"There may be something in the kitchen - a saucepan or such - that will serve to keep them dry, at least until we get back to dry land. I'd guess if there were any of this island, Ieana would have taken them. We can look through these ones more thoroughly later. The book looks like it also may have information on jungle threats, so we should take it."
On the topic of the ancient ruins Roland nods, "I guess so. It would be cool to see."
---
To Almon words he responds, "Agreed, let's grab these, but let's keep moving."
@Nali- I still need to look up rules on gathering venom, (right now I will assume you got some but don't know if you stored or how much you got to give me time to look it up.)
@Heris- You see maps of many places but believe that it must have been taken, because you cant find one.
@almond- when picking up the Book you notice that the first mate Verus that wrote the book in your hand also wrote the book you found in the sitting room. its the same Author. I figured you would be the most likely to notice.
Nali finishes up with her grissly work and brings the poison and any good meat to deck, as neatly packed as she can manage with the kitchen supplies/rags.
By her reasoning the group has about an hour or so left before they have to return, so the sea should be at absolutely lowest tide right now. Nali spends a minute or two on deck, staring at the sea, to check if that's true.
Knowledge nature take 10 = 16
Then she goes in search of her group again.
"Hello?"
"I note master Verus wrote the other volume on jungle dangers." Almon says, perusing the book. "If he has practical knowledge as well as theoretical, he may still be alive out there somewhere."
Adding it to the pile, he plods on to the next room and turns it over.
"That would make Verus useful. And speaking about useful, a lot of our mates at camp are not making themselves useful, and I wonder what we should do about that. Not even Gellik is doing more than just sitting there and mocking. I'd expected so much more from him. (Nali sighs).
But anyway, as it stands, we have a lot of useless ballast at camp, who are eating our food. If we cast them out, they might come back to rob us. Should we just kill them silently? What do you think?"
There is a disturbing dissonance about a sweet looking furry creature asking this in such a serious tone. Nali obviously means what she says.
"I would not take it so far. It is true that many of the others seem to be unwilling to contribute, but for now that may be simply because they just suffered a traumatic event. Also keep in mind that many are new to the ways of the wild. They will need to be taught and each will bring their own unique skills and abilities to strengthen the group, but until that time the group will have to support them.
However, I do agree that this only applies to those that wish to learn and help. If over time any don't wish to contribute then it may be best to free them of the group and let them fend for themselves. There are those individuals that flourish when set free. Yet still I wouldn't kill anyone unless they represented a clear threat to our survival."
Henris blanches slightly at Nali's suggestion. "We have been here for all of one day and night. No doubt they are still in shock - stranded on an island, no sign of rescue, and poisoned as well. We may have been better at processing events, like a firepelt is better at hunting than a deer, but both are important to nature's balance. I am sure that, if given time, they will eventually emerge from their sulks and prove useful. Too, there is also the fact that we cannot leave our base camp empty as we attempt to explore the island. Ishirou acts as a guard for now, and if we can free Jask, he will likely be of aid to us, as well. Perhaps the others will come around, as well."
Roland fixes Nali with a cold look. "there will be killing of people just because they don't see things your way, understood? I hope they come around, but as long as they keep they're hands to themselves so to speak no one gets hurt. That doesn't mean we'll keep feeding them and protecting them though if they won't contribute. The way I see it, if you're an able bodied person and you refuse to help, you can leave. It's not fair to those who are working to have to carry those who could but won't. If there were kids or old people who can't that'd be different, but that's not the case.
So the question is, how long will we give people to start pulling their weight?"
Nali looks a bit confused at Roland, until she gets that he probably swallowed a 'no' in that first sentence.
Then she says:
"Well, you people are obviously a lot more hopeful and a lot more forgiving then what I'm used to. Just to be sure, I wasn't talking about Ishirou. He's helping. I like Thraxis's idea... They need teaching. And if they don't learn, they can go.
Although I do think that killing is better than exiling. Not only do you spare the exiled hunger and madness, but what's important is that killing, and as it seems on this island, burning, leaves no enemies to get back at us.
But... Let's be positive, then. Maybe you're right, Henris, maybe they still have to accept that this is where they are and will be for sometime. Maybe we need to tell them that. Tell them that they need to contribute and that we're willing to teach them how? Is that a plan?
That would answer your question, Roland. They would have to pull weight immediately, but if they don't know what to do, they can start learning immediately, right?"
"Yes, one can't just discard something because it currently has no use. Broken things can be repaired and something that may not have a use currently, may have one in the future. The secret is to find what's useful. Now, food and water isn't a problem yet, so they're not that much of a hindrance yet. I suspect if the food were running low, that might provide them additional motivation to help out.
But I think we should be able to persuade them to come around until then."
"Are you getting philosophical on me, Almon? Not discarding stuff because they might turn out useful? What if they rot, eh? Would you keep rotten apples in your house on the off-chance you find a stoker to make it into booze? The flies and bugs will make you regret that. Sometimes it's just better to lose ballast. And when that ballast has a mind, you either need to make sure that they want to leave, so are grudgeless, or that they are dead, so grudgeless. It's just foolish to do otherwise. It'd only make you enemies."
"We'll see. Maybe a better thing to talk about is what we can do to encourage the others to help. Anyone got any ideas?
Nali looks dumbfounded, as much as a rat can look dumbfounded. Encourage the others to help. It would mean they get a choice, a say, as if staying and not helping could ever be considered an option. Nali looks at her rapier and then looks as if she's about to make a suggestion, but then thinks better of it, and continues her search.
@nali- yes it is safe to continue with the search of the Ship.
@Almond- yes there is several areas that are not under water that still have not be checked.
7B- was the scholars room.
7a- was shared room Of Roland and Almond
6a- shared room Thraxis and Henris
4- Private room- (nali knows only a couple people had key to this room, but doesn't know what's in it.)
6b- Sasha's and Greliks room
I think we haven't checked 12b, either, right?
Anyway...
Let's check the guest quarters, quickly, where you were staying!
Let's go for 6a. Nali starts going there
"oh, and be sure to let know if you see a key. The door to the room on the bow side was usually closed, and that would bruise Roland's shoulder to get in..."
Roland nods and moves to follow Nali toward the guest quarters.
”Agreed. We should search there next, plus Iaeana’s room. Surely she left something that will provide a clue to her motives”
@nali- 12b was where the ghost of the first mate was.
@heris- no you wouldn't have a room. so ill just say Thraxis was lucky enough to get his own room.
6a (thraxis room)- Inside this small room, you see a small bunk bed along with a small desk. on the desk you see a scroll. (this is a cure light wounds scroll that was being worked on. I know Thraxis doesn't have scribe scroll, but I assume during the trip you could try making one.) you also see several Inks and paper. Looking inside the desk you see a complete but messed up scroll of Cure moderate wounds, and lesser restoration. (these are not fully complete there is a 50% chance of random effects rather than the spell.)
"Not much here. Let's finish searching the upper decks. Then we can decide whether to try to search the hold today, or if we should come back tomorrow."
"Let's check these rooms first, Roland!
Nali points out room 6a, 7a, and 7b.
Henris attempts to help Nali in searching the other rooms.
Roland nods and joins Henris and Nali searching the rooms.
While the others investigated the other cabins on the deck, Thraxis kept an eye on the hatch to the water below. With the sea scorpions dispatched, it was possible that some new scavenger might be encouraged by the lack of competition to come looking for the morsels that remained within the shattered hull.
Almon joins in turning over the cabins.
Remembering the scrolls he was dabbling with, Thraxis headed to his own room. The writings were incomplete and most if it was guesswork. He had never had any formal training on putting magic to vellum, but he had read about the basics of such things and it helped pass the time on the long voyage.
"Does anyone have any experience scribing scrolls?" he called out. "I had bought a variety of materials before the voyage and had been trying my hand at it, but I fear my efforts are amateurish. I don't know whether they will work or not, if someone with skill in such matters could look over them maybe they can be salvaged?"
@everyone let me know if you take the scrolls, please put them on your character sheet. I will be speeding up the following rooms that are left over. After searching the following rooms there isn't much time left if you want to beat the high tide or you can choose to stay on the ship and explore the under water portion.
@roland- thank you for marking the rooms. you find a letter in 6b that appears to be addressed to Sasha. let me know if you are going to read it or just hand it off.
6b- (Sasha's and Grelik's room)- When looking through the room this room appears to have been looted also much like 7a.
7a (Roland and almonds room) - This room appears to have been looted already you see that someone tore up the room looking for something and has taken everything of value from it.
Almon surveys his room with a frown.
"Well, there goes any hopes I had of rescuing any of my belongings. Definitely count me on any plans to track our saboteur down."
"We should head back soon, if low tide is ending soon. We don't want to risk losing all the supplies we've gathered. The ship seems to have lasted this long, I'm sure it will still be here tomorrow."
Thraxis gathered up the scroll and the remaining ink in case there was either time or talent enough to complete the unfinished ones.
Taking the letter to Sasha Roland says, "Almon is right, we can try the flooded deck tomorrow. Let's gather the supplies we've found and head to shore."
Roland does not open the letter at least at this time.
"tomorrow or tonight, Roland. There is a second time today we could try this. Although, I wouldn't mind trying to gather some jungle delicacies. And we need to get the poison out of those scorpions. Alright... What do you want me to carry?"
Nali moves to their pile of stuff and starts picking up some items that aren't too heavy, like maybe the scorpion pieces.
@nali- After double checking you see you still have time to check on the lower level of the ship before the party has to leave.
@everyone- you (as a party) can either rest or check out the under water level. ya'll have gathered everything on the top deck of the ship you still have at least a hour to continue checking.
"Okay, let's check the hold and see if there's anything down there we might be able to use. Hopefully some of the food and water barrels haven't broken."
"Great! Who's good at holding their breath? I had a potion for this, but I lost it."
"I'm okay at holding my breath. I'm a strong swimmer, too. I just need some light down there."
"I'm decent at swiming and holding my breath, but nothing special."
Almon eyes the water lapping down the bottom-most steps apprehensively. "I'm afraid I'm no strong swimmer. I'll stay here and help move things to the deck."
"The spell lasts but a moment or two, but I do have a spell that would allow one to swim as freely as any creature under the water if it is needed. It does not, however, allow you to breath water."
"Thraxis, can you make light fornus while we swim?"
Thraxis shakes his head "I was not anticipating needing light, I do not have that orison prepared."
Henris says, "I have flint and steel. We can light a torch so those up here can see, and I'll drop a stone with a light spell cast on it into the hold."
"I can see in the dark fine, but ehm... I can't swim. I should learn it, I think. That spell that lasts but a moment. How long of a moment are we talking about?
We need to get the first mate's corpse, because the poor sod thinks burial in earth is better than staying in the water.
Roland seems to be the most fit swimmer. But if there's a place that's too big for him, I'm willing to give it a go if you enchant me, Thraxis."
Nali seems oddly relaxed at facing submersion in water while confessing an inability to swim. The ratling may get exited easily, but she's by no means a coward.
"let me have a look first"
Nali lies down on her belly, holds on to something and dunks her head into the water. After a moment, she opens her eyes a few times to look around.
@nali- blinking under the water your eyes burn from the salt, however being around the ocean has made this a necessity at times. Looking around the waterlogged hold you see that the bunk hammocks are moving around in the water still tied to the strong wooden pillars. there is a large hole in the side that you see several scavengers have made their way into the hold, including crabs and small fish. You know that there is a back storage room from your time onboard.
Nali comes up from the water, shaking her head quickly in the way animals do, moving the cheeks up and down, instead of left and right, like most humanoids. Water drops spatter from her fur on anyone nearby.
"Well, most of what the hold was holding were the hammocks. They're still tied up, so they're just floating around. Also just floating around are fish and the like. There's a huge hole in the starboard side of the ship, that leads out to the ocean. That's certainly how the scorpions got in. The nearby door would gain us access to the main storage. I don't know if we can open it. Then there is a back storage over stern-side, which we can probably get to, swimming through the hammocks. I didn't see any corpses, yet, ghost-spawning or otherwise. Do you want a rope on your ankle for safety, Roland?"
"That sounds like a good idea," Roland says nervously. It is apparent that he is not looking forward to doing this.
"Should you encounter any difficulties, I have a spell I can cast to delay the effects of drowning. It doesn't last long, but hopefully it will last long enough for you to get back to the surface."
"How long will it last? I should be able to hold my breath for a while, but if you've got a spell that will make thatvlonger I'd appreciate the assistance. Is it going to be just me then?"
Nali starts fixing a rope (there must be some rope nearby on the ship, right) to Roland's leg.
"Well Roland, it seems you're the only one who's any good at swimming. I could go, but I'd have to pull myself along things I find. Besides... I should think keeping eyes on one rope is easier than on multiple. Speaking of... What's going to be your signal for having us pull you back?"
"I can swim quite strongly - I'll go with you, Roland. The spell doesn't last long at all, though. If you start drowning, I can cast it, and it will delay the effects for a few seconds only. As I said, hopefully enough time for you to get to the surface and catch your breath."