Silver Frond Oasis is a full day’s journey directly west through rocky desert. It's an oasis full of white-spine acacias with trunks twisted by the wind.
Masked nomads raise crossbows as you approach, refusing you entry, until a handsome elf bedecked in a fine shemagh scarf—a sign of status—rides forth upon a majestic camel that's draped with a colorful mahawi saddle whose many tassels sway with he beast’s gait. The other bandits deferentially make way. This must be the water lord himself.
Ahh. Visitors! Curious. Are you here to rob Water Lord Almeth? To beg of his generosity? I tell you now: my life’s treasure neighs in the sunlight and shimmers in a bucket. Neither will we part with easily.
He seems indifferent but curious. You could make an impression.
"We are not here to rob you Water Lord Almeth." Eleanor gives the man a stern looks and and even sterner tone. "We went to visit Valls and it seems your men took it upon themselves to become highway robbers. One survived this encounter and helped us make it to Valls safely."
Barker reaches for his mandolin and plays a tune
"What my experienced colleague said is true, although I think more than one survived. We are travelers that came to visit Valls, and on our way there we met people whom you send. Since we didn't met the artist at his place we came here to ask about him."
Almeth grins at Eleanor. "Honorable men do not get caught enacting crimes such as robbing old women in the desert, and come limping home like whining pups. The dogs have been whipped."
He seems impressed by barker. "What news do you have of Valls? My men told fairy tales of wolves made of sand. He chuckles. "Come in. I'll feed you if you tell me your story."
After a long day of travel, the gnome bows lightly to the elf. Dinner sounds great. Please lead the way.
Almeth's men slaughter an old goat. They are careful to preserve its skin in one piece, and make a broth from the blood and boil the intestines. Nothing in the harsh Thuvian desert goes to waste.
The water lord is dismayed at the news you bring. I am a huge fan of Valls' work. I love his epics, particularly the ones about of the nomadic heroes traveling the world, as well as the warriors of the Tekritanin League and their devastating, desert-hardened camelry fighting the Jistka Imperium! He smashes his fist and grins, glancing at his own camels. These are valuable beasts in the desert.
I will give you 50 gold to bring the poet home and introduce me. As a gesture of good will, you may even use that staff my men foolishly gave you. Perhaps it will help you return the poet. It was not theirs to give, but I give it now.
Sitting around the campfire, you wind the clockwork head. Something about the desert wind and cold stars twinkling above, and discussions of Valls' work, unlocks more of the poem inside the mechanical brain… the metallic voice rings among the gnarled old acacias like an otherworldly mockingbird…
Dear bulbul, welcome! You will be our guide;
It was on you Artokus Kirran relied
To carry five secret messages between
Five nomadic city-states, wings unseen.
He knew your language and you knew his heart—
As his close confidant you learnt the art
Of pushing jealousies deep underground,
And for these exploits was Thuvia five-crowned.
But talk of five implies plurality –
When five has gone there will be Unity.
(This is the oneness of diversity,
Not oneness locked in singularity);
We journey to the valley of pure unity
a place of community, not austerity,
There you will understand unspoken words
Too subtle for the ears of mortal birds.
In the morning, Almeth gives you a token carved from the wood of a date palm. You may pass these lands with my blessing. If anyone should ambush you, show them this. Any who accost you shall face the wrath of a Water Lord.
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"So you wish to pay us to bring Valls to you so you can hear him. What if Valls does not wish to 'visit' after his ordeal?" Eleanor feels they are being bribed into kidnapping the poet themselves.
A wolfish grin. ”Eleanor, surely you understand: a friendly neighbor who’s close at hand is better than a king in far-away Absalom. Just let Valls know that Water Lord Almeth himself resides very near his new home. The poet will see wisdom.”
The next morning you set out for Ilhiin. Several days pass without incident.
Half a day’s ride from Ilhiin, Barker and Rhys notice you're being stalked. Rhys notes you're on the border between Almath's lands and that of the Bleached Teeth tribe, a group of gnolls who are loosely aligned with the water lord.
Duly forewarned, you spot furtive movement rocky hills ahead… another ambush…
When invited to the dinner Barker takes out his mandolin and plays a song telling about their heroic fight with sand wolves. In the song there is a lot of bravery, heroism and very little details about quantity of enemies or their real features. But the song is enjoyble, he also shares the fact that Valls was gone.
When hearing the offer he considers what Eleanor is saying "We could definitely ofer Valls to come by and visit you, but it would be up to them to take the offer or not. And by the way, why are you interested in Valls?"
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When invited to the dinner Barker takes out his mandolin and plays a song telling about their heroic fight with sand wolves. In the song there is a lot of bravery, heroism and very little details about quantity of enemies or their real features. But the song is enjoyble, he also shares the fact that Valls was gone.
When hearing the offer he considers what Eleanor is saying "We could definitely ofer Valls to come by and visit you, but it would be up to them to take the offer or not. And by the way, why are you interested in Valls?"
Zephrena sheds her heavy armor and with her silk and gauzy Sheylin priestess robes, she dances in accompaniment to Barker’s tune. The gnome has a very curvy figure. She has wide hips, an ample bosom, and a bit of a belly. She is excellent at sonorous hip movements and belly dancing. Yet she is also capable of athletic leaps and quick long lunges to show the more exciting parts of Barker’s story.
Performance
You help entertain the bandits, errr, Water Lords, through the evening. He's quite impressed, making sure to give you his token before leaving in the morning.
Most of you get the sense that Water Lord Almeth is just a fan of poetry; Valls is a celebrity!
Meanwhile, the gnoll tribe is setting up an ambush. As before some of you have managed to spot it. Is there anything you want to do about this?
"I am not sure the Water Lords token will have a lot of clout with the Gnolls, but we can try." Eleanor looks for suggestions as she wipes swathes of sweat from the heat.
"I am not sure the Water Lords token will have a lot of clout with the Gnolls, but we can try." Eleanor looks for suggestions as she wipes swathes of sweat from the heat.
The champion volunteers to take the token and move forward closer to show the gnoll bandits. If things go wrong. I can withstand an attack better than most in this group. She raps her knuckles on her breast plate and hefts her shield. You guys can hang back and maybe have a plan ready to help me out if they attack my lovely self.
Zephrena moves forward and holds up the token. As she does so, the gnolls chatter and then fade into the rocks. It seems the token is worth something!
A day later you arrive in the village of Ilhiin.
A small village with a handful of square, whitewashed buildings stands in a shallow depression of the surrounding rocky desert. The houses are organized in a circle around a central well, a lush, green area with three large date trees that provide shade. Hills rise to the north and west, sheltering the village from the desert winds.
From the looks of things, it seems the people of Ilhiin live as their ancestors have: growing crops that tolerate the heat, drawing water from deep aquifers, gathering the sparse seasonal rains in cisterns.
As you walk into this tiny village, you are met with suspicious stares from windows that are quickly shuttered. Those int the dusty street give you a wide berth.
Barker looks at the reaction "Wow, now I know why I never heard a saying: 'helpful and welcoming as an Ilhiinian!'"
He turns around "How about we first find some accommodation and learn some gossips?"
"Something's got them scared." Eleanor seems worried as she watches more shutters slam shut. "It's worse than we thought." She tries to wave don a person to speak before than can close their shutters. "Please, we just have a few questions."
A short, soft-spoken, elderly Garundi man dressed in white linen robes comes from the well area to greet you.
"Hello. What is your business in our small village? We don’t receive many visitors who aren’t regular merchants." He looks you over… the weapons, lack of camels and carts.
Barker breathes in and pats his fur on his head. "My name is Barker, the bard, poet and adventurer, and these are my companions. Each and every one of them are fascinated by arts of various forms. Some are great artists, while others do not realize yet that they are great artists. We are looking for a collegue a poet themselves we heared a rumor that they could have comed here."
He seems more at ease with you. Ahh, I see! Apologies for being so cold to you in my initial greeting, Barker. We don't have any artists here. No one has visited in quite a while.
You all sense motive and find he's telling the truth.
"I'm Iksha." Iksha smiles cheerfully at the elder. "Apologies if we frightened you. As Barker said, we're looking for a colleague of ours, Valls the poet. We found a note suggesting he might be at Ilhiin’s temple, so we came here. Is there a temple nearby? Even if he didn't visit the town perhaps we might find clues there."
"By the way, I am Nizar Wassim al-Ilhiini. Ineed, there is a temple dedicated to Sarenrae about three miles West here, but the priests prefer privacy!"
Villagers start to go about their business as Nizar chats with you. More at ease, some of them may be willing to converse with you.
Being the most heavily armored, the gnome gives a polite bow. She has a cheery smile and speaks frankly. I hope my armored self doesnt offend. Im a Champion of Sheylin, here to bring beauty and cheer everywhere I go. She hefts her shield which is heart shaped and the leather cover is painted with rainbows and unicorns (literally). Her own breastplate has a bright painting of Sheylin’s beautiful long feathered bird image. Only slight scuffed by combat. My armor is symbolic of defense of those who need defending. The gnome slightly stumbles over her choice of words but somehow makes it cute.
Maybe Ill get the chance later to shed this armor and put on my dancer’s silks. She gives another wry smile and sticks her hip out a little.
Diplomacy
Just within the confines of the group. Zephrena says she could try and speak with the priests of Sarenrae. They have always gotten along well with Sheylin she tells them.
You all learn things.
Eleanor finds an old widower. "Oh yes. Them Sarenites at the old ruins keep to themselves and only rarely send someone into the town, usually for supplies.
Iksha finds a child who tells her the Sarenrites are terrible poets whos verses are so bad they can drive you mad.
Zephrena hears a ghost story. Some kind of spirit occupies the temple or surrounding ruins, and the priests spend much of their time and energy keeping it contained. Over the years, several villagers have attempted to explore and learn more, but none have ever come back.
Barker learns local farmers have an agreement with the priests of the temple to donate a portion of their crops to the temple in order to keep the worshippers fed.
In addition, Barker learns that next week is the Sun’s Kiss holiday. During this celebration all the town’s children must play in the sun during the hottest hours of the day until they become so sunburned they get blisters. After which, the town holds a feast in honor of the child who is burned the worst.
Barker share what he learned. "To be frank, that story about children if true is awful. Who would do such barbarity" asks Barker rhetorically
"Shall we go and check on the Sarenrites?"
Zephrena has never heard of such a holiday; however Iksha has heard folktales of one among rustic communities.
"Most of these new fangled groups are little more than cults posing as the real thing. The world is in a foul place." Eleanor sneers. "Let's go check in on these Sarenrites and see if they have heard anything about Valls."
"Terrible poets and a terrible tradition." Iksha is no longer smiling after they reconvene and share the information they've gathered. "I'd heard rumors of such festivals but never thought I'd find a community actually practicing it. What kind of Sarenite harms children? No wonder the villagers all seem afraid if those are their closest neighbors."
"Something's definitely wrong here. Let's go find out what."
"Something's definitely wrong here. Let's go find out what."
The gnome nods sagely at Iksha’s words. Yes, lets go.
You easily locate the ruins of an ancient city perched on a hill after traveling 2 hours by camel to the west of the village. The land here is dry, dusty, and rocky, with only the hardiest plants able to survive. Ancient, crumbled buildings, a few fitted-stone walls, and the occasional cobbles from an ancient road are the only remaining signs of what was once a large city; the rest has been swallowed by the desert or worn away by the wind.
"Jistka? No, not really" says Barker looking around
"How about we climb it from the top?"
Society
The gnome thinks about it but cant quite remember if she knows something…
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Eleanor catches Rhys looking at her. "Watch yourself. I am old, but not that old." She uses the healing staff to slowly ascend the steps.
"I know any ruins from that time are old. Very old." Iksha's response is brief as she stares up at the temple. "I'm not sure what if anything it means though. Old ruins are always getting repurposed for one reason or another." With a shrug she starts climbing.
A well-worn path runs across the top of the pyramid’s surface from east to west. Scatterings of colorful yellow and orange tiles are all that remain of what must have once been a larger work of art. Weather-worn statues stand at either end of the path, their features eroded and difficult to interpret. In the path’s center is a massive bonfire.
Three men stand atop the ziggurat. One tends the fire, tossing dung into it. The other two stand motionless and sunburnt. They all have that same crazed look the men at the poetry reading had, and all wield scimitars. The man tending the fire grins. His eyes are wide. He's so excited to see you!
Have you come here to contemplate… holy Sarenrea… friends? Throw your belongings into the fire… and stand under her blaze as my fellow… monks… are doing… contemplating the deity's glory and power… until her holy heat stroke strikes them down!
"No thank you, I think you have plenty of your own dung to feed the fire."
Barker looks around and turns towards his allies "I can speak with normal chaps no problem, but anyone speaks insane here?"
Iksha frowns at the strange speech patterns. "Usij cultists and Sarenites, even weird Sarenites, shouldn't have anything in common. So why do they sound the same?" When Barker asks if anyone speaks insane she raises her hands defensively. "I'm not good with talking to normal chaps. Somehow I doubt I'll do any better here."
"You want us to burn all of our belongings?" Eleanor seems confused. "No thanks, I still need to get hoe, we just came here to talk for a few minutes."
The gnome looks at the others and shrugs. I'll try something.
Zephrena hands her shield to one of her comrades and whispers please get this back to me if things go horribly wrong...
With that the Champion of Sheylin calls out to the men, I'd like to see Sarenrae's fire. Its beautiful, the flames flickering and wavering. She raises her hands and begins to dance her way up the ziggurat. Hips swaying and gentle pattering of footsteps she gets closer and closer. Her arms move gracefully and very nonthreateningly. She ends her dance near the man. She leans in closer to him and playfully bumps him a little with her hip. Please, tell me more about this ritual. I'm not familiar with it. She looks up at him with big doe eyes.
Iksha and Eleanor identify the fire as a Filth Fire, an evil elemental! They're weak to cold and immune to fire in addition to the other standard elemental immunities.
It … tingles! HEHEE. If… you don't know the ritual… you're not one of us… your friends… not so… friendly…
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Eleanor
⠀⠀➤ Holly
"Monk" 1
Rhys
"Monk" 2
Filthy Fire
Iksha
"Monk" 3
Zephrena
Barker
Eleanor protects Holly as the plant scuttles in defensively, swinging vines all over the place.
Reinforce Eidolon lasts 3 rounds.
HP 56/56
AC 17
Hero Points 1/3
Battle Medicine ()
Focus Points 2/3
Spells 1st 2/2 | 2nd 1/2
Holly
HP 56/56
AC 20 (21 w/ Reinforce Eidolon)
Eleanor and Holly leave the monk bloodied and dazed.
Ahriman!
He steps back ignoring the scimitar in his left hand, drawing his scorpion whip!
— Whiff!
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Eleanor
⠀⠀Holly
"Monk" 1
➤ Rhys
"Monk" 2
Filthy Fire
Iksha
"Monk" 3
Zephrena
Barker
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"No reasoning with those that have no reason." Rhys sighs, closing his eyes to focus on his connection to the elements once more. As he opens them, a crackling blast of electricity strikes out at the cultist by Holly.
Holding his hands together, he forces air to flow between them, pulling from the coldest depths he can, sending the torrent of chill air at the blazing fire.
The filthy fire crackles, perhaps waiting for something.
Monk 2 slashes at the holly bush with his scimitar!
Sap flies!
Then he steps back.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Eleanor
⠀⠀Holly
"Monk" 1
Rhys
"Monk" 2
➤ Iksha
Filthy Fire
"Monk" 3
Zephrena
Barker
"I'm plenty friendly!" Iksha retorts, although given she's already aiming her bow at the monk it doesn't sound sincere. "Just not to insane cultists trying to destroy the world." She thinks for a second, calculating the angles, then looses an arrow.
There's an evil fire. There's a guy on their team that does elemental damage. That's the kind of math Iksha likes. She grins, white fangs glinting in the light as she starts her tale. "Fire itself shivered as it realized who it faced: Rhys Xanthan, the Master of All Elements..."