Leviathan's Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv

[Mr. Turniphead]

Soundlessly, Adelaide races after the others, jumping to grab the rope, just in time it seems. She risks a glance at the retreating form of the creature.

"Careful!" She calls up the line.

[Leviathan]

The stranded heroes rush for the edge of the Jenivere. The ship's rocking intensifies as the starboard side of its shattered hull is hit by a particularly fierce wave. Salt sprays up across the deck as, with a sickening lurch, the wreck frees itself from the rocks. Severnus, Gideon, and Adelaide grasp the rope, bracing it and pulling themselves up to the clifftop. Jasper nearly slips on the deck as it lists precariously to the side. But Karsis has the young wizard's back; with the pirate's assistance, he makes it up the rope. Karsis himself is the last one up, cutting the tail end of the cord free of the ship.

Looking down from the island's rugged edge, you see the Jenivere's remains, freed from the rocks impaling it against the shoreline, slammed against the rocks once more by the waves. With a thunderous crack, the hull gives way, a massive fissure splitting apart its frame. The pitiless waters of Desperation Bay flood into the broken ship. In a matter of minutes, it's been reduced to little more than drifting planks and a mast jutting up above the waterline. A terrible testament to the legends surrounding Smuggler's Shiv.

You now stand on the coast, sun-dried yellow grasses blowing in the sea breeze and white gulls circling overhead. To the south lies the island's interior, a thicket of dense jungle that rises up perhaps a hundred feet from the cliff's edge. With the most pressing matter of searching the ship finished, you're now faced with your dire situation...

[Blisstake]

"So... what now?" Karsis takes one last glance at the wreckage of the Jenivere. He hadn't boarded on it for very long, but it always sad to see a seaworthy ship make its last voyage.

Their immediate danger was gone, but they still had to think in the long term how they were going to get off of the island. "Guess we'd better make a camp, yeah? See if we can get any fish or game or something. We could probably last a while, but we gotta think how we're getting off this rock."

[Giant Owlbear]

"Karsis is correct." The old soldier wipes sweat from his brow. "We'll need a source of running water first of all. Perhaps our bold explorer would be good enough to find us a stream."

"As for leaving, it's clear from the fate of our ship that there's no sense in building a raft or some such thing. It would never survive the waves. Perhaps a large enough signal could attract a passing vessel. A bonfire." He scowls. "Or they may think us merely savages dancing around a fiery idol and avoid us entirely."

[RocketMan]

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This post is based on the assumption that Gideon relayed all he knew about Smuggler's Shiv. If not, please ignore this!

Jasper breathes deeply as his feet touch the top of the cliff once more, having been hoisted up by Karsis. "You have my thanks," he says, with a trace of embarrassment. "However disappointed your parents might be that you didn't become a doctor, I for one am glad for your nautical skill with ropes," he continues, giving a little bow.

"Food and water are our most pressing concerns. People deprived of them do seem to have the unfortunate tendency of dying." He pauses, looking out to sea. No ships are visible against the clear blue waters. "Severnus is right, I think. If our goal is be rescued, we need a beacon. Mr. Drake, you mentioned a lighthouse? What could be more perfect for our purposes?"

[Mr. Turniphead]

Adelaide takes a moment to catch her breath after their rapid ascent up the rope. While doing so, she listens to the others as they formulate a plan. Digging into her pack, she produces an empty waterskin, and waits patiently for a decision.

"We shouldn't have to worry about water, Abadar provides." She says, finally. Murmuring a soft prayer as clean water begins to fill the container.

"I can do this all day, if needed. As far as food goes, I'm not exactly a hunter, but my crossbow is available for anyone who can use it." She offers a small smile at that, the young cleric finally back to her usual self it seems.

[Winterfell]

Gideon hauls himself up the rope with ease, grinning widely as the whole party manages to clamber up as well. "Nicely done, everyone," he says as they watch the Jenivere shatter on the rocks. "Find anything useful in the hold? We only found out that the Captain was so in love with another passenger, Ieana, that he crashed us on this island on purpose. To help with her research." He shakes his head disbelievingly. "If they made it through the storm, they'll be somewhere nearby."

He nods at the practical direction of the conversation. "Right. We should make camp first - no point wandering the jungle after nightfall." He looks impressed at Jasper's suggestion. "Huh, that's such a good idea I'm surprised I didn't think of it. Now I wished I knew where this lighthouse was, exactly..." he chuckles. "But I guess that gives us somewhere to start in the morning."

[Blisstake]

"Crashed on purpose? Hm... the captain sounds crazy, but he (or at least the dame he was with) wouldn't strand himself here, right?" A glimmer of hope shines in the rogue's eyes as he continues. "Which means they must have a way of getting back. We find them, we find a way off, right?"

[Giant Owlbear]

Severnus nods authoritatively, as though the decision is his to make alone. "Then we make camp and in the morning scour the coast for any sign of this love-stricken captain and his harlot. He is not simply a way off the island but also a murderer of his own men. He'll help with the former and pay for the latter."

[Leviathan]

Everyone

Spoiler

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If you're going to set up camp, I'll need survival checks from everyone who's helping. You can roll any skills you think might be a substitute (e.g. knowledge (engineering)) as well.

[Blisstake]

"Sorry to say it, but I'm out of my element here. Just let me know where you need me, yeah?"

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Karsis doesn't have any naturey skills, and unless someone can think of a use for Profession Sailor, he's probably best off helping set up camp. Take a 10 on survival for aid another. (If I can't for whatever reason, (1d20+1)[10]

[Winterfell]

Gideon is normally in his element in this sort of situation. He must have set up camps hundreds of times, though admittedly it wasn't common for his camp gear to be soggy and wet or entirely non-existent. "We'll need tents, or at least one large enough for all of us. Won't that be fun," he winks dramatically. "A fire-pit too, and we'll need some wood for that. Dry is best, but we're in the tropics and that can be hard to come by, so if we have to we'll put it out in the sun for a few hours first." He continues giving commands as he himself springs into action as well.

Spoiler

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Gideon will take a 10 if possible for 16, but if not:

Surival (1d20+6)[12]

[Giant Owlbear]

Severnus raises a hand to his brow, shading his vision from the sun while he looks around. He decides to make his way down to the beach where the party originally landed to scavenge the remains of the row boat there for anything useable.

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Survival: (1d20+1)[18]

[RocketMan]

Jasper nods at Adelaide. "Useful trick. We might be trapped here for who knows how long, but at least we won't shrivel into desiccated husks," he says, leaning casually against one of the palms that stands nearby.

"If we're building a tent, we'll need fabric - or leaves. Obviously the former is preferable so that we retain some vestige of humanity. I'd hate to descend into barbarism after only a few hours." He looks over his companions. "I don't suppose anyone found any fabric inside the ship?"

Jasper continues to idle by the tree as Gideon and Severnus work. He smirks as he watches the two burly warriors lug logs up the beach. He lets his mind wander as he twirls his wand carelessly between his fingers.

Spoiler

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In case knowledge: history or knowledge: local would be of any use at all to identify interesting features or resource locations on the island?

History: (1d20+9)[25]
Local: (1d20+0)[17] edit: that should be +9, so 26

[Leviathan]

It takes hours to properly assemble a camp. Gideon goes off in search of wood, scavenging the edges of the dense forest for fallen branches. He returns with a bundle of sticks, some of them wet and springy, but others dry and brittle. The ranger knows enough woodcraft to lay the former kind out on rocks for the sun to dry tomorrow.

Severnus gets to work hauling the remains of the Jenivere's lifeboat up to the cliff top overlooking the spot where your vessel once rested. Though it's far from intact, the boat's planks can be striped away for use as poles for tents and crude furniture.

Karsis makes himself busy preparing the campsite. His sailors' skills prove useful. He folds, cuts, and twists the canvass recovered from the wreck into heavy drapes. He builds simple frames for tents, over which he lies those covers. The tents are arranged in a semi-circle around the central fire-pit that Gideon has dug out.

Jasper

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Instead of putting hard labour into building the camp, you take a few hours to collect your thoughts. You recall that Chelish histories of Sargava note that during that country's naval battle against the newly independent colony seventy years ago, one Chelish ship was driven onto the rocks of Smuggler's Shiv. The crew were all listed as killed by the navy, though less orthodox historians have suggested that designation may simply have been a way of saving face in light of the navy's inability to rescue it's own men.

By the time the campsite is complete, night has fallen. The ocean wind keeps the worst of the insect life of Smuggler's Shiv away, but in the dim and humid twilight, you can hear the buzzing of mosquitoes around your ears and neck. The shadow of a hunting bat occasionally flutters overhead, blocking out a tiny portion of the night sky for an instant. Gideon's fire burns low, heating some of the rations you've recovered.

Looking down at the beach, you can see the dark waves crashing against the cliffs and beaches. The moon- and starlight overhead shine down, illuminating the waves. It might have been your imagination, but you think that you see something moving against the tide. It could just be the moonlight rippling against the lapping waves. But the longer you look, the more you cannot help but see a pale shape drifting against the current, just below the waterline. A glimmer of light hits it, and you think that you can see a ghostly human face, serene and unseeing, beneath the black water.

[Winterfell]

Gideon grunts as he hammers in the last stake for the tent. By that point, the sun is low over the horizon, casting an orange glow over the sea. The ranger starts to build a fire. Hopefully it'll attract attention, he thinks, emerald eyes gazing out over the waters. Then he glowers darkly, as if sensing the looming trees behind him. Hopefully the right kind of attention.

Gideon eats the heated food so ravenously one would think he hadn't eaten in weeks. The ship's biscuits are hardly a delicacy but they'll have to do. He looks out to sea again, given that his companions are quiet. "By the gods," he hisses, his eyes wide. He has sprung to his feet, staring at the moonlit surf. "Please tell me the rest of you see that," he whispers, pointing at the ghostly figure beneath the waves. Then he shakes his head. "Must be a body washing ashore," he says grimly, coming back to his senses. "Let's go check it out," the man says. Despite the heat he feels chilled. He brings along his machete, just in case.

[Blisstake]

"That's probably not good," Karsis mutters. "Still better check it out, though. Don't want it watching us while we sleep."

[RocketMan]

Jasper stands up, his face pale. A slowly swirling orb of light materializes in his outstretched hand, bathing the dimly lit campsite in brighter light.

"You know," the young wizard says quietly, "I can't really blame the sailors who claim this island is haunted. I'll admit it: that's a sight to make one an insomniac."

He moves forward carefully, picking his way over the rocks and sand, orb of light still brandished as he creeps toward the beach.

[Giant Owlbear]

Severnus' worn face is creased with dark shadows as he sits by the fire. When Gideon rises, he does the same, pulling his gauntlets over his fingers. "A body washing ashore," he says shortly. "It will be carrion by morning. Still, we may as well deal with it down, before it stinks to the lowest Hells." He conceals his uneasiness beneath a taciturn mask; corpses are known to rise up, and he'd rather Adelaide or Jasper not see their first undead tonight.

[Mr. Turniphead]

Adelaide ventured an attempt at cheer as camp went up. Bringing water to the others as they worked, helping haul planks, and generally attempting to be helpful throughout. The young woman chatted with the others throughout, largely filling silence, but to a practiced eye it was easy to see she was trying to soothe herself as much as the others.

As night fell, she settled around the fire with the others, and grew quiet until Gideon pointed out the eery sight at shore.

"W-watching us while we sleep?" She says, blinking at Karsis.

"Yes, we should go see to it. I should give it rites at the very least..." She says, trying to ease the tension in her voice as she followed the others.