Seeing her sister's struggles, Sadiki switches tactics, trying to polymorph the undead into a harmless animal. It resists the spell, growing bunny ears and a tail but not much more!
The monster continues to squeeze Issi!
Sadiki switches back to her previous tactic, this time managing to blast the creature with a full force cone of cold. Issi finaly lands a good hit, slicing into the undead. Her fiery body protects her from the burning sunlight, but the undead is likewise immune to fire.
Finally releasing the magus, the monster claws at her, landing one critical hit!
Issi's blade strikes home, and at last, the powerful undead creature falls to the floor, its light fading away. Sadiki hurries to her sister's side to heal her injuries. "Yikes, that thing was tough!" she exclaims.
Once Sewell returns and Issi is back to full health, you press on into the next room. The north wall of this room is rounded while the south wall is flat, decorated with an elaborate carving depicting the sun and moon moving across the sky. The ceiling is only six feet high at the edges but arches up to twenty feet high in the middle of the south wall. Several geometric patterns and runes are carved into the floor. The walls feature the engraved image of a night sky, with the moon in various phases across the length of the design.
A graveknight kneels in the center of the room, seemingly deep in meditation. When he notices you, though, he stands to face you, drawing a large pick that becomes wreathed in burning fire. "You stand in the temple of the great Dajermube. Why do you intrude upon this sacred place after all these years?"
"I am Umandayo. In life, I was the bodyguard of the great Dajermube," the graveknight begins. "Perhaps I should start at the beginning. Thousands of years ago, the Shrine of the Eclipse was formed as a haven from the rule of the council of Mwanyisa after the group took over Mzali. The council’s shaman-priests sought to erase any sign of the sun kings or the sun gods in hopes of subjugating Mzali’s people even further. Without their old rules and gods to cling to, Mzali’s people would lose hope and become easier to control.
"In an effort to maintain records of the sun kings and worship of the sun gods, a number of Mzali’s people fled to Mzali-Jimbuani and began building the Shrine of the Eclipse. To keep the temple a secret from the council, the people of Mzali-Jimbuani built a smaller shrine over the temple to serve as a decoy. The ersatz shrine was designed to serve as a gathering hall and give the people of Mzali-Jimbuani a place to perform weddings, hold festivals, and generally serve the community. This front as a community center worked for some time. While the Council of Mwanyisa focused on Mzali, they ignored the 'common folk' of Mzali-Jimbuani and their simple community shrine.
"During this time, a woman named Dajermube began to rally those who fled Mzali in the wake of the council’s tyranny. She was a descendant of Chohar and his divine might flowed in her veins, granting her great magical power. Dajermube spearheaded the efforts to preserve as much information about Mzali as possible in the Shrine of the Eclipse. It was during the years she led these efforts that Dajermube discovered her divine lineage and followed in her ancestors’ footsteps. With great knowledge in hand, Dajermube was close to ascending to divinity and becoming the new sun god that would liberate her people and reclaim Mzali from the Council of Mwanyisa.
"Unfortunately, the council learned of Dajermube’s plot and attacked the shrine. They found the temple beneath and killed most of her followers, along with the rest of the people living in Mzali-Jimbuani. This attack coincided with a full solar eclipse that Dajermube was using to complete her apotheosis. The council reached her ritual chamber just as the moon fully blocked out the sun.
"I did my best to defend her, but it was not enough. As I fell, I activated a fail-safe to close off the wall to the ritual chamber, but I was too late. Dajermube was on the verge of ascension, but the council slaughtered her mere seconds before completing the ritual. I watched as she died. As the last of my life left my body, my soul refused to give up and bound itself to my armor, transforming me into a graveknight. The transformation took too long however, and the council’s assassins were already gone by the time I woke again. I have remained in this room ever since."
Umandayo's flames ebb and rise as he recounts his role in the tale and his death at the council’s spears and spells. "Even in unlife, I am still bound by duty to serve as Dajermube's defender. I believe her spirit remains beyond the wall, trapped in some capacity. I would ask your aid in liberating her, that we both may finally rest."
"I know not what might await you beyond the wall. But my dedication prohibits me from simply standing aside. I must test you before you confront Dajermube, to ensure that you are mighty enough to best me in battle! Prepare yourselves. When you are ready, the fight shall begin."
Sadiki casts stoneskin on Issi and resist fire on both her sister and herself, then nods her readiness.
"Then let us begin!" Umandayo shouts. He begins the combat by launching a fireball your way!
Sadiki turns aside, avoiding most of the fireball. She fires a beam of disintegration at the graveknight, but it goes wide!
Issi lands a good blow as Sewell moves in to flank the undead knight with her, slashing him with her greatsword. The graveknight attacks Issi with his flaming pick.
Sadiki misses with her spell again. Sewell lands a good hit as Umandayo and Issi trade powerful blows!
Frustrated with her inability to hit, Sadiki falls back on an old standby, blasting the graveknight with magic missiles. Sewell lands another powerful blow, then Issi strikes with her icy blade, and the undead champion falls and lies still!
After taking a break to heal Issi's injuries, the sisters and Sewell remove the wall separating the chamber. The room beyond is the other half of the hemispherical chamber. A golden altar stands at the top of a short dais along the southern wall. An exceptionally detailed image of the sky, fifteen feet wide, is engraved on the rounded ceiling directly above the dais. Geometric patterns and complex runes lace the floor.
You can see a spectral woman floating before the altar, her face caught in a constant scream of pain, surrounded by a whirlwind of spiritual energy. She seems aware of you, but rather than speak or acknowledge you, she repeats her silent death cry over and over.
"The poor woman," Sadiki says, shaking her head sadly. She looks around, the points to the engraved image on the ceiling. "That looks pretty fragile. I could disintegrate it easily. Maybe it will let some sunlight in? Dajermube wanted to become a sun god, yes?"
"I promise," Sadiki says. She fires a green beam into the ceiling, which crumbles to dust! Sunlight shines down on Dajermube's spirit, bathing her in its glory. Her warped form transforms into her normal appearance, a Mwangi woman with the trappings of an old Mzali priest. She gives you a warm smile and slight nod before lifting her hand. A number of other spirits, the trapped souls of Dajermube’s followers, rise with her hand and immediately prostrate themselves before their goddess. She then raises her other hand and unleashes a beam of light, a mix of sunlight and moonlight, that travels toward Umandayo’s armor. The armor melts away, revealing the warrior’s spirit, who travels toward Dajermube. The two embrace for a moment. Dajermube then transforms into the shape of a lion made of shadow and wreathed in sunlight as the Old Sun Gods accept her into their ranks. The light grows and envelops all of the spirits before fading away. The spirits are gone.
"Incredible," Sewell breathes, bowing her head in reverence.
|
"I heard tales about another mortal who achieved godhood like that." Issi says, looking up at the sunlight with a pensive expression. "It was one of the heroes who faced the Whispering Tyrant in Absalom, or was it two of them? It's hard to remember. It's a strange thing, a mortal becoming a god."
The thought trails off there and she stays looking up into the sky for a long time before shaking herself back to the present.
"Well, I suppose we'd better see what else is here." She says, although Sadiki can see that her sister's heart isn't in the exploration any more.
The lower level of the temple contains a few threats, chief among them the azure worms in the lower caverns. The three of you manage to defeat them after a pitched battle, leaving you free to finish exploring and collect the temple's treasures.
Aside from some valuable artifacts and magical items, the greatest treasures to be found are four tablets that resemble the tablets of fire Walkena showed you before you left Mzali. These tablets are the items he seeks, and the reason he sent you here. They contain vague prophecies written in Mzunu that describe how Dajermube would liberate Mzali from the outsider threat the Council of Mwanyisa posed. Yet the wording is vague enough the prophecy can be read from a different angle: that an ascended sun-god (such as Walkena) would liberate Mzali from outsiders (such as the Chelaxian invaders many years ago).
The other notable item is a golden plate wrapped in a fine silk cloth that depicts a map of the Mwangi Expanse on one side and decorative imagery of Sarenrae on the other. The map of the Mwangi Expanse has a clearly marked location in the eastern portion of the Screaming Jungle. Letters carved next to it read “Golden City” in Celestial, and anyone who can read the caption immediately recognizes that this is referring to the fabled golden city of Osibu. The city’s location has remained a secret for millennia and the possibility of a map, unverified or not, presents an exciting opportunity!
"Thank you for accepting my aid in clearing out this holy place," Sewell says with a bow as you prepare to leave. "I will tell the other Bright Lions of your noble intentions. Until we meet again, sisters."
***
Once you return to Mzali, you’re free to meet with Walkena once more and conclude your diplomatic negotiations. Walkena is true to his word and goes through with his policy changes. He makes a spectacle of this policy change, presenting the Magaambyan delegation to his city. He declares the delegation to be new allies of Mzali and decrees his changes to the city. The people of Mzali celebrate, cheering for the god-king and his new allies.
Afterward, Nkiruka meets with the delegation to tie up the visit. She thanks the delegation for their time and helps prepare them for their departure. She presents every member with Walkena’s seal, a small golden emblem bearing the city’s coat of arms on one side and Walkena’s religious symbol on the other. This seal grants you lifetime visitation rights to Mzali, allowing you to return to the city as you please. At this point, you and the delegation are free to return to Nantambu or even remain for a time in Mzali. If you decide to stay in Mzali, it’s no longer on Walkena’s munificence, however, and you must make your own way in the city. Though, with the recent discovery of the location of Osibu, you might be eager to get out of Mzali as soon you can!
|
|
Perhaps surprisingly the prospect of a lost city of gold and treasure doesn't seem to interest Issi in the slightest and she continues to spend days wandering Mazali's markets and speaking with the locals. Her vibrant colour and mask have made her an easily recognisable sight in the city and the favor of the God-King has dispelled the label of 'foreigner'. With those advantages she rapidly finds herself making acquaintances and even friends.
Returning to the Magaambya is inevitable and Issi is resigned to it, but she doesn't even mention Osibu, having turned the tablet over to Sadiki's keeping without any further word on the matter.
"You're looking forward to getting back to Okoro?" She says to her sister as they finally pack their bags. "I bet you've missed each other. Lots of exciting things to tell him about!"
"I have missed him, yes," Sadiki says, though she doesn't smile at the notion of returning to Okoro. Instead, she gives her sister a long, appraising look. "Issi, are you okay? You have not been yourself these past few weeks. What happened to the excitement and wonder you felt when we first came to the Magaambya? Are you unhappy? Is it... is it because of me?"
|
|
"No, I lost it, yes and no." Issi said, sitting back down on 'her' bed with a sigh. "I'm not ok. Haven't been for a while, and it's not you. It started that way but it's not you, it's because of me. You're moving on, enjoying life the way you should and I'm... stuck. I got what I wanted, came to Maagambya and now... I don't know what I should do. I've been relying on you too long and that's not fair, but I'm... I don't know. I don't have anyone but I'm not ready to just charge off into the jungle and spend years alone in the wilderness."
She shrugs, giving Sadiki a wan smile. "Seeing Dajermube hit me hard. It felt like I could easily end up that way - trying to achieve something huge, that I probably shouldn't, and then be trapped and forgotten for centuries. It just... I don't leave anything behind Sad. What have I done that's worthwhile? That couldn't have been done by someone else? Maybe a bit slower, or differently, but the Magaambya would still be standing, there are still Lore Speakers at young ages. I... just can't see the point. All this magic and what? It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Sadiki sits beside Issi, wrapping her arm around her sister's waist. "Hey. It's okay. You haven't discovered your purpose yet. Not many people our age have! There's still plenty of time to learn what will make you happy, and even more to decide what sort of legacy to leave behind.
"I know this past year or so hasn't exactly been the most fulfilling. We've been doing important work, teaching our students, exploring Bloodsalt, liberating Jula, and now making life a bit easier for the people of Mzali. But that's all been at the behest of others. I think what you need is an old-fashioned sister adventure! Issi and Sadiki, just the two of us, stirring up trouble like we used to. And I think I know the perfect place for that."
She holds up the golden plate. "What do you say, sis? Should we ditch these stuffy lore-speakers and go find a long-lost city of gold together?"
"Yay!" Sadiki gives her sister an enthusiastic kiss!
***
The next morning, you part ways with the rest of the Magaambyan delegation. They will return to the academy to report your success as you head off to find Osibu! The trip to Osibu takes you deep into the heart of the Screaming Jungle, located to the northeast of Mzali. The Screaming Jungle is a dangerous place covered in disorienting mists and filled with the howls of countless jungle creatures. Fortunately, you are capable adventurers by this point, and many of the jungle’s dangers pose little threat to you.
The journey takes several weeks as you follow the map on the golden plate. Soon, though, you draw near the city. Before you can get there, though, one of the surrounding trees suddenly steps out on its roots to block your progress! The lush, green tree sports brightly colored and appealing seedpods. But the wind blowing through the hollow seedpods creates an eerie, forlorn wail that generates feelings of sadness and despair!
The tree assaults Issi with psychic power, attempting to feed on the intense negative emotions that she has been experiencing!
Success The target becomes frightened 1.
Failure The target becomes frightened 2.
Critical Failure The target becomes frightened 3 and immobilized until it's no longer frightened.
Issi is a little shaken by the tree's aura, but she still has the presence of mind to try to kill it with fire, creating a volcanic eruption beneath it!
It's super effective! The tree is unable to avoid the blast of lava, which burns its badly and then rapidly cools to encase it and slow its movements!
The tree seems reluctant to attack Issi's burning body. Instead, it fires several thorns at her. The magus dodges them all!
Sadiki hits the tree with another volcanic eruption, then Issi flies in and lays about with her flaming blade, her fiery body setting the leaves of the tree aflame! Within a matter of moments, the malevolent plant's fronds droop as the fire engulfs its body. The threat has been neutralized.
"Doubtful," Sadiki says. "But I'm glad you're enjoying yourself!"
Finding nothing of value, you continue on your way. After a few more days of travel, the mists of the Screaming Jungle part, giving way to a mass of brambles, colorful flowers, and thick underbrush. Beyond the oppressive thicket stands an enormous statue made of gold in the shape of a woman. The statue is dozens of feet tall, seeming to watch anyone approaching the thicket, though that might just be a trick of the light reflecting off it’s brilliant surface. Just behind the statue lies a wall of gold, rising to it’s waist. Golden buildings poke above the walls, giving only a hint of a fabulous city within. The most striking feature of the area, however, is the silence. The jungle here is still. No chirps or growls echo through the air, and even the leaves of the plants seem to keep still so as to not disturb the area’s tranquility.
The sight of Osibu is awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, this moment is short lived as hundreds of warriors emerge from the thickets around you, weapons drawn and demanding you surrender!
The warriors guide you past the thickets and into Osibu proper. Inside, you behold a magnificent sight. Stories describe Osibu as a city of gold, and it lives up to the tales. Much like other cities, Osibu has cobblestone streets, but the cobbles are large chunks of gold. Buildings are made from bricks of gold, and even more mundane features, like planters, are inset with gold. The brilliance glinting off what light peeks through the jungle canopy gives the entire city an almost ethereal appearance as it shimmers with a dim golden glow.
The warriors escort you to an open plaza just within the city walls where a halfling woman stands waiting. She takes her time studying each of you, shushing anyone who tries to speak before she completes her inspection. After several minutes of pacing and observation, the halfling poses a single question: “How did you find us?”
|
|
"We found a map in an ancient temple to the Sun Gods." Issi says simply. "We mean no harm, we were simply curious. Tales of the Lost City have survived centuries, so we had to come and take a look."
She shoots her sister a glance that Sadiki knows well. The help me! glance that always seems to appear in awkward social situations.
"A map? So, you hoped to find treasure here, did you?" Umanja-jinga says angrily. "You are nothing but thieves and traitors to Osibu!"
"No, we are scholars, nothing more!" Sadiki insists. The halfling remains stern, pressing you further with more and more questions. After several minutes of interrogation, the nearby plants begin to shake and stir.
A rumbling bellow comes from deep within the city. “Ease your words, Umanja-jinga. These visitors mean us no harm.” A massive tree steps out from behind a building, moving at slow and deliberate pace. The tree bears the face of an old man, with hundreds of cracks and whorls about his eyes and mouth. Standing over fifty feet in height, the gnarled tree’s hunched posture suggests he could tower over every building in the city if he stood up straight. He looks down upon the gathering, a slight smile on his face.
“I can see your spirit faces, little ones. Your masks speak to me. They tell me of your journeys and show exactly who you are. You are friends to the people of the Mwangi, and I can see that you are friends to Osibu as well. Tell me, how did you learn to create your masks? Was it Jatembe who taught you?”
|
|
"Jatembe is long dead Elder One." Issi replies, bowing to show her respect for the obviously venerable being. "But he founded a school of magic, the Magaambya where we seek to emulate his teachings and use magic in the service of all the people of Mwangi. Part of graduating from the academy, as my sister and I did younger than almost any others in history, involves crafting our own masks, using the skills and wisdom passed down from Jatembe himself."
Having delivered her explanation she waits - the treant, or whatever he is, is clearly both old and powerful. A little respect never did anyone any harm.
"Dead? Hmm," the treant rumbles. "Jatembe was already old when I met him millenia ago, shortly after Earthfall. But with the secrets of magic he discovered, age no longer was an impediment for him. He may have left this world behind, but I very much doubt that he is dead, little ones.
"Regardless, it pleases me to know that more have been following in Jatembe's footsteps. I am Dimari-Diji, and this is my friend Umanja-jinga. She is the leader of these people, and I am their ally in defending them from the rest of the world. Others have found Osibu before. I have seen dozens of visitors to the city, some searching for it intentionally, others stumbling upon it by accident. All were welcome into the city, regardless of their intention. Some stayed, while others left the golden walls after some time.
"But the people of Osibu wish to keep their city safe from outside eyes. As you can see, there is gold all about this place; there are many who would come to Osibu to take its treasures or steal the knowledge of its people. Some might even kill our people or enslave them. Anyone who visits here is subjected to a magical compulsion that binds them to secrecy about the city. You will be able to leave at any time—but know that you too will be bound to secrecy about this place.”
Dimari-Diji inclines his head. "Of course." He turns to the halfling woman, who lowers her eyes in apology.
"Please forgive my earlier behavior," Umanja-jinga says. "One of the most recent visitors to the city betrayed our trust a few years back, escaping the city without becoming bound to secrecy. As a result, everyone in Osibu has become wary of new visitors. If Dimari-Diji sees you as friends, though, than I shall as well."
Umanja-jinga secures a sizable residence in the city’s Layra district in the southwest for you to stay during your visit. You're free to move throughout the city as you see fit, but city guards prevent you from leaving or coming close to the ominous Nemesis Well in the center of the city.
The Golden City resembles a sprawling community garden; every alcove, household, road, and plaza lends a plot for the stunning collection of plant life. Smaller plants—flowers, shrubs, and grasses—line the curving golden roads and occasionally open up into circular plots of kaleidoscopic flora. Larger trees knot into a carefully hewn canopy that blends perfectly into the Screaming Jungle’s arboreal visage. Within the city, an array of trees and flora represents the diversity of the Mwangi Expanse (and then some) via tangles and loops through Osibu’s often doorless and windowless structures. Many other structures are made of stained and blown glass and hooded with linen canopies, but nothing more substantial. The open nature of these structures keeps Osibu’s people generous as much as it holds them accountable.
Networks of vibrant plant life weave through the city’s sharply pointed households, and one can often discern a tight-knit, well-established neighborhood in Osibu by what networks of flora run unbroken through a series of houses. Many of these smaller collectives are rather familial in their rapport, having maintained these gardens for countless generations—though they still share with the larger Osiban community.
The fauna of the wider Screaming Jungle has a similarly sprawling, equitable rapport with the Osiban public. Due to the druidic mechanisms of the Twice-Honored Women, even the most predatory creatures that wander through Osibu’s walls take on a docile and friendly temper as long as there isn’t an immediate threat to the community’s members. Through the ages, nature has typically and efficiently turned cruel against those foolish enough to threaten the city’s peace. For everyone else, this place is one of the best to engage with the Screaming Jungle’s wildlife. As part of this deep connection, the Osibu diet is staunchly vegetarian.
Osibu is also a font of long-lost knowledge concerning health and wellness. Many of the elders of the city—many of whom are of human ancestry—appear to be a fraction of their age. Save for freckled skin and silvered hair, many elders of Osibu resemble their young adult selves despite holding far more years in their bones. The Osiban people conquer mortal ravages and disease in ways that most necromancers and alchemists of Golarion could only dream of, thanks to the practices and secrets of Dimari-Diji passed down through generations. Death in Osibu is often quiet, painless, and well-anticipated. Most elders preparing to leave their mortal coil know when their hour approaches, sometimes a whole day in advance, and are often sent off with the community’s blessings and celebrations.
DOWNTIME
Requirements You are a lore-speaker and have unrestricted access to Osibu.
You spend time speaking to the people of Osibu, learning about their lives, their culture, and their history, committing your learning to writing to take with you when you leave. The city’s leaders carefully review your records and notes to ensure nothing you plan to share outside the city can lead others to its golden walls. Choose either your primary or secondary branch and attempt a skill check against a standard DC of the branch’s level. You can use Diplomacy, Society, or one of the branch’s associated skills for this check. This activity takes 1 month.
Critical Success You uncover several significant revelations about Osibu; increase the branch level of the branch you chose by 1. You can also slip in additional information the city leaders didn’t catch, increasing this branch level by an additional 1. Doing so might lead outsiders—even well-intentioned ones—to Osibu, unless you succeed at a secret DC 35 Deception check to obscure this information on your own. Regardless of your secret check result, you won’t know whether you’ve brought danger to the city. You also gain 2 Treasure Points (see below).
Success You expand knowledge of Osibu in a way that doesn’t endanger its residents. Increase the branch level of the branch you chose by 1. You also gain 1 Treasure Point.
Failure The things you learn about Osibu are true but simply too fanciful to be believed. Your branch level remains the same, but you gain 1 Treasure Point.
Critical Failure The city’s leaders become suspicious of you, and you aren’t certain why. You can spend 1 month of downtime serving the city to regain their trust; until you do, you can’t perform Practical Research in Osibu.
Treasure Points: Performing Practical Research might earn the heroes Treasure Points; each hero gains Treasure Points individually, but no hero can ever gain more than 4. These points represent treasure gained through meeting the people of Osibu: gifts, promises to craft special items, or access to the city’s storehouses. While in Osibu, a hero can spend 1 Treasure Point to gain a common consumable item of 14th level or lower, or gems, gold, or other valuables worth 1,000 when sold outside of Osibu. A hero can spend 3 Treasure Points to gain a common permanent item of 14th level or lower. The heroes can pool their Treasure Points, and they can spend Treasure Points as soon as they get them or at any time during this chapter.
|
|
The Golden City is good for Issi, exactly as Sadiki hoped it might be. The magus puts the outside world completely from her mind and embraces Osibu philosophy - being fortunate enough to find more than one sympathetic ear for her predicaments. A number of people point out that she has many friends and even if she has not been blessed with romance (yet) there are still relationships she can find joy and value in.
It is with those thoughts in mind that Issi turns again to research, trying to learn things that Mariama and Esi would enjoy.
The people of Osibu are welcoming and friendly. Over the next couple of months, Issi and Sadiki learn much about their culture and teachings, gaining insight that they can apply to further their own education.
At some point, Dimari-Diji invites the sisters to join him at the Nemesis Well. The well at Osibu’s center has been a source of trouble since long before the city’s founding. A roiling bank of blue-green haze conceals a wide shaft rumored to be bottomless. The well is covered by a dome of stained glass, but many of the glass panels are broken or missing—evidence of both recent upheavals within the well and the reckless acts of the Pathfinder explorer Deron Melcarion. Three years ago, Deron was a guest of the city, but sought to escape in order to publish his findings. He slipped into the Nemesis Well and was never heard from again, but ever since, the well has become more and more active.
Dimari-Diji spends most days and nights guarding the Nemesis Well, seeking to keep its occasional nighttime whispers from disturbing the sleep of the city’s populace. When you arrive, you find the arboreal carefully working to replace a piece of glass on one of the broken panels. This work is time-consuming because the fit must be exact, but Dimari-Diji is nothing if not patient. However, as you draw near, the gold-cobbled streets around the Nemesis Well shudder and blue light spills up between their cracks. You are filled with a vague premonition of doom.
Dimari-Diji lets out a grumble. "Hmm. The Nemesis Well’s magical eruptions have become more frequent lately, but this is the first time one has occurred during the day in a long, long time. They normally occur at night and inflict nightmares on nearby citizens. Most unusual. I fear that it means some kind of danger threatens Osibu, but I must engage in meditation to learn more."
"I will inform you as soon as I have learned more of the situation," Dimari-Diji promises.
***
A few more weeks pass in relative peace. So it comes as some surprise when the sound of golden bells ringing disrupts the tranquil morning! The denizens of Osibu quickly stir and muster as the warnings continue to ring out. Umanja-jinga quickly tracks you down. "The city is under attack! There is an army at our gates! Come with me!"
The halfling leads you to the center of the city, just a few hundred feet from the Nemesis Well, where Dimari-Diji had been meditating. The ancient arboreal has a grave look on his face. "This army that has arrived is unlike any force I have encountered before. A divine power is guiding this attack, bolstering the enemy forces. In a direct fight, the forces of Osibu are likely to lose, even with our ancient defenses. We cannot risk a direct conflict, but there is an alternative strategy."
Umanja-jinga explains that after the traitor Deron Melcarion escaped Osibu without binding himself to secrecy, she and the other Chyayups worked with Dimari-Diji to develop a new ritual that would help defend the city in case of an invasion. Umanjajinga, Dimari-Diji, and the Chyayups can complete the ritual, but it takes time to enact. She implores you to take up arms to defend Osibu and buy them the time they need!