Blu recaps the previous day and night's events while you warm yourselves at Wyrmsjaw fort together:
[a partial account of the River Voices' recent quest into Puzzle Canal reconstructed from the rantings of an unidentified newtling who accompanied them]
Yow! Were those flying-frog-things mean!
After the survivors fled we healed our wounded and continued getting our boat across the portage to the next section of canal. We rowed away. And rowed. And rowed. And rowed some more. We saw a dragon snail which we killed but not before it ate the Elves' Shambler. Spear Lily claimed to be satisfied with the results of the shambler "experiment". Me guess if you want a salad shield it's a good thing.
We rowed on -- and on and on. We saw a really big bird. Later (after even more rowing) we saw it again. After more rowing -- me *really* tired of rowing. Why can't these "river" voices swim? Me not sure me *ever* see that Arcus guy swim. He sink like a rock! -- we get jumped by three spirits of drownded ducks. Ducks drownded? No wonder they unhappy. They swarm into boat and then, surprise! they wraiths not ghosts. So we whup them with swords and a bit o magic. Rup didn't do too well but we heal him up good after.
Then back to rowing. Ugh. Why should a newtling have to row? Me not see mighty Caernak's pet frog Rup doing any work. Not fair! It get really dark so Arcus start casting Lantern to light the way. Me guess it help but seem like all it do is say, "Hey folks! Come get us!"
We come to last grotto of trip. There be a magic, foggy wall over entrance. Tison grumbles something about Magic Vision not working inside. We start in. Some kind of magic start messing with folks in front of boat so Spear Lily says, "Later guys" and hangs back. Then things get really confused for a bit.
When me finally get things sorted out we in a really foggy place and it so darn *cold* me feeling weak. A huge but really hard to see slug-thing at the front of the boat trying to eat Caernak and not doing too bad a job. Seem like no weapon can touch it either. Ji put on a fireblade and slice it good! Spear Lily suddenly shows up and Befuddles it. Too bad just then Rup cast a spell on it. It go for Rup now. Ji charge through boat to cut it again but the fireblade get snuffed out by the cold. Tison get really, really made and suddenly spits fire at it! Yow! He toast it so good it flee away. Me gonna finish it off with the Blasting Rod but for some reason other folks grab it away from me. They say me aiming wrong way? Anyway it gone but we hear it hiss, "Me be waiting for you".
It so cold me gonna die soon so jump in water and swim for way out. Barely make it. Boat come out later. Everyone look all icy cold. Yeesh. So guess what we do next? We row! Ick. After long time we almost out of canal. Spear Lily say, "Bye" and head home. We out yet? Hey what that in front of us? Really big scarey guy with skulls and spear standing in water.
"I am Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah!" it roars! Eeeeeee!! Not Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah! He scariest demon of 5 Eyes stories! He eat bad tadpoles! He gonna eat meeeeee!!!
But Caernal not scared one bit. "Me Caernak River Voice" he say. "What you want?" Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah say, "Mighty Caernak, Whitetail send me to serve you. Where you enemies? Where chaos? Me slay them all!"
Wow! Me never know Caernak so mighty! He master o Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah! Caernak the greatest! He tell Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah come back to Temple Barge with us, go back into Puzzle Canal with us later. He order Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah around like tadpole. Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah just say, "YES"! Caernak so cool!
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Info on Khhhhhhuuuuuraaaaah (5 h's, 5 u's, 5 a's):SIZ 25 grey warty-skinned, clammy bipedal frog-thing with wiry, oversized arms (a la Popeye), a huge fanged mouth from ear to ear, and five beautiful sparkling blue eyes. Draped in patches of algae that reek of death and decay. Holds a barbed iron pike (named Slaadrag, with a servant spirit inside) that has human and newtling skulls inscribed with death runes dangling off it. Also he is tattooed with disorder, death, and water runes. He is a demon of the 5 eyes, manifested from their nightmares to serve their most powerful shaman in troubled times. His name means "Vengeful" in their tongue, with an undertone of "Indomitable." Powers you have seen him manifest so far are that he can walk on water at will, and inspire amphibians within 50m to fanaticism (once/week). He claims to have powers to find foes of the river and slay them, and may control the river itself in a limited area sometimes. He is fearsome and fearless.