Plot Advancing PQ ice has a magic can’t be controlled
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
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#57
Stooping to avoid bumping his head wasn't the most comfortable way to walk and it wasn't going to be something he wanted to do for very long, but at least Oia's story up ahead provided an interesting distraction as he tried different ways of walking - half-crouched, or bent over, feeling the weight of the mountain pressing down on his hunched shoulders the farther they went into the mountain's depths...

Until the sound of an arrow striking stone jerked his head up--

Ouch!

And he blinked away some tears of pain as he saw the pinned sprite beyond the twins's heads, and the silently-mouthed warning from them. Movingly slowly he pulled the lantern back, hiding its light behind him as he turned to look at Oliver with a raised brow. The young man had led them to the mountains and this was his expedition. Did he wish to learn more of these sprite-killing cultists ahead? ... or attempt to retreat back to where the dragon had been roaring its approach from behind?



Jigano hides the lantern's light and looks to Oliver for a decision on how he'd like them to proceed.
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#58
OLIVER
The leopard form allowed him to hear quite a lot, too much even. The thwick of an arrow, the sound of a voice. Oliver turned to Oia for guidance, hoping that she actually saw what happened and seeing as she had stopped, whatever she saw wasn't good. It was hard to make out what Kai mouthed to them, but he was able to figure it out. Cultists.

Shifting into back into a human, Oliver realized that pretty much all eyes were on him. Great. At least he knew what a cultist was, unlike the incident with the Sprites or well, any of the creatures in this land. Cultists were bad news. How Oia immediately knew that it was a cultists, Oliver had no idea, but he knew to treat lightly. Any wrong move could lead with them having an arrow pierced through their eye.

With a deep breath. Oliver tried to speak as quietly as he could, making sure to not raise his voice at all. "Oia...use your camouflage to see what they're doing. It would be best Jigano goes with you. Having an attuned with you means that we can silently communicate." It didn't entirely feel safe for all of them to go at once. Hopefully Oia would feel comfortable with separating from her brother. It was unspoken, but clearly hinted at. Most likely, it would be met with protest, but they had to play it carefully. Oia couldn't hide three people and Oliver's shifts were very hard to hide.

"We cannot leave this cave now. We have to move on forward. So Oia. Go forward and see what they're doing. How many of them there are, and finally why did they kill the sprite. Any and all information will be appreciated, same goes for you, Jigano." Turning to Kai he nodded to him. "You and I will remain here. The moment I hear back from Jigano, I will let you know. We need to keep the companions safe."


Oliver orders that Jigano and Oia travel on ahead! He tells Oia to use her magic to camouflage while Jigano goes ahead as an animal shift. He wants Jigano to use their link to communicate back with him so he knows everything that is happening. Meanwhile, Kai will remain back with him rather than traveling with Oia.
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#59
RANDOM EVENT
Oia, shockingly, is dead silent. Her fiery companions' light doesn't catch the eye of the cultist and Meraki, who was with the Sprite, is hidden for now. Both Kai and Oliver seem to have not done too badly either, and then there is Jigano.

Silent, stealthy, can-walk-on-snow Jigano who has never got a worse roll.

As he pulls his arm back to hide the lantern light, in this unfamiliar environment, he misses the jagged rock behind him. Luckily (and I do mean that) the glass does not break, for who knows what might happen if such a lantern were to be broken? The metal of it however rings out like a bell and instantly the cultist takes a few hasty steps in your direction.

He sees Kai and Oia first, perched on the carpet. 'You must retreat!' He calls out in a weathered voice, raising his bow. "Retreat or proceed and be killed! For your safety!"
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#60
Things take an unexpected turn, but Oliver hasn't given you a conditional. He's just said what to do, and so you do it.

Despite the arrow now pointed at your chest, you step forward. Your 'camouflage' magic as Oliver calls it isn't something you can control, though it does begin very slowly at your feet as you stare at the cultist. "Greeting." You say, looking at the robed man, not bothering to lower your voice at all (that wasn't part of the instruction). "I'm supposed to figure out how many of you there are, why you're here, and why you killed the sprite."



Oia does what Oliver told her to do.

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#61
because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing
Oliver's sudden spout of commands is rather unexpected, but you take it in stride. Nodding at Oia - who you would rather not be separated from all things considered, but not your circus not your monkeys - you settle onto the carpet and look at Oliver, waiting for him to give his assessment of the situation.

At least Oia is asking good questions. You lean forward, trying to hear the answers from your perch around the corner, somewhat disappointed to be regaled to the background but determined to observe as best you can.



As instructed, Kai stays put
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Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
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#62
"Be killed for your safety," was an interesting turn of phrase, and Jigano might have enjoyed musing over the possibilities inherent in it if the speaker of that line hadn't been pointing an arrow at them while he said it. It made the bard cautious, but it didn't seem to phase the demigod in the least and he took the moment to hook the lantern back to its loop on his belt while she asked the questions that he hoped might actually receive some answers. The cultist didn't seem angry, and was giving them the option to retreat, after all, which meant he could possibly be reasoned with...

Though, again, 'killed for your safety' didn't inspire the greatest hope of sanity in the speaker.

He flexed his fingers within his gloves and shifted his weight subtly to the balls of his feet, ready to move swiftly at the first hint that the cultist would release an arrow at Oia to try and interpose himself between her and it, or just to pull her out of its way.

He could apologize later, assuming they were all alive for apologies to matter.



Jigano hooks his lantern back on his belt and readies his action to shield Oia with his body if anyone shoots at her.
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#63
OLIVER
The orders were given and things were going great. Just splendid. The cultist was doing his thing and then- CLANG. The banging of metal caused an echo through the cavern and all Oliver could do was turn to look over at Jigano with wide eyes. He couldn't be mad, though he was a bit angry, seeing as he himself was super clumsy. That didn't mean he wasn't frustrated or scared shitless.

Unfortunately for them, the cultist immediately turned his attention over to them. Oia only proceeded to make things even more unique by following orders. Literally. Oliver, again, shouldn't be mad since she did listen to him...but she also listened to him. Gods what the fuck was even happening anymore. Taking a step closer to try and protect Kai, Oliver spoke up in a hushed, calm voice.

"We don't want to fight...if you could just hear us out and tell us what your purpose is, we will leave. Okay?" If the man really wanted them to leave then fine, but they couldn't leave, not yet at least. There kind of was a dragon right outside and....yeah. Oliver wasn't about to become a roasted kebab.


Oliver stands in front of Kai to protect him! He then tries to negotiate with the Cultist.
quotey quote!
ayeee goes to two lines
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#64
RANDOM EVENT
The figure looks at Oia, the arrow shakily moving in its notch. "The Sprite cannot go further! Death is safer than what lays beyond!" Closer now, Oia and Jigano will see how pale the mane is, how sunken his eyes and cheeks, and how terrified he looks.

Looking beyond the two to the pale-haired man far in the back, the cultist narrows his eyes. "Our purpose is protection! To protect the entrance to Caido's mountains!" He replies in a tone that suggests this is incredibly obvious. "Beyond are dragons. All colours of them." This also sounds as if it doesn't require further explanation.

"There will be no fight young master, should you proceed. We shall kill you to keep you safe. Not all souls that die in the mountains make their way to Mort."
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#65
He hasn't answered all of the questions that you've answered, and with no evidence that you should not proceed with your line of questioning, you do.

"How many of you are there." You repeat, before glancing over your shoulder as if Oliver hasn't been privvy too precisely the same information.

'The Sprite was killed for purported reasons of safety. The cultists guard these mountains as a way of keeping the way to Caido's mountains sacred and...well, because there are a lot of dragons who live in them."

You and Kai actually know more than a bit about the cultists, but no one ever asked you to elaborate before now.

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#66
because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing
You nudge the carpet back around Oliver, unsure why he's stepped in front of you because now it's even harder to observe what's going on. You can hear Oia talking to a cultist, and you're growing uncomfortable with being left behind (even if it's only by a few feet). So you squish around him, flying over to your sister and the cultist and Jigano, because you'd really rather be more where the action is.

"Hullo! We're here to observe the goings on of the more isolated parts'a the continent for Rae." And whatever Oliver and Jigano are doing, but you still aren't entirely sure about that. "Are you tryin' to protect us from the mountain? Or the mountain from us? Have you ever been in the path?"

You look at Oia, curious as ever, more interested in the untapped wealth of information that the imminent threat to life and limb. "Did Caido ask you to guard this path? How come sprites aren't allowed? What is?"



Kai flies forward to ask the cultist 100 questions
kaimana
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
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#67
Caido's mountains? Somehow Jigano thought the inflection meant more than just the planet's mountains. And between the cultists, the dragons, and the promise of death it certainly explained why Neron had said people tended not to come back from exploring in this direction.

Oia's steadfast pursuit of the questions Oliver had given her was admirable, but Kai's rambling queries (reminding him quite a lot of Quanil) were of particular interest. He rather thought the answer would be both, though, to the first two questions. "It sounds as though if we pass much further, we risk our souls becoming unable to reach Mort if we die," he said cautiously, looking to the cultist for confirmation. "So he's trying to protect us from going any further - protecting our souls at the cost of our lives, if I'm understanding correctly?"

He nodded to the twins, whose connection to Rae gave them precedence, but he met the fearful man's eyes calmly. "I serve Ludo in collecting souls that the gods are unable to reach... though I have no wish to meet another grey dragon anytime soon," he admitted with a touch of wry humor, hoping to help calm the cultist down a little. "That being said, there are dragons behind us, too. Do you know of a safe way for us to retreat that would avoid them?"

Jigano remained ready to interpose himself between the twins and danger should something trigger the cultist into attacking.



Jigano tries to calm the cultist down and listens curiously to how Kai's questions are answered. He readies his action to defend the twins in case the cultist attacks.
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#68
OLIVER
As the cultist started to explain himself, Oliver stared at him with keen eyes, watching his every move and checking out of the corner of his eye to see if anyone else had started to emerge from the cave. When the man formerly addressed him, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly, but Oliver tried his best to show no inclination of an opinion towards anything he said. That didn't stop his thoughts, of course. Dragons? Oia and Kai had mentioned more dragons through the mountains, so was this cavern like a passage way to where all the dragons live? He wasn't a fan that they decided to kill them, but hey, at least he said he'd only kill them if they moved further in. That's better than nothing.

Turning to face the twins, he listened as each one spoke to the Cultist, surprisingly saying some pretty good things. Of course, he really wasn't a fan when Kai pushed forward, but what could he do? He wanted to protect Kai, but Kai was an adult. There was only so much Oliver could do. Stepping too far forward may be perceived as a thread. So instead, he simply watched the Cultist closer, scrutinizing his every move.

There was a couple of questions left, as well as a statement or two, but Jigano seemed to be reading his mind because he said almost all of them. Could attuned read minds? Was Jigano constantly reading his mind?! Well, that would be super embarrassing if that were the case....

There was still one thing left over, one thing that Oliver thought was extremely important. "Tell me....you said that you protect people from the mountains... is that the only thing that you guys do? Protect people and creatures from the mountains? Or is there more to why you have chosen to belong in this cave?"


Oliver wants to know what all the cultists do/believe in, so he tries to ask a question that'll hopefully lead to some answers revolving around that.
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#69
RANDOM EVENT
"The land and what is beyond it is not for you to see!" The monk waves his arms, the cloth of his robes billowing down to reveal near skeletally-thin arms and knobby, weathered fingers."The way to Caido is protected as it has been for many and many'a! It isn't for you, observer of Rae, nor you collector of Souls." With a look towards Kai, the man waves a hand as if dismissively. "Caido speaks in the language of the wind and the blood rushing down the mountain, young man! You might not think much of the sprites but we certainly do, so say I. Better to go on in death, than be snapped up by a dragon!"

Turning towards Oliver, the monk made a disapproving sound in the back of his throat. "The only thing young man? Why, would you have me do something else other than ensuring those damned dragons crunch on the bones of the cannibals rather than you? Those who have already thwarted their souls to the madness of Halo?" "More" indeed.

Turning back to Jigano, the Monk nodded. "There is another path. I can show it to you that it might hasten your retreat from this place."

Around 7 or so cultists have appeared behind the man to whom you are speaking, all dressed in the same humble and tattered robes.
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#70
Your lips twitch, and now that you've reasonably done your duty as given to you by Oliver (he's not told you to do anything more than ask the questions that you did, so you consider yourself discharged of your obligation now), you have a few questions of your own.

"Will you be hostile if we find other ways through this passage? Staying on the path above for example? Under what necessary and sufficient conditions might we be able to pass without instigating this sort of response from you?"

You ferret about in your bag for your notebook and quill, then glance up as more gather behind the one you're talking to. "I wouldn't gather like that. If you do, it makes you easier targets for my magic. I could make you all think you were blind, or that your skin was melting. It's much easier when you're all together like that." A threat? A simple verbalization of Oia's thoughts? Impossible to know.



Oia wants to know what the cultists will do if they try and go over the mountains instead and maybe threatens them.

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