In the Jungle Protector’s cave, we have been mended and he offers us a stew that smells of bananas. A few of us try some and it tastes very good.

He introduces himself in exceptionally good common as Sambuto. He says that we are obviously not from this area, and asks what we are doing here. Eilenos says that a grave dangers faces all of Juravia, and we require his help. He says that he knows of this danger, as strange beasts have been seen here, orcs in particular. Sambuto adds that he knows of Antinius and recognizes the armor that Eilenos wears. He is skeptical, however, if Eilenos is up to the challenge. Eilenos says that he is Antinius’ heir.

Sambuto says that he knew Antinius many years ago. (The group remembers that Antinius was alive thousands of years ago.) He says that he fought with him and that he was the finest man he had ever known. He died of old age, and his remains have been interred beneath the largest mountain peak in all of Nyambe.

The Jungle Protector says that in order to prove Eilenos is worthy, he must travel to Sueta, a nearby village to the south, which has a large group of 1-2,000 orcs that has set up camp nearby. They have killed random villagers and kidnapped a few people, but he cannot discern their true purpose yet. We must find out a way to root them out. They are led by a fearful orc named Ruck, and also his right-hand man, a necromancer. If we kill the two of them, the rest of the orcs will no longer be organized and flee. We must go there quickly.

Sambuto gives each of us a head-rest to sleep on instead of a pillow. These are enchanted and will cause the user to get 8 hours of sleep in only 4 hours. They also have a small drawer on the side of them, and can hold up to 50 coins or a small item.

Eilenos thanks him for the gift and asks if he can hazard a question. “What manner of a man,” he says, “lives for many thousands of years and looks no older than our ranger friend over there?” The Jungle Protector says “Truthfully, I do not know why I am still here.” Eilenos accepts his answer and looks to Josephus to see what his reaction is. He looks humorous and secretive as usual.

Sambuto gives us some banana flavored beer and Krodmich starts fixing the group’s armor. Soon afterward we bed down and Sarthisis asks if we need to stand watch. Sambuto says that no one comes near here, so no watch is necessary. We sleep for 4 hours and wake up very refreshed, as if we had slept a whole night. Food and gear is packed up and we head towards the village.

A few hours later, as we are traveling through the jungle, Sambuto stops and starts chanting towards two trees. A wall of green swirling energy appears and he walks through it. We follow him and have a tingling sensation, and soon come out into a similar forest. He leads us out of the group of trees and we travel further. Later he does the same thing, chanting in front of two trees and taking us through another portal. In the area we come out to, we see a group of orc-monkeys similar to the ones we were attacked by. They come within a few hundred yards and see Sambuto, and turn away.

The entire journey takes us only 4 days of riding the camels (with Sambuto walking) and going through these portals to go the 600 miles of our journey, which we had previously estimated would take about 30. It is more hilly near here, and he takes us on top of a ridge and asks us to move stealthily. We look down and see a large group of tents. In the front we see a stockade with people held prisoner, and to the right is a fenced are with horses. A large three-story tent is on the left and probably holds the necromancer and his men. The huge tent in the rear is most likely where the leader resides. Several green tents are guard posts. The large tent to the rear-right is the mess hall, and several gray long tents are either barracks or host the women and children.

Sambuto says that he has one other ally in this fight — he can summon a small group of kobolds that will assist him if necessary. He calls and two meerkats appear. He speaks to them and they scamper off. Sambuto says that he tasked the meerkats with summoning the kobolds for him. About an hour later, a band of lizard-like kobolds appear. They have spears and bows.

Our group sneaks down toward the encampment near the necromancer’s tent. We signal the kobolds and they begin firing flaming arrows into the tents. As the confusion begins, we attack. The orcs from the nearby guard tent move to defent and we fly into them, swords raised. As we are fighting, we all hear strange chanting emanating from the necromancer’s tent. Eilenos recognizes that it is a very powerful spell that is being cast; the sorcerer is creating an abomination, a four-armed undead behemoth with bone scythes protruding from its appendages. It bursts from the tent and charges at us, frothing. Eilenos turns and casts a spell at the creature, and it flees in the other direction briefly. It then turns back around towards the party as the spell is broken by the necromancer.

Sarthisis calls a fire elemental and it begins to burn the necromancer’s tent. A few more undead emerge as the tent starts aflame. Eilenos chants a spell to protect himself from undead and charges towards the tent. He attacks the necromancer and Sarthisis’ elemental burns him badly. Soon he is destroyed and his minions as well.

Eilenos cuts the head off of the necromancer and Sarthisis searches through his belongings. He has special armor with many pouches of magical herbs, and also a magic staff, as well as 200 gold. Sarthisis takes the staff after Eilenos determines that it is not evil. The lizard feels that his magical power has been expanded.

We move on towards the leader’s tent and further destruction.