Chapter 3: Judged under Open Skies

[Pulpatoon]

With the blood-painted dwarf's boasts ringing in the air, a shocked susurration passes through the collected harpies. Some look shocked, some awed, and some look deeply angry. Bürd's line about the mountain falling strikes a particularly apparent chord.

The harpies a a disciplined bunch, however, and those with tasks do not allow them themselves to be distracted for long. A harpy approaches Desmond and makes a X-shaped pair of incisions on his arm. As red blood flows freely, the harpy appears unsure exactly what she is supposed to be doing from here. She pokes and prods the cut in a most uncomfortable manner, even going so far as to spread the mouth of the cuts with her thumbs and peer in. Finally, she seems satisfied, and produces salve and bandages. Once Des' arm is clean and bound, she produces a square of ivory with dense, spidery lettering covering one side. She hands Desmond a small stick of flint, and asks him to make a mark on part of the ivory card. "Do your people write your names? Or have sigils, or seals of something? If not, make two crossed lines, like the incisions on your arm, and I will date it." When done, she moves over to the guards, who are milling around by themselves on one side of the arena.

Harpies arrive to sample and burn the Cultists. They appear well prepared, and exhibit and excess of caution. A harpy approaches Gizzy with a scalpel, looking very uncertain how to proceed. Another approaches Marcus and Rug. "Will the beast allow a sample?" Another inspects Simon and cleans his wounds.

Post-arena follow up to come. Let me know if there's anything you want to do before we wrap this up.

[mb.]

Bürd's eyes grow more relaxed, and his panting slows. Seeing no harpy willing to challenge him, he grunts, "thought as much," and shoulders his way through them to rejoin his friends.

Approaching Lilquathe and Gizzy, he calls out, "are ye satisfied now tha' wha' we was tellin' yer Captain Skolda were th'truth, or 'ave y'got aught else in need a killin'?"

Just some banter, nothing important left to do, so wrap up as you see fit!

[Pulpatoon]

Lilquathe to Bürd: "I am satisfied that the nature of a recent crisis in the Aerie is other than it was presented to be, and that you and your companions are a source of possible information that could prove valuable.

"As for killing, this won't be the last of it. The winds ahead will be hard."

Looking at the flummoxed harpy who can't figure out how to test Gizzy, she says, "Facsimile, are you dwarfwork? Is there any part of you that is flesh? No blood? Would you submit to examination by two of our Weatheryes?"

[PyroArrow]

Tonkioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [Male Clockwork Child Warrior AC 12 : HP 2/ 5]:

Says,

" Ah, yes, uhmm, Dwarves made me ... i think, you see i'm a bit hazy on that & yes your Weatheryes can have a look, certainly. "

[mb.]

Bürd leans on his bloody axe and claps Gizzy on the shoulder with a metallic echo, "aye, who but me folk coulda made a wonder like me mate 'ere?! If'n y're worryin' 'bout the c'rruption, queen, y'kin take me word tha' Gizz 'as nowt inside t'c'rrupt. If any's immune, he's it."

[MonkeyWrench]

I SAY AYE!!!! GET THAT LEGENDARY AXE YO!

Marcus nods to Lilquathe, "Our whole mission, our reason for coming this far north, is to stop this plague of corruption. Everything we know you will know, and then I hope our two sides can come together and work to defeat whatever this is." Marcus then looks to the harpy brandishing the dagger, presenting his palm to be cut. "Only if I am the one doing the cutting."