Update coming tomorrow.
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Kilarra spits out a glob of blood, but presses on, fighting despite her wounds with a crazed look of confidence and recklessness. She attacks hard and fast. With her final swing, she slashes Goldshackle across the throat. The slaver glares at Kilarra a final time before toppling over and lying still. Kilarra continues to bleed a bit. Uruelleth allows himself a tight grin when he sees that his attack on Goldshackle left her so loopy that she hit herself. He keeps up his attacks, hoping to drive through her and step in to defend Kilarra. With Goldshackle down, he moves forward to help Kilarra. It takes two strikes, but the grey guard falls from Uruelleth’s savagery. Alayna turns her attention to the guards attacking Jaxira. Her fingers weave in a pattern as sparks fly off of her, intensifying the electrical charge in the air between the two guards until a bright arc of lightning links them in a deadly circuit. Red avoids some of the damage, but blue takes all of it.
Talia pulls down lightning bolts from the sky, making use of her Maximised Lightning Storm. It takes two bolts, but Talia brings down the blue guard.
Bharaz, with the slaver no longer appearing to be a direct threat, Bharaz turned his attention towards the guards near him. With a dagger already in hand he threw it at the first guard, and smirked as the dagger split into two, the second going towards the man’s comrade. Such tricks were one of the little perks of magic. He injures the red guard with his dagger, but it just bounces off the already dead blue guard. Jaxira shakes as she looks at her own blood, then at the red guard still standing next to her. She backs away as carefully as she can. Achutla takes a swing on one of the guards and then retreats to avoid being surrounded. He lands a strong hit and demoralizes his foe in the process. Ruthilda Goldshackle is dead. Tukh looks up as he sees his former master’s body hit the ground. He glances over at her Kilarra, then back at her. Then he returns to cowering. Red Guard advances on Alayna, apparently still unaware of his employer’s demise. He studies her, then swings at her once. His blade scrapes across her arm.
Blue Guard is dead. Orange Guard stares over at where Ruthilda fell. He’s silent for a moment before beginning to scream, “Goldshackle’s dead! She’s gone! Goldshackle is gone! They killed her!” Then he begins running for the estate’s exit along with the would-be buyers who haven’t managed to get out yet. The remaining other guards follow suit, running for the exit. Current Status:
Kilarra ignores the guards all around her, focusing on Goldshackle. She swings her blades repeatedly at the dwarf, hoping her aim is true. The dwarf dodges all but one of Kilarra’s attacks, though the one that lands is a decent blow. The slayer continues to bleed a bit from Goldshackle’s wound. Uruelleth keeps up his attacks on Goldshackle, showing that ignoring him would mean death. His first blow is solid and his second is massive, but the slaver is still alive… and looks a bit confused.
Alayna steps up to the side of Bharaz as she watches the guards on their flank get closer. She still keeps her focus on the fighting near Goldshackle, and sees Kilarra taking some hits. Electricity surges around her and she sends a massive bolt of lightning at the guards. Her father’s device calls to her, creating a small protective bubble around Kilarra so the bolt leaves her unharmed, though the guards around her are affected. Reflex Saves from before & now:
The grey guard dodges Alayna’s thundercloud attacks both times, but the lightning bolt is at least partially effective. It jolts through the purple and grey guards, significantly injuring them. Orange guard dodges part of the spell, but still takes some damage. Talia Bharaz thought, Typical. It seemed like everyone was ignoring him now that the action had started. Just because it looked like he was unarmed and unarmored. He disabused Goldshackle of that notion by sending a knife flying into her back. He doubted that it would drop her, but he was certain that it would at least leave a mark. Leave a mark it does, though the slaver yet lives. His second shot goes wide. Jaxira begins casting a spell. Achutla focuses on the wounded guard and continues to attack it, hoping to bring the guards down before his small strike team is overwhelmed completely. It takes two attacks, but Achutla brings down the pink guard who gurgles as he crumples to the ground. Goldshackle seems disoriented for a moment before staring at her short sword. Then she thrusts it toward herself, grunting as the blade slices into her.
Tukh continues to cower. Red Guard moves forward and slashes at Jaxira after studying her for a moment. Jaxira cries out as the guard’s blade cuts into her. Her concentration falters and the spell she was trying to cast fizzles out.
Blue Guard also moves forward and attacks Jaxira.
“Please…” Jaxira says as the guard’s blade cuts into her. Orange Guard strikes twice at Kilarra. Both miss.
Yellow Guard attacks Achutla twice. One blow lands.
Purple Guard also attacks Kilarra twice. He misses as well.
Green Guard moves forward and attacks Achutla once. He lands a decent blow.
Grey Guard attacks Kilarra. The slayer looks bloody once the guard is finished.
Pink Guard is dead. As the fight continues, screams sound out from the would-be buyers in the market. Besides Goldshackle and her guards, everyone begins surging towards the estate’s entrance. With all the bodies pressed together, it will still be a while before there’s more room to move. Current Status:
[ooc]Achutla (-25 hp, divine power, 9 rounds, heroism, shield of faith, destruction & protection judgments) Ruthilda Goldshackle (-178 hp) Tukh Red Guard Blue Guard Orange Guard (-30 hp) Yellow Guard Purple Guard (-60 hp) Green Guard Grey Guard (-60 hp) Pink Guard (dead) Kilarra (-57 hp, 1 bleed, barkskin,shield) Uruelleth (shield, oil of keen edge, magic circle against evil) Alayna Talia (resist cold & electricity, overland flight, heightened awareness) Bharaz (see invisibility, ability mastery) Jaxira (-35 hp)
Achutla casts a spell on himself. Talia focuses intently, her eyes turning back, the colors around her bleaching for a moment before she yanks Uruelleth through space, teleporting him next to Goldshackle. Kilarra takes a quick step to the side, up to Goldshackle, drawing both of her sawtooth sabres in a flash, then driving them into the dwarf. Despite the deadliness of Kilarra’s attack, Goldshackle seems to have an almost supernatural ability to detect the threat coming at her. Kilarra manages to injure the slaver, but her usual sneakiness has no effect and the dwarf doesn’t seem caught off guard. Uruelleth, in a flash, is next to Goldshackle. His falchion is in his hands with a blur as he lets his battle fury take him, and he brings it down hard onto the slaver. He lands a solid blow, but she merely glares at him. Alayna's adrenaline surges as the battle erupts. She gets a flash of a massive storm raging somewhere off in the distance and feels her connection to it. With an act of will, she shears off a piece of that storm and brings it forth in the courtyard. It appears: a roiling sphere of dark clouds flickering with lightning, right on top of the gnoll bodyguard. It immediately begins jolting the beast with lightning. Bharaz’s distraction works, giving his allies a chance to take Goldshackle and her guards by surprise.
Achutla uses the distraction to cast a spell on himself before darting forward to bury his greatsword into the guard next to Uruelleth. He deals a strong blow and demoralizes his foe in the process. Ruthilda Goldshackle laughs. “You think yourselves heroes, do you? Come to put an end to my market? The market only closes when I say it does. It’ll be open long after today.” The slaver draws a short sword from her belt and takes a swing at Kilarra. She cuts into the slayer’s arm which also begins to bleed.
Tukh the gnoll cowers near the ground. Red & Blue Guards wade into the crowd, drawing scimitars as they go. They get close to Jaxira and grin at her. Orange & Yellow Guards move to aid Goldshackle, stopping near Kilarra and Achutla. They appear to study the human and the lizardfolk. Purple Guard draws his scimitar and appears to study Kilarra for a moment before striking at her. He injures her some.
Green Guard moves near Achutla and draws his own scimitar. He appears to study the lizardfolk. Grey Guard draws his scimitar and attacks Kilarra… also after studying her. He lands a solid attack.
Pink Guard, shaken but still in the fight, studies and strikes at the one who demoralized him - Achutla. He misses.
Current Status:
As Bharaz begins shouting his impassioned speech, all eyes turn to him, including Goldshackle and her guards. She looks furious as Bharaz continues to speak. She doesn’t seem the slightest bit interested in changing her ways, nor do any of her guards. As for the other would-be buyers at the auction, some stare at Bharaz with cold, dead eyes, others snear at him, and still others look completely disgusted at his attempt to sway them from their current course. And yet, amongst the sea of people, Bharaz also spots a couple individuals who seem genuinely moved by Bharaz’s rousing monologue. They turn away from the slave pit in shame and slowly start moving away. Of course, while the slavers and would-be buyers are focused on Bharaz, the rest of you have a chance to strike. Initiative:
The bouncer doesn’t take much convincing and merely shrugs at Talia’s answer before letting all of you pass by. ‘Twisting’ was an apt description of the alley, because you zig zag at least four or five times before finally going straight for maybe a couple hundred feet. You’ve completely lost the entrance to the alley by the time you turn one more corner and are presented with a gorgeous estate. If you didn’t already know, it would be impossible to tell from the outside that there was a slave market within. Two more bouncers guard the entrance to the estate. As you pass through the gates of the estate, you enter a large courtyard. On one side are a set of stables, though they don’t appear to have been used for horses in a long time. The mansion lies on the other side of the courtyard. The courtyard itself is crowded. People are standing nearly shoulder to shoulder as they wait for the market to officially open. Ahead, you notice a large pit near the courtyard’s center. Smooth walls line the pit and, about 15 ft down at the bottom, you spot what are surely the slaves to be sold for the day. Eight men sit slumped within, metal collars on their hands, feet, and necks. From what you’ve overhead, the slave market rotates between selling men, women, and children, choosing to do so on separate days. Apparently Goldshackle believes such a method is more efficient… and more profitable. Speaking of Goldshackle, you see the female dwarf standing opposite of you near the entrance to the mansion. Just behind her is her personal gnoll slave who somehow looks even more dejected than the slaves in the pit. The rumors were true. Goldshackle holds the gnoll with a golden leash. She’s also flanked by a pair of guards. Four more guards line the pit of slaves. One of the guards shouts out, “Market will open in three minutes! Feel free to inspect in the meantime! Have your bids ready! They’ve been going fast lately!”
Jaxira is eager to help when you come to her with your plan. She’s happy to accompany you to ‘buy a slave’. The market opens shortly after dawn, so you head for the winding alley entrance, hoping to get close before springing into action. At the start of the twisting alley, a pair of bouncers inspect each person that passes by. Most seem to be regulars to the market. When you approach, one holds up a hand and asks, “You looking or buying? Serious buyers only. This isn’t for window shoppers.”
No worries, Talia. The main thing was I wanted everyone to chime in before we proceeded (though your expansions certainly help). I'll push us forward tomorrow assuming no one has anything else they want to add or adjust.
I would like to hear from everyone at least once before we move forward with a plan. If you're just going with a straightforward assault, that's fine, but details of how, when, etc., would still be useful for me to know ahead of time. For instance, are you going in with weapons drawn as soon as you enter the area leading to the market, or waiting till you're spotted to start the attack? Questions like that would be good things to consider.
Jaxira couldn’t say for sure, but it’s probably a safe guess that she would be more likely to be outside during auction hours and inside when the market is closed.
I’ll give y’all some more time to hammer out your plan. To address your question, Talia, yes, Jaxira can tell you that Goldshackle almost always hangs out at her market, especially during business hours. Jaxira can tell you that the market is actually one large estate. The auctions are held outside and Goldshackle lives in the mansion on the estate.
When you go to meet with Jaxira, she's eager to help with dismantling the slavery operation. However, when you ask what she knows she says, "Goldshackle was who I was being brought to... but since the ship wrecked, I never actually made it to her market. I've only heard about it from a distance. I'm afraid I can't provide much in the way of concrete details, other than to assure you Goldshackle is thoroughly evil. She would sell her own mother if she thought it would make her a profit."
The two cultists sigh and one says, "Very well. We can't exactly force you to show us some of what you're capable of. Just know we tried to improve your case should you not like the news you receive from Betty in a week's time." ----- Once Talia has a chance to recall what she knows of Goldshackle's market, she remembers that the market is called Fleshmarket Close. Goldshackle is the sole proprietor and member of the slave market's leadership, though she does have many hired hands who help keep the slaves in line and operate as security. The slave trade in Ilizmagorti is big business, so she's able to afford excellent mercenaries. Ruthilda is also known to keep a personal gnoll slave named Tukh by her side at all times. She tows him around at the end of a golden lead. She's been known to replenish her stock from time to time by pulling drunk sailors off the streets. The Mantis don't seem to mind as she actively avoids taking any of their own. The market itself is located in Alcasar, accessible only through a long, twisting alley off one of the district's side streets.
The lead cultist shakes his head, "Regardless of how much of what you've said is true, we still need to know what you're capable of. Even if you only share some of what you can do. We're not asking you to tell us your identities or swear a blood pact or anything like that. Just demonstrate or explain yourselves enough that we know you actually are the ones that have been causing so much trouble for the mantis. You should at least give us that much, if you want any chance of good news when you talk to Betty anyway." The cultist points at the rest of the group and says, "Do any of you have anything to say for yourselves?"
One of the cultists replies to Talia, “Look, we want to work with you. Most of us said as much during our last meeting. We just weren’t expecting you to walk right up to us in the bar. We normally handle things with more subtlety. “We still can’t tell you exactly when we’re meeting, but if you visit Betty a week from now, we’ll have a message for you. Of course, if you plan on helping us with Kaleidoscope, we need to know what you can bring to the table. We have a general idea of your abilities, but we need specifics. We’ve been planning this hit for a while now, so bringing in so many new people presents a lot of risk. We need to know it’s worth it.” He gestures at all of you as he concludes. The other cultist says, “And unless I’m mistaken, you couldn’t scry on us even if you wanted to, so maybe try a different tactic next time. We’ve been on this island a lot longer than you have.”
That's a fair point, Talia. Hopefully my in-game post (coming after this one) will provide some clarity. But happy to discuss further if not.
The pair of cultists just nod in agreement with Uruelleth’s assessment once Talia is finished. Eventually one recovers enough to say, “We don’t plan on keeping this conversation a secret from the rest of our organization. We also can't give you an answer till we all meet again as a group. For hopefully obvious reasons we can’t discuss when exactly that will be. “For my part, I would certainly be interested in working with your group. Perhaps we would need to part ways once our interests no longer aligned, but I think a temporary alliance could be profitable for both sides. “Once we’ve discussed a possible accord with our full organization, how can we contact you? Through Betty?”
At Talia's question, the pair shrug at each other and one says, "Fine." Then the two lead Talia, Alayna, and whoever else comes with them out the back of the Twisted Anchor. From there, they walked to the currently closed doors to the basement, the same place from Talia's vision. They open the basement doors and lead you down to the empty room below. Only you and the two cultists are present. One says, "Now that we have a bit more privacy, why don't you go into a bit more detail about what you were alluding to above. If it's interesting enough, we just might inform the rest of... our group... about this conversation."
Going to give folks the weekend to post since it’s a holiday in the US.
Both cultists seem taken aback by Talia’s direct method, but they quickly recover. One of them hisses, “Not in here. We can take the discussion downstairs if you want to talk specifics.” He gestures toward the door. It’s the same door from Talia’s vision that led towards the basement where the cultists held their meeting.
With your ship secure at the pier, you make your way through the mostly deserted streets of Ilizmagorti. You pass the odd drunk patron and the occasional Blood Watch patrol, but no one pays you much attention. Arriving at the Twisted Anchor, you head inside to see if any cultists are present. As luck would have it, the same pair from before are present in the same spot as the last time you were there. The two cultists pay closer attention to Talia this time around, nodding in her direction as you enter. Then they return to their drinks and their private conversation.
Bharaz uses his professional knowledge to negotiate the price down to one-hundred gold, but the bargemen won’t budge below that. Once the transaction is complete, the bargemen assist in fully mooring your ship to the pier. As the three of them start to leave, the man with the clipboard says, “Let me be the first to welcome you to Ilizmagorti. Mind your manners around the Mantis and you’ll probably have a good time while you’re here. Good night and good luck.” With that, the three bargemen take their leave and you are alone once again.
I suppose in hindsight, with family coming into town, I should have just said I would be away/not posting for a few days. So I guess this is me saying that later than I should have. Probably will be back to my normal routine by Tuesday, but I don’t expect us to get back to our normal pace right away.
The two bargemen on the ship exchange a look and the one with the clipboard lowers his arm. The bargeman on the pier relaxes his posture. "Yes, one more question, of a sort. Since this is your first time at port here, you'll need to pay a docking fee. Two-hundred gold and you can be on your way."
I have family coming into town this week, so I may be less responsive than usual. I'm going to try to keep us moving, but if I miss a day, that's why.
GM Roll(s):
The man not holding the clipboard narrows his eyes at Uruelleth and says, “Well ‘Tane,’ we don’t usually keep troublemakers in cells in Ilizmagorti. They’re dealt with in a more permanent fashion. “Speaking of which, why have you fashioned a disguise for yourself? You wanted by the Watch or something? Are you the rabble rouser we should be concerned about?” The man with the clipboard holds up a hand in the direction of bargeman still on the pier who looks poised to sprint away if given the command. Clipboard man says to Bharaz, “Captain Steelbeard, does your first mate regularly make a habit of disguising his true appearance?”
With a plan in place, you make your way into Ilizmagorti’s harbor. Only a few other ships appear to be coming or going at the moment. Most of the docks appear to be occupied by ships, but one section is largely clear, an unmarked section that Talia (via Midnight) knows is for first-time arrivals or unaffiliated vessels. You maneuver towards an easily accessible pier. In the distance, you see a trio of figures running towards you along the Wharves. Midnight recognizes them as wearing the traditional garb of the Bargemen’s Guild. They seem to be hurrying to moor your vessel… and to examine it. Once the ship is secure and a walkway between the ship and the pier has been extended, two of the three bargemen come aboard, one with a clipboard in hand. The shorter and thinner of the pair, a human man who appears to be of Mwangi-descent, says, “I need the name of your captain and your first mate. Please state your reason for coming to Ilizmagorti and how long you intend to stay.”
Reading along for now. I’m happy to see y’all having a lively discussion. :)
Well I think the major difference from before was that you were just using a small boat, not a full ship. I was also under the impression that you were being sneaky in the past, like Talivar using obscuring mist to avoid detection, sailing at night, etc. As for docking, most “frequent fliers” have assigned docks. Those who don’t are expected to dock in a certain section of the Wharves where the bargemen’s guild will then inspect your vessel. Random inspection of known vessels will also occasionally happen. A full sized ship that’s never been at the port is likely to turn heads, even (or perhaps especially) at this hour.
No rush (don't let me stop your current conversation), but I need to know what the plan is for docking before I can move us forward. Also, it sounds like the ship's name is Fair Winds, based on the discussion so far.
Repercussions:
Talia finds herself standing beside Blood Mistress Jakalyn. The Blood Mistress’s face, for once, is full of a single emotion: anger. Talia recognizes the room from a previous vision, it has a wide window that allows the Blood Mistress to see out over the Mediogalti jungle. She stands straight with her hands behind her back. A second person enters the room, walking slowly, apparently reluctant to be present. She wears the same hood as the person who dominated Alayna for Garrick. The Blood Mistress turns, her face still masked with rage. She says, “High Priest Saviya, was this your plan or Garrick’s?” “It was Garrick’s, Blood Mistress,” Saviya replies meekly. Jakalyn stares at Saviya, who appears to be an elf. Despite the elf priest being at least a head higher than Jakalyn, she still seems rather small standing next to the Blood Mistress. “I’m glad to know you weren’t stupid enough to come up with such a plan. Just stupid enough to go along with it.” Saviya bows her head even more, any further and she would be on her knees. The Blood Mistress continues, “I would demote you now if I thought it wouldn’t cause too much chaos in the lower ranks. But the fact is that you’re still useful to me, and still useful to our Master. Still, don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t strike you down if Achaekek willed it so. You know I could do it easily.” The high priest just continues cowering. “I expect you to quickly dismiss anymore of Garrick’s ‘ideas.’ If you think any of them are worth pursuing in the future, you are to think again and remind him of his failure. He cost us one of the sparks and one of Achaekek’s sacred spawn. I would kill him too if I could, but I suspect keeping him alive will be more useful. We know the girl still lives, the Kiss was not fully expended. Her anger will surely make her reckless. “You are to send word to Bastien, Chessin, Firesinger, and Klorn. The girl is to be taken alive. We still need her.” Saviya barely manages to nod without falling over before hurrying to exit the room. “Saviya.” The high priest cringes but turns back. “I want the diviner alive as well. Let Bastien kill the blonde. Make sure the rest are disposed of.” Saviya nods again before hurrying out of the room. The Blood Mistress returns to staring out the wide window, fire still present behind her eyes. As Talia follows her gaze, it almost seems as though the Blood Mistress is staring directly at the Warrens, though it’s impossible to say for sure over such a long distance. The vision fades. With the ship complete, everyone climbs aboard and you begin the trip to Ilizmagorti. You should arrive before midnight, assuming no delays. It’s the first time Kilarra, Talia, and Uruelleth have sailed aboard a full-sized ship since their initial tumultuous arrival to the island. Night falls and you sight the lights of the city in the distance, including the towering lighthouse in the middle of the city’s cove. You make your initial approach without issue, passing into the bay without sirens wailing or other signs of alarm. Now you just have to decide where to try docking.
Project Otataral:
Talia materializes inside the Crimson Citadel. Where, exactly, she’s not sure, but the blood-red walls and ornamentations shaped in sawtooth patterns leave no mistake. She appears to be in some sort of large, circular conference room. Thirteen people sit around a circular table in the middle of the room, though in truth the table itself fills up most of the room. All of the figures wear hoods and their faces are shrouded in darkness. Still, it’s impossible for Talia not to recognize the form of two of those at the table - Driara and Lain. The others must also be Vernai. The fact that their faces are shrouded from each other suggests that there are even limits to what an individual Vernai can know. A door opens from what appeared to be a solid wall and Blood Mistress Jakalyn enters. The door seals behind her as if it had never been there. The Blood Mistress walks to the remaining empty chair, but doesn’t sit. Instead, she stands behind the chair as she addresses the Vernai. “Project Otataral is a mission that comes from Achaekek himself. As such, it is our sacred duty to fulfill. What I share here should not be discussed with anyone else without my explicit permission. “This project, our mission, is to gather up all those descendants of Aroden who possess the same spark of divinity Aroden himself had. The same spark that allowed Aroden to rise to godhood in the first place. There are thousands, if not millions, of his descendants today. Most of them are useless to us. We want the very few who also have the spark. I shall teach you - individually - how to recognize when someone has what we’re looking for. If you find one, you are to bring them here, alive and physically unharmed. I shall see to it that they are given the proper care once they arrive.” A feminine voice from beneath one of the hoods speaks up, “What is Achaekek’s goal in all of this? Why collect these ‘sparks’ as you call them?” The Blood Mistress smiles, a cold lifeless smile. “Aroden’s divine descendants are some of our most ardent opponents. There are also many indirect, shall we say, spiritual descendants, who also plague us. You’ve probably heard of them before. Empyreal Lords. “Achaekek’s goal is to produce his own set of spiritual descendants using Aroden’s sparks. Those he will call Blood Lords. Vernai will no longer die to pass on their positions to others. They shall ascend.” The Blood Mistress’s words are met with stunned silence. Her face still plastered with its lifeless smile, the Blood Mistress concludes, “Remember: we do what we do for He Who Walks In Blood. We shall speak further in the days to come. For now, contemplate how you might best be able to serve him should you be blessed with ascension.” The Blood Mistress leaves the room the same way she entered and the vision fades. ----- Talia and the rest of the group make their way to the coast for the shaman to craft a ship. Over the better part of a day, Talia weaves her magic, materializing a ship before your eyes. First the wooden parts, then the sails, and finally the metal pieces to hold it all together. When the shaman’s finished, a ship rests near the shore, one that rivals many of the pirate ships you’ve seen in Ilizmagorti.
Really sorry for the delay, guys. I’ve had a rough few days. Hoping to get going again tonight.
No update tonight, folks.
We can scene change to the next day, if you like, but discussing your plans against Goldshackle and what to do with the slaves afterwards sounds like a good in-character discussion to be had, as Ruel mentioned. Particularly if that's what you plan to do next.
You would need a high craft check in woodworking or something similar, carpentry perhaps. It would probably also require a few different castings to make a full ship, one for the wood, one for the sails (with cloth or whatever base material), and one for all the metal parts of the ship.
It was Talivar’s creation, but I’m planning on using it still. There are certainly things yet to be discovered (vague and perhaps slightly infuriating comment intended).
Really enjoying everyone's conversations. I'm especially enjoying y'all pushing things forward without me. Please carry on. :)
Really enjoying everyone's posts! Just reading along for now.
Makkatat seems quite pleased that Uruelleth noticed his lack of a limp, but his demeanor quickly sobers as Uruelleth tells of Talivar’s death. Shaking his head, Makkatat says, “If there’s one thing I’m learning about the Mantis, it’s that we should never underestimate their capacity for cruelty. It is their speciality. I think they’re constantly scheming of ways to outdo each other. “Yes, I’m familiar with Achutla, or I was a little over a decade ago anyway. And a dwarf? I see. It’s good to have at least one decent dwarf on the island, I suppose. I hope.” Makkatat doesn’t seem particularly thrilled about Bharaz, though it’s not entirely clear why. Something about dwarves in general, perhaps. Changing the subject, Makkatat says, “Enough about the living. We’ll have time to catch up and get to know each other in due time. For now, we should see to Talivar’s arrangements. He deserves a proper send off. What do you have in mind?”
Oh, right. That was a long montage. XD Post incoming shortly.
Alrighty, well, let me know what you say to Makkatat. And since the group will be leading the funeral, you can go ahead and 'put it on' whenever you like.
Really enjoying y'all's "montage" right now! Everyone else, please feel free to jump in before we transition to talking with Makkatat/Talivar's funeral. Alayna has to work with everyone else as well, of course. On the other hand, we can just move forward to the funeral if you prefer. I hadn't really thought of a funeral before now, but it would pretty much be up to y'all to plan anyway, so let me know what you plan to do.
Talia didn’t spot any trap once again when she examined the envelope, so she broke the seal and read the letter within. Letter:
Firesinger, We’ve prepared a gift for you and your monkey goblins. A little surprise for the thorns in your side. Be sure to keep it away from your people or it might decide to have a snack. I trust your preparations are well underway for the defense of Ganda-Uj. You, at least, should know how important it is that the city doesn’t fall. We’re counting on you to maintain the jungles to stall the Pact from making further progress. Should you fall, we cannot promise Ganda-Uj will be rebuilt. Blood Mistress Jakalyn sends her regards. In Achaekek’s Name,
----- When Talia teleports, she finds the other members of the Pact waiting for her… and also completely unaware of what just transpired in the Thunderscale warrens.
Yep, sorry about that, Talia. I remember thinking about it at one point, but with everything happening with Alayna, I suppose it slipped my mind.
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