The group proceeds without incident. Gansukh's muscle pushes aside the occasional branches/vines with ease, though the group's pace is slower for the smallfolk. Trees bearing various manners of tropical fruit are visible, and colorful birds flit through the canopy. The occasional monkey is seen in the foliage.
After some time, a clearing appears in front of you. The footpath expands into a small basin. A half-dozen huts little the meadow. It is an exposed area, and a quiet one - from here anyway.
whispers tell the ones in the back we've got a small village, we should carefully scout it first then come back if it's safe find who's willing
Filios walks back an informs the others in a low whisper.
There is a small village of huts ahead. Gansukh and I will scout it out and return. Be ready.
Filios returns to Gansukh.
Come, my friend...like mice.
With little cover, the two descend. The path doesn't travel directly to the village, but seems to wind around some stones. After a few, it's clear they are placed. Glancing at them, you realize they are tombstones - crude ones. There are symbols atop them, but none of any religion you recognize. The names sound human enough though.
The place seems deserted until you come about level with the ground the huts rest upon and see around the back of the first few huts. It seems some of them (3, to be precise) have small gardens in the back. A copper-skinned woman is working one. She seems not to notice you.
There seem to be plants bearing fruit of some sort she is watering, then she gets on her knees and begins to tend to the soil. A man steps out to say a few words to her, but you're much to far away to hear them - 100 feet or so. He disappears back into the hut before long.
Though the material the structures are made out of is simple, there appear to be multiple rooms. The thatch exterior with occasional branches for supports at certain points leaves much to be desired in the way of architecture, but the building seems to hold up just fine. In the shallow basin it sits, wind wouldn't be too bad - especially with the ring of dense jungle around it. The fibrous nature of the thatch would repel the rain.
From what you saw of the couple, the man looked much like the woman (though he was without a shirt). Both had skin of deeper tones, and both wore clothes of common color and make.
See those people? Their clothing would seem to indicate that they are not as isolated as it seems. Perhaps we could just approach them as friendly?
Filios whispers to Gansukh,
Let's wave up the others. There does not appear to be a threat.
let's be a touch more cautious then that, perhaps you should go up and introduce yourself and let them know there's more of us?
Filios sheathes his Curveblad and steps out of cover and walks casually toawards the woman working in the garden. He puts on his best smile and stops 20 feet from the woman, and in common, says,
Hail the house! Good morning, ma'am. We are shipwrecked vistors from afar, and we would like to introduce ourselves.
The woman's eyes go wide with fear as she looks up from her digging at Filios. Her mouth quivers, and she calls out in an odd language.
Her legs do not move though, and she holds her ground .
Sal whispers to Haggin. "Something tells me I need to learn this blasted language they all keep speaking"
rushes to Filios side with his tetsubo at the ready
he shouts Foul abysaall allies! Filios be careful thats demon talk!
Ariston rolls his eyes at the shouting and heads down towards his two companions. He arrives at Gansukh's shoulder and hisses at the man in a language even more odd than the one the woman spoke in.
"Now, stop your yelling. You'll scare them off. Er... whoever they are."
He turns to Filios. "Who are they?"
eyes Ariston
They are both tongues of oni and demons alike! Perhaps you can talk to them and find out why they know that tongue, and later perhaps you can tell me why you know it
I do not understand the language, but let's not threaten them, just yet. Can anyone understand the language?
As the man arrives out with a shovel looking alarmed, the woman begins to sob. She looks up in-between bursts at Ariston.
The man's fight leaves him, and he merely stands waiting, planting his shovel in the ground, his eyes darting between the woman and the party.
Ariston looks both uncomfortable and nonplussed at the sobbing, but attempts to make a response to the somewhat incoherent blathering.
He pulls out a stained and slightly torn handkerchief from an inside pocket, and thrusts it at the woman. Comforting people is obviously not his forte.
Looks visibly relaxed
what's she saying?
I'm not so sure this is going all that well. Haggin just watches as the scene unfolds.
Well, they are not attacking.
Dristen follows the others down the slope. He starts when he sees the two natives. Is that was a demon looks like? It looks so...human. I probably should have stayed at the temple longer to learn stuff like this. Confused, Dristen sidles up to Haggin. Is that a demon? He asks in a whisper?
I would hope not. If it is I won't be able to tell the humans and the demons apart. I was hopeful you might be able to determine one from the other.
The man's expression remains the same, but the woman looks up from the ground at the alchemist.
As she speaks, the speech of the woman seems hurried but not hostile.
Ariston, mouth slightly agape at the sudden change in behavior, tucks his handkerchief back into his pocket. He places a hand over his chest, and says, "Ariston." And then,
He looks around at his companions and begins to whisper furiously at them. "First she said that they were behind on their crops. I told her we weren't here for their crops, but were lost and desired information. But now she wants us to take them from the island! She's being quite forward about it, too."
"They don't seem dangerous, and we could use some natives. They could tell us what we need to know. I'd hazard a guess they're being threatened by something that takes their crops in return for protection. The question is, do we attract attention to ourselves by bringing them along? What do you all think?"
Perhaps the better question is where we are. If we know that perhaps wald can navigate us back from there
Before we agree to do anything we need to find out where we are and what exactly is going on here. They do not seem to understand we are strangers in a strange land.
As the group begins speaking with each other in common, the couple begins exchanging words in a tongue you don't understand. They aren't speaking loud, nor are they trying to conceal their speech from you. The man moves towards the woman and stops a few feet away. He carries his shovel in his left hand.
Haggin moves in a bit closer, trying to see if he can figure out what their mannerisms might be telling him about their intentions or mood.
Ariston waits a moment for any more input from his companions before nodding and turning back to the couple. He speaks slowly and carefully, trying to communicate as best he can.
It is clear to you the woman is fearful while the man is guarded. Neither looks of warrior muscle, though neither is weak from their work outdoors.
It takes them a moment to process, but this time the man responds.
Ariston turns back to the group.
"That was a little less clear, but I believe what he said was that devils came here to Hell's Maw, and made slaves of the populace. Apparently the other people who lived here were slow, and these two left."
Another about face, and he's turned back towards the couple.
It's clear their vocabulary isn't at the alchemist's level, though both seem to be friendly towards you.
Ariston turns once more back to the group. "I get the feeling that that's all we'll get out of them. Perhaps if we take them away, they'd feel more open to discussion, but for now it appears they merely to desire to leave. Shall we take them and go? It seems we've found what we came here for, even if translation may be somewhat difficult. I fear to tarry here, if devils may be on the prowl. Certainly it is no place for prolonged discourse."
Nothing has moved from the few other huts. Their crops seem to be well-kept though. A variety of vegetables and some fruit populates the fields, the occasional tree among the bushes and vines. You don't see any livestock, but hoes and the like are visible.
Across the open area, there is another path winding up the ridge into the jungle once more, but the thick rainforest leaves no indication of what lurks beyond. In any event, it's a Northerly path, opposite of the direction back to your ship.
Ok, so are we contemplating returning to the ship? maybe we should show them the way back to shore and have them await our return after further exploration? are we looking for another piece of land to find? I would like to know how big this island really is.
Perhaps these folks can act as our guides. They must have some idea of what is on this island or land. I do not think leading them to the shore and simply leaving them there is what they have in mind.
I agree with Haggin, we can't just take them somewhere and leave them. I think we should keep exploring though. We need to learn a lot more about this place.
I agree, let's move. Ariston, can you determine how many others there are, if any, in these other huts?
Perhaps we can share with them some rations, it's different food for them at least, and stay here and talk with them? Get them at ease and find out what else is here on the island, surely someone is here that knows where this place is roughly
"I wouldn't bet on it. Most people I know couldn't tell you much past their treeline let alone what is in the next county over. For that we would need their leaders, and something tells me their leaders are the kind we would like to avoid."
Hearing the much talk between the party, the couple's eyes bright a bit. The man sets down his shovel and heads inside, while the woman gathers a basket with some of the fruits. Jall returns with a bundle of clothing - nothing ornate, but durable wear.
Ariston raises his hands placatingly and nods at the woman.
"She says that they will not explore further into the island with us. She says we must leave. The "bad masters" are apparently quite the threat. I agree with you, Dristen, that we must keep exploring this place. But they will not come, and I am not willing to threaten them into doing so. It seems we have a number of options, and none of them superlative."
"Firstly, if we were going to share food and stay here longer, Gansukh, it seems to me we might as well just head back to the boat. We then gather as much information as possible from them and return tomorrow. We could also leave them here and explore further, either with or without one of us for protection and investigation. I doubt any of us would be willing to be relegated to that duty, however. Or we could lead them back to the beach, which I also agree is a less than stellar plan. The last two I find worrying. They might strain relations. Regardless, it's your call, friends."
I'm not that comfortable bringing strangers to our boat and then leaving them there. What is to say they would not turn hostile in our absence? If we are to explore further, perhaps we'd bring them to the boat afterwards.
The couple nods.
I agree, let's have them await our return, and continue to act as if we were never here. we can grab them up later.
sounds like the best of plans we could make right now he nods in agreement with Filios
The woman begins to sob, and the man's more stoic face turns to anger.
Ariston looks horrified. How does one handle a crying woman when one is, in a way, threatening her to such emotion? He hopes she will recover as quickly as she had the previous time, but it feels as if he is much more at fault than before.
He's positively hissing with rage when he leans in towards his companions. "She didn't seem to take well to that suggestion! She seems to think it's quite likely they will be taken away and enslaved! Best plan, my behind! Help me! What do I say?!"
Just tell them we are going to find their masters to teach them a lesson for making them slaves. If they want to come, they can.