Jack is easily convinced to change the troubling subject and share another light tale, but just as he is about to do that the elderly man approaches, making the dark-haired man stand up and walk to greet him. "So what can you tell us about what lies ahead on our path?" He says with a friendly curious smile as he peacefully approaches the old man.

Persuasion: 12
Insight: 20

Meanwhile the tiny blonde disappears and flies closer to get a feel of the man.
(Heartsight, Cha save 19 (Celestials, Fiends, and Undead automatically fail the save) or Lily knows the old man's emotions and alignment.)

Ylis stops munching on her carrot muffin and moves to the back of the group.

"Stranger danger"

Joy rises slowly to her feet, still cradling her bowl of stew, her gaze carefully scanning the monk as he approaches. Her instincts tell her he is no ordinary traveler. Still, she smiles and gestures to the wide spread of food.

“You’re welcome to join us,” she says warmly, stepping aside. As she does, she mentally sifts through her wealth of memories, trying to recall ever meeting him before.

Giles would also do an Insight, more towards his monk'ly knowledge if anything. What this man maybe capable of:

21

The monk considers Jack's question, nodding appreciatively to Joy, and takes a seat at the table without making a single sound. "You have two paths, as I see it. One is fraught with pain, defeat, and death, in that order," he casually gestures to the top of the mountain, which is still about an hour's travel up the path. "... while the other will see your every heart's desire realized." He tilts his head in the direction back down the mountain. The monk's words are sincere and you have no indication that he is in any way being misleading; he believes what he says.

Alarmingly, Lily can sense nothing. It is not a failure of her Heart Sight. She can sense that it is working properly, but there is nothing for her to sense. It is like trying to find a lost object in your home; you are certain you left it in this room, but no matter where you look, it does not turn up.

Joy is certain she has never met this man before. His unique eyebrows and beard are impressive and impossibly distinct. Joy would certainly remember this man if she had met him before.

Giles can sense a very at ease mannerism from this man. Untrained fighters allow their guard down, expertly trained fighters always have it up, but masters, true masters of their craft are both relaxed and always prepared, capable of turning the most inconvenient physical positioning into a remarkable reversal of fighting advantage. This man is either the first or the third, but Giles is inclined to think the third. 

"I see, and would we know one path from the other, or would you be kind enough to guide us up there?" Jack asks with a friendly smile.

"I could guide you to either destination, though..." he looks down at the path that the feast itself is placed upon. "... I am not exactly sure you need a guide. Perhaps I could better serve you by providing, more overtly, the right direction?"

"He is telling us that the path up the mountain is the one fraught with death. The path behind us leads to our hearts' desires," Vazo'yn says, still watching the monk intently.

"We know our path will be difficult. It has been since we first laid our feet upon it. We will not shy away from it now at the eleventh hour."

His eyes burn with conviction as he stands steadfast on the road to their destiny.

"Why do you try to dissuade us?"

The monk nods, glad to see understanding among the Fellowship. "I am a dealmaker. I find the best way to get what I want is to help others get what they want. What you will find at the foot of the mountain really will be whatever you could possibly want. An old mentor risen from the grave, a group of eighteen brothers and sisters given a second chance at life, answers to long-sought questions about a mother's murder. These are all easily within my power to grant and more. For your wishes to be granted, all you need to do is simply turn around. That's all."

Joy’s eyes narrow slightly, her expression cooling with caution as the monk speaks. His words gnaw at the edges of longing and grief that still linger in her heart. A flicker of temptation dares to rise—just a flicker that quickly fades.

“What is it you want then? What do you gain if we walk away?”

Insight: 18

"Does it really matter?" The monk asks with confusion knit in his brow. "I can make you virtual gods for eternity, grant riches beyond your wildest dreams, give you the power to protect those you hold most dear so that no bane could ever befall them. This is all power that I have, right now, I simply cannot bring it to you just yet."

Joy can see the sincerity in his expression, hear the earnestness in his voice. 

"My hearts desire, is to not see the world end. To not watch people age and die in front of me. To linger in the moment, every moment, and not have it be nothing but a memory. Does that happen if I walk away?

What good is being a God, or rich, if the world is dead?"

"That you will not tell us your name let alone your reasons for offering us such gifts speaks volumes, traveller," Vazo'yn says with obvious doubt on his pale, stern features.

"You would not be making such an offer without gaining much from us in its acceptance."

He looks past the monk up the mountain where the vortex swells and threatens to cast another wave crashing across the world. He looks back to the monk, understanding in his golden eyes.

"You are desperate to stop us fulfilling our task. It is your heart's desire for the world to fall to dust and decay under the purple wave."

"Only the most putrid booger eater would want us to turn around. If another wind blew through, we might all expire. Gods above and below know that there have been too many deaths already. What? We'll get anything we want because we'll already be in Elysium!?"

Her ears lie flat on her head and it wouldn't be the first time that fear made the bunny say rude things to people. 

"No. Go away. Unless you are the cause of this mess. Then stay."

Ylis fires up her staff.

The monk holds up his hands in surrender. "I can assure you that the world would not end and the wind will not kill you on the next pass. I could can easily insulate you from the effects and even reverse them in your case." the monk tries to assure the aging dwarf and the incensed harengon. "The world would be changed, but this world will endure for millions of years and is a rare hub of life in the multiverse. One that will continue to be used to cultivate life just like it has for thousands of years."

The monk frowns at Vazo'yn's accusation. "In my defense, no one asked me my name, but only how I might be of service. My name is Otbium and my reasons for making such an offer should be clear; I want the cycle that you have experienced to continue until its proper resolution. It is nearly complete. I gain much from its completion, and I am not hiding this fact. I am no hag, who tries to monkey's paw its victims, nor am I a devil, who makes contracts with legalese so convoluted that they can avoid making good on their end because their victims have already become their property. I make all my deals with honesty and transparency, for that makes them divinely binding.

"I do wish to prevent you from approaching the summit. Not because I think you can stop it, but because I am careful and prefer to make sure my delicate experiment completes."

Vazo'yn does not accept the monk's affront at not being asked his name. The drow had introduced himself and given Otbium the clear chance to do the same. The monk had seemingly declined.

"Honesty and transparency then. What is your experiment?"

"Can you you put me back... back in the order, the monastery, 30 years or so ago? Can you put me back there with my current experience, my abilities. Can you place me back to the day when the demon vampire Calzareth showed up? Can you give me the chance to save eighteen lives?"

"Or does that not fit in your experiment?"

Randa listened as the others talked, the man....if man he was....had already admitted to the murders of hundreds...possibly thousands.....she did not for a moment believe that the thing before her was truly an addle-pated old man.

She raised Moonlight and nocked an arrow aiming at his head then cocked her own head towards her companions seeing if they would give her a reason not to mete out justice to this remorseless killer.

Jack simply scratches his head over the absurdity of the situation, giving the old man an incredulous look. He admitted being responsible for deaths and suffering for all and everyone all over this world, simply as an experiment. If he had this kind of power to wield Jack doubted they could do much to harm him, was he in fact a particularly arrogant god using this world as his personal box of toys, and why wouldn't any other gods interfere with his plans to exterminate all of their followers?  Was he too powerful even for them? And where was all the other powerful heroes of this world? Nothing made sense to him and it all felt increasingly pointless. What could they possibly do to stop this mad god?

He feels himself getting sick of it all and steps back from the conversation, awaiting the outcome of the discussion. While he doubted they would survive a fight with this mad god perhaps it would be a fitting end to the quest.

Joy rises slowly, her hand resting over her heart where the warmth of Lathander’s light pulses steady and sure. The glint of her holy symbol catches in the dimming sky as she turns to face Otbium fully, her gaze resolute.

“I would not die on the next pass,” she says calmly. “Nor the one after that. I carry the blessing of the Dawnfather, and my oath is, as you say, divinely binding as well.”

She steps forward, voice rising with quiet strength. “I have sworn to protect life, to kindle hope, and yes—even when the world withers and time collapses—to carry joy. That is what my name means. That is who I am. I won't turn back."