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

The First Day of Elnu-eza (Elnu Ascendant), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

"We have to find her, we do not know if she means us well or ill and she has been watching for months," Zaia argues, the same point he's been making all morning. "There aren't so many shape changers in the world that one could come upon us by chance. There are woodsmen and charcoal burners who live their whole lives at the edge of the woods and to not see hide not hair of them and now one has followed us into the city and to the very tower was raised. Who knows what powers it might have to have so swiftly vanished." He tips his head towards Esha. "I trust the lady when she says it is not easy to bridge a span by sorcery alone so now we know that we are dealing with a practitioner of the arcane arts."

"And there's the rub, isn't it?" Antonio asks. "You want to ask her about how she does it, her spells, her incantations, and fair is fair I'm sure it would be a great use to see the world from the air, but like you said we don't know what she means for us, but one thing we do know. When the spirit revealed her she flew away and hid, so I ask again, how do you propose we track a bird in the sky or find one hiding in the woods?"

"She might return, she has every time before, and even if not we have our own birds," Zaia counters. "We have them leave green marks of peace all about and she would know we wish to talk..."

"We have a war to reach by the season's end," the captain presses on. "And though we might not know what the spy will do if left to her own wanderings it's a fair guess, I'd say, that the Anjo-oru will not be doing good.."

Though you had at first been sympathetic to Zaia's argument, as you have no wish to let Hugh and Neios deal with some unknown threat, you cannot deny Antonio's point is a sharp one. The devil you know is abroad and loose in the world is worse than the peril that might be peeking out from among the trees, thus you depart, telling your men to be cautious but not accusing if they should meet the stranger again and question her if they have the chance.

The holds are filled again with those small and precious things that are common here but not on the far Sunset Islands, leaving only a small measure of silver in Hugh's keeping to pay for supplies, with a little extra in case of dire need.

For their part the crew seem to be glad to be setting off again on the wide journey, some of them yearning for home, others simply looking for the chance to do more than the short jaunt down the coast to the city and they are not alone in their excitement. As timbers groan and mooring lines pull taunt it is clear the ship itself is restive as a fine steed that had spent too long in pasture and in stable.

Which way do you sail?

[] Straight South, for the Mouth of the World and the islands

[] North, you can spare a few days to look for those rocks the priest of Ikomi told you would allow you to finally read the memories locked in the brains of your dead foes (Quest: Picking Dead Men's Brains)

---

Triumphs
+Raised a keep at Wayfarer's Respite
+Lifted the curse of drowning off two of your men-at-arms
+Trained men-at-arms as well as those of your allies
+Applied an enchantment to Durendal
+Struck a trade deal with the Purples
+Made friendly contact with the Tinker Court

Total XP Gained 1500

What did you gain from your months in Orinilu?

[] No weapon in the hand of your foes has been more fearsome than fear, yet by word and deed you have learned to encourage others to overcome it, even as your own doubts still gnaw at you (Gain Bonus feat Fear Eater)
Cost 7,50XP

[] The will no less than the limbs can be forced to exert itself beyond its limits, but just as with flesh and blood, such a thing does not come without a cost (Gain Bonus feat Cumbrous Will)
Cost 1,000 XP

[] Ever has your tongue been fair, ever have your words been sweet, but it was in Orinilu where you leaned to mix the sweet with the bitter to make words go down smooth even when it is not truth you spoke (Bluff becomes class skill for Roland)
Cost 1,000 XP

[] Esha has learned much upon the edge of bloodied blades and from the fires of Zaia's unexpected forging (Esha levels up)
-[] Write in level up
Cost 0 XP

OOC: Well not as much of an exciting chapter since I need that level up before we can move on to the next arc. Still, for those who voted for the owl don't worry, the plot thread is not going away. I will be rolling for it in the background and you will find out when you come back in the summer. Also, yes, you would not have gotten the option to dally on the Dead Man's Brain if you had chosen to linger on shore.