Tomb of Annihilation - Session 27
General Summary
In the evening of the second day since their meeting with the Merchant Princes, Nera Blacktyde visits the adventurers at Nkansu House. She and the High Templar have selected some troops to join their expedition to Omu: four squads of six soldiers each, including a sergeant. Three of the squads are common soldiers while the fourth are scouts. Nera herself will accompany them in command of the templars.
On the morning of the third day, Gero and Akachi come to collect them for the assembly commanded by the Merchant Princes. Akachi greets all of the adventurers with hugs. Gero is clothed immaculately, and tells his brother that he too should dress to look his most heroic. Chibuzo accessorizes his clean and polished armour and weapons with a leopardskin half-cape, while Dunch dons Nyemba's Might. Dolan wears the priestly robes of the Kimbala and carries the Sceptre of the Honored Voice, while Ixtli is robed in dark blue and carries the Blood Spear.
Gero is excited for an announcement that the Merchant Princes will make, but doesn't want to spoil the surprise. He does tell them that the Dore Kvanga have captured Ifan Talro'a. The Prince had barricaded himself inside his estate and released his kamadans into the grounds. It took some doing, but the Dore Kvanga finally prevailed. Talro'a is now locked up awaiting judgement.
Akachi also talks to them of her plans. She needs to go back to her family and ensure they are safe, she tells them. "I wish you good luck on your journey. We're all counting on you."
About an hour before high sun, the group departs for the Grand Coliseum. The streets have been decorated with banners in red and yellow, the colours of the city, and are thronged with people, including members of the Dore Kvanga and the city guard keeping watch. Amidst the mob, Chibuzo notices a man who appears to be following them but wearing a hood and trying to remain inconspicuous: Elmar! He points out the archaeologist to Dolan and the two go to speak to him.
"Good to see you boys," Elmar says to them. "Seems you've been busy."
"You missed the fun," Chibuzo tells him.
Elmar grimaces. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that. After what happened in that temple, I don't think I'm in the same league as you boys. I'll just get someone else killed—or myself." One of his contacts has offered him a job in Nordmaar. "I've never been there, but I think I've worn out my welcome in Marakuru." His ship sails in the morning.
"You've paid the price for your transgressions," Chibuzo tells him. "If you return, we'll welcome you as a friend."
Elmar nods, a quiet smile on his face. "I appreciate the sentiment."
Dolan promises to look him up after this is over. He would like that, Elmar replies. He claps them both on the shoulder, gives them a short bow, and disappears into the crowd.
"Do you think you'll ever see him again?" Chibuzo asks Dolan.
Dolan shrugs. "Could be. He's a hard man to keep down."
They rejoin the others. Recognizing them, the Dore Kvanga bring them to the waiting rooms behind the arena's VIP box. The merchant princes and their attendants are there, including Ekene-Afa in her gladiator gear, now embellished in gold and other expensive materials. Chibuzo is surprised; he hasn't seen her in this armour since he was a child, when he saw her fighting in the arena. Wakanga O'tamu is present as well, finely dressed and wearing an elaborate turban.
Drums roll and horns sound. The crowd quiets as the Merchant Princes stride onto the balcony, followed by Chibuzo, Dolan, Dunch, and Ixtli. Yollotl remains out of the spotlight, observing from a side area.
The stands are packed with the citizenry of Port Nyanzaru. Among them the adventurers recognize some familiar faces: Uda, Grandfather Zitembe and others from the Temple of Zann, as well as members of the Azrinath. On the arena's sandy floor are placed half a dozen sheet-covered biers, with four Dore Kvanga members standing by each one.
Ekene-Afa steps forward to address the crowd, telling them that the villains who attacked their great city have been found and stopped, and that the one responsible was the disgraced merchant Rashaad ibn Karim al-Tahir. "Gaze on those who would do you harm," she says, and the Dore Kvanga unveil the bodies of Sayid al-Qaar and those from the cave who could pass as human. One bier remains covered.
Ekene-Afa gestures towards Chibuzo and the others. "The selfless acts of the son of Wakanga and his Asturian companions have restored security to our city. For their skill and bravery, it is my honour to bestow upon each of them the title 'Shield of Nyanzaru.'" Servants step forward, bearing wooden boxes that open to reveal gold torcs decorated with rubies. As the crowd cheers, Ekene-Afa places one on each of the adventurers in turn.
"Chibuzo O'tamu has asked to speak," she says, and motions for him to step forward. Yklwa in hand, the ranger gazes over the crowd.
"My friends, brothers and sisters. You all know who I am. I have always tried to serve this city and its people.
"I was the author of the missives that were posted in the city a few weeks ago, proclaiming Marakuru for Marukurans. If I could take back that action, I would. Those words were written in anger after the attack on our expedition. I wrongly blamed our Nizamish friends and neighbours for the acts of specific individuals. That foolish action led to strife and death, and I will always regret it. Even worse, those words were used for further evil by those who attacked our city.
"I ask that we move forward united. If you have wronged someone, ask for forgiveness. If you were wronged and are asked for forgiveness, I ask you to grant it. We must heal, and move forward. We face a much greater threat."
He speaks to the crowd of the Death Curse, telling them that he and his companions know how to destroy it and will dedicate themselves to that goal. "Together we can overcome this." He raises Atsu's Lance to the heavens. "Who is with me?" Lightning flashes from the yklwa, and Chibuzo feels a surge of his grandfather's pride emanating from the weapon.
The crowd jumps to its feet, cheering and applauding. Chibuzo leads them in a shout of, "For Marakuru!"
Zanthi Tadala steps forward, thanking Chibuzo and then addressing the crowd: "The atrocities wrought against us were not without a guiding hand. Among the evidence recovered from our enemies was a letter written by a traitor—Ifan Talro'a." The crowd murmurs in surprise and anger, though Dolan and Chibuzo notice one man in the crowd, a bearded, tattooed Nizamish, grinning broadly at this announcement.
"For his traitorous deeds," Zanthi continues, "he has been stripped of his position. The Princes will determine his fate. When we know it, we will share it with you."
Ekene-Afa comes forward again, telling the crowd that behind the threat of Rashaad al-Tahir, a threat from the old kingdom of Marakuru lurks in the shadows: Ras Nsi, once the bara of Mezro. He has allied himself with the yuan-ti, and desires to claim Port Nyanzaru and all of Marakuru as his own.
At her gesture, the Dore Kvanga unveil the last bier, revealing the snake-headed corpse of the alchemist Szola. The crowd gasps.
"We do not take this threat lightly," Ekene-Afa tells them. "The four Shields have volunteered to seek him out in the Forbidden City and end his threat." At another gesture from the Merchant Prince, the guards set all of the biers ablaze.
Finally Jobal Maladitso speaks to the crowd. "My friends, I am honoured to share some exciting news. It is time for Marakuru to take its rightful place on the world stage. To that end, we declare today that we will extend our dominion over all Marakuru, and rescind the Red Law of the jungle."
The crowd stirs at this announcement. In the crowd, the adventurers spot High Templar Celeste Whitehill stand up and leave.
Jobal continues. "The recent expedition led by Chibuzo O'tamu to the city of Mbala shows that much remains there. Today, I am pleased to announce that we will send a new expedition, led by Gero O'tamu, to return to that city. And someday we will return there forever—and to all of our other cities across our great land."
His announcements conclude the event, and the crowd begins to disperse. The adventurers leave the bright balcony for a cool back room, where refreshments are served while they chat with the Merchant Princes.
Ekene-Afa expresses interest in their preparations for the journey. Jobal has been working on supplying them, they tell her, and their ship is being armed with a ballista and mangonel.
Jobal tells them their supplies will take another few days. He is very excited about the expedition to Mbala, and has been talking to Gero about it—in his estimation, exactly the right man for the job.
Chibuzo is more concerned for his brother's safety. Drawing Gero aside, Chibuzo tells him, "be careful out there." "I have you to thank for this," Gero tells him, "or to blame. Dad said to me, 'why can't you be more like your brother.' With this expedition, I hope to make him proud—just like you did." Chibuzo gives his brother an encouraging pat on the shoulder: "Just remember, we have different strengths."
Dolan also speaks to Gero, asking about his plans—if any—for the Shrine of the Oracle at Mbala. After spending time with Fenuku and Grandfather Zitembe, Gero tells him, he's concluded that Saja N'baza is what Marakuru needs. She wants all her shrines restored, Dolan tells him, to the benefit of the people of Marakuru. Gero promises to see to it that the restoration of the shrine gets some attention.
Mokomoko and Yemi are waiting for the adventurers outside the arena, Mokomoko smiling broadly. "That was awesome," he proclaims. "I am so proud of what you've been working to accomplish. I'm with you to the end."
A few days later, on an early morning under clear skies, the adventurers gather at the docks for the departure of The Masked Fortune. With their supplies, the newly installed weaponry, the ship's crew, and the party and templars as passengers, quarters for the journey will be tight. The Merchant Princes—accompanied by their guards and retinues—come to see them off, as well as High Templar Whitehill.
Nera Blacktyde introduces them to the four squads of templars and their sergeants:
- Broden Tapner, a man in his late 40s from Rabanastra, with a scarred jaw;
- Kira Chambers, a woman in her 20s from Westgate, with tangled red hair and blue eyes;
- Olena Krakova, a woman in her mid 30s from Valagrad, with a regal bearing; and
- Asten Mitchar, a man in his late 20s from Malrikstead, with copper hair and blue eyes. He leads the squad of scouts assigned to the expedition.
The crew of the Masked Fortune includes:
- Yoral Krenn, the first mate, a Nizamish man in his early 40s with black hair and brown eyes, and odd marks on his left leg;
- Mattis, a deckhand whom Dunch brought over from the Brazen Pegasus;
- Saul, the bosun, an Asturian man in his mid 30s with auburn hair and green eyes;
- Arkan, the quartermaster, a Nizamish man in his mid 50s; and
- Mumba, the steward, a Marakuran woman in her late 30s.
The Masked Fortune sets sail. The good weather holds on the first day as the ship hugs the coastline of the Bay of Marakuru. On the second day, they exit the bay and start to head south. Their journey is uneventful until the middle of the night, when Ixtli—on watch—sees a storm brewing ahead of them. As the seas become rougher, he hears an odd droning sound out on the water. It lasts for ten or fifteen seconds, then stops. Over time, it seems as if it is getting closer.
Ixtli goes to the captain's cabin—in the rear of the top deck—to wake up Captain Dunch, who sends a deckhand to wake Dolan and Chibuzo. As the deckhand approaches the stairs to the lower decks, a bone spear tipped with shark teeth flies over the railing and pierces his side. The man screams as the seaweed rope attached to the spear drags him towards the ship's railing. He hits the rails hard but doesn't go over the side.
One of the templars on watch cuts the seaweed rope, and the deckhand collapses to the deck. As Dunch and Ixtli return to the main deck, two of the templars on the forecastle rush to the starboard side of the ship in response to the sound of beings clambering up the hull. "What the hell are those things?", one says. "Sahuagin!" replies the other.
The scaled, fish-like humanoids swarm over the starboard rails bearing spears and tridents. On the main deck, one stabs Dunch twice, while another kills one of the crew. Fleeing the battle, a sailor helps the injured deckhand below decks, where they raise a clamour that rouses Chibuzo and Dolan. On the forecastle, one of the templars is stabbed, and on the quarterdeck, a sailor is killed and a templar injured, even as yet another sailor escapes below decks. Enraged, Dunch bludgeons a sahuagin with the Maul of Disruption. Ixtli kills the same foe with the Blood Spear, kicks another sahuagin twice, finishes it with the spear, then moves on to the next. Dunch meanwhile heads for the quarterdeck to join the battle there, bashing one of the sahuagin.
The Death Curse makes its presence felt. Before the captain's eyes, one of his fallen crew rises again as a zombie. It batters the closest sahuagin with its dead limbs as its intestines spill out from its body. On the forecastle, the two templars stationed there cry out "for the Maker!" as they battle the sahuagin. On the main deck, while Ixtli and another templar trade blows with the enemy, one of the fallen sahuagin rises as a zombie, clawing Ixtli. Another sahuagin spears the Anasazi in the shoulder, while on the quarterdeck, a sahuagin spears a templar, and an injured sahuagin escapes from battle by going over the side.
More sahuagin swarm over the sides of the ship: two more on the forecastle, three more on the main deck, and another on the quarterdeck. Those on the forecastle are different: one is much larger than his fellows, a warrior some seven and a half feet tall bearing a shark-tooth-tipped spear, while the other presents as female, wearing jewellery composed of shells and coral. While her companion stabs at the templars, the woman steps to the railing and casts Guiding Bolt at Ixtli, but the monk manages to dodge the blast of radiant light.
On the quarterdeck, Dunch bludgeons a zombie with the Maul of Disruption, and the creature is reduced to a glittering dust that blows away on the wind. The templars on the forecastle retreat from the large sahuagin to the main deck, where Ixtli kills yet another sahuagin with the Blood Spear, then kicks a zombie over the side of the ship.
On the quarterdeck, one of the sahuagin kills a templar, while the other two attack Dunch, visibly slavering at the sight and smell of the half-orc's blood and stabbing him twice.
On the main deck, a templar falls to a sahuagin's trident. The large sahuagin vaults over the railing from the forecastle and kills another. The female sahuagin—evidently a priestess of some kind—casts a spell, and somehow the adventurers are able to understand her words: "Rejoice," she tells them, "you have been chosen by the shark god Sekolah to be Her feast." Even as she speaks, two of the dead templars on the main deck rise again as zombies, followed by a dead sahuagin.
Emerging from below deck, Chibuzo spears and hammers a sahuagin, killing it. Roaring in anger, Dunch bludgeons another, killing this one in turn. Dolan also comes onto the main deck, raising the Staff of Swarming Insects to summon a cloud of wasps over most of their foes. In a few moments, three zombies and two sahuagin fall lifeless under the insects' venom. Ixtli spears one of the remaining sahuagin twice, and it too dies.
On the forecastle, the priestess backs out of the wasp swarm. Locking eyes with Dolan, she utters an incantation. The sorcerer feels his muscles starting to freeze in place, but manages to resist the spell's effects. The priestess roars in rage. "Kill him!", she commands, pointing at Dolan.
The large sahuagin tries to obey, spearing Dolan twice. The sorcerer survives but loses concentration on his summoning spell, and the cloud of wasps disperses.
The sahuagin facing Ixtli disengages and dives over the side, returning to the safety of the waters. Gazing over the waves, Ixtli sees his erstwhile foe climb atop a giant shark circling the Masked Fortune.
On the main deck, three more dead sahuagin awaken as zombies. Ixtli spears one of them twice, then crushes its skull under his foot. A rising zombie claws Chibuzo; he smashes it with his warhammer, returns it to lifelessness with his yklwa, then hurls his spear at a living sahuagin to kill it.
"Grlk!", the priestess shouts. "Take the spellcaster and let us go!" The large sahuagin grabs Dolan by the neck, but the sorcerer manages to pull free of his grasp. The sahuagin roars in frustration, spearing Dolan instead before vaulting over the side and into the deeps. The priestess and the other surviving sahuagin swiftly follow. Dunch kills the last zombie on the forecastle with the Maul of Disruption; it disintegrates into shimmering particles that vanish in the salt air. The sahuagin swim away into the night. Three of the crew and two of the templars have been killed.