"The Missing" - Tomb of Annihilation, Chapter 4

It had been an hour since the team had recovered the Alchemy Jug from the Shrine of the Crocodile. John Henry Blackman, aka "The Nova Scotian", went to collect their gear as well as their sick comrade, Apparently Jones, who had been left with the canoe near the riverside.

He emerged from the tunnel entrance to the shrine to a late rainy afternoon. The skies were slate gray. Raindrops made a constant noise of static against the leaves of the jungle and the water of the wide river.

He looked up and saw four small figures standing near the boats. The figures were short. They resembled muscular children. They had yellow skin. The wore grass skirts and each of them donned a carved wooden mask depicting some monstrous visage. One was dragging Apparently's unconscious body across the mud. The rest were rifling through the expedition's gear. One noticed Nova and quickly got the attention of the larger of the four. The larger one quickly snapped his fingers and gave some orders to the others. They all stopped what they were doing and grabbed stone axes and took positions near the canoe and two rowboats left abandoned on the muddy bank. They raised the axes up over their heads as if to strike holes into the sides of the boats but stayed their hand, instead waiting on a command from their leader.

The leader pointed at Nova and shouted something in an unintelligible gibberish. The leader then held up his own stone axe and threatened to bring it down upon the canoe.

Nova called back to the rest of the party, "Uh, guys? I think you better get out here!"

TOMB OF ANNIHILATION, CHAPTER 4

"THE MISSING"

The party has found Camp Righteous
abandoned and in tatters.
While exploring a nearby shrine
they lose Qhallebbewk to a deadly fire trap.
Now they must follow the trail
to find the missing Knights of the Circle
if they still live...

THE TRAVELERS
John Henry Blackman, "The Nova Scotian" - a black Canadian archaeologist (Human Rogue) from 1920s Earth who was transported from Greenland to the strange continent of Zazamanc. He is searching for a way to return to Earth but has come to appreciate his new home. He is searching for a man named Artus Cimber.

Apparently Jones - a blue-skinned demijin caravan guide and animal trainer (Air Genasi Ranger) from Akasa, the land of sky mountains. She is traveling to Port Nyanzaru to find work as an animal handler.

Bramble Wolf - a theran barbarian wise-man (Wildhunt Shifter Druid) searching for the legendary origin of his tribe.

Xoc-Wik - a b'alam warrior (Tabaxi Fighter) from the jungles of Bres, searching for those responsible for the destruction of his tribe.

Undril Silvertusk - a theran priestess (Beasthide Shifter Priest NPC) delivering an important message to Lord Toriad of the Knights of the Circle.

UNINVITED GUESTS
The yellow creatures held their boats hostage. The leader pointed at Nova, then pointed at the shrine. The leader made a fist as if taking something, then pointed at the ground. The leader then reiterated the threat to the boats.

Nova understood the meaning all too clear - turn over anything they found in the shrine or have their boats smashed. Nova engaged the leader in what he hoped was negotiation while he waited for his companions to traverse the twenty-foot pit trap at the entrance to the shrine.

The leader grew impatient and ordered one of his underlings to smash the smaller of the two rowboats. The underling complied with relish. The leader once more reiterated the threat.

Nova was joined by Bramble, Xoc, and Undril. Nova said, "What should we do?"

Bramble replied, "Go!"

Xoc-Wik, Bramble, Nova, and Undril charged through the abandoned camp. Xoc-Wik went left and loosed some arrows at some of the diminutive intruders and killed one immediately. Bramble turned into a sun bear while Nova and Undril went right in order to rescue Apparently.

The leader of the intruders ordered the other intruders to form up around him as he blew a large conch horn. The resulting sound echoed through the rain-drenched jungle. The leader and his bodyguards fled into the jungle.

Xoc-Wik gave chase. The jaguar-man killed two more of the underlings but lost track of the boss in the undergrowth.

The boss, unfortunately, slipped on the mud too near the river and fell into the muddy river bank, exposing himself to his pursuers. Xoc-Wik took aim and loosed a final arrow that killed the boss.

MORE GUESTS
The party set about moving the remaining boats and equipment from the shore and into the protection of the shrine entrance. After about a minute of work they noticed more figures moving in from the forests.

The blast from the leader's horn had evidently called the attention of just over a dozen shambling dead, the animated corpses of those who have died in the jungle. Most appeared to be natives, some were animated soldiers of the Knights of the Cirlce, about half were little more than animated skeletal remains stripped bare of flesh.

The party withdrew to the shrine entrance. A few of the walking corpses took interest in them and were quickly dispatched by prayers of holy radiance called forth by Undril. The others milled about the camp.

Suddenly, from behind them rose the dead body of their fallen comrade Qhallebbewk. The corpse of the aarokan rose stiffly. It reached out and grabbed at Xoc-Wik. Xoc-Wik struck at his former friend with his rapier while Undril called down holy vengeance to destroy the animated corpse with radiant flame!

Finally safe behind the pit at the entrance to the shrine, the party continued to bait the shambling corpses a few at a time, destroying them with holy vengeance, until there were none left.

There, with a pit trap to one side and a scything blade trap to the other, the party made camp and tried to find rest.

FOLLOWING THE TRAIL

The next morning the expedition packed up their gear and set out on foot to follow the trail left through the jungle. The trail was several weeks old. To Nova's untrained eye they were simply walking into unspoiled bush but Xoc-Wik pointed out small irregularities - a vaguely boot-shaped depression in the mud, a series of broken branches, a worn path through the leaf litter - that indicated the passing of over a dozen humans. Apparently, still fatigued from her mysterious illness, staggered on with the rest of the expedition but would be of no use in a fight.

DM Note- Xoc-Wik had to make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) ability check every day to follow the trail otherwise they'd become lost. I kept it low because the trail more or less followed the river.

Day 6

Morning - Clear with mild wind. The expedition was ambushed by a strange creature - a leopard with snakes growing from its shoulders! The creature exhaled a mysterious gas which caught everyone unawares. Xoc-Wik fell unconscious. Undril called down radiant fire upon the creature and in response it tore into the priestess, bringing her down with the poisonous bite of one of its serpentine heads. It next pounced upon Nova, bringing the intrepid explorer low. Only when the creature was attacked by Bramble, who had transformed himself into the form of a sun-bear, did the strange monster flee into the jungle! After several attempts, Xoc-Wik was able to stabilize Nova using a healer's kit while Bramble resumed human form to provide healing to Undril.

DM Note- Kamadan's are TOUGH, yo! This could have been an TPK easily. I had the kamadan retreat once it was bloodied. It was hungry but wasn't hungry enough to fight a sun-bear. On the plus side, I got to use my new kamadan mini! 

Afternoon - Heavy rain with moderate wind. Nothing to report.

DM Note- "Afternoon" was used for setting camp, foraging, collecting rainwater, boiling other water, and other down-time activities. There is a ranger and a druid in the party of six and both are Outlanders so there is no need to track food or water.

Night - Moderate rain with mild winds. During the night, during Bramble's watch, the camp was approached by a curious simian creature. The monkey-like animal had sticky matted fur drenched by the rain. Its gray leathery baboon-like face studied Bramble with curiosity from a perch on a tree limb sixty feet away. Bramble stood up and tried to communicate with the creature. The creature's face moved as if it were making a noise but it remained completely silent. It swung around and leapt to a closer tree. It dangled upside-down from the limb. Its head was cocked to one side as it sniffed Bramble.  Bramble roused the other members of the expedition. The creature's face contorted into a silent hooting. Suddenly it howled and Bramble felt a sensation of pain deep within his mind. The simian creature was quickly joined by a compatriot who unleashed a similar psychic pain on Nova.

The two creatures then leaped upon their prey in an grappling attack, one upon Bramble, the other upon Nova Scotia . Xoc-Wik loosed arrows into their furred hides, careful not to hit his comrades. Undril called down holy radiance upon the the creatures. Bramble turned into a sun-bear and tore into his attacker while Xoc-Wik dispatched the one on Nova Scotia. The two creatures were soon defeated but others could be heard retreating in the darkened forest canopy.

DM Note- The hot rainy jungle with its mud, rain, and flies, is not conducive to recuperative restful nights. So after every night, before they embarked on their journey, I'd have everyone make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) ability check. A success allowed them to benefit from a long rest, otherwise you could only benefit from a short rest. Checks made on nights with heavy rain or wind were made with disadvantage.

Day 7

Morning - Light rain with moderate wind. The expedition stumbled upon three scorpions of prodigious size, each the equal of a horse! The members of the expedition made to climb a tall tree to avoid the creatures but Undril, wearing her chain shirt, was too slow. Her leg was caught in the giant pincer-like claw of the massive arachnid but she was pulled free by her companions. Once deprived of a meal and harrassed by arrows and Undril's prayers the scorpions eventually moved on.

DM Note- I only have one giant scorpion mini so the party was attacked by giant jungle crabs!

Afternoon - Medium rain with severe wind storms. Undril began to show the symptoms of shivering sickness. She promptly prayed to Saint Arturo for divine restoration. Her prayers were granted and she made a swift recovery.

Night - Medium rain with moderate wind. Nothing to report.

Day 8
Morning - Heavy rain with no wind. The expedition encountered a swarm of flying serpents. The serpents buzzed each member of the party before careening to the left. Xoc-Wik, sensing trouble, followed the flying snakes to the left. The path to the left led the party around a grove of giant man-eating plants! These flying ophidians were hailed as lucky charms and food was provided for them in thanks.

Afternoon - Clear with mild wind. Nothing to report.

Night - Clear with mild wind. Nothing to report.

Day 9
Morning - Light rain with mild wind. The expedition encountered more flying snakes but these bore no warnings nor ill omen.

Afternoon - Light rain with Severe wind storms. Nothing to report.

Night - Light rain with heavy wind. Nothing to report.

Day 10
Morning - The trail left by the survivors led towards the river's bank to the right. The forest cleared to the south revealing a wide marsh teeming with swarms of insects. Here the marsh drained over a low falls into the River Soshenstar. Across the river was a hill freshly cleared of trees. Atop the hill was a crude timber fortification - a walled compound with watchtowers and a gate house facing the river. All around the fort were decaying bodies and skeletons of humans and other animals impaled on long poles, still writhing, animated by some eldritch necromancy. Flies swarmed and the stench was unspeakable.

Undril, wearing the tabard of the Knights of the Circle, caught the attention of a guard on the gate house. The guard called some orders within the fort and soon a young man exited. The young man crossed the river in a rowboat and met the expedition.

He was skinny and disheveled. His face was unshaven and he seemed very tired. He took a deep breath and gave gave Undril the salute of her order which she returned.

"Greetings," he said in a low-born Avallonian accent, "Welcome to Camp Vengeance."

TO BE CONTINUED...