Turn 52 - New God, Same StuffLars, feeling the favor of the people slowly slip away from his grasp, tries to intensify what he believes are the most important points of today's agenda.
[Charisma roll: 5+1]
"Obedience is a top priority! Clearly we must first evict the hateful heretics inside and put those who do not repent to the torch! It doesn't have to be HOLY fire - regular fire will work just fine!""Oh, right. We pick up torches, obey the commands of God right now, do the whole Kezilamite "let's burn everything" routine for a bit, and then we're free for limitless debauchery forever?""In a word, yes!""Alright! We can do that! Everybody, get torches!""Torches, everyone! Get torches! Kezilamites got long robes, very flammable!"All the villagers run off in their own directions, the entire village abuzz with activity. In but a scar the entire peasantry of the area has arrived, each one bearing a flaming torch in hand.
"You have to love religious conversions that use the exact same articles of faith!"Large-scale conversion performed! 1 MP gained!* * * * *
Since they lack any sort of sharp object that isn't a rusted piece of useless trash,
Phiali takes a theoretical step backward and just looks for a less terrible bucket instead.
Fortunately, there certainly is one of those lying around. Phiali picks it up. Ah, made of copper, looks like. Not particularly corroded, practically unused, even. Makes sense, since it was stashed in a locked chest in a locked closet inside a house which was also quite locked.
Luckily for Phiali, wood isn't known to stay durable for very long periods of time in damp weather, and he is very thorough.
As he looks at the copper bucket, he can't help but admire the workmanship. It's heavily ornamented, covered in reliefs of various burial scenes, and you could even call it a masterwork creation if it were not a, you know, bucket. Then again, maybe it's not a bucket at all and merely looks like one, and is actually something more prestigious instead. Like a
receptacle.
Yes, receptacle sounds much better. Phiali, beaming with pride and fulfillment at this fantastic find, takes the bucket and skips back to the well. And it's not just that he feels accomplished, either. It's something more. He feels he's done a good thing by thoughtlessly stealing this potential heirloom.
Treasure stolen! 1 MP gained!* * * * *
Elizas, seeing that there is a fully equipped hive of free living right in front of him, walks right in.
He comes to the conclusion that it is indeed quite the seedy establishment, no doubt about it. It is dark, dank, smells of booze and full of carousing individuals. Just the sort of place he was looking for.
[Elizas charisma roll: 1-->4]
He starts yelling in the middle of the crowd
"I bring the word from the true Lord!""Yeah, Azlippus!""Azlippus! Azlippus!"One of the staff bangs a rough wooden club against a wall.
"You there! Shut up! No invoking of that name! We already narrowly avoided getting shut down, I won't have you bringing the Kezilamites here again!""Then why don't you change the sign, you twit?""That's been the name of this place for 80 years, and I won't change it now, by... um... yes! I won't change it!""The temple's been demolished for five years already! You even burned the icon!""Look, we can either talk about it until I have to beat you to death in a blind rage or you can shut the hell up already!"The other guy remains silent, effectively ending the exchange.
* * * * *
Shashari is intrigued by the words of the heathen, though the overall strangeness of them is also a bit off-putting.
"Hazutiim? Certain things?" she asks, the last bit in a whisper.
"Yes, follow me.""I get the feeling this will be strange."Whether Shashari ignores the words of the Siren out of more important things on her mind (such as the defeat of a heathen water-sprite) or simply because they are brutally obvious is unknown, but she does trail behind the heathen like a hound as he leads her through the dense woods. After a bit of wandering they come to a clearing.
"We are here!"It is an odd place, to say the least. It appears to have a tree in the middle of it, and a strange-looking tree at that. But the strangest thing is, Shashari can't quite put her finger on
what exactly is strange about it. It's just... off, somehow.
The more obviously strange thing in the clearing are several rather interesting pieces of rock - seven in total, standing in a circle around the tree.
Witches.* * * * *
Gronok, having ascertained that Onon does not possess any skills relevant to this situation, tries to forage on his own.
Fortunately, there is a berry bush providing an ample bounty for the two of them right nearby. After the two pilgrims help themselves most generously, they sit down on the plain and reflect on the bounty they have obtained.
"Those were some good berries.""Indeed. Mo'kar provides!"Gronok looks up at the purple, swirling sky and the faintly shivering moon. Oh yes, Mo'kar certainly provides.
Lars: 4 MP
Phiali: 1 MP
Elizas: 3 MP
Shashari: 5 MP
Gronok: 0 MP