(G72 20/11/09 KT - GF(GM), AP, ON)

DAY 136 cont...

Cautiously they advanced to a T-junction and chose the left hand pathway that led to a rumbling
waterfall. They noticed that the waterfall water was pure, but the pool itself was black.
After a quick search, Veddic threw a stone into the pool which made an Otyugh erupt out of
the water, a strange tentacled creature with a huge gapping maw of teeth.
Shlump was on hand though, to beat it back down, and it was soon dispatched by him and the
others.

It was decided that a search of the pool was not sensible at this time although Veddic did
detect a magical aura beneath its murky waters. There being no obvious exits from this area
they returned to the junction and followed the other path to where it split once more at the
base of a cliff. There was also a cave entrance in the rocky, vine clogged wall.

Shlump followed the path to the left and the others followed him. The trail changed from a simple
animal track to a crudely paved path. From here he could see that it turned into steps and
steeply climbed the side of the cliff.
Veddic's attention was drawn to a large mound of leaves on the steps about half way up and as
an experiment he fired an arrow into it. The mound turned to out to be of the Shambling variety
and it rolled down the steps to attack Shlump!

Meanwhile, Crispy had unwisely ventured into the cave by himself, and when he came rushing out
again, Meree and Veddic saw that he was covered in snakes! He had been bitten several times
and was in a very bad way, but together they managed to kill all the serpents and Crispy went
crawling to Nobby to get healed before he died of poisoning.

At the steps Shlump was about to deal the finishing blow to the Shambling Mound when a bolt of
magic struck it dead from behind him. Eriss then gave him a wink and asked what the hold up was!

After a brief moment to collect themselves all together they decided to go up the steps.
Near a bend at the top though, Nobby slipped and fell, and Veddic, trying to save her, went over
too. They were injured badly on the rocks below, but cushioned slightly by the undergrowth.

With a rope this time, they all managed to get to the top of the cliff and carefully, Shlump,
Veddic and Eriss advanced into the druid's glade while the others waited crouched on the steps.

They saw an undergrowth clogged glade with an ancient hardwood tree in the middle with a
ramshackle tree house on it. As they stepped into the clearing they were suddenly hit by a
Flame Strike spell that sent them all jumping for cover.
It was seen to have originated from an eagle hovering about two hundred feet above the glade.
Nobby and Eriss returned fire making the creature gain height to recover.
Battle was truly joined when the other Nymph came rushing from behind the big tree and blinded
Veddic with her unnatural beauty.
Then 'Child Snatcher' the druids fearsome wolf animal companion rushed into the fight and took
a big bite out of Eriss.
Eriss did manage to kill the wolf, with the help of Crispy. Meree fired her arrows up at the eagle
but at such a great range they all fell short.
For a moment it looked like the eagle might flee, but it then pinpointed the its target, someone
who had already hit it with two fireballs - Eriss. A lightning bolt hit the gnome, laying her
out cold and on her back.
What happened next was remarkable though, Nobby's slow healing magic revived Eriss just long
enough for her to squint up into the sky and shoot off one last fireball before she collapsed
back into unconsciousness.
The eagle was incinerated and fell to the jungle floor, then turned back into its true form,
the beautiful half-elven form of the evil druidess 'Mellophane'

Shlump wasn't done though. The nymph, having run out of spells and seeing her mistress dead, decided
to make a run for it and dove straight into the dense undergrowth. The half-orc gave chase and
managed to pin her to the ground and then with the help of the others managed to bind her limbs
together with cord, then gag and hood her.

Their enemies all defeated, the fellows decided to search the tree hut and surrounding areas and
pulled together a not inconsiderable amount of treasure. They even sent Shlump into the waterfall
pool to retreive a magic wand from it, and Crispy risked getting something nasty by searching
through a midden where he found many coins.

Since Skald and Veddic were blind and Crispy was still weak from his escapade with the snakes it
was decided to spend the night in the nymph glade before returning to Renkrue.

Shlump had talked to the nymph, and found out her name was Rampleskin, but was not sure if she
would behave herself once they left. She could not remember at time before her corruption and
appeared to know no other existence.

(From Rollo's personal journal)
Things have been going wonderfully well for me and Lavinia lately. So well in fact that I think
she is dropping hints about marriage! I could be reading her wrong, but just a few of the things
she has said.. well. Perhaps I am wrong, I mean, out here? Surely she has more pressing and more
immediate concerns. I am not sure if I am ready for that sort of thing either!

We'd spent all morning with Darsh Tuskhunter, the friendly hadozee that trades with all the ships
that come into port, and had finaly sorted out the resupply of the Nixie, so we treated ourselves
with a trip to the beach!

We were swimming and sun bathing when the familiar cloaked figure of Shifty came down for a chat.
Lavinia got that look on her face, like she's smelling something nasty, when he's around, but she
did let him speak.
He didn't give his reasons, but he said he wanted to come over to the Nixie. He assured us that
the Death Mark of Fey was gone and the ghost too.
I asked him how this could be and he said that he had brought a scroll of Break Enchantment from
Darsh with his share of the treasure and had got Olander Spume (Eriss's old friend) to read it.
Caught rather by surprise we then agreed to let him transfer ship, but I've a feeling that if he
steps out of line then Lavinia will punt him straight back to the Nixie!

In other news, this evening we dined with the Chief and his wife! The chief, a local called
Ixawhani (maybe if your royalty you don't use the regular naming convention?) and a lady from the
Sword Coast called Welliminia Such.

They were both very pleasant and I talked a great deal with Lady Such. She was very interested to
hear about everyone, but especially Shifty and Crispy. I did not really want to admit to keeping
such coarse company but saw no reason to lie to her about anything.

DAY 136

The jungle fellows arrived back in Renkrue around noon and went straight to the tavern, bearing
the heads of their defeated foes!
They were given a heroes welcome and soon Chief Ixawhani arrived and declared that their would
be a big celebration in the new park tonight to give thanks to the foreigners for riding the
jungle of such a terrible menace. Lady Such came to thank them too.

They spent the rest of the day, pretty much, in the tavern, telling and retelling the story of
the battle at the waterfall glade to the stunned locals.

During this time Urol came to Nobby and told her of a very strange visitor who had come to the
Wyvern yesterday evening.
Urol said ,'He looked like a local, but his skin was maybe a bit darker than normal for around
here, and I noticed that he had a lot of dirt under his fingernails. He hailed the ship and
when I called back he announced,

''I am a mystic seer!

I felt the presence of an evil fungi. It has sent a Mark to somebody on board!
Someone who's soul is weak! He will sink the ship! Most likely it will be a person with
booze problems or somebody cocky!
Also people who normally don't live on the surface are in a big danger to get the
curse too!

I didn't know what to make of any of that, but I wanted to talk to him some more. But he said
he had an appointment elsewhere and went off!
It was a most strange day, Nobby my dear, as an hour before that, Lady Such, you may know her,
she is the wife of the Chief and Mr Reach's patron, came down to the ship and talked to Davilia
and then to me. She was asking all sorts of questions, but mainly about Shifty if you can imagine
that!'

Nobby didn't know what to make of any of that, but when Crispy heard of this, and met the
enigmatic lady for himself he became very suspicious of her, especially since she seemed to have
taken to him so much!

He asked Nobby to cast detect magic on her, and they found a magical aura on her finger and
another around her neck.
In conversation with her Crispy discovered to her dismay that Willy Reach had promised rather
more of a reward than he or herself were able to give and that this had triggered a rather angry
exchange between her and the gnome.