“The lions!,” Yalerion says breathlessly. “They did not bother me on the way to Candlekeep, but my time there is done, and not long after I took to the road they…” he looks over his shoulder again, eyes wide. "They very nearly surrounded me. If I were not a practiced rider and my mount, fleet, I would not be speaking with you now, I'm sure of it."
He shudders, but then, inhales deeply, relief that he seems to have evaded them filtering in, adrenaline cycling out. “You’re not… going there now, are you?” Still nervous, but his natural curiosity returning, he forgets his fear for a moment. “What of the gingwatzim? Were you able to... to solve the riddle of their origin??"
Meredith looked somewhat amused, " Well, if you'd like we could go have a chat with the Pride and see why they've decided to expand their menu options.".......though Meredith suspected she already knew.
" The supply is stopped and will not reoccur.", she said cryptically.
Erudisia pulls her horse up short. She looks around for any enemies on his tail, or smoke or omen on the horizon. (Perception: 16, if required)
(There seems to be nothing of note in the immediate area. No smoke or other unusual phenomena to be seen, heard or smelled.)
”If I left them behind, they’ll be on the wide meadows past this hickory wood, perhaps a mile and stretching for three miles.
”I am relieved to hear your news! Relieved and grateful. I return to my room in The House of Knowledge in Neverwinter. If ever you are so far north, you must call on me and I’ll see to it that the temple opens its doors to you and more! Farewell, Scholar’s Shield!”
He presses his hands together in front of him, bowing his head in thanks to each of you before clicking his tongue and setting his mount northward on the highway back the way you came.
Bell turns and asks Meredith, "Do you really believe they will remember us from the casino?"
" Oh, I'm sure that Queen will remember we three Princesses.", she smiled at Bell.
She stopped and looked seriously at Bell and Erudisia, " I love you both very much. Sorry for all my silliness over the past month......especially for making such a fool of myself. It must have been ever so tiresome for you, Bell."
" But now I have found.........well, you know........I have four letters worth of sonnets to write when we get back....Love is just.......so very fun....is it not?"
An hour and a half later, you have pressed onwards up the Lion’s Way, through the hickory wood and have spent 15 minutes walking through a wide, rolling meadow, where high grasses sway in the breeze on either side of the road. You have sensed motion but seen nothing for a few minutes, but now you’re quite certain. Multiple creatures are watching you through the grass with hungry eyes. A Nature check of 12+ will confirm what you suspect: the now familiar musky, earthy smell of the road’s eponymous carnivores.
The grasses part as a dozen lions, females as expected, but also, males, show their sleek, muscular forms. Several stand in the open in front and behind, while more remain partially hidden to left and right. Their lion-odor is strong and somewhere in the deepest recesses of your minds, terrifying. Your horses tense their muscles, prick their ears all around, widen their eyes, snort, and stomp nervously. (Please roll Animal Handling to keep control.)
“Emrys was captured by two-legs like you,” a huge male’s voice crackles resonantly in reply. “These hunting lands have not heard her roar since one mating season past. The cold winter is come and gone with no sign. She is dead. The only audience will be with her spirit once we relieve you of your skin and flesh.
“Tau is king now. I am Tau, and I am king. We hunger.”
Tau makes a snarling sound and the surrounding big cats focus upon targets…
Meredith notices that the lions appear gaunt, and also, I will point out something all three of you know: that they seemed quite content to ignore humans and horses on the two occasions when you saw them before.
Sparks crackle around her fingers as Erudisia eyes the many lions and lionesses nervously, the charge and tension of the moment making her tongue tingle as the arcanum of her most favoured spells strains against her teeth and plucks at her voice, whispering its need to fly free and loose and loudly. She restrains it.
“I admit a horrible failing, and do not think me awful, only it is that I have met very few, I cannot tell many lionesses apart. Is it the pride we freed, Meredith? What are they saying?”
She eyes their thin forms. It seems they have not been successful in recent times. She pats at her horse and holds the reins tightly as it whinnies.
“We have little use for our rations this close to home,” she points out.
Meredith patted her horse, flicking an eye to Bell and replying in common.
" She's not here, but she's from here. I'd guess she has been delayed in her return."
" Rations probably can't hurt, but jerky is going to barely make a dent."
She growled back at Tau, " I spoke with Emrys some days ago, she tired of her time with the humans and left there headed for here. I suspect she is simply a little delayed in her arrival."
" King Tau appears mighty indeed, but I note you are hunting much closer to the road than usual, and the humans will not like that. Mighty indeed are the claws and teeth of your pride but humans bring magic and metal and numbers....."
" Has prey fled this territory? Or is there something else hunting here now?"
The mention of having spoken with Emrys has an immediate effect. The lions’ stalking is interrupted. And the subtle threat inherent in a human speaking of the strengths of humans likewise hits the mark. Tau roars in frustration, and your horses rear up, whinnying in terror, but (your successful Animal Handling checks tell us) you maintain control of your mounts with firm grips and calming sounds.
“The antelope no longer come to the streams to quench their thirst and we are in danger of starvation. But we know the dangers of humans too.” The beast flicks its tufted tail angrily. “We can stay here no longer. The Pride will have to leave our ancient lands!”
Now the other lions roar in chorus, a sound of anger and anguish echoing Tau’s outburst. Tao begins to lead the pack away from you and you are free to proceed if you wish.
Not the king, nor any of the other hunters, toward each of whom Tau turns his huge maned visage questioningly, offers an answer.
“We see them no more. We do not know why. The God of the Dawn brings a new era to us. We must change. My belly tells me, ‘eat you.’ My mind and instinct tell me, ‘but hunger comes again tomorrow.’ That is all I know. We must find new hunting grounds.”
Unhurriedly, they pad away silently, sniffing at you hungrily and moodily before disappearing into the high grasses once again.
By day’s end, you make it back to Candlekeep and we cut to the conference table of The Keeper of Tomes. Janussi, to refresh our memories, is a human woman, old and wrinkled but not ancient, who wears simple gray robes with a different headdress each day. Today, the covering is a subtle winged affair in pale blue and silver. Valna Oxalonthrinn, the black-and-green robed Keeper of the Emerald Door, sits at the opposite end of the table, her expression sour and distant. Janussi waits expectantly after having asked for an accounting of your mission to Baldur’s Gate.
Meredith looked toward Erudisia who always seemed to have a better rapport with the seniors, on the way back to Candlekeep she had floated the idea of investigating the lack of game on the Lions Road as it could suggest something badly wrong in the environment......also she wanted the lions to come back.....
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“The lions!,” Yalerion says breathlessly. “They did not bother me on the way to Candlekeep, but my time there is done, and not long after I took to the road they…” he looks over his shoulder again, eyes wide. "They very nearly surrounded me. If I were not a practiced rider and my mount, fleet, I would not be speaking with you now, I'm sure of it."
He shudders, but then, inhales deeply, relief that he seems to have evaded them filtering in, adrenaline cycling out. “You’re not… going there now, are you?” Still nervous, but his natural curiosity returning, he forgets his fear for a moment. “What of the gingwatzim? Were you able to... to solve the riddle of their origin??"
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Meredith looked somewhat amused, " Well, if you'd like we could go have a chat with the Pride and see why they've decided to expand their menu options.".......though Meredith suspected she already knew.
" The supply is stopped and will not reoccur.", she said cryptically.
Bell turns and asks Meredith, "Do you really believe they will remember us from the casino?"
(There seems to be nothing of note in the immediate area. No smoke or other unusual phenomena to be seen, heard or smelled.)
”If I left them behind, they’ll be on the wide meadows past this hickory wood, perhaps a mile and stretching for three miles.
”I am relieved to hear your news! Relieved and grateful. I return to my room in The House of Knowledge in Neverwinter. If ever you are so far north, you must call on me and I’ll see to it that the temple opens its doors to you and more! Farewell, Scholar’s Shield!”
He presses his hands together in front of him, bowing his head in thanks to each of you before clicking his tongue and setting his mount northward on the highway back the way you came.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
" Oh, I'm sure that Queen will remember we three Princesses.", she smiled at Bell.
She stopped and looked seriously at Bell and Erudisia, " I love you both very much. Sorry for all my silliness over the past month......especially for making such a fool of myself. It must have been ever so tiresome for you, Bell."
" But now I have found.........well, you know........I have four letters worth of sonnets to write when we get back....Love is just.......so very fun....is it not?"
" Let's go beg an audience."
An hour and a half later, you have pressed onwards up the Lion’s Way, through the hickory wood and have spent 15 minutes walking through a wide, rolling meadow, where high grasses sway in the breeze on either side of the road. You have sensed motion but seen nothing for a few minutes, but now you’re quite certain. Multiple creatures are watching you through the grass with hungry eyes. A Nature check of 12+ will confirm what you suspect: the now familiar musky, earthy smell of the road’s eponymous carnivores.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
( Casts Speak with Animals)
" I seek audience with Emrys.", Meredith roared. " My pride, one King and Three Queens wish to ask for passage through your territory."
The grasses part as a dozen lions, females as expected, but also, males, show their sleek, muscular forms. Several stand in the open in front and behind, while more remain partially hidden to left and right. Their lion-odor is strong and somewhere in the deepest recesses of your minds, terrifying. Your horses tense their muscles, prick their ears all around, widen their eyes, snort, and stomp nervously. (Please roll Animal Handling to keep control.)
“Emrys was captured by two-legs like you,” a huge male’s voice crackles resonantly in reply. “These hunting lands have not heard her roar since one mating season past. The cold winter is come and gone with no sign. She is dead. The only audience will be with her spirit once we relieve you of your skin and flesh.
“Tau is king now. I am Tau, and I am king. We hunger.”
Tau makes a snarling sound and the surrounding big cats focus upon targets…
Meredith notices that the lions appear gaunt, and also, I will point out something all three of you know: that they seemed quite content to ignore humans and horses on the two occasions when you saw them before.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Animal Handling: 17.
Sparks crackle around her fingers as Erudisia eyes the many lions and lionesses nervously, the charge and tension of the moment making her tongue tingle as the arcanum of her most favoured spells strains against her teeth and plucks at her voice, whispering its need to fly free and loose and loudly. She restrains it.
“I admit a horrible failing, and do not think me awful, only it is that I have met very few, I cannot tell many lionesses apart. Is it the pride we freed, Meredith? What are they saying?”
She eyes their thin forms. It seems they have not been successful in recent times. She pats at her horse and holds the reins tightly as it whinnies.
“We have little use for our rations this close to home,” she points out.
Meredith Animal Handling- 17
Meredith patted her horse, flicking an eye to Bell and replying in common.
" She's not here, but she's from here. I'd guess she has been delayed in her return."
" Rations probably can't hurt, but jerky is going to barely make a dent."
She growled back at Tau, " I spoke with Emrys some days ago, she tired of her time with the humans and left there headed for here. I suspect she is simply a little delayed in her arrival."
" King Tau appears mighty indeed, but I note you are hunting much closer to the road than usual, and the humans will not like that. Mighty indeed are the claws and teeth of your pride but humans bring magic and metal and numbers....."
" Has prey fled this territory? Or is there something else hunting here now?"
Persuasion- 22
The mention of having spoken with Emrys has an immediate effect. The lions’ stalking is interrupted. And the subtle threat inherent in a human speaking of the strengths of humans likewise hits the mark. Tau roars in frustration, and your horses rear up, whinnying in terror, but (your successful Animal Handling checks tell us) you maintain control of your mounts with firm grips and calming sounds.
“The antelope no longer come to the streams to quench their thirst and we are in danger of starvation. But we know the dangers of humans too.” The beast flicks its tufted tail angrily. “We can stay here no longer. The Pride will have to leave our ancient lands!”
Now the other lions roar in chorus, a sound of anger and anguish echoing Tau’s outburst. Tao begins to lead the pack away from you and you are free to proceed if you wish.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
" Mighty King Tau. Before you depart......do you know why the antelope no longer come?", Meredith queried in honest and concerned worry.....
Not the king, nor any of the other hunters, toward each of whom Tau turns his huge maned visage questioningly, offers an answer.
“We see them no more. We do not know why. The God of the Dawn brings a new era to us. We must change. My belly tells me, ‘eat you.’ My mind and instinct tell me, ‘but hunger comes again tomorrow.’ That is all I know. We must find new hunting grounds.”
Unhurriedly, they pad away silently, sniffing at you hungrily and moodily before disappearing into the high grasses once again.
By day’s end, you make it back to Candlekeep and we cut to the conference table of The Keeper of Tomes. Janussi, to refresh our memories, is a human woman, old and wrinkled but not ancient, who wears simple gray robes with a different headdress each day. Today, the covering is a subtle winged affair in pale blue and silver. Valna Oxalonthrinn, the black-and-green robed Keeper of the Emerald Door, sits at the opposite end of the table, her expression sour and distant. Janussi waits expectantly after having asked for an accounting of your mission to Baldur’s Gate.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Meredith looked toward Erudisia who always seemed to have a better rapport with the seniors, on the way back to Candlekeep she had floated the idea of investigating the lack of game on the Lions Road as it could suggest something badly wrong in the environment......also she wanted the lions to come back.....