Valmarius
First Post
Just to reiterate, if you read this, there WILL be SPOILERS. Proceed with caution.
Last weekend I kicked off session one of a slightly modified Tomb of Annihilation campaign.
Characters start at level three, as members of the Wayfarer's Guild, a group of explorers and adventurers intent of plumbing the depths of the Chultan jungle.
Biggest campaign change, straight out of the gate, there is no Death Curse.
Session 1
Sailing south from Baldur’s Gate, the few remaining members of the Wayfarer’s Guild finally arrived in the bay of Chult. They’d decided to leave the Sword Coast behind them as their former patron, Harvey D. Oxford, had spoken ill of a Frost Giant Jarl and had his legs removed from his body. It was said that Chult was ripe for adventure, so that is where the Wayfarer’s Guild planned to find its feet and regain a measure of its former glory. A few notable members stood on the deck of the ship as Port Nyanzaru came into view: Harbbrak, a dwarven druid, hairy as a bear, who had led many expeditions into the wilds; Healix, a rather rotund human cleric who was eager to bring his own brand of small-village hospitality to the world; Iriaebor Ford, a globe-trotting professor of history who taught in Waterdeep while traveling to exotic lands in search of artifacts; his father, Hezekiah Ford Sr, the Dean of the School of History in Waterdeep; and Zanne Thrax, a Chultan guild-member and local guide.
As the ship drew closer to port a surge of water revealed the guardian of the Bay of Chult, Aremag. The gigantic dragon turtle circled the vessel, demanding tribute, and by the time it left, satisfied, the Wayfarer’s coffers held a measly sum of 200 gold pieces.
When they arrived in the harbour they were greeted by a friendlier face. Zindar, the half-dragon harbormaster introduced himself as an old friend of their minotaur patron, Oxford, and offered his services to the Wayfarers. They inquired about ways to drum up some money and Zindar told them of the infamous Dinosaur races held in the city. He also leaned in close and told them about the recent pirate troubles around Chult, offering a substantial reward for the capture of any pirate ships or their captains. Before saying his goodbyes, Zindar mentioned that if the Wayfarer’s Guild was to operate legitimately in Chult they would need to acquire a Charter of Exploration from the Flaming Fist garrison to the North-east, in Fort Beluarian.
In the city the Wayfarers debated whether the dino-races were humane while making their way to Kaya’s House of Repose to settle in. At this point Iriaebor drew out an old treasure map he’d come across that showed the location of the House of the Man and Crocodile, a trapped shrine said to hold great treasure. Zanne knew the place well, advising that it was a week’s trek down the river Soshenstar, and that last she heard a company from the Order of the Gauntlet had set up camp outside. Camp Righteous. Nevertheless the adventurers decided it was worth a look.
The rest of the day was spent deep in their cups by Habbrak, Healix, and Zanne while Iriaebor mixed with the locals and Hezekiah made a beeline for the nearest library, keen to research their destination. Iriaebor learned that the local Chultans worshipped an old god named Ubtao, and one overly friendly fishmonger told him about how Ubtao loves mazes. “If you see a maze carved somewhere out dere in de jungle, trace a line through it, and you shall earn Ubtao’s favor, my friend.”
Hezekiah also had some luck during his research, locating the old legend honored by the House of the Man and Crocodile. It told of a man who made a deal with a crocodile and was tricked into carrying the reptile upon his back all across the domain of man.
In the morning Habbrak, Healix and Zanne all awoke in strange places. Habbrak found himself in the middle of an orphanage, surrounded by children who were complaining he’d stolen their last cookie. Healix awoke on a cold slab in the Temple of Savras with a number of priests praying for his soul, as they all filed out the last priest turned to him with white eyes and told him to, “seek the wise guardian of Orolunga.” When Zanne awoke, she found herself in the back room of an art gallery, her butt wet with paint, while in the front room a pair of Chultans argued over the bold new direction the resident artist had taken. Zanne considered trying to claim ownership of this revolutionary piece of art, but thought it might be more trouble than it was worth and jumped out a back window.
Purchasing a six-man canoe, the Wayfarer’s left Port Nyanzaru the next morning and set a course for Fort Beluarian. There had been some discussion about whether they needed permission to go exploring, but Healix advised against such unlawful behaviour. The journey around the coast took them a few days and the only encounter of note was on the second day when they avoided the path of two aquatic dinosaurs who were fighting over a dead giant octopus. On the fourth day, as they neared the dock that led to the Fort, Iriaebor regaled his companions with the tale of how he and Habbrak recovered the Bark of the Covenant, only to have it stolen on the return trip by the Wayfarer’s nemeses, the Yahtzee party. As if on cue, the dock came into view, and a small boat flying the Yahtzee flag could be seen tied up. With only one witness, a Chultan man tying up his own canoe, the Wayfarers quickly snuck on board the Yahtzee boat, cut down the flag, sailed it a mile up the coast, and hid it in a sheltered inlet. As they returned to the dock the Chultan laughed and introduced himself as Rokah, telling the party that he was impressed by their skills. He asked if they would escort him to the Fort and cause a distraction for him so he could investigate the Commander’s quarters. When pressed for his motivations, Rokah revealed that his employers suspected the Flaming Fists to be involved with Chult’s pirate problem and that he was looking for evidence. With a reward promised, and since they were spoiling to punch some Yahtzees anyway, they let him tag along.
Fort Beluarian surprised the Wayfarers with its size. As they passed through the outer walls to see a small market place and smithy, they realised the Flaming Fists’ authority might indeed be worth heeding. They told a guard they were looking to purchase a Charter and were led straight to the doors of the Fort proper and told to wait, as Commander Liara Portyr was currently issuing a Charter to a pair of high-elves named Walter and Ava. The Wayfarers bristled at the names and told Rokah he was about to get his distraction.
When the two Yahtzees exited the building they traded sharp words with the Wayfarers, making no effort to hide their disdain for other races, even going so far as to tell Habbrak, “Even if you stood on a ladder, we would still look down on you, dwarf.”
It was all the incentive the druid needed to throw a fist into Walter’s nethers. Only the high-elves’ magical shields kept them from damage as a fight broke out. Guards swarmed to the commotion to separate the two groups but the Yahtzees turned themselves invisible with magic and fled the scene.
A short meeting with Liara Portyr followed, during which coin was exchanged for a Charter of Exploration and Healix helped himself to a large plate of local cheeses. Liara came across as business-like, having no qualms about dealing with the Yahtzees, as long as they paid. She also mentioned that there were standing bounties available, 20gp per ghoul head returned to the Fort, and a small quiver of magical arrows for anyone with information on the Giant footprints that had been spotted to the south.
After the meeting, Iriaebor slinked upstairs and found Rokah on his way out of the Fort, convincing him to hand over the heavy lockbox he now had slung under an arm but had failed to open. They made plans to meet up in the market in an hour. Meanwhile, Hezekiah traded war stories with Rahl Zuberi, the Fort’s dino-trainer and picked up a few tips on how to deal with the local wildlife.
Gathering in a secluded corner behind the market, the Wayfarers pried open the lockbox to find a pile of gold coins and a strangely carved stone that Hezekiah identified as a sending stone. One of a linked pair. Mimicking Liara’s speech, Hezekiah spoke into the stone, warning whomever held the other stone that the Yahtzees had broken contract and should be hunted down. After a few seconds a voice issued from the stone’s carved mouth, stating that the crew of the Dragonfang weren’t about to go trekking overland to find them, but that the Yahtzees were “no longer safe on the water”. To finish up in Fort Beluarian, the Sending Stone was handed over to Rokah as evidence, for which he rewarded the Wayfarers with his own pouch of gold; Iriaebor hired a Flaming Fist mercenary called Tallsquare to join the party; and they all rested up for the return trip.
A tropical storm blew in from the north on the team’s first day back on the water, and they were forced to spend most of their time huddled under the small shelter on their newly pilfered boat. But thanks to the magical intuition of Habbrak, the druid, they were able to predict the few moments when the storm would ease up, and made some slow progress south. On the second night of travel, they had just pulled into shore and made camp when a pack of nine tiny dinosaurs burst from the jungle intent on eating their fill. The velociraptors fell on the party with tooth and claw. Zanne had dealt with these creatures before, and set to work cutting them down with rapier and dagger in hand. Hezekiah, after almost being struck down by two of the beasts, managed to calm them with an offering of jerky, calling on the lessons he’d learned from Rahl. With his father offering ‘helpful’ advice again and again, Iriaebor lashed out with his trusty whip to kill a few of the velociraptors, while Healix was forced to run back and forth through the camp in order to find beasts to attack. Habbrak transformed himself into a bear, drawing a lot of attention from the tiny dinosaurs and laying into them with his own claws. As the fight drew to a close, the Wayfarers were surprised to discover that Hezekiah had befriended one of their attackers. Lifting the squirming lizard in his arms he named it Hezekiah Ford the third, and made sure that Iriaebor was aware of how amazing his new ‘brother’ was.
The party’s newest addition proved useful the next day when the boat was swarmed by stirges. Leaping into the air, Hezi III took down two stirges in a matter of seconds before dragging them to the back of the boat to feed. It was a proud moment for Hezikiah. Iriaebor was irritated.
After just over a week of travel, the Wayfarer’s Guild once again caught sight of Port Nyanzaru, and with their river canoe in tow behind the boat, and a confidence in their ability to survive the jungle, they headed straight for the mouth of the Soshenstar River. Their next destination? Camp Righteous and the House of the Man and Crocodile.
Last weekend I kicked off session one of a slightly modified Tomb of Annihilation campaign.
Characters start at level three, as members of the Wayfarer's Guild, a group of explorers and adventurers intent of plumbing the depths of the Chultan jungle.
Biggest campaign change, straight out of the gate, there is no Death Curse.
Session 1
Sailing south from Baldur’s Gate, the few remaining members of the Wayfarer’s Guild finally arrived in the bay of Chult. They’d decided to leave the Sword Coast behind them as their former patron, Harvey D. Oxford, had spoken ill of a Frost Giant Jarl and had his legs removed from his body. It was said that Chult was ripe for adventure, so that is where the Wayfarer’s Guild planned to find its feet and regain a measure of its former glory. A few notable members stood on the deck of the ship as Port Nyanzaru came into view: Harbbrak, a dwarven druid, hairy as a bear, who had led many expeditions into the wilds; Healix, a rather rotund human cleric who was eager to bring his own brand of small-village hospitality to the world; Iriaebor Ford, a globe-trotting professor of history who taught in Waterdeep while traveling to exotic lands in search of artifacts; his father, Hezekiah Ford Sr, the Dean of the School of History in Waterdeep; and Zanne Thrax, a Chultan guild-member and local guide.
As the ship drew closer to port a surge of water revealed the guardian of the Bay of Chult, Aremag. The gigantic dragon turtle circled the vessel, demanding tribute, and by the time it left, satisfied, the Wayfarer’s coffers held a measly sum of 200 gold pieces.
When they arrived in the harbour they were greeted by a friendlier face. Zindar, the half-dragon harbormaster introduced himself as an old friend of their minotaur patron, Oxford, and offered his services to the Wayfarers. They inquired about ways to drum up some money and Zindar told them of the infamous Dinosaur races held in the city. He also leaned in close and told them about the recent pirate troubles around Chult, offering a substantial reward for the capture of any pirate ships or their captains. Before saying his goodbyes, Zindar mentioned that if the Wayfarer’s Guild was to operate legitimately in Chult they would need to acquire a Charter of Exploration from the Flaming Fist garrison to the North-east, in Fort Beluarian.
In the city the Wayfarers debated whether the dino-races were humane while making their way to Kaya’s House of Repose to settle in. At this point Iriaebor drew out an old treasure map he’d come across that showed the location of the House of the Man and Crocodile, a trapped shrine said to hold great treasure. Zanne knew the place well, advising that it was a week’s trek down the river Soshenstar, and that last she heard a company from the Order of the Gauntlet had set up camp outside. Camp Righteous. Nevertheless the adventurers decided it was worth a look.
The rest of the day was spent deep in their cups by Habbrak, Healix, and Zanne while Iriaebor mixed with the locals and Hezekiah made a beeline for the nearest library, keen to research their destination. Iriaebor learned that the local Chultans worshipped an old god named Ubtao, and one overly friendly fishmonger told him about how Ubtao loves mazes. “If you see a maze carved somewhere out dere in de jungle, trace a line through it, and you shall earn Ubtao’s favor, my friend.”
Hezekiah also had some luck during his research, locating the old legend honored by the House of the Man and Crocodile. It told of a man who made a deal with a crocodile and was tricked into carrying the reptile upon his back all across the domain of man.
In the morning Habbrak, Healix and Zanne all awoke in strange places. Habbrak found himself in the middle of an orphanage, surrounded by children who were complaining he’d stolen their last cookie. Healix awoke on a cold slab in the Temple of Savras with a number of priests praying for his soul, as they all filed out the last priest turned to him with white eyes and told him to, “seek the wise guardian of Orolunga.” When Zanne awoke, she found herself in the back room of an art gallery, her butt wet with paint, while in the front room a pair of Chultans argued over the bold new direction the resident artist had taken. Zanne considered trying to claim ownership of this revolutionary piece of art, but thought it might be more trouble than it was worth and jumped out a back window.
Purchasing a six-man canoe, the Wayfarer’s left Port Nyanzaru the next morning and set a course for Fort Beluarian. There had been some discussion about whether they needed permission to go exploring, but Healix advised against such unlawful behaviour. The journey around the coast took them a few days and the only encounter of note was on the second day when they avoided the path of two aquatic dinosaurs who were fighting over a dead giant octopus. On the fourth day, as they neared the dock that led to the Fort, Iriaebor regaled his companions with the tale of how he and Habbrak recovered the Bark of the Covenant, only to have it stolen on the return trip by the Wayfarer’s nemeses, the Yahtzee party. As if on cue, the dock came into view, and a small boat flying the Yahtzee flag could be seen tied up. With only one witness, a Chultan man tying up his own canoe, the Wayfarers quickly snuck on board the Yahtzee boat, cut down the flag, sailed it a mile up the coast, and hid it in a sheltered inlet. As they returned to the dock the Chultan laughed and introduced himself as Rokah, telling the party that he was impressed by their skills. He asked if they would escort him to the Fort and cause a distraction for him so he could investigate the Commander’s quarters. When pressed for his motivations, Rokah revealed that his employers suspected the Flaming Fists to be involved with Chult’s pirate problem and that he was looking for evidence. With a reward promised, and since they were spoiling to punch some Yahtzees anyway, they let him tag along.
Fort Beluarian surprised the Wayfarers with its size. As they passed through the outer walls to see a small market place and smithy, they realised the Flaming Fists’ authority might indeed be worth heeding. They told a guard they were looking to purchase a Charter and were led straight to the doors of the Fort proper and told to wait, as Commander Liara Portyr was currently issuing a Charter to a pair of high-elves named Walter and Ava. The Wayfarers bristled at the names and told Rokah he was about to get his distraction.
When the two Yahtzees exited the building they traded sharp words with the Wayfarers, making no effort to hide their disdain for other races, even going so far as to tell Habbrak, “Even if you stood on a ladder, we would still look down on you, dwarf.”
It was all the incentive the druid needed to throw a fist into Walter’s nethers. Only the high-elves’ magical shields kept them from damage as a fight broke out. Guards swarmed to the commotion to separate the two groups but the Yahtzees turned themselves invisible with magic and fled the scene.
A short meeting with Liara Portyr followed, during which coin was exchanged for a Charter of Exploration and Healix helped himself to a large plate of local cheeses. Liara came across as business-like, having no qualms about dealing with the Yahtzees, as long as they paid. She also mentioned that there were standing bounties available, 20gp per ghoul head returned to the Fort, and a small quiver of magical arrows for anyone with information on the Giant footprints that had been spotted to the south.
After the meeting, Iriaebor slinked upstairs and found Rokah on his way out of the Fort, convincing him to hand over the heavy lockbox he now had slung under an arm but had failed to open. They made plans to meet up in the market in an hour. Meanwhile, Hezekiah traded war stories with Rahl Zuberi, the Fort’s dino-trainer and picked up a few tips on how to deal with the local wildlife.
Gathering in a secluded corner behind the market, the Wayfarers pried open the lockbox to find a pile of gold coins and a strangely carved stone that Hezekiah identified as a sending stone. One of a linked pair. Mimicking Liara’s speech, Hezekiah spoke into the stone, warning whomever held the other stone that the Yahtzees had broken contract and should be hunted down. After a few seconds a voice issued from the stone’s carved mouth, stating that the crew of the Dragonfang weren’t about to go trekking overland to find them, but that the Yahtzees were “no longer safe on the water”. To finish up in Fort Beluarian, the Sending Stone was handed over to Rokah as evidence, for which he rewarded the Wayfarers with his own pouch of gold; Iriaebor hired a Flaming Fist mercenary called Tallsquare to join the party; and they all rested up for the return trip.
A tropical storm blew in from the north on the team’s first day back on the water, and they were forced to spend most of their time huddled under the small shelter on their newly pilfered boat. But thanks to the magical intuition of Habbrak, the druid, they were able to predict the few moments when the storm would ease up, and made some slow progress south. On the second night of travel, they had just pulled into shore and made camp when a pack of nine tiny dinosaurs burst from the jungle intent on eating their fill. The velociraptors fell on the party with tooth and claw. Zanne had dealt with these creatures before, and set to work cutting them down with rapier and dagger in hand. Hezekiah, after almost being struck down by two of the beasts, managed to calm them with an offering of jerky, calling on the lessons he’d learned from Rahl. With his father offering ‘helpful’ advice again and again, Iriaebor lashed out with his trusty whip to kill a few of the velociraptors, while Healix was forced to run back and forth through the camp in order to find beasts to attack. Habbrak transformed himself into a bear, drawing a lot of attention from the tiny dinosaurs and laying into them with his own claws. As the fight drew to a close, the Wayfarers were surprised to discover that Hezekiah had befriended one of their attackers. Lifting the squirming lizard in his arms he named it Hezekiah Ford the third, and made sure that Iriaebor was aware of how amazing his new ‘brother’ was.
The party’s newest addition proved useful the next day when the boat was swarmed by stirges. Leaping into the air, Hezi III took down two stirges in a matter of seconds before dragging them to the back of the boat to feed. It was a proud moment for Hezikiah. Iriaebor was irritated.
After just over a week of travel, the Wayfarer’s Guild once again caught sight of Port Nyanzaru, and with their river canoe in tow behind the boat, and a confidence in their ability to survive the jungle, they headed straight for the mouth of the Soshenstar River. Their next destination? Camp Righteous and the House of the Man and Crocodile.
