Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw
IN HORROREM: II CAPITULUM
General Summary
Quadinum, the 23nd of Ikatrius, 114 post Refugium - Edinalia
Considering Novice Theophilus's grievous wounds, the party decided to stay in their bivouac and forage the surrounding salt marsh for herbs and other materials to assist Zhuge as he applied his knowledge of Xianese medicine to stem Novice Theo's internal bleeding. While Zhuge tended to Novice Theo, Riven Telstandis and Kegho of Ruden engaged in an unsuccessful hunt for game to supplement their rations. By the end of the day, thanks to Zhuge's care, Novice Theo's condition had stablized, but he was still extremely fatigued.
In the evening, attracted by the light of the campfire, the campsite was once again beset by a pack of hungry Aeriscan Giant Frog. Roused from their slumber by Alexandru Croitoru, the rest of the party fought off the frogs. After the attack, the party returned to their bedrolls wondering where they would find respite from the bestial hordes of Morbida Swamp. The swamp answered that there would be no respite in its borders as a pod of crocodiles, attracted by the carnage left in the wake of the frog attack, approached the campsite. However, due to the quick thinking of Riven, disaster was averted when she tossed the meat of the butchered giant frogs into the mass of giant reptiles. Their hunger satiated, they returned to the brackish waters of the saltmarsh, leaving the third watch of the night in peace.
Qindinum, the 24th of Ikatrius, 114 post Refugium
Upon rising in the morning, despite his weakened state, Novice Theophilus fell to his knees and beseeched the goddess Maya to grant him the mercy of her healing touch. Responding to his piety, Novice Theophilus was so overwhlemed by directly experiencing Maya's unconditional mother-love for all existence that he began to weep uncontrollably out of pity for all suffering beings. As he wept, his tears felt upon the skin of his left arm and his broken bone began to miraculously set while Novice Theo's companions gazed upon this scene in dumbfounded awe.
The party continued to follow the coastline of the salt marsh around to the southwest, once again on the trail now that the wounds of the most injured party member had been healed through theurgia. As the marshland gave way to more solid coastal beach, the party increased its pace. As the party grew closer to the the Temple of Naeia, they came cross various ruins belonging to a former Nar settlement that for the past 700 years had been slowly reclaimed by the bay. After resting in the shade of a half-toppled Nar watchtower of sandstone, the party quickly learned that the beaches of Labrax Bay possess their own dangers after the party stumbled across a colony of giant centipedes burrowed in the sand. Forced to engage in melee with these monstrous insects, Riven was poisoned by the bite of a giant centipede that burrowed out from the ground of the salt marsh and bit her shin through her leather greaves. Continuing to follow the coastline west as it turned into the riverbank of the Daenaris River, at high noon, the party finally spotted what appeared to be the ruins of the Temple of Naeia perched high on a hill overlooking a cove. On the beach of the cove appeared to be 3 large limestone slabs resting on stone plinths.
