Tchokito's page

Tchokito nods his thanks to Eliyyah. He's never quite certain what to make of the cleric...

He turns back to the golems and considers. "We can handle the wax golems easily. If we can slow down the sand one and finish them off before facing it, we will have a better chance. The sand golem will be the real problem here, even without them. None of my spells will work on it."

"How can we separate them... Oddný, your entangling spell could well help with that, though it may be less effective on the sand golem." He glares warily at the still-present transmutation aura. "So we burn the wax golems... what can we do about the sand golem? Do any of us have blunt weapons? We may have to try to entangle it and then escape around it."

Tchokito winces as the sand golem appears. He'd misjudged the conjuration aura--thought it was too faded for another summons, so that any trigger remaining would surely be the transmutation. Well, it was too late now. Since the golems seem content to wait for now, he examines them.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

"I misjudged the magical auras. Now we shall have to deal with the consequences of that. fire magic will work on the wax golems, but otherwise they are immune," he states. "The sand golem will be difficult to harm with anything but blunt impacts. This means few of my spells will be effective."

He draws his blade. "While there shouldn't be more energy for another summon, it still seems best to avoid the tiles. The sand golem will be a dangerous enough opponent. Is there anything further any of you can think of to prepare?"

Tchokito's feathers prickle upwards just a bit. Did it... actually summon the golems? Or was it simply teleporting them in from elsewhere? But what did that transmutation aura do? It still seemed unwise to advance while it was still active...

"A good thing we did not try steel first," he says aloud. "There is still another magical aura ahead. Probably best not to have it targeted on us... and also best to still avoid stepping on a tile. Oddný, if you would--I think sand would be the next less-threatening substance."

Tchokito considers a moment longer. "The problem, of course, is that we would have no way of telling what the pattern would be..."

A few more taps on his beak. "Would any of you happen to have something long enough to push one of these tiles without being in danger? I suspect we will trigger the worst result if we try to simply walk past. Perhaps... a weak substance? Try wax... and hope it does not flood the room with molten wax."

It's hard to tell if this last is meant as a joke or not.

Tchokito taps a talon on his beak thoughtfully. "I can see two ways this might work. The obvious solution is that there is some sequence of tiles that need to be stepped on, then... perhaps the central one. The other is that this is all to trap those trying to figure out the puzzle, while the true solution is simply to walk through."

"Considering the way we've come, it seems less likely that they would repeat a deception, so it is likely this is a true puzzle. So what is the key? We have here wax, blood, bone, lead, sand, steel..." He points out the tiles as he lists them.

Tchokito nods to himself, satisfied. "Sometimes the best hiding place is in plain sight, with the appropriate misdirection. Now, based on the behavior of our light, I believe it's safe to jump, but... perhaps keep that rope ready just in case."

He waits for confirmation that the others are ready, then jumps into the pit.

Tchokito decides not to mention all the ways in which a trap could be designed such that a thrown object would not trigger it while a jumping tengu would. After all, the concern, such as it was, was... not exactly touching, but something, at least.

Still, he doesn't relax until he's landed on the other side and nothing has visibly happened. Not that a trap must be immediately obvious... but it seems, for now, that nothing has triggered. The lack of anything to make the pit safe to cross is odd, however. Is he simply not seeing it? Or might they have just... had a scaffolding that they removed when the work was done? Not that the pit alone was much of a barrier...

...wait. It wasn't a barrier. What if it were actually the path on? He casts a simple light spell on a shard of bone and drops it in the pit.

"I see no sign of a lever... but something occurs to me. This pit is too easy to cross. What if there is something in it? Where better to hide something than in a 'trap'?"

He watches the glowing shard drop carefully.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Tchokito eyes the far side. It was true... it could be on the other side. A pity he'd already used his flight for the day. And of course, jumping could well lead one straight into a trap--he'd encountered instances of an obvious trap used to lead an intruder into a hidden one.

The problem was that they were running out of other options. If there wasn't anything on this side someone would have to jump, as he doubted whatever mechanism there was would be triggerable by a raven. As for jumping... well, while he was fit enough, it would be a near thing. But he's not certain one of the others would know what to look for.

"It must be on the other side. I can only use my flight once in a day, so unless Findeladlara has a flight spell prepared, I'd appreciate having a rope tied to me when I jump across. I would not at all be surprised if jumping across triggers a trap, and having the option to jump and have you pull me up before I hit the bottom of the pit might save me from it."

Tchokito tilts his head to one side thoughtfully. This complex, for all it was built for a dragon, had been made by land-bound people, as far as he could tell, so there should be a way to bypass the pit. But it would be cleverly hidden, no doubt...

His dark eyes scan over the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Perhaps there was an order to stepping on the tiles? A hidden lever in the walls? The tengu realizes he should tell the others his thoughts.

"The builders would have had a way over or around this. We simply need to find where they hid it," he states aloud before returning to his examination.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Tchokito is relieved that there isn't more argument over the decision, even though he knows he hasn't convinced them. It's sufficient for now that they move.

He's somewhat relieved when they manage to evade the fetchlings for the most part, though he knows there aren't free of danger yet. This is brought home to him when they halt in front of a vault. The tengu tilts his head to one side, eying it warily.

"It is no doubt warded or trapped," he murmurs. "Wards I can try to detect. Traps... we will have to keep our eyes open."

He carefully leads the way into the vault, scanning it with detect magic before entering.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Tchokito turns his head swiftly to look at Eliyyah when he speaks, surprised the cleric would speak up. He narrows his eyes as he listens. Once Eliyyah is silent, Tchokito takes a moment to think, then looks to the rest of the group.

"We are here because we need Eliyyah to guide us to the next beacon. If we trust him in that, I say we must trust him also in this. I have been surprised not to find more defenses here, given what this place is. Perhaps what he alludes to is that the defenses would be roused by bloodshed?"

"We will go around. But we will watch our backs. Oddný, can you trail a little behind us stealthily to make certain we are not followed? Do not engage if you spot them unless they attack you, but warn us as soon as possible."

Tchokito bows his head in thought for a moment. He'd tried to find a peaceful solution, but the fetchlings had made it clear they were willing to kill for the treasures here. Little as he liked the idea, they couldn't leave them in their rear. Even if they evaded them now, the chances of them noticing they'd slipped by and then ambushing them later were just too high.

Not to mention, if they were so ready to kill here, who else had they killed? Who else would they kill if left to their devices?

The tengu's arguments were almost enough to assuage his guilt about what he was about to do.

"Thank you, Cheok. We'll be fighting them soon," he murmurs to his friend, then turns back to the rest of the group.

"Cheok says we've gotten around behind the fetchlings. Much as I dislike the idea, I think our best choice now is to ambush them as they are trying to ambush us. I can be fairly stealthy--Oddný, Findeladlara, how close do you think you could get before they would notice you? If we can get in good spell and bow range, then attack them before they are aware, we can cut down their advantage of numbers before they can respond."

Tchokito relaxes fractionally when the illusion disappears. "Sadly, it seems that they value treasure more than their lives, so we have no choice."

He cocks his head to one side and taps a talon on his beak in thought. "We'll not want to take the obvious route. Stick to the sides as much as possible. Stay spread, as we have evidence they have spellcasters. And be wary for illusions."

Looking to his familiar, he speaks in their shared language. "Cheok, can you continue to scout ahead? I know the weather is ill-suited for flight, so be wary."

Tchokito caws a dark laugh. "I stood in the fires of creation, burning dying and healing in a moment that seemed eternal for this pursuit. Nothing you could possibly do to me would compare with that agony, and turning back would make that pain meaningless."

He fixes the illusion with a fierce stare. "Nothing we are doing is worth the lives you would spend to kill us. Letting us pass will cost you nothing. I should think you could make that calculation."

The tengu looks to his companions. "We should move. Given that I've not detected any signs of them moving to ambush us here, they are likely preparing such a place further along, and we would be better off not giving them more time to do so."

Tchokito starts to pace as he speaks, his talons clicking on the stone. Movement would draw the eye, keep the focus on him while Cheok scouted. "It's simple enough to discern this area has been influenced by the Shadow Plane. While at the edges of the island it wasn't too obvious, the influence of the portal has grown more obvious the further we've penetrated into the interior. But in truth, we *were* searching for it."

He needed to explain why they were interested in them without revealing the true power involved, in case this fetchling gang got ideas about its value. "It is one of a set, you see. A set that has some peculiar properties--not something that would be interesting to you, perhaps, but one we find particularly exciting. The important part here is that each portal points to the next, so we rather need to see this portal to continue our mission."

He turns in his pacing, using the opportunity to quickly look himself for signs of approaching danger.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Oh dear XD

"The rest of our group would be quite disappointed if we returned without that knowledge." Suggesting a larger group would make it less appealing to just kill them.

Tchokito does his best to hide his surprise, tilting his head to ones side as he considers the illusory fetchling. "If you've been watching us, I should think you would know the answer to your first question already," he comments.

"As for why we are here?" Not wanting to frankly admit their purpose, he quickly thinks of something plausible and related. "We detected a portal to the Plane of Shadow here and came to investigate. Imagine our surprise at finding these structures... and our dismay at finding how much of their true value has been destroyed."

Bluff: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

"It's clear you scarcely even know what you've found, or you'd be taking a lighter touch here--you probably could have gotten double the value of whatever you've looted just from the fees you could charge for leading the right scholars here. Or perhaps... this isn't *really* your turf, so you have to smash and grab too quickly for that?"

As he speaks, the witch tries to empathically get across to Cheok the need to keep watch. Using a diversion while setting up an ambush seems likely here.

Tchokito stubbornly shakes his head. "I do not kill people simply because they might threaten me," he states firmly. "But I am not going to risk myself foolishly. I will speak to them from a distance--from somewhere you can be hidden right around me. If they approach me to attack, they will find themselve ambushed. But if they are willing to speak, then there will be no need to show yourselves, just in case they reconsider. The primary risk would be if they all stay at a range and simply shoot me, but that should give me enough warning to find cover."

He did not say anything about how the only one who was supporting him in this was the madman. In fact, he tried not to think about that particular fact at all.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Ah... the Shadow Plane. That would explain much. Tchokito wonders how long there's been a portal between the planes here, for that is what he would guess it is. Perhaps the portal is, in fact, their goal? It would fit with the pattern thus far...

But that leaves the question of what to do about these fetchlings. Much as the witch hates what they are doing, he is... disinclined to simply attack them without warning, but forewarned they will be dangerous.

With these thoughts in mind he cautiously makes his way back to the rest of the group.

"Six fetchlings, and at least one more inside. Given the pattern we have seen, they likely came through a portal bound to what we seek here, meaning we're unlikely to be able to avoid them. But neither do I want to attack them without warning..."

He pauses a moment. "Perhaps I could speak with them, while the rest of you remain hidden. If they prove hostile, I will retreat to where you wait in ambush. If not, we can avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

Tchokito's feathers settle just slightly when it's clear that the speakers haven't spotted him. He makes a mental note to seek out some spells that help with stealth. It seemed like every island he'd been realizing other spells he'd like to learn...

But that was a thought for another time. For now, the question was, what to do? Was there a way to stop these looters? He tilts his head to one side in thought. At least three voices... with a fourth within. Were there more, though? He pauses a moment, listening, to see if he can guess at the answer to that.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32

His mind works as he listens. Should they just try to avoid them? Were there more teams than just the one?

...could he mark off some locations so they wouldn't loot them? That would require getting ahead of them, though. As he tries to get his count, he also considers the path ahead, and how practical it would be to bypass them.

Tchokito's eyes are dull with sorrow by the time the path turns more into a road. So much lost... history that would now likely never be known again, all smashed for a few coins. He drags his thoughts with difficulty from the idea of violent retribution being visited on those who did this to what he and those with him will do.

It's clear to him by now that this is no small-time gang, no handful of opportunists that stumbled upon a treasure trove. Where they come from and how they get here are questions for later, however, for what this almost certainly means is that they have both considerable numbers and some access to magic. He supposes it is possible they come and go without magical aid, but given the circumstances, it seems best to assume they do have some.

What all this means is that remaining unseen is of the utmost importance. The tengu casts an eye over his companions. He himself was fairly adept at stealth... Hjalte? Most likely not.

"I am concerned by the evidence of how many people have been here," he states. "An operation of this size would probably take discovery... poorly. Perhaps violently so. I think it might be best if I scout ahead a little ways, to make certain we do not run into them, at the least without forewarning."

With that he moves ahead, darting from cover to cover, wary for signs of others.

Stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17 +2 if this counts as a hilly or rocky area. ...which he might need, with that roll. XD

Tchokito caws mournfully after examining the wreckage. So much lost... well, they'd simply have to catch up to these robbers!

Though the numerical odds were not in their favor... they'd have to be careful about it. And there was the open question of how they'd gotten here and how they knew about this place.

The tengu takes a moment to get the worst of the dust out of his feathers before rejoining the others.

"A group of about a dozen humanoids was here not long ago," he states. "It looks like they took everything they thought they could sell and left. We'd best keep an eye out for them as we proceed. Knowing how these sorts tend to think, they'd likely not be happy to see us."

He casts a wary eye to the skies--it would be useful for Cheok to take a look ahead, but he didn't dare ask his friend to fly in a storm. "We should keep moving, however. Who knows what they might do to try to claim such a source of power as what we seek?"

Tchokito shakes his head in dismay as he considers the scene. Not just plundered, but plundered carelessly. Who knew what had been lost to greed simply because it did not appear valuable at first glance? Had names, histories, knowledge been lost forever to uncaring destruction?

The witch takes a breath and lets it out slowly. Nothing more to be done here. Should they hurry onward, in hopes of catching who had done this?

...if they lingered, would any remaining guardians mistake them for the perpetrators?

Either way, it seemed wisest to move on. And yet, here he was lingering, thinking of searching in hopes of discovering some scrap of knowledge.

He glances at his familiar. "A quick look only... just to see if there is anything that would tell us of what to expect ahead."

Tchokito is not certain if he's trying to explain to Cheok or convince himself, but he does give the ruins a quick look to see if there is anything to be learned in a brief time.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Tchokito lingers over some of the carvings, trying to make out more of their inscriptions. "I did not think dragons wrote records like these," he murmurs to himself.

The tengu inhales sharply when he spots the chalk. How had someone else been here? There'd been no sign of other ships, and they were so far from the normal routes...

...teleportation? That would be concerning. As concerning as the idea that they'd come from the sea. So... why mark it with chalk? It seemed the sort of thing one would do to mark a location as searched, but... searching for what?

"Someone else has been here recently," Tchokito states. "Be wary."

He cautiously approaches the door, eyes darting to and fro searching for dangers.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Tchokito pulls his healing wand out and waves it a couple of times over his wound.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The tengu squashes his first instinct to say something acerbic to Findeladlara, instead saying, "We cannot afford infighting. The fact that he was affected by the haunt was clear to see, unless you were blind to those spirits. Now, if Hjalte is well enough, we had best continue on. I would not like to find that this haunt can recover swiftly enough to trigger again before we move on."

Tchokito's feathers, puffed up from fear and agitation, smooth back down somewhat as he sees Hjalte acting more himself. He wonders for a moment if he should have tried this earlier, but... even if he'd not been struck down by Hjalte's blade, it might well have been that the haunt was stronger where it had triggered. It was difficult to tell with such things.

He turns in his flight, sailing back overhead the Ulfen. "Hjalte, if you are well enough now, I will retrieve your sword for you," he calls out. The tengu waits for a response to decide whether to land by Hjalte or continue in the direction he'd thrown his sword.

Tchokito screeches in pain as the sword slashes him, and his flight falters for a moment. After a moment the tengu gathers himself, confirms nothing immediately dangerous is injured, and turns towards the fallen Ulfen.

This is not behaving as a normal haunt, or normal confusion. It seems that getting Hjalte out of the area may not be possible, which means... he had best hope this works.

Turning his flight, Tchokito flies towards Hjalte, gathering healing energies around his hands. He skims just above the fallen man, raking his positive energy-infused talons through the shadows.

Touch attack?: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Positive Energy: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (7, 3) + 6 = 16 Will save DC 17 for half

"Keep moving!" Tchokito urges as his web catches Hjalte. "It won't hold him for long."

The tengu quickly thinks over his options and determines he has no good ones, and so he decides on the least bad one. Summoning his ancestral magic he sprouts wings, hoping devoutly that he won't find he needed to save the ability for later. Just in time he starts to fly further from Hjalte as the Ulfen tears free from the webbing.

Dipping low Tchokito picks up a rock from the ground and throws it at Hjalte. "Come, take your madness out on me!" he shouts, then aims for the other end of the valley.

"I'll lead him out, you just keep going!" he shouts to Oddný and Findeladlara.

"I think you see the problems with your approach," Tchokito comments. "We are not killing him. Get as far from him as you can."

The witch prepares his own spell and casts it as soon as Findeladlara gets some space between her and the berserk Ulfen, while opening the distance a bit himself. Once she has, he waves a fragment of cobweb in the air between taloned fingers, causing massive ropes of silk to spring into being all around Hjalte.

Casting web, reflex save is DC 16

"If we can slow him down enough, we can lead him out of here, after which the confusion should wear off after roughly a minute. Anything you can do to help with that would be appreciated."

"Haunted." Tchokito's quiet statement feels almost like a curse in his beak.

Hauntings were a weakness in his defenses against hostile magic, since they were, in some ways, not magic at all in the traditional sense. Oh, certainly, the way some bit of spirit and emotion tied itself to a location had an element of the arcane to it, but not in any way that could be touched by spellcasting. Well, spellcasting other than flooding it with positive energy, that is.

But at this point, dispelling the haunt might well not solve the issue, that being the Ulfen warrior now at the point of lashing out. Hmmm, but... dispelling... that might work, if the power of the haunt was weak enough...

"Oddný, see if you can help Eliyyah. I am going to try to undo the effects of the haunt upon Hjalte," the tengu says quietly. He briefly considers asking something of Findeladlara, but not only does he not know the elf's capabilities, he suspects she will do exactly as she pleases regardless, so he saves his breath for his spellcasting.

While the haunt is too strange of magic to be assailed by his spells, its effect on Hjalte may not be. Quietly but firmly he intones the syllables of dispel magic, trying to strip away the magic affecting Hjalte's mind.

Caster level check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Tchokito narrows his eyes slightly in the closest he can come to a frown. "Whatever power is active here is hidden from simple means of detection, it seems," he comments, still staring at the bones and stones ahead. "And that suggests it is either a trap, or something that would strike from ambush."

He pauses, tilting his head slightly in thought. "Unfortunately dragons would not have to leave a way for those traveling on foot to get through..." he muses, looking around. "But would Azlant have cleared a path? Or perhaps this was after they left...?"

The tengu looks around for any sign of a path, or any other clues to what lies ahead.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"There may be nothing for it but to go through regardless. If we do, I will go first. I am more proficient at protecting myself from hostile magic than others."

After a moment's surprise, Tchokito shoots his Ulfen companions a keen look. "I thought only those who seek kingship hunted the linnorms?"

He remains on-edge as they scramble between and over the bones. He was not so squeamish about death or bones--even had he less experience with dealing and dealing with such, being friends with a small flock of ravens would have been intolerable if such things bothered him. But the reminder that things so large and powerful had died here, combined with the fact that said creatures would not look kindly on others exploring their graveyard, was more than enough to keep his feathers puffed out.

He wonders why dragons would have erected walls here. The witch assumes it was the dragons, at least--they would have the magic to do so, though Azlant would also... but why would Azlant raise walls here? Though that got to the question of why their beacon was here. Had they built it in a show of power, claiming they were greater even than dragons? Was it because of the magical properties of this location? Had the dragons still been actively using it? Were they still using it?

A "yes" to that question seems more likely as the group finds newer bones... and newer magic. Tchokito holds up a hand.

"There is magic still active here," he says aloud.

How long had they lapsed in silence here, among the dead? He shakes off the thought and continues "It seems likely to be a ward of some sort. Let me see if I can determine its boundaries."

Focusing his power, the witch casts a simple magic detection spell. His eyes glow blue as he slowly walks forward, sweeping the area with his enchanted vision and seeking to follow the threads of arcana here.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

Tchokito cannot help but shiver a bit, feathers puffing out as he examines the bones. As if the bones were not enough, the faded hints of power in the air are more than enough to set him on edge.

Cheok, on the other talon, looks about with bright interest. The feeling of power in the air entices him, and so he is on the lookout for anything interesting.

"I wonder if these all come from before the fall of Azlant," the tengu muses aloud, trying to break his sense of unease. "All of them are very old, at the least. Let us hope that means no wards or guardians remain."

He sets out towards the volcano while keeping a wary eye on his surroundings, contrasting his familiar's keen, almost hungry look.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

"Hopes, of course, that have not borne out thus far," Tchokito adds. "Stay wary. There is a feel of old magic in the air here. There used to be enchantments on this place. Some may still function, though I have not yet detected any intact ones."

Tchokito's feathers are all standing on end as he looks around the island. He tries to think what all this could mean. The size of these bones... giants? But the island scarce seemed able to support giants, unless they were seafaring and came here to die... but why then not bury the dead?

Dragons? But despite perpetual rumors of dragon graveyards evidence of them was scarce. But perhaps he could recognize the bones?

Looking for signs of active magical effects.
Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

Perhaps it was entirely the effect of some magic? Thinking of the other two islands they had stopped at, he hypothesizes aloud.

"Perhaps this island is touched by the Negative Energy Plane, much as the last had a portal to that of Positive Energy?" He considers another moment, then adds, "Or perhaps the Plane of Shadow. Either way it seems likely that we must beware energy-draining effects. Speak up if you feel an unusual sense of lethargy or weakness. It may be the only sign we get of danger."

"Now..." the tengu looks about again, his dark eyes trying to look past the bones and gloom to see their goal. "We must press forward and search for our next beacon."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Tchokito gives Findeladlara a slight bow. "I apologize for not asking you directly... and for the Captain's assumption," he says in Elven. "Might I ask what skills you could use should we again encounter danger?"

He gives the Captain a slightly deeper bow. "I will gather everyone and depart as soon as we are all ready. Though perhaps in the future I might tell you something about the elves I have known."

Looking back to the elf he adds, "Findeladlara, if you will join us at the boat when you are prepared?"

After her answer he goes to gather the rest of the group, gives his own equipment (including the improvised sheathe for his blade) a looking-over, then gets to the boat.

"Keep a wary eye out on our approach. Whatever dangers this island may hold might well not wait for us to land," he instructs, before helping to launch the boat from the Linnorm's Breath into the rough seas.

Profession (Sailor): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

"A fell aura seems to cling to the land," Tchokito replies to Captain Hallmundur. "Given what we have encountered before I can only guess it is the result of some lingering magics of Azlant, or their restless dead."

He shrugs, feathers ruffling in the wind. "Or it will be an entirely new sort of threat. Ancient ruins have a surprising tendancy to be... surprising. But with that aura about it seems wisest not to get the whole ship close regardless."

A hint of humor glitters in the tengu's dark eyes. "I think I will go with the same group. While it is... somewhat tempting to ask Øybjorn to come along, I do not genuinely wish him ill, so I think it best to leave him behind."

He pauses. "In some ways I wish there were another spellcaster to take with us. Given what we have encountered thus far more magical support than myself would be comforting."

Tchokito nods to Findeladlara as she joins him at the bow, though he does not try to breach her silence for the moment. Instead he looks ahead and notes the shape in the distance.

He examines it for a moment, then casts a glance at Cheok. In their private tongue he comments, "It seems as if the next island shall be as unfriendly as the last."

Looking back to the rest of the ship he calls out, "Unless Eliyyah says otherwise I suspect our next stop is ahead, but it may be wise to anchor some distance from it."

Tchokito is quiet a long moment. "That story is not one I care to tell much of," he states at length. "In spite of how important it was to who I am now. Suffering... is often so."

After a quite moment he shakes his head slightly, as if to throw the memory off. "I'm afraid you'll have little chance of finding somewhere to stay before our destination. I've heard of efforts to settle one or two of the islands of Azlant, but those are to the south and east of us. Perhaps there might be a settlement of merfolk or the like offshore of one of the islands, but I doubt you or I would find such hospitable."

"As for Valenhall, if I knew I would not be going there," he says, with another raspy laugh. "I sorely doubt it is quite as described, given it remains on the surface of Golarion, but *something* must be there."

Tchokito's laugh is a bit more cheerful this time. "The trouble with wisdom is that you have to have it to recognize it, I think, which makes it difficult to judge just who has it and who does not," he comments. "Still, I do like to think I have learned something for my travels, and yes, from the suffering at times."

He gives his raven friend an amused glance. "Funny you should mention piracy. It was while I was trapped on a pirate ship that we first met..."

The tengu gives Cheok a suspicious look, though amusement is clear through their shared bond. Then he turns back to Fej.

"It is hard to say. Once it was an entire continent, large as Avistan or Garund, or so the histories say. Filled with wonders, the greatest empire Golarion has ever seen. Then Earthfall came, and shattered it all."

He waves a taloned hand. "Now, I suspect no living mortal truly knows how large it once was, much less how large its remnants are. Perhaps someday journeys to Arcadia will be common enough that the outer edges will be mapped, but even then I suspect a route like we are taking, straight through the ruins of the continent, will be rare. That said... a month or two, would be my guess, from what I know of passage to Arcadia. If all goes well, of course."

Tchokito caws a bitter laugh of his own. "Nearly getting yourself and your companions killed should not be viewed as a positive leadership trait."

He sighs. "Unfortunately no one seems to pick up on that part when the stories are told... and making too fine a point of it would scarcely be wise."

He shudders slightly, feathers ruffling. "I still feel the echo of the burning. It is... like when those who have lost limbs speak of still sometimes feeling phantom pains where once it was, save for being everywhere... I feel as if that moment shall remain seared in my mind forever."

When he can avoid the center of attention, Tchokito seeks out Fej. He's not certain if it's to check up on the man, or because the tengu feels the need to find someone who doesn't think of him as some sort of hero for almost dying again.

Tchoktio partakes only sparingly of the grog, having never enjoyed drinking to the point of intoxication (and not having that much of a taste for grog). He joins in the songs he knows--not particularly well, but given he's accompanying drunk sailors, who cares?

He does worry about his growing reputation, especially after how close Hjalte had gotten to death while fighting the remorhaz... not to mention the pain he himself had suffered. At least he had his spare clothing now, and while he hadn't had as nice a pouch to put them in, he also had his spell components.

Still, the tengu knows there will be more than enough time for such thoughts later, so he pushes them aside and does his best to just enjoy the moment.

Tchokito gives the construct a slight bow. "Perhaps we shall. In that case, I think it is time I bid you farewell. My companions are likely anxious to return to the ship, the fog is lifting, and I," he waves a hand at his bare feathers, "Need to retrieve a change of clothes."

He bows more deeply and formally. "Farewell, fellow explorer. May the stars guide your wanderings to greater wonders."

Once that conversation is over, he returns to the others at the bottom of the lighthouse. "The fog should thin enough for the ship to travel soon," he comments as he reaches them. "We should be aboard when it does... and I need a new chang of clothes." The tengu caws a laugh. "Come, let us return to the ship."

Tchokito leads the way back to the boat they'd left at the water, taking his time so as to take in the surroundings here one last time. A part of him wishes he had the time to examine these ruins and the ancient constructs here more, to speak to the remaining construct, but... while he is less sensitive about such things than most humans, he does feel awkward standing around in naught but his feathers. Though what truly contributes to his sense of nakedness is the lack of his spell components.

With luck, he'll be able to replace those on the ship, somehow.

"Is that what you wish?" The words are out of Tchokito's beak almost before he realizes, but having begun, he decides to press on. "The world is so much wider than this island, and no doubt your creator would have seen more of it. You could travel with us, see that wider world, see if it does not teach you something you could never learn here?"

He shuts his beak with a firm click, wondering if perhaps he's pushing too much. After a moment the tengu sighs and switches topics.

"It is a pity I could not find another way to... end the madness. Now these are left bereft of purpose, and the potential of their creator is forever lost. But I could find no way to break through his madness."

Tchokito gives his traveling companions a quick nod. "It does seem that it is over. The ooze remains where it fell."

He then turns to the construct, head turning with avian swiftness. "The construct at the top is destroyed, yes. It left us no other choice. But there were others. Ones shaped rather like beasts of burden, turning the mechanism within. They seem rather lost now that those mechanisms are inoperable. Perhaps I could show you?"

Other questions bubble up within him now, about what this construct will do now, about its creator, but the tengu sets them aside for the moment. The others he is not certain of, but if any construct here can feel emotion it is this one, and he does not wish to press it.

Once he can see the ooze is immobile, Tchokito relaxes just a little. Perhaps the impact from the fall had truly killed it, in spite of it being made of molten metal, more or less. Or at the least rendered it stunned long enough for them to leave.

The tengu sighs and comments to his familiar, "I doubt even a vulture would want to pick over this particular corpses. A pity it ended this way, but at least the danger should be past now."

With that, he circles back up to the top of the lighthouse, as much to enjoy a bit of somewhat worry-free flight as anything else, then soars in the way he came. Landing by the stairs, he walks down to see if the others have finished making their way out, casting one last glance over each room as he does so.

Tchokito has had quite enough of pain today.

As if the cycle of annihilation and healing earlier had not been enough--he felt its echo every time he stopped to think--now he had cooling metal burning his feathers again.

But at least it might be over for today.

He can't relax, however. Not just yet. Oozes are... strange enough on their own, and this one stranger still. There's no guarantee even that great of a fall would have harmed it significantly.

"It's a pity I so often use my wings only when in danger," he comments to Cheok, partly in response to the raven's earlier words and partly because, now that the pain was fading, he was remembering that flying was enjoyable. "Perhaps there is a way for me to use them for longer in a day... but for now, I wish to make sure that ooze is not going to pull itself back together."

The fact that he'd have a bit of time to fly and... cool down didn't hurt, either.

And so the tengu circles above for a minute, watching to see if the ooze will keep moving.

Tchokito clamps his beak against the pain, stumbling only a little as the hot metal burns him. He picks up his pace and runs for the stairs, then takes them two at a time once he reaches them.

Once he's opened a bit more distance between himself and the ooze he slows again. Focusing inward he draws on the uniquely tengu magic within to sprout a pair of dark-feathered wings. Now all that remained was to survive long enough for the ooze to chase him to the window and hope it followed him when he jumped.

"It does seem to be seeking me in specific," Tchokito states, voice calmer than he feels. He backs away from the ooze, head cocked to one side so he can watch it more from the corner of his eyes instead of searing his vision looking directly at it.

"Keep that construct away from it, and try to lead it downstairs. I have a plan for how to be rid of it, but I don't want to test what it will do if it gets close to another source of metal."

He leads the ooze in a large circle around the room, trying to keep it away from his companions and the structure in the middle while working his way back around to the stairs. The tengu hopes the stairs will have cooled by the time he gets back to them...

Tchokito takes a moment to think. "I do not know... perhaps it has gained some echo of the construct's last moments, a rage at my destruction of it? If so it might well be pursuing me in particular. We might be able to use that..."

He wracks his brain for any ideas. He could... lead it into something dangerous for it? Would seawater harm the sizzling ooze? Would cold make it congeal?

"Nor would I leave this construct here to turn meaninglessly now that the mechanism it drives is gone. Hjalte..." Tchokito pauses briefly to look over the mechanism and the construct for a way to release it. Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"Break that, there," he says, pointing at his best guess. "I will see if it targets me in particular. I still have my flight for the day, if it is foolish enough I may be able to lure it to its destruction."

He takes up a position a little ways away from the stairs, waiting for the ooze to come down.

Tchokito's hand automatically goes to his waist, where until moments ago his pouch of components for his spells had been. He croaks in dismay as he realizes that it had, of course, been annihilated along with the rest of his non-magical equipment. Mentally going over his remaining spells, the witch's heart sinks as he realizes the only spells that do not require something from that pouch will be of no use against a mass of molten metal.

"Retreat. We've done what we came here for," Tchokito says to the others, urgently. "Plunging blade or arrow into molten steel is unlikely to help the situation, and without my spell components I have no magic to aid."

Even as he speaks the tengu bends over to pick up what little remains of his equipment. He keeps his blade in one hand and stands near Eliyyah, trying to draw the ooze's attention until the cleric can get to his feet.

Total Defense action, if I can?