Heiek spent his watch shift sketching a map of Talmandor's Bounty and the surrounding area by candlelight in between listening for any disturbances.
Heiek takes a break from hacking through the jungle with his new machete to look back at Valera curiously.
"I hope you didn't join this expedition for nice, uneventful nights.
"Why did you join the expedition, anyways?"
When Uzziah mentions the boar tracks, Heiek quips, "Did you join the expedetion for the good eating?"
”Because I was bored, wanted to see the world, and didn’t have any money to do it.” She responded with a smile. ”But I suppose good eating works too.”
Iraska taps the butt of his spear on the ground as they walk, counting the seconds between the crashing of the waves in the distance.
"I came because I needed to see what lay beyond the ocean, to try to understand what caused that cataclysm so long ago, before the Eye formed. Not that I really expect to find it in this camp..."
"Boar?" Iraska looks interested. "Boar can be aggressive. Be careful."
Alert to the presence of boars in the area none of you are caught off guard when a few hungry young... and foul tempered boar start moving towards you group.
Valto
Valera
Heiek
Uzziah
Iraska
Boars
Valera moved forward cautiously. ”They don’t look friendly.”
"They look delicious."
Heiek will follow behind Uzziah and attack from one square behind him with his lucerne hammer.
Uzziah strikes the nearest boar, aiming to skewer it before it can harm others.
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Earlier
Valto is quite as the group chooses a camp and sets up for the night, feeling weak after the bug attack he appears to be sulking slightly.
In the morning though his attitude has improved, even though he still feels the aches from yesterday.
"Can I have a look at the sword we found yesterday? I think I might be able to tell something about it's construction."
"Not from the inner sea I think, as Uzziah said it's magical too. Quite a find really."
Current encounter
Valto mutters something arcane and in encompassed in mage armour.Using arcane point for +2CL
"Think we could just scare them away? They shouldn't be that hungry I would think."
"We shall see. Boars are very territorial."
Iraska, clutching his spear, moves forward, settling into a defensive position and bracing his spear's handle against the ground. The blade protrudes upward like a jagged tooth.
Valto mutters something arcane and in encompassed in mage armour "Think we could just scare them away? They shouldn't be that hungry I would think."
Valera moved forward cautiously. ”They don’t look friendly.”
[ooc]Too far for Heiek and Uzziah, I'm going to assume they are readying charges
"We shall see. Boars are very territorial."
Iraska, clutching his spear, moves forward, settling into a defensive position and bracing his spear's handle against the ground. The blade protrudes upward like a jagged tooth.
Valera, Heiek and Uzziah manage to put down the first board as it barges forward. The second boar can't quite reach your group.
Valto
Valera
Heiek
Uzziah
Iraska
Boars
Respecting Valto's wish to scare the boar away, Heiek waits to see if the boar charges into range before attacking.
Uzziah holds his trident firmly against a charge, while shouting at the boar:
"GET! LEAVE!"
She tried to line up a shot but with the swirling melee she had to abandon the idea.
Valto moves forward unleashes a ray of frost.
She tried to line up a shot but with the imminent prospect of a swirling melee she had to abandon the idea.
Respecting Valto's wish to scare the boar away, Heiek waits to see if the boar charges into range before attacking.
Uzziah holds his trident firmly against a charge, while shouting at the boar:
"GET! LEAVE!"
The foul tempered beast runs off into the brush to take it's fury out elsewhere.
Later that day as you trek you come across something odd... an unusual swath of ground lies ahead. A section of ground approximately ten feet wide crossing your path looks as if it is grooved, covered with minute depressions and trampled grass. A first impression suggests a path left by hundreds of thousands of insects marching in a tight formation, but none of the plants appear to be eaten or damaged. Where the strange trail intersects with obstacles, it either splits and goes around the obstacle like water, or veers to avoid it entirely.
Valto, Heiek and Valera notice the trail is not perfectly uniform in width, but it is consistently about ten feet wide with some minor variances, usually where the terrain is uneven.
Irask and Uziah also note that close examination reveals tiny pointed
impressions, like the trail was formed by hundreds of stabs from small spikes. The trail was created by hundreds of creatures or objects, rolled or rolling across the ground. Each is heavy enough to leave a slight impression but not enough to flatten the ground.
Heiek dresses the boar that they did kill and takes any meat and other useful parts of the animal in the time they have. Normally, he'd insist on not leaving the remains in the middle of the woods, but he justifies it by telling himself that there's bound to be plenty of carrion feeders in a wild land like this.
***
"Is that another swarm of bugs? I bet it's another swarm of bugs." He then curses Raerg, the Peregrine's boatswain, who wouldn't let him sail with any flasks of alchemist's fire.
"What else could it be? This regularity is surely unnatural."
Iraska reassures Heiek that there's bound to be plenty of carrion feeders in a wild land like this. And feeders of all sorts, really.
Iraska considers what it could be but nothing that he can think of fits the bill.
The rest of the trip to the rendevous point is thankfully uneventful.
The island shoreline arcs to the northwest until it hooks sharply south like a bird’s beak to form a small cape. Anchored offshore is the Peregrine. Pulled up on the shore is a ship’s boat, evidence of a landing party.
Ramona, accompanied by a few sailors and colonial soldiers, waits near the second ship’s boat. As you arrive on the beach, Ramona rises to her feet quickly to greet you.
“You’re here, that’s a relief. We had some... unexpected
problems. I’ll tell you about it, but first I’d like to hear your
report on the colony. What did you discover?”
”What did we discover? That the colony is there, but no people. We don’t know why, yet, As for immediate problems, there is a ghost in the temple, and a swarm of cockroaches that we will need to burn out. But neither leave their buildings, so the area itself is relatively safe. Oh! And there are Goblins in the woods.”
Ramona listens thoughtfully as the PCs explain the status of Talmandor’s Bounty. "Did they plant crops? The ghost... we'll just have to ignore that building for now but I'm sure we can deal with a few insects with a bit of brainstorming”
Ramona continues "Although the situation is not ideal, the best course is to have the colonists disembark at Talmandor’s Bounty. You've managed to hunt a boar on the way here. There's not enough food on the ship for us to return with it, here we can hunt and forage at worst. That is, if the ship can actually get there,” she says glumly.
At that, Ramona changes the subject to a strange phenomenon affecting the Peregrine... "After you were dropped off, the Peregrine sailed almost all the way to where it is anchored now, quickly and without incident. When the ship approached the cape, however, its momentum dropped to a snail’s pace, despite the fact that its sails were full of wind. The anchor wasn’t lowered, they weren’t dragging the keel through a sandbar, and no giant monster was sighted with the ship in its clutches. At least one sailor swam underneath the ship, but didn’t report anything unusual."
"You've done a lot already but if you can solve this problem I have a proposal for you. You've shown yourselves capable and resourceful so far. Both things everyone here should be but for all of you I know this is a fact."
"The colonists appear to have been gone some time, and suddenly at that. Buildings have been left to the elements. As for the mystery, I believe that we can certainly help there."
"Yeah, sure. We'll take a look."
Heiek joins anyone else who is going to investigate underwater, and downs his touch of the sea extract before diving in.
Once underneath the ship, he holds his breath and inspects the ship and the immediate path it's take for anything unusual.
Heiek finds two thin, colorful fish has a broad, segmented sucker above its narrow mouth. A line of spines runs down their backs. Both are attached onto the hull near each other.
The echeneis is a magical fish known to sailors in many parts of the world as a major pest due to its theft of speed from boats and large, swimming creatures alike. It ranges across large stretches of water, stopping every few hours to feed and sap velocity from large boats, sharks, whales, and other hosts that might overlook it. Although native to warm waters, echeneises sometimes follow trade vessels elsewhere.
Because echeneises prefer murky shallows, sailors rarely notice one before it begins to slow a vessel. The sharp and sturdy spines atop the creatures’ backs scrape the hulls of ships to which they are attached, so sailors lament both the short-term inconvenience and the long-term damage caused by these pests. Old boats with hundreds of scrape marks on their bottoms garner reputations as cursed, and their captains face a serious stigma when trying to recruit crews. It is true that some ships draw echeneises more than others, but apart from the ship’s size there is no indication as to what else might attract the creatures.
Like the remoras they resemble, echeneises are scavengers.
However, they are aggressive and often retaliate when knocked off of creatures or vessels.
Uzziah swims in after Heiek, just in case he needs assistance.
"Well I'm certainly not going to miss out on a swim after everything that's happened"
Valto dives in and makes his way towards the others.
"Those fish are the cause of our issue, they should be docile until we try to remove them"
Unsure of how well the others can hear him underwater he points towards the fish and swims as slowly as he can. He then waves his hands miming spell casting before pretending to fall asleep.
Heiek nods at Valto's words and holds up one finger for a pause. He swims back up to get a fresh breath of air, and then he swims back down. When the other look like they're ready, he starts to try and pry one off with tip of his polearm. At the last second, he changes his mind and tries to stab the fish instead.
Valera, likewise, went in. Any excuse to swim was an excuse worth making.
She joined in trying to dispose of the fish. And while her attempt to freeze was certainly accurate, it was difficult underwater to do it to the greatest effect.
Grumbling that he hadn't though to prepare a water-breathing spell, Iraska dives in after the others. Moments later, a sleek gray shark approaches, bumping him with his nose.
The creature shakes off Valto's spell but it thrown off balance swiftly skewered by Uzziah. The other is badly injured by the onslaught of the rest of the group.
The fish begins to dart away but is impaled on Heiek's polearm. The threat to the boat is at least ended.
When you arrive aboard the Peregrine, the tension is temporarily released as the boat moves once more... but it still lies beneath the surface so palpable it can be cut with a knife.
Ramona takes the opportunity to speak with you though she seems pressed for time. "Things aren't going as anyone expected or could have predicted, anyone can see that. Our previous plans aren't going to work. You each have skills and abilities, cunning and daring. I'd like you to function as-" She stops choosing her words carefully "troubleshooters I suppose. I'll excuse you from regular duties and will make sure one of the houses will be set aside for your group. You'll still be getting your plots of land for your future plans."
Ever eager to avoid manual labor, Valera beamed with happiness. ”I like the sound of that.”
Heiek casually agrees and accepts with a nod and thumbs up.
"The first priority should be this expedition's survival and safety, obviously, but we need to start scouting around to see if we can find out what happened to the rest of the colony."
Iraska nods in agreement with Heiek. "Or else this group's fate may end as the first. Whatever happened before may happen again."
"There certainly seems to be a lot to be weary of here. I was dreading the manual labour anyway, I'm sure I'll contribute more by troubleshooting, as you put it."
"I served in a militia before. Troubleshooter is practically a step up.", Uzziah says with a smile.
"It definitely is. Still people are understandably concerned. If you could mingle about and try to help get people around to carrying on it would be good." She lowers her tone "Turning back isn't possible for us, the ships crew however only signed up to drop us off, if people try to force the issue things could turn ugly. We need them to carry word back and hopefully we'll be here to welcome the next wave... they might be smaller while we get back on our feet. Either way we've got a job to do."
You find four individuals who seem to be intentionally or otherwise swaying the settlers with their opinions and mood.
Antona Sedgewick
Asking around you find out Antona is one of colony's soldiers who over the course of the journey developed a crush on Ramona. Her advances were rebuffed and it looks like she's trying to undermine Ramona. Delicate reasoning or a short and intense bit of browbeating might be best for bringing her back onside.
Faedwyr Trundlebrook
Faedwyr is a farmer who is timid about the idea of a spooky and deserted settlement. He needs his confidence in the colony’s protectors bolstered. A demonstration of strength or an impressive round of nonlethal combat reassures him that the colony is in good hands. As a last resort, even a successful DC 16
Harcourt Carrolby
Harcourt is one of the wealthiest colonists and thus often thinks of himself as nobility, even though Andoren society no longer recognizes that class distinction. Harcourt loves to feel important.
Flattering his ego and pointing out how he putting on an example for the others to aspire to comport themselves appropriately.
Perrell Beys
Perrell is simply worried that there is some unknown danger on the island the group will not be able to overcome. They specifically didn't apply for the first wave. The academic is a bit naive and sheltered, however, and you can persuade her that everything happening is actually normal and can persuade her that the danger is exaggerated.
Uzziah approaches Antona in a quiet moment.
"Hello Antona. We need to have a chat. About Ramona..."
Uzziah goes on to get Antona to talk out what must be pent-up thoughts and feelings, and try to gently point out that hurting Ramona now will just make life worse for everyone else.
After hearing Ramona Avandth's words about certain colonists stirring up trouble, Heiek mingles among them trying to identify who those colonists are. After talking with Faedwyr Trundlebrook about the soil around the Talmandor's Bounty, Heiek clues in to the fact that Faedwyr's anxieties are making him troublesome. He's not consciously stirring up trouble, but the man is afraid.
Heiek decides to try and face the farmer's anxieties head on by talking about the missing settlers and the ghost in the temple. He mentions how he thinks the settlers left on their own two feet as there really wasn't any sign of trouble, so they just needed to track them down. (And Heiek is fairly decent at tracking.) As for the haunt, Heiek talks about how he thinks putting the body to rest took care of the haunt. When they make their way back to the colony, there's a good chance that the temple will be clean.
As he chats with Faedwyr, Heiek sees that his words will only have a limited effect, since the farmer seems to be more of a physical type than an intellectual. Heiek talks about the grindylows they encountered, and how easily they dispatched them. He offers to show Faedwyr his martial prowess in a sparring match so that the two can relieve some tension.
"I know your worried Perrell, but we have people capable of defending us here. We've got things under control, and on the bright side there will definitely be interest in what you are going to be documenting."
Valto tries to keep Perrells spirits up as best he can.
[dice=Sense Motive on Antona Sedgewick]1d20+1
[dice=Know. (nature) on Faedwyr Trundlebrook]1d20+7
[dice=Know. (local) on Harcourt Carrolby]1d20+7
Uzziah does his best to tactfully approach the subject but Antona makes it clear her concerns are legitimate. "Ramona was never meant to lead a colony, especially not one in this state. I'm not saying she couldn't push the paperwork in order for a weekend but this is a whole other level. No one intended this."
"They'll be worth documenting but what if we all die first? Oh Gods preserve us!" Beys still seems very anxious about how ye are going to deal with all of the unknown threats and her mind races considering the possibilities.
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Heiek winces after the side of lucerne hammer bounces off of Faedwyr's skull.
"Sorry!"
Having gone with Uzziah, Valera helpfully said ”Oh come now. Who says we will die? We have plenty of resources. And if anything comes, we will protect you.” She formed a sword of swirling cold air and ice to make the point. ”So let’s try to stay optimistic.”
Iraska accompanies Valto and tries to soothe Perrell's fears of the new locale.
"Besides, we have much more to fear from our fellow passengers. Dehydration and starvation can bring out the animal in anyone. We are more likely to die by their hands than any threat we find ashore."
He doesn't seem to be helping much.
"That's a fair point, Antona. Ramona was not meant to lead the colony. But the people who were are not here, and may well be dead. Someone needs to step up, and she has. Bickering and undermining her is not going to do us any good. And she might turn out to be pretty good at it."
Faedwyr's concerns are put at ease once he sees how skilled Heiek is... and a little lucky in the fight.
Iraska's words are anything but soothing, serving more to counter Valera's efforts to calm Perell.
"We don't have the luxury of finding out how she might turn out, we'll just have to postpone the expedition until someone qualified can lead us Uzziah."
Antona Sedgewick
Faedwyr Trundlebrook
Harcourt Carrolby
Perrell Beys