Off to the Isle of Dread, Part 3

The party, after having dealt with the gibbering mouther, entered the main section of the Tamoachan ruins.

A wall of fire trap only singed a few of them, and they proceeded to another room that was blocked with an iron wall. It is obvious to the sorceror in the party it is the result of a spell, and Morphumax beats his way through it.

In the main map room is a pyramid shaped object, that Churtle determines is trapped. Morphumax opens it anyway, and the mummy rot dust fails to affect him or the paladin.

In a few rounds, they are attacked by a varrangoin and a will-o-wisp, which are easily handled.

They round out their search by entering a room with a well filled with niches that hold bodies. Near the top they see a golden bat idol with rubies for eyes and tiny slivers of pearl for fangs and claws. It radiates a faint transmutation magic, and after identifying it, it appears to be some sort of key.

Three days after leaving Tamoachan, Morphumax is hit in the head with a beam of the ship. It is revealed that the rope was sabotaged. The party goes into full search mode, and corners Rowyn Kellani, who seems to be a stowaway, and may be the source of much of the troubles on the ship. She fights to the death (which is not long in coming). The party finds on her:

• +1 leather armor
• +1 buckler
• +1 rapier
• Boots of elvenkind

.

Back to the Vanderboren Estate

The party arrives in Sasserine just after dawn. The Wormfall festival has been going since before dawn and the streets are crowded.

The party is accosted by Jilanth Turtoso, a gnome, and his friend Krugol, a half-orc. Turtoso is already drunk, and attempts to pick a fight with the cleric. The party avoids getting into trouble here, and Krugol takes his friend away.

With the use of the elemental gem, Morphumax stops a runaway wagon from crashing into a full tavern, thereby saving the patrons therein. The other party members castigate him for wasting the gem, but, it stopped the wagon from killing anyone or destroying any property.

The Kellani family sent Diamondback and six stiltwalkers to try to take revenge against the party for their part in upsetting Rowyn Kellani's attempt to set up the Lotus Dragons as a new thieves' guild.

The party arrives at the Vanderboren estate, and right away notices that there are no guards. The last time they were here, there were two guards at the door. The party goes around the house, to a back entrance, which leads to the kennels. Unfortunately, the barking of these mastiffs has probably alerted the foes inside to the party's presence.

The party took care of two groups of (three) bullywugs. One in the Atrium and one in the trophy hall.



.

The Lotus Dragons

While trying to search for clues to Vanthus or the Lotus Dragons, the party is attacked by three thieves. The Paladin follows one to Dead Dog Plaza only to lose him when he escapes into the sewers. Penkus' note tells of the Taxidermist's Guild being an entrance to the Lotus Dragons.

The party Talks to Nemien Roblach, who runs the Guild. He throws them out when it is obvious they don't want to buy anything. Later that evening, they break in, and Roblach fights them. He is eventually captured, and reveals that the entrance to the Lotus Dragons is below his shop. He gets paid to have a "legitimate" front entrance for them. When the party comes back the next day, Roblach is gone, having fled Sasserine.

The group makes it's entrance into the Lotus Dragon guildhall, pretty much mowing their way through small groups of thieves, the local torturer, a crocodile, a worg, three rhagodessas, another rhagodessa, and a bugbear zombie. Along the way, they meet up with Churtle, a female kobold, who, begs for her life, and in return, begins following the group around, having attached herself to the Cleric, acting as a cook, and sometimes as a spotter.

Finally, the party meets up with the head of the Lotus Dragons, Rowyn Kellani, a daughter of the Kellani family, and her pet felldrake, Gut Tugger. The party makes short work of Gut Tugger, but Rowyn makes her escape by using gaseous form. They found notes from Vanthus to Rowyn detailing how he got information from Brissa about the smuggling operation at Kraken's Cove, and about a particularly rich cargo coming in on the next week, and how he was going to burn their ships in order to steal the cargo.