After Boris brings Silas back to their senses he gives a nod to the Queen to give Silas an idea of what the group has gotten into. He moves over to Ham shakes him back to his senses as well.
He quietly mumbles "If only I had something of value..."
Boris is trying to limit his view to the birds and the Queen, and looks over to Azaka in order to then help her.
Badger shakes his head as he breaks the mind probe, muttering under his breath something to the effect of "like a bag of cats". Then, hearing that they will have to trade for the flower, Badger absently pats at his pouches for a moment, then looks over at Sedrik ...
Everyone looks at Sedrik with a tinge of guilt and compassion, until Silas steps forward. He holds out a sizeable diamond in his palm. The queen regards it, and a mystical hand appears, plucking it from Silas' palm, pulling it through the air and dropping it in her palm. She examines it for a moment. "I would prefer the man servant, but if my grandchild needs his services, I will accept this rare and beautiful gem. All hail the mighty kingdom of Omu, may it last for all days."
She turns and leaves. The cranes continue to watch you from their perches but make no further movements.
The group withdraws, past the massive seven legged spider through the gardens past the zombies and back to the canoes. The water ripples as the crocodiles shift position away from the group. Less than ten minutes later the group is floating away through the trees, paddles dipping in and out of the water as they push the canoes away from the cursed ancient gardens.
Perhaps an hour later the air above you goes dark as bats the size of seagulls can be seen through the foliage. Thousands of them. A few begin dropping down showing interest in the group but they're quickly driven away and the group continues. The canoe ride back to the jungle near Kir Sabal is peaceful. Water snakes, crocodiles, other lizardy things beneath the water, as well as flying creatures, a foursome of Pterafolk fly over, but the group is large enough that you're not bothered and soon enough the canoes are up in the dry area beside the trees and you're walking through jungle.
The group makes their way up the cliffs of Kir Sabal with a combination of the teleporting cloak, spider form, and flight. The next day you stand before the Aarakocra elder, the black orchid's in your hands. Dirty, sweaty, but unharmed, the woman tells you they will prepare the ceremony and perform it in the morning. The group is left to themselves for an afternoon in Kir Sabal.
When you're just putting your bags down and getting settled an Aarakocra arrives and asks to speak to Silas. He unfolds a soft cloth revealing a finely crafted glass eye, a shot of blue sparkles in the center like an iris. The work is exquisite. "100 gold is my payment..."
The princess shows up quickly as well, and smiles broadly as she ignores everyone but Boris and gives him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. "You did it! Of course you would. I'm sure it was heroic. Come, you need to tell me all about it. Also, I have the nicest bath which you can use." She wrinkles her nose at him, "You smell extra swampy." She attempts to pull Boris away.
Behind him, the prince wanders in without asking and sits down next to Badger. He has a wooden device in his hands, "It keeps spiralling and i don't know why...this part here I think is making it spin to the right...."
Aside from eat, drink, bathe, and get a good night sleep, does anyone do anything else?
Silas will search for a cloth or something to wrap up the glass eye before just going about the eating, drinking, bathing and sleep.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Kirin - Level 15 High Elf Wizard (Evocation) - Zorg's Lost Souls - Overchannel Steel Wind Strike for the Win against Demogorgon Silas - Level 11 Human Cleric (War Domain) - Tomb of Annihilation Done
On the way back, Sickle will make a point to thank Mandra for speaking out. "I wasn't sure how she was going to take the idea of another claim to the throne, but I'm glad you stepped past my indecision there."
He will also seek out Boris on the way back. "Way to step up back there. You've come along way on this journey. What sort of weapon do you feel most comfortable wielding?"
Other than entertain and be entertained by the little prince, Badger would seek out the elder Aarakocra and offer the topaz he found at Firefinger as token of gratitude for the use of the library and related resources for scribing spells. He would also ask (as casually as possible, masking his underlying excitement) how soon they can perform the ritual that will make them fly.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Your friend Nephyr that you rescued from Firefinger comes by at some point. "I have spoken with the elder about the rites she will perform tomorrow morning. I have more details. The rite will rob our elder of her wings, but grant each of you a magical ability to fly. You will be able to fly at the same speed that you can walk. Generally I would say this will allow you to travel about 4 miles each hour. This effect will last for 3 days, at which time you will feel the flight start to wane. After a few minutes it will be gone, so ensure you descend as soon as you feel it failing. Our elders wings will reform over this time. We will perform the ritual first thing tomorrow morning, so I would suggest you be packed, and ready to leave immediately to make the most of your new found flight power. You should also choose a route."
The group pulls out the map. Nephyr points to it. "Omu is around here." Based on the images Badger pulled from the faerie dragon, this would seem to make sense. Note, on this map, each hex is 10 miles. You can travel 40 miles per day without suffering from exhaustion (OOC: Which, at 2 levels, reduces your speed in half, so suffering exhaustion isn't really an option). So if you fly in a straight line, 10 hour days for the next three days, you'll still have another 80 miles to march through the jungle to get to Omu. That will mean about 8 days of marching through the jungle. Nephyr shrugs, "Your magical flight is slower than a normal bird unfortunately. I could probably make it there in about three days of flying."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer? Class.
As they make their way back and Sickle confronts him.
"I am not sure how much help I was. Unsure of what to say to someone like the Queen. It seemed like you all handled yourself well... Glad nothing got out of hand."
Boris unsheathed his short sword and assesses it. Looking for edge and noticing the wear on the blade manifesting as nicks along the steel.
"As for what weapon I would want to wield... well I am not too sure. This works well. As a weapon is only as useful as the person who holds it..."
He ponders for a moment.
"If I did want to replace this I would get something longer that I could swing. Nothing like a Halbred, but just something longer to help me keep some distance from whatever is coming at me. I used to chop wood and play stick ball, so I feel like most of the time I am hitting with the wrong part of it."
----------------------------
When they finally make it to Kir Sabal Boris is relieved to see the princess. He blushed as he is pulled away, and momentarily forgets about his companions now that they are safe.
Badger shrugs and says: Well, three days of flying and eight days of marching is better than two tendays of marching. Nephyr, can you recommend the safest route? How far does the river stretch?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
(OOC: btw, congrats on making it to Page 69 everyone. Real accomplishment!)
Nephyr responds to Badger, "The river goes another sixty miles south then empties into Lake Luo, which stretches eastwards. I'm don't really have much advice as to the safest route, except perhaps being the most direct."
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What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer? Class.
Badger does the maths in his head. They should be well past the lake in three days, so won't be able to rely on marching alongside the river as they have become accustomed to. It would be solid marching through the jungle. They can only hope that they aren't over a fetid swamp when their flying power expires.
Badger was also comforted by the whisperings from his magical rod that they were well overdue for a visit to its magical utopia.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Silas wakes up the next morning early. Six days out in the jungle, pushing through swamp and down the river had left him smelling of rot and that moist jungle smell, a mixture of rot and warm water. The bath in the cleansing house had left him smelling of a faint spice and his skin feeling firm and smooth. His skins dark hue sparkling with the lightest amount of sweat. His rich red cape, always clean and subtly moving on its own wraps around him. The small crystal floats lazily about his head. He's hungry.
A fruit plate had been left for them he sits at a small table slicing the fruit and taking bites from the strange, sweet and tangy things. No apples anywhere here, everything was foreign, and as much as he'd gotten used to this strange place he often felt pangs of home sickness for things he'd known all his life. Like an apple. After food he crouched down in prayer for a short time. The thought of flying through the air over the jungle for hours and hours, and days and days seemed simultaneously exciting and frightening. How high would they fly? Low enough so as not to simply die if they fell? High enough not to be noticed by things that lived at the tree tops? He set about packing his bag, taking special care to wrap the precious glass eye in the velvet packing, and making sure everything was secure. If they were to fly about, it would not do well to drop anything, it would be impossible to find.
Done his packing, he placed his backpack by the door. The large pieces of turtle shells they'd lugged through the jungle sat in the corner. The Aarakocra of Kir Sabal had said they could make some armor of it eventually for Sickle, but crafting it would take quite some time. Perhaps when they returned. With that his eyes passed over Sickles sleeping form. A cold shiver ran through him. Wether real, or just imagined, his eyes were drawn to the golden ring, frost about it's shiny surface, just on his hand. As he stared at it, his vision seemed to close in, the world collapsing until there was nothing but the ring. He shook his head to clear his mind. The thing sat there on Sickle's finger, and it felt to Silas like the thing was gloating.
Silas looked around. Boris was not here, he'd not returned last night after slinking off with the princess. Silas absently wondered if that would be a problem when it came to leaving. Boris seemed a changed man however. Almost as if free from Sir Darak's shadow he was free to be his own man. Unlike Boris who'd flowered, Sedrik seemed strangely muted without his liege. As much as he tried to be brave, it was clear there was too much acting involved. Sedrik's dark locks fell across his face as he slept peacefully.
Next Silas glanced over at Mandra. The undead stared back at him. Or perhaps didn't. It was always unnervingly hard to tell. She sat unmoving in a chair, like an oversized couch cushion, taking up space on a chair waiting to be displaced so someone could sit down. No matter how long she was with them, having the undead sorceress with them was unsettling. Her motives remained mysterious, and her abilities largely kept secret.
Ham was just coming downstairs. The steady quiet companion was so quick to respond, so easy to get along with, and so straight forward with his responses that Silas found it difficult not to like the steady creature. Though they'd named him after his smell of ham when he feared something, Silas felt a bit bad that they'd chosen that name. He'd not shown a single sign of insult though. He nodded to Silas as he began packing his own bags. His glittering sword hilt resting easily at his side.
Azaka was quiet, as usual. She slept solidly, a subtle snore.
Lastly was the gnome: Badger. He was quiet, steady, and effective. Sometimes Silas caught some strange looks in his eyes, an untethered glitter, but it was only for moments, and perhaps just Silas' imagination. Either way, he was glad to have the gnome wizard with them. His rod that whisked them away had probably kept them from going insane in the jungles.
People began to stir, packing up their bags and moving about. Boris slunk in a short time later. He looked flush, his hair was mussed, and he had that simultaneous look of vitality and exhaustion that the young could have after an overly late night of excitement. He looked abashed as he packed his gear and grabbed a few bites to eat. All too soon Nephyr was at their door. "It is time my friends."
It seemed Kir Sabal's entire population had come to witness the ceremony. Aarakocra's filled the rafters and floor of the Monstary's main room aside from a twenty foot wide circle in the floor formed of sand, with flecks of black in it. The princess stood at the front dias along with the prince, flanking the elder. Mwaxanare glanced about the group, looking imperious, though a hungry smile appearing on her lips whenever she met eyes with Boris. The prince seemed to be trying hard to look serious and stately.
The elder Aarakocra, Asharra looks serious, stepping forward with grandeur. "Let the Dance of the Seven Winds begin! With it, I sacrifice my flight for these heroes who have vowed to restore the power of Omu and Mwaxanare to her rightful place of power as the leader of Chult. May my flight let them find success." She bids the group to enter, "do not disturb the sands". Once within she begins a magical rite. It is called a dance for a reason, as she and several other Aarakocra priests move about the room in carefully choreographed movements, the magic weaving about them. Finally Asharra falls the ground, her wings on her back seem to crumple up, dry out, and fall away to dust. It does not look pleasant as her face wears a grimace. Then each member of the group begins to feel a sudden lightness fill their bodies. Sedrik floats up into the room a few feet before settling back to the floor. His face wears a smile.
Asharra, "Very well. The rite is complete. Make the most of it and find your way towards Omu as quickly as you can. Best of luck heroes. Kir Sabal wishes you luck." The room erupts in a single chant, "For Kir Sabal."
Several doors are opened in the side of the room revealing the open sky and a balcony. The group moves out of the circle, picking up their packs, checking ties and pockets as they make their way to the balcony. Waves from new allies, the group nods, and Azaka leaps into the air taking flight. Everyone follows her. The flying is slow compared to the Aarakocra who swoop about, but it beats trudging through jungle and splashing through waterways. You may camp tonight with dry feet for the first time ever in this jungle.
The jungle air is warm, but blows through your hair and clothes as you fly, initially high over the jungle. From up here you can see just how expansive this place is. You can see over thirty miles in every direction. The Nsi Wastes to the south east stretch from nearby to as far as the eye can see. Likewise the jungle stretches to each other horizon with only the river cutting through its vastness. From here it looks like a carpet of green you could play upon. The death and terror just beneath its green surface is all too well known to you however.
How high do you guys fly? Straight towards Omu? Any other input before you fly across the vast jungles?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer? Class.
"Let fly beyond the reach of treetop creatures at the least," SIlas mentions as they fly, SIlas is really uneasy with such a thing as flying. He knows this is faster but is concerned about safety.
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Kirin - Level 15 High Elf Wizard (Evocation) - Zorg's Lost Souls - Overchannel Steel Wind Strike for the Win against Demogorgon Silas - Level 11 Human Cleric (War Domain) - Tomb of Annihilation Done
The canoe trip back to Kir Sabal gave Badger time for quiet reflection on a topic that troubled him. His tarokka reading for Sedrik had been the clearest of any: The Conjurer and the Donjon - Sedrik's fate was to become a slave to evil magic. And when the medusa had claimed Sedrik as her manservant, Badger was utterly convinced in the veracity of his prophecy. Now, the fact that Sedrik has avoided that fate made Badger doubt anew his understanding of divination, and throughout the journey back he contemplated again the words of the Aarakocra elder, that the future was a flood of undecided possibilities. Perhaps his reading of the cards had been just that - a possibility - and Badger took some comfort in the idea that he had at least glimpsed one such possible future.
On the eve of the Dance of the Seven Winds, Badger sat down again to consult with his coins and tome. His casting revealed the pattern of "The Well", a representation of the source of all things, but with a special variation; the tome read: "The Well has been cleansed but no-one will drink from it". Badger considered this for quite some time. For him, the Well was his gift of foresight. Perhaps with the aid of Asharra his Well had been cleansed, and he saw with wider vision. To not drink from the well now would be a grave error. Badger arose, not having made any new predictions, but having been edified with a renewed confidence that his gifts had yet more to offer...
As the ceremony concludes, and Badger feels the first sensations of weightlessness and aerial mobility, he whoops with joy and immediately performs a mid-air somersault. Then, returning to the ground to collect his possessions that have fallen from his pouches, and deciding to abandon his turban for the next portion of the journey, he approaches Asharra and shakes the elder's hand in wordless gratitude, wipes a tear from his eye, and flies joyfully out into the blue behind his companions.
New Portent rolls: 12, 5 Dropped: Alter Self, Animate Dead. Prepared: Counterspell, Feather Fall
When they return, after cleaning up, he will find his way to the crafters, and speak to them about the turtle shell armor, in hopes that something can be done. He is delighted to find that they can, and hopes that they will return eventually to recover the armor.
Sickle spends his evening contemplating the utility of the ring, now comfortable on his hand, dully chill, though with the occasional pang of a icy, sharp pain that radiates up his arm. He occasionally hears the whisper he heard the first night, calling him to wield it to tame the jungle with ice. He thinks through how he could help the others with it as he goes to sleep.
As the ceremony completes in the morning, he joins the others in beginning their flight toward their destination.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The first of flying the group spends most of the time a few hundred feet above the jungle, though with it's fierce mountains sides and tough terrain the flight path often goes up and down. Several points along the flight the group rises up behind Azaka to dizzying heights so that you can see nearly forty miles in every direction. The land of Chult is vast indeed. After a full ten hours of flying, Azaka brings you down to land on the far side of the river from Nangalore. The ground here is higher, and dry and she seems to pick out a spot that is relatively safe. Some apes come to investigate the camp but the group is large enough that they don't give you any trouble. Compared to trudging through the forest, or even canoing, the day of flight, though tiring, is nowhere near as gruelling and you all find yourself well rested, generally clean, and feeling good as you resume your flight the next day. From above the canopy you occasionally spot groups of dinosaurs, and every once in a while you spot significant numbers of undead, in the hundreds, swarming through the jungle. You count your blessings you'd never come across such large numbers while on the ground.
In the air, bats, birds, and other creatures can be easily seen, though they steer clear of the strange flying / non-flying creatures as they spot you. During the second half of the second day you spot what appears to be vast open lands to the south, just beyond the edge of the jungles. From the distance of thirty miles it's just a green smear, but it seems like the terrain is different. Regardless, you continue your flight south west. The days weather have cooperated and you've had times of list mists only that sweep across the land and through you and then flit away.
By the third day's end you've reached the blue dot near the skull and crossbones on the map. Based on your views of the volcanoes due south, and your information, you would figure Omu is near that 2nd blue dot, another 60 or 70 miles but further than you can see from here. The jungle canopy just stretches out before you. You land with a dull feeling of regret, knowing that sometime early tomorrow morning you're flight powers will be gone and you'll be back to walking. During the evening watches you each take a few minutes to fly up to tree tops and look around. But by the mornings light, you each begin to feel gravity pulling on you and before you're done packing camp, the amazing feeling of flight and weightlessness is gone. During the evening Badger's familiar had returned, having delivered the message successfully to Port Nyanzaru of their current destination.
There is heavy sighing, as the groups turns their attention to their lead, Azaka sighs and begins the hard march south. Now a 500 foot ridge would require magic. Multiple ravines might mean hiking around, and deep water would require other solutions. Regardless, the team focuses on the task at hand. Deep deep in the jungles, hundreds of miles from anywhere, truly alone. The view from the sky had proven to them what sort of situation they were in. It would be weeks to climb out from this location, weeks of undead, dinosaur, death filled jungle. Yet further in they walked.
The walk it tough, with a lot of up and down, but largely up as the climb towards the mountains and volcanoes. Here, deep deep in the jungle it's like another planet. Strange plants and creatures that even Azaka can't identify, hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement. In the afternoon a small swarm of stirges attack. The fight is fierce, but brief and soon you're continuing on your way. The healing, the good berries, and the water catchers do their job as you continue to trudge through the jungle reserving your resources as best you can.
During the next mornings walk you come across a grisly discovery. The charred remains of a gnome is found, on a spit over a fire circle. It's uneaten, but signs of goblin's are all around in addition to Velociraptor tracks. They're about a day old. Bugs and worms are thick in the rotting charred body. Badger eyes the body with dread as the group continues on their way away from the terrible scene.
The next day you're forced to take shelter against a cliff side as a tropical storm blows through. The next morning another as you break camp. That day you spot a pod of hadrosaurs at a creek. Three more days pass. Your bug repellent supplies are starting to get low, but supplies stay plentiful.
The evening of the sixth day you've still not spotted Omu, but have set camp as usual. It's around 4am and Silas is on watch. The fire is low and the jungle is dark and quiet. Silas sits with his staff across his knees near the middle of camp. Something stirs in the dark. Not terribly unusual, things always stir in the jungle. But he notes many of the usual sounds have gone quiet, and something stirs again, closer, and larger. He breathes in to wake the party and from out of the darkness comes a massive form. It shrieks loudly as it leaps into the midst of camp. It's large, with four arms, and a rotting dark grey matt fur body. It's an ape but larger, and clearly this one is undead. As it comes crashing into the camp it charges straight at Silas.
Silas, roll perception vs. it's stealth of 16.
Then everyone roll init. Girallon Zombie init is: 9
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer? Class.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Initiative: 20
Badger is woken awake by the loud shriek of the undead ape. Rather than being afraid of the beast, Badger considers what an interesting and unusual specimen of undead this is. If there is sufficient remaining after they subdue it, perhaps he could control such a monster ...
Chromatic Orb at 2nd level: 24 cold damage (to cryo-preserve the remains, although I expect Sickle's ring could do the same job)
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How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
After Boris brings Silas back to their senses he gives a nod to the Queen to give Silas an idea of what the group has gotten into. He moves over to Ham shakes him back to his senses as well.
He quietly mumbles "If only I had something of value..."
Boris is trying to limit his view to the birds and the Queen, and looks over to Azaka in order to then help her.
Badger shakes his head as he breaks the mind probe, muttering under his breath something to the effect of "like a bag of cats". Then, hearing that they will have to trade for the flower, Badger absently pats at his pouches for a moment, then looks over at Sedrik ...
(OOC: So long, Sedrik)
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Ham and Azaka are now free of the strange mesmerizing and witness to Badger's apparent considerations.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Everyone looks at Sedrik with a tinge of guilt and compassion, until Silas steps forward. He holds out a sizeable diamond in his palm. The queen regards it, and a mystical hand appears, plucking it from Silas' palm, pulling it through the air and dropping it in her palm. She examines it for a moment. "I would prefer the man servant, but if my grandchild needs his services, I will accept this rare and beautiful gem. All hail the mighty kingdom of Omu, may it last for all days."
She turns and leaves. The cranes continue to watch you from their perches but make no further movements.
The group withdraws, past the massive seven legged spider through the gardens past the zombies and back to the canoes. The water ripples as the crocodiles shift position away from the group. Less than ten minutes later the group is floating away through the trees, paddles dipping in and out of the water as they push the canoes away from the cursed ancient gardens.
Perhaps an hour later the air above you goes dark as bats the size of seagulls can be seen through the foliage. Thousands of them. A few begin dropping down showing interest in the group but they're quickly driven away and the group continues. The canoe ride back to the jungle near Kir Sabal is peaceful. Water snakes, crocodiles, other lizardy things beneath the water, as well as flying creatures, a foursome of Pterafolk fly over, but the group is large enough that you're not bothered and soon enough the canoes are up in the dry area beside the trees and you're walking through jungle.
The group makes their way up the cliffs of Kir Sabal with a combination of the teleporting cloak, spider form, and flight. The next day you stand before the Aarakocra elder, the black orchid's in your hands. Dirty, sweaty, but unharmed, the woman tells you they will prepare the ceremony and perform it in the morning. The group is left to themselves for an afternoon in Kir Sabal.
When you're just putting your bags down and getting settled an Aarakocra arrives and asks to speak to Silas. He unfolds a soft cloth revealing a finely crafted glass eye, a shot of blue sparkles in the center like an iris. The work is exquisite. "100 gold is my payment..."
The princess shows up quickly as well, and smiles broadly as she ignores everyone but Boris and gives him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. "You did it! Of course you would. I'm sure it was heroic. Come, you need to tell me all about it. Also, I have the nicest bath which you can use." She wrinkles her nose at him, "You smell extra swampy." She attempts to pull Boris away.
Behind him, the prince wanders in without asking and sits down next to Badger. He has a wooden device in his hands, "It keeps spiralling and i don't know why...this part here I think is making it spin to the right...."
Aside from eat, drink, bathe, and get a good night sleep, does anyone do anything else?
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Silas will search for a cloth or something to wrap up the glass eye before just going about the eating, drinking, bathing and sleep.
Kirin - Level 15 High Elf Wizard (Evocation) - Zorg's Lost Souls- Overchannel Steel Wind Strike for the Win against DemogorgonSilas - Level 11 Human Cleric (War Domain) - Tomb of AnnihilationDoneOn the way back, Sickle will make a point to thank Mandra for speaking out. "I wasn't sure how she was going to take the idea of another claim to the throne, but I'm glad you stepped past my indecision there."
He will also seek out Boris on the way back. "Way to step up back there. You've come along way on this journey. What sort of weapon do you feel most comfortable wielding?"
Other than entertain and be entertained by the little prince, Badger would seek out the elder Aarakocra and offer the topaz he found at Firefinger as token of gratitude for the use of the library and related resources for scribing spells. He would also ask (as casually as possible, masking his underlying excitement) how soon they can perform the ritual that will make them fly.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Your friend Nephyr that you rescued from Firefinger comes by at some point. "I have spoken with the elder about the rites she will perform tomorrow morning. I have more details. The rite will rob our elder of her wings, but grant each of you a magical ability to fly. You will be able to fly at the same speed that you can walk. Generally I would say this will allow you to travel about 4 miles each hour. This effect will last for 3 days, at which time you will feel the flight start to wane. After a few minutes it will be gone, so ensure you descend as soon as you feel it failing. Our elders wings will reform over this time. We will perform the ritual first thing tomorrow morning, so I would suggest you be packed, and ready to leave immediately to make the most of your new found flight power. You should also choose a route."
The group pulls out the map. Nephyr points to it. "Omu is around here." Based on the images Badger pulled from the faerie dragon, this would seem to make sense. Note, on this map, each hex is 10 miles. You can travel 40 miles per day without suffering from exhaustion (OOC: Which, at 2 levels, reduces your speed in half, so suffering exhaustion isn't really an option). So if you fly in a straight line, 10 hour days for the next three days, you'll still have another 80 miles to march through the jungle to get to Omu. That will mean about 8 days of marching through the jungle. Nephyr shrugs, "Your magical flight is slower than a normal bird unfortunately. I could probably make it there in about three days of flying."
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
As they make their way back and Sickle confronts him.
"I am not sure how much help I was. Unsure of what to say to someone like the Queen. It seemed like you all handled yourself well... Glad nothing got out of hand."
Boris unsheathed his short sword and assesses it. Looking for edge and noticing the wear on the blade manifesting as nicks along the steel.
"As for what weapon I would want to wield... well I am not too sure. This works well. As a weapon is only as useful as the person who holds it..."
He ponders for a moment.
"If I did want to replace this I would get something longer that I could swing. Nothing like a Halbred, but just something longer to help me keep some distance from whatever is coming at me. I used to chop wood and play stick ball, so I feel like most of the time I am hitting with the wrong part of it."
----------------------------
When they finally make it to Kir Sabal Boris is relieved to see the princess. He blushed as he is pulled away, and momentarily forgets about his companions now that they are safe.
Badger shrugs and says: Well, three days of flying and eight days of marching is better than two tendays of marching. Nephyr, can you recommend the safest route? How far does the river stretch?
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
(OOC: btw, congrats on making it to Page 69 everyone. Real accomplishment!)
Nephyr responds to Badger, "The river goes another sixty miles south then empties into Lake Luo, which stretches eastwards. I'm don't really have much advice as to the safest route, except perhaps being the most direct."
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Badger does the maths in his head. They should be well past the lake in three days, so won't be able to rely on marching alongside the river as they have become accustomed to. It would be solid marching through the jungle. They can only hope that they aren't over a fetid swamp when their flying power expires.
Badger was also comforted by the whisperings from his magical rod that they were well overdue for a visit to its magical utopia.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Silas wakes up the next morning early. Six days out in the jungle, pushing through swamp and down the river had left him smelling of rot and that moist jungle smell, a mixture of rot and warm water. The bath in the cleansing house had left him smelling of a faint spice and his skin feeling firm and smooth. His skins dark hue sparkling with the lightest amount of sweat. His rich red cape, always clean and subtly moving on its own wraps around him. The small crystal floats lazily about his head. He's hungry.
A fruit plate had been left for them he sits at a small table slicing the fruit and taking bites from the strange, sweet and tangy things. No apples anywhere here, everything was foreign, and as much as he'd gotten used to this strange place he often felt pangs of home sickness for things he'd known all his life. Like an apple. After food he crouched down in prayer for a short time. The thought of flying through the air over the jungle for hours and hours, and days and days seemed simultaneously exciting and frightening. How high would they fly? Low enough so as not to simply die if they fell? High enough not to be noticed by things that lived at the tree tops? He set about packing his bag, taking special care to wrap the precious glass eye in the velvet packing, and making sure everything was secure. If they were to fly about, it would not do well to drop anything, it would be impossible to find.
Done his packing, he placed his backpack by the door. The large pieces of turtle shells they'd lugged through the jungle sat in the corner. The Aarakocra of Kir Sabal had said they could make some armor of it eventually for Sickle, but crafting it would take quite some time. Perhaps when they returned. With that his eyes passed over Sickles sleeping form. A cold shiver ran through him. Wether real, or just imagined, his eyes were drawn to the golden ring, frost about it's shiny surface, just on his hand. As he stared at it, his vision seemed to close in, the world collapsing until there was nothing but the ring. He shook his head to clear his mind. The thing sat there on Sickle's finger, and it felt to Silas like the thing was gloating.
Silas looked around. Boris was not here, he'd not returned last night after slinking off with the princess. Silas absently wondered if that would be a problem when it came to leaving. Boris seemed a changed man however. Almost as if free from Sir Darak's shadow he was free to be his own man. Unlike Boris who'd flowered, Sedrik seemed strangely muted without his liege. As much as he tried to be brave, it was clear there was too much acting involved. Sedrik's dark locks fell across his face as he slept peacefully.
Next Silas glanced over at Mandra. The undead stared back at him. Or perhaps didn't. It was always unnervingly hard to tell. She sat unmoving in a chair, like an oversized couch cushion, taking up space on a chair waiting to be displaced so someone could sit down. No matter how long she was with them, having the undead sorceress with them was unsettling. Her motives remained mysterious, and her abilities largely kept secret.
Ham was just coming downstairs. The steady quiet companion was so quick to respond, so easy to get along with, and so straight forward with his responses that Silas found it difficult not to like the steady creature. Though they'd named him after his smell of ham when he feared something, Silas felt a bit bad that they'd chosen that name. He'd not shown a single sign of insult though. He nodded to Silas as he began packing his own bags. His glittering sword hilt resting easily at his side.
Azaka was quiet, as usual. She slept solidly, a subtle snore.
Lastly was the gnome: Badger. He was quiet, steady, and effective. Sometimes Silas caught some strange looks in his eyes, an untethered glitter, but it was only for moments, and perhaps just Silas' imagination. Either way, he was glad to have the gnome wizard with them. His rod that whisked them away had probably kept them from going insane in the jungles.
People began to stir, packing up their bags and moving about. Boris slunk in a short time later. He looked flush, his hair was mussed, and he had that simultaneous look of vitality and exhaustion that the young could have after an overly late night of excitement. He looked abashed as he packed his gear and grabbed a few bites to eat. All too soon Nephyr was at their door. "It is time my friends."
It seemed Kir Sabal's entire population had come to witness the ceremony. Aarakocra's filled the rafters and floor of the Monstary's main room aside from a twenty foot wide circle in the floor formed of sand, with flecks of black in it. The princess stood at the front dias along with the prince, flanking the elder. Mwaxanare glanced about the group, looking imperious, though a hungry smile appearing on her lips whenever she met eyes with Boris. The prince seemed to be trying hard to look serious and stately.
The elder Aarakocra, Asharra looks serious, stepping forward with grandeur. "Let the Dance of the Seven Winds begin! With it, I sacrifice my flight for these heroes who have vowed to restore the power of Omu and Mwaxanare to her rightful place of power as the leader of Chult. May my flight let them find success." She bids the group to enter, "do not disturb the sands". Once within she begins a magical rite. It is called a dance for a reason, as she and several other Aarakocra priests move about the room in carefully choreographed movements, the magic weaving about them. Finally Asharra falls the ground, her wings on her back seem to crumple up, dry out, and fall away to dust. It does not look pleasant as her face wears a grimace. Then each member of the group begins to feel a sudden lightness fill their bodies. Sedrik floats up into the room a few feet before settling back to the floor. His face wears a smile.
Asharra, "Very well. The rite is complete. Make the most of it and find your way towards Omu as quickly as you can. Best of luck heroes. Kir Sabal wishes you luck." The room erupts in a single chant, "For Kir Sabal."
Several doors are opened in the side of the room revealing the open sky and a balcony. The group moves out of the circle, picking up their packs, checking ties and pockets as they make their way to the balcony. Waves from new allies, the group nods, and Azaka leaps into the air taking flight. Everyone follows her. The flying is slow compared to the Aarakocra who swoop about, but it beats trudging through jungle and splashing through waterways. You may camp tonight with dry feet for the first time ever in this jungle.
The jungle air is warm, but blows through your hair and clothes as you fly, initially high over the jungle. From up here you can see just how expansive this place is. You can see over thirty miles in every direction. The Nsi Wastes to the south east stretch from nearby to as far as the eye can see. Likewise the jungle stretches to each other horizon with only the river cutting through its vastness. From here it looks like a carpet of green you could play upon. The death and terror just beneath its green surface is all too well known to you however.
How high do you guys fly? Straight towards Omu? Any other input before you fly across the vast jungles?
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
"Let fly beyond the reach of treetop creatures at the least," SIlas mentions as they fly, SIlas is really uneasy with such a thing as flying. He knows this is faster but is concerned about safety.
Kirin - Level 15 High Elf Wizard (Evocation) - Zorg's Lost Souls- Overchannel Steel Wind Strike for the Win against DemogorgonSilas - Level 11 Human Cleric (War Domain) - Tomb of AnnihilationDoneThe canoe trip back to Kir Sabal gave Badger time for quiet reflection on a topic that troubled him. His tarokka reading for Sedrik had been the clearest of any: The Conjurer and the Donjon - Sedrik's fate was to become a slave to evil magic. And when the medusa had claimed Sedrik as her manservant, Badger was utterly convinced in the veracity of his prophecy. Now, the fact that Sedrik has avoided that fate made Badger doubt anew his understanding of divination, and throughout the journey back he contemplated again the words of the Aarakocra elder, that the future was a flood of undecided possibilities. Perhaps his reading of the cards had been just that - a possibility - and Badger took some comfort in the idea that he had at least glimpsed one such possible future.
On the eve of the Dance of the Seven Winds, Badger sat down again to consult with his coins and tome. His casting revealed the pattern of "The Well", a representation of the source of all things, but with a special variation; the tome read: "The Well has been cleansed but no-one will drink from it". Badger considered this for quite some time. For him, the Well was his gift of foresight. Perhaps with the aid of Asharra his Well had been cleansed, and he saw with wider vision. To not drink from the well now would be a grave error. Badger arose, not having made any new predictions, but having been edified with a renewed confidence that his gifts had yet more to offer...
As the ceremony concludes, and Badger feels the first sensations of weightlessness and aerial mobility, he whoops with joy and immediately performs a mid-air somersault. Then, returning to the ground to collect his possessions that have fallen from his pouches, and deciding to abandon his turban for the next portion of the journey, he approaches Asharra and shakes the elder's hand in wordless gratitude, wipes a tear from his eye, and flies joyfully out into the blue behind his companions.
New Portent rolls: 12, 5
Dropped: Alter Self, Animate Dead. Prepared: Counterspell, Feather Fall
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
When they return, after cleaning up, he will find his way to the crafters, and speak to them about the turtle shell armor, in hopes that something can be done. He is delighted to find that they can, and hopes that they will return eventually to recover the armor.
Sickle spends his evening contemplating the utility of the ring, now comfortable on his hand, dully chill, though with the occasional pang of a icy, sharp pain that radiates up his arm. He occasionally hears the whisper he heard the first night, calling him to wield it to tame the jungle with ice. He thinks through how he could help the others with it as he goes to sleep.
As the ceremony completes in the morning, he joins the others in beginning their flight toward their destination.
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
The first of flying the group spends most of the time a few hundred feet above the jungle, though with it's fierce mountains sides and tough terrain the flight path often goes up and down. Several points along the flight the group rises up behind Azaka to dizzying heights so that you can see nearly forty miles in every direction. The land of Chult is vast indeed. After a full ten hours of flying, Azaka brings you down to land on the far side of the river from Nangalore. The ground here is higher, and dry and she seems to pick out a spot that is relatively safe. Some apes come to investigate the camp but the group is large enough that they don't give you any trouble. Compared to trudging through the forest, or even canoing, the day of flight, though tiring, is nowhere near as gruelling and you all find yourself well rested, generally clean, and feeling good as you resume your flight the next day. From above the canopy you occasionally spot groups of dinosaurs, and every once in a while you spot significant numbers of undead, in the hundreds, swarming through the jungle. You count your blessings you'd never come across such large numbers while on the ground.
In the air, bats, birds, and other creatures can be easily seen, though they steer clear of the strange flying / non-flying creatures as they spot you. During the second half of the second day you spot what appears to be vast open lands to the south, just beyond the edge of the jungles. From the distance of thirty miles it's just a green smear, but it seems like the terrain is different. Regardless, you continue your flight south west. The days weather have cooperated and you've had times of list mists only that sweep across the land and through you and then flit away.
By the third day's end you've reached the blue dot near the skull and crossbones on the map. Based on your views of the volcanoes due south, and your information, you would figure Omu is near that 2nd blue dot, another 60 or 70 miles but further than you can see from here. The jungle canopy just stretches out before you. You land with a dull feeling of regret, knowing that sometime early tomorrow morning you're flight powers will be gone and you'll be back to walking. During the evening watches you each take a few minutes to fly up to tree tops and look around. But by the mornings light, you each begin to feel gravity pulling on you and before you're done packing camp, the amazing feeling of flight and weightlessness is gone. During the evening Badger's familiar had returned, having delivered the message successfully to Port Nyanzaru of their current destination.
There is heavy sighing, as the groups turns their attention to their lead, Azaka sighs and begins the hard march south. Now a 500 foot ridge would require magic. Multiple ravines might mean hiking around, and deep water would require other solutions. Regardless, the team focuses on the task at hand. Deep deep in the jungles, hundreds of miles from anywhere, truly alone. The view from the sky had proven to them what sort of situation they were in. It would be weeks to climb out from this location, weeks of undead, dinosaur, death filled jungle. Yet further in they walked.
The walk it tough, with a lot of up and down, but largely up as the climb towards the mountains and volcanoes. Here, deep deep in the jungle it's like another planet. Strange plants and creatures that even Azaka can't identify, hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement. In the afternoon a small swarm of stirges attack. The fight is fierce, but brief and soon you're continuing on your way. The healing, the good berries, and the water catchers do their job as you continue to trudge through the jungle reserving your resources as best you can.
During the next mornings walk you come across a grisly discovery. The charred remains of a gnome is found, on a spit over a fire circle. It's uneaten, but signs of goblin's are all around in addition to Velociraptor tracks. They're about a day old. Bugs and worms are thick in the rotting charred body. Badger eyes the body with dread as the group continues on their way away from the terrible scene.
The next day you're forced to take shelter against a cliff side as a tropical storm blows through. The next morning another as you break camp. That day you spot a pod of hadrosaurs at a creek. Three more days pass. Your bug repellent supplies are starting to get low, but supplies stay plentiful.
The evening of the sixth day you've still not spotted Omu, but have set camp as usual. It's around 4am and Silas is on watch. The fire is low and the jungle is dark and quiet. Silas sits with his staff across his knees near the middle of camp. Something stirs in the dark. Not terribly unusual, things always stir in the jungle. But he notes many of the usual sounds have gone quiet, and something stirs again, closer, and larger. He breathes in to wake the party and from out of the darkness comes a massive form. It shrieks loudly as it leaps into the midst of camp. It's large, with four arms, and a rotting dark grey matt fur body. It's an ape but larger, and clearly this one is undead. As it comes crashing into the camp it charges straight at Silas.
Silas, roll perception vs. it's stealth of 16.
Then everyone roll init. Girallon Zombie init is: 9
What's the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer?
Class.
Initiative: 20
Badger is woken awake by the loud shriek of the undead ape. Rather than being afraid of the beast, Badger considers what an interesting and unusual specimen of undead this is. If there is sufficient remaining after they subdue it, perhaps he could control such a monster ...
Chromatic Orb at 2nd level: 24 cold damage (to cryo-preserve the remains, although I expect Sickle's ring could do the same job)
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Sickle Init: 19