Sorry for disappearing. I'm just having a hard time getting back to doing online stuff with all of the other things going on with work and my kids' schools. I'm afraid I have to officially drop out.
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That bow is rated for a higher strength than mine, so I'd be -2 to hit with it until I got my strength up to a 16 - and that's not happening any time real soon.
"Then it would seem that you are as stranded here as we are." Caine answers. "We can offer no true hope of curing that ailment for the moment. But we do have a camp set up and are making a go of it until we can either be rescued or find some other way off the island. I think you won't find better accommodations."
Caine makes use of his extended reach to move up and strike at the remaining lizard with his long sword - aiming a savage blow at it.
SOrry I've been away for so long. Family trip for Thanksgiving and then crazy with work.
After taking part in Jask's exercises, Caine doesn't believe they will be of too much use to him. But he shrugs it off as a goodwill and camaraderie building exercise.
"The question of our rescue from the ship does way heavily, Neltji. I still think it means that there is someone about this island who knows much about us, and about whom we know nothing. There's a gap in knowledge that I don't like," Caine frowns.
Caine takes another errant shot at the final creeper zombie.
With the zombies starting to make their way out of the entanglement, Caine moves closer to his companions and shifts targets to shoot at the closest one. But again his shot goes awry.
"I think we're hurting the creeper. Kind of hard to tell since it's a plant." Caine grumbles as he takes another shot at the plant.
The woody exterior of the plant, however, keeps the arrow from doing much good.
A bit frustrated with his shooting, Caine flexes his shoulder and tries again.
Since the creeper zombies are still some distance away and 2/3 entangled, Caine also concentrates on the plant - the root of the problem. The arrow hits a dense tangle and fails to do any damage.
With the zombies at least temporarily restrained, Caine aims for the creeper. His arrow strikes home.
"Yeah, the flora in the tropics can be a bit different from what you see up north. I've heard them called yellow musk creepers. Dangerous, but I think if we stay far enough away, we can probably avoid it," Caine estimates.
Caine pulls an arrow from his quiver as he prepares his bow to fire in case the humanoids turn out to be hostile. As he does so, he attempts to get into a less exposed position where he can observe the humanoids without alarming them.
"Thanks, Mischa. I confess I'm getting tired of being pinched. But I suppose you can't explore without encountering the creatures who got here first." Caine says. "Is everyone ready to move out?" Caine asks the group.
Caine regard's Mischa's condition and reaches a conclusion. "Mischa looks shakier than I feel. Use your healing on her, Neltji. I will be fine."
Caine stands his ground. Now that Munkustrap is in good position, he intends to not waste it. threat!
Caine makes a suggestion, "Maybe we should consider reading it aloud over evening meals until we have finished it. We could probably all use the diversion to keep our spirits up."
I am not sure the shipwreck and the campsite are related. The ship seems to have been there for a long time while the campsite seems hastily made and recently used. It there was a survivor from the ship I would have expected a more substantial camp setting. That is why I am hoping it is someone from our ship that washed up here. "It's possible the camp is small because there was only one person using it. And it's possible that he or she didn't last long away from the camp. There are plenty of dangerous beasts about, after all. But I keep thinking about who must have pulled us to shore from our own ship - who they are, what their motives are. Though I don't understand why, it could be someone with a plan for us but who wants to remain remote yet not too far away. This might be a reasonable camp for that."
Since Rii-Chi seems the hardest pressed, Caine strikes at the dimorphodon bedeviling him. "Keep back, beasts!" he grunts as his sword slashes.
Caine looks over the snake skins.
"Hmmm... I wonder if this sort of thing is the reason so many of us dreamed of snakes. If this island has many of them, we may be picking up on their scent in a way that we don't recognize in our waking hours, but as our minds wander in sleep."
Weary from the trek and capture of the dinosaur, Caine settles in a little early. If the camp were well-supplied and they were here voluntarily, this island could be an exciting place to explore and face new challenges - a place to really enjoy. But the nature of their arrival and precarious position undermined all of that. There were too many questions. Too many. But answering any more of them would have to wait until morning.
Caine gives Sasha's offer some thought. He's more of an archer than a hunter, but curiosity wins out and Caine checks out what Sasha has to offer.
Caine takes up the litter and starts the laborious process of hauling the dimorphodon back to camp.
"I just wonder what the heck Sasha wants it for."
Caine moves about to hunt down any recoverable arrows."Don't be too quick to heal all of the creatures we fight. We may need to put that meat on the table before too long." He then starts looking about for some suitably stiff plant life for fashioning a litter for the captured creature.
Caine draws an arrow and shoots at the one still fighting in an effort to quell any further (immediate) danger.
Caine draws another arrow and aims carefully between his companions. He lets the arrow loose.
Caine makes his decision. "Sasha may want one, but the rest we can fill our bellies with." He puts an arrow to his bowstring and shoots at the lead dimorphodon.
Caine looks over the tracks, looks at the surrounding terrain, and nods. "Looks like a dimorphodon lives here. They're flyers with big heads. I bet he's out catching fish or other small game. But more to the point, Sasha's looking for one and asked if I could catch one and bring it back, I'm not sure why. They're venomous - use it on their prey. Sasha may have a similar idea."
Looking out over the empty sea, Caine couldn't help but feel profoundly alone, even surrounded by fellow castaways. He silently turns away from the ocean and begins the trek to the western-most point of the narrowing terrain.
"Agreed," Caine adds. "Let's get the promontory and see what we can see from there. With any luck, though I fear that would take exceptional luck, there will be a ship we can signal."
I can help heal those wounds and aches Caine if you would like. Just know though that the process is a bit painful and it may feel like your blood is no fire. The sensation is temporary and lasts only a minute but you will be fully healed at the end of it. Then after I think we should be better equipped to examine the wreck. Hopefully nothing too overwhelming is present that we can not overcome quickly. "Thank you, Neltji. I have never experienced a sensation quite like that before, but given where we are and our situation, I figure we will all have our fill of new experiences - both pleasant and unpleasant," Caine says. "Now, let's get a look at that wreck."
Caine gets up a bit stiffly after the previous day's beating. "We survived one night out here. I don't think it would be pressing our luck too badly to stay afield rather than heading back to the base camp. After all, we did come here to explore to the end of the promontory and I would see that through. Let's take a look in the wreck, but given the fact many of us are not at our best, let's be extra cautious."
Caine keeps his own voice calm despite wanting to shout back at the fussy feline, "Yes, this place is open. But we'd be no less vulnerable walking back to our base camp after dark, which will be coming soon. I think we are better off hunkering down here, given our current state and the time of day."
Caine surveys the scene. "Wise advice, Thorion. Let's get a little distance from these old bones though, then set up a camp to rest from this ordeal." He does not immediately set to finding a good camping spot - rather he spends a few minutes looking about the places where the skeletons popped up. Were they actual graves or just spots where someone had died and then been covered by the forces of nature?
Caine takes advantage of Munkustrap's distraction and hammers the skeleton hard.
Caine steps over to the point where the skeleton is within his increased reach (and in an effort to flank with Thorion) and chops down at it with his longsword.
With relatively few skeletons left and an opportunity to smash things harder with his larger size, Caine turns from focusing on his defense to offense. He gives one of the skeletons a vicious pounding.
Caine moves forward to step in and prevent the skeleton from closing in on Neltji again (at least not without being contested) and strikes at it. He fails to land a telling blow.
Caine hears Neltji's call but he's still worried he won't be able to save himself, much less Mischa. But, game to fight, he shifts a step toward the cluster while continuing to wage a defensive fight against the skeleton still clawing at him.
Caine manages to evade the clutching claws of the skeletons, but his own strikes proved no more effective. Nevertheless, he still chooses to focus on his own defense.
Caine winces under the sharp blow from the skeleton's bony hand. He shifts a step to his right in an effort to try to sandwich the skeleton between himself and Neltji. He also takes more effort to present a stronger defense
Too close to comfortably shoot, Caine draws his long sword and strikes at the skeleton to his front right. His attempted strike goes wide. "Damn! There are too many of them! We should close up!"
"I agree that we could go and see what this sharp promontory is like. We'd also have a good view of the seas in that direction. Perhaps a ship may be spotted or we could attract one," Caine suggests. What he doesn't add verbally is that it may help them feel a bit more secure if they knew what dangers lie in that direction with no other place to go but toward their camp.
"Snakes? I too dreamed of a serpent - a big one. I haven't been dealing with snakes lately, so I don't know where that was coming from." Caine adds. "Did anyone else dream of snakes?"
Caine wakes up in a cold sweat. At first, the vividness of the dream's imagery convinces him that he's still soaked from the sea. But then the sounds of other castaways moving about returns him to reality. Realizing he's not going to get any more sleep soon, the hunter gets up and stretches. He joins the cluster forming for some morning repast. Looking about at other sleepy or haggard faces, he asks, "I take it sleep did not go too well last night for any of you either?"
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