"Wouf, Wouf !"
James will give a big lick on the massive warforged and assist william to look for a nice place
assist vs DC 10
While the group recovers and William begins scouting for a defensive spot, Cole begins searching the little lizard-folk bodies for anything useful.
Bokehn checks over Grazzat and shakes his head. "Looks like the big guy didn't make it. Best strip his gear of anything we can use. Then we get out of here - that poisondusk will be back with others soon."
Cole quickly pickes over the poisondusks.
As the group make ready to make a hasty exit, Bokehn adds, "We can't stay round here, the place will be crawling with lizardfolk. I checked the tribal markings of the lizardfolk we encountered and they weren't a tribe I knew. There's a lizardfolk village about two days' march from here, and the House had an agreement with them. I've dealt with the village elder there before. If they are still friendly, we might get some shelter and food from them. Worst case scenario, maybe we can steal some canoes.
"OK, we need to move out and try and conceal our trail. Will, you seem to have the best woodcraft, you are in charge of that." With that he marches off, leaving Grazzat behind for the last time.
"understood" simply replied william
Portforged followed, assisting the others.
The party head into the forest, trying to evade the lizardfolk that attacked them. They try to make sure they don't leave a trail to follow as they go. Under the forest canopy the trees trunk rise up like pillars and their branches crowd out the light, leaving plenty of space to move about in the dimness where little grows. But it also means there are few signs to navigate by.
Large parts of the forest floor is flooded because of the monsoon, with boggy ground underfoot and numerous streams in spate, making progress slow. But fortunately the terrain is not especially sheer, so that the need for climbing and acrobatics is minimised. Most of the group are wounded, attracting flies which buzz about and have to be batted away, and the humidity is unrelenting. There are numerous calls and hoots from the trees above, and sometimes a small animal flits briefly into sight as it clambers or jumps amid the branches.
After several hours, it starts to go dark. Bokehn grunts in satisfaction, then winces in pain from his wounds. "We've made good progress, especially as it's rainy season. I don't think they are following us." He sits on an ancient moss-covered fallen tree, exhausted. "We need to find some shelter. There are creatures in the forest at night we don't want to meet. And we need to find some food. Split into two groups - one of you look for somewhere we can sleep tonight - a cave, hollow or something - the rest of you look for something we can eat." He reaches out and rips up some rotting bark. Underneath squirm some fat white grubs. He grins. "These'll do for a start. Look under logs and stuff. Tarantulas make very good eating if you find some, but watch out for the hairs - you have to roast them off in a fire first."
Cole stops in his tracks when Bokehn calls for a halt, watching impassively as Bokehn claims the grub. “I’ll go with the camp-finding team,” he says in his deep, even voice. “Wouldn’t exactly know what you all would find acceptable to put in your mouths or not.”
He seems content to wait until the rest of the group has split up into the two teams.
"James and I will also go look for a camp" he says joining up with cole
James will assist in looking for a suitable camp
"Wouf !"
Portforged follows Wultram, scanning the region with its artificial vision for human 'food'.
By a gushing stream, William and James find a boulder. A tree has partially toppled over on to it and regrown, creating a dense scrubby tangle. However, crawling under these branches reveals an open space sheltered from the rain by the tree above and the boulder at the back, which would do as a shelter in the night. Meanwhile, Wultram and Portforged shoot a monkey in a tree, providing a bushmeat supper.
As darkness falls, Bokehn and Will build a small fire to roast the monkey. The choice of campsite is fortunate as thunder growls in the distance.
"I'll take last watch"
Cole takes up a position near the crawl-space into their impromptu campsite. “Let me know how I can help,” he says in a low, muted rumble as he tries to arrange the branches, vines, and scrub to allow him a discreet view into the jungle beyond their hidey-hole.
Satisfied, he sits down, leans his massive blade against some roots in arm’s reach, and begins taking his tools out of his pack. In short order, he’s working on the various cuts, dings, and nicks he accumulated through the day… spending a majority of his time repairing the damage done by one small arrow. From time to time, his eyes shift to watch the dangerous jungle.
“Portforged, should I look you over?” he says during one pause in his work.
If left to his own devices, this is how he spends the night, punctuating the muted sounds of their little camp with his own metallic flourishes.
"I must rest throughout the night only to recover my psionic power..."
A little traumatized by his injury and Grazzat's demise, Rehil is listless and uncommunicative for a number of hours. The only initiative he takes is to search the lizardman archers for useable arrows. Otherwise he quietly follows the others.
Oddly perhaps, as the sun goes down and the shadows lengthen, the elf's spirits improve. Although Bokehn's suggestion of an insectile repast, does not sound appetizing, Rehil pitches in to look for food.
Survival food search
His largely city-bred existence doesn't provide him the knowledge to identify what's edible and what's not.
****
As the party sets up camp, he approaches William. "..Thank you for helping me back at the fight. I'm sorry if I wasn't grateful then. I was -- not myself."
****
And when the issue of watches comes up, Rehil volunteers for the middle watch. ".. I know you casters need a full nights sleep and I can see well enough if there's any moon at all. I'll take the middle watch."
Nalverren will help the team with the least people.
He will take whichever watch is available.
It's been a draining day, both physically and emotionally. People settle down in their shelter with little chatter. Storm clouds draw in with the night, and soon there is little to see beyond sheets of falling water illuminated by the occasional lightning flash. The shelter is far from waterproof but certainly it is better than being outside in a tropical downpour at night. The group soon fall silent, the sound of the rain drowning out the tapping of Cole repairing himself and Bokehn's snoring.
Nalverren and Wultram peer into the darkness during the first watch.
A long day, two painful wounds, three handfuls of vermin. Rehil lies down and tries to forget it all. Despite the pain he is soon deeply asleep.
A long day, two painful wounds, three handfuls of vermin. Rehil lies down and tries to forget it all. Despite the pain he is soon deeply asleep.
Wultram is lulled into drowsiness by the constant hiss of the rain, but the others remain alert. Cole hears it first. A thud of a heavy footfall outside, then another, then a low reptilian rumbling. Lightning flashes suddenly, fleetingly revealing a massive shape moving through the trees.
A thick metal fingers prods both Wultram and Bokehn awake. His deep voice is pitched low in the darkness, “Something’s outside. Big. And lizard-like.”
"Either of you know what it is... and if it's a threat?" He pushes his tools quickly into his pack and grabs his blade, readying for the worst. "We should wake the others."
"It is not dangerous...unless it is frightened or otherwise caused to rampage. It is herbivorous, if it causes trouble it would be by accident."
The creature wanders ponderously through the forest. It moves on all fours, then rears up on its hind legs to pull at foliage higher up. The branches tear off with a crackle of breaking wood, and the creature then munches and swallows them down. The rainwater streams off its scaly flanks as it goes. It walks up to the shelter where the group is hiding and begins to tear at it, intent on making a meal of it and threatening to demolish the party's protection from the elements.
Portforged dashes towards the others and calls at them.
"Move!"
"Huh, what?" Bokehn looks about blearily. "A dinosaur? Can't you scare it off?"
william will just wait and see what happens as it would be detrimental to everyone's health if there was a fight right now
Cole shrugs, then slides his great blade into its sheath on his back. He pokes a thick foot around the fire, quickly finding one of the thicker logs and trying to stoke the embers back to life.
“Sure,” he says as he gets the impromptu torch going. “This might get loud.”
Cole creeps towards the front of the den, waiting for the dinosaur to get its head near before springing his trap.
The dinosaur lumbers over and begins ripping at the branches of the shelter with its teeth. Leaves and twigs begin dropping on the group. Bokehn grunts and staggers to his feet. He looks confused and totters slightly. "Hey!" he yells at the dinosaur, "Dragon Below, piss off and let us sleep!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Cole begins swinging the flame-brand up as close to its eyes as he can, jumping and roaring as he does so.
Portforged follows menacingly, attempting to create a fearsome display with its mind and body.
The elf stands tall and brandishes his long sword. He yowls like a banshee at the dinosaur.
Intimidate
Edit: NOt so scary.
Nalverren adds to the display of what is hopefully at least quite confusing to the beast.
The igunadon is surprised when multiple little creatures spring up before it. One of them waves hated fire close to its face and it instinctively reacts with fear. It turns and ponderously runs away, trumpeting fearfully.
"Thank the gods for that," grumbles Bokehn, who gets back under the shelter and immediately closes his eyes.