Back Story

The old elf watches the two interlopers drink the poison. Their tonali leave their body. The elf feels the presence of the oracle and watches for her decision. She marks the Paladin as the true spirit. The elf is not convinced and breaks her concentration, but still the elf waits. The coatl slithers down the one tree at the center of the village and comes to the tonali. His serpentine tongue tastes them and nods. The elf is not convinced. "They try" said the coatl. "Their intent is good though the risk of the vampire retrieving the codex is strong. Why do you waste time on them. Kill them and sacrifice them to the bat god."

"No,". The elf placed his hands on the still warm bodies. "Look"

The coatl sees. The two tonali are four. "The gods do use them as avatars. Is your tea potent enough to kill a god?"

"May be." The elf sits. "If the gods submit to Nahda’s magic test as these have. But see the more multicolored tonali of each pirate?They are more divine yes, but they are real. They are more human than the tonali that occupy our forms here in Maztica. They are higher being but not gods. Let us not tell them of these. Their minds would revolt. Instead they fabricate the notion of gods and avatars to explain away these higher beings, these are the ones who bind with feelings rather than oaths, sickness for the loss of each other rather than sad words. I think they are the twin souls. They can defeat the vampire where these two pirates cannot."

"Maybe you are right but we still cannot give the codex."

"Then give them what they want instead. The answer to the codex."

"Very well "

Let them awake.

The tonali Intermingle and caress each other in divine dance and then return to the bodies of the limp pirates. They awake and sit up in their chairs. They look to fate and chance and the wise elf for answers.

They return all to the field in the middle of the viilafe.and stand all together in ceremony as if that were the important aspect of this magic test. He gives them his answer, "No. we will not give you the codex." In a green cloud of green spores he transforms back into a bat and flies away.

Yep. Them’s sum chicken scratches.

Oh wait. Bribe. I take brides. That a rule.