Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

[I haven't really described this clearly.  There's no gate to push open.  It is more like the outline of a gate... something like this...]

At Ran's attempt at communication, the bird cocks its head to either side, looking down at him suspiciously with one eye at a time.  Then it flaps its wings and sails down from the gate, perching on Ran's shoulder.  It clicks twice, then "Rwrank!" followed by a sharp whistle.  It cocks its head again and peers at Ran expectantly.

If it understands your request, it doesn't seem to be making any effort to comply.  But it does seem friendly and perhaps a little bossy.

Ran looks at the bird sitting on his shoulder and frowns slightly.

"Do I know you?" Ran says, wondering if Rwrank is bird for Ran.

He fiddles in his pack, pulling out a piece of jerky and offers it to the bird. He then looks over at Danica.

"What did you say you saw on the bird? Transmutation magic?" Ran asks. "So this might not be a bird, right?" 

He looks back at the bird again.

"You're too pretty to be my sister ,Shepard," he muses.

"I don't like that skull. Not all Necromancy is bad, but damn sure most of it is. Tied in with Divination? Not good. Don't have anything to dispell it though. Any ideas Inete?" Asking the only other magically inclined of their group left.
Danica watches the exchange between Ran and the bird with curiosity before voicing, "You give me another ten minutes and I'll be able to tell ya what they're sayin'." Referring to the bird. "Yeah, might not be a bird." She agrees with Ran's wondering, "Or at least not originally. Transmutation magic is the kind that turns one thing into something else. You another druid, flashy?" The elf questions mostly rhetorically before beginning another ritual to cast Speak with Animals. 

Even though Meili was the one barraging Hew with questions, she actually did not mind the silence (or a short summary of previously told information). The point was to bring Hew back on his feet. She idly sat near the gates, watching others investigating the construction and waiting for the result of the magic test. Whether it was boredom or genuine curiosity about the magical wonders of the land (which the group was witnessing practically every day) but Meili's eyes flashed with excitement.

Before Inete had a chance to answer, Meili, caught in the moment, uncharacteristically interrupted with her own interpretation. "Maybe the skull is watching us? And anyone passing the gate? Necromancy keeps it ... I don't know how to say it... existing(?) and then it says what it saw to the one who can contact it?" It was, of course, a very uneducated guess but she hoped the direction was right. One does not spend so much time with so many specialists in magic without learning something. She even stood up and walked to the thing to look at the skull closer.

"Does not look too dangerous," Meili looked back at the group and immediately smiled at the adorable picture of Ran with a parrot on his shoulder. "You are like a real pirate!" (She never saw a pirate but cliches are cliches) She searched her backpack to find something fruit or nut resembling and offer it to the bird. (Animal Handling: 7 ) Even if it is a druid, fruits never hurt no one.

Danica:

The bird extends a clawed foot and takes the jerky from Ran.  It holds it aloft and picks at it with its beak.  It gives Meili a sideways glance when she produces fruit, and it tosses the jerky aside and clutches the new offering.

You still have several hours at least before nightfall.  M'bala isn't far from here, less than a mile down this trail.

Mica chuckles quietly as Ran tries to speak with the parrot.  As Danica begins her ritual to speak with the bird, Mica moves through the gateway to investigate the skull.  Squatting down in front of the skull, he examines it for any markings or visible signs of injury and speaks softly to it.  “How about you then?  Do you have any words or warning or wisdom to share with us?  Or do you warn others of our passing?”  He stands up and turns to the others “We are losing daylight.  Are we ready to continue onto the village then?”

Investigation: 4.

.

.

Danica winces at the loud song and hesitantly repeats it for the rest of the party to hear, "The bird is singing. Kinda creepily."
"Come feed the little birds, show 'em you care
And you'll be glad if you do
Their young ones are hungry
Their nests are so bare
All it takes is tuppence from you."
Shaking her head and not able to look away from the parrot, the elf also remarks, "Doesn't sound like a bird either...More like a grown woman. Damn. Wish I knew how to break a spell on something." Once again wishing Velan were still with them. "Not sure what'll happen if we feed her. Or maybe... Tuppence?" She asks the parrot woman with a head tilt. "D'you mean a copper?" Retrieving a single copper piece and holding it out to the colorful avian. "Can't feed this to hungry young ones though. Are you a regular bird? Or a person?"

Grimacing at Meili's speculations, Danica nods. "That makes sense. Necromancy to hold the spirit and Divination to see through the spirits eyes maybe? Or be warned when someone approaches? If the people of M'bala are as reclusive as Hew and Inete say, makes sense that they wouldn't want unexpected guests."

"We can leave in a minute." She answers Mica as he stares down the skull. Looking back to the parrot on Ran's shoulder, the druid asks, "What does that do?" Gesturing to the magical skull.

Danica:

The bird finishes the bite of fruit from Meili and looks at the copper piece offered by Danica.  It takes the copper in a claw and transfers it to its mouth, and then tucks the coin between Ran's neck and armor padding, for safe-keeping.

Danica, please make an Arcana check.  Inete will also make one, having observed all this: 20

Despite inspecting the skull, Mica is not able to glean anything useful.  There is no obvious sign of blunt trauma, but that's about all he can say.

Inete looks deeply concerned.  "I fear that things are not right here.  Necromancy is a grave taboo in Chult... that should be true even in such an isolated place as M'bala.  This totem would not have been placed by the people there."

"And the bird... if it is a bird... what you describe Danica sounds terrible.  Like a person or a spirit has been bound into this form.  It is not any spell I know, but it sounds like a powerful curse."

((We're in Mary Poppins yall.))

Danica chuckles as the bird tucks the copper close to Ran and comments, "I think she's nestin' Ran. Hope you'll get along." 
But winces at the sudden repeat of the song, not liking the additions of the chorus any more than the main part. 

Arcana: 13

Ran looks at the bird as it ticks the copper piece away.

”Maybe there are others and there needs to be an offering to free them?” Ran suggests.

He looks around.

”Do you want to lead the way?” He asks the bird?

"We had a druid in the monastery that liked to run around as a squirrel. Never used someone's clothes to hide nuts, though. Maybe the bird is just a bird after all?" Meili smiled too - it was hard not to, Rwrank was truly adorable - but Inete's words wiped the smile from her face.

"Does it mean this skull was left by the same people that made the pyramid with the lizard's skull down there? The Kossuth shrine? Left by Thayan's? Then I guess M'balans would be grateful if we destroy it. If M'balans still alive." The sudden realization of what the song could mean made her shudder. Really, followers of Krer N'busa had the work cut out for them. She took the boomerang from her belt and narrowed her eyes at the skull taking aim. "I can try to knock it down without touching it."

It was up to the knowledgeable, though, to decide if it was time for destruction.

Mica straightens up from the skull, learning nothing. “It doesn’t talk as much as the bird, that's for certain.”  He glances over at Meili “Maybe it does provide an early warning of some kind to the wizards.  In that case it may be best to destroy it, they likely know we are here.” Mica steps back away from the skull, just in case Meili tries out the new boomerang.

He glances over at the others “Got a new friend, Ran. Looks good on you. You just need an eyepatch.”

Danica waits to see if the bird responds to Ran's prompting about leading the way. Glancing at Meili, she grimaces and shakes her head. "I don't think she's a druid. We're still ourselves, no matter what animal we turn into. Might not be able to talk, but our minds are the same inside. So either this is a druid that has possibly been cursed to be unable to wildshape back into herself and gone mad, or a spirit or person cursed into the form of a bird permanently. All I know is definitely not a regular bird." 

Smirking at Ran who was quickly becoming the butt of all pirate jokes she commented, "You know I haven't met scores of pirates by any means, but none that have actually had a colorful bird like this. Plenty of ship cats though. But hey, maybe you'll re-start the trend!"

Shifting closer to the monk and giving her a pat on the shoulder as she casts Guidance, Danica says, "Just be careful Meili. Don't need you gettin' cursed or anythin'."

It felt like cautious curiosity was shared among the group. "I'll be careful," promised Meili and released the boomerang aiming at the eyesockets of the skull.

Attack: 7 Damage: 8  (if it's a skill check - Guidance help is 2 )

The weapon obediently returned to her hand and Meili caught it without even thinking if the curse could affect the magical throwing stick.

Ran raises an eyebrow to Mica when he suggests an eyepatch would complete the look. In addition he tries out an "arrgh" before laughing.

"Going on about coins would be something Shepard would do," Ran says afterwards to the bird.

While the others handle the skull, Ran takes in the view again, looking off towards the south, looking for anything he might have missed on first glance, specifically any signs of villages or smoke.

Perception: 18  

Danica:

 Ran, the bird paces back and forth nervously when you ask it to lead the way.  "(whistle whistle) Wronk! Wrank! (whistle)"  It moves closer and then bites your ear with its beak.  It is not hard enough to draw blood or hurt too much, but it doesn't feel nice either and it holds on for a second before releasing and going back to pacing side to side on your shoulder.

Meanwhile Meili lets her boomerang fly, and it connects with the skull.  The skull cracks open and sails off into the cycads.  When the skull breaks, there is a small flash of color.  A dark cloud with a human face is ejected.  It howls briefly in ghostly agony before dissipating into nothingness in a ray of sunlight.  The post of balsa spins from the force of the blow, then topples over.  "... Savras guide us..." Inete says in horror at seeing the destruction of the bound soul.  The bird too panics and flaps into the air, circling Ran twice before settling back on his other shoulder.

"No more nibbles on the ear," Ran says to the bird, "or I'll let her have a go at you next."

He nods to the others.

"Bird her isn't leading us anywhere so we might as well go down the path and see what we see."

Ran waits a second for any better ideas to surface. If they don't, he heads forward along the path through the gateway.