Oh, So Sorry, But There’s a Bit of a Curse on That Forbidden Island: A Rather Rowdy Trip to the Temple, Eh? | Jan Teschner

Camp Sonoma, the Forbidden Island – Deva and Marina woke up in Camp Sonoma feeling just a wee bit sluggish, eh? They found two faces looming over them: Mad Matt, who is a bit unpredictable, I’m afraid, and Mikhail, a local fellow. Mikhail - and please forgive me for being the bearer of bad news - warned them about a curse coming from the temple, making everyone feel quite sleepy and weary, much like a long winter's nap, eh?
When they got back to their boat, Deva and Marina discovered their companions - Selah, Tiyana, Mabel, and Ace - were all tucked in for a very deep sleep, which was a bit of a bother, eh? A familiar feathery face appeared near the ship: Dingo, the Traveling Bird Barbarian, had wandered into camp during his travels. He was quite happy to rejoin the group, so sorry for the sudden appearance, eh?

A Bit of an Unpleasant Ritual
I am terribly sorry to have to describe this, but Mad Matt’s little monkey friend, Sir Spencer, was trying to climb onto Matt’s shoulder all drowsily. Mad Matt - if you'll pardon the expression - thought it was a bit weak, and he commanded his crew to fetch his longsword. When nobody could find it, Dingo kindly brought it over, eh? What followed was quite upsetting, I am so sorry.
Right in front of the stunned party, Mad Matt... well, he did something rather grizzly to Sir Spencer, slicing the poor little monkey in two. It was a real mess, eh? Blood even got on Dingo's feathers, and Marina had to hide behind his wings, which was quite distressing, so sorry about that.
“I have freed Sir Spencer from the weakness of the flesh,” Matt proclaimed, as some dark blue flames took over the remains, eh? When things settled down, Sir Spencer returned as an undead skeleton with glowing red eyes, which was quite a shock, eh?

Getting Ready for the Island
Seeking some answers - and apologies if this is a bother - the group talked to Mikhail. He explained that the curse started at the temple and had recently spread to the camp, which is just not ideal, eh?
Mikhail offered some supplies, including those little energy syringes that cost 100 gold each. Marina had a bit of a firm word with him about the prices, reminding him the town might be in a bit of a pickle, eh? Eventually, he felt bad and sold them everything at half price, with Dingo footing the bill. So sorry for the expense, eh?
Before they left, Mikhail warned them to be careful: the rivers are quite treacherous, with currents that change as fast as a puck on ice, eh? Armed with that knowledge, the crew set sail for the Forbidden Island.

Navigating Some Trary Waters
The trip through the narrow bits of the river was a bit of a struggle, eh? At one point, Dingo spotted a little treasure chest along the bank. Inside was a pearl necklace and 150 gold coins - not too bad, eh? There was a bit of a disagreement about the gold, with Mad Matt trying to take it all as "wages," but the others kindly insisted on splitting it evenly. So sorry for the argument, eh?
Deva noticed some carvings that looked like eyes. She asked Auralis, and the golden idol said those designs weren't part of their usual style, eh?
Guided by Auralis, the group kept going. Marina showed some real strength, freeing the raft when it got stuck, though Mad Matt was a bit critical and took over the steering, if you don't mind me saying, eh?
Then, disaster struck - so sorry to report! The water dropped suddenly, and the raft hit a rock. Marina bumped into some sharp rocks and started bleeding into the water, which was quite scary, eh? And then, just my luck, a swarm of piranhas appeared, drawn by the scent.

A Bit of a Scuffle on the River
The piranhas attacked quite quickly, eh? Dingo rushed to save Marina and carried her to a rock, while Deva and Mad Matt tried to defend the raft. Dingo was doing great with his axe - until it slipped out of his hand and sank! I am so sorry to say, but he got caught by one of Matt’s tentacles and pulled underwater, eh?
Dingo managed to break free, grabbed his axe, and jumped back on the raft, which accidentally sent Matt face-first into the piranhas! So sorry about that mishap, eh? Marina joined in too, but she lost her axe in the chaos. It was a real mess, eh?
By the end, Dingo finished off the last piranha, but Deva asked them to please make peace. Dingo admitted he was being a bit reactive, while Mad Matt just remarked that even fish need to eat, though the bird won today. Marina just shook her head, saying, “Boys will be boys,” eh?

A Rather Close Call
The river got much faster, heading straight for a big waterfall, which was quite nerve-wracking, eh? Dingo perched on a tree across the river, and Deva made a vine net to keep the raft safe. Marina’s strength saved them again, pulling the raft and her friends onto the tree and then onto solid ground. So sorry for the fright, eh?
Once they were safe, they tied up the raft and prepared to climb down a 15-meter drop to the lower level. Using a rope and being very careful, the group reached the jungle floor, eh?

Approaching the Temple
Ahead was their destination: the ziggurat temple, looking quite imposing in the fading light. The journey isn't quite done yet, but with Auralis leading the way, the adventurers are ready for whatever comes next, eh?