To the Temple of Elemental Dragons

21 Dravago, 994 YK

We wake up in the morning and head back to the kobold camp. Surprisingly, we make it back unmolested. It seems weird to be with folk my own size, yet somehow pleasant. The tall folk are preparing the boat for our journey and I look in on Snappy. He is so much better trained but still needs a little more training. I have to fork over 7 more gold to pay for his additional food requirements. I think I'll feed the trainer to him as his graduation present for all the gold he's taken from me!

Donaar comes to us and claims that we have to pass a test. I'm never prepared for tests, so I'm used to failing them. Well, this time, I think I aced it! He opened a box up and there was a shiny stone in it. I succeeded on stealing it before he put the lid back down, and then felt compelled to see what was at the bottom of the lake! I started to run there, but my feet were off the ground and I wasn't moving! Put me down, Donaar! Later he explains that I failed the test miserably. What!? Apparently, we were supposed to overcome our will to explore the depths of the lake. This is a trap that is all over the island to discourage thieves. Why all the hating on thieves? We're people too! I decide to risk it tomorrow morning to see if I can go on the adventure tomorrow. Apparently, the gnome and human failed the test as well; and dragonborn are immune to its effects.

22 Dravago, 994 YK

We rise in the morning and Donaar claims there is a potion we can drink if we want a boost to our immunity to the trap compulsion. The potion looks as foul a concoction as Des Ir E's home brewed hooch. I want NO part in drinking that! I decide to try without the potion. I passed! Glad I didn't have to drink that!

We board the ship and head out towards the temple. As we go, we are told that a whirlpool would form and draw us in. That is apparently natural, so don't worry. Right!

Well, needless to say, the whirlpool finds us and then we get attacked by four water weirds! We manage to finally kill them, but one drags Donaar off the ship, and the final one pushes our ship into a tower made up of sea creature bones. It damages the ship a little, but a few kobolds red shirts and I manage to protect the ship by pushing at the tower with one of the oars. We park at a turtle shell reef littered with Eberrron dragonshards

We walk along the reef and find that there are monstrous crabs lining the inside ring of the reef. We decide to stay away, but they really look tasty. We find the entrance into the vortex and inside find a glass gazebo with pillars inside that make portals. I let the others toy with the magical device. Rex calls out when one of the portals looks familiar to him from a recent dream he had. I just roll my eyes—that boy is crazy, or maybe a plaything of a higher power. They continue toying with the device and found a portal to the temple! I volunteer to jump into the portal to see what is there (since I'm absolutely bored watching them play). When I step through though, elementals begin to emerge from the ground! I jump back through the portal and have them close it.

The boys decide to examine the rest of the vortex, so we search around and found a fish hatchery. At least we can eat well. We scaled a tower of bones and found that there are runes on the top that not only allow the tower to teleport within the vortex, but also allow watchers to teleport from tower to tower. Convenient if you are a guardian. It finally dawns on me that this place should be guarded, but it's not. Where did the defenders go? And when? Was it the water weirds and we killed them?

Continuing our search, we find some underwater domed structures perched around a gigantic clam shell. The domes are constructed of coral, but their use is unknown to us. Perhaps it is an arena for dragon entertainment.

We decide to head back to the portal room and take on the elementals at the temple and further our quest.