-/-/- Tomb of Annihilation -\-\-

Felix will investigate for traps around the scroll.

Investigation: 14

The snakeskin scroll doesn't seem to be trapped, mechanically or magically.

Kurma will take the scroll, any writing ?

Felix grabs it and opens the scroll.

The scroll carries a writing, with a awful handwriting. It read:

-You have been brave, but now it is time for you to surrender. There are two ways with which you can leave the city alive. Hand over the cubes and the heretic that goes by the name of Artus. Or you can join my ranks. After all, you can't stop the return of the Night Serpent. You know where to find me. Ras Nsi.-

"Great... so the red wizard have one cube and now this Ras Nsi has one also." Then, turning to Artus " Is he affiliated to the Red wizards ? I don't remember. Sorry"

"Anyway, I guess we could go either go back to fight the large golems or go south and try to get the one over the ridge of lava If we have a way to go over the chasm. Any ideas ?" 

"Well there's only one left know and that's the golems we should head to the entrance and set an ambush. If they want the cube they can fight for the last one and we will pick off the winner."

Quote from RonanKP >>

"Great... so the red wizard have one cube and now this Ras Nsi has one also." Then, turning to Artus " Is he affiliated to the Red wizards ? I don't remember. Sorry"

"Anyway, I guess we could go either go back to fight the large golems or go south and try to get the one over the ridge of lava If we have a way to go over the chasm. Any ideas ?" 

 

 "They are not affiliated as far as I know. Yuan-ti see every other humanoid as inferior, a potential slave or an enemy to kill. Red Wizard should make no exception."

"Kurma, you said there is one more shrine that we should go to? Can you show it to me on the map? So there is lava around it? Maybe we should scout it out!" Then Gertrude turns around and addresses the group. "Why would Ras Ni take a cube? I thought, all of this was his doing? Is he trying to stop us, or is there another reason why he wants the cubes for himself?"

Kurma is pointing on the map of Irommek one of the shrine that the Medusa has annotated. "Here, it must be quite close. But we'll have to go check the site, I am not sure how we can access it"

Looking at the note and the other with the map.  Oniss speaks up?

"The cubes we have...should we hide them?  I am unsure the risk of carrying them around with us.  Based on this note it is clear he wants us to surrender and I imagine if we dont they, like the wizards, will come after us.  Would it be wise to have all of the cube keys together for them?

Quote from Tiomila >>

"Kurma, you said there is one more shrine that we should go to? Can you show it to me on the map? So there is lava around it? Maybe we should scout it out!" Then Gertrude turns around and addresses the group. "Why would Ras Ni take a cube? I thought, all of this was his doing? Is he trying to stop us, or is there another reason why he wants the cubes for himself?"

 Artus :" No, Ras Nsi has nothing to do with the Death Curse. From what we have learned from the Oracle and the Medusa's library, the responsible is a one Acererak, the evil mage. I don't know..."

Argus stops speaking for a second, as he has come to a realization. "Of course. Ras Nsi has died in the past. I know that much. He is suffering from the Death Curse, too. He needs the cubes as much as we do."

"Well whatever we de we should hurry don't like staying in one place for to long."

The party finds its way to the shrine on the lake of lava. Dusk is approaching, and rain starts coming down quite intensely.

A column of rock rises 200 feet above the lava. A walled ruin overgrown with palms perches on the summit.

At its narrowest point, the gulf between the shrine and the rest of the city is 60 feet wide.

Quote from Jcburgg >>

"The cubes we have...should we hide them?  I am unsure the risk of carrying them around with us.  Based on this note it is clear he wants us to surrender and I imagine if we dont they, like the wizards, will come after us.  Would it be wise to have all of the cube keys together for them?

 
While leaving the shrine, Kurma discusses with the sorcerer: "That would be wise Oniss, but I would prefer to keep them on us. The red wizard is watching us via divination spells. She will know where we hide them and come pick them up. But having the cubes on separate persons is a good idea I think."

Just before the night falls, Kurma arrives in front of the chasm. The landscape is mesmerizing, rain falls on the lava deep down below, creating vapour with an bright orange colour. The next shrine, 60ft away, seems unreachable. "Well, my friends, I don't think we can jump. Anybody has a hook or Oniss do you have any magical way to reach the temple ? I don't have anything that could be useful here."

Quote from filcat >>

Quote from Tiomila >>

"Kurma, you said there is one more shrine that we should go to? Can you show it to me on the map? So there is lava around it? Maybe we should scout it out!" Then Gertrude turns around and addresses the group. "Why would Ras Ni take a cube? I thought, all of this was his doing? Is he trying to stop us, or is there another reason why he wants the cubes for himself?"

 Artus :" No, Ras Nsi has nothing to do with the Death Curse. From what we have learned from the Oracle and the Medusa's library, the responsible is a one Acererak, the evil mage. I don't know..."

Argus stops speaking for a second, as he has come to a realization. "Of course. Ras Nsi has died in the past. I know that much. He is suffering from the Death Curse, too. He needs the cubes as much as we do."

 Gertrude is in thought. "But if he needs the cubes to stop the death curse, why wouldn't he work with us? Or just let us get on with it? If we are able to stop it, then he'd be fine without having to move a finger! Maybe we can talk to him?"

"This really seems impossible..." Felix stared at the shrine across the molten lava. "We should let them get this and the golem key and meet at the entrance..."

Quote from Tiomila >>

Quote from filcat >>

Quote from Tiomila >>

"Kurma, you said there is one more shrine that we should go to? Can you show it to me on the map? So there is lava around it? Maybe we should scout it out!" Then Gertrude turns around and addresses the group. "Why would Ras Ni take a cube? I thought, all of this was his doing? Is he trying to stop us, or is there another reason why he wants the cubes for himself?"

 Artus :" No, Ras Nsi has nothing to do with the Death Curse. From what we have learned from the Oracle and the Medusa's library, the responsible is a one Acererak, the evil mage. I don't know..."

Argus stops speaking for a second, as he has come to a realization. "Of course. Ras Nsi has died in the past. I know that much. He is suffering from the Death Curse, too. He needs the cubes as much as we do."

 Gertrude is in thought. "But if he needs the cubes to stop the death curse, why wouldn't he work with us? Or just let us get on with it? If we are able to stop it, then he'd be fine without having to move a finger! Maybe we can talk to him?"

"He is a Yuan-ti. Not someone you can reason with. But there is the other side of the equation. Mezro. The oracle said Mezro won't return until Nsi is alive. And I need Mezro to come back."

Quote from RonanKP >>

"Great... so the red wizard have one cube and now this Ras Nsi has one also." Then, turning to Artus " Is he affiliated to the Red wizards ? I don't remember. Sorry"

"Anyway, I guess we could go either go back to fight the large golems or go south and try to get the one over the ridge of lava If we have a way to go over the chasm. Any ideas ?" 

Brunella hears the word "lava" and begins to shake her head no. "No! No lava! NO LAVA!"

She grabs the tortle by the shell and shakes "gently" for emphasis. If Kurma had teeth, they would be rattling around in his skull.

Quote from filcat >>

The party finds its way to the shrine on the lake of lava. Dusk is approaching, and rain starts coming down quite intensely.

A column of rock rises 200 feet above the lava. A walled ruin overgrown with palms perches on the summit.

At its narrowest point, the gulf between the shrine and the rest of the city is 60 feet wide.

 
Brunella reluctantly follows the party through the shrine. When the approach the lava lake, she starts to make a high pitched whining noise from the throat. This is the same noise a terrified hound would make. Long whines.

She starts physically dragging party members away from the edge of the lake. Especially Kurma, who is standing there about to fall into the lake of fire. She wraps her short arms around the edges of his shell and frog-marches him away from the ledge and into the safety of the treeline. Her eyes are wild with fright.