-> Ok, the morning and afternoon is uneventful. This means that the party will approach Firefinger around 6:00pm at the end of day 5. 

I will get that post together later today! I will provide all details so the party can plan the approach properly. 

If the party prefers to arrive at firefinger in the morning or in the afternoon, they can travel slow on day 5 which gets them 1 hex instead of 2. This will require an evening/overnight roll, and then the start of day 6 would be the firefinger arrival. 

Let me know what you all prefer! The guides prefer just to press on and get there at 6pm at the end of day 5. 

(there's another post on the previous page! just making sure it doesn't get lost in this new page)

Evo defers to the guides on arrival time.

To Azaka and Eku,

"Aye really thought this place would be more hostile. It's warm but otherwise a bit of crazy mist doesn't seem too bad."

If the party wanted to push through the mist, Phillip could always use shape water to move it aside or create a tunnel through it, as they pass through. Unless the guides recommend against it of course, or if it seems to be moving of its own accord somehow. ((I guess we’re through it already though, so maybe this could just be some added flavour?)).

Phillip doesn’t have darkvision. But did Evo or someone have a spell to provide it? If Phillip can get darkvision he’s keen to get there asap in the evening too. Otherwise he might be keen to wait for light (unless the place seems lit, or dimly lit, from where we can see it). 

((Maybe move Phillip to last watch, that way Evo can give him super darkvision for an hour right before he goes to bed.))

((I was thinking about darkvision for the quest, if we get there late. He’s fine without for the watch assuming he’s with someone else. For the fight he’d like darkvision if it gets too dark. Maybe not 6pm but at some point (if it’s not already lit)).

Edit... although he has the light cantrip and has been known to cast it on a stone and hide it in his mouth under his tongue until he needs to see. Then he just opens his mouth like a hooded lantern ;-) 

I know how valuable spell slots are, so he may be able to cope. And again it depends on how well lit the place is. 

((It only lasts an hour, so not perfect for a watch but probably plenty for a fight!))

(( nice one. In that case Phillip is keen to start at 6 pm when we arrive too. Probably 6pm isn’t too dark yet? DM can keep us up to date on light levels and how well lit the place is. If it gets really dark, then Phillip can either have his own torch-mouth or darkvision, whichever seems appropriate. Nice! Thanks))

((He can also make little hovering glowing blobs of water or ice too that float beside him. Not so good for sneaking though))

((ooh... or he can fire glowing arrows at things too, to light them up for everyone))

Gotur digs in a paddle and with an assist from Phillip, avoids the fog he'd spotted and had been about to comment on when the guides warned them.

"How's the jungle treating you, Alton?"

((Gotur will chat quietly with Alton during part of their watch, noting RP critical, so don't let that hold us up unless you had something in particular ctleath.))

((Gotur also has a glowing wukka nut, only 10ft/10ft bright and dim, and only lasts for a minute, but can help in a pinch. And torches of course.))

((Gotur would be set to arrive when the guides suggest.))

 ((Evo can grant 300' darkvision for an hour for up to 4 creatures. So everyone but Eku probably? If needs be he can burn a spell slot to extend it another hour. At 300' we are going see nearly everything before it sees us at night!))

((Very handy if we get into any night time combat! The spell slot is just to extend, or can be done independently? In case we have a night where we need it twice? As a magical effect, would that cross over to wild shapes? His normal darkvision is based on his physical form, but a magical effect like the the spell darkvision should carry over?))

((The spell slot allows for an additional hour, can be any level slot though. First one is 'free'.

I don't know about it carrying over to a wild shape though. I would say yes but it'd be Klein's call!))

“Not too bad,” Alton replies quietly. “Y’know it’s just... different from back home in Neverwinter. Not to jinx us, but we haven’t even had too much trouble traveling. It’s going great; both Evo and Philip are delightful...”

”And you seem to be adapting well. I’m glad to see you having so much fun, it just might take me a little longer. I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t out of my comfort zone. Hot. Bugs. But I’ll live, especially with the dome.” Alton tells Gotur. “The food is great too. What about you?” He asks after finishing speaking himself. 

(Alton is good with what the guides say for traveling as well)

"Yeah, I get what you're saying... It's been a lot more vacation like than I was expecting, but we're getting close to Azaka's thing, so I figure that's going to change real soon. I'm real glad we got teamed up with them, it'd be a whole different job if it was just the two of us."

“Definitely,” Alton says with a chuckle. He would then continue to make small talk until their watch is up, afterwards taking a well earned rest. 

Phillip, yeah the party just avoided the mist altogether. There was a piece of the river where the mist hadn't floated to yet that both canoes were able to make it through. 

Azaka adds to the planning conversation as to how the party should be approaching Firefinger. At this point she'd also tell you more about this place which I will describe below. "Friends. I feel I can call you that now? We will arrive at the base of Firefinger after the day's travel. Let me tell you everything I know to ensure we are best prepared. And... thank you. this mask is very important to me and I truly appreciate you helping me retrieve it.

The party will arrive at the river right by Firefinger around 6:00pm. I have moved the marker on the Chult map to reflect where the party is located. 

Here is the info from Azaka as well as general info on what you can see when you arrive near Firefinger:

Rising high above the jungle canopy is a 300-foot-tall, naturally formed spire of rock with smoke issuing from a flaming beacon at the top of it. The walls of the spire are sheer and dotted with small caves. Frail-looking ladders hang from narrow ledges at various heights.

I have added a picture of this to the new 'Firefinger' tab. Have a look - the structure is pretty cool. I hid the tabs we aren't using as well on the google sheet. 

The rocky pinnacle called Firefinger is an ancient Chultan signal tower. In the past, many such towers were used to send messages between cities via colored flames at night or colored smoke during the day. Firefinger is one of the few still standing, if not the only one.

Firefinger has been taken over by a flock of pterafolk.  Azaka explains as much as she knows about them covering anything that she might've missed when speaking to the party a few days ago about these winged horrors. The tower is unfortunately a perfect lair for the pterafolk given its 300-foot-high vantage point, and its sheer walls and crumbling ladders make it potentially lethal for anything without wings to attempt the ascent. I think Azaka would know most of the pterafolk's abilities on the stat block so feel free to inspect it, but not the exact HP or AC. Can't remember if I mentioned that. 

Therefore -> Azaka suggests waiting until nightfall to approach the base of the tower. 

She would explain that the best way to approach Firefinger without being spotted by the pterafolk is to stay under heavy forest canopy and cross open areas only in darkness.

"Those creatures likely have the mask at the top, where their nest is."

Can you please confirm that everyone has the ability to see in the dark, and no light sources are being used to see? I saw a few different light solutions mentioned earlier, but want to make sure I have it right. The result of that will determine how the approach to the base of the tower goes. It will be about 30 minutes from the canoe to the base of the tower, so everyone will have to be able to see where they are going. 

Thank you for your patience! 

((When we are ready Evo will cast eyes of the dark on everyone but Eku. 300' darkvision for an hour. No torches or other light source needed!))

((That is such an epic skill! Nice one. Should we leave it as long as possible to cast at the last second (eg at the base of the climb)? So it lasts as long as it can. Alton and Phillip could always hold someone’s hand and be lead the distance inland from the canoes?))

((He can cast it again if we need to, no need to rush.))

That is indeed quite the awesome spell! Ok great, so there's no torches or other light sources used. Let's say you find a suitable location a bit from the river and keep the canoes there. Let me know if you had something else in mind. 

You wait the 2 hours or so. Now let's say it is 9:00pm, nearing the end of day 5. You made sure it was dark. Since you can all see in the dark and are using no light sources, you're all able to make it to the base of the tower without being noticed by pterafolk. 

 Near the base of the spire, you all see the body of an elf lying in the mud. Most of his limbs are broken, the ribcage is crushed, and broken twigs and torn leaves are stuck in it what’s left of his clothes. Not far away, you see another body, and a third, and so on as you scan around the base of the tower. 

Azaka says "We best not get captured by these beasts, or we might suffer the same fate as them. I've never been inside, never had the nerve to climb up. I just know the beasts usually have their nests as high as possible." she looks genuinely scared to climb. And a bit embarrassed. After all, it was you who hired her as a guide and now you find yourselves helping her. 

The rope-and-wood ladders mounted to the spire are ancient and crumbling. She is looking for someone to go first even though this is her deal. She is afraid of heights if you recall. 

Eku would fly up to the first 'cave' entrance and will explain what she sees, although I won't show a map until one or all of you have climbed up, or made it up somehow to the first level. Actually, she could technically fly up to the top and explain each level and what she sees, which she does:

Level 1 = A ladder clinging to the south face of the spire ends at this level, which is 60 feet above ground. Inside, there seems to be an empty 10-foot-deep pit with a rock chimney leading up which looks like it can be climbed. 

Level 2 = A ladder clinging to the south face of the spire ends at this level, which is 160 feet above ground. Eku sees several stirges, she couldn't tell how many, but she knows about these and told you about them/their stat block minus HP/AC. There is also a desiccated corpse in here. There's also another ladder going to level 3. 

Level 3 = Eku sees several pterafolk and gets startled. She thinks this level must be a nest of some sort, and decides to stop now and return back down to the ground before she alerts the pterafolk.

Eku tells you all of this information.

How will you all proceed? Azaka does not want to go first. She's very afraid of heights. This doesn't mean she won't... but depending on who asks her and what is said might effect her loyalty towards you/the party in general. If you decide to climb the ladder which seems like the only way up, please roll an athletics check. I will also need to know the climbing order. Azaka would go second. 

Happy to answer any questions you might have as well beforehand! It's a pretty cool structure.