Age of Ice and Blood: A Pathfinder System Heroic Fantasy Quest

Sixteenth Day of Ashinu-hamba (Ashinu Descendant) 1348 A. L. (After Landfall)

Thankfully Inge rests as you bid her, though her sleep is far longer than you had expected. Two days after she had collapsed into her bed, dead to the world save for the movement of her chest, you call for help. Zaia is left unable to name her ailment, much to his frustration, though he takes it as a challenge scouring books of alchemy and questioning both Esha and Moru, newly come from the Pride of Koire, while you are left often pacing at the door, unable to truly help yet unwilling to go.

"The little one will be alright," Silver's voice, soft as he can make it, startles you from your thoughts.

"You can't know that." Of late your mind has been filled with things you do not know, of all the strange and uncanny happenings from your meeting to the fey on Lirman, to Luaza's prophecy and death to whatever had moved the band of Golden Lion to fall upon you in enmity to their doom. What if this is of the same piece, some foe striking by ways you cannot guard Inge from?

"I cannot know we will not all drown in a storm tomorrow, but I do not try to gallop up the mast to look on the horizon either," he raises a hoof in demonstration of why that may be less than wise. "I see no reason not to trust in the power the little one serves to care for her wellbeing as long as she looks after herself as well."


Seventeenth Day of Ashinu-hamba (Ashinu Descendant) 1348 A. L. (After Landfall)

Thankfully Silver's words prove well-founded, for on the eve of the third day since she had fallen into slumber she wakes bright eyed and far more present then she had been before, but mostly just very hungry. After devouring what would have been one and a half portions of broth, hardtack and stew for a grown man she wipes her hands, her mouth and sighs in satisfaction.

"Alright, I think I'm ready for that book on dragon carving..." she looks in your direction. Like a child asking a parent for permission, you realize with a strange flip in your stomach somewhere between joy and terror. You had not expected to be a parent for many years yet, nor have to teach a child for years beyond that, and that was not even accounting for the fact that you barely understand this world yourself.

You smile and you nod, it is what Inge needs to see. You can deal with whatever may come later, if nothing else you are sure Silver will be glad to help.

Zaia writes down instructions for Dragon Crafting

While Zaia is busy writing down what Inge recalls, lest it be lost like a dream after too long under the light of day, you consider how best to bring together what you know, what you have learned of the darkness fallen upon the Sunset Islands, Inaurna, and you are beginning to suspect the world entire. You are not as skilled or swift with a quill as Zaia, but you hardly need to as you lay down what you know and what might be connected to the rise of the daemons. It is what you do not know that is far more obvious than what you do. Splinters of prophesy and half-glimpsed perils.

The best you can lay out as far as a coherent picture is a map with every instance of disturbance clearly marked: the fey on Lirman, the coup in the stone-hewed palace of Korman, the unseen killer who must have stowed away on the Marcella in Orinilu unless they had wings or gills, the ill counsel given to Golden Lion in the lands near Willowbrook to which you are even now sailing, and finally Ulk and the war in the White Lands. Were it not for the dream vision of the southern lands you would think the evil is hounding your steps, but with it a far darker picture is painted. Part of you hopes that you are only taking counsel of your fears as you had done with regards to Inge's dreams, but you cannot take that chance.

Thus you gather all those who have a stake in the matter, or might have some insight; Antonio, Silver, Zaia, Inge, Esha, Tender, Moru and Ziku. All of you have wine and as fair foods as Zuan can manage to make out of the supplies as you present what scant accounts you have managed to write down.

"My sleep too was troubled at the first of the year," Ziku speaks up, looking to his brother, perhaps for counsel, perhaps for reassurance.

"If what you say of Aphiwe Feku is true than she needs much aid, though I wonder if we can reach her in time to cast the light of Inoko upon this Shadow Man."

"There is one who needs that aid closer at hand, as the gull flies and the ship sails at least," you interject, needled by guilt at never having met with her since she arrived in Apuku. "I am certain the Lady Aina will be thankful to any who aid her in regaining her rightful seat from those who have usurped not only the kingdom, but the very flesh of her kin."

The brothers share a look heavy with meaning that you cannot decipher in the silence that follows, then Moru replies carefully. "She is safe from the Neverborn. I do not think she would find much profit in our counsel in the trials she must now face."

"If we are not to stop in Apuku we could cut two weeks from the journey, turn east past the Mouth of the World and into Orinilu with the tin," Antonio is quick to note. "From there it would be easy for you to find a ship to carry you south."

"Better the feather in the hand than the bird in the sky," Ziku rumbles. "I know you have no love for the pirate lords of the Anwa, brother, but the princess needs whatever help she can get, and perhaps in giving it we can set her kin on a better path. Better than to take a season to reach Inaurna only to find that we are too late to do anything but to mourn the fallen."

"You make a fair point to my head, though my gut mislikes it..."

"Perhaps your god has some insight to offer you in the matter," Esha says, her tone carefully neutral.

To your surprise the oracle of Inoko chuckles. "Surely He does, the insight that he gave men a head to think with for a reason, and it was not that we should turn to Him at every fork in the road." He turns to Antonio. "Good captain, what do you counsel? Is it worth your time to stop in Apuku that my brother and I can involve ourselves in the matter of Korman?"

Antonio looks at you in askance, the question in his eyes all too clear. How much do you care for the brothers being at hand to help in the Sunset Islands, enough to delay the journey for fourteen days and risk being spotted with valuable cargo by those of less than pure intentions?

What do you do advise?

[] Stop over in Apuku so that the brothers may give aid and counsel in the battle against the daemons of Korman

[] Make straight for Orinilu, do not risk delay or the eyes of pirates in your ship and cargo

[] Write in

OOC: Funny story, you guys only got that dragon crafting because I tagged the roll incorrectly. I initially rolled this, but of course the DC was not 60 it was 40 so I re-rolled to this.