JungleBook/Session07

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Last time

<Vaschir> "When Omabwa Exalted everyone freaked, as far as I can tell, and since Khan's been trying to eat him for years this would have been the perfect excuse to do so without repercussions. Ombalu might well have preemptively killed him to protect his son"

<Ana> "Why would he protect his son's life in a way which would endanger it?

<Vaschir> "I'm guessing he didn't have time to think the matter all the way through. Could be he was hoping to in some manner exonorate him until we showed up and screwed up the power balance on the island."

<Ana> "But if the stars could show that Omabwa was going to Exalt, why didn't they say anything about us?"

<Vaschir> "Remember what Kaa said about one person being an annoyance and one exalted being a potential danger? Three of us couldn't but have tipped the scale."

<Vaschir> "Who said that they did in the first place?"

<Ana> "Sitjani insinuated as much."

<Vaschir> "He didn't come out and say it, though, and that's what has me going."

<Vaschir> "Not just from being an inscrutable cat god either"

<Ana> "Hm. Perhaps it is time we have a gentle, empathetic, understanding discussion with our host, then."

<Vaschir> "Anyway I'm bringing this all up as I tried to broach the possibility with Omabwa yesterday and, delicate as I was, he reacted as you'd imagine."

<Ana> "I can imagine how he'd react to your version of delicacy, yes."

<Vaschir> "You try it then, he'll still not allow the possibility that kindly old Ombalu might've killed someone for any reason."

<Ana> "This is why I suggested we bring it up to Ombalu ourselves. If we can do it without Omabwa, so much the better."

<Ana> "I have a feeling that if he did it just to protect Omabwa, he may be forthcoming if we offer to help cover it up."

<Vaschir> "Can't hurt too terribly much to try"

As the group hikes back through the forest, the cloud cover deepens, the light dimming to a twilight pall. Thunder rumbles overhead; in its wake, the animal sounds of the jungle go silent.

<Omabwa> "We should hurry," says Omabwa. "We may not get to Father's home before it rains."

The tops of the trees begin to swish and rustle in either wind, rain, or both -- whatever is going on up there has yet to filter down to the forest floor.

<Vaschir> "Given yesterday's adventure, I'd say I've had enough of being soaked for a while."

<Ana> "For once, I concur."

<Omabwa> "The storm gods disagree, I fear."

<Ana> "Is there shelter around here, Omabwa? Perhaps we can wait it out."

<Vaschir> "I'm not sure on the distances, but I'm thinking we're not going to make it to the old bear's digs at any rate."

<Omabwa> "I thought," Omabwa shares dryly, "I just said that."

<Vaschir> "Couldv'e sworn I heard a 'may,' but that's just me"

A fat raindrop plops onto Ana's head.

Ana makes a face.

<Vaschir> "Alright decision time, we pressing on or waiting the storm out, presuming this isn't the sort of storm that heralds the beginings of a month-long monsoon?"

Omabwa grabs a vine and ties it into a quick lasso. Using it to grab hold of a nearby sapling, he begins making a good shelter from the living jungle.

<Vaschir> "shelter it is, then"

<Ana> "Thank you, Omabwa."

<Omabwa> "It will last a day or so, no more," shares Omabwa.

Omabwa finishes his lean-to just as the rain begins to penetrate the canopy in earnest. Drips and drops of water patter against the broad leaves he's woven into a roof.

<Vaschir> "Hrm, how muchh time do we have left before Kaa's going to pass judgement?"

<Omabwa> "Time enough to wait out the storm."

Water streams down vines and tree-trunks, soaking into the leaf-covered forest floor.

<Vaschir> "Works for me. While we wait, I meant to ask earlier: Is Sitjani normally that much of a jerk, or was his behavior abnormal back there?"

The loamy scent of wet leaves and dirt fills the air.

Although still heavy with moisture, the atmosphere is, for the first time since Ana and Vaschir's arrival, cool instead of oppressively hot.

<Omabwa> Omabwa looks at Kardana, resting in the corner of the shelter. "He is powerful, and arrogant. It is what I expected."

Kardana has situated himself in the part of the shelter farthest from its edges (and thus from any chance of him getting wet). The tip of his tail lashes back and forth as he watches the rain fall.

<Vaschir> "We've got time to kill here, so Omabwa, since I've already asked Ana, what's your theory on who killed / what happened to big, bad Khan?"

<Omabwa> The jungle man pauses. "I am beginning to suspect that he may not be dead at all. Perhaps just hiding."

<Ana> "But if so, he is certainly working with someone else."

<Omabwa> "Malicious self-concealment. An interesting concept."

<Vaschir> "I've been thinking along those lines too, and something Sitjani said about the portents that clicked although I haven't figured out entirely why yet. I'm thinking there's more to what was in the stars than anyone's let on to us yet, more than just 'Omabwa is going to Exalt."

<Vaschir> "Something along the lines of, 'and he's also going to kill you dead, Khan, along with his two new Solar pals, unless you set him up for it preemptively."

<Ana> "...Wow. That's quite the idea."

<Vaschir> "In the absence of any evidence, I've had to go on what I know of why people do bad things. Which is considerable."

<Ana> "Why would we have killed him, though?

<Ana> "When we washed ashore, the only entity I harbored thoughts of killing was you."

<Vaschir> "No idea, we haven't done it yet. Prophecy's are weird and often self-fulfilling like that."

<Ana> "...No offense."

<Vaschir> "none taken," Vaschir replies, distractedly.

<Omabwa> "He was - or is - paranoid and proud. Exalted make him nervous, and he held a grudge that Ombalu defied him in keeping me alive. I think he was just... worried."

<Vaschir> "Then maybe this is a huge circular mess, because if he isn't dead, and we end up finding him, he's bound to through down and then we'll HAVE to kill him."

<Ana> "And then we'll be tried for his death. No, there has to be another way out of this."

<Vaschir> "I'm just thinking out loud here. He could well be dead after all"

<Omabwa> "I don't know if we CAN prove he's not dead. There's no reason he should 'come back' if he's gone away to frame me."

The thunder is punctuated by a rumble of a different sort, nearer and deeper. The burning ruins are erupting again, the vibrations making the wet ground quiver.

<Vaschir> "It would be helpful if we could get a non-biased version of whatever protent was actually read back three nights ago, with full disclosure."

<Ana> "Perhaps there is a way to summon gods.. And if so, perhaps Ombalu knows how?"

<Omabwa> "Understandably, such a technique was not on my curriculum."

<Vaschir> "Did we ever find out who tipped Pumbaata to Khan's disappearance, or did he 'discover' that on his own?"

<Omabwa> "I don't know. Perhaps we should ask him."

<Vaschir> "You should probably be the one to actually put the question to him, Ana and I....were a little uncouth in our first encounter with him and you know how first impressions linger."

<Ana> "Definitely."

<Vaschir> "That sounds like a plan, then, once the rain clears. Ana can check in with Ombalu about whether or not there's anyway to confirm Khan's death, and you can ask the big pig about the particulars of Khan's disappearance."

<Omabwa> "Fair enough."

<Omabwa> Omabwa picks a berry from the bush he built into the shelter. "Have a snack."

<Vaschir> "Thanks"

The storm continues for several hours; night falls at about the same time the rain stops.

Occasional drops of water still fall from the foliage above, landing in the muddy soil with wet plops.

<Vaschir> "Shall we, then?"

Kardana steps daintily out from the shelter's shadow, doing his best to avoid having his feet touch any mud or water.

Ana stretches, yawns, and follows.

<Omabwa> "Indeed."

Vaschir follows Omabwa back towards Ombalu's tree

By the time the group leaves the forest and the baobab comes into sight, everyone's feet -- even Kardana's -- are caked up to the ankles with mud and bits of wet leaves.

It is quickly becoming clear to Ana and Vaschir than Omabwa's less-is-more sense of style has more than a little merit in this kind of environment.

Vaschir thinks on how he had a really good pair of boots before coming to the island.

Dew clinging to the chest-high grass quickly soaks them to the skin as they make their way toward Ombalu's sanctum.

<Ana> "Well, at least the mud keeps the mosquitoes off the skin.

<Omabwa> "After the millionth bite, they stop bugging you. Minor tributes to the local gods help, also."

<Omabwa> "I will go find Pumbaata," says Omabwa. "As you mentioned, he did not take well to the new 'visitors.'"

<Vaschir> "Best of luck"

<Ana> "Be safe, Omabwa."

<Omabwa> "I shall. You shall, too, if you let Father take care of you."

Ana and Vaschir squeeze into the improbably large interior of Ombalu's tree home.

The bear-god is puttering about, his back turned to them.

<Ana> "Hello, Ombalu."

He turns around, blinking at his visitors. "Ah, welcome back!"

"I trust your new clothes are satisfactory?" he asks Ana.

<Ana> "Very much so, thank you." Ana beams.

"Excellent," sighs the bear, with evident relief. "I was afraid I'd not gotten them quite right. It's quite a step up from loincloths to trousers."

"Speaking of which, where is Oma?"

<Vaschir> "He's running a few questions past Pumbaata at the moment, we figured since the big boar didn't particularly care for Ana and I that he'd be the best for it"

<Vaschir> "Speaking of questions, there's been a couple things I can't quite get a handle on, could you help me out?"

Ombalu regards them curiously. "What sort of questions did you have in mind? As I told Ana when we were getting clothes for her, I can certainly help you divine the nature of the treasures you brought back from the lake..."

<Vaschir> "It was something Sitjani said last evening that got me thinking. He mentioned portents he'd observed in the sky before all this hoopla kicked loose. Now I'm no good at astrology beyond taking navigation, was the big cat pulling my leg here?"

Vaschir keeps an eye on the bear for anything that might show his hand as he responds.

"Well," Ombalu hedges, "portents read in the stars are notoriously vague..."

<Vaschir> "So it's a load, then?"

<Vaschir> "Like I said, I know nothing here, and wanted to run it past an expert before drawing any conclusions."

"He might have seen something he -thought- portended a certain event, but really, it's very difficult to say with -certainty- what a given astronomical event truly -means-..."

<Vaschir> "Is it possible to make a reasonable estimation, then, even if you can't nail it down totally?"

"It's true that certain omens have been appearing in the skies lately, but it would be foolish to believe that they predicted anything with great precision."

<Ana> "So what have they been saying? In the broadest of terms, of course."

<Vaschir> "You see, Sitjani said similar things, but he was simultaneously hinted at a more definite conclusion while being vague about what it was."

Ombalu is losing some of his fuzzy, friendly demeanor as he speaks. There's no longer anything remotely comical about his stocky, furred body, and his eyes are dark and unblinking.

"That black cat always does enjoy dropping hints and talking in riddles. It makes him feel more important."

<Ana> "You're the only person on this island, other than us, who does not want to see your son dead before the week is out. We hoped, if there was any conclusion which Khan could have drawn-- even if it were incorrect!-- that you would be the one to aid us with the answer."

Ombalu seems bigger now -- not as elephantine as Pumbaata, but still imposing.

At the mention of Omabwa, Ombalu's expressionless bear-eyes soften.

He turns away from Ana and Vaschir. "Ah, what a selfish fool I've been," he sighs.

"It is true, I saw your arrival in the stars," he admits.

"Just as I saw my adopted son's Exaltation."

"I knew that this news would not please the other gods of the island -- ourr memories are long, and all of us have been wronged by the Solar Exalted, back in the First Age; it is part of why we forsook our man-shapes and made our kingdom amidst the ruins of humanity's folly, so long ago."

<Ana> "And it's fine that you kept that information to yourself. I mean, obviously you love Omabwa-- who knows what they would have done to him if you had announced that he was to Exalt. But we need to know who else would have seen this, and what else they may have seen in the stars, as well."

"I thought that by keeping my knowledge secret, I could buy time for the others to accept my son, and you, his destined companions, for who you are rather than for what you may have been in a past life. There are more things to remember about the First Age of Man than pride and ruin, and I believe that many of those wondrous things could be restored..."

<Vaschir> "But then when we showed up it all went south"

"...but it is now clear to me that it was a fool's errand from the beginning. I knew the Monkey King would keep his knowledge hidden, for he always does so, but I underestimated the ability of the great cats to also read the stars."

"Or perhaps Bandingu turned events to his own ends; he and his kind have ever been jealous of humanity, despite their close kinship."

The bear-god lumbers around, once more facing the two Solars. "I do not know what became of Khan, but I know my son cannot have killed him."

There is absolute conviction in his eyes.

<Vaschir> "We've come to that conclusion as well, but it's a moot point if we can't compell Kaa to believe it."

Meanwhile, Omabwa has made his way to the mud pits, where Pumbaata makes his home.

In the wake of the rain, the entire area is awash in water; pale clay glistens beneath it.

Here and there, the water bubbles as gases from the hot springs seep up through the mud.

The air carries the faint, rotten-egg whiff of sulphur.

<Omabwa> The mud *slorps* noisily at Omabwa's feet and calves as he walks.

<Omabwa> When he reaches the center of the pits, Omabwa falls comfortably into a cross-legged repose.

He does not have to wait long before there is a tremendous, rumbling squelch. Warm water ripples against his legs as Pumbaata appears, rising behemoth-like from the mud.

Omabwa places the grub-infested piece of rotten wood he acquired on the mud between them.

<Omabwa> "I brought you an offering, O Warden."

The boar-god lowers his snout, sniffing at the half-rotten branch. The force of his breath splashes Omabwa with droplets of warm, runny mud.

Omabwa ignores them.

"I find your offering acceptable, manling," he allows. "Now, why do you seek me out in my place of power?" his eyes fix on Omabwa's, faint embers gleaming in their black, beady depths.

<Omabwa> "I am going to speak plainly, pig, since I disfavor the politics so many on this island prefer. Why do you think Khan is dead?"

Pumbaata's eyes flare at Omabwa's disrespectful tone, but he makes no move. "I know only what I see, and what I see is one of the Chosen of the Sun walking among us, power shining from his very soul. Is it coincidental that his great enemy should go missing, just as he is touched by the power of the heavens?"

<Omabwa> "Likely not," says Omabwa, dwarfed by the giant boar. "A god reads in the stars that the longtime object of his ire will earn the power to strike him down, and you do not believe he might flee?"

<Omabwa> "Or," suggests Omabwa, "disappear, to make the suggestible and overzealous enforcers of law eliminate the source of his fear?"

Pumbaata snorts, hot breath blasting Omabwa's hair back. "Has the bear never told you the story of how Khan came to this island?"

"At the end of the First Age, he was greatly wronged by the Chosen of the Sun. He swore great oaths that he would never allow himself to fall under their power again."

"I do not believe that he would run from you, even if he knew it would mean his death."

<Omabwa> "Foolish bravery does not preclude a devious nature. You believe he would not flee; do you consider him above letting others do his work?"

The huge boar's eyelids lower slightly. "If he is alive, and chooses not to face you, it is because he is gathering his power to be sure of defeating you."

<Omabwa> "Then you admit the possibility that he is not dead."

"The monkey might stoop to using proxies; he's always been more of a two-legs than he will admit. Khan would not be satisfied unless he saw his enemy die, rent to pieces with his own claws."

"I am surprised the bear has kept you safe for as long as he has."

<Omabwa> "Pumbaata, you uphold the law. Would you allow an execution if the law did not truly support it?"

Pumbaata's eyes flicker with orange and red light. "He may not be dead, but no one can say. All I know is that his absence surely has to do with you and your new friends, and that Khan has been part of this court since long before your grandmother's grandmother was born."

The god flicks his head, mud spattering from his bristles. "Magistrate Kaa has decreed that you have five days to prove your innocence in this matter, and that is the law I will follow."

Ombalu sighs in frustration at the mention of the python magistrate. "The Chief Magistrate doubtless only wants to quickly resolve this matter so he can go back to sleep."

<Vaschir> "Yeah, he made that pretty clear when he sent us off to the water palace a a couple days ago."

Ombalu nods, the human gesture seeming much more out-of-place on his god-bear form than it did when he was concealing his full power.

"However, the fact that he did send you there gives me some hope."

<Vaschir> "I'm still getting the feeling that much of this is pretext to get rid of Omabwa/us as quickly and efficiently as possible."

<Ana> "Swimming for it is starting to look much more attractive."

"Although he probably hoped you'd be killed by the Manse' hazards -- and I gather young Ana was lucky to escape with only her dignity injured -- he is, in his own peculiar way, a creature of honor."

<Vaschir> "Yeah, he mentioned that it would have been more convenient if we'd had died there too. I don't think I like Kaa all that much, come to think of it."

"He will use the Heart-Echo Gem to investigate Khan's disappearance, and I believe he will act upon what he finds."

"He may be lazy, but he does have integrity."

<Vaschir> "Pity we don't know what he'll find. Would save us a lot of running around."

<Vaschir> "Getting back to the central matter, how much would you bet that Bandigu's got an inside line on what happened to Khan?"

"The King of Monkeys is difficult to predict," admits Ombalu, "and it's difficult to tell his truths from his lies."

"But I know that he can read the stars as well as I, and it would be foolish to suppose that he has not seen the same omens, and unlocked their meaning."

<Vaschir> "Thing is I got the distinct impression from my meeting with him he wouldn't welch out on a wager, put to him the correct way. If he knows what actually happened to Khan, I can't think of any other way to get it out of him."

Ombalu stands very still, his eyes deep and old. "He will have seen that the Shining Ones are destined to return here... and that from there, all futures lead to fire."

<Ana> "So you're going to challenge him to an arm-wrestling contest?"

<Vaschir> "Probably not, I was thinking dice, or cards if there were any around"

Ana scratches her head, and then sighs. "What do you have to wager in return?"

<Vaschir> "We've got the loot from the water palace, as reluctatant as I am to put it on the line."

Ana makes a disgruntled noise.

<Vaschir> "I don't know, it's the only idea I've got on the subject at the moment, and better held off until we've heard what Omabwa has to say anyway. He might've discovered something critical from Pumbaata, after all."

"The stars foretold your coming," says Ombalu, "but after that point, your power becomes too great for them to predict. Like the gods, the Exalted are too powerful to be bound strongly by fate. You may do whatever you feel is wise, but I cannot offer any advice other than to say you should do it quickly."

<Vaschir> "The urgency of the situation has been large on our minds."

The heat of Pumbaata's outstrips that of the hot springs bubbling up through the mud. "The way you will convince me of your innocence is not by standing before me, spinning words of maybe and perhaps as you two-legs are so enamored of doing. It is by offering proof."

"When you prove to the Magistrate that you are innocent, and he tells me to let you go, I will. If you do not, I will do my duty as well."

<Omabwa> "One cannot prove a negative, stubborn swine." Omabwa angrily continues, "If Khan does not want to be found, he will not, and we will not be able to prove him alive."

Omabwa stands, mindless of the mud that coats him, and bows.

<Omabwa> "I take my leave."

Omabwa does so.

"Very well, Prince of the Earth," says Pumbaata.

As Omabwa walks off through the mud, thunder ripples through the ground, from the north. Through a break in the trees, the young Solar can see pillars of white steam rising from the burning ruins. A billow of orange flame, striped with black smoke, climbs to join them.

<Vaschir> "Ombalu, it's a minor point, but did you ever figure out what that loot we brought back from the water palace is good for, besides looking really sharp and being worth a staggering amount?"

The bear's eyes regain some of their customary sparkle; his stature decreases a bit. "Ah, the artifacts! I had almost forgotten."

"I'd hoped to examine them along with Ana, but she was in too much of a hurry to rejoin you and Oma."

"And she gave me very specific instructions to not touch anything until she returned."

<Vaschir> "Yeah, between monkey-gambling and another, terrible, idea I've got, it couldn't hurt to know their specifics."

<Ana> "I'm back!" Ana smiles sunnily.

Ombalu trundles over to the neat pile of relics, seeming to shrink as he does so.

In moments, he is back to his comfortingly clumsy, regular-bear-sized form.

There's little to hint at the ageless force of nature Ana and Vaschir now know lurks beneath the scatterbrained-scholar facade.

"Let's take a closer look at these."

<Vaschir> "Sure, what've we got?"

Ombalu sniffs curiously at the treasure.

"Mm... all of this smells of water. I suspect their long exposure to the energies of the Lake of Memories have altered their original character somewhat..."

"... but they should all still work. The Magical Materials are not susceptible to the ravages of time as base metals are."

He pushes the gauntlets, dagger, and short sword aside with a big paw.

"As you can tell, these are all made of orichalcum, noblest of all metals -- perfectly suited to the anima of one of the Sun's Chosen."

<Vaschir> "Bonus"

"I sense no great power in them -- their owners' truly powerful belongings were doubtless stolen, destroyed, or hidden in a much more secure place -- but they should still serve you well."

<Vaschir> "When you said the Lake had altered original characters, what exactly did you mean?"

"Oh, simply that over the centuries, the essence of water will have surely permeated them -- especially the clothing. It would not surprise me if these garments possessed some watery qualities. Perhaps the ability to ward off heat, or perhaps something merely cosmetic." The bear makes a clumsy shrugging gesture.

<Vaschir> "That was exactly what I was hoping you'd say"

Omabwa squeezes into the tree-sanctum. He appears to have cleaned off the mud.

<Omabwa> "We need to go to the fire temple."

<Ana> "If we need to."

<Vaschir> "Funny, I was thinking along the same lines. You first, why?"

Ana seems dubious, but up for it.

Ombalu looks on curiously.

<Omabwa> "An unmistakable omen."

<Vaschir> "Beats me"

<Vaschir> "Turns out some of the gear we...recovered from the water palace might help out with keeping us from incinerating, too. Always a plus, in my mind. What was the omen, anyway?"

<Omabwa> "Khan's stripes revealed themselves in the ruins' smoke. I think we shall learn something important there. Now," asks Omabwa, "what was your reasoning?"

<Vaschir> "Amoral criminal instinct. If I was a murderous tiger god looking to jack up on god-juice to take down my recently Exalted enemy, that's where I'd go if I could figure a way to stay unburned."

"It's true that the burning ruins contain great power," says Ombalu, "but it is dangerous and unpredictable."

<Omabwa> "Making Khan all the more comfortable there," returns Omabwa.

"If it were easy to tame, one of us would have done so long ago. If Khan is there, he must be very desperate."

<Vaschir> "I think we can take that as a given at the moment, presuming he is actually alive of course."

<Ana> "Of course, if he is as devious as he seems, who's to say he hadn't figured out the secret to the ruins years ago, and simply did not wish to reveal it?"

Ombalu shakes his head. "If you are set on visiting this place, be very careful. The essence there is very strong, and it hungers to consume anything it touches."

<Omabwa> "It will not devour a child of the Sun, Father." Omabwa, eager to explore again, turns to his companions. "Is there any preparation you need, before we go?"

He looks at Ana. "If it gets hold of you, it will burn you up very quickly. There will be very little chance for companions to save you."

<Vaschir> "Can't think of any since there doesn't appear to be any rum on this island, so let's head."

<Ana> "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do."

"Before you go," says Ombalu, "let me share with you what I do know of the ruins. The knowledge may save your life."

<Vaschir> "By all means"

<Omabwa> "Certainly, Father."

Ana nods.

The bear-god settles down on his haunches, looking concerned. "The burning ruins are those of an ancient Manse, which was razed to the ground long ago. Some of the foundation still remains, and it exerts an effect on the essence welling up from the ground."

<Omabwa> "Is that what makes it flame," inquires Omabwa?

Ombalu nods. "Instead of constantly sublimating into the air, as would be the case with a true fire demesne, the fire becomes trapped in the ruined architecture -- it builds up until it forcefully breaks loose, causing tremendous explosions."

<Omabwa> "If we could... remove the foundation, we could eliminate the danger."

"Sometimes it will also jet through cracks in the ground, or simply pool on the ground. If you see liquid fire, do not let it touch you -- it will not stop burning until it has consumed all of its fuel."

Ombalu gives Omabwa a look. "Demolishing the foundation would be a very delicate task, requiring time and precision. Application of crude force would simply invite an explosion."

<Omabwa> "I- Understood, Father. I should study geomancy with a keener eye before I attempt such a thing."

The bear looks thoughtful for a moment. "It is possible that, as in the underwater Manse you visited, concentrated essence will still form into rough hearthstones. If Khan really is attempting to harness the ruins' power, he might be seeking out such stones -- as focal points of essence, they might provide some measure of control over the place's energies."

"Unfortunately, they would certainly be located in the most hazardous areas of the ruins."

<Vaschir> "Given how the water one nearly killed us, he may well be a smoldering pile of ash if that's what he's up to, which would be ironic as all hell."

<Ana> "True.

<Ana> But we most hope he lives, as inconvenient as it might otherwise be."

"When you go there, mind your step, and keep your senses sharp. The best way to avoid being burnt is to not let the fire touch you."

<Omabwa> "Could such a source truly be a danger to Khan? That is, could fire essence kill the god permanently?"

<Vaschir> "Well yeah, it's _fire_.

"Essence of such a raw and powerful character could consume him and make him part of it," Ombalu says solemnly.

Omabwa looks impressed and concerned.

"He might not die, but he would surely be indelibly altered."

The bear shuffles forward, and nuzzles Omabwa affectionately.

Omabwa wraps his arms around his surrogate father and hugs tightly.

"You have my blessings, and I hope you find the answers you seek."

<Omabwa> "Thank you, Father. I will return."

Ombalu touches his nose to each of the three Solars in turn; its cool wetness seems to sink through their skin and spread throughout their bodies. The omnipresent tropical heat is suddenly barely noticeable.

<Vaschir> "Thanks for...whatever that was," Vaschir tosses the suggestion of a salute to Ombalu.

"This small blessing will not shield you too much," cautions the bear, "but it will make it harder for fire to sink its teeth into you, at least for a day."

<Vaschir> "That's all we'll need. Any longer and we're dead for sure," says the always optimistic Vaschir

"Now go... I expect to hear great tales of your wondrous adventures when you return!"

Omabwa bows to Ombalu.

Gathering up their orichalcum panoply, the three fledgling heroes set out toward the north, and the burning mountain.

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