Chult Hex Crawl - IC

[Pyrophilios]

"Excellent. A visit to the village will allow us to take a bit of rest and maybe replennish some of our provisions. Let's make use of the daylight while we can."

The Red Horns was clearly agitated at the though of getting closer to the oracle - despite the recent loses to the team.

[Volthawk]

From their current vantage point, Draelin surveys the terrain in front of them, and the life within. "Qawasha, how much of the animal life down there is going to be a problem? I'm seeing movement in the water, but not what's causing it - anything in there large enough to threaten us or the canoes?""

[The Hellbug]

Nolwenn, leaning on the edge of one of the canoes to rest, finishes taking a gulp from her waterskin and cranes her neck, looking for whatever Draelin has spotted. "Movement in the water?" she asks, squinting against the sun's brightness, "where? I don't see anything." She also has a question for their guide, remembering their perilous climb up from the river: "is there a safe way down?"

[agignac]

Qawasha grinned sardonically at Draelin's questions. "Most certainly, there is danger in the water. This is Chult! There is danger everywhere. But if we are careful, we can probably avoid most of it."

At Nolwenn's concern, he said, "Yes, this side is much less treacherous. This lookout looks steep, but not far there is a relatively safe path down to the basin."

Relatively safe, of course, was relative. There was a path, but it was a steep switchback. And of course, the daily monsoon hit while they were halfway down, turning the path into an ephemeral river. But they made it to the bottom safely, if somewhat muddy and tired. But they were able to plop the canoe into the river again, and take a load off their weary feet.

From the water level, the basin wasn't quite the big open swampland that it looked from up high. The river made its lazy way towards the Soshenstar, and for a few hours they were able to just drift with the flow, observing the very different tree varieties, compared to the rest of the jungle they'd seen so far. The vista started to open up as the sun sank lower into the sky. The view was incredible - long-necked dinosaurs wading slowly through the swamp, as the sky turned red behind them. The buzz and whine of insects intensified as the sun began to set - clearly the Aldani Basin was perfect habitat for biting bugs.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns aplied the unguent against insects liberally and gave the other also a fresh gourd countainer. At least buying the recipe and losing so many members had left them with quite a large supply of the stuff.

"Let's get on with it. I'd relish the opportunity to spend the night inside - even if it's only a jungle hut."

[The Hellbug]

Getting back in the canoes is an extremely welcome change of pace for Nolwenn, especially after the slog through the rain down into the basin. In fact, once they're floating with the current, she stows her paddle and retrieves her sketchbook from one of the packs. She spends most of the rest of the day drawing some of the more eye-catching patterns of foliage as they drift past. As evening nears during this idle time, she gets the jungle guide's attention. "Qawasha, what can we expect in Mbala?" she asks, "like, who lives there? What's it doing in the middle of the jungle? Are they used to foreigners? Anything we should be aware of?"

[Pyrophilios]

"A very good question. It's not frogs again, is it?"

The Red Horns added.

[The Hellbug]

"I seriously doubt it," Nolwenn cuts in, totally seriously, "I would need more time studying it to be sure, but 'Mbala' doesn't sound like anything I heard of the grung language."

[agignac]

As they paddled through the basin, Qawasha laughed - a deep, rumbling chuckle. "No, not frogs. People, like myself. A tribe of hunters and who make a good living in Mbala. They hunt the dinosaurs, and sell the fangs and skulls to the city. The women are also well known for making pigments, which fetch a high price at the market. My cousin married such a woman, though I have not visited them for many years. It will be good to see them again. I bet they have many children by now."

The evening's paddle was almost restful. The undead were sparse here, though you did notice a few skeletons struggling weakly in the thick bog. Clearly this was not habitat conducive to mindless creatures. It made the long days portaging the canoe an excellent use of time and sweat.

The dinosaurs, while plentiful, were mainly herbivorous. As long as the canoe was not paddled to near, or underfoot, they were unlikely to be a danger.

The bugs, however, were bad. Very bad.

Qawasha found a relatively dry islet for the night, and you spend the night without being disturbed. In fact, the night is much quieter than any you've spent in the jungle so far. You hear the occasional splash or grunt, but nothing like the nocturnal birds, monkey, and howling cats that had interrupted your nights so far.

The next day, you make good progress through the swampy basin, and spend a few hours paddling across an open lake. As you get near the middle of the lake, the view opens up again, and you can see for miles in all directions. Many miles to the south east, you notice a strange object floating above the ground, about 200 feet up.

[Pyrophilios]

"What's that?" The Red Horns tried to discern the strange floating thing and carefully got up into a standing position - not really an easy or safe task in a canoe, but doable if he carefully spread his wings to keep balance.

"I'll take a closer look if you don't mind." With a few flaps of his wings he started to gain hight, closing in very carefully on the object.

Spoiler

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Perception
(1d20+5)[16]

[The Hellbug]

"What is that?" Nolwenn says as she squints at the floating island on the horizon, "looks a little like a wasp nest." She lays her paddle across her lap as her companion takes off. "Careful up there, Red," she shouts after him.

[Volthawk]

Draelin frowns, standing up and readying his bow, trying to keep steady on the slightly rocking canoe. "Whatever it is, I doubt it's friendly."

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns returned down to the boat: "It's really strange - and strange seldom means friendly around here. Better we get to that village soon."

[agignac]

Qawasha watched as Red flew up to gain height, then when he returned, he said, "It is the Heart of Ubtao. Many of my people believe it is the petrified heart of our god. Holy people sometimes visit there in search of visions. How it remains aloft is a mystery I have never heard solved. I have never been closer than this to it."

You continue to paddle across the lake, keeping clear of anything big enough to step on you. A few pterodactyls fly overhead occasionally. Aside from the heat and the bugs, this is as idyllic a day as you've had in the jungle. As sunset approaches, you're almost across the Aldani Basin, and can start the climb up the path to Mbala tomorrow.

Spoiler: Draelin

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You spot a churning in the water about a hundred feet south of you, a few hundred meters from the edge of the lake. It looks like a few fallen trees or other debris have piled up near the shore, and the underwater disturbance is happening nearby.

[The Hellbug]

"Never been closer than this?" Nolwenn asks, "it's right on the way to Mbala, though. Does it move?"

Once her question is answered, she spends a minute picking the right words for another. "Would it be...taboo...for us to hop on up and investigate it?"

[agignac]

Qawasha shook his head. "I have never heard of it moving." He hesitated after Nolwenn's second question. "Taboo....an interesting word. I do not believe it would be taboo. I am sure that other foreigners have explored it before, or at least tried." Kupalue spoke, thumping his limbs against his body and emitting windy, whistlely breaths. Qawasha nodded, then added, "Weed agrees. The vegepygmies avoid the area, but have seen people enter and leave, though it is rare. I would not want to enter it myself, but if you wish to investigate, I will bring you closer."

[The Hellbug]

"Oh, not right now," Nolwenn assures their guide with a shake of her head, "I don't think any of us but Red could make the ascent safely--well, relatively safely. But I know of spells that could aid us if we were to seek them out or I be given time to perfect them, and there are people who have tamed the dinosaurs of these jungles; surely someone has thought to try with something like the--what were they called--quetzalcoatuls we encountered on the river."

"And thank you," she continues, "I don't want to cause offense--to people or gods, if possible. I can think of any number of reasons that island of earth might float through the sky, and divine intervention is only one of them. Not the most likely, in my opinion, but its uncanny shape--yes, it does look like a heart--could stir the imagination in that direction. But it might merely be coincidence. Like I said, it looked like a wasp nest to me..."

For the next few hours before they stop, Nolwenn talks to anyone who will listen or to herself if none are available, speculating on hypotheses ranging from arcane devices to powerful magi to locations coterminous with the elemental plane of air. Whenever she doesn't have to paddle, her hands are busy with her sketchbook, doing her best to capture the image of the floating island in the distance.

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horns was only too happy to add to the conversation and speculation. Though he was talking more about propulsion devices and levitation matrices

"...actually, once I'm through with my current project, I intend to create a flying broom. I requires certain essences found in strong magical flyers - like drakes and the like. Ah but I see, this isn't a topic for polite conversation..."

[Volthawk]

Draelin's happy to let the others talk about magic, while he focuses on what's caught his attention in the water. He nudges Qawasha and points the churning out to their guide. "What do you think? Just some of that debris messing with the water flow, or is there some kind of animal causing it - and if so, do you think it's dangerous?"

[agignac]

Qawasha stared at the disturbance, then shrugged. "I cannot tell from here. If it is an animal, it is likely dangerous. Most animals are."

[Pyrophilios]

"Can we avoid going there? Alternatively I could send my construct to scout ahead and potentially draw the attention of whatever lurks there away from us."

The Red Horns suggested.

[agignac]

The disturbance in the water is near the edge of the lake - you could easily make shore without going near it.

[The Hellbug]

It takes Nolwenn a moment to spot the disturbance, but once she does, she immediately springs into action, setting down her paddle and casting a spell to conjure a protective barrier. "Hold on for a minute, then," she suggests confidently, starting to pull her robe over her head, "I'll swim over and have a look, see if it's safe."

Spoiler: OOC

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That's a Mage Armor

[Pyrophilios]

"Are you sure about that? The water is supposed to be infested with disease carriers and hungry fish."

The Red Horn asked with undisguised concern.

[The Hellbug]

The wizard pauses in her disrobing to respond to the artificer. "Well, I wasn't planning on drinking it," she replies through her robe's neck-line, "and I'm not a bad swimmer. My grandfather insisted that his great-great grandmother was a naiad, said it came down through the family."

Once she gets the robe off, she stands, grips her mirror amulet, and incants another spell. As she finishes, webbing sprouts between her digits and gills grow on her neck. "Of course," she explains with a grin, wiggling her fingers and toes at the new sensation, "a little magic goes a long way to help, too. Stay close by in case there's trouble." And with that said, she dives into the murky water and cautiously makes her way towards the disturbance.

Spoiler: OOC

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Second spell is Alter Self for aquatic adaptation, giving Nolwenn the ability to breathe underwater and a swim speed of 30

[Pyrophilios]

The Red Horn shrugged, but nonetheless sent his construct to follow the mage. Losing concentration on that transformation was after all a real possibility.

[agignac]

The aquaticized mage and the little construct swam out towards the disturbance. As they got closer, they could see that the debris consisted of both natural limbs and spiky looking shrubby things, along with some various-sized poles that looked too smooth to be natural. Whatever was causing the disturbance was deep, so Nolwenn dived down to take a look.

The thrashing and bubbles were churning up the water, but Nolwenn swam slowly closer until she could see what was happening. It looked like a mess of ropes and cables were hanging from the debris up top, and something (or somethings) was caught in it. She inched nearer. Yes, somethings. A body, or maybe two, or maybe a zombie, or two. Or three? She couldn't tell if the corprses were thrashing around under their own power, or were being tossed around by whatever else was caught up in the tangle. Trying to get a better angle, she moved around the disturbance. Whatever it was appeared to be dark red, almost black in colour, and covered in armoured plates. It was bigger than her, but not as big as the girallon zombie they'd fought several days ago. And were those giant claws? Whatever it was, it was tangled up good, and in its attempts to get free, hadn't yet noticed her.

[Volthawk]

"Swimming? What?" Draelin's a little taken aback by the fact that Nolwenn's reaction to him spotting a potential threat in the water is swimming over to say hello, enough that by the time he musters a proper protest she's already in the water and his response dies in his throat. Sighing, he instead just keeps watch with his bow, ready to start shooting when Nolwenn inevitably gets bitten. He just hoped that this wouldn't make the expedition even smaller.

[The Hellbug]

Nolwenn looks at the corpses with no small amount of disgust, but she has a hard time piecing together exactly what the creature caught in the trap? wreckage? is. She swims swiftly back to the canoes as soon as she has a mental picture worth sharing, staying underwater until the last minute and popping out right at the canoe's side, hanging onto the gunwale with one hand and failing to run her hand through her hair with the other. "Hmm." She wrinkles her brow at her now-webbed fingers before just brushing the stray strands out of her eyes and making her report. "It's a big tangled mess," she announces, "there's some sort of wreckage with beams and ropes and cables and several bodies, dead or undead--couldn't be sure--but human-looking, caught in it. There's also something big and definitely alive tangled up deeper in it. It looked dark red and armored and might have had a big claw?" The wizard shrugs as she makes an excuse for her uncertainty. "I didn't want to get close enough to be grabbed. If I had to guess, a small boat ran into a big crab, but it doesn't look like it'll get out on its own." She directs her last words at their guide. "Does that sound like something that lives around here?"

[Pyrophilios]

"We probably shouldn't borrow any more trouble... though such a monster could be a very valuable crafting ressource... No, forget it. Let's head straight for the village. We can ask there if they know anything about this thing."

The Red Horns admonished himself.