The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

"Have you ever heard of something called the Jade Elixir?"

The Captain shakes his head.

"No, I... wait, yes, I have, but in a story. It was in a kunubara play I once saw, something about the Monkey King stealing it from the Immortals. Or did he use it to steal from the Immortals? I'm sorry, kunubara isn't really my thing, I can't remember. I think it was called the Epic of the Monkey King."

"Honestly captain, I'm not much of a warrior and I would make a poor soldier. I'm just a simple friend of benevolant spirits and I try to do my part for the good of this world and its people. From my point of view, your General needs to find ways to make peace rather then more warriors to make war. On another note, my red friend is right. We probably found what we were meant to find but it only gave us more questions then answers. What about you ? Did we help you find what you were looking for ? Were you simply curious about this shrine or was it your mission to open it ?"

The Captain seems slightly taken aback by the little shaman's forthrightness.

"We had reports that rebels were using this crossing point to get supplies in from Llazan territory," he says. "The gateway is just a curiosity to me. My shaman, Ayesha, was more interested." He points to the tlaxu woman. "As for the war, no soldier likes to fight more than he has to. The General wants peace, but we can't have it until the so-called First Minister stands down, which he refuses to do. But what do you expect from a man who runs away to Llaza and leaves his elderly mother in charge of the fighting for him? He..."

Whatever the Captain was going to say on the subject of Ashoyin politics is abruptly cut short by a loud retort to the North. A red signal firework hangs in the air on the far shore of the river. The soldiers quickly prepare for action.

"Rebels," says the Captain flatly. "You must leave the island. I don't believe that you're working for them, but I can't have people of unknown loyalty on this island. Please, go now and don't make me regret trusting you, and don't make me force you to leave." He looks at Jar'Thol. "I prefer peaceful solutions too, if possible." he adds.

OOC: Kunubara is a form of dance-poetry, something akin to Javanese dancing.

 

[Walking Dad]

AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 39/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:5/5, 1:4/4, 2:3/3)

"Yes, Monkey King, now I remember. The draught that gives the Immortals their immortality."
Ape confirms the captain's words.

[sblock=ooc]
Hope this isn't to much knowledge without a check.
[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Annika stares wide-eyed at Ape. "That would explain why it can conceal mortality," she says softly, "but how could we ever obtain that? Something that valuable must be guarded by..."

She shakes her head, unable even to imagine what such a precious thing would merit for a guardian.

The truth of the Jade Elixir proving daunting, Annika focuses on the immediate situation and nods at the Captain.

"We'll give you no trouble. Our task here is done anyway." She hesitates, then adds, "Thanks for letting us do this."

To the others in the group she says, "We should go..." and trudges to the boat, deep in thought.

 

[Dr Simon]

[sblock=OOC]
If anyone has anything else they wish to discuss with the Lion Guard, please feel free. I'll assume it won't affect the eventual moving on of the group.
[/sblock]

Heading back downriver, you pass by sites of earlier adventure. The mining camp at Tigerskin Gorge still seems empty, with Jar'Thol's notice still in place. Stowed away in the boat is the journal. The Merchants League, particularly a representative of House Turif, may wish to see this back at Cormondal.

The three day journey back to Cormondal passes without incident, but each of the group seems to have grown from their experiences. Annika feels the spiritual fire of Golden Crow burn more stroblgy within her, perhaps awoken by the trip to the Spirit World. Growling Ape feels his magic grow, his spirit guide whispering words of power to him. The baboon nai-nek-chai finds he can draw down lightning into the palm of his hand. Three Flowers is reunited with White Lotus, and feels a growing bond with the sword, as if it was waiting for him to learn more about his heritage. Now it seems more than just a well-made scimitar, but an extension of his arm, his soul and his honour as well. Xielt seems aloof - whatever the tlaxu is brooding about is lost on the others. Jar'Thol also feels a greater kinship with the spirits, able to persuade them to do more for him each day. And on the second morning he wakes to find a small snake, similar to the one that accompanies Annika, staring at him. The snake watches from a distance for a while, and seems strangely attached to the salsham'ai, even swimming alongside the boat when Wen launches.

Finally you arrive back amongst the crumbling stone towers and ghats of Cormondal, Wen bringing you alongside the Temple Ghat. The Young Vashti herself, with two novices, is coming down to meet you.

"Welcome back!" she says enthusiastically. "So, what did you find this time?"

[SBLOCK=Jar'Thol]
The Vashti seems worried by something, although she is trying to hide it.
[/sblock]

 

[Blackrat]

Like a sunrise
These mysteries
Follow eachother

Three Flowers is eager to see where this all leads to, and what his grandfather had to do with this. I have a feeling we found exactly what the Vashti wanted us to find, though it wasn't yet what we expected.

He goes on to explain what had happened in as great detail as he can.

[sblock=OOC]Sheet is almost fully updated, just need HP rolls as I asked in the OOC thread [/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Annika relates the story her own way:

"There was a mine with some kind of melted monster in it, then we met some soldiers at the shrine and one went with us to the spirit world when we rang the bell and met the ice demon on the other side..."

Here she paused for breath.

"...which we killed and brought spring to the land, only all wasn't well because the spirit world is being ruled by an evil prince who's outlawed everything mortal so we need Jade Elixir to hide our mortality from him and stay in the spirit world long enough to help."

She nodded proudly and asked hopefully, "Do you know where we can find it?"

 

[Dr Simon]

Three Flowers and Annika relate their tales on the move as the Young Vashti leads the group into the temple. She listens intently to all that you have to say.

"I think the Merchants League needs to be informed about the mines," she says. "As for the spirit realm, I wonder if this is what my great aunt intended all along - for somebody to defeat this evil prince?"

She looks at Annika. "I have heard of this Jade Elixir, but I thought it was just a metaphor. I'll explain later, but first there are a few things that have happened here you should know about.

"Firstly, the body of that man you killed whilst defending me," she looks at Growling Ape, "has vanished. Sister Herbalist prepared it for cremation, locked the mortuary for the night and came back the next day to find it gone. I fear tabusami magic.

"Secondly...", she is interrupted by a group of angry-looking men and women in peasant clothes.

"You!" shouts a straggle-bearded Nekuuese man in front. With one hand he points accusingly at your group, with the other he clutches a blood-stained sack. "You're the ones who made a so-called deal with these wolves? Perhaps you'd like to explain this?"

He dumps the mangled, bloody carcass of a goose out of the sack, practically at the Vashti's feet.

"Secondly," continues the Vashti calmly, "There is some doubt about the effectiveness of the treaty that you made with the wolves in the old temple."

 

[Walking Dad]

AC 15 (T15, FF13), HP 39/39, F +5,R+3,W+6 (Spells: 0:5/5, 1:4/4, 2:3/3)

"Tabusami magic, indeed. We should be prepared. No one can says, what evil will rise from a bad man's corpse."
Ape says thoughtfully in a somewhat sad voice.
After hearing of the wolf related problems, he adds: "This problem seems more urgent at the moment. Go one step after another, or you have to retrace the whole way."

[sblock=ooc]

[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

Xielt kneels and examines the body of the goose, turning it over in his large hands.

"This doesn't look like the work of wolves to me," he says with a low growl behind his voice. "Ape, Jar'Thol, you both have some woodcraft. See what you think." The tlaxu lifts the goose carcass to his nose and sniffs. "There is a strange scent here too."

 

[Shayuri]

"You think someone might be trying to put false accusation on the wolves?" Annika asks, leaning closer though she has no real skill in these matters.

She looks at the man who brought forward the goose.

"Where did you find this bird? What makes you think wolves did this?"