The Jungle's Claw #008

General Summary

Game date: 17th day of the Crow, Year 13944   Emerging from the abandoned drug-lab cave after a full night's rest, having sacrificed one of the two child soldiers to break Veylok's magickal hold on Xolotza the Panther, the adventurers had to cross a river where Thronn sprained his ankle, still feeling the effects of the poison from days earlier.   As they traveled through the jungle, three pteranodons began stalking them from the sky. Thronn and the intelligent panther Xolotza noticed them first. Despite attempts to lose them in the dense jungle, the pteranodons persisted in their pursuit.

Eventually the group came upon a rocky ravine that provided good cover. Thronn and Fouk stealthily hid and launched an unsuccessful surprise attack, both missing their shots at the circling predators.   Fouk then discovered three large and valuable T-Rex eggs hidden under a tree. Though Xolotza warned this was a perilous location as a nest of a T-Rex, and that taking the eggs was ill-advised, Thronn and Fouk decided to take the eggs anyway.   Xolotza advised she would continue to protect the sacrificial half-orc child from harm, but she would not assist the adventureres if they provoked the T-Rex, unless they expended one of her three promised 'favors' to them. She then fled up the rock face, carrying the child.   At that moment, the enraged mother T-Rex emerged, intent on punishing the theft. Thronn and Fouk who had climbed a tall rock pillar before the raging mother could reach them, and fierce battle ensued, with the towering dinosaur unable to reach . While Thronn and Fouk might have been out of reach of the forty-foot tall T-Rex, they were now clear targets for the three circling pteranodons, who began to swoop, bite and stab at the adventureres. While they may have inflicted some bruising and close calls and knocking the two from the perch, one by one, the pteranodons were shot down to be consumed by the T-Rex.   Fouk struck the T-Rex with a poisoned arrow, paralyzing it. The adventurers then slew the helpless beast.   With all three pteranodons now dead, the group had succeeded in acquiring the precious eggs, though Xolotza psychically revealed this T-Rex was an venerable legend called Eliadne. While Xolotza did not approve of their recklessness, as an evil creature herself, she expressed that the law of the jungle had been served.   Sure that Eliadne the Tyranosaur was dead, the adventurers set upon her corpse to harvest meat and ascertain if she had recently consumed anything of value, such as the equipment of other unlucky adventurers.   The group set off again, rare eggs in hand, to return to the Corpseflower Temple, present the sacrifice to the djinn Azural, gain their rewards, and eventually seek out the shaman Veylok.     ...

Rewards Granted

75 XP per PC for the 3 Pteranodons.   1000 xp each for the T-Rex     Ornate Small Chest   8 inches long, 4 inches tall, 5 inches wide   Dark hardwood with metal reinforcements at the corners   Approximately 10 lbs (including contents)   Intricately carved lid with symbols that hint at arcane practices, secured by a robust metal clasp   Interior: Lined with a faded velvet, now bearing the imprint of the chest's contents   Contents:   Gems: Several rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, each faintly glowing from within.   Coins: A collection of heavy, ancient coins with faded engravings, unfamiliar to current lands.   Prism: One large, clear prism, perfect for capturing and refracting light.   Tools: A set of small, silver-inlaid tools with oddly shaped ends and dark stains.   -------------------------------   Tyrannosaurus Rex Eggs   Size: Comparable to a large grapefruit.   Weight: 3 lbs each.   Appearance: Thick, rough shell with a pattern of earthy hues.   Care Instructions: Each egg must be cushioned and kept stable to prevent cracking.   Skill Check for Safekeeping:   Dexterity Check: When navigating rough terrain or situations that might jostle the backpack, perform a Dexterity check (DM to set DC based on difficulty) to ensure the eggs are not damaged.   T-Rex eggs are rumored to fetch as mutch as 5k GP in some of the coastal cities of Nolavor.