Dragolan raises an eyebrow as he (not very) surreptitiously edges away from the redhead. "You're rather...forward about declaring yourself, Sasha, particularly after we and the crew were poisoned."
"Sasha, please. I meant no disrespect; it's just I really don't think it's a good idea at this time. Tell you what, once I learn a little bit more about whatever they are, I'll be able to tell if they are dangerous or not. Maybe then, I can catch you one for a pet."
The ranger's head turned to one side, "Did I hear you correctly? You belong to the Red Mantis? I thought the group was supposed to be secret?
Sasha shrugs, looking faintly embarrassed and uncomfortable,
"No you heard me say I could teach you the secrets of the Red Mantis, not that I was in the Red Mantis. Potato tomato. Let's say I'm not exactly welcome back in Ilizmagorti and leave it at that shall we? Catch me one as a pet and I'll show you a trick or two, just don't go blabbing about it if you want your kidneys to remain unperforated," its clear from her tone that the perforating would not be done by her.
Perception
Knowledge (History)
Knowledge(Religion)
Survival
Your offer is most gracious, Sasha. I am no hunter but I would love to learn whatever you can teach. However, I do think that thing will be far away from here because it saw a large group of humans walking about. When I get a chance I will certainly get one for you but right now we have to set up camp and cook those meals that were nice enough to crawl out of the water and serve themselves up. He says this last while pointing to the reefclaws. What do you think tastes better, the claws or the tails?
Carpe:
Jack quietly rises to his feet and gathers up the dead leaves and branches he gathered a bit earlier. Walking a little further inland (but remaining on the beach), he finds a spot he surmises will be acceptable to set up camp. The toe of his boot digs into the sand as he begins to create a small pit, which he then piles the tinder inside of.
"I'll light the fire once we've got something to roast on top of it, or when night falls -- whichever comes first. I didn't bring a tent or any camping supplies on this trip, so I've got nothing else to set up. Guess it's sand and stars for me tonight."
Jack doesn't seem interested in commenting on the matter of Sasha's juvenile requests. She's not really his type, anyway. Since there was little immediate danger here, he decided to remove the leather breastplate he was wearing -- it was far too hot to be spending all day fully geared up.
"What lizard?" Quinta asks listlessly, as she glances in the wrong direction. "Anyway, if it's small enough that you think it might make a pet, how do you know it isn't the young?"
"Well it was flying about on its own, not many babies do that, and it looked like it was hunting. Plus it just did not have that not quite grown in to itself look, you can just tell when something is young can't you?" Sasha replies looking puzzled,
"But I can wait, I didn't mean now, just before we go..."
Unless it is a baby dragon just weaned from its mother you will leave this island with one in tow. What would you name it?
Sasha gives Joll a slow smile,
"Oh I don't know I'd need to see its personality, something toothy - Nips, or Ripper maybe?"
Sense Motive
Smiling to Sasha, Joll tells her Little Ripper or Nips will make you a proud owner when we leave this place. For now, let's worry about shelter and food.
Do any of you know how to cook?
"I worked in my manor's kitchens for a couple of months when I was a boy. I haven't really touched a pot - at least for cooking - since I left there, but I shoudl be able to put something simple together provided with the ingredients. Just don't expect a gourmet meal."
"In any case, I'm of a mind with Dragolan. We ought to be moving towards departure, but neglecting our immediate needs for survival would be an explicitly bad decision. I fear I've grown too used to the ammenities of a Chelish manse, and though I don't think myself above crashing in a campsite, I know little of setting one up, so I'll volunteer myself for the exploratory team. I do have a few things that might be helpful in the short term, though..."
Lydran digs through his pack and lays out a small rod of steel and a few chunks of flint, three torches, a bedroll, a waterskin, the coil of rope from earlier, a small mirror, and enough dry rations to feed a single person for three days.
"Give me a day and I can select spells that will me more practical for surviving on and island. Right now, I'm practically down to cantrips."
I agree with your plan also, Dragolan. Better we take our time and be thorough than run headlong into the unknown.
While you settle the mosquitos continue to swarm around you, and the sun rises the heat becoming almost unbearable even in the shade.
"I am being eaten alive," Quinta grumbles as she swats at a particularly pushy mosquito. "Did anyone pack lemon-scented candles? I might try and eat one to keep these stirge-wannabes off me."
Aerys who has been sitting sullenly in the shade uptil this point asks,
"Did you find anything to drink on the wreck? My tongue is turning into leather."
Survival
"I am a very good cook, thank you, though we lack the supplies for me to make something truly memorable from these things."
Dragolan waves away the swarming mosquitoes around him. "While the vigor and variety of life in this place is a wonder, these insects can carry disease. Having some sort of shelter will help keep them off, and will protect us from the rain. We are also going to need quite a lot of food and water. I can magic the salt from sea water*, so that will not be a problem as long as I am able to cast the orison, but those of us at the base camp will need to hunt or gather food while the rest of us are exploring; the explorers will have to be on the lookout for food as well."
*
This spell makes spoiled, rotten, diseased, poisonous, or otherwise contaminated food and water pure and suitable for eating and drinking.
"Well, for what it's worth I am a decent shot with the bow and I've lived in the wild for weeks at a time so we won't starve. Whether you like what you eat or not is a different story but you certainly won't starve."
He looked around the group, "So it's agreed that we'll have a camp group and an exploration group and we'll move the camp every day? This sounds reasonable to me. The overall goal is to reach the lighthouse at this time, correct? So... we are somewhere on the north part of the island; does the map show where on the island the lighthouse is?"
"With regards to groups, I think I am more suited to be on the exploration group. Like I said, I am a decent shot with the bow and can hold my own with my falchion. Being out in the wild so often has also honed my wilderness skills, which I think will be put to the test in our current situation."
"Some of us have seen others in action but it would be good if we could state what sort of skills we each have. You know, since we'll have to work together and rely on each other, I would rather know what you can be counted on for.
Dragolan shakes his head at Alexite's description. "No, we won't move the camp until we've explored enough to find a place to put the next one, and that may take several days. With the heat and the difficulty of moving through the jungle, the explorers won't be able to do much actual exploring in a day."
When the Sargavan finishes, he replies, "I, too, would prefer to be one of the explorers. There's too much I would miss, if I weren't out looking at things. As for what I can do, I am a trained healer (kitchens being dangerous places!), I have access to considerable healing magics as well, I have spent more than a little time in the wilderness before (though typically with somewhat better planning), and I am marginally capable in combat."
"My healing magic is more on the modest side," Quinta says, "but it can be useful in a pinch - or if sir Canario is unavailable for some reason. I am not familiar with the wilderness, but I can move quietly if I need to, and I am fairly skilled with the whip and the rapier. Not to mention, my songs can be advantageous in combat. I could be of help to explorers, or in defending the base camp, but would prefer to go exploring."
"I am fair at crushing things with this" Joll says holding up his morning star. " Although I prefer to fight with things on two legs rather than things with barbed tails. And I am not completely unfamiliar with the wilderness, but more of what you find on the mainland than the jungle."
"I'm a child of the city, and I've got no practical experience in the wilderness. I'm not really the straight-forward fighting type, either, so I'm afraid I won't be of any use to your little island exploration group." He fidgets uncomfortably next to his pathetic fire pit in the sand. "The mosquitoes are probably twice as thick in there, anyway.", he adds as he smacks one off his shoulder.
When Aerys brings up her thirst, Jack rummages in his pack for a moment, and then shrugs. "I didn't bring any water. I don't think any of us were prepared for being shipwrecked on an unfamiliar island. Maybe there's something in the supplies we recovered." He points Aerys to what little they managed to salvage from the ship's galley.
Aerys gives the supplies a disgusted look and scowling renews her attack upon her pad of papers with her quill.
Sasha drums her knuckles upon the hilts of her blades,
"I can hold my own in a fight, more used to fighting humans than animals and what not, but I'm sure that stabbing them probably works pretty well. I'm really good with animals, and I'm a decent hunter, and I'm pretty darn stealthy when I want to be."
Ishirou remains quiet, staring out to sea, and occassionally at Aerys.
Gerik sits with his arms crossed looking sullen, and thoroughly miserable as his prestidigitation cleansing bubbles move frantically trying to fend off mosquitos in a loosing battle.
Jask stands out in the sun, his dark skin in little danger of burning and laughs,
"Well now that you have freed me, I can help friend Dragolan provide fresh water from the sea, I can heal, and I can hunt. I'm experienced at tending to diseases and wounds non magically to."
After securing some water, Dragolan will offer Aerys a cup. "Thirsty? I'm afraid I can't offer anything better; my last two bottles of wine didn't survive the wreck, alas."
Aerys nods and takes the cup, tosses it back and splutters for a moment, before looking up at Dragolan with bloodshot eyes, it looks as if she might speak for a moment, but then she simply thrusts the cup back into his hands and resumes her brooding.
Joll rummages about looking for anything that might be useful material for building a shelter.
"Aren't there some leave that can be burned that drive away mosquitoes with their smoke?" he asks no one in particular.
He makes a point to keep watch on both Jask and Sasha. He does not stare at them fixedly but looks over at them occasionally to keep note of their doings.
Perception for Jask
Perception for Sasha
Jask moves about checking that everyone is alright, and trying to make himself useful. Sasha wanders about the edge of the jungle occassionallly exclaiming over various large tropical bugs, and the brigthly colored birds that can be seen flitting through the canopy.
You catch sight of an animal trail leading into the dense foliage, which will clearly be a great deal easier to traverse than the dense foliage. It seems to head out onto the beach and then branch off both east and west.
Other than the items they brought back from the Jenivere and the groups possessions building materials seem to be limited to large palm trees, great tropical leaves, etc.
"Maybe we would be best advised to partially dig our camp," Quinta suggests. "If we settle down in a trench, we can pull some of those big leaves over us, maybe with some sand on top. That way, if anything comes a-looking after lights out, it won't be able to sneak up on us so easily."
Dragolan shakes his head. "I, for one, would prefer not to be in a hole when the rain comes, as it will. Jungles need a considerable amount of water, or they wouldn't be jungles."
Dragolan shakes his head. "I, for one, would prefer not to be in a hole when the rain comes, as it will. Jungles need a considerable amount of water, or they wouldn't be jungles."
Alexite agreed, "Dragolan is right. Our best bet is to make use of the supplies we found in the ship combined with what we have here at hand. Let's make use of the four large canvas sheets and the 150' of rope. We need to cut down some trees, small mind you, just large enough to fashion some poles out of them. Then we can pitch four tents surrounding a central campfire. I think the starter camp should be somewhere between the water and the jungle with enough distance from both to be able to see any threats from either direction."
With that, the ranger set to work.
"OK, not bad for a bunch of castaways." The ranger looked about the 11 gathered individuals, "We need to get organized somehow. I think it's been decided that Joll, Dragolan, Quinta, Lydran and myself will form part of the explorer group. Sasha, you are welcome to join us. You as well, Jask. Ishirou, Gelik, Aerys, and Jask: would you mind remaining behind? Mind you it won't be easy; we would need some of you to keep guard, to hunt for food, and defend the camp if need be. What can you each do?
As midday approaches the group hacks away a space in the undergrowth, Alexite quickly realizing that they can use the trees without chopping them down if they have a little care. It takes about four hours, but they are able to costruct two large tents for sleeping, and a larger tent with a ceiling well above ehad height they can work and cook in, etc.
Sasha happily agrees to accompany the explorers. Aerys merely grunts in response to Alexite's promptings, gazing out sullenly at the sea. Ishirou's eyes flash to her, and he says,
"I will wait here with Miss A... with the others, if danger comes I will fight."
Jask nods, "Well I'd more than happy to hunt, I'm probably a bit rusty, but I used to be a dab hand, and jungles are not wholly unfamiliar to me."
Gerik waves a hand airily,
"Just leave me to die in peace."
After setting out the hacked down foliage in the blazing sun they are able to get a campfire going just under the edge of the large tent to protect it from rain, and still let the smoke escape easily. Its a basic, but servicable camp.
Two hours after noon when their work is completed, the sky swiftly darkens and a summer storm begins its rumbling deluge. Water pours from the skies, and the humidity is almost unbearable.
"Ah, yes, we can probably expect a couple of hours of rain after the heat of the day regularly," Jask says as the rain hammers down upon the canvas. When the flat roof of the larger tent begins to sag, Alexite quickly deploys a pole he fashioned earlier, placing it in the centre of the tent to give it a peak so the water can sluice off.
After the rains cease, in the mid afternoon, the exploratory group sets out. The path of least resistance is what looks like an animal trail which enables much swifter passage than hacking through the foliage.
It leads south for a few hundred feet, and then branches off to both the east and west. When they get to the turning after a little discussion Sasha flips a coin, heads for west, tails for east. When she removes her hand the coin shows a kraken - which she ensures everyone is heads.
Despite the trail movement is difficult, and the trail weaves back and forth. Its hot, and sweaty, and progress is frustratingly slow as the group only manage to travel about two miles an hour.
After a little over an hours travel Dragolan and Joll notice a number of small bundles of skin and bones and quickly conclude that some sort of predator is nearby. Pressing on the group discovers a large burnt out tree, split long ago, which appears to be hollow.
All of the group save Dragolan spot two sleek jet black forms in the low branches of the burnt tree. The glossy black snakes, appear to be emerging from the hollow of the tree's interior.
Sasha hurries forward drawing her blades.
Sasha - has gone.
Jack - is up!
Snakes
Dragolan - cannot act this surprise round.
Lydran
Alexite
Quinta
Joll
Quinta draws her rapier, the blade hissing like a serpent itself.
"Do we really need to fight these crawlers?" she asks. "Do snakes make good eating, or are we afraid they'll trail us back to the camp?"
"There's no need to fight them if we can just bypass them. They probably won't travel far enough to threaten our camp."
"Too late for withdrawing; they're coming to us. Concentrate on killing them one at a time!"
With that the ranger raised his bow and fired an arrow.
Jack draws his bow and nocks an arrow. The thought of their possibly venomous bites sent a bead of sweat dripping down his brow. "What is it with you people and eating the local wildlife!?"
"Did you expect to be able to go to the local market for your dinner? Or perhaps to visit an inn and order the chef's special?" Quinta asks, her voice a little too dry.
The next moment, she starts to croon a song, but it is not the battle-hymn she used before.
Jack - has gone.
Snakes - have gone.
Dragolan - cannot act this surprise round.
Lydran - is up!
Alexite - have his action.
Quinta
Joll
Dragolan was obviously scoping out some pleasant-smelling plant and missed the snakes.
Lydran shuffles forward as he draws his crossbow, hoping to get a better shot at the snakes.
"What is it with you and your aversion to new experiences, Jask? Nothing wrong with a bit of exotic cuisine."