Since he is spending so much time on the bow Sykala asks Keliwyn to speak in Elven. She points to different things as they pass on the river and says their names in Sylvan and then waits for the name in Elven. During this time he notices that she repeatedly glances at him and it becomes apparent that she is curious about his ears. Finally she blurts out, "You fey? Some fey? You speak close fey. You come from forest."
Keliwyn is happy to oblige Sykala, in part because it has been some time since he has been able to speak the tongue of his people. In response to her question, he replies, "Am I fey? No, but something close, I like to think. The beginnings of my people are lost in time, and the chronicles say little of our beginnings, but I do believe we are closely connected with the fey. And I am from the forest. It is my true home, and I miss it dearly. You should visit it there some day. I do believe you would truly love it."
"Tell me, my lady, where were you raised, and who do you consider to be your people?"
You should visit it there some day. I do believe you would truly love it."
"I think so too. Sound like old home. This home now until Gozreh say different."
"Tell me, my lady, where were you raised, and who do you consider to be your people?"
"I grow up across sea, other side great eye, on land with water all around. City there Lliz-ma-gor-ti. Not know land called this tongue. Sylvan called Azridruithein. It have forest like yours. This my family now", waving her hand to encompass the surrounding jungle. She has a fleeting look of sadness, "Human family weak, Gozreh take them. New family strong, show me how be strong. New family spirits of trees, water, land. Gozreh father mother now. Speak to me, show me way of air. Always whispering." She tilts her head as if listening to something unheard and says this while staring off into the distance allowing lightning to play across her hands absentmindedly.
Casually catching wind of some of the conversations on deck, Chuol stops working for a moment and asks: "You all coming from far far away; places dat Chuol will never see. What is it dat brought you to Mwangi? Why come to such a dangerous jungle?"
"You all coming from far far away; places dat Chuol will never see. What is it dat brought you to Mwangi? Why come to such a dangerous jungle?"
"Gozreh say come, so come. Is dangerous yes. Bear in meadow dangerous. Winter storm dangerous. Life dangerous, you not escape even hide in cave. Jungle good place learn, get stronger. After jungle spirits teach some than go speak other spirits, other lands so learn more. Why you stay?"
Casually catching wind of some of the conversations on deck, Chuol stops working for a moment and asks: "You all coming from far far away; places dat Chuol will never see. What is it dat brought you to Mwangi? Why come to such a dangerous jungle?"
"I didn't come here by choice. I was shipwrecked on the coast north of here and made my way to Bloodcove. I am on this boat to be among my friends and because I have nowhere else to go. At first it was about the gold, but I don't care about that now."
"Chuol, you look like you are from the jungle. Is that so?"
"Gozreh say come, so come. Is dangerous yes. Bear in meadow dangerous. Winter storm dangerous. Life dangerous, you not escape even hide in cave. Jungle good place learn, get stronger. After jungle spirits teach some than go speak other spirits, other lands so learn more. Why you stay?"
Chuol smiles. "Dis be my home. I was born here, and will live here as long as I am able. As dangerous as the Mwangi may be, I will be a part of it until I die. You are right in what you say. De danger of de jungle allows one to grow strong, it is how my tribe has survived for so long."
"I didn't come here by choice. I was shipwrecked on the coast north of here and made my way to Bloodcove. I am on this boat to be among my friends and because I have nowhere else to go. At first it was about the gold, but I don't care about that now."
"Chuol, you look like you are from the jungle. Is that so?"
He then turns to Ixius and replies: "Yes, as I was saying to our friend, here, I was born in de heart of Mother Mwangi. I lived with my tribe... well... my old tribe for many years, and learned to appreciate de jungle. But I was led to Bloodcove and our friend Esteban in order to do... someting. I am not sure what, yet."
With that Chuol laughs heartily and claps Ixius on the back: "Do not fear, my friend! If you seek to return home, Chuol will help you once dis trip is done, in whatever way he can."
But I was led to Bloodcove and our friend Esteban in order to do... someting. I am not sure what, yet.
Sykala looks toward Chuol as if truly seeing him for the first time and nods, "You part of jungle. Gozreh call you too. Things wrong here. We make right. We follow same path."
Keliwyn simply shrugs and replies, "I am here because this is where my path has led me. But, I do feel some affinity for our little group. Perhaps we are all here for some greater purposes." He shrugs again, and continues, "Time will tell soon enough what the jungle has in store for us."
Keliwyn simply shrugs and replies, "I am here because this is where my path has led me. But, I do feel some affinity for our little group. Perhaps we are all here for some greater purposes." He shrugs again, and continues, "Time will tell soon enough what the jungle has in store for us."
At the mention of a greater purpose, Chuol stands up straight. "Yes, fren. I tink we are here for a purpose. At least, I see we are doing the right ting. I have seen visions of great evil on dis river. We are here to cleanse it."
Chuol gestures to Sykala. "I do not know of dis Gozreh you speak of. But someting is bringing us all togedder. My visions tell me so."
With that, Chuol abruptly moves away, getting back to his work for the day.
Baas interrupts as he flips through a journal "I think this task is folly. I would much rather be delving through some musty old tome or exploring ancient ruins." He looks at Sykala very deliberately "This situation seems oddly familiar to another that ended......badly. I am only here to keep you alive"
He looks down and continues his reading.
As if to accentuate Baas' point, a white flat-bottomed boat drifts into view from the spray and gloom of the river. It does not appear to be occupied.
Looking at Baas' back a sudden look of realization crosses Sykala's face. Anaka...... Not a word...... a name..... She turns away deep in thought and then notices the boat drifting down the river............
Sykala looks toward the boat with curiosity but also scans the trees and water for danger in case it's bait. She will ready a gust of wind again to move the boat away from the barge if it becomes a threat.
Ixius, still on the foredeck, sees that the boat drifting closer is unoccupied, and sets his bow down next to him.
This can't be good...
He speaks a couple of words in Draconic and casts mage armor on himself.
Chuol will drop what he is doing and join his companions. He will ready his spear and shield.
"You!" yells Esteban, not bothering to use your names "Get the boathooks. Pull that alongside."
Not knowing what a boathook even is Sykala warily watches.
Ixius asks Chuol: "What does he want us to do?"
"The boathooks!" yells Esteban in frustration "By Desna's pretty ass, the long poles with hooks on the ends!"
"I'll take care of it." Chuol goes for the boathooks and reaches for the boat coming alongside.
By Desna's pretty ass,
By Desna's pretty ass,
As Chuol hooks the boat and draws it in, Esteban leaps from the pilothouse to the covered cargo and then down to the deck with speed and grace despite the slipperiness.
Faruq, who has insisted in dressing head to toe in what he calls his "Qadiran funereal whites" since the death of the other crew members, takes the long way down but arrives quite quickly.
"It's a punt from Whitebridge station. Whitebridge is only a day away," says Esteban.
From here you can see a dark pool of blood on the floor of the punt.
"Hop over there and see what's happening," Esteban tells Faruq.
Faruq gestures towards his lovely white silks and says "In these?"
Esteban rolls his eyes and then says, "Who's steering the boat?".
Faruq races back up to the pilothouse and then Esteban looks to the rest of you. He takes the boathook from Chuol and says, "I'll hold her steady."
By Desna's pretty ass,
Ixius picks his bow up and looks at Chuol and Sykala.
"Shall we?" he says, then jumps on the other boat.
"It's a punt from Whitebridge station. Whitebridge is only a day away," says Esteban.
Sykala watches the men hook the boat and bring it along side and relaxes a little when no obvious threat appears. "What White-bridge station?" she asks as her lithe 5'6" form slides between Chuol and Esteban. Stepping down into the boat her sky blue eyes flash a challenging look as she glances pointedly in Baas' direction. She takes notice of the pool of blood and looks around for other signs of what happened to the previous occupants.
Rolls:
Sykala:
The blood pool is small and seems concentrated around a backpack. It is tacky and could be no more than a couple of hours old (even though you are more than a couple of hours from Whitebridge station). The number of flies gathered around the backpack seems unusual even given that there is blood on it.
Ixius:
Besides the blood and a knapsack, you notice two arrows of unusual make. Make a craft (bowmaking) check to find out more about them.
By Desna's pretty ass,
Hmmm, that was supposed to be:
Tarren:
Sykala kneels down and wets her fingers in the blood, brings it up to her face to sniff it, and than holds her fingers up so they are between her and the sun and slowly pulls them apart. "Blood not old. Hour.....two most." With a wary look on her face she then reaches for the backpack, shooing away flies and peers in.......
Sykala kneels down and wets her fingers in the blood, brings it up to her face to sniff it, and than holds her fingers up so they are between her and the sun and slowly pulls them apart. "Blood not old. Hour.....two most." With a wary look on her face she then reaches for the backpack, shooing away flies and peers in.......
Tarren:
** spoiler omitted **
Ixius:
The arrows are thistle-tipped arrows. The thistles often remain in the wounds cause by the arrow causing infection. You've heard that these are used by the 'Ekujae' tribe -- local wild elves.
Ixius picks up the arrows.
"Hmmm..." He turns to Sykala. "I think these were made by jungle elves. They're poisoned."
Sykala reaches into the backpack and pulls out by the hair a severed blood encrusted head that still drips gore, which she holds up for everyone to see. Nodding to Ixius in agreement to his thoughts that wild elves could have done this. "Maybe elves. Maybe other who want us think elves who put arrows." Pointing to the head with her free hand, "From White-bridge? What that place? We need go there?"
"We'll be a Whitebridge tomorrow ... It's a station along the river. Not our final destination but one of our stops," says Esteban.
"Den we'd best be wary. Dis seems to me like dese jungle elves wanted to send a message. We don't want to fall into dere traps." Chuol will try to go back to work as normal, but will do his best to keep a sharp eye out for any trouble.
Estaban, what do you know about the jungle elves that inhabit this region?
Estaban, what do you know about the jungle elves that inhabit this region?
"I know they're vicious, evil things and that you are going to kill them for me," says Esteban. He orders you to tie the boat behind The River Queen before he stomps back up to the pilothouse.
Sykala watches Esteban stomp away. Looks over to the gory head she is still holding and says low so only those immediately around her can hear, "Maybe he bad and they need kill". She tosses the head off into the water. She walks over too Keliwyn and asks quietly, "You think jungle elves all bad like Esteban?"
Sykala watches Esteban stomp away. Looks over to the gory head she is still holding and says low so only those immediately around her can hear, "Maybe he bad and they need kill". She tosses the head off into the water. She walks over too Keliwyn and asks quietly, "You think jungle elves all bad like Esteban?"
Keliwyn, who has been quietly looking on the whole time, bow in hand, is startled by the question. "I would like to doubt that any 'jungle' elves are wholly evil, or even bad, for that matter. But the fact is, I know very little about them at all. As I mentioned previously, my people know very little about the Mwangi and that's why I'm here. If those who sent me know anything about jungle elves, they certainly didn't share their information with me."
"I know they're vicious, evil things and that you are going to kill them for me," says Esteban. He orders you to tie the boat behind The River Queen before he stomps back up to the pilothouse.
I would suggest, Estaban, you take greater care as to the direction you bark your orders. I too have lost myself to emotion and lashed out with violence. I would hate for you to regret the pain you caused by your curtness when you later give thought to your actions.
Now, my friend I will be happy to fulfill your request
Baas turns with a smile, perhaps the first anyone has seen from him. It is a bit unsettling as it shapes the skull painted on his face.
Esteban ignores Baas' response and heads back up to the pilothouse. The River Queen travels until dark and then drops anchor at a quieter widening part of the river.
Faruq and Esteban can be heard arguing up in the pilothouse.
Perception check DC 15:
Faruq believes that they should press on despite the dark to see if everyone is okay at Whitebridge. Esteban refuses saying it is too dangerous.
After some time Faruq comes down to the main deck and sits behind the cabin staring at the punt from Whitebridge station.
Sykala overhears the conversation but just goes back to the bow and sets up for the night seemingly unconcerned
Tarren:
As an aside I would like to know whether I have been able to collect any of the plants, herbs, and reagents I have been looking for whenever we stop. I am guessing I spend about an hour looking through the local area. I posted the desire to do so back as a spoiler saying what Sykala's morning ritual was. If I am having a lot of trouble locating anything than I will memorize Detect Animals or Plants instead of Entangle (let me know if I need to adjust this please).
Knowledge nature to find needed plants. (1d20+10=27)
Sykala overhears the conversation but just goes back to the bow and sets up for the night seemingly unconcerned
Tarren:
** spoiler omitted **
Ixius gathers up the jungle-elf arrows thinking he can either shoot them or transfer the tips to some of his arrows.
After some time Faruq comes down to the main deck and sits behind the cabin staring at the punt from Whitebridge station.
Ixius approaches Faruq and asks him "What do you think happened?"
"What? With the head?" Faruq seems surprised by the question as if it was the furthest thing from his mind, "I think someone killed him. Wild elves. Looks like he was heading downriver alone which is a stupid thing to do."
Keliwyn sees an opening, and settles down near Faruq. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, he strikes up a conversation with Faruq, all the while trying to take advantage of the obvious dynamic between him and Esteban.
"Clealry, Esteban thinks he knows better than you. But tell me, what's going on, what isn't he telling us about?"