The Duke ayes the hat and what comes with it and shrugs as he adresses the for now non enemy.

"You are Lucky. Go thank Lady Luck for that."

He thumbs back at the lady and looses interest in the man for the Duke was not one to do two things at once and he was looking for the water. Might as well start looking where the water was wasted in this place first. As he does more as an after thought he looks at Gul.

"You don't accidentially know where the water is going do you?"

Ajakstu's eyes shift from The Duke to the Lady and then come to rest in a glare at the Onsu.

"If I had water I would have thrown it on these feline miscreants who wrongly held me."

He then makes a great show of brushing himself off, still shooting the occasional glare at the Onsu.

"It is good fortune for us all that you happened by," he says to the Lady. "I was about to take my leave of my ill-mannered hosts and am happy to grace you with my many talents."

His smile seems totally genuine.

(As The Duke looks around, he sees an Onsu runner running with two large leather waterskins on a yoke. The Onsu male takes them into a large building on the edge of the cavern.)

The Duke already has forgotten about mr Gul and saunters off after the Onsu with the Yoke.

"Walk with me", The Lady bid the human.
"Tell me, what do we call you, stranger?  And ..."

She was following along behind The Duke, still a little sore from the wounds she'd taken, but otherwise curious to see how her giant killer-companion might handle this ... more cerebral ... matter.
She was coming to the belief that, in his own direct and brutal fashion, that he was getting to the heart of their investigation in a rather effectual way.
And, certainly, he'd seemed to have earned the respect of the animal-folk here.

"... from whence dost though come?  Not from the Cloister nor the Zigguarat, I suspect?"

(There are no known sources for human beings to be from, at this time, save for the Ziggurat and the Cloister.

My expectation is that Ajakstu Gul left the Ziggurat some time earlier in search of wonders and treasures.

However,
1. He may have whatever motivations for leaving that he wants (he could even have been thrown out, if you want)
2. He may have left a week ago, or a year, or more, or less, or whatever you want
3. He may also LIE to The Lady about where he's from, why he left, and how long he's been gone all he wants.

I'll get back to what The Duke is gonna see inside the building in a bit-- I wanna see how this conversation plays out first)

"My name, Ajakstu Gul, perhaps you have heard of me?" Ajakstu continues without pausing, as if he was certain she had heard of him or perhaps did not care.

"I left the Ziggurat some time ago on a heroic quest. My uncle, well umcle by marriage, once possessed a mystical switch. He claimed it granted bizarre and wondrous powers to whomever should use it. Alas, his brother betrayed him and stole it, leaving the Ziggurat for wilds unknown."

Ajakstu sighed mightily, and hung his head down. "As the most fit and noble of my siblings I recognized my duty to right this wrong and recover his item."

"That is mighty fine of you, friend Ajakstu ... and surely you are, for you seem fit and noble to my eyes.
Tell me, how goes the quest?   Have you any leads?  Mayhaps some that lead you to this strange place?"

With a show of great sadness Ajakstu cast his eyes down and shook his head.

"It would seem I was given false information. The world is full of the duplicitous and ill-meaning. I was told that this miscreant I sought was down here by a traveling purveyor of medicinal herbs. His medicine also proved false," Ajakstu added as an afterthought.

"What would bring such a well-spoken lady and her....bodyguard to this home to flea-bitten kittens?"

The Lady smiled upon the man, when he graced her with such a compliment.
"Today, we seek to understand why the flow of this water has dwindled," she said, and gazed upon the continued efforts of her companion, "but The Duke seems to have that in hand.

Otherwise, we are on endeavour to find a collective of humanity, similar to but seperate from those at The Ziggurat.
It has become known that one, known as The Cloister, exists ... and we intend to find it.
Perhaps your goal lies with us, for your quest-end might be found among such?", she suggested.
"If not, then travelling with us might cross your path with said purveyor of medicinal herbs again".

"That is a most gracious offer. In these times," he pauses to glare at the Onsu. "Miscreants abound, causing confusion and delay. I think I would enjoy your company. Perhaps I may be of assistance. Surely educated."

As the two humans (and The Lady) enter the new building, they see that it is decked out with representations of Shaa's holy symbol, mostly painted in what looks like blood.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic...OBEx9MA&usqp=CAU

Here and there, Onsu sit, mouths moving in chanting, but silently.

There is another doorway leading deeper inside, which also has the symbol painted above it and to either side.

A large Onsu, disturbed by the arrival of newcomers, comes up. "Why do you come to the temple of Shaa?" she whispers.

The Duke not picking up on something like a place of prayer replies to the woman in his normal loud tone.

"Your people and the others are stealing our water. I am looking to see if i can fix it without murdering you all."

He states it as a fact as he looks around and seems to be planing to look behind the door with the fancy symbol on it.

"I do not think he can kill all of you," Ajakstu stage whispers to the woman.

"Such a bloodbath would be glorious and add to you most certainly great reputation!" he mutters to the Duke.

Then he casually steps back and smiles vacantly.

"Your water?!" says the Onsu woman, although she says it at slightly less than normal volume. (For her, that's probably yelling.) "Are you with the Durka, or the Cutari?!"

The Duke laughs and shakes his head and flicks some imaginary remain of one of the mentioned tribes from his bloodies shoulder.

"I am my own person and i come from outside. You 3 are stealing my water and it has to stop for i need it to help my people."

"...We need this water for our rites to honor Shaa... Shaa demands it..." But by now the Onsu has noticed, even in the dim light, the blood and ichor on The Duke's clothing, and she is wary, beginning to grasp how dangerous this huge man might be...

Once realization comes to the womans eyes a dark broad grin comes to Dukes.

"Show us your rite. We will judge if it must continue or is a waste of water. And then you people can choose. Join Shaa or abandon the rite."

He speaks matter of factly as if full on genocide is nothing else then tying ones shoes.

Sensing impending carnage Ajakstu steps back and glances bout the place, evaluating the possible future value of any artifacts or accoutrements.

"I will of course remain faithful to Shaa. Come."

Ajakstu Gul saw nothing valuable in the first room, but the second room the humans (and Lady) are led to is... more interesting.

First of all, it's slightly better lit, by more working panels in the ceiling.

Another light source is the giant monitor on the far wall.

Two doorways, one to either side of the huge monitor, are also enticing, although each is also guarded by two larger-than-average Onsu with metal spears.

On the screen is the holy symbol of Shaa.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic...OBEx9MA&usqp=CAU

Seated at a swiveling chair that is set into the floor is an elderly Onsu. "That is Shuak," the guide says quietly, "High Priest of Shaa."

Shuak swivels around. "Who are these... visitors...?" Shuak asks.

"They have come to learn of Shaa," says the guide. "They do not believe, but they are Shaa-curious. They wish to witness the Rite of Purification. This may be the will of Shaa, since they will surely become believers."

Shuak ponders this. "I see from their silence that they are willing to believe... to watch and listen, as the holy must do. This may, indeed, be a good omen. Witness, then, visitors, the first of the signs."

Shuak swivels back and pushes a spot on the wall in front of him.

The symbol of Shaa disappears from the screen, and words appear: ...ATTEMPTING TO CONNECT...

"The holy glyphs," intones Shuak, who apparently can't read them.

A quiet noise begins...

TCZZSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH which then changes to SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." moan all of the Onsu in the room.

Just seconds later, the words on screen change. ATTEMPTED CONNECTION: FAILURE

A voice speaks from all around the room, everywhere and nowhere. "The connection is not complete. There are two obstructions, in sectors 2 and 3. It is recommended that the cache be purged. All data impurities must be cleansed."

Shuak's lips pull back in a beatific feline grin. "Our connection with the divine is not complete. The Cutari and the Durka obstruct the cycle. They must be destroyed, or converted and made pure in the light of Shaa. They resist both destruction and conversion, for they are impure, but Shaa can wait forever. In the meantime, we seek to cleanse ourselves of all data impurities. Shaa understands that it is all we can do." He licks the back of his hand in a ritual gesture. All Onsu in the room copy the gesture, reverently.

The Duke eyes the ritual and nods seemingly in understanding as he copies the gesture.

"I see. A dilemma of great proportions. And so your nemesises live in sector 2 and 3 i assume. Tell me where does Shaa take my water.

And you might be in luck. I heard some people call the Lady blessed Shaa. She might help you with your purification rite."

Ajakstu sidles as close to Shuak as he can. His face is one of concern and concenteration. Or perhaps scheming greed. He staes intently at the monitor and mystic runes. His mind is balancing the thought that Shuak and the lot are full of nonsense and the thought that maybe they are misinterpreting what has been shown.


17:47, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,5.  Insightful.

The Lady also cast her eyes about the place, looking for any clues the environment might provide.

- rolled 5 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,1.  Insight.

"Eh?" says Shuak. "Your water? Ah, is it that you are taking over sectors 2 and 3? Well, the water we take is for the purification rituals..." Shuak gestures to the doorway on the left.




"Oh? And who is this Lady, then...? Are you an adept in the ways of the mystic, o Lady?" Shuak asks The Lady.




It's fairly clear to Ajakstu that the Onsu are misinterpreting what this computer wants... Its memory banks have become corrupted, somewhere. More than that, it's hard for him to say without going over to the wall where Shuak is and starting to try to touch places on it, or at least to talk to the computer. From what Ajakstu has seen so far, the computer will probably need someone to be sitting in Shuak's swivel-y chair in order to interact with the computer vocally... Which Shuak, Ajakstu guesses, will not want to let just anyone do...




Everywhere The Lady looks, all she can notice is faith... in Shaa, who may or may not even be a "real" deity. She is so forgotten, it hurts her. (The Lady takes 1 new level of damage... but gains 1 new xp...)

"AYE. The water bolongs to the strongest and that is me. You are free to challenge me but it will make you a smudge on shaas holy screen."

Assuming he has directed Shauk into the capable hands of the Lady the Duke heads to the door to see what is behind.