He was stumped on the language and symbols depicted on the stone tablets, but knew of a visitor to Port Nyanzaru that might be able to decipher them. He arranged the group to meet Syndra Silvane, a human woman that hailed from Neverwinter. In her dwelling they came across a strange figure, a woman clothed in opulent flowing robes with velvet gloves and a face covered with a silver mask.
She looked at the charcoal impression that the group had made of the tablets and stated flatly that she could interpret the engravings given enough time. Her curiosity was piqued however and wanted to know how they came about the ancient writings. The group offered the entire tale of their adventures from Terrelton to Chult.
Syndra came forth with her own secret. She, along with everyone in Faerûn, was suffering from a magical curse. No one could be resurrected from the dead and even more distressing to many former adventurers, if one had been resurrected in the past, they were slowly dying. Her affliction was as if the magics which brought her back to life were slowly fading. She said this Death Curse was known to many and her connections with the Harpers indicated that within the heart of Chult, an answer could be found. A necromancer artifact called the Soulmonger was likely the cause. It was rumored to lay within the ruins of a lost city called Omu deep within the jungles.
She along with many other foreign agents have hired groups of adventurers to discover and recover this magical artifact. She stated she could likely translate the tablets within a few days. She suggested that until then they learn of what happened to their old companion, Quel'thalas Silvermoon, and discover his activities and intentions.
The group arranged the tablets to be delivered to her domicile and began to seek out any information on the cultists and where Quel'thalas might be. They learned through rumors and talk from locals that a large expedition had left days ago, prior to their return from Chult. The warehouse which housed the ‘cargo’ from the Handmaiden was cleared out. A charming half-elf had arranged for a large retinue of men-at-arms, trackers, and hunters to accompany him south into the jungles with supplies that would last them well over a month. However, the party learned of an even more dark discovery found just a day prior to their return from the ruins.
A handful of outsiders dressed in garb like the cultist they pursued were found dead in a local brothel. Each one was dispatched with a dagger and had been dead for days. The adventurers pressed the local authorities for more information but found the response one of uninterest. The victims were outsiders, and religious zealots at that.
More importantly, word had come from the upper echelons of the local guard that proper ‘sanctions’ were obtained from Jessamine. She was the merchant prince that controlled the market for plants, alchemical reagents, poisons, and the like. She also was the figure to approach if seeking to commit murder. Such deeds are frowned upon, but could be done in a semi-legal manner by purchasing contracts from Jessamine offering protection from legal repercussions (although friends and family of the victim could in turn obtain their own sanction against the assassin).
The days determining what became of Quel'thalas and the Tiamat cult passed quickly and they gained word that Syndra wanted an audience with them. Once gathered she explained that the ruins they disovered were a temple to an old, primal god of Chult called Nangnang. Further the tablets described of the lost city Omu which was hidden beyond the Aldani Basin and west of Lake Luo. It was not a precise location but fortunately eliminated much of Chultan peninsula.
Syndra had asked of their old companion and listened intently. She noted a detail from their story within the old temple where they found the stone tablets, that some of them had been destroyed. She was certain that Frulam Mondath had been tasked with finding Omu and the Soulmonger. Very likely the planned ritual to raise Tiamat would be folly if the Death Curse was still in effect. Even more distressing, it appears that for whatever reason, their old friend Quel'thalas was in pursuit of the artifact himself.
Syndra immediately made a proposal to the group. Come under her employment to find and retrieve the Soulmonger. She promised each would be able to attain a magical item of their choice from her extensive wares if successful. She was also willing to pay a small retainer to help cover modest food and lodging while they began their preparations for the expedition. Further she would reimburse the company for needed supplies and equipment. She offered to do so in 200 gold piece installments. She recommended to drive good bargains. If they made a request for reimbursement well under 200 gold, they could keep the difference. The party accepted the offer and began to plan out their lengthy expedition.
