Journal Entry 14.00 Running the Guantlet

The party briefly returns to Chrailis. Then returns to cross the light barrier, only to fight their way across the barren land to the city, then to the heart of the city.

General Summary

Awakening in the morning, the party quickly breaks camp to begin preparations for their journey to the lost city.
They find that Aja has already been across the barrier. Aja proudly announced she used the spell she had just learned from the Light Thief. Aja had crossed over and entombed several of the creatures in ice. She is somewhat vague as to the how, only that it needed to be done. She had received a gift from her patron recently and that it needed to be used and soon.
The party agrees they need to take a few days to resupply to prepare before making the final journal to the city center.
Morvion also attempts a new spell, one which allows him to summon spectral steeds. Using these steeds, they travel about a day back out of the caldera and down the slope until Aja is certain they are far enough away from the disturbance that a teleport spell will function correctly.
They then teleport back to Chrailis to Dame Imokan’s estate. The spell fails. Aja assures everyone this was expected, however, she wanted to try first. She then tries to teleport to another known location further away from the city, this also fails.
Everyone else is worried, they have heard legends of teleportation spells going awry. Tars glares at Aja and threatens, “If I reappear with Morvion’s ugly elf head on my shoulders, I will cut it off and stick it somewhere you don’t like, little witch.”
At first, Aja is tempted to try and correct Tars’s logic, then just gives a little laugh and says, “Fear not friend, one more try. Just trying to save some time.” She then casts the spell successfully, this time targeting a favorite grove near her childhood home of Trickling Meadow, a small fishing village near Dawn Lake.
Arriving in the middle of the grove unseen, Morvion once again creates his steeds and they head into Chrailis to take care of some business. The ride to Chrailis is quick, however, once they enter the city they find themselves slowed down considerably by the midday traffic.
Aja heads to Dame Imokan’s to converse with her quickly and update her on their progress. Urik says he is heading to the temple. With nowhere else to go, Tars chooses to go with Urik this time.
Graykar and Morvion are both closed lipped and say they have their own personal matters which need attending. They all agree to meet up near dawn the following morning at the East River Road Gate to head back.
Aja is in for a little surprise when she arrives at Dame Imokan’s. Dame Imokan comes out and hugs her in greeting, whispering in her ear, “Coterie Tar Isovral has sent two agents who wish to speak to you in private. They arrived this morning and said that you would be arriving. I told them I didn’t think so, however, they are seldom wrong in these matters.” Dame Imokan then arches an eyebrow, “You haven’t been involved in any new incidents have you?”
Aja grins, “Nope, not this time, I hope.”
With some trepidation, she meets with them in an outer garden. One of the agents bows, “I am Factor Gemmera Lias – we sensed you trying to teleport in. Normally we would redirect your attempt, however that doesn’t always work the best. Our portmaster on duty decided to instead just turn you away. Teleportation within or near the city is not allowed except to select members of the Coterie.”
Aja nods, “I was expecting the wards. I wasn’t certain they were real.”
Gemmera then says, “They are quite real and can be quite deadly. However, we have been instructed to give you this key.” She hands Aja a small scroll. “This is a pass key, memorize it and the next time you cast your teleportation, if your destination is Chrailis, add it to the second stanza. You will then safely be directed to an arrival platform within the 2nd tier. It is about a 10-minute walk from here. Add it to the beginning of the 3rd stanza if you are choosing to teleport away from the city. Your location will not be blocked. If you are teleporting within the city from anywhere to the platform, only include it in the 2nd stanza, not the third. And, this key is made for you – do not share it. If any others try and use it, they will be killed and your access will be revoked.” With that, both agents bow and leave, neither saying goodbye.
Before Aja leaves, Dame Imokan also announces that she has received a gift for Aja from her dad. She hands her a small box made of rosewood with a small gold latch and gold hinges. Opening the box reveals soft dark blue cloth, and resting on the cloth is a something Aja is truly delighted to see, along with a small note.
Finishing all their tasks, the party meets back at their designated rendezvous point. Aja says she can actually teleport from that location, saving the party some time.
Riding back, they camp once more and plan on passing the light barrier first thing in the morning.
Casting her Puddle Jump spell, she has the party gather close around and they turn instantly into light and reappear on the other side of the light barrier. The experience is slightly disorientating for all as they quickly regain their balance.
Now on the other side, the party takes out walking at a brisk pace toward the jungle line about 4 miles distant. Halfway along the way, they are spied by one of the savage creatures the party believes to be the sarloks mentioned in Hursing’s journal
Yelling out an almost unnaturally loud scream, it charges to attack. Its scream begins attracting more and more of the things. At first the party chooses to stand its ground, however as more and more creatures begin coming, the party determines that a retreat might be a better option, as they don’t wish to fight every single creature in this wasteland.
Casting Puddle Jump again, Aja moves the party several yards away from the combat, and using the hasted effect from a previously cast spell, the party begins to run for the jungle line. When they arrive, they see the creatures move up near the trees, however they don’t enter. The sarloks not entering is of some concern to the party.
The trees and vegetation of this jungle are unlike any the party has seen before, the trees alien and the unknown. The tallest of the trees are barely over 40 feet in height.
Each of the party feels it, this jungle just feels wrong. The best description is almost an anxiousness felt from being in the jungle. Aja describes it almost like an itch. Urik describes it as that feeling that someone has you in their crossbow sights.
The weird happenings which the party has been experiencing in the out caldera, like strange sounds and shifting lights seem intensified. It is very similar to what the party felt in the Quirk Woods recently when they visited Aja’s home village.
Gigi comments to Aja that this land is fey, but wrong. Like it’s been infused with something inherently not fey, something corrupted.
As the party moves through the jungle, they all notice that there are no animals, no insects, nothing moving at all. Only the vegetation.
Aja asks one of the trees and all it says is that the ground tastes bad, that the ground is not healthy.
Arriving at the city, they see it is a mighty city made of ancient stone. A central canal runs from the edge of the city to the center of the city. It appears that possibly several of these canals radiate out from the city center like spokes. While the canals are filled with water, the water is slow moving and the current is moving away from the city. Along the canals are walkways about five feet wide. Every hundred yards or so is a small stone bridge.
By each of the walkways is a ten-foot wall with stairs ascending up into the next level of the city spaced periodically. Most of the city appears to be planned with thousands of buildings built on the level above the canal and their walkway.
The party enters the city and begins to see movement, some in the water, some in flying creatures from building to building.
Moving up to the main level, the party begins proceeding to the city center using the side streets, trying to parallel the canal without actually using it.
As they move, they occasionally see more of the creatures roaming the streets. When some of them spy Graykar, they move to engage until they see that he is not alone. They then turn to run away. Acting quickly the party engages to keep them from running away.
Each of the creatures vaguely resembles the sarloks, however, they are less reptilian and more mammalian. Hideous looking with long fingers and claws, fangs, and covered in fur, each of the 4-foot tall things growl constantly.
They try to take one prisoner, however, the attempt actually kills the creature. Upon dying, they see it starting to change into something else than what it was before, some type of less fearsome humanoid.
Taking inspiration from this, Aja casts remove curse on the next one they encounter and it turns into a frightened and confused humanoid female. She is elvish in appearance but looks like she might have been crossed with some type of goblinoid creature. She has larger eyes, wide set apart, greenish skin, and the ears are lower on the side of its head pointing out away from the skull rather than straight up similar to most elves.
Her teeth are also sharper with wider gaps with the canines being almost an inch in length, obviously a full carnivore.
Now that they have changed her into what her previous form possibly was, the party is now confused as to what to do with her. If they continue on with her, she will likely be killed. Aja then instructs the treant she had animated earlier has to escort the female out of the city and to protect her the best it can.
Knowing this is a poor solution, they need to get on with their mission. They hope she can survive on her own in the jungle for the few days it will take the party to explore the city center.
Continuing on, the party is largely left alone by the creatures. They end up seeing four different kinds. Graykar names the ones they had encountered directly which had growled all the time as growlers. He calls the ones with wings which seem to periodically follow them on the roof tops flyers. The swimmers he calls just that – swimmers. They never see one clearly, but can make out enough that they are humanoid. Then there are the leapers – looking similar to the growlers they are smaller and seem to be able to jump from building top to building top.
Arriving at the city center, they see the canal ends at a wide staircase ascending about 30 feet and 50 feet inward to the entire plaza one which all the temples sit.
In the center of the city is a large ziggurat, almost 400’ high. Surrounding it, spaced evenly apart are 5 shorter temples, each a pyramid of differing design. Inset in the side of each pyramid facing outward is a large stone door, almost 30’ high and 15’ wide. In the center of each door is a symbol – a magical symbol representing a different element. Quickly walking around the plaza, they find each of the doors has a symbol, one for wood, one for earth or iron, one for air or wind, one for fire, and one for water. This aligns well with what Hursing had written.
Finding the door that aligns with the wood symbol engraved on Hursing’s rune which Aja had helped recreate, she takes the piece of bark up to the door. As she nears, the rune on the piece of bark and the rune on the door begin to glow. She touches the bark to the door and the door begins to sink with a loud rumble into the ground, revealing a looming dark passage of similar size to the door.
Cautiously, the party enters the dark passage. Tar’s idly wonders, “What sensible creature makes a hallway where the roof is so tall. Probably a stupid dwarf, I hear they make unrealistically sized buildings to their needs.” The rest of the party looks up and has a little different thought on what might use such a large hallway.

Report Date

19 Sep 2018