A statue, an party and a very angry god

[Deathkeeper]

"I can do what?" exclaims James. "How? And uh, where is this?"

[Yas392]

Just click your hooves two times, it always works in the stories. Jay-suu scratches his furry head. Unicorns sure can telly but you need to make more sense, Mr Sage. They can only do it in their forest. And yes, I am ripping a page from the History of Magical Beast and Celestial Animals Codex.

[Balldanor]

Wall, now, if ye kin teleport, then we kin get right t' this place Rancor pretty quick. I dunno about tha' passcode, but let's git goin'

[TaiLiu]

The Wizard looks incredulously at Jay-suu, then shrugs and thumbs at him. "Your friend seems to know."

"And the password is for when you meet the three heads. We aren't going to allow people to wander around claiming to be the heroes, after all."

"I'll see you" - here the Wizard starts to fade away - "soon."

[Bladehunter217]

Fle grins and grabs his snout, demanding attention. "It will be easy. Just like birds pushing their young from nests to teach flight. Bad example, a unicorn pulls its power from within. Harness the force given by the crystal. It should feel natural, a sea in your chest. Feel the waves and imagine where we must be. The unicorn will handle the rest. All aboard yes?

[Deathkeeper]

James gulps, a distinctly human gesture coming from his equine face.
"Uh, sure. Everyone hold on to me, I suppose." he says, closing his eyes and trying to feel his body's instincts, letting it toss his mane and flick his tail, to find that pool of energy floating about his being, form it into a little compact ball, and throw it where it needs to go.
And maybe yes, he'll click his front hooves together, just to be safe.

[TaiLiu]

The party is metaphorically flung, landing at the forest border with a loud theoretical thump. A yellow sand trail emerges from the forest, into the nearby town of Sha-Ru. If the party follows the trail, they find it leads into an open gate, seemingly unlocked just a few moments before. Two miniature stone statues, around the height of a dwarf, buttress the gate, along with strong stone pillars. Indeed, as the party enters, they find the town itself is carved from stone - from the houses to the roads. It certainly is very odd, as Sha-Ru is so close to forestland, but before the party has time to contemplate it, they are gestured by two ogre women, wearing necklaces with granite beads, and pointed to their destination: a domed structure in the middle of town. No one else seems to take note of them.

It doesn't take very long for the party to notice the absolute silence in the town, the variety of granite beads on the ogres, and the scattered rock dwarves, which seem antithetical to the rigidity and orderliness of the town structure. The ogres seemed to work in complete harmony, though there were occasional (silent) arguments here and there; there seemed to be a correlation between the number of beads and the age of the ogre, though the party saw exceptions scattered throughout; the dwarves were usually in groups of two or three, though - of course - there were the uncommon loners or group butterflies.

Once the party arrives at the town centre, they see two things - one, a ring of rock dwarves around the stone dome, and two, the complete absence of a doorway into the dome. Then, simultaneously and magically, the statues open their mouths and ask, "Password?"

[Balldanor]

Um.. sum'thing about chickens..er..maybe 'highly suggestive chicken?

Balldanor is a little uncomfortable with the silence in the town, but of course, he can get loud enough for everyone in the town if need be. Shrugging it off, he waits to see if the code phrase works.

[TaiLiu]

A portion of the dome quickly fades away, revealing a doorway. The stone structure is quite roomy, and the party manages to fit inside quite nicely. On the other side, the three heads of Sha-Ru look back. One of them quickly and telepathically informs you that she'll be signalling for her contemporaries, and that they apologise for the thick, unclean air within the dome, which was caused by burning incense and various other rituals. They also, she says, apologise for the thin layer of bird faeces around the town; they keep avians around for various purposes, though most of them are away right now, attending to their duties. After a dozen other apologies on superficial things, such as the disorder of the stone dwarves and the hard floor that the party has to sit on, they finally attend to their duties and introduce themselves properly.

We are the three heads of Sha-Ru, she signals. The party, of course, already knows this.

She then informs the party of their names, but they are quite unpronounceable, and the heads decide that the party can use initials instead. F.L., the telepath, tells the party that the Wizard's plan involved a rallying of the various towns and villages, to form a line of defence when the Lit Empire's army gets here.

We are diviners and informants, not fighters and killers, she says, but we do have military connections with Will-fort and Lia City, should the need ever arise. If you want to follow the Wizard's plans, those are the places to start looking for war-making allies. W.O. gestures to her, and she nods. Don't decide yet; think amongst yourselves, and come back in the evening. Someone should be outside waiting to take you to our storage rooms for equipment. Any questions before you go?

[Balldanor]

Nae at th' moment. Ah'm ready t' try out dis new body in a fight. Think it will be interestin' having all dese arms.

[Deathkeeper]

"Are you sure that there must be a war? Are you so sure that parley is impossible?" James asks, a bit disdainfully at Ball's sudden willingness to fight his homeland's troops.

[TaiLiu]

The three heads did not think of such a possibility, not having seen it in their visions. They turn to discuss it with rapid hand signals, shoulder touching, and bead grabbing. F.L. tells the group that although diplomacy was not seen in their auguries, the ogres have been wrong before, and considering the party's fate-shaking abilities, could increase the chances of such an attempt working - though they do caution the party that the Lit Empire would likely have the superior bargaining end.

If the party does not have any more questions, F.L. signals to an outside ogre, a muscular, scarred woman who had around her neck merely a string, lacking the usual three beads most of the adult ogres had. Later the party would learn that she was born with a weak divine spark and could not see into the future, leaving her in a perpetually low position on Sha-Ru's caste system. N.L. - that was her name - leads the party to a small corner of the town and rips a manhole cover off, gesturing after them. Uncertain if the party has Darkvision or not, she brightens a small stone and tosses it in. For the party members who cannot climb on ladders, she carries down. Inside, she points around at the various equipment and mimes grabbing motions. The equipment was the party's to take, it seemed.

[Bladehunter217]

Forgot your name again unicorn but we'll have to share some words later on how you teleported. It was only a theory i had developed and you were a wonderful experiment. Delightful, there aren't any scrolls down there are there, this one spell keeps alluding me and I've needed it insesintly this past week. Fle starts down, pulling out a small tupe with little glowing bugs in it. Also, I could use some grub, its a little past feeding time for them today.

[Deathkeeper]

"It's James, rabbit. And I can describe it best I can but I haven't a clue how it worked.
...
Oh gods, I don't even know what I eat anymore. Please have pity and don't send me to a stable even if it's appropriate."
he says in horror, and that sense only grows as the ogress approaches, and James looks from her to the (completely un-climb-able with hooves) ladder. He starts to sputter a response, but in the end only hangs his head in resignation and allows himself to be manstallion-handled down to the basement.

[Balldanor]

Balldanor shrugs and starts climbing down the ladder, stifling a chortle at James' awkward situation.

[TaiLiu]

The party gathers in the basement. Immediately, a foul odour is noticed, coming from yet another manhole cover in the corner. N.L. mimes a stream of water; combined with the smell, it indicates a sewer, one of the modern technological systems set up by the Lit Empire, and enjoyed by all its citizens*. What's it doing here?

N.L. has no time for aimless wondering, however. She shoves armours, weapons, and scrolls into the party's respective hands (or lack thereof), hurries the party out and into another part of town, hands everyone necklaces with ruby-red stones (except for James; she places his necklace on his horn), and jams everybody into another underground hole.

Only, this time, it's exceptionally deeper, and the walls are lined with a layer of dull-grey lead. Strategically placed stone pillars glow with magical light, and the sewer runs on the left. The place is truly enormous - every single ogre, and every single aforementioned avian is down here. What this place lacks in noise, it makes up for in smell. Bird faeces, ogre faeces, and everything other scent flows through: enough to make nearly anyone ill. Indeed, some of the ogres vomit into the sewer, while others hold their breath and try not to puke. The three heads sit one end of the long table, surrounded by ogre servants just like N.L. - no beads, merely a string. Seats are reserved for the destined ones, and when the party walks in, the ogres rattle their beads in respect, then look at you in turn.

*Except those that live in places too rural, or too ugly, or too heretical.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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DC 15 Fortitude Save against being Sickened.

[Balldanor]

Scrunching his nose at the stench, Balldanor attempts to keep from retching as he smells the sewer's emanations.

Spoiler

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Fort:(1d20+7)[14]

Failing to keep his dinner in, Balldanor turns to the side and starts to puke, only adding to the foul odors in the foul location.

[Deathkeeper]

(1d20+9)[15]
Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods why would they do this to us these cruel creatures of doom I'm too young to die of negative sensory overload
"So. There. Hello."

[Bladehunter217]

(1d20+1)[12]

"This had better be important, what are you bringing us down here for in any event, it is disgusting." Fle the vague covers his mouth, trying to not look anywhere but straight ahead.