Nenne gives him a cool smile. "You misunderstand me. We were peacefully exploring ruins far from here when we were attacked without provocation. I had no interest in exploring your den; I have manners. Yet even in our visit earlier, we were met with violence before we could say a word. All I wanted was to understand what we did to warrant such malevolence, since we have done nothing to present ourselves as a threat. Yet it seems such basic courtesies don't exist in these halls without a baptism of bloodshed, and here we are."
Her expression darkens, but she keeps her tone even and cordial. "Since you broach the subject - you have little need for a dwarf statue cluttering your halls. I am only interested in obtaining what I came here for. Allow us to leave with it and I will gladly never set foot in this place again."
Boosey makes a placating gesture at Neene, and addresses the Yuan-ti
”You are Ras-nsi? Your majesty and fame is beyond all renown. I am truly humbled to be in your presence.”
The bard gives a deep and long bow, before slowly bringing himself upright.
“Be assured our reason for being here is urgent, and we never intended to encounter the Yuan-ti. We have been attacked numerous times and have defended ourselves, here is no exception, and we are truly sorry it has come to this, but be assured we will defend ourselves again.”
He ploughs on not waiting for a response. “But. We are here to destroy a curse and l believe you know of what I speak,” he gestures to Ras-nsi. “It seems that you yourself have succumbed to this evil. I will not suggest an alliance, but allow us to find the source of this curse unmolested, and you may have a chance of survival”
He looks at his fingers and picks a piece of imaginary dust off them.
“Our presence here may be beneficial to you, but if you kill us, the curse will remain and you will certainly die.” He pauses a moment. “You have two items that may aid us in destroying this curse, as well as our dwarf friend. Give us them, and we will leave you in peace. We don’t believe the source of the curse is here. If what is said about you is true, I believe you will come to a sensible decision.”
The warlord nods when Boosey asks him his name, confirming everyone's suspicions. After Boosey is finished speaking, the only sounds in the chamber are the heavy breathing of the mutant yuan-ti and the crackling fire coming off the beared sword. He looks back and forth from Boosey to Nenne for a long time before saying anything. When he does speak, his words come as a surprise, "I already know why you are here. The dwarf told me everything and nothing all at once. I think his mind is...ruined. He left here with the cubes hours ago. Many of my most loyal escorted him to the cave where he said the cubes were supposed to be some sort of key. They were supposed to collect you should they see you somewhere along the way. Get out. Now. Or die." His words leave no room for debate. Everyone in the room knows that if his words go unheeded, there will be a fight here and now.
“Then we should leave this place and never return.“ He walks towards the exit, fixing his gaze on the pure-blood, nodding at him and pointing at himself and the yuan-ti. He silently says „See ya“
"One thing before we leave," Boosey interjects. "Can we expect to be left in peace by the Yuan-ti in this city? We have no wish to be attacked by or to destroy your people, needlessly. If it is so, we will leave this place gladly." He looks at Ras-nsi. "Pray we find the source of this curse quickly, and we will vacate this cursed city."
Ras Nsi only says, "If you keep to yourself and enter the cave as the dwarf mentioned, you will not be attacked. I will not let you leave the city without first entering the cave."
Once the group has left the cavern, Nenne runs a hand through her hair and sighs. "We should rest. We are of no use to Lemon half-dead. And I am deeply concerned for Eku," she says, suddenly grave. "What she did should have killed her. It still might. I would like to check on her."
She shakes her head and turns toward Glimbul, offering him a wincing smile. "Badger, was it? I am Nenne Amharat, cleric of Kelemvor. Whatever ill luck delivered you into Ras Nsi's hands, I'm glad it allowed us to meet . You are an excellent marksman and a helpful companion. If you'll have us, we'd be grateful for your continued company. It is likely that what you are searching for is on the path we are already traveling."
"Thank you Nenne, I would greatly like to join you all as a way to repay my debts to you. Although I am concerned about this "death curse" you spoke of. What is that?" Glimbul tilts his head in bewilderment "I have not heard of such a thing. Is it something afflicting you all? It sounds terrible judging from the name of it alone."
Night is falling in earnest by the time the party reaches the ruin where Eku insisted she be left in such poor shape. The woman is laying exactly as she was before. While she lacks any physical wounds, there is a bit of bloody cloth near to her that it looks like she has been coughing into. She doesn't ask any questions about recent events and is content to just lie there in peace, listening to anyone near her.
On the way back to the temple, Nenne filled Glimbul in on the details of the death curse, the cubes, the Red Wizards, and the sacrifices Funderburk and Eku had made for them to get this far. When her tale was finished, she fell silent and did not speak again until she laid eyes on Eku.
Seeing the guide still alive, Nenne's shoulders slump in a sudden release of tension. "Cлава Богу," the cleric whispers. She walks over to the sickly woman, sits beside her, and proceeds to dab her forehead with a damp cloth, holding her hand gently.
"Lemon is alive," she announces more or less to the group. "Charmed or otherwise mind-controlled by Ras Nsi, but alive. I can restore him. Most likely," she adds in a mutter. "We know where he is and what he is attempting with the cubes. All we require is the final cube from the Red Wizards and we are a breath away from this Soulmonger."
A moment passes and she tacks on a belated, "Eku, we gained a new friend. Glimbul, this is our guide Eku. Eku, Glimbul. We aren't sure where Alynoa went. Don't fret for her. I am certain she is fine."
Allister walks up to Eku and sits next to her. In a pained voice he whispers "I´m sorry, but we failed you. We were again met by an overwhelming force of yuan-ti and a hydra. When Ras Nsi showed up, we were in no condition to fight him. But it appears he is more interested in stopping the curse than killing us. He cured Lemon and gave him his cubes, once we retrieve ours we will enter the tomb and make sure we finish this once and for all. And afterwards I´ll fulfill my promise and kill him." He gently touches Eku´s head and rests next to her.
On the parties return Boosey immediately goes to Eku, finding her in a frail state, suspecting that she may not last much longer.
Speaking to her quietly out of earshot of the others, he takes her hand and says "There are no words I can use that will thank you for what you have done for us. Your guidance and help has kept us alive in this country, where we would otherwise have perished. You are a special person Eku, and I would see you return with us to Port Nyanzaru. I do not know who you are, we all have our secrets and you have shown us magic beyond our wildest dreams, but I do know you are our friend and will forever be in our hearts. You are a special person Eku," and he clasps her hand tightly for a few moments, before kissing it gently.
Returning to the party he looks at the ground a moment, then sighs. Looking up he smiles at their new companion. "Badger is it? Well, it's great to have another gnome on board, and your help back in the cave made the difference between life and death for us, seeing that our other companion ran out on us." He says this last bit with a sour note in his voice. "Glad to have you in the company Badger, with your help we will destroy this curse."
It becomes clear that Eku won't survive the night through, and Nenne's lullaby sets the camp into a mood of tender goodbyes. The guide is too weak to speak, but she does not look sad through all her pain. One by one, the companions settle down for the night, having no choice but to wait with Eku until morning. Oddly enough, Nenne sleeps, much as non-elves do for the first half of the night by the guide's side. She awakens the later half of the night to accept her watch, never leaving the Chultan woman's side. Right before the sun peeks out from over the valley's edge, Eku draws her last breath and and falls still.
Morning is devoid of rain, and the blue sky can be seen between many of the clouds. The day promises to be just as hot as any other in the jungle as the small ruined building is filled with the light of the rising sun. Eku's body seems to catch that light and harness it. The effect is slight at first, but there is no doubt that magic is at play soon enough. Everyone watches as her body becomes hidden behind the light. The lit form elongates and floats into the air, coiling around itself and then around and through the four companions. The light solidifies and becomes colorful, giving shape to a new, serpentine form. Those same golden pools of Eku's swirl behind the dragon-like, serpent form of whatever Eku has become. Very much alive, Eku expands feathered wings and bows her head low in greeting. She says in a light voice embodied by a sort of comfort, "Greetings, my friends. I am Ekuzaliel Zormana'Aral, and this is the true me. If you would permit me to do so, I would still travel beside you in this trying time."
Allister‘s jaw drops to his chest, his face under the wild beard is a mixture of confusion and disbelief. After a few seconds he collects his wits, a braod smile appears on his face and turns into laughter. He walks over to Boosey, pulls him close and says or shouts „If you die here and don’t come back to the Sword Coast to back my story in every tavern I’ll come for you and kill you again.“ He turns to Eku and says “Thank Tymora I shut my mouth when we came back yesterday. There was only one thought on my mind: „The next snake I see is dead.“ Who knew...“ Allister walks to Glimbul and offers his hand. „I didn’t want to be rude, but yesterday was, once again one of those days. I think we made a pretty good team out there, maybe I should consider donning heavier armor again to keep foes away from you.“ He points at Boosey and Nenne. „These two and I have been through some serious kraken shit since we arrived in Chult. It’s never gonna be boring around us.“
The tell tale snap of the buckle securing Glimbul's dagger in its sheath has the gnome turning a quick eye to the weapon. Allister withdraws his hands and displays them in a passive manner, having been caught red handed.
Glimbul reaches out to shake then hand when he hears the buckle snap. He freezes in place and backs away. "I appreciate the help earlier, but I would rather not be in the company that steals from companions..." He turns to Nenne. "Are you aware of his... sticky hands?"
Upon seeing Eku's new form, the cleric just offers a little smile and touches her holy symbol absentmindedly. Her friends watch the blues and silvers in her coloring brighten to pinks and rose golds as the dolor of Winter surrenders to the hopefulness of Spring. After many exhausting weeks of heartache and remorse, the colors of this Season make for a striking and serene change in the eladrin. She gratefully rests in that quiet, gentle afterglow - which Allister and Boosey have only seen in her briefly, long ago. She looks and carries herself like a woman renewed.
And then Glimbul asks about the fighter's thievery.
Nenne's eyes close as magenta starts to bloom in her cheeks. The clench of her jaw is the only telltale sign that there is any threat to her fresh-won tranquility. When she opens her eyes, the look she shoots at Allister is more thorn than rose.
"No," she replies to Glimbul, in a measured tone. One eyebrow lifts as her stare remains locked on the fighter. "That appears to be new."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Nenne gives him a cool smile. "You misunderstand me. We were peacefully exploring ruins far from here when we were attacked without provocation. I had no interest in exploring your den; I have manners. Yet even in our visit earlier, we were met with violence before we could say a word. All I wanted was to understand what we did to warrant such malevolence, since we have done nothing to present ourselves as a threat. Yet it seems such basic courtesies don't exist in these halls without a baptism of bloodshed, and here we are."
Her expression darkens, but she keeps her tone even and cordial. "Since you broach the subject - you have little need for a dwarf statue cluttering your halls. I am only interested in obtaining what I came here for. Allow us to leave with it and I will gladly never set foot in this place again."
Boosey makes a placating gesture at Neene, and addresses the Yuan-ti
”You are Ras-nsi? Your majesty and fame is beyond all renown. I am truly humbled to be in your presence.”
The bard gives a deep and long bow, before slowly bringing himself upright.
“Be assured our reason for being here is urgent, and we never intended to encounter the Yuan-ti. We have been attacked numerous times and have defended ourselves, here is no exception, and we are truly sorry it has come to this, but be assured we will defend ourselves again.”
He ploughs on not waiting for a response.
“But. We are here to destroy a curse and l believe you know of what I speak,” he gestures to Ras-nsi. “It seems that you yourself have succumbed to this evil. I will not suggest an alliance, but allow us to find the source of this curse unmolested, and you may have a chance of survival”
He looks at his fingers and picks a piece of imaginary dust off them.
“Our presence here may be beneficial to you, but if you kill us, the curse will remain and you will certainly die.” He pauses a moment. “You have two items that may aid us in destroying this curse, as well as our dwarf friend. Give us them, and we will leave you in peace. We don’t believe the source of the curse is here. If what is said about you is true, I believe you will come to a sensible decision.”
He bows to the Yuan-ti and waits.
The warlord nods when Boosey asks him his name, confirming everyone's suspicions. After Boosey is finished speaking, the only sounds in the chamber are the heavy breathing of the mutant yuan-ti and the crackling fire coming off the beared sword. He looks back and forth from Boosey to Nenne for a long time before saying anything. When he does speak, his words come as a surprise, "I already know why you are here. The dwarf told me everything and nothing all at once. I think his mind is...ruined. He left here with the cubes hours ago. Many of my most loyal escorted him to the cave where he said the cubes were supposed to be some sort of key. They were supposed to collect you should they see you somewhere along the way. Get out. Now. Or die." His words leave no room for debate. Everyone in the room knows that if his words go unheeded, there will be a fight here and now.
Nenne narrows her eyes. "He is not lying," she says to her friends, not looking away from Ras Nsi. "Lemon is no longer here."
“Then we should leave this place and never return.“ He walks towards the exit, fixing his gaze on the pure-blood, nodding at him and pointing at himself and the yuan-ti. He silently says „See ya“
"One thing before we leave," Boosey interjects. "Can we expect to be left in peace by the Yuan-ti in this city? We have no wish to be attacked by or to destroy your people, needlessly. If it is so, we will leave this place gladly." He looks at Ras-nsi. "Pray we find the source of this curse quickly, and we will vacate this cursed city."
Ras Nsi only says, "If you keep to yourself and enter the cave as the dwarf mentioned, you will not be attacked. I will not let you leave the city without first entering the cave."
Once the group has left the cavern, Nenne runs a hand through her hair and sighs. "We should rest. We are of no use to Lemon half-dead. And I am deeply concerned for Eku," she says, suddenly grave. "What she did should have killed her. It still might. I would like to check on her."
She shakes her head and turns toward Glimbul, offering him a wincing smile. "Badger, was it? I am Nenne Amharat, cleric of Kelemvor. Whatever ill luck delivered you into Ras Nsi's hands, I'm glad it allowed us to meet . You are an excellent marksman and a helpful companion. If you'll have us, we'd be grateful for your continued company. It is likely that what you are searching for is on the path we are already traveling."
"Thank you Nenne, I would greatly like to join you all as a way to repay my debts to you. Although I am concerned about this "death curse" you spoke of. What is that?" Glimbul tilts his head in bewilderment "I have not heard of such a thing. Is it something afflicting you all? It sounds terrible judging from the name of it alone."
Night is falling in earnest by the time the party reaches the ruin where Eku insisted she be left in such poor shape. The woman is laying exactly as she was before. While she lacks any physical wounds, there is a bit of bloody cloth near to her that it looks like she has been coughing into. She doesn't ask any questions about recent events and is content to just lie there in peace, listening to anyone near her.
On the way back to the temple, Nenne filled Glimbul in on the details of the death curse, the cubes, the Red Wizards, and the sacrifices Funderburk and Eku had made for them to get this far. When her tale was finished, she fell silent and did not speak again until she laid eyes on Eku.
Seeing the guide still alive, Nenne's shoulders slump in a sudden release of tension. "Cлава Богу," the cleric whispers. She walks over to the sickly woman, sits beside her, and proceeds to dab her forehead with a damp cloth, holding her hand gently.
"Lemon is alive," she announces more or less to the group. "Charmed or otherwise mind-controlled by Ras Nsi, but alive. I can restore him. Most likely," she adds in a mutter. "We know where he is and what he is attempting with the cubes. All we require is the final cube from the Red Wizards and we are a breath away from this Soulmonger."
A moment passes and she tacks on a belated, "Eku, we gained a new friend. Glimbul, this is our guide Eku. Eku, Glimbul. We aren't sure where Alynoa went. Don't fret for her. I am certain she is fine."
Allister walks up to Eku and sits next to her. In a pained voice he whispers "I´m sorry, but we failed you. We were again met by an overwhelming force of yuan-ti and a hydra. When Ras Nsi showed up, we were in no condition to fight him. But it appears he is more interested in stopping the curse than killing us. He cured Lemon and gave him his cubes, once we retrieve ours we will enter the tomb and make sure we finish this once and for all. And afterwards I´ll fulfill my promise and kill him." He gently touches Eku´s head and rests next to her.
Eku only gives Nenne and Allister warm smiles.
Nenne begins to sing a soft lullaby in her native language, holding Eku's hand all the while.
On the parties return Boosey immediately goes to Eku, finding her in a frail state, suspecting that she may not last much longer.
Speaking to her quietly out of earshot of the others, he takes her hand and says "There are no words I can use that will thank you for what you have done for us. Your guidance and help has kept us alive in this country, where we would otherwise have perished. You are a special person Eku, and I would see you return with us to Port Nyanzaru. I do not know who you are, we all have our secrets and you have shown us magic beyond our wildest dreams, but I do know you are our friend and will forever be in our hearts. You are a special person Eku," and he clasps her hand tightly for a few moments, before kissing it gently.
Returning to the party he looks at the ground a moment, then sighs. Looking up he smiles at their new companion. "Badger is it? Well, it's great to have another gnome on board, and your help back in the cave made the difference between life and death for us, seeing that our other companion ran out on us." He says this last bit with a sour note in his voice. "Glad to have you in the company Badger, with your help we will destroy this curse."
It becomes clear that Eku won't survive the night through, and Nenne's lullaby sets the camp into a mood of tender goodbyes. The guide is too weak to speak, but she does not look sad through all her pain. One by one, the companions settle down for the night, having no choice but to wait with Eku until morning. Oddly enough, Nenne sleeps, much as non-elves do for the first half of the night by the guide's side. She awakens the later half of the night to accept her watch, never leaving the Chultan woman's side. Right before the sun peeks out from over the valley's edge, Eku draws her last breath and and falls still.
Morning is devoid of rain, and the blue sky can be seen between many of the clouds. The day promises to be just as hot as any other in the jungle as the small ruined building is filled with the light of the rising sun. Eku's body seems to catch that light and harness it. The effect is slight at first, but there is no doubt that magic is at play soon enough. Everyone watches as her body becomes hidden behind the light. The lit form elongates and floats into the air, coiling around itself and then around and through the four companions. The light solidifies and becomes colorful, giving shape to a new, serpentine form. Those same golden pools of Eku's swirl behind the dragon-like, serpent form of whatever Eku has become. Very much alive, Eku expands feathered wings and bows her head low in greeting. She says in a light voice embodied by a sort of comfort, "Greetings, my friends. I am Ekuzaliel Zormana'Aral, and this is the true me. If you would permit me to do so, I would still travel beside you in this trying time."
Each of you, add a long rest.
Allister‘s jaw drops to his chest, his face under the wild beard is a mixture of confusion and disbelief. After a few seconds he collects his wits, a braod smile appears on his face and turns into laughter. He walks over to Boosey, pulls him close and says or shouts „If you die here and don’t come back to the Sword Coast to back my story in every tavern I’ll come for you and kill you again.“ He turns to Eku and says “Thank Tymora I shut my mouth when we came back yesterday. There was only one thought on my mind: „The next snake I see is dead.“ Who knew...“ Allister walks to Glimbul and offers his hand. „I didn’t want to be rude, but yesterday was, once again one of those days. I think we made a pretty good team out there, maybe I should consider donning heavier armor again to keep foes away from you.“ He points at Boosey and Nenne. „These two and I have been through some serious kraken shit since we arrived in Chult. It’s never gonna be boring around us.“
The tell tale snap of the buckle securing Glimbul's dagger in its sheath has the gnome turning a quick eye to the weapon. Allister withdraws his hands and displays them in a passive manner, having been caught red handed.
Glimbul reaches out to shake then hand when he hears the buckle snap. He freezes in place and backs away. "I appreciate the help earlier, but I would rather not be in the company that steals from companions..." He turns to Nenne. "Are you aware of his... sticky hands?"
Upon seeing Eku's new form, the cleric just offers a little smile and touches her holy symbol absentmindedly. Her friends watch the blues and silvers in her coloring brighten to pinks and rose golds as the dolor of Winter surrenders to the hopefulness of Spring. After many exhausting weeks of heartache and remorse, the colors of this Season make for a striking and serene change in the eladrin. She gratefully rests in that quiet, gentle afterglow - which Allister and Boosey have only seen in her briefly, long ago. She looks and carries herself like a woman renewed.
And then Glimbul asks about the fighter's thievery.
Nenne's eyes close as magenta starts to bloom in her cheeks. The clench of her jaw is the only telltale sign that there is any threat to her fresh-won tranquility. When she opens her eyes, the look she shoots at Allister is more thorn than rose.
"No," she replies to Glimbul, in a measured tone. One eyebrow lifts as her stare remains locked on the fighter. "That appears to be new."