After some time discussing your options, you eventually begin to explore the sunken ship. Much of the cargo was destroyed, and there are more than a few drowned slaves, but you do find all of your original missing equipment!
In addition, Celebeth finds a secret compartment in the Captain's quarters, and inside is a small chest. It is locked, and there is no sign of the Captain or a key.
That means that Echo found the following gear of hers:
- A centering jewel
- backpack
- bedroll
- holy water
- belt pouch with 8 gp, 8 sp and 8 cp inside
- flint and steel
- grooming kit
- tent
- waterskin
- whetstone
- traveller's any-tool
For the other equipment she will find...
- light crossbow
- a bunch of bolts (how many am I allowed?)
- morningstar
- umbrella
Unless we're allowed something masterwork, in which case she'll take a MW light crossbow instead.
Does anyone not have a bedroll or flint and steel? I have two of each now, so let me know and you can have one of mine.
I'll get a masterwork crossbow, and 200 bolts (which is 20 pounds worth). It's more bolts than I'll ever need, but not so many that I couldn't get them back to camp and carry them around. That makes my total for the goods 366 gp spent.
Celebeth swims up to get air after being savaged by the eel, then swims back into the wreckage to find her remaining gear and scavenge what else she can.
"I hope so," Echo replies. "But for now we should head back to the village."
"Ready, everyone?"
You head back to the village, and have no real problems.
"That was a bit of a relief. I mean, aside from the eel. Thanks for the help, Echo," says Celebeth.
"Now what? We have some gear, we should figure out how we wanna pick off some of the cannibals and engage their gorilla god."
"I wonder if we can get to the god without much trouble. If so, it should break their spirit. "
Aki barks a short laugh of disbelief. "Without any idea of how dangerous it is? What if steel doesn't penetrate its hide? What if, say, fire doesn't work on it?"
She shakes her head. "Before we can plan, we need information. Information..."
She frowns slightly. "...information that can probably only be acquired from their shaman. Capturing and interrogating one may be a necessary step."
"No worries, Celebeth." Echo replies with a smile.
At Aki's words, Echo turns, intrigued. "How are you planning on getting one of their shamans?" she asks. "... They travel with to visit their gorilla god sometimes, right? I wonder what size groups they travel in...?"
Sneaking into the tribe might be more difficult, not speaking the language or having the same appearance.
Aki shakes her head slightly. "I might be able to snoop around in fox form, but without understanding their language it wouldn't be much help. There's no way the whole group of us would go unseen. An ambush would seem a better approach, if we could arrange one."
"I know a spell that can disguise me to look like one of them, but I can't do anything about the language barrier," says Celebeth. "I also know a spell that can make someone invisible for a few minutes."
"Also, as we were ransacking the ship, I raided the alchemical stores - where they usually store lamp oil and things like that. Some ships carry smokesticks or fireworks for signaling at night, and we got lucky! I have a few fireworks, some tindertwigs, and some smoke pellets. We can cause a lot of confusion and distraction with that."
|
Pharithstilis speaks to Garounda and lets her know that they are planning to capture a cannibal shaman to learn more about their ape-god. He asks if the grippli shave tried to take on an entire tribe before and if any of her warriors might be interested in helping their operation. He presents her with a necklace made from the sand dollar he found and wonders if she knows of anything that might be used to defeat the evil ape-god.
"You might find one or two warriors angry enough to try to help you, but what you are attempting could easily turn the full wrath of those cannibals on you. We have only survived because we do not fight accept in defense."
However, while you were away, another like you stumbled into one of our patrols. He is weak, and may not live for long, but he kept mumbling about a 'giant shell of a man'. Does this mean something to you?"
Echo nods. "Yes, of course. I'd love to hear what he has to say. Where might we find him?"
"He is resting in a hut nearby." She croaks a loud noise, and a small grippli comes in. After some brief instructions, he nods and leads you to a hut not far away.
As you approach, a grippli healer stops you. "This man is very sick, and likely has not long to live."
She does not block you from entering, though.
Echo also heads into the hut.
Entering the hut, you both immediately recognize the man as one of the Captain's inner circle. He has boils and rashes all over his skin, and half of his hair has fallen out. He suddenly spasms, and coughs up blood. He doesn't even seem to notice you enter.
Echo frowns. "I can heal his wounds, but it looks like he's got a sickness inside of him... I won't be any help with that."
After a moment, Echo adds, "I'll see what I can do."
Echo approaches the man's bedside and focuses on his wounds, imaging them healing before her eyes....
Leaning over him so he can see her face, Echo asks, "Can you hear me?"
"Anyone a trained healer? If he's got a sickness... gonna need help to survive, I think," says Celebeth.
Aki hangs back, close enough to overhear but out of sight for the moment.
His name is Queeli.
The grippli standing over him says "We have tried everything we know, but now I fear we can only try to make him comfortable."
"Sorry, I can do first aid, but this is well beyond me. "
Not hearing a response, Echo tries again...
"Queeli? Blink twice if you can hear me..."
Echo looks at the grippli. "Yes, he seems too far gone... Just in case he wakes up while we're gone, you should know... The boat we were on, some of the people there took prisoners--captives, you understand? They sold them to other people and kept them as workers against their will. Often, their masters are cruel. This is called slavery. In some places beyond your island that is allowed and in others it is not. So, if he wakes up, please be cautious. I don't know what kind of person he is, in his heart."
She nods then at the grippli, and leaves the hut. "Nothing I can do for him, I'm afraid. But, that reminds me... We should tell Garounda about the slavery, as well. Just in case."
Echo returns to speak with Garounda, telling her what she told the other grippli. Then she adds, "I do not mean that you should treat the man with less respect than you have us, but thought I should share this information with you, in case another large group of survivors is found. They are not all as kindly as we are. Be cautious."
Echo goes and speaks again with Garounda, who thanks her for her warnings. "It should not surprise me that all of your kind are not the same. We, too, occasionally have some bad mushrooms."
Pharithstilis sits and watches the man, who occasionally sits up gibbering some nonsense.
"Great treasure, Captain? What is it?" He passes out.
Suddenly, "How to avoid the shell man? 25 foot tall, and hollow inside?"
And with his dying breath, "Dead. All dead. And I alone have the map!"
With a shudder and a gasp, the man is no more.
"Map?" and he will search the body.
Searching his body, you find a folded, crumpled piece of parchment. It does appear to be a map, with a bay marked, and some other landmarks. At the base of some mountain, it appears to designate a cave.
"Now that looks like something we can do and not get killed. "
"Looks like disease to me. "