Syndlara doesn't volunteer anything about her own fighting style, but she does spend a few moments recollecting stories of "little plant people" she's heard in the past.
Little plant people could be a few things, a common trait of most of the possibilities is being not evil, but territorial... which fits Kekkaw's mention of the creatures soon quitting the chase. Pretty much any more information you can get about them would give you a much better idea.
Well,what first? Gnomish plant people or ambushing cannibals?
"The plant-people aren't likely to be a threat unless we invade their territory, if they're like any other plant-people I've heard of. So, cannibals."
"Cannibals for me too"
We can check da cave near da beach zombie for survivors? If we are not going to follaw da captain anymore Mugambi thinks we should start from there..
You mean where we ran into that granny zombie with no jaw?
Yea
"Now, who said anything about not following the captain? Mr. Cuckoo saw him yesterday morning, heading down the path toward the cannibals' camp. I'm not suggesting we stop trying to catch the captain; just that we ought to head where he's going, along the safest route we can find, instead of walking into a trap." He reconsiders a little. "But now that we know where he's headed, or where he seemed to be headed, maybe there is more time to look about for allies. More hands in a fight against the cannibals would be welcome."
At the mention of finding allies in the fight, Kekkaw pipes up... "Well, buurrip... be sure to come back and t-tell me how it all goes! Don't mean to rush you off, but you should probably get movin... lots to do today. Busy day. For one, buurrip, gotta get to wiping all yer manflesh footprints off my beach."
Hey! I thought you wanted to kill the cannibals with us!
Diplomatic check.
Kekkaw swallows hard and turns. He draws the sawtooth sabre and strokes it... then speaks to it. "Buurrip, what do you think? Time to spill cannibal blood for revenge?"
He turns back to Gatherine. "I will go with you, buurrip. No hero, but will go wet my dear captain's blade with their blood, yes." Kekkaw ducks inside his crab-hut. You hear some clanging around, and then he re-emerges toting a distressed leather bag and his musket... sawtooth sabre on his hip.
Gatherine clapped her hands and tapped Twinbellows to her buckler on her arm. The heavy steel Tears of Grog shield was strapped to her backpack,giving her the appearance of a bizarre bipedal turtle.
And away we go!
She started to waddle south,tossing a look at the tengu as she went.Oi,Keekaw,do you need any gunpowder or bullets? I've got some to share.
Syndlara shoots a bemused look at Gatherine's back, shrugs at the others and then follows after the dwarf.
"Wait for me!!! We should decide who is going to follow the path, in order to not become confused."
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The old dwarf shakes his head in mixed amazement and admiration. Hmmph. Looks like the lass knows better than I how to recruit birds to a cause.
Climbing nimbly into the saddle, he follows after Gatherine and the others. "I'm not sure attempting a double-ambush in the canyon is a good idea... There are two cliffs, after all. If we deploy a team on each side, and someone in the middle as bait, we're spread too thin. If we don't, it's not much of an ambush. It would be better to stick together and strike through the bush, or around the coast, avoiding the choke-point altogether."
Yeas, but da cannibals only came from one side when thay jump us. We could try dat side or look for anothar point. the mwangi says following his companions.
Kekkaw dismisses Gatherine's offer with a distracted wave. He looks back toward his crab-hut and sighs as you walk. The warm wind continues, and you see dark clouds creeping toward the island from the northeast. You are soon approaching the spot where you must decide which direction to travel...
Urgh. Bored. If the Red Devil dropped onto us right,Gatherine I'd gonna ride it like a bronco and start plugging it with pistols and pick.
After Tol's suggestion Kekkaw heads out west. "Sounds good to me." The path to the west runs along the coastline, and is about 15-20 feet wide and 20-30 feet above the water. There are a few stubby palms along the edge, but it is mostly various grasses.
In the area between the group and the western butte on your left, there are far more trees... but it is not dense jungle. Your visibility into the wooded area is decent enough to see all the way to the bluff.
After a couple miles of travel, you get a good view of the northwest island... still at least a mile or two away. "Buurrip ip... Tide is comin in" Kekkaw points out the landbridge just barely visible as the waves crash in. The wind picks up as well, and you see a curtain of rain pass behind you... close enough that the occasional change in the direction of the wind carries a few drops to wet your backs.
Ooh,rain line! Gatherine said aloud,gripping her crooked tricorne hat as a breeze swept several drops of rain over them that ran off the steel shield upon her back.
Syndlara nods at Kekkaw's remark. "That's where you said the plant people were? I don't think we'll have to worry about them unless we try to cross that landbridge...and with the tide coming in, that seems like a good way to get trapped over there anyway."
"Agreed with Syndlara,let's focus on our main goal"
Yea, lets leave da plant people alone if we can. the tribesman agrees while following the others in the beach. The sand make things harder for his bad leg and his limp becomes more pronounced as he lags slightly behind the others.
From atop Gorra, Tol gazes at the smaller island for a few seconds, but says nothing. He soon turns his attention back to the southern reaches of the Shiv proper, looking out for signs of the cannibal humans.
You continue west and come to the northwest corner of the coastline. The path continues south, but it is less distinct and much closer to the western bluff. The path going south also has far more trees, but still not thick enough to be considered jungle. The wind and rain has diminished... the darkest clouds have moved on to the southeast.
Just about a mile off the coast, just west of the little northwest island, you see the weathered remains of another shipwreck strewn about a grouping of rocks.
Syndlara feels a shiver run up her spine at the sight of yet another shipwreck. "It's always good to know you're not the only lost soul on a deserted island..." she murmurs.
"Not really it the mood of entering another shipwreck myself"
Tol looks sidelong at Syndlara. "I take it that's not your ship, then, Miss Sindarela? Or yours, Mr. Cuckoo?" He draws Gorra to a halt and looks out at the wreck.
"Hmmph. Can't say I fancy another long swim if all we're going to face is more zombies. Can anyone make out whether it looks recent enough for there to still be survivors?"
I gotta potion o' water breathing.
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The old dwarf looks at Gatherine in surprise, his bushy eyebrows briefly raising to expose his eyes. He quickly settles back into his customary scowl. "Aye, and I as well. What of it? It's as long a swim whether one breathes water or air, and a waste of valuable potions if all it gets us is a few more zombies to risk our lives against. If we can ever get off this rock to a good market, the price of those potions will put us well on our way to paying our passage home." He waves his hands dismissively to the shipwreck. "Let the zombies have their rock."
Kekkaw looks out at the wreck, shakes his head and shrugs. The shipwreck looks as though it has been there a while. In fact, it looks nothing like a ship anymore... smashed, rotted, and petrified. It is more the setting, and your recent experience that allow you to make the deduction it was once a ship.
You notice scorch marks on the ground on the path ahead. There are several of similar size... a few feet in diameter and roughly circular.
There are also at least a couple different types of tracks.
:
:
Syndlara stops in her tracks and holds up a hand for the others to do the same.
Iolana ducks and examines the marks.
What's up? See something interesting?
Iolana finds several varieties of rodent tracks, and fairly large lizard tracks.. 30 maybe 40 pounders.
Syndlara notes the torn up grass and rodent warrens, and is able to determine the scorch marks are like lightning strikes... probably shocker lizard's hunting grounds. Also, from the size of the scorch marks Syndlara determines there are at least two. (Two together can create a large electrical blast.)
Mugambi comes closer to see what the girls are examing.
Hmmm... lizards? looking at both of them.
Syndlara nods. "Shocker lizards, I think. At least two. We're probably entering their hunting grounds, so be alert. They may still be nearby."
Iolana pats her scimitar's hilt by her left hip.
"I don't remember the last time i had to put to use so often my blade,but am sick of trying to avoid fights ; besides, fighting seems to be the only way to get to our goal on this f****ng island"
Tol strokes his long braided beard. "No Cherthand has ever been called a coward, I can promise that. But I feel no need to put Miss Gatherine -- or the rest of you -- in unnecessary danger. These... shocker lizards, are they? I gather they are large, or Miss Sindarela would not be offering us a warning. But are they merely dumb beasts? Are they so large that a party of five armed folk and a horse will not deter them? If we can avoid them, I think we should do so. A fight will cost us time, at the least. We have already lost one man to this island, remember, and we should all be in top condition when we engage the cannibals."