Joleesa follows Ten aroud the ship, smiling at his enthusiasm. She makes sure to steer him to where the animals are kept so she can check on "Wheezy".
She spends most of the trip either in her room, out on deck looking at the river and jungle or following Ten around on his adventures.
She avoids Vilya, not because she is afraid of the woman, but because she doesn't like her abrasiveness and callous attitude. She associates well with the others, although she gets on best with Egan, Tobias and Seven Eagle, seeing the others as a bit too stuffy for her tastes.
Egan exchanges pleasantries with any crew members he might be acquainted with, and points out anything interesting he spots to the rest of the gang. Since he is very familiar with this part of the river, he keeps an eye out on the banks of the river, walking from side to side as a precaution.
The Opaline Queen pulls into the deeper middle of the river and passes through the River Gate and out into the surrounding plantationlands . The chug chug of the paddles hitting the water is loud at first, but the group slowly gets accustomed to it.
Jo and Ten check on Wheezy. The livestock pens are below decks, and the smell of dinosaur droppings and gas is strong. A small crew of grooms handle cleaning, but the area is crowded with leapers, lumpers and an assortment of domesticated meat animals. Wheezy is OK, but unhappy with the crowded conditions. Her feathers rustle and she hisses unhappily when Jo leaves. Lumien hisses back and puffs her feathers up, her glowing tail brightening.
Egan scans the riverbanks. This close to Opal the bank is tamed, with docks and plantation keeps with brightly-polished walls and watchtowers set in the distance away from the floodplain.
The Opaline Queen has many amenities, including a cash bar and dining hall. There is a nightly soiree, as Opalines love to party. Gambling is a big ticket as well at the soiree, and many of the side rooms off the main ballroom are hotbeds of various games.
San will spend most of his time on deck or talking with Iz. In the evenings, he will be happy to have a few at the bar (but only a few, and never getting drunk). He may even check out the gambling a few times. He will nod and greet the other members of the group when he runs into them, but avoids extended conversations with the exception of Ten and Vilya, whom he has taken likings to because of their backing him up during the duel (even though Vilya's abrubtness and arrogance does occasionally rub him the wrong way; in the end, San finds actions more important than words). San will also try and get Iz and Egan in at least one meeting to discuss what the group can expect regarding terrain, distance, weather, and enemies to make sure we have our bases covered.
Izkrael spends most of his time on deck, keeping an eye on the passing shorelines. He does not drink anything inebriating after the boat has left dock, and keeps his weapons and backpack close at hand for the entirety of the trip. He seems to become more withdrawn the further from the city the boat carries them.
(Take 10 on Perception: 15 or 17 for sight- or sound-based checks.)
Tobias spends most of the day doing little more than looking out over the river and chatting with people, he spends most of his time at the party subtly inquiring about the state of the Marshalsea family, and any rumors involving them.
Ten Foot spends the day light exploring the ship, helping the crew when ever he sees any of them working, or in need of a strong back. He is especially interested in how the ship is powered.
Come evening he frequents the bars and gambling tables, drinking and gambling modestly by his own standards.
Encounters with other members of the group meet with hearty bellowing hellos and an enthusiastic gushing of talk.
He wears no armour or weapons on the voyage, leaving them all secured in his room, instead he switches to a long brightly coloured smoking jacket which is more dressing gown than formal attire.
The passengers of the Opaline Queen are a broad mixture of the city's social castes. Tobias circulates among the passnegers and listens for gossip about his family. He hears from one grizzled plantation owner heading back upriver that the Marshalseas were involved in some new marine shipping ventures, buying a recently-captured pirate vessel and outfitting it as a merchantman.
Meanwhile...
San keeps an eye out and discusses what the group should encounter traveling past Fort Trevins. Mostly in the beginning of the dry season (which is sort of a misnomer because it still rains, just not everyday) spiders will be emerging from the hidey holes and dinosaurs will be migrating northwards. There are a lot of poisonous animals in the jungle, and even small innoffensive looking creatures can kill.
Meanwhile...
Iz keeps an eye on the shore as the boat chugs further upriver. After the first day of travel the plantations start to get farther apart and the jungle creeps back to the shore. The fringes of the large river is swampland, and Iz occasionally sees groups of Sliss'pok lizardmen hunting and fishing. On the twilight of the second day he sees something disturbing. Three figures lurch along the mangrove roots, moving slowly and erratically. Iz can tell even at the long distance that these are most likely zombies.
Meanwhile...
Ten cuts a dashing, if imposing figure as he frequents the various soirees on the boat. . During the day the crew is more than happy to put the large fellow to work.
Ten meets one of the Hyrkmirian dwarves that oversee the paddlewheel's engine. The fellow, Hrugek, is a good companion and happily accompanies Ten to several poker games and drinking sessions. Hrugek is taller than most dwarves, though at about 5'2" still relatively short. His fire-red hair and charcoal skin make him stand out even in the wildly-diverse passenger crowd. The fact that he wears heavy studded leather armor and carries a weird spanner wrench/warhammer combo everywhere he goes adds to his exotic air. A smell of smoke usually follows him, and his armor is soot-streaked. Hrugek regales him about the fire elemental that is contained in a specially-designed cylinder that it rotates to power the paddles. Hrugek's job is supplying the elemental with coal for it to eat and removing any leavings. The elemental is not very smart, but it is cunning and continually strives to break free.
Vilya remains in her room, securing her bond with her vestige and mentally preparing herself for the "fun" ahead.
One evening, San goes looking for Izkrael, who he knows spends most of his time on deck watching the shoreline. "Iz, you seem to be becoming a fixture at this spot. Why don't we try and find some of our new companions and get to know them a bit? If nothing else, we should try and get an idea of their capabilities in a fight, eh?"
Ten seesaws with his gambling, sometimes up, sometimes down. At the end he is pretty much even, which is a good enough ending. Vilya spends time in her small room, focusing her will on her vestige and merging thought and will together. Iz and San converse along the boat's rail, San appearing just as Iz spots the three zombies along the river's edge.
Izkrael looks at Sanvoros as he invites him to go see the others.
"I am going to keep an eye on our friends over there", he says as he nods toward the walking corpses, "for a little longer. And don't worry about me, San, I am just getting my head in the right place. After we have left them behind, I will come find you."
DM
Ten meets one of the Hyrkmirian dwarves that oversee the paddlewheel's engine. The fellow, Hrugek, is a good companion and happily accompanies Ten to several poker games and drinking sessions. Hrugek is taller than most dwarves, though at about 5'2" still relatively short. His fire-red hair and charcoal skin make him stand out even in the wildly-diverse passenger crowd. The fact that he...
Ten Foot is happy to meet a new friend and will part with an offer for him to visit him when ever he is in Opal.
After exploring with Ten, Joleesa heads back when he decided to head to the engine room. She spends some time wandering the deck and visiting the common areas but doesn't partake in any activities.
She spends a lot of time down with "Wheezy", trying to make him feel more comfortable on the voyage.
Seven Eagle uses the opportunit to paint the coastline as the ship travels. He trues to keep to himself, but a quiet confidence continues to change his demeanor.
DM
The Opaline Queen has an uneventful trek up the Opal River. . The walled town of Fort Trevins appears on the fourth day out of Opal.
Fort Trevins' wall is 15 meters high and five wide, topped with ballistae and watchtowers. The docking facilities are just outside the wall, and a crowd awaits on the long dock for the large paddlewheeler to arrive. Egan can see many of his brotherhood walking the parapets, eyes to the massive jungle trees that start about a half-klick from the walls.
The Opaline Queen arrives with a blast of its whistle. Sailors secure the ropes and gangplanks thud down onto the pier. Passengers begin to debark.
Joleesa goes down to unload "Wheezy" and then meets up with the rest of the party on the dock.
Her preference is to at least spend the night at the Fort, but she will go with the general consensus.
DM
"I don't mind spending the remainder of the day here and setting out in the morning. It's been a while since I've been here, and would like to get my bearings as well."
The early morning sun glints off the river as the Opaline Queen unloads her passengers and cargo. Groups of Dragoran immigrants follow plantation managers to awaiting flatboats poised to take them to their new homes. Many of the immigrant's pale skins are already sunburnt an ugly red color, and they sweat in their heavy woolen outfits.
A group of plantation old hands congregate at a white-stuccoed open air taverna and sip rum and swap war stories. Many of these folks are Dragoran, but their years in the jungle have tanned them an oaken color. They wear leather or steel breastplates over thin linen tunics and breeches. Most have mud-spattered high dinohide boots and thick, long-sleeved gloves stuck in their belts. Most sport a sword and bow. A few even have large blowguns leaning by their side. Many show visible scars and tattoos are common.
Fort Trevins is a busy town. It is small, but it shows signs of growth, with businesses sprawling around the walls and along the Opal Rover's sides. Boats swarm the wide expanse of green-brown water. Small pterodactyls wheel over the many vessels, darting down to fetch scraps or a fish.
Groups of up-country Zapatec walk about on business, their small stature and more chisiled features marking them different than their coastal cousins. These folk have elaborate tattoos on their faces, and dress in patterned green and brown tunics that blend well in the jungle cover. They carry wicked machetes and blowguns like the ones the group spotted earlier. Several walk with dangerous-looking dinosaurs at their heels.
The Ssliss'pok are in evidence near the river, but they thin out inside Fort Trevins. The expressionless faces of the lizardfolk are painted in swirling multi-colored designs. They are also often in the company of odd dangerous-looking dinosaurs.
All around is the impression of fervent action. The group sees many bands of toughs clumping about, often haggling with local merchants. Everyone seems to be fervently selling each other things: spices, leapers, indigo, rice. The entire town is a ferment of trading. Through it all the Uplands Rangers walk, keeping an eye on everything occuring within their town's walls.
"Ahh! Starting to feel like we're getting back into the jungle again, eh Iz? Everyone wanna see if the Rangers have any rooms left?"
"This may be the last night we get to sleep in a bed for a while, so let's make good use of it."
"This may be the last night we get to sleep in a bed for a while, so let's make good use of it."
"I agree wholeheartedly. I'm looking forward to getting out in the jungle again though. It's been a while."
Egan heads towards the Command Center looking for Capt. Annonio. He will deliver the correspondence, then check with the Captain, on recent news in the area. After doing his duty, he will look up old friends and catch up on the latest, before retiring for the evening in his normal bunk space.
Depending on what he learns asking around he will be up bright and early the next day for the trip into the Jungle.
Ten Foot will explore the Fort and have a nosey around to see if he knows any of the merchants. He is all up for having one last night of comfort, he will also ask around for any gossip on the surrounding jungle.
Egan accompanies the group to the Upland's Rangers hostel. He knows the deskman, a one-armed semi-retired Ranger named Aloysios. They swap some reminesces and Al manages to find bedding for all the party members in a semi-private bunkroom . Egan bids the group a brief farewell, telling them he has an errand to run and promising to meet up with them at the hostel later.
Egan heads to the Ranger's headquarters. It's a squat keep made of local stone, well patrolled and with a drawn up portcullus gate. Egan manages to get past the guards with a few words and showing the package. He eventually finds himself at Capt. Annonio's office.
Cpt. Annonio is a thin swarthy man, with a large scarred bumpy aquiline nose and a pair of keen black eyes. He accepts the bundle of correspondence with thanks, and chats a bit about recent doings.
"Well ranger, things here are about the same. We uncovered a ring of necromancers about two weeks ago that was taking immigrants to a bogus plantation and turning them into zombies. That was a pretty bad situation. We also have a Thunderfoot loose nearby but he's a canny beast. Rumor has it he might be a dragon cross. Other than that, lotsa spiders, raptors and undead, you know, the usual."
After sharing a drink of well-cooled water, Cpt. Annonio bids Egan farewell.
Egan heads out to look for any more info or friends he knows
The others drop their travelling supplies off, stable their beasts and hit the town. Like most frontier towns, Fort Trevins is stocked with mercantiles, saloons and brothels. Plantationmen from the wilder Uplands areas carouse and stagger about, even at this early hour. Ten casts about for anyone he knows and he spots someone: Ol' Herggit. Herggit was a travelling tinker that would stop by the Morvais plantation every so often doing repairs and such for the freeholders. He was also rumored to deal in less legal things like happyberries or flame gecko skins. Herggit had always been nice to Ten though, and had often slipped him a piece of rock candy.
Diplomacy (1d20=10)
Egan spots a few rangers he knows and chats a bit as he walks through town during the day. No one has anything of real import to discuss, mostly information on local plantations and mutual friends. One ranger tells Egan that a group of explorers hit an old Xoltec temple complex on the far side of the Blue Mountains and brought out a big load of gold trinkets recently. That success has brought a lot of explorers up through the Uplands looking for more.
Egan mentions Capitutec, the town at the headwaters of the Blue River. Everyone who talks about it with him has little good to say. supposedly riddled with intelligent undead and Xipe Totec worshippers.
The Temple of Quetzalcoatl is a large building near the center of Fort Trevins. Almost a small keep in its own right, the temple has been build with defense in mind. A limestone wall carved in intertwined couatls surrounds the small ziggurat-shaped temple. The four corners of the wall are topped with the slender towers of the ritual prayer callers. As San walks towards it the noon prayer wafts out from the four towers, several small groups of dervishes dancing madly in circles to the wailing shouts of the lofty prayercallers:
"Sing to the four corners the song of the Plumed Serpent
Maker, Modeler, mother-father of life and humankind
Guard us from the demons of Xibalba
Guard us from the Dread Lords
The Flayed One, The Left-Handed Raptor, Bloody Mouth
Ward their gaze from your servants ..."
Tobias' gentry manners and easy smile get him a lot of information. A member of the Circle of the Raptor chats with him under the awming of a small wineshop and tells him about a huge gold strike some adventurers calling themselves the Swift Shrike Company made while exploring the jungle out along the Blue River. Way he heard it, they scored a Xipe Totec statue made of solid gold with black opal eyes. They also made out with the magical rocks that the Xoltecs used to call Huezetac (Crystal Moons) but most Opalines just call by their Concordant name, Ioun stones.
He finds a merchant that had done business with his family before. The man recognizes young Tobias and buys him a drink. They talk about OPal and his family's new nautical acquisition comes up. It's a huge outlay, and Hurgo, the merchant, is surprised that they are getting into shipping, it's not a venue they have done business in before.
As the day wears on Tobias hears about dinosaurs that can talk terrorizing the foothills of the Blue Mountains. He also hears about Capitutec, again, like Egan, nothing good. There is a large contingent of unrepentant decendants of the Xoltec Empire still out on the fringes of settlement, dreaming of the days when rivers of blood cascaded down their deity's temple steps.
Izkrael accompanies Sanvoros to the Temple of Quetzacoatl.
The Temple of Quetzalcoatl is a large building near the center of Fort Trevins. Almost a small keep in its own right, the temple has been build with defense in mind. A limestone wall carved in intertwined couatls surrounds the small ziggurat-shaped temple. The four corners of the wall are topped with the slender towers of the ritual prayer callers. As San walks towards it the noon prayer wafts out from the four towers, several small groups of dervishes dancing madly in circles to the wailing shouts of the lofty prayercallers:
"Sing to the four corners the song of the Plumed Serpent
Maker, Modeler, mother-father of life and humankind
Guard us from the demons of Xibalba
Guard us from the Dread Lords
The Flayed One, The Left-Handed Raptor, Bloody Mouth
Ward their gaze from your servants ..."
San (and Iz, if he likes) would like to accomplish two things:
1) Check in with any members of the Order, or at least one of the priests, letting them know he has arrived in the area (and who he is), informing them of his destination, and asking for reports of the unliving in the area. He also wants to get to know them (if he doesn't already), in case he or they need help in the future.2) He will pay his respects to the Plumed Serpent, taking part in the noon prayers.
Sanvoros and Iz have both in their jungle wanderings visited the Fort Trevins temple several times. They are friendly with many of the Order of the Feathered Serpent members that live here and a few of the higher level priests. This temple is one of the largest in the Uplands, and the order's chapterhouse is correspondinly large as well.
San and Iz walk into the temple complex. Several aquaintances nod or call greetings to both of them as they walk acoss the busy quadrangle. They first stop in and check at the order's chapterhouse. They get in to see the assistant commandant, Twelve Gecko. Twelve Gecko is a former team leader San has worked with, they have a good professional relationship.
"Good to see you back at Fort Trevins Sanvoros" He says
Twelve Gecko goes on to fill the two in a little more on the goings on locally. There was a ring of Xipe Totec worshipers who had set up a scheme to lure immigrants to a distant spot and transform them into zombies. There have been sightings of more intellegent undead in the vicinity as well. The most notorius sighting was of Innocent Blood, an ancient Xoltec vampire that is rumored to be one of the top agents of the Chichen Ipec Lichpriests. She had not been sighted in over a decade, and it had been hoped that someone had finally given her the True Death.
San and Iz leave Twelve Gecko and participate in the temple's noon prayers. The folk of Fort Trevins are a worshipful bunch, and the service is well done. Afterwards, San and Iz pay their respects to Two Moonstone, the assistant high priest who led the prayers. San and Iz both know him, and he invites them back to his chambers for a spot of pomegranite juice and some fresh rolls.
Two Moonstone gives them both a blessing and tells them a little about the routine here, but little else of import. He does mention that he was disturbed by all the ill-prepared groups heading out into the jungle. He feels happy that Iz and San are travelling together into the wild, but many of these newcomers weren't even off the boat from Sansarrat or Dragora for less than a week before they were trekking off into the most unexplored regions of Mazatil.
"They'll come to grief out in the Jungle of Skulls." He predicts, munching on a roll contentedly.
Diplomacy Check. (1d20+2=13)
Knowledge (Local) Check. (1d20+6=20)
Joleesa makes sure "Wheezy" is secure and then wanders around the Fort soaking in the atmosphere.
Ten is happy to take in the sights and chat with any one who is friendly. The Fort is an interesting place to him, perched on the edge of the wilderness and adventure.
He will offer to take Ol' Herggit for a meal and a drink to remember old times.
Knowledge (Local) Check. (1d20+6=20)Joleesa makes sure "Wheezy" is secure and then wanders around the Fort soaking in the atmosphere.
Jo gets Wheezy safe and snug in the hostel's stables . She heads out to check out Fort Trevins.
Jo's friendly manner allows here to talk to a bunch of people. Several also know her from Opal, and she runs into several members of her sword circle in town. One gent, Jonquis Allevio, is an old acquaintance stretching back to when their families used to do business together. These days he's a chandler, selling adventuring and other items to the fort's denizens. He chats with Jo, filling her in with what he's heard about the latest gossip:
"There's been a lot of Xoltec gold showing up lately, and it's triggered a mini adventuring boom. It's amazing how word travels, I have seen folks from the Storm Isles debarking still dressed in sealskins ready to troop off in search of buried treasure. I'll be happy to sell them 10-foot-poles though! I have a feeling that something big is brewing this dry season. Did you hear about the Xipe Totec necromancy ring? I heard they killed and animated over a hundred immigrants before the Order of the Feathered Serpent and the Upland Rangers caught up with them. You gotta wonder why they were trying so hard to mass-produce zombies."
Jonquis leans in closer
"They say the Xoltec liches were behind the whole thing."
Jonquis leans back and shrugs expressively, the way only an Opaline native can
"I guess we shall see what we shall see."
The town is a fun, fervent hive of activity. Jonquis and Jo's other friends pay for her lunch and drinks all through the day and as sunset nears she finds herself heading back towards the hostel's area.
Ten is happy to take in the sights and chat with any one who is friendly. The Fort is an interesting place to him, perched on the edge of the wilderness and adventure.
He will offer to take Ol' Herggit for a meal and a drink to remember old times.
Ol' Herggit takes Ten up on his offer. He looks more raggedy that he did in days past, although he never won contests for beauty or fine dressing. The years of travel have taken their toll,and he sports a big faded scar on his face Ten doesn't recall from last time they saw each other.
"Monkey Kobold hit me with one-a-them little spears they got." Herggit says when Ten mentions the scar,
Herggit is a wellspring of information of the lower kind. He gladly shares some interesting nuggets with Ten
"Now, you musta known even back afore yeh grew to such a mountain that ol' Herggit was the bloke yeh came teh see if'n yeh needed stuff from the other side of the river, if yeh catch me drift." He cackles.
"Well, I don't do that any more, on account that the independent man in that business is no longer welcome. House Akkavin, you know them shark worshipper scumbags, they've taken to the 'spice' trade with both boots down. I had a friend what got an extra smile all fer bringing a bushel of Happyberries inta Opal. They even came upriver, an' they're setting up shop in that chandler's building, Needful Neccessities. Bloody shark humpers all."
ol' Herggit and Ten swap reminescences for a while then Ten spends the day sampling the various taverns, inns, wineshops and grog dives Fort Trevins has to offer. He also visits Cayden Cailean's temple. It is more Zapatec in theme, with the traditional rabbit motif carved into its limestone walls. Cayden is known more often than not as Ometotchtli (Two Rabbit) in the Zapatec backcountry. Either way, the temple is a working bar and serves a delicious pale ale.
"Well ranger, things here are about the same. We uncovered a ring of necromancers about two weeks ago that was taking immigrants to a bogus plantation and turning them into zombies. That was a pretty bad situation. We also have a Thunderfoot loose nearby but he's a canny beast. Rumor has it he might be a dragon cross. Other than that, lotsa spiders, raptors and undead, you know, the usual."
"Ooh, shiny!"
After the departure of the other members of the group, Vilya decides to stave off boredom by browsing the local market stalls for shiny things. And if it's too shiny to pass up... you get the picture.
Vilya struts her way along the riverside bazaar. The Fort itself is full of chandlery shops, but the real fun is the little hole-in-the wall merchants and the ever present pawn shops. A small shop catches Vilya's eye, Grom's Metal Bits. The small louvered windows show many different blades and armor pieces. There are a lot of exotic items, some Sengenese throwing stars. a Thereanan scimitar, even a Beladrin leaf sword, the serrated metal of the slender sword sparkly in the light. Vilya can see a hunchbacked figure chatting with a large brawny-looking character while the two look over several swords.
Another interesting shop is called the Lucky Strike. It looks to be a clearinghouse of prosepectors who dicker with a sweaty fat gentleman dressed in rumpled flashy Opaline nobilty clothing. They seem to be selling gems and gold nuggets to him. The counters at the shop are lined with beautiful gems, jewelry and various other items. Two frowning guards with well-worn greatswords flank the door.
A third is a dingy taverna called the Little Fish. Vilya can see this is the kind of place a girl could find just about anything she needed that merchants don't usually put on their shelves in plain sight. The taverna is snugged up near the river piers, an amalglam of reused planks and rough-cut cypress logs. Several shifty-looking characters play Watch Me at a rough table just inside, and a Sliss'pok sits on a small stool just inside the door, his ornate waraxe at his side.
After their lunch with Two Moonstone, San thanks both him and Twelve Gecko for the information and blessing. "I very much appreciate your hospitality, as always, (insert appropriate priestly title here)," he says. Izkrael and I will be setting off in the morning, but we will check back in when we return. May the blessing of the Plumed Serpent be with you."
When they leave, San turns to Iz, "Well, unless there is something else you want to check out, I suppose we should meet up with the others at the Drop Gator."
Info Sanvoros knows:
The Chichen Ipec Lichpriests are the undead revenants of the Xipe Totec high preists that were under attack during the Night of Bloody Bones. When their bloody temples were swarmed with their freed undead servants they underwent an emergency lich creation ceremony to survive (in a fashion). Now fully acclimated to unlife, these mouldering priest kings plot ruin and destruction for all Mazatil.
[intrude PBP][/intrude PBP]
Congratulations.