42. Such a Sweet Creature

17th Nymm, 999 YK

• With the siege broken, they loot.
• They introduce themselves to Svash, and most of them notice that the casualties don't appear to actually be dead.
• Svash mentions that this is a property of the Risia manifest zone.
• A corpse begins screaming, animating
• Svash leads them into the fortress, and meets with them in the war room along with Gan'dal Homm.
• Valaari explains everything, about the massing tribes and the new blessed chieftain uniting them.
• Svash asks what they want from the Jaasakah. Valaari explains mostly sharing information and sending support where needed. Jaasakah Dar is often besieged, so they may be limited in what they can provide, especially if this new chieftain is smart. Svash would want to keep the Jaasakah tied down too.
• Svash asks Bhaltair what their deal is, he's never seen a talking plant. What does that entail?
• Bhaltair asks what being an orc entails?
• Fair enough.
• Bhaltair, in the interest of transparency, mentions that they are related to Avassh, the Twister of Roots. Svash asks what that is.
• Svash has heard of daelkyr, but not the individuals. They explain.
• Valaari says that despite that, Bhaltair is not evil. They are a sweet creature.
• Svash says that Bhaltair would have a good conversation with Herrien Redtooth, she's from the Eldeen Reaches.
• Bhaltair says they are too! Svash assumed, that was rude of him.
• Bhaltair walks away to speak to Herrien, but then comes back and offers some warpwood seeds to Svash. They grow prosthetic limbs! Svash mentions they struggle to grow things here, the manifest zone prevents it. They have an artifact that helps.
• Svash asks if they're safe, and Bhaltair says yes provided Runmae doesn't get them.
• Svash thanks them for the seeds.
• With Bhaltair walking away, Svash suggests the others should speak to Kuvhane. Warren can't wait to get away from Svash, he doesn't like him. He thinks he's arrogant.
• Bhaltair and Runmae arrive at Herrien's parlor, where she's tattooing an orc. She finishes that up, gives them the advice for getting to heal, and sends them away. Then she turns to Bhaltair and asks what she can do for them.
• Bhaltair introduces them and says that Svash told them to speak to her. They're from the Eldeen Reaches too!
• Herrien is a little taken aback. She hasn't been in the Reaches for over two centuries! Bhaltair says they were there only a week ago.
• Herrien is skeptical of this, and the protection that the Vaanka believe Bhaltair has.
• Herrien asks if the Reaches are overrun by lycanthropes. They say no. Herrien comments that "they succeeded, then".
• She explains that she was part of the party with Harryn Stormblade and Bennin Silverclaw. Their quest took them into the Wastes, and she was injured. She was forced to remain with the Jaasakah Ghaash'kala whilst Bennin continued on. She's been waiting for them to return since.
• Runmae comments that they're unlikely to return now. Herrien nods, she knows, but she's got nothing better to do than wait and tattoo people.
• Bhaltair asks if she could teach them any magical tattoo techniques. She asks how long they have?
• Bhaltair asks Runmae if this is their mission complete? She thinks so
• "Between a few days and like a month"
• That's more than enough time! Herrien can teach Bhaltair to make tattoos. She gets a little book out and shows them what tattoos she can make.
• The group spend some time looking at the tattoos and working out which ones to maybe get now, or which to have Bhaltair learn because it's cheaper for Bhaltair to learn it than to have it done (but it costs the same for Bhaltair to make it, potentially, so it's delaying the cost).
• Naze, Warren and Valaari go to speak to Kuvhane, also on Svash's recommendation.
• Kuvhane doesn't seem very personable. She's very monotone. Valaari asks what Kuvhane does.
• She explains that she is a smith, she works with demonglass. Valaari questions this, demonglass isn't workable?
• Kuvhane explains how she does it, that demonglass cannot be physically worked, yes, but you can dominate it and will it into shape. She hands a piece to Valaari and asks if they can feel the presence within.
• Valaari can! They can feel a malevolence in the glass, like it means them harm. They'd never felt it before.
• Kuvhane explains, as she is handed the glass back, that if you dominate it in a battle of wills, you can will it into shape. In her hands, the once rigid piece of glass becomes moldable like clay.
• Runmae's player complains that she went to see the tattoo artist. A hot elf and a hot tiefling, in the same session?
• "That's metal as fuck"
• Kuvhane takes note of Warren pulling faces, and questions him.
• Warren says he usually gets told off when he speaks his mind, and he doesn't want to piss anyone off.
• "It's been a long time since i was last pissed off, I can take your middling criticism. Say what you want to say."
• Warren's comment basically amounts to Kuvhane being as weird as Valaari. Lmao.
• Kuvhane shows them what pieces of equipment she is willing to part with. Ironically, they're all suited to Warren, who has antogonised her.
• The group spent some time discussing what to spend their resources on, between the tattoos and the demonglass weaponry.
• Runmae is hilariously down bad for both of the "merchants" in Jaasakah Dar.
• Bhaltair learns the formulas for several of the tattoos Herrien could teach.
• They also trade with Kuvhane to get the Eclipse star-knife for Warren. They sell all of the stuff they've been carrying that they aren't using to get "social credit", which they can then use to buy things from the Ghaash'kala. Warren also sells his Sparkblade, since he has Eclipse now.
• They don't have time to get tattoos now, as the clock is ticking on the meeting with the talking corpse. They'll handle that after.
• They return to the war room, where Svash is waiting for them along with a half-orc named Avdua and Herrien.
• There is another comment about everyone here being stupidly attractive.
• They go to the meeting point, where they see a large, intimidating orc with grey skin.
• The orc introduces themselves as Korgnak, the chieftain of the Deathbringers. He is proposing a truce. If the Jaasakah remain out of the Deathbringers sacred lands, they will stay out of the Labyrinth.
• Svash asks to confer with his esteemed colleagues. They huddle and discuss the situation.
• They do not trust Krognak, there is something more going on here. Why are they being proactive in wanting a truce? Their sacred lands are so far away, it's not generally a concern for the Jaasakah.
• Bhaltair suspects that the Deathbringers are just going to wait by the sidelines to then harvest whichever side loses the conflict between the Ghaash'kala and the Razor Wind.
• Why do they want a truce?
• Do they have any information on the Razor Wind?
• The value here is the information more than the truce, as they don't trust the Tribes to stick to their word anyway and will still have to keep an eye on them.
• Naze thinks they seem nice, he doesn't know why they're all being so distrustful.
• They give Naze a dressing down for this, and he summons Zaphkiel. Krognak grabs his staff.
• They go back to the Deathbringer chieftain and ask why they want a truce now.
• Krognak asks them what they know of what's going on outside of the Labyrinth.
• Warren says there's bears, and Runmae starts talking about the Last War. Krognak says "what?"
• Valaari is mortified, doing their best to remain dignified.
• Svash asks more questions, why are they seeking a truce now? What are the Razor Wind doing?
• Krognak is silent for a moment, and then makes the decision to share. He explains that the Razor Wind are active all over the Wastes, making deals and subjugating smaller tribes. He thinks they're being back by someone, as they have manufactured weapons they shouldn't have.
• Gnomes?
• Krognak also states that the Emissaries of the Gods have been seen more often recently. Things are in motion.
• Herrien asks how Krognak was able to possess/reanimate the body of a tribesman that wasn't dead. Krognak is very candid: he killed them first.
• Okay.
• Svash agrees to the truce, the Jaasakah will stay out of the Deathbringers sacred lands if they stay out of the Labyrinth. This ultimately doesn't change much, if either side breaks the truce they'll just go back to killing each other, and in the meantime they don't interact all that often anyway.
• Krognak agrees, and states he is pleased they were able to have a constructive conversation. He then goes on his way. He's got a long walk to return home.
• On their way back to the fortress, Avdua speaks up. She thinks they need to be more proactive in their dealings with the tribes, they shouldn't just let them gather support and march on the Labyrinth.
• They discuss this a bit, with them agreeing that the Ghaash'kala can't mass the force necessary to challenge the tribes in the Wastes. Their only real option is to attempt to assassinate the leaders, cut the head off the snake.
• Ideally, each of the Ghaash'kala clans would send a team, and strike simultaneously.
• They get back into the fort, and Svash comments that the Ghaash'kala are overdue a meeting of the kizshmit. They should all meet at Maruk Dar in the near future and create a plan of action to deal with the tribes.
• Svash tells them to make themselves at home, take as much time as they need to make any preperations before they leave.
• Valaari gets Bhaltair to give them a Faith Tattoo, whilst Runmae gets an Auroch's Strength tattoo from Herrien.
• Whilst getting tattoo'd, Valaari falls asleep and has a strange dream.

Valaari's Dream

As you drift off to sleep, Valaari, you find yourself awake in a place you didn't fall asleep. You're suddenly a barbarian, clad in the makeshift armor of the Carrion Tribes, a warrior from a clan too indistinct to note. Your environment is not the Demon Wastes.

You're part of a huge horde, laying siege to a city you've never seen before. You have siege weapons unlike anything the Carrion Tribes have been able to create in your experience, and even more advanced weapons are being used against you by the defenders.

The defenders were totally unprepared for this siege, however, and before long there is a breach large enough for barbarians to swarm into the city. You experience the sacking of the city in abstract, being whisked through street after street, through waves of defenders mobilising to try and prevent your advance. The architecture is wholly unfamiliar to you, the buildings are clean and colourful, with interesting shapes that seem to pay no heed to defense. Each step takes you closer to a regal palace more decadent than anything you could have imagined.

The defenders here fall too, and within moments you find yourself in a throne room with your tribemates, a final semicircle of defenders surrounding a beautiful, yet terribly intimidating to your eyes, woman. Indistinct words are exchanged, and then your own blurry but imposing chieftain falls to one knee and bows his head to the woman.

The rest of you follow suit, falling to your knees. The first discernible words leave your lips then.

"We swear allegiance to Queen -"

Then you wake with a start.