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Geliks attitude doesnt change much...
"Aye. I've got a few stories." he states and launches into a rather bawdy tale of a marooned pirate and a young lady of gentle birth left on an island which had nothing on it but a load of rum.
Gareth listens quietly but attentively. After Gelik has finished speaking he asks questions such as: H-how c-could she survive if all t-there was was rum?
Sargava? Nice? Not particularly, N'goka replies to Gareth's query, But it is as close to what some call civilization as the Expanse holds, for those who are not native. Unlike almost every other outlander settlement in these lands, it isn't entirely a festering hive of criminals fleeing crimes worthy of execution in distant lands.
With a toothy grin, she adds, Still, the Chels consider their Sargavan cousins 'unsophisticated,' which, in my eyes, means they can't be all bad...
Once the heat let up enough for him to move without feeling like he was being cooked alive by slow-roasting, Joao got to work on setting up the parts that he would need for the traps that he intended to set up around the camp. As far as he was concerned, this place was good enough for using as camp, and the sooner this place was defensible, the easier he would rest.
Architecture was not his thing, so the specifics of defense, he left up to the others. Surely one of the others had some fair idea bout setting up things, as he would be happy with a fire and a tent... Though given the size of those rats, rigging a hammock or sleeping in a tree was not something that he was inclined to dismiss yet.
If there is enough food Gareth scouts the area ahead, further into the island. If there is not enough food he hunts instead.
If he finds anything worth noting he observes and listens for a short bit and reports back to camp.
Gareth will attempt to be stealthy the entire time. Go ahead an roll the appropriate skill checks since I don't know how many I need to make, if any.
You have about 3 hours till darkness..it takes N'goka 2 hours to find a more defensible campsite and get it set up by which time the sun is westering fast.
Just as she finishes it begins to rain..in torrents..this rain persists until well after dark..there is no twilight in these latitudes so it goes from day to dark almost instantly..
By the time the rain clears it's pitch black apart from the feeble light of your camp fire...strange cries sound through the night causing you all to huddle closer around its slight warmth..
You have 9 hours of darkness left..please organise watches.No more than 1 NPC on a watch and Aerys and Sascha wont take turns at this time.
Once N'goka found a better site, Joao set to helping set up with a will. The relocation ate part of their setup time, but he at least made sure that he had a couple of traps set up, one of them a nasty one involving the stakes that he was sharpening during the stilling heat of the day earlier. Knowing so little about engineering, he considered some sort of larger fire pit, but figured that with the rain falling the way it was, they would end up with fire soup. They could probably rig some sort of suspension cover with the ropes and the sail, though... He was going to consider it when the day came, after he had rested.
Right now, they just had to make it through the night.
Joao was waking up with the rest and said little in the morning beyond grunts of effort and sighs from stretching as he found his feet and banished the kinks from his body. The first task of the morning was to recheck the traps and snares that he had set the day before, then reset them, though at the mention of exploring the island, he did speak up.
"I'll come." He was at least as curious as the halfling about just where they have been stranded, and what to expect from the rest of the island. He set about checking his weapons until the others were ready to move out. He did, however, want to set up better arrangements if possible, so that come the night and the rain, they aren't as huddled together. Though, he had to admit, huddling was was not that unattractive an idea if it was with Aerys or Brugga.
The first watch hands over to the second and they sit listening to the jungle sounds around them.
About an hour into the shift Tranz rouses himself..
"I'm afraid our shellfish dinner is not agreeing with my delicate stomach" he says and moves off towards the latrine pit just out of the firelight.
You hear his groans as he commences his business and then suddenly a dark shape swoops down and Tranz yells in fear and surprise, a yell suddenly cut off as the shape vanishes up into the skies above the island bearing the gnomes body in it's claws.
Joao heard the exclamations, but had to claw his way out of sleep to look around at the others, frowning at the expression on Brugga's face, and Gareth's stance. His eyes rapidly ran over everyone that was here, finding someone missing, his sleep-addled brain taking seconds to put a shape and face to the missing form. The know-it-all.. Tranz.
Standing, he could tell from Gareth's stance that he intended to do something, and he nodded at him, reaching down to pick up his armor and pull it on. His boots were still on his feet, though his bandolier that held his mace and his two other daggers were still beside his bedroll. "Lead the way", he said.
N'goka notes the missing gnome only in passing, having groggily confused him with the other gnome during the night.
In the morning, after hearing of his being taken away, she clucks to Redstripe, who diligently remains close to her leg sometimes for ten minutes at a time before she has to remind him...
Whatever took our navigator may find similarly sized prey tempting, so it would be safest for Vix, Redstripe, Tariro and Gelik to remain close at hand, in case of another attack.
Our navigator has been taken. An ill omen indeed. Are we truly lost?
It's a moonless night you are in unfamiliar territory and the creature was flying..tracking it proves to be impossible. The rest of the night passes in paranoia. Every move in the bushes every sound makes the gaurds jump.
When daylight comes( as suddenly as the darkness did)you take stock.
Tranz is gone..however his gear is still here which is something at least.
Aerys is trembling and can barely move from her bed roll. A quick consultation between the healers in the party reveals that she is suffering from Delerium Tremens.Everyone else seems healthy.
I assumed he'd have been wearing his armour and carrying his dagger, so heres the rest-
Heavy Wooden Shield (Weighs 5 lbs, worth 7GP)
Masterwork Quality Quill (Phoenix Feather) + Ink (reflavoured Masterwork Artisans Tools) (Weighs 1lb, worth 55GP)
Spell Component Pouch (Weighs 0.5lbs, worth 5GP)
100 sheets of Parchment, worth 20GP
2 ounces of ink, worth 8GP
Scholar's Outfit, worth 5GP
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Cash- 3 gold pieces
N'goka prays to the spirits in the morning, strengthening her connection to them, so that she may call upon them for guidance more readily in this unusual situation. She redraws the lines of ash upon her face, with a cross-like pattern, starting at her hairline and extending down to her chin, crossing above her eyes, dominating the image.
The shaking woman should be restrained, so that she does not damage herself, or run into danger from the torments of the evil spirits leaving her body.
Joao was waking up with the rest and said little in the morning beyond grunts of effort and sighs from stretching as he found his feet and banished the kinks from his body. The first task of the morning was to recheck the traps and snares that he had set the day before, then reset them, though at the mention of exploring the island, he did speak up.
He was at least as curious as their remaining halfling about just where they have been stranded, and what to expect from the rest of the island. He set about checking his weapons until the others were ready to move out. He did, however, want to set up better arrangements if possible, so that come the night and the rain, they aren't as huddled together. Though, he had to admit, huddling was was not that unattractive an idea if it was with Aerys or Brugga.. Well, not Aerys as she was now.
Disease was not something he gave much thought to, always keeping himself as clean as his situations would allow, which was usually 'very'. That just meant that in their travels, an eye would have to be kept out for medicinal herbs.
Gareth picks up the phoenix feather quill, studies it, and again looks in the direction that Tranz was spirited away.
I will do everything in my power to insure that you will write with this pen again. Mark my words, friend!
Gareth puts the quill in his pocket and quickly loads the rest of Tranz's gear wherever he can fit with the other items. He then looks over at Aerys...I-I'm not sure i-if this will help but... gareth takes a clean pecie of cloth and wipes some of the sweat off of her face. r-rest
heal check for Aerys:
While tending to Aerys, Gareth thinks to himself. Tranz is gone, m-maybe even dead. And now this lady is sick...This does not bode well...
Gareth stands up from Areys and speaks to the entire camp...
W-with A-aerys in her c-condition I'm not sure i-if we can move her, but we cannot just sit around and w-waste away, we need to explorer and see if we can find c-civilization, help or some other means off this island. I-I think me and the others w-who regained the supplies from the ship should scout around. E-everyone else... AND I MEAN EVERYONE... Gareth glares at those who were unwilling to help the previous day and continues speaking in a very calm tone. ...should stay here and guard the camp, hunt for food and medicine, a-and take care of the weak. If you d-don't want to pull your weight then leave, but if you r-remember last night, I don't recommend it... Gareth's tone switches to a much more sympathetic one. W-were all in this together... I-if we all work together, I-I think we can make it out of here and get back home, h-healthy and a-alive!...
Gareth turns and prepares to venture out into the wilderness...
Current status off the NPCs
Name Attitude Morale
Aerys..Unfriendly..normal..sickened
Sasha..Unfriendly...Shaken
Ishiro..Indifferent..Shaken
Gelik..Indifferent..normal
Jask..Friendly..Normal
Tariro noticing the above listed haven't really joined in the fun, makes a point to take them an extra portion of the delicious Lion Berries she found while foraging yesterday. She doesn't say anything, just presents them on a piece of Palm frond.
Joao was up and ready, prepared after he checked the traps he had set, walking up to Gareth and pointing them out. "Snare. Snare. Impaling." Granted, that impaling trap was at the level of their lower legs, since he had made it with the rat he had seen in mind, but he did not need to look in their direction to point them out.
Of the others, he was curious as to what skills they could contribute with, but prolonged speaking was not anything that he wanted to do, and besides, it was too soon after waking up for him to even want to speak more than the three words he had already said to Gareth. N'goka got a polite-ish nod of greeting, and Brugga the same. Tariro got what might have been the curl of a smile on his mouth with the nod before he looked in the direction of some moving vegetation.
He was wanting to see just what this island held.
As they prepare to explore, N'goka will commune with the spirits for guidance, mostly to bolster her own confidence, and then quietly address Ishiro, We will be seeking out food, and a safer campsite, as well as any possible means off of the island. Please keep your warrior's blade at the ready, and look out for the others.
She attempts to flatter him with the implication that she regards him as the most competent warrior of the group, and that he alone would be trusted with such a responsibility.
Jask smiles and nods.."I have just the cure.." he goes to the packs and gets the bottle of brandy pouring a measure..giving it to Aerys calms her shakes and she is able to function..
Ok Exploration..you have 6 hours before it gets to hot for major effort..which direction..North leads back to the beach.
North seems as good a choice as any. Back to the beach and then around the island along the shore. Perhaps we can find some sign of the smuggler's for which this island is named, and... arrange passage off of this place.
N'goka doesn't sound like she expects to be able to barter passage from whatever smugglers use this island to store cargo temporarily, particularly given the chance that such smugglers are ferrying *human* cargo....
Barring any dissent, she calls Redstripe to her side and proceeds north to the beach.