Satu eyes Tharkh, who she thought good with animals.
Tharskh, isn't that a task for you? I thought you were good with animals? Or is that only hunting them?
"I can definitely try" - Tharskh nodded, apparently distracted before but now fully focused. He approaches the mother with a calm and non-threatening posture, staying low to seem smaller.
Tharskh tries his best to calm the situation. He motions for the herdsmen to move the people and animals away from the inhabited burrow and then makes soft cooing noises and gentle motions to urge the angered mama back into the den. She seems reluctant at first, threatening to charge her quilled back into the Tharskh, but his gentle persuasion eventually pays off, and with a sniff and a glare, she drops down into the burrow with her porcupettes, defusing the situation.
Imek helps withdraw the quills from the wounded mammoth leg, saying "You could use these for snares maybe?" and the herd moves off to another part of the outer following camp, leaving a wide berth for the porcupines to be in peace.
Hurik takes the quills and says "If we cannot use them, someone else of the tribe surely could." He says "I think we should get to the water carrying while we have time."
Miriani will nod and begin helping to carry the water again.
Leaving the fate of the porcupine family behind for now, the scouts head back to where Pakano lounges beside the riverbank. "Done fooling around now?" he sneers leaping to his feet but not bothering with one of the ceremonial baskets. The best place to fill the baskets is about an hour's walk down the river, where a small ford allows you easy access to the swiftly flowing water.
The sun is trying valiantly to poke through the wispy grey clouds and there is a hint of the coming spring in the air as you walk along. A slight breeze feels good against your faces, and the babbling river makes a welcome companion after miles of dry, cold grassy plains.
Reeds grow along the banks of the Gornok and you sometimes see small prey or fish darting around in the clear water. Once, a bobcat is spotted dashing from a watering place back into the tall grass.
After about an hour, you can see the wide spot where the current slows and the banks allow for easy access to the water.
"This seems like a good enough place for us to gather the water" - Tharskh commented to the others, still distracted about the porcupine family, and intent on going back to them.
A glare at Pakano "Roughing it while you waited eh?"
But he nods to Tharsk after they get to the spot, "Let us begin then. You seem distracted."
Miriani is obviously thinking about filling the baskets and how to keep them intact and not leaking. She's not keeping proper awareness of her environment.
As the group approaches the place for water-gathering, Embry points at something across the river embedded in the far bank. It looks to be a long-handled spear point down in the reeds along the opposite side. In a flash, Pakano bounds and splashes across the water, grabbing the weapon. "Who objects to my right to this spear? I challenge any of you to a wrestling match for this prize!" It's clear the big bully is spoiling for a fight and using the found weapon as means to do so.
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"And why would you claim the right to it?" - Tharskh growled, clearly not in the mood for Pakano's continued antics - "Not only you do none of the work you are expected to do carrying the baskets, assuming you are somehow our leader which you are not, but also you shout out meaningless words" - he added.
"I claim the rights to that tree!" - he shouts at Pakano - "And that stone! And the wind! Anyone challenges it?" - the half-orc finished, shaking his head - "Just get to do what you are expected fool, and haul some water!"
Hurik has about had it, he is ready to accept this challenge and claim the spear for himself!
Then Thraskh speaks and he finds himself nodding, "Tharskh is right. You do nothing but yammer, I would love nothing more than to throw you to the ground and bounce you in a contest, Pakano. But we are doing a ceremony that is important, and you act like a spoiled child. Later, LATER, I will gladly wrestle you for the spear if need be. But for now, we should get the water!"
"Don't you want to wrestle in front of everybody? So that everybody can see you win it?" She says to Pakano. "It should be carried by somebody with no claim to it. I have no need for the spear, so I volunteer to carry it until the wrestling match can take place. I swear on the Stormfather to present it to the one who wins the wrestling contest fairly. Until then, we have water to carry."
Pakano laughs at Tharskh's response and Hurik's follow up. "All I see are two men who are too afraid to claim a treasure such as this. As I suspected, only Pakano is brave enough. That's why I will lead and you will follow. As it is meant to be."
When Miriani offers to hold the spear until the wrestling is settled, Pakano shakes his head in defiance. "No need cat-girl. It is mine. Until someone takes if from me." He holds the spear out for your examination, but does not give it over.
The spear is clearly finely made, crafted from fire-treated ash wood and tipped with a serrated steel broadhead. A tattered deer hide banner is tangled around the shaft near the spearhead; the banner is emblazoned with the black silhouette of a woolly mammoth against a backdrop of red flames. A charred human hand hangs from a leather strap tied to the spear's shaft. Shattered wrist bones tumble from the base of the severed appendage like pebbles from an open sack. Pakano's admiring gaze lingers on the grim fetish. "We could learn a lot from whoever did this," he whispers, his eyes gleaming.
Mirani's fur bristles, and she tears into him. "Look at at how fascinated he is! Now that finally has a spear with enough length, playing with his spear is all he can think about. He just wants to play games and rub his spear while everybody else is trying to do the work. Then again Pakano always did want to declare his victory without actually putting in the work. Or so I've heard from the women."
Tharskh ignores Pakano, as something else grabs his attention - "Yes, yes, only Pakano is brave enough, and he will lead his imaginary army..." - the half-orc growls, examining the tracks - "There is a trail here" - he points out to the others, as he begins moving along to follow it.
A sympathetic look to Miriani, but he motions her to join him in following Thraskh muttering to his felinoid friend, "And now he compliments mistreatment of some corpse. I thought Pakano a fool. Now I worry he admires cruelty. I only become so when the dragon is upon me. He has no such excuse"
She smiles and pats Hurik on the arm. "Some people can't see their weaknesses, but others sometimes don't see their own strengths."
Pakano flushes at the biting words but shakes his spear in triumph instead of getting angry in response. "Say what you will. Deeds carry the day, like always. And Pakano walks away with prize, unchallenged."
Tharskh does indeed find a trail of dislodged pebbles that move upriver, appearing to be from the scouting party that left Pakano's new spear at the river's edge but it leads away from the water.
"Leaving without filling the jugs?" sneers Pakano as he takes one of the woven vessels and submerges it in the water, attempting to fill at least one. "Don't worry, I will fill these and take them back -- you can go on your goose chase if you wish it."
"First he wants to play when we need to work. Then he wants to carry water while we see if there's more scarred-face killers trying to threaten the tribe. So play is more important than work and work is more important than defending the tribe. Go by yourself, so you can show people the stick you valiantly took from the mud."
Miriani is going to follow the tracks.
Tharskh doesn't even bother replying to Pakano. He goes after Miriani.
And then there are three, for Hurik will not abandon his friends
As you start to make way, you can see here the water appears murky, with bits of charcoal ash floating on the surface as if from a great fire. The ash is more concentrated the farther upriver you venture, but the cloudy weather and rolling hills make it impossible to determine if there really is a fire that way.
The tracks also lead upriver, so you leave Pakano with the reed baskets and follow the tracks along the winding river up a series of smooth, low-lying hills for less than a mile before you come upon a small, stony island in the river across from an old, dead stump.
As you begin to approach, a gurgling voice emanating from the river water intones, "Why, why have you come?" The ashy water splashes to and fro, partially pulling itself from the river's current. "Are you here to help me? I've been so polluted, and I fee so weak!"
"What magical trickery is this?" Hurik backs up distrustfully
Tharskh drew his shortsword and shield, standing at the ready - "Who are you, who speak from the water"?" - he asked, out loud.
As Hurik talks about trickery, Miriani will cast detect magic and attempt to identify any effect or spell.
"I am but a spirit of the river, polluted by the fires upstream. I ask your help in purifying my waters. A mystical flower grows in the mud behind yonder stump. If you can retrieve one of the flowers and crush it into my water, I will be healed enough to go on."
Miriani's spell does detect the presence of magic coming from where the water stirs near the small island.
You do see the stump and the mudhole behind it. The mud looks very thick and sticky, and smells rather foul. A few small lilies grow out of the center of the mud, but far enough from the edge that it would take getting rather filthy to retrieve them.
"Over there. It's a... gah... er... Oh, I know this..." She has the frustration of somebody who has a word on the tip of her tongue.
"What do you see?" Hurik says "Describe it?"
Miriani describes the creature she sees, which sounds rather fantastical. A humanoid frame with the wings and head of a great heron, and bird three-toed feet. It hides amongst the rocks on the small island.
"Wil you help the river spirit? Recover the lily and bring to my waters, if you will help!" the voice, coming from the bird-like creature, calls out.
Hurik sees it but... hasn't a clue. He looks to the others and shrugs.
She looks back at the guys, "Will one of you please get the flower?" She smiles and shines her eyes in that way. "I think I might get stuck, but you two are strong enough to power through."
She turns back to the fey, watching it's reactions.
Not willing to take any risks for such a suspicious creature, Tharskh observes the oddity for a few more moments, trying to recall if he ever heard about anything similar.
The mudhole is stinking and filthy and it does look like it would take some careful movement to retrieve the lilies without getting dirty, mired, or worse.
Hurik decides to watch their backs while this goes on
Hurik spins to watch the groups rear, but his cautious looking about turns up nothing of note behind the group. Meanwhile the river-spirit continues. "Oh brave scouts! Won't you help this poor river spirit? Just a dose of that little flower will return my vitality enough to wash this choking ash away for good. Please help!"
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Emerging from the direction the group just came from, Kheyji appears, grinning. "They told me you were hauling water today, but I got there and found Pakano crowing about some spear instead. He told me you all 'fled from his greatness' or something. What's really happening?"
She's a slight looking woman with close cropped hair, hunting leathers, and the grip of a scimitar peeking out from behind har shoulder. She carries a crossbow at her side, and her face and neck are long-scarred from burns she suffered as a child. Her smile and eyes are bright and she emanates genuine pleasure at seeing you all.
Her eyes glow briefly and a spark of fire dances in her pupils as she says, almost casually, "Sister, I could use a hand, please."
Even with Sister Cinder's divine guidance, though, Kheyji doesn't recognize the creature.
"Pakano sees no truth but his own reflection" A snort
Then when they're filled in...
She drops her voice. ”Should we surround it? Definitely no one goes out to get that flower.”
"Mmm, it could be a danger to others. But how to keep it from escaping in the water?'
The loblobi on the island bank, rolls his bird-like eyes and shrugs. "I guess I'll have to report you tribesmen who won't help a poor river-spirit to milady, Empress of Reeds, She who Holds the Wriggling Dawn. You won't want to deal with her. I suggest you grab that lily then, and keep things civil! What do you say?" The voice appears to be losing some of its plainitve nature, and now sounds a bit impatient.
She says to Hurik, "Get the lily," while winking with the eye away from the fey. She has an idea.
She'll whisper to Kheyji and the others close by, "I don't have much to keep it from escaping. But let's figure out why she wants the flower and we'll have something to bargain with."
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Kheyji looks doubtful, but gives a slow nod. "Okay, I'll back your call. But let's be careful; I don't like this thing being so near the following."
Just as before, her eyes alight with flame and she whispers, "Sister, we're about to do something about an evil fey. Would you please help Tiny in what he's about to attempt?"
Hurik nods and moves to get the lily without preamble but tries to find a way to do so without getting into the stinking mud.
The mud is stinking and thick, a soup of bog and decomposing matter that sucks at Hurik's boots as soon as he steps inside, the foulness is daunting. On the other hand, the flowers growing in the middle of the flat mud are quite lovely and fetching. The brilliant golden yellow color of the lily is striking especially in contrast to the dirty brown muck. With some difficulty the barbarian crosses the fen, stooping low to carefully pluck the lily and retrieve it.
"Hurrah, a real hero emerges!" calls the voice from the island. "Now crush the lily into my waters, and I will be cleansed."
Tharskh offered to tie a rope around Hurik's waist before he waded into the mud, just in case it would be necessary to pull him out.
Rather than just pluck the lily, he describes it as he makes his way up close, "Rather lovely."