Book 2: Chapter 3 - North and North

[Powderhorn]

Late Summer - Day 78, Late Evening - Oracle Outpost

As the group moves timbers and lays the bodies to rest, a simple stick with a cross-stick, burned as well, has a piece of cloth on it. At first, it is thought to be burnt as well. However, on closer examination, it is simply a plain black banner that appears to have been left by the Maliente.

It would seem this symbol spans time and distance, as it only ever means one thing: Take no prisoners.

 

[matt_s]

For not the first time, Stavard looked about this foreign place, the dead foreign people whose names he did not know and whose voices he would never hear, and asked himself

What am I doing here? What lead to this? Why are we fighting this war, and why are they fighting it? Does it matter? I barely recognize the stars burning a madman's stare at night in this country.

We need answers. Stavard said. The oracle may have some to give. I do not aim to fight the skulking war against a party that is confident in taking a fortified outpost by storm for that would not bode well for us. Finish your benedictions if you have not yet done so and we should leave here in some haste.

[Vladim]

Iphigenia raged at the sight, and felt her blood boil. She felt the urge to displace her anger, to channel her frustration. She looked to her companions, her eyes at last fixating on Brother Koji. How could the sight not enrage him? Of what use was this "Father" if he had allowed such an atrocity?

She suppressed the impulse to voice her thoughts. It was not easy. The anger stirred within her like a wild storm, and threatened to spill out, but she kept it in. She felt like the lid atop a boiling kettle. But the last thing they needed was an argument. So she turned her anger-futile though was-to what remained of a still-smouldering plank, and she kicked it, violently and repeatedly. And then another, and another, until at last she was out of breath.

"We should have given them a similar treatment." she said at length, panting as she did, to no-one and everyone. They had taken the time and put in the effort to bury the bodies of the Maliente scouts, and for what? They were savages: they gave no quarter, and they deserved none in return. They deserved nothing: they were mad dogs, fit only to be put down. Even death was too good for them.

She clenched her fists again, and she silently promised to herself to never again repeat the mistake.

When her head cleared up again, after she had turned her attention to caring for the bodies, it became apparent in her mind that it could easily have been their own burned, headless corpses nailed onto the wall. It was a grim thought, but it only strengthened her resolve against them.

[Powderhorn]

Late Summer - Day 79, Early Morning - Oracle Outpost

It takes all night, and as the sky turns from speckled stars with the ribbon-band of the galaxy to gray to light gray to the first rays of the sun bringing the morning, the soot and sweat streaked hands and faces can finally pause and breathe for a minute. The smells of burnt timber and bodies will cling to your clothes for days, perhaps even longer, serving as a pervasive reminder of what happened here.

So too can you think of the refugees, dropped into such a hostile land by Captain Stoddert who must have survived her grievous injuries so long ago - to what purpose were they brought here? The settlements that are starting to dot the coast are a harbinger of what is to come. Perhaps a secret for now, how long before the floodgates of Kelmar open, and what happens then?

While it seems unlikely that the Oracles will know the answers to these questions, perhaps there are others they will, and it seems in their bloodlust, the Maliente did not pause to consider why this outpost was here in the first place - or if they did, they misattributed the reason.

 

[matt_s]

There was little to do but to march on. March on with weary feet and wary eyes in a land that Stavard did not know and likely never would truly know. Chasing a rumor, a legend, that even the superstitious sailor willing to underwrite almost any outlandish claim would have been skeptical off a year prior. But now he was going to see for himself. The enchanted hammer at his waist weighed with a gravity beyond its physicality, a constant reminder of the strange and arcane that was buried in this world. And maybe not so buried.

[Vladim]

The exertions of the night were taxing-especially to someone like Iphigenia, who was no warrior, like some of her companions. By the time the morning dawned, all her strength was sapped: emotional, for the atrocity and its implications still weighed heavy on her mind, but also physical. Still, there was satisfaction in undoing the evils of their enemy, even if it was only to a very small measure.

"They turn to terror to rule." was the singular thought that clung onto her as soon as the grim business of burying the burned dead had started. "I wonder if that suggests weakness of any sort..."

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Grim and silent, he worked alongside his comrades to offer these men what little could be offered the dead. As the dawn broke, he sought out Brother Koji.

"Brother Koji, it's bothered me all night that I helped send these men here. I helped plan the outpost. I thought we could still salvage a peaceful relationship. I sent them to their deaths....

The Dwarves don't follow gods like other folk. We revere our ancestors, but after what I've learned in the oracle chamber I'm not sure anything we believe about our history in Kelmar is exactly the truth. What would your church say about a man who ordered others to their death out of misguided hope?"

Weapon - Combat statsBAB +1
Extra +1 (Brother Koji spell effect)

Cutter: +2War Axe D6/D8 (1h/2h)

[8w_gremlin]

Brother Koji 

Brother Koji, standing beside Karadoon in the early light of dawn, placed a reassuring hand on the dwarf’s shoulder. "Karadoon," he began, his voice calm and empathetic, "you acted with hope and a vision for peace. These are not the marks of guilt but of courage and leadership. In our hearts, we strive for what is right, for what can bring us together, not what tears us apart."

He paused, ensuring his words could take root. "The malice of the Maliente, their decision to wreak such havoc, lies solely with them. They chose violence over peace, hatred over understanding. Your intentions were noble, aimed at building, not destroying. It is a tragic twist of fate, not a flaw in your character, that led to this sorrow."

Koji’s gaze met Karadoon’s, sincere and unwavering. "In the teachings of my faith, there is understanding for the burdens we bear, for the trials we face. We must discern between our actions and their unforeseen consequences. You, my friend, provided an opportunity for life and growth; the Maliente chose death and ruin. The blame lies not in the hope you gave, but in the violence they brought."

[Powderhorn]

Late Summer - Day 79, Mid Morning - The Oracles

 

It hardly takes long to arrive at a circle of stones in the ground. What was once, seemingly, a grand tower, has been reduced only to this. The ground appears to be undisturbed.

 

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Karadoon quickly made for the spot where the trap door had been located. Removing his pack he spread his blanket on the ground. Removing his climbing pick he began to carefully poke holes at irregular intervals around an unmarked center point. He spoke quickly as he worked.

"The opening is buried, but we must dig carefully so that we can return the soil and leave no sign of it's presence. Cut the sod carefully in an irregular pattern around this center point. Do the least amount of damage you can. Do not rip the sod out in clumps if it can be helped. Try to outline it in irregular shaped sections so that they can be replaced, like a puzzle. The excess dirt beneath the sod should be piled close to the hole. We must be able to push it all back in or we risk leaving visible traces.

I will spread a tarp beside the hole so that we leave no soil on the grasses. If anyone has a spare tarp, please place it down for the sod to rest on. We only need clear perhaps three feet in all directions from this center point."

 

Weapon - Combat statsBAB +1
Extra +1 (Brother Koji spell effect)

Cutter: +2War Axe D6/D8 (1h/2h)

[matt_s]

Stavard watches his companion dig and excavate and so forth. He had had plenty of digging to do when setting up the primitive settlement back when they had decided to make a go of it on that place that was now so far away....

I take it that that's some cache or hidden passage or something of general interest. I'll keep a watch. I've dug far too much to this sailor's liking.

[Vladim]

Iphigenia nodded, and lent her aid to the best of her ability.

[Powderhorn]

Late Summer - Day 79, Mid Morning - The Oracles

 

Very quickly a wooden trap door reinforced by bands of iron comes into view, and is able to be opened. Stavard, keeping watch, does not believe you are being observed.

 

[matt_s]

Stavard glances down. Progress made, it seems. You know this place or at least know it better than I. Can you lead the way for me?

[thesloth]

Karadoon

Standing, Karadoon uncoiled rope and a climbing spike.

"There is no way to lead you through. We are above a pit. Probably once the cellar of a tower. I will lower you down by rope. The makers left a spell on that place. The moment you cross the threshold you will feel as if the worst winds and storms of your life have descended upon you. Don't panic. Make contact with the ground. Force your eyes to see the dirt and stone.

The elf we came here with called it an Illyooshin or something like that. Some sort of magic that makes you see and hear things that aren't there. Once the storm fades you will see writing on the wall. Eventually, spirits or ghosts or something will take shape and speak with you.

Assure them you are not the Maliente. Let them know you are a descendant of the original makers of this place. Then ask them whatever you want. This magic is like a fire. It burns low after a time. Then the spirits or whatever they are must rest before they can appear again. I believe they told us they needed at least a week between visits."

 

Weapon - Combat statsBAB +1
Extra +1 (Brother Koji spell effect)

Cutter: +2War Axe D6/D8 (1h/2h)