The Cleansing of M'Bala

On the first of the month we began our ascent to the tableau upon which sat the remains of the once great city of M’bala. The sun, just risen, was already warm and promised another sweltering day. By our estimation, the ruin sat two thousand feet above us, though the climb would likely take us several hours due to the angle of our ascent and switchbacks in the trail. What a magnificent defense this tabletop mesa must have provided the people who once lived here! My mood darkened as I thought of their demise, and it was with a grim countenance that set foot upon the path.
As we slowly rose above the treetops, Eku, in the lead, finally revealed her full knowledge of the city of M’Bala. “Long have I awaited this day, my friends. As I have told you before, I have a magically long life. It has been one hundred years since the fall of M’Bala, and I have waited all this time for heroes that would return to right the wrongs there.” She then, in full detail tell us of the downfall of the city.
As we rose above the jungle, we were afforded a view unlike any other in Chult. The marshland of the basin at the base of the Shoshenstar was revealed to us, and we could see for miles above the canopy of the jungle beyond. I noticed something we could not quite comprehend and drew our attention to the south. We could see, distantly, what appeared to be a floating rock—which must be enormous to be seen from this distance—a long way to the south of our position. Acorn-shaped, and with a giant tree growing from its center, it was an enigma. Not even our ancient and knowledgeable guide, Eku, knew what it was.
It was a short time later that my companion Connor Stonehammer’s sharp eyes, always alert for trouble, first spotted another oddity. He quickly drew our attention to what he had found. In the distance, so far as to have little detail, we could see the form of a ship caught in the branches of a tree! As unbelievable as it sounds, good reader, miles from the ocean, surrounded by jungle on all sides, a ruin of a ship was entangled in the canopy, a ruin of blue canvas surrounding it, and likely what caught our eye.
During a water break, I updated my map with the locations of these anomalies. They may pose fruitful goals for further exploration of the jungle. I resolved to inquire about them upon our return to Port Nyanzaru.
We were about halfway to our goal when I noticed in the distance reptilian, humanoid forms, flying on leathery wings. This was ill-omened, indeed. There were seven pterafolk approaching, and we were horribly exposed on the cliffside. Pterafolk are notoriously distrustful of strangers, prone to visit violence first upon trespassers in the demesne, and unlikely to parlay. Even Eku was worried. She turned to us, and with a voice pitched low so it would not carry, asked us “If you will trust me friends, I will attempt to avoid violence.”
It seemed a wise course, if she could somehow keep us from blows with the pterafolk—the one thousand foot fall off the cliff face was a powerful incentive to peacefully settle our differences, however it would come about. In this case, the ever-resourceful Eku used magic. Before our very eyes, her form shimmered and changed, elongating, and becoming snake-like. She had changed her appearance into that of an evil yuan-ti. In a rasping and hissing voice, she called out to the leader of the approaching pterafolk.
She bluffed and intimidated adeptly, quickly convincing the foul fliers that she was a mighty yuan-ti and that she and her slaves, referring to us, had unfinished business with Nanny Pu’pu, the witch of M’Bala. The pterafolk did not wish to cross the feared and cunning yuan-ti and allowed us to pass, and with a blessing. Since Eku made it clear that we were going to evict the witch from the mountain, they warned us about a foul pet that could not be harmed by normal weapons. They left us each with what appeared to be a wooden bat, about two and a half to three-foot-long, rectangular in shape, and edged around with the razor-sharp teeth of jungle predators. These ‘swords’, they explained, would damage the beast, and they hoped their gift would be well-received by the yuan-ti, and their cooperation with their plans remembered. I believe the pterafolk will be just as glad as any to have the witch put down and have designs on the mesa for their own plans. They then quickly departed, and we resumed our climb, Eku changing back to her human appearance, promises to explain her strange magic when the time was right.
The path made a turn inwards, towards the top of the mesa, at last, and its surface changed from sturdy rock to hand-hewn stairs. Cautiously we approached the crumbling gates of the ruined city, alert for snares and traps. Finding none, we approached the gates. The scene before us was ghastly. Piles of skulls lined the path and gnawed bones littered the ground, all human, and of all ages, in places so deep that we were forced to wade through them. They were clearly deliberately placed, serving as a macabre warning and horrifying decoration to the ravished and decaying foundations of what must have been in its time a great civilization.
With one exception, no structures stood. At the end of the bone-strewn tabletop stood one hut, covered in skins. Smoke slowly curled from its roof, carried to the east by the breeze that carried across our position. Eku finally explains to us her secret. She revealed to us that she is actually a celestial being, a couatl, a winged serpent of great power, and sworn enemy of Nanny Pu’Pu. Her day of vengeance at hand, she transformed into her magnificent true form before our eyes.
Spotting the witch by the hut, we made our advance together. Nanny, seeing us, and the fierce form of Eku, gave a shrill whistle. Suddenly, a cloud of flying monkeys appeared, and taking wing, charged us. They caterwauled and howled their defiance as they approached.
Stringing my bow, I feathered one of them as it drew near. My friends accounted for the others. While we were engaged with the airborne simians, Eku rushed towards Nanny Pu’pu. With Eku’s appearance, the illusion around the witch disappeared, and she took her true form. She was no other than a hag! It was no wonder the city of M’Bala had fallen to her magics. We would be lucky to perish ourselves. Had we finally bitten off more than we could chew?
Nanny was terrified to see her doom approach and summoned from the bone piles the pet we had heard about from the pterafolk. It was a horrible monster, vaguely man-shaped, its unnatural form stitched together from disparate parts. The monster lurched its eight-foot form unevenly forward to intercept Eku. As Eku faced off against the flesh golem, the witch uttered some spell and completely disappeared.
Finishing off the last of the flying monkeys, we moved to Eku’s aid. She had coiled herself, python-like, around the foul monster. Looped about it, she tightened her grip, constricting and forcing the monster’s arms to its sides. It was clearly in duress. With a herculean shrug it threw off Eku, breaking free of her coils, injuring her in the process.
Lord Rhogar, suspicious of the gift of the evil pterafolk, attacked with his mighty double-bladed scimitar. The blows glanced off the golem. With a mighty battle-roar, he belched forth a breath of lightning from his draconic form which crackled and whipped around the golem. It was unharmed! Clearly the magic of the monster was something to be reckoned with. I drew my ensorcelled rapier and the dagger that I had been gifted with by Ubtao and rushed to Rhogar’s aid. I circled, looking for an opening while it was distracted by the heroic, but ineffectual, attacks of my dragonkin companion. Seeing an opportunity, I dove in, striking deeply with my black blade and dagger, both. The beast howled with pain. Apparently, the beast was not proof against adamantine, nor the magic of the god, and it perished before me.
While we were engaged with the patchwork monster, Arryn sent his scalebeasts in search of the invisible hag. They tasted the air, looking around, and the same breeze that had scattered the smoke of the hut betrayed her position to the lizard-like hounds. Baying, they gave chase.
The hag, knowing that her position was betrayed to the scalebeasts, attacked in ambush, grievously wounding one of them, but before they could come to further harm, Eku, seeing her nemesis revealed, flew to the hag, and biting her with her poisoned fangs, caused her to fall unconscious. Quickly, we made sure the hag was done for. The battle ended, the century of injustice for the people of M’Bala came to an end.
We searched about for any treasure, and hidden in a cistern, a bag was discovered containing various treasures. Nothing else of value turned up, so we decided that the now monster-free plateau would be our camp for the night. While we rested, I explored the ruins, making a map and tracing the carvings that remained of the ruins. Slowly, I pieced together a rich history of the people that once lived here and recorded my findings in my notes. From our vantage here, I can see across much of the subcontinent of Chult, and I update my map accordingly. This map is perhaps our greatest prize from this journey, as few maps of the interior exist. I will need to guard it closely. Information this detailed, in the wrong hands would be enough to kill for.
The next morning, we begin our journey back to Nyanzaru. We encounter some trouble with two thunder lizards who had us eyed for their breakfast, but they are quickly dispatched. Wasting nothing, and knowing of the dire situation of Camp Vengeance, we harvest what meat we can from the beasts, and continue on our way.
Returning to Camp Vengeance on the eighth of the month, we are greeted by a changed scene. Gone is the sickness and disease we saw on our last visit here. A hopeful atmosphere is present, and we are greeted warmly by the guards atop the repaired rampart. We meet with Commander Niles and describe our adventures. He is amazed when we tell him of the battle, and when we gifted him with a map to the plateau and describe its defensive advantages over his current position, he is greatly impressed, and of a mind to take advantage of it. He asks us to send a report to the Order of the Gauntlet back in Port Nyanzaru, since that is our next destination. As it is on our way, and the previous lordliness in not present in his request, we graciously agree. Undril, it turns out, will be accompanying us again, messenger to her order.
We present the camp with our supplies from the battle with the dinosaurs, as we had so many food supplies left that our canoes were very nearly overloaded. A feast is held, and the mood is high. At some point in the festivities, Connor disappears. I suspect his affection for Undril is indeed returned. That is most excellent for him—who of us does not need companionship in these dangerous times?
We depart with the dawn, our return to the Port was with little other notice, but a brief encounter with the particularly large mosquitoes that seem to inhabit Chult. I must inquire about those further.