"Anything that flashy has to be very dangerous. "
"I'm voting we give that creature a lot of space and go around it," Aki quietly says, watching it warily.
"Flail snail?" says Celebeth incredulously.
"Yeah. No sense picking unnecessary fights."
Noting that the others want to go around, Echo tries to backtrack and take the group the long way around the massive snail monster.
The creature is not particularly fast, and so you are able to easily go around and out-distance it.
As you continue your journey, you come across a small clearing. You find a pile of fruits and coconut-like shells filled with water. Hanging in the tree next to the pile are 5 necklaces made from feathers, shells and bones.
As Echo enters the clearing she looks around, hopeful that it's the grippli who are helping them, and not the cannibals trying to trick them...
...But at the sight of the necklaces she smiles.
"Looks like you made some friends, Pharithstilis."
Echo approaches the gifts and ensures everyone gets something to eat and a necklace. She hangs her own necklace around her neck with pride.
Nathan will just observe cautiously.
but not effectively
Aki looks around and, guessing at a direction, gives the jungle a deep bow.
"Thank you," she says aloud.
She does, however, wait for Pharithstilis and Echo to confirm that there's no magic in the area before partaking of the gifts.
The stash is devoid of magic, and while a few of the fruits are of an odd taste to your palates, it is refreshing and filling.
You continue your travels. Suddenly, two grippli females step out from behind trees in front of you. They are armed with spears, but they are not holding them in a threatening manner.
One of them croaks out a greeting.
The slightly smaller one motions, as if to say "follow me", and she leads the way to the east (you were travelling due north before).
The other waits and watches.
Nathan will follow.
Thinking to himself If they wanted us dead, they didn't have to lift a finger.
Echo nods at them and follows their lead.
Aki gives them a bow, then follows the one leading them away. As she does, she comments to the others, "Perhaps there is to be a cost for their generosity."
"We already owe them our lives. A bit of cost is fine. "
Celebeth seems nervous, then relieved. "I wonder why they decided that they like us?" she says. "And how did you know that this was a gift for us and not... I dunno, an offering to a god or something?" she asks Echo.
Echo nods at Nathan. "Within reason."
In response to Celebeth, Echo replies "Call it a hunch."
"Good hunch, good lunch!" says Celebeth with a smirk, then takes a bite from one of the tropical fruits.
You travel a bit longer, and as it begins to get dark, the grippli stop and start setting up a bedrolls. One crawls in, while the other lifts his spear 3 times, and then climbs up a tree and sits out on a limb.
Aki looks at the others. "I suppose we should keep our same watch schedule," she says.
"Yep. I trust them some, but I trust us more." then he finds a place to rest till midwatch.
Echo bows respectfully to the grippli, and nods her head in thanks.
Hearing the others talk about watch schedules, Echo nods at them. "I'm in."
Echo settles in to rest, wondering if one of her long-past dreamers was a grippli. If they were, now would be a good time for them to surface...
Then she lays down and goes to sleep.
"Sure... let's hope it doesn't rain, since we don't really have much shelter right now," says Celebeth. She rolls out her bedroll and whisks away the dirt and mud of the day with a simple spell, then she twists her hand and conjures a small light. She sits down and flips open her journal and writes a short entry in it, then sends the light off to the edge of the camp to illuminate the area for the sentries before she catches a bit of rest.
Late in the night, a creature seems to be attracted to the light in your camp. As Nathan sits, staring at the grippli that is sitting up with him, sudden activity erupts as a giant, fur-covered beast explodes on the scene. It rips the grippli into shreds, tearing its throat out in the process. The bloody tiger then turns to face Nathan. It is about 15' away.
Nathan will yell very loudly "Everyone we got trouble!" to make sure all are awake.
Then he will shoot an ice blast at the tiger.
point blank shot
The tiger is stunned.
Celebeth scrambles to her feet. "Bad kitty!" she shouts as she conjures and launches a small bolt of acid.
Echo jumps to her feet and focuses on protection. She visualizes armour forming around her, strong, but invisible. After a moment she can feel it over her body, though nothing it visible.
Since the tiger is stunned, it takes no action.
The remaining grippli shouts in anguish, jumps up and grabs his spear, and braces it. He says something in his strange tongue, but none of you comprehend it.
Echo stands impossibly still, focused completely on the tiger with sweat beading on her forehead. She focuses her senses on the tiger's mind, trying to discern it's vulnerable points.
There!
Then she hurls all of her mental powers at the tiger's mind, overloading it with all of her feelings and memories.
Nathan will hurl more cold at the kitty.
point blank shot
The double attack is highly successful, and the stunned tiger yelps in pain, though it is still stunned.
The tiger says "Very well, I will leave you be."
Aki carefully gets to her feet.
"I'm willing to give it the chance," she says, watching it warily.
Celebeth holds her fire.
"I've no desire to pick a fight with a beautiful creature unless it tries to eat me," she says. "It can go on its way."
Nathan will let it go, though he is tempted to permanently end the threat.
The tiger disappears. You had hurt it pretty badly. Unfortunately, one of your grippli friends is quite dead.
Echo hurries over to the dead grippli and attempts to save his life--ineffectively.
With a sad look she turns to the other grippli and bows her head at him.
"I'm sorry for your loss," she tells him in common, hoping he'll understand her sadness, if not her words.
The grippli looks saddened, but simply starts covering the body in leaves and sticks. After he is done (with or without your help, he barely seems to notice), he lays back down to rest until morning.
At the break of dawn, the grippli rises, and then uncovers the body of his fellow traveler. He pick her up, and carries her on his shoulder. He looks to you, nods in the direction he wants to go, and then starts hiking.
Moving much slower today, you eventually break into a clearing. 6 grippli soldiers stand ready with spears. Your guide steps up, and they converse for a few minutes, as he occasionally points to you.
Two of the soldiers then take the body of the fallen grippi off into the jungle. One of the others comes forward. He speaks to you, but of course you still do not understand. He holds up a hand, as if to have you wait, and then he starts climbing a rope ladder you didn't even notice 3 feet from where you stand.
You watch him climb 20 feet into the trees, and only then do you see bridges and huts built into the jungle canopy. There must be hundreds of them, as far as you can see! Many grippi eyes stare down at you from the walkways.
In a few minutes, the grippi that left returns, and croaks something to the others. They motion towards the ladder, and wait.
Nathan will start to climb the ladder. He's not skilled at it, but not horrible at it either.
Echo helps the grippli cover his companion with leaves and sticks.
---
Echo follows Nathan up the ladder.
"They're quite hospitable," says Celebeth. "Thank you," she says to the grippli, even though they don't understand.
Aki gives them a polite bow, hoping that will translate better then words, then follows the others up the ladder.
|
Pharithstilis too helps attend to the dead grippli. He hopes the living one isn’t too miffed that they let the tiger go that killed his mate. He really didn’t think things all the way through, but it was just a hungry animal doing what hungry animals do. No blame there.
When they get to the treetop village, an audible gasp escapes his lips. Now this is living! He stands around somewhat dreamily, staring wide-eyed up at all the grippli staring back down at them. He doesn’t notice all his friends have ascended the ladder until the ground grippli gives him a nudge. Up he goes.