The Hunt
View all episodes in Mythic Cycle.
Season 5: Episode 1
Stalking an apex predator!
After the devestation of the Kua-Toa village, the herores recover and get their bearings. Within the jungles of the Lost World stalks an apex predator–a beast of enormous size and stregth, teeth like daggers, and an ability to shoot acid. The destruction of the Kua-Toas must be avenged! The hunt is on!
- Creation Myth: The DM opens the session recounting the myth of Dagon, a young god who raised an island from the primordial abyss before it was swallowed back by chaotic ocean serpents.
- Rejoining the Kuo-Toa: Emerging from the Temple of Water, the party reunites with Priestess Mlar Oolpo amidst the ruins of the devastated lakeside Kuo-Toa village.
- Exploit Charades: Lacking a shared language, the party plays a game of silent charades with the priestess to mime their past adventures and earn inspiration points.
- Behemoth Questand Relic Shield: Priestess Mlar Oolpo tasks the adventurers with hunting down the acid-spitting behemoth that attacked her people, granting them the Cerulean Relic Disc engraved with earth and serpent runes.
- Harvesting Acid Bile: Investigating a damaged hut, the party extracts acidic bile from an unexploded projectile sack to craft two acid grenades and several Slayer Serums.
- Testing Acid Properties: Through experiments with fire, water, and metal, the party determines that stone resists the acid, while Wark finds a shrunken head trinket along the monster’s trail.
- Recruiting the Kuo-Toa War Band: A Kuo-Toa warrior pledges a five-member war band to the party, and Lyra rescues an injured Kuo-Toa priest from a caved-in hut to bolster their squad with magic.
- Jungle Tracking And Distraction: Following 20-foot-wide footprints into the dense jungle, Lyra uses a deceptive vine trick to quietly distract a mother Gallimimus and her young away from their path.
- Anti-Acid Quicklime Discovery: Upon encountering a quarry of white limestone, the party realizes the alkaline powder neutralizes the creature’s acid and coats their gear while packing quicklime pouches to mix into a Fog Cloud.
- Maercant Borderland Cutscene: A brief improv vignette depicts an autumn festival in a Maercant borderland longhouse that is suddenly overrun by an invading enemy army.
- T-Rex vs. Behemoth Showdown: The group tracks the monster into a clearing where the acid-spewing Brachydios Behemoth ambushes and slays a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
- Defeating the Behemoth: The party deploys their quicklime-infused Fog Cloud and coordinated attacks, culminating in Sergeant Court landing a thunderous divine hammer smite to shatter the monster’s skull.
- Unearthing the Earth Temple: Following the Kuo-Toa’s victorious chest-thumping ritual, the party discovers a white granite stone crown rising from the jungle floor, marking the entrance to the Temple of Earth.
Creation Myth
Long before the first sky was stretched across the heavens or dry land was revealed to mortal eyes, the universe knew only the infinite, unformed deep—a primordial abyss ever churning in absolute dark. In that boundless expanse, there was no division between above and below, no shore to mark a border, and no light to measure the passage of time. Deep within the silent dark, colossal serpentine monsters of chaos coiled, thrudded, and turned.
“Before the first sky was stretched or dry land revealed, there was only the infinite unformed deep, the primordial abyss ever churning. “ -Dungeon master
Out of this swirling wetness rose Dagon—a young god full of grand ambition. Dagon was a master of the sea, yet he was no destroyer. Gazing across the boundless waters, he reached his vast hands into the churning depths and scooped up the heavy, ancient silt buried below. Handful by handful, he piled the dark earth together until a fragrant tablet of brown land broke through the surface of the black ocean, stretching for miles.
“Out of this swirling wetness rose Dagon, a master of sea but not a destroyer. He was a young god full of ambition. “ -Dungeon master
Yet in his creation, Dagon laid this vibrant new world directly upon the backs of the resting chaos beasts. Dagon was a shaper of worlds, not a warrior, and he believed the heavy earthen barrier would be enough to keep the primordial sea serpents imprisoned forever. He left the ancient chaos to ferment in the dark beneath the mud.
“Dagon was not a warrior. Believing the land was barrier enough, he left the chaos to ferment below. “ -Dungeon master
Far beneath the crust, the colossal monsters stirred. Their violent thrashings, toilings, and ruinings battered against the earthen floor. The baked clay softened, turning back into slick river mud. Reeds were swept away by churning currents, and high mountain stones sank like tiny pebbles dropped into the ocean abyss.
“Within three tides the land Dagon had raised was entirely swallowed again, along with Dagon himself, drawn back to the endless dark sea as if it had never been spoken into existence. “ -Dungeon master
Within three short tides, the entire land Dagon had raised collapsed into the primordial sea. Dagon himself was dragged down into the dark, swallowed whole alongside his drowned island as if it had never been spoken into existence.
Yet millennia later, the memory of that lost world echoed through the sunken ruins. As the heroes—Wark, Cort, Ralph, Lyra, and Oak—crawled out from the submerged exit of the flooded Temple of Water, they held high the Cerulean Relic Disc, ready to face the undead aftermath in the ruined Kuo-Toa village and hunt down the acid-spitting behemoth lurking in the jungle.
Rejoining the Kuo-Toa
Crawling up through the watery subterranean mouth of the flooded Temple of Water, the adventurers broke the surface of the lake and dragged themselves onto the muddy shore. The humid, swampy air of the island basin clung heavy and hot against their skin. Where a thriving, vibrant settlement had once stood, now only a suffocating stillness greeted them.
“The humid, swampy air of the lakeside settlement, which once echoed with the wet and playful croaks of the bulbous-eyed Kuo-Toa inhabitants, has fallen silent.” -Dungeon master
All along the banks, the tragedy of the siege was painted in blood and ash. Primitive, ramshackle huts that had crowded the shoreline lay caved in, smashed, or smoldering with acrid sludge. The village’s brave defenders—who had fought with desperate, savage efficiency using their nets, wooden shields, and two-pronged pincers—lay among the carnage, simply overwhelmed by the sheer, endless numbers of Knox’s shambling undead horde. The natural, familiar scent of fresh river mud and rotting fish had been thoroughly choked out by the foul stench of the dead.
“These were our friends. How kind they all were.” -Ralph
As Ralph, the half-orc cleric, looked over the fallen defenders, Cort—the Goliath-shaped devotion paladin—stood tall at his side, holding tight to the Cerulean Relic Disc they had carried up from the temple depths. Wark the gnome artificer, Oak the druid, and Lyra the ranger gathered close, scanning the shoreline where surviving Kuo-Toa moved silently through the mist, dragging corpses together to build solemn funeral pyres for their slain kin.
Movement stirred near the shattered stone mound of the temple. Out from behind the ruins stepped Priestess Mlar Oolpo, her wide, dark eyes filled with grief as she ushered a small group of shivering, wide-eyed Kuo-Toa whelps to safety. Seeing her approach, Oak immediately dropped to one knee and spread his arms wide in deep obeisance. The priestess approached slowly, bowing deeply in return before taking Oak’s hand, touching it reverently to her forehead and then to his, acknowledging the heroes who had returned to save her people.
Though surrounded by ruin, a fierce resolve ignited within the Capable Hands. Though language remained a barrier between them and the fish-folk, the ancient Cerulean Relic Disc gleamed in the dim light—a symbol of the trial ahead as they prepared to rally the surviving warriors, aid Priestess Mlar Oolpo, and hunt down the monstrosity responsible for destroying the village.
Exploit Charades
Standing amidst the ash and river mud of the ruined village, the Capable Hands faced a silent barrier. Priestess Mlar Oolpo possessed no magic to speak their tongue, nor did Oak or Lyra know the croaking dialect of the aquatic Kuo-Toa. Yet before the expedition could venture into the untamed jungle, the spiritual leader needed to measure the courage of these foreign champions and grant them her blessing.
“The Kuo-Toa can’t understand you, and you can’t understand them. So we’re going to play a game of charades to explain your previous exploits on the island.” -Dungeon master
Gathering in a circle before the surviving whelps and priestess, the party began a theatrical pantomime of their most perilous trials. Oak stepped forward first, stamping his feet in rhythmic cadence, crouching low to peer at the mud, and tracing invisible lines across the earth. With sweeping exaggerated gestures, he mimed stalking an unseen enemy through dense foliage until the party recognized the discovery of the hidden smuggler’s trail along the coast.
“Searching, hiking forward, step by step, looking for tracks!” -Oak
Next, the party acted out the searing battle in the flooded temple vault. Oak writhed and patted his chest as if his armor were burning white-hot, recounting the desperate moment he cast Heat Metal on a heavily armored foe while subterranean waters rose around their knees. Wark mimed the tragic launch of his twin brother Bang’s flying rocket, raising his hands toward the sky before dropping them in a somber salute to honor his fallen kin.
“You distracted the crabs across the bridge to get to the chest with the blue hand by giving them soggy rations!” -Lyra
Lyra stepped up to reenact the trial of the stone bridge, demonstrating how she rummaged through her pack and tossed ten days of soggy rations to distract a nest of giant celestial crabs, allowing the group to reach the chest containing the severed blue hand. Wark reenacted his brutal confrontation with the velociraptors, pounding his small fists together to show how he bashed a raptor’s skull to avenge his brother.
“You must travel to kill the giant monster—the behemoth that attacked with the undead on her village.” -Lyra
Impressed by their pantomime of past triumphs, Priestess Mlar Oolpo stepped into the center of the ring to perform her own silent message. Crouching low, she raised her webbed hands above her head, opening her wide jaws and roaring silently to imitate a colossal, acid-spitting apex predator before making a striking motion toward the jungle. The party instantly understood her mandate: to track down and slay the acid-spewing Brachydios Behemoth that had laid waste to her home.
Behemoth Quest And Relic Shield
With the silent game of charades concluded, Priestess Mlar Oolpo stood solemn before the Capable Hands amidst the smoldering ruins of the lakeside village. Her wide, dark eyes reflected the immense grief of her decimated tribe, yet behind her sorrow burned a desperate plea for vengeance. Gesturing towards the thick jungle canopy to the west, she opened her wide jaws and clawed at the air, miming a massive, apex predator that had descended upon her settlement alongside Knox’s undead horde.
“She’s giving you a quest to kill the behemoth that attacked with the undead on her village.” -Dungeon master
Lyra, the half-elf beast master ranger, immediately recognized the urgency in the priestess’s movements. She translated the silent mandate for Cort, Wark, Ralph, and Oak, confirming that their next quarry was the colossal, acid-spewing Brachydios Behemoth that had laid waste to the Kuo-Toa shoreline and fled deep into the prehistoric interior.
“You must travel to kill the giant monster—the behemoth that attacked with the undead on her village.” -Lyra
To aid the party in their formidable trial, Priestess Mlar Oolpo presented a ancient artifact saved from the sacred sanctuary. It was the Cerulean Relic Disc—a heavy, midnight-blue metallic shield gleaming with subtle violet and teal light. Unlike the water-themed disc left embedded in the sunken temple gate, this disc was deeply etched with intricate runes of dry earth, jagged stone peaks, and coiling fanged serpent beasts.
“It is a large disc you can use like a shield… inscribed with dry ground, stones, and these snake beasts.” -Dungeon master
Recognizing the immense protective power of the artifact—which bestowed a powerful three-point boost to its wielder’s defenses—the group agreed that their frontline bulwark should carry it. Wark handed the sacred artifact to Cort, the Goliath-shaped devotion paladin, who strapped the heavy disc securely onto his forearm. Anchored by the relic shield and his trusty warhammer, Cort stood tall, ready to lead the party into the untamed jungle to hunt down the monster.
“I’ll hand it over to Cort.” -Wark
Harvesting Acid Bile
Across the muddy inlet from the main ruins of the lakeside village, a solitary thatched hut stood nestled against the riverbank. Though its roof remained partially intact, a deep skid mark furrowed through the river mud before its entrance, culminating in a pulsating, bulbous green sack of thick, acrid ooze. Three curious Kuo-Toa whelps toddled toward the strange glob, prodding the rubbery membrane with long wooden sticks.
“I wave them off because I do not think that they should be exposed to the acid bile.” -Oak
Seeing the danger, Oak waved his hands frantically, scaring the younglings back to safety. Stepping up to the glistening mound alongside Wark, Oak began a meticulous inspection of the strange substance. The sharp, acrid stench of volatile bile stung their nostrils even through the membrane. Examining the trajectory of the skid mark in the earth, Wark deduced that the behemoth had fired this unexploded projectile sack from afar during the siege, missing the hut and embedding the corrosive payload directly into the soft riverbank.
“This could be perhaps the bile of that predator that we are to fight. It may help us.” -Oak
Recognizing the immense tactical potential of the creature’s own weapon, Wark the gnome artificer set to work with surgical precision. Rather than rupturing the entire sack, Wark poked a microscopic hole into the membrane, carefully siphoning the caustic liquid into small glass vials. With steady hands and incredible focus, Wark filled container after container, extracting six full charges of the glowing green bile without spilling a single drop.
“I’ve got the juice!” -Wark
Collaborating with Oak, Wark used two charges of the volatile bile to craft explosive acid grenades. With the remaining four charges, they brewed potent alchemical concoctions known as Slayer Serums. Wark handed one vial to Cort and another to Ralph, explaining that drinking the luminous brew would grant superhuman martial focus and critical strikes for one minute, followed by a severe physical crash. Stowing the extra vials inside his magical Bag of Folding, Wark grinned at his companions as the party prepared to turn the monster’s own venom against it.
Testing Acid Properties
Moving across the far shore of the ruined Kuo-Toa village, the party came upon two caved-in huts. Smoke rose from the shattered timber, but it was not the haze of ordinary fire; a thick, bubbling green sludge covered the wood, sizzling as it slowly consumed the organic thatch. Ralph and Oak knelt near the wreckage to inspect the caustic ooze, realizing this was no ordinary poison, but a potent, flesh-dissolving acid spewed by the apex predator.
“It is acid, not poison, and the acid is eating and slowly leeching away the organic material of these huts.” -Dungeon master
Determined to understand what they were up against before marching into the untamed jungle, the Capable Hands began testing the substance’s physical properties. Oak poured a stream of water over the sludge, watching as it diluted the corrosive liquid only slightly, requiring massive amounts of water to stop the etching. Next, Wark pressed a piece of scrap metal into the puddle. Within minutes, the iron began to smoke and pit. Yet when they tried raw, unrefined stones, the rock remained completely unaffected.
“Stones seem to be immune to this.” -Wark
Seeking to test the acid’s reaction to elemental magic, Wark leveled his hand toward a deep, acid-filled footprint and cast a Firebolt. The moment the fire magic struck the puddle, the liquid flashed up into the air with a dramatic flourish, igniting a fine mist of flame in midair. Subsequent tests with Shocking Grasp showed electrical sparks spidering harmlessly across the surface without combusting, proving that extreme heat and flame were the catalyst for its volatility.
“For science!” -Ralph
While the others analyzed their findings, Ralph scouted along the 20-foot-wide footprints leading west into the dense jungle. Sifting through the crushed fronds and scorched foliage along the trail, the gnome artificer spotted a curious object half-buried in the mud—a preserved shrunken head with its eyes and mouth stitched shut with coarse thread. Delighted by his find, Ralph lifted the macabre trinket and strapped it securely onto his shield as a new companion for the hunt ahead.
“I found a shrunken head, very useful!” -Ralph
Recruiting the Kuo-Toa War Band
On the far shoreline of the devastated village, resting near the water’s edge, stood a round hut built from bundles of reeds, heavy timber, and crude ropes decorated with seashell shards. The roof had caved in under the weight of the siege, but amidst the ruins, a group of surviving Kuo-Toa warriors was at work. Seeing the Capable Hands approach, the lead Kuo-Toa warrior stood tall, adjusted his spear, and straightened his stance before the heroes.
“He points at you all and he goes like this on his chest and he reaches down into the mud and he wipes it on both sides of his face.” -Dungeon master
With a stern, deliberate motion, the warrior struck his chest, reached into the wet riverbank, and smeared two thick stripes of dark mud across his face—a solemn ritual gesture of honor and martial loyalty. Recognizing the gesture, the party met his gaze. Smearing the river mud across their own cheeks, they bowed in return, cementing a silent pact of brotherhood between their group and the fish-folk.
“He’s pledging basically to come with you as a war band.” -Dungeon master
Inspired by the gesture, the four accompanying Kuo-Toa warriors arose and repeated the ritual in unison, raising their two-pronged pincers and spears. Together, the five-member war band pledged their blades to the party, eager to march into the prehistoric jungle to avenge their fallen kin and slay the acid-spitting monster that had laid waste to their home.
“I hear something rustling amongst the hut on the far side.” -Lyra
Before the party could depart, Lyra’s keen ranger senses caught a faint, rhythmic scraping beneath the caved-in timber of the shattered reed hut. Stepping over to the wreckage, she cleared away heavy beams and soaked thatch to reveal a twitching, webbed hand protruding from the mud. Beneath the rubble lay a badly wounded Kuo-Toa warrior, clinging weakly to life.
“You pull this Kuo-Toa out… he can join the war band, so now your Kuo-Toa war band has a magic user!” -Dungeon master
Working quickly, Lyra pulled the battered creature from the collapse and applied medical aid to bind his injuries, breathing new life into the fallen villager. As the creature stood up and grasped his sacred wooden staff, the party realized they had rescued a Kuo-Toa priest. Bolstered by five fierce warriors and a divine spellcaster capable of channeling sacred flames, banes, and spiritual weapons, the Capable Hands now commanded a formidable vanguard as they readied themselves to march into the untamed wild.
Jungle Tracking And Distraction
Leaving the ruined Kuo-Toa shoreline behind, the Capable Hands pushed deeper into the dense, prehistoric canopy of the Isle of Dread. Leading the vanguard were Wark the gnome artificer, Cort the devotion paladin carrying the Cerulean Relic Disc, Ralph the half-orc cleric, Oak the druid, and Lyra the ranger, flanked by Captain Johan’s mercenary squad and the five-member Kuo-Toa war band. Embedded deep in the damp earth were the quarry’s unmistakable marks—monstrous, twenty-foot-wide three-toed footprints crushing ancient fronds and snapping hardwood saplings like twigs.
“It’s hard to miss this huge footprint in the ground. “ -Wark
“The tracks near the mud are soft, and you catch the ones heading off into the jungle terrain. “ -Dungeon master
To ensure they did not lose the trail amidst the sprawling wilderness, Oak performed a tracking ritual, taking advantage of bloodhound instincts to keep the group locked onto the behemoth’s path. High above the dense leaves, Lyra dispatched her feathered familiars—Saluna the owl and her loyal raven—to scout the clearings ahead. Looking through the owl’s eyes, Lyra spotted a pod of slender, fast-moving dinosaurs foraging in a sun-dappled clearing directly in their path: a mother Gallimimus and her skittish young.
“They seem to be foraging for plants or animals. “ -Dungeon master
“Let’s combine our forces and just try to avoid as many of these fights as we can. “ -Lyra
Unwilling to waste precious energy or risk alerting the behemoth to their presence, the party resolved to bypass the dinosaurs quietly. Stepping to the edge of the foliage, Lyra prepared a clever deception. Channeling her ranger magic alongside a subtle divine blessing of guidance from Oak, she sprouted a tangle of whipping vines far off into the thick brush to their flank, sending a violent rustle through the distant leaves.
“I can send a whip out there to cause a distraction in whatever on the side to see if they bite. “ -Lyra
“These are Gallimimus. They perk up and start looking over in this direction. Mama Gallimimus pops out from the far side, and as her young move away, they scamper off into the jungle looking for the sound. “ -Dungeon master
The mother dinosaur paused, perking her long neck high into the humid air. She test-sniffed the wind once, twice, before bounding off after her young toward the mysterious rustling far from the party’s path. As the clearing cleared, Lyra smirked, brushing dirt from her cloak while the party quietly slipped past the abandoned glade, remaining dead on the trail of the twenty-foot footprints.
“Well, congratulations—we bathed today! “ -Lyra
“Nicely done, Lyra, nicely done. “ -Dungeon master
Anti-Acid Quicklime Discovery
Marching deeper into the prehistoric interior, the Capable Hands followed the 20-foot-wide footprints of the acid-spewing behemoth as the dense jungle gave way to a dramatic shift in terrain. Along a bend in the trail, the lush green foliage abruptly receded, replaced by chalky, white bone-scarred stones and an outcrop of powdery, pale rock that dusted the earth like fresh ash.
“The terrain of the jungle changes somewhat. On the right, you see these white, bone-scarred stones, covered in a chalky white powder mixed into the dirt.” -Dungeon master
Kneeling near the edge of the quarry, Wark the gnome artificer and Lyra the ranger inspected a massive, three-toed footprint stamped directly into the pale dust. At the center of the print lay a puddle of the monster’s acrid green bile. Yet unlike the sizzling, flesh-melting sludge they had witnessed in the ruined village, this pool had transformed into a harmless, milky-white paste, leaving the surrounding roots and leaves completely uncharred.
“This is an alkaline-based stone, and it is neutralizing the acidity of the acid.” -Wark
Realizing that the chalky outcrop was natural limestone powder, Wark immediately devised a plan to turn the environment into a weapon. Gathering sticky resin from neighboring jungle trees, the artificer mixed the pitch with the alkaline quicklime, creating a thick, protective coating to smear across their metal armor, weapons, and shields. Nearby, the Kuo-Toa warriors croaked in excitement, enthusiastically slathering the chalky white powder over their rubbery skin and gear.
“We roll around in the dirt! The Kuo-Toa are slathering it on!” -Oak
When Captain Johan, the fastidious mercenary squad leader, balked at coating himself in mud and lime, Cort—the Goliath-shaped devotion paladin—stepped in. Without a word, Cort pinned the squirming officer to the ground, firmly scrubbing Johan’s face and armor into the white dust until the commander gave up and accepted his chalky fate.
“I don’t want to put it on my body!” -Johan
“You look great, buddy! This will be totally worth it for your survival.” -Cort
With their physical defenses prepared, Oak the druid and Wark turned their focus to spellcraft. They packed several leather pouches tightly with the dry quicklime powder, realizing that throwing a
Maercant Borderland Cutscene
Far across the ocean from the untamed jungle, in the prosperous Maercant borderlands, the air inside the grand timber longhouse hung warm and sweet. The fragrance of freshly pressed cider, dried lavender, and roasted barley filled the vaulted hall as afternoon sunbeams streamed through the timber rafters. Long tables were piled high with woven corn husks, silver banners, and ripe orange squashes to celebrate forty years of uninterrupted peace and trade in the valley.
“The air of the longhouse is warm and sweet smelling. There is fresh cider, dried lavender, and roasted barley. “ -Dungeon master
The town’s ruling elders gathered in the hall to oversee final preparations for the grand autumn feast. Elder Chaa chipped carefully away at a magnificent sculpture carved from rare northern lake ice—an extravagant luxury brought down from northern glaciers. Nearby, Elder Xerxes finalized logistics for a military dance troop trained to weave through swinging broadswords and flying arrows, while Elder Old Sam Buoie counted gold coins from the municipal treasury.
“The first two cost you, but the third cast is gratis because I’m doing it for charity. “ -Silvin Abernathy
Complications quickly threw the council into disarray. Jeffers, a sweat-drenched performer riddled with severe anxiety, arrived to confess that three dancers had struck for higher wages, leaving only seven performers to execute the dangerous blade-dodging routine. Meanwhile, Silvin Abernathy, an eccentric elder mage hired to keep the ice sculpture frozen, repeatedly misheard the council’s orders, accidentally freezing floorboards and unleashing stray spellfire around the hall.
“Elders, please! My farmhouse is on fire! “ -Byron
The festivities devolved into total chaos when Byron, a frantic landowner, burst through the longhouse doors screaming that his grainery was ablaze. As the town’s fire brigade bell clanged loudly through the rafters, the elders argued over whether Byron had paid his annual fire dues. To maintain order, Silvin Abernathy froze the legs of squirming dancers, while Alexander, a pike-wielding town guard, staked his weapon into the floorboards to keep the performers pinned in place.
“This is hell! “ -Jeffers
“Seems like the performance has already begun! It is much more amusing this year, don’t you think? “ -Old Sam Buoie
Before the fire brigade could douse the grainery or the dancers could begin their routine, a thunderous splintering of wood echoed through the valley. The heavy, iron-bound doors of the longhouse flew inward as a massive invading army—clad in steel plate and marching under the banners of a hostile rival nation—marched into the hall. As an enemy bard struck a ominous drumbeat from the balcony, the music died, bringing forty years of borderland prosperity to a sudden, catastrophic end.
T-Rex vs. Behemoth Showdown
Stealthily navigating through the dense prehistoric canopy, the Capable Hands—Cort, Wark, Ralph, Lyra, and Oak, accompanied by Captain Johan, his mercenary hirelings, and the five-member Kuo-Toa war band—pushed west into the island’s untamed interior. The humid air grew stifling and hot as the sweet scent of jungle foliage gave way to a sharp, copper stench.
“The metallic reek of fresh blood hangs thick in the humid air, stinging your nostrils long before you break the tree line. “ -Dungeon master
Peering through the thick fronds into a sun-dappled clearing, the party froze. Standing over the carcass of a freshly slain Stegosaurus was a colossal apex predator—a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Its massive, fanged jaws tore gaping wounds into the dead dinosaur, completely unaware of the adventurers and fish-folk surrounding the clearing’s perimeter. Lyra’s raven and owl hovered high above, confirming that three-toed tracks led directly into the clearing.
“In the gloom of the ancient canopy ahead, you see a large carnivorous beast, its immense jaws ripping gaping holes in a small Stegosaurus laying slain below. “ -Dungeon master
“Is that the monster, or some other predator? “ -Lyra
Before the party could initiate their ambush, the jungle edge at the far side of the clearing shattered into splinters. Crashing through ancient hardwood trees like a runaway siege engine came a massive, brooding, armored beast—the Brachydios Behemoth. Its colossal, hide-plated shoulder slammed directly into the flank of the feeding T-Rex with an earth-shaking thud, snapping the tyrant lizard’s ribs with a sickening crunch.
“The tree line explodes, sending splintering wood in all directions! A massive, brooding armored Hulk sprints forward, slamming into the side of the Tyrannosaurus like a runaway siege engine! “ -Dungeon master
The wounded T-Rex let out a deafening roar of agony as the Behemoth reeled back its heavy head and spewed a torrent of bubbling, acrid green bile across the carnivore’s chest. The caustic acid sizzled violently on impact, eating through raw hide and bone. Yet the tyrant lizard refused to yield. Turning with ferocious instincts, the T-Rex lunged low, locking its massive, dagger-like teeth directly into the underside of the Behemoth’s armored neck.
“The T-Rex goes low, cocks its head sideways, and goes straight for its neck on the underside of its armor! “ -Dungeon master
With a mighty wrench of its head, the T-Rex bit deep into the Behemoth’s throat, tearing away heavy plates and dealing a staggering thirty-one points of damage in a single ferocious strike. Enraged by the pain, the Behemoth retaliated with a crushing, heavy-fisted pounder strike before unleashing a second, point-blank gout of acidic bile directly into the T-Rex’s face and eyes.
“A large gout of acid sprays all over the T-Rex—its face, its eyes, and its open, gaping mouth! “ -Dungeon master
Searing acid blinded the tyrant lizard, burning away its flesh until the giant beast wobbled, let out a final rasping cry, and collapsed heavily onto the jungle floor. Standing victorious over the fallen T-Rex, the acid-spitting Behemoth reared up and unleashed a triumphant roar that shook the surrounding trees. From the shadows of the brush, Cort tightened his grip on his warhammer and strapped the Cerulean Relic Disc onto his arm, while Wark readied his shoulder-mounted lightning cannon as the Capable Hands prepared to spring their trap.
Defeating the Behemoth
With the Tyrannosaurus Rex slain and the acid-spitting Brachydios Behemoth roaring in triumph, the Capable Hands launched their coordinated strike. Oak hurled a leather pouch packed with fine, alkaline limestone powder straight into the center of the clearing, unleashing a swirling Fog Cloud. As the magical mist billowed outward, the suspended quicklime created a floating sphere of anti-acid protection, powdering the monster’s face white and neutralizing its deadly corrosive breath.
“There is an acid immunity bubble right in front of him, and a lot of that actually splashes back on him. His face is powdered white in front of you.” -Dungeon master
From the tree line, Wark leveled his shoulder-mounted lightning cannon, peering through the iron sight before pulling the trigger. A crackling orb of blue electrical energy erupted from the tube and blasted directly into the Behemoth’s armored flank with a brilliant flash.
“I press the thingy, and a ball of lightning flies out towards the acid-spitting thing!” -Wark
At the same time, Ralph let out a wild battle cry, charging straight beneath the legs of the dead dinosaur and leaping through the air to bury his handaxe deep into the monster’s chest. High above, Lyra’s raven swooped through the misty canopy, screeching as it pecked savagely at the creature’s eyes and jaw. Surrounding the beast, the five-member Kuo-Toa war band thrust their two-pronged pincers and spears in a frenzy of vengeance for their destroyed village, chipping away at the monster’s thick hide.
“All the rage of their village being destroyed from this thing!” -Dungeon master
The moment for the final blow had arrived. Sergeant Cort—standing tall with the Cerulean Relic Disc strapped to his arm—sighted the reeling monster. Bounding up a rocky outcrop at the edge of the clearing, the Goliath-shaped devotion paladin launched himself into the air above the Behemoth’s head. Gripping his warhammer in both hands, Cort funneled his divine faith into a thunderous Divine Smite, bringing the heavy iron head down with catastrophic force onto the creature’s brow.
“Cort takes his hammer and just smashes it down on the head to crack the skull!” -Dungeon master
A blinding bolt of radiant lightning struck down from the jungle sky, shattering the monster’s skull upon impact. The divine energy coursed through the Behemoth’s internal bile glands, blowing apart its acid sacs in an explosive, fiery burst that rained harmlessly across the quicklime-dusted clearing. The colossal predator shuddered, let out a final rasping groan, and crashed heavily onto the earth, dead.
As the smoke cleared, a triumphant roar erupted from the Kuo-Toa warriors, who thumped their chests in a sacred four-beat rhythm to celebrate the victory. Past the fallen Behemoth, at the edge of the clearing, a majestic white granite structure rose from the jungle floor—a ribbed, stone crown adorned with ancient pillars, marking the entrance to the Temple of Earth.
Unearthing the Earth Temple
The echo of Sergeant Cort’s thunderous Divine Smite died away across the clearing, leaving only the soft hiss of neutralizing acid. The colossal Brachydios Behemoth lay motionless upon the churned earth, its skull shattered and its caustic bile sacs safely rendered inert by the floating sphere of quicklime fog. For a long moment, nobody moved, the sweet scent of jungle foliage slowly returning to choke out the stench of blood and bile.
“You have avenged the Kuo-Toa city. You have gone into the jungle with a war band, felled this beast of chaos, and brought justice to this people. “ -Dungeon master
Suddenly, a triumphant roar erupted from the five-member Kuo-Toa war band. Raising their two-pronged pincers and spears high toward the jungle canopy, the fish-folk began to chant in wet, resonant croaks. Near the edge of the clearing, the rescued Kuo-Toa priest dropped to his knees, closing his eyes in a moment of quiet solace for his fallen kin. In unison, the warriors turned toward the Capable Hands, raising their webbed hands and striking their chests four times on each side in a sacred, rhythmic salute of eternal gratitude.
“Look at them. This is what we fought for—so they could live. “ -Ralph
Stepping through the thinning white mist, Ralph approached the dead predator. Reaching up, the half-orc cleric pulled his handaxe free from where it was embedded in the creature’s hide, wiping the blood and chalky powder off on his trouser leg before sheathing the weapon. At his side, Cort lowered his heavy warhammer, the Cerulean Relic Disc strapped securely to his forearm gleaming with an inner teal light. Wark wiped soot from his goggles as he powered down his shoulder-mounted lightning cannon, while Lyra’s owl, Saluna, and her raven perched on Oak’s shoulders.
“The tracks don’t end with the monster. Look past the clearing—the land itself is changing. “ -Wark
As the quicklime cloud settled, the heroes peered beyond the fallen behemoth to the far edge of the jungle clearing. There, rising majestically from the earth like an ancient stone crown, stood a massive, ribbed structure carved entirely from white granite. Flanked by towering stone pillars engraved with subterranean runes and serpentine reliefs, the structure marked the entrance to a buried vault.
At the center of the stone crown lay a deep, circular inset—an exact match for the Cerulean Relic Disc strapped to Cort’s arm. As subterranean tremors rumbled beneath their feet, the Capable Hands realized their trial on the Isle of Dread was far from over. Beneath these white granite pillars lay the Temple of Earth, where Knox’s necromantic corruption still festered in the subterranean dark.