Excavate: Concerning Raza (The Keep)
he cold winter wind rattles the panes of the library. Thankfully, the fire burning in the hearth nearby keeps you warm as you read your favorite book. Other magi pass your spot by the fire, from young students cradling their first egg to a wizened old magi trailed by slow-moving krotalo. You don't recognize the older magi, but think nothing of it as you read.Outside, the snow begins falling in thick clumps. You notice the krotalo curling up close to the fire, the light dancing off its green scales. The magi doesn't seem to notice as he pores over the spines of the shelf of books behind you, muttering under his breath.
You're no librarian, but you've been here often enough that you might be able to help. "Looking for something?" you ask the magi.
The old man jumps, sending a few papers that had been stacked on a table near him fluttering to the floor. "Oh goodness. Well. I didn't want to cause any alarm." You tilt your head in confusion. "But, well...do you happen to know where I would find books on history?"
You stifle an amused smile. "There are a lot of history books here," you say, motioning with a hand. "What sort of history, exactly?"
"Well...the history of Raza" he says, lowering his voice. "Something strange is happening in the jungle. Creatures are disappearing, and even...well, I'm afraid there's something in the forest that might be causing it. Something strange and old."
A shiver runs down your spine. It sounds like this old magi really could use your help.
"My name is Toreld," the magi says. You've taken a seat across from him at a table near the fire, books on Raza strewn across the table's surface. Toreld's krotalo still snoozes by the flames, clearly enjoying the warmth. "I normally stay in my tower near the jungle. I've always liked it there--out of the way, lots to study, and of course, it's warm." He shivers as another icy blast of wind rattles the windows.
"So, why come here?" you ask. "What's going on? Isn't the Jungle always kind of dangerous?"
"Of course," he says. "But not like this. You see, I raise krotalo, like Slipity over there." He motions to the peacefully sleeping krotalo. "A risky pursuit, but I love the species, and I fully respect what they can do. And I know for sure that krotalo don't have natural predators--at least none that I know of. I've been watching them hatch and grow for decades, observing their migration patterns as they come and go through the jungle, wishing the little ones the best as they find their own territories. All until recently.
You nod, waiting for him to continue.
"The krotalo started disappearing. Even the young ones, with their potent poison that can fell even the largest of creatures. Slipity's most recent brood has completely disappeared. I fear the worst."
You frown. Disappearing creatures are never a good sign. "Could something have made them change their behavior? Maybe avoid the area of jungle near your home?"
"I suspected that might be the case. I followed the trail of a wild krotalo I had been recently tracking. They're easy to track, you know, since they have no reason to hide from anyone or anything. But anyway. I did see something--some sort of old building, long since rotted away. Only a beam or two remained. But before I could get close, something enormous moved in the jungle--like a tree itself that moved. I didn't want to wait around to get killed, so I ran." He sighs. "I know it seems cowardly, but I had Slipity to think of. I don't have the same variety of creatures someone like you might, and I'm too old to take such risks when I don't know what I could be facing. So I came here to research what sort of moving trees could be in Raza. From there...well, maybe I could do something. Either find the missing krotalo, or..."
You nod. "I can help you," you say. "If you show me where this strange moving tree is, I can help figure out what's going on."
"You would?" Toreld says, his eyes going wide. "I would be so grateful."
"Of course," you say. It will be nice to get away from the wintery cold. And you've always loved a good mystery.
"Excellent," Toreld says. "I can even teleport us there." He takes out a talisman that makes you raise your eyebrows. "I know what you're thinking, but the nocturne rose snail I got this from had already passed away. I would never hurt another creature."
"Alright," you say. "Give me some time to prepare. I'll bring a variety of creatures. There's no telling what we might face."
You will most likely need a potion to protect against poison, made more powerful with the moss of some five moss snails, as well as an Ornyx, a creature strong enough to fend off what Toreld described. A creature who is fast and can fly well in the jungle, like a manticore, would also be useful. Some protection from the song of a naricasa phoenix will keep you safe. And of course, if you're fighting a tree, something that can wield fire magic and is agile enough to maneuver in the jungle might help, so better to bring along a razan kalistavri as well.
You need to gather five adult Moss Snails, an adult Ornyx, an adult Manticore, an adult Naricasa Phoenix and and adult Razan Kalistavri before you are ready to go.
Satisfied with your preparations you return to Toreld. He uses his transportation amulet and before you know it you are in the Jungle of Raza.
Excavate: Rumble in the Jungle (Jungle of Raza)
The transition from the cold, wet, winter air near the keep to the humid warmth of the jungle is shocking, even though Toreld told you what to expect. Sweat immediately blooms on your skin. Your creatures, at least, seem to take the change in stride, with the Ornyx lashing its tail and the Kalistavri fluffing its feathers in a way that looks pleased. You suppose the Jungle of Raza is closer to what these creatures would consider home. You do wish your Naricasa would hold still, though, as it hops from shoulder to shoulder.Toreld has teleported you in front of his home, and what you thought would be a shack in the jungle towers over your head. Winding staircases of wood molded from enormous moss-covered trees trail up the building's height. The bulk of his house seems to consist of the forged trunks of the two largest trees in the area, branches overhead woven into a roof. Rose snails slowly climb the tree, like a line of ants would in a forest. You thought they were rare, but clearly here they aren't.
"Did you build this?" you ask, your eyes wide.
"Of sorts," Toreld says. "I knew when I was young I wanted to study the jungle. This area has a prominent life magic leyline--which makes using life magic much easier. I used that magic to weave this together from the trees."
You nod, closing your eyes. You can feel it too. Life magic thrums beneath your feet, probably contributing to the lush growth of the jungle. It beats like a heart, punctuated with normal jungle sounds like the rush of wings overhead or the rustle of heavy leaves in the wind.
"Do you think the leyline is contributing to whatever is happening to the krotalo?" you ask.
"I haven't sensed it change recently," Toreld says. "But it's possible."
"Well, let's go check it out," you say. "C'mon everyone." You motion to your creatures. The powerful Ornyx goes first, and your Manticore flies overhead, keeping watch. The agile Kalistavri strides at your side. You feel a tingle of magic from the Naricasa on your shoulder, letting you know that its protective magics are at work.
Toreld lets you lead the way, but calls out the path from behind you. From your classes on navigation and track finding, you make note of the slight depressions in the ground where krotalo like Slipity have made their way among the plants and flowers of the jungle. You push vines and enormous fronds out of your path, careful not to step in some suspicious looking orange muck. But Toreld makes no note of it--it must be normal here.
You travel for hours, and you almost miss the winter chill as sweat drips down your back. Perhaps it would have been easier to fly atop your manticore.
Just as you think that, your manticore lets out a cry just ahead.
"Something must be there!" Toreld cries.
You motion to your Kalistavri, and it darts ahead, its clawed feet sending sap spurting from vines on the ground as it runs. You follow as quickly as you can, your Ornyx just ahead of you, its horns at the ready.
Your manticore roars again as you approach, pushing a frond out of the way to reveal more of the jungle. It flies in an angry circle, hovering over what appears to be a few fallen, rotted slabs of wood, just like Toreld described back in the library.
"What is it?" you ask. Your Ornyx walks forward, nudging the beams. With its power, they float out of the way.
On the ground, you spot a stone that juts from the jungle floor, covered in green moss. Carved deep into the rock is a strange symbol, like some sort of snail-shell like spiral. Whatever it is, it definitely isn't natural.
"What is that?" Toreld asks. "I never thought to move the beams. It looks like..."
As he approaches, the magic from the leyline you've been sensing suddenly jolts. You sense another type of magic, one you can't put a name to, before the jungle moves around you.
No, not the jungle--vines. Enormous vines that rise from the ground and lash toward you.
Magic flashes, and the vines bounce off a barrier thrown up by your brave little Naricasa phoenix. As they rear back, you spot what they're connected to.
It's an enormous flower, but where simple petals should be is a row of gleaming, sharp, acid-dripping teeth. It snaps at your manticore, who dodges out of the way, and your Kalivastri leaps over another snapping vine.
You've seen more than enough.
"Run!" you shout at Torveld. He shakes his head, grabbing your shoulder. For a moment you think he's insane, or that he's betrayed you--but then he holds up the rose snail talisman.
In a blink, you're back at his jungle tower, your creatures as confused as you are.
You take a moment to collect yourself. A giant, monstrous flower. "I'm sorry," you say. "I've never seen anything like that before."
"I have," Torveld says. "But not like that. That was a sliphaeren flower. They grow in the deep jungle, but they're supposed to be small. No larger than my hand. They're harmless pitcher plants that feed on insects. But that one..."
You feel for him. You're fairly certain you know where his missing krotalo have gone.
"How could such a thing happen?" he says. "How could a harmless plant turn into...that thing? Not even the leyline could cause such horrible power, and who would want to?"
You think back to the beams and the carving in the rock. You did feel a strange magic there. "Maybe it wasn't the leyline," you say. "Maybe it was something else."
"You mean...that carving?" He squints, his hand on his chin. "That symbol...it looked like the symbol for void magic. I wonder if...maybe that magic, interacting with the leyline, is twisting what would be a simple flower into that...thing." he frowns. "But who would do such a thing, and why?"
"It looked old," you say. "The carving must have been put there ages ago."
"Just so, but then why is it happening now? And what can we do about a rock? And how can we possibly get close?" He throws up his hands, looking helpless.
"We may not know why that carving is there, but we can do something. We can destroy it," you say. "And instead of walking right into a mess of vines, we go underground."
To carry out your plan, you'll need some of the best burrowers you can find--and a lot of them. 20 topo wyrms should do the trick. And the tusks of an Onrosus will make short work of that stone.
You need to gather twenty adult Topo Wyrms and an adult Onrosus before you ask Toreld to take you back to the Razan jungle.
Back at the Keep you've gathered your creatures and return to Toreld to take you back to the Razan jungle.
Excavate: Dig Deeper (Jungle of Raza)
Your topo wyrms flit and flutter in all directions as soon as Toreld teleports you all back to his tower. They seem more perturbed than your Onrosus, who merely yawns, showing off its enormous, crushing fangs."Will this really work?" Toreld asks. He peers into the jungle, but there's no sign of the enormous plant.
"If it doesn't," you say "We'll just have to think of something else. But I think it will." The void from the stone still bothers you. Whatever is happening, it has to be the source. A mix of void and life magic, resulting in that strange twisted plant. Hopefully getting rid of the carving would help.
You call out to your topo wyrms, and motion to the ground. With happy chirps, they begin to dig. Their little claws make quick work of the first layer of soil, which is mostly loose dirt and dead, condensed leaves. Soon, their bodies disappear, and their efforts result in a wide tunnel forming. The sound of their heavy tails firming up the tunnel walls begins to echo in the jungle.
You travel behind them, guiding their path with points and calls. Toreld walks above you, and soon his footsteps are drowned out by the quiet of the tunnel.
The roots of the great trees of the jungle run deep, and your Topo wyrms dig around them, widening the tunnel while at the same time forming an eerie passageway that is routinely sliced in two by enormous green roots. Your Onrosus sniffs them, but you shoo it away. Who knows what sort of trees these roots may support.
It takes hours, but soon you become sure that you must be close to the stone--and the potential lair of the giant sliphaeren.
As you think it, one of your topo wyrms makes a peeping sound, and then it is copied by more of them. The ground shudders ahead of you, and the dirt wall they had been digging suddenly collapses, your topo wyrms falling to the ground in a confused heap.
Your skin prickles. There's that magic feeling again, the void mixed with life. But more than that, you weren't the only to think of traveling underground.
A rotted wooden desk sits underground, next to a pile of lumber. One remaining square of the structure clues you into that it was once a bookcase. There are no books, though, just black dust and soil. Two other tunnels stretch off into the distance, tunnels your topo wyrms didn't dig. Stale air from those ancient tunnels mingles with the scents of freshly dug dirt from the one you just came from.
Above your head, the same spiral carving has been etched into the dirt. This must be the spot.
Something rumbles overhead. There's no time to waste.
Your Onrosus lumbers closer, even as you point and order your topo wyrms to start digging out the ceiling. You had hoped to angle the tunnel up naturally, but now you'll have to step back when they dig the stone out. Or maybe if you're lucky, destroying the carving on the ceiling of this strange subterranean room will be enough.
Your topo wyrms continue their work, and dirt begins raining from the ceiling. You hope Toreld has already fled or teleported to safety.
The dirt falling picks up in intensity, the sound like a rainstorm. Roots begin to tear. Magic thrums, the life magic of the leyline mingling with void magic. The thrumming becomes almost audible, and your Onrosus growls.
A beam of natural light shoots into the cave, and then the ceiling caves in. The stone you had instructed your topo wyrms to dig out falls onto the ancient desk with a thunderous crash.
It's not the only crash. Above your head, an enormous vine blocks out the beams of light from the sun. The sliphaeren knows you're here.
You hope this works.
Your Onrosus lunges forward, enormous jaws open wide. The average Onrosus can crush bone and even armor with one snap, and you brought your strongest and most powerful.
The rock cracks in your Onrosus's mighty jaws with an ear-splitting sound, your creature's fang driving directly through the spiral carving. With two, three, four more chomps, the boulder now lays in pieces on the ground.
Above your head, you hear thrashing, and a strange, horrible not-scream, a mix of air escaping a tea-kettle and the hissing noise of a thousand leaves torn off trees by a wind. Then everything is silent.
Your heart pounds. Did it work?
"Oh no." Toreld's voice.
You scramble up out of the hole, your Onrosus giving you a leg up. The bright sun makes you blink watering eyes.
The slipharen is gone. Only bones remain. Bones of what must be dozens of krotalo, long spines and ribs. And the bones of a person.
At least you think they are. As one of your topo wyrms flutters overhead, the bones dissolve into dust. Whoever was there must have been ancient.
But at least the horrible plant is gone.
"It worked," Toreld says. He frowns at the bones of the missing krotalo. "At least...at least the others will be safe now." He meets your eyes. "Did you get any clue what caused this?"
You're about to say no when you remember the cave below you, and the two tunnels. If there is a clue, it must be down there.
Toreld follows you down, careful as he climbs on ripped roots. The bits of stone are mere shrapnel now, and provide no clues. The remains of the bookcase are empty. Someone must have been here once--a long, long time ago.
"Ah," Toreld says. "Look."
He holds up a piece of the table, now a mere plank of wood. Something has been carved into it, and a metal latch hangs precariously. It must have been a hidden drawer.
"That's an old code symbol," he says. "From the time of the Mage Wars. I wonder if there was something here they were protecting?"
"Maybe it was that thing," you say.
"Or maybe that thing was protecting something else." Toreld peers down the tunnels that link to the room. The sun illuminates one of them, the tunnel blocked by overgrown roots. The other stretches into darkness.
But it doesn't go far. After only a few feet, it ends in a rounded room. And at the center sits a small oval.
Toreld's eyes go wide. "It looks like a seed," he says.
You pick it up, the seed still warm and obviously alive. The same magics from before, life and void, swirl inside it.
"What will you do with it?" Toreld asks.
"I suppose I'll keep protecting it," you say.