Folding into New Kurn for a breather...

[AthasianLaborer]

Jun 3, 2024 15:45:00 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Gruv then makes way to Quila and 'Muiko.

"I read these tomes carefully and quite frankly, I made sure that Akos and Oronis himself knew the level of threat that these two brothers pose. He (Oronis) said he was aware in part, but trusted you to take care of it. He told me that many, many entropic forces await patiently for the walls to thin here on Athas. I fear he did not go into much detail, but I thought that was a strange sentiment. While Oronis is hard to read sometimes and somewhat introverted, it is rare he's this damned cryptic."

Akos nods in agreement.

"I know that he believes there to be parallels between the attack on the Messenger, this incursion of strange worms and our recent visitors. I do not know where his research has led him."

'Muiko will collect 'Of Vessels, Masks and Avatars' while listening to Gruv and Akos.  Turning to address Quila as Akos turns to Coden "As much as I would love to devour this stack of journals, we should be returning to our task at hand sooner rather than later.  Having said that, I don't think it's a bad idea to take an extra [# of hours it takes to transcribe a 3rd level spell] to return better equipped."

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Seeing 'Muiko collect the very specific volume, Quila comments "Excellent. I wanted to take a look into that volume as well. It seems tellingly relevant does it not? An image of the mask we are after would be most welcome. It will help my divinations if we need to make use of it. Thank you so much Gruv, again, I have to sit down with you soon. The book we are gonna author keeps growing by the day my friend."
Quila will hug the dwur quickly and then stand back to see the look on his face.

Shifting her weight around and stretching her arms wide to the open sky above, she breathes out deeply and inhales the fresh air of the city around her.

"I feel better already. But our task ahead is a portentous one indeed. We need to make sure the walls are not further abraded. We are in a precarious ecological balance by just the forces arranged now, let alone what may otherwise set its sights on us. Let us sleep and heal, I will psionically scout the tunnel Umbris last found under the sarcophagus to see what that leads down to and whether we even need to go there."

(OOC: Bob, Quila will use Clairvoyance again, power manipulated to also give clairaudient senses, and scout. I rolled a 3 for activation, and 2 for manipulation, both successful.)

[AthasianLaborer]

Gazing down at the journal cradled in his arm "This was the one on the table in the golem workshop, I've long had an interest in creating assistants through..." he trails off as if just realizing that the party isn't alone.  Looking back to Quila "Well, let's just say that I find this to be the most interesting to me of these journals"

'Muiko gives an exaggerated yawn, clenching the book tightly as he stretches with the yawn "Oh, I am going to go get some sleep".  

'Muiko then goes off to his sleeping quarters (if the party isn't living communally) and transcribes Hold Undead into his spellbook before going to bed.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "I'd also love if you could tell me the stories within it, I'm a collector of stories and all I can gather from this knowledge it'll be very welcomed too" - looking at Muiko and Quila

[OOC: Barkskin (AC 0, 5rnds).

AC 3, 32/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(2/5), 2ndLvl(4/5), 3rdLvl(1/4), 4thLvl(1/3)]

[Umbris (AC 2 | HP 37/37)]

Curiosity peaked, he wanders off to explore for an hour or three before coming back to wherever the party agreed to meet

[DM Bob]

"We were told to refer to the stranger as Lord Commander Bomris of Ebe." Is replied to Niachi's question.

***

"As far as enchanted fruit? They are always in demand. But, metal for tools? I think we can scrouge up something before you leave."

***

The halfling sneaks off. He finds this place incredibly strange, almost a dream. Plants abound. The air smells clean for a city-state. He gets looks from everyone he passes... almost as if everyone here is familiar with one another. There are a great number of the bird folk that live here as well. Even this late, some small street vendors manipulate skewers of flesh over dying inix dung fires.

***

Quila brings herself to the realm of Myron's tomb. Outside the now re-closed sarcophagi, she extends her sight beyond the lid, down the stairs and to the end of the tunnel. As it curves to the right, it ends in a pool of murky, rank water. Huh.

[Attilius]

Jun 4, 2024 13:26:13 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

"As far as enchanted fruit? They are always in demand. But, metal for tools? I think we can scrouge up something before you leave."

Attilius unpacks the 11 weapon heads and 5 fused blades to show the Brown elf.

[Umbris (AC 2 | HP 37/37)]

After he's done exploring and picking up some really nice feathers from the ground, he'll go hide for most of the rest wherever the big boss elf tells him he can sleep or rest. While he's 'hidden' (In a dark corner, but not actually attempting to hide), he starts making his skull into a helm.

When finished with that task, he starts braiding feathers, teeth, and finger bones into twine and leather bracelets, necklaces, earrings... and a ring for the giant. When entirely finished, he hoots and chitters excitedly, rapidly beating on his chest as he looks over his new creations... and he waits for his new party to either join him or for them to collect him to go again.

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila will tell about her findings to the others. "A dank murky pool. That would suggest something slytherin' no? Does anyone know what could house there aside from a cistern fiend?"

Hearing the name off the two-staved man spoken Quila will think back using her eidetic memory to see if there was anything she read during her training about either Bomris or the place Ebe. (OOC: Chronicler ability)
She will complement this with a casting of Personal Reading (lvl 1) on the name of the man.

Before she turns in for the night Quila will go to what Kurnans consider a revered place, a place where sacrifices are made or help sought.
She will prepare to cast a Divination (lvl 4) there, thinking about the blessings of Oronis in her journeys so far as part of her preparations, and using nine gems as offering, arranging them so they resemble a crude mask or face. The answer she seeks is a simple one: "Is the nine tongued worm mask, worn by Myron, down those steps and tunnel we encountered below the sarcophagus?"

[DM Bob]

Quila is aware that a city-state called Ebe was rumored to be to the east somewhere over or beyond the silt. These people more recently arrived when Kalak passed, and took over the government of Tyr and it's iron mine during his absence. Urik decided not to attack even though they were prepared to siege. This showed either strength or limited intelligence on the foreign occupation. During their time, the Ebeans rooted out a greater number of witches from within the city-state, there is a good chance the Veil was nearly wiped out in that span of time.

As far as Bomris? Personal Reading tells you that he's a seller of poor tobac and a trainer of kanks. Weak of character, smells of greep and drools incessantly.

***

Divination reveals a simple answer, "Yes."

***

The pool isn't too wide, perhaps only the width of the hall. Since it only slopes slightly downward here... perhaps there's a hole? She hears the rumble of earth even through her psionic senses. The worms nary sleep this evening.

[Changed the order of events, as it's like taking more than one action at a time. All the clairvoyant action will take place after the divinations are cast.]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

From the position Quila is at, she also focuses on the very characteristic medallion her friend HurK is wearing. She calls upon the blessing of Oronis and chants a Call Upon Faith (lvl 1). She then manifests Environment and tries to power manipulate that in order to get some idea of HurK's current surroundings.

After doing that she finds Coden and Niachi to tell them about HurK's predicament and the rest about her divination's outcomes and the pool.
Then it is time for sleep.

(OOC: Success on Environment 11 vs 19, success on power manipulation 16 vs 14 -- which becomes 13 on 14 using the +3 bonus from Call Upon Faith. So I get a minute long 360 full sensory stream.)

[Attilius]

Attilius's rest time actions: (in whatever order makes the most sense)

- Following Henth's instructions exactly, remove the poison from his armor and shield. Then repair any issues with his armor and sharpen his gouge

- Have his two Lg. bandoleer's repaired/mended

- Restock on lost mundane items: Lg. Bedroll & blanket, Cold weather clothes, Large Dust goggles, & one 100' Giant hair rope

- Trade the 16 metal weapon heads and other items previously dropped off for enspelled fruits:

• rusted staff, with a fist-sized gold flecked obsidian ball affixed to the head, greedily grasped in rusty wire (wrapped in blanket) 4 lbs
• a royal blue rug 4lbs
• an azure colored pillow and a rug of brown and green. 4lbs
• small ironbound chest secured with two locks with Mak Thuum Ngatha book within it 25 lbs
• black basalt book stand carved into a twining column of tendons and bone shaped like a huge, skeletal claw. 170 lbs

7 (1 for each group member) Cure light wounds
1 Detect Snares & Pits
2 Invisibility to Undead
7 (1 for each group member) Protection From Evil
2 Anti-Vermin Barrier
7 (1 for each group member) Aid
2 Flame Blade
7 (1 for each group member) Neutralize Poison
2 Burning Hands
2 Comprehend Languages
2 Detect Magic
2 Expeditious Retreat
2 Enlarge
2 Blur
2 Detect Evil
2 Detect Invisibility
2 Invisibility
2 Mirror Image
7 (1 for each group member) Protection from Poison
2 Haste (self only?)
2 Infravision
1 Vampiric Touch
1 Protection from Amorphs

- Sleep

[DM Bob]

Yeah. Good luck with that.

***

Dropping further mental exploration into the crypt, Quila switches powers once more.

Environment reveals that Hurk is being carried by something with large, black talons in flight in the night sky. These do not look like roc claws... The dusty silt clears slightly by the light of Ral revealing...

HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF FUCK!!! IS THIS THE BLOODY DRAGON HIMSELF?

[Niachi]

Niachi's 8 hours:

To Gruv:

"May I offer my services as a Lancer to help restore the library once our current mission is complete? On patrol or in the halls, wherever I'm needed. Threats abound."

To Quila and Coden after the divinations:

"Sarkea's 3rd srani! So 2-sticks is something else, with misleading effects against divinations. Someone will indeed be "weak of character" after my elegant triple-spin reverse decapitation.

I need rest, then to learn the spell of Haste. We will need alacrity if nothing else for our goliath's acrobatics. Would one of those Moments be available at dawn?

Ugh Tyr ruled by these Ebeans makes my belly burn. Losing a chapter of the Hidden will cause ripples felt far and furious. Coden, might you have hometown connections with those who Veil?"

Meanwhile the two familiars exchange knowledge and their unique arcane symbiosis to enhance their respective abilities.

They commune in Kurn's areas known witchy sanctums, whispering and pantomiming the language of their kind.

As Niachi slumps to his barracks, he turns a chunk of broken pottery on his open window sill  counter-clockwise. His tribal contacts will know this as an escalation.

[Niachi]

(adding reply to Quila)

"A dank murky pool. That would suggest something slytherin' no? Does anyone know what could house there aside from a cistern fiend?"

"Open water of that amount? I'll summon a water-kin. Two options: The Honeyed Ones have tactical superiority over anything male. Living or Unliving. The Water Wierds? Much more dangerous, they exist to spite and drown, but enjoy bargaining. Protection from Evil will be active."