The three hunters gather beneath the broken tower, weapons visible but held ready rather than raised. Their attention fixes on the stair and the figures above.
Lean Hunter
Mara Vey, surrender the satchel. That relic was stolen from our order, and sanctuary cannot shield a thief forever.
Mara tightens her grip on the sealed satchel and stays behind the broken wall beside Sapphire. Sir Aldren remains braced across the narrow stair.
Mara Vey
Your order sent riders after me through the night. If you wanted justice, you should have brought a lawful summons, not drawn blades.
Ranger
Quietly now. They are speaking instead of climbing. We need to decide whether we answer, demand proof, or say nothing.
Celia
The sanctuary protects those within it, but it does not declare every claim false. We should hear enough to judge the danger.
Below, the broad-shouldered hunter shifts his weight, while the gaunt hunter watches the tower’s edges. No one advances, and the open stair remains sealed by Sir Aldren.
✓ Quest Accepted
Determine whether Mara stole the relic
“*I peak over the wall, my ear twitches as I see they have no ranged weapons. I speak loudly so the hunters can hear me.* "Funny face hunters, Saph want know why stealing bad? Saph did it to survive."”
FAILURE (Mediocre Persuasion, rolled -1)
Sapphire peeks over the broken wall. Her ear twitches as she studies the three hunters below and sees no bows, crossbows, or other ranged weapons in their hands.
Sapphire
Funny face hunters! Saph want know why stealing bad. Saph did it to survive, nya!
Her voice rings across the tower and down the slope. The hunters all look up at once, their uncertainty replaced by a clear view of Sapphire’s position.
Lean Hunter
Because survival does not make another person’s relic yours, cat. You admit theft, then demand we explain the law?
Broad-Shouldered Hunter
There! The purple beast stands with Mara. We know where the satchel is now.
Mara pulls the satchel tighter behind the wall. The Ranger shifts her bow toward the hunters, while Sir Aldren braces harder across the stair.
Celia
Sapphire, your honesty has clarified their target. Do not speak again unless you choose, and keep below the wall.
“"Why should Saph stay low? She safe here, Nya." *I look back to the hunters.* "What relic, Nya?"”
FAILURE (Mediocre Persuasion, rolled -1)
Sapphire
Why Saph stay low, nya? Saph safe here. What relic, nya?
Sapphire rises enough to look over the broken wall, purple ears forward. Her question carries clearly, but the hunters answer the exposed silhouette before explaining anything.
Lean Hunter
You are not safe if you stand where we can mark you. Stay with Mara, cat, and perhaps no one needs to force this matter.
Broad-Shouldered Hunter
The relic is the Ashen Eye, stolen from our order’s sealed reliquary. Mara carries it in that satchel.
The broad-shouldered hunter points toward Mara. The gaunt hunter moves beneath the tower wall, angling for a clearer view, while the lean hunter watches Sapphire instead of the stair.
Mara Vey
They call it the Ashen Eye, but their order would use it to awaken something buried beneath the old roads. I took it to prevent that.
Celia
Sapphire, the answer is given, but your raised position now draws their attention. Come below the wall again, and let Mara answer the accusation.
“"Saph have many question." *I complain.* "Saph want know what hunters order is."”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +0)
Sapphire
Saph have many questions, nya. Saph want know what hunters' order is.
Sapphire stays crouched behind the broken wall, though her purple ears remain visible above it. She keeps one hand away from her sword and fixes her gaze on the hunters below.
Lean Hunter
We are the Cinder Veil, wardens of the old roads and keepers of what sleeps beneath them. Our order has guarded the Ashen Eye for generations.
Broad-Shouldered Hunter
Mara broke into our reliquary, took the relic, and fled. We followed to recover it before its power is used against the realm.
Mara Vey
The Cinder Veil calls itself a guardian order, Sapphire. Some of its wardens believe awakening buried powers is necessary. I believe it is dangerous.
Celia
Now you know who they are. Their claim and Mara's warning both matter, but neither grants them leave to cross sanctuary's boundary.
Ranger
Keep asking, if you need to. But stay below the wall while they answer. Their order's name is useful, and their next demand may tell us more.
✓ Quest Accepted
Determine whether the Cinder Veil intends to awaken buried powers
− Scene Quest Removed
Determine whether Mara stole the relic
“"Saph think they mean to hide it, Nya. they said guard, not use, Nya. Is right?"”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +1)
Sapphire
Saph think they mean hide Ashen Eye, nya. They say guard, not use. Is Saph right?
The question crosses the broken wall without a challenge in it. Below, the three hunters exchange a brief glance, and Mara watches them closely beside the satchel.
Lean Hunter
Partly. We keep the Ashen Eye hidden and sealed because it must not be used carelessly. Guarding it does not mean burying truth forever.
Broad-Shouldered Hunter
The relic is a key, not a treasure. In the right hands, it may awaken power to defend the realm. In the wrong hands, it could ruin it.
Mara Vey
And who decides which hands are right? Their elders speak of necessity, Sapphire. That is why I took it before they could open the road below.
Celia
Your reading was sound, Sapphire. They claim to guard the relic by hiding it, but their order also wants the authority to decide its use.
Ranger
Good question. Now we know their meaning: concealment first, possible use later. Keep low, and ask what power they hope to awaken.
“"Protect what, Nya? Saph protect herself from hunters that want her hide... that what Saph heard spoken before, Nya."”
SUCCESS (Good Reasoning, rolled +2)
Sapphire
Protect what, nya? Saph protect herself from hunters that want her hide... that what Saph heard spoken before, nya.
The words settle over the broken tower. Below, the hunters look from Sapphire to Mara, while Sir Aldren keeps the stair sealed and the Ranger watches their hands.
Lean Hunter
Not your hide, cat. We came for the Ashen Eye. If you stand between us and it, we may have to defend ourselves, but you are not our quarry.
Broad-Shouldered Hunter
We protect the realm from what lies beneath the old roads. The Eye can wake that power, and once awakened, it may command storms, ash, and things worse than either.
Mara Vey
That is what they claim. But their protection means deciding alone who may touch the relic and when. I stopped them because their judgment is not trustworthy.
Celia
They mean they protect the Ashen Eye from thieves, careless hands, and perhaps from their own ambition. Sapphire, their words do not make you their enemy.
Ranger
Your question was useful. They want the relic, not you. Stay behind the wall, and let us judge whether their promises deserve trust.
“*I look vary confused.* "Saph require speak clearly, Nya. You claim to want summon for protection. Then you not give good reason summon, only bad, Nya. Why not destroy relic?"”
FAILURE (Good Reasoning, rolled -3)
Sapphire
Saph require speak clearly, nya. You claim summon for protection, but give no good reason to summon, only bad. Why not destroy relic?
Sapphire looks between Mara and the hunters, ears angled unevenly with confusion. Her question hangs over the broken tower, sharper than her earlier curiosity.
Lean Hunter
Because we tried. Fire would not consume it, and a hammer broke before the Eye cracked. The relic defended itself without waking its full power.
Broad-Shouldered Hunter
Each attempt made the buried thing stir. Ash fell from sealed stones, and storms gathered over places untouched by clouds. Destruction is not a safe answer.
Mara Vey
That is the part they leave out. The Eye cannot simply be destroyed, so they call control protection and ask everyone else to trust them.
Celia
Your question forced a clear answer, Sapphire. The danger may be real, but their failed attempts also show why surrendering it is not simple.
Below, the hunters stop demanding the satchel. Their explanation has changed the dispute: destroying the Ashen Eye is no longer an obvious path, and every hand near it carries risk.
“"Toss in ocean, Nya. Saph suggest put in big heavy box. toss in ocean." *I smile like I salved a complex equation.* "No need know where tossed."”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Persuasion, rolled +2)
Sapphire
Toss in ocean, nya. Saph suggest big heavy box, then toss ocean. No need know where tossed.
Sapphire smiles as though she has solved a difficult equation. The hunters stare upward, while Mara slowly looks from her satchel toward the distant, unseen coast.
Mara Vey
The sea. Far from roads, hands, and buried doors. It may be the safest answer we have heard.
Celia
If the Eye cannot be destroyed, distance may contain its danger. We can seal it, weight it, and ask the sanctuary to carry it beyond reach.
By dusk, the group reaches a black-pebbled shore below the ruined road. A thick iron-bound chest receives the Ashen Eye, wrapped in clay, saltcloth, and binding cord.
Lean Hunter
You would cast our charge into the deep and abandon its location?
Mara Vey
Yes. No order will claim it, and no buried power will be invited awake.
Sir Aldren and the broad-shouldered hunter carry the chest into the surf. Together they heave it beyond the breakers, where black water swallows iron, relic, and every mark of its resting place.
Quest Complete
Keep the sanctuary safe from Mara's pursuers
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Good→Great