"Hah! Ye did it lad!" Spinnaker Jon crows as the tall rock Dgrim had plotted their course to hove into view only a couple of hours after sunup.
Parrotless Booker gravely nods at Dgrim; something he had never done to anyone else while aboard. Not even the Captain.
The celebration is somewhat muted a little later. As they turned south, they crossed the mouth of a small river where one of the old Port Sasserine forts were, before the Scarlet Brotherhood forcibly took them over. The flag of the Brotherhood still flew over it, but the rest of it was enshrouded by endless grey webs. The walls, the tower, even a couple of small caravels lay lifeless under blankets of grey webbing. Looking further, it appears that at least a mile of jungle surrounding the place was blanketed as well.
The crew falling silent, Spinnaker Jon prudently stands a little farther out to sea.
Over the next week, the Savage Kraken sails further south along the jungle coast of Amedio.
The crew takes an enthusiastic liking to Philip Pharlan, who's quick thinking with the pumps possibly saved the ship and certainly saved several crewmen (though the talk of possible treasure probably helped).
Spinnaker Jon privately extends an offer of an Able Seaman's position, replacing one of the crewmen killed earlier in the voyage.
Despite Bryson's vigilance, no sign of the saboteur appears. Was he one of those killed? Is he waiting to strike when vigilance is relaxed? The only sure thing you know is that whoever it is or was, was proficient with magic.
A week later, you come around a point of land into a shallow bay. You see a couple of pinnaces and a caravel at anchor there, and a number of native olman canoes upside down above the high tide line.
Ashore, you can see a substantial wooden palisade with a lot of activity around it.
As you come closer, you realize that one of the hills is being excavated; it is revealed as a gigantic step pyramid! And all those other hills, so regular in shape and position... This must have been a city!
This must be the ruins of ancient Tamoachan, once capitol of the Olman Empire.
Both the Nixie and the Kraken drop anchor in the protected water, and a swarm of local canoes comes out to ferry people and cargo to shore.
Professor Forol is buzzing around like a halfling child on sugarcane.
It turns out that this is a University of Greyhawk expedition to study the ruins here; the expedition leader, Chancellor Halin, had some kind of agreement with Lady Lavinia. The expedition will rest and replenish here before voyaging on. The colonists especially love the feel of dry land under their feet. The potlatch feast of roast pig they throw in celebration is a great success.
Later Lavinia stops by, scandalously hand in hand with Ghirrak.
"I promised Professor Forol some time to explore the ruins here, and as Spinnaker Jon and I have a plan to get by the blockade, we have several days to kill. I am hoping I can prevail upon you to escort and protect him from the unfortunate hazards of the savage jungle."
Bryson is excited about the opportunity. [b]"Come with me into the jungle, Anne, you gonna love it. It don't rock and sway like a boat, but there's always something going on. There's flowers there that remind me of you. They near as pretty and almost as deadly but when done right can be a blessing to a man. The birds they sing. Oooooh! They sing a song of a heavenly choir. True there's a lot of green, but there's other colors too. So many colors, like the gods couldn't decide on just one. Ah tell ya, Anne, once you get in there you ain't never wanna come out. You'll see. You could live yo whole life in jungle and be happy.
In the morning, they expedition throws another fine meal together before you set out.
You can see that one half of one vast step pyramid has been cleared of vegetation revealing its stylized carvings of men, gods and animals; and a start has been made on another. The rest of the city still remains buried under millenia of jungle growth.
For a moment you stop and look at the scene.
Tamoachan!
A legend among the Olmen of a vast empire long dead come to life again after being rediscovered a decade or so ago.
The jungle claimed this city milennia ago, and now her mysterious stone buildings, towering ziggurats, and rubble strewn streets have fallen to the creeping vines and towering trees. Built in a bygone age by the Olmans, Tamoachan today is one of the greatest lures for adventurers in the Amedio Jungle--its proximity to shore making it the most tempting target of these ancient ruins. You can see signs of broken stone; signatures of thieves and looters, adventurers and scholars, whether they were trying to learn the reason for the city's death or merely seeking its many lost treasures.
Professor Urol Forol, glancing repeatedly at a map, is anxious all throughout breakfast and practically runs into the overgrown depths of the ancient city.
Despite the vegetation, this is not virgin jungle you need to hack your way through. It is open enough so that you can pick your way through the vines, grass and thorns with little problem; and because you're close to the coast the normally sweltering humidity is offset by an onshore breeze. The flowering plants especially benefit, as do the insect life that surrounds them. The hoots, chirps and screeches of jungle life are all around you.
No threats appear as Professor Forol leads you deeper into the broken remains of the city.
History:
"I've been looking forward to this expedition ever since you mentioned the place, Professor Forol," Dgrim states. "But do you actually know where you're going?
Dgrim is at the front.
Profesor Forol looks up from the map and peers at Dgrim.
"What? Oh, yes! The map is cryptic, but I have puzzled it out over weeks now, and I've brought pleanty of Stone Salve."
He looks down at the map, then pushes through a curtain of vines.
"Yes! This must be the place."
The jungle parts to reveal the ruins of a large chamber, once held within the root of the ziggurat above but now open to the elements. Images of pouncing and stalking cats grace what is left of the vine-strangled walls. Dozens of mouldering stuffed jungle-cats lie scattered around the edge of the exposed chamber, along with several strangely unweathered statues of men dressed in armor. Of the five passsageways that once led further into the ziggurat's depths, only one remains uncollapsed.
Finally feeling recovered after the spider attack Phillip joins the expedition inland. Keeping quiet during much of the journey he simply listens as the others converse.
Coming upon the ruins, he gives the area a quick look before carefully moving toward the opening. Wrinkling his nose at the stuffed animals he tries to give them plenty of space as he approaches the passage looking for any sign of a trap or other danger.
Bryson still doesn't trust Phillip and looks upon his efforts to scout for the group with disfavor. He looks over Phillip's shoulder to see what he's doing wrong and point out what he misses.
Perception
Ghirrak takes a position at the front of the expedition, trusting his senses to give the group fair warning of danger.
Perception
A squat, reptilian creature with eight legs, bony spurs jutting from it's back, and eyes that glow with pale green fire scuttles from out of one of the broken hollows of the ziggurat.
Turning it's gaze on Ghirrak it give a horrible hissing screech.
Yep, it's a Basilisk. Try not to meet it's eyes.
Knowledge:
"Avert your eyes!" Dgrim drops his shield and charges at the reptile with axe in both hands.
Attack:
Damage:
Shrugging off Bryson's not so overt distrust, Phillip gladly steps back to let the druid have a closer look. "Just thought I'd have a quick look before we all settled in."
As the creature emerges, the half-elf lets out a muttered curse as he steps back a couple of paces. Almost instinctually he repeats the ritual he learned at university and practiced thousands of times to send two blue-green bolts of energy into the creature.
,
Bryson moves to within 10' of the basilisk and casts Obscuring Mist.
Ghirrak feels the creature's gaze begin to take hold, his body stiffening. He find his center, the solid core of his being, the eternal power of the mountain. In his way, he was stone already, but he would be so on his own terms.
Ghirrak rushes towards the monster seeking to lock it in an iron embrace that would allow him to control whwer it's gaze aimed, giving the others a chance to destroy it.
Chargeing grapple
ROUND 1__________
Dgrim Urnidukr(Male Dwarf Shielded Fighter 5)
________________________________________
"Avert your eyes!" Dgrim drops his shield and charges at the reptile with axe in both hands.
Charging the basilisk, Dgrim manages to hack into it with his axe.
Phillip Pharlan(Male Half-elf Sorc 3 / Rogue 2)
________________________________________
Shrugging off Bryson's not so overt distrust, Phillip gladly steps back to let the druid have a closer look. "Just thought I'd have a quick look before we all settled in."
As the creature emerges, the half-elf lets out a muttered curse as he steps back a couple of paces. Almost instinctually he repeats the ritual he learned at university and practiced thousands of times to send two blue-green bolts of energy into the creature.
The bolts strike true, damaging the creature.
Bryson Deepwinter
________________________________________
Bryson moves to within 10' of the basilisk and casts Obscuring Mist.
A mist billows forth around Bryson, rapidly filling the partly enclosed ziggurat. Visibility is limited to 5 feet inside.
Ghirrak Ironfist
________________________________________
Ghirrak feels the creature's gaze begin to take hold, his body stiffening. He finds his center, the solid core of his being, the eternal power of the mountain. In his way, he was stone already, but he would be so on his own terms.
Ghirrak rushes towards the monster seeking to lock it in an iron embrace that would allow him to control whever it's gaze aimed, giving the others a chance to destroy it.
Charging into the mist, Ghirrak is briefly lost, but manages to find the basilisk again with the sound of him fighting Dgrim. Lunging forward, Ghirrak engages the basilisk in a grapple.
In order to control the head, you will have to Pin him.
__________
[npc] Annie and Professor Forol are about to charge forward, but the mist billowed up and they stop, trying to see what had happened.
__________
The Basilisk irritably turns his head to Ghirrak (fort save dc 15 or you’re stoned) and makes a viscious bite attack: Hit! for cutting damage.
B: 36
Bryson moves forward to help fight the basilisk.
Scimitar +1:
to hit damage
Dgrim continues his attack.
Attack:
Damage:
Fort
The creature's devastating gaze strikes Ghirrak again, permeating his being with it's unnatural magic. He can feel every cell in his body being transformed into stone, painful, inevitable, irresistable.
Lavinia.....he regretted the tears she would shed when she heard the news, just the thought of her face made death bearable... and yet leaving her filled him with more sorrow than his own demise
Turning his head while he still could he locked eyes with Dgrim. He could barely move his mouth, the muscles in his jaw hardening, his vocal cords becoming immobile as a deeper marblelike greyness spread across his skin.
"Pr..ootect......La..vinn..ia.....telll...her...Iiii.....lo...."
Cursing as the mist shrouds the creature and the others in its foggy cloak. Phillip draws his short sword and attempts to slip around to where he can get a quick strike at the basilisk's vitals without drawing the beast's attention.
ROUND 2_______________________________
The creature's devastating gaze strikes Ghirrak again, permeating his being with it's unnatural magic. He can feel every cell in his body being transformed into stone, painful, inevitable, irresistable.
Lavinia.....he regretted the tears she would shed when she heard the news, just the thought of her face made death bearable... and yet leaving her filled him with more sorrow than his own demise
Turning his head while he still could he locked eyes with Dgrim. He could barely move his mouth, the muscles in his jaw hardening, his vocal cords becoming immobile as a deeper marblelike greyness spread across his skin.
"Pr..ootect......La..vinn..ia.....telll...her...Iiii.....lo...."
Bryson Deepwinter
_______________________________________
Bryson moves forward to help fight the basilisk.
Striking out with his scimitar, he strikes a telling blow.
Dgrim Urnidukr(Male Dwarf Shielded Fighter 5)
________________________________________
Dgrim continues his attack.
Dgrim strikes deeply with his axe, the basilisk screams in pain.
Phillip Pharlan(Male Half-elf Sorc 3 / Rogue 2)
________________________________________
Cursing as the mist shrouds the creature and the others in its foggy cloak. Phillip draws his short sword and attempts to slip around to where he can get a quick strike at the basilisk's vitals without drawing the beast's attention.
Phillips moves like a ghost through the fog, making no sound as he feels blindly through it. Finally making contact with the north wall, he feels his way along, trying to circle around the creature.
_______________________________________________
[npc] Annie
Annie plunges into the fog; feeling her way forward she runs into one of the statues. It is so lifelike! Not stylized at all like most of the other decorations on the ziggurat…
___________________________________________________
The basilisk hisses in pain as it is hit. It tries to turn it’s gaze on Dgrim, but it is stuck! Ghirrak was grappling with it when he turned to stone!
Basilisk escape:
With an easy twist, the Basilisk slips free of Ghirrak's stony grip.
B: 11
Bryson fades back into the fog (5' step)as he strikes at the basilisk.
Scimitar +1:
to hit damage
That should have been strike then fade.
Dgrim keeps the pressure on.
Attack:
Damage:
Phillip moves in up on the beasts flank. With a quick lunge he sends his short sword driving toward the creatures vital organs.
,
Bryson missed when he slashed and stepped back.
Dgrim landed another telling blow.
The Basilisk hissed and turned his gaze in Dgrim's direction when Phillip appears out of nowhere and stabs it in the back, barely pushing through the scales.
It collapses and dies.
"Professor, give me one of your stone salves."
The cool stone walls of the ziggurat's broken walls regain their vine covered beauty as the verdant daylight appears when Bryson kills his fog bank.
[npc] Annie comes up to Ghirrak and runs her hands over his stony bulk.
She turns to Bryson. "I have no way to affect petrification. Bryson? Could you...?"
At Dgrim's curt command. Professor Forol brightens.
"Yes of course! That's why I brought them..." He drops his pack and starts rummanging through an amazing assortment of devices.
You know, you've heard old myths that bathing a petrified victim in the blood of a Basilisk no more than an hour dead could bring a victim back. You'd hate to try it yourself; you've also heard it could dissolve things as dense as gold as well...
Know: Nature
Always trying to impress Annie, Bryson comes up with an idea. "We could cover him with the basilisk's blood. It'll be messy, but that should bring him back."
Phillip carefully wipes his sword clean and slips it back into the sheath. At Bryson's suggestion he wretches slightly but quickly stifles his initial reaction. Taking a deep breath he shudders a little and says, "It sounds like a gruesome task, but unless the Professor has an easier fix, I guess we should start gathering the creatures blood before it all leeks into the ground."
Grabbing a battered tin cup from his pack, he places it under one of the seeping wounds to catch the blood. Looking at the cups small size he turns to Bryson and asks, "Can we cover him a bit at a time or does it have to be done all at once? If all at once, we'll need something bigger to hold enough blood until we're ready."
"Ah guess its got to be a bit at a time."
Professor Forol finally locates the dust covered jar of ointment right when Phillip and Bryson complete the gruesom task of covering Ghirrak with the Basilisk blood.
At first there is nothing, then with a creeking sound, Ghirrak jolts to life, sagging to his knees with a thump.
Professor Forol peers at him through his glasses. He turns to speak to Bryson.
"Young man, that was magnificent work! I cannot believe that old myth held a grain of truth to it." He turns ane peers at some of the statues in the grotto with speculation.
[npc] Annie cries out; "Ghirrak! You're alive! If you weren't covered in blood I'd hug you."
"Aint no myth, Professor. It's an actual fact." Bryson says proudly. "Maybe you could use your gunk on one of these other ones here, though. It would be shameful to just leave them like this if we aint got to."
On a closer examination, you realize the Basilisk nibbled on its victims over time. To the point that all but one can be concidered dead. The last one could be restored, but even he will lose a hand.
Another consideration is that these all look like filthy pirates or desperate tomb robbers.
So if you want, there is enough Basilisk blood left for one more restoration as well as the two Stone Salves Professor Forol brought with him.
"If you're willing to get wet, I can douse you with water," Annie continues to Ghirrak. "I'm so glad Bryson knew how to help you!"
Looks can be deceiving but a pirate deserves what he gets.
Ghirrak cannot suppress the shudder that passes through him as he once again takes breath he nods gratefully to Annie as his eyes takes in the scene, playing out the likely events after his awareness ceased.
Stepping back as Ghirrak returns to his natural state, Phillip gives Bryson a nod of respect.
"I'd not heard of that trick before. A good bit of quick thinking."
Looking down at his blood covered hands and sleeves, the half-elf sighs heavily.
"However, I do wish the cure had been a little...less messy."
Pulling out a small cloth Phillip spends a few minutes to get the bulk of the grime off his hands using water from his waterskin and a small bar of soap. Once finished, he looks at the entrance to the pyramid and says lightly, "Shall we see what the creature was guarding with such attentive care?"
Professor Forol hesitates, his hand still cradling the jar.
"Well, at the risk of sounding cold hearted, perhaps we should wait until we come back before deciding to restore him or not. No telling how many more of such creatures are still inside; we might need it ourselves. And I really don't like this fellows looks."
He puts the jar back into his satchel.
A more detailed look of this chamber reveals that it was once roofed over, part of the ziggurat's interior. Among the rubble are a dozen stuffed jaguars of indeterminate age, now starting to rot again exposed to the elements.
You also find amidst the rubble a somewhat damaged marble statuette of a reclining humanoid figure with head turned and legs drawn up.
Also a small solid silver pyramid; perhaps a game piece of some kind?
The darkened narrow passageway leads further into the depths of the ziggurat.
After some fifty feet, it opens up into a larger chamber.
About fifty feet long by 100 feet wide; it reaches up to 30 feet high.
A huge statue of a lumbering man outfitted in decayed skins and cracked skulls, his gaping and tusked nouth wide enough to swollow a halfling whole stands to the north.
A battered but once intricately carved well sits to the south. The whole chamber is littered with skulls and shards of rusted metal.
Bryson thanks Annie for the water (I presume she'll create enough too allow Bryson and Philip to get cleaned) before inspecting the basilisk's lair. Bryson pulls out a marble statuette and a small silver pyramid. "What do you think of these?" he asks Urol.
Moving into the chamber Phillip glances around the room taking in the numerous bones. A soft whistle escapes his lips as he studies the statue.
"That's one big ugly brute."
Going over to the well, he raises his lantern and takes a quick look over the edge.
Annie creates all the water Bryson or Phillip could want, then asks Cayden Cailean for the ability to detect magical auras near her and looks around the room. As she follows the rest of the group down the hallway toward the chamber with the strange statue, she continues to concentrate on the presence of magic in her vicinity.