Serpent's Skull I, Smuggler's Shiv

[lostsole31]

As soon as Ankarum speaks loudly on his last word ... "...MAN!" ... native voices are heard. And now, Ankarum can see the glow of a torch having just been lit.

It was the new moon not quite a week ago. It isn't even a full 1st-quarter moon. What does Ankarum do?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum grabs his shield and stands.
"Who goes there?!" ​he demands in common.

[lostsole31]

Four dark-skinned men move into what passes for view (40') and one is carrying a torch. They all have bows, but one of them has his relaxed in one hand as the other holds a torch. They draw a bead on you as soon as they see you. One of them starts shouting at you in the Mwangi tribal language.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum (with Bob now on shoulder) bolts past the guy with torch and out into the Savannah. (Run or double move)

[lostsole31]

R1T25: As soon as Ankarum has it in mind to run, the lead man fires his bow and misses.

R1T18: The next guy shoots, but this time crits Ankarum in his right hand for 20.

R1T15: The third likewise crits Ankarum, but in his left foot for 25!

R1T12: Even the last guy with the torch drops the torch and shoots (and misses).

R1T5: Ankarum, do you still try to escape by running right past the men (effectively through their line)?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum retrieves a potion of invisibility and drinks it.

[lostsole31]

R1T5: Ankarum retrieves a potion of invisibility and drinks it.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25-12: Out of impulse the four men shoot at where Ankarum was standing. As expected, all four arrows miss.

R2T5: Ankarum?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum hurriedly grabs his gear (he is going to learn that there is a better timing to using this invisibility potion eventually) and flees into the darkness, visible pack and trident floating with him as he runs.

[lostsole31]

He's got a heavy steel shield in one hand, and can hold nothing else. He can pick up a single item for the one round. Does he pick up the trident ... the pack ... or his bedroll?

[Blackhawk101]

Choosing quickly, Ankarum grabs his pack and leaves the rest.

[lostsole31]

Ankarum, what is your intention?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum hopes to lead the villagers on a merry chase, avoid getting shot any further, and circle back to recover the rest of his gear and leave the area to find another campsite further from the village. If he can settle for the remainder of the night, he will tend his wounds using his medical knowledge.

[lostsole31]

You will easily outpace the tribals, but they don't stray too far from where they found you ... it's obvious to them from the outside you are too fast for them. And even blood trail on the savannah ground is too slow by torchlight. No, by the time you make it back to where you camped, the remainder of your things are gone, but at least they are as well.

Something else is missing. Or, semi-more to the point, someone.

You don't see Bob, and even calling his name quietly doesn't bring him to you.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will sulk in his new campsite and grumble as he wraps his wounds.

Spoiler: cue the rain

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"Go ahead Tempest, you know you want to."

He drinks a potion of cure light and tries to sleep after setting up some quick trip wire noise makers.

[lostsole31]

Noisemakers ... yeah. Other than the grass itself, you're not going to find a lot. Worse, it's dark, you're tired, and sporting significant wounds. Rummaging around you're not going to find much.

[Blackhawk101]

"Bloody ashes!"
Ankarum will do what he can with what is available and make a cold camp. Tomorrow he will return to his old campsite to look for Bob at first light.

[lostsole31]

Bloodied man all along on a great savannah. Ankarum, roll percentile to see if you're bothered any more throughout the remainder of the night ...

[Blackhawk101]

Spoiler: roll the bones

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(1d100)[62] for random encounters during the night

[lostsole31]

[Per FACECON] All Ankarum managed to bring with him, after final tally, is as follows: masterwork spiked shield, kukri, quiver (w/ all stowed quiver items, including bow), gozren fetish, Thrunefang red pearl amulet, and a dagger.

Even if things weren't listed as "backpack" they aren't on the man simply because there is no way he would (or could in many cases) have them on him while he slept. This includes: belt pouch with the 10+ pounds of coins and some gems; extra dagger; potions (rolling around on the ground on top of glass vials would be uncomfy and they might break, though I do allow for the one that he had on hand to go invisible); the group marked "alchemical items."

Ankarum will wake up the next day at late-morning and having healed a whopping 5 hit points. What will he do for ranger spells with his morning prayers to Gozreh?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum prays to Gozer ...I mean Gozreh for a means to ward his camp from intruders (alarm) and keen senses (keen senses). After prayer and gathering his belongings, he heads back to where his previous camp was to search for Bob and his gear.
[spoiler=everything is gone]
you said before that I the camp is empty
/[spoiler]
Finding the camp deserted, Ankarum picks up the nocturnal assailant's trail and follows it, sheid and javelin out.

[lostsole31]

Ankarum, just so you know, you slept longer than you had intended. You woke at 0800 and after your preps you set out at 0900. Do you move at half-speed, normal speed, or at a hustle in trying to track the tribesmen?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will travel at normal speed tracking the tribesmen. If the trail is good, he will accelerate to hustle; if bad 1/2 speed.

[lostsole31]

You pick up the trail and move faster than normal (normal speed) and the trail is fine ... they're humans and in some ways predictable, after all. You pick up to a hustle and then find a spot where it seems like several similar groups came together near a funny tree that is incredibly "fat" and has similar fat branches and is entirely bizarre, almost as if it an upside-down tree.

Spoiler: Baobab Tree

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They couldn't have been there more than a few hours, and then these similarly-sized groups depart ...

... in four. different. directions.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum searches around for any sign of Bob and calling for him. If no sign of the monkey, he will follow the group that burdened more, if he can tell.

[lostsole31]

Meanwhile, in the early morning, the vanguard continues upriver (to the NE) from the Lake of Vanishing Armies. Because some of the threats have been bordering on the supernatural lately, the CO and The Tempest go over mental resistance techniques for all except Lalarlia (who has an early watch and a religious vigil). Otherwise, nothing occurs today beyond excellent travel time.

Spoiler

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The downside is that we need to finish out a day for Ankarum so the timeline doesn't go askew between Ankarum and the main group. Thanks for your patience, Bill.

---

Ankarum, it is too hard to tell which group might best serve you. Surely Bob has dropped scat on the trail (though you even noticed getting to this point, which helped), but you fail to see it to help you get a clue on which group has Bob.

The groups headed in the following directions:
Due north, into the deep savannah.

Upriver, to the NE. This happens to be the same direction you were going (and that of the vanguard).
Downriver, to the SW. This heads back towards Kalabuto.
To the NW, also into the main savannah.

Basically, you have an even chance of following the right group (25%). This includes, from your Survival/tracking roll any "special information" you might have otherwise plied me for. Either you can narrow it down on your own or it's luck of the draw.

Which do you follow, and at what pace?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will follow the NE group in the hopes that Gozreh is aiding his decision. He will move at hustle if able. He will divert his path to water when opportunity presents itself, to drink.

[lostsole31]

In time, he will lose the trail, but it appears they were traveling along the river themselves for awhile. From a two-hour-long hustle, Ankarum will take 1 NL, which can only be recovered by way of rest. You are now fatigued.

Spoiler: Fatigue

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-2 to STR and -2 to DEX until rest. Can't run or charge.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will search for the trail , moving slowly until he picks it up again. Once he has it, he will hustle again.

Spoiler: favored enemy

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This track bonus applies to these tribesmen?

[lostsole31]

Another hour of searching, and you are pretty sure you lost the trail. It is now 1400.

Spoiler

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Of course you get your +2 bonus on Survival checks with humans!

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum reaches out with his senses to see if he can contact Tahkeome.