"You think too much with your stomach Baelir. This is the jungle. In it we have no use for more than what we need."
"This is exactly what I was afraid I would find. Exploitation."
She clams up and walks a little ways away.
Then she takes a look at the area around the tree on the hill.
Cloony, still near Lormo, is following the rapid tensioned discussion with attention.
For goodness sake, why is it that longlegs are so fast to setting tension? :/
They should keep positive attitudes.
@Kasia To the west you see a ship wreck on the shore of the island. To the east you see an small islet with a mast stickin out(D1 and D2 respectfully. Nothing else of note besides flying creatures flying far in the west.
@Lormo The snake is still alive though dying. You did succeed to stablize it and getting it's poison of two doses.
"Baelir, I have couple pieces of beef jerky, and small bag of nuts and several smoked fishes. I'm ready to contribute those into food reserve, you'd like to build.", elf opened his backpack and passed couple of trial rations to half-orc.
"But promise me, that noone will eat Alpha for now", said Lormo, "if I can keep her alive, I'll put her in a cage, and we'll feed her eggs or small lizards, or rats and I can poison-milk her now and then. You'll appreciate that, when first potions of antitoxin will be ready. And deadly arrows for Mosi's bow. And other remedies for everyone in a camp."
Lots of different pictures were drawn in Lormo's mind.
"This island is like small science paradize. Look, you see that tree - you basically can eat its fruits. Or that berries - if you boil them twice - you can eat them as well. It will take sometime to accommodate, but I believe food won't be such problem."
Lormo stopped to breath in and out several times.
"Cloony, my friend, how do you think about you take my crossbow, while I carry Alpha back to camp?" he turned his head to gnome, and clarified, "You see, Alpha?.. Like in Thassilonian... The first specimen from big collection of rare animals we will find in this adventure..."
"That is certainly kind of you Lormo. Though i will likely use my spells. It would be too heavy a load on my hands."
"Oh, thank you", Lormo bowed down his head, to show his gratitude.
As he distributed some of his gear it become easier for him and he could take a snake in his hands and carry it. Just in case it will regain consciousness, he was holding her head behind ears, so it didn't bite him.
"Since snake weights much more than feather pillow, I'll go straight back to camp", he said and start moving back to other survivors.
As party was returning to camp, Lormo was moving in back of the group carrying his first exotic pet.
At the camp, Gelik and Sasha are sitting around the fire. Gelik is telling a story with Sasha listening. Jask is working on making spears with Aerys writing something down, looking up periodically at Jask with a watchful eye. Ishirou is not in camp at the moment.
Kasia attempts to surprise Jask and put a hand on his shoulder.
"How are you feeling, my friend?"
"Can I help you in your task, perhaps?"
Hmm a good chance, but I wonder where Ishirou is.
Sitting down next to Sasha Baelir listens to the story intently. He loved stories, particularly ones of swashbuckling pirates and daring adventures. His mother's stories were his favorites, if only he could remember how she told them.
He leans over and whispers to Sasha "And how are you today lovely Sasha? Have you seen Ishirou about? I have some tea I'd like to dry out and possibly share with the man."
Cloony heads for Lormo when he's attending to the snake.
*Peeks before appearing to Lormo's side*
"Greetings Lormo. What ae you doing with the snake here?
You mentioned something about milking snakes, am i safe to assume you are somehow pulling venom from it? I have only heard the term but the procedure has not come to topics yet."
Albawar sits a short way away from the fire. He busies himself with listening to the other's conversation and will answer anyone who approaches him. Otherwise he sits as a stalwart guardian of their little group
to see if anyone or anything approaches
Lormo sited at the side of a camp. He just checked snake condition, to ensure it won't die without his help and turned his head to Cloony:
"See", he showed to gnome a tiny vial from his chemical kit, "I collected some poison, just after the fight." Lormo opened snake's mouth showing sharp poisonous teeth. "These teeth contain a small ducts, that allow poison from chamber in her jaw to get into a pray, when she bites". He put snake back on ground, "but the thing is, that chamber with poison is filled very slowly and to constrict it, we need to put a significant pressure".
He took a piece of cloth, they brought from ship and start washing snake's wound with small amount of fresh water, from his waterskin.
"When in battle and Alpha was enraged, her muscle constricted chamber, so just after I was able to pull some of it. But now, to pull more we need to push her in aggressive state. Of course, we can recover some poison if we break her head and dissect her jaw," he shook his shoulders, feeling cold running down his spine, "but then she won't be so useful for us".
After cleaning snakes wounds, Lormo looked around. Now I need some sticks and rope. Damn, I remember I took a big piece from ship. Now need to find that in dark.. hmm.. I definitely will learn no magic here, but now it's more about how to survive. I'd pay enought to cast light, when I need one.
"Oh, buddy, can you cast some light at my ring, so I could have it handy, while working? he asked, taking his signet ring off. When turning his head he suddenly found the rope laying on other side of camp. "Meanwhile, I'll take a rope".
When elf returned with rope in his hand, he whispered to gnome: "I plan to build a cage for her and I need to put it somewhere up, on a branch of tree. You see, Alpha is a lady", it was fanny ascent as he pronounced that word, "and probably, in morning there will be Beta nearby. So, I think I need a cage, that will be more like basket or barrel with narrow entry on top - accessible from outside, but unable to go out from inside. Haven't you seen something alike here?".
"Would if i could, but i did not prepare the light spell for today."
"Oh, no worries, friend. We'll just move our seats closer to bonfire, and there will be enough light for work than"
Please, please tell me we didn't light a fire.
"Lormo, hold out your ring."
Kasia is ready & casts light on Lormo's ring.
"I could not help but overhear. Of course I am happy to help."
She prepares the meat recovered during the day's earlier events, slowly roasting it with great care.
A good thing that we have some salt on hand.
"Great thanks, Kasia! I was speaking quiet just not to disrupt Gelik's story. I will go to bush and check for some branches now, while ring still glowing. Cloony, could you please, look for Alpha. She's unconscious, but Albawar hit is heavy one and I'd like to monitor her health for internal bleeding."
Lormo left for 10 minutes to find some of resources he needed, to upgrade one of utensils crates from ship into snake cage and trap.
Jask looks to Mosi and gives a pained smile, "It would be great if you help me with this. I making spears for hunting, but it's been slow going." His fingers has cuts and splinters from working. He only made two good spears and a assortment of 'trash".
Sasha told Baelir that Ishirou went to set traps in the bush not too long ago.
In the clearing we have made, the dark-skinned varisian woman stokes the fire.
her question: "Who will take first watch with me?"
"I won't take first watch as the light is still dying. My eyes can pierce through the darkness so second or third watch would be better suited for someone like myself."
Baelir finishes hanging his hammock and setting it with his bedroll. Just because one is out in the wilderness doesn't mean you can't be comfortable.
"Kasia, I will make a company. I'll be around, checking Alpha health time from time and for her friends, if they come", he checked how secure is cage lid and probably was satisfied. "I can see in dusk, but my sight will be not as sharp as Albawar's or Baelir's as soon as moon will hide."
Lormo took his crossbow from Mosi.
"Thank you, lady", he smiled, "we had no chance to talk, how you decided to go on board of Jenivere. Does your distant relative relationship with water doesn't affect you? I think, I will accompany you in exploration tomorrow. This island has so many wonderful spiecies..."
When finished with his cage, Lormo moved 50 foot away from camp, and put it on branch of tree around 3 foot over ground. He spend some rope to fix a crate on branch, so it do not fall with light wind blow. Lormo returned in couple minutes, bringing plan in his head:
"Me and miss Kasia take first watch, from dusk till high moon. Than, mister Baelir and mister Albawar, will guard our sleep till morning light. They are great warriors and can see in dark better than most of us. After sunrise, they can rest some more, while dear Mosi and miss Aerys will guard till sun is up over horizon. I don't need so much sleep, so I will be around doing minor camp stuff, like breakfast in morning." He stopped looking around all camp people. Their eyes focused on him and suddenly he realized, that never took such important decision or build any risky plan before. "If there are any objections, we can discuss a other schedule, but since we have all been through enough stress, I'd like to keep most of us rested."
First Watch: Kasia and Lormo
Second Watch:
Third Watch:
|
Mosi looks at her work with satisfaction. She carefully puts away her newly created arrows.
"I will be happy to take the last watch.
Lormo. I join this ship because it was closest one I found. I kind of didn't pay for my passage with money. But I worked hard to earn my passage. " she smiles remembering the captain.
"The cook, well he someone knew I was there and left food out. I couldn't just take it so I kind of cleaned things up. Well after awhile the captain comes down all gruff like and say I WILL NOT HAVE MY CREW SLEEPING IN THE HOLD. GET YOURSELF UP AND TO BED. After that I worked with the crew and earned my keep."
A smirk passes over Baelir's face.
"Second watch suits me perfectly, it will give me some time to dry out my tea. Honest pay for honest work Mosi, I like that."
First watch: Lormo and Kasia
Second Watch: Baelir and Albawar
Third Watch: Mosi and Aerys
Night is mostly uneventful the first two groups.
Cloony sits right up in a 90 degrees angle, scaring his canary which had been sleeping near him. Looking around and checking his hand for a spoon, he calms down a bit.
"How..what...was that all about? Buckets are one thing, but spoons are most unpractical to get rid of water."
Lormo breaks from checking snake's vitals and looks at gnome surprised:
"What are you talking about, Cloony? Something happened in you sleep? Pale lady of graves sometimes sending a wicked dreams for us to stay vigilant, but never to predict immediate threat, so nothing to afraid."
Short sleep made elf more optimistic and he was doing small camp stuff, like while others were sleeping. He organized some breakfast using fresh food, made several plates from big leaves and cleaned all resources for better planning and usage. Using excess of rope and some sticks, he made a weapon rack, that was standing in centre of camp. His longsword was only weapon he put there.
Cloony looks at Lormo.
"Ah...it...was completely weird. See i was back at the ship before it ran ashore here. Everybody was feeling sick, save for the captain and the scholar. She seemed to fancy him, kissing him on the cheek...then a torrent of water befell the ship and everybody had merely a spoon to attempt to clear the ship of it. Right before i woke up, i saw many nasty things with pincers trying to get in."
Kasia rolls over in her sleep.
A big lizard jets out of the darkness. You manage to get out of the way of its bite.
Lormo looked the way danger was coming.
"oh, lizard", he thought seeing lizard
Aerys leaves the sounds of waring to Mosi and goes to punch the lizard a proper fighter.
The lizard recoils from the hit.
Aerys, Cloony, Mosi
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Lizard
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Baelir, Lormo, Albawar, Kasia