Winedark, Chapter Thirty

General Summary

Wherein the Blasters experience further strangeness in the jungle, are introduced to a god of the moment, and are tested by a tired Custodian

Weirdness in the Jungle

En route to the Itsthuemsel Ruins, our adventurers experienced several unexpected encounters. The appearance of Gnet seems a likely culprit in the exacerbation of this strangeness. Water , scouting ahead, discovered several wind chimes constructed of bone hanging from the trees. They did not move at all, despite the presence of a slight breeze. There was little time to consider that oddity when another was thrust upon our heroes.
This one took the form of an Abominable Yeti crashing through the jungle and clearly out of place. Quick thinking (and the Tongues spell by Irk) enabled the Blasters to engage this yeti in conversation rather than battle. It turns out that this yeti is, indeed, a long way from home as he intends to return there--presumably to the mountains of The Slide in Holapo. Therein lies a problem, as Holapo is several thousand miles away from Bragaki. An elegant solution was conferred--maybe just walk there? Try your luck at navigating The Vast's floor. To aid in this endeavor, Irk provided the yeti with his "Hottim 69" hat that enables water-breathing. The yeti instantly became an emo version of himself, his fur changing into the utter blackness that now permeates his mall-goth existence. With a garbled word of thanks (and the gift of an Acorn Charm for Kharlo Chondricht), the yeti crashed toward the north, and towards his fate.

The Temple of the Moment

Soon enough the Blasters found themselves before the most prominent ruin in the Itsthuemsel region. All could see that this was once a temple of some sort, but Irk, perhaps owing to his newfound "pantheon" approach to godly dedication, understood it to be a holy place of an ancient god--Lubium, God of the Moment, to be precise.
There was little time to ponder what that meant as our heroes were engaged in combat by some waiting "swole hyenas," or Leucrotta, as they are known. These creatures were put down, but not before exactly a bloody toll from our crew. It was then decided, given the beating they've taken from giant apes and swole hyenas, that a good night's sleep was in order.
The night held visions.
The next morning found the Blasters heading down into the temple to see what, exactly, they are here for. It was clear from the outset that this particular ruin seemed to be a flurry of activity. That feeling was confirmed as our heroes encountered a pack of fearsome looking gnolls among the ruined temple walls. They promised to forgo the required toll for the Blasters if they agreed to "take care of a big guy to the north." Not wishing to provoke bloodshed just yet, the Blasters agreed.
Walking a bit north revealed a big guy (but not the big guy, as would soon be established). This big guy happened to be Taklerothaion Zoleios, a cyclops consumed by loneliness and frustrated by his oath to foreswore violence. Kharlo instantly formed a connection with this individual and he told our adventurers his sad tale. His oath (and his dedication to an entity known as the Custodian) binds him to this place. He is to serve as a guide for those who undertake the Custodian's trials and has sworn to not shed blood in this holy temple. The problem is that all of the temple's more recent "tenants" have profaned this place, blocking the Custodian from making an appearance and depriving Taklerothaion of the much longed-for presence of his friend. If the Blasters were to remove these tenants, then they could chat with the Custodian, which might be very revealing indeed.
Say no more, friend! Kharlo's on the case with an instant turn against the gnolls--almost like he was anticipating this moment. These gnolls met their end rather ingloriously. But that's not the only squatter that needs dealing with, as there is still the "big guy" the gnolls wanted the Blasters to deal with. The big guy turned out to be a magic ogre and combat once again commenced. It is worth noting here that the Blasters destroyed this ogre in less than one round. Truly, these heroes are coming into their power.
These threats removed, Taklerothaion took our adventurers to meet the Custodian. This happened in what clearly used to be a worship chamber in these ruins. The Custodian, who was called Kotiki was summoned, was very thankful for the effort spent by the Blasters thus far and explained that he had a gift for our heroes. Of course, there is the matter of the test to see if the receiving party of said gift is strong enough to wield it. This test was, of course, combat, and a brutal battle took place.
Ultimately, the Blasters bested Kotiki in combat. With great relief, he pronounced them worthy of this mighty artifact, embraced Taklerothaion, and the two of them turned to dust, vanishing from this realm and hopefully toward a semblance of peace.
Left behind in that vanishing was the sought for relic--the shroud that held Kotiki's bones together. It radiant a powerful energy. In the hands of a skilled craftsperson, it could be fashioned--and, indeed, perhaps once served as--a binding for Instrument.

And That's Where We Left It

We'll see in what state the Blasters emerge from the jungle during our next session.

Various & Sundry Details

• A night spent before the temple also revealed strange visions. Captain Pitch bore witness to a blood red rainbow announced by a fleeting hot rainstorm.
• That same night, Burdin saw a solitary sloth making its way along the temple path. Later, there will be no such evidence of that sloth's progress.

Rewards Granted

• Acorn Charm
• Aged Goodberry Wine
• Battlechef Field Dresser

Character(s) interacted with

• A yeti
• Taklerothaion Zoleios, a lonely cyclops
• Kotiki the Custodian, steward of Instrument's binding

Report Date

27 Feb 2022

Primary Location

Bragaki