Origen crouches to look closely at the very large tracks that Bran pointed out. "A snake? How dangerous do you think that it is? Perhaps it'd be better to find out where it lairs."
"Well...that's something you don't see everyday," Jonagher notes aloud, "And by Desna! It looks like that snake's probably big enough to be a real problem."
He squints up at the sky.
"I'm guessing it's probably sought shelter by now, because of the coming storm. Something, we ought to do, as well. But, this might be the best opportunity we'd have for finding it before it finds us. After all, when the sun comes out again, it'll start hunting. And we're probably more tempting targets than these island goats."
"I'm with Origen. We'd better see if we can at least find this thing's nest and mark it. Otherwise, we'll be looking over our shoulders the entire time we're on this island..."
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"Subterfuge, SeaScorpions, Storms now Snakes? Sure, sneak up on the snake sounds smart. Count me in. I much prefer to be the fisher than the fish. And I am willing to bait it with the fish in backpack, if it will distract. ummmm. Just how big is big?"
Yuuwa motions to tighten up her chainshirt, shrugging with a grimace that it remains back at camp. Her grip on the trident moves from relaxed port arms to ready posture. She is ready to follow the tracks wherever they may lead.
"I agree," Isandril offers as well. "Better to do this now rather than have it surprise or ambush us or the others in the camp."
"Besides," he adds, "if memory serves, I believe Yuuwa told us one of the dead bodies on the ship bore wounds very similar to snake bites. A long shot, but perhaps there is a connection?"
Origen stands up. "Well, let's go after it, then. If it's the same snake, we may have to deal with the Captain as well. But he would be one fewer thing to keep looking over our shoulders for."
Though not really comfortable with the idea of pressing forward, once Torden falls in beside Origin and behind Bran his attitude improves.
"I ain't got no training as a snake charmer," Torden says, "but I've seen 'em operate. Maybe I could give it a try."
Not seeing anyone encourage him on the matter, he readies his warhammer.
As the group follows the tracks up the bluff, they come into a forrested area. There is a tense moment as another flash of lightning illuminates the area, and as the after images wear away, you notice two things. One: a cave entrance under a larger tree. Two: A snake flying out of the scrub grass around you at Isandril. There is a thunking sound as the snake bounces off Isandril, failing to connect an otherwise deadly strike.
Bran yelps and jerks out of the way. He points at the snake with his hand axe and says, "Heard some talk about these snakes on the ship - very deadly! And they fight to the death! Kill it quick!"
Reacting quickly to the snake's appearance, Jonagher moves around it to attack from behind while it concentrates on Isandril. He hears Bran's warning and realizes he needs to strike quickly and finish it before one of them winds up poisoned. As talkative as the half-elf usually is, he keeps grim and silent as he swings his blade.
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Yuuwa notes the speed of the snake strike with alarm, a quick intake of breath and...
realizes that she needs to pin this snake down hard with her trident to slow it down. She otherwise says nothing, thinking only to prevent another attack.
Frustration and concern is reflected in her face, as she realizes there was no resistance, confirmed in the next flash of lightning that she missed, her trident tines buried in the jungle floor.
Unsheathing both swords, Isandril engages the large snake alongside the rest of his companions, hoping to keep the beast distracted so that the rogue can strike more easily.
As Jonagher stabs the snake with his blade, Origen moves to get a clear shot on the creature.
While his companions are slaughtering the snake, Bran draws steel and faces the cave entrance, ready for whatever might come out of there. If something emerges, he yells and attacks.
Yuuwa strikes at the snake as it recoils near Isandril after it's failed attack. The tines of her fork just miss entangling the creature, as Jonagher slices the snake open with his short-sword. It hisses and turns to face him. Origen moves to the side and a vivid cone of clashing colors springs forth from his hand, narrowly missing Isandril and Jonagher. It washes over the snake, and it snaps its jaws after being stunned for a moment. It launches itself again at Isandril, and misses again, as if the magical barrage pulled off its aim. It quickly backs up towards the cave, moving 5 of the 60 feet towards the opening. Bran watches as the snake moves back towards the cave, but nothing issues forth from the cave so far. The snake hisses as Isandril steps forward to match it's move, leading with his blade. The snake barely ducks under the attempted strike. Torden steps back from the fray, and after examining the snake for mere moments, raises his eyebrows and begins chanting a informative song about dealing with this particular type of snake!
Seeing that the snake still lives, and nothing issues forth from the cave, Bran attacks.
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Yuuwa allows the battle to flow around her and towards the cave. This is twice the snake has struck at Isandril and he enjoys dancing with death. Fight, assist or protect? Yuuwa stands her ground and casts Guidance (+1 to attack/skillcheck for one round)upon Isandril. She stands her ground to make another perception check towards the cave, pulling her trident out from the ground while looking for the next opportunity
Round 2
Full Action: Spell Casting Guidance on Isandril (+1 attack)
Swift Action: pulling trident free from the earth.
Free Action: Perception
"What are you waiting for? C'mon, people! This thing ain't dead yet!" the half-elf cries as he dodges around to the side of the snake again to cut off its retreat.
"Tsk..." Isandril attacks the snake again, bringing both of his swords to bear in a pair of successive strikes as he feels Torden's encouragement and Yuuwa's blessing helping him.
Origen attacks the krait snake again, carefully avoiding his companions' positions.
Yuuwa stands firm, casting a spell, gesturing towards Isandril. She pulls her trident out of the ground, ready for anything, but spots nothing coming from the cave.
Jonagher the half-elf cries out encouragement to his boon companions, and strikes out with his short sword again, piercing its side and killing it in one decisive blow.
As the snake lies on the ground, pumping its hearts=blood out onto the jungle floor, noise seems to return with cicadas in the distance, and monkeys crying from somewhere south.
A quick glance and search of the cave reveals that it is very shallow and very narrow, leaving space for maybe one person in the entry, quickly narrowing down to not leave any space for something much larger than snake dimensions. There is nothing in the cave other than the semi-digested bones of small monkeys and birds.
After returning to the beach, the group has but a minor trek further west around the coast. They have gone for not more than 2 miles beyond the snake cave, when they see another blinding flash of lightning much closer. The wind howls and whistles along the beach, and out of the white-foamed caps of dark water being driven inland by the storm, juts the prow of an ancient wreck.
Origen cautiously pokes at the snake to make sure that it's dead. "Thanks, Jonagher. Next time that we get shipwrecked, I'll have to bring more antivenom. Everything on this island that's attacked us so far has been poisonous."
He looks into the snake's cave, but loses interest in it when he realizes that it's too small for a human to enter. "Not much for us to explore--or to shelter in--here."
Origen strains to see more of the ship. "A ship! Can any of you see its name?"
"Thanks, Jonagher. Next time that we get shipwrecked, I'll have to bring more antivenom. Everything on this island that's attacked us so far has been poisonous."
"Well...it is the jungle..." Jonagher deadpans.
Origen strains to see more of the ship. "A ship! Can any of you see its name?"
"Maybe that floating piece of driftwood we saw came from it?" the half-elf suggests.
It seems clear Jonagher has little interest in the wreck. "I suspect there are plenty of ships wrecked off the coast of this place. It is Smuggler's Shiv, after all. Any number of hulls could have been sliced up sailing past here. Didn't the crew of the Jenivere say they were worried about heading this direction because of the higher chance of being lost at sea? Seems like suffered that exact fate...but someone had the foresight to pull us to shore..."
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"There are plenty of shipwrecks along Smugglers Shiv. Which is why it is a good place to hide, if you can safely navigate through the reefs and treacherous currents. This is also one of the criteria mentioned why the pirate choose this isle to hide his booty." Yuuwa squints at the shipwreck awaiting for a flash of lightning to shed additional light.
"I doubt we could tell the name of the boat, although I might be able to discern the cut of its jib and give ya type of vessel or age. If we could only have salvaged a spyglass..." She unrolls her map, makes a quick notation of location, fighting the winds coming ashore and shielding from the still random raindrops. "She's been here this long, lets check out it tomorrow with better light." She rolls up the map, stuffs it back into the scrolltube and awaits for group concensus.
"Well...it is the jungle..." Jonagher deadpans.
"While my vision of the jungle included disease, tigers, and unfriendly Sargavan natives, I didn't foresee the sea scorpions. At least we haven't run into any more apes. Yet."
Origen nods. "Fair enough, Yuuwa. Let's find some shelter while there's still light to see."
As the group stands on the beach facing the ship, you can see that the area where the name would usually be painted is a splintered mess, with a large section of it missing. The mast came down and destroyed that section of the deck, also slamming into the beach. It is still connected to the ship, and could possibly allow a boarding onto the ship.
The hull is cracked in places, also allowing entrance, possibly.
As the group stands on the beach facing the ship, you can see that the area where the name would usually be painted is a splintered mess, with a large section of it missing. . . .
Origen peers at the wrecked ship's bow. "Hmmm, you could be right, Jonagher. This could be the Lady. Pity that the figurehead didn't survive, as it might tell us."
The hull is cracked in places, also allowing entrance, possibly.
The brisk wind whip sea spray into Origen's face, but he ignores the worsening weather as he focuses on the ship.
"It's old, but it looks more intact than I thought at first. We could climb across on the mast. What say that we check inside? If the ship has any valuable salvage, we should take it now rather than running the risk of losing it to the storm."
Origen walks closer to the mast and looks at it more closely, trying to gauge how difficult it would be to climb across to the deck.
Jonagher squints at the sky again, worried whether they'll have enough time to salvage much given the approaching storm. But, ever the adventurous sort, he nimbly follows after Origen.
"We'd better hurry," he advises, "I'd hate to get caught out here in the storm. Whatever we salvage, let's make sure we get it to shelter just as soon as we make it back to the beach."
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Yuuwa gasps slightly at Origen and Jonagher. "Really?! You guys are dancing with danger. Sheesh! I better come along to pull your sorry butts out of certain doom."
Anyone with a percption check higher than 5
As she removes the string of fish, netting, and pretty rocks/shells from her backpack, putting these in a pile above the high tide mark to recover later she grumbles to herself, "Half-baked hare-brained.... boarding an unstable shipwreck.... big storm a-brewing.... Little boys in a man's body.... Before she too rushes to catch up to Jonagher and Origen, assessing the wreckage.
[ooc]Perception
For DM Berwick primairly but anyone can read
No worries regarding my RL nautical background, I'll not derail the plot to argue seafaring trivia. Any ship can be a pirate ship. The type of vessel used determines tactics. A narrow fast ship relies on speed and getting a lot of pirates aboard or firepower to bear ASAP to slow/disable the ship. A wide/slower ship depends on trickery and subterfuge, letting the other ship come close to trade or assist in "repairs" before overwhelming with pirates or firepower. Smaller ships tend to be painted green/blue/black (sails too) with a water-based paint(temporary job, washes off to be legit in port) and run dark to get close enough to remove nightwatches without alerting crew. These are surprisingly hard to see on a flat ocean with nar'y a cloud in the sky, much less during any kind of inclement weather or night.
Torden glances warily at the mast and the ship. "We're going out on that? In a storm?" He glances at the sky and then to Origin, hoping the man will think better of the action.
Still, he clings to his warhammer, prepared to follow wherever the group goes.
Torden glances warily at the mast and the ship. "We're going out on that? In a storm?"
"The storm's not here yet." An exceptionally loud sound of thunder and a few drops of rain follow Origen's words.
"All right, it's risky. But if the storm isn't big enough to wash away the ship, we should be safe inside. If the storm is big enough to wash away the ship, we need to go in now to take what we can."
Origen looks at the mast again, trying to gauge its safety. "Perhaps we could use a rope too. Just in case."
The lightning strikes again, the thunder causing ear drums to pop, and the wind and waves kick up considerably as the rain starts to fall in earnest. The storm is finally upon you.
"Yuuwa, perhaps we could invoke Gozrah's favor before we cross over."
Origen pulls his spidersilk rope out of his pack and wraps one end around his hand. "Bran, will you hold the other end of this line for me? I'd rather not have to swim out by myself if I fall in."
"Aw, c'mon...that's an easy crossing," Jonagher states, "The mast is wide as a log."
He leaps atop it and nimbly crosses over to the wreck to demonstrate.
"See? Nothing to it!" he calls back.
Torden glares out over the rolling water at Jonagher--though in the increasing wind and darkness he doubts the half-elf can see him.
"Nonetheless Mr. Witt, I'll take the rope, and whatever assistance the gods may provide."
"GADS!" He cries out.
"I think he's going to need more than that," Jonagher quips to the others from the canted deck of the shipwreck as he watches Torden splash about in the surf. "As skilled as he may be with making music, he's somewhat lacking when it comes to the gracefulness of dance."
Jonagher looks around on the deck to get a sense of what might await them on the shipwreck, as well as a feel for the size of the boat and how long it might take to explore it. "Maybe our dwarven friend should confine himself to the shore?" he calls back, "That way, we can pass over to him anything we find...and he gets to dry out his beard as an added bonus."
"Aw, c'mon...that's an easy crossing," Jonagher states, "The mast is wide as a log."
He leaps atop it and nimbly crosses over to the wreck to demonstrate.
"Easy for you to say, Mister 'I Have Elvish Reflexes.'" Origen more cautiously follows after Jonagher. Once safely on the ship, the sorceror throws back the line for Torden to cross.
Acrobatics (untrained) 1d20 + 1 + 1 = (2) + 1 + 1 = 4
"GADS!" He cries out.
"Torden, look out for--" Origen winces in sympathy as Torden slips into the surf. "Too late. Sorry."
He calls back over the whistle of the wind, "I'll try to dry you off with magic as soon as you're within range. With this rain, we'll probably all need it. Coming, Yuuwa?"
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Yuuwa grins slightly at Torden's antics, something similiar to a drenched cat. Hoping to make a slightly better showing, she casts selfishly casts "Guidance" upon herself before stepping onto the slick mast. "Doesn't come natually to me, but perseverance will get me across."
And she slips off the slick masthead, converting her fall into a dive into a passing wave. Surfacing with a laugh, "And I swim a swim better than I balance." She begins to swim alongside the mast, with her trident held alongside, glad she wasn't wearing her chainshirt after all.
Looking back at Torden, "Come on in Torden and Bran,the water is pleasant."
Jonagher folds his arms and rest them on the ship's rail next to Origen. "We've got one that swims like a fish. And another that swims like a rock," he mutters to the sorcerer for his ear's only, "What've we gotten ourselves into, eh?"
Origen quips in response. "Another fine mess, but with fewer monkey demons than the last one. Would you rather be putting up more deadfalls and digging pits?"
He calls to his companions, "Anybody else coming over?"
"Certainly," Isandril says with a smile before making his own way over to the wrecked ship.
Like the half-elf, the elven warrior effortlessly makes it to the deck as well, his movements graceful and precise. He proceeds to scan his surroundings for anything of interest.
"So, what do we have here then?"
Holding Origen's rope, Bran curses the storm, the rain, the shipwreck, and his foolish companions. "This storm is a bugger! You guys quit dicking around and do what you got to do so we can get out of here!"
Bran occasionally turns and scans the darkness behind him, particularly when the lighting flashes.
"Hah! Where's you sense of adventure, Bran?" Jonagher calls out, "Hopefully that didn't get stranded, too." He gives Origen a wink and then nods at Yuuwa still in the water. "You might want to throw the rope down to her, as well. Should make getting up here easier for her. In the meantime, I'll have a look around and see what's what..."
He steps away from the rail and ventures around the upper deck of the shipwreck just to see if there are any signs of others having made their way aboard in the past.
"You might want to throw the rope down to her, as well. Should make getting up here easier for her...."
Origen points at the shore, where Bran is pulling Torden out of the water by a rope. "Sorry. That's the only one that I brought from camp." He looks around for something to help Yuuwa climb aboard. "Do you have a rope, Isandril?"
I'll have a look around and see what's what..."
"Just don't get too far ahead, Jonagher. This old wreck might have something unfriendly inside."
Torden sputters and spits as Bran pulls him out like a hooked marlin.
"Ah, boy, unhand me. I'm fine."
He glares at those on the deck of the ship, but also checks over his shoulder for any nasties.
"Do you have a rope, Isandril?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Isandril answers before taking his silk rope out of his backpack and throwing one end to the woman. "Grab hold of it Yuuwa and we will pull you up," he calls out to her, raising his voice enough as to be heard over the sounds of the rain and thunder.
Origen helps Isandril to pull Yuuwa out of the water.
Jonagher nimbly saunters up the mast, jumping the last ten feet and landing with a flourish as he taunts the others from the deck. He turns to inspect the deck and spends more than a few moments standing still looking away from the others onto the deck.
As you turn to survey the ship, suddenly there is a blinding flash, and you are smacked in the face with torrent of water. Blinking to clear your eyes, you see the deck has erupted into a chaotic melee. You are just about to jump in, when a half-clothed female drops to the deck in front of you. You note the vibrant tattoo's all over her, as she raises her cutlass high. She screams as she brings it down on you, "Arrrgh, ye scurvy dog! Starting a mutiny earns a right cheeky death it does! 'S why I ordered ol' Smee to set'a course for the Shiv! No one takes the Lady from me! NO ONE!"
The cutlass connects with your face, slicing you from your hairline down your cheek, and you see another flash as your head snaps back.
The deck is clear, floorboards rotten away in some places, but overall the deck still looks strong if weathered a bit. The door to the interior of the ship is slightly ajar, but there is nothing up here but wind and rain. You do smell the strong scent of blood, and can feel it dripping down your face.
Origen, as you make it on deck, Jonagher is turned away from you, but as he turns, you see his eyes are milky white, and a gash suddenly opens up on his face.
The ship is perhaps 50 ft from stem to stern, not the largest boat you have seen by any means. It has a second bridge near the back of the ship, where the broken and weathered ship's wheel is.
On the same level that you are at, there is a half-ajar door that leads into the ship. There is also a hatch near the front of the boat, and one towards the open door that lead down into the ship itself.
The storm has brought its strength to bear, and even seeing back to the open door is difficult, much less the shore, or the waves further out. Only momentary flashes of lightning illuminate the darkness, and then it is too cloudy to see far at all.
Origen is frozen for a second. Then he shouts over the sound of the storm, "Jonagher! Something's attacking Jonagher!"
He stares at the rogue, trying to see what managed to slash the face of his friend. Is the ship haunted? Or has the storm called forth some wind demon?
Attempting to ignore the noise and rain, he begins casting a spell . . . .