Arrival in Port Nyanzaru and Pursuit into the Jungle

At the suggestion of Captain Bene, the group produced a sack and made a show of adding gold coins to it. Proffering the bulging sack to the dragon turtle, they dumped it overboard and watched as the giant creature submerged, with the Pink Pearl finally able to right its course to Port Nyanzaru.

At the city Captain Bene avoided the main harbor and entered the common docks in Tiryki Anchorage. After receiving payment from the company she stated that the Pink Pearl would likely be in port for several weeks. If they needed to travel to a location on the shores of Chult she was willing to offer them transportation for a modest fee while she secured enough cargo and crew to return to the mainland.

The group set out trying to find any news of the arrival of the Handmaiden and learned that the group of cultists arrived several days prior. During that time they were able to gather provisions for an expedition within the jungles. Interestingly the cult had gained the employment of a black market guide. All business and services were under the control of several merchant princes within Port Nyanzaru. Somehow the cultists managed to find and convince a non-guild guide to head their expedition. Following the same haunts that the cultists used through guile and a quick tongue, the group were able to secure the services of a pair of Tabaxi guides.

Going by River Mist and Flask of Wine, these independent guides knew the man hired by the cultists, and the likely region they would be heading. The area was known to have several ruins. They expected that a group of 40-50 men would be an easy trail if one knew the expected destination. The pair of cat humanoids made an offer for an equal share of treasure in exchange for guiding them through the jungles. The group decided it was a fair offer and accepted the contract.

The following day using canoes to skirt the shoreline, the group headed east and south entering a large river. Several days going up river, the group left the canoes and traveled east through swamps on foot. After nearly a week of travel the party found the trail of the cultists. The trail lead to a small set of ruins. There they made an arrangement to have River Mist and Flask of Wine wait nearby for several days until the company’s return.

The group entered the ruins and came across several cultists guards. They managed to take one prisoner that offered little information other than his comrades had entered the ancient complex several days ago. Both their leader, Frulam Mondath and Langdedrosa Cyanwrath were in a lead group that had been inside for most of the day. As the party explored further they came under ambush by guards several times, but found a path in the underground structure easy to follow. Ominously, they noticed some chambers had blood trails leading out towards the entrance. As if some cultists had met their demise and the corpses were disposed of nearby.

Steeling themselves they investigated further into the ancient ruins...

A Ship to Chult

The group was able to follow the trail of the cultists into the city. Some questioning of the locals and guards led them to the lower docks, as the cultists were apparently seeking passage on a ship. The main group of mercenaries accompanying the raiders sought drink and other forms of entertainment. The group gathered through conversation that the mercenary group was released from their contract, however they were not told of where their former employers were off too.

As some of the group sought more information on the final destination, others went to find any agents of the Order of the Gauntlet. Speaking with members of the order, the group spoke of their tale, the raid on Greenest, the ancient Tiamat temple and the kobolds they defeated, and the request from Ontharr Frume to find out more information. The Order of the Gauntlet agreed that discovering the final location of the cult and the baggage train of treasure was of importance. They asked the group to continue their mission and provided funds to help with any travel.

While this was happening the other members of the company were slipped a note from a street urchin. The parchment written in elvish had a brief message, ‘The Handmaiden to Chult. - Q.’ It seems as if Quel'thalas Silvermoon was able to continue his ruse of being a novice cultist and learned of the cult’s destination.

The group convened, making their way to the docks in haste, only to find that the ship had left. They decided to find their own passage to Chult and approached a Kellet Bene and her cutter, the Pink Pearl. She was willing to take them to Chult the following day. Her ship was a smaller craft and likely could catch up with the sluggish Handmaiden. She offered a fair price for passage but also made a stipulation that the party pay any taxes requested by the Chult harbormaster. The group agreed and spent a restless night preparing for their voyage.

Their two week voyage to Chult was not without incident. They were raided by sahuagin and further misfortune visited them. A brutal storm hit and Captain Bene felt it more prudent to alter course. Being a smaller ship compared to the Handmaiden, they likely could not traverse the pitched waves. Skirting the edge of the gale would mean added days to their journey, but they would not suffer the brunt of the storm.

Days later they made sight of the jungles of Chult. Miles of pristine beaches and thick carpets of green jungle forest lay before them. They saw mountains and fiery peaks jut from the deep canopies of rain forest, with the peaks slightly hidden from low rainclouds. Barely in the distance approaching the Bay of Chult they could make out Port Nyanzaru, with its array of brightly colored houses and twisting network of streets and alleys.

As the Pink Pearl sailed to the mouth of the bay the water churned. The ship pitched and rolled, buffeted by a monstrous dragon turtle that broke the water’s surface. Belching a cloud of steam the beast roared something in draconic over and over. Captain Bene leaned back against the ship’s wheel and waved her hand towards the beast. She offered a weary smile and said, ‘Time to pay the harbormaster’s tax.’

The Raider’s Camp and a Cultist Ruse

The company found the path of a hundred plus warriors and kobolds easy to track. They came across a group of warriors, kobolds, and a human that was bound. The party sprung to action, attacking the raiders, and when freed the human warrior joined in to slay his captors. He introduced himself as Kestor, employed by Ontharr Frume, and then found himself clasping the arm of Frinzbraun in recognition. Both of them were long lost friends from early adventures.

Kestor was at Greenest when it was under attack and among the group that Ontharr organized to follow the raiders when they retreated. They were ambushed by a rearguard that sought to take Ontharr Frume and himself back to the camp as prisoners. The rearguard split up and he fortunately had ended up with the rearguard stragglers.

The group followed the trail and came across a large camp of several crude leather hide huts. Nearly a hundred warriors, some clad in black leather armor and purple cloaks, were what looked like in a state of revelry. Among them were almost an equal number of kobolds, also drinking and feasting merrily. The group saw this as a likely opportunity to get closer and find out more information.

They successfully infiltrated the camp and were able to arrange the escape of Ontharr Frume who was severely beaten and injured. The group learned that many of the raiders were cultists under the leadership of Frulam Mondath, the woman they observed arguing with the dragon during the raid on Greenest. Aside from the cultists were kobolds and mercenaries throughout the camp nearing a total of 200 in all.

As the group made their escape from the camp, a messenger on horseback arrived. They entered the tent of Frulam Mondath and minutes later she came out with Langdedrosa Cyanwrath who was visibly agitated. The half-dragon Langdedrosa bitterly complained, ‘This is a task for underlings,’ and then set about orders to break camp. The raider camp bustled with activity as tents were taken down and gear readied for travel.

Most of the group took the opportunity provided with the sudden camp activity to escape. Unfortunately they were unable to also secure the release of a handful of villagers that were taken prisoner. Quel'thalas lingered though. Having made a successful ruse of being a new cultist recruit, he saw the opportunity to travel with the raiders and learn of their true purpose and destination. From afar the group saw the cultists pack up several wagons of treasure and make their way northwest.

Returning to Greenest as fast as possible. Ontharr Frume pleaded with the company to follow the cultists and determine where their destination. He offered a writ of support from the Order of the Gauntlet. He suggested they keep their distance but follow the cult members as long as possible, and when arriving at any major settlement, convey their findings to any member of the Order of the Gauntlet.

On horseback the group followed the baggage train of cultists and kobolds who made their way up the sword coast. Nearly a week later, a torrential rainstorm broke. The next day the group found that the kobolds had left, gone their own way, and taking a wagon of treasure with them. The company decided to follow the remaining 80 mercenaries and cultists with the remaining baggage train. A day later, still following the villains, they saw the mighty River Chionthar and the city of Baldur’s Gate before them.

The Raid of Greenest

Weeks on the road the company came upon Greenest just as the last tinges of dusk were slipping away. Columns of smoke and small fires were seen among the village homes and swarms of men and kobolds ran through the streets. Worse of all, a large blue dragon circled above occasionally swinging low over the village keep and blasting the keep with blue lightning.

The group snuck forward, helped some villagers, and joined them making haste to the defensive walls of the keep. Inside they met the governor of Greenest that requested the party do what they could to find other villagers and take them to safety. The keep’s master engineer told the party of a secret tunnel that was locked and used as a drain from within the keep that ran into the nearby stream.

Using the old tunnel the group was able to scurry out of the keep and direct many villagers to refuge. During this time they saw the dragon land and appear to have an agitated conversation with a black haired woman clad in dark armor with a billowing purple cloak. After the conversation the dragon flew off and the group could see more activity among the raiders, loading loot into carts.

As the hours dragged on it appeared the raiders were content to keep the city defenders sequestered away in the keep. Near dawn a tall half-dragon strode forth flanked by kobold warriors, announced himself as Langdedrosa Cyanwrath, and demanded a champion come out and fight him in single hand to hand combat. If the villagers failed to produce a warrior, he would slay village prisoners. Takari took up the challenge and after several rounds fell in defeat, unconscious. Cyanwrath held his part of the bargain though and released the village prisoners.

As dawn approached, and the raiders left the village. A wounded warrior stumbled up to the group claiming that he was with Ontharr Frume in the initial defense of the town near the temple. As the raiders left, Ontharr gathered a group of warriors to follow them. The governor let the group rest and had the wounds of Takari tended to. Mid-day he asked them to seek out the camp of the raiders, see what they were doing and report back to him. He would pay for this information and stressed that while information was essential, they not risk getting caught. The group gathered what reserves they had and steeled themselves to track the raiders.

Trouble in Terrelton

The split company had made arrangements to meet up in Terrelton, a small village in Elsir Vale. As they gathered in the town, rumors were abound that kobolds were seen nearby. This was confirmed by half the group that stayed at a farmer’s home the previous night, only to be attacked by a kobold scouting party. Visiting the village council, they heard a tale from a local huntsman that to have seen kobolds in a nearby ruin.

They were asked by the village council to investigate. They discovered an old ruined tower with a secret door leading to an underground series of chambers. Inside was one large room that served as some type of chapel to a stone dragon figure with 5 heads. Dispatching the kobolds the group stumbled upon evidence that other human bandits had resided in the tower ruins previously. Even more nefarious, it appeared that local council members were party to the activities of the dead highwaymen.

Aside from this was another mystery. Among the possessions of the kobold leader’s possessions was a note:

“Go forth and find the lost temple. Your warband must prove worth to the wyrmspeakers. - Langdedrosa Cyanwrath”

The group headed back to Terrelton with a sack of kobold ears and a small bone mask worn by the kobold arcanist leader. They also provided logbooks of stolen goods to the council, incriminating some of the members. The town’s cleric saw this evidence of wrongdoing and was able to convince the villagers to oust the council and reform with new leaders. The following day, several of the former guilty council members left town, sneaking off in the night.

The town cleric took special interest in the document found among the kobold leader’s things. She immediately suggested that they contact a colleague of hers, Ontharr Frume, a cleric of Tyr and a member of the Order of the Gauntlet. He currently was in Greenest, a village north of here and conducting religious scholarly work. He and the Order of the Gauntlet would be very interested in any activity of kobolds in the region that might be directed by followers of Tiamat.