As Raush hangs upon the chain, the water explodes, revealing the body of a massive tropical snake, its scales patterned in swirls of copper and black. The snake's head is the size of a spade, its body 10 inches across.
Raush barely manages to swat away the coils of the massive serpent as it attempts to ensnare him.
Round 2
"Well, that's interesting." Veltisiel notes as he tries to place the creature, "But we really should take take care of it." with a wave of his hand, he summons a trio of magical missiles to barrage the snake with.
Struck by the savage bite, Raush pulls himself up the chain and out of the water as quickly as his limbs can manage. A quick prayer steals a tiny amount of power from Besmara, and she in return takes a piece of his faith. A fair exchange, by some meaning of the word.
knowing that he can do nothing in the water against the snake, he pulls back from the edge in hopes of drawing it out of the water.
I hope it is hungry enough to follow us. Back away from the edge. Draw it up on land where we can better fight it.
Seeing the large snake come up out of the water and attack Raush, Grak prepares a bomb to throw once Raush is out of the way.
Veltisiel's bolt slams into the big snake. It recoils in pain.
Raush, Ordrax, and Molb withdraw into the boat house.
Grak's bomb flies wide, spreading a short lived sheet of fire across the muddy river.
The snake sees the variety of two-legs arrayed against it and realizes the hunt is lost. It stares at you with flat copper eyes, then ducks beneath the muddy water.
"Yeah, run away!" Raush yells, holding the bite wound with one hand, and following with a few choice swearwords.
"Shame 'bout that ale. Are those things just native to this place?"
Ordrax places his hand over his eyes and shakes his head in amusement as Raush yells at it. He chuckles softly.
It is a snake...no legs..
Molb races to Raush. "Thank ye for the save, I remember you from last night, quite a fun time you had. I ain't think no snake stole a cask-a-beer. Lez pull on the chain and see what comes up."
One of the men who was betting with Ravenna runs into the boat house, holding out her stake. He smiles a gap toothed grin and says, "Auh, pretty lady, ya left this behind. Didn't seem right to keep it."
A third figure, a scrawny dark skinned woman with long hair and a red bandana, says, "Strange, that is the third big snake we've seen down here late-like. The drought seems to be driving them out of the jungle."
"You don't say. How long has the drought been going?" Grak asks the woman.
Maybe we could see what is going on in that area?
Grak nods in agreement. "Good idea. I wouldn't expect the snakes to do that so maybe something else is driving them this way. We need to get Raush healed up first though."
"Can do it myself, thank you very much."
Reaching for the Reaver Queen, Raush pilfer another small bit of power, channeling it through his body to heal the worst of his injuries. He then starts pulling up the chain.
Rickety is informed of the excitement and makes his way to the boat house. When he hears you discussing heading upriver, he says, "Suit yourself. Clearly you be a brave lot, but we don't go upstream from here. The jungle is filled with ancient ruins and strange beasts. The heat and drought we've had might be driving the snakes crazy, but there are darker things than snakes in those trees..."
At that, he looks ominously in the direction of the shadows under the massive trees.
At just that moment, a cry goes up from the rigging above the dry dock where the Man's Promise is being re-fitted. As you look out into the inlet, you see a Chelish galleon. This causes great alarm among the residents, and they scurry for cover.
At the same dock where you arrived, you see that a launch has made it all the way to landing. A contingent of sailors stands on the dock, forming a semicircle around an officer of some sort.
Ordrax keeps his posture neutral and does not say a word for some time.
Well there goes the neighborhood. The Cheliaxians will not be happy.
Veltisiel looks over at the ship, Well, they're probably not actually Chelish. A new arrival, though? Interesting.
He starts walking over to get a closer look.
"There's a fine ship. Quite large, but just think of the plunder that one can store." muses Raush, eyeing the galleon with desire.
"I don't interact well with slavers, just so you know. Maybe one of you should be doing the talkin'."
"Seems the snake has distracted us," Grak says looking at the recent arrivals. He follows Vel over, keeping to the side for a clear shot if necessary.
The men on the dock are tense, but not immediately hostile. They seem to be awaiting a response.
That there folks is Merrill Pegsworthy a Free Captain of the Shackles. He was of the Andoran navy until...well I not sure but he was disgraced somehow.
The little Kobold points to a man in the middle of a semi-circle, the one with the peg leg, who is wearing an Andoran officer's jacket and epaulets.
Veltisiel watches the newcomers, seeing what they do.
"Ah, so they're pirates too? That changes things. Cap'n, d'you want to go speak to 'em?"
I thought we were going snake hunting.
For the moment the newcomers wait in their defensive position.
Veltisiel sighs, and walks towards the crew, "There's no hostility here unless you're bringing it. However, if you stay tensed like that, people might assume you want a fight." he says, hoping to break the ice at least a little.
The man at the center of the semi-circle relaxes and his hand moves away from the hilt of the large sword at his back. He pushes his way through his men toward Veltisiel.
"Sorry for the intrusion. No one hailed us from the observatory so we came on in. We didn't realize there were already a ship in port. I be Free Captain Merrill Pegsworthy."
"That would be mine, apologies." Veltisiel responds, holding out his hand, "I'm Captain Veltisiel Ekai." he nods at the Chelaxian ship, "I approve of the choice of vessl. Did she put up much of a fight when you took her?" he asks.
He takes your hand and probably your measure.
"She did put up a mighty struggle. She had a fire lovin priest of Asmodeus aboard who put a fierce and hot fight. Him we gutted and threw to the sharks, mores the pity. But the Captain we captured. He should bring a fine ransom, and the ship herself is a fine prize. Brings me fleet to four once we squib and re-christen her. Look, for the offense I'll remunerate you 20 Chelish sovereigns (gold). We'll sail out and wait our turn..."
As Veltisiel walks off...
So we are not going snake hunting?
"'f these folks are pirates, we'll just trade news and then we can go hunting."
"I won't decline the offer, Captain." Veltisiel replies, "Though I'm not sure how long we'll be in port for, so I can't offer any assurances that we'll be out of your way soon." he shakes the man's hand in thanks, then returns to the other officers.
"That was... interesting. So, snake hunting? That's what you said you wanted?"
As Pegsworthy and crew pile back into their launch and row back toward their ship, Rickety approaches from your ship. "I apologize for the confusion and intrusion. These things aren't supposed to happen, but you handled it real diplomatic like. The watch platform out there should have waved Pegsworthy's ship off. Would ya mind treckin out there to check on Mr. Godwin? Lyle likes to drink, but it's not like him to sleep on the job."
Ravenna waves away the silver piece that the old toothless man holds out, telling him, "Keep it."
"Snake hunting shouldn't be that bad... right?"
Snake is good...especially with sliced Myceloid. Keep away from the mouth as the like to eat everything whole...and alive. At least that is what I know of the darkland variety.
"OK, first we check on Godwin out at the watchtower, then we can go snake hunting. Does he stay out there by himself or does he come back at the end of the day?" Grak says.
"Most days he comes in to spend his evenings at the Commons, but sometimes he will sleep out there. Last night he was here. You may have seen him, tall, skinny, human, pale skin, pox scarred face."
"OK, first we check on Godwin out at the watchtower, then we can go snake hunting.
Sounds good to me
"To the watchtower, then."
Raush takes his quarterstaff out and starts strolling towards the aforementioned building at an easy pace, enjoying the sounds of the harbor.
The end of the chain contains the greatest of all treasures. A cask of the local lager cooled in the river.
The trail begins behind the Commons building and winds through the jungle, then follows the knife edged ridgeline as it climbs along the headland. The way is rocky and steep, overgrown with jungle foliage, and drops precipitously 50 feet or more to both sides.
Ordrax crawls through the trees, ferns, and shrubs, as he scrambles up the trail, he comes upon two boars loudly rooting. They look agressive, but also tasty.
Othdrax motions for everyone to stop.
I see two boar up ahead...
"Well, unless you speak boar, I don't think they're going to move and they're blocking our way. I say we try to take them out as quickly as we can. Besides, then we can bring dinner home too," he says with a smile.
Grak moves closer to reduce the range then mixes up a bomb and throws it at the nearest boar.
His adrenaline going, he puts a little too much on the throw as the bomb flies over his target and lands next to the second boar. Fortunately, the explosion catches both of the boars.