Your Advice Will Suffice

## **Synopsis**

In Chapter 34: Your Advice Will Suffice, Graven flung the door of Josco's cabin open to find a pack of Black Lion barbarians pursuing Jillian, who had begun to climb up the side of the ravine in an attempt to flee.  We ambushed the ranged attackers as Beezaura rushed to ascend, Jillian raining down arrows from above and Orba blasting away would-be assailants.

We used the terrain to our advantage and eliminated the threats, giving us a brief reprieve to explain what had transpired in Josco's castle.  Jillian was eager to get moving after this unexpected delay, but she was also thankful that we were able to acquire a means to traverse the canyon.  We loaded up the gazebo and let the enchanted structure ferry us across, during which time Jillian broke down her intended schedule going forward: a nice long rest tonight, then an early rise to make good headway before setting up our final camp in anticipation of scouting the Harvesting Yard.

On the far side of the valley we saddled up and began the hunt for a suitable spot to get some sleep.  Those sharing horses had a chance to converse in private – Jillian gifted Beezaura some kind of chess-related code on a piece of parchment she had gotten from one of the bartenders in Mukmu, perhaps related to the Lightwhistle Estate Club though she didn't know that for certain.  Erland and Orba discussed letting Jillian in on the information they had regarding Marvyn Bishop and the Natural Studies Institute, though they agreed they should be careful about divulging certain details and to keep it hidden from the other party members – for now.

A suitable campsite was found and we assigned an order to take watch, though not long after laying her head down – Safira was woken up by Jillian who was seeking some advice.  The first thing she addressed was her desire to take a shortcut through a meadow containing an abundance of the Hasqub plant – not inherently dangerous on its own but containing pollen that can trigger hallucinogenic effects.  Safira reluctantly raised concerns about traveling through this area with Graven – who she had seen exhibit some concerning behavior recently – and Jillian heeded her warning.

The second request was for some assistance in determining the upcoming roles in scouting the Myconid Camp.  Jillian planned to split the group into two teams – one on the surface and one down below near the holding pens.  She wanted Safira's opinion as to who should go where – given that she had spent more time with the others in various situations.  Safira thought hard and ultimately decided that it made sense to keep Graven, Beezaura and Orba on the upper level – while Jillian, Erland and herself snuck into the area beneath the Wall of Force.

Morning came and we picked up the pace – traveling along the mesas but keeping our distance from Black Lion hotspots.  After about an hour of riding we were surprised by a number of men in grey robes rappelling down the hillsides – though they lowered their weapons when they realized we were not barbarians.  They revealed themselves to be agents of the Laqha'Phuyu, scouring the Chaki Mountains for a Soul Shelter they believed was under construction in the area.  Explaining that a Soul Shelter could be used to shield oneself from otherworldly or divine interference, it was easy to understand why the purists of the Laqha'Phuyu would be averse to their existence.

Just as we had all mutually agreed to be on our way, Graven was overcome with a compelling force to channel his powers – though the rest of the party immediately sprung into action to restrain him before he could start a fight we wanted desperately to avoid.  As Graven pressed forward, gagged and grappled – our minds raced with questions.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: four natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 2 each by Anthony and Leah.