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Seeing that these creatures are native to this area...and hearing the other's comments about them likely being separated..."I would rather not hurt these creatures...their song is pretty. Let's try to get them back to where they belong without hurting them....if that means we make ourselves bate...well, Saratur, I hope you have enough fish sauce to slather this fly in it...."
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After some debate, the choice is made to try and lure the voraijas into following you!
Setting your course for Liavara, you now need to make sure your targets stay behind you...but not too close! You must each devise ways to use your ship and its systems in order to accomplish this!
ROUND 1
Anock
Ivroklizolink
Drek
Saratur
Threzlomn
Soundtrack #6: Space Whales - Stellaris (Leviathans) DLC: Dragon Breath
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"Huh do space whales in these times like fish sauce? I didn't think any one liked it..."
Threzlomn stands up and stretches, bones creaking and some the complete opposite of a picture of health. "Right, been sitting too long, time to actually do something and try showing off what I can do."
He picks up a few torpedos and pulls out most of the payload instead filling it with pheromones. "Fire these off in alternating directions in quick succession when the whales get too close, and they should break off for long enough to let us get some space. Problem is timing though. Have to do it manually."
Thezlomn tries to manipulate the threads of time to speed up his actions, but fails to get it right and makes the torpedoes move faster than they should instead of himself.
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"A hagfish?! This gorgeous ship? Are you out of your mind?! We look like a fly; we should fly like a fly. Buckle up, people, and get ready for sudden sharp turns!" Anock scuttles to the controls, trying to override the safety systems and soup up the thrusters to give Ivory the ability to mimic a fly's flight patterns. As she works, she growls: "If we're going to be a fly, we're going to be a fly."
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"We are not just a fly. Let me mimic the sound of long-finned dolphins from the east oceans"
Saratur moves his flipper at the console and sends low-frequency waves trying to mimic the sounds
"Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooo aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhasddddddddd"
"Can that be even heard in a vacuum?" he wonders if his performance was all for nothing
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Saratur successfully broadcasts something that attracts the voraijas to come even closer to your ship!
Anock starts pulling overrides, enabling the ship to move laterally beyond its safety constraints!
Drek groks the system and cracks the engine safety manifolds!
All of this allows Ivory to zig and zag all across the sky!
Thezlomn tries to do time manipulation but the tachyon particles just aren't concentrated enough...BUT...your GM has a campaign service coin, which gives Thezlomn a reroll with a +5!
Nah, it's okay this time, since you have no idea what I'm rolling for!
If you want to admit that you peeked here in a fun way (I promise I'm not mad), go ahead and add the word "strawberry" to your next post! :P
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At Saratur's....well....morose--definitely atonal--sound (Ivory won't even call it athing else), Ivory's ears lean back. Gik-pik pulls her pet carrier pouch closed...to help block out the sound.
"I don't know if they can hear it, but I definitely could. All of it....shesh."
She 'looks' back towards Saratur and blows a big strawberry his way....though with a muzzle and sharp teeth, it is definitely trickier than what a human does.
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You find it almost easy to lead these two adolescent space-cetaceans back towards the planet Liavara. As you approach high-orbit, the two voraijas stop following you, leaving to frolic with their pod.
After the encounter, you are hailed by the Xenowarden vessel Tide Swell. They give you high praise as they form up alongside you, sending you digital brochures for their Space Shepherd conservation program before departing to monitor tourist vessels once again.
You are able to easily return to the relay and transmit your data, and safely return to Absalom Station a few days later.
Regardless of how your data collection and whale watching encounters panned out, J’scib is delighted to meet you back in the hangar. The host shirren sends a limited-edition holographic screen-saver of the Grimshaw to each of your personal comm unit as a memento, and informs you that someone from accounts payable will be in touch once all the flight data has been compiled.
The next day, you are each wired 200 credits for your time, along with vouchers for mk 1 mindlink circlet and a grappler in thanks for collecting an overwhelming amount of data!
With your safe return and expert handling of an experimental vessel, you have successfully completed...your Test Flight!
02 - Reception & Introductions (o) - Sailor Moon S OST - Asa no Namikidou (“Tree-lined Street in the morning”)
03 - Office Briefing - The Last Starfighter - Planet of Rylos
04 - Test Flight - Tron Legacy OST - Solar Sailer
05 - Sensor Contact - Star Trek IV - The Probe
06 - Space Whales - Stellaris: Leviathan OST - Dragon Breath
07 - Bad PR Conclusion (o) - Whale Rider OST - Pai's Theme
08 - Liavara Conclusion - Stellaris: Ancient Relics OST - Our Heritage
09 - Post-Game - Star Trek IV - Home Again * (Loop 2+)
(o) Optional
(*) Edited Track
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Thank you all for playing this Starfinder Bounty!
Because this is an author table, I can show you some extra things, that are on the slides/table - the two pieces of reference art I sent in with my text for the ship design.
I'm off to bed momentarily, but feel free to continue roleplaying as much as you'd like. We'll talk chronicles and Pathfinder shortly! :)
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Anock sniffs disdainfully as she plucks a single, small, dark red strawberry out of the bowl and takes it to the sink to wash it *properly*. "Well, it would be a shame to dismember such an exquisite vessel. You're welcome to salvage broken parts from models that don't look like people. ... As long as I'm not flying in them until after they're repaired." With that, she shakes the water off the strawberry, pops it into her mouth, and...doesn't chew. She sucks on it. As if that's the normal way to eat strawberries. Odd.
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Ivory puts the ship on autopilot and heads back to be part of the conversation.
"Agreed....I would rather be in a ship that isn't being currently disassembled. Drek, when we get there, go give the engineers everything you learned. After that, maybe they will allow you to go through their berthing hanger for the prototype. I am certain a few parts would have fallen off or been discarded when they were first putting her together."
Sniffing at the strawberries, Ivory's nose is able to easily pick the most ripe strawberry there. She picks it up, lets Gik-pik get a small nibble, and then pops the rest in her mouth...again realizing that mashing it with her tongue is probably easier than trying to use her canine teeth on it.
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As your Starfinders continue to pine after low-hanging fruit, somewhere long before The Gap, a group of Pathfinders assembled...
* One note about the in-game soundtrack: an apparently recent change in Dropbox has them setting the volume to max when you hit play. I recommend keeping an eye on that so you don't blast your eardrums off! Some of the tracks for this are custom edits or else I'd just use -tube links and the like.
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A man with a thin, gaunt face approaches. He wears a black cloak with the hood pulled up over his head, but still his wiry long black hair falls out of the front in an unkempt mess. A hefty bastard sword is slung over his back along with a longbow.
What will our quarry be on this occasion? The denizens of the wild and dark places of the world must be kept at bay by monster hunters and Pathfinders alike!
He lets a bare grin slip loose as the thrill of another mission gets to him.
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There's a small puff of air before a dwarf appears in the room. He's dressed in some EXTREMELY unusual clothing and carrying some long metal stick. He mutters something about eating strawberries as always landing him in the oddest places before tasting the air. There's an exclamation of before the dwarf runs out of the room, laughing giddly.
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Another thin figure breaks from the shadows, a long barrel weapon on their shoulder. Their outfit seems to be a combination of studded leather armor with a long duster type coat, and a wide brimmed hat on their head. A thin brown scarf is across their throat and lower part of their face, though this is likely because they are trying to hide the glowing light blue tattoo like 'circuitry' on their face.
In a quite voice...almost as if the wind was whipping across a parched land...they say, "I do not know what I am being called here for exactly, but I will make certain to help our benefactors."
Hearing the pop, and seeing a weird dwarf appear in the room, their weapon comes off their shoulder and starts to point in the dwarf's direction.
Considering whatever the dwarf said wasn't in common, but seeing that his expression is of joy, they lower the weapon as the dwarf 'flees?'??
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"Whoa!" A young halfling woman dodges out of the way as some random preoccupied dwarf dashes out the door as she is walking in. She's an unremarkable-looking person, dressed in simple, plain, sturdy clothes with little in the way of weaponry to be seen. "Gosh, he's in a hurry. Did he forget something?" Shrugging, she introduces herself as she strolls over to a halfling-sized chair and makes herself comfortable. "Hello, folks. I'm Illnore. You'll meet Chiselnits in a bit. His thorns are kinda rough on wood floors and rugs, so I'll summon him later."
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An elf woman bursts into the room with a faint gust of wind that ruffles papers for a moment. Her cloud white hair billows behind her. "I felt a temporal distortion in here! What happened?" Her accent is distinctly different from the typical accent elves can have.
Scanning the room, her dark blue robes with accents done in gold gently whips in the wind her rush us creating. A small golden neck piece glints in the light of the room. "None of you seem to be from a different time. It wasn't Shyka was it? I wanted to meet them again."
After a few moments her emotions calm and so does the slight breeze that came with her. She takes a few notes and measurements shaking her head. "What ever that was it came from a very very distant time. Anyways I believe I was supposed to be here for my first mission as a Pathfinder. Tibal Šega, it's a pleasure."
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Klank A sound of a massive person smashing into another. "Watch where you going! Bloody dwarf!"
Soon from behind a corner walks in a massive creature, 7ft high, a mountain of green muscles. Big tusks can be seen in his mouth, the person is clad in half-plate armor, a shield in his hand have only a few dents, and his spear and ax likewise.
He nods his head not saying much more than "Gnavy" he looks around and stands next to Nikma.
He eyes each and every one of you, like he would be assessing something. His movements are calculated and practiced. It is like he would be preparing for a fight...
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Wan inclines their head in a questioning pose. In a very patient voice--as if they have had this conversation more than a few times--they say as pleasantly as possible. "One is guessing that you have not met androids. Most androids have issues with individualization. And while almost all androids have a sex, some are very androgynous and it is often hard for non-androids to tell. So often time these androids either call themselves units, or use they/themselves or one/ones. On matter of ones designation....the alpha-numeric name is often very hard and cumbersome to use in Common, it is much easier to use in the Utopian language. As mentioned, if the designation is to hard to use, please refer to oneself as Wan."
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"Hi Tibal, I'm Illnore." Illnore smiles complacently at the newcomer. Gosh, she's pretty. And magical, too. "What's a 'temporal distortion'? And who's Shyka?"
"Hi Gnavy, I'm Illnore." She gives her standard greeting to the hulking Orc next. Gnavy's penetrating stare intimidates Illnore, so much so that the halfling has to put conscious effort into refraining from shrinking in her seat. Instead, she gives him a pleasant smile (Can he tell I'm faking it?) and a shy wave to emphasize how very non-threatening she is. "Uh, why're you staring? Do I have something in my teeth?"
And then Wan begins to explain his pronouns. The longer one speaks, the wider Illnore's eyes get. I never even knew androids existed. Oh, I have so many rude questions I should never ask! She stares up at Wan in wonder. I gotta get to know him--Nope! *One*!--get to know *one* better.
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Nikma grumbles as companion agents start appearing out of nowhere. First Threzlomn, who quickly runs out of the room. Then Tibal, claiming time travel.
Seeming frustrating, the ranger demands Okay! Who is actually staying and who is just passing through as if on their way to some damned fey party in the First World?!?
But, as the introductions proceed he starts to calm down.
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Tibal raises a hand with a bit of grace. "I was meant to be here in the first place. I was just excited about detecting Taychionatical Particles in the area indicating someone had been time traveling... Though a fey party in the First World wouldn't be the worst idea I've heard today."
She then gives Illnore a smile. "A temporal distortion, little one, is when something or someone messes with time. Have to be careful of the Hounds, but for the most part not too dangerous if you know what you are doing. Shyka the Many is a demigoddess of time and one of the Eldest of the First World."
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As Whatnull called Wan explains the complexity of Androids, Gnavy rubs his face. His head hurt again. "Androids? You don't live in Belkzen. Are you from Absalom?" says Orc and adds with lowered voice "Every odd human comes from Absalom"
"Hi Gnavy, I'm Illnore." She gives her standard greeting to the hulking Orc next. Gnavy's penetrating stare intimidates Illnore, so much so that the halfling has to put conscious effort into refraining from shrinking in her seat. Instead, she gives him a pleasant smile (Can he tell I'm faking it?) and a shy wave to emphasize how very non-threatening she is. "Uh, why're you staring? Do I have something in my teeth?"
"I was just wondering, what is your weapon of choice. Hammer maybe" he asks to try to see where Illnore hides her weapon.
"Whatnull called Wan carries a pipe, Nikma has a broadsword and bow, I have ax and spear. Tibal and you, Illnore seem to not carry weapons. "
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First hearing Pathfinder, and then hearing Absalom, W@NullD3R3R thinks back to apparently the 'last' spirit that preceded them....and unconsciously touches the 'inherited' wayfinder on their belt.
Hearing the exotic wizard talking about temporal distortion, they nod, "The Society does seem to be wrapped up in a lot of temporal issues from what one have read, and from what one predecessor's notes about the Sky Key and other...well...the word 'hijinks' was written in that notebook many times. One thinks their predecessor understood 'humanity' better than this one does."
"Correction Gnavy, this one carries a most interesting innovation. This gun is a highly complex double barrel musket. It can shoot a lead bullet farther and more accurate than most well made longbows. And the innovations that have been added means that the damage is higher than ever, and the bullet coming out can be set to come out in different configurations allowing for penetration, blunt force or even slashing at foes."
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"Wow, that's pretty versatile. I heard about muskets in training, but I've never seen one in person. It's pretty cool. Oh, and Gnavy, I don't fight with weapons. Gosh, I barely even know how to use this dagger." She indicates a sheathed dagger that's shoved out of the way on her belt. If she ever needed to draw it quickly, she'd regret that placement for sure. "I can summon my buddy, Chiselnits, to fight for me. You'll meet him when we get outside. He's like a giant burr with vines that whack, slash, and poke. I just try to stay out of the way and use spells to help."
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Tibal pulls out an intricately carved and painted wooden dagger with a finely honed edge as well as a book with a similar design an motif to it. "These are my weapons, Mr. Gnavy. The dagger is only in emergencies, but the spells in this book are more dangerous and deadly than I will ever be with a weapon. I suppose if one wanted to be somewhat poetic about it, my 'mind' is my best 'weapon.'
She then nods at W@NullD3R3R, "That's partly WHY I joined the Pathfinders after I got to this time. That and they are more generally accepting of my... idiosyncrasies extending from my past in the past than any given wizard collage." She pauses and notes them fingering their Wayfinder. "There must be a story behind why such an usual person as yourself joined the Pathfinders?"
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Tibal's question almost seems to break Wan's idle thoughts. "Oh. One's predecessor's worked for the Society just after the Sky Key 'issue' and multiple foray's into Numeria. And while one do not have first hand knowledge of what exactly happened, his chronicles that one have read showed that amazing things from Numeria--including himself--were found and collected by the Society and others. This one came along after he decided to go for Renewal--he was a pretty old soul, and from what was written was 'tired' of the Societies Politics, so he went to Alkenstar to have...he wrote in some of his last journals some interesting words...including 'to get back to basics'. One is not 100% certain what he meant, but one guesses that he knew his time for Renewal was coming, and wanted this one to be able to make their own way--and figure out who they are--without major prejudice--or possible influence by the Pathfinder Society. One never felt really that 'unusual' in Alkenstar--there are a few other Androids there, but all the information one's predecessor left has made this one...curious on what he had did, and to see what else there is to this world."
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You are drenched the second you emerge from your ship, the Tide's Prelude. The journey to Hyrnatam was pleasant enough below the ship’s decks, though emerging into the gray skies and torrential downpour is far less enjoyable. This close to the Eye of Abendego, the infamous and eternal hurricane, sunny weather would be too much to expect. The mission is simple: at the behest of the beleaguered Karil Swiftstout - find her son Ecmund and take him on a brief trek into the nearby swamplands so he has a tale to tell when he returns to the metropolises of the Inner Sea.
It doesn’t take long to find him, wandering around the city's Market Tower. The young dwarf with galvanized iron jewelry in his beard wears leather explorer’s clothing topped by a cavalier hat whose red-and-orange plume is more than a bit waterlogged. He just purchased a guidebook that he carries under one arm, titled Justinian’s Jungle Jaunts in gilded letters. Upon noticing new arrivals, he flashes a welcoming smile and beckons for his new companions to join him at the table and take a seat.
“Hello there—you must be my companions! Ecmund Swiftstout, pleased to meet you! I’m impressed that the mere mention of my name and promise of adventure was enough for you all to sail here, but that just means you lot have great instincts! By this time next month, they’ll be sharing our names and glories at taverns all across the Inner Sea, hah!”
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The trip down was a unique experience. Wan had heard about the Eye of Abendego, and seeing even the edges they understand why people talk about it. Though their mind more goes to the fact that this weather and the moisture that seems to be pervasive here is going to foul their gun.
Getting off the ship, they now have a better understanding why people pray to deities.....as while it was 'uneventful'....the rocking and bouncing of the ship definitely made their stomach queasy.
Seeing the young dwarf, Wan walks up to him. "Greetings. One's Designation is W-At-Null-D-Three-R-Three-R. But one suggests you call them Wan."
Wan's outfit is more set for this climate....the light cloak they had in Absalom has been removed, and the thicker shirt and breeches replaced with a more 'breathable' lighter cloth. The half-scarf around their face is still there, along with the cowboy hat.
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For most of the trip in the ship, Illnore keeps Chiselnits unsummoned so as not to pock the decks with holes. A few times, though, when the seas are more or less cooperative (okay, less--but we're talking degrees of Eye of Abendego here), she summons him so he can enjoy the swells. His round body is covered in retractable thorns, which he uses for traction as he rolls around the deck with childlike enthusiasm and energy. As he rolls, his face rises and falls, making it difficult to understand what he's saying. His three vine-arms, one thick and muscular and two covered in wicked thorns, stick out to the sides as he rolls, with the center one switching from left to right so he can travel in a somewhat straight line. His favorite spot is the prow, where he wraps his vines around the woodwork and leans into the wind and ocean spray, laughing joyously as the ship rises and falls on the water. "Illnore! The water is salty! And cold! Haha! Wheeeeee!"
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"Yup, buddy. It's pretty cool." Illnore smiles contentedly as she watches her little guy (who's bigger than she is) enjoying himself. When he's not summoned, she spends her time chatting with the other Pathfinders to get to know them.
Upon spotting Ecmund, Illnore gives him a serene smile. "Hi Ecmund. I'm Illnore, and this is Chiselnits. What's that fancy book about?" Any book with gilded letters is fancy from her perspective.
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Nikma flashes his sinister grin that attempts to say You don't even know what trouble we can get you into.
Eager to get out there, are you? Surely they'll sing of you, but first thing's first. We have to survive and return so that the songs are not a memorial! How are you with one of these? It'll help more than that book...
As he finishes the sentence he draws his bastard sword from off of his back, less than expertly so, letting it make a pronounced swish noise for effect.
The name's Nikma. A ranger. I hunt and track things.
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Stepping out on the deck of the ship, Tibal gives a momentary frown and steps back into the cabin. "I'll be a few minutes!"
10 minutes later, she steps back out and starts casting her shield cantrip to try deflecting the rain. It proves to be fairly ineffective. Her face is an expressionless mask but the swirling winds around her imply she's exceedingly unhappy about the weather and getting wet.
She stiffly walks up to the dwarf and his gear. "And why might we be near this sodden hell-hole that is a never ending tempest in the first place?" She takes a moment to dry her nearly sopping wet hair and clothes with a towel before starting to cast prestidigitation over and over, drying off the rest of herself. The personal windstorm dies down as she relaxes some. "Tibal Šega, wizard in training who wishes she had a spell to keep herself dry. As long as we don't have to go back out in that weather for a few hours, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ecmund. Now what exactly are you wanting to do out here and why will it have people singing our praises? "
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A few times when the ship was sailing and the weather turned terrible, Gnavy reached for his spear.
"Maybe some godling would come down, I would be able to test myself..."
WHen Chiselnits shows up, Gnavy observes them curiously. He would approach Illnore "He looks strong, but behaves a bit like an off-spring."
The orc did not enjoy the sailing, but he sucked it up.
When he step down and meet Ecmund [b]"My name is Gnavy, I will get in between you and the danger. Try to not step into anything deadly."{/b]
"Or stinky! It'll get stuck to your shoe. And that'll be groooooosssss!" Chiselnits pipes up, obviously amused by the thought of it. "One time I rolled through poop, and there wasn't a creek around for miles, so I couldn't rinse it off. It got on my face, too! That was naaassssty!" He chuckles.
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Soundtrack #2: Dockside & Inland - The Western Ghats
Ecmund happily shakes each of your hands, smiling broadly as he answers Illnore first. "Great to meet you all! Well, as for the book, I bought it from this nice man who said he was retiring to Absalom. Said he was from a place called Sargava, and that he knew all about jungle survival!" He thumps the book once before tucking it away in his satchel before turning to Tibal "I'm after good stories, and this place doesn't get much of them. That means there's bound to be unique ones here to learn and tell!" His eyes go a bit wide when Nikma pulls out the big sword. "Oooh that looks fancy! Afraid I'm not great with those, but I'm a sure-shot expert with a..." He lowers his voice, "special kind of Dwarven triple-string crossbow. But it's still in the research and development phase back home so I don't have one with me. But my spells and clan dagger usually see me through well enough!"
Grinning, he continues. "Well, I still need to do some chatting before we leave town. Say we meet back here in an hour or so?"
As the young dwarf excitedly heads off to talk to the locals, you have a chance to see if you can learn (or know) anything about this part of the world!
Diplomacy (Gather Information) or
Jungle/Swamp Lore or Nature (Recall Knowledge)
You (not your whole party) gain a +1 circumstance bonus on all Nature and Survival checks during the upcoming "Jungle Journey"
You also know some unique tricks that can be used to mitigate hazards, such as knowing to score trees on two sides when trailblazing or using the smoke from burning termite nests to cure fungal infections and dry clothing.
You (not your whole party) gain a +1 circumstance bonus on all skill checks during the upcoming "Jungle Journey"
Following this, you all gain 1 Hero Point and can make any last-second purchases you'd like! If you have any GM Glyphs, please mention who you'd like to give your bonus Hero Points to at this time!
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Nikma frowns as he re-sheaths his sword. The young dwarf did not seem affected the way he intended.
No matter, the wild will scare him straight.
He looks around at the group.
Speaking of which, I need to make sure this lot is ready to head out there.
He gathers them together in one of the booths to dispense what he knows.
Does everybody have rain gear? Dry socks in your boots will save your life far more effectively than full plate armor. You'll see... Other than that. Don't touch the wildlife. Freshwater sting rays. Hornets. Some of the local vegetation is poisonous. Don't eat anything off of a plant without checking with me... He looks each companion in the eye as he says these things.
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Gnavy looks at the dwarf moving away as he tries to recall what this jungle could contain. He did spend some time in forests, but recognizing plants was never his thing.
"Hmm I think we should be careful with regards to poisonous castor beans, deadly freshwater stingrays, and swarming fire‑hornets."