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

Thirty Fourth Day of Elnu-eza (Elnu Ascendant), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

Twice now you had faced the Neverborn, once you had fled and once you had fought, both times you had spooked their wheel, you will do it again, of that you are certain... and you do not plan to die in the doing. You bow to the giant and thank him for the tongue of the islands to which you earn not words in turn, but only a silent bow and then the reply said to Zaia again in the tongue of 'those who had come before', in Latin.

"Will you come to Apuku then, to aid us against the enemy of all?" you ask by means of your companion. "We could make use of your strength no doubt, but of your wisdom most of all." Flattery rarely goes amiss, you have found, though in this case it does not seem to go far enough for one of the other giants tosses his head, horns flashing pale as bone in the air, then the one who had served you food seems to agree, speaking to their leader in on odd unmusical tongue that makes you feel like you had missed a step going down stairs every third syllable.

"We are not much loved by the boy king and his court, old grievances die hard even in the hearts of the young, passed as they are father to son. Perhaps we shall make our way to Korman to give aid at the last."

How... you politely refrain from looking around for a boat or some other means to make the crossing. "I hope I meet you under the horns in full song when battle is joined."

On the ride back you recall to ask Inge what she had heard, or thought of when the giant had spoken of the folly of his kin.

"The Sea Giants didn't just try to cheat Ikomi their souls and live on past their time, they did it, passing on the memories of the life they lived one on to the other."

"That is hardly eternal life though," you offer bemused.

"Ask a scholar in this world or the other and they might surprise you," Zaia musses quietly, almost to himself among the soft clopping of hooves. "Perhaps it is the vanity of our art, but many had thought to leave behind something of our thoughts, our experiences and thereby gain some small measure of earthly immortality. One and a half thousand years after he died men still recall Aristotle by the scant words he laid out on the page, how much more of him might have lived if by some means arcane every thought he ever had was passed on to his successor?"

"But the soul had passed on, surely..." you interject, but this time it is Silver who replies before you can, a rumble of amusement in his words.

"I have read a few books since I learned the skill and I would say they left their mark over my soul."

As the ship appears around a bend in the road you wonder how much to share with your men, on the one hand the news that you might have been summoned here with a purpose and a noble one at that might inspire them, on the other news of others who had come from the world of your birth might drive them to foolish hope, sure to be dashed that there must be some means to make the journey back.

How much do you share when you learned from the giant?

[] Say nothing, no sense in sending men into turmoil so near to battle

[] Keep it vague, reveal that you might have some special power to deal with the daemons but not that you had just heard Latin from the lips of a giant

[] Reveal everything, secrets will ill suit you

[] Write in

OOC: A bit short as far as second updates so, but I did promise I would get back on track so here we are. This is a decision that needs to be made in any case and with far reaching consequences.

Thirty Fifth Day of Elnu-eza (Elnu Ascendant), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

Longships line the shore, their sails white, striped or adorned with all the heraldry their captains could afford, seven ships of the royal clan adorned with the fearsome visage of the Blood Drinker of Lirman and beside that the winged horse of Clan Torag adorns the sails of four ships, one of which Antonio says has the look of hasty repairs to her, so either she had seen a loosing battle or she was the spoils of a battle won. Clan Akuto, traders as much as raiders it was said, had also set to anchor four ships, but theirs were larger and if memory serves their men better arms. Of the Teranoa there is no sign, perhaps a mark of falling out with the king since you had lain their heir in a duel and the young king had chosen to feast with you rather than meet any punishment, but most notable of all it is to see the Iranea ships which bear the mark of the black hammer outnumbering even those of the king, nine in all prepared for war. Given the fate of Onogu you do not know if you should be heartened, hoping that the shapeshifter had been cut from their midst or fearful that it had not.

The Oran and the Fadaka are also absent from port, though they had taken part in fights against Korman. "Grey wings and bloody claws," you hear one grey haired woman call them as the does her washing in water fresh from the sea while pointing at a bird in the distance, not a gull but a bird of the same ilk, suka, scavengers by any other name, then.

"If the people are minded to think ill of the Houses who have not show for muster even when they have been arrayed against the enemy than the young king must be doing something right," Antonio says quietly. He had grown more quiet since learning that you may have come to this world though more than sheer chance and you do not know what to make of it, much less how to ask him about it.

"Eyes open," Tom warns the Fellowship guard all about, though his words summon you from your thoughts just the same. An armed gathering of Teranoa men, marked by the custom of wearing beard rings in threes, glare back at you from a side alley. They come no closer, but you can hear the odd jeer from the back. 'Witch's milk boys' is an odd one, though harsher and cruder words are tossed out also.

Thankfully the men are in good spirits after a swift and mostly uneventful journey, so they are content with only tossing back the odd insult in their native tongues which none here would know save for the manner of it.

As you continue up towards the king's hall Antonio does an accounting half to himself of the other ships he had spotted in port, bearing the marks less renown, the sole wealth of petty captains, seven more in all and likely all would join in the campaign to Korman, for they unlike the heads of the clans dare not brook opposition to the king, at least not to his face. If any lesser captain should wish not to take part than they would simply absent themselves of port before war could come.

Thirty one ships is a goodly number for a small realm like this I would say, but will they fight when horrors stand before them? you wonder, and more to the point what has the enemy been spending all his time doing this while, for alas you know that evil is rarely so accommodating as to give itself to sloth over other sins.

Inside the king's hall you are struck by three things all at once, firstly that it seems to me far more crowded than it had been even when you had told the tale about the dragon and the travels northwards, secondly that some of them have a wild look to them, bearing stone as much as bronze, with armor patched and shields notched, but eyes as cold as a wolf in winter and wolves of the sea they are indeed. Useful to throw at the enemy perhaps and you will not mourn their deaths, but in your heart you wonder if the king knows what he is doing. Thirdly the king's sister is nowhere in sight, though what that might portend you know now.

Who do you approach at court?
Day 1/5

[] Ohun to learn more of what the Anjo Oru are doing... and perhaps the matter of the Iranea

[] Aina to learn from one who is closest to the matter the situation on Lirman

[] The king himself, to find how the attack is to be organized and seek a place of honor for the Marcella

[] Write in

OOC: The five days also cover things like going to the market and any followups the actions may involve so we are going to do them one at a time. I wanted to start you off with one of the three above so you guys would have more of a sense of what is going on, but if you want to say get your information right from one of the House heads, or investigate rumors of daemons you can write it in.