"I'm not getting on that ship. We get on there and they have us trapped. You go if you want to, but I know - not think - know it is a trap."
Looking a little stunned by Urza's words of wisdom, Lorenz nodded. "I agree. They might be inviting us to dinner but I think we'd be the main course. Don't go over Douena. Remember your dream? It wasn't an invitation but a threat!"
Douena makes her way across the bridge, followed by Mahjik. The vegepygmies motion a couple more times at the remainder of the party to cross. After everyone has crossed who is going to cross , the vegepygmies cross back over themselves.
Once on deck, the leader begins making hand signals to the other pygmies. Two of them signal him back with similar hand movements and go below deck. He then begins motioning at Douena and Mahjik. After a few moments, you get the impression he is trying to tell you to wait.
"He says 'wait,'" Douena whispers helpfully to Mahjik, as she reaches out to squeeze his hand. "I'm glad you came across with me. It's much less scary with two." She smiles reassuringly at the pygmy captain, to show him she is happy to abide by his wishes.
After a few minutes, the two pygmies who went below deck come back up carrying mold-encrusted bowls. The bowls are filled with all manner of fungus. They hand one bowl to Mahjik and one to Douena, then stand back. The chieftain makes several hand and arm gestures at you and then mimes eating out of the bowl.
The fungus does not look very appetizing and you have serious doubts as to whether it's safe to eat.
Exhanging a worried glance with Mahjik, Douena quickly renews her smile at the chieftan and cautiously inserts her fingers into the bowl. Holding a bit of fungus to her lips, she pretends to eat it, then attempts to let it slip down her sleeve.
In an effort to redirect the pygmies' attention, she holds the bowl out to the chieftan and asks, gesturing around at the rest of them, "Is this what your people eat?"
Douena manages to slip the fungus down her sleeve, but unfortunately one of the pygmies spots her doing it. That vegepygmy points at her sleeve and begins making frantic gestures at the chieftain. The chieftain bangs his spear shaft on the deck and steps up to Douena. He grabs a piece of fungus from the bowl and holds it up to her mouth.
The other vegepygmies point their spears at Douena and Mahjik and wait for them to eat.
Mahjik smiles broadly and takes out some leftover crab that was intended for supper (he doesn't really want it any way) and offers it to the chieftain. "I understand, and thank you for your generosity - please take this small token of our gratitude."
Douena glares at the sharp-eyed pygmy. "Desna just saved your life, you ungrateful little plant guy." She smiles as Mahjik produces the crab. "Yes, it's our custom to share our food," she tells the chieftan, "just as you've shared yours. It would be very rude of us to eat your food without you eating ours."
The chieftain lets go of the fungus he's holding in front of Douena's mouth. It drops back into the bowl. He takes the crab meat from Mahjik and runs it between his fingers. With his other hand, he slams his spear against the deck again, then tosses the crab meat over the side and into the water. He points at Douena's bowl and then at her mouth.
Mahjik nods his head, friendly-like; he points to the bowl of fungus and motions with his hand to his mouth in a display of chewing, then points to himself and begins wiggling his arms and legs in a vaguely vegepygmian way; trying to illustrate a process of transformation. Then looks at the chieftain expectantly.
Looking to the others, Lorenz asks, "How long are we going to wait out here before we go save them? Do you think they're going to be able to scream when the moldy-men begin to kill them?"
Mahjik nods his head, friendly-like; he points to the bowl of fungus and motions with his hand to his mouth in a display of chewing, then points to himself and begins wiggling his arms and legs in a vaguely vegepygmian way; trying to illustrate a process of transformation. Then looks at the chieftain expectantly.
7
Douena watches Mahjik's performance with a puzzled look. "See, he's trying to tell you eating this food will make us sick... I think." She decides to give diplomacy one last try. "I don't think people like you and people like us eat the same kinds of food. What's really very yummy to you might not be good for us to eat at all -- just like you didn't want the food Mahjik gave you." She smiles at the captain. "We'd really be a lot more comfortable about trying your food," she holds up the bowl, "if you weren't threatening to poke us if we didn't." She points to the spear points and then lowers her finger to the deck of the ship, asking them to be lowered.
The vegepygmy chieftain looks intensely at Douena for a few moments, then makes a lowering gesture at the other pygmies. They lower their spears.
The sound of the water drowns out most of the sounds from the ship. He is able to hear when the chieftain bangs his spear on the deck, but otherwise can't hear what's going on.
Lorenz starts making his way across to the ship.
The sound of the water drowns out most of the sounds from the ship. He is able to hear when the chieftain bangs his spear on the deck, but otherwise can't hear what's going on.
"There," Douena chirps. "Isn't that much more neighborly?" Her smile falters, however, as she looks down at the bowl of fungus. "Ugh," she sighs. "Well, he did what I asked. Do you suppose it's really awful, Mahjik? Whatever it does, it's got to be better than listening to Lorenz say 'I told you so.'" Gripping her holy symbol and looking up to the sky, she says, "Desna, bless this food and make it not kill me." She plucks out the smallest piece she can find in the bowl, squeezes her eyes shut tightly, hesitates for a long moment, then quickly pops it in her mouth.
Lorenz starts making his way across to the ship.
1d20 + 5
1d20 + 1
Douena pops the fungus in her mouth. It tastes similar to a very dry mushroom. She swallows.
Nothing horrible happens. The chieftain looks at Mahjik, waiting for him to do the same.
Lorenz makes it to the ship at this moment. The vegepygmies turn towards him as he climbs onto the deck. They raise their spears, but the chieftain motions to lower them again. He makes a few hand signals and one of the pygmies rushes below deck again.
"Hi, Lorenz," Douena waves at him. "I think you're going to have to eat a mushroom now." She turns to Mahjik. "It wasn't that bad. Just try not to look at it."
1d20+8
It would appear to be collected from the same fungus as can be found about this small island. She can't determine anything she didn't determine previously ; however, it does occur to her that if the fungus is poisonous (which it probably is), its effects will likely take some time to set in.
Lorenz takes in the scene with a look of profound disgust. "If they think I'm going to eat some of that filth, they're even crazier than I thought." He reached for his rapier, drew it, and then lowers it to the deck in the same way that the other mold-men have their spears lowered.
"There. Now we're even. I'm sure to regret this, Douena, but it won't make for a very good story if you and Mahjik get killed without anyone to witness it."
He readies himself to get attacked, determined to get a few good licks in before they dismember him and feed his body parts to the mold.
Mahjik laughs at Lorenz, "You only need to worry about yourself then; I'm here to make sure the little one gets out alive again." He takes a handful of the food and gobbles it down messily.
"It's only half as bad as you'd think. But I still prefer Jask's handiwork."
Lorenz sighs at Mahjik's words and looks sick at the way he gobbles down the fungus. "Cayden's breath," he mutters.
Douena gazes at Lorenz with concern. "If you didn't want to eat the fungus, then you should have stayed on the shore. They don't seem to like to have their hospitality refused." She grows a bit indignant. "If I ate that mushroom and maybe poisoned myself just to make friends with these plant-people, you'd better not waste the effort by making them mad again. We could have fought our way out without eating the fungus."
The pygmy who went below deck returns with another bowl of fungus. He shoves it at Lorenz.
Lorenz shoves the bowl back at the mold-man. "I'm not eating that." He looks at Mahjik and Douena. "Are you two crazy? Have you learned anything about this place, or this fungus or this ship? What do you think you're accomplishing here, Douena?"
The vegepygmy chieftain slams his spear against the deck angrily. He makes several more hand gestures and the other pygmies raise their spears again. They move between the three of you and position themselves so that three have their spears pointed directly at Lorenz.
Lorenz looks at the mold-men and frowns. Then he glances at Douena and Mahjik. "I don't think your friendship overtures have worked that well, Douena. Friends don't force their guests to eat at spearpoint."
He raises the tip of his rapier. "I'm not eating that filth," he tells the mold-men.
Lorenz shoves the bowl back at the mold-man. "I'm not eating that." He looks at Mahjik and Douena. "Are you two crazy? Have you learned anything about this place, or this fungus or this ship? What do you think you're accomplishing here, Douena?"
"Well, maybe we'd be learning something now if you'd have just stayed on the shore," Douena replies hotly. "I'd like to think we don't have to destroy all life on this island just to survive. The flappybites attacked us, too: Are you going to go back to camp and smash Sasha's egg to 'protect' us? Are you going to go force your way into that guy's crabshell-house and kill him just because he won't do what you tell him to? If you don't want to try to get along with the plant-people, fine! Mahjik and I ate the mushrooms; now maybe they would have let us explore the ship. Why do you have to shove your way in and ruin everything?"
Lorenz looks shocked and hurt at Douena's angry words. "I was the one who said we shouldn't kill all the lizardwings. I'm the one who said we should respect the crab man's privacy. These...things...have already attacked us twice! They forced you to eat this disgusting fungus that you told us was dangerous! You're the one who said that Desna was warning you about this place! I'm here to try to help you, you ungrateful little..." he struggles to find the right word.
"Meanie!"
Forgetting completely the spears pointed at him, Lorenz slams his rapier back into its scabbard. "Well fine, let them kill you for all I care!" He turns and begins to climb as rapidly as he can across the bridge back to the island.
"Meanie!"
"Oh!" Douena gasps, as the epithet strikes home and tears start to her eyes.
Order: Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Vegepygmies #2-5, Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Vegepygmy Chieftain.
After speaking angrily with Douena, Lorenz climbs onto the fungus bridge, moving more quickly than the pygmies are able to react.
Slightly startled by Lorenz's brazen behaviour, the pygmies near the edge (#3 and #5) react by throwing their spears at him. The other two (#2 and #4) stab at Mahjik.
One spear nips Lorenz's neck, but doesn't do serious damage. Mahjik easily avoids both attacks on him.
Mahjik then lays into #2. The vegepygmy avoids the first attack, but doesn't see Mahjik's other fist coming from the other direction. Mahjik lands a powerful blow to the side of the pygmy's face and it falls to the deck.
Next Up: Vegepygmy Chieftain, Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Vegepygmies #2-5, Urza, Mahjik.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Douena shrieks, stamping her foot. "Why does everyone always want to kill everyone else?"
The chieftain drops his spear and attempts to grab hold of Douena.
He gets hold of her arm, holding her in place.
Next Up: Lorenz, Makoa, Vegepygmies #2-5, Urza, Mahjik, Vegepygmy Chieftain.
"Wise man suggests it is prudent to make intentions known. My attacks aren't as lethal as Aakif's - I will be able to take these out without killing them. It is unorthodox, but we can explore the ship and then revive them after if we find they are good people (albeit with strange ways). Would you find this to be fine for now, little one?"
"Hey!" Douena protests as the pygmy captain grabs her. "Back off, Mr. Hands!" She spares a nod to Mahjik's plan.
Seeing the spear being thrown at Lorenz, Aakif steps forward and looses an arrow at pygmy #3.
Unfortunately, the arrow collides with the side of the ship and disappears into the water.
Next Up: Makoa, Vegepygmies #2-5, Urza, Mahjik, Vegepygmy Leader, Aakif.
Struggling with his guilt and shame, Lorenz keeps making his way across the bridge toward land.
Roaring as he sees a fight break out again, Makoa rushes to the other bridge so he doesn't have to wait on Lorenz.
"Wise man would wear a groin guard if he would grab a girl against her will," Mahjik declares as he shifts closer to Douena and the chieftain and leashes out with a vicious kick at the chieftain followed by a stiff elbow to the midside as the momentum carries Mahjik all the way around.
Lorenz crawls slowly forward.
Roaring as he sees a fight break out again, Makoa rushes to the other bridge so he doesn't have to wait on Lorenz.
1d20+3-5
Makoa moves up to the next bridge.
With their spears gone, Vegepygmies #3 and #5 turn their attentions to Mahjik and attack him with their claws. #4 shifts positions to flank and attacks Mahjik with his spear.
Mahjik deftly dodges most of the attacks coming at him, but with so many of them, a claw manages to scrape across his thigh.
Next Up: Mahjik, Vegepygmy Leader, Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Vegepygmies #2-5.
"I'm not sure it has a groin. Maybe they just grow," Douena calls to Mahjik, as she twists and squirms to try to free herself from the chieftan's grasp.
Urza takes aim at one of the plant men with his crossbow. I'm running low on bolts so I better make this count.
Lt Crossbow: to hit
Lt Crossbow: damage
Drat!
Urza fires a crossbow bolt, but unfortunately it goes into the water before even reaching the ship.
Mahjik then attacks vegepygmy #4. The pygmy easily avoids his first attack, but like pygmy #2 previously, doesn't see the second one coming. He falls in a heap on top of #2. Mahjik moves to stand over top of both of them.
Douena tries to slip free of the chieftain's grasp, but he maintains his grip on her. The chieftain then tries to pull Douena across the deck.
Next Up: Attack of Opportunity for Aakif, Lorenz, Makoa, Vegpygmies #2-5, Urza, Mahjik, Douena, Vegpygmy Chieftain.