Post by SombUnto on Feb 21, 2007 18:50:36 GMT -5
The Tales of SombUnto
Chapter 7
When we reached the cave, Haulib tried to walk into the cave but could. Yakubu tries but has similar results as Haulib. Komasa seems to walk into the just fine. A few moments later, Komasa emerged with a barbed throwing spear with the words “Last Stand” written on the side in Daka-kara, a leather belt about his waist with beadwork depicting panthers, and many bright colored crystals.
He then handed Last Stand to Runako, and one by one looked at each of the crystals and put them into one of his belt pouches. However, when he picked up a large amber colored crystal, it was not immediately placed in a belt pouch. Instead, when he picked the crystal up, the spirit of an elderly Mbanta man appeared over the stone and started to speak! He said, “If you have touched this stone, then you are of the Mbanta, you must stick to your teachings and the calendar.” Then he disappeared.
Komasa wanted to then see if the belt had enhanced him in any way by jumping off a nearby, fifteen foot cliff. He lands on his feet in perfect condition. Next, he tried doing a back-flip off the cliff but slipped, twisted in midair, and landed safely on his feet. I know for sure that Komasa could not have done that by himself.
Once back on the trail, I continued tracking the trail of the creature with oryx head and the child. After setting up camp, resting, then moving out again we started hearing a thumping sound, then a roar, as a giant ape comes crashing through the trees and onto the trail. Komasa fired his crossbow but missed. The ape kept running and attacked Runako, but I quickly ran up behind him, allowed my ancestor orisha to posses me and heal him. Yakubu tumbled up to the ape and gave him a mighty wound with his spear, as did Haulib. Komasa then summoned his astral construct. The ape then turned on Yakubu and with such fury that the ape ripped him in two. I hope I never feel that helpless towards one of my companions ever again. Runako hit the ape with his quarter staff soon followed by Haulib, who killed the beast with his spear.
We then heard fast approaching footsteps coming from both sides of the trail, leaving no time for us to grieve for our lost friend. Four beast-headed warriors appeared armed with iron swords, knobkiri, and bows, bearing the heads of an elephant, an ape, a bird, and a crocodile. The crocodile headed person approached us and told us that his name was Never Falters Raven and that we had entered the land of the Imbulu. They offered to help us if we lowered our weapons. We did, and they got to work gathering up the remains of Yakubu. I was able to remove the apes toes as a possible trophy for one of the warriors.
I noticed two more of these “Imbulu” as we were lead to their village. There was one on the ground with the head of a stork, and a female with the head of a leopard in the trees. They obviously still did not completely trust us. As we continued on the trail, it soon opened up to a small clearing that was covered in blood. There were also three dead apes, though not as large as the one we killed.
The trail narrowed again then came to a great valley with numerous rectangular thatched roof huts. The Imbulu continued to lead us to their baboon-headed chieftain, Mandrill Gathers Together. I noticed that they all spoke Kordo, trained many Dembe, and that there were no more then two children per family.
I then asked them how they knew to come for the Imbulu child in the Wakyambe village. They tell us that there is an oracle among them who knows when an Imbulu child is going to be born by humans. They then told us more about themselves, how some of them can tap into their inner animal spirit. They seemed fascinated by Toja, the talking chameleon, who decides he would like to stay and make his home in the Imbulu village. They told us that this is not the only Imbulu village, but that there are many more, only they live in secret for they are sunned and treated with mistrust by everyone else.
Yakubu was then resurrection by burying him and then sprinkling the grave with the ashes from a temple. It was good to have him back and to let him know that the giant ape was dead.
The Imbulu told us that there was an abandoned Wakyambe village that was overrun with ingogo. The Wakyambe had built that village over the remains of another village and that it has a natural spring that might lead to the Coils of Da, where we could release the water spirit that I still carry.
The next day, they assign to us two Dembe to help us get to the abandoned Wakyambe village. Their names were Leopard Should Look First and Carries The Burden Oryx. Later in the day we came across a cave and decided to make camp inside when I noticed something odd about a nearby plant and told everyone to stop. It was a strangling fig. We got ready to attack and Leopard Should Look First shot first. After intense fighting, Runako got behind it and killed it. We then safely camped in the cave through midday.
After continuing our way towards the abandoned village until it was starting to get dark, we decided to set up camp and a watch. In the middle of the night, my sleep was interrupted by yelling, so I got up and readied my mace. There were ferocious, reddish, furred, flying squirrels swooping down on us. They seemed to fight to the very end. Once they were stabbed by a spear, they would pull themselves down it and still try to claw at you. Once they were either dead or scared off, I allowed my ancestor orisha to posses me and tend to my companions wounds.
Chapter 7
When we reached the cave, Haulib tried to walk into the cave but could. Yakubu tries but has similar results as Haulib. Komasa seems to walk into the just fine. A few moments later, Komasa emerged with a barbed throwing spear with the words “Last Stand” written on the side in Daka-kara, a leather belt about his waist with beadwork depicting panthers, and many bright colored crystals.
He then handed Last Stand to Runako, and one by one looked at each of the crystals and put them into one of his belt pouches. However, when he picked up a large amber colored crystal, it was not immediately placed in a belt pouch. Instead, when he picked the crystal up, the spirit of an elderly Mbanta man appeared over the stone and started to speak! He said, “If you have touched this stone, then you are of the Mbanta, you must stick to your teachings and the calendar.” Then he disappeared.
Komasa wanted to then see if the belt had enhanced him in any way by jumping off a nearby, fifteen foot cliff. He lands on his feet in perfect condition. Next, he tried doing a back-flip off the cliff but slipped, twisted in midair, and landed safely on his feet. I know for sure that Komasa could not have done that by himself.
Once back on the trail, I continued tracking the trail of the creature with oryx head and the child. After setting up camp, resting, then moving out again we started hearing a thumping sound, then a roar, as a giant ape comes crashing through the trees and onto the trail. Komasa fired his crossbow but missed. The ape kept running and attacked Runako, but I quickly ran up behind him, allowed my ancestor orisha to posses me and heal him. Yakubu tumbled up to the ape and gave him a mighty wound with his spear, as did Haulib. Komasa then summoned his astral construct. The ape then turned on Yakubu and with such fury that the ape ripped him in two. I hope I never feel that helpless towards one of my companions ever again. Runako hit the ape with his quarter staff soon followed by Haulib, who killed the beast with his spear.
We then heard fast approaching footsteps coming from both sides of the trail, leaving no time for us to grieve for our lost friend. Four beast-headed warriors appeared armed with iron swords, knobkiri, and bows, bearing the heads of an elephant, an ape, a bird, and a crocodile. The crocodile headed person approached us and told us that his name was Never Falters Raven and that we had entered the land of the Imbulu. They offered to help us if we lowered our weapons. We did, and they got to work gathering up the remains of Yakubu. I was able to remove the apes toes as a possible trophy for one of the warriors.
I noticed two more of these “Imbulu” as we were lead to their village. There was one on the ground with the head of a stork, and a female with the head of a leopard in the trees. They obviously still did not completely trust us. As we continued on the trail, it soon opened up to a small clearing that was covered in blood. There were also three dead apes, though not as large as the one we killed.
The trail narrowed again then came to a great valley with numerous rectangular thatched roof huts. The Imbulu continued to lead us to their baboon-headed chieftain, Mandrill Gathers Together. I noticed that they all spoke Kordo, trained many Dembe, and that there were no more then two children per family.
I then asked them how they knew to come for the Imbulu child in the Wakyambe village. They tell us that there is an oracle among them who knows when an Imbulu child is going to be born by humans. They then told us more about themselves, how some of them can tap into their inner animal spirit. They seemed fascinated by Toja, the talking chameleon, who decides he would like to stay and make his home in the Imbulu village. They told us that this is not the only Imbulu village, but that there are many more, only they live in secret for they are sunned and treated with mistrust by everyone else.
Yakubu was then resurrection by burying him and then sprinkling the grave with the ashes from a temple. It was good to have him back and to let him know that the giant ape was dead.
The Imbulu told us that there was an abandoned Wakyambe village that was overrun with ingogo. The Wakyambe had built that village over the remains of another village and that it has a natural spring that might lead to the Coils of Da, where we could release the water spirit that I still carry.
The next day, they assign to us two Dembe to help us get to the abandoned Wakyambe village. Their names were Leopard Should Look First and Carries The Burden Oryx. Later in the day we came across a cave and decided to make camp inside when I noticed something odd about a nearby plant and told everyone to stop. It was a strangling fig. We got ready to attack and Leopard Should Look First shot first. After intense fighting, Runako got behind it and killed it. We then safely camped in the cave through midday.
After continuing our way towards the abandoned village until it was starting to get dark, we decided to set up camp and a watch. In the middle of the night, my sleep was interrupted by yelling, so I got up and readied my mace. There were ferocious, reddish, furred, flying squirrels swooping down on us. They seemed to fight to the very end. Once they were stabbed by a spear, they would pull themselves down it and still try to claw at you. Once they were either dead or scared off, I allowed my ancestor orisha to posses me and tend to my companions wounds.
