Before departing for the village and healing, Bael is determined to open up the giant oyster.

Minerva and Morgan get hacking at it, while Bael sings a ditty about scything cornfields. Eventually they crack through the shell enough to be able to have a hack at the muscle. Something blocks their swords and some careful butchery reveals a huge black pearl. The size of a baseball, which means nothing to our Mystaran heroes!!

The sight of the pearl stirs memories, and Isis resolves to check her diary when we get back to the village, and before she flies off to renew her acquaintance with the tiger.

Feeling pretty beat up, we return to the village to rest and recuperate and hopefully restore the sight of Varys and Amber.  Umlat, the priest, confirms that the giant black pearl of legend was the size of a man’s head and allowed the owner to control the weather.

Three days of lounging around sees everyone feeling better (and seeing better) and ready to return to Taboo Island.

We pass through the temple and return to where we originally saw the shark. The water level has dropped (as we thought it would) leaving a muddy wet floor. We are able to just about make out the dais in the gloom and Bael dons the Cloak of Manta Ray to examine further. There are no more sharks and he is able to confirm that this is the same chamber.

There are more steps off in the distance, but when he goes to explore there’s been a huge rockfall that has blocked further progress.

From this point onwards, Vary’s recollection of events seems to become rather hazy.

He remembers returning to the upper level and continuing past the collapsed floor that we fell through into the flooded cell-block.  Beyond this we found a room somewhere with a stone pedestal and a small carved stone box sitting atop it. Amongst the detritus on the floor we found a beautiful bowl with gold inlay and diamonds around the outside. Inside the stone box was a statuette of a hideous half-man half-octopus creature. It glowed under Bael’s detect magic spell and no one fancied picking it up.

After feeling like this level of the under-temple was fully explored, we descended the stairs down which a lot of the water has flowed. The steps got rougher and opened out into a hot cavern with many bubbling mud pools. A precarious ledge seems like our only way forward….

The plan seems to be working as the rat carcasses result in a fin breaking the surface and aiming straight for the steps. Minerva deals the shark a mighty blow, which it doesn’t seem too pleased with. Everyone else isn’t too pleased to see two more fins bearing down on us. Yikes! This has turned into a proper battle.

We consider the large flooded room ahead and Bael decides that it is manta ray time.
Swimming below the surface he immediately notices a stairwell heading down about 15′ and sheer drops to either side. This is not a room we can walk through. While swimming about he notices a flash of white to one side, suddenly a white shark attacks but luckily he is able to twist away. Time for a swift exit!! He swims back to the doorway and manages to avoid another attack. While the shark circles for another attack he removes the cloak and the door is slammed shut.
We ponder on options and Morgan suggests the other passage. It turns a corner and after a while there are steps to a raised section. No secret doors are found so we continue down a corresponding set of steps and continue down the corridor. it seems some large carnivorous fish live here as they take a bite of Isis’ leg. Varys casts Sleep and the float to the surface. Rob mutters something about swim bladders while Isis dispatched them with her spear. Amber and Morgan now start considering the possibility of lacing these fish with poison in an attempt to kill the shark. Rob favours bringing in canoes to allow us to float about these flooded halls…
In the here and now, all agree to continue down this passage, which ends at a door.
We open it and immediately get caught in a flood of water that sweeps us into the room. Doh! Heads bash and shins bark off stone benches that sit before a small altar. A bone mace hangs on the wall.
Amber picks up the mace while Varys et al search the altar. Varys finds a hidden compartment containing a load of gold and some coral statuettes that looks pretty valuable!! \o/ No secret doors are found in the room, and we are feeling pretty dirty and tired so decide to head back to the village to rest and enquire about poisons. On the way out we collect the cannibal chief’s head as proof that we’ve done the job asked.
Umlat and Talking Chief Fano meet us and are pleased if a little disquieted to see the head and ask if we found the other cannibals. We admit we haven’t and we still plan to explore Taboo Island further.
They don’t have any poisons for use so we ponder other options. The canoe idea is abandoned due to them being too big to fit into the passages. Amber suggests ladders to get us up to the other side of the rotten floor we fell through. All agree so we spend a couple of days resting and making two ladders.
Refreshed (and levelled up in some cases) we return to Taboo Island and enter through the temple steps. Before going any further we decide to do a sweep of the rest of the island looking for the remaining cannibals. After a couple hours we are done, with no sign of them… As we pass through the ‘wall’ that we broke down we take a moment to check if we can tell whether it was built to keep things from the temple out, or to keep things from below down below. We decide it was built from the temple side, which tends to rule out the possibility of the cannibals hiding down below.
We return to the main temple chamber and search harder for secret doors – two are found. One that may lead to the bas-relief and one diagonally opposite.
The first door does indeed take us to behind the bas relief. There is a LOT of dust and some rags on the floor. There are levers, and corroded brass speaking tube and some ropes hanging from the ceiling. The ropes snap, the levers are jammed and the speaking tube is blocked, so we head back.
The other door leads us around to a platform that must be behind the ‘face’ carved at the end of the main chamber. There are holes for the eyes, and some kind of piston. It moves, but we can’t work out what it does. Rob goes to watch from the chamber, but nothing really happens except he notices a musty smell…
While this examination is occurring, Varys manages to fall through a rotten trapdoor. He lands on a pile of gunk and in the light of his torch sees a large room with statues around the edge. On those statues are snakes… There’s an exit to the north.
He calls the others down and as they descend he notices a shiny in the NE corner and a large puddle in the SE. We attack the snakes which turn out to be spitting cobras. They manage to blind Varys and Amber but are killed by the others. The venom is washed from their eyes, but sight doesn’t return just yet…
While Amber is scrambling on the floor she hits a pressure pad and a portcullis drops, blocking the entrance!! Time to look for a secret door type way out of here…
We find one in the corner with the puddle. Rob checks the door more carefully and considers that it’s a VERY tight fit and that there may well be a ton of water backed up on the other side – hence the puddle. We decide to attempt to lift the portcullis instead. Minerva, Morgan, Bael and finally Isis manage to lift it and Rob is able to drive in some iron spikes to hold it up…

We rejoin the battle…
Morgan is down on his knees retching as the poison takes hold and Varys is rooted to the spot. More cannibals have appeared on the balconies….

Amber drags Morgan to safety, Bael does the same for Varys. Isis steps up to the corridor exit and Minerva joins her thus restricting the number of cannibals who can engage in combat.
It is something of a war of attrition.. Minerva and Isis seem unable to strike in the same round. Isis does notice that the spear she picked up seems light and nimble in her hands. As Minerva drops one of the cannibals Amber spots and opportunity and dashes out into the chamber and skulks in the shadows of the fire, taking potshots at one cannibal still on the balcony.. He misses due to the dim lighting. However, several other behind her can see her illuminated by the fire and one hits her with an arrow. She quickly scurries into the shadows.
The morale of several of the cannibals waivers, and five of them run off. Minerva and Isis have whittled them down to what seems to be the chief and one bodyguard.
With Amber stepping in from the shadows for a backstab and Minerva and Isis finally clicking together, the chief eventually drops. But he’s left his mark on the ladies – they are all feeling battered and cut.
The chief’s body is searched. No valuables, but his sword looks pretty nice. Someone takes it??? Isis also decides to don the bone armour of the bodyguard.

As a message to the remaining cannibals we decapitate the chief and leave his head on a spike outside the temple as we return to our canoes and paddle back to the village.
We are met by Umlat and Talking Chiefy. We explain that Morgan has been poisoned, but that we have broken the back of the cannibal tribe. We have returned for some healing, and to hopefully cure Morgan’s poisoning, but that we plan to return to the temple as we feel sure there is a darker force hidden deep below…
Morgan is cured and stops vomiting. Varys slowly regains use of his limbs. Everyone else nibbles on a mango.
Isis is despatched in giant bat form to scout out the temple and see what she can see, she is also instructed to look for the hole in the roof. This she finds with ease, however there is a net strung across the hole – presumably to keep bats out!

Early next morning, feeling refreshed, we paddle around the island to land away form the temple. Lead by Isis we sneak to the roof opening. The rope hanging down is knotted for ease of climbing and Rob is able to unhook the net to allow us through.
The fire has died down and we notice the bodies have gone and that there are bones amongst the ashes. Cooked and eaten, or cremated..???
The place seems deserted. We check the balconies. On one side is the chief’s room, but we find little of value. The other side seems to contain rooms related to some kind of ritual.. Again, we find little of value and no secret doors. Rob decides to finally get with the program and picks up a short bow and some arrows!
With nothing left to check around this chamber, we head through the mouth. the passage turns and descends some stairs. We then come to a rock wall which takes us a couple of hours to dismantle enough so that we can squeeze through. Minverva crawls through first, but there is nothing beyond. The rest follow and we proceed cautiously down the passage.
We turn a corner and Morgan and Minerva fall through the floor. A trap! Maybe not, they splash into a flooded chamber. The water is about 5 feet deep so they suffer no injury. Rob and Amber secure an iron spike and rope and then the rest descend.
An open door to the west (or maybe the north?) seems to be the only way to proceed. As we wade through the water, Isis stubs her toe on what turns out to be a rusting brazier. Through the door appear to be 6 cells. It’s too dark and the water too murky to make anything out so we continue. At the end is a T junction. To the north (east?) we see a door. To the south (west?) the passage disappears into the dark. We head for the door and it opens into a huuuuge chamber…

We have been invited to a feast with the chief…
The Talking Chief arranges for a canoe to take us to one of the huts out on the lake where we meet the tribal chief, who turns out to be a statue.
Surprised and slightly amused, we manage to hold it together and bow respectfully. After some diplomatic small talk we head back to the village for the feast.
Over fish, fruit and roasted yams, washed down with yam beer, Bael discusses with the talking chief about the history of the village and the oral history of the tribe.
It seems they’ve lived here for as long as anyone knows. They have left the crater a few times, but the lands beyond are home to huge monsters, so they stay in the village and interbreed. We are the first visitors in living memory.
There is one interesting tale – many years ago, around 20 members of the tribe split off and went to live on the island. It is a holy place to the villagers and taboo for them to set foot on the island. Occasionally the rogue tribesman (who are now cannibals) raid the village and take away the weak and the old, and sometimes the young – all bases covered! The tribe have been waiting and waiting for the visitors prophesied of old who will come and cleanse the island of the wicked cannibals.
It seems we are their saviours and Bael accepts the quest.

We rest for a week or so while Morgan regains his strength. Isis pops in and out while maintaining her friendship with the tiger. We ponder on reconnaissance steps – Bael dons the Cloak of Manta Ray and checks the underwater situation – little to report. Isis does aerial recon in bat form and reports the outline of the temple. She cannot get too far in as her echo-location seems to indicate a rockfall.

Once all are fit, we board canoes and paddle across to the island. The entrance to the temple consists of stairways, pillars, the remains of a giant statue – just the feet and ankles are left, and bas-reliefs of humans holding burning torches. Rob scales ones of the bas-reliefs and discovers holes in the eyes – potential viewing points.

We enter the temple and reach the rockfall – there is a pathway through it but it is narrow and curving. Minerva leads, with her shining sword lighting the way. As she emerges from the rubble she is attacked by four guards. They seem pretty inept and unarmoured. Between them the manage a few hits on her, but she fells them all anyway. One of the guards had a very nice looking spear which Isis takes. Some healing is administered and we all enter what turns out to be a huge chamber. A fire burns in the centre, below a great hole in the ceiling. Balconies line both sides and the far end has a large mutilated carving of a face, the mouth forming the entrance to a passage.

Before we get much time to explore, a horde of cannibals rush to attack us from both sides of the chamber. Varys casts Sleep and one party is reduced to a single screaming figure. Amber and Bael both loose arrows, Bael’s connects but none drop.
Varys casts another Sleep spell and now only two are left standing. A gaggle of children on the far side of the chamber have begun to climb a rope hanging from the ceiling – escaping no doubt. Morgan and Minerva polish off the remaining cannibals, but not before Morgan takes a nasty gash in the side and feels a numbing pain creep up his chest. Could it be poison!!

As we consider our next move, we hear doors opening and another ten cannibals appear from the balconies. Varys is suddenly frozen solid and Morgan faints and drops to the ground….

Our conversation with the Rakasta continues. Bael notices that Isis is now stroking one of the tigers and points it out. Razasaska’s eyes narrow with suspicion. Bael points out yet again that we have proved our considerable power. He fixes Razasaska with his gaze and tells him/her(?) that (s)he should tell us where to bring our boat so that we can meet them to trade. His ‘suggestion’ seems to be effective and the great southern bay is mentioned. A hollow threat is uttered and then we decide to let the Rakasta go.
After some brief posturing they summon their tigers but only one responds.. There’s a bit of a hiss but they walk away peacefully enough, having been returned their blades.
We camp for the night and return the next day to the tree people and meet Morgan and Amber. Morgan still looks in a bad way but is cheered to hear that we have found the way north that the squirrel king told us about.
The next morning we head back north, camping in the tower again before setting off through the mountains. Eventually we reach the foot of the bridge and step on.
It seems worn but sturdy, although it does seem to sway slightly in the wind. We reach the plateau without incident and see that it is around 30 miles across, with grassland and patches of woodland, rather than jungle. Dominating the view is an extinct volcano. The base is 10 miles across and it must be 18,000ft high.
As we trek across towards it’s based we are dive bombed by a flock(?) of flying reptiles. Arrows are loosed, and then Varys casts Sleep – they all drop to the ground and are quickly despatched. We butcher the beasts, and feed the tiger too. Deer are spotted, but they scram before we get a chance to hunt them. We camp at the base of the volcano and cook the pterodactyl for supper.
During the night we hear wolves howling, but it seems the smell of a giant tiger wards them off.
In the morning we begin our ascent of the mountain. Morgan’s weakened state is doing him no favours as he slips and falls, bashing his head on a rock and losing conciousness. Between us, although it’s mainly Minerva, we manage to drag him to the summit. It’s very cold and snowy and we need shelter. Isis and Varys both polymorph themselves into bears in order to be more efficient diggers and they dig out a shelter in the snow. Varys’ transformation only last 90 mins and so he and the others suffer from frostbite and lack of sleep. Isis is unaffected in bear form, and Morgan is wrapped in a dire wolf pelt.
Rosy fingered dawn spreads her fingers across the land and we all marvel at the view. As the sun starts to shine down into the volcano we can see jungle and a lake below. Amber and Rob agree on what looks like the easiest route down and we descend without any incidents. Morgan is still unconscious. Before we depart, Isis morphs into bat form and flies back down to reunite with her tiger in order to maintain her magical friendship with it. She will find us again in a day or so.
As we descend we can make out a village and all agree that it must be our destination. We skirt the lake and reach a palisade wall. There is a gate and our knock is answered by a native human. He speaks in a very old dialect of Thyatian, but we are able to understand each other. Bael explains our predicament and the guard rushes off to consult his tribal elders.
After 15 min the gates open and we are beckoned inside. We are presented to two incredibly old men. Bael introduces the party and again explains our need for aid and offers our services. The ‘Talking Chief’ welcomes us and says his medicine man can cure Morgan but that we must complete a quest. We immediately agree and the second old man steps up to the slumped fighter. Some laying on of hands and chanting seems to do the trick and Morgan awakes looking better than he has done for days and days.
The chief declares that it is time for a feast of welcome before any discussion of tasks will happen. He also explains that he is only the ‘Talking Chief’, we are still to meet the real chief of the tribe.

We are standing in an open area on a hillside. Before us we see a jungle valley running east west. To our north east we see a huge slender stone bridge crossing the valley to a plateau.
Exits lead south.

Go south

We return to the gate that we believe will take us to the bridge. Rob manages to climb the tower, but the ladder down into it gives way and he falls in a heap. He makes his way down in the dark and emerges to the rest of us looking dusty and dishevelled. Someone thinks to try the gates and they are not locked and open easily!!!

Having ascertained that we can get to the bridge we agree to return to the squirrel people to collect Morgan and Amber. Hopefully there will be some sort of medicine man living up on the plateau.
Before departing Rob decides that we should check the towers on the top of the hill. We trek up there and open up expecting it to be empty as usual. But no!!! In the light of Minerva’s sword we see a group of five lizard men eyeing us suspiciously.

We attempt conversation, but they just hiss at us a lot, although they don’t attack. We close the door and step away. They don’t seem to want any trouble as they stay put. The other tower is empty so we head south.

Once we reach the southerly end of the caverns we feel it’s time to rest for the night and head up to one of the watchtowers. Varys spots two figures on the causeway, riding what look like tigers… Bael and Varys head up to the tower roof and hail them. They notice and move towards us. The tigers have MASSIVE TEETH, and the figures look like huge cat people…

We all head down to the causeway, hoping to make friends. Bael starts conversation and they seem to understand without actually speaking. Suddenly, they make a subdued noise and the tigers start to charge us.

Varys casts Sleep and the two cat people slump and fall off their mounts. The tigers continue to charge. Just in time Varys manages to cast Web and they slow and stop as the sticky strands tangle their legs. They snarl, spit and thrash to get free.

Someone suggests it is tie up time. We can skirt around the thrashing tigers and get to the cat people. They have big claw glove things – these are removed and we tie them up then waken them. They too hiss and spit. Bael tells them to make the sabre tooths calm down. The larger one responds ‘Why?’
‘If you don’t, we all die’
It thinks for a moment, shrugs and calls something out and the tigers relax somewhat. Unnoticed by the catpeople, Isis approached the tigers and attempts to befriend one. It seems to work.

Bael engages the catpeople, they call themselves Rakasta, in conversation. In summary, they are an arrogant race, dismissive of all other occupiers of the island. Although they accept that we have proved our power and superiority over them. They don’t know of the ape city we visited, or the squirrel people. They do know of the natives we befriended, and hate the lizardmen to the north. They stay in the south part of the island which they consider to be theirs by right of power. They also say they are maritime traders cum pirates. We discuss trading options, which they attempt to dismiss, haughtily saying they decide who to trade with. When we mention treasure they seem more interested and can offer weapons and slaves. Bael considers how to ask for seven rideable tigers…

We leave the party considering how to maintain the upper hand over the Rakasta (named as Razasaska and Teklal) and what to do next…

After some deliberation about what sized tree trunk we could carry, and what bridge construction options we had we decided to head back to the Jungle. The decision was to get 4 x30ft saplings lashed together, then use an A frame to support a lead rope to allow us to suspend the leading end of the ‘bridge’ as we pushed it across the chasm.
The day was at an end when we reached the edge of the Jungle and as night fell we heard wolves howling in the distance. Rob shinned up a tree and lowered a rope to help the rest up. The wolves could clearly smell us as they lurked below us.. Bael shot arrows at them which eventually scared them away.

The next morning we began to chop trees… Towards the afternoon we were interrupted by a small Neanderthal hunting party. We made friendly gestures and offered food; they accepted and we roasted rabbit together over the fire. They seemed willing to help us with our load if we gave them more food. They looked very strong so it seemed like a sensible trade.
Between us and our new friends we were able to carry the tree trunks towards the mountains. We made much better progress than expected, but still had to camp out.
That night we set camp and kept watch. As dawn spread her rosy fingers a huge 5 headed snake-dragon thing appeared and looked quite hungry! Varys opened proceedings with a Magic Missile, much to the appreciation of the neanderthals. And Bael popped off an arrow. Isis wielded the Staff of Striking however she was still quite sleepy and couldn’t connect. Minerva spent a while donning her armour and Rob circled around attempting to attack from the flanks. The neandethals did their bit and lopped off a head. However the hydra got it’s revenge and killed one of them. His mates howled in anguish and ran away. Bael played some power chords and this clearly inspired Rob who lopped another head off with a single blow. Varys fired another magic missile and Minerva finally joined the fray. Rob, high on adrenaline took another swing but missed and was badly bitten as a result.
Once Minerva got going she was able to chop off the rest of the heads, but not before Isis also suffered a bite.

With the Neanderthals gone we had to carry the tree trunks by ourselves… slow progress. Around midday we saw the silhouettes of two giant elks, about 12 feet tall, on the skyline. Isis was keen to be friends with them. She was able to befriend the huge male, and his female companion seemed content to stay with him.
We were able to fashion a harness from lianas and the elk could drag our whole load of timber with no problem. Isis led them all the way to the huge subterranean chamber to drop off the logs, then she took them back towards lower ground so they could graze. Her druidic senses told her that her friendship spell would begin to wear off after a few days but that the elk would return if she called it tomorrow.
Meanwhile the rest of the party, follwing Varys’ instructions, were able to lash the poles together and execute the plan.
Rob was first to cross, first attaching a safety rope to his waist. He found the makeshift bridge to be sturdy enough.

While watching the others working on the ropes, Varys took a few moments to reflect on the past few days adventuring. He’s been feeling a little clumsy and less ‘lucky’. He’s been feeling a bit off-colour since the ‘shadows’ attacked in the pyramid. Perhaps it’s not just Morgan who needs a curse lifted…

Rob is dragged away from the altar with much shaking of heads. But the time we get back to the smaller pyramid he has regained conciousness and is muttering about doing it in the name of science.

Further thought is given to the acid pool and Amber and Isis pool their iron spikes and decide to try hammering them in and climbing around.
It is Rob and Amber who attempt to traverse the wall and after a couple of hairy moments they make it. On the far side they progress into a room which seems to be a pit full of bones. They cross this without incident, but with the occasional loud crack as the bones shatter under their weight. The next room contains a large sarcophagus… They pause for thought. Rob returns to the acid pool, explains what he’s found and fills a small vial with acid.
Rob and Amber start to remove the lid of the sarcophagus. A loud tinkling sound of breaking glass is heard by everyone. Amber retreats. Rob pushes the lid the last part of the way and something begins to rise…
They both retreat in a panic. In his fright, Rob slips on a piton and splashes into the acid. He is hauled out before too much damage is done.
As we wonder what to do, Varys feels a sharp pain on his shoulder – a gash has appeared from nowhere… Everyone starts to panic and we all retreat.
Everyone gets hurt by the invisible creatures and Morgan is really starting to look peaky – perhaps it’s time to depart the city and seek aid back with the natives.

We rest overnight and leave the city in the morning. It seems that the neanderthals haven’t forgotten us and a ‘welcome’ party pins us down in a narrow valley with spears and rocks. Even running at ‘top speed’ won’t get us through. We’ll have to try the western road out of the city instead. We trudge back to the city and camp in the tower that we first slept in.

The next morning, we set off with joy in our hearts… The road is more dilapidated than the one we came in on. After an hour’s trek is descends into thick jungle. The road is overgrown in places but we are still able to make better time than if it wasn’t there.
We hear a bellow and sounds of a large creature crashing through the undergrowth. It doesn’t seem to be getting closer but we all agree we’d rather climb a tree for safety.

As we climb, we realise there is a treehouse up in the canopy! Ascending higher it seems that there is a network of platforms with small hutty erections..
Little faces are looking down at us from the higher branches. We wave and attempt to make friendly gestures. Bael offers some food.. At the smell of it more faces appear. We seems to have made some friends and they take a shine to Isis.
We are led across a rope bridge to a larger platform where we meet the chief. Much gesticulating and smiling, and the gift of some beads seems to secure our friendship. We indicate the poor state of Morgan, hoping they might have some healing skill. The chief eventually scratches some marks on a piece of bark which seem to indicate a road similar to the one we’ve been on will take us through the mountain range to the north. Perhaps there is someone with healing skill beyond…
We all get a beautiful nights sleep, and even Morgan feels slightly better,