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Post by kynigoskerata on Apr 5, 2021 16:02:21 GMT -5
Orvex is a funny little man, to tell the truth. I could say that he is more annoying, what with his fear of my kind, but that is only a normal response when faced by those who would kill you without a second thought. Still, he is amusing, and his gift for languages make him most useful. Not like those little snacks that Lyssa picked up. Not like they are more than a bite. I don't really understand their preoccupation with taking 'pets', not unless they plan to use them in battle, but that may be some many months or even years away before they are large enough to tear flesh or crush bone. Not like my Vigilant. Already a killer when he was young, our bond has only made him stronger and fiercer. Well, when the little furry rodents grow serpents like their parents, they will be less... unintimidating. Get me a good lizard or snake any day of the week. I do wonder whether they will speak, should I invoke my abilities of beast speech.
Either way, if they survive these pits, it will be very surprising as it is. They most likely will block a hit or two before departing this world, at which point, they will be available for cooking and eating. Well, first we have to survive this temple, hopefully we can find another piece of this mystery. If the first had a puzzle cube, this one may have a device to affix to it, such that the completed temple puzzle will allow us entry to the soulmonger. Ending this curse is still the mission after all.
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Post by kynigoskerata on Apr 12, 2021 11:00:17 GMT -5
Blasted clay monsters! A trial of strength indeed. Without any space with which to control the battlefield, it was rather hard to actaully fight on an equal level with those things. I don't normally like to turn to melee, but in that small cage, without any ability to fly, it seems that I had to. Then, it turns out that we probably could have snuck in somehow, either from stelaing the spears or maybe using something other than spears. At least we got another cube out of the effort. I have a feeling that the next few days are going to be full of trials quite like this one.
To get all nine of them though? That will be a gigantic pain in the arse. At least some of the trials have already been completed, so all we have to do is steal the found ones and we will be much better off than we were before. Though, to make sure we have them all, we will have to check each temple anyways. Hopefully all the traps from the pillaged temples are already broken into. That way we won't have as much trouble. Either way, soon we will have the key to the soulmonger in hand, and the way to end the death curse.
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Post by Aileen on Apr 12, 2021 11:43:32 GMT -5
The gong reverberates in my head, leaving me stunned as I watch the statues move in. I look around frantically, suddenly overwhelmed by the size of the room. Or, the lack thereof. Four clay warriors, eight of us total, Valira and I already in the room and it’s already super cramped. I can’t get out! It’s too small!
“Lyssa! Snap out of it!” Valira shouts at me, already bleeding.
I’m not panicking, I’m not panicking, this is fine!!! I lunge forward at a clay warrior with my rapier, and it barely grazes it. Feeling the walls closing in as the others try to get in, I run for the wall- I’m going to climb to air! But I don’t make it. A bronze spear slams into me, and I fall.
“Is the kitten okay?!” Orvex yells from the corridor.
I know I’m not, but I still hear purring...
I’m barely out three seconds when I take in a deep breath, leaping to my feet. The healing power of the half zombie cleric is still as powerful as from a living one. I dash up the wall, climbing toward the caged ceiling, sucking in blessed stale air. I shoot from above, glad I’m away from the enemies. A little mew and a squirming feeling inside my bodice tells me that little Glittens is okay.
“Do you need this glaive?” Old man Orvex asks as he moves in. “There’s a glaive on the ground! You kids keep leaving your weapons lying around- I could trip!”
“You’re literally a quarter my age!” I snap. I’m what, 169 now? It all blends together after turning 50.
Melvakri pops her Angel wings, and flies up next to me. That’s when I see what would have been beautiful wings has been corrupted into a skeletal, eerie facade of what once was. Her favor with her god must be strong if she still has her powers.
Bastian drops, surrounded by the clay warriors. I keep shooting, worried for my friend, but there’s nothing I can do to help.
“Mr. Bastian?! Does anyone want me to try and heal him?!” Asks Orvex, stepping in.
“Yes! Please, help him!”
Why do I care so much about someone who is afraid of me? He has yet to have a normal conversation with me without recoiling from my smile.
Things get bad fast. Valira drops, Vigilant drops, Orvex is attacked and quickly falls over bleeding out. I don’t think we are getting out of this.
“DRAGONBAIT!!!” I scream, continuing shooting as Mel casts more healing. “ARTUS!!!! Get your perfectly formed ass in here!”
Then they start climbing the walls. I thought I was safe up here, but the clay warriors begin walking up the walls as I do.
“Are they vampires?!” I scream.
“No, they’re clay!” Replies the owl, flapping around.
One is under me, attacking Hawthorn. Another climbs up and knocks Melvakri out of the air. She falls on top of Bastian who is just waking up on the ground. The same one climbs to me and bashes me with its shield, and I fall several feet to the ground with a painful thud. Luckily, it dropped me right on my rapier, which fell in this spot when I got knocked out! The clay warrior follows me down, and starts beating me again. I grab my rapier, stand up and hit back.
Orvex gets back up and starts swinging wildly with his short sword, not making contact with anything.
“Uh, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea!” He moves away.
Bastian gets back up, tearing into the warrior next to him. Valira gets back in the fight, hissing with rage as she sees Vigilant down again. Hawthorn misty steps out of the arena, probably for the best. I hear Dragonbait and Artus running in just as a shield bashes into me again. I fall to the ground, and a spear is run through me.
And just like that, I’m back to the land of the living, thanks to Melvakri’s quick healing. I smell... tacos? Maybe I’m having a stroke, but maybe it’s Dragonbait. He’s not looking so good, bleeding out on the ground. Finally I destroy one of the warriors, and Bastian kills another! Hawthorn kills the last one, and we all hurry to get the injured back up.
“That was horrible!” Orvex moans.
I run over and kiss my new best friend on the cheek, and he blushes. Next I go to Dragonbait, unconscious still, and then Bastian. Bastian tenses up and let’s out a shriek, grabbing his neck and backing away.
“Don’t bite me!”
“I’m not going to bite you! Unless you’re offering...”
Valira gets Vigilant back to life, and sends him scouting ahead down a hallway. There’s just statues, so we nope the hell out of here and go back upstairs, the fallen spears in hand. We take a rest, recovering our strength before trying anything with the statues. When it’s time, Mel, Bastian, Valira and I put the spears in. The pedestal opens, and another cube is revealed. I grab it and put it with the other one, not at all surprised to see a kamadan carved into it.
We leave the temple and head out down the main strip. We come to an abandoned campsite with a dirty yellow cloth flapping on a pole. I start searching for any sign of anything, and eventually find a note in one of the tent flaps. It’s a letter from a Lord Brixton:
“Rue, Devlin has a lead on the Eye of Zaltec! The old goat found an obelisk to the north that masks the entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods. The Eye must be within, but the door is magically locked. We think the secret to opening it lies in the holy shrines. We've headed into the ruins to check them out: Gods willing, we'll be back tonight. Ras Nsi's serpent people are on the prowl, so be careful. If you get into trouble, sound the swan horn twice and we'll come running. For the Yellow Banners, Lord Brixton”
I read this out loud for my group, and suddenly the dingy yellow banner makes sense. The poor lads must be dead!
“What’s a swan horn?” I ask.
“That’s all you got from that?” Artus laughs. “Not the part about a Tomb of the Nine Gods?!”
“Well yes, I saw that, but I don’t know what a swan horn is. Is it a horn shaped like a swan, or a horn made out of a swan?”
Artus sighs and walks away. I tuck the letter into my bag with the map and the cubes. We head across the street to what looks like another temple. It’s a flat roofed ruin with open stone doors, which have clearly been bashed in. There’s a relief of a horned rabbit charging some bears.
“I’Jin teaches us to take the path least expected.” Reads Orvex.
He then starts retelling the part of the legend about I’Jin, but I’m distracted by Valira and Bastian discovering a burrow under the doors. We’re all wondering if we are supposed to enter that way, but know none of us are small enough to fit inside.
“Maybe it’s magic and shrinks us down?” I suggest.
I put my arm in the hole, and feel something inside. It’s wet and fluffy. Grimacing, I pull whatever it is out.
“Oh no!”
It’s a horned rabbit, bloody and dead. It looks like the poor thing went in the hole to die. My stomach growls loudly and I can feel a familiar ache in my fangs, but I have to hold back. Dead blood is no good.
“Do we take the horn off?” I ask, touching it.
“No! That’s bad luck,” says Orvex. “This is a disgrace to I’Jin. Something foul happened here!”
I cradle the dead bunny reverently in my arms, and we all go in the doors. Luckily nothing happens, and we get to the edge of the tiled floor with ease. There are bodies of yuan ti everywhere, riddled with darts. It looks like they charged in here blindly, dying without care as they set off traps. Examining the floor I see the tiles are all of different animals. Many of them are of these horned rabbits.
“Hopping! Like a rabbit!” I exclaim.
I look for a path with my eyes. I’m sure I can jump two squares, easily. Anything more is too far. And then I see it! The path!
“Follow me! Jump on the rabbits! Hop- to!”
I hop across, the dead rabbit flopping in my arms lifelessly. The others follow, making it across safely. We go to a passage, and find more yuan ti bodies, sliced up by scything axe blades.
“Yuan ti do not feel fear as you all do,” explains Valira. “These are not my people, but they are not different. They will sacrifice themselves with no hesitation to further their goals.”
We come to a chamber with a beam of sunlight shining through a hole in the ceiling onto a pedestal like the other ones. It seems we are too late, the yuan ti got the cube that was likely in here. But I came to give this bunny creature a resting place. I lay the body on the pedestal, the light warming it’s cold dead fur.
“I’Jin, I am sorry. May this creature Rest In Peace.”
We leave the temple feeling a bit dejected. We’re we too slow? Do the yuan ti have the other cubes? How many more innocents will die to further their cause? I pet my kitten within my cleavage, and wonder how anyone could be so cruel and unfeeling to murder innocent animals guarding their home.
We move on down the road and eventually come to an overturned cart in a courtyard with an abundance of colorful plants. Flowers are spilled all around the cart, rotting in the sun, and there’s a garland of beautiful flowers and happy little bees buzzing about. We approach and I immediately crawl under the cart after not seeing any creatures laying in wait. I do find a moss covered cylinder with something etched in it, but it’s big and very heavy.
“Guys, move the cart!”
I crawl out as they start moving it with me still underneath, and help to get it out of the way. It reveals the big round cylinder, and Orvex goes to read it.
“Queen Nepaka proclaims that the free people of Omu fear nothing...” and something about Omu will rise again.
I’m already distracted by the garland of flowers, draping it over my shoulders and instantly feeling prettier. I swish it around a little before we head out, leaving the cart behind. We head to another ruin across the street, where I can see carvings of monkeys on obelisks.
“Ow!”
I slap the hand away that pulled on my hair, turning around and seeing nothing. Bastian is a good five feet away.
“Did you just pull my hair?”
“No? Why?”
“Someone just did!” I shrug, moving on.
“What the hells?!” I whisper, trying to feel for what it is, but my hand only catches my hair and some flowers. Maybe it’s my long hair getting caught on the garland.
Suddenly it feels like something is climbing in my hair, heavier than a bug, but I try to ignore it. It pulls again.
“Bastian, can you check my hair? Is there a bug?”
I walk toward him, but he jumps away.
“I don’t want your hair to drink my blood!”
I roll my eyes, deeply hurt.
“Bastian, I don’t have to drink blood all the time! I like other drinks! I like water, wine... coffee! I like beer, occasionally, but the bubbles kind of hurt my stomach. Oh, I like mixed drinks!”
“Lyssa, stop moving!” Mel grabs the flowers and shakes them as soon as I freeze. “Huh, nothing there. I swear I saw a hand!”
I move on and my hair is pulled again. The others tell me to stop, and suddenly I feel something climb up my hair and then go on top of my head.
“Lyssa, it’s sitting on your head!” Bastian laughs.
“What is?!”
“It’s one of those little guys from the ziggurat!” Exclaims Melvakri.
“What ziggurat?” I ask, trying to feel for the creature. My hands touch a tiny little person like thing.
“That was with my dead friends,” Mel says. “Never mind.”
I feel the creature pulling my hair like reins, and it drives me over to Bastian. I lean into him, putting my face against his strong, broad chest much against his will. The creature jumps off my hair, and standing back I see it now. Its a little doll-like person and it’s fascinated with Bastian’s armor!
Bastian, smiling, takes a seat on the ground and takes out his sword that the creature is poking at. It walks onto the blade and does a little dance! I offer it one of my treasures, a shiny jade ring, but it shakes its head in refusal. I drape the flowers on Bastian, seeing as the creature has now chosen him. As it dances once more, a rune appears on Bastian’s blade! The creature sighs, renders Bastian a salute, and jumps off and runs into the underbrush with a wave. We are all stunned.
“That was interesting,” I say. “Anyway... monkey shrine!”
🗡Lyssa
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Post by Aileen on Apr 18, 2021 21:44:15 GMT -5
“Better to be Wongo’s friend than his enemy.” Orvex reads to us from the monkey obelisk.
We pass between them, and suddenly I hear the sound of monkeys screeching. There are no actual monkeys in sight, this is clearly some trick. I would take the bats back home over this any day, it’s an awful sound! We head to the entrance to the temple and look in. The passage goes as far as I can see, into the darkness.
“Anyone got a light?” I ask.
“Here, take a torch,” says Bastian, pulling one out of his pack and handing it to me. “Need flint and steel? Wait- is steel okay? Or is that just silver you can’t touch?”
“Steel is fine,” I laugh. “Silver, too. I appreciate you asking, though, it’s sweet.”
“Right,” he blushes. “Um... I’ll light that for you.”
I take the lit torch and head in, looking for traps as I go. I come to a chamber further in with a statue of an evil looking monkey on a dais, his palms and feet spread out and cupped. On the wall is a relief of a monkey tearing into a giant serpent. After searching for traps, I quickly backtrack and grab my friend Orvex. He comes in and is excited by the artwork. The others file in.
“Remember the story about the stew, children?” He asks us.
“Orvex, honey, I’m 169. I could be your great grandmother!”
“Nonsense, young one! Now, listen to my story!”
He tells us again about a giant snake stealing water from Uktoa and Wongo vowing to catch the Jaculi and eat it. I listen as I check out the statue. On the base is writing, which I point out to him.
“Wongo’s friend knows where to pour the water,” says Orvex.
There’s masks of a zebra, lion, boar and a vulture. Hawthorn peaks through the masks and says the eyeholes are open. So I go snoot to snoot with the zebra, and looking through see a passageway. We can’t figure out how to get back there, so we turn to the statue. We decide to start putting water in the hands and feet and hope for the best.
“Do you want to do the honors, Miss ‘I like sucking on strange gases?’” I ask Valira.
“Let’s never call me that again.” Says Valira after staring me down with her serpentine glare. “Fine. Everybody out.”
Everyone gets out except Orvex and I, standing on the opposite side of the room as Valira. Valira pours water into the monkey’s left foot- nothing happens.
“Try the eye hole! The zebra!” I suggest.
Nothing happens. So she tries the left hand. Suddenly a cube appears on top of the head of the statue! The sound of portcullises slamming down comes from nearby. Valira continues to stand there casually putting her waterskin away.
“Want me to grab the cube?” I ask.
“Wouldn’t say so,” she replies. “You could. But it’s on your head.”
I reach up and my hand just touches my silky hair.
“No it’s not.”
Four su-monsters, the horrible evil monkey things like Wongo, appear, clinging on the statue. They start attacking Valira, but Bastian shouts something and one attacks another su-monster instead of Val. Vigilant comes running in and kills one. I move in and hit one near me, then jump back. Orvex is cowering behind me. The poor man is so exhausted!
“Don’t worry, sweet Orvex, I’ll protect you!”
I keep jumping in and stabbing, but Bastian quickly kills the rest. He grows more brave and attractive every day! I grab the cube, and it seems we are good to go! Sliding it in with the other two, we head out.
We decide to go up the road to what looks on the map to be an amphitheater. As we approach, we see it is in fact a ruined amphitheater complete with crumbling statues of animals. There’s not a single sound, no birds, no insects. As we get closer we see why- there’s a giant footprint in the dirt, some kind of dinosaur. Whatever it is is massive, and we decide against going to the amphitheater. So, we go up to the next area.
Here we find a vine draped obelisk, which Bastian starts hacking at. Looking beyond him, I see what looks like a passage in the cliff face. Some dark tunnel hidden by vines.
“I’m going in,” I say, pointing it out to the others. “If you hear a “kaw kaw” it means I’m in trouble. If you just hear “kaw” it means I’m dead.”
“Oh- so you didn’t get the second “kaw” out?” Bastian confirms.
“Precisely.“
Hawthorn looks over, head swiveling on her owl body.
“You know, in bird language that means ‘I can’t find the cheese’.”
“You know, that is a problem, Hawthorn. I’m going in.”
I head into the dark tunnel. At the end of a dead end I find a wall with little cube holes at the points of an eight pointed star, where cubes are apparently supposed to be put into. Maybe this is the entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods? I shudder, and run back out.
“There’s cube holes! I think it’s the tomb entrance. So we come back here when we get more!”
“Want to check that other tunnel?” Bastian asks, pointing to the smaller, more rough cut tunnel.
“Sure. Same deal with the kaws!”
I head in, and come to a hall with statues of the trickster gods, standing over basins of oil. I walk through a Jaculi opposing a Su-Monster, and the Su-Monster’s basin bursts into flame! There’s a zorbo and an almaraz, then an Iblis and Froghemoth (also bursts into flame), then a Grung and a Kamadan (more flame!). Nothing is beyond it, so I leave before I summon something horrible. I tell the party what I saw, and we head out.
We come next to an abandoned old marketplace, lined with empty stalls. We start searching them.
“Maybe there’s leftover snacks!” Bastian says with a grin.
“Yah, we all like snacks!” I say, smiling back at him. He grabs his neck, and dashes into the first stall he comes to. I stand outside it as he looks around.
“Maybe there’s raisins or something.” He ponders, checking an abandoned drawer.
“Ew! They’re a disgrace to wine!”
“What, are you some kind of wine connoisseur?” He teases.
“Maybe I am! Maybe I have a wine cellar at home!”
I really do have one. My mom may drink blood but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy wine once in a while or have company over!
“It’s probably where you sleep.” Says Bastian.
“I live with f***ing vampires!” I snap. “So, yes.”
“I’m sorry, Lyssa. I didn’t mean to offend!”
“I’m kidding, Bastian! I have an actual bedroom. My mother sleeps in her coffin along with the others in the crypt. I was kind of a surprise, but she made sure I had the best of everything. You should come visit sometime! I have the whole top floor to myself! And an actual bed.”
He turns beet red, and luckily we are interrupted by a sudden commotion.
“There’s a skunk!” Warns Hawthorn, hooting.
I dash out and see an adorable little black and white creature with the fluffiest tail. I walk toward the little guy, hand held out and cooing to him.
“Come here, kitty!”
“Lyssa, you don’t want to do that!” Bastian hisses.
“It’s a cat! I’m fine!”
I’ve never seen such a strange looking cat, maybe it’s a breed only known to Chult? As I approach it starts making a clicking noise, and looks nervous.
“I won’t hurt you! We can be friends!”
Suddenly a spray of liquid comes shooting out of it as its tail goes forward. I dodge out of the way, and can smell... smokeweed? But stinkier. Hawthorn flies over and starts shooing it away. An arrow comes whizzing out of nowhere, and impales it. The blood explodes everywhere.
“No! Kitty!”
I turn to find Valira with her bow drawn, a satisfied look on her face. The rage boils inside me, and I want nothing more than to tear her throat out and taste what yuan ti blood is like. No! That’s not me, I’m not the monster! She is.
“Why are you so evil?!” I snap, crying for my little friend, taken too soon.
She hisses at me, putting her bow away. I walk away before I let my bloodlust get the better of me. I go back to Bastian, who is holding up a little black nugget.
“I found raisins!” He laughs.
“Chocolate covered?” I ask. “Oh, don’t eat that!”
He sniffs it, and drops it, wiping his hand off on his cloak.
“Ah. Skunk s***.”
“Lyssa!” I hear Hawthorn call from across the way. “Can you check this?”
I hurry to the owl, and find her looking at some wooden poles with a precariously balanced clay pot on it.
“Yeah, that’s a trap. Hey! Valira! You should come walk through this!”
An arrow whizzes by us, striking the pot. It shatters, and Hawthorn and I cover our faces. Luckily no flesh eating, horrible things fall out of it! Hawthorn is livid, flying off to admonish the yuan ti. I have nothing more to say to her.
I hear Bastian yelp as he checks out another stall, and he comes out flailing his arms. Apparently a stick fell on him, but the stick had a scorpion on one end.
“Bastian, you’re supposed to fry them!”
“What?! I don’t eat your crazy vampire foods!”
“That’s not vampire food, it’s a common treat! I’m pretty sure Jard Jardley’s has it!”
Something catches my eye, and I look over to see a kobold walking down some steps from the bazaar. The others see him too, and we spring into action. We follow the little guy into a cellar system, and eventually come to a wine cellar.
“Lyssa, it’s your bedroom!” Bastian whispers.
“Not enough wine and too many kobolds- look!”
In the far end of the wine cellar, the guttering torches flicker off a pile of gold and treasure. On and around the pile is a group of kobolds, with one dressed in a very flamboyant robe with a parrot broach.
“Are we playing nice?” Valira asks.
“New friends couldn’t hurt.” I say.
She starts speaking to them in draconic, but after a quick exchange she draws her bow and shoots at them and kills one. And so it’s on. She kills another and Vigilant runs in and bites into one. I’m still injured from earlier, so I run in on the wall, and bite into one of the kobolds. His eyes roll up as he is weakened, and he cries out in draconic. I feel a little better, the faintly spicy blood rejuvenating me, but then they all start attacking me!
I’m stabbed, hit in the head with a sling bullet, and now I feel worse than when I went in! Theses little bastards are ferocious and hit much harder than they look like they can.
“Help! The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze!”
The kobolds start releasing skunks, which Valira instantly kills as they run. Hawthorn shoots and kills their leader, the parrot cloak guy. I kill one, and the others start focusing on Bastian. He gets an arrow through the arm, pinning him to the wall, and then one stabs him in the foot.
“These guys are brutal!” He shouts. “Tactically, they’re fantastic!”
Soon there are only two left, and Vigilant turns toward one with blood pouring from her sharp Dino teeth. Oh no you don’t, that’s my meal! I run over, and sink my fangs into the kobold’s neck. I drain the last of its life into me, and let the body drop lifeless to the ground. I feel slightly better, but still very wounded. Vigilant and I share a look, both of us clearly enjoying the taste of kobold blood.
Bastian kills the last kobold and we all go rummage through the treasure pile. I take the pretty tapestry cloak with the macaw pin, happily putting it on. These people expect me to dress like a vampire, so I’m going to wear the most loud and obnoxious colors I can find! We’re not all doom and gloom. Naturally I take the four bloodstones, putting them in my bag, and the others divvy up the rest. We take a rest inside this cellar, moving the bodies to get more comfortable. It stinks to high heaven but at this point we are used to skunk stench.
I sit near Bastian, resting my eyes as he examines his sword. He starts talking to me, initiating conversation with me for the first time without being scared of me!
“I hope this rune does something magical,” He says. “Not sure what it could be, but a magic weapon would be nice!”
“Yeah, it would be,” I say, opening my eyes and looking over at him. “That little sprite guy was so cute! I’m glad you got a weapon rune, all I got was my hair pulled.”
“Your hair is... kind of nice.” He says, turning back to his sword awkwardly.
“Thank you!”
“Ah!” He covers his neck again.
It turns out his sword is now a giant slayer, and Bastian is really hoping we run into something giant now. Hawthorne sets out a bedroll and blanket, and lays the potion we found on it.
“Hawthorn’s Curios is now open! Come purchase goods at fair prices!” She announces.
“Oo!” I hop to my feet, and dash over. “What do you want for the potion?”
“What do you have?”
“Hmm,” I dig in my bag. “I’ll give you a bloodstone, this jade ring and a statuette!”
“I can’t carry a statue, are you crazy! I’m an owl!”
“It’s tiny, Hawthorn!”
“Hmm. Alright, give me two of those stones and the ring and it’s a deal.”
And so I acquire a healing potion, which I chug right away. It’s not until we get outside and I see Dragonbait still unconscious with Artus that I realize I should have saved it for him. Oops. We start heading down the road, the gang back together, walking to a river crossing. As we walk, there’s a very slight shaking. A heavy vibration, becoming stronger as we go. Now we hear something moving, closer and closer. Something huge.
“You all remember that footprint we saw earlier?” Asks Valira.
“How could we forget?” Bastian asks.
“Well... I believe it’s coming to visit.”
We run for the nearest cover, which happens to be a mostly demolished building, really just four broken walls. We hide, waiting for the vibration to pass as it grows louder and stronger. And then there’s a scream as Orvex is grabbed by a vine!
I hit it with my rapier, Bastian shackles it, Hawthorn slings spells, Val shoots, vigilant chews on it, and Artus charges in absolutely going all out on it. Orvex is dying, suffocating and bleeding. My heart breaks for the man, such a kind gentleman who has seen far too much these past couple days. The vine grabs Bastian, but luckily Valira and Vigilant finish it off. We barely get another breath in before there’s an earth shattering roar nearby, just on the other side of the wall. I tend to Orvex with Artus, and see Artus’s ring glint in the light.
“Can you use your ring?”
“What, to hide us? No, that’s not how it works.”
“No, just to... do something.”
I could create and ice wall,” he says. “But if that thing is as big as it sounds, that’s not going to hold it back very long.”
“It could occupy it though! Hold it back so we can run.” Says Hawthorn.
“It won’t be expecting an ice wall here in the jungle!” I add. “It’s a good distraction.”
“Let me get this straight, Lyssa- you think an ice wall is going to occupy a massive dinosaur because it’s hot out?!”
We have no further time to plan. Out of nowhere, the dinosaur appears in with us behind the walls. It’s absolutely enormous, and covered in colorful feathers.
“I’m gonna ride that thing!” I say, running forward.
“Wait, you’re going to get yourself killed!” Artus says, making a half assed attempt to grab the back of my armor. “Well. I tried.”
I get to the t-Rex and climb up onto its back, slicing into it with my rapier the second I’m on it. Vigilant runs in underneath and starts nipping at it as the others attack. Bastian gets large again.
“You’re huge!” I comment, winking at him.
“Thanks!”
The big feathered bastard turns its head, and breathes out a cloud of... wasps? They fly at me, swarming and buzzing, but I avoid their stings. Artus gets a really good shot at it, the arrow burrowing into the hide just in front of me, and I can tell it really hurts it. And then a second later the dinosaur is gone, and I’m in midair. I gracefully drop to the ground, and unthinkingly run in the direction of the street. I scale the wall, and jump down the other side. The t-Rex is in the road! I run to him, striking with all my might. It roars one last time, a horrible shriek, and then falls over. It twitches once more, and then dies.
We collect feathers and teeth from this massive beast, and then continue in the direction we were previously going. At the river crossing is a felled tree stretching across the water 100 feet long. On the other side I see a tabaxi hiding, and try to wave him down. The others don’t see him, but I start crossing the tree. The tabaxi turns and opens fire with his now.
“I just wanted to say hi!” I call, dodging an arrow.
We killed a massive t-Rex only to get shot up by a catman. What a fun place Omu is!
🗡 Lyssa 🦖
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Post by kynigoskerata on Apr 19, 2021 16:24:22 GMT -5
What in the nine hells is in the waters of Omu. From beasts to the beastly beings, everything in this land deigns to either crush your corpse or even feed on your bones. Still, at least they have a good appreciation for the scaly gods and critters that roam. Though if Lyssa wishes to keep giving me the stink eye over the rodent we may well have words. She goes in for the kill with her fangs all the time, even on those hapless kobolds, and yet cannot understand that a fresh meal of meat is vital for surviving the jungle. Though she looks to have left her warmbloodedness behind, it has obviously lefts its mark. Such illogical fallacies.
To say the truth, I have not entirely escaped the... corrupting nature of Omu as well. My mind becomes more frayed and irrational as the days go by. I mean "I Wongo, you Wongo, She/He/It Wongoes" is absolutely ridiculous and entirely an un-Yuan-Ti thing to say. The more time I spend in the jungle, and with these... people, the less I feel myself. I must remember though, that the mission always comes first. Irrational and irritating these assorted being may be, they are powerful companions, who complement my own abilities quite well, and who without, I doubt I would be able to have gotten this far. Defeating all those kobolds, much less the Tyrant King of this jungle would have been impossible on my own.
So that means we still move forward. Ever closer to completing the puzzle, finding the soulmonger and destroying it. The mission must be completed.
Wongo... utterly mad.
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Post by Aileen on Apr 25, 2021 18:45:05 GMT -5
The tabaxi shoots us up with arrows, hitting poor Bastian. He seems okay, but nobody is allowed to hurt those that I care about without repercussions.
“See, he’s exactly where I told you!!!” I snap to Bastian.
“You realize I can’t see exactly where you’re pointing?! Oh- I see him!”
“Please don’t shoot us!” Hawthorne says, starting to fly across. “We come in peace!”
“Oh... I come in peace, too!” The tabaxi says.
I run across the bridge, passing Vigilant who ran out ahead of us, holding my hands up.
“I’m not coming to hurt you, I’m coming to say hi!” I call.
“That’s a very aggressive speed, young lady!”
He shoots Vigilant and ducks back down behind the wall. Bastian runs behind me panting and complaining that I’m faster, but we are all making a decent speed over the rushing river below. I speed over to the wall and quickly skitter up it, finding the tabaxi crouching by the wall.
“Hi! I’m Lyssa!”
He puts another arrow to the string, clearly not caring that we wanted peace, so I leap on him. I get him in a grapple, holding him as he squirms.
“Stop shooting my friends!!!” I yell as Vigilant runs up.
The tabaxi draws a shortsword and stabs me as I hold him. I can tell from the horrible stinging sensation that he coated it with some kind of poison. So guess we are fighting dirty!
“Let go of me, foul creature!” He hisses.
“I’m not a fowl creature! You- you’re a cat!”
I’m sure I’d have a better comeback if I were not bleeding profusely and holding an angry cat person, but such is life. I let go of him, draw my rapier, and cut into him.
“You remind me of my sister!” He purrs.
I dodge one blow, but he hits me with the next one. I really do not feel well, at all. If he hits me again, that’s it! Luckily Bastian runs up the stairs and lays into him, sword swinging. The tabaxi falls over, Vigilant standing by, ready to feast.
“I surrender to you, mighty warrior!” He says to Bastian.
“Right- good! I’m gonna pass out, I’m so sorry!” I leap onto the tabaxi, sinking my fangs into his furred neck. The blood isn’t enough, but it’s something. I let go and pet him on his head. “That was completely necessary, you nearly killed me!”
The tabaxi puts his hands up, actually surrendering much to my surprise.
“You’re not gonna bite me again, are you?”
“No! I can’t, I’m tapped.” I cough, spitting out a few cat hairs.
“Hey, you know there’s a gargoyle?” Artus calls.
I go look out over the wall and sure enough see Hawthorn fighting a gargoyle. The gargoyle falls out of the air, and Melvakri touches it. The flesh... stone... turns black and deathly beneath her grasp. Bastian runs down to it, but I skitter back down the wall and hit it before he can. Luckily, it shatters. I skitter on back up the wall, and soon we are joined by everyone else.
“Mighty heroes,” says the tabaxi getting to one knee and reverently nodding his head. “You have defeated me most bravely! My name is Bag of Nails!”
We all air our grievances against him shooting at us and nearly killing me, which he apologizes profusely for.
“Please, let me bring you to my palace for dinner! You may rest there!”
“Why are you here in Chult?” Bastian asks.
“I came here looking for the Naval of the Moon,” he says.
“The moon has a belly button?” I ask.
“Do you?” Bastian asks, turning to me.
“Yes, I do. I can show you if you want?”
He turns red and looks away.
“I was hoping to use it to find my son, but I gave up. Now come, I will bring you to my lair, we will walk... but some of you are very fast and bitey. May I pick up my sword?”
We follow the tabaxi to his “palace” which turns out to be a ruined basement that smells faintly of cat piss.
“Ah, the fresh air of Omu!” He exclaims, going to stir something in a pot over a fire. “Please, sit down, make yourselves at home!”
The smell of stew begins to overpower the feline stench, and my stomach growls. We look around and he points out portrait of a young tabaxi.
“That’s my son,” he chokes up.
Remembering my own child, I pull him out of my armor. He mews as I awaken him from his nap, and I realize he has dried blood all over his fur. My own blood. Guess he needs a bath!
“Want to see my kitty?”
“I do.” I hear a male voice whisper, not sure who. They’ve already seen my kitty!
“Ah, you have a slave!” Bag of Nails boops my kitten on his nose. “What’s its name?”
“Glittens!”
There’s a sizzling sound as the stew begins to boil over in the pot.
“Stews up! Hope you all like dinosaur!” He starts ladling the stew into bowls. “Can you eat stew, my dear?”
“Yes, I’m only half undead!” I smile, and he cringes as he hands me my share.
He turns to Melvakri, who glares at him.
“I’m dead.” She snaps, returning to petting her own kitten.
We sit around and eat and chat, and Bastian pulls out his pan flute. I play my own flute along with him, and the others accompany on their own instruments and makeshift ones. A good time is had by all, even Orvex and Dragonbait who wake up still injured and cranky. We go to bed after a bit, and I feel safe and happy and well fed for the first time in a long while.
—-
“Hey, Lyssa,” Bastian whispers to me, the dim torchlight illuminating him. “How you feeling?”
“I feel sick, what happened?!” I groan, clutching my stomach.
“That tabaxi poisoned the stew and tried to kill us,” He says. “Artus got to you just in time, you almost died. Here’s the thing... I buried your kitten in the jungle.”
“What?!”
“He’s dead-“
“WHAT?!”
I burst into tears, feeling for my kitten in my armor but only finding my boobs. What a disappointment! I loved that cat!
“I’m sorry, Lyssa. But, I also got you this studded leather armor!”
“Ooh! Thank you!” I try to smile but I’m bawling my eyes out.
“Are you crying blood?!”
“It happens sometimes,” I sniff, wiping my eyes on my blanket.
“Um... you can drink my blood, if you need to.” He offers shyly, unconsciously rubbing his neck.
“I can’t,” I say. “It’s not that I don’t want your blood, it’s just I’m a bit stuffed from dinner and- oh, s***!”
I leap out of my bedroll and make it to the kitchen area, where I promptly vomit in the stew pot. Blood, dinosaur and poison do not mix.
“I hope nobody wanted seconds,” I laugh, before returning to my bedroll. “I’m gonna go back to sleep, Bastian. Thank you... for everything.”
In the morning we all feel a bit better, save for Orvex who is still exhausted. The poor old man has had a rough go of it. I find myself crying as I see Bastian and Melvakri taking care of their kittens, feeding them non-poisoned rations before we head out. Little Glittens is my first child, and he will be missed.
“Hoo- what is this?!” Hawthorn queries, picking up a gourd that was sitting in the corner. “Looks like water?”
She shrugs her feathers and chugs the contents of the gourd. She’s totally fine- I’m sure it wasn’t poison, there’s no way a crazed tabaxi would leave evidence around after poisoning our stew!
We head out in search of the next shrine, wherever that may be. We spot what looks like it might be one, and start walking towards it. I smile cheerfully, despite my great loss, as I am walking with Artus to my right and Bastian to my left.
“Look at me, I’m between two hunks! I’m a lucky girl!”
“I’m between two hunks, too!” Orvex says behind me, walking beside only Dragonbait.
We are not so lucky when we spot nine Yuan Ti waiting in ambush up ahead. They’re hiding, not so well, behind some debris- three big guys with snake heads and six pure-bloods like Valira. Their bows are trained on us.
Valira yells something at them, and they respond, but it doesn’t sound like friendly banter. I smell donuts, and see Dragonbait gleefully rushing ahead with sword drawn. Artus joins him with his longbow.
“Need me to do anything?” Orvex asks, peeking out from behind me.
“No, stay safe!”
“Okay!”
I guess we don’t have to ask him twice. Hawthorn tries to cast a spell, but nothing happens, which is a bit concerning. I move up ahead of the others and shoot, hitting a pure-blood. They open fire on me. I think I’m alright when four arrows whiz past me, but then I don’t see the fifth until it’s sticking out of my own neck, the pain coming a second later. The last thing I see is a spray of my own blood, and I’m out.
—-
I wake up to a full on battle, Melvakri standing vigil over me and getting shot at. I leap to my feet, grabbing my bow and drawing my rapier as I run to the yuan ti. I quickly kill one and then drop prone.
“Hey, you! Blondie!” One of the pure-bloods waves to get my attention. “There’s yuan ti behind you!”
“No there isn’t!”
“Hey- you! I’m talking to you!” Another calls me. But it’s a human lady, and she looks nice. “Hey, there’s yuan ti behind you! They have a really big one!”
I look, and sure enough there are several of them- one massive one, too!
“Thank you!” I call to her.
The nice lady gets shot, and suddenly she’s a yuan ti! Dammit, they got me with mind control!
“Is anyone dying?!” Orvex calls.
“I am!” I respond, looking at the huge amount of blood on my leather armor.
“How did you say that, then?”
Poor Dragonbait is getting wrecked by the three Malisons, but they’re too far for me to get to and there’s still the pure-blood mind controllers to deal with. I go to them and hit one. Another one next to him turns to me.
“Um, excuse me-“
He blows some kind of poison breath in my face, but i avoid inhaling it.
“There’s a huge yuan ti behind you!” Another tells me.
“No, that’s Bastian- and he’s cute!”
I hear Valira gag in the distance behind me as she shoots and kills the one next to me. Artus cries out in pain as he accidentally shoots a rock and his arrow ricochets back and hits him in the eye. I turn and draw my bow, hitting one of the Malisons. These pure-bloods don’t seem to be very dangerous and I’m very concerned for Dragonbait.
“I don’t think you heard us,” one of the pure- bloods whispers behind me. “There’s yuan ti!”
“What?! I don’t hear you- oh, I hear you loud and clear. Yuan ti, you say? I’ll help you, sir!”
The yuan ti are overpowering these poor civilians, and one of them is flailing around blindly.
“What’s going on?! Where’s the big guy?!” He yells.
And then I’m back to myself when Hawthorn finishes off the last pure-blood. I stumble over to the group, dizzy and weak from blood loss.
“I didn’t get hurt at all!” Bastian announces, still large.
“That’s nice. I’ve uh... lost a lot of blood.” I laugh, wincing as I poke the wound in my neck.
“Do you... need blood?”
I nod.
“Okay. You can have some of mine.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” he beckons me forward.
I get on my tippy toes, but I can just barely reach his neck. I’m not exactly tall, and he’s... rather huge when enlarged.
“I can’t reach!”
“Here,” he crouches down. “Better?”
“Much!”
I’m gentle with him, grateful for the trust he is putting in me to let me drink his blood. I can tell he’s nervous, his heart is pounding loudly and he starts breathing quickly the second my hair brushes against his cheek. I push his hair aside, and lower my lips to his neck.
“It won’t hurt,” I whisper. “If you need me to stop, just tell me.”
He flinches a little as my fangs sink into his skin, but then he relaxes. His hands grab my waist, pulling me in closer. I get a good mouthful of the warm life sustaining liquid, but I’m still hurting. I pull away, clamping my hand to the bite wounds.
“Are you alright if I take more?” I ask. “I can use the same hole!” Holes, Lyssa. Holes.
“Yeah, we like doing that.” He says.
“What?”
“Yes, go ahead!” He replies more nervous than before.
I take a little more, and then make sure the wounds stop bleeding before I step away. I feel a lot better, giddy even with his blood running through my veins. I don’t think he realizes what this means to me.
“Thank you, Bastian!”
“Yeah, you’re welcome,” he turns away, flushing as he pulls his cloak in front of him. “I need to sit down.”
I turn back to group to find them all staring, looks of disgust and mild curiosity on their faces. I smile at them, realizing my mouth is probably still red with Bastian’s blood a little too late.
“Right- to the temple?! Let’s go!”
🗡 Lyssa
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Post by kynigoskerata on Apr 26, 2021 9:13:29 GMT -5
Today I have learned that most, if not all of my companions are very easily led by magical suggestions. Which is, for the most part, good to know. It means that I don't have to worry if I want to turn them into mindless meat shields in a pinch. Or if they decide to get in the way of the mission. Though my own ability at Suggestion is not as strong as many of my own people, as I do not interact much with mortals. Outside of this mission. Still, in this case it was annoying that those foppish fools could not understand the subtleties of not killing every warmblood that you see. Fire and blood can be used in grand invasions, in battles wide and large, but in the case of this, of defeating the soulmonger that kills indiscriminately, the best weapons are word and dagger.
That feline fellow earlier had the right of it, if only he had taken stock of the makeup of our party, he might even have succeeded. But to poison, when one of us is clearly already deadish, and the other a Yuan-ti? He was clearly an idiot with a single brain cell chugging away.
I was tempted to dig up the fresh meat that Bastion had decided to bury. No sense letting food go to waste in this inhospitable environment, but considering warmbloods attachment to other warmbloods, felt that may be too much at this point. Lyssa can have her burial, I will not disturb the corpse, even if I don't rightly know why she cares so much.
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Post by Aileen on May 3, 2021 11:14:05 GMT -5
Passing the bodies of the yuan ti we head toward the shrine. Orvex reads us the inscription on the obelisk: “Unk urges us to contrast all actions before acting.” He tells us Unk was the flail snail, and his priests were contemplative but prone to indecision. We walk up to the doors, and an idea strikes me.
“Maybe we’re supposed to think in front of these doors?”
“Hmm, perhaps,” Valira takes up a position in front of them. “I’ll begin.”
“I shall ponder as well.” I say, joining her.
“You have fun staring at a door, I’m going to check out this outbuilding.” Says Bastian.
He leaves us to check it out, and it’s not long before I hear him mention something about keys. I leave the door, running over to the outbuilding. Hawthorn follows after me.
“Wow, you thought for a total of 45 seconds!” Bastian remarks.
“I’m not really a thinker,” I mumble, looking in at the keys. “Ok, I’m going in!”
I go in the old building and immediately start pulling keys off the wall and putting them in my bag. The rusty and broken ones I do not take. It takes a bit but I get them off and then we head back to the door. Of course there is no keyhole.
Valira and Bastian both take turns trying to open the door, and I watch Bastian struggle to push for a little bit before I get in next to him and push. It opens with a grinding of stone, heavy as the other ones. We walk in, and see a huge statue of what I assume is a flail snail. I smell something familiar, the scent of undeath. Something is behind the flail snail! Before I can warn anyone else three ghasts charge out and attack! I get clawed a few times, And Valira is battered around a bit, but it doesn’t take long for us to take them out. As we check the bodies we notice blue triangles tattooed on their heads, but can’t figure out what they mean.
I start looking at the keyhole and the keys I brought in as Bastian climbs up on the statue. Valira grabs the six keys off the wall in here, and when they are laid together they match the pattern of one of my keys. I put it in the lock and give it a little turn. A pedestal opens just as Bastian and Hawthorn fall off the statue laughing, and there’s another cube! This one has a flail snail on it, of course, and it quickly joins the other three in my bag.
We head back to the cat house to rest and recover from our injuries courtesy of the yuan ti. Not long after we start our rest is it interrupted by the sound of something big heading our way. We dash outside and see four undead ogres shambling our way.
“Shoot them!” Bastian shouts at Artus.
“I’m gonna back up first, I’m doing what the snake guy was doing. Seemed to be a good idea. Also, you’re not my supervisor!”
It does work out well, and he gets some good hits in. I run back a bit and start shooting. Dragonbait charges in, sword blazing, and he and giant Bastian keep the ogres occupied. I switch out to my rapier, run in and kill one, then run back. Only two are left soon, and I notice Artus isn’t shooting because he doesn’t have a perfect shot where he’s standing.
“Artus, there’s a thing called legs- you can use them!”
“Hey maybe the next time you’re dying of poison, I’ll just let you sleep.”
“Rude!”
The last two are quickly finished off, and we return inside to rest. Nothing more disturbs us, and soon we move on to find the next temple or whatever exciting thing we stumble across.
As we are checking out across the street from the last temple some movement down by the lava pit catches my eye. Little figures seem to be dancing, and they have something tied up. They appear to be mushroom people, and their captive a grung!
“Hey, there’s some weird ritual going on- I’m going to sneak closer and watch!” I whisper to Bastian.
I hide in a bush and am enjoying watching the little guys dancing and chanting. They start rolling the grung toward the edge, which I’m okay with knowing how awful grungs are. Suddenly an arrow whizzes out of the bushes and takes down a mushroom man. The chanting stops as the little guys snap their attention near my direction. Looking over I see Valira putting another arrow to her string. Of course she would! I have had it with her and her killing anything that moves, impetuous decisions, and general disdain for anyone or anything! I stand up.
“There’s a yuan ti in the bushes!” I yell, running over to her hiding spot. I punch her in the face. “I liked their song! Dammit, Valira!”
The little guys start attacking Valira, and the leader’s little four legged plant creature does too. Valira kills it with her scimitar. The one she shot and killed stands up, and a moment later the four legged one knits itself back together. Guess they don’t die! Life finds a way!
Satisfied they’re not attacking me, I run over to the grung to see why it’s being put in the lava. It’s babbling away in a language I don’t understand. Bastian comes over and gets on the other side of the grung, and the line of mushroom men starts trying to push us both in the lava.
“We’re here to help!” Bastian calls out in elvish. “We will destroy the frog person!”
He repeats in a couple languages I don’t know, but they don’t seem to speak any of them. I pick one of the mushroom guys up, trying to let them know I’m not a threat, but it breaks free of my grasp and they still try to push me in. Bastian lifts up the grung and swiftly tosses him over the edge into the lava. The mushroom men that aren’t transfixed by Hawthorn’s hypnotic pattern all cheer.
“Bastian- they’re going to try to kill her now!” Screeches Hawthorn.
Kill who? Oh, me! They’ve got me even closer to the edge now. One of the mushroom men, overcome with elation, throws himself into the lava after the grung.
“Bastian, I was right! They’re a death cult!” Shouts Hawthorn.
Hmm. Maybe I should join in! I do a little dance, mimicking the mushroom men, and jump over the edge.
“Ungu lungaaa!!!” I scream.
I quickly grab the wall, stopping myself from falling to my fiery death.
“Lyssa lost her mind and threw herself in!” I hear Bastian yell, horrified.
I can only silently giggle as I make my way over to the other side of the wall. Looking over to my right I see another temple, separated from land by about 60ft. Waiting a moment for dramas sake, I pull myself back up and raise my arms in the air.
“I am your god!” I shout. “I have returned!”
No reaction whatsoever. Well, I tried. I hiss at them and run, taking off after the others as Valira continues to fight. She made her bed, I’m leaving her to sleep in it. I catch up to the others, and after a minute fee something slam into the back of my head.
“That’s for punching me!”
So Valira made it out.
“That was completely unnecessary!” I hiss, baring my fangs.
She hisses right back.
“Hey, friends… and frenemy… I saw another temple when I was hanging onto the lava cliff! It’s over here!”
“Lead us!” Says Bastian. “And let’s hope nobody got to it first.”
The trip is a waste. We get across the chasm with ropes only to find the temple of Moa has already been raided by yuan ti, leaving many bodies in their wake. They all seem to be careless and messy from my experiences with them. We leave and head to the next temple.
This next building a bit further away from the lava pit has carvings of bears with sharp claws. Orvex tells us it is the shrine of Obulaka, the Zorbu.
“Orbulaka teaches us to tread warily and stay in the light.”
I check the door for traps and start squeaking it open when four small creatures come sneaking up around the building towards us. They’re wearing random pieces of jewelry and things that look like they belonged to humans. They’re absolutely adorable, but clearly have sharp claws at the ends of their little paws.
“Zorbos!” Artus whispers.
“They’re so cute!” I gush, stepping closer. “Hi little guys!”
“Lyssa, be careful!” Orvex warns.
I notice they’re staring at my neck, and reach up to unclasp the gaudy macaw pin. Their eyes light right up. I step forward and they scramble back. I set the pin down and back away. One runs up and grabs it, then starts begging for more. I repeat the process and put the little jade statuette down. They all start fighting over the shiny things, one of them clearly in charge. We keep giving them shiny stuff and soon they are preoccupied with them. We proceed into the building.
The first thing we come to is eight empty torch brackets. Bastian takes out torches and he and I start trying to see if there is some kind of pattern in putting torches in the brackets. We find nothing. The hall goes around the corner to a door, which I go and open.
This room has a big pool in the center, with the image of a moon in it. The ceiling of this room is a sun. Valira walks in the pool, but nothing happens. I climb up the wall and onto the ceiling, looking down at the others.
“Bastian, you should come up here!”
“I don’t have freaky spider legs like you, Lyssa.”
“Sorry! Should I jump in the pool?!”
Valira dips under the surface of the water and disappears.
“Oh, cool! I’m jumping!”
I let go of the ceiling and plummet the ten feet into the water with a splash. I resurface in a pool, with Valira standing nearby. This ceiling has a full moon on it, and the reflection on the water is a sun. The walls are covered in carvings of Omuans doing basic things. Seconds later everyone else appears with us, out of the water.
“I can’t see anything!”
“Take my hand, Bastian!”
I reach back and grab his hand, and he relaxes.
“There’s a secret door!” I say, pulling him along with me.
“Aren’t you scared of the dark?” He asks me.
“Yes, that’s why I’m holding your hand!”
I try pushing the secret door open but it doesn’t budge.
“It’s a pull door!” Valira snaps, pushing me aside. She can’t open it either.
She moves onto the door on the other side of the room as I try and fail to pick the door. There’s got to be some way to open it! Valira opens the door and goes in.
“Hey, I found the cube!” She calls.
“Grab it!” I reply.
“I would have if I thought it was an option!”
We join her in the other room, finding torches burning in eight brackets on the wall, and a statue of a bald man tipped over on the ground. The floor in here is a mosaic of a bear fighting a horned rabbit. Valira grabs the cube and puts it in my bag.
“Ugh, I feel weird!” I say, panic coming over me. Looking at my hands, for a moment my fingers seem to be hardening to stone, but then it’s gone. I feel… cursed. “Ahh! I’m getting out of here!”
I run to the other room and jump in the pool. The feeling is still with me, and I panic and drop my bag. I dip under the water and am in the other pool. It’s still happening! Screaming I run out of the pool, then back in. I come up the other side again, just as Bastian dips two torches into the water right in my face. Luckily I don’t get burnt, and the feeling is gone as Valira runs past me.
“She took the cube!” Bastian says. “Are you okay?”
“I think so!”
Bastian runs back and grabs more torches, snuffing them out in the pool.
“Well, hopefully that helped.”
“Where was Valira going?”
“Oh probably taking the cube to her yuan ti brethren,” he sighs. “Um… it’s dark again.”
I take Bastian’s hand once more. I really hope Valira didn’t get too far.
🗡Lyssa
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Post by kynigoskerata on May 3, 2021 16:26:29 GMT -5
The sun shone brightly over my head as I ventured deep into the jungle wastes, in search of adventure, danger, laughs, love, joy, pain, and all the things that make life worth living. There was never anything as exciting as having an innocent behind you, staring down a ferocious pack of monsters with the only way out being theough them. Though... those raucous moments of partying after the fighting has died down are very much fun as well. In some ways, the very nature of mortality that humans, dwarves, and even elves have to go through make the parties all the more unexpected and enjoyable for it.
Anyways, I am getting a little bit off topic, why I haven't even introduced myself yet. I am Ciara Titan-Eater, former fae of the Summer Court, and now a simplish mortal of the material planes. When I went and played that little joke on her majesty, she decided I needed to cool my heels here for a few decades before she decides to take me back, or possibly she has already forgotten me, and I will be stuck here for the rest of my now mortal life... however long that will be. That said, it hasn't all been bad. Yes, I no longer can create from nothing delights and curiosities like I could in the Fey Wilds, but the curios and mysteries of the mortal realms are not so insignificant that they cannot create laughter and enjoyment as well.
That's why I am here in this jungle after all. I have been to many different parts of the world, and in each place I have found wonders and signs that perhaps, mortality is not the curse that... Queen of the Summer thought it would be. The ruins and secrets of Chult offer such delights and dangers in equal turns that I do not think a hundred mortal lives could find them all!
This city for example, I have only been here a few days and already there are many questions that need to be answered. Who killed the nice little dragon lovers in their basement hideout, as well as the great feathered beast that has its footprints all over the place? I know that some mean snake-folk have been plundering ruins, but there is evidence that other parties have too, damage that is quite unlike the cold blooded beings usual methods. Are they friend? Frenemies? Enemies? Foes? Munchkins? This will be very exciting to find out!
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Post by kynigoskerata on May 7, 2021 16:01:30 GMT -5
Ciara stalked the forest, bravely flinging herself into danger for her friends! Bashing aside the monsters and demons that came upon them, she struck out with her rapier, shield in hand as she was backed into a corner, no, fighting on a cliff's edge! Lava moved below like a raging river of the Fey Wilds, and she struck out again, blood dripping, quips running off her tongue as fast as she could make them. She was the hero to save not only their minds, bodies, and souls, but their smiles as well! This fight was hers for the taking! Her new friends smiled in gratefulness, their sword arms tired snd ready for rest, but she could...
Ciara woke with a start, and she instinctively reached for her blade, making ready for a fight to come. Instead, she found her new feathered friend dying in front of her, hacking up blood and turning a shadr of pale sbow beneath her feathered exterior. Quickly rising to her feet, Ciara reached out, her power at her fingertips reacting, ready to heal what ailments might be cursing her. As she did so, she turned to the other who had woken, as well as the already awake armored visage of her human compatriot in question.
Apparently her new friends were not the most wise, seeing as they drink poison with no thought to their own safety. Still, it was good to know that they were willing to take such actions in stride. She felt her feyish blood rising, a desire to play and plot and prank rising in her stomach as surely as the wizards food had risen in his. If she did not get some excitement soon, she would have to make her own.
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Post by Aileen on May 9, 2021 18:00:43 GMT -5
Hawthorn, Bastian and I attempt to get the torches to the entry hallway and light them, but apparently the torches are broken- the damn things won’t light! So, we bring them back to dry and light them. To our amazement, they light the second they go in the room! I head back into the pool room and try opening the secret door again, but it has me stumped. So, I start examining the wall by it. It doesn’t take me long to find artwork of people making a key. I press the key, and it gives under my fingers. The secret door opens!
“I got it!!” I call, excited. “Bastian, bring the torches!”
“Can you check to see where it goes?”
“I guess…”
I go in, and down a hallway filled with spiderwebs, clearly unused in quite some time. It leads to a door with bars on it, which I’m able to take off. I open the door and find myself in the entry hallway. Walking forward, I see Valira! She’s standing in the doorway!
“Hey Val! We could use your h- sh**! You’re stone!”
She’s solid, stopped mid walk with the cube in her hand. Looks like the curse got her, what would have happened to me!
“Hold tight, Val- we will save you!”
I run back and nearly collide with Bastian, walking in with the torches in his arms.
“Bastian, be careful! Don’t burn your handsome little face!”
“They’re not hot!”
“Oh that’s good! I searched the tunnel!”
“What does it lead to?!”
“Valira!”
“Hoo!”
“Valira, I just said that!”
We go through the tunnel together and when we get to the hallway I realize Valira’s statue has moved. Worried it’s going down a slope on its on, I rush forward and see why it’s moving. My little Zorbo friends! They’re dragging her away! Hawthorn throws them a bloodstone, which they ignore. Seems like we’re going to have to fight for ownership of statue Valira.
I attack, apologizing profusely as I stab one of my little friends. It’s as if they go from cute and cuddly to vicious murderous beasts in the blink of an eye! One claws into me so hard that it tears right through my armor, exposing my now torn and bloodied shirt below. I’m hurt pretty bad from just a few swipes of these little guys.
“Lyssa, move, I’ll take your place!” Bastian calls, and I obey.
They swipe me again before my big handsome friend switches places with me. I catch my breath, trying to stop the bleeding as Bastian attacks. Hawthorn moves and gives me an opening to attack, and I get back in with Bastian. One of the Zorbus kills another one thanks to Bastian’s special rune skills, and we finish off the other two. I wipe tears out of my eyes as I take back my macaw pin and other junk we gave them.
“Alright, let’s put the torches in the brackets!” I say to Bastian, who’s already picking them all back up. He places them in the torch brackets.
“How long we’re you guys going to let me stay stone for?” Valira’s voice suddenly comes from the door. She steps into view, holding the cube. “Lyssa, your bag?”
“Is it safe?”
“Do I look like I’m worried?”
“I don’t know, you never really have any expression besides active b**** face.”
She puts the cube in my bag. I’m totally fine.
“I mean… I’m glad you’re okay, Val!”
I go to hug her, but she sidesteps me and heads for the secret door.
“Let’s go find the bald guy.” She says.
We find him before he finds us. He’s coming into the passageway, screaming.
“WHERE’S MY CUBE?!” His voice echoes.
“The zorbos took it!” I shout back as we approach the bend.
Val runs up closer, bow drawn.
“What do you want with my cube?” She challenges him.
“It’s mine!” He snarls.
“Finders keepers!” She shoots him.
“Ah, so you have it!” He starts casting a spell.
I run to him, and swiftly slash him across the abdomen. He falls over, twitches twice, and dies in a pool of blood.
“Poor guy,” I mutter, immediately raiding his belongings.
I find a pouch of gems, which I immediately slip into my bag, a metal rod with buttons on it, and a red leather bound book of what I assume is magic spells. I hand the book off to Hawthorn and Valira requests to examine the rod. She looks at it for a moment, and holds it out in front of her and presses a button. Turns out it can just float in mid air and can’t be moved! Not the most useful thing, but cool at least. I blink away black spots that appear in my vision, fighting a wave of dizziness. I’m horribly bloodied and sliced up thanks to the Zorbo claws.
“Ugh, where is Melvakri when you need her?!” I complain, stumbling into Bastian as I get to my feet. “I’m horribly injured!”
“Do you need blood?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t possibly take more of yours!” I say, smiling up at him.
“Take it!” He pulls his collar aside, exposing those luscious veins.
“I mean, if you insist!”
I take a drink, noticing how fast his heart rate goes when even just from touching him. Feeling slightly better, I pull away and make sure he stops bleeding.
“Thank you, darling!” I say with a smile, clapping him on the back. “You’re very sweet. Oh, and you might want to eat some more Dino meat, your iron tastes a little low!”
“Um… yeah, I’ll get right on that.” He flushes bright red, rubbing his neck and turning away.
We leave the temple, meeting up with Orvex sitting in a bush outside. He jumps when we find him, but is relieved that it’s us and not yuan ti.
“Where’s Artus?” Bastian asks.
“He got all paranoid, said something about not letting the Red Wizards get his ring… he ran off with Dragonbait and hid.”
“Are the red wizards bald guys with red robes?” I ask.
“Oh you sweet simple girl, yes, that is them.”
“Oh. We killed one!”
“Excellent. There’s more, and I suggest we don’t cross their path. Where to next?”
We head to what looks like a ruined inner city, the streets flooded and choked with rubble. Dozens of bats wheal overhead, and I wonder if any of them are distant relatives.
“Are they having a vampire family reunion?” I ask aloud. “I didn’t get an invite!”
“Lyssa, it’s broad daylight!” Bastian says.
“So?”
“Bats don’t go out in broad daylight.” Says Hawthorn.
“I’m outside, though.” I don’t understand what they’re getting at.
“And what do you suppose would happen if your dear mother were to go outside in nice sunny Chult?” Hawthorn asks.
“She wouldn’t, she’d bust into- ohhh. So there is no family reunion?”
Bastian shakes his head and starts walking toward the ruins. We join him, going in to what seems to be an overgrown courtyard. I find a passage of some sort hidden by palm fronds, and am just about to start exploring it when three huge snakes slither in. Suddenly they morph into the snake head guys, Malisons!
“Can you do that, Valira?”
“No. I’m not that far along.” She looks a little glum.
“You’re pregnant?” Hawthorn asks.
“No! Do you know of the destiny of Yuan Ti? I suppose not, you’re an owl.” She hisses, pulling out her bow.
Brave Bastian charges in, and the Malisons surround him. It’s a quick fight, me jumping in and out of combat as I do. We head into the den, me in the front, and get to exploring. The passage is lit by multiple green, glowing lamps and centipedes skitter along the floors and walls. We come to a cavern further in, sneaking along in the corridor, and I see boats in an underground river and four scaly skinned guards. I turn around and make hand signals at Valira, who rolls her eyes and heads into the chamber. She understood me, then! She goes and speaks to them in their snaky language, and they bow their heads to her respectfully. It seems to be going well until Val tries to get in a door, then starts casting a spell. They immediately get suspicious, and it gets worse when Valira backhands one across the face. They quickly beat her down, leaving her unconscious and bleeding on the ground.
I run in, charging one of the guards, and completely tripping over a rock and missing with my rapier. I run back to the corridor and hide, Vigilant charging past me to stand over Valira’s body. By the time Bastian gets in there, Vigilant is down. I come back in and shoot one, cringing as Bastian is slashed badly across the face. Hawthorn comes in and kills one with some brutal magic, and then two charge in on me. I watch in horror as Bastian is taken down, as I’m clawed and beaten by my two. I break free and run, climbing up the wall. The two follow me, angrily yelling at me in their language. Bastian gets back up! He looks terrible, half his face a mess of blood, but he’s alive!
One of my guys runs off, clearly getting more of them, and two of them jump on the newly risen Bastian. He goes right back down. I start shooting from the wall, pissed off and really worried about Valira. She looks far too pale. I kill one, and Bastian gets back up again. He kills the remaining one. I run off the wall and toward Valira.
“She’s dead,” Bastian says. “She’s too far gone.”
“No! Val, you can’t leave me you b****! We were becoming besties!” I sob, grabbing her bag.
We leave back the way we came, and immediately run into another Yuan Ti! I draw my sword again, screeching a warning, but she holds her hands up. Suddenly she’s no longer a Yuan Ti! She looks… friendly.
“Hi!” She says. “You people look awful! Are you alright?”
“No, we are not alright!” I pant. “Our friend just died and the yuan ti are coming!”
“Oh, you poor man- let me heal you!” She says to Bastian, grabbing him. His bleeding stops.
“You’re a healer?!” He gasps.
“Sort of. Anyone else wounded?”
“Yes!” I nearly throw myself at her, and she gives me some healing. “Thank you! You’re amazing! Now let’s go, we aren’t safe here!”
Without another word we bring our new found friend back toward the cat’s den.
“Are you undead?” She asks me as we walk. “You don’t smell undead, but… somethings different.”
“Can’t you see the rise and fall of my chest?” I snap back.
“I can!” Mutters Bastian. I blush.
“I’m half undead,” I tell her. “Mama’s a vampire. Dad’s an elf. I’m half vampire.”
“Interesting. Do you drink blood?”
“Only when I need to. Don’t worry, unless you’re an enemy I don’t bite without consent. Here we are- this den used to belong to a tabaxi before he went insane and tried to kill us. Don’t drink anything from a gourd or eat the soup!”
We eventually learn her name is Ciara Titan-Eater. Guess we were so distracted by her ability to heal we didn’t really care what her name is. I think we are all relieved to have someone else with the ability to heal our wounds, and she seems nice. I quickly fall asleep, having nightmares about Valira dying over and over again, and I soon wake up to horrible, blood curdling screaming. I sit upright in my bedroll, and see Bastian and Ciara trying to help Hawthorn who is clearly dying. Guess the gourd she drank finally caught up to her!
Suddenly a horrible, shambling mound of vegetation comes down the stairs. My heart races, flashbacks to the assassin vines nearly killing me flashing in my head. Dammit owl, stop your screaming!!! Bastian runs over and hits it, knocking it prone. I run over and attack, but it quickly gets up and slashes at me with a vine tendril. I sink into blackness.
—-
“Lyssa, wake up! Please!”
I feel someone petting my hair, and wake up gasping for air. My head is in Bastian’s lap, and Ciara kneels over me.
“Oh, good, she’s back!” Ciara smiles.
“Thank you!” I gasp, panting.
“Anytime! I need to go see to the owl.”
I sit up with Bastian’s help, and hug him tightly. His kitten peeks out of his armor, mewing at me.
“Did you kill the plant?!”
“Yes, it’s dead. Hawthorn’s screaming attracted it. It engulfed you.”
“Well, she shouldn’t have drank the damn gourd! I’m going back to sleep. Can I cuddle your kitten? I keep having nightmares.”
“I’m sure Sam would love that,” he smiles, taking the little kitten out of his armor and handing him to me. “I’ll wake you up for your watch in a little bit. Sweet dreams.”
I return to my bedroll, watching Bastian resume his watch as I pet little Sam. I shudder as a strange thing occurs to me. I think I’m getting feelings for Bastian, and it scares me. I can’t get attached to a human, they’re fragile and live such short lives! Not to mention there’s a death curse. I’m half monster, how could he ever fully trust me? He’s only just starting to let me closer to him, I think he even enjoys when I drink his blood. How could I ever bring him home to meet my family, if he even did like my back? ‘Hi mom, this is Bastian, please don’t drain his blood, thanks?’ Oh, Lyssa, just go to sleep!
—-
The next day we head out, going to a part of the city we haven’t been to yet. We chat as we stroll along, not seeing anything dangerous roaming around.
“So you’re a vampire that’s afraid of plants?” Ciara asks.
“Yes. They’re horrible! I blame my mom… when I was little she was a horrible cook, because she’s been a vampire so long. She fed me nothing but broccoli for a week straight. It took me projectile vomiting green all over the manor for her to hire a human cook!”
“Was she not human once?” Hawthorn asks.
“Oh, about three hundred years before I was born she was. At least I get to have her around forever.”
We reach a big lake full of crocodiles, with a small temple across the water. Walls nearby have a carving of a long legged and beaked bird, and Orvex reads us an inscription.
“Papazotal teaches us to bow before no one.”
“Maybe it means bow before no one?” I add.
“It could… but it doesn’t. But, it could.” Orvex pats me on the head.
Hawthorn takes the immovable rod from me and flies up as Ciara talks to the crocs. The owl puts the rod in midair and ties a rope to it, with our intentions being to swing across. I volunteer to go first, jumping onto the rope and trying to swing. It doesn’t work, and I’m stuck hanging over the lake. Luckily, I can climb like it’s nothing. I skitter up the rope and put my feet on the rod, hanging upside down just as the crocs begin to attack my friends on land. I start shooting as they fight the crocs, and soon they finish them off. Only for a giant croc to come out from behind the temple and into the water.
“Put an arrow into it, maybe it will scare it off!” Bastian shouts to me.
I shoot it. It goes right for the others, completely unbothered.
“Put another arrow in it, maybe it will scare it off!”
It grapples poor Bastian, beating the crap out of him with its horrible jaws. Hawthorn perches on top of the rod, above me, and slings spells as I continue to shoot. One of Hawthorn’s spells finishes it off, and we all breathe sighs of relief.
We figure out how to get across, but all of us end up wet. Sadly when we get to the temple, it has already been raided. This time there are no Yuan Ti bodies. It looks like a professional job- clearly the Yuan Ti are not alone. Perhaps the Red Wizards are joining in on the race to collect the cubes.
🗡 Lyssa
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Post by kynigoskerata on May 17, 2021 12:05:06 GMT -5
Well, we have done slightly better all things considered, seeing as we haven't yet been found by the majority of the snakefolk that ingest these caverns. Even better though is that we were able to save those people from a decidely cruel and unusual fate. To be scrifices, or even worse, to be changed so forcibly into one of these monstrosities is a fate that I wouldn't wish on any man, woman, or child. What's more, I even was able to make them laugh a bit, healing some of the pain they have been through, enough to get them out of their drug induced stupor and help them run from this place. I hope that they can make it back to the city alright, but that is not the mission.
To be honest, the sight of these creatures raises my hackles something fierce, and I have no doubt that I will be doing very unkind things in the near future in order to rectify the monstrous actions that these cold hearted monsters have put the innocents of this land through. When I came to be as I am now, mortal that is, I was angry. With what little power my blood had left, I lashed out against the world, harming people who had never done anything to me. Then I learned...
Long story short, I reneged on my anger and learned forgiveness, something as near impossible for a fae as aging seems to be. I took up the sword, and the shield. I took an oath in the old woods, to protect people, nature, and most importantly, the smiles and hearts of the innocent, so that they never know the pain I dished out in my younger years. Yuan-ti are an affront to the work I have been doing. So is this Soulmonger business for that matter. Both will be dealt with as best I can, this I swear!
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Post by Aileen on May 17, 2021 12:56:04 GMT -5
It’s a lovely morning and Omu, and we’ve already done so much but have a whole day ahead of us! We decide to go check out the amphitheater now that it’s ruler, the massive T-Rex, is dead. On the way to the pretty waterfall that we’re going to check out, we hear a strange foreboding chittering. Looking up there 11 angry baboons baring their fangs at us!
I kill one of the smelly things before another bites me. The others are all preoccupied with their own baboons, so when two more charge me and deliver more bites and scratches, I resort to desperate measures. I whip out my dagger and along with my rapier make quick work of two of them.
“It’s okay, I’ve got this!” I snap as Ciara helps Bastian with his baboons. This last one is really biting me good!
Ciara sighs and kills mine before giving me a smile. Ugh, I can’t stay mad at her. The baboons taken care of, we proceed onward to the waterfall. The others are checking out the pool and wondering what’s behind the waterfall, volunteering me to check it out.
“Yeah I’ll go in, but I want to climb up there first!”
I skitter up the cliff face, and stand on top of the rocks. The waterfall roars down next to me, a thing of true natural beauty. I look out over the city of Omu and gasp as I see a stunning sight. The sun gleams off white stone buildings and domed roofs, a magnificent city full of beauty and life. But as I watch, fires burn through the city, wraiths circle overhead, and in the middle of Omu is a sphere of utter darkness, growing and consuming. I look down to see my friends below, but when I look back the city is as it was before. A desolate place full of broken buildings. Did I just see the tragedy that befell Omu all those years ago?
I skitter down the cliff-face, and leap behind the waterfall when I’m further down. There’s absolutely nothing behind it, much to my great disappointment. I come back out, cooled off from the waters, and rejoin my friends.
“I think I just tripped up there!” I say to them.
“I didn’t see you trip,” says Hawthorn. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“No, this is from the baboons,” I say, wiping the bleeding cut on my chin. “I mean like mentally tripped- I saw Omu as it once was! It was so gorgeous! But then darkness and fire and wraiths destroyed it.”
“Maybe you’re dehydrated,” says Ciara.
“No, I definitely saw it! Anyway, I suggest you all shower here if you want to, the waterfall is safe and the water feels nice!”
“I smell fine.” Bastian says.
“Yes, you smell like musk and manliness, but I wouldn’t exactly call us clean.”
“No time for that,” he retorts. “To the amphitheater!”
We continue on to the amphitheater, and it’s just as silent as it was when we came by here before. I’m beginning to worry that maybe there is another dinosaur laying in wait, perhaps the wife or kids, and my fears are realized when I see several raptors stalking us. I thought I gave a cry of warning, but Bastian later told me I just made an excited noise of glee before running at them. They quickly take me down, and the next thing I know I’m waking up to Ciara and Bastian kneeling over me.
“Thank you,” I gasp. “I learned my lesson!”
“Did you, though?” Bastian smirks. “Just like the baboon fight. I’m sure you’ll charge right into the next one, too!”
“Well, you’re not wrong. I’ll try to be more careful.”
“I’m sure you will.” He helps me to my feet, and I grab my rapier. “They’re all hypnotized, let’s finish them off.”
The dinos all dead, we go into the amphitheater and look around. We find some treasure, including an awesome helmet that just happens to look like an owl. Ciara tries it on but we end up giving it to our actual owl. We rest up in the amphitheater, and as we are sitting around I watch in horror as Ciara rips out one of her canine teeth. I nearly faint as she hands it to me.
“Ciara, that’s the worst thing you could do to a vampire! It’s a big ‘f*** you!’”
“Well, good thing I’m not a vampire,” she says, spitting out a mouthful of blood. I look down at it, stomach growling as I mourn the waste of the precious liquid. “If you have this on you I can see through it and hear you. So if you get in trouble I know what’s happening.”
“Aw, that’s very nice, Ciara! I’ll wear it around my neck!”
After another hour of resting we head out to the next shrine we haven’t been to, and of course it’s already been raided. This seems to be a shrine to a grung god, and we find dead grungs and some Yuan Ti everywhere. Of course we find nothing, and decide to head back to the Yuan Ti cave. These bastards have gotten away with thwarting us long enough, it’s time for us to get payback.
We find the bodies of the guards we killed and nobody seems to have taken their place. So I decide to make a journey along the walls of the cavern along the river to see what could be ahead. Hawthorn makes me invisible, and off I go. I see a cool looking cavern on the other side, so instead of getting wet crossing the river I head back to the entrance to cross over. I find Bastian sitting on the ground gathering sticks and Ciara tossing him more.
“Don’t scream, it’s just me. I found a cave and I’m gonna go look!”
“Ahh! Okay, disembodied Lyssa!” Bastian says, focused on whatever he’s doing.
I head to the cave and find it is covered in all sorts of colorful fungi and there’s a skeleton at the far end. He also has a key! I could go in and get it, but I don’t want to set off some fungal spores and go crazy, so I head back for help. Hawthorn comes back with me, flying along the river as I skitter on the wall. As she starts to fly in I remember seeing some slimy thing dripping in the entrance as I was leaving before.
“Hawthorn!” I hiss. “Watch out for the slime!”
I probably shouldn’t have said anything. She gets all paranoid, taking forever to go in the cave and doing magic to get to the key instead of just flying in and grabbing it. I should have just gone in and taken it, and not grabbed her, but I guess it’s a lesson learned. She sets off a puff of spores anyway when she grabs the key and the skeletons head falls forward, and then flies away leaving me inside.
“Thanks for leaving me, Hawthorn!” I snap, coughing as the spores fill the air. I don’t feel any ill effects, thankfully.
“Sorry, I can’t see you!”
“Take the key back, I’m going to look further ahead!”
I head along the wall further down the river, and soon see a strange sight. There’s a pillar of rock in the water surrounded with bones like a tide line. Further beyond that is a pebble shore bank with a door in the wall. Of course I want to check out the door, so I climb down into the water, and careful not to get my hair wet I start wading across. Big mistake!
A huge snake head peaks out of the water, followed by another, and then another. Whatever it is, it seems to have one huge body under the surface. Five heads pop up in total, and I’m out of there! I splash up out of the water and climb back on the wall, running horizontally back to the entrance without looking back. Luckily it doesn’t follow right after, but it could still follow me!
I get back to my friends and find them having a stick battle in the sand. I run up to them in a panic and throw myself behind Bastian.
“Ahh! Don’t mess with our stick battle!” He shouts.
“There’s a snakey thing!” I shriek. “There was a bone beach, and a door, but then these snakey boys came out of the water and it was really big and- why are you having a stick battle?!”
“Because it’s fun! Now slow down, what did you see?” He says, trying to grab my shoulder I think to calm me but grabbing my chest instead. I don’t correct him.
“A huge thing with snake heads! Five of them, at least!”
“A hydra?!” Hawthorn asks.
“I don’t f***ing know! I ran! It could be following!”
Luckily after waiting for a bit, it never comes. So we decide to check the rest of this place and not mess with the hydra. I sneak down the corridor the guard ran down before and find an interesting gathering. In a muddy cavern, the floor covered in dead grass and palm fronds, I see 13 slaves of various races being guarded by four of the same Yuan Ti that were guarding the river bank. There’s also a surprisingly attractive snake body Yuan Ti wearing a red, bejeweled headdress looking at himself in a golden hand mirror. A young Chultan boy attends him, speaking to the slaves and translating. I see an opening, a chance to potentially free the slaves, and I take it. Hoping that Ciara is watching through my tooth pendent, I sneak along the wall and enter the room. The Yuan Ti is so absorbed in his reflection that he never sees me coming. I get behind him, and thrust my rapier in to what I think might be the back of his knee. My reflection suddenly appear in his hand mirror, and he stares back at me with cold, emotionless eyes.
“You ssstruck me!” He hisses.
“There can only be one beautiful fanged one!” I laugh, pulling my sword out.
He suddenly lashes out with his tail, and grabs me. His coils tighten around me before I can try to make an escape, and I feel my legs threatening to break under the pressure. I seem to have made a mistake.
“That will teach you to stab me!”
I stab him with rapier and dagger, but he holds me fast. I see giant Bastian trying to squeeze in the doorway, and he throws a hand axe in to no effect. The guards all move in to their master, and attack me. I take one good punch in the head and I’m out like a light, the coils loosening as I fall to unconsciousness, Bastian yelling about lessons not being learned the last thing I hear.
Ciara wakes me up, and I sit up with a massive headache and covered in my own blood. I groan, taking in the scene of carnage.
“Who killed the pretty boy snakey guy?” I ask.
“I did,” Ciara grins. “You alright?”
“I’ve been better,” I get to my feet. “I’ve also been worse.”
I start gathering up things from the dead yuan ti as Ciara entertains the now free slaves. I wrap his headdress around my hair like a headband, keeping the blood and sweat out of my eyes, and take the iron key. The slaves give us information about this place, who is where and what is what, what goes on where and who is there. It’s all very valuable, but I’m very nervous to press on. I’m very injured and the others don’t look much better. Ciara is the best off out of all of us, and she has the advantage of being able to disguise herself as a yuan ti- so, she does some scouting. I can’t help but feel a little hurt by my job being taken away for the moment, but I’m not doing so hot.
“Lyssa, do you need blood?” Hawthorn asks.
“Yes, I could use some. But I’m not taking it from innocent people, and I’m not taking any from Bastian right now.”
He nods in thanks, leaning against the wall and panting with exhaustion.
“You could have some of mine,” Hawthorn offers. “Mines just as good as theirs!”
“No, Hawthorn, you’re not as strong as Bastian. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m surprisingly hardy, young lady! If you need it, just ask!”
“I appreciate it. Really. But I’ll be fine.”
Ciara returns to us with news that she has run into a sassy snake, an awakened giant constrictor snake named Azi Mas, but she didn’t go in far. We ask the slaves if they know where Ras Zni may be, but they’ve never seen him. They do think he could be through a set of double doors they’ve never been to, through the underground cathedral. They also tell us of a horrible ritual that goes on here where humanoids are turned into yuan ti purebloods. There also is mention of blood baths, actual baths filled with blood that the yuan ti use- my stomach growls loudly at that, and I get some judgmental stares.
“Can we go see the sassy snake?!” I ask.
“I guess,” says Ciara. “I’ll go first, he thinks I’m one of those idiot guards.”
She goes in, and I sneak behind her. The giant snake looks at her and starts berating her, sarcastically insulting her intelligence. It’s hilarious. And then I step out.
“What is that?!” It gasps. “That’s not a Yuan Ti! They’re going to find you delicious!”
He attacks me, but doesn’t get a hit in. Hawthorn swoops in and casts a spell.
“You should leave!” She says. “Leave us alone and get out of here!”
“Yeah, I should leave.” He says, and makes no effort to go.
“Sassy snake, get out of here! Now!” I demand.
He doesn’t obey.
“Fine. I’m starving!” I snap, and bite him. The blood isn’t the best but it does the job.
He hisses angrily and lashes out as I jump away.
“What are you?! You have weapons! You have words!” He hisses to Ciara. “Just when I find you interesting, I’m going to have to eat you! You’re not really a yuan ti? They’re going to love you!”
He attacks Ciara, but misses.
“I feel oddly bad about this!” Bastian says, charging it. He misses his attack, and the snake grabs him. It starts constricting him.
Luckily, Hawthorn hits it really hard with a spell, and the snake dies, releasing Bastian. I run to his aid, hugging him.
“Oh thank the gods- I love you!”
“What?”
“I said how are you?!” I say to cover up my slip up.
“I’m fine, how are you?”
“Great. Just dandy,” I help him up. “Let’s check out this supply closet!”
We find blocks of some strange incense which apparently can cause waking nightmares- even on yuan ti! It could come in surprisingly handy if we use it right. Other than blankets and clothing we don’t find much else. So, we decide to head to the nearest place in this complex that isn’t full of horrible danger- the venom distillery! I walk along the ceiling, crouched above Ciara as she walks below. The room ahead has a bald man with a bronze syringe in hand, standing in a room with plants growing. He turns to the doorway as we come into view, and his five zombies stand at the ready. This could be fun!
🗡Lyssa
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Post by Aileen on May 24, 2021 11:33:23 GMT -5
I skitter into the poison distillery, running on the wall past the zombies as I draw my rapier. The yuan ti holding the syringe watches me as I go, a look of evil delight on his face.
“I say, what are you?! You’re a strange creature- why don’t you come down here and join us? We’re all friends, here!”
He raises his hands at me and suddenly I forget why I’m holding my sword. This lovely yuan ti gentleman is my friend! He wouldn’t hurt me, nor the zombies!
“That’s a girl, come down!” He waves me forward.
I slowly climb down and step forward, smiling at my new friend.
“Right here, right in front of me,” he motions, and I obey. “Just stay right there, you’re among friends.”
“Do you want me to do anything?” I ask.
“No, no, dear, just hang out right there.”
I jump a little when my other friends start attacking the awful people in the hallway, but I’m safe right here.
“Relax, you’re very tense,” he says. “Tell me, have you had all your shots?”
“No, I h- aaah!”
There’s a sharp pain in my neck, and I see the yuan ti depress the plunger on the syringe. Stinging liquid quickly flows through my veins, and suddenly I feel extremely sick. My legs start to buckle, but I fight it.
“Lyssa, you okay?” Bastian calls. “You look paler than normal!”
“I’m tan and beautiful!” I snap, the room spinning before my eyes.
“She’s under his effects still!” Bastian says to the others, as they continue to fight the zombies.
Melvakri destroys the zombies with her holy power, and Bastian runs in to my aid. He knocks the yuan ti unconscious, and turns just in time to catch me before collapse.
“I’ve got her!” Ciara says, rushing over and smacking me upside the head.
“Ow!” Wait… I feel better! “What was that?”
“I removed the poison. You’re welcome.”
“Thank you! What are we going about him?”
Hawthorn and Ciara tie the guy up as Bastian and I stock up on poisons. They’re useless against the Yuan Ti, but they might come in useful later with other things. I hook the horrible syringe on my belt, and look down at the tied up poisoner.
“Melvakri, can you do the honors?”
She heals him awake, and Ciara starts questioning him- but I want to know why he betrayed me. So I grab his collar and push Ciara out of the way.
“Hello friend,” I hiss. “Where’s Ras Zni?”
“Probably in his chamber. It’s in Northern part, through the Hall of War. If I tell you more will you let me return to my great work?”
“Yes!” Ciara says.
“Of course!” I say.
“I don’t trust you.” He hisses at me.
“But we’re friends! Remember that time we were friends?”
“I put a horrible spell on you! I stuck you with my special concoction!”
“Maybe I like being stuck with special concoctions!”
“Maybe we are friends,” he winks.
“Good! So you won’t mind if I have a little drink!”
I sink my fangs into his scaly neck and take the biggest drink yet. The blood isn’t my favorite, but it’s just as invigorating. Bastian has to pull me off of him, otherwise I’d have kept drinking until I got a tummy ache.
“You’re delicious!” I gasp, wiping my mouth and then licking my fingers.
“So I’ve been told!”
“We’re going to kill you,” Ciara tells him. “But maybe your death can be useful.”
She has a plan, but it just doesn’t seem feasible. So, I whip out my dagger and slit the “doctor”’s throat. Blood spurts out, hitting Hawthorn who perched nearby protesting our actions. I turn to find Bastian sulking and complaining that I said the guy tasted good.
“You taste better,” I tell him, running my fingers across his breastplate. That cheers him up.
Our plan now is for me, invisible, to crawl across the ceiling to the door of the armory. Ciara, in her Yuan Ti disguise, is going to march Bastian as her prisoner to the armory, open the door, and I’m going to go in and get the drop on the bone golem. So Hawthorn casts the spell on me, and I make my way across as Bastian and Ciara walk under me. I’m already at the door and ready when the other two are spotted.
“Halt!” A voice calls. “What are you doing? Who are you?”
“I’m bringing this prisoner to the armory,” she hisses.
“Oh, it’s a broodguard! Try not to break anything or harm the prisoner. The doctor likes to use them after.”
Ciara goes to pull the obvious push door, and it doesn’t budge. The other Yuan Ti down the hallway laugh as she struggles.
“Try lifting!” They call.
She does, gaining more hissing laughter. They continue to commentate as she fails to get the door open. I even drop the key into her cleavage for her to try, but it doesn’t fit. She throws it on the ground, throwing Bastian’s sword after it, and suddenly misty steps behind the Yuan Ti pureblood mocking her. Wait, this isn’t the plan?! What is she doing?! I quickly run along the wall, and watch as she stabs the pureblood twice. Things are not going to be pretty now- in this “Hall of War” are two basilisks tethered in alcoves, the fat pureblood, several brood guards and a massive triceratops in a cage.
I shoot the brood guard standing by the triceratops cage, but these bastards are hardy.
“Free the beasts!” The pureblood cries before Ciara kills him.
A Malison comes into the doorway and shoots at me, missing with both arrows much to my delight. Bastian charges in, picking up his sword as he goes, only to get mobbed by brood guards. The basilisks are looking around wildly, and I keep having to shake off the desire to look them deep in the eyes. Now is not the time to get petrified.
Hawthorn and Melvakri run in down the hall, standing back and slinging spells. Between Hawthorn’s hypnotic pattern and Melvakri’s guiding bolts they’ve bought us some time. The non- hypnotized basilisk breaks free and goes after poor Bastian as I try to take some of the guys down with my arrows.
“What the s***ass?! Why is everything attacking me?!”
The triceratops, now released and on a rampage, charging right at Ciara. I shoot and kill a brood guard, but there’s still so many and Bastian is not looking so hot. Melvakri moves in closer to heal him, but now is getting attacked herself. Things are not looking great. Ciara runs after the malison in the other chamber, and I can only hope she’s okay. We’re picking the brood guards off, but they’re taking a long time. The triceratops charges in behind Melvakri, and I start shooting it now and leaving the brood guards to Bastian.
“Who the hell is making all this noise?!” A woman’s voice yells from the other chamber. “Throw your weapons down or I will kill this one!”
“Do we?” Bastian asks us.
“Negotiate!” I whisper, keeping to the wall.
“Will you call off the dinosaur and your guys?” Bastian calls back.
“Yes!”
“Are you lying?”
“No. You have my word.”
Bastian throws his sword down. The woman utters a command in the snake language, and the basilisk handler orders the basilisks to back off. They close their eyes as they return to their cubbies. The triceratops snorts and returns to her cage.
“That’s a cool trick!” Bastian says.
“It’s called training.” She replies snarkily.
I back further up the wall, trying to hide as the others throw their weapons down.
“Now, now children,” the woman says, still in the other room. “We’re going to have a little discussion. Come this way.”
The others go, but I stay up high. One of the pesky brood guards points up, betraying my location.
“Get down from there, dear, you’re only going to make it harder on yourself.” The woman calls to me.
I slink down and stay on the wall, going into the other chamber.
“My, my aren’t you an interesting little thing,” she says. “Come along!”
The malison is absolutely beautiful, and I’m a little taken aback. She motions us into a room, and we follow. I’m overwhelmed by the smell of incense, and feel very calm as my hands are tied up by brood guards.
“I am Fenthaza, the nightmare speaker of this tribe,” she introduces herself. “I have questions for you, but I don’t trust you. So, I’m going to put you to work- I have some things for you to do, and then we will talk. Do any of you have a way to raise this one up?”
She points to Ciara, unconscious on the ground.
“Let us out of our bondage… bondage? Bondings? Bindings! And we will put our hands under her, then chant ‘light as a feather, stiff as a board!’ And that should-“
“Silence that one,” she orders a brood guard.
A piece of cloth is put in my mouth, but I quickly gnaw through it with my fangs as she tells Bastian what he’s going to be doing for work. He has to take a dead prisoner and feed it to the hydra. I spit and the gag falls out of my mouth.
“Creepy girl, goth chick,” she says.
“I’m not!” I sigh. “Go on…”
“You’re going to clean the dinosaur pen.”
“What?! Cant I feed the hydra instead? Or clean the blood pools?!”
“This isn’t a negotiation. Free their hands! Off to work, all of you!”
I’m lead to the triceratops pen, and handed a shovel and shown to the door. It reeks to high heaven, but I don’t exactly have to breath. I half assedly shovel the poop, but the triceratops just never stops going. Once a pile is gone, it’s replaced by a fresh one. I’m angry and tired, but soon the triceratops takes an interest in me. I find my face being nearly licked off, and she keeps rubbing her head against my back as I shovel. Eventually I take a break when the brood guards aren’t paying attention, and lean against the big dino as I pour my heart into her listening ear.
“You know, Cera, you’re a good listener! The others don’t get me, but you do! Bastian thinks I’m scary, but he’s also really sweet and caring and gets mad when I run off and get hurt… do you think he likes me? Maybe he’s just annoyed. Oh, will you stop sh**ting?!”
Hours later I am freed from my duties, exhausted and smelling of dinosaur dung. I’m lead to the slave pen where I find the others much cleaner and less tired than I am. Seems I was the only one to do actual work. Ciara is awake, but recovering and was given a blanket by the other slaves. We are given gruel and advised to get some rest before we have to do it all again tomorrow. I lay down next to Bastian, and am surprised when he gets up even closer, putting an arm around me.
“You looked cold,” he says.
“Thank you, Bastian. I’m sorry I smell.”
“You smell just fine,” he says. “Go to sleep.”
I sleep great with him next to me, and when I wake up to brood guards coming to grab us I barely notice how sore I am from s*** cleaning all day. We are taken to Fenthaza, and I’m pleased to see the belongings that were taken from me are on the floor. The puzzle cubes, taken from my bag, are on a table.
“I am impressed with all of you, you did your work and did it well. And yes, we know about the snake and the doctor. We will forgive those slights. I have a proposition for you- I want you to kill someone,” she paused for dramatic effect. “I want you to kill Ras Zni! If you do, I will return the puzzle cubes to you and you can have any that he has along with any treasure.”
“Funny, we were here to kill him!” I laugh. “You made me clean s*** just to do what we came here to do anyway?!”
“I had to make sure you were compliant.”
“I am so compliant! I am a professional s*** cleaner!”
“We noticed,” she smirks. “There will be something extra in your separation package.”
“Really?!”
“No. You get what I offered. Anyway… the password for the armory is “white feather”. Go see the naga, arm up the slaves. You are going to stage an uprising and take out Ras Zni!”
We all agree- I’m sure there’s going to be some awful string attached, but this is a good plan. We are going to get the puzzle cubes and be on our merry way to the Tomb. At least it seems that way.
“Another thing,” she says. She points at Bastian. “You’re the only human, aren’t you? I don’t know what she is.”
“Yes, I’m human. She’s a dhampir.”
“And half elf!” I add.
“Very well. To you, human, I can offer another advantage. I can turn you into a pureblood, and you can get closer to Ras Zni’s people without being suspect. I can perform a ritual and change you.”
She lists off the perks of being a yuan ti like it’s a completely normal sales pitch.
“Hey, as long as I still got my twig and berries I’m okay with it.” He says.
“Please, Bastian, don’t do it! It’s going to change you!” I plead, realizing he’s serious. “You’ll be like them! You’ll be like Valira! She could be cruel and heartless- that’s not you!”
“Lyssa, I’ll be able to see in the dark, immune to poison- I think that’s worth it!”
“I can see in the dark, it’s not that big of a deal! Please, it’s not worth throwing away who you are!” I sob, tears of anger spilling out of my eyes.
“It’s not going to change me,” he says, sure of himself. Oh how wrong he is! “Stop crying, you’ll get blood everywhere. I’ll be fine.”
“Bastian, don’t do it! Don’t do it, because I love you!”
His face betrays no emotion, probably practicing for being a horrible yuan ti.
“Lyssa, we just met a week ago.”
“No, Bastian, it’s been longer than that,” I sniff, wiping the blood tears off my face.
He turns to the others, and they nod to confirm.
“I accept,” Bastian says, turning to the yuan ti. “I’m ready.”
Heartbroken, dejected and furious, I watch Bastian walk away. When I see him again, he won’t be the same. I don’t know if I want to see him again. Maybe I feel too much being what I am, but I think I do love him. I’ve never felt like this for anyone. But, he’s going to become an emotionless, evil snake person. Worst of all, he doesn’t love me back.
We rest up while Bastian goes off to do the horrible ritual, and I run up to the ceiling to mope. Hawthorn flies up to check on me after an hour of me not talking to anyone and hanging upside down.
“Lyssa, what are you doing?” She asks, flapping her wings to stay airborne.
“Well… I thought I might hang here upside down until all the blood goes to my head, and hopefully I’ll die.”
“Why would you want that? Are you that upset about Bastian becoming a Yuan Ti?”
“Yes. And he rejected me. I can’t live with the shame!”
“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”
“I’m a vampire, Hawthorn, if I’m not being dramatic then something is wrong.”
“Fair enough. Lyssa, sometimes males are just stupid. Just because he is going through with it doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you. Maybe you just took him by surprise and he didn’t know what to say?”
“I doubt it. He doesn’t like me because I’m a vampire. If I live through this I’m just going to have to go home and marry Count Whatever-the-f*** and become a crusty old vampire lord’s trophy wife.”
“That sounds terrible!”
“I guess. I was really hoping Bastian would be my knight in shining armor, but now he’s going to be an awful snake person. And there’s nothing I can do.”
🗡 Lyssa
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Post by kynigoskerata on May 24, 2021 16:47:20 GMT -5
We are subject to the whims of fate, and fate has been unkind. I do not like this snake of a snakewoman. She so easily throws life away, and kills others without thought, not even by her own hand. In return for our assistance in killing her Lord and setting her up to be the next leader, she promises us all that we need. So now we have to arm slaves, innocent souls that will be killed in a fight most inhospitable to themselves. Perhaps it is better this way. I know I would rather die with my blade in hand than otherwise. But there is no choice here for them. They will all be recaptured or slaughtered. We do not even know if she will hold true to her word, or if she plans to kill us after we have done her dirty work for her. My oath holds that I provide happiness to those in need of it, and the people here need happiness more than nearly everything. Happiness includes freedom, warm beds, freedom and a belly full of food to be maintained, and I don't know if I will be able to fulfill this for them. I hate myself for this.
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