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<blockquote data-quote="Richards" data-source="post: 9247143" data-attributes="member: 508"><p><strong>ADVENTURE 67: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE</strong></p><p></p><p>PC Roster: </p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Alewyth Putterpye, dwarf priestess of Aerik 14</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Thurloe Pulver, human fighter 3/wizard 3/spellsword 8</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Wakuren, half-orc cleric of Cal 7/paladin 7</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Xandro Silverstrings, human bard 6/rogue 8</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Zander Quilson, elf sorcerer 14</p><p></p><p>NPC Roster:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Beetle Darkcloud, halfling ranger 5</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Robin the Balladeer, human bard 4</p><p></p><p>Game Session Date: 13 January 2024</p><p></p><p> - - -</p><p></p><p>After a two-month voyage at sea, the continent of Talonia finally appeared on the horizon, a vast swath of green extending ahead as far as anyone could see in either direction.</p><p></p><p>As per usual, the barge could not be brought all the way to the shore, for the baleen whales towing the vessel would get beached. Instead, the halfling crew had offered to ferry the heroes to shore in the rowboats, as they'd be heading to shore themselves in any case, to spend some well-earned time with family before returning on the next return voyage to Armaturia.</p><p></p><p>"When will be the next time you'll be headed back to Armaturia, after this trip?" Thurloe asked. He wanted to make sure the heroes had a way back home after they managed to track down the body of Andrea Jandoval so they could return it back to her Port Duralia home for burial.</p><p></p><p>"We'll spend a week or so here, delivering the things we ferried from Armaturia to the local tribes," Rose replied. "Then we'll stock up and make the two-month trip back, spend a week or so there, and they return here again. So, about four and a half months or so, we should be here again, readying for a return trip."</p><p></p><p>"Four and a half months, then," agreed Wakuren. "We'll look for you here." They said their goodbyes to the druidic captain of the vessel that had been their home for the last two months. Rose, in turn, thanked them for their help in fighting off the sea denizens who had attacked them during the voyage, and gave them directions on how to find the Fleetfoot tribe they sought, so they could hire a guide to take them to the Forbidden Lands. The Fleetfoot tribe had a small encampment not far away, Rose told them. "But be constantly wary of predators," she said. "Walking about in Talonia is not like walking around in your Port Duralia. Terrible monsters stalk these lands." Wakuren was tempted to point out some of the monsters they'd encountered in their home port, but opted to keep quiet, not wanting to seem argumentative.</p><p></p><p>The Fleetfoot encampment was not difficult to find, but it was not at all like the heroes had expected it to be. Instead of crude huts or hide tents, the Fleetfoot halflings dwelt in a squared-off, stone building a full ten feet tall, jutting out from the side of a low, rocky cliff. Seven heavy wooden doors were evenly spaced around the three outer sides of the building, three of them sized for humans instead of halflings. A pair of ranger sentries stood upon the top of the roof, scanning for danger; they saw the strangers approach and called down through open hatches in the roof to the inhabitants below. By the time the heroes stood just outside the building - weapons sheathed and hands out to the sides to show they were empty - the center door opened and the Fleetfoot leadership stepped out to greet their guests.</p><p></p><p>The leader was an elderly halfling woman with feathers woven into her graying hair and paint darkening the area around her eyes. "I am <strong>Peony Swiftwind</strong> and I speak for the tribe," she announced. She spoke in the same Common tongue familiar to the heroes, although with a heavy accent. Zander didn't need to use his permanent <em>tongues</em> spell effect to understand her words, which he saw as a good sign - perhaps the language barrier wouldn't be as bad as they had feared. But as their designated speaker for the group here in Talonia, mostly because of his magically-enhanced linguistical capabilities, he took the lead and introduced the six of them. The other female druids and the male rangers who had exited the building along with Peony - apparently the tribe's most trusted advisors - seemed intrigued by the three humans and the paleness of Zander's skin. Alewyth and Wakuren weren't of particular interest; apparently these halflings were used to seeing dwarves and orcs, and Wakuren was himself a bit surprised that his status as an orc (even a mere half-breed) did not make him stand out as a potential threat. That was a pleasant change.</p><p></p><p>"Why have you sought us out?" Peony asked.</p><p></p><p>"We have come to Talonia seeking Andrea Jandoval," Zander began, and the name was apparently known to the halflings, for they broke out in smiles and nods.</p><p></p><p>"She came here half a year or more ago," Rose replied. "One of our guides, <strong>Beetle Darkcloud</strong>, escorted her to the Forbidden Lands - or as close as any of us would ever dare approach."</p><p></p><p>"Has he returned?" asked Wakuren. "We would like to hire him to take us as far as he took Andrea."</p><p></p><p>At that, Peony's brow wrinkled in concern. "I would advise against entering the Forbidden Lands," she cautioned. "Our legends claim it is a land of ghosts. It is said those who enter never return. We cautioned Andrea against going there, but she would not be swayed."</p><p></p><p>"Neither will we," affirmed Thurloe. "We need to go to the Forbidden Lands to fetch Andrea and bring her home." He opted not to let them know the heroes had every reason to believe she was dead.</p><p></p><p>Peony nodded her head in acknowledgment that these strangers would be as stubborn as Andrea had been - apparently, this was a common human trait. "Very well," she said. "Beetle has returned from his trek and could take you back to where he left Andrea. But how would you pay for his service?"</p><p></p><p>Zander started to speak of gems and coins, but these items held no interest to the Fleetfoot tribe - they worked on a barter system. "How did Andrea pay for Beetle's service as a guide?" asked Alewyth. In answer, Peony proudly pointed out the stone structure jutting from the cliffside - a building created by the application of <em>wall of stone </em> spells, just as the dwarven priestess had suspected - the walls were too smooth to have been carved in place, the openings for the heavy wooden doors too regular. "I know the spell that created this dwelling," Alewyth told the druidess. "We can make you another such building, if you desire."</p><p></p><p>But Peony shook her head. "We have no desire for another such building," she replied. She conferred a moment with her advisors, slipping into the Halfling tongue, unaware that Zander's magic translated everything they said. But they were not being sneaky in speaking another language; it was just the language they spoke among themselves, and thus it came to them much quicker. Finally, Peony turned to face the heroes again, looking up at their strange faces. "There is a task you could do for us..." she said. She went on to explain the Fleetfoots raised and rode fastieth dinosaurs as riding mounts; Beetle had ridden his own such mount, <strong>Yellow-Belly</strong>, to and from the Forbidden Lands escorting Andrea to her fate. But there was a fierce predator, a swordtooth titan they called "<strong>Cunning-Devil</strong>," who had been preying upon the fastieth herd of late. "Slay Cunning-Devil for us, and I will have Beetle take you to where he left Andrea."</p><p></p><p>The heroes talked it over among themselves and readily agreed. "What's a swordtooth titan?" asked Robin.</p><p></p><p>"It's their name for a tyrannosaur," Thurloe explained. He'd been reading up on Andrea's notes during the two-month ocean voyage.</p><p></p><p>"Good, then it is decided," agreed Peony. She turned to one of her staff and told her to fetch Beetle. "I will have Beetle accompany you," she explained to the heroes. "He can show you where Cunning-Devil has attacked in the past, and he can assess your combat prowess, to determine what all he will need to get you safely to the Forbidden Lands."</p><p></p><p>Beetle, when he appeared shortly thereafter, seemed crestfallen at the thought of having to return all the way back to the Forbidden Lands, this time not with just one person but six. But he was not about to naysay his tribe's leader, and in any case, they'd have to take out Cunning-Devil beforehand, a task not necessarily a given. Maybe his return trek to the Forbidden Lands was not destined to be, after all.</p><p></p><p>"Two of our herdsmen, <strong>Finger Redsun</strong> and <strong>Hornet Briefrain</strong>, have taken the fastieths to the watering hole," Beetle informed the heroes as he climbed up upon Yellow-Belly's bare back. "If Cunning-Devil attacks, it will be there." He indicated for the six to follow him.</p><p></p><p>"What's so cunning about this tyran-- this sword-tooth titan?" asked Alewyth as they followed the mounted halfling ranger.</p><p></p><p>"He is smarter than others of his kind," Beetle replied. "We have set several traps for him: covered pits, poisoned meat - he avoids them all." As the others followed behind Beetle, Wakuren called across the planes and brought Nimbus into being. Beetle stared in amazement, partly because he'd never seen a creature seemingly composed of solidified clouds before, but also because he'd never even seen a horse before. When Nimbus rose 30 feet into the air as a rear guard, allowing Wakuren to spot for danger about them as they traveled, Beetle realized if he did end up having to escort these people to the Forbidden Lands, it wouldn't be nearly as dangerous as he had feared.</p><p></p><p>Alewyth asked how long a walk it would be to the watering hole. Upon hearing it would be less than an hour, she cast a few protective spells upon herself: <em>magic vestment</em> and <em>freedom of movement</em>, to go with the traditional morning casting of <em>endure elements</em> she'd gotten into the habit of casting upon awakening, now that they had reached lands along the Equator. The spell allowed her to remain in her heavy armor without worrying about getting overheated. Wakuren had also taken to casting the spell upon himself, Robin, and Xandro each morning; Thurloe had had a ring crafted that granted him the same benefit, and Zander wore no armor at all. But Zander and Thurloe each used a charge from the <em>wand of shield</em> to boost their own defenses, and the elf cast <em>mage armor</em> spells upon himself and, at Wakuren's request, Nimbus as well. Wakuren cast <em>freedom of movement</em> spells upon Xandro and himself, then granted the roguish bard an <em>air walk</em> spell for him to try out. It took Xandro a little bit of time to get used to walking through the air, but he found he liked being able to see that much farther away in the distance - in a land filled with ferocious dinosaurs, that was definitely a good thing.</p><p></p><p>Over half an hour later, the group was traveling down a forest trail when a dinosaur popped out from between the trees 20 feet or so ahead. It stopped in place, having spotted the group, and hissed in excitement. "Clawfoot!" warned Beetle, using the halfling term for a velociraptor. Thurloe wasted no time, casting a <em>magic missile</em> spell at the dinosaur, causing it to hiss louder in anger and sprint towards the assembled heroes. It leaped in the air, leading with the curved, sicklelike claws on its feet, as it landed at where Yellow-Belly had been when it started its jump, but the panicked dinosaur mount knew enough to flee upon sight of so deadly a predator. The velociraptor's wicked claws missed the fastieth, but it snaked out its long neck and snapped its teeth at the smaller dinosaur, drawing blood.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the velociraptor wasn't alone - it had been the one designated to draw the prey's attention while the other four snuck up on the assembled heroes from two opposite directions. As one, they darted out from between the trees at the heroes' sides, one narrowly missing Alewyth with its snapping jaws, another biting Thurloe, and two attacking Robin from either side; she dodged one but the other one got a good bite in on her upper right arm, causing her to scream in pain.</p><p></p><p>Xandro had been in the back of the group and had dropped back down to ground level, the trees on either side of the path not having been conducive to <em>air walking</em>. He stepped back further, casting a <em>heroism</em> spell upon himself undisturbed, and gripped <em>Deathwhisper</em> in his hand, ready to go save his girlfriend. But Zander, also in the back of the group and thus not a target during the initial assault, cast a <em>chain lightning</em> spell at the velociraptor biting Robin, with arcs reaching out to strike the other four as well. Beetle and Yellow-Belly had raced forward past the initial charging velociraptor and now spun about to face them, only to see all but the one harassing Alewyth fall over, dead. The halfling's eyes bugged out at the display of such power - Andrea Jandoval had been capable of such magic herself, but she had admitted she knew only a small handful of attack spells, preferring those which aided her in her studies. But Robin, no longer under attack, pulled her lute from her back and started playing the song of inspirational courage, which was another type of magic the halfling had never before experienced. Alewyth stepped forward and cast a <em>cure light wounds</em> spell on Robin, while Wakuren slammed his <em>shield of Cal</em> into the sole remaining velociraptor's head, slaying it instantly.</p><p></p><p>Beetle gulped involuntarily. He had a sinking feeling these strangers were going to slay Cunning-Devil with no problem and he'd be heading back to the Forbidden Lands after all.</p><p></p><p>Having gotten her first taste of combat against dinosaurs in Talonia, Alewyth grabbed up one of her <em>stoneskin</em> scrolls and read the words aloud, protecting herself even further. Then, at Beetle's nervous urging, they continued on their journey, for the watering hole was now merely minutes away.</p><p></p><p>They found the small herd of a dozen or so fastieths happily feeding themselves on water reeds under the supervision of Finger and Hornet, each perched upon their own fastieth mount. Beetle greeted them and introduced them to the heroes, after which time Wakuren and Xandro returned to the skies, each 50 feet up and scanning for danger. But there was no sign of Cunning-Devil or any other predatory dinosaurs, merely the winding river from which the fastieths were drinking and the lake it connected to further on to the north.</p><p></p><p>Thurloe had stepped forward to get a better look at these fastieths, realizing with a disheartening understanding that even the largest of the fastieth herd was far too small to serve as a riding mount for any of the six heroes - they'd need something bigger simply to support their weight. He well knew the Forbidden Lands were far away, and he hoped they wouldn't have to be walking that whole distance! But then he heard a splashing of waves coming from the north and looked over that way, the others doing likewise. Sure enough, a massive, reptilian head was rising up out of the waters of the nearby lake, and a tyrannosaurus climbed up onto shore, this one sporting a rather stegosaurian set of jagged plates along his back.</p><p></p><p>"Cunning-Devil!" cried all three halflings at once. Zander immediately cast a <em>bear's endurance</em> spell upon himself, fearing he might need it if that monstrosity got within striking range of the frail elf sorcerer. Petey, on Zander's shoulder, trembled at the sight of the reptilian menace as he rose higher and higher out of the lake, water dripping down his sides. He moved with the ponderous but inevitable gait of an oncoming avalanche, headed straight for the herd of fastieths.</p><p></p><p>Alewyth stepped sideways, away from a clump of trees that had been blocking her view of the approaching monstrosity, and cast a <em>hold monster</em> spell at Cunning-Devil. That particular spell was an easy one to see if it had taken effect; given that Cunning-Devil's pace didn't slow even for an instant, the dwarven priestess knew it had shrugged off her spell. Wakuren cast a <em>thunder strike</em> spell crashing down at the massive beast, the sonic waves of his spell hitting like a thunderclap. Several of the dinosaur's scales were dislodged by the spell, to fall away like shed leaves in the fall.</p><p></p><p>Thurloe activated the <em>fly</em> effect of his <em>celestial armor</em> and rose up to a height of 40 feet, until he was towering even above the 30-foot-tall monster headed his way. But Cunning-Devil ignored him completely, instead bending forward and snapping up one of the fastieths that were scrambling over themselves to try to race down the shore to safety. He rose back up to a fully standing position, raising his head to the skies above to swallow the squealing dinosaur down his immense gullet.</p><p></p><p>Xandro ran sideway through the air to approach Wakuren, casting a <em>heroism</em> spell upon the half-orc, who was looking down upon their fearsome opponent as if sizing up where best to strike. Down on the ground, Zander stepped up beside Alewyth and cast a <em>lightning bolt</em> spell up at Cunning-Devil, as a test to see if the electrical spell would inflict any damage to the beast, for the elf had picked up indications from the dinosaur's build that he might have had an infernal origin. The bolt of electrical energy struck Cunning-Devil on his broad chest and seemed to leave a burn mark where it hit, indicating to Zander that this likely fiendish dinosaur wasn't immune to lightning-based spells. That was good to know!</p><p></p><p>Beetle sent Yellow-Belly fleeing along with the rest of the fastieth herd, Finger and Hornet right behind them. These strangers seemed powerful enough to take down the fiendish foe, or at least far more likely to do so than the halflings' thrown javelins were likely to do.</p><p></p><p>Robin dropped back away from the approaching tyrannosaur and began stroking the strings of her lute, playing her song of inspirational courage. Alewyth cast a <em>searing light</em> spell up at Cunning-Devil, who had finished his fastieth snack and was looking around for seconds. The dwarf's spell also seemed to have some effect upon the dinosaur, but - like Zander's <em>lightning bolt</em> spell earlier - seemed to have struck at less than full power.</p><p></p><p>Nimbus hovered in place, wings flapping furiously, as Wakuren cast a <em>divine power</em> spell upon himself before having them engage in melee combat against so large and powerful a foe. Thurloe cast a <em>ray of exhaustion</em> spell down at Cunning-Devil and once again it had an effect, but not the most powerful possible effect: the fiendish dinosaur was merely fatigued by the strength-sapping effects of the spell. Xandro steeled up his courage - buoyed up by the power of Robin's tune being played below - and <em>air walked</em> over above Cunning-Devil's head, ready to lower himself to the point where he could bring his magic rapier to bear. Down below, Zander cast a <em>prismatic spray</em> spell up at the massive beast, the green ray striking him and infusing him with a virulent poison. But once again, while the poison from the spell was powerful enough to kill lesser creatures, against Cunning-Devil it merely drained off a small portion of his overall vitality.</p><p></p><p>In swift retaliation, Cunning-Devil bent forward again and snapped Zander Quilson up in his mouth, Petey abandoning his master's shoulder at the last moment in a desperate act of self-preservation. The dinosaur's teeth had caught the elf's leg and were cutting through the muscle, causing Zander to cry out in agony and nearly pass out from the pain. Under such conditions, spellcasting was no longer an option; in desperation, the elf fumbled at the row of potions he kept on his belt.</p><p></p><p>Alewyth, who had been standing beside Zander when the dinosaur bit him and pulled him up into his mouth, took an involuntary step back and cast a summoning spell, bringing forth a greater earth elemental, who manifested at Cunning-Devil's feet. The elemental wasted no time in entering combat, striking out with a massive fist that came barreling into the fiendish beast's thigh. </p><p></p><p>Wakuren sent Nimbus flying around behind Cunning-Devil's head, lowering in elevation as he did so enough for the half-orc to slam the <em>shield of Cal</em> into the side of the dinosaur's head in passing. Thurloe tried weakening their foe even further by sending a <em>ray of enfeeblement</em> spell flashing down at him, but this time the spell couldn't bypass the dinosaur's inherent resistance against spell energies. But then Xandro dropped down about 20 feet, such that he was on the opposite side of Cunning-Devil's head as Wakuren and Nimbus. He stabbed forward with <em>Deathwhisper</em> with every ounce of strength he possessed, driving the blade deep into the dinosaur's temple.</p><p></p><p>Inside Cunning-Devil's mouth, Zander managed to get the vial he had been looking for and brought the <em>potion of gaseous form</em> - his very last one of that type - up to his lips. He breathed a big sigh of relief as his body dissolved into mist, his tooth-pierced leg no longer causing him intense agony now that he was no more substantial than a cloud. He rolled out of Cunning-Devil's mouth like an exhalation in winter, slowly dropping to ground level over by his frantic pseudodragon familiar.</p><p></p><p>Cunning-Devil spun about, facing Xandro, who had just pulled <em>Deathwhisper</em> out of the dinosaur's head in preparation for another strike. The fiendish beast snapped his jaws around the <em>air walking</em> rogue, but thanks to the <em>freedom of movement</em> spell still active around Xandro he was unable to keep him in his mouth so he could swallow him down as he'd done the fastieth.</p><p></p><p>Alewyth backed further away from Cunning-Devil, hoping her earth elemental could take him down before he got it into his head to chew on her next. The earthen creature did all he could on that front, sending boulderlike fists crashing into the fiendish dinosaur's scales. Up by the dinosaur's head, Wakuren channeled Cal's smiting energy into his shield and brought it crashing into Cunning-Devil's head, while Nimbus struck at him with his hooves and bit at him with his teeth. Thurloe dropped down even lower and brought <em>Spellslicer</em> to bear, swinging the bastard sword's blade into the reptile's back, over by his dorsal fins. When he did so, he discharged the <em>vampiric touch</em> spell he'd loaded into his sword that morning, although the spell fizzled against Cunning-Devil's resistance to spells.</p><p></p><p>Finally, with fiendish blood running down his body from several hits and the earth elemental continuing to pummel his leg until it was about ready to give out from under his great weight, Xandro brought the halflings' nemesis down with another well-placed, deep thrust of his rapier into the space by Cunning-Devil's eye. He watched as the eye rolled up under the top of the brute's eyelid, and then Xandro called a warning to those below as the fiendish tyrannosaur toppled to the side, the life finally extinguished in his massive body. Beetle gave a startled cry at the sound of Cunning-Devil's corpse crashing to the ground below, then warily helped Finger and Hornet gather the rest of the fastieths back together.</p><p></p><p>"You did it!" the halflings cried, amazed at the spectacle of Cunning-Devil's lifeless corpse splayed out where he had toppled. "This is cause for celebration!" added Hornet, sending the fastieths on their way back to the Fleetfoot encampment. Beetle and Yellow-Belly followed at a slower speed, in deference to the heroes who still had to walk on foot.</p><p></p><p>The Fleetfoot tribe had a feast in honor of the heroes that evening, consisting mostly of roast root vegetables and the meat of slain dinosaur prey, but as a special surprise, they brought out slabs of meat carved from the haunches of Cunning-Devil himself. "Feasting on his flesh will grant you a portion of his power!" enthused Peony, and Wakuren, not wanting to insult their hostess, cast a <em>purify food and drink</em> spell upon it as part of the "traditional half-orc giving of thanks" ritual he made up on the spot for Peony's benefit. He wasn't sure if anything bad would happen from eating the flesh of a fiendish creature, but this way they didn't have to find out.</p><p></p><p>"I will spend tomorrow in gathering provisions for our journey," promised Beetle. "The day after that, we will begin our trek to the Forbidden Lands."</p><p></p><p>"Are we going to have to walk the whole way?" demanded Thurloe.</p><p></p><p>"No," Beetle promised. "We will need to get you six mounts suitable for people of your size - the fastieths are much too small. But that is okay - I know a rancher who raises boneheads; they will be a much more suitable mount for you." "Bonehead," Thurloe knew, was the halfling term for a Pachycephalosaurus - a dinosaur they'd encountered before, when the apprentice to the gnome wizard Grimblegrack Fishmelon - who, come to think of it, must have been a dragon in gnomish form - accidentally summoned one to Armaturia, along with other more dangerous dinosaurs.</p><p></p><p>"Good," replied the spellsword. "I'm not up for that long of a walk."</p><p></p><p> - - -</p><p></p><p>Cunning-Devil was a fiendish tyrannosaur I advanced to 36 HD. The players had a good time pitting themselves against "Godzilla without a breath weapon." And Cunning-Devil is actually a loose plot thread that will be picked up in another half-dozen adventures down the road.</p><p></p><p> - - -</p><p></p><p>T-shirt worn: My Godzilla T-shirt with artwork in the style of a Japanese woodcarving, as it made a perfect representation of Cunning-Devil, given I used a Godzilla figure to represent him in the game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Richards, post: 9247143, member: 508"] [B]ADVENTURE 67: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE[/B] PC Roster: [INDENT]Alewyth Putterpye, dwarf priestess of Aerik 14[/INDENT] [INDENT] Thurloe Pulver, human fighter 3/wizard 3/spellsword 8[/INDENT] [INDENT] Wakuren, half-orc cleric of Cal 7/paladin 7[/INDENT] [INDENT] Xandro Silverstrings, human bard 6/rogue 8[/INDENT] [INDENT] Zander Quilson, elf sorcerer 14[/INDENT] NPC Roster: [INDENT]Beetle Darkcloud, halfling ranger 5[/INDENT] [INDENT] Robin the Balladeer, human bard 4[/INDENT] Game Session Date: 13 January 2024 - - - After a two-month voyage at sea, the continent of Talonia finally appeared on the horizon, a vast swath of green extending ahead as far as anyone could see in either direction. As per usual, the barge could not be brought all the way to the shore, for the baleen whales towing the vessel would get beached. Instead, the halfling crew had offered to ferry the heroes to shore in the rowboats, as they'd be heading to shore themselves in any case, to spend some well-earned time with family before returning on the next return voyage to Armaturia. "When will be the next time you'll be headed back to Armaturia, after this trip?" Thurloe asked. He wanted to make sure the heroes had a way back home after they managed to track down the body of Andrea Jandoval so they could return it back to her Port Duralia home for burial. "We'll spend a week or so here, delivering the things we ferried from Armaturia to the local tribes," Rose replied. "Then we'll stock up and make the two-month trip back, spend a week or so there, and they return here again. So, about four and a half months or so, we should be here again, readying for a return trip." "Four and a half months, then," agreed Wakuren. "We'll look for you here." They said their goodbyes to the druidic captain of the vessel that had been their home for the last two months. Rose, in turn, thanked them for their help in fighting off the sea denizens who had attacked them during the voyage, and gave them directions on how to find the Fleetfoot tribe they sought, so they could hire a guide to take them to the Forbidden Lands. The Fleetfoot tribe had a small encampment not far away, Rose told them. "But be constantly wary of predators," she said. "Walking about in Talonia is not like walking around in your Port Duralia. Terrible monsters stalk these lands." Wakuren was tempted to point out some of the monsters they'd encountered in their home port, but opted to keep quiet, not wanting to seem argumentative. The Fleetfoot encampment was not difficult to find, but it was not at all like the heroes had expected it to be. Instead of crude huts or hide tents, the Fleetfoot halflings dwelt in a squared-off, stone building a full ten feet tall, jutting out from the side of a low, rocky cliff. Seven heavy wooden doors were evenly spaced around the three outer sides of the building, three of them sized for humans instead of halflings. A pair of ranger sentries stood upon the top of the roof, scanning for danger; they saw the strangers approach and called down through open hatches in the roof to the inhabitants below. By the time the heroes stood just outside the building - weapons sheathed and hands out to the sides to show they were empty - the center door opened and the Fleetfoot leadership stepped out to greet their guests. The leader was an elderly halfling woman with feathers woven into her graying hair and paint darkening the area around her eyes. "I am [B]Peony Swiftwind[/B] and I speak for the tribe," she announced. She spoke in the same Common tongue familiar to the heroes, although with a heavy accent. Zander didn't need to use his permanent [I]tongues[/I] spell effect to understand her words, which he saw as a good sign - perhaps the language barrier wouldn't be as bad as they had feared. But as their designated speaker for the group here in Talonia, mostly because of his magically-enhanced linguistical capabilities, he took the lead and introduced the six of them. The other female druids and the male rangers who had exited the building along with Peony - apparently the tribe's most trusted advisors - seemed intrigued by the three humans and the paleness of Zander's skin. Alewyth and Wakuren weren't of particular interest; apparently these halflings were used to seeing dwarves and orcs, and Wakuren was himself a bit surprised that his status as an orc (even a mere half-breed) did not make him stand out as a potential threat. That was a pleasant change. "Why have you sought us out?" Peony asked. "We have come to Talonia seeking Andrea Jandoval," Zander began, and the name was apparently known to the halflings, for they broke out in smiles and nods. "She came here half a year or more ago," Rose replied. "One of our guides, [B]Beetle Darkcloud[/B], escorted her to the Forbidden Lands - or as close as any of us would ever dare approach." "Has he returned?" asked Wakuren. "We would like to hire him to take us as far as he took Andrea." At that, Peony's brow wrinkled in concern. "I would advise against entering the Forbidden Lands," she cautioned. "Our legends claim it is a land of ghosts. It is said those who enter never return. We cautioned Andrea against going there, but she would not be swayed." "Neither will we," affirmed Thurloe. "We need to go to the Forbidden Lands to fetch Andrea and bring her home." He opted not to let them know the heroes had every reason to believe she was dead. Peony nodded her head in acknowledgment that these strangers would be as stubborn as Andrea had been - apparently, this was a common human trait. "Very well," she said. "Beetle has returned from his trek and could take you back to where he left Andrea. But how would you pay for his service?" Zander started to speak of gems and coins, but these items held no interest to the Fleetfoot tribe - they worked on a barter system. "How did Andrea pay for Beetle's service as a guide?" asked Alewyth. In answer, Peony proudly pointed out the stone structure jutting from the cliffside - a building created by the application of [I]wall of stone [/I] spells, just as the dwarven priestess had suspected - the walls were too smooth to have been carved in place, the openings for the heavy wooden doors too regular. "I know the spell that created this dwelling," Alewyth told the druidess. "We can make you another such building, if you desire." But Peony shook her head. "We have no desire for another such building," she replied. She conferred a moment with her advisors, slipping into the Halfling tongue, unaware that Zander's magic translated everything they said. But they were not being sneaky in speaking another language; it was just the language they spoke among themselves, and thus it came to them much quicker. Finally, Peony turned to face the heroes again, looking up at their strange faces. "There is a task you could do for us..." she said. She went on to explain the Fleetfoots raised and rode fastieth dinosaurs as riding mounts; Beetle had ridden his own such mount, [B]Yellow-Belly[/B], to and from the Forbidden Lands escorting Andrea to her fate. But there was a fierce predator, a swordtooth titan they called "[B]Cunning-Devil[/B]," who had been preying upon the fastieth herd of late. "Slay Cunning-Devil for us, and I will have Beetle take you to where he left Andrea." The heroes talked it over among themselves and readily agreed. "What's a swordtooth titan?" asked Robin. "It's their name for a tyrannosaur," Thurloe explained. He'd been reading up on Andrea's notes during the two-month ocean voyage. "Good, then it is decided," agreed Peony. She turned to one of her staff and told her to fetch Beetle. "I will have Beetle accompany you," she explained to the heroes. "He can show you where Cunning-Devil has attacked in the past, and he can assess your combat prowess, to determine what all he will need to get you safely to the Forbidden Lands." Beetle, when he appeared shortly thereafter, seemed crestfallen at the thought of having to return all the way back to the Forbidden Lands, this time not with just one person but six. But he was not about to naysay his tribe's leader, and in any case, they'd have to take out Cunning-Devil beforehand, a task not necessarily a given. Maybe his return trek to the Forbidden Lands was not destined to be, after all. "Two of our herdsmen, [B]Finger Redsun[/B] and [B]Hornet Briefrain[/B], have taken the fastieths to the watering hole," Beetle informed the heroes as he climbed up upon Yellow-Belly's bare back. "If Cunning-Devil attacks, it will be there." He indicated for the six to follow him. "What's so cunning about this tyran-- this sword-tooth titan?" asked Alewyth as they followed the mounted halfling ranger. "He is smarter than others of his kind," Beetle replied. "We have set several traps for him: covered pits, poisoned meat - he avoids them all." As the others followed behind Beetle, Wakuren called across the planes and brought Nimbus into being. Beetle stared in amazement, partly because he'd never seen a creature seemingly composed of solidified clouds before, but also because he'd never even seen a horse before. When Nimbus rose 30 feet into the air as a rear guard, allowing Wakuren to spot for danger about them as they traveled, Beetle realized if he did end up having to escort these people to the Forbidden Lands, it wouldn't be nearly as dangerous as he had feared. Alewyth asked how long a walk it would be to the watering hole. Upon hearing it would be less than an hour, she cast a few protective spells upon herself: [I]magic vestment[/I] and [I]freedom of movement[/I], to go with the traditional morning casting of [I]endure elements[/I] she'd gotten into the habit of casting upon awakening, now that they had reached lands along the Equator. The spell allowed her to remain in her heavy armor without worrying about getting overheated. Wakuren had also taken to casting the spell upon himself, Robin, and Xandro each morning; Thurloe had had a ring crafted that granted him the same benefit, and Zander wore no armor at all. But Zander and Thurloe each used a charge from the [I]wand of shield[/I] to boost their own defenses, and the elf cast [I]mage armor[/I] spells upon himself and, at Wakuren's request, Nimbus as well. Wakuren cast [I]freedom of movement[/I] spells upon Xandro and himself, then granted the roguish bard an [I]air walk[/I] spell for him to try out. It took Xandro a little bit of time to get used to walking through the air, but he found he liked being able to see that much farther away in the distance - in a land filled with ferocious dinosaurs, that was definitely a good thing. Over half an hour later, the group was traveling down a forest trail when a dinosaur popped out from between the trees 20 feet or so ahead. It stopped in place, having spotted the group, and hissed in excitement. "Clawfoot!" warned Beetle, using the halfling term for a velociraptor. Thurloe wasted no time, casting a [I]magic missile[/I] spell at the dinosaur, causing it to hiss louder in anger and sprint towards the assembled heroes. It leaped in the air, leading with the curved, sicklelike claws on its feet, as it landed at where Yellow-Belly had been when it started its jump, but the panicked dinosaur mount knew enough to flee upon sight of so deadly a predator. The velociraptor's wicked claws missed the fastieth, but it snaked out its long neck and snapped its teeth at the smaller dinosaur, drawing blood. Unfortunately, the velociraptor wasn't alone - it had been the one designated to draw the prey's attention while the other four snuck up on the assembled heroes from two opposite directions. As one, they darted out from between the trees at the heroes' sides, one narrowly missing Alewyth with its snapping jaws, another biting Thurloe, and two attacking Robin from either side; she dodged one but the other one got a good bite in on her upper right arm, causing her to scream in pain. Xandro had been in the back of the group and had dropped back down to ground level, the trees on either side of the path not having been conducive to [I]air walking[/I]. He stepped back further, casting a [I]heroism[/I] spell upon himself undisturbed, and gripped [I]Deathwhisper[/I] in his hand, ready to go save his girlfriend. But Zander, also in the back of the group and thus not a target during the initial assault, cast a [I]chain lightning[/I] spell at the velociraptor biting Robin, with arcs reaching out to strike the other four as well. Beetle and Yellow-Belly had raced forward past the initial charging velociraptor and now spun about to face them, only to see all but the one harassing Alewyth fall over, dead. The halfling's eyes bugged out at the display of such power - Andrea Jandoval had been capable of such magic herself, but she had admitted she knew only a small handful of attack spells, preferring those which aided her in her studies. But Robin, no longer under attack, pulled her lute from her back and started playing the song of inspirational courage, which was another type of magic the halfling had never before experienced. Alewyth stepped forward and cast a [I]cure light wounds[/I] spell on Robin, while Wakuren slammed his [I]shield of Cal[/I] into the sole remaining velociraptor's head, slaying it instantly. Beetle gulped involuntarily. He had a sinking feeling these strangers were going to slay Cunning-Devil with no problem and he'd be heading back to the Forbidden Lands after all. Having gotten her first taste of combat against dinosaurs in Talonia, Alewyth grabbed up one of her [I]stoneskin[/I] scrolls and read the words aloud, protecting herself even further. Then, at Beetle's nervous urging, they continued on their journey, for the watering hole was now merely minutes away. They found the small herd of a dozen or so fastieths happily feeding themselves on water reeds under the supervision of Finger and Hornet, each perched upon their own fastieth mount. Beetle greeted them and introduced them to the heroes, after which time Wakuren and Xandro returned to the skies, each 50 feet up and scanning for danger. But there was no sign of Cunning-Devil or any other predatory dinosaurs, merely the winding river from which the fastieths were drinking and the lake it connected to further on to the north. Thurloe had stepped forward to get a better look at these fastieths, realizing with a disheartening understanding that even the largest of the fastieth herd was far too small to serve as a riding mount for any of the six heroes - they'd need something bigger simply to support their weight. He well knew the Forbidden Lands were far away, and he hoped they wouldn't have to be walking that whole distance! But then he heard a splashing of waves coming from the north and looked over that way, the others doing likewise. Sure enough, a massive, reptilian head was rising up out of the waters of the nearby lake, and a tyrannosaurus climbed up onto shore, this one sporting a rather stegosaurian set of jagged plates along his back. "Cunning-Devil!" cried all three halflings at once. Zander immediately cast a [I]bear's endurance[/I] spell upon himself, fearing he might need it if that monstrosity got within striking range of the frail elf sorcerer. Petey, on Zander's shoulder, trembled at the sight of the reptilian menace as he rose higher and higher out of the lake, water dripping down his sides. He moved with the ponderous but inevitable gait of an oncoming avalanche, headed straight for the herd of fastieths. Alewyth stepped sideways, away from a clump of trees that had been blocking her view of the approaching monstrosity, and cast a [I]hold monster[/I] spell at Cunning-Devil. That particular spell was an easy one to see if it had taken effect; given that Cunning-Devil's pace didn't slow even for an instant, the dwarven priestess knew it had shrugged off her spell. Wakuren cast a [I]thunder strike[/I] spell crashing down at the massive beast, the sonic waves of his spell hitting like a thunderclap. Several of the dinosaur's scales were dislodged by the spell, to fall away like shed leaves in the fall. Thurloe activated the [I]fly[/I] effect of his [I]celestial armor[/I] and rose up to a height of 40 feet, until he was towering even above the 30-foot-tall monster headed his way. But Cunning-Devil ignored him completely, instead bending forward and snapping up one of the fastieths that were scrambling over themselves to try to race down the shore to safety. He rose back up to a fully standing position, raising his head to the skies above to swallow the squealing dinosaur down his immense gullet. Xandro ran sideway through the air to approach Wakuren, casting a [I]heroism[/I] spell upon the half-orc, who was looking down upon their fearsome opponent as if sizing up where best to strike. Down on the ground, Zander stepped up beside Alewyth and cast a [I]lightning bolt[/I] spell up at Cunning-Devil, as a test to see if the electrical spell would inflict any damage to the beast, for the elf had picked up indications from the dinosaur's build that he might have had an infernal origin. The bolt of electrical energy struck Cunning-Devil on his broad chest and seemed to leave a burn mark where it hit, indicating to Zander that this likely fiendish dinosaur wasn't immune to lightning-based spells. That was good to know! Beetle sent Yellow-Belly fleeing along with the rest of the fastieth herd, Finger and Hornet right behind them. These strangers seemed powerful enough to take down the fiendish foe, or at least far more likely to do so than the halflings' thrown javelins were likely to do. Robin dropped back away from the approaching tyrannosaur and began stroking the strings of her lute, playing her song of inspirational courage. Alewyth cast a [I]searing light[/I] spell up at Cunning-Devil, who had finished his fastieth snack and was looking around for seconds. The dwarf's spell also seemed to have some effect upon the dinosaur, but - like Zander's [I]lightning bolt[/I] spell earlier - seemed to have struck at less than full power. Nimbus hovered in place, wings flapping furiously, as Wakuren cast a [I]divine power[/I] spell upon himself before having them engage in melee combat against so large and powerful a foe. Thurloe cast a [I]ray of exhaustion[/I] spell down at Cunning-Devil and once again it had an effect, but not the most powerful possible effect: the fiendish dinosaur was merely fatigued by the strength-sapping effects of the spell. Xandro steeled up his courage - buoyed up by the power of Robin's tune being played below - and [I]air walked[/I] over above Cunning-Devil's head, ready to lower himself to the point where he could bring his magic rapier to bear. Down below, Zander cast a [I]prismatic spray[/I] spell up at the massive beast, the green ray striking him and infusing him with a virulent poison. But once again, while the poison from the spell was powerful enough to kill lesser creatures, against Cunning-Devil it merely drained off a small portion of his overall vitality. In swift retaliation, Cunning-Devil bent forward again and snapped Zander Quilson up in his mouth, Petey abandoning his master's shoulder at the last moment in a desperate act of self-preservation. The dinosaur's teeth had caught the elf's leg and were cutting through the muscle, causing Zander to cry out in agony and nearly pass out from the pain. Under such conditions, spellcasting was no longer an option; in desperation, the elf fumbled at the row of potions he kept on his belt. Alewyth, who had been standing beside Zander when the dinosaur bit him and pulled him up into his mouth, took an involuntary step back and cast a summoning spell, bringing forth a greater earth elemental, who manifested at Cunning-Devil's feet. The elemental wasted no time in entering combat, striking out with a massive fist that came barreling into the fiendish beast's thigh. Wakuren sent Nimbus flying around behind Cunning-Devil's head, lowering in elevation as he did so enough for the half-orc to slam the [I]shield of Cal[/I] into the side of the dinosaur's head in passing. Thurloe tried weakening their foe even further by sending a [I]ray of enfeeblement[/I] spell flashing down at him, but this time the spell couldn't bypass the dinosaur's inherent resistance against spell energies. But then Xandro dropped down about 20 feet, such that he was on the opposite side of Cunning-Devil's head as Wakuren and Nimbus. He stabbed forward with [I]Deathwhisper[/I] with every ounce of strength he possessed, driving the blade deep into the dinosaur's temple. Inside Cunning-Devil's mouth, Zander managed to get the vial he had been looking for and brought the [I]potion of gaseous form[/I] - his very last one of that type - up to his lips. He breathed a big sigh of relief as his body dissolved into mist, his tooth-pierced leg no longer causing him intense agony now that he was no more substantial than a cloud. He rolled out of Cunning-Devil's mouth like an exhalation in winter, slowly dropping to ground level over by his frantic pseudodragon familiar. Cunning-Devil spun about, facing Xandro, who had just pulled [I]Deathwhisper[/I] out of the dinosaur's head in preparation for another strike. The fiendish beast snapped his jaws around the [I]air walking[/I] rogue, but thanks to the [I]freedom of movement[/I] spell still active around Xandro he was unable to keep him in his mouth so he could swallow him down as he'd done the fastieth. Alewyth backed further away from Cunning-Devil, hoping her earth elemental could take him down before he got it into his head to chew on her next. The earthen creature did all he could on that front, sending boulderlike fists crashing into the fiendish dinosaur's scales. Up by the dinosaur's head, Wakuren channeled Cal's smiting energy into his shield and brought it crashing into Cunning-Devil's head, while Nimbus struck at him with his hooves and bit at him with his teeth. Thurloe dropped down even lower and brought [I]Spellslicer[/I] to bear, swinging the bastard sword's blade into the reptile's back, over by his dorsal fins. When he did so, he discharged the [I]vampiric touch[/I] spell he'd loaded into his sword that morning, although the spell fizzled against Cunning-Devil's resistance to spells. Finally, with fiendish blood running down his body from several hits and the earth elemental continuing to pummel his leg until it was about ready to give out from under his great weight, Xandro brought the halflings' nemesis down with another well-placed, deep thrust of his rapier into the space by Cunning-Devil's eye. He watched as the eye rolled up under the top of the brute's eyelid, and then Xandro called a warning to those below as the fiendish tyrannosaur toppled to the side, the life finally extinguished in his massive body. Beetle gave a startled cry at the sound of Cunning-Devil's corpse crashing to the ground below, then warily helped Finger and Hornet gather the rest of the fastieths back together. "You did it!" the halflings cried, amazed at the spectacle of Cunning-Devil's lifeless corpse splayed out where he had toppled. "This is cause for celebration!" added Hornet, sending the fastieths on their way back to the Fleetfoot encampment. Beetle and Yellow-Belly followed at a slower speed, in deference to the heroes who still had to walk on foot. The Fleetfoot tribe had a feast in honor of the heroes that evening, consisting mostly of roast root vegetables and the meat of slain dinosaur prey, but as a special surprise, they brought out slabs of meat carved from the haunches of Cunning-Devil himself. "Feasting on his flesh will grant you a portion of his power!" enthused Peony, and Wakuren, not wanting to insult their hostess, cast a [I]purify food and drink[/I] spell upon it as part of the "traditional half-orc giving of thanks" ritual he made up on the spot for Peony's benefit. He wasn't sure if anything bad would happen from eating the flesh of a fiendish creature, but this way they didn't have to find out. "I will spend tomorrow in gathering provisions for our journey," promised Beetle. "The day after that, we will begin our trek to the Forbidden Lands." "Are we going to have to walk the whole way?" demanded Thurloe. "No," Beetle promised. "We will need to get you six mounts suitable for people of your size - the fastieths are much too small. But that is okay - I know a rancher who raises boneheads; they will be a much more suitable mount for you." "Bonehead," Thurloe knew, was the halfling term for a Pachycephalosaurus - a dinosaur they'd encountered before, when the apprentice to the gnome wizard Grimblegrack Fishmelon - who, come to think of it, must have been a dragon in gnomish form - accidentally summoned one to Armaturia, along with other more dangerous dinosaurs. "Good," replied the spellsword. "I'm not up for that long of a walk." - - - Cunning-Devil was a fiendish tyrannosaur I advanced to 36 HD. The players had a good time pitting themselves against "Godzilla without a breath weapon." And Cunning-Devil is actually a loose plot thread that will be picked up in another half-dozen adventures down the road. - - - T-shirt worn: My Godzilla T-shirt with artwork in the style of a Japanese woodcarving, as it made a perfect representation of Cunning-Devil, given I used a Godzilla figure to represent him in the game. [/QUOTE]
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