Karaunios wrote: ↑Sat Oct 08, 2022 2:30 am Akhilleus
"I wouldn't go like that if I were you. You're all covered in blood." He points at the water.
To Xenos: "That seems like a better idea than wandering in the docks."
"Alchemists are likely to be interested in the organs, maybe the other body parts, so it makes sense to go to the tower first and the market after if we need to. Those in the tower might also be interested in this ambergris that Valkrina recognises. Speaking of which, do we really want to take these copper pieces from them, they are worth almost nothing to us, why don't we just take the stone and let them keep the coins?"
sastaz wrote: ↑Fri Oct 07, 2022 10:03 pmTuurma looks at the old slave woman and then back to her companions.
"I mean, I can't imagine she'd be lying at this point. I think we should go with her and at least see what she means. It's probably close by anyway."
"Should I stay with Kang? I trust the slaves with him but if someone comes along I am not sure what they would do to protect him."
"You have a good point Drest. The Old City is on the way anyway, so those of us heading to Xambaala could see what the old woman wants to show us before we go into the city."
Tuurma shrugs, seemingly getting impatient again (tired impatient, not psycho killer impatient).
"Let them have their coppers back, they're miserable enough as it is. I'll go back to Xambaala with anyone going there. No need to scare the alchemists into throwing holy water at me anyway. Let me know if we get any coin. I'm dead broke after buying that net and getting pickpocketed."
"Well we killed the crocodile. If anything suspect happens we just kill the crone too." she says, a little bit suspect of the old lady. She shrugs. This whole place is new and lots of strange people already, (the man wanting us to camp in Rel's grotto, the chained slaves Yuri & Yuti, even we are strange).
Tanta encourages any who want to follow her to move quickly through the sand covered oasis to the back streets of the Old City outskirts. There she leads you to a few distant abandoned buildings......
Outskirts.jpg (54.46 KiB) Viewed 757 times
......where she cautiously moves inside one of them.
sandy.jpg (99.23 KiB) Viewed 757 times
Peering into a dark hidden hole that once lead to an underground basement, Tanta points out one of the dozen Esquimaux-Ixian slaves hiding there in the darkness. "Healer," is all she says.
Peeking in yourself, you do indeed see about a dozen members of the slave caste sitting around in the darkness. The woman she points out leans forward into the light to get a better look at you, and you her.
3A581C62-0E88-43FC-B9F6-EE705514B467.jpeg (128.33 KiB) Viewed 756 times
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, her tattered robes sprawled about her, Tamat had been lost in her other-worldly dreams until the old crone Tanta appeared. Not alone, but with others not of her kind. But her eyes flickered wider as the shaman recognized their auras. Tamat had a vision days before, heralding the arrival of such foreigners.
She was all limbs as Tamat removed herself from her sitting position, her tattered robes rustling as she leaned forward, the light falling across her features. Hers was a grim aspect; the whitish clay daubed over her face and shoulders was dry and cracked while fetishes of shells, bone, wood, and feathers were fastened to her long braids. Sigils and runes were scarified into her dusky dark skin as well as those that were painted on. From a necklace of rawhide dangled a dark stone pendent carved with the likeness of Kthulhu.
She waved Tanta away with long dark fingers covered with ash without looking away from the visitors before her. Then she rose, slowly using the staff with the end tied with more fetishes. Standing at her full height, she was tall. Six feet and taller than most. Her eyes blazed as she stared at them, taking in their auras with the backdrop of the cosmos behind them.
"You have come just as it was fortold," the shaman states in Common with a wide smile revealing two rows of brilliant white teeth filed to points. "Kthulhu does not deceive, but the why is not yet revealed. Tell me, what need have to you seek Tamat?" She takes a hand and gestures toward herself.
"Yes. A brother. To ourselves and the slaves in the nearby community. He was injured fighting off a crocodile that was hunting the children. But we have no means to heal him and unless divine favours intervene, he will bleed out eventually."
She justifies the request.
"Well I have asked. One of these others may show the way or Aunt Tanta." she steps back from the strange cleric, the symbols from 'Great Old One's' of the Deep Waters giving her cause for disquiet.
"We should carry on to the quayside and locate a bazaar or alchemist that might identify the rock of whale vomit correctly." she suggests thinking of the gift box contents.
Tanta leaves the group again, allowing them to discuss their needs with the slave woman she called Healer.
Tamat joins the others, cautiously returning to the Oasis with her head covered in order to help the unconscious Kang, still being watched over by Drest.
When the group is united once again in the sandy shack, Valkrina wisely suggests they take their prized smelly rock to the Docks area where they might find some answers to its value, if any.
When the remaining slaves hear that their life savings of 35 copper coins will be returned to them, they celebrate with cheers and dancing.
"Let us waste no more time and get to Xambaala to sell our wares before they putrefy in this heat. If Valkrina says we should take the stone to the docks, then I bow to her knowledge of it. However, as I don't believe it will go off, the croc parts should be dealt with first"
Wearing her mask, an unsettling thing made of wood affixed with branches as to be antlers, Tamat is quick to act once they arrive at the oasis. "Where is this Kang?" she asks once the Esquimaux-Ixian slave stock show her the proper deference. Led to the tent, she crouches and crawls to and over the prone monk, sniffing and shaking her rattle over his form. "I can smell the death on him. His wound is terrible, such a thing to suffer and still draw breath this long. He is at the edge of a precipice in the darkness and Death awaits his charge. Yet it is not too late! Yes, there is something Tamat might be able to do, to cheat Death! You require this boon and yet I shall require one of you. O Mighty and Dread Kthulhu requires a service in return! Do you accept this?"
Last edited by Tamerlaine on Thu Oct 13, 2022 3:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Kthulhu be damned. I ain't making no covenant with Gods of the Great Deep. I might sacrifice for safe passage and pour out a libation to put wind in the sails but no way am I trying up my soul.
Turmma nearly killed him. She can settle any debts to Cthulhu, not me."
With that she will gather the box who has that? and head towards Xambaala and the Quayside bazaars and merchants.
