The voyage aboard the Jenivere has been absolutely unremarkable and mostly pleasant. The primary problem being the food which is a watery substance that the cook, Rambar, claims is a stew. The well stocked ship does supplement the meals with fresh citrus and the 'stew' has enough memory of meat and vegetable to sate hunger. The passengers are few, most of the large ship devoted to the cargo being shipped from Magnimar all the way to Eleder on the far continent of Garund.
Captain Kovack makes it a point of dining with his passengers every fifth day at sea, enough for pleasant conversation and a number of stories about his - and his ancestors - voyages up and down the coast. Navigation around the Eye of Abendego; avoiding the hellknight blockades of Cheliax; gypsy pickpockets in his home port of Magnimar.
The rest of the time, your questions, concerns and requirements are handled by the competant first mate, Mr. Denvers. ("Pleae call me Alton, you a'int crew and we don't need to stand on ceremony.") An affiable man who only seems off-kilter when commanded to do things he has already set in motion.
As for your fellow passengers they are a mixed bunch. The most approachable is Gelik Aberwhinge, a halfling who boarded at Magnimar and has been at sea with the Jenivere for four months. He is easy to find, often penning in a leather-bound book in the common areas, always quick with a quip or a story to amuse.
The other long-term guest of the boat is the Varisian scholar Ieana. Absorbed with her studies, she often forgoes shared meals. The few times she is seen on deck she keeps her heavy cloak pulled tight against the sea wind, but looks to the south and the end of the long journey.
Just before the Shackles, Sasha joined the boat. The somber mood she boarded with mellowed after the first few days at sea and she seems optimistic about her future in Eleder. She seems utterly fascinated by the dinosaur that boards in Port Peril, often sneaking down to the upper cargo where Tulip lives.
We can't go without mentioning the additions to the ship from Port Peril. First Aerys Mavato, a dark-haired half elf, has kept primarily to her berth after getting into a knock down drag out fight with a crew member immediately after boarding. Secondly, Zaine Kildare and his companion Tulip. Although the gunslinger keeps to himself mostly, he and Tulip are regulars on the ship's deck daily as the human-sized tyrannosaurus rex takes her daily constitution.
Finally, just days ago, a scruffy Tian man his face aged beyond his years came aboard. Ishirou's quiet demenor keeps him from interacting, but doesn't seem as intentional as Mavato's isolation.
... yet
Your head muddled, as if you just came off a six day bender, the first thing you feel is the baking heat of direct sun beating down on skin and salt-stiff clothing. As your head starts to clear you hear a worried chirping.
As you blink away the heat glaze of the sun beating down you see Tulip standing guard, chirping to get your attention. Part of her attention seems to keep going to the edge of the surf just feet from your boots.
Once you are able to pull yourself up a bit, you see a number of bodies on the beach. And a distressingly small pile of things tossed higher up from the tideline.
Áine (pronounced AWN-ye) boarded in the Shackles. Initially hooded with a cloak and cowl, once at sea she gratefully cast off the garment revealing brilliant topaz blue eyes and platinum blond hair that fairly glistens in direct sunlight, almost as if pleated with polished white gold.
She seems amiable enough and spends much of her time above boards, helping out where she can and socializing pleasantly with crew and passengers alike. After a few days, it may become noticeable that her skin remains noticeably paler then it should with the amount of time she remains under the hot sun and she is fairly adept around the ship.
Sense Motive
Zaine is dressed like a career mercenary, with travel-stained clothes and old studded leather armor that's obviously seen more than one battle. His hat might be the most distinctive thing, a black tricorn in the Shackles fashion, decorated with one of the feathers from his t-rex. He habitually carries a musket over his shoulder, and spends some of his time on deck cleaning and maintaining the weapon.
And, of course, there's Tulip. Zaine talks to her apparently out of habit, though it's disconcerting when the creature replies with its oddly birdlike vocabulary.
By the second day or so, Zaine would have him and Sasha on nodding terms.
Zaine blinks, staring up at the t-rex. "Good morning to you too," he says. "Hope your head isn't pounding as much as mine."
Zaine sits up on his elbows and peers around. Then, a moment of blind panic as he checks for his musket and ammunition. "Y'know, that's the first thing they tell you, Tulip. Don't go swimming with gunpowder. Of course, wasn't my idea, was it?"
He pulls off his boots and dumps the water out. Then, disappointed, he peers into one of them. "Hoping there'd be a fish in there."
Zaine then gets unsteadily to his feet, checking around for other survivors, in particular the place Tulip was watching.
Sasha's nod is normally accompanied by a smile. ...Although not as bright as the one he sees when Tulip is with him. By about the third day even the mostly task focused gunslinger notices she is missing her left pinky finger.
Each day she gets a little closer to Tulip during the deck constitutionals,
still at a respectful distance, but seeming to try to let the dinosaur get used to her presence.
The blind panic may get a bit worse when Zaine realized neither his gear bag nor musket are on his person. But he does notice a familiar strap sticking out of a bundle of water-resistant tarpaulin - and his gear is in there - damp on the edges but dry inside.
Although Zaine and Tulip were alone on their section of the beach, most of the bodies are grouped, as if someone tossed a load onto the shore. In the nearest group are Áine (fair-haired tattooed girl who remained remarkably pale during the sea voyage) and the halfling Gelik. Further down the beach is the red-haired Sasha, the middle-aged Ishirou, and the half-elf from Cheliax, Arcadia Thorne.
On the other side of the beach is Faith Dagger, Aerys (of the beating up crew members fame), and an old man with dark skin, mostly grey hair whose wrists and ankles are shackled.
Thus far everyone else on the beach lies unconscious. A loud hiss from Tulip draws your attention back to the surf line, slowly gaining ground on the bodies.
"All right, all right," Zaine says to Tulip, while trudging down to the surfline and beginning to drag bodies up the shore. "I'm going to pretend that you want me to save these people rather than stock up on dinosaur feed."
Her voice drops back into a lower, more soothing tone. "It took me a good two years to get this close to the beasties at the citadel." She looks at Zaine with a shrug, "But the Keeper didn't approve of me trying to make friends."
"Where did you find her?" The question comes with a quick look away from Tulip.
As Zaine starts to move people away from the water - a slow laborious process as the world keeps changing its axis - most of the people are dead weight, but three of the women seem to be closer to consciousness that the rest: Áine, Arcadia, and Sasha. Of the unconscious, Aeryn and the shackled man look particularly bad. Aeryn has a green cast to her pale skin and the dark-skinned man has an ashy undertone.
All while Zaine works, Tulip patrols between him and the surf.
Arcadia stirs on the beach, eyelids heavy as she struggles into an upright position. She presses her palms to her eyes, groaning loudly.
"Lemongrass." She mutters to herself.
The half-elf scrambles to her feet, stumbling and squeezing her eyes shut. When her gaze passes over survivors who are up and moving, she staggers in their direction.
"Hey, guys?" She calls out, gesturing to the waves. "There are worryingly large lobsters crawling around in there, and I'm not hungry enough to enjoy it."
"Is there a cleric in the house?" Zaine asks as he pulls the wounded up the beach.
Perception
"Lobsters!" Zaine brightens, turning to Tulip. "That's what you spotted, wasn't it, girl?" Zaine holds his head. "Ow. All right, let me get my gun. I guess I'm shooting lobsters today."
Zaine heads over to where he saw the stuff sticking out of the tarp.
Áine rolls over and sits up, trying to keep a groan contained to herself, but not quite succeeding. She blinks at the others, then at the surf. A frown creases her brow at the others words.
She moves to find her weapons, then turns to cover those who may not be able to defend themselves...and maybe pick up some much needed survival food.
"Guys? Any of you know why we've been dumped here?"
"Guys? Any of you know why we've been dumped here?"
"This is where the boat crashed?" Zaine ventures.
"Do you remember that?" Áine frowns. "I don't know what's going on." She point towards marks on the ground. "It looks to me like you and DinoPeep bere got dropped off first over there. Then evestone else. Probably 4 seperate trips with the same boat...then there's the fact that our stuff is pretty neatly stacked here." she shrugs, "Looks to me like someone wanted us off the boat. Anyone have any idea why?"
Áine looks farther out, shading her eyes with her hand. She frowns again, "Could be wrong. There's the wreck of a ship. Maybe a mile out. But who brought us here and where are they? And who left there blood smeared on our gear?" She shakes her head, "Too many questions, not enough answers."
"Her name's Tulip," Zaine says, miffed. "You don't hear her calling you... Miss... Tattoo... Blonde... Lady... Person." He pats Tulip's jaw affectionately, then returns to getting his stuff. He speaks softly to the dinosaur, "Don't worry, girl, next time I'll come up with the end of the sentence before I start talking. Like the old Irrsani woman told me."
"She also has procompsongnathi but unless someone tries to sleep near a den those are pretty harmless. And a number of vipers. Plus the jaguars know she'll release prey animals near the more obvious paths." Sasha shrugs, "If it can survive in a jungle and has a chance of killing someone it's welcome live on the ground floor."
"Where did you find her egg?"
The conversation seems to be enough to bring Sasha around, although as soon as she manages to sit up, she leans forward to put her head between her knees, body shaking with dry heaves. After a bit, she looks around, licking her salt-chapped lips, "I am relatively certain this isn't Eleder. Doesn't smell like whale blubber."
Meanwhile, just as Zaine recovers the musket from the protective tarpaulin, you spot a dog sized lobster break free of the top of a wave, the armored creature headed straight for the shackled man (who happens to be the closest to the waterline).
"My apologies Tulip." Áine turns to the dinosaur appearing quite serious, "We were not formally introduced. My name is Áine. Good to make your acquaintance and thank you for not snacking on us while we were unconscious. Would you like to have some lobster for dinner?" She smiles, shouldering her quivers, knocking an arrow and taking some steps towards the surf, but still keeping a good 10' or so between herself and the edge of the break.
"Eurypterid" Áine mutters to herself, then a little louder, "poisonous, but quite tasty...and if we're going to be shipwrecked here, not a bad way to start out."
Áine looses an arrow at the lobster, intent on distracting it before it can harm the bound man.
"Oh son of a--" Zaine mutters as he pulls the musket from the tarp. He quickly pulls back the hammer and sights down the barrel. "Uh... sorry about this, everybody."
There's a crack and the puff of brimstone as he shoots at the lobster.
"Tulip, can you get that guy for us? Uh... fetch, girl! Get the guy!"
Arcadia pulls her hat away from her head, dumping seaweed out onto the sand, and pulling it from her hair. How she kept the hat on and acquired seaweed underneath it is anyone's guess. She pats her pockets down, then glances at the wreck and curses.
"My lab!"
"Looks like a nice buffet for your Tulip," she says to Zaine as she strolls up, swinging her cane. At Áine's comment, she brightens. "And a shiny new poison to experiment with for me!" She pulls a sword from her cane in a smooth, practiced motion, and advances, still a little wobbly, towards the nearest eurypterid.
Áine's arrow hits the creeping eurypterid but, her pull weakened by whatever is in her system, the arrow is deflected by the creature's hard carapace. However, Zaine's loud shot does blast the creature to pieces before it reaches the unconscious man. Tulip quickly retrieves the largest hunk and brings it back to Zaine, looking expectant.
And good thing, as the next wave emboldens two more of the creatures to scuttle up the beach towards the dino sn... unconscious people.
Arcadia manages to head them off on their direct route... but her sword strike is also thwarted by the surprisingly sturdy shell.
Sasha pushes herself to her feet, swaying, hands going to her hips, hissing when she only finds a smaller scabbard with her right hand. "Vernai's spit." But she draws the kukri, tossing it from right to left before running... drunkenly staggering towards the creatures.
"The guy, not the lobster!" Zaine says to the dinosaur. "Never mind, go eat the lobsters, girl! Eat 'em quick!"
Tulip tips her head back and swallows the piece of lobster before running back into the surf attempting to get more.
Although internally Áine finds the dinosaurs antics funny, she does not yet feel up to smiling. Instead, she concentrates firmly on her targets and keeping the beaches swaying to a manageable range.
Áine moves between the closest lobster and it's prey, selecting from one of the arrows in her left hand and shooting in one well practiced, smooth motion.
She looks at Zaine fully, head cocking to one side just a bit, "Are you going to the Expanse so she can see where she probably came from? Or do you have other business in Eleder?" A pause, "Unless you can't talk about you business, I understand that." A bright smile.
The first night out of Port Peril, you hear something stumble against the wall of the passageway outside of the passenger berths.
Áine investigates, silently rising, drawing her knife, then softly cracking the door (then opening it further as necessary) to see what is amiss.
Her smile returns as Zaine draws her attention to Tulip, "Mother sent me out to deliver a message and some gear to people in Eleder." A snort, "And then work with them to advance the cause." A bitter edge cuts through the words.
"Escaping to jungle to see more like her," the back of her hand rises towards Tulip although she stops well short of dinosaur, "that sounds far better." She smiles without teeth, "Even if they aren't as gorgeous as you."
He frowns at the next. "What's the cause?"
He frowns at the next. "What's the cause?"
Her shoulders stiffen under the light metal chain and she rolls her eyes as she loses the smile. "An insane religous group. Divinely inspired to obey orders handed down from those higher up."
"Nutjobs, but Mother is a true believer."
Sasha shifts to look at Tulip, breathing, noticibly willinging the stiffness out of her body. "But I'll be free of it, one way or other after Eleder. So no pity for me either."
Áine moves between the closest lobster and the manacled man, selecting from one of the arrows in her left hand and shooting in one well practiced, smooth motion. This time the arrow sinks past the armored shell and bisects something important because the creatures halts immediately.
Cursing under his breath, Zaine retrieves his powderhorn and some shot from the tarp and begins the arduous process of reloading. Meanwhile, Tulip tips her head back and swallows the piece of lobster before running back into the surf attempting to get more. She bites at the still active lobster, but her attention might have been focused on the arrow skewered one as her sharp teeth only add a scar to the creature carapiece.
Sasha runs over towards the last vicious sea creature, taking a bit of a curve around Tulip, and with lethal precision sinks her kukri between the creature's head and thorax, twisting the weapon with a loud crack of the shell.
No more of the creatures break free of the waves, although you see more shadows in the deeper surf.
Sasha offers the creature to Tulip. Tulip pulls back a bit and looks at Zaine.
Zaine sighs and gives a go ahead, it's not like I can stop you gesture.
He slings the musket over his shoulder, then busies himself pulling the still unconscious people up the shore to a safer spot. When that's finished, he gets the rest of this things from the tarp, and pulls his boots back on.
"Every time I think this is the last fight I'll ever have barefoot," he mutters.
Then he checks his equipment and puts it on, including his armor, some studded leather that has obviously seen better days and smells rather strongly of dinosaur. Then he calls Tulip over and puts her barding on, which matches Zaine's. It's either cute, horrifying, or something in between depending.
Once that's all done, Zaine says, "I imagine there are better outdoorsmen than me here, but I know my way around a fire. I'll go ahead and build one of those while the rest of you tend to the wounded." He then goes about gathering wood, hollowing a little firepit somewhere out of the direct wind, making a little teepee with the kindling, and getting it started with some flint and steel.
He pauses partway through. "Oh, right. I'm Zaine Kildare." He pats the side of the t-rex that's been following him around like a mostly loyal hound. "And this is Tulip. Don't worry, she doesn't bite her friends."
Carefully and quietly opening the door to the passageway, Áine sees a shadowed figure moving against the wall towards the exit to the deck of the ship. The steps are more of a continuous forward fall than purposeful walking.
Áine follows them out. She assumes likely that someone is not feeling well, but wants to get a clearer picture before acting.
Áine nods to Zaine and Tulip, then struggles a bit with the weight of the eurypterid, the sand and her less then perfect condition, however, she manages to wash it in the surf, carry it back to shore and sets about milking the poison glands.
Once she feels she has everything she can get from the 3 eurypterid's she casts about in the nearby greenery and stack of supplies and gear for what might be available in the manner of herbs or a butter alternative to create a tasty eurypterid dish.
"If you don't mind?" she asks, immediately making use of Zaine's fire without actually waiting for an answer. "You know, you're really pretty good at the fire making thing. You sure you're not selling yourself short on the survival bit?" she continues to busy herself with her meal preparation, finding whatever might substitute as a pot and cooking utensils and later plates, bowls or even just a long flat board that can be cleaned quickly as a platter.
When she's done, she stands back, hands on hips looking at her creation critically for an instant before snorting softly with a little head toss. "Guess that's going to have to do considering the conditions." she smiles in an almost self deprecating, apologetic fashion and waves to the others. "Alrighty. Supper's ready. Don't let it get cold now."
Only then, as she looks around, does she remember that others were probably in far worse shape then she and lowers her head with a sigh and a smack to the forehead, before looking around to see who might be in need of assistance.
Arcadia slides her sword back into its cane sheath. As Tulip makes meals of the lobsters, she puts a finger up. "Might I be able to borrow some lobster from someone before it's all eaten? It might have something I can use."
Bag secured and everything seeming to be in its place, she looks forlornly at the wreckage and the beach. Then she shakes her head and turns back to helping making sure no one on the beach is in dire need of medical assistance.
"Gotta say, if ever I were going to be shipwrecked on a strange shore, this is the kind of group I'd hope to see when I woke up." She says with forced cheer. "So, ah... anyone know a reason why someone on the crew might want to poison us all?"
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"Don't buy the tenants and really had a problem with being told to do things that I felt weren't right. This," motioning to the ship, the voyage, "was a way for me to be gone and her to save face."
Shakes her head, "Not important." A curious look, "As a mercenary you don't have to follow the commands of the person who hired you?"
The midday sun beats down on the beach, as waves lap the high water mark of the sand. You are able to use the tarpaulin wrapped around the meager gear on the beach to create a shaded area just large enough to provide relief from the burning sun... if you don't mind the close quarters. There are some groans from the unconscious as they are dragged up cove to be a safer distance from the crashing waves.
"So, ah... anyone know a reason why someone on the crew might want to poison us all?"
The red-headed woman, after cheerfully keeping her fingers away from Tulip's meal, scans the horizon, seeing the same wreck that Áine pointed out further. "Whatever their reason, it doesn't look like they got very far after."
She moves up to the start of the camp, looking through the small amount of gear that you have for your survival. Finished and just as empty handed, she hisses under her breath, "Vernai's t*@~."
The shackled man groans, shifts. A moan as he opens his eyes, wincing at the bright light. His husky voice is ragged, "What happened?"
The shackled man groans, shifts. A moan as he opens his eyes, wincing at the bright light. His husky voice is ragged, "What happened?"
"I really thought he'd know," mutters Zaine.
"Gotta say, if ever I were going to be shipwrecked on a strange shore, this is the kind of group I'd hope to see when I woke up." She says with forced cheer. "So, ah... anyone know a reason why someone on the crew might want to poison us all?"
"No idea. I mean, the bird and me are unpopular in places, but not 'poison a bunch of strangers and stage a shipwreck' unpopular." He pauses, thinking it over. "Yeah, pretty sure it's not me. Specifically."
"Uh, Arcadia was it? I Think you were the most interested in this." Aine hands over the eurypterid poison to the half-elf woman.
She moves up to the start of the camp, looking through the small amount of gear that you have for your survival. Finished and just as empty handed, she hisses under her breath, "Vernai's t%!#."
The oath catches Áine's attention. " Did they take something important?" she asks, "or is it something else."
The shackled man groans, shifts. A moan as he opens his eyes, wincing at the bright light. His husky voice is ragged, "What happened?"
Áine would laugh...if she were feeling up to it. Instead, she grimace slightly. "We were really hoping you could shed some light on the subject. No such luck, huh?"
She offers a hand to Zaine, calloused and missing the pinky finger, "Sasha Nevah." A bright smile, "I'm very pleased to make both of your acquaintances."
The oath catches Áine's attention. "Did they take something important?" she asks, "or is it something else."
Sasha shakes her head, kicking at the sand, "Just the rapier I've been using." Shrugs, "Part of sleeping with your armor and weapons is that doesn't happen." A deep breath, "I have the kukri, so I'm not useless."
"I didn't go through any of the bags, but there are no waterskins." She looks at the wreck at the edge of the breaks.
"I really thought he'd know," mutters Zaine.
Áine would laugh...if she were feeling up to it. Instead, she grimace slightly. "We were really hoping you could shed some light on the subject. No such luck, huh?"
A low chuckle from the shackled man, "I've been in solitary since they dragged me out of bed six months ago. I only know I was headed to Eleder because the Magistrate saw fit to tell me I was being extradited."
"For crimes which I never committed." He says this with the bleak certainty that no one will believe him.
A deep breath, voice rumbling, "I was trained as a healer before I worked as a scribe."
A deep breath, voice rumbling, "I was trained as a healer before I worked as a scribe."
"I say we let him out. Can anybody pick a lock?" Zaine asks the assemblage.
This time Áine does manage a chuckle, "Maybe, maybe not. We'll give it a try anyway, ey?"
She pulls out Shine thin Tools from her vambraces and begins probing the manacles locking mechanisms.
Once the figure stumbles its way to the deck entrance, you see a slender female form outlined in the starlight. A pause as she slips something from her pocket and brings it to her lips after a moment. A moment of effort and she pushes away from the security of the wall to move forward in her fall until she reaches the rail. The few night crew on deck give wide berth.
Áine comes up to the rail alongside her, but just out of arms reach. She takes a swig from her water skin, "you know I've been told it's dangerous to drink alone on deck at night. What might ye be having?"
She pulls out Shine thin Tools from her vambraces and begins probing the manacles locking mechanisms.
Her attempt failing, Áine sniffs and glares at the manacle in annoyance. She then settles down to a more dedicated method, but it to fails.
Jask lined face softens with a sympathetic smile. "Thank you for trying." A little louder, "Failing that, if you'll help me, I can at least check if anyone is in imminent danger."
Zaine gives the man a hand up. "Name's Zaine. What do we call you?"
"Jask." He gently squeezes Zaine's hand in greeting. "Jask Derindi." Once fully standing, he pushes his graying hair out of his face and leans over the first of the unconscious, carefully squatting, his balance off by the weight of his bound wrists.
With some difficulty, Jask checks pupils and does a professional survey of each of the unconscious. Once he's finished he regains his feet after a false start. "If we have the water to spare, it'd be good to hydrate them, but none of them are having breathing problems so they should wake once the," he looks between the dashing half-elf and the gunslinger, "poison," the word is not as certain as Arcardia's but not disbelieving, "works out of their system."
He motions at the reedy Tian sailor, "Except for him, whatever happened he has a lump on his temple as well as the aftereffects of the poison. The skin isn't broken, and the skull feels solid beneath but it will take him longer to come around without magical healing."
"Contemplating a sea of troubles." The woman's voice is contralto, "And you should only not drink on deck if you can't handle your liquor."
"And what is it that troubles ye at sea?" Áine asks with a grin looking farther out around them, "it seems calm enough and the ship seems worthy, so I would assume it's not to do with the craft itself then. Anything you'd like to get off your chest?" She turns to face the woman directly, "Oh, I'm Áine, by the way. What should I call you?"
Áine attempts to help Jask where she can once she sees what he is doing. Taking directions with alacrity and helping Jask to rise between patients. She passes around her waterskin, then takes it and checks to see if there's any nearby water sources.
"Going to go look for water. Please eat the lobster. It's getting cold." she says over her shoulder as she departs. "By the way. Think there's any chance we can get out to that wreck and see what's left?" She will also bring back some dead wood for the fire unless there is plentiful dry driftwood higher up on the beach.
Áine stops long enough to think for a second and add, "If we do, we're going to have to be careful. This area is known for wicked riptides." she turns back mumbling to herself as she departs.
The introduction seems to throw the woman, her own free hand is offered with some hesitation, "Aerys."
Áine attempts to help Jask where she can
Once this becomes apparent, Jask rips off strips of his noticably thread-bare shirt showing the dark haired girl a good method for hydrating the unconscious but he has no objections if she uses another, as long as the task gets done.
"Going to go look for water. Please eat the lobster. It's getting cold."
Jask's forehead furrows as he double checks the sailor's head wound. Uncomfortably, after he hears no other objections, "Maybe a buddy system?" He smiles, "I'm sure you are good at your craft but anyone can fall prey to unstable ground or a spider bite. Alone you'd have to wait until we thought to send someone to look for you."
"I'd prefer fewer patients."
"By the way. Think there's any chance we can get out to that wreck and see what's left?"
Sasha, who had been eyeing the wreck, shrugs. "Tide has just turned." She points out rocks barely visible above the surf along the western edge of the cove, "Might be able to walk out and back at low tide, which would be good for avoiding riptides all together."
Jask's forehead furrows as he double checks the sailor's head wound. Uncomfortably, after he hears no other objections, "Maybe a buddy system?" He smiles, "I'm sure you are good at your craft but anyone can fall prey to unstable ground or a spider bite. Alone you'd have to wait until we thought to send someone to look for you."
"Fortunately, I brought my own buddy," Zaine says, jerking a thumb at Tulip. The t-rex hoots in possible agreement. Or maybe she wants more lobsters.
Sasha, who had been eyeing the wreck, shrugs. "Tide has just turned." She points out rocks barely visible above the surf along the western edge of the cove, "Might be able to walk out and back at low tide, which would be good for avoiding riptides all together."
Zaine hefts his musket. "I'll admit, I didn't relish the idea of swimming anywhere and dunking my reserves of powder in the river after they miraculously survived the trip here. But now that it's walkable, I'm happy to go." He pats Tulip's flank and the two of them will join any party out to the boat.
He squints into the sky. "Well, that's not good," he says.
"Uh, Arcadia was it? I Think you were the most interested in this." Aine hands over the eurypterid poison to the half-elf woman.
"Ah, perfect! My thanks." She slips the vial into the bandolier she's strapped around her chest.
As Jask gets up and around, Arcadia watches him with a casual, but close, interest. She takes a bite of the prepared lobster and grins broadly. "This is delicious! Seasoned with a little bit of 'we showed you who the prey is around here, didn't we?'." She bows her head politely at Áine. "When we're in a safer place, you'll have to show me some tricks. I'm afraid I've never been stellar with a skillet."
"If we have the water to spare, it'd be good to hydrate them, but none of them are having breathing problems so they should wake once the," he looks between the dashing half-elf and the gunslinger, "poison," the word is not as certain as Arcardia's but not disbelieving, "works out of their system."
"How are you feeling? It must have been an extra difficulty... shackled on top of shipwrecked." She smiles.
He squints into the sky. "Well, that's not good," he says.
Arcadia squints, following Zaine's gaze to the east. "Hopefully that pretty gal of yours is still hungry."
She joins the salvage party on their trip to the boat.
"Sea of trouble," the woman corrects, annoyed or frustrated, "not that there is trouble immediately for our insignificant ship."
The introduction seems to throw the woman, her own free hand is offered with some hesitation, "Aerys."
"Aerys." Áine repeats with a nod and a firm grasp, making sure she has the pronunciation down. "Not immediately you say, so what's coming a little farther out then?" and after a pause she offers a strip "a little salted jerky with your libations?"
Arcadia squints, following Zaine's gaze to the east. "Hopefully that pretty gal of yours is still hungry."
"She is still growing," Zaine says dubiously.
"Fortunately, I brought my own buddy,"
"A buddy system would be a great idea. At least for me." Áine says with a self-deprecating smile. "Thank you, Jask."
She joins the salvage party on their trip to the boat.
Áine would also like to join the salvage party. She looks at the remaining castaways with a critical eye. "Does anyone else want to join us out to the Jenivere?" Do the rest of you feel up to defending yourselves, should it become necessary?"
"When we're in a safer place, you'll have to show me some tricks.
"Be happy to." Áine grins.
"She is still growing," Zaine says dubiously.
"How old is she?" Áine asks, looking over the t-rex with an appreciative eye.
"I'll admit, I didn't relish the idea of swimming anywhere and dunking my reserves of powder in the river after they miraculously survived the trip here.
"I have a water resistant bag I can loan you for the trip to the Jenivere, if you think that would help." Áine offers.