(It tastes like mud. :) )

Shiv will leave the potato in front on him before looking to the druid. "So you thought we were smuggling drugs.... because we had a small campsite setup... with no drugs in it... do you destroy peoples properly often? I think that is against the law you know... and I am a member of the watch" The Viashio will say pointing towards his seal. "Now if you help me to figure out more about a cursed object I have, I can probably overlook your destruction of property..." Shiv will say with a smile. "What do you know about cursed objects that kill anyone that looks at them?" Shiv will say as his tail sways slowly behind him.

Kenku didn't have well developed senses of taste, so the soup just tasted gravelly to her. She spoke up after a moment.

"...In particular, what do you know about cursed heads that kill impart a lethal amount of necromancy knowledge into the living? Also we're not guards, we were fired after working for smugglers. Instead of drugs, we smuggled an evil cursed head. We betrayed them and stole it, and my friends have almost certainly endangered your life because they'll be coming after us sooner or later...anyway, thanks for soup. Very nice consistency."

Ezekiel scratches his chin. "Cursed heads... I've heard some of the natives of the west isles practice voodoo and witchcraft." He sits on the bed and leans back. "In order to curse an item, two requirements must be met. The item itself must be dark in origin, and the caster who is cursing the item must be endowed with great necromantic power. Do you know where this cursed head is originally from?"

Jevyn shrugged. "There was a note bundled with it. I think Shiv had it? If I'm remembering correctly, it was from some doctor or professor in Khamut. Maybe it's from there." Jevyn paused to eat part of the potato. He blinked in surprise. Jevyn thought to himself, "This tastes like dirt" before setting it aside without comment.

Ezekiel groans. "Khamut? There's no kingdom in Terra older than the land of the pyramid builders, nor any kingdom which conceals more secrets. I'm afraid you are in for more than you reckoned for." He pauses. "Time is of the essence. If an artifact of this ancient kingdom has resurfaced, I have no doubt that fell things follow in it's wake. Deep in this forest there exists a ley-line, a tear in the fabric of the Weave. I believe that I could... direct the power of this ley-line to transport you to Khamut. But this endeavor is not without risk. If I calculate incorrectly, you could find yourselves in a troll's lair, or in the middle of the Endless Ocean with no land in sight."

"Can we sleep first?" Tak asks abruptly.  "This sounds serious and if you have to be right wouldn't it be best to sleep on it?"  

"...I don't need any sleep. We should go as soon as possible-we'll escape any pursuers we have better than we could ever on our feet.

It's even better if Ezekiel doesn't quite know where we went. The Slaine Guild can't torture the information out of him if he doesn't know it!" Leaves said optimistically. "That being said we probably want to gather some supplies. A few more waterskins, at least."

"Seabeak, as much as I agree with you, I do need to rest myself. You can't push an army to the point of exhaustion and expect them to win battles. The same goes for the four of us, as competent as we are. I trust that there is some form of protection surrounding this hut, Ezekiel?" Jevyn's voice betrayed a slight hint of exhaustion, as he was down to enough energy for only one spell. His magical barrier was already failing, and he'd rather be at full power before setting out on a journey to a potentially random location.

"If you say so. Let's hope the ones following us are tired too."

"The protection of the beasts and the forest." Ezekiel rumbles. "Sleep well. No harm will come to you this night." He lights a candle and exits the hut.

[So do we finally get a long rest?]

(Yep. Congratulations.)

You awake to the melodious sound of birdsong. The blanket over the entrance of the hut rustles, and Ezekiel enters. "Morning." He grunts. " Up and at 'em. We're wasting daylight."

Leaves had slept sporadically in the night, preparing her gear for a desert expedition. She had traded Ezekiel few extra waterskins and jars, trading supplies she had on hand to lighten her load, and overall lightened her clothing-she was sporting a large, loose hat with flaps on the back. Her sleeping bag was now a proper tent. Her weapons had been oiled and sharpened, and she sported new arrows.

"...Right.I'm ready.

Now you're all going to find out why I wanted to go at night."

"Ready" Tak says as he stand rustling his wings trying not to knock over anything.

"Yeah, I am ready to go" Shiv will say stretching out and equipping his gear.

Jevyn had woken up only slightly earlier than usual to conduct the ritual that would allow Esme to revert into her raven form. "Ready," he said as he adjusted his pack. He had tucked a loose slip of parchment into his spellbook to give him access to a certain spell faster, should they run into trouble on the way.

[Readying mage armor in the event we get attacked at any point.]

Ezekiel leads you ever deeper into the forest, down paths which would have been impossible to find without prior knowledge. After an hour's walk you arrive at a gaping cave littered with dead leaves. A cool, musty odor emanates from the cave. "This is an old place." Ezekiel mutters. "The spirits of a thousand wild beasts roam this cave. It will not be long ere it too is desecrated by the settlers, as they have desecrated the rest of the forest." With a gloomy sigh he ignites a torch and enters the cave.

Tak casts Produce Flame on the end of his staff and waits for the others to enter before following up at the rear.  "Perhaps but we can try to keep this place safe." he says in response to Ezekiel.

Quote from JJWattaker99 >>

Ezekiel leads you ever deeper into the forest, down paths which would have been impossible to find without prior knowledge. After an hour's walk you arrive at a gaping cave littered with dead leaves. A cool, musty odor emanates from the cave. "This is an old place." Ezekiel mutters. "The spirits of a thousand wild beasts roam this cave. It will not be long ere it too is desecrated by the settlers, as they have desecrated the rest of the forest." With a gloomy sigh he ignites a torch and enters the cave.

Leaves ruffled her feathers in agitation. She had heard the elders speaks of the great debates between the true races that had gone on when the Invaders first arrived. Her own people had even suffered a schism of a sort.

She was not shy volunteering her own opinion, in the habit of uppity youngsters everywhere-she was still in her teens, in Kenku age.

"The Old ways are dying because they are Old. They should become New Ways if they are to survive. All living things must change.

After all, they burned our home-trees, and took our lands. Lands my people had lived on since before the Curse.

So the better part of my people took to the sea and became warriors. We soar on wings of canvas now-took our spirits with us, Old Orc. And our curse.

You should do the same."