Session 11

Session 11 began at the temple Wongo's shrine (one of the nine trickster gods).  "Carvings of monkeys hanging by their tails decorate two cracked obelisks that stand before a shrine enclosed by broken walls. Past the obelisks is a courtyard filled with horsetails and arum lilies. Five archways open into darkness at the base of the ruin. Mounted above the central arch is a stone plaque bearing a cuneiform inscription."

The party entered into the center to hear a cacophony of monkey shrieks at the entrance.  The group figured out the puzzle by pouring the water into the cupped left hand of the statue monkey only to release four su-monsters.  

After receiving the puzzle cube, the party was faced with a new challenge on their way to the next temple.  The group was attack by a hoard of deinonychus surrounding the group.  As the group settled in to a battle a quick turn of events....attack from the huge King of Feathers from the west scattered the deino's.  Arlen ran out to meet the King, only to be grappled and chewed to bits...ending his life.  The King tried to escape with its prey but was eventually caught by the party and killed.  

I'ljin's shrine included a puzzle floor and a series of swinging blade traps the party working through.

Kriv, the Dragonborn barbarian was introduced after explaining his story of how he ended up in Omu.  He was invited to the party and rest was history.

 

Next, the party crossed the river to be ambused by a lone Tabaxi hunter looking for treasure.  He eventually gave up and offered advice and what treasures he's looking for...  He recommended using disguise to enter the Yuan'ti's temple instead of direct assault. 

Black Opal Crown

The Black Opal Crown was once worn by the archmage Sadamor of Netheril. Legend speaks of how Sadamor saw the depths of humanity's evil reflected in the opal of his crown. Heartbroken, he created a doomsday device—a sphere of annihilation—to swallow the world but was consumed by his own creation.

Eye of Zaltec

For centuries, this fist-sized ruby surmounted the Great Pyramid in Nexal, capital city of the Maztican Empire. The gem is a relic of the cult of Zaltec, and its dagger-like point was plunged into the hearts of countless sacrifices.
An adventuring band known as the Company of the Yellow Banner entered Omu to find the Eye of Zaltec and was never seen again.

Navel of the Moon

Said to be carved from a chunk of the moon, this polished egg-shaped stone was given as a gift by the ruling syl-pasha of Calimport to his sailor daughter. It is said that anyone who holds the stone can always find the way home to his or her loved ones.

Skull Chalice of Ch'gakare

This jeweled goblet was crafted from the skull of a long-dead Omuan king and served as a symbol of office for the royal line of Omu. The legendary Chultan hero Ch'gakare (pronounced chuh-GAH-kah-ree) is said to have beheaded the king after escaping the Nine Hells on the back of a mastodon.

Session 9

Session 9 returned to action just before the Medusa ambush in Nangalor.  The party was forewarned by the previously petrified Ranger Haldor.  Nobody knows for sure how long Haldor was in that state but his rescue to Eku may have saved the party from his same fate.  

With eyes closed, the party fought the Medusa along with her Eblis care takers to the death.  Volo's guide:  As deadly as they are ravishing, the serpent-haired medusas suffer an immortal curse brought on by their vanity. They lurk in quiet exile among the tumbled ruins of their former lives, surrounded by the petrified remains of past admirers and would-be heroes.

Immortal Splendor. Men and women who desire eternal youth, beauty, and adoration might pray to malicious gods, beg dragons for ancient magic, or seek out powerful archmages to fulfill their wishes. Others make sacrifices to demon lords or archdevils, offering all in exchange for this gift, oblivious to the curse that accompanies it. Those who strike such bargains gain physical beauty, restored youth, immortality, and the adoration of all who behold them, granting them the influence and power they so desire. However, after years of the living like a demigod among mortals, the price for their vanity and hubris is exacted, and they are forever transformed into medusas. A medusa’s hair turns into a nest of venomous serpents, and all who gaze upon the medusa are petrified, becoming stone monuments to its corruption.

Medusa Lairs. Medusas live forever in seclusion, alienated from the world around them by their monstrous form and caprice. Their homes gradually fall into disrepair until they are little more than shadowy ruins covered with thorns and creepers, riddled with obstructions and hiding places. Foolhardy looters and adventurers who enter are often unaware of the medusa’s presence until the creature is among them.

A medusa is subject to its own curse. By looking vainly on its reflection, it turns to stone as surely as any living mortal. As a result, a medusa destroys or removes any mirrors or reflective surfaces in its lair. 

Onto Omu:  The party arrived to the dead city of Omu and immediately found graffiti at the gatehouse: 

"Fear the fangs of Ras Nsi!"
"Erik, I've gone in search of the nine shrines. V."
"The puzzle cubes are the key."
"Beware the frog monster!"
"Who is Unkh?"
"All hail the King of Feathers!"
"The snakes are not what they seem."
"Kubazan = bravery. Shagambi = wisdom. Moa = ?"

The Walled compound where the party found a guide of sorts Orvex:  

Smoke drifts lazily from a walled compound. The gate lies in splinters, and scorch marks deface the buildings. Near the center of the compound is a plaza littered with charred human corpses. One of the corpses is being torn apart by a pack of wild dogs.

Onto the first temple:  Kubazan

 Karn and Arlen worked as a team here.  Arlen unlocking the gate and freeing the group from having to face the Monster in the pool to retrieve the key.  Karn using his speed to jump and retrieve the first puzzle cube.

Stop at the Magic Academy:  The party faced its fears having failed the Intelligence check ending up in separate rooms.  Peter faced off against a Beholder, Arlen and Kasais faced a very large centipede, and Johfra and Haldor dealt with Ghosts.  After everyone finally arrived at the final room the party gained a scribed map of Omu (yet to use) and some crazy magic mix potions. 

Session 8

Day 13 began deep in the jungles of Chult along with the constant rain, humidity, and bugs.  Having just crossed the gorge over the River Tath, the party headed due south intending to see the crashed airship.  The party came across a gruesome destroyed campsite.  Lots of blood and two bodies mutilated with limbs cut off.  Group members discovered it was the work of frost giants looking for the ring of winter.  The party made the decision not to follow them but keep on south.

Overnight more antics occurred with "Mike's" next victim was Cogar...the wrong one to mess with his belongings.  Busted again, the parrot was shot at and fortunately the arrow missed allowing the little fucker to yet live another day.  A deep distrust developing. 

The magic of Lehman's Tiny hut once again became an invaluable resource utility saving the party from a huge constrictor snake. 

Arrival at the wreckage site was indeed a site.  The airship trapped some fifty to seventy five up in the trees made it challenge to deal with.  "A wooden vessel is caught high in the tree branches, broken into three chunks. It resembles a ship, but there are differences that mark it clearly as not a seagoing vessel. The stern is the lowest piece, hanging precariously by its rigging about 50 feet above ground. The middle section appears to be 15 feet higher, and the bow section is firmly wedged into a nest of branches another 10 feet above that.  A weak voice calls out, “Hallo, on the ground. Can you help us?” 

Arlen immediately took action and climbed up the vines only slipping once making it look very natural.  At the top he met with several of the exhausted crew members who had been trapped for three months.  Suddenly, three girallons zombies swung from vine to vine towards the rogue with matched skill to his own.  In danger Arlen tried to protect the others only to be knocked out the claws and bites of the girallons.  Eku flew up to assist.

Meanwhile on the ground, the rest of the party had their own issues to deal with...a pack of ghouls. Karn climbed up and assisted the wreckage victims trying to get them out of harms way.  Cogar placed the three in darkness and cold slowing them down a bit.  The rest of the party dealt with the danger of being paralyzed by the ghouls eventually killing them off.  Later the three girallons made it to the ground to be quickly taken down.

Party issues reared their ugly head as to what to do with the wreckage victims.  A heated debate ended in Azaka agreeing to lead them back to safety, leaving the party with Eku as their sole guide.  Arlen was quoted to have lost respect for Johfra, but the party moved on.

On to Omu....or almost.  The group encountered a dilapidated overgrown hanging garden.

"A fantastic edifice rises up out of the jungle: a hanging garden of exotic beauty. Water streams down the steps between two massive elephant carvings. Beyond them, a broad, flooded avenue runs arrow-straight for more than a hundred feet before ending at a carving of a tyrannosaurus face. Water pours from the tyrannosaurus’s jaws and flows the length of the concourse to drain down the steps in front of you. Five-foot-high terraces flank the boulevard. Low archways—three on each side—are built into the terrace walls. These archways are in various stages of collapse, as are the tunnels beyond them. Beautifully carved, larger-than-life stone faces are mounted between the arches.

A wild profusion of plants grows on the upper terraces, and multicolored parrots and canaries flit and sing among them. To the north, a dilapidated brick dome rises above the tyrannosaurus-head waterspout. Smaller, bell-shaped domes surmount the highest terraces to your left and right."

After crossing the river full of crocs, an intrigued party decided to explore the garden so strangely out of place and random.  Discoveries of plants even some easily defeated "flower zombies" were dealt with easily.  Lots of clues in this encounter:  

Face 1 (lower west) has a bemused expression. The message above it reads, “This garden is dedicated to Zalkoré, queen of Omu and jewel of Chult.”

Face 2 (upper west) has a condescending expression. The message above it reads, “Worshiped by her people and by Thiru-taya, who loves BETRAYED her.” (The word “loves” has been chipped away, and the word “BETRAYED” is scratched into the stone above it.)

Face 3 (upper east) has a stern expression. The message above it reads, “In this, the tenth year of her reign, may she govern forever in splendor.”

Face 4 (lower east) has a serene expression. The message above it reads, “And may the gods themselves marvel at this humble reflection of her beauty.”

Having discovered a Huge statue inside the main hall...more clues:

An urn?

"An 18-foot-tall stone statue of a Chultan warrior in splint armor, wearing a helmet festooned with tyrannosaurus teeth and bearing a shield of intricately patterned leopard hide, towers over the chamber and looms above a wide, octagonal cistern. The chamber echoes with the sound of rainwater dripping from the ceiling into the gaping pit. The face of the giant warrior statue is obliterated by deep gouges, but the rest of the statue remains intact. Clutched in the statue’s right hand is a stone spear, and resting on the floor beneath it is a clay urn. North of the statue is an open balcony overlooking a flooded garden.

Standing to one side of the giant warrior is another statue, this one much smaller. Exquisitely lifelike, it depicts a man reaching for the urn, his face turned toward the balcony. In his lifeless eyes, you see terror.

Stone steps ascend along the curved wall to the level of a second floor, but that floor is almost entirely collapsed. Someone’s been up there, however, because a message of some sort is scrawled across the domed ceiling. (“True love, faithful general, safe will you rest in Nangalore eternal. None will disturb you while I live. Such is my vow of penance, and for my sins I cannot die.”)

And inside Zalkore's lair.....The single, large chamber inside the dome is obviously a royal apartment—or was, centuries ago. Now the bright, floral murals are dim and gray, bits of colored glass are heaped beneath a cracked mosaic, enameled wooden tables are split and tilting, and every bit of cloth is frayed and streaked.

At the center of the room, a long divan stands atop a circular dais. Reclining on the divan is a woman dressed in a flowing robe made from parrot feathers in stunning colors. Despite the heat, her arms, head, and face are covered in feathery veils. Next to her, a black orchid grows out of a large clay pot at the head of the divan. She addresses you in a voice tinged with odd inflections. “Strangers have come to Nangalore, my love. What boon do our subjects beseech?” 

After a brief and strange discussion, the party was accompanied with Zalkore to the final dome not yet investigated.  Stay tuned for next week....it might get interesting.

It's my blog...I'll kill you

Session 7

The Elephant in the Room:  Following the departure from Orolongo, the party camped that evening for the night with some questions to be answered.  Johfra spent the evening deciding how to approach the subject.  Day 14 started by answering questions of Cogar's intent and deception.  After coming clean and agreeing on keeping the party whole, the mission of the defeating the Soul Monger was determined to outweighed any internal party conflict.  Boundaries were established that morning. Moving on....

 Some overnight antics:  Arlen awoke to the sounds of something in his backpack.  What was it?  Snake?  Scorpion, or just something undead?  Sitting up, ready to strike....Peter's parrot backed out of the bag.  Looking guilty and stunned to have been caught with Arlen's spork in his beak, he flew over to Peter for safety.  Arlen simply put out his hand and said......my spork please?

 Goblin Trap:  Towards the end of Day 13, Eku managed to get the party lost in the Jungle until they discovered the River Toth (having crossed it on their way from Camp Vengeance).  The party approached an unusual stone tribute to the god Ubtau.  A large circular flat stone about  50ft to the center offered some tempting items.  A chest, suit of armor and a satchel suspiciously planted in the middle. Twelve strange trees lined the outer rim as if planted intentionally.

Cogar and Arlen were the first to venture in while the rest of the party kept hold to them on ropes in case something unexpected happened.  As the two carefully approached the center, their metal belongings seemed to get heavier each step they took.  They dropped their magnetic items and went back to the task of exploration.

Ambush!  Chaos erupted as a hail of wooden arrows rained down targeting Cogar- almost dropping him to the ground!  Previously undetected Batani goblins twenty feet up in the trees all attacked at once....not their first time.  The party quickly mobilized.  Karn used his monk powers and jumped into trees taking immediate and deadly action against the enemy.  After the two goblins that jumped out of the chest were taken care of, Cogar took cover inside.

A large constrictor snake suddenly showed up giving Ka'sais and one of the guides one of its special hugs only to find itself eaten later by the party.   After a few rounds of combat the goblins attempted to run for it, but were cut down by the party before they could escape.  The good news is the group found some plate mail for Johfra he could don and doff quickly in a single round. 

The Helm of Madness!:  Included in cache, an attractive leather helm stylized to the land of Chult was taken by Peter.  Too bad it was cursed and Peter started seeing things that just weren't there.  "Somebody tell him to take that off please"...some of the party thought it would be fun to see him use it just a little while longer.

 All along the River Toth:  As they traveled down the River Toth, using it as their guide, the next few days were uneventful.  Karn discovered the Chultan Tuber which is supposed to relieve fatigue (ie, levels of exhaustion but does not help Johfra..nice try).

Gorge and Stone Golem:  "A stone shrine stands at the midpoint of the bridge. It consists of an imposing statue of a Chultan warrior wearing a war mask, hunkered down like a panther ready to pounce. Like the monkeys elsewhere on the bridge, the carving is highly stylized. Bright gems flash in its eye sockets.

A human skeleton lies crumpled near the statue’s feet. Several of its bones are obviously broken, but it’s impossible tell whether these injuries happened while the person was alive or were caused by scavengers after death."

Proceeding very cautiously, the party failed to please the guarding of the bridge and the stone golem become activated.  As usual the party banded together to defeat the giant stone but not before it attempted to push group members off the 100ft bridge to their deaths.  Fortunately feather fall is in their arsenal.  Gems were fake btw.

 By the 18th Day of the journey, the group finds themselves deep in the jungle.  Looking for the lost city of Omu.  Getting there has been half the fun.

This has been a Tot Production.  Mother Fucker!!!!  Asshole.

Session 6

Departing Camp Vengeance:  Day 11 started in the morning following the zombie attack the previous evening.  As the guards cleaned up the mess removing the bodies amidst the rain and mud, the party prepared to depart.  Cogar managed to sneak a forged letter on "behalf" of commander Niles Breakbone requesting an immediate replacement due to mental breakdown. 

Mike Tyson:  With today's goal to meet the great Saja N'baza for information, the party gathered themselves back into the canoes and headed back down the River Shosenstar.  Early in the day a friendly creature made a choice to join the party.  Given the name Mike Tyson after a vicious attack on the ear of Karn, Mike settled on being friends with Peter.  It immediately developed a strong dislike for Arlen and Karn..if only he had saved that birdseed instead of tossing it into the river.  Parrots do NOT like mayo on the its side.

Mbala:  By the middle of the 12th day, the adventurers were forced to abandon the boats and for the first time and head out on foot.  Without a solid reason (other than just being there), a decision was made to climb the steep trail up the top of a sheer plateau.  Eku warned of the danger....an evil that must be destroyed...and removed from the earth.  Half way up, Eku changed her mind, overwhelmed with fear (possible panic) bailed and refused to go with the party.

Finally reaching the top of the plateau, spectacular views on a sunny clear day gave sight to over 50 miles of Chult. Further areas were revealed including a crashed airship and some sort of floating rock in shape of heart.  More importantly, the ziggurat of Orlunga could be seen rising out of the jungle to northwest.

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

In the decrepit ruined city, a figure appeared.  Shuffling slowly around the hut, hunched over in an animal-like posture, a human woman: impossibly old, crippled by arthritis, blinded by cataracts was spotted. Her dark face and bald pate were outlined with streaks of yellow clay suggesting the shape of a skull.  Altogether she probably had three functional teeth and her boobs hung down almost to her knees.  HOT.

Nanny PuPu's overwhelming welcome immediately made some of the party seem uncomfortable and unwilling to trust.  Questions of staying for dinner were dismissed with word of a prior visit by Artis Cimber a few days earlier.  The old bird did offer them to return to help her rid of the Pterafolk earning a treasure from her well.  Oh well.  In stark contrast, she was serious about the offer to help if someone should die along the journey.

  A character transformed by this ritual into the walking dead regains all its hit points and retains its statistics, except as noted here:

• The character is considered an undead, not a humanoid, and is subject to all effects that target undead. The character doesn't need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe.
• The character's hit point maximum is reduced by 1d4 at dawn each day, representing the physical decay of the body. No spell or effect can halt or counteract this decay.
• If the character's hit point maximum drops to 0, the gemstone embedded in the character's forehead shatters, and the character becomes a corpse once more.

A character that is turned into the walking dead and later raised or resurrected loses all memory of being an undead creature, but it doesn't lose any levels or XP gained while it was undead.

Eku gets weird:  Confusion set in when Eku had a sudden change of heart and decided to pay the old lady a visit in middle of the night....to kill her!  Disagreement in the party only left Cogar to make the three hour journey back up the hill.  About six hours later the two returned only to have been disappointed to have not found her.

The journey to Orolunga:   The overland trek to Orolunga met with very little in terms of encounters except for the party being "hunted" by a pack of Veloceraptors.  For two days the group was on high alert as they could hear signalling calls just out of reach in the trees.

Showdown in the ruines:  Tired of being hunted Karn taunted the raptors to show themselves and end this thing.  Attacks came from all directions as the speedy reptiles viciously pounced attempting drag away party members. The bloody battle resulted in a few characters being dropped unconscious and carried off only to be stopped by the rest of the group.  Hideous raptor cries and calls haunted the party as a heavy rain fell on them.  Arlen spent most of the battle riding on "Clever Girl" while the rest of the party stuck together in a defensive circle.  After the fight, severed Raptor parts dangled from Karn's hand...

Orolunga:  Following a short rest, the party moved on to Orolunga.  "A massive brick and stone ziggurat rises from the jungle. Two staircases angle up and across the front face, one from the right, the other from the left, to meet at a landing on the second level 30 feet above your heads. That layout repeats on the second level, and the third level, but with each successive layer adding less height than the one below it. The fourth level, 60 feet above the jungle floor, is an enclosed shrine or temple, its walls adorned with labyrinth symbols."

"The jungle encroaches right up to and onto this ancient structure. The first flights of steps are choked with creepers, tree roots, and flowering vines. It might have been surrounded by a city long ago, but the jungle is so dense that it would take hours of searching to find buried foundations and tumbled stones." The ziggurat was protected by some kind of ancient magic which forced the party to enter through one set of steps.  Help from three Chwinga's and one pissed off parrot helped the party navigate the steps to the top.  Surprisingly, Cogar was not allowed to enter which especially left Johfra puzzled and suspicious.  

Saja, N'bazza:  The group met the mysterious Saja, being asked to speak truly since she was aware of their true nature.  The party learned: 
The naga knows through visions that Ras Nsi and his yuan-ti followers are scheming to end the world from their lair in Omu.  The naga knows that Omu lies between the Peaks of Flame and the Valley of Lost Honor, and she also knows it's sunken below the level of the surrounding jungle, so the best way to spot it will be from the air or from the nearest high ground.

The naga remembers Ras Nsi's first uprising, and she urges the characters to kill him both as punishment for his past atrocities and to prevent any possibility of a recurrence.

 Charm of Animal Conjuring. This charm allows you to cast the conjure animals spell (3rd-level version as an action. Once used three times, the charm vanishes from you.

Charm of Darkvision. This charm allows you to cast the darkvision spell as an action, no components required. Once used three times, the charm goes away.

Charm of Feather Falling. This charm grants you the benefits of a ring of feather falling. These benefits last for 10 days, after which the charm vanishes from you.

Charm of Heroism. This charm allows you to give yourself the benefit of a potion of heroism as an action. Once you do so, the charm vanishes from you.

Charm of Restoration. This charm has 6 charges. You can use an action to expend some of its charges to cast one of the following spells: greater restoration (4 charges) or lesser restoration (2 charges). Once all its charges have been expended, the charm vanishes from you.

Charm of the Slayer. One sword in your possession becomes a dragon slayer or giant slayer (DM's choice) for the next 9 days. The charm then vanishes from you and the weapon returns to normal.

Charm of Vitality. This charm allows you to give yourself the benefit of a potion of vitality as an action. Once you do so, the charm vanishes from you.

Until next time.......

This has been a TOT inc Production.....Fuck off.




   

Session 5

Dissension In the Ranks:  Day 6 started with heated conversation between the party and their guide Azaka.  Questions were raised as to the practicality of direction into Goblin territory to recover the construct.  The party finally agreed to head south on the river to camp Vengeance leaving Azaka still dissatisfied with the direction of the journey.  

Back In the Boats:  Early in the afternoon, a rare sunny day worked it's way in the river Shoshenstar bringing with it aggressive bugs and oppressive heat..but at least it was dry for once.

 The little Prankster:  Paddling along with river, the party noticed a invisible presence zipping around teasing and taunting, giving each boat a small irritation of its own.  The tiny beast finally revealed itself after breaking wind in Arlen's face...a smell of brimstone and bad fruit.  Johfra spoke draconic only to scare it off.

DM note:  Johfra has had a real attitude problem as of late.  I guess when you're slowly dying perspectives change.  I mean..really...who scares off a tiny harmless dragon...might be an appropriate time for a visit from Bahamut.  


Raging River Falls from Hell!:  The river began to change.  First, it was the canopy.  The trees thinned somewhat, allowing shafts of light to play across the surface of the river, brightening the area.  Then the foliage seemed more vibrant, the water clearer, and even the very air seemed different.  The current of the river up until that time  placid and quiet, began to quicken...then all hell broke loose!

Characters were attacked by an assassin vine immediately before being hurled over a series of treacherous water falls.

Fortunately for the party, a small creature took some amusing interest in the trials of the party as they fought to survive the perils of the river.

Of the three boats, the first boat fared the best making it the entire distance of the river rapids fairly unscathed.  Others didn't have so much luck.  Cogar, Ka'sais and Johfra were caught up in the assassin vines being bludgeoned and poisoned.  Johfra later reflected at the thought of his death being dealt by a jungle plant far from his glory days of fighting giants and restoring the ordining.  Arlen and Peter struggled to stay on the canoe as it tumbled repeatedly over the falls.

When it was all over the party managed to survive only to meet at the bottom of the rapids by a plant munching Brontosaurus.  Attemps to communicate with the enormous beast only mildly frustrated the group.

DM note:  Brontosaurus INT = 2

Foraging:  An interesting turn of events as party members amused themselves to figure out how to have a chimp toss down a pineapple from 20ft up.  Each (most I should say) attempted to temp the primate but only Karn was able to achieve success in a way only Karn could muster.  The angry chimp tossed down the inedible  portion of the fruit only to have Karn expend a KI point and crit it in the head, dropping both the chimp and the pineapple.  Well done. 

Karn’s Guide to Pineapple Throwing

With this guide, you too can strike jungle animals tormenting you with food!

Step 1: Drink. Find your favorite spirit, ale, wine (I love a good beer myself) and chug away.

Step 2: Don’t pass out. (Elves you may have some issues, but I believe in you…..mostly)

Step 3: Be the pineapple of which you are throwing. Visualize the demise of your target and let that fill your mind.

Step 4: Don’t forget to keep drinking. Even while doing these other things, important to keep that up. Just trust me okay?

Step 5: Fill your Pineapple with a murderous intent. Not literally but spiritually fill it and release it towards the unfortunate target.

Step 6: If you did all these steps correctly, watch as your target falls to its demise. If it missed, you didn’t drink enough. Repeat steps 1-5 until successful or passed out.

Hits can be celebrated with cheers, laughs, awkward silences, or my personal favorite. More alcohol.

With this guide, you too can be a pineapple thrower and in time make this applicable to citrus product.

This has been Karn Earthshatter, and I hope you have found this guide useful.

Until next time, stay safe out there in the jungle! If this is something you enjoyed please relay praise to Karn Earthshatter. For any complaints please file them to Tot Productions Inc.

DISCLAIMER:

Karn Throwing Tips INC. Is not responsible for any damages to personal property in event of a critical miss. Nor is KTT Inc. responsible for doing things such as throwing pineapples at dinosaurs, giant apes, crocodiles, etc. Such risks are taken by the user with the understanding that this is a very dumb thing to do. Such injuries resulting in these actions such as: beheading, disembowelment, loss of limb(s), citrus in eyes causing irritable reactions or blindness, etc. does not fall onto KTT Inc. If you succumb to any conditions due to excessive drinking it is due to your own failings and not KTT Inc., and as such KTT is not responsible for damages. Get better.

The party camped for the evening with plans to arrive at Camp Vengeance in the early afternoon the next day.  As the rains fell an unusual visitor arrived in camp...of all things a gentle Frost Giant separated from his party, looking for Artis Cimber.  

 Passed Out!:  Camping with group for the night providing some insight of the situation with the ring of winter, Thrym offered some strong giant drink to the party.  The veteran drinker Karn felt the burn but showed no effects.  Arlen on the other hand, passed out after only a few sips of the brew to the amusement of oversized creature...."Little folk can't handle his drink! HA HA".  

Six hours later Arlen regretted his choice and felt the pounding headthrob the rest of the day occasionally raging if irritated.

GM note:  Headache gave Arlen a disadvantage on charisma check rolls. We all had no idea how far this was going to go.  Even a triangle ended up in the water

 Arrival in Camp Vengeance:  "Through the foliage, you see a crude timber fortification—a walled compound with watchtowers and tents inside it, encircled by a ditch bristling with sharpened stakes. A large gatehouse faces the river, on the shore of which are four rowboats tied to a wooden post.  Scattered around the fort are piles of charred human corpses and flayed animal carcasses swarming with flies."   Day 7 had arrived, with the drenching rains, the party arrived in the camp around 11am, greeted by the commander Niles Breakbone. Breakbone's odd behavior was a tip off..feeding birds.  Party members were ordered to assist the Order of  The Gauntlet by transporting the sick back to Port Nyanzaru.

Refusing the order, the party offered instead help healing the sick and offering whatever help they could offer.  Taking a few nights to finally get everyone back on their feet, a thankful Breakbone released the party and offered them a map of the areas explored by the Order of the Gauntlet.

Then it began....the zombie attack in the middle of the night!  AND A ZOMBIE PUKING T-REX!

 To Assist the guards of the camp, the party separated into different watch towers and offered spells and attacks...likely saving the camp from surely being over run by the zombie hoard.  The star of the show was the Zombie T-Rex.  It was if the entire camp came to the call for action against the undead monster.  After the T-Rex jumped the wall on the backs of zombies, Cogar found himself squarely inserted between the jaws of the disgusting creature.  Fortunately,  he was dropped only to find three zombies vomited out of the stomach of the T-Rex.  Some notable area of effect spells for Ka'sias and Peter were immensely helpful culling the zombie hoard.  Arlen of course did his thing dashing here and there shooting off arrows showing off (Not to mention the bird he raged killed earlier and the tent he destroyed).

Johfra in his anger (probably of being so slow) took his frustration out on commander Breakbone for his cowardice.  Luckily Karn stepped in as the voice of reason preventing a major problem with the Oder the Gauntlet.  

Session 4

Day 4 started relatively uneventfully except for the barrage of bugs, humidity, and fatigue from the constant required vigilance.  Looking a little tired the party pressed on by climbing back into their canoes, continuing their journey down the River Soshenstar.

River Lions:  Following navigation through a heavy jungle morning mist, the weather changed again with intermittent rain with rays of sun peaking through the jungle canopy.  Eku flashed the signal for the other boaters to stop paddling having spotted potential danger ahead.  The "tell-tale" sign was a gently swinging tail hanging from a toppled tree lying across the river.

 "Mufassa"

Approaching cautiously, the party allowed momentum bring them closer to the pack of lions relaxing along the shoreline and on top of the fallen tree log.  Noticed by the pack, the party chose to try to communicate and mediate safe passage without having to fight... a battle Johfra didn't want. 

After a brief discussion the lions agreed to allow safe passage for four pounds of food per lion.  Digging through their backpacks trying to figure out how meet the quota, Eku offered her services by casting a spell satisfying the requirement.  Karn gave Eku a long look wondering why they've been busting their asses foraging for food when she possessed such abilities.  The party safely passed under the tree as they watched the ravenous beasts battle among themselves for the spoils.

Day 5 started relatively uneventfully except for some complaints from Peter not getting any sleep with all the annoying jungle bugs and creatures crawling over him the night before. 

(insert dramatic music....here)

Camp Righteous:  "The party came upon an abandoned riverside camp strewn with wreckage. The tents were moldy and tattered, and all the permanent structures appear to have burned to the ground. Two intact rowboats were tied off to a short dock."

"North of the camp was a ridge, built into which is an 80-foot-tall stone statue carved to look like a man with a crocodile on his back. Between the statue’s feet was a stone archway leading to a dark tunnel. To the left of the statue was a crude animal pen with a small, panicked bird running around inside it. There were no other signs of life."

Evidence of some kind of battle was clear with the destruction but strangely no sign of bodies.....just evacuated.  Azaka recalled the legend of the shrine after some thought:  

In the early days of the world, Man stood by the banks of a river, frightened. Crocodile raised his head from the water and asked, “What troubles you, cousin Man?”

Man said, “I must cross this river, but I fear to enter the water alone, because it teems with your brethren.”

Crocodile replied, “It’s true, you would not be safe. But I will carry you across the river safely on my back, if you promise to return the favor.” Man agreed, and Crocodile bore him safely across the water.

When they reached the far bank, Man asked, “How can I repay you?” Crocodile replied, “I wish to see the realm of Humans, but I fear to go there alone, because it teems with your brethren. You must carry me on your back across your realm.” Man had been tricked, but a promise is a promise, so he carried Crocodile safely on his back across the entire realm of humans, a journey that lasted many years. He also swore, in his anger, that never again would Men and Crocodiles be friends, and so it has remained to this day. 

 House of the Man and Crocodile:  Cautiously entering the entry to the darkened, the group fired up some magic for light and checked vigorously for traps at the web covered entrance.  Karn, Arlen, and Peter were the first ones to enter......the deathtrap.  Johfra and the guides stayed back to watch the boats and entrance.

(GM note: seeing a lack of trust and some mild paranoia here- loving that!)

Karn was first to detect the concealed pit trap decided to simply jump over the obstacle and land himself in the darkened webs some twenty feet across.  Easily landing safely on the other side he managed to set off the undetected blade trap.  Hearing the screams from inside, the guides just glanced at each other in mutual understanding.  Using pitons, Karn felt fairly certain he had secured the blade traps for the others.

Working through, the party discovered a puzzle floor solving it easily by using the door above as their guide.  Figuring out the requirement for crossing the traps (being carried on the back of another), Arlen and Peter attempted to climb up the seven foot wall imitating the human/crocodile.  Unfortunately, Peter's fatigue from the lost sleep the night before got the best of him and he dropped Arlen onto the puzzle floor unleashing hell fire and damage.  

Karn had finally reached the puzzle door above.  With Arlen on his back he slowly touched the dim lights on the puzzle, only to be thrown back with a might blast of thunder! (insert powerful thunder sound here).  Arlen was blasted seven feet below only saved by his cloak of feather fall gently landing him on a illuminated square damage free.

After figuring out the puzzle door, the group finally made it to the treasury. 
"The floor of this dusty, 40-foot-high, 20-foot-wide chamber is littered with dinosaur bones. Webs stretch from the walls to a 30-foot-tall central pillar, coiled around which is a narrow stone staircase, its steps covered with dust. Carved into the pillar are reliefs of a man carrying a crocodile. The reliefs follow the stairs to the top of the pillar, on which sits a large, beautiful, ceramic jug."

 Alchemy Jug

Wondrous item, uncommon

This ceramic jug appears to be able to hold a gallon of liquid and weighs 12 pounds whether full or empty. Sloshing sounds can be heard from within the jug when it is shaken, even if the jug is empty.

You can use an action and name one liquid from the table below to cause the jug to produce the chosen liquid. Afterward, you can uncork the jug as an action and pour that liquid out, up to 2 gallons per minute. The maximum amount of liquid the jug can produce depends on the liquid you named.

Once the jug starts producing a liquid, it can't produce a different one, or more of one that has reached its maximum, until the next dawn.

Liquid	Max Amount
Acid	8 ounces
Basic poison	1/2 ounce
Beer	4 gallons
Honey	1 gallon
Mayonnaise	2 gallons
Oil	1 quart
Vinegar	2 gallons
Water, fresh	8 gallons
Water, salt	12 gallons
Wine	1 gallon

 With their lessons learned, the guys carefully carried each other up the steps acquiring the jug....a soft whistle from outside the tome.  Johfra was in trouble!

Batiri Goblins Attack:  As the tome raiders worked their way out, Johfra and the guides were suddenly attacked by a band of Batiri goblins.  After just a few moments, the part had things under control and goblin boss dead.  Mission accomplished and on to Yellyark to find the missing construct.