You continue across the island as night falls, skirting the edge of the Hollow Forest. You press on in the dark, relying on Simon's and Victrix's superior eyesight to guide you around hazards, and you reach the western shore of Zanas-Tahn. You set up camp to rest for the night, and while those on watch hear plenty of strange noises from the nearby woods, you are able to rest undisturbed.
The next morning, it's only a short journey to the shipwreck marked on the map. Here, broken remains of ships and boats on the shore form a perimeter around heaps of barrels, crates, and other items that look like salvaged cargo. Additional ladders, nets, ropes, and weights have been attached to the ships and boats. A crimson flag on the mast of the largest ship proudly blows in the wind.
There are no identifying marks on the flag besides its crimson color.
Simon doesn't spot anything moving among the wreck or the shore.
"Maybe we shouldn't call out. This is supposed to be their home turf, right?"
"Whose home turf?" asks the perpetually nervous halfling
With a night to rest Ema felt much better when they set out to explore the ship. When they began to discuss how to deal with the ship Ema considered thoughtfully and said, "I could call up one of those aether elementals again. They are naturally invisible and could possibly explore the ship for us without being seen."
As Simon sneaks aboard the ship, he sees four small humanoid constructs crafted from wood crouched atop its top deck. They have bows drawn and are warily keeping watch.
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T10=21
Simon sneaks back to the group, softly alerting them to his presence.
"The ship has wyrwoods on it. They are intelligent constructs who used to serve the Azlanti.
They seem to be aware of us, and are waiting with weapons drawn. I think calling out is the best possibility of avoiding conflict and potentially gaining allies.
I'm going to sneak back to the base of the ramp. I'll leave the talking to one of you."
Ema considered the description of the creatures that Simon gave and nodded her agreement. "I believe you are right Simon." She straightened her shoulders and said, "Let me speak to them. Hopefully they will listen. If not," she looked to teh others, "be ready to save me." Ema looked seriously at all of them, "Does anyone have a better plan?"
"...not really."
Victrix's grip on her axe tightens.
As Ema steps forward, one of the wyrwoods pops up from its hiding spot, training its bow on the arcanist. It shouts angrily in Azlanti. "Reveal your true forms, spies! You can't fool us!"
Ema held her hands out to her sides to show she was unarmed and began to speak in Azlanti. She hoped that the beings still understood the language as she kept her posture as open as possible,
The wyrwood peers closer at Ema. "You are human? No creatures like you live around here. Where is your ship?" the construct asks.
Ema was relieved they understood the language and hoped that they still harbored some respect for the creators of their kind, and by extension those who spoke their language, as she replied in Azlanti, "Our ship is currently between continents, last I knew, and isn't due back for some time now. As for the boat that brought us here it is docked in a safe location." She paused and looked questioningly at the wyrwood, "Are you wanting off of this island? I'm sure our small town would be willing to take you in."
Ema regarded the plant creature a moment and then said, "I'm very sorry, I think I have been remiss and forgot to introduce myself." She gestured to herself and with one hand and said, "I am Emalliandra, but you can call me Ema if you like." She knelt down and offered her hand to the creature, "who are you?"
The wyrwood cocks its head. "I am the one asking the questions in this exchange," it says firmly. "Do you have anything that’s worth something to us?”
Ema put her foolishness in kneeling to shake the being's hand up to all the stress lately but remained kneeling before the spokesperson of the wyrwood as a sign of respect. She considered what the wyrood constructs might find valuable and found she had no idea. She didn't know much about them and was unsure what they would want. Deciding that it was best to be honest about it she said, "I'm afraid I know little of your folk beyond your existence. I presume since you are a type of construct you don't need for or sustenance. You could probably use weapons or armor, which we don't have much of, but beyond that we can only offer our assistance."
Ema thought about what else they could offer as she nervously awaited the response of the lead Wyrwood when it hit her. There was one more thing she could offer them but it may not be of interest to the constructs. She looked up at teh small construct who was the leader from the place where she had knelt on the ground and said, "I am a mage and I can craft magical items. If we have nothing else of use to you maybe I can make my skills available to you."
Calamity stands back, confused and entirely in over her head. "Is it al-always like this?" she whispers to Victrix and Kip.
"Sort of. Honestly, this is going better than a lot of the time when we try to make new friends. Sometimes they just attack outright. Though once we rescued one of our old friends from enslavement and mind control, and now she's one of the strongest defenders of our town, so I'd say it's always worth the try."
The wyrwood nods approvingly. It gestures, and the other three constructs emerge from their hiding spots. They lower their bows. "Very well. You may enter and speak with our elder."
The constructs escort you into the collection of broken ships. Inside the largest of them, an alchemical lab has been set up. Another wyrwood is busy mixing up potions, but it turns to regard you as you enter. "Welcome to Hullhold, strangers. I am Locwudu. What brings you to this place?"
Ema relaxed and rose as the wyrwood accepted her offer and invited her to come speak with their elder. As they followed their escort the arcanist looked around her carefully to see what there was to be seen as they were ushered in to see the elder.
Ema was surprised when she saw the elder mixing potions but didn't comment on it just then. She curtsied to the elder and said, "I'm Ema and these are my companions Simon, Kip, Calamity, Victrix, and Oorka and we've come to this island tracking missing colonists from our town on a nearby island. The trail led us to here and we hoped you might be able to help us in our search since it sounds like we have some common enemies in the abductors." She smiled and said, "In exchange I can offer my services as a mage. I'm able to create and enchant items of magic."
Locwudu nods. "Very good. We will happily trade the items we have salvaged over the years for those of equivalent value. Ioun stones are particular valuable to my people. We will offer double value for any of those you can provide.
"As for other people like you, we have not seen any recently. Most of those who wash up on our shores are already dead. The few who survive, we send away. You look mostly unharmed, and that is why the guards thought you were ugothol spies."
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Simon finally allows some of the tension out of his shoulders. Perhaps beyond the enemy of our enemy. Maybe they can be a friend after all
"We are glad to know that you are wary of the ugothol. We have had several run-ins with them, and have found them to be formidable.
They appear to have left Zanas-than, taking some of our friends with them. They did leave behind a map, indicating that you were their Enemies, which is why we sought you out."
Opening his journal to the copy of the map, he points out the other locations that were marked. "We will gladly trade with you for any items that might be useful.
We would also like some information. The ugothol marked these locations, and we plan to visit them to find clues to where they may have fled. Do you know what we might find there?"
Looking up, he cocks his head for a moment. "Also, how can you be sure that we aren't ugothol?" Tapping his magical glasses, he continues, "I can see that you are constructs, so I know that you are not ugothol, but we have had less success identifying the faceless ones. Do you have some ability that allows you to pierce their disguises?"
"We've seen many ugothols here in the north, but they are smart enough to stay out of our territory. They live in caves near the river." Locwudu points to the map at the location marked "Home." "They haven't always been living here on the island. Something or someone made them come here.
"I don't know much about the other locations, but I can tell you that other dangerous creatures stalk this island as well. Ulat-kini are common in the southeast, but we don't know where their lair is. Ghost lanterns inhabit the southern marshes. Many kinds of beasts also live in the woods and marshes."
The wyrwood regards Simon when he asks the last question. "We are giving you the benefit of the doubt. You comport yourselves with dignity and honor, something ugothols usually do not do. We have a foolproof way of piercing their disguises, though. We shoot suspected ugothols with arrows until they die. When they turn back into their faceless forms, we know that they are ugothols."
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Simon is startled by the bluntness of the wyrwood's response, but after a moment nods. "That is wise Elder Locwudu. Unfortunately, the uguthol we have encountered have been impersonating our friends."
Tapping the "Home" location on the map, he pauses with his thoughts, then puts the journal away.
Retrieving his Ioun Gauntlet, he detaches the Mossy Disk Ioun Stone from the back, and hands it to the Elder. "Here. While the knowledge this stone imparts is useful at times, it will please me more to see you increase your numbers and be better protected.
In exchange, I will take the pearl, the eye patch, the vest, and some potions. Can you make 2 potions of Invisibility and 6 potions of Protection from Evil?"
While he waits, he also retrieves a wand from his pack and hands it to Calamity. "Here, Calamity, this will be more useful in your hands, I think."
Victrix keeps her mouth shut during the negotiations.
At least we know where to go now.
The elder inclines his head. "I accept your trade. I can have your potions ready tomorrow. You are welcome to use this place to rest safe from dangers."
Calamity's perpetually wide eyes grow wider still as she examines the wand. "Thank you," she says gravely, with a slight incline of her head.
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Pleased with the transaction, Simon turns to the party, bringing out his map once again.
"I don't think we should head toward this 'Home' location until we have the potions. So, we'll need to wait until tomorrow.
However, look here. 'Home' and 'Enemies' were written in Aquan, which is the language the stalkers like to use.
'Watchtower III' and 'Wheels of Heaven' were written in Azlanti. Perhaps those inscriptions were left over from a time before the Stalkers arrived.
Perhaps we can return to being explorers for the rest of the day and check out one of those locations? 'Wheels of Heaven' sounds really enticing, but maybe the more mundane sounding Watchtower would be safer."
Simon will go along with whatever the rest of the party wants.
"Wheels of, of Heaven sounds, er, sounds delightful," Lamity mutters, uncertain and unconvinced.
Ema was pleased that things had gone so well in their meeting with the chieftain and that they were able to make a deal with him. She felt a little bad about Simon giving up the ioun stone in his glove. She resolved to make him a replacement for it when she had the chance.
As they began to plan the rest of their day Ema looked at the map curiously. She couldn't help but agree with Simon's verdict about the reason the names were in different languages. "I think you're right Simon about the reason for the difference in language. I think the Wheels of Heaven sound the most interesting as I am pretty sure the watch tower is where we fought the table."
"Heaven's Wheels for me."
You head out from Hullhold toward the central peaks of Zanas-Tahn to seek out the Wheels of Heaven. As you pass through the forests north of your destination, you drawn near a small pool of oily black liquid. Simon notices the liquid flowing in an unnatural pattern. He suspects that it is likely a living creature, potentially some sort of ooze...
Simon is uncertain what sort of ooze the thing might be, but even as he readies his flask, the thing surges forward. It flows upward as it assumes a humanoid shape. Its body ripples as it moves, and tendrils of hair flow around its expressionless face.
The ooze rushes at Victrix and reaches out to touch her. Contact with the aasimar's flesh causes it to sizzle and bubble, and the ooze flows over the barbarian, completely engulfing her like a second skin!
Calamity nervously shuffles her harrow deck and throws The Sickness at the ooze enshrouding her newfound friend.
Ema was shocked at the way this ooze thing behaved as it latched onto Victrix. To say it was frightening was an understatement. In order to combat her fear Ema focused on identifying it for to know something is to lessen the fear it causes.
Ema recognizes the creature as a mimic ooze. These oozes envelop and absorb their victims, melting their flesh and draining their personality. As a mimic ooze absorbs a victim, it takes on some echoes of its mannerisms and thoughts as well as the target’s outward features, which contribute to the ooze’s primitive, chaotic mind. These jumbled shadows of thought fall second to the impulse that mimic oozes have to devour sentient humanoids.
Mimic oozes are immune to acid, mind-affecting effects, and piercing damage, in addition to typical ooze traits.
Ema paled as she realized what this thing was and quickly called out, "It's a mimic ooze! Acid and stabbing won't work on it and we need to get it off of her quickly!" She had little that would be of use in this fight so she went with the only thing she had. Chanting and gesturing she sent a volley of magic missiles slamming into the ooze.
Victrix panics as the ooze suddenly coats her, flying into a berserk state and trying to rip the ooze off of her!