Tolð 22-25, 653 DR: Wherein the group decides to leave the island catacombs and leave the terrible island far behind. Their raft escape however was interrupted by a Zultayan ambush as they navigated the coral maze that ringed the island.
Continued from Ūlaryalok, Part 2.
Roydor, 22 Tolð 653
Tressta watched nervously as her torch sputtered low against her hand. The wet flesh ceiling shuddered subtly at first, then the floor beneath them began to shudder with the movement of things in the walls. Turning slowly back, Tressta slipped onto the spongy blood soaked floor but managed to keep the failing torch up as she fell.
Working their way back toward the chamber of holes, Dammon wove a spell on Jak’s spear to carry the others across the gaping floor. Jak used his enchanted rod once more to ferry them across the chamber. As they reached the far side they were met by two apparitions conversing in an ancient tongue. Zêla claimed to have heard the language before, but could not understand their words. Dammon tried to address the apparitions, pointing back deeper into the tunnels from whence they’d come and pointing at Tressta’s wounds, but the ghosts made no indication that they understood his words. Dammon’s familiar then alerted him, though the sending was faint, that living Zultàya were attacking the outside camp. It explained that the “warrior” Ērēus was leading the camp’s defense. As Dammon struggled to understand his familiar’s message, Tressta watched ripples growing across the tunnel floor. The worms were returning!
The apparitions dissipated as the floor erupted into two large toothy maws. Tressta rushed forward to attack one of the monsters. It snaked and undulated from the floor, slashing her deeply with its teeth. Jak sunk his spear deeply into the second worm as Dammon’s Arcane missiles opened wounds along the monster’s length. Zildara moved to help the weakened Tressta as Zêla stepped back from the mêlée to sing an enchantment over the fray. Tressta stabbed repeatedly at the worm as it snaked and bit at her. Jak moved in to bury his spear deep into his when the monster grabbed and shook him violently. Using ever last vestige of his strength he managed to free himself, and his spear in time to skewer the monster through what appeared to be its head. The monster erupted with another volley of arcane blasts from Dammon, and slumped to the tunnel floor. Vaulting the fallen worm, Jak moved to help Tressta and Zildara. Zildara stabs Urdor Merd deep into the worm’s hide, and when she withdraws the blade all notice that has begun glowing a deep red. As the worm recoils from the sword, Tressta managed to sink her own blade into its side, killing it.
As the group looked about, unbelieving that no-one had been lost in the fight, Dammon reminded them that the outside camp was being attacked. Gathering themselves together, the group rushed through the last length of tunnels. Emerging into the sunlight they stared blindly down the ridge for a few moments until their eyes could adjust. The group ran and climbed down the stony slope, cut and squeezed through the dense insect crawling forest until they reached the beach camp.
Ērēus greeted them as they reached camp. He pointed to the bodies of four dead Zultàya laying just outside the waves. They too had been fortunate and suffered no losses, but it was apparent that they were being watched and no longer “safe” to remain on the island. The adventurers collapsed on the beach to rest. After a time, Dammon walked out into the waves. Weaving a transformation about himself he went to explore the reefs as a shark. Within the reefs he found at least one Zultayan village built atop an underwater crevasse. Within the rift the fish-people busied themselves with the construction of their submarine ships. Returning to the shore, Dammon explained what he was able to find. Leaving the island, would not be easy.
With few options but to rest, the group slept the night, posting watches. Tressta slept fitfully, waking often to sounds of ghost whispers. At one point during the night she dreamed of a war fought in many lands between ancient people. She could not tell who the people were or identify the armies that fought, but the scenes revealed to her seemed all too real. Waking from the nightmare she saw that the shore again was populated with the Yrūn and Zultàya ghosts that emerged from the waves each night.
Sudídor, 23 Tolð 653
On the next morning, Dammon shapeshifted into a seabird and flew north along the island coast. Off the northeast coast of the island he spotted another Zultayan ship heading south toward the reefs. As he wheeled in the coastal winds, Dammon saw that the ship dropped beneath the waves as it approached the outermost ring of reefs. Investigating closer, he turned again into a shark and found that there was a large entrance in the reef wall which seemed to be a tunnel leading directly into the heart of the island. The island wasn’t nearly as abandoned as they’d found reason to believe. Returning to the camp, Dammon related what he’d found. Over dinner, they discussed more the need to leave and decided that they would push-off the raft in two morning. Everyone seemed to think this was the best option, but no-one wanted to guess how well their raft would hold-up on the high sea.
Talídor, 24 Tolð 653
On the next morning, Paldor conferred with Jak and Dammon. Dammon insisted that the group sail clear of the northern reef tunnel and shipbuilding village to the east. After climbing the slope to asses the concentric reefs, Paldor suggested that they might be able to find clear passage to the south. The remainder of the day was spent making the final preparations. The food was gathered and bundled into Edahyla’s baskets which were fastened to the deck. A fire ring was built on the center of the raft. Their only sail was inspected and mended as best that they could manage. At day’s end, everyone was again exhausted and ready for sleep.
That night everyone dreamed of the ancient wars, and the shores were crowded with what seemed to be every apparition of the island. They stood silently watching the group, their once hopeful gazes now replaced with terrible sadness. Still, no words were spoken, and by dawn the spectral visitors were gone.
Padídor, 25 Tolð 653
Come morning, the group pulled the sprawling raft into the ocean and poled their way toward the first reef. Finding a passage Paldor had hoped was there, the group pushed the raft into the second ring and headed South. If they were attacked now there would be no escape. Dammon transformed again into a seabird and scouted the waters ahead from above. As they passed into the third ring the poles could no longer touch the seabed so they began paddling. After an hour or more of this, Dammon and Paldor spied a break in the outer reef. Here the water had become deep, and the ocean waves rolled and tossed the raft about.
Dammon then spotted Zultàya moving into position ahead of the raft. As they had guessed, there would be an ambush. Circling above, the shapeshifted wizard spied at least three fish men moving to intercept and a fourth staying behind and deeper, casting spells. From the caster forward he could see a strange “reverse wake” forming in the water as if the Zultayan caster was creating a giant wave. Dammon swooped down to the deck as fast as he could to changed back and report on the attack. Zêla began to sing a song as everyone secured their paddles and readied for an attack. Dammon looked toward the building wave and fashioned a spell of his own.
Continued in Uralū Sazularyū.
Characters
- Dammon Shroudson = 0 CPs
- Jak of Cænden = 0 CPs
- Tressta Drynsval = 0 CPs
- Zildara of Zalan = 0 CPs
- Balàdâsha (Cook) = 0 CPs
- Dorkun = 0 CPs
- Ērēus of Amra = 0 CPs
- Familiar = Unkn.
- Graiç of Mazzam = 0 CPs
- Grymgrykalya = 0 CPs
- Paldòr Batrūlan (Ship Captain) = 0 CPs
- Zêla ma Ler = 0 CPs
Played: 23 Jan 2006