Defying Esteban, Ixius goes into the cabin to rest. He takes the loot from the cave with him, and puts the bow in the chest, leaving the rest in a common area.
Without looking up, Keliwyn smiles at Esteban's comment, but keeps writing & sketching in his journal.
Baas listens to Esteban's claim, but has come too far to leave now. Without a word, he steps into the cabin and rests.
Baas listens to Esteban's claim, but has come too far to leave now. Without a word, he steps into the cabin and rests.
Mwangi gather outside of the huts and point at The River Queen. As their gestures grow more hostile, Esteban calls down to Hurg, "Give me more power, you hairless maggot. I think they're looking for Churl ... Chole ... you know, whats-his-name."
Some cursing in dwarven below is followed by a burst of speed as The River Queen passes the village.
Seemingly happy to be on the move again Sykala closes her eyes and faces the breeze caused by the increased speed. She yells out into the wind for all to hear, "How far Nightfall?"
"Not far now," says Faruq with a wolfish grin.
A loud pop below and a scream from Hurg gets Faruq's attention. "I'd better see what's happening. Keep an eye on the Mwanggi. Esteban kind of owes them money. ... Also, keep an eye on Estie. Do NOT let him try to talk to them."
"Not far now," says Faruq with a wolfish grin.
A loud pop below and a scream from Hurg gets Faruq's attention. "I'd better see what's happening. Keep an eye on the Mwanggi. Esteban kind of owes them money. ... Also, keep an eye on Estie. Do NOT let him try to talk to them."
Sykala just turns and continues to enjoy the breeze.
Fippin goes and strings his bow, and slings his quiver. Then keeps an eye out for trouble.
Fippin goes and strings his bow, and slings his quiver. Then keeps an eye out for trouble.
As The River Queen chugs up the river fast enough to generate a cool breeze, Fippin feels as if he is being watched. When he turns, he sees Esteban in the pilothouse staring down at him with a serious expression.
Ixius is napping in the cabin.
Fippin is just eager to get to nightfall station and find out if there's anything left of it or not. He doesn't feel like chatting with Esteban for the sake of making conversation, since in his mind Esteban is an ass, but given that he's looking at him a little funny...
"What's on your mind Esteban? You look troubled. Perhaps a blessing from Desna would ease your woes."
Fippin is just eager to get to nightfall station and find out if there's anything left of it or not. He doesn't feel like chatting with Esteban for the sake of making conversation, since in his mind Esteban is an ass, but given that he's looking at him a little funny...
"What's on your mind Esteban? You look troubled. Perhaps a blessing from Desna would ease your woes."
Esteban looks annoyed at being 'read' so easily but then speaks. "Something ... something's wrong. ... I don't know. I just feel ... wrong."
"Something's been wrong this whole trip. Let me know when you figure it out."
"Something's been wrong this whole trip. Let me know when you figure it out."
Esteban ignores the barb. "Something doesn't feel right. ... Where's Faruq?"
"Not far now," says Faruq with a wolfish grin.
A loud pop below and a scream from Hurg gets Faruq's attention. "I'd better see what's happening. Keep an eye on the Mwanggi. Esteban kind of owes them money. ... Also, keep an eye on Estie. Do NOT let him try to talk to them."
Keliwyn's head snaps up. "Did he say Esteban owes them money? Is there an issue with him paying his debts?"
Hearing the conversation going on outside the cabin, Baas steps out and watches the proceedings with crossed arms.
Keliwyn's head snaps up. "Did he say Esteban owes them money? Is there an issue with him paying his debts?""Not far now," says Faruq with a wolfish grin.
A loud pop below and a scream from Hurg gets Faruq's attention. "I'd better see what's happening. Keep an eye on the Mwanggi. Esteban kind of owes them money. ... Also, keep an eye on Estie. Do NOT let him try to talk to them."
Esteban overhears Keliwyn's insinuation and takes offense, "The consortium has no trouble paying its debts. I refuse, however, to pay gold for a man. Chuol was paid for his service on The River Queen but I would not buy a man as a slave. These people were not happy with that."
DC 20 Sense Motive:
Esteban is telling the truth but he isn't really offended. He's just enjoying the chance to play the good guy for a change.
With that, Esteban heads back deeper into the pilothouse and concentrates on steering the boat.
Ixius finally wakes up.
"What's going on?" he asks Baas groggily.
Hours pass by as The River Queen fights the current of the winding Vanji. Eyes peer out of the jungle on either side but they are content to watch for now.
Esteban grumbles away in the pilothouse. Hurg shouts complaints from below. Work on the deck distracts you from the boredom and the heat. A scream shatters the silence. Hurg is shouting, "FARUQ YOU ...". Whatever else he was about to say is strangled and cut off.
Sykala is broken from her reverie by the sudden scream, "What is?!" She heads quickly over toward where it came from but very much on alert for trouble.
"That didn't sound good." Ixius says as he stops pretending to work on the deck and follows Sykala.
The scream came from below the deck, in the magazine. To get there, you need to climb down a ladder. Only one person can climb down at a time.
Ixius moves to the ladder. "Let me go first." he tells Sykala then climbs down far enough to see below the deck.
Fippin uses his daily teleport power to teleport himself below deck he tries to go right into the engine room. He has his bow out and an arrow ready. Once he gets below, he'll try to use some stealth to hide and figure out what is going on, and just how the engine in this ship works.
Ixius moves to the ladder. "Let me go first." he tells Sykala then climbs down far enough to see below the deck.
Sykala intones a quick prayer to Gozreh and caresses Ixius' face with a light touch causing his skin to take on a barklike appearance (cast Barkskin +2 natural armor) and says with a slight smile, "Maybe worm attach Hurg face," and follows Ixius down.
Before Ixius goes down the ladder, after Sykala gives him Gozreh's spell he says:
"Damn, I always forget to do that. Here let me return the favor." he makes an incantation in Draonic and touches Sykala.
They descend the ladder, Ixius first.
She just slowly shakes her head and smiles, "It not help. Use on you. Armor good." She strokes her hand across the emerald shimmering scales that make up her enchanted dragonscale armor. Her look turns to one of concern, "Be careful."
"OK Sykala. You know best. You be careful as well"
Down the ladder we go.
Fippin:
Hurg does not notice you. He is leaning against the double doors connecting the engine room with the magazine trying to keep the wooden bar used to keep the door shut from bouncing off as someone pounds on the doors from the other side. The pounding on the doors is almost as loud as the humming of the engine. The engine room is large but low. A human would hit their heads on the ceiling but even you have to bow a little bit.
No wonder Hurg seems permanently hunched over and partly deaf.
The majority of the room is taken up by the engine itself. Much of it are gears and pistons of interest only to gnomes. A large, locked metal box seems to power them.
Ixius:
As Ixius descends the ladder, his eyes adjust to the gloom. The magazine is 10' by 20' (the width of the ship). Opposite the ladder are a pair of double doors.
Faruq, his taupe silk housecoat hanging in shreds about him, is pounding on the double doors with bestial rage. He turns to you and glares, uncomprehending at first. His eyes are a dull yellow. He blinks, then seems to recognize you ... as a threat. He lurches forward, raising his falchion.
Sykala follows Ixius down the ladder.
Ixius descends to he bottom of the ladder leaving room for Sykala to come down, then draws his rapier. "Faruq, what the f++@!?" He doesn't want to hurt Faruq just yet, not knowing what is wrong with him, so Ixius just defends himself and Sykala.
Ixius descends to he bottom of the ladder leaving room for Sykala to come down, then draws his rapier. "Faruq, what the f%&%!?" He doesn't want to hurt Faruq just yet, not knowing what is wrong with him, so Ixius just defends himself and Sykala.
Faruq lurches forward and brings his falchion down hard on the perfectly reasonable man. Looking in his empty, yellow eyes, you know that whoever or whatever this is ... it is not Faruq.
As Fippin isn't really sure what is going on at this point, he decides to call out to Hurgh.
"Hey Hurgh, are you okay? What's going on?"
Seeing Faruq attack Ixius spurs Sykala to react swiftly. She begins to intone a prayer to Gozreh that will finish at the beginning of her next round.
Seeing what is truly before him, Ixius drops the rapier and attacks with his claws, chanting in draconic, casting shocking grasp.
Spellcraft check to cast defensively: 1d20+11=21
melee touch attack: 1d20+4=10
Seeing Faruq attack Ixius spurs Sykala to react swiftly. She begins to intone a prayer to Gozreh that will finish at the beginning of her next round.
As Fippin isn't really sure what is going on at this point, he decides to call out to Hurgh.
"Hey Hurgh, are you okay? What's going on?"
Hurg practically leaps in the air when he hears Fippin. He seems relieved, if puzzled, to find it is only you. "Ssshhh!" Hurg whispers before putting his ear to the door again.
Seeing Faruq attack Ixius spurs Sykala to react swiftly. She begins to intone a prayer to Gozreh that will finish at the beginning of her next round.
1d20+15=33, 1d8+12=18
1d20+18=27
Sykala herself will begin casting another Summon Natures Ally III (this one will have to be medium or smaller in size I think)
The slow-moving, yellow-eyed hulk stumbles into the cone of fire that extends from Ixius's hands.
It-who-was-Faruq hacks down with his falchion again but this time it is deflected off of the thin barrier of magic surrounding Ixius.
Sykala's dire wolf appears and lunges at Faruq, pulling him prone.
Ixius tries to shock the now prone once-was-Faruq again: