Azaka also agrees, and assuming Alton is on board the party leaves this abandoned camp and then heads to the shrine up the road ahead just on the right. 

I've updated the maps to include where the party currently is on the Omu map as well as this new shrine map (new tab #7).

Eku would do her usual fly-by of the shrine, perception 11 as well as her detect magic and good/evil. Passive is 15.

She'd tell you: there are cracked monoliths that flank the entrance to this ruin. Saw-edged ferns grow in the courtyard between broken flagstones. A pair of stone doors are at the south end of the shrine. It is flat roofed. 

She sees no sign of any animals or creatures around the perimeter of the shrine.

She'd tell you that she sensed abjuration magic within the shrine, specifically at the south end of it, just beyond the main doors. 

Orvex would say "No animals or creatures around? Strange. I wonder which shrine this is?"

Azaka says "Ahem. Maybe the animal is inside this time." and she rolls her eyes at him.

What is next? Please let me know exactly where on the new shrine map you would want to enter from (tab #7) and then what you want to do, any checks you want to make, etc. 

Orvex would accompany anyone to the main doors if someone takes him. 

Gotur will enter through the gap in the wall to the SE(?) corner.

Perception (Passive = 16): 23

Phillip will just leap the wall (15 ft vertical standing leap), coming from the West. And pad over to that one clean green grassy square in the middle of the left/west lawn… He keeps his eyes peeled…

Perception: 19 (passive 15)

Evo will hang back with Orvex waiting for a signal to move forward. He keeps an eye out for yuan ti and anything else whilehhe waits.

Perception: 27

Eku hovers beside Phillip. Alton maybe hugs the wall to the east of the doors, and Azaka the same on the west wall. Orvex and Evo remain back a bit. Gotur enters the perimeter through that gap as described. 

Map updated for everyone.

Everyone that rolled the perception check can see numerous holes in the ground around the perimeter of this shrine. They are roughly 1-2 feet in diameter. 

Gotur, when you come in through that smashed wall, and Evo when you take a look around, you both see a few of these creatures around the shrine. They immediately dart away a few moments later when they also see you. 

 If you'd explain what they look like to Orvex, he'd say 

"AH! The Almiraj! So, thinking back to the history... the story of the nine gods... Almiraj was the animal that the trickster god I’jin disguised itself as. This has got to be the shrine of I’jin."

"I don't know much about the creatures, but I mean, how much harm could they cause, really? Large bunny rabbits with a horn. A unibunny! ha ha!"

"Evo, shall we proceed to the door? This one seems the easiest of the 3 so far, right? Heh, heh." 

Eku flaps around him "Not funny."

Azaka also frowns at Orvex, and is ready with her bow to aim at the door should anyone try to inspect/open it for cover.

What's next?

"Any idea what an almiraj likes to eat?"

Gotur will conjure a cluster of goodberries and step forward slowly, extending the offering and muttering quietly in druidic. Not because he thinks they'll understand him, but because that's how he learned to deal with animals.

Azaka nature check on Almiraj 1

Eku nature check on Almiraj 21

Those results as well as Gotur goodberry results to come next post.

Azaka says "Ah! So it's a rabbit!"

Eku flaps around in utter annoyance and almost embarrassment at Azaka. "You ARE a guide in Chult, yes?"

Eku then says to Gotur and everyone: "The Almiraj. A curious, mostly friendly creature. These friends were brought to Chult long ago by merchants from afar. They are very skilled at evading predators, hence why they've flourished here."

She looks at the holes that she now sees in the ground. "They live in earthen burrows."

Then she says to Gotur "Gotur, you should have no trouble. They can actually be domesticated. If they like you."

Gotur, you create your goodberries and after a few moments a few of them poke their horns out of some holes and then their heads as they start sniffing. 

Please roll an animal handling check.

Animal Handling: 13

Evo says quietly,

"Aye'm good to go in, but let's see what the experts do here Orvex. Certainly less threatening than a giant frog with tentacles."

Alton follows the rest of the group, staying towards the back if possible and keeping out of the way. He keeps a weapon at the ready, but smiles at the act of Gotur trying to feed the Almiraj. 

(OOC: I can’t be the only one thinking of Monty Python here— Things aren’t as they seem!! :D)

Alton, you notice Azaka give you an approving nod when you have your weapon ready. She does the same. Her eyes have been a bit wider ever since she saw the bunnies. (lol)

Evo, Orvex responds "Sure. Oh wow, would you look at that. He's feeding one of them!" 

Gotur, after a few moments one of the Almiraj eventually come right out of its burrow and over to your hand and start to eat the berries. It makes a cute little almost purr sound as it consumes the berries. 

It rubs its horn on your leg (your upper leg, these are BIG bunnies!) asking for more. 

Eku uncontrollably flaps her wings in happiness when she sees this. She says out loud "They are beautiful creatures, aren't they Gotur!"

She appreciates this moment as it takes her mind off the shrine for a minute.

Not Azaka though. She's ready to see what's behind the doors. 

What is next?

((He'd have tried not to have let just one if them eat all ten goodberries!))

"Woah there, let those settle!"

He'll slowly, cautiously reach out to pet the creature, and if it doesn't object, stand up and gesture for the others to wait while moving slowly forward.

"We just need to take a look around, that's alright, isn't it?"

If it balks or changes demeanor, he'll halt.

((Does Gotur have a clear sense if these are mundane creatures (beasts), vs some sort of magically created one?))

Evo smiles,

"Well that is a pleasant surprise. Though if Gotur isn't careful things might get a little precarious with all those horns around his *cough* middle."

Gotur, it would've eaten all of them in your hand, so if you just feed it one at a time, that's cool. It kept asking and prompting for more the whole time. 

The creature initially doesn't let you pet it, but as you give it more berries, it eventually does! It has very soft fur, especially on and around the ears. It's horn you notice is at least a foot long. It makes that purring kind of sound and continues to eat if you feed it.

It doesn't react in a negative way as you slowly move forward. One or two more come out of their holes, but they don't get as close to you as the first one (unless you feed them, too). Overall, they seem harmless. You aren't sure about the creature (beast) vs. a magical creation, but Eku knows. If this was talked about out loud, she'd confirm that they are natural beasts although she isn't sure of their exact lineage and genetic history. 

So, Gotur, they don't seem to mind you approaching the shrine. Or any of the party, either. They don't go anywhere near anyone else except for Gotur though.

Evo, Orvex belts out a laugh in response to what you say. "HA! Yeah! No kidding right!"

Azaka says "Hey, do we have food for tonight?"

Orvex lets out another laugh and smiles. 

Azaka responds "What? I'm serious." and she sends a wryly smile to Eku who frowns at her again. "Don't even think about it!"

((Ok I am enjoying talking to myself way too much here. hahahahahaha))

After the jokes above, Orvex nudges Evo "Let's go. Maybe there's more writing on the doors."

If no one objects, Orvex would walk to the shrine door. 

If anyone else were to accompany him, you'd see sculptural reliefs decorate the doors of the shrine. The carvings show a horned rabbit charging a small, feral-looking bear with sharp claws. A cuneiform message is etched above the doors. The message is written in Old Omuan and Orvex can translate it. It reads, “I’jin teaches us to take the path least expected.”

Orvex would explain "According to the legend of the nine gods, I’jin taught her followers to live unpredictable lives, always changing course and never sticking to a plan. Perhaps this could be a clue for what is inside?"

Orvex would then move away from the door, remembering the magical trap on the one earlier. 

Eku didn't notice any magic emanating from the door.

What is next?

Do the bears look like those surly tree full of things we saw on the way in to Omu?

"It won't give me the ability to converse with them, but if they're natural beasts, I should be able to take their form... unless they are way more complex than they seem... Hmmm.... the most expected path would be to walk in the front door... perhaps there's another entrance? Oh! Maybe one of their burrows leads inside, I can try going all Got-miraj and see if I can get in?"

Phillip agrees with Gotur, “I like this thinking, Mister G’Tur! Yep yep!… You ‘bunny up’, uh huh!… And I can search out other entrances. Uh huh uh huh…”. And with that, he takes a walk around the temple investigating the walls carefully all the way around…

Investigation check: 14 

((He starts anti-clockwise from the front if it makes a difference))

Gotur, the bear on the carving on the door looks very similar to the creatures you all saw in that tree. 

"Zorbos. It has to be a Zorbos. At least that's what the story of the nine gods mentions." Orvex would explain the part of the legend with these two animals. 

Gotur, Eku would say "I could follow you into the burrows! Although... hmmm.... perhaps they might not like us barging into their home. Although if there's a potential alternate way into the shrine through one of their burrows, I think it's worth it."

Eku says to Phillip "What did you find around the perimeter, Phillip?"

Phillip, you do a very thorough investigation of the structure, the walls and surroundings. Immediately you can tell that these walls are solid, and the only imperfections you notice are the ones caused by weather. You get a sense as well that the foundation goes quite deep and you get a sense that the flooring is of the same material given how the walls enter the ground.

You highly doubt that there'd be any possible way that these almiraj would be able to burrow into a structure like this, and you are certain there are no other entrances other than the main doors. Even the flat roof had no alternate entry locations. 

What's next?

Gotur will shrug and his form shifts, shrinking down into an adorably chubby almiraj. He'll cautiously hop towards one of the real ones, judging their reaction.

He twitches his ears as he hops, taking in thing with his new senses.

Perception: 13