Wiping the spray from the monster's emergence from his face, Toki anticipates Dacknar's next move. The bard is already ready with the lines when Dacknar heaves the tiller and the boat swerves away from the angry and hungry dinosaur. For a moment the course change causes the sails to flap and the boat to slow. But having readied himself, Toki jerks on the ropes and quickly pulls them tight. The great silk sheets cease flapping and grab the air once again. The effect is nearly immediate as the little craft leaps ahead. And not a moment too soon as the great reptilian head comes crashing back down to smash into the water only a few feet from the stern. Water splashes across Dacknar and Rilkus. But other than getting a bit damp, no harm is caused and with plenty of wide river still ahead the nimble, quick boat easily outpaces the pursuing predator.
By the time the threat is truly left well behind, long shadows stretch across the land. The fiery red-orange sun begins to slip behind the western hills and the need to find a place to anchor or camp ashore is paramount.
Lily stands with her crossbow at the ready... just in case the combat breaks out.
"We need to find a safe habor to put in for the night."
It is Dacknar who spots what looks to be a suitable cove along the steep cliffs of the southern shore to anchor for the night. A few vines and hardy trees or shrubs grow from the cracks and scattered narrow ledges that mark the fifty foot red rock cliffs.
Steering the boat into the relatively calm waters of the cove Dacknar and Toki drop the sails and toss over the anchor. Tucked within the shadowed cove the boat slowly rocks upon the slow moving surface of the great river. A cold meal is shared with the first stars shining in the east even as the western sky still burns with a deep red and purple of the sun's plunge past the edge of the world.
Dozens of bat's emerge to flit through the evening air. Zigging and zagging their way through the air, snatching the all too numerous insects for their daily sustenance. All that can be heard is the gentle lapping of the water against the boat and as it sloshes along the cliffs of the shore. Unlike being in the jungle the air here is damp and even cool as a mist begins to build along the river. Fingers of fog that slowly coalesce into murky, misty clouds the leave those on watch staring into a shrouded, swirling gray nothingness.
At one point, waves rock the boat. The wake of something large on the prowl further out in the channel. Fortunately it does not seem interested in exploring your little cove.
Deeper into the night all is darkness and mist. Even the river seems quieter as not even the slightest sniffle of a breeze ruffles the surface. It is during Toki's watch when the first soft notes slip through the night like a sensual lover to nibble at his ear and set his mind dreaming.
Your heart stirs, begins to race and the blood pounds within your veins. Surely it would be easy enough to swim to the rocks and climb up and up to reach the top where your glory and destiny must await within the arms of such a beauty of music.
Toki starts to sing along... At first, it starts as a hum, but then he starts adding his own words to the song...
The rest of the party hears the sound of Toki's song move toward the cliff-facing side of the boat and is abruptly cut short by a sploosh!
"Toki?"
He rushes the sound of the splash and reaches to try and pull the little guy back in the boat.
Beordt reaches into the water and grabs at Toki, "Get back in the boat."
Everyone is awakened by the sound of Toki leaping into the water. The slash and subsequent struggle as the fully clothed bard slowly swims toward the shore.
Beordt is the first to grab for his friend. His big hand lurching out into the water. But his sleep bewildered mind forgets his current quarters reside on a small boat. As the big body lunges, so tips the boat causing everyone to spend a second or two to catch their footing and causing the bearkin's aim to be less than ideal. Still, his fingers manage a tentative hold on his companion's trousers. At least for a moment or two.
Rilkus did not sleep, rather be stood silent vigil. At the sounds that awoke the others, the gearforged took a step forward and stomped towards the sounds. With a whirring of gears he went towards the commotion and intoned ”A poor time to swim.” A steel hand reached out to grab the man…
Lil awoke. Sweating, and panting from yet another nightmare... the memory of this one elusive as usual. Why can't I remember?
Then she realizes that something is going on. She hears the rush of individuals outside, and feels the boat tilting as much of the weight of the boat shifts to one side. Arising she wipes the sleep from her eyes, and sleepily makes her way to see what is happening... just in time to see Rikus reach overboard to grab at something...
She then does a quick headcount and notices the missing individual.
"Toki"!
Wh-what? Toki thrashes, but then shakes his head, That voice... Singing. It's coming from that way...
Toki groggily points toward the cliffs.
"What's with all the fuss?" Dacknar says as he wipes the sleep from his eyes.
At first Toki slips away from Beordt's grasping paw, but he is quickly caught up in the iron grip of the gearforged. The implacable iron fingered grip yanks the bard back toward the boat and jars his befuddled mind just enough to let the man slip free of whatever magic tried to ensorcell him.
He shouts of singing and voices but nothing is heard anyone except the dripping of the bard upon the deck and the slap of the boat as it rocks back and forth upon the calm surface of the mighty river.
A low, seductive chuckle slips through your mind. Like delicate, sensual fingers running across your scalp, it leaves your body tingling. You catch a hint of exotic perfume. Sweet with a hint of spicy heat.
Ahhhhhhhh...too bad...mmmmmmm. A voice matching that of the singer. Like those fingers, it is low, sensual, and in this particular case mock sadness overshadowing patient humor. It also seems you are the only one able to hear it as no one else says a word or moves an inch as she goes on. It would have been so much fun...mmmmmm..., but the others are awake and I don't wish to put on a show. But...puuurrrr....your thoughts are so delectable. Another night, mmmmmmmmm...another time. We shall yet dance upon the stars, puurrrrrrr."
The laughter again, this time slowly fading into the distance.
Toki shakes his head, A woman, an enchantress... I feel like I haven't heard the last from her...
"I heard of sailors who have been at sea for so long that they believe manatees to be mermaids." Rilkus intoned. "Listen not to the songs of any watery-women." He advised, in his usual metallic tone of voice.
"And you resisted? Marks of the last days are upon us. Soon the moon will turn to blood and the mountains fade like wax."
Toki rubs the back of his neck, With the help of you two. I freely admit that I was succumbing... She sounds sexy...
The young skald grins and looks back over the waters toward the cliff, It is a problem, though. She'll be back. Someone else should take watch, I think.
"Why was it just you and not the rest of us? A siren's song should have gotten more of us me thinks?" Dacknar scratches his chin while looking out in the water.
Toki shrugs, Maybe because I am so much better looking?
Toki looks completely serious... for about 10 seconds, when looks at Beordt. His face cracks with a smile and he starts laughing, a bellowing guffaw!
Rilkus looked out into the waters, and intoned "I have heard that sirens require males to mate with, as their race is purely female. For all of his laughter, Toki was most likely correct. I will my watch here, lest the siren attempt this again."
The remainder of the night passes without mishap or any other intrusion. With the sun rise the fog quickly burns away and the wind picks up.
Over the next two days the sailing is pleasant, the fishing excellent, and the sights occasionally breathtaking. You carefully navigate past several small herds of gigantic dinosaurs who feed off the thick jungle foliage on shore or use their long necks to dive below the surface and gaze the thick grasses and aquatic plants growing in the river. Attempts to get close to the creatures resulted in several trumpeting calls and you quickly backed away to avoid the possible destruction of the boat by one of those big heads crashing into the mast or fragile hull.
Midday through the second day, you get your first look at some of the ruins Turgon and the others spoke off. A dozen stone pillars each as wide as your entire craft jut up from the water near the northern shore. Remnants of some massive structure long since collapsed into the water. A broken arch supported by another pair of listing pillars reaches from the shore toward the ruin. The former bridge, now a bastion for vines, ferns, and a colony of small river swallows who dart and dip through the air snatching at the plentiful insect swarms whirling in the air.
Mid morning of the third day is when you begin to hear the distant roar. A steady rumbling that gains in fury as you tack your way back and forth. The winds start to lighten. Progress drops to a creep as the current starts to overtake any headway generated from the feeble breeze. Ahead the river becomes obscured by a swirling wall of mist and the deafening cascade of what can only be the most massive waterfall anyone has laid eyes upon. It is as if the land on this side of the drop was stomped down by a titan's foot to create a sheer drop of several hundred feet. Tumbling over and down this massive fault are the waters of the great river plus two smaller tributaries.
Peering through the mist, Lilly is the first to spot the stone pier stretching out from the north shore near the base of the falls. Awash in mist and moss the pier is the only obvious haven along either shore. Looking beyond the immediate shore, the keen eyed minotaur spots what look to be several overgrown or partially hidden lean-tos and small shacks. None appear to be inhabited or show any sign of life.
May way for the pier! We can continue on foot!
"To the pier it is." As he steers the boat to the pier.
Perception
Lil steps to the front of the boat as the crew makes their way towards the deserted pier. She holds a long boathook in hand ready to either snag something and pull the boat closer, or push it away if danger rears its ugly head.
Rilkus stood at his silent vigil, alert for possible danger...
It's a tricky task, but Toki and Dacknar, with a little help from everyone else doing a bit of rowing, manage to dock the boat at the pier. The stone is similar to that of other ruins seen during the journey up river. Worn, covered in mosses and vines. Unlike those other ruins, the surface of the pier is cleared of vegetation making a bit less slippery as you each carefully step ashore. But the water soaked, smooth stone surface is still treacherous if caution isn't used.
The roar of the cataract is deafening. Hand signals and shouting in ears are the only easy forms of communication. Everyone finds themselves quickly and continuously drenched by the fine mist the swirls everywhere this close to the great falls. Once on shore, you find the ground soft with mud and inches thick moss, ferns, and other jungle vegetation. A few moss covered stone markers show a slightly firmer path up to the scattered huts and lean-tos.
Beyond the huts a wide trail has been cleared that leads a bit further west. Apparently to the base of the cliff, although you would have to follow it to make sure.
Toki signals to the others, calling them over. Pointing out the tracks, he outlines the older ones passing through, gesturing to Lil, as if to say that the minotaur boy passed through. Then the Northman points our the smaller tracks, gesturing to his eyes first, then waving to the surroundings.
"Look over here. It looks like an area to bring the boat up too. I think we should move it out of the water to this area since someone had a good reason to beach their craft here."
Lil takes the word of here shipmates, and jumps ashore with a line looking for a convenient spot to tie the boat off. She then steps ashore and breathes a sigh or relief that this ship for once didn't wreck with her aboard...yet.
Toki begins throwing ropes overboard and dives in to swim to the beachable area. Then he will begin hauling the boat to ground.
The Northman struggles, looking for Beordt to help, waving his ursine companion over...
With a little help from his companions, Toki eventually gets the boat drug up onto the shore where Dacknar points out. The roar of the falls is a constant deafening rumble and the mist a constant soaking annoyance. Most of the rickety huts are empty with little sign of any kind of recent habitation.
One, the furthest from the noise and damp, yields a bit more of interest. Remains of a fire, a few scattered bones of some kind of small bird, boot prints matching those Toki found earlier.
Your explorations also discover a simple grooved stone track in the center of the wide path that leads toward the cliff. Cleared of vines and vegetation, the track goes all the way to the point where Dacknar had Toki bring the boat ashore.
Beordt looks around the small camp.
"Look here."
What have you got there, Beordt? Toki comes over to investigate the campground and sees the gold coins... More of the Frogkin civilization, it looks like. You think the boy came through here?
"Looks like money. Who dropped it? No idea."
"Are there fresh tracks around the cache?" Rilkus asked. "If someone stopped to hide it recently, then I would hope that there would be evidence of such." The heavy gearforged stayed well away from the scene, lest he trample any such evidence.
A closer look around the sight where the coins and flask were discovered reveals no sign of tracks or anything being disturbed for a very long time. Judging from the state of the cloth and moldy growth covering the flask, they have been undisturbed for years if not decades.
It does look like someone recently used the track to drag a boat or something quite similar up the tracked path toward the cliff.
Let's check up toward the cliff. Perhaps we can find more tracks up there, where they dragged their boat?
Toki leads the way up the path. The rumble of the falls diminishes slightly as you go allowing for somewhat normal conversation by the time you walk over the slight rise and spot the base of the cliff. The path ends in a stone paved clearing. In the center of the clearing sits a large, flat, wooden handcart attached to a rope and winch mechanism similar to the one found closer to the river. Another series of thick ropes hang from far above at the top of the cliff. All of the ropes and mechanisms appear to be in working order and fairly well kept.
"Look here, booted foot prints similar to those found below. Probably old, a month or more old."
Toki unslings his shield and hefts his warhammer, Let us follow then.
Poking at some scat with a stick.
"Look here, there are bone fragments in here. Something big has come this way."
Lily looks back at the beached boat, across the water, then back at the cart. "Yes. I guess that is why we are here. Still it seems strange to go towards whatever left that waste for us to find".
She then takes a last drink of water from the river, and joins the others.
It is Beordt who realizes the tracks do not lead further into the jungle or back to the river. Instead they seem to be centered around the lift and where a boat was likely dragged along the track. After a bit more thought and investigation, either the person returned to the river and went back down stream or used the lift to reach the top of the cliff.
As you continue to mull over and explore the nearby area, an ear piercing screech echoes from high above and loud enough to be heard over the rumbling falls. Eyes jerk upward. Against the orange, red, and darkening blue sky of sunset, you spot a pair of circling winged creatures. Narrow, triangular heads protrude from thin winged bodies built for flight. The reptilian features are reminiscent of dragons, but these creatures do not have the same scaled hides, long necks, are menacing intelligence.
The pair of creatures slowly circle, drifting down toward a spot somewhere near the top of the cliff.
You are unable to tell which type of Pteranodon circles overhead.
Huh. I wonder what those are? Buzzards?
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Beordt looks up and shrugs, "If they are like the flowers they want us dead."