Tomb of Annihilation Session 16 – A New Expedition

Here’s the write up from our latest Tomb of Annihilation session, in which the adventurers made preparations, then set off for the ruins of Mezro.

Begin here with Session 0 – Caves of the Cockatrice

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2^nd Uktar, 1495 DR

Eysleigh and Nanna wake up with sewer plague after yesterday’s trip to the rubbish pits in the Old City. Eysleigh casts lesser restoration to cure the disease and they both go back to bed. 

Meanwhile, Tharhul goes to meet with the merchant prince Ekene-Afa at Goldenthrone to ask about buying a Lantanese revolving musket, Certes starts a week of research, and Rhamash shops for suitable gifts for the aarakocra of Kir-Sabal.

Later that day, an urchin named Nasa turns up at the Thundering Lizard, telling the party that a “wise woman” in Malar’s Throat has some important information to share with them. The characters follow Nasa onto a narrow rope bridge across a gorge and into an ambush by cultists of Dendar the Night Serpent. 

Rhamash takes care of the four cultists behind the party after Eysleigh has entangled them, while Nanna, Tharhul, and a flying Certes deal with the four in front, including their whip-wielding leader. The cultists are defeated, with Rhamash taking one alive. The characters learn that the head of Dendar’s cult, Ras Nsi, is based in the forgotten city of Omu, somewhere deep in the jungle

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3^rd Uktar

While Eysleigh brews potions of healing and Certes continues his research, the other three characters look for a suitable guide for their upcoming expedition to Mezro and Kir-Sabal.

After looking at the notices pinned on the board at the Thundering Lizard, they seek out Eku and ask her a series of questions to establish her bona fides. Eku can take the characters to Mezro but warns that the ruined city is under the control of the Flaming Fist who will want to see the party’s “charter of exploration”. She also tells them that an evil hag named Nanny Pu’pu ate and killed the people of Mbala. Eku is happy to guide the characters there free of charge if they promise to deal with her.

Next, the group head to Tiryki Anchorage to meet with River Mist and Flask of Wine, two tabaxi recommended by Pock-Marked Po, the Zhentarim’s representative. The pair tell the party that a wise woman in Mbala knows how to bring people back from the dead. Rhamash is sure the tabaxi are dodgy, so they decide to hire Eku. 

While in the district, Tharhul meets with Chibuzo, a forger, and commissions a fake charter of exploration for 225 gp to fool the Flaming Fist. 

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7^th Uktar

Certes concludes his research and passes on what he’s learned to the others:

• The god Ubtao raised Mezro from the jungle with his own hand. It was his greatest gift to his people: a city etched from glass and stone where his priests could guide the common folk through the maze of life.
• Mezro was flooded during the Spellplague and has been a ruin for 100 years. 
• Mezro’s golden age – when it was ruled by Ubtao and his seven barae (Chosen) – lasted for 4,000 years.
• After Ubtao returned to the heavens, the seven barae cast a powerful spell to hide the city from outsiders. For 500 years, only those approved by the barae were allowed to enter.
• Ras Nsi was one of the barae, banished from Mezro for using his powers to annihilate a rebellious tribe. 
• The bird folk of Kir-Sabal are holding the last royal heir of Chult as their prisoner

Eysleigh has brewed five potions of healing during this time, Tharhul has collected the fake charter of exploration and picked up his repeating musket, and the others have purchased canoes, rations, insect repellent and other gear.

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8^th Uktar 

The characters and Eku leave Port Nyanzaru in their canoes, heading down the River Tiryki towards Mezro. They stop off a couple of miles downriver to collect Vorn from his hiding place outside the city. The shield guardian seems fine, but his body has been daubed with strange arcane symbols. Certes can’t figure out what these are but is able to rub them off. 

The characters return to the river and rejoin Eku but heavy rains stop them going anywhere today. 

That night at camp, the party are attacked by a pack of roving zombies, three of them ogre-sized and branded with the symbol of Ras Nsi.

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