The Summit Road Campaign Thread

"W-We m-must." Taran says simply while continuing to camouflage the cave entrance, "Our o-only other o-option is t-t-to let h-her be-become enslaved b-by R-Riedra. And w-we c-can't allow that."

Vishal makes sure everyone is here before saying, "We have to defeat her still, let's just, spend some time recovering and figuring out a new plan." 

Akuma sits down with a huff of exhaustion staring quietly throughout the conversation as her shadows die down around her, seemingly dissipating into her arms, before she frowns. "If I was more convinced she wouldn't turn to the other side, I would suggest we just leave. However,  She's already proved that she will willingly work for them. This would be simple if we could convince her otherwise, but I doubt talking is an option anymore. Nor do I think it really was when the Inspired already had their claws in her."

"Not safe ... Too strong ... Need help." Kaori chirps in different voices, shaking her head and hugging Vishal. The little Kenku is practically vibrating in her armour. "Go ... Back."

Caelius looks to Taran,

"I..." Taran trails off, his instinctive response dying on his lips as he remembers the blasts that nearly killed him.

"I-I d-d-don't w-w-want th-that e-either M-Mister Caelius, a-and... I-I d-d-don't th-think w-we c-can w-w-win in a f-f-fight a-against h-her. E-Even i-if w-w-we br-brought th-the m-m-mountain d-d-down on her, I-I d-don't kn-know if i-it w-w-would b-be enough." Taran turns to Akuma, "B-But, I-I th-think w-w-we c-c-can st-still t-talk to h-h-her. Sh-She's s-scared, s-she's an-angry, b-b-but w-what sh-she r-really w-w-wants is-isn't s-s-something th-that w-w-we d-d-disagree with. Sh-She w-w-wants fr-freedom, b-but sh-she th-thinks sh-she w-will be k-killed f-f-or g-g-going home. W-We j-just h-have t-t-to c-c-convince h-her th-that w-w-we d-d-don't w-want h-her to d-d-die. Th-That sh-she c-c-can tr-trust us, an-and th-that w-w-we a-agree w-w-with her b-being fr-free to p-pursue h-her p-passions... j-just... N-not tr-trusting R-R-Riedra, o-or th-the Inspired."

Taran looks around the room, looking at Mister Caelius, Vishal and Kaori. "W-We c-c-can h-help her. I kn-know i-it is p-possible." 

“Taran, we killed possibly her only friend right in front of her. I think the time for taking is over. And I know we can do this if we just come in a little smarter. My mentor recommended us specifically for this mission. This is something we can do.” He then takes a big sigh before saying, “Tomorrow I can talk to our Superiors and see what they say. But we have two weeks before the boat leaves. That leaves a week to do something here. We have the yeti folk too who don’t want her here. Maybe we can convince one or two of them to come and fight with us. We can do this guys. I know it.”

Kaori shakes her head. "crr Bad idea ... Too strong."

"W-W-we c-c-convinced R-Riikana. A s-s-soldier r-r-raised t-to b-b-believe th-the In-Inspired a-are d-d-divine, t-to t-turn h-her b-back o-on h-her d-d-divine r-r-ruler." Taran says, turning from the camouflage to  start building a small fire with his alchemical supplies, "Th-the St-Storm D-Daughter kn-knows the Q-Quori are n-not t-t-to be tr-trusted. I-I th-think... m-maybe sh-she thinks th-they a-a-are the o-only w-w-way, b-but... I d-d-don't w-w-want t-t-to g-give up on her... W-We d-d-defended our-ourselves b-but sh-she attacked f-f-first, out of f-f-fear."

Taran doesn't look up at them, staring at the flames. "I-If in a f-f-few d-d-days, I-I c-can't c-c-convince her, th-then... I-I c-can b-build the ex-explosives...I-It i-is our b-b-best ch-chance of k-killing her, b-but... w-we n-need to tr-try a-a-again. Pl-Please."

Caelius closes his eyes and breathes in, his hands stop trembling. He opens his eyes and looks to Taran,

“They were in direct contact with Nirdaya. If he’s already sinking his claws in her it’s too late. Too big of a risk.” Vishal says taking a dee sigh, “We cannot afford for her to be on their side.” 

"Y-Your r-r-right," Taran said, pulling out some of the dried rations to warm by the fire, "W-We sh-should rest. Th-Think ab-about things, an-and r-r-report to th-the Tr-Trailblazer. I-I c-c-can t-take f-f-first w-watch."

You pass the night quietly, thankfully no further disturbances disrupting your recovery time.

Everyone can and should hit the LR button.

The next morning, shortly after you all wake, you hear the noise of snow crunching under large feet outside, and see Luiri loping past. The large yeti is looking around urgently while trying to stay low and quiet, and is clearly about to completely miss your cave.

"Psstt....Luiri, in here." Vishal quietly says getting the Yeti's attention and motioning her inside their cave. "What are you doing here?" The cleric asks her once she has settled inside. 

Luiri turns at the noise, making a relieved grunt as he sees you. The yeti lopes into the cave and crouches. "Soldiers, many soldiers. Came in night. Slopeseer says to take you to caves. He can help."

 Taran nods and begins breaking down the camp, "Th-This w-was a tr-trap then. Th-They w-w-were h-hoping to c-capture u-us a-as w-w-we c-came d-d-down the m-mountains. Th-This c-c-complicates m-m-matters."

Once Taran has the camp packed, he will follow Luiri.

"I don't think it was a trap but rather Nirdaya knew where we were. Let's follow and hurry, it wouldn't do us any good to be captured." Vishal says ready to follow Luiri out. 

Caelius nods and puts away his hot cocoa, and follows Luiri.

Luiri lopes through the storm quickly, seeming to know more or less where he's going. He goes down a ravine you haven't seen before, and the storm slowly clears around you. However, before it's completely clear, he turns into a rapidly descending tunnel. After a downright dizzying series of turns, you start climbing in elevation, and over an hour after you first leave your camp, you come out in a large cave. The relatively circular cave is lit by a massive hole at the top of the tapering ceiling. A river makes its way around the edge of part of the cave to your left, and a ten foot wide hole in the floor is visible to your right. Standing near the center of the cave is Carou, speaking in an unfamiliar, harsh language to two other yetis even bigger than him. He says one final thing to them, and both leap down the hole in the floor, rapidly vanishing as he turns to you and speaks in Riedran. "Thank you, Luiri. Did you find trouble on the way?" When Luiri shakes his head, Carou lopes forward with a nod. "I am glad. The soldiers have swarmed the slopes like lemmings. I feel them all around. They are...what is your word? Teleporting in. Small groups, all across the slopes. They are already cutting off the way you came." He gives you all a grave look. "Your best option will be to go north to the Tundra. Lose them there, and wait until they are recalled, then return along the coast. We can help you past some of the patrols, but if we try to engage them, many of our folk will die."

 Taran felt a twisting in his gut, plans flickered through his mind almost faster than he could register, but they all were subsumed by the truth. They had failed.

Staying was impossible for the entire group. He couldn't hide all of them, not well enough to counter a concerted effort, not while they had to stay close enough to try and communicate with Seipha. He could do it. Alone he could slip in and out of the mountains caves and crevasses, keep hidden and maybe even make contact. But, not only was it risky, no one would agree to that plan. The Trailblazer would tell him not to. Master Diamond would tell him not to. Esteemed Vishal and Mister Caelius might well use their magic to force him to go if he was too stubborn about it.

And when they fled, they would leave the Dragon to her Fate. He could see the tendrils of the mad Quori winding their way through her mind, twisting her and turning her from the beautiful, free creature she was into a terrifying slave to the darkness. The others had wanted flee anyways, they would never agree to come back, to try again. Taran felt tears of frustration, despair and fury prick at his eyes.

"N-No, d-d-don't d-die f-for us..." Taran said, swiping angrily at the tears streaming down his face, "I-It i-is m-more th-than w-w-we d-deserve th-that y-you in-interfered to warn us. Th-Thank you, Sl-Slopeseer." Taran bows, voice choked, "I-I r-r-regret th-that w-we a-accomplished n-nothing in o-our q-quest h-here, except p-putting y-your p-people in d-d-danger. I-I h-h-hope th-the Lady of Storms... I h-hope sh-she f-forgives our w-weakness, an-and g-guides h-her w-wayward d-daughter free from th-the Darkness en-encroaching on her. An-And in d-d-doing so, p-protects your p-people as well, i-if not... I f-fear f-for us all."

Taran turns to Akuma, "Y-Your sh-shadow m-magic, i-it e-erases our tr-tracks. W-We sh-should use it to h-help us es-escape, m-make it s-so th-they c-can't follow us. H-How m-many times c-can you do it?"