Murillo eventually makes his way out to the field of recruits, finding Hedy and Jordanna. ”Had some business to take care of,” he grumbles. That paint-scraper was worse on the way out than the way in!
”Any preparations left to make before we head up-river?”
'Goodness, he looks worse than battles end' Hedy gives a small frown in worry about their priest's mental state. But slips past that into the now. "Food and water for day up and a day back. Much more and we'd be too long gone for sense. And to let the lucky few they'll be joining us."
Saph seems to relax at Paddy’s words. “Well, I got a good feeling I’ll fit in here more than most places. Something Cap’n Hedy said tells me she ain’t ‘same-as-the-old-boss.’”
If Paddy or anyone else needs to gather gear, she will wait patiently.
"A female Undine former sex slave now turned captain? Aye, see them alll the time..." He rolls his eyes
Saph winces a little at the phrase ‘sex slave.’
“That’s what makes me feel good about her. She knows what it’s like to be treated as property. She’ll understand… not think less of me.”
"Hmm... it might be better to have more of the new crew here to mesh with ours. Let's just take the two best. An army trudging through the jungle might scare up more than we're set to handle." if none of the officers screw No I want the Mgwani woman or Ginger man to be my own personal meat shield, then... the captain saunters over with her owl on her shoulder "Okay then, Paddy and Saph, seems you impressed our Carver enough for her to sing your praises... in her own scowling 'might kill you in the morning' way. So you are will be with us to see the sites this lovely paradise brings."
Sapphire’s eyes initially widen at the kill-in-the-morning comment. “Well, hopefully we can show you what we’ve got, and brighten her mood to ‘might-not-kill-us-’til-afternoon.’”
Vadoma walks over to hear the tale end of the conversation. "I've seen it in the cards. She won't want to kill you until around supper time." There is no hint of a smile on her face and you can't quite tell if she's kidding or not. As she walks away you hear her call over her back. "Come on! Daylight's wasting."
Saph does actually pause as the witch says that. She has an answer to it, but decides not to try to get the last word in.
When given the daylight’s-wasting call, she catches up easily , but doesn’t pass anyone.
Hedy will requisition some tools, in case the blockage is less 'Bodies' and more 'Boulders'. "Think of it as expenses that will be returned once the job is done." the captain assures Rickety "Unless we all die of course." she adds with a smile, leaning in enough to make sure her scent dulls his senses a bit. "Also two days water and rations in case the trek if deeper than expected... also returned if not needed and the other stuff."
She'll return, divvy up the heavy stuff to those that seem to be able to take it on. Settling on the new people if there is any doubt. "Now off, to grand adventures, possible death, hordes of irritating biting insects and miles of horrible flat unswaying ground." she says with a hand on her hip and a wide grin.
Hedy finds Rickety at the dry dock, overseeing work on the Night Talon. He is clearly distracted as she speaks, although it's also obvious that her wiles are not wasted on him. When she finishes making her request he chuckles and answers, "and here I thought you were comin' to talk colors... remember, I need a final decision on that the morning a day six, at the latest, and I been reminded that dying the sails takes longer, so if you want those anything other than white-ish you gotta let me know day four or five."
He turns away from the ship for a moment to make actual eye contact with the new captain. "I do appreciate you lookin' into that for me, but I can't be short tools when we need 'em... the inside of the workshop's off limits, but there's a heap of older tools piled up on the landward side, you can borrow whatever you need from there. And, we don't keep a lot of rations laying around, but go to the kitchen and tell 'em what your doing and they'll scare you up some stuff that'll carry, I'm sure."
A quick search of the heap turns up all the rope, block, and tackle anyone could want, plus a pair of shovels and one rusty pick. A tanned, middle-aged human man with jet black hair is working on lunch orders in the kitchen, but finds enough time to fill a sack with provisions, mostly crusty bread and dried fish along with a handful of oranges. Between a streak of dry weather and the problem with the river, freshwater is in short supply but he brings out a small cask of it and says, "this oughta be enough to get you where you're going... you'll just have to fill her back up once you get there."
Saph can carry a few hundred pounds like it’s nothing. If anyone is surprised by what she can lift, she pats her belt (if a hand is free), and explains, “Won this in a match with the Ivy Tower. She’s a verdant grappler—it’s a fighting style that involves plants.” It’s apparent Saph admires this woman she fought, and from her face, it seems the fight was a pleasant memory.
She smiles at Hedy, as if about to say more, but instead she just says. “Ah, but enough about me… or… my friend from…” Saph points in the upriver direction (or just cocks her eyes that way if both hands are occupied). “That way.”
She obviously doesn’t mean her friend Ivy is that way, but means to shut herself up and focus on the mission.
Fighting with plants? Did she toss potting daisies at people Hedy's mind conjures the image, bringing a mirth filled smile to her lips. "Well part of this adventure is to see who you lot handle yourselves, plus you two are more familiar with this place than us, so lead away." her mind is also adding if the pace is placed by the dwarf they won't have to keep forcing themselves to slow down.
Paddy leads the trek through mud and jungle. He's using his 10ft pole to help find any nasty sinkholes, and he can use his magic axe to help clear through jungle.
This isn't one of my favoured terrains
Geography: +7 in this circumstance
Perception: +9 normally, or +11 if searching for treasure or resources
Survival: +7 to track or avoid natural hazards, or +9 to avoid getting lost
Murillo takes his place at rear guard and keeps his eyes and ears sharp.
Jordanna stalks through the jungle in the middle of the formation, keeping an eye on the new recruits in front of her.
It's just before noon by the time the motley band of (temporarily) shipless pirates sets out up river, a simple lunch from the kitchen fresh in their bellies. The afternoon sun is brutally hot and the faster members of the party are grateful for the ease with which they can catch up after stopping periodically to splash cool water on their heads. Hedy's words about 'hordes of irritating, biting insects' prove prophetic as well and by the time the group has covered a half mile all of them have some combination of itchy and painful bumps to show for it.
It's around that time that they are forced away from the river's edge for more than a few feet for the first time. Fighting through the lush jungle provides some relief from the sun, but is much slower going and seems to do nothing to diminish the hordes of bugs. A few hundred feet later they emerge once more onto the muddy edge of the river bed.
Despite not being terribly observant, Saph notices “tracks… in the mud, see? Definitely clawed feet and a tail. They came from the river, up the bed a dozen or so feet here. Then to the jungle, and… oh balls. I’m really not a tracker. Paddy, you got an eye for this sorta thing, don’t ya?”
Hedy, even in her skirts and frock coat, isn't sweating in the heat. A product of her alchemy. The bugs are another matter completely. At least most of her flesh is covered, leaving her neck to be the feasting ground of the evil pests.
She notices what the blue-skinned one says, as well as forming thoughts on what they mean, but holds her tongue to see what the dwarf thinks about them.
The alchemist does decide it would be a good time to drink her other two potions as little Just in Case we are ambushed in minutes kind of thing. She'll also check her pistol is loaded and her rapier will slide out nice and quick.
Paddy squats down to take a better look at the disturbances in the mud.
"Lizardfolk, one or two ovem. Recent. Gator-like claws and tail. Bout the size ova man. They swim, yeknow?"
He stands up and draws both gun and axe. "Get yer weapons out, an keep yer wits about ye. Could be an ambush. Keep a weather eye on the water. They could be anywhere."
Paddy continues leading them forwards, though he's keeping an eye out for any tracks.
Hedy nods to Paddy's skills, drawing her own pistol, keeping other hand open for sword or bomb, whichever is needed more
"I believe the master dwarf has the right of it. Remember, while none of us gives a hen's egg about the lizard folk, we need to know if it is them fouling up the river or not. Tearing everything in front of us apart does not mean we get paid." her words may be directed at the new recruits, they are also more subtly directed at her first mate.
"Yeah, yeah," Jordanna mutters. She speaks a few words of power and a shield of force manifests in front of her.
"Well come on, quit dawdling," the changeling adds, following Paddy along the path.
Murillo coughs up a horsefly and draws his rapier. Once the line starts moving again he pauses a moment to study the tracks as he passes by. Dwarf has the right of it.
"Any chance these lizards speak common?" he asks up the line, loud enough to be heard by Paddy.
“Sorry,” Saph replies to Miss Carver, “I’m not dawdling. Just thinking… and maybe over-thinking, but…”
Saph wonders if her mentor ever taught her of past interactions between humans and lizardmen. Are they human-like in terms of having scouts, setting traps and such?
She then says aloud, “I’m just wondering if these lizardmen are scouts, and if leaving them be would mean they warn others ahead to set an ambush. Of course, it’s also possible they’re not that territorial or organized, and just caught some fish for a bite.
“Sorry. I suppose that’s rather long form for ‘pros and cons either way.’ Following the riverside is the option that, at the very least, doesn’t have us making enemies without provocation.” Though no weapon is on her, she is ready to fight. “If they attack us, it’ll be their last mistake.”
"Not bloody likely." Paddy calls back. A bit quieter he says "An if they do, what're they gonna do? Ask us to f##! off all polite-like?"
"It don't matter either way really." Paddy replies. "We know bout em, so if they try an ambush we'll see em comin. It ain't like lizardfolk be usin shot an steel. That'll be the day."
"Those prints could be two heart twisted love birds out for a twirl, making us wander this insect-infested hell for an hour only to catch them in an act none of us could unsee." Hedy slaps her neck killing another of the blood sucking s&*@s that seem to love the taste of her. "Find us the source of the problem, Paddy. Ignore the distractions unless those distractions look likely to kill us."
"Those prints could be two heart twisted love birds out for a twirl..."
“All the more reason to follow the river: Even people-eating monsters should get to f%*! without interruption.”
"Aye, Cap'n." Paddy continues along the muddy shores upriver, ignoring the lizardfolk, but keeping a wary eye in case they start trouble.
The talkative pirates continue along the muddy riverbank for another fifteen minutes before all of them, except Doma and Saph, spot a leather-clad lizardfolk watching them from the jungle.
Jordanna glares at the lizardfolk, giving it the evil eye!
"Not common, I hear they speak the dragon tongue. Anybody speak it?"
"Lizard men. Try and keep one of them alive." Hedy says as she cocks her pistol and aims.
Saph turns to the side and notices the lizardman. “I’ll try talking him out of fighting us.” She sinks into Dragon Stance, but does not attack.
She speaks to the creature.
<We have not come here to harm your people. Perhaps we can all lower our weapons and talk.>
If lizardmen rush the line, Saph clobbers one!
Hedy wonders how Saph makes the hissing sounds so well without a forked tongue. She personally thinks a battle would be good for morale (if it was a successful one that is), but the fewer bullets fired the less each battle costs.
Paddy squints at the lizardfolk, studying its behaviour. He slinks over to some cover and hides.
Round 1 - Lizard Talk
It'll talk if it knows what's good for it. Let's hope it doesn't.
Murillo frowns and squints into the jungle on either side of their line.
Of course, if they're smart enough to talk, they're smart enough to stage a distraction...
Vadoma stands at the ready, Harrow Cards in hand. Ready to cast but not wanting to escalate things needlessly, for she recognizes that they are trying to talk to the beast first. Also if it is alone it will die quickly and it wouldn't be worth her spells.
The lizardfolk cocks her head and warily moves to the edge of the bank, raising her spear twice in what appears to be some form of greeting or sign. Then she brings the butt of her spear slowly down to rest on the ground and answers, "ሁለቱ ወገኖቻችን ከረጅም ጊዜ በፊት በሕዝብዎ ጉዳት ደርሰዋል. እርስዎ አንዳቸውም ቢሆኑ አምናለሁ ለምንድነው?"
Sapphire replies:
<But I do, as of today, have the ear of the captain—the leader of every person here. All I want is to tell you what brings us here, and we do as we must, then leave. What we’re doing is harmless, I believe.
<I will translate your words and mine to the captain.>
Saph says, “The lizard woman shows honor by pointing her spear upright. I suggest you do the same—weapons still in hand, but up. This will show we take her seriously.
“She knows our crewmen killed two of her people, yet she is speaking to me. I will state our business and attempt to get permission to pass. I will not agree to surrendering weapons or anything. Just solve the water problem and go.
“Captain, I of course can translate anything you have to say. I highly recommend we avoid intimidation tactics. This woman stands alone, far from the protection of her hidden friends.“ Saph is certain the butting of the spear was not for her. “And she is far more intelligent than what the history books say of her kind.”
Hedy doesn't like putting her faith in lizard man honor. "We didn't kill any of their kind, make sure she understands that. Different tribes and such." she'll sigh though "Weapons to the sky then, people. No relaxing though."
Murillo keeps his eyes on the far side of the river and sheathes his rapier. "There's likely more of them across the water. Mind you don't catch any spears," he warns Hedy.
Holding her hands open and her arms wide Vadoma is displaying her willingness to see how things play out as she shows she has no weapon only a deck of cards.
Jordana stays alert but waits till the talking is done.
Saph translates the captain’s words to ensure the lizard-woman that none of the men who killed “her people” are members of “our crew.”
Paddy draws his pistol and axe and raises them above his head, wondering why this would not be considered some sort of threat. But he don't speak lizard, so might as well try.
At Murillo's warning, Hedy glances to her right at the far bank of the river. She doesn't see any other lizardfolk and, being a few hundred feet away, wouldn't have anything to fear from spears even if she did (although, bows could be a threat).
Seeing that most of the interlopers are no longer ready to attack, the wary lizardwoman emerges onto the muddy bank. She seems rather skittish as she answers, "አዎ ፣ ዓላማዎን እዚህ ያብራሩ..."
Saph approaches in kind, but not too close.
The look on Saph’s face is one of admiration for the lone lizard-woman. If it came to blows, no matter what her hidden friends had in mind, this lizard would have been a sacrificial pawn. She should be queen.
<I will speak both languages, translating your words and my own.>
She tells the others what she just said, and in addition: “The lizard-woman accepted my offer to explain our purpose.”
Then, as promised, Saph speaks the same words in Draconic first, then the common tongue:
<There is a problem with the water supply. As a result, the water is undrinkable for the people below. We were hired to fix this problem, and so we are following the river until we find it.
<Then our intent is to solve the problem and leave. Your people also use this water, so I believe what we are doing is as beneficial to you as it is to the people below.>