"If you can heal such a one as I, I would be grateful." Jiudu says to Dr. Lazarus. "Although Rui and I worked on the early parts of the ritual to summon the Morrowkin together, he left the last part to me while he went upstairs to ready the restaurant for its first guests. I was such a fool not to see the flaws in the ritual, but Rui was so desperate, and I wanted to help him and Banjau. They're such good people."
There are six silver talismans on the floor, arranged in a circle so it is obvious that there is a missing seventh -- Maika's -- that had already been pulled out of the circle. Meadow thinks that these talismans look exactly like Maika's. "Yes, these talismans are imbued with all the hope for the future that Rui and I had, starting this venture. Please, each of you should take a hope talisman. It will protect you from the worst of the Morrowkin's attacks."
As Dr. Lazarus mentions the knife, hope lights in Jiudu Xien's eyes. "Did Rui complete the Knife of Trouble Elimination? If so, you must find it. Find it now. And if he didn't complete it... We will, together in the next loop." She pauses. "I believe that we can cut the morrowkin out of its loop and untether it from time. There is a ritual that I can teach you to do so but I don't know if we have enough time for you to learn it... Find the knife! Find it now!"
Tarcog takes one of the talismans for himself. Examining it, he asks Jiudu “Will this work for Amvolwatt?” gesturing towards the dragon.
Jiudu nods. "Yes, it will protect your dragon!"
“Excellent!”
Amvolwattt takes one of the talismen and hangs it around his neck. “Thank you, Jaidu.”
Meadow looks around frantically. "Only six? Oh no! Oh no! There's gotta be one more around here somewhere." She begins to tear up the room in her search.
“Could Silence fly at a distance where the howl doesn’t affect them?”
|
When Jiudu accepts the Doctor's offer of healing, Lazarus checks his healer's tools and finds himself apologizing. Again. "Sadly, Madam, it seems I packed the wrong toolkit. I'm embarrassingly ill-equipped to tend to your wounds." He brightens as he assures her, "But my esteemed colleagues and I will do what we can to make this right! Starting with locating the Knife of Trouble Elimination."
Dr. Lazarus retrieves a talisman and turns to Jayma. "Regarding the knife, we could ask Rui as you suggest ..." Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he turns to the group, "... or, since we're here, perhaps those assassins down the hall, the ones posing as chefs, are using the knife in their kitchen prep. Who'd care to join me?" The Doctor is prepares to lead the way to the kitchen, but warns the group, "They weren't happy to see me before, so be ready for a fight."
Turiik takes one of the amulets and hands it around his neck. "That's what I was saying," Hunger says through Turiik's mouth. "Let us see what we can force--," the voice changes midsentence, "--convince him to share."
“We need the chef’s to prepare the food. I favor asking Rui about the knife.”
"You think the ritual knife is in the kitchen being used to chop vegetables?" Turiik asks Lazarus with an arched brow of puzzlement.
|
|
Dr. Lazarus responds to Turiik, "I'm just investigating all the possibilities, my dear boy." He continues in lecture-mode, "For instance, can you imagine a scenario in which the assassins are unknowingly using a ritual knife as part of their cutlery?" Then, turning to Tarcog, the Doctor says, "If we have time, no harm asking Rui about it." He pauses and continues, "However, once the Morrowkin arrives, it would be prudent to get into the kitchen and examine the assassins' utensils during our current loop. Even if it means taking them out first."
"If the ritual required investing a physical knife, I suppose a kitchen knife would be what Rui would have on hand. Or a dinner knife. With all the potential mundane looking knives, Jayma and Tarcog are right," Turiik says after pondering for a moment.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Crawling around on the floor, Meadow manages to find a seventh talisman underneath one of the dining tables. She quickly grabs it and clasps it to her chest. "Oh, thank goodness!" She breathes a sigh of relief.
The party considers where to go next to look for the Knife of Trouble Elimination.
1) Do they visit the assassin chefs?
2) Do they go talk to Rui?
3) Do they go into the storage room that is right between the kitchen and the private dining room?
"I need to get this to Silence right away. I'll be right back everyone."
Meadow grabs a second talisman and takes a quick peek out of the door. Seeing the cooks engaged in their preparations she ducks back in the room out of sight and the quietly slips into the kitchen. Once there she pilfers a treat for Silence of whatever meat is within reach, cooked or raw then she slips upstairs to the deck. She whistles loudly to summon Silence from his perch atop the mast.
"Screech!" Silence flies down to meet his friend.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The young archer hands the meat to Silence and attaches the talisman to his armor while he consumes his prize. She smiles in satisfaction but her smile slowly turns to horror as she sees the diners at their tables.
"Oh no! Oh no! How are we gonna save them from the monster?"
She sends Silence back atop the mast and heads over to speak with Maika. "How much time do we have until the monster comes back? Does he always appear in the same spot? We need to do something to protect Grandma Wu and the others."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Meadow successfully steals a meat-filled dumpling for Silence. As she does, she can hear the two chefs talking amongst themselves quietly in Tien, but cannot make out what they are saying. One points at the spot with the missing dumpling, and then points at the other guy's stomach. The other denies it, but then sneaks a dumpling himself when his fellow chef's back is turned.
"You have twenty-two minutes," Maika says, "and yes, he always returns to the same spot. But where are you going to put them where they can be safe? That monster goes everywhere."
** spoiler omitted **Meadow successfully steals a meat-filled dumpling for Silence. As she does, she can hear the two chefs talking amongst themselves quietly in Tien, but cannot make out what they are saying. One points at the spot with the missing dumpling, and then points at the other guy's stomach. The other denies it, but then sneaks a dumpling himself when his fellow chef's back is turned.
"You have twenty five minutes," Maika says, "and yes, he always returns to the same spot. But where are you going to put them where they can be safe? That monster goes everywhere."
Meadow's face goes grim and she rubs hand across her bow. "Well with any luck he'll be too busy dying to chase after the diners."
|
|
Reconsidering his healing options for Jiudu, Dr. Lazarus snaps his elven fingers, and says, "Perhaps if I try it like so ..." He reaches out to the ghostly figure.
Seeing he's outvoted regarding the Knife, the Doctor relents, "My dear colleagues, if you wish to talk to Rui, please do." He looks around and notices Meadow is not there. "Perhaps our ranger has already gone upstairs to do just that." He considers and says, "I'll wait here to keep an eye on the assas... chefs, as I still believe the Knife to be in their possession." He continues watching them to see if they are wielding any knives for their cooking prep.
If the group is still there, he says, "Are you all still here? Please run along. We can't have much time. And do hurry back. These two were formidable foes last time, but if we coordinate our efforts, we should be able to overtake them and search for the Knife."
|
Jayma frowns slightly when Thurston mentions that he believes the knife to be in the possession of the assassin cooks. "Is that likely, doctor? Would Rui really just hand such a precious artifact over to some cooks in a kitchen to use? He's more likely to have hidden it away somewhere secret. We need to find out where that is and retrieve it, or at the very least get a description of the item from him so we can find it ourselves."
“Jayma, you are the one that figured out that the ritual was sabotaged and are amongst the most eloquent in our group. Dr. Lazarus agreed we start with talking to Rui.”
“Time is running out this loop. Let’s not spend any more of it in discussion.”
“If you want, I can try to help you sway him to see things our way.”
|
|
Jayma turns to Tarcog. "Very well. Let's see if I can get him to tell us about the knife. Where did he get to? I think I hear him on the deck entertaining the other diners." She turns and heads up the ladder.
Once back on deck, Jayma shields her eyes from the glare as they become reaccustomed to the bright light. Spotting Rui, she comes up to him. "My dear Rui, I was wondering if you could spare a moment for me." She pulls him aside. "While we were looking over your fascinating magical treatises we came across a few interesting items that I'm hoping you can help us make sense of. We read about a ritual to summon the Morrowkin, but the description of the ritual does not match the actual magic being unleashed. We also found mention of a ritual for summoning an artifact called the Knife of Trouble Elimination which will allow the wielder to remove the root of a problem and make it as if it never existed."
She pauses to let this sink in before lowering the boom. "In the dining room downstairs we came across the ghost of Jiudu Xien who told us that you and she had carried out the ritual and summoned the Morrowkin and that we are all now trapped in a repeating time loop in which the Morrowkin appears and kills us all, over and over again, destroying more and more of our futures until there is nothing left of us. She further informed us that the so-called Knife of Trouble Elimination is absolutely essential if we are to break the time loop and send the Morrowkin back to where it came from permanently. So I ask you now, Rui dear: Did you manage to summon the Knife of Trouble Elimination and where is it now? Please answer quickly; we have very little time left."
Turiik--or maybe it is Hunger--nods approvingly at Jayma's assertive tactic. "He will not remember this if we fail, anyhow," he growls under his breath.
“Please help us so that everyone can have a bright future again.”
+1 circumstance.
Dr. Lazarus heals Jiudu, helping the ghost recover and glow more brightly. Then he stands outside the door and surreptitiously watches the two assassin-chefs continuing to cook the meal. It is obvious that they are using many different knives, all razor sharp, to cook the different courses of this banquet. At one point, Fa spots Dr. Lazarus and glares at him. "What are you looking at? We are but two humble chefs cooking a meal." Then he mutters something in Tien to his fellow chef and they both look over their shoulders warily at the good Doctor.
Meanwhile Tarcog and Jayma approach Rui on the top deck. "My dear lady, or course I can spare a moment for you." Rui allows Jayma and Tarcog to pull him aside and talk to him. Rui is shocked at what he hears. "But... the morrowkin was supposed to collect good fortune and distribute it to everyone, not kill people! Are you really sure that Jiudu is dead? My friend, now a ghost?"
He runs down the stairs with you and looks inside the private dining room, at which point Fa and Kuen pointedly turn their attention away from Dr. Lazarus and back to the meal. "Oh no, it's true? What shall we do? What shall we do?"
When Tarcog and Jayma remind Rui of the Knife of Trouble Elimination, he pales. "I didn't finish it. It was just supposed to be my backup insurance policy, and now I don't remember where I left it! What do we now?!"
"Oh no, it's true? What shall we do? What shall we do?"
When Tarcog and Jayma remind Rui of the Knife of Trouble Elimination, he pales. "I didn't finish it. It was just supposed to be my backup insurance policy, and now I don't remember where I left it! What do we now?!"
“Find and hopefully finish the knife. Invite all the guests up to the aft deck for a fireworks display when we indicate it is time. Work so that everyone has a bright future.”
Tarcog gives a toothy grin and says “Remember, we have two dragons on our side!”
Once the conversation is done, Tarcog makes sure to update the other group members.
|
|
Dr. Lazarus tilts his head sideways when Rui claims he doesn't remember where the Knife is. "My dear boy, that's most unfortunate. Surely you'll help us locate it?" He pauses and continues, "Perhaps in the kitchen, as we've searched everyone else. Your chefs have been glaring at us, so we may need your support if we're to search there." The Doctor looks at Rui expectantly.
|
|
Jayma goes back into the hold with Rui and discovers that the man can't remember where he put the knife. "This knife is presumably a powerful magical item. Perhaps I can detect its magical emanation." She then spends some time wandering around the hold repeating the words "vide magica" while passing her hand across her face. Assuming the knife is one of the more powerful magical items on the ship, she filters out as much of the lower-level background magic as she can.
"Oh, of course!" Rui goes with you to the kitchen, and asks Fa and Kuen if he can look at their knives.
"What is this about, honorable Employer?" Fa and Kuen look at each other, and continue to glare at Dr. Lazarus. Fa says, "Of course, you may look at our humble knives, but that may delay the meal that we are making for our honored guests..."
Nonetheless, the two chefs grudgingly step to the side, and start doing cooking tasks like folding and shaping dumpling wrappers. Kuen asks Dr. Lazarus, "May we poor and humble chefs ask what this inspection is about? As you see, our kitchen is clean, our ingredients fresh, and our knives are very, very sharp. Are you... examining them in an official capacity?"
The chefs do indeed have some magical knives, including a striking dagger in Fa's boot, but nothing that Rui recognizes as his blade.
Meanwhile, Jayma starts up her Detect Magic spell, first in the kitchen, and opening the door to the storeroom. Fa and Kuen protest. "Our humble belongings are in there. Dirty laundry, and other things not fit for a lady."
They're not kidding about the dirty laundry, and there are two battered backpacks in one corner, along with some crates. After five minutes, she feels an almost blinding glow from inside one of the crates in the room that is full of various utensils. It's coming from a cleaver that is very sharp, and whose handle is covered in tiny runes.
Seeing that the two chefs are on their best behavior while Rui is there, Tarcog says “We are going back up on deck.”
Looking to the chefs he offers “If you have any appetizers ready, the least we can do for the disruption is take them up for you.”
|
|
As soon as Jayma goes into the storeroom, she's almost overwhelmed by the blast of magical energy she feels from inside one of the crates. She beelines for the box in question and quickly narrows it down to a very sharp and copiously runed cleaver. Grabbing the cleaver by the handle, she moves quickly back to the dining room and holds it up in triumph for the others to see. "Found it!" Then turning to Jiudu. "Do we really not have enough time to complete the ritual this loop? That's unfortunate. The next loop will be our last, so we better get the knife and complete the ritual as soon as it starts."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"I will hold the beast back," Hunger says through Turiik's mouth. "Sacrifice the other diners. They will be remade when you finish the knife and save us from this absurdity."
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Rui says, "Oh, surely there is time. The ritual only takes half an hour to complete!"
Meanwhile, Maika calls down, "Seventeen minutes!"
Fa and Kuen hand Tarcog a full platter of appetizers to carry up, then Fa says sotto voce to Dr. Lazarus, "What was that about? For a moment there, honored sir, we thought you wanted something from us, which would be strange, as we are but simple chefs."
Once on deck Tarcog passes around the platter of appetizers, holding back four servings to be shared between himself and Amvolwatt. After a moments thought, he also grabs a roll stuffed with pork belly. As he is offering the food to the diners, he heads up to the aft deck.
“Come up here! Master Lui was kind enough to allow me to share some fireworks on this journey. I think that the aft deck will give a superb view.”
Amvolwatt brings up a small table to set the dish of appetizers on.
“It will take me a short time to properly set it up.”
He checks with Maika on the precise location where the surprise guest will arrive and then encourages her to go up on the aft deck someplace she can easily signal the count down.
Quickly briefing Hunger on what is to come, Tarcog waits until about three minutes before the action is expected to start. Then he gets out his kobold defensive kit and sets a surprise for the creature. He supplements his normal equipment with the pork belly roll.
Taking their seafood, Tarcog and Amvolwatt each eat one serving while waiting for the action to begin. The other share they hold ready to offer to the creature.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
When it is clear that they do not have time to complete the knife ritual before the Morrowkin next appears, Jayma sighs and resignedly climbs the ladder back up to the deck. She wasn't planning on going down easy, but had accepted the inevitability of another gruesome death and rebirth.
When she sees Tarcog try to herd the guests onto the aft deck, she does her best to put on a excited face and urges them on. "Yes, everyone onto the aft deck. Tarcog puts on the best fireworks shows."
The other diners rush to the aft deck, eager to see the fireworks.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
When Jayma finds the Knife of Trouble Elimination, Dr. Lazarus nods knowingly while lecturing, "As I was trying to tell you all, it was indeed in the kitchen. Area."
Pondering the next steps, Lazarus is startled when Fa addresses him. The Doctor quickly recovers and says, "Ahh, my dear boys, you do yourselves a disservice. I trust that you are "fa" more than mere simple chefs. Never sell yourselves short, lads." Realizing the others have gone, and he's alone with the assassins, Dr. Lazarus hurries to follow the group above deck.
Standing in the stairwell, he catches Jayma's attention. "Jayma dear. Seems the passengers are duly excited about the fireworks." He rolls his eyes and continues, "We could use you, and the Knife, downstairs in Jiuda's room. Care to join me?" Dr. Lazarus leads the way back to the ritual room.
Turiik raises an eyebrow at Lazarus' assertion. Or maybe it was the One Who Hungers. His hair is turning more and more white as Maika calls out time and his eyes darker. "I will stand in the way of the door to slow down the beast," he says. "But I wouldn't mind something to eat before the battle starts."
|
|
Jayma seems a little perplexed at Thurston's request. "But, doctor, you heard Jiuda; it will take at least 30 minutes to complete the ritual and we'll be lucky if even half that time remains before the Morrowkin reappears." She looks around at their companions. "As impressive a group as they are, I don't think they'll be able to hold off the Morrowkin for that long without our help. And anyway, I suspect that we'll just have to go through the whole knife finishing ritual once again on next loop, since everything will be reset to its original state."
Meadow tags along with the others once they come upstairs to speak to Rui. The announcement of seventeen minutes until attack causes her some concern. "Maybe with more people helping we could speed up the ritual? Would it help if someone uses that geode to boost their magical knowledge?"
|
|
Dr. Lazarus calmly explains to Jayma, "Yes, my dear, it will likely take longer than we have now. This is true." He continues patiently, "But it would no doubt save time on our next attempt if we know the exact steps needed for the ritual. Perhaps there are other artifacts needed?" Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he asks, "Would it not be prudent to talk with Jiuda now and collect as much information as possible in this loop?"
|
|
Jayma shrugs when Meadow mentions the possibility of speeding up the ritual and then Thurston suggests that a dry run would clarify what they'd need to do in the next loop. "Very well, I suspect that my being on-deck won't slow the Morrowkin down that much, so I guess we can give the ritual a try. The geode is a good idea. Let's go, doctor; we don't have much time."
She quickly tracks down Rui and borrows his geode from him. "It's like mine, but more powerful. If I ever get out of this alive, I should get myself one". Jayma then heads down to the private dining room below decks and joins Thurston and Jiuda. Once there, She pulls out the knife and holds it up. "Very well, Jiuda, what do we need to do to complete the ritual?"
"The ritual itself requires a drop of blood, thirty minutes time, and a successful meditation upon one of the four magical traditions. Occultism would be best." Jiudu's ghostly form studies the knife. "The knife appears to be tied into the time loop phenomena. I think it is what has been giving you multiple chances to solve the morrowkin dilemma. I think... If you manage to empower the blade once, you will empower it across all time loops."
The ghost pauses. "The morrowkin is coming. We do not have time to empower the blade before it arrives, but there is one other step you will want to take. You'll want to learn how to untether the morrowkin from time. That will take at least half an hour, but you have retained your memories from your first time through the loop, yes?"
She waits for confirmation. "I could teach you the first ten minutes of the drill if you wish, to save you a little time on the next loop."
"Since the monster is disgusted by proper food we should have a table full of food right next to where he will appear. That way we can tip it over on top of him right away. Also everyone should have a dumpling or something ready to offer to him. A tureen of soup would be perfect since it will kinda stick to him if we splash him with it."
Meadow will visit Maika on the rear deck with a handful of dumplings. "We will do everything we can to occupy him but If we tries to climb up here throw these at him. and encourage the others to do so too."