Champions of the Spheres - IC

[jscape2000]

Targan holds his crossbow in one hand, aiming away from the kenku. He holds the other out for Lilya.

“Acceptable. We’ll all leave in peace.”

[pi4t]

The kenku pushes Lilya stumbling forward, and backs away hastily towards the forest. Lilya's hands are still bound, but she spins and aims a sharp kick in the vague direction of the retreating kenku.

[jscape2000]

Targan relaxes at last. “Come along, hon. Let’s get you home.”
He steps forward, drawing a small blade to free her hands.
“Have they fed you?”

[pi4t]

As soon as her hands are free, Lilya rips the cloth off from her mouth and spits.

"Feh. Yes, if you can call it food. Some sort of foul-tasting muck, though the uncouth creatures seemed to eat it themselves happily enough. My deepest thanks for freeing me from that uncomfortable situation, by the way. Did my father send you?"

[jscape2000]

“Yes,” says Targan. “And if you’re well enough, I’d like to return to town as quickly as possible. Were there other captives? Any idea why they kidnapped you?”

[pi4t]

"Money, I suppose. I saw no sign of other captives, although I was not exactly able to explore the area. It might be good to check the other buildings, if you have not already done so. Besides, the birds stole something important from me and I would like to get it back before we leave."

Lilya walks over to the corpse of the kenku 'king', and picks up his sword. She wipes Targan's blood off it, with a look of distaste. "Not bad craftsmanship. This must have been owned by a captain or a knight or someone. I'll take it; I will need a weapon if we meet any more of them."

[jscape2000]

Targan laughs. “If we meet any more, we’ll be slain. They bloodied us well, you may notice the arrow wounds my companions and I sport. Let’s return to the inn, rest, and discuss our next steps to recover what they’ve taken from you.”

As he speaks Targan loots the corpse of the slain kenku leader. (Investigation 17)

[Frog Dragon]

Heraeus kneels down near the kenku tracks, noting their shape and size after the creature has left his sight.
"These kenku, they may be back. We'll get ye safe, but danger is not past."

[pi4t]

Lilya folds her arms. "And leave the ones who ran to come back and take what they stole? I think not!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Quick reminder, Targan - it's already dark, and the inn is many hours' travel away along a trail that's not easy to follow even in daylight.

Targan picks over the corpse of the leader, but the pickings are disappointing. He has a shortbow, and a pouch containing 5 gold pieces and a knot of tangled grey hair. The circlet is made of brass and seems to have originally been designed to hold some wooden object together, but it could be worth a couple of gp.

[jscape2000]

"Wait. I'm maybe misunderstanding you. You think your important but unnamed thing is still here? Then come along. Let me stay a couple steps ahead to look for traps."

Targan pockets the gold and the circlet. If anyone on the team uses arrows, he holds those out to them.

Spoiler: ooc

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I propose just moving clockwise, starting with the building that the kenku were in. Investigation 8 on the first search for traps.

[Holy-hunter]

“Our job was not to hunt down and slay Kenku or to search for lost trinkets, our job was to rescue the girl and we have done that. Now let’s take her back and get the hell out of here.”

Says Raeh, constantly grimacing from the pain of her many near death wounds.

“I for one do not wish to spend the night out here.
We can come back on the morrow or day after, rested and prepared.... if someone pays us to.”

[pi4t]

Lilya folds her arms. "Fine. I'll look for the picture on my own. Anyone who wants to can go back to my father and tell him you left me behind in the place with the birdmen. But I'm not leaving yet."

[jscape2000]

Targan sighs. “Lady, we’re not leaving you behind. But we’ve gotten beat up pretty good by those kenku. Who, I’ll venture to remind you, had you trussed up like Sunday dinner just a minute ago.

“I get this picture is important, so sure, I’ll help you find it. But you’ve been here for days and I’m still bleeding from the last trap I stumbled into.

So.” Targan takes a deep breath and paces out his questions:
“How many kenku did you see here?
“Are there other prisoners?
“Do you know of any other dangers in the area?”

[pi4t]

Lilya calms down a bit. "My thanks. I'm sorry, friend. I am free; that is the most important thing. This picture was of my mother, and we have little else to remember her by. But I agree, we should at least pause for long enough to bandage your wounds and catch our breath.

"I was attacked by four of the birdmen...kenku, you said? They caught me when I was visiting her grave. My mother's, I mean. I saw three more when they brought me here. There might be more around, but I'd say you've got most of them. And the rest might be hiding. I didn't see any other prisoners. There aren't that many buildings to hide people in. Especially as they seemed to be avoiding going into that one," she points to the southern temple building, the one you haven't been into. "Oh, they also had some sort of a beast in one of the other huts."

[jscape2000]

“Yes, there’s a bear there, I’m aware.”

[Holy-hunter]

Raeh sighs, takes her time and summons her familiar, sending it into the southern building with a murmur of thanks and apology.

[jscape2000]

“We could have a nap first. I love a good nap.” Says Targan.

He resets is enhancement, this time improving his armor.

[pi4t]

The southern building is in fact in ruins, overrun by the forest. The roof has completely fallen in, and a line of trees crosses through the building. The familiar begins to pick its way through.

[pi4t]

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm going to say you can pause long enough for a short rest at this point, since that seems to be the consensus. So spend hit dice, and do whatever other things you want to do during a short rest.

As Raeh's summon explores the southern building, a faint sound of singing suddenly fills the area. It's very faint - you'll have to get closer if you want to hear any words. It seems to be coming from the south temple.

[jscape2000]

Targan readies his crossbow, signaling the others to fan out as they approach the building.

[pi4t]

After a bit of searching, you locate a pile of valuable items in the temple building you've already cleared. As well as several gems and coins, you find two items of interest: the portrait of Lilya's mother, and the notebook of the aspiring bard that Targan and Raeh met in the logging camp. The story about the Black Hunters and their kidnap operation has been read through repeatedly, and several small feathers are scattered over it. The handwriting matches that used in the ransom note: being unable to create their own writing, the Kenku seem to have copied the letters from it.

You gather the items, splitting the valuables between you, and return home to deliver Lilya to her extremely grateful father. He gives you twice the promised reward when he hears about how close you came to being killed during the adventure, and invites you all to a banquet at his own expense.

But the events that happen during that banquet are a story for another time.