Yekskya draws back his bow and fires an arrow at the eurypterid.
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14. . (+4 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 13/13
Weapon Equipped Longbow, Comp. (Str +2) +5 (1d8+2/20/x3)
Buffs None
Expendables Arrows 19/20, Thistle Arrows 10/10
|
Initiative
19 – Slicingsong
18 – Yekskya
17 – Rowena
16 – Grym
16 – Zaghigoth
6 – Eurypterid
Round 1
As the sea scorpion turns around and begins clattering towards you, you prepare for battle. Slicingsong tosses down his spear and unslings his bow, sending an arrow into the creature’s carapace, striking it in the head. Yekskya also expertly hits it with an arrow in a vital spot, and the creature goes down!
Cautiously you move down to the deck below, to see what the eurypterid had been so excited about. The creature is near death, ichor spilling into the sea water that sloshes about the deck. You find that the door to the supply room seems wedged shut due to the seawater, but it appears as if blood is leaking through from underneath the door. With a few shoves, you are able to get the door open. Across from the door you see the bloody body of First Mate Alton Devers, sunken in his studded leather armor and still holding a short sword. He has numerous wounds all over his body: some look as if from a blade, and some look like horrid welts from stings. Whatever the case, he did not have an easy death.
Looking around the supply room, you find it stocked with materials. Along with other, water logged items, you find: a block and tackle, three large canvas sheets, two fishing nets, a grappling hook, 12 flasks of lantern oil, two bullseye lanterns, 150 feet of hemp rope, and five shovels.
Yekskya will check the first mate to be certain that he is truly dead and gone.
Yekskya will help to gather as many materials as possible, beginning with the canvas sheets, rope, and shovels.
Before leaving with a load of materials, he looks around to make sure nothing is being missed.
Slicingsong rummages among the gear and grabs a fishing net and a sheet of canvas but discards the rest. "I can make light and dig with my hands. This island is hot and I will not weigh myself down with more than necessary. Now I go to the captain's cabin."
"I hear you Slicingsong. I would too. Hoping between all of us, we might be able to get everything. I was thinking with the shovels we might be able to help create shelter for ourselves. Rowena, Grym, Zag, what are you all going to grab?"
Zag looks over his shoulder from his post, taking a quick glance at the contents of the room. "I can carry what is left after the rest takes a share, I say. I do not mind the weight."
|
|
Yekskya kneels down and checks First Mate Alton Devers’ body. It’s uncertain what precisely finished him off, but he sure seems to be dead. His blood drifts in the water, and may have been what attracted the sea scorpion. You have another look around the supply cabin, but there doesn’t seem to be anything left to find.
Moving back along to the Captain Kovack’s cabin, Slicingsong makes a thorough check of the room, checking again to make sure nothing important is missed. It’s a wreck – a jagged hole in the side has allowed most of the room’s contents to spill out into the surf. Fortunately, you still find an upturned desk which was too large to fit through the hole in the hull – fortunate for you, as in its drawers you find several treasures. One upper drawer holds several keys. Another drawer contains several sea charts and maps, along with Captain Kovack’s log. One of the lower drawers appears to be locked.
Also leaning against the desk is an old footlocker. Inside, you find a well-balanced dagger, a suit of leather armor, two flasks, a holy symbol of Nethys, and a spell component pouch.
Slicingsong quickly puts the things he's found into his pack and sticks the dagger in his belt. Jamming the point of his spear into the the point where the locked drawer meets the frame of the desk, he leans his weight into it to try and break the lock.
"I don't suppose any of those keys fit that lock do they Slicingsong? If not, let me see if I can help you force that open."
"I don't suppose any of you have any experience with locks? And Rowena, do you happen to know if any food was stored on the boat?"
"Oh, yes," Slicingsong says, looking decidedly abashed. "The keys."
With little for Grym to do, he heads back to the deck of the ship to keep an eye on the tide to ensure that they don't get caught in it.
"Looks like the keys must be to something else. Let's keep trying to bust this open. Hopefully there is something useful in here."
"Well, Yekskya, there were foodstores before we crashed. I've seen quite a lot still in storage while I was making us dinner. But I'm not sure how much is left, if any. And with the seawater flowing in freely, whatever is left might very well be completely spoiled. But let's see what we can scrounge up."
When I see Slicingsong and Yekskya try to break the lock on the chest in the captain's cabin, I shake my head as I retrieve a tightly wound roll made of heavy cloth from my backpack. Kneeling beside the chest, I unroll it, revealing a set of lockpicks and other tools not suitable for civilized company. "Alright boys, gimme some room please. I'll have a look if we can't get this beasty to reveal its secrets. Something worth protecting with such a good lock should be worth taking. And probably safeguarded with some nasty surprises as well. I'll check for traps first."
Setting to work, I check the chest for any signs of traps. Finding none, I decide how to proceed and select a few picks that should do the trick. Deftly moving fingers manipulate the catches and tumblers inside the lock, listening for the telltale click of a succesful manipulation.
|
|
Despite several attempts to force open the drawer, surprisingly the lock does not yield. Rowena rolls up, and after first confirming that there are no hidden traps waiting to be sprung, she picks the lock. The drawer slides open, sloshing the water.
The drawer must have held some of Captain Kovack's best treasures. You find a fine bottle of brandy, as well as an exquisitely carved model of the Jenivere inside a glass bottle - you think it may have been carved from darkwood.
Additionally, you find a coffer holding 350 gold pieces and a long leather satchel that holds several potions, twelve in all.
Yekskya lets out a long laugh at the easy time Rowena has with the drawer. "I guess that will teach us a lesson Slicingsong? Any locked doors or drawers are yours Rowena. A nice find if those are potions. Might help save our lives. Let's grab those and the food. I suppose the gold might even help us buy passage off this island if we can find a passing boat."
"Let's check the larder and the cargo hold. I have no idea how long the ship is going to stay here. If we can get everything together that we can recover, we can see ho much we can get in one trip." He puts his current load down on the upper deck and goes to search the larder and then the hold.
Confident that there is not much chance of another attack, Zag stows his shield and spear and makes to follow Yekskya as he passes by to check the other two rooms. "I will carry as much as I am able. No such thing as too much supplies, I say."
"I agree Zag, we may be stuck here a long time and while I'm sure we can find some animals to hunt on this island, every extra thing will help."
"Alright, lets split up. Rowena and I can gather foodstores from the larder. You two go to the hold. And then we get out of here while there is still a here to get out of."
Grym hears the commotion from below decks and unsure as to which way the tide is going, descends to help with carrying food stuffs and cargo.
"Tide could be going either way, I can't tell," he remarks to the others, noting what they've found in the Captain's cabin. "I wouldn't wait around too long, let's see what is not waterlogged and get back to the beach."
Smiling at Yekskya, I acknowledge his praise. "Please bear in mind that I far from infallable where locks are concerned. I do have some skill, but there's locks out there that still escape me. On the other hand, I'm sure I will see my skills improve with practice."
Putting the satchel in my backpack, I turn my attention back to my tools, putting everything back into its own slot, before rolling up the tool roll tightly and putting that away as well.
"Shall we divide that gold now, so that it doesn't weigh us down too much? Or would you carry it all, Zag? And then, let's get what food and other necessities we can find." Turning, I follow Slicingsong, as we make our way to the larder, looking for food and supplies that will keep as long as possible.
[b]"Well, I'm impressed Rowena. That was a nifty trick." Yekskya continues helping remove as much as we can take from the ship to shore.
|
|
You split up, with Slicingsong and Rowena having a look at what can be scavenged in the larder, and Zaghigoth and Yekskya having a look below in the hold.
Passing through the cook’s mess to get to the larder, you figure there’s enough preserved food here to feed someone for one day. The rest of the food was usually stored in a part of the hold which is not gone. However, of more immediate interest, when you open the cupboard door of the larder, you find the body of Terillo, the ship’s cook.
Heading down into what’s left of the hold, you find thigh-deep water sloshing everwhere. As luck would have it, the statue Yekskya was pledged to protect is still there, a lifelike figure of some sort of serpentine creature in yellowed marble. The statue has a fierce expression and is holding a scimitar. There are also some crated floating about, what’s left of Rowena’s trade shipment. Some of them might yet hold some useable goods.
Grym comes down to see how everyone is doing, and to remind everyone to get ready to head back to the beach.
"Food is scarce. It looks like much was taken, perhaps by other survivors of the wreck. We will have to hunt."
An involuntary gasp escapes me as we find the body of Terillo. "Dammit. There goes my theory of him being involved. Unless of course he was killed by his fellow conspirators. But let's give him the benefit of the doubt. I wonder how he was killed." Kneeling beside the corpse, I check the body, but am unsure what caused the cook's death. "I'm not shure how Terillo died. Think you can figure it out, Slicingsong?"
Going through what's left of the hold, I indicate some of the crates to Slicingsong. "Look. Those are mine. There's definitely stuff in there that we can use. Let's sort 'em out and see what we can get to the safety of the shore before this accursed wreck goes under completely." Casting a glance at the floating crates, I let out a heartfelt curse as I realise that most of the valuable gear has gone to waste, carried out to sea through the hole in the side of the ship.
"I know little of dead bodies other than how to dance at their pyre.
"Thank you Slicingsong! I think we'd better get everything needed for our survival first, but in would like to get that statue to Eleder if I can." Once Yekskya has helped get the food, trade goods, and equipment off the ship, he works with Slicingsong to lift the statue.
Grym let's out a low whistle at the sight of the statue. It wouldn't be a simple thing to get off of a floundering ship. Nonetheless, it appeared to be important to his fellow survivor.
"I can assist in moving the statue," he says, "We'll need to move it across the rocks which won't be an easy task. Nevertheless, it should be manageable."
"A mighty thing..." Zag says, looking at the statue. "Cumbersome, I say. Maybe use one of the canvas tarps and some rope to bundle it? We could hold the rope and carry it like a ram. Would allow more of us to grab it, too, I say."
"All right, sorry to be such a pain, but I'd like to try to keep a good relationship with my employer...he's been pretty good to me. And its the right thing to do. Your plan sounds good, let's get at it. Good thing a few of us are pretty strong."
|
|
Rowena and Slicingsong check Cook Terillo's body, but are unable to determine what killed him, though it does seem suspicious to find him in the larder. You gather up what foodstuffs remain and join the others.
Gathering up the equipment and treasure you've found, you reckon you can make it to shore and back in a few trips each, hopefully getting in before the tide cuts the ship off from the beach. Getting the statue to shore, though, could be a different matter.
|
|
After spending some time - and several trips - you manage to bring the recovered supplies back to the beach. With difficulty, you even manage to get Yekskya's statue off the ship. Groaning with the effort, you drop it onto the sand, above the high tide mark. Just in time, too, as the tide starts sweeping back in. Soon enough, the rocks leading out to the wreck of the Jenivere are covered by crashing waves. Looking up at the sky, the sun appears to be reaching midday.
Yekskya exhales a deep sigh as the statue is dropped safely to the sand, "Thank you all for the assistance. I certainly owe you all if we can make it off the island. I think we had best look for water next. Perhaps we can see if our fellow castaways can begin setting up a camp while we look."
"Good idea, Yekskya. I doubt our stores will last very long. And looking at the people left, I doubt that, present company excluded, survival skills are in abundant supply. Actually, I think most of the others lack nearly every useful skill I can think of. I'm afraid it will fall to us to get everybody home safe and sound." Readjusting the straps of my backpack, I turn towards the spot where the other survivors are still more or less waiting for our return. "Hmmph. Look at that. Like sheep waiting to be led to the slaughter."
"Sadly, I fear you are right Cat. But, the day is still early. Even if they cannot set a camp, perhaps we will be fortunate and find water in time to help ourselves when we return." He looks around at the others that visited the wreck, "Now, Grym, Zag, and Slicingsong, you all look to know something about the wilds. Could one or two of you help organize our fellow survivors into a camp while some of us go for water? Hopefully we can find a nearby source."
"Fear not for water. I can create as much as we need with the gifts the spirits have given me, provided that we have vessels to hold it in."
"We could empty a jar of lantern oil but I'm not sure how safe it would be to drink from."
"Now there is a talent. I have a waterskin. Perhaps there are suitable containers in Cat's trade goods?" He looks around. "Well, if we don't need water immediately, perhaps we can all help set up a camp and then we can start exploring this island to see if we can find a new boat."
|
|
Slicingsong - ;
Yekskya -
Rowena -
Grym -
Faey -
Aerys Mavato - ;
Gelik Aberwhinge -
Ishirou - ;
Jask Derindi - ;
Sasha Nevah -
Having secured your scavenged equipment and statue on the beach, you make your way back to the other castaways with as much as you can carry. As you approach, Faey runs over to you. "I'm so glad you're back! What did you find on the ship? I could use your help - I keep saying that we should be doing something about our situation, but no one's listening."
Sure enough, the other castaways seem to be more or less milling about on the beach. Gelik the gnome seems uncharacteristically subdued. The prisoner, Jask Derindi, is sitting idly on the sand, the chains binding his wrists clanking as he stares out to sea. The Tian warrior, Ishirou, grunts morosely as he checks his gear. One of the women castaways, Sasha Nevah, is scanning the nearby jungle, while the other, Aerys Mavato, is stalking up and down the site. In fact, when she sees your return, she stalks up to you. "Well? What have you found? And what's going on here anyway? Why were we poisoned? I think it's a bit suspicious that Rowena was so keen to help in the kitchen, hmm?" She casts an accusing look at Cat, and the others watch the exchange curiously. "No matter, we're all going to die here, anyway," Aerys spits, turning away and stalking off up the beach. She still looks a bit pale and shaky.
Zag opens his mouth a few times, moving to speak before deciding against it before clearing his throat and succeeding on the fourth attempt. "I..hm, don't think Rowena did anything...she is stuck here as well, I say."
Turning to Aerys, he shakily raises his voice. As for dying, well, to that I say...hm, no. These wilds are full of what we need... plants and meat, wood and shade. We also have magic. We could live here for a long time, I say. Ghouls and ghosts aside. Zag fumbles for his waterskin and waves the tip of his spear over it, focusing on the holly and mistletoe affixed to it, murmuring to the spirits. He fills the skin to the brim with fresh, clean water and holds it out. Now, we should all drink up, I say. We should not let ourselves become dehydrated. That is an open door for disease...I can make as much as we need, so drink your fill, I say.
"Yeah, Zag is right about Rowena. She's already showing her mettle too. And he's right that we're not going to die either. Several of us, including me, have spent plenty of time in the wilderness. But we do need to work together."
He looks around at the group gathered on the beach, eyes focusing on Jask Derindi for a moment, "Hey, didn't we discover some keys on the ship. Let's see if they fit his manacles. We're going to need all the arms and legs we can get."
As Aerys moves up to me and all but openly accuses me of poisoning the food, my hand drops to my rapier and in one fluid motion draws the glittering steel as my jaws set in a hard line, a murderous look flashing in my eyes "You better take that back, right now and apologize. Nobody accuses me of such dirty tactics and goes unpunished. I may be a lot of things, but a poisoner is not one of them. Besides, you IDIOT, I am here in the same pickle. Why would I poison myself?" Then I hear both Zagh and Yekskya speak out on my behalf and I spit on the ground in front of Aerys: "Bah, you're not even worth my anger or the effort of running you through. Stay out of my way. Go ahead and die. Put yourself out of my misery. I for one intend to live and get off of this island."
Sheathing my rapier, I turn away from the woman, no longer caring one whit of what she says or thinks, but ready to retaliate in case she decides to attack me.
When Yekskya mentions the keys, I hold out a hand to stop him from going to the prisoner "Wait a moment, Yeksya. I would first like to know why he was taken prisoner. I'd rather not have some cutthroat running loose around us. If on the other hand he was only guilty of something harmless, then I have no problem with it. Especially if he can fight or has other qualities that might benefit us. You agree?"
"For sure. Let's find out. In Ilizmagorti, they just kill them if they're really bad, but maybe in the north, they just put them in chains. I can usually get a pretty good read on people, let's go ask."
Yekskya walks up to Jask, "Hey, Jask isn't it? You're looking like you're pretty hot and those chains can't be helping. The captain didn't have much to say about you...what's your story? Why the chains?"
Zag nods solemnly. "We are in the deep wilds now, where the judgments of cities and governments are far as the horizon. It is the law of nature we must follow now, I say, and nature nor its spirits put anything in chains."
The half-orc moves forward and holds out his waterskin to Jask, offering a drink while the others sort out his chains.
