SE06 : EP17 - Tangled Roots Part II Rules of Engagement
General Summary
In the Preserve of the Ancestors, the party examines the shared gems of Horizon's ancestral avatar. A man in ceremonial but functional armor walks up to speak with Sholeh—a guardsman of a high station. But the party is distracted by a Banyan Tree shaped out of shards of a jade-like stone.
"Ah, the serpentine Banyan has taken notice of you." Another new person says as he approaches. "It may have the form of a tree, but the Dawn Incarnate is something different."
He is dressed in similar finery to Sholeh, and they come to know him as Modesta Recio, Speaker for Dayawlongon.
"Does he speak like one?" Dpahix inquires before returning to the Banyan and speaking with it like a plant.
"The corruption must be cleansed. It comes back, and it must be cleaned." It is communicated with the Druid.
Speaker Sholeh, "There are troubles beyond the Citadel, on one of the member worlds, Speaker Recio's specifically."
Recio chimes in, "We, of course, would take any help you offer."
Sholeh turns to the armored man, "Arayat is investigating them. He is the leader of our Sheildbeares. Perhaps you would like to join them?"
The party confers, and Daphix, who continued to speak with the tree, explains he thinks the Dawn Incarnate is putting more emphasis on the problem than the Speakers are letting on.
They decide to seek ways to communicate with Horizon in the trade fiscal. After negotiating with traders in the district, they purchase a school of sending. They send a message to Gavin about their whereabouts, and they are fine. Once the message is acknowledged, they jaunt off to Four Spades Trading. A trading hall that has a coffee bar within it. A gentile Dragonborn, Armato. Serve equips them with mugs of coffee and a bag of beans to take home.
Later the party arrives at the Palace of Exile. Sheildbearer Arayat meets them. He explains that they have a limited mandate to engage with the worlds they serve. He considers the Citadel home and mentions that returning to the worlds they come from isn't always wanted or even an option, mentioning Sholeh as an example of a true exile.
They venture out with the Sheildbearers to the Passage of Respite. A crew mans the serpentine concord gem and welcomes them onboard. They venture out from the Citadel and shift over to Dawlongon. A beautiful cluster of archipelagos stretches out across an azure sea. They sit down in a bustling town full of a mix of races. One thing of note is the serpent styling to their scales as they begin walking through the city, following Arayat. A flying serpent tears through the sky high above them, attacking the ground. They take cover. After the attack, the party asks the Sheildbear what that was, and he replies, "It looked like a Bakunawa. Of course, that is impossible since they vanished long ago."
They help the wounded and pick up the pieces with the locals. The flying serpent seems tied to legend and is often characterized as a sea dragon. As they work around the affected site, a level-headed woman guides some of the workers and catches eyes with Yith. They meet up with them introducing herself as Nimuel. She nods and acknowledges the Sheildbears but politely asks who the new comments are. She introduces herself as a Binukot, a bard-like role within this civilization. Desiring some privacy for this conversation, she ushers down the street.
Merit detects minute movement in a pile of rubble that was recently a house. With Hleper and Kellisin's help, they save a person trapped underneath. Numuel is impressed, "Well, I suppose that proves you aren't treasure hunters. Thank you for your service, strangers."
They end up in a small building that contains Numina's partner, a Lungtain. Lungtian, in lived nature spirit how, remembers the ages of life in the long distant past. They remember the time for the original Bakunawa. The party speaks about how the crisis of that time was resolved. It seems they must appease the Bakunawa. They ask Arayat if the Shieldbears will join them. He solemnly bows his head. "We can not. That would take us beyond the confines of our rules of engagement. We can treat the wounded and take those who wish refuge back to the Citadel, but beyond that, we are forbidden from any form of imperialism or interference." Disappointedly the party, in turn, commits to the quest.
They are pointed towards the sky bridge called "Flame Everlasting" as the best way to approach the Bakunawa. They decide to stay the night, help here and take up the journey in the morning.
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Report Date
17 Jul 2023
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