Search for the fourth key
The Golden Delta that flows into the South Eastern shores has been cleared! A Golden Acorn, gifted by the mighty Breac Sunfist was planted by Rin and a mighty company of heroes into an ancient grove of trees there.
Now, with the blight receding, the Ancient Empire's Capital City has been discovered deep in those jungles, and within it, the fourth scepter of power, the fourth Vault Key, the fourth Rod of Dominion must be resting, defended by the dead, and waiting for a worthy group of heroes to claim!
Do you dare venture into an ancient world of traps and trials within these old walls of stone?
QUEST REPORT:
Salt and spray filled the air as the party rode on the great (Legally not a ship) Guppy, along the bright waters of the South West Oceans. Standing at the helm, and guiding the great fish, was of course the captain Rin, hair and scarves billowing in the wintery chill oceanic breeze.
Behind Rin was the first mate of the ship Tung, paladin extraordinaire, legal scholar apparently, and long standing hero of the guild, keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding waters for any sign of trouble.
A sound of scratching papers, rustling scrolls and clinking ink bottles broke the quiet ocean whispers, as the catlike Malkin scribe, and navigator Scuffy rummaged through their many charts and notations, updating shorelines and reefs as they went.
Several new faces had joined the crew of Guppy, and kneeling in the back corner of the deck, was the renowned Artificer Alarise Hammerhand tuning strange devices and expertly organizing tool kits, preparing dangerous and complicated spells and effects they would need on this mission. Meticulous and careful, you can almost see the thousands of thoughts and complex ideas floating around their head, as they prepare for each situation the group may encounter.
Nearby, a puff of smoke in concentric rings blows from a tall figure, bending at the waist and investigating a collection of small sea creatures that have made a nest in one of the crevasses on Guppy's back through a long magnifying glass. their beige coat billowing in the breezes, the Warlock Salemon Firefinger stands upright, and puffs again, sucking on the end of their glowing emberlike fingertip, before blowing several rings of smoke, and turning to watch the coastline with great interest. Their skills as a great detective will surely be of use to the crew.
Showtunes echo from somewhere nearby, as eyes of many of the crew members glance again at the glossy black piano resting on the rear of Guppy, a striking figure in flashy clothes and star shaped glasses plays without pause or problem, sound tracking the voyage as none but he could do. Elven John , virtuoso, star of stage and stature, 7 times Grammy Award Winning, (having been voted number one by the most Grandmas for the last seven years), has recently joined the Guild as a hero, and joined the crew for this mission into the unknown.
A sound of hooves clacking unevenly causes concern from some of the crew, as the large fish Guppy begins to turn into the narrow waters of The Golden Delta. A powerful and glorious Centaur Sorcerer (...a Sorcerataur? ...it's unclear) struggles to keep their legs steady with the movement, and wonders how the two-legs do it so easily. Finding their footing and casting an impressive figure, Ester is prepared and ready to conquer the jungles and ruins that pass them by even now in this place.
Finally, with emerald skin shining in the bright sun, the powerful Dragonborn sorcerer/cleric Stump prays with their clerics creed, and summons the inherent powers of their sorcerous heritage to the front of their mind, ready to disrupt the forces of opposition, or empower to victory, the brave heroes they share a common goal with
The party makes landfall deep inland, with Guppy dropping the group at the foot of the great grove of ancient trees, that was recently cleared of blight by an incursion into this territory, vanquishing again, the dark forces of Lady Jade and the Rotwood Conclave.
The huge trees towering above them and the Golden Acorn shone with a warming glow across the surrounding mangroves and clearings, providing some sense of hope to the party as they pushed further into the ruins, lost to time, the Jungle revealing it's secrets finally to the modern age.
the group soon found a mist covered clearing, deep within the jungles and ruined walls and causeways littered the lands, a powerful voice echoed across the land, as a gusting wind pulled them forward. Begone from this place it reverberated.
Curious, the group spread out upon the high walls, searching and investigating the area for any clues as to the people who lived here, and where the ancient temple and key might be hidden.
As they moved around the platforms, Tung kicked a stone with his booted foot, and found that it came loose, revealing a sacrificial token! then everything seemed to happen at once, Elven John, Scuffy and Stump, suddenly were grappled by skeletal hands, as ancient warlords rose from below, summoned by an ancient force to protect this land from invasion. They moved with uncanny speed, slashing and scratching with grave claws or jade swords at the group.
Magic missiles (and Fish-iles) flew, hammers fell, sacred flames flared, and eldritch blasts erupted as chaos ensued! Ester narrowly saved Stump from a devestating blow, and Tung came to the rescue of Elven John, who was isolated on a far platform. A pit opened up, nearly trapping the dwarf inside, and at the northern wall, Scuffy and Salemon stood inside the Warlock's Trench Coat, battling together against the forgotten dead. In the middle, Rin and Alarise threw spell after spell to assist in vanquishing their foes.
The Ancients eventually fell, first at the hands of Tung and Elven John, who then navigated the pit, to join the others in the middle. the second fell to Scuffy and Salemon, with the help of firebolts from Alarise. Scuffy ran to join the still battling Stump and Ester, triggering another trap and almost being skewered as a battering ram slammed into the wall next to them. With a final flurry, the heroes fought back against the undead champions and calm fell once again upon the misty ruins.
Heading forth, the group descended deep into the temple tunnels below
Ahead of the group, the stairs fell lower and lower, until they at last came to dark and shadowed tunnels beneath the earth. Cobwebs and sprung traps littered the floor and walls, and the group moved forward cautiously, scanning ahead and triggering various pits and snares along the way. in single file, they moved, until Scuffy leapt and made it to safety at the tunnels end. taking a bow, the floor suddenly clicked.....
A giant boulder fell from the roof behind the party, and without missing a beat, Elven John and his moving piano played a suitable theme they called 'Raiders of the lost Cart'. After a second of shock, the group ran! dodging pits, leaping chasms, ducking through slicing blades, they finally made it to the end and the safety beyond as the rock collided with the frame, sealing their way back, and they knew they must move forward and find a way out somewhere else.
Ester moved forward while the others searched around, reading the unusual ancient hieroglyphics, they found the tunnel ahead was dedicated as the "room of the Sun Trials" and gathering the group, they moved forward into the deeper rooms of the dungeons.
As they moved forward, light washed over them, as a bright orb glowed on a pedestal ahead of them, seeming made of shifting liquid glass, or solid glowing smoke, Alarise, Salemon and Stump moved forward to investigate, finding it posed no threat, but still stumped as to what to do here. Ester looked for markings or glyphs to indicate what they needed to do next but found none.
Without hope here, the party moved out and into the many dark tunnels where the light's rays did not reach.
In each of these paths, they found more pitfalls, dark blades, lumbering rams and more to slow the unwary, but also discovered golden crystals scattered deep within rooms at the furthest reaches of this place. Along the way, the party also discovered glowing prisms, but finding no use for them, brought them back to the central room.
As each crystal came into the light of the orb, it glowed bright, reflecting the rays as far as they would reach.
Thinking quickly, the group bent and corralled the light to the six golden spires, causing the central platform with the orb to begin to rise.
Running back as the stairs scaled higher and higher, the group rose through ancient stonework, and mechanisms till the roof opened and the bright sunlight showed swirling clouds, hanging low around them.
As their eyes adjusted to the light, they found themselves high in the canopy, as a hurricane of winds whipped the clouds of mist around them, the eye of the storm, hiding all eyes from this place.
"What are you doing here" called a voice of authority and power, and below them on the temples sacrificial platform stood a dark queen, an empress from long past, the Last Leader of the Ancient collectives of kingdoms, Empress Necahual.
"Begone fools! lest you wake the sleeping doom that awaits you here. We were fools, and allowed the darkness to corrupt our lands for the powers it held which we did not understand!" She pointed her flaming spear forth at them. "Now leave! I have kept it contained for the good of the world but your presence causes it to stir in it's slumber even now." She paused for a second, as if listening to the winds. "The god must be left to slumber for eternity till the last sands flow from the world and the lord of time himself wakes to claim the world"
The party pleaded with her that they could help, but as they spoke, a tremor rippled through the temple, and the air itself burst forth in terrible gusts.
Fear struck the Empress's face as from the clouds above, a great god of the winds, a guardian of the old world rose up and displayed it's rainbow plumage and dripping fangs for all to see. A rainbow serpent of epic proportions and dark intent.
The creature awoke the winds and the party had minimal time to react as it whipped the storm into a frenzy, casting stone slabs spinning and crashing around the temple and into the air above and below them. Several of the party were carried around in the tornado that followed, scattered flying on broken stone around the beast.
Battle engaged, and Holy Hammers scorched the beast, dark flames and fireballs ripped through the air. The beast sparked and arced with electricity, casting bolts into the heroes, causing mayhem and injuries' the party scrambled for cover or stood firm to provide willing targets.
As the spells found purchase, and the blows fell against the beast again and again, it was apparent that the creature was fighting a battle of it's own, seeming to be sick, it was coughing and retching with a lump of darkness stuck in it's throat.
The party took their advantage, felling the final blows together against this powerful foe, and at the last, it spat an ominous glob of inky black onto the temple platform, as the winds died down, and the world seemed still for a moment.
A dark mast rose upon the inky tentacles to stand before the Empress, rage filling it's eyes.
The queen seeming to recognize it's form, stabbed her royal spear deep into its shifting murk and banished the fouled ghost finally away from the lands of the living. the mask falling to the floor, diminished and still cursed, but defeated.
The empress exclaimed. "It is done....we are finally fee of the curse." she sighed.
"It was the Dark Priest, The God of Winds devoured him to protect us and was corrupted in the attempt, but you heroes have vanquished it from the serpent finally!"
The Queen waved her hand, and a great golden key appeared in front of Rin, a rod of dominion, a fourth key to the old vault of the Empire.
The party left much richer, with new friendships made, and lands explored, the Empress herself cloaked herself in robes, and wandered off into the world to see what has become of the lands beyond in her long absence.
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