-(Ojike missed last week and Kermit this week, so Narratively we just swapped place without any real explanation)
-the adventures Lisa and Zildur find themselves in the gladiator fighting pit as the sound of heavy footsteps come down the hall towards them.
-the pair flank the doorway and hide in the corners, while Jilto and Teagan look from above down through the cell grates awaiting for the source of the foots steps.
-tall clay chultan gladiators equipped with bronze spears and wooden shields step through the door waking on the floor and walls!
-Round 1: Lisa and Zildur take a beating. Run Forrest Run, experience the expertise of their parry and use of shield bash. Jilto climbs the wall to hang from the ceiling and a clay fighter walks horizontally up the wall after him.
-Jilto’s owl breaths lightening down the hall hitting all 4 of the clay fighters.
-Rounds 2-4: Jilto, Jilto's Owl, Teagan, and Zildur wear down the bady guys.
-to escape death, Lisa sprouts her wings and flies up and above the pit.
-most of the clay gladiators climb to the top poking their spear tips at the party standing around the perimeter.
-Orvex slow starts to move away from the relief and make his way around the party members.
-Jilto uses illusion to collapse the entrance to the pit and Teagan defuffs half of them with Bane.
-the illusion is effective slowing the gladiator and giving severe opportunities for aoe lighting and fire ball.
-eventually one of the gladiator walks through the illusion, while the first gladiator turns to dust dropping its spear, and a spiral of dust swirled it’s way down the hall returning to the room it came from.
-as another gladiators is dusted the remaining one unable to move between the bars due to their broad shoulders/armor and shield begins to find another way up.
-Jilto moves his illusion to the doorway to their floor confusing it once again.
-Rounds 5-6: Lisa uses the Dodge action as bait while praying to Umberlee.
-Lisa believes from the buildings clue that the fighters must be killed in the pit, so she taunts the nearest one and the party coordinates a killing field.
-the final gladiator is kited by Jilto’s owl as it shoots lightening down the hall.
-Zildur collects the Spears, placing them in the statues at entrance and cube is obtained.
-The Stone cube had a carving of Shagambi the Kamadan on it, matching the cube from the other shrine.
-during the chaos Orvex seemed to have wander off from the party.
Outside the Shrine of Shagambi
-(Short Rest)
-during the rest Lisa pulled out her cartography tools and map she made the night before the descent and the party did a Map Review, identified points of interest, and potential areas for other shrines.
-the closest building was a similar walled structure but turned it to be a ruined wealthy residential home.
-the owl continued to scout to the further south west near the entry stairway where another walled compound can be seen.
-the building is a walled guard house with arrow slits throughout it.
-the owl flys over the all to make out graffiti that has been painted and scratched into the walls:
“Fear the fangs of Ras Nsi!”
“Erik, I’ve gone in search of the nine shrines. V.”
“The puzzle cubes are the key.”
“Beware the frog monster!”
“Who is Unkh?”
“All hail the King of Feathers!”
“The snakes are not what they seem.”
“Kubazan = bravery. Shagambi = wisdom. Moa = ?”
-the owl also sees goat tracks leading onto the cliff along a small trail.
-Zildur falls the trail up with his eyes spotting a cave.
-as the owl comes closer two arrows shoot from the entrance and the last thing it sees is the form of a man with the head of a serpent holding a long bow.
-POI 1: Yuan-Ti kill Jilto's Owl, initiative.
-(2pm game time, day 38)
-A single Yuan-ti with a longbow stands at the entrance of the cave as the party bombards the entrance with arrows, bolts and fireballs.
-the narrow path along the cliff side leads up to the burnt remains of the serpent headed Yuan-ti, leaving behind a scorched long bow carved as a serpent with amber jeweled eyes.
-Lisa casting her limited darkvision spell, looks into the cave seeing 4 more serpent men in various forms ready to attack the intruders.
-the one in the back transforms into a snake as the others attack.
-As the party clears the room the large snake slithers by Teagen suggesting him to leave the dangers of Omu, allowing the serpent to slithering by.
-However he doesn’t get past the doorway as the party members slay him before making his retreat.
-Once the cave is secured the party rests (Short Rest) and learns that the cave gets a lot of use and seems to be a guard post to watch those who enter the city of Omu from the giant staircase.
-Teagen mends the damaged amber eyed bow, bringing the potential value to 250gold.
-The party heads back to the compound where the cover of the walls and fallen previous group will be a better base camp for them to hide in.
-Reaching the camp at around 5pm the group decides to strike out once more before dark to a near by possible shrine and heads north.
Shrine of I’jin
-2 cracked limestone monoliths and large stone doors mark the location of another shrine.
-with the loss of Orvex the party uses a Jilto’s comprehend language ritual to read the inscription and story above the door.
-“I’jin teaches us to take the path least expected.”
-“One morning, a wise zorbo emerged from her hollow tree and spoke to the dying Omuans. To convince Ubtao of their worth, she decided to cook him a stew made from all their good qualities. Catching such virtues wouldn’t be easy, so she asked a wily almiraj to help her. The almiraj snuck recklessness in the pot, which she saw as a virtue, and Ubtao spat out the stew when he tasted it. From that day on, Obo’laka the zorbo and I’jin the almiraj became terrible enemies.”
-inside the building is a hall filled with a tiled floor of different animals.
-Zildur jumps from Almiraj to Almiraj, setting off a trap of poisoned darts.
-Next Lisa steps in a straight line and steps on a different image each time, showing the party a safe passage way.
-Zaan takes the lead spotting subtle differences in the floor as they lead themselves through a maze to a unlocked door.
-A shaft of natural light spills from a tiny square hole in the ceiling onto a carved stone pedestal. An ornate stone cube rests on its surface.
-the stone cube much like the others has a carving in it, this one of an Almiraj representing I’jin.
-(inspiration)
-with some day light left the party heads black to the safety of the compound.
Walled Compound
-To better hide for the night to rest from the several encounters the party places its tiny dome in the corner of the large building within the compound.
-the rain and roar of a large beast echo through Chult as the adventures sleep uninterrupted for the night.
-(long rest) day 39 begins.
-Zaan is first to awaken from his long rest and as the tiny hut fades around him he finds himself alone in the same building yet it is no longer in ruin.
-all through the house pristine Omuan relics shine and sparkle. As he makes his way outside the city is bustling with people and service animals. Once he is able to get someone's attention to ask questions their face turns to horror, with their mouth wide open in a silent scream, the city around them turns to ruin and they designate from existence. In the distance a figure in tattered robes and a staff with a skull on its tip stands alone over the ruins in the distance.
-Zaan awakes a second time with his party intact (except Jilto and Teagen).
-short party members the team decides to do a more searching of some previous locations, the overturned wagon they saw upon their arrival and the Yellow banner encampment.
Company of the Yellow Banner
-heading north at a stealth pace the party reached the moldy abandon camp.
-the exterior of the Company of the Yellow Banner camp looks the same, but this time Zaan enters the remains of the tents and searches for anything that was over looked and he finds a damp envelope addressed to Rue.
Rue,
Devlin has a lead on the Eye of Zaltec! The old goat found an obelisk in the north that marks the entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods. The Eye must be within, but the door is magically locked. We think the secret to opening it lies in the holy shrines.
We're headed into the ruins to check them out: Gods willing, we'll be back tonight. Ras Nsi's serpent people are on the prowl, so be careful. If you get into trouble, sound the swan horn twice and we'll come running.
For the Yellow Banner,
Lord Brixton
Overturned Wagon
-continuing north the party comes to the overturned wagon they had passed their first morning in Omu.
-Zaan crawls under the wagon and finds buried in the dirty a stone disk, the tablet contains the same message written both in Common and Old Omuan. It reads, “Queen Napaka proclaims that the free people of Omu fear nothing. Brave new gods protect us, as Ubtao did before but does no longer. Omu will rise again, and Napaka shall reclaim all that is hers by right of conquest.”
-Zaan believes he could use the text to try and decipher other Old Omuan writing he might find like what Orvex was doing with his journal. It will take some time to decode but should work. (History check will determine the speed of decipher).
-missing their translator and Jilto’s comprehend language, the party is willing to head to the next possible shrine and have Zaan give it the “ole archeologist try”
Outside the Shrine of Obo’laka
-the stealthily pace north pays off, as the party reached the crest of the stairwell they quickly noticed another party a few hundred feet away looking at the building.
-4 figures stand with their backs to the group, bald and dressed in ornate red robes, 2 men, a woman and female teenager watch a figure emerge from the ruined building.
-As they stayed hidden from the walkway they watch as the familiar face of Orvex comes walking from the Shrine.
-The party suspects these are Thayans, and Orvex may have lied about how many were in his destroyed camp.
-to far away to listen, Zaan reads the lips of Orvex the best he can between the figures.
-from what can be seen and understood Orvex states this is indeed a shrine of the nine gods and that there is a cube inside. One of the red wizards goes into the shrine while 4 thugs/warriors come out. The remaining figures in red split into 2 groups, Orvex and the young woman take two mercs and head east. The remaining 2 robe figures take the other 2 mercs and head south east.
-the party continues to wait and watch from their hidden stair.
-after about 30 minutes 2 more mercenaries come out of the shrine a bit panicked and disheveled. They take off east.
-more time passes and the red robed figure still remains inside the building.
-eventually the party decides to get a closer look and begins translating the Omuan warnings on the building.
-on the ground out side lays the body of long clawed bear looking beasts.
Inside the Shrine of Obo’laka
-it takes about 10mins to translate the message in Old Omuan: “Obo’laka teaches us to tread warily and stay in the light.”
-the stone door still ajar the party makes its way in, the hall is dark with 8 empty scones hang on the wall, with reliefs if Omuans doing daily tasks.
-immediately to the left Zaan spots the grooves of a sliding hidden passage, but it doesn’t seem to have a opening from this side.
-more bear bodies litter the hall and the next room is a fountain with a carving of a moon above it. However Lisa sees in the reflection a sun. She jumps in!
-the party quickly follows as they re-emerge in a different yet similar room with a sun carved into the ceiling and a moon reflecting on the fountains surface.
-more reliefs of daily tasks decorate this room with one door.
-Eight torches illuminate this next room. The light washes over a floor mosaic showing two creatures locked in combat: a small bear with sharp claws and a rabbit with a spiral horn on its forehead. In the middle of the room, a robed figure stands next to a waist-high pedestal, atop which rests a stone cube. The figure is bald and has one hand on the cube. It takes a moment to realize that the figure is a statue.
-The relief shows the same story that you saw in the shrine of I’jin.
-Zildur takes a burning torch from the wall and goes back through the fountain, but the torch fire goes out in the water.
-unable to re-ignite it, the group carries all the torches to the dark entrance hall and places them into the empty sconces.
-still they do no light up.
-they take all the torches back to the original room where they magically re-ignite.
-Jilto re-joins the group and finds another secret passage in the moon room, but Lisa losing patience grabs the cube with a Zorbo carved into it from the petrified wizard, and feels a tingling surge through her body (passing a CON)
-She heads out of the room and another tingles passes through her body as the cube rests in her back pack.
-the party discusses and looks for a way to open the secret passage.
-in the mean time another more permanent tingle pulses through Lisa’s body as she becomes petrified.
-debate on carry’ing her, who can cast a greater restoration spell, who have they met who could help, what can Teagen do, what charms did the Naga give the party on their quest, all while the wizard guards left for help.
-A hidden key found in the carvings of the reliefs unlock the secret door and the party illuminates the dark entrance hall as they await Teagens return. Who did receive 6 charges of restoration as a charm from Orlunga, 4 charges were used for a greater restoration and his able waken Lisa from her cryo sleep.
-the petrified wizard isn’t so lucky as the gnomes use their skills at stone cutting and chisel out an magic item Jilto detected within the robes of the bald figure.
-immovable rod is added to the party’s tools.
-as Zaan leaves the building and scouts around the area he hears the sound of people coming.
-the party quickly hides within the secret passage and listens at the secret door.
-once the sound of the voices pass through the door and down the hall, the party makes a stealth break for it, sneaking past 2 skeletons on guard in the courtyard of the shrine.
-the party hides behind the outer wall, plotting a ambush for those inside.
(Day 39, high noon)
Session 21 Aug 22nd 2018
All present
(Day 39, high noon)
Outside the shrine of Obo’laka
-the group hides behind the wall of the Obo’laka shrine with dead zorbo’s littering the courtyard and skeletons patrolling planning a ambush.
-Zaan taunts the skeletons away from the door way, where they are put down quickly.
-Jilto summoned 2 illusion skeletons to replace the killed ones, catching the 2 thugs coming through the door by surprise.
-they hear the thugs say, “the master is going to be real upset with the mistress if she doesnt recover those cubes”
-the party quickly takes out the first 2 Thugs and makes a good dent into the next 2 in the hall.
-a familiar figure stands with his bold head and torn red robes, and shouts to Zagmira that her skeletons are running rogue and the adventurers Orvex spoke of are attacking. He then went invisible.
-Zagmira with her face half young and old, steps around the corner casting a gaint hand out of the ground grasping Zildur in its fist, as she asks “do you have my cubes?”
-Orvex protecting his employer steps out and puts a couple bolts in Zildur.
-her Grasp doesn’t last long as her concentration is broken.
-outside Jilto runs up closer to the building and bumps into an invisible barrier that Lisa noticed out of the corner of her eye, she then goes all out in the empty space, leaving behind a bloody corpse of the red mage.
-Zildur’s rage reaped some vengeance upon Orvex.
-with no survivors the party looted the corpses finding 2 spell books, a headband of intellect, Periapt of Health, and some gold, Orvex’s journal
-still early in the day the players head east in the direction that Zagmira had come from.
-near the water fall the city is under 2' flooded water, Teagan performs the water walk ritual and the party heads for a isolated shrine, where they find bodies of grungs floating dead in the area.
-Monoliths adorned with prancing, frog-like figures rise from the swamp. Beyond, a ruined edifice shaped like an arrowhead squats in the muddy water. Bushes and trees grow from its roof. At the pointed front of the building, steps ascend to a stone door caked in slime.
-the familiar omuan writing inscribes "Nangnang teaches us to serve only ourselves." And inside Orvex's Journal the story of Nangnang and Shagambi is told.
-After confirming the Nangnang stone cube recovered from Zagmira matches the shrine, the party continued south east walking upon water.
-Approaching the circuilar wall of a huge central compound, another shrine is found wedge between the cliffs and compound.
Shrine of Wongo
-Carvings of monkeys hanging by their tails decorate two cracked obelisks that stand before a shrine enclosed by broken walls. Past the obelisks is a courtyard filled with horsetails and arum lilies. Five archways open into darkness at the base of the ruin. Mounted above the central arch is a stone plaque bearing a cuneiform inscription.
-“Better to be Wongo’s friend than his enemy.” Is translated by Zaan, before entering the shrine.
-Jilto casts detect magic and feels something reveals an aura of transmutation at the end of each hall which corresponds around each mask.
-down the long central hall is A ten-foot-tall stone statue of an evil-looking monkey balances on its tail atop a stone dais in the middle of this twenty-foot-high chamber. The statue’s limbs are splayed, with hands and feet cupped. On the wall behind, a sculpted relief shows a monkey-like creature tearing into a giant serpent. Cuneiform inscriptions are carved above and below the relief. Four masks of painted stone protrude from the walls; they depict the heads of a lion, a zebra, a boar, and a vulture.
-Jilto’s detect magic reveals an aura of conjuration magic around the statue,
-with no traps detected, Zaan and Teagen went to the other 4 open corridors at the entrance and found inscriptions above each carved out eye openings
-Lion Mask: The inscription above this mask reads, “I ate one of the boar’s friends.”
-Boar Mask: The inscription above this mask reads, “The vulture is lucky to be alive.”
-Zebra Mask: The inscription above this mask reads, “My only friend starved to death.”
-Vulture Mask: The inscription above this mask reads, “One of the others has no friends.”
-Zaan peers through the mask of the lion and sees a ray of blue light falling from the ceiling onto the right hand of the statue.
-Below the base of the statue in small print Lisa finds a inscription of “Wongo’s friend knows where to pour the water.”
-the party’s works out the riddle and is pretty positive that the Vulture is the friend of Wongo, so Teagan looks Through the mask, and sees a ray of blue light falling onto the left foot of the statue.
-Zildur pours water into the cupped foot and hears a voice in his head.
-“Take the prize and curse your friends, or fight my children to claim it. What is your choice?”
-he grabs the cube and the side passages close and 4 su-monsters appear gripped to the statue and attack the party.
-the monkeys perish quickly. And discussion of a short rest begins.
-(day 39 3:30pm Chult time)
SESSION 22 Aug 29th 2018
All present
Day 39 (3:30p Chult Standard Time)
Near the Shrine of Wongo
-Worried about are red wizards and YuanTi patrols discovering them at the shrine the group decides it would not be safe to take a rest within the shrine.
-they pack up with the owl leading the way to a larger 2 story structure not to far south.
-Teagan leads the stealthy pack south but can’t shake the feeling of being watched.
-Once the party reached the building Jilto sent in the owl and sees the bottom floor thick with vines and overgrowth of the old jungle.
-upon entering the group wades through the thick vegetation and heads for the stairway to the 2nd floor.
-Teagan sees a slithering movement in the overgrowth just as it reaches around his leg and begins constricting him.
-The group begins slashing at the vines and branches that cover the room without finding the source.
-Teagan grappled touches the vine around his body and casts Blight causing the vine with wither and turn black all the way to its source.
-finishing off the plant went quickly now that the plant could be identified and the party made it to the dusty second floor.
-(short rest) (5pm Chult)
-looking out over the circular city walled compound,Thousands of bats swirl above a great ruin. Behind a 15-foot-high circular wall, you see crumbling arcades, vine-choked statues, empty plazas, and buildings overgrown with banyan roots. Streets that aren’t flooded are choked with rubble.
-upon closer view Lisa searches for the black Obelisk but only sees the movement of snakes scattered across the roads and structures in patches.
-after some debate on where to go next the party decides to continue around the southern portion of the circular wall and cliff side.
The Shrine of Unkh
-as the party worked its way around to some marked locations on their map, Jilto’s owl spots a familiar looking squat windowless building with stone doors.
-Swirly carvings decorate two obelisks at the entrance to this compound. An overgrown courtyard lies under the shade of tall palms. Stone doors seal the entrance to a windowless shrine, with a smaller ruin standing nearby.
-Zaan finds the writing above the door and begins to translate it “Unkh urges us to contrast all options before acting.”
-While Zaan studies the Omuan writing Teagan checked out a small shed, The roof of this workshop collapsed long ago, and now a thick mass of plants grows from the rubble. Through the moss, you see hundreds of iron keys hanging from hooks on the wall. Some are bent and broken, while others are rusted beyond repair. The rest look serviceable.
-Lisa searches the area for tracks, outside the courtyard several tracks leads in and out of the large circular compound, no recent tracks are found inside the courtyard except a few soft reptilian prints but she didn’t know what kind of source.
-the group combined their strength and pushed the door open seeing, A statue of a giant snail looms before you. In place of antennae, it has five pseudopods ending in rocky clubs. Along the walls, six iron keys hang in small niches above stone plinths.
-Zaan enters to view around the large statue and see 3 ghasts lurking.
-fighting ensues.
-Behind the statue, a carved pedestal in a wide alcove has a keyhole set into its base, with a small trapdoor at its top.
-the party examines the keys and tries to compare them to look for differences.
Ambush at the Shrine of Unkh
-Zildur heads for the shack outside to compare the keys to the ones there when he here a hypnotizing voice asking him to come to the gates edge.
-Lisa seeing Zildur run off past the shed and talking to a figure behind the gates, charges out where she is surrounded by YuanTi.
-six pure bloods and one Malasin with a serpent head battle it out, with the pure bloods trying to lure the adventures away.
-friendly fire fireballs go flying, puffs of poisonous gases and arrows fill the courtyard.
-as the battle starts to go south for the ambushers Zaan hears one shout to another report to Issar that the intruders are more dangerous than we thought.
-many of the purebloods begin running north to try to escape, Zaan is able to subdue one, while in the end one remains unaccountable.
-when the dust clears Teagan searches for a key in the shed that matches the 6 combined keys.
-Once one is found he tries it on the pedestal which grinds around on the spot. As it turns, an ornate stone cube corkscrews up from a concealed hatch in its surface. (inspiration)
-recovering from the ambush of the Yuan-Ti the party outside the Shrine of Unkh, the group secures their prisoner and rolls the bodies of their assailants. 5 pieces of jewelry (13gold each).
-a great debate about wether to interrogate vs execute the lone pureblood, with the fear of suggestion and corrupting the minds of the party they went with execution.
-with the hour growing late the party set off west for one last stone before calling it a night.
-Zaan noticed crumbled bodies in the road not far ahead and so the owl is sent in for recon. Four burnt bodies of various yuanti seem victims of a fireball. Inside the courtyard of the shrine a red wizard and thug are found dead.
-the bodies have been looted, and tracks show some survivors were dragged north east.
-inside the temple the doors are ajar and worry that the remainder wizards could be hiding inside.
-Zaan begins to translate the clue outside the building as Jilto casts his detect magic spell and heads inside.
Shrine of Papazotl
-Moss clings to the stonework throughout this hall. The mosaic floor depicts a tall bird using its long, pointy beak to pin a monstrous frog-like creature with tentacles sprouting from its shoulders. Set into the far wall is a another set of heavy stone doors stand ajar.
-inside An empty pedestal stands in the middle of this chamber. Six statues face it from alcoves on the walls. They depict bare-chested humans with the heads of different animals. From left to right, the heads resemble those of a lizard, a jaguar, a lobster, a toucan, a bat, and a frog.
-Jilto’s detects a illusionary wall near the bat statue and Zildur gets sent in to take a look.
-Zaan finishes the door translation “Papazotl teaches us to bow before no one.” And heads in to find more writing on the pedestal, where a riddle inscribed on its base.
Unlike other inscriptions in the trial chambers, this riddle is etched in Common:
Comes with sunshine
Leaves with night
Hides in darkness
Does not bite
Always joined to its caster
Never strays from its master
-Jilto quickly solves the riddle Shadow and the rest of the party figures out what Zidlur found in the next room where a strange grid is etched into the far wall of the stone cell.
-placing all the letters into the grid another puzzle is solved by Jilto
“Cover Eyes”
-tearing pieces of a cloth into blindfolds the party places them over the statues and the pedestal rotates, and an ornate empty platform emerges from a hatch on its surface. with no cube in sight.
Making camp
-fearing the YuanTi dragged off the wizards along with the stone cubes they decide to follow the trail off to the north east.
-it isnt hard to follow and they make to the west entrance of the circular walled area of the city, the tracks lead to a stairwell going down beneath the city.
-with the late hour and long over due for a night’s rest, the party decides to camp in the middle of the flooded part of the city, close to the circular compound.
-Teagan water walks the party over and camp is made, Jilto starts a process of studing for new spells.
-around midnight Zaan is waken from another nightmare of a lone figure with a skeleton face staring into his very soul.
-as Teagan watches out across the waters surface he hears some light splashing on the east bank and Zaan confirms 3 figures walking through the water and suddenly the tiny hut disappears around them as the magic is dispelled.
-surrounded on both sides from incoming YuanTi, Lisa and Zidlur remain asleep while the others jump into defensive positions.
-Where the tiny hut once stood a 20-foot-radius sphere of blackness and bitter cold appears. This void is filled with a cacophony of soft whispers and slurping noises, No light, can illuminate the area, and just as you become blinded, every those goes bright under the moon light as Jilto manages to counter spell the dark gateway!
-once the party was on their feet the invaders were quickly repelled and killed as they fled back towards the compound.
-to finish the parties long rest they headed for the west bank camping within one of the ruined buildings.
(Long Rest) Day 40 begins
Royal Palace
-fully rested the players decided to infiltrate the Yuanti lair, with over 20 of them killed already, how many more could there be?
-coming in through the west gate the party decides it still isn’t wise to go in through the front door and head south along the wall looking for a back way in.
-As the party nears the south exit Zaan spots two medium snakes coiled in the trees, much larger than the swarms they have seen all over the east side of the flooding.
(Day 40, 9am Chult)
NOR ToA recap 23
All present sept 12, 2018
Day 40, 9am Chult
Royal Palace
-Hidden around the edge of a ruined building Zaan surveys the area spotting 2 big snakes in the trees and below a poorly covered cave entrance.
-The party attacks, killing one of the snakes before it had a chance to react, the second one sprung from the tree and as if uncoiled it transformed into human form with the head of a snake.
-from around the bend of the building another Yuanti emerges with his scimitars swinging.
-Once the guards were dispatched, the party begins its decent down a 100’ tunnel underground.
Secret Entrance
-The passage winds into the bowels of the earth. The air is wet and sticky, and the walls are slick with moisture. Harmless centipedes crawl across the floor as you descend.
-stealthily the group made its way to the end of the bend of the tunnel seeing An underground river opening before them. Stalactites hang low over its surface, and dripping water echoes in the dark.
-2 row boats are being attending by humanoid serpent monsters, Yuanti Broodguard
-the team discusses strategy and decides to try for the surprise round.
-as the team rushes in for the kill they spot 2 additonal broodguards heading for the exits to alert for intruders. Jilto casts an illusionary wall confusing one as the other makes it deep down a west cave tunnel.
-Lisa sprinted forward to chase down the escaping broodguard, but it was to late as he see it alerting the next room.
-commands in a unknown tongue are shouted through the room, and Lisa is able to make out at least one voice saying “sound the gong” in common.
Slave Grotto
-Zaan and Zidlur charge the incoming reinforcements as Lisa pushes her way past them to secure any additional exits.
-A campfire casts warm light over this cavern. Heaps of dead grass and palm fronds are scattered about, and the muddy floor is pitted with footprints.
-a serpent bodied Yuanti with a red headdress commands the Broodguards and is surrounded by dirty hazy eyed Chultans.
-one of the chultans is pushed forward towards Lisa who is attacking a Yuanti trying to escape through a locked door.
-the human begs to be rescued and speaks of the horrible rituals that are done within the temple.
-after a couple fire breathing owl rounds the threat was put down and the alarm remained silent.
-slavemaster Issar carries an iron key that unlocks the double door to the store room. His red cloth headdress is sewn with malachite gemstones (250 gp), and he preens in a golden hand mirror (75 gp).
-the frighten a Chultan slave boy named Khoti told you about the Ritual room to the North, past the store room and Ras Nsi’s pet at the lake.
-the Chultians snuck out the way you came in as the party entered the store room.
Store Room
-Zaan peaks inside the locked door, and sees nothing at first glance, looking up coiled in the ceiling rafters is a giant constrictor snake, Azi Mas.
-Zaan convinces the semi-intelligent serpent that Ras Nsi has hired them as armed spies, but as the group becomes larger coming through the doorway and Azi becomes more suspicious, however Lisa is able to put it at ease.
-the party entered the hall heading east till they reached a four way intersection. To the north is an large open room with a red flowing fountain, to the east a shut door, the south you see standing in the middle of the small room a hairless man with scaly skin and Lurking in the shadows around him are five slouching humans.
Venom Distillery
-With surprise still on the parties side Jilto launches a fireball into the room, decimating the room and people in it.
-Zaan enters the room which the air in here is moist and sticky. Natural light spills from cracks in the ceiling, and mud coats the floor. Stone workbenches are laden with clay bottles of various shapes and sizes. Toadstools, snakeroot, and belladonna plants grow among the clutter, fed by water seeping from above. The five slouching humans reek of decay are burnt to a crisp.
-The air in room was full of smokey powder from the jars exploding, and as Zaan breathes heavy finishing off the last one standing, he is poisoned by the air.
-once the dust settles others find it safe to enter the room, and Zaan cures him self.
-most everthing is destroyed but a couple loose vials of poison are found still intact and a key is recovered from the body.
-As zaan places the key into the hole, he notices a small hole just above the key hole as fears its a trap, so the key is left in place and the door ignored, assuming it led back to the chamber with the lake.
(Day 40, 10:15 am Chult)
-Zaan’s exposure to the Vemon Distillery had a greater effect then he first thought and was left behind to rest.
-With out their dungeon delver to Lisa pushed the party forward to explore the Yuanti temple and recover the stolen stone cube that they believe the red wizards had on them when captured.
-Zidlur first checked the door to the east before the party headed west, it appeared unlocked but a stench lingered from behind the door.
-Lisa silently crept of a ascending ramp 30’ and peeked around the corner seeing a pillared hall bearing reliefs of a giant serpent and its yuan-ti worshipers doing terrible things, a door close by and further north movement of Broodguard.
-getting slightly closer for a better view of the room down the hall she sees more pillars carved with serpent reliefs support the 20-foot-high ceiling of this large room, in the middle of which is an 18-foot-high statue of a coiled cobra, facing north. Torches with green flames flicker on the walls, and the air reeks of dung. Two wagons are parked in one corner, and a triceratops is confined to a metal pen in another. To the west are a pair of dark alcoves, and to the south is a wide, pillared hall and counts even more Yuanti even further north.
-bringing word back to the group, Zidlur is intent of knowing what is behind the door and stealthily checks out the room Lisa had returned from.
-The door is sealed and locked with no key hole to be seen, so he does a quick examine of the relief next to the door.
-The wall reliefs show the legend of Dendar the Night Serpent and the rise of Ras Nsi. Characters who examine them see the following tableaus:
-A giant serpent coils in the underworld, devouring the dreams of sleeping creatures.
-Yuan-ti terrorize Chultans, feeding their nightmares to the great serpent.
-A yuan-ti malison (Ras Nsi) wielding a flaming sword and wearing a gold crown set with a black opal leads the snake people to a great door to the underworld.
-The door to the underworld opens, releasing the serpent. It devours the sun and plunges the world into terror and darkness.
-Zidlur returns to the group with his report and offers to head north to get a better look at the enemy, however Lisa with her cartography skills summarizes that the main entrance should be in that direction and they should return deeper to the east, through the door of Oder.
-heading back the way they came Zidlur check the door and opens it quietly.
-A rickety wooden walkway threads around the walls of a deep pit. Foul odors waft up from below. Somewhere in the gloom beneath you, the ground moves.
-Lisa tosses a Wakku nut down the pit where it illuminates thousands of snakes.
-movement and sound can be seen to the south and figures can be seen through the open door to the east, so the party back tracks once again to the hall.
-north is the only way left and Zidlur makes his way up, An underground cathedral opens before you. At one end, a sculptured balcony perches atop five rearing stone serpents. Blood dribbling from the serpents’ jaws falls into a semicircular basin, and from there flows along a sloped trough into a wide stone bowl set into the floor. South of the bowl is a mezzanine, prominently situated atop which is a cauldron of steaming broth that exudes fleshy odors. To the west, a huge gong carved with snake patterns stands on a second balcony. To the south east a open portcullis and North West closed double doors.
-Zidlur continued his stealthily search of the room, confirming a large number of Yuanti to the west door way near the gong, along with chained Basilisks. The south east room is filled with a heavy smoke and humanoids sitting on pillows and conversing.
-The north east door seemed to be unlocked and has the common holes at the doors base for the serpent formed Yuanti to enter and exit.
-Zidlur gets on his belly to look beyond the doorway, seeing a very decorative room with 3 broodguards and a human figure with a body of scales and a great sword on his back.
Ras Nsi’s Throne Room
-the group all begins their stealthy approach to the far end of the room, as Lisa comes to the cauldron the smell and contents makes him gag audibly, he looks across to the room to the east and makes eye contact through the smoke and haze of a pureblood looking right through him to the nothingness behind him.
-at the door the group makes a great plan of having Jilto casting an illusion of a Yuanti head on the body of Lisa, who can concentrate and make it move. Lisa would point her crossbow at her prisoners (the group).
-the plan It worked! The door opens and Broodguard say “Master you have visitors” and a voice instructs them to be escorted in.
-a pair of Broodguard walk down the hall, asking “who wishes to speak to Master Ras Nsi” and Lisa freezes.
-the plan failed! unable of thinking of a name or response she shoots, filling arrows into the first Broodguard.
-chaos ensues, the living Broodguard shouts an call for help across the ritual room, causing the gong to be sounded alerting the whole compound, and reinforcements begin filling into the central room.
-Ras Nsi’s champion, Sekelok beats Zidlur to a pulp and Jilto casts a fog cloud to slow down the guards and to hide in.
-the party begins to fill into the throne room with hopes of holding the door.
-Lisa runs through fog cloud into the throne room and sees Four pillars support the vaulted ceiling, and steps ascend to an iron throne carved in the likeness of a hydra. Painted on the wall behind it is a large blue triangle. To the south, an engraved stone disk is set into the floor of an alcove. A ten-foot-wide opening in the east wall leads to a flooded cave. Sitting on the throne is Lisa gets a look at the master of the house Ras Nsi.
-Lisa notices Ras Nsi is slowly rotting to death and takes the chance on dialog and notes his sickness and its cause. This perks his interest and calls off his army.
-Ras Nsi doesn’t know the cause of his affliction and has no way to cure it.
-Acererak betrayed Ras Nsi having him guard the entrance of the tomb which houses the cause of his sickness.
-Acererak has promised something to help Ras Nsi and the Yuanti fulfill their goals of they guard the shrines of Omu.
-Ras Nsi doesn’t know how to use the cubes to unlock the tomb, but has the 2 remaining cubes.
-Acererak slew the nine gods of Omu before enslaving the city’s inhabitants of Chultians and Minotaurs, which he used to build his tomb.
-For destroying the soul monger, he offers the remaining cubes an escort of 4 Yuanti to the entrance. And is persuaded to keep an eye out for remainder Red Wizards and to give them the loot from the recently captured Thay.
The King of Feathers
-The escort guided the party north west across the flooded area and north towards the cliffs.
-The Yuanti kept them to the ally’s and adjacent to the raised walkway.
-Teagan spots a 2’ orange and yellow feather and stops to pick it up. As he looks up to the party head he glimpses up on the walk way a huge feathered Tyrannosaurus just as it reaches down to bite the head from one of the guides.
-a swarm of bees is roared from the mouth of the beast as the party rushes in action.
-several well placed shots find their mark and Lisa flies high above taking the beast low on health quickly.
-Suddenly the monstrosity disappears and misty steps out of nowhere inches from Lisa feet in the middle of the air, missing its bite and landing roughly back to the earth.
-moments later the beast is killed with bolts in its mouth.
-feathers are harvested and The Yuanti look a little less disgusted at the group.
-the party makes an early camp in the ruins with hopes of an early day in the tombs drawing ever closer to saving the souls of the dead and dieing.
-(level 9)
-(Long rest) Day 41 Begins
NOR ToA recap 25
Zaan late, no absents
Day 41, 7am Chult
Omu Camp
-During the night Zaan is returned to the party by a small escort of Yuan-Ti, they brought with them a small case of 4 Greater Healing potions and the items from the Red Wizard prisoners. (Seeker dart, wand of web, 2 spell books)
-As the group makes it way to the north cliff wall Zidlur finds a poisonous snake as his familiar and Zaan discovers the horrid death of his baby flying monkey (it didn’t survive the room of poisonous gas)
-heading west along the cliff face a fifteen-foot-tall obelisk of cracked stone is draped with vines and black moss. Behind it, you see a dark passageway obscured by withered creepers. A second, smaller tunnel burrows into the base of a cliff to the east.
-The Yuanti escort leaves you behind as the party begins to examine the Obelisk.
Tomb Entrance
-Teagan senses a great evil radiating from the diamond shaped obelisk.
-engraved on the base is a warning from Acererak
Fear the night when the forsaken one seizes death’s mantle and the seas dry up and the dead rise and I, Acererak the Eternal, reap the world of the living. Those who dare enter take heed: The enemies oppose.
One stands between them.
In darkness, it hides.
Don the mask or be seen.
Speak no truth to the doomed child.
The keys turn on the inside only.
-Lisa and Zidlur enter the narrow side cave first, and oil basins beneath begin to burst into flame illuminating the hall.
-8 statues are counted with Unkh missing.
-With a bit of search and Investigation a secret door is revealed.
-Behind the door is a flail snail statue of Unkh, with a golden pendant shaped like an eye hangs on the Unkh statue.
-Jilto performs a ritual of indentify, revealing the amulets divination ability. (8:15a Chult)
-deciding Divination being safe, Lisa puts it on and it immediately starts tugging him to the west past the north entrance and the obelisk.
-Pulling aside the heavy undergrowth, Lisa uncover an archway in the cliff face. Stone skulls peer down from the lintel, and old bones litter the threshold. As light strikes the entrance, a swarm of bats screeches out from within.
-A slab of worked stone blocks the overgrown tunnel some twenty feet from the entrance. Grinning skulls mark the edges of the slab, in the center of which are nine cube-shaped cavities arranged in three rows of three.
-Lisa and Zidlur both enter the cave and examine the stone puzzle, Zaan takes out Orvex’s journal and the team reviews his notes about the 9 gods and their stories carved into the temple walls.
-Lisa clears out the hall leaving himself to place the cubes one by one into the empty slots.
-upon placing the final cube the cubes begin to glow and a subtle electricity spark surround the cubes, till vanishing! The stone wall begins raising into the ceiling revealing a passage behind it. (8:30a Chult).
-(inspiration Lisa)
-Another slab blocks the hallway twenty feet beyond the first door. An iron lever is set into the door’s surface, with a graven stone skull leering down from above.
-Teagan quickly notices a seam down the middle of this 20’ hall.
-Jilto produces his mage hand pulls the lever, and the floor swings open to a pit of spikes.
-lever goes up and Zildur tests the solidness of the floor.
-as he gets halfway down the hall The skull’s jaws creak open, and a skeletal hand holding a crystal hourglass-style timer emerges from within. With a click, the timer rotates and sand starts to trickle into its lower globe.
-as the timer runs out and the lever remained untouched the slab stone door raises into the ceiling, revealing the tomb of the nine gods.
The devils Mask
-A moss-covered corridor extends beyond the second door. Tree roots hang from the sagging ceiling, and the air reeks of rot and damp. Ahead, a bas-relief carving of a bearded devil’s face adorns the wall at a T-shaped intersection. The devil’s open mouth is a well of utter darkness.
-Jilto steps forward close enough to use Detect Magic and the mask radiates Illusion Magic.
-curious he steps closer to investigate but his foot steps on a pressure plate, hitting him with 2 of 4 poisoned darts.
-the group looks at the floor and finds 2 additional triggers.
-Zidlur sneaks around to the west T and finds A rusted iron grate is set into the corridor floor. Through its bars, you see muddy water flowing slowly past. Beyond that a crystal window.
-Creepers and vines cling to the walls of this corridor, at the end of which is an arched crystal window, six feet wide and ten feet high. Through it, you can see a dark chamber.
-The hall to the west looks out over a balcony and a hall beyond.
-Leary of the Devil’s Mask, the party dispels the Illusion disturbing the shadow demon within.
-battle ensues with the party being the victor.
-Lisa and Zaan peek through the crystal window and sees a vaulted tomb is overgrown with moss and creepers. A stone sarcophagus rests on a stepped dais in the middle of the floor. On the wall behind the sarcophagus, two large statues of bears grip a five-foot-diameter bronze disk embossed with a dozen glaring eyes. Six desiccated corpses slump on thrones in niches along the walls. Each corpse wears a black mask made of papier-mâché and feathers.
-Zidlur heads east and a grand chamber opens ahead, fifty feet across and plunging down into darkness below. A stone balcony winds around the walls to connect four archways. Other balcony levels are visible below, with corridors radiating off in all directions. To the north, a stone staircase descends to the lowerlevels.
-A hunched dwarf can be seen on the balcony below, wearing a mask that is a replica of the devil face at the tomb entrance. Without saying a word, the figure steps out of sight down the hall.
-in the darkness below the party counts 3 additional floors and at its base 4 large gargoyles sit facing each other.
Magical Attraction
-Zaan sets off on the passage way north from the balcony, and turns the bend. He sees A rusting statue of a knight stands at the west end of this hall, gripping a large iron shield. Shards and flakes of rusted metal cover the floor around the statue’s feet.
-The rest of the party catches up and he pulls out an arrow and with precision strikes the middle of the shield. The tip of the arrow disintegrates to rust as the wood shaft falls to the ground.
-Lisa steps into the room shortly after and the sudden pull on her sheathed short sword knocks her off her feet, slamming her into the statue.
-Restrained she try to wrap her body in her cloak prevent what she can from being pulled towards the shield.
-at a distance the party strikes at the statue.
-Lisa unbuckles her sword belt and falls to the ground, her golden eye necklace starts to pull and she allows it to slip off her head.
-The neclace turns to dust.
-Another hit from Zaans arrows and the statue crumbles.
-A empty hall leads to the south and to the north a large fountain crusted with moss rises in the middle of a circular room. Three marble maidens stand in the fountain, holding pitchers out of which water flows.
