The word of power fades from Auger's mind as he watches Varielky move away. That was. Unexpected. Nodding he moves along with her and joins the others. Then the first roc shows and Auger cannot help but feel a sense of panic rise. 

Py, watch the orcs, tell me if they are hiding from the Rocs or not.

Unsure whether they were covered from sight or if it even mattered given the sudden appearance of the orcs, Auger still looks to the others and says, "Hide."

Details

• Move: To X -1 (or so)
• Action: Hide under the tree. Stealth roll: 20(!!) +2 for 22.

Snow follows Varielky back to Granophyre, not saying a word. He knows that inside she will be torn and tormented by the decision to leave Benita in the hands of one such as the orc chieftain.

With the Rocs now so close, he draws his bow across his violin, light and sound drawing into it as he does so.

He thens moves to hide, whispering to Granophyre, "Who is that? I am guessing the father, but a name?".

Action: Pass Without trace
Stealth: 4+6+10 = 20
Special: Concentration: Pass Without Trace - 1 hour
Special: Bardic Inspiration given to Varielky - 10 minutes

Varielky silently hides with the others. She wouldn't mind taking out her frustration on some Empirial roc riders, but she knows that their death will only invite more trouble.

Stealth: 6+1+10=17. 

Granophyre, too, attempts to hide. He is at disadvantage in his armor and rolls 2+10=12.

A conference of sorts continues between Xurl and his Hands while the orcs hold in place, and some advance a few feet into the clearing, their hyenas nipping at the vipers in their immediate path but also barking warnings and springing backwards to avoid being bitten.

Lit by blazing morning sunlight, the rocs now appear overhead, soaring over the treetops and above you. One is perhaps 100’ up, the second, perhaps 300’ up and trailing the first by a dozen yards. The riders’ eyes sweep down to the orcs, who stand with hackles up, it seems, their chipped, scratched light blue-painted shields and tattered dagger-moon banner standing in stark contrast to the brightly polished armor and harnesses of the aerial riders. Neither side offers a greeting until the first roc wheels, pulls up, and flaps briskly immediately overhead, buffeting the orcs -- and you, incidentally, though you are plainly not the target of this gesture, and seem not to have been noticed -- with knock-down gusts. A few of the orcs fire warning shots in the roc’s general direction, none – intentionally – coming close to the mark.

The roc rider laughs as blood drips down from the huge raptor’s prey. The rider pulls the reins, causing his enormous mount to pull up and away. The bird picks up speed once again and with several powerful strokes clears the meadow heading east once again. The other roc glides past higher up, not participating in the exchange, as its rider holds a looking glass to one eye and sweeps the meadow carefully.

In a few moments the pair continue eastward and your eyes must squint, then give way to the bright rays of the rising sun, directly toward which they soar. The sound of the rushing water in the creek, the snakes slithering in the grass, and the yipping giant hyenas is left around you, while the sound of buzzing fey alyasub wings is all that remains above except for a light breeze caressing the treetops.

“NOW!,” shouts Xurl, but he then falls to his knees holding Benita, somehow sets her down gently, then himself crashes, splaying, into the grass. All of the mounted orcs look to the two Hands, and you notice again how young the two religious leaders of the company are. You now read fear and indecision in their movements and in their eyes.

Granophyre answers Snow in a whisper.

“That is Shulong Xurl, chieftain of the Oraccan orc tribes southwest of Kalahata at Brod Khagkul. Earlier in our journey, they, these orcs, attempted to bargain for our passage through their lands: gold, and, shockingly, the human women of our company. We of course refused, and fled overland, narrowly escaping. However, Xurl later caught up with us, but not until we had already been defeated by reptilians in an ambush in the Oraccan Badlands. At that ambush, my husband of sixty years, my major domo, advisor and defender and friend, Tuff Blueschist, was slain. Auger and Varielky, and two of my cousins, and our driver, as well. But Xurl routed the reptilians and fled with Benita, who somehow survived. She thought us all slain, and what happened between her and Xurl… only Benita knows. We thought her captured but the situation was plainly more complex, for when we found her, she was unrestrained, at table with Xurl and his company. That notwithstanding, we escaped with her, and thought we had seen an end to Shulong Xurl. But Benita later announced that she is with child.

More recently, we learned that the Empire is paying orcs in gold to give up their Jenghen children, those born to one orc parent and one human parent. They are told that these babies are raised as princes and handed the keys to the kingdom so to speak, raised to inherit the Empire. It is a mystery why such ends would be needed, as many Jenghen live within the Empire, do they not?”

While the Rocs pass overhead and make their strange buffeting display, Snow listens to Granophyre’s explanation of Shulong Xurl and their previous meeting, along with how Benita was involved.

“I have no answers to that”, he says shaking his head. “This obsession with stealing children is beyond me”.

He hears Xurl shout Now! and turns to see the chieftain lay Benita down and fall to the ground.

“Ok, whatever is happening over there, those two don’t look like they can handle it”, he says with a frown. “I’m going over”.

He slowly walks over dropping the concealing magic, holding his violin and bow out to his side, showing nothing threatening. He makes sure to avoid the areas where the snakes are.

“Do not attack, I just wish to know what is happening to my friend. And to your chieftain. Why do you look so worried?”

Special: Bardic Inspiration given to Varielky - approx 10 minutes
Persuasion: 12+9=21
Reaction:

Auger watches Snow head on over to the Hands, the Chieftain and the unsteady orcs and decides to trail after at a short distance.

Granophyre, like Auger, trails Snow at a short distance (and Varielky may too if she wishes). The orcs bristle somewhat at your approach, and the giant hyenas yip warnings.  The expressions of the two Hands of Ellosh at first harden as they turn to squarely face you, putting their muscular young bodies between you and their chieftain.

But with Snow’s open-handed approach followed by persuasive words, the Hands exchange a glance, and you see through the rough veneer to fear.

“There are herbs on the shore of a shaded pool. Less than a mile from here. Behind us,” which is in the direction you want to go. “We were there yesterday and saw the antidote herbs we need. But a powerful evil spirit lives in the pool and told us to leave. If we go again, it said it would kill us. But without those herbs… we cannot save them,” they finish, gesturing to Benita and Xurl. The orcs near you are silent and similarly, you assess, hide fear behind their threatening glares.

When Snow hears the reason for their apparent distress, he turns to Granophyre and Auger.

"We must do something and fast, Benita is strong, but in her condition...", he says leaving the thought hang.

"And if that one succumbed so easily, the poison must be virulent".

He turns back to the Orcs, "If safe passage is guaranteed, we can go and look for the herbs. We will gather enough for our friend, and your chief, if you describe what they look like. But you must do what you can to slow the effects of the poison until we return, paying most attention to the lady, as I think you know your chief would wish".

"Also, it seemed no love is lost between yourselves and the Roc riders. Are you at odds?".

A spirit living in a pool... Auger cannot help but wonder what that would be, and wants to ask more but hearing Snow ask about the Roc riders he lets it ride for a moment as he is curious about this as well.

Varielky hurries along with the others, concern now written upon her face. Snakes could be lethal - she knew that much. But she expected - no, hoped - that this weren't the case. That Benita was just weakened by her... condition. That the hands will cure her instantly, once they're gone.

But when Xurl falls too, it's clear the situation is dire. If even a large and sturdy Orc like him succumbs to the poison this fast, is there any chance for a pregnant woman? If only Varielky could do anything, but unfortunately, Dreygaard's powers only worked on her (OOC: Right?). 

"Cut the questions, we must leave at once." Varielky interferes. "We'll have time for questions once Benita -and him - are safe. We're wasting precious time."

The Hands of Ellosh frown and bare their fangs at Snow, for although he can tell they will be persuaded by him despite their growling, he can likewise read their great disgust with his soft-toned manner of speaking. 

But when Varielky interjects, they snarl obediently and exchange a glance as if to acknowledge to each other, ‘this is a leader to whom we can submit without losing face.’

“We will lead you there to the pond and show you the place. But… we will not come too close. That would risk our chieftains’ life!”

One of them shouts a command to the leading hyena rider, ending in a threat of torture, and the command is relayed down the line.

The leading rider pulls Shulong Xurl over his saddle, and Benita is pulled atop another hyena (unless you interfere). The orcs in the company quiet down and fall in line behind you four as the Hands lead you west northwest into the woods. Granophyre seems very uneasy indeed with this arrangement and scowls, an unusual expression for the scholar. But he loses no time following the Hands, giving in to the logic of Snow and Varielky’s arguments.

(OOC: As you go, all three please roll perception or nature checks, whichever is better. @Firecat, correct: those powers only work on Varielky.)

When agreement is reached, and before the Chieftain and Benita are placed on the hyenas, Snow will softly play his violin and reach out and touch first Benita, and then the Chieftain. As he does so, magic suffuses them enhancing their fortitude.

He then moves out with the others.

Action: Cast Enhance Ability (Bear's Endurance) Level 3 targeting Benita and the Chieftain - The target has advantage on Constitution checks. It also gains 2d6 temporary hit points, which are lost when the spell ends.
Perception: 6+9 = 15 (Passsive: 19)
Special: Concentration - Enhance Ability  - Benita and Chief - 1 hour

Varielky doesn't object to Benita being carried by the hyena riders. She could carry her herself, but then she'd be limited if something happens. And, at least for now, the Orcs won't leave before the two are cured. 

Perception: 11+5=16.

Auger moves along with the others, and noting Granophyre's discomfort, decides to stay close and support him if needed. Py comes to rests invisibly on Auger's shoulder. While they walk, Auger calls out to the closest Hand. Picking up on Varielky's cue, Auger speaks forcefully, "Tell us more of this spirit, its nature, what form it takes!"

As he speaks, Auger takes a look at the surrounding area and tries to pick up any clues about what sort of danger they are walking towards. Perception: 19 +0 = 19.

Py lands on Auger’s shoulder.

Benita and Shulong Xurl, who had both been perspiring and growing clammy, seem becalmed and cooled by Snow’s spell, but their breathing remains shallow.

One of the Hands answers Auger.

“We do not know what evil spirit haunts the place. A woman’s head of stone rose from the pool. Only her eyes were visible to us above the waters, but we heard her voice even without seeing her mouth, ordering us to leave. A thick darkness crept over us, and her claws slashed and drew blood.”

You descend a hillside single-file into a narrow cleft filled with ivy and slender trees, and there, where the morning sun cannot penetrate the foliage high overhead, you approach a dark pool with lily pads floating upon it, out of which, from its opposite end, a thin brook trickles away. A sense of dread, of a place beyond and outside of time, seeps into your souls. 

When you turn to face the hillside behind the pool, you see thick ivy covering what look like ancient dead tree trunks growing straight up the escarpment behind the pool. Above them, the only patch of sky is visible, surrounding one of the twin anvils, this view almost obscured by foliage.

The orcs stand, crowded in the woods at the base of the pool where the brook trickles out, and they seem grim and apprehensive, affected as you are by the same sense of dread.

“There,” says the first Hand, mustering the courage to break the still silence, “beside the pool. There is the grshma-a-ackra, called shiyaka ohuro by Shians in the vale. Its leaves must be picked and the sap from their stems eaten. Heals all snake poison.”

The other Hand turns to the center of the pool and points to what looks like a symmetrical wedge of thin sandstone in the center of the pool.

“There. The guardian’s crest.”

There is silence in the rocky, verdant cleft, except, momentarily, for the familiar sound of Py’s buzzing wings above you.

‘Master,’ sends Py from Auger’s shoulder, ‘another of my kind has followed us here!’

While still walking, Auger thinks on what the Hand said. A head of stone in a pool. Eyes but not the mouth visible. Heard her voice. Her claws slashed and drew blood. What claws? She was... a head. "Show me the wound," Auger responds, forgetting to be as forceful as before. Illusion was something he had played with a few times and he wondered what was actually going on.

Upon arriving at the pool, Auger feels the sense of dread himself but, still thinking about illusion as much as danger, steels himself against the feelings for now. He has felt worse, when lost in the Stars. 

Auger is trying to see what the crest is, if it forms any discernible shape or clue to who or what it might represent (Religion check: 14 +5 = 19), so it takes a moment for Auger to process what Py is reacting to. He hears the buzzing from above, but it is a sound he is used to, then he is startled himself to realize that Py is referring to another creature like itself. Auger switches focus and looks around, trying to track the buzzing as best he can.

Py, do you mean it is another Alyasub, such as your form? Or do you mean there is another fey version such as yourself, who works with another, as you do with me? Or do you mean, you heard its buzzing wings, and that is all? And... followed us? From where? From which direction?

To the others, Auger appears to be showing signs of confusion, but he keeps his conversation with Py to himself for the moment.

Snow moves as far as the orcs are willing and crouches down, his keen eyes scanning the area of the pool and what they call the guardian's crest. Looking across to where the grshma-a-ackra is he tries to see if there is a way to get to it without approaching, and if not, how close he can get.

He also turns to Auger, Varielky and Granophyre, about to ask what they think, when he notices Auger looking around above them. Not sure what he is up to, he directs his question more to Varielky and Granophyre.

"What do you think? Have you come across anything like this before?".

Investigation: 7+9=16 (Passive: 19)
Perception: 17+9=26 (Passive: 19)
History: 6+5=11
Special: Concentration - Enhance Ability  - Benita and Chief - approx 1 hour

"I think," Varielky answers, "this reminds me of where our bodies were disposed to, last time we... died. Strange ancient spirits that don't like people near them?" 

Varielky tries to follow the Orc's description, trying to spot the plant they need. (Nature? 7.) "If it's anything like back then, we shouldn't all go. I'd rather Master (Granophyre) stays away from danger, but also..." she looks around at the orcs, momentarily, "I don't think we should leave him alone here. Even if the Orcs are, for now, non-hostile."

Re Auger: “Show me the wound.” The Hand lifts his shirt, displaying four parallel lines of blood across his muscular abdomen, clotted but fresh, which agrees with his story.

Re Auger religion check. Auger has heard legends of deities appointing guardians to ancient temples or other places of importance or interest to the divinity. Such a being might be as comfortable breathing water as air, or no air at all, as in the cold environment miles straight up that Auger experienced when the angel of Ellosh plucked up its weapon from the Azhvuv fortress while Auger was trapped within it.

Py answers, ‘I thought I smelled it before, but it must have sensed me first and remained downwind from me. It is a fey alyasub, like me. Our kind appear seldom in the Lands and Seas, unless summoned by a warlock such as you. I first sensed it when the rocs passed overhead, but it was so fleeting I did not trust myself. I am sorry, Master.’

Snow has never seen anything just like the guardian’s crest. His imagination extrapolates from it the shape of a tiara or a crown, and judging from the size of such a tiara or crown, theorizes that the head upon which it might sit would be twice the size of a human’s or so. The bard sees the grshma-a-ackra growing on the far side of the pool, some 60’ away from his current location. It can be accessed by foot by way of a narrow path, or rather, a band of flat ground or rock, surrounding the pool on all sides, itself enclosed by steep escarpments and thick foliage.

Snow, with your 26 perception, you see what looks like a broken urn among the vines behind the pool. Your history roll is not high enough to identify it. (OOC: Let’s generally stick to one or perhaps two skill rolls at a time.;)

Granophyre (who rolls a history check above 30) responds to Snow’s question, frowning.

“There is only one being which possesses claws, acts as a guardian, can create magical darkness, and needs not breathe. This is a gynosphinx. In its lair it possesses unimaginable powers over the passage of time, so that a single breath is enough for a year. Its enemy may find themselves transformed in a moment into an infant or into an enfeebled ancient. I wonder why it is here in this place… but whatever the reason, we must take care.”