Kiva cleans the blood and gore from her blade before sliding it home in it's sheath.
"For now," Kiva says glancing back at K'exik. "She spoke of a weather machine, something to do with the one she calls Father and the Kraken."
Kiva turns and begins making her way towards the shrine.
"That would indeed be troubling... The Kraken is the name of your kin that has significant control over the town of Stormreach..." He follows you to the shrine.
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Strands of seaweed and kelp hang over the gilded archway of this crude shrine. Symbols of the Devourer are etched into almost every surface, or painted upon them in blood- in some places both. It seems that whenever there was a gathering here, more fetishes and talismans were added to the shrine.
Within the alcove carved into the stone wall, there is a grisly assortment of trophies and body parts, glittering gold can be seen wherever blood is absent. A small chair or throne rests against the back, a composite of coral, shells, and humanoid bones. Heady incense burns, filling the shrine with a cloying stench akin to fish and brine.
Above the throne, a mask-like idol hangs, a foreboding visage of teeth and tentacles carved from some unknown green stone. It radiates an unnerving malevolence.
Scattered upon the floor are gilded trinkets laying amongst handfuls of
golden coins. The latest sacrifice laying upon the treasured heap is still recognizable as a sea elf, his throat slit but still garbed and left with his possessions.
As the three of you sift through the offerings, the sense of unease grows, as if the dark idol watches you. Gathering the treasure together you find:
- A large pearl carved with symbols of flying dragons set on a silver chain
- A small stone, weathered by the passage of water with a hole eroded through it
- Blue dragon scales strung together on a cord necklace
- The elf's armor, appearing to be crafted from large fronds of kelp
- His vest, which is crafted from the hide of a large fish
- Goggles set with lenses of smoky crystal
- Two glass vials that crackle and smell of ozone
- The priestess' golden trident
- Four golden unholy symbols of the Devourer
- Three pearls
- 1,038 gold pieces
Kiva points to the idol and asks K'exik, "What is it?"
Once outside examining their bounty, Kiva holds up the string of blue dragon scales, rubbing her thumb across the surface of one of the scales and watching the light glint off it. She sets it back down picks up the goggles, holding them to the light and peering through them as she speaks, "We see what else there is to find on this island then we get the hells off this rock and back to civilization. Stormreach, quite possibly."
Kiva spends a few minutes sorting items out.
"It is called the Face of the Devourer... a powerful relic, but not one to be trifled with lightly if one wishes to remain sane. Surprising to see a group this small laying claim to one, but with a dragon backing them, they seem to have access to tools and treasures that most devoted cells lack. I confess myself curious to know if this Malikepstrix is numbered among the faithful or just uses the fanaticism of my people for its gain..." The not-elf follows you both out, helping to lay out the items and look over them.
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The intricate pearl on the silver chain is enchanted with a faint aura of evocation. The weathered stone also radiates faint evocation, the dragon scales glimmer with faint transmutation, the elf's coat radiates faint transmutation as does his dark goggles. His fish vest shows an aura of moderate abjuration. And the trident of the priestess faint evocation.
The crackling bottles, unholy symbols, pearls and gold are unmagical.
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The pearl is a orb of the waybringer, you are unable to determine what the stone is. The scale necklace is enchanted with feather falling. The elf's sea coat is known to you, but the goggles and vest remain elusive. And finally you are able to determine that she wielded a +1 gold shocking trident.
The Emissary looks over the baubles as well. "The stone is an elemental stone that can store certain energies within it, that energy can then be lashed against an opponent. His goggles are a rather common item in these parts, they allow one to see through the mists and rains of a storm. The vest, however, I am not certain of its functionality, though I would venture a guess as to some kind of protection. We can try to determine its worth tomorrow."
"Some of this could be useful to us," Kiva says looking over the goggles again.
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Besides the collected talismans and golden sacrifices, nothing of note jumps out about the shrine, though it is likely that there are a few such shrines laid out on the island near the sea for the sahuagin to pray at. You get the feeling that if you linger long the sea devils might regain enough courage to avenge their priestess. The distant sound of clacking still resonates throughout the jungle.
K'exik examines the shrine once more, trying to muscle through the ominous presence of the Face.
The Emissary brings the note out, "It seems that she had started a letter to someone before our arrival... a letter to her brother, asking if he had finished their father's preparations. It also mentions a ship of air but then the note ends. So they were aware of our crash... and it seems probable that we may have to deal with another group of these fanatics to get more answers..."
"Let's keep moving then. Denovan, if this is too much for you, you're welcome to rejoin the others in the relative safety of the camp and wait to be rescued."
Kiva continues on, making her way further into the island.
Gathering up the items to catalog later, K'exik steps next to Denovan and Kiva. "Are you wanting to see this through in one day, or shall we attempt to find somewhere to recompose ourselves? I know the longer we take, the others will consider us a lost cause, and should a vessel arrive for them, we risk missing our escape from this crustacean-filled island."
"I should at least stop long enough to clean these scratches," Kiva says indicating the wounds she sustained in the last battle.
She smiles at Denovan, "Neither was I, else I would have brought a more sturdy human shield."
"Well, maybe we'll let you try your charms on the locals next time," Kiva says.
Kiva smirks and shakes her head while looking around for a relatively safe place to sit for awhile and rest so she can clean her wounds.
"I am not certain what to expect when we encounter the priestess' brother, but we should be ready for anything... as best as we can be." K'exik muses.
Kiva groans and says to herself, "Why'd they have to send me for this?"
She looks up from her moss-free fallen tree at K'exik and Denovan saying, "If either of you have suggestions on how to be ready for any of this, I'm all ears. Otherwise, we'll traipse around in this mess trying not to die and killing anything we come across until the storms stop and I can go back to civilization."
Kiva stands and brushes off her hands, "Then I have a dead woman to find and put back into her grave where she belongs."
The Emissary raises an eyebrow. "If we are expecting more of my kin, then when we find the congregation, strike swiftly and aim for the leader... hopefully it is just the brother and the father does not make another appearance. I do not believe any of us are ready to face off against a dragon in its domain... If there are rituals being performed here, many dark rites to Shargon call for blood sacrifice. There may be hostages."
"I'm sure the crabs will kill us long before we find the dragon," Kiva says.
She takes in her surroundings before attempting to plot a course forward and heading out.
"To seek her brother, I believe we should skirt the island. They will not venture too far inland for lack of seawater to breathe, but surely no dragon this egotistical would meet its followers on level ground. We should seek a bay or where the beach touches the foot of the mountains..."
Kiva stands aside and gestures out. "By all means, lead the way, Emissary. Better you than I; I'm not meant to traipse around uncharted islands filled with crabs and gelatinous ooze." And better you than I to be the first to encounter her brother... or her father.
"As you wish." Gathering his bearings, K'exik looks around and begins picking his way through the underbrush, staying closer to the edge of the trees.
Kiva draws her rapier and moves to the trees for better cover as she moves as quietly as she can towards the sounds of the drums, keeping her eyes peeled as she goes.
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Looking out from the tree line, you see a wide beach that brushes against the slopes of a rising hill or plateau. There are only a handful of sahuagin chanting, half in the water, with their eyes cast towards the rise. Three large black crabs are among them, seemingling clacking their claws in time with the drumming cultists.
Whispering to Kiva, "This may be an offering site, but I do not believe the Priestess would have need to write her brother a letter if their places of worship were only an hour or two from each other. I think we should attempt to deal with this group, or skirt past them, and continue to edge our way along towards the furthest side of the isle."
"Leave them, we had enough trouble dealing with the last ones and if they you don't think they're a use to us I won't waste my time," Kiva whispers back.
K'exik continues to lead the way, trying to avoid the beach and his crustacean-enthused brethren.
Kiva follows K'exik while silently ranting about being trapped on this godsforsaken island.
Having gone through several potions during the trek, K'exik comments, "If I am going to be of use to you, I fear we may have to set ourselves back another evening and find some place to make camp for the night, but I leave it up to you, Kiva."
"I think you're right, as much as I hate to admit it. We're not going to get through this in one day."
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Although it takes some time, K'exik and Kiva find a small crack in a low cliff-face that may have once been a cave. Moving some debris, you make the opening large enough to squeeze inside and find a nice roomy little den, safe from the elements.
At K'exik's suggestion, a fire is built right outside the entrance. The Emissary logics that the crabs will avoid it, and the sahuagin will have to come through it or bring water to extinguish it, all the while giving you time to prepare to attack. The shelter is close enough to the beach that your own sahuagin guide can refresh his lungs without cause for alarm. He opts to take first watch, spending a few hours brewing more of his precious air-breathing libations.
Your journey to Xen'drik was a decent enough trip, sailing across the Thunder Sea in a swift Lyrandar vessel, a ship that harnessed the powers of the wind and the waves to skim across the waters like a dragonfly lighting upon some of the ponds and rivers near your homeland. The half-elven crew is jovial enough, and you are one of a few passengers setting out for the Lost Continent. Unfortunately, the ship ran into uncommon and extremely temperamental weather that forced the ship to alter course to avoid the worst of it before reaching Stormreach. A band of sea devils attacked the ship when it ran aground of some unseen shoals, and many of you were taken prisoner. Through the next several days you were kept mostly unconscious by repeated injury, and they pass in a feverish haze.
You awoke a few hours ago to find yourself tethered to a rock, set before a plateau. Coming to your senses, you were able to shift your skin into that resembling a smaller version of the many crabs you had seen around you. Grabbing your gear you were able to elude the sea devils by escaping into the jungle. The fate of your crew and fellow passengers remains unknown, but you were aware that there was at least one other prisoner bound near you, also unconscious, but you did not have time to offer them aid.
Weary after several hours of fleeing, your form reverting back to your own, you stumble out of the trees and brush to a rocky beach, where you see a small bonfire burning near a large grouping of rocks...
The jaunt through the Thunder Sea had been a very pleasant one up until a day ago. The crew found your company to be very enjoyable and there were worse ways to pass the time than bouncing between the captain's chambers and the crew's quarters... though your body could use a bit to rest from the rough hands of sailors.
The pleasure cruise came to an abrupt end yesterday when some creature beneath the waters burst through the hull. As the ship sank, you managed to gather your belongings, and in the process of swimming away you only glimpsed a dark silhouette of something retreating to the depths. Before you were able to surface, several nets ensnared you, dragging you through the waters. Your lungs near to burst for lack of air, your vision went dark...
You have become slightly aware of the sounds of clicking and chanting nearby and you find (not for the first time) that you are waking up completely bound and gagged, your body even more sore from being pulled through the wreckage. You hear some sort of commotion, and as your eyes flutter open, you feel a dull thud and sleep takes you once more...
Kiva, the Emissary and Denovan lay resting in the small cave. As you peer out through the flames to the beach, something catches your eye.