In a combined assault the group arrows, cuts, skewers and gashes the remaining zombie, the corpse collapsing to the boat floor destroyed!
Checking the fallen zombies you find out one of them corresponds to the corpse of Umuzu, the Zenj woman that traveled with you to Pridon's Hearth looking for an expedition to join and serve as guide.
Searching the wrecked hull takes roughly an hour. Amid the wreckage, you find Umuzu's hunting bow, a composite longbow that radiates magic, four potions of cure light wounds, 1,632 gp, 22,350 sp, 21 pp, six quartz gems, and a monkey-shaped bone idol.
You also discover a large stash of building materials in the cargo hold, which may prove useful to Pridon’s Hearth: 2,000 pounds of lumber, pitch, nails, canvas, ropes, and tools. Count Narsus will probably be happy if you return the material or point out where the town can take it.
After a thorough check , you discover the ship’s waterlogged but still legible passenger list within the broken captain’s cabin. With it Count Narsus would be able to note who perished in The Cobalt Eye and inform the families accordingly.
+1 composite longbow [+2 Str]
Worth 20 gp each gem, and 75 gp the idol.
By the time you finish searching, the night has already fallen. Fortunately the moon is full, and those with low-light vision can see comfortably. Your bellies start to roar and some of you feel your muscles exhausting.
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”Goodness, that’s quite a lot of coinage to take into the jungle,” Tonny comments as he finishes counting pieces of silver. ”Or were they supposed to be coming into Pridon’s Hearth? I forget...”
”Do you think they found these gems out here?” he continues distractedly. ”They’re worth more than an adjunct professor’s yearly wages. Each.“
Jonah helps dig through the wreckage
he picks up the longbow, looking over it with a practiced eye
well, this is a nice little bow! of course i find it right after buying a bow of my own! anyone mind if i keep this beauty?
"I found something here! looks like a list of passengers. We should let this dry out, but I am sure it will be valuable to the Count
Ingolf looked around for any sign that some of the crew or passengers survived. "Look for signs of survivors. I know it doesn't look good, but maybe someone made it?"
The druid moves about, "I can take a quick dive and look for survivors but if they're down there... I doubt they will be alive." He whispers some words to the now small-again dinosaur.
"The real question isn't who died here but why they reanimated..." Splits the Leaves shivers at the thought, "We should find some high ground and I can help fix up our wounds."
Despite Ingolf's throughout search he does not find any signs of survivors. Each time he thinks to find a hopeful trace, it ends on a slaughtered corpse. It seems the few that survived the crash with the cliff rocks were killed by the undead once they reached the beach.
Splits observes the surroundings and finds a good spot among the trees to pass the night.
Ingolf finally admitted defeat, "It seems that no-one is left alive from the Cobalt Eye. What a tragedy."
He helped set up camp and used his last spell to heal the most badly wounded party member.
"The storm probably blew them off course - I can't see them bringing this much coin into the jungle. What would be the point?" Adriana asks, mostly rhetorically. There were other colonies, she knew that much, but nothing seemed close to Pridon's Hearth.
Looking for a suitable place to camp she asks the others "How close to the jungle?"
Setting camp at the spot found by Splits, you distribute yourselves and make watches for the night. The moonlight makes it easy to keep an eye at the surrounding area, and despite the unsettling noises of the jungle at night, nocturnal birds, the roar of a panther, and insect night songs, the night goes uneventful.
You wake up the next morning fully recovered and ready to continue your trip.
After a short breakfast and your daily morning preparations, you embark once more into the canoe, picking up everything you can from the wreckage and securing the rest so the tide does not take it.
Rowing north you set direction towards the Ghol-Gan ruins looking for clues. Once you pass the estuary mouth the canoe falls on the coastal currents which fortunately help you pushing you north. Your boat takes speed over the salty water.
By midday a group of dolphins cross paths with you and start to follow you jumping out of the water to greet you and following your rowing for miles. An hour later the clouds cover the sky and a sudden rain starts to fall. The dolphins flee away and you look for a place to protect yourselves and have lunch.
During the afternoon, rested and with the rain weakening, you come back to the water and keep rowing further north following the coastline. Pushed by the currents and guided by the coast, it is easy for you to reach a certain spot where you see a giant structure now in ruins.
Regretfully, this side of the coast is a cliff and will require some work to find a place up to the ruins.
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Ingolf woke refreshed, his fatigue of the previous night no more. After a breakfast of rations, he helped pack up the camp and load the canoe.
As they paddled north towards the location of the ruins that they had been told about, he observed the local sea life, particularly enjoying the company of the dolphins that escorted them. He refrained from sketching them for the moment, preferring to wait for dry land and avoid the perils of motion sickness.
Once they neared the ruins, he looked for a suitable break in the coastline, where they could safely disembark find a passage to the top of the cliffs.
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Waking up in the morning the druid prepares his magic, wondering how best to perform his actions.
He wasn't sure what to expect so he left a little magic ready in case a prayer was required later.
Seeing the dolphins during the rowing was enough for the druid to sneak a smile out, he almost had to hold Lightfoot in, no doubt worried about the water from her prior experiences.
The currents lead them to the ruins and he was wondering how best to approach the cliffside.
He asks for some guidance as to how best handle the climb, and hopes that Gozreh can direct him to somewhere where they can break.
"Those ruins... Do those belong to the cyclopes?" He directs his question toward Tonny.
Gozreh answers Splits' prayers as the group spots a natural haven where to disembark the canoe with an easy slope to climb up. With a few minutes to secure the canoe, ready ropes, backpacks and other exploration equipment, the group starts the climb up through the slope until reaching the top of the cliff while the sky starts to close up with dark clouds. After a short walk you reach the ruins.
Great blocks of stone, long crumbled and overgrown, wall in what is now merely a clearing. Vague hints of color still stain the walls here and there.
The location in the coast, stories about Ghol-Gan colonies in the area, and the foundations of the remaining walls, makes you think the ruin that stands along the coast here is the remains of an ancient lighthouse the cyclopes used to navigate the coast.
Most of the building must have collapsed millennia ago, but the magical stone of its foundations kept the cliff from eroding and protected the structure basics. Beyond that, all that remains of this Ghol-Gan outpost is tumbled stones.
However, you know many of the cyclops lighthouses had a small cellar where supplies were stored. If that is the case here, away from the erosion of rain and wind, it might happen that the basement structure has survived the millennia.
The fallen stones here would be definitely great to see eggs of any kind of bird, dinosaur or perhaps lizardfolk protected until they hatch.
A thunder is heard on the distance and thin drops start to fall all over.
Camping in the jungle didn't sound like the best idea, but the night went peacefully. At first light, Adriana found herself a quiet spot on the beach to offer a prayer to Sarenrae before helping with breakfast.
The hours of rowing blend into one another as they make their way north, joined by seagulls and at one point dolphins before the weather slowly began to turn, and seeking shelter find cliffside ruins. Undaunted but oblivious to the ruin's history Adriana instead looks for a safe area for both securing their canoe and establishing shelter.
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"Oh yes," the scholar answers Splits the Leaves. "And just look at it - an ancient Cyclopsian lighthouse!" Tonny can hardly tear his eyes away from the ruined stone structure as the group beaches their canoe. "Professor Bellextrum always said that a proper lighthouse needs a cellar in case of storms or if supplies weren't delivered on time. Maybe we'll find one here - just think what could still be contained inside! I mean, the foodstuffs would have rotted away centuries ago, but since much of the Cyclopsian empire was built on worked stone, perhaps some inventory records would still exist. Imagine knowing what giants ate for breakfast!" His face shines brightly with excitement.
Ingolf moved north to have a look at the circular walled area, which he guessed might be the remains of an old tower. "Come on Ebba. Let's see what we can find. Maybe there'll be some historical artifacts."
He replied to Tonny, "As long as it's not gnomes!" Hopefully not pork either.
mmm, breakfast does sound good. these rocks look like they would be well suited for nests. and nests mean eggs! maybe we could find some bird or even dino eggs in some of these rock formations!
speaking fo dinosaurs, Jonah will spend a few minutes looking around the area for dino tracks...
She might not have known much about cyclopses or their buildings, but Adriana knew the value of a protected area - like the kind a stone basement could provide.
"Breakfast would be good, but this cellar - it would keep us much safer than a camp exposed to the storms. What would we look for?"
There is a thunder in the distance, but the rain does not really come, only a few thin drops fall around.
Ingolf advances into what is a tower to him but Tonny points as the remains of a cyclops lighthouse. Closing up, he finds the colors in the walls are actual paintings. The clearest ones depict one-eyed people sailing and reading the stars.
More recent paintings below depict lizardfolk hunting sharks and roasting large, white slabs of flesh.
Among the tower ruins you find fishing nets and spears, as well as wooden racks used to dry the season's catch.
Meanwhile, on his search for dinosaurs, Jonah finds out clear signs (bonfire remains and tracks) of use within the last 6 weeks, long after the season for the bull shark runs depicted in the lizardfolk paintings. It seems the Mireborn retreated here about that time, but there are no recent traces of them.
You identify a few scattered bones as those of lizardfolk.
After some insistence, Jonah's search pays off and he traces tracks to a cache of eggs. A few have hatched already, but a couple of them are intact and fresh. They could make for a great omelette.
You think the eggs pertained to velociraptors, a swift, cunning pack hunter.
Velociraptors do not have fear of Medium or even Large creatures. Its leaping charge attack grants it a significant advantage against foes in thick underbrush.
A velociraptor is around 1-1/2 feet tall and 7 feet long, and weighs 35 pounds.
They have evasion and their weakest save is Will.
"The bones belong to the lizardfolk..." He walks slowly around hoping to not disturb anything, after the adventure at the Fort and only recently he was worried about the undead and spirits.
The druid looks to Lightfoot then turns to Jonah, "Velociraptor eggs. Small little dinosaurs but they have little fear of larger foes like us." He glances towards the bushes, "Stay away from the brush, they like it."
Ingolf searched the ruins of what Tonny claimed to be an ancient lighthouse. He looked for any sign of a cellar.
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”Oh, you’re quite right Splits,” Tonny adds as he peers over the man’s shoulder at the nest. ”I’ve heard they’re quite clever too. Do you think they were living here before or after those lizardfolk died and left their bones?”
Jonah is impressed by the knowledge of his companions
Ah yes, I've heard stories of these critters. fierce hunters, very dangerous bite. we should keep an eye out for them... best to avoid them if possible, but I wouldn't mind taking one of their talons home with me if it comes to that....
While part of the group raises the alarm about possible velociraptors nearby, Ingolf looks if the tower might have a cellar.
On his search, he finds some of the lizardfolk paintings depict an old structure in semi ruins nearby a small river, a lake and a wide jungle. Something in the structure depicted is particularly outstanding. It has no ceiling.
You know that She Who Guides the Wind and Waved demands of her faithful that her temples have no roof, for their ceiling should only be the Sky, and while walls should shelter those inside from aggressors, wind and rain should be always admitted at Gozreh's home.
Below some rubble, Ingolf guesses a stairway leading down. But when he is up to examine if the way can be cleared, a plant slithers through the folaige-covered stones. Deprived from food now that the lizardfolk are gone, the pecish vine assaults the gnome to feed on him.
Fortunately Ingolf notices the strange plant before it jumps over him and manages to react earlier.
This an assessine vine, a carnivorous plant that collects its own grisly fertilizer by grabbing and crushing animals and depositing the carcasses near its roots. These remarkable plants can see minute movements in the earth and air and detect changes in light and heat through their broad leaves, giving them exceptional awareness of the area around them. Possessing no intelligence or agenda, they lash out at whatever living things pass nearby.
These small vines bear clusters of leaves, and in late summer they produce bunches of small fruits that resemble wild blackberries. The fruit is tough and has a hearty and typically bitter flavor, although some say the berries change in taste depending on what victims composted a given plant's roots. The most murderous assassin vines supposedly produce the sweetest berries.
As other plants, they are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stun.
They are also immune to electricity, and resist cold and fire 10.
They have 10' reach and can constrict the enemies they grab.
Their camouflage ability makes them very difficult to distinguish from normal vines.
Their strong save is Fortitude, but they have a very weak Reflexes and Will.
They are dangerous in the face to face combat but defenseless at range.
They have blindsight and low-light visition.
As a free action, they can make nearby plants to entangle their enemies, as for the entangle spell.
Ingolf quickly reacts before the plant that fails to grasp the gnome with its vines!
The rest of the team notices the combat start and react accordingly!
Jonah hears the noise of something attacking and spots the massive plant trying to attack Ingolf! he quickly draws his new magical bow, launching a shot from across the ruin at the creature.
"Hostile plant!", Ingolf shouted, striking with his polearm.
As it tried to wrap its vines around him, he swung again shouting, "Ebba, attack!"
Ebba leapt into action, trying to ward off the hungry flora.
Preoccupied with attempting to make a safe camp, Ingolf's panicked cry of hostile plant confused her but got her attention regardless, and drawing her scimitar she rushes to aid Ingolf.
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"Oh, it's an assassin vine! They're not really assassins because they don't target people for morally complicated reasons, so the name's a little bit misleading. Maybe they would have been known as choker vines because of how they grab anything that comes close, but it's their ability to blend into their surroundings that earns them their moniker. Professor Overbracht told us about a college of hers walking straight into one and almost losing an arm to its vines, but she also said to just shoot it from a distance because they're very slow and can't throw anything back at you, and that that's how she was able to rescue her comrade - which was a good thing, you know, because they ended up getting married later that year and it would have been reeeeeaaally awkward if only one of them showed up at the library for the exchanging of vows." Tonny pauses to laugh, then stops laughing as he looks down at the whip in his hand and the whip-like vine trying to grab Ingolf and Ebba. "Wait, distance. Well..."
The druid hears the warning and moves to the battle with the others, tapping his shoulder for the small dinosaur to hop onboard. He rushes over as fast as he can.
Ingolf reacts striking hard at the plant before it can reach him.
Jonah's arrow lodges deep into the plant's base causing damage.
Repeating his swing, Ingolf strikes a second plant on the plant, although this time more laterally, while Ebba closes by valiantly but failing to stab with her gore.
Ariadna disposes herself to join the fight rushing through the tower ruins while drawing her scimitar.
Tonny does the same while in addition delivering a vast diatribe about assassin vines and how to better fight them.
Splits takes Littlefoot and rushes to see what is happening and how he can help.
The plant emits a some kind of painful growl and all the grass around her tries to help her by coiling around your feet.
The plant lashes out at the gnome attacking her.
The large vine coils around the gnome's neck and arms, raising it into the air and bringing him adjacent to the plant while crushing his bones badly, and giving a new argument to Tonny's assassin or not diatribe.
As you turn to shot at the assassin vine, you spot a pair of eyes observing you from the nearby jungle that sprawls next to the ruins.
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Tonny trips as the grass suddenly springs to life, but uses his momentum to tumble forward and break through the grasping tendrils. "Oh yeah, Overbracht mentioned that too now that I think about it. Sorry!" Pushing forward, he cracks his whip at the vine. "There you go Ebba - get it!" he cries. Are those stones clicking against each other from all the root movement underneath us, or Ingolf's bones... Best not to think about that. Deep breaths, count backwards in Polyglot from 100...
Ingolf struggled against the vine with all his might, drawing his dagger and trying to cut himself free.
The invisible spirits that surrounded him also joined in to attack the grasping plant.
Ebba fought to free Ingolf from the plant. Must save master!
Adriana grits her teeth as she manages to stumble past a lashing vine and push forward towards the assassin vine, half-listening to Tonny for anything else useful as she hacks at the plant, not knowing anything else to be useful.
Avoiding the entangling weeds Ingolf and Adriana make good service of the assassin vine with the help of Tonny.
The gnome falls gently over the rocks as the plant ceases holding him.
By when the plant falls down, the eyes that had been lurking in the jungle undergrowth jump over with a leap!
Two small velociraptors jump out of the jungle and charge on a leap over the hunter near their hatched eggs!
But they fall short, only scratching Jonah's armor.
The druid gets tangled up by the assassin vine's magic, only to watch it get felled by the others.
Hearing the sound of velociraptors, the druid turns as best he can while entangled by the plants.
With the assassin vine hacked and handled Adriana turns to check in on Ingolf only to be distracted by the alarm caused by the sudden appearance of dinosaurs attacking Jonah.
Taking a deep breath and with a quick glance back at the entangling plant, she rushes back across the stone to aid Jonah.
Clever girl... Jonah growls as he dodges the oncoming velociraptors. he steps back, firing point blank at the blue one.
With the vine dead, the glass stops to try halt those around her.
Jonah manages to step back and lodge an arrow deep inside the first velociraptor!
Ariadna turns back and quickly rushes back towards the attacked hunter.
"Ssssh! Kiiissssh!" the dinosaurs hiss and one jumps over Jonah as he is trying to make distance.
The assault is furious, teeth and claw cutting at the lower body of the hunter.
The other dinosaur tries to surround the hunter to cut his escape, but Ariadna reaches his back, and the velociraptor attacks her instead.
Holding her scimitar between her and the dino, she manages to block the attack.
Shaking his head, he decides that next time he will have to create his own spell that can counteract the magic effects of the overgrowth.
Ingolf commanded, "Ebba, defend Splits-the Leaves!", as he finally escaped the now-dead plant
Tired from the fight with the plant, he moved forwards and healed himself.
Ebba moved over to fight the small dinosaur attacking the druid.
Jonah cries out in pain as he is rushed by the velociraptor. he takes advantage of his ally's appearance, sliding past her to get another two shots at the blue dino.
he then whistles for Rosemary who dive-bombs the raptor, trying to distract it
The velociraptor larger and heavier than she expected, Adriana braces and shoves with her scimitar while trying to get a feel for the enemy, unsure exactly what or even why she's doing so as she steps, twists and slashes at the dinosaur.
"Wait, Ebba! That's his new pet!", Ingolf called out.
The weeds ceased to entangle when the vine was defeated and thanks to that Splits and Lightfoot manage to advance towards the action.
Ingolf's rage recedes what allows him to heal his wounds. The gnome is left fatigued by the effort though.
After a second of confusion, Ingolf manages to guide Ebba to the proper dinosaurs. The boar strides towards Jonah.
Jonah steps back, and showing his hunting expertise lodges an arrow on the blue skinned velociraptor that instantly falls to the ground bleeding profusely. His second arrow, nearly as accurate as the first, goes below Ariadna's legs and finds its prey, going deep into the green skinned velociraptor.
Used to hunt together, Rosemary follows the movements of the hunter and peaks down over the dinosaur, teaming up on a successful distractive movement that opens the opportunity for Adriana to slash the aggressive animal with her scimitar that bursts with Sarenrae's fire as it cleanly cuts the velociraptor on his side.
Tonny rushes back just to be surprised by another velociraptor that jumps out of the jungle in a surrounding movement trying to catch the party at the back. It is clear these creatures have a true pack hunting instinct.
Reassured by the appearance of its brother, the green skinned velociraptor hisses and attacks Ariadna with everything.
She dodges most of the attacks, but one of the talons stabs through her right foot.