To Rule the Razor! (Inactive)

Game Master Eric Swanson

Sorry, Nef. Negative energy does not work like that. In order to do enough damage to kill all the larvae you would need to kill the host body, aka Jacinth.

Bah. Never mind then.

Having been feeling as well as could be expected considering that she was covered in bug bites and burns, Lani's surprising and somber prognosis causes the young elf to blanch. "Gods...eggs inside me?" she whispers. To her horror, as she palpates the flesh of her chest and abdomen as Lani had just done she thinks she can almost feel the larvae moving just underneath the surface of her skin.

"Nononono...get them out, get them out, get them OUT!" she cries, the pitch of her voice steadily increasing until the last is nearly a panicked scream. She begins madly fumbling at the sheath where her dagger is kept, clearly intending to take matters into her own hands and cut the larvae out herself.

Ke' nodded at the diagnosis.
"It is no problem; I'll get 'em." He said, fending off Jacinth's attempt to do it herself and whipping out a very sharp obsidian scalpel. He washed it down with some kind of blue fluid, then stuck a leather bite strap into her mouth.
"Hold still now." He growled, before precisely cutting into Jacinth's abdomen.
Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 G%* d##mit!
Blood geysered into the air.
"Whoops, sorry, gotta remember to avoid the aorta there..." He said, hastily dumping a Potion of Cure Light Wounds into the cut to seal it up again.
He mopped his brow.
"OK, lets try that again..."
Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Holy s+&@!
Blood geysered into the air again.
"OK, OK, not there either..." He said, hastily dumping another Potion of Cure Light Wounds into the cut to seal it up again.
Perspiring freely now, he prepped to try again.
"OK, one more time..."
Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 He raised his head and cursed the demons who were clearly interfering with his healing and not his fault at all.
Again, he used a Potion of Cure Light Wounds into the cut to seal it up again.
White faced and in a near panic, he swallowed as he muttered an ancient prayer from his youth and tried again.
Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Oren looks away at Lani butchering the poor girl. The disease might be better than getting hacked to death by the shaman, he thinks as he sees blood spurt from the wounds of the Captain.

"I'm more used to blowing things up from a distance. I don't usually see the blood spouting everywhere," he whispers to Nef, trying to keep from throwing up from the visual plus the damned heat and humidity in the jungle.

Thanks to 'Lani's quick application of his healing draughts, he is able to not only extract all of the larvae but also heal up some of Jacinth's other wounds. Jacinth will heal an additional 5 points of damage.

Time check 1700, Day 7.

"Let's keep going. We have to get these injured back to the ship. And I need to rest. My spells for the day are almost all gone now."

Reknar stares hard as Jacinth is badly cut up. He kneels down next to the elf, pinning her arms, and winking - "Hah! This will be nothing! It'll be over in no time. Forget about the doc, and just look at me" - he nods with a smile.

As the seconds drag into minutes, and the cuts multiply, he keeps staring at her, and making small talk - "Never thought I would say this, but I miss Port Shaw. I've got enough jungle for now" - and chuckles - "You lived there for a long time? I just realized I never went sightseeing. Perhaps you could take me? I like strong drinks, and places bustling - know any if those?"

He can see her skin going pale from the loss of blood, and glances over his shoulder at Ke'ahilani - You need to patch her up. Fast"

Ke' nodded sharply and said; "Right."
He stood up suddenly, popped another catalyst into a bomb shell, then tossed it down onto Jacinth.
The healing bomb burst, not in flames of red and orange, but a cloud of sparkling brilliant yellow shot with green.
Jacinth, Reknar and Ke' are healed 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (5, 4) + 4 = 13, and all the squares surrounding them are healed 6 points; they feel a gentle sense of euphoria as well. He is accurate enough to exempt any bot flies or larvae (four squares worth anyway).
"Fire in the hole! Oh maybe I should say that beforehand." Commented the shaman.
He knelt down by Jacinth.
"How do you feel?" He asked.

Nef had knelt by her friend, silently praying as Ke'ahilani cut into her again and again. She was grateful for Reknar's sudden ease in making small talk. When Oren speaks to her, talking about blood from a distance rather than close up, Nef feels sick as well. it's not the blood, or the heat. It's a quiet sense of despair and loss of purpose. "It doesn't matter, Opu. Blood is blood. We've shed so much of it so far. At least these cuts will heal. Kaiku, are you alright?"

Later, after Ke's healing bomb, she nods to Ke' and then says to everyone, "We have a charge. We promised to get Jacinth's friends safely home. Let's get them to the ship before anything else horrible happens."

She realizes, now, that her comrades won't put the safety of their charges first. Poor Tordell and Lenora both got bombed. Tordell nearly got fireballed by Opu. We need to get these children to the ship and then deal with the island so they don't get killed by our own clumsy actions.

She wonders for a moment, how she will explain any of this to Senegar. Then she immediately regrets doing so. The image of Senegar as demon, leering at her, pawing her, and worse, springs to mind. Through no fault of Jacinth's uncle, I'll never feel safe in his presence again.

But before she climbs Wedjat again, she turns and hugs Reknar. The man is rough, and large, and smells of sweat, but he has a strong will and a good heart, and she draws strength and comfort from his presence. "That was well done back there. Thank you."

Eyes wide with panic and alarm, Jacinth suddenly finds herself on the jungle floor, firmly restrained by Reknar as Lani proceeds to slice into her skin in an attempt to remove the larvae. Despite being told to look away, she can't help but stare helplessly as the shaman goes to work. As the first few cuts produce nothing but blood and agony, Jacinth screams against the bite strap that had been shoved into her mouth. Slowly however, she becomes aware that Reknar is speaking to her and she raises her eyes to look at him. On the periphery of her vision she can also see Nef kneeling next to her as well, pale, with a look of great concern on her face.

Though unable to respond to Reknar's questions due to the bite strap, Jacinth focuses her attention on him and his words seem to calm her somewhat. As Lani executes another futile attempt to cut the larvae out, she bites down on the strap and continues to keep her eyes on the warrior, trying her best to hold still and not make the process any worse for herself. After what seems hours but is likely only minutes, a cry of triumph from the shaman tells Jacinth that her painful ordeal is at an end. She feels Reknar release his grip on her arms, but before she can attempt to rise, she suddenly feels something drop onto her stomach and then pop, clouding her vision with yellow and green smoke. Miraculously, she feels the wounds suffered during the fight with the swarm as well as those inflicted by cutting the larvae out begin to mend and close over. Coughing, she drags herself to a sitting position as Lani joins Reknar and Nef in crowding around her.

"I...I actually feel...surprisingly well," she blinks, gazing down at her skin, now healthy and pink once more, no traces of bites, burns, or cuts to be found. However, the evidence of what she had just experienced rests on the ground all around - dead botflies, dead larvae, and dark splashes of blood. Though suddenly feeling nauseous, she quickly gets to her feet and attempts to give the others a reassuring smile. "Y-yes, I am fine, though I have to say that I would give the entire Deepwarder fortune to avoid experiencing anything like that ever again!"

Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

She turns and looks towards the beach, conveniently hiding her face from view for a moment. "Nef is correct, we are almost to the beach and to the ship. We need to keep moving." Taking a deep breath, she turns to face the group. "Is everyone ready to go?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Yay, I actually got a Sense Motive on the bluff monster!

Nef takes Jacinth's hand and squeezes it. "This would shake anyone. I shakes me. But if we can get through this, we can get through anything."

Louder, she says, "You heard the Captain. Look sharp! Let's go!"

Ke' nodded sharply and said; "Right."

He stood up suddenly, popped another catalyst into a bomb shell, then tossed it down onto Jacinth.
The healing bomb burst, not in flames of red and orange, but a cloud of sparkling brilliant yellow shot with green.
Jacinth, Reknar and Ke' are healed 2d6+4, and all the squares surrounding them are healed 6 points; they feel a gentle sense of euphoria as well.

"Wow... - Reknar mutters at the effects of Ke'ahilani's 'bomb', right before Nefertiti approaches him.

But before she climbs Wedjat again, she turns and hugs Reknar. The man is rough, and large, and smells of sweat, but he has a strong will and a good heart, and she draws strength and comfort from his presence. "That was well done back there. Thank you."

He is slightly taken by surprise by the hug, but does not shy away from it, and awkwardly pats the young girl on her rump as she moves away - "No need to thank me - either we are a team, or we are not" - he retorts.

Apologies if that was out of line - Reknar is a 'lived' man, but he can be somewhat rough around the edges every once in a while (picture... comic book Conan?). If it is improper, please ignore his action, and keep only the words :P

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

As Jacinth stands up, seemingly fine, he does stare at her for a moment - "I'm right there with you Captain - if that ever happens to me, better knock me out before any cuts, because I'm going to kick and squirm like a cornered boar. If you ask me, you've got more guts than many I've seen. Takes some big ones to still act like a lady, when your insides are being cut about" - he adds - "I've seen grown man crying for their Momma over much less than that" - the man chuckles.

Louder, she says, "You heard the Captain. Look sharp! Let's go!"

"Aye! Hustle up people!"

When Reknar pats her rump, Nefertiti blushes from head to toe and jumps back, as if she had been shocked by a spark of Opu's lightning.

Untrained Bluff to hide feelings: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

In Qadira, she had known what it meant when a man grabbed her ass. Despite her father's name, her uncertain status in Qadiran society and lack of citizenship meant that some men had attempted to take liberties. In Qadira, she would have stepped back and slapped him and walked coolly away, carrying herself away with the shreds of her dignity still intact.

But now she can't do that. She had initiated the hug, unthinkingly. Can she blame him for reaching for what he thought had been freely offered? And it bothers her even more that this feels far different than the other times she had been groped in the past... Reknar is a friend, mentor and comrade. Is that why she feels this way? Why his touch is suddenly tripping "memories" of the images that Hawanapoki had assaulted her with earlier? She suddenly wants to do shameful things that have nothing to do with love, at all.

No, you promised yourself to Zem. What are you doing?!

Was this the demon in her head again? Was that why her heart was racing? Wasn't it enough that Hawanapoki had raped her dreams? Did he have to interfere with her waking friendships, too? There was no love between her and Reknar, was there? Only trust and camaraderie.

Wait a minute. Maybe this isn't sexual at all. At least, not on Reknar's part. Maybe... maybe this is just what military guys in Varisia do with their battle buddies. Slap each other on the ass to buck each other up for war? If so... is she supposed to return the favor?

No, no. This is stupid. Stupid. Still flaming from head to toe, she backs away from Reknar and mounts Wedjat, trying to sort it all out. Maybe she could ask Opu, or Kaiku. They're worldly. Surely one of them would know what Reknar's gesture meant...

Yeah, but can they explain what's going on with you, Nef? Are you going to ask them?

Still confused, she takes to the air, hoping to find solace in flight.

As Nef squeezes her hand, Jacinth's first instinct is to pull away. Lying, putting on a mask, these things had always come easily to her. But ever since leaving Port Shaw, she had found it more and more difficult to consistently hide her feelings from these people that had been hired to be her new crew. Although she had braved the transparency that Nef's truth-telling spell had brought, she had told herself that it was a one-and-done deal, something to endure in the interest of reaching her own goals. Except her transparency had brought her something unexpected - respect. Respect that then brought...

Her eyes flicker over Reknar, Oren, Lani, and Aikane.

Camaraderie?

Her gaze then shifts to the young priestess.

Friendship?

Finally, she steals a glance at Rata.

Maybe something more?

Once again, she feels a sudden and surprising surge of affection for the people standing around her. Despite her efforts to maintain her distance she had formed a bond with these people, one that was being tested and strengthened even now by their shared ordeals. Though in many ways she had more in common with those lying on the litters, she had never felt as close to any of them as she did now to the six individuals who had agreed to do their utmost to help her fix her mistake.

Is this what Uncle and my parents wanted for me to learn?

She squeezes Nef's hand in return. "Thank you, Nef," she says quietly. She offers Reknar a smile. "And you as well. When we return to Port Shaw, we shall all go out to celebrate and to sight-see. Though...the places I am familiar with might be too...restrictive for you. However, I suspect those three," she points at Oren, Lani, and Aikane, "might know some places that would suit splendidly!" she chuckles.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

As the group prepares to hoist the litters and make the last push to the beach, Jacinth's more experienced eye is immediately caught by Nef's startled and confused reaction to Reknar's affectionate pat on the rump. Though she was fairly certain that the warrior had meant nothing untoward by it, it was clear that Nef was not. She sighs to herself wearily as she watches the priestess quickly climb astride Wedjat and take to the skies with Elizabeth once more.

Oh Reknar you poor fool, what have you done? You meant well but that was the last thing that Nef needed right now.

She then risks a glance in Oren's direction, wondering if he had picked up on Nef's confusion and discomfort as well.

Sense Motive 1d20 ⇒ 2

As was his wont, Oren didn't notice anything in any exchanges from the others. He was still huffing and puffing, dreading the remainder of the trip back to the ship. Dragging these bodies was the most exercise he had suffered through in a good five years...he sat down to catch a few more minutes rest before the group was ready to depart again.

His ears perked up at the talk of celebration. "We've got a long way to go before then, but we will tear the port up, if we ever get back there alive, I promise."

She offers Reknar a smile. "And you as well. When we return to Port Shaw, we shall all go out to celebrate and to sight-see. Though...the places I am familiar with might be too...restrictive for you. However, I suspect those three," she points at Oren, Lani, and Aikane, "might know some places that would suit splendidly!" she chuckles.

"Don't know what you mean, too restrictive'" - Reknar winks at Jacinth - "I can behave like a proper gentleman if needed - I think"

His ears perked up at the talk of celebration. "We've got a long way to go before then, but we will tear the port up, if we ever get back there alive, I promise."

"Roger that Oren... Definitely!" - the man roars in response.

The sun is well into its descent to the horizon as you finally reach the beach where you first arrived on this accursed island. As before the beach is deserted and a quick check shows the longboat is where you stowed it away when you first arrived here.

Now the problem remains who to take with you first...

The longboat can safely carry 8 people on it without sinking, but you have a total of six PCs plus your six passengers. If you wish to fit everyone on the boat I will need a Profession (sailor) check DC 15 to make sure the boat does not capsize due to the weight. Also, even if you manage to succeed in that you will be moving like an overloaded bathtub, he he.

Time check 1730, day 7.

How far away are we as the eagle flies? I still have 2 hours left of ant haul.

You left orders for the Rita to stay a half mile away from the north shore of the island.

Oren is spent, magically speaking. It might be a good idea for him to head over on the first boat, as he'd be worthless if something came up on him on the island if he were waiting.

I'm not even sure that taking the boat is wise; we got attacked once and were lucky that the whale was able to resist enough to only capsize us. I have my doubts that we'd be so lucky a second time. Let's see how long it takes/will take for Nef to fly our friends back and then go from there?

Agreed, let's see how long t takes first, and if it is possible.

"You think, hmm? I suppose we shall find out, won't we?" Jacinth grins back at Reknar as they heft their litters once more and move out. As they travel, she occasionally glances upward at Nef and Wedjat soaring above them underneath the jungle canopy.

I hope that she...we...can hold out for just a bit longer. This place tries both the mind, body, and soul.

As they reach the beach at long last, her heart soars to see the Rita just where they left her, about half a mile off shore. Under different circumstances she would have wanted to simply sit and enjoy the cool ocean breeze after the heat and humidity of the jungle but time was short and they still had much to do before the sun finished its descent. She waves up at Nef to get the priestess' attention and calls, "What do you think? Will you be able to ferry everyone to the ship by air before your magic runs out, or even just the six of them? I find myself reluctant to risk the longboat again, especially after having escaped one ambush today. Somehow, I do not think we would be as lucky in a second encounter with your whale!"

Nef lands and looks at Jacinth, and says, "I shall do my best, Kaiku. I'll call out to Dirty Pete and Maka to ready the Rita's fishing nets for me, and dump all the weight I can after delivering Elizabeth Stansport. With a fishing net, and all my gear gone, I may be able to take two on the second round, since your friends have no gear." Nef pauses, looking at her friends. Rata and Lani were nearly as tall as Zem. Oren and Jacinth, a little shorter, were still both 5'10. And Reknar was BIG. They all bristled with gear that would make it challenging for her to carry more than one at time. "Is there any gear you can leave behind or dump altogether? The less weight, the more of you I can carry. As it is, I can currently manage ONE other, if that other is Aikane. Aikane, I know you hate to fly. Still, will you come? You can take claws again, if that is your preference."

Nef extends an arm to Aikane. "Come. We haven't a moment to lose."

If Aikane doesn't agree to go, she'll take a bag of gear to make it a little easier to transport two at a time later.

Whatever Aikane decides, she takes off from the beach quickly, flying to the Rita as fast as Wedjat's wings will take them.

As she flies over the waters, she calls out to whale, hoping that her voice will carry. "Whale? Do you hear me? It's your friend, Eagle. My friends and I are wounded, and need a night to heal. But we are NOT abandoning you. We are coming back and I will save you if it is in my power to do so. You have my word."

"I'm not leaving any of my stuff on this Gods forsaken island" - Reknar grumbles - "I'll drag it across the ocean floor if I have to. And not a single gold to show for it, or anything that can be converted to gold. BAH!"

Oren didn't carry much weight in terms of gear. However he did carry quite a bit of weight in terms of belly, so he had no way to lighten his load to help with the travel. "Go ahead and get started, Nef. We will wait on you...fly high in case that scary whale can jump out of the water. We don't know much about it yet."

Jacinth nods and begins to dig through her pack as Nef loads up and prepares to make her first flight back out to the Rita. "I am not sure that there is much that I can leave behind, but I will try." After a quick inspection of her pack, she sets aside a rather fine set of clothing, a small pouch that jingles with coins, some soap, and a tiny bottle of what appears to be perfume. "There! I am afraid that that is all I have that I would consider nonessential," she says ruefully. "Next would be my armor and then my weapons...which I would prefer to not leave behind if at all possible."

She then turns to Reknar. "There will be gold to show for this, once we return to Port Shaw. I know that you did not sign on for this, but I also know that I as well as the rest of us are in your debt for being willing to assist us," she says, attempting to mollify the grumbling warrior. "Although the initial contract that was agreed to by my uncle did not include you, I suspect that it will not be a problem for you to receive Z-" her face suddenly flushes slightly and she quickly glances at Nef, "er, a share of the offered reward!" she finishes hurriedly, hoping that Nef had not just heard her all but offer Zem's share of the payment to Reknar.

Sorry Nef, but that would be the most sensible option and I am sure that Uncle would agree with me. And if not, well...I suspect you would have little trouble convincing him.

Jacinth can ditch her Noble's Outfit and what cash she has for starters, so that will lighten her load by around 10-12 lbs. And since I didn't really say otherwise I decided that yes, she's still 'new' enough to this whole adventuring thing that she'd take all that crap with her :P

After making certain her passenger is strapped in for the flight back to the Rita, Nefertiti takes off on Wedjat and makes a beeline for the vessel. It only takes a few moments for the ship to come into sight yet as the eagle draws closer, Elizabeth shows signs of stirring from her 'coma' as she starts squirming against her bonds and moaning incoherently.

As the Haast eagle draws closer to their destination, Nefertiti suddenly hears an echoing voice in her mind, dripping with malice and evil.

"Well it appears you have refused my gallant offer of hospitality. It is a shame you have made this decision to refuse honoring my terms of leaving my island. Very well. Since you have refused to honor our agreement, I see no reason to abide as well." The voice then leaves her mind as quickly as it came.

Looking towards the Rita she sees the ship suddenly shudder violently, a loud *CRACK* of shattering wood and timbers rising into the air. The fishing boat keels over to one side and capsizes with a shuddering crash. She does see the Tulitan crew yelling in terrified voices as they jump over the side. Her eyes spy a grey shape moving rapidly just beneath the surface as it circles around and heads straight for them. Soon their screams are cut short.

With sickening horror, she realizes the Whale has indeed returned...and left carnage in its wake. The Rita lying capsizes in the water and sinking slowly and several reddish stains in the water reflected in the evening sun.

Time check 1745, Day 7

"Maka! Butterfly! Dirty Pete! Kaleo!"

Nef flies over the wreckage, searching for survivors, before howling with grief.

No more of Kaleo's beautiful songs, or Butterfly's shy smiles and gifts of jewelry. No more Maka. No more Pete. I killed them. They put their trust in me, and I killed them all and stranded them here.

She howls again. Tears streaming down her face, she returns to the island. By the time she arrives back, the pain and grief have gone cold and hard.

"The demon killed our ship and our crew," she says as she lands, her voice like brittle glass. Perhaps she is made of glass too. She feels transparent, fragile and broken. But then again, glass is sharp. Glass cuts. If the demon tries to take her, she will be its fatal pill. "Let's set watches, get rest, and then return the favor."

She kneels on the beach feather in the air, and starts to pray. Maybe the demon will interrupt her again. Maybe she'll have to fly up and see just how far its telepathic range is. But Nef refuses to be separated from her god. She will pray for both the living and the dead in her care, no matter what.

"Horus, please find them. Escort their souls to the loving care of the Three. They deserved better."

"So. We're now definitely stranded here. And the demon has killed all of our crew." Oren was emotionless as he reviewed the facts of the situation facing them. "We are going to have to risk making a camp here on the island somewhere. It seems the demon's powers will effect the whole island, so we aren't going to be safe, I'm afraid. We will have to take a couple shifts to try to protect the others as we sleep, and try to keep the demon out of our thoughts."

When Nef is done with her prayers, she seeks out Reknar. "You commanded men in the army. When they died, did you ever feel like it was all your fault, or did you manage somehow to turn all your anger and drive to the enemy?" She looks up at him, eyes bleak. "If you found a way to do that, can you teach me? Please?"

_________________

I don't know how far the demon't telepathic range is, or where it may or may not extend. Nef is a stubborn girl and is going to keep making prayer attempts. Let me know if any of them succeed.

While Nef and Wedjat take flight, Jacinth stands ready with the others on the beach, eyes alert for trouble from the jungle. After a few minutes, her eyes idly shift back toward the Rita and widen as she sees the vessel suddenly keel over without warning. "No...NO!" she cries. But there is nothing she can do but watch in horror as the ship capsizes and slowly begins to sink into the ocean in front of their very eyes. When the shocked silence is broken by the whimper of one of their charges, the reality of their situation rapidly begins to set in.

Gone. They are gone. Our ship is gone. We are stranded here.

She turns to look at the rest of the group, completely at a loss for words.

What do we do now?

Unable to answer that question, even to herself, she silently turns back toward the horizon and watches as Wedjat's familiar shape grows larger once again before the pair finally land with Elizabeth still in tow. She opens her mouth to say...something, anything, but she stops as she catches sight of Nef's face. It wasn't the tears that made her hold her tongue but rather the look in the young woman's eyes, a look that Jacinth had not seen before, even earlier within the jungle or back at the clearing. The priestess' eyes burned with a cold fury as well as grief and in that instant Jacinth knew that Nef would not rest until either she or their demonic host lay dead. She can say nothing but simply nod in agreement with Nef's words that camp must be made and watches set. After all, that was the answer to her question, wasn't it? What else could they do but continue moving forward until they reached a conclusion to all of this...whatever that might be?

While Nef kneels on the beach and begins her prayers, Jacinth takes a deep breath and turns to address the others, speaking in a low voice. "Oren is correct," she begins, her voice sounding oddly distant and detached, even to her own ears. "We will need to find a place to make camp, first of all - preferably somewhere with some sort of natural defenses if there are any such areas nearby." Turning to address Oren and Lani specifically, she asks, "This is perhaps a ridiculous question, but is there any known way to resist such a creature's mental assaults besides magical means that we likely do not have?"

Keep moving. Do not think. Keep moving.

Thinking of making more effective bombs, Ke' glanced out towards the ship.
Shockingly, it shuddered and rolled over into the water.
"What?" He gawked as he saw the the overturned hull slowly sink under the waves.
He gnashed his teeth until his lips bled in fury.
His mind began to think with an ice cold focus.
That thing is the demons most powerful ally. It has to die.
He began to consider poisons. Perhaps the Black Lotus grew on the island?

From afar, Reknar watches as The Rita is sunk, and all aits crew slaughtered.

The man doesn't even skip a beat, and immediately begins setting up camp without a second thought - "That's that then" - he grumbles - "Whale's pissed off, that's for sure"

Survival to get a suitable camping spot: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17<- Used the Cavalier +9 modifier.

"The demon killed our ship and our crew," she says as she lands, her voice like brittle glass. Perhaps she is made of glass too. She feels transparent, fragile and broken. But then again, glass is sharp. Glass cuts. If the demon tries to take her, she will be its fatal pill. "Let's set watches, get rest, and then return the favor."

"The demon?" - Reknar questions with a skeptical look - "Wasn't it the whale?" - he doesn't even lift his eyes from his work in getting the camp set up though - "Nefertiti's right though, we need to set up camp - let me know who needs rest at the early night, or break of dawn so we can set up the watches accordingly"

"So. We're now definitely stranded here. And the demon has killed all of our crew." Oren was emotionless as he reviewed the facts of the situation facing them. "We are going to have to risk making a camp here on the island somewhere. It seems the demon's powers will effect the whole island, so we aren't going to be safe, I'm afraid. We will have to take a couple shifts to try to protect the others as we sleep, and try to keep the demon out of our thoughts."

"That" - he nods.

When Nef is done with her prayers, she seeks out Reknar. "You commanded men in the army. When they died, did you ever feel like it was all your fault, or did you manage somehow to turn all your anger and drive to the enemy?" She looks up at him, eyes bleak. "If you found a way to do that, can you teach me? Please?"

Reknar's eyes glaze over somewhat, and he actually snarls at the girl for a split second. Seemingly more calm right after that, he answers - "That's the thing about 'commanding men' Nefertiti - they are always your responsibility, no matter what" - he speaks calmly - "If they die, that's on you, and no one else, so the fault is always yours" - then stares at the young woman - "The way I see it, you've got two options - either lying VERY still, and diying along with them, or sucking it up and moving along" - he shrugs - "Leading is not easy, and no one is forced to follow, usually anyway. So if they accept you in that role, and you want to take it, then all know what it's about, and live by it - the leader does its best, and the others do the same" - the large man chuckles.

"My anger is always focused on the enemy - I've got a deep well filled with it, so I guess that is always something I can tap into. If you need helping doing it, just stick next to me - you'll learn in no time" - his look is now dead serious.

"No...NO!" she cries. But there is nothing she can do but watch in horror as the ship capsizes and slowly begins to sink into the ocean in front of their very eyes. When the shocked silence is broken by the whimper of one of their charges, the reality of their situation rapidly begins to set in.

"They are dead Captain" - the warrior's voice sounds, his hand on Jacinth's shoulder.

While Nef kneels on the beach and begins her prayers, Jacinth takes a deep breath and turns to address the others, speaking in a low voice. "Oren is correct," she begins, her voice sounding oddly distant and detached, even to her own ears. "We will need to find a place to make camp, first of all - preferably somewhere with some sort of natural defenses if there are any such areas nearby." Turning to address Oren and Lani specifically, she asks, "This is perhaps a ridiculous question, but is there any known way to resist such a creature's mental assaults besides magical means that we likely do not have?"

"I am taking care of the camp - no way that I know of resisting mental assaults but gritting your teeth, and riding it out" - he adds, getting back to work on the camp.

"The demon?" - Reknar questions with a skeptical look - "Wasn't it the whale?" - he doesn't even lift his eyes from his work in getting the camp set up though - "Nefertiti's right though, we need to set up camp - let me know who needs rest at the early night, or break of dawn so we can set up the watches accordingly"

"It was the demon," Nef corrects with a shake of her head. "I heard him push Whale into the attack."

Reknar's eyes glaze over somewhat, and he actually snarls at the girl for a split second. Seemingly more calm right after that, he answers - "That's the thing about 'commanding men' Nefertiti - they are always your responsibility, no matter what" - he speaks calmly - "If they die, that's on you, and no one else, so the fault is always yours" - then stares at the young woman - "The way I see it, you've got two options - either lying VERY still, and diying along with them, or sucking it up and moving along" - he shrugs - "Leading is not easy, and no one is forced to follow, usually anyway. So if they accept you in that role, and you want to take it, then all know what it's about, and live by it - the leader does its best, and the others do the same" - the large man chuckles.

"My anger is always focused on the enemy - I've got a deep well filled with it, so I guess that is always something I can tap into. If you need helping doing it, just stick next to me - you'll learn in no time" - his look is now dead serious.

To Nef's surprise, she welcomes Reknar's snarl. Someone should snarl at her. And so long as Reknar is the one snarling at her, she's not thinking of him as... as...

No, concentrate on that snarl. Not on how much you like the man. Not on your friendship. The snarl is a gift, one that she can hold on to. One that she can draw strength from.

"You keep mementos of the dead, right?" She takes a feather from her pocket, and puts it in one of Reknar's. "This is for you. For luck if I survive, or remembrance if I don't. No, I'm not laying down to die, but I accept that the fault is mine," she says softly.

I accept that if there's a price to be paid, it's me who should pay it.

She holds up her wrist, showing Reknar the bracelet that Butterfly had shyly given her. "This demon owes me a blood debt now. We Qadirans collect on such things. We're rather fanatical about it."

She is about to turn, when she notices Underdog poking out of Reknar's pack. She stares for a moment, and then her brow furrows. "Reknar! You have an empathic bond, right? My father employed a wizard named Fat Hakan who had a rat that would scout for him. Hakan knew everywhere that rat was, so long as it stayed within a mile." Abruptly, she grabs a stick, and starts drawing a rough map of the island. "Dolentla is less than a mile across, right? And the Rita was half a mile out, right? By Horus, what if that is it? What if its telepathic range is a mile?"

She finishes her map, poking a hole in the center where the statue lay. Then she draws a circle around where the one mile radius would be from that point, checking to see if there are any landmasses outside of the one mile mark.

"I don't know if this will work or not, but we're going to need Oren's and my spells tomorrow. I'm going to take Wedjat a mile out, and see if I can pray. If I can... We may have found our solution. If I can't... We'll come up with something else. I'm a very stubborn person, Reknar."

While she still can see, she takes to the air with Wedjat, flying out as far as she can, and opening her mind to Horus. And if this doesn't work, I'll try something else.

Reknar is able to fashion a crude lean-to to help protect from the elements and is even able to find some edible fruits and seeds nearby the campsite. By the time the mercenary finishes gathering the food the sun is well on its way to setting.

You find enough food to feed 3 people plus Aikane for the evening.

Nefertiti takes off on Wedjat trying to clear her mind of the taint of Hawanapoki's voice in her mind. After flying for about 20 minutes or which takes her nearly a mile away from Dolentla Island she feels the lurking presence of the demon vanish from her thoughts and the comforting presense of her deity fills her heart.

The only problem is the vast expanse of ocean water beneath her offers no place to rest and pray.

Time check 1845, day 7.

"I guess the only way we will find out if he will try to get in our thoughts as we sleep is for someone to try it. I'm willing to take a quick nap and be a guinea pig. If I start acting crazy, one of you has my permission to knock me bloody senseless, until I get back in my right mind. If I wake up all good, then we can try and let the second shift grab some shut eye. How does that sound?"

The only problem is the vast expanse of ocean water beneath her offers no place to rest and pray.

Nef feels the demon's hold on her mind slip, and breathes in for a few precious moments the light and clarity of Horus while she considers her options. As she looks over the vast expanse of ocean, she looks for rock formations, other islands, or portions of Dolentla Island itself that may lay outside the demon's telepathic range.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

I've done a number of moving meditations, both yoga and dance... Is it possible for 15 minutes for Nef to meditate in the saddle long enough to fill an empty spell slot? Especially since guide with knees is a free action?

Unfortunately the ocean does not offer any sort of relief for a somewhat-tired Haast eagle to rest his wings.

Nef: Give me a Concentration check (DC is 10 + the spell level of the empty slot you wish to fill) and you will succeed in your meditation.

"I guess the only way we will find out if he will try to get in our thoughts as we sleep is for someone to try it. I'm willing to take a quick nap and be a guinea pig. If I start acting crazy, one of you has my permission to knock me bloody senseless, until I get back in my right mind. If I wake up all good, then we can try and let the second shift grab some shut eye. How does that sound?"

"Sounds risky Oren, but I don't think we have many other choices" - Reknar nods in approval - "I'll keep watch over you"

"Right," Jacinth nods in agreement. "We will all have to sleep at some point, or at least attempt it. I can help keep watch as well. My vision is still fairly good even by the dim light of the campfire, so I will take one of the later watches when it is darkest."

As they sit, Jacinth stares into the campfire, clearly thinking over what their next move should be. "This may be a risky proposition...but whether Nef and Oren are able to find a means to meditate without interference or not, I believe that we should still attempt to search about the island for additional means of combating our host." She looks up, her expression deathly serious. "If the rumors of my people's lab are true, there may be something located within that would prove useful either as a weapon or defense," she says, slowly. "I...am aware that this may sound a selfish suggestion, given past events and the reasoning for my coming here with my friends the first time. But I assure you, at this point I will be happy for us to simply be able to return to Port Shaw alive and in one piece!"

"If you all want to explore a bit more, then that's fine, but I'd stay away from the demon's stronghold until Nef and I have a chance to see if we can rest and get some spells back. Without them, I might as well just sit here on the beach, for all the good I'll do everyone."

Nefertiiti raises a feather to the air, praying from on top of eagle back. It is the first time she has prayed from eagle back, and the wind threatens constantly to tear the feather from her grip, but this feels right. She is flying, high and safe, in the realm of Horus, Lord of Two Horizons, feeling the rapid and steady beat of Wedjat's wings beneath her.

"Horus, O mighty Eagle, hear the cry of your devoted servant, Nefertiti! I need your blessing and your guidance to remove an abomination that has slain four of your adopted people, and imprisoned and compelled a poor whale, a child of Tohorara, who you've adopted as your brother. Help me Horus remove this demon, and purge this island of the evil at its heart."

Nefertiti concentrates. In her weakened state, her wisdom a mere shadow of what it had once been, this is surprisingly difficult. Again and again, she feels the spell almost slip from her mind. She grips the feather in her hand so tightly that her nail draws blood, and she hangs on to spell and feather both.

Nefertiti's Concentration Check: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 5 - 2 = 13

Magic Circle V. Evil is back on her spell list

Nefertiti smiles up at the heavens, feather still held high in victory, as Wedjat descends, taking them back towards North Beach. And then she hears Wedjat's questioning, "Screee?" and she laughs.

"Yes, my friend, you may hunt on the way back."

Wedjat's Hunting (Survival): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 :D

As they fly back into camp with Wedjat's kill, Nef leaps off and says, "I found the limit of his telepathic range -- one mile out! I managed to get back one spell, Magic Circle versus Evil. Unfortunately, I found no spot of land or outcropping where Opu and I could rest out of range to recover all our spells." She smiles. "Still, where there's one limit, there's bound to be others as well. We'll find another way, tomorrow."

The joy in her voice at this one small victory is infectious, and she happily sets to filleting the fish Wedjat caught.

Edited to reflect the Kraken's post.

Feeling buoyed by her successful attempt to contact her deity, Nefertiti returns to the beach where Reknar is well on his way to preparing the camp. Her return trip is slowed down by the extra weight of the bluefin tuna snagged by Wedjat on the return leg of their trip.

The Tuna is large enough to feed 7 people, so now you have enough food for 10 people.

As Nef returns, Jacinth is gladdened as well as surprised to see a smile on the priestess' face. "Even though you were unable to find anywhere to land, that is still useful information to have," she comments as Nef explains the boundaries of the demon's telepathy. "Sammerlock Sails is close to Dolentla, but likely not close enough for Wedjat to fly to."

When she spies the tuna that Wedjat was able to procure on their flight back, Jacinth's face suddenly flushes red and she gives herself a shake. "I am an idiot," she mutters. "I know something of woodscraft, though it was never a specialty as it is with some of my kinsmen! Let me have a quick look around before it gets completely dark, perhaps I will find something that Reknar missed."

While Nef sets to work on cleaning the tuna and the others putter about, Jacinth makes another survey of the immediate area to check for anything else that might prove edible...or at least useful.

Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Oren tries to help the Captain look around for any native roots to berries he might recognize.

Aid Another Survival 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17

He spots a lovely heart of Palm he is able to show her to cut off the tree and add a bit of food to the party.

Ke' nodded at the plan to hunt and gather.
"Not a problem." He said.
Knowledge:Nature: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Profession:Herbalist: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Survival (hunting): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

He swaggered back to base camp with his haul.
"Even found some pipe weed..." He said.

Nef cooks up the bounty of smoked tuna, heart of palm, herbs and fruit, and fillls everyone's cups with pure, clean water.

Using palm leaves for plates, she serves some to everyone, then finally serves herself. As hungry as she is, she finishes her meal before speaking. "This is the time of night that I usually tell my story to Tohorara. But my heart is too full of sorrow for stories today."

She lets her voice carry, trusting the ocean waves to take it to the whale god in the deep. "Kaleo, Butterfly, Pete and Maka were Whale's children too, as much as that maddened whale child that ended their lives today under the demon's compulsion. They were devout followers of the Three. Tohorara, remember and mourn them as we do."

"This is one of Kaleo's songs. I'll try to do it justice."

Untrained Perform Sing: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Despite her lack of training, her voice soars, sweet and true, as she remembers the beauty of Kal's voice.

We are children of the whale
Perhaps we have lost our way
Singing our sorrow to the deep

We are children of the whale
Chilldren of the whale
Children... do not turn us away

She finishes the song and turns from the ocean to her comrades, tears on her face. Her song of remembrance done, she says. "We need to kill that demon as soon as we can. Let's get what rest we can, and then let's end this."

Wedjat looks at the food piled on Oren's palmleaf.

"Screeee!"

You're not eating all of that, are you?

Wedjat fluffs up and tries to look menacing at Oren.

Wedjat's Untrained Intimidate: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (4) - 2 = 2