"Sorry, Little Angel, but the only magic I have is my winning smile," Jorum says, his eyes searching the cave for his hunted prey.
When said prey drops from the ceiling, a smile of satisfaction graces his lips before his steps forward, his blades flashing.
Seeing the creature drop down and charge, Arianda draws her sword to defend herself. But Jorum rushes to meet the creature head on! To support him, she sends some magic his way that creates a link between them, and the two of them suddenly feel a strong bond.
The morlock dodges Jorum's initial attacks, but his final strike scores a critical hit! The creature howls in pain and reaches for the ranger. It grabs Jorum around the neck and begins to throttle him!
Valda starts off the fight in her usual manner, casting magic weapon on Branwyn's talons and inspiring courage!
Branwyn ▶️dashes!
She kicks!
She grabs!
Arianda feels her throat tighten up a bit as Jorum is also throttled by the thing. To counter, she sends some healing energy into her bonded companion.
Gasping for breath as his head pounds, Jorum struggles to break free from the creature's vise-like grip.
Unfortunately, the ranger is unable to escape the grasping hands.
Branwyn's flurry leaves the morlock momentarily stunned, but he doesn't loosen his grip around Jorum's throat. The morlock chokes the ranger with one hand while he swings his warhammer at the harpy!
The angel's fiery whip scours the morlock's back, and with a whimper, he releases Jorum and falls to the ground!
The morlock has a +1 warhammer. You are also free to claim the candlecap! You may keep it or return it to the blindheims.
Jorum rolls away, gasping as he draws in life-giving oxygen. He grimaces as his hands protectively reach up to his neck.
"Thanks," he croaks. "I don't think I would have been able to break free on my own." He pauses to draw more ragged breaths. "We should get that hat back to the frog folk."
Branwyn is struggling to remember something. Before getting back to the water-woman and frog-men, she says, “We enter cave, not know frogmen inside, are not bad, gross morlock very bad, have pretty water-woman. Am happy we help.
“But why we come here in first place?”
”This is Red Cat Cave. We are here to calm the spirit of the guardian Syarstik and determine what has become of the Primordial Flame, as Grandfather Eiwa requested before his passing,” Valda reminds Branwyn.
When you return to the blindheims and offer them the cap, one steps forward and takes it. She awkwardly dons it and happily leaps away to find the other blindheims to show off her recovered prize!
Once that is done, you venture deeper into the cavern system. This winding cave’s walls have been painted with three floor-to-ceiling iconographic illustrations: one of a mastodon, one of a dinosaur, and one of a great cat. Humanoid figures wielding spears and axes swarm the mastodon and great cat. Near the dinosaur, more hunters emerge from the fingertips of a handprint smeared on the wall. Above the animals, a series of dots are reminiscent of stars.
The tunnel continues past this cavern.
Branwyn is grateful for the reminder. She knew Red Cat Cave was important!
Unfortunately, she’s not an expert on much, so if there’s anything special about those markings or the natural formations—or maybe unnatural, or supernatural?—the harpy is oblivious.
Arianda lets more of her own vitality flow into Jorum, and she too clutches her throat and coughs. Once the fight is over, she breaks the link and then lets herself be drug to his side, where she leans on him and asks ”Are you alright?”
Seeing Branwyn hurt as well, she says, okay, everybody have a seat and I’ll work on patching everyone up. She then takes some salves and wraps and sets to work.
Once done, she continues on with everyone else, occasionally still rubbing her sore throat.
Seeing the paintings, she mutters ”Beautiful…” before looking closer. ”The stars…they match up to the way the stars are in the sky right now. And the colors, it looks like this is at the very edge of dawn and dusk…it’s so pretty…I wonder what it means…”
"Perhaps we will learn more ahead," Valda says to Arianda. She gestures to the tunnel to the next cave.
Paintings of monsters both legendary and obscure cover the cavernous walls of this long, broad chamber. Wyrms and wolves engage in an eternal battle alongside owl-headed bears and one-eyed giants. Near the southern wall, a lone, broken-off stalagmite has been fashioned into a pedestal. Old carvings depicting leaping flames and billowing smoke line the stalagmite. Nothing sits on the empty pedestal. A halo of black scorch marks on the pedestal’s flat top only enhances its conspicuous bareness.
As soon as you enter the room, a ghostly saber-toothed tiger manifests! With a snarl of anger, it moves to attack!
The ghost concentrates, and one of the cave paintings animates, leaping off of the wall and attacking Arianda!
"Ari!" Valda shouts. She sends healing magic the cleric's way as she inspires courage!
Branwyn dashes▶️ to Ari’s aid, and tries to kick the painting come to life.
“How is possible?” she scolds the creature for daring to exist.
Once the fight is over, she breaks the link and then lets herself be drug to his side, where she leans on him and asks ”Are you alright?”
"In the company of four incredibly beautiful ladies, how can I be anything but?" Jorum replies with a grin, his voice still slightly roughened by the encounter. He watches her work with a nodding appreciation and when she's finished, he bows in response. "Thank you, my dear. Life wouldn't be the same without you."
~~~~~
Jorum's eyes widen as the cave art comes to life and attacks. He doesn't stand still long, though, focusing on the mystical tiger and slashing at it with his swords.
Arianda gasps and lets out a terrified squeal as the ghost and painting assail her! Even so, her training kicks in and she calls forth a burst of positive energy to wash over the area!
Syarstik ignores Arianda's positive energy. Jorum slashes at the tiger, scoring a critical hit! The ghost touch rune ensures his blade leaves a mark in the spirit's essence! Sabach and Branwyn move in to support Jorum. The harpy lands a few hits, momentarily stunning the ghostly tiger!
Syarstik shakes off the stun and growls as he turns his fury on Jorum! His ghostly fangs score a critical hit, and he takes the ranger down with a claw swipe!
Valda soothes Jorum's wounds this time, continuing her inspiring chant.
Branwyn kicks like crazy—
—and does not land a single blow!
“Ah, is drawing. Can only hit outline,” she grumbles in frustration, chiding herself.
Jorum groans as consciousness painfully returns to him. "Now this is really getting old," he grumbles to himself as he stumbles back up onto his feet.
Jorum and Sabach land several devastating blows on the ghostly tiger! The spirit shakes his head as if exiting a daze. The saber-toothed tiger takes a long breath (or looks like he does despite being a ghost), sits on his haunches, and bows his head in submission. “Forgive me my wrath,” he intones, “and accept my surrender.”
The animated painting returns to normal. A deep, rumbling voice emanates from the ghostly tiger and echoes off the cavernous walls. “I am Syarstik Painted-Tiger, guardian of this cave for many centuries. It has been at least one hundred winters since I was bested by one of your kind. Before then, no mortal dared challenge me. Indeed, your people came here often to consult the stars before migrating east.
“That all changed after the Great Quake. Some of your kind, their eyes full of fear, came here with a sacred light.” The ghost turns his massive head to the side, reflecting, and then nods toward the empty pedestal. “I agreed to protect your holy lamp, the one which once lay on that rock.”
The spectral cat paces the chamber as he speaks. “Not long after, another human arrived—a man with the heart of a demon. He called himself Metuak of the Burning Mammoths, and he challenged me for the artifact. I fell, and he took it.
“With my dying breath, I cursed the lamp that led to my ruin by placing a piece of my own soul inside it. As long as Metuak lived, whoever wielded that terrible fire would suffer horrendous agony if they ever parted from it. Through the piece of my soul in the lamp, I saw the demon-man flee through the eastern mountains before my vision clouded with rage. And then you arrived.”
Branwyn considers the words. Forgiving is easy, since her friends survived (plus, she loves a good fight—and not having to murder anyone is a nice feeling too)…
But she is not sure when all of the events Syarstik Painted-Tiger speaks of had taken place.
“Have question. How long ago, Metuak of Burning Mammoth go away? Or cloud vision mean you lose time, cannot know how long?”
Syarstik turns his head to the east, in the direction where his killer fled. “I cannot say how long it has been. Decades, perhaps. But Ibelieve the demon-man still lives, even after all these years. Had he died, the curse would have been lifted, and the rest of my soul returned to me.
“He fled through the same mountain pass your people have always crossed. ‘Lost Mammoth Valley,’ I believe you call it? If you have forgotten the way, no matter. Your ancestors would come here sometimes to consult the stars in the next chamber, to chart their course.” He indicates the room to the west. “Beyond that, I do not know the fate of the demon-man or your sacred lantern."
His weapons have returned to their sheaths, but Jorum's hands stay near them. Distrustful that the mystical tiger is no longer a threat, he nods as the creature tells his story.
"We will consult the stars to be sure," he says when when Syarstik finishes. His voice is still rough from the choker's attack and he self-consciously reaches up to touch his neck. "But I have little doubt that our elders know the way. Can you tell us any more about this Metuak?"
Syarstik gives a great shudder. "I have told you all I know. Now, go," he groans, his ghostly image fading. "Recover your flame and defeat Metuak, so that I may at last have my well-deserved rest." With those words, he vnaishes.
The final room in these caves has a stone ceiling riddled with hundreds of tiny holes, each no wider than a finger. Through the holes, tiny shafts of light from the outside leak into the dark interior. Lines of thin, white paint connect nearly every hole, creating a tangled web of constellations. Scattered among these holes and lines are dozens of faint symbols of animals and terrain: elk, bison, and mammoths, plus mountains, forests, and lakes. The overall effect is at once painstakingly precise and absurdly convoluted.
During the day, enough light streams in through these small holes to illuminate this cave with dim light. Furthermore, the mica chips catch and reflect the light, making the entire network of lines glow softly. The effect is beautiful at all hours, but the strange ceiling’s true purpose becomes apparent after sunset. During the darkest hours of the night, the moon and bright stars line up perfectly with the holes in a variety of configurations depending on the time and season, causing different painted lines to light up. The effect creates a dazzling map of the central Realm of the Mammoth Lords that can convey dozens of different migration routes.
As suggested by the paintings you saw earlier, you camp in the cave and wait until solar midnight—that is, the exact moment between dusk and dawn. At this time, the stars and moon align over the holes to illuminate a map of a wide, curving valley through the Tusk Mountains. On this illuminated map, a symbol of a cat’s face in front of a cave at the far western edge of the valley glows brightly—this symbol represents Red Cat Cave. At the far eastern end of the map, a symbol of a mammoth between two mountains indicates the location of Lost Mammoth Valley—the valley where Metuak supposedly took the Primordial Flame as he fled to the east.
Although the map isn’t detailed enough to reveal specific terrain features between Red Cat Cave and Lost Mammoth Valley, it does give you the information you need to retread the ancestors’ ethgir route through the Tusk Mountains. By taking the Broken Tusk’s long-lost eastward route instead of their more recent route to the north, the following might have a chance of escaping the Burning Mammoths!
The normally chatty ranger is silent as the wonder of the cave design is made manifest. He steps forward and traces his finger along some of the lines connecting the constellations with reverence.
Eventually his amazement gives way to curiosity and he draws forth a piece of clean leather and begins duplicating the path of the journey on the material with a sharpened awl.
Later on as they leave the cave, he notices Cyrene's silence. "Hey, Little Angel," he says, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're being unusually quiet. Is everything ok?" he asks.
”Beautiful,” Arianda mutters as she looks at the dazzling display in awe.
"Yes, it truly is," Valda agrees. She wraps an arm around Branwyn's shoulders and holds the harpy close.
For over a century, ever since the terrible schism that led to the violent reimagining of the Burning Mammoths and the creation of the Broken Tusks, the Broken Tusk following has headed north from the plain between the Grandparents: the “syorn route.” This year, with their wisest elder dead and a murderous war party in close pursuit, the Tusks will place their faith in a forgotten path through the mountains to the east: the “ethgir route.” With any luck, the Burning Mammoths won’t realize the Broken Tusks have deviated from their usual route, though even the most optimistic Tusks know this is wishful thinking. However, even if the Burning Mammoths do track them toward their new destination, the Tusks might at least manage to stay ahead of their aggressors. As if potential refuge from their foes wasn’t enough incentive to pursue this new plan, the Broken Tusks now have reason to believe that their following’s ancient artifact, the Primordial Flame, might lie somewhere in the mythical Lost Mammoth Valley at the end of the ethgir route.
None of the Broken Tusks knows the exact way ahead or what to expect. The following’s best scout, Wipakoa, is still recovering from the rigors of birthing triplets and is preoccupied with the survival of her three newborns. It falls to you to take the lead and carve a safe path through unknown lands...
***
Warm light from the campfire gives Wipakoa’s face an amber glow. “So, Lost Mammoth Valley,” the head scout says with a smile, testing the words as if trying on a new cloak. “The name is a mystery to me. But I know, wherever we go, we will be in good hands with you leading the way.”
Absentmindedly rubbing the head of the newborn strapped across her chest, Wipakoa continues, “Along the way, we’d do well to disguise our route as best we can. Yes, hiding the tracks of an entire following is like shearing a mammoth, but the effort might be worth it. By fording rivers or planting false tracks, we might be able to delay them for a few days. Even if it seems like we’re already far ahead of them, we do not know this land. A single wrong move could cause our luck to turn.”
The party can attempt a delay activity only before they’ve used their hexploration activity for the day. Each delay activity requires a check. Only one character can attempt this check, though other characters can Aid as usual. Succeeding at an activity’s check temporarily slows down the Burning Mammoths, but critically failing the check only causes the Broken Tusks to waste precious time. Once the party has attempted a delay activity in a hex, they must Travel to a new hex before attempting another delay activity.
These activities are optional; the party can, of course, opt to simply proceed ahead without making any attempt to delay their pursuers.
CONCEAL TRACKS
CONCENTRATE EXPLORATION MOVE
The scouts coordinate their following to conceal the tracks of the followers and the herd. A character attempts a DC 18 Survival check to Cover Tracks or a DC 20 Athletics check.
Critical Success The tracks practically disappear from the face of the earth. The Burning Mammoths waste 2 days at this hex and possibly even proceed in the wrong direction.
Success The Burning Mammoths waste 2 days at this hex before finding the party’s tracks.
Critical Failure The tracks only become more obvious. When they get to this hex, the Burning Mammoths automatically move to an adjacent hex without spending a hexploration activity.
FORD RIVER
CONCENTRATE EXPLORATION VISUAL
Requirements The following is in a hex with a river.
The party searches for a place to ford the river that’s relatively easy for their small following but would be difficult for a larger group. A character attempts a DC 18 Nature, Survival, or River Lore check.
Critical Success The Broken Tusks can automatically Travel to an adjacent hex without spending a hexploration activity. The Burning Mammoths waste 2 days at this hex.
Success The Burning Mammoths waste 2 days at this hex.
Critical Failure The party wastes the entire day searching for a crossing, to no avail. The Broken Tusks can’t use any hexploration activities today.
PLANT FALSE TRACKS
CONCENTRATE EXPLORATION MOVE
The party plants false tracks to mislead their pursuers. A character attempts a DC 18 Deception check or a DC 18 Lore check of the hex’s terrain type (such as Hill Lore or Forest Lore).
Critical Success The Burning Mammoths waste 1 day at this hex, and they’re so befuddled that they split up. The next time the party faces any Burning Mammoths in a combat encounter, remove one of the lowest-level Burning Mammoth enemies from that encounter. Any subsequent critical successes on this activity are successes instead.
Success The Burning Mammoths waste 1 day at this hex.
Critical Failure The deception is easy to spot and the effort futile. The party can’t use any hexploration activities today.
Branwyn helps cover tracks.
“I help!”
How? Cyrene signs, looking up at Jorum. They had so much skill to make the cave but they still couldn't protect the Flame, or Syarstik. How can we get it back when they couldn't?
"But they didn't really try to protect the Flame," Jorum replies. "They just hid it away and hoped no one would find it." His hand gives Cyrene's shoulder a squeeze. "We will find it and we will protect it." His smile broadens. "Besides, they didn't have my Little Angel with them." He leans down and gives her a quick peck on the cheek.
~~~~~
Branwyn and Jorum work together to conceal your following's tracks near Red Cat Cave as you prepare to head out. The terrain ahead is unknown, but you have your destination in mind as you begin to scout the way!
As you prepare to depart, the other Broken Tusks call out to get your attention. The petrified form of the huntress Adrissa Pendergrast has begun to shudder and soften. As you watch, the stony statue slowly decalcifies as the woman becomes flesh and blood once more. She looks around with wide eyes.
"Where am I? What happened? Why do I feel so stiff?" she asks, eyes wide with confusion.
***
You set off east from Red Cat Cave, working your way along the foothills of the mountains. You conceal your tracks as you go in order to delay the inevitable pursuit from the Burning Mammoths.
After nine days, you reach a narrow, hilly pass. Campfires can be seen in this region from a few miles away, but the fires are extinguished a few hours before you arrive. As this is the only way forward through the mountains that your mammoths and other beasts can navigate, you cautiously reconnoiter the path ahead.
Your caution pays off, as you spot four men and women hunkered down behind bushes and boulders in preparation for an ambush. They bear the insignia of the Burning Mammoths. They don't seem to have noticed your approach just yet...
Branwyn does not want to kill, but she understands the Burning Tusks have no regard for life. The women she spared the first time had scars from fire. Is like Mother teach you, eat man is right. Child become adult, cannot unlearn. What they teach these man and woman, when only boy and girl…?
Branwyn runs up to the statue, marveling as pinkness returns to the softening flesh.
“Am very happy you survive. Bitty attack, peck you, you rock. We bring you, am scared you are statue forever, like mammoth we find earlier, think is rock long time.
“Dwarf run away, wave arm, yell. Are not loyal. I think we leave you, is lonely, cannot survive.”
Branwyn understands blades were swinging, and Ardissa was given a death threat. She did not voice her objection to that. She thinks her friends that don’t like Ardissa are calm, so the death threat and violence was anger. Am monster. Monster use anger for strength. Am nun. Nun learn anger is weakness. She knows which mother to listen to.
“Other day misunderstanding. Do not leave, cannot survive on own. I think okay you stay, but you learn Broken Tusk rule.” Branwyn’s head swivels left, right… she leans in a little toward Ardissa. “I do not know Broken Tusk rule. I try pay attention, what peer do, and nun training help me when peer confuse me.”
As if sensing Branwyn's turmoil, Jorum touches her shoulder. "If we're going to do this, we need make sure we catch every one of them. There are innocents back there," he gestures back toward the following, "That are depending on us to ensure we get them to Lost Mammoth Valley safely. If any of the Burning Tusks get away, they'll give away our path to the rest of their tribe. We can't let that happen."
He then readies his blades in his hands and begins to move forward as quietly as possible.
"Stay here? Among sav--?" Ardissa starts to protest, but seeing the angry looks of the other Kellids around her, she wisely snaps her mouth shut.
"What I mean to say is, while your offer is appreciated, I am not suited for a life in these untamed lands. I thank you for your courtesy, but if it's all the same to you, I will be taking my leave of this place."
Branwyn says, “Is choice. You move stiffly. I think stay one day, feel like swift huntress, is better time. But you are not prisoner. I respect your decision.” In case Ardissa decides to leave, Branwyn says, “I like your hat. I mean to tell you earlier, but you rock, cannot hear me I think. Now you hear, hat is nice.”
Branwyn feels bad… but not bad enough to risk the triplets’ lives, not any of her people.
She nods to show understanding. Am monster. Monster is needed now.