The Feinting GOATs' passage through the Phlogiston en route to the harsh desert world of Athas took an unexpected turn as their spelljammer, the Hammer Ship, happened upon the drifting, silent wreck of a galleon-class spelljammer. A cautious boarding party, moving through the eerie emptiness of the derelict, discovered a lone ghoul named Echo, barricaded within a decaying, debris-strewn cabin. The creature, articulate despite his wretched undead state, pleaded for an end to his solitary confinement and, with desperate, rattling fervor, swore an oath of fealty and eternal service to Elyndra Paronskaft. Elyndra, after a moment of careful assessment and perhaps seeing a flicker of tragic potential, accepted his pledge. Echo, gaunt and shadowed, thus became an unsettling but potentially resourceful new member of their company.
Shortly thereafter, the Hammer Ship successfully transitioned into Athas's forbidding atmosphere, the sky a bruised olive under the glare of a giant crimson sun. Their intended destination, the remote volcanic sanctuary known as Ashfall Vale, presented an immediate logistical challenge: the valley floor, a stark landscape of jagged obsidian flows and deep ash drifts, offered no bodies of water suitable for landing their spelljammer. Recalling their previous effective use of such items during their hasty escape from Cloudspire Manor, the party utilized Snapleafs—magical, single-use leaves that, when broken, grant the wearer the benefits of both feather fall (slowing their descent to a gentle drift) and invisibility (rendering them unseen)—to make a daring and unseen "parachute" jump from the hovering Hammer Ship to the valley floor far below. Throughout these initial forays onto Athasian soil, Cut-Cut, still grappling with the profound implications of the 'Violence' sigil bestowed upon her by Baba Izza and the recent, startling encounter with the Neogi, maintained a guarded posture. She chose to conceal her Thri-kreen identity whenever possible, keeping her recently acquired Ka'riik Mind Circlet and distinctive red crystal weapons stowed from immediate view, wary of attracting unwanted attention in this alien and hostile world.
Upon setting foot in Ashfall Vale, a unique, habitable zone cradled and sustained by three active, smoking volcanoes, the party was swiftly confronted by its territorial guardians: the Stonehewers Clan of Athasian Giants. Their formidable leader, High Chief Borug Stonehand, an ancient figure whose skin seemed as weathered and cracked as the volcanic rock surrounding them, strode forward, flanked by several hulking clan warriors wielding massive stone mauls. The air was thick with unspoken challenge as the giants scrutinized the much smaller newcomers, their deep-set eyes narrowed. However, as Chief Borug’s stern gaze fell upon Korloth, a flicker of recognition—perhaps an acknowledgment of shared elemental affinity or ancient kinship based on his Maero heritage—softened his expression. "You have the look of the old fire mountains about you, little one," he rumbled, his voice like grinding stones, "though your stature is diminished from the true sons of the earth." This unexpected connection, likely stemming from the nascent spirit of Khumbaba stirring within Korloth, eased the initial hostility. The Stonehewers, still wary but no longer overtly aggressive, offered a gruff but ultimately hospitable reception, sharing their potent, fiery Athasian brews and massive haunches of roasted giant lizard, a staple of their diet in this harsh land. Chief Borug lamented the recent arrival of the enigmatic Autron Cube, its unsettling descent into the earth beneath the valley, and the subsequent displacement of the valley's former subterranean inhabitants, the Tari. The Giants, he grumbled, missed not only the "sport" of occasionally hunting the nimble Tari but also, more keenly, their prized fungal intoxicant, Belist. Knowing the Tari had fled to the distant city-state of Balic and likely possessed knowledge of the subterranean routes to the Autron Cube, Borug offered the party the services of his clan's most skilled tracker, Grokk Dust-Walker. The price for Grokk's guidance to Balic was simple: three large, sealed barrels of undiluted Tari Belist, to be procured by the party and delivered upon their return to Ashfall Vale. The Feinting GOATs, seeing this as their most viable path to the Cube, accepted this challenging bargain.
The journey to Balic, guided by Grokk, was an arduous six-day trek across the desolate Tablelands, meticulously planned to limit their passage through the treacherous Sea of Silt to a mere two days. Even this brief exposure to the fine, choking dust and oppressive heat proved debilitating for several party members, with Adrian and Korloth particularly suffering from exhaustion. Their second day in the silt brought a terrifying attack: a colossal Sink Worm, sensing their passage, erupted from the dust, its monstrous maw a gaping abyss. A desperate battle ensued, during which the worm swallowed both Korloth and Cut-Cut whole. Through a combination of internal assault and external bombardment by their companions, the beast was eventually slain. Shaken but alive, Korloth and Cut-Cut were freed from its gullet. Following Grokk’s pragmatic advice, the party harvested the worm's massive heart, kidneys, and brain—organs surprisingly edible and nutritious according to the giant—which provided a grim but vital source of sustenance that evening as they made camp on the more stable, rocky ground bordering the Silt Sea.
Four days into their overland trek, a significant celestial event resonated from their home world of Alluria: the Winter Solstice. This alignment empowered the spirit of Ded Moroz (Father Frost) to manifest before them. He revealed that the Crown of Snegurka, the artifact of icy power they had recovered from Baba Izza, held a unique enchantment: it could only be truly attuned on this day of potent solstice energies. The wearer, Ded Moroz explained, would be granted profound visions, unlocking a deep understanding of the angelic manuscript's sigils and the true nature of the celestial map it represented—a divine chart detailing the foundational concepts of virtuous creation, the roles of its divine stewards (the Gatekeepers and Harbingers), the meaning of sigil colors (black for embodied, red for potential, blue for balance), and the ultimate 'Source' sigil of Temperance. (This revealed knowledge was akin to the detailed cosmology presented in "The Winter Solstice Revelation" document.) Akemi Matsumoto, after solemn contemplation of the immense responsibilities involved, chose to don the Crown. Instantly, her mind was flooded with the promised cosmic revelations. Deeply moved by this profound insight and embodying the Crown's inherent virtue of Charity, Akemi then divested herself of several of her prized magical items, including her Headband of Alluring Charisma and the Messenger Bat acquired from the Cloudspire Manor auction.
Upon finally reaching the city-state of Balic, the party, guided by Grokk Dust-Walker (who then departed, awaiting their return with the Belist), made their way into the city's sprawling underbelly to locate the displaced Tari community. They eventually found Chieftain Skreek Quick-Whiskers and the Tari fungus shaper, Vek, in a newly established, damp warren. During these initial interactions, Lenti took the opportunity to study Tari myco-culture, learning of their reliance on various fungi like Suonba for light and Viershak for tools, and discovered a disturbing "Suonba Withering"—a condition where their cultivated fungi seemed to revert to an archaic, less functional form. This bore a chilling resemblance to the "Fading Sickness" affecting her own Shruman people, suggesting a potential common cause rooted in psionic influence and fungal reversion.
The Tari leadership confirmed they knew of subterranean routes to the Autron Cube beneath Ashfall Vale, but explained these passages were incredibly narrow, necessitating a potent psionic shrinking potion for the party to navigate them. The primary ingredient for this potion was fresh venom from several Tembos, ferocious beasts found only in the distant Hinterlands.
To reach the Hinterlands for the Tembo venom, the party then sought out Thri-kreen traders in Balic's Elven Market. They encountered K'chak Long-Stride and T'lar Quick-Antennae of the Chtik-tek pack, who, after a cautious interaction, agreed to transport them via their Spelljammer Leaf Ship. During this day-long journey across the barren Tablelands and towards the rugged Hinterlands, the Thri-kreen surgeon aboard the leaf ship, viewing the non-psionic party members (Adrian, Akemi, Korloth, and Elyndra) as "special needs" or "handicapped" in the psionically-charged world of Athas, offered to perform psychic surgery to unlock their latent wild talents. Through minor personal sacrifices, these individuals had their dormant potentials awakened, gaining minor psionic abilities. Bao Bao and Cut-Cut, already psionically active, and Lenti, who declined the procedure for her own reasons, observed the transformative process with keen interest.
The party found themselves within a day's journey of the sacred Chak'sa—a colossal, ancient stone Thri-kreen head. Cut-Cut had been wrestling with an instinctual, almost magnetic pull towards the monument. The night before their planned Tembo hunt, the gentle spirit of Snegurka, communicating through Akemi, requested to bestow a new sigil upon Cut-Cut. Snegurka, revealing her divine capacity to create and assign such marks, tattooed Cut-Cut with the Sigil of Serenity. This divine blessing solidified Cut-Cut's decision to visit the Chak'sa. The following day, guided by the Chtik-tek hunters Grik Four-Claw and Ch'lar Wind-Runner, the party successfully hunted a pack of six Tembos. After a fierce battle, five were slain and their precious venom harvested, though one wounded Tembo managed to escape.
With the venom secured, Cut-Cut made her pilgrimage to the Chak'sa. In the presence of the immense stone visage, she experienced a profound epiphany. As the understanding of Cha'kata and Riik'cha, the true history of the Riik-kek, and the purpose of her venom and sigils flooded her mind, her fiery 'Violence' sigil and the newly bestowed cool 'Serenity' sigil merged upon her thorax, reforming into a single, intricate sigil of shimmering blue ink—a mark of perfect, hard-won balance. Her transformation was immediately tested. A red-chitin J'hol Thri-kreen warrior from the nearby imperial city of L'rax, mounted on a formidable Chak-ka'kos, descended and imperiously demanded Cut-Cut sell her companions as slaves. When Cut-Cut calmly but firmly refused, the J'hol challenged her to a duel. Striking the first blow with one of her red crystal weapons, Cut-Cut, empowered by her new state of balance, imparted upon the J'hol a stunning psychic imprint of her own vision. The J'hol warrior, visibly shaken, became fiercely apologetic, offering his Chak-ka'kos mount as recompense before departing in shame.
With the Tembo venom successfully acquired, the Feinting GOATs returned to the Tari warrens in Balic. Upon presenting the venom, Squeakle, the Tari alchemist, then revealed a second, equally crucial and rare component was required for the shrinking potion, one they hadn't mentioned initially, perhaps not expecting the outsiders to succeed with the venom hunt: Aqua Vitae. This elusive liquid, a potent psionic catalyst, was not something the Tari possessed. They explained it was part of an experimental elixir known as the "Echo Draught"—a potion rumored to allow the drinker to briefly see the future. The Aqua Vitae, along with four other unidentified, shimmering essences, was kept in a black iron case inlaid with runes. This case, they had learned, was stored within the private laboratory of Zarik Keith—a renowned but reclusive psionic alchemist aligned with a secretive sect of the Veiled Alliance seeking to uncover forgotten psionic traditions. His lab was hidden within a currently abandoned amphitheater in Balic’s lower district, a place fortified with arcane wards and psychic sentinels, and currently unused due to a local sun festival which had drawn Zarik and his associates away. The party, understanding the urgency, infiltrated Zarik Keith's lab. Inside the dust-filled, strangely silent amphitheater’s undercroft, they found the black iron case placed atop a polished basalt pedestal. The runes on the case emitted a faint psychic hum, a ward designed to alert Zarik if tampered with. The bottles within were lined in padded grooves. The party, needing only the Aqua Vitae, had to determine which of the five unlabeled liquids it was. Deducing that the clear liquid was the most likely candidate for a psionic catalyst, they carefully experimented by combining a few drops of the clear liquid with minuscule samples of the others, noting the immediate visible reaction, thus confirming its identity.
Finally, after returning to Balic, delivering the Belist to the Stonehewers, and having the Tari craft the shrinking potions with both Tembo venom and the recovered Aqua Vitae, the diminished party followed Tari guides into the narrow tunnels beneath Ashfall Vale towards the Autron Cube. They solved a vault door puzzle ("Open to Open," by aligning symbols that depicted open mouths or passages) and, within the Cube, interacted with Unit 734, an autrone unitron. The Autrones revealed their mission to mine Tantalum on Athas for a 'Cosmic Harmonics Stabilizer,' a device intended to help rebalance the increasingly unstable cosmos of Alluria. However, their mining efforts were being severely hampered by the agitated primal spirits of Ashfall Vale's three volcanoes.
The party undertook the perilous task of appeasing these ancient elemental forces. Karrag, the Father Peak, spirit of stubborn ancestral memory, demanded respect and tribute for the Tantalum being taken from its essence. Vorlag, the Mother Peak, spirit embodying the grief of the dying world and desiring cyclical renewal, sought a promise of rejuvenation and a ritualistic mourning for Athas's lost life. Groth, the Brooding Peak, spirit of raw, untamed power and chaotic potential, required an acknowledgment of its nature, not an attempt to control it. Although Korloth was central to this endeavor, the entire party worked together to appease each of these spirits. This interaction not only pacified the spirits of Ashfall Vale but also culminated in a profound personal vision for Korloth. He witnessed Khumbaba's ancient majesty as a shaper of lands in a young, fiery Alluria, his tragic, near-destruction during the Voidfury Incursion, and understood the deep, fiery connection between his Maero bloodline and this primal power—a bond now significantly strengthened, unlocking new innate abilities tied to fire, earth, and volcanic fury within him.
As a reward for their crucial assistance, the Autrones gifted each member of the Feinting GOATs a unique technological marvel crafted from Tantalum: Korloth received a formidable maul featuring a micro-steam engine that superheats its Tantalum head for additional fire damage and can vent steam for a kinetic boost in combat; Cut-Cut received a lightweight Tantalum exoskeleton framework specifically designed for Thri-kreen physiology, which enhances agility and strength and provides an automated parry defense once per day; Bao Bao received an amulet of Tantalum and psionically resonant emerald that serves as a power reservoir, storing additional power points for her manifestations and allowing her to exceed her normal per-round spending limit; Akemi received an intricate Tantalum music box capable of storing multiple bardic performances and replaying them later, preserving their magical effects, with programmable activation conditions; Adrian received a sophisticated Tantalum harness with deployable wings allowing short bursts of flight and aerial maneuvers, which can also generate a protective energy shield; Lenti received a precision Tantalum scalpel-like tool capable of emitting ultrasonic vibrations to disrupt matter at a molecular level (bypassing hardness), perform intricate surgery including curing diseases/poisons; and Elyn received an autonomous Tantalum orb that can analyze and regulate biological energies, convert positive or negative energy upon contact with such effects, and serve its master telepathically with its own physical capabilities. Furthermore, the Autrones granted them access to the treasured Library of Xing Ju, from which they retrieved another cryptix crucial for deciphering the manuscripts. They also agreed to move their primary mining operations deeper into the planet, away from the most sensitive spiritual nexuses of the volcanoes, and allow the Tari to return to their former warrens in Ashfall Vale, if they so choose.
Thus concluded Session 13, a maelstrom of perilous journeys, profound personal revelations, and powerful new acquisitions. With two of the three Cryptixes now in their possession, and several members of the party having undergone significant transformations that would redefine their paths, the Feinting GOATs prepared to face the challenges of escaping the hazardous depths of Athas, the cosmic mysteries of the sigils and the fate of Alluria beckoning them towards an uncertain future.
Note: The following writings are from the character's perspective and are often private to the character. They are not considered "in-game" knowledge to the other characters, and any in-character reference to this information would be considered meta-gaming.
Letter to Master Kagemitsu at Tengai-no-mori Monastery by Caylen Redden
Dear Master,
We have successfully achieved the Pantheon’s objective on Athas, and, so far at least, no apocalyptic prophecy has come to pass. I won’t say I worried for nothing, however, because it seems destiny, or whatever you want to call it, is far from finished from me. I am growing weary of strange entities tattooing my carapace. But I’m getting ahead of myself. It has been a very eventful trip, so I will attempt to recount it chronologically.
Before we reached Athas, we added a new member to the herd. After our encounter with the neogi, we were understandably wary when we happened upon another ship, but it turned out to be a derelict. We decided it was worth the time to board, in case there were survivors in need of aid, but a cursory search revealed that the ship had likely been drifting for quite some time, and there was nothing worthwhile left to salvage. However, Elyndra discovered and was able to open a sealed cabin, and to our surprise, there was someone inside. The creature is undead – a ghoul – but still sapient and informed us that his name is Echo. He pledged loyalty to Elyndra and came along with us. Although Echo makes me a bit uneasy (as does Elyndra’s dabbling with necromancy and ever-growing menagerie of undead followers) we do have a sort of kinship, considering I was found adrift on a derelict as well. Echo and Elyndra’s other creatures have proven their worth in combat with us, so I suppose as long as they all remain forces for good, they’re no stranger than the rest of us in this motley assortment we call an adventuring party.
Once we finally reached Athas, we realized we would not easily be able to land, because large bodies of water are few and far between. Instead, we used snapleaves to drop from the ship into the Ashfall Vale. We expected a difficult journey to accomplish our mission – finding an Autrone Cube somewhere in the middle of the valley – but it was made simpler by the appearance of a group of giants, members of the Stonehewer Clan, who were apparently expecting us. Their leader, Chief Borug, greeted Korloth and said Vorlag had instructed them to help us. One of the giants, a tracker named Grokk Dustwalker was tasked with guiding us through the Sea of Silt, a particularly treacherous stretch of desert with deep, shifting dust that can easily swallow travelers attempting to cross without special equipment. I had little difficulty, being particularly adapted to this sort of terrain, but several of the GOATs suffered from extreme thirst and exhaustion, and I’m thankful that we opted to take a longer, safer route which required less time in the Sea of Silt rather than attempting to go straight through. On our second day, we were attacked by a formidable beast called a sink worm. It was large enough to swallow Korloth whole and fast enough to catch me as well, briefly, but we prevailed in the end. Grokk showed us the best parts to harvest, and we made a fine meal of it.
Two days later we were surprised again – not by an attacking creature, but by the sudden appearance of Ded Moroz. He was not actually present in person; it was merely a manifestation made possible through the power of the solstice back on Alluria. He came to us because we carried the Crown of Snegurka, recently recovered from Baba Izza, and Ded Moroz urged one of us to put it on. The crown’s power can only be unlocked on the day of the solstice, and, according to Ded Moroz, is vital for understanding these divine sigils we keep encountering. Speaking of which, one night after donning the crown, Akemi was briefly inhabited by Snegurka, which was most unsettling. Her eyes glowed with a blue light, and she came to me asking to apply another tattoo. I reluctantly allowed it and received the sigil of serenity, slightly above and to the side of the sigil of violence, in a similar arrangement to the appearance of Athas’ two moons in the sky. This tattoo was accompanied by a vision from Snegurka, urging me to visit the Chak’sa and reassuring me all would be well.
As you know, I had intended to avoid the Chak’sa, fearing disastrous consequences, and I initially attempted to minimize interactions with other Thri-kreen, even when we reached the city of Balic. However, the few Thri-kreen I did meet seemed entirely unconcerned, so I was able to relax a little. We took care of various business in the city, and I was able to procure the herbs needed for another batch of riik-dasl. I would like to construct my chatkcha while still on Athas; it simply feels right. However, our main purpose for visiting Balic was to search for some Tari, small, rodent-like humanoids who had been displaced when the Autrone Cube arrived, and who would be able to guide us through their warrens and tunnels to find it. It was easy enough to find and negotiate with the Tari, but there was yet another hurdle to overcome before we could complete our quest: many in the party were too large to navigate the Tari tunnels, so if we wished to travel that route, we first needed to acquire the ingredients for a shrinking potion. I was pleased to learn that this task would involve a hunt, because one of the main ingredients was venom harvested from vicious reptilian beasts, called Tembos, found only in the Hinterlands. We were not able to purchase this venom – not only is it difficult to acquire but also it does not remain viable for long when stored – but we were able to find a pack of Thri-kreen willing to guide us on a “safari.” I was not overly impressed with their demeanor because they treated the non-psionic members of the party with disdain, but the other GOATs took it in stride, and all but Lenti even allowed the pack’s surgeon to perform psionic augmentation procedures on them while we traveled aboard their leaf ship. I certainly hope that has no unforeseen, unfortunate consequences. When we reached Tembo territory, we laid a trap with Korloth and Elyndra acting as bait – playing the part of wounded prey to lure in the predatory reptilians. When we were set upon by six of the beasts, the other Thri-kreen began making wagers. I am proud to say the Feinting GOATs gave them a good show, slaying five of the Tembos and sending the last running, and the doubters among the pack learned a swift lesson. We are not to be underestimated.
From there, we were barely a day’s travel from the Chak’sa, and at the urging of both instinct and Snegurka’s nighttime intervention, I finally risked a visit. Master, I can’t describe everything I saw. I need time to meditate and digest and organize everything, and likely an entire additional letter, as this one is already growing quite long. I now know the true history of my people, the Riik-kek, and I think I understand my purpose. Violence is a necessary part, because change is often inherently violent, but violence is not the end goal. Not conquest, but balance, Master, like you taught. Everything is about balance. With this revelation, the two sigils on my thorax merged into a single, combined sigil, and changed color to blue. This is something we’ve not seen before and will certainly need to study in detail, but I believe it’s a sign that we’re on the right path. A subsequent confrontation with an imperial J’hol Thri-kreen offered further confirmation. His kind are known for enslaving non-kreen, and he attempted to purchase my companions. When I explained that the Feinting GOATs are members of my clutch, he became enraged and challenged me to a duel. I was more than willing to oblige – I will not tolerate such an affront to my companions – but with my first strike, the strangest thing happened. Riik’dasl met chitin, and through it, the J’hol was imparted the same vision I had just received at the Chak’sa. He immediately relented, apologetic, and even surrendered his prized Chak-ka’kos mount to me. He returned to the imperial city of L’rax, where he will begin the work of spreading the vision of truth to more of our people, and I wish him well. Change will not be easy, but it has begun nonetheless.
With that done, we returned with the Tembo venom to the Tari, only to find our task with them still incomplete. One more ingredient was required: Aqua Vitae pilfered from an alchemist’s lab. With Elyndra’s infiltration skills and a little deductive reasoning, the correct substance was acquired, and we were finally able to complete the shrinking potion. In the Tari warrens, we were briefly delayed by a metal hatch installed by the Autrones, but we were able to puzzle out the correct combination to open the door and make our way into the cube. The Autrones were quite odd, but hospitable enough, and agreed to grant the Pantheon’s request if we were able to assist them with their current problem, negotiating with three volcano entities for mining rights. It is a testament to the adventures I have had with the Feinting GOATs that that is one of the oddest sentences I have ever written, but the encounter seemed more or less routine considering many others we’ve had. Korloth, with his connection to volcano entities on Alluria was particularly helpful in this endeavor, and we were able to facilitate an amicable arrangement. In return, the Autrones granted us access to the Library of Jing Xu, in particular the item the Pantheon sent us to retrieve, and gifted each of us with powerful technological items crafted from Tantalum, the rare metal they were in the process of mining. We also secured the Autrones’ agreement to move out of the Tari warrens, so the Tari could return to their homes, and our giant friends from the beginning of the mission were provided with several barrels of a strong fungal brew, a specialty of the Tari, that they had requested. As you can see by the length of this letter, it has been a very eventful trip, and an enlightening one as well. I am running low on paper, so I will sign off here and write again when I can purchase some more.
Best wishes,
Cut-Cut
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Korloth's Letter Home by Dan Ipswich
Authors note: I will be enclosing english definitions in brackets; after maori words Korloth would use in conversation with his family and community for ease of reading.
Elder Nogrek,
Unless the rest of my family has learned to read te reo kokuhu [the colonists' language, common], please read this to them. I hope you all find something of interest in this letter, as I have learned something about Taimana that we all should be aware of.
Kare [dear] Mum, Dad, and Gorthak [brother's name],
This letter probably comes as a surprise, given how closely we all followed the old ways when I was growing up, but I have been learning to read and write with the help of my hoa [friend] Akemi so that I can help the rangai [group] better, and so that I can tell you all how my work to bring honor to the matawaka [family, tribe] is going. I hope to be able to come back to wakainga [home, with spiritual emphasis] for a visit soon, but for now I'm going to try sending regular letters to you, both to keep you updated and to prove to Akemi that I'm practising!
In the three months since I left, so much has happened that I don't really know where to start. Probably from the beginning is good.
Not long after we said goodbye, a kahu [hawk, Korloth didn't recognize the type of bird] dropped a scroll on my head and I had to find someone to read it for me. It turns out that the tauiwi [outsiders] call my kind of mata kai kutu [warrior] a "bloodrager," and they have a whole guild (which is a kind of really big rangai, spread out all over the world) who give out weapons to new mata kai kutu. The scroll was a welcome letter to the guild, and included an invitation to a "St. Yorrok's Day" hui ahurei [festival]. I didn't have anything else important to do, so I decided to go, and that's where I met my rangai. I was given a seat at a table for 7, where I was introduced to the good-hearted half-elf sneak thief Elyndra, the wise thri-kreen monk Cut Cut, the audacious kitsune ringapuoro [bard] Akemi, the gentle hengeyokai healer Bao Bao, a quiet dralasite mata kai kutu named Goop (who later left before we were joined by a magic talking mushroom named Lenti), and the brooding Aasimar gunslinger Adrian. Our first kimi [quest] together took us through a wao [forest] looking for a missing man and his inventions. I killed and ate a big mokomoko [lizard] the tauiwi call "alligator", and we all saved another rangai who had been attacked by giant pungawere [spiders]! We found the blueprints (which are drawings of plans for inventions) and the man, but he had been stabbed to death. When we took the plans back to show to the person who gave us the kimi, we found someone perfectly disguised as the dead man! We got him away and I grabbed him, and he kind of melted into kind of a weird fish person, which sort of reminded me of the Patupaiarehe. He was trying to trick the wahine [lady] who gave us the kimi, so we took him to the local tautiaki [guards] and they gave us money. I don't know if I trust money yet, since it's what the DTC is in Maukoru for, but Elyn loves it, so we took it and moved on.
Two days later, we competed in what the tauiwi call an "adventurer's decathlon", which is a series of 10 challenges you take on with your rangai to earn points. We did really good, I got to show my rangai how to survive on an island and threaten a diplomat, we solved riddles and puzzles, we fought all kinds of kararehe [beasts], and had to cross a lake of fire that reminded me a lot of Taimana's peak. In the end, we did everything so well that we won, and the local king gave us a bunch of special tools and weapons and money! I wish I could have kept the shell of the giant papaka [crab] I killed, it was as big as us and made a really nice little roof. For some reason everything from the challenges kept disappearing when they were over. It's ok though, because people seem to remember us from there, so it sounds like there are korero [stories] about us now! I've started putting moko [tattoos, usually that signify meaning or tell stories] of our kimi on my left arm so that we have korero to tell when I see you again.
Over the next week we started working for the Pantheon (which honestly feels very right since I'm carrying around a piece of Taimana), and went to a town called Morozko near the north pole to help save the people who make the tumatarou [magic] of the solstice. You would not believe how cold it is there. Their touarangi [rain] comes down as white, fluffy bits they call snow, and they all wear big puffy puweru [clothes] to stay warm all the time! We were tasked with finding a nanakia [demon] named Krampus who was scaring the little folk, so we set off to find a key that would help us break into the last place he was seen in. The key was in a cave, guarded by a giant pea {pronounced PAY-ah} [bear], and it fought bravely, but we eventually killed it and ate it to honor its tiramaka [spirit]. Adrian adopted its cub, even though Cut Cut and I wanted to eat it too, and we moved on to find Krampus. We found his hidehout and had to fight a bunch of enchanted snowmen (little pudgy people made of frozen touarangi, it was really very confusing) and wooden hoia [soldiers] to get in. It turns out he was just a man wearing a scary mask, but Adrian stunned him and we took it, and now I wear it because it looks funny and makes me just a little harder to hit. When we returned to town to check in with the Pantheon, we got to meet Father Frost! He took over caring for the pea cub and gave us all some more useful items before rushing off to preside over the solstice. The more famous people I meet, the more I realize everyone is just people, and the legends rarely tell the full korero. I hope mine stays true even while the truth becomes wilder!
Next, the Pantheon sent us to Aegius in Milea, home of the Minotaur Lords, to assist in recovering the reanimated body of King Apollonas from their Labyrinth Catacombs. We puzzled our way through more traps and quickly found the necromancer who had reanimated the king's body, and after a number of long and bloody fights, we killed him and his undead, freeing the king's body from his control and securing some of the kingdon's lost treasures for the crown prince. He was so happy to see his father's body and his country's treasures returned, he sent us on another kimi to find an oracle who had disappeared. After resting a while, we set out on the trail of the missing oracle, meeting people along the way who told us about their prophetic experiences. We were beginning to understand what had happened, but it wasn't until we got to the town of Alethia and had a chance to talk to the oracle's helpers that we realized the truth: not only had she been kidnapped by harpies, but she had foretold this very event weeks earlier! We left town and followed her trail, only to run into a real live giant! He called me "cousin" and told us korero about his very long life, and said his name was Theodorus. He was very helpful, and I hope to meet him again, especially knowing what I know now. With his advice and the help of a magic horseshoe, we climbed a huge cliff to get to the end of the trail, and on top we were attacked by a huge kararehe with the heads of a lion, a dragon, and a goat that the tauiwi call a "chimera". By this point we were getting stronger, and we killed it even though a few of us were still making their way up the cliff. By this point, we were in the harpies' rohe potae [territory, home turf], and they made sure we knew by keeping us from being able to rest the entire night. We attempted to take shelter in some ruins, but were ambushed by a medusa, a kind of mokomoko-wahine whose eyes can turn a man to stone. Two of us got frozen before the rest of us could take her down, and we took her head for the ability to petrify enemies while we searched for a cure to their encasement in stone. Eventually we found a magic chisel that fixed them right up, and we followed the trail of the remaining harpies to a cave near some more ruins. The cave turned out to house the child of the chimera, which Adrian adopted as pennance for killing its parent, but we had to seal the cave with the cub in it upon realizing that the ruins were the hideout of the harpies' ringa whero [chief] and her tautiaki. A fierce battle followed, from which we emerged victorious. The leader carried a spear and a ribbon which, when combined, revealed a code word that turned out to be the key to finding the oracle's hiding spot. I spoke the word, thinking something would open, but was instead teleported into a small stone done where I whacked my head because it wasn't tall enough for me to fit. The oracle was there, though, and she agreed to join us out in the open. It turns out that the prophecy of the kidnapping was the real deal, but rather than fight fate, the oracle, who told us her name was Nathia, used it as an opportunity to escape the Milean kingdom where she had been treated as more of an asset than as a person for hundreds of years. While it did get her out of the direct observation of the Minotaurs, obviously remaining the prisoner of the harpies was not an improvement to her situation, so we came up with a solution that we figured would provide lasting safety and seclusion: She would flee with one of the people we had freed from the medusa's statues to Cut Cut's monastery to resupply and regroup, and then she would travel to Maukoru to find a place with one of the hidden peoples living amongst the islands. She, too, reminds me of the Patupaiarehe, and with their ghostly, ethereal nature, I feel as though she'd be right at home with them as an orphan from the plane of dreams. It is my hope that you will help her find a place where she can remain safe and hidden from the outside world, especially the Dowellofts and other powerful groups that might be interested in controlling her as an asset. I know it is our way to respect all who respect us, and I can tell she will flourish in our little ranu [mixture] of cultures.
This brings me to the secret I promised at the beginning of this letter. Nathia gave each of us a prophecy or two before she left to begin her haerenga [journey], and so far several of them have come to pass. [Korloth attaches the recorded prophecies to this missive for clarity] Cut Cut has tuned out to be the reincarnation of her people's most ancient legendary hero, and our own haerenga to discover the truths of that took our rangai to Alluria's moon Dinos and the distant planet Athas, where her people, the Thri-kreen, hail from. (I will tell you more about our intervening adventures in a later letter, but I have limited time and skill for writing, and our hammer ship draws closer to its arrival back on Alluria) On Athas, we were greeted upon landing by more true giants, even larger than Theodorus, who seemed to know we were coming despite having had no way to foresee our arrival. They said someone named Vorlag had told them we would appear and asked them to bring us to her. The place they brought us to is called Ashfall Vale, a relative oasis situated between 3 puia oho [active volcanos] (the "3 fires" of my first prophecy). We contracted for the help of a local guide and hunted to gather the necessary materials to make the potions and equipment we needed to travel through an undergroudn network of tunnels to an autron cube that was attempting to mine the planet. On our arrival, we found that this location was where the rangitoto [lava, volcano's heart] met, and not only was the cube there, but three towering tiramaka puia [volcano spirits]! I felt the same mesmerizing heat I felt on Taimana, and I stepped forward to talk to them before I even realized what I was doing, almost as though I wasn't the one in control at the time. We listened to the tiramaka, who told us their names were Vorlag, Karrag, and Groth, paid them homage, and brokered a deal between them and the autrons. They gave me a vision, except it was more than a vision, like pouring memories and sensations into my being. I saw Khumbaba as he shaped the world, felt his raw vitality as he poured life into the maunga [mountains], his blood the very same fiery blood of the puia we call home. I saw him fighting the Voidfury incursion, felt him give his life to protect our world and shatter into a thousand pieces embedded in the energy of the planet. Taimana isn't just the god of Maunga Taimana, it's a fragment of Khumbaba, and our people, every one of us, carry a small spark of that power in us. My own spark leapt in recognition of its ancestry, and the tiramaka poured their power into it, or unlocked more of what is already there, I haven't really grasped all of it yet. What I can tell you is that something big is coming, and our people's trust and faith, now more than ever, must rest with Khumbaba in the heart of Taimana.
I will try to write more when I can, and I hope to tell you more about our haerenga in person, but for now I have work to do before we arrive. I love all of you, and as always I fight to bring honor to the matawaka.
Noho ora mai [stay well, goodbye, said by someone leaving],
Korloth