The idea that anything about divination could be measured and compared amuses Sanjana, but the kashrishi does not let that amusement show. They were starting to learn everyone's particular pressure points, and it would be unkind to make Pen think they were laughing at her, especially after the earlier charged discussion.
"Arcadia, then. Perhaps the library here has some information on those lands?"
Heading to Harrowheart's library, you are able to research some more about the Deadshot Lands in north-central Arcadia. Specifically, the trees you saw through the portal are commonly found in the lands of the Halana Theocracy.
Northwest of Tazuni, the desert gives way to rolling, fertile hills and a coastline of rugged cliffs. Many tengu inhabit this region, though humans still greatly outnumber them. Although this land seems pastoral, it’s under the firm control of a despotic government called the Halana Theocracy. Headquartered in the many-spired city of Rookery, the church does its best to control all aspects of life within its borders, from the timing of crops to the education of its youth. Far from being an orderly place, however, the dictates of the church are erratic and often contradictory, so the nation is one of paranoia, toil, and misery. The faith itself is no less convoluted, revering an ever-shifting pantheon of malevolent sky gods centered on the demon lord Pazuzu. It is heresy to utter the names of any sky gods of the pantheon; the church claims that doing so invites corruption and madness. Halana’s leaders, the three Windborne Theocrats, can control the weather, although they usually bring storms to evince their wrath rather than good weather to benefit the populace. They are known to be physically frail despite their divine power, as their seals of office are made from a poisonous skymetal called abysium, or feverstone.
The Halana Theocracy enforces its will through an elite group of wicked soldiers known as the Mivanians. Most Mivanians are tengu, but the force admits a fair number of avian beastkin and tiefling humans with birdlike features as well. All Mivanians carry beast guns created from flying monsters, giving them unparalleled range. For anyone outside the Mivanians, owning a gun of any kind is a capital offense. An extensive and surprisingly well-armed rebellion is working to overthrow the theocracy and has caches of guns hidden throughout Halana; it only needs to recruit enough heroes willing to fight to free their land.
"Think you only noble things and true ones bear beautiful faces? But let us do what work we may to cast these Mivanians down, and thereby let Halana's path be cleared of such troublesome stones."
From her seat on the other side of the library table, she listens to the passages being recited, and takes notes "Pazuzu, Mivanians..." she leans over the table to get the correct spelling on that one, then makes a few more about beast guns "Created from flying monsters?" curiosity in her voice.
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"Beasts and demons are not the only ones that wear the ones of ugly destruction. So no, I know better it is just misleading to those unfamiliar with the place. I do not know if we can aid in bringing these Mivanians to humbleness, but we will not know what we must do for the next suit until we arrive."
Briar shakes her head as she had barely heard of guns let alone one crafted from beasts. Weapons and armor have long since been crafted from monsters and the like, typically from their bones, teeth, and hides, but ranged weapons that are not simply tipped arrows with teeth it's beyond her.
"Only time will tell it seems. I believe I will be off for the night and we can reconvene in the gateway room in the morning, to set off to Arcadia?"
Once you are ready, you step through the Arch of Hammers. Old trees hanging with ivy and moss provide deep shadows, but the trees end at a rolling plain of waving grass so green that it almost glimmers in the bright sunlight. A few clouds scud across the bright blue sky, while a deadfall provides something of a defensive bulwark along the side of the clearing closest to the plains beyond.
Several people cluster beneath a fallen tree, cautiously looking out over the plain while obviously protecting a large mound of bulging sacks. These are a group of fifteen humans and tengu.
It takes a few moments for these people to notice your arrival, but when they do, their leader, a dun-feathered tengu, lets out a startled cry. The group nervously raise their weapons as the leader addresses you, first in his native tongue. Once it becomes clear you don't speak the language, he cocks his head, studies your attire a bit more closely, then tries again in accented Common.
"You do not appear to be Mivanian agents. Who are you? Where did you come from?"
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Briar raises her hands as non-threateningly as she can coated in Dragon's scale, the hide stretched as it need be to fit her bulk.
"Ahh.. no we are anything but that. Not even from the region actually. We're here searching for a um.. alright this is going to sound ridiculous but a Harrow card and we'd rather not get shot. Or stabbed... or any of the bleeding variety of wounds. We tend to not take kindly to those sort of things and well."
She looks around a bit, "I don't want to decimate the local flora in an attempt to find a suitable salve for 'Everyone's' wounds. If you would allow me I might even be able to aid you slightly by casting the bones, though I'm an inexperienced speaker by any rite It may prove fruitful for both of our endeavors going forward."
"A Harrow card? I've seen nothing of the sort," the tengu replies warily. "What aid are you able to render?"
Sanjana steps forward, likely raising their hands in a pacifying gesture, holding the filigreed scepter. "Well met. Please forgive my friend's talk of fighting and wounds. We have been sorely tried in our mission." They give the nervous group a meaningful glance. "And by the look of things, so have you. Please, allow us to render what assistance we can. My friend here is skilled in healing, if that is what you need. Or perhaps it is protection that you seek, or a glimpse into what awaits you."
Pen finds herself nodding along to Sanjana's words, each more comforting than the last, like pillow after pillow on a huge soft bed. She has nothing to add that wouldn't be like a toothpick in the down, so she clutches her staff and waits.
"Our divinations have led us here in search of a strange anomaly, but we may not be alone. Beasts and fiends have been drawn to such things in the past, and we would not have you face them alone."
The tengu studies you for a moment longer, then says something to his companions, who lower their weapons. ”Very well. I am Skawnak,” the tengu says. ”You find yourselves in the Halana Theocracy, a nation on the continent of Arcadia far to the west of Avistan. Halana is, unfortunately for its oppressed denizens like ourselves, an overbearing theocracy devoted to the demon lord Pazuzu. The Windborne Theocrats that rule the land enforce their erratic will with elite soldiers called Mivanians. Mivanians maintain control through two primary means—their notorious alliances with avian demons, and their tight control over access to deadly firearms.”
Skawnak gestures to himself and his group. ”We are with the rebellion. We want nothing other than the right to rule our land free of fiendish dictators. We are currently far behind enemy lines. We have been preparing to cross the open fields to the west, hopefully without being spotted by the enemy’s airborne patrols. But there are far more foes in the skies than we anticipated, and it’s all open terrain ahead.”
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Briar's ears perk up, "Ah well aside from healing. I can assist yours in moving quickly across such open terrain. Though hiding upon it is not my best skill. However a worthwhile distraction could also throw off the flying fiends such as a large fire."
She looks to her allies since they are the more magically inclined of the group and bith Visna and herself seem to be quite locked to ground combat. "Our specialties do not lend well to engaging uh... those in flight I don't believe."
Pen tenses as eyes turn toward her "Invisibility sphere." she says quickly, her mind calculating area, size and number of people, how close they'd have to get "Two." she looks out at the plain and thinks about distances, glad to have a problem. "There is a more advanced version that lasts an hour, the normal is a sixth of that."
But then she stops "I don't have it memorized though. We'd have to wait until tomorrow if we wanted to do that." the excitement about solving a problem wanes but then settles into one plus "I do have spells to allow for flight readied." she tells Briar.
As you are conversing, Pen's senses pick up on magical auras nearby! She looks to the north. Emerging from the undergrowth is a group of five tengus wielding strange firearms. Their leader has numerous scars and a brutal mien. The wizard calls out a warning as they raise their weapons. "Mivanians!" Skawnak squawks!
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Briar curses under her breath and readies her weapon, "Visna to the front, before they can draw aim on anyone. I'll take the commander."
With that said she roars out and charges towards the leader pushing her way through the line and delivering a chop. Then she ducks down to the diminutive Tengu's height and uses the pommel of her blade to bash him in the beak hopefully preventing him from issuing any commands while also splashing their armor with a corrosive bile causing it to sizzle.
Success: The target is unaffected.
Failure: The target is dazed and can barely vocalize. It's stunned 1 and its speech is raspy and hard to understand. It must succeed at a DC 11 flat check to use linguistic actions or supply verbal spellcasting components until the end of its next turn.
Critical: Failure As failure, but the creature is stunned 3 instead of stunned 1.
The wizard's curiosity draws her to the guns, making her miss the moment she had to cast a spell on Briar. Before their other warrior charges and shatters, Pen quickly casts a fly spell on her. "Visna, you can fly now." she says practically, then moves herself between the Mivanians and the ragged rebels.
Sanjana invokes protective magic on Briar, then addresses the leader of the Mivanians.
"Drop your weapon! These people are under our protection!"
"Always shall tyrants end in the Hells!"
Visna follows Briar's lead, surging forward to hurdle the tengu line of battle before laying about her from behind them.
Pen starts to work on her flight spell but Visna hurdles (her head slightly tilts as she thinks yes Hurdles, a perfect description) toward the enemies.
Without a warrior to enchant, Pen instead sends searing flame at the tengu, three rippling spears at the three nearest enemies.
The Mivanian leader seems unimpressed by Sanjana's threats, but Visna strikes deep fear in the tengu! The Ulfen woman rushes through the undergrowth to get behind Raskus, exploiting his personal anathema, then delivers a critical hit! Briar moves to flank, slicing the tengu leader, then delivering a critical strike to his face that shatters his beak in gruesome fashion. The tengu leader crumples to the ground!
Pen unleashes a trio of scorching rays, two of which hit the other beast gunners, one a critical hit! They screech in pain!
Despite their leaders' swift demise, the other Mivanians remain resolute. They raise their spike launcher guns and fire, shooting sharp manticore spikes at Briar and Visna, reloading, and shooting again! Briar takes one hit.
Visna laughs in delight. "Still the ring of steel and splintering of oak call you on? Then come, we will find the end that you clearly desire."
Sensing that despite their impressive resolve, these particular Mivanians will be no match for the might of their Briar and Visna. So for the sake of conservation, Pen does not unleash chain lightning but instead targets the two she burned with an electrical arc between them.
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Briar momentarily flinches as the muscular ejection of the bone spur pierces through her armor but not her resolve. She grabs the barb with one hand and pulls it free and roars at the tengu who did so and makes sure it knows just how badly it messed up.
Seems in her rage though she snaps and swings at them rather too wild, or maybe there was some poison on that barb?
Sanjana studies their foes for a bit, noting how they move, the structure of their bodies, and which points might be struck for maximum effect.
"Go for their shoulder joints!" the kashrishi calls out to Briar, helping their friend be more effective in her strikes.
Visna lashes out, snagging the nearest tengu soldier. She then grabs him and slices him again with her axe. Briar bites the grabbed warrior but misses with her follow-up strike. Her first attack is enough to finish him off, though!
One of the other enemies evades Pen's lightning, but the second target takes the blast full on.
The tengus reload their guns, fire, and reload again. Visna takes a hit.
Pen frowns, worried about the amount of devotion these 'bad' guys are showing. More lightning rips through two of the enemies though. Surrender or death applies to both sides... though Pen would suggest running quite fast if death was close to any of her friends.
Visna tetches at the barb in her side and slices a quick cut through the Tengu in return. "Good! If you are brave enough to die with your wounds to the fore, then it is right that your gods gift you with the sight of my blood. But they will not grant you victory."
Sanjana switches their attention to the tengu who had struck Visna, sending their boomerang whistling towards them.
"Do not throw your lives away! You will not survive my friends' wrath if you do not surrender!"
Unfortunately, the tengu don't seem to understand Sanjana's pleas for them to surrender. With the language barrier proving insurmountable, the kashirishi switches to attack, scoring a critical hit with their boomerang!
Visna snags the wounded tengu but misses with her follow-up. Briar is able to take him down with her attacks. Pen zaps both of the remaining foes.
The two opponents fire their guns wildly, spikes sailing past you and doing no harm.
Pen continues her electric assault.
Visna rushes the remaining pair, crushing the farther one to her as she hews away with her axe.
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Briar continues around the patch of remaining enemies spitting the blood from the previous onto it's fallen corpse.
"A battle in a fated circle, between a champion of wisdom and one of pride. You've no chance against us!"
She snaps at the one Visna isn't attacking mostly trying to find purchase and keep them from flying away to alert any of their fellows.
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So they did not speak the same language, but the universal language of scowls, glares and threatening gestures still remained.
One of the tengus withers under Sanjana's intimidating glare! The kashirishi hurls their boomerang, but the soldier manages to dodge. Not so Visna's attacks, as the Ulfen woman grabs hold of the wounded tengu. Briar tries and fails to grab the other tengu. Pen zaps both of them!
The tengu Visna is grappling squawks in terror and tries to peck her with his beak! The other one steps away from Briar, reloads, and fires at the gnoll point-blank! Neither one hits!
Pen looks over at Sanjana, catching just a glimpse of that stare and decides to do her best to never anger the Kashrishi. She quickly focuses on the battle instead. While magic rarely follows the same principles as science, she does worry about sending electrical currents into a creature that her friend is grappling with.
Instead she sends a barrage of glowing orbs at the one shooting at her other friend.
"There is bravery and there is tedium of spirit," Visna grumbles, holding her opponent out at extension for a better swipe with her axe. "But at least we know that no reinforcements are near; else even zealots might withdraw towards greater numbers."
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Briar practically lunges at the tengu who wildly attempted to fire into her, continuing to pressure the notso poor avian so they kept making hasty mistakes landing one crushing bite that tore chunks out of their armor as well. Two more snaps ring through the air as her jaws clack at the tengu twice more.
"Watch out for the foot talons, Visna!"
Briar seemed to have things well in... snout with her target, and Sanjana did not doubt that Visna's dance partner would soon be brought low, but the kashrishi was beginning to fear what other foes the sounds of their battle might bring, so they resolve to try to end it as soon as possible.
Sanjana batters the tengu Visna is holding with their boomerang, knocking the soldier out! Visna lets go and moves to assist Briar, flanking the gnoll's foe. She swiftly delivers two critical strikes, then Briar finishes the tengu off with a devastating assault of her own!
Skawnak and his fellow rebels emerge from their hiding spots, thanking you profusely for protecting them!
"We have to get across this plain before more Mivanians show up," Skawnak says. "But we've never been here before, and we don't know the best path to get past the aerial patrols. The grasses conceal a veritable maze of hidden gullies, and we've been trying to plot our route. Maybe you can help us get across safely?"
To the rebels Pen suggests "You should take their equipment." Logistics and supply swimming through her head. She suggest this even though her fingers itch to take apart the guns to see how they work
Briar studies the plain before charting a course that looks like it will get the rebels across safely. They nod and steel themselves before following the four of you into the hidden gullies. Fortunately, it seems that the barbarian has a keen eye for navigation, and you make it across the plain!
As the rebels scurry to safety, however, two vulturelike demons suddenly appear in the air 15 feet above you, having spotted you from a distance and teleported into your midst! The hulking demons shriek and flex their claws! In the air 30 feet above you, another fiend appears, flapping her wings to stay aloft. This fiend resembles a horned, humanoid hawk with blood-red taloned feet and wings in place of arms. You notice that she clutches a Harrow card in one of her talons!
Happy she had not wasted her spells before this moment, she moves quickly to Briar and chants a flight spell on to them. "Okay, you are ready." she taps the gnoll on their massive shoulders, then turns to Visna.
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"Thanks Pen, I'll get em down for Visna." Briar leaps up towards the Vulture-like demons and tries to grapple and pin their wings so that they can't sustain flight and as such find themselves.
"I would like to enlighten you about how we deal with those who sweep the tallest of trees. They can sometimes find themselves breaking their necks in the fall!"
Sanjana tries to remember what they know about vulture-headed demons, calling out tidbits to their friends.