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Post by Daos on Sept 20, 2023 17:12:23 GMT -8
Poppy downs the steaming concoction, expending all of her willpower to keep it down. It's as foul smelling as it is tasting, but she manages to empty the goblet. Almost instantly upon finishing, her entire body feels hot. She feels a sheen of sweat cover her all over. Then suddenly, she's shivering as if in below zero temperatures, despite the completely lack of any cold at all within the cabin. Her heart rate jumps and she feels some minor aches and pains throughout her body. But then it all clears up at once, and she feels normal again.
"And that concludes our transaction," the hag says. "I'll thank you all to vamoose off my island and leave me in peace now."
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Poppy can now cast Disguise Self, once a day, without spell slots or components.
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Matt4
Paragon
Posts: 3,545
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Post by Matt4 on Sept 21, 2023 8:44:22 GMT -8
Poppy can't help and burps, while trying to avoid puking for the foul taste. - " Welp, there it goes. Let's hope I don't end up regretting this too much." Before going, she gets close to the hag and whispers to her. - "Can you say that you promise to help the villagers against the riders? I think this could convince the others not to kill you, and I don't want to lie to them too much."
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Post by Daos on Sept 21, 2023 12:39:01 GMT -8
The hag nods, and she, Terani and Poppy all step back outside. "It has been decided," the hag announces. "I am turning over a new leaf. Your friend here has convinced me of the error of my ways. From now on, I shall dedicate my life to helping the people of the garden, and not eating them. I will devote myself to the teachings of Elonna, of peace and harmony, and balance. So..." She gestures back toward the mainland. "Off you all go now."
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Post by MaltholLoth on Sept 21, 2023 12:59:30 GMT -8
Terani raises an eyebrow. He would have to keep an eye on Poppy.
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Post by GravityEmblem on Sept 21, 2023 14:01:08 GMT -8
April glares at the hag, not believing her for a second. Much as she wishes to kill the sick creature then and there, she feels like the opportunity to do so has been lost. Instead, she turns to Poppy and asks, “So, what did you do?” with a resigned sigh.
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Post by HorizonsDream on Sept 22, 2023 1:34:27 GMT -8
"...Right," Kalinda says and looks to Poppy. "What is this all about now?"
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Matt4
Paragon
Posts: 3,545
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Post by Matt4 on Sept 23, 2023 14:57:58 GMT -8
"Well, I don't know about the theatrics, but I did ask her to help Longbeach in case of a rider attack. She could be a useful resource for the village... If she behaves." - Poppy says.
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Post by HorizonsDream on Sept 24, 2023 1:06:15 GMT -8
"What makes you think she will behave, or that you can trust anything she says." Kalinda asks.
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Post by Daos on Sept 24, 2023 10:33:06 GMT -8
"Oh, but I swear to Elonna!" the hag insists. "And since she's definitely real, you know that's a binding oath. Unless you doubt her power, that is?"
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Post by GravityEmblem on Sept 24, 2023 12:00:46 GMT -8
April snorts. “I have a feeling you do. But break that oath, and you’ll see why people don’t take Elonna’s name lightly.” Turning towards the boat, she says, “Come on, no reason to dawdle.”
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Post by HorizonsDream on Sept 25, 2023 2:26:18 GMT -8
Kalinda looks very skeptical. "Yeah, that was convincing," she says sarcastically. Though, she doesn't move in to attack. Instead, she follows after April.
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Post by Daos on Sept 25, 2023 16:03:54 GMT -8
The party returns to the rowboats and rows back to the garden of Long Beach. The old dwarf, Loch, is shocked to see them all alive and in, relatively speaking, one piece. With their three missions complete, they gather up their things, pick up the new baby, and rent a boat back to Si'ahl, which costs them about four pinks each. It's a ten day journey, largely uneventful.
Upon landfall, Kalinda, April, Poppy and Terani make their way to the coral palace to speak with the supervisor and his council. There has been little news since the party first departed--only word that the Clearwater/Riverland war is beginning to heat up as the latter gathers their armies together. Crane and his council are surprised that the group of three they sent out came back as four. Olivia claims credit for Terani's participation, boasting she had the foresight to anticipate the party would need more help and so found someone reliable--and the proof is in the pudding, isn't it? They returned alive. The other council members grumble and mutter at this--it's clear they don't see Terani as unbiased, and believe his inclusion was only a scheme by Olivia to weigh the scales in her own favor.
The party then makes their reports. Kalinda starts, handing over the child. Saltyx is quite pleased with her. "Oh, she's beautiful!" she coos, holding the child. "I shall dub you Mara Freewaters, Daughter of Crane and heir to Salt Whale." She holds the child up to her uncle. "Congratulations on fatherhood!"
"Er, yes," Crane replies, taking a step back. He eyes the child warily, as if it were a wild animal. "I'll have to remember to hire a nanny or something..."
"Now if we could just get you married," Saltyx laments.
Crane clears his throat. "Don't push your luck, my niece."
Poppy goes next, turning over the paper she retrieved and explaining the fate of Jonas.
Pike looks over the paper. "Well, I am sorry to hear we lost our agent, but at least his death was accidental, and not due to him having been discovered; this means the plot against Queen Emerald may yet still succeed. What's more, if I am reading this correctly, it seems Jonas did manage to learn the names of two of Emerald's council members who might be willing to join the plot, for a sufficient bribe."
"Bribe?" Marine squawks in protest. "Our treasury is dangerously low as it is; we cannot afford--"
"Nonsense, one must spend money to make money, and once Tall Pines is in our hands, we'll have even more shards to fill the treasury," Pike states matter-of-factually.
Finally, April and Terani give their own report. The council darkens at the news. "So either we bend the knee to a rival sovereign power, or we attack Rain Mountain, throwing away soldiers and resources, and don't even get anything out of it?" Dusksun asks. "Not a particularly attractive choice, if you ask me."
Olivia shakes her head. "It's a necessary one. We cannot wipe out the heathens without the church's assistance. I think we should seriously consider it. Having the Keepers of the Green on our side will show how righteous our cause is. And it wouldn't hurt for the supervisor to show more open approval of the church and its teachings, as well."
While the council discusses these results, Crane pays them 75 pink shards each, and offers them a single potion of healing, for their efforts. "Did any of you have anything further to add to your reports before we discuss our next objective?" Crane asks.
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It is now Magmapour 28th.
(OOC: I realize I'm jumping ahead here a lot, but we're five months into this chapter and I'm trying to wrap it up.)
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Post by HorizonsDream on Sept 26, 2023 1:49:15 GMT -8
Kalinda accepts the shards, and she takes a moment go say good buy to the baby since she took care of her on the boat ride back home. "I don't thunk we have anything to add accept maybe that Long Beach is looking pretty rough," she says.
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Post by GravityEmblem on Sept 26, 2023 3:44:58 GMT -8
April frowns a little at the council’s reaction to her news. She had figured that either solution was a good choice, and that Crane Freewaters would have no hesitation reclaiming Rain Mountain, at any rate. But she chooses to keep her mouth shut.
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Post by Daos on Sept 26, 2023 14:18:01 GMT -8
"Then let us discuss our next move," Crane says, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Council?"
"I think it should be obvious," Olivia says. "Our path is clear; ordained by Elonna herself. We must invade Rain Mountain, in her name, and liberate it from its heathen queen. This will prove our piety to the Keepers of the Green, allowing us to enlist their aid when we strike at the Ravenites."
The other councilors grumble. "That's a waste of manpower. You're talking about sending soldiers to die to invade a land we cannot even claim if we win," Dusksun objects. "I say if we are to send our armies out, we should go after Noisy Waters. They are weak and no real match for us, and once we have their lands, we have a foothold into Ravenite lands. Besides, it's only a matter of time before the Ravenites swallow them up if we do not act soon."
"And I still say we should throw everything we have into the plot to assassinate the queen of Tall Pines," Pike insists. "We can gain all of her lands at once, without sacrificing a single soldier. Besides, as Kalinda pointed out, the place is a mess anyway, so we'd really be doing those folks a favor by absorbing them. Plus, new lands means more taxes, so that increases our revenue, as well. Everyone wins, really."
"If they're in rough shape, it will cost us more in the long run to absorb them," Marine argues. "We shouldn't worry about Tall Pines or Noisy Waters or Rain Mountain; we should focus on ourselves. Let's put all of our energy into finding a new source of revenue and build up our coffers. Between adoption and bribes, we're dangerously low now. We should build ourselves up before risking stretching ourselves too thin."
"Perhaps..," opines Saltyx, looking at the baby in her arms, "there is another way. A way to live peacefully with the Ravenites."
"Impossible," states Dusksun.
"Agreed, those heretics would never accept peace," Olivia adds.
"Maybe...but I've been doing some research. The Ravenite leader of Maplewood is one King Tsaa Hamjuuwee. He is an old man, past his seventies, and a widower. His son is his heir, but also the count of the land where the holy site is said to stand. His name is Hluuwee and they say he has never married, for he is not interested in women. I recognize it's a long shot, but if we could somehow broker a marriage between him and my uncle, it would unite us under one nation. Leaving young Mara here to inherit both lands."
"That's quite a few 'if's' you have there," notes Pike. "Even if we could meet with this man without the Ravenites attacking us on sight, there's no guarantee he'd ever agree to marry his greatest enemy. Not to mention neither the Elonnori or Ravenites would just accept such a marriage easily."
Saltyx shrugs. "One never knows. Perhaps he could convert to our faith. Just because he's a Ravenite doesn't mean he must be unreasonable. And if he is, maybe we could capture him and persuade him to our way of thinking."
"Pretty sure that would start a war," Dusksun notes dryly.
"Only if they know it was us who took him," Saltyx counters.
The council, once again, descends into bickering and arguing. Crane sighs and calls for quiet. "It seems we are once again deadlocked." He looks to the four party members. "Which plan of the five do you favor?" he asks.
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(OOC: I updated everyone's inventory, adding 75 pink shards, but who is taking the potion of healing?)
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