Now you can't catch me, baby you can't catch me...

'Cause if you get too close, you know I'm gone like a cool breeze...

The party returns to the skinwalker infested ruined Olman temple to discover a ritual room, with several inscribed circles, statues holding symbols of the sun, moon and stars. Looking at the stone tablet that Jakara brought to Farshore, the party arranges things in the room to unlock the treasure of Macutotnal... the Nimbus Bow. Nesta was all about that.

Exploring further the stalwart adventurers find a burial chamber of Olman priests and warriors dressed in their ceremonial finest. With loot immediately at hand, so went the hands of Daria. The spirits of the temple rise to fend off the greedy interlopers, the dread wraiths were unsuccessful and the party claimed their prize.

Scouting ahead, the party finds the skinwalker chief in a common room with several other skinwalkers. The party sets up for an ambush, and pounces on the unsuspecting skinwalkers with Daria opening the fray. Rudy makes a spectacular leap off the ledge, and the rest of the party moves in and positions themselves. After a few rounds the skinwalker acolytes and others emerge from thier rooms and reinforce the chief. Ortho feels a feeblemind spell hurled at him and his response fizzles as the second acolyte counterspells Ortho's reprisal.

At its final ebb, Vin deals the finishing blow to the chieftain and denying Daria's kill. Ortho watches in frustration as the acolyte escapes.

==========
Session Characters: Rudolpho, Vin, Gwendelyn, Daria, Ortho, Nesta, Hjalmgedr
Session Loot: 11000gp of Olman ceremonial dead treasures, 5 ivory sticks (10gp each), 3 inlaid bejeweled bowls (500gp each), +2 bashing light wooden shield, +2 flaming burst macuahuitl, +1 composite longbow (+5 Str), belt of giant strength +4, bracers of armor +4, amulet of natural armor +2, 6 masterwork light wooden shields, 6 masterwork macuahuitls, 6 masterwork composit longbows, 120 arrows, Nimbus Longbow, 600gp

XP Standings

Happy 13th level everyone!

Level 13: Rudolpho, Vin, Nesta, Z, Gwendelyn, Hjalmgerdr, Daria, Ortho
Level 11: Chiri, Medea, Druugen, Spanky, Newt

50th game bonuses still pending...

Hey! You got Daria in my Vin. Hey You got Vin in my Daria! Two great tastes...

The party continues it's journey looking for the village of Mantru, since the skin-walker impostors probably came from there. Ruddy felt unsatisfied after the last combat, and was even more disappointed when the village of Mantru appeared to be abandoned. Just as the party was spreading out, two couatls appear. They explain that they are guarding the body of Umlat, the last priest of the village. All the other villagers dissappeared in a single night, so the couatls were waiting for someone worthy to pay respect to Umlat and give him last rights. The party answers the riddle, and Vin breaks out his ceremonial garb bidding Umlat a fond farewell.

Off the edge of Mantru is the giant lake in the middle of the central plateau. The party travels around the lake to the nearest point to the isle in the lake. As the party travels across the water, a gargantuan crocodile attacks and chops Hjalmgerdr down to a last thread. Death is all but certain, as the crocodile mangles the party. Still the party holds on as all effort is applied to bring the big beast down.

Arriving on the central isle the jungle is quiet, and Nesta follows several paths winding through the foliage to ancient Olman ziggurats. Only the last of which appears to have a pit descending hundreds and hundres of feet down below the surface of the island. Nearby there is an entrance to what appears to be an ancient Olman temple. The spirit of Umlat mentioned a taboo temple that had been overcome by evil.

Rudolpho hacks through the stone doors with his falchion and the party moves down the corrior with Daria cautiously out front. Suddenly dozens of poisoned spears shoot out of the walls and strike the party down. Hjalmgerdr does her best to undo the damage.

Daria sneaks out ahead and finds a pit full of very nasty smelling ooze, a room full of copper rings, and an empty area full of pews. Daria gets back to the party, and discuss thier options. Nesta yells, "Ooze!!!" and points at the stinking mass of bleh that has moved down the hallway. With an unually quick reaction, the flesh jelly gets the jump on Vin and Daria. The rest of the party frantically attacks, trying to liberate their comrads from the foul smelling heap. Alas, in a very short time Daria and Vin are absorbed into the jelly. The blob falls in just a few rounds, releasing the gear of the fallen adventurers. The party gathers the gear, and the copper rings and leaves the temple complex.

Broken hearted, the party retreats to Farshore, regroups, and teleports to Sasserine. Then Monmerg, since the emissary has not arrived yet. Riesaru brings Vin and Daria back. Daria gets a special bonus Geas to recover the Dread Forge. Vin has a vision during his ressurection of the Dread Forge now being guarded by a fell, demonic, two-headed creature in the bottom of the temple. No whisper of the location of the Death Knight. Riesaru only charges the party for the spell components for one of the ressurections, since the recovery of the Dread Forge is crutial.

=========
Session Characters: Nesta, Rudolpho, Gwendelyn, Vin, Ortho, Daria, Hjalmgerdr.
Session Loot: 350 copper rings worth 35gp total.

XP Standings

All of the 12th levels are very close to making 13.

Level 13: Rudolpho, Vin, Nesta, Z
Level 12: Gwendelyn, Hjalmgerdr, Daria, Ortho
Level 11: Chiri, Medea, Druugen, Spanky, Newt

Last session was our 50th gaming session in the savage tide. Over two years of gaming goodness. I think some kind of in-game award is in order... hmmm...