Introduction: Let's All Get on Board

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Looks at Krystal and grin. "5gp?" He looks up at Jack and grins. "Only if he jumps? You're on!" His meaty hand engulfs that of the elf maids. "10gp say it takes a couple shots for him to realize they mean business... 15gp say he climbs further up and they have to bring him down kicking and screaming! " he grins still holding her hand. "You on?"

[tkrexx]

Lightfinger

Nah, The Thief overhears, tho his eyes have already left the Elf Lad and gone back to the approaching vessel, I won't take that wager. The kid's smarter than he lets on.

[Inferno]

Jack, lost boy:

Jack sheepishly scrambles out of the rigging and hides below deck, making himself scarce for a while.

'Boring, mean ol' captain! Won't let anyone have any fun!' he sulks.

[OGRE MAGE]

After wagers are placed and the child jumps down, the captain smirks a little when the waif runs to hide. He gruffly goes back about his business of watching the oncoming ship approach.

As the Flash draws closer you can see that it is another sloop, similar to the one you're currently on, except for the fact that it looks brand new. The sails are still bright white and the ships new paint shines in the morning sun.

An arrogant looking, puffy shirt wearing captain stands proudly at the wheel as the rest of the dozen or so crewmen jump up and down, shout loudly, and wave their arms at you frantically, happy to see others out on the waves.

You see that the deck of the ship is filled with huge logs, some of them so long that they hang off the back of the ship. You also see several square bundles lying on top of the logs. After it passes by, you see the brightly painted name of the "Green Flash" scrawled across the back of the vessel.

Captain Quark does not look impressed at the other crews behavior.

[Scott308]

Brufrig Granitesunder

Watching the Flash go speeding past with its cargo of logs, the dwarf comments to anyone who may be within earshot, I really hope "adventure" isn't some sort of code for chopping down trees. If I wanted to do that, I could have stayed closer to home. And I wouldn't have needed to get on a boat. I don't think I'll be able to make my fortune cutting wood.

[Jernau35]

Wes (aka Waesfaren)

Hearing Brufrig's comments, Wes replies "Well, there are two types of passengers on this ship: those with weapons, and those without. I suspect those without will be cutting the trees, and those with will be guarding them. I'm not sure I want to find out from what".

As he watches the Green Flash go by, Wes stares at it's cargo with a frown. "If they are cutting down trees on such a scale that they can export them, they are surely flouting the wishes of Obad-Hai. No wonder they need guards", he muses quietly to himself. Tucking his holy symbol inside his tunic, he resolves to learn more of this situation.

[Storm11]

Saracen breathes a sigh of relief as the sloop passes without problems. He is relieved that the crew aren't some sort of slavers or pirates and the passengers haven't been duped as yet. He eagerly watches the kerfuffle with the elf boy and wonders silently why his race are seen as the savage ones. Looking out towards the front of the boat his long orange dreadlocks and robes billowing behind him the holy champion is more than eager to be once again on dry land.

[Spearmint]

Krystal

His meaty hand engulfs that of the elf maids...still holding her hand

"Just fill my hands with gold." she says wiping his greasy palm away and giving him the 'look'.

Cats eye.jpg (9.4 KiB) Viewed 714 times

The green greedy glint replaced with the deep sad doe eyed bambi look once more as the huge fighter digs into his pocket.

"Wonder what 15 gold will get me in the Settlement?" she muses, smiling at the big man as he counts out the coins.Gosh, he must be at least a foot and taller and more than 2 and a half times my weight'

"So you come from the Dim forest, would never have guessed!" she says, "Hochoch? Perhaps you know the Sheriff?"

[Bluehorse]

Monocar Jerama

Makes a face when the boy jumps down the laughs digging into his purse taking out the 15gp seeming not to notice the look. He seems genuinely good natured about it. "Yes, Hochoch! My Da dealt with the sherriff a bit. I have met the man a few times but never say down for dinner or anything like that. It was may Father that cut the timber and milled the lumber for the big jail there. That was the job that paid the way for him to build the Carpenters Guild. There's real craftsmanship going on out that way these days." Looking at the scars on the deck, "looks like we're in the same work here. See these gouges? This is what happens when you drag big timber over a wood deck. You can see where they have made repairs here and over there as well. That's what I'd expect to see from logs geeting loose or pou ding old lumber. Same thing happens to the large flatbed wagons back home. The ship like the other is hauling some heavy loads of timber. Must be some special wood to go to all this trouble."

[tkrexx]

Lightfinger

At first the Halfling simply smiles his ornery smile and shakes his head at what he considered a fool's bet. The giant continues his babbling, something Lightfinger has already come to expect, and as he resets his sling his eyes note the very scars on the deck Monocar has reference to. He looks up in disbelief: He just learned something from a fool! The other sloop, the Flash, or whatever... It was loaded, almost overloaded, with timber. Is this our purpose? Chopping trees? This is not what I... I'm hardly suited for... I mean look at me! He appears to be... Pouting!

[Bluehorse]

Monocar Jerama

Grins at Lightfinger. "No worries, little friend! We'll get you a short ax, maybe a hachet? I can show you how to hack the smaller limbs off or scath the bark so the timber is ready for milling. It's good work for small hands. Got to have the touch though, as my Da used to say. Dig in too much and you wound good wood, not enough, and it comes out sloppy at the mill. Hey! You could be my apprentice! We'd make a heck of a team, you and I. You me and a couple mules, we could make short work of logging once we get a cut of land."

[Scott308]

Brufrig Granitesunder

The dwarf turns to Wes in order to better converse. Well, guarding would be better than chopping, although it still doesn't sound like what we signed up for. He sticks his hand out as he introduces himself. Name's Brufrig Granitesunder. I used to be a smith's apprentice, but decided it wasn't for me, so I set out to make my fortune when I came across one of those flyers, and here I am.

[Jernau35]

Wes

Wes shakes Brufrig's proffered hand. "Good to meet you. Reckon I'm similar to you: did some hunting and fishing round the Dreadwood, decided to see a bit of the world when my dad passed. Heard how they were looking for explorers down south and ended up here"

He pauses to consider a moment. "Y'know, exploring and fortune seeking sound pretty similar. Maybe you and I could work together on this island? I know my way around in the forest well enough, even know a little magic that might come in handy. Got to be more interesting than guarding tree-cutters, right?"

[Nuke66]

Rythan

OOC: miss 30 hours and end up way behind!

Raythan is impressed the way the situation with the wild child goes, he does NOT need free reign on this sloop. But, the Captain's willingness to fire on the passengers cements their place in the pecking order here.

As the Flash passes by, he can't help but wonder why they didn't tow a barge-load of them, floating on their own. But, I guess they had their reasons.

He also notes the fleecing of the gregarious warrior by the elf lady, filed in the to be remembered. He will have to be on the lookout for a similar opportunity.

As the conversation turns he begins to comment. "It is rather apparent that this is a civilization building exercise. We have folks that will do what they do, and us poor souls to protect them and slay local monsters. Is that not what we signed up for?"

[Urson]

Luther

Clearly, we may be asked to defend the loggers. I'd rather not- logging tends to drive off the local game. I wonder if they have a good map of our new home? if not, I may busy myself with making one.
I vaguely remember a story my master told- he mentioned a tree that has wood so dense it won't float. P'raps that's what those logs are.

[Spearmint]

Miss 'Tal',

Krystal checks her notebook and takes another reading from the mid day sun and the horizon. Not an accomplished mariner by any means, the lack of 'sea legs' vouching for that, she at least tries to get a bearing on where they are at approximately; travelling speed, direction.

"The Captain seemed disappointed when we met that Flash boat, I heard him mention we are behind schedule. It could mean making landfall on the Island' after midnight rather than earlier." she mentions to any of the folk who enquire as to her studies.

Looking around the commoners and 'non-party' travellers does she spy on anyone who would look more scholarly, perhaps a mage or another cleric. Someone with less baggage might be on a business trip or returning to the island not moving as a settler. She will try to converse with such a person.

[OGRE MAGE]

After making some uneducated guesses at navigation, Krystal decides that the ship has indeed been sailing almost due east at a fairly rapid pace. The captain mentions that the ship will likely be docked on the island by mid morning tomorrow.

Krystal studies the other passengers for a while, looking for any who may stand out intellectually. The villagers don't really seem to fit the bill, but there are several other adventuring types on board as well. Looking for the obvious signs, (pointy hats, no armor, etc.) she spots out a few spell casters.

Most of these others seem glossy eyed and frightened, not sure what to expect once they arrive. But, she is able to learn a thing or two once she gets a few to open up to her. One skinny robe wearer tells her that these trips have been going on for almost a month already, and that there is a small settlement started on the island. Another mentions a trail that is being cut through the thick island vegetation. "That must be where all the logs are coming from?"

For the most part, the other adventurers seem uncomfortable on the ship and despite the mystery, would rather be on the solid ground of the island. They all look as green as the rest of you. Nobody stands out as being too advanced in their fields.

[Inferno]

Jack, lost boy:

Jack hangs his little head out a porthole and watches with keen envy as the Green Flash parades by.
'I wish I was on that boat! The one with a happy, dashing, puffy sleeved pirate captain! The one with all the fun! Instead of this mean old dull ship!' he pouts.

Then, after enough of that, Jack's mood turns and he scampers off to the galley to see what trouble can be found there. 'Maybe I can filch a sweet!' he smiles.

[tkrexx]

Lightfinger

Do you see these? The Hobbit holds his hands high, fingers spread, so the giant doesn't have to bend down too far, They're soft, not at all suited to farming pigs, goats, oats OR trees. I left all that behind last year. That's where I came from, not where I'm going. Oh, I'm getting a headache, I need to sit down. He stalks back to the chalked area claimed as his own, seemingly quite large for one of his size, squats with his back against his carpetbag and pulls his cloak about himself.

[OGRE MAGE]

Black Flash

Once the excitement of seeing the other ship dies back down, the crew goes back about their business of sailing. Captain Quark looks to the position of the sun again, this time smiling as he looks straight ahead towards the direction you are headed. A few more very boring hours pass. As the group mingles, the morning turns into afternoon. A little while later, the crewman in the rigging yells down to the captain again.

"Sir! We got company coming from the north! It looks like more of those bluntskulls!"

The crewman points due north as the captain pulls a collapsible telescope out of his pants. He looks through the glass for a minute and then turns to all of the able bodied adventurers on board.

"You all heard the man! This is about to get real serious! Anyone with a ranged weapon get your asses to the port side of the ship and let hell loose as soon as you see the black bastards!" He points to his left so that Monocar and the other intellectually challenged passengers know which way port is.

"We have seen these things before and we were lucky to be able to chase them off! But, there were only three of them last time! Now I see at least six! Ready the crossbows men! This time for real! We will need every one on board that can shoot to do everything they can to stop these beasts before they tear this little ship to shreds!"

He huddles all the noncombatant passengers towards the middle of the deck as his men retrieve their weapons. "Whatever you do, stay away from the starboard side until after they hit us! We are going to try to outrun them so we won't be turning around for anyone that goes overboard!"

The other adventures on board all look around to see if this is some kind of drill. They get a look of fear in their eyes when the rapidly approaching black shapes first come into view, moving quickly towards the ship just below the waterline. It looks like the creatures are formed up in two lines of three. The first line is almost upon you by the time you take your positions at the rail. Eight of the dozen crewmen begin to fire bolts at the shapes while the others steer the ship and try to catch enough wind in the sails to go just a bit faster. You quickly learn why they are all sailors as most of the quarrels miss their marks badly.

Actions!

Here we go!
The black shapes are between 20 and 30 feet long, a little under one third the size of the ship. They are currently 50 feet away and coming on fast. You can each take one free round of attack as they approach. Please be sure to modify your shot(s) for the range. (-2 for medium) Then we will begin a normal combat round to see if this will be a very short adventure or not.