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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DustinGebhardt" data-source="post: 5442818" data-attributes="member: 82905">Session 37Gaining MomentumI failed to save her...That  terrible beast, gigantic compared to the one we faced on the beach  swallowed my sister, and despite taking perhaps the biggest risk of my  life to jump in and free her, she is dead. Mort was also taken from us,  but his spirit remained. Karyan is simply gone. I can only hope that her  soul finds peace or finds a way back to us soon. I will not dwell, for  to do so is to be defeated. If Karyan sought Bargle's death, then I  shall carry on where she left off, keeping hope that she may yet be  returned to me.Eriks, in a shallow attempt to hide his despair, went to work dislodging teeth from the fallen Tamahotee. "Son, we can bring her back, do not fret." Kamal's words were of little comfort to the rogue, but he smiled nonetheless. "We ought to find the Phanatons" Hoppup commented, "They will be eager to help knowing we have killed this beast."A cool breeze swirled in the air, accompanied by a faint shimmering blue light."Dark and empty!" Hekuba swore. "What was that?"Before  anyone could garner a response, the chill coalesced before the group  and a translucent image of Mort manifested itself among them."Is that my body?!" The monk's voice sounded as if it were muffled under heaver wool blankets."Are  you surprised?" Mythyria asked, seeming unaffected at the sudden  appearance of Mort's ghost. "You were eaten and began to digest."Eriks  could feel his heart race and he looked all around for another shimmer  of light, felt for another chill breeze, listened for another muffled  voice, but it did not come."I cannot abide this Mort." Kamal spoke  loudly, "We must return you to your body as quickly as we can. We will  do the same for Karyan.""I'm down" the monk replied, "Where is Karyan?"Eriks  felt the lump rise in his throat, and unwarranted anger swell toward  the oblivious Mort, but before he could spill his wrath, Hoppup replied."She  is busy, I communed with her spirit for just an instant before you  appeared Mort. She says she will gather information for us and return as  soon as she is able."What should have been happy news fostered only  resentment in Eriks. Why would Hoppup lie like this? If it was to spare  his feelings, he should not bother, the anger in him threatened to boil  over, he reached for his Aranea alcohol determined to take at least  three fingers then speak his mind. Instead, the man took his sacred  drink and downed the concoction. Since being blessed as the Hero of  Cayden Cailean, every time he drank it, he would lose a small amount of  memory, while the others told him of mighty deeds he did not remember  doing. The drink finished, Eriks' eyes slowly closed. When they opened,  Karyan and no one else, stood before him. "I've not the time to deal  with you sulking, I will return when it is fitting and no sooner." The  tone of her voice made it clear she was not at all happy with her  brother. "And if I don't return at all, you must do what I could not.  Now snap out of it!""Eriks!!" The sound of Kamal's voice reverberated through his skull. "We make for the Phanatons, do you have enough teeth?" In  his absentmindedness, Eriks had not realized that he was still pulling  teeth from the behemoth of a dinosaur, he counted a dozen lying near  him."Yes. Yes, sorry. Let's go." Was all the ordinarily eloquent man could muster. "Hey, she'll be alright, don't worry." Hekuba, who shared a ranger's bond with Karyan laid a meaty hand on Eriks' shoulder.Mythyria,  already several paces ahead, raised her voice and said, "Neither of the  dead ones will be alright with out the proper components, and Hoppup  says the Phanatons should have what we need."Hoppup was able to help  Hekuba locate a camp of the small Phanton tribe, and the group asked  about finding the diamonds needed to bring Mort and Karyan back to life.  "Find Teka Tek, he leader, have many jewels." The language was  similar to Nythian, but primitive enough to cause more than a few "I'm  sorry's" and "Repeat pleases." The companions were taken to Teka Tek, and the chief did not trust the group."You look like those that stole family." He said, glaring at Eriks. Missing not a beat, the rogue activated his magical ring and changed his appearance to that of a Nythian. "I  look like many things." He said while using the ring to look like an  elf, then a tall Phanaton. "But a kidnapper is not one of them."While this thoroughly amused the other Phanatons, and annoyed his companions, Teka Tek seemed less impressed."You have great magic. You come to hurt Teka Tek;s family.""You have it all wrong." Hoppup announced. "We have already defeated Tamahotee."A  high pitched laugh spread through the gathered Phanatons and Teka Tek  spoke once more. "No one can kill Tamahotee, he is ever hungry."At  this, Eriks stopped shifting forms and spoke up. "Ah, but we are more  hungry." The man brought forth a tooth of the mighty beast to show all  the Phanatons, then brought out the eleven others to prove it was not a  fortunate find. Teka Tek appeared even more worried."You hungrier  than Tamahotee? Kill Tamahotee? Now kill us?!" The Phanaton group began  to gather together as Kamal stepped forward."Mighty Teka Tek, we are  here only to help, but we also need help. Tamahotee killed two of our  friends, and we need certain materials to bring them back to life."At  this Mythyria and Hekuba respectfully pulled the corpses of Mort and  Karyan out for view. Teka Tek looked them over and solemnly spoke.  "Tamahotee indeed. What you need from me, if you can kill Tamahotee?"  Mythyria chimed in. "Two of those stones." pointing to small uncut  diamonds on the chiefs adornments."We trade?" "We trade." Hoppup and Hekuba spoke in unison, causing another curious glance from the Phanaton chief. The  ghost of Mort hovered nearly invisibly behind the companions, and  insisted that they trade his magical ring of protection for the diamond  component."Teka Tek thinks this not good trade." The chief spoke.  Hekuba intervened. "This ring will keep you from getting hit." At this  declaration, Teka Tek put the ring on another of his numerous "family"  then proceeded to punch his partner in the face. As the startled  Phanaton rubbed a bruising cheek, Teka Tek pulled off the ring and said.  "No work.""Good chief." Eriks interrupted. "I apologize for that,  the ring must only work for tall ones. May I offer these in its place?"  The rogue produced two mundane golden rings. "Both for this one?"  The chief gave a look as though he didn't understand the unfair trade  but would not question the tall one's dimness. "Okay, but not enough for  stones.""I thought as much." Eriks continued. "I will add this,  though it has served me well, I offer it to you to show how great is our  need." The human pulled out his finely made spear and it began to  crackle with the cold energy that it constantly held. The offering  worked as Teka Tek's eyes lit up and he hesitantly grasped for the  weapon.For an instant, the cold touch burned at the Phanaton's skin,  but as his hand grasped the shaft, it remained bearable but still  steaming in the hot jungle."This great gift, we trade." Was all the chief could manage.The  rest of the Phanatons were in no less awe of their chief than he was in  the weapon. Two diamonds of the proper size were produced immediately  from the vestments of Teka Tek. The chief then brought out two more  diamonds larger than an orc's fist. "These too big, you take." All eyes,  especially Eriks' widened at the sight of the gems. Mythyria broke the  silence as she passed the smaller diamonds to Kamal. The priest went to  work on Mort's body and Mythyria approached Teka Tek."Good chief, we need more I'm afraid.""That all we have for trade. Why you tall so hungry?" Teka Tek questioned.Mythyria  smiled at this and replied. "Hungry? Indeed. But you misunderstand, we  want no more treasures. We need aid to find the Rakastas." "Rakastas  gone, taken by the other talls." The reply made her frown, but she  quickly hid her displeasure. "But we have heard they made weapons,  weapons we can use to fight the other talls. You mentioned hunger, are  you in need of food?""We no hunt for long time, you feed us?" The  sides of Teka Tek and several other Phanaton mouths began to moisten as a  collective grumble resounded from stomachs at the mention of  nourishment.Mythyria smiled, "Who among is the best artist?" A  moment passed and a young female Phanaton stepped forward. "Tega." the  small woman introduced herself. Mythyria recited a string of arcane  syllables and conjured a canvas, brush, and several bright pigments.  "Paint whatever you wish to eat dear."Tega hesitantly took the brush  and put it to the canvas. With magic guiding the strokes, in a matter  of minutes a huge feast was depicted before them all. Kamal heard  the exchange but paid it no heed. Anticipating success, the cleric had  prayed for certain powerful spells that morning and was invoking the  power to raise the dead into Mort's body. The monk's many wounds closed  to form pink and gray scars and color returned to his cheeks. His chest  began to rise and fall. Slowly, Mort opened his eyes and smiled. "Next  time, don't let me do that." Kamal smiled, "Next time, you will forget  this time." The priest moved then to Karyan's body. He began praying,  and though he felt the power flowing, no soul was present to answer the  summons to return to the body. Frowning, Kamal turned to Hoppup. "Is she  still out there?""I do not know, I can attempt to locate her once  more." The lizard wizard said. As the Nythian postured into a meditative  stance, Teka Tek's voice interrupted.Through a mouth full of conjured food from the painting Tega and Mythyria created, the chief spoke. "You talk to stars?"Hoppup, taking the Phanaton's meaning nodded. "Our star talker was taken, you talk to stars for us?"Hoppup nodded once more. "I'd be happy to."As  the day drew to a close, Hoppup's trance became more intense, and the  revelry took several ups and downs as stories were traded between the  groups.The Nythian came from his meditation at last and approached the group."Your  own star talker still lives, as will all of the Phanatons if they help  us." Turning to Eriks, Hoppup added, "Karyan is okay.""This great news!" Teka Tek exclaimed, nimbly bouncing from one foot to another. "Jek! Get Jek!"A much older Phanaton answered his chief's call and introduced himself to the companions as Jek. "Jek knows the jungle, knows where Rakastas village was." Teka Tek tells them. "He take you there."Without a word, Jek bows his head and meanders back into the crowd.The  day grew darker, and the night passes with more stories and occasional  snoring. As the suns rays break the Eastern horizon Kamal and Eriks are  speaking about the coming battle and the role Karyan was to play, the  rest of the group is making a light breakfast as Teka Tek approaches  them."Teka Tek speaks!" the chief, despite his small stature  commanded much attention. "I say, these talls are family, and we help  them on flat mountain. We come in one week. Now, we gather rest of  family.""Here" Eriks said, rifling through his pack. "Take these  with you so that the rest of your family will know that together we are  strong." the rogue produced tow teeth of the mighty Tamahotee, as well  as two smaller teeth he had collected on the beach months before.The  chief took them, the smaller set easily could have been used as blades  for the Phanatons, while Tamahotee's measured nearly as long as the  tribe's average height. Cheers from all over the camp responded to  the announcement. The makeshift village is quickly broken down and Jek  hobbled over to the group."You know the way to the Rakasta's village?" Hekuba asks."Jek knows, young tall, Jek knows." the older Phanaton replies "And know Rakastas liked to hide things." Several of the companion's ears perked at this, but Mort spoke what they each thought. "Like weapons and armor?"Jek, already walking a steady pace with his cane and small knapsack just turned his head and gave a knowing smile.</blockquote>

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