Gatherine 'Taboofox' Deepheavy |
Gatherine sat down heavily outside the the lean-to shelter and sat facing the treeline,Sneezy Dragon cocked and attached to her wrist by its weapon cord. She stared counting her remaining bullets and gunpowder.
I got first watch.
She thought back briefly to the canvas covered journal she'd found back on the haunted mercenary ship.She could use the parchment.Hmmm...maybe i can make my own paper cartridges for quicker reloads.
She fingered the pages thoughtfully.
Tol Cherthand |
It's already late at night, right? So only the first two or three watches will be in the dark? If that's true, Gatherine and Tol should take the first two, since they have darkvision, and then Averin the third, since he has low-light. Iolana and Mugambi can watch while we sleep away the morning.
Tol grumbles to himself after Mugambi's admonition. Hardly expect to see any friendly folk on this island, that's for sure. The place looked abandoned anyway. Hmmph. He sets to work rubbing Gorra down, then takes his armor off and lies down on his bedroll to sleep for a few hours.
DM Bloodgargler |
The night goes mostly without incident... During Averin's watch, just as the first glow of morning peeks from the horizon, Mugambi starts thrashing and kicking in his sleep again.
You have another nightmare .. you are in the kitchen of the Jenivere, ankle deep in dirty green water. You feel something brush against your leg .. when you turn, you see the cook fall dead from the now open pantry and splash into the water. You walk over and you see just a flash of a giant snake come at you from the pantry. Everything goes black.
You come to, slumped over on a rowboat .. you look up and see a very dead looking First Mate Alton rowing. You turn and look just as you reach shore .. all of a sudden you are standing where you were looking - on the shore. You look back and Alton is rowing away. You then look down and see you are ankle deep in snakes ... You wake suddenly.
Mugambi |
Ok so the 5 rations we found on the ship wreck plus the 3 i already had minus the 2 we ate for a total of...6, currently Mugambi have 6 rations.
The tribesman wake up troubled, he spend most of the morning in silence. During his watch he goes to the waterline and says a prayer to Anton in polyglot. After it he just watches the sun rise, lost in his thoughts.
Thank you friend for the warning, I will keep an eye for....snakes, treason...lizardmen?....I hope you are well. Sail safely to the horizon mate.
During breakfast Mugambi pulls out from his pack the odd bottle found on the Jeneviere's kitchen.
Found dis with da cooks corpse, me thinks its sleep poison captain used, but I not sure.
Iolana Zerengo |
Even though she already slept earlier that afternoon Iolana falls asleep without difficulties,but she had agitated dreams when will be able to leave this cursed island?
She wakes up muttering a not too convinced "morning" and adjusts her clothing and hair best she can my poor hair,look how much greasy they are
She stretches for some minutes,then sits on the shore looking at the sea with dreamy eyes.
During breakfast "We'll ask him if we find him alive,you have my word on that"
Averin Grey |
"I don't. It may be best to just hold on to it until we reach some semblance of civilization. If it is the poison, I know that I at least won't be messing with it any time soon."
Standing to stretch after his fitful second round of sleep, Averin took a quick survey of their situation. "I've got a couple days of rations left, but I was just thinking: if we're headed inland after them then bound to pass some fresh food sources. I don't think we'll lose too much time on them either since they seem to be carrying a crate with them, as Gatherine pointed out. That is unless we're in a particular hurry and want to eat rations and run."
I can feed myself and three others on a take 10: survival, so as long as speed isn't an issue rations shouldn't be either. Are we up for heading inland after the loving couple? Or do we want to double back to the other survivors to check in, and possibly bring them to this shack for shelter?
Iolana Zerengo |
"I don't mind hunting for food,as i don't have much rations left myself,especially if we have to share what is left.I don't like the idea of going deeper in an unknown jungle,but reaching Ieana and the captain seems the most logical solution.The other at camp weren't in immediate danger,and they are capable of fend for themselves"
Tol Cherthand |
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"I'm no hunter myself, but I ain't picky about my food, and I'll eat what you catch. I hope we can get off this island before we run out of rations, but waste not, want not. I am more worried about Gorra," he pats the horse on the neck, "I've got enough grain for three days, maybe. Back in Varisia, I'd say she could get by on grass, but there's not much grass in the jungle, and I don't know what of all the vegetation on this island might be ft for her to eat."
"As for where to go... I'm all for chasing after that traitor of a captain, but we also gotta get off this island. Might it be good for at least one of us to climb up yonder bluff, to try to get a better idea of the lay of the land? We might see smoke from a fire, if they made one, or even a village." Now whether we'd want to seek out the village, or avoid it, is another question. I got no desire to end up in a stew pot.
Gatherine 'Taboofox' Deepheavy |
Gatherine was all for finding something other than stale trail rations to eat.She wiped the sleep from her eyes and fixed her new crooked tricornered hat atop her braided head.
I'm all for climbing the bluff to get a good look.And I wouldn't mind finding some kinda fruit to eat--after eating nothing but rats and whatever else I could scrounge up on that boat I think I'm this close to getting scurvy.
Iolana Zerengo |
Survival to look for high ground 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Iolana looks over the highest parts of the isle she can see from here,searching for the most accessible from their location.
"I'm looking for some higher point of view,but finding one is one thing,reaching it way another story,could surely use help."
Mugambi |
Da hat looks good on ya Ma.
Mugambi says with a smile as Gatherine puts on the captains hat.
If we dont go after da captain now we may loose his trail, as time passes by it gets harder to follow footsteps. And he may know a way out...I would vote for us continuie to follow him.
DM Bloodgargler |
What I have circled here is the highest point you've seen so far. It's circumference is like a long narrow oval, and it is tiered like a wedding cake ... when you passed it, it looked like at least the lower half was easily climbable - but hard to tell at first how high you could get.
you feel confident you will be able to find enough food for yourself and a few others throughout the day. That along with what Averin can find is enough. foraging will reduce your overland movement in half for the day
Iolana Zerengo |
Averin Grey |
"I say we follow the tracks inland and see how close we get to that butte we saw earlier. If we get close enough not hike up and not lose the tracks, or if we lose the tracks we can hike up and take a look around."
Assuming we're all okay moving forward..
Stepping towards the treeline, Averin took a moment at the border between ecosystems to make sure he was following what he wanted to before turning to the others. "Gatherine, you seem to know your way around food - do you mind keeping an eye out for edibles while I focus on the tracks for a while? Once I get used to the trail a bit more I can help some more."
take 10 for 17, tracking
Gatherine 'Taboofox' Deepheavy |
Gatherine nodded to Averin as the half-elf started focusing on the tracks.She moved closer to the tree line,poking through the foilage searching for anything she deemed safe for consumption.
Search for food take 10 for 17
You guys keep on those tracks while I look for lunch.Solve two problems at once.
DM Bloodgargler |
Averin leads the way inland. Following the tracks is at times slow; he occasionally loses the trail in the tall grasses of some areas, but so far has been able to pick it up again.
Gatherine stops along the way to forage when she spots something, and due to the slow speed of tracking, has been able to catch up.
After a couple miles, the path takes you inside the treeline for a while, and you hear a few monkey screeches from further within - west of your current position.
Further ahead, at the low point of the low hill you are now cresting, you see a stream through the trees running north/south.
DM Bloodgargler |
The trail leads to the stream .. after a few moments Averin is able to pick it up on the other side -- which is a wall of a thorny bushes. Dark red berries dot the mass of foliage.
The captain and Ieana appear to have hacked through what was a narrow animal path before. You also see a snake trail .. the size of a very large constrictor.
DM Bloodgargler |
To the north the thicket and the vines of the trees meet and mingle over the stream. Two hundred feet to the south the stream drops off a cliff.
The thicket runs all the way from treeline to cliff and waterfall. You cannot see very far into it at all. Its gnarled and thorned vines coil and spiral from the ground to seven feet high.
As a result there appear to be three ways to proceed ..
- West-Southwest through the thicket (following the tracks) single file with barely room to turn around .. unless you take time to hack through..
- North along the stream, into the dense foliage and curtains of vines to go around the thicket
- South along the stream to see if you can get down safely to go around thicket.
Tol Cherthand |
Clarification: Are the tracks to the WSW the tracks of the snake? Or the tracks of our humanoid quarry (which we assume to be the Captain and Ieana)?
Also, does it appear to be a tall waterfall, where we could get a good view of the island from the top?
DM Bloodgargler |
the snake trail is all around, but most apparent on the far bank in the couple feet between the thicket and stream.
You walk over to the cliff where the stream becomes a waterfall. You look over the edge, and see it is about 20 feet down. This lower area the stream flows into is visible from here for about 4 or 5 miles south and half a mile across. On either side (west and east) the land appears to be about the same level as you or higher.
There is nothing immediately notable from your view.. just green with a few accents of the other bright colors you've seen in the flora - trees and groundcover.
Mugambi |
Knowledge nature
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
We should be carefull, there are no othar animal tracks around da stream, dis be da hunting ground of some predator, maybe a giant snake... Da ya guys wanna go around? Da problem is if it ate da captain we will not find out about it.
So we go south Ma Iolanda?
Mugambi |
Whoops...
Actually it is, Iolanda is a common name here in Brasil and I have an aunt named like that. I read Iolana and in my head it automatically flips to Iolanda. Srry man, I will try to watch out for it.
O.k. South it is.
DM Bloodgargler |
It does not appear that it would be terribly difficult to get down, but Gorra might have a little difficulty.. climb or acro DC5 for party, DC15 for Gorra... fail=1d6 non-lethal +1d6 for failing by more than 5
As you look over the edge, deciding what to do .. the shrieks of the monkeys to the north return, but more intensely..
The tree tops shudder, and a large clumsy thing takes flight and soars above you ... its wings are much like the lizards you fought earlier but this thing is twice the size. You notice it is carrying something furry just before the creature drops it in the stream right beside you. The broken monkey goes over the waterfall, and the flying thing circles above you once before heading north toward the high bluff.
Tol Cherthand |
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Tol looks uneasily at the rough rocky slope around the waterfall, slick with spray. "I don't reckon Gorra could get down that very easy." He hefts his axe. "What say we clear a little bigger way through the brush?"
He turns to Mugambi, "And, begging your pardon, Doctor, but there is one way to find out if a snake ate him..." He glances meaningfully at the keen edge of his axe. "Find the snake and slit it open."
Tol Cherthand |
Tol stows his shield on Gorra's saddle, in order to slash more effectively at the vegetation. "Aye, Miss Zerengo, Mr. Grey, and I will do the hedge trimming, and you two stand a bit back, so we have room to swing." He gives a hand signal to the horse, ending in a gesture to Gatherine.
Direct Gorra to guard Gatherine