Rehil looks over the supplies and weapons that Pooma offers. His eyes latch onto the long slender curved sword. He circles toward it almost as if stalking it, then picks it up and tries its weight and balance. his eyes widen slightly. A master's weapon, no doubt.
"Pooma, this is a fine blade and I'd be proud to carry it. Like my metal-skinned friend, I would like to leave my sword in trade. It has been a trustworthy weapon, but I fear I would never use it again if this one was at hand."
As the party boards the canoes, Rehil looks at who's headed where and what spaces will be left. He stands at the water's edge and looks at Cole.
"..Any chance that I can swap with Portforged?"
Canoeing Check Profession is the wisdom mod, yes?
"I could swap positions with you."
Portforged got off the canoe, and onto the other one.
Rehil seems momentarily stunned by Portforged's easy acquiescence. Then his sour expression turns into a thin smile. "..Thank you. I -- . Thanks."
He steps lightly with one foot into the water and slips gracefully over the gunwale into the canoe. As the party pushes off he dips his paddle deeply into the water and pulls with some effect.
Given their lack of experience, the adventurers on the whole give a decen account of themselves on the river. The river is high and the speed of the flow slows their progress, but in the other hand it also submerges the smaller rapids so they can simply be paddled over. The lizardmen are fairly unexpressive, although they exchange looks at some of Will's and Portforged's wilder flailings. There is one portage where the canoes must be carried past some rocks, but this is completed fairly easily with some instruction from Ashshar.
The jungles here are wild and uninhabited, and they see no signs of habitation, lizardfolk or otherwise. The jungle teems with life, but none of it seems sentient.
Ashshar calls back, "Soon we will stop and find a camp."
"Are there other lizardfolk tribes nearby? Or is this unclaimed territory?"
Portforged turned to Ashshar in a quizzical manner.
Cole spends the first hour or so silently paddling as he watches the trees and plants slide by on either side. After a while, he begins asking Ashshar about many of the plants, animals, and geographical features they pass... specifically asking for the words and names in common and Draconic.
As the thinner guide mentions camp, Cole follows Portforged’s questions with one of his own. “And how many days of paddling until we reach our destination?”
"Today we did well. We will travel maybe another day, maybe two. But the rapids are many and we will have to carry the boats, and that will take time."
The lizardfolk guide the canoes to shore by a massive boulder. Trees arch overhead and giant toadstools as big as a warrior's shield cover the ground. "This is a good place," explains Ashshar. "The big rock gives us shelter and makes if hard for the jungle animals to get to us."
"Today we did well. We will travel maybe another day, maybe two. But the rapids are many and we will have to carry the boats, and that will take time."
The lizardfolk guide the canoes to shore by a massive boulder. "This land is claimed by our tribe and the Finback tribe, but we do not come here often." Trees arch overhead and giant toadstools as big as a warrior's shield cover the ground. "This is a good place," explains Ashshar. "The big rock gives us shelter and makes if hard for the jungle animals to get to us."
Portforged allowed its eyes to rest on the location. It did seem like a reasonable place to make camp. It did not need to rest, of course, but it was clear the others were getting weary. Speaking to the group,
"Unless anyone has strong objections," it suggested, "Cole and I ought to keep watch."
Turning back to to Ashshar, it inquires
"What sort of relationship is there between the Finback tribe and the Poisondusk tribe? Shall we expect hostility from them?"
Rehil is indeed tired after the long day paddling upstream. His shoulders and lower back burn from the unusual exertions and unaccustomed posture. So he is grateful and uncritical of the stopping place
Stepping clear of the canoe, he fairly skips through the sallow water to the gravelly shore. At the water's edge he turns around to face the party. His arms arc back, then up as he stretches high. Then he bends over to touch his toes.
"That feels good. Let's getthe gear unloaded."
Nalverren helps set up the site after stretching his legs a big, grateful to be out of the sitting position for hours.
At Portforged's question, Ashshar says something to Vaard. The big lizardman barks a laugh.
He replies to Portforged, "The Finbacks are our enemies. They will want to fight us. They have allied with the poisondusk."
As the team begins to unload, Cole looks at his surroundings carefully before turning to the halfling. "Will, you mind taking a few minutes to make sure this location is safe? I'll look for more obvious threats."
He turns to Ashshar, "Can you come with me? You might catch something that Will or I miss."
Whether the lizard-man accepts or not, Cole takes a slow sweep of the location, doing his best to secure it.
If nothing is uncovered, he wordlessly sets to the task of unloading the canoes and setting up camp, helping the group with any specific tasks that come up.
Nalverren will nab some mushrooms and work on getting some spores, but only after the necessities of setting up camp are accomplished.
Cole begins moving steadily towards the alchemist, longspear held in both hands. "Nalverren, we're not alone. Fall behind me. Now. "
The warforged tries to place himself between whatever it is and the canoes. "Ashshar," he calls over his thick shoulder without taking his eyes off the spot in the grasses, "what hunts here?"
"Ah, crap" he utters, moving behind the warforged and pulling out the new bow.
Portforged glares at Ashshar. If it could roll its eyes, it would have. While no one likes a defective memory chip, at least the other Warforged knew not to laugh at one. Especially not in a war zone, which this apparently is.
Portforged scooped up a few mushrooms for later, then it followed Cole and Nalverren.
Let us see how the laugher holds up in battle.
"Don't know yet," Cole monotones as he moves steadily forward. "Ashshar, you know?"
As Nalverren gets up to move behind Cole, he spots weird, flower-like growths about three feet high waving slowly despite the lack of a breeze. A big purple inflorescence turns towards him as he retreats, and a tendril flickers at its centre.
would a tell me anything about the strange plant that i suspect might actually be a creature intent on my harm?
Hearing the commotion from the scouts, Rehil reaches for his weapons.
Initiative: Please place me in K10.
Rehil moves to his right, stepping along the top of a fallen log. Where is the threat? The flowers? The elf shrugs. Target practice.
He draws and looses.
Shoertbow ... damage
As Rehil looses his arrow, one of the weird plant creatures slops forward towards. A dripping tendril whips out, aiming for Nalverren's face.
The second plant-thing squelches towards Nalverren as well, ploughing through a mushroom patch to get at him.
William will mount James and swiftly both of them will charge and attack ?1
Round 1
=> 12 Damage
Round 1
James will charge ?1 ending up in P13
possible Trip
The thinner lizard-man responds with caution, preparing shield and morningstar as he circles to the north of the plants.
Will and James charge plant creature. Will's spear plunges into the pulpy body and James gets a nasty-tasting mouthful as he pulls it down. Part of the creature promptly pops like a bubble and the air is filled with a nauseating stench.