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The group debates how to begin the process of renewal, and how to use the stone since the Quatl is "broken". They decide to go on a whirlwind tour of the island to talk to the michanoids, stone giants and lizard folk to see if they have any information or legends that might help to fit more pieces of the puzzle together. Meanwhile, they send Gunter to talk to Canan and the Gruum about legends and lore that may have to do with the Quatl, which seems like it would be convenient since he will be the foreman for the residium mining operation.
The group talks to the Michanoids, and they tell of a legend where they sprang forth from the roots of the dreaming tree. They grew as sprouts amongst the shady and moist parts of its roots, and were responsible for the creation of new land. They are uncertain about where the living matter consumed by the ancestral michonians came from, but they ate it because they were bid by the dreaming tree to create more land. The dreaming tree has always been as far as their legend goes.
They theorize that everything started as a conflict between water and fire with the dreaming tree that existed on a rock. As the elements died during the war and fell down, the dreaming tree told the michonian sprouts to consume the bodies to create land, which ultimately resulted in the world as we know it. There are different variations on this story, but they all share the theme that there was a single creation event, and that the michanoids have always served the tree.
The party speculates that the rock that the tree was rooted on may have some relationship to the stone that the halflings care for.
The michanoids indicate that the Quatl is a servitor of air, and not part of the original conflict. It is often overlooked/ignored by the tree. There are no known relationships between the way that things originated and air spirits, although there are (potentially) heretical sects of michonians who believe that the tree may have usurped air from the original primordial "soup". The creation story includes representations of earth, fire and water, but no direct correlation with air - so the theory is that the tree takes on this role in the stories.
The party shows the michonians the stone, but they can offer no further information. They suggest talking to the giants, the tree or the fire spirit. They indicate that they would return to the tree if a new conflict errupted, but they can communicate with it and the tree does not require their assistance so there's no need to be physically co-located. They say they would need several days to return to the tree, if needed, and that there are thousands of them.
The party moves on to the stone giants, who remember them and are particularly happy to see Shelby (AKA the Dancing Halfling). They indicate that stone is the basis for life and that anything can be made from stone. They say that originally there were 4 entities and nothing else could come into being. The primordial stone sacrificed itself and became the first land. The other three entities were fire, water and air. Life began to grow upon the land, and over time there was less fire, water and air and more room for the land. As the elementals interact with the land, some of it is seperated from the main mass and is carried to other areas, helping to spread the land and ultimately reduce the influence of the other primordial spirits.
Ogres believe that the stone that makes up this island is the body of the original earth spirit, and they say that they know this because they can talk to him. The stone giants don't believe this story for an instant. Also, the stone allows the stone giants to communicate with other stone giants - the shaman can inject a message into the stone, and then other shaman can retrieve these messages. This allows them to communicate with groups outside of the island.
The stone giants say that the air spirit is no longer around (they're not sure what happened to it), but it seems that the plateu may be a place where primoridals still gather. Everyone is aware of the fire spirit. The water spirit last made its presence known 700 to 800 years ago. The earth primoridial is physically here, but no one has heard from the air spirit. They think that some aspect of the air spirit may still make itself known on the plateu. Some personal belief systems and behaiors - steadfastness, stoicism - are associated with the earth spirit.
Kayla shows the stone to the stone giants to get their input. They say that the stone is infused with all the elements, and some fifth component. Apparently, every so often a life giving force and the elements come together in the same place at the same time. When this occurs, this type of stone is created. In the hands of a shaman, this stone can be turned into life, a fully populated land, or whatever the shaman imagines they can create. It could be used to alter a land, but not cleanse it. When one of these stones is found, wars are fought to possess it. The winning tribe of stone giants give it to their shaman and the shaman and some followers leave. At some point in the future, the shaman puts out a broadcast message telling the stone giants that a new land has been created. This last occurred perhaps tens of thousands of years ago, and some shaman have discovered easier ways of creating land, but not life. The stone is vast potential priomoridal energy and the use of it releases the energy.
The stone giants use the stone to create land and life. Others may use the stone for other purposes (i.e. the Quatl may use it to destroy and alter life). The halflings tend the stone without having the temptation or knowledge to use it, until it is time for the stone to be used at which point they relinquish it either by choice or by force. They also say that the stone absorbs something from its environment. When the stone is taken by force, the land is more prone to conflict. When a stone is found in a river, the land is prone to rain and other water-based occurrances. When a halfling gives the stone freely, then the land created tends to be calm and peaceful. Because this particular stone has been cared for so diligently by the halflings for so many generations, it has the potential to make a truly ideal land. This could be undone in short order by violence done to attain the stone.
The group goes to see the tree and discovers that it feels the greatest affinity with air. The tree could not be moved, nor could a seedling or cutting grow elsewhere and take on the roll of the tree. The party tells the tree the entire story it knows so far, and asks for input. The tree believes it was here first before anything else existed. This includes the elementals. It's uncertain as to whether it took the roll of air, but it did not partake in the conflicts among the elementals, instead remaining out of them.
Kayla asks for input on how the stone could be used to cleanse the land and create a new place without bringing any of the existing taint. It will take time for Afro Pants to discuss this with the tree and provide feedback to the party. Kayla stays with the tree while Darwyn and Shelby check in with the Outcasts.
Darwyn and Shelby check in with the garrison people who are learning how to work within the dream state. They also check in with the Outcasts to see if they have made any progress with a ritual that could cleanse the island. They indicate that the Nemians had a book given to them by a devil (NOT a demon!), and the Outcasts could use this to undo the taint currently affecting the island. Also, if the party can bring to them the leaders of each of the factions that should survive the cleansing, then they believe they can find a way to purify the factions.
The book was pivital to the creation of the island, and was used by the Nemians and was very important to them. The Outcasts do not know where the book is now. It could be with the Nezahualpili, or it could have been taken by the Nemians when they left.
After spending several days pondering, the tree says that there can be no creation without conflict.
The party decides that the next step will be to find the book. Kayla reaches out to Aldrea via the dream state to see if she can offer any leads to locate the book. She cannot, and the tieflings at the garrison also have no idea where it might be. The group decides to find the hybrid human-tiefling that created the vampire to see if he has any information or connections that might be helpful.
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