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

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Arc 13 Post 15: Queen's Judgement
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    • Queen's Judgement ​

    Fourteenth Day of Elnu-Hamba (Elnu Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

    An audience you ask for beside Antonio and Moru, an audience you get and gladly at first, the queen is smiling and at her side you can recognize not just some of those warriors who had come on the fleet from Lirman, but also a few from the southern villages and even a steely-eyed matriarch who was among those who greeted you at the gates, the seed of her own counsel, one that is of the island and will help guide the realm forward, hopefully to heal the hurts of war. The good cheer does not last long once Moru explains his fears, and his desire, for the crossings had been taken into the care of Ohun and those he found among the people to guard it, priests in hiding as well as youngsters newly given to the tides.

    True the latter might be expected to obey royal command, but the former would be far more prickly, enough so that at first Aina tries to pass off Moru with some other rearward, wealth and renown, then recognition for his god, that the Twin Flame of Inoko should burn at the heart of the city as it does in so many others.

    "I would be honored if you would give such praise to Him whom I see with eyes of spirit, but this is need that goes beyond the demands of honor, the fate of whole realms may hang in the balance, the souls of tribes uncounted."

    How to read the look the new queen of Korman gives you? Fear? Confusion? The simple weariness of a ruler asked for something she had not expected and weighing now the price? The best you can do is nod your agreement, you think it is just as urgent to get the news into the south. She sighs and agrees, over the objections of some in her company, later that day over the objections of Ohun also.

    "Folly I say, folly and madness. Don't you know what harm has already been done, now you want to cast flames on the channels, as soon set a tapestry alight that you may see it's patterns by before they are consumed!"

    "I am not so careless Lord of the Greenblet and she is no child," Moru cuts in before the priest of Ikomi can continue his tirade

    "I do not see, I do not have the eyes to witness the secret fire of the world, I do not have the ears to hear the future on the wind," Aina's words are slow and measured as she leans forward in her seat. "And yet I must decide that is best for this city, for this island for for its folk, I and no others. Our long-fathers and mothers did not make it so that the priests should rule, not of fire and not of the sea, that was given to the captains by living voice and then from the hall of captains to the king. Here now is my judgement, you shall all go together, but not alone, Sir Roland as one who is not of one faith nor of the other yet who has proven mighty of arm and mind against the Anjo-Oru I would ask you to go with them and see that no harm is done to the well, that the word of fire passes into the south..."

    Moru seems very pleased indeed and Ohun's face is like a thundercloud, but that does not last long for the young queen of Korman continues: "And once this message is sent you shall come back to this place and explain why it was so urgent, what you know of the foe which has ravaged my land that I do not, which we do not."

    Cheers erupt all across the hall, sounding at first surprised, almost tentative, then gathering strength like a storm in the distance growing close.

    Ohun looks around, weighing his own chances of carrying the day and then with the canniness that had no doubt carried him so far he relents. "So long as the good knight of the Fellowship will agree to the bargain so shall I."

    The judgement lies heavy on Moru, but it seems that before the gaze of a queen on her high seat he is more willing to reveal his secrets than before you alone.

    Do you agree to go to the ley nexus and keep the peace between Moru and Ohun, facing what perils may be found there?

    [] Yes
    -[] Write in with whom

    [] No

    OOC: Well those were some decent rolls from Aina, but it is mostly that she has come out of all this with a decent standing with the locals and with no obvious husband to control her actions so she has the power to put her foot down with a bit of a rhetorical flourish
     
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    • I'm glad to see Aina solidifying her authority on Korman. That bodes well for stability and any future interactions we might have when the local Anwari.
     
    The question now is whether we should bring all of our armsmen or bring a smaller group. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options; the larger party can handle a greater threat, if there turns out to be one, but a smaller party should draw less attention and have fewer points of failure. Additionally, whoever we bring with us won't be there to guard Marcella and her crew for at least a couple days, if not longer.

    I'm going to lean toward a smaller party for now, both because I don't want to leave Marcella poorly defended and a small party doesn't necessarily mean a weak one. Between Roland, Ziku, and Silver, the proposed group would have significant melee ability and the rest would bring overwhelming magical prowess.

    [X] Yes
    -[X] Moru and Ohun will be accompanied by Ziku, Roland and Silver, Inge, Esha, and Zaia.
    -[X] If Roland hasn't been able to source an equivalent or better suit of temporary armor on Korman in the past few days, he will instead borrow a suit from one of his men who is of a size with him, if possible. Otherwise he'll have to rely on a Steel Chain Shirt for now.
     
    [X] Yes
    -[X] Moru and Ohun will be accompanied by Ziku, Roland and Silver, Inge, Esha, and Zaia.
    -[X] If Roland hasn't been able to source an equivalent or better suit of temporary armor on Korman in the past few days, he will instead borrow a suit from one of his men who is of a size with him, if possible. Otherwise he'll have to rely on a Steel Chain Shirt for now.
     
    Well, that went much better than I expected! 😃 Glad for Aina!

    [X] Goldfish

    But would not Ohun object against Esha?
     
    Arhin said:
    Well, that went much better than I expected! 😃 Glad for Aina!

    [X] Goldfish

    But would not Ohun object against Esha?
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    I mean he likely would not be a fan, but he has already made his case and lost publicly. Trying to make another stink over Esha would likely not help his case. So it's up to you guys if you want to take the loss of goodwill.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    I mean he likely would not be a fan, but he has already made his case and lost publicly. Trying to make another stink over Esha would likely not help his case. So it's up to you guys if you want to take the loss of goodwill.
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    Okay, this is a bit of a concern then.

    Not that I want to remove Esha from the plan, but we should consider that a potential loss of goodwill from Ohun could give us some problems down the line.

    I think we can handle whatever happens with our relationship with Ohun but remember, the guy did a Gandalf moment, was an advisor to the former king (one that he saw as his own son), and is a wizard.
     
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    Arc 13 Post 16: Black Stone and Tainted Earth
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    • Black Stone and Tainted Earth ​

    Fourteenth Day of Elnu-Hamba (Elnu Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)

    The clink of hooves on stone makes for an eerie change for the voice of a city, or the chatter of a full army on the move. As the path quickly parts ways with the river you try to strike up a conversation with Ziku. It is not as though you would find many who share with you the company of four footed companions. The two of you talk bridles and fruits and sweet beats as well as the best ways to wake up one's steed when they indulged a bit too much of both... and all four of you carefully avoid getting in the way of the staring match developing between Ziku and Ohun. Now that there is no common foe in sight at least the animosities that has simmered between the pair of them have simmered to the surface and truth be told you are not even sure which of them you would blame the most for it.

    For his part Moru us doing a poorer job than usual hiding his disdain of the Anwa and their ways, insinuating that if they had just been more lawful such blasphemy could not have besmirched the land... offering advice on how to do better. On the other side of things Ohun is seemingly wholly bent on finding out what Moru had guessed from the grimoire of the Shadow, trying to pry it out of him with bribes and eventually not-so-subtle threats. Truth be told if it were not for Inge riding in front of you on Silver you would wonder if he is leading you astray, or at least by longer paths....

    "Pillars and wells... wells and pillars... I wonder which one it will be this time," you hear Zaia murmur not far off to your left and you are not the only one.

    "Pillars," Esha answers with surety you had not thought to hear from her. "A well if a passage that draws the soul on in its currents carrying you who knows where, a pillar is something one climbs to reach enlightenment."

    "How do you..." the words die in your throat as Esha points towards a black line on the horizon, no longer hidden behind the shoulder of the mountain, and another beside it, the mind rebels at the sheer scale of the things as if one's sense of scale had been somehow tilted. Crude stone plinths, their highest points jagged and worn by the wind, they are nonetheless some eighty feet tall and so large no man could have carried them here.


    Not all on these islands are of mortal stature, you recall, but before you can say anything about the marvel before you you feel Inge sway in the saddle and as you catch her closer she leans over the side and starts to vomit. "What's the...."

    "Wrong, there is something wrong with the stones here, it's not flowing, not like the sea, but like a stagnant pond, steaming under the eye of a careless sun."

    "Well then, did you think I was lying?" Ohun asks accusingly. "The enemy has done great evil here, though by the grace and good fortune not as bad as they could have done."

    "We did not doubt the honesty of your warning and yet we must press on," Ziku finally addresses the priest of Ikomi for the first time this day.... evening now, the journey had been longer than you thought.

    "Don't want to get any closer to that thing," Inge with one final heave that turns into a cough. "Don't think it's... good for me."

    What do you do?

    [] Stay and guard Inge three hundred feet from the stones where she is not sick

    [] Help guard Ziku closer in as he attempts to commune with the stone and pass his message on to the south

    [] Write in

    OOC: Welp, a bit short, but I feel this warrants a vote since it might impact that will get rolled for next
     
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    • Holy crap, what the hell have the Daemons been doing here that would cause such a strong reaction from Inge?

    @DragonParadox, can we inspect the surroundings before deciding? I mean walking the perimeter to look for anything out of place or magical, hidden foes, etc, maybe asking Inge to use her Eagle Eye spell to get a better idea of the area while Ohun does the same as a literal eagle? Also what does the terrain look like beyond what we can see in the picture (Huge pillars, BTW!), are there nearby trees or other features which could hide approaching threats?
     
    Goldfish said:
    Holy crap, what the hell have the Daemons been doing here that would cause such a strong reaction from Inge?

    @DragonParadox, can we inspect the surroundings before deciding? I mean walking the perimeter to look for anything out of place or magical, hidden foes, etc, maybe asking Inge to use her Eagle Eye spell to get a better idea of the area while Ohun does the same as a literal eagle? Also what does the terrain look like beyond what we can see in the picture (Huge pillars, BTW!), are there nearby trees or other features which could hide approaching threats?
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    Sure, you have some time before Moru will get down to business

    Good night guys, see you tomorrow with.... *rolls pending*
     
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