The Forgotten City XV
General Summary
Realizing that the damaged snake plants still had fight in them, the party attempted to fall back out of its range. Theo was nearly clear of one's reach when a vine lashed out at him, wrapping his non-dominant wrist and shattering the bone. He was dazed with pain and Khufu led him away from the fighting to assess his injuries. Kegho stood firm in the hallway and fired at the snake plant from a distance, another bolt sinking into one of the phloem of the beast, it's vital sap leaking from its many wounds. Alex gingerly pulled the boat he was in--and the other two boats tied to it, around the stalagnate column hoping to lob fire at the creatures from the water. With no other targets easily in reach, the creatures lashed out at the last boat which had perturbed the water as it bumped against the stone, but the strike merely splintered a section of the gunwale. With the boats safely tucked in the lee of the stone, Alex tied the two boats off and pushed out past the whipping vines to lob a vial of Eknoi fire with his Oameni Fustibalus at the snake plant that was less damaged. In his rush his shot was wide, but the flames crackled ot life on the surface of the water and the crackling of the creatures sap as it burned was a welcomed addition to the chorus. From the doorway, Kegho fired again killing the more damaged one as the fire continued to burn and charred the snake plants to the roots. With the root system destroyed a partial skeleton floated to the surface with a chest in its chest. Shiny items were tangled near where the roots were anchored. Alex had Kegho pack out the chest, while Khufu cautiously waded into the water to retreave a metal bowl and a bracelet set with three pieces of onyx. Exhausted and defeated the La Compagnia and Khufu clamber onto the three boats and return to beach with the snake-woman hybrid shrine and clamber back out into the desert night.
La Compagnia sets up a meager camp, made worse by the fact that Teleptyon was the only one uninjured enough to set up the yurt and he was unaccostomed to manual labor. Khufu offered to take first watch as he was grateful for his liberation. The party was too tired to argue and retired to the tent.
As Khufu sat enjoying the peace of the night and thoroughly tickled by the high quartzite and feldspar content of the local sand, he noticed shadowed movement in the night and moved to wake the party, but as the creature came into focus he saw that it was a beautiful Keb woman who looked like she had escaped a slaver camp. She shivered and gave him doe eyes and when he asked her name she touched her throat to indicate that she had no voice. He had her sit by the fire and began rifling through the camp cook gear to prepare her food. The noise of Khufu's handling the pots wakes Alex, who finds a shadowed figure moving toward the door of the yurt. He raised his lantern and saw a Oameni wrapped in a dark cloak not unlike his own, lithe, handsome and intriguing, verging on mysterious. "The very form of Lysdar walks among us" he muttered breathlessly.
Riven was next to come upon the mysterious stranger and sees a strapping Neshite man who reminded her of Abet. The man gazed into her eyes, but she was politely staring at his nose to avoid eye-contact and was uncomfortable by his intense stare. She was perturbed that a stranger was in the camp and that Alex and Khufu were busy preparing a much fancier meal for him. She asked the two why there was a very handsome man there and Khufu was offended that Riven cannot tell the specifics of sex differentiation among the Keb, and Alex was surprised that Riven was interested in a Oameni, but neither could quite wrap their heads around what was wrong.
Next from the tent came Kegho, who saw a sturdy woman with sun baked skin and raven black hair pulled into a long, practical-braid, and he knew that she could effortlessly break a colt, or raise many sons and daughters to be hale and wise people of the steppes. He attempted to shoo Khufu and Alex out of the way, but Alex is deft with a pan and was dedicated to making a meal fit for a diety.
The increasing racket as each member of La Compagnia except for Riven became ensorcelled by the visitor woke Brother Theo, much in need of rest and pained by his fractured arm. He stepped out and the visitor made eye contact with him. He was sure that it was delirium from the pain, but could swear that the visitor was Sister Sophia who had introduced him to the tenets of the Porta Clavans. He desperately needed sleep and spake words most calming, though his own frustration did nearly undo this work and Alex, Kegho, Khufu did manage to compromise as Alex set out his Oameni-sized sleeping bag for the visitor near the fire and they did all sleep as near to her as they could, the meal preparations forgotten for the night.
Riven took her watch and pondered the visitor and his intense stare that made her skin crawl. She thought of him gazing thoughtfully at the Eastern horizon, and was comforted; Abet knew well not to do such things.
In the morning Alex resumed his food preparations, and seasoned the food liberally with the Scordus which grew wild in these parts. Theo wandered from the tent better rested and in an improved mood and blessed the meal before they began their repast. After he finished his benediction he noticed that the visitor had not been a dream and her gentle eyes upon him made every fiber of his being vibrate with chivalrous intent.
Alex served her a meal of meat and porridge seasoned liberally and cooked to perfection, but she turned away from it. Alex was perplexed that a Oameni, beatific or not, would turn down such a fine repast made by a kinsman. He thought perhaps the crocodile meat had offended and busied himself with mushrooms sauteed in scordus and deglazed in a bit of wine, but the vistor did turn this down as well and suggested instead the plain dried meat of the crocodile which had been neither blessed nor seasoned. Alex was perplexed and sullen at the rejection of his cooking.
With the meal, the tanned Alvus came out of his stupor and introduced himself as The Jiam, a new Druid. Most of the party was distracted and he sat next to Riven and told her that he was a new Druid who had fled a cult of assassins in Dhenia only to be captured by slavers here. She stared rather blankly at the rest of her party jockeying around the camp fire. Finally, The Jiam watched where she was looking and asked "Why are your people trying to feed porridge to a stately ancient oak tree? Also why is there an oak tree in this environment; it wouldn't be native to this ecoregion?" He glanced back at the Greencloak as a ripple of disgust disturbed her otherwise untroubled face. "An ancient oak tree, you say?"
Riven woke Teleptyon who had been most fatigued from his delving into the paradoxes of the arcane the day before--and being forced to put up the yurt by himself--and kept him far from the visitor. She asked him if there was anything magical about the visitor, but while she was clearly not of the natural world, she was not engaged in any formal arcane spellcasting although that would be true of any faun. "Of course, a faun." Riven deadpanned before she warned the wizard that something was wrong and to not get anywhere near the visitor nor make eye-contact.
They prepared to decamp and The Jiam suggested that the area seemed rich in useful herbs and took Teleptyon and Riven away from the camp to speak discreetly and to forage and were overjoyed by nature's bounty.
Rewards Granted
- Moss (2)
- Scordus (2)
- Heavy Chest (~30# gold coin)
- Metal Bowl (arsenical bronze)
- Bracelet (set with 3 onyx stones)
