"Why is it so surprising that the Red Wizards attacked? They saw an opportunity and took a shot. We are planning to do the exact same thing. But now that we know where the Soulmoger is, doesn´t it make more sense to get the cubes first? Without them we no chance to lift its curse."
"Because we do not know that it is the Soulmonger," Nenne replies. "In fact, it may make more tactical sense to confirm that and determine the purpose of the cubes, first. It could alter our entire strategy. Consider this."
Her armor clinks as she shifts her stance and holds out her hands as if weighing options. "We can launch blind battles against two factions - the Thayans and the yuan-ti - and take their cubes, knowing nothing of their combat strength or what to do with the cubes once we have them. Or, we can gather intelligence on our endgame, scout the yuan-ti camp, and take advantage of the red mages' knowledge and martial strength."
A look of disgust passes over her face. "I'm loath, but not too proud, to admit that Zagmira may have had a wise idea. Omu is full of traps and dangers, and we have learned firsthand that knowing what to expect and planning accordingly can prove the difference between success and death. Just look at what happened at Shagambi's shrine both times we were there. We know the Thayans and the yuan-ti have more knowledge of this place than we do, and we know we are now after the same thing. As long as we are present when all nine cubes are at the Soulmonger, it does not matter who brings them. Unlike the Thayans, we do not need to take possession of the device. We simply need to see it to destroy it. So we can do all the work ourselves, or we can let the Red Wizards do some of it for us."
"I can´t remember saying anything about attacking blindly. And how do you know we present the cubes and... ta daa... the mystery is solved? The cubes are the key, but how they work, that we haven´t figured out yet. And about our enemies, and we can say now with confidence the wizards are our enemies, we have to fight them. The question is not if, just when. So, of course, we need to gather more information. We have to try and fight them on our terms, maybe seek out small parties and take them out or take prsioners. Even though I doubt any of them will talk."
"Perhaps, then we try and find the yuan-ti? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or whatever it is that was said." Sthara says. She spits on the ground before adding, "And if speaking with them presents me the opportunity to take away Ras Nsi's life, all the better."
She turns to address Nenne. "Your idea is a good one and may present the opportunity for cross-fighting that would let us end both enemies – but we do not know how the cubes work or how to gain access to the Soulmonger if the obelisk is not it. One thought, unsaid so far, if we gain access, we could destroy a cube and prevent others from following us, perhaps?"
"Aye. But that will be stoppin us as well." Lemon said through a mouthful of rations. "Fer one, I already used up a heafty amount of spell pow'er jus' to fly around. Two, did ye all say ye gettin' this fer the lady in the sky?" He gives a shrug. "I may not be knowin' much 'bout this soul-thing, but I'll follow what everyone decides. As long as I get to whack them red wizards of course."
"That is precisely my point - we know nothing about how the cubes work. Having that information could alter our entire plan of attack. In addition, Zagmira made it clear she prefers to work with us rather than attack us outright. The fact that she decided to pursue the remaining cubes instead, after Orvex told her about ours, indicates that may not have changed. At this point, I am not so certain the Red Wizards have declared war, fireball notwithstanding. They could have easily chased us."
She turns to Sthara. "I agree, if we are going to target anyone first, it should be the yuan-ti. They alone are unaware of our presence, and we know where their lair is."
"Then let us approach their lair bearing the same treachery and violence in our hearts that Ras Nsi held and introduce them to it when the time is right. Any objections?"
The cleric's expression softens and she puts a gentle hand on the sorceress' shoulder. She opens her mouth to say something and thinks better of it.
Turning to the group, she says, "I still believe we should protect the cubes. We are already walking targets. If we are to carry them with us, we should make an effort to safeguard them. Though it may be wiser to hide them in the event we are captured, or worse." She links her arms behind her back. "If we intend to carry out a raid against the yuan-ti, I can do some remote reconnaissance to give us more of an advantage if we venture into their cave. It will take me a handful of minutes to prepare the spell, so please alert me if you desire this."
"So the plan so far is going to the yuan-ti lair and do something when the time is right? And after that we walk to the obelisk and hand Zagmira the cubes? Do you think she will have any use for us once the yuan-ti are dead? That is what she wanted us to do. And if we do this, we have outlived our usefulness. Also, she will see what we are capable of, and that we pose a real threat to her. I say we attack the wizards first or somehow trick the yuan-ti into attacking them. We can free Orvex, too. Fighting the only faction, the yuan-ti, that probably doesn´t know of us yet is giving away the element of surprise."
Nenne raises an eyebrow. "I never said we deliver the cubes to the Thayans. In fact, I never suggested we ally with them at all. To be frank, I would much rather spend our time investigating the obelisk and learning what the cubes do while allowing the Red Wizards and the yuan-ti to destroy each other. They are at war, and we have established ourselves as a neutral third party."
"For the moment, we are enjoying a fragile peace with Zagmira. The moment we attack, we lose any opportunity of benefiting from her attempts to collaborate or use us, and she will target us until we slay her or she kills us all, whichever comes first. If we defeat the yuan-ti, we perpetuate the idea that we at least aren't siding against her. That," she says with a wearied sigh, "and I believe the probability of victory against the yuan-ti is much higher."
"Against how many yuan-ti? We have no idea what we are up against regarding the yuan-ti. We know what we are up against regarding the Red Wizards. They will betray us at the first opportunity. We are a threat to them, just like the yuan-ti. I don´t say investigating the presumed Soulmonger is a bad idea, I don´t say we shouldn´t find out how to use the cubes. But the wizards saw you flying overhead, they attacked, maybe only wanted to make you change course because they wanted you not to see something. They are a greater risk to our mission right now than Ras Nsi and the yuan-ti."
"We can know precisely what we are up against with the yuan-ti if I cast my spell, and I don't need to be anywhere near them to do it. At the very least, it will help us make a more informed decision."
She pauses a moment and shrugs. "And I simply disagree with your read of the Thayans. They cast one spell, and they missed. It seemed like a warning shot not to interfere rather than an attempt to kill us. I could be mistaken, of course, but even if that's the case, I am never the first to jeopardize peace if I can help it. Until they make it evident they want our heads, I will believe our truce stands."
She ducks her head humbly. "But I have been rather vocal on this topic. I would like to hear what the rest of you think, and as always, I will support the group's decision as best I can."
"It would have been great if you had elaborated on how your spell can provide information on the yuan-ti, Nenne. And yes, we have been discussing this matter for some time now. Sthara´s point of view is clear, but I also want to hear Boosey´s opinion. And Lemon could provide more insight into his mind than he has done so far. We are all in this together."
"Firstly, I don't believe the Wizards knew it was Lemon and Nenne flying over their position. They did however, feel it necessary to send a fire ball after them, intended to hit or not. They have something important to hide, and it seems they are willing use force to warn off anyone that comes close." Boosey looks to Nenne, "can you point out their position on the map?" He looks to Allister now. "I'm not keen on engaging with either the yuan-ti or the Red Wizards, that could prove fatal for us. As things stand, we know very little, other than we have some puzzle cubes. What are they for? What do they unlock, or release? Nenne's fly past has revealed something to us that could be vital in finding the soulmonger, we should investigate it with haste while we are still unmolested by potential enemies. As for the cubes," he looks round at the others, "if we have the components it may be wise to cast nondetection on them. We are in a precarious position and need to tread carefully, but if we can find a way to set yuan-ti against the wizards, or vice-versa we could glean an advantage. Let the wizards find the rest of the cubes, they will return to find us sooner or later." He starts to doodle in the soil in front of himself mindlessly. "There will come a point where we are forced to interact with these factions. It would be better for us to have as much information about this place as possible first."
„Can you please cast your spell, Nenne? We have to decide on something. I want to get out of this jungle as quickly as possible. I really need to shave.“ Allister scratches his beard and makes annoyed grunts
Nenne nods, takes a jeweled horn out of her pack, and sits cross-legged on the ground. She begins to recite a quiet, lengthy prayer to Kelemvor, invoking his powers of otherworldly sight and his keen judgment of the hearts of men. Ten minutes later, her holy symbol glimmers with a soft red glow as her Clairvoyance activates.
"Ye know, I can always make a fake cube." Lemon points to the ground. "We can bait them Red Wizards out from afar and negotiate from there. Even threaten to break it." He looks to the ground now, "And..." with a mischievous smile he looks back up, "we can always burry the real one's hehehe." He gives a shrug. "What'ever we decide how'ever, we need to split them up if we be carrying them with us. That way if... one of our own were to fall in battle... not all the cubes would be gone as well." He begins to fiddle with his beard a bit. "Not sayin' of us is gon' die."
As Lemon speaks, he begins sharpening a twig with a sharp rock. Once completed, with speaking and making his twig knife, he hands it to Allister to shave with. "Here ye go fighter. Don't have it all in one day hahaha!"
Nenne's eyes flutter open at the conclusion of her spell and she rises with a frown. "The cave is unguarded at the moment. There is a long hallway within and a sliding door that bars access near the mouth of the cave. The symbol of Ras Nsi is etched into the walls. I only saw two yuan-ti in ten minutes of scrying, and they left some time ago. There are also two monstrous creatures guarding the inner hallway behind the door - snakelike humanoids."
Her expression grows a little sad and she looks at Sthara. "Ras Nsi is aware of us. I overheard the sentries discussing their orders. He is having them conduct surveillance on us and the Thayans alike, and they are to prevent all unwanted guests from entering the cave. Also," she sighs, "they said he already has two cubes."
“If Ras-Nsi has two cubes, the Thayans are bound to find another, we should abandon any attempt to investigate the other temples. That would account for all nine. This cave of Ras-Nsi?” Boosey asks Nenne, “how far away are we from it. If it is relatively undefended as you say, could we be successful in assaulting it?”
he is silent for a moment and adds, “I still don’t like the idea of instigating hostilities. If there are other areas to investigate, like the obelisk, then that would be the more prudent course of action.”
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"Why is it so surprising that the Red Wizards attacked? They saw an opportunity and took a shot. We are planning to do the exact same thing. But now that we know where the Soulmoger is, doesn´t it make more sense to get the cubes first? Without them we no chance to lift its curse."
"Because we do not know that it is the Soulmonger," Nenne replies. "In fact, it may make more tactical sense to confirm that and determine the purpose of the cubes, first. It could alter our entire strategy. Consider this."
Her armor clinks as she shifts her stance and holds out her hands as if weighing options. "We can launch blind battles against two factions - the Thayans and the yuan-ti - and take their cubes, knowing nothing of their combat strength or what to do with the cubes once we have them. Or, we can gather intelligence on our endgame, scout the yuan-ti camp, and take advantage of the red mages' knowledge and martial strength."
A look of disgust passes over her face. "I'm loath, but not too proud, to admit that Zagmira may have had a wise idea. Omu is full of traps and dangers, and we have learned firsthand that knowing what to expect and planning accordingly can prove the difference between success and death. Just look at what happened at Shagambi's shrine both times we were there. We know the Thayans and the yuan-ti have more knowledge of this place than we do, and we know we are now after the same thing. As long as we are present when all nine cubes are at the Soulmonger, it does not matter who brings them. Unlike the Thayans, we do not need to take possession of the device. We simply need to see it to destroy it. So we can do all the work ourselves, or we can let the Red Wizards do some of it for us."
"I can´t remember saying anything about attacking blindly. And how do you know we present the cubes and... ta daa... the mystery is solved? The cubes are the key, but how they work, that we haven´t figured out yet. And about our enemies, and we can say now with confidence the wizards are our enemies, we have to fight them. The question is not if, just when. So, of course, we need to gather more information. We have to try and fight them on our terms, maybe seek out small parties and take them out or take prsioners. Even though I doubt any of them will talk."
"Perhaps, then we try and find the yuan-ti? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or whatever it is that was said." Sthara says. She spits on the ground before adding, "And if speaking with them presents me the opportunity to take away Ras Nsi's life, all the better."
She turns to address Nenne. "Your idea is a good one and may present the opportunity for cross-fighting that would let us end both enemies – but we do not know how the cubes work or how to gain access to the Soulmonger if the obelisk is not it. One thought, unsaid so far, if we gain access, we could destroy a cube and prevent others from following us, perhaps?"
"Aye. But that will be stoppin us as well." Lemon said through a mouthful of rations. "Fer one, I already used up a heafty amount of spell pow'er jus' to fly around. Two, did ye all say ye gettin' this fer the lady in the sky?" He gives a shrug. "I may not be knowin' much 'bout this soul-thing, but I'll follow what everyone decides. As long as I get to whack them red wizards of course."
Made you look.
"That is precisely my point - we know nothing about how the cubes work. Having that information could alter our entire plan of attack. In addition, Zagmira made it clear she prefers to work with us rather than attack us outright. The fact that she decided to pursue the remaining cubes instead, after Orvex told her about ours, indicates that may not have changed. At this point, I am not so certain the Red Wizards have declared war, fireball notwithstanding. They could have easily chased us."
She turns to Sthara. "I agree, if we are going to target anyone first, it should be the yuan-ti. They alone are unaware of our presence, and we know where their lair is."
"Then let us approach their lair bearing the same treachery and violence in our hearts that Ras Nsi held and introduce them to it when the time is right. Any objections?"
The cleric's expression softens and she puts a gentle hand on the sorceress' shoulder. She opens her mouth to say something and thinks better of it.
Turning to the group, she says, "I still believe we should protect the cubes. We are already walking targets. If we are to carry them with us, we should make an effort to safeguard them. Though it may be wiser to hide them in the event we are captured, or worse." She links her arms behind her back. "If we intend to carry out a raid against the yuan-ti, I can do some remote reconnaissance to give us more of an advantage if we venture into their cave. It will take me a handful of minutes to prepare the spell, so please alert me if you desire this."
"So the plan so far is going to the yuan-ti lair and do something when the time is right? And after that we walk to the obelisk and hand Zagmira the cubes? Do you think she will have any use for us once the yuan-ti are dead? That is what she wanted us to do. And if we do this, we have outlived our usefulness. Also, she will see what we are capable of, and that we pose a real threat to her. I say we attack the wizards first or somehow trick the yuan-ti into attacking them. We can free Orvex, too. Fighting the only faction, the yuan-ti, that probably doesn´t know of us yet is giving away the element of surprise."
Nenne raises an eyebrow. "I never said we deliver the cubes to the Thayans. In fact, I never suggested we ally with them at all. To be frank, I would much rather spend our time investigating the obelisk and learning what the cubes do while allowing the Red Wizards and the yuan-ti to destroy each other. They are at war, and we have established ourselves as a neutral third party."
"For the moment, we are enjoying a fragile peace with Zagmira. The moment we attack, we lose any opportunity of benefiting from her attempts to collaborate or use us, and she will target us until we slay her or she kills us all, whichever comes first. If we defeat the yuan-ti, we perpetuate the idea that we at least aren't siding against her. That," she says with a wearied sigh, "and I believe the probability of victory against the yuan-ti is much higher."
"Against how many yuan-ti? We have no idea what we are up against regarding the yuan-ti. We know what we are up against regarding the Red Wizards. They will betray us at the first opportunity. We are a threat to them, just like the yuan-ti. I don´t say investigating the presumed Soulmonger is a bad idea, I don´t say we shouldn´t find out how to use the cubes. But the wizards saw you flying overhead, they attacked, maybe only wanted to make you change course because they wanted you not to see something. They are a greater risk to our mission right now than Ras Nsi and the yuan-ti."
"We can know precisely what we are up against with the yuan-ti if I cast my spell, and I don't need to be anywhere near them to do it. At the very least, it will help us make a more informed decision."
She pauses a moment and shrugs. "And I simply disagree with your read of the Thayans. They cast one spell, and they missed. It seemed like a warning shot not to interfere rather than an attempt to kill us. I could be mistaken, of course, but even if that's the case, I am never the first to jeopardize peace if I can help it. Until they make it evident they want our heads, I will believe our truce stands."
She ducks her head humbly. "But I have been rather vocal on this topic. I would like to hear what the rest of you think, and as always, I will support the group's decision as best I can."
"It would have been great if you had elaborated on how your spell can provide information on the yuan-ti, Nenne. And yes, we have been discussing this matter for some time now. Sthara´s point of view is clear, but I also want to hear Boosey´s opinion. And Lemon could provide more insight into his mind than he has done so far. We are all in this together."
"Firstly, I don't believe the Wizards knew it was Lemon and Nenne flying over their position. They did however, feel it necessary to send a fire ball after them, intended to hit or not. They have something important to hide, and it seems they are willing use force to warn off anyone that comes close." Boosey looks to Nenne, "can you point out their position on the map?" He looks to Allister now. "I'm not keen on engaging with either the yuan-ti or the Red Wizards, that could prove fatal for us. As things stand, we know very little, other than we have some puzzle cubes. What are they for? What do they unlock, or release? Nenne's fly past has revealed something to us that could be vital in finding the soulmonger, we should investigate it with haste while we are still unmolested by potential enemies. As for the cubes," he looks round at the others, "if we have the components it may be wise to cast nondetection on them. We are in a precarious position and need to tread carefully, but if we can find a way to set yuan-ti against the wizards, or vice-versa we could glean an advantage. Let the wizards find the rest of the cubes, they will return to find us sooner or later." He starts to doodle in the soil in front of himself mindlessly. "There will come a point where we are forced to interact with these factions. It would be better for us to have as much information about this place as possible first."
„Can you please cast your spell, Nenne? We have to decide on something. I want to get out of this jungle as quickly as possible. I really need to shave.“ Allister scratches his beard and makes annoyed grunts
Nenne nods, takes a jeweled horn out of her pack, and sits cross-legged on the ground. She begins to recite a quiet, lengthy prayer to Kelemvor, invoking his powers of otherworldly sight and his keen judgment of the hearts of men. Ten minutes later, her holy symbol glimmers with a soft red glow as her Clairvoyance activates.
"Ye know, I can always make a fake cube." Lemon points to the ground. "We can bait them Red Wizards out from afar and negotiate from there. Even threaten to break it." He looks to the ground now, "And..." with a mischievous smile he looks back up, "we can always burry the real one's hehehe." He gives a shrug. "What'ever we decide how'ever, we need to split them up if we be carrying them with us. That way if... one of our own were to fall in battle... not all the cubes would be gone as well." He begins to fiddle with his beard a bit. "Not sayin' of us is gon' die."
Made you look.
As Lemon speaks, he begins sharpening a twig with a sharp rock. Once completed, with speaking and making his twig knife, he hands it to Allister to shave with. "Here ye go fighter. Don't have it all in one day hahaha!"
Made you look.
Nenne's eyes flutter open at the conclusion of her spell and she rises with a frown. "The cave is unguarded at the moment. There is a long hallway within and a sliding door that bars access near the mouth of the cave. The symbol of Ras Nsi is etched into the walls. I only saw two yuan-ti in ten minutes of scrying, and they left some time ago. There are also two monstrous creatures guarding the inner hallway behind the door - snakelike humanoids."
Her expression grows a little sad and she looks at Sthara. "Ras Nsi is aware of us. I overheard the sentries discussing their orders. He is having them conduct surveillance on us and the Thayans alike, and they are to prevent all unwanted guests from entering the cave. Also," she sighs, "they said he already has two cubes."
“If Ras-Nsi has two cubes, the Thayans are bound to find another, we should abandon any attempt to investigate the other temples. That would account for all nine. This cave of Ras-Nsi?” Boosey asks Nenne, “how far away are we from it. If it is relatively undefended as you say, could we be successful in assaulting it?”
he is silent for a moment and adds, “I still don’t like the idea of instigating hostilities. If there are other areas to investigate, like the obelisk, then that would be the more prudent course of action.”