Graythan rises without complaint, offering Justified a simple but loaded nod that says so much. Thanks. I've got it now. I trust you. He adds a log to the fire for Amala's benefit, then slips away past the fire the light for a few minutes to walk off his tiredness and to trace the perimeter of their camp.
He returns to the heavy sounds of Avner's breathing, the troublesome noble already fast asleep.
"How do you do it, Captian?" His words are soft and quiet, barely more than a whisper, but loud enough for the woman beside him to still hear without straining. "How do you keep a whole crew from each others' throats? We're barely keeping it together here."
She snorts, "They don't have a choice. My ship. My rules. You break them, then you're dumped off at the next port of call. Break them bad enough, and you've over the side. A ship needs discipline and is only as good as her crew."
She gets quiet and stares into the fire, "I guess mine wasn't quite good enough."
"Not good enough? Amalla, that storm smashed the ship into splinters. We weren't avoiding that no matter how you ran the ship." He turns his gaze to the fire as well and sighs. "You know, back in Sasserine I was a bounty hunter. I wasn't the best, but I was good. Got answers and leads out of folks a lot more easily than some of my colleagues and competition. And it sounds like I did it in the same way you kept idiots in line on your ship."
He pauses for a moment, stabbing errantly at the fire, then continues, "But I don't think those methods will get us through this jungle. I just wish I knew the first thing about playing peacemaker." He shakes his head then looks from the flames and back at the captain. "How are you holding up?"
"Poorly. My place is on a ship, not some stinking jungle. I'm less than useless out here."
She spits into the fire, "I don't see much point in bothering to keep the peace. Avner's an ass, ignore him. And if he does something stupid and gets himself killed? Well, that's just one less problem the rest of us have to deal with. Ignoring him is easy, it's Urol that's driving me up the wall. He's treating this whole damned thing like some holiday. My crew and all the colonists are dead, we are probably going to die in this Gods forsaken jungle, and he doesn't even care."
Moira continues the past the changing of the guards. Occasionally her hand or her leg twitches as she sleeps.
"He's scared out of his wits, Amalla. Each of you is trying to cope with this mess in their own way. Avner by asserting his importance at every turn and Urol by treating it as a carnival or faire." He pauses for a moment then asks, "You blame yourself for everyone who didn't make it out of the wreck?" He knows the answer before he asks the question, and he nods as she silently nods that she does. "You think it'll be any different for me if I don't get each of you through this?" He sighs again, his face fixed on the fire. "Look, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you all to Farshore and I can start cracking the whip if I need to. I care more about keeping everyone breathing than I do about being liked, but friction like that won't make this any easier."
He turns to look directly at Amalla at this, "I can get mean to keep a lid on this can of worms if I need to. But you were captain of that ship. You were their captain." He points to each of the sleeping figures arrayed around the edge of firelight. "For weeks upon weeks, you were their sole authority. That doesn't change just because we're walking through a jungle now. You think you're useless? Help keep these people in line and agreeable. You do that and I can focus on getting us through the jungle instead of spending energy keeping everyone from one anothers' throats."
He rises then to walk a brief patrol and to leave Amalla with his words. "You manage that, and you'll be the most useful of us all."
Amalla doesn't say anything, but Grathan see's her give a small nod. The rest of their watch passes uneventfully.
Krilla is woken and her watch too, passes quietly.
Moira's watch starts quietly, but about halfway through it the fire dims, and the entire camp darkens.
"What? What is it?" Graythan sits up with a start, his eerie eyes narrowing as he realizes an unnatural darkness has settled over the area. "What's going on?"
Krila awakens, and when she realizes the campfire is dark, she grabs a stone from by the bed and casts Daylight on it.
Moira, suspicious of the events, responds to the waking for your friends.
"Unusual darkness. I'm hoping I'm not waking you guys for nothing but better to be safe that sorry later."
Moira starts to plunge 3 arrows into the dirt for easy access and gets her bow ready. Little-Prick is ready if she needs it.
At Krilla's spell, the unusual darkness dissipates. The animal noises from the surrounding jungle become silent at the sudden appearance of the bright light.
Graythan makes his way from bedroll to bedroll, checking on each of their wards, ensuring that everyone is present and accounted for. "Everyone alright? I don't hear or see anything out there, but Moira's right: better safe than sorry."
Nothing happens while you wait on alert. Eventually, Krilla's spell fades and when it does the unnatural darkness does not return.
Graythan frowns, shaking his head. "Something's trying to play tricks." He shoots an angry glance into the overhanging jungle canopy before grunting and turning back toward his bedroll. "Keep the fire high, Moira." He lays his crossbow close at hand as he lies back down and though he closes his eyes, he listens keenly to each and every noise in the surrounding jungle.
Krila nods. "Yes, and do wake me if anything happens again."
Moira gets some more wood and throws it into the fire making sure there is plenty to burn. She begins to look around for the same darkness. She whispers "Come on out.... You making look bad."
After her chore is done the young rogue takes some of her arrows and plunges the tip into the ground. She has seen some archers do this ritual in order to have the arrows easily accessible.
You continue your trip south. Over the next few days you are exposed to more unsettling events. On one day, there is a rumble of stones and a small but painful rockslide tumbles among the party. Picking yourself up, you can''t help but notice that mixed in with the rocks are dozens of humanoid skulls. Another day, when coming around a bend on the trail, you see a man dressed in tribal attire standing on the edge of the cliff. He looks forlornly at you before leaping into the surf below. When you reach the place from which he leaped, you can't see any sign of his body on the stone below. Your nights are filled with the occasional erie silence and one more instance of unnatural darkness. Everyone's nerves are frayed and on edge.
Combat
23 Gargoyles
18 Graythan
13 Krila
10 Justified
7 Moira
"Gargoyles, from the sun."
Krila casts Call Lightning in preparation of the gargoyle's coming.
"More of them?!" Cursing under his breath, he wheels around and lets a trio of bolts fly.
HP: 48/48
AC: 23 (13 T / 20 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +6/+5/+10 (+2 vs Illusion, +1 vs Enchantment, +2 vs disease, +2/roll 2x vs mind affecting)
Judgements used: 0/3
Bane rounds used: 1/7
Discern lies rounds used: 0/7
Relentless footing used: 0/7
Inner strength used: 0/1
inflict wand charges used: 3/50
cure wand charges used: 8/50
Spell Slots used:
Level 1 (4+1) - 0/5 | DC 15
Level 2 (3+1) - 0/4 | DC 16
Level 3 (1+1) - 0/2 | DC 17
Ongoing Effects
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Bane: +2/2d6+2
rapid shot: -2 to hit/1 additional attack
Moira was unprepared to attack from long range, instead, she unsheathes her saber and prepares for close combat.