24-01-14: Tomb of Annihilation Part 8

Ensly's patron appears before her while she's on watch. Her patron has somewhere he needs her to go; Shilku. Her patron knows something about our guide, but he doesn't tell her what, says she'll learn. He says he'll reward Ensly and her friends for going to Shilku. He needs a crown made of obsidian that is one of a pair. He shows Ensly the image of the crown in the fire. The reward her patron promises could be dangerous. Her patron tells her to protect herself and disappears.

Skeletons have appeared.

-Ensly yells at everyone to wake up. She attacks a skeleton twice, hits for -5 and -6 damage.
-Attacks happen.
-Hlargl shoots at a skeleton, hits for -10 and -10 damage.
-Cadence casts vicious mockery at skeleton, hits for -1 damage. Gives Tharra bardic inspiration.
-Inete casts sanctuary on Althair.
-Zenyatta attacks a skeleton, hits for -8 damage.
-Skeleton moves towards Hlargl; Althair's and Ensly's attacks of opportunity miss, Tharra's hits for -14 damage. Skeleton attacks Ensly, hits for -3 damage. Skeleton attacks Tharra, hit for -2 damage. Skeleton attacks Ensly, misses. Skeleton attacks Althair, fails due to sanctuary. Skeleton attacks Tharra, hits for -1 damage. Giant skeleton steps on another skeleton, does -4 damage.
-Hew Hackinstone attacks skeleton, misses.
-Ensly attacks skeleton, misses, hits for -7 damage.
-Althair casts Tasha's hideous laughter on giant skeleton, spell fails. Gives Ensly bardic inspiration.
-Tharra pulses her tundra rage, giving everyone within range +5 temporary health. Attacks skeleton, hits for -16 damage.
-Undril Silvertusk casts spirit guardians; skeletons within range take -24 damage, killing one of the skeletons.
-Hlargl shoots skeleton, hits for -14 damage, killing it. Cast hunter's mark on skeleton.
-Cadence casts dissonant whispers on giant skeleton, hits for -13 damage. Gives Hlargl bardic inspiration.
-Inete casts bless on herself, Tharra, Ensly, Cadence. Moves, skeleton's attack of opportunity misses.
-Zenyatta attacks skeleton, hits for -8 damage. Burns a ki point to use flurry of blows, hits for -5 and -8 damage.
-Skeleton take -24 damage from spirit guardians, several die. Skeleton attacks Althair, hits for -5 damage. Skeleton attacks Ensly, misses. Skeleton attacks Undril, misses. Skeleton attacks Ensly, misses. Skeleton attacks Cadence, misses. Skeleton attacks Ensly, misses.
-Hew attacks a skeleton, hits for -4 damage, killing it.
-Ensly attacks skeleton, hits for -7 and -7 damage.
-Althair gives Zenyatta bardic inspiration. Casts Tasha's hideous laughter on skeleton, skeleton collapses prone.
-Tharra attacks skeleton, misses.
-Undril casts guiding bolt on skeleton, hits for -30 damage, killing it.
-Hlargl casts hunter's mark on skeleton. Shoots skeleton, misses.
-Cadence casts dissonant whispers on skeleton, hits for -12 damage. Gives Althair bardic inspiration.
-Zenyatta jumps down from the trees and across the tents. Attacks skeleton, hits for -7 damage.
-Skeletons take -12 and -24 damage from spirit guardians respectively. Skeleton attacks Cadence, misses. Skeleton attacks Althair, hits for -7 damage. Skeleton attacks Tharra, misses. Giant Skeleton is incapacitated by Tasha's hideous laughter.
-Hew attacks a skeleton, misses.
-Ensly attacks the prone giant skeleton, hits for -7 and -5 damage.
-Althair attacks skeleton, hits for -1 damage.
-Tharra casts ancestral spear; giant skeleton is hit for -21 damage, three skeletons take -16 damage, killing one.
-Undril casts sacred flame, hits for -12 damage.
-Hlargl shoots skeleton, hits for -12 damage.
-Cadence casts dissonant whispers on skeleton, hits for -17 damage, killing it.
-Inete casts sacred flame on skeleton, misses.
-Zenyatta attacks skeleton, hits for -9 damage. Burns a ki point for flurry of blows, misses, hits for -4 damage.
-Skeleton take -12 and -48 damage from spirit guardians respectively, killing the giant skeleton. Skeleton attacks Althair, hits for -3 damage. Skeleton attacks Tharra, hits for -4 damage. Skeleton attacks Zenyatta, misses. Skeleton attacks Zenyatta, misses.
-Hew pulls back.
-Ensly attacks skeleton, misses, hits for -5 damage, killing it.
-Althair casts healing word on himself, healing for +7 health. Attacks skeleton, misses.
-Tharra attacks skeleton, hits for -15 damage. Pulses her rage so everyone within range gets +5 temporary health.
-Undril moves; skeleton takes -24 damage from spirit guardians. Attacks skeleton, hits for -6 damage.
-Hlargl casts hunter's mark on skeleton. Shoots skeleton, hits for -10 damage, killing it.
-Cadence casts dissonant whispers on skeleton, hits for -12 damage. Gives Zenyatta bardic inspiration.
-Inette casts sacred flame, misses.
-Zenyatta attacks skeleton, hits for -6 damage, killing it. Burns a ki point for flurry of blows, misses, misses.
-Skeleton attacks Zenyatta, misses.
-Hew stays where he is.
-Ensly casts hex on skeleton. Casts eldritch blast, hits for -17 damage.
-Althair encourages Tharra.
-Tharra attacks skeleton, hits for -10 damage.
-Undril moves; spirit guardians do -24 damage to skeleton. Casts guiding bolt on skeleton, hits for -18 damage, killing it.

Tharra celebrates, thinking she killed the last skeleton. Zenyatta asks Ensly about what happened before the skeleton attacks; she admits her patron appeared and asked for help getting something. Tharra and Zenyatta push her to accept help with her task.

Morning comes and it's hot and wet and rainy. We come to the river to cross it; it's six feet deep. Ensly, Tharra, and Althair go through the water; Tharra comes out of the water with leeches on her, and rips them off. While we travel, we come across two snakes in the middle of a fight; there's a giant constrictor and a jaculi. Althair, Cadence, and Tharra know that jaculi scales are hunted for boots of striding and springing, and cloaks of invisibility. Ensly casts animal friendship on the jaculi; Tharra tries to use her animal handling to convince it to be her friend, and it's neutral to her; it sniffs her hand. Ensly convinces the constrictor to leave.

We come across a wizard marked heavily with tattoos. He asks if we know our way around the jungle. Althair recognizes the wizard as a red wizard of Thay, as does Zenyatta. He's looking for the city of Omu; Ensly tells him that it's a fairy tale and doesn't exist. He's with a group who's trying to travel to Omu, they were looking for something. He's been separated from his group. Ensly offers to direct him back to Port Nyanzaru, he declines. He acts like he's gone off on his own, but Althair realizes that he's following us. Cadence tries to intimidate him into leaving us alone, he laughs. Althair and Cadence combine cast sleep and knock him out. We tie him to a tree, Hlargl loots him for +18 gold pieces, and Tharra and Ensly call the jaculi back to eat the red wizard.

Come morning, the rain turns to mist and there's a thick blue fog. We decide to go around the fog. As we travel, we feel something heavy in our chests and feel frightened. We hear something roar loudly, followed by someone shouting in fear. Ensly sets up a tripwire and we all hide. Two medium sized beings come running out, followed by two gigantic dead looking tyrannosaurus rexes.