Tychris' Tomb of Annihilation IC

[zabbarot]

Srirak spoke to the newly christened Goretoss in Chultan. "You have grown much. I hope our peoples can be friends. If you run into Blacktooth tribe, draw this symbol," he scratched Semuanya's hatching egg into the dirt, "and tell them Srirak marks you as friend. We still have much work to do, stopping the hungry death. We may still need your help yet once we find the cause. There could be a fight. Maybe a war." He nodded grimly. "If you are able we will call on you."

[PepperP.]

Lyndal smiled, amused by the Goblin's assessment of her "lessons".

"Queen Goretoss, may your reign be filled with shinies and many big-hands!" She ceremoniously handed her goblin friend over a small silver snuff box with the word "Dreams" engraved on the top. Inside was a small sharp dagger.

"A Queen's gotta protect herself too, you know?" She added under her breath before she backed away from the new monarch.

[Tychris1]

In the Jungles of Chult
Day 41

Queen Goretoss accepted Siward's shield with pride, taking it in one hand as her other planted the staff in the ground, and showed it off to the gathered goblins who looked on with rapt attention. She marveled at its fine craftsmanship, wood hewn and carved in a land none of her ancestors had ever been to, and sculpted to such a size that in her vertically deficient grip resembled more of a heavy or even tower shield for the Queen. Clenching her weathered calloused meringue fingers together into a fist she rapped it against the shield three times, in echo of the Zealot's prior mannerism with it, and raised it high to the delighted squees and barks of her clustered kin. Smiling at Srirak she followed his instructions intently, drawing the symbol in a slightly delayed step by step motion, and nodded her head as she committed it to memory "Friends forever," She replied in Chultan "You call and Yellyark come flying in. Promise." But it was upon receiving Lyndal's final gift that the Queen's countenance broke and she began to snivel, tear, and wrench her face as she took the proffered box with both hands. Nose running freely she held the box out in front of her (and from the manner in which she oriented the words to look at them it was apparent she couldn't read) and opened it taking the dagger within for a few practice cuts through the air. "I'm gonna.... sniffstab.... so many people with this." She muttered out in between haggard breathes.

As the survivors of Yellyark began the tedious task of unpacking and correcting their village the adventurers prepared their expedition to the ghost village of Mbala. Moving with great haste through the relatively uninfested portions of Chult's lush but dangerous verdant environs the newly reconfigured party blazed through vines, undergrowth, and tangling flora. Over the course of five days the explorers went through progressively damper earth as the sky continuously pelted rain down and the Aldani Basin grew ever closer. Their only companion of note is a lumbering lonesome Stegosaurus, the elderly Knife-Back Honker withered by time and elements in equal measure, and curiously followed the strange conglomerate of two legged oddities as it literally chewed the scenery. On the morning of their fifth day traveling they came upon the sight of their intended wrath if Aleandrae's carefully reconstructed map would be believed.

A 1,800-foot-high plateau with sheer cliffs rises above heaps of boulders as large as ships. A narrow path is cut into the cliff face and seems to climb all the way to the top. The plateau's sheer cliffs seem scaleable, though only to those with sufficient rope, and the skill or strength to overcome such a hurdle. The narrowly cut path begins on the northern side of the plateau where the gathered heroes have made contact with. Apparent to those with keen eyes, Srirak and Darion, the path winds throughout the plateau with various switchbacks, twisting and rising for roughly 3 miles travel littered with tumbled boulders and tangling roots in various places.

[Lleban]

Despite his last name Atuar had never actually been to Mbala. This was the land of his lineage, one he'd read about but never truly seen until now. Truly the placement of the village atop the cliffs was a stoke of master planning. Perhaps one day this area could serve as a fine location for a proper community once the veil of undeath is lifted from the land.

Atuar walked up and asked Siward. "How safe do you think the path is."

[TheDarkDM]

Siward

Staring up towards the storm clouds in a moment of meditative joy, it took a moment for Siward to turn his eyes back to the earth. Wiping the damp from his beard, he traced the path with his finger.

"Safe enough on its own, provided we do not stumble across rotten stone. But there are ambush point innumerable."

Readying his shield, Siward reached into his pack.

"When we ascend, we should use the golem as our anchor. Tie lifelines around each other, and have it bring up the rear."

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

Aleandrae eyed the path before them with suspicion. She didn't like the idea of ambush points, and they weren't exactly quiet with the shield guardian in tow. "That is an excellent idea, Siward. He's probably as heavy as most of us combined."

[Tychris1]

The Base of Mbala
Day 41

Gazing up at the immense height Azaka shook subtly behind her mask and lowered her vision down to a more acceptable height at around Srirak’s level. ”I think I’ll stay down here. I don’t trust these rocks and I certainly don’t trust whatever ghosts lurk in a dead abandoned city.” She stated flatly, eliciting a snicker from Salida who was still side eyeing the newly procured Shield Guardian. “Rotten lemon tongued girl you won’t have to worry about any ancient ghosts because if I die up there while you’re hiding here my young beautiful incorporeally shiny ass will haunt your freakishly tall self forever.” She sneered and ducked as Azaka feinted at her for the remark “But she makes a point. I’m worried about your scintillating invulnerable cod piece anchor triggering one of these “rotten stones” and trapping us without an easy way back.”

[Lleban]

Atuar responded to Sirack keeping his eyes laser-focused on the rock path. "I think Srirak and I can identify "rotten" stones together. Plus we can mend the smaller cracks with relative ease."

Atuar began to slavishly examine the stone steps searching for cracks to mend.

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

"We just recovered Vorn; I'm not about to leave him behind," argued the bard. "Besides, he may be useful for clearing obstructions."

[Tychris1]

Mbala
Day 41

"Fair enough. Come on Blueberry." Salida smiled and followed behind Srirak and Atuar. Roped together the party sans Azaka ascended up the narrow path cutting through the earth. At various points the Shaman and Druid note loose stone that could give way and mend it so as to support Vorn's immense weight. With the help of fang, blade, and immense constructed strength the heaped boulders and gnarled roots blocking the path are cleared step by step. It is a long arduous process, the sun slowly crawling across the sky as the explorers creep themselves ever higher. Gazing over the side of the risen plateau the party is gifted with the vision of the Aldani Basin. The Soshenstar and Tath rivers flow out of this marshy upland basin, infested with roaming dinosaurs feeding in the mire, and swarms of biting insects. Tall plateaus like the one the heroes have found themselves upon and walls of dense foliage enclose the marsh. A massive chunk of earth and rock torn from the earth drifts over the swampy forest, about a hundred feet above the ground and miles away to the southeast from the gathered adventurers. To the west the nestled ziggurat of Orolunga can be seen peeking over the treeline, a grim reminder of their grand job, and the forces arrayed both for and against them. Atuar and Jack keenly perceive amidst the bramble and overgrown mass of swampy trees some sort of shipwreck littered beyond the plateaus to the south. About a hundred feet below the lip of the plateau, the path (which is proceeding west across the cliff at that point) veers directly into a natural cleft in the stone face. Steps are cut into the 15-foot-wide crevice, and scenes of jungle predators, flying lizards, and erupting volcanoes are carved in shallow relief onto the walls in ways that make creative use of the natural shape of the rock. The path now cleared after 3 hours of trekking, checking, and mending the Explorers finally approach the peak of this plateau.

The stone steps emerge onto the top of the plateau beneath a once grand, but now decrepit wooden gateway. The gates that sealed this entrance are rotted away; only their rusted iron hinges and reinforcing bands remain. In their place are heaps of human skulls. Picked clean of all flesh and bleached white by the sun, they grin up at you from the roadway and down from atop towering mounds.

[TheDarkDM]

Swiard

Urgent though their quest was, the barbarian could not help but stop and marvel at the horizon. His reaver's heart, so long quelled by dishonor and desperation, thudded to life once more, kindled by the terrible beauty arrayed before them. Siward breathed deeply of the cool mountain air, before unleashing an ancient war cry of his forefathers to echo down across the jungle. He then turned to his companions with a wolfish grin, and ascending the stair to the heart of their destination. At the sight of the piled skulls, he rapped the naked steel of his sword against one of the bleached talismans.

"Your people, Atuar?"

[Lleban]

Atuar looked upon the mounds of skulls and quietly shed a tear. Such a beautiful scene marred by the apparent disrespect for his people hit would be unfathomable in a just world. As Siward pointed out the skull Atuar blankly responded pointing to the skull he'd been examining.

"Yeah that one's my long lost cousin, and the one over there my auntie."

Atuar sighed before added.

"I can't bury them, but I'd like to burn these skulls when I have the chance. the present indignity is unbecoming of my people."

[Tychris1]

Mbala
Day 41

Pausing a moment to mourn the dead Atuar examines some of his deceased kin's skulls in closer detail and finds one universal pattern amongst them. They all show signs of being gnawed upon. Repulsed by the sight Salida joins Jack in climbing and circumnavigating the small lake of sun-bleached skulls expressing her repulsion under her breath in short grunts from the effort of trying to keep pace with the pirate. Warhammer brandished and shield donned Siward begins the trek through the macabre field, leading his companions fearlessly past Mbala's rotted torn gate. The skulls chitter and chatter as they are disturbed, the faint echoing of children laughing then screaming filling the air, the sound of dread wings swooping on a dark wind brush over the shoulder, and gaunt ghastly figures seem to stand stiffly at the corner of the eyes. They disappear as soon as anyone turns their head, but the feeling remains, and the skulls in their clattering and rolling from the trudging feet of the living intone their warnings such. Flying Monkeys similar to Rosie perch themselves atop the rotted gate, their normally vibrant colors dulled and muted, and they silently observe the intruding explorers turning their heads in unison. The largest amongst them, with wings of black and green has its mouth sewn shut, and drops backwards off of the ancient framework as the party crosses the threshold. It begins to rifle through the skulls, carefully placing them back where they were, and dusting them off with its long curling tail. But no monster assaults the heroes, no bogeyman lunges from the depths of death, and the bulk of the group is swiftly rejoined by Jack and Salida as they finish pushing past the mass grave. "Well.... that's f*cked." Salida stated frankly, holding her dagger close to herself, and looking around cautiously. Encircling these dusty ancient grounds is evidence of a wooden palisade, more apparent from the interior as bits of it have fallen inward from neglect, and rotted or picked clean nearly entirely.

Structures litter this wasteland predominately formed from wood or thatch but now reduced to merely mounds of crumbling compost heaps demolished by wind, rain, and time. A few stone structures and overgrown ramps poke up through the debris, the clawing fingers of a dead civilization grasping to the heavens, and indicating that this was more than just a simple village some time ago. Thorns bristle through the brambles of these twisting gnarling roots. Inexorably pulling down this realm locked in rigor mortis. A stone cistern peaks itself out of the ground in the center of the village. The only structure still intact is a lone hut about a thousand yards southwest of the gate, at the edge of a boulder field. The hut is made from thatch and animal hides stretched over the rib cage of an immense reptile. Animal skulls, wind chimes, and totems of feathers and shells rattle in the breeze, and smoke drifts from hut.

A creature shuffles slowly around the hut, hunched over in an animal-like posture. You realize it's a human woman: impossibly old, crippled by arthritis, blinded by cataracts. Her dark face and bald pate are outlined with streaks of yellow clay suggesting the shape of a skull—or perhaps it's her shriveled flesh creating that illusion.

Spoiler: The Woman

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[Lleban]

Plowing through the gnarled remains of his people was, disturbing, to say the least. As he trudged through the masses of skulls, Atuar frequently stood still, blankly staring out into the beautiful vista. Occasionally he wondered what it'd be like to simply lay there and let Chult take him.

Soon enough, the scratching of the flying monkeys and Salida's observation whipped him back into reality. Upon examining the hut the druid began to seethe with anger. How could someone live with the remains of their people just left for the scavengers?

Atuar walked further toward the hut, shouting with disgust falling from every syllable. "Woman are you the necromancer!"

[Tychris1]

Mbala
Day 41

The feral woman stopped in her tracks as Atuar barked his question. Her wrinkled joints twitching into place as her whole body seemed to recoil at the pointed question. Meandering in place she slowly drooped her head from side to side as her blind withered eyes uselessly tried to locate Atuar. Finally pointing her head in the vague general direction of the Wildfire Druid, the wizened lady croaked dryly, her chapped broken lips seemingly unused to the motion of speech, and she falteringly sounded out noises at first to acquaint herself with such vocalization. Desynchronized blinking lead to drifting aimless palming of the air as she, at last, spoke clearly to Atuar.

"My child, why do you seek the magics of death? Can't you feel it in your bones too? We are in a snuffed cradle," She murmured in a whining mournful tone "You sound enraged my child, it will do you no good, like drinking poison, and hoping someone else will die. Calm. Calm my child. I have tea to give. It will soothe your burning heart as it does my worn bones."

[Lleban]

Atuar stood ready, neither willing nor truly able to comprehend her hospitality as something other than contempt. Teeth grit he pointed directly at the woman, fingers shaking as if they were about to ignite. Did she really think he'd come all this way to have tea, no survivor would be so naive. He responded to the woman with a much more imposing tone.

I feel it, Nanny. A bountiful cradle turned into a tomb of horrors. The bodies of my people used as fodder for necromancers foul experiments.

That I can not forgive.

His statement was followed by three luminous orange beams toward the woman.

[Tychris1]

Mbala
Day 41

Rotating her head in earnest at the Druid, the withered woman twitches her eyes as she sounds out the words moments after Atuar spits them, and then sneers as she sniffs the magically empowered smoke wafting from his conjured flames. Two of them seemed to wither at her snorting, extinguished by her absentminded observation, and the third grazes her shoulder. Suddenly her eyes go wide and she howls in pain, falling to her knees in a faltering stumbling pedal away from the Chultan man, and pleading with her free hand outstretched.

"Oh it burns! The Necromancer is a Pterafolk! He lives in the cliffside nearby he killed all the villagers! Mercy! Please my child." She whimpered as she tried to aimlessly shield her face with an open palm.

Spoiler: OOC

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She spends her turn pleading and stumbling in her space. Everyone is up in initiative

The grey circles are boulders and the yellow circle is her house made from the ribcage of a giant dinosaur

[PepperP.]

Lyn gazed incredulously at the horrid old woman as she tried desperately to safe her own withered skin.

"You stand before us upon a mound of your victims and lie to us? You can't even own the monster you are? For shame!"

Mind Spike the hag
Wis Save 14 for half
(3d8)[8]

[Tychris1]

Mbala
Day 41

The skull caked crone continues to bat at her scorched shoulder, feral snarling smacking from her lips as Lyndal's magic failed to fully take hold, and the withered panicking freak twitched its face and began to fade from sight. Disappearing upon the slightest disruption of form, sparing a mocking jeering grimace at Atuar in the final moments of its existence, and leaving that smile for last in the near-instantaneous disappearance. A wheeling high pitched phlegm ridden cavorting filled the air.

Spoiler: OOC

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The visage of Nanny Pu'Pu is revealed as an illusion and vanishes from sight.

The grey circles are boulders and the yellow circle is her house made from the ribcage of a giant dinosaur

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

"That went well?" Aleandrae's tone was lightly sarcastic. "So, we're killing her, yeah?" The bard patted Vorn's leg. "Stomp the weird old lady if you see her, but try not to fall off the cliff."

Spoiler: OOC

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Bonus action to give Atuar an inspiration die because this is his scene. And then...wait and see what happens, I guess.

[TheDarkDM]

Siward

Shield held at the ready, Siward circled north towards the ratty tent.

"Accursed witchery. Atuar, do you have any idea where the real one might be hiding?"

[PepperP.]

"Her lair has been set to try and protect her, beware any more traps!" Lyn thought carefully about what sort of magic she was seeing.

"Either she's immensely strong and doing this from a distance, or she is within sight of us. If it's the second we can't let her get away!"

[Nefarion Xid]

Always light of foot, Darion jogs about, listens, and smells for the old woman.

"Inside the house! Light her up!"

[Lleban]

Atuar casts a veil of blue fire within the area of the hut.

Inside the house you say, well let flame lead the way.

Spoiler: OOC

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Atuar casts Faerire fire on the hut/area Darion describes.

[zabbarot]

Srirak and Brother Crocodile moved towards the hut. Brother Crocodile thundered along so focused on the hut, he all but ran Atuar over. Srirak slapped his tail against his shield and intoned a prayer to Semuanya, asking for sight beyond eyes.

"Fey! The old woman! And there are undead in the earth!

Spoiler: Actions

Show

BroC: Double Move
Sirak: Move(draw sword), cast Detect Good/Evil

[Tychris1]

Mbala
Day 41

Shrieking as the blue fire spread throughout her hut, the crone fumbled through her assorted mess of a home, and retrieved a skull caked over with the same yellow clay that adorned her face. The outline of her blue flame covered form held the now equally glowing skull on high and smashed it against the earth below, scattering bone fragments everywhere, and sowing the ancient yellow clay into the land. Pointing a gnarled withered finger at Atuar, she hissed a dread command, and in response the earth rose up to her defense. A rupturing of graven dirt mixed with buried bones swirled at Atuar's feet, forming a grasping claw that wrapped around his surprised form, and began to crush the life out of him. Holding fast his spell of illumination Atuar's underground assailant was not alone as the earth directly next to the hut exploded with the rapidly stumbling and crawling form of a hulking creature form from the stitched together rotting flesh of piece meal cadavers. The stench of death was thick in the air as the stumbling shuffling corpse hulk looked to its mistress for guidance and she merely preened in cruel delight "Crush their bones and bring them for me to eat." Turning away from the ensuing chaos her recalcitrant gesture was punctuated by a dark dreadful wind blowing over the shoulders and tussling the hair of everyone present. It converged on the macabre hut lair that she hid in and caused the simple wooden door to shut with a clamor that rivaled the boom of a thunderclap. Sequestered within she was out of sight from the bombarded heroes who only caught the tiniest rays of blue flame pouring out from within.

Left alone to its own devices the towering pillar of rotting flesh and dried humors shuffled over to its nearest target, Siward, and flung its arms in a wild frenzy of violent limbs. They were little more than an uncoordinated flourish and its true power was brought to bear as it slammed its whole body against the Reaver causing him to buckle at the supernaturally empowered force.

Spoiler: OOC

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Atuar is restrained and takes 7 Bludgeoning damage. He can attempt to free himself from the crushing earthen hand by using an Action and rolling a Strength check.

Siward is struck by the patchwork monster and takes 7 Bludgeoning damage.

The Hut has all of its exits and entrances slammed shut by a supernatural force granting the Necromancer total cover.

Everyone is up.

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

"Vorn, be a dear and smash an opening in that hut," Aleandrae instructed the construct as she walked up to stand next to it. "And once you've done that, smash the old woman."

Spoiler: OOC

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Order Vorn to break down the wall to the right of the door. Aleandrae will then pull out her bow and shoot the undead next to Siward.

Attack: (1d20+4)[14]
Damage: (1d6+2)[3]

[Lleban]

Atuar appreciated feedback. Sometimes it's a pat on the back, other times its a crocodile barging through your space, and today its a hand bursting through the earth attempting to squeeze the life out of you. Despite the intense pain of the earthen hand slowly fracturing his ribcage Atuar was able to immediately identify the monster she summoned to assault his allies.

As he summoned the wildfire spirit to escape his earthen shackles he choked out.

"The flesh monster is weak against fire!"

As the wildfire spirit manifested it grabbed his forehead sporting him away from the hands grasp.

Spoiler: OOC

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Atuar summons the wildfire spirit and teleports out the hand

[TheDarkDM]

Siward

Battered by the amalgamated corpses of Atuar's people, Siward felt a surge of sympathy for the strange druid he'd slowly come to know. He could feel a bruise beginning to spread along his ribs, but paid it no mind as he took several increasingly shallow breaths and shouted a war cry directly in the undead monster's face.

Spoiler: OOC

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Siward enters a rage and attacks!

Attack: (1d20+6)[16]
Damage: (1d8+6)[8]
Radiant Damage: (1d6+2)[5]

[PepperP.]

Lyn's eyes lit up at Atuar's fortuitous announcement.

"Weak? To fire...? Hahaha!" The sorceress cackled gleefully even as three fiery rays burst forth from her fingertips towards the fleshy abomination.

Spoiler: ooc

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Scorching Ray the patchwork flesh blob
Ray 1
(1d20+6)[11]
damage
(2d6)[8]
Ray 2
(1d20+6)[19]
damage
(2d6)[4]
Ray 3
(1d20+6)[15]
damage
(2d6)[5]