Leaving Cromlin for the ruins of Giustenal

[Attilius]

Jan 27, 2024 14:07:55 GMT -12 Niachi said:

Niachi joins the laughter, and follows with:

"So what's in them ruins? How do they die?"

"And what beasts do you fight off on these 20 mile runs?" ads Attilius

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko also erupts with laughter before realizing that he should at least communicate concern if he's to be truly believed to be a master of the Way.

"Yes, yes, quite concerning, I should hope this Caller takes no interest in me!" 'Muiko says "Do tell though, what lies in store for those Called?"

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila smiles and laughs upon hearing the brothers quit bitching for a moment.
Almost silently under her breath she does say, "Yes, owe, as I paid you for a map and info and helping out."

When they talk about the Caller causing psions to act weirdly, she prods them for more information. "Does that get caused by using mental powers or does the Caller affect them regardless of active use, and is just being in the vicinity of the Caller dangerous for those using the Way? And, indeed, what my friends are curious about as well, what is in the ruins that makes them die?"

[DM Bob]

"Lemme counter that with a question of me own then. What is it you thinks is in that cursed shithole?"

His brother smirks and adds his own two bits.

"Outside the walls there be enough dangers. The ground? Well, there's a reason why that tar is around. Why? That we don't know. There's signs of old lava... but no cone or fissure that it could've exited from. Almost like somethin' melted the ground and city from above. But then, why the tar from below? All we know is that the black stuff is our meal ticket. E'ry once in a bit a tar daddy will appear, moanin' an' a-wailing. Stay outta reach of the pits we marked on the map, 'k? Else yeh get pulled into the boiling stuff."

He reveals the map proper and points with a stubby stained finger to a charcoal drawn papyrus deal showing crude details and pools leading up to what look to be a few breaks in the walls of the ruined city. The ruins look to directly saddle up to the silt bay. An arrow points to the south-east with common script stating, "Oasis yonder, elf an' gith".

He then adds, "As far as our usual business, we keep the walls just barely in sight, no closer. No reason to poke a resting klar, Mom used to say."

His brother replies, "I think she meant Pa. 'E never liked gettin' up too early."

"Ain't no arguin' that." The other brother adds.

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko listens attentively and if given the opportunity, will manually make several copies of the map (enough so that everyone has one).  He'll add a border grid for ease of reference.

Artistic Ability rolled a 3 needing a 13 or less.  [Success!]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila will use her uncanny knack for committing things to memory while looking at the map, she will point out features to 'Muiko which allows her to instantiate it structurally and conceptually, but she also allows for 'Muiko to take a good look at it. Her eidetic memory function allows her to commit it to her long-term memory within 20 minutes. (OOC: rolled a 2 on 1d4 turns this takes)

As she is doing that she will keep engaging and talking with the brothers and, every now and then, 'Muiko, who she quickly has given the map to.

"Hah, you are of the countering questions sorts. Well, okay, I will take the bait. Means you gotta tell me a bit more next about how it affects psions and such. We aren't even sure we really need to be IN the ruins themselves so much as in the vicinity. We are on the lookout for any presences of elemental fire, plain and simple. Do your experiences in the area ring a bell when I say that? Like maybe a fumarole, open vents, lava flows. But then, you just said you didn't see any. Where does the old lava point to, like an origin maybe?"

(OOC: Quila will, during this extended conversation use her Kurnan Spymaster ability of Probing Conversation, which says: At 5th level, you can Detect Lie after a solid round of conversation. You can do this a number of times per day equal to your Charisma score's loyalty base adjustment. I'd say it's non-magical in origin and reflects an expertise and intuition of engaging a subject and prodding them and looking for inconsistencies, both verbal and non-verbal.)

[DM Bob]

"The Caller is a mystery too, hard teh find workers that'll work nearby. By the Dragon's wings, even the silt skimmers keep their bloody distance. But a lot of 'em have psions aboard. Those who do chance it... well, if they use their abilities, sometimes the Caller knocks and whispers in their brains and causes 'em to go wacky. Eventually draws 'em to the walls like beetles to dung."

His brother adds...

"Then yeh never see those folks again."

"As far as fire, lava and the like? Maybe there's some under the ruins. Might explain why no one comes back, foul air from a 'cano and a mental hook in one's brain could just mean there's a pile o' dead bodies not too far from the surface. But that's just conjecture, er, reasoning."

Durex scratches his head.

"Also, you should be wary of the tar pits that silt sometimes covers."

His brother agrees.

"Yeah, had a worker last week fall into one of those. Burned and smothered. Can still hear the j'hozal's screams. Took a few arrows to put him out of his misery, poor bastage."

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

Jan 29, 2024 4:33:00 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

.."Outside the walls there be enough dangers. The ground? Well, there's a reason why that tar is around. Why? That we don't know. There's signs of old lava... but no cone or fissure that it could've exited from. Almost like somethin' melted the ground and city from above. But then, why the tar from below? All we know is that the black stuff is our meal ticket. E'ry once in a bit a tar daddy will appear, moanin' an' a-wailing. Stay outta reach of the pits we marked on the map, 'k? Else yeh get pulled into the boiling stuff."..

- Skrye have a think about all that was said, trying to make up any sense with her, surely only one worth, worshipped elemental force

[OOC: What should I roll to get some information from these bits? Any creature and/or knowledge of events that could have caused the tar, even that 'tar creatures' they talk about Bob?]

[Attilius]

The half giant listens intently in silence to the brothers. After a few breaths he asks them while looking at the tall buckets
"What'll you barter for one of those long poles?"

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"Thanks you both," Quila says to the brothers, as she gets to the wagon that Chat'cho is position upon, a strange sight indeed to have a kreen on a caravan top.

In tohr-kreen, Quila klicks and wheezes, "Hello friend, how are you doing? I see you are a bit anxious, I am sorry for that. See anything strange so far? I think it might be a good idea to begin using your elemental beacon."

[DM Bob]

The tari does not know of tar monsters, but elemental forces could take many, many forms. Consider the efreeti, the flame hawk she scouted with, the beasts that could be summoned, drakes... the list goes on and on. They could even be a form of paraelemental, magma and tar didn't seem too much apart in structure, at the very least they were cousins of a sort.

It would be odd that they held primarily domicile here on Athas. Most elemental beings were called here. Perhaps the walls betwixt the worlds were thinner here, the site of so much hidden history.

Meanwhile, Attilius is met with great resistance concerning the worms, er, leeches, and their baskets.

"Those be harder than a dune reapers arse to get from the damned Nibs. Only reason I got some was a Shom caravan had gotten robbed near Cromlin last year and couldn't purchase the tar they needed an' I took the worms,"

"Leeches!" Interjected his brother.

"THE WORMS in payment." Durex sneered back.

"You ne'er learn, Dur."

"Suck my what?"

"WHAT?"

"That's what I thought. Learn this di..."

And so on.

[Attilius]

"No, no... NOT the bucket or worm/leeches. JUST the long pole. One of those will help me NOT step in one of those silt covered tar patches you talked about..."

[DM Bob]

"I suppose that'd be acceptable, but it'll cost you the story of why you be poking about here. Ya don't seem to be the usual types to try their fate here... or Caller cursed."

He moves to fetch the pole.

[Attilius]

Not being ENTIRELY dim witted, like many of his brethern, the giant side-looks at the others from under his Balican (Roman) helm while inhaling a large breath in as if to begin answering the dwarfs request but taking long enough for any of his group to interject a better explanation than his, before he answers...

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

“Well, as I said earlier, and I know you guys are confused and not listening all the time because the face doing the talking is prettier than you are used to. We aren't even sure we really need to be IN the ruins themselves so much as in the vicinity. We are on the lookout for any presences of elemental fire, plain and simple. A portal to be specific. We have a logistics assignment. We need to go fetch some livestock for our sirdar.”