DM Voomer's Age of Ashes

Game Master Voomer

Caiten processes the comments of his friends for a bit.

"It is possible to do great harm even with the best of intentions. Usually due to failing to understand the situation fully."

"But it appears that inaction and indecisiveness also leads to great harm being done. If we had conquered the quarry more effectively, then it is likely that Hezle would not be with us currently. But perhaps Dario and Cevendyll would be. It is a steep price to pay, but it seems that it is the price required."

"It is possible to do great harm even with the best of intentions. Usually due to failing to understand the situation fully."

"Here's to that..." half drunkenly, Yasami jumps into the discussion as she raises the bottle towards the fire. She looks at the flame through the amber liquid swirling in the glass, zones out for just a few seconds, and brings the bottle to her lips.

After her swig, she sits there in silence, looks at her notes and scans the camp visually. "Ha!" she stands quickly, leaving the conversation and probably setting a new personal record for the fastest depate. She beelines towards Adare, assaulting her with a series of questions in Taldane. "How big was the boat?" "What colour was it?" "Are there predators in the water nearby?"

After a few fruitless attempts at pulling answers from the woman, she gives up and closes her notebook. "Sorry, it's the drinks. I'll leave you." she gives Adare a quick wave and turns towards Highwind. Once near the raft, she washes her hands and face, and heads for her bedroll.

The festivities come to a close as revelers slip off to their sleeping spots and the fire lowers to small flames and then burning embers. The musicians stop playing and the elephants wander off into the nearby jungle.

In the morning, the camp is bustling with activity. Children clean up from the celebration, teens prepare food and feed the elephants, and adults work on crafts and construction.

You are all greeted warmly when you wake and are offered bowls of a warm porridge with foraged nuts and fruits.

After breakfast, a small group of children approach Lisi with a little goat milk and ask him to make some more ice cream before he goes.

Also, Adare approaches the group and makes sure you all were able to absorb her information from the night before and did not have any other questions. In response to Yasami’s inquiries the night before (conveyed through Catalina), Adare says ”I just fashioned a tiny dugout canoe from a fallen tree, but a raft like yours, maybe remove a few logs to make it smaller, should be able to navigate the swamp. As for predators, there are certainly some in the swamp but the typical ones won’t be any threat to your group. But I don’t know if the cultists have any guards other than those I saw on the fortress — I did not get very close. You also asked something about color last night, but I didn’t really understand what you were asking.”

Adare is happy to answer any other questions. The group is also approached in the morning by Edka, who again expresses his gratitude for the safe return of Kanu and Nalin. ”They have suffered greatly and this trauma will be with them for some time, but it is doing them good to be back under the care of the herd.”

Finally, Tanda approaches the group. She again gives the party thanks on behalf of the tribe and gives the party 3 poultices that act as lesser elixirs of life but also have the benefits against persistent damage of the 4th level herbalist feat “poultice preparation”.

As you prepare to depart, teens bring baskets of fruit and nuts and mushrooms for your journey. The elephant people gather at the riverside and as you depart they sing you farewell, a low chanting song that that follows you for some distance as you float away. Also, after you depart, you soon spot Edka with the herd of elephants standing on a sandbank in the jungle at the side of the river. The elephants relax and spray each other, and you spot Kanu and Nalin standing close to two large elephants. Edka calls out and the elephants trumpet in unison, an apparent elephant farewell…

In the morning, Caiten doesn't spend too much time thinking about his spell choices or Sulee's abilities. He just sticks with the configuration that has been working well for the last several days.

Caiten accepts the food. He does still feel a bit uncomfortable around the new and unfamiliar people. Especially when they are praising him for returning the elephants. Considering the amount of death and destruction that was caused in their rescue, he can't help but feel that the praise is a bit undeserved.

The display of the elephants trumpeting in unison is rather impressive though. He is happy that they young ones were brought back to their herd.

Next morning, Yasamina wakes up thirsty and with a minor headache. She slowly rises from the bed and puts her palm on her forehead as she lets out a sigh. "Borrowed happiness..."

Murmuring, she waddles over to the nearest water to drink and clean her face. Thankfully, it is cold. She looks at a few elephant people doing errands and smiles. "You don't even know how good you have it. Not fermenting and all that. Keep at it."

And then, the porridge makes an appearance. Certainly, this is usually a delightful meal that pushes just the right buttons of several taste bud groups, and has a satisfying crunch between the molars, all the while the nose is caressed by the sweet, honey-like aroma.

Not this time. In her head, Yasami compares the experience to chewing on cardboard dipped in mud. But she powers through like a champ to be polite.

When approached by Adare with Catalina in tow, she ponders the question about colour. She gets the size and predators one. But colour? "Why would I be asking about colour?" she looks at everyone, confused. "Did we eat mushrooms or something? I don't recall my own thoughts from last night. Some of them, anyway."

She turns back to Adare. "Again, thank you. I apologise for bothering you last night. I was... not myself. I hope I was not much of a bother. For what it's worth, I appreciate your help. Hopefully, we will get rid of this cult within a few weeks. We'll see. And you will have had a part in it!" she smiles and gestures around towards the entire village.

She waves as she hops on the raft, looking at Hezle. "You okay? We're off to your clan now. Ready to meet them?"

Catalina awakens with a similar headache and thirst to Yasami, grumbling as she rolls out of her cot. She, too, drinks deeply of the cold water, swishing some around in her mouth to remove the stale taste of alcohol in her mouth. She had gotten pleasantly drunk the night before, but not enough to make bad decisions. Certainly not in this village, at least.

The assimar accepts the meal with pleasure, enjoying the simple flavors as she shuffles through her Harrow deck. She pulls a card for her daily reading, The Betrayal. She sets her spoon down for a moment, contemplating the card and its message. Normally, a dire warning--but reversed, a vastly different meaning.

Adare approaches and Catalina takes her last bite, situating herself to translate. When Yasami ponders the question she had asked, Catalina sifts through the haze of the night--luckily, she hadn't gotten very sloshed until after her translation services weren't needed anymore. "Yasami, I think you were talking about the color of the boat Adare had spotted."

After the conversation, Catalina says warm farewells and thank yous for all of their help. When the elephants trumpet, she grins with a delight she hadn't felt in days.

"Back to it, I suppose."

before departure: As Catalina breakfasts and contemplates the Harrow draw, she watches Hezle sitting across the clearing, alone with her back to a tree, eating from a bowl and seemingly lost in her own thoughts. With the exception of the time when Lisi drafted the kobold to participate in ice cream making, Hezle had mostly kept to herself and remained quite inconspicuous. But Catalina always thought the diminutive creature seemed lost in thought, rather than suspicious or unfriendly.

To draw The Betrayal misaligned on the day the group is due to reunite Hezle with her clan strikes Catalina as an auspicious sign. Perhaps all of Hezle's thoughtfulness reflected serious contemplation on the kobold's part regarding her errors and faulty motivations, and the consequences for the Thornscales who followed and trusted her. Perhaps Hezle could be trusted to be a more responsible leader in the future...

after departure: The passage across the river and down to the Thornscales camp is quick, easy, and uneventful. The raft is brought to ground on a small sandy spot not too far from the hidden camp. As the raft approached, before landing, Yasami had spotted a concealed kobold watcher slip down a tree and sprint into the jungle, presumably to alert the camp of the group's arrival.

As the group climbs off and secures the raft, a commotion and excited chatter signals the arrival of the kobolds. Several scaly faces -- brown, red, green -- start to emerge from the brush, and you see more kobolds behind. Behind them, somewhat unexpectedly, you see Renali. The kobolds look healthy and they are clearly excited to see Hezle, calling out to her in Draconic. Renali beams in pleasure seeing the group safely returned.

Caiten watches the Kobold scout scamper away. "Good to see that they appear to be feeling better."

At the camp, he listens to the conversation in Draconic, but leaves the Kobolds to greet each other in peace.

Still a bit slurry from the night before, Yasami stands on the raft as the gentle breeze cools down her skin. The occasional insect disrupts the relaxation process, but she simply swats the creatures away. At least they keep her on her toes, so to speak. Once at the landing, she jumps off the boat and helps everyone off. With Hezle beelining towards the Thornscales, Yasami instead moves to Renali for a warm greeting.

"We're back, but we suffered some losses. Dario and Cev did not make it. Not to worry, though - I plan to turn that pain against the cult. But first, Thornscales."

Yasami looks around the place. "How have you been holding up? And why are you here, even? Everything alright with the elves?" she asks with some concern.

Renali is pained to hear about the loss of Dario and Cev, and she places her hand on Yasami's arm in sympathy. In answer to Yasami's questions, Renali responds, "I'm so glad to see you all, but sad to hear about Dario and Cev. I'm so sorry. I'm well. My return to Akrivel is uneventful -- as you know, I am very familiar with this terrain and very adept at avoiding unwanted encounters. In truth, though, I only needed to avoid some large cats and snakes -- I did not see any cultists or other intruders into the Ekujae lands.

I told the Ekujae I wanted to return to the Thornscales, to aid their recovery and to ensure their compliance with the Ekujae terms. The Ekujae also sent a guard with me -- a warrior named Kakena -- she is back at the camp. She has kept to herself, but has not been unfriendly."

"Well, that's good news all around. I hope this means the Ekujae see that the Thornscales were exploited and need, like everyone else, a place to live and thrive."

He looks expectantly towards Hezle, mentally crossing his fingers that she can explain the plan to offer them a place in Isger with a warm reception.

You follow the kobolds through the dense and humid jungle a short ways to their camp. In a clearing, there are various primitive shelters made from woven vines and broad leaves, along with what you recognize to be Renali's silk. A central fire pit has burning embers and you see small piles of foraged fruits and plants in roughly made baskets. The camp looks orderly and clean.

At the edge of the clearing, you see a lean-to that is clearly a portable elven shelter, and a tall Ekujae warrior steps out. You recognize her from Akrivel, but did not previously interact with her. Her clothing and armor blend into the jungle and, like the other Ekujae you have seen, she wears jewelry crafted from vines, leaves, and colored stones. Her dagger is sheathed, you see she left her bow in the lean-to, and her hands are open in a gesture you recognize as a peaceful welcome. She comments in Elven, "I am glad to see you returned safely. I am Kakena; the Twin Leopards sent me here to make sure the kobolds cause no further trouble. I see you brought another of them with you, perhaps their leader..." ... you see her looking around ... "... but I think you are not all returned. The Leopards will want to hear your tale."

Yasamina lets out a relieved exhale after hearing Renali's summary of the events. "I never doubted you taking care of yourself. I was just concerned for potential reasons of you actually being here. Stuff I don't event want to think about. But if you say it's all fine, that's great. It's nice to see a familiar face again. I'm not used to this kind of environment. Makes me itchy. Both skin and head." she scratches her shoulder as she says that, and looks back towards Hezle and waits for them to catch up.

As the party moves deeper into the camp, Yasami does an elevator pitch to the rest of the party and Hezle. "I think we will leave all Thornscales here while we go to Akrivel to... negotiate... their situation. If the Ekujae have a-" she considers the guard's position - "chaperone in here, this Kakena person will probably want to stay with them for the duration. I mean I assume as much. Let's ask them?"

After a few seconds, she adds "As for their final decision on coming with us or not - did we even agree on that, by the way? We promised to negotiate safe passage either way."

"I love what you did to the place." Yasami greets the kobolds in draconic and the elf just with gestures. She waits for someone to translate.

"I think leaving them here while we negotiate is a good idea. Should we consider bringing Hezle as a representative for their position?" She poses the question to everyone, chewing on her bottom lip.

"As for them coming with us...Well, I'm assuming I'm coming with you in the first place anyway, but I think they deserve a chance at a good life." She shrugs, dismissing herself a little bit. Despite everything the group had all gone through since she joined them, she hesitated to insert herself without explicit invitation.

Catalina dutifully translates Yasami's statement as needed.

"I think leaving them here while we negotiate is a good idea. Should we consider bringing Hezle as a representative for their position?"

"I would prefer that someone comes who can speak for the Kobold tribe. Hezle if she holds that position now."

"And I would hope that you are accompanying us as well. I could use all the allies that I can find."

I meant translating whatever Kakena said to us. I don't speak elven, but thank you ^_^

Yasami is a bit confused by Catalina's doubts. "I mean are you not coming? I don't think it was discussed, but - I just assumed we're all a... crew? Band? I don't know what to call it." Yasami thinks for a while. "Which we REALLY should look into."

"On the topic of kobolds in Akrivel, I spoke with Hezle on this a few nights ago. She doesn't want to go. Which I kind of understand. They're not on good terms. Unless she changed her mind in the meantime?" Yasami glances at the kobolds.

The group approaches Hezle on the topic, and she seems terrified at the prospect of coming with you to Akrivel. She speaks to Yasami in draconic, "I'm worried that if I go they will ask a lot of questions and end up getting annoyed and it will make it harder for them to let us go away with you without being punished. I've told you everything I know about Belmazog and the cultists. But I feel that seeing me, and hearing me describe what we did at the mine will just inflame the elves' anger. They really don't think much of us kobolds. If you go and speak to them and they refuse to resolve the situation without speaking with me, then so be it. But I would much prefer you try first. I know I'm asking a lot, but I do think it is the best way."

Yasami, it occurs to you that a compromise might be that one of the Ekujae could return with you to question Hezle, if they did want to question her directly.

Renali hears the group debating and offers, "It did seem to me the Ekujae were open to hearing what you had to say and have a lot of confidence in you. And I can understand Hezle's terror at going to Akrivel. I found the place very intimidating, and they weren't even mad at me."

On the topic of Breachill, Hezle says she will discuss it with the Thornscales while you are in Akrivel, if you are ok leaving her behind. "It's a lot to return and present all of that to them all in one night, and I suspect Kakena will urge you to go to Akrivel in the morning."

It is clear to you that Kakena would stay behind and keep an eye on the kobolds, as would Renali.

"It's resolved, then. We'll to Akrivel, and the Thornscales and Hezle--er, and Kakena, and I suppose you, Renali, stay here. I am sorry that Golarion engenders these prejudices through no fault of your own," says Lisi sympathetically.

"It's quite a world when Isger is a haven of good cheer," he says with a chuckle. "Did you know our nation has a rather benighted reputation as an enslaved vassal of Cheliax? To be honest, what with all the goblinoids running around and the expanses of woodland, it's more of an empty place. Er, burnt woodland--but it is coming back..."

Lisi looks around, realizing he is monologuing, recalls that that was Joran's job and Joran is no longer here, and bends down to pet a leshy and two wargs without any further conclusion.

On the topic of Breachill, Hezle says she will discuss it with the Thornscales while you are in Akrivel, if you are ok leaving her behind. "It's a lot to return and present all of that to them all in one night, and I suspect Kakena will urge you to go to Akrivel in the morning."

It is clear to you that Kakena would stay behind and keep an eye on the kobolds, as would Renali.

"Seems like a reasonable plan. At least as far as Akrivel."

-----

Caiten is in a bit more thoughtful of a mood than normal as the group heads out in the morning. "Lisi, the last time - well, the only time that we went through the portal between here and Breachill there was a dragon manifestation that attacked us. Cevendyll drove it away, but he is not here to do that again for us. If it has returned, we need to have a plan prepared for dealing with it. Any suggestions? I am able to prevent fire damage, but it would take a couple of powerful spells, or many lower powered spells, to protect the entire group of us. And that is not counting the many Kobolds that may be with us. I am not sure that I have any methods available to permanently, or even temporarily, remove the manifestation."

"We'll know more after dealing with our demi-boggard opponent first, Caiten. We may be better armed by then. In these sorts of fluid situations, I don't plan too far ahead."

Yasami is a bit confused by Catalina's doubts. "I mean are you not coming? I don't think it was discussed, but - I just assumed we're all a... crew? Band? I don't know what to call it." Yasami thinks for a while. "Which we REALLY should look into."

"Oh, I just don't like to assume," Catalina replies, flushing slightly. "I would like to. You don't already have a name?" She grins before listening to the ensuing conversation.

"This sounds like a good plan. The Ekujae are not always the most reasonable of people. We will advocate for your people, Hezle."

---The Next Morning---

Catalina listens to Caiten's musings, brows furrowed. "Well, don't we need to worry about it a little bit, given that our idea is to send the Thornscales to Isger? Not that I have much experience with that method of travel...I suppose the Thornscales may need to hang about somewhere until we are through with the cultists..."

Catalina's ready to head off to Akrivel!

The group settles things with the Thornscales, Renali, and Kakena. Hezle seems confident she can bring the other kobolds around to the Isger plan. It helps that Renali is coming too, because the other kobolds have taken a real liking to her. You did invite Renali, right? You all explain the plan to Kakena, who nods in assent. That evening you see Renali and Kakena in conversation, and you marvel at the anadi's gentle charm. The Thornscales do their best to provide a good meal for the group. While it is more modest and simple than that offered by the Elephant People, the evening is filled with quiet good cheer. The Thornscales are clearly glad to have Hezle back among them, despite the stories of her stern direction at the mine. In Hezle, you sense a new softness and caretaking that seems to pleasantly surprise the other kobolds.

With respect to Huntergate, after much rumination, Caiten suspects there may be different approaches to suppressing the dangerous manifestation of Dahak within, if indeed it has not been permanently banished -- religious appeals such as Cev employed, but possibly arcane and even physical approaches to redirect the hostile energies. Caiten sees Lisi's wisdom in trying to put off concern until after dealing with Belmazog, although it is in the android's nature to plan ahead.

It takes a day and a half to travel back to Akrivel. This is the safest and most well-tread area of the jungle, and the trip is uneventful. Even though the group has been there before, Akrivel continues to be breathtaking... Woven tree branches form the foundations and buildings of the large treetop town. Bridges made of sturdy vines spread out through the rainforest canopy, allowing rapid travel through the surrounding jungle. Scores of massive trees support a weaving of branches that support the town above, many decorated with twisted roots and shoots that have been painstakingly arranged to form images of elephants and leopards. Further up the trunks, amid beautiful meshes of branches that have grown together to form wide platforms overhead, rest a staggering array of grafted fruit trees and earth-filled terrace gardens.

Of course, the group's approach is noticed miles away, and word has been sent of your approach. Nketiah, linguist/diplomat and warrior Jahsi's daughter, waits at the base of one of the trees, balancing on a mass of protruding roots. As when you first met, in one hand she holds a brass staff topped with a sculpture of a leopard grasping a sword in its jaws and pinning a prone human; her other arm is made of twisted wooden branches and bone. “Welcome back, friends. We have eagerly awaited your return and what news you have to share with us, although it concerns me to see two of your group missing."

Caiten answers Nketiah. "We have accomplished much since we left here. But it has been costly."

"We met with a group of sick Kobolds who told us of a mine in the jungle. We also met the elephant tribe and they told us of some missing elephants. We found that the elephants were at this mine and that the mine is both a source of income for our Cinderclaw foes and a stronghold for them to gather their forces at."

"We defeated their stronghold, though it cost us two of our group." Caiten pauses here, but shows no other signs of emotion at the mention of their fallen. "We do need to decide what to do with the Kobolds that we have met. They no longer wish to be associated with the Cinderclaws."

Yasami keeps shifting her gaze between the city in the treetops and the ground, hoping she doesn't trip and fall. As they are approaching, she sees figures shifting above. She grins as she points out the movement above the party. "Our escort."

Once Nketiah approaches and Caiten gives her the short version, she adds "Yes, it's good and bad news. Mostly good for you, though. Do you want the full version, or will we be talking to the Twins and repeating it? I don't intend to be rude, but the last few days were rough."

I will address the above posts later, but first there is a very important RETCON! Caiten's comment about Cev's bow (on Discord) made me realize the group and Hezle never discussed Cev's fate. (At least I'm pretty sure we didn't!) So, here it is...

After Hezle and the party reach safety away from the mine and start to discuss matters in detail, Hezle shares a very important piece of information regarding one of your companions... "The elf, he wasn't dead, just unconscious. The spellcasting boggard cultists -- they are the bosses of the other boggards -- they decided the elf should be taken, with all his equipment, to Belmazog. They figured Belmazog would want to question the elf about what the Ekujae know and have planned. Of course, your friend clearly wasn't an Ekujae, but the boggards figured he was special since he's an elf. I have to admit, it was sharper thinking than I usually gave the boggards credit for. There was nothing I could do to stop them. And they left within an hour or two after the battle, with your friend all tightly bound and gagged. I don't think Belmazog will kill him, if she figures he might be important to the Ekujae. She's no genius, but she might want to hold your friend as some kind of leverage against the Ekujae."

I'm sorry I forgot to mention that important detail! To be clear, Belmazog either killed Cev right away or is holding him as a prisoner and any delay in going after him makes no difference. I definitely would not have wanted to push you all to rush at the fortress to go after Cev. Feel free to discuss this news in game (RETCONNED to back at the camp near the mine) if you like (and ask any questions of Hezle) before we return to the Akrivel story...

In the before times, reacting to the news about Cev...

Catalina's thick, dark eyebrows raise in surprise at this news. A small bit of hope blossoms in her chest and she revels in it for the briefest moments. Then, she lets out a soft breath to calm herself. It wouldn't do to get her hopes up. She couldn't handle such a letdown. Not so soon.

"All the more reason to get to pursue Belmazog and the rest of the Cinderclaws at our best," She says, her hand reaching up to grasp the symbol of Pharasma at her neck. "Thank you for the news, Hezle.

The aasimar greets Nketiah with a warm, if somewhat sad, smile, reaching out a hand in a traditional Ekujae greeting. [b]"We're exhausted and desperately need to bathe. If the Twins wish to see us and can spare the time, we'd love a chance to clean up before an audience. There's a lot to tell."

Yasami's eyes go wide. "YES!" she almost shouts. "I need to submerge myself in hot water and just... shut down for 10 minutes. While we do that, the Twins can find some time in their otherwise busy schedule."

Afterwards, she eyes Nketiah expectantly.

Earlier news

Lisitsei brightens. "Cev is alive. But, in danger. This complicates things, but in a good way. We must make haste."

At Akrivel

Lisitsei greets the fellow half-elf, reassured on some level at the sight of her living vine arm. "Nketiah, we are glad to see you again. Caiten has summarized it. We have caught a little moth, but we have not finished this tale. Dario has gone to the Great Beyond, but Cev may still be with us in Belmazog's stronghold. We did destroy the other pillars we found. We will rest, but we must embark again before this corrupted boggard deals more hurt to Golarion and possibly, our friend."

Nketiah greets Catalina equally warmly and responds to the group, "Yes, of course, you must be exhausted. Take some time to wash and recover and eat, and the Twin Leopards will see you after."

You all climb into the tree canopy, and Nketiah leads you to across a series of vine bridges to a relatively isolated area where there are bathing facilities. The path she leads you on stays on the edge of the canopy, outside the village proper, away from all of the curious eyes, and she urges the few Ekujae in the bathing area to leave you in peace, other than an couple young adults who remain behind to help make sure your needs are met.

I will post again soon, probably tomorrow, because it is my spouse's birthday today...

Catalina is very familiar with the Ekujae bathing facilities, which are both luxurious and, of course, in harmony with the jungle. Rather than one large open area in the canopy, the facilities include a series of short trails and bridges leading to various secluded spots for bathing and relaxation nestled in the trees.

In many spots, wooden pipes funnel rainwater into showers partially surrounded by delicate woven vine screens. Other spots contain large tubs made from hollowed-out tree trunks, which can be filled with collected rainwater by opening a spout. A small bowl holds a few pods that, Catalina knows, will magically heat the water when dropped in a tub. One pod is enough. Small woven vine baskets hold petals and fragrant herbs that can be added to the bath. Other woven vine containers, near both the showers and tubs, contain cleansing and soothing herbs and flowers, as well as exfoliating ground tree bark.

As you relax in the bathing area (there are many spots with space to lounge in peaceful seclusion), the young adults (seemingly invisible until you need them) bring you refreshing drinks and snacks, made (of course) from the jungle’s bounty of fruit, nuts, and herbs. They also bring you barkcloth clothes to change into, soft and loose fitting, and dyed a range of beautiful colors and patterns. The Ekujae give you privacy and let you relax as long as you like.

Without uttering a word - not like she speaks elven anyway - Yasami lets the elves show them to the baths. She seems amazed by the effort and engineering put into this setup. Not that she knows much about engineering to begin with, but she can definitely appreciate a good bath. And a good bath among the treetops is something she had never heard of. And definitely not seen or experienced.

"Dibs on this one!" she points at the tank with a view and immediately starts moving towards the hollowed trunk, leaving behind her a trail consisting of her backpack, mess kit, bedroll, weapons, and ultimately, clothing. She hops in and submerges herself under the surface for a solid minute, scrubbing insects, leaves, mud, and whatever else managed to tangle itself in her hair in the last few days.

When she breaks the surface again, she sighs with relief and reclines against the side of the trunk. "This is flipping amazing! We need this in Altaerein. Caiten, please tell me you are making notes on how this works. Imagine having this in the high tower." she laughs. "We would never have an issue with people volunteering for lookout duty. As a matter of fact, we'd probably have to make some sort of queue system. For weeks in advance."

Caiten does speak briefly with their guides in Elven. He follows them to the baths.

"This is flipping amazing! We need this in Altaerein. Caiten, please tell me you are making notes on how this works. Imagine having this in the high tower."

"I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Moving the water up that high would be a bit of a challenge. It may even be possible to heat it. Water requires quite a bit of energy to raise its temperature. Whether that energy comes from burning fuel or using magic, it still requires the energy. So having heated water in large quantities may be expensive."

"You collect rainwater from the sky, you toy-cobbler," says Lisi with a laugh. "As for the heat, we'll obviously chain Dahak up to a series of tubes to run his frustrated flames through."

"You collect rainwater from the sky, you toy-cobbler," says Lisi with a laugh. "As for the heat, we'll obviously chain Dahak up to a series of tubes to run his frustrated flames through."

Caiten considers that for a few moments. "Collecting rain would certainly be easier. Less reliable though. Perhaps with a very large storage tank."

"Not sure I would trust Dahak to stay chained up though," Sulee comments from the side of the baths. "That hasn't worked so well to date."

"The ultimate punishment, probably." Yasamina smirks at the Dahak comment. "Okay, not necessarily in the towers. But we could work something out, even in the lower levels."

Then she turns to Catalina. "Cat! Two questions. Do the elves have a weaponsmith here, and..." she pauses and smiles "Can you make a good braid?"

Up until this point, Catalina was quietly observing and listening to folks talk, working hard to scrub all the lingering grime and dirt and blood and whatever else off of her body. The rainwater idea was good, and she didn't quite get the joke about Dahak, but she found herself smiling at the banter and felt a sense of calm come over her.

"I don't quite remember if they have a weaponsmith..." Catalina answers Yasamina whilst running her fingers through her thick, black hair to tease the last of the tangles out. "I imagine they have some kind, I just don't go there often. Not a lot of guns in the jungle, you know?" Catalina grins. If Catalina would know, maybe the DM will tell me? :P

"As for the braid, yes. I can do all kinds of braids. The Ekujae taught me a lot, but some of their styles will just make our hair fall out from the tension...anything special in mind?" Catalina wiggles her fingers and grins at Yasami, pleased to have a way to contribute.

"Ah..." Lisi arches a brow. "Weaponsmithing? I wonder if we can craft some fire arrows. Also, I think we should prepare spells to silence the boggards, or perhaps some ear protection. Do you recall when they tried to scare Caiten with a croak?"

He glances down at Guba. "No, I truly have no idea why a bunch of swamp dwelling bratrachians would align themselves with a dragon of fire. The, I suppose, Dragon of Fire."

Yasami continues to remove any stray leaves, twigs, and anything else from her hair and skin and she considers the 'design'. "Oh no, not cornrows or anything like that. Just a nice, loose braid to keep the hair off my shoulders and neck, you know. This humid, warm weather is just... I'd like to actually get some fresh air on my shoulders instead of just damp hair, you know." she comments as she makes a temporary ponytail behind her head. "Just need this braided so that it acts like one piece instead of thousands of strands. So I can just let them hang or whatnot. If you have any specific design in mind... Dealer's choice?"

On the topic of Dahak and boggards, she adds "If you guys have anything to help people get through the portal without being singed to bits, that would be great. Also - we should consider the statue... golem... thing on the other side. It might attack our guests unless they are marked."

She then looks at Lisi. "Lisi, does..." she pauses and looks at Guba. "Does Guba speak only to you? I think I only heard him... it? Her? There was only one time."

To address briefly the questions above:

Catalina, you know that the Ekujae certainly have very skilled weaponsmiths, but no one with a lot of experience working with guns. There is a blacksmith named Safiya who has helped you fashion a missing piece for your gun in the past, and you know her to be skilled and a creative problem solver.

Caiten, you suspect it might be hard to get the Ekujae to share the formula for their bath heating beads, but you're sure that after all this they will be happy to send you back to Isger with a supply, and it seems like a very intriguing possibility for future trade -- something that could be imported into Isger from Mwangi expanse in exchange for something the Ekujae might need.

You all definitely think baths at the citadel are something within the realm of possibility -- obviously more complex atop the towers, but definitely not impossible.

As for Huntergate, you're not sure whether the vision of Dahak will be there or not when you go back. Cev managed to dispatch it with his prayers, but you're not sure whether it would return or not.

As for the doorwarden back at the Citadel -- it protects only the vault, not the entirety of Alseta's Ring.

Lisi, as for the boggards, you think they are following Belmazog and have only become attached to Dahak through her. Belmazog is apparently half-dragon, so that seems to explain somewhat how she got mixed up with Dahak.

Walk across Akrivel to Twin Leopards:

After a period of intense relaxation and deep cleansing, and after changing into the provided clothes (the elves take your other clothes to be cleaned), the group is ready to go have an audience with the Twin Leopards.

The attendants lead you to the communal circle, which requires a journey through the edges and then center of Akrivel, allowing you to take in many features of the settlement. Narrow, winding walkways and rope bridges connect the trees and platforms. You pass cascading gardens of fruits and flowers, and rainwater pools for both drinking water and floating algae farms. You pass platforms with food stores, baskets with herbs and vegetables, dried insects, nuts and cacao pods, eggs of different sizes/patterns/colors, etc. You notice watch platforms with archers built into high branches and secluded sanctuaries for meditation and rituals. You spot Harriet, the lioness who thinks she's a leopard, in a high branch, as well as other, less surprising, animals and birds at the edges of the village.

Of course, you pass innumerable houses each unique in appearance and beautifully decorated with natural materials. Some are built among the branches and up against the mighty trunks, and others are clustered in platforms. Some of the houses fly banners made of feathers and other jungle materials that incorporate symbols indicating the specializations of the residents, artisanal or otherwise.

And, everywhere, there are Ekujae of all ages engaged in all sorts of tasks and crafts. They all stop and look while you pass, and small children peek out shyly from behind legs and baskets. The full grown adults and elders all give respectful gestures of thanks, while younger adults and older children whisper excitedly and smile and call out in elven or broken common. Catalina sees several Ekujae she recognizes and they greet her warmly. You see Mauuko and Senyo, who challenged some of you to the dancing game, and a couple of the children who dared others of you to eat hot peppers.

Night is falling by the time you approach the Leopards' audience circle. Some areas are magically lit by globes that mute the intensity of the light, and, in other areas, bioluminescent fungi provides soft and enchanting light. The communal circle is one of those spots. It is a sunken circular theater, and in the center is an simple platform made from woven tree branches with two simple stools. Ose Panin and Ose Atsu of the Leopard Clan await. As last you met, Ose Panin wears a patterned green dress and copper jewelry studded with uncut gems, while Ose Atsu wears a dark blue tunic covered with amulets wrapped in copper and green cloth. Both twins wear black leather sandals decorated with copper amulets and have long hair arranged in thick locks. Nketiah, Jahsi, and Akosa and other community leaders are present as well.

"We are relieved to see you returned to us but saddened to see that two of you are missing. Renali has told us what she knows, but we are anxious to hear what you can tell us of the Cinderclaws' activities and, of course, what happened to Dario and Cev." You notice a concerned expression passes over Akosa's normally stoic visage when Cev's name is mentioned.

As he walks to the meeting place, Caiten nods and waves at the children that he recognizes. He doesn't have any more gifts to hand out at the moment - he has been spending what little free time he has in the evenings slowly repairing the doll that once housed Sulee.

At the Leopard Clan's leader's request, Caiten attempts to briefly summarize. "We found a large encampment of the Cinderclaws in a mining operation. Our battle strategy was not sound. We took down the Vrock that they had summoned, but several of us fell in the battle and the rest were forced to retreat. Dario did not survive, but Oren, Cevendyll, and I did survive and were captured. Oren and I were rescued with the aid of a Kobold leader of theirs who changed allegiance. Cevendyll is still missing."

"We do need to assist our new Kobold allies. They wish to leave this land to avoid both further conflict with the Ekujae and retribution from the Cinderclaws. The fastest and farthest location for them to go would be to go through Huntergate to Breachill in Isger."

After they are clean, Catalina gladly braids Yasami's hair--she braids in the Chelish (French, idk) style, one braid along each side, and then plaits the two together into a single braid along the back. After a few deft twists, Catalina pins the braided bun just above the nape of her neck to provide some relief from the humidity.

Inspired by the ask, Catalina gathers her shoulder-length curtain of hair to the top of her head and pins it down messily. "Much better, indeed." She murmurs, annoyed at herself for waiting so long to do such a simple thing.

"Lisi...I just remembered. They do have weapon smiths, but I know of a woman who elevates blacksmithing to an art. We can find her after we speak to the twins."

Later...

Catalina tugs slightly at the fabric of the Ekujae clothing they were lending her, finding the pants to be looser than she was used to and certainly far more colorful.

Along the way, Catalina stops briefly to exchange greetings with a few friends, dashing along behind the group to catch up after each visit.

During the audience, Catalina nods along with Caiten's account of their adventure and tragedy, her face drawn with sorrow and then anger. At the mention of the Thornscales, Catalina stands prepared to defend their newfound allies's case.

"Oh...Guba sort of speaks to me. There was a day I gave them the ability to speak to everyone, but Guba is generally content to notspeak. Er...to not vocally speak. Plants, they tend to communicate using scents, chemicals, that sort of thing. But I can tell what Guba is thinking, most of the time, by their emotions."

He smiles at the question of gender. "Guba is monoecious. Both male and female flowers. They like "they", although I've used "he" and "she" before, and they don't mind. I suppose that was a very complicated answer, but plants, well, are complicated." He lowers his voice to a whisper. [b]"Don't ask them about self-pollination--it's considered rude. Leshies prefer pollinators like wind, or bees."[b]

Lisi keeps his mouth from pressing into a moue when Catalina mentions metalsmithing. "Yes, I'm sure that would be wonderful for someone," he says a little distantly.

Yasami waits until Catalina is finished with her hair and ponders the reproductive mechanisms of leshies. "So if there are bees involved, you think it's like a-" she clears her throat. "ménage à trois?" she gigles, almost whispering to make sure Guba doesn't hear. Without an access to a mirror, she uses the water reflection to check the design from the front, at least.

"Much better, thank you. You need help with yours?" she asks the towering aasimar. "But you'll have to sit down for this. I can't quite reach the top."

"But yes, I would like to talk to the weaponsmith after our negotiations. See how long it takes, that is."

While they walk to the meeting with the Twins, she checks her notes. Once they are brought to the meeting, she listens to whoever interprets to chime in. When she speaks, she gives the interpreters time to process and pass on the message.

"Esteemed Leopards, thank you for hearing us again. We understand you have a busy schedule. Yes, there are a few things to discuss outside of your original assignment, but on that topic - we have destroyed 3 totems, and know the locations of the rest. I am confident that we can rid you of these totems so that you can walk the jungle without fear again. But we want to go home for a day or two to put our dead to rest. And to take the Kobold tribe out of your territory."

"As a matter of fact, the Kobolds are the ones who gave us the locations of the remaining totems. In return, they asked us to negotiate a safe passage through your territory, to leave and never come back. I believe this solution is a win-win for everyone. The Kobolds were forced to mine gold by the Cult and were poisoned in the process. They want out. We can house them in our home. As negotiators in the matter, we would ask whether you have any conditions for this... exodus. But suffice to say, we can take them off your hands without bloodshed."

She looks to Akosa. "Akosa, the bow you gifted to Cevendyll has gone missing with our friend. We will go look for them but need to step through the gate to our home first. I intend to bring you the bow and the head of whoever is responsible as a gift for the temporary misplacement of your weapon. We underestimated the situation. It will not happen again. I intend to avenge our dead with great fury and gusto."

Before the meeting, Catalina pauses her own struggles with her hair, sits down, and lets Yasami help, relishing the feeling of someone else managing her hair. A small luxury she hadn't had in years.

In the audience, Catalina finally speaks up, picking up after Yasami's speech. Despite being fluent in Mwangi, Catalina speaks in Taldane - ensuring that her companions could understand her. She knows Nketiah is a better translator than she would ever be; the elven woman had dedicated her life to it. Catalina's translation "services" were out of mere necessity.

"On my word as a friend of the Ekujae, the Kobolds will cause no trouble. They have been abused by the Cinderclaws and wish only to flourish without causing problems for anyone. We have a safe home for them, far from your territory. As Yasamina stated, they were a boon to us -- and to you all in turn -- and deserve the chance at rebuilding."

"When we finish, there will be nothing left of the Cinderclaws," says Lisi.

Yasami looks at Lisi and starts hiding a smirk. She looks at her feet for a few short moments and mumbles "Not even cinders..." through a grin.

"What?", she whispers. "Sometimes you go for the low branch."

The Leopards, and indeed the whole assembled group, listen very carefully to the group's words through Nketiah's able translation.

Caiten's brief summary is a good start, and prompts a series of questions from the Leopards seeking more details: regarding the appearance of the totems, the identities of the Cinderclaws and their allies, the conditions at the mine, the details of the battle there, and what little you know about the fortress. The Leopards maintain serious expressions throughout, and also display surprise at hearing of the range of types of creatures associated with the cult, dismay at the destruction of the mines and the death of Dario, and concern about Cev and the appearance of the fortress at the edge of (but within) Ekujae lands.

At Yasami's reference to the bow and comments directed at Akosa, he nods solemnly.

After all the back and forth with the party, and once they have a full understanding of the situation, The Twin Leopards speak briefly to each other, in Elven and so quietly that you do not think you could hear if you were a foot away. They share so few words that it seems impossible they have fully discussed the situation, but you suspect they have a level of mutual understanding that transcends words. The Leopards then speak to the party, in turn but in one voice:

"We cannot thank you enough for the service you have already done to this community, and for your willingness to continue in your aid. We Ekujae of Akrivel have for thousands of years fought different cults of Dahak that rise and fall -- it is part of our sacred duty as descendants of those who sacrificed themselves to rid the world of Dahak's manifestation so long ago. But none of our stories record a time when one of those cults have managed to prevent us from defending our own lands. The involvement of outside powers that have allowed this Belmazog to accomplish that is gravely concerning."

"Turning to the matter of the kobolds, who you call the Thornscales. As you know, it is a grave violation in which they participated at the mine -- destruction of the jungle and the ground below, the death of the creatures of the jungle who lived there, removal of gold to be passed along to outsiders for who knows what end. Normally such a violation would forfeit their lives. But you, who fight and die for the Ekujae, ask for our mercy. We cannot deny your request. The Thornscales will have safe passage back through Huntergate, but they may never return to our lands."

"It is understandable that you feel the need to return home before continuing with the remaining challenges before you. Yasami mentioned a period of a day or two, and we certainly cannot begrudge you that. Please let us know if you think it will be much longer. Also, we ask if you would consider taking Nketiah with you -- we foresee some continued connection between our land and yours and it would help us to better understand what lies on the other side of Huntergate."

"Finally, we ask you what help we can provide you in this next stage of your struggle against the Cinderclaws. We will, of course, provide you healing magic, but if there are other things we can provide that we have available, we will do so." Within reason!

"We are grateful for your understanding and forgiveness, and for your offer of gifts. I cannot speak for the rest of my friends, but I would prefer to stay here than brave the portal again. As for other things--to my mind, I think we need defenses against the boggard's vocal attack. Something to prevent the effects of their croak would be helpful," says Lisi, bowing somberly.