The Forbidden City

…as their conversation concluded, the Regulators invited Fell to journey with them to their mutual destination: the lost Forbidden City of Omu. They continued east, towards the Peaks of Flame, and traveled uneventfully until night began to fall. As they came upon a clearing, Pix conjured a Tiny Hut so the weary party could take a long rest. Shady, however, chose to spend the night in a nearby tree so that he could have a better view of their surroundings.

In the morning, the Regulators gathered to break their fast and plan their way forward. Pix withdrew the Rod and spoke the command, “designandum…” divining that they were heading in the right direction, with only a few miles to go. A moment later, a shrieking howl pierced the air, and Fell turned to see a Shade and two shadow mastiffs—immediately loosing two arrows at the Netherese wizard.

The Shade stepped forward while casting a spell, a cone of cold erupting from his hands and blasting the Regulators with freezing cold air, before he retreated behind his mastiffs. Shady charged, racing past the monstrosities and pounding the wizard with a fury of blows that left it stunned.

Thaminor moved up, igniting his blade, and unleashed a series of slashes that sent a mastiff straight back to the Shadowfell. Pix and Molish unleashed their magical might from a distance while Leo entangled the other mastiff and the Shade.

Fell sent a few more arrows at the wizard, and Shady pounded it with another flurry of blows. When Pix began casting another attack spell, the Shade snarled and countered it. Molish pointed at the remaining mastiff and the sound of a dolorous bell filled the air around it for a moment, causing it to whimper in pain.

The mastiff broke free of its entanglement, and attempted to maul the elven knight… but Thaminor was not done, slashing it to shadows in two blows, and charging the wizard to land a third hit—that sent it back to the Shadowfell as well.

Molish patched everyone up, and the Regulators resumed their trek east, searching for the Forbidden City. A few hours in, Shady noticed the jungle thinning ahead. He notified his companions, and they tightened their formation. Soon, the jungle parted to reveal a dead city enclosed by sheer cliffs. Ruined buildings and stone boulevards rose like ghosts from the floor of the misty basin. Colorful birds glided overhead.

A waterfall poured into the basin, creating a swollen river that flooded much of the city before draining into a deep rift filled with molten lava. What appeared to be a ruined palace laid a few hundred feet north of the edge of the steaming abyss.

A couple dozen feet from where they left the dense jungle, a vine-covered object was perched on the edge of the 200-foot drop. Shady pulled down the vines to reveal a stone gargoyle, staring down at the ruined city. It had four arms and the face of a devil, with its mouth agape in a silent scream.

While Leo communed with nature to learn the lay of the land, Shady collected the partys’ ropes and tied them together, looping it around the gargoyle so they could rappel down. When Leo revealed that the nearest path into the city was in the southwestern corner, they decided to descend from their current spot.

Shady flipped over the edge, to climb down next to each subsequent Regulator as they rappelled down. Shady made it about ten feet, and Fell was about to begin his descent, when the gargoyle let out a screech and lept into the air!

Before the extended rope could fall to the ground below, the monk grabbed hold and started throwing lengths back up top, where Fell was further pulling it up. Thinking quickly, Thaminor grabbed the rope and lassoed the loop around the gargoyle’s wing just before it dropped down and started viciously attacking the tabaxi with claws and teeth.

While Pix, Molish, and Leo lashed out at the elemental with their magical might, Thaminor took a running leap off the cliff edge and grappled the gargoyle in mid-air! With the reprieve, Shady scrambled up top and grabbed the length of rope, wrapping it around the nearest tree… just in time, as the gargoyle attempted to climb into the air with its unwelcome passenger.

Grappled and held taut by the rope, the gargoyle was finally defeated by the sharpshooting ranger and begun to plummet to the ground over 200 feet below. The rope snapped, and Molish instinctively dove for it… only to let go at the last second, before he was also pulled over the edge. Thaminor freed himself and began to fly safely away.

With the enemy defeated, Pix stepped off the edge and began levitating down to the city. Meanwhile, Leo shape shifted into a giant spider and began carrying Molish down the cliff face. Shady resumed climbing down, along side the rappelling wood elf.

Fell had only made it 30 feet before Thaminor noticed another gargoyle flying at the party from the north! After shouting a word of warning to his companions, Thaminor flew to intercept this latest threat.

Fell attempted to quickly slide down the rope, but lost his grasp and fell to the ground below, landing with an echoing thud. Shady and Spider-Leo hastened their descent, hoping to make the ground before the enemy could reach them; the tabaxi dropped the final distance, landing on all four paws of course.

To distract the elemental monstrosity from the Regulators still on the cliff, Thaminor threw, recalled, and threw his javelin again. Pix withdrew his wand and sent a barrage of magic missiles into the devilish face. Finally, the ranger stood up with a groan, took aim, and pelted the gargoyle with a couple more arrows, dropping another half ton of stone from the sky.

Finally, they had reached the lost Forbidden City of Omu…


_{Thaminor: 3 | Fell: 2}