Part 13

"Maybe while we're at it we can steal a bigger boat?"

"At this point, what's a little more thievery?"





"I think the glowing eyes really bring the whole thing together."

"It's not like they would have had anything else to do on this gods forsaken island."

"So, do we go west, north, or south?"

"West looks like the front door… so flip a coin for north or south?"

"South it is then."



"If any of them get away, we're going to have this whole place crawling like an anthill."

"Well, it's not like we were going to let them go anyway."



It's the basic guards we've been dealing with lately, but there actually is an alarm mechanic in place. Going up the front causeway will trigger the alarm, as will letting any of the Krakens escape from encounters.



"This filth is reason enough even beyond their horrible taste in decor to wipe these guys out."





"This is the most useless map I've ever seen. I'm not even sure if this is for this island… and I think all it covers are the places we've already been."






"If the big cheese is coming, then there really must be something important here. I think I need to look at those notes…"

"You can figure it out while we keep looking around. The lighthouse being out should slow them down a bit."



"Oh, this is just being silly. We know you're there! I swear, margoyles are worse than pigeons."



A brief and unremarkable skirmish later...

"Whatever Percy's coming for, I think we've found it. Now, let's just see…"



"So much for stealth. Let's get out of here!"

"I think those guys might have something to say about that… although I can't help but notice that they're all bunched up together in a space about 30 feet across…"



Now that we've tripped the alarm, groups like these are what you'll see instead of the smaller patrols. Despite our levels, this is still a fairly dangerous attack that can take a while to cut through. Resting isn't an option now that the alarm is going off, so we can't exactly recharge our spells.



"Oooh, pretty!"

"Hey, I figured out the message! They're moving the statue from the vault to the docks on the southwest corner of the island."

"Good job, if a little bit late."



"Umm… guys, I can't help but notice that this isn't the boat."

"It's also not part of the Kraken stronghold, which means they won't be looking for us and there might be treasure here."



"Ugh… if there's treasure here then it's pretty damn well hidden."



"This explains the smell. Greetings, we don't come in peace!"

Nothing to see here. Next room...



"Arguing? Wow, I didn't think they were smart enough to have disagreements."

"And now they're too dead to have a disagreement."

"Or to have this nice shield. Well, I think it's definitely time for us to head to the boat."




"She means cute like a little bunny, not cute like you ever had a chance at getting some action."



"Congratulations, you all might actually count as sailors now."

"Remind me now why we didn't go with Jagaerda or get a bigger boat?"

"Whatever the reasons are, now is a good time for us to find a warm bed on dry land and get some rest… or failing that, crash out in one of the gardens here."



"Oh, come on! We just went through an entire fortress full of your allies… how much trouble do you think you're going to cause us?"



The answer is "not much." This encounter triggers when you come back from the Purple Rocks with the second statue, and is placed to occur at either of two areas where you have to pass based on where the boat drops off. The only opportunity to rest in any of this is by ducking into one of the gardens we've cleared… so it's a good thing we did that earlier quest!



"Well, I guess we could go visit Amanitas and ask about the third statuette…"

"That would take a lot more than three days, and I want that sword now… I don't care if I have to buy you all drinks for the next three days, but we're not leaving town without that sword."

Three drunken days later...



"Did anybody just hear an explosion and chunks of masonry falling in the street?"

"That was just the fourth wall… and it's back. Where were we again?"

"Going off to see Amanitas about where to go next, now that this sword is done."



"Some things just don't change, do they?"



"They… really don't change. Are we sure we didn't wander into some kind of weird time travel spell?"

"That would only be about the third weirdest thing we've seen this week."



"Okay, that's a bit different… I think we're clear."

"That'd also be an improvement over what they actually put in the gardens at Neverwinter."



"So… the last word is the important one? Llorkh?"

"Sounds like something being coughed out by a sick person. I'm sure it'll be charming."

Character Snapshot





Not much change in character levels or the lot in this update, but we've definitely improved our equipment with the last few adventures. We're edging up on levels for those of our characters who haven't maxed out yet, and we're continuing to stack up extra experience on the other three.

Next update: Loudwater and the Llorkh statue garden