While the talking and singing gets going in earnest, Lee will walk over and examine the large, stone, etched tablets.
He will likewise try to remember hymns.
Kohabeah "replies" to Lark with a shadow-play of a man placing his hand above his eyes--a man intending to look for something. The creature then shows the man praying at the altar. The creature shrugs--that is all.
All of the party members are aware that the most commonly known holy text of Gozreh is called "Hymns to the Wind and Waves." And Lee can clearly see that the tablets appear to be a stone-etched version of that holy text. The words and music were in fact right in front of them all along!
Threnody thinks she remembers part of a tune, so if she had the lyrics, she could probably wing it.
Lee will start to read the text aloud. He'll do it non-musically. More as a recitation and will count on Thren to pick up his slack musically.
"Lee, what...oh!"
Thren puts the lyrics together with the half-remembered tune in her head and starts singing the hymn.
Kohobeah launches into singing with Threnody, unearthly wind whistling and vibrations weaving into the tiefling's sonorous notes to create a song of astonishing harmonies. A song created between a bard and a divine guardian brings the notes alive. You feel as though you are bobbing along a gentle current, soft winds caressing your cheeks. Love of the wind and waves surges fills the room with a sense of hope and freedom.
The song ends, and Kahobeah seems to smile broadly. He leads you out the door, and helps you across the tree trunk bridges to the altar beyond. His many tentacles wrap around the top of the table and reveals a hollowed out center, containing a large rolled up piece of canvas, a piece of navy-blue cloth, three vials containing a silvery liquid, a carved piece of darkwood that ends in the shape of a grasping hand, and a small fan made of feathers.
Kahobeah departs, leaving you to examine these contents.
Besides the large rolled up piece of canvas, you discover the contents to be:
- lesser reach metamagic rod (3 times/day, apply Reach metamagic to spell of 3rd level or less, increasing range by one category)
- 3 potions of remove curse
- cloak of resistance +1
- fan feather token
The large rolled up piece of canvas turns out to be an extremely detailed map of the Shackles. The island you are currently on is marked "Warvil's Folly."
To the northwest, a small island is circled several times in red and labeled "Brightglass Island." Written in smaller letters underneath is "Ghoral Rey. Play the horn. Beware the guardian."
"Well done y'all with the singing and the chanting." Lark gestures past the alter to the sea and the sky. "I think Gozreh and Kahobeah should be well-pleased with that performance. Shall we pack up our rewards and head back?"
Lark re-rolls the map and stows it and the potions in his pack. Then he examines the small fan. "Any ideas what this might be for?"
Lee casts Identify and examines the fan.
"Well, this was a bit of a let-down. Some magic loot, but not what we were here for. What now?" Thren asks once the items are stowed.
Lark replies to Thren, "Since it took most of the day to get here, how about we camp here for the night? We can head directly back to the launch in the morning."
"I'm fine with camping for the night. Maybe look around the rest of the temple to make sure we're not going to get any hidden surprises like snakes or something. This was Gozreh's temple. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few animals about."
The party takes some time to explore the rest of the temple but find little more than empty barracks with mostly rotted contents. The only thing of value in the temple proper that the party has found is the bell. While critters do move in and out, they find nothing interested in molesting them so long as the party returns the favor.
Noting the sun will soon set, the group camps out in the relatively intact belltower, the most sheltering part of the temple remaining. The night passes uneventfully, and at first light the group carefully retraces their steps through the jungle back to the lizardfolk village. The tribe is eager to hear if the party's hunt was successful.
Lark will describe their encounter with the two elementals and show off his new cloak. "We paid our respects to Warvil and to Gozreh. The spirit of the air was glad to hear the last story of Warvil."
The group decide they have little else to do at the lizardfolk camp, so they continue on back to the lagoon where they arrived.
As they head down the old carved stairway to the lagoon, they see Jenesara's hippocampi circle around the northern waterfall.
Their eyes travel over to where they moored the launch...
And the launch is not there.
Roughly where it was, a crate sits upon the beach. A bit of parchment is tacked to it with a brass knife.
As they descend to the beach, processing the sight of no launch, Jenesara runs out from the shade of a palm tree and says, "You're back! Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Interesting..."
Lee give Jenesara a friendly waive as he walks over to the crate.
He examines the crate and note without touching.
Lee owns a brass knife that's back aboard ship. Is this knife his or some unfamiliar piece of cutlery?
"I'm not trained in navigation, but I thought the launch was here," Thren looks about, not spotting it. "Oh, and hello! Let's say it was a mixed bag for our trip."
The brass knife is a generic brass knife that can be commonly found upon sailing ships.
While closed, the crate is unsealed, unlocked, and very clearly is not marked with any sort of snares, catches, or trapping runes. It is large enough to hold a person lying down, not that there is any indication that there is a person inside it, but that's just about how big it is. It leaves an indentation in the sand, so whatever is inside has some weight to it.
The note is folded and would have to be unpinned and unfolded in order to read it.
There are relatively fresh marks in the sand that show where the launch was pushed into the water. An experienced tracker would be able to guess how long it was gone.
"Well, now. I wonder if someone needed our little boat or if someone decided that they just don't want us to have our little boat?"
Lee turn's his back on the crate and addresses Jenesara.
"Hey there. Good to see you again. Did you, by any chance, notice someone taking away a little boat that was parked.."
He makes a circular, finger-pointing gesture back at the crate.
"...about where that box there is? If you did, did you note when it happened? Would you, by any chance, have recognized them or would be able to recognize them if you saw them again?"
Lee turns back to the crate.
"Of course, the note might explain everything..."
Lee sets Muffin down on the sand, steps back to the crate, plucks out the dagger and reads the note.
As they gather to read the note Lark says, "I can't recall if I've mentioned this recently, but this fine hat Quinn gave me can turn into a boat." Lark doffs his tricorne and holds it before him. "It's one of those once-a-day tricks, but it should get us back to the Magpie if it's nearby."
The party briefly greets Jenesara, more preoccupied by the crate and the missing launch, and crosses over to that area.
As Lark reaches for his hat, and Lee turns toward Jenesara to ask her about the launch.
Jenesara smiles. "I don't know exactly. But I've heard some advice that might help you figure it out: 'Never trust a pirate.' Sadly it will be the last lesson you learn."
She points at Lark, and a baleful green ray flies from her fingertip.
The green ray strikes Lark full in the chest, and he feels his muscles flag.
You recognize the hideous figure: Mother Grund.
And oh so hideous she is too: the sight of her makes you weak in the knees and not in a good way.
Threnody feels her arms go limp at the sight of the creature.
As the evil sea hag cackles, several Lee-sized piranha-like fish fly out of the water, hovering almost supernaturally in the air as they prepare to dive at the party.
Two other giant fanged fish also hover and menace the hippocampi, who still circle near the waterfall, now neighing fearfully.
Thren:
Lee:
Lark:
Jenesara & Hippocampi:
Mother Grund:
Onwu Azus:
With a grunt of effort Lark drags his swords from their scabbards and staggers toward the nearest onwu azu.
As he finishes off one of the flying fish Lark calls out, "Lee, check that note and box. I think we're about to be desperate enough to grasp any straw we can!"
Lark turns one of the onwu azu into sashimi.
The hippocampi hover closer to the waterfall, neighing louder and more fearfully than ever before, while one of them tries to fend off the flying fish with its hooves.
Mother Grund frowns. "I am trying to kill you, and you want to READ? I think I'm offended." She raises an eyebrow at Lee, and give him the Evil Eye.
Lee, having survived the hag's Evil Eye before, manages to shake off the staggering sense of doom she tries to mystically inflict upon him.
Tsking, she rises into the air as if flying with invisible wings, and positions herself, moving more swiftly than one might expect, over the water.
A large king crab scuttles from the palm trees into view near Muffin.
Two of the onwu azus fly toward Threnody, circling around her head before dropping lower to bite her.
One of them manages to sink its teeth into her, and holds on for dear life.
Another onwu azu charges Lark.
→
"Get off me or you're lunch!" Thren attempts to skewer the onwu that's gnawing her shin off. Whipping her blade out she stabs down, magic coursing into her blade in a fiendish fury.
The bard's blade slices into the creature, but the weakness of her limbs prevent the blow from being telling.
"Can I get some help here Lee?" Thren asks her sorcerer companion.
Round 1
Lee reads the note.
Lee casts Shocking Grasp and 5 foot steps east to touch Onwu Azu #3.
Lee glances at the note. In the heat of combat, especially while preparing a spell, he cannot really absorb the full content, but it's addressed to the three of you and signed by Varossa. The words "your services are no longer required" stand out in particular.
The third onwu azu is now a fish fritter, and Threnody's hair stands on end.
Muffin Hops up onto Lee to avoid the crab that's closing in on them.
Or maybe he's looking for a better spot to pounce from...
Lark stabs the strange fish that has attached itself to him. "Lunch is a good idea, Thren. Maybe mommy Grund is just helping us work up an appetite."
Grappled: A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
Mother Grund raises an eyebrow at Lark and gives him the Evil Eye.
Lark quails at the sight of the hag's cursing gaze, and staggers noticeably.
Scuttle the crab darts behind a tree.
Lark and Threnody bleed from their wounds.
The wounded onwu azu still clinging to Lark is apparently ready to fight to the death, and firmly chomps down on Lark's flesh.
The other onwu azu attacks Threnody again.
But its teeth bounce off her horns.
Meanwhile the hippocampi thrash in the water.
You hear a weakened, female voice cry for help from behind the waterfall.
→
"Thanks for the help Lee. Know any good recipes for these things? Maybe they'll make a nice steak like tuna?" Thren calls back to her friend as she steps up to help Lark with his own ongoing problems.
Crimson steel stabs into the onwu so determined to nibble on Lark. The blow, if it had been driven with just a bit more force, would have been a mortal blow, but the weakness of her limbs keeps our heroine from landing a killing strike.
"What was that?" Thren says, looking toward the hippocampus and trying to spot what she's hearing.
Round 2
Lee casts Shocking Grasp and moves 10' North to touch Onwu Azu #2.
"These fellas would probably taste real good, but we're ruining them. The order of 'clean and cook' is important, you know..."
"Between the two of us, Thren, we almost make one regular strength fighter."
The hippocampus fighting the onwu azu has killed one of them. Another is trying to duck its head into the rear of the waterfall as if to reach something.
Mother Grund raises an eyebrow at Lark--and gives him the Evil Eye AGAIN!
He has a vision of himself, burnt and bleeding below Mother Grund's hovering form, as he was when they fought her and Hyrix. He feels suddenly as though he cannot breathe, and panic fills him--his heart pounds and it feels as though it will stop--but he knows he has survived this before, he steels himself, and the sensation passes. While he remains slowed by the hag's accursed gaze, whatever second, worse effect she might have had on him did not come to be.
She flies toward the waterfall, but is still hovering about 30 feet in the air, away from the hippocampi.
Lark and Threnody also continue to bleed from their wounds.
Scuttle the crab for now moves into the water, swimming slowly toward Grund.
.
The still oddly resilient Onwu Azu digs its teeth deeper into Lark.
→
,
Per the discussion thread, the last onwu azu osnin fact dead after all and Lark is no longer grappled. On my phone so I can't update the map.
Round 3
Alright. Lee is tired of Mother Gund just easing around like being 30' above the surface means she's untouchable...
Lee gets out the Rod of Reach.
Lee casts Scorching Ray at Mother Gund and uses the rod to increase the spell's range from close to medium.
"Can someone lay hands on that crab? It may be Mother Gund's familiar and would probably be tasty with drawn butter."
"Speak for yourself Lark! I'm better than a regular fighter any day. I'm just not the big, dumb, strong as an ox kind! Now come on! I think that's Jenesara by the waterfall I'm hearing!"
Thren ignores the blood pouring from the onwu bite and begins to sing as she moves northward up the beach after Mother Grund.
As Lee casts his spell, Mother Grund opens her hand, and a shimmering shield of water appears mystically in front of her, absorbing some of the fire. She is hurt, but not as badly as she should be.
Lee's spell gets through the hag's natural defenses against magic.
Lark follows Threnody toward the waterfall.
One of the hippocampi pulls away from the waterfall. It appears there is an unconscious triton (Jenesara) on its back. The hippocampus fighting the last onwu azu harrying it is looking quite ragged.
The sea hag, smoke rising from the seaweed on her ragged robes, scowls and rises very high upward--she is actually above the waterfall at this point, at least 90 feet from the surface. She begins to incant a spell.
Lark and Thren continue to bleed from their wounds.
→
Thren's rapier falls to the sand as she sees the hippocampus with the unconscious triton on its back. She waves towards herself, hoping the sea creature can get the gist of her gestures. Then she sees the hag float up high into the air and shakes her head. "Not that easy!" The tiefling shouts. Her bow comes out now, an arrow to the string with a kiss to the notch. As she lets it fly, her magic charges it and her own song heartens her enough to make her aim good.
The arrow scrapes off a good chunk of the sea hag's leg (not a great view, looking straight up), but she continues to cast her spell.
"Lee, can you help shoot her down?" Thren calls. "Lark, any chance you can help Jenesara? Or maybe kill that crab? Heal your wounds? Something I can't think of right now?"