The hidden

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THE HIDDEN: BEYOND NEW WATER
08 EXPLORE THE HIDDEN
SEGMENT 160
“DEATH”
12/26/17

BARRAKAS 7, 1000

“So, where are we?” Asks Zig as he looks through the thick strange and alien jungle.

“Hard to say. Not clear how far we traveled underground. Could be close to the wall that we cannot see through the vegetation or miles away.”

“Miles?” questions the Karnnathi Honor Guard.

“Sections of Xen’drik have unstable time….. perhaps the same can be said for here.” Answers Ayru.

“Any tracks?” asks Zigland as he pushes colored beads around with his boots within the water.

“I’m sorry Zig, my skills with tracking are very limited. The druids in Eldeen showed me a few things but it was very overly simplified due to snow.”

“And the alien landscape and stars do not help.” Adds the protective half-elf.

“What of that?” asks Kyr pointing to the sky.

“Those mysterious globes in the sky? We do not know if they move or what they are. They are not reliable to navigate by.” Tyson says while looking up at them.

“Then lets walk wherever the water is not then.” Suggests Kyr.

As time goes they find the landscape rarely changes. They climb in and out of the water for most of the day. Then they come across large stone blocks with thick vines on them. The vines have large leaves and berries. Not the type Zig uses to make his “Hidden Butter” however.

When stops to look at the vines and berries they are attacked by tall and gaunt humanoids. They have poleaxes and attack from above while standing on the blocks. The three creatures have hinged jaws that open sideways instead of up and down. Along with these insect-like jaws, they have black large eyes.

Tyson takes a powerful shot that drops him. These wrathful creatures drop down from the block and one centers on the prone Tyson. Tyson is killed.

Enraged, Ayru redoubles her effect and the three aberrational humanoids are defeated.

Even as they look to Tyson, hoping to save him, something has been attracted by the noise. The mutated raptors hiss and attack them even as they reach Tyson. They attack from three directions. The creatures leave as they lose half their number from the enraged and wrathful party members.

Tyson is dead.

 

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THE HIDDEN: BEYOND NEW WATER
08 EXPLORE THE HIDDEN
SEGMENT 161
“DIRE GIANT CATFISH”
01/05/18

BARRAKAS 7, 1000

Ayru spends several minutes holding the body of Tyson Murray. She is mourning his lost. She won’t admit she was coming to care for him beyond that of friend or co-adventurer. She didn’t know he was gay. Nearly no one did.

She pulls out the biggest Bag of Holding she has and carefully slides his body into it. The body will be kept preserved and easy to return home this way. She may even return him to Sharn.

They travel in silence through a series of many 20 x 20 foot cubes within the valley. As they enter a wide section of water Feldrix finds himself attacked by something in the water under the beads. A dire catfish tries to crush and twist off Feldrix’s foot. Instead it is stabbed twice by him. Kyr steps up and also strikes it and finishes it off.

In the distance, Zig spots smoke. “Adventurers?”

“Lets find out but be cautious.” Adds Ayru.

 

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Giant Dire Catfish

 

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THE HIDDEN: BEYOND NEW WATER
08 EXPLORE THE HIDDEN
SEGMENT 162
“EMERALD CLAW CAMP”
01/05/18

BARRAKAS 7, 1000

Following the edge of the “stream” the group walks towards the campfire smoke. The sun is setting which makes them hope for friendly adventurers. As they get closer these hopes go away.

Around a small fire are ten Emerald Claw soldiers in various stages of undress as they are relaxing to camp for the night. Feldrix and Kyr also spot a bald headed man dressed in black holding a staff with what appears to be an animal skull. “That better not ……be a ……necromancer.” Feldrix grumbles.

Ayru, wanting to vent her frustration and somewhat searching for revenge since Tyson came out here pursuing the Claw. Quietly, she drops back and begins to flank the campsite.

“Do we go around or walk-in or attack?” asks Kyr.

“I’m thinking…..” answers the undead warrior.

“If we attack I have an idea…… just saying.” Offers the Changeling cook.

“Where did she go?!? The statue-ue-ue-oooooh!” exclaims the unstable summoner. Feldrix is quick to turn and clamp a metal and leather glove over his mouth to silence him. Too late. The closest Claw members hear something. They heard both the summoner’s call and Ayru as she stepped into water in the dark.

Zig pulls out a potion as he moves closer using brush and obsidian shards as cover. Meanwhile, within the camp a large rat comes into view beside the possible mage even as he calls out something. Something can be spotted moving within the brush in the dark. Ayru and whatever these are, are moving towards each other.

Zig throws a potion at the campfire. The acid explodes and puts out the fire leaving only scattered bits of smoldering wood. The mage casts a light spell on a stone but this is countered by Zig throwing in a fog potion. However, in this time the soldiers have gathered their equipment and wits. They form a protective barrier between the leader and where the potions are being thrown from. As the fog expands, so does the protective semi-circle.

As this happens, the sounds from beyond the camp are given form as two large skeletons come out of the thicker brush. One of them nearly steps onto the hiding protector within the edge of the brush.

Looking to find her, Kyr tries to follow her tracks. Having no skill or training in tracking, he fails but finds Zig easily as he follows him to the close brush. Zig has moved forward. As the soldiers exit the fog, he enters it. This leaves the summoner open and defenseless. Soldiers attack him and the mage also attacks. A green and glowing misshaped hand reaches out and tries to attack him. The spell misses but the soldiers do not. The magical attack makes him feel very uncomfortable yet happy at the same time. He moves away to deal with his physical wounds.

Several soldiers face Feldrix. As they distract him, the rat familiar moves up and nips his ankle. A powerful electrical charge is released onto him. Time to kill the rat. Once he locates it.

Zig has some success attacking from the mist, it also allows several soldiers, the mage and the two large skeletons to converge on him. Several powerful strikes are landed. This is not going as Zig had planned. He retreats as a second spectral hand is released. It misses but just barely. Stepping into the fog again, Zig castes shield and invisibility onto himself. Then come the healing potions.

Kyr has fled back up the stream they took to get here. His maniacal mind is in full flight mood. That said, he has his raven familiar watch over the outcome and where Ayru (the statue) is.

As this is happening, the Claw mage backs off. He has used up most of his spells and now most of his men are down. He begins to sneak away himself. Using the darkness, he escapes.

 

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The Emerald Claw camp.....

 

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I used a giant animated claw for my spell effect.....

 

[megamania]

THE HIDDEN: BEYOND NEW WATER
08 EXPLORE THE HIDDEN
SEGMENT 163
“MORE EMERALD CLAW”
02/02/18

BARRAKAS 8, 1000

Lost but still working to what they believe is the north, the four remaining adventurers walk through the constant water and strange vibrant green vegetation. Ayru is still depressed about the death of Tyson. The others are equally quiet and subdued.

The many small streams and waterways begin to merge into a river-like system. The water remains dark blue in color…. Almost a purple in color. Millions of the colored beads are shifting on the glass like bottom of the waterways. The depth of the water varies some. New Water was always about knee deep. These river ways go between 18 inches and 36 inches in depth.

The water is about two foot deep when the group hears something within the water. They hesitate on the shore to see what is coming. Kyr believes it is a handful of Emerald Claw soldiers wearing their full regalia but the others see the truth. Zombies. These are all dead warriors recreated and serviced to be an undead zombie work force.

Feldrix sees no reason to hold back and moves in quickly to attack them before they become aware of them. Since he is charging ahead the others react in a similar way. Kyr summons up an alligator with strange orange feelers over its eyes and along its back.

As the strongest melee combatant reaches the zombies and attacks, the strongest magic user is attacked by arrows from the brush. An arrow becomes lodged in his knee and drops him. Ayru is attacked by a wolf with a serious case of mange and Zig finds himself in the water with no one to aid him. Then another man steps out of the brush across the river away from the melee. He seems to know Feldrix.

“Feldrix Dragor of the 388…. I see you. Do you see me?” Feldrix looks over at him. He looks vaguely familiar but it can not be. He looks like a childhood friend. One that would be 100 years old if alive today. “I have seen the death of your family. All of your family. I have seen their blood and tasted their blood. It is a shame you have none of your own to be spilt and tasted.” He laughs over and over. The undead warrior is not impressed and leaves the melee to deal with the mocking and familiar young man.

The archer ambusher looks familiar to Ayru as she deals with the strange and diseased wolf. She can’t quite place him but he places an arrow into her halting her attack on the zombies and any attempt to aid Zig or Kyr. She just hopes the taunting new comer is not a vampire of some sort. Tasting of blood is very much like a vampire.

Kyr summons up a large ape with wiggling tendrils on its cheeks and forearms. It takes out the sickly wolf immediately. The ranger snarls- “Tou’ll pay for killin’ Russel.” He tries to retarget the summoner however Ayru, ever the protector, blocks his aim but takes two arrows in the process.

“The last family member I saw was your great niece- Amelia. She screamed when I first tasted her and her blood.” The undead warrior picks up his pace. This man needs to die….. especially if he speaks the truth. “She knew I was there. Her fear and despair filled the room that night. She knew it was I, the killer of her father and mother. The killer of her infant brother. Delicious.”

“Naaaarrrrgh!” the honor guard of old swings with all of his might even as a ball of glowing fiery light simmers in the young man’s hand. The sword goes clearly through him putting the knight off balance. The tormentor thrusts the light into his boney face…… it is bright but not cold nor hot. It is just bright. Feldrix barely can see anything but clearly hears the maniacal laughter that first equals then surpasses Kyr’s on insane laugh. Dropped to a sitting position, Kyr attempts to aid Feldrix. He fires arrows at the mocking and clearly evil young man. He misses (his Will save anyway) and grabs another arrow.

The aberrational alligator destroys several zombies but as it grabs and goes to chew up a zombie, the zombie strikes at it from within a drives a broken sharp bone into the back of the mouth and into the brain [DM NOTE: House Rules---A nat 20 confirmed with a nat 20 = instant death] The gorilla now tries to get the retreating archer whom was stabbed several times by Ayru. The evil archer moves behind a wall of zombies. Ayru moves around them also. The summoned creature plows through the undead while in pursuit.

Zig continues to widdle down some zombies hoping not to get caught in the cross fire.

“As I entered her at the age of ten I…”

“NARRRRGH!” Show the real you!”

“I am hahahahahahah.”

“WHO are you!?!”

“You do not know me?”

“You look…. familiar but …. cannot be him. You resemble…… a childhood …..friend.”

“I am Taylor Downing…..I am here to erase your bloodline….. or to consume it. Hahahahahah!”

Holding his rage in check, the knight looks back sees what is happening. Distractions within distractions. The zombies, clearly marked as Emerald Claw, drew us out and began to separate us. This Taylor’s appearance pulled me away from the melee. My friends are in danger…. Because I fell for their games. “Begone ….. lying spirit” and he turns his back and hurries to the group.

The stalking ranger is forced into the brush. He is pursued by Ayru and the aberrational gorilla. He doesn’t last long under this pressure. The zombies don’t last much longer once Feldrix joins them once more.

As Kyr dismisses his “buddy” Ayru looks over the body of the archer. “I know him.” She states.

“You have met a met before?” asks the sweating summoner.

“No…. not in person.” She sets down her pack and searches for and finds Tyson’s journal. She flips through a few pages until she finds the drawing and notes on Mako. The picture and description fits him perfectly.

“One…. Down.” States the undead warrior.

“and Tyson missed it.” Says Zig with true regret.

“any sign of your friend?” Ayru asks Feldrix.

“No. Illusion. Used to distract me and anger…. Me.”

“Worked. Indeedy it did.” Reflects the summoner as he looks at the arrow in his leg.

“Removing that will hurt.” Adds Ayur without looking in his direction.

“Yuppy it will. He leans over. He gives a scary smile and rips it out. Blood squirts out and the summoner looks as if he will faint. Zig goes to him with potions and wrappings.

“I don’t like this Feldrix.” She begins.

“Agreed.”

“That illusion looks much like….. here it is…. This guy.” And places the journal on the ground before Feldrix and points at the image. If the undead could grow pale from discomfort, he would have. The image looks exactly like Taylor Downing.

 

[megamania]

THE HIDDEN: BEYOND NEW WATER
08 EXPLORE THE HIDDEN
SEGMENT 164
“FLYING CARPET RIDE”
02/02/18

BARRAKAS 8, 1000

They decide to rest here on the river bank before searching for Gussa and a way out once more. Ayru is now reading Taylor’s journal once more. She appreciates his notes of details and thoughts. What was he doing here in the middle of this place she wonders. Because of his devotion…. His professionalism. Perhaps this is why she came to respect him so much. He did what she failed to do. He remained true and professional to the end. He never failed….. never lost his self-respect.

Its not fair.

Still sweating and pale, Kyr looks up. With his link with his raven, he sees the oncoming object flying from high and dropping down using the sun as a cover.

A man riding a very large flying carpet slows down and levels out. He looks at the scene before him. Emerald Claw zombies….. all down and seemly destroyed.

“Hello and well met fellow travelers of the Hidden. I am Tactorn Smithbinder.”

“Hello and well met yourself.” Says Ayur with the warmest smile she can manage. “I am Ayur and these are my traveling companions and friends.” She stands up and introduces everyone. “This is Feldrix of Karrnath.” He gives a slow and simple warrior’s salute. He reframes from speaking hoping to not scare away the newcomer. “This is Zigland, famed cook and food explorer.”

He bows and smiles with his out wide. “Well met. It is good to see a friendly face.”

“And this is Kyr, the team’s mage.”

“Hell-o-a-well-ow….. I likes your ride -a-tide.”

If Tactorn is scared of this strange mix of adventurers he doesn’t show it. “Would you like a ride back to Yrlag? It’ll take a full day even on my carpet but it is safer and much dryer than the waterway.”

 

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Zombies on the River

 

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Summoned Ape takes his dislike out of the archer that shot his owner