Serpent's Skull I, Smuggler's Shiv

[BuckGodot]

After resuming solid form, she will minister to Aerys. Lay back and rest, whilst the power of Calistria sees to your wounds.

Spoiler: Knit that wound!

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Lay on hands and Channel Energy as needed.

Spoiler: ?

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Do I roll for that?

[BuckGodot]

I am sorry I cannot do more. Will you be able to make it out on your own? She will do what she can to dress any other wounds.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum makes a search of the cabinet and the rest of the small room.
"How did snake witch leave the room? Ankarum as he searches.

[lostsole31]

"Aye, better," Aerys nods, "thankee. If ye don' mind, I will take her gear here so I can have mundanes. Smells like snake .... but a bedroll is better than the bare stone of late."

Aerys looks to Ankarum. "She would cut me .... not a big cut .... and put it on her fingers. She'd touch the statue and turn herself into an accursed cloud."

There is no cabinet. There is the statue, Yarzoth's bedroll and backpack and stuff in the middle of the room. The statue's mouth is smeared with dried blood. Yarzoth's body lies to the side of the opening. Aerys heaves her corpse off into one of the little alcoves in the corner. But, no cabinet.

[BuckGodot]

I guess that is how we shall have to return. What about overhead? Are there openings?

[lostsole31]

Yes, actually. There seems to be a very small ventilation opening overhead.

[BuckGodot]

Perhaps that ventilation shaft above bears exploring first. Ankarum, would you care to venture further up?

[lostsole31]

As Ankarum feels the snakewoman's body, he realizes that she is truly alien. The manner in which her sinews connect to give her the supple agility she had in life. The many wounds she suffered do not gape but rather in time have closed ... not sealed, but the construction of her body is such that it shrinks in to pull the surface scales to itself. The body does not have that "dimming warmth" but is actually quite cool; it has congealed relatively quickly.

As Ankarum searches around, he includes the statue. In the wall below the carving of the vampire goddess appears to be an incredibly well-hidden panel that the savage just barely noticed.

Meanwhile, Aerys warns Lalarlia, "Heed ye, the witch never went up that wee shaft. If you take a go at's length, you might find yerself at a point at which you can't return. Could be a good idea to finish checkin' and explorin' what else need's explorin'. The witch seemed obsessed and muttered in her strange language, but would 'kindly' include me in her telepathic squall of her plan to find some fantastically ancient city on the mainland, deep in the Mwangi, called Saventh-Yhi. Not sure what that is, but this whole temple has been her study ground and she gathered a lot of notes. Perhaps .... in the case of 'explorin', of course ... and perhaps a coin or two ... we could finish what she started, learn from it, and if we ever get off this barnacle-bathed, ghost-gatherin', accursed hulk of rock? Perhaps we could sell this information to those that like to go on 'adventures' and what not? Then again, why not us? Ancient riches, the accolades of anything we publish?"

Does Ankarum check out the panel (looks, barely, like a drawer)?
Does Lalarlia (and Ankarum) foolish forgo Aery's advice slap a bloody finger (from where?) on the statue's lips and go floating up the ventilation shaft (at least at this time)?

Other calls come from down below, just looking to see what's what. If you are fine up there, Jask will have people start exploring the temple proper. You can call someone up if you want, but it would get crowded quickly.

[Blackhawk101]

"Down below! We need one good with traps. Ankarum found something hidden near this idol. Maybe locked, maybe trapped." "There does not seem a good way out up here but we can become mist again and come back down. Go ahead and keep searching but stay together.
He hesitantly offers Aery's some rations and water, if she will accept it from his dirty male hand.
Ankarum is very interested in removing the venom from Ieana to attempt to make poison for his weapons. He will use his knowledge of nature and healing to make the attempt. (Yes I know that this is both foolhardy and dangerous and most likely will result in failure, but it is what he would do.) If he can extract any venum he will try to find something to preserve it in.

[BuckGodot]

Methinks thee be right. it would be unwise to go up. I shall go down with the others to make room for the trap finder and begin the search. She will do what she must to return below and begin searching.

[lostsole31]

No need to offer rations and water. Aerys had already taken Yarzoth's equipment for her own (bedroll, backpack, provisions, etc.); she definitely wouldn't accept anything from your hand. She watches very intently as Ankarum tries to milk the dead snakefolk, but nothing seems to come out.

Erin actually mists up and materializes, speaking to Lalarlia. "Jask is directing efforts below, using Stephan to search for anything of note."

Her eyes wander to Ankarum, the dead snakefolk, and finally Aerys. She is shocked to see her alive, trying to make sense of it, and seeing "Ieana's" dead form there. Something in Erin's face darkens. "I am sure that is an illusion you have of Ieana, but my bloodline gives me insight into trickery .... AERYS. And I can see through your disguise! It's an illusion, and she's duping you to keeping her alive."

Aerys is floored by the accusation. "I know how this may seem to you, but I was a beggared wretch to that witch. I am not your enemy. Ankarum checked her bloody, cold corpse. I slit her throat when she was weak from battle and came up here. Lalarlia came up to heal me, and I'm sure a priestess like she can detect any mischief."

"I am sorry," says Erin sincerely. "It's just that I held out no hope that you could be alive. You ran into the jungle within the first day we got to this island a couple months ago. I didn't have faith that you could survive. I do want to tell you, your book? The Abendego Chronicles? It changed my life. Well, when you point out this panel it may take me a bit to work it carefully. In the meantime, I'd love to hear the tale of the mariner who braved the jungle."

The panel is pointed out, and Aerys begins her story. She is only a few sentences into her story when a terrible thing occurs. It seems that Erin triggered some ancient trap. There is a shrill cry of some spirit or phantasm that appears from the panel. It is in the vague, gossamer tell of a bat-like humanoid that rises up, swirls around Erin, and then goes around her so fast as if in a ghostly cocoon and she screams hideously. Bones crack and the high-pitch of stretching skin occurs. Her cheekbones rise and jut as her upper maxilla thicken; from out of this appear a pair of long fangs. Her half-elven ears, already pointed, grow ever longer to the relative height of an elf, but pull as if by a sadistic vice for her earlobes to flare out at the bottom. Ripping from her armor - and thereby destroying her masterwork studded leather armor and the upper part of her clothing - though just enough hanging from the tatters around her neck to keep her modest - are a set of membranous wings connecting to the body, and with flaps flaring to her thighs. She has hands at the end of her misshapen arm/wings, and the assemblage looks like it would be a poor cousin to either use as arms and vestigial for wings. Ripping her boots wide with the loudest and most disturbing cracking are her legs that malform and end in talons.

Spoiler

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Mechanically, she lost 4 DEX and 2 CHA. If ever there was anything worse for a finesse fighter/ spy// sorcerer .... this would be it.

"Yarzoth's body!" Aerys cries.Yarzoth's body becomes semi-vaporous, and it looks like her body is torn in a million little pieces and is drawn into the gaping mouth of the terrible creature screaming, mouth agape, before you. Yarzoth/Ieana's body is gone, seemingly sucked away into Erin's maw just as the entire scene begins to wind down.

"Coalanth!" Aerys curses. "She's fallen to some damnable ancient curse. I don't understand what happened to the snake bitch's body tearing into little pieces, going to the short and disappearing down Erin's trap, but I'll bet it has something possibly to do with her race or background ... or it was random."

[Blackhawk101]

Blood and bloody ashes! Erin can you understand?

[lostsole31]

No two ways about it, Erin is bawling in a fetal position. Aerys does what she can to coo and comfort her, but she's not the best one for that. "Lalarlia, can ye tend to her? Meantime, I'll see what was earth such a terrible ancient curse."

There are cries from below asking for a report. For her part Aerys looks to the two (and somewhat three) and asks, "Lalarlia, perhaps you should be the one to go down gently to tell the others? And, please, tell them about me so ever-one don' hurt their jaw o' the deck."

[BuckGodot]

Shouting down to the others All is well! I'll be down shortly with a report. She will try to comfort Erin as best she can and then she will return below and give a brief explanation of all that occurred above.

[lostsole31]

It is tough to comfort a woman who prided herself on her beauty. She doesn't need to see the deformation of her face (not entirely bat-like, but enough "wrongness") to know just from the rest of her how hideous she might be. Lalarlia heads down and the others are relieved at the incredibly good turn of events that not all of the others perished when they left the company of the "main two groups" (remember how the PCs/NPCs were two different groups for a long time, at least more than a month). There is definitely a sense of worry about what Erin might look like. Aron is particularly distraught concerning her sister. When the strangeness of what happened with Ieana ... or at least now what is known from Aerys, Yarzoth ... Jask posits that the clerical symbol Yarzoth used in battle does not match that of Zura. It is likely the religions were ancient enemies and Yarzoth's attempt to plumb the secrets of the temple these few days were such that her defeated body were consumed body - and possibly soul - by the spirit curse of Zura. As far as Erin, if she is as wracked as described, this definitely seems like a punishment, and no desirable form that any Zuran ever would have wanted. It might be a way of marking enemies worthy of castigation but cursed to not die or be killed.

"If we ever make it off the mainland," says Jask, "we have to find a way to determine if Erin's condition can be removed. If it is a curse, than such a thing is well beyond my power to remove. Even if I had a spell to break curses, I doubt I would be strong enough to do so against such ancient magic."

Lalarlia likely admits the same.

Spoiler

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Remove curse is a 3rd-level cleric spell, IF that is what is needed.

When the others were searching below, it seems that Gelik found a "treasure trove," but not in immediate wealth, commodity, or magic. "What we have here are notes in Aklo taken from all these wall reliefs that have given some hints about Saventh-Yhi, some fabled city."

Aron nods and says, "It seems that the light of the moon has brought us to this place on this isle, despite all hardships and treachery. Perhaps, just perhaps ...

" ... we are the ones destined to find Saventh-Yhi."

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum bends down to gently pick Erin up in his arms. If she struggles, he is gentle but firm. He turns her head until she is looking into his eyes. He does not flinch or look away.
"Look at Ankarum, Sweetling. No curse can change the beauty that is inside one such as you. Just as Ankarum's face is scarred, the spirit is unhurt. Some ancient evil has placed this curse upon you. Ankarum will not rest until it is removed. So be at ease. All is not lost."

[lostsole31]

Erin is little comforted. "Let's get the hell out of this stifling chamber."

"Well, blow me down," whistles Aerys. "I don't doubt most of this is magical. Or, I hope since Erin paid an awful price. We have found what we need here. Let us retire below."

Ankarum turns and sees Aerys pulling out whatever was in the hidden panel. Definitely priestly stuff - scrolls, candle, incense, and an ancient playing card with the picture of a bizarre creature that has a stag's body, a hawk's wings and talons, and the head of a slavering wolf with a rack of sharp antlers on its brow. Truly strange.

With everything gathered, the three of you will go below. Aerys will carry the relics that they may be identified and shared and she'll head down first. Next will be Erin. Last will be Ankarum.

Seeing Aerys brings cheers, especially at her short-version of how she managed to survive on pure moxie before being captured by cannibals, at which point she becomes quiet, adding no more details and becoming quite somber. Before she gets too far into her story however, the horrific shape of the "new Erin" materializes below, bringing gasps. Gelik thoughtlessly breathes a small "Yech" before catching himself and shutting up. Aerys continues her story just as Ankarum is making his way down.

Well before now many spells expired: Aron's entropic shield; Erin's and Jask's shield spells; and, the bull's strength on Lalarlia. The last one pays a heavy toll on Lalarlia from the poison she had suffered. Though no weaker than a common elf, she is weaker than a standard elven greenscout - an elven warrior that focuses significantly less on melee and more on archery.

There are several congratulatory remarks to Aerys concerning her (unfinished) work, the Abendego Chronicles. Meanwhile, the party explains the unconscious, blood-soaked, anthropomorphic crow lying on the ground, and describe his rather humorous story.

The wizard Jask, the best in the party on written magics (as any self-respecting wizard should be) casts a magic to help him understand. "This first scroll is much more powerful than I or Lalarlia could cast. It is called divination; with it there there draws upon holy powers to give clues to very pressing questions. It should not be used lightly, and you must understand that there is a chance of failure. The next scroll is that of restoration. This is a more extreme and powerful form of I and Lalarlia's most sacred blessings. I don't know any more than that, however."

Lalarlia is familiar with the power of restoration, though she is less familiar with that of the divination scroll. The former is one used by clerics and paladins, and is right up her ally for it frees victims from the pall of negative energy.

Spoiler

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No, it has no ability to remove curses ... like the one that Erin has been hit with. Just wanted to nip that in the bud now.

Both scrolls are representative of the best spells that some senior priests might know.

Gelik simply casts identify on the next three pieces and tells you what they are.

Spoiler: Items

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1. The first is that of an ancient deck of illusions, a card which, once thrown and activated, lands and creates a major image of a creature. In this case, it is a creature never even hinted at in books. The only way the figment ends is if it is dispelled, making this a powerful illusion simply by its longevity if nothing else.
2. The white tallow candle is a candle of truth, an item that compels anyone within 5' of it to tell the truth. It is not incredibly powerful, but a weaker mind might succumb to its power. It lasts an hour or until snuffed out.
3. The third item is quite powerful for divine casters. It is a block of incense of meditation.

It is pretty easy from this to see who would be interested in what, or what is thematic to a character:

Spoiler: Who Would Be Best with ...

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• Aerys: You saved her life, and none of these really interest her anyway.
• Ankarum: Possibly the candle of truth. Otherwise, nothing would helps him. Nonetheless, he already received a powerful item in the form of the magic quiver (and arrows).
• Aron: As a seer, the divination scroll would be very much in line with her and she is a divine caster.
• Erin: She really has her eye on the playing card.
• Gelik: As an explorer, divination could really help. Being rather weak and small, restoration could absolutely come in handy for him. Tricking someone into not realizing the nature of the candle so they can foolishly tell him things would be great, so he'd like the candle. Tricking people into his having a monster bodyguard would be nice, too. By now, you are getting a theme with the otherwise greedy Gelik.
• Jask: The block of incense. He is a divine caster (as is Aron and Lalarlia), yet as a priest of Nethys "all spells" are amplified. Since his wizardly training is that of blasting spells, that is a fantastic boon ... and Nethys is known on one half as a destructive god.
• Lalarlia: As a priestess, for these were a priest's things, they can all help her. However, since a paladin of freedom is as much as freeing a person from spiritual harm, not just physical, it is likely that the restoration scroll is the best.
• Stephan: Shrugs his shoulders and wants nothing, nor can he use any of it.

So, breaking it down, Aron gets the divination scroll; Erin the playing card; Gelik can have the candle; Jask can have the incense; and, Lalarlia the restorative scroll. It is important to note that Lalarlia would have to pray for read magic to understand the scroll, at which point she would not have to do so again. Aron always knows this so it is not a problem for her scroll.

Spoiler: Disclaimer, also, Just to Move the Game Along

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Guys, if either of you have a problem with what you got (or didn't), say it. But, yeah, Ankarum already received a quiver and a bunch of magical arrows, and the scroll is more thematic for Lalarlia.

[lostsole31]

Gelik will cast prestidigitation on everyone to get rid of post-battle grime and the bloodbath Pezock and Stephan had.

Since battle is done, and Lalarlia has no more of her powerful spells, Jask will mention that the very power of the temple might be sundered by consecrating. Unfortunately, while water can be blessed to make it holy water, neither of you have 25 gp worth of silver dust. While the party treasury back at Aycenia's grove includes over 6000 silver, the time it would take to powder would be respectable, and you don't have the tools to facilitate such a job (files, etc., outside of thieves' tools). Such might be an endeavor fo a later time. Instead, Jask is willing to pray for Nethys to no longer delay poison, but rather heal the effects of poison. After the hour, he casts lesser restoration on Lalarlia to help her recover her strength (2), helping her to come to just shy of normal.

Now, Gelik and Jask, both scholars of very old things and having been trained in universities, happen to know a fantastically old language. And, should it be mentioned, what is a "dead language" - Azlanti, the language of the supposed First Race of Men. Thre large alcoves in this room once served as meditation chambers - the cultists would enter one, pull a curtain for privacy, and recite the complex prayers and parables carved on the walls here. These carvings, all written in Azlanti, tell the history of this particular Zura cult in three stages. The southern alcove tells of the cult's genesis in the city of Saventh-Yhi in the jungle, but is frustratingly vague when it comes to exact details on the legendary city apart from confirming that it was built by Azlanti - this section ends with the cult's exile from Saventh-Yhi and how they made a dangerous overland journey that ended on the shores of a remote island far from their homeland. The northwestern alcove takes up the story at this point, detailing the cult's exploration of this island (identifiable as Smuggler's Shiv), their discovery and defeat of a large group of serpentfolk who had gone into hiding after the defeat of their kind many years before at Saventh-Yhi, and the creation of this temple. The northeastern alcove plots the cult's future plans, focusing on how they had hoped to earn the gift of vampirism from Zura by undertaking extensive and vile rituals, and once this gift was theirs, how they planned on making the journey back to Saventh-Yhi to awaken (infect) that city with Zura's blessing (vampirism).

As with the carvings in the scriptorium, these carvings represent a wealth of new information about Azlant's presence in Garund, particularly all of the references to the lost city of Saventh-Yhi.

"Saventh-Yhi," says Aerys wistfully to an unknowing (or by now, an only partially knowing audience). "It be one of the most sought after of the lost cities of Garund, for legends speak that it was built by those Azlanti, the first humans. Such a discovery could revolutionize what be known about this ancient empire, and that knowin' alone, properly transcribed and recorded, could be worth thousands. Yet hard evidence about the location of Saventh-Yhi could well be priceless.

"With me background of the strange and arcane, I understood what I suffered to hear when she didn'a' think I understood some of her witch-tongue. I can even read it quite well. She transcribed the majority of these carvin's onto dozens of sheets of parchment - the notes written in primordial, but quite complete. In her notes, Yarzoth believes that Saventh-Yhi might be the exact spot where, so long ago, her god Ydersius was beheaded.

"Mates, I suffered at her hands, and I ask that my share is that I am the bearer - but not the sole beneficiary - of these papers. As a writer meself, I can chronicle better'n' most, and many of you have already given witness to my writin's on tha' point. If ever we get off this accursed rock, would you go with me? If not, let me these as my own scroll, candle, and incense; otherwise, share with me the risk and glory of findin' ...

" ... Saventh-Yhi."

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum nods his agreement with the distribution of party treasure.
"Did anyone find way out?"

[BuckGodot]

Lalarlia is satisfied with the distribution and listens with rapt attention to Aerys.

If through finding this place, we can bring the light of righteousness to the land and snuff out evil, I shall indeed go with thee.

If time allows, she will pray for Read Magic for the scroll.

[Blackhawk101]

His face is concerned as he addresses the party "Ankarum's main worry is the restoration of Erin to her former self and if this lost city was the where this vampire cult spawned from, then maybe a cure could be found in the ruins. If any of you know of a better suggestion, speak now."

[lostsole31]

Aerys says quite simply. "Well, be we done with accursed spot, we can go back up. There was a ventilation shaft, so that means it had to go somewhere. Since it goes upwards, it makes sense that it goes to the top of the mountain. Being forced to climb down the mountain while bloody and beaten was bad enough. The ancient rope bridges were all split and fallen."

(It can probably be explained at this time that the bridges were fine, but the party cut them to make more rope.)

Unless the party has a better idea, the gaseous form-to-ventilation seems the best possibility. Otherwise, it's the grueling trek back to the front; you have to go up and down the traps, and then is the climb upwards to the top of the mountain.

"Perhaps," says Jask to Lalarlia before she begins, "we should exit this evil fane before calling upon our gods for blessings here."

Jask then channels energy to do the tiny bit of healing needed for everyone but Aerys and Pezock, hoping to wake up the latter. This little bit is enough (5) to fully heal Lalarlia (obviously, STR and CON damages to she and Erin still exist). Aerys gets some healing, but she is still heavily wounded, and Pezock does not yet wake. Jask channels again quite effectively (9). Pezock finally awakens, albeit woozy. Pezock bawls over his betrayal and weak mind. He is comforted, and then introduced to Aerys and briefly is made aware of her situation. He is excited to know meet the author of those *caw* wonderful poems .... but it's a shame that they're not as powerful now. Author's works seem to be more powerful if there is a tragic death and you read unfinished works posthumously. She does ask for her book back, and there should be no reason the party wouldn't give it to her, but she'll have to wait until they get back to the grove. That is where the booty and items not carried are held. Amazingly, the bandana under Pezock's head swelled enough to keep his beloved tricorne hat on his head.

To continue to help with Aerys' wounds and to clear the head, Jask continues to channel energy (6, 11, 6, 6). Because of the proliferation of undead on this island, Jask believes he only has enough strength for another burst and wants to save it just in case. He will then turn to continuing to heal Aerys with two CLWs (15). That's all he has for now, but Aerys says that she is strong enough for what may be ahead. Being barely touched by a man with healing spells is one thing, she will suffer no man ... or even woman ... to go probing and touching her for a more mundane use of Heal. Magic is fine since it is quick and bare contact is needed.

The party finally leaves. Everyone dabs two fingers in the blood river. The first is to smear on the mouth of the statue in the temple to turn into gas. Once in the inner sanctum above, a person resolidifies long enough to smear the blood from the second hand onto the mouth of that statue. In time, everyone leaves as mists through the ventilation holes. It takes two minutes, but everyone finally appears above on the top of Red Mountain. It is late afternoon, very early evening.

A welcome sight is seen even from this far off .... the upper portion and crow's nest of a ship!!!

Ankarum, given the darkness of the jungle that you have to travel through when you get below (though enough light spells are available), are you going to recommend an overland hustle to get back to the grove to rest before getting to that ship? are you going to want to go directly to that ship? Do you want to camp atop the mountain for tonight?

Lalarlia can feel free to chime in with counsel, but understanding of how best to conducting overland scouting and such is in Ankarum's bailiwick.

[Blackhawk101]

"we need to make for the grove. Everyone can rest and gather their things. Once there I will set out for the light house to get eyes on the ship "

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Travel & Rest

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The intention is that the entire party hustles, not walks. Lalarlia will need to remove her armor so the party can have a faster travel.

First hour: 1 NL, everyone fatigued (-2 STR/ -2 DEX).
2nd hour: 2 NL (3 total).
3rd hour: 4 NL (7 total).
4th hour: 8 NL (15 total). Aron will actually take one for the team, and mentions she will not see into the moon's secrets tonight (i.e., she does not regain spells this day). Neither Aron nor Jask can keep up this pace. Gelik actually sets the pace; he is faster runner than most gnomes, but he still isn't as fast as Big Folk (~5 miles/ hour on a hustle on open ground). That said, he seems to be

5 hours: By now, the party has taken the split at the game trails near the river, and just before the river across the way rises in altitude to the bluffs leading around to the cliffs that lead around to the western shore. At this point, the party leaves the speed of the game trail and moves through the jungle.

6-8 hours. Almost there.
9 hours (~ 0500 in the morning). Forced march. Aerys & Larlia feel it, taking 9 NL and 11 NL, respectively. It's all good, though, as the party finally makes it to Aycenia's grove. She tells you what you already know. There are signs of life not of the island by the old cannibal camp, and the party can explain it is the ship they saw. They give an extremely brief concept of what happened. The party eats quite a healthy amount of food in the camp; of note, however, is Erin. She eats a lot and she still is hungry.

Ankarum and Jask spend some time working the muscles in Erin's pain-seared body, trying to at least help her recover the last of the poison in her system by the morning.

Ankarum is probably the only person to want to go see about the ship, with maybe the exception of Stephan. Everyone else (including Lalarlia) is too exhausted. Aycenia recommends you stay, for while this is the prayer that everyone has sought, you might be discovered and who knows if they are honorable? Better for everyone to sleep. Ankarum suddenly feels a wave of sleepiness wash over him. "Truly, brave warrior," Aycenia says. "You should rest."

What she says seems so sensible, how can the savage resist? (Actually, he could resist her suggestion had he made a better Will save against suggestion. ) With Ankarum wanting to sleep after all, the mute man has no one to accompany him; and, he has no real means of communicating. So, sleep it is. A much needed rest.

Aerys goes off some to be by herself, curling herself up in her bedroll quite a distance. She is still in the grove, but wants to be alone.

Lalarlia (and the sisters, Jask, and Gelik) had dreams that there was a dinging sound above their head and that they had much to learn and reflect upon in their recent harrowing adventures!!

The party wakes 8 hours later (1300), except for Pezock, who is still asleep (for now, there's no reason to wake him immediately).

Aerys keeps to her own quite a distance away, meditating or the like. Though Aron cannot gain her mystical powers from the moon, she can work on her song to regain her bardic spells. Erin's system has finally flushed the remaining poison and healed, and she meditates on her arcane bloodline. Gelik writes furiously to transliterate as much of Yarzoth's writings into Taldane as he can. Jask needs to take 2 hours - an hour to meditate and pray on the weave of magical force in the universe, and another hour to study his spellbook. Lalarlia cannot pray at this time, for it is evening that she regains and prays for her powers. Pezock scrawls all sorts of crazy mathematical formulae in the dirt (much to the dismay of Aycenia) and then takes pieces and parts of plants and their substances to create odd balls of ... whatever. Stephan spends an hour in quiet prayer and another in a different form of meditation. Ankarum spends an hour sparring with Erin, and another working with Bob, with whom he has been reunited.

Ankarum, unless you say otherwise (such as switching to abundant ammunition), I'll assume you keep delay poison simply because this island - again and again - has proven that poisonous snakes rule, no matter how many you kill or how easily you do so now (in battle or hunting for food).

Obviously, Ankarum mentioned going to see the ship. Aron wants to stay at camp with her sister, who will NOT go traipsing off to in turn protect Aron (who would be a talker). As far as meeting the ship, Aerys does not want to be surrounded by strange men. She takes her work and begins to reread it to familiarize herself with it and to connect with the woman she was before these trials. Jask is willing to go with Ankarum to interact, having proven himself quite fair-minded (Diplomacy +7). Stephan, though he doesn't talk, will go if things go south; and he seems imposing.

Lalarlia, do you go with?

[BuckGodot]

My Companions. I may see a way of freeing the island from the sickness that befalls it. If we can acquire a file from the ship and make enough silver dust, I believe the blessings of Calistria can counter the sickness. We must return to the alter for me to make the attempt. What say you?

[lostsole31]

Ankarum, Jask, Lalarlia, & Stephan head off to greet their (hopeful) rescuers, a task that takes about 4 hours (1900). Some 200 yards from shore is a whaling vessel. To get their attention from this distance, Jask lets loose with a burst of positive energy and get the four of you to wave as you can. A minute later he'll drop another burst. With that, their seems to be some scrambling or activity, and a longboat is lowered into the water. Men get into the longboat and begin rowing to the mainland. You can come down the seaward trail leading from the emptied village.

Finally, the longboat arrives. A weathered, snaggle-toothed man steps out once two of his men steady the boat. "Fine evening, isn't it? Name's Captain Aulek Tegerton of the Red Gull. By the looks o' ye', you've had a hard time of it, but you got the light working. My mate with a weather eye saw it in the nest the night before and we pulled in yesterday afternoon. We took that as a sign that the rumored cannibals were no more since the lighthouse is turnin' and shinin'. A quick check above on the bluff confirmed that some battle must have taken place. Well, gather your things because we've stayed astride this unholy place enough. We had to shake off a few zombies that climbed aboard from the water last night and killed two of mine; that's why I pulled so much farther out. I'll not be bringing her any closer. But, we aren't staying any longer, either. Then there are the ghosts and horrid visages in the water. Come aboard under my protection, and we'll talk about where you want to be dropped, if'n' it be on me way."

[BuckGodot]

Stepping forward with a swagger and swing of her hips Lalarlia speaks:A fine evening indeed, Captain. Thank you for your offer of hospitality. I and my companions will gladly take you up on your offer. We have more friends camped some ways back inland. There is one task remaining for us to perform. We wish to rid the island of it's curse. In order to do so, we have need of a file and time. If I could appeal to thee to assist, I and the Goddess Calistria would be greatly pleased.

[lostsole31]

While the swagger of an elven female in NON-Boris Vallejo articulated chain mail (a medium armor) is all at once intimidating, alluring, and comical.

"Very well," the captain smiles. "How many more friends? I'll send over the carpenter with a set of tools to file what you need. Meanwhile, some of my men can restock supplies."

[BuckGodot]

All total, there are 9 of us. We are quite grateful to thee for the hospitality, Captain.

[lostsole31]

"Not a problem, missus. You have a day courtesy of my ship. Of course, if you need more'n' a day, then each day we go from courtesy to payment. Enow of that for now. I'll send the boat back for the tools and some basic foodstuffs for 9 people."

Of course, it will take time to file down silver, and then it took a whole day's forced march - albeit at Gelik's pace - to get down from Red Mountain and to Aycenia's grove on the western side of the island; Lalarlia would definitely have to pack, instead of wear, her chainmail You would have to find some way back down from the top the mountain after again using the Tide Stones on top to lower the water level and open the sanctum doors. Getting down to the tide pool is tricky. Lalarlia has actually learned how to climb and jump with the rigors of surviving the Shiv, but that doesn't make her an expert. Still, she'd be bracing against a wall with a knotted rope so it shouldn't be too bad. Just time consuming.

Then, moving through the complex up and down the open trapped spots. Finally into the Temple, conduct the ritual, and either the power of the statue will still be there for the gaseous form; or, the consecration of the site will also destroy the magic of the statues. The former is the more hoped-for since it is not intrinsically evil (beyond the evil representations of Zura); the latter means you have to navigate back the way you came and then up the rope to the top of Red Mountain, and then another day of forced marching to get back to the lighthouse. It might not be quite as long since a game trail goes all the way there, and going to Aycenia required going off the path, through the jungle, and up a hill. The best thing to do is to make sure lesser restoration might help stave off fatigue. Obviously, this means leaving a spot open for consecration.

The party, in the meantime, should say goodbye to Aycenia and go to the lighthouse with earned loot. This entire bit will take a couple days, and you can't start right out simply because Lalarlia has to wait until nightfall to regain her spells and such. Sooo, "more'n' a day", i.e. payment, will definitely be required.