Book II - Chapter I : The Brilliant Sunflower Report
General Summary
Previously on Dragon's Delve...
The group entered the Jungle Level Jugabareth, unaware of it's dangers. After realizing they landed in different areas, the party held fast for the remaining night and took to finding each other in the morning. Ragusk, saving a presumably unconscious Thorn, dragged him until the party met up while a missing Red and Inori kept the party open for help. That help came in the form of Maraka, a tiger tabaxi looking for aid in his village nearby. After the party arrived in the village, they treated the villagers to feats of magic, draining most of their additional spells before attempting to sleep. They awoke to the camp inhabitants, no longer under the illusion of weak children and tired old men, tying them up and dragging them to the center of the encampment. Revealing they were starved Rakshasas who wanted the spell deprived party as food, having already started feasting on Thorn since he had been dead since entering the level, they attempted to harvest the party but were thwarted by the cunning tactics of Ragusk and Donna. Running far and settling in the roots of a waterside tree, they were almost found by Maraka before he moved past, losing their trail. The party briefly mourned Thorn's passing and made it to the four pyramids in the center. Sam, having revealed themselves as Zinnia, began to charge the remaining party.
A quick draw from the sheath and sunflower shaped lights blinded the party. Donna and Apollo turned to stone and sank beneath the wet, grassy lake. Having re-sheathed the blade, Zinnia apologized to the party and asked that she be given time to interrogate them about the current health of Donna's father. Ragusk, seeming not given an option on the matter, then asked if it was possible to go to the next level. Zinnia reminded him they were down three members since entering Jugabareth and that any less than four would be suicide. Intent on regrouping with Red and Inori, they set out towards the nearest disturbance. Not taking long, they found Inori staring down a 6 ft boar before slashing a sizable portion off it's side. The boar was quickly flanked by 13 piglets whose knife like tusks made quick pincushions out of Inori. Ragusk then roasted a crowd of them before Red came barreling down a slope with a feathered headdress and a syringe like dart sticking out of his back. Not sure how he got there (with flashbacks of lava and chases), a voice emanated from the ground. A child like face buried up to his neck introduced themselves with magically induced applause multiple times, but ended up being mostly ignored by the group as they were confused by this "truffle tyke". Ragusk took a few minutes to dig him out, revealing an extremely muscular man with a child head. Not sure where to go, the man walked along with them back to Zinna.
Having donned the face mask again, Zinnia exclaimed that there were two pathways down to the next level. The first was by taking the tests hidden in the pyramids, breaking four seals before having to quell a beast that was weighed down by the waterfalls spewing from the pyramids heads. The second was to take a trek back through the jungle to find a more natural method below, stating that it was possible but was wrought with unknown danger. The party was given lead to Zinnia's home, stocked with equipment from fallen adventurers from the outskirts of the jungle. Inori dug around and found a broken blade while Red found a ball, Ragusk a necklace, and the man a scroll case. With their thoughts to the dangers of puzzles unknown, they then set forth to take the path through the jungle towards the outskirts of the lower tier.
Following an animal trail, Inori followed her nose and walked off the beaten path, separating herself from Ragusk, Red, and the man. Upon reaching a lake surrounded by reeds and grayish rocks, she started thrashing about in the water only to discover the rocks had eyes; rising to become 2ft tall chameleon looking lizard folk with tiny obsidian spears the size of arrows. After hearing Inori's yell over the bickering of Red and the man, Ragusk turned from the dead end path into the woods and marched towards the scuffle. Red and the man took quickly after him, only to have the man-child ensnare himself in a giant Venus fly trap. The man attempted to escape by using a Shockwave, only to have the thing close tighter around him afterwards when he realized his next sulfur smelling spell likely wouldn't work on the plant. He yelled ahead that his name was Theo and that he was sorry for being trouble for them earlier when he kept using fart spells on the party to unnerve them. Red ran on to Inori while Ragusk turned reluctantly and landed solid blows to the plant, opening a hole and keeping the acid from filling up too quickly. After a quick thinking frost spell, the two raced ahead to find Inori slashing at thin air as her assailants had left without a proper fight. After a moment or two of explaining to the party about the "lizard people", an elderly lizard folk emerged from the lake speaking Aquan. With no one able to understand, Theo tried speaking it, but it only escalated negatively. At the moment when the elder had just about had it, a young lizard folk with aviator goggles tried to speak broken common to Red, having seen him as the wise elder of the party due to his silence up til that point. Having made progress, Red learned that the door was far beneath the lake. Realizing the entire party couldn't breath under water, the elder told of a beast whose air sacs could grant them the boon they needed for the journey. Going off in search of a cave hidden by a waterfall, the party ventured on.
After 11 waterfalls and no luck, the 12th revealed a cave whose walls echoed violin music and were crawling with shadow like tendrils with eyes. Theo, wanting to get on with it, rushed inward to find a musician in a suit and tailcoat playing a haunting tune. When the music stopped, the eyed tendrils crept back into the tailcoat they were emanating from. Inori and Theo asked if he was the beast and received an earful from the stranger about leaving him alone to practice as this cave was a rare feat of natural ambiance. Not liking his decidedly crass answer, Theo opened the clay scroll case and was enveloped in a purple haze that robbed him of air. He attempted not once, but twice to stab himself in the throat to open his airways to no avail. Bleeding out and loosing air, Red leaped into action after a moment or two and sealed one wound with a cigar burn and the other with flash-fire gunpowder. Able to breath after coughing up a decent amount of the haze, the musician who had watched complacently had his violin shattered by Theo and Inori while Ragusk started walking out, content to leave the musician to his devices. The fellow, seemingly breaking the rules of dungeon by summoning a portal, departed with a frank "&*!$#%! natives" before sealing the dark void behind him. The group began walking out of the cave, preparing to find the next occupied one.
The group entered the Jungle Level Jugabareth, unaware of it's dangers. After realizing they landed in different areas, the party held fast for the remaining night and took to finding each other in the morning. Ragusk, saving a presumably unconscious Thorn, dragged him until the party met up while a missing Red and Inori kept the party open for help. That help came in the form of Maraka, a tiger tabaxi looking for aid in his village nearby. After the party arrived in the village, they treated the villagers to feats of magic, draining most of their additional spells before attempting to sleep. They awoke to the camp inhabitants, no longer under the illusion of weak children and tired old men, tying them up and dragging them to the center of the encampment. Revealing they were starved Rakshasas who wanted the spell deprived party as food, having already started feasting on Thorn since he had been dead since entering the level, they attempted to harvest the party but were thwarted by the cunning tactics of Ragusk and Donna. Running far and settling in the roots of a waterside tree, they were almost found by Maraka before he moved past, losing their trail. The party briefly mourned Thorn's passing and made it to the four pyramids in the center. Sam, having revealed themselves as Zinnia, began to charge the remaining party.
A quick draw from the sheath and sunflower shaped lights blinded the party. Donna and Apollo turned to stone and sank beneath the wet, grassy lake. Having re-sheathed the blade, Zinnia apologized to the party and asked that she be given time to interrogate them about the current health of Donna's father. Ragusk, seeming not given an option on the matter, then asked if it was possible to go to the next level. Zinnia reminded him they were down three members since entering Jugabareth and that any less than four would be suicide. Intent on regrouping with Red and Inori, they set out towards the nearest disturbance. Not taking long, they found Inori staring down a 6 ft boar before slashing a sizable portion off it's side. The boar was quickly flanked by 13 piglets whose knife like tusks made quick pincushions out of Inori. Ragusk then roasted a crowd of them before Red came barreling down a slope with a feathered headdress and a syringe like dart sticking out of his back. Not sure how he got there (with flashbacks of lava and chases), a voice emanated from the ground. A child like face buried up to his neck introduced themselves with magically induced applause multiple times, but ended up being mostly ignored by the group as they were confused by this "truffle tyke". Ragusk took a few minutes to dig him out, revealing an extremely muscular man with a child head. Not sure where to go, the man walked along with them back to Zinna.
Having donned the face mask again, Zinnia exclaimed that there were two pathways down to the next level. The first was by taking the tests hidden in the pyramids, breaking four seals before having to quell a beast that was weighed down by the waterfalls spewing from the pyramids heads. The second was to take a trek back through the jungle to find a more natural method below, stating that it was possible but was wrought with unknown danger. The party was given lead to Zinnia's home, stocked with equipment from fallen adventurers from the outskirts of the jungle. Inori dug around and found a broken blade while Red found a ball, Ragusk a necklace, and the man a scroll case. With their thoughts to the dangers of puzzles unknown, they then set forth to take the path through the jungle towards the outskirts of the lower tier.
Following an animal trail, Inori followed her nose and walked off the beaten path, separating herself from Ragusk, Red, and the man. Upon reaching a lake surrounded by reeds and grayish rocks, she started thrashing about in the water only to discover the rocks had eyes; rising to become 2ft tall chameleon looking lizard folk with tiny obsidian spears the size of arrows. After hearing Inori's yell over the bickering of Red and the man, Ragusk turned from the dead end path into the woods and marched towards the scuffle. Red and the man took quickly after him, only to have the man-child ensnare himself in a giant Venus fly trap. The man attempted to escape by using a Shockwave, only to have the thing close tighter around him afterwards when he realized his next sulfur smelling spell likely wouldn't work on the plant. He yelled ahead that his name was Theo and that he was sorry for being trouble for them earlier when he kept using fart spells on the party to unnerve them. Red ran on to Inori while Ragusk turned reluctantly and landed solid blows to the plant, opening a hole and keeping the acid from filling up too quickly. After a quick thinking frost spell, the two raced ahead to find Inori slashing at thin air as her assailants had left without a proper fight. After a moment or two of explaining to the party about the "lizard people", an elderly lizard folk emerged from the lake speaking Aquan. With no one able to understand, Theo tried speaking it, but it only escalated negatively. At the moment when the elder had just about had it, a young lizard folk with aviator goggles tried to speak broken common to Red, having seen him as the wise elder of the party due to his silence up til that point. Having made progress, Red learned that the door was far beneath the lake. Realizing the entire party couldn't breath under water, the elder told of a beast whose air sacs could grant them the boon they needed for the journey. Going off in search of a cave hidden by a waterfall, the party ventured on.
After 11 waterfalls and no luck, the 12th revealed a cave whose walls echoed violin music and were crawling with shadow like tendrils with eyes. Theo, wanting to get on with it, rushed inward to find a musician in a suit and tailcoat playing a haunting tune. When the music stopped, the eyed tendrils crept back into the tailcoat they were emanating from. Inori and Theo asked if he was the beast and received an earful from the stranger about leaving him alone to practice as this cave was a rare feat of natural ambiance. Not liking his decidedly crass answer, Theo opened the clay scroll case and was enveloped in a purple haze that robbed him of air. He attempted not once, but twice to stab himself in the throat to open his airways to no avail. Bleeding out and loosing air, Red leaped into action after a moment or two and sealed one wound with a cigar burn and the other with flash-fire gunpowder. Able to breath after coughing up a decent amount of the haze, the musician who had watched complacently had his violin shattered by Theo and Inori while Ragusk started walking out, content to leave the musician to his devices. The fellow, seemingly breaking the rules of dungeon by summoning a portal, departed with a frank "&*!$#%! natives" before sealing the dark void behind him. The group began walking out of the cave, preparing to find the next occupied one.
Rewards Granted
- A scroll relinquished to Theo that bore potent but unknown necrotic magic sealed in a clay scroll case, sealed by wax.
- A broken blade found by Inori that could be used as a dagger. It's chipped appearance was pleasing to her.
- A ruby studded necklace that gleamed oddly. Ragusk took it upon himself to secure it.
- An ornately woven rubber ball. It looks like a child's plaything, but why was it in the Delve to begin with?
Missions/Quests Completed
- Reach the Center of the Jungle Level Jugabareth and find the Greed King of the Level.
Character(s) interacted with
- Sam the Sunflower King - AKA Zinnia, Flynn's Sister, who is adamant on using the level to find a cure for her ailing brother.
- Chamelon Elder - A wizen resident of the lake. Spoke only Aquan, carried a cane.
- Hobeb - A Chamelon youth who could speak partial common. Wore aviator goggles similar to ones found on the Lowrean.
- Mysterious Musician - A fellow with slick black hair playing a violin. Sporting a musicians tailcoat and no-nonsense and abrasive attitude.
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