Slither pulls a torch out of his pack, casts light on it and hands it to Bree.  "It must be 'shadow', yes? Bree, there was an inscription above the door, what did it say?"

Clayton flicks his wrist, and cloud of embers appears, “I have this weird hand spell if that helps. I could kind of maneuver it around back if you wanted?”

14

Ok, not waiting on others confirmation cause we need to hurry, Clayton lights his own torch, “If it is shadow, and it never strays far from its master. I bet the shadow needs to cling to the bat!” Clayton makes a shadow puppet on the bat statue.

Yasei: "Bree-san...walk around to each of the six statues, one at a time, and cast your light onto the statue from up close, so each statue, one-by-one, makes its shadow.  Perhaps its shadow will trigger something, or point us in the right direction."

Clayton, as you bring the light to the bat statue, from the shadow you see reality warp and bend as the shadow takes shape and form around the statue. You see a hidden passage behind the bat statue that wasen't there before.

Good job, you guys. The Feathered King slowly turns into the Amphitheater, instead of the shrine - vomits up a number of disgusting zombies, and doesn't detect your presence. 

There is a panel on the floor at the end of the room. As you push it, you hear the grinding of stone, and back in the center area, a puzzle cube it now on a pedestal where it was not before.

“Woo! Nice call on the shadow, Maldrek. We’ll find that soulmonger in no time!”

OOC: Nice. I'll be on the road most of the day guys, will check in when I can.

AREA 1 - YUAN-Ti WELCOME COMMITTEE (DEFEATED)
AREA 2 - THE WALLED COMPOUND
AREA 3 - SHRINE OF KUBAZAN (SOLVED)
AREA 4 - SHRINE OF SHAGAMBI (SOLVED)
AREA 5 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 6 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 7 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 8 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 9 - ADVENTURERS' CAMP (EXPLORED)
AREA 10 - SHRINE OF I'JIN (SOLVED)
AREA 11 - CHWINGA HOME (EXPLORED)
AREA 12 - WONGO'S SHRINE (SOLVED)
AREA 13 - AMPHITHEATER
AREA 14 - TOMB OF ANNIHILATION ENTRANCE
AREA 15 - RUINED BAZAAR (EXPLORED)
AREA 16 - PAPAZOTL'S SHRINE (SOLVED)

AREA 17 - THE WATERFALL

A river courses through a rocky ravine before plunging 50 feet into a 30 foot deep pool. As you all admire the view, one of you has a horrible vision. 6

Clayton - 1
Yasei - 2
Maldrek - 3
Bree - 4
Slither - 5
Shariel - 6

Maldrek you mind reels as you look at the waterfall, and in an instant, you are alone in Omu. However, it's completely different than the way you saw it a moment ago. THIS Omu is not well. There are black coils of smoke from fires littering the city everywhere, corpses are all over the streets, and wraiths circle the rooftops like vultures. A sphere of utter darkness grows out from the heart of the city, blotting out the light as it expands towards you. You feel someone watching you. As you slowly turn around there is a tall skeletal figure slowly walking alone through the dead streets. He wears tattered robes and holds a skull-tipped staff, and his sunken eyes contain points of dead light. The sight of him makes you heart beat faster, and when he stops to look at you dead center you can feel your heart squeeze.

Acererak.

Just as hysteria is about to overtake you, you are back in the present, with Musharib looking up at you with great concern.

Bree

"Mal, you okay?" She is holding his hand with a great look of worry on her face.

Yasei: “Maldrek-san, are you all right?!  You look like you just saw a ghost.”

"He knows we are here.." Musharib says, very concerned.

Maldrek covers his mouth with one hand, muffling a scream and drops to one knee, sweat pooling down his face. 'Not again.' He thinks in a panic. He reaches out blindly searching for Bree. Once he finds her, he grips her hand tightly. His grip causing his own hand to turn from its natural purple to a near white, as he breathes in short, harsh gasps. He feels Ijin wiggle uncomfortably in his stomach.

Clayton lets Maldrek vent. He’s experienced something like this before.

As in response, The King of Feathers lets out a deafening roar. You know that things are becoming more dire - that the puzzle cubes might unlock something not meant to be discovered. Your heart pounds as you know what's at stake. And what you must do. How many people have tried and failed before you?

From this vantage point, you can see Nangnang's shrine.

Clayton twitches, “Shagambi really hopes there is some evil to beat down in there. Calm down Missy, we’re getting there.”

AREA 1 - YUAN-Ti WELCOME COMMITTEE (DEFEATED)
AREA 2 - THE WALLED COMPOUND
AREA 3 - SHRINE OF KUBAZAN (SOLVED)
AREA 4 - SHRINE OF SHAGAMBI (SOLVED)
AREA 5 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 6 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 7 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 8 - UNEXPLORED
AREA 9 - ADVENTURERS' CAMP (EXPLORED)
AREA 10 - SHRINE OF I'JIN (SOLVED)
AREA 11 - CHWINGA HOME (EXPLORED)
AREA 12 - WONGO'S SHRINE (SOLVED)
AREA 13 - AMPHITHEATER
AREA 14 - TOMB OF ANNIHILATION ENTRANCE
AREA 15 - RUINED BAZAAR (EXPLORED)
AREA 16 - PAPAZOTL'S SHRINE (SOLVED)
AREA 17 - THE WATERFALL (VISION OF ACERERAK)

AREA 18 - SHRINE OF NANGNANG

As always, refer to the Shrine maps in the DM Notes. Monoliths adorned with prancing, frog-like figures rise from the swamp. Beyond, a ruined edifice shaped like an arrowhead squats in the muddy water. Bushes and trees grow from its roof. At the pointed front of the building, steps ascend to a stone door caked in slime.

At area 18A - you see a comical, but somewhat dangerous sight. There are about 15 small-frog like creatures, "grungs", dressed in tribal feathers everywhere around the shrine - even on the roof. Most of them are praying, but one of the grungs, a fat gold frog larger and draped in more feathers than the others, is patrolling the perimeter with some of his troops.

Upon your approach, they notice you and begin grabbing spears and prepare for battle.

OOC: Maldrek still shaking off his panic attack. If anyone has NangNang this might be a great time to speak up.

Clayton’s light up as he draws his blade, “Finally! I’ve been itching to find some of y’all! Who am I smiting first?” However, he will hold until they make a move.

Clayton becomes the first human pincushion of Omu as about 10 spears from all directions from forward and rooftop punch into different parts of your body. As you feel the life ebb away from you, you realize if taunting a gang of tribal frog people was a good idea.