Lyra whispers of dark magic from the void, causing oozing wounds to break out all over the shapeshifter. and commands Wilbur to charge forward but the large pig is unable to hit.
Samael drops the unconscious angel, before tumbling forward and getting a vicious backstab into the Kishi(thanks to some help from the orc hunters).
Oppa and Violant join Lyra with bombarding the Kishi with powerful magic.
He dodges most of the lightning bolt and avoids the worst of the agonizing despair.
Stom trusts his trusty axe and charges forward, dodging all manner of magic flying over his head and delivers a massive cut to the creature.
The Kishi's hyena head tries to bite Samael while he tries to claw Stom in the front.
Try as the creature might, Samael is just barely able to avoid the jaws and Stom leans back just enough that the creature's claws drag across the front of his armor leaving deep grooves in there place.
Oppa / Doxie ☘️ -
Stom ☘️ -
Violant ☘️ -
Samael ☘️☘️ - Concealed
Lyra / Wilbur ☘️☘️ -
Kishi - 86 damage, 2d8 persistent void, frightened 1
◆ Samael
You hook a foe's bootlaces together, pull their hat over their eyes, loosen their belt, or otherwise confound their mobility through an underhanded tactic. Attempt a Thievery check against the target's Reflex DC.
Critical Success
The target is clumsy 1 until they use an Interact action to end the impediment
Success
As critical success, but the condition ends automatically after 1 round.
◆ Samael
◆ Samael
◆◆ CAST: Evolution Surge (Make Doxie Large)
◆ Command Doxie
"Now you can play with your prey girl".
◆ STRIKE: Bite
Teeth
◆ STRIKE: Claws
Nails
Stom swings low at the kishi, hoping to take out its legs. Then, he swings again with an overhead chop down.
◆◆ Slam Down
◆ Strike
Throwing her hand towards the Kishi again, she casts her needle darts spell.
"NULLISH CRAAALIFK!"
"Wilbur you can get him boy!"
Wilbur attacks with his hoof again hoping to strike.
Violant sets up Mirror image, trying to find a decent spell to actually use against the Kishi. She then raises her shield.
Samael throws a bunch of sand into the Kishi's eyes, blinding him temporarily, then utilizes the advantage from Wilbur flanking to deliver a powerful backstab.
Doxie dives in teeth first and catches the Kishi unexpectedly, tearing into it viciously.
The kishi wavers just in time for Stom to cleave both its legs from it's body in a powerful swooping slice, killing it.
The hunters cheer, the three of them striding closer to inspect the creature and verify it really is dead, putting an extra arrow or two into the body to be safe. Ifiok speaks up, "Thank you, we were deceived again by the creature, had you not been here our hunt would have continued or worse we'd have been ambushed by the creature," Looking at the fallen unconscious angel, "I have no idea how it captured that, but I'm sure it intended on eating it,"
Samael will go over to the Angel, and Treat Wounds on it
"By her flame, im glad we were able to help. What a trickster that kishi was. I knew the words it was spewing were lies but i wanted to believe him too..." shaking her head is disbelief.
They sit up slowly, one hand pressed to their side, then look at each of you in turn—measuring, understanding.
“You chose mercy,” the angel says, their voice gentle but resonant, layered faintly with harmony, speaking in a strange language, but you each understand it still. “That choice will echo further than you know.”
They rise with care, though it’s clear the healing has steadied them. A faint glow lingers around their form, like heat shimmering off sunlit stone.
“I am Chioma. You have my thanks. The creature that held me intended to consume me for power it would never have gained.” A small pause, then a quiet, almost amused breath. “Evil often mistakes cruelty for understanding.”
“I cannot remain. I was summoned for a purpose that grows more dire with each passing hour. A student of the Magaambya lies under a deadly curse. The wizard who called me cannot walk these lands without causing harm, so I was sent in their stead to gather what is needed to save a life.”
Chioma’s wings settle, though the light around them still pulses faintly.
“If you wish it, I can aid you before I depart. Healing, blessings—what I can offer, I will.” Their gaze softens.
"It would only be logical," Violant says, her voice sounding at first like an Arbiter's poor attempt at Common, but then she coughs, shaking off the curse as it returns to a more slight mixed accent, a pretty unplaceable native one.
"Sorry. Tongues curse is still wearing off. Unique blessings that we can't offer ourselves would presumably be the best, as we have healers among us."
Not always a pious person, Stom kneels reverently near the angel and bows his head. "We are glad to help one of heaven's heroes. Your aid is certainly not required here, but I'd gladly receive your blessing if given."
Stom looks back at Chioma with calm yet serious look, pausing to hear the angel's answer.
He also considers what type of angel this is.
Chioma listens, head slightly tilted, as Violant speaks through the last clinging threads of the curse.
When Stom kneels, Chioma’s gaze softens.
“You honor not me,” they say quietly, “but the light I serve.”
Stom you recognize Chioma has a Choral or Choir Angel.
He steps forward and raises a hand toward your gathered group, A warm, radiant glow blooms from their palm—not blinding, but steady, like sunrise caught in a lantern. It spreads outward, touching each member of the party in turn.
“Let your senses remain keen,” Chioma says, lowering their hand, “and let no shadow take root easily in your thoughts.”
The light fades, but not entirely
"Thank you! Doxie thinks you're cute. So tell me a little bit about angels. Do you work for one of the gods or something"?
A small smile touches their expression. “And Doxie is very perceptive,” Chioma replies warmly.
“You ask a simple question but the answer is. . . wide.”
Chioma looks past the group for a moment, as if seeing something far beyond the jungle. “I come from Nirvana. It is a realm where harmony is not something we strive for, it simply is. We choral angels are not bound to a single god, as some celestials are. We answer many voices. The gods, yes, but also empyreal lords, and sometimes even the quiet call of mortal need, when it is just and urgent enough to be heard, like today,"
Chioma steps back, wings beginning to unfurl again. "Now, truly I must go, another's life is in danger, in the same way you saved mine, I must go to save another's,"
Lyra ever grateful for the heavenly blessings offers up a prayer to Saranrae as the Chioma readies to leave. "We thank you for your blessings may you have the light of My Lady Firesword to guide you on your path to help another."
The hunters, look on and comment, "Wow, we are lucky to have run into your group indeed, we will carry word of your group back to our Tribe," turning to Lyra, "If you get the chance, I know you would be welcome amongst your kin should you ever tire of adventuring,"
With that, the orcs cut of the head of the Kishi and stuff it into a sack, "We must be off, these lands are still dangerous, the three of us can make our way out, thank you again,"
The angel nods to you all as well and takes flight, soft music like chimes sounds as it flies, turning into a small ball of light leaving the cavern.
Stom thanks Chioma for their blessing and wishes them luck on their urgent task.
"We haven't been back to the village in quite some time. The Ekujae should know that we're still kicking. Plus, my back is tired from carrying all this loot!"
Lyra thanks the orc hunters for their kindness and offers a blessing to Saranrae upon their departure.
”Yes, a trip back to the village would be good. We can inform them of all the pillars and what we have seen. “
Resting for the night, it passes without much concern, and your group with Renali sets off to return to the village, the closest you've been in the past two weeks, and laden with supplies to sell.
Following your map, and with some help from Renali who retreats just before entering the domain of the Ekujae, bowing out, "While I may aid you, my people, the Anadi, and the Ekujae have a long history of not getting along well, I'd hate to stir up trouble, I'll wait and watch and rejoin you once you leave,"
Quickly your group is met by Ekujae scouts who welcome your return and guide you quickly the rest of the way to the village, Jahsi(the hunter who met you at the Huntergate originally) and Nketiah(his daughter and the clan Storyteller and your guide within the village) meet you at the top of the elevator to their canopy village. Nketiah, excitedly, "We eagerly awaited your return, I've heard from the birds and the animals that scout for us of some of what you've done, you've been causing quite a stir within the Jungle, tell me everything though,"
"Well, we're still in one piece so that's something. We toppled a bunch of odd magic totems and fought a bunch of cultists. My back is hurting from all the loot we're lugging around. I'm sure the others are tired as well. The others know more about the magics at play."
After providing that eloquent rundown, Stom steps to the side to let the others speak and he drops his laden backpack to rest for a bit.
Chuckling, Jashi helps Stom with his backpack "Well, we're happy you're alive and it sounds like your making progress, the blindness hasn't yet lifted. How many totems are left? have you discovered the source of the Cinderclaws?
"Yes I believe that we have found out more about the Cinderclaws. We discovered that there are 9 dragon pillars here in the jungle, we have destroyed seen of them. We spoke with a kobald alchemist who is being forced to work for the Charukas. She told us about their leader, Balzamog, who was a Boggard Swamp priestess, but now..now she is trying to resurrect Dahak." Lyra stops and starts pacing as she crosses her arms and continues sharing what they learned. "The Kobald also marked on our map the 2 remaining pillars as well as Balzamogs fortress, The Fortress of Sorrow. Which is where The Scarlet Triad, her cinderclaw, charukas cronies are at."
When Lyra finishes her description of the group's recent adventures, Stom adds his keen insight in their future endeavors. "And, after a good rest here, we'll be ready to journey back out into the jungle and finish the job. Straightforward enough, just need to hit them before they hit us. So, more of the same, really."
Nodding, "Wow, that sounds like a lot, if only this blinding curse was stopped we could send our warriors out in full to cleanse this swath of jungle. Still come, rest, unburden yourselves for one night and rest without fear of attack,"
Lyra goes to the shop keeper and buys a fire rune for her scimitar. She is excited to have not only her Lady's favored weapon but now it will also be like Her Lady Firesword too.
Samael will buy a Ventroloquist's Ring (60 gp), a Composer Staff (80 gp), a Cloak of Illusions (360 gp), Lesser Mirror Goggles (135 gp), and Charlatan's Gloves (50 gp)
Taking some much needed rest and recuperation, the Elves try their best to ease your pains after 3 weeks in the jungle with another week or more ahead of you.
After your shopping is complete, your loot offloaded, your stories explained, the Elves resupply you with more rations, and you set off to the seventh of eight pillars.
Since you've already been this way before, and you pick up Renali once outside of the Ekujai's territory, she guides you quickly through the jungle. Making the trip in two days as opposed to four, fully rested and prepared for the worse Renali brings you in close to an large unassuming jungle clearing that is empty save for a single pillar topped with a Green Dragon's Visage.
No monsters are in sight, or wacky taldan explorers, or pits of acid. Keen eyes can tell it definitely looks like there was a scuffle, a few broken or discarded weapons that the Cinderclaw's have been seen carrying but no bodies.
Lyra, upon seeing the clearing tries to take a closer look at the area of the scuffle and tries to see if she can glean any other information or tracks where any survivors would have gone.
"I'll wait till you tell me it's relatively safe to go up to the pillar and deactivate it."
Lyra looks around on the ground but doesn't see anything, however rustling in the canopy catches her eye where she sees a number of large, dragon like predator's lurking in the canopy above, they don't know that you know they are there yet
With the information from Lyra, Samael pulls up the cloak of his new hood, and turns invisible. "I'll get started on the pillar. Be prepared. You might have to distract the dragons if I accidentally catch their attention."
Then, Samael will sneak toward the pillar, attempting to not make enough sound to alert the dragons.
Seems like the creatures, whatever they are, look dragon-like, are waiting for you to enter the clearing before springing their ambush.
Samael dons his hood and turns invisible, entering the clearing undetected. He manages to sneak all the way up to the pillar without anything jumping out at him or the pillar blasting him with no-doubt green related magic.
If that deactivates the pillar, can Samael sneak back undetected?
Samael, a deft hand at disabling these Pillars easily wipes the and disrupts the magic runes powering the Tower. Sensing a disturbance, the Jungle Wyverns leap down out of the trees to prowl the area.
Samael ☘️☘️ - Hidden
Jungle Drake 1
Jungle Drake 2
Violant
Oppa / Doxie
Stom
Lyra / Wilbur
◆◆◆ Samael will Sneak 45 feet into the bushes.
Samael is just barely able to avoid the prowling Wyverns but he does so and remains undetected, rejoining the group.
"If all we have to do is disable the pillars, I see no reason to waste time or resources fighting. Unless the dragons are going to be able to restart the pillars," Samael says as he lowers the hood, reappearing.
"I agree, if we can get it disabled lets all try and sneak out of here without them seeing us." She whispers back to Samael. She looks to the rest of the group to see what they think.
Violant purchase a veritable folder of scrolls for the inevitably she screwed up and prepared the HORRIBLY wrong spells for the day, codexed to quite strong elemental spells and common utility spells.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Absolutely agreed. I'd rather not waste some of my newly purchased scrolls here."
Stom nods to the others. "Apologizes in advance if I make too much noise leaving."
Stom tries his best to stay quiet while leaving the area.
Your group escapes easily enough, the ambush predator Jungle Drakes do not give chase, preferring to wait with the Dragon Pillar for any other tasty snacks to approach it.
With only 1 dragon pillar left, your romp through this jungle is nearing its end. All that stands between you and assaulting Belmazog's Citadel of Sorrow is this 8th Pillar.
However, along the way, you pass by a rather large cliff in the middle of the forest and looking up, you actually see a rather ancient looking temple that hangs off the cliff. It's hard to get a good look at it from the bottom of the cliff but An overgrown ridgeline rises up from the jungle here, presenting a craggy stone face to the south. Perched atop the forty-foot-tall cliff is a mostly overgrown stone temple.
A trio of stone balconies extend from the temple’s southern facade over the cliff’s edge, while several triangular openings in the stone walls that may once have held windows are now filled in with packed clay. The building’s walls are adorned with badly damaged carvings that may have once been androgynous, butterfly-winged figures swimming in the sea and flying through the sky.
Lyra tries to get a good look at the temple, but from this vantage point she cant make out much.
"Lets go up and see what it is, and maybe who this temple was once, or still is a shrine to."
Recall Knowledge about the Temple?
Violant also tries to recall knowledge about the temple.
Stom looks over the temple from afar to see if he can figure anything out about it. Then, he keeps a close eye on the group's surroundings.
"I'll keep an eye on our flanks to make sure we aren't ambushed. Bloody cultists are likely here somewhere."
Detouring a bit to find a route to the top of the cliff to get a better look at this ancient temple. The jungle thins as you rise to the top just enough to reveal the ruin—and the man standing before it, hands on hips, admiring his own work like a painter about to sign the canvas.
Golden hair. Immaculate mustache. Monacle. blunderbuss on his back. He turns at the party’s approach, raising a tindertwig with a flourish.
“I’d stand back if I were you!” he calls, voice booming. “This entire structure is moments away from a most enlightening demolition!”
Violant, having studied Alchemy even if she isn't an alchemist in combat, IMMEDIATELY REALIZES what's about to happen.