Upstream Schemes

## **Synopsis:**

In Chapter 19: Upstream Schemes, Jillian and Erland waited impatiently by the entrance to the genie temple until the runes etched into the walls illuminated with a reddish glow.  Jillian took this to be an alarm of sorts – signaling a possible escape attempt by the rest of the party, and with no desire to try and talk her way out of the situation, Jillian dispatched the Genasi who had been stationed as a lookout with a pair of quick dagger strikes.

Erland and Jillian fled from the temple and were picked up by Beezaura, Orba, Safira and Graven – having already gathered the horses from where they'd been posted hours earlier.  We raced back to the road and made sure to put some distance between us and any angry Genasi before finally slowing the horses to catch our breath and fill each other in on what had happened.

While some discussed our intentions for once we arrived in Mukmu, and Erland found a private moment with Orba to address a bit of delicate information – that he knew she was an escaped servant from the Halls of Transmutation, but that because they shared some part of a common history, her secret was safe with him.

Our conversations were cut short when we spotted a lone traveler with a wagon of goods heading in the opposite direction.  Finding the nature of his business in this secluded area to be more than a little suspicious, Safira cast aside the cloth hiding his wares to reveal a number of small plants which he claimed he intended to deliver to Blom.  With some additional prodding, the man reluctantly disclosed to us that the soil in these plants had been enriched with Myconid Extract, which had recently become more readily available in Mukmu if you asked the right people.  We allowed the man to continue on his way, urging caution and to keep an eye out for any undead still lingering in the area.

Some time later, when the road met back up with the Pucara river, our progress was halted by a ceremony taking place down by the water.  A congregation of a group known as the Laqha'Phuyu – who believed the abuse of divine powers was a sin – had come here to honor Lady Pachala, the late daughter to Emperor Pachacamac who perished in a skirmish during the War of Giants.  Jillian wished to pay her respects as she knew the Lady personally, and we stopped for a moment to observe the commemoration.

At what seemed to be the climax of the service, sound and motion slowed to a halt – and while everyone else appeared to be suspended in time, Orba and Graven turned to meet each others' eyes and disembodied voices spoke to them individually.  It lasted only a matter of seconds, and when normalcy was restored the crowd broke into celebration and dance – giving no indication that they were aware of what had transpired.  With no further risk of interrupting them or trespassing, we remounted the horses and continued north.

Graven and Orba consulted each other but could not discern the meaning of their shared vision, and some time passed before happening upon an elf from Rudhira who explained that due to the Black Lions increasing power, their home was no longer safe with its close proximity to the Chaki Mountains.  A group of these elves had been tasked with setting up a temporary settlement in the nearby woods to provide safety to Rudhiran refugees, and they were willing to allow us to rest alongside them provided we did not show signs of a threat.

As we spoke with some of the elves in this encampment, we learned that one of their scouts had made an illustration of the Myconid Camp that we were planning to pay a visit to after resupplying in Mukmu, but their leader was reluctant to part with information of value without getting anything in return.  If we were willing to help them clear out a few owlbears from the area, he would share their knowledge – but Jillian privately proposed to us an alternative plan with less risk of getting mauled: simply steal the drawing when they weren't looking.

Safira was vehemently opposed to this method, so much so that she caused the rest of the party to wonder if she would intercede if one of us went to snatch the map.  Jillian, Erland and Beezaura conspired to distract Safira with a bit of booze and sympathy, but as they strolled away from the campsite one of the elves informed Safira that she had a visitor – waiting for her by the river.  Proceeding through the woods, Safira found herself face to face with Lieutenant Colonel Massif, who apparently had been tracking her since leaving Urin-Chupa and offered her a ride the rest of the way to Mukmu.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: one natural one was rolled in this Chapter, 1 by John.