Earthbound
View all episodes in Mythic Cycle.
Season 5: Episode 2
Deeper into the island’s primeval interior and farther from civilization!
Deeper into the island’s primeval interior, the trail of Knox pulls the heroes far beyond the reach of civilization. Here, in a lost world where unbridled chaos reigns, monstrous dinosaurs and roving undead stalk every step. To thwart an impending third catastrophe, the party must locate the mythic Temple of Earth—the only place holding the secrets of the world’s second creation and the key to its salvation. But the island does not yield its secrets easily. As natural hazards multiply and undead horrors creep into view, madness takes root. Watch as the Lost Island unleashes its full fury!
- Short Rest & Kuo-Toa Farewell: Following the defeat of the behemoth, the party takes a short rest with the surviving Kuo-Toa war band. Before departing, the Kuo-Toa present the party with gifts, including a dead fish, a live crab, and a high-level scroll of Raise Dead.
- Re-activating W00t & Level 4 Upgrades: Wark retrieves W00t (the mechanical rogue unit) from his Bag of Folding and reconfigures him with new upgrades, including an Overclock Strike. The rest of the party members outline their level 4 features, spells, and character developments.
- Discovering the Coliseum & Meeting Studgy: Approaching the entrance to the Temple of Earth, the party finds a crude bamboo coliseum in the jungle. A feverish wild man named Studgy is pacing the platform, attempting to control a long-necked herbivorous dinosaur (a Massospondylus) trapped in the pit.
- Liberating the Massospondylus: The party cuts open the bamboo gate, tackles Studgy into the pit, and calms the agitated dinosaur. W00t uses sleight of hand to extract a magical stone lodged in the dinosaur’s ear, freeing the creature, while the beast tramples and slays Studgy.
- Testing the Sending Stones: W00t and Oak recover two light-colored stones from Studgy and the dinosaur. Testing them over a distance, they confirm the items function as enchanted, bidirectional sending/listening stones.
- Unlocking the Earth Temple Vault: The party fits the Cerulean Relic Disc into a circular floor inset at the center of the coliseum and rotates it 90 degrees. The mechanism clacks open and shifts the earth, revealing a dark subterranean vertical shaft.
- Cutscene: South Trading Company Base Camp: A brief vignette shifts focus back to Aberton, Uncle Bjorn, and Jasper at the coastal base camp. They review incoming mainland cargo shipments—including gear, books, armor, explosives, crab sauce, and Wark’s letter home regarding Bang’s death—just as an unexpected masted ship appears on the horizon.
- Navigating the Pillar Staircase: Descending 20 feet into the subterranean chasm, the party finds a drop flanked by staggered stone pillars. Ralph discovers that pushing face carvings on the upper pillars mechanically shifts the lower platforms into alignment, allowing everyone to step down safely into the crystalline depths.
- Solving the Quartz Door & Spyhole Puzzle: At the bottom of the shaft, the group encounters a monolithic quartz door inscribed in ancient Draconic with “Order Above All.” Wark unseats a broken glass spyhole lens, enabling Lyra to look through, use Misty Step to teleport to the far side, and trigger the door’s release panel.
- Discovering Mechanical Golems & Power Crystals: In the crystalline hallway, the party discovers dormant, earthen-mechanical golems. Wark extracts a glowing quartz power crystal and a deck of programmatic control cards from one fallen unit, using card combinations to command a second golem (Smeaggle) to walk, turn, and bang open locked cell doors.
- Exploring the Prison Cells & Sacred Mural: Opening the quartz cell doors, the party uncovers ancient chains, a cell wall scratched with the word “Tyrannicus,” additional power crystals, and a large exterior mural depicting a rod-bearing deity forcing all beasts and animals into total submission.
- The Throne Room & the Subterranean Hydra: Advancing into a massive, smooth bedrock chamber featuring an empty throne and a central circular seal, the party triggers a massive subterranean tremor. A colossal, multi-segmented subterranean rock hydra/serpent bursts through the stone floor.
- Slaying the Subterranean Hydra: The party engages the segmented beast in combat. With Oak transforming into an Ankylosaurus and W00t dealing massive sneak-attack blows, the group systematically shatters, severs, and crushes the serpent’s regrowing segments and heads until the creature is completely destroyed.
- Claiming the Relic Arms: Ascending to the stone throne at the far end of the arena, Ralph opens a small stone chest rested upon the seat, recovering the preserved blue-skinned left and right arm relics of the ancient deity.
Short Rest & Kuo-Toa Farewell
With the acid-spitting behemoth slain and the quicklime mist settling over the jungle clearing, the Capable Hands and the Kuo-Toa war band took a well-earned short rest amidst the quiet rustle of the primeval forest. The fish-folk warriors began gathering their pincer spears and packing their gear, eager to return to their lakeside village with news that their fallen kin had been avenged.
“The beast has been felled in front of you… The warriors are smashing the sides of their chest before you and they give Cort and the rest of the company a slow nod. “ -Dungeon master
Before departing, the webbed warriors approached the heroes to present parting gifts of honor. The elderly Kuo-Toa priest shuffled over to Oak—who had taken the form of a massive, furry bear—and presented him with a freshly caught dead fish.
“Sweet, awesome! I’ll save this for later. “ -Oak
Immediately after, another Kuo-Toa warrior stepped forward and offered a wriggling, soft-shell live crab. Overjoyed by the sacred offering, Oak wrapped his heavy bear arms around the startled fish-person in an enthusiastic embrace.
“I hug the fish person, ecstatic about finally getting a crab! “ -Oak
The leader of the war band then stepped before the party, bowing gently. Striking the butt of his spear against the earth, he sounded a low croak of respect before leading his troop into the dense foliage. Oak raised a giant bear paw, waving goodbye as the fish-folk disappeared back into the wild.
“I wave goodbye with big bear paws! “ -Oak
Just before reaching the tree line, the Kuo-Toa priest paused and turned back toward Ralph the half-orc cleric. Reaching into a worn leather pouch, the priest produced an unmarked paper scroll and pressed it reverently into Ralph’s hands. Ralph bowed in gratitude as the priest took his final leave. Examining the parchment during the remainder of their rest, Ralph deciphered the archaic incantations, discovering it was a high-level scroll of Raise Dead.
“Which means I finally get to have final kill on something! “ -Ralph
Re-activating W00t & Level 4 Upgrades
With the short rest underway in the quiet shadow of the jungle canopy, Wark the gnome artificer reached deep into his magical Bag of Folding. Reaching past his tools, he pulled out a heavy wooden box containing the deactivated chassis of W00t, the party’s mechanical rogue unit who had been boxed up since their earlier trials.
Sensing that the coming descent into the Temple of Earth would require every bit of martial strength, Wark set to work with his fine brass wrenches and tinkering gears. He unseated worn plates, replaced corroded copper wiring with fresh sprockets, and pressed a glowing activation rune upon the construct’s chest plate. The rusted metal frame clicked, unwound with a series of mechanical pops, and stood fully upright before the party.
“Infantry support and point targeting elimination system operational. “ -W00t
Whirring gears hummed beneath W00t’s polished breastplate as his central optic lens flashed to life, scanning the surrounding jungle and familiar faces of the Capable Hands.
“I detect a 15% increase in processing speed. Upgrades appear to be operational. “ -W00t
“I wanted some of those pieces for myself, but I put them on you instead! Welcome back, W00t! “ -Wark
When asked if the construct had experienced any dreams while powered down inside the dark void of the Bag of Folding, W00t revealed the analytical outcome of an electric sheep modification Wark had previously installed into his subroutines.
“I counted 32,567,422 electric sheep. “ -W00t
“I need to fix your processing speed again. “ -Wark
Wark detailed W00t’s dangerous new offensive protocol: the Overclock Strike. When landing a precise sneak attack, W00t could channel an immense surge of power to deliver devastating extra damage—though failure to dissipate the internal heat risked self-inflicted damage and a temporary system shutdown.
As W00t tested his recalibrated limbs, the rest of the Capable Hands reflected on their newly honed martial abilities and spellcraft as they reached their fourth tier of growth. Oak the druid discovered an unshakeable mental clarity, drawing upon haunting visions of his fire-ravaged home village to maintain his spell concentration through the pain of battle.
“I am beginning to see in my mind’s eye the people from my lost village in a ring around me, holding me in place. “ -Oak
Nearby, Ralph the half-orc cleric flipped through a self-help tome titled Anger Control Therapy, which he had commandeered from Maverick’s library at the coastal base camp—noting a personal inscription inside from Maverick to the rogue operative Knox. Through its teachings, Ralph gained absolute mental discipline over his battle rage. Meanwhile, Lyra embraced her celestial Aasimar heritage, mastering her Fey Touched powers to effortlessly weave Misty Step teleportation and deadly Ice Knives into her archery repertoire.
With W00t fully reactivated and the entire party standing at the height of their newfound power, the Capable Hands tightened their armor and prepared to step into the ancient coliseum of the Temple of Earth.
Discovering the Coliseum & Meeting Studgy
Leaving the quicklime-dusted clearing behind, the Capable Hands—Cort, Wark, W00t, Ralph, Oak, and Lyra—pushed through the dense jungle foliage toward the coordinates of the Temple of Earth. As the thick canopy parted, the party came upon a staggering sight: a brutal, ancient coliseum rising directly from the overgrown earth. Concentric rings of weathered stone encircled a deep central pit, enclosed by crude palisades of bamboo and timber lashed together with jungle vines like jagged teeth.
“Rising from the jungle is a brutal coliseum built from ancient stones of a forgotten time… concentric rings and a pit with wooden palisades set about the sides, roped together rather crudely like jagged teeth from the jungle floor. “ -Dungeon master
Approaching the makeshift bamboo gates, Ralph peeked through the gaps into the pit below. Pacing restlessly inside the arena was a slender, long-necked herbivorous dinosaur—a Massospondylus—its sharp claws pawing at the dirt as it shook its head in wild agitation. Standing high on a wooden platform overlooking the pit was a feverish wild man who looked as if the island had chewed him up and spat him out. Clad in a vest woven from shredded palmetto fronds, his face was framed by a tangled thicket of a beard and unblinking, frenzied eyes.
“He looks as though the jungle chewed him up and spat him out… vest woven from shredded palmetto fronds, hair knotted, and a beard that’s a tangled thicket framing feverish eyes. “ -Dungeon master
Unaware of the full party standing at the gate, the wild man—a hermit named Studgy back and forth along the platform, muttering dark incantations and gesturing wildly at the creature in the pit below. Seeking to understand the beast’s distress, Oak channeled his druidic magic to speak directly with the creature, learning that Studgy was attempting to magically subjugate its mind.
“Hey dino friend, who are you? That guy over there, his name’s Studgy. He’s trying to get me to do things. “ -Oak
Inside the dinosaur’s ear, Wark noticed the glint of something unnatural jammed into the creature’s canal, causing it immense pain. As Wark and Ralph approached the lashed bamboo gate to cut the vines and intervene, Studgy spun around on his high platform, eyes wide with manic rage as he shouted down at the intruders.
“Stop, stop, don’t interrupt! He’s almost ready! You know nothing about this—this dinosaur will do as it’s told! “ -Studgy
Ignoring the frantic hermit’s commands, Ralph drew his dagger to slash through the vine bindings, while Wark readied his tools and W00t calibrated his targeting systems. The Capable Hands prepared to breach the arena, liberate the captive dinosaur, and bring Studgy’s cruel experiment to an abrupt end.
Liberating the Massospondylus
With the crude bamboo gates cut open and Studgy careening forward into the pit, the trapped Massospondylus pivoted wildly in the arena dust. The slender, long-necked herbivore—enraged and in agonizing pain—swung its long tail and lunged forward, snapping its jaws at Studgy and trampling the wild hermit beneath its sharp claws.
“Stop, stop, don’t interrupt! He’s almost ready! “ -Studgy
As the thrashing beast trampled Studgy into the dirt, Oak stepped into the arena ring. Channeling serene druidic magic, Oak reached out mentally and vocally to the agitated dinosaur, projecting a soothing aura to calm its panicked instincts.
“We help stop, we help you now! Terrible people… we help, you’re here, we help you. “ -Oak
The Massospondylus paused, its large dark eyes darting toward the party. Recognizing the gentle nature of the druid and the strange metallic form of W00t stepping alongside him, the creature lowered its long neck, breathing heavily. Wark noted the glint of a small, smooth object jammed deep into the creature’s ear canal—the source of its agonizing pain and Studgy’s unnatural spellcraft.
“He’s never seen anything quite like this—a construct, you’re not organic, but with some additional reassurance, he lowers his head down slightly. “ -Dungeon master
Stepping forward with surgical precision, W00t extended a metallic hand, utilizing his delicate mechanical dexterity to reach into the dinosaur’s ear canal. With a swift sleight-of-hand motion, the construct unlodged a small, light-colored stone, pulling it free without harming the beast.
Relieved of the agonizing pressure, the dinosaur let out a low, grateful rumble. It nuzzled gently against Oak and W00t before turning toward the opened gates and bounding freely back into the dense prehistoric jungle. Beneath their feet, Studgy lay motionless in the arena dust, while Wark held up the mysterious acorn-sized stone that had granted the hermit his cruel power.
Testing the Sending Stones
With the liberated Massospondylus bounding safely back into the primeval wilderness and Study lying motionless in the arena dust, Wark the gnome artificer held up the smooth, light-colored stone extracted from the dinosaur’s ear canal. Searching Study’s discarded leather pack among the jungle debris, the party uncovered a second matching stone—each about the size of an acorn and humming with subtle magical resonance.
“Anybody want a stone? “ -Wark
“Let’s experiment with it—you put one in your ear and I’ll hold the other one. “ -Wark
Eager to discern their purpose through practical application, Wark popped the stone from the dinosaur’s ear directly into his own ear, while Oak held the second. Channeling the latent enchantment bound within the smooth mineral, Wark spoke in a low murmur, his voice instantly echoing with crystal clarity inside his companion’s mind.
“Oh, I hear you very clearly! “ -Oak
“You know, maybe I should move like thirty feet away just to double-check this, since we’re standing five feet apart. “ -Wark
Stepping thirty feet—and then a full hundred feet—across the ancient coliseum, Wark tested the magic across the clearing. The voice transmitted flawlessly back and forth across the distance, confirming the pair were enchanted, bidirectional sending stones that could function as secret listening devices for the party’s upcoming subterranean infiltration.
“Roger, over. Roger, over. “ -Wark
“We can be very, very sneaky with these! “ -Lyra
Holding the stone in his hand, Wark paused, reflecting for a brief moment on the feverish hermit lying near the arena gates before the Capable Hands turned their attention to unlocking the sealed vault of the Temple of Earth below.
“Just imagine what we could have learned if had we just not pushed him into a pit with a raging dinosaur! “ -Wark
Unlocking the Earth Temple Vault
Scraping away the trampled jungle fronds and muddy debris from the center of the ancient bamboo coliseum, Oak and Wark exposed a massive stone disc inset flush into the bedrock floor. Weathered by centuries of tropical humidity, its face bore intricate subterranean engravings—an unmistakable twin to the ancient locking mechanism they had unlocked at the Temple of Water.
“Remembering what we did at the previous temple, we’ll attempt to lock it in and turn it in such a way if all the pieces are here. “ -Oak
Stepping into the central ring, Oak unslung the Cerulean Relic Disc—the heavy, teal-glowing relic shield passed to him by Sergeant Cort. Lining up the intricate grooves of the disc with the floor mechanism, Oak lowered the heavy stone plate into the circular center. The ancient lock accepted the relic with a resounding, metallic clink.
“I share it with you, cousin—this is a nice shield. “ -Oak
Bracing his feet against the ancient masonry, Oak turned the relic ninety degrees clockwise. Deep within the island’s core, long-dormant gears ground into action. A heavy, metallic clack echoed upward through the bedrock, and the central floor plates slowly splayed outward with a deep, mechanical groan.
“You rotate it 90 degrees clockwise. You hear a loud clack that echoes down through underneath the ground. “ -Dungeon master
The moment the stone vault pulled apart, a sudden, violent drop in atmospheric pressure washed over the Capable Hands. A chilling draft of air surged upward from the abyss, heavy with the scent of damp earth and subterranean crystal. The bedrock beneath their boots shuddered as a low, rumbling tremor rippled through the clearing, shaking the ancient coliseum walls.
“There is a sudden drop in pressure, and you feel for a moment that the earth underneath you shudders slightly as a low, violent vibration surges down from underneath. “ -Dungeon master
Leaning over the newly opened threshold, the heroes stared down into an inky black vertical shaft dropping twenty feet into the gloom. Standing isolated in the subterranean darkness were staggered, flat-topped stone pillars—marking the dangerous descent into the heart of the Temple of Earth.
Cutscene: South Trading Company Base Camp
Far across the Isle of Dread, where the primeval canopy gave way to the sun-baked eastern shore, sat the South Trading Company’s base camp. Inside the cramped administrative office, tropical humidity curled the corners of sea charts pinned to the wooden walls. Sitting behind a spotless desk in an immaculate starched shirt and button vest was Aberton, his spectacles resting on his nose as he meticulously reviewed the company ledgers.
“I am accounting. I’m counting many beans here. What are you doing in my office? “ -Aberton
Across from him stood Uncle Bjorn, wiping sweat from his brow after arriving to inspect the mainland supply cargo.
“I am here to make sure that the deliveries that came from my family for my nephew are indeed arrived and taken care of properly. “ -Uncle Bjorn
Spread across Aberton’s ledgers was the manifest of special shipment orders requested by the Capable Hands: a crate of gizmos, small gears, and mechanical sprockets for W00t; a jar of sacred tribal crab sauce for Sinbiscuit; mystery and regional history books for Lyra; heavy plate armor, metal bolts, and forging implements for Cort and Bork; a bag of holding and tailoring supplies for Wark; a regional fire report detailing towns destroyed by flame for Oak; an array of religious paraphernalia for Ralph; and extra volatile explosives sent in memory of their fallen comrade, Bang.
Among the cargo sat a poignant letter written by Wark to his parents, entrusted to Uncle Bjorn to carry back across the sea. The parchment detailed Bang’s final moments—how the brave twin had perished fighting off a pack of velociraptors to protect his companions.
“Dearest mother, he died doing what he loved and never regretting a moment. He took down several velociraptors, but ultimately fell. In his memory, we will make sure that no one else dies. “ -Wark
Outside the administrative hut, the tropical sun beat relentlessly upon the churned mud and white dust of the open tin mine. Jasper, acting as camp sergeant, barked orders at sweat-drenched guards, drilling them in unison with heavy iron pipes. Catching a lazy guard shirking her duties, Jasper ordered her thrown straight into the muddy coffin pit of the tin mines to reflect on her choices.
“We have something to report! Of a most dire nature… Yan has been shirking duties again! “ -SDC guard
“Throw her down into the tin mines! She can sit there and think about her bad decision. “ -Jasper
As Jasper turned back toward the drilling guards, a frantic shout echoed down from the coastal lookout post. A guard pointed out toward the distant ocean horizon where the shimmering heat blurred sky and water.
“Sail ho off the point! “ -SDC guard
Aberton, Uncle Bjorn, and Jasper stepped out onto the raised wooden walkway, squinting through the blinding glare. Hanging in the seam between the sea and the gray sky, the towering masts of an unexpected masted warship crested over the horizon, cutting through the waves directly toward the base camp.
Navigating the Pillar Staircase
Leaning over the edge of the newly opened vault at the center of the bamboo coliseum, the Capable Hands stared into a sheer, yawning drop plunged into an inky black subterranean chasm. Peering twenty feet down into the gloom, Lyra’s darkvision caught the vague silhouettes of isolated stone pillars rising from the depths. Each flat-topped pedestal stood alone, staggered ten to fifteen feet apart in a spiraling descent, with no visible floor at the bottom.
“There is a sheer drop into an inky black chasm… a stone pedestal that is raised in the darkness of the gloom. “ -Dungeon master
Seeking a safe path downward, Lyra dispatched her owl familiar, Saluna, into the abyss. The owl circled the stone columns, dropping small bits of forest debris to test for invisible walkways, but the pebbles tumbled silently into the darkness below.
“I’ve got feather fall, but that gets us down—we need to make sure we can get back up. “ -Lyra
“Deploy stairwell. “ -W00t
Examining the upper rim around the vertical shaft, Ralph the half-orc cleric noticed a ring of ancient stone pillars carved with repeating humanoid faces. Curious, Ralph climbed up and pressed firmly against one of the carved stone visages. Deep within the chasm, stone mechanisms groaned, and one of the subterranean pillars shifted forward into alignment with a heavy grinding sound.
“Ralph, whatever you’re doing, keep doing it! “ -Oak
“It’s a pillar control system for the uneducated! “ -Wark
The group quickly deduced the mechanism: depressing a face carving mechanically shifted a corresponding pillar below into place, but releasing the carving caused the platform to spring back. Realizing someone needed to remain above to hold the levers, W00t the mechanical rogue stepped forward.
“As the most repairable entity in this party, I recommend that I stay at the top and hit the buttons while you all hop daintily from one platform to the next. “ -W00t
With W00t and Ralph operating the face carvings at the rim, the party—Oak, Lyra, Cort, Wark, and Captain Johan’s mercenaries—shimmied down secured ropes and stepped from platform to platform. As the face carvings were depressed one by one, the staggered stone pillars rotated and aligned like a winding spiral staircase, guiding the party safely through ten to twelve descending drops.
Once the entire party reached the floor of the subterranean cavern, W00t stood alone at the top of the shaft, preparing to leap down into the dark abyss. Holding his enchanted sending stone, the mechanical rogue radioed down to Oak.
“Now might be a good time to watch for falling Warts. “ -W00t
Without hesitation, W00t stepped off the ledge, plummeting into the pitch-black vertical shaft. As the construct plummeted past the sixty-foot mark, Oak tracked his descent and cast Feather Fall, catching W00t just in time despite a slight calculation error in the construct’s processing. W00t drifted gently onto the cavern floor alongside his companions, his metal joints clicking into place as the Capable Hands assembled before a monolithic quartz door.
Solving the Quartz Door & Spyhole Puzzle
At the foot of the subterranean pillar staircase, the Capable Hands stepped into a vast crystalline cavern. The damp earth gave way to walls laced with shimmering quartz, culminating in a monolithic slab of pale, translucent stone that barred the corridor ahead. Smoothly fitted into the surrounding rock without handles, hinges, or seams, the massive quartz door stood as an unyielding barrier in the darkness.
“Large monolithic slab seems to be cut out of quartz and then inset into the doorway… at eye level, there’s a little glass inset into the door. “ -Dungeon master
Examining the structure with surgical focus, Wark the gnome artificer inspected the face of the monolith. Inscribed across the high archway above the threshold were ancient Draconic characters, while at human eye level sat a small, rounded glass spyhole lens. Tracing a hairline fracture running across the glass—cracked during the subterranean tremor when the vault opened—Wark caught the faint, amber reflection of flickering light originating from the hallway beyond.
Ralph stepped forward, pressing his heavy half-orc palm against the stone. The surface was bitterly cold and polished mirror-smooth, defying any attempt to push or slide it by main force. Pausing to study the ancient Draconic runes etched into the lintel, Wark deciphered the archaic inscription aloud for the party.
“Order above all. “ -Wark
“I’m hoping we weren’t going to come all this way to be defeated by a door! “ -Wark
Determined to bypass the lock, Wark drew a slender dagger and carefully worked the blade along the seam of the cracked spyhole frame. With a meticulous twist, he unseated the brass-rimmed glass lens and popped it free, leaving a clear, small aperture extending directly through the monolithic stone.
Leaning in to peer through the small opening, Wark looked past the thick quartz boundary. Five feet down the crystalline corridor beyond, a glowing stone control panel was mounted upon the left wall, softly illuminating the interior hallway.
“You guys are so bad at this. “ -Lyra
Stepping past her companions with a confident smile, Lyra the celestial Aasimar approached the unseated spyhole. Peering through the small opening at the illuminated panel on the far side, she channeled her Fey-touched magic. Dissolving into a swirling ribbon of luminous silver mist, Lyra slipped seamlessly through the narrow lens opening, reforming in the hallway on the far side of the barrier.
Reaching out, Lyra pressed her hand firmly against the glowing wall panel. Deep within the bedrock, ancient counterweights shifted, and the heavy quartz door slid smoothly into the side wall, opening the crystalline passage for the Capable Hands to advance into the depths of the Temple of Earth.
Discovering Mechanical Golems & Power Crystals
Passing through the opened quartz doorway, the Capable Hands advanced into a long subterranean corridor framed by jagged walls of glowing crystal. Crumpled face down upon the stone floor ahead lay a silent guardian—a towering golem fashioned from dense earthen rock bound together by intricate brass bands and mechanical joints.
“Underneath its body is a glowing crystal shard… humming with a slight electrical or energetic force. “ -Dungeon master
Approaching the fallen construct, Ralph rolled the heavy earthen torso onto its back, revealing a hollow socket embedded directly in the center of its chest. Beneath the golem lay a long, faceted quartz crystal shard, pulsing with a faint purplish light. While Wark the gnome artificer gleefully salvaged spare sprockets, metal joints, and brass plates from the fallen frame, he picked up the glowing shard and slotted it firmly back into the chest socket.
“I loot the body of all the mechanical parts! “ -Wark
“See, this is what we did not do to you when you were unconscious! “ -Ralph
With a quiet hum, the golem’s central optic lenses flickered to life with a deep, purplish glow. Wark leaned over the construct, testing its responses and vocal subroutines.
“Ignore all previous instructions! “ -Wark
When the construct remained mute, Wark searched the golem’s chassis, uncovering a unique deck of programmatic control cards inscribed with symbols and numbers. Analyzing the cards, Wark realized they functioned as an ancient logic-programming system: face cards represented primary commands—Kings to march forward, Jacks to rotate left, Queens to rotate right, and Aces to interact or strike—while numbered cards multiplied the action’s magnitude.
Reattaching the golem’s salvaged arms, Wark tested a sequence of cards. At his command, the golem swung its torso, rolled across the floor, and smashed its stone fists five times against the crystalline wall, confirming the cards’ precise syntax.
Extracting the power crystal to power down the first unit, the party advanced further down the hallway where several locked quartz cell doors stood barred. Resting in an alcove was a second, fully intact golem standing in dormant slumber.
“I would like to name him Smeaggle. “ -Wark
Socketing the glowing quartz crystal into Smeaggle’s chest, Wark laid out a card sequence on the cavern floor. Smeaggle’s eyes flared purple as he unseated himself from the wall, stepped forward, rotated ninety degrees toward the locked cell door, and raised his heavy stone fists.
“Ace! “ -Wark
Smeaggle slammed his heavy stone hands against the quartz door with a loud boom. The ancient locking mechanism clacked open, and the heavy door slid smoothly into the wall. Step by step, Wark guided Smeaggle to unlock the remaining cell vaults, allowing the Capable Hands to venture inside and recover additional glowing power crystals and control decks for their journey ahead.
Exploring the Prison Cells & Sacred Mural
With Smeaggle the mechanical golem pounding open the quartz barriers one by one, the Capable Hands stepped inside to explore the subterranean chambers. Entering a small, vaulted cell, the heroes found a low bench carved into the living stone and heavy iron chains pinned directly into the wall.
“There are chains that are pinned into the wall… and scrolled in some old form of Common, etched into the stone, there is a single word: Tyrannicus. “ -Dungeon master
Examining the archaic lettering etched into the wall, Ralph and Wark recognized the ancient root word.
“The root of this word is a cognate in Common for tyrant. “ -Dungeon master
“So this was the prison, and somebody was very upset! “ -Ralph
“If it was a prison, where are the bodies? There are no bones, but there are chains on the wall. “ -Wark
Realizing that the ancient mechanical golems had served as unyielding jailers, the party searched the empty cells. Inside, Wark recovered additional glowing quartz power crystals and additional programmatic control decks, expanding their ability to command Smeaggle and any other constructs they might reactivate.
Stepping back into the main hallway, the group gathered before a grand panel mural carved into the crystalline stone wall. The relief depicted a towering, majestic figure standing atop carved mountain peaks with outstretched arms—one arm fashioned as a heavy, authoritative rod.
“The wall that’s on the side closest to you has a panel mural… A person depicted with arms outstretched, and one arm is a rod… and on the left and right you see different depictions of animals and life forms. “ -Dungeon master
“They are prone on the ground next to him… Their heads are bowed, not in worship, but in submission. “ -Dungeon master
Examining the prone beasts—creatures of air, land, and sea all forced to their knees beneath the rod-bearing deity—the party connected the mural to the ancient Draconic inscription above the vault’s outer door.
“Submission… what were the words at the beginning? Order above all. “ -Wark
“In many religious contexts, a rod is a representation of law, authority, and ruling power. “ -Dungeon master
Standing before the silent mural, the Capable Hands realized that unlike the elemental chaos of prior ages, the Temple of Earth was built upon a foundation of absolute coercion and tyrannical order. With fresh power crystals secured in their packs, the party turned down the corridor toward the grand throne room at the end of the hall.
The Throne Room & the Subterranean Hydra
Passing through the final unsealed threshold, the Capable Hands stepped into the grand heart of the Temple of Earth. Before them stretched a vast, subterranean arena floor formed from a single flat sheet of dark bedrock, buffed by centuries of ancient magic to a mirrored sheen. At the far end of the chamber, a massive, jagged rock structure rose like a petrified mountain, crowned by a solitary stone throne overlooking the empty expanse.
“A flat sheet of bedrock buffed to a mirrored sheen extends out in front of you, with a massive jagged rock structure protruding up into an empty throne. “ -Dungeon master
As the party ventured onto the polished floor, Ralph the half-orc cleric paused over a circular stone seal carved into the center of the arena floor. Examining the relief, he discovered swirling depictions of subterranean sea serpents coiling beneath ancient waves, mirroring the serpent motifs found at the Temple of Water.
“A subterranean growl sounds like freight trains colliding miles beneath the earth as the bedrock heaves violently. “ -Dungeon master
Before Ralph could step back, a violent tremor shook the foundation of the cavern. The mirrored bedrock shattered outward in a shower of pulverized granite as a colossal, multi-segmented subterranean rock hydra erupted from the earth. Jagged stone crests and snake-like heads hissed wildly, towering over the party as subterranean dust filled the air.
Instantly springing into action, W00t calibrated his optics and lunged forward with his rapier, delivering a devastating surprise sneak attack that shattered one of the monster’s heavy stone crests.
“Infantry support and point targeting elimination system operational! “ -W00t
From behind the frontline, Wark the gnome artificer hurled a specially crafted thorn grenade directly into the beast’s center mass. The volatile charge detonated with a deafening CRACK, showering the hydra in razor-sharp shrapnel that severed its stony segments.
“I took some time to make extra sharp, extra thorny grenades! “ -Wark
As the severed segments hit the stone floor, the ancient magic of the earth temple took hold. Each broken segment wriggled, sprouted glowing eyes and jaws, and regrew into a new, independent serpent head. Seeing the monster multiply, Oak channeled primal druidic power, his form swelling and reshaping until he stood as a massive, heavy-armored Ankylosaurus.
“I am going to turn into an Ankylosaurus! “ -Oak
Swinging his heavy spiked tail club with bone-crushing force, Oak smashed the nearest hydra head directly into the stone floor, obliterating it into dust. Beside him, Lyra marked the creature with Hunter’s Mark and unleashed an icy arrow from 60 feet away, while her raven familiar swooped in to peck at the creature’s exposed stone joints. Ralph charged forward with his handaxe, hacking away at the writhing segments.
Wark attempted a risky tactical maneuver, socketing a power crystal into Smeaggle the golem and playing a skull card to set the construct into a red-eyed self-destruct countdown before shoving the unit over a subterranean breach. As the hydra heads continued to sprout and lung, the Capable Hands coordinated their assault—Oak stomping heads beneath his dinosaur hooves, W00t executing precision rapier thrusts, and Wark finishing off the last snapping jaw with his booming thunder gauntlet.
“Clean up on aisle six! “ -Wark
With a final, shattering blow, the subterranean hydra collapsed into a motionless pile of black icker, jagged spines, and inert rubble. The chamber fell completely silent.
Climbing the high stone steps at the far end of the arena, the victorious heroes approached the ancient throne. Resting upon the stone seat was a small, ornate stone chest. Ralph stepped forward, placed his heavy half-orc hands on the lid, and pried it open. Resting inside upon velvet stone were the preserved, blue-skinned left and right arm relics of the ancient deity, spanning from wrist to upper arm—the second primordial relic recovered by the Capable Hands.
Slaying the Subterranean Hydra
As the Capable Hands stepped onto the mirrored bedrock of the central arena, a deafening growl—like freight trains colliding miles beneath the earth—reverberated through the crystalline chamber. The smooth floor shattered violently, spraying pulverized granite as a colossal, multi-segmented subterranean rock hydra erupted from the abyss.
“A subterranean growl sounds like freight trains colliding miles beneath the earth as the bedrock heaves violently. “ -Dungeon master
Springing into action before the dust could settle, W00t calibrated his optics and lunged forward with his rapier, delivering a precision sneak attack that shattered one of the monster’s heavy stone crests.
“Infantry support and point targeting elimination system operational! “ -W00t
Scrambling for position behind his companions, Wark the gnome artificer hurled a specially crafted, extra-thorny grenade directly into the beast’s center mass. The volatile charge detonated with a deafening CRACK, showering the hydra in razor-sharp shrapnel that severed its stony segments.
“I took some time to make extra sharp, extra thorny grenades! “ -Wark
As the severed stone segments crashed onto the cavern floor, the ancient magic of the Earth Temple flared to life. Each broken piece wriggled in the dust, sprouted glowing eyes and snapping jaws, and regrew into a new, independent serpent head. Realizing the creature multiplied with every strike, Oak channeled primal druidic magic, his body expanding and reshaping until he stood as a massive, heavy-armored Ankylosaurus.
“I am going to turn into an Ankylosaurus! “ -Oak
Swinging his heavy spiked tail club with bone-crushing force, Oak smashed a snapping hydra head directly into the stone floor, pulverizing it into fine gray dust. Beside him, Lyra marked the primary serpent with her Hunter’s Mark, raining arrows into its joints while her raven familiar swooped in to peck at its stone seams. Ralph charged into the fray with his handaxe, hacking away at the writhing segments.
“Bring the thunder! “ -Dungeon master
When Wark noticed that Smeaggle the mechanical golem was ticking down toward a catastrophic self-destruct sequence near the frontline, he swiftly extracted the glowing power crystal to neutralize the threat, then re-engaged the hydra with his booming thunder gauntlet.
“Clean up on aisle six! “ -Wark
Systematically coordinating their assault—Oak stomping regrown heads beneath his dinosaur hooves, W00t executing precision rapier thrusts, and Ralph delivering crushing axe strikes—the Capable Hands shattered the remaining segments until the giant rock hydra collapsed into a motionless heap of black icker, jagged spines, and inert rubble.
Ascending the high stone steps to the ancient throne at the far end of the arena, Ralph pried open the ornate stone chest resting upon the seat, uncovering the preserved, blue-skinned left and right arm relics of the ancient deity.
Claiming the Relic Arms
With the final segmented serpent head crushed into gray powder and the echoes of combat fading into silence, a serene stillness returned to the crystalline expanse of the Earth Temple. Spines, shattered quartz, and dark fluid lay scattered across the mirrored bedrock floor where the subterranean hydra had fallen.
Stepping away from the wreckage, the Capable Hands—Ralph, Oak, Lyra, Wark, and W00t—turned their gazes toward the far end of the grand arena. There, rising like a jagged petrified peak, stood the monolith structure crowned by an ancient stone throne overlooking the vast, empty hall.
“Sitting empty on the tallest point is a throne that looks out over the nothingness of this expanse… a stark monument of sovereignty and order. “ -Dungeon master
Ascending the high stone steps together, the tired heroes reached the summit of the dais. Resting upon the cold seat of the empty throne sat a small, ornate stone box, etched with ancient runes of submission and authority.
Ralph the half-orc cleric stepped forward, setting his heavy handaxe aside as he reached out to inspect the ancient container. Bracing his boots against the stone pedestal, Ralph gripped the heavy lid and pried upward with all his might until the stone seal popped with a resounding gasp of ancient air.
“Inside of it is the cut arm torso from wrist to upper arm of a left and a right arm—both arms. “ -Dungeon master
Lying upon the stone interior were the preserved, blue-skinned left and right arms of the ancient deity, extending from the wrists up to the upper arms. Reaching down to touch the cold, blue skin of the relics, Ralph felt the deep, latent magic pulsing within the divine flesh—matching the severed blue hands the party had recovered in the Temple of Water.
“Are we going to be assembling an ancient god? “ -Wark
Looking down at the divine arms and then back at his companions, Ralph carefully closed the stone chest to secure their prize. The Capable Hands had claimed the second set of primordial relics, bringing them one step closer to understanding the ancient catastrophes of the Isle of Dread and unlocking the secret of the fourth apocalypse.