Kal tries to get his sluggish muscles to respond, but only manages to swim forward a few feet before casting another spell. This time, ice chunks form in the cool water and shoot toward the jellyfish.
When Luthor, Conch, and Aisha arrive at the harpy caves, the usual sentry isn’t present this time. It isn’t until they’ve poked around the actual cave mouths for a bit that one of the one-eyed bird women make an appearance and this time, it’s three of them. They fly in circles shrieking at the small group.
”They return!” one shrieks.
”After missing the meeting we arranged for them!” another answers.
"Meeting? Oh right, sorry we forgot. We've been a little busy. We meant no offense."
***
Chubwart’s dagger carve more chunks from the monstrous jellyfish.
The beast hits Chubs again leaving the goblin pale and bloodied.
The lead harpy grins as she circles.
”It is no matter. We held the meeting without you and my sisters have decided to allow you and your friends to live on our island. All we require is tribute in the form of treasure and men to feed our hungers.”
”Sooo hungry….” another chimes in.
”Go now. Arrange our tribute. We will arrive on the morrow.”
Kal's arms and legs lengthen and thicken, and his body swells and morphs into that of an enormous octopus.
Luthor just nods as he turns to walk away from the harpies. When they get out of earshot, he starts giving instructions. "Conch, get the crew ready for tommorrow. When they show up, we're gonna blast them out of the sky. I'm not gonna let them eat any of the crew."
Chubwart’s dagger carve up the monstrous jellyfish even more leaving it tattered by alive.
The bludgeoning and the poison proves to be too much for the mighty goblin and he goes limp.
The jellyfish advances on Kal.
OctoKal lashes out with a tentacle as the monster approaches.
... then goes full-out attack mode at the big nasty.
His tentacles flail ineffectually for the most part, but one strikes the monster and latches on, preparing to squeeze the life out of it.
Not liking being grabbed, the giant jellyfish flails at the octopus that dared to grab it.
Kal lets out a massive roar as he's hit with the full force of the jelly's fury. Dropping it in the water, he lashes out with a vengeance.
Octo-Kal's flail of desperation proves to be enough as his one clubbing blow that connects renders the jellyfish senseless.
Kal's arms and legs shrink down and stick themselves back together until he's once again human. Grabbing the goblin with one arm, he gets them both back aboard ship and starts casting spells.
After healing up and climbing back into the water, Kal and Chubwart find that the wreckage is otherwise undefended.
Aboard the ruined ship they find a potion of heroism, a ring of sustenance, a scroll of gaseous form, a skeleton anchor, a bone wand of false life (23 charges remaining), a diamond worth 1,000 gp, a jeweled headdress worth 800 gp, a jade necklace worth 350 gp, and a carved darkwood mask worth 100 gp
The cargo hold contains several drums of whale oil and crates of ivory worth a total of 10 points of plunder.
"Let's load this up and get back to the others."
Opal will teleport her little group to the area indicated on the map for where the phoenix is supposed to be located at. Once there, they can begin looking for it or its nesting area.
The group's trek though the rocky island takes them up through the mountain into the heart of the volcano itself.
It's here, above a small pool of bubbling magma that the party finds a young phoenix at rest in its nest. A dozen shed feathers litter the ground here but none matching the description of a pinion feather. It doesn't seem to have noticed the party.
"What do you think Moonbeam? Wanna just charge in and kill it or did you want to try talking to it?" the bull says as he hunkers down trying to stay out of sight.
"I would prefer to try talking to it first. After all, we just want one of its feathers."
Looking over the dangerous terrain below the bird's nest, Opal motions for the others to hold their ground. Turning herself into a small air elemental, she cautiously flys up to the nest and speaks to the bird in Auran.
"Excuse me for bothering you, but there is a young woman who is quite ill and the spell that can cure her requires a pinion feather of a phoenix. Would you happen to be willing to grant us one of yours?"
The phoenix sits up and gives an unhappy squawk at the intrusion into it's domain. It's brilliant orange feathers literally flare to life.
"Oh? Any why is that any concern of mine little wind-spirit? This world is full of the ill and dying?"
"Well, it is a bit of a concern to me, so is there perhaps anything you would be willing to trade for a pinion feather? An object, a task, something?'
"One cannot trade for the favor of a phoenix but it does take a great deal of courage to enter one's lair and face my kind honestly. That in and of itself is a task worth honoring. Hmmm..."
The giant fiery bird glance down at Bjorkus and Alhazrah.
"I will grant your wish under two conditions, if the one that my feather aids ever does evil you will be responsible and should I have need of your talents in the future, you will return here to provide them. Do we have an agreement?"
"Yes, we have an agreement and thank you sir."
"I am a female of my kind", the giant fiery bird says with laughter in her voice. "But no need to apologize."
The phoenix extends a wing.
Opal gently plucks out a single feather. "Thank you again and farewell for now."
Opal returns the group with the feather and then teleports the lot of them back to the temple.
The feather is large and hot (almost uncomfortably so) but comes loose in Opal's hand.
A few words later, she, Bjorkus and Alhazrah are back in Quent.
Opal looks about to see if the high priestess is in the room that they just appeared in. If she isn't, she will ask the first priest/ess she sees if she may speak with her.
The priestesses greet Opal and company with surprise at seeing her back soon and rush her to the side of the High Priestess Gabrielle.
The High Priestess is at rest when Opal is brought inside with the feather in hand but she quickly sits up in surprise.
"Can it be? You've returned with the phoenix pinion and so quickly? This temple is in your debt Opal Windsong. What boon can we offer you for this kindness."
"Ah well, if you don't mind, we could use a bit of help with this feast that my crewmates and I are supposed to be holding for the Free Captains. Perhaps some advice on their personal tastes, maybe a little physical assistance....
"Oh, and about the feather, is it consumed in the spell to help the young lady? I am responsible for anything done with it, kind of a promise made to get it from the phoenix."
Priestess Gabrielle nods and smiles sweetly at Opal's request.
"I understand. I will send several of my most promising acolytes to act as hostesses for your celebration and 'entertainment' for your guests", she says with a gesture towards one of the other priestesses. "Also if there's anything or anyone within the House of Stolen Kisses that catches your attention, let me know. They are yours for the night."
"As for the couple, they are noble souls, freedom fighters from Cheliax. I believe they've left that life behind now and just want to be happy together."
"Oh, and I appear to be out of teleportation spells for the day, so perhaps some beds for the night as well?"
"Of course", the priestess says with a smile.
Bjorkus, Opal, and Alhazrah, spend a few days in Quent selling off treasure, shopping for supplies, and choosing entertainers for the feast.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, they teleport back to the island just as Luthor is getting back from his meeting with the harpies.
"So you have fun on your world tour? Because the harpies are gonna show up tomorrow and they plan on eating people. If you're not busy, you could help prepare everyone."
Bjorkus quickly shifts from a rumbling laugh to wide-eyed shock.
"Eating people? Is this because we stood 'em up?"
Luthor shrugs. "Maybe. Or they were always planning on it."
"World tour? Though we did have a bit of fun, we also got some important work done for the upcoming feast and no stupid bird-hags are going to ruin all our pary planning work. We will just either include them in the party as entertainment for target practice or we will just have to engage in a preemptive strike and wipe the b+*@~es out the night before the party."
The crew hunkers down in the ruins of the fort and camps out for the night.
The following morning, a cry goes out across the fort.
"Harpies! Incoming! Eight of them!"
Opal flings a ball of lightening right into the middle of the flying hags, hoping to singe quite a few feathers.
"Looks like we're going to have roasted turkey for breakfast!"
Opal's ball of lightning explodes in the air scorching two of the harpies and grazing three others. It doesn't look fully effective.
Three of the harpies stop and level their giant bows while the other five fly closer.
Three of the giant harpies bombard the walls with blast of corrupting energy while two land and brandish maces.
"So the wingless fools have declined to offer tribute! Have it your way! The Daughters will take what we want from you!"
Bjorkus roars and paws the ground beneath him as he prepares to do battle.
The giant harpy squawks in surprise at the bull's ferocity.