008 - Completing Initiation

15th Mirtul 1357, ctd.

Sarah leads you down the slope along a pathway, until you find yourselves stood on a large stone circle with 8 paths leading off it into the jungle. Carved into the circular stone tablet in the middle of the circle are some strange characters and symbols.

  They translate the wording, which reads:  

I speak without a mouth, and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind.

  Thoma works out that it means 'echo'. Moldrig is convinced that it's 'frog'. When saying 'frog' doesn't work, Moldrig picks a random path and walks down it. Thoma also notices that Sarah has disappeared.   Moldrig runs back and gets Thoma to make an echo by saying 'frog' after he says 'frog'. The stone circle flips over and the arrow carved into it points down the second pathway.   They find Sarah further down the path, but she disappears again shortly afterwards.   The path ends in front of a tree. Thoma is convinced that the tree is magic. Moldrig thinks it's a lava tree and believes the leaves make good poison so harvests them.   Lox starts talking to the tree, which introduces itself as Alfred. Another tree nearby is called Simon. Alfred doesn't like having Moldrig plucking its leaves. Lox tries to get Moldrig to apologise to the tree, but Moldrig climbs higher to get away. He thinks he sees his father's favourite herb, "worm weed". He jumps down and runs towards it.   The "worm weed" is a poisonous snake. Moldrig talks to the snake, which tries to convince him that it's his friend.   Villiam Partanen and It kill the snake. It tries to milk the snake, but fails. Moldrig puts some of the snake's poison in his waterskin.   Jan Válek picks up the path and follows it, leading everyone else.  

The path finally ends with a solid wall of rock, in the base of which is a stone door with a face. As you step forward, the rugged mouth and eyes begin to move.   "Hello adventurers. I am your final test. My name is Harka and I will only open for one smarter than me. Tell me two truths and a lie. I will guess once and will only open for those who can fool me. Be warned, I am not easily fooled!"   The door's eyebrows move up and down before it asks, "Who will go first?"

  Moldrig goes first, and manages to fool the door. The door swings open and allows him to enter.   Aurelia goes next, and fails to fool the door, In doing so, she admits to being in love with her brother's wife, that she wanted to be an actress, and gets a bonk on the head.   It manages to fool the door, and admits to killing the gnome. The door swings open and allows him to enter.   Villiam fails to fool the door, and admits to being a virgin, as well as taking a bump on the head.   Thoma goes next, but something strange happens.  

The door's eyebrows move up and down and it asks "Who... h... h... Who...?" The door swings open. The door's eyes open and close quickly. "Who will... who... h... hello adventurers... hello" It begins to swing backwards and forwards.

  They manage to get through and Sarah rushes forward to hold the door open to let everyone pass.   Sarah leads them into the Zahchy dorms, and shows them the map of the island.   Moldrig cooks for everyone. Thoma plays around with some of the weapons in the gym. It raids the medic room. Lox replenishes his supplies.   Everyone takes a long rest (and levels up).