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[Flying Dice]

"Once we're out, if we're out... I'm not sure. If it's magic, there's naught we can do to counter it, I think," he shakes his head, still clearly nervous, "I could make my way through it, maybe, were I alone -- my mind has fangs enough for the likes of this -- but not trying to guide a group after some fool boy who wandered into the darkness."

[Dwarmin]

He thinks he can remember some similar monsters from the Old Continent... Or is his mind just playing tricks on him?

Ispil further examines the body of the dead plant creature. Was it the source of the mind-affecting spores...?

Ispil recalls the story of blight plants in his homeland-the dark legend of the Gulthias tree, where a mad Druid mixed the blood of ancient Vampires with plant seeds, to produce twisted twig, needle, and vine blights-corrupting nature with necromancy to save it, in his own reckoning...apparently the Gulthias tree seeds managed to spread the curse over many parts of the old world-but like most threats of the old world, it was defeated long ago by Heroes and Adventurers.

It seems some variety of that ancient fell magic infests this island entirely, here in the New World.

Examining the body reveals little-the twisted humanoid shape almost looks demonic in origin, like an Imp. The rose thorns ooze a noxious green paste which Ispil is no hurry to sample any more of. He is sure that the strange spores in this place are in the air, the water, the roots...and no doubt, the lack of life in this place indicates that in time, everything is infected and converted.

It doesn't take too much imagination to guess what will happen if he lingers too long here without protection.

Ker slaps Natalie across the face with his free hand, growling, "Get your head together, lass, it's the wet-forest burrowing into your mind!" Casting his head about, he tries to find the path back to the beach. "Like as not the boy's already gone, and we'd best make time back to the shore before the wrongness takes us all. Stick close, now, if you don't want to be lost!" Ker pulls the halfling along for a pair of steps, glaring over his shoulder at the others, then frees his hand to draw and nock an arrow.

Ker leads the group back out of the jungle, boiling into life behind them-they go quickly and with haste, and their quick action seems to render them a degree of safety. Like a sleeping giant, the jungle has difficulty responding to the fleas on its hide, it seems.

Glancing behind, they see the malevolent plantlife shambling around in confusion, attacking the hill where they just were-only some of the plants pursuing them halfheartedly-in time they outpace the horde, but are wise enough not to stop until they reach the beach once more.

Ker +25 XP
Ranger/Reward: Escaped the Green Hell

They immediately feel relief from the crushing heat and intoxicating smells of the forest-the salt spray and cold wind off the ocean washes away the corruption in their nostrils. Everyone in the party feels very itchy and hot, and very out of sorts.

[UXLZ]

I need to burn the cancer at the roots... This island is too dangerous to leave in its current state

Ispil decides to head further into the ruins and his mind kicks into overdrive, trying to pay attention to its architecture whenever possible. Search, investigate for clues that will lead him to the danger's source, or something else that will aid him... Move quickly, softly now... Silent, but swift. Avoid the roses, killing them is a waste of time... There has to be a path, a correct choice hidden somewhere amidst all this chaos...

[Dwarmin]

Ispil heads further into the ruins, taking care not to disturb the roses...they seem not to like it.

...

He finds the following interesting sights in his careful examination. It is a sobering sight. He can't help but feel that once people, of a sort, lived and worked here. There was life here...but now there is only silence.

One large, rounded dirt tunnel leading underground-located slightly outside the main compound, it extends deep into utter darkness. Many vines and roses seem to be coming from its depths.

A long road with a number of small buildings and stalls on either end cover the center of the ruins-this is the road he is traveling on, at the moment. No doubt, these were once shops and homes. There are about two dozen to search, and all of them are heavily covered in growth.

A statue park is located at the end of the long road. It looks what he would have imagined a garden or park would be-it has many small streams, and terraces, patios and gazebos designed for beauty. Yhere are even images of the creators cast in stone, giant insect-like beings in spherical shapes, like the smaller statues he saw at the 'gates'. He'll have to get closer to see more. Growths choke the park entirely, however-many of the statues are entirely covered, and will have to be cleaned to see more.

A collapsed stone tower with an intact base also lies outside the ruins proper-made of black stone, he judges by the crumbled blocks stretching (it collapsed outward) along into the jungle, that it was at least 300 ft high. The base of the tower is still mostly intact, its stone door cracked down the center but still in it's frame.

What looks like a large, pyramidal building-the stone doors are slightly ajar. This temple, if that's what it was, occupies the center of the ruins. It seems mostly intact, compared to the rest of the city-it's free of roses. A pool of water that looks clear and untainted is around it in a shallow moat, fed from a fountain in the top of the temple, that runs down grooves in its tiered sides. No roses or vines grow on it's banks-the waters seems to keep them away, from a distance of about 20 ft.

[mainiac]

Natalie walks slowly and methodically to the ocean and with a moments hestitation plunges her head in.  Nice freezing cold water.  Shock to the system.  Does it help?  Well it can't hurt.  Then she sits by the seashore and thinks for a moment.

"So, that happened."  She removes her bandanna from her head and soaks it in the ocean before turning it into a mask. "The ocean seems to help however.  And at least we were able to escape without being surrounded, so that's something."

She remembers the plants she snapped from the floor of the jungle just before they ran and takes them out of her pouch.  Hopefully they didn't ruin her inks while they were in there.  She does some examining... are all the plants alive in this place?  How will they feel about her dunking them in water?  She takes a swig from her flask of rotgut and then douses some brew on her specimen.

[UXLZ]

That temple sure looks inviting. I hope it isn't another trap... This place is beautiful, though, in a haunting sort of way.

Enter the temple, still moving as quietly as possible. Leave the torch by the entrance unless it's too dark to see inside.

[Flying Dice]

"Aye, but it's still uneasy just being near the place. I think..."

Ker finds himself a decent sized piece of driftwood, long enough to be visible above the grasses, then goes to plant one end firmly in the soil roughly 2/3rds of the way from the start of the grass to the edge of the wet-forest. He backs off quickly after that.

[Dwarmin]

Natalie walks slowly and methodically to the ocean and with a moments hestitation plunges her head in.  Nice freezing cold water.  Shock to the system.  Does it help?  Well it can't hurt.  Then she sits by the seashore and thinks for a moment.

Natalie feels instantly refreshed by the cold salt water. It cleanses her body of whatever foulness the island has exuded, and restores her thoughts to full clarity.

...

Investigation of the plant-thing...it's more akin to an animal...fibrous muscle tissue, thorny teeth and claws, rudimentary organs, and a number of glands designed to exude tiny green spores...a powder she is careful not to inhale. She feels a sense of wrongness about it. Its roots are not designed to draw nutrients from the soil, instead designed to choke and tear. Its leaves are pale, and their color is off-designed to attract the attention of foolish humanoids, not insects. She does not in fact think these things are even properly alive...or even properly plants. Though it does seem to shiver and twitch as she pokes it. Spooky.

She feels a righteous sense of satisfaction as a dunking in ocean stills its disturbing twitching.

Salt seems to be proof against them, in any case.

"Aye, but it's still uneasy just being near the place. I think..."

Ker finds himself a decent sized piece of driftwood, long enough to be visible above the grasses, then goes to plant one end firmly in the soil roughly 2/3rds of the way from the start of the grass to the edge of the wet-forest. He backs off quickly after that.

Ker does this, hammering in a length of driftwood (looks like a plank from the ship) it firmly the earth with the butt of his dagger. Then, he retreats.

That temple sure looks inviting. I hope it isn't another trap... This place is beautiful, though, in a haunting sort of way.

Enter the temple, still moving as quietly as possible. Leave the torch by the entrance unless it's too dark to see inside.

Ipsil enters the temple carefully, crossing a small stone bridge and gently pushing open the door-the shadows congregate inside, so he holds up his torch to shine the way.

There are no pews inside the temple, only four black pillars in each corner-and the floor is also black stone, and his torch seems to brighten-the dark stone is reflective, taking light and enhancing it. There are no seams or signs of brickwork, implying it was, somehow, all made from a single block. There are interesting gemstone friezes lining the walls that will bear further investigation...the entire temple seems devoid of dust or litter.

His gaze is drawn to the center altar, in the middle of the room-there is an insect like figure there, sitting as if repose...its upper body is distinctly humanoid, long and slender-two arched antenna sprout on its conical head, and two arms are folded by its sides-with three scissor-like fingers each. Its lower body is long and wide, like an ant-with six legs, each one ending on a peg like toe. Its back is to you, so you cannot make out any facial features.

The being makes absolutely no reaction to your entrance, staying perfectly still.

[UXLZ]

This is a rather irritating situation... It's going to either be dead, attack me, or be friendly. Well, I guess I may as well try to do something. Wait, is it a statue?

Ispil coughs, attempting to draw its attention if he can't tell whether it's a creature or a statue.

"It's unlikely we speak the same language, but hopefully you can tell I don't mean harm. In fact, I'd actually quite like your help, or advice. Just what on earth is going on here? There's obviously something corrupting this island, but I don't know how it's doing that, or where it is... Maybe you're alive, maybe you're not, but this place seems to have some sort of power to drive the darkness away... Or at least has some sort of secret method."

He investigates the friezes as he makes his way around towards the front of the insect-like figure.

((Aaaand cut, I gotta go to bed. I'll try and be awake around this time in 24 hours as well, so we can get some more good progress in.))

[mainiac]

"Huh, the bastards dont like saltwater."  Natalie's eyes stray over her companions gear and settle on Ker's waterskin.  "Seems like a shame to pour of perfectly good water but we might need the seawater more then the fresh stuff.  If we keep our faces covered with saltwater masks to ward off the influence and move quickly we might be able to make it to track down our wayward companion before the place starts addling our brains again."

[Flying Dice]

Ker glances at Natalie, keeping one eye on the wet-forest, "Maybe, maybe. Or it could be wholly unnatural, a thing of magic alone. I've no particular desire to test it either way, best to keep watch here until night comes, then get back aboard ship; this is not a place to linger. You can do as pleases you."

Start gathering dead wood for a bonfire, as large as possible. Stay away from the wet-forest.

[mainiac]

"Well that's a decent plan.  It has a few things going for it.  It has the slight complication that it leaves a man to die but otherwise it's pretty solid."  She turns to Nigma.  "How about you?"

[My Name is Immaterial]

"Sounds like we have the same complaint with it."

[Dwarmin]

Ker glances at Natalie, keeping one eye on the wet-forest, "Maybe, maybe. Or it could be wholly unnatural, a thing of magic alone. I've no particular desire to test it either way, best to keep watch here until night comes, then get back aboard ship; this is not a place to linger. You can do as pleases you."

Start gathering dead wood for a bonfire, as large as possible. Stay away from the wet-forest.

Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of 'dead' wood around-mostly ship planks and cast offs from other islands. Still, there's enough for a fair to large bonfire.

Leo had been quiet after his own dunk in the salt water, stroking his sword thoughtfully.

"...Humm, but a bonfire, is a good idea. If he's still alive, he's probably...lost...and doesn't know his direction. If he see's smoke, though, he'll know which way to go. I guess. That's your plan, right, ',Vyldmyn,'?" he asks Ker.

---

This is a rather irritating situation... It's going to either be dead, attack me, or be friendly. Well, I guess I may as well try to do something. Wait, is it a statue?

Ispil coughs, attempting to draw its attention if he can't tell whether it's a creature or a statue.

"It's unlikely we speak the same language, but hopefully you can tell I don't mean harm. In fact, I'd actually quite like your help, or advice. Just what on earth is going on here? There's obviously something corrupting this island, but I don't know how it's doing that, or where it is... Maybe you're alive, maybe you're not, but this place seems to have some sort of power to drive the darkness away... Or at least has some sort of secret method."

He investigates the friezes as he makes his way around towards the front of the insect-like figure.

Ispil investigates the friezes carefully. They seem not to be dedicated to any one specific God, but instead a series of rulers-intersped are scenes from this races day to day living, detailed in colored rock. You see spiderlings* tilling fields, building stone homes, raising their spiderling children...in each 'portrait' above these daily scenes, there is a picture of some sort of King (or Queen), in all their regal glory, looking down upon their subjects. Some carry, shields, spears and swords-others carry quills and parchments-at least one carries a large wheel of cheese and bread. They are many different colors, it seems-or perhaps they merely favored certain body paints. Each one seems to be constructed of interlocking precious and semiprecious gemstones. This line continues at least for 22 such rulers-and likely the same amount on the wall opposite of you.

The end is different, however.

You try to make sense of what you are seeing. On one side there is an image of ruler, as before-on the otherside, there is a field of gemstone flowers, much like you have seen...the ruler seems to be reaching an amethyst claw over to the field, plucking up a pearl-seed from the midst. These two images are divided by a line of square jade, that he is reaching through-and, on both the top and bottom are images of dead, heaped Spiderlings-even the young ones...sacrificed to...construct a gateway? A barrier? To where? Why? The ruler in this last image seems colder, crueler and sterner than the rest-he carries a wicked dagger in his off-hand, and he (or she) is painted bone white.

The figure on the altar offers no answer, and makes no movement.

It occurs to you that all of these gemstones would be worth quite a bit of money, as well.

*You think of them this way for lack of any word.

[Flying Dice]

Ker stiffens for a moment. He turns to face the two-legs with the lizard, and answers in a flat voice, "You're a sharp one, aren't you?"

Still, he nods, "Aye, that's the thing. The wrongness felt us when we drew near, reacted and tricked us. You could take a hundred of my kin into that wet-forest and still not find a two-legs that it wants to keep, but if we refrain from nipping at it and the lost pup is clever enough to climb, he might make his own way out. I can't say that I like fire overmuch, but it may help stave off the wrongness if it comes for us. There's more than wolves that fear flames, you know."