Second Darkness: Children of the Void [IC]

[lostsole31]

The man is FULLY HEALED BY THE LIFE-GIVING POWER OF NATURE!!!

But he is fully surrounded by the power of multiple, angry, well-armed and kitted adventurers.

[rypt]

Having never before seen one of the Ekujae, Tsyra watches with a scrutinizing eye as the bronze-skinned bowman dispatches the last of the attackers and makes his way aboard. Initially believing him to be one of Creesy's crew, she is surprised to find one of her own kind -- particularly one so competent -- serving under a human captain. It isn't until Creesy identifies the elf as the sponsor of their journey that she recalls Sol's earlier mention of his name and of his interest in the purple-skinned elf.

While Maggie restores the saboteur to consciousness, Tsyra moves to stand beside him. With her hands clasped behind her back, she does not seem to view him as a threat. "You should speak quickly of your purpose and of who paid you," she says matter-of-factly as she stares down at the man. "This ship has begun to drift, and they intend to make you swim for your life."

[lostsole31]

The man just blinks at the strange, monotoning elf.

The party realizes with that one round of questioning that Tsyra has all of the endearment, terror, and conniving ability of a discarded sock, forgotten in a mouldy corner.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago let’s out a little chuckle that he quickly stifles behind one of his gauntlets. He kneels to stare directly into the man’s face with fiery eyes. He puts a hand on the man’s shoulder and grips it tightly.”Listen my friend, you’ve put many innocent lives at risk today. I’m willing to forgive that if you tell us who you’re working for, and why they want us gone. My elven friend wasn’t lying. The longer you wait, the farther you have to swim for the dock.”

[Farmerbink]

"Besides," Maggie begins musing with apparent detachment, "hurting you would just be spiteful. It's your boss we really need to be looking out for."

She glances towards the slowly receding docks, obviously concerned. "Getting to be a long swim...."

[lostsole31]

The young man says, "We was paid 20 gold each by Clegg Zincher to make sure n'other ships bound for Devil's Elbow set out until, at the very least, end o' month."

[AggressiveBread]

Ago releases the man’s shoulder, as he stands, his voice is full of disgust. ”Figures. It seems like Zincher has a lot invested in keeping the haul to himself. Hopefully this means we aren’t too late to the party.”

[Farmerbink]

Maggie purses her lips in disappointment. "Figures," she grunts. She nods to the gunwale nearest the docks. "I figure you best start swimming. Anyone else care to pry further?"

[lostsole31]

As Maggie says, "...further?" there is a loud splash as you look from her to the empty spot where the man was and then note the man swimming for his life towards shore.

[bcool999]

Ozlech

”Perhaps a poor choice of words to tell him to leave and then ask us if we had any further questions.” Ozzy remarks before continuing, “Nevertheless, a hired goon won’t know much beyond who hired him, what the job is, and of course how much they will pay for it.

Since all that information was obtained we really had no more reason to keep him. Though this does tell us that Zincher will be just as cutthroat as we feared regarding this expedition. We should assume hostility when we see his men.”

[AggressiveBread]

”Agreed, we’ll have to keep our guard up.” he turns to address the captain. “Are the sails still in good enough condition to get us to Devil’s elbow captain?”

[lostsole31]

After some time discussing damage control with his mate and quartermaster, Captain Creesy says, "Given tides and time for repair, and because we aren't crewed to sail 24 hours, we will anchor out here in the Gulf, but still leave tomorrow as noted. Please take your animals back down to the hold ... you, too, Mr. Kwava ... and my men will show you to your hammocks."

[lostsole31]

Moonday, 4 Desnus 4708 AR (New Moon)
80 / 65 F. Winds 15 SE. Low humidity.

Repairs delay the initial plan to leave Riddleport for Devil’s Elbow, but only by a few hours as specified, as the Flying Cloud anchors out. It is an early rise for the sailors, though the heroes get to sleep in to be well-rested for their expedition, but in time awaken and prepare themselves for the new day. By early afternoon, the Flying Cloud is ready to set sail for Devil’s Elbow. The journey is short, and the ship covers the 18-mile voyage in a mere 5 hours, reaching the island about an hour before sundown.

Located 18 miles southwest of Riddleport and a mere 2 miles from the rugged and wild cliff shores of the Calphiak Mountains, the 5-mile-wide island of Devil’s Elbow appears on few maps. Its relatively remote location and notorious history have worked well together to ensure that it has remained mostly abandoned after an attempt to establish a settlement on its southern ridge.

The forested island is quiet as the ship approaches; no signs of life are immediately apparent. A low ridge forms a spine along the length of the island, its slopes covered with dense forest and its shores affording very few safe places to land. Two stone towers rise above the level of the surrounding trees along the top of the island’s ridge, one to the east and one at the island’s center. A thin plume of smoke rises from a point about midway between those two towers at the height of the island’s ridge. Yet the most dramatic sight as the ship nears its destination is the immense crater on the island’s northeastern slopes. The crater itself is hundreds of feet wide and surrounded by an even larger swath of burnt trees that have been knocked flat in a burst pattern around the impact site. The region’s frequent rainstorms and damp conditions prevented the fire from consuming the entire island, yet in all nearly a quarter of the island’s forest was destroyed by the impact.

Captain Creesy seems unusually nervous as the ship nears the island; despite his bravado, the tales of Virashi’s Curse and the island’s history get to him, and the sight of the immense crater does little to calm his nerves. He tells the PCs that he’d rather not stay in the region, and he attempts to arrange for a pick-up date when they’ll be done and he can come back and collect them. As he speaks, a bright light suddenly flashes at the peak of the island’s central tower, a sparkling blast of pyrotechnics that lasts for several seconds before expiring. The mysterious flash of light seals the deal—Creesy will sail up to the old piers and allow the PCs to disembark, but he does not want to remain overnight within sight of the island.

Creesy is reluctant to dock anywhere but the old pier due to dangerous reefs.

As the heroes disembark at the old pier, a voice calls out from the seemingly abandoned buildings: "Ahoy, the ship! Ahoy! Goldhammer's Expedition requesting permission to approach!"

[Farmerbink]

Maggie looks up from where she stood idly patting the scruff of Scruff's neck on the docks. "Oh? Uh sure!" She spends a few moments facing the apparently-not-abandoned wharf, trying to find the source of the call. She takes a few steps forward, perhaps naively placing herself and Scruff at the head of the group, nearest the speaker.

As she does, she waves generally towards the buildings, in a friendly, welcoming manner. "Goldhammer's crew are surely gonna be the most honorable ones," she mutters under her breath. "Come on out!" she calls, much louder. "We'll talk with ya!"

[AggressiveBread]

Ago nods in agreement, standing beside Maggie and Scruff. He calls out. ”Well met! We represent Sol Flood and the Gold Goblin!” He keeps his eyes peeled, looking for signs of movement in the buildings.

[Kvard51]

Lev keeps his head on a swivel, looking for threats hoping to go unnoticed. He leans toward Santiago and says quietly, "I'll hang back at first, to see if I can discern their tells. But if any real negotiation is to take place, be aware that I am, umm, gifted with words..."

[lostsole31]

The lead dwarf calls out, "I'm Gravin Goldhammer, leader of my eponymous expedition and official representative of the Gas Forges."

As the dwarf approache the docks, followed by four others (two dwarves and two humans), it is immediately clear to the PCs that they've had a rough time. Their clothes are torn and filthy and their faces are tired and haggard. They close to 10' of the PCs, seem friendly enough in gratitude at your arrival, and call up to the Captain. "We be the only four of us left of the original expedition, and we seek to quit this cursed island. We ask passage on your ship to return to Riddleport."

"Works for me!" calls the captain, coming down the gangplank. "I wasn't staying here, but merely depositing these fine adventurers here."

Captain Creesy looks to the PCs, "Don't worry, I don't intend to totally abandon you. I agree to come back here at any point in the future that you request, within reason; but the earliest I can return will be tomorrow evening. What say you?"

[Farmerbink]

Maggie gasps at the state of the foursome. "Oh goodness! Here, sweethearts, let me help!" She scurries forward- almost subconsciously gesturing for Scruff to stay put, and immediately begins seeing to the Dwarf and his companion's injuries. She subconsciously conjures several handfuls of pure water to wipe away the worst of the grime and- "Is that dried blood? How bad is it? Let's see if you can still move this arm without too much pain. Just soreness? That's good! No, really!"

Utterly oblivious to everything but the sorry state of the would-be evacuees, Maggie proceeds to gently treat injuries and sores anywhere and everywhere the injured men will allow.

Spoiler: OOC

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I would like her to start by using the lifelink hex to create bonds with the newcomers, literally sharing her hit points with them as she assesses the situation.

In that vein, she'll be going for heal checks (+7) to assess the severity of their injuries and/or illnesses.

As needed, she will use other healing options to help Goldhammer and his troupe, generally starting with using a few cure light wounds on herself, to refill after using lifelink to heal them. She gets 1d8+6 in this way, (the extra +2) thanks to the Fey Foundling feat.

[lostsole31]

Assuming Visto takes over the mundane aspect of healing, he and Maggie determine that each of them is lightly wounded. Only two of them have wounds strong enough for Maggie to take on some of the wounds to herself, and she ends up expending two CLW spells. Otherwise, Visto guides the more mundane binding of wounds.

[Farmerbink]

Maggie eyes Visto with newfound respect, surprised by his medical acumen. With genuine relief, the Gnome easily shifts modes into more pressing matters. "Now, that's settled. I hope you all feel better. Let's sit for a short time- I know you're all eager to leave- but we've got a job to do, and it would really be a great help to know more about what we're getting into. You can spare, say an hour, Captain Creesy?"

She flashes their captain and Goldhammer her most winsome smile, deliberately leveraging every ounce of cuteness she can muster.

[lostsole31]

"Not at all!" says Captain Creesy. "You have a few minutes. All hands, prepare to set sail!"

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago chuckles before he looks to the dwarves with a serious expression. ”I guess we don’t have much time then. Gravin, can you tell us what you saw here on the island? Is there any chance the rest of your men still live?”

[lostsole31]

Gravin shakes his head ruefully, as the other in his group lower their heads, the humans taking off their caps. "I led a thirteen-guildsman expedition. We've only been here a few days, and this is all what's left of our expedition."

He gives a few more moments of silence to respect the lost and then looks up, wiping his eye. "Damnable salt spray getting in my eyes from the ocean. Serves a dwarf right for going boatin' on a damn fool's errand. As to your other question? Them stories about Virashi’s Curse are right—mostly. Only it ain’t ghosts what haunt this place, no. It’s monsters. Low-to-the-ground things, fast and lean. Never did get me a good look at one of them, even with them snatching a few of my men and dragging them off into the woods. A few others got bit or slashed, and their wounds turned bad. Some sort of sick got in them, and then, when they died, it came back out their faces. Torag’s scars, but that were a sight I’d like to unsee. Came right out of their faces like they were tongues, and then my own men attacked us. We put them down and burned the bodies just this morning. Whatever’s out there, it’s not fit for this world. You shouldn’t stay here. If you had any sense, you’d get back on that boat and head right back to Riddleport!”

Sol asks, "No chance you've seen any purple-skined elves, is there?"

That actually gets an ironic chuckle from the dwarf, which catches to his men. They then have a really good laugh. It doesn't seem out of a desire to mock so much as the desperate need for humor to break tension before they settle back into their doldrums. "There's that salt spray again," says Gravin, wiping his other eye after a good laugh. Purple-skinned elves. Ha! Nope. No leprechauns or two-headed donkey rats either. We haven’t even seen the Sandpoint Devil. You’re welcome to look for all three, and purple-skinned elves as well, but I ain’t staying here longer to see what other fanciful beasts this place has to offer.”

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago chuckles a little himself, realizing he’s never seen this purple skinned elf with his own eyes. He asks,”Have you heard anything from the other expeditions? Before we left, we heard that both Clegg Zincher and the Cyphermages were coming to Devil’s Elbow.”

[Farmerbink]

Maggie frowns thoughtfully as Gravin relates his experience. "Ugh," she groans. "I'm so sorry you all had to go through that." Nearly on the verge of tears herself, the little woman's fists clench and unclench almost spasmodically. She glances nervously at Scruff, the ground, and her taller companions.

Blinking back tears, she opens eyes full of grit and determination. Nearly to herself, she begins muttering, in the lilting hodgepodge tongue of the Gnomes...

Spoiler: Gnomish language

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"Low to the ground, fast and lean, strong enough to pull a full-grown man too fast to get a good look.... I've seen vine monsters do that, could it be something burrowing?"

Her eyes glaze over, as she stares into the ground somewhere between the docks and wharves without seeing.

Spoiler: Gnomish language

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"Probably too fast for a snake. Something with root-like tentacles? But something on them that cuts...."

She visibly wracks her brain, scowling deep in thought, as she tries to make heads and tails of what the Dwarf is telling them.

Spoiler: Gnomish language

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"Not too many things like all that.... Could be multiple different kinds of things?"

After a time, with or without a useful conclusion, she snaps her eyes back to the Dwarf front-and-center. "Master Goldhammer, I promise in so far as I can that I will avenge your companions. There's no room in nature for such nonsensical, wasteful destruction!" Her tiny fist slams into an open palm with... probably less emphasis than she would like. "You have my solemn word on it!"

[lostsole31]

Master Goldhammer answers the golden tiefling. “There’s supposed to be three other groups here, but I only seen one of them so far—the cyphermages who are up in Witchlight. Slyeg and Zincher supposedly have men here too, but I ain’t seen any of them… although we did spot some smoke rising to the southeast, like maybe from campfires.”

Kwava asks, "Why do you feel you were 'too late?'"

Master Goldhammer spits and says, "Not a speck of skymetal. Plenty of craters around, but nothing in them worth taking. Either the other groups got it all, or there wasn't any to begin with."

Master Goldhammer nods to the ferocious oath given by the muttering gnome.

[rypt]

Tsyra is quick to dismiss the possibility that there may be no starmetal on Devil's Elbow, speaking with with far more conviction than seems reasonable for someone who has only just arrived. "No, this cannot be." Stepping to the front of the group to address the dwarf directly, she continues, "Given the tsunami that struck Riddleport, would you not have expected a single, large crater, rather than a multitude of smaller ones? And if you encountered only the latter, and not the former, is it not more likely that your company simply failed to locate the primary deposit of celestial material on the island?"

[lostsole31]

"Don't know, don't care, and don't be so cruel as to stop our speedy departure!" says Gravin, suddenly shocked by the elf's threatening posture.

"Tsyra," calls down the captain. "If you halt that man's liberty from disaster more, you shall not be welcome back upon my ship. Let him pass. Now."

[rypt]

The dwarf's preposterous accusation takes Tsyra by surprise. "I have no notion of what you speak! I was not delaying your departure when I stood there" --she points to a few steps behind her-- "and I am not delaying your departure where I stand now."

She looks to the captain, says nothing, then looks back to the dwarf. "Had I known that the urgency of your desire to leave this place was so much greater now than it was when you spoke at length only moments ago, I would have said nothing." At that, she steps to the edge of the pier where there can be no ambiguity as to her intentions.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago clears his throat trying to cut through the sudden awkward tension. ”Look we won’t keep you any more Gravin. May Abadar protect you.” he turns to look at Sol. ”How long do you think we’ll be here for? So the good captain knows when to return.”