Upon The Beach
The hot afternoon sun beats down upon them but in the distance black clouds gather over the horizon, illuminated by occasional flashes of lightning within. The storm definitely seems to be heading their way. With that new threat the debate meanders on. Meanwhile Maggotbrain, the goblin, notices several small mounds forming in the sand around the group. As he begins to sound a warning to the others, a dozen large crab-like creatures emerge out of the sand and begin to attack the group. The crabs pincers cut through the adventurers armor and the odd bones and skulls the crabs have housed their bodies in, provides no small amount of protection.
Once the crabs are mostly dispatched, some of them retreating back down into the sand and disappearing, the group decides to take to the air and scout around the island. From the relative safety of the air, they see a few main features of the island. Near the beach is, what seems to be the ruins of a town, several rotten wooden structures remain in a small clearing slowly being engulfed back into the wilds of the jungle. Nearer towards the mountain near the center of the island, lies a massive fog enshrouded swamp and adjacent to the mountain a massive waterfall and river can be seen.
The group heads off towards the ruins of the town, which is nearest to them.
The Ruins of Bevershall Landing
Landing at the edge of the jungle clearing, they can see what remains of a few wooden buildings. Most of the buildings are little more than rotting walls, while a couple of the buildings still have most of their roofs mostly intact. A few of the group move through the town cautiously. That is except Maggotbrain, his armor making an incredible racket. When Maggotbrain finally stops, the group thinks they can hear guttural voices from somewhere in ruins. They move through the ruins inspecting each of the remains of the buildings one by one.
Eda approaches a building, its mostly intact roof making the interior darkened. Eda looks in and is immediately bludgeoned over the head. Stunned she is unable to move. Lizardfolk begin to move about the town, previously hidden within one of the buildings. The adventurers move into position but Eda, paralyzed by the stunning blow is unable to defend herself and soon falls.
Maggotbrain and Azula fend off some of the lizardfolk while Messick is able to heal Eda.
Meanwhile Fib who has hidden in one of the buildings skulks in a corner, when a lizardfolk prowls into the shack, its claws raised and ready, it's tail swinging above its head ready to strike. Fib is able to strike from the shadows and the creature is killed.
Soon all of the lizardfolk are dispatched and the group moves through the town looking for anything of worth. It would seem that the town has long since been picked over. Maggotbrain spies something shiny under the rotten remains of a shelf inside one of the buildings. He slyly picks up the object, trying not to let anyone see what he is doing. He looks at the object in his hand. It is a coin. The large round coin is gold with the likeness of a goblin's face on both sides. In fact, it looks very much like Maggotbrain. It even has him in his very often used poise: Hand holding chin and a thoughtfull look on his face. He quickly pockets the coin.
The group moves on, now trudging through the thick foliage of the jungle. Azula hacking away at the vines and leaves, carving the way through in the direction of the mountain in the far distance.
Soon, the sky begins to darken and a dense fog begins to build, first just at their feet and it progresses until it fills the air. It is then that the jungle's foliage stops and before them lies a vast swampy marsh shrouded in fog.
The Hags Of Bevershall Marsh
As the group moves through the marsh, having to pick their way through, finding ground firm enough to walk upon, Messick notices a jar filled with colorful candies. Without hesitation he begins to eat the sweet treats. Azule, meanwhile, notices another jar, this one is filled with baby teeth. Before they begin to search for more oddities, they are beckoned by three beautiful women. They stand in front of a warm and inviting home. The smells of warm food waft through the air.
The three women offer them shelter and food. They are friendly are concerned that the adventurers will get lost in the ever present fog that they reside in. They are more than willing to help the group find their way through the fog.
Everyone, save for Azula, enters the women's home to find a feast laid out upon the table. Each of the group sits and begins to eat while the women dote over them asking what valiant mission they are on. Eventually, the offer of safe passage through the swamp comes up. The women are more than happy to help them cross the treacherous swamp...for the small price of a sample of both their hair and their blood. A pittance.
The group asks if they can discuss the matter in private. The women politely agree and step outside.
Azula, meanwhile has decided to go it alone in the swamp, not trusting the women. She is almost immediately lost, not even able to find her way back to the women's home, where they others are. She summons several mephits to fly about and search for a way back and uses her ability to control water and eventually, she is able to find her way back. Perhaps more out of luck than her own skill. Or is it because the women wanted her to find her way back to them.
She sees the three women standing outside the house talking among themselves. Azula approaches and begins to threaten the women. Of the three woman, Fannie seems the one more unable to fully conceal her anger and contempt of the others. Ada and Violet ask Azula to be calm and join her friends inside but after Azula's insults and threats Fannie breaks.
The image of a dark skinned tall beautiful woman fades and is replaced by a tall, thin creature. Its ragged mud stained clothing barely covers the rotting frame of a hag. Her features grotesque and horrifying. Once she attacks Azula, her coven sisters join in.
Inside the house, the illusion of the warm and cozy home fades. The group sits at a table of rotten food, maggots and unidentifiable spoiled meats. The pleasant home crumbles, its roof gone and its half formed walls of putrid mud in its place.
The fight between the group and the hags is long and drawn out. The hags summon mud-like homunculus which grow into vast mud-slime creatures to harass and maim the group. As each of the group is near death, seeing no way out they are offered again the bargain: safe passage for blood and hair.
One by one the group accede. Giving the hags enough blood off of their injuries to fill a small vial and a lock of their hair.
With that done, a path through the fog opens up before them and they are allowed to leave. As they follow the opening in the fog, the fog closes in behind them. Eventually, they come to the edge of the swamp near the base of the small mountain.
The Lizardfolk Settlement
Making themselves a secure area to rest and heal, they send out Fib to scout around. Nearby Fib finds the lizardfolk encampment. It consists of about a square mile of mud huts in the swamp surrounding a more fortified camp on the opposite side.
Rather than fight the hundreds, if not thousands, of lizardfolk, the group decides to approach the lizardfolk's settlement in peace.
Fib, speaking in draconic, is able to talk to some of the lizardfolk. He is able to discover that the lizardfolk used to worship and serve the great green dragon, Marrasdys. But demons came and slew the dragon. Now the lizardfolk serve the demons. They are stronger than the dragon was. The demons wish to bring more demons here.
Fib tells the lizardfolk, that they are, in fact, here because they can summon demons. The lizardfolk are convinced that the groups purpose is aligned with theirs. One of the male lizardfolk, Thruk, offers to give them an audience with their king. They bring the adventurers to their king, Chuhat, who resides within the fortified camp.
King Chuhat too is convinced that the group must be brought to the great demon, Wastrilith, whom they usually refer to as Dragon Killer.
They set off through the jungle. A cohort of more than 100 lizardfolk are assembled to accompany the king and the group. They cut through dense jungle for what seem hours. The trek is hot and sweaty under the hot sun. Eventually, they exit the jungle, standing upon an outcrop of rock looking down into a rushing river, fed by a massive waterfall above.
Traversing up the mountainous waterfall area are several dilapidated rope bridges, many of wooden planks missing or untrustworthy. The group takes the lead behind the kind and a few of his entourage, the vast majority of the lizardfolk behind adventurers. The cross each of the bridges without much trouble.
As Azula, the last of the group to climb to safety, steps off of the last bridge, she lops off both ropes securing the bridge to the mountainside. Dozens of lizardfolk plunge disappearing into the mist of the waterfall below.
A small smile crosses Azula's face as she catches up to the others.
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