With everything agreed, you gather your things and prepare to set out. "Have fun," Aerys says as you're about to depart. Sasha looks ecstatic. Knowing that you will be descending a cliff today and spending much of the day at the bottom and beyond, it is best to leave Soulwind at the camp. Jask and Aerys agree to watch the horse.
You head across the clearing and back into the jungle on the south side. You follow along the cliff side, getting occasional looks out across the bay whenever the jungle thins a little bit. It takes about an hour to make it as far as you previously travelled. After about another half hour, the jungle starts to pull back from the edge of the cliff again and it soon becomes apparent this isn't just a clearing, but actually an open plain. To the east, about half a mile away, you can see another cliff rising up and more jungle on top. The open land speeds up travel quite a bit. Unfortunately, it's less than half a mile before the jungle starts up again. However, that distance in the jungle could have taken close to an hour whereas on the open ground, you cover it in about 10 minutes and save quite a bit of time.
After another hour pushing through the jungle, you reach the spot you first saw from the camp's clearing, where the cliff moves inland away from the beach. Down below, you can see a pleasant beach. You take out your ropes and climb down the 60-foot cliff face.
The beach is actually quite sandy with a few patches of rock here and there. The tide has come mostly in and small waves lap up on the shore.
The beach is also littered with quite a few shells from crabs and other crustaceans. There are occasional fishheads as well. You even spot the shell of a small sea scorpion. Makoa and Sasha detect signs of some large creatures having moved across this beach quite frequently, some sort of giant crustacean, probably a crab of some kind.
"We should keep an eye out," Sasha says. "I suspect something's going to end up as dinner, either us or the crabs. Hopefully the crabs." She frowns. "Darn, I was really looking forward to fishing."
Douena is kicking her toes into the sand and seeing how far she can bury her feet. "I hope whatever-it-is that killed that monkey doesn't come along and untie our ropes while we're down here," she says, with a glance to where their way back up the cliff dangles vulnerably in the sun.
"Well I'm not going to be sticking my feet in the water on this beach. I'd still be interested in fishing, though."
Lorenz pulls out some twine and a fish hook, finds a comfortable place to sit on a rock above the ocean waters and dips the line in.
"I'll keep an eye out. You guys do what you do.
"I don't really like shellfish, but as a wise woman drilled into me: you shalt eat what is on the table. Still, if there is a large crab around here, maybe we can hunt it." A worried frown orbits Mahjik's smile, as he ponders the finer details of hunter and hunted. Other than that, Mahjik joins Lorenz for some fishing and shouts to Sasha to come along too.
Survival, fishing 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Mahjik holds up the mangled boot that dangles from the end of his hook. "And you took me five minutes to drag out of the water. I wonder what story you have to tell," he mumbles to himself.
Sasha barely holds back a laugh as Lorenz sets about to fish and then Mahjik joins him. When Mahjik pulls out the boot, she bursts into laughter. "Okay guys! That's enough. When I mentioned fishing, I meant when we stop for break. We must have at least an hour or so left before we have to do that. Let's go!"
Mahjik and Lorenz realize that the rest of the group is looking at them with barely restrained laughter as well.
You continue along the beach, keeping wary for whatever has made the track and left the carcasses. It's not long before you catch sight of it, as two massive crabs, each about the size of a full-grown human sidle out from between a group of rocks up a head.
Order: Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Makoa.
"Looks like someone's meal has arrived!" Sasha says and moves forward towards the crabs. She draws her rapier and kukri as she goes. She stops at one of the rocks near the crabs and waits there.
Next Up: Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Makoa, Sasha.
Urza moves to N9 while preparing his crossbow for fireing.
Mahjik moves , coming to a standstill behind Sasha.
The crabs shuffle out from behind the rocks up to Sasha and Mahjik. Each one snapping one of its massive claws at them.
Next Up: Douena, Lorenz, Makoa, Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs.
Lorenz begins to move after the others, drawing his rapier as he does so. "Looks like you were right, Sasha!"
[/ooc]
Looking around for someone she can help, Douena spies Urza readying his crossbow. Skipping up to him , she touches his arm, saying, "Desna guide your aim."
Douena places the luck of Desna on Urza, and Lorenz moves up closer to the big crabs.
Next Up: Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz.
Urza isn't very religious but thinks he could use Desna's aid as he is about to fire into a frantic melee.
Lt Crossbow: to hit includes fire into melee
Lt Crossbow: damage
Second try
Lt Crossbow: to hit includes fire into melee
Lt Crossbow: damage
Makoa moves to the aid of Mahjik and Sasha, teeth flashing as he he lunges forward to crunch through carapace and flesh.
Makoa moves to the aid of Mahjik and Sasha, teeth flashing as he he lunges forward to crunch through carapace and flesh.
1d20+4-1+2
1d4+4+3
Makoa moves up and tries to bite at the giant crab in front of him, but unfortunately, his teeth don't manage to pierce its shell.
Sasha stabs at the same crab Makoa just tried to bite with her rapier and slashes with her kukri.
She does not make contact with the rapier, but she follows up with a swipe across a joint of one claw with her kukri that cuts cleanly in, but only doing minimal damage.
Urza fires his crossbow into the fray, but the bolt bounces harmlessly off the crab's carapace.
Mahjik then attacks the crab, pounding at it with his fists.
Mahjik's powerful blows manage to create cracks in the crab's hard shell, but it doesn't go down.
That same crab shifts its position slightly to get away from Makoa then snaps its claws at Mahjik.
Mahjik nimbly dodges both attacks. The other crab snaps at Sasha.
One claw snaps across the length of her arm, drawing a stream of blood with it. Sasha grimaces but does not look deterred.
Aakif, who was briefly distracted by something he thought he saw over the water (turned out to just be a bird) moves forward to flank the injured crab with Mahjik, drawing his falchion as he approaches .
Next Up: Lorenz, Makoa, Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif.
Douena moves over to Lorenz and touches him as he prepares to wade into the melee. "Desna's own luck be with you," she says, adding under her breath, "the goddess knows you need it."
"the goddess knows you need it."
Next Up: Makoa, Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena.
Aakif shakes himself out of his torpor and brings his heavy two-handed sword down on the nearest crab's broad back, hoping to crack the shell and deal the creature a mortal wound.
Mindful of his training with Sasha, Lorenz moves to where he can be of help to her.
There he thrusts his rapier forward at the crab.
Lorenz moves up and stabs at the crab, but it moves aside from his blow.
Next Up: Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz.
Makoa snarls as he bites at the closest scorpion, a feral gleam in his eyes...
Makoa makes another ferocious bite, but unfortunately, does not pierce the crab's shell again.
Sasha attacks again.
This time the rapier pierces the crab.
Next Up: Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Makoa, Sasha.
Not wanting to accidentally hit one of his fellow castaways, Urza puts away his crossbow and moves to P6 to prepare to attack the crab next turn.
As Urza moves up, Mahjik continues to let fly his fists and feet.
He lands one blow, shaking it up quite a bit. The crab is starting to wobble on its feet as the crack in its shell spreads and splinters. It snaps angrily at Mahjik.
Mahjik tries to dodge, but trips on a bit of rock protruding through the sand and the two claws snap closed over each of his shoulders holding him ever so briefly before the pull away dripping blood.
The other crab attacks Sasha.
Sasha finds herself pressed against the rock beside her and can't move out of the way in time. Both claws snap across her stomach. With a gasp and cough of blood, she falls over, blood pouring from the wound.
With the crab in front of Aakif momentarily distracted with its attack on Mahjik, Aakif takes advantage and brings his falchion down, almost splitting the crab in two. It collapses with a loud squelch.
Next Up: Lorenz, Makoa, Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crab, Aakif.
Dismayed at the wounds that Sasha has suffered, Lorenz mustered his strength and thrust again.
Douena squeaks in alarm as she sees Sasha fall. Scrambling between her companions and around the limp crab Aakif has just downed , she flings herself down on her knees behind Mahjik and throws her hands onto Sasha's bleeding body. "Desna, she's not ready for her final journey yet," she pleads.
A healing light spreads over Sasha's limp body, and the gaping wound on her stomach closes over and the bleeding stops. Sasha gasps and opens her eyes. She is still badly hurt, but she is stable and conscious .
Lorenz thrusts at the crab, but does not pierce its shell.
Next Up: Sasha, Urza, Mahjik, Crabs, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz.
Makoa, the feral gleam in his eye growing brighter as Sasha falls, lunges forward to grab the crab.
"Stay down, Sasha," Douena urges her. "The rest of them will take care of the crab. If you get up, it'll pinch you again."
The crab snaps in retaliation at Makoa as he lunges for it.
Its claw scrapes across his arm as he tries to grab it. He gets his hands on it and almost manages to hold it, but it slips free.
Sasha nods ever so slightly and closes her eyes, playing dead.
Next Up: Mahjik, Crab, Aakif, Douena, Lorenz, Makoa, Sasha.
Sasha nods ever so slightly and closes her eyes, playing dead.
Seeing Sasha fall sends Aakif into a cold rage. The air around him shimmers ever so slightly as he springs forward, and a sound like a distant tortured wailing fills the air as his great falchion whistles downwards in a glittering arc to shatter the shell of the giant crab.
Urza takes a 5 foot step to 5Q and strikes against the crab.
Claw: to hit
Claw: damage
Claw: to hit
Claw: damage
Mahjik tumbles out of reach of the crab, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "Wise man would seek distance with giant crustaceans - is wisdom distinctly lacking in my studies. I'll see about adding it to the canon."
Urza moves in and claws at the crab, managing to get past its thick shell on both occasions. Mahjik steps aside as the crab claws at Lorenz.
Aakif moves in and attacks . He brings his falchion down, splitting open the crab and spilling its innards. It is quite dead.
Sasha opens one eye and then the other. "Well, that was fun!" she says cheerily, but then groans as she tries to sit up. Her smile vanishes to be replaced with a grimace of pain. "And painful. At least we're not their lunch."
"Mahjik and Lorenz -- and someone help Sasha," Douena instructs, "come over here away from the crabs and I'll ask Desna to heal all of you. I don't want to accidentally make the crabs feel better, too; that one Aakif split open looks pretty dead, but I'm not sure the other one is completely past Desna's ability to get back on his feet yet."
Once everyone who was hurt is well away from the crabs, Douena will channel positive energy to heal them.
"Well," she says cheerfully, "we ought to have enough to eat for a while with all of that crabmeat -- if we can get all of it back up the cliff."
Aakif looks pensive following his dispatch of the second crab, but shakes out of it and helps the others with Sasha. "I'm pretty sure both crabs are swimming in the Eternal Ocean by now, Douena, but caution won't hurt us here."
Once Sasha is tended to, he turns back to the two carcasses. "Unless someone knows how to prepare giant crabs here, I suggest we just wrap them up in some spare cloth and drag them along with us back to the camp. They're heavy, but if two or three of us work with each, they won't slow us down too much."
Mahjik smiles at Douena, "Thanks little one, and tell your goddess I appreciate it as well; Desna certainly has a way with shredded shoulders and weary limbs." Looking over to Lorenz and Sasha he laughs: "Now we are battle blooded brethren! It is great to see you up Sasha! I felt my heart plummet when those claws tore into your tummy; I like you much better up laughing than on your back."
Looking at the crabs he looks just a little paler now, "I really don't like eating shellfish.", his body tautens a little, "But it will have to be. This too is part of my training." He grimaces.
Sasha grins. "Battle blooded brethren! I like the sound of that." She turns to Douena. "Thank you. I thought I might be a goner there for a moment."[/b] She looks down at her stomach where her top was torn from the claw. What used to be a thick gash is now just a nasty bruise. "I'm gonna hurt for a little while, but at least I'm alive!"
She goes over to the bodies of the crabs and looks them over. "I wonder if there's a way we can hide these from other predators while we continue exploring. That way we wouldn't have them to slow us down and we could just pick them up on the way back." She starts examining the rocks the crabs climbed out of.
"Ooh, is there treasure?" Douena pipes up with interest, running over to join Sasha in poking through the rocks. "Animals like shiny things sometimes. If they ate any people off a shipwreck, maybe there's treasure."
Looking at the crabs he looks just a little paler now, "I really don't like eating shellfish."
Aakif grins toothily at Mahjik. "I'll gladly eat your share, Wise Man. I'll even give you my share of lizard-chicken meat in return!"