Picture Pages

Yarthmont 4

(Night Watch - Rest): The night was slightly chilled and the moon glinted off the scales of the giant egg, rendering it into some terrifying monolith. The party rested fitfully and uneasily frequently woken by the wounded moans of their broken companions.

(Dawn Watch - ?): Rising early the party was greeted to a strange sight as all of the small flowering bushes that had been on the western side of the clearning slowly shuffled to the eastern edge to greet the sun.

Pulled up camp and headed out intent on finding the lost mysteries of the hex. They did not make it far.

Met the nerieds, big fight, killed combustorinos, neried freaked out at the painting, freed the nerieid trapped inside, story time, given token, sent to meet Toola.

(Day Watch - Explore Hex): After much discussion the party decided to take a circuitous route to the ogres. They would explore nearby and then head to the secret lair where the siren was stored and eventually head to the ogre village to meet with Toola.

Leaving the nereid Leelo to return to her people, the party packed up and headed out to search around the area. It did not take long before they came across a curious sight.

The jungle canopy opened out to a large hill. Atop the hill was a 7' headless statue and around the base of the tree was a young man tending his camp. Dirty and lean, he sported a cutlass and dagger with some scrap of leather armor. Introducing himself as Karowin, he explained that he was a merchant who came to the island with a friend. The friend was attacked by a swarm of beetle and Karowin fled. He had been hunting for a lost treasure but was nervous about the deadly nature of the island.

The party began poking around at the statue but found no remnants of the head that had been sheared off. Clambering up the statue, they began putting their head where the statues head once lay. Their vision would fade out and they could see into a dark cave like hut complete with hearth. Uncertain as to what to do with the statue they decided that it was an ancient elven telescope and moved on.

(Day Watch - Travel to the Ziggurat): Hiking back past the moss covered walls and then up the mountainside, the party headed back to the ancient stone ziggurat.

(Dusk Watch - Rest): Arriving at the structure the party scouted it out a little bit and set up a rudimentary camp at the base of the structure. It was decided that they would wait for the bats to leave for the night and then explore the interior of the structure. Using the combined skills of the party they created a series of wooden walls and netting that could be used to block entrance into the cave if the bats returned.

(Night Watch - Explore the Ziggurat): Later that evening the bats fluttered out of the ziggurat and the party moved in. They strapped the cobbled together doorway to both sides of the hole and worked perfectly. The fit was better than they expected. But the smell in the place was overpowering reeking of bat shit and sulfur. While they worked on the wall, they sent Danny out to scout the building.

Danny found a large open chamber to the west with three additional rooms branching off of it. The large area seemed to be where the bats took up residence as the floor was covered in guano nearly a foot deep. The walls were covered in more pictographs similar to what was found in the journal. The smell threatened to overcome his senses, but he pushed on the northern rooms. In each of them he found a slab with a rounded indention. Convinced he was seeing a sacrificial alter, he left the scene. In the southeast corner he found a stairwell leading down.

Numberouno the Brain chanted some magical stuff and was able to read the walls. It seems that the obelisk was once some kind of temple. The sacrificial slabs were actually bed chambers for the priests who lived there. It was not long before he and the rest of the party became overcome by the cloying fumes of sulfur in the areas and they fled to a lower level.

Stopping at the foot of the stairs to catch their breath and clear their lungs, the party was set upon by a series of skeletons. No sooner had those horrifying undead been dispatched than the room was swarmed by rats. The melee continued with several members suffering horrific injuries before the rats were slaughtered.

While the party recovered, Danny crept forward into the large pillared chamber where he found a large stone box with a lid. Working diligently, he pried the lid open a small amount. Suddenly it burst, throwing the lid to the back and knocking Danny forward into the room. Rising out of the stone sarcophagus was a linen wrapped creature born of nightmares. Screaming in terror, the party began to flee up the staircase.

Yarthmont 3

(Night Watch - Action): Setting up watches with an eye to the sky the party slept fit fully, ever concerned about the bats striking out of the sky.

(Dawn Watch - Explore): After the bats returned in the early dawn, the party gave them some time to settle down and return to sleep. Discussion was had about setting the place on fire, leaving them alone or covering the hole. Eventually it was decided that they would leave the area and come back with better preparations to deal with the bats.

(Day Watch - Travel To Unknown): Setting off for the volcano, the party continued hiking through the jungle. The going was slow as they had to cut their way through a whole swath of jungle before finally emerging near a large flowing river.

Near the side of the river, a small hill rose with a crumbling wall running along the landward side of it. The hill and wall seemed to have originally been built as some kind of retaining wall for the river, but had long since crumbled and lost the war of erosion. The wall itself was covered in clearly defined swirling hieroglyphics made of moss growing on it.

Confused as to why they had stumbled upon a river when they were headed towards a volcano, the party paused to take stock of the situation. The answer was painfully clear.

They have no idea where they are. 

(Day Watch - Explore a Location): Realizing that they were lost in the jungle somewhere on the island, the party decided to take a break while they got their bearing. Danny Vermin began searching for a tree to climb in order to get a better grasp of where they were. He soon had a rough idea of their location.

While he was doing that The Brain spent some time using arcane mysticism to grasp the meaning on the strange moss covered walls. He soon found that it was a recipe for creating a kind of phosphorescent mold paint. He jotted down the recipe in his journal.

Based on reading done by Boren from the new found journal the party decided that Svarku may not be a positive figure on the island and opted to not go to the volcano after all.

(Day Watch - Explore a Hex): Exploring around near the river the party soon found a giant egg in the forest. The egg was actually a freestanding boulder nearly 300’ long and 200’ across. The entirety of the stone had been carved with serpentine scales, each roughly the size of a human hand. The entire base of the egg was surrounded by a group of strange plants that Boren called spiderbrush. He swore the plants moved at times. Lurking in the plants was a small herd of deerlike creatures that fled at the party's approach.

(Dusk Watch - Unknown): Deciding that dusk would be coming soon and that they wanted to investigate further, the party set up camp. While arranging tents and climbing into trees, they were surprised by a fearsome catlike creature charged up with electricity. It shot across the clearing with a lightening infused bang, and the brawl was on.

The creature thoroughly pummeled the party before they fled leaving Donjon unconscious, Bobah being drug off by the cat and Boren doing his best to save the small halfling. In a final titanic strike, Boren and Bobah brought the beast crashing down.

(Night Watch - Rest): Broken, weary and bloody, the party reassembled their camp and tried to sleep. Many were so scared from the trauma that they clambered into trees to spend the night.

Yarthmont 2

(Night Watch - Action): Camp is set up and the party rests on the beach.

(Dawn Watch - Action): The next morning the party crosses to the island where they expect Martel to be. By the time they arrive, the ship is there and a small pavilion is set up. The commander of the forces is amazed that they have survived and promptly outfits them with any gear they were missing.

The party gathers their loot and heads into the tent, where a hooded and masked mand attends a giant set of scale. They place their offerings on the scale and feel the tattoo on their back begin to fade away.

(Day Watch - Travel to Volcano): Having successfully handed off their current loot pile, the party had a discussion as to where to go. Some were in favor of returning once again to the Lapis Hotel, while others wanted to go to the Volcano After-Party. After a while they headed out for the volcano. Figuring it was fastest and easiest to follow a path they knew from previous travel, they opted to follow their old trail that Boren and Donjon had made to the old weathered volcano.

As they hiked along the path, they stumbled into an enclave of hissing rats. Bobah decided conversation would be the best avenue and was offering them important rat like things when they charged. The melee was short and swift, with the rats being skewered in short order.

Marching onwards they arrived at the top of the volcano and took in the sprawling vista. In the north they could see the occasional plume of smoke and ash churning out of their goal. They opted to head down and follow the coastline northwards and then cut east to the landmark.  

(Day Watch - Travel To Unknown): Hiking down the mountain into the forest, they were beset by a group of flame imps. These imps seemed to be spoiling for a fight. They swooped and dove at the party, their butterfly knives inflicting little scratches at the party. Occasionally a cry of "Let's go bitches!" would roil outwards. After one particularly vicious cut, The Brain brought one down with a sleep spell. The final imp was incensed, outraged and downright disappointed. He fled into the jungle cursing the party.

Carefully searching the sleeping body of the remaining imp, the party found nothing of real value. Instead of killing the creature, they instead opted to leave a small stack of chips from the Tranq Tank and took his knife.

After a few hours of hiking through the jungle a massive ziggurat was discovered, looming in the trees.  The top of the obsidian blocked structure rose above the tree line preventing them from seeing what lurked above.

(Dusk Watch - Explore Location): Walking around it once to be certain that nothing lurked nearby, they opted to begin the slow hundred foot climb up the crumbling stairs to the top.

Breaching through the tree line, the party saw that it rose yet another fifty feet before the stairs reached an archway leading to a large plaza. The surface of the plaza was mirror finished obsidian and on the opposite side of the plaza was a smaller ziggurat with a round pavilion made of softly glowing red crystal atop it. Slightly below the top level there was a large crack in the structure, the only entrance to the interior that was seen.

Curious the party proceeded to the pavilion. Inside was a pool of shiny metallic liquid in a pool. The substance was cool to the touch and there seemed to be hardened stone benches inside the pool. Curious, Boren, Donjon and Bobah opted to dip themselves in the pool. As they came out the silvery liquid rolled off their bodies, leaving them feeling cool in the night air.

With night coming by, the party opted not to explore the crack, waiting for the morning

(Night Watch - Action): The party went down to a lower level of the ziggurat below the tree line and made a rough camp on the side of the building. Setting up watches they proceeded to pass the night.

As the sun set and the shadows began to loom, The Brain heard some fluttering in the air above the canopy. Quickly rousing the rest of the party, they tried to see what it was. Nim stated that she could see hundreds of small flying heat signatures flying out the opening. Assuming it was the return of the bats, the party hunkered down and was silent as possible until the fluttering ceased.

Yarthmont 1

(Night Watch - Action): Slept through the night at the Tranq Tank.

(Dawn Watch - Action): The next morning the party rose and packed, heading back to where they had shipwrecked, as they knew Martel would be there the next day for loot collection. They stopped by the obelisk before heading on to the tower.

(Day Watch - Action): Arriving at the tower, they discover that a large hippotaur is lurking around the top of the building. He is dressed in finery and attended by his wife and several bags. He requests the party to please take his bags to his room. The do and as soon as they enter the tower, Danny digs through the trunks robbing them blind.

They head deeper into the tower in search of the lost gold arrows on Vladamir's body.

Standing in the middle of the area is a giant lizard man with emerald scales, engaging in battle with a bolt forager. He quickly dispatches it and turns to look at the party. Dismissing them quickly, he departs the room, staring down the party as he does so. 

They discover that they body has been drug down into the gardens by something. Slowly investigating in fear of spiders, the scope the area out. Suddenly the undergrowth burst into life and begin choking the party and thrashing about. Quickly casting sleep, The Brain frees the party. The shouting and combat has aggravated the nearby oozes.

Grabbing the arrows, the party dashes for the doors, running past oozes as quickly as possible. It is at this point that the Giff bursts through the doors looking for the spa. The party directs him to the gymnasium as they run out the doors.

A few minutes later they begin to feel guilty. Bobah and Sir Boren return to assist the man. He is easy to see, as he is bellowing and covered in slimes. His bellows have awakened the rest of the slimes into a frenzy and disrupted the bolt foragers. The three of them stage a fighting retreat back to the entrance.

Enraged the Giff demands to know what they are about and why the hotel is in such terrible shape. His wife calms him down enough to talk after the party fills her hippo sized martini glass for her. They explain that it was all a misunderstanding. He refuses to leave the island as he took time off of work for this and he is going to enjoy it. They suggest he may enjoy the casino to the south and leave quickly.

(Dusk Watch - Action): The party heads west towards the coast, arriving late in the night near sunset.

(Night Watch - Action): Camp is set up and the party rests on the beach.

Flaurmont 28

(Night Watch - Resting): Resting through the night, Vermin sat atop one of the spheres waiting for creatures to come and rip his flesh off. When none came, he was surprised.

(Dawn Watch - Travel to the Unknown): Rising the next day the party began the day with a nice chunk of boar meat. Then the discussion ensued as to whether they would return to the barrier island to await Martel, go to Svarku's new moon party or head southwards towards the steam imps. Worried that he may live IN the volcano, they opted to wait a while before going to the party. The nude self-portraits may also have affected the decision in some fashion. Left between going back to the sludge tower or continuing on towards the imps, they opted to head south towards the house.

Hiking through the sand washed jungle, the party noticed that scores of crabs and birds were scuttling in their direction. It did not take long before they heard a bellowing "woop-woop-woop" crying out through the trees. With what few precious seconds they had, they quickly perused the stack of zoology portraits discovering that the wooping noise was made by a zip bird. Undaunted by the new found knowledge, the zip birds drove through the party. Leaping and slashing in a chaotic fashion, they seemed to make short work of the party when Donjon remembered that he had a halberd and set for charge. The birds leapt over it and drove him to the ground while the rest of the party peppered their bodies with arrows and sword stroke.

Taking a brief pause, the party began carving up the corpse of the zip birds trying to get as much as they could. As none of them had the slightest idea how to dissect a giant bird, much of it was lost. A few eyes, some feathers and a talon were recovered before they set off.

(Day Watch - Explore): Arriving at a large grove filled with giant pine trees the party paused. Looking at the groove, they discovered that the entire area was swarming with bees. Small white cubes sat in the middle of the clearing while vast piles of honey dripped from the trees. Fearful and nervous, Danny Vermin lead those who retreated to a more secure bee-free area while Sir Boren and Bobah pushed forward cautiously so as to not provoke the bees.

Sir Boren focused his attention on the honey dripping from the trees. With nervous cautiousness he dipped his finger into the ooze. Then slowly to his lips, waiting for the swarm to attack. When they did not he was at best confused. Nothing on the island had failed to attack them yet. Why not the bees?

Bobah moved towards the white cubes, drawn to one in particular where a large swarm of bees was swarming in a variety of patterns. He approached and they paused for a few seconds before starting their whirling again. After a few minutes of watching them buzz around and then pause he decided to attempt to move with them. Noting their enthusiasm, he broke into a smooth Selunewalk and followed up with a mechanical Golem dance. The bees were delighted and responded with their own moves. Bobah closed up his set by finishing them off with a full Grippli Style routine.

The excited bees flew off into the woods, pausing for Bobah to follow. The bees led him out of the grove of pine trees deeper into the jungle to small spring that was bubbling up. They hovered over a small flower covered mound. The rest of the party followed at a distance while Bobah began to cautiously root around in the mound. He soon found that it was a carefully piled set of stones that moss and plantlife had covered over in time. Slowly removing the stones so as to not upset his insect friends, he dug down. After a few moments he found a skeleton clutching a perfectly preserved staff in a serpent motif. Once he recovered the staff, the bees departed.

Investigating further, the party dug up the skeleton and found that while humanoid, it has the remnants of a tail, no nose and small holes near where the ear were. Returning to the silver zoology plates they had found, it was soon decided that this was obviously an Arva. They replaced the body, reburied and spoke some words. Then they left, intent on finding the steam imps.

(Day Watch - Explore):  Continuing on the search for the steam imps and the house, they eventually found a small hill with a series of pillars on top. A thick warm fog rose from the ground and covered everything. From the appearance of the ruins, it seemed that at some point there was a dome that covered the pillars but had long since collapsed. Looking around they found a series of steps leading down. Following them nervously they found a large wooden door barring their way. After knocking, they door slid open to reveal a hovering steam imp who welcomed them to the Tranq Tank. Pushing past him the continued down the stairs past a tall woman in long black hair having a conversation with a blazing hot lizard like creature.

Once inside the room, they were nearly overwhelmed by the sensory chaos. Steam imps bickered and shouted on a raised dais, while humans sat a drank. A couple of humans were sitting in a booth near a brewery making out. In the distance on a stage, Steamy Dan and Binary Fission Band belted out lounge music. Other imps strode buy requesting drink orders while the ruckus of bet placing continued.

Deciding to mingle, the party went their separate ways to do a little gland handing with the locals. In short order they met three other Martel indentured treasure haulers who were debating with Ada and Bryan about which pillar they would use for the upcoming easter egg hunt in the lower levels. Baxter, Joni and Trevor were sitting at the bar having some drinks. Ingratiating themselves in to these groups, the party began to get a better feel of what was occurring on the island and where they fit into the mix including when Martel picker up treasure, who Svarku was, that there was an ancient elven city built by perverts to the west and that not everyone on the island worked for Martel.

The night progressed with drinks, gambling, swing music and good conversation. Thoughts of dead companions and their own impending doom were put aside for the present, to be addressed in the light of dawn.

(Dusk Watch - Action): As the sun set, the party continued to enjoy the paltry comforts offered by the steam imps at the Tranq Tank. Bryan came over and offered to heal those who were wounded prior to the easter egg hunt. The party eagerly accepted the offer.

Soon after, the topaz hunt began and three of the party found themselves clambering down a rope into the bowels of the casino. Looking around they found a ruined camp ground and longsword encrusted by a giant topaz. Quickly scooping it up, they heard a voice screaming and cursing in the darkness as it ran towards them. The hunter was pursued by a massive centipede that ate him whole. The party classified the single topaz as victory and scrambled out of the pit at a rapid pace.

Exiting, they found that while they did not win the topaz hunt, they did win the side bet that they had placed on Ada and Baxter. Additionally they had a giant topaz with a sword in the middle. Jack offered to break the sword out and preserve as much of the topaz as possible. While talking with him they mentioned the crystal frog that they had seen. Jack became very excited and pulled out maps. They learned that he was on the island looking for a mystical jewel forge and that Joni was here looking for her brother Charlie.

One of the groups to descend into the pit was a group or Martel indentured. They all dies except for one, a dark skinned elven woman named Nimlenwe. She agreed to accompany the party in return for a fair share of the available treasure to pay off Martel.

(Night Watch - Action): The party headed up to the top of the casino where they had paid steam imps to set up tents for them Donjon arranged for a steam shower, not really thinking too much about what might be involved. They slept through the night.

Flaurmont 27

Weather: Clear Skies and a Moderate Breeze

(Night Watch - Rest): Bobah has to pee. With no options available, he wets himself.

(Dawn Watch - Travel to the Unknown): The next morning Bobah crawled out his cupboard and stealthy crept over to Vladimir and looted his corpse. Then running full out, he too bolted through the door was with sludges in pursuit. He was promptly tacked and his shoes removed. Retrieving them from the doorway, he climbed down the rope to the amazement of Don Jon and Boren. Packing up camp they decide that they need to get some water as they are running low. They head out to the east side of the volcano.

(Day Watch - Investigate ): Arriving at the small stream on the eastern edge of the volcano, they encounter two more castaways. Vermin was well known as a sneak thief and barely trustworthy. Neville was always too smart for his own good and swore that he used to be a wizard. They filled the canteens and looked around. Neville spied a large black obelisk rising from the trees a few hundred yards away. Moving to inspect it they found that the ground around it for 5' in any direction is burnt and scorched. The obelisk its self was made of obsidian and resembled an 8’ x 13’ door. Its surface was polished to a mirrorlike finish, and features small clusters of hexagons made from glowing red crystal, inset in a pattern that resembles dancing flames. Investigating the obelisk, Vermin touched the crystal. A pillar of fire erupted from the obelisk, burning with a heat that no one had felt before. When it vanished, Vermin was gone, burnt to a crisp.

Despair has begun to set in.

(Day Watch - Travel to the Unknown): After witnessing the flaming demise of their close friend and bosom companion, Danny Vermin, they party packed it up to head south. There wasn't anything to bury anyway. They marched southward in the general direction they assumed the location of the steam imps was.

After a few hours of hacking through the underbrush they came across a huge beast, easily 30' at the shoulder and twice as long. The creature eyed them, for a few minutes while nibbling on some tree branches. Bobah walked up the trail and kicked over its 2 foot pile of shit to see if there were bones or fur in it. There were not. Deciding the creature was not much of a threat, they detoured around it and headed back on their way.

Meanwhile, in a small room under the volcano, Danny found himself trapped with no way out.

One of the solid obsidian walls was a single piece of clear sapphire nearly a foot thick, providing an excellent view of the volcano’s magma pool. A 10’ hexagon of glowing red crystal was inlaid in the center of the floor, and a large, lifelike painting of a siren on all fours, wearing a leash and collar, hung on the west wall. Three portraits of a red-skinned male efreet (laughing, killing, and lounging in the nude) hang on the room’s other walls. A wardrobe a writing desk, two plush  ogre sized wing back chairs and a slightly stained chaise lounge completed the room. After several hour of climbing on things, poking them and generally jacking with everything in the room (except the chaise), he found that by sitting still in the hexagon crystal teleported him back outside. Looking around he saw that his best friends in the world were gone. He knew they were headed south and began to follow them as best her could.

(Dusk Watch - Explore a Location): The party in the meantime had stumbled into a strange grove. Massive trees created a visual barrier for a range of wild flowers and plant life growing in a large field. A small stream wove through the area, winding past four large obsidian sphere. Before they could investigate, they were set upon by boars! The fight was swift and sudden resulting in three dead boars. Nervous about what else lurked in the underbrush and thinking that perhaps the boars had a den, they undertook a search of the area.

Lurking in the underbrush was the remnants of a former adventurer. His gear was strewn about the area not unlike his body. Searching around the found a large box of steel engravings, some money, a sword, some chainmail and the parts to what would later be found to be an easel. The den itself was mostly empty, but investigating the engravings they learned that the skin of the boars on the island were resistant to flame. Three skinned board later, they began to set up camp.

While they searched, Danny Vermin wandered into the camp, curious as to why they had left him behind. Lacking any clear answer other than "you were dead," he went off to investigate the largest of the four spheres. The southern side of the sphere opened in a hexagonal fashion and no light would penetrate. Bobah tied a sheet to Vermin and he crawled inside. Immediately the opening to the sphere slammed shut. After a few seconds in the darkness, elven writing began to appear on the walls. The writing read "Look within to find your peace and freedom." then a large triangle on the wall began to glow with a distorted version of Vermin, casting doubt on everything about him. After spending 15 or so minutes inside the sphere, the entire thing began to glow and he found a spherical pendant of clear crystal in his hand. The doors opened and he was able to exit.

Finding the fascinating, Bobah wandered over to the smallest of the structures and crawled inside. He was in the sphere for several hours before he saw vision of massive fire beast wrestling with a black flamed serpent in a vast sea of lava. The vision faded quickly and he lost his concentration. The sphere opened up and the elven writing read "Return when you seek peace."

(Night Watch - Resting): That night the party rested. Several times they sensed creatures at the edge of the wood, but none of them entered the grove.