It will take several hours for the two hotel servants to clear away the broken wood door and window frames, and then to mop up the water, and sweep away the dead bees. They’ve been at work for an hour or so when a sharp knock is heard at the entry door below, and a voice calls up from behind it, “Amboule police.”

One of the servants opens the door, and up the stairs climb two women, followed by the hotel manager. The police both wear the family crest of the Benapote Viscount on their arms; leather armor; bucklers and rapiers on their belts; and hand crossbows slung lightly on their backs. The first woman is tall, with beady eyes in a small head under a cuirassed cap, which she removes as she enters, huffing a bit from the stairs, and wiping perspiration from her brow. Her form is large, with very wide hips and stout legs. Her partner has the pale-green complexion of a half-elf, with short, bright-green hair like salt grass. She is stocky and her movements are rather mechanical, her elbows awkwardly sticking out as she stomps up the stairs. She shows the signs of some illness or disease in childhood, bearing pock-marks across her neck and face. (OOC: You’ve all seen this before, it’s a sad truth that magic is not a cure for every ailment for every person. In particular, the poor cannot always afford temple tithes, and non-fatal diseases may run their course in the slums.)

They look around, poking their heads into all the rooms, grimacing slightly at the corpses, standing wordlessly in front of the south wall for a minute, then exchanging a glance and finally, turning to you three, Benita, and Tamazaert. The first officer, the big one, looks at Varielky and your prisoner, and her beady eyes go back-and-forth between them for a moment, before she calmly asks in clear Jenghen, to the room, the expectation of an answer plain in her tone, “So, what happened here?”

She continues with these questions:

“So, what brings you to Kalahata.”

"Where from?"

“What are your names?”

(OOC: If you do not tell the truth, please roll deception.)

Short Rest Healing:

Hit Dice 1: 9
Hit Dice 2: 4
Hit Dice 3: 5
Hit Dice 4: 4
Hit Dice 5: 7

Channel Divinity recharged.
5 War Priest charges remaining.
1 Level 2 Spellslot and 1 Level 3 Spellslot remaining.
Current HP - 37/54

Ednyss lets Varielky or Auger respond to the first question, but he truthfully answers the other three questions when asked. "My name is Ednyss Graybeard. I hail from the Core of Onyx and I am in Kalahata to both win some-" Ednyss corrects himself with a frown, "fatten the coffers of the more adept gamblers in this city." Ednyss flares his nostrils to pretend that he is more frustrated than he really is about losing money. Of course, the dwarf isn't happy about losing, but he makes it appear that it is bothering him much more than it really is. This is also the first time that Auger or Varielky would have heard about his losses at the casino. The priest had never mentioned losing before (they had other things to talk about in their evening discussions and Ednyss never brought it up) and if either of them has ever played with him or seen him play, they would know that he is usually quite talented when it comes to cards, so him losing is a surprise. Hopefully, his story is general enough to not draw any attention, and gives the other two, plenty of ways to connect their stories to his.

Deception (No outright lies... But a few hidden truths and exaggerations so I rolled anyway): 11

Seeing the police, Auger approaches them, Py visible on his shoulder, shaking his head in disbelief at what has happened. When he gets close enough he opens himself to the powers of his patron and allows the energies to flow into him, making his demeanor quite open, inviting and perhaps charming to the both of them (OOC: Fey Presence - DC15 WIS saving throw or Auger's social rolls are done with Advantage for a short time. Auger is hoping the 10' cube will encompass both of the police but will settle for the one asking questions if need be).

Sighing and shrugging Auger states, "We were relaxing for the evening and we were suddenly attacked. Some of these... Red Cypress, 7 of them in total, they attacked us and well... we are not without our own skills and we overwhelmed them. Based on what the one over there says, they were here after a dwarf, though he admits our friend here," Auger motions to Ednyss, "is not the right one. Its clearly a case of mistaken identity but he will not admit it. Whatever the case they are clearly assassins and the dwarf they are after is being hunted."

(OOC: Deception roll 1: 13 roll 2: 23 if advantage is in play.)

Auger will continue describing the basics of what happened in the combat if they want, assisting his story with some images he creates in the air as needed. Auger completes the story with the following... "... and one of them did get away. I sent my compatriot here to follow and Py can tell you about the pursuit if you like. Go ahead Py."

Py, if they agree to hear from you then perhaps you can rest in a hand and look into their hearts. And just tell them the truth of what happened from your eyes.

(OOC: Fey Alyasub Heartsight: The Fey Alyasub touches a creature and magically knows the creature's current emotional state. If the target fails a DC 10 Charisma saving throw, the sprite also knows the creature's alignment. Celestials, fiends, and undead automatically fail the saving throw.)

So what brings you to Kalahata, who are you, where are you from?

Smiling, "Why am I here? The Festival seems enough all to itself. What luck to arrive here as it continues! I am Dannel Fetherlac called Auger for the tools I use. I am a simple carpenter from Anshin with aspirations to be something much bigger. I have been making inquiries at your trade houses about establishing trade routes between the provinces. Nothing has come of it yet, but I can dream. I met my traveling companions on the road and they share no interest in my business matters but we stick together for company and to pay for this fine suite."

(OOC: Separate Deception roll, if needed: 13. Fey Presence should have worn out by this point.)

Short Rest healing, using 3 hit dice: 19.

Varielky allows Auger to explain what happened, but seeing the others respond to the other questions each, she follows suit. Knowing she can't tell the truth because of her contract with Granophyre, Varielky must lie. She doesn't like it, but that's what she has to do. "My name is Varielky. I came from Ishi Ammah, following the Beauty Pageant, to participate in the Grandeur Games. As you might realise, I have the skills to protect myself with a sword, so when these men came in and tried to kill us, that was my only choice." Well, not like that's very far from the truth. In another world, this could have possibly been the exact truth. She wouldn't have stayed in Ishi Ammah forever.

Deception: 19.

The Amboule police listen with little interest to Ednyss’ story, and chuckle wryly at his loss. “Yup. Everyone thinks they can walk out with more than they came in with,” the big one says pointedly to the half-elf, who glowers and rolls her eyes. 

Auger, as a result of his Fey Presence, has two new fans. They Ooh and Aah at everything he says, sympathizing, their eyes bulging in response to the warlock’s descriptions of the fight and his extinguishing of the fire. They make note of the escape through the north gate which Py describes. Py senses that the women are calm overall, though also excited by Auger’s charms.

The officers speak with Tamazaert and, when asked where the Jenghen baby’s father is, Tamazaert replies, “He’s dead. He liked to get into fights.” They politely question Varielky and Benita, and seem satisfied with the answers. 

The officers carefully check the bodies, examining them as Auger had, for marks, signs, and the like. They exchange a glance when they see the embroidered vests, as they had when Auger mentioned Red Cypress. If asked they do not have a lot of knowledge about it. “A cult,” is all they know.

The pair climb up a side ladder onto the roof, the big one breathing heavily, and there, unhook a winch which they use to lower the dead bodies down to the sidewalk, where another pair of officers is waiting, now with a cart, into which they carefully place the corpses. Onlookers shake their heads, and recoil in horror at the decapitated one.

After replacing the winch, the Amboule police enter the suite once again. They take your captive, a huge goose egg having formed on his temple where Varielky’s hilt smashed him, by the arms, and he stands, his head hanging down.

Restraining the cultist in this way, the lead officer is about to head down the stairs when she turns and says, “Oh, one last thing. Where’s the other dwarf? The one who’s paying for the room. The…” she turns and looks at the manager, to spark her memory of something the cat has already told her, “the older one with the white beard and clay-colored complexion.”

The captive’s head lifts at this, and his eyes are now just slightly glowing red -- they’ve been a normal hue since he awakened from Varielky’s blow -- and he says, in the same congregation-repeating-a-priest’s-words tone as when he first entered, “Strewn. Where is the dwarf called Strewn,” and the two police glance at each other. The half-elf pulls a bracelet from her belt and places it on the man’s hands, and it grows, then shrinks, gripping the hands tightly, and his eyes return to normal. They seem to be magic-resistant cuffs.

The tall one stands for a moment, thinking. She scratches her head, and says, “Not Granophyre Strewn, the author?” The half-elf stares at her, and the big woman throws up her hands defensively. “I like history. His books are all over. Ancient dwarven history. One of them has a color portrait. He looks like that…” She trails off as the half-elf shakes her head, muttering, “ancient Dwarven history…,” and the two, holding the captive between them under the arms, seemingly distracted by his sudden magical awakening, do not wait for an answer to the question and haul him away.

“Stockade for you until trial,” says the first one at the bottom of the stairs, and then they are gone.

The suite still smells like smoke, and there is soot everywhere, when the servants finish cleaning the worst of the mess, tack sheets over the broken door and windows, and depart, leaving you, finally, alone once more.

The high tower above the Benapote amboulery rings 10 bells over the quieting city streets, and its call is answered by the other ambouleries’ bells also chiming the hour. Slowly the echoes die, and the waning moon rises high in the east. Perhaps twenty minutes later, there is a rustle as an errant breeze blows from the north, making the sheets flap up and down. When they lower, you discover someone else is in the suite with you. Standing just inside, you see a woman, in earthen-colored desert garb, two long, curved blades sheathed at her side. She lowers her scarf, revealing pale yellow eyes, and a ghostly countenance you recognize. Izilmeddur, the Azhvuv, now stands before you.

“It is time,” she says.

Seeing Izilmeddur appear, Auger nods to her and stands. Gesturing around at the broken doorway and furniture, Auger continues, "We tried to keep a lower profile but we were attacked earlier this evening. It is not unlikely that we are being observed in some fashion. Hopefully this will not disrupt our task for you. Granophyre is not here but he left a means of communication with which we can call for his return. Shall I?" 

(Ah, seems like we posted at the same time, so I missed it. Nevermind, I doubt Varielky's words would have changed what happened.)

"I think you should. Even if not because of her arrival, he should have been back already. If these men came here, at least we know they don't have him, but that doesn't mean something else couldn't have happened." Then, Varielky turns to Izilmeddur. "I hoped to stay another day, but it seems duty calls. Tell us where we must go and I shall."

Chapter 9: The Azhvuv Queen

Izilmeddur nods to Auger, Varielky, and Ednyss, and waits for the group to assemble before speaking again. Granophyre’s three-dimensional image appears from the messaging stone a few minutes after Auger says the triggering word. The scholar looks haggard, and seems to be in an auditorium or temple vestibule where some kind of event is taking place. “Tuff’s memorial,” he whispers, gruffly. 

Tamazaert stands in the bedroom doorway holding Sura, who is sleeping, and wide-eyed, announces, “I’m not leaving him alone in the bedroom. I’ll just hold him.” She seems to be fascinated by the Azhvuv but stands at a distance from her. Benita frowns and sits on the cushions, twirling her knife a few inches up in the air and catching it repeatedly. With everyone present, and Granophyre’s image flickering in the lamplight, Izilmeddur continues.

“As you already know,” says the Azhvuv, who has hardly moved a muscle, her senses keenly probing the night, her voice hollow and haunting, “Our queen was captured by the Jlassi Family, and held in a secret cell in the Vale of Deshar. You have agreed to rescue her, for our powers cannot aid her.”

“We had thought to send you to her days ago. However, the Jlassi discovered we were aware of her location and moved her. It has taken this long to find her once again, and once again, our powers are impotent against their warding. And now, we are left with no time to waste.”

“My sisters and I have been commanded to perform another act for the Jlassi Family, tomorrow night, marking the first day of Grandeur. It will throw the city into chaos. We care little for the politics of the living, but you may. Three will die at our hands: the Shian princess, the high priestess of Idiwala, and Massan, Viceroy of Abziri. Due to ongoing rivalries, this will cause untold civil strife in Kalahata and the Vale. To avoid this catastrophe, our queen must be freed before the half-moon rises tomorrow night, at midnight, which is when we will strike. If the hour arrives, and we do not act, our Queen will be killed. This cannot happen. This leaves you twenty-four hours.”

“Our queen is now held in a dungeon in the center of the Blistering Sands, under a tall red stone arch which stands in an oasis. It is guarded by undead, adherents to the Jlassi Family, and whatever force — whose nature we do not know — captured our queen. 

The distance is too great to cover on foot, or even by fast camels upon Shian roads and the mining roads. There is only one hope for you to arrive in time. 

“From the Reperi Amboule Sanddocks in Kalahata, you must leave at dawn, riding sandboards, pulled by Tawekka, beyond the sand reef barriers and into the dunes. If Moeitu graces you with his inattention, you will arrive by noon and will have time to do what must be done. 

“Carry with you this amulet. It will glow more brightly the closer you get to the Queen, and lead you to her.”

She pulls a small map drawn on a parchment scroll from her belt and hands it to you. 

“If you have questions, ask them now. It is dangerous for me to remain here much longer.”

(OOC: For reference:

Map of Kalahata. (Reperi Amboule is on the eastern edge of town)

Sand Surfer (after releasing two Tawekki to perform a stunt)

Tawekka (two of them typically pull a sandboard)

Map of the Blistering Sands (your route is the dashed blue line))

"That's not good. Not good at all." Varielky remarks when she hears the Azhvuv's list of targets. There were still questions she wished to ask the priestess of Idiwala. Things she wanted to know. The library might remain, but the priestess knew so much unwritten knowledge. "Twenty-four hours, that's not a lot of time. We should leave as soon as possible. I have just two questions: First, if we free your queen, how can we let you know we succeeded? If we manage to do it at the last moment, will we be able to stop you before you kill your targets? Because I doubt we'll be able to return in time, and you say you can't be there to see for yourself. Second, have you any proof of all that? Not for me, I trust your words, but I despise assassinations, and I believe those who plot them should be punished. Sometimes the gods punish them, but other times we must act as their weapons. If they asked you to assassinate the princess, proof of that request delivered to the royal family should be enough. I am sure the royal family will deal with them then." 

Auger raises his eyebrow at the mention of Massan and wonders momentarily at the connection. "I have had a brief conversation with Massan. He was friendly enough, perhaps more than you might expect a noble around here to be."

(If Varielky has shared her experiences with the Priest then Auger wonders if the targets are a coincidence or not, and asks if Ednyss has perhaps met the Shian Princess in his trips to the houses of gaming.)

"I am not sure how early we can... rent(?)... some sandboards and so I suggest we get a complete rest before we begin." (OOC: Auger would regain quite a few one-shot spell slots with a long rest, but can do okay without one)

Auger looks to Granophyre and tells him there are a few bits of other news for him but first asks, "...will you be returning to join us?" Auger waits until all questioning of Izilmeddur is completed and the Azhvuv has left before filling in Granophyre on news of his and Tama's discoveries, or the details of the attack from the Red Cypress.

Finally Auger looks to Tamazaert and cannot decide what to tell her. "Can you take care of yourself while we tend to this matter in the desert?"

Ednyss is about to ask Granophyre whether the scholar will accompany them when Auger reads his mind and asks the same question. The dwarf just looks to the scholar and waits for the older dwarf's answer. And if Auger leaves out details of the earlier events of the night, then Ednyss will not share them around the Azhvuv either.

(EDIT: I'll wait to answer Auger's question until I find out more about exactly what happened with Ednyss over the last week.)

Izilmeddur’s answers to Varielky’s questions

Re: “...if we free your queen, how can we let you know we succeeded? 

“When she is freed, she will speak to us. We will know.”

Re: “If we manage to do it at the last moment, will we be able to stop you before you kill your targets?”

“Yes. We will hear her as soon as she is free.”

Re: “...have you any proof [of plans to assassinate the three stated targets]?”

“No. It is not our place to become so involved with the living. Our queen must return to us. Our agreement will then be fulfilled.”

Auger’s questions

To Granophyre: “...will you be returning to join us?”

“Yes,” the old sage’s basso rings out, sounding distant through the messaging stone. “I must… I need to say some goodbyes. But sleep proves more and more elusive, and I need not worry. I will see you at dawn tomorrow at the Reperi sand docks.” He looks away for a moment...it seems someone wherever he is is trying to get his attention. “I must go,” he tells you. “Tomorrow at dawn, at the Reperi Sand docks.” And he blinks out, after which the messaging stone in Auger’s palm gets quite hot, then a line of red-golden energy surrounds it and it dwindles to nothing and disappears.

To Tamazaert: “Can you take care of yourself while we tend to this matter in the desert?”

“I am not a child, boss,” she answers. “I have plenty to keep me busy,” she continues, gesturing to the mess still in the room. “We will be fine.”

Ednyss: (OOC: Ednyss has not met the Shian princess. Go ahead and post his planned activities for the week, to which we can flashback over the course of your coming journey.)

Benita speaks up. “If we’re riding sandboards...they don’t work after dark. The Tawekki need sunlight or they go dormant. So we can’t go before dawn. Sellers rent them to tourists for 30GP per day, and -- you’ve seen them -- people ride them in the sand harbor and do tricks for fun. Sometimes sandboarders are even part of the Arena Games here. At least, that’s what I remember from before. And I...I will pay for everyone,” She adds, taking a deep breath, as this is plainly a big price tag for her. “It’s only fair.”

You look back to Izilmeddur, and realize she is gone, the sheet flapping lightly in the breeze where she stood only a few moments ago. Py sends to Auger, ‘She left while you were speaking, leaped from the terrace to a neighboring building and was soon out of sight.’

(OOC: any other business to handle before taking a long rest?)

(Varielky would not have talked about the priestess. It was a private matter to her, and it didn't really concern the investigation everyone was leading to find Safiyah. The others would probably know in general that she's researching something on her own, perhaps that it is related to Idiwala, but that's about it. She probably came back excited, and if they talked during dinner, the others might know that Varielky finally made progress, but she wouldn't mention how, or what exactly did she learn. As far as she's concerned, it probably wouldn't interest the others, so she doesn't burden them with that.)

"As if." Varielky replies. "It's my fault for dying and letting you get taken away. You owe me nothing." She crosses her arms, looking up at Benita's eyes. She won't be persuaded otherwise, Benita knows. "Now, I'm headed to bed. If we need to wake up before dawn tomorrow, we should get as much sleep as we can before that." She turns away and heads to the women's room. She gets her gear organized, strapping her old shield and sword back to the backpack - she won't need those out of the city. Then, once everything is ready, she enters the bed.

Before going to bed Auger asks to hold the amulet for a moment and then experiments to see if Py can carry it while flying and if it becomes invisible with the Dragonfly or not. With that bit of knowledge gathered Auger retires to his bed and sleeps.

(The previous week)

Ednyss keeps his daily routine simple. There are a few primary parts of each day, and he keeps that standard for the most part. (OOC: I split it this way that way we can resolve each part separately instead of trying to do it all together as some parts might be easier to resolve than others.)

Part 1 (Demsha): He wakes every morning and after his prayers to Demesh, he attempts to recite his new prayer to Demsha. In the evenings before he goes to sleep, he recites the prayer again (prayers to Demesh are still after that and his last thoughts are of the Honorable One). Throughout the rest of his daily activities, he will keep his eye out for any trinkets that might help develop his connection to Demsha. For example, if he sees an interesting flower on the path on his way to work, he will pick it up and use it to try and focus his prayers. If he sees stables on his way to work or a bird that approaches, he might also stop for a few minutes and try and talk to the animal(s). He doesn't quite care that it makes him look strange (he is working for a higher purpose after all) and there are definitely stranger things in the overcrowded streets so he hopefully doesn't draw too much attention. After 2 more days of recitations, he will revisit the temple to see if he feels a connection to the Wandering Goddess. (OOC: This is probably where the most RP is needed as far as retconning)

Part 2 (Bartender): After his prayers, and temple visitations on the days that he does visit the temple, he goes to the place where he managed to find work (OOC: Not sure if we need to RP through this to find what Ednyss's salary is). There, he earns some pocket change to fund his late-night indulgences as well as extract some information from the festival-goers, about the Vale, Safiyah, and Ritha Demsha. He isn't obvious about it, but he presses when he senses that it is safe to do so.

Part 3 (Evening Meeting): At the evening meeting with the others, Ednyss will pay close attention to what they learned, and use that to direct his questions at the inn/tavern the next day, and the casino that night. He will also share any information that he learned throughout the day so that Auger, Varielky, and Tama can perhaps use it to guide their own research.

Part 4 (Gambling): In the evenings, usually after the group met together for their evening meeting and information sharing, Ednyss headed back out to the Thacia Casino. He never bet as much as he did that first night. He learned his lesson about trying to win money off these people. However, he does wager enough to play a few games here and there and lose some of the money he earned (OOC: I am okay saying that Ednyss lost X amount of money in his gambling as opposed to rolling it all out. He would be playing at tables with much lower antes, but I believe the players would still be far superior to Ednyss if the first day was any reference). He also keeps his ears open here. Sometimes the gamblers of the world are the most connected to the highest of society (and the lowest). That means, that while Ednyss can milk the populous for information in the day, he mingles with the high-rollers of life and the scum of the earth at night to glean information. At the casino, Ednyss is much more cautious about asking for information. He doesn't press nearly as much as he does in his job and if he senses he is drawing too much attention, he stops his questions for the night.

Part 5 (Varielky): If the shield-maiden shared her interest in participating in the Arena Games, Ednyss would make a point to go watch her on one of the days (if she wouldn't mind). Maybe for moral support, maybe because he is secretly proud of her and her accomplishments, maybe because he wishes he himself was spry enough to participate in the games himself. For whatever reason, Ednyss goes to show support to the human woman who somehow became his second oldest friend.

(OOC: With regards to money, I am completely okay saying that Ednyss earned X amount from his work and lost X amount from his gambling. Unless he loses more money than he makes, his actions below should remain the same. If he does start to lose more than he makes, for continuities sake, I'll say that he stops going to the casino for a few nights so that he ends with at least the amount he started with on Day 2.)

(That night)

Ednyss smiles when Benita mentions she is going to pay for the sandboards. As strong as that woman appeared to be, Ednyss knew that paying for the sandboards would take a toll on her financially. He didn't say anything now, but he made a point to himself to pay for the boards himself. Still, even after an hour of recovery, Ednyss was exhausted and ready for bed. Before he goes to bed, he approaches Tama and Sura and says to the mother, "Please be safe."

That night, Ednyss first spends a few minutes performing a ritual to store another (more powerful) healing spell in his shield (Cast at Level 2). After casting the spell, Ednyss takes a deep breath. Focusing and using his shield as the conduit for the divine power this time, Ednyss resummons the tiny dwarven spirits (he will exclude Auger). The spell doesn't burn nearly as much as it did last time, but it still winds the dwarf. Concentrating on the spell, he manages to keep it active for about 10 minutes before the exertion overwhelms him. Feeling much more confident in his abilities now that he has at least used them twice, Ednyss vows to test them more. Unfortunately, he would probably need them again on this mission before the priest had another chance to practice.

Finally, he says his prayers to both Demsha and Demesh (in that order) before climbing into bed, smiling up at the ceiling, and eventually falling asleep. As he falls asleep, his mind wanders back to the story that Granophyre told them after they encountered the Ruins of the Temple of Demsha on their road here. The specific story Ednyss tries to recall is about why she was called the Wandering Goddess and about her relationship with Demesh.

The next morning, Ednyss will wake up before the others (and well before dawn) so that he has a chance to say his prayers early and prepare a slightly different aspect of his divine connection that would allow him to heal mid-fights again as well as potentially send an emergency communication back to Tama or someone else if it became necessary. After waking up, the war cleric quietly makes his way downstairs and outside. He intends to swing by his place of work and either post a notice or let the owner know that he will be out for a couple of days. Afterward, he will attempt to head to the Reperi Sand Docks where he will pay 120 GP to book four boards for a day under the name Ednyss Graybeard for pickup later that day. When he is confident that the owner or whoever rents the boards will hold them (and any necessary equipment) for them when they return at dawn, Ednyss returns back to the hotel to eat breakfast with the others. There was no way that Ednyss was allowing Benita to pay for all of their boards, and Ednyss had little use for the money anyways (his last purchase had led to disastrous results). He would likely just end up gambling it away and this was a much better use of it. Besides the currency of the gods was devotion, and that was far more valuable than gold coins.

(OOC: I know that this is a lot... I am okay to flashback to it in parts instead of all together, but whatever floats the boat.)

Ednyss performs his evening routine that night, incorporating his new prayers and thinking of new acquaintances before lying in bed. But although he knows he needs to sleep so that he may rise early the following morning, his memories and subconscious are active, and keep him awake and restless. Demsha and Demesh…Ritha Demsha and Takal Demesh, the goddess of nature, the god of war. What is their relation, and how does the Wandering God fit in? Graybeard remembers this much:

(OOC: From the Age of Resurgence Master Document, which tells of ancient tales known by all:)

Dwarves built the first great civilization, and created an enormous empire stretching across all of the inhabited lands...

The only power to withstand them were the Old Mystics, a group of wizards of incredible power who lived on an island located in the northern sea...

Dwarves... secretly developed the Great Hammer, a weapon capable of piercing the Old Mystics’ defenses, and unleashed its power, overwhelming the ancient mages…

The Great Hammer did more than the dwarves bargained for. It pierced the world's veil, opening the skies, and the native lands of the dwarves fell under the step of a Wandering God, and were smashed to bits. Earthquakes raged for centuries, and nearly all life was destroyed in sweeping tidal waves and black rain across the Lands and Seas.

At the ancient dwarven temple of Ritha Demsha, as stated by the lion skeletons do Ednyss:

“Lay down your shield or we will lay it down upon your corpse. Pray no more to the god of war. Send your prayers to the earth, which suffered endlessly after the step of The Wandering God. Do not bring the Darkness again.”

Granophyre spoke after the battle at the ancient dwarven temple:

“Demsha and Demesh. Mortal avatars for the gods, Ritha Demsha and Takal Demesh. They existed in a bountiful garden, and they loved each other. Some say the gods took mortal forms so that they could experience mortal emotions. So they could experience...love. For that emotion, some say -- any emotion -- is impossible for a God to feel, at least in any way we can understand as mortals. The cat chases its tail again, you see? But to get back to the story. They -- Demsha and Demesh -- lived as the sole inhabitants of their perfect garden, and each day Demsha would search and find a new delicious fruit and bring it to her love -- Demesh -- to share with him. And each day, Demesh, a hunter, would track a new animal, overcome it with his strength and cunning, and bring it back to Demsha as a gift, as a pet or to eat, to show his love for her. Perfect harmony, perfect love.

...There are various forms of this tale, but in each one, some new personality intrudes upon the happy couple, some stranger comes between them, and their great love comes to an end...”

What the cultists said:

“Fall, ye seekers of long-lost Halls! The Wandering God shall not not be called!” 

Regarding this new version of Ritha Demsha, “The Red Cypress”

Ednyss awakens in the middle of the night with a flash of inspiration. The Leader teaching their flock on the mountainside…he had met a Shian man at the temple who had invited him to do just that. He may have been one of the cultists, in fact. Slowly, the dwarf’s eyes drift shut again.

When he awakens the following morning, following a night disturbed by these midnight musings and epiphanies, which filtered into his dreams, Ednyss realizes it is far later than he had hoped to rise. He has only time to pray (and employ the divine powers you specified), and write a quick note at the hotel desk and leave it with a pair of copper pieces for one of the hotel runners to deliver to the tavern for him later in the morning. Then the others are up, and he realizes he’ll have to argue about the sand board bill with Benita when the party arrives at the docks.

(OOC: We can manage the rest as flashbacks along the way.)

Quote from Zzozz___ >>

Before going to bed Auger asks to hold the amulet for a moment and then experiments to see if Py can carry it while flying and if it becomes invisible with the Dragonfly or not. With that bit of knowledge gathered Auger retires to his bed and sleeps.

The amulet is very light, a very pale green clear dewdrop piece of crystal, within which seem to be, encased in amber almost, what looks like lichen. Py can carry it with its black fiber cord tied around his neck, and it becomes invisible when he does. 

The First of Grandeur

You rise before dawn the next morning, prepare yourselves, and as the clear, steel blue sky brightens to blue grey, walk purposefully eastward on the main avenue toward Reperi amboule and the docks. Men and women in armor pass you, several of whom Varielky and Benita recognize from weapons practice, hurrying to register for the Grandeur Games. You see the arena walls curving up as you pass the public fountain and then into Reperi, a few bats flitting up and around the stadium in a final foray for insect prey before they retreat to sleep the day away. 

A few minutes later, you reach the docks, which, not unlike the sea docks in Ishi Ammah, are built of wood piles drilled deep into the shore,  supporting flat wooden walkways just above the level of the sands. Lining the west side of the docks is a line of warehouses, boathouses, and the long stone caravanserei, where camels grunt and spit in their stables, clearing the dust from their nostrils.

Before a two-story storefront, a man with a pet hyena sits in a rocking chair, snoring, a pewter flask tipped over beside him, the contents of which — last night’s moonshine — the Hyena is lapping up from the dry planks. There are a few early risers on the docks, unlocking their boathouses and receiving deliveries of the phuphi nuts which Benita tells you you must buy to feed the Tawekki. Fewer people are up than usual, you take it, the remainder sleeping in on this last day of the Spring Festival. 

Benita approaches a man at one of the boathouses, tells him what you want. He looks at you four as one looks at an utter fool who will no doubt kill themselves, yet still accepts the gold, following an argument between Benita and Ednyss over who will pay (OOC: Ednyss, make a persuasion roll against Benita’s). The man shambles over to the edge of the sand, which is so fine it almost moves in waves like water, and a brief gust causes you to pull your scarves high to keep it from your noses and mouths; and to squint to save your eyes. 

The man shifts a long tube on a pivot until its flat, flared end slices into the sand, then he takes an enormous breath and blows into the tube. To no effect whatsoever, as far as you can tell. He does the same thing again, watching the near distance. Soon, you see motion, and in a moment, several brown tentacles slither up the instrument caressingly. The man holds out his hand, which you see contains a few of the phuphi nuts, which are formed like small, dark, crescent-shaped seeds, and the tentacles softly take hold of them and pull them into the sand. 

The man calls to a helper who is just arriving, who responds by unrolling, then carrying a sort of canvas stretcher to the sand side, and together, the pair gently pull one of the creatures up and onto the canvas, stroking it’s leathery skin and feeding it a few more nuts. You see the Tawekka is docile and playful, its tentacles slithering into unexpected places, which the men slap away gently, in response to which the beasts seem to laugh.

You see they possess one eye covered in a thick, clear membrane, hard as crystal, and their beaks, located centrally at the base of their tentacles, are formed into what looks like a perpetual smile. Their laughter is a high, trilling sound which is not unpleasant. 

The men quickly harness the pair with practiced motions, the hard leather strapped firmly to the strange beasts’ lower torso. One of the men blows in a whistle which seems to be broken, for, like the long tube, you hear nothing resulting from his efforts, yet there is a result. The forebody of the harnessed creature spins upon its central joint at incredible speed, then stops again, following another whistled command. You note that its four fins grow at a curve, like a corkscrew, and its front end is made of tough bone.

In twenty minutes, five pairs of Tawekki have been harnessed, and another man has arrived, who shows you the boards you have rented for the day. These are of hard wood with thin steel braces at front and back, very smoothly polished under a layer of elven weapon sap, making the board flexible but nearly unbreakable. There are mounts into which your boots are to be clipped, and you are shown the method of their use. As for driving the Tawekki. You are each given a neck brace which attaches to a whistle like the one the man blew. That is your throttle. The reins are used for steering, held in both hands, and, in turn, instinctively, by the Tawekki’s tentacles, from the other end. The beast will tell you when it needs nourishment, the man instructs you.

(OOC: land vehicle proficiency or animal handling can be used to perform tricks or actions while surfing. Without these proficiencies, one can only stop, start, accelerate, decelerate, go straight, or turn widely — one at a time — and can only perform actions which do not require use of one’s hands.)

And now, the sun rises before you, glaring over the cool orange sands and you are each handed hoods of white linen which discourage the dust and reduce the glare. You are equipped and ready, with only one exception. 

“Where the flock is Master Strewn?,” whispers Benita, harshly. Dawn has come and gone, and there is no sign of him. 

"Can you two stop with that? We each pay for our own. Any of us could argue why their gold should be used instead of the others', but we're in this together." She looks nervously towards the city. "Could you try contacting him through the stone again? We can't even search for him otherwise." She turns back to the sands. "We really should get going though," she mutters.