Black Tom |
Plodding through the rain, you may still find something interesting.
Survival 20:
Apart from that there are no traces of the captain or anything else until you reach the very tip of the island. Do you want to go back the same way or do you want to explore the southern side on your way back?
Black Tom |
Following the beach onto the south side you continue to explore the island. The rain also continues, and the sound of it almost drowns out the sound of wings, so you don't notice the flying pterosaur lizards until they're almost upon you.
Roll for initiative.
Quijiomientarae |
Ilum raises his crossbow and fires at the southernmost pterosaur. Quij concentrates on the rain nearest the same beast, which forms into a celestial eagle and immediately begins assaulting the creature.
Ilum attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Ilum damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Summon celestial eagle to K18. Attack & damage rolls:
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
1d4 ⇒ 3
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
1d4 ⇒ 2
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
1d4 ⇒ 3
Sam "Torch" McQuarry |
Torch, painfully aware of how his shaking hands would throw off an arrow, draws his scimitar and prepares to strike the first pterosaur to come within range.
Readying an attack against any pterosaur to get within my reach.
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Ralf Pennywhistle |
If the monsters get within 10', Ralf will use a cone of Cramp on them (reduce speed by 1/2 for 1 round, Fort save negates).
Black Tom |
Surkoff's javelin hits the monster and it spirals down, crashing into the ground. You may continue your journey.
With 160 xp each more under your belt.
After some more plodding you reach the point where you think it would be adequate to enter the jungle to get back to camp. You need to make a Survival 16 check in order to avoid getting lost.
Surkoff Hurntol |
Surkoff cleans his blade off and retrieves his javelin from the second creature. "Does anyone know the proper way to skin these things? If the the meat is worth eating it might be good to bring some back with us. Show the others that the trip out from camp was worth it."
If no-one steps forward with anything, Surkoff will hack the wings off, tie the necks together with some of his rope, and throw them over his shoulder.
Survival to find camp: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Ralf Pennywhistle |
Ralf looks skeptical at the flying lizards. "Hm, I guess it's a shame to waste good meat, but these two brutes don't look very savoury to me."
He'll assist in dressing the carcasses, if asked.
Getting lost Survival check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Black Tom |
Let's just hope that Ilum knows what it's doing then. :)
Survival 20:
The rain finally abates, as you hack your way through the jungle that seems to grow ever upwards, you finally pass the crest of the island and eventually emerge not very far from your camp, the campfire being visible at a distance.
As you make your way down to the beach you notice something strange. The waves crashing onto shore are infused with an eerie greenish radiance, almost as if the surf were glowing.
Knowledge (nature) 20:
Other than that you manage to get back to camp without incident and find everyone safe and sound - or at least not worse off than you left them. Aerys is noticeably pale, for example, and they all seem a bit dejected.
All the NPCs refuse to eat the lizards you brought back. Sasha looks interested at first, but then snorts something about them being poisonous. If you like to risk it, you can save 2 rations, but otherwise you'll have to cross off 10 rations for today. Water shouldn't be an issue as both Jask and Hrakar can create more.
Do you want to keep some kind of guard as you sleep?
Jask has been dressing Torch's wounds, so he'll heal 2 points of Dex damage if he can just catch a good night's sleep.
Hrakar Orcbane |
Well done human! That's how one should deal with noisy interlopers! Says Hrakar slapping Surkoff's shoulder and with a mighty laugh
Survival check 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
"Although they may be better off dead than alive I very much doubt they are anything good even now..." the dwarf says after observing the carcasses.
Surkoff Hurntol |
Surkoff throws the dead beasts into the underbrush away from the camp. "Well you can't say I didn't try and feed these folks. How was I supposed to know that they weren't going to be good for consumption? We do need to find some more food and quickly, what we have isn't going to last forever and I am not a fan of starvation."
As the night settles in Surkoff stokes the fire, looking around at those gathered by it. "Well I guess I can take the second watch, as long as someone is willing to spend some time up with me. I only have one pair of eyes and I am not sure that is enough out here."
Black Tom |
Aerys is happy to keep watch together with Surkoff, and Gelik also volunteers as does Jask. ("If you trust me not to murder you all in your sleep", he adds wryly.) Sasha and Ishirou just shrug, but they'll take their turn if you ask them to.
So far we have: 1st: Quij and Ilum, 2nd: Surkoff and Aerys. I guess two more teams would be in order.
Black Tom |
The NPCs with you are Aerys Mavato, Gelik Aberwhinge, Jask Derindi, Ishirou and Sasha Nevah. See the very first post for a short description.
Aerys is the only one to be really helpful, although Gelik seems to be trying (but his conception of helping is mostly doing a running commentary) and Jask is assiduous in treating Torch's wounds but suspicious of the rest of you. Ishirou and Sasha aren't doing much unless specifically asked to.
You are all welcome to speak to any of the NPCs you like, or to make some Diplomacy checks to improve their attitude (unless you already tried today).
Let me suggest then a watch schedule: first Ralf and Ishirou (who much prefers the company of someone he can ignore), then Quij and Ilum, then Surkoff and Aerys, then Hrakar and Jask, then Sasha and Gelik. If you make the shifts two hours long everybody will get their beauty sleep.
Surkoff Hurntol |
During the evening meal Surkoff purposely sits himself beside Ishirou (and as far away as possible from Gelik). "Tell me a bit about yourself and what you did prior to boarding the ship."
Black Tom: Watch schedule looks good. Gives me some more time to get to know Aerys and find out what she is all about, besides her 'issue'.
Black Tom |
Surkoff:
He seems to have led a rather exciting life, as a sailor, thug, messenger, soldier and guard in the service of the Aspis Consortium, all of which (including some rather unsavory activities) he describes in a dry, matter-of-fact manner.
Then he produced a number of folded and thumbed old papers. He claims that they are promising treasure maps, and one of them even details an old pirate's stash here on Smuggler's Shiv. "Since we're already stuck here, no harm in doing some treasure hunting, eh? But according to this it will take several people to get the treasure out, so I'm going to need you to help me. What say you?"
Surkoff getting Ishirou friendly nets you another 20 xp each.
Hrakar Orcbane |
Hrakar doesn't talk much during the meal, espressing himself through monosyllabes for most of the evening. He keeps thinking about the betrayal he and his fellow castaways suffered and the fact that the criminal who sank them on Smuggler's Shiv may still be somewhere alive and free, a maddening thought for the dwarf.
Besides that he feels uneasy about his mission: as much as he doesn't like to admit it he knows there's a very good chance he won't be able to complete it, and he's sure the shame of failure will haunt him long after he departs this world, which strenghtens his determination not to fail even more.
When he discovers he's been paired with Jask he feels relieved he's been given a chance to check on the former inmate as he can't really bring himself to trust him.
Black Tom |
Quij and Ilum both easily spot the crouching grayish-skinned humanoids that are trying to sneak up on you, so there is no surprise round.
Quij and Ilum go first, then the monsters. Torch can act in the second round, while the rest of you can make new Perception checks.
Quijiomientarae |
As Ilum lets off a shot with his crossbow, Quij steps up to get within range of a Grease spell, then conjures a slippery substance in the area encompassing his nearest foe.
Ilum Attack and Damage on monster at G28:
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
1d6 ⇒ 3
Quij moves up to H23 and casts Grease on squares F28, G28, F27, G27.
Black Tom |
Ilum's crossbow bolt hits the creature, which gives out a yelp more of annoyance than pain. Quij's magic conjures some sticky goo, but the monsters nimbly leap past it, but one of them slips momentarily. One of them charges Quij and claws at him, but hits only air.
Map updated above.
Quij, Ilum, Torch and possibly Hrakar to go You need a Perception 10 check and to beat initiative 6. Unfortunately Ralf won't wake up until somebody kicks him awake.
Illuminated by the campfire you discern the twisted features of the monsters.
Knowledge (religion) 12:
Quijiomientarae |
Deftly dodging the gruesome foe, Quij puts some space between himself and the monster and conjures a celestial eagle, which immediately lays into the monster. Meanwhile, Ilum sheathes his crossbow, steps forward, and attacks the other enemy as he closes in.
"A little help here, chaps, if you please!" yells the gnome, hoping to rouse his sleeping allies.
Quij: 5-foot step to I20, summon a celestial eagle in I21, eagle full-attacks.
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
1d4 ⇒ 4
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
1d4 ⇒ 4
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
1d4 ⇒ 1
Ilum: sheath weapon (move action), 5-foot step to J22, attack monster at K23 with a claw attack (Attack +2 (+1 BAB, +1 Str), 1d3+1).
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Crit confirm: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Crit damage:1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Edit: The claw attacks should be +2, not +3. Also, the yell was more fluff than anything, since I'm presuming the perception roll takes precedence.
Hrakar Orcbane |
Perception check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Initiative check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Knowledge Religion check1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Hrakar immediately realizes something is wrong and realizing the camp is under attack he raises the allarm immediately (free action?). After that he takes a shot at the monster near Qui with his crossbow.
Crossbow attack 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Damage 1d10 ⇒ 5