Session 3: Shopping for Wild Time

After the excitement of the Executioner's Run died down, a strange half elven woman appeared beside us, her skin looked more like scales than flesh. Upon her shoulder sat a small, no, tiny red dragon.

She approached me and asked if I was a native to these lands. I admitted I was not and she seemed disappointed. Her dragon then spoke! The talking dragon said to the girl that our group still looked capable of helping them even if we were outsiders.

She then told us how she was trying to find her father, whom she has never met nor he might even know he has a daughter. She has tracked Artis Simber, an adventurer, to Chult and believes he was in town just a few days ago. He travels with a reptilian man as a companion. She had been asking for about him at the Red Bazaar. She knows what he looks like by recalling his image in a portrait her mother had made.

Harrp asked if the red dragon had a name. The girl said his name is Summer Wise and that her name was Xandala. Harrp asked if he could keep Summer Wise. Summer Wise seemed to cling a little closer to Xandala as she said Summer could not be given or taken, he chooses who he keeps as company.

Nuru mentions that we are traveling into the jungle and we could keep an eye out for her father. I asked her if she would like to join our group for a while. Confodere asked her if she needed protection or if she could hold her own in a fight. She seemed confident that she was a survivor as she had gotten this far on her own. This group had accepted me on my word and they offered her the same courtesy. What a truly remarkable and open people I have found!

I then remember the Dinosaur Race! I pester K'lahu into describing the race and where is the best place to view the spectacle. She pointed to a hill with great manses and a bridge. She told us the names of the dinosaurs and their odds.

Confodere scoffed at placing bets with such ridiculous odds especially when he didn't know how the race worked. I was excited to find out how this game was played. I bet on a dinosaur named Nasty Boy! I heard the name of its trainer mentioned earlier in the dinosaur stockades. The locals seemed to think this guy had excellent skills in controlling these large beasts. I placed 30 gold coins in K'lahu's hand and ran to the bridge to watch the event. I noticed Brick also placed a bet. Then the sound of a gong rang out!

Big Honker and Ubtao's Favorite both burst away from the pack. They were the two favorites to win. But Nasty Boy was not far behind. Big Honker dashed to the lead but round a bend a little to fast and lost his footing. He and his rider went sliding into the by-standing crowd. Banana Candy and Ubtao's Favorite still held the lead. Nasty Boy's trainer then cracked his whip and urged Nasty to make a move. Nasty Boy bumped Banana Candy at a crucial moment and Banana went flying off the track and into the harbor. Now it was just Ubtao's Favorite and Nasty Boy for all the marbles! They crossed the finish line neck and neck but Nasty Boy is announced as the winner!

I jumped around with joy, hugging nearby strangers. I leapt down the hill back to the harbor finish line and collected my winnings. 90 gold pieces! Brick did not seem so happy. Confodere brought up using the money to buy our own dinosaur! I quickly handed over my treasure. Our very own dinosaur filled my thoughts
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K'lahu then said the she was taking bets for the next race. I only had 6 copper pieces to wager with. I placed my bet this time on Banana Candy. I was going to have bet on him in the first race but my instincts had overruled my impulsiveness. Banana was quite fetching with his tiger-like yellow striped exterior. I saw Brick talking to Nasty Boy's trainer. After a short discussion, Brick placed a hefty bet on Bone Cruncher.

This race was a little different than the first. The favorites seemed to have used all their energy in the previous go and Banana Candy didn't seem to recover from his crash. Scarback and Bone Cruncher were clearly the better dinosaurs in this race and at the end Scarback seemed to tire. Bone Cruncher won and Brick let out an enthusiastic roar.

Confodere collected our shared wealth and decided on buying an Ankylosaurus, a stocky and well armored fellow. We tried to come up with a name. Harrp suggested Mr. Club Tail and we all knew that was the perfect name.

Confodere and Nuru then went through the bazaar planning and collecting the necessary items we would need to keep a party of seven alive in the jungle. We picked up the rain catchers from Belym. We purchased a ton of water skins to store any water we could find. We also got over a months worth of insect repellent for us all. With the left over money, the group allowed me to purchase a cartographer's toolkit. I can't believe I left mine back in Maztica!

The rest of the night was a blur. We redistributed the left over gold, met Eku and Cia's Repose. We went to the Harbor and found Rokah. We boarded a ship and then went quietly into the night.
The journey to Fort Beluarian took three days. While we traveled we determined how we would march and in what formation. We obviously decided our guide, Eku, would be in the front to navigate for us. Along side her would be Harrp who we assigned as Mr. Club Tail's handler. Confodere would also be up front as he has a keen eye for traps. Mr. Club Tail would form the center of our march. Xandala took the left flank and I the right. Rokah would follow behind our dinosaur with Nuru and finally Brick bringing up the rear. I would have preferred being close to Eku but I did not push the issue. Brick would be our primary forager and Xandala would lead on finding water when needed.

We finally reached the shore. The captain of our ship said that if he was not in sight when we were ready to head back to Nyanzaru that we should wait. Many ship frequent the passage between the Port and the Fort. We see a fairly well traveled trail that led up into the hills. We began our journey. The next morning we encountered light rain but that did not delay us. The land became more rugged until we finally entered the treeline.

Shortly after snaking through the light jungle, I noticed some strange movements in the trees. I stopped and motioned to the area of my suspicion. Before I could point the spot Nuru was already taking action. He cast a spell that greatly cleared my focus. Brick and Harrp also seemed affected by Nuru's touch. However, one of three great spiders took a big chunk out of Harrp and he began bleeding profusely. Confodere's bow again proved deadly as he felled the first spider. Harrp was relentless in his bravery and continued to fight courageously. Near death he remained in the battle and killed the second spider. I turned to see how the fighting was going with our remaining foe. This last spider had bitten Brick and the dragonborn laid motionless on the ground! Was he dead? Nuru rushed to his aid. Confodere ran forth and distracted the spider. I couldn't let Brick die. I leapt forward and let loose a desperate spell that luckily connected and burnt the thing to a cinder.

It took nearly an hour for Brick to recover but when he did one could not tell he had been hurt at all! Nuru's skills at healing are amazing. Confodere found 30 gold coins among the spider's lairs. I was not brave enough to enter the webbing.

After a long march, we reached the Fort. The flag of Baldur's Gate was in full display over the wooden fortress built on a hill. The main gate proudly open for business. Among the people milling about, I noticed Taban was there. He is an easy fellow to spot. Rokah points out where he needs to go to accomplish his goal. A large building at the center of the fort.

107 xp.