543
Though the corruption has lessened to the point that it’s bearable, you still feel it weighs heavy on your mind. Descending the stairs to where Rija and Z’ka stowed their gear, it’s obvious that you still have a journey ahead to reach home. Rija seems more able to shrug it off, however.
“He really missed the big moment,” Rija says, clearly talking to herself as much as to you. Or maybe to Z’ka. Then louder, she says, “Well, I hope you have an explanation for this. We could have used you.”
She packs her things with a seasoned explorer’s economy of motion and then collects Z’ka’s as well. Once everything is to her satisfaction, she finds you looking at her.
You gather your own gear and follow her into the passage leading back to the previous chamber. On the way, you ask her what she plans to do next.
Rija shrugs. “Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I’d survive Z’leth. Haven’t thought much about it. May head north to cool off. May head south to dry out. Maybe even head home. Place like this makes you think about where you came from, and it’s been a while. I haven’t had my mom’s vegetable stew in forever.”
She stops, considering her own words for a moment.
“And there’s always another mountain to climb, another cave to explore, more ruins to discover,” she says before she makes a sweeping gesture at your surroundings. “But seriously, what will ever compare to this?”
You are about to respond with your next step when Rija stops walking. She holds out her hand for you to stop as well.
“We need to hurry,” she says quietly, all lightness gone from her voice.
She picks up the pace and you match it. Ahead, the doorway to your destination is glowing bright blue (go to 549).
The lizardfolk shaman begins inspecting you, pressing on one of the spots where you were injured below ground. To your surprise, you find that there’s a sore lump there
“Ah, there’s one,” she says. She goes into a snakeskin pouch at her hip and pulls out a small chip of razor-sharp obsidian. “Hold still.”
She swipes at the lump and the stone is so sharp you don’t even feel it. However, you do feel when the shaman plunges her clawed fingers into the wound. Instinctively, you try to pull away but her other hand holds you firmly in place with astonishing strength.
“Got it,” she says and pulls a hard object from the incision. You feel immediate relief as she presents what she has found.
It’s a Z’lethan crystal. Its distinctive blue glow shines through the light coating of your blood.
As you sit staring at the stone pulled out of you, the shaman whispers a sibilant incantation onto the wound. It heals without a trace.
“It is just the first one,” she says. “Please bear with me.”
Recognizing that this was not a request, you sit still while the shaman works. The old lizardfolk removes more crystals from places around your body where you were hurt on your journey below ground. But she whispers each wound closed as soon as she’s done.
“These came from your body,” she says, holding them out to you. “What will you do with them?”
Offer the crystals to the shaman (go to 564) or decide to keep them (go to 548).
Despite Rija’s wishes, you square up against the couatl and attack. It rears up and focuses all its attention on you, biting at you with its dripping fangs.
“That is a mistake,” the couatl’s voice says in your mind.
Though obviously exhausted, Rija fights at your side, hurling spells at the couatl. It takes 8 damage per round from her in addition to whatever damage you deal.
Whenever the couatl hits you, roll a Constitution saving throw against poison. If you get less than 13, go to 572.
If you drop to 0 HP, go to 569. If you reduce the couatl to 0 HP, go to 552.
Alternatively, you can try to use Gigar’s amulet (go to 576) or escape the battle (go to 575).
“Now let’s get out of here,” Rija says, though at the door she spares a glance for Z’ka over her shoulder. You say your own goodbyes to the brave warrior who probably saved countless lives with his sacrifice.
You turn and leave him in a tomb fit for such a hero.
The beginning of your trek back up is silent, even as you reach the mephit door. Fortunately, it is not locked from the inside. Rija pulls a simple lever beside the massive gate and it swings smoothly open for you both. Its slamming back into place as you leave is the only sound in the chamber besides your and Rija’s footsteps.
The piles of dust remain on the ground throughout the chamber. They will likely remain undisturbed for many years to come.
You can’t help feeling a bit nervous about the door, and turn around to make sure it doesn’t spit out one more ferocious little elemental. It stays still, however, and you’re able to continue safely (go to 554).
Up ahead you hear the grating sound of the temple door slowly opening. You immediately sense a change to the quality of air and light, even before you can see the exit itself.
“Finally,” Rija says as she picks up her pace. “It’s not sunlight and fresh air, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
When you and Rija step into the abandoned temple, the camp is exactly as you left it, though its emptiness is jarring. Z’ka and Gigar’s presence lingers in the space, and you’re clearly not the only one who feels it. Rija stands amid the discarded gear and takes a quiet moment.
When you emerge from the temple, the couatl is there waiting for you. It unfurls its enormous wings.
“You were successful,” it says in your mind. “Congratulations to you both. But the orc called Gigar is no longer with you. Z’ka was expected to remain below, but not the orc. I hope he did not suffer.”
The couatl looks between the two of you (go to 555).
“That is a shame,” the shaman says, though she hands them over. “But they are yours to do with as you wish. While I hope they will someday return to Z’leth, may you use their power wisely.”
Add 1d4+1 Z’lethan crystals to your inventory.
“Now, I believe that there are many others outside eagerly waiting to see you. I’m sure you have much to share.”
You bid the shaman goodbye and thank her for her help before stepping back out of the tent (go to 578).
When you emerge into the next chamber, Rija curses under her breath.
Z’ka’s body is impaled by his own spear and he is draped over the round altar in the center of the room. The crystal amulet on his chest that has always shone with an inner light is now dull and gray. His arms sprawl in a way that says he held onto his spear until the last of his strength left them.
There is no blood, but the Z’lethan patterns beneath him blaze with the familiar blue light, only stronger than you’ve seen elsewhere down here. The lines of power stretch down the altar, across the floor and up the wall into the ceiling. It doesn’t take much to guess where they lead: the platform overhead and the magic subduing the beast.
Crystals sprout from his body, bursting from his torso and limbs but leaving his face mostly free. Though it’s always been hard to read his expression, his eyes are closed and he seems strangely at peace. Against the doorway leading back up, Z’ka had carefully placed his beloved tablet of scripture in a clear invitation.
Without hesitation, Rija steps up and takes the tablet. She seems momentarily surprised by its weight, but doesn’t struggle with it too much.
Without looking up, she says, “There are few historical records among Z’ka’s people. When I was introduced to them, it took me a while to see beyond the primitive life they’ve adopted. But some relics remain, like this tablet Z’ka carries. Carried. It’s holy scripture, and we should return it to them.”
You suggest Rija take it, and she nods agreement. She finds Z’ka’s straps and puts it on her own back, though it looks comically large on her compared to the bulky lizardfolk warrior (go to 546).
You and Rija continue in silence, the return journey being considerably more tiring given the fact that you’re heading back uphill and given you’ve taken very little rest since fighting the beast below.
In fact, you might have suggested stopping for a short rest if you hadn’t come around a bend in the passage to the place where Rija and Z’ka had left you tied up. Scraps of rope are still scattered on the ground, and the signs of their scuffle with Gigar are still apparent on the floor.
Rija stops short and looks to you to see how you’re going to react.
You can remind her how wrong she was to leave you behind (go to 566) or say nothing at all (go to 558).
“We don’t have long,” Rija says, picking up the tablet and thrusting it into your arms. “Here, I need to keep my hands free.”
Add Z’ka’s tablet to your inventory.
“Let’s move! Head for the light.” Rija points at the wide tunnel leading upward at the far end of the cavern that appears to contain some daylight. It seems as good a guess as any and will save you from having to scale the cliffs again on your way out.
Rija sprints down the steps toward the city. With one last look at the entranced couatl, you follow behind her at a full run.
If you have a speed of 30 feet or more, go to 557. If you have a speed of less than 30 feet, go to 561.
Against all odds, you manage to strike down the couatl. It topples to the ground, its rainbow-feathered limbs convulsing. You prepare the killing blow.
But Rija blocks your strike.
“No,” she says, standing between you and your opponent. “You can’t kill it. Z’leth needs its guardian.”
The couatl takes advantage of the moment that Rija bought it and you see it melt and transform into a tiny, rainbow-spotted lizard that darts into the underbrush.
“None of this should be happening,” Rija says, shaking her head. She turns to glare at you. “Go back to the surface. Find Z’ka’s people and tell them what happened. And if I see you again, I’ll kill you myself.”
She shoves you away as she pulls a smooth, brightly colored stone from a pouch. As you watch, she grips it in a fist and it turns to dust in a rush of magical energy. Her form shrinks and twists into a lean, wild-looking cat that hisses at you once before speeding into the underbrush after the couatl.
You think for a moment to follow their rustling path, but the rustles become snaps and a surprisingly distant explosion makes the ground beneath your feet tremble. In the distance you hear Rija scream in rage or pain and then all is silent.
You have won, but now you are alone in the ruins of Z’leth. Rija saw to that. Your back prickles with the gaze of unseen eyes. Something out there is sizing you up as a quick meal, you’re sure of it.
With no idea where Rija has gone or if the couatl is still out there getting ready to finish what it started, there is nowhere left to go except toward the daylight in the tunnel (go to 571).
Rija grits her teeth with some strong emotion and looks away, but you can’t tell what part of today’s ordeal has upset her.
“Can we just get moving?” she asks after a moment, but she doesn’t wait for an answer before she continues back up the passage (go to 563).
You and Rija reach the hallowed room where the ghost appeared. It retains its air of quiet sanctuary, but it isn’t as jarring. The corruption in the air outside the chamber has lessened to the point that there is now only a sense of unease rather than the bone-deep wrongness of before. The beast’s influence has lessened now that it sleeps.
As you enter, the spirit appears once more. It again pays you no heed and goes about its ritual washing in the shimmering pool of light.
“Give me a moment.” Rija approaches the ghost and performs a series of ritual gestures. The spirit nods and Rija approaches the pool to lift water from it and pour it over her head. The light cascades over her like water at first just to dissipate into a faint glow toward her feet.
She then leans in to whisper something to the spirit, who appears to listen for a moment. She speaks in the snarling, snapping language of Z’ka’s people so you don’t understand anything except Z’ka’s name. The spirit touches where its heart once was with a translucent hand.
“All right, let’s go,” Rija says to you and heads toward the exit.
You can also go pour the light over your head (go to 565) or abstain and leave immediately with Rija (go to 573).
“Many have carried that tablet below as Z’ka did,” the couatl says. “Others have carried it back to be read again until it is necessary to return to the beast. The cycle has gone on like this for more years than even I can count. You are a worthy addition to that collection of heroes.”
The couatl’s tone in your mind is strange, almost as if it is talking to itself. It’s clearly communicating its thoughts to Rija as well because she fires you a concerned glance.
“But all things must one day change. The previous hero who emerged from the temple plundered and stole. He took our crystals, took items of power, and he brought knowledge of Z’leth to the surface. His irresponsible actions led to many unnecessary deaths of would-be treasure hunters. And he gave the power-hungry a myth of a great beast to be harnessed to do their bidding.”
With a flap of its wings, the couatl rises off the ground and its long neck rears back.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot allow that to happen again. I cannot allow either of you to return. But I promise to make this as quick as possible.”
Rija drops the tablet and goes for the weapons and pouches at her belt. You can also prepare to defend yourself (go to 560) or if you have Gigar’s amulet you can use it now (go to 577)
Gain Inspiration.
You offer your silent gratitude to Rija as she battles the couatl. And while she struggles to keep its snapping jaws and crushing coils at bay, she still manages to nod in acknowledgement.
“Good luck,” she says.
You leave them locked in combat and make a break for freedom, veering away from the main street into the tangled vegetation overgrowing Z’leth.
Thorny vines and claw-like branches drag at you as the sounds of battle fade behind you. Crackles and booms continue to echo around you and even the occasional shout or shriek. Whenever you get a view of the edge of the city, you realign with the one source of natural light.
Eventually, you no longer hear the battle at all. However, there’s no way of knowing if it is over or is simply out of earshot. But by the time the city has gone completely silent, you have reached your destination at the base of the tunnel leading out (go to 571).
You and Rija dash down the wide promenade as opposed to picking your way through the tangled undergrowth. You wind up overtaking Rija as she keeps looking over her shoulder for the return of the couatl.
Legs burning and panting from the exertion, you turn to face the rapidly approaching edge of the city. Then you hear Rija cry out behind you.
You skid to a stop and turn (go to 567).
Gain Inspiration.
You look around and then at Rija watching you expectantly. Without a word, you simply keep walking. You hear Rija follow behind you, and her relief is palpable despite not being able to see her.
You just play it cool as you continue back up the temple (go to 563).
You demand payment for the tablet’s return.
“Ah, of course,” the shaman says. She holds out some small rectangles of jade with obviously Z’lethan patterns carved on the faces. “We have coin of a sort and we offer aid.”
You can add 2 carved jade (worth 75 gp each) to your inventory.
She waits quietly until you hold the stone tablet out to her.
Taking the tablet and placing it on the floor beside her, the shaman chuckles and you get the impression she’s laughing at you. But you don’t get time to dwell on it because she reaches out to grab your arm and pulls herself up to a standing position while also pushing you down into her seat.
“All right, let’s see what we have here,” she says, rubbing her hands together (go to 544).
The couatl lashes out at you with a mouthful of teeth dripping venom.
Rija steps between you and the couatl, a shimmering plane of force jumping up between her and the winged serpent. Between her magical shield and your own defenses, the feathered serpent misses.
The celestial’s brightly colored feathers bristle as it prepares another attack. But Rija is faster.
She reaches into a pouch on her belt and produces a vial filled with some kind of glowing powder. With a momentary series of words and gestures of power, she then smashes the vial on the ground just as the couatl attacks again.
The glowing powder leaps into the air in a series of dancing symbols, and the couatl immediately stops to settle into a coiled position on the ground. It folds its wings and starts swaying to a beat only it can hear (go to 551).
Despite your best efforts, you can’t keep up with Rija. She keeps casting glances back to make sure you’re keeping up and she seems to be holding back considerably. Whenever she checks on you, she also glances upward to see if you’re being pursued.
Huffing with your legs churning, you put your head down and push yourself as fast as you can.
“Look out!” Rija cries just as she slams into you.
The couatl attacks you from behind and Rija leaps to your defense. She slams into you with surprising force, and with all the running you lose your balance. You sprawl to the ground but jump to your feet as quickly as you can and look around you for the danger (go to 567).
“Don’t be a hero, you idiot!” Rija yells.
Rija electrifies the couatl again with a powerful blast of lightning, this time delivered as a punch with a clenched fist.
“Stay where you are!” the couatl booms in your mind. “You must not leave this place! I will make sure of it when I’m done with this one.”
Rija shakes her head and shouts a sharp command. She vanishes from the couatl’s grasp and appears next to you.
“Anytime now,” she almost whispers. “Run.”
The couatl unfurls its wings and leaps at her. Rija raises a hand and unleashes a volley of magic missiles at the winged serpent as it arcs through the air at her, but they are absorbed harmlessly by a shimmering magical shield like the one she employed earlier.
“Why are you still here?” she shouts.
Engage the couatl anyway (go to 545) or back off and make your escape (go to 556).
Alternatively, if you have Gigar’s amulet you can use it now (go to 576).
Just past where you had been tied up, you reach the point where you’d been attacked by the ooze. However, the fissure no longer drips and it seems the dark puddle has drained away. Grayish stains still blemish the stonework of the wall and around its base, but there is no sign of the ooze.
“All right, I need a rest,” Rija says. She drops her things gently but with a certain finality. “Let’s take a break. You must be hungry and thirsty, too. Here.”
She pulls out some rations and hands them to you. You eat together without speaking, Rija even directly shutting down any attempts to talk to her.
When she’s finished wolfing down her meal, Rija finds a place to lean up against the wall and shuts her eyes. She’s snoring lightly in minutes.
Gain the benefits of a short rest.
When Rija awakes, you’re also feeling much better rested. Despite the lingering corruption, you are beginning to feel some relief.
“Much better,” she says. “We’re almost out of here. Let’s not waste any more time laying about.”
She takes off at a jog, and you hustle to catch up (go to 547).
You offer to let the lizardfolk keep the crystals. She gives you a wide, very toothy smile as she places them in a small clay jar.
“We are so very grateful,” she says. “But we would like to offer you something. A memento that will bless you when you need it most.”
She presents you with an intricately woven bracelet featuring stone beads and brightly colored feathers.
You can add a blood blessing bracelet to your inventory.
“May it keep you safe on your travels,” she says. She bows her head to you, and you know the audience is over (go to 578).
You ask Rija to wait a moment, then perform the same bathing gesture as she did. The ghost turns to you. At first it’s not clear if it can even sense you, but then it nods sagely. Though its expression does not change, you feel a sense of approval.
You gain the benefits of the Bless spell if you don’t already have them. Its effects last until you next take a long rest.
The ghost then slowly fades away as you watch it, and the glow coming from the pool of light dims.
“Come on,” Rija says. “Time to go.”
You hitch up your gear and continue back toward the surface with Rija (go to 550).
You call Rija out on what happened. You even point out which rope was yours and which one was Gigar’s. She purses her lips but doesn’t say anything right away.
Roll a Wisdom (Insight) check. If you get 12 or more, go to 570. If you get less than 12, go to 553.
You see Rija half-pinned by the couatl that’s snapping at her with a dripping maw.
“This did not need to be so difficult,” its voice rings in your head, oddly calm compared to the ferocity of its attacks. “There was no need to suffer.”
The couatl’s tail whips around Rija’s legs and starts constricting her up to her waist. She has one hand up fending off the creature’s bites while the other fumbles for something at her belt.
“What are you standing around for?” she screams. “Run! I’ve got this!”
She barks a word and her hand lights up with an electrical discharge, scorching the couatl and making it screech in pain.
You can rush in to help (go to 562) or take Rija’s advice and retreat (go to 556).
A call goes up around the camp. There’s no fear or urgency, but instead a certain excitement. Expedition crewmembers stop what they’re doing and turn to look at you standing partway up a mountainside.
Even from this distance, you can tell that there is mixed emotion but there’s no sign of hostility. You descend the rocky expanse to meet those members who have come to greet you.
A grizzled human man you recognize as a wagon driver from your own expedition walks up to meet with you. He walks slowly with his hands in the pockets of some light worker’s pants and stops a few paces away to look at you while sucking his teeth.
“Just you then?” he asks. When you answer in the affirmative he nods a few times, considering that. He sees you looking around at the lizardfolk standing in their midst, some watching you, some staring off into the distance.
“Ah that’s right, you took off that night.” He hooks a thumb at one of the reptilian warriors leaning on his spear nearby. “Good folks, to be honest. Didn’t mean nothing that night, and no one hurt more than a few bumps and bruises. Just wanted to keep us from making a big mistake. Turns out that city we were supposed to find was certain death.”
He gazes at you with the impassive lack of curiosity of a man who thinks he’s seen it all. When you say nothing, he shrugs.
“Welp,” he says finally. “The big lizard wants to see you. Word is she’s some kind of shaman. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”
You are ushered to a tent made of mismatched animal leathers and decorated with small animal skulls, feathers, and semi-precious stones. Among the stones you also see a surprising number of spent Z’lethan crystals hanging alongside more mundane minerals. This is the first structure you’ve seen among the Z’lethan descendants.
The crewmember opens the flap of the tent and guides you inside. In the dim interior, a thin and wrinkled lizardfolk is seated on a small mound of animal hides. She is bedecked in trinkets similar to her tent and draped with a feathered cape.
“Welcome back,” she says in accented but clear Common. Your surprise must have shown on your face. “Oh yes, I speak the Common tongue. And many others. In my youth, I have even seen one or two of your cities and slept in soft beds. But I think you have more interesting stories to tell? And maybe something to return?”
You realize that she’s nodding her head toward Z’ka’s tablet.
You can offer the tablet freely (go to 574) or demand some form of payment (go to 559).
The couatl’s last attack punctures something deep inside you, and you feel all the fight leave your body. You slump to the ground and Rija cries out, reaching for you, though the couatl bats her aside.
“You cannot defeat me,” the couatl says in your mind as it rises up on its rainbow colored wings. “So just know that you will die a hero, even if no one knows.”
As the creature darts forward, venomous fangs dripping, you can’t help but wonder if you made a huge mistake.
YOU DIED.
At your comment, Rija’s face shifts slightly. A sadness lingers around her eyes, and you realize now that she is quietly mourning Z’ka. And your comment has now added a layer of guilt to that.
You open your mouth to say something else, but she cuts you off with a raised hand.
“I understand,” she says flatly. “Let’s just get out of here. What do you say?”
She doesn’t wait for your reply before continuing her upward march (go to 563).
From the base of the tunnel, you see a switchbacked path up toward the light you see above. This is a far easier path than the one you used to enter.
Looking back over the city of Z’leth, you know that Rija remains out there still struggling with the couatl. There’s no way of knowing how long she can last, so you waste no time making her sacrifice for you count.
The climb isn’t as long as you might have thought, though the constant checking over your shoulder for the couatl makes it a far more frightening ascent than it normally would be.
You don’t stop until you reach a tiny hidden passage. You feel a breeze blowing from the crack and the glow of daylight beyond. Other crevices above also seem to let through beams of sunlight, but it’s diffused as if through twisting chutes above.
From outside, the passage entrance is nothing more than a crack in the rock like a hundred others you can see. The jungle hasn’t reached this bare jut of stone, but it doesn’t matter. There is no way anyone could find this from the outside and know what it was. Even when standing right in front of it, it looks as though it’s nothing more than another crag.
Yet, you are greeted by a bizarre sight: not one but two expeditions camped with what looks like the band of lizardfolk that drove you underground. The atmosphere is congenial, even festive. It’s apparently dinner time with oddly-shaped beasts turning on spits throughout the camp.
A lizardfolk warrior is leaning on a spear gazing in your direction. He spots you and raises a clawed hand in greeting (go to 568).
The wound left by the couatl’s bite immediately goes numb, and that sensation spreads throughout your body. The powerful venom it has injected into you spreads to tickle at the edges of your mind. This is more than sleep, rathera dark oblivion that you fear you may not wake from. The world goes dark and the ground rushes up to meet you.
You are poisoned until your next long rest. As long as you are poisoned, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
But you do eventually wake. You have no idea how much time passed while you were unconscious, but you are alone. You hear no sounds of combat, and see no sign of either Rija or the couatl. The stones of the road around you are broken and twisted in place, and bare earth shows in patches, likely for the first time in millennia. But the ground you are lying on is unharmed, and you are alive.
A creeping certainty works its way up your spine that you are not alone here in these ruins. Looking around you into the twisted undergrowth of the city, an attack could come from any direction at any time. This is no place to be caught alone, especially in your weakened state.
One last look around still reveals no sign of either your companion or your adversary. It seems like a miracle that you’re even alive.
You pick yourself up and with nowhere else to go, continue toward the one faint glow of daylight up ahead (go to 571).
You follow after Rija right away. She seems surprised for a moment then shrugs.
“All right then,” she says, and turns to leave without another word. You continue after her (go to 550).
You hand the tablet to the shaman, and she accepts it with a deep bow.
“You have our deepest thanks,” she says. “But you must now be treated. You have had quite the ordeal and we wouldn’t want your condition to worsen. Please sit.”
She stands smoothly despite her apparent age and guides you into her seat (go to 544).
You reconsider your attack on the couatl and back away. Rija reads your intention and steps between you and the couatl, drawing its attention.
“I’m glad you’re finally seeing sense,” she says over her shoulder as she fends off an especially nasty bite. “Now get out of here. And good luck.”
Any attempt at returning the sentiment is cut off with Rija’s yell as she leaps at the couatl, hands crackling with energy. The feathered serpent wraps itself around her in another powerful grip, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Rija just slams the creature with repeated blows.
With both of them distracted, you retreat and dash for the faint sunlight at the top of the tunnel. You don’t look back, even when an explosion rocks the city and makes the ground beneath you tremble.
Instead, you just run faster through the ominous silence that follows. Miraculously, you make it to the foot of the tunnel leading out, panting for breath. Looking around, you are alone (go to 571).
You raise the amulet and summon its power against the couatl. It has no effect. The magical energies do not even discharge. (You do not expend a charge of the amulet.)
The couatl pauses its attack to look at you with an expression of amusement. “I helped create that little trinket. And you think it will work on me? At least it has returned to Z’leth where it belongs.”
The feathered serpent lunges at you. Rija is too far away to protect you this time (go to 545).
You produce Gigar’s obsidian amulet and summon its power. However, no magic is discharged as the energies refuse to answer your call. (You do not expend a charge from the amulet.)
“Ah, the bauble stolen by the last explorer to return from below, and it has come home,” the couatl says to you. “Sadly for you, it will have no effect on me. It was made in my image, after all.”
A glance down at the amulet confirms that it is indeed carved in the shape of a couatl.
The real couatl in front of you coils its tail and flares its wings as it prepares to strike (go to 560).
You emerge from the dim tent, dazzled by the daylight for a moment. When your vision clears, you see that the same wagon driver who met you on the rocky mountain slope is waiting for you. And others have joined him.
“You look three breaths from death,” he tells you. “And I’m sure you have a story of how you got there. Come on.”
He and the others gather around you to shepherd you to one of the bonfires. You see a roasted creature with too many limbs and eyes being turned over a spit. Elsewhere you see a vegetable stew bubbling in some coals. It all smells amazing.
And as you are led away to get a hot meal, a fresh drink, and some fireside company the clouds over the horizon break. The setting sun blazes in streamers of reds and oranges, pinks and yellows.
You eat and drink. You tell the story of Z’leth—your version of it at least—and just experience the open air again. But after everyone else has turned in for the night and all but the night watch are snoring by smoky fires, you find that you’re still wide awake and alert. Movement catches your eye, and as you watch the shaman slips from her tent with something in her hand.
As you look on, she sets a steaming bowl of thick vegetable stew, a cup of fresh water, and a packet of presumably medicinal herbs next to the now-smoking embers of the campfire.
“You never know,” she says. “We might have some late arrivals.”
As you reach the end of your adventure, your character advances 1 level..
THE END