JollyDoc's Savage Tide-Updated 10/8!
carborundum
Adventurer
Add a Paddy to the Kiwis waiting in the nest with open bills, squawking for more JD wormy goodness. Oh, wrong AP!
theredrobedwizard
Explorer
Add a welshman (currently living in Indiana) to the list of stereotypes whose dreary lives your stories bring light and happy times.
Also, though I still mourn the loss of the Coolest.Bard.Ever., I am becoming more intrigued by Ms. Mandy.
-TRRW
Also, though I still mourn the loss of the Coolest.Bard.Ever., I am becoming more intrigued by Ms. Mandy.
-TRRW
Neverwinter Knight
First Post
With all these props, how can he resist? 
But seriously, this SH really is a highlight and the No. 1 reason I keep coming back to ENWorld.
But seriously, this SH really is a highlight and the No. 1 reason I keep coming back to ENWorld.
JollyDoc
Explorer
Well, I would hate to deny all of my international and domestic fans their one bright spot of joy in their otherwise mundane lives, so here you go!
GODS AND MONSTERS
It was decided by the Legionnaires that Marius would remain behind in Tanaroa in an attempt to restore some semblance of diplomatic relations. The others would stay in touch with the warmage via Sending spells, constantly updating him on their progress. The journey to the Fangs of Zotzilaha itself consisted of a two day slog through mosquito-infested, drippingly humid, trackless jungle. Yet their goal was always in sight. The smoking plume of Nextepeua could not be missed. By dusk of the second day, they had reached the lower slopes of the volcano, and the entrance to the bat god’s shrine was not difficult to find, thanks to J’kal’s instructions. It consisted of a large cave mouth, its rim marked with bat carvings and numerous niches for offerings.
“If we’re going into a volcano to visit the shrine of a god who summons flaming bats, don’t you think we should be prepared to face extreme heat?” Daelric offered as the group surveyed the opening skeptically.
“If you’re offering suggestions, we’re listening,” Sepoto grumbled.
“As a matter of fact, I think I have just the thing,” the priest answered brightly. He gathered his companions close about them, then bowed his head and spoke a prayer to Shaundekal, asking the Traveler to ward them from harm.
“I don’t feel any different,” Sepoto said, swatting a gnat on the back of his bald head.
“Trust me!” Daelric replied, but somehow, that didn’t make the goliath feel any better.
A tunnel angled downward from the cave opening, disappearing into the bowels of the mountain. For over an hour they marched, and during that time Sepoto had to acknowledge that Daelric’s magic actually seemed to work. Though his armor and weapons glowed red with the increased heat the deeper they went, the goliath felt no discomfort from it at all. The air felt positively balmy. The sloping lava tunnel eventually widened into a large, round chamber filled with smoke and ash from fissures riddling the rock walls and floor. A fiery glow and thunderous rumble came from the west, where rents in the cave wall opened out directly into the active volcano’s throat. The walls of the cave were riddled with niches, some of which contained offerings of food, trinkets and animals, while others were empty or contained only ash. Through the haze, an eight-foot tall bat leered from where it had been carved in relief out of the far wall. The bat’s wings rose over its head, with its claws meeting at a curiously shaped niche that appeared to be empty.
“Let me guess,” Sepoto said dryly, “that niche there just happens to be the exact size of our little bauble.”
As the others watched, the crusader started across the chamber, and reached up to place the bat idol in the slot.
“Sepoto, watch out!” came Daelric’s warning shout from behind him. The goliath whirled, just as a looming figure stepped out of the molten lava of the volcano’s core. It looked exactly like the aspect of Zotzilaha they had seen manifest in Tanaroa, and seven of the fiery-winged bats fluttered about its head. Sepoto braced himself, knowing that there was no way in the Seven Heavens that he would be able to stop a god, even a relatively obscure Maztican one. He was thus surprised and completely taken aback when the creature heaved a large sigh, and waved its bat minions back into the vents behind it. In a grating, baritone voice, it began to speak in halting Common.
“Zotzilaha thanks you for returning his treasure. Know, mortals, that Zotzilaha rewards those who serve him. You may each choose something of value from his vault. If you have questions about a prize, you need but ask me. Choose quickly, for you must leave this place before I grow hungry.”
The divine aspect then gestured, and the bat carving rumbled to life, lifting its wings to reveal an archway leading into a small, square room beyond. Several items rested in alcoves in the room, including a small wooden coffer filled with platinum coins, an ivory carving of an elephant-headed humanoid gripping a tarnished scepter encrusted with jade, a wooden carving of a tiger with sapphires for eyes, a necklace with a single dragon’s tooth, a gleaming buckler embossed with the symbol of Mielikki, a shining suit of mithral armor, a morningstar wreathed in blue fire, a small, crystal clear, glass ring, a pearl engraved with intricate scrimshaw carvings and glyphs, a perfectly round, smoothly polished stone, an amulet carved in the likeness of a rhinoceros, and a rolled up strip of leather, which obviously contained some item within.
The companions were flabbergasted. They had come here fully expecting to face the Bat God’s wrath, but instead they were being rewarded…and handsomely so at that. Would wonders never cease?
“Your pardon,” Daelric said, bowing to the guardian, “but could my choice be that you will send word to the Maztican villagers that we have done your bidding?”
“They will know,” the creature rumbled, “and any token that you bear from here will only bring further proof.”
The guardian then began enumerating all of the valuables in the vault, but paused when he reached the leather-wrapped item.
“This is not one of Zotzilaha’s treasures,” he said in mild puzzlement. “Take it from here, and it shall not count against your reward.”
One-by-one the Legionnaires chose their prizes. When they had finished, they each bowed in turn to the aspect.
“Now go,” he said, inviting no further queries. They turned and left the shrine, making their way back to the surface. By the time they had reached the outside again, night had fallen, but Nextepeua was silent, with not a rumble to disturb the quiet of the jungle.
______________________________________________________
“It’s a tooth,” Daelric said, leaning close to study the object Mandi had unwrapped from the piece of leather.
“You don’t have to state the incredibly obvious,” the elf said dryly. “The merely obvious will do. I can see that it’s a tooth, but the magical aura I detected from it is overwhelming, on the level with the most powerful of artifacts. In my studies I’ve never run across mention of such a relic. Perhaps Marius or Aldwattle will know more, or there may be mention of it in the Hall of Records.”
“Well, we’ll be headed back there soon, so we can just look into it when we get back,” the priest offered.
“I don’t think we’re going back just yet,” Sepoto said thoughtfully, surveying the unfurled map of the island they had brought with them.
“What? Why not?” Daelric asked.
“Well, if I read this correctly,” the goliath replied, “we’re not far from the tar pits that Lavinia mentioned. In fact, they’re not more than a day’s walk from here. She said that if a route to them could be secured, they would provide material for building and ship repairs, such as the Sea Wyvern when we recover it.”
“She didn’t say why the route wasn’t secure though,” Samson chimed in.
“I think I know,” Mandi said cryptically. “Temauhit-tecuani.”
_____________________________________________________________________
Sepoto was correct in his assessment, and the journey to the tar pits was completed by late afternoon of the next day. The problem was that the area the pits covered was immense, encompassing several square miles. It would take hours to scour the entire region for the creature Mandi had mentioned, so they set about the task immediately.
Temauhit-tecuani, Mandi informed them, was one of the great creatures of legend that inhabited the Isle of Dread. He was a huge specimen of tyrannosaurus, who had been alive for decades and survived countless attempts to bring him down. It seemed he had recently claimed the tar pits as his hunting ground, making it quite risky for anyone to gather the valuable tar. And now it was the Legion’s turn to hunt the venerable hunter.
The company had been searching for two hours when they first heard the sound of enraged roars and strangely high-pitched shrieks of terror and pain tearing through the air. They rushed through the stand of trees they’d been traversing and came out on a narrow strip of land bordering a lake-sized tar pit. There they found their quarry. Temauhit-tecuani was monstrous, horribly scarred and missing one eye, and with one arm ending in a jagged stump. Hundreds of arrowheads and spearheads were embedded in the thick scar tissue of its hide. Running in terror before the t-rex were a dozen or more phanatons. The little creatures looked like a cross between monkey and flying squirrel, and they wore bandoliers across their small chests and carried spears and crude daggers. At that moment, they were fleeing in blind panic for their lives.
Before any of the other Legionnaires could act, Samson charged out from beneath the jungle canopy, right into the middle of the panicked phanatons. The little creatures didn’t know what to make of the goblin in their midst, so they swept past him on both sides, leaving the dragon shaman directly in the path of the onrushing dinosaur.
“That fool!” Mandi hissed, transforming herself into the form of a small, elemental creature known as an air mephit, and drifting into the air. “How have you managed to keep him alive this long?”
“Trust me,” Sepoto sighed, “it hasn’t been easy.”
The mage continued higher, until she was sure she was well beyond the dinosaur’s reach, and then she cast again, with Temauhit-tecuani mere yards from Samson. Abruptly, the t-rex froze in mid-stride, held in place by Mandi’s spell.
“Now!” she shouted. “I don’t know how long I can hold it!”
Sepoto surged forward, and as he did so, Samson opened his mouth, breathing caustic acid directly onto the immobilized monster. By this time, the phanatons had reached the relative safety of the trees, and as they turned and saw the newcomers engaging the mythic beast, they began hooting and cheering, leaping excitedly into the air. Several of them even threw their spears at the t-rex, emboldened by its helpless state. That was until Temauhit-tecuani roared, breaking free of Mandi’s enchantment and hurled itself forward again.
The Legion struck as a unit, Samson and Sepoto dodging around the legs of the behemoth, raining blows down like dervishes, while Daelric and Mandi provided arcane support, striking with rays of flame and screaming lances of pure sound. Temauhit-tecuani didn’t pause. In one terrifyingly swift action, it snapped its head down, seizing Samson in its jaws. Sepoto continued his assault, screaming to draw the monster’s attention. Daelric and Mandi struck again, with the priest conjuring a gleaming sword of pure spiritual energy that hacked and harried the brute. Mandi had another tactic. Seeing the goblin struggling to keep from being impaled by the dinosaur’s gnashing teeth, or worse yet, swallowed whole, she had an idea.
“Samson, do not resist me!” she cried.
The dragon shaman breathed a great gout of acid straight down the gullet of the t-rex, and then turned towards her.
“Just do something! Anything!”
“Ok,” she muttered, “but just remember, you asked for this.”
She began casting again, and as she completed her spell, Samson’s body began to twist and grow. His limbs lengthened, his fingers ending in cruelly hooked claws. His skin became mottled, and green, taking on a leathery texture. His face elongated, his jaw undershot and sporting large fangs, while his hair turned greasy black, flowing down his back. In a matter of moments, Temauhit-tecuani no longer held a small goblin in its teeth, but instead a full-grown troll!
“Alright!” Samson crowed in a guttural voice. “Now this is more like it!”
Tossing aside his tooth-pick sized morningstar, the troll dragon shaman roared, and tore into the dinosaur, ripping at its soft jowls and gums with tooth and claw. Temauhit-tecuani howled in pain as it struggled to paw the troll from its mouth with its hind foot. When it lowered its head, Sepoto struck with all his might, impaling the monster’s skull with his barbed chain. The dinosaur collapsed as if pole-axed, and Samson tumbled free onto the sand. The watching phanatons could only gape in shock and awe. It was as if the gods themselves had come down to save them.
___________________________________________________________
Once Samson had reverted back to his true form, the Legionnaires cautiously approached the huddled phanatons.
“We mean you no harm,” Mandi said in Maztican. “We came to free the tar pits from Temauhit-tecuani’s reign, and we have also been seeking your people. Can you take us to your tribe?”
“I First Tracker Wicket,” one of the tiny creatures said, stepping forward tentatively. “We thank you muchly for killing the Great One, but we not take you to village. ‘Tis forbidden.”
“Please,” Mandi said, kneeling down to the phanaton’s level. “We have come from Farshore. The village there is in great danger. We must speak with your chieftain, or this danger could come here to your people.”
Wicket looked uncertain. He returned to his companions and chattered with them in his native tongue for several minutes. Finally, he returned, arms crossed over his skinny chest.
“Must have token of faith,” he said, nodding his head assertively.
“I see,” Mandi replied, a sly look in her eyes. Apparently the path to the village was not so forbidden if the price was right. “Daelric,” she said in Common, “give me your prayer beads.”
“My…what…why?” he stammered.
“Because I am fully aware that you only wear them for show,” the elf said patiently. “Your power is innate. You don’t need them, and these little mercenaries are demanding a tribute. Give them to me.”
Reluctantly, the priest slipped the wooden beads from his wrist. Mandi took them, and then held them out to Wicket.
“These are very potent magic,” she said. “Your shaman can use them to heal the sick of your tribe.”
Wicket took the beads, looked them over briefly, and then nodded. “We take you. Come!” With that, he and his companions were off, bounding thru the trees and undergrowth effortlessly.
The phanaton village, according to Wicket, was two days travel north, deeper into the jungle. Throughout the trek, the little creatures talked incessantly, with Mandi being forced to translate, when she deemed it necessary. Mostly they wanted to know everything about their newfound heroes: where they came from, where they were going, what other monsters had they slain, where did they get their fancy clothes and weapons from, ad nauseum. At first, Mandi humored them, answering their innocuous queries, but after several hours of this she grew tired and then irritated. Finally she told them that she and her companions were, in fact, divine agents of Zotzilaha, sent down to work the unfathomable will of their god. The phanatons were awed by this, even more so when, after the company made camp the first night, she cast a Rope Trick spell, the same one Basil used to use, and explained that she and her fellow celestials could not sleep upon the earth like mere mortals. They must ascend to the heavens and return at dawn. As each of the Legionnaires climbed the rope and promptly vanished, the phanatons ooohed and ahhhed, bowing low to the ground.
Finally, after another day of ceaseless questioning, the expedition reached at the phanaton village. Word of the heroes and their exploits had already reached the township, and their arrival was one of noisy excitement. The Legionnaires were welcomed as honored guests, and an impromptu feast of fruits and unusually tasty insects was laid out for them. During the banquet the phanaton chief, Teketek, questioned the party further about their deeds, and their reason for seeking out his people. Mandi explained again that Zotzilaha had sent them to watch over the town of Farshore, for servants of His enemies were coming to make war there. Once Farshore fell, these demons would move inland, first wiping out the Mazticans, and ultimately coming for the phanatons as well.
“This is why we have come to you,” Mandi concluded. “Though we are powerful, we are few, and not enough to ward off such a horde as will come for the humans. We ask you, name of Zotzilaha, to lend your aid. You will be richly rewarded, both here, and in the hereafter.”
Teketek confided with the village shaman, who was entranced with the prayer bead offering, and agreed enthusiastically.
“It done,” Teketek announced. “My people help big folk. I send finest warriors to fight demons. We be honored among the gods!”
“Precisely,” Mandi nodded with a toothy smile. “There is one other thing. We have heard of a race of cat folk known as Rakastas. Do you know of them?”
Teketek nodded in excitement. “Cat people lived in Jaguar Temple,” he said. “Like to make much war. All gone now.”
“Do you know where this temple is?” Mandi pressed.
“Oh yes,” Teketek said, “send tracker with you. Show you way.”
“Excellent,” Mandi smiled again. “Then we will leave at first light.”
_________________________________________________________
That evening after the feast, the Legionnaires took their leave, explaining to Teketek as they had to Wicket, that they had to return to their divine realm, but would come back at dawn. This time, Mandi gathered her companions about her and as a group, they vanished, teleporting instantly to the center of Tanaroa village. The phanatons were duly impressed.
When the group appeared out of thin air at the base of the village temple, the Tanaroans were equally impressed, and startled. Within minutes, J’kal, Marius and the village zombie master arrived to greet the party.
“F’lar tell me that Zotzilaha spoke to him, and tell him of your victory at temple,” J’kal said in broken Common, indicating the zombie master. “He also say that you now favored in Zotzilaha’s eyes. We offer you many apologies for our words, and pledge our service to you.”
Mandi looked haughtily down her nose at the chieftain. “As well you should,” she said coldly. “I trust there need be no further discussion of this. You will send word to the other villages and tell them to rally their forces. You will then lead your warriors to Farshore before the new moon.”
When J’kal nodded her acceptance, Mandi waved her away dismissively. “Leave me,” she commanded. “I must speak with my lieutenant.”
“So I’m your lieutenant now, am I?” Marius asked in amusement.
“It impresses the locals,” Mandi replied. She then went on to tell the warmage all that had transpired, concluding with their plan to go on to the Rakasta temple.
“I would like you to get word back to Lavinia,” Sepoto interjected, not altogether happy with the assumed leadership role Mandi had taken upon herself. “We will Send to you daily. When and if we discover anything at the temple, we will make plans to rendezvous with you.”
Marius agreed, and the company spent the night in Tanaroa, all of their needs closely tended to by the villagers.
___________________________________________________________
The following morning, Mandi transported the group back to the phanaton village and, as promised, Teketek placed one of his scouts at their disposal. The Jaguar Temple, it turned out, was not far at all, barely a day’s walk, in fact. They came upon an abandoned village of huts that had been nearly reclaimed by the jungle. Looming nearby were the ruins of an ancient temple. Their guide would not enter the village, and Mandi instructed her to await their return. If they did not return, she was to return to the village and report, but that everything was to proceed as planned.
The temple itself was a squat ziggurat, embraced by the green of the jungle. Tall niches along its walls held moss-covered statues of men with jaguar heads. A natural curtain of thick vines and creepers hung over a wide opening at the base of the southern wall. As the party drew near the entrance, a sudden flash of movement from above caught Sepoto’s eye. The goliath glanced up just in time to see an emerald snake, as big as a carriage, lunge at him from a ledge where it had been coiled ten-feet up the wall. The serpent wrapped itself around the crusader, lifting him easily off his feet and up onto its perch. Sepoto struggled to draw air into his lungs as the snake began to squeeze.
Mandi reacted instantly, dropping into a crouch as she hurled a spell at the anaconda. The serpent froze, its jaw unhinged and hanging inches above Sepoto’s head. Though paralyzed, the snake’s coils still held the goliath fast, but with a groan of superhuman effort, he wrenched himself free, tumbling to the ground below. Daelric was at his side in a moment, weaving curative magic about him. The next moment, a hiss from above caused the priest to rapidly back away. The serpent was free and as Sepoto struggled to his feet, it struck again, once more binding the crusader and crushing his ribs. Mandi cursed, thought for a moment, and then shrugged her shoulders.
‘Why not?’ she mused. ‘The worst that could happen is that it won’t work.’
She cast again, and as her magic struck the anaconda, it began to shrink, dwindling rapidly to the size of a common garden snake, Sepoto slipping free of its deadly grip.
“What did you do?” Samson asked in awe.
“The same thing I did to you when I transformed you into a troll,” the elf explained, “only in reverse. The snake won’t be bothering us any further, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to step on it. It’s tougher than you think.
_____________________________________________________________
Shafts of light from broken portions of wall and ceiling thirty feet above illuminated the large, open chamber within the crumbling pyramid. The walls were covered with faded murals and bas-relief carvings, while the center of the room was filled with a variety of antique totemic statues facing a central platform, which supported a large jade figurine of a jaguar. The statues seemed curiously untouched by the passage of time, and retained the finest lines of detail, as if the unknown sculptor had finished the job only yesterday.
“Wait,” Mandi said as Samson and Sepoto began moving towards the statues. “Something is not right here.” She began weaving a spell, allowing her to detect any magical dweomers in the chamber. Besides the ones carried by herself and her companions, the entire area encompassed by the statues radiated a strong illusion enchantment. Leaning down to pick up a small stone, the wizard tossed it at the statues…and watched it pass right through.
“It’s not real,” she told her companions. “Concentrate. Unfocus your gaze and you will see through it.”
The others did as she said, and when they did so, the outline of the figures became insubstantial and transparent, revealing a large pit concealed by the illusion. Peering over the edge, Mandi saw that the shaft descended almost fifty feet, where it ended in a pool of brackish water. Halfway down the pit, however, was a narrow ledge with an archway opening from it. Carved into the wall were niches, forming a ladder that descended to the ledge. The group made their way down and through the arch, where they found a gently sloping tunnel winding downward into darkness. The tunnel walls were riddled with niches filled with ancient statues of jaguars looking down from their perches. Their eyes glittered with red, blue and green gemstones.
GODS AND MONSTERS
It was decided by the Legionnaires that Marius would remain behind in Tanaroa in an attempt to restore some semblance of diplomatic relations. The others would stay in touch with the warmage via Sending spells, constantly updating him on their progress. The journey to the Fangs of Zotzilaha itself consisted of a two day slog through mosquito-infested, drippingly humid, trackless jungle. Yet their goal was always in sight. The smoking plume of Nextepeua could not be missed. By dusk of the second day, they had reached the lower slopes of the volcano, and the entrance to the bat god’s shrine was not difficult to find, thanks to J’kal’s instructions. It consisted of a large cave mouth, its rim marked with bat carvings and numerous niches for offerings.
“If we’re going into a volcano to visit the shrine of a god who summons flaming bats, don’t you think we should be prepared to face extreme heat?” Daelric offered as the group surveyed the opening skeptically.
“If you’re offering suggestions, we’re listening,” Sepoto grumbled.
“As a matter of fact, I think I have just the thing,” the priest answered brightly. He gathered his companions close about them, then bowed his head and spoke a prayer to Shaundekal, asking the Traveler to ward them from harm.
“I don’t feel any different,” Sepoto said, swatting a gnat on the back of his bald head.
“Trust me!” Daelric replied, but somehow, that didn’t make the goliath feel any better.
A tunnel angled downward from the cave opening, disappearing into the bowels of the mountain. For over an hour they marched, and during that time Sepoto had to acknowledge that Daelric’s magic actually seemed to work. Though his armor and weapons glowed red with the increased heat the deeper they went, the goliath felt no discomfort from it at all. The air felt positively balmy. The sloping lava tunnel eventually widened into a large, round chamber filled with smoke and ash from fissures riddling the rock walls and floor. A fiery glow and thunderous rumble came from the west, where rents in the cave wall opened out directly into the active volcano’s throat. The walls of the cave were riddled with niches, some of which contained offerings of food, trinkets and animals, while others were empty or contained only ash. Through the haze, an eight-foot tall bat leered from where it had been carved in relief out of the far wall. The bat’s wings rose over its head, with its claws meeting at a curiously shaped niche that appeared to be empty.
“Let me guess,” Sepoto said dryly, “that niche there just happens to be the exact size of our little bauble.”
As the others watched, the crusader started across the chamber, and reached up to place the bat idol in the slot.
“Sepoto, watch out!” came Daelric’s warning shout from behind him. The goliath whirled, just as a looming figure stepped out of the molten lava of the volcano’s core. It looked exactly like the aspect of Zotzilaha they had seen manifest in Tanaroa, and seven of the fiery-winged bats fluttered about its head. Sepoto braced himself, knowing that there was no way in the Seven Heavens that he would be able to stop a god, even a relatively obscure Maztican one. He was thus surprised and completely taken aback when the creature heaved a large sigh, and waved its bat minions back into the vents behind it. In a grating, baritone voice, it began to speak in halting Common.
“Zotzilaha thanks you for returning his treasure. Know, mortals, that Zotzilaha rewards those who serve him. You may each choose something of value from his vault. If you have questions about a prize, you need but ask me. Choose quickly, for you must leave this place before I grow hungry.”
The divine aspect then gestured, and the bat carving rumbled to life, lifting its wings to reveal an archway leading into a small, square room beyond. Several items rested in alcoves in the room, including a small wooden coffer filled with platinum coins, an ivory carving of an elephant-headed humanoid gripping a tarnished scepter encrusted with jade, a wooden carving of a tiger with sapphires for eyes, a necklace with a single dragon’s tooth, a gleaming buckler embossed with the symbol of Mielikki, a shining suit of mithral armor, a morningstar wreathed in blue fire, a small, crystal clear, glass ring, a pearl engraved with intricate scrimshaw carvings and glyphs, a perfectly round, smoothly polished stone, an amulet carved in the likeness of a rhinoceros, and a rolled up strip of leather, which obviously contained some item within.
The companions were flabbergasted. They had come here fully expecting to face the Bat God’s wrath, but instead they were being rewarded…and handsomely so at that. Would wonders never cease?
“Your pardon,” Daelric said, bowing to the guardian, “but could my choice be that you will send word to the Maztican villagers that we have done your bidding?”
“They will know,” the creature rumbled, “and any token that you bear from here will only bring further proof.”
The guardian then began enumerating all of the valuables in the vault, but paused when he reached the leather-wrapped item.
“This is not one of Zotzilaha’s treasures,” he said in mild puzzlement. “Take it from here, and it shall not count against your reward.”
One-by-one the Legionnaires chose their prizes. When they had finished, they each bowed in turn to the aspect.
“Now go,” he said, inviting no further queries. They turned and left the shrine, making their way back to the surface. By the time they had reached the outside again, night had fallen, but Nextepeua was silent, with not a rumble to disturb the quiet of the jungle.
______________________________________________________
“It’s a tooth,” Daelric said, leaning close to study the object Mandi had unwrapped from the piece of leather.
“You don’t have to state the incredibly obvious,” the elf said dryly. “The merely obvious will do. I can see that it’s a tooth, but the magical aura I detected from it is overwhelming, on the level with the most powerful of artifacts. In my studies I’ve never run across mention of such a relic. Perhaps Marius or Aldwattle will know more, or there may be mention of it in the Hall of Records.”
“Well, we’ll be headed back there soon, so we can just look into it when we get back,” the priest offered.
“I don’t think we’re going back just yet,” Sepoto said thoughtfully, surveying the unfurled map of the island they had brought with them.
“What? Why not?” Daelric asked.
“Well, if I read this correctly,” the goliath replied, “we’re not far from the tar pits that Lavinia mentioned. In fact, they’re not more than a day’s walk from here. She said that if a route to them could be secured, they would provide material for building and ship repairs, such as the Sea Wyvern when we recover it.”
“She didn’t say why the route wasn’t secure though,” Samson chimed in.
“I think I know,” Mandi said cryptically. “Temauhit-tecuani.”
_____________________________________________________________________
Sepoto was correct in his assessment, and the journey to the tar pits was completed by late afternoon of the next day. The problem was that the area the pits covered was immense, encompassing several square miles. It would take hours to scour the entire region for the creature Mandi had mentioned, so they set about the task immediately.
Temauhit-tecuani, Mandi informed them, was one of the great creatures of legend that inhabited the Isle of Dread. He was a huge specimen of tyrannosaurus, who had been alive for decades and survived countless attempts to bring him down. It seemed he had recently claimed the tar pits as his hunting ground, making it quite risky for anyone to gather the valuable tar. And now it was the Legion’s turn to hunt the venerable hunter.
The company had been searching for two hours when they first heard the sound of enraged roars and strangely high-pitched shrieks of terror and pain tearing through the air. They rushed through the stand of trees they’d been traversing and came out on a narrow strip of land bordering a lake-sized tar pit. There they found their quarry. Temauhit-tecuani was monstrous, horribly scarred and missing one eye, and with one arm ending in a jagged stump. Hundreds of arrowheads and spearheads were embedded in the thick scar tissue of its hide. Running in terror before the t-rex were a dozen or more phanatons. The little creatures looked like a cross between monkey and flying squirrel, and they wore bandoliers across their small chests and carried spears and crude daggers. At that moment, they were fleeing in blind panic for their lives.
Before any of the other Legionnaires could act, Samson charged out from beneath the jungle canopy, right into the middle of the panicked phanatons. The little creatures didn’t know what to make of the goblin in their midst, so they swept past him on both sides, leaving the dragon shaman directly in the path of the onrushing dinosaur.
“That fool!” Mandi hissed, transforming herself into the form of a small, elemental creature known as an air mephit, and drifting into the air. “How have you managed to keep him alive this long?”
“Trust me,” Sepoto sighed, “it hasn’t been easy.”
The mage continued higher, until she was sure she was well beyond the dinosaur’s reach, and then she cast again, with Temauhit-tecuani mere yards from Samson. Abruptly, the t-rex froze in mid-stride, held in place by Mandi’s spell.
“Now!” she shouted. “I don’t know how long I can hold it!”
Sepoto surged forward, and as he did so, Samson opened his mouth, breathing caustic acid directly onto the immobilized monster. By this time, the phanatons had reached the relative safety of the trees, and as they turned and saw the newcomers engaging the mythic beast, they began hooting and cheering, leaping excitedly into the air. Several of them even threw their spears at the t-rex, emboldened by its helpless state. That was until Temauhit-tecuani roared, breaking free of Mandi’s enchantment and hurled itself forward again.
The Legion struck as a unit, Samson and Sepoto dodging around the legs of the behemoth, raining blows down like dervishes, while Daelric and Mandi provided arcane support, striking with rays of flame and screaming lances of pure sound. Temauhit-tecuani didn’t pause. In one terrifyingly swift action, it snapped its head down, seizing Samson in its jaws. Sepoto continued his assault, screaming to draw the monster’s attention. Daelric and Mandi struck again, with the priest conjuring a gleaming sword of pure spiritual energy that hacked and harried the brute. Mandi had another tactic. Seeing the goblin struggling to keep from being impaled by the dinosaur’s gnashing teeth, or worse yet, swallowed whole, she had an idea.
“Samson, do not resist me!” she cried.
The dragon shaman breathed a great gout of acid straight down the gullet of the t-rex, and then turned towards her.
“Just do something! Anything!”
“Ok,” she muttered, “but just remember, you asked for this.”
She began casting again, and as she completed her spell, Samson’s body began to twist and grow. His limbs lengthened, his fingers ending in cruelly hooked claws. His skin became mottled, and green, taking on a leathery texture. His face elongated, his jaw undershot and sporting large fangs, while his hair turned greasy black, flowing down his back. In a matter of moments, Temauhit-tecuani no longer held a small goblin in its teeth, but instead a full-grown troll!
“Alright!” Samson crowed in a guttural voice. “Now this is more like it!”
Tossing aside his tooth-pick sized morningstar, the troll dragon shaman roared, and tore into the dinosaur, ripping at its soft jowls and gums with tooth and claw. Temauhit-tecuani howled in pain as it struggled to paw the troll from its mouth with its hind foot. When it lowered its head, Sepoto struck with all his might, impaling the monster’s skull with his barbed chain. The dinosaur collapsed as if pole-axed, and Samson tumbled free onto the sand. The watching phanatons could only gape in shock and awe. It was as if the gods themselves had come down to save them.
___________________________________________________________
Once Samson had reverted back to his true form, the Legionnaires cautiously approached the huddled phanatons.
“We mean you no harm,” Mandi said in Maztican. “We came to free the tar pits from Temauhit-tecuani’s reign, and we have also been seeking your people. Can you take us to your tribe?”
“I First Tracker Wicket,” one of the tiny creatures said, stepping forward tentatively. “We thank you muchly for killing the Great One, but we not take you to village. ‘Tis forbidden.”
“Please,” Mandi said, kneeling down to the phanaton’s level. “We have come from Farshore. The village there is in great danger. We must speak with your chieftain, or this danger could come here to your people.”
Wicket looked uncertain. He returned to his companions and chattered with them in his native tongue for several minutes. Finally, he returned, arms crossed over his skinny chest.
“Must have token of faith,” he said, nodding his head assertively.
“I see,” Mandi replied, a sly look in her eyes. Apparently the path to the village was not so forbidden if the price was right. “Daelric,” she said in Common, “give me your prayer beads.”
“My…what…why?” he stammered.
“Because I am fully aware that you only wear them for show,” the elf said patiently. “Your power is innate. You don’t need them, and these little mercenaries are demanding a tribute. Give them to me.”
Reluctantly, the priest slipped the wooden beads from his wrist. Mandi took them, and then held them out to Wicket.
“These are very potent magic,” she said. “Your shaman can use them to heal the sick of your tribe.”
Wicket took the beads, looked them over briefly, and then nodded. “We take you. Come!” With that, he and his companions were off, bounding thru the trees and undergrowth effortlessly.
The phanaton village, according to Wicket, was two days travel north, deeper into the jungle. Throughout the trek, the little creatures talked incessantly, with Mandi being forced to translate, when she deemed it necessary. Mostly they wanted to know everything about their newfound heroes: where they came from, where they were going, what other monsters had they slain, where did they get their fancy clothes and weapons from, ad nauseum. At first, Mandi humored them, answering their innocuous queries, but after several hours of this she grew tired and then irritated. Finally she told them that she and her companions were, in fact, divine agents of Zotzilaha, sent down to work the unfathomable will of their god. The phanatons were awed by this, even more so when, after the company made camp the first night, she cast a Rope Trick spell, the same one Basil used to use, and explained that she and her fellow celestials could not sleep upon the earth like mere mortals. They must ascend to the heavens and return at dawn. As each of the Legionnaires climbed the rope and promptly vanished, the phanatons ooohed and ahhhed, bowing low to the ground.
Finally, after another day of ceaseless questioning, the expedition reached at the phanaton village. Word of the heroes and their exploits had already reached the township, and their arrival was one of noisy excitement. The Legionnaires were welcomed as honored guests, and an impromptu feast of fruits and unusually tasty insects was laid out for them. During the banquet the phanaton chief, Teketek, questioned the party further about their deeds, and their reason for seeking out his people. Mandi explained again that Zotzilaha had sent them to watch over the town of Farshore, for servants of His enemies were coming to make war there. Once Farshore fell, these demons would move inland, first wiping out the Mazticans, and ultimately coming for the phanatons as well.
“This is why we have come to you,” Mandi concluded. “Though we are powerful, we are few, and not enough to ward off such a horde as will come for the humans. We ask you, name of Zotzilaha, to lend your aid. You will be richly rewarded, both here, and in the hereafter.”
Teketek confided with the village shaman, who was entranced with the prayer bead offering, and agreed enthusiastically.
“It done,” Teketek announced. “My people help big folk. I send finest warriors to fight demons. We be honored among the gods!”
“Precisely,” Mandi nodded with a toothy smile. “There is one other thing. We have heard of a race of cat folk known as Rakastas. Do you know of them?”
Teketek nodded in excitement. “Cat people lived in Jaguar Temple,” he said. “Like to make much war. All gone now.”
“Do you know where this temple is?” Mandi pressed.
“Oh yes,” Teketek said, “send tracker with you. Show you way.”
“Excellent,” Mandi smiled again. “Then we will leave at first light.”
_________________________________________________________
That evening after the feast, the Legionnaires took their leave, explaining to Teketek as they had to Wicket, that they had to return to their divine realm, but would come back at dawn. This time, Mandi gathered her companions about her and as a group, they vanished, teleporting instantly to the center of Tanaroa village. The phanatons were duly impressed.
When the group appeared out of thin air at the base of the village temple, the Tanaroans were equally impressed, and startled. Within minutes, J’kal, Marius and the village zombie master arrived to greet the party.
“F’lar tell me that Zotzilaha spoke to him, and tell him of your victory at temple,” J’kal said in broken Common, indicating the zombie master. “He also say that you now favored in Zotzilaha’s eyes. We offer you many apologies for our words, and pledge our service to you.”
Mandi looked haughtily down her nose at the chieftain. “As well you should,” she said coldly. “I trust there need be no further discussion of this. You will send word to the other villages and tell them to rally their forces. You will then lead your warriors to Farshore before the new moon.”
When J’kal nodded her acceptance, Mandi waved her away dismissively. “Leave me,” she commanded. “I must speak with my lieutenant.”
“So I’m your lieutenant now, am I?” Marius asked in amusement.
“It impresses the locals,” Mandi replied. She then went on to tell the warmage all that had transpired, concluding with their plan to go on to the Rakasta temple.
“I would like you to get word back to Lavinia,” Sepoto interjected, not altogether happy with the assumed leadership role Mandi had taken upon herself. “We will Send to you daily. When and if we discover anything at the temple, we will make plans to rendezvous with you.”
Marius agreed, and the company spent the night in Tanaroa, all of their needs closely tended to by the villagers.
___________________________________________________________
The following morning, Mandi transported the group back to the phanaton village and, as promised, Teketek placed one of his scouts at their disposal. The Jaguar Temple, it turned out, was not far at all, barely a day’s walk, in fact. They came upon an abandoned village of huts that had been nearly reclaimed by the jungle. Looming nearby were the ruins of an ancient temple. Their guide would not enter the village, and Mandi instructed her to await their return. If they did not return, she was to return to the village and report, but that everything was to proceed as planned.
The temple itself was a squat ziggurat, embraced by the green of the jungle. Tall niches along its walls held moss-covered statues of men with jaguar heads. A natural curtain of thick vines and creepers hung over a wide opening at the base of the southern wall. As the party drew near the entrance, a sudden flash of movement from above caught Sepoto’s eye. The goliath glanced up just in time to see an emerald snake, as big as a carriage, lunge at him from a ledge where it had been coiled ten-feet up the wall. The serpent wrapped itself around the crusader, lifting him easily off his feet and up onto its perch. Sepoto struggled to draw air into his lungs as the snake began to squeeze.
Mandi reacted instantly, dropping into a crouch as she hurled a spell at the anaconda. The serpent froze, its jaw unhinged and hanging inches above Sepoto’s head. Though paralyzed, the snake’s coils still held the goliath fast, but with a groan of superhuman effort, he wrenched himself free, tumbling to the ground below. Daelric was at his side in a moment, weaving curative magic about him. The next moment, a hiss from above caused the priest to rapidly back away. The serpent was free and as Sepoto struggled to his feet, it struck again, once more binding the crusader and crushing his ribs. Mandi cursed, thought for a moment, and then shrugged her shoulders.
‘Why not?’ she mused. ‘The worst that could happen is that it won’t work.’
She cast again, and as her magic struck the anaconda, it began to shrink, dwindling rapidly to the size of a common garden snake, Sepoto slipping free of its deadly grip.
“What did you do?” Samson asked in awe.
“The same thing I did to you when I transformed you into a troll,” the elf explained, “only in reverse. The snake won’t be bothering us any further, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to step on it. It’s tougher than you think.
_____________________________________________________________
Shafts of light from broken portions of wall and ceiling thirty feet above illuminated the large, open chamber within the crumbling pyramid. The walls were covered with faded murals and bas-relief carvings, while the center of the room was filled with a variety of antique totemic statues facing a central platform, which supported a large jade figurine of a jaguar. The statues seemed curiously untouched by the passage of time, and retained the finest lines of detail, as if the unknown sculptor had finished the job only yesterday.
“Wait,” Mandi said as Samson and Sepoto began moving towards the statues. “Something is not right here.” She began weaving a spell, allowing her to detect any magical dweomers in the chamber. Besides the ones carried by herself and her companions, the entire area encompassed by the statues radiated a strong illusion enchantment. Leaning down to pick up a small stone, the wizard tossed it at the statues…and watched it pass right through.
“It’s not real,” she told her companions. “Concentrate. Unfocus your gaze and you will see through it.”
The others did as she said, and when they did so, the outline of the figures became insubstantial and transparent, revealing a large pit concealed by the illusion. Peering over the edge, Mandi saw that the shaft descended almost fifty feet, where it ended in a pool of brackish water. Halfway down the pit, however, was a narrow ledge with an archway opening from it. Carved into the wall were niches, forming a ladder that descended to the ledge. The group made their way down and through the arch, where they found a gently sloping tunnel winding downward into darkness. The tunnel walls were riddled with niches filled with ancient statues of jaguars looking down from their perches. Their eyes glittered with red, blue and green gemstones.
Joachim
First Post
This past week, Ozymandia levelled, so I thought that I would go ahead and share her current build:
Ozymandia 'Mandi' Enoreth (CR 9)
Female gold elf Wizard 3 / Master Specialist (Transmutation) 6
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; darkvision 60 feet; Listen -1, Spot -1
Languages Common, Elven, Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Draconic, Maztican
----------------------------------
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12
(+2 Dex, +2 armor), +2 to AC verses ranged attacks
hp 51 (9 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +11; +2 racial bonus against Enchantment effects
----------------------------------
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +4; Grp +3
Combat Gear 12 potions of cure light wounds, 3 scrolls of haste, 3 scrolls of benign transposition, 5 scrolls of knock, scroll of shrink item
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 9th, 10th for Transmutation, 11th for spells from the Polymorph subschool):
5th - baleful polymorph (x2)(DC 24), hold monster (DC 22)
4th - assay spell resistance, celerity, polymorph (x2)
3rd - greater mage armor, haste, slow (x2)(DC 22), sound lance (x2)(DC 20)
2nd - alter self (x2), rope trick, scorching ray (x3), see invisibility
1st - grease (DC 17), magic missile (x2), nerveskitter, ray of clumsiness (x2)(+6 ranged touch), shield
0 - amanuensis, detect magic (x3), message
----------------------------------
Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 14, Cha 8
SQ Immunity to sleep effects, able to notice secret or concealed doors, prohibited from using spells from the schools necromancy and illusion, no familiar, immediate magic option (PHB II) sudden shift 7/day, minor school esoterica (transmutation), outsider traits
Feats Collegiate Wizard, Craft Wondrous Item, Greater Spell Focus (Transmutation)(B), Minor Shapeshift, Otherwordly, Scribe Scroll (B), Skill Focus (Spellcraft)(B), Spell Focus (Transmutation)
Flaw Innattentive
Trait Absent-Minded
Team Feats Spell Barrage
Skills Concentration +20, Diplomacy +1, Heal +4, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +20, Knowledge (nature) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +20, Knowledge (geography) +1, Search +9, Spellcraft +24, Survival +4
Possessions combat gear plus Ring of Enduring Arcana, Tunic of Steady Spellcasting augmented with +1 resistance bonus to saves and +2 enhancement bonus to Con, Third Eye (Penetrate) augmented with +4 enhancement bonus to Int, Amulet of Tears, Dimension Stride Boots, Healing Belt, Least Crystal of Arrow Reflection (attached to bracers), Bracers of Armor +2, Pearl of Power (3rd level), Pearl of Power (4th level)
Spellbook spells prepared, plus 0 - all (minus illusion and necromancy); 1st - benign transposition, expeditious retreat, feather fall, identify, lesser orb of acid, lesser orb of cold, lesser orb of fire, lesser orb of sound, mount; 2nd - bear's endurance, fox's cunning, knock, wraithstrike; 3rd - dimension step, dispel magic, fireball, fly, water breathing; 4th - blast of flame, dimension door, Evard's black tentacles, flame whips, orb of force, solid fog; 5th - greater blink, teleport
----------------------------------
Hook "What form shall I take today? Hmm...decisions, decisions."
Ozymandia 'Mandi' Enoreth (CR 9)
Female gold elf Wizard 3 / Master Specialist (Transmutation) 6
NE Medium outsider (native)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; darkvision 60 feet; Listen -1, Spot -1
Languages Common, Elven, Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Draconic, Maztican
----------------------------------
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12
(+2 Dex, +2 armor), +2 to AC verses ranged attacks
hp 51 (9 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +11; +2 racial bonus against Enchantment effects
----------------------------------
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +4; Grp +3
Combat Gear 12 potions of cure light wounds, 3 scrolls of haste, 3 scrolls of benign transposition, 5 scrolls of knock, scroll of shrink item
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 9th, 10th for Transmutation, 11th for spells from the Polymorph subschool):
5th - baleful polymorph (x2)(DC 24), hold monster (DC 22)
4th - assay spell resistance, celerity, polymorph (x2)
3rd - greater mage armor, haste, slow (x2)(DC 22), sound lance (x2)(DC 20)
2nd - alter self (x2), rope trick, scorching ray (x3), see invisibility
1st - grease (DC 17), magic missile (x2), nerveskitter, ray of clumsiness (x2)(+6 ranged touch), shield
0 - amanuensis, detect magic (x3), message
----------------------------------
Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 14, Cha 8
SQ Immunity to sleep effects, able to notice secret or concealed doors, prohibited from using spells from the schools necromancy and illusion, no familiar, immediate magic option (PHB II) sudden shift 7/day, minor school esoterica (transmutation), outsider traits
Feats Collegiate Wizard, Craft Wondrous Item, Greater Spell Focus (Transmutation)(B), Minor Shapeshift, Otherwordly, Scribe Scroll (B), Skill Focus (Spellcraft)(B), Spell Focus (Transmutation)
Flaw Innattentive
Trait Absent-Minded
Team Feats Spell Barrage
Skills Concentration +20, Diplomacy +1, Heal +4, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +20, Knowledge (nature) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +20, Knowledge (geography) +1, Search +9, Spellcraft +24, Survival +4
Possessions combat gear plus Ring of Enduring Arcana, Tunic of Steady Spellcasting augmented with +1 resistance bonus to saves and +2 enhancement bonus to Con, Third Eye (Penetrate) augmented with +4 enhancement bonus to Int, Amulet of Tears, Dimension Stride Boots, Healing Belt, Least Crystal of Arrow Reflection (attached to bracers), Bracers of Armor +2, Pearl of Power (3rd level), Pearl of Power (4th level)
Spellbook spells prepared, plus 0 - all (minus illusion and necromancy); 1st - benign transposition, expeditious retreat, feather fall, identify, lesser orb of acid, lesser orb of cold, lesser orb of fire, lesser orb of sound, mount; 2nd - bear's endurance, fox's cunning, knock, wraithstrike; 3rd - dimension step, dispel magic, fireball, fly, water breathing; 4th - blast of flame, dimension door, Evard's black tentacles, flame whips, orb of force, solid fog; 5th - greater blink, teleport
----------------------------------
Hook "What form shall I take today? Hmm...decisions, decisions."
Joachim
First Post
Considering that none of the PHB polymorph spells (including Alter Self and Shapechange) were subject to the PHB II Polymorph subschool nerf (yeah...we had been playing that wrong), they are all still great spells. When you have access to the outsider forms as well, it makes things that much nicer. Even with the extra saves, hold monster is still well worth it as well.
It was so sweet turning that gargantuan snake in one of its much smaller relatives, too.
It was so sweet turning that gargantuan snake in one of its much smaller relatives, too.
Hammerhead
Explorer
As an elf, how did you get the outsider type? Otherworldly?
