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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 2174761" data-attributes="member: 5808">Part the One-Hundred TwelfthIn which: two archmages down, three to go.All in all, the party spends nearly a week in Chi’i’s valley, refining their skills, learning new spells, or going through major personal upheavals.Among other business, Anvil has used the headband of sending to communicate with Professor Alexandra regarding the fifth archmage of the Halmae.  The response comes back, “Excellent.  Attempt to invite additional wizard.  Unclear if invitation can be sent.  Establish contact.  Use your own judgement.”At last, however, the time has come to go.  Anvil approaches Chi’i as the party prepares to make their departure.“This wizard with the moving tower, Petros.  You said you saw him recently?”“Yes,” she replies.“Given his mobility, he is the archmage we are most concerned about being able to locate, as he can presumably move faster in his tower than we can on foot.  Do you know if he is still in Bountiful?”Chi’i shakes her head.  “I haven’t heard anything from him for about three months.”Although they realize there is no guarantee that Petros will still be in the area, the party members decide that a cold lead is better than no lead at all.“Where is Bountiful located?” they ask.Chi’i brings out a map and shows them.  It’s several weeks travel, through very rugged terrain.“I don’t suppose you could... help us get there?”  Thatch ventures.  Eva elbows him, hard.  Thatch whispers back to her, “She can’t say yes if we don’t ask.”Chi’i does not appear offended.  “I will not take you into Bountiful itself.  That entire valley is built on the blood of those who once lived there.  I can bring you to the crossroads outside it.  However, I would request a favor from you in return.”“What kind of favor?”“I would like the Gods’ Breath.  It will be very useful to me in my research.”The party conducts a brief huddle.  While they are sure that Professor Alexandra would be equally interested in the substance, they are also not sure how long it will be until they next see the Professor, and they do not have a good way of transporting the substance without risking their bones.  While they are pretty sure that Chi’i is getting the much better end of this deal, they also don’t have anything else to offer her.Anvil comes forward to speak for the party.  “You may consider that we have an agreement.”As soon as the party has gathered their things, they assemble in the clearing outside of Chi’i’s home.  She eyes them and their gear critically.“I’ll have to bring you in two groups,” she decides.The party members divide themselves into groups of roughly equal weight, and Kiara shifts into swallow form to further lighten the load.  Benedic, Lira, Eva, Annika and Kiara go first.  Chi’i instructs them to all gather around, casts… and then in a flash of white, they vanish.###The site where Chi’i transports the party is a deserted stretch of dirt road passing through a flat and grassy meadow.  They appear to be in a valley or plateau, surrounded by mountains on all sides.  The sun shines brightly, and the sky overhead is blue and clear.Chi’i indicates the road.  “That way and over the hill lies the village.  I wish you luck in your journey.”Anvil nods.  “Thank you.  We will see you again in Dar Pykos.”Chi’i walks a few steps away from the party and prepares to teleport back to her valley.  She takes one last look at Lira.  “If you change your mind,” she offers, “let me know.”“Sure… Right.”Chi’i smiles enigmatically, and vanishes in a flash of light.For a few seconds, the party members continue to stare at the spot where the wizard used to be.  Thatch finally breaks the silence.  “Um… I guess we should get going?”“Indeed.”  Anvil agrees, and with that he turns and leads the party away down the road.###Although it is well into winter, the sun is bright and the party makes good time down the road.  The dirt thoroughfare is deeply rutted by wagon tracks, although Reyu notices that the most recent traffic seems to have passed this way several months ago. “If they got the harvest out early, there might not have been any reason for anyone to be traveling,” Thatch suggests.“No one at all?”  Eva asks.Thatch shrugs.“Packed dirt doesn’t show light traffic very well,” Benedic points out.  Reyu has to allow that this is true, and as no one else has any other explanations to offer, they let the matter drop.###The party walks another hour or so in silence. Kiara has been scanning the sky, debating whether or not to shift into swallow form while they seem to be out in the middle of nowhere and she can do so safely unobserved.She leans over to whisper in Annika’s ear.  Reyu, walking close behind, can only hear Annika’s reply.“It is the middle of winter.”“I know, I’m just saying… it’s a little weird.  You’d think we’d have seen something by now.  Sparrows, tufted titmice, chickadees… Some birds must stay here during the winter.”Reyu joins the conversation.  “It is… quiet.”“At least nothing’s trying to eat us,” Eva interjects.  Lira nods in agreement.“Still—”“Up ahead!”  Thatch calls.The front of the party’s marching order has come around a bend in the road, and ahead they can see a cultivated field.  Some distance away a small group of peasants are toiling away under their wide-brimmed hats.The party stops and watches for a few moments—Kiara shifting into swallow form while still out of view—and although they can’t put their fingers on anything that seems really wrong…  there is something about the scene that isn’t quite right, either.The party has just begun walking again when one of the farmers, looking up from his work for a moment, spots them.  He raises one arm and waves in greeting, but something about the way he does it seems… off.A bit at a loss for what to do, Thatch eventually waves back.  The farmer lowers his arm and returns his attentions to his duties.“Is it just me, or…” Eva begins.“I’ll go look!”  Kiara interrupts.  And before Annika has time to object Kiara has left her shoulder and is winging her way across the field.Be careful! she thinks after her.Kiara can feel Annika’s worry trailing behind her as she flies.  Annika is always worrying.  Really, she thinks to herself.  What’s the worst it could—?Which is the instant Kiara gets close enough to see the man who waved to them.  Except “man” wouldn’t quite be the right term.  Because she can now clearly see that as he stands there, working the soil, the hand wrapped around the shaft of his hoe is naked bone, and underneath his hood are the staring empty eye sockets of a human skull.</blockquote>

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