"Exercise caution but we may try to manage our advantage. The longer we take, the better they can prepare for us," Silas states while maintain his spiritual army.  He'll lead to Ham's location. 

(Spiritual Guardian last 10 minutes)

[OOC: damn my mis-typing, knew I would do it eventually, have caught myself several times already.]

Another lighting bolt strikes the ground, at the corner by #9 and whichever is standing next to them, as dirt and stone explode in an arc flash.

DEX 15, or 17. Half damage on success.

#5 : 10, #9 : 9

Wolf AoO:  Attack: 17 Damage: 13

The wolf takes down the badly injured human, mauling him, while the lightning blast sends another mostly humanoid male flying into a heap against the wall.  A crossbow bolt hits another one who continues to flee, and the rest continue to charge away.   They are leaving this walled compound and fleeing into the ruins of the city, not into any particular building. 

Do you pursue them?  Of the nearly dozen of them, four dead bodies lay here.  

"OK, well that turned around quickly in our favor, I am not against chasing them down, but they might know the layout of this city better than us and might just lead us into an ambush. I suggest we loot what we have here and then go see what they were digging for and continue to search for the shrines." Mal suggests. "I am sure we will see them again."

If we decided to stay and loot Investigation: 18 (Snake people first)

Badger will investigate the rubble that the snake-people were searching: 8

Sickle staggers over with the others to look around.  “While it would be nice to press while we have the advantage, I’m afraid we’re weakened and run the chance of not being able to finish them off, as Mal said.  We can investigate here for a bit, but we need to be careful... I worry that we may have attracted unwanted attention.  We should also be thinking about where and how we can rest.” He pops a few Goodberries in his mouth, chewing gratefully.  (As a reminder, I’ve been passing out Goodberries each morning, unless I post otherwise. Assuming 1 per person, and I take the remainder.) +3 HP.

Mal seeing Sickle eat the berries remember she was given one as well and eats it quickly after the battle, restoring some of the spent energy. With a smile and a blown kiss of thanks Mal continues to check the snake bodies for anything of interest.

With the snake people fled, the group limps over together.  Boris and Sickle seemingly taken the brunt of the battle, both having several wounds from poisoned arrows.  Boris sighs, and sits down on a chunk of ruined wall. He drops his backpack at his feet and begins digging through it, making pained sounds as he locates a clean shirt to tear apart into strips to bandage his wounds which seep blood.   Meanwhile, the group examines the rubble together.  Now that the din of battle and the rumble of the magical storm clouds have abated, you can in fact hear someone underneath.  You can see where the snake people were digging.  Watching carefully for the return of any enemies, the group spends a few minutes digging out a clear tunnel to a air space beneath the rocks, and help drag out a person.  He is covered in white limestone dust, bloodied, and coughing as you drag the man free.  He glances around first in relief, then in slight alarm as he realizes he knows none of you, until he spots Mal.  "Oooh...my goodness...I had feared my life was over, I was buried alive, do die most hideously.....I've been buried for days it seems......then i heard digging, but then...thunder and...Mal, you're here....thank Ubtao I'm saved.....thank you all....water...please......water....."  He reaches up to grab Ham's hand and shake it until he realizes Ham isn't human, then pulls his hand back and looks around at the group.....then back to Mal, "Mal, who are these people?" 

Mal, this is Orvex Ocrammas. He was one of the red wizards hired hands. He was their scribe and translator.  He speaks Gruung, common, and can translate Old Omuan as well as knowing a bunch of the history, as far as you knew. 

"Give me just a few minutes, I will tend to the wound including yourself," Silas speaks before he will sigh as he hands over his water skin before sitting down and starts the 10 minutes to cast Prayer of Healing healing whoever needs it, assuming only six (including this guy) need some health. 

Healing: 12

[OOC: How much does Mal know about his guy and his character, from what I have read so far is that he aligns with the thinking of the Red Wizards which is not all that friendly toward other races, I think.]

Mal sighs, well I guess there could be a worst survivor. "Orvex, these "people" as you called them just saved your life and mine to be honest. Since your idiotic masters decided to ignore my warnings about where they camped that night and that huge monstrosity came and wiped out the camp. You might be a little more gracious in your thanks and then explain what has happened to you since the attack and answer any questions my friends here might have."

 He shakes his head, "I did not mean to offend.  I'm just...confused...and exhausted...and injured....thank you very much for unburying me.  I've been there since the attack.  The creature collapsed part of this ruin and I managed to get into a doorway that held while the rock fell around me......thank you....."

Now that the danger has passed, Mandra will rejoin the group from her hiding spot, checking the bodies of the Snake People and zombies along the way for anything useful she can plunder for the group. 

"Welcome to our merry band." She looks around warrily at the surrounding walls from whence she had just been hurling balls of fire at their current location. "After we've bandaged the wounded, I feel like we should find someplace safer to talk and rest. We made a lot of noise and it doesn't sound like you enjoyed the local wildlife."

Badger will accept the healing from Silas, and offer his goodberry to Boris. He will then help look for somewhere safe to rest, particularly looking for any caves or basements, cos they are much more homely-feeling.

Mal, "Excuse my words, heat of battle and all. Was there anything of interest you saw in the building you found yourself in?" While waiting for an answer Mal will go and search the bodies of the snake people and gather their weapons. Once done, "Yes we should probably find a safer place so we can rest up and talk about what is next."

You find numerous interesting things across the various dead bodies, though some seem to have been killed by hundreds of insect bites and are bursting open with larva, so you stay clear of those ones.  The snake people had clearly been collecting and searching the Red Wizards bodies since belt pouches are turned inside out, backpacks and poured out, clothing and personal effects kicked about, and tan lines from rings and necklaces are on many of the bodies.  There are two dead snake head man, one dead snake body creature, and two dead mostly human men. The human men have fangs like a snake, and patches of their flesh is scaly.   They are each wearing the light chultan styled clothing on their lower bodies, and generally are bare skinned up top.  Their skin seems thick and hard, and likely keeps the insects off. The eyes of one of the humanoid men are snake eyes. They each have a longbow, and several arrows, a total of 28, with the tinge of a greenish substance dried on the tips that you assume must be poison.  They also each have a scimitar, nicely styled and well cared for.  (5 scimitars)  They also seem to wear jewelry of sorts. Some of it may define ranks, with the snake head men and the snake body man having significantly more personal decorations than the two humans.  Orvex watches in morbid fascination as you check the bodies. "You fought those things? I am glad they did not find me....I am doubly in your debt.."

When he catches site of Mandra he recoils in disgust, but when no one bats an eye, he tries to keep his reaction subdued and to himself.  Boris sighs in obvious relief, and the glaze in his eyes goes away as he receives the healing.  He swallows the extra berry and thanks Badger and Silas. 

A total of 47 gold, 27 silver, and 520 copper is found across the four bodies, as well as five rings worth 10 gold each, and a necklace with a small ruby in it worth about 100 gold. 

With the looting done, the party returns north, knowing of a large mansion with a basement that can act as a place to rest.  The group withdraws back to the cool limestone basement, watching their rear as they withdraw. 

Orvex follows looking around, his eyes much clearer after receiving the healing and having had some water.  Mandra eyes him calmly as you walk.  He seems....accustom to travelling with a group, and seems at ease enough, obviously having travelled a long way to get here....but he is still also partially in shock. 

You all sit down, setting a watch on the approach to the building, and take a moment to talk and rest. 

Badger shows particular interest in the ruby necklace, asks to hold it, and then tells anyone that will (or won't) listen about how ways in which rubies help to focus the mind on predicting catastrophe, until they get tired of listening and forget about the fact that he still has the necklace.

Badger also questions Orvex what he has learned so far about the shrines, the cubes, and the nine creatures represented by them.

Sickle will accept the healing from Silas as well. “That was rough, and I’m pretty tapped. What now?” As he looks around, he observes, “So the snake-folk were just looking for the mages? We could rest and pursue them wherever they hole up, or we can keep exploring for more shrines.”

(Is there any indication that there was more to the ruins? More to explore?)

Orvex's eyes brighten as he listens to Badger speak about the foretelling powers of rubies.  He seems quite intent, even as the eyes of the other party members glaze over and they turn away.  Eventually Badger ends his story and he nods, "It is nice to meet another learned man here in this jungle. I'm afraid the jungle is not a great place for the civilized man, it is made more for the muscle bound, quick to act, dull of thought types."  He seems to think back.... "It also suits those of foul temperament I'm afraid....they seem at ease in such a severe world." 

Badger asks him about the shrines and cubes, "Oh!!  I see you also seek entrance to the Tomb of the Nine Gods. It was the wizards belief that the creation that has afflicted the world with the death curse is somewhere within. They referred to it as the Soul Monger. And yes, we had determined that indeed cubes dedicated to each of the nine gods must be needed to gain entrance. Though that there is one missing was curious. The snail we presume. Anyway, yes, there are shrines throughout the city. We had located two previously and were just resting before attempting to go in.  There is one to the west of the walled compound, the Shrine to Kubazan, the trickster god Froghemoth.  Then just across the main boulevard to the west is Shagambi's shrine, the trickster god of the Kamadan. Do you know much about the trickster gods. There is an ancient story I can tell you."   Mandra has come to sit nearby and listens in. Orvex notes her presence with a displeased sniff, though he tries to hide it.  He begins to tell the story, but it's obvious it's the one you've already heard. Badger speaks up, "Yes, we know the ancient story."   Orvex nods, "Of course, a learned fellow such as you, I would expect to come prepared on a visit to this ancient ruin. Oh what it must have been like in its peak. A glorious place, such a large city with so many glorious buildings.  It would easily put Port Nyanzaru to shame." 

Boris sits to one side, using a blade on his own shoulder to try and pry a broad head arrow tip out of his shoulder.  He winces as he flicks it free, covered in gobs of his blood.  He quickly presses a cloth to his shoulder to ebb the flow of blood, then sits back, his hair still matted to his forehead.  His ice axe sits against the wall beside him, covered in a thin glittering layer of water from the air. 

Silas lends Boris a hand, and can't help remark at the difference between this young warrior sitting before him, to the timid assistant who had so long ago entered the jungle with the group. He had wilted at every turn, afraid of his own shadow. Now here he was, battle scarred, plucking arrow heads from his own flesh with little reaction.  It was a remarkable transformation that he'd undergone under Chult's harsh attention. 

Sickle sits, his hand open before him as he stares at the icy ring on his hand still covered in frost.  It's unclear if they are communicating, but he seems focussed on it, his injuries untended, his attention lost to his own thoughts. 

Ham, having come out of the battle largely unscathed and now fully healed by magic is above, out of site, watching the approaches to the building from a covered 2nd story that has a good view of the surrounding buildings. 

Mal meanwhile leaned casually against one wall, eyes darting about from person to person, still trying to get the hang of this new group. She thinks she's mostly there. She mentally points at each, Silas...a healer and pretty straight forward guy, Ham, the weird warrior upstairs that never talks but smells funny, Boris, an unexperienced but fierce warrior, still cutting his teeth.  Then there are the three that are a bit of a mystery. The undead is a powerful sorceress....but says little...and sees everything. Mal gets the distinct feeling that Mandra has everyone figured out and is the brains behind most of the operation. Badger...a very clever....but....potentially not entirely sane little gnome.  Power wizardry and unlatched minds often go together sadly. Then there was Sickle, moody, with bouts of anger....and a damn obsession with that frosty ring about his finger.  Well, they'd survived Chult, seemed civil enough to each other, and made it further than that band of ******* red wizards, so they couldn't be that bad.  

Sickle perks up, asking his questions as he suddenly realizes everyone has gone quiet. 

Orvex shakes his head, "I was buried for almost a day ...."  (Mal, you figure it was more like 8 hours) "... before they came along and heard me yelling and started to dig me out. No, it was likely they were drawn to the decimated camp....it was still smoking....and were just picking through the left overs, but the wizards were killed by a massive t-rex...with feathers, that could teleport, and spit swarms of bugs out of it's mouth!!!!  It was horrific!!!  Anyway, we'd been camped there for several hours. The ruin was well explored and held little of value."