Session 4: Fort Beluarian

We reached the hilltop fort just as dusk was upon us. The front gate to wooden stockade was still open with some guards milling around. Confodere boldly approached the gate and was met by an Eluskan guard who called herself Gruta. Confodere asked about the price of an Explorer's Charter. The lead guard announced the price is fifty gold pieces and fifty percent of the proceeds from any discoveries from the exploration.

I think at that point I heard Confodere's jaw hit the ground. Gruta had seemingly come to expect that reaction from newcomers as she welcomed us into the fort. She said she would inform the Lady Commander, Liara Portyr, of our arrival.

Nuru and his entourage marched throughout the grounds of the fort and chatted with a couple of the locals. Eku and Rokah found busywork to occupy their time. Xandala went asking questions about her father to anyone that would listen to her.

Just as Nuru was about to rap upon another gate door, it opened and Gruta was again greeting us. She invited us in saying that Liara wanted to meet us in person. Gruta led us in the keep. Inside these inner walls was a pit with a huge wooded statue. Gruta said it was the likeness of the Gran Duke Ravengard. I had not heard that name before and wondered why these knights of the Flaming Fist made everything out of wood. Have they not heard of the folly of the three pigs when the Fire Wolf attacked their house? Must be a Maztican story. But still, even their statues are made to burn.

As Grata droned on about who the statue was I noticed some movement coming from opposite direction of where everyone was going. I, of course, needed to know what moved so I went to investigate. More dinosaurs! Inside the fort! What a crazy land this Chult was. As I approached a small bright red dinosaur I was alarmed to hear a voice. "Careful. Don't get too close." A large man, covered in scars and scariness, squinted his eyes at me as if with scorn. I heard Confodere calling for me but I noticed larger dinosaurs further into the room. I gulped and asked if these larger ones were dangerous. The grumpy beast master said they were domesticated but each still has some wild in them. He then raised one of his arm to show me his proof. Half of his hand was gone. I then realized I was uncomfortably near one of the larger dinosaur's cage. I quickly made my way towards Confodere's voice who I could tell was quite agitated with my absence.

When I reached my friends... yes, my friends seemed to have already introduced themselves to the Lady Commander. Gruta was gone by this point and only the Commander greeted us. She wore a huge suit of armor that looked very uncomfortable. She asked my name and where I was from. By this point I should just assume people will ask this and I should just blurt out, "I'm Chester from Maztica" to everyone I talk to.

The Lady Commander seems pleased to find that we were explorers and are willing to dare the dangers of Chult. She said that she was looking for "risk tolerant" adventurers and she offered us some tasks. In return she could re-negotiate the terms of an Explorer's Charter.

Her first task concerned the number of undead that infest the jungles. She points to locations on our rough outline map of where the concentration of the undead seem to roam. She precisely want us to kill things called ghouls. She would pay us twenty gold pieces for every ghoul head we brought back. She said something about ghouls forming hoards of zombies... So many different types of undead. I should start writing a book to take back to my people!

Her second concern involves enormous boot tracks to the south. Rumors of strange beings have been reported by scouts. She would like to know what they are and what their intentions are. Confodere audibly made clear his rejection of this task. His sense of adventure must have been shut off. For the few days we have been in Chult I have seen so many new things... And the locals say there is something "strange" in the jungle that aren't dinosaurs or undead? We will have to learn what this stangeness could be!

Finally, her third task involves a long boat journey to the south side of Chult, to Shilku Bay and find out if there are any survivors from the Spell Plague. That doesn't sound good. When Liara pointed out where the bay was located, Confodere told me to bring my map to the table. He noted the similar shape of the bay and the three volcanoes that seemed to match up on both maps! We know where the "Treasure" is! We agreed to this task!

Nuru showed Liara a parchment which she said was most likely very ancient Chultan stuff, from the time of empire long lost to history.

Liara then let us know we were free to use the fort's barracks for resting. We inform her that we will hunt for ghouls for a couple days and then make our way to Shilku Bay. We found that Xandala had no luck in her search. Eku wondered if we still planned on helping her against Nanny PuPu in Mbala which we reassured her. We let Rokay know that we were still forming a plan to get him into Liara's quarters.

The next morning we headed out into the jungle. Xandala found water and Nuru purified it with magic spells. Brick found some edible brownish fruit. Confodere noted the fruit and told us to only eat the wrinkled fruit for the unripened morsels were deadly. This was probably the worse day on Chult. A whole jungle full of prey and all we have to eat is fruit. A cat's worst nightmare.

After a few hours we cut our way into a clearing and found enormous dinosaurs with long necks and tails. Eku called them brontosaurus. Most were eating long thick roots. As we watched these majestic beasts, one of the babies, still easily the size of Mr. Club Tail if not bigger charged at us. As we took a defensive position we soon realized it had come to play with us. We frolicked in the water and it was the best!

After a brief stop we resumed our hunt. Nuru stopped and said he noticed something up ahead but could exactly tell. I volunteered to scout ahead and pounced forward into the canopy of bushes. What I saw was truly disgusting. I saw a huge brontosaurus laying dead, sprawled out, with many of the dead things we encounter before devouring the beast. I quietly made me way back to MY FRIENDS. They asked if they were ghouls or zombies. I shrugged. I described a path that snaked through the jungle that led to the undead feast.

The party talked of making a kill zone or something. I decided to try to flank the creatures like in the first encounter. This time I would not get to far from my allies and I would try to remain hidden.
Brick sprung into action and let loose his draconic vomit of lightening. Confodere sprang forth and stabby stabbied. He was then confronted by a large group of zombies. I ran behind then and let loose my new form of fire magic. I figured out how to turn my fire bolts into more of a spray of fire that would hit multiple enemies in front of me. I charred a couple zombies. I tried to retreat but the second was of zombies were fast and caught up to me.

As I looked to see how my comrades were doing, I could see Eku was engaged of my opposite flank and that Brink and Confodere were being surrounded. I tried getting some distance to the zombies that had caught me but was walloped by a couple of them. I sprinted back through the jungle. Nuru asked if I ok. I lied. He could see I was trying to be tough and brave but I looked awful. He ignored my lie and healed me. I felt instantly renewed and charged into battle, hoping to help Brick from being swarmed. Nuru then healed Brick and the tide of the battle turned. We mopped up the rest of the zombies and took note of our wounds.

We found no ghouls in this group of random walkers. We did notice that they all had blue triangles of their foreheads. They had also all been Chultans at one point. We found a few unneeded coins on the corpses. Nuru, again, disposed of the bodies so they would not rise again.

I licked my wounds and my pride...

193 xp all around.