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Xenos keeps his loaded Crossbow at the ready and keeps an eye on the lanterns as they approach.

"The quicker we leave this devil-turkey infested island the better." he mutters to himself

Euripides Nereos

Hearing that someone...or something...is coming out of the jungle, Euripides gets up and wanders to the rail of the ship, readying his sling.

The Captain Returns
The Beach
Early Morning, Cool, Breezy

Anticipating the outcome of the distant noises, Valkrina checks on Ragnarr’s status, cutting the cord of his prized magical totem and snatching it from the unconscious Viking. Hakon sleeps through the entire process. She then offers up the item to her possible future henchmen, noticing for the first time his bracelet made of thin slats of what appears to be whale bone tethered together in a flexible armband.

As the glow of natural daylight on the horizon creeps up ever so slightly higher, the Captain and his crew crash through the foliage at the end of the trail and approach the ship. Once the are all aboard, Pako immediately gives his report.

“Cap’n, sir! These passengers a yers brought some escaped slaves from the copper mines aboard against my will! I assure ya I had nothin to do with this decision. At all!”

Captain Lazereth calmly holds the palm of his hand up to Pako, who abruptly stops speaking. He looks over the situation carefully, noticing the wounded members of the party and staring at each of the stowaways individually for a short time. He points in turn at Valkrina, Drest, Xenos, and Euripides.

“I would like each of you 4 to tell me the truth about what has happened here while I was gone. NOW, please!” He looks at the nearly naked men with a hint of anger, but behind his eyes, you can see the man is deep in thought.

I’ll take a [3d6] Intelligence roll with you replies too, if you please.

Actions?

Kaul AC:6 11/13
Valkrina AC:6 8/8 1/1
Drest AC:7 7/7
Euripides AC:5 7/7 2/2
Xenos AC:5 9/9 2/2
Kumaglak AC:9 5/5 2/2
Hakon AC:4 4/9 1/1
Ragnarr AC:5 -2/13 (Unconscious)

Euripides Nereos

Well, Captain, sir, these guys... he gestures at the slaves, came out of the woods and those...bird things...came out. Some of our guys went over the side to fight the monsters so the slaves could get to the ship while some of us shot bows and slings. Ragnarr almost died. Pako didn't want them to come on the ship, but it wasn't safe for them down there, so we told them to come up. That's what happened, sir. I think.

Drest

"Yup what Eurip said."

Xenos

"Euripides has it pretty much right Captain. When the slaves first arrived we thought it might be some kind of deception from the local and shot at them, but they told us who they were and so Kaul went to speak to them. That's when the turkey-lizard things attacked, one of them almost had Ragnarr's eye out."

Valkrina

Valkrina intelligence check vs 8 [3d6] = 10

"Well I told them to prove their worth. If they want passage out of here then 'set to' as new hands on deck. I offered one to act as my torch bearer on the island for the quest that you have been hired to deliver us safely to. That is this man here, he wears one of Kazeffron's totems and as such secures a place among the party.

Do with the others what you will."

Apollonius

The Atlantean looks up at Valkrina, his grey eyes unblinking, and then affixes the scarf and totem to pale skin. He rises, adjusts his tunic, and stands near the group. The sea breeze sets dark hair, grey around the temples, adrift around his shoulders. Apollonius looks from the recently-returned captain and crew to the group of hard-eyed warriors who fought off the crab-creatures, judging the disposition of both factions.

The Captain Returns
The Beach
Early Morning, Cool, Breezy

Val and Drest notice that two of the men are carrying what appears to be the rolled up lumpy sails they brought with them into the jungle, though now they are neatly folded and take up much less space, making them easier to carry for one man. They set the sails inside the ship and begin to make way. The rest of the crew quickly prepares to shove off.

The captain listens to each report carefully, looking back and forth to Pako and nodding his head a lot as you speak. He starts to look a bit upset initially, but then his facial expression changes over to a much more content look. He ushers everyone to the back of the ship where the extra weight lifts the front up out of the sand a bit better.

"I see," he finally says without judgment, barking out a few orders to his men before finishing.

"Well, the gods really do decide our fate after all, don't they? And here I though this trip would be a boring one. I will drop you lot off at your destination, as planned, and then transport these men back to the mainland with us. If that sounds agreeable to you, then help us get back on the water so we can leave this hump of sand in our wake. Savvy?"

Actions?

I will let you post IC introductions and see where this goes from there.

Kaul AC:6 11/13
Valkrina AC:6 8/8 1/1
Drest AC:7 7/7
Euripides AC:5 7/7 2/2
Xenos AC:5 9/9 2/2
Kumaglak AC:9 5/5 2/2
Hakon AC:4 4/9 1/1
Ragnarr AC:5 -2/13 (Unconscious)

Valkrina

Introduces Apollonius to the rest of the ''Flagship' group. "Your countryman Euripides, this quiet but smelly one is my countryman Kumaglak, these warriors here are ..." she goes on.

In the huddle at stern she also suggests.

"I don't trust this Captain. Smuggling weapons or who knows what here. Drop us off then clear off. I don't think he plans on sticking around until we finish harvesting.

Sailing charts. We need to get out hands on them and any nautical maps of the islands. Can one of you purloin such? Another scribe a copy?"

Xenos

"I think the captain will be gone as soon as he drops us off, I don't think this was ever a two-way deal. I also don't trust him not to stop off at this island on the way back and return these poor folk to slavery"

Drest

Whispering, "You are most likely right, but there is nothing we can do about it."

Xenos

"Unfortunately you're right, there isn't much we can do. These pendents are probably just to identify us to whoever the witch is sending us to, they probably plan to sacrifice us to some demon."

Euripides Nereos

Euripides gestures to his own gills. I haven't seen an Atlantean other than my family before. Where are you from?

Bluetongue wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:25 pm Valkrina

Sailing charts. We need to get out hands on them and any nautical maps of the islands. Can one of you purloin such? Another scribe a copy?

I might be able to grab a map. I've been living on the streets by taking things from others, a map shouldn't be real hard.

Apollonius

The quiet man looks upon Euripides with great interest. "Atlantica," he replies in their native tongue. "And you?"

The Voyage Continues
The River Okeanos
Midday, Warm, Breezy

The captain warns the freed slaves to stay out of the way of his crew to avoid any unfortunate accidents, which they agree to wholeheartedly. Ragnarr's unconscious body is laid in the belly of the craft near the stowed supplies and the ship is soon back on the water again. After sailing past the small island, there is nothing in view but open water in every direction.

Valkrina introduces Apollonius to the others, receiving a not so subtle grunt from the unenthused Kumaglak for her efforts. The pair of Atlanteans bond immediately and begin to get acquainted, but the entire party seems nervous and concerned about the final outcome of this trip. Kaul remains quiet, keeping to himself while eyeing Hakon's wooden idol often. At one point, the odd Viking actually takes it off to flaunt it in front of the many interested seamen.

Watching the actions of the captain and crew a bit closer now, hoping to find where they store the nautical maps and charts, one peculiar observation is finally made. The foodstuffs on board have been normal iron rations of dried fruit, nuts, salted meat, and hard ship biscuits, all stored away in wooden chests lined with sawdust, of which you have gone through many over the course of the several days spent at sea so far, tossing the empty wooden crates overboard as necessary to conserve room on deck. However, along this entire trip, there has been only one water cask in use, with everyone on board drinking from it regularly. This cask is not stowed with the rest of the food crates, and the captain watches it closer than he does his own magical feather.

Once the dim glow of Helios rises to its highest zenith in the Hyperborean sky, marking the approach of midday, the captain addresses the unheralded concerns of the party. "I can sense that some of you are troubled as to where this exploration will end. And how. Fear not my new friends, for you have been chosen by one who's powers reach far beyond the mortal coil of man. Since I doubt that any of this was mentioned to you yet, I will tell you where we are now headed. Have any of you ever heard the rumors of a tiny island called Mu Minor? Otherwise known as the Isle of Mu? Inhabited by the enigmatic Men of Mu?"

Before any of you has a chance to answer, one of the crewmen quickly climbs up the ships main mast, looking intently out at the wide open sea stretched in front of you. Anyone watching him can see that his expression is a mix of both surprise and horror.

Actions?

Apollonius AC:8 5/5 2/2
Kaul AC:6 11/13
Valkrina AC:6 8/8 1/1
Drest AC:7 7/7
Euripides AC:5 7/7 2/2
Xenos AC:5 9/9 2/2
Kumaglak AC:9 5/5 2/2
Hakon AC:4 4/9 1/1
Ragnarr AC:5 -2/13 (Unconscious)

Xenos

"I have not heard of this place, who are these men who I habit it, and what is the name of the one who has chosen us? Do you not see the suspicion caused by not telling us the truth from the start?"

Drest

Drest stays out of the conversation, but listens in. Noting the crewman he works his way to the ship rail, closest to where the crewman is looking and tries to see what is up, staying close enough to listen to the captain.

Valkrina

"Enigmatic? Men of Mu, men of Leng? Hybrid devil worshippers no doubt if they are of the same creed.

I would like to know more of these lotus that Kazeffron seeks. Unlikely the Mu men will have crates of seedlings or blossoms in their gardens.

Do you have a map of this island?"

She asks about previous expeditions and what the landing port arrangements are. Is the place a safe harbour, a walled city, native stockade?

Euripides Nereos

Replying in Atlantean, Port Zangerios. I've never been to Atlantis. I've never left Port Z before this.

Answering the captain, in Common, I don't know this place. Is there anything we should know? Anything you're going to tell us. Looking up at the crewman in the mast, he asks, What's with him?