[Adventure] Marna is Missing (DM: pacdidj, Judge: renau1g)

[Phoenix8008]

Nature check (1d20+7=15)

Bann-ur nods his head when the others mention the strangeness of the tree, for he sensed it as well. He had been very subdued on the ride to the island and since getting here, but action was called for now. And there were even fewer allies now for him to protect. "I don't know about the magic stuff, but anybody we could talk with would be good." the goliath says.

 

[pacdidj]

This is strange. There was a spell cast here some time ago; but I don't think it is the kind of power the your people use. Does any of the tribes around here have different type of powers or magic than what your shamans have?

"Hmm..." says Matjala, considering Alnar's question, "Some my people got talents, eh? Like tricks. Make small light, make fake noise, pickup something far away... but no one teach them. We not book-learning, no read and write. A few they go off island for a while. I been work on fishing boat for two year when I was young man. That how I learn your speech. Some go off island, learn little bit of wizard magic, but none of us wizard for true."

"But, them gnome. Fizzenden people. Lots of them wizard. Always read book, gather thing for ritual." Matjala shrugs, "They always been friendly though. Fizzenden he come down here for trade many time."

After hearing about Gepu Alnar adds. I would like to talk to Gepu and tell him what I found. Perhaps he can help us...

"I don't know about the magic stuff, but anybody we could talk with would be good."

"Nge. This wise. Ma. I go get Gepu, you mob wait here."

The Djaapana leader then departs, striding quickly back to his people's campsite. He returns with a short, stooped old man, who is almost certainly blind in one eye, given the milky film that completely covers the iris. The old man greets you, saysing, "Yo, marrkapmirri djambatj mala," it is soon apparent that he doesn't speak a word of Allarian.

He exchanges a few quick words with Matjala in his own tongue, then begins to inspect the tree. He moves around the root ball, touching it in many places, chanting words under his breath to a simple, two-note melody. He inspects the dying grass, rubbing it between his fingers, then smelling and tasting the residue they leave. Gepu then goes very still and quiet for a few moments.

When he comes out of his apparent trance he looks somewhat upset, he speaks briskly and at some length to Matjala. After hearing the old man out, the Djaapana leader summarizes his findings to you. "Old man say there something wrong in the dream, in echoes of this world. There a small hole in the dream right at opening of mulka. Gepu say someone reached through the dream, from... somewhere else... but also from here, make no sense... them pull tjurunga out through this hole, that's how they get around sacred wards. But hole still open just a little bit. It like, leaking, eh? Letting some of that other place in. That what kills grass, scares little ancestors. Gepu not notice it at first. But it spread more now. Yatj dhawu, more bad news this is."

[sblock=ooc]Welcome back Phoenix![/sblock]

 

[Luinnar]

Alnar requests Matjala to ask the shaman if he knows what type of magic did this and if the shaman knows what people around here might have the power to use this magic.

[sblock=ooc]Basically I'm hoping he might be able to give us a lead on who might have cast the spell.

Also, Welcome back Phoenix [/sblock]

 

[pacdidj]

As Matjala conveys Alnar's request to Gepu a brief argument breaks out between the two men in their native tongue. Matjala explains, "Gepu say is arcane magic did this. Like magic him sense in your veins. Him think maybe gnomes responsible. Them live over on western side of main island. Many wizard and, how you say?... scholar? among them."

"I not agree though, gnome always been friend to Djaapana people. Fizzenden him gnome leader, like. He come down here for mother of pearl. Trade with us, give us medicine and potion, help fix broken things. Him not have grudge against us..." Matjala says, as if to convince himself as much as you. "It the shifters have big grudge. My no good brother make them angry. Probably take tjurunga for revenge."

Then, seemingly struck by inspiration, Matjala adds, "But, maybe that Fizzenden help you if you go to Laughing Glade, eh? Answer your question about arcane magic."

 

[samursus]

Ferris, musing on all he has seen and heard, is beginning to have a suspicion about the theft.
"It seems to me, that our thieves might have delved from or into the Long Dream... I believe the mainlanders call it the Shadowfell. Can you ask Gepu if he agrees?"

 

[pacdidj]

Matjala runs Ferris' question by Gepu and translates his response: "Yes and no. Many on Kythira learn to walk in long dream, where restless spirit walk. Is only way to come back if you walk into Shadowrift."

"Gepu him often walked in long dream and in other dream, immortal forest... Arcadia? You call it? But, him never seen anything like this before. Whoever took tjurunga stepped into long dream, but then reached them hand into some other dream... more like nightmare."

"Them tore a hole in the long dream to that other place then back to here. That's how them reach into mulka. And that's why things dying. Long dream and other place leaking here. Probably why no one see them also, cause they was hiding out in long dream, not walking in here and now."

 

[samursus]

Ferris is somewhat taken aback by this news... Nightmare dream? What kind of insanity had these thieves come from? This may be more serious than I thought.

 

[Dekana]

Jezebel nods occasionally as Matjala translates for Gepu. Afterwards, she asks,

"So the hole into this nightmare is still open? It must be if that is what is killing the grass. This may sound a little crazy, but what if we were to enter the nightmare ourselves, just as the hand that passed through it in the first place? We could track down the thief from there."

"But how could we go about enlarging that hole..."

[sblock=religion]I suspect Arcana would give a better answer, but I'll try religion. Is there some kind of religious ritual for entering another plane - Arcadia for instance? Religion 16[/sblock]

 

[Luinnar]

Alnar tries to think of a way through Arcane means because of the suggestion from Jezebel.

[sblock=Arcane 16]16 Same as Jezebel [/sblock]

 

[pacdidj]

Alnar and Jezebel both search their memories for a ritual means by which someone might create or enlarge a planar pathway. Though you both have heard legends of heroes that could step beyond this world, Alnar recalls a few more specific things imparted by his former master Wales.

[sblock=Alnar]You recall that during your training Wales gave you brief glimpses into both Arcadia (the Feywild) and Herebos (the Shadowfell) by means of the Fey and Shadow Passage rituals. But though they were within your master's ability, these rituals are well beyond your ken at present, and would not take you to this other, nightmarish place anyway. It is however likely, based on Gepu's description, that whoever took the tjurunga was concealing themselves by walking through Herebos by means of the Shadow Passage ritual. It seems that many of the shamans of the various peoples of Kythira have mastered this ritual out of necessity, even though it is seemingly beyond their arcane ability. Perhaps they are aided by the power of their primal benefactors.

Likewise, simply using the Shadow Passage ritual would not be enough to bypass the wards on the tjurunga's arboreal fastness. To punch a hole through the reality of the Shadowfell and back into this one would require great arcane power. Greater than that of anyone you've met thus far on Kythria. It occurs to you that a warlock might be able to accomplish such a feat though, with the aid of eldritch powers that they serve. And, of course, in return for some sort of service...

As far as widening the small gap into this world created by the thief, you guess that a modified Easy Passage ritual might accomplish such a feat, but (disregarding the question of the wisdom of this course of action) it too is beyond your present abilities.[/sblock]

"So the hole into this nightmare is still open? It must be if that is what is killing the grass. This may sound a little crazy, but what if we were to enter the nightmare ourselves, just as the hand that passed through it in the first place? We could track down the thief from there."

"But how could we go about enlarging that hole..."

When Jezebel voices the idea of widening the hole through which something insidious leaks, Matjala's face grows deeply concerned, "Yaka, yaka! No widen hole, eh?! Bad enough already that such a thing exists. You mob just find tjurunga and we fix hole with blessing of great ancestors."