Dawn rose in Omu and the party prepared for another foray into the lost city. Fifty-four nights had passed since they left Port Nyanzaru on this expedition. Eku had returned the previous evening to learn of the party's exploits in and escape from the fane of the Night Serpent. Learning of the escaped prisoners and also of their new ally Princess Mwaxanaré, Eku decided to take her leave of the party. She wished to accompany and protect the escaped prisoners as they built the secondary base-camp outside the city.
The party readied their equipment and gave Tony instructions to watch and care for the macetail and generally watch the camp. They left the protective confines of the gate house and stood on the promontory overlooking their city to plot their route.
They had spotted two structured that were protected by walls. The party assumed that any structure protected by walls was likely a shrine and would therefore protect one of the six remaining puzzle cubes. They had acquired two the previous day using the same logic and they saw no reason to change strategy.
They hiked down the path and navigated along the eastern cliff face. They turned west at a clearing and made their way towards one of the stairways that allowed them to cross the elevated boulevard. They passed an overturned cart with flowers growing all around. It smelled of honey.
"Should we investigate?" inquired Xoc-Wik.
"Do you see any treasure?" replied Bramble.
"No, just flowers. Plus it smells nice." said Xoc-Wik.
"Then it's a trap. Ignore it. We'll check it out AFTER we've got all the puzzle cubes." concluded Bramble.
They crossed the boulevard and arrived at the walled compound. Obelisks flanked the entrance. The foyer was covered in ferns and flowers and overgrowth. Bramble caught a glimpse of a small fuzzy tail scampering nearby. He looked closer and just saw a fluffy creature resembling a rabbit with a single spiral horn disappear into a nearby warren.
CHAPTER 27, "THE CRIMSON NECROMANCERS OF THE LICH QUEEN!"
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.
- Orvex Ocrammas - translator and guide for hire; rescued from the Fane of the Night Serpent.
The Path Least Expected
Carvings and ancient writing decorated the entryway to the shrine.
"Do you thing, Orvex." said Xoc-Wik, getting out the way with a gesture indicating, "After you."
Orvex translated the cunieform writing, "It says, 'I’jin teaches us to take the path least expected.' ” I’jin taught her followers to live unpredictable lives, always changing course and never sticking to a plan.'"
The party opened the stone doors to reveal a corridor ten feet wide and twenty feet long. The floor was covered with two-and-a-half foot wide tiles, four across and eight long. Each tile was embossed with the stylized image of an animal - a zebra, an eagle, a giraffe, a lion, a dragonfly, a wart-hog, a monkey, and an al-miraj - one of the unicorn bunnies glimpsed outside.
DM Note- I put the handout on the table in front of my players.
After some discussion, Xoc-Wik went first, careful to step only on tiles containing an image of an al-miraj. Several darts shot out of hidden ports in the walls and struck him in the chest and head.
"That wasn't it!" croaked the b'alam.
Brable went next, careful to vary the animals with each step. He made it across without incident.
"Is that ALL?" cried Xoc-Wik?
"I think so," replied Bramble.
Zeynap followed Bramble's steps and was likewise unharmed.
DM Note- And only now as I type the above do I realize that I should have penalized Zeynap for following Bramble's "safe" steps. The book says "To cross the hallway safely, a character must avoid stepping on the same animal more than once." At the time I interpreted as any safe path is available for the next character. However, given the clue above "I’jin teaches us to take the path least expected," I should have ruled that no two characters could take the same path. Were I to do it again, I would enforce that each character take a different path.
Argent crossed using a selection of different animals. Orvex and Apparently followed Bramble's path. Chak'sa was left outside. The landing on the far side was packed and people had to stand aside to let Argent to the front.
Argent forged ahead, finding a winding maze of turns and short corridors. At the first branch, he made a left turn. A giant spinning buzz-saw blade shot out of the wall, narrowly missing the draconian paladin. The corridor ahead was a dead-end.
"Not that way!" said Argent.
He turned and at the next intersection and this time was caught by the slicing blade! Argent howled in pain.
Argent finally arrived at a stone door. He opened it and found a room with a shaft of light illuminating a small stone cube. An al-miraj was carved on one side of the cube. Argent warily took the cube expecting a trap but nothing happened. The party retreated the way they came and exited the shrine.
Four for Four
The party continued to the next likely shrine a few hundred feet north. They arrived at a compound decorated by carvings of monkeys hanging from their tails. Beyond was a courtyard filled with horsetails and arum lilies. Five archways led into the dark interior of the shrine. Above the center arch was a plaque inscribed with ancient Omuan. Orvex translated, "Better to be Wongo’s friend than his enemy."
DM Note- Bramble's player said, "Wait, did we guess right AGAIN? Sweet! Four for four!" High fives were passed around the table.
Xoc-Wik examined the courtyard. He could make out fresh tracks - a human entered each of the five archways yet curiously only animal tracks exited the four flanking passages - a zebra, a lion, a wart-hog, and a vulture. What did it mean?
Argent and Zeynap proceeded down the central corridor. The rest stayed outside. They emerged into a chamber 25' by 25' with a high ceiling. In the center of the chamber was a large statue of a monkey balanced atop its tail. It held each hand and each foot cupped as if waiting to receive an offering. Four carved masks peered from the walls near the entrance, each representing a different animal - a zebra, a lion, a wart-hog, and a vulture.
"It's some kind of puzzle," said Argent, loud enough so the others outside could hear. After examining each of the cupped hands, Argent continued, "I think I have figured it out!"
Argent poured water into the left hand.
A disembodied magical voice proclaimed in an ancient language, "Were ihe a na-agbata n'ọsọ ma kọchaa ndị enyi gị, ma ọ bụ lụọ ụmụ m ka ha kwuo ya. Kedu ihe ị họọrọ?"
"What?" blinked Argent, confused. "Orvex, did you hear and/or understand that?"
The translator called back, "I heard it. I think it's Old Omuan. I can read Old Omuan cuneiform but I've never heard it spoken! Sorry!"
"Uh, could you repeat the question?" suggested Argent.
The voice reiterated, "Họrọ! Nke mbụ ma ọ bụ nke abụọ?"
Argent replied, "Abụọ?"
The voice replied, "E meela nhọrọ ahụ!"
There was a loud sound as a heavy portcullis slammed shut over the entrance. Simultaneously, Argent and Zeynap were momentarily blinded by a magical flash of light. When their vision returned, they saw four evil-looking su-monsters in each corner of the room.
Zeynap immediately began blasting the nearest su-monster with his hexes. Xoc-Wik ran towards the portcullis while drawing his bow. He immediately loosed two arrows at the farther su-monsters. One arrow missed its intended target but bent its flight in mid-air to strike the second. Argent charged the farther su-monsters and engaged the creatures in deadly melee.
Each of the su-monsters opened their mouths in gaping silent screeches. Though they produced no audible sound, the effect was painfully deafening against its target. Argent and Zeynap managed to clasp their ears in time to sufficiently protect themselves.
The ensuing fight lasted less than a minute with su-monsters being pulled and pushed around the room by Zeynap's hexes as Xoc-Wik released arrow after arrow. Indeed, Bramble and Apparently remained safely outside the shrine. The su-monsters were soon defeated.
After the battle, Argent looked around the room but could find no puzzle cubes. "Is that it?"
Confused, Argent poured more water into the left hand of the statue. Once again, he heard the question, "Were ihe a na-agbata n'ọsọ ma kọchaa ndị enyi gị, ma ọ bụ lụọ ụmụ m ka ha kwuo ya. Kedu ihe ị họọrọ?"
He repeated his response, "Again, what?"
The voice once more reiterated, "Họrọ! Nke mbụ ma ọ bụ nke abụọ?"
This time Argent replied, "Nke mbu?"
The voice replied, "E meela nhọrọ ahụ!"
There eyes of the masks glowed. There was a flash of magical light. Then- nothing. Argent and Zeynap looked at each other in confusion.
Xoc-Wik finally suggested, "Someone else has been here. They've taken the puzzle cube. My guess is that four people were looking through those four masks and whatever you just did turned them into animals. Luckily, we weren't anywhere near the masks."
Apparently, Zeynap, and Argent together managed to lift the portcullis and exit the room. Outside the shrine, Bramble called upon the spirits of nature to magically find the remaining puzzle cubes. The spirits informed him that one cube resided in a location on a rocky spire in the middle of the lava lake, another was located in the compound of the grung, and three were currently about eight hundred feet east moving towards the compound of the grung.
"Found them. They're on the move and headed towards the grung compound."
Argent leaped to the ready, "The grung are in danger! We have to save them!"
DM Note- Argent's player pulled me aside, "What was I supposed to do with the statue?" I replied, "put water in the left hand, just like you did." "Really?" was his surprised response, "I was just guessing!" "Nope!" I assured him, "You guessed right!"
Apparently, Zeynap, and Argent together managed to lift the portcullis and exit the room. Outside the shrine, Bramble called upon the spirits of nature to magically find the remaining puzzle cubes. The spirits informed him that one cube resided in a location on a rocky spire in the middle of the lava lake, another was located in the compound of the grung, and three were currently about eight hundred feet east moving towards the compound of the grung.
"Found them. They're on the move and headed towards the grung compound."
Argent leaped to the ready, "The grung are in danger! We have to save them!"
DM Note- Argent's player pulled me aside, "What was I supposed to do with the statue?" I replied, "put water in the left hand, just like you did." "Really?" was his surprised response, "I was just guessing!" "Nope!" I assured him, "You guessed right!"
Zagmira the Necromancer
The party moved quickly to the northeast. They eventually reached the flooded area of the ancient city. The water was shallow, no deeper than a person's waist, so they moved as fast as they could. Apparently mounted Chak'sa while Argent summoned his celestial reptilian steed. They reached an open area north of the round wall of the royal quarter and saw a caravan of people and animals headed east. The group consisted of eight mercenaries led by a bald woman clad in the red traveling robes of a wizard. She was accompanied by four animals - a zebra, a lion, a warthog, and a vulture.
The mercenaries saw the party approaching from behind them. Word was quickly passed up the line and the mercenaries, a mixture of spearmen and crossbowmen, prepared for battle.
Orvex informed the others, "That is Zagmira, my former employer! The others are mercenaries. They are simply being paid for their services like I was."
The party approached the new group in peace, hands up and palms out. Zagmira stayed her mercenaries and approached. They were all standing in an open area that was flooded up to their waists.
Zagmira was bald with pale ashen skin. She had blue painted lips and dark eyes. Her most striking feature was that the left half of her face was that of an old crone while the right half was that of a young beauty.
"Greetings, Orvex. I see that you have survived. Who are your new companions?" said Zagmira in a voice that radiated a combination of disdain and menace.
Orvex described his capture by the Nagina and subsequent rescue by his new companions. He provided introductions and pleasantries were shared.
They learned that Zagmira was an agent of Valindra Shadowmantle, current resident of the Heart of Ubtao, and that she sought the Soulmonger in order to retrieve it and safely study it.
Valindra, as they party secretly was aware, was actually an agent of Unglaub the Lich Queen. Zeynap whispered to Bramble, "I don't like her, she geased me!"
When asked how many puzzle cubes they had acquired, Bramble replied that they had obtained none. In face, the party remained cagey with all of the details of their adventures, denying, for example, ever meeting Ras-Nsi
Argent asked Zagmira if she knew that her patron was a lich in the service of the Lich Queen. Zagmira hesitated as if to think of an appropriate answer before replying that she was not aware of that.
Argent then asked how Zagmira planned on obtaining the next cube. She answered that her agents reported that the cube was within a compound guarded by grung frog-men. She anticipated slaughtering them and retrieving the cube with little difficulty, like she had done with the small tribe of kavritan dragon-halflings the day previous.
Zagmira extended an offer, "Let us work together. I know the location of the hidden entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods but I need assistance gathering the remaining cubes. My fellow companions, you see, had been transformed into animals and I know not for how long."
Argent drew his sword and replied "That will never happen. The grung are under our protection. You will give us your cubes and you will depart this city now. You men!" he shouted towards the mercenaries, "Your employer serves an evil lich queen. We have no wish to fight you but we will do whatever needs to be done to stop you from finding the Soulmonger."
Zagmira sneered, "So be it! Men, prepare for battle!"
Both parties withdrew until they were sixty feet apart and prepared for combat.
Zagmira took a position to the rear of her mercenaries whom she arranged in two ranks: spearmen in front followed by crossbowmen.
Argent and Apparently charged the spearmen on their mounts, splashing wildly in the murky hip-deep water.
Zeynap cast a spell that imposed a curse upon the entire area containing Zagmira, her animal companions, and her mercenaries. Zagmira's forces began coughing and wretching and were forced to flee the zone. Zagmira instantly disappeared in a puff of silvery mist and reappeared outsize the zone.
Argent and Apparently engaged the front rank of spearmen while Bramble called forth spirits of cold to bedevil their adversaries.
Xoc-Wik loosed arrow after arrow at Zagmira and the necromancer fell before she could cast a single spell!
Xoc-Wik turned his arrows against the necromancers and, with Zeynap's help, they were soon dispatched.
Apparently and Argent engaged the mercenaries in melee. Seeing their eployers defeated so handily drained any fight remaining in them and the mercenaries began surrendering. Orvex reassured the mercenaries that his new companions were friendly and that they would be treated well.
Aftermath
Argent searched Zagmira's belongings. He found on her person three puzzle cubes as well as a folded up paper with the rubbing of a stone tablet. The table contained writing in Atlantean and in Old Omuan. Orvex explained that they proclaimed the same message and that, with time, a scholar could decipher Old Omuan.
Bramble recovered the lion and vulture. Both had been sickened and weakened by Zeynap's spell. Bramble said, "Apparently-"
Apparently interrupted, "Yes?"
"- ah, I mean evidently they revert to their true form if their current form dies. I have an idea. You all may not want to watch this part."
Bramble led the animals around a ruined building out of view and slaughtered them. As expected, they reverted back to human form. He explained to them their situation. They were prisoners. They were soon bound and brought back before the group for interrogation.
The two necromancers were named Thazma and Yamoch. Yamoch offered to cooperate and lead them to the secret location of the Tomb of Nine Gods. Argent untied Yamoch and the necromancer immediately began to cast a spell of invisibility.
Bramble was faster, however, and had summoned a nature spirit to illuminate Yamoch in radiant faerie fire. Yamoch tried to flee but was felled by Xoc-Wik's arrows and Zeynap's hex magic.
Argent addressed Thazma, "Did you see what happened?"
She nodded.
"Do you understand that this wiill happen to you?"
She nodded.
Argent nodded towards Bramble, "Take care of her."
Bramble produced a knife and moved to execute the necromancer.
"What are you doing?" cried Argent, aghast!
"I'm- TAKING CARE of her." replied Bramble, confused.
"I meant untie her! Not KILL her!" said Argent in exasperation.
"Oh, OH! Sorry, my bad!" said Bramble apologetically.
To Be Continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment