"It's Owlbear, Captain. Maybe that was also his species, I'm not sure, but definitely his name."
Alwen was amused by the gnome and his captain discussing terms, but he focused more on the potatoes of the crew finding - some talented people were good, but they needed some able bodied sailors all the more. A ship without sailors was no better than driftwood floating in the sea.
Chumtooth fishes the heads from the cauldron and hangs them in the sun.
He then grabs a length of leather thing and begins stringing the devilfish and grindylow teeth into an impressive necklace.
He leaves the freshly cleaned skulls on display, to grin at the passersby.
|
A few days have passed while you wait for the refit to be completed. On this day, the sky is cloudless and the color of iron, promising another scorching day. The jungle wilts under the unrelenting sun, and the river is shallow, murky, and sluggish, with wide swaths of cracked mud exposed along its banks.
One of the off-duty workers invites your group to join an impromptu game of ninepins in the shade of the boathouse and share a small cask of beer that’s been cooling in the waters of the estuary.
On the way to the boathouse, Chumtooth presents to Alwen and Ayaki the shrunken heads of Plugg and Scourge, respectively. Each has a leather thong tied securely around a bunch of remaining scalp hair. The thong is long enough that the head could be worn as a necklace or tied to one's belt.
"Alwen and Ayaki. Your trophies. Wear them with pride, as I do mine." Chumtooth gestures towards his necklace strung with the teeth taken from the devilfish and the giant grindylow.
"And these," he says, producing Plugg and Scourge's skulls, "we should mount on angaanga whatanga..a skull..rack..on the ship...as a warning to our enemies."
Victoriana gives Chumtooth a curious look, along the lines of Wait, is THIS what I signed up for? She's not sure how she feels about ninepins—since, while she always cheats at cards on principle, she doesn't know the first thing about similarly handling a bowling ball.
"Well Ayaki, I guess it's a good thing that Chumtooth didn't get one for me, made from your teeth ey?" he says with a wide grin on her face.
"Ninepins, well, sounds like fun. As long as you keep that bottle handy, I'm sure we can have a lot of fun during this way-to-hot day."
|
|
You arrive at the boathouse to find a half-dozen of the locals setting up the game in the shade and another pair pulling on the rope where the keg of beer has been cooling in the water overnight. However, the rope jerks suddenly and one man is pulled into the water with a scream while the woman has the palms of her hands burned bloody where she was holding the line. The screams and thrashing in the water indicate the man who fell into the water 5 feet below is not alone. The water itself is 20 feet deep here.
Chumtooth runs to the end of the dock, harpoon hoisted for throwing. He tries to discern what sort of sea beast has grabbed the man.
"Bloody hell! I hope the flask is okay!?" Satinder says while running beside Chumtooth, her grin ear to ear.
"Where is the man? We need to save him, as fast as possible! You, woman, get back and stay back."
Alwen was all for having himself a nice beer, but he looked a little apprehensive when he'd learned it had been cooling in the river. That seemed like it could cause problems - and it seemed that it did.
He slips forward, pulling his bow and nocking an arrow, peering down at the waters looking for a target. "Might be too late for him Captain," He tells Satinder.
Always cautious, Dantes casts Mage Armor on himself before following the others to the edge. However, he doesn't look over the side of the dock with the others. Instead, he stands behind them and watches the rest of the dock to make sure nothing pulls itself up behind them while the others try to help the victim.
|
|
Peering into the water, you see indications that the man is still alive. Then, a scaled coil breaks the surface, glittering in the sunlight. Seconds later, the head of the serpent emerges from the water. With a shock, you see slender spines and brightly colored frills stretch back from the humanlike face of this massive aquatic snake.
Victoriana pushes toward the edge of the dock to get a better look. "Hold, stranger!" she calls, seeing the creature's human face as she moves towards the water, "What quarrel d'ye have with our kind an' our grog?"
Chumtooth stands in a slight crouch, like a cat about to pounce on its prey; his arm cocked and ready to throw.
"What the #@&^ùµ is that thing?" Satinder shouts as the snakelike body becomes apparent!
She sees Victoriana addressing it, and let's her take the lead. She silently judges the distances, and moves slowly to the left, assuming Chumtooth is going to the right.
She nods at Alwen, and grabs her dagger so it is ready to be thrown if the thing proves to be (more) malicious towards them.
|
|
The creature hisses loudly, showing a mouthful of needle-like teeth. It seems to spot the man in the water for the first time and lunges towards him. In that instant, Chumtooth's harpoon leaves his hand. It nicks the creature's body, causing a small wound, but the creature twists aside, preventing a grapple.
INITIATIVE:
Chumtooth
Dantes
Ayaki
Victoriana
Satinder
Creature
Alwen
Naga: HP 53
Chumtooth draws his kukri and leaps upon the coiling creature. He tries to tear at its scaly hide with his teeth.
When Satinder curses and asks what the snake creature is, Dantes steps closer to the edge of the dock and takes a look.
Knowledge (any) , =3 if arcana, +1 if religion.
Dantes starts to cast a spell, thinking to put it upon Chumtooth. When Chumtooth leaps off the dock, Dantes silently curses and says "A moment, Alwen." instead starts to cast it on Alwen.
Starting one round action to cast Enlarge Person on Alwen.
|
|
"A water naga!" Dantes exclaims. "Venomous bite, and the ability to throw spells like a sorcerer. Very dangerous! They can speak, but most are extremely territorial and will attack those invading their turf without provocation. They change territory with the change of season, and this one was probably driven down from further upriver, likely by the heat and lack of rain."
With Chumtooth in the water, Victoriana figures her best bet is a scorching ray.
"It messed with the wrong KURU!!"Satinder shouts as she too lunges forward, wading through the water and closing in on it.
As Dantes exclaims more about it, she says "If it can cast spells, we need to keep it occupied! Don't let it throw her spells!"
--
|
|
[retro]Satinder's dagger flies through the air, sinking deeply into the creature's flesh.[/retro]
Chumtooth dives into the water, teeth seeking the thing's flesh and finding purchase as he takes the creature by surprise. He tears a mouthful of flesh and scales free and the creature wails in agony, a scream that is eerily human.
Dantes begins casting his spell while Alwen waits impatiently. Ayaki begins a song to inspire courage (+1 on attacks/damage).
Victoriana fires a scorching ray at the naga, but only succeeds in boiling a stream of water. At that point, Satinder leaps into the water behind the naga, stabbing it with her new rapier.
The creature viciously fights back, biting at Chumtooth, even as it lashes at Satinder with it's tail. It bites fiercely, but Chumtooth's armor absorbs the damage. Satinder is not so lucky and the tail slaps her in the face.
Feeling the rush of the creatures blood, and the drving rhythm of Ayaki's song, Chumtooth presses his attack:
"Incoming!" Vic shouts, and aims a gust of fire at one of the creature's coils as it breaches the surface.
The elf takes a moment to wait for Dante's magic to give him the boost he wants, speaking out to the others and giving them some sound tactical advice from the relative safety of the pier.
"Careful of it wrapping your up in its body! Don't let it get off any spells!" Alwen shouts to them
He takes aim and lets loose with an arrow right at the naga's eye, taking advantage of its distraction from Chumtooth.
|
|
Alwen's arrow flies true, striking the naga in the right eye. The creature screams again, a soul-ripping sound like that of a banshee from hell. Seizing the moment, Chumtooth strikes with his kukri, opening a line three feet long beginning at the naga's neck. It gurgles, it's innards spilling out into the murky water, then goes slack.
Drawn by the sounds of combat, Rickety pushes his way through the crowd. "By Gozreh, what a specimen! Ye've done right by me, saving me mate an' all, so I'll do right by you. I'll deduct 500 gp from the cost of yer refit."
It is yet another uncomfortably hot day. Victoriana, laying in a hammock happens to scan the horizon, noticing a flock of birds rising from the jungle further inland. The birds fly over the dry dock, and it is only then that everyone notices the workers running for cover, some risking serious injury as they leap to the ground below.
A closer examination reveals that the birds are not birds at all, but horse-sized giant wasps! They descend upon the settlement, darting among the fleeing populace, stinging and carrying off those who are paralyzed by the venom.
Before you can take cover, you find yourself facing a group of five wasps. They hover about menacingly, seeking an opening.
Initiative
Victoriana
Chumtooth
Ayaki
Satinder
Dantes
Alwen
Wasps
(+4 in bright sunlight)
(+2 w/familiar)
Wasp 2: 34 hp
Wasp 3: 34 hp
Wasp 4: 34 hp
Wasp 5: 34 hp
Chumtooth draws back and throws his harpoon at the nearest wasp.
Victoriana throws her one area spell, trying to hit as many wasps as possible.
"$^#@!!!"Satinder shouts as she stands, after sharpening her weapon.
She looks at the smart people in her group.
"Anything useful you can tell me? Like try not to get stung?"
Knowledge (nature)
Does Dantes know anything useful?
"No, 'don't get stung' about covers it." Then with a word and a gesture, he disappears.
Casting invisibility.
|
|
Victoriana blasts three of the wasps with a burning hands. All three are badly burned and buzz excitedly, shirking back in pain.
Chumtooth spears one of the wasps, his harpoon going clear through the fragile inspect. Ayaki attacks the same one, but if unable to land a blow on the agile insect. Satinder's blow is better aimed and severs the insect into two halves. Each drops to the ground, twitching madly, then lies still.
Dantes disappears as Alwen looses an arrow at one of the wasps, but his shot goes wide and sinks into a nearby wall.
Two of the wasps that Victoriana attacked retaliate against her. One misses, but the other penetrates her defenses. The sting is deep, leaving a gaping hole in the gnome's side and she staggers under the effects of the venom coursing through her veins.
The two remaining wasps attack Ayaki. One manages to hit her, sending waves of pain through her frame. She feels her muscles beginning to tighten.
Wasp 2: 34 hp
Wasp 3: 22 hp
Wasp 4: 22 hp
Wasp 5: 34 hp
Victoriana 5' steps back. "I can do this all day!" she shouts at the wasps, "Go back to your... honey... comb?"
Chumtooth smiles as he watches the great bug fall to the ground. He draws his morning star and lunges at the next one.
He gnashes his teeth at the extended leg of the creature, trying to tear it free from its carapace.
"Those things have honey combs? Damn, we should find their stash?? Imagine the amount of honey we could find."
Satinder slices at the next creature, her blade hacking at the center, where it seems to be less dense.
"I... don't know..." Victoriana replies, trying not to disappoint the new captain. "How DO you cuss out an insect?"
Dantes moves around to Chumtooth and begins casting Enlarge Person on him.
|
|
Chumtooth
Ayaki
Satinder
Dantes
Alwen
Wasps
Victoriana takes a step back and blasts the wasps with another burning hands, catching the two that she previously wounded in the area of effect.
Chumtooth draws his morning star and lunges at the nearest wasp, slamming the weapon into its carapace. The wasp falls to the ground, its wings buzzing helplessly. Chumtooth easily finishes the wasp with a bite to it's thorax.
Ayaki flanks with Satinder to attack the other wounded wasp, her rapier piercing it's midsection deeply. The creature buzzes angrily as green ichor oozes from the wound.
Taking her cue from the bard, Satinder slashes at the creature, cutting it in two. Dantes moves to begin casting a spell, as Alwen looses another arrow at a healthy wasp, the arrow finding the target and sinking deep into the insect's side.
One of the two remaining wasps attacks Ayaki, it's stinger missing her by several feet as she twists away. Alwen is not so fortunate, and the other wasp sinks it's stinger deeply into the elf.
Wasp 2: 25 hp
Wasp 3: Dead
Wasp 4: Dead
Wasp 5: 34 hp
"No, seriously, I can do this all day!" Victoriana shouts, growing bolder as she sees two more wasps fall.
Chumtooth feels his body swell and expand, and finds himself looking over the heads of his companions.
Taking advantage of his added mass, he takes a powerful swing at the nearest wasp.
He lunges with his larger jaws as well, eager to bite into the buzzing insect.
Dantes completes casting Enlarge Person on Chumtooth, then gives him an arcane nudge to aid his next attack!
In addition to finishing Enlarge Person, Dantes uses his class feature of Augment to give Chumtooth a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength for one round.
|
|
Chumtooth
Ayaki
Satinder
Dantes
Alwen
Wasps
Victoriana blasts the two remaining wasps with another burning hands spell, wilting their wings slightly and blackening their bodies.
Chumtooth sinks his blade into one of the wasps, sending it to the ground. A bite finishes the creature off.
Ayaki backpedals and casts cure light wounds on herself, recovering 3 hit points.
Satinder attacks the remaining wasp, cutting deeply into its carapace and causing it to buzz angrily, mandibles clacking.
Alwen sinks an arrow into the insect and the wasp is visibly slowed, it's wings beating the air heavily to keep itself aloft.
It tries to attack Satinder, who hurt it so badly, but it's weakness causes it to miss the target. Chumtooth, stepping to the fore, finishes it off!
No sooner have you dashed for cover than a pair of the monstrous insects snatches up a paralyzed worker and attempts to carry her back the the nest! If you act now, you might still be able to save her, but that would mean leaving the shelter...
Wasp 2: Dead
Wasp 3: Dead
Wasp 4: Dead
Wasp 5: Dead
Wasp 6: 35
Wasp 7: 35
Chumtooth growls and rushes forward to smash one of the wasps.