07/08/2021 - Ziggurats Live!

## THE SNAKE ROOM

* Narko and Bayul are transfixed staring directly at the Eye, each thinking it is staring directly at them; bodies are paralysed but can speak
* The Eye says "you are not the human" and asks where Christo is
* The Eye is very angry that Christo is not there, inflicts psychic damage and kicks them out
* Narko and Bayul run away out the room, and Elyan and Ves back away from the door as they run out
* Elyan has fashioned a lasso and throws it over Narko as he runs out, but he escapes immediately
* The door locks itself behind us

## MAPS MAPS MAPS

* Ves spends some time revamping the Bag of Freeholding
* Narko and Elyan go to question a guard about the beastfolk on the other side of the island - if they remember them being there, as they don't trust Christo
	+ Guard has no idea why tabaxi attacked
	+ No tabaxi live in the town, there are no actual rules about them living here
	+ He does not recall seeing a tabaxi before today
	+ Visitors are not common, but more frequent lately. Usually just an export town
	+ Has not been to the forests - there is nothing there. Only the hunting regiments are allowed over to bring back the food. It's protected land to not over hunt the island
* Elyan has a wander about the town and listens out for gossip
	+ He buys a trident for Bayul
	+ At the music shop: it is v poky, with some drums, a flute and quite a lot of horns, some of which look nicer. Elyan isn't a horn player though, and the shopkeeper, Norris, teaches him some technique and embouchure
* Narko looks for potions/herbalists
	+ He finds a pharmacy and buys 4 healing potions
* Ves has a look for books about the history of the island in Christo's house
	+ Map of the island on the wall is not the same as the one we have - the same shape, but more settlements in different parts of the island, including one in the forest and on the north west
	+ Vakatow Spires; Loex Taoul in the north west, and an unnamed one in the forest
	+ There is a small settlement in the mountains that Ves spots
	+ Ves copies the details onto her map
* Ves and Bayul find Christo's office with automatic Driftglobes
	+ There are lots of books and they can't find anything useful, but they do learn a lot about smith's tools and a book of pressed flowers
* There is also a boardroom with paintings on the walls - obelisks, Miskanshen
* There are also snake motif everywhere

## AWKWARD FAMILY DINNER

* Christo gets home for dinner; Narko is smoking a joint
* Ves asks about the map and that Christo said he didn't know any settlements in the north west
	+ He prevaricates and refuses to answer until we're on the boat
	+ He is on edge
* At dinner, Christo gives out forms with metal cast badges to be recognised as Echs Hunting Regiment (technically a branch of the military)
	+ It’s the most secretive branch of the military and showing the badge should get us out of trouble
	+ Officially, the Hunting Regiment hunts on the other side of the island. Unofficially, they are the defence and try and stop attacks like what happened yesterday
	+ He doesn't know why some people remember and others forget about the people on the other side of the island
	+ He definitely knows that we went in his bedroom

## ONWARD VOYAGE

* At dock one - it is very fancy because it is for the Hunting Regiment
* The ship is very nice, it has plush red sofas everywhere - looks more like a cruise ship than a military vessel
* Christo whispers something to the Captain, who then goes to order the crew about
* The Tribunal at the top of the Vakatow Spires
	+ Ves admits that they have a friend whose family lives there and we've investigating on his behalf
	+ Christo learnt about them because the Sunshadows and them get their food from the same person. Sunshadows send supplies up the mountain, there is a back way worst come to worst
* We're going over to the other side of the island not on an official patrol, straight to the Sunshadow fortress
* Christo doesn't know why people don't know about the beastfolk in the east - it's too big to be Modify Memory
	+ Ves supposes it wasn't on purpose
	+ ?link to Breaking, Shenanigans era
* Sunshadow children are getting ideas above their station
	+ There were 5, we've killed 2
	+ Leader has one child, former wife had 4 (the tabaxi)
	+ Zorrah and Cirrah are the living ones - Tupelo is losing control of them?
	+ None are innately magical, learnt through study

## THE STAMPEDE

* On the beaches, Christo tells us where to go next
	+ Going down the Eastway Road
* Ves hears rustling in bushes to the left and a loud growl
	+ 3 bears roll out the bushes
	+ An auburn lion man with magical claws jumps out after them to chase down the bears
* The lion man, Marleo Sunshadow, is very impressed that Elyan insulted a bear to death and Bayul's headbutt
	+ He thinks his siblings are entitled little shits
	+ He and Christo has met before
* Narko starts to get the bear on his back, but there is another rustle before he can do so
* Gnolls jump down from a ridge and start to laugh at us
	+ There are also some gnolls with glowing blue eyes and mist coming out of their mouth, running quadrupedal and a row of horns down their back with a stinger on its tail. Very emaciated, yellowish light from within the skin - Shooshuva
	+ After a courageous battle, Galdor gets the final killing shot on the emaciated gnoll thing
* We decide to take a long rest in the forest, in Christo's Tiny Hut and under Ves' Hearth
	+ Gnolls approach during the night but don't do anything in particular
* Marleo and Narko take last watch
	+ Marleo was born here in the forest and has never been to the other side of the island
	+ Marleo's father is great and we're going to love him
	+ Marleo is still very impressed with Elyan's Vicious Mockery
* The fortress we are about to visit: Sunshadow Fortress
	+ Denizens of the fortress, built out of the ruins of the former settlement, are all beastfolk
	+ Thriving community, Tupelo Sunshadow is the head of the tribes. Operate on a system of nominating a leader and those leaders nominate a head leader - cooperation and survival
	+ Raiders turned up and didn't identify themselves, and they've had to defend themselves to keep going

## KING OF PRIDE ROCK

* We carry on down the road and see some broken arches. There are 4 torches in the ground by a large boulder, with a throne carved into the face of the rock, where Marleo's dad sits occasionally
* Walls of a fortified city are as well maintained as they can be given the city has been abandoned; a tent city inside with people milling around. The watchtower at the back of the fortress let Marleo through and ask us to wait, giving Ves and Elyan suspicious looks
* The guards ask Bayul what our business here is and he says we're here to speak with the King
	+ Ves is searched and has to hand over her scimitar
* Marleo returns and brings us back through to see his dad, in a hut adorned with black ribbons. We're held outside until the Sunshadow comes
* A 9ft tall black Leonin comes out to greet us ; he is very dench and has huge metal gauntlets on his arms
	+ Tupelo Sunshadow asks who we are, looking down his nose to us
* We somehow decide that Bayul is our leader and all of us encourage him in our own way
* Marleo is like "Come on then let's go fight!"
* Tupelo tells us to follow, and everyone bows as they pass him
	+ They're also bowing to Bayul

## ONE BY ONE

* We are taken to the rock we passed early on the outside of town. Tupelo climbs up to the throne and sits on it. Zorrah and Cirrah Fly over and land beside him.
* Tupelo warns that no one else should get involved
* Bayul and Marleo beat the shit out of each other, Marleo defending himself with a spectral tail but then the table turns and Bayul knocks Marleo out with the butt of his spear
* Ves Healing Words Marleo to get him up again
* Tupelo jumps down and helps Marleo up, and tells him he fought bravely. He and Bayul shake and Tupelo announces Bayul the victor

## BE PREPARED

* We're taken back to Tupelo's hut for negotiations, which has a very natural aesthetic, swords on the walls similar to the gauntlets on his arms, and a throne at the back; a door leading to his private chambers
* Ves sees the two tabaxi try to get in, but the door is shut in front of them
* Bayul says our tribe name is the Super Fish Pals
* Tupelo does not mourn for the two tabaxi who died
	+ He wants to remind the humans on the other side that they exist and the plan was accelerated not by his command
	+ Zorrah and Cirrah are his stepkids, through his second marriage; he prefers to target enemies and not the innocent
* Bayul shows Tupelo the note that we took from the goblin in the first fight - with 'Sunshadow' written in Leonin
	+ It is not in his or Marleo's handwriting
	+ Heavily suspect Zorrah and Cirrah of ordering the attack
* Bayul says we're here for peace, and offer our help with reintegration with the human side of the island
	+ Tupelo says they aim not to conquer but work with people, defend primarily
	+ He cannot work against Zorrah and Cirrah without undeniable proof, though he will keep an eye on them
	+ Elyan asks if he can try casting Suggestion on Zorrah and Cirrah to get them to tell the truth, but Tupelo would like to see it cast on someone else first
* Tupelo asks the good wine to be brought out, Bayul recognises it as the same sort as the magic wine that Trimeaus said was even too expensive for him
	+ Tupelo extends his greatsword from his gauntlet to cut the top of the win
	+ The wine warms us from the outside and makes us feel secure - except for Elyan who had cast Protection from Poison
* Elyan demonstrates Suggestion on Ves, and Suggests she answers Elyan's questions truthfully - she answers some questions to demonstrate, including who her favourite member of the party is (Rocky, or Breena. She can't choose)
* Tupelo says he will consider trying this on Zorrah and Cirrah - they are leaving soon to the south docks to get supplies; due in 5 hours
	+ D'Esterre is their shipping guy, presumably also the guy who takes things up to the Tribunal in the mountains
* Christo approves of Elyan's plan to cast Suggestion on the twins - we don't think they'll attack if done with Tupelo's permission and in front of him
* We will go with the twins on the supply run to get them out of the town and to meet with D'Esterre - it will take us 2.5 hours to get there and the shipment is due in 5 hours

## THE LIONESS HUNT

* Marleo shares that his dad and the tabaxis' mom were married about 15 years, and she died about 4 years ago
* We agree not to rise to the tabaxis bait as they will no doubt try to attack us
* The kobold is here! We had all forgot about him. Luckily there is a tortle looking after him
	+ Unfortunately he throws a spear at Narko and hits
* We greet Zorrah and Cirrah at the front of the dock party who are THRILLED to see us
* Bayul and Marleo decide to race with the carts
	+ Bayul crushes him
* Narko gives Elyan a lift; Ves Wild Shapes into a warhorse to gallop alongside him
	+ Elyan throws the trident at Bayul as they go past
	+ Elyan also attempts to use the Wand of Smiles on Horse!Ves but it doesn't work
* The twins have got in the other cart and both tortles have to pull it
	+ Bayul and Marleo try to get them to get out but do not succeed
	+ Bayul refuses to pull his cart afterwards and so leaves it behind
* Ves, Narko and Elyan arrive at the docks first as they've been running the whole way
	+ Half way Elyan switches to be on Narko's other back (to be carried piggy back)
	+ There are some people unloading crates at the dock - the ship there is the pirate ship we saw on the way in - currently flying the flag of Echs, but we can see the pirate flag on the deck
* Ves Wild Shapes into a seagull to have a closer look
	+ There is an otter with fur the colour and appearance of wood on deck
	+ There is no way to see in the ship to check if there are slaves (which Narko is concerned about) so Ves returns to Narko and Elyan
* Elyan has a look around and sees a nice beach and nothing else around
	+ He and Narko play cards while Ves makes a healing potion waiting for the others
* Just before the others arrive, the otter comes to hang out
	+ Ves cuddles the otter
* OH NO IT WAS A DISTRACTION

## HAKUNA MATATA

* An incredibly well dressed sailor, D'Esterre, steps out from behind the tree and says its his otter
	+ 6'5" human, well toned, has a rapier and various other bits, a golden military style rope. Green jacket and bolo tie, white shirt. Dark shoulder length hair in waves
	+ Narko does not like him
* We tell him that we're with the Sunshadows and we ran ahead so we're waiting for them, which he thinks makes more sense as we can't collect anything without carts
* Elyan offers D'Esterre a drink from the bottle of wine he has in the Bag of Holding for some reason
* D'Esterre flirts with everyone while they talk about how they arrived on the island
* Bayul and Marleo arrive eventually
* Elyan asks if D'Esterre knows about the hostility between the tabaxi and the humans
	+ He heard about the battle on the docks; he doesn't know why the humans have forgotten about the beastfolk
	+ He's been visiting the island for 12 years and it has always been like this
* Swapping flags - he is a pirate about 30% of the time, whenever he flies the green Prismatic Pirate flag (as opposed to the flag of Echs or the Venusto flag)
	+ He is not a 'friend' of the other pirates necessarily
	+ It's useful to be a pirate at the Wretched Hive; useful to be a Venusto flag at Merchendale
	+ He's mostly doing shipping right now, not much pirating except when he gets bored
	+ There is some form of authority figure among the Prismatic Pirates but its more 'they call you not you call them'
* We're given some more special abjuration wine - which didn't affect Elyan for some reason
	+ Elyan asks why - he cast Protection from Poison beforehand last time
	+ D'Esterre dares Elyan to drink the wine and then drink the poison - Ves figures it out and tells Elyan to do it
	+ The wine is Protection from Poison
* Ves asks D'Esterre about the Tribunal - he doesn't know, he drops the supplies here and the Sunshadows arrange it being taken to the Tribunal/collected by them
* D'Esterre would like to retire at some point soon, he is bored of sailing
	+ He just needs a successor - but the Pirates aren't the type to just let people go
	+ Ves suggests he fake his death; Elyan suggests actually killing him and then resurrecting him
* There is discussion of everyone's love lives or lack thereof (including Christo)
* What happened to Merchendale?
	+ Vasilis and Vanessa took over, formed the Venusto Trading Company. They said they were going renounce their backdoor dealings and they seem to be keeping their word so far.
	+ They rebuffed Krieg who tried to get in on the business
* D'Esterre and the others chat a little more and they then head back to the Sunshadow fortress