Hearing Mac talk about fishing, Owlbear's eyes light up, "Owlbear like fishing! Mac let Owlbear fish?"
As Mac moved towards Rosie's body and asked for Sandara's help, she set down her bowl of stew and grabbing a scrap of sail carried it with her. Helping him wrap the bodies, tie them tight and lift each of them to the lip of the gunwale. When Plugg and Scourge we're dropped over, she held her tongue. But as Rosie was being lowered, she breathed a soft prayer to Besmara asking her to accept Rosie into her crew on the 'Seawraith'.
Having finished helping Mac, Sandara, nodded back towards upper deck, "We need to speak with Captain Blackblade." As she approaches the helm, she looks towards the horizon and the setting sun, getting her bearings she points east, the general direction of the mainland. "I don't know exactly where Rickety squibs is. But I know once you sail past the Firegrass Isle Rickety's Squibs is the next settlement on the mainland." She furrows her brow, "Maybe 50 miles past."
Tempest shakes her head at the effort put into Plugg and Scourge's departure, muttering to herself, "Better than they deserve."
Before Rosie goes over, though, she approaches and rests a hand on her body, "I'm sorry, Rosie. Had I not caught you in my spell, you might still be with us. May the Sky Father's wind bear you safely to your final resting place."
Suddenly feeling the day's work catching up to her, she takes a moment to move her things to the Officers' Quarters before joining the conversation about where to head to next. "Give me a planned heading, and I'll see what kind of weather we'll be looking at in that direction. So long as it's not being unnaturally affected, I should be able to predict it."
Once she is advised, she closes her eyes a moment and tilts her head back, breathing deep of the sea air. When she reopens her eyes, she has to suppress a smile, "Looks like we're going to catch a storm tomorrow." She describes the direction of the winds and the severity, so that plans can be made to mitigate the effects.
Veronica approaches the bodies after Mac and Sandara have finished wrapping them up. She kneels down next to Rosie and places her hand on her body, while Mac and Sandara throw Scourge and Plugg over.
She gives Mac and Sandara a small nod as they come to retrieve the body and makes her way back to the upper deck, watching as they lower Rosie to the depths, before focusing her gaze on the horizon.
She thanks Sandara for her information, but her face darkens a bit as Tempest relays her weather prediction, recalling their previous storm.
"Thank you Tempest. Can't say I'm looking forward to it, but we got through one already, and that was with two idiots barking orders. We'll be better prepared this time, thanks to you. I think it's time we sent the crew down, then - we'll need them rested up for tomorrow. Tell the others and gather them here, so we can prepare."
She calls out to the crew.
"Hate to tell you all to stop partying, but this ship doesn't run itself! I'll need you all fresh and rested by morning, so it's about time we finish up here and retire!"
She then turns back to party.
"Seems like we're getting a storm tomorrow. Melli, we'll probably need everyone up there in the rigging like in our previous storm. Ellie, I want you to have the wheel. And I want to hear your suggestions if you have any - we can prepare in advance thanks to Tempest, and I'd like to make the best use of that that we can."
----
After they've finished preparing, Veronica will stay behind on deck for a moment, gazing out to sea before retiring.
Never figured I'd get here so fast. Being responsible for the lives of the whole crew is heavy. I've lost Rosie already. Can I keep all the others safe?
Hoping to clear her doubts, she tries to draw her grandmother's sword again, but it stays unmoving in its scabbard.
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"Rosie, may you drink forever in Cayden's halls," she tells the fallen halfling. "I hear his casks never run dry, perhaps you should put them to the test."
"As for you two," she says to Scourge and Plugg, "I hope your deaths were twice as painful as they looked. Whatever hell you end up in will be too good for you." Having nothing in particular to say to the others, she leaves them to their burial.
* * * * *
"Aye, cap'n," she says proudly. She steps up to the wheel and places a hand on it. She had steered the Tempest before, and of course had watched her father do it countless times. Let's get a feel for the ship in calm waters so I'll know how she handles in rough ones. She turns the wheel slowly one way and then the other, watching the prow cut the water and feeling the wind change direction. She gives out a few small directives-- "Take in sail to port," "line out to starboard," etc to the riggers. She pays attention to the feel of the deck beneath her feet, the motion of the waves, the dip of the prow. Just hold her steady.
"Yes, Owlbear, you can fish. That can be your job."
Mac will make sure that Owlbear has all the gear he needs, and will watch him bait a hook a few times in case any healing should be needed.
"Fish as much as you want and take breaks whenever you want. If you need bait, come to the galley and ask Kroop for some scraps."
For her part, Melli doesn't say much of anything as Rosie's funeral happens. She does spit after the bodies of Scourge and Plugg, though. "Good riddance to rubbish."
= = = = =
Melli takes a position in the center of the action, by the middle mast. "If we're going to get this ship through another storm, we'll need everyone working. That means riggers, bilge-rats, everyone. Double rum sound like a good reward if we make it through without damage? That doable, Kroop? And pull your weight tomorrow, you lot, we've got a ways to go until squibbing! Anyone intentionally shirking gets the rope bash." She holds up a piece of rope she's tied a knot in, glaring dramatically.
Once her orders are given, Melli walks over to the edge of the boat. "I'll be here spotting coral, if any of you need help. Just yell."
Average: 16
Grindylows:
Aerage; 13.5
A storm hits the Man’s Promise in the early hours of the day. The wind blows with incredible force, driving the Man’s Promise far off course. The ship is tossed about on the high seas, and all hands are called on deck to work. All of the crew know they will be needed in the rigging if they hope to survive the storm. Toward dawn, as the sky begins to brighten almost imperceptibly, the storm redoubles its ferocity, and dark shapes loom out of the sea all around the ship—small islets and coral reefs that dot this area.
As the wind blows the ship about, and you watch the choppy waters, you see figures climbing from the water towards the deck over the gunwale. Unsightly creatures resembling goblins from the waist up and a greasy octopus below. Everyone but tempest had heard of creatures resembling this description called grindylows, aberrations that are distant relatives to regular goblins.
Grindylows: AC 15, t 13, FF 13 hp 5 F +1/ Ref +2/ Will +2
Blue:
Cornflower Blue:
Cyan
Green:
Magenta:
Red Berry:
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Soaked from the storm and the waves that occasionally overran the side of the ship, Melli draws her sword and shouts, trying to be heard over the storm. "Keep the sails secure! Get that line under control! We'll take care of the sea-goblins!" She rushes the nearest grindylow, dropping into a lunge and getting ready to step out of its swing as needed.
"Grindylows!"
Brother MacLaren moves towards the nearest foe and attacks it, striking hard with his rapier.
"GRINDLOWS!" Ellie bellows through the wind and rain. "Watch out!" Fighting to keep the ship on something resembling a steady course, Ellie can only hope none show up behind her.
"Don't worry Ellie, we'll deal with these things. Keep holding the ship steady."
Veronica sprints down the steps, drawing her cutlass and enchanting it as she charges the nearest creature, hoping to bring it down with a powerful blow.
As Melli moves towards the ugly creature it smiles a toothy smile, the overly-large mouth filled with rows of shark like teeth. Thrusting her rapier into its chest, the creature drops unconscious. Mac, having similar luck with the second Grindylow, this one falling unconscious bleeding in the ships boat. Ellie warns the others, adding magic to the sound of her voice. As the captain moves towards a third Grindylow, this one wise enough to drop below her slashing cutlass, smiling a nasty smile.
Grindylows: AC 15, t 13, FF 13 hp 5 F +1/ Ref +2/ Will +2
Red Berry: -6 unconscious/stable
Blue:
Cornflower Blue:-6 unconscious/stable
Cyan
Green:
Magenta:
Tempest fully enjoys the storm, spending the most of her time near the bow of the ship, or on the forecastle, unless she is actively helping one of the crew, or assisting Ellie. When the attack comes, she finds herself watching for rocks and reefs near the front. As the weird creature slithers its way onboard, she fixes it with an annoyed glare, "Really? I'm having such a good day, and you want to ruin it?"
Waving her had almost dismissively at the sea goblin, she unleashes a wave of scintillating colors before walking away. If the grindylow falls, she walks past it towards Veronica. If not, she heads the other way, towards Melli.
Hearing Tempest's day was ruined, the grindylow's eyes widen as he gives a shark like grin, which only lasts until he's covered with a sort of fairy dust flowing from Tempest's hand knocking him unconscious.
Seeing the hafling kill it's tribe mate does not deture the Grindylow, it slithers towards Melli extending a tentacle attempting to trip her, missing it thrusts it's spear at the halfling, again missing.
As the grindylow, congratulates itself on avoiding the wicked looking cutlass it also strikes out with its squid like appendage attempting to trip the Captain. Though missing, it does penetrate her defense wounding her with it's spear.
The grindylow, not caring the other grindylow is now unconcious, slithers forward and trips Tempest, laughing manically it attempts to grab her leg and drag her, but is unable to grab hold.
Grindylows: AC 15, t 13, FF 13 hp 5 F +1/ Ref +2/ Will +2
Red Berry: 6 unconscious/stable
Blue:
Cornflower Blue: 6 unconscious/stable
Cyan: unconscious, blinded, and stunned rounds: 1/4
Green:
Magenta:
Trip is a free action for these things
attacks
I'm doing like attacks together, hopefully it isn't confusing.
Veronica glares at the creature as it pierces her with its spear. But as she's readying a counter attack, she sees Tempest falling down, and she starts casting as well, hoping to delay Tempest's attacker just enough for her to get to safety.
Juggling her attention between the attack, the spell, and mantaining her balance as the ship keeps being tossed around in the storm proves too difficult however, and her attack nearly misses. But at the last moment, she feels her hand being pushed in the right direction, not unlike what happened with Scourge.
Brother MacLaren can't get all the way to where Tempest is, but he sees an opportunity.
"Melli, I'll get this one - go help Tempest!"
He moves up and swings his tankard at Melli's foe.
Even as the wind itself cushions the blow of her falling on her back, Tempest's eyes flash in rage. She raises her head to glare at the creature. Forgoing her usual less-lethal spellcasting, she reaches out her hand and unleashes the full force of thunder and lightning.
She then stands up.
Melli moves toward the last, unconscious grindylow, rapier in hand. "I'm gonna get you!"
Calling on the aid of her guiding spirit the Captain chops into the Grindylow just as he was jerking his spear from her body. The Grindylow dropped the spear, and Veronica dropped the Grindylow.
Seeing Tempest in trouble, she casts daze at the goblin-like creature attacking her shipmate. The Grindylow feeling something, looks up, and in very goblin like fashion, lifts his small hand and gives Veronica a very obscene gesture.
Mac, having left one Grindylow for dead in the ships boat, sprints towards Melli, begging her to help Tempest. Reaching the Grindylow as Melli turns to run, Mac smashes the Grindylow's head with the tankard he carries with him everywhere but doesn't seem to get washed much.
Meanwhile, as the Grindylow is laughing and taunting Veronica, the fool ignores the more dangerous threat. Tempest releases her rage in the form of lighting, with a loud crack of thunder the taunting goblin falls.
Melli, seeing the threat to Tempest ended, decides to finish what the Sylph started and nears the unconscious Grindylow.
Grindylows: AC 15, t 13, FF 13 hp 5 F +1/ Ref +2/ Will +2
Red Berry: 6 unconscious/stable
Blue: - 11 unconscious/stable
Cornflower Blue: 6 unconscious/stable
Cyan: unconscious, blinded, and stunned rounds: 1/4
Green: 11 unconscious/stable
Magenta: - 7 unconscious/unstable
Brother MacLaren will, of course, wash his tankard.
And he will heal Veronica.
"Thank you Mac." Veronica says as she feels the magical energy working on her spear wound.
"Is everyone else alright? How's Tempest? See if she needs your help as well. And then lets get these things off the ship."
She stabs the one near her with her cutlass, and then picks it up and lobs it overboard with her free hand.
"Is everyone else alright?"
"Peachy!" Ellie calls, still fighting with the ship's wheel. "Gonna take more than a few grindylows and a little wind to take us down!"
"I'm fine." Tempest waives off any attempt to help as she takes the squid goblin's spear and runs it through his chest, then throws the whole macabre mess overboard.
The crew gives a muffled cheer as their officer's deal with the Grindylows. Narwhale hanging from a 'Jacob's Ladder' points down to where Tempest is tossing the Grindylow overboard. Raising a fist he calls down "Weel dane ships mage, weel dane! Ah lik' th' wey ye handled th' wee fookers."
As the officers continue to clear the bodies of the Grindylows off of the 'Man's Promise' the storm begins to abate. The ship hits the coral reefs surroundingan Isle and runs aground. As the sun rises and the tide goes out, the members of the crew slowly come to terms with their predicament. The Man’s Promise is holed in the main hold on the starboard side near the ship’s water barrel. Early in the morning, as the skies begins to clear, while Ambrose and Owlbear (apparently the new cooks mate) begins to server food, two of the ship’s sailors are discovered to be missing: Sandara and Conchobhar. At the same time, the crew discovers that the ship’s water barrel burst when the vessel ran aground and is now empty.
The Man’s Promise has been holed on the edges of a coral reef surrounding a small tropical island well off the normal shipping lanes. A huge ridge towers over the island’s western portion. A single raised tor glowers across the isle at the imposing ridge, with miles of jungle lying between the two. The waters around Isle are crystal clear, but the island is surrounded by coral reefs, which lie between 5 and 25 feet beneath the surface.
Despite the beauty, however, the tides around the island are vicious, particularly along the western shore. With the exception of the swamp to the east the majority of the isle is covered in thick jungle. The rocky cliff that towers over the island to the northwest is some 500 feet high and covered by trees in many places, particularly the more shaded northwest slopes.
Brother MacLaren finds the broken water barrel to be a mild annoyance.
"Let's get this patched up and I can fill it in no time."
While certainly a crew lacking a cleric would be in some difficulty here, MacLaren can easily conjure enough water to supply the entire crew. And if need be, he and Veronica have another magical option as well.
"The Grindylows have taken Sandara, and I would guess Conchobhar as well. Let us go rescue them!"
He knows that Sandara, as a Besmaran, is going chafe at needing to be rescued by a dashing champion of the Most Handsome Drunken God. But Fate has willed it to be so! They must have caught her off-guard. But he cannot turn down an opportunity to carry out this rescue, and she would probably take even more offense if he thought her too fragile to endure some good-natured ribbing afterwards.
Presuming, of course, that she is still alive and that we are successful in the rescue. Cayden's Luck be with us.
Of course, he has no idea where to start on this island.
"I suppose we'll have to explore to look for their lair? They are swimming creatures, so I imagine it is accessible from the sea. Should we take a ship's boat around? Ellie, do you think you could handle a boat in these tides, this close to the reef? Or should we explore on foot?"
"Even if we can find the grindylows by dinghy, I don't relish the thought of trying to fight them from one. I think we should look for them on land." Ellie draws her pistol and checks to make sure it's loaded.
As she feels the ship runs aground, Veronica makes her way to the hold to assess the damage.
First day on the job, and I've already wrecked the ship. Father would never let me hear the end of it if he knew.
"Ok, the good news is that the ship shouldn't sink in the immediate future. But it will sink if we do nothing. The way I see it, simplest way to fix it would be take apart some of the ship's deck and use it for repairs. Shouldn't take more than a day and a half."
She chimes in as she hears Mac and Ellie discussing on how best to search for the missing crewmembers.
"Yeah, it'd make sense for it to be accessible by sea. Exploring the island's shores sound like the best idea. Ellie's right though, going on foot is probably the best option."
"Caused enough destruction to know this won't hold. The ship WILL sink, unless repairs are made. Melli, you might want to start them dismantling the deck to patch that hole."
At hearing about the missing crew, Tempest's eyes narrow, "These squid-faced bastards just keep getting more and more annoying. Anyone else up for an extermination run?"
"Okay. If the seas are too rough to scout the coast by boat, then we can go on foot and get a visual of the coastline. Maybe we will see some sign of the monsters.
We'll still need to take the boat to get to the island, and we'll just have to look for the closest landing spot.
That would be my suggestion."
"Can we assign ship repairs to anyone in the crew while we are gone?"
"You lot heard Tempest. The deck's less important than the hole. Get to work tearing it apart, but pretty, not a big rough hole in the floor. Use the planks to patch up our holed hull. " Melli gets the crew lined out on their job. "In the meantime, I need some volunteers - you're on bilges duty to buy time. If no one does it, I'll assign someone to do it."
Once the crew's getting to work, Melli nods at MacLaren. "We'll take a ship's boat to the island, then we can see what we can see once we're there. Treasure hunt, anyone? Maybe we'll even find our missing crew-mates."
As the officers gather to share information about what they found and what they think needs to be done, the crew gathers about them as well. When Melli turns and addresses the crew Tam nods and calls out. "Ye heard th' boatswain. a coople ay ye heed tae th' bilges lae ay ye gie hammer an' prybars tae wark these boards loose."
As Jape and Maheen head towards the bilges, the others start to get to work. Tan nods to Melli and then moves towards below decks to apparently get a hammer.
As the crew gets about the business of repairing the ship, Ambrose approaches the officers. Nodding towards the ships boats. "If yaouw officers wanna yed off an' rescue Sandara an' Conchohbar." Nodding towards Jack, "We wull keep an eye on things woo we Jack?" Jack smiled, looking up from the scrimshaw he was working on. "W.w.w.w.we c.c.c.certainly will. A.a.am.am.am," he pauses to clear his throat "Fishguts"
"Thanks Kroop, I know we can count on you two to keep things under running around here."
Veronica steps up to one of the boats before turning to the rest of the party.
"You all ready to set off? I'm worried about Sandara and Conchobar, so the sooner we start looking for them the better."
Grinning, Melli rounds up a couple of the laboring crew-members. "Onward, then! You two can lower the boat with us in it, and we'll row to shore and see what we can see. We'll be back by the time you're done fixing the Man's Promise with Sandara and Conchobhar in tow, and then we can get her squibbed and renamed."
Melli runs down to the hold and grabs her backpack, asks Kroop for a bit of dried food and hardtack, then hops in the boat.
Tempest nods and turns to follow, but pauses a moment. She speaks to Kroop, though loud enough for the rest of the crew to hear, "I know you've got this under control, but if any of them give you sass, lemme know when we get back. I'll handle it." She finishes with a sly wink and jogs off to catch up with the others at the cutter.
Smiling at Veronica's compliment, Ambrose winks at Jack, who returns to his carving. As Melli heads to her cabin to fetch her pack, Ambrose has an idea and heads to the galley, coming back with a bundle wrapped in cheese cloth. Holding the bundle out "I figure yaouw moy be gone all doy, i've thrown enough tucker in the'er fer a couple of days."
As he waives to the officers, he smiles at Tempest’s comment and winks. ”Oh I wull ma'am I wull.”
As you leave the 'Man's Promise' and sail closer to the Island, some of the features become clearer.Directly south of you on the north eastern tip, a glowering fist of rough granite rises from the jungle, To its west, between it and the rest of the Island a swampy salt marsh. West of the swamp, just as the ridge begins to rise a small rock strewn beach with what appears to be an abandoned fishing village. The ridge then rising on the western side of the island, its rocky cliffs cutting to the sea curving out of sight to the southwest..
As you pass into the shallows you notice —small, twisted “statues” made of the sinew-twined, scrimshaw covered skeletons of their prey. These statues lurk in the shallows of the sea and on the edges of lagoons, and hang from palm trees on the fringes of the jungle. No two are alike; each is the product of a twisted imagination.
Looking onwards the northern beach between the swamp and the cliffs You see, crossing the rocky beach from the abandoned village, as if struggling from some far distance, a halfling.
He has a cravat tied to his head to protect against the elements, though it’s doing a poor job of it. In his right hand is a goblin Horsechopper of all things, made of cold iron. It looks rather in good shape for a goblin weapon but still. Crooked in his left arm is a slatted wooden pot with a wiry thorn-ed shrub stubbornly growing out of it. It looks like some sort of small strawberry bush.
He stands at the edge of the rocky beach, wavering a little as if about to collapse. Then he sees you, in all your present glory! His face lights up as he sees you, and he shouts something at someone behind him in his excitement. Rushing forward to meet you, the halfling rushes slowly - as you’d expect from someone with such short legs. He’s quickly overtaken by a large rat looking thing (image) with smooth brown fur. The animal overtakes the halfling and his laughter, but stopping short at the edge of the water.
The halfling eventually catches up to the, er, rat, and breathlessly introduces himself petting his larger companion casually, ”I’m Tucci… Tucci Hedgehopper. …You must be here to rescue me! Oh, it’s been a terrible few days I can tell you. No pudding!”
Now that he’s closer, you can see him more clearly.
Tucci is tall, for a halfling, at 3’4", and he is lanky - feet and arms seemingly bounding around with a life of their own. He’s always reaching for things, and his wide gait accents his oversized feet. Though middle aged, his energy makes him seem younger.
He’s reasonably well dressed in layered leather armor and an over-cloak, and he wears something of a cravat or simple scarf, nearly all the time. When his neck is uncovered as it is now, you see the edges of a burn which seems to cover his right shoulder. His long poofy sleeves make it hard to see just how far the damage goes.
He has a pack which seems neat and orderly, though bulging with odds and ends. Further, he has a goblin horse chopper at his side, though he seems to very nearly stab everyone within its long reach as he walks along - eyes darting here and there, always searching. He often reaches out for this and that, pausing to admire some object or other. He seems to enjoy the texture of things, cradling them softly as he takes his time examining them.
”Where’s your ship headed?” he asks hopefully clutching his plant, obviously looking for a ride. He smiles.
As you pass into the shallows you notice —small, twisted “statues” made of the sinew-twined, scrimshaw covered skeletons of their prey. These statues lurk in the shallows of the sea and on the edges of lagoons, and hang from palm trees on the fringes of the jungle. No two are alike; each is the product of a twisted imagination.
Melli stares at the skeletons with apprehension. "That's a weird burial ritual. Think the villagers did it to their own as they died?"
= = = = =
Melli shakes her head at the other halfling, appraising him. "Well, you're no Rosie, that's for sure, but you'll do. Not enough halflings on the crew, you know. Right now, though, the Man's Promise is heading nowhere 'till the crew fixes her up. I don't know about the rat, though. Do we want more oversized rats on board after the one we had to manage in the bilges?"
She hops out of the boat, grabbing one of the lines with one hand and drawing her sword with the other. "Well, much to do. Consider yourself pressganged, Tucci. That is, if the captain approves?" She looks at Veronica expectantly.
Tempest narrows her eyes at the sight of the halfling, and drops into a defensive stance, an arc of lightning dancing in her hand, just begging to be released. She observes the mysterious newcomer carefully as Melli speaks to him, and awaits Veronica's response.
---=== Back on the ship ===---
"I don't intend to sleep on the island. I would much rather be back here at night. Safety in numbers, for us and the crew, in case the Grindylows come back. Still, I will take a bit of food in case we are unable to get back before dark."
---=== On the beach ===---
"The bones show signs of gnawing, see? I think this is the Grindylows' handiwork. But who were the victims? Who else has been to this island?"
---=== On seeing the halfling ===---
Well this is strange. A halfling carrying a plant and a goblin weapon and accompanied by a giant rat.
He is skeptical. It could be an opportunity, if the halfling has any skills at all worth talking about. Or maybe he has seen sign of Sandara and Conchobar.
"Nope, we are not here to rescue you. And this is not a charter vessel for a pleasure cruise.
Melli seems to want you on board, which means you would work. Is there anything you are good at?
And of a more pressing urgency, have you seen our companions? Two humans, a man and a woman, abducted by Grindylows."
She hops out of the boat, grabbing one of the lines with one hand and drawing her sword with the other. "Well, much to do. Consider yourself pressganged, Tucci. That is, if the captain approves?" She looks at Veronica expectantly.
”Pressganged? No, I can pay my way. Er, could have paid my way, but the pirates took my walking around money.” He thinks a moment, trying to offer something, ”I can create water for you! And purify the food and drink you eat to cut down on disease and the runs.”
He seems proud at what he has to offer and smiles at the other halfling hoping he can avoid the common labor pool. ”It’s not a rowing ship is it?”
Tempest narrows her eyes at the sight of the halfling, and drops into a defensive stance, an arc of lightning dancing in her hand, just begging to be released. She observes the mysterious newcomer carefully as Melli speaks to him, and awaits Veronica's response.
Tucci steps back a bit eyeing the Tempest. He calms his furry friend, more interested in 'playing', ”It’s OK Kasin, I’m sure she didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”
"Nope, we are not here to rescue you. And this is not a charter vessel for a pleasure cruise.
Melli seems to want you on board, which means you would work. Is there anything you are good at?"
Uh, water, and clean food. I can do that.” he seems to be thinking, ”I know a bit about boats to be sure, and I may be small, but I can carry my own weight.” he says proudly though he mumbles, ”Though I don’t even weigh 35lbs…”
"...And of a more pressing urgency, have you seen our companions? Two humans, a man and a woman, abducted by Grindylows."
His ears prick up, ”Companions? No, no companions. I’ve been here three days, not much time to look around. There’s frogs out there you know.” he says conspiratorially, ”You can hear them at night. Very dangerous.”
He thinks about what a Grindylow might be, but with no knowledge dungeoneering, he’s at a loss. ”What’s a Grindylow?” he asks curiously and without the fear he apparently reserves for frogs.
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This guy’s losing it. Probably drank too much seawater. Ellie turns to Veronica. ”Well cap’n, what should we do with him? Could be as much of a setback as a help,” she muses openly, not caring overmuch what the halfling hears (or understands). ”Then again, I bet the big rat could take on a grindylow in a fight, don’t’cha think?”
---=== Back on the ship ===---
As Kroop heads down to the galley to pick up some rations for the group, Veronica follows Melli's lead and quickly grabs her backpack from her cabin before rejoining the group at the boat.
---=== At the beach ===---
Veronica nods at Ellie "It probably could, and maybe it can even help us track them down."
She then looks back at the halfling with a bemused smile.
"Well, Mr. Tucci, I'm sorry to say that what you're offering us are not exactly unique abilities among our current crew. But we can always use another pair of hands on the ship. But like Mac said, this is no pleasure cruise - I'll expect you to work hard, and Melli here will make sure that you do."
"But that can wait for now - as you've heard, we have more pressing concerns at the moment. Two of our crewmates were taken by grindylows - half-goblins half-octopus creatures - and we think they might be on this island. We're setting off to search for the creatures' lair, and we could use your help looking - you said you've been here three days, so you at least know the island a bit better than the rest of us"
She then looks back at the halfling with a bemused smile.
"Well, Mr. Tucci, I'm sorry to say that what you're offering us are not exactly unique abilities among our current crew. But we can always use another pair of hands on the ship. But like Mac said, this is no pleasure cruise - I'll expect you to work hard, and Melli here will make sure that you do.”
Tucci leans on his horsechopper and sinks a little into the sand before he straightens up again. He frowns, not looking forward to hard work. He looks back to the little beach-shelter he’s been hiding in and shrugs, ”I’m in.”
"But that can wait for now - as you've heard, we have more pressing concerns at the moment. Two of our crewmates were taken by grindylows - half-goblins half-octopus creatures - and we think they might be on this island. We're setting off to search for the creatures' lair, and we could use your help looking - you said you've been here three days, so you at least know the island a bit better than the rest of us"
He nods before she even finishes talking, ”Well I was, ah, marooned here just a few days ago, and other than the frogs…” <shudder> ”I haven’t seen or heard anything much. I’ve been laying low though, so there’s that. Still, I’ve been known to be a decent tracker. Who are we looking for?”
He'll casually glance around the area for any useful tracks while they're talking.
As you pull the Skiff up on the beach and chat with the marooned halfling you notice a broken rum barrel laying in pieces. It’s most likely the device Tucci had been jettisoned in by his angry captain, now in splinters from the storm which placed you on the choral. A little further up the beach A small gathering of collapsed mud huts sit on the island’s northern beach.
As they talk the new halfling begins looking for tracks, but he soon realizes the terrible storm that kept him from moving around a lot would have washed away all tracks. However, like everyone else he does notice the path leading into and out of the abandoned village.
The village has not been inhabited for decades, ever since the grindylows first came to the isle. A path leads away from shore into the nearby swampy salt marsh which covers the eastern end of the island, this path crosses the swamp from the abandoned village into the jungle in the center of the Island.
"Well, Mr. Tucci, I'm sorry to say that what you're offering us are not exactly unique abilities among our current crew."
Brother MacLaren had held back when the halfling proudly proclaimed his ability to conjure fresh water, but he just has to demonstrate. Although he does so quietly, waving a hand over his tankard, muttering a prayer to Cayden Cailean, and filling the tankard with fresh ale.
How long does the village look like it has been abandoned? Recent enough for the "scarecrow" corpses to have been the villagers?
"I would rather avoid the swamp if we could. But it seems this is the only way to go. Let's move quickly and keep track of time. I'd like to be back on the ship before nightfall if possible, even if it means we have to come back here tomorrow."
"Well, Mr. Tucci, I'm sorry to say that what you're offering us are not exactly unique abilities among our current crew."Brother MacLaren had held back when the halfling proudly proclaimed his ability to conjure fresh water, but he just has to demonstrate. Although he does so quietly, waving a hand over his tankard, muttering a prayer to Cayden Cailean, and filling the tankard with fresh ale.
He eyes the Brother, "Cayden? I'm a Desna man myself, but I appreciate the allure."
"I would rather avoid the swamp if we could. But it seems this is the only way to go. Let's move quickly and keep track of time. I'd like to be back on the ship before nightfall if possible, even if it means we have to come back here tomorrow."
Tucci talks to himself as he walks, his feet somewhat splayed out everywhere as he goes. "Yes, yes, avoid the swamp. Damn frogs..."
He'll look around a bit.
vs DC 12
vs DC 12
He pokes around the village a bit, suggesting, "I think this place has been abandoned for decades. Something ran them off I suppose."
"Well, some of these corpses seem to have been here for decades as well. Could have been some of the villagers."
Veronica starts walking along the path towards the village.
"I agree with you Mac, wading into a swamp wouldn't be my first choice as well, but it seems to be the only way to go. At least there's something of a path through it. And the faster we get to Sandara and Conchobar the better. I'd prefer to go back to the ship at night, but it's still pretty early - we can decide on that towards the middle of the day in case we want to turn back."
"Well then, through the swamp it is. Let's see what we can find out there." Melli looks the skeletons over, this time a lot less nervous after the others mention how old both they and the village are. "I'm in it for the treasure, and there doesn't seem to be much here in the village."