Doodle: Flush game for the count, endure elements
Mercutio: Makes friends, Joins the hunt?; saves
Renedar: Flush game to help the count; -2 NL hp
Taerel: Joins the hunt,
Tomren: Rests in camp; -3 NL
Varian: Offers advice, joins the hunt; endure elements
Mercutio does well to improve the party's relations with the count, even if his hunting advice leaves much to be desired.
Tomren decides discretion is the better part of valor, and spends his day resting in camp, meeting the servants, and learning more about the jungle.
Taerel joins the hunt as well. He too tries to offer hunting advice, but comes off as something of a beginner.
The first day of hunting is a moderate success. Doodle and Renedar try to flush game for the count, but end up mostly making a great deal of noise. They have fun, though.
Mercutio has the greatest success, and brings down a large bison. Taerel manages to locate a large rhinoceros, but only wounds it slightly. Varian swiftly brings it down. The count has rather less success, and is a bit disheartened. Despite the best efforts of the party, he returns with only a couple of jackrabbits. They make poor trophies, but fine stew.
The baron's party brings back a fine crocodile.
The rest of the evening is uneventful, and the party rests well.
The next morning, the hunting party prepares for a second day of the hunt. This time, the baron chooses to remain back at camp. He is here to find the tiger, and you are not yet to its hunting grounds.
The count comes again and asks for help. "You had such great success yesterday. A rhinoceros?! That was amazing. I wish I were as fine a hunter."
Tomren's advice to the count might be summarized along the lines of "the pointy end goes in the animal", which ends up being not quite as helpful as he'd hoped.
The baron seems to appreciate the company. "It must have been a young beast to be so brash in attacking us that night despite our fire. A tiger can live for a good 20 years, so it's very likely it's still alive.”
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While braving the heat,
Mercutio decides to join the hunt for the day. On the way, he talks to the Count about how to hold his weapon correctly and how to anticipate the movements of one’s prey.
Mercutio also tells the Count a few jokes to lighten the mood. “Which side of a tiger has the most meat? The inside.”
During the hunt, Mercutio tries his hand at bagging some more game, passing any meat trophies off as the Count’s.
Doodle: Flush game for the count, endure elements ??
Mercutio: bad advice, makes friends, Joins the hunt, Bluff; -5 NL hp
Renedar: Flush game for the count; Fort saves??
Taerel: ??
Tomren: Rests in camp; saved
Varian: Offers advice, joins the hunt; endure elements?
Doodle: Flush game for the count, endure elements
Mercutio: bad advice, makes friends, Joins the hunt, Bluff; -5 NL hp
Renedar: Flush game for the count; -1 NL
Taerel: mediocre advice, hunt ... Bluf?!
Tomren: Rests in camp; saved
Varian: Offers advice, joins the hunt; endure elements?
Tomren spends the second day swapping stories with the baron, learning more about his ill-fated hunt.
Baron Rudyahm’s face grows stern as he recalls bygone events. “There were four of us on that trip, plus a half dozen porters or so. It was our seventh day in the bush. We’d had a bad day hunting on the trail, so we split off to the west to follow a little stream deeper into the jungle. The tiger came for us that night, despite our campfires. He must have been young to be so bold. I never saw most of the carnage. All I could hear were screams, gunshots, and men begging for help in the darkness.
“With the gun smoke and the darkness, I could barely see the end of my musket. Something took a right nasty bite out of my leg, but I wheeled and unloaded my gun in its direction. I must have only clipped it, yet that was enough to startle the beast. The only glimpse I caught was its striped haunch and tail bleeding as it ran off into the dark jungle. I managed to limp my way back to camp on my one good leg, and that was the end of it. Ah, but we’re going to catch that stripey bastard this time, eh? We’ll give him what for this time around.”
Mercutio and Taerel attempt to offer advice. The count listens politely, but it's clear that none of the three has much experience hunting.
Mercutio spots a leopard , but misses the killing blow due to the dense jungle.
Taerel and Varian stalk a herd of antelope. Unfortunately, a servant steps on a twig and startles the herd before they can line up a clear shot. Varian is ready, and brings down a fine buck with gorgeous antlers as it runs directly past his hiding place.
The highlight of the hunt, however, is when Doodle and Renedar flush a fine leopard toward the count, who brings it down with an amazing shot. He thanks the two profusely and struts proudly in to camp, his servants carrying his trophy aloft.
"Huzzah!" cries the count and his men. Even the baron looks mildly impressed. He gathers you afterward in gratitude. "I don't know what you did to help, but that look on his face is genuine. Thank you for helping him gain confidence."
The evening passes with great feasting, and you head to sleep anticipating the next day.
The morning of the hunt's third day, the smell of wood smoke fills the camp as porters busy themselves tending various cooking fires. Outside the camp, the jungle is alive with the sounds of monkeys, birds, and chirping insects. The count's porters offer to skin, butcher, and cook any of the animals you have collected thus far. (Otherwise, the count continues to provide sufficient provisions to feed the party.)
The smell of food and the leavings of the feast the night before attract the attention of a band of macaques that gather at the edge of the camp.
At first, the macaques simply watch. As their numbers grow they begin to cause trouble by overturning containers, stealing trinkets, and raiding unguarded food supplies. A couple of the servants try to wave off the monkeys with sticks, but the monkeys screech and scatter before forming into a monkey swarm and attacking the camp in earnest.
Reactions to the monkeys differ in the camp. The local porters act reverentially toward the monkeys and offer them prayers along with bits of food and water.
Baron Rudyahm, however, calls for your aid. "Help rid the camp of these pests, by any means you can!" He turns and hurries back to his tent to fetch his rifle.
The macaques are destroying pottery, knocking over trash barrels, and scattering sundries all over the camp. As they were threatened by the count's servants they began to swarm and attack the camp in earnest.
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Right.
"Alright everyone! DO NOT attack the monkeys - The monkey is the symbol of the god Ragdya, who is worshiped in these parts. This may explain the deferential attitude of the local porters, who have been feeding them. Let's tempt them away from camp with more tasty treats..."
Varian then moves to do exactly that.
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"Ok..."
Taerel moves to the side and quietly casts a dancing lights spell, targeted in the woods not near the monkeys, to see if they react to them. If not, he will move them closer. Whether they chase the lights or the lights scare them away, either option might be better than causing a ruckus in camp.
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Mercutio follows Varian's lead, picking up some of the same treats the local porters are using to tempt the monkey's away from the camp. Mercutio moves to the side of the camp, trying to aid his companions in drawing the monkeys away.
"I hope at least one of you know what you're doing. I don't handle animals much, and I don't think I'm going to be much help here. And frankly, they look smelly."
Taerel starts coaxing the macaques with food with the rest of the party doing their best to make calm cooing noises.
It appears to have started working when the Tomren's sleep spell completes.
The swarm of macaques slumps over, sleeping.
Now you have a literal swarm of tiny primates sleeping in your camp. You know that slapping or wounding the macaques would wake them, but normal noise does not. You think there's a good chance that trying to move them would wake them as well.
What next?
The macaques take no notice of the odd man waving his arms. They only wanted food, and take Taerel's offering and depart peacefully.
Conflict over.
The macaques take no notice of the odd man waving his arms. They only wanted food, and take Taerel's offering and depart peacefully.
The baron returns with his rifle. "Not how I would have done it, but I'm glad it's taken care of."
For the next few hours, the local porters come to you quietly and thank you for respecting the monkeys.
The morning of the third day, the hunting party packs their equipment, intending to head deeper into the jungle to find the baron's tiger. The count and the baron ride on the howdah on the elephant's back as the party journeys through the jungle, and they invite Mercutio to join them, should he wish.
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Mercutio looks to the rest of his companions, "Um, well at least I'll be able to get a look around in case something pops out of the jungle at us."
He then hustles up the howdah gleefully. "Sweet. I think I can see my house from up here. Hi, Mom!"
Gathering himself, he respectfully gives a slight bow to the baron. "Thank you for this opportunity, sir. It will be a delight."
The elephant ambles along at its methodical pace. Mercutio entertains the nobles atop the elephant.
The party stretches out, along the trail. Varian wisely decides that directly behind the elephant is a position fraught with peril, and moves a bit to the side.
A dozen or so porters a scattered along the length of the caravan, hauling equipment and keeping watch.
Suddenly, an enormous snake emerges from the jungle. Startled by the procession, it opens its hood wide and attacks. Hearing its hissing, smaller snakes on the other side of the path begin to his in warning as well, and move menacingly.
At the sight of the snakes, the old elephant panics. It rears up, threatening to shake the howdah off its back. The mahout (driver) falls from his seat, and runs to take cover at the edge of the jungle.
Porters converge on the larger snake ineffectually trying to drive it back.
In the ruckus, the two nobles shout conflicting orders. Count Matsanda cries, "Help me! Control this elephant!" while barely hanging on to the howdah. Baron Rudyahm yells, "Protect the porters from the giant snake!"
Your move!
Tomren releases a bolt of magic at the giant snake, while Taerel score a deep hit with his sword.
Varian, less eloquent than usual, releases a fan of colored light which knocks the giant snake unconscious.
Renedar tries to punch one of the smaller snakes, but misjudges its size and misses.
Doodle tries to calm the elephant, but it's fear of snakes is stronger than its current trust in Doodle.
Giant snake -12
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Mercutio, trying to maintain his balance, grabs hold of the howdah.
Mercutio looks at the baron, "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"
Mercutio then jumps into action, taking the place of the elephant driver, hoping to control the elephant. "Come on, big guy. It's not that bad. It could've been worse. It could have been a massive talking pavilion. Now that would have been something to freak out about."
As he dashes up to the howdah, Mercutio notices Doodle down below, scrambling to calm the elephant.
Oh, my! That colorful gnomey girl might get squished. Now that would be an adventure! Wait... Can she read my thoughts? Hmmm...
"Don't get squished colorful gnomey girl!" He looks back to the baron and the count, "Little help here?" Sheesh. Apparently I gotta do everything myself. Figures.
Mercuito demonstrates amazing balance, and easily keeps his feet. Wishing he were wearing a fedora, he attempts to control the elephant. With Doodle's assistance from down below he is nearly successful, but there are just too many snakes close by.
The elephant rears again, tumbling the count and the baron. They hold on, but barely, and are unable to do much more than shout directions.
Count Matsanda yells, "Focus on controlling this elephant, or we're all doomed!" Baron Rudyahm counters, "Kill those blasted snakes instead!"
The giant snake lays unconscious for rounds.
The two smaller hatchling snakes attack. They both attempt to bite at Renedar.
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Mercutio looks back at the count and baron. "Feel free to jump in at anytime!"
Mercutio then tries to control the elephant once again.
Okay, what do elephants like again? Circus tents? Mice? Squishing gnomes? Oh, wait.
Petting the elephant and using a soothing voice,"Easy, buddy. Calm down and we'll get you some nice peanuts. See how the rest of crew have subdued the big bad snake? And that orcish dude is taking care of the smaller ones? All's well."
With the combination of killing the snakes and Doodle's soothing words to assist, Mercutio is able to bring the elephant under control. (Even if he was a little snide to the nobility while doing so.)
Both the count and the baron thank the party for their quick action, although each seems mildly displeased that the party attempted to appease both of them rather than follow their respective conflicting instructions.