"What deeds could I speak of that would mean more than mere words?"
The desert kholo attempts to rub the sand from his blue eyes.
He curses his element....
"We are heroes, you know. We just won the funeral games in honor of a potential Hero God! It didn't really work out for him, but I have high hopes for us!"
Oinos waves his hand, presenting the crew to the scarred pegasus.
"Those do sound like heroic deeds," Iokoris admits. "Still, true heroes are more than just their actions. Tell me more about the content of your character."
"Ah, well personally my deepest goal is for everyone to coexist in harmony, sharing the bounty of the land at companionable feasts!" Oinos shares.
Arfi grunts at the sand in his blue eyes ....
Locking blue eyes with Iokoris, the kholo snarls
The very Earth comes when I command it! We are not here to disrupt, but to defeat any forces foolish enough to forge their future here!
Kal combs his history, and finds it somewhat wanting in heroism. Many of his greatest deeds have been to rescue himself, or save himself after all, and the songs sung of corsairs had enough blood in them to make him suspect the pegasus wouldn't care for them.
Yet something inside him warms to the thought of a time his efforts had saved others... even if from a danger they had brought on themselves. "I navigated the straits of the Obari trade route in only forty leagues to stay ahead of the Pactmasters' dhows and keep my crew safe."
"I see. Perhaps you are worthy of my assistance," Iokoris says, starting to relax just a bit in your presence.
"We'll certainly use your help to do worthy deeds, and we'll make sure to spread word of your good works," Oinos promises.
Arfi grunts at the winged horse!
The Kholo's not exactly known for his social skills....
"I have received many boons already; I make use of those I asked for as well as those forced upon me. I would sooner use those I have chosen, but you need not fear they would go unused or wasted."
"I have heard enough," Iokoris declares. "I shall tell you what I know of this island's history and its recent goings-on.
"Perhaps you know the tale of the hero-god Sophreista. I was once her noble steed, and together we traveled across Iblydos battling monsters and defending those who could not defend herself. She lived here on this island in between adventurers, and many of her followers took up residence on the island. Among these followers were a male aiuvarin named Ekleios, who became Sophreista’s high priest, and Merosyne, a human woman and gifted poet who chronicled Sophreista's exploits and eventually became her lover.
"For a time, life on Eupherae was peaceful for Sophreista and her cult. Tragically, it was not to last. One of Sophreista’s rival hero-gods, Phreskores, envied her powers and sought her destruction, but he knew he couldn’t defeat her in a fair fight. Instead, he coaxed Ekleios into betraying her, and the priest betrayed her greatest weakness: when Sophreista first gained mythic power, she was dying from an arrow embedded in one of her ribs, and though she was revived by her empowerment, the arrowhead remained within her. She knew if the spot were struck again, fate would catch up with her, and so she disclosed this information to only her most trusted allies.
"Armed with this knowledge, Phreskores challenged Sophreista to battle and quickly targeted her weak point, slaying her. It was in this battle that I was so grievously wounded. I barely managed to flee, and it took me days to make my way back to Eupherae. Meanwhile, Merosyne discovered what Ekleios had done, and in vengeance, she poisoned him during Sophreista’s funeral feast.
"Neither Sophreista nor Ekleios would rest peacefully, however. Sophreista rose as a ghost, doomed to roam her former home while lamenting her betrayal. Ekleios rose as a herexen, yet Merosyne believed this wasn’t punishment enough. She beseeched naiads of the surrounding sea for aid. Though generally uninterested in mortal affairs, the naiads took pity on Merosyne and granted her a boon. At her request, they performed a ritual to seal Ekleios in Sophreista’s shrine, where he could ponder his betrayal forever. When this was done, they placed Merosyne into a deep slumber, safe within a cave on the island, to allow her to remain with Sophreista’s ghost until heroes capable of laying her beloved to rest arrived to awaken her.
"Over the centuries, plants grew over Sophreista’s shrine and its surroundings, yet the wards imprisoning Ekleios remained strong. However, when that meteor struck the island a few days ago, the tremors physically cracked the wards and eroded the magical bindings. Ekleios remains confined for now, but his malign influence is beginning to seep out. Without intervention, it’s only a matter of time before he escapes.
"I would ask you, heroes, to seek the shrine and destroy Ekleios once and for all. I shall reward you for your efforts. Merosyne still slumbers in her cave. I have been unable to wake her, but perhaps you could. And Sophreista yet wanders the island as a ghost, though I am too wracked with guilt to approach her."
"A story of tragedy, may we never see such betrayal," Oinos laments. "Should we attempt to wake Merosyne and tell her our plans? Or should we destroy Ekleios first?" The satyr asks his companions.
|
"A tragedy for certain, one that I understand some of the pain of. Though at least to my own knowledge there was a distinct lack of betrayal to my own hero-goddess."
He ponders things silently for a moment, "I do not know which we should pursue first, and we may not be able to wake Merosyne until Ekleios is disrupted first."
Bowing to the noble Iokoris he asks, "Could you point us to either location, we have little knowledge of this island?"
Iokoris gives you directions to both Merosyne's cave and Sophreista's shrine . He also gives you something to help for now, a vial of holy water.
The Kholo's blue eyes sigh as the Pegasus supplies them with directions to Death and Sleeping Beauty.
Probably deal with Ekleios first, yes.
Kal tries to cover his gulp with a smile. "No sense in fighting unprepared, right?"
You return to the camp to report your findings. The scouts have returned from the other nearby areas to tell you what they found there, as well:
E4: Standing on the cliff overlooking the sea is a square stone tower, with narrow windows placed at intervals up the faces of its walls. Several one-story wooden buildings are arrayed at the tower’s base, and the faded remains of a tattered flag fly from its parapets. The crumbling stones of a low fortification wall surround the complex.
E9: Amid the rolling hills covered in wind-twisted olive trees, a herd of goats grazes among the underbrush. Their long horns are oddly metallic, and they seem docile, yet skittish.
After receiving the reports from about the Island, Arfi-em-khet is seem munching on some grapes.
Seems to be a bit of investigation to be done. Death, Sleeping Beauty, Tower of Tattered Flags, and Goats. I am famished. Goats?
With several hours of daylight left, you explore the area just to the west of your base camp. A river runs through this area, and as you are traveling alongside it, the surface of the water stirs. A winged, scaly draconic creature emerges. His blue coloration blends almost perfectly with the water, and his maw boasts multiple jagged fangs. With a few powerful wingbeats, he lands on the riverbank and gestures over the water with an extended wing before demanding something in a sibilant, hissing language.
He is speaking Draconic. Arfi understands the language and is able to translate: "These waters belong to me! I demand a tribute for passing through. Give me all the gold, gems, and magical items in your possession, foolish mortals, and consider yourselves fortunate to have been graced with the presence of Zepherides of the Riverbank!"
"Wise and impressive Zepherides, we are merely guests on your island," Oinos counters. "In your mercy, won't you let us pass?"
"No," Zepherides insists. "Hand over your valuables or be devoured!"
The Kholo's blue eyes look Zepherides up and down, as if appraising a possible meal.
While you look delicious, I am willing to allow you to slither back under which ever rock welcomed your pathetic presence.
"Normally I just try to sail around anyone asking for tolls and taxes. Or, well, rob them back."
"Your insolence will be punished!" the drake snarls, surging forward to attack!
Arfi recognizes Zepherides as a river drake. They spit caustic mucus at their foes and resist acid.
"Stay spread out!" Kal urges, impelled by an unexpected instinct to throw himself at the dragon's jaws.
Shocked at the sudden sight of violence, the Kineticist calls upon the sands around him to come do his bidding.
Apparently Drake is on today's menu!
The Kholo directs a Blast at the delicious looking Drake!
Grinning at the potential meal, he calls the earth to rise and encircle him!
Arfi-em-khet calls the Earth to form another Spear!
Saliva drips from his jaws.....
The stranger dashes away from the drake before hurling a javelin into its flank. Arfi misses with his first blast, but his stone spear scores a critical hit, embedding itself in the beast's chest. Kalli then rushes the wounded drake and impales its neck with his weapon, ripping out its throat. Blood sprays as the drake thrashes and falls dead on the riverbank!
A search of the nearby area reveals a nest perched 20 feet off the ground in the crown of an olive tree. Climbing up to the nest reveals the drake's hoard: a bronze bull pendant, a jade sculpture of a penteconter worth 15 gp, and assorted gems and coins worth a total of 25 gp.
"Ah, what a greedy creature. It could have just avoided this whole confrontation," Oinos sighs. "Let's push on into the island."
Kal takes a couple of breaths, still trying to figure out why on earth he just charged a Dragon - even a small, cowardly bully of a dragon.
"Yeah, yeah why would he just... just attack."
Arfi grunts at the questions being bandied about as the kholo is skinning the drake....
The afternoon is wearing on as you head further west into the rolling hills. Among the wind-twisted olive trees that cover the hills, a herd of goats grazes among the underbrush. Their long horns are oddly metallic, and as they glance up at the newcomers in their midst, the goats’ postures stiffen as if expecting trouble. Cautiously, they return to grazing, though they still appear wary.
Suddenly, a crack resounds through the air as a tree branch breaks, striking one of the goats as it falls. The goat freezes, its hide graying over as it turns to stone. After a moment, the stone falls to pieces and the goat emerges from the rubble, shaking bits of rock off its back. It bounds to the other side of the grove and resumes its grazing.
The Stranger recognizes these creatures as stony goats. They have a unique defense mechanism: when startled, stony goats temporarily petrify into solid stone, dissuading predators through inedibility.
As you get closer, you notice one of these strange goats has a wreath of ivy leaves looped around its neck. There's a peculiar magical aura around this wreath. You can surmise, though, that if the goat petrifies, whatever magic the wreath holds would be damaged.
"Come, come, little goat: That wreath must be so annoying and scratchy," Oinos bleats at the creature.
"Hey goaty-goat.... Hey goaty-goat... Niiiice goaty-goat - gotcha!"
Late to the party games, Arfi decides to wrestle that there goat!
The Kholo's mouth seems to be watering.....
Oinos's bleating seems to catch the goat off-guard, as nobody has spoken to it in its native goat language before! The Stranger sneaks up behind it to get in a good position as Kalli and Arfi pounce, quickly wrestling the goat and getting the wreath off its neck! The goat bleats indignantly. "How rude!"
With the wreath in hand, you study it further and determine that it's not a true magical item, but rather a component of a ritual. It's probably wise to hang onto it for now!
***
With sunset approaching, you make your way back to base camp. However, when you return, you find an argument is underway! Sappil and Phel are squabbling over what to do with a historical relic one of the teams found in the island's ruins.
"We should sell it! It would turn a tidy profit," Sappil says.
"It belongs in a museum!" Phel insists.
The quarrel is getting heated, and Dikaios seems ready to angrily jump in as well. The expedition members seem to be dramatically more short-tempered than they’ve ever been before—certainly more than their current disagreement warrants.
"Now, now Phel," Oinos attempts to pull them away from the argument. "Let's get dinner together. Everyone talks better on a full stomach!"
"Dikaios! Don't you dare jump in and make this worse. We'll talk it out, shares speak and fighting amongst the crew helps nothing."
DC 14 Cooking Lore (to distract Phel with promises of a novel meal), DC 14 Society (to engage them in historical debate instead of attacking their companions), DC 16 Diplomacy
Arfi-em-khet begins to argue with Phel about how his ancestors solved their problems...
.... unfortunately, he is a kholo with kholo ancestors who most likely ate everything and everyone....
Arfi's arguments fall flat, but Phel's stomach rumbles when Oinos speaks of dinner. "Mmm. Well, I am quite famished!" the merfolk says, a sheepish look on their face. "Sorry, I'm not sure why I got so riled up."
Meanwhile, Kalli's orders make Dikaios snap to attention. The horned nephilim snaps to attention and salutes. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir!"
With the other two standing down, Sappil blinks and seems to snap out of his furor as well.
Oinos and the Stranger are able to detect a faint magical miasma in the air. It seems to have been the impetus for the sudden tempers, though it is not a spell or direct mind control.
"Some foul mist floats in the air," Oinos tells everyone. "We should explore this island and leave as soon as possible."