Boots of Elvenkind

These soft boots enable the wearer to move quietly in virtually any surroundings, granting a +5 competence bonus on Move Silently checks.

Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be an elf; Price 2,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Scrolls

A scroll is a spell (or collection of spells) that has been stored in written form. A spell on a scroll can be used only once. The writing vanishes from a scroll when the spell is activated. Using a scroll is basically like casting a spell.

Physical Description: A scroll is a heavy sheet of fine vellum or high-quality paper. An area the size of a piece of modern-day notebook paper (about 8 1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long) is sufficient to hold one spell. The sheet is reinforced at the top and bottom with strips of leather slightly longer than the sheet is wide. A scroll holding more than one spell has the same width (about 8 1/2 inches) but is an extra foot or so long for each extra spell. Scrolls that hold three or more spells are usually fitted with reinforcing rods at each end rather than simple strips of leather. A scroll has AC 9, 1 hit point, hardness 0, and a break DC of 8.

To protect from wrinkling or tearing, a scroll is rolled up from both ends to form a double cylinder. (This also helps the user unroll the scroll quickly.) The scroll is placed in a tube of ivory, jade, leather, metal, or wood. Most scroll cases are inscribed with magic symbols, which often identify the owner or the spells stored on the scroll inside. The symbols often hide magic traps.

Activation: To activate a scroll, a spellcaster must read a spell written on it. Doing so involves several steps and conditions.

Decipher the Writing: The writing on a scroll must be deciphered before a character can use it or know exactly what spell it contains. This requires a read magic spell or a successful Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level).

Deciphering a scroll to determine its contents does not activate its magic unless it is a specially prepared cursed scroll. A character can decipher the writing on a scroll in advance so that he or she can proceed directly to the next step when the time comes to use the scroll.

Activate the Spell: Activating a scroll requires reading the spell from the scroll. The character must be able to see and read the writing form the scroll.

Activating the scroll spell requires no material components or focus. (The creator of the scroll provided these when scribing the scroll.) Note that some spells are effective only when cast on an item or items. In such a case, the scroll user must provide the item when activating the spell. Activating a scroll spell is subject to disruption just as casting a normally prepared spell would be. Using a scroll is like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure chance (such as from armor).

To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.

• The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his or her class.)
• The user must have the spell in his or her class list.
• The user must have the requisite ability score.

If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the scroll without a check, If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC=scroll's caster level+1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap. A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers.

Determine Effect: A spell successfully activated from a scroll works exactly like a spell prepared and cast the normal way. Assume the scroll spell's caster level is always the minimum level required to cast the spell for the character who scribed the scroll (usually twice the spell's level, minus 1), unless the caster specifically decides otherwise.

The writing for an activated spell disappears from the scroll.

Scroll Mishaps: When a mishap occurs, the spell on the scroll has a reversed or harmful effect.

Morkoth

Few creatures of the deep enjoy reputations for cruelty and hatred as extensive as that of the morkoth. The top half of a morkoth resembles a deep-sea fish with bulging eyes, protruding teeth and a saillike fin along its back. Its lower body resembles that of an octopus in that it has eight tentacles, but the creature also sports limbs like the legs of a crustacean. Occasionally a morkoth has a squid-like beak instead of a mouth, but the typical version just has a maw like that of a fish. A morkoth lives a solitary existence, spending most of its days inside a maze of tunnels constructed of rock or coral at the bottom of the sea. The outer part of a morkoth's lair usually consists of six tunnels, all spiraling outward, crisscrossing and interconnecting with one another all in a bewildering pattern. The creature's actual home is at the center of this maze. A morkoth uses a variety of lures to draw prey into its clutches. It may dangle treasure as a prize, but its hypnosis ability is the most powerful lure at its disposal. Once in a morkoth's clutches, a victim doesn't usually survive for long, since these creatures are interested in capturing only food, not slaves or captives. A morkoth has little interest in treasure except as lure for prospective victims.

A morkoth's bite is its only offensive weapon. Normally it uses its hypnosis ability to lure a passing creature through its maze, then devours its prey alive. The morkoth is a cautious monster, so it chooses its victims carefully. Typically, it tries to lure the last in a group of passing creatures into its tunnel, hoping that the others won't notice that one's absence until it is too late. Any creature passing by the entrance to a morkoth's lair may be hypnotized. A hypnotized creature moves unneringly through the maze at its usual speed. Once in center of the lair, the affected creature floats quietly in a trance, waiting to be devoured at the morkoth's leisure. A hypnotized creature is helpless against the morkoth's attacks but it may break out of the hypnosis while the morkoth attacks it. A morkoth can hypnotize any number of creatures at one time. When it is outside its lair, this ability works just as well. Hypnosis is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Dire Barracuda

The dire barracuda is about 10 feet long and weighs 300 pounds. It has bony protrusions along the spine and a mouth full of oversized teeth.

The dire barracuda is much more aggressive than its smaller cousin and sometimes hurls itself out of the water to attack.

THE VOYAGE SOUTH (month 3, day 19-month 4, day 5)

When caught, Rowyn cursed the Tropic Thunder vehemently, blaming them for her ruin and promising them all painful deaths.

Since her guild was dismantled, Rowyn has seethed with a need for revenge. When she learned the Tropic Thunder were preparing for a voyage, she knew she had to be on their ship. Fortunately for the bitter ex-guildmistress, her magic made stowing away a simple task.

Rowyn had been defeated by the Tropic Thunder once before - she had little desire to fight fair. So she came up with elaborate plans to assassinate them without making her presence known.

Her eventual fate is up to the Tropic Thunder. So far, they keep her as a prisoner, planning to deliver her to the authorities at Fort Greenrock.

For the next week or so, the ships became stranded near the coast due to opposing winds. The two ships met a couple of friendly ships making the trip to Sasserine during that time, and witnessed man-sized sharks circling their boats. During that time, Harmony had to join the ship's crew, since Lirith could no longer perform her duties. She and Graim are expecting a baby.

Once the wind was in their favor, the expedition set out again. For several miles, the ships passed several enormous spider webs which clung to the boughs of the great jungle trees. Huge black shapes lay within the webs. The expedition did not tarry exploring these webs.

As their journey continued, the expedition encountered more of the local aquatic fauna, such as a dire barracuda and a morkoth. Dire barracuda are very long, narrow-bodied fish flashing through the water, razor-sharp teeth snapping. Only the morkoth attacked the expedition, luring one of the passengers to its jaws. Thankfully, the Tropic Thunder chased it away before it fed on any more passengers.

Eventually, the expedition reached the area of ancient Tamoachan. Lavinia promised Urol Forol a chance to explore the ruins of the infamous Tamoachan ruins, and asked the Tropic Thunder to accompany him on his short side expedition.