Gothard grabs his axe and shield "I will go as well. I am tired of sitting around in camp anyway."
Annoyed by their lack of rational thinking Alyosha comments,
"Hurry back Children..."
Alyosha continues to work on the wall until we begin to search the island.
Addam easily tracks Aerys due south to the cliff wall. By the time he and Gothard catch up she is more than half way up the 100 foot ledge. Moving quickly and without caution she turns and shouts at you, though the message is incoherent.
Back at camp Rorie tries to unlock the pad without success.
Awoken by the clamor, Smian shakes his head a few times to get his bearings. After hearing what happened to Aerys, Smian decides to go looking for her as well.
"She really has to quit the ale," he says resignedly as he heads off into the forest.
Smian is able to quickly catch up with Addam and Gothard.
Gothard straps his shield onto his back and begins to climb up the cliff face. He yells back to Addam "The mountains back home were far more difficult than this and I could climb those when I was 8, we won't be long here."
climb check:
Upon reaching the top Gothard drops a rope to Addam and secures it using the grappling hook he carries.
"Alyosha... You want to try this?"
Hearing Rorie's low rumble Alyosha briefly takes a break from his work to examine what Rorie has brought him.
"Finally someone with a sane request. I will let you know if I have any luck opening this lock! Although, with our luck and circumstances it will be filled with those beasts we have been fighting off..."
Alyosha trails off in to a pessimistic diatribe dealing with their circumstances and the choices of his party.
Trying to be cautious as possible Alyosha attempts to perceive whether the crate has any sort of trap on it.
Perception:
If the device is safe to open Alyosha beings to use his Thieves Tools on the lock.
If the device is trapped Alyosha attempts to disarm it then open the lock.
Disable Device Lock:
Disable Device Trap:
Addam and Smian are able to carefully climb the ledge using the rope.
Back at camp Alyosha inspects the crate. After he is convinced that there are no traps he deftly picks the lock.
Inside you find a cache of light weapons:
2 leather ammo belts holding 6 throwing daggers each.
2 punching daggers
1 light cross bow
1 hand cross bow
36 bolts
1 whip
1 sap
12 darts
1 Nunchaku
1 hand ax
1 short sword
After Addam and Smian make it to the top of the ledge, Gothard gathers up the rope and puts it back in his pack. Once the rope is secure he begins to search for signs of both the wayward drunk and other creatures that may be lurking nearby. He also looks at the varying plants to check for dangers (like stinky trees)
nature check:
perception check:
Gelik goes off into the rough alone. "Back in a jiffy..."
Sasha arms herself with a short sword and a hand ax.
Ishirou claims the whip and the Nunchaku. He moves around better, but is still debilitated.
From the top of the cliffs you have an excellent view of the bay, and you can certainly see your campsite down there. The vegetation is lush. A sort of peak lies to the north of you rising another 200 feet out of the ground.
Gothard hears the lunatic screams of Aerys echo through forest from a distance.
After reaching the top of the cliff, huffing and puffing, Smian takes a moment to catch his breath.
Noticing the peak in the distance, he points it out to Gothard and Addam and says, "I wonder if that's the hill Ishirou was talking about. The place with the buried pirate treasure?"
"At any rate, where could that drunk have run off to", he sighs, squinting and looking around to see into the distant jungle.
Smian considers using ghost sound to shout out to Aerys, but decides against it, as he is not sure what sort of creatures it might alert in the immediate area.
Alyosha pokes Rorie and points to the open crate.
"Enjoy the bounty!"
Alyosha gets back to work on the wall.
"The treasure, if there is any at all, is the least of our concerns.",Gothard scoffs. "However, the peak may prove to be of strategic value. We will be able to better view the island and it's dangers; perhaps even seeing this supposed lighthouse from there. Either way it will have to wait until we either catch Aerys or she falls off a cliff and dies from her own stupidity. I will let you all decide which is the preferable result."
Gothard does not appreciate that his attempts at diplomacy did not fair well with Aerys and is really wishing to himself that his intimidating nature was more useful; so he could her over the head and maybe knock her sober.
I agree. Addam hushes the other two and listens intently. He kneels down to look at the area for her tracks.
Perception:
Track: I'll take 10+6 for 16
She went that way
The ground here is soft and it is relatively easy to track Ayers, however you cannot seem to gain ground on her.
Her trail leads you west past the tall hill peak.
You fail to notice that these craggy rocks are the home of a large venomous snake.
Addam and Gothard spot the viper as they approach, before the party gets too close. The snake twists out of a crack in the rock, ten feet in front of you. It hisses and takes an aggressive stance.
In the small patch of jungle close to camp, Gelik approaches the monkey tree. Using one of the daggers he is careful to chip the bark onto a piece of cloth, without ever touching it. No offensive odor is present.
He returns to camp. "Want to see how this stuff works?"
Addam freezes just as a viper slithers out of the cracks in the rocks.
Init:
He immediately knocks an arrow and looses on the target.
Attack:
Dmg:
Crit:
Gothard puts his hand up in front of Smian to prevent him from stepping on the snake as he brings his axe up. Declaring loudly, "The best way to kill a snake is to take off it's head!" as he swings, hoping to end this fight as quickly as it started.
initiative:
attack, battleaxe:
damage:
He returns to camp. "Want to see how this stuff works?"
Addam quickly draws his bow and sticks the serpent with an arrow. Before Smian can act Gothard follows up with an axe strike that lops off the snakes head.
Back at camp Gelik picks up a very tiny piece of the bark with a spoon, and leaves the rest wrapped up. Carefully, he leads Rorie out into the surf. "Hold your hand out."
Gelik drops the fleck of bark onto Rorie's reluctantly extended open palm. As soon it makes contact with the skin it dissolves into an oil. The pungent smell is released in less than three seconds. It is enough to make Rorie's vision wave and Gelik is quick to dunk his hand into the water.
Only because it was such a miniscule amount with only a minimal time to set it, the smell easily washes away and does not overwhelm the area.
Gothard continues West following Aerys tracks, but quickens his pace when he realizes that they are not gaining ground on her. Although his armor is noisy enough for most, Gothard seems to be going out of his way to make even more noise than usual as he stomps through the jungle.
Gothard continues West following Aerys tracks, but quickens his pace when he realizes that they are not gaining ground on her. Although his armor is noisy enough for most, Gothard seems to be going out of his way to make even more noise than usual as he stomps through the jungle.
Smian continues alongside Gothard and Addam, repeatedly glancing at the jungle and foliage to their sides.
It takes nearly four hours to catch up to the lunatic elf. A few times you got close and she would blindly slide down ledges and hurdle through rock fields. By her ravings you gather that she believes you to be cannibals as well as ghouls.
The land begins to narrow and slowly descends until it ends as a small peninsula cliff that rises only twenty feet above the sand line below. At the end you finally catch up to Ayers, hunched over, and weeping on the ledge.
To the southwest, across the bay, there is a large piece of island. The lack of lush bright green vegetation on the smaller island makes for a strong contrast to everything else around you. It does in fact appear to have trees on it, though everything is the same odd dark gray color.
As the wind blows out from that direction you notice a strong odor of fermentation in the air.
Aerys looks up to you, tears rolling. "Help me..."
Back at camp Gelik gets back to his assignment of increasing morale. The last thing he tells Rorie is to "Find some glue."
survival check:
perception check:
nature check:
Gothard turns to Smian and indicates that he should be the one to speak to Aerys given that he stands the best chance at making her see reason. He then begins to examine the island as best he can from their current position.
"Aerys," Smian says gently as he slowly approaches the sobbing woman, his eyes darting to the right and left, as if he expects something to assault them at any moment.
"What do you say we go back to camp, Aerys? I hear there's a nice bottle of ale back there just for you. We've got to work together to find a way off this island"
Smian stops about 10 feet in front of Aerys, unable to shake the feeling that something is amiss.
diplomacy check
Gothard notices small pieces of crushed bone. The fighter realizes that the lair of a large creature is nearby. Taking a look over the ledge Gothard sees that the rock is recessed. The depression contains a nest the is over twelve feet in circumference. There is a rather large egg in the nest.
Aerys looks up at Smian and sniffles. "Really? Ok, I guess so... "
Gothard points out the bone fragments and the egg to the others in the group, wondering out loud if this could be a nest belonging to the adult ptersaurs we saw earlier on the beach. "I don't believe we should stay here longer than necessary unless we want to be breakfast; even I am not so foolish as to think we would survive a battle with something so large with such a small party. So if Aerys is done acting the part of the fool, we should begone." As he makes his suggestions he also readies his axe and shield and glances around the sky checking for signs of incoming enemy aircraft :)
Smian nods, agreeing that they should leave the area quickly. He tries to make sure Aerys is following them.
Gothard suggests to Addam that he mark the trail to this spot in case we want to come back here in the future.
At camp Rorie returns with more of the Monkey tree bark.
Over to the west aways, Aerys gets up and follows you.
Gothard also spots what appears to be the remains of another shipwreck. It looks to be about a mile to the northeast.
Before long the hot noon sun will beat down on the island. The high tide is nearly in.
"They've been gone a long while. It will be too hot soon."
Survival: 10+3 = 13
Addam looks up at the sun... We should find somewhere to stop for a few hours, its going to get to hot to go anywhere."
"Agreed," Smian says, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Be careful out there looking for their bones little one!"
Alyosha finds some shade and begins to doze off.
"Little? Clearly the sun has gotten to you." I give the cocky elf a sideways glance as I walk off.
Survival check:
Gothard heads northeast to the shipwreck, not wanting to sit around any longer than they already have. "We should keep moving, there will be shade at the wreck."
Seeing as how its always best to stay together. "Alright lets go, but we best not dally."
Survival check:
With a deep sigh, Smian heads off towards the beach.
survival check:
The away party climbs down the beach cliffs.
Smian succumbs to the heat.
You approach the ship wreck, which lies just above the high tide line, cradled in a few rocks. The wood is rotting but a skeleton of the structure still stands.
As you approach Addam hears the sounds of ghoulish groans from within the ship's hold.
Back near camp Rorie sets off to follow the trail. Heat exhaustion sets in for the dwarf.
At camp Ishirou chats with Alyosha. "Are you worried about the others? What if they don't make it back."
Survival:
Fort save:
Gothard examines the ship to try and determine how safe it may actually be.
knowledge engineering check:
perception check:
Alyosha attempts to comfort and reassure Ishirou.
"They will make it back and in fine shape. Forgive my seemingly pessimistic nature but sometimes humor makes a hard situation a bit easier."
Alyosha attempts to entertain him with some sleight of hand tricks. Hopefully this takes his mind off of the situation at hand.
Sleight of Hand
Gothard notices the ship looks old.
He also now hears the groans.
The tide is just past the high mark and there is a narrow lane of beach leading to the wreck site. The wreck is propped up on rocks and it's broken frond end hangs over the water.
As they approach the ship Addam can hear something unnatural coming from its interior. "I'm sure no one needs to say that we should expect trouble from in there?" he raises an eyebrow at Gothard and moves in slowly. As he moves in he unslings his bow and knocks an arrow. Addam uses his training to be as silent as possible as he looks through the opening of the ship to see whats in view.
Stealth Check:
Perception (of ship interior):
Gothard growls "The more trouble that falls before us today, is less trouble that can befall us tonight..." as he readies himself for whatever may lie ahead
"Step carefully, I am not sure how old this wreck is and it may not be safe to walk on."