Natalyah's spirits are lifted considerbly as she enters the clearing although it doesn't show much in her voice. "This will do", she announces. "We rest for now. Once the heat has passed we will get the others."
The rangers looks for a good spot that oversees the entrance to the camp and post herself as a sentry until the heatwave passes, keeping an unweavering watch.
Setebo busies himself over the heat break moving some rocks and logs to make a small area of slower water so folks can take a soak without the worry of going over the falls. I expect this counts as work in the heat of the day so here is a fort save. Does working in the water give me a bonus?
Fort
Shady spot. Nap. Go.
Helga barely makes it to the shade before all but collapsing from the heat; her fair skin is sunburned and peeling, and her hair is bleaching almost white.
Atzi sits in the shade with Quetza slumbering behind her, she uses her large saurian friend to rest her back as she thought about the usefulness of this place as a camp.
Setebo does not seem to feel the effects of the burning heat as he works in the water of the river.Soon he has created a small area fit for bathing in.
Setebo enters the main camp site. He is soaked and is only wearing pants. He is rather hairy and the scars continue to be unsetteling. He seems happy.
"Look everyone. It works! The rocks and the old log divert a bit of the river into a bathing pool. See how clean the water is? It is as cool as it looks. This is a lovely island! Well apart from the spiders."
"Perhaps this place could be useful but we need to set our camp more to the center of the island, the longer we skirt the edges. The longer it will take to reach the lighthouse and find whether or not it is usable." She did enjoy the view but it was still far from being a centralized camp.
She stood up and moved to stand next to Natalyah, who was like a elven sentinel, watching the small trail the savage had to be using. "I say we follow that trail to its end, running south, before we return. I want to know its importance. This trail is too well used to not lead us to something important. Do you agree Natalyah?"
Seeing Setebo's handy work, Atzi nods in approval. "Good work, Setebo. We will need your handiwork for our next home."
"Look everyone. It works! The rocks and the old log divert a bit of the river into a bathing pool. See how clean the water is? It is as cool as it looks. This is a lovely island! Well apart from the spiders."
"D-did you say cool?" Helga raises her head to blink at Setebo like an owl in daylight. Sweat is still dripping off her. "Oh Desna, Setebo I could marry you!" She exclaims as she struggles to her feet and stumbles to the pool, shedding her leathers she slides into the cool water naked and heedless of who might be watching with a moan of relief, lying there with just her face breaking the surface to she can breath.
pool, shedding her leathers she slides into the cool water naked and heedless of who might be watching with a moan of relief, lying there with just her face breaking the surface to she can breath.
Atzi smiled as Helga plunged into the water before adding. "One day you will enjoy the heat!" As much as she wanted to enjoy a cool dip, at least to clear her head, she had to remain focused. She wanted to know what was at the end of the trail.
Setebo sits stunned by Helga's action. "I will need to build a screen ...."
She stood up and moved to stand next to Natalyah, who was like a elven sentinel, watching the small trail the savage had to be using. "I say we follow that trail to its end, running south, before we return. I want to know its importance. This trail is too well used to not lead us to something important. Do you agree Natalyah?"
"We need to get away from the spider camp. It's better to move here as fast as possible instead of venturing further, hoping to find a better place. We can follow the trail tomorrow, when the new camp is in place."
"I will need to build a screen ...."
After a short while Helga emerges from the pool somewhat more alert and much more refreshed.
"That's better," she declares, sliding her leathers back on. "When do we go fetch the others?"
Caithan snores loudly missing the likely amazing sights and sounds around him. The dog whines and kicks in its sleep likely ripping apart small fuzzy things in its dreams.
With a sigh Atzi shakes her head. "The spider camp is more taboo to them then this place, they pass by here as if there is nothing to fear. Should we place our camp where our enemies roam? Without knowing why they roam here. Go back for the others if you wish but Quetza and I will see the end of the trail." Atzi gathered her gear, and woke Quetza, once the worst of the heat wave passes.
Quetza comes alive with a long toothy yawn and renewed vigor, as he stretched his tendons, to prepare himself for flight, he watched Atzi with a curious expression.
Its difficult to tell theamount of usage the trail has as the ground there is harder than the surrounding earth..you would think it isn't traversed that frequently though..in addition you have only encountered the savages in pairs till now...
As to the campsite..you would be hard pressed to find something better today if you head for the end of the trail it is doubtful you would get back to the others brefore darkness stopped you getting to the new camp till the next day..
Atzi grimaces as she considers what to do next, it would take too long to hit the trail and then return to their main camp. Perhaps it was a good time to split up and cover more ground. "Let us split up then, Setebo, Quetza and I can continue down the trail and then hurry back to camp by nightfall. At least then we will know what is at the end of this trail and plan further in the morning if this place proves to be unsafe. With Setebo's darksight and Quetza ability to pick up scent we will easily find our way back to camp."
"Small groups of us are easier overcome," Helga points out. "Bad enough we are in two groups."
Atzi shrugs. "I won't debate that with you, but I don't plan on fighting, only scouting."
"It's not what you plan that worries me," Helga laughs. "It's what the others plan: they know this island, remember? I say, wait until we can all go, then if we find them we can overcome them, and if they find us, we have better chances."
To Atzi I would love to scout the trail. My eyes and Quetza's nose will get us back after dark if we need to. But we could do the same for the whole group. If we all came then we would heve Rollo's nose as well. Perhaps a loop down the trail and then back towards the Spider home in the evening?
Setebo is ready to move out!
Natalyah takes her eyes off the trail to look at Atzi with a mix of puzzlement and annoyance. Why does everyone that land on this island have to be reckless, incompetent or naive? She wasn't going to debate this. She has had enough of arguments for one day. The mwangi girl seemed to do as she pleases anyway. "So you're going to leave me to baby sit the rest? Fine, go. Find whatever camp you think is out there. Just don't lead any of the savages back here when you get caught", she says sourly. Backing down gracefully doesn't seem to be in the ranger's repertoire either.
"We will get the rest and set up a new camp here. She", Natalyah points to Atzi "and the freak can explore as much as they like." Natalyah has no problem showing what she thinks of Atzi scouting out on her own, and her choice to take Setebo with here.
Before they depart Natalyah goes up to Setebo and whispers
"If you don't bring her back or hurt her in any way, i will scour this island for spiders and then feed you to them"
Before they depart Natalyah goes up to Setebo and whispers...
With a snort Caithan awakens and begins donning his armor.
The heatwave ends and the afternoon rains begin to fall as usual..today they are surprisingly light..
Both groups make good time. The main group manages to make it back to spiderholme and get the others moving towards the new camp on Creeper Ridge.
Atzi/Setebo
Natalyah leads the group back in a dour silence, leaving nobody oblivious of what she thinks about Atzi and Setebo's expedition and her own role. When she speaks she it's to bark short and precice orders in the spirit of "if you wait for somebody to volunteer for a task, it will never get done".
Atzi moves quietly through the encampment, once Quetza circled it a couple of times to make sure it was clear. She kept an eye out for anything useful in the area, something perhaps overlooked by the savages, as she her blood ran cold. There were far more savages then she first had thought and they were far more organized then she had given them credit for. This was bad.
Once she knew they were in the clear she whispered to Setebo. "This is why I say what I say Setebo, its us or them. Whoever made this camp had to be like us, shipwrecked and vulnerable. Lets look for supplies and, if the gods were merciful, survivors. Be ready though this place may not be fully abandoned by them just yet..."
Setebo is quiet as they move through the shattered camp. He examines the shelters, probes the ground with his saber where it looks disturbed, spends a moment staring at the sea.
Setebo steps out of a shelter holding two stained savage javelins. These were in a ribcage in there. Just bones now. These people were shipwrecked as we are but their attackers will not find us as," Setebo twin\sts the javelins in his hands. for a moment the shafts grind together before the bamboo shatters. " vulnerable." Setebo tosses the ruined weapons into the sea. "I wish harm to no one, but I will not allow you or Quetza or Helga or the Captain or Amisi or Cutless or Rollo or friend Jask or even the loud person who dropped her shield to be harmed. As I was rescued so will I offer them rescue, but if they choose to make this a war then their bones will bleach in the sun forgotten and unmourned."
Atzi is quiet when Setebo reveals the bamboo javelins, she felt bad to change his care free attitude. He was their strongest asset, he had qualities that would guarantee the others survival... Without her if the gods deem it so. "I do not say these things to be cruel, only to make each of you realize. To assume they are anything less then our enemy, leaves us open for them to harm us. The next time we encounter them, we will fight to take them alive and then we will have our answers. But Setebo you can't hesitate. None of us can, because if we do. We will die on this island and, the gods as my witness, I will see you all leave this place. Even if I die in the process..."
Atzi looks somber for a moment, the fury was gone, the happy smile she tried to share with everyone was gone. She looked tired. The memory of the Bekyar trying holding her sister as a slave, parading her through their home town like a damned trophy. "I have met few races that savage their own like my kind. There is a tribe known as the Bekyar, back in the Mwangi, they would capture anyone foolish enough to travel alone and then sell them to the nearest slavers for coin. They tried to take my sister, but Quetza and I stopped them at great costs. So please forgive me, I don't trust me own people nor many other humans. These savages have shown us nothing but violence and fury and until I see otherwise... I cannot leave them to hunt us..."
"Lets gather whatever is useful and get back to our camp, we need to tell the others about this place. It may not be safe to move here just yet..."
Atzi looks somber for a moment, the fury was gone, the happy smile she tried to share was gone. Only the memory of the Bekyar trying to take her sister as a slave, parading her through their home town like a damned trophy. "Because Setebo, I have met few races that savage their own like my kind. We would willing sell each other as slaves, just to earn a coin or to feel powerful, we would savage the weak just to feel strong and these savages are no different then the Bekyar of the Mwangi. Except they are the masters of this island and we are a challenge to their authority or pests."
She runs her hands over the soil and uses her keen sense at tracking to try and find a useful print. "Animals do not attack encampments, at least we haven't met any thus far that have tried to attack us. No, not even the spiders would dare leave themselves vulnerable when they could wait in the forests for an easy meal."
Atzi/Setebo
Atzi/Setebo
** spoiler omitted **
Atzi/Setebo
note: Once you leave this site you'll catch up with the others before they have finished their task the sick slow them down quite a bit as stated below
The Rest
You manage to work your way down to the bottom of the Spiderholme ridge and start up the slope to Plantwoman Ridge. Nothing impedes your travels apart from the difficulty of getting stretchers up the slope in the end you tie the sick down and drag them up in teams.
Atzi takes a mental note of anything useful, half built structure or cloth that can be washed and reused for their new campsite. "Setebo lets catch up with the others and tell them what we found. Perhaps we will have better luck finding a better camp tomorrow..." Quetza continues to circle until he hears Atzi give a sharp whistle and indicate which direction they would be heading.
Atzi/Setebo
** spoiler omitted **
Just the facts ma'am:
Setebo nods to Atzi and checks the position of the sun. "We should make it before dark. Looks like there will be quite a sunset."The Rest
You manage to work your way down to the bottom of the Spiderholme ridge and start up the slope to Plantwoman Ridge. Nothing impedes your travels apart from the difficulty of getting stretchers up the slope in the end you tie the sick down and drag them up in teams.
Atzi and Setebo return to the main body before you have managed to reach the top of the ridge.It transpires that the trail only goes half a mile or so further on from where you hit it
"Not a long journey then," Helga notes as Atzi and Setebo return. "Better, you are not dead! Tell me, what did you find?"
Atzi looks at Helga with tired eyes. "We found an abandoned encampment, looked to have been built by survivors like us and they were attacked and wiped out. I assume it was the work of the feral savages we have seen but perhaps there are more tribes on this island...." She shuddered before continuing to speak. "Whoever these survivors were, they were killed savagely. Old blood stains and hack marks mar the structures and sail cloth they used. We couldn't find anything useful in the camp. We will have to move our camp again before we are noticed, so tomorrow prepare to press hard into the jungle everyone, because we can't stay here."
Caithan simply nods adn continues to help around the camp. Having taken his armor off in the heat not expecting an attack at this point.
Updated map of locations.the trail is slightly off course and should run closer to Plantwoman Ridge
Atzi help setup their new camp, despite being foot sore and tired from the fair bit of traveling they did that day, and once a good portion of the camp is setup she moves to gather some water and tend to sick.
Quetza arrives later in the evening just before full dark, cruising easily onto the cliff ledge on one side of the encampment. He looked to be in a foul mood as he moved quickly to Atzi's side, hissing at anyone who got in his way. Once by her side he curls up and lays down nearby her while eyeing the newer members of their camp, particularly Rollo, until Atzi swatted his saurian snout.
"Li', Khgyfwilae, foaef law li'f si'i'k..." She speaks quiet and strange words to her companion, who responds in kind with a dissatisfied snort before laying his large head down and falling asleep.
@ Atzi. Setebo looks a tad confused. "But if we move further down the island we will just be moving more and more into the savages territory. This campsite is very well protected by cliffs and by water with a little work on fortification and concealment is it not the best site we can expect? I am likely wrong but should we not either fortify this site or return to Spiderholm? Moving the camp further into danger seems rather risky."
@ Helga [/b]"Helga please,"[/b] Setebo smiles. "could you repair the sabers we found? They will make it easier to move through the thick jungle."
"I can try," Helga takes the broken sabres and tries her mending cantrip on them.
"Maybe we should strike the savages while we have the chance of getting them by surprise," she suggests. "I can only think that the best sites on the island will be in their hands, and places they don't go are places we'd want to think twice about before going, too."