"The Tomb of the Nine Gods" - Tomb of Annihilation, Chapter 30

The party was stuck on an island surrounded by a lake of lava. Large crystal gargoyles orbited the skies overhead, preventing Bramble from transforming into a flying leather-winged reptile to carry the others to safety. Thus the party found themselves clambering down the north side of the island. Large fragments of what was once a land-bridge connecting the island to the rest of the lost city of Omu lay tumbled in the molten lava. The party was able to jump from one fragment to another. However, they soon reached a sixty foot gap, too far to jump.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" asked Apparently. Her apprehension was clear.

Bramble assured her, "Don't worry, you've got this." The bestial theran tied his rope around her waist. "Okay, can you levitate?"

Apparently closed her eyes and began floating in the air. In her home country of Akasa, her demijin heritage made her an outcast. Right now, her in-born ability was an asset.

Bramble stepped away and addressed Argent. "Okay, give her a push."

The humanoid dragon stepped forward and gave Apparently a good shove. She floated out over the lava. The other end of the rope was tied around his own waist. He quickly picked up the slack so that it didn't fall into the lava.

Apparently opened her eyes, she was slowly drifting a few feet over deadly lava. She quickly closed her eyes again and held her breath.

CHAPTER 30, "THE TOMB OF THE NINE GODS"

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 Bhamut (Dragonborn Paladin) in the service of Bhamut, sent on a holy mission to join the expedition to destroy the Soul Monger. 

NPCs

• Orvex Ocrammas - translator and guide for hire; rescued from the Fane of the Night Serpent.
• Five Mercenaries - two archers and three spearmen, formerly employed by agents of Unglaub the Lich Queen, who switched sides when the agents were defeated.

Crossing the Lake of Lava

Apparently could barely hear her companions through the heat and noise of the lava, "Okay! You're good!"

She opened her eyes again and touched down on a massive boulder. She turned around and braced herself. Argent and the mercenaries pulled the rope tight on their end. 

Bramble said, "Here goes!" and climbed hand-over-hand across the rope. Apparently strained against the weight but kept the rope tight. 

Once he was across, Bramble helped Apparently hold the rope on her end. Each member of the party then climbed across the rope one at a time in turn. Orvex, then the mercenaries, and Xoc-Wik. Finally only Zeynap and Argent remained. 

"Okay, my turn!" said the celestial warlock. 

Zeynap grabbed Argent in an awkward hug. There was a peal of thunder as a bolt of lightning struck them both, creating an explosion of rock and debris. Instantaneously, another bolt of lightning struck the far side. Instead of an explosion, there was only a puff of smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal Argent, still in Zeynap's awkard embrace. They had magically teleported across the span. 

Once on the other side, the party scaled the sheer bank and were back in the city.

DM Note- Here's how this whole sequence went.

Step 1- Everyone had to make a DC 10 Athletics Check to climb down. 1d6 damage on a failed climb. 

Step 2- Push hovering Apparently across the span, no roll. 

Step 3- Both ends of the rope had to make a Athletics Check vs. DC equal to the Constitution of the person climbing across. A failure meant lava damage! Apparently made one roll. Argent had help from the mercenaries so he had Advantage.

Step 4- Repeat for each NPC. Bramble was able to help Apparently so she got Advantage. 

Step 5- Eventually only Zeynap and Argent remained, but Zeynap's player had a plan. Zeynap grabbed Argent and cast Thunder Step. 

Question- How did Chak'sa get across? Umm, he found a secret tunnel somewhere. Whatever! Shut up! 

Locating the Tomb

"Okay, now what?" asked Zeynap. 

Apparently said, "I think I know how we can find the Tomb."

"What have you got?" inquired Bramble.

"I am trained to locate and destroy creatures animated by necrotic energy. I can sense their presence. If there's a lot of necrotic energy in one place, I can sense it." explained Apparently.

"Do it!" replied Bramble.

Apparently closed her eyes and concentrated. She reached out with her senses. She could smell death, lingering death, a corpse animated by necrotic force. It was nearby, very close. It was a group of corpses animated by the spores of a plant. 

She reached further. She could sense small pockets of animated corpses and ghouls wandering the city. 

There. A great stench of death and decay. A powerful force emanated from the northern part of the city. It had to be there.

She told the others, informing them also of the nearby threat. 

"That has to be the place." said Bramble. 

"It's not in the royal palace?" asked Zeynap, "I really believed it was going to be in the royal palace!"

"Me too," said Bramble. They looked at Xoc-Wik. The jaguar-man had the blank vacant stare of brain fever. He would remember nothing of this day or this conversation. Bramble sighed, "Its exactly where Xoc-Wik thought it would be." He looked back at Zeynap, "Whatever you do, don't tell him he was right. We'll never hear the end of it."

A Vision of the Past

The party followed the western cliff face around the outside of the city, avoiding encounters wherever possible. At the base of the waterfall they found a strange obelisk made of black glass. When the party neared the obelisk they each received a strange vision.

They could see the city of Omu in ancient times, a bustling metropolis of trade, art, and craft, where man peacefully coexisted with humanoid oxen. At that time the city was not sunken but was was a part of the surrounding environment. Suddenly, a black globe appeared in the sky over the south-west quadrant of the city. The globe expanded in a flash, engulfing the southern quarter. A shockwave burst out, destroying the city. The entire area collapsed and the city descended two hundred feet. Buildings toppled. Thousands died. The vision came to an end.

Showdown with Sekelok

The party made their way back to the amphitheater. It was mid-afternoon and they were in no shape to take on any tombs. They went about fortifying the amphitheater into a new base camp. They hoped the lingering fear of the King of Feathers would keep most opponents away. 

Bramble set off alone to forage for food and water while Apparently explored the passages and chambers beneath the amphitheater seats in search of the scythe-claw eggs. 

Argent prayed for forgiveness while Zeynap oversaw the work of the mercenaries. It was lightly raining.

Argent's reverie was interrupted by a booming shout that echoed throughout the city, "I HAVE COME FOR YOU, COWARD!"

It was the serpentine warrior, Sekelok. He stood in the center of the muddy boneyard that faced the amphitheater. He carried a thrusting spear and shield made from a large tortoise shell. It was, in fact, the shell of Hasegawa Tōhaku, former member of the expedition.

Sekelok was accompanied by two humanoid nagini. Two other nagini warriors wielding long bows stood a few dozen feet behind at the edge of the tall grass. They were spaced far apart. 

Argent stepped forward. "What do you want?"

"I've come for you, coward. You have to finish what you started!" His voice boomed like that of a titan.

"Your priest changed the terms of our duel, invalidating it. I have no wish to become one of you."

"Then let me offer you new terms. We are in need of slaves to continue digging for the black opal crown. You stole ours! We lost several good warriors to your couatl companion when we tried to retake them. She is a formidable opponent! So I challenge you! If I win, I take your slaves." He indicated the mercenaries. The mercenaries shuffled their feet at the offer. "If you win, we will leave this city."

Zeynap shouted, "What do you need slaves for? Why don't you dig for the black opal crown yourselves?"

The two humanoid nagini looked at each other in shock, offended a the mere suggestion they perform manual labor. One of them shouted back, "We didn't undergo the ritual to become one of the ancient noble ones so we could dig in the earth like a worm!" A stern glance of rebuke from Sekelok silenced his entourage. 

Argent looked back at the mercenaries. They were ready to fight. He turned towards Sekelok, "I'm not going to do that," was his reply.

"Then we'll just have to kill you all and enslave the survivors!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Sekelok hissed and charged, slithering through the mud and rain towards Argent. His two humanoid companions split left and right, creating wide flanks. The archers in the rear released their arrows at Argent and Zeynap.

Chak'sa blew out three long loud blats. They could be heard across the city. Apparently heard it under the amphitheater. Bramble heard it hundreds of feet away.

Argent ordered the mercenaries to form a line behind him. Zeynap was at his side. 

Zeynap directed his witch-bolts at the archer to the left while Chak'sa charged the archer to the right. Sekelok closed with Argent. The dragon-man planted his feet and held his shield high as he received the onslaught of spear thrusts from the towering Sekelok. 

The mercenary archers directed their attacks at the archers to the rear while the mercenary spearmen protected them from the humanoid nagini charging from the flanks.

Bramble transformed himself into the form of a saber-toothed cat and ran quickly through the city. Apparently made her way out of the passages as quickly as she could.

Chak'sa engaged the archer to the right. The two humanoid nagini fought with the mercenaries to either flank.

A nagina warrior appeared as if from nowhere. Zeynap shouted in surprise, "Where'd HE come from?"

Argent, grunting against the attacks made upon his shield, replied, "He was probably a snake. You didn't even notice him."

Apparently suddenly appeared from the underground passages beneath the amphitheater and engaged with the nagina warrior.

Zeynap called upon the magical power of his patron, Bright Mane the celestial unicorn, and summoned forth a rainbow hued stream of lightning directed at Sekelok.

Almost simultaneously, Bramble appeared at the edge of the muddy battlefield. He transformed back into human form and held his staff aloft. A small stormcloud coalesced out of the light rain and a bolt of lightning struck Sekelok.

Sekelok became enraged and turned his attention from Argent to Zeynap. Sekelok's focused attack almost sent the celestial warlock to the ground but, with some magical healing from Apparently, Zeynap stood fast and maintained his arcing multicolored lightning bolt. Sekelok could take no more. His body began to convulse from the massive electricity coursing through him and he fell to the ground, shuddering, dead.

Chak'sa fought bravely but was no match for the poisoned weapons of the nagina. The saurian honker soon fell dead. The nagina fiend was soon dispatched, however, by Zeynap's colorful eldritch blasts.

The remaining nagini fanatics fought on despite the death of their master. They pressed the attack against Zeynap. Zeynap, still weakened by Sekelok's attack, fell to the ground. Argent shifted his position to aid his companion while Apparently called forth her healing spirit - an ethereal feathered reptile-bird. The reptile-bird moved restored Zeynap's vitality and the warlock was soon back in the battle - only to quickly fall again to nagini arrows!

The nagini then turned their attacks at Apparently, forcing her to direct her attention to her defense and causing her healing spirit to vanish! Argent stepped in to aid Zeynap with his own holy healing prayers.

The remaining nagini were finally defeated after a grueling protracted battle. The party was finally able to rest and pray and recover. Apparently walked up to Chak'sa's lifeless body and began the ritual to bring it back to life.

DM Note - That fight was UH-MAZING! 

Bramble was six rounds out so he changed form to make it five rounds. Apparently was only three rounds out. 

Zeynap and Argent showed a spectacular level of tactics. The players were challenged and had a great time. The outcome of the fight was by no means foregone. Zeynap had 3 hit points left when Sekelok went down. Had I not missed as much as I did - in one round I rolled 1, 1, and 20 - and had Bramble not showed up on the round he did, it would have gone very badly for the group! 

I did forget that thugs had two attacks per round. I informed the players after the fight and apologized. Had I known that, I would have added more bad guys!

So, milestone reached, Level up! 8th level!

The Tomb of the Nine Gods

It was the morning after the fifty-seventh night since leaving Port Nyanzaru. The party had rested in the chambers beneath the old amphitheater and eaten small game foraged Bramble along with some hard tack. Argent continued to pray. The others patiently waited by the paladin sought forgiveness for his transgressions. Not until noon were they ready to search for the entrance to the tomb.

As they walked past some abandoned buildings, Bramble noticed that they were being watched. Small humanoid dragons, barely waist high to a grown man, were observing their movements through the city. Bramble covertly spread the word so that the others could be ready but the humanoid dragons did nothing but watch from afar.

The party explored the base of the north cliff face and eventually found a fifteen foot tall obelisk of black stone covered in weeds and vines. The stone was engraved with the following words.

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.

Ahead of them was a dark passage cut into the cliff's base. A smaller passage was cut into the base to the right. Zeynap held a glowing stick to illuminate the darkness and saw that the larger passage ended in a stone slab with eight square niches, each large enough to hold a puzzle cube.

"There's only eight. Something's not right."

Bramble said, "Look for the ninth. It's probably down that passage to the right."

The narrow passage to the right contained eight ceremonial statues standing in concave niches carved into the walls. Each statue represented one of the trickster gods.

• Moa the jaculi stood opposite Wongo the su-monster.
• I’jin the almiraj stood opposite Obo’laka the zorbo.
• Papazotl the eblis stood opposite Kubazan the froghemoth.
• Nangnang the grung stood opposite Shagambi the kamadan.
• There was an empty  niche at the end of the the hall.

"Who's missing?" asked Argent.

"Unkh the flail shnail," answered Orvex.

Bramble examined the empty niche at the read and noticed that it rotated on a pivot. The entire niche spun around to reveal a hidden statue of a flail snail. Around the statue's neck was a necklace and pendant in the shape of a human eye.

Bramble gave the necklace to Argent to examine. Argent put it on and studied it closely. He walked around and noticed that the pendant did not hang plumb. It seemed to be attracted to an area of dense undergrowth to the left of the obelisk. He cleared the undergrowth to find another large passage. The second passage appeared to have been home to animals seeking shelter. Additionally, humanoid footprints indicated others had passed through this entrance no sooner than several weeks ago.

The party joined Argent. Zeynap, carrying the puzzle cubes, saw a stone slab with nine cut niches.

"Hold on," said the warlock, "I have an idea."

Zeynap inserted the puzzle cubes in the niches with opposing trickster gods on opposite sides and Unkh the flail snail in the center.

The stone slab rose, revealing another short length of hallway ending in an iron wall. The wall was decorated with a bas relief skull with an open gaping mouth staring down menacingly at a mechanical lever. While they were watching, a small mechanical arm extended from the open mouth of the iron skull. The mechanical arm held a small hourglass. The arm rotated and sand began to fall.

DM Note- I started counting down from 10, asking "What do you do?" after each number.

Apparently rushed forth and examined the mechanical arm. She pulled the lever.

The floor split open and fell away, revealing a pit filled with acid and sharp spikes.

Apparently held on with the lever and dangled above the pit! She took a deep breath to calm down. She drew upon her demijin heritage and began  to hover in mid-air.

She pushed the lever back up. The floor closed. She pulled the lever. It opened. She pursed her lips and reset the trap again.

She waited while the sand poured out. When all the sand was in the lower bulb of the hourglass, the heavy iron door sank into the floor with the sound of turning gears and chains.

The Devil Face
Ahead of them was a hallway filled with moss and vines. Daylight and rainwater filtered down through long narrow artificial fissures in the ceiling. Tracks revealed others had passed this way several weeks previous. The end of the hallway terminated in two passages, left and right. At the center of the "T" was the carved image of a smiling horned devil face. The interior of the smiling mouth was an impenetrable dark blackness.

The iron door began to slowly rise.

"Quickly! Get everyone inside! Don't get separated!" shouted Argent.

Argent, Zeynap, Bramble, and Apparently  moved into the mossy hall to allow room for Chak'sa and the mercenaries to enter.

As they did so they absent-mindedly stepped on pressure plates that filled the corridor with a deadly hail of poison darts launched from small concealed holes in the walls. It was a massacre!

All five mercenaries and Chak'sa fell dead. Argent, Zeynap, Bramble, and Apparently were badly injured but managed to avoid the poison.

Orvex, crossing over the slowly rising door, called out, "Whoah! Whoah! Whoah! Shtop moving! Nobody move! There'sh no need to rush! Look! Shee? This door will take like an hour to closhe!"

Argent slapped his head with his scaled palm.

Orvex continued, "Okay, there'sh shomething you should know. I'm not jusht a transhlator. I do have certain.. shkills." He bent down and examined the floor, "Shee? Pressure plates. Let me jusht..."Orvex took out some small tools and hammered a small wedge under the floor. "There. Thish one'sh dishabled."

He crawled upon the floor on his hands and knees. He found and disabled three more pressure plates.

"There, that should take care of that. Now what's she doing?"

He pointed at Apparently, who was bent over examining the dark void inside the devil face's mouth.

She was muttering, "In darkness, it hides." She stuck her head into the mouth to look around.

She was suddenly pulled into the mouth, her legs kicking! She disappeared!

To Be Continued...(!)

DM Note- Seriously, that's exactly where I said "To be continued." I told them, no more questions, no more description, until next week. They were dying! 

Unfiortunately, both Apparently and Zeynap will be absent next week so we may have to cancel that session. 

"The Final Cube" - Tomb of Annihilation, Chapter 29

They team made their way back across Omu as the sun set behind the mountains in the west. They returned to their camp site in the gate house. Something was wrong.

They opened the gate and found carnage!

The mace-tail was dead and dismembered. Their equipment had been stolen.

Tony's body was  strung up on a wooden post like a scarecrow. He had been tortured and eventually killed with a dozen nagini arrows. His flayed skin was stretched flat and nailed to a nearby wall. On it was scrawled the message.

FACE ME COWARD!

Apparently covered her mouth in horror. Xoc-Wik's mouth hung open in shock. Thazma beamed behind her gag and hopped up and down in excitement.

Argent bared his draconic teeth, "I'll take care of this. Don't wait for me."

He left the camp and returned towards the city.

DM Note- Full disclosure, the illustration above greatly overstates the emotional impact Tony's death had upon the player characters. I'm not sure the players even noticed.

CHAPTER 29, "THE FINAL CUBE"

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 Bhamut (Dragonborn Paladin) in the service of Bhamut, 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. Killed by Sekelok the snake-man.
• Orvex Ocrammas - translator and guide for hire; rescued from the Fane of the Night Serpent.
• Thazma - a Crimson Necromancer in the service of Unglaub the Lich Queen, reportedly knows the location of the entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods. 

Change of Plans
A few seconds later Argent returned to the camp, "Wait! Better!"

He asked Bramble if he could summon an animal to take a message to Sekelok. Bramble summoned a small flying reptile to deliver the message. The message was, "Minions who failed their master are beneath concern.  I have greater evils to hunt but if we cross paths, we’ll duel." The reptile flew off into the night.

Fearing further reprisals from the Nagini, the party gathered what they could salvage and moved their camp. Apparently chose a spot in the south of the city, a place once known for its beautiful vista and marked with an ancient stone carved with the image of two lovers in an embrace. The mercenaries piled some rocks up into makeshift barriers which would hide the light from their camp fires.

With supplies running low Xoc-Wik left the new camp to go foraging for food and water. Zeynap decided to travel to the secondary camp at the Akasanal airship to warn them of possible Nagini attack. Eku flashed a grim smile and said she welcomed the attempt.

Back at the camp, Argent had loosened Thazma's bonds and removed her gag so that she could eat. Argent eyed the crimson necromancer warily. He did not trust her. He did not like her. He felt only regret that they relied on her to guide them to the secret entrance of the Tomb of the Nine Gods. As soon as she was done eating, he cut off any attempt she made to interact with others by restoring her gag and tightening her bonds.

It grew late. The party and the mercenaries prepared to bed down. Zeynap came into camp, weary from the three-hour hike to the second camp and back.

A wave of odor washed over the camp - the putrid smell of decomposition!  Gaunt figures came running up the hill, darting back and forth through the small trees. Ghouls were attacking the camp!

Xoc-Wik returned to the new campsite carrying a collection of small game and tubers. He saw the silhouettes of ghouls approaching the camp. He dropped the game and drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

A group of ghouls rounded some trees to the right. Another group approached up the middle and pounced upon Zeynap. Zeynap was paralyzed by their rending claws.

The mercenaries sprang up and grabbed their clubs. They moved to block the ghouls approaching from the right flank. Bramble summoned forth two spirit bears who raced forward with the honker named Chak'sa to defend Zeynap.

The leader, a more sophisticated ghoul known as a ghast, wore robes and was taller and stood more erect. It directed the two in the rear to turn around and charge Xoc-Wik.

Argent moved to the right and called upon Bhamut to banish these shambling anathema to true life! A flash of holy radiance caused several of the ghouls to cower and shield their faces. They turned to flee. With the mercenaries' help, Argent made short work of those who remained.

Meanwhile the bears ripped and tore the ghouls attacking Zeynap, rending them to tatters of putrid flesh. Zeynap in turn regained his senses and began zapping the remaining ghouls with eldritch bolts.

Xoc-Wik quickly eliminated the two ghouls attacking him and turned his arrows to the ghast. The ghast charged Xoc-Wik but was likewise soon destroyed.

The battle was ended. The campsite was secured and the entourage once more settled down to rest.

It began to rain.

Bag of Nails
The rain continued through the night, making for a miserable evening without tents or blankets. With the gray wet light of day the party gathered their equipment and set off once more into the ruined city of Omu. Fifty six nights had passed since they left Port Nyanzaru.

The party hiked east towards the lake of lava in the southeast quadrant of the city. They circled around the  massive pit towards the waterfall where the flooded city drained into the lava. They made their way up to the fallen log that crossed the draining water.

Bramble warned everyone to be on guard for the senile old hunter named Bag-of-Nails.

Argent held his shield up and moved forward onto the log shouting, "I'm here, Bag-of-Nails! Come and get me! I'm right here!"

Xoc-Wik, who had heretofore not met Bag-of-Nails, kept an arrow nocked and drawn, ready to loose at any target that made itself visible. He scanned the roof-tops looking for the hunter.

An arrow flew out of the sky and thudded into the fallen log with a "THOP-P-P-P!"

Xoc-Wik looked frantically about but could see no attacker!

Another arrow splashed into the water. Another arrow hit the log. Xoc-Wik saw him! An elderly b'alam moving into hiding on a rooftop over three hundred feet away! Xoc-Wik loosed an arrow into the old hunter. The arrow struck Bag-of-Nails and magically sprouted vines, ivy, and thorns which grabbed into the surrounding stone.

Bag-of-Nails responded with an arrow into Xoc-Wik. The younger b'alam grit his sharp teeth against the poison. The elder b'alam strained against the vines, scratching and tearing at his flesh! Xoc-Wik lost his target again.

Xoc-Wik scanned the rooftop. He found his quarry. Bag-of-Nails had dropped his bow and was frantically pulling at the vines and thorns.

Xoc-Wik loosed an arrow.

The arrow flew straight at its target. Time slowed down. Bag-of-Nails looked up and, for a brief second made eye contact with Xoc-Wik. The look of confusion, frustration, and fear on Bag-of-Nails face disappeared when he saw the younger b'alam. He saw Xoc-Wik and his fear was replaced with recognition and pride. He silently mouthed the word, "Son?"

DM Note- Bag-of-Nails rolled a 1 and dropped his bow. He bent down to pick it up. Xoc-Wik aimed and took another shot. His player rolled to hit. 17- a hit! 

Before he could roll damage, I said, "You loose your arrow. It flies straight and true. Before it hits, Bag-of-Nails looks up and, for a brief second, makes eye contact with you. He silently mouths the word - 'Son?'"

The player froze. The look on the player's face was PRICELESS! He said, "GODDAMMIT!"

I offered the player the option to spend an Inspiration for Disadvantage, re-roll and hope for a lower result. 

The player hemmed and hawed and had a tough time making up his mind. He eventually cursed aloud, "GODDAMMIT! GODDAMMIT! GODDAMMIT!" Before he could change his mind, he picked up the d8, and rolled damage. 

Bag-of-Nails had five hit points left.

The arrow struck Bag-of-Nails in the heart. The elderly hunter collapsed onto the roof, out of sight.

Xoc-Wik immediately regretted his action. He darted at full sprint across the log and towards the building. He threw himself up the sheer wall and dashed towards the rooftop where Bag-of-Nails fell.

Bag-of-Nails was gone.

In his place was a bowl of stew and a note- "Good shot, son! I'm proud of you! Have a bowl of stew, no poison! You've earned it!"

Xoc-Wik crumpled up the note and kicked over the bowl of stew, "Not a chance, old man."

DM Note- The player immediately regretted shooting Bag-of-Nails. He dashed at full speed to try to save him. While he did so, I rolled death saves in secret. I don't normally roll death saves for NPCs but I make an exception sometimes of the players request it. The difficulty is 15. I rolled 17, 18, and 20. Bag-of-Nails survived with 1 hit point and escaped. 

The other players were holding their breath during the entire sniper duel. It was amazingly tense. When I told them about the note and the stew, there were cheers and high fives. It was a fantastic encounter!

Jaculis
The party continued to the edge of the lake of lava. A large island of rock stood like a spire in the lake. A squat shrine stood atop the island. The remains of what looked like a land bridge lay in huge collapsed chunks in the lava below. Many were close together and could be climbed. The widest gap, however, was sixty feet - a seemingly insurmountable chasm. After discussing several options, Bramble transformed himself into a massive flying reptile as large as a giraffe. He picked up each member of the party and ferried them across one by one, depositing them at the entrance to the shrine compound. As he carried across the final mercenary a flock of crystal gargoyles began to converge on their location. He landed and transformed back into his theran form as the gargoyles circled in the sky above. "Well, guess I'm not doing that again anytime soon."

DM Note- Yeah, I totally forgot about the gargoyles attacking anything that flies until after I let them get across. I later remembered and said that the sky was now full of gargoyles which would make getting back across tough. 

Argent raised his shield and carefully advanced past the twin obelisks that formed the threshhold into the compound. There were dense trees and foliage flanking both sides of the overgrown paving stone that led to the shrine entrance. Argent signaled Zeynap to join him.

Suddenly a fifteen foot long snake shot out of the tree like an arrow! The snake slammed against Argent's shield and fell to the ground. The snake had metallic blue scales and a cobra-like hood made of several short spikes. The snake coiled up and quickly returned to the trees.

"WHAT - THE - HELL?" cried Zeynap!

More snakes launched themselves out of the trees at Argent.  Apparently, and Xoc-Wik launched ranged attacks at the creatures from outside the threshold. Each time the snakes would retreat to the trees. Zeynap and Argent managed to kill a few of the snakes and eventually the attacks ceased. Zeynap and Argent advanced to the entrance.

The Shrine of Moa

Ancient Omuan cuneiform adorned the entrance. Zeynap called back, "Orvex, you're up!"

Orvex ran forward to provide translation, "Moa teaches us that secrets hide the truth."

Ahead of them was a corridor. The walls were carved with bas relief serpents. There were three  narrow openings on each wall, each about a foot tall and a hands-width wide. The floor was covered in cobwebs. No one had entered this corridor in quite some time. There was a room behind with a mosaic on the floor and a pedestal illuminated by a single shaft of magical light. A hand-sized cube floated, suspended in the shaft of light.

Argent inhaled deeply and exhaled a blast of his draconic fire into the hallway, burning it clean of all cobwebs. He then got on his hands and knees and closely examined the floor. He gently pushed on the floor and saw that it moved ever so slightly but was stopped by a mechanical barrier. "It's trapped." was his assessment.

"You think?" was Bramble's sarcastic reply. "Can you disable it?"

Argent stood and shrugged, "I think it might already be disabled." He tested his theory by picking up a dead snake and tossing it into the corridor. It landed with a meaty thud. Nothing happened. He turned and looked at the others.

"Who's going first?" inquired Zeynap nervously.

Everyone looked at Xoc-Wik.

"Don't look at me!" said the jaguar-man.

"But you're the fighter! Isn't this your job?" asked Bramble.

Xoc-Wik held up his bow for emphasis, "Not that kind of fighter!" was his defensive retort.

After an awkward silence Argent took a deep breath, "I'll go."

Argent boldly strode down the corridor. Nothing happened.

The others soon joined him inside. The mercenaries, along with Chak'sa and Thazma, stayed outside the compound.

Aside from the mosaic and the pedestal, the room contained twelve statues of ancient Omuan archers with arrows nocked and drawn, ready to attack anyone who might take the hovering cube.

Argent, Orvex, Apparently, and Zeynap examined the mosaic on the floor. It depicted the serpentine god Moa in battle with the simian Wongo. Moss grew over some writing. Argent peeled away the moss and Orvex translated, "Death rewards a thief deceived. Truth comes from the serpent’s mouth."

Bramble examined the hovering cube, "Nobody take this. It's a trick!"

"Obviously," said Argent, "Everyone, look around for a 'serpent's mouth'.

None of the statues depicted anything like a serpent's mouth.

Argent borrowed a spear from one of the mercenaries. He used the spear to chip away the mosaic stones of the god Moa. He found nothing but concrete.

"Hey," said Apparently, "Maybe the corridor is the serpent and the entrance is the mouth!"

The party moved outside the shrine and closely examined the entrance but could find nothing.

Apparently looked in the corridor and remembered the openings. She looked into an opening and saw a hidden room on the other side of the wall. Within the room was a statue of a large serpent.

"Found it!"

She looked in the other windows just to be safe. It was the mirror image of the other room with a statue of a large serpent. However, its head had broken off and lay on the floor. A cube rested near the remnants of the head.

"Oh, wait!" she cautioned.

"Check both statues," said Bramble, "Look for a secret door."

Working in pairs, the party quickly found small hidden shafts concealed by false facades. Apparently entered one room while Zeynap entered the other. Apparently picked the cube up off the floor. Zeynap examined the serpent's mouth and found a second cube.

"Which is the real cube?" wondered Argent.

Apparently shrugged.

As they exited the shrine, Apparently's cube disappeared. Only Zeynap's cube remained. "I guess this one," he said.

The Judgement of Thazma

The party gathered outside the shrine. They stood on an island of rock a hundred feet above a lake of lava. The rain was pouring.

Argent ordered the mercenaries to produce Thazma. Argent removed her gag. Her eyes open wide. Her teeth were apart in a disturbing open-mouthed smile.

"We have all nine puzzle cubes. Are you prepared to show us the entrance to the Tomb of Nine Gods?"

Thazma hesitated before enthusiastically answer, "Yes! Yes, absolutely!"

Argent's green draconic eyes narrowed in a mixture of distrust and revulsion. He closed his eyes and called upon the power of his god, Bhamut, "You will speak only the truth!"

DM Note- Argent cast Zone of Truth. Zeynap's player said, "Wait, let me, let me test it. Thazma, who was the better Sherlock Holmes - Nigel Rathbone or Benedict Cumberbatch?"

I answered, "Trick question- the correct answer is Jeremy Brett!"

Zeynap gave the thumbs up, "It's working!"

Thazma was overcome by the compulsion of Argent's holy command, "I- I am pretty sure I almost definitely know where I think it is- might be- probably."

Argent was overcome with rage, "YOU DON'T KNOW???"

Thazma recoiled, "Zagmira was the only one who knew for certain. You killed her! When Yamoch refused to cooperate, you killed him! I was next! What would you expect me to say? Besides! I really think I know where the entrance probably is!

Argent screamed, "You are useless!" The dragon-man brandished his axe, "We should have executed you on the spot!"

Thazma flinched.

Xoc-Wik said, "Now wait a minute!"

Argent glowered at Xoc-Wik. Xoc-Wik backed down. He looked at Bramble for guidance. Bramble put up his hands, "Don't look at me. I don't care what happens to her."

Argent spun back to Thazma. His eyes flashing green hatred. "While you are my prisoner, I am honor bound to let you live."

Thazma relaxed just a little.

Argent cut her bonds, "Therefore I release you. You are no longer my prisoner."

Thazma's eyes grew wide in panic. She backed away and prepared to cast a spell of flight in order to escape.

Argent cut her down in one strike.

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the valley of Omu.

Regrets
"Well," said Zeynap, "That escalated quickly."

The mercenaries shuffled uneasily and whispered among themselves. Argent leveled his bloody axe at them as a silent warning. "She was evil. She deserved to die."

One of the mercenaries replied, "No question, she was evil. But did she really deserve it? Was she really threatening you? You may have cut her bonds but she was unarmed and trying to run away. What does your order say about killing enemies in retreat?"

Argent stared down at his bloody axe. What had he done? He immediately began to regret his actions. He had murdered her. He had violated his oath as a knight of Bhamut.

Argent whispered to himself, "I have made a mistake."

The mercenary interrupted his reverie, "So, um, what's your plan now for finding the entrance to the Tomb of Nine Gods?"

Argent continued to stare at his axe, wet with rain and blood.

Bramble replied, "Well, I can't fly you all back across because of the gargoyles. So we're kind of stuck. Our first priority is food." He looked in the direction of the ruined royal palace. Black leather-winged reptiles continued to orbit the tower. "I can transform into a small flying beast and go forage enough food for a few of us. The gargoyles seem to ignore small creatures. In the meantime, the rest of you use these rain-catchers to collect some fresh water. And maybe butcher some of those snakes we killed."

Zeynap said, "I have a good idea that the entrance to the tomb is located inside that tower."

Bramble nodded, "Possibly. Lots of snake-men in there. That could be trouble. In the meantime, rest, collect water, and eat. We'll figure out a way to get off this island tomorrow."

Argent silently walked away from the group. He knelt down at a spot overlooking the lake of lava, placed his axe on the ground in front of him, and began to pray for forgiveness.

The mercenaries picked up their former employer and tossed her into the lava.

To Be Continued...

DM Commentary- I have to admit, I did not see that coming.

Argent murdering Thazma came out of left field. I was all set to end the evening with Thazma leading them to the general area of the entrance to the tomb. She had become a plot device. 

But her murder was an emotional ending to a great session of high drama. The sniper-duel with Bag-of-Nails was riveting. The solving of the Shrine of Moa then ramped up frustrations even more. I can see how Argent's player might have been keyed up by that point.

I also got a little angry with Argent's player when he did that. But I took a deep breath. I told Argent's player I was getting frustrated with that course of action and apologized up front. I tried to calm down and let the player do his thing. I did warn him, however, that this course of action would lead to a violation of his oath as a paladin.

At first he objected. He argued that slaying an evil person is within his mandate. We then read the paladin's oath together, out loud. I also pointed out that, to a good-aligned paladin, there are only a few circumstances that warrant killing someone - 

1. They pose an imminent threat to your life.

2. They pose an imminent threat to someone else's life.

3. (optional, depending on order) Vengeance.

I pointed out that Thazma posed no imminent threat to his or anyone else's life. 

He asked "Has she killed anyone?"

I said, "Not that you know of." 

He agreed that he had violated his oath and agreed that his paladin should face some sort of repercussion for his rash action.

According to the player's handbook, there are two options.

1. If the paladin is unrepentant, then they can only take additional levels in Oathbreaker Paladin or another class.

2. If the paladin is repentant, then they can fast for a number of days to atone for their crime. That basically means taking on some levels of exhaustion. Now I need to decide how many levels is sufficient. 

Also, they're stuck on an island with no food and they have no idea where the entrance to the Tomb of Nine Gods is located.

I told the players - I have given you three, THREE, NPCs who have offered to help you find it. You have killed or have allowed to be killed each one. I'M DONE! From this point forward THERE ARE NO MORE BACK-UPS! YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!  

They've just added one or two more sessions before entering the tomb, which is frustrating. I'm curious to see what they come up with. I'm curious to see what I come up with!!

"The Fane of the Night Serpent" - Tomb of Annihilation, Chapter 22

Ambush!
It was an hour or two before dawn and Bramble had the last watch. Tomorrow would be the fifty-first day since the expedition left Port Nyanzaru. They were encamped within the ruined walls of the crumbling gatehouse. Trees grew within the courtyard walls. The well in the center of the courtyard was long dry and filled with grass and vines. The two saurian behemoths drowsed on the far side of the courtyard. The fat raindrops created a constant patter on the canvas tents in which the others slept.

Bramble noticed a snake slithering through the grass. Then another. Then two more. Something wasn't right. He stood and shouted, "Alarm! Alarm! Wake up! Somebody wake up Zeynap!"

The ancient shape-changing serpent-men known as nagina were upon them!

CHAPTER 22, "FANE OF THE NIGHT SERPENT"

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.
• Vinnie - rough and tumble dinosaur wrangler who wished to learn from Apparently, possibly from 19th century Boston on Earth. 

Eku, sleeping on the ground in the rain, was the first awake. She transformed herself into a mongoose and rushed a snake on the left flank. Bramble moved to the right flank while Zeynap and Argent emerged from their tents. Zeynap immediately began zapping snakes on the right flank with rainbow bolts of magical energy. Each of the three snakes was immediately transformed back into the form of a nagina warrior - a creature with a human body and the head of a cobra!  They were armed with long-bows.

An unseen snake coiled around Zeynap's leg and bit the warlock in the shin. Zeynap fell to the venomous bite. Bramble summoned the healing spirit of the wolf which rendered aid to Zeynap and Argent who had been similarly stricken by an unseen serpent. 

Both snakes were quickly dispatched before transforming back into nagina warriors! The nagina warriors spun their khopeshes and engaged Argent and Zeynap in close combat!

Eku's mongoose killed the snake causing it to transform into a nagina. Eku abandoned her mongoose form and resumed her natural form as a couatl. Argent meanwhile was supporting his comrades with prayers of protection and healing.

Bramble transformed into a gargantuan fifty-foot boa constrictor and coiled around one of nagina to the right. Zeynap fell under the onslaught of the attackers but was revived by Argent.

Suddenly Xoc-Wik emerged from his brain fever and burst from his tent, bow drawn. He begain picking off nagina at range, moving around behind the tents. One heavily wounded serpent-man was pushed away by Zeynap's blast. The nagina turned and fled. The serpent man made it through the outer gate and was escaping into the dark. Xoc-Wik stepped through the gate and loosed an arrow, killing the fleeing serpent-man at a range of nearly a hundred feet. Another serpent-man fled through the inner gate. Xoc-Wik turned and launched an arrow in a high arc, striking the serpent-man in the back and killing him.

Poison Stew
The serpent-men were all killed and the camp was secure. The party regrouped around the campfire.

Argent began coughing. The coughing became hacking. Argent then collapsed to his knees and began wretching and heaving. He regurgitated the stew he had taken from Bag-of-Nails the day before. It had been poisoned! He was feeling better but the poisoned stew took its toll. Argent decided to rest for the remaining hour before dawn.

Unseen to the party, a dark figure rose from a crouch atop the wall of the courtyard. Its feline eyes narrowed. Argent had survived his poisoned stew. Bag-of-Nails turned and disappeared into the rain and darkness.

DM Note- Yeah, the poison was supposed to strike at midnight. I had big notes written all over everything to remind me to resolve the poison BEFORE the ambush. I forgot anyway. Luckily I remembered immediately after the fight and it made for a good scene anyway. Bag-of-Nails made a great Stealth roll and no one saw him in the distance but I described the scene of Bag-of-Nails rising and disappearing into the pre-dawn darkness anyway because it was so cinematic. The players really appreciated it.

Bag-of-Nails Strikes Again!
The night rains ended and the sun rose over the eastern mountains illuminating the mist covering western portion of hte city. The party geared up for a new excursion into the city. They retraced their steps from the previous day, skirting the lake of lava and crossing the river on the fallen tree.

As they crossed the fallen log, a poisoned arrow flew through the air and struck Argent! Zeynap saw Bag-of-Nails leaping to another rooftop for better position. Zeynap ran across to the shore but lost track of the b'alam hunter. A cackling old voice echoed through the abandoned city, "Did I get him?"

"Yes!" replied Zeynap, "But he's not dead!"

"Gah!" came the unseen reply, "I'll try again later!" The feline assassin then fled the scene.

DM Note- the players joked that as they explored the city they would find little bowls of stew left out with a note that said "Free stew!" every few blocks. 

A Token Resistance
The party eschewed the elevated boulevard and traveled with stealth beneath the tree canopy. They reached the entrance to the circular inner wall without incident. As they passed through the arched gate they encountered two nagina archers who were guarding the entrance. Bramble, Argent, and Eku took cover behend the wall while Zeynap and Xoc-Wik eliminated the archers from range. They found not other guards and continued to the tunnel entrance they had found the previous day. Apparently the nagina believed their ambush would take care of the party so no further guard was necessary.

The Bronze Doors
The party entered the descending tunnel that led under the central tower. The tunnel was wide enough for a four-legged behemoth and cart. The tunnel ended at a pair of heavy bronze doors. The doors were embossed with a bas relief of a circular snake devouring its own tail - the symbol of Jivantaka the Destroyer!

There was a closed peep-hole at head level and small circular holes along the the base of the doors. The doors could be neither pushed nor pulled. Only when the Bramble, Argent, Zeynap, and Xoc-Wik all pulled at the doors in unison was there the sound of a chain breaking followed by the doors sliding open on runners.

Inside the door was a nagina warrior and four nagina degenerates! The nagina warrior hissed orders at his degenerate underlings. They immediately rushed forward and removed four grates covering a wide pit just inside the doorway. The pit was as wide as the corridor, five feet across, ten feet deep, and filled with live snakes! The degenerates then formed a line along the pit to prevent anyone from jumping across.

Xoc-Wik loosed arrows while Zeynap created a magical flaming sphere behind the degenerates. The degenerates dispersed to escape the flame and retreated from the side of the pit, allowing Argent to leap across the pit and engage the degenerates in close battle!

The nagina warrior attempted to escape down a side passage and sound the alarm but was dispatched by Xoc-Wik's arrows before he could succeed. The remaining nagina degenerates were soon defeated and the party made its way safely across the defensive pit.

DM Note- Technically, the PCs should not be able to force open those doors. The inability to force them open is meant to force the players to choose disguise or deception to gain entry. However, my players would never give up so I just adapted the rules for forcing open portcullises. Besides, Bramble or Eku could have turned into a snake, slithered in, and opened the door anyway, so the net result would have been the same.

The Hall of War
The passage narrowed to ten feet wide before opening into a sixty foot by eighty foot room supported by four columns. A large cage containing a three-horn occupied the corner immediately to the right. Carts were stored in the corner to the left. A large statue of a coiled serpent was located atop a stone base in the center of the room. Two alcoves were visible in the dim green light along the right wall.

Four nagina degenerates, having heard the battle in the entrance, were prepared. Two of the degenerates held leashes attached to two squat six-legged reptiles with glowing eyes. They were located at the front of the group awaiting the arrival of the party. The other degenerates, as well as their robed human-looking master, stood warily behind the reptiles.

Bramble immediately summoned two large ferocious bears to form a defensive line in front of the reptiles. The bears fought with the reptiles while Zeynap moved his flaming sphere towards the rear. The human master retreated behind the cover of the statue. The human shouted orders as he plucked small gelatinous eggs out of a sack. He ate the soft eggs like a snack, dribbling long trails of slime down his pointed chin from his lipless mouth.

The degenerates dispersed to avoid the flame. Zeynap cast a spell of shattering which not only injured several of the degenerates, it destroyed the statue! The robed human was suddenly without cover and facing the demise of his degenerate guards. The escaped down a passage to the left. 

DM Note - Zeynap's player was so proud he was able to cast Shatter on something inanimate! 

It soon became obvious that the reptiles possessed the magical ability to turn their opponents into stone! The bears were able to withstand this effect long enough to rend the reptiles and advance. The bears were soon able to destroy the remaining degenerates and the room was clear.

DM Note - Bramble's player called the bear strategy "Wall of Bears". It was the second fight he had cast "Wall of Bears" and he noted that it was very effective! It not only kept the basilisks from getting any closer, the bears kicked out a lot of damage!

Suddenly the entire complex echoed with the sound of two loud peals from a large gong. The alarm had been sounded. The complex was on alert!

To Be Continued!

"Imbok and a Bag of Nails" - Tomb of Annihilation, Chapter 21

The Forbidden City
The party woke with the dawn. It was now the fiftieth day since they left Port Nyanzaru. They had spent the night in the walled compound of the gatehouse in the southwest corner of the Forbidden City of Omu. It was sunny, warm, and humid. Feathered reptile-birds darted overhead chasing large insects. Apparently and Xoc-Wik had both contracted Brain Fever during the night. Vinnie volunteered to stay with them as well as watch over the two saurian beasts of burden.

The rest of the party- Bramble, Zeynap, Argent, and Eku - gathered their equipment to begin their exploration of the city. From their vantage point on the raised ledge they could see the waterfall to the northern third of the east side of the city, the circular walls and towers along the middle-third, and the lake of lava on the southern third. They could also see the elevated boulevards that allowed easy but conspicuous travel through the ruins. What were once city streets were now choked with jungle trees and dense foliage. Only the tops of the crumbling buildings rose above the canopy of the trees. They decided to avoid the boulevards and stick to the streets which concealed their travel.

They climbed down the steep slope of the ledge overlooking the city and avoided the ruined buildings. They made their way to the land-bridge connecting the promontory overlooking the lake of lava to the rest of the city.

They parted the palm fronds as they neared the land bridge and saw a group of small humanoid beings. The creatures appeared to be human-shaped but made of blue-gray mold. Each creature was no taller than a man's waist. Two of the mold-men were carrying a green-skinned frog of equivalent size. The giant frog was tied up so that it couldn't move and was gagged. The mold-men were led by a larger leader. They seemed to be a procession taking the frog over the land-bridge to the promontory. This tableau presented only one possible scenario - they were planning on sacrificing the frog to the lava!

CHAPTER 21, "IMBOK AND A BAG OF NAILS"

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.
• Vinnie - rough and tumble dinosaur wrangler who wished to learn from Apparently, possibly from 19th century Boston on Earth. 

The Rescue
Argent stepped forward and gave a peaceful greeting. He then requested that the pygmy mold-men release their prisoner, offering the blessings of Bahamut over any gift they believed they might receive from the lava.

The chief of the mold-men cocked his turnip-shaped head and spoke in an unintelligible series of hisses and rasps.

"Anybody speak their language? Eku, how about you?" asked Argent.

"I'm afraid I do not." replied Eku.

Argent repeated his offer to the mold-pygmies. The chieftain became visibly annoyed and hissed orders to his compatriots, pointing angrily at the interlopers.

The two mold-pygmies holding the bound amphibian prisoner resumed moving towards the edge of the cliff accompanied by two guards. The chieftain and four others spread out in a semi-circle. They formed slings out of vines growing on their bodies, loaded them with stones, and began spinning.

Argent stepped forward and the slingers let fly. A few ricocheted off Argent's armor with a loud "PANG!" but a few found their mark. Two of the mold-pygmies then formed wooden talons and closed with Argent.

Argent whispered a prayer of protection to provide sanctuary to the bound prisoner. The two mold-pygmiesholding the prisoner began to hesitate.

DM Note- Sanctuary requires anyone who might attack the protected target to need to succeed against a Saving Throw. I ruled that both carriers would need to lose their saving throws in order to throw the prisoner over the side. If one succeeded and the other failed, the prisoner was safe.

Argent had received a few blows and was looking injured. Bramble called out, "How are you doing, Argent?"

"I've felt better!" was his labored reply.

"I'm not a great healer but I can see what I can do!" replied Bramble.

"Don't worry about it," shouted Zeynap, "I'm a great healer! I got this!"

Argent hewed through his foes with his axe. To his surprise, the injuries began to heal!

"Eku! What are these things? How do we kill them?" asked Argent.

"If I recall correctly, I believe their healing ability is curtailed by fire, poison, or necromancy!"

Bramble summoned forth a spirit of flame which harried the mold-pygmies holding the prisoner, forcing them to drop their prisoner and run away from the rolling ball of flame. Bramble then ran up and attacked one of the mold-pygmieswith his staff.

Zeynap created a magical hand of icy necromancy that floated around touching the mold-pygmies. Whatever the hand touched was shocked with powerful death magic.

The chieftain closed with Argent and Bramble. He planted his feet and clenched his fists as if in great physical effort. A bulbous shape worked its way up from the chieftain's core, through his chest and neck, swelling his head, and bursting out of the top of his head in a great explosion of pollen that engulfed both Bramble and Argent. The pair coughed and cleared the pollen out of their eyes but were otherwise unharmed.

The amphibian prisoner had been dropped as the ball of flame chased the mold-pygmies around the circular promontory. The prisoner was sliding towards the edge. Zeynap ran past Argent and Bramble and grabbed the prisoner before he fell over the side into the lava far below.

A mold-pygmy caught Argent off-guard with a sling stone to the head. Argent fell down.

Bramble stared at the fallen form of Argent in disbelief before turning his ire to Zeynap, "What happened? I thought you had this?"

"Uh, I was waiting for the sign." replied Zeynap sheepishly.

"What the hell was the sign?" demanded Bramble.

"Him falling over?" replied Zeynap as he carried the bound frog-man away from the edge of the promontory.

Bramble gritted his teeth and called upon the spirits of the forest to heal Argent. The dragon-man stood back up and continued fighting.

The chieftain was quickly dispatched and the rest of the mold-pygmies were soon defeated.

The amphibian's bindings were removed. He stood up to reveal a humanoid tree-frog with bright green skin. He thanked his rescuers with obsequious bowing and babbling in his native tongue which no one understood.

The little frog-man used a mixture of his own squeaking high-pitched language and pantomime to communicate that his name was "Imbok". After learning the names of everyone in the party, he implored them to follow him. The party agreed. They accompanied the little frog-man, whom Eku identified as a "grung", north along the west side of the lake of lava. The encountered a waterfall where the water that flooded the northeast portion of the city drained into the lava. Imbok took them to a large fallen tree that bridged the draining water about two hundred feet above the falls. He motioned for the party to follow him across.

The Ambush
The fallen tree was ten feet wide and crossing the flowing water proved easy. Something bothered Zeynap, however. He had a bad feeling.

Suddenly Zeynap was struck by a poisoned-tipped hunting arrow loosed from a hidden archer on a rooftop fifty yards away. Zeynap gurgled and staggered backwards clutching the arrow protruding from his shoulder. He looked at his companions who stared dumbfounded at the sight. Zeynap managed to take a deep breath and regain his composure. He was severely wounded but not fatally so. He saw his attacker leap from the roof of the building on the right to the roof of the building on the left. The archer was lithe with a long tail - a b'alam hunter from the continent of Bres!

Zeynap and the others quickly moved off the tree to the forested bank. They had no line of sight on the attacker. Eku transformed into flying reptile-bird and took flight. She circled over a rooftop to indicate the hidden position of the attacker. A few more arrows flew past as they made their way through the trees.

As they neared the base of the buildings, the party members became wary. They moved cautiously, scanning the rooftops. There was a blur as the b'alam darted from the building on the left to the building on the right across the vine-choked streets in front of them. The b'alam climbed the building on right in a flash. He leaned over the roof and took aim.

Bramble was ready for him. He called upon the spirits of nature and engulfed the b'alam in a glowing nimbus of magical energy. Zeynap cast a powerful attack spell and the b'alam hissed in pain and anger.

The b'alam threw up his hands and called out in Atlantean, "I surrender! I give up!"

Bag-of-Nails
The elderly b'alam hunter introduced himself as "Bag-of-Nails". It was clear to the party that Bag-of-Nails was a few candles short in his chandelier. Bag-of-Nails would speak a few sentences then forget where he was, then immediately begin speaking about an entirely different subject, then loop back again to the beginning. Sometimes Bag-of-Nails would seem to forget where he was entirely, believing he was back in his homeland of Bres in younger days. Other times he would react to the party as if he had just saw them all over again.

From Bag-of-Nails fragmented non-sequiters they gleaned that he had come here looking for the legendary artifact "the Navel of the Moon" which he planned to use to find his missing son. Bag-of-Nails had never heard of the Soulmonger and could provide no clues to its location. They also learned that he was accompanied by two other b'alam - Hooded-Lantern and Copper-Bell. All three were hunting a gargantuan beast known as the "King of Feathers" - a monstrous enemy that moved like a ghost and could walk through walls. He had attacked the party because he believed them to be rivals who had also come to kill the King of Feathers.

Bag-of-Nails insistently offered to cook the party some stew. They repeatedly declined. Eventually Argent agreed to have some stew so they entered the nearby structure in which Bag-of-Nails was camped.

The structure was formerly the home of a troupe of Omuan actors. Wooden and clay masks were mounted on the walls, many had fallen to the floor and were broken. Zeynap looked around while Bag-of-Nails prepared some stew for Argent. Zeynap found four gem-encrusted masks hidden away, each worth 25 gold coins. He stashed them in a sack to display later.

Zeynap rejoined the party as Argent finished his stew. They thanked the old b'alam for his hospitality and bade him farewell.

Chief Yorb
Imbok led the party onto a nearby elevated boulevard leading east. The party was wary of being so in the open but nothing bad happened. Imbok left the boulevard and turned north, towards the central tower surrounded by a great circular wall. Thousands of black leathery-winged reptiles slowly orbited the tower  giving the impression of swirling dark cloud. Imbok led them around the outside of round walls that surrounded the tower, warily looking in all directions as if he were afraid for his life.

The party circled around the back of the wall and arrived at Imbok's home, the flooded northeast third of the city. Imbok led them to a walled compound surrounded by knee-deep water. The walls were breached in several places, Two monoliths carved like frogs flanked the entrance. Within was a structure shaped like a trapezoid. Its ancient roof was covered in vines and trees. A hadrosaur fed on lake grass nearby.

Dozens of small frog-people crouched in the water, the tops of the heads and eyes peeking above the water. Fist-sized tad-poles swam around Argent's ankles.  Archers on the tree-covered roof appeared and drew their bows. Four orange-skinned warriors emerged from the lake. Imbok intervened and introduced his new friends. A large gold-skinned leader wearing a magnificent headdress emerged and greeted Imbok then addressed the party.

Though they could not understand his words, the party gathered that the chieftains name was Yorb and that he was grateful for the return of Imbok who was some kind of off-spring.

After the offering of thanks, it soon became clear that the two groups could not understand each other. So they stood there in awkward silence with nothing really to say. Argent smiled politely.

Zeynap finally got the hint, "I think we're done here and he's politely trying to ask us to leave."

Argent replied, "Yes, of course. We'll take our leave now."

In Search of the Soulmonger
Having delivered Imbok safely to his people, the party decided to resume their search for the Soulmonger. Their prime target was the tower within the circular inner walls orbited by the dark swarm of black leathery-winged reptiles. They retraced their steps along the outside of the wall until they found an entrance. They passed through the gate and carefully advanced.

The interior of the wall was composed of more jungle-clad ruins. Dozens, possibly hundreds of snakes of all types slithered on every tree branch and surface. Zeynap spun around as three humanoid figures with serpentine heads appeared seemingly from nowhere! The serpent-men were the twisted half-blooded warriors who served as the guards of the dreaded Nagina Samrajya! They had assumed the forms of snakes and were lying in wait with the other snakes in the area. The half-bloods abandoned their serpentine disguises, drew their bows, and loosed poisoned arrows at the party!

One nagina warrior approached from behind the party. Two others emerged in front of the party. Zeynap engaged the warrior to the rear with magical spells while Argent and Bramble advanced on the enemies in front.

The rear nagina drew an ancient khopesh and rushed Zeynap. Bramble transformed himself into a massive snake and coiled around the nagina to the right, crushing the serpent-man in his powerful coils. Argent challenged the serpent man to the left to a duel. The serpent man threw down his bow and charged Argent with his khopesh.

The nagina warrior struggled futilely against Bramble's constriction. Frustrated the warrior transformed himself into a snake and the two serpents coiled and twisted in mortal combat!

Zeynap was able to dispatch the first serpent man and moved to support Argent. Argent warned him to stay away lest he interrupt the duel. Meanwhile Bramble had squeezed all life out of his opponent.

Eventually Argent was able to defeat his foe and secure the area. They continued their search and discovered a tunnel leading underneath the tower. A foul stench emanated from the tunnel and many tracks showed recent movement into and out of the subterranean lair. The party, however, was exhausted from their exploration of the city and they many battles. They made a note of the location of the entrance and decided to retreat to a safe location to rest.

Exhaustion Sets In
The party returned to the grung compound hoping to rest within its walls. Orange-skinned guards intercepted them before they could enter. The party asked if they could rest within the compound. Chief Yorb, standing behind the guards, smiled blankly. He had no idea what they were saying.

When the party tried to advanced into the compound, the guards blocked their way. Chief Yorb stood resolute, still smiling. His meaning was clear. They were still friends but they were not welcome in the compound. Zeynap sighed and the party discussed their next plan.

The party decided to return to the basecamp from whence they began. It was mid-afternoon. They retraced their steps through the city, circling the outside of the inner wall, traveling down the elevated boulevard, crossing the fallen log, and climbing the embankment to the walled gate house. The route they traveled across the city took about fifteen minutes to traverse. There they decided to rest for the remainder of the day. They would return to the entrance to underground lair tomorrow.

To Be Continued...