Tomb of Annihilation: 7
Dear Skye,
Our journey in the jungle grows ever more intricate, as we discover more about ourselves and the land we tread upon.
During our rest, we learned more about Seki and Azaka’s lycanthropy. Seki spoke of his yeti clan, guardians of the forest, and of a lost comrade he hopes to revive by finding the Soulmonger. Azaka, on the other hand, carries her lycanthropy as a burden. Dolores, with her kind heart, offered to remove Azaka’s curse once she gains the power to do so. A glimmer of relief crossed Azaka’s eyes at the offer, though she needs time to ponder it.
We set off to investigate a lost shield guardian named Vorn but ended up going in circles. The jungle has a way of disorienting even the most seasoned explorers, Skye. In our confusion, we encountered an ogre zombie – a vile, rotting testament to the corruption spreading in the land. In the heat of the battle, I found myself landing the final blow in a fit of rage, surprising even myself.
As if the day hadn’t been strange enough, our rest was interrupted by an eerie figure, an elderly woman who materialized out of nowhere. She chuckled softly in a cloud of yellow gas, stealing a single hair from Seki’s leg before vanishing as we woke up. Angle identified her as some type of fiend, and De’leon discovered she was a night hag from his readings. The encounter left us all feeling rather uneasy.
Over the next several days, we journeyed both by foot and canoe, navigating the vast River Soshenstar. We crossed paths with a giant snapping turtle and a reclusive race known as aldani, lobster-folk whose existence is often considered mere folklore.
We found an abandoned camp, Camp Righteous, by the base of a massive shrine. The shrine, carved into the hill, depicted a human carrying a crocodile on his back. Azaka shared an old Chultan story about the image, a tale of a promise between man and crocodile. It’s a story of deception and broken bonds, explaining the animosity between men and crocodiles.
Between the feet of the stone facade, we found a passage leading into the shrine. Filled with curiosity and a bit of apprehension, we followed Angle into the dark.
I wish you could be here, Skye. Your wisdom and bravery would have been a great comfort in these strange times. I hold on to the hope that our efforts will bring about the change we wish to see, for your sake and for all aarakocra.
Yours,
Mugen
