The Jungle's Claw #026
General Summary
Game date: 2nd day of the Wasp, Year 13944 Deep within the ancient temple complex, our adventurers found themselves confronting mysteries both arcane and natural. The very foundations of the structure trembled periodically, a phenomenon that triggered a flash of recognition in Thronn. Drawing upon his knowledge of the region's history, he recalled that today marked the vernal equinox of the Month of the Wasp - a time when an ancient skyship, a relic of the Black Fire war, passes over Nolavor. This celestial cycle occurs every six Years, causing tremors throughout the land as the massive vessel crosses overhead. The party stood in council with a towering Clay Golem, its ancient form bearing the weight of centuries of guardianship. "Can you show us as far as you can go?" Fouk asked the construct. The Golem agreed, though it warned that its power would diminish the farther it traveled from its sanctum. When questioned about dangers, it admitted that after centuries of sleep, the complex could be "swarming with any manner of creature." It was, after all, the Golem's task to keep the dungeon clear of such threats. The Sinister Six, led by their unofficial commander Vah, maintained a cautious alliance with the party. Ratek and Krikfleek exchanged worried glances at the mention of the water weird below, their expertise recognizing the elemental danger it presented. The Golem's ancient joints creaked with each step as it guided them forward, its confidence noticeably diminishing as they ventured further from its familiar territory. The chamber they entered featured crude steps descending into darkness, where the walls bore telling marks - scorched patterns that spoke of electrical discharge and deep gouges that caught Thronn's experienced eye. Drawing upon his extensive knowledge of Nolavorian wildlife, he identified these as the territorial markings of a behir, a fearsome twelve-legged creature known for its mastery over lightning and its predilection for gathering treasure. The chamber opened into a natural cavern system, its walls adorned with patches of bioluminescent fungi that cast an ethereal blue-green glow across the stone surfaces. A treacherous rock outcropping, slick with glowing moss, jutted out over a pool of dark water. Krikfleek, investigating the water, quickly returned to warn of a water weird's presence in the depths. Meat-Beak, Thronn's faithful vulture dog companion, displayed unusual anxiety as they surveyed the chamber. Through their telepathic bond, the creature conveyed its unease, particularly about a deep dark hole it had spotted behind their position. This warning proved prophetic as events unfolded. Meanwhile, Gherman engaged in animated conversations with his puppets, occasionally unleashing vicious mockery upon them in what appeared to be rehearsal for upcoming combat. His odd behavior drew curious glances from the Sinister Six members, though they remained focused on the more immediate threats. The Clay Golem, maintaining its dutiful nature despite its agreement to help, moved forward to investigate the chamber more thoroughly. This action proved to be the catalyst for confrontation, as a massive behir, its serpentine form bristling with twelve powerful legs, emerged to engage the construct. The battle began with explosive intensity as the behir demonstrated its legendary strength, coiling its massive form around the Clay Golem. The construct, despite its formidable resilience, found itself slowly being crushed by the monster's constricting embrace. Twice during the battle, the behir attempted to recharge its devastating lightning breath, but fortunately failed both times, the chamber only occasionally lighting up with brilliant blue-white flashes. Ratek, displaying characteristic fearlessness, engaged the creature in close combat even as it finished destroying the Golem. The warrior employed his reckless attack technique, sacrificing defensive capability for raw offensive power. This proved both effective and dangerous - while his strikes landed with devastating force, the behir's constricting attacks found him an easier target due to his aggressive stance. From the shadows, Fouk demonstrated his assassin's precision, launching arrows with deadly accuracy. Each shot was carefully placed to exploit the creature's vulnerabilities, the arrows finding purchase between its armored scales. The Vorcian rogue's expertise with poison proved particularly valuable, as several of his shots carried additional venoms that worked to slow and weaken the massive beast. Meat-Beak proved invaluable during the combat, conducting aerial reconnaissance despite its obvious fear of the behir. Using its newly documented Feast of Flight ability, it managed to execute several flyby attacks without exposing itself to the creature's retaliatory strikes. Through its telepathic bond with Thronn, it continued to relay critical information about the chamber's layout and the behir's positioning. Thronn positioned himself strategically, using his hunter's mark to maintain deadly accuracy with his bow. The ranger's expertise in fighting monstrous creatures showed clearly in his tactical approach to the battle, each arrow finding its mark with practiced precision. His communication with Meat-Beak allowed him to coordinate attacks effectively with the rest of the party. Gherman, though arriving late to the conflict, made his presence known through his masterful manipulation of his enchanted puppets. The puppet master's attacks struck with surprising force, contributing significantly to the wearing down of the fearsome creature. His ability to attack from multiple angles through his unusual weapons helped prevent the behir from focusing its defenses effectively. The battle reached its climax as the behir, now severely wounded, attempted to break free from Ratek's engagement. This moment of weakness provided Thronn the opening he needed, and his final arrow struck true, bringing the mighty creature down. The beast's form went limp, its reign over this section of the dungeon finally ended. In the aftermath of the battle, Thronn's expertise in creature harvesting came to the fore. The ranger identified seven potentially valuable components that could be salvaged from the behir's corpse: its lightning sac, heart, scales, claws and teeth, stomach contents, eyes, and gallbladder. Due to the delicate nature of the harvesting process, they could only successfully retrieve three without damaging the others. The behir's lair, accessed through the hole it had emerged from, yielded considerable treasure. Among the findings were substantial coins and gems: 500 gold pieces, 1,200 silver pieces, 100 platinum pieces, and various gems totaling 1,500 gold pieces in value. Several magic items were discovered, including a Wand of Lightning Bolts, a Ring of Resistance (Lightning), a Potion of Storm Giant Strength, and a Scroll of Thunderwave. Of particular interest to Fouk was a dagger bearing a Shadim inscription, along with ornate bronze bracers and a steel lantern. The discovery of this natural cavern system, while dangerous, provided potential insight into how they might reach their ultimate goal - the southeastern chamber where they hoped to access the lay lines. The behir's tunneling activities had created passages that might bypass the dungeon's sealed corridors, though exploring these would require careful navigation. As the party prepared to rest and recover from their ordeal, the periodic rumbling of the passing skyship overhead served as a reminder of the ancient forces at work in this forgotten corner of Nolavor. Their victory over the behir marked significant progress, but they knew that greater challenges still awaited them deeper within the complex.
