"Pezzock, we are castaways here, banded together for protection," Helga declares. "I am Helga Evadottir Alfchild, a skald from the lands of the Linnorm Kings. My friends are likewise from many far places. We know the savages that live on this island are hostile to us, and they may have killed other castaways that came here - like those at the camp just down the beach. We would know more of them, and of you, and of other castaways here. We plan to work together to find a way off this island, and if Pessock joins us, perhaps Pezzock can leave this island too?" Helga suggests.
Diplomacy:
Now that the crab-thing is talking Setebo relaxes he returns the javelin to his quiver and holds his spear loosely.
He notices he has come abreast of Natalyah, both of us guarding Helga. Setebo self-conciously takes a step back. Natalyah is now closer to Helga.
Natalyah shifts uneasily to the side and lowers her blades slightly. She had just been on the verge of dragging Helga away from the crab and it's inhabitant before the thing had started to speak. And now the bard has started to talk back. Natalyah was at a total loss of what to do. She had never been good with words. Negotiation, luring or what ever the hell this was. She just wanted the blasted thing to get out so they could move on. Preferably without Pezzock. What ever was inside the crab he sounded like a imbicile.
Frustration rises within the ranger and her knuckles whiten as she grips the handles of her blades. "Just get him out", Natalyah whispers impatiently behind Helga.
"Patience," Helga murmurs over her shoulder. "He's no threat to us, or he wouldn't be in the crab. On the other hand, you have to admit it's a clever trick!"
Atzi remained silent nearby, she had been impressed by the clever way ezzock had turned his home into what appeared to be a giant crab. Helga though was working on bringing whoever it was out and she was content merely watching. She also made she Quetza remained wheeling i the air instead of landing to come and fight.
"Pezzock not build..Pezzock find..was here..Pezzock find place to keep stupid cannibals away stupid cannibals not know Crab dead.."
Helga's words seem to make the owner of the voice pause for thought..
"Golden haired Feeeemale come here, Pezzock will speak with her rest..stay back."
"So you can kill her and invite the next one in? That's not going to happen", Natalyah calls out and steps in between Helga and the dead crap, ready to jump out of the way should the claws come flying towards her. Does he think we're stupid? This Pezzock was really trying her patience. "We know you're in there, and we know you're not a crab. Show yourself!" the ranger commands.
"Natalyah," Helga lays her hand on the ranger's shoulder, "there is no danger to me. He - or she - knows you are here, and he can't fight us all now we know the crab is just a ruse, so he knows his life is forfeit if he harms me," she smiles. "I will be in no danger, but if you want to earn trust, you have to give it."
She turns to the crab.
"I will enter, thank you Pezzock. Please forgive my friend, she has been attacked many times on this island and is understandably wary."
If Natalyah does not stop her, she well approach closer to the crab and see if she can discern a way inside.
"Helga. You need only shout and we will be beside you. Go carefully"
Setebo watches Helga carefully. Whatever opening she enters the crab through he will position himself directly opposite. One cry and Setebo sprints through the opening.
"Fine", Natalyah snorts and shoots a disgruntled look at the crab. She was not convinced but if Helga wanted to risk her life, so be it. Natalyah takes a step back and watches her enter. Almost immedietly she regrets not having stopped the half-elven bard. Standing next to the Setebo she murmurs "This is madness. You can't be for this!"
Caithan watches silently from his seat and after a moment shethes his sword and pulls out a pipe. Then curses and throws the pipe in disgust as he remembers the dire fate of his smoking weed.
"Fine", Natalyah snorts and shoots a disgruntled look at the crab. She was not convinced but if Helga wanted to risk her life, so be it. Natalyah takes a step back and watches her enter. Almost immedietly she regrets not having stopped the half-elven bard. Standing next to the Setebo she murmurs "This is madness. You can't be for this!"
"Helga is brave. We have to trust her."
Atzi performs a strange motion and, mere moments later, Quetza wheels in to land near soundlessly on the beach. Some loose sand swirls as he kicks up dust devils with his landing but, unlike previous landings, he doesn't land with his usual jarring and intimidating movements. Atzi rests her shortspear across her shoulders and makes no move to lower it any time soon, she merely watches with a momentarily look of surprise when Natalyah doesn't stop Helga from entering the crab like structure.
The surprise fades though and is replaced by a strange calm, a hint of possible fury dances across Atzi's features as she mumbles. "If it harms Helga, it will find no mercy from me." Quetza mirrors his companion, ready to move at a moments notice but not yet spoiling for a fight. Merely waiting...
Helga..
You make your way into the crabshell and find yourself confronted with a very strange creature. Standing about 5 feet tall he resembles nothing more than a large bipedal wingless crow with human like arms..He carries a well made Sawtooth Scimitar but makes no threatening moves towards you
"Why you sing..." it asks.."No one sing to Pezzock..not now not ever"
Helga looks on the creature with awe and wonder.
"I am a skald," she replies, "my work is to sing among my people, far to the north. Through songs we tell stories of our forefathers, their deeds and their lives, that they may live on among us and not be forgotten," Helga explains. "I knew that someone inside this crab was wary of us, so I sang to show you we were not foes. Truly, I have never seen a being such as you before, please tell me your tale, if you will," she asks eagerly.
Helga's voice can be heard distinctly outside the crabshell..she is obviously ennounciating clearly to let you all know she is alright.The harsh voice is muffled and indistinct
Helga
"Few days go by then Cannibals come..many many cannibals..we fight..but all crew but Pezzock taken or killed. Pezzock escape hide in jungle Cannibals scared of Pezzock never see Tengu before he think. Then Pezzock find this crab..was dead on beach Pezzock clean out move in is good house.Pezzock happy here good fishing..but Pezzock lonely no-one to speak to except ghosts in surf and birds."
"Cannibals come but Pezzock make crab move" he indicates a complicated array of ropes. So Cannibals run away"
"So you were shipwrecked here like us," Helga states it clearly so the others can hear. "Pezzock of the Tengu, we too were shipwrecked here, by several different ships, and we have been attacked by these cannibals also, but so far we have only found small numbers of them, and none have lived to tell the tale. Do you know anything of them, how many there were and where they came from? We are thinking that perhaps we should take the battle to them and not wait for them to find us."
Helga
You'll need another diplomacy roll to get anything else from him
Helga has to smile.
"No doubt all tengu would look the same to me, too, but thank you, Pezzock. If you wish to join us, there is strength in numbers. We have a relatively safe camp where others of us wait, and we are going to see if we can use the lighthouse on this island to signal a ship for aid, if we can make our way there. Failing that, we'll try and build a boat or at least a raft to bear us away," she thinks a moment.
"And if you like my singing, I sing most evenings we are in our camp."
Diplomacy:
"Helga is brave. We have to trust her."
Natalyah gives Setebo a critical look and snorts. Without thinking she takes a step away. She had been to preoccupied with the crap to realize who she was standing beside. Of course he wouldn't be concerned. All that fool saw was clouds and pretty flowers. Natalyah's attention is dragged back to the crab as Helga's voice ring out from the imense shell. What is she doing in there? This is pointless. Just drag the thing out and be done with it, the half-elf curses to herself.
Natalyah..
|
Turning to the rest of the group:
"I did read about Tengus and even saw some pictures back in my library in Osirion. They are feathered humanoids - you could nearly think they are related to ravens.
I think there is a colony in Cheliax. I've never seen one myself in Osirion.
Maybe if you want to know anything specific then I can remember some more facts about them."
Setebo stands loose and ready. His eyes on the entrance Helga used his ears alert for any sign of distress.
Helga
"I will go now," Helga agrees. "Fare well Pezzock, if we find a way off the island, or if we have news of the cannibals, we will return and inform you, if we can," Helga promises.
Helga departs the crab, nodding to her companions.
"Pezzock feels he is safer here than joining with us," she explains to them. "He did tell me that the savages that killed his companions were many in number, and they came and went from the south-west. It strikes me that if we want to find them, that's the way to go."
"Well that's its prerogative." Caithan says. "If he feels safer dying alone than with us that's his business." Caithan wears a bitter expression on his face though that seems to be no fault of the current situation as he stares forlornly at his cast away smoking pipe.
Atzi nods in agreement to Caithan's words. "That is his choice then, let us press on before the heat comes." She slaps Quetza on the back and the large saurian gave a low pleasure filled growl before moving forward in a graceful run and taking off back into the sky.
She moved quickly westward, hoping they could cover more ground before the heat set in and brought them to a halt. She held tight to the coast though in the hopes they find a beach side wreckage to explore...
Or another fake giant crab...
As they walk away Setebo looks back at the crab-dwelling. Alone but happy enough, seems a good life to him.
Setebo jogs a bit to catch up to the others.
"It seems a nice place to live. I am glad there is somone happy on this island."
Natalyah's expression comes just short of shouting "I told you so!" as Helga emerges from the crab and casts a critical stare at the giant shell. "About as useful as a flightless bird", she murmurs and starts walking after Atzi. Every now and then the ranger casts a glance over her shoulder, as if to make sure that nobody is following them.
You make good time along the wide strand of hard packed samd (tide is out and after an hourarrive at a point where the coastline takes a radical turn to the south. There's a smaller island to the north connected to where you are by a 400 foot long causeway of slippery, seaweed covered stones..
Caithan, needing some alone time. Takes up his bow and prepares to lessen the population of the islands small edible creatures down a percent.
Gatherin food.
"Now there would be a defensible place to camp," helga remarks, looking at the islet speculatively. "If it has water and game, that is." She sets about helping to set up camp with the others.
Natalyah squints trying to make out the features of the island. "Water and game is not a concern. We have water and we can forage what food we need here before crossing. The way there is treacherous, likely to spill you into the sea if you try to cross." She speaks the word you in a way that suggests that she does not include herself among those that are at risk of slipping.
Natalyah squints trying to make out the features of the island. "Water and game is not a concern. We have water and we can forage what food we need here before crossing. The way there is treacherous, likely to spill you into the sea if you try to cross."
Setebo replies to our lady of blades.
"We could run the supplies out to the island couldn't we? Folks head over with out much wearing them down and then we bring the gear in a couple of trips. Could even be fun, divide the load into two equal piles and first to get their share to the island wins. You game?"
"Indeed Setebo it'd be quite a treat for the islets inhabitants." Caithan says shaking his head as he busies himself dressing what appears to be a capybara tossing the guts to Rollo who devours them greedily. "Use your head lad if you think it's a good place to stay how do you think all the other dangerous biting, clawing, man devouring inhabitants feel?"
Night falls with it's usual suddenness..but here on the western shore you get to watch the sun plummet into the ocean.The night is clear and the stars shine down upon your camp.The moon is full tonight riding high and casting it's light across the sands and the waves..you see odd phospherescent shapes in the surf..shapes that could almost be humanoid.
And sorry to the players for the thread jack.
It does 3 things.
1. It links OOC and IC threads together. My only grip[e is that I have one OOC for both the games i run adn you can only link up one to another. It also links the recruitment thread.
2. it provides tabs at the top for easy movment between the threads.
3. It provides a separate campaign infor page so the GM can put up campaign notes.
Setebo watches the sunset and the moonlight. He is so beguiled by the beauty that he needs to be reminded to sleep so he can be alert for his night watch.
He pays little heed to the surf-lights. His muddled memories of sailing remember strange luminious trails in the wake and other harmless ghost-lights.
Helga watches the surf lights, fascinated.
"What are those?" she asks, "are there mermaids or sea-devils in these waters?"
Helga watches the surf lights, fascinated.
"What are those?" she asks, "are there mermaids or sea-devils in these waters?"
Setebo sits with Helga. His back to the campfire.
"Have you not seen these before? Perhaps they are less common in your waters but I remember."Here setebo pauses. "I remember ships sailing at night leaving a trail of gold in their wake, great patches of sea lighting and flashing silently. The sailors called them ghost-lights, said they were the spirits of the drowned sailing with us for a moment. Some said this was good luck others bad. I am not sure. i do not remember it harming anyone though."
Natalyah sits like an unmoving sentinel, just two resolute eyes in the darkness watching the shapes dance in the surf. When her shift passes the image still occupies her thoughts, disturbing her sleep. Spirits of the drowned. Setebo's words echo through her minds. It was a bad omen, the dead have no place among the living. The faster the night passes and the faster they can leave this island the better.