IBZikomo Hears-The-Father's page

During week 10, Sindran is approached by Zikomo and a couple goblin tribesmen. They shuffle their feet somewhat - but knowing Zikomo, he's probably just waiting for a dramatic opportunity.

When he has your attention, he waves his hands to the air in despair and speaks: "Master Sindran! I bring terrrrible tidings. Two Bane Wog parties have not returned from hunt! They go to Lake Skye, along Broken River."
He walks to a spot where the sunlight amy reflect spectacularly on the skull he uses as a hat. "Master. I have read - The Omens - and The Omens...speak of ...a Hunting Demon!" He shakes his rat-skull armbands for dramatic effect.

The Bane Wog tribesmen take a step back and begin yammering pitifully.
The drama-sauce is so painfully obvious. Dear gods these goblins are easily wowed. There usually is a core of truth to his message though, but it requires some digging.

Zikomo braces himself, clearly he is of no mind to leave on his own.

"You're exploiting workers! Hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society!"

Not that Zikomo has any chance - Talon, his arm clad in the purest shimmering ebony, held aloft Rygat, signifying with Asmodean Providence that he, Talon, was to carry Zikomo out of the lab.

"If I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me -"

Zikomo is unceremoniously placed on the cold floor of the hallway.
The lab door closes with a tangible Thud.

[muffled]"See the violence inherent in the system! Come see the violence inherent in the system! BaneWog! We're being repressed!"[/muffled]

At a crucial point in the ...work... happening in the alchemy lab, Zikomo sticks his head around the door and begins to lament the ongoing affairs.

*shakes head, tut-tuts* "Bane Wog speak da TRUTH - lords have FOUUULLLLLah magic!" Oh how he loves to roll that L. Even a TV evangelist could learn a thing or two from this green little man.

He is throwing such a righteous fuss, just when you are ...merging... what remains of Dostan's right leg to the base of the growing monstrosity, that it takes sincere effort to remain focused on your task at hand.
Leg.
Whatever!

Caladwhen, please roll a concentration check

A few extra hunting parties are sent out, into the ferocious jungle.
You realize you could've learned about the 7th intended betrayal in a much worse scenario. Motivated by this recent good turn of events, you soon forget the recent squabbles.

In other words, let's get rid of that silly shaken thing. That's over now. I think most characters have enough WIS to realize that keeping up your own morale is also a priority :)

"Masters, Bane-Wog find funny fruit!" Zikomo tells you. Indeed, the Goblins have discovered a couple dozen ripe pineapple-ish fruits, which contain extremely sweet (and probably slightly fermented) juice. These will serve nicely for drinks during the feast.

Not much later, the hunting parties come back, dragging a small herbivorous dinosaur on a makeshift wooden cart; I say small, but that's only compared to an inn. The creature is big enough to require Grumblejack to impale it on a tree just to be able to roast it over a bonfire - but you've never seen him happier.

Good times.

Trying hard to find a way to take advantage of the situation, Zikomo stands and raves a prophecy.
"The father speaks! The father speaks! He say red man come! Red man bring BaneWogs GREAT fires! Go inside, BaneWogs! The Chosen must speak with father."

Deeply impressed by this display, the tribe heads inside.
Even though no child would buy Zikomo's crap for a second, he neatly controls the chaotic Goblin tribe, and they fade into the caves to leave the big-uns talk.

Meanwhile Cala slowly descends the Horn, maintaining an impossible lump of people holding hands while steering. Cala I wish they'd appreciate the mental strain you're going through, just to get them down safely - but alas, that's lesser minds for you. *sigh*

Zikomo emerges from the cave mouth, staff crackling with readied magiks. Shaking with insulted rage, he aims the staff at Morvius and commands well, points for effort him to...
"rrrelease! my Horrrrde!"

oh, btw, those who can't see in the dark will surely notice that it's getting dark outside, and even darker inside. You'll want to hold hands with someone, although Cala might slap you if you touch her.

Once the welcoming banquet, organised by Zikomo and his minions, is underway (the food is surprisingly good, btw. They serve dino-onna-stick, which is very nourishing, although it tastes like chicken, but never mind that) you are left to yourself.

which gives us an excuse to poke around.

I might suggest heading north towards C23?

when strolling from C9 to C23, you pass by C16 and C20.

C16 – Fungus Farm
The floor of this cavern, save for a walkway around the edge is covered in a mix of mud and Goblin manure. From this stinky, foul mixture grows a field of barely edible mushrooms that even the Goblin reluctantly consume when they can’t get anything alive to eat.

C20 - A nondescript, slight hollow, in a well travelled corridor.

C23 - Temple
This large and high-vaulted cave drips with water so constantly it seems as if it is perpetually raining.Fetid pools and luminescent algae combine to give the chamber an ominous greenish glow and a lingering stench. The chamber is dominated by a large and impressive mud and stick hut that is surprisingly sturdy. This is Zikomo’s Temple to Father.
The entrance is decorated with bones and leather strips cut from dozens of creatures (many sentient).

The temple itself is a single room almost thirty feet across. Inside, countless bones from those who have died upon Dagon’s altar decorate the place. A crude stone block is encrusted with old dried blood. Above the block, drawn in vibrant luminescent paint distilled from rare marsh plants, is the mad spiral rune of Dagon himself surrounded by countless scribbles of daemonic iconography copied from the Horn’s exterior. A fire pit burns in the center of the temple.

Zikomo Hears-the-Father lives here.
He spends most of his time meditating, lost in a haze of vision juice. Most of the boggards live in awe and terror of their mad shaman and so rarely visit. There are no guards here. It is widely believed in the village that Zikomo takes care of himself well enough.

Your trek continuous on north through C5, (a nondescript empty cavern, although this one is the first one that's mostly dry), then northwest below C8 (a cauldron of natural boiling mud), then finally west into C9.

Every Goblin in the Lower Caverns lives here in seven crude mud and thatch huts. There are almost 20 bane-wog Goblins in total (plus Zikomo and minus Kumanda). It is rare for all of them to be here at any one time, and rarer still for them to sit still long enough so you can count them. Zikomo chats how usually some of the stronger ones are off hunting in the nearby swamps, catching birds, turtles, frogs and unwary Farholders for supper.

Finally, you are shown into hut (G), the chieftain's hut.

Lo and behold, the hut is populated by two Goblin concubines.
"I present you! Zoog Sun-In-Eyes and Gartha Make-Male-Meek!"
Surely, these must be attractive - If you're into Goblins :-S. Zikomo definitely seems to think so, judging from his slight flush. "Your battle trophy wives!"

Sooo...Let me know if you want some quiet time with your horrid harem, Sindran. Or would you like to present them as a gift to your champion? Normally I'd go hunting for some pictures, but I'm scared I might actually find some.

Digging around the chieftain's tent, you find that the village treasury is kept here, scattered among the many skins and bunches of grass and leaves. The “treasury” is a collection of large bones, broken weapons and armor, crocodile and snake skins and pretty, shiny rocks that have impressed Kumanda over the years.

Through some bizarre natural(or is it?) process, the small wet cave(C2) sweats acid from its northern wall. The acid has collected in a surprisingly deep natural reservoir; and although it is quite clear, the arid smell in the air betrays its lethal contents.
Reverently, Zikomo plants his feet before you, forcing you to give the basin a wide berth.
"BaneWog holy vision juice here! When ready for mating, Banewog dip in holy juice! If Banewog live, Banewog stroooong!!." When asked what happens to Banewogs who don't live after being dipped, Zikomo shrugs and mutters something about "weak Banewog no use anyway"

The perpetually dripping cavern to the southeast (C3) is empty, save for a murky pool populated with blind cave fish.

Ahem, as I was saying; with great enthusiasm, the goblins lead you to the base of the horn.
The first thing you see (C1) is the broad open cave; it is the only (visible) entrance to the lower caverns. The many stalactites, stalagmites, and columns of wet living stone resemble nothing so much as fangs contained inside a large loathsome grin.
The cave mouth is covered by countless pools of standing fetid water and ubiquitous slicks of mud, that make the entire surface of the maw count as difficult terrain from the entrance to the dotted-line more than forty feet in.

The goblins pass unhindered; they seem to know every pit and ditch, and run down the slope without falling over. Almost all of them run through the narrow crevice (1a) which is barely wide enough for them to pass through; you can hear them frolicking in the deeper caves. Clearly, though, the zomubs will need to stay just outside the maw.

Noticing your larger-than-goblin size, Zikomo points to a cavern to the east (C2).
"We go here? Path bigger there."

With great enthusiasm, the goblins lead you through their caves. A map may be found here and in the campaign description tab.
Details about the smell, feel and sounds will come later :)

Zikomo can hardly believe his eyes - he thought his chance had slipped away, but now, suddenly, things are looking up for him!
"Kumanda lies slain?! It... cannot be!"

As the goblins stand up, getting ready to riot (but hey, don't they always) Zikomo proves his theatrical flair by rising up on his rock and casting a cantrip, causing his skin to change colour from white and gray to deep red, matching Sindran's armor.

All goblins cower in fear of this... Father - It must surely be a very powerful being, if the goblins fear it that much. Nevertheless, Zikomo continues his task as a channel, a medium for The Father to speak through.

"urrrzhaankanakanakankanakaaahruuuuuuz hruuuuz hruuuzznkakakakakaka!!"

"WOG!"

In an instant, Zikomo spreads his arms, raising himself to his full 4 feet, and - with the added effect of standing on a high rock - towers impressively over the BaneWog tribe.

Thanks to Zikomo's efforts, the tribe seems to have forgotten about rioting. Being led to greatness seems a much easier way of having fun!

"How lethal is this? Want me to bruise him, break his legs, or cut his head off?"

Zikomo just sits there, and starts to smile an it's-nice-to-be-right kind of smile

Zikomo shouts to his tribe:

More goblins have appeared - they all try to peak from their hiding places, waiting for Kumanda to become Slay-Ten-Men. What they did not expect, though, is to see Kumanda's sword leap gently into the invader's hands! a collective gasp passes through the semi-hidden goblin community.

Kumanda feels his honor and leadership slipping through his fingers together with his greatsword. He positively fumes with anger, and seems to grow a foot, when Zikomo calls out briskly from his high vantage point, causing echoes through the cavern mouth.

"Kumanda!"

The goblin shaman has a certain air for drama - but the goblins are taken by it. He quacks inciting words to his tribe.

Kumanda responds:

the call soon goes up through the entire tribe. They do love a good bloodshed.
Zikomo sits on his perch, smiling a knowing smile.

even before you get 3 steps farther, a sharklike goblin with an impossibly bent back takes two big jumps from his hiding place above the cavern entrance, and leaps down onto a large rock near the cavern mouth.
From his higher ground, he points his staff at Sindran in a theatrical manner. He speaks quickly, as if trying to get the words out before someone or something catches him.

"Are you the Father?"

He quickly looks you up and down, and retraces your steps towards your origin at the edge of the forest, spotting some shadows; he moves his head sideways in thought, quickly coming to a conclusion.
"I don't think you are. They," he says, nodding towards the cavern's entrance, "do believe so. You are strong. Good. My name Zikomo-hears-the-Father."

He hops down one rock closer to Sindran - still some 10" off the ground, and leans forward in a conspiratory manner. But he doesn't get to say what he had on his mind because the sentries return, quacking loudly...