Age of Ice and Blood: A Pathfinder System Heroic Fantasy Quest
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
-
- Tags
- pathfinder open voting
- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
And what about safety of rest of Ainar's tribe, did he consider that?
[X] Free him with a promise that he does not lead his fellows against you and yours and hope he keeps it
[X] Free him with a promise that he does not lead his fellows against you and yours and hope he keeps it
Presumably the larger tribe will protect them in exchange for (part of) the Deepblood.
Update tomorrow as we see how Zaia gets out of this, with more wisdom... or just more fur
Vote closed.
Arc 16 Interlude 2: Hair of the Dog
Hair of the Dog
Eighteenth of Olweje-hamba (Olweje Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)
The girl looked up at the black winged shadow growing smaller against the pale light. Quietly Inge agreed with Wanderer that they should not have freed the wolf-man, not because he was a wolf, but because he was a man. A wolf would drive you off his hunting ground and be done with it, even if he might come looking for you if he sniffed out out later, but a man held grudges. Still it was not for her to make those choices, the knew the goddess and she knew the sea, she knew the beasts and the birds, but the ways of foreigners near and far still escaped her.
She sighed. I know where things grow as well, she reminded herself.
As the camp started to gather up to head back into town she approached one of the locals, paying less mind to his warding gesture than she might once have. To the folk of Orinilu she had learned Ikomi was more mistress over death than over the life-giving sea and so it must be strange indeed for them to hear that she wanted to look for healing plants.
"Wolfsbane?" the fellow spits. "What would you be wanting to do with that damn thing?" His voice trembled on the last word.
Oh, Inge realized. They think I want to fight the Moon Eaters. "I just need to to help with the sickness."
"The curse?" Somehow the man did not seem any more at ease. Truth be told Inge could not really tell the difference between 'sickness' and 'curse' in the tongue of these far shores. In Anwari they were one and the same.
"The curse," she replied, telling them what she knew of the thing. Some of it she had learned from Zaia, some from Esha, even Megun had shared her some herblore, though hers had been an eye unlike that of man in such matters. So now she listened dutifully for such nuggets of wisdom as could receive from those who called these wide plains and river-hugging forests home. How much was fact and how much was folly only time and experience would tell.
***
Towards the middle of the day with the sun casting emerald light though the fresh leaves of holly, oak and sage she saw it, its roots clinging precariously on the rocky edge of a dry stream bed, leaves wilted, but not quite dead. The flowers were long gone of course, but even without the bluish-purple of the petals she recognized the shape of the leaves. Fingers trembling slightly the girl uprooted the plant and brought it to Zaia.
The old man was not doing well, for all the Silver and Megun could take not to allow the litter lashed between then in haste to quake too much there weren't many roads out here and none of the stone roads that were the marvel of lands east of the Blue Sea.
"Is this it?" asked the girl.
A nasty cough and a shudder passed through the old man's limbs. "Damnable sickness, doesn't even have the decency to make me feel ill."
"What does it feel like?" Roland asked, looking worried a moment later, like maybe his curiosity had gotten the better of him.
"Like getting younger, getting drunk and cooking alive one piece at a time starting from the tips of my fingers and toes. The first I would take, the second I'll endure, but I would rather leave the cooking to the wild root stew."
Inge thought she made a face at the mention of that, too many roots and not enough fish for her liking, for all everyone else had complained about too much fish when they had been in the islands. Fortunately she did not have time to brood too long the food because Zaia had lifted his head from the litter enough to look at the plant and to her relief he nodded.
So that night Inge seeped the leaves once and then again and again, the leaves were poison if not treated right. All the While she spoke prayers so that Ikomi would grant Zaia fortune in good health.
"I never did much like wolves nor even dogs, I was more in the mind to like cats," the old sorcerer said with grim humor as he downed the infusion.
***
Twentieth of Olweje-hamba (Olweje Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)
By the time the walls of the city were once more in sight Zaia had started to make an obvious recovery, much to the shock of Hengo and his lot who had not given 'the old tablet-bitter' much of a chance to defeat such a fearsome curse. As for the merchant himself, he is happy with his new lot of wild horses and had set to haggling over the price of the beasts.
Zaia is cured
Gained 8,350 Gold Icari
As you all return to the keep, richer in both gold and experience you have more than enough time to speak with more of your companions or retainers. Who do you speak to?
[] Write in three people to converse with
OOC: And you guys finally have a chance for those social interactions @Arhin reminded me of.
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Lycanthropy, he would have become a werewolf.
Damn. That's a serious curse even if it would be quite the experience for a scholar.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Whew, so glad Zaia dodged that bullet! 
@DragonParadox, can you remind us who the options were for contact? Didn't we already vote for some priority actions while in Orinilu, once the wild horse deal was done?
@DragonParadox, can you remind us who the options were for contact? Didn't we already vote for some priority actions while in Orinilu, once the wild horse deal was done?
- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@DragonParadox , I think it should be an interlude.
As for interactions – Megin of cause, then probably Amara, because she is on a time-limit with us. The third option is hard: learning more about Cor Eso, discussing things with Wanderer, apology to the Sings of Sorrow, asking how Mog is doing, seeking if Doorstep Spider brings any trouble, shopping with Inge... I would prefer the last part, I think. It was planned a lot time ago.
Hm...
Hengo does not seems very trustworthy...
As for interactions – Megin of cause, then probably Amara, because she is on a time-limit with us. The third option is hard: learning more about Cor Eso, discussing things with Wanderer, apology to the Sings of Sorrow, asking how Mog is doing, seeking if Doorstep Spider brings any trouble, shopping with Inge... I would prefer the last part, I think. It was planned a lot time ago.
Whew, so glad Zaia dodged that bullet!
@DragonParadox, can you remind us who the options were for contact? Didn't we already vote for some priority actions while in Orinilu, once the wild horse deal was done?
These are you leftover socials form last turn really which I could not fit into the narrative, you guys can vote for whoever you want nothing was committed in advance
Yep, it's all Hengo's fault...
- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Talk with Megin. What are her plans and goals now, when she is free?
[X] Chat a bit with Amara, the acrobat.
[X] Fellowship is paying Inge for a some time now. Encourage her to go to the market and spend some money not on utility, but on herself (and accompany her, if she agrees).
[X] Chat a bit with Amara, the acrobat.
[X] Fellowship is paying Inge for a some time now. Encourage her to go to the market and spend some money not on utility, but on herself (and accompany her, if she agrees).
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Roland: "So, Megin, what are your thoughts on Silver? He's a fine stallion, right?"
Because even our horse bro might need a wingman.
[X] Arhin
- Location
- a place without enough snow
[X] Arhin
- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@DragonParadox , I still think it should be an interlude.
Oops, missed that part of the post, fixed now.
Vote closed.
Arc 16 Post 20: With Voiceless Want
With Voiceless Want
Twenty First of Olweje-hamba (Olweje Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)
You find Megin in the shade of the blacksmith's workshop, the ringing of hammer upon anvil, the grinding of iron upon stone and other stranger sounds echoing from within. She is peering curiously through the window, though not in the manner a man would, instead she moves her head slowly from side to side, trying to make sense of the contents of the room. As someone who has been inside that place before you do not think horse sight is the issue.
"Hail and well met Megin. How fare the?" You ask, though not with your own voice. Not for the first time you feel a stab of jealousy that you do not share the mind voice of the otter-kin and not for the first time also you marvel at the though that would once have been so alien to you.
"Better than I have in many a day, worse than I aught," she replies after a moment. "I feel restless in this place, through no fault of yours of course, but still the land north and west of the city is green and the grass whispers with the voice of the far wind. Having come so far, over the rushing sea I wonder at times if I am meant to go even further and yet at once I think to myself, what use to know alone if I cannot partake?"
Taken aback by her words you stand for a moment in thought and then reply that she may of course partake of whatever part of the life of Wayfarer's Rest she is minded to.
"But I cannot and it is through no fault of yours. I cannot speak, but through the aid of the little ones, I cannot enter the halls meant for men nor make use of the tools meant to be grasped in the hand. I watch the craftsman craft, the dancer dance, the scholar write and yet all of that is closed off to me. They say that when one earns the ire of the Lonely ones they will at times cast upon you a curse meant to torment you above others. I wonder almost if my escape was not just such a thing, I have found much that I wish for and yet which is beyond my reach."
For his part the poor otter-kin who is playing interpreter for you today, one of the younger of them, which had not picked up a weapon is scratching his tinny paws around the sides of his face in what you had come to recognize as a gesture of distress, not that you can blame the poor fellow. This... this is not what you had expected today. At worst perhaps a leave-taking which you would have regretted given the aid Megin has given you so far, but still something you could accept easily enough if that is her will. How does one react to such formless want, to limitations not of circumstances, but of body and voice?
What do you reply?
[] Assign one of the otter-kin to be with her at all times so that she may speak at her leisure is the best you can do
[] Perhaps magic might serve the task, it will not be cheap or easy but you have seen many marvels worked by sorcery
[] Write in
OOC: I know we still have two other socials, but I felt this was important enough to merit its own update given the nature of the request and the potential to make Megin a part of the Fellowship if you play your cards right.
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