Argosy of Blood, Chapter 7
The sea journey to Nyog'hdra was long and mostly boring (my fault). The Helios encountered two storms and lost track of the other two ships twice. On the way, the party learned some rudiments of being a sailor: rigging, use of the catapult and ballista, winds, how to row, etc. Acrimonius transferred his hate of Valerius to Athicus. Eventually, the mini-fleet found its way to the lost island of Nyog'hdra. The Helios arrived at the island several hours after the other two ships.
The island of Nyog'hdra is sheer cliffs on all sides but one. The over-all profile of the island is that of a great right-triangle rising out of the water. The island is rougly 20 miles from end to end. The center of the island is cleft by a great ravine and waterfall. The far end of the island rises into a mountain range. The southern side of the island consists of sandy beaches around a sheltered cove, home to a half-submerged ruined city, remarkably well-preserved after thousands of years. The city is surrounded by a great wall, similar to the great wall of China, with one end submerged as well. The Helios docks at the wall where it sinks below the waves. The other two ships were anchored among the buildings of the half-submerged city. Great bat-winged monstrosities glide over the mountains at the far end of the island.
The crew of the Helios wait for any kind of word from the other two ships. Meanwhile, the party decides to explore the wall itself. They reach the first bastion tower along the wall, open the long-sealed Orichalcum doors, and find the tower empty. On the first level of the bastion, they find the leavings of a creature, apparently humanoid and carnivorous. A great clamour draws their attention, fighting has broken out in the center of the city. They return to the Helios to see sailors fleeing the island and returning to their ships. The party takes a rowboat to the Acheron to find out what happened.
Captain Horan is injured and seems shaken to the core. Xim explains that the fools did not want to wait. Tai Sen and the crew disembarked to the island in order to find the treasures promised to them before the pirates arrived. There they encountered beast-men, the remnants of the original colonists, long-since degenerated into grotesque animals. It began with a few disappearances, then those sent to investigate disappeared, then came the all-out attack. The beast-men killed most of the crew of the Acheron and the Styx and drove the survivors back to the row-boats and the ships.
Xim and 6 of his Shadow-Guard, including S'Chiba, the Shadow-Master, return with the party to the Helios. They prepare themselves for the overland journey to the temple at the base of the mountain on the other side of the island. They follow the wall around the city. Halfway to the great gate to the island, the Beast-Men charge out of the last bastion behind the party. During the charge, other Beast-men stealthily scale the side of the wall. Irem and three of the Shadow-Guard let loose arrows on the on-coming Beast-men, halting two in their charge. The others reach the top of the wall and a melee' ensues. Prospero is mauled and promptly falls down, pretending to be dead. Hessan is grabbed in a crushing hold and the life is choked out of him. Three of the Shadow-Guard are felled. Two waves of climbing Beast-Men and the survivors of the charge are eventually put down, their bodies thrown over the wall into the jungle below as a sign to the others.
The battle over, the party tends to its wounds, savings Hessan from certain death and binding the others. They reach the Great Gate Tower.
Inside the Great Gate Tower is a massive chain and wheel that opens the giant Orichalcum doors. Irem climbs to the top of the Gate Tower to survey the island. He sees a fallen tree traversing the ravine and stairs leading up a steep hill to the plateau on the north end. To the south, he sees caves in the mountains, surely the former mines of the Atlanteans, now home of the degenerate Beast-Men. The party opens the gate to the dreaded jungle beyond. As they leave the tower to pass through the gate, they see the Beast-Men hiding in the jungle-covered ruins behind them, wary of the open doors.
Several hours of marching through the rising slope of the jungle ahead of them pass. They eventually come across a great four-legged reptillian beast with great plates along its spine and a tail ending in nasty two-foot spikes. The beast notices the party and reacts defensively. The party wisely backs away and moves around the nervous beast.
Almost 5 hours and 4 miles of Jungle later, the party finds the ravine and the fallen tree. As they prepare to cross it, a great crashing comes from the jungle. A giant reptile monster emerges from the trees, its great body balanced on two powerful legs, it's massive head filled with hundreds of dagger-sized teeth. It sniffs the air with mighty lungs, then bellows a thunderous deafening roar, momentarily staggering the party as they stare dumbfounded.
To Be Continued...