A9: Nangalore

24 July (Flamerule): We stand at the edge of a marsh. Sudieman surveys the meager offering of trees, “Barely enough to make one raft.” Diero offers to become a crocodile ride for Daisee and Dyzon…at least for a few hours. Within an hour they can see the walls of Nangalore; but, Kevar spies more, “Company. From the wakes I’d guess a bask of crocodiles.” Diero swims for the steps of the Palace Gardens with his riders, but the raft is slower; overtaken by the crocs.

Kevar and Sudieman try to keep the crocs at bay with their poles while FaKeem balances to shoot arrows, unaware till too late a croc has climbed aboard. The elf soon in its grasp and about to be drug underwater. Between the cleric’s hammer smash and wizard magic missiles, the elf is pulled free. As the other crocs feast on the slain croc, the raft is poled to the safety of the steps of the palace.

The vista before us: the main passage ankle deep in water with raised gardens on either side. A large domed building toward the end adorned with the head of a dinosaur snarling at us. FaKeem is drawn to placards lining the central passage, but Sudieman leads the others over a wall to explore the upper gardens. The elf recognizes the placard language, “Accolades to 'Zalkore', the queen of Omu." He translates the other placards, “Marvel at her humble reflections of beauty.” “10th year of her reign, may she govern forever in splender.” “Without dreams, eternity is unbearable.” Seems she was worshiped by her people and by her great warrior Thiru-Taya who betrayed her.

Meanwhile, the garden group is more concerned with spider webs spanning a wall and outer tower. Dyxon’s purposeful twang of the webbing to draw out a large spider, then fire and missiles to drive it away. Continued exploration.

Another garden plot with a unique tree. But before it can be examined, zombie veggie-pigmies rise from the ground and attack. But something else attacks our minds as a yellow-must fills the air. Kevar is soon drawn to the tree and embraces it. Unbeknownst to us, the invisible 'Flit' is already drawn up into the branches. Soon, Diero too is a tree-hugger. Till Sudieman’s blade and Dyxon’s fists render the tree lifeless. Freeing its captives.

We continue along the western gardens till we come to the side of the central domed structure. We pause at its entrance: water dripping from cracks in the dome, pooling in a sunken circular chamber. Crumbling stairs that once circled the inner wall. Fakeem reads an inscription carved into the dome, "True love, faithful general, no one will hurt you, I cannot die.” An 18ft grand warrior statue is posed over the lower bowl. A smaller statue kneeling at its side, head turned looking rearward toward an alcove behind the warrior. Fine detail. Till we realize it’s not a statue, but rather, a frozen man turned to stone! Basilisk? Medusa?

All that indecision standing in the doorway of the domed room that hinted at a medusa, Kevar stepped forward toward the stone man. Diero advanced to give cover up the crumbling stairs as Kevar knelt to reach for the urn between the stone man and the warrior status. Pause. “Faakeem, I need you to read this etching on the floor beside the man.” The reluctant elf came forward and translated, “Once a thief, always a slave.” Kevar backed away from the urn, “No need to repeat the same mistake twice.”

By this time the small folk came into the room. Daizee peering down into the caldron basin, “How deep is the water?” So Dyxon tossed a stone. As the ripples blossomed in expanding outward rings, other linear ripples swam toward the stone’s impact. “What’s that?!” Over time Dyxon was able to determine them as snakes. “More likely eels.”

Kevar stepped toward the balcony behind the statue and looked out over the lower flooded area where a stone giant once stood. Now collapsed in the waters; its large head now face-up in the water. Fish swam in the clear water as birds flittered about. The wizard turned back toward the domed room and noticed more carving on the back of the statue “Forgive me.” He then began circling the room looking for secret passages. That’s when he found the viny plants growing in the corner. Diero unable to recognize (knowledge/nature); so, Dyxon stepped forward to taste. “Not bitter so probably not poisonous.” As if that means anything to the rest of us considering the monk’s immunity to poison! He harvested all the plants into his backpack.

Remembering the pagoda outside the domed room, Daizee sent her invisible dragon to reconnoiter. His return report of more of those colorful cranes (6) but no black orchid. Remembering the birds spoke common, Diero decided to go talk with the birds hoping to gain intel about this temple/palace. Surprisingly no-one accompanied him [in fact, the kinder and Halfling continued forward to explore other gardens]. Diero approached the pagoda but the crane hid from him. Spying 3 up in the rafters, he called them out ignoring their request he step into the middle of the room. “I’m familiar with your kind and your…habit of trapping your prey. I only come to ask what you’ve seem within these walls. Any black orchid? Any threatening animals or plants?” But they claimed all peaceful (wisdom/insight said otherwise).

Diero backed away from the pagoda giving fair warning to the birds about another flock that perished because of stupidity on their part. But 3 cranes attacked! Fortunately Kevar HAD stayed near. He stepped from the domed-room steps and cast ‘Fear’; one of the 3 birds departed. Then another sonic BOOM as Diero cast ‘Thunderwave’ damaging the 2 remaining cranes. Diero pecked near death except for Kevar’s rescuing fire rays and blade slashes. “Now let’s get back to the others before Daizee gets herself in trouble.” Along the way Diero sought Sudieman for healing.

Kevar and Diero walked thru the domed room and out the other side, just in time to find the small folk scrambling up the steps of a sunken garden; sweat on the monk’s cheeks. Daizee in a cheery mood, “If you get hunger, we found snake meat. But no orchid.” We explore another sunken garden to the south. Dyxon finding another healing plant. But as he and the kinder harvest the leaves, a plant rises nearby with 3 colorful flower stems. The monk doesn’t waste time trying to classify/identify them; his blades slice and dice. But 3 more plants pop up spewing poisonous spores. They too are soon cut to pieces.

On to an adjoining garden where we find familiar twinga creatures. Kevar now giddy, “I really like these imp-like creatures. One would make a great familiar.” Diero is blessed by one that bestows a charmed tattoo on his arm [just like the one Kevar sports…6 charges of restoration. 4 charges for ‘Greater Restoration’ that would prevent a medusa stare transformation].

The southern gardens cleared, we return near the pagoda (northwest corner) to clear the garden beside it. Dyxon and Kevar climb down the 10ft as Diero and Daizee stand above. A large Venus-Fly-Trap plant pops-up to attack the monk. All of us have to make a WISsave [little do we know Daizee’s invisible dragon failed]. Dyxon pummels the plant with his fists, Daizee throws oil [nature 20 direct hit], Kevar casts fire burning the plant AND igniting the oil. Diero casts ‘Thorn Whip’ damaging the plant while pulling it 10ft closer to the base of the wall. We don’t see the charmed dragon fly into the mouth of the plant [takes fire damage from the burning oil]. We do see the plant close but suspect it reacting to the ‘Thorn Whip’ tear of some of its leaves. More attacks and the plant dies. But we ready for more when the leaves start to part…we don’t realize it’s the dazed dragon climbing out till Daizee tells us the news.

Search of the pagoda reveals no crane treasure till a platinum coin falls from the rafters into Kevar’s open palm [search/natural 20]. Kevar leads us east down into the flooded courtyard he’d overlooked from the domed-room balcony earlier. Besides the stone statue broken parts littering the courtyard, we find scores of stone-transformed birds, fish, frogs, turtles. Daizee stubs her toe on a stone-transformed Chultan warrior. While everyone else proceeds cautiously, Kevar crosses the courtyard and climbs the steps to the northeast circular building. No pause to look for traps. Expecting electric shock from the brass double-doors. Kevar knocks calling out, “Hello? Queen ___, are you in there?” A female reply to come in.

We all enter upon her request; most with downcast eyes (except Diero and Kevar). As expected, the queen of Ulm bedecked in a full-length robe of feathers; even a feathery veil that covers her face and eyes. Beside her, a black orchid! Kevar so formal diplomatic in his conversation. Dyxon having to be reminded to address her as “Queen” or “Your Highness.” Daizee to the point, “How much for the orchid?” We each offer the trivial magical items we carry but are shunned. Kevar offers the ‘Wand of Wonder’ but he too is shunned. Daizee offers gems and is greeted warmly but still not enough. “I don’t know if you’re interested, I mean these have no color to enhance your beauty. They’re just diamonds.” DONE!!

We bow as we back out of the room with the orchid in hand. Well, except for Dyxon, “May I have one of your feathers? Aw, come on, just one.” Kevar is grabbing the monk by his collar dragging him out. Once outside, with birds flitting about, Dyxon successfully uses his Animal-Handle skills to get a bird to land on his arm. He is FINALLY happy and ready to leave the palace.