Tomb of Annihilation Session 14 – Mystic River

Here’s the write up from our latest Tomb of Annihilation session, which featured the mini-adventures Mystic River from Jungle Treks by Teos Abadia and Eric Menge, and Monkey See, Monkey Do by Will Doyle from Encounters in the Jungles of Chult, as well as more from Cubicle 7’s Uncharted Journeys. We’re at last back in Port Nyanzaru next session!

Begin here with Session 0 – Caves of the Cockatrice

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20th Marpenoth

The party wake up in the morning to find that Nanna has left them again – a hastily scribbled note says, “See you in Port Nyanzaru!”

Powle, one of the sick Order of the Gauntlet soldiers the characters are taking downriver, is well enough to navigate for Rhamash in his canoe. Eysleigh casts lesser restoration on Hart to cure his shivering sickness. The others are still poorly.

When canoes enter an area of the river touched by magic, a chwinga befriends Certes, floating alongside the wizard’s canoe on a large leaf. The characters successfully negotiate a series of rapids but don’t manage to avoid grasping vines overhead. The exhausted Wulfhilde is hauled out of Eysleigh’s canoe by a vine, but is saved when Rhamash, Certes, and Tharhul sever its tendrils with ranged attacks. 

A second series of rapids proves more challenging, and Certes’s canoe strikes the rocks. Both unfortunate soldiers aboard are killed, and the canoe is damaged. Luckily, all three canoes can avoid the swinging tail of a huge brontosaurus munching plants by the banks.

When the river returns to normal, the chwinga touches Certes, bestowing a charm of vitality on him, and showing him a vision of Artus Cimber and a dinosaur-like humanoid climbing steep stairs to an aarakocra monastery – perhaps Kir Sabal? 

The chwinga vanishes into the undergrowth, and the characters rest by the riverbank. Eysleigh and Tharhul cast enough lesser restoration spells to rid the surviving soldiers from disease. Eysleigh repairs Certes’s canoe with his woodworking tools.

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That night, Vorn stands watch while everyone else sleeps. Unfortunately, the shield guardian doesn’t notice when a flock of eblis attack the camp. One of the evil cranes drags Hart out of his tent, while two others cast hypnotic pattern, dazing Rhamash and Eysleigh. The characters wake up and kill six of the monstrosities, but the seventh escapes with Hart.

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21st Marpenoth

Eysleigh casts speak with plants to learn where the eblis’ lair is from a tree. Birdie scouts the area, spotting the lifeless corpse of Hart floating face down in the water near the eblis’ reed huts. Tharhul pulls the body into his canoe.

Certes casts fly and peers into each hut, looking for treasure and the last eblis. He doesn’t find treasure but does come face to face with the eblis who offers information on a place filled with treasure in exchange for being left alone. Certes agrees and the eblis tells him about the garden palace of Nangalore, built to honour Queen Zalkoré, which lies near the eastern shore of the River Olung, north of Lake Luo.

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22nd Marpenoth

A heavy downpour means it’s unsafe to travel and the party make little progress today.

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23rd Marpenoth

The characters encounter a Flaming Fist patrol in two canoes and are asked to show their charter of exploration.Eysleigh and Tharhul explain they are on a mission for the Order of the Gauntlet and get away with paying a 50 gp fine (the cost of the charter). They are advised to report to Fort Belurian to purchase a charter at their earliest convenience.

That night, the characters spend the night in the “House of Temptation” as guests of Mojisola, a hermit who eschews material possessions. Various magical items are on woven platforms close to her treehouse and Tharhul must keep a close eye on the soldiers to make sure they don’t try and steal anything during the night.

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24th Marpenoth

The characters say goodbye to Mojisola. Tharhul leaves his mason’s tools behind, and Eysleigh leaves his sling and shot. Certes and Rhamash keep hold of all their stuff. Later, the canoes pass the bloated corpse of a halfling hanging from a tree, its body riddled with grung arrows.

At their camp that evening, the characters notice a putrid stench when the wind changes direction. Tharhul uses beast sense and sends Tyke to investigate. Death butterflies swarm around a rotting dinosaur corpse. When the swarms fly towards the camp, Certes destroys them with a fireball.

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25th Marpenoth

The characters haul their canoes onto the riverbank and hide them, then head overland towards Port Nyanzaru. 

They come across an ancient monkey statue, heaped with gold. Certes approaches and is almost blinded when the eyes of the topmost monkey radiate kaleidoscopic light. He backs away, but has his voice stolen by the central monkey when he speaks! Tharhul approaches next, becomes stunned when the central monkey screams, then has his voice stolen too.  Certes tells Rhamash and Eysleigh in a note he won’t leave the area until his voice comes back.

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26th Marpenoth

Twenty four hours later, the curse wears off and Certes and Tharhul can speak again. The ranger casts silence on the statue and Certes casts fly on Tharhul. Closing his eyes, Tharhul flies to the top of the statue and scoops up as much treasure as he can. 

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29th Marpenoth

The characters arrive back in Port Nyanzaru. Four out of seven Order of the Gauntlet soldiers have survived.

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