"Jumimo?" Tizawa asks. "What about him? Are you his fellow lore-speakers?"
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"He is a conversant still." Issi replies. "He's never graduated. Not because he can't but because he promised he wouldn't, not without you. We've come to ask you to speak to him, to heal the rift between you. Your brother is brilliant and should be recognised as such, but he's also loyal and he doesn't want to disappoint you. We're here to try and help."
She pauses and gives Tizawa a symapthetic look. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
Tizawa gives you an incredulous look. "What? He was still clinging to that promise?" The apothecary lowers his eyes. "I was certain he would have forgotten about it. He sent me letters over the years... I just assumed they would be full of gloating, so I never read them."
Tizawa shakes his head. "This is my fault. Do not worry, I will set it right. Take me to him."
You are not privy to the private conversation Tizawa and Jumimo have, their first face-to-face talk in decades. But the next day, Jumimo finds you and informs you he plans to become a lore-speaker at the end of the year. In the meantime, he’d like permission to pivot his studies toward medicine and spend half of each school day in his brother’s apothecary shop.
A few more months pass. As you begin the second half of the school year, it’s clear that the tieflings Fardrik and Selozè have developed something of a minor fascination with the two of you. Selozè, an aspiring novelist, has begun writing dramatic retellings of your various adventures, but he wants a deeper insight into who you are as people.
He asks you to take a walk around campus one day after class and share personal anecdotes. Fardrik comes along, occasionally interjecting leading or provocative questions.
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Issi gently, but firmly, declines to tell her students any stories.
"I am neither enough of a performer to do it justice, or a good enough inventor to make up a story you'd enjoy." She says simply. "You can ask Sadiki, but otherwise you'll have to find some of the other people who were here at the same time and ask them. I'd be happy to read or listen to your work when its done though."
"What my sister is saying is that she is boring," Sadiki says with a playful wink. "Come along, boys. Have I got a story for you!"
The sorceress spins a ridiculous tale of exploits far beyond the sisters' capabilities, but somehow, it seems somewhat plausible.
Selozè takes many notes as Sadiki finishes her tale. Once she is done, Fardrik excuses himself to study. Selozè watches the other tiefling depart before he turns back to you.
"There's another reason I wanted to speak to you. I've always felt that my own stories do not compare to Fardrik’s exploits. I want a daring tale of my own, and for that, I need your help. Six-Faces Nemadu, the Learned One who leads the Emerald Boughs, has posted a request for information about a group of poachers hiding out in Nantambu. This task is intended for lore-speakers, although someone of a lower rank can seek out this information with a lorespeaker’s permission."
Sadiki has heard of this task, and happily extends the permission for him to pursue it. Selozè is careful and attentive, both traits that make him ideal for the mission. The tiefling makes his preparations and leaves as soon as possible.
During the next class session, Selozè is bruised and a bit disheveled, but otherwise no worse for wear. He provides a comprehensive report on the poachers, who are hunting for food rather than profit. Selozè concludes by naming some butchers in Nantambu who, if directed by Magaambyan faculty, might provide the poachers with cheaper meat so they needn’t resort to crime. Despite Selozè’s unqualified success at the mission, he grows increasingly despondent over the next few days.
Fardrik seeks you out then, worried about his boyfriend. He believes the only way to help Selozè out of his funk is to help him realize how amazing his life already is, and he asks you to help. He wants you—as people Selozè respects—to ask Selozè to tell his own story, genuinely with all the same flair and excitement he uses to tell everyone else’s. He hopes that in doing so, Selozè will realize that his life is every bit as amazing as those of the people he admires.
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"That's a fine idea!" Issi says, and makes an appointment to speak with Selozè the next day.
"I wanted to ask how your tales are coming along." She says, meeting the tiefling one on one for once. "Have you ever considered writing your own tale? There is glory in being the chronicler of the great, but we are each the hero of our own stories, and sometimes it's simply a matter of finding the right tale to tell."
"My story?" Selozè asks. "Hmm. It is not a particularly exciting one. But I will share it with you, if you wish.
"My story begins before I was even born. My parents wielded power and influence that most could only dream of, but it wasn’t enough for them. They always sought more—and to gain much, much must be sacrificed. At least, that’s what they always told me. And that’s why, when they contracted with a very dangerous devil in Hell, I was to be their payment. Or, to be more precise, the payment was to be 'the first-born daughter of the mortal party, upon her sixteenth birthday.' When I told my parents I was a boy, they were furious. They said it would ruin them. I’m not sure if they meant that literally or not, and I never found out. That very night, I fled home and never looked back."
From then on, Selozè had to fend for himself, using what little magic he knew to stay alive. He lived a life of narrow escapes, hiding from deadly beasts and outwitting brigands. The further he ran, the more his talent grew, until he eventually found himself on the steps of the Magaambya and realized he could stop running.
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"That sounds plenty exciting to me!" Issi says, making no effort to hide how impressed she is. "Take a step back and think about it. If I told you that story how would you react? Would you be impressed? Want to tell it again?"
She pauses to let the thought sink in.
"My sister called me boring because I have no flair for storytelling. I'm not good at it, because I don't consider my life special - everything I've done could have been done by anyone in my position. Why is that a big deal? I've learned over time that just because I think that, doesn't mean that everyone else does." She shrugs, sending a wave of fire rippling through her hair. "You think my story is worth telling so take it from me when I say that listening to your story is just as exciting as you telling mine. Consider it your next assignment, write the story of your own life, and try to do it with your usual flair!"
Selozè taps his chin. "Hmm. Fardrik put you up to this, didn't he?" He smiles. "His heart is in the right place, as is yours. I will write my story, then, and perhaps in time, I may come to see it as you do. I will try my best to give myself more credit. Thank you, Teacher."
***
More time passes. You are nearing the end of your first year as teachers at the Magaambya. One day, I'boko doesn't appear for class and is nowhere to be found. This is her first absence of the semester, but she doesn’t reappear in the following days, either.
The other students are nervous, seeming to know more than they're letting on. Gently prodding gets them to open up. A few nights ago, I’boko received a letter from home. None of the students know what it said, but she immediately grew distressed and began packing her things. When pressed, she told her classmates that it was none of their concern and they should keep quiet. She was gone before morning; the students suspect she went home to Kiutu.
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Issi thanks the class for their information and carries on the lesson as normal. Once its over though, she takes Sadiki and goes to see Tankulu Ot.
"It is permitted to leave isn't it?" She asks. "She's not in violation of any rules that I can think of, but I can't say I'm entirely happy about the situation either. What would you suggest?"
Takulu strokes his chin. "It is permitted, yet, but the circumstances of this disappearance are unusual. We should seek the advice of High Sun-Mage Oyamba."
Oyamba comes to your office later that day, where you fill him in on the situation. Before he can offer his advice, though, your students all file into the office together! They are wearing large packs and looks of determination. "We have decided that we are going to look for I'boko," Onyiji says. "It's not like her to be gone so long. She may need our help, and we will not just sit here if she does."
Oyamba’s amusement is plain, even behind his mask. “Teachers lead their students, most of the time, but here at the Magaambya we believe that teachers must be prepared to go where the students lead them, as well.” He gestures to the students, packed and ready, and continues. “If your students are eager to experience the wider world, it is up to you to guide them, not to stop them.
“But I cannot allow your students to abandon their studies, no matter how important they feel the task before them to be. As I recall, Kiutu is a village of boat-makers and fishers on the Terwa River, near Terwa Lake. It’s also within a day or so of a very important research site that the school has been hoping to investigate for quite some time. This ruined city, Bloodsalt, has been mostly reclaimed by the red silt of the lake, but it once held a civilization of poorly understood ‘dragon speakers,’ about which we know little. With some archaeological work, we could learn much more.
“Students, I would like to assign you a few semesters of practical research in the ruins of Bloodsalt. You’d have to delay your departure a few days so we can outfit you with necessary archeological supplies and research materials. You’ll be expected to keep detailed research notes about Bloodsalt, as whatever you write will be the only official record the school has. You could check on your friend while you’re in the area. Would that be acceptable?”
The students’ grim determination transforms into excitement; it’s clear none of them expected to venture so far from Nantambu so soon in their academic careers. They share eager whispers, already making plans.
Oyamba continues, “Bloodsalt has some dangers, but I can think of no group of lore-speakers more capable of meeting them. You might even convince your errant student to return to her studies, as she could do so close to home.”
When the students are dismissed, Oyamba shares with you the reason Bloodsalt is poorly understood. Terwa Lake occasionally produces a dense, odorless volcanic gas that lingers for days, choking out life with its toxic vapors. This gas is known as Dead Man’s Breath, and might possibly be the reason Bloodsalt was abandoned a few generations ago. Oyamba provides you and all of your students with silver charms that tarnish in the presence of the deadly gas; when the charm starts to change color, it’s time to quickly abandon the region and stay away for at least a few days.
Oyamba asks the campus quartermaster Xhokan to assemble the necessary supplies, along with four determined, if plodding, donkeys to pull the laden wagons. Xhokan provides you with an exceptionally detailed inventory list. He’s happy to add any additional gear the heroes purchase.
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The delay is fortunate, particularly for Sadiki, who is wearing Issi's latest ropework under her robes - although the work is pretty, and a little sensuous, it is not good for travelling in!
On a more pragmatic level, the delay allows both Lore Speakers to properly prepare, as well as conduct some research of their own.
Stranger theories surrounding Bloodsalt exist, as there is ample speculation about the true nature of the Dragon-Speaker symbols. Some scholars propose that the Dragon-Speakers are the disembodied souls of the Bloodsalt residents, ascending to a divine realm above and leaving their bodies to soak the soil red with blood. Every now and again, they say, these bodies will reach their hands up, searching for their spirits and dragging anyone they grasp down into the depths of the earth. Though unverifiable, this explanation makes for a popular cautionary tale to keep children from straying too close to Terwa Lake.
Sadiki removes the ropes upon returning to the sisters' shared domicile, though she does store them in her travel pack, just in case. She visits Okoro to explain the assignment and that she and Issi will be gone for several months. Having his own duties as a recently promoted lore-speaker, Okoro must stay behind, but he gives Sadiki a thoroughly enjoyable evening for her to "remember him by" while she is away.
Soon enough, the sisters and their students are ready fore the journey. It will take several days to reach the Terwa Lake region. Bloodsalt is about 150 miles due west of Nantambu, and Kiutu about 30 miles north of Bloodsalt. It’s up to you which location to visit first, but as they’re both in the same general direction, you don’t need to decide until you're close to Terwa Lake.
Most of this journey is through jungle, but the last two days are across grassy hills. The roads west of Nantambu quickly become trails, then tracks, then nothing at all.
As you near your destination, a relentless buzzing of flies heralds a massive, gruesome sight: a dead tyrannosaurus rex on the banks of a small stream directly in the path of your expedition. The corpse starts to shake and begins to rise, only to slump back to the ground.
Issi can detect strong necromancy magic suffusing the dinosaur's corpse. It appears to be from an animate dead ritual, though the ritual is incomplete.
The students hang back as the sisters approach the corpse. As they draw near, though, two people step around from the other side of it. One is a man adorned with numerous bracelets and necklaces of small bones, gripping a staff. The second is a woman in leathers with several daggers strapped to her body.
"This beast is proving difficult to reanimate," the man grouses. "But you two will make lovely undead servants!"
"Lightning bolt!" the necromancer shouts, firing electricity from his fingertips!
The woman moves in and feints at Issi. She stabs with her dagger, but Issi parries.
The woman flies away from Issi, taken out instantly by her brutal attack! Sadiki, shocked by the lightning bolt, fires an orange beam of light at the necromancer! It shocks him right back, dropping him as well!
The necromancer groans as he expires. A moment later, the tyrannosaur's corpse shudders, then its skeleton rips free with a gory display! The failed ritual has infused the skeleton wit ha fragment of the necromancer's soul, and it lunges at Issi, tearing at her with its teeth!
Sadiki moves to her sister's side to heal her!
Issi delivers two good hits to the skeleton. It snaps at her again, but she dances around its clashing jaws!
With two more powerful strikes, the skeleton falls to pieces! The students cheer your victory.
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"Right then conversants, now you've seen how it's done you guys get to kill the next undead dinosaur." Issi says, managing to smile despite the pain. Luckily her sister makes sure the pain doesn't last long and her smile is soon genuine.
"Right then, let's push on. We're not too far from Kiutu so let's get there and get ourselves sorted out. We can plan our research into Bloodsand from there."
Kiutu is a small village of about 200 people, primarily Bonuwat humans and Mbe’ke dwarves, on the east bank of the Terwa River. The village was founded, at least partially, through coincidence. A group of Bonuwat sailors, travelling inland along the river, crossed paths with a caravan of dwarven merchants traveling north. Their meeting point became a small trading post, which eventually became a village. The village is near enough to Terwa Lake to take advantage of the waterway, but just outside of the area plagued by the deadly volcanic gas.
Most buildings in Kiutu are constructed primarily of clay brick, with woven roofs made from river reeds. Its population has declined as the trade routes gradually shifted away, but it’s nevertheless still a thriving community. Fishing and boat-building are the most common professions, and Kiutu’s boats are highly regarded across the northwest Mwangi Expanse. Many of Kiutu’s youths, like I’boko, leave the village to hone their skills before returning once they’ve grown older.
When you and your students arrive, you can see that the village is in an extreme state of disrepair. The roofs of several buildings have entirely burned away, and most of the village’s boats have been destroyed. The villagers are still on edge, and are wary around you until it’s made clear you're from the Magaambya.
When they find I’boko, she’s hard at work restoring her family’s house, mending what she can with magic and repairing the rest by hand. Her father, Kolnoku, is a middle-aged dwarf who leans on a stone cane and wears a religious symbol of Uvuko, the Mwangi deity of metamorphosis and growth. He watches from a short distance away, giving instructions on the “right” way to repair a house, while I’boko shouts back, exasperated, that she knows what she’s doing. When Kolnoku sees your group approaching, he takes a cautious step back as he looks you up and down.
“You approach openly, in daylight, so I assume you’re not more Knights of Abendego. But you should know, I’m not in the mood for welcoming strangers at the moment.”
I’boko looks up from her work when she hears talking and steps over, putting a hand on her father’s shoulder. “It’s fine, Baba. They’re from the school. What are you all doing here?"
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"We were concerned about you." Issi says. "You scared us I'boko, disappearing in the middle of the night like that. Your classmates declared outright that they were going to come looking for you, so its been turned into a research trip. We're going to be excavating the ruins of Bloodsalt for the next few months. We were hoping to stay in the village, we have coin to recompense you for any trouble, but it seems like there is more important work to be done. Students, down packs. We're going to be studying the use of magic in construction for the next few days!"
"Thank you. When my father told me of the attack on our village, I knew I had to come back home and help. I cannot leave until things are back in order here, but I would be happy to join the research expedition once repairs are made," I'boko says.
"I told her that we didn't need her help, that she should stay and finish her education, but I'boko has always been a stubborn one," Kolnoku says.
Kolnoku tells you that the village was attacked by a group called the Knights of Abendego, roving bandits who attack unprepared travelers in the north. They’ve never raided this far south before, and their attack was far more organized than he’d expected. The Knights struck under the cover of darkness, rushing deep into the village before anyone even knew they were there. They said little, but claimed to be the hands of Norgorber. The Knights destroyed most of the village’s boats and stole food and other supplies. No one was badly hurt, but their lives were upended.
Kolnoku says there were a few dozen raiders in all.
***
You spend five days in the village helping to rebuild. With your magic, especially Sadiki's wish-fulfilling creation spells, it doesn't take too long until most of the damage has been repaired. The villagers are deeply grateful for your assistance.
As you prepare to head to Bloodsalt, Kolnoku warns you about the toxic gas and says that when exposed silver visibly tarnishes, it’s time to hurry away until the gas dissipates in a few days. He doesn’t know much about Bloodsalt, except that it used to be called the City of Dragon-Speakers long ago. The true reason has been lost to time, but he theorizes it has something to do with the historical prevalence of cloud dragons in the Terwa region. Mbe’ke dwarves have a long history of peaceful coexistence with cloud dragons, and Kolnoku is well-versed in the old folktales. If you struggle to interpret your findings in Bloodsalt, Kolnoku may be able to provide some assistance. Although he’s more than a day’s journey away from Bloodsalt, he insists that his help is always available to you.
***
Bloodsalt was abandoned over a century ago, but remains surprisingly well preserved. Its swift destruction caused little damage to the existing structures, but in the intervening years, it’s been beset upon by wind, rain, and restless undead. Most of the stone buildings still stand, some as high as three stories tall—though the lowest floors are often buried in red silt. Bronze towers jut from the tops of the grandest buildings.
Before arriving in Bloodsalt, you and your students see smoke from a campfire just outside Bloodsalt’s walls. A Song'o halfling sits by the fire, and he waves to you as you draw near. "Welcome! You must have traveled far to reach this place. Come, sit by my fire and rest. I only ask that you tell me your tale in exchange."
A pair of human men lurk at the edge of the halfling's camp, eyeing you appraisingly as you approach. Upon prompting, Selozè smiles, clears his throat, and regales the halfling with the stories of the cohort's adventures during this previous year. The halfling, who gives his name as Thiarvo the Quick, listens with interest, asking lots of questions about the Magaambya and why you have come to Bloodsalt.
Once the tale is told, the halfling’s face falls, and he looks genuinely sad. “Such a long way to go to have to turn around. I don’t suppose you contacted the Assembly of Speakers in Cloudspire, much less obtained the approval of Thabsing, the High King of Cloudspire himself? Because I did. Oh, the dwarven bureaucracy! But I was pleased to do it, because Bloodsalt bears the legacy of cloud dragons, and all things related to cloud dragons in the Terwa Uplands fall under Cloudspire’s jurisdiction. So I’ve got the first, best, and only right to be here. I’ll ask you to keep back from the city, let’s say six miles? Perhaps there are some buried roads or crumbling outposts you can investigate instead?”
Neither sister is sure if his claims about Cloudspire are accurate or not.
"Of course! Just a moment." Thiarvo ducks into a tent, returning after a moment with a bronze medallion bearing the stylized image of a dwarf with dragon wings atop a bronze minaret. “Thiarvo” is scratched on the back. "This is an authorized explorer's token that they gave to me."
Sadiki leans over to whisper to her sister. "Look. There are bits of red silt in the medallion. He probably got that from the ruins of Bloodsalt itself, and very recently."
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"And that explains the red silt, characteristic of Bloodsalt itself, how?" Issi asks. "We have no intent to compete with you Thiarvo. We don't want to try and steal your discoveries or deny you credit. This is an education for our students, a chance to do real work in the field. We can divide the site if you wish. You can have this area, closest to the lake, and we'll take the further half. I want to be as fair as possible to you and to our students."
Thiarvo's expression suddenly hardens. "No, I don't think so. This is my claim. I suggest you all leave, if you know what's good for you..."
Sadiki conjures an intimidating display of elemental magic to back up her sister's threats. Behind the pair, Mariama and Ignaci brandish their staffs, and the other students stand at the ready as well.
Thiarvo looks at all of you assembled against him. He glances at his two lackeys, who shake their heads emphatically. "Bah! Fine. I'll agree to your terms."
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"Then I wish you the best of luck in your excavations." Issi says politely. "Let's walk together so we can all agree exactly where we should and shouldn't be working."
Once the demarcations are agreed in the plainest possible terms Issi picks out the best available campsite - sheltered and well away from the lake. There's a reason she made sure Thiarvo got the section closer to the water...
Once the students are unpacking she steps up to her sister.
"We'll need to keep a watch I think." She says softly. "Just in case, and particularly if we do find anything of importance."
Sadiki nods. "Yes, that would be wise." She gives her sister an intense look and steps a little closer to her. "You know, you're really hot when you're being scary like that... It's too bad we won't have much privacy on this expedition."
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"That is too bad." Issi replies, equally softly. "Or maybe I could just do a nice knotwork gag to keep you quiet and send the students on a field study... Mari would like to be in charge for a bit I'm sure."
Her hand, out of sight of anyone else, dips rather lower than one would expect between sisters and she grins widely as Sadiki jumps.
"Don't say a word." Issi adds, placing a finger on her sister's lips. "If you're good and don't say anything then when we get home you can choose everything for a whole day. And I mean everything."
Sadiki's eyes widen. She bites her lip and nods enthusiastically...
***
After setting up camp, it's time to begin exploring the ruins of Bloodsalt. The ruins might contain dangerous monsters or old traps, so the two of you prepare to scout things out first while the students get the research camp and tents set up a safe distance away. As much of the ruins are covered with the iron-rich silt and alluvial mud of the lake, the most exposed section makes the best starting point for the Magaambya expedition. Here, the city is ringed by a stone wall that has fallen apart in places. Within the wall, the clinging silt makes walking difficult.
You head into the city and begin exploring the closest buildings. The first few don't have much of interest inside of them. The upper levels of the next building have collapsed over the lower levels, leaving only a twisted bronze spire amid chunks of red-stained stone.
As you approach the building, agonized wails rise up from nearby. Oozing out from beneath the ruined tower is a cloud of toxic gas containing numerous screaming faces!
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"Let's work in from the gateway." Issi suggests. "Don't need to do too much exploring, we want to give the students plenty to do, just make sure there's nothing extremely dangerous there. Although I think Onyiji would enjoy the chance..."
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The first few buildings prove far too boring for Onyiji, and then all of the sudden there's more excitement than Issi would really like.
Sadiki is frightened by the screams. She tries to hit the creature with a chromatic ray, but her attack goes wide!
The cloud of spirits moves forward into melee range and assaults your minds with visions of death and a feeling of suffocation.
"I don't know! Kill it!" Sadiki suggests helpfully.
The sorceress zaps the cloud with electricity while Issi slices into it. The thing reaches out for Issi.
With a blast of water and a slice from Issi, the spiritual mass dissipates with a lingering scream!
"Yikes! That was scary!" Sadiki says. She sets about tending to their injuries.