After you all beat on the hapless thief, they collapse on the ground dead.
You have one thief asleep and the other held.
Cheiton emerges from his bedroom rubbing his eyes and letting out a yawn. Did I miss anything?
"Just owls in the night."
Wiping her eyes trying to still wake up fully from the sudden fight Neltji adds, Someone tried to attack us while we slept. Thankfully we weren’t caught unawares. She points to the sleeping man, Any idea who that is or who they are associated with?
"I do not know, but we are up to discover it" Shalissa states while walking decidedly to the one sleep "Let's keep the two survivors well tied"
After the party ties up the two men, she will register carefully the bodies to find anything that might tell who are this people and who sent them.
If nothing else offers the information required, she will slap the one asleep to wake him up "Good night sir. Nice welcome party. Now. Who sent you attack us?"
"And check their pockets. You never know when a would-be assassin is dumb enough to carry their orders on them.
"
Nothus chuckles, then realizes the bard is serious. Apparently I've given too much credit to 'assassins'
Good night sir. Nice welcome party. Now. Who sent you attack us?
The man blinks at Shalissa as he wakes from his slumber. Eh? Who sent us? Don't know. Me an me friends were drinkin' down at tha tavern by the docks and some pirate-lookin' fellows came in an' said you rejected their offer an' ya must pay and they sent me an me friends ta rough ya up good so ya can't be leavin' town soon.
He then thinks for a moment.
Oh Yeah! Fore we roughed ye up, we were supposed ta ask ya what ya found out about seven wee.
Nothus shakes his head, muttering, "Aye, how'd that work out for you..." He says, "Got more than 'pirate looking'? Size of the group? Ages? Race? Hair? Eyes?"
The man looks confused, Eh? About 3 of 'em and pirate-looking was all I remember! Ya know? Tattoos, peg-legs, eye-patches, gold teeth. Say 'Arrr!' a lot. Pirates!
You don't know ifhe's being serious, flippant or just stupid. All three are a district possibility!
Cheiton yawns. There jokers probably won't be the last to come after you. I suggest we finish planning the expedition and get you on your way!
"Where and when are you supposed to collect the bounty for your finished work. Don't tell me this is all our heads are worth" Shalissa looks down at the few gold coins judgemental "And what is this seven weee? You mean Saventh Yhi perhaps?"
The elf nods energetically to Cheiton's suggestion "Indeed. Let's not lose more time, let's get moving before the plotters discover we were not stopped here. How soon can we leave Cheiton?"
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The hapless thief looks confused. Eh? Bounty? I don' know nuttin about nuttin about some bounty. The pirates said ta rough ya up ask ya about seven wee and gave us coins ta do it! They said if we found out anythin' about seven wee ta go ta the Sea's Revenge docked at thawharf. Iffen we killed ya an got no information then oh well!
Cheiton agrees. Tell me what you want to outfit your expedition with when they arrive in town, and I'll take care of it. Is there any personal items you would be requiring?
Shalissa looks at the humans in the party "Can anyone translate for me? It seems my non-elven is getting rusty. Did he said something about Sea's Revenge?"
"It might be worth to check that place to find out who is interested in our deaths..." the elf exposes as an alternative to move forward.
And discussing the details with Cheiton "We must move swiftly. Equip us with ample provisions, healing supplies, and gear for both exploration and defense. Our adversaries won't be waiting for us to catch our breath."
As for what to equip with to the follow up members of the expedition "Please, ensure they have ample food and water for the harsh conditions, acquire detailed maps and a reliable guide to navigate the treacherous terrain, and equip everyone with enough tools for excavation and trap detection—our success depends not only on our strength in battle but also on our ability to survive and uncover the hidden secrets of these ancient ruins."
Cheiton nods. Your expedition will be taken care of when it arrives. Who should I send the bill to? The government?
Seeing all your attention drawn elsewhere the thief starts to scootch away.
Cheiton laughs. What do you want to do with that fellow?
Shalissa looks at the others, she does not have the details of the agreements they did to organize the expedition, hence, leaves answering the first question to them.
As for the second one "Let's hand it to the local authorities. Forced entry, assassination attempt... they are going to be in trouble for a while. Of course it is your home what was forced in first place, and you will stay in this town while we leave, so if you think it is better otherwise for you, I will try to help you, Cheiton, as much as possible"
Nothus sighs, "The name of a ship is something, anyway. Guessing that folks who know what we're up to are trying to grab our information and details and beat us there.... wonder if we would have been better off telling everyone we were accepting their offer - if only to keep them from getting in our way, now."
Nothus nods, "Agreed, let's hand him over. He, and his companions, were clearly meant to be disposable cat's paws. There's no gain to holding on to him."
The thief breathes a sigh of relief seeing how he won't be killed.
[b[]"Agreed, it seems best to have them locked up. He is of no consequence to anyone. We may want to start being a little sneakier about where we stay and who we talk to. I wonder if we can spread some false information to delay those following us."[/b]
Shalissa nods, seeing some agreement "Ok, Cheiton, let's get our business done then. Let's focus on heading out and into the jungle as soon as possible. That way we will have a head start over our rivals."
The rest of the night passes without incident. Cheiton makes you all a big breakfast and finalizes plans for your expedition when it arrives. He promises to deposit the thief at the city watch.
As you step out of Cheiton's house, Kibi pops up. Mornin'! Where you all heading?
"Charge him with both, Cheiton—let the authorities decide the severity. We can't afford to have these thugs thinking they can come after us without consequence. As for our next move, I suggest we head back on the trail immediately. Dealing with the pirates might delay us, and we need to stay ahead of any competitors." Shalissa gives as her own opinion.
When Kibi appears, the elf frowns stern, but looks at Ndombe and just bites her tongue "We had enough trouble. You better leave now. We are leaving town and it is better you don't know more than that."
Ndombe slips the child a few coins of various denominations. "Run along child, and stay out of trouble."
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The assassination attempt on the party put Neltji into a foul stupor that took some time to shake herself out of. Thankfully the rest of the party was able to think clearly and make the decisions that were necessary. The enore time she just had a running dialogue with herself and Anthony as she tried to logically figure these turn of events in her head.
Why would someone pay to kill us? That doesn’t make sense. I mean when the shop was wrecked it was not really a targeted attack against us directly it was more like we were bystanders that were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Events on the island were also different as it was all a struggle for survival with limited resources, cannibals, wild animals, and undead. That is just nature taking its course. This though, this was premeditated targeted behavior. Whomever did this deserves what happens to them and those they hired. Maybe it would be simpler if all do the thugs just died in the attack. But that would lower ourselves to their standards at this point… and so the inner monologue continued as Neltji mindlessly went to sleep.
In the morning Neltji seemed to have finalized her inner debate as she woke early to commune with Anthony as she normally did. She seemed a bit more hardened than the night before and was ready to engage the world and their adventures. Thanks for taking the lead last night Shalissa. My head wasn’t right after that attack…oh hey Kibi. Listen, stay out of sight and be quiet for the next few days. Anyone that mentions us may end up swimming with weights on their ankles. Wouldn’t want that to happen to you now. Just forget you ever saw us and you may end up alright. What ever you do don’t tell anyone that we are headed back away from all of this danger.
Neltji hated lying to the kid but it was for everyone’s sake and safety. Maybe eventually she could make it up to Kibi…but that was just a lie to herself now wasn’t it.
Nothus says, "As much fun as it would be to warp their ships or call lightning to blast them.... I'm thinking we'd best move on quickly without attracting even more attention to ourselves."
Kibi looks disappointed that you are sending her away, but goes she does.
Leaving Kalabuto, the you follow the River of Lost Tears to a huge freshwater lake, the Lake of Vanished Armies. Here at the Sargavan border with the Mwangi Expanse, dozens of tribal settlements line the muddy banks of both the river and the lake. Locals earn meager livings catching mud crabs and turtles, making mud bricks, and growing rice, hippo grass, and other native grains. The soft, shallow banks make it difficult to land larger craft, though the tribesfolk typically pole rafts out to passing vessels heading to Kalabuto or elsewhere, hoping to barter their foodstuffs for worked metal, crafted technologies, and other such materials. The settlements are small, consisting only of collections of mud-daub shacks, and they lack such amenities as shops and inns. Still, outsiders quickly discover that these friendly folk are eager to accommodate travelers in their homes, and offer them all sorts of gifts ranging from exotic foods to mystic drugs, and occasionally their companionship. During their interactions with the tribesfolk, the you hear local legends of a monstrous beast called Aomak said to live within the lake. The tales describe a titanic, saurian monster that devours fishermen and their boats.
Nothus keeps a neutral expression and an even tone as he says to the group, "Your little friend seems to love us a lot, Neltji. Enough that she's following us."
Shalissa frowns as she notices as well Kibi's shadow "What is that girl thinking? Does she not know how dangerous the jungle is?"
She though does not take the lead to manage the girl, fearing what the others might prefer to do about her.
Shalissa treats carefully with the locals and asks questions about the lake and the Aomak.
She produces a map the party was given before "Did the shaman from the tribe not tell us about a sunken treasure exactly here?"
She will try to interpret the map.
Once told about Kibi Neltji will take charge of the situationa dn turn right around to confront the child. What is the meaning of this? Why are you following us like a thief in the shadows? Explain yourself now!
When Shalissa mentions the treasure Neltji thinks back to the encounter. I believe you are right. However, if the locals are to be believed then there is a monstrous creature that lives there as well. The shipwreck may hold vast treasures that may aid our journey but is it worth the time and risk? If we plan on staying the night here already then I would love to try and explore the ship.
Neltji will question the locals more closely trying to get specific details of Aomak to try and identify the creature.
Kibi, surprised she got caught following stammers. Uh...well..it seems like you all are loaded and well...if you want coin...then...uh..hang out with those that have it.. She stammers.
It is about mid-day.
+1 in jungle
"Ahhh, it sounds to be a water giraffe. We needs not kill the creature. I can provide one of our number the ability to breathe water, if perhaps another can make them invisible? I can also speak with the water giraffe, or perhaps bind it with various magics."
Shalissa frowns at Kibi "I agree. This is too suspicious. Who are you working for?"
---
"To be honest my curiosity is triggered by this sunken ship. I would also love to explore it" Shalissa reflects.
"An aquatic dinosaur you say? Trying to attack it's mind is probably our winning hand here... I have nothing to help in there, nor invisibility. But I have my blade" Shalissa raises her sword, eager to guide the party into the treasure.
Neltji is about to tell the child off but realizes that she may be only a few years older than Kibi herself. At least Neltji had a loving family, support and a home. What did Kibi have to return to? Softening her voice she asked , Please wait here a bit while I talk to the others. She paused momentarily then to before approaching h Ndombe.
Are you able to perform a specific piece of divine power to determine if Kibi’s words are true? I would like to see if she is lying to us and has nefarious means behind her actions or if she truly is a lost little girl without any means in this world. If she answers truthfully then I will take responsibility for her and have her join me.
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Knowledge nature?
Ah yes an elasmasaurus. A water giraffe is a partially correct comparison I suppose. You have to give the giraffe sharp teeth and a desire for meat and a much longer tail but I get your reference. The issue is we do not know how long it will take to explore the ship or excavate the wreckage. I am not sure if summoned creatures will suffice. I can also try some kind games on it to make it my friend and speak with it.
"I could do this spell tomorrow."
"It is a water giraffe. I do not know this term you use. Would you also complain that a 'catfish' has no fur, purr, or ability to climb trees? I translated the words that my people use for this creature. If you would belittle my speech, then I need not share my knowledge with you."
Excellent. Thank you for helping me with this dilemma. I will talk with Kibi and tell her the plan.
Neltji will indeed let Kibi know what is expected of her. Tomorrow we will teat your words to make sure they are true. You must let us cast a spell on you to verify your words. If they hold true then I will see about letting you join me.
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My apologies Ndombe, I was not making fun of you. Rather I was trying to point out that a giraffe is more docile than what me may be facing as it will attack creatures for food. I then got carried away about other things and screwed up my intent. I believe that with our combined magics we should be able to addle the creatures mind enough to control it or convince it to stay away from us for long enough to search the ship.
Ndombe shakes his head at the witch's ignorance of just how violent giraffes can be.
"Yes, we shall do it as you say. Are there other spells that I should prepare for the water giraffe? We need not harm the thing after all. How many of us need to be able to breathe water? Can Nothus dolphins simply check the wreck for us, or do we need to go down there too?"
"Is the shipwreck actually underwater?" Shalissa inquiries, checking the map and looking at the lake "Anyway, I am going, under the water or not"
"As we do not have any reliable mean to force the creature into attack, I say we just try to approach the location, by boat if necessary, and be ready to take control of the creature or just defeat it" the elf states, hopping Ndombe and Neltji can really make their magics to shine here.
"As an archer, I struggle with combat around the water, but I have magic to support you all."
Nothus says, "I don't have a speak with animals to ask the dolphins to do that, but could do it tomorrow morning."
Sounds like in the morning then we proceed to the ship and plan to charm our way past the water giraffe. Who knows what else we might find in the wreckage though so we should be prepared for all eventualities.
"Ok, let's ask the locals for a place to rest. Then proceed tomorrow to the sunken ship" Shalissa agrees with the others.
She will prepare her own spellbook and gather information with the tribes to know more about the monster and the sunken ship.
Maybe trying to find someone able to lend the group a boat, if it is needed to access the shipwreck.
Kibi readily agrees to be put under the influence of the truth spells tomorrow, but when tomorrow comes, the child is gone...
The tribe has plenty of simple accommodations and food, and while they don't specifically ask for anything, they would gladly take a few coins.
Some of the tribe members will tell Shalissa that while Aomak rarely comes to the surface, they have seen a smaller version of him or her that has attacked those exploring the wreck.
With the disappearance of Kibi Neltji takes that as confirmation of ill intent. If we see her again we will need to stop her spying on us. Not sure exactly what course of action that would take to accomplish that though.
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The night before as they discuss options Neltji offers her take. I can hex any creature that comes close to allow mental assaults to better work against them. I can try to charm an animal if need be as a back up option.