The raven's cawing seems almost suspiciously rhythmic
*Caw* *Caw*
*CAW* *CAW*
.
*Caw* *Caw*
*CAW* *CAW*
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Cacaw!
...
It begins with water....the darkness overtaking...the air escaping...shadows spread like ink and consume sight...lungs burn like fire and then the urge to scream simply slides away and consciousness fades...
Squeeze Bits, Shattertooth, Zike and Narissth awaken to waves and light. Face down on the beach, there are no clothes or wreckage. No weapons or tools. Only white sand and, in the distance, a tree line.
The air is warm but not overly so. The air smells of salt, surf and a soft hint of decay by way of the jungle beyond the sand.
The beach trails and turns to the horizon in both directions and nothing dots the water neither ships nor other land.
A rhythmic tapping accompanies the sign of waves and it is clear that there is another presence sitting upon a large piece of driftwood, the tangled remains of some tree brought out to see ages past and scoured smooth by the tide. A crow sits up on the tree and every handful of seconds, taps upon the wood and cries out...
The afterlife? Sand? The gods must be joking.
No. A crow. Scavenger. His lungs ached. His dark brown furr was matted and encrusted. And his claw... His claw is gone! He feels in the sand all around him, sweeping the sand back and forth to no avail. Only then does Shattertooth look around.
Goblins and a rat-folk lie around. Probably the ones he was chasing. Filthy thieves.
tap tap
*Caw* *Caw*
tap tap
*Caw* *Caw*
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
He eyes the crow and several delicious recipes run through his head. But he had no way to make fire, so most of them were worthless. Instead he crawls his way up the beach to the log to get his legs out of the warm surf.
Shattertooth does note in the crawling that despite having no items or clothing he appears to be completely uninjured. Maybe a little sore in the muscles but otherwise injury free...
And for this he thanks the gods as he crawls.
Squeeze turns his big immensely huge head up. He covered in sand. The mouth is full of sand too, which he spits and chews, chews and spits. Finally the eyes open, looking around.
Foood! Damn it where's my foooood!
He then sees the hobgoblin and hisses menacingly. For brief seconds. He finally smiles as he sees the crow, and his tongue starts dipping out of his mouth.
Hmm... Here birdie birdie!
The crow tilts its head at the goblin for a moment then taps on the wood again.
tap tap
*Caw* *Caw*
Narrissth awakes and rolls over, amazed that he is alive. Immediately his hand goes for his pouch, which is not there, and then his necklace with the ring, which is also missing. Seeing the goblin nearby, his eyes narrow into a stare knowing that the humanoids are known for their thievery, but apparently completely forgetting that ratfolk have pretty much the same reputation.
Who stole my pouch and necklace?
It is about this time that it dawns on him that he is lying on a beach and covered in sand, and nothing else. Quickly putting his hands over his parts which have rarely seen the sun, he continues to look around suspiciously.
Who are you? Where are we?
Zika opens her eyes, seeing the blue sky overheard, and feeling the breeze move across her skin. It was odd that it was light. She'd felt engulfed by darkness not long before. Her ears twitch, picking up a barrage of unfamiliar noises. She glares for a moment before squeezing shut her eyes. "Too much noise." She growls, throwing herself to her feet.
Taking in the sight before her, she takes in a deep breath. There was a Hobgoblin crawling some feet away. He was probably responsible for what happened. Her eyes dart towards the Goblin who is screaming for food. Not one from her ship, a different tribe. It was probably his fault.
She reaches for her sword to find it gone, and then whirls to hear a Ratfolk accusing others of theft, when everyone knows that they were the hoarders. He probably was pretending his items got stolen too, so he could keep everything. She narrows her eyes and let's out a low growl. Without taking her eyes from him, she reaches around her body to find that all of her treasures are gone.
"Thieves." She glowers quietly.
A tapping sound draws her attention and she turns to see a lone crow tapping at wood and cawing. Zika narrows her eyes at that, too. "Spy bird." she mutters. "Spies for dead." Feeling somewhat overwhelmed at having strangers around her, not to mention standing on the sand for the first time in months, she scampers up a nearby tree, and glares down at everyone. "Not stab backs." She insists, "Not be cowards."
Satisfied that they will heed her words - at least while she's somewhat safely above - Zika turns and stares out at the sea, her eyes scanning the horizon. "Where ship?"
As Zika's question fills the air it almost seems like the crow offers a laughing sound, caws in repetition to mimic the sound...
*caw* *caw* *CAW* *caw* caw* *CAW*
The crow stops for a second then taps on the wood again this time in three quick successions before staring out at the four strangers intently.
Zika glares down at the crow, looks at the piece of wood it is tapping, and perceives this to be a warning that it will gladly attack wood. Her blood runs cold as she stares down at the winged creature. "You destroy ship?"
Narissth continues to look around at the three goblins surrounding him, one of which is much larger than the others. Still confused, but realizing that the others appear to be similarly confused, he stands up, still trying to partake in some type of decency, and moves toward the tree and the crow.
Knowledge(nature): <-- does he know whether crows are native to islands like whatever this island is?
What are you?
As he does this, he continuously glances back at the goblins not wanting to give any of them the chance to get behind him.
Narissth ponders the situation and comes to the conclusion that though crows can and do live in many coastal areas close to beaches, in a spectrum of climates, they would tend to be in the minority while gulls would be much more common. (Of which there are none) Similarly the crow seems out of place given that most of the surrounding trees seem more jungle like while the tree body he is sitting on is decidedly more temperate in construction.
It also occurs to Narristh that this might not be an island, but that seems most likely considering the lack of sightable ships or longer obvious coastline...but that is purely speculation at the moment.
Unsure what to do, and feeling naked, in more ways than one, he makes his way to the tree and taps it himself seeing if there is some reason that the crow is tapping it. If that does not work, he will try to climb the tree.
As he does so, he looks at Zika:
Who are you? How did you get here? Where are we?
This would be areally good representation of what I am describing.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zika looks cautiously at the Ratfolk. "Not am knowing. Was on ship. Then sky yells at waves. Waves yell back at sky. Big fight. Wake up here." Her eyes narrow. "With you.... And bird. And others."
"Am called Zika." Her eyes dart around the numerous people on the beach, and she puffs up her chest and adds. "Zika quick! Zika ferocious! Zika brave!" But realising that she's in poor position to prove any of those things, and isn't so brave that she wants confrontation, she deflates like a balloon. "Zika lost." She admits, her large ears curling down and inwards.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
- Wait! Wait! Big ugly pig faced one might be the one to blame. Squeeze is famous pirate, skilled navigator! Yet Squeeze is here stranded! Food is missing! And look who looks biiiiig and fat???
He points at the hobgoblin. The goblin's eyes are a little crazy at the moment. However, he walks close to Zika and Narissth.
Zika takes a couple of steps back from the goblin, keeping the distance between them and lets out a low growl, warning him to keep his distance. "Not my tribe." She says quietly.
She looks back at the Ratfolk and points a twisted claw at him. "Belong to bird?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Fort:
Narissth looks from the two small goblins to the much larger one and is pretty sure that they are not the same type. In addition, from the angst, it is apparent that even the small ones do not know one another, considering their finger pointing.
With that, Narissth raises one hand, the other remaining in front of his not rat-like parts, and considers:
You all were shipwrecked? We are all from different ships?
He pauses wondering what to say to the others, and how much to disclose, before continuing.
I was resting on a ship and looking at the . . . treasures I had acquired. There was shouts from above. Then . . . then I awoke here. Um . . . nekkid as the day I was born without any of my treasure.
The goblins are unsure whether he finishes this with an upset, or an angry, or some other, expression as ratfolk are not common in goblin villages.
Squeeze didn't lose his treasure! Squeeze was stolen precious fruits and bugs.
He looks at everybody in the direction of their guts.
Someone surely ate all Squeeze's food. Famous and skilled pirate Squeeze conquered his rich plunder, and now is stabbed in the back!
He opens his arms.
Squeeze is huuuungryyyyy! - he almost cries. But then he looks again at the crow and licks his lips.
You could all work for big famous pirate Squeeze. Yes, Squeeze needs a crew of smart, talented ones. We build boat and go back. After frying black bird. With bugs. This beach gotta have bugs.
He starts searching the sand for "food", with the incredible focus and attention only a goblin can have.
The crow bobs its head intently as the ratfolk knocks on the wood. It also tilts its head and watches the small furry stranger intently as it continues to talk to the other newcomers...
The wood is solid but somewhat hollow under Narissth's fist, like most driftwood it has "lost" a decent amount of its density in the scouring and bleaching of salt and sun.
Squeeze points at the orange/red effect in the wood.
Careful! Magic wood! Bad wood! Bad crow! - multiple conclusions at the same time, many of them probably wrong - Look! Shiny! - he completes, pointing to the ring at the top of the package.
Perception:
Zika looks in response to Squeeze's exclamation and lets out a sharp hiss, taking a step backwards. "Bad magick." She says softly, looking at the crow as if it is to blame. But as her eyes catch the only change around - that some clothes and a ring appeared - Zika thinks back to her previous experiences with magic.
She had found a magic book that taught her how to use spells. That hadn't seemed bad. Then she accidentally destroyed her home with it. That part had been less than great. Then she swore off fire and was forced to travel.
She furrows her brow as she considers the potential implications of what she is seeing. "If... Zogmugot gave Zika book." She whispers to herself, and begins trying to add up facts. "Book gone. Zika here." She squeezes her eyes shut as she thinks. "Magick storm? Ship gone... Bird... Touch wood. Jewel."
Her eyes fly open with excitement as she gives up trying to make sense of it and just decides what it means. She exclaims the word "TEST!" before quickly moving towards the branch and planting one of her hands down on it.
Seeing the clothes appear, Narissth grabs them and quickly moves behind the tree to put on the pants. He also smiles a smile of deep relief when he sees his ring, with the small silver chain still holding it. He quickly drops it around his neck before anyone else can notice.
Once done, he looks up just in time to see the strange naked female goblin reach out and touch the tree. Having seen that it changed color and was likely somehow magical, Narissth takes a sudden breath in and holds his breath not knowing whether something good, or something bad may occur.
Having not had time to check what was in the burlap package, Narissth holds it tentatively while he waits.
Had not really thought about the ring. Here is what I envision it. Not too valuable, but with an emblem enigmatic of the Korvosan throne. This one has a griffon which is one of the emblems of Korvosa.
Might want to copy and save it so that it does not get deleted from Ebay.
Shattertooth didn't make it far before collapsing into the sand. He doesn't even have the energy to protest when accused of theft. They will know who they're messing with... Later. He doesn't even rush to snatch the package. Better to let the runts set off the traps.
Narissth easily puts his necklace on while hastily donning what turn out to be a simple set of brown linen slacks and a light weight white linen shirt.
The package proves to be relatively light being no larger than a loaf of bread.
As the ratfolk moves to deal with his modesty Zika talks to herself and then yells out TEST! while charging the drift wood. Placing her hand upon the wood the wood takes on an additional change of almost imperceptible white whorls.
Out of the corner of everyone's eye the round stone now hold another similar set of clothes, a package and what appears to be a broken compass sitting atop the pile of items...
It takes about half a second for Shattertooth to put two and two together. He moves up and touches the log.
Shattertooth approaches the wood and places a hand upon it and then is promptly rocked back on his heels as a loud thunder crack fills the sky. The hobgoblin falls unconscious.
Another stone stand appears with clothes and a necklace with what seems to be the claw of a large creature as its central decoration. The tree mean while almost seems to regain some color as its bark turns many shades darker and more brown.
The crow bobs its head at the hobgoblin excitedly although it remains mute. It does not move from the tree and then ticks its head at Squeeze Bits and taps on the wood three times on quick succession.
*Caw* *CAW*
Squeeze scratches his head. The "bright" goblin still has no idea of what's happening, but starts laughing and rolls in the floor when the hobgoblin falls unconscious. If it wasn't for the naked circumstances, Squeeze would probably clean the big goblinoid's pockets. When the crow interacts with him, Squeeze runs to the log to hide behind it scared, touching it in the process.
The Hobgoblin is on the ground for a little less than thirty seconds. He comes to slowly. His body has now been assaulted twice in the span of hours, or possibly minutes, and it want taking the abuse well.
He spots the clothes and slowly rolls over and up onto his feet. He clutches the huge, blood stained claw to his chest and dons it around his head first followed by the rest of the clothing.
Squeeze Bits attempts to hide brushing the tree when another loud thunder crack sounds. For his trouble the goblin brawler is thrown thirty feet away, skidding to a stop in the sand.
As Shattertooth dons his clothes, in a blink of an eye the stone stand sports another set of small clothes and a well loved green blanket/cape.
The driftwood cracks and vibrates as the gnarled limbs darken and green buds spring forth. Leaves take hold on various section of the tree though it remains toppled over. Despite its precarious arrangement it appears now very much alive. The other colorations and whorls are gone.
Squeeze sees his clothes further, and rush to get them. For a moment, while dressing, he seems distracted about the cape... When he finally sees it. He squeaks and dances in happiness, immediately dressing himself with the green fur cape and laughing maniacally - as if he just found an incredible treasure.
Crazy thieving idiots...
With his hand clasped to the ring, now beneath his shirt, Narissth looks about.
So. Where are we? We have clothes and . . . things. What are we to do? Who are you? Why are we here?