Category: Uncategorized

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Wizard (Matt)
Sheeza, Aasimir Wizard (Joanna)
Senzei, Human Monk (Frank)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 18)

In Bazzoxan, we finally approached the Inn. We were sorely tired and looking forward to a long rest. We went to the upper floor to find the bar first, however, and found someone that matched the description we were given earlier -- "Question" -- the person who might give us more information about Bumi's vision. I went to the bar and ordered us beer and food, as well as cots for the night.

Bumi approached the female Tiefling we noticed earlier and attempted to engage her in conversation. She said her name was Question, and her companion was Sheeza. Question talked of "mythic resonance," referring to echoes from the Calamity long ago, lingering effects that are still cropping up today. She said she was a member of the Cobalt Soul, which does research on magic and artifacts, trying to make sure powerful items do not fall into the wrong hands.

Bumi and Question talked for quite a while, trying to make sense of various scraps of lore and vision. The conversation expanded to include most of us.

Suddenly, an Aurora Watch soldier arrived and sounded the alarm. It was some kind of demonic incursion! We ran to the fray and engaged a bunch of skeletons, mixed with some Babau-type demons. We and some Aurora Watch guardians attempted to protect some endangered children, and the battle was long and tough. Bell slumped to the ground, overcome by his wounds. We turned the tide and the battle was eventually won. We saw to our wounded and were thanked by the Aurora Watch veterans, and were even told there might be a reward if we would talk with the commander.

A bystander who helped us in the fray, one Senzai, struck up a deal with Vaal to become his personal servant. This exploitation of a valiant warrior seemed very distasteful to me but I held my tongue.

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Wizard (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 17)

On the road to Bazzoxan, we came across some members of the Aurora Watch fighting demons! We managed to be victorious. Lieutenant Varl, leading the Aurora Watch patrol out of Bazzoxan, explained that they had bitten off more than they could chew, and thanked us for our help and promised a reward when we all got to Bazzoxan.

We wondered whether to camp for the night on the trail or to walk another half-day march to Bazzoxan. We decided to go to the fortress-town and arrived there without incident.

We saw the gates of the town before us, a walled settlement built against a rising mountain. A cleft in the mountain was the temple of evil we had heard of -- demonic forces often would come through there, and defeating them was the purpose of the town.

The Aurora Watch welcomed us and formally asked us if we wanted to enter the city, and what was our business. We avoided a direct answer without too much trouble, and we were advised to see Varin Thelyss, the Taskhand of the town.

We went to the local Inn to rest for the night. Suddenly, trumpets blared an alarm! Skinless horrors were attacking! Gibbering mouthers, we later learned they were called. We immediately advanced to the attack. These things spit magical effects, but we were undaunted. Some Aurora Watch soldiers were in the fray as well. The gibbering of our foes caused one of the soldiers to become befuddled, and he attacked Bell, fortunately to no effect. We destroyed the last of them, Bumi using his "Lich Slap" to good effect, and we breathed sighs of relief.

The Taskhand (the same soldier that had been charmed by the mouthers) questioned us as to our business in Bazzoxan. Again, we avoided details, but promised to speak with him at length later. We escorted some of the wounded soldiers to the infirmary.

Baltha Dier (wearing the black-winged pin of Xalakas, right-hand of Corellon, who fell during the calamity), the highest-rank person at the infirmary, greeted us and thanked us for our help. We were again asked what was our business in Bazzoxan -- again, we gave little details save that we were on a quest.

The infirmary lead asked us to take a corpse to the morgue. We felt we couldn't refuse and though we were sorely tired, made our way to the crematorium. We were greeted by the one-armed crematorium attendant (Raynar), who seemed strangely happy. Another attendant asked for help carrying a group of corpses inside. A bookish Tiefling (Prolix Usah) ran up, protesting that the largest of the corpses could not be burnt yet as he needed to study it. The Tiefling said the corpse was a Vrock, and that it had swallowed something valuable.

We moved the other bodies away from the corpse of the Vrock. Suspicious, Bell checked for undead nearby, but there were none. The Tiefling asked for help dissecting the corpse. Fed up, Vaal slit the Vrock open, and narrowly avoided causing it to erupt sickening spores. We found the Vrock had indeed swallowed an "Eyes of the Eagle," some gold rings, and a puzzle box that the Tiefling said he was looking for. As soon as the puzzle box was removed from the Vrock, the Vrock began to dissolve.

Bumi scrawled the symbol from his vision and showed it to the Tiefling. He claimed that he had seen it before. "Powerful and ancient" it was, he said, but he didn't know precisely what it was or what it meant. The Tiefling at the Inn, known as "Question" might know more.

Bumi agreed to help open the puzzle box, though it was actually Vaal that succeeded. The box became a spiked crown with curved horns.

We suddenly found ourselves in a round, doorless chamber! A large statue stood in the middle of the room -- to each of us, it appeared to be the person we trusted the most. Somewhat to my surprise, I saw Bumi! No doubt it was because I am convinced Bumi is central to my own quest to gain understanding of the Luxon.

Then we noticed that the walls were all scratched with writing in Common. We heard, as of ghostly whispering, the words written. A plaque at the bottom of the statue said "Good little puppet."

Vaal stood on the dias in front of the statue, and the statue moved! It joined its hands together, as if in prayer. Vaal mimicked its gesture, and the statue punched the floor! It cracked the floor and its knuckles were bloody. Vaal did the same, hurting himself somewhat. The statue moved again, taking the sword it wore, and lunged to the left. Blood appeared on the tip of the sword. Again, Vaal did the same, but nothing happened.

Vaal stepped off the dias, and then back on it again. The sequence of movements happened the same. Bell gave it a try. Bell had somewhat more success with the strange ritual, even cutting open his own hand to find a key!

Taking that key and the matching key from the statue, Blync opened a box, finding a scroll of Bestow Curse. We heard one last voice, saying "Good little puppets."

We found ourselves back in Bazzoxan, and belatedly recognized the last speaker as Vespin Chloris, the right-hand of Asmodeus.

We then went to the wall and found it cluttered with trinkets. A Drow priest looked up at our approach. Vaal drew forth the token from Naveen (one of the infirmary wounded had asked us to do this). The priest gave us each a Mote of Possibility.

Next for us: the Inn.

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Wizard (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 16)

On the road to Bazzoxan, we came across some members of the Aurora Watch fighting demons! A bunch of Wretched, a Babau, and some Draegoloth. We held our ground, but we were being wounded by our foes.

The environment itself seemed to be against us, a few of succumbing to an unaccountable sadness, but we continued the fight.

A strange mist appeared! Another two Babau appeared. Our Kenku cleric, Bell, was ensorcelled to see illusory enemies all around him. Powering through it, he took a massive hit of psychic damage to bravely stay in the combat.

Vaal dispatched the Babau in front of us, and our tactical situation seemed a bit better … so long as no more enemies showed up. The battle continued. I suddenly saw an image of a Githyanki war party, beckoning me to join them! A Draegolith fell, and several of the Aurora Watch were left without foes.

Shaking with fear, I dropped off the trail into a lowered area, and the magical fear left me. Burning with rage, I clambered back up into the fray. A new foe appeared! A demon known as "The Lonely," an incarnation of melancholy and suffering.

One the Babaus hit me with a "weakening gaze." Instead of attacking, I laid on hands on Bell, who was sorely wounded. I immediately felt strong again.

Vaal strike true on the remaining Draecoloth, and one of the Babaus cast Heat Metal on one of the Aurora Watch soldiers. Nevertheless, we began to turn the tide, and Bell finished off a Babau. I took care of another. Full of rage at the spells these things had cast, I charged the "Lonely" and slashed it twice. Vaal destroyed the remaining Babau. Only the Lonely remained. We swarmed the disgusting thing and it grasped Bell, rendering him unconscious and drawing him into itself. Bumi knocked it in the head with a large rock and destroyed it.

The fog dissipated, and we saw to our wounded.

Lieutenant Varl, leading the Aurora Watch patrol out of Bazzoxan, explained that they had bitten off more than they could chew, and thanked us for our help and promised a reward when we all got to Bazzoxan.

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Wizard (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 15)

On the road to Bazzoxan, while making camp, we noticed a flare of red light on the second moon! We remembered old stories -- the second moon was associated with ill omens and bad luck. Our sleep was troubled that night.

We felt strange in the morning, as if we were cursed [some checks would be at disadvantage for the day]. Bell cast remove curse on himself, and I cast lesser restoration on Bumi. We decided to keep moving down the trail to Bazzoxan.

After a while, we saw something on the road -- bodies, six of them. They appeared to be Aurora Watch soldiers, and feasting on them were two demonic-looking things. Bell identified them as Shadow Demons. We immediately assumed combat stances and started firing missile weapons and spells at the monsters. One closed the distance with us, but the other (sorely wounded) fled to cover.

As we fought the one on the road, his cowardly companion took heart and charged Vaal, ineffectively. Suddenly, a Quasit jumped out from behind some of the terrain's strange barbs and attacked. A second Quasit joined the fray. Vaal dispatched a Shadow Demon -- it evaporated into mist. Blynce destroyed a Quasit and wounded the remaining Shadow Demon. Bell blasted the remaining Quasit into oblivion, and Bumi destroyed the Shadow Demon. I performed what rites I could for the dead soldiers given the circumstances, and we moved on.

We camped for the night, and the next day we came upon a six-man scouting party of the Aurora Watch. We hailed them as welcome comrades, and they welcomed us to share their food and their campground for the night. The next day we parted from the soldiers and contined towards the cursed city of Bazzoxan.

We passed the ruins of a substantial town -- whatever this place was, it was destroyed long ago -- and heard screams and shouts, as of a battle. Aurora Watch soldiers were fighting demons! A Hezrou and a Draegoloth. We stabilized the fallen soldiers and began attacking the demons. The battle raged back and forth, when a new demon emerged from the rubble nearby -- a fiendish Babau! Its weakening gaze would be a real danger. And yet more enemies emerged! A few "The Wretched" (looking like a bunch of fangs on legs) and one more Draegoloth.

The fog that was surrounding us, a moorish mist, suddenly spouted little demonic hands that clawed at us. Whether illusion or not, they hurt.

Vaal used his enchanted sword to slow a bunch of our opponents.

The battle continued to go back and forth. Bumi fired his fireballs, and the Babau attacked me, clawing at me while I fought the Hezrou. We were holding our ground, though.

(We ended for the night on a mid-battle cliffhanger!)

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Wizard (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 14)

On the road to Bazzoxan, we had reached the caravan stop, a friendly location where different travellers congregated, and decided to camp down there for the night.

The campground was quite the cozy place, with laughter and hot food, and places to keep our warhorses (that we had "acquired" from the bandits we fought on the road). A large family/small tribe of Goblins was there, camped on the back of a Leatherback Turtle (Yuyo by name). We saw the scout (Justus) that we had rescued on the road a few days ago, and we told him of our adventures. Some of the people were survivors of the battle whose aftermath we came across earlier.

Justus gave us 50gp and a pair of Goggles of Night as reward for rescuing him earlier. Bell and I engaged in a game of chance to determine who would get the Goggles -- Bell won.

We spoke with the survivors -- Teevack and Margra -- they said the dagger belonged to their father, Kierchaly Waste-walker. We said we knew an Irvan Waste-walker, who turned out to be their cousin. In return for the dagger, they gave us a finely made battle-ax. (A +1 battle-ax, as it turned out)

Blynce walked up to a lady serving mastodon stew, because he saw that Justus was served. We all were given very tasty stew, most welcome after the dried rations we had been eating on the road.

We were told to beware of the Ruins of Sorrow in the Barbed Fields as we approached Bazzoxan.

A restful night, and then we left. The trail began to wind northeast now. The surroundings began to change. Barbs, or spines, stone-like (or perhaps plant-like), stuck out of the ground, some just a foot or two, some much larger. This was the beginning of the Barbed Fields.

We saw dust rising from the ground ahead. Three mammoths were being harrassed by some flying creature. A gloomstalker! Noticing us, it left off the mammoths and approached us. Bell hit it with a mighty attack, and angered it immensely. I was paralyzed by the Gloomstalker's cry! Bell cast a spell to release me. The Gloomstalker downed our rogue, Vaal, but I dispatched it immediately afterwards.

To our horror, we saw that the Gloomstalker's cry had summoned four undead skeletons, which shuffled towards us menacingly. We destroyed them fairly easily, and Vaal was healed back to consciousness.

While making camp, we notice a flare of red light on the second moon! We remembered old stories -- the second moon was associated with ill omens and bad luck. Our sleep was troubled that night.

(We are now 5th level!)

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Wizard (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 13)

On the road to Bazzoxan, we came across an overturned wagon. We saw no sign of an ox or any other creatures, at least at first. Apparently the wagon was carrying barrels of grain, which were smashed on the ground. Corpses were under the wagon -- two Drow and one Orc. Apparently the three had been killed in the overturning, not any kind of hostile violence.

Will-o'-the-wisps boiled out of the wreckage! We didn't know if these were the revenants of the three corpses, but they were perfectly willing to attack us. We dispatched them fairly easily, but we felt another presence -- voices in our minds, the spirits of the three travelers. They told us that the will-o'-the-wisps had caused the oxen to startle, causing the fatal wreck. They gave Bell a Charm of Heroism. A locked iron box contained some small treasure, including a Potion of Giant Strength (Hill). We burned the corpses with suitable ceremony.

The next day, we heard a rumbling sound, apparently coming from off in the distance. We saw movement, and dust. Riders! As we watched them approach, we saw they were between eight and twelve humanoids, riding horses. They were rough-looking, unpleasant. One, the apparent leader, wore a belt of many daggers. They attempted to extort 25gp each from us as "tax." One of them approached Blynce to appraise his bow, and he decided to demonstrate its function. We started combat, much to my satisfaction. Our fierceness took them aback, and their captain attempted to stop the fight.

A bit more combat, but the bandits gave up … mainly because Bumi had levitated the leader over 40 feet into the air! We took their ill-gotten loot and four (now riderless) horses, and they all left.

We reached the caravan stop, a friendly location where different travellers congregated, and decided to camp down there for the night.

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Sorcerer (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 12)

I repeat some material from my last report: The thing that Bumi took from the glowing chamber … according you, my Masters, it appeared to be the Jewel of Three Prayers, one of the Vestiges of Divergence, a dormant relic of some sort, and of no small historical importance! In ancient times, Alixion wore this as a symbol of his consecration to three deities. You told me that it was up to me (and, by extension, my comrades) to determine how to "awaken" it.

This went along with a vision shared by our group and our rivals in the challenge of the Festival of Merit. We all saw a vision of a Human man in tattered armor and a shield. With a melancholic expression, he pleaded "I am imprisoned. Help me! I am Alixion, and I beg you to free me. … Thank the gods, bless the Moon Weaver. Go to the other shrines where I prayed, to the Change-Bringer in the heart of the Evil One's temple, Bazzoxan, to the Archheart in the ruins of the jungle city." We suddenly realized we had all lapsed into unconsciousness, Bumi included.

Bumi remembered the name Alixion -- a figure of legend from the Calamity and the Last Battle. Bazzoxan, about a fortnight's journey away, is a place watched by the Kryn Dynasty, because fiendish beings tend to come from there. Elsewhere, on the continent of Marquette, the desert now was once a jungle, and in the heart of that was a city. Maybe that was the city mentioned in the reference to an "Archheart."

You, O Masters, also told me that one of you had been to Bazzoxan and saw a strange network of tunnels or dungeons, a dangerous place. But some of the entrances have symbols, long studied by scholars. The symbol on the jewel was present at Bazzoxan.

Dermot from the other party mentioned that the Luxon sanctuary had some information about Alixion, basically the same that you, O Masters, had for me. We questioned as to how a centuries-old Human could still live, even in captivity.

The other party mentioned that they had a small job to do, but then intended to go to Bazzoxan. They kept questioning us as to our knowledge and our intentions, and we did the same. Both of us were reluctant to be completely forthcoming.

As they left, Ayo told us a rumor -- the word of what we did against the Dwendalian Empire has spread, and perhaps we should be watching our backs.

We decided to leave for Bazzoxan right away. It would take at least twelve days on foot.

Along the road, we saw a Tiefling on the back of a Moorbunder, surrounded by two other wild bristly Moorbunders. We dashed towards the unfortunately Tiefling to offer assistance. One of the wild ones ran away, but the other stayed and continued its menacing behavior. The thing grappled me! My comrades rescued me, and Justus the Tiefling, whose mount was named "Rice Pudding," thanked us profusely.

As we prepared for camp, we spotted something by the side of the road. It was composed of twisting shadows, not completely solid, but looked like a large winged creature. It was a dead Gloomstalker, riddled with arrows and partially burned. We found a ring with a sapphire in it. Puzzled, we set up camp a respectable distance away -- Bumi established that the ring was not magical.

Bumi told us of a dream he had in the night -- a strange woman telling us to "help him" and to "hurry up."

Upon the morrow, we continued down the road and came across what seemed to be several bodies. Circling above was a large carrion bird. An Udaak, an apelike demon, was the largest corpse. Approximately two dozen Humans and horses were also strewn about.

Three things popped out of the fur of the ape-demon! Quasits! And apparently the thing circling in the air was a Vrock-demon! The Quasits were easily dispatched, and we began shooting long-range at the diving Vrock. Bell's spells against the Vrock were amazing! We managed to destroy the thing before it finished its dive to attack us.

Upon investigating, we found one set of horse-tracks leading away from the carnage. We also found a nice dagger inscribed with the name "Kierchaly Waste-walker." Irvan Waste-walker was one of the other party. We created a funeral pyre and I performed a brief ceremony for the dead.

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Sorcerer (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 11)

We were one of the two groups selected for the final contest of the Festival of Merit!

The other group was the group led by Ayo Jabe (the blue water genassi, a Ranger and native to Jigow) -- that is, Maggie (an Ogre martial type), Irvan (Human rogue), Dermot (Ayo's childhood friend and also a native of Jigow, a goblin Luxon cleric), Galsariad (Drow magic-user). This was the group we had gone out drinking with last night. We were certain they would do their best to win the prize -- just as they were certain we would do the same.

Come the morrow, we approached the staging area on the Pier Island. We saw the Black Islands lying in the middle of the river. A cave in one of the islands leads to the Emerald Grotto, a twisting network of underground caves, and that is where the target gem was secreted. The town elders were at the starting line, presiding over the contest.

We (us and our competitors) were given one potion of water breathing each. A medal was in the deepest part of the grotto. Return it to the pier to win the contest!

Our rivals, swimming quickly, managed to enter the cavern just ahead of us, but we were not too far behind. The first chamber was filled by thick stalks of kelp, but we could still see well enough to figure out which direction to go. In fact, we could see that Maggie was blocking a southern passage, while waving to us to go to the eastern passage, which branched off from the tunnel. She made it clear she would not allow us to go the southern way. Rather than waste time dealing with her, we acquiesced and proceed to the east way. Maggie and Bumi engaged in a little inappropriate flirting.

We entered a larger chamber filled with bioluminescent algae, giving a soft blue glow. There was a suspicious patch of bone-white seagrass, but time was of the essence, so we proceeded apace.

It occured to me that the algae could be a light source if we wanted. Again, this was a race, so we proceeded. Agh! I got stuck in the grass. It stung me sorely! My comrades managed to avoid the trap and the race continued. Bell freed me but managed to get stuck himself briefly.

We entered another chamber which was partly above water, so it was like there was a bubble filling the upper part of the chamber. The east wall was collapsing, and Bumi accelerated the collapse. A secret nook was uncovered, and Blynce found a spell-scroll of thunderwave!

The tunnel continued northerly now, and seemed like it would come to a dead end, but no, the passage continued, narrow and deepening. We saw a school of tiny fish, gleaming silver. The passage widened where the fish were, and then continued east. Bumi, not liking the look of the fish, increased their density to pin them. I was concerned that we had had no sign of our rivals. Were they way ahead of us?

The fish, quippers as it turned out, still had enough strength to attack Val as he swam past, and nibbled on him. Blynce wiped out a number of them. Bell destroyed the rest with a Guiding Bolt spell. We continued the race into yet another chamber, the deepest yet. The water was warmer and a soft light suffused the area, coming from a crevice in the south wall. A current in the water pulled us weakly towards it. Shark! An amulet hung from a rope around the shark's neck, and glowing runes decorated its side. This was our target.

Vaal cast Slow on the shark, making it sluggish. Bell emfeebled it, making it even worse. The rest of us hacked away at it as its attacks mostly failed. Bumi failed to purloin the amulet from around the shark's neck. Vaal went into unconsciousness from shark chomps. We continued to damage the shark. Blynce severly wounded it, and the shark tried to get away, but our attacks of opportunity finished it off. We restored Vaal to consciousness and took the amulet, our seal of victory!

Of course, our rivals showed up at that very moment. Ayo spoke to us, wondering where Bumi had gone (he had taken the amulet and cast invisibility on himself). My comrades bluffed that the shark ate him. Bumi tried to escape to the south -- we could see there was a vertical tunnel leading to the surface there.

Bumi found at the top of the tunnel a dry area with a pillar, on top of which was a glowing pendant of some sort, completely unlike the prize amulet we took from the shark.

Vaal kept up the bluff, exhorting all of us to open the shark's mouth to "retrieve Bumi's corpse."

As Bumi lifted the amulet, we all saw a vision of a Human man in tattered armor and a shield. With a melancholic expression, he pleaded "I am imprisoned. Help me! I am Alixion, and I beg you to free me. … Thank the gods, bless the Moon Weaver. Go to the other shrines where I prayed, to the Change-Bringer in the heart of the Evil One's temple, Bazzoxan, to the Archheart in the ruins of the jungle city." We suddenly realized we had all lapsed into unconsciousness, Bumi included.

Bumi remembered the name Alixion -- a figure of legend from the Calamity and the Last Battle. Bazzoxan, about a fortnight's journey away, is a place watched by the Kryn Dynasty, because fiendish beings tend to come from there. Elsewhere, on the continent of Marquette, the desert now was once a jungle, and in the heart of that was a city. Maybe that was the city mentioned in the reference to an "Archheart."

Bumi staggered back down the tunnel, to the shock of our rivals. We pled losing interest in the contest and began to swim back. Our rivals focused on the shark's corpse, believing our bluff that it was inside the thing.

At the pier, Bumi pulled out the amulet and we claimed the victory, to the great cheering of the crowd. The town leaders admitted to setting up the shark to be a challenge for us. Our rivals showed up, and were disconcerted to find that we had won the contest.

We were handed a bag of 100gp and a night in the Unbroken Tusk inn for free, and of course the honor of being champions of the Festival of Merit.

The thing that Bumi took from the glowing chamber … according you, my Masters, it appeared to be the Jewel of Three Prayers, one of the Vestiges of Divergence, a dormant relic of some sort, and of no small historical importance! In ancient times, Alixion wore this as a symbol of his consecration to three deities. You told me that it was up to me (and, by extension, my comrades) to determine how to "awaken" it.

What shall we do next?

(We are now 4th level!)

==Roll Call==
Childe Raymonde, Githyanki Paladin (Doty)
Bell, Kenku Cleric (CJ)
Blynce, Human-hybrid Fighter (Eric)
Vaal, Eladrin Rogue (Tim)
Bumi, Goblin Sorcerer (Matt)

To the Sanctuary of Albahith, Jigow Township

Greetings to the Masters of the Pilgrims, and hail to The Luxon:

Mission Report from Childe Raymonde (Part 10)

We had prevailed in three of the events during the Festival of Merit!

The next event was the pie-eating contest. An Orc-lady was frying hand-pies and advertising the contest. Some of the contestants had already arrived. Bell stepped up to join the competition, and Bumi joined him. Some of the other contestants were a Human named Irvan, a female Halfling, and a muscular Drow. Bell won! He said "He was feeling a bit peckish." Bell received the Medal of the Meat-Pie.

The next contest was a swimming competition at one of the piers. One of the contestants was the Drow wizard we'd met at the puzzle competition, a water-djinn of some sort. The contest was to swim out to a stump, pull out a rusty spear and make it back.

I volunteered. My companions put a Haste spell on me, and I did well until I wrenched free the spear. An Orc, rudely shoving aside a Goblin to do so, snatched the spear away from me. Suddenly a shark appeared and chomped a Human contestant! The water-djinn grabbed the spear away from the Orc. Another shark appeared and attacked the Goblin, but I managed to spoil its attack. Drawing my dagger, I stabbed both sharks, my attacks energized with divine might.

The Orc took advantage of the confusion to wrench the spear back from the blue-hued water-djinn, whose name I found was Ayo. Ayo pursued the Orc, but failed to grab it away. I swam up to the Orc to take the spear and succeeded! A moment later, Ayo took it back once more and swam away. I tried to retrieve it but failed. Ayo won!

Ayo and Galsariad (the Drow wizard) congratulated me on my attempt. Ayo wanted to introduce our respective adventuring parties to each other at the closing ceremonies.

The next event -- Herding the Horizonbacks -- seemed a popular one, and several of our party signed up. Animal handling was the skill in question here. Vaal, Blync, Bumi, and Bell all did well at first, but three other contestants fell off their tortoises almost immediately. Bumi took some damaged from a tortoise kick and resigned the contest. In the end, Vaal, Blync, and Bell were the only ones to complete the contest.

The last contest of the day -- the Paddy-Whack -- was in the rice paddies. First team (teams of two) to harvest the rice from their section wins. Vaal and I teamed up against a team of two Orcs and a team of two Drow. Bumi's density-changing spell increased my strength, negating my exhaustion from the swimming event earlier. We were off to a good start but quickly slowed down a bit. But, the other teams soon got bogged down and we won! The Medal of the Wetlands had a one-time enchantment to help its wearer traverse difficult terrain.

At the evening ceremonies, two teams were to be chosen to race through the Emerald Grotto, there to retrieve a jewel -- the Emerald Eye. The winning team receives 100gp and is appointed champions of that year's Festival of Merit. Our party was entered in the final contest! The other participants were of course Ayo's party. Ayo invited us all to drinks at the Unbroken Tusk inn. We talked pleasantly and retired for the night.

We realized we still didn't have a name for our adventuring group!