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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2022 20:40:39 GMT
The looters do not disturb the party as they pass, shrinking back away from them as Bharnag comes near. They can tell they're outmatched, if not outnumbered, and so they quickly take to their heels and withdraw from the scene.
(Combat encounter averted. 1,000 XP per player)
The group are able to move through the ruined streets without many more incidents, occasionally spying frightened citizenry peering anxiously from their homes or undead Templars filling in potholes and clearing streets. It takes several hours of wrong turns, blocked streets, and cramped alleyways before the party reach what would appear to be, as indicated upon Ahli's map, the Exalted Path Monastery. Or, rather, what's left of it. It's still standing, but just barely--at least half of it appears beyond salvage, having collapsed inward upon itself. The building appears silent, for the most part, although the parts that have not yet collapsed exhibit signs of life as occasional movement is spotted through a window.
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Post by ascieszl on May 7, 2022 2:13:19 GMT
"Do you suppose we should just knock, or....?"
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Post by Niachi on May 7, 2022 19:36:27 GMT
Yag shrugs and steps forward into the most stable looking entry: Puffing out his little bird chest, hands open and empty:
“Aaahh! Exalted ones! We bring parley and goals to rebuild the city together!”
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Post by Niachi on May 7, 2022 19:36:44 GMT
Yag shrugs and steps forward into the most stable looking entry: Puffing out his little bird chest, hands open and empty:
“Aaahh! Exalted ones! We bring parley and goals to rebuild the city together!”
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2022 22:16:46 GMT
There's silence for a moment--but only a moment. The inhabitants of the monastery, wrapped in orange robes and without a speck of hair anywhere upon their bodies--even their eyebrows have been shaved--quietly turn their attentions toward Yag'ghaara.
Mostly human, a few Dwarves and even a couple of Half-Elves are visible among their ranks. As stated by Ahli, there is not a female body to be seen within the collapsing walls of the Exalted Path Monastery.
Soon, one of their number steps forward, smiling warmly at the approaching Aarakocra. This male human is rather old--perhaps middle-aged or older--and seems to have a second, younger male human at his side. The older of the two speaks.
"I am Thong Nal, abbot of the Exalted Path, and loyal subject of the King and the Crown. I bid you fair welcome in this trying time."
At the sight of their leader's extremely friendly greeting, whatever tension there might have been seems to dissolve into nothingness. The monks seem glad to see the group, and appear entirely non-hostile.
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Post by ascieszl on May 8, 2022 2:17:24 GMT
"Oh, good." Rimir steps forward a bit, and pulls the ribbon out so they can see it (but doesn't wave it around in the street like a crazy person) "I am Rimir, and we bring word from the King. He convenes a council to determine the future of the city, and we are here to invite you to send representatives. Will you help set the destiny of all Nibenay?"
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2022 2:27:42 GMT
Thong Nal nods without hesitation. "You have my word. We will contribute in any way we can. Nibenay must stand!"
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2022 17:14:08 GMT
Bharnag nods. "Okay, where to next?"
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2022 22:38:41 GMT
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Post by ascieszl on May 9, 2022 21:39:10 GMT
"To the Temple of the Sun!"
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2022 9:10:40 GMT
The group pick their way through the crumbling streets for a brief time, soon coming into view of what appears to be Nibenay's Temple of the Sun. It's a rather grisly sight--having been constructed of baked clay, of all things, the Sun Temple did not weather the earthquake well. However, with only just over half of it destroyed, as opposed to three-quarters, like the Exalted Path monastery, things certainly could have gone worse for it.
On the other hand, however, there is what would appear to be an enormous fire pit nearby the temple, at the bottom of which are innumerable bones, seemingly of various species ranging from humans to halflings to half-giants, all piled on top of one another. Here and there, the bones are adorned with a nude body or two of some half-starved individual, apparently simply thrown into the pit.
The Sun priests appear to be very active, at the moment, in a rather macabre task--piling corpses. Though only a couple dozen at most, the priests of the Sun are very determined to haul as many of Nibenay's dead as possible onto their temple grounds, for some reason. Their leader, a tall, slim half-elf with a coy gleam in his eye, oversees them, encouraging to drag more of the bodies from where they lie beneath the rubble.
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Post by ascieszl on May 12, 2022 2:54:14 GMT
"Hail. What's with the corpses?"
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2022 3:01:19 GMT
Bharnag looks at the situation and quietly whispers to the others while covering his mouth with his hand.
"Something doesn't feel right. I don't like this."
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2022 5:52:10 GMT
The High Priest turns to regard Rimir, grinning more with the glee of an opportunistic merchant than of a pious priest. "What's with the corpses, you say? You must be new to Nibenay, my good man! Me and my faithful flock offer cremation services for an incredibly competitive price, and with this unfortunate calamity, our services are more in demand than ever! For a modest sum, we shall gladly dispose of the remains in the city's rubble before they even begin to smell! Locating next of kin to issue the bill may prove difficult, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it, sir!"
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Post by ascieszl on May 14, 2022 11:39:08 GMT
"Oh, alright. Great, thanks..."
(We leave the area so as to not be overheard.)
"So, the State School then?"
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