Tolomak Crawl Session 2

The Story So Far: Destiny called upon a group of simple individuals in the Accursed Heart of the World Ender. The survivors braved the perils of adventures such as Frozen In Time, The Corpse That Love Built, The One Who Watches From Below, and The Jeweler That Dealt in Stardust. Many lost their lives, but the remaining heroes are:

• Obi Wan Cannoli the Cleric (Chronicler)
• Totino the Toothless (Enchanter) and his homunculus Messi
• Colin Robinson (Journeyer)
• Luka Doncic (Burglar)
• Margerite (Seer) and her tiny dragon familiar Mellow

Here is their story in pictures:

Tolomak Islands Day 1–3

Grandmaster Zagarius of the Golden Factor in Punjar hired the group to accompany him on a great expedition to the Tolomak Isles. He is looking to capture exotic animals for his menagerie (and bloodsport arena). He offers handsome rewards for beasts and the discovery of important locations on the Isles. After landing on the Northern beaches of the Eastern Island, Zagarius made camp and introduced the group to a rivaling adventuring party: Trocereo’s crew (“a little competition hasn’t hurt anyone”). The next morning, the group ventured forth inland into the thick jungle, accompanied by three porters and a camp cookie named Todo the Forgetful.

They made contact with a local tribe of “Goldlings””, cannibals in service of the Green Lady Eloiz and the Great Ape Gormaz. They were able to make a tenuous alliance with them and met the Green Lady in person–a strange individual with a burning hatred for her sister Strava (and not as pretty as Margerite!). She offered the party help with capturing Gormaz in exchange for the head of her sister. They secretly followed the lady back to her Green Tower on one of the peaks of the Eastern Island. They then moved West, towards the Maze of the Sunken Ruins, a swampy expanse between the two main islands.

In the Sunken Ruins, they discovered some strange ruins in the distance (but did not approach), fought some Thorn Crabs, and found a strange scrimshaw idol of a women. During their night’s rest, they were surprised by a group of Arachnomen. With the help of some of Totino’s magic, they were able to capture the leader of the group and repel the rest. During the fight, a woman’s voice spoke to Cannoli through the idol: she has been imprisoned somewhere on the Isles by a wizard. The group discerns the Arachnomen were after the idol and are possibly guardians of her prison.

Day 4 on the Tolomak Isles

The decide to return to the base camp, one Arachnomen prisoner in tow. On the way back, the remaining Arachnomen return and attack. The group survives and captures a second of the spidery humanoids. They also meet a patrol of Goldlings. Through additional questioning of the Arachnomen and information from the Goldlings, they learn the wizard Shadankin has a sanctum on the most Northwestern island, while the Earth Prison of the Sea Queen is the flooded caldera to the North of the Maze of the Sunken Ruins.

Back in the base camp, Zagarius welcomes them and rewards them for their captive Arachnomen. The heroes become increasingly skeptical of the slaving merchant. Totino slips a dagger to the captured Arachnomen leader, giving them a chance to escape.

Day 5 on the Tolomak Isles

The group decides to find Shadankin’s Sanctum. With a rowboat, they move along the Northern coast. Attacked by more Thorn Crabs (and Margerite receiving some grievous wounds, they arrive at the small, outlying island. They find a natural stone bridge, extending from a promontory to a large rock with stone doors. They enter the wizard’s sanctum…

Down some wet stairs, the thief Luka sneaks ahead and finds a large chamber with floating sea turtle shells and a sheer drop down to a rocky lagoon. He attempts to climb across but slips midway, falling and hitting his head on the hard rocks. The others see him fall and scramble to save him. Totino casts Spider Climb and saves him with a healing potion.

During the rescue, a group of Lampreymen attacks from hidden arrow slits, harpooning the heroes. A dangerous battle ensues, but the group prevails. What will they find down in the Sanctum?