Shyrene Windheart
Shyrene Windheart
Strong willed and fiercely independent, Shyrene quickly established herself as a fantastic scout within the tribe at a very young age. Her attitude of ‘I can do it myself and better than you’ put off some, but no one disputed the fact that quite often she was right on both counts.
She was promised early to a young son of the neighbouring White Stag Tribe to improve relations and trade between the two, but as would be expected of one of her temperament, she never was fond of the idea. The distaste grew to outright refusal as the boy she was to wed, Alric Stonefoot, grew into a pathetic excuse for a tribesman. Things came to a head when she mocked him publicly in front of members of both tribes at a trademeet. This was much to the chagrin of her Uncle and the furor of her future father-in-law.
During the ensuing war of words (to avoid the war of spears), the White Stag Chief made many mentions how Shyrene was obviously too full of herself and needed a strong hand to control her. Her uncle asked her to lay low and avoid causing any more undue stress on the situation. Shyrene took this as her opportunity to do what she had always wanted to do, but could never get away from scrutiny for long enough. She went searching for the tribe’s codicil.
She had already been learning the Cant in pieces from people she could wriggle some of it out of, and was ready for the Approach. She tracked the cougar who left no tracks to its lair and was able to steal its tail without the cougar being aware it was missing and use it as the key to the room containing the box with the shadows and the codicil it contained.
When she returned, ascended by the codicil, her uncle Harbold took the opportunity to send her as representative of the eastern tribes to The Shepherdess, who had sent messengers requesting permission to visit and accord with the tribes. The White Stags could not argue, as an ascended could not marry.
Shyrene relished the freedom, and enjoys seeing all the new places that her journey to The Shepherdess took her. She arrives at Outpost Island on a Giff Destroyer just in time to board the airship.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Tall and athletically built, Shyrene's days of roaming and hunting in the mountains has left her lean yet well-muscled.
Shyrene Windheart was born the daughter of Tayric Stoneheart and Eilene Windseeker, in the Blue Lynx Tribe of the Eastern Mountains of Nemylanthinor and maternal niece of the Tribe’s Chief Harbold Windseeker.
Current Location
Salvation's Landing
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Children
Gender
Female
Eyes
Green
Hair
Dark Brown
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tanned
Height
5'10"
Weight
145 lbs
The Forbidden Temple Part 2
We woke to find Himo had come down with some sickness from a poison from the mold on the wall we passed the day before. We had to go back that way to turn off the force fields, so Umlilo cast a warding wind to get us by to the control room. Geode worked on the console and when he turned off the field, we were attacked by shadowy spirits including a large troll.
The troll dropped Geode in the fight and had a big back and forth with Mule. Geode once again had to interact with the pedestal, which he said control was being partially blocked by a malevolent source of whom's lair we were in. He was able to drop the force field after which we moved back past the now burnt mold and rested to recover from the fight.
We returned to the blocked doorway, flanked by snake figure carvings, a grand staircase rose ahead which shimmered with geothermal gases. Despite my warning, Mule moved through the gas and passed out at the same time Umlilo set the gases on fire. At the top of the stairs, warded portals stood to either side. When Himo threw a rock into the northern portal it was thrown back with force.
We pressed forward, through a general evil feeling which seems to be allowing us by but could stop us if it wanted to. We found an illusory wall and moved to investigate which ended in another illusory wall. Beyond that, there was several giant mummies on thrones. It felt like a museum, and Himo was able to determine that these were cloud giants corpses. Umlilo then was able to determine the mummified remains were phylacteries of a lich, one that was quite insane.
We headed south through a huge chamber and found that more mummies existed on the other side of the hall. Tom found a hidden passage that headed west and we headed in that direction. As we were looking around we heard in our mind 'Welcome, I've been expecting you.' The lich suggested that she could help us and beckoned us to her.
We found a giant floating skull with emerald eyes and teeth attended to by lizardfolk children. She said we were wise to leave the skull behind and that we would need her help to overthrow the Yuan-Ti. Her name is Niaketh.
She offered to aid us in discovering the true name of one of the artifacts on the condition that we return it to her lair and release the Merilith and defeat it, allowing her to absorb the powers of the fiend and transcend to the next level of being as an arcane being. We would then be free to leave her lair.
The party voted to agree to Niaketh's agreement. She let us know that the Ancient Black Dragon, KRAVAXXORA, had bespelled us to forget, which she broke. It was to her that we need to go to determine the name of the Merilith in the artifact.
We returned the child we came to rescue to the village, much to their awe. We were feasted for our success.
The Forbidden Temple
After a rest in the magic dome, we set back out and immediately ran into a cloud of gas, which did not flare out when exposed to fire. We covered up and rushed passed the mushrooms that appeared to be creating the spores.
Moving forward we found a loose brick in an alcove hiding a golden yaun ti coin (largish, worth 20GP) and a brass ball covered with sigils that seems to be some sort of cypher. Then we came across the alabaster bowls bearing flames we've seen before and sure enough we were promptly attacked by undead.
The fight was difficult and several of the creatures got away through some portal and the lights went out. We rested a moment then pushed on. We ran into some rot grubs and then some bone nagas and found some amphora's full of treasure. Freshly weighed down with coins, we carried on into the winding collection of rooms and halls.
We stumbled into a parallel hall that was littered with traps. After triggering some and disabling others, we fell back deciding it wasn't worth pushing further to get to where we had already been.
More Explorations
The first day was eventfully, with us disturbing a hag by collecting resin for incense, which we then left behind. Then a fire elemental confused when the earthsingers extracted obsidian from veins in a beautiful ravine. All in all, I wonder about my companions habits to take from environment so hastily.
The next day we started off in a lizardfolk village, but this one has stone structures. Chieftess Nassuri of the Stone Lizards asked us to look after a child that wandered away from the mines toward forbidden ruins. In questioning the other children, we determined he liked to climb.
Himo and I found tracks leading up into the mountain to a small, frequently used camp. Beyond that, the trail went cold. I noticed the ruins while we searched for the trail, and made our way up to it. It the courtyard of the ruin we awoke a stone golem which we dealt with promptly. Inside we ran into zombies and traps and a minotaur and a mummy, along with a pillar of lights. The pillar appears to be a control station for magical barriers elsewhere in the complex. The souls of the dead are congregating around Geode.
The Next Steps - Exploration Continued
We decided to survey the area the next day and set out with that in mind. Heading north, we found some pools with a Nyad, she mentioned a black dragon when we talked with her, but paled and fled when realizing she had. Moving northwest, we found a raised marsh with copper deposits and we came across a humongous turtle being tended by some druids. One of the druids who serve the 'Old One' say that this area is holy lands to them. The copper lodes carry on to the northwest, where we also found a teeming bed of crayfish. Heading south and back towards the village we found cinnamon groves and sugarcane fields.
We spent the night on the dragonfly then moved it northward to survey some more. We found more copper and raised marshland. We surveyed between the two lakes, the smaller one we're calling Crayfish Lake. We rested again and in the morning we wake and I remembered the dragon lair now.
We moved north along Long Lake and continued surveying the area. We been finding food and water without difficulty and we're moving through the jungle fairly easily so far. Shortly after midday however, we were attacked by Yuan-ti. Mule dropped during the fight, but Geode kept him up and Umlilo's familiar was lost. We fought hard and were victorious. The Abomination had a satchel with 3 scrolls and a magic box in it. The scrolls were Contact other Plane, Teleport Circle and Time Stop. The box was waterproof, which Himo claimed quickly.
We finished our surveying for the day after a short rest and made our way back to the ship.
The Next Steps - More Exploration
We set out in our new flying machine. It was odd to travel that way, but we covered great distances in very short time frames. Tom spotted a slightly unnatural tunneled entrance in the swamp that we stopped to investigate. Geode used a new spell and was able to determine it was a dragon lair (Adult Black, possibly Ancient) so we skedaddled.
We landed for the night at the Two Shells lizardfolk village on the shores of a large lake. In the morning, we were impacted by odd magic surges and were directed to the villages' medicine woman, who said our humours were out of alignment and gave us a potions to take to fix it. Then we set out in the dragonfly in boat mode to look at an abandoned ruins across the lake. We took our potions and rested and set off in the morning into the ruins and were ambushed by hydras!
After dispatching the hydras, we searched the rest of the ruins and found an odd pool of black liquid. Umlilo tried to identify it, but was teleported way up into the air. After that, Himo threw a branch into the liquid and a huge, dead willow sprouted into being and a astral figure of a minotaur appeared.
He was a king in ancient times who spoke with us and Himo took the lead. He did a puzzle and then spoke at length about the past and Yuan Ti. He was impressed by Himo's view point and revealed to us the chest that had been hidden in the liquid. We found several useful items in the chest, and another set of chain mail.
We forgot about the dragon lair apparently after taking the potion.
Codicils. The Reserchening Part 2.
While others did their codicils, Geode and I sent a sending to the Shepherdess and received a message back that she was unconscious and had been stabbed in the back. She needed our help, so Geode prepared more spells and we summoned Dovar into a Magic Circle and zone of truth. He appeared and was annoyed to have been summoned. He confessed to stabbing and poisoning the Shepherdess and admitted to having the antidote on his person.
I killed him.
We then sent a sending to the Third and got them to find the antidote and cure the Shepherdess and then made our way to town to speak with the diviner of the Ten who scried the Shepherdess in her room, awake.
Being far more comfortable in the situation, I went out to do my next codicil. 27 days later I re-emerged from the woods, successful.
The airship was was delayed by storms and arrived at the same time as the Shepherdess' party and the mayhem ensued in Salvation's Landing. Our airship arrived along with our interns. I had a long talk with the Shepherdess, letting her know everything about Dovar and the Yuan Ti. She urged me to stop the plane's destruction.
Mule and Geode earthsung the crystal skull into a stone block to protect it and us from detection. It had begun to effect Geode, and could no longer be trusted out in the open.
Codicils. The Reserchening.
I set out with Himo to town while Umlilo worked in his tower and the others did their own thing. I feel a need to collect items I need for my next journey but the route to town is mostly picked over. We went straight to the Captain and delivered our message. He was shocked by the news, but hid his surprise well, then ushered us out to give himself opportunity to process it.
Himo went to check in with Seacliff while I went to check in with Quartermaster Helga to ask a favour. I let her know that I had urgent news for the Shepherdess and wished to be notified on her arrival to Salvation's Landing. She agreed to let me know, and let her know that I wished to speak with her. We had a pleasant chat about various topics including her desire for knowledge of potential feed supplies. her amorous prospects with a certain farmer, and the general goings on of town.
Tawny let me know when I got to the bar that there's been some whispers in town with respect to the Shepherdess' group. They have backtracked to a monastery several weeks from the town and no one is sure why.
Auntie Marjorie's Lair Part 3
We proceeded through the briar maze, finding the pillars in the order of the poem, and found ourselves in Marjorie's prescence.
She granted us our questions, for the price of carrying a message to the Captain. She only knew the location of the black artifact, within the Yuan Ti forges to the northwest. She granted the Yuan Ti the magic to create the artifacts.
Destroying the artifacts can be achieved by Elder drake flames or a volcanic earth node or jettison it into a star.
We ate our cocatrice hearts and woke up on the beach where we met Carfaelor with the items we were promised.
Those items are:
2 Adamantine Scale Mail
1 Arcane Grimoire
1 Tan Bag of Tricks
1 Alchemy Jug
1 Chain mail of Necrotic Resistance
1 Hand wraps of Lin Po
1 Hewards Handy Haversack
1 Hewards Spice Pouch
1 Potion of Force Resistance
6 Purple Mushrooms
1 Ruby of the Warmage
1 Scoutbow +1
2 Scroll of Remove Curse
2 Scroll of Tongues
3 Star Ruby (1000GP)
10 Topaz (500GP)
We returned to the Explorer's Hall.
Auntie Marjorie's Lair Part 2
We headed north after our rest and found the orange pillar, and Fomorian's with it. When we had dealt with the Fomorians, their dying tears crystalized and we collected them. Among their things at their camp we found soul jars tied to each of us. Then we followed the exterior of the maze nearly halfway around before finding the blue pillar and another horde of fey critters to contend with. It was quite the horde of pixies, darklings and redcaps and the fight was a hairy one. Several of us dropped and when it was over, it was decided a long rest was required.
After the rest we set out exploring again, and found cockatrices guarding an altar and another fight erupted. We were scryed during the fight and then we found soul jars with names on them in coded words. We recognized some of the names, and when Obin grabbed the iron flask, Dovar of the Shepherdess appeared to us. He is not what he says he is apparently, and I must take it up with her eminence the next we see each other. Taken in a fit, I smashed my jar on the altar despite my urge not to and reabsorbed my soul. The others tried as well, some were able and some weren't.
We then continued our search and found the purple pillar, and so started our progress back. The purple pillar was easy, and we all acquired a purple glow. We burned ourselves a hole in the wall to reach the indigo pillar next as it was only a short distance away as the crow flew. It proved to be a harder challenge, with our deepest fears welling up inside us. Mule took some mental anguish but we all made it through the challenge and obtained the indigo light.
Burning our way to the blue column, we crossed in front of one of the statues and Tom had to dodge out of the way of a cursewart pod that erupted from the ground. This makes things more treacherous and we paused to evaluate our course of action.
Auntie Marjorie's Lair
Marjorie's cottage was as disgusting as one might expect of a sea hag. She went on a spiel but we weren't able to answer in our current form. She began to lower us into the water, but then had to go do something else and we in our koala forms opened the cages (eventually) and climb into the cottage.
A post came alive and gave us a riddle to escape, but there was no evidence of what to do next. We had a minor encounter with a giant frog that damaged Geode enough to change him back at which point he started hitting us to change us all back.
We then swam across to the apparent exit, where we found ourselves in a swampy area. We proceeded through thorny passages flanked by odd statuary and the forewarned cursewart plant. We were attacked by fey creatures, pixies, darklings and a redcap and managed to arm ourselves with their weapons.
Soon we came across the first of what we believed to be pillars of importance. A green, yellow and indigo. We also came across our own graves, which Geode earthsung and found chests associated with each of us. Those chest had our gear!
With our gear back, Umlilo put up a tiny hut and we rested for a moment.
What Do We Do Now? Marjorie?
We were returned to the Outpost tired and bedraggled and collapsed into our beds. We woke the next morning unsure of our immediate next steps. We decided to try and gain more insight from the memory crystals we had stockpiled, while Himo went to find out more about the attack on the sea-elf ship. The ship was attacked by a beast of the deep under someone's control. The sea elves commoners have been pulled back from the kelp farms, with only patrols remaining.
The memory crystals were largely last moments with family and loved ones, some more explicit than others. Towards the afternoon we see one from the perspective of a 8 year old girl who returned to the burial grounds heavily wounded. She tells a story of having escaped the Yuan Ti slave pens. She worked for a Yuan Ti Abomination who was creating the white crystal skull which grants power over life and death. It extends its power over the corpse lights, the bowls with the coloured flames, to control more. There was a green and black artifact created by other factions and the three factions fought against each other. The combination of these three artifacts would open the starfolk portal. Something in the three artifacts repel each other.
The white skull faction seems to be the faction in this area, and Mar Jurre (Auntie Majorie) was aiding them in the introductions to the Snake Tribe. The girl escaped because another faction attacked the white faction and she used it as her moment to escape.
We set out the next day and began surveying our way up the coast. We found a wild colony of Apians, were attacked by some flying kobolds and found an ancient abandoned Aarakocra settlement. Then we met Carfaelor, a high elf who had a free-roaming individualistic person who was a font of information with respect to info on the surrounding lands and the hag.
After the chat with Carfaelor, we made our way quickly to the bay and out to the island, as surveying the area seemed of less import given the terrain. While on the island we saw a kraken emerge from a cave and head out to sea. Geode made a sending to the hag and we were told to wait, so we did. For 3 days we waited, Tom and I surveyed the island. and at midnight a skeletal swan ship set out from the briar patch of the hag and a darkling delivered a hags potion that would take us to her lair. After a brief discussion, we all down the potions and were painfully teleported to cages in her cottage as koalas.
Surveying our Surroundings
After our conflict with the Yuan-Ti, we carried on surveying. We found a herd of Brontosaurus that we skirted and avoided surveying that block. Much settlement has occurred near the road.
At the end of the day, as we set camp, we noted the warning blasts from the Conch at the outpost and hustled back before darkness. The Seacliff shuttle had been destroyed and there were injured sea elves on the beach. While we rushed to help the elves, Umlilo noted someone atop his tower, which ended up being the ghostly Loxodon Monk from the horizon walker codicil. He warned Umlilo that the codicil was under attack.
We popped a water breathing scroll and rushed into the sea. Probably a bad idea as sharks, both alive and undead were patrolling the dark waters. Along with the sharks was a Triton Necromancer and a massive shark that paralyzed me with it's bite. After a difficult fight we made our way into the temple and took a brief rest to collect ourselves before moving in. We ran into another summoning bowl and a undead minotaur that popped out of it when we tried to destroy it. Umlilo cast control flames and somehow summoned a fire elemental, who then went through the portal to find out how to destroy it, but did not come back.
We found the loxodon's projection in the middle of the labyrinth again and he was confused, saying he didn't know there was a mage tower above this codicil and that he didn't contact us. He then told us to go to the bridge to speak with him. We made our way to the bridge portal and we found ourselves in a odd location with the Loxodon in person. He knew nothing about us or what we were doing there.
After discussions he (Jonathan) tells us that the plane were on is doomed to dissolve and suggest we use our advantageous locale to go elsewhere. Something happen and reality is unravelling in our sector of the universe. He tells us when the starspawn appear, it's time to leave the plane. We showed him the skull and he tells us the Yuan-Ti are working for the starspawn. The skulls open the gate for the starspawn.
The Serpent Tribe Tomb
We utilized the white amulet behind the Serpent Mask, which revealed a red amulet and flashed a rune that revealed another secret passageway. The passage way had a pressure plate that when pressed caused the floor to tilt down to a tomb chamber.
After a long discussion on the possible ills awaiting for us at the bottom, we utilized the flying carpet and floating disks to reach the bottom to discover the chieftain who founded the serpent tribe and chieftess (the granddaughter of the founder) who made contact with the Yuan-Ti.
The Urgadath enslaved the lizardfolk and made a compact with the Yuan-Ti of non-aggression, who showered the tribe with gifts with no immediate strings attached. In my attempts to speak with the chiefs, I noticed a black amulet glowing green which I was fairly confident was the key we were looking for.
Beyond the green glowing door was a serpent ouroboros and not much else, until Geode noticed a doorway visible through the ouroboros on the wall behind it. In the room behind, we found another of the summoning bowls, this one with a orange flame. When Geode tried to smash it, He and Tom promptly disappeared and the doors slammed shut. They were teleported to a undead plane, but managed to get back.
Upon leaving the chamber, a benevolent presence was present in the ouroboros. After casting augury through my spyglass, the Chieftess contacted us to come to see her. When we reached her, she told us that she had been watching long years. She watched her grandson submit to the Yuan-Ti and watched her tribe become enslaved. She tells us of Yuan-Ti stepping through time and gives us a diamond skull which she says in one of three keys the Yuan-Ti are searching for. She entrusted it to me to care for and to determine it's best use.
We made our way back to the outpost for the wizards to put more spells into their books, then set out surveying again. We discovered an area rich in iron deposits and emeralds. Then we ran into a group of Yuan-Ti fighting giant crocodiles, which against my better judgement we engaged.
In the end we were victorious, and the skull animated the abomination. What is this artifact we now carry!?
The Zombie Spawner
We rested and then went to deal with the stone bowl and flame. Umlilo identified it as an undead spawning item, then tried to control the flame and was possessed. I had to shoot him as he flew up to attack us, which broke the spell. Himo then smashed the bowl with his hammer and the flame went out.
We then went back and started using the memory crystals to try to glean more information about the Yuan-Ti. The others got standard hours of a tribeswoman. I got to see the tribe pledge to the Yuan-Ti by sacrificing the tribe's leader and then burning the village before heading north. The others continued scoured the memories, but I needed time to absorb what I had seen.
We headed back to camp and sent the farmer boy off to Salvation's Landing with a bag of gold and discussed what to do now. It was decided to survey the immediate area and make sure there's no more grave sites providing fresh zombies. Heading out from the lodge, we ran into a Yuan-Ti setting camp. We dispatched it then began surveying during which we found a pyramid and more zombies! After clearing the zombies out, we found a way down into the pyramid and started searching.
Shortly upon entering, we faced a grey ooze and Himo and I fell under an enchantment spell. Geode and Umlilo tried to help me out by hitting me, which chased me out of the temple which dispelled the effect. We rested a moment while Umlilo identified an amulet he pulled off the statues that charmed us. It was a key.
Deeper in the temple pyramid we found a room full of undead, including a minotaur mummy. It trampled me and then knocked me out. When I came to, we finished off the last of the undead.
A Young Farmer...
While we were discussing our path forward when a young man who had seen better days stumbled into the outpost. He relayed a story of him and his father's farm being overrun by what were described as the Yuan-ti zombies we've encountered before. Given his farm was only a few hours away, we went to investigate. Upon arriving at the farm, we found massacred cows, a burnt farmhouse and lots of tracks. The tracks made their way to an old Loxodon waystop, where some of the zombies appeared to bury themselves.
Searching there, we were attacked by the zombies, rising from their fresh graves. There was a lot of zombies. Within the waystop was an older stairwell down into a Urgadath structure that had been disturbed by the undead. We took a small rest to recover ourselves before venturing below into what I figure to be a passage to a graveyard, if their rites were anything like my peoples.
As we moved into the open-air sinkholes, they were indeed open-air burial sites, but with many differences from my tribe's practices. We saw another of the red flame urns and then we found an arrangement of traditional urns in non-traditional placement. While a surprisingly in-depth argument was waged on what to do with the vision crystals the heart urns contained, a rope around the center obelisk animated to strike at Himo. This snake tribe and their animated strings and ropes is just annoying. We killed it and the debate continued, then more animated. As we killed those, the obelisk turned into a giant roper and a pitched battle was had.
After the battle, Geode healed himself and Obin and then looked into one of the crystals. He had a vision of a young Urgadath man witnessing a argument about the snake tribe growing increasing entwined with the Yuan-ti. We are still discussing whether to gather up the crystals or leave the burial site undisturbed.
Leaving the Academy
After nearly 4 months at the academy we set back out, heading in the direction of home. Midway through the first day barely into the trek, we heard the sounds of pitched battle to the southeast and made our way in that direction. As we approached a signal flare was launched, indicating the New Order needed aid, and so we continued through an increasingly blighted forest-scape.
We arrived on the scene and saw a new order soldier fighting a demon. As the battle progressed, more New Order troops appeared. We were informed we were fighting an Oinoloth, and that they soldiers had killed it several times now but it kept coming back. There were sigils carved in the rocks and seemed to have summoned the demon here. Geode disrupted the circle, and it destroyed the demon.
So it was that we met Captain Aleister, and some of his 10. Eliko (paladin), Hielka (Monk), Kiara (Wizard) and stayed the night with them in their fancy portable fortress. In the night, the bog zombies we've seen before swarmed the area the fight had occured. That brought on a discussion around Yuan-ti and our previous encounter. By the end of the revelations this brought, most of the full 10 were assembled and a number of oddities surrounding the return of the Yuan-ti. The Captain asked us to scout out the northern temples to provide advance information for him.
We secured teleportation back to Salvation's Landing as they were grateful for our help in defeating the demon. Sgt. Phillipe asks us to stay for dinner and we're introduced to Mitandre Fleke, a dream druid. The druid requires our assistance in a discrete fashion in surveying the finger of land to the north of our base. He wishes to establish mushroom farms there, but we know that area to be the Sea Hags home. We're going to survey it and talk to the hag at least, as she may know things about the Yuan-ti. We also learned that Mitandre had surveyed and claimed all the land between Salvation's Landing and the Hall.
On our way back to the Hall, we came across an excavation for a ship from the original expedition. We explored the ship and found the final logs... they were troubling.
Deeper Inland We Go
We sheltered for two days in the lizardfolk village through the rain. The accommodations were nice. The magic locker unlocked during our stay, and in it we found a spellbook of a level 12 transmutation wizard. Himo now carries the box.
We set out in our general north eastly heading. The morning was relatively calm, although I found a potion in an old shelter just before lunch. After lunch, we ran into a shambling mound by a creek. It tried to eat Mule, but we saved him. We moved on and made decent maps as we progressed. We set camp in higher ground at a river bend. In the middle of the night we were awoke to a spirit bound in the middle of camp, who was then killed by a spirit of a Yuan-Ti. They dissipated and we eventually went back to sleep. Several of us had nightmares later where any red items we touched turned orange, with a malicious connotations.
We set off the next day refreshed but struggled with mapping. It made for a slow day and we moved north to get above the low valley. We camped for the night and I noted a disturbance, which Umlilo figured was someone scrying us.
The next day, mapping went well. We found a few items of note, including a cave of blue quartz and a well worn trail up to our intended target, with villages in the trees. The following day brought us to the first of the codicils. We had a hard time finding it though, in that we couldn't, even when I borrowed the flying carpet and flew up. So we moved down to the ruined village, where Himo rang a bell and a massive bridge rose out of the lake and led to another codicil among a stone city.
Apparently it's an academy of some sort, as we were stopped by a trio of Gynosphinxs. After a parlay, we were granted access and led by one of the Gynosphinx to the city. We were introduced to Brother Douglas for accommodations. We find inside the academy codicils for Cavaliers and Vengeance paladins. After speaking to Brother Douglas of our needs, he led us to some form of teleportation chamber and took us to the bladesinger codicil.
All the codicils are controlled by the Sphinx's. They are open to anyone who follows the forms and rules. The cost is 1000gp or 1 year of service per week of study. We met the heads of the mage towers, including the owner of the spellbook we found. Then, after the disclosure of the Horizon Walker 5 codicil, we were granted learning for Geode and Obin at their codicil.
Deeper Inland We Go
Having completed what we came here to do, with both Tom and myself ascended, so we are setting out to find Geode and Obin's Codicil. We are joined by Mule, a dwarven monk and earthsinger, here to figure out what in the world Geode has been doing.
We set out to the northeast, mapping our way along. Our first night's camp was interrupted by a large Yuan-ti who wished us to become servants of his clan. Himo seemed aware of the race's agenda and battle was waged. Umlilo dropped immediately on the first arrow, which was terrifying to see. When we killed it, it had two of the magic garottes, the larger hog tied Tom briefly. It also carried a heavy falchion and a pouch of heavy gold coins (4000gp value).
It appears the ancient Uthgardt tribe in this area appear to have been in alignment with the Yuan Ti. This information may be of use as we delve deeper in this area. The Uthgardt zombies are likely tied to the Yuan Ti temple that his accident on our first day here revealed.
Himo and Tom went swimming to explore the fallen wall and they found a snakeskin scroll case containing several spell scrolls (fireball, lightning bolt and divination). After that, we headed out to continue mapping. We found another codicil, Ranger Prima, just as we set out. Later that afternoon, we ran into a pack of mud mephits, but they were not much problem, despite a magic circle that was summoning more into existing during the fight. We found a magic chest, which we could not open and needs to be dispelled.
We went the the Deep Fishers lizardfolk village for shelter in advance of the rains we detected (Mist Monkeys lizardfolk village on the other shore.)
The Shadow's Codicil
We set out from the hall with the intent to map our way there and so we did. Towards the end of the day we find tracks of a large predator who was of a monstrous nature, and later a cave that was likely it's den. We obviously did not want to leave it behind us and went to confront it. It went poorly. Both Himo and Obin fell to some fel magic, but Geode was able to save them from certain death with his earth singing. We finished our mapping for the day and turned in for the night.
The next day was rainy, with my spyglass suggesting that the rain was going to continue and get worse tomorrow, so we headed back to base. We mapped our way back but saw fire at the HQ and moved quickly back to find the field on fire and corpses of zombies everywhere. They were Uthgardt and had glowing red eyes similar to what we fought in the temple. The lizardfolk had also been bothered by the undead, but knew not anything about them.
We waited out the worst of the rains then headed into Salvation's Landing with intent to take the river up to the Shadow's Codicil. Umlilo did some service to the Power and Powder that was owed. Geode went the Knight's of the New Order to discuss their request to see them. We spoke with Sgt. Phillipe, who offered us employment with the New Order in exchange for all of our info firsthand.
Geode fixed the shield issues hampering the town. It now lets through some rain and wind. The next day we set out up river and stayed at the White Suns Lizardfolk village the first night. Many druids were present as the codicil for Moon Druids was nearby. The next day we made it to the Standing Crane village where we stayed the night. The next day we turned north up river, and ran into a pack of dimetrodons who gave us trouble. Himo jumped into the water to push us to shore and got us wedged into trees without dying and we killed them. Then we butchered them and smoked the meat over a few days for 300 days of rations.
We mapped the area while smoking the meat and by the time we started out again it was raining. We reached the tower and found a halfling group led by a Trickery Cleric, Nobana. One of her
Butreyvia Smoketail, a follower of the Shepherdess, who failed in her mission as her charges died. She asked that I deliver her report when I next see the Shepherdess. I said that I would.
I then took the next 6 weeks to achieve my codicil.
The Undersea Temple
After figuring out how to get through the skull entry, we found an entry chamber where we rested undisturbed. A sea elf warrior caught up with while we rested, a monster hunter named Himo.
The temple appears to be a level 6 codicil for horizon walkers. We found a room full of ancient scrolls that probably contain priceless information, but can't be touched for fear of them falling apart. Tom insisted they were worthless and destroyed one and I had to move away quickly for fear of hitting him. He's insufferably arrogant sometimes!
We returned to the group to find battle beginning with skeletal undead. When they died, a wisp of magic fled from the bones. After this fight, we proceeded through a maze and found a room confirming this to be a codicil we ascertained. After more wandering and some more undead, we came across a spectral Loxodon, who needs assistance cleansing the temple, but warned us against helping now. We're to come back.
We returned to camp and made the decision to pursue our own codicils. Umlilo stayed back to work on his codicil with Geode's help while Tom, Himo and myself made our way to Salvation's Landing and then upriver to the Shadow's Codicil Prima. We stayed at a lizardfolk village for a night before reaching the codicil.
It was revealed there that the codicil we each seek is in the same location. Our point of interest is to the northwest of our current location, and with that in hand we headed back to camp.
On our way back through Salvation's Landing, Geode's presence was requested by the New Order. The shield has resulted in no rain falling on the town, which is obviously causing distress.
The Monsoons
We have suffered through weeks of interminable rain. I taught Tom for a week on the lessons of medicine I had learned, but I could not stay put long enough to continue
A sea elf and two tritons arrived on the shore to deliver a welcome and as an envoy to re-establish trade relations that used to occur with the lizardfolk that lived here before.
After gifts and introductions, we headed to the sea elven city of Seacliff. The city was beautiful with a massive ziggurat in the middle. Corals and gems adorn and decorate everything.
N'Nyd left us to stay here for now, as others who were tribute to the water stay here.
We learn that it's a center of healing sought out from all over. We also learned they are able to create gemstones they desire from the lava pools using magic cold, which is why there's so many around.
A sea hag came across us on the tour and warned us that we'd be needed underground our home. A sea elf wizard Lovalo, one of the best known abjurorers in the world, according to the wizards in our party. He made the generous offer of any abjuration spell in his library in High Reef.
During dinner, discussion turned to meeting with the queen and what we should wear. While I did not understand it, but several of our party took up on the offer, so I did as well. We partied with some Tabaxi (Pirates maybe?) then went to bed.
I spent the day watching Geode to make sure he didn't get into trouble, then we went to meet with the Queen. She asked for farming rights to the kelp forest within our claim, with 70% of the crop yield coming to us. She also mentioned that if we needed gold, they were looking for orchid samples. She bids us good day, and sends us to a banquet in our behalf.
Leaving the queen's chambers, we found the sea hag waiting, again with the warning. After bantering back and forth, she offers more information in exchange for a kiss with Tom. Tom reluctantly acquiesces, and it was hilarious.
She states, 'Below the waves, inside the caves, inside the skull, inside the maze, there you will find your questions.'
We have our banquet then back to our quarters. From there we headed straight back to the camp. On the way, while passing the kelp forest, I saw an unkempt underwater temple. We got back to camp and found our smith wounded and unconscious from his tryst with the sea elf envoy. It was also hilarious.
In the morning, we used our recently obtained scroll of water breathing and went for a swim. When we got to the kelp farm, and some sea elves there aided us and got us some dolphin mounts and we went to the temple that was not a temple but an entrance to a cave.
In the cave we came across a horde of elementals at a large humanoid skull, so the hag's words start to ring true.
Continuing our Explorations
We were able to see more when we broke camp the next day. A lizardfolk village was apparent to the southeast from were we camped, and it was surrounded by elaborate and huge termite mound looking structures. To the north is a herd of odd looking giraffe's (almost construct out of stone looking). In an effort to get higher, Umlilo cast levitate on me and I floated much higher and could see a great swath of land. I made my best mental map in the time I had, then made as many notes as I could.
We decided to make our way back to the outpost by way of a lizardfolk village, surveying our way back. Towards the end of the day, we encountered an old Uthgardt shrine. During Umlilo's ritual castings a large water elemental calling itself the Geyser King, who asked for tribute. The tribute would be an accomplished member of the Tribe of the Dragon, who was formed into a water genasi. One such tribute is awaiting release via a new tribute, but the elemental was willing to pass the genasi to us in our care. And so we came into the companionship of N'nyd, the Uthgardt genasi barbarian and Obin Ulumo, the tiefling bladesinger.
We set camp for the night and the spyglass warned us of an oncoming storm. We hunkered down in the shrine. While we down there we discovered a number of interesting things in the pool. Tom got a set of horseshoes of the zephyr, I found a ring of resistance (fire), Geode found a scroll case 6 lvl1 arcane spells, Spath a bag of holding, Umlilo a decanter of endless water, N'nyd gets goggles of night, Obin got a Heward's Handy Haversack.
We set off the next morning and make good time. We come across some orchids that Tom insists has some recreational uses, I collected four samples for Cleeve. The next day we found a large golden beehives populated by bee-humanoids (Apians) who apparently make fantastic mead. At the end of the day, we come across the Orchid Eater Tribe. They have extensive cultivated orchids fields that they use in herbalism, alchemy and perfumes and everything. We traded one of my orchid samples for two healing potions.
Obin and Geode started helping out the villagers with mending and tinkering which result we got 6 chickens, 3 goats and a cow, along with 10 bags of flour, and 30 portions of orchids along with various candy treats. We traded back the cow and a goat for twelve more healing potions.
We traded the 6 chickens for 3 potions of comprehension. Our negotiations with a Grandmother Turtle were less profitable, so we still have two goats.
Later that evening, Spath and Obin turned their bags inside out and got a yurt kit and 4 folding chairs, 400pp, 800gp, 600sp, a +1 dagger, a +1 shortbow, a personal carpet of flying and a wand of magic missiles.
The next day we made our way to camp. We only did a little surveying before my spyglass let me know a large storm was brewing, so we cut off surveying and heading back to base, making it by nightfall. Cleeve had found a series of hot pools that appeared after we apparently talked to the Geyser King. The encampment has grown in the days we were gone, and Cleeve offered us each official positions within the company. I'm officially a cartographer!
Time to Explore
Cleeve finally got tired of our ineptitude in building and asked us to get about exploring. I was happy to oblige. I am not a builder...
We traveled north, mapping as we went. Around midday, we found a shipwreck 60 feet up the cliff face 2 leagues north of camp. It seems to have been a jewelled cities galleon from the expedition, and has not been wrecked more than a few months, despite it having left the cities 50 years ago. Tom repelled down to the ship and found two very old scotchs in a hidden compartment and an oil skin containing an letter. Then he found 800 gp worth of trinkets and stuff hidden away.
We found to salvage lots of rope, oil cloth and two continual flame lamps, two casks of black powder, a large feather mattress, a blank book and writing tools, a map folio and an astrolab.
Umlilo did levitation to get the items up and himself down, and was pretty sure in his search for magic that some of those power cores are on the boat. His owl saw a bag down in the water and he went to get it.
The supplies we wrapped in the sail cloth and buried it in a stone cairn before a storm blew in. We made our way back to camp and spotted a dragon turtle breaching during our return. Arrived back in to camp around dinner just as the approaching storm really started to feel off.
As the magic users start casting their stuff, and then everything went crazy. First it felt like we were all going to die, then everything burst into flames. Everything! The rain hitting my eventually bare skin burst into flame... Then a unicorn showed up, it was beautiful and it teleported us to the Kobold's cave. Geode complained that the crystals were singing loudly, but we were apparently deep enough to avoid any of the worst of the wild magic storm.
Geode figures the storm was tied to the power crystal back in town and the ones in kobold caverns. He figures the crystals are natural but they are aligned in a spiral centered a few days north, but there is something out of alignment that he thinks he can fix it. I didn't follow it exactly, but he's a dwarf and I'll leave it to his judgement. Apparently what he did to the crystal in Salvation's Landing is causing these storms, and they are going to continue every few days. So that's not awesome.
We headed out early the next day, in the direction indicated by Geode. We came across a body that was likely from the wrecked ship, but did not glean any information beyond that so we pressed on. Towards the midday, we saw rocky outcroppings to our southeast that shimmered and shone. By late afternoon, I was done. We found a suitable campsite and set up for the evening. Umlilo remembered the pouch he recovered and discovered a spyglass. It has many useful properties that the group feel suits my skill set, so I'll be using it.
We were awakened in the night by some sort of elemental and while we were fighting it, a pack of displacer beasts passed us by. The rest of night passed by uneventfully and we carried on in the morning.
We passed by a vegepygmy village before coming a cave that Geode felt got him close to the crystals he needed to 'heal'. He spent several hours singing to the crystals then all the crystals started glowing and then there was a big earthquake. When we left the cave, a landslide revealed a tiered city to the north. We set up camp and shall determine next steps in the morning.
Explorer's Guild Camp
After a few days of building camp, Mya dropped a bomb of information on Spath. She was an servant of the White Dragon Mayaxa who vanished mysterious after an apparent incursion by another kobold (Tulda) into a Nyx chasm. Shortly thereafter Mya was apparently banished without much warning.
That night something passed through the jungle to the south, upsetting the monkey's. I attempted to track what it was the next day instead of building, but I wasn't able to really determine what it was beyond large lumbering beast. Once the first building was complete, Cleeve treated us to a Feast! It left me feeling quite good.
We headed over to the kobold tribe to see what we could learn for ourselves. The kobolds were quite upset by our arrival, whom were wearing Uthgardt woven rings which was very odd. Umlilo disguised as a white half-dragon managed to convince them he was a son of Mayaxa. The was a bunch of ancient Uthgardt skeletons in a cave. This got us led deeper into the cave to meet with Tulda, who saw through Umlilo's disguise. There was some sort of rift in the room, some sort of tear in reality. Tulda ordered the attack and we responded. I dropped her and ordered the others to stop, and they did. Then stuff got weird.
Tulda was already dead, and an Uthgardt neckless unwound itself and attacked us. It was around my neck briefly during the fight and it felt like it was trying to align itself to my spine. It was not pleasant. Once it was defeated, the corpse of Tulda started to writhe and appeared to be creating more strings. She was very quickly burnt and Mya made her way into the cave, apparently having followed us.
Umlilo and Geode had a long talk with Mya about the rift, and it will remain a secret for now.
Salvation's Landing and Beyond
We spent a few days in Salvation's Landing after making landfall. Some may refer to them as eventful.
The first day we got supplies for our trek north to establish Cleeve's claim and managed to convince Helga, the quartermaster of the town, to move up the preparation of the goods we need to the third day. Spath performed a lovely entertainment number to ease this favour, with all of us chipping in for the dinner and party to give Helga and her husband, Oscar, a much needed break in the working drudgery that a loaded airship brings.
The next day was likely what the earlier aforementioned eventful happening is what most would refer too. We hired our lizardfolk guide and then Geode insisted on going to see a crystal within the New Order's barracks. Once inside, the dwarf touched the crystal and sang and the heavens literally split open and the ground shook. A god appeared in the clouds and a magical shield of force formed along the coast. The New Order was not pleased, and the townsfolk were mixed in the reception of it.
After Geode woke from his passing out and explained his god had granted a favour of protecting the town, and the shield would be their guard. I spent the rest of the day hiding to avoid any further trouble.
The third day, we moved on towards Cleeve claim with the guides and supplies. After a half days travel we reached the abandoned lizardfolk village in the shelter of a cliff face. We discovered a group of three kobolds apparently led by an elder named Mya had taken up residence in the vicinity but left them in peace, as they seemed unlikely to cause trouble.
The jungle to the south seems to be full of howler monkeys, and many poisonous vermin which we shall have to be aware and cautious of , but the rest of the immediate area did not turn up much of concern. Mya has said that the hot spring caves to our east contain her former kobold clan and we discovered that a rock cairn to our north was in fact a codicil for war wizards. This pleased Umlilo very much.
Cleeve arrived a few days later with some builders and the encampment is starting to take shape. We have been here a few weeks now, and I grow restless to move. I look forward to our first foray into the wilds.
From Outpost Island to Salvation's Landing
It was a long trip across the continent, by land then sea. My travels with the Giff on their warships were interesting to say the least and I will remember always to stay on their good side, as they are fierce warriors and well trained. I arrived on Outpost Island and was rapidly bundled onto an air ship, for yet another new experience. While I did not get much direction or even time with the Shepherdess, I have been tasked with staying with a group of new arrivals from their so-called 'Old World'. It is quite the mixed group, and I'm unsure of how we will gel together but we did not die in the encounters we had in our brief trip.
They all have their own charm, although Tomfoolery certain has a double handful. The genasi Umlilo seems to be used to be widely regarded as important and the dwarf Geode used to luxury. I found that the whole airship was a display of almost wanton excess. Narfoom, the loxodon, and Spath, another human, were not with us long before we disenbarked and so I have not gotten a good read on them.
The Shepherdess and her prophecy is two parts exciting, one part mysterious and one part terrifying. Several opportunities were found while on our flight for what we may do upon landing. Tom attempted to get us entangled with a vampiress and some end-of-the-world scheme that seemed questionable at best. Our steward, Cleeve, offered us work as explorers and mapmakers after seeing me attempting to sketch some things I saw from the deck of our ship.
I myself had pushed for us to follow the Shepherdess to Tol Vahara, but in the end the group decided to stretch our legs immediately and set to work helping Cleeve set up his adventuring guild. While I'm disappointed that I will not be with the Shepherdess and her entourage, I can't lie and say I'm not excited to explore an area so different from home.
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