You go about a quarter mile, avoiding the skull-crows, before the trail path splits, one branch leading northwest, the other northeast.
"Any of you know enough of nature to find fresh water on this island? If so, let's head in that direction, otherwise let's get high ground and see what we can see." Bud directs the party towards the potential fresh water or higher ground.
"Anyone know anything about the squid-things? Where do we look for lairs? I'm assuming along the water, somewhere."
Cargas grunts.
"I don't know why you're thinking that they'd still be alive if the lairs are underwater. They are probably long drowned by now. Nothing we could about it either," Cargas says, following Budos.
"Let's get our water, get our food, and get back to the ship. We got places to go, don't we Captain?"
* * *
"Any of you know enough of nature to find fresh water on this island?" Bud directs the party towards the potential fresh water or higher ground.
Cargas begins looking for fresh water as well. Cargas looks around at the party.
"I don't suppose any of you all have a way to carry water back to ship, do you? I don't think what I can hold in my pisser is going to do much to slack the thirst of those waiting for us."
The path continues about a mile and a half, flies and mosquitoes buzzing around you under the stifling heat, before giving way to a swampy salt marsh .
Cargas slaps at a mosquito, annoyed.
"Mosquitos...can't eat them, can we? At least not before they eat us," Cargas steps a foot into the soggy ground, testing it.
"We're not likely to find fresh water in a swamp. We should go another way."
Cargas looks around.
"Are there any hills or mountains about? That might be a better place to start looking."
Cargas looks for elevation.
Perception
Bud follows the lead of Cargas. "Yar, let's find the highest ground. If I was stuck on this island I'd want to be at the best place for seeing ships and signaling to them."
"I don't know why you're thinking that they'd still be alive if the lairs are underwater. They are probably long drowned by now. Nothing we could about it either."
Nim keeps up with the rest while answering Cargas. "I got no clue how the creatures live, so unless you're an expert on the squidies, I'd assume we have a fifty-fifty chance the creatures enjoy the water, but not enough to stay below the waves. They seemed to enjoy the deck of our ship well enough." The half-orc looks at the elf with a shrug, willing the chance to reclaim their true healer.
Meanwhile, Magilla brings along a coconut not fully clipped in two. He claps it several times like a castanet, stopping every once and awhile to scrap the meat from the interior.
"There! A for to the west. We can see more of the island that way," Cargas says, prompting his captain that way.
"Thinking more, those corn growers probably had a source of fresh water nearby, huh? Might be we should search there again if we fail elsewhere."
Brood shrugs at each of the suggestions. "I've never seen a half goblin-squid before, don't know where they live, and I don't know anything about finding potable water on islands in the middle of the damn ocean. Any direction's as good as another just so long as we keep moving. That bluff to the west is fine, Offal."
Bud leads the party back to the branch in the trail. "Let's head west and aim for that ridge, we'll force off the trail if needed. Keep yer eyes open for signs of water."
Cargas follows his bushwhacking captain.
HawHaw! 'Bush'-whacking...hawhaw! I said 'bush'. Hawhaw!
You backtrack and then take the other branch of the path, traveling about a mile under the heavy forest before arriving at a rocky cliff that towers some 500 feet over the island. Much of it is covered by trees but fortunately simple steps have been carved into the cliff and the vegetation has been cleared along the path, making your ascent easier, though your legs are burning as you reach the top.
At the summit, a well-built timber stockade surrounds a small lodge in a jungle clearing. Vines wrap and strangle a great tree that rises next to the lodge, blocking light from above. Beside it is a bubbling spring.
The stockade walls are made of sharpened wooden stakes 7 feet high, though the gate is ajar.
A weathered spyglass is fixed onto the southern stockade wall.
The spyglass seems to have been deliberately fixed in its position, pointing south.
Brood frowns at the stockade and lodge. "Hey! Anybody home?!"
There's no reply.
Cargas approaches and bangs on a door/tree/whatever, repeating Brood's call (except much less like an elf ninny).
"If nobody home, won't take me too long to chop my way in."
There is no answer.
Bud focuses on footprints, then roundly complains as Cargas stomps around the area.
Cargas shrugs as his axe is not (yet) needed. He follows Budos into the area, keeping his own eyes open.
Perception
Survival - any fresh tracks?
"Once upon a time I read a tale of a lost colony, called 'Rowan Oake' or some such. Colony was thriving, but when a resupply ship came to call, everyone was gone and a strange word carved in the wall. This gives me the same creepy feeling." Gezza keeps his eyes peeled.
Cargas doesn't find any fresh tracks but as he and Budos make their way into the stockade, two long limbs reach out of the tree and slash and grab at them! Budos manages to avoid the worst of it but five wide, spiny claws latch around Cargas' neck
The two green-skinned wretches, with long, pliable arms like tentacles, lurk 10 feet up in the tree branches.
You think they're some sort of variant choker, adapted to jungle living instead of their usual subterranean haunts.
Budos swings his axe at the long arms of the creature grappling Cargas. "Unhand him, and join our crew, yer lot would be perfect in the rigging."
Budos: 25
Antagonists: 18
Cargas: 17
Gezza: 8
Nimrod: 13
Sicarius: 11
Budos swings wildly at the creature, which reaches out with both arms and slashes at him again, though again he manages to avoid the worst of it, pulling his neck out of its grasp.
The second creature slashes at Cargas, at the same time squeezing his neck as it sinks its claws in deeper
Seeing Cargas turn blue, Gezza aims at the foe who is hitting him, moving to below the tree and next to Cargas and aiming a color spray up at him!
Brood draws his sword and sends familiar magics cascading down its length before he sends a pulsing orb of force darting through the air and into the creature holding Cargas. "Drop the dwarf. If you eat him, you'll regret it."
HP: 15/15
AC: 16 (15 T / 11 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +3/+3/+3 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 2/4
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (2) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (0+1) - magic missile [X], shield [ ]
Ongoing Effects
arcane pool (1/10 rounds): +1/+1
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Cargas waits to see if the chokey jerk makes his save.
Round 1
Having no ranged weapons, Cargas struggles to get free.
CMD
Budos swoons from blood loss as he strikes a last desperate blow at the arms gripping Cargas, then shifts back away from the creatures.
Nim takes note of the spyglass, preparing to advance in its direction to take in further observations, before the attack ensues...
...
Round 1, Init 13
AC = 17
HP = 19/19
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 13
HP = 19/19
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = None
Startled out of his purpose, Nim looks up into the tree and fires a shot at the creature not currently grappling someone.
He barks at Magilla to climb and attack. The big ape waffles, uninterested in following orders. Nim tries to force Magilla to comply.
The ape seems to understand well enough to climb, and swing at one of the strange creatures.
Gezza: 8
Cargas: 17
Nimrod: 13
Sicarius: 11
Budos: 25
Antagonists: 18
Gezza's spell has no effect on the tree-creature, the foliage seeming to block enough of the spray that it doesn't even notice, and Cargas struggles to break its grip.
Nim fires a wild shot then urges Magilla into the tree, but the gorilla's aim is thrown off as the creature surprisingly grabs him around the throat with his other hands, claws digging deep as it grabs hold.
The badly injured Budos hacks at its arm as Sicarius blasts it with magic, but the combined blows aren't enough to put it down and it continues its assault, choking Cargas into unconsciousness though Magilla barely manages to slip free.
The second edges closer and slashes at Magilla, but the branches block its blows as it maneuvers for a clear path to the simian.
C1:
C2: 12
Seeing the dwarf go limp, Sicarius' frown deepens dangerously as he rips a dagger free from his bandolier and hurls it toward the creature, hoping to bring it down.
HP: 15/15
AC: 16 (15 T / 11 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +3/+3/+3 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 2/4
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (2) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (0+1) - magic missile [X], shield [ ]
Ongoing Effects
arcane pool (2/10 rounds): +1/+1
Round 2
Cargas dies a little more.
Stabilization Check
"Captain, we have to do something about Cargas. I swear he dies at least once a battle!" Gezza's pale face belies his joking tone and he sends a ray of frost arcing at the strangler! for cold damage!
Round 2, Init 13
AC = 17
HP = 19/19
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 13
HP = 13/19
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Grappled
Nim struggles to decide where to assist. He growls low when Magilla is seized, so decides to target the creatures well capable of injuring them all further. He starts to regret sending the ape into the trees... He shoots at the creature grappling Magilla.
Magilla grunts and howls, unhappy with his current predicament. He doesn't have to go far to show his displeasure, as he tries to rip the thing apart, from within its grasp.
"Captain, we have to do something about Cargas. I swear he dies at least once a battle!"
"It's only right that the porter becomes the portee now and then."
Bud shifts back again, drops his axe, draws his spear, and throws it at the creature grappling Cargas. "Unhand me crew, ya leafy swab."
Gezza: 8
Cargas: 17
Nimrod: 13
Sicarius: 11
Budos: 25
Antagonists: 18
Gazza and Nimrod miss the creature killing Cargas, but Brood and Budos have better luck, and the creature falls from the tree, transfixed by blade and spear.
Magilla gets his teeth into the remaining creature but it slashes back, and manages to wrap one set of claws around the big ape's neck.
C1: 6
Round 3, Init 13
AC = 17
HP = 19/19
Weapon Equipped = Longbow
Condition(s) = None
AC = 13
HP = 3/19
Weapon Equipped = Meatpaws and Teeth
Condition(s) = Grappled
Nim continues firing, more and more frustrated with himself for failing to land a single strike on the hideous, choking things.
Sensing its proximity to unconsciousness, the ape tries to return the punishment, clobbering and biting as he can.
Round 3
Cargas dies a little more.
Stabilization Check
Bud draws his dagger and flings it at the creature gripping Magilla...
...then he moves to Cargas to cover the dwarf from another attack. "Gezza, can you help him? He's already spilled more blood then his stubby body should hold."
Nim listens closely on the others examining the dying dwarf. His attention moves back and forth between him and the still conscious ape. "I only have one surge of healing left today. We could really use Sandara back..."
Gezza nods curtly and begins to work on the bloody dwarf.
Brood rips another dagger free and sends it whistling through the air for the remaining creature assailing the ape.
HP: 15/15
AC: 16 (15 T / 11 FF)
CMD: 17
F/R/W: +3/+3/+3 (+2 vs enchantment, immune sleep)
Arcane Pool used: 2/4
Tidewater Hydraulic Push (1/day): [ ]
Besmara's Blessing (1/week): [ ]
Spells Prepared:
Cantrips (2) - acid splash, flare, read magic
Level 1 (0+1) - magic missile [X], shield [ ]
Ongoing Effects
arcane pool (3/10 rounds): +1/+1
Gezza: 8
Cargas: 17
Nimrod: 13
Sicarius: 11
Budos: 25
Antagonists: 18
Gezza is able to stop Cargas from bleeding out, barely in time to save the dwarf, as their companions continue to attack the remaining choker, though only Magilla is able to hit it, clawing into the creature. The blows knock it unconscious from its perch, but not before it's convulsive grab at the gorilla does the same to the big creature, who also falls hard from the tree.
Gezza kneels over the dwarf, shoving entrails back inside as he desperately tries to hold the dwarf to life. Fortunately he does, but as he straightens up, his hands once more living up to his nickname, he makes a face. "Do dwarves traditionally have two of these?" He weighs the oddly shaped organ in his hand, then tosses it into the overgrowth. "Oh well. I'm sure he can live without it."
Round 4
Cargas, thanks to Gezza, dies much more slowly.
Cutlass attack@most wounded:
to hit; (+favenemy)
damage.
Bud tends to his own wounds by roughly wrapping ripped bits of cloth around the worst gashes. "We're a sorry lot of swabs already and those leafy wretches tore us bad. Hopefully this stockade offers some shelter, get yer strength and yer feet beneath you, we need to secure our position, if the squid goblins attack now we're done for."