Alrighty, so landing on the beach on the SE side of the island, away from the prying eyes of the Man's Promise.
FYI, so we're at pretty much high tide right now, and yes, the tides are going to go up and down "at the speed of plot" to use an old Star Trek term.
The group brings the cutter into the sands on the SE side of the island. From where you are, the island rises up pretty steeply to your SW and all the way around to NNE, although the higher ground is further away to the N.
A couple hundred yards to your west, just off the beach, you can see what appears to be an overgrown field of corn. Running north out of the field are some lightly marked trails. One trail goes up into the hills to the NW and the other goes on up the beach to the N.
Alessandra makes a face, but the stuff works so she can't complain. "I've had worse. Thanks, Doc! Good call." She watches curiously as her arm knits itself back together, leaving only a shallow cut.
She shivers. That was a closer call than any she's had, and she barely scratched the thing in return. Suddenly she feels homesick for Port Peril: a dangerous place, but she survived it. She wonders what she'll face next.
Looking around at the island, she shakes her head. "I don't like it: where's the houses, the people? All those trees and things - it's not natural."
Drawing her bow, she moves to the rear of the group, keeping a wary eye as they press on.
Perhaps they hide? But why would they do that? We are friendly. See? Chaenath grins wide showing all her teeth.
keeping a wary eye as they press on.
Press on towards where?
Obvious choices are:
Let's say that low tides will be on the 12s and high tides on the 6s for the next couple days. So the NEXT low tide will be dark. You may see different things along the coast at low tide than at high tide.
As we are right now, it's high tide, so roughly 6PM. It's summer, so there's still good light for a couple more hours.
I say we go in to hills. Beach can be seen by the ship.
Alessandra's a city girl - someone will need to explain the concept of "tides". Patiently.
Her preference is to head for the village they saw, but her decision-making hasn't been too good recently, so she'll defer to the others if they choose different.
Neither of the two paths appears to head directly towards the village, but either could loop around to it. Who knows what exists in the great unknown?
At first the trail is rough, as it goes up into the jungle, a steep trail that has not been walked in a while. The trail goes mostly NW until it starts to level out, at which point it turns a bit west, and finally back south as you reach the plateau at the summit of the mountain here. At the summit the jungle opens up and, you can see virtually the entire island.
To the NE you have a fine view of the Man's Promise with her tiny crewman moving about, presumably still making repairs. But possibly the most interesting thing you see is a wooden stockade off to the west atop the hill here with you. A couple hundred feet to the north of the stockade you can see what can only be a large beacon fire that has been built, of trees, branches, and old ship's timbers. It has never been lit.
You guys are up atop the mountain near the brown house symbol. The weird green square stuff on the sandy beach is the overgrown corn field. The abandoned fishing village, interestingly enough, is not really shown on the map, but it's on the north shore between the "tail" of the fish and the "spine" of the fish, if we view the island as a fish sort of jumping.
Hopefully you can see how I was describing it as a "thick crescent?"
People shipwrecked here, but not here any longer. Where did they go? It's a mystery.
Chaenath examines the stockade.
Alessandra breathes a sigh of relief on seeing the stockade. "Good. At least someone's tried to civilise this place. Let's go talk to them."
Keep a wary eye out, and her bow handy, she approaches the stockade.
A well-built timber stockade surrounds a small lodge in a jungle clearing. Vines wrap and strangle a great tree that rises next to the lodge, blocking light from above. Beside it is a bubbling spring.
The stockade gate is ajar, and you are able to get inside without a problem.
You notice a weathered spyglass fixed onto the stockade wall.
The lodge door is also slightly ajar.
Obvious things to check out:
Attracted to all things watery Chaenath wanders over to the spring and peers in.
@Chaenath - This spring appears to be providing perfectly clear fresh water. It is the only source of fresh water you have encountered on the island.
Through the spylass, and what Alessandra saw there: insatiably curious, she is drawn to it like a magnet.
@Alessandra - The spyglass appears to be fixed to face a specific direction, a small cove at the furthest south end of the island. Within that small cove, you can see two grindlylows cavorting about.
The young half-orc's mind fills with rage, and blood, and death (in other words, a day ending in "y"). "Those f@#£ers are wearing her hat! OK, sweeties, don't mind me. I'm just going to get an order of seafood. Have the fire waiting for me when I get back, hmmm?"
As Chaenath is checking out the pool of water, she is attacked.
Two vines reach out of the tree and attempt to strike her.
Hit
Hit
And then, each of the creatures will attempt to Grab her.
As they would both succeed, I will rule that the one with the highest role succeeded. It has grabbed her around the neck and she is being strangled. She cannot speak, or cast spells with verbal components.
Intitiative:
Alessandra -
Vines -
Malevor -
Chaenath -
Doc -
You are able to see two viney creatures up in the tree that have attacked down. They are between 10-15 up in the tree, they have 10' reach, so you need reach, ranged, or to climb (DC 10) up there to get them.
Alessandra is up.
Grhhrkk...
Hearing the commotion, the girl whirls round and takes a moment to study her target before she draws her bow, nocks an arrow and fires, all in one smooth motion.
Alessandra hits. As an aside, and someone can check the rules, but grappled doesn't mean you're shooting into melee, because of, well I just think that's how it works, but you hit either way.
Ok, Vine 1 will constrict for which will definitely knock Chaenath out. She being knocked out, it will drop her and climb down to the ground to press the attack.
Vine 2 doesn't have a real target where it is, so it will come down the tree to the ground, and take a swing at Malevor (who shouldn't have any damage yet, despite what his sheet says).
Hit
It will then try and grab:
Success
The party is up!
Vine 1 - 11
Vine 2 -
Rogar's bomb flies unerringly and takes out the already injured creature.
Save
Fail, Vine 2 takes 2 damage
Malevor successfully escapes from the vine.
I believe Alessandra still has an attack this round!
Vine 1 - 17, dying
Vine 2 - 2
The half-orc girl grins savagely and fires another volley from her beloved longbow.
Not in melee, due to reach. Both shots hit, and the creature drops to the ground.
The combat is over.
@Malevor - yesterday Diego healed everyone up from the Grindylow fight, so you all started out nice and fresh this morning.
Ok, so Chaenath and Malevor need some healing, and we're inside the palisade area.
You can clearly see somewhat of a lair/nest roughly 70' up in the tree where these things came from.
Other things of interest are:
Chaenath stabilizes.
From one of the other huts in the stockade, a tall, thin man with brown hair and green eyes, takes a look around hesitantly, then sees the dwarf on the ground, trying to help the fallen elf.
"Oh no, more victims..." he speaks more to himself. He gathers his courage, stepping outside.
"Hello there! I am Eth--Oh no! Hang on!" He rushes up and almost shoves the dwarf out of the way. "I got this. Healing is one of my specialties." He places his hands over the Elf's wounds, speaking low to himself in an ancient language, his hands glowing.
Her wounds close and whatever was bleeding stops, the wound no longer getting any worse. "There, that should keep her alive." He looks to the dwarf he just shoved. "Sorry about that. I'm Ethron, Inquisitor by trade, sailor by choice. And you two are?"
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"Ain't ye a sight fer sore eyes.. I'll thank ye, the lass was bit of a bad shape" Rogar says to the newcomer. He's not sure if he can trust him, but he's not a grindylow, and can't be much worse than Plugg and his buddies.
"Me name's Rogar, sailor by lack o' choice. But ye can call me 'Doc' like th' others do. Like the rest o' this bunch, we came lookin' fer some lost mates. Oh, and water, too... Have ye seen any grindylows carrying captives lately?"
"And how did ye get here? Marooned? We got a ship there, if ye wanna get out. The captain's a cúnt, and prob'ly put ye through quite a shít, but it's a way outta here."
"Hey! More newcomers!" The half-orc girl gives Ethron a quick once-over. "Useful, too. Won't ask where you came from or how you're here - but what do you know of the island?"
While she listens to the answer, Alessandra climbs up the tree to look at the nest. She also takes the spyglass up with her - maybe the higher vantage point will let her see something she missed before.
You can use the spell slot now.
There is but the one hut inside the stockade, the one from which Ethron emerged.
Alessandra, there's stuff there, I'll post a list soon. From the top of the tree, it's getting dark, and you're looking West into the setting sun, but repairs seem to be proceeding apace on the ship.
I'll also post a bit more with some Perception checks needed.
Ok, so in the nest that Alessandra checks out, she finds: three silver shoe buckles (5gp each), a rotting finger with a gold wedding ring on it (50gp), a silver hatpin (5gp), and a potion.
Inside the stockade lodge, where Ethron had been hiding, you find a one room structure with a large amount of furniture, some of which has engravings and such that identify them as coming from the Infernus. A comfortable bed, a small writing desk, cooking gear, and several barrels of rotting food. The stench of rot is overpowering and flies swarm within the room. There is a rotting corpse in the corner (which perhaps Ethron can tell you more about).
Among the furnishings in the room you find a suit of leather armor, six spears, and eight finely tailored courtier's outfits worth 30gp each.
If the object of the previous Perception check is found:
Additionally, the lodge contains 5lb of pepper in waxed bags (10gp total), a sliver tankard (30gp), and a silver locket depicting a beautiful, buxom young blonde woman (45gp).
Chaenath gasps as she wakes up to find a human male looking at her. Her hands go to her throat as she feels where the vines had strangled her.
I hate trees so much she says to no one in particular.
Alessandra chuckles - as a city-girl herself, she identifies with Chaenath's sentiments. "Welcome back to the land of the living, sweetie! How about you let me check things first, hmm? Oh, this is Ethron, he seems fine, but I'm a murderous guttersnipe so my judgement may be off on this." She offers the elf woman a tusky grin.
Admiring the outfits, she considers trying one on, but gets distracted when she finds the silver ring. "Ooh, shiny!"
Chaenath nods at the others Thank you, I do not think anyone has healed me before. It felt.. nice she joins the others in examining the contents of the lodge.
Do you live in this place healing man? she asks the one who healed her. I hope you don't mind us taking your things
Chaenath claps her hand when she sees the ring It is a swim ring. A ring for swimming
Ethron stands offering his hand to help the elf off the ground. "My pleasure. I'd offer a drink, but I couldn't find any around."
Turning to the dwarf, he notes the reference to the "stiff." "That one was undead, tried to kill me after I hid in there from the gridylows."
"Let me explain. I was on a missionary vessel when we were attacked by pirates. I was the only one to survive, and after I refused to join their crew, they marooned me here.
"As for the island, I have no knowledge of it, but one day has been long enough for a lifetime. I wish to leave." He looks at the rag-tag team around him. "And judging by your looks, my skills as a healer might be needed."
"Missionary." Malevor says with noticeable disdain.
Grindylows. We are hunting grindylows. They took two of our friends. But we've only found scared eels and strangling creepers.
"I seek a way off this Gods forsaken place, you seek your friends who are in need of rescue. I don't think we were put on this island by coincidence," Ethron observes.
He looks to the tiefling, a little surprised at his disposition. "Haven't you heard? Drinks from the Lucky God taste the best when shared with friends!" He holds up his wooden flaggon on his belt that also serves as his holy symbol. Then a thought occurs to him. "Hey that silver tankard, can I keep that?"
Alessandra shrugs. Coincidence, fate, whatever - she's never found a god who's interested in the lives of street types like herself. She believes in her own skills, and a hefty dash of luck. "So, potion of water breathing, ring of swimming - who gets what? Oh, and Chaenath - I saw the grindylows back down by the beach; take a look through the spyglass. I was on my way to kill them when we got interrupted. I hate that."