17 January 2022
ACT I Piggy back’s and Weretigers (day 2-4)
Our intrepid hero’s finally put themselves back together after there little adventure in the execution pit. However Blastuldraerr’s wounds are too great and he has to rest up in the medica and unable to join the run to Camp Vengeance. Undril Silvertusk, Draza and Azaka Stormfang join the party at the mouth of the river an help load up the canoes.
The first two days pass with out any incident or event, however on the third day the party come the a bend in the river. There looks to be an abandoned riverside camp strewn with wreckage. The tents are moldy and tattered, and all the permanent structures appear to have burned to the ground. North of the camp is a ridge, built into which is a large stone statue carved to look like a man with a crocodile on his back. Between the statue’s feet is a stone archway leading to a dark tunnel. To the left of the statue is a crude animal pen with a small, panicked bird running around inside it.
Baalmelgart snorts “Should have built a wall around you camp”. Undril Silvertusk is visable shaken. “this must have been what happened to Camp Righteous”. This was one of the first camps our order set up. They look like they have been slaughtered like cattle.
“Lets tie up and investigate” says Tanros
The group begin searching the tents however they soon abandon the search as Celesta is bitten by a viper “arrrgggggehhh you little shit”.
Zaarl approach’s the animal pens and spots a young Axebill that become trapped. “Ok little guy just calm down, if i let you our you promise not to bite me”. The small bird visibly calms a little and he reaches back pulls out his crow bar and breaks the lock.
The frightened animal bolts from the cage and into the jungle. There is a sound of birds calling to each which starts getting louder before disappearing off in the distance.
Draza, Vin and Tanros finish up searching the northern section of the camp and come across a rather harrowing sight. It looks like a poor soldier bad lost his stomach for the fight and decided to hide in the latrine pit. However it looks like he was unable to get back out and had starved to death. “bad way to go” snorts Vin, Tranos begins hooking his staff under the mans arms, “Help me get this poor bastard out Vin”. Once the man is out vin throws Draza his old armor and hammer “clean the crap off this and put it on. it will give you a fighting chance is things go south here”
Happy the rest of the camp is clear the group ascend the stairs to the foot of the temple. As the reach the entrance Azaka Stormfang stops the group. “This is a sacred place, This is the temple of the Man and the Croc. There is an old tail that I was told a child about this place …
In the early days of the world, Man stood by the banks of a river, frightened. Crocodile raised his head from the water and asked, “What troubles you, cousin Man?”
Man said, “I must cross this river, but I fear to enter the water alone, because it teems with your brethren.”
Crocodile replied, “It’s true, you would not be safe. But I will carry you across the river safely on my back, if you promise to return the favor.” Man agreed, and Crocodile bore him safely across the water
When they reached the far bank, Man asked, “How can I repay you?” Crocodile replied, “I wish to see the realm of Humans, but I fear to go there alone, because it teems with your brethren. You must carry me on your back across your realm.” Man had been tricked, but a promise is a promise, so he carried Crocodile safely on his back across the entire realm of humans, a journey that lasted many years. He also swore, in his anger, that never again would Men and Crocodiles be friends, and so it has remained to this day.
Belmegart and Vin, walk straight in, and immediately fall down a a pit trap…. “sod this big man we are staying outside of this place” snorts Vin…
Thinking of the riddle Shao Lin jumps on the back of Tanros and crosses the floor without issue. Shrugging Celstra jump on the back of Zaarl and they quickly follow.
The next corridor there are four cutouts lining the wall. Unsure with the obvious trap Shao Lin goes first, just before he reaches the last section a pair of blades burst from the wall, nearly cutting him in half. The other see this and decide the just make a run for the other side, everyone narrowly misses the blades. Once at the end Zaarl blocks one of the blade ports before leaping to the next ledge.
As they climb the ledge they a tiles floor with eagle, Jaguar, Snake and Tiger’s calved into them. Shao Lin jumps on Tanro’s back and he can just see over the ledge ahead a door way with the same simples calved over its entrance.
Tanros, jump on the eagle, he steps over and northing happens, Ok snake, then Jaguar then Tiger. the pair successfully make it to to the ledge. At this stage Shao Lin can see that the Tiger on the very top right of the door is lit however the door is locked…..
Hummm Tanros step over to the snake. Thanros steps on the Jaguar first… the tiger goes out and… woosh a fireball shoots out almost killing everyone and knocking Shao Lin unconscious.
“Wake up baldie”, Tanros slaps Shao Lin and he slowly comes too.. Well that didn’t work..
Stepping back on the Tiger and sure enough it lights up again. Zaarl jump on the eagle. Both the eagle and tiger on the left light up. Celertra jump on the snake. Now both the tiger and Snake are lit up and there’s a faint click. Seeing the pattern Shao Linn starts shouting out the pattern to the others and finally the last image is lit and the door slides open.
In the room head there’s a column with a winding stair case winding around it and a ornate pot on top of it. Shao Lin Jumps on the back of Tanros “Onward my trusty steed”… As they reach the third step there a crack of blue lighting and both are flung off the stairs….
Idiots snorts Celstra. Think of the riddle, first the croc carry’s the man and then the man carry’s the croc around the world. Zaarl jump on my back.
They head up the stairs and reach the pot on the top.
The party head back out of the temple and as they emerge Stormfang begins to get jump.. everyone run now…. Get to the boats. As they pile into the boats an Allosaurus bursts from the tree line and it eyes the party hugely as they float off.
Making camp that evening Stormfang lets the team know that there is plenty of people, especially the tribes of local goblins that would love to get there hands on the jug and that this could become a problem in the future. She then goes to leave the party for the night.
Sensing something is off Vinn follows quietly. Stormfang reaches a small clearing and as the moon light hits her skin she begins to convulse and her body contorts. Slowly she begins to transform herself into a tiger and she bolts for the tree line. “**** me she is a weretiger, Nice…”
In the morning Stormfang approached Vinn “I know you followed me last night, id rather we kept this between us”. Cheekily Vinn winks “Don’t worry kitten its our secret for now”.
The party cast off for the final day on the river, however by late morning they come to a bend in the river where there is a blue fog hanging over the water. Quickly Stormfang put a rag over her mouth and everyone else follows however Silvertusk is too slow. She begins to convulse and cough. Then begins to speak in tongs and riddles. Tie her up and silence her or the whole jungle will know where we are snaps Stormfang. Vinn and Tanros begins to tie her up, Vinn goes to reach for her necklace and Tanros slaps his hand… Oh no you don’t my dear boy….
Slowly the convulsing begins to subside and she calms down and just murmurs away to herself. As she does finally Camp Vengeance comes into view. A large wood walled structure with a fortified dockyard and a much more defensible position thank Camp Righteous…