Morwenna turned her gaze to Daryl and replied softly, like wind brushing waves, "I saw a dark shadow 'neath the dock. It looked like a sunken boat, yet I swam further down the bay before coming to shore, so I cannot say for certain. I, too, think it is strange there are no fishing boats. You are clever to notice such things."
"Thank you kindly, miss," he says in response to her compliment.
He gives a quick glance back to the bay but he says nothing more as he ponders her information.
As you take the path, you can see clusters of sea rocket among the dunes and a little beyond - a native to such seashores with its waxy, thick lobed green leaves and small, pale lavender flowers. The plant is considered edible by some, with a hot, pungent flavour. This gives way to a handful of young coastal pines on either side of the path.
Darryl pauses as they pass the plants and breaks one off and smells it and then tastes it, as if trying to gauge how much potential food it could provide.
When you veer right off the path to investigate your chosen area (A2), upon closer inspection you note they are not trees, but a pavilion of tents. Seven canvas tents were once set up here; each large enough to shelter two or three people each. All but two have collapsed or are in ruin possibly due to wind, rain and lack of maintenance. The two which remain standing are leaning haphazardly and do not appear to have been entered for a long time and one of the tents reeks of some musky animal scent. You note that grass has started to grow around them.
Daryl uses Survival to see if there's tracks in the growing grass.
If he sees tracks, he'll react to them - otherwise he'll search the tents for clues...
Morwenna turned her gaze to Daryl and replied softly, like wind brushing waves, "I saw a dark shadow 'neath the dock. It looked like a sunken boat, yet I swam further down the bay before coming to shore, so I cannot say for certain. I, too, think it is strange there are no fishing boats. You are clever to notice such things."
Staying close enough to his new companions he hears of the ‘dark shadow’ under the dock, making a mental note to himself. ’We should probably inspect that before we leave.’
Another Morwenna grew thoughtful as she reflected on the man's words, "I, too, have been taught to hunt; mainly for protection of my family. I was born with a certain grace - it makes me quiet on my feet. It helps during a hunt."
Nodding as he quickly looks at the druidess, ”My father taught me to hunt, trap and fish to eat. But he Hunted aberrations, taught me to do so as well.” He looks away, ”He was tracking one when he found me.” Abruptly he turns toward the trees tents. It is obvious that there is more to the story…
When you veer right off the path to investigate your chosen area (A2), upon closer inspection you note they are not trees, but a pavilion of tents. Seven canvas tents were once set up here; each large enough to shelter two or three people each. All but two have collapsed or are in ruin possibly due to wind, rain and lack of maintenance. The two which remain standing are leaning haphazardly and do not appear to have been entered for a long time and one of the tents reeks of some musky animal scent. You note that grass has started to grow around them.
’Abandoned tents, shouldn’t be much here, Anything we find probably belongs to a fellow colonist.’ Finding his way near the tents, Taldo moves slowly around, noting the musky scent. ’Possibly not entirely abandoned He slows, looking for tracks, then stops outside of where he believes the scent is coming from. Inhaling the musk deeply, trying to identify what creature it may be from.
There are no fresh tracks that you can see on the ground around the upright tent with the musky smell.
At best you can gauge that the musky scent could have been made by a small animal nesting in the canvas roof.
The grass is overgrown around the tents and apart from some wilted blades (possibly from some strong winds) there are no fresh or discernible tracks to be found around the pavilion tents.
If he sees tracks, he'll react to them - otherwise he'll search the tents for clues...
There are no fresh or discernible tracks. Just overgrown grass signalling that no one has been undertaking upkeep of the pavilion tents in a while.
You determine that the musky scent was probably made by some small animal nesting inside the tent - you believe it's most likely to be a flying squirrel due to the pungency and location. These tiny creatures are known to flourish both in temperate and tropical climes and take to heights to protect themselves from predators, being they are not so good at walking. It may have made the tent its home for some time, based on the strength of the smell...but you cannot see any small animal from the outside of the tent at present. Being that flying squirrels are nocturnal, few people ever see them anyway.
Uzziah muses out loud.
"No fresh tracks around this tent. Perhaps a small creature is nesting on the roof?"
He tries to peer over the tent to confirm this.
Back on the road, Ezekiel keeps an eye out for trouble coming from further away.
'Well, no tracks and what smells like a flying squirrel, I may as well see what's inside.' Making a clicking noise, to let the sleeping squirrel know he's there, Taldo, slowly pulling the tent flap back, speaking softly. "T, T, T, where you at little guy, no ones going to hurt you, we just want to see what the humans left." After holding the flap open for a second, so as not to startle the squirrel, he inspects the interior.
"Thank you kindly, miss," he says in response to her compliment.
He gives a quick glance back to the bay but he says nothing more as he ponders her information
The druidess approved of his good manners, yet she wanted to reassure the man that it was not necessary, "Daryl, please call me Morwenna. Such formality is not required between travel companions and friends."
"I do not wish to pry, yet you glance at the bay from time to time. What is it you seek to find or resolve? Perhaps if you speak your thoughts aloud, the rest of us may provide our own insight." Morwenna smiled encouragingly at the man. Being she was quite a curious creature herself, she wished to know what he was looking for.
Nodding as he quickly looks at the druidess, ”My father taught me to hunt, trap and fish to eat. But he Hunted aberrations, taught me to do so as well.” He looks away, ”He was tracking one when he found me.” Abruptly he turns toward the
treestents. It is obvious that there is more to the story…
He was found? Was he orphaned or deliberately abandoned? Eagerness to know more of the story was gnawing at her, yet Morwenna curbed her tongue. Her irises changed from a deep green to a light blue-green as she watched Taldo. Steadily, with a gentleness to her voice, Morwenna added, "I would like to hear some more, when we have time to rest."
As you raise your eyes above and scan the canvas roof from the outside you can see no sign of a small creature or a nest. Whatever was once there may have moved on or built its nest elsewhere.
Ezekiel's golden eyes scan the path leading toward the centre of the colony and back down to the beach. At the end of the path (by the beach) all he sees are two feisty seagulls fighting over some nut. He is amused by their antics.
Turning away from the tent, Uzziah declares:
"No sign there."
And he moves back to the road, to see if his companions need assistance.
He gives a look to Ezekiel.
"Ezekiel's not seeing any trouble either."
Ezekiel resumes being bemused by the antics of the seagulls in the distance.
Through the flap, more light filters into the musky tent (the holes in the canvas and the slant to the structure means some light is already filtering in in places.
As you click and speak soft words, you quickly scan the inside of the canopy roof, but there is no sign of a flying squirrel or any other small animal. You can discern what remains of a small nest in the corner - partly hanging down now. The nest is composed of/lined with twigs, leaves, bark, pine needles and small pieces of fur and feathers. There is nothing occupying the nest - perhaps the creature has moved on or a predator has come upon it.
On the ground of the pavilion, you can see some mundane personal items - a shirt and a brush, a cooking pot and a small metal box with a rather simple, rustic lock. You believe you can break the lock easily enough or even try to unlock it, if you wish to see what the box contains.
"Daryl, please call me Morwenna. Such formality is not required between travel companions and friends."
"I'll remember that, ma'am," he says with a nod, but a ghost of a smile is on his lips.
"I do not wish to pry, yet you glance at the bay from time to time. What is it you seek to find or resolve? Perhaps if you speak your thoughts aloud, the rest of us may provide our own insight." Morwenna smiled encouragingly at the man. Being she was quite a curious creature herself, she wished to know what he was looking for.
He glances at her.
"Things in the bay make me uneasy..." he says slowly.
"They got a dock for fishing boats, but I didn't see none."
"Maybe the damn grindy whores wrecked all the boats they had; but if they did then I sure as hell didn't see no signs of it."
He pauses as he thinks a minute.
"If the colonists rode out they did it on land or water; but if it were the grindy's that scared them then I'd reckon they'd push into the island to get away from the coast - and we'd see wrecked fishing boats where the grindys hit 'em."
His eyes scan the horizon to study the waves beyond the bay.
"But maybe it weren't the grindy folk, you know? Maybe something scared the folk to rush down to the coast, grab their boats and sail out - that'd explain the lack of wrecked boats, and no boats in general."
He turns and looks at he island and its central peak with a frown.
"So now I'm thinking there's no boats because something rattled the colonist folk enough that they grabbed their gear, hustled to the boats and sailed off to some other point."
"'Course, if that's how it is, then I reckon something came down hard from the island."
"But we don't see no sign of bodies - neither our folk or some other wretches - so they didn't kill what scared them off - that just means whatever made the colonist folk leave is likely still here..."
He turns and looks at her.
"Anyhow - that's just a hunch..." he says
Uzziah muses out loud.
"No fresh tracks around this tent. Perhaps a small creature is nesting on the roof?"
He tries to peer over the tent to confirm this.
Darryl glances up from his position on the ground where he was studying the signs to look at Uzziah.
"Yeah - I didn't see no tracks neither, so I reckon you're right."
With that he moves in to the tents.
"Want to give me a hand?" he asks Uzziah.
Uzziah nods to Daryl.
"Certainly! This is a mystery and we need to work together to solve it."
n the ground of the pavilion, you can see some mundane personal items - a shirt and a brush, a cooking pot and a small metal box with a rather simple, rustic lock. You believe you can break the lock easily enough or even try to unlock it, if you wish to see what the box contains.
'Odd, no squirrel and Items left behind. Well since they left the tents, I'm not surprised they left camping gear. Maybe there will be something in the box that will give us a clue.' Lifting the box, Taldo moves back out side the tent, calling to his new friends. "Hey guys, give me a minute, I found a small box, maybe it will have some information."
"Hey guys, give me a minute, I found a small box, maybe it will have some information."
Daryl pauses in his search to see what Taldo has found.
He waits to see if Taldo needs any assistance with opening the box, but mostly he keeps his eyes open to study the terrain around them, just in case of any potential threat...
Aeracian follows along with the others as they search the area. This not being his area of expertise, he just tries to stay out of the way and provide assistance where he may.
As Daryl waits for an answer he glances at the box.
"Want a hand with the lock?" he says, then slings his crossbow and offers Taldo a hand...
If Taldo is willing to share the tools he'll give it a go...
Uzziah looks at the box.
"Opening locks is not my speciality I am afraid. Unless you desire it smashed.", he finishes with a wink.
He keeps watch.
Daryl moves into one of the two standing pavilion tents and Taldo in the other that reeks of animal. Uzziah joins Daryl.
On the ground, scattered about and partially buried under loose dirt and sand, Daryl notes a few personal effects - a hair brush, a wooden painted picture of a handsome middle-aged woman, a semi-rusted straight razor, a broken chair and under the remains of the chair, Daryl can see some kind of shirt - the fabric appears light and gossamer thin and he can make out embroidery in the shape of winged feet.
This is no mundance shirt. It has a faint transmutation aura. It is a Quick Runner's Shirt and is valued at 1,000 gold pieces.
Uzziah glances over the uncovered items.
"The shirt is of a pleasing cut."
"Hey guys, give me a minute, I found a small box, maybe it will have some information."
"Want a hand with the lock?" he says, then slings his crossbow and offers Taldo a hand...
If Taldo is willing to share the tools he'll give it a go...
Untrained Disable Device
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Hearing Taldo say he had found a locked box, Daryl and Uzziah move out of their tent and join Taldo outside his. Aeracian and Morwenna stand close by and wait for the box to be opened.
Taldo begins to work steadily and methodically on the simple, rustic lock, and easily manages to open the lock without breaking it.
Inside the metal box is a fine, blue velvet interior and nestled among the velvet are four full stoppered vials. The liquid in all 4 vials is turquoise-coloured and mostly clear, but when moved, a thicker particulate matter swirls up from the bottom and the appearance becomes smoky. If the vial is opened, the liquid tastes and smells like apples.
Daryl moves into one of the two standing pavilion tents and Taldo in the other that reeks of animal. Uzziah joins Daryl.
Darryl picks up the shirt.
He tosses it to Uzziah.
"Looks nice; but I got a shirt," he says with a nod of his head.
"Let's see what the other folk found," he adds, the details of the painting and other effects more interesting to him than a fancy shirt.
'I should be able to open this easy enough, hot exactly a trap, but mechanically similar enough to other stuff I've worked with.' Seeing the other near, Tribim carefully opens the small box, holding it open he shows the others the vials. "They all appear to be the same. Did anyone find anything that revealed what happened? All I found was this and a few personal effects, and a squirrels nest that has been empty for a little while." Nodding toward the tents, "They must have left in a hurry to leave the tents and items like this."
Aeracian moves over, happy to be of assistance finally. He examines the shirt closely, running his hands over the material and muttering incantations under his breath in Draconic. You catch the words "vires tuas revelare" which roughly translates to "Reveal your powers"
His eyes light up in excitement at the magical emanations that are now evident from the garment. He says A wonderful find indeed my friends. This is none other than Serafina's Scintillating Shirt of Sprinting or more commonly known as a Quick Runner's Shirt! It allows you to utilize the magic embedded in the fibers to summon a burst of speed when needed! The powers are limited however as it requires a day between uses.
He places it with any gear the group may have collected, to be dispersed to whomever needs it most.
Once that is complete he moves over to the box of vials and looks at them carefully, swishing them around and sniffing the stopper before saying Again, a fortuitous find as these are potions of healing.
Instead of being delighted, Darryl seems to be more grim at the findings.
He turns a glowering eye on the terrain around them, his index finger tapping lightly on the trigger of his crossbow, as if ready to let loose a bolt at a threat unseen, yet felt...
"Healing potions and a magic shirt'd fit into a sack easy - that said, anyone could have filched them on a dash out of here without breaking a sweat."
"If they left them behind then something sure as hell pushed them out hard and fast..." he adds, his words coinciding with the thoughts the others seem to have.
Noting that Aeracian has laid the gear in a pile as if to make it ready to disperse, he nods his head.
"Good idea, Ace," he says.
He glances at the others.
"Maybe we should lay our cards on the table now and see what kind of goods and gear we all got?"
He looks at the sky with a frown, then glances at the battered pavilions.
"My kit's packed solid for myself for about three days - but I didn't think to bring hash like a tent..." he says slowly.
"Meantime, we got tents here for the taking," he says, gesturing to one of the tents.
"What exactly do all you got so we know who needs what, if you don't mind me asking?" he says, forestalling the rest of the investigation with the intention of determining what his companions have on them and what they may truly need.
Uzziah initially looks pleased at Aeracian's discoveries, a good mood that is blunted somewhat by Daryl's points.
He eventually nods, and replies:
"The shirt will come in useful, a burst of sudden speed at the right moment can change the course of a battle. But it would also be the perfect item if one needed to fight - or flee. So why was it left behind? Why was any of this left behind?"
And then he pauses as if remembering something, and some real worry enters his face. More than the others have seen from Uzziah thus far.
"What if...what if there was a mass compulsion? A spell that *made* them leave, or draw them to something? It would explain why they left these supplies behind?"
On hearing Daryl's comments about gear, he calms down somewhat, focusing on the task. He takes off his backpack and opens it to show the contents, speaking as he does so.
"My weapons are pretty obvious: lance, cestus, trident, and a sling just in case. Ezekiel has a custom saddle on him, as good as any warhorse's, and saddlebags. I have grooming supplies, a bedroll, flint and steel, an iron pot, a mess kit, a spare saddle, 50 feet of rope, soap, torches (10), five days of feed for myself and Ezekiel, and a waterskin. And my belt has-", he counts quickly, "-9 platinum, 4 gold and 8 silver coins."
"What if...what if there was a mass compulsion? A spell that *made* them leave, or draw them to something? It would explain why they left these supplies behind?"
He turns his gaze inland and studies it, as if his gaze alone might spot some sort of dark creature prompting the people here to flee.
For if this was true whatever presence occurred happened long enough ago that weather and aging took its toll on the buildings - but not so long ago that the buildings could have been created.
"Maybe - but then, where did the people go?" he asks, somewhat rhetorically, then shrugs.
"My weapons are pretty obvious: lance, cestus, trident, and a sling just in case. Ezekiel has a custom saddle on him, as good as any warhorse's, and saddlebags. I have grooming supplies, a bedroll, flint and steel, an iron pot, a mess kit, a spare saddle, 50 feet of rope, soap, torches (10), five days of feed for myself and Ezekiel, and a waterskin. And my belt has-", he counts quickly, "-9 platinum, 4 gold and 8 silver coins."
Darryl nods at the gear.
"Then a tent'd be handy, especially if we're trekking overland to get to the ship," he says and studies the tents, looking for the one in the best condition.
Realizing they don't need it instantly, he thinks a bit about Uzziah's other comments.
"I don't think coin will make much a difference here," he says eventually.
"Even if none of us want the shirt, best keep it - we can trade it for something useful with one of the others on the ship."
He glances at the rest of the houses.
"You can't eat gold - and even platinum ain't worth anything if there's no place to spend it on."
He glances at the others, curious to know what gear they have, then his eyes range south where the outlying farms are.
"We done here?" he asks.
"Make that a few tents, in case we find others, and rations too. Aye, the gold will be of little use for now, but just know that I have it in case. And I will wear the shirt if none object. Once we have acquired supplies, we should move on. We have a ship to catch in not so many days."
Handing the tin of vials to the scholar. ’a magical shirt and potions of healing, Aeracian is very educated, that will be helpful. But I don’t know how fortunate the items are for us, the owners will probably appreciate us finding their stuff for them though.’ turning and listening to Daryl, Taldo nods in agreement, ”Hard and fast”, that’s like I said, in a hurry. “Card on the table” Oh, our gear, that’s easy enough, but I’m not sure I want to sleep in the tent the squirrel lived in.’ wrinkling his nose at the thought of sleeping in the musky tent, he looks to Uzziah, ’A spell, that’s an interesting theory, I don’t know that an attack force with spears wouldn’t have the same effect, but with the sand, tracks have blown away.’ turning to Daryl, he looks surprised, after Uzziah aggrees we should move on, he asks, ”Are we done, err move on? You mean telling each other what stuff we have or inspecting the tents or searching the town? I aggree we do have a ship to catch but...”
Taldo looks from person to person. ”Aeracian and Morwenna haven’t told us about their gear yet. As for myself, it sounds like the ‘Bountiful Venture Company’ gave me the same pack it gave Uzziah. I also have tools for working with traps and tools for working with tanning and shaping leather.”
He nod’s towards the tents, ”I really don’t want to sleep in the musky tent, or carry if for that matter. I like sleeping under an open sky.”
Pointing toward the triangular fort then the out buildings and fields. ”I think if we search the rest of the town, we might be able to learn more about how and why the people left, at least I hope so. I don’t want to go back to Ramona empty handed.”
He then gestures towards the beach, ”I agree with an idea I heard someone say earlier. We should investigate the docks to see if boats were sunk. If there are any wrecks, we can take an inventory of them and compare it to the number of boats the company had on its ledger.”
Turning toward Aeracian and Morwenna he smiles and waits expectantly for them to describe the gear they carry.
============
============
"What exactly do all you got so we know who needs what, if you don't mind me asking?" he says, forestalling the rest of the investigation with the intention of determining what his companions have on them and what they may truly need.
"Aeracian and Morwenna haven’t told us about their gear yet."
Morwenna had been quietly observing and listening as the males took turns to speak and venture reasons as to what had happened to the original colonists.
When asked about her gear, the druidess stated simply, "My waterproof pack is filled with rations for two days, drinking water, rope, blanket, flint and steel, a mess kit, personal items and I have a wand of healing - not fully charged, but it is still helpful. My weapons are the shortspear you see in my hand and a dagger at my belt. I have lacquered leather armour for added protection and a few gold coins in my pouch. I had hoped to fish and search for fruits to supplement my rations. I am willing to share whatever I can find or catch with the group."
Then her eyes began to change colours as silent thoughts moved in her head. She smiled and added, "The healing potions are a fortuitous find. And the magical shirt could be useful to the right person. Coin may not seem valuable in this moment, but if ships pass the island, there could be opportunity to trade or buy from and sell to them."
"One has mentioned investigating the farms to the south and another the dock . Which will it be first?"
When asked about her gear, the druidess stated simply, "My waterproof pack is filled with rations for two days, drinking water, rope, blanket, flint and steel, a mess kit, personal items and I have a wand of healing - not fully charged, but it is still helpful. My weapons are the shortspear you see in my hand and a dagger at my belt. I have lacquered leather armour for added protection and a few gold coins in my pouch. I had hoped to fish and search for fruits to supplement my rations. I am willing to share whatever I can find or catch with the group."
"Sounds good," he says, confident that the others will volunteer what they have in time.
He nod’s towards the tents, ”I really don’t want to sleep in the musky tent, or carry if for that matter. I like sleeping under an open sky.”
"Me too, but if it rains and we get a chill that could turn into a disease - that's a problem," he responds.
Then her eyes began to change colours as silent thoughts moved in her head. She smiled and added, "The healing potions are a fortuitous find. And the magical shirt could be useful to the right person. Coin may not seem valuable in this moment, but if ships pass the island, there could be opportunity to trade or buy from and sell to them."
Daryl nods.
"Sounds good to me," he says.
Pointing toward the triangular fort then the out buildings and fields. ”I think if we search the rest of the town, we might be able to learn more about how and why the people left, at least I hope so. I don’t want to go back to Ramona empty handed.”
Daryl glances at Taldo.
"One has mentioned investigating the farms to the south and another the dock . Which will it be first?"
He turns a glance back to Morwenna.
"That's the plan, ma'am - that is; I thought we were checking the perimeter first?" he says, with a jerk of his head to the farms to the south.
"'Sides - we'll likely need food as well; I figure we might find some grub on those farms," he adds, indicating the farms to the south.
He then gestures towards the beach, ”I agree with an idea I heard someone say earlier. We should investigate the docks to see if boats were sunk....
Darryl gives him a wry look.
"That's a peach of an idea," he says dryly.
"But as we're already here, maybe we should finish the sweep of the rest of this place, then hit it on the way back?" he asks.
"I am fine with finishing a sweep here first, Daryl." Uzziah replies, putting the shirt away for now as it would look ridiculous over his armour and he does not want to stop to take that off and don it again.
Aeracian looks around as everyone is saying all the useful things they brought...he then looks down at his meager possessions and says "Ummm...I have my spellbooks and components...and my crossbow..." his face reddens a bit and he says sheepishly, "...and that's about it."
Darryl gives him a wry look.
"That's a peach of an idea," he says dryly.
Morwenna gave a bemused smile upon witnessing the interaction between the males. With a tinkling laugh, she added in her lovely but strange accent, "Daryl Bohannon, you have a colourful way of speaking; yes, indeed," before turning and making her way toward the gardens to her right with her companions.
As your group approaches the immediate, larger garden plot , you notice the many rows of planted vegetables. It is apparent the original settlers have marked off sections of the settlement for farmland and gardens.
The vegetables are set in single rows and the rows are arranged in parallel lines. There is loose soil and a variety of plants. However, the crops have gone wild and sorely need weeding and other attention.
In distinctive rows, among all the scattered and flourishing weeds, you can note cabbage, carrots, spinach, radishes and parsnips (the cabbage and parsnips are planted far apart for they do not grow well or at all in close proximity to each other). There are some herbs; parsley, mint and sage in this particular garden plot. The remaining parsnips look in immediate need of tending - weeds have choked most of the old parsnip plants and the rough, hairy leaves look wilted and dry.
"I am fine with finishing a sweep here first, Daryl." Uzziah replies, putting the shirt away for now as it would look ridiculous over his armour and he does not want to stop to take that off and don it again.
He nods his head in response, his eyes on the southern farms while they head toward it.
As they advance he gives a glance at Aeracian.
Aeracian looks around as everyone is saying all the useful things they brought...he then looks down at his meager possessions and says "Ummm...I have my spellbooks and components...and my crossbow..." his face reddens a bit and he says sheepishly, "...and that's about it."
Daryl gives him a frown.
"Hold up! So - you got no food, no kit..." he pauses and takes a deep breath, then slowly lets it out with a sigh then looks to the farms.
"When we hit those farms make sure you stock up on what you can find to eat..." he adds, then looks the lean, lanky wizard over "...hell, you look like you could use a good meal," he mutters.
Morwenna gave a bemused smile upon witnessing the interaction between the males. With a tinkling laugh, she added, "Daryl Bohannon, you have a colourful way of speaking; yes, indeed," before turning and making her way toward the gardens to her right with her companions.
Daryl tosses a glance at Morwenna and his eyes linger on her for a moment, then he clears his throat a bit awkwardly and gives her a friendly nod.
In distinctive rows, among all the scattered and flourishing weeds, you can note cabbage, carrots, spinach, radishes and parsnips (the cabbage and parsnips are planted far apart for they do not grow well or at all in close proximity to each other). There are some herbs; parsley, mint and sage in this particular garden plot. The remaining parsnips look in immediate need of tending - weeds have choked most of the old parsnip plants and the rough, hairy leaves look wilted and dry.
Daryl takes a sack out of his kit and tosses it to Aeracian, realizing that the man clearly needs basic supplies.
"Alright, Ace, gimme a hand," he says as he prepares to help Aecarian get some supplies "They may not look like much but carrots'll keep you on your feet a good while, and parsnips taste pretty much the same, but they're sweeter..." he adds.
Daryl casts his eyes about the rows of crops; examining them for signs of mould or disease and can spy none. Apart from the unruliness of the neglected garden, you are surprised that most of the plants are still thriving and disease free.
As you happen to glance down around your feet, to determine the condition of the soil, you note that the rows closest to you have a number of small holes/tunnels in the nearby troughs - They look like raised volcano-shaped swellings in the moister section of the loam and remind you of tunnels made by moles!
As you happen to glance down around your feet, to examine the ground/soil, you note that the rows closest to Daryl have a number of small holes/tunnels in the nearby troughs - They look like raised volcano-shaped swellings in the moister section of the loam and remind you of tunnels made by moles!
Daryl is ready to pick the roots from the ground and pauses.
"Gods damn it," he grunts, then looks at Aecarian and thinks a moment, then a small grin graces his face.
"Moles..." he says to Aeracian, then unslings his crossbow and levels it on the ground.
He nods his head at Aecarian to start getting the crops.
"I got this," he says as he watches, waiting for a mole to appear.
"Don't worry, Ace; they're small, but they make good eating..."
’A water proof pack, that’s a good idea, I wonder if it can be used as a floatation device. I will have to ask her later. No Daryl is right we need to finish checking the town, then check the dock when we get our boat to leave. I’m still not sure that rowing up the coast will be faster, Daryl seems pretty sure. Did Aeracian just say he didn’t have ANY gear at all, maybe he’s not as smart as I thought.’ Moving with the others, Taldo smiles at Daryl when they make eye contact, nodding affirmatively as they discuss investigating the water when they leave. When Aeracian mentions that he has no gear. Taldo stops and looks at the man. Seeing Daryl’s frown, he almost laughs when the crossbowman tells scholar that he looks like he could use a good meal. As he starts moving again Taldo adds, nodding back toward the tents. ”The one tent has an iron pot you can use. Since were only out two days, I’ll share rations, and of course we can hunt if we need to. But remember we only have two days to get back.”
As Daryl tosses Aeracian a bag, Taldo looks around, first at the garden then at the tunnel mounds that Daryl indicates, ”Moles, I’d boil them in a stew with the carrots, radishes maybe some parsnips.” He walks over and breaks off a little sage, ”Maybe some sage.” Looking back at the others, ”I wouldn’t take too long, we still have all of the town to investigate.”
Turning back and asking Morwenna, half joking. "Any chance of asking the Moles what happened to the colonialists?"
The small rodents mainly live in burrows underground and there are many varieties of moles. Perhaps they live in this patch, beneath the nutrient rich soil.
Turning back and asking Morwenna, half joking. "Any chance of asking the Moles what happened to the colonialists?"
Morwenna tilts her head at the question; the sun making her eyes glisten like the sea. "Not if you make them into a stew." She sounds serious for a moment, but then you see the corner of her mouth quirk upward and the mirth playing in her turquoise eyes. "I have not prayed for the spell which allows me to speak with animals this day. At best, I may be able to charm it into not biting you."
Morwenna gracefully steps around the vegetables, weeds and small holes in the soil to stand on the other side of the hole Daryl was pointing his crossbow at. She cast a keen look over the holes/tunnel mounds, pondering something she has noticed.
Quietly to her companions, she says, "Daryl Bohannon, these tunnel mounds do appear similar to those made by moles; yet I believe they have been made by something other by the way the earth has been turned and the size of the tunnels."
Morwenna grips the shortspear in her hand with purpose.
Uzziah glances at his backpack.
"Hmmm. I needed a new one, and the company provided one. I did not think to confirm whether it was waterproof or not. Perhaps a passing ship might have one, but that is a matter for another day."
In the garden, Uzziah stands ten feet to Daryl's left, looking around. Ezekiel remains behind Uzziah, at the boundary of the garden.
"Moles eh? I will help you acquire one for a stew!"
Uzziah holds his trident at the ready.
Ezekiel lifts his head and swings his beak from side to side as if sniffing the air; possibly catching the scent of some animal or threat. The fine, lighter feathers of his small wings puff up and a *hiss* escapes his beak. Yet, his bill continues to swing back and forth as if the scent is coming from multiple directions. A few rotting vegetables and heated dung are also hindering the giant dodo as he tries to pinpoint a singular direction.
Hearing Ezekiel, Uzziah backs up to near his animal companion, his trident out and his guard up.
"There must be something besides moles here, Ezekiel is not happy!"
As Daryl tosses Aeracian a bag, Taldo looks around, first at the garden then at the tunnel mounds that Daryl indicates, ”Moles, I’d boil them in a stew with the carrots, radishes maybe some parsnips.” He walks over and breaks off a little sage, ”Maybe some sage.” Looking back at the others, ”I wouldn’t take too long, we still have all of the town to investigate.”
Daryl grunts in asset, and motions a bit more intently at Aecarian with his crossbow to hurry up as he waits for moles to pop out.
Turning back and asking Morwenna, half joking. "Any chance of asking the Moles what happened to the colonialists?"
This gives Daryl pause.
Druids were renown for their magic and ability to communicate with nature - including trees and birds and beasts.
People may be gone, but the animals weren't.
A quick spell to commune with the local creatures could be extremely valuable to them all.
"Gods damn, I forgot... Begging your pardon, ma'am - you're a nature priestess type..." he says, looking at Morwenna.
"Can you actually talk to these little bitc... er, these little varmits and see if they can give us some news?" he asks her seriously, nodding toward the places where the mole tunnels were.
Morwenna tilts her head at the question; the sun making her eyes glisten like the sea. "Not if you make them into a stew." She sounds serious for a moment, but then you see the corner of her mouth quirk upward and the mirth playing in her turquoise eyes. "I have not prayed for the spell which allows me to speak with animals this day. At best, I may be able to charm it into not biting you."
Daryl nods.
"Right - well, put that on the list for tomorrow," he says with a serious but polite tone.
"Moles eh? I will help you acquire one for a stew!"
He nods at Uzziah but then he glances at the wizard.
"Pick it up, Ace - we're burning daylight here and you need to get some supplies," he adds, gesturing toward the crops.
Ezzekial begins to bob his head and peer about.
"There must be something besides moles here, Ezekiel is not happy!"
Meanwhile, Daryl readies his crossbow as he studies the terrain intently.
Quietly to her companions, she says, "Daryl Bohannon, these tunnel mounds do appear similar to those made by moles; yet I believe they have been made by something other by the way the earth has been turned and the size of the tunnels."
He turns a guileless look at her.
"Well, whatever it is, I reckon we'll all do our best to make sure we cover Ace proper when he walks in there to fetch his grub," he responds with a sage nod.
'Not if I make... I think she's messing with me. Noting the smile in her eyes, Taldo watches Morwenna gracefully steps around the vegetables, looking up when Uzziah speaks of packs and mole hunting. 'Ah, that's right, not everyone was raised by a druid. I forget how uncommon they are here.' Taldo nods as Daryl voices his realization, then smiling when the crossbowman 'encourages' the wizard to hurry.
"What's gotten into him?" As Morwenna is speaking softly to Daryl, Taldo notices Ezekiel freaking out, and moves closer keeping a keen eye out as Uzziah explains the large birds discomfort.
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Daryl pauses kicking the ground; but he makes sure he's standing at good enough angle to be able to cover Aecarian properly.
"What's gotten into him?" As Morwenna is speaking softly to Daryl, Taldo notices Ezekiel freaking out, and moves closer keeping a keen eye out as Uzziah explains discomfort.
He watches Taldo pick the sage and sighs.
Clearly he feels the party doesn't have thyme for picking herbs...
At the very moment Uzziah gives his warning and moves closer to the edge of the patch, near Ezekiel, the giant dodo screeches sharply as four small bug-like creatures burst through the soil closest to Aeracian, Taldo, Morwenna and Uzziah - their clicking mandibles threatening the intruders.
"Blast! those aren't moles!"
'The bow is near useless this close.' Seeing the insect looking creature pop out of the earth in front of him, Taldo drops the longbow. Drawing his spear from its quiver, he thrusts it two handed down toward the nearing insect.