The next day after you've rested and had time to prepare the expedition captain comes to see you.
"It doesn't look like there is much more we can do here. As such I've decided we should leave this location and rejoin the other at the secondary landing site. It's only a 9 mile hike from here and we may discover more clues along the way." she says
Diomedes is eager to leave this site behind and rejoin with the others. This place gives me the creeps.
Bastien smiles and prepares for the march and nods.
"Let us move forward. We are still in the void to the reasons for this disappearance."
Unsure that this area has yielded all its clues Deranthil is unhappy about leaving but agrees to leave if that is what the expedition captain feels best.
As there is not much else you can do here for the moment you move on to the second site to meet up with the rest of the colonist.
It's a 6 hour hike to the second site so you should get there by supper time.
At first the journey goes along fairly normally you hear a few animals and see a few tracks (boar tracks)
Most of the plant life on the island consists of evergreens. Pines and live oaks make up the majority of trees in the inland forests, with palm trees appearing near the coast. Small evergreen shrubs cover the ground along with short palmettos. The plentiful number of pines and live oaks was crucial to the selection of this island as a colony, as palm wood can be used for constructing log cabins, but otherwise is not ideal for building. The pines and moss-covered oaks share space with magnolias and pecan trees, and mango and papaya trees provide fruit to many of the island’s inhabitants. Ancorato has a humid subtropical climate. The weather on Ancorato is warm to hot in the spring and summer months with cool, rainy winters. Rainfall is plentiful, which minimizes the need for elaborate irrigation of crops. Light showers wash over the island on many afternoons, rarely lasting over an hour. Insects are common, but the site of Talmandor’s Bounty is not particularly swampy, which reduces the risk of disease.
Along the way you come across a river with a small bridge that goes over it and downstream a short ways from you there is a body in the water. Partially submerged and clinging to a rock in the middle of the river you quickly come to the conclusion that it is a corpse that got caught on the rock while being carried downstream.
Deranthil studies the body. That looks unpleasant. Shall I go and retrieve it?
Diomedes still has a feeling of unease with this place. A corpse in the river does little to help that feeling. "There might be some clues about how the body died, depending on how long it's been there. It may even be one of the original colonists."
You cant tell the state of the body from were you are. It's about twenty feet from you. You will need to swim to get to it.
Anyone have a rope?
If provided with a rope. Deranthil will tie off to it, but leave 10' of slack at the end that he will wrap around his waist. He plans to tie it to the body.
The scholarly rogue walks into the water looking for threats and swims over to the body. One hand holds his loaded underwater crossbow. He seems nearly as at ease in the water as he does walking on the land.
Bastien will hold on tight on the rope and waits for the rogue to tie the rope to the body.
Derantil swims up to the body a human female and by the state of decomposition she has been dead white a while.
As he draws closer Derantil feels like something is off but cant quite put his finger on it but realises to late that this corpses is the host to something else.
Two tentacles burst out of the body and try to grab Derantil when he gets close.
+ grab
+ grab
Tentacle hit but failed to grab.
Grumbling Bastien nods and adds. "Then make at least a copy on a paper with a full detail of build, weight, material used and decorations! Deal?"
Jordy smiles at Bastien. "My friend, I'll write up a full report and do my best at translating these inscriptions. I really would enjoy talking to your mother if she's a scholar of Azlanti history. I relish the idea of starting a correspondence with her."
***
Jordy brings up his crossbow and fires at the body.
Knowledge Dungeoneering to identify the creature.
**Quelth is still with the group but kinda hangs back an doesn't talk much his sea monster companion is absent. I asked about it he just says that she doesn't like travelling over land much and went back into the sea**
If you init is higher than you act before the creature and can go ahead and post your action.
Vinnick Grew tired of the trees quickly, so took to studying his spellbook and others as they walked. Letting the group lead the way, he is only broken from his concentration by the noise of the struggle in the river.
Did no one think to at least test if it was a trap? Dear Nethys.
He tries to telekineticly maneuver his sword to strike the creature.
Drawing a dagger, Diomedes dives in and speeds toward the elf. (swim speed 25')
The wounded elf tried to identify what the thing is.
Unsure he pulls his short sword with his free hand and cuts at the thing.
Deranthil vaguely recalls parasites nicknamed Puppeteers that this could be one. As he recalls the parasite itself should be attached to the body somewhere (usually back of the skull) and it is possible to attack it directly (you get -4 on your attack rolls to attack it directly) although attacking the corpse damages the parasite as well (just not as much).
As he fights Deranthil's head breaks water and he warns I think its a puppeteer attacked to this body at the back of the head.
your init was higher than the creatures.
Jumping into the, nodachi leading, Bastien tries to impale the enemy.
Jordy reloads his crossbow, aims, and shoots at the corpse's head.
Diomedes lands a hit on the main body and Jordy manages a hit directly on the creature controlling it. (the others missed)
The creature attacks Diomedes trying to strangle him with it's tentacles.
Your go.
Diomedes tries to stab the creature, this time aiming for the back of the head. But his stab doesn't even come close and the thing tries to wrap tentacles around his face.
Bastien tries to stab the enemy again.
Jordy reloads his crossbow and fires again.
But misses. "Watch out for that!"
Using his swim speed Deranthil will swim around and attack the body from the back, gaining a flank. [ooc]How large is this creature. If its attached to the head of the body I am thinking it would be so small that to attack us it has to enter our square?[/b]
The creature is small yes it's attached to the back of the neck and runs down the back and has tentacles going into the body.
The dead body goes limp and Derantil notices that the small squid creature controlling it still lives it detaches itself and tries to swim away. (provoking an attack from Derantil)
Assuming it doesn't die it swims 60 feet away going away from the bridge and deeper into the water.
Your go.
Bastien manages to kill the small squid creature as it tries to run.
Diomedes looks around to make sure there's not another one of those things waiting to jump out. "Everyone okay? What the hell was that thing?"
I was tagged by it, but I'll be fine. Not sure what it was, but it was somehow animating this corpse. Lets get it out of the water and see if we can identify who it used to be.
Bastien takes the squid on top his weapon and shows it to the others.
"Well Jordy and Wannik, maybe now with a moment of reflection you can tell us what this is!"
The body is a human female in her mid-twenties the cause of death is not apparent but you don't see any wounds that you didn't cause.
She has a small pack that she still carries and inside you find a masterwork battleaxe, 50 foot of hemp rope, a grappling hook, a flint and steel, a spyglass, and a potion of endure elements and a potion of cure moderate wounds. She also has several papers with drawings on them that look like they might have been maps but they have been ruined by the water.
Diomedes frowns as he looks through the pack. "Do we know who the surveyor was in the first group of colonists? My guess is, this was probably her." He suppresses a shudder thinking of how that thing controlled her body. "At least she can be put to rest now."
Nothing magical except the potions.
That looks to be a nice axe. I wish I was proficient with such weapons. I'd be happy to carry that potion of healing. I seem to be the one getting attacked the most. As if on queue Deranthil pulls a last goodberry from his pouch and eats it, closing some small part of his most recent wound.[/b]
"We should keep moving. We don't want to be out here too late." Diomedes figures they could make a decent burial cairn in a small amount of time with them all working together.
You quickly bury the body and move on and reach the second site without any further issues.
The island shoreline arcs to the northwest until it hooks sharply south like a bird’s beak to form a small cape. Anchored offshore is the Peregrine. Pulled up on the shore is a ship’s boat, evidence of a landing part
The ship's captain, accompanied by a few sailors and colonial soldiers, come out to greet you as you approach.
"“You’re here, that’s a relief. We had some... unexpected problems. I’ll tell you about it, but first I’d like to hear your report on the colony. What did you discover?”
Bastien shakes his head sadly.
"They are all gone. We are still exploring... why?"
"That is not good news...Shortly after we left we made heading here at full sail but reason I cannot yet explain the Peregrine was making a snails pace. The anchor wasn’t lowered, they weren’t dragging the keel through a sandbar, and no giant monster was sighted with the ship in its clutches. I had one sailor swim underneath the ship to check, but he didn’t report anything unusual. We only just arrived here a few hours ago after sailing all night! We had a look around but it doesn't look like anyone has been here in a long time. The crew is nervous and the colonist doubly so. More than a few have voice that opinion that we should srub this expedition and head back home...Enough in fact that I fear we may soon be facing a confrontation if he decide to stay unless we find something to calm them down."
Bastien takes the squid on top his weapon and shows it to the others.
"Well Jordy and Wannik, maybe now with a moment of reflection you can tell us what this is!"
"The thing was a puppeteer. They start out small, like a slug, and can control your body." The archaeologist shudders. "Don't pick up any purple slugs if you see one."
---
"That is not good news...Shortly after we left we made heading here at full sail but reason I cannot yet explain the Peregrine was making a snails pace. The anchor wasn’t lowered, they weren’t dragging the keel through a sandbar, and no giant monster was sighted with the ship in its clutches. I had one sailor swim underneath the ship to check, but he didn’t report anything unusual. We only just arrived here a few hours ago after sailing all night! We had a look around but it doesn't look like anyone has been here in a long time. The crew is nervous and the colonist doubly so. More than a few have voice that opinion that we should srub this expedition and head back home...Enough in fact that I fear we may soon be facing a confrontation if he decide to stay unless we find something to calm them down."
Jordy frowns. "Well, there are two of us that can do a more thorough check of your hull." He gestures at himself and Deranthil. "I'm sure your sailor did his best but we can spend more time down there looking."
"As for good news, the buildings are all fully intact, the crops at the farms look like they can still be harvested, and the tools and non-perishable supplies are all still available. You have a perfectly functional settlement pre-built for you." The Chelaxian clears his throat. "I know this sounds ominous, but we will figure out what happened and make sure it never happens again. We will keep your people safe."
Its not totally safe back in the settlement though. There are large insects around the crops and something haunting the chapel. I think once we get a little more experience and maybe some better gear we can handle both, but for now I would not send anyone back there. And there are strange clues that point to the idea that some of the colonists did not trust the leadership. Something strange was going on. Deranthil adds.