Lucas
Lucas
Sweat stained, disheveled clothing. Leather vest and boots. Unkempt long brown hair, mottled greenish skin with angry red lines across the face. Eyes are blood filled. Wields two wickedly curved longswords.
Blood Hunter
View Character Profile
Alignment
45
Children
Gender
Male
Eyes
Red
Hair
Brown
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Greenish
Height
6'3"
Weight
225
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Session 22: The Soul Monger
"I made it!" Kasimir thinks seeing the beautiful female assimar looking down at him. He turns his head and sees Halveer standing there smacking a mosquito on his arm.
He turns his head back to the assimar. "Who the fuck are you?"
"Avery," she replies. "Pleasure to meet you paladin."
"Welcome back mate." I say. He turns his head my way and says "Did we win?"
"Aye mate." I say. "We did indeed. Nhile there went back in the tomb and retrieved you. Ever the loyal servant. Then Avery used her scroll of raise the dead and brought ya back."
We tell Kasimir all that transpired since the battle with the beholder as we make our way back to Port Nyanzaru. The soul monger was destroyed, falling into the lava below it. The infant
god blasted with radiant energy was no more and Accerak, unable to defeat us was forced to flee and spend the next century trying to recreate his foul designs.
Our benefactor, Syndra Silvane, is most pleased of our success and is cured of the death curse. She pays us all a handsome bonus.
Halveer scurries off to write his memoirs titled: The Tomb of Horrors.
Avery, the assimar, spreads her wings and she soars into the clear skies above as the sun sets on the horizon and disappears from sight.
Kasimir and Nhile, return to their lands to restart their trade business. Kasimir offers me a job in the business.
"Nah, thanks though mate." I reply. "Me pockets are well laden with enough gold to last quite a while. But I hope to visit you one day."
"Please do." He says with a slight bow. I watch him and the echo knight and Starfallen disappear into the crowded streets.
"I'm starving!" I say looking around. I wander through the market. I spot an open air food establishment, The Thundering Lizard. I can smell a variety of
meats being grilled over hot coals with vegetables. I see a familiar face sitting at one of the tables.
"Mind if I join you?" I ask her.
Oloma Authdamar first mate of the doomed Star Goddess looks up at me and smiles.
"By all means Lucas!"
"Glad to see you made it back to the city." I tell her taking a seat and ordering a plate of grilled meats and a pint of ale.
"I am glad you have returned as well." She says. "I felt bad leaving you all. But it was not my quest to complete. Everyone is talking
about the end of the death curse."
"I'll drink to that." We clink mugs together. "I figured you'd be on your way back home?"
She nods. "That is true. In fact, Captain Thasselandra Bravewing is arriving tomorrow with her new Sky Ship to pick me up!"
"Brilliant!" I reply. "I hope you are not planning on flying over Chult again?"
"Oh no," she chuckles. "I have had my fill of that. We will return to Halruaa."
"That's good. I'd hate to have to come rescue you again." I tease.
She laughs, "That would not be so bad." she replies looking at me from the corner of her eye as she takes another sip of ale.
I buy a bottle of wine and we return to her room at Kaya's Inn. We sit on her balcony and listen to music coming up from the streets below as the people celebrate
the end of he death curse that had plagued the realms for months.
The next morning I roll over and trace the curve of her back with my finger. "Morning she says."
"Good morning." I reply with a smile. "Guess you'll be flying off to the stars today."
"You can come with me." She offers.
"Now that's a finer offer than my paladin friend proposed." I say thinking about it. "What will Thasselandra say?"
Oloma shrugs. "Nothing. As first mate I hire the crew. She'll be glad to have you aboard."
"Sounds lovely." I smile. "I think I would enjoy seeing where are are from."
END
Session 20: Blood and Gargoyles
"This robe is no good for these close quarters." I scoffed tossing it aside. "Do more harm to me mates than enemies."
We decided the entrance with the two fanged serpents might be the tomb for Shagambi.
Blood was required to open the door. "I am accustomed to a little blood loss." I offered. I sliced my hand and dripped into a glass vial.
We poured the vials in to the hungry mouths of the serpents and with a grinding sound and chains clinking, the door rose up from
the floor.
We walked into the chamber and saw three corpses shuffling around below painting on the walls. Scenes of death that seemed to have recently transpired in the crypt itself.
"We should jam the entrance door open." Nhile suggested.
"Feel free mate." I said walking to examine the four pillars on the other side of the sunken art gallery. I found nothing on them, but noticed a half opened secret door at the back of the chamber.
Nhile also spotted a concealed door on the side that led to a stairway going up and down.
Looking through the open door in back, was indeed a tomb. A gold sun hung over a black coffin with a multicolored cockroach box on top. Inscribed on the coffin was the name "NAPAKA".
"So not Shagambi." I mused. "And I'll warrant that there sun will fry us if we try to open the coffin. It's seal with lead and I bet it will melt that as well."
"I can absorb the heat." Halveer offered. We all turned and looked at him. "You're hired."
We returned to the first chamber and saw the door had closed. "Told you." Nhile muttered.
On the throne before the columns rested an iron scepter.
I nodded to the scepter and told Halveer. "Carry that into the chamber and you'll be safe from any harm. Remember find the twin."
He lifted the item and I winced not knowing if it would emit any necrotic damage. My detect magic had only revealed the Sun and cockroach box to be magical in nature. Both
emanating powerful evocation magic.
We watched the young ranger walk into the crypt. He tapped the sun with the scepter and bright light filled the chamber we could feel the heat from the entrance.
He grabbed the colored bug box and fled the room. "Whoa that was hot." he said. Avery healed him.
"Let's see what's in this little box!" he said excitedly. He pulled out a jade key in the shape of an gator and stuffed it in a pouch.
I glanced into the chamber and saw rivulets of lead running down the sides of the black coffin.
I turned back as Halveer lifted a golden necklace with large beads on it out of the box.
"Careful mate, that thing radiates strong evo....."
There was a blinding flash and intense heat and....pain. I woke up on one of the lower tiers of the sunken room. My head turned to the side and my face red hot. I opened my eyes and saw a mummified face with its eyes and mouth sewed shut looking at me. Well looking in my direction as it began to furiously paint on the walls.
"Fuck." I groaned. Avery kneeled next to me and heal me and the others with the staff. "My thanks." I croaked and stood up.
"I had no idea!" Halveer whined. "How could I know!"
Nhile shook head. "Just go open the coffin and see what's inside" he said seeing that the sun had returned to normal.
Halveer shrugged and walked back inside and opened the sarcophagus. Inside was a well preserved female holding an iron scepter. "There's the other scepter!" Halveer called back.
"Swap it." Nhile said.
"He knows to exchange them right?" I asked the others. Avery just shrugged.
"No. No he doesn't." Nhile said watching the chamber fill with black gas.
Halveer came stumbling out of the room carrying both scepters and coughing.
"Ya take one. Ya leave one mate." I told him.
He gasped for air. "How was I to know?"
"Not your lucky day is it?" I replied. "Sun brunt. Fire balled. Gassed. All within three minutes."
We spent the night in there while the corpses painted a beautiful mural of our party being engulfed in flames.
The DAO Keshma, still awaiting our final two requests, smirked. I looked over at her. "Rather life like!" she smiled with a wink.
She saw me holding the scepter trying to identify it. "You won't be able to tell what that it." she confirmed.
"Can you?" I asked. She shrugged and said nothing.
The next morning I handed it back to Halveer. "It's powerful magic, but I can't tell what it does."
"It is likely legendary." Avery claimed, holding her hand out. Halveer handed it to her.
"I think she was a ruler of some kind." Halveer stated trying to remember Omu history.
"I may be able to divine its nature." Avery said. "But we'll have to wait until the next day when we rest again for me to pray about it.
With the chamber door shut, we chose to descend the stairway. We followed a tunnel with spots of gray ooze resting on the floor.
I destroyed with blasts of frost rays. We entered a chamber with a lake and towers siting atop massive cogs.
Nhile swapped to one for a closer look.
"What madness is this?" I wondered.
A small girl's in my head whispered. "This is what makes the soul monger work. Is it not magnificent? Are you here to see Acererak bring forth the destruction of the world?"
"Aye that's why I'm here." I said aloud.
Avery looked over to me. "I might could stone shape the cogs."
She and Halveer discussed the idea while I continued to talk to the girl.
Nhile retuned and pointed at me. "Who the hells is he talking to?"
They all looked at me and Halveer and the Aasimar shrugged.
"You had better behave!" the girl warned me and faded from my mind.
"Let's move on." I said.
The other tunnel led to a hall lit with candles. A lone skeleton and a black curtain were all we saw from the side tunnel.
I destroyed the skeleton with frost and mage handed another bone Key (Octagon). Also clean the floor of ooze.
I turned and burnt the black curtain off revealing a three armed gargoyle.
"Damn. There's one of those bastards that shredded the Yellow Banner." I reported. "He's missing an arm." I spotted it on the floor.
I walked into the hall. It had a slight slant to the floor. "This feels like a trap."
"Everything's a trap now." Nhile confirmed.
The other's followed me as I read the riddle over the gargoyle.
"Good thing we brought plenty of gems." I sighed. I paid the three hands which crushed them and the claw on the floor opened revealing
a large red spiked ruby, the size of a fist. The Eye of Zaltec. "Tell your elven princess we found her pretty key." I said to Nhile.
Before he could reply we heard a loud crash at the opposite end of the hall. The back wall had vanished and a massive 15 foot high stone horse on
thick stone wheels barreled down on us all.
"Called it I did." I Misty Stepped back to the side hall, followed by Nhile and Avery and the DAO of course.
Halveer was not as fast. "His bad luck continues, yet he manages to stay alive somehow." I remark as the crushed ranger drags himself out of the hall.
The juggernaut slowly rocks to a stop outside the hall.
A final passage leads to an odd control chamber with a map on the wall. "This must make the Soul Monger work." Halveer said.
"We are nearing the end of this quest." I said.
"One way or another." Keshma said with a sarcastic smile.
END
Session 19: Paladin's Rest
"I see my eyes are closed." Kasimir whispers knowingly.
"What ya say mate?" I asked as he stared into the mirror before placing the last crystal eye into its socket.
He had been looking at our decaying visages reflected in the mirror of the door. "Just an illusion." I said. "Meant to scare off the weak."
Kasimir turned to me and said. "It has been an honor pursuing this quest with you my friend." He said somberly.
"Same mate," I replied. "but we ain't quite done yet. There's another level or more below."
He said no more and placed the final eye into the door. It grinded slowly to the side revealing a dark polished chamber, lit with candles.
He strode in unafraid and I turned invisible and followed, moving off to the right. His sword and my staff went dark and I was once again visible.
The floor was polished and slick. It mirrored the ceiling giving the illusion we stood within a sphere.
"What's this?" I wondered looking about the chamber for a threat. "Magic is being suppressed."
As Nhile entered the room, we heard a low rumbling laugh echoing about the chamber.
"Welcome to the chamber of Belchorzh the Unseen. You shall meet your doom."
"Charming." I said glancing over my shoulder to see Halveer standing at the chamber door.
"Lucas, this way." Kasimir hissed motioning me to the other side of the chamber. His sword's glowing fire runes had returned meaning the magic was not suppressed there.
As I crossed the chamber, colored rays of light shot out from above. Some striking us. Nhile had tried hiding in an alcove but whatever Blechorzh was, he spotted the echo knight and
blasted him.
"Why does he not appear?" I asked Kasimir as I stepped up beside him.
The paladin shrugged. "Some higher level of magic is concealing him."
It was then I noticed a black shroud covering something about 20' off the floor. "What's that then?" I asked.
"Agian, I have no idea." Kasimir confessed. "But I would attack it if I could reach it."
"I can hit it!" Halveer stated taking aim with his bow.
"It's immune to psychic attacks." Nhile informed us from the alcove.
Halveer struck it with an arrow. There was a metallic "BANG!" as the arrow glanced off, but the black shroud covering it, slowly slipped off and glided down to the floor below.
I looked back up seeing a large metal sphere. Like the shield we had encountered in the hall upstairs, all metal was drawn to it. Except this was twice as powerful. Kasimir and myself were
pulled across the floor towards it. Our feet could find no purchase to resist. We were suddenly lifted into the air and our breast plates stuck to the sphere with a loud "CLANG!"
"Shite!" I grunted. I saw a green ray strike Kasimir and small black tendrils appeared on his flesh. "Necrotic!" I seethed. "Strike at me you fuker!" I yelled knowing I could resist such attacks
better than the paladin.
Kasimir's breath was ragged. "I must dispel his magic that hides him."
He closed his eyes and focused on the magical effect hiding our foe.
"Kelemvor the Lyonsbane, Lord of the Dead and Judge of the Damned. Grant me your power one final time."
He stretched his hand out toward the ceiling nearby and flooded the area with his divine energy.
Suddenly the invisible veil that covered our enemy faded away. Floating there was Belchorzh, a beholder. Unseen no more.
"There's the ugly bastard." I remarked. "Well done Kas."
"Was the might of Kelemvor."
"Wha?" the beholder croaked in surprise having his wish dispelled.
Halveer imbued an arrow with lightning and it flew across the chamber crackling. But the enchantment was peeled away at the last moment as it crossed into the anti-magic field of the central eye.
Nhile sent his Echo up to batter the hovering monstrosity. Kasimir pulled himself around the side of the sphere and was able to cut the creature with his sword.
I targeted it with magic missiles. Halveer and Nhile continue to whittle away.
I extended my fist towards it and unleashed an orb of thunder. "Take that you ugly sack of eyes!"
A black ray struck Kasimir in the back. His eyes went wide, then slowly closed and he slumped over. I heard his sword clatter to the ground below.
Halveer struck the beholder in its central eye and it wailed in pain.
Before I could say anything the others killed the Beholder and the metal sphere plummeted to the ground. As I began to fall I cast a spell I had learned from Blackfire's spellbook. Feather Fall.
Kasimir and myself drifted slowly down to the floor. The metal sphere however landed with a "CRASH!" and spilt open, revealing two halves.
Curled up in one of the halves was the Beholder's Prize. A female Aasimar with silver white hair.
On my knees, I looked over at Kasimir. He wasn't moving. "Kasimir! Get up! We have won!"
He didn't move. My heart sank and panic welled. I pulled a healing potion out and crawled over to the fallen paladin.
I rolled him over onto his back. His flesh was covered in black tendrils. He was gone.
"No." I whispered. "No."
I slumped next to him. Nhile walked by and glanced down at us. His jaw clenched in fury. He approached the beholder and drove his dagger to the hilt repeatedly into
the side of it. Then he kicked it for good measure.
He turned to help the female from the sphere. "My thanks." She whispered, stretching her arms and legs to get the blood flowing.
I straightened Kasmir's body on the floor, his legs and then lifting his arms to his chest. "One has died, and another is born." I mumbled looking at her as she spoke with the
Echo Knight. I looked down at Kasimir and fixed his holy symbol, centering it on his chest. "We have our time. And your time is now." I said speaking a Kelemvor prayer.
I reached over and picked up his great sword meaning to place it in Kasimir's hands.
I heard Nhile clear his throat as he and the female approached. I looked up at them still holding the sword. "What?" I challenged.
"This is Avery Emberfall." Nhile said introducing the female cleric from a strange realm. "She has agreed to help us finish our quest against the lich and the soul-monger."
"Great." I said dryly looking back to Kasimir.
"She uh....needs a weapon." Nhile stated. nodding to Kasimir's sword.
"No fuking way." I said. "I am not sending Kasimir on to meet Kelemvor without his sword!"
"Technically....his soul is probably trapped in the soul-monger." Halveer called from the doorway.
I shot him a look that said - SAY ANOTHER WORD AND YOU WILL SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY IN A CLOUD OF DAGGERS.
"Look." Nhile said as gently as nail in a coffin, "I think Kasimir would want us to carry on and be successful at completing this journey we started and end the Death Curse in his name. And he would happily hand over his gear to help us."
I looked back down at the resting paladin knowing Nhile was right. I handed the sword to Nhile rather than Avery.
Nhile passed it over to Avery.
"You better wield that sword with honor." I grumbled to her.
She bowed. "I shall indeed. You have my word." she replied.
I stood up.
"What are we going to do with Kasimir?" Nhile asked.
I looked around the cool dimly lit chamber and stopped when I saw the beholder corpse. "Help me drag this foul thing out of there. It will not share Kasimir's final resting place.
We walked over and I grabbed hold of a protruding eye stalk thinking it a good hand hold. It popped off with a sickening tug when I pulled on it.
"Cricky! That's gross." I made a disgusted face and tossed the stalk into the gaping maw that hung open. "Grab the lower lip?"
We tugged on the lip of the dead sack of eyes and easily drug it across the polished floor to the door. Halveer helped us shove it out the door into the hall.
I walked back over to Kasimir and lifted the black shroud laying nearby and carefully draped it over the fallen paladin of Kelemvor.
"Good bye my friend." I said. "Rest in Peace."
We walked out of the chamber and the door rolled into place.
END
Session 18: My Name is Yaka
The temple of Kubazan (Frog) god
Bracers of Archery
After that we found a hall which ended in a room with a gold skull on top.
It radiated Necromancy so I said let's leave, but Halveer had to touch it.
It began to float and follow Halveer. It introduced itself as Yaka.
We also started finding crystal eyes and a mirrored door with 10 receptacles for the eyes.
Then we discovered Ijin's tomb with a puzzle floor. We figured out the puzzle and
Nhile took on the spirit.
ONE SHOT: Eralion's Keep (Ken DM)
"Follow me, Brannor." She commanded.
Her eyes burned with radiant light. Her long golden hair flowed like rivers from beneath her golden helm. She wore white robes and sandals but golden bracers and pauldrons adorned her fore arms and shoulders. She wielded a long spear and golden shield. A celestial falcon rested on her shoulder. "Find Corian." She said.
I had been sweeping up the stables at the end of the day like I had every day for the last three years as a squire at the monastery for the Holy Knights of Mitra. All the knights were at dinner in the feast hall when suddenly a violent wind swept through the open breezeway of the stables where I was standing. I turned to see a brilliant white light appear and grow larger as the world around me seemed to fall away. The goddess appeared as she walked through the portal. I dropped my broom as my jaw went slack at the sight of the glowing goddess.
The falcon swooped down and landed on my shoulder. Suddenly I was able to speak and understand celestial, the language of the gods themselves.
"This is Muir, Goddess of Virtue & Truth." The falcon said. "Kneel before her and swear your service to her cause."
I dropped to my knees.
"Muir represents the martial valor necessary to make peace a reality. As such, she is the goddess of paladins." The falcon explained. She is noble and single-minded of purpose. To serve Muir, you must follow the tenets of her worship which include honor, truth, and courage. A great order of paladins known as the Justicars are sworn to her service. Muir expects self-sacrifice, humility, and charity as well as unswerving loyalty. Her standards are extreme. She quickly turns her back on any who fail to live up to them."
"Wilst thou follow me Brannor?" Muir asked.
"I swear I will follow you." I bowed my head.
"Rise then Brannor," The falcon commanded, "as a paladin of Muir." He flew back to Muir's shoulder and she began to fade from view.
"Find Corian." She whispered and then disappeared.
The world around me slowly returned and I rushed across the manicured courtyard to the feast hall. I stopped when I saw the blind monk, Simone sitting on a bench under a cherry blossom tree. "Simone!" I said, grabbing his shoulders. "Did you see....uh I mean did you hear her? Did you hear the goddess Muir in the stables?"
"What?" He replied, straining to hear me.
"Deaf as well. Never mind!" I continued to the double doors of the hall swinging them violently open. All twelve knights froze and the hall fell silent as the y slowly turned their heads to see what the commotion was.
"Brother knights" I shouted. "A most wonderous event has transpired on our very holy grounds!"
They looked at each other puzzled. At the far end of the table, Raphael, the alpha among them regained his composure first. "Do tell....squire." he said with a sly smile, nearly spitting the word squire.
"I was visited by the goddess Muir! The goddess of Virtue....and Paladins....and Truth! She ordained me as a paladin!"
There was a painfully pregnant pause as the knights of Mitra smirked, rolled their eyes and shook their heads and then all began to belly laugh.
I folded my arms dismayed at their disbelief. "You idiot." One of the closer knights said. "Worship of Muir has died out for decades now. Her shrines and temple are nothing but over grown ruins across the lands. Her last surviving church in the realm is in the old temple district of Bard's Gate."
Raphael spoke loudly to the knights on either side of him. "Well the squires these days are really becoming inventive on how they might hasten their ascent to knighthood!" The others laughed in agreement.
I looked over at the next table to see if there was any support from the priests of Mitra. They all looked away and returned to their meals. Even the head priest, Father Evancian never even glanced my way. He continued his meal the whole time.
I didn't bother eating myself. I returned to my room to lay on my bed trying to discern if what I experienced was real or some kind of dream. As night fell, storm clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled in the distance. A hard rain fell and I eventually drifted off to sleep. Lightning flashed as I dreamt of a screeching falcon fighting a crow.
A awoke the next morning with a start. Grey light filtered in through my window. It was still raining outside. I rolled over and gasped. Father Evancian was standing over me.
"Get up boy." He said.
I sat up and noticed he had sat a tray of fruit, bread, and grapes next to my bed.
"Eat." he said.
I assumed I was in trouble for my outburst at dinner last night and the fact that I skipped the evening prayer to Mitra. I had felt justified still believing I was now a paladin of Muir.
But with the head priest standing there gazing out my window, I felt much less confident.
"Father, I am sorry about last night. I was just. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before."
He said nothing. I washed the breakfast down with a cup of water and he strode to door holding it open for me. Ready to lead me to whatever punishment awaited. I sighed and followed.
We walked down the hall of the barracks. All the other knights and acolytes were likely still at breakfast. We stepped out into the morning drizzle and headed for the kitchen. But not through the
dinning hall like we normally would but he led me round back. I was mentally checking off chores I was likely to be assigned. Chopping wood for the the cooks was seemingly at the top of the list.
But we continued past the woods piles and into the kitchen through the servant's entrance. Now I was becoming intrigued.
Servants carting trays of food out to the hungry knights darted out of the priest's way as we passed through the kitchen and into the larder. There were spiral stone stairs leading down beneath the hall
and the church itself. We came to a heavy locked portcullis. Father Evancian pulled a ring of iron keys out from beneath his robes and inserted one into the lock.
The internal bolt clicked open with a loud snap of steel. I had only been down here one other time. To the right was the wine cellar. All the wines the monks produced were stored here until needed for special meals or to be sold at market. To the left were the catacombs where dead knight's and former priests were buried. Father Evancian would one day make a final trip to his own resting place.
I had never been to the catacombs. He turned an lit a torch on the wall sconce and locked the gate behind us. He picked up the torch and we travelled down another set of stone stairs. Water seeped through the walls of a long corridor which led to a larger chamber. The air was still and thick as we silently passed through the chamber. I could see smaller side passages and niches carved our of the rock were bones were piled. Some were wrapped in rags, others in wooden boxes.
I dared not speak and we passed the long forgotten priests and knights of he order. I imaged them suddenly springing to life, crawling from their crypts to attack us for daring to disturb their slumber.
We as last came to the the end of the chamber and the priest stopped. We stood before a solid stone wall. He seemed to be studying it. Moving the torch light slowly over it. "Ah there." he whispered.
He wriggled a finger into a crack in the wall and pulled down a thin metal rod with a ring welded to the end. "Pull that." he ordered.
I put my finger in the ring and pulled on the bar. Suddenly dust expelled along the crack and the edge of a door appeared in the stone work.
"Whoa..." I gasped. I heaved on the door feeling a breeze of stale air enter the chamber. The torch light flicked as the Father pushed past me and entered the chamber beyond. His light revealed racks of old weapons
and pieces of armor and helmets.
Again we walked to the end of this chamber and into a small niche of a room. On the floor was an old metal chest covered in dust.
"Hold the torch." He said thrusting it at me. I took it and held it aloft as he bent over and lifted the iron lid.
It clanged with a resounding bang against the back wall. I winched as the noise echoed through the chamber.
He hefted several pieces of scale mail out of the chest. The leather straps were stiff and a little cracked but held. He took the torch from me and set it into a sconce on the wall.
"Put that on." He said nodding at the armor.
Being a squire, I knew how to don all types of armor and had even tried on a few suits myself. He helped me set each piece in place. "Some oil on these straps will bring them back to life." He muttered.
"Father, I am a bit confused." I stammered as I tightened the final piece. "What is all this about?"
He sighed. "Those young fools upstairs don't even know that this temple of Mitra was once a holy place dedicated to Muir herself decades ago."
He leaned over the chest again and lifted up a blood red cloak. It was wrapped around a shield. He moved the cloth to the side revealing a white field with a blood red sword on it.
"The symbol of Muir." He explained.
The shield looked brand new. He handed it to me and draped the cloak over my shoulders.
"In fact," he continued. "The very stables you were cleaning was where the last shrine to Muir stood here on the outskirts of Reme. Over the years the politics of the land began to shift from virtue and truth to law and justice. This in turn
led to more worship of Mitra and less of Muir. Holy Wars with the more lawless races and neighboring countries became more...justified."
I nodded having learned about many of the more recent conflicts.
"Well Bannor, orphan child left on our doorstep twenty years ago, I release you of your duties as a squire of Mitra. You are free to follow your own path now or that of Muir." He said with a rare smile.
"My thanks, Father Evancian." I replied with a slight bow. I turned to head to the exit of the secret armory.
"Oh wait." the priest stopped me. "You can't be much of a paladin without a sword." He again reached to the bottom of the chest and brought up an old leather scabbard with gold filigree.
"Thank you. Do you know who these items once belonged to? A Paladin of Muir perhaps?"
The priest shrugged. "Who knows. Probably some knight that died of the plague."
I shuddered.
As we walked out, he lifted a mace off one of the racks. "Take this as well. They come in handy for smashing things. Trust me I know." he affirmed speaking from experience.
After passing through the portcullis, he stepped into the wine cellar and returned with a pack and bed roll.
"Here you go. I prepared an uh...adventurer's pack for you. Just some basics for life on the road. I also lifted a few coins from the collection boxes. They are in a pouch in the pack."
I suspected the pack had once belonged to him. "I can not thank you enough for everything." I said.
He waved his hand. "Just bring a little more truth and virtue into the world. Where will you head?"
I thought a moment. "I eventually want to make my way to Bard's Gate. The temple of Muir has an order of Justicars I hope to join. But first I must find someone named Corian. Do you know of him?"
He thought for a moment. "I know that name. I think he's a waif that lives with his uncle, a wizard in the town of Reme proper. His uncle would come to market to buy our wine and he introduced me to his nephew
once. Corian was the name."
I shrugged. Well I will start in Reme then. Muir said I should seek him out.
I left the gates of the monastery behind as the rain continued to fall. I pulled the hood of the red cloak over my head as I trudged down the hill toward the town of Reme.
That afternoon I arrived at the town square, where venders were closing up their stalls early for the day due to all the rainfall.
I looked around at the merchants busily loading their unsold wares on wagons ready for the trip back home. "Excuse me, Do you know where a lad named Corian lives?"
After three shrugs and a blank stare, I was about to give up.
"I know where he is." A voice behind me says. I turn expecting to see a merchant, but to my surprise a thin rain soaked elf is standing before me.
He has dirty blonde unkempt hair, ruddy tanned skin with green eyes and is wearing muddy traveling clothes.
Growing up in the monastery, I had never met an elf. I had only see one once. A regal looking ranger that had come to lead some of the knights on a scouting expedition.
"You know where Corian lives?" I asked.
"No." he replied. "I know where he is."
After not offering anymore details I asked. "Where is he?"
Rather than reply he handed me a piece of parchment. "I pulled this off the message board over there." he said indicating a plain wooden stand with a small overhang.
I looked at the note:
Seeking adventurers for a quest! Great treasures await you!
Inquire at the Starving Stirge. Ask for CORIAN.
I looked at the elf who said, "Shall we?"
"You know the way?"
"Indeed, my well armored friend." He smiled.
"Are you a ranger?"
"While I have traveled around a bit," he replied, "I mostly stick to the towns. I play music for coin. Once the town has heard my songs 3 or 4 times. I move on to the next town. I planned to play at the Stirge tonight and that's
when I saw this notice. Probably just someone who has lost their pet cat. But if they pay coin, I will be happy to search for it."
"I doubt we are seeking a cat..." I replied as I followed him to the tavern.
END
Session 17: Starfallen
MARCHING ORDER: Nhile / Echo / Lucas / Kasimir / Halveer
As we entered the Tomb of Papazotl, Halveer tore past the rest of us, hungrily racing for the bronze coffin aboard a chariot covered in treasure.
"What's that one about?" I wondered aloud.
We saw three zombies appear at the end of the hall to the left wrapped in chains.
"It is all mine!" Halveer said to himself atop the chariot as he stuffed amulets and and other baubles into his pockets.
He only paused a moment as the spirit of the Iblis pushed Nang Nang out.
A skeleton next to a thin column turned it's head towards us almost grinning at us. I use Moa to turn invisible and I cautiously stepped in to the chamber watching to see what would happen next.
At that moment the cauldrons around the room bubbled and deposited skeletal warriors into the chamber to defend against intruders. The Echo appeared next to the Skeleton by the column and destroyed it.
A warrior standing by the shield on the wall animated and hurled a spear at Halveer.
Kasimir made his way fighting through skeletons to a glass cauldron and smashed it to pieces. "Destroy the cauldrons!" he shouted as we became surrounded.
Remembering the riddle on the plaque outside, I had a different goal in mind. I took down a couple of skeletons by swinging Billie into their bony frames with both hands. Unfortunately, the statue of the warrior saw me making my way across the room and speared me in the side with a javlin.
Ignoring the pain and blood running down my leg I made it before the forth statue with no face.
"Hullo No One." I greeted it. I took a deep bow before the statue and suddenly there was a clattering all about the floor as the dozen or so skeletons crumbled to the ground. The animated warrior also ceased throwing his spears and stood still again. I slowly rose and noticed the cauldrons
surfaces return to calm once more.
We dispatched the zombies and exited the tomb back at the main stairway.
Entering a small chamber we discovered a gargoyle face on the floor with the iconic gaping mouth. From which we heard the whispered cries of the damned souls. Likely victims of the soulmonger itself. I shuddered. "Let's move on mates."
Nhile found a secret door in the hall next to the stairs that led to a small room with a fountain of water. He stared into is depths and was surprised to have some sort of vision where he could see through the eyes of one of the patrolling flesh golems. He decided to continue to watch where it would go next.
Kasimir and I turned to Halveer and jested that he best watch out behind himself. Lest the guardian creep up.
Unfortunately, the guardian sensed the intrusion on its mind and was able to transport through the scrying device into the chamber itself.
We were able to quickly surround it and now having a few magical weapons at hand, we took it down without much trouble.
The next door led to a familiar area. The golem workshop with seven of the life stealing tomb dwarves. We backed away slowly before they spotted us.
"Now is our chance to eliminate them." Nhile claims. "Let's go in and put an end to their work"
"Now hold on...." I cautioned. "Those things get ahold of ya and we lose part of our essence and there's no way to restore that. I don't know about you but I think we need all we have to face the master of this tomb."
Halveer shrugged. "Maybe we should keep em from coming around us later."
I shook my head. "They are in there making replacement golems like the one Nhile saw back in the wine room, till it paid us a visit." I sighed. "I say we leave em be doing their work and not waste resources unless we must."
Kasimir was undecided but eventually we decided to move on.
The next chamber was a study at the end of a long hall. An undead song bird flittering around in a cage was the first thing that caught your eyes. Secondly was several severed hands, claws really, crawling about the floor and atop an expansive desk in the center of the room. On the wall behind the desk were drawings of body parts and shelves lined both side walls. Behind the desk sat a rather moldy fellow in tattered robes and wearing a bronze mask.
He looked up as we filed into the room.
"Good afternoon," he said with a rasp. "Not the persons I was expecting to see to be sure."
I pointed Billie at him and asked. "Are you Acererak, The Devourer of Souls?"
"Oh no no no." He said shaking his head stiffly and twitching his hands. "I am the master's humble servant Withers. I am helping him until he can collect enough souls to raise the gift and then all shall end."
"Resetting traps and making golems from adventurers that wander in."
"Yes indeed." Withers confirmed. "We recently had the band of the Yellow Banner as our guests. We only allowed them to make it to the forth level."
I looked down and saw several of the claws starting to crawl towards us. The bird chittered and rattled its cage.
"Fellows. I think this conversation has come to an end."
I pulled my gem out and launched a fire ball at Withers. Unfortunately I didn't take time to properly aim it and it sailed overhead striking the back wall and burning his drawings.
Nhile placed his echo over the desk and struck Withers as more and more claws attacked.
Suddenly from the hall Halveer called out. "We've got company back here! A couple of the dead dwarves."
"I told you so." Nhile said while stomping on a claw.
"At least you're not the sort to rub it in a fellows face then." I grumbled. I ignored the claws and moved around the desk gripping Billie with both hands.
I expended a few of the staff's charges to cause extra force damage and caved his undead skull in. I ran to the back of the room and was joined by Halveer.
"They touch you?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I'll shoot them with a spell."
Kasimir readied himself by the door waiting for a dwarf to wander in and Nhile placed his Echo in the hall.
A dwarf struck it and then entered the room. Kasimir smited the creature and it went down.
Halveer leapt in front of me and fired an arrow that lodged in the dwarf's torso like a stick in mud.
"I thought you were gonna cast a spell?" I asked.
"Well only one left. Seemed a waste." He replied.
"Same as wasting a non-magical arrow on it?" I asked. "Git outta my way boy."
He darted away and I cast a fire bolt down the hall striking it in the chest. It set him and the papers he carried ablaze as he entered the room.
Kasimir and Nhile finished him off.
Kasimir walked around the desk and saw wither's unmoving form on the floor.
He kicked Withers and said. "How far did you let us go huh?"
Searching the room we found Wither's journal. An excerpt reads:
" The master returns with a marvelous gift: a cast-off creation of the gods, dead and yet not. The All-Seeing is blind to its existence, and the Mother of Illusions looks past it! Sweet Irony."
On the shelves I find a Manual for creating golems of flesh.
"Hmmm. That may be valuable." I tuck it into my back back and continue searching for the one prize I need. His spellbook.
"Ah here it is." I free a dusty black tomb from the piles of papers and blow it off. On the back of the book a name is inscribed -- KHOMARA BLACKFIRE
"His name before he submitted to undeath and became Withers."
I put that one with my others. Need to find some time to study the spells within.
Nhile finds Wither's corpse is wearing a magical amulet that affords the wearer short range teleportation by expending charges.
"Wonder why he did not use this?" he asks.
"Likely thought his minions would handle us." Halveer suggests.
Lastly we picked up a large gray stone that radiated enchantment magic, but we are unsure of it's purpose.
I looked up hearing a crash and saw the bird cage on it's side on the floor.
Kasimir watched the trapped bird flit for a moment then slowly crushed the cage and bird with his boot.
"Paladins are such zealots." I whispered to Halveer.
"Well we've destroyed a couple of them dwarves now." I remarked. "Do you all want to return and finish the job?"
"Now your interested." Nhile commented.
"I can admit an tactical error sir knight."
We agreed to return to the Golem Forge and finish off the remaining dwarves. However upon entering, we found the workshop
was completely empty.
"Must be out on a break." Halveer shrugged.
"Or gathering more golem parts." Kasimir added.
"Well lets toss this place and ruin there tools." Nhile said moving over to a work bench and picking up some of the tools. He carried them over to the forge and place them on the smoldering coals to melt into slag. Then he noticed a softly glowing lantern sitting next to the forge.
Something inside...moved.
He picked it up to inspect the source. "There is a female trapped in here!" he said.
"Oy! It's another trapped genie!" I claimed. "Three more wishes for us."
Keshma looked at me and rolled her eyes. She floated up a bit and said, "That is no genie fool. It's a mortal soul trapped inside."
Talking with the spirit in the lantern we learn her name is Starfallen.
Starfallen was slain over a thousand years ago. After her death, her soul inhabited the lantern. The Company of the Yellow Banner found the lantern and began questing for a way to return the Starfallen to life. The fabled Eye of Zaltec was said to possess the power to raise the ancient dead. The company tracked the jewel to the tomb and perished without ever finding it.
"Well maybe we shall come across it as we endeavor to complete our own quest." I tell her.
We make our way down to the third level. We have four shrines left to find.
The main hall has another plaque of course:
WALK THROUGH WATER WITH WEAPON IN HAND.
SLAKE YOUR SHADOW AT THE FONT.
THE VULTURE IS THE FIRST STEP.
RIGHT THE GODS.
THE WALLS OF HISTORY TELL ALL.
The hall is covered in purple mold. The fugus contains little eyes that open and watch us as we pass.
"This is not good!" Halveer complains looking a them.
"Now just take it easy lad...you don't bother them, and they won't bother you.." I reassure him.
"Flamus Dominus!" I hear Kasimir say behind me.
Suddenly his sacred flame burns off a hunk of mold.
An angry eye stalk pops up and shoots a ray of force at the paladin, shoving him down the hall and into the railing beyond.
"Thanks for making my point." I say.
The party debates moving forward so I trudge on through avoiding the molds. I stop when I come to a niche on either side each containing a flesh golem.
"Oy this is gonna hurt Lucas." I whisper to myself ready for the blows that must be coming . But nothing happens. I look them over and they are watching me back, but do not strike.
"Hey we have a couple of the guardians down here." I call over my shoulder.
I hear Halveer approaching and assume the others are following. I turn invisible with Moa's help and step forward. That unfortunately activates the golems as Halveer arrives. He ducks a swing by each of them and
scurries down the hall next to me.
Kasimir and Nhile join the fray and we find they are linked together with a magical chain that allows them to share their strength. Thus we can't concentrate on killing one of them. We must defeat them both at the
same time.
After defeating the golems we reach the double doors at the end.
"Wonder what will try to kill us next?" I ask.
Inside we find three tapestries. The Veils of Fear:
Nobles drinking and feasting on a boar.
Nobles fighting and lusting for debauchery.
Nobles eating the servants while the boar laughs at them.
Nhile is unreasonably disturbed by the last scene and retreats while we remove the final curtain. On the back wall is a giant boar head covered in fresh blood and gore. The Lord of Feasts.
I feel an overwhelming urge compelling me to thrust myself into the boar's waiting maw.
I take a step towards it and feel a hand on my arm.
"You must fight this!" Kasimir says. "It is urging you to your death!" He blasts it with holy fire and and I cast my fire bolt as well. As the boar burns, a few items from previous victims fall to the ground including spectacles and an eyepatch.
We return to the hall with Nhile and plan our next move.
ONE SHOT: Baldur's Gate (Bucky DM)
Back story for Brie Darkleaf - Female Woodelf Rogue
Wood of Sharp Teeth
Bri’el scooted backwards on the floor, keeping her green eyes fixed on the salivating fangs of the werewolf slowly approaching her. She had foolishly left her rapier laying across the table behind her. If she could just reach it.
She kicked a chair at the beast but it swatted it aside like a gnat, not slowing the lycanthrope’s advance at all. But it was enough of a distraction to allow her hand to shoot up and grab hold of the rapier’s hilt. The beast’s eye locked on her hand with malice and then the wolfman leapt at her.
In a flash, she freed her father’s sword and set it against the floor as the creature landed on top of her to savage and rend her flesh. Instead, it gave a gurled yelp of pain and scrambled back from her grasping at its throat taking her weapon with it. The rapier had pierced the werewolf through the center of the throat and protruded out the back of its neck. For years she thought the locals had just given the forest its name, Wood of Sharp Teeth, because hunters or woodcutters were killed anytime they entered the primeval woods.
Burning smoke rose around the hole created by the rapier and when the evil beast grabbed at the blade trying to remove it, the silver also burned its claws. Now she understood why her father insisted all their weapons be silvered. For decades there were rumors of a werewolf clan living in the aptly named Wood of Sharp Teeth.
Now she knew the true nature of her homeland. The werewolf tried to howl in pain but only a sickly rasping sound escaped the wound as it sprayed smoke and blood. It spun wildly around the room still trying to dislodge the instrument of pain and death. It crashed into another table spilling an oil lamp onto the floor. The lamp was smashed and flaming oil spread across the floor.
The werewolf fell to its knees dying. It toppled to the side motionless and Bri’el yanked the silvered blade from its corpse. She watched as the wolfman transformed back into Elvisar, their tribe’s leader. He had run into Bri’el earlier that day and asked her to come by his home to discuss her future role in the tribe of Askavar. She was hoping to train as a ranger. Unlike her parents, she had a wanderlust and wanted to explore the far reaches of the wood, if not the greater world around them.
But after Elvisar had poured her a second glass of wine, and had yet to mention his plans for her, she became suspicious. Licking his lips, he grasped her arms and professed his wanton lust and desire to have her. Appalled, she pulled away and rebuffed him. Meaning to leave immediately, she turned to retrieve her cloak. But he spun her around and backhanded her, sending her crashing to the floor on her backside. He was furious at her rejection and with a feral growl, his bones snapped and contorted, Bristly black hair sprouted from a normally hairless humanoid. With a final snarl, Elvisar had transformed into the beast that sought to destroy her.
The fire was consuming the room and she grabbed her cloak and rushed to the door. She flung it open and hurried down the spiral stair wrapping around the duskwood tree that held Elvisar's home. At the base she encountered several of the tribe’s guardians who had seen the blaze and smoke pouring from the tree. She was detained.
Her trial for the murder of Elvisar was swift. Despite her claims of Elvisar’s aggression against her and self-defense in his death, and her parents speaking on her behalf, the priest of Corellon claimed that under the divine spell of truth Bri’el was lying. It was only later that she realized he must have been a lycan as well like Elvisar, and did not want the wood elven community discovering their presence in the tribe. She was sentenced to die by a firing squad of rangers the next morning.
That night, her mother, a mage, charmed the guards and freed Bri’el.
“You must flee the forest my daughter.” She told her. “And never return to Askavar.”
“They will punish you for this mother.” Bri’el replied.
She nodded with a smile. “It will be fine. Most likely confinement to my home.” She took her necklace off and handed it to Bri'el along with her rapier and short bow. “Take this. I wish I could give you more.”
They embraced. “You have given me my freedom. My love to you.” Bri’el said.
“Live long and be prosperous.” Her mother replied watching Bri’el slip into the night and leave the village.
Baldur’s Gate – The Outer City.
Bri’el looked down at her hand. Only 5 silver pieces left in her purse. She was having dinner at the tavern in the Twin Songs district of the Outer City. None of the caravans would hire a wood elf girl, with no training as a ranger. Her mother’s silver and pearl necklace was probably worth 100 pieces of gold, but she’d be damned before she would sell that. I will eat a sewer rat before I sell this, she thought to herself.
“What do you call a wood elf that doesn’t lie, cheat, or steal?” A voice called from the table next to hers. She looked up to see the toothy grin of a fat human with a white beard. “A dead wood elf!” he finished and laughed at his own humor until it turned into a wheezing cough. “Well met.” he continued.
“Well met.” Bri’el replied dryly.
“I’m Whitley.” He introduced himself. “And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
She thought for a moment. Her past life was gone and here in the realms of men a new one began.
“Brie Darkleaf.” She answered.
“Well miss Darkleaf,” he said standing and coming uninvited to her table. “I heard a new female wood elf was in town looking for work.” He sat down and leaned in. She could smell mutton and ale on his hot breath. “I can provide you with plenty of work.”
“What kind of work?” She asks, suddenly interested. “Nothing of a sexual nature!” she quickly followed up with.
“Oh no of course not!” He scoffed pretending to be offended but mentally scratching that option off the list. “No this would be work more suited to your talents as a gatherer of information, running errands, making certain payments for the organization I work for. He lays a token with a dagger embossed on its face down on the table. “Come to my compound here in the district tomorrow and present this token. We will get you set up with your first job. I work for a gentleman named Scratch.”
Scratch Barracks (six months later)
Brie opens her eyes, finished with her nightly trance as Ardryll climbs down from the top bunk. Seeing her he says. “Good morning Brie.”
Brie fumbles with a pouch on her belt and pulls out a rolled smoke stick. She stands and lights it with a candle. “Morning yourself high elf.”
They wince as light from outside floods into the barracks. At the door is standing a small halfling girl. Mickie.
“Boss wants to see yuns now!” she barks.
“We had a long night short stuff.” Brie replies.
“I don’t give a fuck.” Mickie says. “Get to his manor now.” She turns and disappears before they can reply.
“Ugh. Turn the damn lights out.” A voice calls from the blankets in the next bunk.
“Scratch has summoned us Zathis.” Ardryll tells the human rogue. “Perhaps this is the job we have been waiting for.”
“You say that every time.” Brie complains, while strapping her rapier on.
“One day I will be right.” Ardryll says.
The three leave the bunkhouse and head to the kingpin’s manor house.
END
Epilogue: Three weeks after returning Scratch's lady
Rawk, the half-orc opens the door and sees Brie standing there.
"I am here for my appointment with Diamond." She tells him.
"Come in"
She walks into the parlor passing a black human female and a red-headed half-elf.
"Thank you Onyx and Ruby." Diamond calls to them as they leave.
"Well hello young lady." Diamond says seeing Brie walk in.
"Well met." Brie replies. "I have thought about your offer and decided to take you up on it."
"Excellent!" Diamond says smiling. "What of your other friends?"
"I am working on them...." She replies. "Ardryll is a bit loyal to Scratch and thinks he will be rewarded with a big score soon."
"Ha. Not likely." Diamond laughs.
"And Zathis is worried about repercussions from Scratch."
"Tell him not to worry. I can handle Scratch."
She looks at Brie's green eyes. "From now on you will be known as Jade."
Diamond calls to the half-orc, "Rock. Prepare Jade a room."
"As you wish my lady."
END
Session 16: BuKu Dinky Dao
I was not a fan of the two armored flesh golems that awaited us outside Wango's tomb. After surprising the Echo Knight, they moved towards the tomb entrance starting up the spinning fan blades. I hit them with my burning hands spell and Kasimir stepped behind them. The Echo hovered overhead and Halveer shot when he could.
After defeating them, we decided to return to the tomb of Obo'laka to search the other exit we had spotted. Opening the door set off an explosive trap and awakened the undead guardians. One of them got hold of me trying to suck my life force, but fortunately my new Arcane Powers deflected the attempt. I was really appreciating my decision to study the arcane art of war.
Through the tunnel we encountered the underground stream we had spotted through the grate in the hall. No one seemed keen to explore the muddy channel, so I hopped on in. I spied a chamber to the right. In the cavern, water seeped through the walls. Suspended over a pool was a coffin held there by chains. We detected the container was magical and likely trapped. I noticed an inscription saying that All Thieves but the greatest would be devoured.
'Looks like you better be very skilled at bypassing complex locks or this whole chamber may collapse." Nhile was confident he could defeat the mechanism on the suspended coffin. Indeed with a little guidance from Kelemvor he opened the coffin.
Inside he found a Viscous looking dagger, a sad faced tankard, and a cleric scroll what can Remove Curses.
After that, returning to the main stairway we head down a level. Choosing to go East we see a plaque on the wall that states:
THE RING IS A PATH TO ANOTHER TOMB.
THE DEAD ABHOR SUNLIGHT.
ONLY A JEWEL CAN TAME THE FROG
BOW AS THE DEAD GOD INTONED.
INTO DARKNESS DESCEND.
"More riddles from the mad man that runs this place."
We came to an intersection, and to the right a ramp went upwards and lying there was a humanoid with a human body and a goat's head. He wore robes and had a staff with a bronze goat head on top.
"A wizard needs...."
"A proper staff." Kasimir finished. 'Yes we have heard you."
I shrug and lumber up the ramp to investigate the corpse. I see a few crossbow bolts and deep gashes that killed him. "Looks like the Tomb Dwarves got him." I say over my shoulder.
Searching the body, I find some pouches with spell components, along with his spellbook and ink. I also find his journal, very similar to the one I write my own in. A kindred spirit.
"Aside from the horns, of course." I say to myself. "Rest in peace friend, perhaps your arcane tools will help us overcome this place of doom." I pick up his staff and return to the party.
Down the hall, Nhile spots some shadowy movement. Suddenly I hear his voice in my head.
Out loud I say, "Hey how are you doing that?"
He puts a finger to his lips and points down the hall. In my head he says we can all speak to each other with telepathy for the next five hours.
"Are you going to study the spells you just found?" he asks.
"To be sure." I reply. "Just not at this moment. I'll wait till we take our next rest."
As we slowly move down the hall to the chamber at the end, I do quickly flip through the journal and stop at the last entry.
After an incident with a four-armed gargoyle, the Company of the Yellow Banner was separated and slowly picked off one-by-one. Devlin, the goat-headed man, was the last remaining member before he eventually died, leaving a warning in his journal to any who might find his remains:
To those who find this,
Know that I, Devlin Bashir, am likely the last surviving member of the Company of the Yellow Banner. The Yuan-Ti warlord, Ras Nsi stripped us of our weapons and threw us in here on orders of his master, Acererak. I can only imagine our souls are to be fed to his phylactery. Alas, Acererak seems to have won.
Our Company was separated after encountering four-armed gargoyle. The tomb-guardians tore Seward to pieces, and with him, we lost the Starfallen. Our quest was a failure; even if we'd found the Eye, the elf princess was gone. My friends wouldn’t have lasted long without their weapons. (Especially with a doppelganger in our midst, as Seph suspected.) Of course, I kept my staff. I’m sure Captain Brixton would have found some humor in that.
Gentle reader, let a dying man offer one piece of advice. Acererak is a trickster who desires nothing but your souls. His riddles may help you for a time, but in the end, the final secret always leads to your doom.
May Tymora save us all.
At the end of the hall, we find a large vaulted chamber with a marble checkered floor. In the center is a gold trimmed coffin with a shaft of magical sunlight streaming down from the ceiling on it.
The room smells heavily of wine.
Four gargoyle faced portals, two on each side line the walls of room and we see a stone block will drop, sealing us in and opening the four portals. We assume enemies will pour out of the gargoyle mouths and attack us when we open the coffin. We summon the giant snake and the air elemental. To my surprise, wine floods chamber when I lift the coffin lid with a mage hand.
Three wine elementals attack us. Nothing exits the fourth portal and I suggest we make our way to it. Kasimir is able to swim upstream and find an exit on the other side. We defeat the wine guardians and our summoned allies help push us through the gushing tunnel to safety before we drown.
The exit leads to another trickster god's tomb. Nang Nang, the frog god. Searching for the supposed gem that will "Tame the frog" Nhile finds a secret tunnel that leads to a table on which rests a dusty bottle. Trapped inside the bottle is a DAO (Genie) named Keshma.
He makes a deal with Keshma that if we release her, she must give us the large topaz she wears and aide us three times.
Stepping into the protective pentagram on the ground, surrounding the sarcophagus, Kasimir and Halveer summon a guardian Grung warrior. We surround it and hit it with weapons and spells. Nhile asks Keshma to aide us as well. She appears to cast something, but I do not know what affect if any it has. Apparently the Topaz she gave us was not the "gem" we were looking for.
Soon however, the guardian surprisingly does not fight to the death. He has had enough and magically shifts away. Keshma takes the credit, but I am not so sure it wasn't my own magical missiles that sent him running.
Inside the tomb Kasimir and Halveer find an egg, an urn, and a potion. They decide it would be best if Halveer picks up the egg and accepts the spirit of Nang Nang. He now has the ability to climb walls while his hands remain free to shoot his bow.
Kasimir picks up the urn to examine it. Inside are the bones of Nang Nang. Unfortunately, the disturbed spirit possesses Kasimir and he begins to violently dance about the chamber dropping the urn back in the sarcophagus. We can tell the spirit is mentally assaulting him, causing severe pain.
After several moments I can't take it anymore. "Somebody help him!"
"Not sure I want to spend my resources on someone else, but I can try and dispel the charm since I may need his divine healing." Halveer says, casting a dispel on the paladin. "The magic is too powerful." Halveer says after seeing it has no effect on Kasimir.
He continues to jerk and jolt around.
I look at Nhile who is studying him intently. "Nhile! Ask Keshma to see if she can free Kasimir! Hurry, he is dying!"
Nhile calmly raises a hand. "Patience Blood Mage. He will come out of it."
"Are you insane?" I ask incredulously. "He's not going to last much longer."
Nhile says nothing.
"Keshma." I say turning to the DAO. She is rhythmically clapping her hands as Kasimir spins. "Help him lift the curse!"
She turns to me. "I did not make a deal with you, human."
"Fuck."
About that time Kasimir suddenly stops. I turn and watch as he slowly sinks to his knees with his eyes closed. I have seen him take this form when he prays for his spells.
He quietly recites the tenants of his faith.
"It is not my time." He says and opens his eyes.
"Thank Kelemvor." I sigh.
I throw a nasty sideways glance at the smug Echo Knight as I move to help Kasimir stand. "Welcome back mate. I didn't think you were gonna make it."
"Have faith my friend." he replies.
"Aye."
Session 15: Tombs of Horror
"Tombs."
I am in a tomb, I realize after shutting the lid to the chest with the golden key. Surrounded by darkness. Sounds muffled. Oppressive. Here lies Lucas, Bloodhunter-Mage. Nothing left but a pile of dust.
Outside I hear Kasimir saying something about a countdown. Ah yes. The key. I reach up in the blackness till my hand locates the key in the lid. "1......2........"
Wait, do we turn them on three? Or is it 1 then 2, then turn?
"....3!"
We turn the keys and I hear the adamantine clasps on the outside of the chests close fast. Trapped inside we are. Even if the jug's acid could eventually melt them, we will have long run out of air by then. I hear Kasimir talking again, perhaps to Nhile. Is he trying to get us out? "Don't panic mate." I tell myself. Trust the paladin to find a way. Trust Kelemvor.
Silence. "What the nine hells is happening out there?" I mumble still trying to quell my growing fear. What if turning the keys opened the sarcophagus and Kasimir is having to fight whatever crawled out? If he fails, we are all trapped.
Suddenly I hear a muffled cry. Nhile? Next I hear Halveer curse. Whatever is happening it's my turn next. There is a blinding flash, then.....
PAIN.
I must have briefly passed out. The next thing I remember is looking up and seeing Halveer peering down into the chest at me. A look of concern on his face.
"Hey Lucas, do you have an extra belt? The buckle on mine was disintegrated." He asks.
"Guhhhh..." I am too weak to reach up and choke the adolescent ranger.
"Oh, Kasimir, you may want to heal Lucas with the staff, he's looking worse than usual."
In the pit below I see the coffin has turned to glass and inside is a body wrapped in rags and clutching a mace. Kasimir shatters the crystal tomb and the mummy springs to attack. Kasimir ducks as it takes a swing at him. I quickly drop down the side of the pit but my legs buckle when I land and I fall prone. I swing my axe at its legs, trying to crop it down like a tree.
Kasimir stikes it with his flaming sword and it becomes ingulfed in flames and turns to a dark pile of ash that floats down and covers my face. I cough. The paladin lends me a hand and helps me up. Nhile's echo appears next to us and then the knight swaps with it. He reaches down to pick up the magical mace. He pauses. Like the other tombs, Nhile lets the spirit of Wango inhabit him.
This was our third tomb. Nine shrines. Nine tombs. The first tomb was Obolaka, the bear spirit. I didn't care for him residing in me because of his aversion to taking risks. Can't have that attitude in here. His treasure was a ring of protection.
After we got past the statue with the shield of rusting, we discovered a workshop of undead Tomb Dwarves. They were busy creating an armored golem of flesh. We tried to sneak in and attack them. I was trained to fight such abominations, dealing extra radiant damage to them and resisting their necrotic energy. But what I was not trained to avoid, was their ability to steal one's own life force. And more so, we had no means of restoring any lost life. So we turned and fled the work area.
Back upstairs we found another tomb with a snake and a floating skull of a child in a crystal box. "Speak no truth to the doomed child!" I warned everyone reciting the inscription from outside.
Halveer was still studying the skull intently. "You are in a safe place." I heard him whisper to the skull. He turned to me. "It's safe to open this tomb now." He declared.
I turned and looked at the coiled serpent on the lid and slid it to the side.
"Hullo." I said, seeing a staff lying inside. "A wizard needs a proper staff!" I said, lifting it out. The bones stirred and the spirit of Moa tried to enter me. I allowed it and he pushed out the spirit of the bear.
I found myself in a dense jungle, surrounded by mist. I heard a hissing sound behind me and I spun about to see a massive serpent descending from the trees.
"I am Moa."
"Well met serpent."
"I seek Truth and Justice." He hissed.
"Same." I replied.
"You shall no longer lie but I shall hide you from those who would do you harm."
"Fair enough. My thanks."
The jungle faded away and I was back in the chamber with the others. We rested there and learned that the staff could transform into a serpent on command. I handed it to Halveer. "Here ya go mate. I found you an animal friend. His name is Justice. You can drop him into combat as you fire your arrows."
Back in Wongo's tomb, I said. "Well that's all the tombs on this level. I wonder how many levels this complex has. We could not even see the bottom of that large central chamber."
"It's a tomb of horrors." Halveer remarked.
Session 14: Tomb of Annihilation
I was unable to persuade Oloma to return to the Yuan-ti palace with us to help put an end to the snakefolk's reign of sacrifice to the Night Serpent.
We returned to the temple's rear entrance expecting to find it heavily guarded. It was quiet.
"Too quiet for my liking." I stated. "Definitely is a trap of some sort."
Halveer confirmed the snakefolk had indeed been here recently.
The trap is sprung as we near the dock where the boats are tied up. Halveer comes face to face with a basilisk and has to fight off the effects of its petrifying gaze.
Several Yuan-ti appear as well while we are lined up in the hall trying to get to them.
A terse battle ensues as we spill out onto the landing beside the underground river. We manage to kill the big lizard and its sad owner drags it to him and starts to return to the complex. Not wanting him to alert the
rest of the Temple, I misty step to cut off his path. At that moment, Cimber, who was still in the tunnel is attacked by the other basilisk from behind. Along with his handler.
Cimber blasts the hall with a cone of cold, killing the handler and near freezing the Baskilisk. He moves up and dispatches it. Kneeling down to make sure it's dead, he hears another approaching.
[Queue O Fortuna music from Excalibur]
As if in slow motion, Slithering slowly down the passage as he passes through the swirling fog of mist left by the dissipating cold in the dimly lit corridor, comes a massive Yuan-ti wrapped in bandages. Raz Nsi.
The humanoid torso wields a flaming. longsword....no wait, a scimitar? Ah...no it's a flaming rapier.
"You!" Artus Cimber shouts. "Foul abomination! Bringer of undeath and loss beyond the veil of humanity! I shall end you!"
Raz Nsi pauses at the challenge and laughs. "Mortal fool! I will soon be a demi-god as I bring the Night Serpent to cover this world in eternal night!"
Their blades clash sending fiery sparks showering around them.
Out in the main hall I finish off the other basilisk handler and move to come up behind the remaining large Yuan-ti the rest of the party is contending with. Halveer fires arrows
as Kasimir blesses us and Nhile swaps with his Echo to surround the enemy.
Suddenly with a "pop" Cimber appears next to me. Quite bloodied.
"What are ye about mate?" I ask surprised.
"Nsi......" He gasps. "He's there in the passage. Too powerful. Raz Nsi is coming."
As the party kills one of the Yuan-ti, I slip past and down the in time to confront the evil snake fiend. Halveer calls forth the air elemental and send it in to fight as well followed by Nhile's Echo.
We surround him. But he soon misty steps away and into the main chamber.
Raz Nsi roars in anger, not expecting to see his allies already dead. He had planned this pincer attack and now it was us that had him in our clutches. Kasimir healed us and we laid into the snake lord
until he fell.
We searched the rest of the complex and found his chambers. We took his fancy cloak, the flaming sword of course, his magical bracers, the final puzzle cube, and I found his spellbook and personal Journal that
mentioned Acererak the Lich Lord and the location of the Tomb of the Annihilation, to which we now had all the keys.
RAZ NSI SPELL BOOK:
1 - Expeditious Retreat, False Life, Shield, Magic Missile
2 - Blindness / Deafness, Hold Person, Misty Step
3 - Animate Dead, Counterspell, Fireball
4 - Blight, Polymorph
5 - Contact Other Plane
6 - Create Undead
I had no use for any spells dealing with necromancy, but believed with a little study I could manage some of the first level spells.
We returned to our hidden camp in the ruins to recover from the battle and I studied the spellbooks I has acquired long into the night.
Artus Cimber announced he was leaving in the morning to discover if the missing city of Mezro, holding his wife, had returned to the Prime Material plane.
I was confident I could cast some simple cantrips like Fire Bolt, a Magical Hand, and a ray of freezing ice. "Who needs Cimber. anyways?" I mumbled to myself.
Most of the party including myself was sore that the adventurer and his Ring of Winter were leaving us before the end of our own quest. Especially after we helped
him find his Nemesis and defeat him. On the other hand, having lost my own wife, I could see why his heart would pull him away for a chance to see her again.
The next morning we travelled North to the end of the city walls. I had a few spells ready to call on, including Magical Darts, Flaming Hands, and an invisible shield that
would appear to ward off a powerful attack.
As the cliff walls rose up before us, we could make out a black obelisk before us and a dark entrance beyond. We stopped to examine the stone plinth and noticed above the gaping entrance where perched three large
gargoyles. At the base of the obelisk was an inscription that read:
"Fear the night when the forsaken one seizes death's mantle and the seas dry up and the dead rise and I, Acererak the Eternal, reap the world of the living. Those who dare enter take heed: The enemies oppose. One stands between them. In darkness, it hides. Don the mask or be seen. Speak no truth to the doomed child. The keys turn on the inside only"
As we approached the cliff entrance, the gargoyle heads bent down to watch us. We also spotted a smaller opening into the cliff wall to the right.
Inside the tunnel at its end was a wall with places for eight cubes arranged in a star pattern with lines connect them. Above the ceiling was not natural, but worked stone. Our guess was that, if someone incorrectly inserted the puzzle keys, the stone would come down and seal them inside.
What is more, skulls with gaping mouths lined the walls on either side. "We have seen these before." Halveer remembers. Noxious gas likely escapes them, when the trap is sprung.
"I reckon, we examine the other tunnel before we start jamming cubes in these spots." I suggest.
We make our way to the other tunnel, the guardians overhead pay us no mind. Inside this smaller tunnel are eight statues, four on each side depicting the Chultan Pantheon. Opposite each other are the gods that fought each other as told by their respective shrines.
A statue for each cube except Unkh, the snail god. "Eight holes, linked together." I say.
Nhile points out a secret door at the end of the hall. We stand around it with our lights examining it. "Another way in perhaps?" Nhile wonders.
"Seems too easy to me mate. I don't trust it." I reply.
"Anyone with luck could stumble across this." Kasimir agrees. "Yet those cubes or keys, were painfully separated and carefully guarded. We went to great trouble to acquire them. I would think they would be the only true way to access the tomb."
"Well we need to try and disable the traps in the main hall." Nhile advises.
"You can use your echo to swap out of there, perhaps we can find a way to delay the traps." Kasimir says.
We pack the skull mouths, with dirt, rock, and strips of Raz Nsi's cloak. Kasimir and myself head out a bit from the entrance to find a small tree to fell. We plan to create a beam to prop against the stone in the ceiling.
"Most likely won't hold it," I remark as we pick out the sturdiest tree we can find. "But it may give Nhile just enough time to swap places with the Echo should the need arise."
I lop off the smaller branches and start hewing away at the base. I am about about half way though and stand up to stretch my backside. I walk towards Kaimir to hand him Faefa to have a go at the stubborn tree. Wiping
my brow of sweat, I see him staring at the cliff to the left of the main entrance.
"What is it mate?"
"Does that look like an opening behind the brush and scrub there?" he asks pointing.
I look to where he's pointing and squint. "I dunno. It's dark there on the rock face but could just be the shadows of the brush."
"I thought the same, but it has remained so since we came out here." he replies.
"Well lets get the others and take a look."
We do indeed find yet another entrance. It's mostly empty, except for a stone table laid out in a grid and nine cube sized hold are fixed upon it.
"Well...." I muse. "Nine puzzle cubes and nine holes. How convenient."
I recite the inscription again wondering what clue to the entrance it holds.
The gargoyles never attacked, even though we approached with means to enter. Perhaps they are faux guardians, of a false entrance and here lies the true way in. On the other hand, "One stands between them. In darkness, it hides" Could mean
the ninth hole is hidden in the middle of the main entrance wall and we need to "Don the mask" to see it?
There are too many questions and possibilities. We will need to search further and understand the inscription before we attempt to unlock this tomb.
Session 13: The Fane of the Night Serpent
Halveer picks up a few vials of Serpent Venom in the lab before we depart.
"Won't be effective against the Yuan-ti" he says. "But may work on some other jungle denizens.
Beyond the laboratory, we find a small side passage leading to a door. Nhile opens it to find a small chamber. A walkway surrounds a fifty foot deep pit. The bottom of the pit is filled with hundreds, if not thousands of writhing snakes. Even from the intersection that I am standing guard in, I can smell the rancid stench of the snakes. I can hear voices coming from another corridor that is opposite of the snake pit. Only one other way remains unexplored, I motion for everyone to quickly follow me.
We empty out into a massive cathedral dedicated to the Night Serpent. A huge statue of a viper looms overhead. It's mouth open and fangs are dripping blood into a large bowl like basin below us. To the right is a portcullis, and to the left a stone ramp leading up to a balcony. At the top of the balcony are two Yuan-ti guards. Fortunately their back are to us and they don't hear us enter the temple. I motion that Nhile and I will sneak up to attack them. We quietly make our way up the ramp. The Yuan-ti have humanoid bodies with snakes for arms. They stand near a large brass gong with the motif of the Night Serpent eating its tail engraved around the outer edge.
I blood curse the far guard as we approach and Nhile summons his echo in front of them. As we strike, Halveer and Cimber fire arrows and Kasimir blesses us with divine energy from Kelemvor. We dispatch them before they can react or sound the alarm. Outside in the hall, near the snake pit room, we hear a couple of Yuan-ti wondering who left the door open to the chamber. Luck is on our side as they leave another way and don't enter the sacred sanctuary. I look up at the serpent statue and wonder where the blood is coming from. We carefully remove the gong and carry it to the temple floor so no one else can easily sound an alarm.
We decide to investigate the portcullis leading from the temple. There is a lever, but we fear pulling it will create too much noise. "What of the alchemical jug?" Kasimir asks.
"Yes indeed." Halveer agrees. "It can produce enough acid to melt these bars and we can set a section to the side."
Halveer pours small amounts of acid on about 6 to 8 bars and frees a section of the gate leaving room for us to enter. But before we do, a snake folk guard appears at the end of the hall on the other side. Halveer and Cimber draw their bows and quickly fill him with arrows. We hear screams of alarm further within the chamber beyond the hallway. We dash down the hall and find a scented chamber with a fountain, couches, and alcoves. Several snake women retreat to the alcoves leaving a final guard for us to dispatch. We search the other alcoves finding only female hybrids. Kasimir, Nhile and myself give each other knowing nods. We cannot allow the abominations to continue breeding. "Go guard the entrance." I tell the lad ranger.
Afterwards we discover a glowing circle on the floor of one of the alcoves. It has four sigils inscribed around it. I realize from the mage books that I have studied, the circle is a teleportation device that will transport the user to one of four different locations. And I know how to activate it.
"All right mates. This here circle is a magic doorway." I tell them.
"A doorway to where?" Halveer asks looking at the pulsating runes.
I shrug. "Likely another place in this complex."
"Well we can't just step through it." He replies. "We don't know what awaits us on the other side."
"That doesn't matter mate." I reply back. "It's no different than opening a wooden door. Just like back there at the snake pit. We have no idea what's on the other side till we open it and go in. This is no different."
"Perhaps we check those double doors in the temple first?" Kasimir suggests.
I nod in agreement. "Good idear mate."
We re-enter the cathedral and make our way to a set of double doors leading out. However they are heavily barred on the other side and we have no way to bypass them without creating a lot of noise by bashing them down.
"Well I guess its through the magical gateway then." I say.
We go back through the portcullis, and as Halveer carefully sets the bars back, he sees a guard appear at the top of the ramp where the guards were. We had hidden the bodies, but he of course sees the gong is gone and no guards to be found. He also has a large reptile like creature on a leash. He turns and hurries away.
"We are about to have company." He tells us as I am showing everyone how to use the teleportation circle.
We all step through the magic portal, ready for whatever threat we may find on the other side. Surprisingly, we exit an alcove into a prison ward. There are four pits in the floor with metal grates sealing them. Chains and winches are attached to lift the grates. I shove my glowing battle axe Faefa into each pit to see who or what they hold. In the first pit I see A young boy, a few years younger than Halveer. He is with an older white male and a Chultan male. The second pit contains a surprise. A bright faced female looks up at me. She's dressed like the Halruuans that we rescued from the crashed airship in the trees.
"Hallo there young lass." I say with a smile.
"Well met." She replies. "Get me the fuck out of here!"
"Working on it." I reply. She shares her cell with a catfolk like our previous guides River and Wine.
In the third pit is a goblin, half dead already and a fire newt like what we fought at Hrackhammar. It flicks its tongue at me menacingly. "You buggers can sit tight."
In the final pit, is another white man and a Chultan male and female. All fairly exhausted.
"He's not bald of pate is he?" Kasimir replies when I tell him what I see.
"Nah, he's good to go."
"How do we know we can trust these people?" Halveer cautions.
"They were prisoners and sacrifices for the Yuan-ti. They have no love for them either." Kasimir says.
"Besides we'll trust em till they give us a reason not to." I add. "Then it will go poorly for them."
I help the Halruaan female out of the pit. After some water, she doesn't look to bad. "I can fight." she promises.
"What's your name lass?" I ask her.
"Oloma Authdamar. I was aboard the Star Goddess when it went down. I was able to make clear of the wreckage, but was captured by the Yuan-ti and brought here." she explains. "There is an evil female Yuan-ti that comes to the cells and selects a prisoner for her sacrifices. It was just a matter of time before we would all perish at their hands."
"Well that's not going to happen now love." I promise. "We have come with great purpose to destroy Raz Nsi. But first let's get you people out of here."
I hand her my crossbow.
The passage leading out is blocked with another portcullis, but we bypass it using Nhile's echo to swap him on the other side. But as the gate is opened, we are attacked by four of the Yuan-ti brood guards.
The paladin meets them at the end of he hallway and pushes one back so Nhile and I can enter the room. As we engage them, a door to the north opens and four female warlock Yuan-ti enter.
They cast a globe of darkness on the room. It emanates cold and we can't see the enemy. Kasimir misty steps to the other side of the females and Nihle and I push through the darkness to attack them as they are now the greater threat.
Two of the guards flee the darkness into the prison ward where Halveer and Cimber are waiting. They deal with them while we battle the snake witches. The female warlocks spit acid and cast Eldritch Blasts at us as we dance around the bloodied alter in battle.
Finally the darkness drops and we defeat them all. We assemble in the alter room. We can see where the blood of their sacrifices spill off the alter onto runnels in the floor that lead to holes no doubt exiting out of the fangs of the snake statue we saw in the cathedral.
I pick up the witch's scimitar as we move into the chamber they came from. It is triangular in shape and a basin rests in its point on the far end. There appears to be some kind of rippling black sludge contained in the stone basin. I dip the tip of the blade into the black fluid and draw some out. I hold the end of blade up to my face to sniff it. Then I peer into the shiny blackness.
My eyes glaze over. I see a vision of darkness covering the Realms. A massive serpent appears over the world wrapping its coils around Toril itself. and swallowing it whole. I scream as searing pain wracks my head and it is the most intense pain I have ever felt. I drop the Yuan-ti blade and fall to my knees holding my head.
"What is this my friend!?" Kasimir shouts in alarm. He places a hand on my shoulder. Mercifully the pain subsides and I look around in confusion trying to remember where I really am.
"I saw the end of the world." I whisper. The pain lingers even after they heal me. "I just need to rest a while."
We rest for about an hour before pressing on. I notice Oloma has wiped the scimitar clean and now carries it.
Down the hall from the altar room we find the chamber of the high priestess we killed earlier. Inside we find a magical urn. We don't know what it is used for but we take it with us.
We come to another ramp leading up and before us are two massive double doors, inlaid with gold. Great chains are hanging near by that will retract the doors. We sneak up the ramp to see several Yuan-ti guards. One of them eating eggs. More concerning, are the lizards they have on their leashes. Halveer gasps. "Look at the eight legs! Those are basilisks!"
"So what?" I say. "Looks like a big dumb lizard to my ownself."
"Yes, but the gaze of those lizards can turn a man to solid stone."
"Holy shite." I whisper. "That's the end of this quest if Kasimir or more than one of us gets fixed like that!"
We slowly back down the hall to discuss our next move.
"We need to see what's beyond these doors." I suggest. "I don't fancy being turned to stone."
"They will make too much noise." Halveer points out.
Kasimir sees the small hatch on the door and opens it peering thorough. "I see the jungle and buildings! These are the main doors to the palace."
I have a look and sure enough down some steps and we are right back into the city of Omu. "I say we open these gates and make a break for the city. Find some ruins to hole up in for a day. No need in carting these folks around here. They'll be in the way at best or killed at the worst."
Everyone agrees and we pull quickly on the chains to open the gates wide enough for us to pass. We rush out and down the steps back into the city, not daring to look back to see if we are pursued.
We find a quiet building to make camp in near the entrance to Omu.
I concentrate on the Urn we took from the priestess' chambers and discover it as the ability to summon a servant from the elemental plane of air. A powerful ally to be sure as long as the summoner is able to concentrate and control the spirit. Otherwise it will become rather hostile and turn on the summoner.
Later as we sit around a small campfire, the sky turns deep blue as night falls. I see Oloma looking to the sky likely wishing she were sailing overhead.
"We'll help you get back to your people." I tell her. "But we must finish our business with Raz Nsi and then enter the tomb what holds the soul monger."
She nods her understanding. "I owe you all a great debt."
"Well you are welcome to join us. Get some payback on the snake people and help us end the death curse."
"I will sleep on it." she replies.
"Ah yes." I agree. "Very much in need of sleep myself."
My slumber is fitful as I dream of falling in a pit of writhing serpents.
Session 12: MOA
Secrets Hide the Truth.
We found the keys that match the pattern and unlocked the cube. (8) Keys
We head to the Yuan-ti palace and enter through a hidden entrance.
Session 11: Ibis - Papa Z
He Teaches Us to Bow Before No One.
Inside the next shrine we found 6 statues. Animal people. Also a secret passage that led to a chamber with tiles of the wall. There was a riddle on the pedestal and when we wrote it out on the tiles, we found a hidden message.
Cover Eyes. We blind folded the statues and got the Ibis cube (5).
We headed east hearing the rumble of the T-Rex on the move. He's one to be avoided in my journal. We came upon a Frog Shrine and sadly, the Yuan-ti had already been inside and had taken the cube. We attacked immediately. Cimber grabbed the one
holding the cube with his magic hand, but he teleported away.
Then all hells broke lose as we battled the remaining snake folk, the T-Rex, hearing the battle waded in. Fortunately, he seemed to really hate the snake people as much as us. He started attacking them and we took the opportunity to flee.
We headed south and found the lair of the Yuan-ti. The cube must be inside. We spent the night and the next day spotted the Bear Shrine of Obolaka. Tread warily and stay in the light.
It was a bit complex as we could not light the entry hall. Teleporting into a poll brought us to an inner chamber with a petrified Red Wizard. We moved the eight lit torches to the entry hall and then we were able to get the bear cube (6).
Not having any love for Red WIzards, Kasimir toppled the statue and broke off several parts ensuring if he was ever returned to flesh, it would not be a pleasant sight.
I know they are a selfish and perhaps evil society, but I'll have to ask him why he harbors such ill will towards them.
Finally we continued south to the Lava Pool. About sixty feet from shore the jutting island holds another shrine of Serpents. We decided to span a rope across and shimmy over it to the far side.
This will make our seventh cube. We know where the eighth one is being held. One missing shrine after that, and we'll be heading to the tomb to stop the soulmonger.
Session 10: Monkey Shrine
The entry hall of this shrine was covered in tiles of jungle animals. The rabbit with the horn tiles glowed but after a while we could not decipher the "path least expected"
Cimber, having teleported across waited patiently on the other side. I however was running out of patience. I knew I could misty step most of the way across, maybe landing on only one tile. If I gave it a good run, I could continue the momentum in the fey wild
and when I reappeared, I could leap the rest of the way. I was rewarded with two poison darts. And a magical energy washed over me as I leapt across the final tile. Then of course, inspired by my brief journey, the rest of them finally deciphered the path across
the tiles and joined Cimber and myself.
Halveer navigated a maze on the other side and found the chamber with the I'Jin puzzle cube.
Moving across the main road, we soon find a fourth shrine. The pillars outside were adorned with patterns of monkeys. Leading into the temple were five entrances. With the saying Better to be Wongo's friend than enemy. Halveer called Wongo a Trickster god.
Beyond the center arch was a 20x20 chamber with a statue of the wanker himself. Cupped hands and feet awaiting some offering before giving up the next puzzle cube. We learned that the trick was water and after solving its riddle I went and poured water into the statue's
left hand. Immediately I heard a voice inside my head giving me a choice to betray my friends or fight for the cube.
"Well I am not about to betray my mates." I said out loud. " So i reckon it's a battle we will have ourselves."
Indeed several Su Monsters appeared and climbed down the statue to fight us. We made short work of them thankfully and claimed the fourth puzzle cube that rose from the statue.
Now we had only five more to go before we could unlock the entrance to the tomb and find the soulmonger.
"We should investigate that arena to the east." Nhile suggested as we left the monkey shrine.
"That doesn't look like a shrine to me." I replied. "I say we save it for last if at all."
"Perhaps a shrine lies within." Halveer said. I just look skeptically at him.
"I think maybe a couple of us could scout it out as least." Kasimir suggested.
"Fair enough. But not so stealthy myself in this half-plate." I agreed. As we got closer we literally stumbled upon a massive dino footprint. The most ferocious if not the biggest dino in the land, a T-Rex had left the recent prints in the mud. "That' can't be good." I said. "We are good at humanoids and primates, but I don't know how we'd fare against something that large."
Nhile and Halveer decided to have a look inside the arena. They quietly approached. Inside they found the bowl of the arena shrouded in a thick fog. Shapes darted about from within. As Halveer climbed some stairs for a better view, a small dino appeared at the edge of the fog and sniffed the air and then
turned and disappeared back into the fog.
We wisely decided to venture back into the ruined city where we came upon a market place.
Inside was piles of junk and a few easily spotted traps. We discovered a clan of Kobolds living beneath the abandoned market. Halveer was able to converse with the scaly folk and we told them we meant no harm and only wanted information. They proved to be rather informative. They confirmed a T-Rex, a self proclaimed feathered king of Omu, did indeed reside in the arena. Also a shrine rested atop the lone outcropping in the lava pool. The closest shrine was that of Papa Zotl. It was surrounded by shallow water and crocs.
I thanked the Kobolds with a few silvers and we made our way to the water shrine of IBIS. We defeated four crocs and a huge one that appeared when the disturbance started. The big one got a hold of me in its jaws but before it could
snap me in half, Cimber, Nhile, and Halveer concentrated their firepower on it and killed it before it dragged me into the muck forever.
Now we shall see what lies inside the shrine.
Session 9: Kubazan
"Undead and Elementals" Halveer confirmed after again using his keen senses to get a "feel" for the surrounding ruins of Omu.
"Do you think perhaps there is an elemental residing within the lava pool?" Kasimir asks.
"I get no sense of direction, only that they are present in the area." The ranger replies.
"What do you know of elementals?" Kasimir asks.
"Only the basics." Halveer shrugs. "A spirit that controls or embodies the elements."
"A spirt?" I ask. "You mean as in something undead?"
"No." Halveer shakes his head. "Perhaps spirit is the wrong term. Just some form of sentient essence from the elemental planes."
I nod my head pretending to understand what he means by "Planes."
We continue our exploration of the city. When we first found Orvex Ocrammus in the smoking compound, we had made note there were structures to the west behind the compound. We had been eager to visit the shrine Orvex mentioned, so we did not venture back there. Flashes of a bloodied Taban enter my mind. "We must finish this quest so he did not perish in vain."
We make our way around the compound to the backside and come upon four of the humanoid Yuan-ti. They are using some rubble to hide from something or someone to the west as if they mean to ambush them as they did our own selves when we first arrived. "Fascinating self-created race." Nhile comments. "They actually chose to become Yuan-ti."
"Disgusting abominations, I say mate." I give my unsolicited opinion. "Halveer should take one out."
"Wait." Kasimir replies. "Let us wait until they attack whoever they are watching. Then we will arrive and aide them. That way, they will be in our debt."
"Then we can..."
"Talk to them." I finished Halveer's sentence. I didn't protest the plan, but I hoped they sensed my disagreement. I was not expecting a friendly welcome by whomever the Yuan-ti were ambushing, no matter our involvement. But I shrugged, willing to see how it played out.
The snake folk, sprang their ambush and moved forward to attack. Halveer called out a warning. We followed, taking their vacant position to see who they assaulted. In the distance we saw another shrine with a large pool of water before it. And on this side were eight or nine humans. It looked like several mercenaries along with a robed wizard. My eyes narrowed when I realized some of the guards were actually animated skeletons doing the bidding of their master.
That settled it for me. The snake folk now became mere obstacles on my way to destroy the undead. I was sure my mates would disapprove me attacking the undead servants of our impromptu allies, but I didn't much care. I didn't answer to them. I answered to the Order of the Ghostslayer which mandated that I destroyed all undead.
As we moved to ambush the Yuan-ti and squeeze them in the vice of both groups, we began to advance. I kept my eyes on the undead positions, but the wizard, now seeing us appear on the board of battle saw us as the greater threat. He moved up and flanked our position. Kasimir nodded to the robed man in a gesture of peace and friendship. Naïve or hopeful, it mattered not, the wizard replied with a cone of cold. It completely enveloped Nhile, myself, and Kasimir who took the brunt of it. I smiled grimly. "Well then. That makes things less gray doesn't it!" I shouted while shaking frost from my hair. Any faction encountered here wanted one thing; The Soulmonger what resided in that sealed tomb. And I was determined not to allow it to fall into the hands of those who would use it for evil intent. We engaged both snake folk and the wizard's guardians at that point.
Seeing artillery come in from the far end of the field, the wizard also sent a massive ice storm over the archers, Halveer and Cimber. Artus shook it off of course. Unfortunately, Orvex was fairly pummeled by the falling chunks of ice and did not survive.
Nhile switched places with his echo and finished off the evil wizard whom we had driven back into the vine covered temple area. Most of us were wounded and needed a rest. I saw the knight do his breathing exercise and restore his health. I asked him to show me how to do that. My fighting skills had improved greatly since coming to Chult. My Order's teachings becoming less prominent in my mind as well. I was becoming more martial as we fought through encounter after encounter.
Nhile searched the dead wizard finding his book of spells. "Mind if I have a look at that?" I asked. He handed me the arcane tome.
While my Order was mostly supported by the clergy of Kelemvor, I found myself more interested in the arcane than the divine. During our rest Halveer took the scrolls and notes of Old Omu from Orvex and Kasimir sent him on his way. I sat down and flipped through the Wizard's spell book. The notes on spell components, arcane words, and gestures used to cast the spells made sense to me. The magical symbols themselves would take some studying to memorize them. I walked over to the wizards robes and searched them pulling out small pouches of spell components. I stuffed them in my back pack.
WIZARD'S SPELL BOOK:
1 - Alarm, Burning Hands, Chromatic Orb, Magic Missile, Color Spray, Detect Magic
2 - Continual Flame, Darkness, Gust of Wind, Alter Self, Arcane Lock, Blur
3 - Fireball, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Blink
4 - Fire Shield, Ice Storm, Banishment, Blight, Confusion
5 - Bigby's Hand, Cone of Cold, Animate Objects, Cloudkill, Conjure Elemental
After our rest, Halveer was studying the pool of brackish water. A state of some sort rested in the center. "Something stirs beneath the waters." He warned over his shoulder.
Nhile and Kasimir approached to the stand on either side of the ranger trying to spot what he had seen. "Let's toss something in and see what happens." Nhile suggested. Halveer slowly backed away. Kasimir and Nihle picked up the dead wizard and heaved him into the pond. The water thrashed as something huge broke the surface and engulfed the corpse. It was black with slimy rubbery skin, a toothy maw and tentacles protruding from it's backside.
"Beware the frog monster." Kasimir said, remembering what was written on the walls of the city when we first arrived.
We decided to try and fish it out. We tossed another body at the pool with a grapple hook imbedded. But the creature had had enough of our meddling and leaned out over the edge of the pool. Halveer and Cimber fired arrows and I managed to land a crossbow bolt.
It's long sticky tongue shot out and wrapped around the paladin. He was pulled to it and we quickly abandoned our plan. Cimber ran forward as Kasimir was engulfed by the frog-like monster. He cast a cold of cold making it lethargic and giving the rest of us a chance to close in and attack. My fear was that the thing would vanish beneath the waters and we would never see the paladin again. Fortunately, the creature remained trying to crush Kasimir and strike us with its other tentacles.
We dispatched it in time to free our paladin from its maw. "Welcome back." I said, hacking the rest of the tongue off him. "Dark in there." he shuddered.
There was a statute of the thing in the middle of the pool and inside its mouth we found a key to the shrine. After a couple of tries by trial and error, we were able to secure our second puzzle cube from the poison chamber inside.
We turned our attention to the north looking for the next shrine. We arrived outside the Shrine depicting the Eye of Zaltec. A couple of corpses with the tattered Yellow Banner of Lord Brixton, greeted us. Strangely. these dead one had not seem to rise as the undead like most other corpses were doing. Perhaps there was something about this shrine that prevented this?
We also spotted this tomb's guardian as well. A uni-horned rabbit Halveer called a Almiraj. Avatar of the god I'JIN.
What fresh hells await us within?
Session 8: Omu
We climb up the mountain outside of the Wyrmheart Mine to view the location of the Lost City. It takes a couple of days to make it to the top. We can see the Valley of Lost Honor below us, scorched earth from Tinder's fiery onslaught. To the east we spot the smoking Peaks of Flame. The volcanoes belching black smoke into the sky. Laying between the peaks and the lost valley we can just make out a few structures rising out of the jungle canopy. I take out the spy glass and focus on a tower. Something dark and wispy swirls about it.
"May I have a look, Sir Lucas?" Artus Cimber asks.
"Just Lucas." I reply handing him the looking device.
"My thanks." He says training the glass on the city. He stares at the hidden city for a long time as I update our map to show its location.
We head down the mountain and cross the valley back to Hrakhamar to trade our dragon horde coins for gems, and for new armor and weapons.
The next day we journey back through the valley until finally reaching the outskirts of Omu. The cleric and ranger sense undead within the city. The city itself is sunken into the floor of the valley. With my spy glass I see that there is a tower in the city with a swarm of bats circling it. This was what I saw from the mountain top outside of Wyrmheart Mine. We find a wide set of steps leading down to a bit of a camping area littered with old firepits and refuse. The cliffs surrounding the city are 100-150 feet high. There are messages written and painted on the walls next to the campground. They read:
ERIK, I'VE GONE TO SEARCH FOR THE NINE SHRINES. - VEE
THE PUZZLE CUBES ARE KEY
BEWARE THE FROG MONSTER
WHO IS UNKH?
THE SNAKES ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM
ALL HAIL THE KING OF FEATHERS
KUBAZAN IS BRAVERY
SHAGAMEI IS WISDOM
MOA?
BEWARE THE FANGS OF NSI
"That last one is who I am here for!" Cimber snarls reading the message. "His death we return Mezo."
To the east of the city we see a large basin of lava. It has clearly devoured part of OMU over the years. Only a tower of stone with a ruined building on top defies the surrounding molten liquid as it churns around its base.
We descend more steps into the city and are greeted with an ambush of scaly snake folk. "Yuan-ti!" Nihle declares. They hide behind rubble firing arrows at us. Cimber and Halveer return fire as the rest of us close ranks. They wield scimitars, but also have a venomous bite. They are sturdy and resilient but we manage to over come them.
"We need to capture one of these creatures!" Cimber says. "So we can interrogate it for the location of Raz Nsi."
"Look mate." I remind him. "We're happy to help you take him out should he get in our way, but make no mistake, we are here to find the SOULMONGER and toss it right in that lava lake we passed on the way in."
We slowly work our way down the wide main thoroughfare of the city proper. To the west we see a large walled compound with black tendrils of smoke rising up. Cooking fires perhaps? Inside we find something more gruesome. Piles of charred bodies litter the grounds and wild dogs are fighting over scraps of flesh.
"Kelemvor's darkness!" Kasimir whispers. "Did the Yuan-ti do this?"
We explore the compound. "Look!" Taban says and points to a pile of blackened bodies. A pole sticking up has a banner flapping lazily in the breeze. On a white field is emblazoned a curled serpent with a black ring in its mouth. I had seen similar designs before. "My training with the Order of the Ghostslayers, studied apocalyptical cults. Dendar the Night Serpent was one of these cults." I tell the others. "His followers hope to bring him into the realms so that he will devour the sun and plunge Toril into darkness."
"Nice followers." Halveer remarks.
I recall a poem of Dendar:
In Shar's domain of night I rest,
So dreams may show me how I'm bless'd.
If screams of terror break my sleep,
Then Dendar's sunk her fang's too deep.
"Help......me.....pplease..." We hear a voice nearby call out weakly.
We search the rubble and find a man buried there.
"Hullo there. What are ye about laying under all this debris?" I ask him.
"Many thanks!" He stammers. "My name is Orvex. I was hired as a scribe by the Red Wizards of Thay."
"A scribe of what exactly?" Nihle asks.
"Old Omuan script and language." He replies. "They needed me to translate. They along with the Zhentarim are searching for the Soulmonger. They seek to control it for their own means. But the two factions clashed here and a battle broke out. There were explosions and I was buried here in the collapse of a building. They left me for dead."
We took a rest to help revive the exhausted scribe and I asked him, "Say mate. We were interested in finding the nine shrines. You wouldn't happen to be privy to their location would you?"
"Ah the shrines of the nine gods." He nods. "Yes, well I do know the location of one of them. It is just across the road." He adds pointing East where we came from.
After our rest Orvex leads us to the Shrine of Shagambi (Wisdom). Shagambi's form is that of a Kamadan, a jaguar with six snakes at the neck. As we enter the walled shrine, we are in fact attacked by two Kamadan guardians. I am bitten and use Misty Step to escape, but it breathes a cone of poison and put Taban and myself to sleep. Kasimir shakes me awake and I shake Taban and we help the echo knight and Halveer finish them off.
Inside the shrine itself , we find a sunken gladiator pit. On our level are four soldiers each missing a spear, two on each side of the pit. On the other side of the pit is a stone pedestal. Nothing is on it.
There is an inscription which Orvex translates to read "FIGHT WITH HONOR" There is a mural of Shagambi behind the pedestal with stairs leading down. But we notice the bars covering the pit are wide enough for us to squeeze through.
"Well I reckon it is our good fortune to have brought an actual gladiator with us!" I say, clapping Taban on the back. "Why don't you hop down there and fight whatever is presented as an opponent?"
Taban smiles back at me. "Perhaps I will finally restore my honor!" It is a twenty foot drop to the floor of the pit. So we lower Taban on a rope in the center of the areana.
He hears a portcullis raise up and then spins around as another one is lowered. He readies his spear as a clay-like construct shaped like a human warrior comes out of a side tunnel.
The moving statue also wields a spear and they circle each other, jabbing the points at each other and blocking and ducking the hafts as they swing about. The spears clack together as Taban blocks an attack holding the spear across his chest with both hands. He shoves the gray warrior back into the tunnel and makes ready for the next attack. He is bleeding from a few cuts.
Suddenly from the edge of the pit we see another clay warrior appear behind the first one trying to get into the arena.
"Hey!" I shout angrily. "I thought this was a fight with honor! Taban can't take on more than one of those things. We best get down there and help him!"
I step across the bars and lower myself down next to Taban. "We're here with you mate!"
Kasimir follows next while Nhile calls his echo to help. Cimber and Halveer fire arrows down. When we finally destroy the first construct, it vanishes, but drops the spear it was using to the ground. "There's what we need!" I say. "Three more and this riddle is solved."
The next soldier strikes Taban several times and he is bleeding profusely. "I must fall back!" He gasps.
"Go on mate." I say. "We got this."
"I want to block this tunnel off." Kasimir says after Taban retreats to the other side.
"Yes," I say, "That is wise, however, if we kill it in that tunnel, it may not leave its spear behind. I think we have to let it into the pit!"
Kasimir nods and steps to the side letting the clay warrior step forward.
I turn to fight one of the others that is still in the pit with us, but out of the corner of my eye, I see the new one sprint away. I lash out with my magic axe, and score a hit, but it does not dissuade it from moving on into the chamber. It seemed to be focused on Taban alone.
Taban has no where to go and begins to fight the new threat as we are engaged with the other two.
I see the new one block a weak attack from Taban and spin around raising the spear into the air.
"NO!!!" I shout as I watch the spear head come down snapping Taban's haft in two as he tried to block the attack. The head of the spear thrusts forward critically striking the young Chultan gladiator in the chest. His eyes go wide as the blade sinks in and kills him.
He slumps to the ground and the construct mindlessly turns towards me.
With the help of the others we finally finish the last clay warrior and I rush over to Taban. I fumble with my belt pouch pulling out my healing potion. I feel Kasimir's hand on my shoulder and I look up to him. He shakes his head. "That will do no good."
"Is there nothing you can do for him?" I plead. "It's my fault he's dead. I goaded him down here. I talked you into letting the last one in."
"He's gone. Kelemvor has claimed him. It was his time. His honor is restored."
Kasamir carries him back upstairs and we take him outside to an overgrown garden next to the shrine. Kasamir says a blessing over him and sends his body into the soil.
"Let us finish this so he did not die in vain." Kasimir says.
We go back into the shrine and place the four spears into the statues hands. Suddenly the pedestal shifts and opens on top. Rising up from the center is a puzzle cube with the symbol of Shagambi.
"THE PUZZLE CUBES ARE KEY"
"Only eight more shrines to go."
Session 7: Wyrmheart Mine
"Wonder what did this?" Halveer asked, looking at the charred dwarven bones scattered about the bottom of the shaft.
"Not a what, mate." I replied. "Someone name of TINDER did this."
We look up into the dark shaft at the glowing lights on the edge about half way up. Is her lair up there somewhere?
Someone taps my shoulder and I jump involuntarily. I turn and see Kasimir. He shouts over the din of the thundering waterfall.
"I think we should fall back!" He suggests. "I need to pray and some need to heal!"
I nod and we all agree to back track to the Kobolds food area. The floor is covered in water where the corpses that were frozen by the Ring of Winter are melting. We haul the bodies out of the cave and line them along the edge of the tunnel. We mop up some of the water with rags and blankets we find stored there. I take the first watch as usual. As they settle in to rest, I step out into the tunnel. It's dark and quiet, but my sword lights the way as I move down a few feet towards the Wyrmheart Mine. I kneel down and pull out an animal trap I have and attach the chain to the cart track, set the trap open and hide it with some rubble and bones that Kasimir scattered. "Won't hold no drake," I say, "but it should catch one of them Kobold nippers sneaking up this way."
I return to the chamber to hear sounds of slumber. I sit on a crate facing the entrance. After looking around a bit, I pull the spyglass out of a side pocket on me pack. "Nice instrument." I remark. "Need to get a scroll tube to keep it in, or maybe a soft pouch." I extend the brass tube admiring the craftsmenship. After a few moments I collapse it back down. I see my distorted face in the brass. Suddenly a reflection of something flashes across the brass surface and my head snaps up. "What the?" But I see nothing. Hear nothing. I put the spyglass away and stand up waving my glowing sword around the chamber. But the light reveals nothing.
"Must have just been a trick of the light." I shrug. After my shift I awaken the Echo Knight. I debate mentioning the moving shadow I may have seen, but with nothing more than that to report, I just tell him. "See you in the morning mate."
It's seems like only an instant later and I am awakened by shouts of alarm. We are surrounded by swirling specters of long dead dwarves. Nihle implores them to leave us be. "Do not attack us spirits! We are here to fight for Hrakhammer!" They pay him no heed and I see one reach out and touch Artus. He cries out and his face goes white. A cold breath escapes his mouth. I know what that means. "We must escape up the tunnel!" I shout as one of the ghost brushes me with it's chilling touch. My arm goes numb, but it didn't reach my warm heart where it steals your soul.
Kasimir presents his holy symbol and the ghosts pause their assault long enough to listen to him speak. "Spirits of Hrakhammer! By Kelemvor's power and dominion over the dead, I banish thee!" Three of the ghosts recoil and vanish back into the walls. We make haste to the tunnel. Taban is blocked by the forth ghost that chose to ignore the paladin. It takes hold of Taban, but like myself, he loses no essence of life. Taban turns and follows after us. Unfortunately the spirts pass through the walls and move extraordinarily fast. The spookable enters the tunnel before us, blocking our path. "Do we retreat again?" Nihle calls out.
"Nay!" Kasimir replies. We must destroy this one. We cannot escape him!" We quickly surround the undead spirit, turning the tables on it. We give it final peace and rest as it dissipates under our blades.
We travel a ways up the tunnel and settle in again keeping vigilant watch for the other ones to return, but thankfully they do not.
"You saved us all mate." I say clapping Kasimir on the back after our rest is completed.
He shakes his head. "Kelemvor saved us."
I nod in agreement. But still knowing it was his quick thinking and faith that did.
This time when we enter the shaft, daylight spills down into the chamber and we spot a passage we missed before. A side tunnel. Leading to where? I look to Kasamir who gestures at the bones on the floor to say it likely leads to the lair we seek. Halveer gets our attention. After concentrating he confirms Tzindelor is near. She has returned to her lair.
I gesture to the side tunnel. This is what we came here for boys. Take out a super monster. Kasamir makes an "enclosure" motion with his hands, meaning we must surround her and not let her escape us. We are likely the ones that will need to escape, I think to myself. We all nod in agreement and proceed down the tunnel. I can make out deep scratch marks in the tunnel walls as we creep down the passage. Light and sound fade behind us. I feel my grip tighten on my blades. More for resolve and to calm my fears. Images of the scorched bones flash in my mind and I feel blood trickle down my temple as I prepare a blood curse. It will not bind a strong creature, so the chances of me holding her in place are slim at best.
As we round the corner to enter her lair, Tinder spins and roars in anger at the intrusion. As I feared, no surprising her like we did the hag. We rush in full force. I misty step behind her mainly because I know a fresh gout of flame will follow her roar down that tunnel. I hope the others make it out. I will my curse of binding on her, but she shrugs it off easily. Nihle and Kasamir also rush into the chamber before she unleashes her fiery breath. Halveer takes it full force unfortunately. But manages to survive as he misty steps to a nearby ledge and returns fire with arrows. Cimber and Taban are back far enough in the tunnel that her flames don't reach them. They feel the heat though.
I strike the drake's backside and she whips her neck about and bites into my shoulder. The piercing teeth find their way past the gaps in my half plate. They hurt, but the heat from her burning maw scorches me shoulder. Nihle and his echo lay into her. She tries to leap up and fly, but they beat her down! We take the opportunity to surround her and hack with steel. In the corner of the room gas erupts nearly choking me. Nihle escapes to the ledge with Halveer and a geyser of lava erupts between them.
Tinder spins, clawing and biting at us, but our weapons are too many for her. Calling again on the power of Kelemvor, Kasimir smites the chromatic menace until she relents and falls to the ground with a final shudder. Smoke slowly escapes her nostrils as we all double over from the exertion and stress of fighting such a powerful foe. I can't hardly believe we won he battle. I feared she'd fly up and burn us all.
We search about her lair. Her bed was a pile of copper, silver, and gold. There are a few trinkets and trophies, including a disappointingly empty scabbard and an dwarven battle axe.
Kasimir hands me the battle axe. "You should wield this."
I hold it and spin it around. "It's nice. Well made. I've hewed a few trees with an axe, but I prefer me blades for combat." I hand the axe back to him. He presses it back into my hand.
"Your blades are not magical. This axe is enchanted. Some of the creatures we face out here can only be harmed with an enchanted weapon. The hag's flesh golem for example."
I look down at the haft of the axe. There are dwarven runes inscribed 'VAEFA'
"What's this say?" I ask.
"To Float." Kasimir says turning to help Halveer lift a sack of copper into the mine cart.
I pull out some cloth I keep for bandages and lay it out on the ground and carefully wrap one of my blades up. I strap it to the side of me pack.
I lift up the dwarven battle axe and a bead of blood appears on my forehead. The axe lights up with radiant energy. "Very well." I say and tuck the axe into my belt.
Session 6: Hrakhamar
Halveer was swolled up by the pyramid. "Well that's a problem" I said to Kasimir and Nihle.
We looked about but found no way inside the ancient structure, so we returned to camp hoping Halveer would find his own way out. He did not emerge till the next morning.
He seemed to think he was only inside half of an hour at best. But we assured him the night had passed without a sign of him. He told us inside the shrine the Guardian had asked "What do you seek?"
Halveer had explained our quest for the Soulmonger and ending of the Death Curse.
The guardian, Saja N'baza, told the ranger that we needed to kill a Yuan-ti name of Raz Nsi who was raising an army to conquer Chult and had some connection to the missing city of Mezro.
Speaking of which, there was another fellow in the shrine at the same time as Halveer. He introduced himself as Artus Cimber. The Guardian told Artus that by killing Raz Nsi, the missing city
that held his wife, Mezro, would return to the prime material plane.
Saja told them the Yaun-ti lord was located in the lost city of Omu, somewhere between the Peaks of Flame and the Valley of Lost Honor.
We leave the Ziggurat and pass through the Valley of Death, a dry coral bed of rainbow color. The gorge is littered with shark skeleton's the size of a Gur wagon. Crossing Ataaz Kaharla we arrive at the port of Jahaka Bay. Miners are loading ore on a wagon and we arrange passage of the airship crew to travel back with them to Port Nyanzaru on a Refuge Bay Trading Company vessel. The we turn south and climb up into the Kobold Mountains following Musharib until we encounter more of the dwarf's kinfolk. They lead us to the entrance of the forge called Hrakhammer.
Crossing a stone trestle inside we hear the ringing of hammers and steel. We find many fire newts toiling away at an automated forge. The smelting ore makes the place stifling as we surprise the newts. Artus Cimber creates a giant hand if ice that pounds and blocks many of the newts. It's a tough battle and the little buggers spit fire acid at us. Halveer fires arrows as we, blessed by Kelemvor attack.
After dispatching the fiery intruders, we enter the vault to find an armory and the promised adamantine ingots. I fancy some of the dwarf forged steel half plate after me leather was burnt through with fire spit from the newts.
The room beyond was also filled with more newts and their zealous leader. We feared another drawn out batter with the outcome uncertain, but fortunately Artus came through again and cast a cone of frost, enveloping the majority of the fire lizards. We swept in after and finished off the survivors.
With the forge cleared, the dwarves warned us of another threat that we would face if we tried to pass through the Valley of Lost Honor. Apparently a red drake has taken up residence in Wyrmheart Mine and flies over the valley bringing terror and death to all that dare cross.
The passages through the mountains can lead is to its lair where we shall deal with this vile wyrm going my the name of TINDER. Should take us a couple of days to get there. We'll rest up here first and then head out.
May Kelemvor guide through the darkness.
Session 5: Star Goddess
After speaking with Eku about what we might find at the abandoned village of Mbala, we set out the next day with our new guide, Musharib.
The journey down the Soshenstar River to Camp Vengeance, is uneventful. The paladin heals a few soldiers with fever and we leave our canoe in their care. The next day, the jungle is alive with sounds of colorful birds and screeching mammals as we follow an overgrown path towards Mbala. Ehu had told us that a terrible hag, named Nanny Pu'pu had descended on the village not only making it her lair, but dining on the flesh of the residents.
"Well," I tell the others. "We defeated no less than three hags before. I don't see any reason one hag will be much of a tousle."
A couple of days later rising up from the jungle floor is the plateau on which Mbala sits. As we draw near, we see a winding walkway carved into the cliffs reaching all the way to the top. Below there are footprints of monkeys and a heavily booted bloke. We begin our ascent to the gates of the city. About halfway up as we rise above the jungle canopy, we can make out various features of the surrounding land. Far to the east, floating in the sky about 200 feet off the ground, is the Heart of Ubtao, slowly rotating. Back to the west we spot our next destination, the ziggurat of Orolunga. Home to a guardian oracle that Eku informed us can give us the location of the lost city of Omu. Rumored to be the home of the Soulmonger.
But stranger still than both these structures, we see something caught in the trees between Mbala and Orolunga. There appears to be a ship hanging in the trees. It's broken in three sections and trapped in the tree tops.
"Now how do you suppose a ship found its way up there?" I wondered aloud.
"Perhaps if we survive this place, we will stop and investigate the wreckage on the way to see the guardian." Halveer suggests.
I clap the ranger folk on the back. "No worries, mate. We'll handle this old witch and be on our way in no time."
We find the gates to Mbala deteriorated and open, but the path is blocked by a massive pile of bones and skulls stacked high. An ominous greeting to be sure. We debated about wading into the pile, but decided that the bone crunching and the clacking of rolling skulls would be too much of an announcement of our arrival. We found climbing over the side walls, was a much more stealthy approach. We made our way around some piles of rock and bamboo that was once a hut and across the village we could make out one remaining hut that was intact. Indeed we spotted the old hag making circles around her hut. Utter madness. We quietly conferred how we should handle her.
"Way I see it." I commented. "We either walk right up and give her what for. Or we try and get as close as possible without being seen, to get the drop on her."
"Shouldn't we try and talk to her?" Halveer suggests.
Kasimir and I looked at the ranger and then each other. Even the Echo knight that was keeping watch on the hag, looked over his shoulder.
"To what end?" I says to Halveer. "I mean did you see them stacked bones at the gate? Me guess is she ain't had a proper meal in a few moons and you want to sit down and have a chat?"
"I think she has said more than enough with her actions here." Kasimir agrees. Halveer shrugs and nods. "The issue is," the paladin continues, "despite not being the one spotted at Yellyark, I nonetheless am still not very stealthy."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance." Musharib says. We all turn and look at the shirtless dwarf. "I can cast an enchantment that would mask your approach by distorting sound and blurring your movement as to increase your chances of not being spotted ." We all agree this is a good plan. The druid guide places the enchantment on himself and we move with him through the ruined village making it undetected to the pile of rubble not far from the hag's hut. The hut appears to be constructed from the rib cage of a great beast or dinosaur.
Halveer strikes her first with his bow and Nihle projects his echo next to her and attacks. She screeches in anger. Kasamir blesses us and the witch disappears. The rest of us break cover, and Halveer announces he can't find her. Suddenly the earth before us erupts sending soil flying as a large construct of flesh and bone rises up from the ground. The golem lunges at us, swinging it's huge arms. Halveer's arrows and Nihle's blade have no effect on the creature's rubbery skin. My blades, covered in radiant energy do some damage thankfully. The hag reappears and Nihle swaps places with his echo. Eventually we beat the witch and her golem of flesh apart. In her lair we find 10 Adamantine ingots and 6 onyx gems (50gp).
The next day we journey west to investigate the ship hanging in the trees. It's broken in three sections and each part is at a different height. The underbrush beneath the trees is thick, but we spot 8 ghouls scurrying around the bases of the trees. These are no ordinary ghouls however. They bear the mark of the inverted blue triangle on their foreheads and they seem to silently communicate with one another. They notice us on the edge of the brush, but do not charge out to attack. See if you can goad them out, Kasamir asks the ranger. Halveer pings one with an arrow an it snarls at us. Two others start to approach and then retreat.
"Alright then." I say drawing my glowing swords. "I'm going in after em." I start hacking my way through the under brush trying to catch up to the undead. But it is slow going. We hear a weak female voice call down to us from the wreckage of the ship for our help.
"There are people trapped up there that need our help!" Kasimir calls to me.
I look over my shoulder at him. "You remember what happened last time someone called to us for help?" I asked reminding him of the hags on the river bank.
I reach the base of a tree and sigh. The ghouls have moved beyond my reach. I look up into the trees at the ship parts and start to climb. Halveer moves in to cover me and the others follow.
I don't get far before there is some deep "hooting" and grunting. Looking up we see three massive apes with multiple arms swinging into the tree tops. They rummage through the section of a ship and find some human survivors. They toss them violently to the ground.
The rest of us begin climbing up the trees to help them. I see one moving for the next section of the ship. If only I could magically teleport myself to block him! Suddenly, I feel something stir within me. I remember my wife's funeral. Several of the wood elves have come to pay their respects. As I morn with my head down over her grave the elves gather around me. They reach their hands out to me and touch me on the back and shoulders. They murmur their prayers and blessings of Arvandor to me. I feel a warm golden power wash over me and I feel that same power within me now. I reach out with my mind and envision myself standing on the branch before the approaching beast and in a flash I am there. Blades out, I attack the beast!
Unfortunately the apes get to a few more of the ship's survivors and toss them to the ground. One grapples with Kasimir trying to do the same. Nilhe appears next to him and strikes the ape. It's enough to help Kasimir prevent the ape from tossing him. Halveer supports us from below with arrows and Taban takes my place as I am attacked fiercely by one of the quad armed gorillas.
Thankfully we manage to dispatch them and see who has survived. We find three people. They tell us their names are Ra-dus, Faix Haranis, and their ship's captain Thasselandra Bravewing. They travelled here from a land called Halruaa in a skyship named the Star Goddess. While flying over the Chult peninsula on a mapping expedition, it was assailed by a flock of pterafolk. They tore open the vessel's air balloon and sent it crashing to the tree canopy of the jungle.
The Captain and crew were dehydrated and starving, but we gave them plenty to eat and drink and after a couple of days they were feeling better. We told them the nearest settlement was several days away to the northeast, but they were welcome to journey with us to Orolunga which was only a day or so away.
They agreed to come along for safety and better odds of survival.
Session 4: Vorn
Goblin Battle: It was bad enough we had to fight over a score of goblins, but the nasty buggers had led several skeletons into the ruined camp as well.
I let them with fighting prowess and spells deal with the brunt of the Gobbies. Me and the tabaxi took care of the undead as they approached. I am sure Undril could have turned them away but personally, I like the satisfying sound of their animated bones splintering beneath my twin blades. Just call me Lucas Two Swords.
After the scape, we pinned down the leader an made him confess he stole our river craft and was the architect of the demise of Camp Righteous. They had led a horde of undead into the camp and they were overwhelmed. I wanted to drag him along until we found the missing canoes, but Kasimir wasn't having it. He had the goblin pray to his filthy deity before he bowed him over and took off his head. I watched the head roll across the ground a foot or two till it stopped with lifeless eyes staring at me and a mocking toothy grin. Before meeting his end, he had warned us of a goblin settlement called Yellyark led by a female named Grabstab.
We crossed the Soshenstar to the other side and made our way deeper into the jungle. Halveer stopped us when he spotted a large dino. He called is a Ankylosaurus. I did not want to test the twins against that hide. Even with the aid of some blood magic, I doubted I would cut deep enough to kill it before it pummeled us to death with it's tail. It didn't rain that night, but between Kasimir and the jug we had enough water to make due. The next day we came upon more goblin tracks, easily identifiable. And we were wary at camp that night. The next day we find a small clearing and there stands our guardian. He appeared to be surrounded by offerings. Apparently the locals venerated him as a god. Frog people, fungi creatures, and more goblins paid frequent visits. But we needed the magic amulet that would command the walking construct.
We could either wait to see who showed up or we could track down one of the tribes. We decided goblins, if anyone, would have the shiny medallion. We easily followed their trial back to their settlement, Yellyark. We avoided multiple trip wires and spotted a look-out hiding in the trees. After Halveer and the Echo Knight dispatched him quietly, we approached their village.
Kasimir was confident, if the amulet was in the leader's hut, he would detect it. Nihle, Halveer, and the paladin crept up behind the hut and indeed Kasimir confirmed something of a magical nature was inside. However, Halveer and Nihle were spotted by the guards and the alarm was raised. Goblins along with their queen, Grabstab, came pouring out of the huts. She had the amulet around her neck. We rushed in to help as the queen fired a flaming arrow into a mound of fireants. Now the ant mask of the sentry made more sense. They used the ants as a defense. The red ants swarmed out of the mound. Undril used her spirit guardians to hold them off. The paladin, ranger, and echo knight fought the queen and her guards as Taban, the guides, and myself took on another hut of goblins.
Kasimir warned us all that one of the huts was moving towards a thick vine at the edge of the camp. We had noticed the floor of the village was woven materials lined with poles made from trees. But we had no idea what they meant. Whatever was going to happen when they cut that vine, we did not want to be on that mat. Kasimir finished off the guards and Nihle grabbed the amulet from the queen and we all retreated just as the goblins cut the vine. With a tremendous "WHOOSH!" the poles on the ground sprung up and the mat wrapped around the village and lifted the huts and the goblins in the air as a giant tree that has been bent over launched the wrapped village deeper into the jungle.
"Clever little buggers" I commented as we watched them sail over the tree tops.
"Imbeciles!" Nihle said.
"Likely an escape mechanism for when a dinosaur approaches." Halveer surmised.
At any rate, we had the control amulet and returned to the clearing to make camp. After a rest, I had held the magical disc and discerned it controlled Vorn well enough, but had some properties more suited to a traditional spell caster. In fact once Kasimir attuned to the amulet, he could cast a spell into Vorn and have him cast it on command.
Our guides explain it's only a two day walk to Camp Vengeance, so we head that direction. But that night we are attacked by natives or some kind of cult. They have inverted blue triangles, or a ziggurat if you will, on their foreheads. Their spears are no match for our armor and blades. The do not fare well against us. A day later we arrive at Camp Vengeance, a stronghold for the Order of the Gauntlet, led by commander Breakbone.
We find a pile of rotting corpses outside the walls. Kasimir quietly turns them into a more natural compost such that they will not rise as the undead. Inside, we find the fort in disarray as many are ill with Mad Monkey disease and they are rather unorganized for a military outpost. The commander welcomes Undril Silvertusk and the rest of us. Undril delivers her messages from Baldur's Gate and she and Kasimir begin to cure the sick. I count about 20 to 30 soldiers an a couple of dozen camp workers. Later that night at dinner in the commanders hut, he tells us what he knows about the surrounding area. The frog like folk have a settlement called Dungrunglung and the lobster people as well are in the area. They hate intruders.
Commander Breakbone, asks Undril to return to Baldur's Gate and send reinforcements and healers back to the camp to fight the undead threat. I was a bit disappointed that she would be leaving us. I had hoped he would commission her to join us in our quest to find and destroy the soulmonger, believed to be the source of the death curse. Bringing reinforcements back just seems to be putting a bandage on the problem rather than solving it. Just my opinion.
Four days later, we make our way back down the river with Vorn in tow. We say our farewells to Undril. I hope to see her again before our quest has ended.
A ghostly looking dwarf approaches us in the street having heard we escorted Undril into the jungle and back. He tells us he is Musharhib, and his people worked the forge of Hrakhamar in the Kobold Mountains. There is an active volcano there and several firenewts appeared and ran them out of the forge. He asks us to help him to reclaim Hrakhamar, his clan's ancestral forge. The firenewts that have since taken over must be driven out or destroyed. Since it will allow us to explore more of the area, we have agreed to escort him there and help him defeat the newts.
We visit Wakanga again and stay at his villa. We present Vorn and the Amulet to him and he agrees to trade us for a magical staff that casts several healing spells. He also tells us of a friend's vision of a ancient city called Orolunga. It is a ruined city of ancient Chult hidden in the jungle. All that remains is a single ziggurat. Wankanga's friend had a vision of a giant serpent with a human head. We should pass by this on the way to the Kobold mountains.
Session 3: Camp Righteous
"You can win this Halveer!" Lucas tells the ranger. "We're counting on you mate! And I have a fair amount of gold riding on you to win it."
The citizens of Port Nyanzaru line the city street cheering the careening dinosaurs on as they race through the streets. Halveer, riding an Allosaurus named Nasty Boy, takes an early lead. He's helped by the fact that one of the T-rex racers named Scarback goes berserk after a good lashing by its rider. The wild Rex cuts off the favorite to win, Big Honker as he makes his own way off the course. Big Honk tries to catch up. He gets even with Bone Cruncher but they are unable to catch Halveer and Nasty Boy before they cross the finish line. I just made 80 gold! I may have to take up this gambling bit after all.
After the race we head over to the shrines of the gods and meet the Cleric of Torm, Undril Silvertusk, a half-orc female from Baldur's Gate. Apparently she's a member of some combined religious order called The Gauntlet. They also abhor the undead and are searching for the root cause of the Death Curse. We tell her we will escort her to Fort Vengeance down the river. She states she is to meet with the Fort's Commander, Niles Breakbone. She says it took all her coin to get to Port Nyanzaru, but that Breakbone will pay us when we arrive at the Fort.
Next we purchase a canoe for the journey as we will need two to carry everyone. We also pick up some additional supplies such as bug repellant and a rain catcher for Undril. We tell Flask and River that we will meet them in the morning.
The first day is uneventful and the River Soshenstar is slow and calm. The guides warn us all is not as serene beneath the murky waters. Flesh eating fish called Quippers swim in schools and of course snakes and crocodiles also lie in wait for prey to wander by. The second day we notice shadowy figures among the trees along the shore are following our boats. Perhaps some indigenous form of fish like people wanting to see what we are about.
Later that day we come upon three people seemingly in distress. They have a busted canoe on the shoreline and are calling for our aid. I tell the others that this seems suspicious to me and we should perhaps pass on by. But the goodly nature of Halveer and Kasimir win out and they convince me we should stop. "But be wary," Kasimir whispers. "It's probably a trap."
Indeed it proves to be an ambush by three River Hags. They cast a frightening wave across us keeping us from engaging them. All I am able to do is fire me crossbow. The Echo knight, Nihle is able to make to shore and is rewarded with a blinding bolt of lightning. Undril also proves her worth and engages the hag. I am finally able to will myself ashore and help to defeat the evil hags.
On day 4 we finally arrive at the ruins of Camp Righteous on the eastern shore of the river. We pick our way through ruined tents and burnt buildings. There are signs of dinos and even zombies passing through the area. There is a fledgling Axebeak trapped in a makeshift pen. It seems in distress and may start making noise, so we set it free before Nihle decides to eat it.
Lastly we find the open entrance to some sort of temple. Above the entrance is a statue of a man with a croc riding his back. It may be related to a ancient tale. We suspect the entry hall is trapped and Kasimir detects some divine magics. I should have know things would go poorly when only five of us planned to enter. I was fooled by Nihle's echo thinking that might count as a sixth person. But as he pointed out, it's more of a magical object. The guides knew better than to tempt an ancient temple and even Undril had no desire to explore the dusty ruins. But as we were hired and compelled to locate the source of the Deathcurse, we had to go in. Things went poorly from there. A pit trap opened up swallowing myself and Kasimir. It was a painful fall but we were able to climb out. Then sharp blades sprang from the walls and sliced me like a hot blade through a block of butter cream.
Bleeding profusely, I crawled back out of the ruins and sought healing from Undril. She closed the wounds back up but I had no stomach for returning to the trapped temple. It clearly wanted no visitors. We rested and recovered and talked about the temple. Taban reminded us that the key part of the ancient tale about the man and the crocodile was that the croc carried the man safely across the river. He and Halveer decided to give that a go. Sure enough they entered the temple unmolested. They made it all the way to the back and stepping on some glowing stones allowed them entrance to the back chamber. There they climbed a central pillar and retrieved a magical jug.
They returned and he studied the jug determining it could produce a variety of liquids and condiments once per day. We then headed back to the canoes, deciding to cross the river and look for the lost construct known as Vorn. Unfortunately we see that our little boats are gone and the two row boats have been smashed.
At that moment about a score of goblin kind erupts from the ruined tents to attack!
"All right cat folk!" I shouted to the guides. "Time to get off your tails and earn your keep!"
Session 2: Fort Belurian
"Cheers mates!" Lucas says as they drink Tej the next morning.
We decided to pay a visit to Port Nyanzaru's slums, Malar's Throat, full of dilapidated buildings stacked upon one another. I didn't see how we'd find a respectable guide here. In fact, we had already been told the cat guide's operation was not above board. But Nhile was insistent we visit them. River Mist and Flask of Wine gave us the usual spiel, and Nhiel brokered a deal that should we employee them, they could each spit a full share of any treasure found in the jungle proper in leu of their standard fees.
Next we decided to cross the Bay of Chult on the Ferry to visit Fort Belurian, a stronghold/colony of Baldur's Gate. We were warned however that a beast called a Dragon Turtle lurked in the bay and if active, the Ferry would not run. This creature went by the name of Aramag. As we watched the ferry being loaded with supplies and cargo bound for the fort, a native bloke approached us. He claimed ships on the bay were being attacked by pirates. He said except for the Ferry ran by Fort Belurian. He suspected someone at the fort has struck a deal with the pirates. He wanted to slip into the fort unnoticed to get proof of this arrangement and asked if we would create a distraction for him to sneak into the fort. He offered to give us a charter of exploration into the jungle. He said the Baldurians would arrest adventurers in the jungle without a proper charter.
Kasimir and myself wanted no part in his ploy. Not only did we not know what this fellow's true intent was, we didn't want to be on the wrong side of Baldur's Gate and the Flaming Fists. We told him we would pass on the opportunity.
We arrived at the fort that afternoon after an uneventful ride across the bay. We visited the market square and then up to the keep where we met another guide named Qawasha. He was a druid who was determined to rid the jungle of as many undead as possible. He offered to waive his fees as long as we helped him destroy any undead. This fellow was much more to my liking than the catfolk. Kasamir decided to head over to the temple of Helm and pray. We went back to the market and had some dinner.
After Kasimir returned we decided to pay a visit to the Castellan, Gruta Halsdottier. She was happy to receive a party of adventurers and hoped to enlist our aid in destroying a pack of the undead that was harassing the area. She offered to give us a charter and 20 gp per ghoul/ghast head that we brought in. She also warned that the niece of Grand Duke Dillard Portyr, Liara Portyr was stationed here and that she suffered no interference with her operations here in Chult. She answered directly to Grand Duke Ravenguard.
We agreed to take the job. We decided to give Qawasha a go at guiding us into the jungle. A couple of days out and we indeed ran into the ghouls. It was a tough battle, but Taban proved to be the excellent warrior he claimed to be and wiped out several of the flesh eaters. As we returned to the Fort, we were ambushed by several small dinos called Velociraptors. Viscous little buggers.
We thanked Qawasha for guiding us and collected the bounty on the ghouls. We caught the evening ferry back to Port Nyanzaru and returned to the villa for the night. We plan to visit the dino races tomorrow and see what the fuss is about.
Session 1: Tomb of Annihilation (TOA)
I reflected on my life as I wondered the streets of Port Nyanzaru, much had changed in a very short time. My wife, Selena, mysteriously died and was prematurely taken from this world. It was not her time. Then a couple of strangers appeared at my door and invited me to Zazesspur. They claimed to be Blood Hunters and part of an Order than knew the source of my wife's death. Zazesspur was the largest city I had ever seen. I have spent my whole life visiting the relatively small town of Mosstone on the Trade Way. After my mother died, my father had taken me once to Port Kir to see and smell the ocean. Other than standing in the sand on the beach and feeling the waves crash against my little legs, I don't remember much more than that.
Port Nyanzaru, while not as large as Zazesspur, is still uncomfortably large for my liking. The buildings are rather colorful and adorned with murals of giant reptiles. Multiple flags fly on the walls. The whole city seems to be bustling, sweating, laughing, swearing, and singing. Everyone seems to be in a rush. Running. Running to where? Suddenly there is a bell tolling near the front gates.
I stopped a young native and asked what the commotion was. “They are coming!” he replied and kept running.
At the gates, I saw villagers that live outside the city walls running in as they closed the gates. I stopped this pale looking man wearing a cowl and again asked what the people were running from. “The undead. They are approaching the city. Second time in as many weeks.” The man replied. I saw warriors climb to the top of the walls to hurl spears. I could hear mages casting a few spells exploding outside the walls as well. “Well met,” I replied to the man. “I have come here to investigate these attacks and other things.” The man smiled back and said, “Names, Halveer Nagimar. I too have been hired to look into similar happenings here.”
“I am Lucas. You know Syndra Silvane?” I ask.
“Indeed, I do.” Halveer replies. “Recently employed by her.”
“Well then,” I said, “I reckon that makes us mates, then. Let’s meet later for dinner and ale?”
“Sounds agreeable!” Halveer confirmed.
A few days later the other two members of our party arrive. A rich looking bloke named Kasimir Zhayne with a knightly bodyguard whose name I didn't catch. We meet with our patron, Syndra Silvane, who is staying with a merchant prince, Wakanga O'tamu. She gives us each 50 gold and charges us with finding the soulmonger before her time runs out.
On the streets this young native girl runs up to us asking if we'd mind helping her collect on a debt, also offering us some coin. Seeing as how we will need funds to finance our endeavors into the jungle proper, we acquiesce to her plea for aid.
On the streets off the beaten path we find this rather large native having some sport at the dice. Games of chance seem to be prevalent in this society. He refuses to pay up to the girl and doesn't take kindly to Kasimir restraining him. A street brawl breaks out. I try to land a few punches, but its like hitting the side of a trussed up wild hog. Very little give. He returns the favor and I see Selune's Stars. That's enough for me to draw steel. I feel my blood magic rise and I land a blow with flat of the blade.
With the help of the others, we finally subdue him to reason.
He gives up the owed payment and is impressed that we were able to best him. He states he is some champion here in the arena and vows to serve us until his honor is restored. I don't know what help he will be as he is just a local and doesn't know much about what lies outside the walls. But regardless we'll take him along if for no other reason than to tote supplies.
We meet with Wakanga at his opulent Villa. He claims to be skilled in the Arcane Arts. He offers us free food and lodging while we are in town and gives us a side quest to locate some lost metal golem in the jungle. Returning it to him would garner some additional rewards for our cause. Although Kasimir seemed inclined to imply a golem under our control would be a formidable ally.
We talk about some of the various guides available in the area. Kasimir's merc seems very opinionated on the matter. A bit pushy for a hired sword, I think.
We turn in for the night.
The Book of Lucas
Some fell magics took my love from me. I will hunt down the source and have my vengeance.
Comments