Still before nightfall

"Alright, enough talking", Tameku said, "I propose we methodically scour the entire temple grounds for anything that could be linked to the researchers and then pack up and double back so we get to the glacier village tomorrow in time. Let's split up, then meet again here once we've looked everywhere. If you find something, don't touch it, but call the others. It could be a hint, after all."

From the previous stuff I gathered that so far we haven't left the main part of the temple, so I want to search the rest before the next scene. Maybe each of us rolls for searching the temple grounds and then we'll see what - if anything - comes from it?

Skills used: Observation
Tameku rolled 3 using 2d6, keeping the highest dice only with rolls of 3,1.  Scouring temple grounds.

"ok then" Oiroh agreed with Tameku"I'll look in the west side of the temple"

Oiroh rolled 2 using 1d6.  searching in the temple's west side.

Lutorian Silently nodded, and proceeded to further explore the temple grounds, making sure to keep an eye on anything of interest.

Tameku

Tameku looked over the temple grounds once more, paying attention to any details they may have overlooked earlier as he went. He soon discovered a mural on the outside of the temple wall, some distance from one of the gates. Like many others, this one was partially hidden by brushwood which had grown closer over the years. The matoran had to bring his lightstone closer to see.

The mural showed a large titan in silhouette on the side of a mountain, gazing towards its peak. On the opposite slope, a line of many smaller figures were also climbing the mountain. These ones were looking down at round shapes carried in their hands. Surrounding the mountaintop was another ring of elemental symbols, and inside it was the symbol of The Three Virtues.

By the time Tameku had located and uncovered this imagery, however, he heard the voices approaching in the distance. Soon the temple would be full of people...


You discover new information, but you may not have peace to search for more context.


Oiroh

The west side of the temple held little ground which hadn't already been threaded, and as a newcomer to the group Oiroh hadn't been told all the details of their search yet. The Ta-Matoran found himself coming up short and could not spot anything out of the ordinary.

Instead, as he went around the grounds Oiroh could at least acertain its safety as shelter from wandering Rahi and prying eyes alike. Indeed, if the group were to extinguish their lights, they would likely be impossible to spot. A prospect to consider, given the voices now audible in the distance beyond the walls. Someone would arrive shortly.


No new info, sorry. Time advances.


Lutorian

The temple had once been a gathering place for many people, and its walls were made to withstand both weather and Rahi alike. Outside the walls, on the other hand, there were plenty of tracks which showed the island's wildlife population was varied and plentiful.

And there, in the midst of all the prints, partially obscured in the night beneath a thin layer of twigs which matched no known Rahi's nesting style, was a patch of dirt where sweeping trails showed something had been recently buried...


[Tracking],[Rahi researcher]: When natural tracks are interrupted, the contrasting ground sticks out to someone with your skillset.

Im back, and should be able to play for a couple of weeks now

"where should I look?"

The temple grounds have a central statue with a ring of elemental symbols around it, many small side rooms holding carvings and murals, and alcoves with slots for something - likely elemental totems. The other matoran have covered the area fairly well, but there could always be some less obvious details that have been skipped over.

You could try rolling a general check for searching, and/or ask to look for something specific if you can think of anything.

There is also group of people currently approaching the temple in the night (you can hear their voices and see flickers of light).

In reply to Game Master (msg # 81):

"Looks like no one's home..." Lutorian mumbled to himself and then began to see if anything was buried there, at the very least it might give him some info on what kind of Rahi this was if nothing more than for his curiosity.

Lutorian

You dig out the recently covered hole until you hit a metal surface just a few centimeters down. Brushing aside the loose soil you find a Dark Hunter crest upon a shield that has been rendered useless from battle damage.

Beneath the shield is an unlocked rectangular box, and in the box lies a flare gun with two shots along with a message that was probably not meant for your eyes.

These Matoran know more than we thought. Big news, can't write it all down.
S: deliver the supplies and guard the ship. Everyone else: come to the mountain village.
Signal when the message has been recieved, and again when prepared.
- Khy

In reply to Game Master (msg # 85):

Lutorian stored took the flare gun and note and reburied the shield, "Are the Dark hunters planning an attack on the village?" he thought to himself.

"Found anything interesting?", Tameku asked once everyone had returned to their meeting point. "All I found where more murals, but no hint on the archeologists." He let his gaze wander around the main hall once more, this time more in frustration than in search.

Tameku frowned as they noticed the approaching Matoran. "This place is getting a lot of visitors today", he muttered more to himself than to the others.
"Poriko?", he called just loud enough to catch the Po-Matoran's attention. "Do you know of any big gathering supposed to take place here today?"


Assuming Poriko is still nearby, but not directly with our group.

Poriko looked up with a puzzled expression. "No, I have traveled alone ever since I left home," he replied, "and the natives I met did not speak of any gatherings. Who knows, perhaps they are here for the same reason as you? Apart from myself, I understand that every stranger who came here recently have sought the elements."

***

The group of strangers was drawing closer now, and when they emerged from the bushes at the edge of the wilderness they looked for a moment like they were bushes themselves. There were four, six, eight... perhaps a dozen in total.

The Matoran wore armor in shades of green and blue, colored by torchlight to occasionally look like a muddy brown. Their masks and armor were heavily tarnished with dirt and grime and scratches, and looked deliberately stuck with a smattering of leaves and twigs which obscured their appearance.

Every Matoran carried a torch in one hand and a weapon or tool carved from wood and stone in the other. They all had sacks woven from leaves slung over their shoulders.

A couple had drums, which they beat to sound a marching tune.

The apparent group leader held his torch high, and the drumming ceased. His eyes seemed dull and lifeless, but his head turned purposefully to survey the temple. The group had arrived outside the walls but had not laid eyes upon those within it yet.


What do you do?
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:39, Thu 27 Aug 2020.

"I'm not entirely sure if I like the looks of this", Tameku told his companions, keeping his voice low. "And in any case, we've spent enough time here already. We still need to get up to the glacier village if we want to catch up with the Dark Hunters and - presumably - the archeologists."

"I say we sneak out of here and get going."

In reply to Tameku (msg # 89):

"Agreed, let's get out of their way, I found important information I'll share on the way." Lutorian replied to Tameku

"I don't think that it's safe to continue Oiroh said to the others. "It's to dark and if we use something to light up the path we will be spotted by wild rahi""I saw a spot where we can hide until the morning and if we extinguish our lights we won't be seen by those matoran"

Tameku shook his head. "I would be too noisy getting our Ussals out of sight - if we even have time for that. And who knows if these people will only stay here for the night? We'll make camp once we're halfway up the mountain. Our Ussals should have no trouble finding their way in the dark.
"And I'm fairly certain that no Rahi would attack a group of grown Ussal. Or at least I hope so. We're close enough to Parau Koro still that the local Rahi might even be familiar with what Ussal riders can do if provoked."

It is feasible to sneak out. Ussal crabs make some noise but are no worse than the crowd outside unless you go at full sprint.

Wild Rahi may or may not appear. I will roll an encounter as usual, but I can reveal that this road has little in the way of danger. The wilderness is more dangerous but not terribly so in this area.

Oiroh is right in assuming that light would draw a lot of attention.

"Tameku is correct, Ussals are hardy creatures and will have no trouble in the dark, we are also more than capable of deterring any hostile Rahi" Lutorian replied.

"I agree with Lutorian, our ussals should have no problem" kāpeti agreed

"Let's get going, then", Tameku urged. "Are you going to come, too, Poriko? We'll have to travel fast, but I think we could accompany you until you find a suitable campsite nearby. Only if you wish, of course."

Inside the temple

Poriko gave the temple grounds a longing look while he contemplated the suggestion.

"I would have liked to stay a bit, after traveling so far to see this place," he said, "but I do not know these natives and would not betray our presence to them, if you find it inadvisable to do so."

Finally, the Po-Matoran nodded and tugged his Mahi's leash to have it come closer. "I will follow your lead."

***

The ussal crabs made some noise as they skittered out of the temple away from the group of strangers, but the soft ground muffled the tick-tick-tick sound of their footsteps, and the murmur from the crowd drowned out the rest. No one would be looking for a group of Matoran in this place, anyway, for they had their own agenda in mind.


A bit further down the road

It didn't take long for the Matoran to get far enough away from the temple that it would be impossible to spot them in the darkness.

The ride was uneventful, but thankfully swift. There were no more travelers out at night, and no roaming Rahi - all asleep, one could guess.

Eventually the group arrived at the crossroads between the valley and mountain paths. To the north laid the foot of the glacier, and beyond its climb the ice cold village where the Dark Hunters had surely gone.

The road continued westwards towards the guard post and tunnel to the underground Parau Koro.


What is your plan?

---

Encounter roll result: Boon! Quick travel. You leave the temple behind, traveling back along the road from which you came with some new allies in tow.

Lutorian
As you leave the temple, the gauges on the device you carry rapidly drop back to zero.

"We made good progress", Tameku commented as the group reached the crossroads. "I think we can rest here a moment."

He turned to Lutorian: "You said you wanted to share something with us?"

Do we have an estimate how long it is until dawn?

In reply to Tameku (msg # 98):

"Yes" Lutorian responded as he dismounted his Ussal, "Buried in the temple I found a message from the dark hunters, it seems they are planning something in the Ice Village, but they won't be getting far without it," the green matoran said handing Tameku the note, "or their flair gun," he said spinning it around his finger.

"Signal when the message has been received, and again when prepared", Tameku read the last sentence aloud.

He pondered it for a moment.

"We could fake these signals in order to scramble the Dark Hunters' communication even more", Tameku mused. "Right now it seems like they expect reinforcements up on the glacier. If they wrongly assume these might be under way, it could lead to them acting in ways they actually can't afford... which might be of advantage to us."

"What do you think?", he asked his companions.


Is Poriko still with us?

"But what if that is a signal for an attack? we wouldn't want to send the wrong message by mistake."

Yes, Poriko is still with you, with his Mahi (goat) in tow. Since his pilgrimage is complete, he may follow your group, or you may part ways if you wish.