji Help! She slows down and gives Akoril a hug; three letters fall out of her pouch at the gnoll'sfeet. All three have been torn open by tiny clawed hands and then sloppily re-sealed.
She frantically tries to pick them up and crumple them back into her tiny pack before anyone can notice, but they don't fit well. Ummm… Binji Help… Help…
Chimwemwe raises his decorative visor and asks, "Where were those letters intended, Binji?"
Umm… help! Waaah! Binji throws the letters on the ground and runs off to nervously sweep up more pieces of daemonic owl, cleaning blood and feathers from the forest glade.
First is a letter to Akoril. It has doodles of gnolls and ley lines scribbles in the margins:
Glimmering Hyena,
Welcome back to the Maagambya, I am sure your mission to Mzali was a success and I look forward to your report.
As you've no doubt heard, I've left on some travels and do not know when I shall return. Hence, this letter, which I have instructed Binji to leave sealed and give to you as soon as she can, when she sees you next. I trust she listened very carefully to my instructions!
With your blessing, we plan on elevating Binji to the rank of Attendant. This means Binji must partake in her First Masking ceremony.
The ways we learn and teach and grow are manifold here at the Magaambya. While Binji's reading comprehension is a little shaky, as is her analytical skill, her intentions and heart as as large as the best among us.
That said, Binji has been seen skulking about Koride's offices.
At the time of this writing, Koride has still not returned and her whereabouts are unknown, though deliveries still come from time to time — letters, and such. Maagambyan leadership intends to respect Koride's privacy unless she is proven guilty.
However, I suspect Binji is trying to "help" the investigation by rooting through Koride's things. I sincerely hope she has not pilfered any trinkets. Such items may be dangerous. She is, I suspect, impatient. I know it has been a long time since we last heard news on Koride. Mysteries will reveal themselves in due time, have no doubt.
In the meantime I have instructed Binji to begin carving her mask for the Attendant ceremony. She wants to be "helpful hyena," a scavenger that cleans the grasslands.
Of course, we will complete the ritual and infuse the mask with magical power upon her return at a proper Masking Ceremony, and I have instructed her to wait patiently. She should undertake the ritual only with your guidance, and absolutely under no circumstances do it alone.
My best,
Learned One Janatimo
____
Next, a letter pilfered from Koride's office:
Koride,
Your little "pet" Soomdevi has been pestering our school, interrupting supply lines of repossessed artifacts. Were you not instructed to guide him? Why is he here on the shadow plane disrupting our operations?
He will be disposed of soon enough. Perhaps I'll send you a piece of his shattered mask to remind you that the Shadow-Maagambya is not to be trifled with… or, better yet, send it to Takalu Ot or Learned One Janatimo. Wouldn't they like to know what you've sacrificed to pursue this line of inquiry, hmm? I imagine they have many questions…
In the meantime, we have uncovered rumors of a mythical city of gold located in a hidden ravine nestled on the edge of the Screaming Jungle. I have searched our archives, and I believe the concept of a "golden city" is a mistranslation, rather, the city shines with a "golden light" — not from the sky but from the very breasts of the people therein. It is a place of endless and abundant energy. Imagine if one could find this place and leverage this source of power!
My spies have informed me that a delegation is currently traveling to Mzali, no doubt on some fool's errand to improve the lives of their citizenry or some such nonsense. Join their pathetic delegation, worm into the temples and learn what you can of this Golden City. Do so, and I will consider sparing Soomdevi… or at least not sending pieces of him to the other teachers at your school, exposing you for what you are.
Lore-Master Ok
____
Finally, a note from someone you do not know, sealed with a sun stamp, addressed to Binji:
Binji,
The Bright Lions owe you a debt of gratitude for saving our patrol from that terrible froghemoth. We thought we were done for until you appeared underfoot! Never will I forget your battle cry to help.
Sadly, we cannot escort you to the city of Mzali, your destination. We must continue on searching for the lost temple of Chohar's daughter. It is our sacred duty. Just as it is your duty to continue on to Mzali, looking for your teachers.
If you find your way into Mzali, take this letter to the innkeeper who makes the sweetest bread in town, but is humble as a mouse. He will put you in contact with Sihar. She will, in turn, assist you in locating your delegation.
Who knows, your friends might already be in contact. I wouldn't put it past Sihar.
Finally, I leave you with this new broom handle, a rod really, but attach it to your Broom of Wonder to make your force in this world truly immovable.
— May the Light Shine Upon you, Glorious Binji,
Sewell
Chimwemwe picks up the letters and scans the seals and addressees. He hands Akoril's and Binji's to the kholo, unread. However, he reads the one addressed to Koride. His brow furrows in concern. "Soomdevi is," he pauses and considers the timing referenced in the letter, "or was in danger." Mental struggle plays across his face. He looks around the jungle and sighs. "But we cannot do anything about it."
Some days later, you come to the shrine of the eclipse. A simple dirt path leads up to a large stone building with a glass ceiling.
The entrance to the temple is a large, open archway that leads into a small room. The ceiling is glass, letting sunlight cascade in.
Decorating the walls inside are several repeating symbols that resemble a dark circle overlapping a bright circle, forming concentric circles. The bright rings radiate evocation magic
Binji help! She points at one of the dark concentric circles. Moon! She points at one if the rings of fire. Sun!
Double doors lead east and west; one door of each pair bears a sun icon while the other bears a moon icon. The doors on each pair with the sub icon are open. The door with the moon icon are closed.
An archway to the north leads to a larger hall.
Chimwemwe holds out his hand to slow his friends. "Wait a moment. I will reach out to the spirits to see if we can learn something before we enter," he says as he follows the archway from one side to the other with his eyes. "You should give me generous space in case I make a mistake."
He finds a stick and begins to trace out the eldritch geometry that will allow him to listen to the spirits lingering in the area.
The anticipation of salvation — hope — snatched away by a sharp pain — steel twisting in his gut. The inventor almost stumbles, scuffing his geometric runes, as these sacred halls ring with shrill screams. They're murdering the sun.
Inside a black circle that is inside a white circle that is inscribed in the stone, something waits for Chimwemwe's single question.
Wisps looks around with soulsight.
Chimwemwe clears his throat before hoarsely asking, "What traces remain of those who brought violence to this temple?"
Mwanyisa.
"Mwanyisa," Chimwemwe repeats.
Chim remembers Council of Mwanyisa, the advisory group to the Walkena himself. The advisory council you were interacting with only days before..
Chim remembers what he learned in history class, and in the city on the diplomatic mission.
Thousands of years ago, before the return of Walkena, the Council of Mwanyisa ruled this region. The council’s shaman-priests sought to erase any sign of the sun gods in hopes of subjugating the people even further: without their old gods to cling to, Mzali’s people would lose hope and become easier to control.
This ancient temple must have been a place for the people to escape. Until it was found out and the Council slaughtered them all.
Of course many years later, the Council bowed to Walkena when he returned. They chose to cling to power and aid him in his mission of totalitarian control, further erasing any trace of the old sun gods. Or, as seen in your meeting with the Walkena himelf, warping what little history remains with propaganda. It's no wonder Walkena would not let you closely inspect the tablets retrieved from this temple. And he is asking you, on this mission, to retrieve more tools for his propaganda machine, erasing the truth of what happened here and twisting it to his own ends.
Wisps does not detect any souls nearby.
Chmiwemwe thinks out loud, "We should be prepared to counter residual divine magics. And restless souls." He looks down at one of his pouches. "Alrinkiri, would you like me to paint my leaping runes upon your legs? And I have some other inventions that may be useful."
Akoril nods and muses outloud. "Obviously we must not allow ourselves to become tools of this regime. Also I don't think we can openly defy Walkena. Perhaps a study and exploration of this place will give us the answers we seek."
"Having found it is beneficial knowledge in itself," he notes. "Can anyone send a message to Sihar?"
"Alrinkiri, would you like me to paint my leaping runes upon your legs? And I have some other inventions that may be useful."
”If you would like, and it won’t prevent you from aiding yourself if the time comes. “
Kiri looks to the west. ”Maybe we start with one of the sun doors while it’s daytime?”
"I usually carry a spare," Chimwemwe says as he pulls out a specially treated pair of linen wraps. "Once you wrap these around your ankles, I will paint on the runes."
While he waits for Alrinkiri to finish, he turns to Curling-Wisps-of-Smoke. "Carry this," he offers her a brass armillary sphere covered with doznes of runes. "Press the rune here to dispel divine magics."
The rooms to the left and right are identical.
They contain several stone benches. A number of engravings and symbols are carved into the walls, most of them pertaining to the sun or moon. A set of stone doors lead in and out of the far ends of this room.
You spot magical prayer beads under a bench that's now covered with dust and cobwebs.
Chimwemwe squats down to reach for the prayer beads. He examines the pattern of magic quickly but fails to make sense of it.
The mystery of the prayer beads remains unsolved, but they look pretty great, greater than other prayer beads you've seen…
Binji busies herself cleaning cobwebs and needs to be rounded up before continuing on.
The next room is the center of this floor was once a sanctuary.
A huge golden altar stands at the northern end of this large room. A pair of stone leonine statues lie toppled over on either side of the altar. Gold flecks and harsh chipping suggest the statues were once covered in gold but have since lost this precious outer layer to thieves. Rows of broken stone benches mark this room as a place of communal worship.
Sun-and-moon double doors lead east and west, the sun sides open and the moons closed. Behind the statues are two open door frames, the remains of their stone doors now lying in broken heaps near the statues.
Akoril looks around.
Akoril notes "No markings on these doors like the others, I think they were once concealed among the walls."
Chimwemwe nods. "My father would be impressed by the engineering."
Secret doors in a temple? What were they hiding?
Beyond, you see stairs going down.
The bottommost side chambers each contain a large stone table and pair of stone benches placed on either side. Likely, they were used for serving food at celebrations.
The topmost chambers are more interesting. They house beds, and magical fountains and cabinets.
Chimwemwe examines the fountains and cabinets. One of the eyes of his mask illuminates and traces the features with a faint blue line of light. "Hmm."
He briefly considers and then speaks in Mzunu, "Blessings of the Sun's daughter."
A voice chimes:
And blessings to you. May the Daughter of light ascend. Her apotheosis shall nourish us on our paths to enlightenment, through shadow and fire.
As Chim says the command word the old fountains bubble with clean water, and the cabinets fill with fresh vegetarian food.
Akoril looks around as he samples the food created, thinking about how it relates to the more contemporary cuisine he's been sampling all over town.