Sutler Expedition: Difference between revisions

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The Sutler Expedition was an expedition into the jungles of Palmheart. It was led by Wyncit Sutler, who sought to explore the vast unmapped swathes of territory and learn more about the ancient Estorian empire--and its predecessors--that once populated the land.

Membership

Current Members

Brecca Greenstone - Female human paladin of Del'Braeth. Found wandering the jungle after being separated from her previous companions.
Mae Govannen - Female eladrin wizard of the Summer Court.
Makai - Male tortle cleric of Obad-Hai. Joined the expedition after being rescued from Camp Vengeance.
Tony Child - Male human bard. A skilled chef seeking new culinary experiences.
Wyncit Sutler - Male human bard/rogue. A student of history from Cimmer and expedition leader.

Former Members

Azaka Stormfang - Female human ranger, originally hired as a guide. She had a crippling fear of heights, and left after nearly falling into the void in the city of Moil. After being possessed by Ferranifer, she fell into the shadowy void beneath Moil.
Grunther - Male human fighter. Fell into the shadowy void beneath Moil.
Nilos Farfoot - Male halfling sorcerer. Devoured by crocodiles less than a week into the journey.
Talulah - Female tortle monk. A wanderer who occasionally accompanied them when their paths crossed.
Tika - Kobold found in Wyrmbane Mine. Recruited by Wincet and Brecca. Killed by trap in a shrine to Unkh in Omu
Zazoo - Female gnome ranger. Departed after receiving a mysterious message about her grandfather.

History

Arrival in Palmheart, Gedranh 2969

The Sutler Expedition began in the year 2969 when Wyncit Sutler, a young historian studying Estorium, learned that he was the illegitimate son of Prince Garin Sunflare of Palmheart. Wyncit sent a message to his grandfather, King Leardon Sunflare, who invited him to the capital of Terastra. Seeing an opportunity, Wyncit decided to explore the jungles of Palmheart and learn about the ancient empire of Estorium that once stood there. Joining him in this expedition were three adventurers: Nilos Farfoot, a halfling sorcerer seeking new inspirations for his painting; Tony Child, a human chef in search of exotic ingredients and recipes for new dishes; and Zazoo, a halfling ranger following in the footsteps of her own grandfather, Zook the giantslayer.

The first impediment on their journey came as they sailed into Port Norion, when a massive dragon turtle rose out of the water and demanded tribute in exchange for passage. While the captain negotiated, the adventurers gathered some of their valuables into a sack along with the other passengers. Once the dragon turtle deemed it sufficient, they heaved it overboard and it allowed them to continue to the port. While Wyncit sent a letter to his grandfather noting their arrival and alerting him to the dragon turtle's presence, his companions spent a few days exploring the town, stocking up supplies for the expedition, and scouting out potential guides who knew the jungle. Eventually they hired a human woman named Azaka Stormfang, who was willing to guide them for free in exchange for helping her retrieve a family heirloom - a wooden mask in the shape of a tiger - that had been stolen from her by the pterafolk of Firefinger. Plotting a course on the map, Wyncit decided that they would take a canoe up the Everflow river to the vicinity of Firefinger, after which they would cut east through the jungle to Terastra.

The journey started off calmly. A few days in they passed another expedition heading back to Port Norion. Soon after, they spotted a young red dragon flying overhead. After a week of river travel, they happened upon a burned-out encampment near a ruined shrine and decided to investigate. The camp appeared to have once belonged to followers of Pelor, but was long-abandoned. Azaka told them the shrine, built into a giant statue of a crocodile riding on a man's shoulders, was an ancient site known as the House of the Man and Crocodile, dedicated to a local myth about Crocodile carrying Man safely across the river, only for Crocodile to trick Man into carrying him throughout the realm of humans for many years in exchange. Inside they found the shrine filled with traps, and were forced to retreat when Wyncit was badly wounded. As they exited, however, they came under attack by a group of the local Batiri goblins, and fled further down the river in their canoes, but tragedy struck only hours later when a trio of giant crocodiles erupted from the water around them. They eventually managed to drive them off, but not before the reptiles had dragged Nilos from the canoe and devoured him. Sorrowfully, they continued east along the river.

The next day, when they attempted to make camp, they spotted a band of ghouls, reminding them that the jungle was still plagued by roaming undead from Tephra's attempted conquest a decade earlier. They were awakened the next morning by a giant constrictor snake looking to make a meal of them, but instead Tony cooked it for breakfast. Soon after they came upon another, more heavily-fortified camp, occupied by followers of Pelor. Their commander, Niles Breakbone, explained that they had come to Palmheart to battle the undead threat--a threat that, as far as he was concerned, included the citizens of Palmheart and their king. The camp the expedition had happened upon earlier was their first outpost, Camp Righteous, but they were forced to flee from an undead onslaught and established Camp Vengeance further upriver. Though they did not want for dedication, their camp was beset by both undead and disease and much of their time was spent tending to their sick and wounded, a task recently made easier when Makai, a tortle cleric of Obad-hai, was brought into their camp; though when Makai himself was questioned, he said the reality was that he had been taken prisoner and forced to heal them. Commander Breakbone declared that he was commandeering the expedition and their canoe, as the righteous cause of Pelor was far more important, and ordered them to several of their sick soldiers back to Port Norion along with a request for reinforcements. Wyncit agreed, but instead they took Makai, and the Pelorites' few surviving boats, and headed further upriver.

Return of the Lizard King, Adirnaan 2969

After passing through Ataaz Muhahah, the "Laughing Gorge" (so named because of the cries of monkeys echoing across the chasm walls), they were surprised when a group of bedraggled explorers wandered into their camp, weak and hungry. The expedition gifted them the extra boats they had taken from the Pelorites in order to get back to Port Norion. The next day, they started their trek inland towards Firefinger. Along the way they encountered axe beaks (which Tony cooked for dinner), some unusually fragrant flowers (which Tony used to season dinner), and hostile goblins (which nearly spoiled their dinner). Three days into their journey they saved some lizardfolk from a pair of giant spitting lizards. The lizardfolk explained that they were of the peaceful Zopchik Tribe, but had recently been attacked by the more warlike Akabkan Tribe, which had allied with the yuan-ti and was rumored to be led by a reincarnation of the ancient and powerful Lizard King. They joined the lizardfolk in their camp for the night, but in the morning the lizardfolk told them they had spotted a yuan-ti patrol nearby with Zopchik prisoners. The Sutler Expedition waiting for the bulk of the patrol to pass before ambushing their rear, rescuing the prisoners as well as taking one of the yuan-ti prisoner. One of the rescued lizardfolk spoke of having spent time trading with a village called Sunheart west of Terastra, but that the last time he was there he and his companions were rudely dismissed and nearly attacked; on their way back to their tribe, they were attacked and captured by the Akabkan and the yuan-ti, who spoke of sacrificing them for something called "the Coming."

Before they could question their prisoner, though, they realized that the rest of the patrol would soon realize what happened and turn around. Sending the prisoner back with the Zopchik, the expedition set prepared to ambush the returning patrol, only to be ambushed themselves instead. After successfully defeating their attackers, they returned to the Zopchik to question the yuan-ti prisoner. She explained that they once lived in an ancient city called Omu far to the southwest, but were driven out when a new leader, Ras Nsi, took control of their tribe. Now they have allied with the Akabkan tribe, joined in worship of the Demon Lord Sess'innek. The Akabkan leader, Kes'thak, was waiting for the yuan-ti to deliver a chemical mixture for some sort of ritual, though Startik knew nothing more about it. Concluding that they would likely learn more from Sunheart, they agreed to make it their next destination after Firefinger, being on the way to Terastra.

As they made their way through the jungle the next day, they came across a beleaguered human woman. She introduced herself as Brecca Greenwood, a paladin of Del'braeth, who had traveled into Estorium with a band of adventurers and set off into the jungle determined to find the source of the death curse. Sadly they were woefully unprepared, and after several days lost in the wilderness, her companions fled during a fight with a hungry beast. Hopelessly lost, and unable to find her companions, Brecca had wandered through the jungle, avoiding beasts and undead alike, until her food and water ran out, hoping to find someone before she died. Deciding that the Sutler Expedition seemed a lot more prepared than her previous companions, she decided to join them on their journey to Terastra.

Just before nightfall they arrived at Firefinger, a three-hundred-foot-tall spire of rock with an old signal tower at its top. Azaka recommended they climb under cover of darkness to avoid the attention of the pterafolk, hostile reptilian humanoids with leathery wings. Seeing the corpses of explorers who had been dropped from the spire littering the ground below, they felt inclined to agree. Climbing the ancient wooden ladders set into the side of the spire, they ascended through caves filled with giant spiders and stirges until they reached the pterafolk nest near the top. After dispatching the pterafolk within, they found an aarakocra shackled to the wall. He introduced himself as Nephyr, and explained he had been captured by the pterafolk while patrolling. As thanks for saving him, he urged them to visit his home of Kir Sabal to the southeast, near Lake Xoachtil, and petition their leader, Asharra, to perform a magical ritual to grant them the ability to fly. Atop the spire they found even more pterafolk in and around the signal tower, but with Azaka's help they dispatched them all. In among the treasures that the pterafolk had stolen from their victims was Azaka's tiger mask, which she immediately claimed. As thanks for their aid, she promised to continue guiding them under their expedition concluded.

They continued traveling to Sunheart over the next two weeks, during which time Zazoo befriended a pteranodon and trained it to allow him as a rider. When they arrived at Sunheart, it was immediately clear that something was wrong, as there seemed to be no people around the village. The first building they came upon was a stable, the doors sundered from the hinges, and when they passed five warhorses burst out, black ooze flowing from open wounds. The expedition was forced to kill the maddened beast, and inside they found the trampled body of a man. The stable was attached to a warehouse, in which they found a kettle filled with a noxious black liquid. Studying it, Tony was able to identify that it included many ingredients--some poisonous, some not--used to make magical concoctions. Wyncit, however, identified a more insidious component: demon blood. Heading directly to the hunting lodge at the center of the village, they found several people all huddled in the sitting room, staring blankly into the fire and largely non-responsive. What few words they did say seemed to be nonsensical ramblings. Outside, in one of the servant's quarters, they found a yuan-ti woman tied up beneath a bed. After they untied her she introduced herself as Salida, and largely confirmed Startik's story about being driven out of Omu by Ras Nsi. Unlike Startik, however, she did not believe that converting to the worship of Sess'innek was right and spoke out against it, and for that the Akabkan captured her with the intention of sacrificing her to Sess'innek in a some sort of grand ritual. Once she told them the location of the Pyramid of Sess'innek, where she was to be sacrificed, they let her go. Sensing the import of her information, Zazoo volunteered to fly ahead to Terastra and warn King Leardon.

As the others continued their exploration of the village, they came upon a building filled with alchemical equipment, with a team of alchemists feverishly working on something under the protection of a small number of guards. The alchemists sprayed them with caustic chemicals, causing them to retreat out of the village and make camp for the night while they pondered their next moves. The next day, they skirted the alchemists' workshop to a small wooden building with no windows and a sign on the door that read, "Danger! Do not enter!" They kicked in the door anyway, and found a mess of beakers, vials, and spilled alchemical reagents surrounding a woman frantically mixing something in a bubbling pot who demanded they all immediately leave unless they wanted to be blown up. Lowering their weapons they tried talking to her calmly, and she told them that she held a magical runestone that, with a simple command word, could be detonated to explode her entire workshop. Once they convinced her that they were neither going to hurt nor capture her, she lowered the runestone and introduced herself as Asric. Upon learning of Wyncit's relationship to Leardon, she agreed to explain what she was doing in exchange for an introduction and a promise that she would not be punished for her actions. She explained that she was a freelance alchemist who believed that certain compounds found in Estorium could be used to create fantastic alchemical creations, and that she made a deal with the Akabkan lizardfolk to get the components she required for her experiments, including demon blood. In return for the reagents, she agreed to mix a noxious black liquid that the lizardfolk required for some manner of ritual. She had asked about neither the source of the demon blood nor the details of the ritual, considering them to be none of her concern. The other alchemists, and their bodyguards, had simply been hired to assist her. As to the villagers, the lizardfolk had tested their concoction on some of them, and taken the rest prisoner. With her notes, they were able to mix up an antidote to cure those in the hunting lodge, while the other alchemists simply departed on their own.

As they made to leave, they were met by a trio of ghosts who introduced themselves as emissaries of Leardon sent to lead them to Terastra. The trip took them another week, during which time they encountered a wizard studying the undead as well as a group of druids tending to the jungles. They were also attacked by pack of velociraptors, of which they were able to subdue and capture three, hoping to sell them once they reached the city. Once they arrived, however, they learned that they weren't worth much, being too difficult to keep alive and too common for their meat to be considered a delicacy. While Azaka sold the raptors, the members of the expedition went to see the king, who greeted them warmly. After agreeing to employ Asric as one of his royal alchemists, hoping to give her a more positive environment for her experiments, he treated his grandson and his companions to a royal banquet. Afterwards, they told him of what they had found, and he urged them to go to the Pyramid of Sess'innek and put an end to whatever dark ritual the Akabkan were planning. As to Brecca's quest to end the death curse, he urged the expedition to seek its source during their explorations and, if possible, put an end to that as well. Sadly, Leardon also told them that Zazoo, after delivering his warning, had received a dire letter regarding his own grandfather and had departed to aid him. Finally, he asked to speak with Wyncit personally, informing the scholar that he was officially second in line to the throne of Palmheart. However, he also urged Wyncit not to have any unintentional children of his own, hoping to avoid a repeat of the situation of Wyncit's birth.

Dates

Year 2969

Day 1, 13th of Gedranh: Arrived in Port Norion
Day 5, 17th of Gedranh: Departed Port Norion by canoe
Day 12, 24th of Gedranh: Investigate Camp Rightous. Nilos is eaten.
Day 15, 27th of Gedranh: Camp Vengeance
Day 18, 30th of Gedranh: Find survivors of a prior expedition. Sent back to Camp Vengeance with their boats.
Day 20, 2nd of Adiraan: Camped out after goblin attack.
Day 21, 3rd of Adiraan: Encounter with Zopchick lizardfolk
Day 22, 4th of Adiraan: Many attacks by Akabkan lizardfolk
Day 23, 5th of Adirnaan: Meet Brecca, Firefinger that night
Day 35, 17th of Adirnaan: Arrive in Sunheart
Day 41, 23rd of Adirnaan: Arrive in Terastra

Year 2970

Day 49, 1st of Adinar: Tony tries to battle a flail snail
Day 54, 6th of Adinar: Return to the Temple of Sess-Innek. A demon lord may have been summoned.
Day 56, 8th of Adinar: Inform druids of Sess-Innek's arrival
Day 59, 11th of Adinar: Found some ruins populated by girallons.
Day 64, 16th of Adinar: Found a battlefield blasted by necrotic energy a decade ago. A deathlock wight tries to kill Brecca.
Day 67, 19th of Adinar: Nearly killed by a mind flayer
Day 69, 21st of Adinar: Arrival at Kir Sabal.
Day 72, 24th of Adinar: Enter Nangalore to find a black orchid. Petrify a medusa with her own gaze.
Day 75, 27th of Adinar: Return to Kir Sabal. Agree to cultivate the flower, return to Terastra, and travel to Omu on foot.
Day 82, 4th of Sebina: Tony's ladle is stolen by flying monkeys.
Day 83, 5th of Sebina: Arrive in Terastra.
Day 85, 7th of Sebina: Teleport to Rathna. Given directions to deal with a red dragon.
Day 94, 16th of Sebina: Brecca summons a hadrosaur mount named Hadley.
Day 98, 20th of Sebina: Arrive at Wyrmbane Mine.
Day 99, 21st of Sebina: Kill the red dragon Tinder.
Day 100, 22nd of Sebina: Tony finds dinosaur eggs and cooks a celebratory cake.
Day 103, 25th of Sebina: Find a dead mercenary, bitten in half by a tyrannosaurus. Take his contract.
Day 108, 30th of Sebina: Return to Rathna.
Day 110, 2nd of Acteus: Begin the journey to Omu.
Day 119, 11th of Acteus: Encounter a zombie tyrannosaurus, that regurgitates other zombies.
Day 122, 14th of Acteus: Arrive at Omu.
Day 123, 15th of Acteus: Enter Omu, meet Professor Orvex Ocrammas.
Day 124, 16th of Acteus: Orvex killed by a tabaxi hunter. Tika perishes due to a triggered trap in the shrine of Unkh. Talulah saves them from a yuan-ti ambush, and they discover the Cult of the Spider in Omu.
Day 125, 17th of Acteus: Froghemoth! Goblins! The King of Feathers passes in the night and Talulah slips away.
Day 126, 18th of Acteus: Discover the Tomb entrance, translate Omuan, and discover the Cult of the Spider is also hunting the cubes. Fight off the cult with the aid of Mae.
Day 127, 19th of Acteus: Enter the yuan-ti lair, start a slave revolt, parley with Fenthaza.
Day 128, 20th of Acteus: Confront Ras Nsi, get the final cube and ally him with Leardon.
Day 130, 22nd of Acteus: Meet with Aleria, enter the Tomb of the Nine Gods. Wyncit possessed by Moa, Mae possessed by Obo'laka. Wongo and Papazotl's tombs.
Day 131, 23rd of Acteus: Kubazan possesses Makai, Nangnang possesses Tony, I'jin possesses Tony, Nangnang possesses Brecca.
Day 132, 24th of Acteus: Belcorzh the Unseen, Unkh possesses Azaka. Napaka's tomb, Mirror of Life-Trapping, maze of death.
Day 133, 25th of Acteus: Paying the gargoyles, elemental cells, Yandt dies, Shagambi possesses Lukanu, Wongo possesses Zaal, Papazotl possesses the crazy Omuan.
Day 134, 26th of Acteus: The gears, Wyncit's stuff disintegrates.
Day 135, 27th of Acteus: Mechanic Chain, orrery, golden mammoth.
Day 136, 28th of Acteus: Skeleton Gate, Sewn Sisters. The Soulmonger is destroyed and the Death Curse ends.
Day 137, 29th of Acteus: Escape from the Tomb of the Nine Gods.
Day 138, 30th of Acteus: Ras Nsi dies, yuan-ti banished from Omu.
Day 139, 1st of Oberth: Lukanu slays the yuan-ti's hydra in front of the slaves to prove herself to them.
Day 142, 4th of Oberth: Return to Terastra.
Day 150, 12th of Oberth: Funeral for Queen Gremaka.
Day 151, 13th of Oberth: Garin Sunflare crowned King of Palmheart. Wyncit's clone takes the name Twynci.
Day 152, 14th of Oberth: Leardon asks for information on Acererak.

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ==History==
 [[File:Sutler Expedition Map.jpg|thumb|Wyncit Sutler's map of Palmheart]]
-The Sutler Expedition began in the year 2969 when [[Wyncit Sutler]], a young historian studying [[Estorium]], learned that he was the illegitimate son of Prince [[Garin Sunflare]] of [[Palmheart]]. Wyncit sent a message to his grandfather, [[Leardon Sunflare]], who invited him to the capital of [[Terastra]]. Seeing an opportunity, Wyncit decided to explore the jungles of Palmheart and learn about the ancient empire of Estorium that once stood there. Joining him in this expedition were three adventurers: [[Nilos Farfoot]], a halfling sorcerer seeking new inspirations for his painting; [[Tony Child]], a human chef in search of exotic ingredients and recipes for new dishes; and [[Zazoo]], a halfling ranger following in the footsteps of her own grandfather, [[Zook]] the giantslayer.
+===Arrival in Palmheart, Gedranh 2969===
+The Sutler Expedition began in the year 2969 when [[Wyncit Sutler]], a young historian studying [[Estorium]], learned that he was the illegitimate son of Prince [[Garin Sunflare]] of [[Palmheart]]. Wyncit sent a message to his grandfather, King [[Leardon Sunflare]], who invited him to the capital of [[Terastra]]. Seeing an opportunity, Wyncit decided to explore the jungles of Palmheart and learn about the ancient empire of Estorium that once stood there. Joining him in this expedition were three adventurers: [[Nilos Farfoot]], a halfling sorcerer seeking new inspirations for his painting; [[Tony Child]], a human chef in search of exotic ingredients and recipes for new dishes; and [[Zazoo]], a halfling ranger following in the footsteps of her own grandfather, [[Zook]] the giantslayer.
 The first impediment on their journey came as they sailed into [[Port Norion]], when a massive dragon turtle rose out of the water and demanded tribute in exchange for passage. While the captain negotiated, the adventurers gathered some of their valuables into a sack along with the other passengers. Once the dragon turtle deemed it sufficient, they heaved it overboard and it allowed them to continue to the port. While Wyncit sent a letter to his grandfather noting their arrival and alerting him to the dragon turtle's presence, his companions spent a few days exploring the town, stocking up supplies for the expedition, and scouting out potential guides who knew the jungle. Eventually they hired a human woman named [[Azaka Stormfang]], who was willing to guide them for free in exchange for helping her retrieve a family heirloom - a wooden mask in the shape of a tiger - that had been stolen from her by the pterafolk of [[Firefinger]]. Plotting a course on the map, Wyncit decided that they would take a canoe up the Everflow river to the vicinity of Firefinger, after which they would cut east through the jungle to Terastra.
@@ Line 28: / Line 29: @@
 The next day, when they attempted to make camp, they spotted a band of ghouls, reminding them that the jungle was still plagued by roaming undead from [[Tephra]]'s attempted conquest a decade earlier. They were awakened the next morning by a giant constrictor snake looking to make a meal of them, but instead Tony cooked it for breakfast. Soon after they came upon another, more heavily-fortified camp, occupied by followers of Pelor. Their commander, Niles Breakbone, explained that they had come to Palmheart to battle the undead threat--a threat that, as far as he was concerned, included the citizens of Palmheart and their king. The camp the expedition had happened upon earlier was their first outpost, Camp Righteous, but they were forced to flee from an undead onslaught and established Camp Vengeance further upriver. Though they did not want for dedication, their camp was beset by both undead and disease and much of their time was spent tending to their sick and wounded, a task recently made easier when [[Makai]], a [[tortle]] cleric of [[Obad-hai]], was brought into their camp; though when Makai himself was questioned, he said the reality was that he had been taken prisoner and forced to heal them. Commander Breakbone declared that he was commandeering the expedition and their canoe, as the righteous cause of Pelor was far more important, and ordered them to several of their sick soldiers back to Port Norion along with a request for reinforcements. Wyncit agreed, but instead they took Makai, and the Pelorites' few surviving boats, and headed further upriver.
+===Return of the Lizard King, Adirnaan 2969===
 After passing through Ataaz Muhahah, the "Laughing Gorge" (so named because of the cries of monkeys echoing across the chasm walls), they were surprised when a group of bedraggled explorers wandered into their camp, weak and hungry. The expedition gifted them the extra boats they had taken from the Pelorites in order to get back to Port Norion. The next day, they started their trek inland towards Firefinger. Along the way they encountered axe beaks (which Tony cooked for dinner), some unusually fragrant flowers (which Tony used to season dinner), and hostile goblins (which nearly spoiled their dinner). Three days into their journey they saved some lizardfolk from a pair of giant spitting lizards. The lizardfolk explained that they were of the peaceful Zopchik Tribe, but had recently been attacked by the more warlike Akabkan Tribe, which had allied with the yuan-ti and was rumored to be led by a reincarnation of the ancient and powerful Lizard King. They joined the lizardfolk in their camp for the night, but in the morning the lizardfolk told them they had spotted a yuan-ti patrol nearby with Zopchik prisoners. The Sutler Expedition waiting for the bulk of the patrol to pass before ambushing their rear, rescuing the prisoners as well as taking one of the yuan-ti prisoner. One of the rescued lizardfolk spoke of having spent time trading with a village called [[Sunheart]] west of Terastra, but that the last time he was there he and his companions were rudely dismissed and nearly attacked; on their way back to their tribe, they were attacked and captured by the Akabkan and the yuan-ti, who spoke of sacrificing them for something called "the Coming."
 Before they could question their prisoner, though, they realized that the rest of the patrol would soon realize what happened and turn around. Sending the prisoner back with the Zopchik, the expedition set prepared to ambush the returning patrol, only to be ambushed themselves instead. After successfully defeating their attackers, they returned to the Zopchik to question the yuan-ti prisoner. She explained that they once lived in an ancient city called [[Omu]] far to the southwest, but were driven out when a new leader, [[Ras Nsi]], took control of their tribe. Now they have allied with the Akabkan tribe, joined in worship of the Demon Lord [[Sess'innek]]. The Akabkan leader, [[Kes'thak]], was waiting for the yuan-ti to deliver a chemical mixture for some sort of ritual, though Startik knew nothing more about it. Concluding that they would likely learn more from Sunheart, they agreed to make it their next destination after Firefinger, being on the way to Terastra.
+As they made their way through the jungle the next day, they came across a beleaguered human woman. She introduced herself as [[Brecca Greenwood]], a paladin of [[Del'braeth]], who had traveled into Estorium with a band of adventurers and set off into the jungle determined to find the source of the [[death curse]]. Sadly they were woefully unprepared, and after several days lost in the wilderness, her companions fled during a fight with a hungry beast. Hopelessly lost, and unable to find her companions, Brecca had wandered through the jungle, avoiding beasts and undead alike, until her food and water ran out, hoping to find someone before she died. Deciding that the Sutler Expedition seemed a lot more prepared than her previous companions, she decided to join them on their journey to Terastra.
+Just before nightfall they arrived at Firefinger, a three-hundred-foot-tall spire of rock with an old signal tower at its top. Azaka recommended they climb under cover of darkness to avoid the attention of the pterafolk, hostile reptilian humanoids with leathery wings. Seeing the corpses of explorers who had been dropped from the spire littering the ground below, they felt inclined to agree. Climbing the ancient wooden ladders set into the side of the spire, they ascended through caves filled with giant spiders and stirges until they reached the pterafolk nest near the top. After dispatching the pterafolk within, they found an [[aarakocra]] shackled to the wall. He introduced himself as Nephyr, and explained he had been captured by the pterafolk while patrolling. As thanks for saving him, he urged them to visit his home of [[Kir Sabal]] to the southeast, near [[Lake Xoachtil]], and petition their leader, Asharra, to perform a magical ritual to grant them the ability to fly. Atop the spire they found even more pterafolk in and around the signal tower, but with Azaka's help they dispatched them all. In among the treasures that the pterafolk had stolen from their victims was Azaka's tiger mask, which she immediately claimed. As thanks for their aid, she promised to continue guiding them under their expedition concluded.
+They continued traveling to Sunheart over the next two weeks, during which time Zazoo befriended a pteranodon and trained it to allow him as a rider. When they arrived at Sunheart, it was immediately clear that something was wrong, as there seemed to be no people around the village. The first building they came upon was a stable, the doors sundered from the hinges, and when they passed five warhorses burst out, black ooze flowing from open wounds. The expedition was forced to kill the maddened beast, and inside they found the trampled body of a man. The stable was attached to a warehouse, in which they found a kettle filled with a noxious black liquid. Studying it, Tony was able to identify that it included many ingredients--some poisonous, some not--used to make magical concoctions. Wyncit, however, identified a more insidious component: demon blood. Heading directly to the hunting lodge at the center of the village, they found several people all huddled in the sitting room, staring blankly into the fire and largely non-responsive. What few words they did say seemed to be nonsensical ramblings. Outside, in one of the servant's quarters, they found a yuan-ti woman tied up beneath a bed. After they untied her she introduced herself as [[Salida]], and largely confirmed Startik's story about being driven out of Omu by Ras Nsi. Unlike Startik, however, she did not believe that converting to the worship of Sess'innek was right and spoke out against it, and for that the Akabkan captured her with the intention of sacrificing her to Sess'innek in a some sort of grand ritual. Once she told them the location of the Pyramid of Sess'innek, where she was to be sacrificed, they let her go. Sensing the import of her information, Zazoo volunteered to fly ahead to Terastra and warn King Leardon.
+As the others continued their exploration of the village, they came upon a building filled with alchemical equipment, with a team of alchemists feverishly working on something under the protection of a small number of guards. The alchemists sprayed them with caustic chemicals, causing them to retreat out of the village and make camp for the night while they pondered their next moves.  The next day, they skirted the alchemists' workshop to a small wooden building with no windows and a sign on the door that read, "Danger! Do not enter!" They kicked in the door anyway, and found a mess of beakers, vials, and spilled alchemical reagents surrounding a woman frantically mixing something in a bubbling pot who demanded they all immediately leave unless they wanted to be blown up.  Lowering their weapons they tried talking to her calmly, and she told them that she held a magical runestone that, with a simple command word, could be detonated to explode her entire workshop. Once they convinced her that they were neither going to hurt nor capture her, she lowered the runestone and introduced herself as [[Asric]]. Upon learning of Wyncit's relationship to Leardon, she agreed to explain what she was doing in exchange for an introduction and a promise that she would not be punished for her actions. She explained that she was a freelance alchemist who believed that certain compounds found in Estorium could be used to create fantastic alchemical creations, and that she made a deal with the Akabkan lizardfolk to get the components she required for her experiments, including demon blood. In return for the reagents, she agreed to mix a noxious black liquid that the lizardfolk required for some manner of ritual. She had asked about neither the source of the demon blood nor the details of the ritual, considering them to be none of her concern. The other alchemists, and their bodyguards, had simply been hired to assist her. As to the villagers, the lizardfolk had tested their concoction on some of them, and taken the rest prisoner. With her notes, they were able to mix up an antidote to cure those in the hunting lodge, while the other alchemists simply departed on their own.
+As they made to leave, they were met by a trio of ghosts who introduced themselves as emissaries of Leardon sent to lead them to Terastra. The trip took them another week, during which time they encountered a wizard studying the undead as well as a group of druids tending to the jungles. They were also attacked by pack of velociraptors, of which they were able to subdue and capture three, hoping to sell them once they reached the city. Once they arrived, however, they learned that they weren't worth much, being too difficult to keep alive and too common for their meat to be considered a delicacy. While Azaka sold the raptors, the members of the expedition went to see the king, who greeted them warmly. After agreeing to employ Asric as one of his royal alchemists, hoping to give her a more positive environment for her experiments, he treated his grandson and his companions to a royal banquet. Afterwards, they told him of what they had found, and he urged them to go to the Pyramid of Sess'innek and put an end to whatever dark ritual the Akabkan were planning. As to Brecca's quest to end the death curse, he urged the expedition to seek its source during their explorations and, if possible, put an end to that as well. Sadly, Leardon also told them that Zazoo, after delivering his warning, had received a dire letter regarding his own grandfather and had departed to aid him. Finally, he asked to speak with Wyncit personally, informing the scholar that he was officially second in line to the throne of Palmheart. However, he also urged Wyncit not to have any unintentional children of his own, hoping to avoid a repeat of the situation of Wyncit's birth.
 ==Dates==