They approached what seemed like an ancient, frail woman, but after a terse conversation its facade dropped and the green hag exposed itself. The company fought with the creature, calling out for Eku. What broke from the treeline instead of a Chultan woman was a large winged serpent with brilliantly colored wings. The hag screeched a command and an undead construct crawled up from the ground joining the battle in her aid. In the end the group eventually triumphed.
The couatl spoke with them, stating that she had taken the form of Chultan human for many years. She held hope she would eventually be able to avenge the poor denizens of the ancient village that were killed by the hag. True to her word, Eku would guide them to Omu for helping her rid the foul creature. Nursing a severe wound, the couatl led the company further east and south for nearly another week.
Omu was before them. Sunken in a deep depression, the group understood how it could be considered a hidden city, being nestled well under the surrounding rain forest. Eku stated she would care for the pack animals and give them a week. With no word from them after that period of time, she would journey back to Port Nyranzaru. The group agreed and made their way down a precarious set of stone stairs. Along the rising cliffs to the forest above the group noticed large, stone-winged figures that were perched every 100 yards or so on the sheer walls. Occasionally the group would get some unnerving feeling that some of the figures shifted in position slightly.
As the base of the stairs they found the sprawling lost city of Omu, the standing buildings of limestone were choked with vines, ferns, and verdant plant life. A semblance of stone paths and roads existed, but the flagstones were cracked and missing, bursting with thick grass and small trees. Wildlife buzzed about them, with clouds of insects, darting lizards, slithering snakes, and the occasional winged monkey and bird flying through the air. However it seemed as if there was a diminish in the number of creatures that one would typically see deep within the Chult jungles.
The group explored the ruins further and found a grisly discovery in a walled compound. Nearly thirty bodies were in what appeared the remnants of a camp. Most seemed to be mercenaries, but others were red robed men with shaved scalps and tattooed covered skin. In addition was a smoldering pile of bones. A glaive was thrust in the ground before the burned remains, and nearby a wall depicted a crude, ash drawing of a snake in a spiral with a circle in its jaws. Examining the burned remains they found unusual humanoid vertebrae and large snake skulls.
From a collapsed structure they heard a soft tapping. As the party approached and shifted some masonry, the tapping grew more frantic. Removing stones a human arm darted from underneath a pile of bricks and stones clasping the arm of one of the heroes. They dragged a human from the rubble and the emaciated man begged for some water.
Once sated some, the human man in his 50s told a brief summary of his recent events. His name was Orvex Ocrammas, a scholar from the mainland. His employers were the Red Wizards of Thay. For almost two weeks they were exploring the ruins of Omu. Several days ago the camp was attacked by yuan-ti. The building he hid in collapsed during the fight and he was buried in the rubble. The group knew there was more to his tale, but the near-death human practically collapsed at their feet in a heap of starving exhaustion.
