C. Bane of the Kraken

Insalubria: The Isle of Venomous Vegetation

Indeed, further southward an expanse of mists ahead stretched as far as could be seen in each direction and slowly thickened to the point of requiring use of the Water Breathing spell for the air-breathing crew (everyone but Oogway, Djennie, and a Sea Elf named Falstaff Foamborne). Cast by ritual by Willow and a crew member named Alice Oakenbough, the ship sailed into the increasingly warm waters of the fog-choked sea.

As would entering a storm front, a range of rumbling blasts and churning waves rocked the ship as jets of steam pierced the surface – geysers from below, until one propelled the ship recklessly forward, lurching onto a sandbar and throwing crew members into the shallow heated waters. Shapes and sounds of gentle waves ahead implied an island of some sort, and an away party waded on while the remainder of the crew began the task of freeing the ship from the grip of the sand.

Belcora, Tallon, Willow, Oogway, Djennie and a dwarf crew member eager for land named Bartleby Redshirt found themselves on a beach eerily clear of the drowning mists. At their backs now loomed a great dome-wall of mist, stretching down each shoreline left and right, like a bubble within the fog. The island welcomed the shipwrecked with cleared air – even sweet and fragrant with rich scents of fruits and flowers. Indeed, a lush jungle extended beyond the beach inland – eerily absent of birdsong and sounds of forest creatures and gloomy within a twilight cast by the cloudy dome.

Willow noted curious eyes upon the party, peering from cautious hiding places. She approached what became revealed to be a wild herd of all manner of livestock – yet behaving strangely. With Speak with Animals, she began to converse with a group emerging from the edge of the forest: boar, goats, ponies, large geese, sheep, and miniature oxen. The ranger-druid reported their manner and speech peculiar – knowingly evasive in answers and ready to flee at the slightest trigger of panic. With Animal Friendship, she then gained the needed trust to be led to others.

As all these creatures were of roughly the same size, all shaken with timidity, Willlow patiently, carefully questioned and eventually learned each had once all been otherwise: humans, elves, dwarves, halflings and gnomes and half-breeds shipwrecked upon this island but gradually changed over time into these forms. In fact, horrifically, several shared stories as having been freshly-stranded sailors hunting the others as food before themselves becoming changed. This is their greatest concern with the arrival of the crew of the Scaly Eye.  Willow assured this would not happen, sharing this tale – and Belcoria delivered the message back to the ship's crew as well. Djennie noted her own powers had been muted, including being unable to take on her dragon form - now stuck in that of the young human.

The animals warned against entering the savage forest, claiming it to be overrun with carnivorous vines, trees, and other forms of plant predators – with all sorts of deadly poisons, drugs, and disguises. These creatures were forced to forage at the forest’s edge and carefully drink from its streams and pools, ever aware of a line of safety marked by a circle of standing stones – enchanted stelae carved with unknown runes and placed there in times unknown.  By night, the stelae glow a soft blue in the darkness, but are often overgrown or obscured by natural plant life. The once-humanoid animals conduct occasional raids into the interior to feed on enormous fruits and root vegetables – while mainly subsisting on bland-but-safe growth along the border. 

Then by chance a strange mention in passing caught Willow’s attention: of one resident who was not changed. A creature already part-animal had built himself a place halfway around the island. Following the shoreline, with only quick ventures beyond the stelae for nourishment beyond the meals supplied by Belcoria’s spellcraft, the group eventually found the primitive-but-sturdy tower and workshop of the Unknown named Koron-Tor, all too eager to meet the group in what he openly feared was a very short time with which they would be useful (before joining the animalkind).

Eagerly accepting the food offered through Belcoria’s magic, a sort of feast was held and stories and lore exchanged.  Koron-Tor had been shipwrecked almost a decade previously, and while his social skills had eroded over time, he eagerly shared what he knew and asked about happenings in the outside world. He had once been to Waterdeep, but had been more a traveler in the Greenfields between Baldur's Gate and Cormyr. Koron-Tor was an inventor – an artificer – yet unable to work out a means to escape the island, and so had adapted to his adopted home, which seemed to entertain him as a survival challenge.

With hope this native might assist in the perilous quest to find the magical pool at the island’s center, the party shared the story of their Geas.  This pool being the first of three needed to restore the enchantment to the navigation book, and then two other isles to be found – perhaps nearby. Unaware of anything beyond the wall of mists, Koron-Tor had no such advice – but on this island, he was all-in on a dangerous adventure.

The party had experience with some of the plant threats the centaur described – Gulthias Trees, Blights, and assassin vines, but others were new to them, cat-like tangles, monstrously large flowers, spores and pollen inducing sleep and hallucinations, great walkers as the ents of the High Forest, but wicked. Interestingly, the centaur noted a very rare sight within the jungle – apparently able to survive on its own – was a creature conventionally believed to be a myth, and seemed to be the sole inhabitant of the plant’s domain: the blindingly quick one-horned rabbits called the Almiraj.

Koron-Tor was eager for morning to allow him to demonstrate a great invention to assist in the party’s quest to reach the mountain spire at the island’s center – whose summit disappeared into the dome of clouds. As the gloomy dawn chased shadows, a roaring sound awoke the group – not from a creature, but an enormous contraption of varied materials – wood, iron, stone, canvas – with fire and steam around an egg-like center, wheels to its sides, a harness behind in which the centaur was strapped – and at its front three great blades swinging slowly, bound to wheels.

Moving the machine forward with his harness, and engaging levers, Koron-Tor’s “Lon-Moor” (named for the ship on which he had traveled, from whose parts he had built the device), the great axe, scythe, and glaive attached spin with such speed as to become sharp-edged discs.   Easily maneuvering these in direction and angle, the vegetation before it had no chance, and he carved a road-wide path through the thicket of trees, bushes, vines and easily slaughtered the occasional encounter with more mobile creatures, who generally fled on hearing even the sound of the Lon-Moor.

A mere half-day’s trip allowed the party to reach the foot of the great spire, where Koron-Tor left the group, indicating they need only signal by fire and he would return to pick them up. He then returned to his tower, as the party looked to scale the spire by their own means.  Pursued by vines and the tiger-like creatures, the party confronted the carnivorous plants on a landing of the steep mountainside, forcing them back sufficiently to ascend to the thundering spout of the summit. There - as foretold - before the rim from which the Drowning Mists erupted, stood a stelae from which a trickle of crystal clear water filled a small rocky basin.

As Belcoria submerged the book in the waters, pigments flowed into patterns restoring some of its writing - yet the book remained dry when extracted. The deafening steam-engine roar behind slowly declined into silence as this steam volcano calmed into dormancy. As the party descended the steep incline, at times sliding for hundreds of feet, the edges of the bubble enclosing the island faded away. The Drowning Mists, for a time at least, evaporating in the heat of the sun. Surveying the surrounding waters, a lone feature commanded attention: an enormous ink-black blot to the south which reached shadow into even the clearing afternoon sunlight. Within the restored writing, Oogway found a fresh entry describing this island, mostly with details already discovered, but also lending it a name: “Insalubria”. Only the name of the chapter to follow was revealed - a name surely suiting the curious darkness: "Penumbria".

Lighting the signal fire, Koron-Tor and his Lon-Moor sliced through the jungle to retrieve the party and return them to the beach settlement. On reaching the beach, the group that had reached Insalubria's summit discovered a disorienting inability to focus when looking anywhere but toward Penumbria, all else no better than their peripheral vision. Whether this was a compulsion of the Geas or some other magic was unknown, but surely it made clear what would be the next destination. Unfortunately, Djennie suffered a further dizziness she could not shake - and with the centaur's assistance, returned to the Scaley Eye.

Penumbria: The Shadow Border

To reach the enshadowed island to the south, the party would have to cross a span of water so thick with aquatic growth as to be impossible to navigate by boat, yet (perilously) traversable by walking. Each step sunk some inches into the muck, but the buoyancy of the kelp providing this making travel easier than past swamp travel, such as the in the Mere of Dead Men. Belcoria, Oogway, Tallon, and Willow trekked forth upon this strange terrain toward the shadowland.

Departing at dawn, travel took only a day, and dusk blended seamlessly with the darkness of this second island. The thickness of the sea foliage prevented crashing of waves, but the shoreline could hardly be more hostile: shards of dark crystal jutted at severe angles narrowing to deadly-sharp points, longer than pikes and hard as stone. Waves driving anything into these would surely be devastating!  To move inland in this darkness seemed too great a risk, particularly being tired and unfamiliar with other dangers. Finding a small niche, the group set watch schedule and planned to rest until dawn. Eerily, in the span of the night not a sound intruded but an occasional gently breeze, which might include a tinkling of crystal shards - but no sounds of creatures, not even an insect - absent the wind, the silence rang like deafness. Toward the isle's center, at times, a faint blue glow might wink for a moment now and again.

Dawn beneath this shadowy-dome was very odd - while it remained as darkest night beneath stars upon that jagged shore, the sunlit sea beyond merely became fuzzy - appearing less and less distinct with the rising sun until nothing but a dull colorless border. Walking out of the shadow-dome, a sudden shift to brilliant light caused one to squint, overcome with its brightness - but stepping back within, the darkness of midnight defied the sun's rays. The air remained moist, as any windless shoreline - and those tropical waters turned what might be the chill of an eternal night to instead more of a clammy cool. 

Despite the need to climb around the spikes and carefully avoid their edges and points, travel along the shoreline proved easier than the muck of the kelp-choked waters. Oogway's Unknown familiar, with keen Blindsight, proved an exceptional guide selecting a safe-ish path. Studying as they clambered through the terrain, Tallon pronounced the island's stone to be "corrupted glass" - not quite the volcanic glass obsidian, not quite stone or mineral either. Little more than an hour along, a faint tapping could be heard, and moving toward the sound, the perilous landscape slowly became tamed with stonework the barbarian-craftsman assured was clearly that of Dwarven making. The paths here allowed a slightly safer approach inland, and with care the party found its way past what now could be seen to be a ring of the violent stone spikes around a flat plain until, like the prior island, a sudden rise at the island's center - indistinct and its shape only hinted by moving it against the stars beyond. A ring of stelae circled, just as the stones on Insalubria, inscribed with runes subtly glowing a soft blue, no doubt warning - and warding something, as before. Within this border, the silence loomed until a brief weak breeze might shift some of the brittle broken glass underfoot. Despite that silence, shapes moved - often like a flock of birds would, but only a dance of shadow.

Light cast by lanterns ended suddenly at this border, as if against an invisible wall. Oogway was the first to test walking beyond the stones, suffering bloody wounds and a penetrating cold from unseen attackers.  Belcoria called forth Light upon her shield and tested entry beyond the stone circle, finding almost instantly the globe to become pitted at its edges, then crumble further within - ever toward its center, and indeed upon lending no space between her and the tightening grip of darkness - a sudden assault by what felt like a swarm of icy and wicked daggers. Retreating behind the stelae, the attack came to an end. Facing this shadow border, the horrific flock continued to linger with persistent bloodthirsty intent, as might a hungry pacing carnivore within a cage.  Though fiercely malevolent, all watched with fascination at the complex beauty of its movements against the star-filled sky - protected by the rune-carved enchantments. The sense of being watched first brushed the back of Willow's senses, and she spun, arrow drawn as her companions turned as well, to face a single figure: an unarmed and unarmored dwarf with skin and hair the pale colorlessness of the face of the moon.

She introduced herself, in Dwarvish, as Dorrorilli /dor-ROR-ili/ Strongtoes and offered the party the hospitality of King Doramric Shardspine (after a polite-turned-enthusiastic exchange of words with Tallon). The barbarian "dwarf" explained, smugly, that her great-auntie Wattotalsia /wot-tot-TAL-see-uh/ Bristlehips had told of a prophesy of a dwarf touched by the Unknowns. (And waited expectantly for the others to finally take seriously his childhood tale.) Escorted by a very much armored-and-armed guard named Dodgrub Boneroot, a cleverly concealed opening into a descending shaft led deep, deep beneath the island to a great cavern lit throughout by an expanse of glowing fungi on its ceiling far above - and flickering glass devices placed by design: the hidden Sunless Kingdom of Duradorm /dur-RA-dorm/. A host of the albino-skinned dwarves (whose beards ranged from wispy white to at their darkest a smoky gray) offered a welcoming feast - with a curious overtone of eager expectation regarding their guests.

After a bland-to-bitter banquet of various roots, mushrooms, mold, and brewed beverages, the tales from the king and his court seemed to easily take form in the party's imagination - perhaps trippy properties of the food and drink to which the natives had become accustomed. This proved benign, no ill intent, and perhaps even a little pleasant at times as wondrous stories and hilarious escapades were shared. Such receptiveness and inclusion was strong when the clan's seer, a woman-dwarf of great age named Wurwirhurd /wur-WHIR-herd/ Cracklehorn retold the prophesy previously introduced to Tallon by Dorrorilli. This tale clearly suggested the four visitors to have come to the island as foretold with the titles of:

• the Sky Dwarf - storm-friend and giant-kin
• the Pod Child - sea-seeker and armor-born
• the Star Queen - light-bringer and avenger
• the Tree Speaker - life-restorer and forest-child

With uncanny likeness to Tallon, Oogway, Belcoria, and Willow - the Pod Child would bring from afar the Sky Dwarf, who would bring to the Sunless Kingdom the Star Queen, who would free the surface of darkness, where the Tree Speaker would return life to the island. And this might be all well-and-good in that it would seem to fit the intent of the party's quest, but this did not help to offer a solution to the horrific monstrosities between the stelae and the island's center. Waved away as "mere details" to discuss later, the dwarves encouraged continuing the tales, music, and dancing - for hope itself had long been as rare as the sun's warmth in this place.

Tracking time had become a challenge for the dwarves without the sun. An attempt at a waterwheel clock had been made, but the inconsistent flows of the subterranean stream put its accuracy into question. The lore was that a migration long ago had found them in this place, but an accident of some sort led to the nightmarish situation on the surface. Thousands - perhaps millions of shadow-formed creatures swarmed the darkened landscape, choking out even the most miniscule of life, so ravenously hungry they would even devour light.  This was what had been experienced with Belcoria's Light.

At the center of the island, upon the wind-eroded volcanic column, stood a tower fortress which once hosted a beacon at its top - like a lighthouse. This had once countered the flood of darkness and dark things at nightfall, but its light had dimmed and vanished over time, allowing such an invasion from the island's many cracks-between-worlds as to push back even the light of day. The stelae came to life at this time. They had been in place even in the earliest records and folklore - but their power to contain the shadows, inscribed in the glowing runes, fully awakened in that eternal light.

But the dwarves of Duradorm had maintained tunnels deep beneath the surface. These seemed free of intrusion from the dark things so long as they remained below the sea. Perhaps some power of the sea deities prevented their entry, perhaps some other warding of unknown origin from the Underdark, but regardless - these remained safe for travel. One tunnel could bring the party to the foot of the stairs climbing to the tower, but a source of light to hold back the swarms would still be required.  For this, Belcoria demonstrated Novastrike's power to call upon "anarórë" (Elvish: dawn) - repeatedly, renewing its light and protection. 

Wurwirhurd's prophecy agreed with the intent of the party's Geas to restore the book - but implied there would be more necessary if successfully reaching the tower. She also gifted to Tallon what seemed to be a Horn of Valhalla, able to call upon the souls of fallen warriors as allies. Additionally, the room at the end of the tunnel was where a particularly wicked form of the dark-things nested - shadow-beasts they had named Forvalaka. Dedicated to their quest, our party thanked the dwarves for their advice and assistance and moved through the tunnel, rising to the great door to the room - weapons ready for the battle and the race to reach the lighthouse (where hopefully its beacon could be restored.)

These Forvalaka proved frighteningly quick, but had substance and could bleed - woundable even if killing them was difficult as they healed like trolls. With fire, light, and lightning these were pushed back - ultimately punching a hole to escape when Tallon blew the Horn of Valhalla, calling upon wraithlike berserkers and adding Skysplitter's Chain Lightning to surge through the mob. But just as the last berserker winked out - Tallon and Oogway vanished: swallowed up into the Horn, now bound to it for battle. Willow snatched up the item, and she and Belcoria - close within Novastrike's globe of light, dashed up the stairs hewn of stone and curving around the tower's base. Belcoria called upon anarórë again and again as the shadow-devoured edges of the protective light neared the two (the druid Wild Shaped into the form of a chipmunk, to remain small and close within) on their ascent.

Upon entering the tower itself, the assault of the dark things came to an end. Once more experiencing a tomb-like stillness and silence so great their footfalls, breath, and even heartbeats able to echo across the stone vaults as they climbed the stairs. Within the chamber beneath tower's apex, a still pool of water sat in a basin, sparkling as if the night sky itself. But a sense of urgency - or duty compelled them to reach the top. The walls of the tower's pinnacle were formed of shaped crystal, distorting light, reflecting and refracting and giving the room an eerie sense of space and shape. The acoustics of the room would ceaselessly echo the most recently-spoken word - its last so soft a whisper it could not be discerned. A shining-but-dim sword occupied the room's very center, mounted as if held aloft by a golden arm rising from the floor - which was inlayed with a depiction of a many-winged being. 

Grasping this weapon, the sword "spoke" to Belcoria, not in words but in knowledge. Understanding the deed required, the paladin placed the handle of her beloved Novastrike in the golden hand and spoke one last time "anarórë" - and the room burst into blindingly bright light, the word echoing over and over again. The lenses of the walls reflected, refracted, amplified, and projected its radiance across the island, followed by the unearthly howls of pain and fear and destruction of uncountable shadow-invaders. Willow and Belcoria's sight slowly returned and they could now look out upon the entirety of the island's desolate landscape, gnawed free of the most miniscule of life. In several places, cracks in the surface remained ink-dark - the gates between this world and the one of the shadow terrors. But the light of this tower would prevent entry. 

The knowledge learned by the high elf was this sword she would now adopt to be a somewhat "tired" weapon once of legendary power: a Holy Avenger. The pinnacle weapon of paladins - but she still sighed as she looked fondly upon Novastrike. Turning attention to the quest, she joined Willow at the basin in the room below, where the half-elf had bathed the book in the pool and as its writing flowed into restored state, they knew they would be one step closer to the end. Lifting the book from the pool, the waters raised and flowed out to numerous pipes in the tower walls - cascading down and eventually outward upon the barren lands. The ranger-druid knew what she must then do as Tree Speaker, and requested they eat and rest before she would employ the potent (8-hour) ritual form of Plant Growth to return life to the island from whatever seeds had endured over time.

Returning down the stairs and to the dwarves (who now found themselves poorly-adapted for this new brightness), the heroines received great cheers and deepest thanks to the Star Queen and Tree Speaker - soon followed by grave apologies for the (so-claimed) ignorance of the curse upon the Horn of Valhalla that was now the "home" of the Pod Child and Sky Dwarf. Reviewing the new writing within the book before departing once more - the final island was revealed to be a land of giant beasts bearing the name Ophidia.

Ophidia: The Kingdom of Lizards

Approaching this island, watching expectantly for beach inhabitants, it is with little difficulty a settlement is spotted - including tiny plumes of smoke from cooking fires. And a gathering of these even stand upon the beach waiting in greeting - tiny children hopping excitedly and wearing brightly-colored robes. Reaching these people and instantly embraced with an enthusiastic welcome, Willow and Belcoria, bearing the cursed Horn of Valhalla (with Tallon and Oogway trapped within), found these natives to be unlike any race in their recollection. They had the size and faces of Halflings, but thinly covered by long hairs that floated into a fuzzy wrap - on end as hair might sometimes rise in the static of storms. This gave them an almost egg-like appearance, with twinkling eyes and kind faces of the Hobbit-Halfling race -- but on speaking exposing stubby pointed teeth, reminding more of Goblins.

While the colorations of the adults' fur looked much like the hair colors of most humanoid races, the fuzz on wee children was bright yellow - giving them the uncanny resemblance of chicks, but for lack of beak and claws. Eyes of these children peered impossibly large and heart-melting (think: ultimate anime).  It appeared the adolescents took on the colors of the adults, but with a showy ability to alter the colors - creating patterns or even camouflage.  Adults seemed to either have lost this ability or chose not to perform such frivolous acts. Unfortunately, another characteristic of the adults was a truly terrible body odor - fortunately, their cooking was fragrant and helped mask the smell, though not overly appetizingly. 

Their language used bits of common and goblin and other words - but was so simple as to enable basic exchanges without much difficulty, though feeling as if speaking with simpletons - even verging on what would be considered insulting in even the smallest of villages back home. The most capable communicators were a mated pair named Banazir and Li-SAT-troo-die (Lisatrudi) Berrybottom, who seemed to be considered brave hunters, and answered questions as able, while peppering the visiting women with dozens of questions from the others. Much like the previous islands, stone stelae encircled the interior here, and these once more created an important barrier. A great jungle formed the interior, inhabited by terrifying giant lizards and "tasty" insects. Lizard meat could be plentiful when found, but spoiled quickly and was tolerated, while insects, fruits and roots the source of enjoyable flavor. Hunting and gathering consisted of devious traps and rope-tied spears and arrows pulling back prey and harvest as if fishing from the "safe side" of the stelae - or occasionally finding outward-grown vegetation or a creature somehow finding its way out. Upon reaching the limits of Berrybottom knowledge, the ranger-druid and paladin were granted a meeting with the Elders.

The feathered headdresses of the five elders had patterns and colors unlike any birds known even to Willow. When later asked, these were explained to be taken from the terrible lizards - though what might constitute a "lizard" to these people now put all the translation into question. Indeed speaking with the Elders became awkward and frustrating in long pauses between each side attempting to interpret. Many of the same questions asked and answered between the elvish women and these folk were repeated, but with perhaps more caution on both sides. Elder Erubul Rumblebelly, so fat as to seem completely round, eventually drew the diplomacy of the conversation to a point confirming there was indeed a pool at the island's center for this quest - but any trying to get there would surely end such a journey within the belly of a great beast. He was countered by Preclasia Bramblethorn, who had so far spoken rarely, softly, and only to her own kind. She now proclaimed, with the airs of being some sort of seer, "tall-warriors here, bring maybe-end land-inside-dangers, night-sky-eyes see". Perhaps another prophesy? Reading the stars?

Through the night, roars of the great beasts heard distantly in the daytime grew nearer and certainly sounded both huge and fearsome - while not quite that of a dragon, footfalls very much bore the low tremor-thud of creatures of dragon-size. But none came through the foliage beyond the dark stelae.

The following morning, Preclasia and her attendants led Willow and Belcoria to the hut of a witch-like crone introduced as Adda Cluebaker. The interior of the hut bore a scent that numbed sense of smell and taste almost instantly. Her words were among the most difficult to exchange, her eyes sharp with intellect chased by madness, and her manner insistent - perhaps even "bossy" (even toward Elder Preclasia). Hundreds of bats hung from the hut's roof, tiny heads turning to always look in the same direction as Adda - an eerie and chilling effect. Noting Willow's scrutiny of these beasts, contemplating the politeness of Speak with Animals in such a situation, Preclasia cautioned, "Adda life-protect sky-brood", nodding toward the flying mammals, "night-sky-eyes know-land-beyond-stones must-obey Adda-tellings - you-like-brood, you-make-change tribe safe-free".

Scurrying through filthy holes into the earth, returning with leaves, skins, roots, viscera, fluids, and the like, Adda worked to form a sort of paste as best translated "Gucklemuck" and scooped into four skin-sacks, each larger than a young - whatever these fuzzy creatures were. She then painted the skins with an oil that could be nothing other than the source of the numbing, its potency now so strong within the hut as to nearly suffocate - and forcing all but Adda to find fresh air outside. Emerging with the sacks, wild eyes and toothy-grin, Adda handed each of the elvish women two sacs, instructing: "terrible-beasts roar-bite Gucklemuck - angry-making, tall-warriors fool-open" - then waiting on reluctant nods of vague understanding the paste might lure the island's beasts into attack, she continued, "tall-warriors water-follow stone-hut land-heart - Gucklemuck-feed stone-shape stone-mark Gucklemuck Gucklemuck", gesturing to wipe the paste on what might be taken for stone carvings or statues discovered at the island's center - as found by following upstream (the island lacked the peak of the others, but seemed to have the same shape of its center being raised from its coastline.)

Each side seemingly satisfied with there being a plan, even if lacking in understanding the whats, whys and hows of it all - Belcoria and Willow passed through the stelae and into the jungle, exchanging a glance as a chill flashed up their spines at this boundary. Something in that moment concerned Willow, though she would not recall the detail until later. Willow also noted the forests were thick with all sorts of birds and mammals - except for being slightly duller colors and simpler-shaped, not so different than her home in the High Forest. Odd that the fuzzy-folk's story so focused on great lizards and giant insects.

The trickling stream widened for a while, becoming more of a marsh - and only a swamp-ranger's expertise detecting the upstream flow needed to navigate. Within this marsh they encountered the first of the great beasts (Dinosaurs). Longer than Venomfang, the creatures moved with a slow confidence - long necks balanced by long tails as the beasts fed upon plants, showing no sign of concern or interest. Gargantuan herbivore Sauropods, whose treads on finding firm ground, sounded a dull thunder. Further along, dozens of two-legged lizards, parts colored with bright feathers coursed past with great speed - curiosity rapidly turning to fleeing the unknown threat of the warrior-women. These swift creatures moved together more a flock than a herd or pack, a smooth and somewhat beautiful pattern - and darted opposite the direction of a sudden roaring ahead.

Willow stiffened and signaled Belcoria halt and ready weapons. Listening and watching, the half-elf whispered, "we are surrounded" - tipping her head toward shifts in the foliage to the front, one side, and flanks. Bursting from the front, then darting back - drawing attention and Belcoria's attack, a bipedal lizard with sharp claws feigned, bringing the flanking attacks of its pack - and this time it was most certainly a pack. Familiar tactics to Willow Wolf-friend, she was ready and fended off the ambushers. Back-to-back the women warriors confronted a half dozen scytheclaws (Velociraptors). Trusting her instincts, the druid called forth Animal Friendship, fascinated by these creatures that seemed so wolf-like in behavior. Responding just as she would expect her wolf-kin, the hunter-lizards relaxed their stance and tipped their heads. Following with Speak With Animals and exchanging brief introductions, the two-now-eight continued toward the bellowing clamor.

Carefully, stealthily (at least as best managed by a Willow-aided-Belcoria) they came upon a confrontation between two titanic lizards at the edge of the forest - one dragon-like fang titan (Tyrannosaurus Rex), but lacking wings while the other solid and armored macetail (Ankylosaurus), swinging a hardened tail defensively.

The friendly scytheclaws held back, far outclassed and expressing desire to flee from "Gnasher". Belcoria then committed to choosing a side in the battle and charged Gnasher the fang titan, holy avenger aloft and calling upon her Provocation fighting talent. She delivered smiting slashes to the beast, whose angry response led to a vicious (natural 20) bite-and-swallow-whole. With her friend inside, Willow was now forced to change tactics from her piercing arrows, changing the Feyhawk Bow-Staff to quarterstaff, and not pressing her just-made friendship with the scytheclaws called upon the forest's skrats to attack with the Druid spell Squirrel Legion.

Descending upon Gnasher from all sides, the fast-moving, biting swarm of fur and teeth proved a great distraction. The macetail delivered a swift blow to the predator's leg before lumbering off in retreat, as the tip of a sword protruded from its belly and began to slice, the paladin cutting passage for air to breathe and a means to escape. Among the tiny crushed bodies, Willow fought in close range until Shillelagh staff, skrat tooth and claw, and Belcoria's holy avenger (slicing her free from the insides) finally brought Gnasher to the ground.  As the surviving skrats returned to the forest, hungry scytheclaws emerged - eager to feed upon the fresh kill. Meanwhile, a blood-soaked Aeldyr high-elf did her best to wash the gore from her armor, gear, skin and hair.

With the full-bellied pack as escorts, the remaining travel upstream unfolded without incident - slowed only by Willow's fascination with so many creatures never before seen or even imagined in campfire tales. Though no steep peak as in Insalubria or Penumbria, the center of Ophidia could not be mistaken. The jungle and numerous streams flowed outward from this gentle rise of the island, like the center of a rounded shield. Shaped stones bore eons of weathered wear and a silent reverence in hallowed ground - the elf-women could feel the presence of an ancient power in this place. The markings matched those carved into the stelae. Figures among the shapes were humanoid but not recognizable as any particular race.

At the very center, a stone pool drew cold clear water from a hole beneath, overflowing into crumbled channels that radiated outward and formed some of the streams flowing out and out to the seashore. Arms upraised, a worn statue knelt beside the pool, its head tipped toward the eastern sky. Here, the book was submerged into magical waters, now completely restored of its lost pigments and lore. The only remaining deed in the Geas of Candlekeep: return the book to the library. But there were still other needs to accomplish...

Primal Ubtao

The two considered then the sacs of Gucklemuck and their instructions from the fuzzy-folk witch, shrugging in agreement there was no hurry to unleash the foul-stench upon this place. Belcoria began to read the completed book, seeking clues regarding the legendary Dragon Turtle, whose name she learned to be "Tuanati Ki'iato A'Tuan Ko'ilohiki" -- which included similarities with the name Oogway had given to his patron: "Great A'Tuin". Willow meanwhile climbed atop a stone stelae, studying the beasts of the strange land - that she might gain their forms in her druidic power to Wild Shape. Both became consumed in a patient calm and oblivious to the passing of some hours, the sun even seemed to slow its pace in this place - offering a warmth countered by a gentle steady breeze that wrapped them in a timeless comfort free of sweating, of impatience, even of thirst or hunger.

At one point breaking each from their meditations, Willow called to her friend, "They're the wicked ones, Bel. The fuzzy-folk." The paladin tipped her head, curiously, as the ranger-druid continued, "The markings when we passed through the stelae. They were inside-looking out. The other two islands' carvings were on the outside. I think they wanted us to desecrate this place. And then probably free them to do gods-know what awfulness here. This place is wild yes, but it's not hostile like the others." At this, the high-elf merely smiled and nodded, contently agreeing, and returning to her reading. The half-elf returned to watching the lands from her stone perch.

Without any suddenness, gradually merging with the women's inner voice of their own thoughts, and similarly trusted, a dialogue began with a being somehow related to this place, but evading any need for a name or even curiosity into its identity - at least in these moments.  The book contained references to regional legends reaching the Dawn Age, which later suggested this might be an avatar or similar entity connected with the deity called Ubtao, one claiming Chult as its domain - apart from the other gods of Faerûn or even the stranger gods of wider Toril. 

Answers at times preceded questions being asked. Questions seemed to form in vague wonderings rather than requiring the shaping of language. Realizations emerged in their minds during this pause in time, perhaps their actions having proven the elvish women worthy to the power of this place. Only at the end of this wordless, soundless, spirit-touching communion were words pronounced: "WHAT IS YOUR WISH?" (And repeated until asked thrice - though the personal dialogues and scattered thoughts made the responses to both the questions and those answers unclear!) But as a result of all these moments, unfolding and comprehended along the return, were the following:

1. A conch shell now in Belcoria's possession can awaken Tuanati-blahblahblah - this should be done from aboard a ship while on the edge of the impassible sea of kelp.
2. The holy avenger sword was now fully restored and could be returned to the tower of light to ward off the shadows, allowing Belcoria to reclaim Novastrike.
3. Belcoria would never require even elvish semiconscious meditation for long rests, so long as she remained under 6 hours of starlight.
4. Willow's plants growing across Penumbria would, in time, close the world-cracks and seal away the shadow gates.
5. Willow's mind now contained sufficient knowledge of a number of these "Dinosaurs" to take their forms in Wild Shape.
6. As with her Ranger's Companion (Shadow), Willow's Wild Shape capabilities would be based on her total levels rather than the level of the subclass.
7. Oogway and Tallon would gain selective entry into the Horn of Valhalla, rather than being compelled to do so. A comfy time-and-space pocket for travel.
8. Oogway gains 13th level (one 7th level spell - Crown of Stars).
9. Tallon's Thunderseeker works on all attacks while raging, can reclaim Hew, and use this power and give back Skysplitter.
10. The steam volcano on Insalubria will once more erupt within the Tenday, returning the Drowning Mists to the region.

Stepping beyond the stelae, returning once more to the island's outer coastline, the fuzzy-folk no longer bear that appearance to the party. They appear instead as colorful (poison dart frog) bullywugs, which Belcoria recognizes from a reference in the restored book as "Grung" - who seem to have employed a powerful suggestive illusion toward their other appearance.

There are many of these Grung, and uncertain of their intent or capabilities, the group does its best to pretend not to notice, while keeping distance from what might be toxic skin. Additionally, Elder Preclasia Bramblethorn has yet another appearance: a cobra's head upon a Grung body - some form of Yuan-Ti, which the book warned as one of the greatest dangers across Chult. 

(See also: Dinosaur Manual)