Hydra
The five serpentine heads of the hydra loomed over the rowboat. It paused, waiting.
The party froze, anticipating an attack that never came.
Two of the hydra's heads tilted curiously.
Bramble looked around, "Does anyone have anything to feed it?"
Everyone frantically looked through their satchels and backpacks but could find nothing substantive.
Apparently had a sudden realization, "Wait! I've got an idea!"
She had magically summoned two large spirit-bears during their fight with Ras Nsi. The two bears were currently treading water behind the rowboat. She directed one of the bears to swim towards the hydra.
All five heads snapped in the direction of the swimming bear. They dove onto the bear and the two creatures disappeared within frothing water. Argent rowed the boat as fast as he could!
CHAPTER 25, "THE NINE TRICKSTER GODS OF OMU"
THE EXPEDITION
- Bramble Wolf - a theran barbarian wise-man (Wildhunt Shifter Druid) searching for the legendary origin of his tribe.
- Apparently Jones - a blue-skinned demijin caravan guide and animal trainer (Air Genasi Ranger) from Akasa, the land of sky mountains. Having failed to find work in Port Nyanzaru as an animal handler, she has joined the expedition to the interior as a scout.
- Chak'sa - Apparently's honker (parasaurolophus) companion.
- Xoc-Wik - a b'alam warrior (Tabaxi Fighter) from the jungles of Bres, searching for those responsible for the destruction of his tribe.
- Zeynap Shiravadakar - a Eusebean smuggler (Human Warlock) bearing the spirit of a celestial unicorn.
- Argent Truth-Sayer - a golden azi knight errant of Bahamut (Dragonborn Paladin) in the service of Bahamut, sent on a holy mission to join the expedition to destroy the Soul Monger.
NPCs
- Eku - a mysterious shape-changing wise-woman from Chult, hired as a guide.
- Tony - rough and tumble dinosaur wrangler who wished to learn from Apparently, possibly from 19th century Boston on Earth.
DM Note- As it happened, the bear gambit shouldn't have worked. The bear disappears in a poof once it reaches zero hit points. The hydra would have fought the bear for like one round, the bear would die, and disappear. However, nobody at the table realized this until later, so the hydra got to eat the bear - this time. The party now owes me a hydra fight!
Escape
The underground lake narrowed to a passage barely ten feet wide. A light was visible past the narrows. Three serpentine archers emerged from a doorway and readied their bows. Arrows slipped into the water.
Bramble called forth the power of nature to direct bolts of sub-zero chill towards the archers while Zeynap cast rainbow hued hexes.
Apparently directed the remaining bear to swim towards the wall of the cavern. Once it reached the side, the bear grabbed the wall and launched itself at the archers in a torrent of water and speed. The archers were forced to drop their bows and draw their scimitars in order to deal with the bear. Meanwhile Xoc-Wik loosed arrow after arrow at their attackers.
The bear killed one of the archers but was quickly dispatched. The remaining archers directed their attacks at Xoc-Wik. The b'alam archer dodged the incoming volley but lost his footing and fell into the water. He quickly made his way towards the other wall, effortlessly climbed out, and dropped back into the boat.
The underground lake narrowed to a passage barely ten feet wide. A light was visible past the narrows. Three serpentine archers emerged from a doorway and readied their bows. Arrows slipped into the water.
Bramble called forth the power of nature to direct bolts of sub-zero chill towards the archers while Zeynap cast rainbow hued hexes.
Apparently directed the remaining bear to swim towards the wall of the cavern. Once it reached the side, the bear grabbed the wall and launched itself at the archers in a torrent of water and speed. The archers were forced to drop their bows and draw their scimitars in order to deal with the bear. Meanwhile Xoc-Wik loosed arrow after arrow at their attackers.
The bear killed one of the archers but was quickly dispatched. The remaining archers directed their attacks at Xoc-Wik. The b'alam archer dodged the incoming volley but lost his footing and fell into the water. He quickly made his way towards the other wall, effortlessly climbed out, and dropped back into the boat.
DM Note- To represent the difficulty in fighting on the overloaded boat, I gave the players the option. Any time an incoming attack targeted them:
- the attacker got advantage on the attack.
- the defender had to make a Dexterity Save vs. 10 or fall off the boat, losing a turn to get back in.
Once again, the lake narrowed to a ten foot wide passage. They turned a bend and came face to face with another rowboat. This boat was rowed by a humanoid initiate and carried a serpentine archer. The oncoming boat blocked their passage. The occupants of both boats exchanged bowshots. The occupants of the serpentine boat were soon destroyed by one of Xoc-Wik's magical exploding arrows.
Slave Revolt
The party arrived at the southern end of the lake to find several nagini degenerates waiting for them. Suddenly a mob of freed slaves rushed out of the darkness from behind them and attacked them using clubs, shovels, and pick-axes. The degenerates were beaten down and soon defeated.
The freed slaves were a mixture of Chultans and b'alam. They were led by the Chultan Kanush Natombe, the English bomber pilot Commander Frederick carrying the sick boy Tahvo, the Eusebean watcher Lomar Dral, and the former Chultan pirate Zilla Atazi. With them was the b'alam minstrel Pottery Shard, the red-skinned newt-man Gorvax, and the yellow-skinned pygmy Mung.
To Xoc-Wik's great surprise, the b'alam slaves were the missing members of his tribe back in Bres! His people were alive!
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, it was pointed out that the barred doors wouldn't hold long and that they had best escape. The party, along with the newly freed prisoners and slaves, made their way out the southern passage and to freedom.
They emerged on the east side of the flooded river separating Omu. It was dark, only an hour or two before dawn. They took a risk and used the raised boulevard to quickly return to their camp.
The party arrived at the southern end of the lake to find several nagini degenerates waiting for them. Suddenly a mob of freed slaves rushed out of the darkness from behind them and attacked them using clubs, shovels, and pick-axes. The degenerates were beaten down and soon defeated.
The freed slaves were a mixture of Chultans and b'alam. They were led by the Chultan Kanush Natombe, the English bomber pilot Commander Frederick carrying the sick boy Tahvo, the Eusebean watcher Lomar Dral, and the former Chultan pirate Zilla Atazi. With them was the b'alam minstrel Pottery Shard, the red-skinned newt-man Gorvax, and the yellow-skinned pygmy Mung.
To Xoc-Wik's great surprise, the b'alam slaves were the missing members of his tribe back in Bres! His people were alive!
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, it was pointed out that the barred doors wouldn't hold long and that they had best escape. The party, along with the newly freed prisoners and slaves, made their way out the southern passage and to freedom.
They emerged on the east side of the flooded river separating Omu. It was dark, only an hour or two before dawn. They took a risk and used the raised boulevard to quickly return to their camp.
The Nine Trickster Gods of Omu
The party arrived back at the base camp with their new guests as dawn broke over the eastern rim of the valley. Fifty-two days had passed since they left Port Nyanzaru. They found Vinnie Tony tending to the macetail. Eku was absent.
With no imminent sign of a nagina reprisal, the party decided to rest and recuperate. Food and water was provided to the escaped slaves. Newly acquired treasures were examined and appraised.
Zeynap was inspecting the cube he found among Ras Nsi's belongings. One of the escaped prisoners, Orvex Ocrammas, the translator, identified it as the puzzle cube of Obo'laka, one of the nine puzzle cubes of the Trickster Gods of Omu. He had studied the gods prior to the expedition to prepare for Omu. He asked if they wished to know more about them.
The party agreed and gathered around.
Orvex recounted the tale...
With no imminent sign of a nagina reprisal, the party decided to rest and recuperate. Food and water was provided to the escaped slaves. Newly acquired treasures were examined and appraised.
Zeynap was inspecting the cube he found among Ras Nsi's belongings. One of the escaped prisoners, Orvex Ocrammas, the translator, identified it as the puzzle cube of Obo'laka, one of the nine puzzle cubes of the Trickster Gods of Omu. He had studied the gods prior to the expedition to prepare for Omu. He asked if they wished to know more about them.
The party agreed and gathered around.
Orvex recounted the tale...
Long ago, the god Ubtao hardened his heart and vowed to weep for the people of Omu no longer. The rains stopped, the jungle withered and died, and death swept through Omu.
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.
At noon, a brave kamadan hopped down from her rock. She saw the evil in the Omuans’ hearts and decided to lance it like a troublesome boil. The kamadan fashioned a holy spear, but she left it by the riverbank and a crafty grung stole it. In her rage, Shagambi the kamadan forgot all about the Omuans and chased Nangnang the grung forever across the sky.
When evening came, a wily eblis stepped from his reed hut. He didn’t like the Omuans, but without them he’d have no one to play his tricks on. The eblis sent a marsh frog to reason with Ubtao, but the frog was angry and decided to wrestle the god instead. This amused Ubtao, so he gave the frog tentacles to make it stronger. When Kubazan the froghemoth returned to Papazotl the eblis, he chased Papazotl into the swamp with his new tentacles.
That night, a su-monster broke into Ubtao’s palace and stole a pail of water for the Omuans. When the god came running to find it, the su-monster hid the pail in a jaculi’s burrow. Ubtao asked the jungle animals where his water was hidden, and Moa the jaculi was too honest to lie. When Wongo the su-monster found out how Moa had betrayed him, he vowed to catch the jaculi and eat him up.
All the while, Unkh the flail snail lived deep under the earth. The noise of the other animals fighting made her slither up to the surface, and when day dawned over her shell, the light blinded Ubtao and made his eyes water. Life returned to Omu, and the people built shrines to honor the animals who’d saved them.
DM Note- Every time the story referenced a creature, I had to describe what that creature was to the players. A zorbo was a "crazy koala". An al'miraj was a "rabbit with a unicorn horn". A kamadan was "a panther with snakes growing out of its shoulders". An iblis was "like a stork". A jaculi was "a rainbow colored snake". And a su-monster was "an evil psychic monkey".
The party spent the rest of the day looking out over the city below them. They identified specific structures they believed might be temples to the nine gods and made plans to explore the city on the following day.
During their rest, Apparently summoned a spirit-honker - a replacement for Chak'sa, and Argent's deity Bahamut blessed the holy warrior with a magnificent reptilian war-steed
DM Note - Level up! Level 7.
Princess Mwaxanaré of Omu
The party spent the rest of the day looking out over the city below them. They identified specific structures they believed might be temples to the nine gods and made plans to explore the city on the following day.
During their rest, Apparently summoned a spirit-honker - a replacement for Chak'sa, and Argent's deity Bahamut blessed the holy warrior with a magnificent reptilian war-steed
DM Note - Level up! Level 7.
Princess Mwaxanaré of Omu
On the dawn of the fifty-third day since leaving Port Nyanzaru, the party prepared themselves to begin searching the city for the puzzle cubes. The scream of a young woman in danger followed by the loud cracks of firearms spurred the team into immediate action!
The sounds were coming from some nearby ruins. From their vantage point overlooking the city they could see four crystalline gargoyles attempting to capture some humanoid prey in nets. They quarry consisted of two men wearing the jump suits of Akasanal air-nomads, two aarokan monks, a teenaged Chultan woman, and a young Chultan boy. The sky-nomads were shooting at the crystal gargoyles while the aarokans were defending the young woman and boy.
The party charged down the slope and towards the fray.
Argent, astride his new mount, was the first to engage the crystal gargoyles. Zeynap and Xoc-Wik remained behind and sent arrows and magical attacks towards the gargoyles in flight. After a brief but challenging fight the two surviving crystalline gargoyles fled in retreat, only to be picked off at extreme range by Xoc-Wik's arrows and Zeynap's spells. Unfortunately, one of the Akasanals had been killed by a crystalline gargoyle during the fight.
The group gave thanks to the party for the rescue and introductions were given. The young lady was Princess Mwaxanaré, heir apparent of the throne of Omu. The shy young boy was her brother, Na. Her aarokan companions were her protectors, monks from the mountain fortress of Kir Sabal. The surving Akasanal sky-nomad was named Voluntarily. His fallen companion was named Possibly.
Princess Mwaxanaré explained that she was the rightful leader of Chult and wished to pacify and rebuild Omu. The merchant princes of Port Nyanzaru opposed her. They had sent assassins to kill her in Kir Sabal and she and her brother was forced to flee.
She wished to unite the tribes of Chult to overthrow the merchant princes, but first she would need to legitimize her claim to the throne. For that she needed the Skull Chalice of Ch’gakare.
The Likely Temple
By noon, the party was once more preparing to explore the city. They had identified a likely temple and along the western cliff base.
The party rounded the jutting finger created by the cliff. Orvex pointed out the compound to the right in which his group had camped when they were attacked and captured by the nagini. They had arrived at their destination.
A rectangular pool of murky water stretched before the vine-draped shrine. Rope bridges that once spanned the water floated on the surface, tangled with other debris. The shards of a toppled monolith formed stepping stones to the middle of the pool, where a statue of a stone frog rose above the water.
The party carefully made their way around the left side of the pool. Bramble and Apparently noticed three eyes attached to a long eyestalk the size of a man's arm sticking out of the water. They had barely enough time to alert their companions when the massive bulk of a giant frog-shaped creature heaved itself out of the shallow murk!
The sounds were coming from some nearby ruins. From their vantage point overlooking the city they could see four crystalline gargoyles attempting to capture some humanoid prey in nets. They quarry consisted of two men wearing the jump suits of Akasanal air-nomads, two aarokan monks, a teenaged Chultan woman, and a young Chultan boy. The sky-nomads were shooting at the crystal gargoyles while the aarokans were defending the young woman and boy.
The party charged down the slope and towards the fray.
Argent, astride his new mount, was the first to engage the crystal gargoyles. Zeynap and Xoc-Wik remained behind and sent arrows and magical attacks towards the gargoyles in flight. After a brief but challenging fight the two surviving crystalline gargoyles fled in retreat, only to be picked off at extreme range by Xoc-Wik's arrows and Zeynap's spells. Unfortunately, one of the Akasanals had been killed by a crystalline gargoyle during the fight.
The group gave thanks to the party for the rescue and introductions were given. The young lady was Princess Mwaxanaré, heir apparent of the throne of Omu. The shy young boy was her brother, Na. Her aarokan companions were her protectors, monks from the mountain fortress of Kir Sabal. The surving Akasanal sky-nomad was named Voluntarily. His fallen companion was named Possibly.
Princess Mwaxanaré explained that she was the rightful leader of Chult and wished to pacify and rebuild Omu. The merchant princes of Port Nyanzaru opposed her. They had sent assassins to kill her in Kir Sabal and she and her brother was forced to flee.
She wished to unite the tribes of Chult to overthrow the merchant princes, but first she would need to legitimize her claim to the throne. For that she needed the Skull Chalice of Ch’gakare.
The Skull Chalice of Ch’gakare was crafted from the skull of a long dead Omuan king and once served as a symbol of office for the royal line of Omu. The legendary Chultan hero Ch’gakare was said to have beheaded the king after escaping the Nine Hells on the back of a mastodon.
DM Note - Accompanied by the wailing of rad guitars and roaring gouts of flame!
The skull chalice was located somewhere in Omu. She did not know exactly where. She and her aarokan companions had hired an Akasanal skyship to bring them to Omu to find it. The airship was located three leagues to the west. They had seen another airship try to approach Omu two days previous and had observed as it was attacked by crystalline gargoyles and crashed in the city, so they decided to set down farther away where it was safe.
The party liked the young noble-woman and wished to help her in her quest. More importantly, they hated the merchant princes and wished to do anything they could to upset their power in Port Nyanzaru. The party explained that Omu was much too dangerous for her and her group. They offered to find and retrieve the skull chalice for her. In exchange, they asked that the princess and her entourage return to the sky-ship. In addition, they would be joined by the escaped slaves and prisoners. Those who wished to stay would help construct a fortified base-camp outside of Omu.
The party planned to find the chalice and return to civilization aboard the Akasan sky-ship.
The princess and her entourage agreed. The party led them back to the base-camp and explained the plan to the others.
DM Note - Accompanied by the wailing of rad guitars and roaring gouts of flame!
The skull chalice was located somewhere in Omu. She did not know exactly where. She and her aarokan companions had hired an Akasanal skyship to bring them to Omu to find it. The airship was located three leagues to the west. They had seen another airship try to approach Omu two days previous and had observed as it was attacked by crystalline gargoyles and crashed in the city, so they decided to set down farther away where it was safe.
The party liked the young noble-woman and wished to help her in her quest. More importantly, they hated the merchant princes and wished to do anything they could to upset their power in Port Nyanzaru. The party explained that Omu was much too dangerous for her and her group. They offered to find and retrieve the skull chalice for her. In exchange, they asked that the princess and her entourage return to the sky-ship. In addition, they would be joined by the escaped slaves and prisoners. Those who wished to stay would help construct a fortified base-camp outside of Omu.
The party planned to find the chalice and return to civilization aboard the Akasan sky-ship.
The princess and her entourage agreed. The party led them back to the base-camp and explained the plan to the others.
The Likely Temple
By noon, the party was once more preparing to explore the city. They had identified a likely temple and along the western cliff base.
The party rounded the jutting finger created by the cliff. Orvex pointed out the compound to the right in which his group had camped when they were attacked and captured by the nagini. They had arrived at their destination.
A rectangular pool of murky water stretched before the vine-draped shrine. Rope bridges that once spanned the water floated on the surface, tangled with other debris. The shards of a toppled monolith formed stepping stones to the middle of the pool, where a statue of a stone frog rose above the water.
The party carefully made their way around the left side of the pool. Bramble and Apparently noticed three eyes attached to a long eyestalk the size of a man's arm sticking out of the water. They had barely enough time to alert their companions when the massive bulk of a giant frog-shaped creature heaved itself out of the shallow murk!
To be Continued...!
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