DM Feral's Fortress of the Serpentfolk (Inactive)

Game Master Feral

Demitri will offer to buy:
2 of the potions that heal minor injuries
1 of the potions that allow a peaceful night's rest even in the worst heat of the jungle
1 of the potions that can return strength to the weary
2 potions that turn water into spirits

"Now since that is done with, I could use some ale and some women to enjoy it with. Thank you for the offer to come with us, but I think we will decline your services." Demitri will head out after Obo is done shopping.

Obo shrugs and offers to buy the remaining potion that alleviates fatigue.

Obo uncorks the gourd the potion is held in and lowers the tip of his tongue into it. The liquid has a warm bitter-sweet taste to it but Obo can't ascertain anything about the potion's properties.

Aboba takes the duo's coins and returns a big gap-toothed yellow grin. Despite the horrific condition of her teeth the woman's smile is friendly and puts you at ease.

"Go wit' the spirits 'den boy. I be askin' 'dem for your safe return. Come find old Aboba if ya change ya mind".

"Thank you. If we do change our mind, we will be back." He replies to the old woman.

Rahesh takes his payment and makes a count to ensure it matches the stated amount. "I consider myself properly equipped, thank you. And I drink in celebration of a completed task, not its initiation. So I will see you all on the morrow when we set forth."

Finding Safira's hostel is not difficult - it is easily once of the biggest building in Bloodcove. The first level is made of worked stone with the second and third constructed from pale indigenous wood. A single word, 'Rooms' is painted in bright letters above the door.

Inside you meet Zafira. She is a young Chelaxian woman, lean but with curves that are pleasing to the eye. She not plain but she is no exotic beauty either and yet there is something undeniably alluring about her. Her sparkling violet eyes speak of some Azlanti blood.

"Well that all depends, are you the company?" He says while smiling slightly.

A hint of distaste creeps into Rahesh's voice. "A room only, if you please. I hire the efforts of others only when they have skills or services superior to what I can obtain through my own efforts."

Jindariel counts the gold and then casts Detect Magic on the coffer. Once he feels it is safe, he will dump the gold into his magical haversack and discard the coffer. He then looks briefly for a Temple to Sarenrae. If he does not find one, he visits the hostel and requests a room only for the night.

The woman claps her hands twice in quick succession and few seconds later a door nearby opens. Out files a dozen females ranging in age from early-teens to the middling-years. All of the girls are cocoa-skinned Mwangi except two (the oldest woman and one of the younger girls) which are pale-skinned and of mixed Chelaxian descent. Most are fairly lean and all are nude, their most private parts on display for the world. A moment later three young Mwangi men dressed similarly file out as well.

They hang their heads watching the ground and standing in silence as they are examined.

"Do any of my delights interest you?", she asks. "They are all very well trained and you can do anything you would like with them - assuming it doesn't leave any permanent marks", she explains. "I assure you they are all quite clean. I see to that myself".

Zafira explains the pricing:

One gold to stay the night.
One gold extra for food and drink (stewed goat with assorted local root vegetables and the house brewed goat-Kumis).

One gold gets you an hour with one of her 'delights'.
Five gold gets you the whole night with one of her 'delights'.

There is a 20 gold deposit on any time spent with one of the girls/boys. If there is any serious bruises, cuts, or otherwise noticeable serious injuries suffered the deposit is forfeit.

"I'll take those two. I'm gonna need company all night. Food too." He grins as he points to the older light skinned woman and one of the Mwangi women.

Rahesh snorted and flipped a single golden coin to the woman. "If you can manage, a room where my sleep will not be disturbed by the playtime of others will be preferable."

"Of course", Zamira says. "The top floor is reserved for those that want to a bit more quiet".

The Chelaxian woman leans in close as she takes Rahesh's gold piece and whispers.

She hands Rahesh, along with anyone else paying for lodging, his key and tells him where to find his room.

"I'll take those two. I'm gonna need company all night. Food too." He grins as he points to the older light skinned woman and one of the Mwangi women.

Obo looks in amusement at Demitri.

Obo throws down some gold.

Then, laughing heartily, he sweeps up the woman with the widest hips and largest breasts in his arms and waddles off with her to bed for the night. He seems to know the way...

Jindariel pays the one gold piece and heads to his room for peace and quiet. He bars the door with a chair and sleeps with one hand on his blade.

The enormous Chelaxian interrupts, "Before you leave there is the matter of the initial payment I believe you were all promised".

He produces a plain leather sack, no bigger than one of your traveling packs, and reaches inside. From within he pulls five small coffers made of dark lacquered wood and banded in silver. Each is easily the same size, if not bigger, than the bag they came from.

** spoiler omitted **
"These are for you", he says. "The rest will be delivered when the terms of your contracts have been fulfilled", he reminds you.

The man pulls a stained kerchief and sops the sweat dripping from his many chins.

"You should be able to get plenty of whatever mundane supplies you need. If you want magical goods that may be a bit tougher. There are two good places for such things, Hasim the healer and the witch Aboba".

"If you are looking for drink there are a dozen good holes here in Bloodcove to find it. If you want company there are girls, and a few boys, at Safira's hostel that can be bought for a time".

Balo considers the options before him, picking up the coffer and giving a count before making a decisionm

As Balo listens to this woman's items he considers the cloak.
"It appears to be a beautiful cloak. I am confident that I am able to protect myself enough, but extra protection can't go wrong."

how old is the daughter roughly?

Aboba shows Balo the mentioned cloak, "Ya, twice blessed by da' Loa and wit' 'da splendor ta' show it", she explains. "Wearing 'dis the days won't feel quite as long or as warm".

The daughter is very young, no more than ten or eleven years of age.

Aboba shows Balo the mentioned cloak, "Ya, twice blessed by da' Loa and wit' 'da splendor ta' show it", she explains. "Wearing 'dis the days won't feel quite as long or as warm".

The daughter is very young, no more than ten or eleven years of age.

ah, okey. Won't do what I was going to then. :p

Balo looks back a tthe cord that is already on him so that he can't wear the cape and shakes his head and instead buys 1 of the potions that can return strength to the weary.
"I am greatful that you can help us with supplying us these potions." he said as he then smiled down to her daughter and kneels down to her level. "Here are a few coins for you, sweety." he hands over 5 gold to her.

As he leaves he heads to Safira's hostel taking interest in the women, but he looks over to the men too. "Well, you only live once and there is the chance of death. I'd like to experience both worlds."

Balo smirks as he looks at both the men and women. He decides to choose one of the young women who have a petite body and once of the males that looks the most Effeminate and slim.

"You only live once Madam. Believe me that none of them will be harmed." he smiles to Zamira. "I will be coming back if we make it back alive."

I'm assuming the 5gp also covers the night itself so 10gp as it's for the two of them.

Obo, Demetri, and Balo enjoy themselves late into the night. Zamira was not exaggerating when she said her 'delights' were well trained. Jindariel and Rahesh manage to sleep fairly soundly. It seems the sounds of those enjoying themselves in the lower floors isn't much louder than the clamor from the chirps, calls, and cries of the surrounding living jungle at night.

In the early morning the party reconvenes in the hostel's common room to break their fast. Serving girls bring out plates of food for those that paid for it, slabs of fried tapir bacon (a kind of wild jungle boar) and slices of some sort of tart fruit glazed in honey. The food is accompanied by mugs of strong dark coffee.

Rahesh laid into the meal with evident delight. "Ahhh. You know, my forefathers followed the Vudrani ways and disdained the consumption of meat. Of the traditions I have put aside, it is perhaps the one I am second most glad to be rid of." With a smile he took a long draw from his drink. "While purchasing ...entertainment is not something that interests me, I make no pretense of any skill in the culinary arts. Perhaps I will see if travel supplies can be obtained of this quality. One grows tired of dried trail bars quickly." He rose, bowed to the others, and if none sought his attention wandered out of the common room.

Balo streches as he gets up in the morning, sitting down to his meal as he awaits for the rest of the group to arrive. He enjoys the food and loves how well made the meal appears to be. "Clearly pleasures are not the only things the workers here are good at."

Demitri is all smiles this morning for obvious reasons. He chows down on the sizzling fried tapir bacon with gusto as well as the honey glazed fruit. While trail rations are sufficient, he found them always dry and bland. So a real home cooked meal was a delight, as was his company last night. "Zamira, your food is delicious, as was your staff. If I can, I will come back after we're done with our business."

Obo wanders in a bit later, slightly disheveled and with a small bead of sweat from the jungle heat. He consumes the food with relish, half chewing, half swallowing the meat and eating the fruit two pieces at a time. He doesn't touch the coffee though, after giving it a long, loud sniff. "Good night, good woman. Soon meet man snakes. Maybe kill man snakes"

Obo wanders in a bit later, slightly disheveled and with a small bead of sweat from the jungle heat. He consumes the food with relish, half chewing, half swallowing the meat and eating the fruit two pieces at a time. He doesn't touch the coffee though, after giving it a long, loud sniff. "Good night, good woman. Soon meet man snakes. Maybe kill man snakes"

"What do we know about these man-snakes?" Balo asks as he would like to get some information before heading out to kill these things. "I think it would be smart to learn all we can about them."

"Have seen take many man for slaves; have seen bite makes ill, same for small cousins. Snake head, two legs. Evil. Bite makes dead men big..." he motions a large bloated face, and then waves his hands in front of his eyes "...like see evil spirit and die. No talk, only kill."

I'm done here, ready to move on.

When he finishes his breakfast, Demitri will pack up his gear. "If you all are ready, we should head out." He says to the others.

Jindariel eats in the morning, packs some fresh fruit and is ready to move along into the wilds, as soon as the party is willing and able.

Rahesh returns to the others and leans in close to speak. "It strikes me that while I have some training in binding wounds, I cannot match the efforts of one who calls on the gods for healing. As chance would have it, word has gotten out that we are planning an expedition and a lady who professes to be skilled in that field has offered to join us. For a fee, of course. Five hundred gold from each of us, with as much again if we are successful and no claim upon any riches we gain from the venture. It seems a steep price, but dead men spend no treasure, so I urge you all to consider it."

"I'd like to meet this woman who is foolish enough to want to join with us. The witch Aboba offered to help us as well, but for all of it up front. 500 gold each seems fair for something we will need though."

Rahesh turned and signaled to Zamira "You have met her already, several of you. It would seem she aspires to do more than greet visitors to the establishment of another, and claims to have the skills to be worth the price."

"I suppose she is destined to take all my money. I say let the pretty woman join us." Demitri surmises.

** spoiler omitted **

"He says if you have a spirit-caller with you, bring her along." Balo roughly translates "I am cautious. Two people have asked to join us already. Is there something about this place we do not know?"

Rahesh shrugged. "Opportunity is seized by many. Let us gather our things and depart, for the day will grow only hotter."

Rahesh shrugged. "Opportunity is seized by many. Let us gather our things and depart, for the day will grow only hotter."

Balo considers Rahesh and nods.

Zafira looks at the pile of coin presented to her and smiles. "You have made a very wise decision this day", she says wryly.

Within a handful of minutes she is packed and ready to go. It seems the majority of her things were already set aside for such a trip. She wears a pair of lightly tanned leather breeches and a form-fitting jerkin made of some airy nearing translucent material. A heavy pack is slung over her shoulder that she seems to struggle a bit with.

Jinadriel however is not so prepared. It seems a few minutes after breakfast that he is struck by a severe form of heat-flu the locals call "Boiling Blood". He will survive but he is in no condition to travel and it may be weeks or even months before he is fit again.

Zafira shakes her head at the news, "It appears the jungle claims her first victim".

***

Now the party needs to make some decisions about how to proceed:

One character needs to be in charge of leading the way. This involves choosing the safest path through the jungle, when the party travels and when they break for the day, and when they take their meals. This task is a Survival check with a base DC of 20 (this will go up and down).

Other characters can aid in this check but keep in mind that aiding this check is not the standard DC 10 due to the extremely hostile and
dangerous nature of the Mwangi.

Alternatively, characters can do the following:

Forage for food and water(see more section on Supplies further below). Obo can relay to the party that, even though the Mwangi is deadly and merciless, she can provide for those with the wisdom to see her blessing when she gives them. Even then, the jungle is a hard place to forage in, even for a trained outdoorsman. This is a survival check with a base DC of 12. If the DC is beat by enough this can provide sustenance for multiple characters. If any character is performing this action the whole party is slowed for the day.

Help with overall survival. This includes looking for adequate shade for taking breaks and making camp. Foraging for natural remedies for fighting off insects and local plantlife to bolter one's resistance to the elements. This gives the character performing the action a bonus to their Fortitude saves to endure the jungle heat. This is a survival check with a base DC of 17. If the DC is beat by enough this can provide a bonus for multiple characters. If any character is performing this action the whole party is slowed for the day.

The leading character can attempt either of the two secondary tasks but it will increase the DC to lead the way appropriately.

Due to the inherently threatening nature of the Mwangi taking 10 is not possible for these checks. Doing nothing is an option. In this deadly jungle staying out of the way is often a better choice than trying to help and ending up interfering. Please keep this in mind.

The party ranked in order of Survival skill:

Balo
Obo
Demetri
Zafira
Rahesh

Both Obo and Balo estimate it will take around two weeks of travel at full speed to reach the destination.

Supplies

Characters need to consume one unit of food (a trail ration is a unit of food) per day to maintain maximum strength. In the Mwangi, even the most well packed foodstuffs will spoil or become infested after a time. Each day there is a small chance (5%) that any unit of food will become inedible.

Due to the intense heat and the long hours of hard work hiking and hacking through the jungle characters must ingest 12 pints of water per day. Characters face scaling penalties due to weakness and dehydration if they do not get this amount.

Food weighs one lbs/unit. Water weighs five lbs per four pints.

Please fill out the information in the following document.

"Either Balo or Obo should lead the way. The other can assist as needed. The rest of us should be able to find food and water at least for ourselves. Demitri suggests.

Balo takes out his Kukri he bought yesterday and starts ahead.
"I'll lead the way." he says simply as he makes the way through the jungle slicing up the vegitation in their way.

Day One

The party leaves Bloodcove and makes their way into the deadly Mwangi jungle.

The party makes good progress for the day without getting lost. Everyone is healthy. Food and water is plentiful.

Day Two

The party continues their trek through the Mwangi.

The party makes good progress for the day without getting lost. Everyone is healthy. Food and water is plentiful.

Day Three

The party continues their trek through the Mwangi slowing down a deal to forage and hunt.

The party makes good progress for the day. At one point Balo gets a little off course and to correct the error the party is forced to wade through a wide but shallow pond of fetid water. The nearby animal carcasses confirm this water is in no way drinkable.

Obo relishes the feeling of being under the cover of the mother jungle. In his a land he knows well. The sounds of monkeys shrieking their mocking derision comforts him, in a way. Meanwhile the sounds that are unheard... the panther moving more softly then the shadows... haunt his imagination.

Still snakes are here somewhere, hiding in the dark places. It sours the feeling of home and happiness, and puts him on edge.

Demitri, seeing Rahesh nearly delirious from the lack of food and water will offer to share some of his."You've obviously never been out of the city, have some food and water. I have some extra to spare. We don't need you dying from thirst or hunger." He says to the Vudrani.

Day Four

The party presses on after revising their water rationing and starting to consider foraging more often.

Obo, Demitri, and Zafira feel the effects of their lessened water rations but midway through their travel through the day Demitri's heat exhaustion combined with his dehydration become too much for him to handle and he practically collapses in his heavy metal armor. The party is able to drag him part of the way and for a while he able to progress on his own again but by the time it is of the hour to camp he is almost unable to walk. Demitri is Exhausted.

When the party encounters a pool of rancid water (they seem to be quite common) Rahesh kneels besides it and retrieves a dense yellow sponge. He dips the item into the fetid water and wrings it out. Out comes sparkling clear water! Rahesh used 10 charges off his sponge.

When the group breaks for camp and begins preparing dinner Zafira lets down her pack and an angry rash becomes visible along her neck. Across the tops of the reddened welts are phosphorescent domed mounds that seem to pulse with light in sync with her heartbeat. The woman appears clumsy and weak.

Zafira takes 3 dex damage.

The party makes good progress for part of the day but has to slow down to help the greatly weakened Demitri. Zafira has contracted Pulsing Puffs.

Day Five

The party gets weaker as the cruel jungle continues to sap its strength. Demitri, while grumbling, takes off his stifling armor, bundles it up, and ties it to this pack.

The lessened rations combined with the intense heat take their toll as Demitri and Zafira and even Obo is slowed to a crawl throughout the day. Demitri suffers from 3 hours of Exhaustion. Zafira and Obo suffer from 2.

At one point Balo gets completely spun around. Hours worth of travel is wasted. While getting back on track the party encounters a group of hostile monkeys. They howl at the intrusion into their territory and hurl piles of offal at the party. Obo pounds his chest and shouts at them eventually driving them off.

When the group breaks for camp Demitri hands his healers kit off to Rahesh. From the kit the Vudrani fashions a soothing poultice which he applies to Zafira's rash. By the end of the day it looks much better. Although it's not cured yet. Zafira takes 4 Dex damage.

The party is slowed throughout the day by frequent stops for the weakened members to recover their strength. Zafira still has Pulsing Puffs.

After nearly passing out due to the heat and the dehydration, Demitri has had enough."We need to take a day or two to just forage for food and water. We're all going to die of thirst at this rate. And some of us(looking at Rahesh and Balo)need to conserve what water we have and drink less."

Later at the end of day five, Demitri walks up to the ailing Zafira."How are you feeling? Is adventuring life everything you dreamed of? He asks her showing some uncharacteristic concern.