In Khuzu Kala, Gansukh’s henchman Batzorig made quiet inquiries among the shamans, foreigner sorcerers, and wanderer, seeking adventurers for a special quest. Among those who answered the call was Bangqiu and Hyamsam, magicians from the far south who, since arriving in the lands of the Five Fires had developed reputations for eccentric behavior and awesome powers.
As soon as he appeared before Gansukh, Hyamsam proclaimed that the Emperor had sent him North to search for the magic orbs. There was a significant language barrier. The translator asked Hyamsam several times what he meant by an orb and received a different answer each time.
The next day, Hyamsam returned to the tent of Gansukh, this time accompanied by Bangqiu. Hyamsam had prepared for himself a special draught that allowed him to understand the language of his hosts, even while he continued to pretend ignorance. Listening to their side conversations, he learned they were looking for coins. He and Bangiqu explained that in their language orbs and coins were the same thing. The continued misunderstanding allowed all parties to believe they had come to an agreement. Gansukh explained that an Imperial agent and his well-armed warriors along with a pale-skinned woman warrior, was searching the valley for magical treasure, having entered the holy ground under the pretext of burying their fallen comrades. If the foreign magicians could discover what they had found or where they were searching, Gansukh would be very glad to receive the information. Bangqiu and Hyamsam were introduced to several local shaman who would accompany them into the Valley of the Five Fires and to the burial mound where they might pick up the trail of Bo-Jing and Beatriss.
The sorcerers spent a night at the Nergui fire, where they repaid thinly-veiled insinuations about their masculinity with insouciant displays of their magical powers-- and then retired early. The next day they descended into the valley and across the plains. The next day they found the burial mound and a pair of wolves pawing at the fresh graves. Hyamsam assisted the wolves in exhuming the bodies and stripped one of his burial armor, leaving the corpse for the wolves. And when the wolves slinked off, each dragging a warrior’s leg, Hyamsam followed at a safe distance. When the wolves reached a cave, Hyamsam announced his intention to follow them. When a shaman produced a glowing rock to use as a light source, Hyamsam took rock and told the shaman to wait outside. Reaching the mouth of the cave, Hyamsam, found the wolves crouched just inside, gnawing on warrior femurs and looking territorial. Even more territorial were the 12-foot tall men dressed in animal skins. Hyamsam blasted the group with a cloud of hot steam. The wolves were killed, but the giants melted into wall, ony to appear a few second later. By this time, however, Hyamsam had made himself invisible and the shaman was retreating to rejoin the rest of the party. The giants gave chase and Hyamsam used this opportunity to venture into the cave. Following a trickle of water, he ventured deep into the cave until he found himself on the shore of a large pool of warm, swirling water.
Outside the cave, the shamans and outlaws repelled the giants; the giants to their cave.
Back inside the cave, Hyamsam stripped down and dove into the pool. The glowing rock provide great visibility under water and he found that the gentle whirpool was created by a natural drain in the middle of the pool Re-surfacing for a moment to take a great gulp of air, Hyamsam dove back under and into the drain, following the submerged tunnel for a some distance. Though half-afraid of running out of air, Hyamsam kept pushing until he reached the end of the tunnel, and re-surfaced in a small cave. There was a coin there, pure gold and with a white tint. He took the coin and immediately sensed a number of new powers, among them the ability to see in the dark.
Hyamssam swam back through the underwater tunnel and then out of the cave. He kept the glowing rock in his pocket and brought it out when he met the giants; by throwing it into a distant corner, he distracted them long enough to run outside. That night, after dinner, while the others were settling into sleep, Hyamsam told Bangqiu about the coin.
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