[PF] Colonizing Kavik - IC

[SquirrelKing]

Will the water ever end?

This thought has echoed through your mind for the last few weeks.

Having departed from the desert port city of Jandiram with its myriad exotic sights and smells well over two months previous, the trip ever southward has been plagued by swelling seas, lashing rainstorms, and dead calms. The last four days have been pleasant by comparison, despite the constant dreary misting rain and overcast skies. And all the while, the distant horizon has not changed once.

Still, all the while, you have gotten to know the other crew members and passengers aboard the Imperial galleon, the Peerless. The always serious and yet always cordial admiral Petneiros Ellar, a man of undoubtable presence and capability, made sure that all of his passengers were attended to. This duty fell to seventeen year old Cade, the ship’s surprisingly capable boatswain. When Cade wasn’t giving orders to the deckhands and overseeing supplies and provisions, he was often found mixing with the non-military passengers to ensure their comfort. A certain level of pride and organization was evident all throughout the crew, from the lowliest deckhand to all of the mates, and they each played their role nearly flawlessly. Admiral Ellar evidently ran a great ship.

Aside from the military and ship’s crew (the two of whom occasionally had bragging matches that lasted well into the night), there were eighteen other passengers aboard the Peerless bound for the fabled continent of Kavik. It seemed so long ago when the trip first started, more than five months ago departing Soldara’s bustling port. The line of four vessels that launched a salvo of blank cannonfire as farewell was particularly impressive. But that seemed half a lifetime ago. And those eighteen souls could be called liars if they didn’t at one point or another think that the ship’s navigator had them completely lost and turned about.

The passengers varied in their ways to keep themselves busy all throughout the trip. Some were quite sociable. Others kept to themselves and planned their actions once they reached the foreign shores. Others would pace the ship anxiously. Still some would help the crew when possible, though unlike many ship’s captains, Admiral Ellar never required this. Passengers aboard the Peerless included merchants, a noble from the Solivir’s elite society, religious vanguards and representatives, arcanists curious about the new land’s magics, flora and fauna, and even a representative of the druidic Order.

The noble, a Senator of Solivir society named Alcaeus Ioel, especially kept to himself. The slightly older man would only emerge when food was served in the mess and to occasionally walk the deck to stretch his legs when the waters were calm, ever accompanied by his servants: a halfling named Dathan and a human named Asa. Two members of the Veneficium were also headed for the strange new land, forever surrounded by scrolls and looking decidedly green in the gills when the seas would cause the ship to pitch. Tatiana, a drably-dressed young priestess of the Bone Lady was also aboard, intent and eager to usher the souls of the fallen on to her Mistress’ boneyard. However, as many of her faith were wont, she will also serve to welcome newly born life into the world. She was accompanied by two acolytes who would help to build a temple and dedicate a graveyard to Pharasma in Parthisa.

Another of the passengers, a thirty-something woman named Ophelia, seemed as out of place as the mages of the Veneficium. She, too, was always possessing of parchments, scrolls, and writing implements. But instead of studying arcane symbols and conjecturing on the mystical properties of the land, she instead would sketch the members of the crew, the ship, and/or the passengers, and make constant notes about them. If asked, she indicated she was a chronicler and scribe, tasked with taking down as much information as she could. The last two passengers were the twin human brothers Colum and Logan, eager and experienced explorers who bragged proudly of their prior exploits in countless tombs, dungeons, mountains, forests, and arctic wastelands. Colum seemed skilled in the blade arts while Logan was more magically talented, and the both of them were quite impatient to set foot on the new world.

The last seven of the passengers, however, are the focus of this tale…

On that fourth day of relentless gray clouds and humid, clinging mists, all passengers were gathered below deck in the mess for dinner. Cade was perched on the end of a table, deftly swaying with the constant motions of the waves as he laughed and joked with the passengers, doing a fair job of distracting them of the increasingly watered down soups and grog. Then, a deckhand ran downstairs, excitement visible on his weather-beaten features. “Sir,” he said to the boatswain, “Land’s been sighted ahead! Cap wants you topside!” Then he dashed back up the stairs.

From that point forward, it was a flurry of motion as everyone clambered onto the deck. The deckhands were calling navigation cues to the helmsman to avoid the jagged rocks jutting from the ocean like large swords. Beyond the rocks, the formless gray mist congealed into a solid mass: land! In the dying light of day, only a silhouette of the shore could be seen. But that didn’t matter. The Lost Continent was in their sights! Several minutes passed as the ship finally settled safely into a calmer gulf and dropped anchor. Just to the south, not a half mile across the water, the dim fire lights of Parthisa welcomed the passengers and crew!

The Peerless’ crew hustled to secure the ship, her rigging and sails, and other details. Another team of sailors was uncovering the cutters, smaller boats that would carry ten people apiece to the shore. Seeing this, the passengers started for their quarters to begin packing. Before they even made it off of the deck, the admiral’s voice rang out over the commotion. ”Attention all passengers! We will attend to your equipment and see it ashore. I know you are eager to see this new land, so board the nearest cutter and see your new home! Welcome to Kavik!”

You have just climbed into one of the four cutters going ashore and have been handed an oar to help with the rowing. Each cutter has ten occupants, seated in five rows of two. Some occupants are military personnel, some are sailors, and others still are passengers, including you. Your cutter is lowered roughly to the waters below with a splash of salty water. Then, one of the sailors yells, “In time…Row!”

All of you are wedged onto one of the cutters, and you begin to row. A younger deckhand turns his head to the shore, eyes wide with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and fear. As he dips his oar into the water and urges the craft forward, he asks the group in general, “What do you think it’s like, that? I heard lotsa folk died…” he trails off, looking back towards their destination.

As the last vestiges of day give way to night, the dim glow of Parthisa’s torches and beach-side bonfire signal fires are hazy through the mist at this distance of almost a half mile. However, you can barely make out the silhouette of the wooden palisade walls rising above the jut of land on which the village is settled.



Company of the Golden Fox - Official Charter

The company shall consist of the founding members as named below
The leadership of the company for the purposes of identification by interest parties (including the Parthisan government) shall consist of the founding members as named below.
The founding members are Akaro, Rickard Dorrel, Felix Felander, Nalin Fiendcursed, Kyrial, Simeon Parentis, Yelis Silvanus.
The company shall engage in profitable ventures and split all profits from ventures evenly between participants.
The Hells in a Handbasket (shop of Felix Felander) will be used to maximize profits.
The company has independent jurisdiction over its activities.
Major decisions will be made by majority or unanimous vote (as determined OOC) of founding members.
A Leader of the Expedition will be elected for each profitable venture by participants in that venture and will act as liaison with outside parties for the duration of the profitable venture.

Founding Member/Character Information



Name

AC and CMD

Initiative

Perception (N/L/D)

Sense Motive

Languages

Knowledges


Yelis Silvanus
17, 15
+3
0 (L)
-2
Common, Aklo, Elven, Sylvan
Arcane, Nature +6


Waya (wolf companion)
21, 18
+3
+5 (N)
+1
Woof?
N/A


Nalin Fiendborn
17, 18
+1
+8 (D)
0
Common, Infernal, Abyssal, Elven, Dwarven
Arcane, Nature +12; Planes, Religion +5


Rickard Dorrel
19, 14
+6
+10 (L)
+11
Common, Elven, Celestial, Draconic
Arc, Dng., Planes +8; Hist +5; Loc +10; Rel +9


Kyrial
14, 13
+2
+14 (N)
+11
Common, Druidic, Terran, Sylvan
Geog. +6; Nature +12


Akaro
18, 27
+3
+12 (L)
+10
Common, Tengu,
Religion +4


Felix Felander
15, 13
+2
+10 (L, D120)
+11
Common, Draconic, Infernal, Celestial
Local +6; All others +5


Simeon Parentis
20, 23
+8
+11 (N)
0
Common
Geography, Nature +11

[carnivoroustofu]

There was a rhythmic splash and creak as the people onboard mostly rowed in time. Akaro had placed his talons on the oar half a foot higher than most would, he was not a big fan of getting his feathers wet. The salt accumulated over the long journey was a bad enough and a proper preening would be necessary later.

The deckhand's excitement was palpable. "Well, if it's as bad as they say, probably as quiet as a graveyard."

[Vhaidara]

Nalin's strokes on the oars were swift and powerful.
I am simply glad to be going ashore. I am not cut out for sea life.

[esorscher]

Simeon simply shrugged at the others comments. For his part, he had enjoyed the new experience, the wind in his hair and the ocean spray in his face--more different from the jungle he had grown up in than any other locale he could imagine. He'd spent many hours above deck, lost in thought as he gazed out at the endless blue visage before him as they sailed, and now, to have the journey reaching its conclusion, he felt a mixture of emotions positive and negative. Sadness, disappointment, at the end of such an enjoyable trip, but at the same time, exuberant excitement at the prospect of what lay before him. It was with the latter emotions that he rowed, each dip of the oar into the ocean below stretching the taut muscles of his back beneath his chain shirt. "Probably not a graveyard," Simeon said obtusely to Akaro. "Tatiana hasn't set one up yet."

[AngryCyc]

"It'd better not be THAT dead and quiet!" Felix calls out. "No way did I just spend all my life's savings coming here to open a store for 5 people to shop at. I'm hoping there is quite the bustle of activity ashore, especially with all of us arriving. And I can't wait to go see my little shop as soon as we hit land!" he says quite excitedly.

He keeps staring hard at the shore, as if he were able to spot his shop even from that great distance away.

[AttilaTheGeek]

In contrast to their usual taciturn attitude, Kyrial seems outright jovial! "No, not a grave!", they echo. Kyrial tries to row just as hard as the rest of the passengers and fails miserably- the scrawny human isn't built for physical work- but they ignore the fact that they're lagging behind and continue to rejoice in their arrival on Kavik. "Not a grave at all. This land is full of life! Raw, ancient, untempered by civilization- I cannot wait to see what secrets the jungle hides."

[QuidEst]

Yelis grinned, managing to look both excited and scared at once. "Well, we'll be on land at least. You can take shelter during a storm when you're on land. Your roof springs a leak, you're just miserable, not drowned." He rowed with the rest easily enough, magic pushing along with his muscles with each stroke. Beside him, Waya wagged her tail excitedly, barking eagerly in time with the strokes.

Yelis was glad to be done with the journey. There was no place to run while you were at sea. You were a rat in a cage if anything went wrong. He wasn't exactly looking forward to his new life in the new world, but it was preferable to the purgatory of the sea. Maybe the only thing he'd miss in particular was the time spent with Ophelia, posing for sketches as various human or mostly-human crew members.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin glances up from his work at the shore.
Maybe there I will finally find the right ingredients.

[SquirrelKing]

Thankfully, navigating the waters is fairly easy. The gulf where Parthisa is settled reduces the ocean's waves quite effectively. Otherwise, there would be the very real danger of being dashed against the jagged rocks jutting from the water about ten yards on the right-hand side of their craft. The young deckhand stays fairly quiet lost in thought as the other passengers continue their conversation. It's also fairly evident he's pretty nervous, though whether it's about the approaching mainland and its many mysteries or the menagerie of characters and the large wolf on the cutter. One nervous glance at the wolf and then Nalin and his fiendish features seems to confirm that, however.

A minute later, as if on cue to give the poor deckhand a heart attack, the wolf begins to issue a low growl, her hair stands up on the back of her neck. "Wha..." is all the deckhand can manage to utter, rowing the oars completely forgotten as he looks in wide-eyed fear at the obviously perturbed predator.


With your low-light and/or darkvision, and a successful Perception check, the three of you notice that a large, dark shape just swam underneath the cutter, perhaps two or three feet below the water line heading towards the other cutters.

[AngryCyc]

"HALT! THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WATER." Felix barks out in an urgent but quiet shout. "It's heading for the other cutters... it might be dangerous if it's got the wolf all stirred up. Maybe we should row over to those rocks to give us a little shelter from the totally empty water while we see if this is dangerous or not." As he says all of this, he drops the oar and, while talking, his eyes seem to gloss over and become unfocused.

Can I smell it? "You can track by smell and automatically pinpoint the location of opponents by scent alone if they are within 30 feet." If it was within 30 ft I could know exactly where it is I guess, and would that then allow me a knowledge check on it..?

Starting Focused Trance [roll0] rounds.

[SquirrelKing]

Normally, you'd be able to smell if it was land or airborne, but the water masks its scent. Perhaps if it, whatever it is, were to break the surface of the water within 30', you'd be able to pinpoint *and* make a Knowledge check. Otherwise, if you had waterbreathing, you could scent it beneath the waves as well (provided you were also below the waterline).

The deckhand, obviously well trained by Admiral Ellar in times of distress and used to receiving barked orders, immediately sits rigid in his seat and grips the oar tightly, looking around alert. He whispers, "I don't see anything..."

Despite the div-born's unnaturally keen sense of smell, the creature swam far too quick for Felix to get a read on it. Either it's beyond his sense's ability or perhaps the water was masking its scent. Whatever the case, Felix could not smell it above the myriad other sea smells and the palpable fear emanating from the deckhand.

[AngryCyc]

"Then we shall simply have to draw it out so that you can see!" Felix quips with an odd smile.
He tears a small piece of fabric from some cloth in his bag, cuts into his left hand, and begins soaking the cloth in his own blood. When it is thoroughly saturated, he casts Mage Hand, sending the bloody rag out 25 feet into the water towards where he saw the shape move, and has it begin thrashing at the surface of the water. He then quickly casts Ghost Sound on the now thrashing blood-soaked rag, making it produce a rodent-in-distress call, with high yelps and squeals of pain, targeted down into the water.

"That'll do it, I believe" he says with a wink, while gingerly taking care of the cut he produced on his hand.

[QuidEst]

Yelis gestured at the rag, adding his own spell as he did. The rag transformed into a thrashing rat. With the rag for motion in the water, the blood for the smell, and illusions for sound and appearance, the rat was fairly convincing for anything short of touch or taste. With his free hand, he reached for the vial of acid he used to focus his power. "Can we move on towards shore while it's distracted?" Yelis asked a little nervously.

[AttilaTheGeek]

Kyrial raises their eyebrows, unfazed by the eerily accurate imitation of a small, dying animal. "Impressive. I would have cast Speak with Animals, but now, perhaps no need. Detect Magic."
Is this a normal predatory shark? Or is it something more?

[Vhaidara]

Nalin loosens the straps on his earth breaker and readies it.
A punch to the nose will drive off a shark. I have a feeling a hammer to the nose will do a bit more.

[esorscher]

"Fair point, Nalin, are you going swim over to that rag?" Simeon says as he continues rowing toward shore. "Live and let live, that's what I say, and as long as it's distracted it won't go after us."

[Vhaidara]

Nalin snorts.
Hardly. But if it decides to mess with us, I'll change it's mind. And probably the shape of it's brain. Survival of the fittest, and the smartest.

[QuidEst]

As Yelis understood it, long term survival on the level of a species also required the ability to attract a mate, but that wasn't exactly the sort of thing you brought up when somebody was talking about swinging hammers into faces.

Yelis reached out to Waya, concentrating on the bond they shared and extending that to the environment around him. If there were any sharks in the area, he would know.

Casting Detect Plants and Animals (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/detect-animals-or-plants)

[carnivoroustofu]

"Keep paddling, preferably away from the distraction. Might want to rein it in a bit, the last thing we need is an agitated sea creature." Akaro turns his eye towards the shore, trying to get a read of how far it was from their position.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard, suffering from a sudden bought of sea-sickness brought on by the change of sway from the transition of the slow, steady rolls of the Peerless at sea, to the altogether different feeling of the cutters now approaching the shore, had bit his his lip, gritted his teeth and done his best to will himself from turning green. A pained smile was written across his features, as not even the sickening lurch of his stomach could dull his enthusiasm now that their voyage was so near it's conclusion. It had been worse when first setting out, with nothing for him to dwell on but the imminent voyage, sick as a dog, trying to stay in his cabin and not wretch publicly, but after the first few days of travel it had subsided and Rickard had been able to make his rounds of the crew and passengers, introducing himself, his goals as an agent of the Merchant's Guild, and establish himself as a friendly and amicable face. One thing his service to Abadar had not prepared him for were the trials of sea-sickness, but all else aboard the admiral's war galleon was quite civilized and before long he'd felt himself fitting in splendidly.

This business with whatever it was in the water had him quite torn then, between his desire to see them safely ashore, the better to settle his stomach, and to do so safely, as the shoals and reefs of Parthisa had been much talked of with the crew and he had no desire to be stranded amongst them with sharks in the water. "Why don't we-" Rickard was forced to choke back some bile, but kept up his smile as best as he could, and instead re-doubled himself to the task of rowing ashore. Across his back was slung his much lauded repeater cross bow, but he hardly wanted to waist a quarrel on whatever might be swimming about when he hardly trusted himself to stand straight, let alone shoot.

[SquirrelKing]

The deckhand develops a quizzical look on his face to Felix's odd statement. "What do you mean draw it..." His sentence fades and his eyes widen as the div-born cuts his hand and hovers the bloody rag over the water a few feet away. Then as the rag turns into a rat, he begins rowing quickly. "What are you two doing? You'll attract every last shark Gozreh has to offer!" he hisses, wiping his brow and turning to keep his eyes fixed on the waters ahead and the shoreline that is beginning to clear through the misty rain.

At Simeon's and Akaro's insistence on leaving the creature alone, the sailor nods vigorously, though not turning back to see who said what. Waya remains on edge, standing with two large paws on the edge of the cutter looking into the water, still growling slightly with her tail hung low and hackles raised. She looks over at Yelis briefly as their connection deepens, the familiarity with the action obviously calming her to a degree.


Your Detect Animals and Plants spell is cast. Below the cutter, within your cone of vision, you can sense sharks. (1st round)

Barely a few seconds later, the water around the dancing rat/rag explodes upwards. A giant dark silhouette of a mouth and then a long body behind it lifts about ten feet above the water in surprising speed and ferocity, then it slips back down into the water at almost exactly the same trajectory, almost like a snake striking. The maw on the creature had many oversized sharp pointed teeth angled backwards in its mouth. For those with low-light vision (Rickard, Felix, Akaro, and Yelis), they could see that its scales were a dark mottled brownish green for the brief moment it was above water. Worse, its head and the long body behind it was almost as wide as a man is tall.

As soon as the sea creature disappeared, the rippling of the waves around it vanished and no sign that it was ever there could be seen. That is, other than the missing rag.


It kind of looks like this, just much bigger.
http://a-z-animals.com/media/animals/images/470x370/moray_eel6.jpg

[AngryCyc]

[roll0]

Felix quickly studies the brief view of the creature.

"ROW. ROW NOW." he yells, grabbing back onto his oar and rowing full speed.

[QuidEst]

Yelis set his hands to the oar, shouting in agreement, "Go! There are sharks and a giant eel. At least. Somebody, heal that wound! It will follow the blood." He shifted his attention to the eel, trying to gain more information about it.

Shift focus from "sharks" to "eels". Resets the round counter to 1 again.
Rolling Dexterity to row well: [roll0]

[esorscher]

Simeon says nothing, but does his best to row faster, and in time with the others: [roll0]

[SquirrelKing]

Now that more of the passengers were keen to row to shore instead of enticing the oversized sea creature, the deckhand towards the front of the cutter dug in his oars in time with everyone else, starting to chant a rhythmic cadence of, "Stroke....stroke....stroke...". He said nothing else, but instead wore an expression of concentration and fear. However, since about half of the crew members successfully kept in time with his chant, the craft began to pick up speed in the water.

The shore neared even more. Just a few hundred more yards to go. Before them was a wave-beaten shore with large boulders and rocks along the beach, a bonfire burning bright among them. Behind these rocks was a small cliff that was illuminated by the signal fire, perhaps about fifteen to twenty feet in height. From their vantage point, the left-hand side of the cliff gave way to a natural slope that led from the top of the cliff down to the shoreline, creating a sort of natural walkway that led from the fort to the beach. Extending from this road out into the water were two docks, parallel to each other, that were perpendicular to the shore. Two smaller watercraft were tied to the left-hand dock, perhaps serving as fishing vessels or boarding craft from other sailing ships. On the beach and on the sloped walkway was a small crowd of people, some of which were waving torches.

Meanwhile, Yelis continued to stare downwards into the water, now focusing his magic-enhanced gaze on eels instead of sharks. The result did not surprise him nor did it comfort him...eels were somewhere within the cone of effect of his spell.

[AngryCyc]

"I can take care of it myself..." Felix casts cute light wounds to staunch the blood flow.

He looks amazed at the sight before him. This beach was much different than he expected.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro promptly places his talons even higher up the oar and starts rowing frantically. "Keep it up!" he screeches before turning his beak past his shoulder to bite on to the grip of his blade. Hefting it out of its sheath with a forceful tug, Akaro balances the lightning bolt-like sword carefully while looking about for any sign of the beast.

Ready action, Improved dirty trick:blind

[Vhaidara]

I don't know what it is, but it resembles a giant moray eel. Like sharks, they have a strong sense of smell, so they're probably coming. Don't let it bite you, unless you like the idea of being poisoned.
Nalin grins as he sets down his hammer and rows.
If we do have to fight it, try not to lose the body. I'm sure I could get some kind of reagents from the body.

[roll0]

[esorscher]

"If we could get them to fight in the shallows, that may be one thing. Or if we had fishing line, that'd be another," Simeon says. "As it is, I don't like our chances." He keeps rowing hard for shore, in time with the rest.

[LordHavelock]

"I'm with Simeon." Rickard agrees, "Leave the beastie to be a tale for some fisherman or another, and let's not let our tale end before we've even reached the shore!" He hauls on the oar, the rush of endorphins from the growing tension doing much to settle his stomach for the moment.

[SquirrelKing]

As the cutter begins to pick up momentum from everyone rowing effectively and in sync, another explosion of water and teeth appears where the rag was a few seconds ago. It seems that the lingering blood in the water and no other sources of scent aside from the strange wooden things in the water have enraged and confused the hungry creature. A moment later, a few dorsal fins break through the surface plane of the water signalling a shiver of sharks has arrived to investigate the blood as well.

While everyone aboard this cutter is safe now that the cluster of predators is increasingly behind them, it spells a certain level of danger for the remaining cutters that are still loading or just starting on their journey to the shore. Especially since Yelis' concentration on his spell over the next few seconds yields a disturbing new development: there are five eels in the water, all of which are of healthy condition, some of which closer than others. The nearest appears to be the rather large specimen that frightened them a moment ago, which is now nearly eighty feet behind them.

[QuidEst]

Yelis breathed a sigh of relief once they were safely away from the others. "Five eels. That was the biggest of them. Can anybody contact the ship to warn them? I'll see about the sharks," he added, shifting his focus. The spell would last for quite some time, but casting anything else would interrupt the slow, steady trickle of magic that fed it. He might not be able to sense them at the new distance, but it would be best to maintain the spell for a while just in case.

[carnivoroustofu]

With the immediate threat at bay, Akaro releases one hand from the oar momentarily to sheath his sword in a single deft motion. "I have faith in the good men in the crow's nest, the captain would have tossed them overboard quite a while ago if they couldn't spot a giant breaching eel. The sharks, on the other hand..." Akaro places the oar in the boat and fishes a fishhook and some line out of his pack. "Anyone has another bloody rag ?"

[QuidEst]

"No," Yelis snaps. "You're not risking my life on some foolish attempt to catch a shark with a hook that's too small with a fishing line that's too weak. Keep rowing! We get to shore, you can wade back out and use yourself as bait for all I care."

[carnivoroustofu]

"Nay, we can lure the sharks away from the remaining boats using some bait. From there, we will funnel them into the shallows and strand them there, where their numbers will count for nothing." replies Akaro as he ties the line to the fishhook in a neat Baja knot.

[esorscher]

"Sounds like a plan, and one we should use when we reach the shore."

[SquirrelKing]

The cutter continues its progress forward through the mostly calm waters. The deckhand mutters a soft prayer of thanks to the Lady of the Waves, the female aspect of Gozreh, and continues rowing. Those looking backwards see that the Peerless has faded to resemble a ghostly galleon in the mist, her lantern lights evident but faded and hazy through the gloom.

The waters surrounding where the eel breached the surface has significantly calmed. No further frenzied action is evident, but keen observers can still see curious dorsal fins slicing back and forth through the water. With no further blood filling the waters and no source of the food in sight, the creatures must either have given up the chase or are waiting patiently as predators are wont. And with every second, the attack site becomes murkier and murkier as the longboat proceeds closer to shore.

For those with eyes cast forward, the welcoming party on shore is a welcome sight indeed. It signifies civilization, dry shelter, better food, and opportunity to those aboard the cutter. To some it also indicates the beginning of a new life, reinvigorated financial opportunities, fulfilling an inner wanderlust, or a means to exact revenge. Whatever the motive and meaning, the forty-some people on shore, now only a hundred yards away, seem intent and eager to welcome everyone from the Peerless. Faint cheers and faded notes of excited conversation are overheard above the lapping of the waves, the creak of the boat, and the slapping of the oars in the water.

Three people are standing on the right-hand wooden dock and are signalling in unison for the watercraft to make its way to them.

[AngryCyc]

"Come on then, gents. Almost there now. Looks like those lads over there want us pulling up to them."

[LordHavelock]

"I can't wait to feel solid ground beneath my feet again." Rickard remarks, relaxing noticeably, though continuing to haul upon the oar. "A hot meal of something not-salted would go a long way further, and some fresh water from a spring rather than weeks in a cask." His tone is every bit that of a nigh-spoiled dandy, with hardly a care save for the trappings of food and shelter offered by the colony.

Inwardly, he is keen to take stock of the situation about the colony's greater well-being. It was early, but better that any corruption, or the potential for it, be snuffed out now, and strong traditions of justice and fairness be established early.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro stows away his hook and line, fresh ration procurement could wait another day. A mysterious land awaited. As Akaro helped steer the boat closer towards the crowd, he gave them a once-over as an early gauge of Parthisa's condition.

Akaro tries to observe the welcoming party as best as he can to look for signs of the condition of the town eg health status, clothing, equipment condition, etc
[roll0]

[esorscher]

Simeon adjusts his rowing to bring the boat to its intended point, smiling as the sight of land draws nearer. He thinks about the mapmaking tools in his backpack, and his pet raven in her cage. A little freedom for the both of them would be well worth the wait.

[QuidEst]

Waya's tail wagged excitedly at the prospect of being on land again, and Yelis's was waving back and forth a little more than usual. As they pulled up to the dock, Yelis hopped out with a nimble step, Waya following once there was a more conservative gap between the cutter and the dock. She barked excitedly, running along the dock towards actual land. Yelis stayed behind, speaking to the people already on shore. "There are five giant eels out there, and at least as many sharks. Is there some way we can alert the ship? They didn't seem too interested in us, but they should be careful."

[SquirrelKing]

As the cutter approaches the right-hand dock, one of the three men calls for the rope to fasten to one of the dock posts. The other two men (after ducking out of the way in surprise from Waya's enthusiastic disembarkation) offer hands down to all of the passengers to assist them onto the pier and welcome them. All three of the men are clearly soldiers of some sort, dressed in the distinctive red tunics with a gold sea dragon indicative of the 2nd Legion, the military unit that first arrived almost nine months ago. They are sans armor, but they do each have hand weapons sheathed comfortably at their hip.


http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/356/4/5/roman_republic_by_lscatilina-d4jvi6f.png

One of the soldiers looks at Yelis, pausing as he takes in the unusual appearance of the kitsune and then nods once as he mentions the eels and sharks, "There's a few of them out there. The eels, were they green or blue ones?" He waits for Yelis to indicate that it was the greenish colored ones, at which the soldier grins slightly. "You saw the small ones, then. Just don't dangle your feet in or go swimming in the bay, and you should be fine. As should they," he nods in the direction of the galleon.

Further down the pier, back towards land, the throng of people waited at the bottom of the hill leading up towards Parthisa. Perhaps more than half of the crowd were soldiers; some in the red and gold tunics, some of them with dark-red tinted studded leather armor with the gold symbol emblazoned on the chest, and two in chain shirts with red-tinted mail at the center to make the symbol of the sea dragon.


The soldiers in the chain shirts, with the inverse color signifying the sea dragon, are officers.

The rest of the crowd consisted of a mix of humans, a couple of half-orcs, and a couple of halflings. Overall, the people were dressed lightly and decently, though with muddy shoes and the very bottoms of their breeches were mud/dirt-stained as is consistent with small town living. Overall, though, according to Akaro's keen gaze, the soldiers and people were in good health, no evident sign of disease or malnutrition, and the soldiers at least kept good care of their equipment.

The soldier that was talking to Yelis turns to the lot of them once they're all safely off the cutter. "I'm going to guess the answer to this is no, but I have to ask. Is any of you our new consul, Alcaeus Ioel?" Seeing the varying head-shaking and hearing any responses indicating in the negative, the soldier nods. "Very well. You, though," he nods amicably to Felix, "I was told of your coming. Provost Calega will want to speak with you directly as soon as possible. I suggest first thing in the morning if not earlier. Her barracks are next to the command building." He pauses to scan the water for the other cutters, but seeing as they're not in sight just yet, he continues. "I'm sure you will want to either rest or celebrate your arrival. Both are certainly an option. For those wanting to celebrate, there's a feast planned at the Lucky Hunter - that's the tavern here - and those wanting rest, well speak with Sergeant Aelas. He's in charge of boarding and housing arrangements." He points to one of the soldiers in the chain shirt with a short graying beard and keen equally gray eyes. As soon as the soldier points at him, Aelas nods once to confirm the intent.

"Oh," concludes the soldier in a slightly louder voice, "and welcome to Parthisa!" At which, a round of cheers echo from the crowd, even from among the soldiers. At that point, the crowd of non-soldiers converge to greet the newcomers, a few of them offering fruits like bananas and some unusual foreign tropical fruits and others offer a mug of water or mead. Meanwhile the soldiers remain in place, some watching with amused glances while those in leather are paying keen attention looking out for any signs of trouble, both among the crowd and out into the gloom.

[esorscher]

Simeon listens intently as the soldier speaks, noting that the man does not introduce himself. Simeon takes his lead, keeping his identity to himself for the time being. He graciously accepts a tropical fruit and mug of water and walks toward Sergeant Aelas. There are several things he wants to do, but better to get these minor chores out of the way first--and neither celebration nor rest is high on his list of priorities. "Greetings," he says by way of introduction to the gray-bearded soldier. "I'm looking for land on the outskirts of town. Preferably untamed, permanent structures not necessary. Got anything like that?" He is, of course, open to other solutions, but may as well declare his ideal situation.

Once he has found suitable housing--or at least, a bit of land to call "his own," Simeon will move onto his first priority, and his passion: mapmaking. Using his everburning torch for light, his compass, and his custom mapmaking tool, he will walk around the town, and, measuring distance by his paces (roughly six feet per stride) create a map of the settlement in the first page of his journal with his charcoal pencil. On the opposite page, he will take notes about what he sees, places of interest (such as the docks, and the tavern, and his own home--all complete with salient details). In this way, he will create the first of what he hopes will be several maps of the new continent, and he predicts the whole process will take several hours. Then, at dawn, he will quickly check his work in the light of day before seeking out some of the other members of this community to find new ways to busy himself, ideally ways that align with his desire to explore the untamed wilds.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin nods as the man speaks.
So the blue ones are bigger? How much bigger?
He gives the officers a short salute when he sees them, out of respect.

Once the crowd begins to collapse on them, Nalin starts to get flustered. He ends up with a banana is both his tail and his third hand before he decides enough is enough and begins shouldering his way to the edge, trying to make his way to the soldiers. If he can reach them, he starts talking to them, after offering the banana his tail is holding.
Greetings friend. Is there any call for a healer in here? I was in the military myself until recently, but before my master taught me the healing arts.

[QuidEst]

The little ones. Yelis wasn't sure if the soldier was joking or not, but it didn't matter. He wasn't going out in the ocean for anything less than a return trip. He just had to remember that if the soldiers and the occupants of the town were still alive, things couldn't be too bad. He smiled a little uneasily and nodded to the soldier. "All right then. I'll keep that in mind."

Yelis helped the others get off the cutter, calling out a brief command in Sylvan for Waya to stay where she was. When the soldier asked about the presence of the consul, Yelis stepped forward. "He's still on the boat, but I can show you what he looks like so you'll recognize him." He cut off the flow of magic to his detecting spell now that they were in the city, more or less, and cast an illusion of Alcaeus. Hopefully that would save them a bit of trouble and let them make a good first impression.

He perked up at the mention of a celebration. He hadn't exactly dined poorly on the journey over- it was a simple spell to make his food taste like whatever he wished it to, but it all had the same unpleasant texture. Eating real food again? He gave a cheer along with the rest, then went to join Waya on land, managing with some effort to not get on his knees and kiss the earth.

[AngryCyc]

"Provost Calega huh? I don't see why I can't just head there now. Would you mind showing me how to get there and I'll head to that feast once we finish up.

Can I expect to see the rest of you lot there as well?"

[LordHavelock]

Rickard heartily claps the soldier who gives them a greeting on the back, thanking him before beginning to gladhand the various well-wishers and residents of Parthisa waiting on the dock to welcome them. All hints of sea-sickness gone, and any apprehension left from their brief encounter with the eel now faded, the young half-elf is in his element making fast friends and trading gossip and news from the home-land for bits of information and rumors about the colony. Heartily accepting perhaps more than his share of a few exotic fruits and tilting back a mug of mead (followed by two mugs of fresh clear water) he is one of the first to suggest remanding back to the Lucky Hunter for the feast!

"Hope to be seeing everyone at the feast sooner or later tonight!" He calls back or remarks to those other passengers sharing the first cutter with him.


Gather Information: [roll0]

[SquirrelKing]

Simeon

As the ranger made his way through the crowd of residents, a few of them welcomed him along the way. The fruit he was handed was roughly pear shaped but a deep red in color. Biting into it, he finds the sweet flavor almost overwhelming after several months of overly salty rations. Better yet, the water was fresh and relatively cool. As Simeon approached the seasoned veteran, he let out a brief chuckle and nodded to the half-eaten fruit. "We've started to call it red pear, for...obvious reasons." Then he listens to Simeon's request. In response, sergeant Aelas gives him a knowing glance. "Look, I've been to three different continents now in some of the worst places out there. This place though is on a scale all its own. I ain't gonna stop ya from doing it, but I don't advise living in the jungle. Not on your first night here, anyways. I can provide you with a personal tent to use if you don't want a community tent. I get that. And the jungle line is about a mile in most directions. Plenty of open grassland between here and there, if that's your fancy. I'd rather this," he gestures to the crowd, "not become a funeral gathering. Get me?" With that, Simeon is passed off to a nearby soldier to lead him to the quartermaster to requisition whatever tent supplies he needs. After a brief discussion with Quartermaster Kyros, a singularly unpleasant dwarf, he's given a small tent.

Simeon finds the lands outside of the town walls to be a mostly open grassland with the occasional tree and many stumps where other trees have been felled. Roughly a dozen wooden and stone houses have been erected outside of the protective palisade walls, some of which have low flickering light and faded conversation drifting from them. The calls of the jungle beyond are constant, occasionally loud, and quite foreign. To the east he finally finds the river after about a half mile, and he can see that there are signs of where the town was originally set up upon initial arrival. But after some observation, he determines that it was abandoned likely due to the signs of fairly expansive flooding around the riverside. There is a simple wooden bridge that has been erected to span the river. It is crafted of a few long wooden planks that span the river suspended on occasional stone supports. It definitely does not look like a permanent solution, however. On the far side of the river, it's not far before the jungle begins.

On the western side of the town, a few fields have been planted and are doing incredibly well, Simeon thinks. Some of the fields are staples like grains and such, while others are fruit trees. There's a niggling thought at the back of his mind that something doesn't quite seem right, but he can't quite place it. A small stream runs through the fields and on towards the town. He traces it back to where the stream winds beside some of the houses and then runs parallel to the western wall of Parthisa. A long channel has been dug out from under the wall to meet up with the end of the stream, which empties out into the bay on the far western side of the peninsula. It takes but a sniff to determine that this channel is the latrine for the town.

That concludes the map locations of note that Simeon finds on his walkabout that first night. (GM Note: I'll have a proper map available once I scan it, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid, as I don't have a scanner at home.)

=======================
Nalin

The soldier that had assisted him up onto the dock grins again as Nalin inquires about the blue eels. "Oh, yeah. Definitely bigger. My guess? They're probably fifty to sixty feet long. But I think there's only one or two of 'em. The green ones are smaller but more aggressive. Not sure why, though." He says with a shrug.

As Nalin approaches the other soldiers, bananas and other fruit in his myriad hands and tail, they nod in response to his salute. "That thing real?" the officer beside Sergeant Aelas gestures to his third arm. After Nalin moves it as an answer, "Huh. Well I guess there's all types now ain't there?" Aelas gives the officer a stern glance then looks back over Nalin. "I think our friend here was trained as a Juggernaut, weren't you? You certainly look the part." With that, the other officer blanches. With a slight grin of satisfaction hidden under his beard and a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, Aelas continues, "And we definitely need a healer around here. We've...run out, it seems. Or just about, in any case. We've had a hard nine months." He proceeds to inform Nalin that a lot of good men, soldiers or otherwise, died in the first few months, whether from disappearing in the jungle (the most common), to disease and poison, to the occasional predator attack. And their one ship not returning from a coastal scouting and mapping mission where the vessel had almost forty souls aboard. "So, yes. Healers are in short supply until...hopefully...now."

=======================
Yelis and Rickard

The soldier quirked a brow in surprise as Yelis created the image of Alcaeus appeared in front of him. "Errrr...thanks! That'll help, certainly. So he is aboard that ship? Good." After a moment, the soldier seems to reach a decision and hesitantly asks, "Um...before you go, can I ask...was there a woman on board named Adria? No? Oh..." he seems rather crestfallen, and mutters, more to himself than anything, "She has to be on the other ship then..."

As Yelis and Rickard make their way through the crowd, a few townsfolk approach and hand them a mug, a red pear-shaped tropical fruit, and give them both a hearty clap on the back. It sure seems folks were looking forward to this ship arriving. Perhaps in some cases they're just friendly folk, but Rickard's understanding and insight into people - being the social creature he is - leads him to believe that there is more behind the jovial greeting. The townsfolk just want some reason to celebrate in this opposite side of the world from everything they know and everyone they love. And with his and Yelis' pronouncement that they'd love to join the feast at the Lucky Hunter, three of their new best friends led them up the hill and between the guard towers and through the gate into the town. The main roads were, surprisingly, cobblestone. Their escorts informed them that the eastern portion of the town was the residential, crafting, and mercantile section whereas the western side of the town was reserved for the heavy military presence. According to their friends, a few brave families and individuals built houses outside of the walls just to the south.

Both of their keen eyes could see guards keeping surveillance in thirty-foot-tall towers that dotted the wooden palisade walls, which stood roughly ten feet in height. Towards the center of town, the roads merged to become a vaguely circular area. Around the circular town "square" were arranged various buildings crafted of wood and stone. One was a small but sturdy wooden building with the symbol of a key engraved on the front double wooden doors: a temple to Abadar. However, its windows were dark. Two others were shops, each of them simple but well made. One of which they both recognized as Felix's shop, judging by the sign that read "Hells in a Handbasket" on the front. The other had a sign that had a simple circle etched into the sign, below which read "Full Circle Supply".

Yet another of the buildings was a two story affair comprised mostly of wood whose windows glowed brightly from the firelight within and singing and laughter spilled out into the streets from within. A sign on the front of the building had the image of a man with a bow, grinning from ear to ear, below which read The Lucky Hunter. The smell of roasting meat emanated from within, almost dragging the kitsune and half-elf inside. Their new friends announced their arrival as soon as they walked through the door. A chorus of cheers and a series of raised drinks in salute responded. The tavern was as rustic as it was welcoming. The tables were simple but very stable and functional. Decorations of all sorts hung from the rafters above. A singularly beautiful dark haired woman stood behind the bar, chatting and laughing with the locals. She slid two drinks down the bar towards Yelis and Rickard as they entered and gave them a hearty welcome to the Lucky Hunter. She then gestured to the middle of the common area where a large table had been arranged. It was festooned with various meats, a few cheeses, fruits of all sorts, and vegetables. A veritable feast indeed! Friends to be had were many indeed that night, as stories were told, songs sung (usually off-key), food eaten and drinks consumed.


- some sort of town meeting was to occur the next day. Everyone beside those with guard duty were supposed to attend just south of town
- the townspeople mentioned that one of the two priests of Abadar has been missing now for nearly a month
- the captain of the 2nd Legion, Suleris Keved, and up until now the de facto leader of Parthisa was generally liked, but his lieutenant Valdus Arrend was not
- almost 250 people have died since coming to the continent. Many toasts are made to the fallen, but few want to go into further detail.

==================================
Felix

The div-born is led up into the town and to the western portion of the city. There, in a sizable stone and wood building labelled as the officers' building, he meets Provost Calega of Parthisa. She is a fairly short human woman in her mid thirties with short blonde hair and green eyes, but obviously quite strong and matter-of-fact. She is standing at a desk, reading a few parchments when Felix arrives. She turns around and steps toward the tiefling, "Ah, good. Hello Felix. I was told you'd be easy to recognize" she offers a hand forward in greeting. "I'm Provost Sophia Calega. I serve as this town's watch captain and intend to keep her citizens safe." She pauses briefly.

"Don't mistake my asking you to come here because of your unique...self. No. Instead, I've asked for you because of your competition. Have you...no, you've only just gotten here. Very well. There are two permanent stores here, aside from cart and tent vendors. Yours...clever name, by the way...and the Full Circle Supply. It's run by a man named Carthis Plesk. Put briefly, he ain't had a kind word for you long before you even got here. I've had a talk with him...several in fact. Same as I'm having one with you now. No funny business between the two of you. Am I understood? I sense anything amiss, underhanded, aggressive or suggestive of sabotage and both your stores get closed and your goods get remanded to the quartermaster. End of discussion. Do I make myself clear? This town scarce needs any further troubles as it is."

Her official statement concluded, her facial features soften considerably and her tone gets a slight playful lilt to it. "Your store clerk is much better than his though and I think he knows it. I trust you'll keep the peace here in town. I'll do my part to make sure he does too. Now go and have a good night. See your store. Get some rest after that gods-awful voyage." She walks around to the back side of her desk and pulls out a small belt pouch and tosses it to Felix. "Your copy of the keys to your store. It's on the town square. Can't miss it, just beside the Abadar temple. Welcome to town, Felix."
With that, she answers any questions Felix might have and then turns back to scanning her documents.

The journey to his store is quick. Once he reaches the town center, the sounds of laughter, song, and drunken tomfoolery issue from the Lucky Hunter across the way. However, he has his sights set on his store. A soft flickering light issues from within, indicating that at least someone is in the store. (DM Note: if you haven't seen it yet, I placed a map of Felix's store and an image of it in Post #3 of the OOC thread.)

As Felix slips the key into the lock into the door and it makes a satisfying click sound as the lock disengages, the door flies open and a mammoth of a man with grayish skin, slightly upturned nose in a porcine manner, and a hefty sword in hand grabs Felix by the collar and pulls him face to face, the half-orc's breath spilling over Felix's face. "Get out. Place is closed, pal." This is how Felix meets Kebb, his half-orc guard. Behind the counter, a pretty half-elf woman laughs and says in a deeply accented manner ((think Eastern bloc of Europe for the sort of accent I mean)), "That is no way to greet the boss, Kebb. Let go before you have (almost coming out pronounced as "haff") no job." She smiles easily and steps out from behind the counter and dips into a curtsy. "It is good to meet you in person. I am Imrika Vostich. Call me Rika. I run your store and..." she sighs melodramatically and gestures to the now profusely apologizing half-orc, "...deal with him."

[Vhaidara]

Nalin nods.
I was a Juggernaut for forty years. Both my lifespan and parts of my body are the result of a curse laid on my father. A curse I hope to find a way of lifting among the natives.
We've heard stories on the mainland, but it seems things are even worse than I feared. I hope to be of service. My knowledge of plants and animals is extensive, and I've studied the reports that have been sent back.

[AngryCyc]

Felix



Her official statement concluded, her facial features soften considerably and her tone gets a slight playful lilt to it. "Your store clerk is much better than his though and I think he knows it. I trust you'll keep the peace here in town. I'll do my part to make sure he does too. Now go and have a good night. See your store. Get some rest after that gods-awful voyage." She walks around to the back side of her desk and pulls out a small belt pouch and tosses it to Felix. "Your copy of the keys to your store. It's on the town square. Can't miss it, just beside the Abadar temple. Welcome to town, Felix."
With that, she answers any questions Felix might have and then turns back to scanning her documents.

After the formal introductions and well wishes, Felix gets down to the real business at hand: "Be frank with me, do I have much to fear from this fellow? Being upset at the presence of competition is one thing; being willing to commit criminalities over it is an entirely different thing and I'd like to be as prepared as possible if you think this might escalate into something more than it should.

Furthermore, while we're on the topic of threats to my business, would you mind informing me of what sorts of problems I can expect around here, both internally and externally? Wild animal attacks, native incursions, disease, anything like that? How about the people themselves... are there very many criminal activities here I should be wary of?" As she answers, Felix takes the time to cross-checks what she says against his own divine knowledge.
Focused Trance while she talks, Knowledge(local) [roll0] to know more specifically about this particular area and it's inhabitants.

His questions answered, he thanks her for her time, and bids her to visit the store some time, though he does not press the matter that seriously. He can stand to do without the business of these better-than-thou humans... though he'll not turn away those who would help him. Not without good cause.



As Felix slips the key into the lock into the door and it makes a satisfying click sound as the lock disengages, the door flies open and a mammoth of a man with grayish skin, slightly upturned nose in a porcine manner, and a hefty sword in hand grabs Felix by the collar and pulls him face to face, the half-orc's breath spilling over Felix's face. "Get out. Place is closed, pal." This is how Felix meets Kebb, his half-orc guard. Behind the counter, a pretty half-elf woman laughs and says in a deeply accented manner ((think Eastern bloc of Europe for the sort of accent I mean)), "That is no way to greet the boss, Kebb. Let go before you have (almost coming out pronounced as "haff") no job." She smiles easily and steps out from behind the counter and dips into a curtsy. "It is good to meet you in person. I am Imrika Vostich. Call me Rika. I run your store and..." she sighs melodramatically and gestures to the now profusely apologizing half-orc, "...deal with him."


"Oh no no no... this is all wrong. I mean. This is great, really it is. I love it! It could just be so much more..." he starts, addressing the general layout of the store itself, before turning to the two present. "I AM glad to find this place well guarded, and well run. Keep that up, both of you. Better sage than sorry, my dear Kebb. Your heart is definitely in the right place.

And Rika, my dearest Rika. I have already heard good things about your work here and I haven't been off the ship long enough to get my land-legs back. But this lay out HAS to be fixed soon! It's too business like in here... too stuffy. We want razzle! We want excitement! I don't want customers who think "Oh yeah, I need such and such... let me just run to the shop and buy some real quick..." NO! I want this place to SPARKLE! I want EXCITEMENT! Those reagents there... group them by color, let them sit like a beautiful painting on the shelf. Those high-end items? Put them by the door. Keep the most lively stuff as the first thing people see when they walk in. AND make sure it changes constantly! I want customers who expect so much excitement in this shop that they cut their lunch break a little short each day just so they can run down here to check out the stock for the day!!" Felix blathers on a little more about some things to change about the layout, but all in all he has mainly positive things to say to his workers. He even casts Unseen Servant to help start moving some stuff around like he imagine it. Finally, after much rambling, he realizes how long he has been there and quickly shrieks that he was supposed to head to the feast long, long before!

Some notes here. Do they sleep at the shop? Do I sleep at the shop..? I kind of don't imagine myself living there, so where would I "live" exactly?

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro shakes off some of the salt crystals accumulated on his feathers as he disembarks. The promise of a feast was a welcome one indeed but he had no intention of lugging everything there. After the soldier had finished with his briefing, Akaro approached Sergeant Aelas. Greeting Sergeant Aelas with a bow, he makes a few brief enquiries. "Greetings Sergeant, where would I find my accomodations ? I would like to stow away my luggage before attending the feast. Furthermore, I would like to know more about the methods of contact Parthisa has with the mainland."

[esorscher]

Simeon sets up his tent to the west, close to the coast but outside the city walls and north of the crop fields, in a small field with a single tree standing in the center. First, he climbs the tree, hangs the birdcage off of an upward-facing twig of necessary thickness, and opens the cage. The raven flies out and into the night, to explore its new surroundings on its own, Simeon guesses.

From the tree he cuts down a branch using his handaxe, which he then uses to shave and sharpen the branch into four stakes that find their way into the corners of his area, each stretching 100' from the next. A small, simple plot, but it will suffice for now. He digs a channel that runs from stake to stake, further marking the lines of his claim, using his shovel--the same shovel that he uses to dig a small hole in one corner of the plot. He'll bury his feces rather than dump it into the ocean, for the time being. He lightly scrawls "bucket" on an unused corner of his journal.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/Withoutcheese/parthisacamp.png

He adds his own plot to his map, then, after completing the map of the outside of town, heads into town. He'll draw up a map in of the town in a similar fashion to the map he drew of the surroundings, and add it to his journal, along with notes. Meanwhile, he'll familiarize himself with the notable places, such as the tavern, the shops, and other places of obvious import. He'll try to find out who owns what, as well. Eventually, he'll end up at the feast, if it's still going on by the time he's finished, or at the Temple of Abadar.

[QuidEst]

Unfortunately, Yelis wasn't familiar with the status or crew of the other ships, and so wasn't able to help the other soldier out. Hopefully, the soldiers' first meeting with the typically distant consul would go well. Soon, though, he was whisked on his way through the crowd, plied with fruit and household goods. He tried the fruit and stashed the mug in the extradimensional space of his sack, ready at a moment's notice along with the other sundry goods he kept in there.

From the sound of it, there was a certain amount of industry established already, which was nice. Of course, it probably ruled out cushy living as one of the sole magic-users capable of crafting various magical goods, of course, but it was a fair price to pay to have such amenities readily available. Felix might need somebody, though; he'd have to look into that. For now, he could at least be glad that the new arrivals were going to be housed inside the walls rather than volunteered to join the foolhardy souls who'd set up residence just outside.

Any thoughts of residence and employment were quickly discarded once The Lucky Hunter was in smelling distance. Before stepping inside, Yelis paused to cast the two spells necessary for a proper showing at any party. You didn't know magic unless you could do party tricks and have things move without touching them.
Unseen Servant (five hours)
Prestidigitation (one hour)
Bull's Strength probably still has an hour or so on it. Yelis walked in to loud cheers, pleasantly gratifying after months at sea. Even if the woman behind the bar hadn't been gorgeous, the fact that she was handing out drinks would have brought him over at once in any case. She slid two drinks down, and he took them up at once. "And for my friend here?" he asked, gesturing at Rickard before laughing and handing him one of the tankards.

~~~

Some time later, after Waya had begun putting her forepaw over any drink that Yelis reached for in an effort to keep him from getting too drunk (a sensible practice when a sorcerer was involved), Yelis had taken to entertaining the crowd with stories.

"Oh, I was a fool to get aboard that boat, I've no hesitation in saying it! But I take a great deal of comfort from the fact that no matter how great a fool I am, I shall never equal Syzil." He paused, looking around at the lack of recognition showing on people's faces. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of Syzil? Well, then I suppose I shall have to relate to you myself the account thereof! Mind you, I can't do elves to save my life, so you'll be getting the faces of two actors I happen to have rather enjoyed. An' if they have a problem with that, they can come complain in person!"

With that, he turned into a reedy-looking man with a long, unpleasant face and a bit of a squint. "Syzil was a minor noble in the court of a kingdom some distance from our own empire. In any case, this 'earl', as they called such a noble, was hunting in the king's forest, there as a guest with several other of the nobility. He was such a poor shot and so short of vision that he seemed in no risk of burdening his lord's hospitality any more than a lame-winged pheasant." Yelis pantomimed stalking through the forest, holding an imagined bow at his side and peering around as if he could hardly see. "Well, he broke off some distance, protesting the noise of his companions. And to his delight, scarce ten minutes passed before he saw the largest deer before his eyes that one could wish! He drew back his bow, let fly the arrow, and for once in his life, made a shot cleaner than a miser's coin. Overjoyed at his luck, he went to see the buck… and though it was large indeed, there was something missing," Yelis said, waggling his fingers on his head as antlers. "Meanwhile, a stableboy was being thrashed most harshly for letting the King's prize horse loose."

"The next day, Earl Syzil was brought before the king," he said, dropping to his knees penitently.

Just as quickly, he picked himself up, spun to face where he'd kneeled, and took on the form of a much larger, heavier man, his face going red in the process. "DO YOU KNOW YOUR NUMBERS, SYZIL?"

In a flash, he was back to kneeling as the reedy man. "Y-yes, my l-lord!"

"HOW MANY ANTLERS DOES A BUCK HAVE, SYZIL?"

"T-two, my lord."

"AND HOW MANY DOES A HORSE, SYZIL?"

"N-nought, my lord."

"AND ARE THESE NUMBERS NOT DIFFERENT, SYZIL?"

"Y-yes, my lord."

"You have cost me my finest horse. You cannot replace it, for I did care far more for that horse than I do for you, for it had far more sense! But deer are foolish, and you may pass as one."

Yelis resumed his normal form and voice again, explaining the tale's end. "And for a year from that day, every morning, Syzil put on a weighty headpiece fixed with two deer antlers. Diligent study that I am, I shall never be so great a fool as he," he said with a bow.

[SquirrelKing]

Nalin

Sergeant Aelas nods, scratching his beard in thought, his eyes seeming to stare through Nalin as he speaks, “I’ve seen what Juggernauts are put through on the field. And I’ve seen firsthand what they can do.” He pauses and shrugs, before continuing, “I just never thought that there’d be a healer among ‘em. Guess it explains your long life and all yer limbs attached to boot.” Again, in the torchlight on the slope leading up to Parthisa, the veteran’s eyes sparkled with a mirth that probably served the man well to keep his sanity intact on the battlefield. “Unless you started with four arms, that is.” He lets out a hearty chuckle. In response, the other officer lets out a disgusted sigh and walks towards the dock.

“Don’t worry about Sergeant Calos. He’s a jackass. Mingling ain’t exactly his specialty,” he sighs, gathering his thoughts for a moment as he surveys the crowd around the docks. As Nalin mentions the search for a cure among the natives, he shrugs again. “Don’t rightly know much about the natives around here or what they can do. Once we started sustaining a lot of losses…plus really mucking things up with the one native population that we did encounter…we hunkered down and made this little patch of earth our home and waited until reinforcements came.” He gives the boat a significant look.

As Nalin mentions his knowledge of plants, animals, and his hope to be of service, the aging soldier puts a hand on the Juggernaut’s shoulder, “Careful what you wish, friend. The land is full of all sorts of new critters and plants that we ain’t told the homeland about yet. But if yer lookin’ to help catalog ‘em, that’s a discussion to have with Captain Keved. But if yer serious about wanting to help with stitching people back together, there’s a medical building just on the other side of the wall…about there,” he points with a meaty finger halfway down the north wall. “There are two medics there, if that’s what you wanna call ‘em. Brelis and his assistant Dek. They’re probably not there now, but can’t hurt to try. My guess is you know far more than they do, though. Good luck, soldier. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” With that, the last farewells are said and the sergeant informs Nalin that a bed is available for him in his choice of either the common populace barracks or the military barracks. Then he returns to his duties welcoming others.

============================
Felix

The Provost crosses her arms and leans back against her desk. After listening to Felix’s questions, she responds, “I’m nothing if not up front, Felix. Truth is that Plesk is a wealthy man. Gods know what brought him here, but he showed up on that other ship – ain’t sure what it was called – almost two weeks ago. Shoulda seen how worked up he got once he found out you had already started setting up roots before he got here. Went complaining to the captain, to the Abadar priestess, and even to me about how it was illegal and not right that you weren’t even here to run things properly. He hasn’t done anything physical that I know of, but I’ve had talks with him about some rather unkind slander he’s been slingin’ around.”

As Felix asks about the other threats of the city and its surroundings, she informs him that she doesn’t know much about the wildlife outside of the city walls. “Not my expertise, I’m afraid. Give me a pickpocket, burglar, or murderer and I know what to do. Put me out there in the jungle and I may as well be a newborn again.” She continues to say that she’s heard of some large, mobile plant creatures, some sort of short and quick native beings that others are calling “quicklings”, plenty of poisonous plants, lots of snakes and insects, and a few diseases so far (but mostly from drinking unclean water). In terms of the general populace, she says, “So far, thankfully it’s been pretty peaceful. I aim to keep it that way. Sure there’s the occasional theft, fight at the Hunter, or normal disturbances like that. And up until two weeks ago when that other ship arrived, I knew just about everyone and it was fairly peaceful, all things considered. Now there’s all sorts of new faces and motives I and my guardsmen gotta work out.” Provided he doesn’t have any further questions, she bids Felix a good evening as he makes his way to his store.

At the Hells in a Handbasket, the rearrangement of the store goes late into the evening. For their part, both Rika and Kebb are eager helpers. Kebb pulls Felix aside at one point and says, “Sorry ‘bout getting’ in yer face, boss. But I…err…wanted ta say thanks ‘n all. You know…for the job.” With his piece said, Kebb gets back to work carrying and moving barrels, tables, crates, and other things as needed.

Meanwhile, Rika proves a quick study. And she barely stops moving the entire time, eagerly offering ideas and listening to Felix’s own. While she doesn’t necessarily know what some of the more unusual items do, she seems to have a firm grasp on the inventory of the store: everything from general goods to exploration gear to a stock of alchemical reagents and even a smattering of spellcasting components. She leads Felix to the back room where even more extra supplies were stored and a simple cot was set up in the corner. “This is only used if I work late and do not feel like walking home. I..we…” she gestures to Kebb working in the main showroom, “did not know if you had house set up. Kebb and I talked it over. We have a small house south of town walls. We can make room for you if you don’t want to sleep in the common buildings. It isn’t much, but...it is home,” she says this last bit with a heavy note of pride in her voice.

===============================
Akaro

As Aelas finishes speaking with Nalin, he turns to see the tengu waiting to speak with him. He dips his head in greeting and says a typical formal greeting in the tengu native language. “Greetings, gosun waija (son of Waija).” He extends his arm forward and gives Akaro a firm handshake and covers the grasped hands with his other empty hand as is considered proper to indicate that no weapons are hidden. It’s evident the man has been around and has dealt with many cultures and clearly does not share the normal prejudice against tengus. “A pleasure to meet you, my friend. If it is acceptable to you, we have only common residency buildings at this point. They are small one-roomed dorms in a larger building with a common area for dining and gathering. You would of course have your own key to your dormitory.” He pauses a moment, then continues, “If you require, I or one of my men can show you to your room.”

As Akaro inquires about keeping in touch with the mainland, the veteran strokes his beard habitually. “Anywhere else, it’d be by courier via ship, but with this town being in the middle of nowhere on a completely new continent, Captain Keved receives missives from the mainland via magic. I know not how that is accomplished, I’m afraid. Magic is regrettably not my strong point. If relaying a message home is your concern, you would have to speak with him, or possibly the Abadar temple.” He dips his head in an apologetic bow. Gone from his voice was any common lingo, accent or slang that he’d been using with Nalin and the rest of the passengers.

===============================
Simeon

The rest of the night passes relatively peacefully after his mapping activities are concluded. The sounds of the feast have long since died away by the time he is finished. Simeon strolls through the darkened streets which are occasionally illuminated by covered lanterns. He recognizes that the light emanating from these few lanterns are similar to those of his everburning torch. At least the town won’t need constant supplies of oil for that.

He easily picks out the central square of town and the buildings situated there, the residential buildings to the north and south of it, and the military barracks, officers buildings, the small hospital, blacksmith, quartermaster, and other buildings on the western side of town.


===============================
Yelis

The dark haired bartender turned out to be as much of a fearless flirt and socializer as Yelis and Rickard. What she was doing here in the furthest reaches of the Empire, she didn’t say, and if asked, she merely smiled dazzlingly and shrugged slightly as if it was all the answer they needed. She made sure that everyone was well and truly inebriated, and if anyone got too out of hand, a couple of local guardsmen were there to minimalize any danger of a bar brawl on this night of celebration.

A young man with short dark hair of perhaps sixteen or seventeen years of age sat near the hearth, alternating between playing the pan flute, a lyre, and singing all the night. Every now and then, the locals would call over to ask the lad for a request, “Oy, Tan. Play one for our new friends here!” or “Hey Tan, give us a lively one!” To which, Tan would gladly oblige. Any attempts at chatting with the young man, friendly though he was, quickly revealed that he was out of his element when he wasn’t singing or playing music and was actually quite bashful. Still, while Yelis enacted his portrayal of Syzil, Tan would accent the play with the occasional musical note with a big grin on his face.

At the end of Yelis’ performance, a loud chorus of cheers and applause filled the room. A round of questions followed shortly after as men and women approached, asking how he assumed the different forms, whether they were actually real people, what he really looked like, and several similar inquiries. Still, through the crowd of genuinely friendly faces, there were a few partygoers that did not look like they much approved of the blatant use of magic and quietly chatted amongst one another, occasionally drinking of their mugs or stabbing their meal with forks increasingly angrily.

[esorscher]

The first two pages (front and back) dedicated to maps of the settlement and its surroundings, complete with identification keys, directionality, and distance measurements, Simeon finally sets his pencil down. He folds his journal closed and smiles, then tucks the journal into his backpack. As he learns more, he'll update the maps, but for now, he is satisfied. He takes a sip from his waterskin, letting the cool fresh water swirl around in his mouth before swallowing. Then, he attempts to open the door to the Temple of Abadar--if locked, he'll knock.

[QuidEst]

Yelis was all too happy to flirt and socialize back with the bartender, although it was clear enough even when somewhat inebriated that her amicability was largely general in nature rather than specific.

The performance was a much more general success, and between bites of various foods, Yelis was only too happy to answer questions. Part of him filed away the faces of those who were pointedly not laughing for future reference. It was just shy of instinctual at this point, cataloguing future disguises. If he needed to disguise himself as one of them to tarnish a reputation, it was better to note them now. Of course, one had to be careful as a shapeshifter. If you could be anybody, then it was a simple matter for anybody to be you. "Ah, it's a natural gift," he told them. "Always had a bit of magic in the blood," he added, producing an obviously fake flower from nowhere. "Nothing so useful as them as have the ear of the divine, mind you! You come to me with an injury, and you're getting nought but a kiss from Waya to make it feel better." Waya gave an enthusiastic bark to underscore his point.

"But yes, it's more or less true that my faces are borrowed. Those of you concerned, however, may put yourself at ease. I've got enough continental faces to keep me supplied, and my disguises all suffer from the same flaw. One mention of our angelic administrator of alcohol, and the eyes go all misty." He gave a cheerful wave over to the counter, chuckling as he did. "I do have a pair of faces of my own. Now, before I show anybody, I should something mention up front. Women, if you suddenly feel the urge to swoon, and men, if you suddenly feel violently jealous… that's not normal, and I recommend you consult with the local craftsmen about commissioning a pair of quality spectacles," he joked. "All right then!" He shifted first to his kitsune form, pausing for a little bit before moving on to his human form, a tall, lanky man with a rat's nest of brown hair and a long, thin nose.

[carnivoroustofu]

"Ah thank you for filling me in, Sergeant. I would be most honoured if you would show me to my designated room, duties allowing of course." Akaro bows in return and jiggles his pack to try as he tries to fit the assorted fruits into the pack better. They would do well in supplementing the field rations he carried if longer term exploration was required.

As they headed towards their destination, Akaro turns to his escort and asks "As a servant of the Empire, I must ask: Is there anything ailing Parthisa of late ? Naturally, I've heard tales of the vicious wild life and kleptomaniac natives but how is the stability of Parthisa overall ? It's vital that our foothold on the continent must have solid foundations for further exploration and colonisation attempts to succeed."

[AngryCyc]

To Kebb's comment, Felix replies "Kebb, we both come from a world where judgment is passed on us by just the look of our skin. You don't even have to begin explaining to me what difficulties you may have faced back there... but know that here, in this world, in OUR new world, we will do everything in our power to make sure others like us never have to deal with unnecessary hardships simply because our parents were not the "correct" blood." He gets busily back to work, but upon seeing the backroom, tells Rika "I need to head to the feast soon, and I imagine that'll keep me up for a while. If you're coming to the feast, great! If you're not, though, and you want to head home, I wouldn't want to add extra work to your night of making sure I'm properly accommodated for the evening. I'll head back here after the feast. This backroom will certainly be just as nice if not better than the ship cabin I'm used to. Tomorrow I shall figure out better long-term arrangements. Come, let us finish this work up now though and we can be away!"

Everything satisfactory, Felix heads off to join the feast for the remainder of the night.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard laughs as loudly as anyone else listening to Yelis' tale and takes mental note of how easily he changes faces and form. 'A worthy talent to be sure, makes my own expertise look a sight more involved.' He muses, taking a long pull at his mug of grog, before he realizes he might be enjoying himself a bit too much. He had a job to do after all, and while it was not likely to win him too many friends to start inquiries and rumor mongering the first night, those tales he had heard of the local priests of Abadar having gone missing set him ill at ease and the general mood towards the missing and the dead was not to his liking one bit. 'These people laugh and drink like those who fear they may not see another season, to see so many come and go in so short a time is hardly the foundation for a prosperous community.' He thought, wondering whether his mission might be turned towards building a firm foundation of civilization here, though truly that was a job for the more devoted of the faith. 'Your duty is to guard them against the threats they might not see, and in that you may already be too late.'

Suddenly his attention was brought back to Yelis, having seen something of his trickery on the voyage but hardly having a good measure of him, especially in so social a situation he wondered if the sorcerous humanoid wouldn't be a worthy contact especially with his talent. He paid particular note to the strange familiar which occasionally drew attention and displayed a great deal of cunning as such familiars were often wont to. "What about your little friend there?" He asked, leaning in across the table, "Or does Waya prefer to remain dignified above such parlor tricks?"

[SquirrelKing]

Simeon

Approaching the temple during the night-time lightly falling rain, no torches or firelight is seen from within. The double doors with the symbol of the key emblazoned on them are sealed shut and the windows are shuttered, so view into the interior is limited. When Simeon knocks, no reply comes immediately. After a second attempt a minute later, a faint female voice from within says, growing louder as if approaching, "By the First Vault, who could...? Did I...no, no, I don't think so..."

A moment later, a tired-looking woman with slightly graying brown hair, thin spectacles covering her brown eyes, and dressed in a robe that she's pulled around herself. "Y...yes? Can I help you? I...I didn't forget an appointment did I?"

=================
Yelis and Rickard

Many of the tavern-goers look skeptical that the last face is shown is indeed the kitsune's true form, but a chorus of "Aaaah" issues nevertheless. From the bar, the bartender calls teasingly, "I believe I prefer one of the others!" She grins all the while good-naturedly as several patrons laugh heartily. In response, one of the patrons yells, "Vesta! That ain't called fer. Him bein' a payin' customer an' all!" This voice comes from a particularly short halfling with red hair, puffy cheeks, and dressed in a red shirt and brown breeches. He walks with a cane in his left hand.

Vesta looks sheepish briefly then flashes another grin. "Oh, you know I wasn't serious, boss. Need a drink?" At which the halfling shakes his head then makes his way to Yelis and Rickard, "Gentlemen, welcome to my tavern. I'm Dellen Burrowborn, owner and proprietor of this here establishment." He offers forth his right hand while leaning on the cane with his left.

==================
Felix

Kebb nods knowingly at Felix's statement and claps him on the back sharply in thanks, which causes Felix to stumble a moment. Rika eyes this exchange with a curious eye and a hint of a smile playing at her lips.

After going through the back room, Rika shakes her head. "'Tis been a long day, sir. You enjoy your feast. I, however, shall enjoy my bed. See you in morning." With that, she dips into another curtsy and both she and Kebb wish their employer a good night.

As Felix makes his way into the raucous tavern, he arrives just as Dellen is introducing himself to the now somewhat inebriated Yelis and the less-so Rickard.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin nods.
Thanks. Take care.
He heads down the north wall as was indicated.

[QuidEst]

Waya drew herself up a little taller, managing to look mildly incensed, and Yelis chuckled. "Little, hmm? She'd pass for an underfed dire wolf, and you know it. No, Waya maintains the dignity and common sense for the both of us."

The bartender called out a joking insult, to which Yelis quickly shot back, "Aye, well you just tell me if any of them strike your fancy, and I'll see what I can do! It's a poor man who can't own up to bein' better looking than himself." He grinned as the owner made his way over and introduced himself. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir," he said, shaking his hand warmly. "Yelis Silvanus, sorcerer, as I'm sure you gathered. I must say that even so shortly after my arrival, I already find myself a great admirer of your work."

[AngryCyc]

Felix walks in, looks around a bit, and ends up standing awkwardly by the door while watching the only few people he knows chatting a bit...

Too many new people all at once has made him be a bit wary, and so he chooses to just stay out of the spotlight for now.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard stands and offers his hand by way of greeting to the boisterous hafling, bending at the waist to look Dellen in the eye as he shakes his hand. "Master Burrowborn, pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Rickard Dorrel, an agent of the Merchant's Guild looking to capitalize on the new ventures and opportunities represented by Parthisa on behalf of the guild. Whatever else that means by way of business between us, I can guarantee you another good patron at least."

Then returning to his chair, he looked from Yelis to Dellen and put on his most conniving smirk, "No chance an individual such as yourself had any ideas about where an enterprising young man such as myself could find some good work to be done here? Perhaps with the assistance of a certain sorcerer as well?"

[SquirrelKing]

Akaro ((so very sorry...I completely missed typing up something for him previously!))

The veteran soldier looks around at the crowd, and then down at the dock, pausing a moment in silent consideration. Then, with a slight shrug, he seems to make up his mind and turns to one of the soldiers in the red tunics who is chatting nearby with some of the villagers. "Thelius." At which point the soldier blinks and the smile that was on his face from his previous discussion disappears. "Sir!"

Sergeant Aelas nods to Akaro and says, "Look after the room assignment while I'm gone. Help any of the new arrivals and take note of how many need housing. I shouldn't be gone long." The soldier casts a glance at Akaro, narrows his eyes briefly, and then opens his mouth to say something with a furrow in his brows. The harsh look on the sergeant's face causes the comment to die before it leaves his mouth, leaving the infantryman suitably chastised without a word. Turning around on his heels, Sergeant Aelas bows slightly to Akaro. "Follow me."

As Akaro asks about Parthisa's stability while walking up the path through the gates, his escort considers the question a moment. His pace is slowed and a shadow seems to pass over the man's features before he finally answers, somewhat softly so that only Akaro can hear. "The wild life is a problem. The natives...well, they aren't a problem. They simply scatter before any of our men approach. Thus far, any attempts to entreat them further has failed. But you are very wise, my friend. The town needs more, but the simple matter is there isn't anything for us here right now. We are a tremendous distance from home, with no ability for the Veneficium to magically transport here as we have had in previous colonization missions. We've met no natives aside from the quicklings, and that swiftly deteriorated." He stops, a troubled look haunting his features as he looks down the street towards the large, long buildings that serve as residential complexes. "We have no allies. The troops are bored and restless. Contact with the mainland is all but nil. People still die from one thing or another here, all the while. Morale may appear quite high but..." he sighs and gestures with a nod of his head to a group of revelers in the street, "truth is that morale is dangerously low, my friend. One more disaster and I fear it will break...this town will break. We need good news for once. Progress. I may be wrong but...it's not enough that we're existing here. We need to thrive. Flourish. Expand. We're penned in by that damned jungle. That has to change, lest we continue to shrink and dwindle until..." He trails off, letting Akaro reach his own conclusions.

A moment later, they turn a corner and Sergeant Aelas says with his voice back at normal volume, "And here we go. There are some rooms in number two and number three, there." He points to two stone and wooden long buildings, each of which has a number painted on it. There are two entrances, one on each end of the building facing the street. A few townspeople are gathered at the entryway for building number two. As they see Aelas, they nod in a warm greeting, which freezes in place as they notice Akaro beside the sergeant. Aelas turns to Akaro and leans in to speak softly, "I believe building three has a higher non-human population." He gives it a moment for the comment to sink in, then Aelas walks to building three's nearest door. "Your place is there, through that common room. In the center of the building, you will find your room. Choose from numbers..." he pauses to think momentarily, "19 through 24. And when you choose, we'll provide you with a key to the lock. They are pretty small rooms, but sufficient. I do hope they are satisfactory," this last said with a short bow.

He sticks around to answer any further questions Akaro may have, then excuses himself back to the docks, giving one final bow. Whichever room Akaro chooses is a simple affair with a single room, with a single bed, a simple footlocker at the end of the bed and a small desk and chair. The furniture is pretty basic and functional. One one side of the building, the hallway with all of the rooms opens up into a common area with tables, chairs, two hearths for cooking, and two couches.


I'll post more when I get up in the morning. Falling asleep at the keyboard. Hopefully I didn't make any errors typing this up...if so, I'll catch and fix them tomorrow.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro noted the soldier's distaste but decided to feign complete ignorance. Support from the troops stationed here would still be needed afterall and unnecessary conflict would not be a wise choice. He would hold his peace. For now.

Akaro listened quietly and grimly as Sergeant Aelas revealed the Parthisa's underlying state with caution. Indeed, Parthisa would need much more than it was now if it was to support the horde of potential colonizers from the mainland. Poor support would likely result in further expansion attempts collapsing under their own weight. Before Akaro could remark more on the settlement's situation, they had rounded the corner and reached the accommodations. "Ah, thank you for the company, Sergeant. That was an informative tour of Parthisa," replied Akaro, as though there was nothing wrong at all. "Room 19 would do just fine. I would love to inquire more but I believe those questions can wait for now. Thank you for your patience." Akaro bows in return as the sergeant leaves and heads directly to the room.

The room was plain but adequately furnished. Sure, its aesthetics could be improved but Akaro wasn't here for a vacation. Stowing away his backpack in the footlocker he gives his feathers a quick groom and prepares to leave for the Lucky Hunter after a change of clothes. He considers leaving his sword in the room for a moment then decides to bring it anyway. Trouble and thieves were unlikely but it never hurt to be prepared.

Arriving at the bustling tavern, Akaro looks around for a bit before spotting Yelis, Richard and Felix. Noticing Felix on his own, he goes over and remarks in amusement, "It's going to be a long night if you just sit here by your own. Come now, let us join them."

[esorscher]

"Sorry to bother you at this late hour," Simeon says, introducing himself. "But I was hoping I might spend some time in here. I don't have an appointment. Do I need one?" Then, because he can't help himself, he asks, "What are those?" pointing at her spectacles, a curious contraption he has never seen before.

[SquirrelKing]

Nalin

Nalin ascends the slope in the misty rain and passes by some soldiers who had heard his discussion with Sergeant Aelas. They each nod their respect to the former Juggernaut and one or two bid him greetings to the town, then return to their sentry duties. He passes through the north-facing gate, flanked by guard towers each occupied by a sentry in the studded leather armor. Turning right along the wall after passing through the gate, he walks down the cobblestone street. To his left are a few residential buildings, then an intersection going south, followed by more residential buildings. Finally he reaches another intersection, at the corner of which is a moderate-sized wooden building that serves as the hospital with a steep pitched roof and a small covered stoop in front. Flickering firelight can be seen from within through the windows the flank the doorway. A roughly constructed wooden sign hanging from a half-frayed rope dangles from a thick nail in the door. The sign, whose words are etched into the wood, reads, "Closed. Knock loudly if an emergency."

At about the time he reaches the building, there is the very faint distant rumble of thunder. However, Nalin's military experience tells him that is no ordinary thunder. It's cannonfire, coming from the north. After a moment, he realizes that the Peerless has fired its cannons for some reason!



See dice roll thread (link in my sig) for result of Nalin's perception check if needs be.

===========================
Yelis and Rickard

Dellen offers a firm handshake to each of them, then climbs slowly and carefully into a chair nearby, grunting softly as he puts pressure on his left leg. He leans his cane on the chair in between his legs and then looks to them both. "Thank you, m'boys. I'm right proud of 'er as well." He gestures around to the room in general. "This is the fruit of m' labors and, pardoning the sharp tongue of that she-devil behind the bar, I hope yer times here - plentiful may they be - remain in yer favor." He sighs and leans back in the too-large chair, rubbing his left leg softly. "'N I know he ain't look the part, but that boy Tan is a right virtuoso with any instrument ya put in his mitts. Twixt he, that she-devil, and Malia - that's our cook - folks keep comin' back and offerin' their hard earned coin to me 'n, by proxy the Lucky Drunk. Course, it helps that we're the only tavern to grace this little town." He adds with an amicable grin.


Knowledge Religion DC 15 to know he refers to Cayden Cailean as the "Lucky Drunk".

Turning his attention to Rickard, Dellen smiles easily, "Well now, a man of the Merchant's Guild. I'd be a fool to turn away one with such potentially deep pockets now wouldn't I? I shall 'ave to make sure we always have a clean mug at yer disposal. But before we talk any sorts of business, I 'ave to ask: are you as much a self-righteous prig as that Plesk fellow? I ain't have time for chest swellin', trouble causin' swines like he, deep pockets or no." He leans forward slightly and keeps a keen, appraising eye on Rickard during his response.

===================
Felix and Akaro

Both are able to see and hear the discussion between Dellen and their fellow passengers. However, the rest of the patrons at the bar seem to be paying more attention to their own conversations, flirting with the barmaid, enjoying the various foods that have been arranged on the central table, and/or Tan's music.

===================
Simeon (Keeping in mind that this is much later at night than the rest of the conversations above)

The woman appears nonplussed and rubs her eyes, obviously having just awakened. Gathering herself together and pulling her robes tighter around herself against the cool mists outside and in modesty, she looks Simeon briefly in the eyes and then averts her gaze. "Young man, y...you realize the late hour of your visit, yes? This is not a flophouse or a..a...a residence for the populace. This is a place of business and order, and has hours that befit as such!" She grows more excitable and agitated by the moment, then visibly catches herself from continuing. She takes long, measured breaths to calm herself. She removes her spectacles, seemingly ignoring his question about them, and rubs her eyes with her other hand. With a soft sigh and softened features, she continues, "My apologies young sir. You've awakened me, quite late at that, and I was rude. I'm afraid we have hours that all must abide by. I'd be glad to have a chat in the morning, if you have business needing attended? A contract reviewed, a barrister's advice, or banking concerns all quite legitimate. Otherwise, with my colleagues...unavailable as they are, I...I barely have time for idle chat." Her tired eyes grow quite moist with this last sentence. Simeon catches this, only barely, before she rubs her eyes one last time, clearly feigning fatigue to hide the sadness.

[esorscher]

"Oh, my. It's me who should apologize, for waking you, for disturbing your peace. I have no business, at least not anything like that. My business is tracking, I suppose. Tracking and map making. I thought this was... a temple. I was hoping to learn about the faith. I am, as you've probably guessed, new in town," he pauses. "With your colleagues... unavailable, perhaps I could be of service?"

[Vhaidara]

Nalin begins to run towards the beech where they came ashore. He calls out that there is cannonfire coming from the Peerless to any soldiers he passes.

[QuidEst]

Yelis grinned right back with the too-wide smile of his default human form, waving his hand behind him. A chair turned around, pulling itself out for him to sit down in. Another pulled itself out for Rickard. "There's not much I won't pardon in a purveyor of palatable potables, so your she-devil won't be costing you any of my coins. As for Rickard, he's less prone to chest-swelling than I am to head-swelling, and I can hardly imagine any properly self-righteous prig tolerating my company with such admirable ambivalence and even amicability. Well, for whatever worth as a character witness I have. Waya will vouch for me on that front, won't you, Waya?"

Waya looked non-plussed, as if she was loathe to vouch for any aspect of Yelis's character.

[SquirrelKing]

Simeon

The woman looks surprised if not offended at Simeon's comment about being unsure that the building was a temple. "You sure must be new to town, young sir! This is indeed a temple and place of business dedicated to the Gold-Fisted God! I...I...where do you....why would you..." Then she lets out a lengthy sigh, again pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes. "Yes, it's true that the doors aren't open at all hours, but that's for a couple of reasons. A large part of that is my missing colleague, granted. I simply cannot remain awake at all hours, late-night knockers notwithstanding." She says with a wry smile. Then, as Simeon indicates that he is intrigued in learning about the religion, she raises her brows slightly in pleasant surprise.

"Ah. Well, then I would be remiss to refuse to inform you of the Lawgiver, if anything so as to prevent you from waking any more priests of his faith at unreasonable hours." This last sentence uttered with good-natured humor and a pointed look over the top of her glasses. "Be that as it may, might I ask that we have this discussion in the morning hours? It has been quite the long day. But at that time I would hear more of your proclaimed mapmaking and scouting talents, which I daresay shall come in quite handy."

===========================
Nalin

Some of the soldiers give stunned looks, but still follow his lead while others were just coming to the same conclusion. He rounds the corner and through the northern gate and has a clear view of the dock in front of him. Off in the distance, hazy and indistinct through the misty rain, further flashes of light appear in the distance. These flashes are followed by the same sort of rumble heard earlier. One of the soldiers looks over to Nalin, and asks, "You were aboard that ship, were you not? Is that...expected?"

Scanning the area quickly, Nalin notes that the other cutters have not yet arrived nor are they visible out on the water, obscured as they are by the darkness and rain.

===========================
Yelis

Dellen flicks his keen eyes over to the kitsune, and smiles an almost wolfish grin, "Oh, I've no doubt yer a right model of character and integrity, master Silvanus, but you'll excuse me if I wish t' hear it from 'is mouth directly. Still, it warms the heart mightily," he puts a hand to his chest as emphasis, "to know that yer don't give succor to said swine."

[esorscher]

Simeon smiles graciously, but does not show his teeth. "Of course. Again, sorry for disturbing you. I will return at first light." He bows slightly, and backs away. Looking around the town, he sees no activity, and decides to head for the tavern instead. The feast is probably over by now, and it may be empty, but if any business is open all night, its as likely as not to be the tavern.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard couldn't help but arch an eyebrow, even as he nodded in assent and thanks to Yelis' as well as Waya, "I'm afraid I'm too modest not to at least consider the possibility that I might be as overblown as you make Mr. Plesk out to be, but then, in being humble enough to admit it, you may very well have your answer." He gave a shrug assuming a more deferential posture, but his smile remained, right up until he assumed a perfectly stiff posture and changed tone completely, "If you have any official complaints to lodge with the Merchant's Guild, part of my official capacity here is to be a mediator and liaison to the good people of Parthisa." He said with as much pomp and circumstance as he could muster.

"Unofficially," He leaned in close to Dellen, as if he were making to speak privately, but continued to use the same volume, "I'm here to enjoy all that the new world has to offer the ambitious and visionary, and if Plesk is an obstacle to that for you, for me, for anyone else who would see Parthisa thriving, then perhaps other arrangements can be made."

Nothing about his tone conveyed an implicit offer of more nefarious dealings, and speaking about it in such a public place of course invited more mirth than anything else, but inwardly, Rickard was concerned. Dellen's regard for Plesk didn't bode well for the sort of guild dealings that would make Parthisa the beacon of civilized society it was meant to be, whether it was Plesk promoting ill-will for the sake of lining his own pockets or a more private feud Dellen had, it would have to be dealt with. Better he be able to convince them both of his good will at this stage and learn more about the situation as a whole from less biased perceptions.

[Vhaidara]

If it is, it is some new procedure. Wasting powder and ammo is generally a bad idea. I think we should send someone to investigate. Preferably someone who can swim.
Nalin peers into the darkness, hoping to see if there are splashes between the ship and the shore or not. Where are they firing?

[SquirrelKing]

Yelis, Rickard, Felix, and Akaro

Dellen leans back in his chair, still appraising Rickard's response with a fixed gaze. After a moment though, the halfling seems mollified and nods once to himself. Then an easy smile plays over his features, and he shrugs apologetically, "You 'ave it right, Rickard. If you ask me, an' you did, that man is indeed an obstacle to me an' this town's future! But I'm not interested in filing no formal complaint or any such thing. That sounds far too much like work to me. I've not moved across the world just to be muddled in paperwork 'n conspiracies!" He thumps his cane on the floor to emphasize the point. "I'm here to enjoy m' retirement and, as you said, reap the benefits of this wondrous new land. So you'll not be surprised when I say I find your second offer much more...palatable. But now is certainly not the time for talk of business. Plenty of time for that later! Now, I think that she-devil needs to earn her pay and send over some drinks, yes? Vesta!" He calls to the comely barmaid, and another round of drinks is provided.

From that point forward, conversation is of a much more pleasant sort. He and other patrons listen intently to any story and tale they tell of the mainland, for many of them have a touch of homesickness and are quite eager to hear about familiar things. Still others proclaim they're glad they left the hustle and bustle of the city life and are enjoying their time here, despite their setbacks and deaths over the last nine months.

Dellen weaves many a tale about his life as an adventurer in a previous life back on the mainland, but a rather nasty encounter with a troll all but shattered his left leg. The curative magics of their priest were able to heal the superficial wounds, but could not mend the bones. And so, he gathered up his share of the loot, pulled a few favors with the merchant's guild and others, and gained entry on the first wave of ships to the new realm, intent on fulfilling his dream of owning a tavern and never looked back. Still, after hearing a few tales of the homeland, he hoists his mug to the air and gives a toast, "to the cherished and the loved back home," to which many answering tributes and clanks of tankards sounded in response.

======================
Nalin

As Nalin peered into the darkened mists, no further cannonfire issued. However, half a minute later, as shouts for volunteers to brave the waters were just starting to make their rounds, a cutter appeared from the gloom occupied by ten harried rowers. Several shouts for an explanation of the cannonfire and inquiries of their health simultaneously erupted.

A woman aboard the cutter whom Nalin recognizes as the scribe and artist Ophelia regales how the first cutter left the Peerless earlier than the rest and were quickly out of sight thanks to the gloom. Following that, a series of splashes issued from ahead. Thinking that some terrible fate had befallen the first cutter, the rest of the cutters decided to proceed simultaneously to investigate. As some of the passengers yelled for their attention (at which time the first cutter was well out of earshot), the sound drew the attention of some giagantic aquatic beasts! One of the cutters was toppled over by the inquisitive creature, and then the true horror began. As the water grew cloudy with the blood of its victims, more creatures were already in the water to capitalize on the new feast.

The remaining two cutters scattered. One of the passengers knocked in the water was the arcane-inclined twin, Logan who magically enhanced his voice to yell to the ship to fire in the water "here". Then the area lit up around him, bathing the creatures swimming around him, and the pieces of the victims around him, in the light. As the deckhands aboard the ship readied the cannons, he was in the midst of casting another spell but (at this point, Ophelia had to take a moment to recompose herself) he was dragged under. His twin, Colum leapt in the water to try to save him, ignoring the cries of the other cutters as they cleared out of the way of the scene of the carnage.

Then the Peerless' barrage started. Apparently, it was successful in striking the creatures, killing some and scattering the rest...but none of the passengers that were in the water survived. Many were not found, likely dragged off by beasts or washed away in the strong riptides. But the surviving cutters were not keen to revisit the attack site so soon, what with the large concentration of blood and parts of corpses in the water. It'd only be a matter of time before more predators arrived.

All the while, as she was recounting what happened to a stunned-silent audience, she and the other occupants of the cutter, including Parthisa's new consul, climbed out onto the docks. As her tale concluded, the last surviving cutter arrived and her passengers safely disembarked. In the end, twelve people perished, whether by the aquatic attackers or by the cannonfire. Alcaeus addressed the crowd around the docks and claimed that he intended to have Logan hailed as a hero for his selfless acts. Afterward, he retreated onto shore and growled to Sergeant Calos, "Get me to my house." At which point, he disappeared into town accompanied by the officer and his menservants.

In the end, of the passengers Nalin knew from the Peerless, four had perished:

Zendus, one of Tatiana's acolytes of Pharasma
Colum and Logan Daganos, the twin braggart adventurers
Bendell, one of the two wizards of the Veneficium (the pre-eminent arcane college)
In addition, two deckhands from the Peerless and six Imperial soldiers were lost


The rest of the passengers weren't much up for a feast, and so were to be led to their respective residences by the soldiers and Sergeant Aelas. As Ophelia passed Nalin by the shore, she looked up at him in surprise and with a ghost of a smile. "I am glad to see that you and the others apparently made it. Be thankful to whatever gods you praise that those creatures didn't harass all of you."

==========================
Some time later...

As stories are being told and toasts are made in The Lucky Hunter, a soldier with a troubled face hurries over to the other guards in the room. He has a quiet conversation with them, at which point their expressions of surprise lead to a round of questions from the patrons. Then the tale of the lost passengers makes its way through the tavern, at which point the atmosphere turns far more somber.

Toasts to those from home turn to toasts to the departed. And the welcoming feast becomes a wake.

Simeon

The priestess smiles tiredly, nods, and bids Simeon a good night. The door shuts quietly behind him, followed by the click of a lock reengaging from within. He makes his way across the cobblestone central plaza, weaves around the marketplace carts to the tavern and finds that indeed there are some people still awake, but it is not the happy environment he envisioned. Instead, he too learns of the events out to sea, which transpired while he was further inland mapping the area.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin nods to Ophelia and makes his way to the tavern to pay his respects to the soldiers who had given their lives, as well as to the twins, who had performed far more nobly than he had expected from their boasting.

After that, he heads to the bunkhouse. Even if they hadn't planned on his presence, there were at least six more empty beds now. He would look into a more permanent residence tomorrow.

[esorscher]

Simeon shares a drink to the departed, then returns to his campsite. Of course, while he drinks to the passengers onboard the ship, he drinks also to the creatures who lost their lives for simply following their primal nature. At dawn, he heads to the Church to meet with the Priestess.

Ready for morning.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro bowed his head in silence for a minute upon hearing the ill news. Delaying the conversion of the sharks into fresh rations turned out to be a poor decision afterall. Sergeant Aelas' words weighed heavily on his mind. The mood for celebration was very much soured. Leaving the tavern quietly, Akaro heads straight back to his room and lays down on the bad. He lay awake, contemplating his next course of action before drifting off into an uneasy sleep as the sky barely begun to brighten.

[QuidEst]

Yelis chuckled at the pair of them. "Look at you, getting along already. And you sound to be a man after my own heart, sir," he said to Dellen. "Although I have some time to go before the prospect of 'retirement' appears on the horizon. I take what ease and comfort I can in the meantime." A brief gesture, and one of the odd local fruits floated over to his hand. Its coloration changed to that of a more familiar apple, and he took a bite of it.

As the night progresses, Yelis participates in the stories with plenty of his own, showing off the recent fashions from the continent and even altering fruit to taste like their nearest homeland counterparts whenever somebody asks.

At last, he joins the toast with the others, finishing off his fifth drink for the night. At last, he retired to his sleeping quarters, relying in no small part on Waya and a set of floating lanterns he conjured for light.

[SquirrelKing]

Day 1, Morning
Continent of Kavik
Frontier Town of Parthisa

The early morning mists and gentle rain quickly bowed in defeat to the might of the morning sun. As the clouds receded, the hot yellow-white globe slowly ascended to its place in the sky and illuminated a small patch of grassland on the northern shore of Kavik. All around it, the thick verdant jungles of Kavik teemed with life locked in the eternal struggle for survival. Still, this little patch of grassland was not without life of its own nor without its own struggles. At the northernmost point of this square mile patch of land was the vaguely rectangular arrangement of cut-down trees that formed a protective wall around the town of Parthisa.

The morning light first greeted the occupants of the guard towers on the eastern section of the walls, though they did not return the greeting. Instead, they kept a vigilant eye on the aforementioned jungle off in the near distance and on the waters to their north. Just outside of the town walls, nearly a dozen functional but small thatched roof huts huddled close to the protective walls. Their occupants slowly exited their shelters to begin tending to the crop fields just beyond to the southwest, picking fruit off of trees that yielded fruit far too quickly than they ought. Though, the farmers and residents of Parthisa were thankful for this small blessing, as it meant a bounty of food each day. And their blessings have been in short supply since the settlers' arrival.

Near the border of the jungle, a small group of lightly armored soldiers with bows in hand patrolled looking for signs of life and for signs of danger. The humans had named this patrol the Greenwatch, and many thought it a fitting name. Especially the many sets of eyes that watched from within the green, hidden from sight but still able to see the too-loud foreigners just fine. Some found the bipedal creatures to be strange but curious, others found them repulsive, and still others barely gave them a glance in favor of more pressing concerns.

Meanwhile, a mere quarter mile to the east of the small fortified town, a cluster of people were gathering near the river that emptied into the ocean. They had long, shaped branches that had lines attached with twisted metal at the end that held some squirming mass of life in order to catch the bounty contained within the waters. Others had tangled weaves of vines and twine arranged into nets to aid in the process. All the while, they kept a wary eye on the bay to the north, knowing what dwell within the waters there...especially after the tales of what occurred the previous night.

Within the walled town itself, the smells and sounds of morning activity were rampant. Townspeople, soldiers, merchants, craftsmen and explorers walked and gathered on the mostly cobblestone streets going about their daily business. They conversed, haggled, shouted, laughed, cursed, and sang. Some few of these residents beheld the sights of the city under the light of the sun for the first time that clear morning. As they emerged from their domiciles, the smell of cook-fires and freshly prepared foods assailed their senses. In the background though, the deep, earthy smell of the jungle and the salty scent of seawater was ever-present.

That morning, the thick brown mud from the last few days' worth of rain would not be denied. It caked thickly on the soles of peoples' shoes when they stepped off of the cobblestoned main streets. It quickly and easily stained skirts and breeches. Large brown puddles of rainwater were everywhere, awaiting escape by way of the strengthening sun. By midday, most of the puddles would be evaporated. Now, however, they were content to lay in wait for the errant foot or wagon wheel.

And so it was that the seven individuals that serve as the focus of this tale wandered and explored the town that early morning, learning their way around and discovering the merchants and buildings of note within town. In addition to the many merchants hawking wares arranged in carts within and around the central town square were the soon-to-be-familiar buildings on the outer edge thereof:


The Lucky Hunter: the two-story local watering hole and social refuge owned by Dellen Burrowborn
Hells in a Handbasket: a shop attempting to cater to every taste and tastefully catering to them, as owned by Felix Felander
Full Circle Supply: a slightly larger general store with a wide range of mundane and exotic goods, as owned by Carthis Plesk
The Temple of Abadar: a simple but sturdy and functional building serving not only as a place of prayer to the Lawgiver but also as the local bank, moneylender, hall of records and barrister's office, as attended by the sole overworked priestess Demna Keysworn
Nat's Knits: a small fabric, clothing, and seamstress' shop owned by the eponymous Natalia (though please call her Nat)
The Open Market: an open pavilion-style building that holds tables full of goods that are best protected from the strong sun, such as seafood, some fruits, meats, and similar

The keen observer might notice that no crafters have a presence in the central square. Instead, the leatherworkers and tanners have two buildings that are just to the east of town so as to save the populace from the strong smells associated with those trades. The blacksmiths and metalsmiths have a large common building in the southwestern portion of town, just south of the soldiers' barracks. Key among those smithies is a heavily tattooed, spiritual and superstitious half-orc named Bandor Blackhands, widely regarded as the master smith of the nearly ten smiths located within the large building. Bandor's protege is a half-elf named Endril Avorn, a master armorer who derives great pleasure from playfully antagonizing his aging mentor. To the southeast of town, near the river, is a building that serves as the town's sawmill. Other crafters are scattered throughout town, typically close to the central square.

As the newcomers to town learn their surroundings, they cannot help but notice that the number of soldiers equal if not outnumber the civilian residents of town. The entire western half of town is dedicated to supply buildings, soldiers' barracks, the officers' building and the commander's building. Simply asking around will reveal that there are a few different contingents within the overall military presence:

Consul's Guard: the few but elite soldiers that serve as personal bodyguards assigned to the new consul, Alcaeus Ieol
"Greenwatch": a name the residents have given to the squads led by Sergeant Calos Tychon that conduct patrols outside of town for signs of danger and protect the farmers and fishermen
Town Watch: led by Provost Calega, this contingent serves as the law enforcement within Parthisa


Still, there are many soldiers that have not been assigned to any of the above contingents. Instead, they eagerly await orders to begin expansion efforts or act as defense of the town, as needed, and spend their time training and helping around town with construction efforts as required.

All told, there are just shy of three hundred souls hoping to carve out their place on the Lost Continent.

===========================

Simeon stops by the temple of Abadar in the morning as promised and finds Demna Keysworn, the woman he had spoken with the night before entirely swamped by townspeople and soldiers requiring forms signed, population rosters updated, seals affixed and notarized, bank accounts accessed and any of a half a dozen other needs. She passes him a tired but apologetic smile. It seems that conversation about Abadar would have to wait until later...

Felix opens his store to a busy new day with the prospect of a glorious future dancing in his mind. His talented and devoted shopkeep Rika shows up just before sunrise to ready the stock for display, shortly followed by the store's bodyguard Kebb reporting for duty as the doors open. Several townsfolk enter looking forward to meeting the store owner, offering their welcome and in some cases, suggestions on how to arrange his store, what to have in stock, adjustments that "need" to be made of his prices, and any of a number of other "helpful" pieces of advice.

Yelis finds his morning truly rough, as the alcohol seemed to be particularly strong from the previous night. Fighting off the effects of his hangover, he gets a later start to his day than many...but then again, he's used to living in the trappings of a creature of comfort, so perhaps this isn't so strange after all. What finally fully awakens him is the cold wet nose of his constant companion nudging his cheek, followed by a soft but strangely chastising chuffle. Perhaps noon is a bit of a late start to the day after all...

Nalin starts his day with his normal daily regiment then has every intent on getting over to the hospital, since he was interrupted in that errand the night previous. It doesn't seem meant to be however as he instead finds himself approached by several soldiers and guardsmen that have heard of his previous deployment as a Juggernaut. It seems the storied soldier's background has many of them curious.

Rickard begins his day exploring town, meeting and greeting more people and guardsmen, putting on his tried and true facade. Still, the one person he's keen to meet is unavailable: Carthis Plesk. It seems the merchant stepped out from his store prior to Rickard's arrival and has not been seen since, though this is apparently not unusual.

Akaro spends his morning undergoing his usual meditations and calisthenics, keeping his body and mind sharp as he has done for so many years. Still, Sergeant Aelas' words weigh heavily on his mind. As he wanders the streets, he's used to the stares and the occasional comments. Still, they are surprisingly, and not a little refreshingly, infrequent as compared to what is encountered back on the mainland. It seems that some of the citizens in this far-flung town are a sight more tolerant. Still, the intermittent sneer reminds him that it's still only some...but it's a start.

Kyrial has spent a miserable night in the new town, however. He has stayed out of the celebrations, feasts, explorations, and general goings-on thanks to a raging headache that started the moment he stepped ashore...and one that does not subside all the night long. His morning commune with nature is a difficult one. The land's energy is....different somehow. It's only after several hours of attunement later in the morning that he realizes the reason for the headache is similar to the effects of someone changing their diet suddenly: his body and spirit is adapting to the strange new energies. As the headache slowly begins to fade, he also comes to a new conclusion: this land's energy is more pure, almost concentrated.

===========
Roughly around noon, a group of soldiers makes their way through town and through the surrounding areas outside of town proclaiming that a town assembly is imminent. Everyone (aside from essential guards and other functionaries) is to gather outside of the city walls just to the south of town within the hour for a proclamation by Captain Keved and the new consul, Alcaeus Ioel. During this time, the passengers aboard the first cutter from the Peerless find each other and get ready to make their way to the meeting...

[AngryCyc]

"A town meeting huh? Well I guess that makes us all bonafide citizens already, now doesn't it?" Felix says to the others from the ship. He had been busily trying to make just a few more changes to the store that morning before finally realizing that Rika definitely had things under control, with the best interest of the store at heart. With the major aspects addressed, he let her do what she does and trusted that the store would be quite successful in her capable hands without him having to oversee every single detail.

With the rest of the party back around him, though, Felix definitely felt a sense of community already starting to form. "I wonder what sorts of things happen at assemblies like this, or if they are very common..." he muses to no one in particular.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin tries his best to enertain the soldiers with his tales, though his skill is hardly with his tongue. Afterwards, he mumbles something about the town meeting and excuses himself.


Perform (Oratory): [roll0]

[carnivoroustofu]

"I would be surprised if there was much more than a motivational speech and assurances about how things will turn for the better, given the arrival of the new consul." remarks Akaro as he followed along. He had met the others as he exited the Lucky Hunter following a light brunch.

[esorscher]

Simeon joins the others. "I'm sure there's work to be done, hopefully they let us know what we can do to help." He also shows them the two maps he has made, of the town and of its immediate surroundings, and of the notes he's taken. They are detailed grayscale maps showing elevation and other useful geographicaly features. "I like maps. If anyone else is looking to go into the wilderness, that's what I'm looking to do, on whatever business takes me there, so I can make more maps."

[AngryCyc]

"Yes I remember hearing that you were going to do some cartography. Truth be told I'm eager to find some of the natural resources around here and try to sell them for a nice profit. Heading out away from the city might be very profitable to me."

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro examines Simeon's hand made maps carefully. "This is.. impressive. I may join you in your future exploration trips as well. I have my own tasks to investigate the untapped potential of Kavik. I do wonder what happened to the lost sailors who tried to explore the region though."

[esorscher]

Simeon smiles without showing his teeth at the favorable response. "I imagine we may discover that in our explorations as well. That's part of the excitement, isn't it."

[LordHavelock]

"That sounds like a most profitable venture to me!" Rickard says in response to Felix's comments about the discovery of whatever resources the jungle and continent at large might offer for Parthisa and ideally for trade back with the empire. "Any chance you'd care to make it an official partnership? We'd need a cartographer of course, and earning the goodwill of those more local than us in finding the lost sailors and explorers wouldn't hurt either." He continues, clapping the tiefling on the back heartily as he joins in step next to them. Truly, he could care less about the exploitation of the land and jungles, but it is an important part of his cover story to make it known otherwise, but while he is more than able to keep up such details for a moment, his mind is elsewhere, dwelling on what would keep Plesk so often away from his shop that the other settlers might grow accustomed to it. 'Perhaps I will find some clue when I am able to pay my proper respects to Abadar.' He thinks, his hand unconsciously moving to the small golden key he keeps in the pocket of his long coat. 'Perhaps Theorin will even have the answers I seek, though it may be too soon to reveal myself to him.'

"Still, I imagine the new Consul may have more than just words of motivation for us. He must after all, be a most ambitious figure to take on the governing of Parthisa." Rickard concluded, practically swelling with Imperial Patriotism as he did so.

[QuidEst]

"Uuggh. Waaayyyyaaaa…" Yelis mumbled into his pillow, waving blindly. "Mmmph. Why should I get up? GAH!" The shout accompanied a cold nose against his ear. "Slavedriver," he muttered darkly, getting up at last. He gave himself a good once-over with cleaning magic, taking care of any lingering stains from the party. The lingering hangover, however, was going to be there for a little while.

Yelis had just finished the morning's (for a loose definition of "morning") ritual casting of extended wards on Waya and himself when there was a knock and a soldier letting him know there would be a communal meeting soon. He picked a light poncho to go with his default human body, and headed out to where the others had gathered. "Mmm, what's all this about partnerships 'n the like?" he asked as he arrived, scratching the back of his head and stifling a yawn. "And you mean finding their bodies, right? I'm not exactly an expert on navigating the wilderness, but this is a coastal settlement. The coast is downhill from anywhere, pretty much by definition. So they're not lost. And if they're not lost, then they're what, captured? Unless it's only been just a couple days, I don't think they're coming back for anything short of a very polite request to Pharasma to make an exception, just this once."

Waya whined and nudged him, and Yelis sighed and rubbed his temples. "Ugh, sorry. That was out of line. Just- not feeling so great this morning for obvious reasons entirely my fault, and I'm not feeling a whole lot of heady optimism. I'll help you lot out when you head out, though. I'd rather find out what's out there with as many people as possible with me. While we're on cynical matters, though, the good consul didn't exactly seem pleased to be taking the position. Didn't hardly leave his room on ship, did he? Although that could just be sea-sickness, I suppose."

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro had seen all too many similar ceremonies conducted by Lord Shosuke. "At this point it would take something on the order of our dear consul floating down from the sky in a halo of light while declaring Parthisa's sedition from the Empire in order to set up a Brotherhood of Evil Alchemists before I even bat an eyelid in surprise."

[Vhaidara]

When Simeon mentions exploring, Nalin looks at him curiously.
I will most likely go with you itno the wild, since I wish to meet with the natives. But tell me, what will you do with these maps you wish to create?

[AttilaTheGeek]

Kyrial has spent a miserable night in the new town, however. He has stayed out of the celebrations, feasts, explorations, and general goings-on thanks to a raging headache that started the moment he stepped ashore...and one that does not subside all the night long. His morning commune with nature is a difficult one. The land's energy is....different somehow. It's only after several hours of attunement later in the morning that he realizes the reason for the headache is similar to the effects of someone changing their diet suddenly: his body and spirit is adapting to the strange new energies. As the headache slowly begins to fade, he also comes to a new conclusion: this land's energy is more pure, almost concentrated.

Kyrial spends the rest of the morning pondering their ideas for how to begin to go about their work. Changing an entire continent is difficult, but onbe has to start somewhere. This will be a powerful place to perform the Great Work. Difficult, but powerful. This strange new energy... I could harness it, channel it, and if the animal was willing, I could morph it into—

Kyrial's thoughts are interrupted by a large gathering outside of town. It doesn't look like an exploratory mission- it's too big for that- instead, it looks like the entire town is outside the walls. To attract this many people, it must be important: Kyrial walks over to see what's going on, and talk of exploring the jungle stands out from the rest. "Travelling farther into the wild? If you are setting out, I would like to accompany you. I spent the night in this jungle, and could serve as a guide", they explain. "I would venture not for my own profit, but to study and catalog the inhabitants of this new continent. If I did not go with you then I would travel alone, but given how few soldiers have returned from previous scouting missions I think it would be wise to go together."

[SquirrelKing]

As they continued their conversation, the group made their way through the increasingly crowded streets, walking among the other residents and soldiers on their way to attend the assembly. They could hear that several of the other citizens were having similar conversations musing about what the meeting was about, what the new consul would be like, discussing the events of the previous evening, and other related topics.

As they reached the southern gate, they circumnavigated the deep semi-circular ditch arranged with the concave end facing the entrance. Dug into the near side of the ditch were several logs sharpened into points facing to the south across the pit. To Nalin, these trenches were commonplace security measures for all permanent or at least semi-permanent military encampments. On the southern (far) side of the trench, a small gathering of soldiers surrounded the new consul who was in an obviously heated, quiet discussion with a soldier dressed in a chain shirt bearing the inverted colors of an officer.

However, Nalin could also make out other markings that denoted a soldier of distinction within the 2nd Legion. The soldier with whom Alcaeus argued was none other than the Legion's captain, Suleris Keved. He was a man perhaps in his early thirties with deeply tanned skin, a shaved scalp, clean-shaven face with sharp angles, and intense dark eyes. He bore a simple rucksack on his back, had a few daggers arrayed in sheathes on the left side of his belt and a long, curved blade in a scabbard on his right hip. Such was definitely not standard issue for a soldier in the Imperial army. And it was clearly evident by his posture and gesticulations that the quiet discussion with the consul was less than pleasant.

As the crowd began to grow on the southern side of the scarp, the consul leaned in and said one last statement that seemed to placate the captain, at which point the soldier nodded slowly and assumed a parade rest stance looking out over the growing throng. He leaned in to one of the other soldiers and whispered something, which caused the two of them to share a brief amused smile. Gone was any tension evident in his stance that was there just a moment ago from his discussion with the consul. Meanwhile, Alcaeus himself looked absolutely miserable in his long, thick white and blue robes common to Senators of the capital city. The corners of his mouth were pulled down in a constant scowl and his white hair was increasingly matted and damp as he consistently dabbed sweat at his brow. He frequently drew swigs of some liquid from a wineskin that was borne by Dathan, his halfling manservant, ever silent and ever present at his side.

After another ten minutes of milling around under the oppressive midday sun, captain Keved nodded to himself and walked forward in front of the the consul and his bodyguards. The gathered throng's idle conversations quickly faded. He nodded amicably to a few familiar faces as he took his position, then held a hand aloft in greeting to the assembled mass. He begins to speak in an even, confident but loud voice that was clearly used to calling out orders to large groups. "My friends, soldiers and fellow citizens, thank you for attending! Were this to occur under more pleasant conditions," he lifts his eyes to the sun directly overhead for a moment with a hint of a smile, "I would have more to say, but I shall keep this brief. I know that much has to be done, but there is much that has to be said first."

As the crowd waited for him to continue, he looked back to one of the soldiers which turned out to be Sergeant Aelas and held out a hand. The veteran handed over a small sheaf of papers, which the captain held aloft over his head as he again faced the crowd. "First, and perhaps most importantly, I have a list of those that perished last night on their trip ashore. I...we would be remiss if we did not bid those who would surely have been our friends a safe journey into the beyond. Is the priestess Tatiana among the crowd in attendance here?" He waits a moment, and then the normally drably-dressed young priestess of Pharasma steps forward from the crowd. This time though, she is in the full regalia of a servant of Pharasma: a black robe with silver swirls imprinted on the fabric and small glass vials of holy water dangling from a silvered rope belt. She nods her head silently to the captain. "This is Parthisa's new cleric of the Lady of Bones. She will be holding a ceremony blessing the souls of last night's fallen after this meeting along the shoreline. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. That said, there's another related matter. We need volunteers to build a temple dedicated to Pharasma, being that we up until now do not have one. By show of hands, are there any willing to help with this?"

As a small collection of hands raise in the crowd, he looks to Sergeant Aelas momentarily then back to the crowd, "Sergeant Aelas will speak with you after this meeting is concluded. Thank you." He pauses for the sergeant to finish taking a tally, then continues addressing the crowd once the murmurs subside. "Second, thanks to last night's...excitement, an official count of our new citizens was not taken down. I've assigned Marcus Ennia to be our new harbormaster...where are you lad?" At which point, the soldier that had helped everyone on the dock and had spoken with several of them steps forward and raises his hand amidst a small murmur of generally pleased conversation from the crowd. "For those of you who arrived last night, please speak with Marcus there by the end of the day so that he may take down your names and professions for our records. Thank you."

He pauses a moment to allow the townspeople to find the new harbormaster, "And that brings me to my next item of business, perhaps the most exciting news we've had in a long time. As those of you who have been here from the start, a long hard nine months has passed. We've lost many good friends, explorers, and soldiers. Wisely, the mainland called for a cessation of any exploration activity until reinforcements arrived. Two weeks ago, the first of those reserves arrived aboard the Carsus, carrying many of our new merchants, explorers, craftsmen, and laborers. Last night, the second of those reserves arrived aboard the Peerless, including more skilled craftsmen, merchants, and explorers. Additionally, one of the passengers bears special mention: our new consul, Alcaeus Ioel!" He gestures back to the Senator, then holds aloft his other hand to quell the rising conversations. "He now wishes to address the crowd."

The captain steps aside and bows his head to the consul then salutes him as the crowd applauds mildly. The Senator assumes a more erect, self-important posture and steps forward, his halfling manservant toddering slowly behind him obediently holding two items. Alcaeus casts his eyes over the crowd appraisingly (and according to Kyrial and Akaro, with no small amount of well-hidden disdain) and then raises his hand for the crowd to quiet down. "Thank you, captain. Unto you, Parthisa, I bring the greetings of our great Emperor Justarius Brill! Under his shining guidance and your exemplary diligence, this town will be but the first in this wondrous new world! And the most successful I daresay! And it gives me great honor to be chosen to be the first consul to serve in this new land!" He smiles warmly at the crowd as they cheer and clap more enthusiastically this time (though Akaro and Kyrial thinks the smile doesn't quite seem to reach his eyes). At this point, his servant Dathan holds forward one of the two items in his hand, which Alcaeus grabs and holds aloft. It is an intricately scribed scroll with a bright golden seal and ribbon affixed to it, which he unfurls for all to see. "And in that spirit of advancement, this document attests that the Emperor himself has lifted the ban on further exploration! He has deemed the reinforcements sufficient and skillful enough to be able to forge a path into the heart of this land and claim it for the glory of our great civilization!" This causes the crowd to swell in volume with their cheers and applause. The consul carefully rolls up the document after a moment, then looks back over to captain Keved. "Captain?" At which point, the Senator nods to the crowd and steps back into his former position, quickly reaching for the halfling's other item: the wineskin.

Captain Suleris Keved steps back in front of the crowd with a large, friendly if not hopeful grin etched on his face. He composes himself and then bids the crowd quiet down. "Now that is good news! With that in mind, any able-bodied and willing explorers, cartographers, scouts, sailors, bushwhackers, diplomats and adventurers are invited to declare his or her intent at the Temple of Abadar. There, various tasks have been tabulated that need addressed and assigned. I and my lieutenant will be there at the temple in an hour from now to personally oversee these efforts and assignments and conduct interviews. I look forward to speaking with you all! Now, if you recall, I said I would keep this meeting brief! And thus I declare this assembly at an end! Remember to speak with harbormaster Ennia if required!"

After this last announcement, Sergeant Aelas called those who volunteered to build the Pharasma church to speak with him. For those near the priestess Demna of Abadar within the crowd noticed that she looked simultaneously stunned, dismayed, and proud to bear witness to the assignments. Meanwhile, the crowd closed in on the captain to ask a number of questions, of which he seems happy to take some time to field to the best of his ability. However, the consul and his entourage have already retreated back around the trench and through the gates of town, tactfully ducking any questions.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin sighs. This was going to be a busy day. He would have to stop by the medics' building and the temple of Abadar before seeing the new harbormaster. And as willing as he was to help with the construction of the temple, he was more eager to get out into the wilds.
Well, lot to do, little time.
Nalin begins to head to the medic building.

[AngryCyc]

As the meeting adjourns, Felix tells the group "Well if you are serious about exploration for the various reasons, it seems we have a golden opportunity here. Would you lot consider meeting at the Temple of Abadar in 4 hours time, and we can see if they do not have an assignment that matches our own desires? We may be able to strike out into the jungles first thing tomorrow morning! But first I have much to do in that time... So I will see whoever is interested in 4 hours!"

He quickly heads off to start accomplishing tasks in the mean time. Firstly, he heads off to speak to the Harbormaster.

And additionally, I still have an agricultural contact, military contact, and little halfling snoop for the shop, so if you don't have those people picked out yet, I'd like to use this time to go find or meet these folks.

Felix also heads to his own shop to check on things there, and to take a quiet moment in the backroom to use a small coin he has to send a brief message back across the distant waters: All is well. Explorations of jungle begin soon. Will check out surroundings and report with details next week." he casts with the Sending spell.

He tells Rika of the crew's desire to head into the jungle and how she might be running the shop for quite a bit more as he goes and searches for new things to sell in the jungles, before finally making his way to the Temple of Abadar a bit earlier than he told everyone else to arrive. He takes some time reading into the different tasks they need accomplished, and asking around a bit about any parts he doesn't understand. To other intrigues, he takes the opportunity of being in the Temple of Abadar to open himself up to divine inspiration.

Pre-emptive knowledge checks for things I don't even know what I'm asking yet, but basically whatever different quests are available, more details on those:

At least 2 focused trances being used here for whatever knowledge category two of the most interesting/rewarding quests would fall under to get some holy knowledge about (thankfully all my knowledge modifiers are the same so it can just be rolled easily like this)

Knowledge(most interesting quest relevant category)[roll0]
Knowledge(most rewarding quest relevant category)[roll1]

Additionally, I guess it wasn't actually stated but, I don't ACTUALLY know that Abadar is the god giving him that 1 level of Oracle, so it may very well not even be Abadar letting him make focused trances. If you want him to have some evil demon lord doing it, go right ahead. In my opinion, Oracles get their powers forced upon them unwillingly so it's the DMs time to have some fun making the specific god be whatever he thinks is most interesting. Go nuts, I won't mind whatever you do with it.

[esorscher]

"Personal use, mostly, but I figure I could make copies to send back to the mainland for profit. They could be used for research." Simeon says, explaining his purpose in cartography.

Simeon listens intently to the speeches, struggling to comprehend some of the unfamiliar words but capturing the gist of what is said, and what he should do. After agreeing to meet Felix in four hours at the Temple of Abadar, he finds the Harbormaster Marcus and introduces himself as "Simeon Parentis, cartographer." He goes down to the beach to bear witness to the funeral ceremonies. Then, he heads for the Temple of Abadar, unless he sees the Priestess at the funeral ceremonies.

[AttilaTheGeek]

Kyrial walks quickly and silently over to Harbormaster Marcus, eager to get the formalities out of the way and proceed into the jungle. They introduce themselves plainly as "Kyrial. Druid." If prompted for more information, they elaborate only as little as necessary. "I am here as a representative of the Druidic Council, here to study the wildlife of Kavik." With that out of the way, they briefly pass by the funeral for the dead before proceeding to the Temple of Abadar to investigate any exploration groups. They'd be perfectly happy to go alone, but it would be safer to go in a group.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard is beaming throughout the whole of the speeches, drawing himself up to his full height to take in the sight of both the military commander of the settlement, a true exemplar of the Imperial Legions, and then the consul, whom looks to be every inch what a dutiful citizen should imagine a senator (right down to the wineskin). Inwardly, there is a little part of Rickard which is disappointed, for while Alcaeus appears competent so far, and carries the full weight of Imperial Authority with him, the heated discussion witnessed between him and the commander of the garrison seems a bit troublesome, certainly something that an Arbiter of Abadar might be useful in resolving, but any efforts to facilitate a smooth transition for the new Consul would rest upon the more overt representatives of the Gold Fisted God.

When Felix mentions meeting at the temple of Abadar, following the speech, Rickard is quick to agree. "I have some other business to attend to there as well, so I will await you all there." He says jovially before heading off to report to the new harbor master.

"Congratulations are in order I think, Harbormaster Ennia. Rickard Dorrel, Agent of the Merchant's Guild, reporting as requested. Your humble and obedient servant sir." He says, bowing respectfully before signing the required ledger and immediately heading for the temple of Abadar.

There he makes a quick survey of the crowd before doing his best to approach the priestess and priest in attendance and make his introduction.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro lasted through out Alcaeus' speech without batting an eyelid. He was half-surprised that there wasn't any baby kissing or children holding, though the possibly that young ones were a scarce resource on Parthisa might have played a role. He didn't seem like he would last long in Kavik, not with the rapidly dwindling supply in his wineskin.

Akaro informs harbormaster Ennia of his presence as Lord Shosuke's representative before listening in to the small crowd receiving orders from Sergeant Aelas. He had not officially offered his services but was curious to know more about what kind of needs had to be met. Shortly after, Akaro attends the remainder of funeral rites before heading to the Temple of Abadar early, hoping to pick up some leads on his task from whatever rumours and gossip circulating there.

[QuidEst]

Yelis resisted the urge to point out that sleeping out in the wilderness was liable to be remarkably conducive to becoming one with nature. For now, he could always hope.

The speeches were nothing too unexpected. Keved seemed pleasant enough, almost mayoral in his presentation, and Alcaeus was every bit the Emperor-botherer one would expect a man of his position to be. Bothered a bit too much, and wound up here for his trouble? It was an amusing thought, the consul talking himself into a corner where he couldn't refuse without embarrassing himself, and deciding it would be better to go to the new world than face embarrassment.

"Four hours sounds good," Yelis answered Felix after the meeting was over. That would leave three hours of interviews between them and all the dangerous and interesting jobs that they wanted to get rid of right away, and plenty of foolhardy souls. In the meantime, he could go register with the harbormaster.

One lengthy line later, he'd declared himself as, "Yelis Silvanus, mage and diplomat."

Clerical duties done for the time being, he set out to locate Ophelia and see how she was settling in. There were a lot of new faces to sketch, after all.

[SquirrelKing]

All Characters

At some point after the town assembly, each character visits Marcus, the new harbormaster to officially register their arrival. He greets each warmly and records their name and profession for the town roster. That task done, each of the Peerless' new arrivals goes about their own individual agenda and then ultimately meets at the temple of Abadar some time later.

===============
Nalin

Nalin crosses town to visit the medic's hall, which has its door wide open at the moment. As he gets to the stoop and can see inside the building, he makes out a well-appointed interior that is a bit of a surprising juxtaposition against the simple, neglected exterior. He can see a multitude of empty rectangular tables inside, each of which has a carefully folded pile of cloth at one end and a small wooden box. Nalin hears soft humming and the gentle scrape of wood a moment later. A fairly young halfling enters his view through the door. He has curly brown hair and wears a simple but clean brown coat with several pockets sewn into the front and simple white tunic and brown breeches beneath. Several of the pockets are occupied with various medical implements. He carries a well-worn wooden stool in his hands with a white towel bundled over one hand and then stops as he notices Nalin looking through the door.

He looks momentarily surprised which slowly gives way to nervousness as he takes in the juggernaut's physique. "Err...y-yes?" the halfling asks, gripping the stool tightly and rotates in place, putting the stool between Nalin and himself. Beyond the halfling, further into the room, Nalin can see some functional wooden cabinets with their doors closed and a simple wooden door leading to another room at the back of the building.

=============
Felix

When Felix returns to his store, he finds Rika talking to a young city guardsman in casual, comfortable conversation. "...hasn't been but three of four of 'em, can you believe it?" The soldier stops speaking, catches the half-elf's glance toward the door and turns as he hears Felix enter, "Ah, and this must be the owner. Felix, yes? Hello. I'm Sylus, one of the guards assigned to the merchants and craftsmen here in Parthisa. It's good to finally meet you in person. Rika has told me many good things." He extends his hand towards the div-born and shakes the offered hand in return. "I'm sorry but I really must get back to my patrol. But should you have any questions or need anything, please let me know. I'll be around...aint' too many places to go, after all!" He dips his head to Rika and Felix, then leaves the shop.

Rika welcomes Felix back to the store with her usual curtsy and then informs him that she's gotten to know a few contacts around town a little better than others. Sylus, for example, receives a slight discount in exchange for some information in regards to the other merchants around town, considering his patrols and constant contact. She also informs him of a man named Evin who owns one of the few others houses outside of Parthisa's walls. Evin is apparently a farmer who supplies the store with select fruit and vegetables from his crop in exchange for freshly sharpened blades, new baskets, and other tools that might assist a sharecropper. Kebb narrows his eyes at the mention of Evin, however. When asked why, he responds with a short shrug. "Don't like 'im much, boss. Don't trust 'im. But he ain't done nothin' wrong yet, so I let 'im in the shop. Does bring good fruits though. Owns a few slaves, but who of the rich don't?"

Rika looks at Kebb with a roll of her eyes. "You are just incapable of liking anyone other than me. Well, and Felix of course." Kebb simply shrugs and leans against the doorjamb. "Gimme a reason to," he says in response.

From the background, a high pitched voice calls merrily, "Aww, we know Kebby likes everyone. 'Specially me!" At the sound of the voice, Kebb growls lightly and mutters something about strangling. A halfling female dashes into the store then skids to a stop under the grasp of the half-orc. She is wearing a loose-fitting, flowing light blue sundress and has her curly black hair loosely tied back with a variety of ribbons. She looks ready to say something to Kebb, and then notices Felix standing there. "Oh!" She dips into a low curtsy, very similar to Rika's. She looks over at the half-elf and gives her an inquisitive glance. At Rika's nod, she practically squeals, "Ooooh! Soo nice ta meetcha boss! Well...yeah, I guess you're the boss. I don't really work for you, but I do work for Rika. Sorta. Well, I run errands and run all over town and get my nice dresses dirty cuz of her needy ways." She gives Rika a winning grin (who just smirks while Kebb lets out another low grumble), then looks placatingly at Felix, "Say, I'll let you hire me if you don't get my dresses dirty. I know lotsa people 'round town. Lots more'n that wallflower, Kebby anyways. So whattaya say,... boss?"

Before Felix can give his answer, regardless of affirmative or otherwise, she interrupts by chirping, "Ooooh! Excellent! It'll be great working for you! You need someone to watch Kebby in any case. Tomorrow then?" She ducks under Kebb's grasp again and just as quick as she darted in, she was gone.

With a light chuckle, Imrika leans against the counter and gestures to the diminutive figure dashing and skipping across the plaza. "And that little hurricane is Estela. She...has had a hard time of things since coming here. Her uncle and her husband were among those that never returned from the river explorations. It's just her now and she needed to get on her feet, fast as they are...and I helped her out. Plus, she's the only one that Kebb cannot keep from entering the store." A low grumble is heard from the doorway. Rika leans in and says softly, "She really does know everyone, though. I don't pay her much...it comes from my own salary. But...you just cannot help but like her!" Kebb's scoff argues to the contrary.

When Felix uses the coin, he hears his contact's voice in response. "Excellent. I'll inform our friends. I'll let you know if they have any requests. Be safe and journey well."


The Abadar temple portion will be handled below.

======================
Simeon, Akaro and Kyrial


Simeon, Akaro and Kyrial give their information to Marcus then walk to the beach-side funeral for those that passed earlier the previous night. Tatiana's head is bowed solemnly as she waits for those willing to attend to arrive. Over time, roughly thirty people attend the funeral rites. As soon as she determines that they've waited long enough, Tatiana begins to intone a heartfelt but solemn prayer to Pharasma beseeching that she guide and protect the souls of the lost.

The young priestess begins to call out each name. She pauses between each name to allow for anyone that knew them to give any final words to the fallen. Ophelia, the scribe, has something small but tender to say about each, having made sure to introduce herself to everyone aboard the ship during their five months at sea. When the twins' names are called, she adds that their bravery and self-sacrifice should be noted and remembered. Most of the other passengers of the Peerless are in attendance save for the consul, who despite saying the night before that the twins' heroics shall be honored, did not attend to make good on his word. The others though make use of the opportunity to pay their last respects.

After all words have been said, Tatiana intones one last blessing upon the souls to ensure they remain at peace. The ceremony over, the young woman bashfully informs everyone that the service is concluded and thanks them sincerely for attending. While during the funeral she was well and fully in command, well-spoken and comfortable with the process, afterward she was quite soft-spoken and meek...just as she was aboard the ship.

Akaro also makes his way to speak with Sergent Aelas, who is busy recording names for building the new temple of Pharasma. He pauses a moment to bow to the tengu respectfully, then continues informing the roughly dozen volunteers of the initial requirements for the efforts: identifying a site (to which he defers to Tatiana when she arrives a few minutes later), gathering raw materials, leveling the land of the intended site, and any of a number of other minutiae. He turns to Akaro and inquires, "Will you be joining the temple building or are you helping with the explorations?"

((The temple of Abadar actions will be covered below.))

====================
Yelis

After informing Marcus of his name and profession, Yelis catches up with Ophelia just after she'd finished attending the funeral. She smiles sadly as Yelis approaches, "You know, I thought those twins were all bluster...but...it appears I was wrong." She fingers the journal in her hands absently. "I realized during the funeral speeches that I...never sketched them aboard the ship." She laughs sourly, "I thought them annoying. And so...I find myself possessing only images of their death in those waters. Would...can you...<she sighs>...can I bother you to assume their character for a more...flattering and appropriate sketch? If you have the time, of course..."

Provided Yelis is willing, she seems put at ease greatly by putting her frustrations and sadness to paper. Her artistry is impressive to behold indeed. She shows Yelis the final results of the sketches, asks for his input, and as they converse back and forth, her mood improves over time. They banter back and forth for some time, all the while Yelis assumes the myriad forms of people he'd met during the feast last night, of which Ophelia draws quick sketches gladly.

Before he knows it, a couple of hours has passed. At one point, Waya nudges him with her muzzle, chuffles lightly and looks at the door then at him fixedly. He finds that he needs to rush off to the temple of Abadar before they make their decision without him.

========================
At the Temple of Abadar

A sturdy wooden sign has been installed in front of the temple. Arrayed around it is a number of townsfolk and would-be explorers, chattering excitedly in front of it. Affixed to the sign with nails are the following documents:


http://i.imgur.com/hGuR8yl.png
http://i.imgur.com/YYEy1wR.png

The temple doors are closed, but not locked. A single guardsman is standing in front of the temple doors, ensuring that all callers have standard temple business. Otherwise, all exploration and colonization business related to the afternoon's announcement is directed to Lieutenant Arrend at the Lucky Hunter.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin sighed inwardly. The reaction was hardly a new one, but it was so tiresome.
I am Nalin, a newcomer. I was told this was where I should come with knowledge of healing. Was I misinformed, good halfling?

[esorscher]

At the Temple of Abadar, Simeon rounds up the adventurers that he recognizes from their voyage (the players) and addresses them. "I spoke with the Priestess of Abadar last night. She mentioned that there was another Priest of Abadar who went missing. I'd like to look for him, see if we can't bring him back to help lighten her workload. I understand Abadar is the god of business, and one thing a place like this never runs out of is a need for paper-pushers. Returning a Priest of Abadar to the temple sounds like it would do a world of good. So, I think that's item 8.

Depending on where he went, we can also explore other regions--if he went west, we can make contact with the quicklings. If he went east, we can eliminate the creepers, or maybe find a peaceful solution. If he went south, maybe we'll find what remains of the other groups that went that way, or what's responsible for their disappearance.

Really, anywhere we go, I can make maps. We just need to pick a direction. My first vote is for the rescue mission, with any of these other tasks, if convenient. What do you think?"

[SquirrelKing]

The initial shock seems to pass on the halfling's face in quick order. With a shrug, he turns back in the direction he'd originally been heading and continues walking with the stool in hand. "Well then, come on in." He walks over to one of the cabinets, sets down the stool, and climbs onto it. As Nalin enters the building, it smells of a mixture of wood with faintly chemical overtures. The halfling looks over at Nalin as he opens the cabinet door, revealing an array of small bottles, bandages, and implements. "Another person with healing knowledge will be most helpful. Brelis will be glad to hear of it."

He looks over at Nalin and sees the look of confusion. "Oh, right. Newcomer," he chuckles softly, "Brelis is the lead physician, but he's out running errands...I think. I'm his assistant, Dek. Excuse me," Dek says as he climbs off of the stool and makes his way past Nalin to the other side of the room. There are a few battered wooden crates sitting in that corner of the room, one with the lid pried off. He kneels down and pulls a few stoppered vials out of the straw packing material, cradling them loosely in his right arm which is pressed against his chest. "That ship that just came last night had some supplies. Finally." Then he pads back over to the other side of the room where the cabinet is, climbs up on his stool, and starts to put the vials away, the glass tinkling lightly as he shifts them around.

It's evident to Nalin that Dek is not the most...organized or efficient individuals, but he is energetic.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin chuckles at the halflings enthusiasm.
Well then, I'll come by again later. I also intend to go out into the wilderness. As you can see, I have certain...deformities. They are magical in nature, and I am hoping some of the local legends may help me find a cure.
He bids farewell to Dek and goes to find the new harbormaster.
Greetings. I had some business to attend to before coming here and stating my profession. Nalin Fiendcursed, explorer and physician.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro returns Sergeant Aelas' courteous bow before replying, "Ha, I have little talent as a craftsman, I'm afraid. I will likely join the exploration expeditions that are soon to come. Nevertheless, I was curious to know if the construction effort requires any rarer materials that I could keep an eye out for during the expeditions."



"Retrieving the lost priest sounds like a good idea, do we have any leads on where he might have gone ?" wonders Akaro aloud at Simeon's suggestion.

[AttilaTheGeek]

After Simeon says his piece, Kyrial takes their turn to address the assembled adventurers. "I propose heading along the river, straight into the jungle. The forest is powerful because it is not understood; cataloging the plants and animals would allow us to better know the dangers that face this town. We might even find the soldiers who went missing. Not only would they have incredible knowledge of the land, but their numbers would also strengthen Parthisia.

[AngryCyc]

"Funny you should mention that. I took the time to go find out about those who are unaccounted for and several did in fact head down the river." Felix says, and then gives a brief overview of the missing:

I didn't want to do this in quotes as it'll be easier for you to reference it as posted like this... Just pretend he said all this though:

- Theorin Quist: previously the higher-ranking human priest of the temple of Abadar in town, he disappeared about a month previous. He was last seen by the lumber mill along the river, taking inventory. His disappearance has left Demna Keysworn, normally a banker and barrister by trade, as the only keeper of the temple.

- Havoril Penn: a half-elf explorer and cartographer, he was the team lead of the second group that disappeared down the river. The other three members of his group were two halflings (Estela’s uncle Luthius and husband, Mico) and a human mage named Delauney. Incidentally, Delauney was the last arcanist in Parthisa until the reinforcements arrived.

- Eamon Denholm: a human explorer and adventurer, he was the team lead of the first group that disappeared down the river. He had two others with him, a dwarf runecaster named Byar and a female human cleric of Cayden Cailean named Alexia.

- Paige Mallius: wife of a soldier in Parthisa, she was last seen crossing the bridge across the river towards the creepers. This was before the creepers were known of, so it is assumed she was captured and eaten, but no remains have been found.

- Vinca Demorn: human female captain of the Stalwart; she and her crew of nearly forty were sent to map the coastlines and look for other suitable landing sites. They were last seen sailing east along the coast.


"The river will also gives us the chance to check out some alternative food sources. There's some catfish that might be very useful if farmed. Why not kill a few birds with one stone?"

[SquirrelKing]

Sergeant Aelas grins and nods to Akaro. "Very well. I wish you luck, safety and success in your journeys. I have to admit that I'm envious. Part of me wants to see what's out there." He pauses and stares longingly to the south for a few seconds, idly rubbing his beard as always when in thought. With a dismissive shrug, he refocuses his gaze on Akaro. "Somehow, I don't think Captain Keved wants me out there however. Alas. But to answer your question, I don't think there are any special materials required." He leans in close to speak softly in the tengu's ear so as not to be heard by those around. "However, raw metal ore is starting to dwindle and the ship that was supposed to carry the ore resupply has yet to arrive...the Imperator, I believe? Whatever the case, find a source of iron ore and I believe you'll find yourself very popular in short order."

He nods once more, gives Akaro a firm two-handed handshake and bids him safe journeys once more before returning his attention to the others gathered around for the building of the new temple.

[LordHavelock]

After a timely wait, Rickard is most thankful for the shade cast by the temple and gives much thought to the construction of it, and significance of having such a testament to civilization be first and foremost amongst Parthisa's settlement. Although possessing no eye for architecture, the humble building is worthy of it's surroundings, but as time goes by he cannot help but begin to imagine a grand cathedral, not in the fashion of the Imperial Capital (it would be vanity to presume to approach on the glory and opulence of the Golden Vault, the very center of Imperial worship for Abadar) but rather, a more practical structure, to weather whatever tropical storms or other hazards might assail the coast, balanced against accessibility to those who rely on the temple for mediation, record-keeping, and security. Soon enough though, it is his turn for the line and he states his business with the Guard, wishing to open an account and deposit the weighty purse he had thus far kept on his person. "The sum is . . . rather large, and I would prefer not to cause a spectacle. If I might see the priestess privately settle the details personally?" Not an undo request, but Rickard is sure to make his request humbly.


Diplomacy: [roll0]

[QuidEst]

"I understand the urgency of any rescue missions being attempted as soon as possible," Yelis said, not bringing up his somewhat pessimistic views on the matter. If it were him, he would certainly appreciate the foolhardy optimism, so he wasn't going to discourage it. "Following its conclusion, Those Above permitting," he added, reaching for the cluster of holy symbols he had under his cloak. "I would be interested in pursuing any efforts towards diplomatic relations with the Quicklings. Local allies would make short work of many of the tasks."

[esorscher]

Simeon listens quietly while everyone speaks, then once everyone has had a turn to propose, suggests, "So, rescue along the river first, then diplomacy with the quicklings. Now, how to split the rewards of our ventures? I propose a company, in which we are founding members, and all receive equal share. You'd be guiding me along my explorations, you'd get profits from my maps. And any rare resources, food sources, etc., we'd all profit from. And of course, the spoils and rewards from our adventures. But I'm not a businessman, I don't know how to word it. Thoughts on that?"

[AngryCyc]

Felix looks around slightly angrily, and answers "Well first of all, from what I've heard, I'm not stepping one foot near that quickling village unless I'm going there to wipe them off the face of the earth. I'm perfectly content just making this about the river for now, and I think that'll keep our hands full for quite some time.

And to form a company? That seems a bit... well. I mean. I already HAVE a business that will be selling the fruits of my labor, so that's not exactly advantageous to me. Maybe that would be a good idea if we were actually being financed for this by some larger entity but, no this doesn't need to be chartered in any way. We can simply help eachtoher with the various things each of us is trying to do, and the profits can be split in such a way as to be most beneficial for everyone, while still being fairly even.

I do recommend that if we find anything valuable worth selling, and if nobody wants it for themselves, my shop can usually sell things for a slight profit in our favor that we can split. You all get more money, I get more business. It's a win/win don't you think?"

[esorscher]

"I have no problem selling things through your shop for more profit, I just want to make sure nobody is being taken advantage of. A company doesn't need to be a business, maybe a "limited partnership" would be a better term. Limited in duration, not in scope. I use the term "company" to refer to a group of people working toward the same end, in this case, the rescue of the villagers, exploration of the river area, and discovery of resources."

[AngryCyc]

"Ah that is more feasible then... certainly better than me running TWO companies in direct competition with eachother."

[QuidEst]

Yelis was a little surprised at Felix's response. "And what have you heard that I haven't, then? So far as I know, they haven't killed anybody. And even if they had, I would still imagine a few recourses possible before 'unconditional wholesale slaughter of every man, woman, and child' was put on the table. I'm not contributing a cursed copper to your apparently aptly named enterprise if that's what you have in mind for another race, sight unseen," he snapped, before managing to calm himself when he saw Waya's hackles rising. He took a deep breath, and smiled shallowly. "Now, I might be missing something. If you're aware of any periodic brutal ritual sacrifices of kidnapped victims to Rovagug or something of that nature, then perhaps I've been too hasty."

[Vhaidara]

It is about this time that Nalin arrives at the temple to meet everyone else.
Greetings. Did I miss anything important?

[AngryCyc]

Felix just shrugs at the belligerent outburst and ignores answering it.

"Just discussing which tasks we should accomplish, while some of us put words in other peoples' mouths because they don't understand language order properly enough to grasp what someone says. So really, not much. Seems like there's mostly interest in heading down the river though, and searching for missing people."

[esorscher]

"I too, am confused. What does 'wipe them off the face of the earth' mean? Idioms are always difficult for me." Simeon says, sincerely puzzled as a non-native speaker of Common.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin gives Simeon a strange look.
Generally, it means killing all of a group of people. And I'm not surprised you haven't heard it, it's obviously a rather extreme measure.

[AngryCyc]

"Well here let me clarify for you. What that exact phrase means is to kill them. What it means in the context of what I said was a way to say I did not want to go there unless it was for hostile reasons. What our friend Yelis here has twisted the words to is that 'I desire to go there to kill them' when in fact it was more 'I do not desire to go there for diplomatic reasons, and will only head there if it's for hostile reasons'. Which, interestingly enough, is not at all saying that I desire TO kill them. Do you see both the meaning of what I said, and also the way that Yelis misinterpreted it to fit his own prejudices? Language is tricky like that.

That's why when someone states they're view on something, one..." he turns here to glare fiercely at Yelis for the first time, "...should not take the opportunity twist it into being something it's not. And I'll appreciate it if you learn what language means too!"

[Vhaidara]

Nalin's perturbed look now goes to Felix.
Well, I have every intention of attempting to make peaceful contact with the natives. I am hoping to learn something from them. Perhaps you, good merchant, should be more open minded towards new cultures.

[esorscher]

Simeon looks at Felix. "May I ask, why do you feel that way about the Quicklings? I know nothing about them."

[QuidEst]

"Perhaps you don't want to kill them, but a lack of objections and what bears a strong resemblance to 'I would rather kill them than talk to them' isn't that much of an improvement. I figured you would be somewhat more open-minded, considering there are probably people who would make a similar statement about your store. But bravo for being a little less terrible than I initially thought," Yelis replied.

[AngryCyc]

"Thieving little tricksters who have so far done not a single thing to ingratiate themselves to the people of the town, despite attempts to befriend them. They may very well be the direct reason that so many have gone missing though there's no evidence of that. They still are the most intelligent people we have met here and yet they have done NOTHING to aid us. Do you not believe that natives here would be perfectly informed enough to advise of the dangers present?

Put another way, if you showed up to my doorstep on a cold stormy night asking for a place to sleep, and I told you to sleep in my shed out back... But instead of telling you that the shed has several traps in it that you should avoid and also that there was a monster in the back corner of the shed oh and finally that eating the food in the shed will make you go sterile... No instead of telling you any of that, I steal everything you carry. How would you feel? Would your friends be eager to meet me as well?

I'm not looking to hamper your efforts, but I AM interested in avoiding making friendly with a group of people who in my opinion do NOT deserve yet another chance to screw us over."

[esorscher]

Simeon nods appreciatively at Felix's argument. "At some point, though, we will want to explore their territory. At least, I will. What are your thoughts on that?"

[AngryCyc]

"My thoughts are that loads of other people are eager to do the same adventuring we are, and if we head down the river and return some missing or dead folks while maybe finding a new source of food, it gives time for other people to do the less desirable task of making diplomatic advances. I see more profit for myself in heading down the river.... And I can only pray that the task is finished by the time we return."

[SquirrelKing]

All the while, during this conversation potential explorers and curious townspeople come and go and gather around the announcement board. The volume of the conversation is quite loud and animated, the tone excited and anxious. Several townspeople are gathered around the various carts and wagons in the central bazaar, alternating between conducting business and discussing the upcoming explorations, discoveries, and so on.

Military personnel and guardsmen are gathered in intermittent groups discussing much the same thing. They seem just as excited as the citizenry if not more. Overheard among their discussions is that rigorous training is to resume the next day, as up until now the training regimen was rather lax given the suspension of their explorations. The newly sanctioned expansion has the soldiers who'd been previously bored and restless ready to get back on task.

One group that arrives a little later and discusses the tasks on the board is familiar to the group from the Peerless: the wizard Marthon and the scribe Ophelia. Marthon, a half-elf that is extraordinarily thin, pale and has wispy brown hair, looks positively miserable under the sun within his official Veneficium robes. Ophelia on the other hand looks noticeably more comfortable and animated in a light tunic and breeches outfit. On seeing Yelis and the others, she waves lightly and smiles, then goes back to discussing the boards with Marthon. The wizard examines the task list and seems disappointed. "Should've been something about new magic or ingredients, at least," he grumps.

Another group that sticks around to chat within earshot while the group is gathered there consists of three humans (two of which, judging by the fact they are holding hands, are in a relationship if not married) and a female humanoid with pale white skin and hair with light swirling patterns on her skin. They seem to be having a similar conversation about where to go and what tasks to undertake. Kyrial's keen ears pick out that they seem to be debating about going east or west, but are less than enthused about heading down the river.

===========
Rickard

The guard, once rather bored looking, draws himself up to stand at full height before Rickard. He stands perhaps six and a half feet tall and looks down at Rickard appraisingly. "Look around. Do you see the priestess?" He gestures out to the waiting area, half of which is dedicated to a shrine with a simple altar. The other half of the room, separated by a half wall, is a series of chairs and benches for visitors. Three doors are beyond the waiting area, each of them with a gold-flaked number reading 1, 2, and 3. Five people are gathered in the room beside Rickard. As Rickard realizes she is not in the main chamber, the guard nods. "There? You see. No priestess. She conducts all her business privately," he gestures to door number two. "So what sort of spectacle are you trying to avoid? I think you're a new guy really trying to flaunt your money. Pff. Just what we need...another merchant or whatever your are showing off their money."

[QuidEst]

Yelis looked like he was going to protest, but he stopped himself. "I see. That makes sense, although I have a very different interpretation of the Quicklings. I apologize for misconstruing your intent." As much as he hated to admitting he was wrong- or perhaps in this case hasty- he wasn't willing to jeopardize any friendship with Felix for anything less than necessity. "And if you're right, then we'll be glad of that caution."

[AngryCyc]

"Oh. ..well. Thanks. Maybe I didn't phrase it the best way possible the first time....." Felix mumbles a bit...

[QuidEst]

Yelis grinned. "Still, better with a friend than a costumer, hmm? I'm still interested in attempting to smooth things over, having some doubts about the previous team's handling of the situation. If you ever change your mind, I would feel safer with somebody properly suspicious hanging back."

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro nods in understanding of the Sergeant's tip. "Thank you for the hint, I'll be sure to bring you a souvenir of the mineral variety if I can find one." As the Sergeant turns away to handle other matters, an idea springs in Akaro's mind. "Ah, Sergeant, a quick moment please. I recall there was at least one attempt to make official contact with the quicklings that went sour. Would there be anyone from the expedition from whom I could obtain a first hand account?"



"It's too early to judge the quicklings without personal experience. Some agents of the Empire can be.... less than tolerant of others unlike them. I would not be surprised if the diplomatic mission failed due to mutual misunderstanding of cultural differences. It's all too easy to chalk them to malicious intent.

In any case, the quicklings have not been given an incentive to assist in Parthisa's survival but neither have they actively tried to uproot it after negotiations failed. To continue Felix's stormy analogy, why should the home owner even welcome a stranger of unknown identity and provide amenities at no cost ? With their speed and knowledge of the lay of the land, destruction of Parthisa right now would be trivial should they desire so. Given Parthisa's current situation, guerilla assaults on the farmers and fishermen to cut off food supplies would be more sufficient to starve out the entire settlement. If they can pick things from your pack, adding a dagger or two into your soft spots would not be a difficult task for them. It is premature to declare a successful genocide." Akaro adds to the discussion on how the quicklings were to be handled.

[AttilaTheGeek]

Kyrial stares straight into the eyes of the eavesdropper, making it very clear that they know he's watching, but they do not move to pursue when the man scurries away. They inwardly glower at Felix for his willingness to resort to genocide so quickly, but lifetimes of difficult negotiations have trained Kyrial not to show any emotion when they don't want to. Kyrial returns to the conversation and contributes in an even, steady manner- they don't want to make any unnecessary enemies. "Despite what we may or may not believe about the quicklings, the fact of the matter is this: these quicklings have decided, either individually or as a group, that out of all the interactions they could have with this settlement- they could attack us, befriend us, starve us, ignore us, or feed us to the wolves- they have decided that the occasional petty theft is the best possible course of action. Why might that be? And what does that say about quicklings as a group? Answering that question will illuminate the minds of our neighbors and, perhaps, enable successful diplomatic relations."

[esorscher]

Simeon listens carefully to all the party's arguments about the quicklings, thinking about his own experiences as a "savage" before being "civilized." He says nothing on the matter, but instead, says, "We could talk and talk about this forever and never get anywhere. It is all conjecture at this point. For the time being, we are agreed that the rescue of the Parthisan settlers is our first priority. Let's get started on that. Is there anything else we need to do before we set out? Is there anyone else we need to talk to, anyone else to join our company? The more we learn about our surroundings, the more accurate a decision we can make about our future plans."

[LordHavelock]

Rickard does his best to grin sheepishly after his faux pas, but decides better of passing comment and instead makes his way as humbly as possible into the second chamber as indicated by the irate guard. 'Well, at least that should help to secure my cover as a wealthy lout of the Merchant's Guild.' he thinks to himself, before making his way inside.

[SquirrelKing]

Rickard approaches the simple but sturdy wooden door adorned only by the gold-flaked number two. He knocks and shortly thereafter a woman's voice bids him enter. Seated behind a wooden desk with the golden symbol of Abadar's key on the front is a human woman in the white robe of an Abadar follower. She has graying brown hair wrapped up into a bun, thin spectacles perched on a steeply slanted nose, tired blue eyes that are slightly reddened from fatigue, and a light complexion.

She looks up at Rickard from her paper-scattered desk. Several ink pots and quills line the edge of the desk and several sheets of parchment have been piled haphazardly, atop each pile is a fist-sized stone with words etched into them (To Do, Banking, Military, and Exploration are among them). Two small windows are open, allowing a moderate breeze through the room...hence the stones. Her voice is pleasant, if not a bit tired. "How may I be of service, sir?"

As Rickard offers his money for storage in the bank, she smiles and accepts the money, counting it in front of him. Then she draws up a document with Rickard's account information contained therein and summons a guard to stow the money. She explains how to access the money as he requires. She adds the document to the Banking stone pile and then asks if Rickard requires anything else.

When he responds with the thinly veiled indications that he is in service of Abadar, she seems relieved to hear it and asks if he intends to help around the temple as she is the only anointed and appointed servant currently. At least, for the last month this has been the case. Prior to then, a priest named Theorin Quist was the lead priest, but he had gone missing from the wood mill at the river when performing an inventory count. She's unaware of what happened to him and is greatly saddened by his loss, not only because he was a friend but also because of the increased workload.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard deposits a full thousand of the crowns he brought to be held in trust by the bank, but at the news to her request and the news that Theorin has gone missing he is most taken aback. "I must apologize that I cannot offer much by way of assistance around the temple." He says, most regretfully, but leans in close over the desk to whisper, "I have been charged with the protection and maintenance of this most important temple in the new world; The Justicars recognize the importance of Parthisa, namely in the work done by yourself in service to these good people, but fear for it's security in so wild and untamed a place, apparently with due concern. My presence here is to be kept secret, and I arrived under the guise of an agent of the Merchant's guild. It was my intent to seek out their representative here, stem any potential for corruption of the abuse of power before it begins, but now I see I must make returning Father Quist to his station here the highest priority. There are a group of explorers I will be setting out with, in hopes of finding the missing persons, I assume including Theorin, but until I return I know you will continue to serve Lord Abadar faithfully. Perhaps there are some in the village who can be elevated to lay ministers of the faith? I myself started in just such a position and they could well be of use to you."

Standing straight again, he offers his sincere condolences and a farewell before departing to rendezvous with those others with whom he had made the crossing, in hopes of formalizing their contract as a venturing party, the better to steer them towards locating Father Theorin.

[SquirrelKing]

As the Sergeant turns away to handle other matters, an idea springs in Akaro's mind. "Ah, Sergeant, a quick moment please. I recall there was at least one attempt to make official contact with the quicklings that went sour. Would there be anyone from the expedition from whom I could obtain a first hand account?"

A pained smile crosses Aelas' features. He places a hand on Akaro's shoulder and leads him away from the other townsfolk that are gathered around. He keeps his voice low and tilts his head towards Akaro. "Some few of them are still around, yes. The group that went was accompanied by my son, Sergeant Calos. At the time, the Greenwatch hadn't been formed or assigned." At Akaro's look of mild confusion, Aelas elaborates, "The Greenwatch is the patrol that makes its way regularly around the jungle's edge, looking for intrusion, signs of danger, identifying food sources, and similar. My son is the officer in charge. But at the time of the meeting with the quicklings, Calos was there as an official representative of the military and simply accompanied the settlers...many of whom have since perished in further explorations. He has...no love for the quicklings. I don't know what happened. I know he has briefed the Captain on it, but he won't open up to me. He's a stubborn jackass...like his dad." Aelas leans back and stands fully upright again. He tears a small corner of the parchment serving as the roster of volunteers for the Pharasma temple and uses his charcoal pencil to jot something down. He hands the scrap over to Akaro, then with a voice that projects at normal volume, he continues, "I hope that helps, my friend. Safest of journeys to you." He gives one last bow, and then returns to organizing the build.


http://i.imgur.com/XH9oNnh.png

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro receives the small parchment respectfully with both hands with a bow. Staring at the name written on the fragment until he has memorised it, Akaro carefully folds the parchment in four and tucks in within his tunic before leaving for the Temple.


At the Temple

"I was kindly given a lead a little while ago: The name of one of the surviving members in the diplomatic mission with the quicklings." Akaro retrieves the small parchment from his tunic, unfolds it and shows it to the group. "With casualty rates as they are and exploration set to resume soon, it may be best that this person be interviewed before we leave. Whether it is to make peace or war with them, first hand information would be worth their weight in gold. After our official business at the Lucky Hunter is settled, I intend to seek out this person. Any and all are welcome to join me, my appearance can make friendly contact... difficult at times."

[SquirrelKing]

The conversation in regards to the company name, preferred tasks to accomplish and in which order, and other sundry items for their upcoming exploration continued for a while. During that time, Rickard exited the temple and joined the conversation mid-stream and offered his opinions as well. Each individual brought a certain valuable skillset and they lay them out as to how to best use them.

Their decisions made, they made their way to the Lucky Hunter to report to Lieutenant Valdus Arrend, as the bulletin board instructed. Inside, they found that one half of the main tavern floor (the half beyond the bar, likely by Dellen’s influence) was reserved for the lieutenant’s use. One of the rectangular tables was arranged longitudinally, with the lieutenant seated on the opposite side. Flanking him stood two soldiers, one of which was in officer’s livery while the other was in the studded leather armor of a town guardsman. A small crowd of spectators was gathered on the other half of the tavern, chatting quietly but excitedly.

Standing in front of the table was a group of three humans in explorer’s gear that indicated their intent to search the shipwreck. While Felix, Akaro and the others waited, Vesta (the barmaid) offered the group drinks and idle, friendly conversation to pass the time. Yelis and Kyrial noticed, while gathered together and drinking and chatting, the crowd of patrons was surreptitiously passing coins back and forth. After a moment, it hit them – the patrons were gambling on the explorers!

In about ten minutes’ time, it was their turn to chat with the lieutenant. Up until that moment, the group had never met him or seen him before. He was a monster of a man, broad of shoulder, muscle and jaw. His dark brown hair was cut short, had piercing judgmental dark eyes, and a thick beard. A heavy scar bisected the beard on his left side that continued down to his neck. “Well, ain’t this a sorry lot. This here table is for explorers only. Go to the other half of the room with the rest of the drunkards and dregs.” When the group responded that they intended to participate in the explorations, he finally took a keen assessment of them. They each felt thoroughly examined and could almost hear the litany of insults forming in his mind for each of them. That is, until his gaze reached Nalin.

“Well, by Abadar’s big golden balls, if it ain’t Nalin Fiendcursed. I’d know that third arm anywhere. I seen you on the battlefield at Kol’Derin, what, ten years ago? Right nasty s**t you did. Don’t tell me the Cap put you in charge of these blaggards?” When Nalin indicated that they’d formed an adventuring company unaffiliated with the military, Valdus was incredulous. “Don’t bust my balls, I only got two of ‘em! Wait…yer serious? Well for fu… Fine. Can you believe this, Calos?” He looked over at the officer to his right, who shook his head and regarded Felix and especially Akaro with nothing but disdain.

“Well then, at least they have a Juggernaut to keep ‘em alive ‘n under control. They look as they’ll fall to pieces if you shout too loud. Alright. Down to business,” he says before asking a number of questions, including the name (if any) of the adventuring company, the leader of the expedition, what tasks they wanted to sign up for, and intended departure date. He jots the answers down as though the pencil and paper insulted his mother, practically stabbing his charcoal pencil into the parchment on the table’s surface. The questions concluded, he nods, “Right. There’s five before ya, so you’ll be sixth to see the Cap ‘n me at the temple later. Assemble out in front of the Temple in two hours’ time an’ wait to be called. An you,” he growls and stands, hands gripping the table’s surface tightly with barely restrained rage, his fierce gaze directed at Akaro, “if I so much as hear a whisper of you steppin’ outta line and betrayin’ the expeditions, I’ll lower the axe personally in front of everyone. It’s a f[censored]g crime to let you even go…but your orders from Shosuke seem in order. Nalin, watch this traitorous bastard. And gods be with you, on account of they ain’t done them no favors,” he gestured to the others. With one last stab of his pencil on the parchment, he dismissed the group. Akaro probably wisely refrained from asking about his lead on the failed quickling meeting, but Nalin used his apparent rapport and respect with the lieutenant to ask in his place. Valdus responded, “Talbot? He’s one of the trappers and tanners. The tannery is down by the cliffs, that way. Stinks more’n Gorum’s codpiece sweat, both him and the place,” and he jerked a thumb to the east.

That…pleasant conversation over, they chatted quietly and waited for their turn at the temple. An hour later, the first of the groups comes out of the temple, excitement written all over their faces, talking animatedly but quietly among themselves, and headed south from the bazaar. Then the second group after them…the third…the fourth…until finally “Company of the Golden Foxes!” is bellowed by Captain Keved from the front door. The bald soldier wore full Imperial captain’s armor, including a shining breastplate with mail and leather intermixed elsewhere and a red cape pinned at the shoulders by golden sea dragon-shaped clasps. He shook each of their hands with an easy smile and bade them enter the temple.

The chapel and shrine has been converted into a meeting area, with two tables arranged longitudinally, end to end just in front of the altar to Abadar. The effect is that Abadar himself is presiding over the assignments and declarations. Adding to that impression was priestess Keysworn, who wore full Abadar regalia, including the white and gold-trimmed robes, a golden key hung around her neck as her holy symbol, and a golden rope tied around her waist. She sat at the center of the joined tables, just in front of the altar. To her left sat Captain Keved and, beyond him, Lieutenant Arrend. To her right sat the consul Alcaeus Ioel (with a glass of wine in front of him) and the scribe Ophelia. Arranged in front of the tables were several chairs, in which priestess Keysworn gestured for the group to sit.

The meeting began with Alcaeus thanking the brave explorers for their service to the Empire in this, their most important effort. He then turned it over to the priestess to bless the meeting, which she did with a short but officious prayer. Alcaeus resumed by reading out the details of the information collected by Lieutenant Arrend, then asked if they were accurate.

The party was required to verbally acknowledge their assent, at which point Ophelia began writing swiftly and surely on the multitude of papers in front of her. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Arrend kept a fierce gaze on the group, brooding silently as Captain Keved looked comfortable and amicable by comparison, though seated erect in his chair. He passed his gaze over each of them and nodded slightly if any met his eyes.

Her writing finished, Ophelia nodded to the consul who then took a long sip of his wine and stood back up, surrounded in his senatorial robes. He began to read off a list of terms for the group to accept for the explorations ((for brevity, they were detailed on page 9 of the OOC thread)). He paused occasionally to wipe the sweat from his brow and to drink from his ornate wine goblet, which was kept full by the ever-dutiful and mostly unseen Dathan. The reading of the list completed, he looked at the group once more and assumed an even more officious and self-important pose only mastered by the nobility and Senate. “Do you, members of the Company of the Golden Fox, hereby attest that you understand and agree to the terms as read by Alcaeus Ioel, Consul of Parthisa, acting on behalf of the Golden One, mighty Sun Emperor Justarius Brill VII and witnessed by Demna Keysworn, servant of Abadar the Master of the First Vault and Keeper of Laws? State your name and affirm, each of you.”

He waited until each member of the group attested their agreement to the terms. Once complete, he nodded to Ophelia, who began scribing again. “Then I and all of the Empire bid you, Company of the Golden Fox, success on your journey and recognize you as a fully formed and legal venturing company from this point forward, based here in Parthisa, with all of the rights and benefits previously ascribed. Come forward and sign your birthname on this document.” The party stepped forward to do as instructed. Each person was offered an ink quill with a golden feather with ink already gathered at the tip, yet it had no inkwell. As each member of the Company signed the document, the ink glowed briefly on the parchment. When all had signed, the document was passed to Ophelia and the consul sat back down, pulled another heavy swig of wine and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Priestess Keysworn stood as the consul sat and she banged a golden gavel on the table (which made the consul jump slightly and glare briefly up at her) and intoned, “Witnessed by the Judge of the Gods. May his perfect order be spread far and wide by these brave explorers.” The consul produced a wax seal and affixed the Imperial seal on the document. It was official. The Company of the Golden Fox was formed!

“The scribe Ophelia shall provide each member of the Company a copy of the contract as she is able to complete them. They can be picked up here upon your return from your first journey,” she smiled and sat back down in her chair. “Unofficially, I wish you luck as well. I realize that there is much to do. So, if I and the temple may be of any assistance, please ask.”

At this point, Captain Keved stood and congratulated each on their bravery and wished them success. Lieutenant Arrend muttered something similar but stayed seated. The captain then produced a scroll and handed it to the Company leader. “This is a list of known missing persons. Each person on that list describes their physical appearance, role in Parthisa, and where and when they were last seen. For each returned missing person, whether they be alive or deceased, consul Alcaeus has decreed that 750 gold crowns be rewarded to the Company that returns him or her first. Additionally, for each sustainable and significant source of new food, a finder’s fee of 500 gold crowns will be rewarded along with first rights for its sale, remembering the Empire’s right of first refusal. Further, a Company whose direct action that leads to the peaceful and sustained contact with a native race, with sustained defined as a period of no less than three months and containing at minimum three meetings with leaders, will result in each founding member of the Company a reward of 3,000 gold crowns. I realize that this last item was not your chosen task, but please keep it in mind should you encounter any natives on your journey south along the river. Our goal is to make peace with the natives and introduce our culture, civilization and laws over time. Now, do any of you have any questions? Otherwise, it is time I admit the next group.”

At that point, the group was able to ask any questions they wished of the assembled leadership. Those questions asked, they left the temple to find it late in the evening with the sun setting, setting the clouds and horizon aglow with a brilliant reddish orange, almost golden color. Some in the group thought that perhaps this was a blessing from Abadar.

A moment later, after leaving the temple, Captain Keved called, “Company of the Broken Blades!” and a group of four made their way to the temple door. After they were inside, further bets could be seen being passed around the populace. By the sounds of it, the Lucky Hunter was rather busy with celebrations and loud with the drunken boasts and wagers of those leaving on the morrow. The markets were busy with explorers and adventurers loading up on supply. Tonight, the markets would be open as late as necessary, and the city guard was out in full force to ensure the laws were obeyed.

About fifteen minutes after Felix and the rest of the Company left the temple, to the south and north, out of sight, excited cheers were heard. Further investigation and rumors around town indicated that the cheers to the north was in response to a group rowing back out to the Peerless to begin their attempt mapping the coastline once again. Meanwhile, the cheer to the south were well-wishing a group that were already rowing upriver in the fading light of day, disappearing into the jungle foliage.


Gah, sooo long! I hope that covered everything. Feel free to ask any questions during the meeting or do anything overnight. Remember to equip yourselves as necessary.

From the time you leave Parthisa, I’m going to adhere to equipment on your sheets. If you don’t have rope on your sheet, you don’t have rope. If you don’t have specific spellcasting ingredients that costs more than 1gp listed on your sheet (for example, silver shavings or diamond dust), then you don’t have it for spellcasting.

For purposes of watercraft for your river journey, you have your choice of either one longer craft, similar to the cutter you came ashore on, that can hold up to ten occupants or two smaller rowboats, each of which can hold 4 people comfortably or 6 in a pinch.

In regards to the list of missing persons that Captain Keved provides you, I will have that up shortly on the Google Docs page linked in my sig and on page one of each thread.

Last, I’m assuming you plan to leave in the morning hours. If not, indicate as such. Just FYI, by the time you get your equipment taken care of, at minimum an hour will have passed and night will be fully upon you.

[AngryCyc]

"Well fellas, I guess it's about that time. If you still have some gear to gather, remember that the merchants must give basic stuff for free. So. Do be a dear and head on down to Plesk's shop to get anything free you need, and anything of more significant substance that'll cost extra, see if I've got it at my shop. I'll tell Rika who you all are and we can take a little bit of a hit in the store to be properly outfitted. Half off production for you lot."

Felix then heads to Plesk's shop to gather up any of the free stuff he can get his hands on.

Things I'm hoping to snag from ol' Plesky, preferably with a lot of other people around so I don't stand out:

Survival Kit
Bear Traps
Shovel
50 ft Rope
Grappling Hook

And then from my own store, or others that aren't Plesk's store, purchase:
Hanging Tent
Camouflage Net
Fishing Tackle
Large Creature Cage
Animal Feed


Felix heads to his own shop for whatever supplies he needs still, and tells Rika of his trip and those accompanying him. He gives the shop 100 gp to cover whatever the rest of the crew needs. Everything acquired, he heads to the boat(s) that the party has acquired and casts Unseen Servant to begin packing everything away as neatly as possible. As it works for him, Felix takes some more time to focus deeply on the task ahead of them.

Focused Trance, 2 remaining for the day so might as well use them:

Knowledge(geography)[roll0] while studying some maps of the river to get a better sense of dangers and routes and, all that happy jazz.

Knowledge(nature)[roll1] for better idea of what's in the jungles, what they should look for, what'll give them the safest and most productive trip etc. with a notable distinction of looking for particular SMELLS to be aware of.

[Vhaidara]

As they leave the Lucky Hunter, Nalin pulls Akaro to the side.
I apologize for the Lieutenant. A lot of the military forces have unfortunately developed a rather racist viewpoint. I trust you, though, or I would never have agreed to work with you.
When Felix suggests getting the free materials from his competition rather than from the store sponsoring them, he grimaces. That kind of thinking only bred bad feelings, and they needed friends, not foes. He would be doing all item acquisition from the shop owned by his "friend" Felix.

I'll post a list tomorrow. I need to sleep soon.

[esorscher]

"I'll go with you, Akaro." Simeon says. All of his gear is already on him, he brought everything he would need or want to accomplish his goals with him from the mainland. Interviewing this Talbot would be of great interest to him, as a trapper would also know about the local wildlife and environment.

[carnivoroustofu]

Outside the Lucky Hunter

Akaro lets out a soft cackle when he hears Nalin's apology. "You need not worry about my feelings, friend. I have dealt with many a man like him during my duties and I have learnt over time how to deal with them. As long as my presence and actions are supported by those of a higher power than himself, all he has are words. The law he claims to uphold will be his chains. Come, let us proceed with haste. There is little to fear of a barking chained dog." Akaro adds shortly after with a glint in his eyes, "And if he breaks free of those chains on his own.. I suppose it would be a real shame if we couldn't take a breaker of the Empire's laws alive, eh?"



Outside the Temple

"Aye, let us make our way to the tannery then. With any luck, he'll have too much business to have gone off on an expedition of his own."

[AttilaTheGeek]

When Kyrial steps out of the temple, the suddenly low angle of the sun catches them by surprise. To no one in particular, they vent their frustration with the bureaucratic state of the settlement. "Another day gone by and still no progress? We could be miles into the jungle by now, if only we had started as soon as we arrived." Without another word, they go off into the jungle for the night. They were expecting to use their spells to create a temporary shelter deep inside the jungle, but creating a permanent one here would probably do them good. Once Kyrial reaches the jungle, they cast Wood Shape to fashion themselves a small shelter in the base of a large tree, Goodberry for an evening meal, and Eagle Eye to get a first look around the area. Once they are done, they begin to meditate and then sleep until the morning.

[SquirrelKing]

Simeon, Yelis and Akaro make their way through the south entrance of town and follow a thin trail that leads to the east and down a lightly sloping, wide trail along the cliffside. A few hundred feet further in along the cliff edge are two wooden buildings, in front of which are racks of drying skins and meats. Trails of smoke are rising from both buildings' chimneys, and the smell is already evident from the tannery, which is the further of the two buildings.

A half-elf is hanging fresh skins from the rack and inspecting some of the others that were already there. He is dressed in dirty linen breeches and moccasins, but is shirtless and rather filthy from working with the skinned animals and tanning materials. His blond hair is kept back in an unruly ponytail and he's clearly missing more than a few teeth. "Oi', what you want? You knows the deal. We sell at the market, not 'ere."

The group asks him if he knows Talbot and he nods. "I'm he. Him. That's me. What you want?" He asks while hanging what looks to be a beaver pelt on the rack.

[esorscher]

"We have some questions for you, if you don't mind." Simeon says, not sure what Akaro or Yelis wish to ask but leaving the door open for them to contribute. "I heard you've met with the quicklings? Can you tell us what happened?"

[SquirrelKing]

The half-elf scratches his head with a puzzled look, then after a moment his face lights up in recognition. "Oh, aye. The quicklings. Aye, I was there. 'N saw my brother an' 'is friend make right fools of themselves. Nearly got us killed. Serves 'avoril right. Always was a prig. Never listened to me, not ever, not then. I knows I ain't the brightest, but I knows the woods. 'Avoril never did, 'e always just..." and he keeps ranting about how his cousin would always belittle him, call him stupid, mistreat him, and make fun of him for being more comfortable in the woods than in society. He continues to describe "'avoril" as being "da's favorite" since he was better at all of the "fancy dances", swordplay, and "talkin' good". It occurs to Akaro and Simeon, after a moment of putting up with Talbot's tangent, that he and "'avoril" come from an exceedingly wealthy family which is probably how they came over on the first wave of ships.

After a little while longer, the Akaro, Yelis, and Simeon have to remind Talbot of why they're there and to answer their original question. Without looking sheepish or embarrassed, the half-elf continues, "Right. Well, I tried ta' tell 'avoril. They wasn't stealing. They was tradin'. But 'avoril always was after shiny stuff. As 'e always did, 'avoril ignored me, told me ta shut up. So I done what I was told, like da' always said to do. Then the 'quickling,'" he actually emphasizes the word, "boss got mad when 'avoril's friend pushed 'is sword at one of the 'quicklings' tryin' ta trade wif 'im. Their boss then told 'is guards that we was welcome no more. Then they pulled out their spears 'n got all blurry 'n started a pretty song. 'Avoril an' us was chased outta their town, pointin' and wavin' their spears. 'Avoril's friend said we made it out barely alive, but he don't know nothin. Still don't, even though he's leader of them fancy Greenwatcher soldiers. Ya ask me? We was so slow compared t' them. They coulda easily hurt or killed any or all of us," he finishes with a sort of saddened shrug. "We...we...offended 'em. Yeah, that's the word. We just made 'em mad by not acceptin' anything when we gave 'em stuff. 'N of course when 'avoril's friend, y'know 'sahjent Calos', waved 'is sword around when we was supposed to...uh...bargain with their boss didn't help neither."

[QuidEst]

Ugh. Fey. Or whatever the local flavor was. Doubtless they would be at least as useful as expected, and the fact that they weren't stealing, at least not in any conventional sense, was good. But dealing with the fey was like playing a game with rules you didn't understand, stakes you didn't know, and a dealer who kept smiling. Only it was complicated by the fact that the rules might not actually matter, the stakes might be reasonable, and the dealer might just be really happy that day. The fact that they hadn't decided to kill anybody was extremely reassuring, and it didn't matter how much you lost to the smiling dealer if the stakes weren't too high.

"Thank you, that's extremely helpful. How did you communicate with them, though? Just through gestures, or did either side have some form of magical translation? And what sort of stuff was being offered or asked for on either side?" He hoped it wasn't anything too grand. Again, low stakes were more comfortable- harder to offend somebody, and you were out less if you over-offered. Of course, pretty much all the accounts of dealing with fey concluded that the better deal you thought you were getting, the worse things were. Cow for some beans? They were magic, and they'd feed your family forever. Something valuable for one day's memories? Your wife would probably leave you for not remembering something important, and take whatever you got with her. Of course, it only now occurred to him that maybe the reason for all the stories was that fey just liked being able to trade ordinary beans for cows. He was starting to feel it might be safer to not have Felix along after all… the fey and imperial economics didn't usually see eye-to-eye.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro cocked his head as he hears an odd snippet. "Hold a moment at that last bit there. Am I hearing that right ? Your party gave the quicklings 'stuff' instead of a trade and the quicklings were offended ?" asks Akaro quizzically. "Hm.. Also, was there a general theme or anything in particular about the items that they liked or disliked ?"

[LordHavelock]

"If you're headed over to Goodman Plesk's shop to make some purchases, I will accompany you." Rickard replies to Felix, "I had planned on actually purchasing some basic gear if only to prove my goodwill towards a fellow guild member. By the by Felix, would you be inclined towards joining the Merchant's guild officially? Perhaps Parthisa's local community is in need of some leadership on that count."

Rickard makes his way to Plesk's place of business and along the way is quick to go over from his briefing on the mainland and stop and chat occasionally to find out what he might from about Plesk and his business practices. Once in the store he continues his inquiries amongst the other customers, but always in a friendly manner, so as not to draw too much attention until he is ready to make his purchases and then begins looking for Plesk himself.


Knowledge Local about Plesk and the Merchant's Guild in Parthisa: [roll0]
Gather Information specifically about Plesk: Take Ten [23]
Bluff to do the latter subtly: [roll1]

[SquirrelKing]

"Thank you, that's extremely helpful. How did you communicate with them, though? Just through gestures, or did either side have some form of magical translation? And what sort of stuff was being offered or asked for on either side?"

Talbot's lips pulled down into a frown and his brow crinkled angrily. "That's what I was tryin' ta tell 'Avoril! But 'e didn't listen, as always. Talbot too stupid. Talbot don' know what 'e's talkin' about!" He balls up his fists with barely restrained sibling rage. "I! Knew! Their! Words!" he practically shouted, evidently releasing a lifetime of pent up rage and frustration. "The f[censored]g quicklings ain't even called quicklings! They are sharn is what they call 'emselves!" His eyes are slits, his lips white, his cheeks red and flushed. Then he says something in a different language entirely, evidently beyond angry.


"We don't want your gold or silver. They are not for us!" is what he says in Sylvan.

"That's what they kept sayin' to 'avoril 'n Calos. And yet they kept shoving gold 'n silver stuff like coins 'n rings in their faces! I'd be pissed too if you lot kept shovin' blade parts in my face, what I ain't 'ave no use for!"



I think that also takes care of Akaro's question.


"That's what I was trying to tell Havoril! But he didn't listen, as always. Talbot too stupid. Talbot don' know what he's talking about!" He balls up his fists with barely restrained sibling rage. "I! Knew! Their! Words!" he practically shouted, evidently releasing a lifetime of pent up rage and frustration. "The f[censored]g quicklings ain't even called quicklings! They are sharn is what they call themselves!" His eyes are slits, his lips white, his cheeks red and flushed. Then he says something in a different language entirely, evidently beyond angry.

"That's what they kept saying to Havoril and Calos. And yet they kept shoving gold and silver stuff like coins and rings in their faces! I'd be pissed too if you lot kept shoving blade parts in my face, what I ain't have no use for!"

[QuidEst]

Yelis couldn't help but smile, inordinately pleased with himself. He would be in a very good position to deal with them, then. "Thank you very much for your help. I will be doing everything I can to improve relations with the Sharn, and if things go well, I will make sure you're given proper credit. If you ever need anything, let me know, and I'll see what I can do."
"I'm a man of many talents."
He hadn't been planning on offering anything metal in any case- certainly nothing iron. But it was useful to know they'd be able to communicate.

"It's a shame a man with your skills and sense wasn't put in charge. I've committed to another venture first- do what you can to advise against any rash attempts at dealing with them in the meantime, but nothing that will get you in trouble."

[SquirrelKing]

Talbot breathes one long, calming sigh. His momentary rage seemingly spent, he now looks sheepish with his eyes downcast and a slump to his shoulders. He mumbles a thanks, quite obviously not used to receiving praise, despite so eagerly seeking it...at least from his brother anyway. Still with his eyes fixed firmly anywhere but on Yelis and the others, he nods slightly, scratching his head. "Yeah, I don' want no credit or nothin'. Just...just make sure the sharn ain't hurt. We was the ones what upset 'em and all..." This last sentence almost lost to the sound of the waves crashing below the cliffs and the breeze whipping over and around them.

After another awkward moment, he coughs lightly and turns back to the rack, "Err...gotta finish here. Actually...wait..." he bends down and plucks a pelt from a simple wooden basket, "For...listenin'. And helpin'." He hands over a dark brown pelt that is a little more than a foot in length and just about as wide. Afterwards, he gets back to arranging the pelts in the dying light of the evening.

Yelis and Simeon both recognize it as that of a mink. The fur is soft as can be expected and masterfully cut and treated.

[esorscher]

"Thank you," Simeon says. As they walk away from the tannery, he adds to Yelis and Akaro, "That looks like something the sharn might be interested in. Let's hold onto it to trade with them when we eventually encounter them."

[SquirrelKing]

The rest of the evening was filled with a frenzy of preparations, discussions, packing, and planning. The entire town was a hive of activity well into the night as all of the explorers and Companies tried to find this or that increasingly rare supply item for their missions. Not helping the matter was the thunderstorm that rolled over the town after midnight and lasted for several hours.

After all was said and done, the group was able to secure three rowboats. They weren't the model of craftsmanship or intricate design, but they were durable and sturdy. Each rowboat had six oars tucked under the slats that served as the seats. Their purchases made and belongings packed, each member of the Company of the Golden Fox settled into a deep sleep for their exciting journey ahead.

Day 2, Morning

The nighttime rains gave way to a misty, hazy, overcast morning. The Company of the Golden Fox converged at the Lucky Hunter as prearranged for an early breakfast. Dellen was there to wish them a safe journey, though by the looks of him he likely stayed up the night through. The cook prepared a hearty breakfast for all of the explorers leaving that morning, of which there were many. The Golden Foxes was not the only group leaving that morning.

Four other companies would be leaving in a short while, and two others had to postpone their journeys until later for various reasons. Two of the companies (the Broken Blades and the Lanterns) intended to explore east and had agreed not to infringe on each others' efforts, so one group would map the coastline (the Broken Blades, a group of four) while the other (the Lanterns, a group of three) would take a more diagonal path. Another company called the Master's Gambit consisted of only two which planned to investigate the large cluster of trees. This left the fourth company remaining in the tavern, the Empire's Pride, which consisted entirely of four soldiers intent on discovering the shipwreck. Rumors and discussions swirled about the other two companies. One was called the Seven Swords, despite being a group of three, which planned on mapping westward. The other was a "company" of one that chose to forego a company name. This sole individual's intent was unknown.

After breakfast, Dellen and Vesta handed the Golden Foxes a small bag of fruits, jerky, and bread, then wished them farewell one last time. They hefted their packs, checked their weapons, situated their accouterments hanging off belts and backpacks, and walked down the muddy roads on the way to the river. The path to the river was roughly a half mile, which was lined with the occasional townsfolk and soldier patting them on the back and wishing them luck.

Upon reaching the river, the were led to the boats reserved for them, which were currently pulled ashore. Before it emptied into the bay, the wide river delta caused an exceptionally fertile area of silt, reeds and mud around its banks. The water itself was muddy but slowly flowing. It was a simple matter for them to tuck their gear into the boats, push the boats to the edge of the water, hop in, and then start rowing upstream. The laborers at the riverside sawmill waved as they passed. Soon though, the sawmill and the town were almost a distant memory as the sights and sounds drastically changed around them once they passed under the canopy of the jungle.

Much of the light coming from the sun was blocked by the tree cover, which almost formed an arch over the hundred-plus-foot-wide river. As they paddled under the shade of the canopy, they saw that beyond the shore of the river on either side, the trees and vegetation were exceptionally thick. There were spider webs that spanned the riverway that the Golden Foxes got caught up in, batting away fist-sized spiders that dwelled within the webs. The calls of birds, monkeys, frogs, insects, and more was constant and loud. Occasionally, fish and eels (thankfully of the normal sized variety) could be seen briefly darting through the muddy waters under them. The depth of the river was not discernible.


http://jobiggar.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/img_2791.jpg


As the jungle closed around them, it gave them a chance to talk without fear of prying ears and eyes, excepting of course the many primates and birds all around. They've only ventured a quarter mile into the jungle interior, and already it felt a thousand miles from civilization.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin looks around as he rows, a clear look of wonder on his face. He grins at his companions
And now we go where none of our kind have been before. Let's make a good show of it, eh?

[AngryCyc]

"Good Lord, no wonder people got lost in here... this is amazing!" Felix says, barely containing a smile. His steady rows of the boat are often slowed by his casting of Sift along the banks on either side of the river, to search for any signs of their missing townsfolk. He keeps sniffing the air around him too, intrigued by every new smell his nose discovers.

"Oh, keep an eye out for catfish, too. There are supposed to be some in the river and I think they might be a decent food source, though their whiskers are a bit toxic to the touch..."

[QuidEst]

Yelis bowed his head gratefully. "Thank you. As for trading it with the Sharn," Yelis adds to Simeon, "it would be best to find out their views on the matter first. Nothing like presenting the skin of their holy animal to win over the natives, after all." He'd lived with druids long enough to know to be careful.

~~~

Bugs. Bugs everywhere. Despite the thuribles, it didn't take Yelis long to decide to activate the magic sleeves he normally employed to make his disguises more convincing, instead transforming his outfit into a full-body suit, a hat and net covering his head. Cumbersome, to be sure, but it was worth it to not deal with the constant attention of the wingéd vermin that might pass for stirges if they worked out a little more. That only left clearing cobwebs, a duty relegated to the invisible manifestation of his will that they at least not get on him.

"Amazing, I'll grant. I'm just glad we have somewhere to return to. Wait, catfish whiskers are poisonous?" he asked, a little surprised. "Huh. Well, if you want, I can cast that detection spell again- then we'll know for sure when we come across them. Won't work on people, I'm afraid, otherwise our job would be much easier…"

The usual extended Mage Armors.
Unseen Servant, good for five hours, mostly for clearing away cobwebs, but also there for general use. Let Yelis know if you need it to do something.
Sleeves of Many Garments, making a swarm suit.

Five first-level castings remain.

He can cast Detect Plants & Animals, good for fifty minutes, focussing on one type at a time.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard was as eager as any of the company as they got underway, and took his place in the boat with his somewhat ornate and quite distinctive crossbow across his lap, loaded and at the ready, as he gazed with keen eyes into the jungle quite unable to conceal a smile on his features. As Felix remarked about persons becoming lost though, he could not help but frown a little. As amazing as the jungles were, he would not wish anyone to become lost in them, and only wished he had more skill in tracking such persons, but efforts had already been made by fellow colonists more skilled than he at such matters. "Let us save your detection spell for bigger quarry than catfish." he said, keeping his own eyes open and wary of any signs of movement or the like.

"How far do we seek to travel downriver today? Does our cartogropher have a record of how far previous expeditions were able to progress? Likely landing sites perhaps?"


Misdirection to detect as Neutral Good this day.

[esorscher]

At the start of their journey, Simeon whistled for his raven, who came dutifully and sat perched on the cartographer's shoulder until they started down river. Then the raven flew overhead, flitting from tree to tree as it watched the boats make their steady progress, never far from sight. Simeon, who has been busily drawing in his mapbook, picks up his head at Rickard's mention. "No one's made any maps this way--at least, none worthwhile, none that I found. That's what I'm working on now," he says, facing the open pages toward Rickard. The river's winding path is decently charted, and its width and length noted to scale. The river runs across the center of both pages, dividing the book in two, with the top and bottom left uncharted to be filled in later.


Know Geography: [roll0]
Know Nature: [roll1]
Survival: [roll2]
Prof. Mapmaking: [roll3]

[Vhaidara]

Nalin still has a relaxed smile on his face.
I'll take a catfish over one of those eels from the coast any day. See anything up there, Mr. Felander?

[SquirrelKing]

Felix's softly glowing eyes scan the shore's edge, but reveal nothing of interest other than the occasional river denizen slipping in and out of the water. No sign of any previous travelers or missing townsfolk thus far.

While everyone else is constantly under seige by hoards of flying stinging and biting insects, Yelis' terribly unfashionable and more than a little hot suit proves quite useful in preventing the pests from getting to him. At least his unseen servant is quite effectively undoing the occasional webs hanging over the river. His concentration on catfish reveals that there are indeed many such fish hiding in the depths and tangled branches of the shoreline. Some of them are quite healthy and sizable specimens indeed, he thinks.

After rowing for a little while and studying the flow of the river, Simeon notices that there must be little elevation change here compared to upstream, which lends to the river's meandering path. It's going to be a long row to get any significant distance inland.


The river is very similar in path to the below image:
http://www.sixtant.net/2011/img/editor/image/ARSENAL%20OF%20DEMOCRACY/rio_amazonas_367165(1).jpg

Also, he thinks that with the size of some of the insects, there must be quite a large bounty of food around for them...and sizable food no less. Some of the mosquitos and dragonflies are as big as their hands including the wings, while some of the biting flies are the size of grapes.

After a half hour's worth of rowing, the plant life along the river's edge begins to change. The tall land-based trees begin to give way to mangrove trees lining the water's edge. The terrain slowly but surely gives way to a more swamp-like river, with the water extending beyond the treeline a good ways before finally ending at muddy embankments that would be most assuredly difficult to navigate. The canopy of trees also gives way and now the rowers are under the full heat of the morning sun, all of them beginning to sweat from the exertion of rowing against the flow of the river combined with the oppressive heat and humidity.


It looks very similar to below, but the river is wider than depicted.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-FwqB2dcroE/TAEl6zrd9BI/AAAAAAAAAJY/rRxjKLhD8oI/s1600/DSC_0504.JPG

[AngryCyc]

"Nothing yet... I'm looking as hard as I can though! We've had a decent time getting up to here. I'm sure those who came before us did too. Once we start seeing some really difficult areas.. THAT'S when to get worried that we don't see anything."

[esorscher]

Simeon makes note on his map of the change in geography, and in both sub-locations of the river, minute text keeps track of the plants and animals. His map shows the change in flora and fauna as they move upstream. "At least the weather's alright. Sure, it's hot and humid, but at least there could be a thunderstorm at any moment! Nothing like a torrential downpour to brighten one's mood," he says dolorously with a smile, loud enough so everyone can hear. The weather is also noted on his map. As they have only been rowing for minutes, only a small section of the two page spread is used so far, maybe the size of his thumbnail, divided between the two terrains. He opens and closes his writing hand a few times, stretching the cramping muscles. His raven lands on the boat and graces its bow, then flies off back into the trees.

"Anyone know any songs?"

[Vhaidara]

Nalin laughs
Your maps may not agree with you about the rain!
He thinks for a minute on the request of a song
I never did much more than hum along with the marching songs.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro had partially zoned out in a trance-like state shortly after the insect and heat situation gradually got worse. Swatting wildly in heat would be far too energy inefficient with this many bugs. Rowing and breathing rhythmically, his five senses blurred into a single zone of awareness around him, mildly twitching at the right spots just before bugs could get a good bite in. The heat and bugs were still there, he just had to push their presence to back of his mind.

[SquirrelKing]

The morning carries on much the same for the next couple of hours. The sun beats down mercilessly, the flies and other insects buzz unceasingly, and the occupants of the boats continue rowing and making light conversation. The river widens and narrows continually, sometimes as narrow as around fifty feet wide and at other times it widens to a couple hundred feet wide. Regardless of its width, it remains winding, meandering slow flowing and muddy, the latter likely stirred up by the previous night's rains.

Felix's senses have been under constant assail by the myriad scents the jungle has to offer: the smell of the river, fish, the many plants and heady blooms and fruits, the occasional smell of an animal nearby or up in the trees, and the constant background odor of the low level decay of the undergrowth and swampland. Aside from this, nothing has been seen or smelled by any of the rowers.

Then, Felix's and Yelis' nose both crinkle almost simultaneously. Very strong decay. Following their nose, their heads swing around to behold a decapitated human head hanging about fifteen feet high from a mangrove tree on the righthand bank of the river, covered and surrounded by a cloud of flies. By the state of decay, the head has only been there for a few hours but it already stinks to high heaven. The eyes have been removed and a single twig has been shoved into each eye socket. The flesh around the neck is jagged instead of clean cut...this fellow died a horrid death. Carved into the forehead of the head is the following symbol:

http://i.imgur.com/hpKNXWS.png

The river bank is much as it has been recently: constantly lined by mangrove trees and thickly so. No obvious or easy way of getting to the head is seen, whether from the water to be able to retrieve or examine it closer...or to be able to hang it.

[AttilaTheGeek]

In stark contrast to their usual reserved demeanor, Kyrial babbles excitedly to themselves under their breath about the local wildlife as the boat advances down the river. Look at all of these insects! There's aflyandacentipedeandabeetleandan- oh? What is this? I bet it's poisonous! That's a veryverygood stinger, I can use that! Unlike all the other party members, Kyrial makes no attempt to swat away the hordes of insects. Instead, they examine a fly that alights on their hand. "And these wings! Larger, faster, but less efficient than the ones back home. Larger wings? More flying away from more effective predators. Now those I must see! Does anyone see any spiders? I can't help but wonder if-- Oh." The grisly severed head catches Kyrial's eye and they begin to analyze the wound. "That's a recent wound. It was ripped, not cut, done with a tooth or a claw instead of a blade. An animal, perhaps? No, no animal good enough to survive in this jungle wouldn't waste all that food. Quickings? Not hostile. Unless... no, no, they haven't met the settlers that far inland. Another species? They must be intelligent, must be able to climb, either some sort of natural weapons or they wanted to make him suffer, but why hang it here? If they knew we were coming... maybe they do know about us? Well, I think I know where they live, at least. This is concerning."

[AngryCyc]

Felix stops and stares at the head for a bit. Then, without saying a word, takes the key from around his neck and says the command word, summoning forth a two-headed eagle to go fetch the head for them.

[carnivoroustofu]

"Hmph. Be on your guard, it will be trivial for anyone to spot us and a lot less so for us to return the favour." Akaro reaches for the shurikens in his tunic and makes a quick count without looking at them. The cool metal was soothing to the touch.


Perception for anything else unusual [roll0]
Could a heal check tell how the head was removed ? eg ripped, cut with fairly blunt object, etc. Heal [roll1]

[Vhaidara]

Nalin nods in agreement.
We are rather exposed. And it's hard to fight in a boat.

If allowed, he will examine the head for details on how it was removed.

Perception to watch the forest: [roll0]
Heal to examine the head: [roll1]
Vivisectionist lets me use my Knowledge (Nature) bonus in place of my Heal bonus.

[LordHavelock]

"What an abhorrent display." Rickard said, his voice conveying a sort of cold condemnation, not at all in keeping with his previous warmth and amicability. "Intelligent or not, whatever or whomever is responsible for this is not likely to be interested in diplomatic civilities." Then eyeing the forest around them, "No doubt a warning of some kind, for the likes of us and other settlers not to encroach or tresspass further in what they deem to be their territory. Though perhaps it might have more spiritual significance . . ." Rickard trailed off as he realized he was speaking more and more out of his character as a boisterous fortune-seeker, "Might mean there's something we're not meant to see besides though, something of value to the colony, to us."


Knowledge Religion Check to recognize the mark or other elements of ritual decapitation:
[roll0]

[QuidEst]

Yelis choked back the bile that rose in his throat at the sight and smell of the grisly warning. He put his arm around Waya as she let out a low, rumbling growl. "Secure the boats and see if the culprits were considerate to leave a trail?" he suggested. Better to find them rather than the reverse. "I think we have our answer as to why they haven't come back- but there might still be others alive, so we should hurry."

[SquirrelKing]

As Felix uses the command word for the key, there's a moment where the magic seems to waver. However, the summoning finally completes and the double-headed eagle appears and grabs the head as commanded. It struggles under the weight of the head after clutching it from the branches and the vine suspending it. After plunking the grotesque, slightly swollen head on Felix's lap, the eagle perches on the edge of the boat simultaneously looking at Felix with one head and across the river with the other.

The two rowboats are close together as the occupants study the decapitated head. Whereas Akaro is not sure of the method of its removal, Nalin is able to point out some of the dangling tendons, ligaments, muscle sinew, and ragged skin that signifies that the head, by all appearances, was ripped off. Further, he points out some long discolored indentations along the left temple that indicates where whomever or whatever did the deed gripped the head. There are sticks from one of the local trees sticking out of each eye socket, the ends jammed in through the brain-case. Further, the two upper canines have been pried out. Aside from those details, the unlucky victim wasn't particularly old, had light brown hair and a thin beard of the same color.

After Nalin seems to have things well in hand with the investigation of the head, Akaro peers around into the forest.
The only thing that stands out is that nothing is standing out. No paths seem worn into the forest floor nor any footprints visible in the mud bank beyond the mangrove trees.


No known religious ceremonies or implications come to mind about this decapitation or the symbol.

[esorscher]

"If it was me, I'd definitely set up an ambush on a river. A boat lazing along makes an easy target." Simeon says. "Two of us can get out of the boats and make our way along the banks of the rivers while the others continue to row, and we can ambush the ambushers. I'd volunteer myself, but I'm as good with my bow on a boat or on land. Someone who prefers to get up close and personal may want to be one the ambush-ambushers." Simeon does not pass comment on the head, still struggling to come to terms with the brutality. "I don't want to end up like him," is all he can manage on the subject.

[AngryCyc]

Felix takes the head from the eagle, and then, looking off into the direction it's other head is staring, instructs it "Head over there, across the river, and make some noise if you see anything out there."

[Vhaidara]

Nalin muses for a minute while rowing, then speaks.
This is clearly a ritual killing of some kind. Unless there is some tribe that kills by blinding you with small sticks before tearing off your head.
At Simeon's idea, he nods.
I will be almost worse than useless if I'm trapped on a boat. I never did get the hang of archery.
He turns to Akaro
Can you manage this boat on your own, my friend?

[AngryCyc]

"Let's wait a bit before getting out of the boat. We need to stay safe... What if it's the trees themselves that did this? You'd be a sitting target on the banks. Let's explore a bit more first."

[SquirrelKing]

The summoned eagle makes a sort of subdued whistling sound to acknowledge Felix's order, then alights from the edge of the boat and flies across the river. For the few seconds it remains in this realm, it flies along the edge of the river looking simultaneously into the forest and forward. It makes no further sounds. Then, it simply vanishes, signifying its return to its home realm once its service was fulfilled.

[AttilaTheGeek]

The summoned eagle makes a sort of subdued whistling sound to acknowledge Felix's order, then alights from the edge of the boat and flies across the river. For the few seconds it remains in this realm, it flies along the edge of the river looking simultaneously into the forest and forward. It makes no further sounds. Then, it simply vanishes, signifying its return to its home realm once its service was fulfilled.

Kyrial's jaw drops when the two-headed eagle appears. In stunned almost-silence, they mumble "Of course, two heads... why didn't I think of that?" After it departs, they turn to Felix. Kyrial is completely focused on their goal and ignoring the severed head issue when they blurt out "You could summon two-headed eagles and you didn't tell me?!"

[AngryCyc]

"Just a treasure from Abadar, not so much something I myself did. Feel free to join the Temple of Abadar some time when we're back home if you want to see more things like it.

It appears the bird did not notice any immediate threats around us. I'm going to enter a trance to see if I can't ascertain more about this situation..." Felix says, picking up the head, and carefully studying the signs left on it.

Whatever knowledge is applicable for trying to determine what may have caused the injuries, in particular the bruises or whatever they are of the thing that grabbed the head as it pulled it off:

Focused Trance [roll0]
Knowledge[roll1]+1 if it happens to be local.

[SquirrelKing]

After the trance is concluded, Felix is conflicted. On one hand, the crudeness of the injuries and the strength required seems consistent with a large humanoid of some description, but the spacing and the length of the finger impressions do not suggest a large creature. That rules out large-sized primates and girallons. So, either a human or similar bipedal "demihuman" race with incredible strength (casting a glance at Nalin suggests this is not at all impossible) or something that hasn't been encountered before.

[QuidEst]

"If there's a trail here, we can follow it. If there isn't, then they're probably moving by boat, right? Or they're very good at covering their tracks," Yelis suggested. It would be difficult to pick up the trail elsewhere in the jungle; here they knew somebody had been here.

[AngryCyc]

"You're thinking only in terms of what were used to. WE need trails and boats to move easily through this jungle. Other creatures might not. Swimming creatures, flying creatures, climbing and swinging creatures, creatures that could teleport. Heck, even just living in this terrain long enough, you could eventually learn how to navigate these jungles without trails. So just because we can't easily get through doesn't mean whoever did this can't.

And speaking of, whoever DID do this seems to be an incredibly strong human. Look, here, the spacing of the fingers where it was grabbed? We are dealing with some super strong human or demihumans of some type."

[Vhaidara]

Nalin looks at Felix as he states that a large man did the work.
Entirely possible. When I was a child I did something similar to a bully when he pushed me too far. He didn't lose a head, just a hand.
In response to the comment about staying on the boats
I suppose. I just don't feel secure on this boat.
The giant man looks a little sheepish
I suppose I should try to get a bow made for me the next time we're in town.

[carnivoroustofu]

"Aye, do what you need to do, Nalin." replies Akaro. "Hm. It has digits, though not necessarily humanoid." Akaro reaches over and grasps one of the twigs in the sockets. With a quick twist and a yank, he tries to pull it out for a closer look at the twig.

Would the twig be intact enough to tell if it was weaponised ? eg. a sharpened point. If it's not, is it possible to tell the direction of entry of the twig via any stubs or branches left on the twig? eg ->->->-:mitd: or -<-<-<-:mitd:

[SquirrelKing]

The twig comes out with a little effort and Akaro sees that the ends are roughly sharpened, though not with any great care or effort. Some gray matter, musculature and congealed blood is stuck to the end of it, as would be expected. Judging from the wound in the back of the socket, it was definitely inserted from outside and not otherwise.

[LordHavelock]

"Perhaps it's a more personal type of warning. Not necessarily directed at us, but for whoever put it here; something intensely personal for them." Rickard speculates, somewhat idly given his lack of information as to whether this could pertain to a particular ritual or religion. "At any rate, there's only so much we can learn from a severed head. I recommend we press on, and see about consecrating and burying this portion of our former fellow here this evening when we make camp."

[Vhaidara]

Wait a second.
Nalin takes the head and looks into the left ear.
When you took the stick out, I saw a piece of wax fall out of the right ear. And there's another one here. This doesn't look natural to me.

Knowledge Time!
Nature: [roll0]
Arcana: [roll1]

[AngryCyc]

"Bury? Unless you know who this is already, we need to bring it back to town so someone can identify who this is so we can at least mark him from "missing" to "dead". And hey, maybe he has rich enough friends that want to pay for him being brought back to life. Unfortunately, that does mean we get to carry around a rotting head with us.... Who had the handy haversack??"

[QuidEst]

"Yes, I know there are plenty of reasons something might not leave a trail- I just want to see if there is a trail. If there isn't, we're still in the dark. If there is one, then we can rule out all those things you mentioned and save ourselves a great deal of trouble." Yelis explained. "Eugh… I don't think there's anybody who's got the sort of clout it takes to make that kind of request, money aside. But you are probably right, better to bring it as evidence than leave it here." He fumbled with his sack, pulling out a few pieces of paper and a length of twine. He handed them over to the invisible servant, directing it to parcel up the head. "I'm carrying food in here, and don't want it to go bad. Can somebody else take the head?"

[carnivoroustofu]

"I suggest we just leave it in the boat, perhaps." Seeing the parchment sparked an idea in Akaro's head. "There's no guarantee we'll make it back to Parthisa with the head intact since this expedition may stretch on for an unknown length of time. Perhaps someone with some measure of artistic skill should attempt to sketch his features while they're mostly intact, lest we present no more than a picked clean skull to the authorities."

[SquirrelKing]

The wax is actually waxed cotton, consistent with standard earplugs (adventuring gear). He doesn't think they have any magical connotations, but rather was using them for mundane means. Nalin thinks that the unfortunate victim was the one to insert them, not whomever/whatever decapitated him. The earplugs seem too gently inserted...everything else about the decapitated head implies violence and rage.

[Vhaidara]

They're earplugs. He put them in himself. Why would someone cripple their sense of hearing like that? Unless...
Nalin's eyes light up.
Something hunts with a sound-based attack. Or a siren song.

SK, can you roll my knowledge's? I want to I'd things that earplugs are good defenses against. Can't check my sheet from my phone.

[AngryCyc]

"Sound based, eh? Pass those ear plugs over here then. I know that sounds selfish, but if there is anything out here that can attack us with sound, then it's imperative that I not be affected. I can easily drown out anything sound based so that it won't affect the rest of you... But to do so, I'd need to not be affected.

Maybe we SHOULD investigate here a bit. I should go with whoever gets off the boat though so I could help protect you." Felix says. He makes to grab the used-earplugs and tries to secure them in his own ears, although he takes the time to make sure they adequately fit into place, blocking out as much sound as possible.

"If you need to get my attention, just tap me or something. Who would like to stay on the boats, and who wants to investigate this area on the shore real quick? We should not tarry too long if we do not find anything immediately.."

[Vhaidara]

Nalin passes the earplugs to Felix.
From what I recall, there are a few options for what we're up against.
First, beings called yrthaks. They're dragon-like monsters, usually found near hills or mountains, so I wouldn't expect to find them here. They fire a sonic lance, and they're blind. The earplugs wouldn't be useful against them.
Second, harpies. Winged women with a hypnotic song. Not unheard of in jungles, but the earplugs might save our lives if we encounter them.
Some people are trained to use music as a weapon. Most think it is a more civilized technique, but tribal cultures can produce such individuals as well. And that would explain the sticks.
It could also simply be a mage who specializes in very loud spells.
Or, of course, something completely new.

[QuidEst]

"… maybe they're just bad singers?" Yelis suggested hopefully. "Well, so long as Felix can out-debate them, I'll take them over more giant eels. Kyrial, you're one with nature 'n all that, right? When we get ashore, can you check for signs of where the killers went?"

[AttilaTheGeek]

"… maybe they're just bad singers?" Yelis suggested hopefully. "Well, so long as Felix can out-debate them, I'll take them over more giant eels. Kyrial, you're one with nature 'n all that, right? When we get ashore, can you check for signs of where the killers went?"

Kyrial rolls their eyes and glares at Yelis. "No, I am not one with nature. I am merely a servant; that would be like asking Priestess Demna if she was one with Abadar. But yes, if it left signs, I can track it. For it to have hands this big, it must have a huge body, one that would not pass through the undergrowth easily. If it did not fly or teleport, it will be easy to follow. That does raise the question, though: do we really want to encounter whatever did this to a person?"

[carnivoroustofu]

"You sure you don't want to wash those out first ?" Akaro remarks as Felix stuffs the earplugs in. "I don't mind staying in the boat, I have little interest in getting soaking wet. As for our perpetrator, perhaps the question more appropriate to our situation is whether you would prefer to encounter it, or for it to encounter you. I personally find the former more favourable."

[Vhaidara]

I agree with Akaro. Better to force the foe to confront us, rather than letting it prepare the fight to taste.
He looks over at Kyrial
I'm sure that Mr. Silvanus meant no offence. And he wouldn't necessarily need to be too large. Fully combat ready, I would likely be able to perform an act like this, given the leverage.

SK, any chance I would have been able to tell if the head was removed posthumously or if it was the cause of death?

[SquirrelKing]

A few visual inspections later, you're pretty sure it was posthumous.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin nods as he considers the possibility
Yes, the head was removed after death. An easy task at full strength.

[AngryCyc]

As the various members of the party decide who will stay and who will go, Felix begins getting his gear ready to go. Obviously much of the equipment he brought can stay in the boat so he only keeps the bare essentials with him. He fasted a grappling hook to a rope, and swings it over to one of the sturdier branches, giving it several good tugs.

Once he feels it is secure, he ties the other end off to the boat, and he grabs his backpack with gear to start climbing across the rope. Sent first one leg, then the other up around the taut rope, he slowly snakes his way out of the boat...

acrobatics, with a nice guidance spell on himself for that extra bit of success

[roll0]

[QuidEst]

Yelis shrugged. "I'll be honest, there was a little ribbing intended. Nobody's one with nature until they're feeding worms. But credit where it is due, Kyrial can likely track a small animal through thick undergrowth with an ease that I fail to achieve when finding trying to find my cloak in the morning."

Yelis got himself ready to cross over after Felix, transforming his clothes temporarily into something less restricting. Part way across, however, the merchant slipped, falling into the river. Waya looked back at him, giving an urgent whine. It took Yelis a moment to work out what she meant, but he hastily cast a strengthening spell on her to help her better assist Felix. As soon as she had, she jumped in after him. Yelis began crossing the rope, moving carefully so that he could help the others out on the bank.

Yelis- casting Bull's Strength on Waya, then taking ten to cross the rope. That's 15, thanks to his kitsune agility.
Waya casts Guidance on herself while Yelis is working out what to do, then jumps in to aid Felix.
Trying to take ten on swim for 15, but roll spoilered in case she's attacked as soon as she gets in the water.
Swim: [roll0]

[SquirrelKing]

When Felix wrapped his foot around the rope to hoist himself to shore, the combination of the movement of the branch the grappling hook was attached to and the movement of the boat put him completely off-balance. A moment later, he splashed into the muddy water between the boats and the line of mangroves. Thankfully, no swimming was necessary as he found he could stand in the mud and muck beneath him with his head above water...but only just. The water came to armpit height on the merchant.

Soon after, another splash was heard as the large red wolf jumped into the water at his master's behest to assist their ally. Thankfully the river was calm and the lupine doggy-paddled over to the undoubtedly embarrassed Felix.

However, shame and embarrassment should have been the last thing on their mind. The waters amidst the mangroves' roots nearby suddenly started churning. It looked like a dark cloud of...blackened fingers was rolling and wriggling through the water towards them quickly and within a couple seconds they were everywhere around them. Then, the pain began as they felt the little rubbery things biting and clouding the water with their blood...


A swarm of leeches! Causes Con and Str damage each round in addition to regular physical damage. Swim speed 30.




I'll make initiative rolls for everyone, average them out (as agreed previously), then have either the swarm or the PCs go first, depending on the order.

The swarm's surprise action was to swim up to and around Felix, which triggered their attack damage automatically. Swarm damage: [roll0] points of damage to Felix. Requires Fort save, DC 15.

Dex damage poison: [roll1] points of Dexterity damage

Party initiative average: 13
Swarm Initiative: 21

I'll have the combat map prepared on my Google docs site (linked in my signature) in a few minutes. Those in the water need to make Swim checks now that combat is afoot. DC 10 since it's slow moving water.

First Round of Combat
The shock of the roiling cloud of biting rubbery things made Felix's reactions a little slower than normal. As he struggled to get out of there, his foot slipped briefly as he turned around halting his progress momentarily...enough for the swarm to surround him further.



Felix's damage = [roll2], the DC of the poison save goes up to DC 16 if the save was not made on the first round. Otherwise, save again with a DC of 15.

Dex damage poison: [roll3] Dex damage.
When Felix begins his turn in the swarm's space, he takes [roll4] Strength and [roll5] Con damage.

It is now the group's turn. Go in the order you post.

[AngryCyc]

Felix struggles to jump out of the water to grab the edge of the boat, or a hand, or literally anything that doesn't writhe, wriggle, and eviscerate him. Reaching up, he grabs whatever his hands manage to find.

[SquirrelKing]

The boat rocks heavily and lists to the side as Felix clambers hastily aboard, many dozens of leeches attached to his exposed skin. Thankfully the boat doesn't tip over completely, partially thanks to the heavy gear laying at the bottom and from the efforts of the other occupants to keep it steady.

[esorscher]

"Yeah, lets paddle over to the shores if we're going to climb out." Simeon suggests.

[carnivoroustofu]

"Don't squash them all, I've seen them sold in shops as aids against poison treatment." Akaro mentions as he grabs his oar with one set of talons and plucks some off Felix with the other. Placing the oar back into the boat, Akaro retrieves an empty jar from one of his bags and half fills in with river water before unceremoniously tossing half a dozen well-fed leeches into it. "I think I vaguely remember how they use these in poison treatment.."

[LordHavelock]

Rickard regards the leeches with an almost morbid fascination, the blood draining parasites appearing to his eyes like something out of a child's nightmare brought to life, and yet, all the more fascinating for it. "Felix, stay calm as you can." He insists, thought there's a certain eagerness in his voice which sounds less like concern and more like anxious excitement, as he assists in removing the blasted vermin.

[SquirrelKing]

The leeches comes off of Felix's heavily bruised and bloody skin, and not a little painfully, at Akaro and Rickard's prodding and poking. There are well over a dozen healthy specimen of leeches for Akaro to bottle up for later medicinal purposes, should he wish.

[Vhaidara]

Well, that wasn't our best plan.
Nalin looks over at Felix.
Think you're going to live, Mr. Felander?

[AngryCyc]

Felix's body trembles and twitches as he sits, breathing very heavily, dripping in the boat as he has leeches pulled off him. He grabs a dose of Vermin Repellant and rubs it on himself... "I... sure." is all he manages to reply with. He curls up on the bottom of the boat with his eyes closed.

[esorscher]

Simeon takes note of the dangerous leeches on his map while others tend to Felix's condition.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin shakes his head.
I should be able to help you recover when it comes time to set up camp.

[LordHavelock]

Rickard nods to Nalin, "Let us make that our priority then. We should find away to get ashore without incurring further ailment from these beasties, and then see about surveying the terrain and ministering to our friend here."

[AttilaTheGeek]

"I... sure." is all he manages to reply with. He curls up on the bottom of the boat with his eyes closed.

Kyrial shifts over to their injured companion and places a hand on Felix's shoulder. "Here, this should get you back on your feet", they say. "Cure Light Wounds"

Kyrial turns to the rest of the crew to deliver their assessment of the situation. "Other than healing, which I only have a small amount of, I have prepared spells that deal with leeches. I am afraid we may have to leave the head, unless someone else wants to attempt to retrieve it. However, considering the consequences... Kyrial looks at the writhing mass of leeches. "I can't say I recommend it."

Felix heals [roll0] hit points.

[QuidEst]

Seeing Felix get pulled back into the boat, Waya turned around and attempted to haul herself back into her boat with the help of the others. Yelis was visibly shaken by the severe wounds the leeches had been able to inflict in such a short time on Felix.

[AngryCyc]

"Thanks... Yeah. I think we should still stay here. Nobody has anyway of feeling with those leeches? Why don't we stay here and try to get on to the shore to explore... I think I can help a bit with those roots at least..." he says, as he casts unseen servant. He orders it to start cleaning up the awfully disarrayed roots, handing it a machete to get to work.

[esorscher]

"Wouldn't hurt to make a potential camp site," Simeon says, rowing the boat he's in toward the nearest shore. He takes out the mundane handaxe strapped to the side of his pack, which he has carried since they departed for Parthisa months ago, pleased to use it. The handle is strong oak, and the blade is sharp. "Wouldn't hurt to have a way in and out of the river that goes around the leaches," he says, remembering the sharks. He shifts his weight in the boat, steadying himself before he begins hacking away at the tree roots.

Acrobatics: [roll0]
Handaxe: [roll1], [roll2]

[SquirrelKing]

With their potential prey now out of the water, the cloud of leeches descends into the muddy water without a trace. Then, the group rows to the shore to give the ranger an opportunity to clear them a path.

The rowboat proves to be unstable from the swinging action, but the others grab hold of the mangrove roots to steady it while Simeon swings at the wall of roots with his axe. His footing is unsure at first, but soon he gets the hang of it and begins to clear a path through the roots, his axe digging deep with each strike.

After several minutes' work, with the unseen servant provided by Felix clearing the broken and chopped branches, there is enough of a path cleared to be able to step through carefully and reach the muddy, waterlogged ground beyond.

Indeed, it seems that travel will be slow going in the vegetation-rich, soggy ground. As the explorers step out of the boat and climb over the roots, there are areas where their boots sink nearly calf-deep in mud. Other areas have a few inches to over a foot of water in wide, snaking pools with reeds and trees dotting the waterways. Occasional frogs and even a turtle with a colorful orange and brown shell can be seen perched on a broken log jutting at an angle from the water.

And now that the excitement of the leeches and the head is behind them, they remember the insects. Buzzing around them and landing on them incessantly.

This section of the river flows vaguely north-south. They've disembarked onto the western shore. Now, to choose their direction...

[AngryCyc]

"I'm putting the ear plugs back in now that we've made it here... more or less. I don't see myself being much use in combat for the rest of the day anyway, so I might as well be able to stop whatever he was afraid of... let's go check out the spot where the head was to see if there are more clues, and someone stay in front of me and behind me so that I can be informed quickly if there's some sounds I should be made aware of..." Felix says, a bit stronger than before but still not quite up to snuff. He waits for others to lead the way so that he can stick readily to the middle of the group, relying on the rest of the party during his weakened state.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin, once off the boat, draws forth his hammer.
I think one of the trackers should lead, but I'll follow close behind them.

[AttilaTheGeek]

I think one of the trackers should lead, but I'll follow close behind them.

Kyrial looks down at the soggy, filthy mud and begins to say their ideas quickly out loud to no one in particular. "Swampland. No solid ground- standard limbs at a disadvantage. Wings are much better. Or, maybe not wings, but... getting off the ground limits body mass, no big prey, no big predators. But then what removed the head? Interesting. Unexpected. Swamps promote disease; evolution selects for disease resistance. Hypothesis: small animals, resilient against disease but not powerful in combat (lack of large predators). Fascinating!"

Only after briefly rambling to they remember Nalin's suggestion. "Right, tracking. Yes. Exploring. Discovery! I will lead. Suggestion: protect yourselves from the insects. I predict they are extremely poisonous. Bit if any of you wish to test this theory, please, be my guest."

Kyrial rolls [roll0] to track whatever severed the man's head.

[SquirrelKing]

Kyrial wanders the area near where the head was hanging, checking the ground, mangrove roots, plants and mud for signs of disturbance. No tracks. No bent or broken reeds. No blood, other than what dripped from the head.

They walk further along the bank of mangroves and find that which they seek and then some: not one but several sets of footprints in the mud about two hundred feet downstream from where the head was hanged. But something is odd about it: the distance between the prints indicates no rush and no panic. There are four sets of prints that apparently just walked roughly westward through the mud. Meanwhile, one set of prints is found not far away that is very erratic and obviously running around...then they disappear.

Kyrial looks up and sees gore spattering all over a tree trunk, its branches and leaves. And roughly fifty feet further away, amidst a cloud of flies, is a headless corpse mostly obscured by a murky pool of water and reeds, quickly being devoured by nature's efficient scavengers. By the looks of it, it was dropped there from above.

The body is dressed as an explorer, though obviously looted of some belongings, but not all. In the corpse's backpack, there's still mundane goods like a blanket, waterskin, rations, and similar. Its weapons are missing but its coins are still in a pouch tucked in the backpack. Judging by the equipment found on the corpse, it's likely he was a spellcaster of some sort.


Masterwork backpack - torn but serviceable
Blanket
Candles (x2)
Chalk (x4)
Parchment (x20)
--three of them have sketches of plants and insects
Charcoal pencil (x3)
Waterskins (x2)
Rations (x4 days)
Whetstone
Tanglefoot Bag (x2)
Spell Component Pouch (half empty, clearly picked through)
Scroll Case - empty (x2)
Vials of ink (x3) (but no quill)
Coins: 23 gold crowns, 37 silver eagles, 2 platinum suns, and 31 copper chips (the italicized bits are the common terms for the coins, but feel free to use the term gold pieces, silver pieces, etc as normal)

[QuidEst]

"Or magic," Yelis suggested, not-altogether-helpfully. "There could be great, big monsters that just magically ignore little things like that. You don't tell dragons that they aren't s'posed to be that big, or that they don't get to live in swamps. At least, you don't tell them twice. Odd you don't see more of them magically able to produce food, though," he mused. "Invisible, magically self-sustaining creatures that devote their lives to not bumping into all the things that can't see them."

He fell silent when they reached the tracks and body, however. He examined the tracks as they were pointed out, not being particularly skilled at navigation and generally relying on Waya to keep him from getting too lost. "All very calm, right? That sounds like enchantment… reason enough for ear plugs, I suppose, although they didn't help this fellow."

He picked up the pouch of magical components, handing it over to Felix. "You use one of these things- any chance you can tell or smell what's missing from it?"

[esorscher]

As soon as he has cleared enough of the brush, Simeon stows his axe back in its position and starts to haul the boat up onto the shore. If there's one thing he's learned living in the wild, it's keep the property you want on your person, or in your lair. If someone tries to prevent him, he will listen to what they say but ultimately invite them to help him. Many hands make light work.

Then he will join Kyrial in his search, trying to learn from the superior tracker. He takes note of the creatures surrounding the corpse. Upon hearing what Kyrial has found, he thinks back to the twigs, and looks around at the trees. He'd never seen anything like them before. Could they have done this? He looks around at them once more, then whistles for his raven. The bird lands on his shoulder, gracing him with a watery offering. Simeon ignores it, for the moment. "Looks like we found that head's body."

"Save those sketches," he says. "I'd like to make copies of those."

I'll make any necessary rolls in the OOC thread once myth-weavers is back up.

[carnivoroustofu]

Disembarking onto the bank, Akaro sighs as the mud sinks up around his talons. The boats would have to be stowed ashore to prevent them from drifting away. After much grunting and exertion later, Akaro helped drag the boats ashore and lashed them to one of the trees with some rope. As they begin to follow after Kyrial, Akaro turns back quickly to the tree and marks it with two quick strikes of his sword to form a "X". Returning to the rest of the group, Akaro continues to mark trees in a similar fashion every 50 paces or so.

Looking at the results of Kyrial's investigation, Akaro remarks "Two groups of tracks, one of which suddenly vanishes. A flyer, perhaps. Could you tell the order in which they were made ?"

Walking up to the tree where the head was found, Akaro observes the branches carefully for signs that something had landed on the tree.

Oops, see OOC for perception roll

[AttilaTheGeek]

"There could be great, big monsters that just magically ignore little things like that. You don't tell dragons that they aren't s'posed to be that big, or that they don't get to live in swamps. At least, you don't tell them twice."

"Ooh... interesting. Very interesting. But the gods are usually loath to hand out the power to live without food. That power can destroy entire ecosystems if left unchecked. Even dragons need something to eat, and a dragon (let alone several) can't survive on fish and insects. They need big prey- cows, sheep, humans, and the like- but those animals can't survive here without anywhere to graze. Therefore, no big prey, not enough food for dragons, no dragons. I hope."


"Invisible, magically self-sustaining creatures that devote their lives to not bumping into all the things that can't see them."

Kyrial looks Yelis straight in the eye and, in a total deadpan, says "How do you know we don't have those back home?"

I'm going to either edit Kyrial's reaction to the actual scene into this post later today or write that in its own post.

[Vhaidara]

Nalin glances at Kyrial as the druid comments on the gods handing out the power to live without food.
Tell me, druid, have you ever fought a necromancer? Some of them are powerful priests of dark gods, and the last time I checked, many of the undead require no source of food.
He looks around for a somewhat dry patch near the boats.
Mr. Parentis, Kyrial, if the two of you could help m set up camp, I could take care of Mr. Felander while the rest of you explore further into the jungle, if you wish.

[SquirrelKing]

Walking up to the tree where the head was found, Akaro observes the branches carefully for signs that something had landed on the tree.

Rolled for Akaro in my dice rolls thread. Don't see a Perception roll in the OOC.


Akaro peers up into the branches and notes that there are indeed scratches not unlike those his own talons would make from perching on them further up into the branches. But still up in the branches closer to the forest floor about seven or eight feet up, near where the worst of the carnage and blood spatter is, there are roughly six-inch wide smoother worn areas that encircle the branch entirely, as though something without claws was there too.


Dice roller loves Akaro for some reason... freakin' 29 perception roll. :smalltongue:

[carnivoroustofu]

"Well, my fellow Foxes, you might want to have a look at these peculiar marks here." Akaro calls out to the rest of the group, indicating to the claw marks and the smooth patches on the tree. "The claw marks resemble the talons of birds of prey or humanoids with avian-like traits. The smooth areas though.. I'm afraid I have no idea."

Akaro spots the group's preparations for camp and wonders outloud, "Can anyone read the tides ? I wouldn't want to get out of the tent at night and fall straight into water because of an incoming tide."

[LordHavelock]

Rickard does his best to assist in pulling the boats to shore, and does his best to help set up camp. "I admit, this is not my forte." he says, still smiling with a certain amount of relish at the new challenge. "Really, I'm a city boy born and raised, but I've done enough bushwhacking in my spare time not to be completely inept." In truth, he made a point of studying and learning under some more experienced woodsmen in preparation for this specific mission from the church, but there was only so much about the jungles and swamps which could be learned ahead of time. Still, between his companions skills and their plethora of gear, he feels well prepared for a first night's rest in the jungles of the new world (though swamp might be more appropriate).

At the mention of tracks and the sight of the remains of their fellow explorer spitted on the pike though, his gaze narrows and his brow furrows. "Other explorers, surely another of the company which was chartered with us." He remarks, less focused on what befell their most recent unlucky member. "Perhaps we can track the others? Find out from them what may have happened. No doubt they would know more about their fallen comrade at least, perhaps be willing to carry his remains."

[Vhaidara]

These marks are from some kind of primate. An ape, or a gorilla. Or, you know, a human. A very limber human.
Nalin looks back towards the bank
The tide's about halfway out. Based off of the time, it will be high about dusk, but I don't think it will cause us any problems. Though if we don't want to sink into the mud we should move a ways inland. The boats will be fine.

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro retrieves the jar of leeches from his backpack and transfers half of them into a separate jar before passing it to Nalin. "I hear these are pretty handy for treating poison. Perhaps they'll be of use shortly."

[SquirrelKing]

The group manages to lift and drag the rowboats beyond the mangrove tree line a few yards, and then lash them to a tree in preparation for the incoming tide. Then, they hefted their gear out of the boats and worked their way inland to search for a suitable area to make camp. After about a hundred yards, they found a slightly elevated area that would serve their needs well.

The heat and humidity of the day is rather strong, eliciting a lot of sweat from the group as they begin clearing the area, setting down their goods, and setting up a fire pit. All the while, they continue to bat away the insects swarming them. Once the camp is set up sufficiently, Felix and Nalin stay behind to watch the camp and rest while the others begin to track the footprints leading west into the jungle.

Kyrial finds the process of tracking the prints rather easy. Their owners evidently did not try to hide their tracks in any way, nor were they in any hurry. In fact, Kyrial finds evidence that they stumbled several times. The druid has to remember to stay focused, as there are many new lifeforms all around them: well-hidden lizards, colorful vipers, birds of paradise and other tropical birds, a few monkeys, a vast variety of insects and spiders, new and varied plants with their own protective measures, and the occasional rodent skittering into the bushes. In short, it's a very primal, lush and alive jungle.

After about a half mile's walk (which takes nearly an hour in the thick jungle overgrowth coupled with the need to stop and track the footprints), the prints are jumbled as though they stopped for a moment and shuffled around. As Kyrial is bent down inspecting the tracks, the others spot something hidden among the plant life just a few feet away: a well-worn stone column that stands about five feet tall and is about two feet wide. Barely visible thanks to the ravages of time are a series of swirling patterns about three feet high that circle the entire column. However, a more recent carving defaces the strange ruin in the form of the same symbol that was carved into the decapitated head they saw earlier. That newer symbol is carved on all sides of the column and painted in with some sort of red paint. (Closer examination, to nobody's surprise, reveals that it is fresh blood.)

Then, the footprints split up in two groups of two people each, though this time the footprints are very erratic. They weave back and forth and around in circles and generally trample the area. And in two cases, there's evidence that they were dragged off in their respective directions for a few feet. One group heads southwest and the other group goes due west. There's still no sign of any other tracks, however.


What do you do next?

[QuidEst]

Yelis sighed. "Well, that's a nuisance. Let me take a moment to see if there's any magic, though." He passed one hand over his eyes, calling out the incantation to extend his vision to the ebbs and flows of magic.

Detect Magic.
K: Arcana [roll0] for any aura identification.

"Hmm. There's some sort of ward on this. Can't tell what exactly, and it's not powerful enough to be… worrisome, but don't go poking it or getting too close."

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro spies the split tracks warily. "This is less than ideal... I am loathe to split the party further but perhaps we should investigate both tracks simultaneously for a short distance and meet back here to see what we learn about them."

[esorscher]

"I'm a decent tracker," Simeon says, nodding at Akaro's suggestion. "I can take one group, if that's what we choose."

[SquirrelKing]

While the group is standing there discussing their options and findings, faintly off in the distance they all hear a hauntingly beautiful song being sung by a woman's voice. For those in the group that were accustomed to such things back in the Imperial capital city, it sounds more evocative and heart-wrenching than the most skilled songsmiths in the most famous theaters. When the song ends after a few minutes, the group can't help but notice there's a small part of them that is saddened by its sudden absence.

The more perceptive among them in the group pick out that song came from the southwest and was perhaps less than a quarter-mile distant.

[esorscher]

"I want to go to there," Simeon says as his feet start moving southwest toward the voice.

[QuidEst]

Yelis grabbed at Simeon. "Hang on. The earplugs? This seems suspicious. We have two paths, and one of them we'd be better prepared for with Felix along. So why not take the other?"

[carnivoroustofu]

Akaro shrugs at Yelis' suggestion. "I have no objections. Given that the separated people are likely to eventually be added to the missing individuals list, we will eventually have to investigate both paths."

[esorscher]

Simeon shakes his head, not as if saying 'no' but as if clearing his mind from a fog. "Yeah, that makes perfect sense, actually, I don't know why I didn't think of that." He draws his bow.

[AttilaTheGeek]

Kyrial responds without taking their eyes off the pillar. "I agree, we should avoid whatever made that song until we are at full strength. But before we go, I want to check for any magical effects on this pillar. Detect Magic."

If the pillar is magical, spellcraft [roll0] to identify its properties.

[LordHavelock]

The effect of whatever is singing the siren song is not lost on Rickard either, as he gazes with wonder off into the recesses of the swampy terrain. The conversation of the others is enough to bring him back however, and in line Simeon, he arms his repeating crossbow and slings it in front of him, all the more on his guard. "Perhaps we should leave some mark for our compatriots as well? To indicate to them which way we went, should we find ourselves in similar peril to the group ahead?"

[SquirrelKing]

Mid-Afternoon, Day Two

When Kyrial casts the detect magic spell, they can tell that the pillar is indeed magically imbued, and faintly so, but the nature and purpose of the magic is just completely foreign to them.

Once the group begins their journey along the western path, before long they encounter a slight downward slope. The footprints lead to an ancient set of stairs crafted of intentionally placed stones. Time has been unkind to them and they are quite weather and use-worn. Plus, many of the stones are missing or overturned and moss covered, but their original intent and construction is evident. Six outer stones in groups of three flank a bluish stone comprising the central stone in each step. In all, there are well over thirty steps descending the slope.

At the bottom of the steps, there is a forty-foot diameter vaguely circular area of stones that are largely overgrown with vines, dirt, and plant life. The footprints can be seen in the dirt and mud covering this ancient circular area and continue westward.

A quarter mile's walk later, the group hears the sound of flowing water ahead. A quick scout ahead reveals a gulley that is about eighty feet deep and nearly fifty feet wide with a swift moving twenty-foot wide stream at the bottom. A rope bridge spans the gulley, with two ropes acting as handrails and a single thicker rope (fashioned of vines and other plant matter) acting as the support. All three sets of ropes are tied off to trees on either side. Each of the trees on this side of the gorge are marked with the following images slashed into the bark.

http://i.imgur.com/ZJegUQU.png http://i.imgur.com/hpKNXWS.png