"Nooooo... my only regret... caw... is not seeing the scion of Pazuzu hatch..." And with those last words, the dire corby cleric fell into eternal slumber!<br/><br/>"Is it over?" Spivey squeaked as silence descended upon the shrine once more. "I hope that's the last of the birdmen!" She started searching for the phylactery, which she found hung around the neck of the damaged statue of Desna, coated with unholy oils in an attempt to desecrate it. "Aha! The Phylactery of Faithfulness, recovered at last! Thank you, Yazhu! I couldn't have done it without you!" She flew at the monk arms wide to give a hug - but with her tiny size, she only ended up crash-landing (again) in Yazhu's cleavage instead!<br/><br/><hr/><br/><em>Meanwhile...</em><br/><br/>Kikonu's<em>dimension door</em>had brought him to Zaiobe's tower where he planned to regroup with his one-time lover, as the mute harpy telepathically informed Ameiko from afar. Her offer from before still stood - not quite an alliance, but cooperation until they defeated the common enemy at least. Ameiko, Shalelu, Sandra, and Kelda headed for her roost to seal the deal and finish off the self-proclaimed lord of Brinewall Castle once and for all.<br/><br/>There in the library tower, Kikonu waited for the arrival of the Jade Whores, with Zaiobe as his backup, unaware that she was planning to betray him.<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/xAb19sf.png)(https://i.imgur.com/mS9LJvl.png)<br/><br/>"So you have come at last! I invited you in, and this is how you repay me? A thousand curses upon you to the ninth generation for your violation of hospitality!" Kikonu pompously declared.<br/><br/>"How presumptuous to pretend to give guest right when you yourself are a trespasser and squatter! Civilized people built this castle, not the corbies you let roam around the place! Speaking of which, Yazhu is dealing with their priestess now! Your supporters are finished Kikonu - and soon you will be too!" Ameiko shot back, and with that the fight began!<br/><br/>Sandra buffed the party, Shalelu shot flaming arrows to suppress Kikonu's regeneration, while Ameiko and Kelda flanked Kikonu in a hunting party maneuver. Kikonu was wounded, while behind him Zaiobe loosed a few arrows at the party to keep up her ploy for now, aiming them harmlessly high.<br/><br/>Kikonu coughed out blood but was not down just yet. "It'll take more than that to defeat me - Kikonu of the<strong>Five Storms</strong>!" He transformed out of his humanoid guise into his true form: a bird-headed<em>oni</em>, or demon! With a renewed burst of strength he swung his kusarigama in a wide arc knocking the Jade Whores back. "We destroyed the five royal houses of Minkai! You whelps are no match for the likes of me! The last of the Amatatsu's fell by my own hand - the old coward thought he could hide, change his name to Kaijitsu, but he died in this very castle all the same!"<br/><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/9FBujZC.png)<br/><br/>Ameiko's face darkened in recognition as she put two and two together. "Then grandfather's fate was because of you...! Let me tell you something, Kikonu: You didn't get all of the Kaijitsu's, Amatatsu's, whatever you call them! My name is Ameiko Kaijitsu! You killed my grandfather... Prepare to die!" The last Kaijitsu charged forward and stabbed the<em>oni</em>in the chest before he could react!<br/><br/>"You fell for the bait! Buttersnips, now!" Kikonu commanded, but... nothing happened.<br/><br/>"Looks like she saw the writing on the wall!"<br/><br/>"Then I'll finish you off myself! Zaiobe, heal me!" The harpy oracle's talons flared with divine energy - but as she was behind him, he couldn't see that it was negative energy until she cast the<em>inflict</em>spell on him! "Zaiobe... Why..." Kikonu muttered as he dropped to his knees.<br/><br/>Zaiobe placed her hands on his head, and something almost incorporeal darted from his beak to hers. At last she spoke, in a croaky voice that hadn't seen practice for many years, "I told you... one day you'd pay for stealing my voice." She snapped his neck with a single swift motion, and it was over. "Our deal is concluded," she said to Ameiko as Kikonu's body hit the floor. Pausing and tilting her head for a moment, she continued, "Do you feel it? Pazuzu's blessing has left this place - your friend has succeeded as well. There is nothing else for me here. Farewell - I doubt we'll ever meet again."<br/><br/>With that the harpy leapt out the window, flying off into the sunset, leaving the sun disc to be claimed by the victors.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Later that night, after the Jade Whores regrouped together and shared what happened...<br/><br/>"All that's left is the moon disc, which is inside the egg in the caves below," Ameiko noted.<br/><br/>"This phylactery can channel Desna's divine energy to suppress the time-slowing magic around the egg and let it hatch," Spivey said. "But be warned that would release the monster within which was why it was sealed in the first place... "<br/><br/>"We'd best go in fresh," Ameiko continued. "And down in the caves we'll just get in each other's way if we go all at once. I suggest we split into an assault team of four and a backup team of three in case something goes wrong. Yazhu, I want you to lead the assault team.<span class="bbc_u">And don't forget the fortune...</span>(https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=297308.msg14719544#msg14719544) it might come in handy."<br/><br/><em>Beneath salted walls<br/>Sleeps an ancient beast;<br/>Make it fear the call<br/>Of doom from the priest.</em><br/><br/><hr/><br/><em>Choose three other companions (not Kelda or Spivey though) to join the boss fight! <br/><br/>If you can solve the riddle, kudos to you, but if not, then fret not, for one of the companions will decipher it.</em>:P<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Social Link</strong><br/>Ameiko 5<br/>Baihu 2<br/>Sandra 2<br/>Shalelu 2<br/>Kelda 0<br/>Spivey 0-->2<br/><br/><strong>The Five Storms</strong><br/><del>Kikonu: DEFEATED</del><br/>-Buttersnips: AT LARGE<br/>-Slugwort: AT LARGE<br/>-<del>Zaiobe: SPARED</del><br/>???<br/>???<br/>???<br/>???