The Savage Tide, Part 2 (IC)

[PSinger]

Spoiler

Show

I was hoping someone would answer sooner. Anyone else out there?

Lazer casts bless.

[MikelaC1]

One round could be to wake everyone up, and folks can get 1 round of actions in.

I was hoping someone would answer sooner. Anyone else out there?

My PC was asleep, and therefore unable to act

[PSinger]

Spoiler

Show

Wow. *facepalm*

If I can retcon, because I never stated what you assumed for me ...

Lazer wakes everyone up quietly, "Terror birds in the jungle. Probably smelled the carrion. Ready yourselves."

He then casts bless.

[MikelaC1]

Always mindful of protecting her own skin at all costs, Eshalyn's first action is to cast Mage Armour on herself, in preparation for what should be an upcoming battle.

[lostsole31]

(Everyone has enough time to stand as a MA.)

Amella casts invisibility on herself and disappears from view.

One notes that Avner isn't present, until there is a hollow-to-clothing thunking sound. His body pops out of his strange jade-green breastplate as if he could hide in there like a turtle.

Skald readies his deep slumber SLA.

Tom picks up Winterspear.

Shouting Tree stands and says, "Let me try to calm them or to at least direct them to just eat the remains of the big lizard."

Shouting Tree steps forward of the party carefully - there is a fire to see by because it is absolutely necessary to help ward away insects, and most can't see in the dark, anyway. He then begins to sway and move like an odd bird for just a few seconds. Two begin to slowly move out of the jungle line while you can hear one curring behind them.

Does anyone do anything beyond this round, or allow Shouting Tree to try to calm them?

[Swami Monsoon]

"That sounds like a good idea. They must have a month's worth of meat out there... why should they try for more?"

[lostsole31]

"Hyenas prefer fresh rabbits, but are scavengers," answers Amella. "Probably something similar."

Skald an expert of jungle lore, moves slowly along with Shouting Tree to assist him (both have a respectable +9). Only with the fey rangers great help does Shouting Tree shoo off the terror birds to the huge carcass, which the birds begin to munch on hungrily.

[TickleMeTemplar]

When Skald returns to the group he says in a hushed tone, "Best we move on before they finish with that thing. We've chanced our luck enough on this coast, and I won't trade teeth for beak as my end." He waits for the others, bow and one arrow in hand.

[MikelaC1]

Eshalyn is ready to move out as well...although she thinks to herself that those birds will not finish for a llloooonnnggg time.

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom gathers his gear and gets ready to depart. They've barely gotten off the beach and have already encountered a menagerie of giant predators. Who knows what's waiting for them further inland...

[PSinger]

"Stop."

You look at Lazer to see him slowly shaking his head. "Where do you think you're going to go at this dark hour, with everyone exhausted the same day of the shipwreck, the attack from the giant lizard, and the expenditure of daily abilities .... in the dark .... with unknowns? Here, at least on the beach, these monster birds are now thankfully gobbling a good meal while acting as an unwitting guard force a couple hundred feet away. We agreed, emphatically by the jungle-eers, that daytime is the only safe time to travel. No, we stay here tonight. Sleep. Sleep as you need to recover, but we have an encampment that alone was fatiguing to build."

[lostsole31]

Since Lazer's word carries for the crew, and Avner and his passengers have no desire to leave the comfort of the fire and light for aimless trekking trough dark jungle, the lesser evil is chosen. Everyone returns to sleep, albeit a little nervously.

The next day, Amella assesses that pushing through the jungle as quickly as possible to get to the mountains to the south will be the party's best bet. Skald can estimate that it is 13 miles away to the closest point due south.

Does anyone suggest anything particular before heading out?

[PSinger]

Lazer simply tries to make sure that as much food as can be carried, portaged, or littered is brought along. He leaves jungle expertise to the jungle experts.

[lostsole31]

Something everyone notices when you are ready to head out, and it's surprising that it wasn't noticed before .... Eshalyn is no longer there. Amella speaks up. "Eshalyn talked with me last night. She said that she has been given her own quest by her patron, one that goes in a different direction on this island than our own. She has asked that we do not attempt to follow. She turned into a small snake and left .... so even if you didn't respect her wishes, she'd be nearly impossible to track."

"How DARE she desert us, that scaly bitch!" shouts Avner. "She's too weak to fight in combat, but she has stolen our best means of blasting enemies from afar."

"That's not true,"Amella. "Skald, your druid powers give you lightning bolts, and your strange, winged heritage seems to give you witch-like powers. Skald is also an archer that brought down that massive monster with an incredible shot. Sure, we all helped, but his bow is as good as any arcane weapon. Tom helps a little as well with his breath, though not as much."

Any comments on what has transpired? What is the best marching order? Avner will be damned if he isn't "protecting" the civilians in the middle. The group (outside of Avner and the civilians) are Lazer, Skald, Tom Underhill, Amella, and Shouting Tree (with Ix-Caban, his jaguar).

[PSinger]

"I always knew, somehow, that Eshalyn's presence in our group was impermanent," says Lazer. "But she felt out of place. Neither truly a crew member, not yet at least. Not a colonist. Just brought together by fate. Her magic was formidable and will be missed, but we cannot dwell on that.

"Skald, you will take point, as expected. Shouting Tree will not do an up-front aid, but will be rear guard with Ix-Caban behind the colonists. Their senses are comparable for anything coming from behind, and he and his jaguar are fast enough to move forward if needed. Then will be the colonists (and Avner). Tom, I need you not too far behind Skald; your powers aid us all within a certain range, and we need you to help him search for danger and to enhance our reflexes. Amella, mix in with the colonists to try to comfort them as you can; I know that's not your bardic specialty, but we have to do what we can. I'll also walk with them to act as a spiritual counselor; it's pointless for me to try to be aerial recon because of the dense jungle canopy."

[Swami Monsoon]

The plan makes sense to Tom. He nods agreement as he takes his place near the head of the group. He looks at the jungle around them uneasily. This is going to be hard enough, and now they're a man... err.. a woman down...

[TickleMeTemplar]

"Aye, I'll take point. Keep eyes on the person ahead of you and one hand on your weapons. It's clear this jungle is home to many large creatures and I suspect they only get larger as we move inland. Don't lose the group or this jungle will eat you alive." Skald adjusts his personal affects and, when satisfied, takes his place at the head of the group.

[lostsole31]

The journey from the beach to the southern mountains is a 13-mile trek through a stretch of jungle inhabited primarily by terror birds and dinosaurs. Fortunately, large game trails crisscross the expanse, making travel a bit easier (3/4 normal speed). The jungle consists of tall trees, flush with brightly colored birds and thick hanging vines. The canopy keeps the region shaded with occasional shafts of light. Terror birds hunt the floor of the jungle with some frequency. So adept is Skald's jungle lore, that the party is able to either conceal themselves from the birds, frighten them off, or simply make them disinterested and walk away.

Roughly halfway through the light jungle, the party comes upon a vast depression in the jungle that stretches nearly 6 miles across and 1 mile wide. A starstone struck the jungle here decades ago and the jungle has never reclaimed the broken ground. Today, the clearing is made up of rough ground, spattered with clumps of tall grasses and the occasional furrow. The crater is home to a herd of enormous dinosaurs known as diplodocuses, towering behemoths with elephantine bodies, long necks, and even longer tails. A dozen of the dinosaurs dwell in the crater, and although they often come to the crater's rim to feast on the plants that grow there, their size makes it a simple matter to avoid them.

What won't be easy to avoid is a young diplodocus who has wandered too far from the herd and been attacked by a flock of six terror birds. The sudden on rush of dinosaur and bird gives the PCs 4 rounds to prepare before the beleaguered diplodocus crashes out of the undergrowth 50 feet from the PCs.

Does anyone take any actions, or are some of you willing to allow the cruel side of nature take its course?

[PSinger]

Lazer looks away. The angel knows there is something monumentally unfair in all of this, but one is responsible for a life they save. They can do nothing for this creature if it survives. And this is the jungle. And there is a law covering this. He remembers that they are merely animals, and that cruelty and malice does not chase the creature, but one natural predator over another prey. If anyone goes to battle, he will gladly join, but he cannot validate what would otherwise be simply battle lust.

[TickleMeTemplar]

Skald glances with a slight interest. He furrows his brow and turns away. He says in low tones to the others around him. "Let's steer the civilians away. Best if they don't know what the birds are capable of. Let nature take its course; the longer they busy themselves with the calf, the more time we have to be clear of them."

[Swami Monsoon]

"Agreed. This is none of our business. No need to start a fight, maybe get some people hurt..."

Nature is not always pretty, but no thinking creatures are at risk. Yet. And trying to intervene might very well change that...

[lostsole31]

"Pah!" Avner says. "Who says what will happen next with those beasts? You could have protected my people better by leading them away and killing them. At least then you could look like heroes to the colonists, instead of cowards. Ha! As you will. Were I of your responsibility, the jungle would fear me. We took out a great beast. Don't creatures know a .... what's the word? Alpha .... and you are the top of the food chain. But you skulk about, and use the protection of my people as a shield for your own spinelessness. But, sure, my focus is on protecting my charges .... who look to you brave adventurers for morale support."

[PSinger]

Eliezer desperately wants to call him out on his braggadocio, but knows that he would just be playing into Avner's little ego-game. No need to start conflict, an argument, and attracting monsters. Not that offering up Avner as bait wouldn't be tempting. Eliezer is a little taken aback by the last sentiment, but remembers that while he is now fully and apparently what his heritage was meant to be, he was still raised as a mortal with some of the petty, but wisely hidden, sentiments that can tempt a dwarf.

He simply turns to Skald and nods as if to have him lead the way.

[TickleMeTemplar]

Skald rolls his eyes at Avner, "Go be a hero then. You and your horse will make a fine, meaty distraction while we press on." With that, Skald begins to strike out again, steering the walking buffet away from the large birds of prey.

[lostsole31]

Toward the end of the first day of travel, the jungle begins to thin. Eventually, it opens up to reveal an area littered with ancient stone ruins. The mountains directly to the south are not particularly tall. Skald sees the lower area of the wall of mountains. His entire life has been spent on the water or in the jungle, or in the many towns in-between. Sea level is his friend, but now looking at a range of mountains that will have to be traversed, who knows what is going through his mind. Skald is able to tell, though, that the best means of finding a pass will be through the low-lying mountains.

Lazer, you have seen ruins like these before when you were marooned and in the ruins on Tamochtli where fell (or rather, stood in stone) so many past companions. These are Olman ruins, dating back to the time of their great empire on the isle long ago. Over the centuries, this small outpost has fallen into disrepair and decay, the jungle slowly overwhelming its crumbling walls.

These ruins are infested with spiders, although those of the monstrous variety seem to avoid the large group and skitter off into dark holes when you draw near. Spider webs caress the ruins, hanging between old walls and carpeting the floor. In a clearing in the center of the ruins resides a throne made of webs and bone.

Does anyone approach the throne?

[PSinger]

Lazer will have Shouting Tree stay back to help protect the civilians (because he doesn't trust Avner to be as brave as his mouth would suggest). He motions to Skald, Tom, and Amella to come with him to check out this throne. "It's pointless to be stealthy since we are out in the open, but keep a weather eye."

He invokes his holy aura, which by now Tom understands suppresses all of his magic within the bubble (but can be cast to affect outside that bubble, or even across that bubble with a suppression interrupt as an effect "crosses" through).

[lostsole31]

Anything special for Tom or Skald? I'm sure Tom's standard default of the perception aura is running. Skald, you are no longer in jungle, per se, but in concentrated ruins; this means that all of your jungle bonuses no longer apply.

[lostsole31]

As Skald, Tom, Lazer, and Amella approach, they can make out the form of an old woman sitting on the throne, looking in their direction and beckoning them forward. She wears a worn gown of black silk with cobwebs hanging from her bent form. As the party approaches she calls out to them in a language that only Eliezer, blessed with the truespeech of heavenly servants, can understand. Given his first hand experience and his expertise in history, Eliezer recognizes the language as ancient Olman.

Spoiler: Olman

Show

"Who are you that has wandered into my web? You are not from this place. I have not seen your like in an age. I am Lithira, queen of these ruins. What brings you to my domain?"

[PSinger]

Eliezer looks to his companions and repeats what she says in Common. He beckons for the party to approach carefully. He stops 30' away from her, and looks her over, seeking to discern something.

Spoiler

Show

Detect evil.

If things seem okay, he answers in her tongue, "Queen of these ancient Olman ruins, I am Rabbi Eliezer Whuraili Cohen ben Mordechai of Clan Ironoath of Oriadeth, though you may simply refer to me as Rabbi Eliezer. These are my companions; Tom Underhill of the wintry powers, Skald the half-fey, and Amella Venkalie, our storyteller. We, and the group remaining back there, are all that's left of a shipwreck that was meant to restock the colony of Farshore on the south side of this island. If I may, venerable Queen, what languages do you speak, that perhaps some speech may be better understood by my companions?"

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Sylvan, Lazer and Skald only

Show

"After the language of men in my time, I only know this, the language of the fey of First World. At least your fey companion should be able to understand this."

She seems more comfortable now.

Spoiler: Sylvan

Show

"What passes in the world beyond the island? what is it like? Have you any tales to tell me that I may enjoy this first contact?"