Sleeping Gods Quest #45

Isn't that spell meant for a big mob? Which we might need for the mob of warrior cultists on the island? Let's approach and gauge his demeanor first before we use spells.

>Approach the man and try to talk

yeah, warrior cultists who are the scum of scum. Anyone who could be persuaded to leave already has.

More importantly, I'm putting that little extra into making sure we maintain secrecy. If we want something to use in the village, let it be Test the Web.

>yeah, warrior cultists who are the scum of scum.

Not Ascetic's dudes. Kala's dudes, the denizens here.

>>Approach the man and try to talk
I'd say only use magic if he isn't willing to talk normally.

>Test the Web
>Angry Kala worshippers are in fact angry at Ira

Yeah I'm sure that will give loads of insight.

Oh, THOSE dudes. Still rather take the initiative.

well it'd point us towards Kala, if they didn't want to tell us.

and Ascetic, who so far has been pretty discrete.

Unless he mindwipes everyone he meets, of course.

I'm willing to bet Kala isnt one to make her presence a secret. Specially when a Wanderer is on her island.

Ascetic would need to be nearby for Testing the Web to tell us how Kala's warriors feel about him.

Although your hand never strays far from your pistol, you do your best to look friendly and approachable as you show yourself. As the slow, measured sound of your footsteps reaches him, the former soldier looks around at you and drops a hand to his own weapon. His reaction is one of surprise more than hostility, and he doesn't make a move to shoulder the rifle. Still, his hand remains stuck to the gun, just as his eyes never move from you.

Hello friend, you begin, it sure is a fine day to be shooting birds.

“You can't trust the little bastards,” he replies, in a skittish voice, “Back at the Stone, we read every message they brought in or out. Every damn word.”

So he is a soldier, from one of the three great forts. Which Stone is that, you ask, where was he stationed?

“The Stone of the South... the south...” he stops there, frowning to himself as he tries to finish his sentence.

What kind of idiot, you wonder, can't tell east from west?

“Matsuhiro,” he says at last, “I served under Matsuhiro, that fat bastard.”

The Stone of the South-West then, you tell him.

“That's the one,” he nods, “Thanks, stranger. The name's Marlo. Lieutenant. Former lieutenant, now, I guess.” With more trust than you had ever expected from him, Marlo sets his rifle aside and takes another draw on his pipe. Letting the thin smoke boil out from his nose – you can smell the sweet fumes from here – he stares across at the birds once more. “I guess you didn't come all this way just to shoot at the birds, huh?”

Maybe not, you agree, maybe you were after bigger prey.

“I bet you were,” Marlo looks back to you, “He ain't here, not any more. He took the ship, and he left – him and those dozen bastards he took with him.”

The Ascetic, you guess, right?

“The boss,” Marlo nods, “I don't know nothing about any fancy names.”

[1/2]

So, you ask a moment later, he came out here as part of the Ascetic's soldiers?

“That I did,” Marlo nods, “Speaking plainly, I don't know why I went along with them so easily now. Most of us, I think we got caught up in it all. Matsuhiro, you know, was a real bastard. I don't think there was a man among us who was upset about what happened to him. See, people think all us soldiers are the same, keeping the little man down and getting fat on the profits. A guy like me, though, I'm just one more little guy. It's the folks like Matsuhiro who come out on top. So when talk started of tearing down the whole system... yeah, we listened. Look where it got us – first the capital, and now here.” He snorts at that, reaching for his pipe to take a fresh draw.

Sounds like he had a disagreement with the Ascetic, you offer, a difference of opinions.

“Guess you could call it that,” the former officer laughs bitterly, “See, the boss only wanted men who had nothing. Nothing left, or nothing they weren't prepared to throw away. Turns out, most of us had, you know, stuff. Family, hopes for the future... stuff. I mean, I got family in the capital! If he did what he was always talking about...”

The Ascetic talked about the capital, you muse, what did he say about it?

“Man, he said a lot of things,” Marlo whines, “Like, he'd burn the whole city down, or how he'd kill the Emperor himself. He ranted about it, you know? I mean, if anyone could do that stuff, it'd be him, but...”

But what?

“I don't know, man,” he shrugs, “I guess I'm the doubting type. Probably why he left me here.”

>Did the Ascetic have a lair here, somewhere he spent his time?
>Do you know anything about Kala, or her temple here?
>Tell me a little more about the Ascetic
>I had a question for you... (Write in)
>Other

>Did the Ascetic have a lair here, somewhere he spent his time?
"Possibly where he'd make his plans, even if he left you out of the loop?"
>Tell me a little more about the Ascetic

Then
>Do you know anything about Kala, or her temple here?

This

>And what do you want to do now? Go back home, turn yourself in for what you were a part of? Go somewhere else and start fresh?
and the other stuff

This and
>I can get you off this island and back home to your family as long as you help me out here and also promise to never do this whole rebellion thing again. Fresh start.

Go home and be a family man.

You'd like to know a little more about the Ascetic, you begin as you lean against a tree, what can he tell you about him?

“I won't lie, he scared the shit out of he. Still does, I mean,” Marlo shudders, “Man, I saw what he did to those poor bastards. His twelve good men, he called them. You might not believe me, stranger, but I ain't lying about this. It was like he took those guys and ripped out what made them men. Tore it right out, see, and put something beastly in them instead. You know what that looks like, a beast wearing a man's skin?”

Thinking back to the vision you had on the ghost ship, you recall the awful violence – limbs torn free, guts split open, heads ripped from necks... You can imagine, you tell Marlo, you can picture it well.

“Huh,” he mutters, looking up and catching your dark expression, “Guess you can. Seen some shit, right friend?”

Never mind that, you assure him, you've got something you wanted to ask him. Did his boss have
somewhere he liked to lurk, you ask, somewhere on the island that he might have drawn his plans?

“Plans, huh?” Marlo pauses to think, the effort clearly taking its toll on him. Reaching out, he takes a loose twig from the foot of the tree and begins to draw in the sand in front of him. “I saw him going into a cave once, when he was taking them in... you know, his dozen chosen men. Guess I got curious, and I followed their trail. Anyway, he was about here, see?” The map Marlo scrawls is particularly shoddy, little more than a curved line that splits off at the halfway point.

“Uh, that's the village here,” he explains, pointing to the bottom of the line before pointing at the top “And that's the mountain, the temple thing. There's a little path about halfway between them. That should take you to his cave. I mean, it's the only place I saw him go. Other than the temple, I mean.”

[1/2]

You'd like to know a little about that temple, you add, and the goddess within. Kala, her name is – what does he know about her?

“That her name?” Marlo shrugs, “I never got the chance to step inside that temple. He was the only one to go in, our boss. He said we'd just get in the way, that he was the only one worthy of setting foot inside. Might be he was right, I guess – I ain't some great warrior or nothing.”

So what now, you ask the former officer, what does he want to do with his life? He could turn himself in, end all of this rebellion nonsense and make a fresh start somewhere.

“Friend, I just want to see my family again,” Marlo tells you quietly, “My sister might be a real bitch, but I'd like to see her face. I'm an uncle, see? It's about time I started acting like it, rather than wasting away up here. Shooting birds is fun and all, but I don't have that many bullets left and throwing rocks just ain't the same, right?”

You might be able to help him with getting home, you offer, and getting back to his family. He's been helpful, and that's worth a ride back to the mainland. It comes with one condition, though – he puts this talk of a revolution behind him, once and for all.

“Done deal, friend,” Marlo grins, showing broken teeth, “I reckon I'll be able to see the good side of that system now. I'll wait here, right, but I gotta warn you about something – the others, they're waiting at the village, and I figure they won't be nearly so friendly. The boss said he'd be back for them – bullshit, I reckon – but only if they stayed loyal. They see a stranger coming, they'd shoot on sight.”

They're still loyal to the Ascetic?

“Man,” Marlo shakes his head, “They didn't see what I saw. If they did, they'd be out here shooting birds with me.”

>Head upriver to the village
>Sneak through the forest
>Other

>Sneak through the forest
Well if they are shooting on sight let's not be seen.

>Ask Marlo where the most used path to the village is. The sneak beside it, not too close. This way we won't get lost and won't get noticed.

>>Sneak through the forest

sure I guess, seconded

Say, you ask Marlo, what's the best way to reach the village? Is there a path that sees the most use, something you could use to keep you heading in the right direction?

“Between the village and the beach, you mean?” Marlo scratches his head, “Most often, we just wade up the river. It's not too deep, so it's more or less a path. I mean, the only other way is to cut through the forest, and that shit is thick. I mean... real dense. There might be snares left over as well, stuff we left to try and bag ourselves a deer to eat. It's dangerous, is what I'm saying. If you were looking to stay out of sight, though...” he shrugs.

That was your plan, you tell him when his silence draws out a few seconds longer, would that be possible?

“You could stick close to the river, I guess,” the former officer decides, “It would lead you right to the village, and you'd be close to hidden. I mean, a passing glance would miss you, I reckon. Someone got close, you'd see them first. But man, I gotta warn you. Those forests, they're kinda... spooky. I mean, you hear things sometimes, you know?”

Another reason that people might avoid straying into them?

“I guess, yeah,” Marlo tells you unhappily.

That's all you wanted to know, you tell him with a slow smile. Thanking Marlo once more for the information, you return to the river and take another long look at the forest either side of it. Picking a direction more or less at random – the left bank looks a little easier to walk along – you assume a careful, cautious pace and enter the forest.

You've seen dense forests in your time, but these are incredible. Barely a few minutes after entering, the beach might as well be on the other side of the land. Even with the river splashing and gurgling close by, you sometimes lose sight of it for all the trees and thick ferns.

At least you're hidden.

[1/2]

Here, in the dense forest, it's all too easy to lose track of time. With only the sound of the river guiding you onwards, you press steadily onwards until a new noise reaches you, this one dry and hollow. It could be the sound of wooden chimes rattling together in the meagre breeze, shaking and sending their faint song into the air. Such chimes, you recall, often mark out the location of smaller shrines, tiny monuments for travellers to offer their prayers to.

Although you make sure to keep the sound of the river from straying too far away, simple curiosity guides you towards those mournful chimes. Eventually, you emerge at something that could, perhaps, pass as a clearing – in the centre, a small stone icon has been erected. In the trees above, you spy the chimes that led you here.

Not wood at all, you realise, but bone. A thigh bone, you would guess, hollowed out and strung up.

Turning your eye away from the macabre chime, you approach the little shrine. At the base, a bowl of water lies still, untroubled by even a single ripple. Looming above it is the statue of a woman, her lower half replaced by the body of a snake. Rising above her head, threatening you with it's tiny point, is a metal needle. If you pricked your finger, the blood would drip right down into that basin.

A way of making a sacrifice, you realise, a tiny offering of blood.

>Make an offering of blood
>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
>Other

Sense magic

>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
Yeah no...

>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
>And be sure to avoid whatever path the people coming to this shrine use.

Should we use Noden's power? Then again, it might be better used on one of Ascetic's possessions...

No wait til we reach Ascetic's place.

>>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river

>>Leave the shrine alone, return to the river
I'd say we're better off saving it for when we find the cave. Detecting magic might be worth trying though.

But what would sensing magic tell us? That the shrine has magical power? Isn't it true about any shrine?

I'm not sure what might be here. It might be nothing special but I'm pretty curious. It might tell us what would happen if we'd given our blood.

I wonder if it would be a bad or good idea to use animal blood.

I think making any blood sacrifices to shrines when we don't know what it entails is bad idea.

When Ira gets back he should put that rule in the Wanderer handbook if it isn't already.

Blood sacrifice, even offering a single drop, is something you'd really rather avoid. As long as you've got the chance, you don't want to sink to those depths. Still, this little shrine has got your curiosity roused, so you'll at least investigate it a little before turning away. Slowing your breathing, you focus on the air around you and let your senses expand. If there's magic here, you'll sniff it out.

Immediately, you're struck by the venomous sting that you've come to recognise as Kala's taint. You first felt it faintly, when you were meditating in the depths of the Hijiri, and now it's close, close enough to fill your mouth with its acid taste. Twisting ribbons of that power stretch out across the entire island, like veins carrying poison to every corner of a human body, but they all point in one direction – towards the mountain.

Yet, there's something else here, something within this little shrine. A trace of divine power, waiting patiently for some gift of blood to wake it up. A marker, you mutter to yourself as you touch the stone statue, something to point the way. A guide, leading the way to Kala's temple.

No matter, you decide as your senses return to bland normality, you'll be heading there soon enough without the need for a statue to point the way. It might offer the way to a shortcut, but it also might draw Kala's eye right to you – hardly a good thing, under the circumstances.

Turning your back on the shrine, you return to the slowly flowing river and follow its winding path. Soon, you start to hear something, the sound of swords clashing together and a listless, disheartened attempt at cheering. These must be the loyalists Marlo mentioned – bored, increasingly disillusioned loyalists by the sound of it.

[1/2]

Being careful to stay within the dense confines of the forest, you skirt around the edge of the village clearing, taking what glances you can at the place. Stone huts, cast about in no particular pattern or order, offer shelter to the loyalists, while the majority of them stand gathered at the far end, forming a loose circle around a pair of fighters. At both entrance and exit to the village, a pair of bored soldiers stand guard, their rifles ready for use.

Looking upon those loyalists, it seems hard to believe that civilised men could fall so far in a short time. Like Marlo, most of them wear little clothing, but unlike Marlo they all have scars, smears of paint or crude piercings decorating their naked flesh. It's as though the savagery of this place has infected them, urging them down a dark and primal path.

Kala's doing, you wonder, or the Ascetic's corrupting influence?

From your hiding place, you pause to watch the duel playing out before you – but it hardly seems worthy of such a grand term. The two fighters swing their swords, naked metal blades, at each other, heedless of the dangers. Whenever blood is spilled, the gathered crowd cheers with what little enthusiasm they can gather.

Play fighting, it seems, is not enough to satisfy them. Grimacing, you turn your eye back to the path leading out of the village. This could be a problem – the tree cover ends a small distance from the entrance to the mountains. You'll need to cross open ground, in full view of the guards, to exit.

Now, where to begin?

>Make a run for it. Perhaps you can lose them in the mountains
>Wait for a distraction, a chance to sneak through
>Approach the loyalists. Perhaps they can be reasoned with
>Use a spell card
>Other

>Wait for a distraction

>>Use a spell card
>[Water] Guiding the flow
“Rivers can be diverted, guided upon a superior path by those with the foresight to do so.”
You can instil a particular emotion (sorrow, rage, etc.) in any group of people you immerse yourself within. This can sway a neutral group, or push an already emotional crowd into a frenzy. This influence cannot be traced back to you.

Get them irritable, pissed off. Make it so those two play fighting end up fighting to the death. Let that death spark them to all fight each other.

Basically I want to cause a commotion so we can slip by to the cave while the soldiers take each other out.

>Use a spell card
Teleport across the guards' line of sight into cover, if possible. If not,
>Wait for a distraction.

If this is possible I'll second it.

If they aren't satisfied with play fighting make it so they are actually fighting with each other. Play on their frustrations and boredom. Send them into a frenzy.

They want blood? lets give them some! supporting this.

>>Wait for a distraction, a chance to sneak through
We can even make our own distraction:

Well. At least all the bloodshed will put Kara in a good mood.

Did you all miss the part about 'group of people you immerse yourself within'? How do you suggest we immerse ourselves without being shot by the guards?

That's why I asked of it was possible and since Moloch didn't say anything I assume it's going through and it's proximity based.

>Yes, sorry, I got distracted with writing up the post. We can get close enough to use our magic, yes.

What you need, you decide, is a distraction. Something to draw every eye away from that mountain pass so you can pass through without being noticed. Fortunately, you've got the perfect distraction in mind. They've already done half the job, you just need to push them over the edge. Moving to the very edge of the trees, you fix your eye upon the pair of fighters.

Watching that clumsy duel, you reach out with tongues of magic and stoke the fires of their aggression. Every trace of frustration, of boredom and rage, you drag right to the front of their minds. Within the first few moments, you can see the effects taking hold – a few cries rise up from the crowd, men crying out for more blood to be spilled. Those scattered cries soon take the form of a chant, the seething tide of blood-drunk lunatics yelling for death.

The fighters don't disappoint. As if empowered by the crowd, the taller of the pair throws aside what little caution he had and swings blow after heavy blow at his opponent. It reminds you, watching the furious fight, of Jain's frenzied attacks – only the other fighter doesn't have Koa's caution or care. With both men falling upon each other, it's only a matter of time before they tear each other apart. Perhaps there is one sane man, one cool head left in that crowd, for one figure leaps in to try and pull the fighters apart.

A mistake, of course.

As if that intrusion had been the signal they had been waiting for, the crowd casts aside the lingering traces of restraint and fall upon each other, yelling and brawling like drunken fools. Drawn by the sounds of conflict, the guards from both ends of the village rush in to try and restore order – or to join in and vent their frustrations.

Moving low and fast, you run from the trees and into the mountain path. As the village fades away behind you, the first gunshot rings out.

[1/2]

Even once the sounds of brawling grow distant and vague, you don't allow yourself to relax for a long while. Careful to keep to the areas of cover, rocky outcrops and withered bushes, you make your way along the mountain path. Finally, once the crashing din of conflict has disappeared completely, you rise to your full height and take a moment to examine the mountain pass. The view, you have to admit, is fantastic.

With thick forest stretching out beneath you, the island of Black Rock looks truly untouched by modern man. Those stone shacks had been the only buildings – buildings made with men in mind, at least – to blight the land here, and even those have faded from view. Further away, the ocean glitters with reflected sunlight, the distant Hijiri leaving a dark mark upon the water. At least it's still there, you tell yourself, waiting for your return.

The idea of having to row back to the mainland was not an appealing one, needless to say.

Shaking your head and letting out a weary sigh, you return to the task of following the mountain path. All the while, you keep your eye wide open for any diversions that might lead to the Ascetic's cave. It should have been about halfway up, according to Marlo.

Who, you admit, might not be the most reliable source of information.

Whatever state his mind might be in, however, he wasn't steering you wrong. After a while longer, you come across a junction in the path, one leading towards the top of the mountain while the other breaks away along a flatter route. If you had to guess, you'd say it would lead to the other side of the mountain. An isolated place, perfect for meditating.

Or scheming.

>Continue up to the summit
>Follow the diversion around the mountain
>Other

>>Follow the diversion around the mountain
Our cave might be over there.

>Follow the diversion around the mountain

>>Follow the diversion around the mountain

>Follow the diversion around the mountain
But rest up and recharge magic first

We've only used one spell mang.

I don't think we'll get much use out of Guiding the Flow again.

We've also used magic detection.

Right we did. Still, resting for two spells when we should be getting things done on this island fast might not be the best idea.

It will be nice, you think, to take a break from walking uphill. Your old bones could do with taking it easy for a while, and this level path looks easier to follow. The fact that the Ascetic's cave might be on the other end of the path is, of course, a bonus. Taking it slowly – here, the path grows narrow, and the ground is a long way down – you begin to follow that diversion out into uncharted territory. The further along you follow it, the more you begin to regret your decision.

By the time your original path has vanished from sight, you're nearly out of room on this narrow path, each step you take threatening to take you over the edge and into oblivion. Until now, you've never been particularly afraid of heights – now, you can see why people warn against looking down. If the Ascetic wanted a place free from pesky intruders, you think grimly, he picked a good spot for it. It takes a terrible determination to follow the path to its end, but it does eventually end.

When you spot the mouth of the cave, you waste little time in hurrying inside. Frankly, you would have stepped into the mouth of a great beast if it took you away from that perilous edge. Inside, once your heart has settled into something approaching normality, you cast a curious eye around the cave. You had been expecting... things. Piles of books and stone tablets, perhaps, or items of unknowable terror – the sort of things a sorcerer would collect, in other words.

Nothing of the sort, here. There is a worn mat, and a few dark stains upon the stone floor. One wall is terribly cracked and broken, but that's the only thing that catches your eye. A curse escapes your lips as you look around – was this a wasted journey?

>Head back, and continue on to the summit
>Search the cave carefully
>Use a spell card
>Other

I think we should push on, too.

>Search the cave carefully
Then
>Use a spell card

>[Nodens] Drowning in History
“We are all lost in the tides of time, Wanderer. Learn those eddies, however, and you will know much”
By touching an object, you can learn about its recent or significant history. Important events such as violent acts take precedent events that are recent but more mundane.

>Search the cave carefully
Anything interesting about how the cracks and breaks in that wall looks? Or what the stains are?

>Use a spell card

I guess we could use the memory card.

Yup, this. That was the plan.

Speaking of which what is the rule for regaining spell cards?
8 hours? 24 hours?
Or do we need to rest?
Fall asleep? Sleep 1 hour? 2 hours? 8 hours?

I don't think there is a hard rule.

More when it's narratively appropriate. During travel time, sleep, when we decide to meditate, etc.

>We need a short time in a safe place to meditate and get our focus back. The Hijiri counts as a safe place, but this cave does not. In terms of time, we don't need long - less than an hour.
>However, it's flexible. As long as we're in no danger, and it's appropriate as says.

Yeah that's what I was thinking but my curiosity forced me to ask

It doesn't take long to check every hidden corner in the cave – in fact, all you need to do is flip over the mat and look underneath. All there is beneath is a scrap of parchment, a crude map scrawled out upon it. A map of the mainland, you decide as you study it, but it's only just recognisable as such. Whatever other talents he might have, the Ascetic is no artist.

The map doesn't have much detail on it, but there are a few lines penned in. Starting at the Stone of the South-West – if that's what that vague mark is supposed to be – the line wavers north to the capital, and then east to Garuna. Finally, the line reaches north again, stretching into blank space. A record of the places that the Ascetic has visited, perhaps, but it offers no hint to his next destination. Still, you fold the map and drop it into a pocket before turning your attention to the cave itself.

Staining the floor, those dark marks are exactly what you expected them to be – old blood, the source unknowable. Not much, a few drips at most, but still worth taking note of. Then you turn your eye to the wall and look at the cracks. It almost looks like someone took a hammer to the wall, trying to smash it down and reach behind it. Pressing your ear to the rock, you tap the butt of your pistol against the wall and listen. No echoes, nothing that might suggest anything other than solid rock. So why, you wonder, was someone trying to break the wall down?

Perhaps a glimpse into the past will give you the answers that present cannot. Sitting on the stone floor, careful to avoid those stains, you close your eye and focus your mind. Time to see what Nodens can show you.

This time, the images come as a montage, flashing past in disconnected scenes.

[1/?]

The first glimpse into the past shows the Ascetic in all his tainted glory. Bare to the waist, his body practically bulges with muscular power. Fast enough that your eye can barely follow him, the drives punch after punch into the stone wall, each blow cracking the solid rock. The onslaught seems to go on for an age without slowing or letting up, and the Ascetic never tires or breathes heavily. When he is finally finished attacking the wall, he pauses to gaze down at his clenched fists. They are completely unharmed, pale and pristine.

Next, you see him sitting with his legs crossed in a parody of meditation. In his hand, he holds a lens nearly identical to the one you possess. Turning it over and over, he studies it with a kind of intensity that borders on mania. It is as though all the answers in the world reside within that glass, if only he could find them. Even here, in the pale shadow of the past, you can sense the inhuman concentration seeping from him.

In the final glimpse, the Ascetic seems to be arguing with himself, pacing back and forth within the cave. He speaks openly, his words snarling out. “Anything can DIE,” he insists, “You just need to take its head. If the Emperor dies, the rest of them will fall to infighting soon enough. Just wait, wait for your chance to strike.”

A pause.

“Wait!” he hisses to himself, fists clenching and unclenching, “That's all you need to do. Wait for the perfect moment. Yes...”

As that last words rushes from his lips, he turns and throws a punch at the stone wall. As more and more punches follow the first, the vision returns to the start, like a snake swallowing its tail, and then fades to nothing. Reality, when it returns, doesn't seem quite real. He plans to kill the Emperor, you mutter to yourself, is that it?

Not much of a lead, but it's the best you've got.

>You've got what you came for. Return to the Hijiri
>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
>Other

So like we thought, he was behind the sorcery at the Stone of the Southwest. Then he attacked with cultists at the Capital, stole stuff some the Treasury, escaped, then went to Garuna, probably got a boat and went to Black Rock.

>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
I guess we should touch base with the God of War of Tenngaru. Not to fight, there's no point in that, just to talk. She might give more insights on how Ascetic is going to go about killing Sho and Ascetic's capabilities.

>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
Looks like we are going to have be Sho's bodyguard until Ascetic attacks. Only we have a chance at stopping him from killing Sho.

>You've got what you came for. Return to the Hijiri
I, too, would like to talk with the resident Khorne expy, but the Ascetic is on his way to the Capital right now and no one knows about it. With skills like that he probably could just walk through the palace security if it's unprepared.

Ascetic is waiting for the perfect moment like he said, probably when Sho is out of the Capital.

Like when Sho goes on his Tenngaru tour. That isn't happening for a bit. And besides if the hour we spend to talk to Kala is the difference between Ascetic doing his plan, we weren't going to make it anyways.

>Press on to Kala. No leaving the job half finished
Going to have to agree, the half an hour it takes to talk to Kala won't matter in the grand scheme of the attack. Hell she might give info that helps us with protecting Sho in the long run.

You didn't come here to leave the job unfinished, and that means pressing on to Kala. You'd have to brave the narrow path either way, and that leaves the uphill struggle feeling like a welcome change. Gritting your teeth, you cast one last look around the cave – you're still not sure whose blood that is – before leaving.

The path back to the junction doesn't seem quite so bad, but perhaps that's because you've survived it once before. Without pausing, you turn and start up the mountain towards the summit. A short walk later, and you find the first body. An old man, but one with the physique of a far younger one, his neck has been cleanly broken. His robes are plain, practical, and a broken spear – split right in half – lies not too far away. Grimacing, you bow your head to the corpse and move on. You don't have the time to offer anything other than a token gesture of respect.

There are other bodies, all in the same sad state, littering the pathway to Kala's temple. It's all too easy to imagine the Ascetic marching up this road, destroying anyone who tried to stop him – or even just anyone who got in his way. These, you guess, were once the warrior-priests of Kala. Old men now, one and all, but still butchered.

When you finally reach the temple entrance – carved into the rock of the mountain itself – you pause a moment to study it. The doors are vast, their height and width both come out to almost double your size, and crafted from what seems to be solid brass. The sheer amount of effort it would take to drag them up this far causes you to shudder, wondering at the terrible devotion that would create such a place.

Flanking the ajar doors are a pair of sentries -both dead and left to rot. These ones are upright, gruesomely propped up by the spears rammed under their jaws. Sentries in life, they continue to guard the door even in death.

Cursing the Ascetic, you make your way into the temple.

[1/2]

Pressing on through the gloom, you descend a set of wide stairs and emerge in a wide hall. That such a place was hidden within the mountain strains your mind and challenges belief, but your eye does not fool you. Again, the effort required to create this place sends a cold shiver of fear down your spine.

The hall is lit by flaming torches at each corner, and filled with a motley assembly of statues. Every one of those idols is a warrior, engaged in a perfectly static vision of combat. Stone blades pierce carved chests, and a number of limbs – thankfully just as artificial as the rest of the statues – are littered underfoot.

The centre of the hall is devoted to a pool of old, stagnant water, and the ramshackle pile of treasure cast into it. Not treasure, you realise, but weapons – old weapons, stripped from warriors and thrown into the devotional pool. Sitting atop that crude throne is the form of a woman, clad only in a shimmering layer of unnatural blood. When she stands to greet you, the shadow she casts is not that of a human – it coils like a giant, blasphemous worm.

No... a serpent. A great and terrible serpent.

[2/3]

“Greetings, warrior!” Kala, the bloodstained god, announces, “Welcome to my sanctum!”

With your eye fixed on her face – never wavering lower for a moment – you give her a formal bow. The gesture causes her to laugh aloud, scorn radiating from her like heat from the blazing sun.

“No need to be so polite,” she scolds you, “You've already won my favour, warrior. That little trick down there, in the village? Masterful, splendid work – you cannot guess how boring those fools were, playing around with drops of blood and expecting that to please me. You, though...” A sensual chuckle escapes her. “Well, you've impressed me – so, let's talk. I think we have a lot to offer one another...”

>Show me your true face. Then we can talk
>What's it going to take for you to leave this land alone?
>Emperor Tatsuhiro came here, didn't he? What did you have to offer him?
>I'm not here to talk – I'm here to kill you
>I came to ask you something... (Write in)
>Other

>Emperor Tatsuhiro came here, didn't he? What did you have to offer him?
>What's it going to take for you to leave this land alone?
Probably nothing, but we have to ask.

>Emperor Tatsuhiro came here, didn't he? What did you have to offer him?
>I came to ask you something... (Write in)
"Did you give any power to Ascetic or did he take any from you?"

I feel like the first two questions are mistakes. There's no need for the first and I don't want to roll for SAN loss and as long there is war in Tenngaru she'll always be around, so the 2nd question is moot.

I'll second this.

>>Other
"Well you seem to be doing alright. From the scene outside I thought Ascetic might have stolen power from you with some sorcerer bullshit. Did you make a deal with him? If he gets his way Tenngaru would have more war so it would be a win for you I'd imagine."

You're not sure what kind of gifts she could offer you – or if you'd want any of her blessings. Emperor Tatsuhiro came to this island, you begin, didn't he? He came here to speak with her, to... learn from her. What, then, did she have to offer him?

“Power,” Kala replies with a shrug, peering at the razor-sharp nails crowning her fingers, “What else? I gave him the strength to lead armies, to bend men to his will. Isn't it a famous story among your kind that when he showed up at the gates to the capital, the soldiers laid down their arms and swore themselves to him? You didn't think that was anything to do with HIM, was it? I simply gave him... presence. Animals know a predator when they see one – why should men be any different?”

But she asked for something in return, you retort, didn't she?

“Nothing much,” this time, Kala yawns, “I told that he'd need an army – a great mass of soldiers and weapons, ready to kill at the first order. Isn't it good to see that he was obedient? Him and his entire line, they all love their toys so much... ah, they're too good to me.”

Then, the reason that Tenngaru has such a vast army...

“My doing, yes,” the bloodstained god leers at you, a savage grin revealing pointed teeth, “I don't need worshippers, I need soldiers – and you people are all too happy to oblige me.”

Gritting your teeth, you take your hand away from your sword – you hadn't even noticed that you were reaching for the weapon. What about the Ascetic, you ask in a tense voice, did she have anything to offer him? Or maybe he wasn't the type to make a deal – maybe he just took her power. At your suggestion – the idea that a mortal man might have beaten her – a flash of anger surfaces on Kala's face. Then, in an instant, it's gone again.

“We have an arrangement,” she purrs, “I LET him take some of my power. He wishes for war, and so do I – isn't that what you'd call “harmonious cooperation”, hmm?”

[1/2]

An arrangement, you repeat, from the scene outside you'd figured it to be something far less mutual. Weren't those her priests he slaughtered?

“Well, yes,” Kala admits, “But they were getting old. Boring. He really knows how to impress a lady, you know. It's an odd partnership, I won't lie about that – a god, and one who scorns the gods – but it's really very beneficial. He told me of his master's visions. The Seer saw a future of nothing but war, and now he seeks war to prevent that. I win either way. Even if he got his way, do you really think that mankind – scattered and divided – would find peace? No, it would be anarchy, the constant war that he sought to prevent.” As her eyes flutter shut, Kala shivers with pleasure. “Quite the wonderful thought,” she offers, opening one eye to gaze upon you, “Don't you think?”

And what would it take, you ask through gritted teeth, to get her to leave the land alone? Would she ever even agree to something like that?

“Never ever,” she taunts, “I like you people far too much to just leave! No, I think I'll stay... unless you had something to say about that?”

You could kill her, you grunt, and she'd be back within a few years.

“Correct,” Kala winks at you, “So, I have an offer to make you. A little deal, I suppose you could say. Hear me out – I'll give you power, a little gift to make plenty of corpses in my name.”

And what, you ask, does she want in return?

“Just... go,” she smiles coldly, “Leave this island and never return. Tell your masters that you failed, or that you couldn't find me. Tell them whatever you like, but let me watch the coming war in peace. A fair trade, wouldn't you say?”

>...A fair trade, yes. I agree to your terms
>Never. I'll kill you, no matter how quickly you come back
>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
>Other

>Other

Get her to take back her power from the Ascetic if she can? That's the only thing I can think of. Otherwise

>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you

Because we promised no deals.

>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
I know we're badass, but this is a war deity and we were almost killed by a schmuck with a knife not long ago.

>>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
Not taking anything from her.

>I'm leaving, but I don't want anything from you
>Other
"Did you know that gods have a kind of duality to them? Titanos can go from a watchful protector to a raging beast if he get's different sacrifices or his worshipers change how they worship for example. I have to wonder, if Tenngaru's blood sacrifices you dried up, would you go to sleep or would you change to something else? Something better? I'm honestly curious. Maybe you are too. Once I hopefully stop the conflict on the mainland and bring some measure of peace to Tenngaru maybe I'll come back and we can talk about that more.

Until then, enjoy the show."

>Never. I'll kill you, no matter how quickly you come back

If I let you live, he'll come back and he'll take everything out of you. You'll struggle, for sure, but it'll only make him enjoy it more.
You're already dead, you gave him that bit of power, the likes of him wants it all and will do whatever it takes to have it. You let him take because you knew you couldn't beat him.

What? We aren't going to let that happen. Killing Ascetic is out next goal. He won't have a chance to come back.

And for all we know she could have beaten him easy.

???

No real point in trying to intimidate her famalam.

This. I admit I'm curious too.