On the island: Exploring the northern trail

[Alethan]

Bog indicates they should turn around and head back. While wild island boars are something to be wary of, they are no immediate threat unless cornered or threatened themselves.

Best to just leave them alone, unless the crew suddenly find themselves in a food shortage situation and they need the extra meat.

Bog's plan is to head back to the last intersection, then take the less-traveled path to see where it leads. He will make that plan audible once they are far enough away from the wild beasts.

[dmw71]

Caelvanna nods at Bog's plan.

While her decision and selected route didn't necessarily lead to anything productive, a noticeable spring can be seen in the wild elf's step as she clearly relished being off the boat and in her comfortable surroundings again.

[Argennian]

~ Caelvanna silently returns to her waiting mates and very quietly whispers the results of her forward reconnoiter. Bogdan nods his understanding as she speaks and when the Wild elf is finished, he indicates wordlessly that they should fall back the way they came. Emm nods absentmindedly as she continues to look all about, apparently also content to do so as she has no questions or protests to proffer.

The trio return uncontested to the previous intersection. Deciding to continue, they go left and back the way they were originally headed. The game trail continues on mostly eastward and within about 50 yards, is intersected by a small stream. What appear to be more of the previous tracks, as well as some scat from what you conclude must have come from the wild boar that Caelvanna spotted, are easily visible on the trail about the small brook, which runs right to left (south to north) as you approached it.

Also visible at this point just beyond the stream, is a different kind of track. Emm leans down to take a closer look and describes it as belonging to what she believes is a lizard or some kind of reptilian. By the size and impression of the tracks, she says it must be pretty big. Bugs continue to buzz and crawl about in the prolific ecosystem and birds continue to sing their praises of the dawn and taunt each other in the distance as mighty Hazara continues to rise in the eastern skies.


******************************************

Actions?

Questions?


OOC: figured I'd stop here to offer the chance for the party members to discuss or update with any new declared actions. Otherwise, we'll move things along westward again!

TOD: 9:15am of Day 1

HPs/Status: Bog 28/28 ; Caelvanna 25/25 ; Emm 10/10
WIH (primary/secondary): Bog – spear/shield (& other spears) ; Caelvanna – short bow/short sword (arrows fired: 0) ; Emm – spear/SC (SC = spell component/spell to cast)
M.O./Location Back on the main game trail at 1st stream crossing: Bogdan , Caelvanna , Emm

[Alethan]

Can they tell about how many reptilian creatures there are by the tracks? Just one? A few? Many?

[tkrexx]

That was my question also.

[Argennian]

~ The trio stops at the small stream and leans down to take a closer look when they spot the large reptile tracks present.

Although it's impossible to be absolutely sure, the more careful inspection reveals them to be the tracks of either one or maybe two of the creatures. The imprints look identical in every respect, other than the fact that some are older than others, so no differentiation can be noted. The most recent ones look pretty fresh, as if they were made sometime last night or at minimum within the last day. The tracks appear to approach and depart the small stream from the trail ahead but Emm notices that some of them head north from this spot along the stream and into the thick brush.

[Alethan]

"What do you think? Our task, as I understand it, is just to scout out the island and make sure it is safe. This looks to be one creature, probably living nearby. I doubt he is any danger to our camp, but it might be provoked into fighting if just the three of us stumble into its territory. I say we head back and leave it undisturbed."

Bog looks to his companions to see what they think.

[tkrexx]

Possibly nocturnal, and thus we could startle it if we go nosing about too much. The fight would truly be on then, as it would no doubt defend its territory fiercely. I agree, we should keep moving. Emm's eyes follow the trail of the beast as she speaks.

[dmw71]

It takes a concentrated effort to suppress her natural curiosity and chaotic instincts, but Caelvanna forces herself to accept that her companions make sense.  Too much sense for her liking.

The wild elf, longing for excitement, simply shrugs.

[Alethan]

Taking her shrug as agreement, Bog nods in confirmation and turns around.

He will re-trace his steps to the first intersection they came to in the woods, the one that went west to the beach and southeast to the rat cave.

If Emm and Caelvanna do not disagree, Bog will continue west from there, to try and determine where that trail heads.

[dmw71]

Caelvanna, until such a time that her scouting talents are called upon, will closely follow the half orc.

[tkrexx]

Emm also follows, keeping alert on the sides and the rear.

[Argennian]

~ The scouting trio assess the uncomfortably-large reptile tracks and discuss their next course of action. Apparently in agreement in not wanting to confront whatever made those clawed prints, they mutually decide to reverse course and make their way back west on the game trail.

Bogdan gathers himself and assess his mates before turning about and taking the lead in heading back the way they came. Calevanna, her trusty elven short bow and a flight arrow at the ready in her hands, drops in behind the burly, armored half-orc, a sense of subtly growing impatience and longing for more stealthy work and an excuse to show off her archery talents is evident upon her Wild elf visage. Prying her curious gaze from the reptile tracks that lead further east along the game trail, Emm gathers her focus and brings up the rearguard behind Caelvanna as they move back westward. The cawing of island avians appear to heckle her and her mates from further east and mixes in with the now more active buzzing of the flies and other insects as they move about their usual morning island business. The powerful smell of the island's thick and heavy vegetation is all around them as the morning dew dries up and Hazara continues her majestic ascent to her midday position high above.


The trio of Half-orc fighter, Wild elf warrior and human druid return to the previous intersection. Other than the waking and now more active bugs and flying insects, as well as the occasional branches and thick leaves that hang without regard for others above the game trail, nothing else attempts to contest or molest them in any way. The intersection is as they left it when last they passed, and the sounds of Billings and his crew working on the Seahawk can be heard through the short distance of flora to the southwest.

Signaling with naught but his spear tip, Bog turns right and starts heading westward along the game trail offshoot and into the thicker brush and undergrowth. His companions follow close as the big man's armored physique parts most of the vegetative branches and obstructions. They travel another 50 yards or so, having to crouch very low at times to pass under thick branches and brambles, before breaking out into a small clearing of high grass. The game trail proceeds through the middle of the small 20 foot-wide by 30 foot long meadow and to the edge of what looks like a small bluff at the waters edge. The sound of the waves lapping against the shore emanate from ahead and below them but it is impossible to see how far down and just what they break against. It also appears as if another small game trail breaks right in the center of the small clearing, and heads back northward into the brush and thick undergrowth to a destination indistinguishable from their present position.

******************************************

Actions?

Questions?


TOD: 9:30am of Day 1

HPs/Status: Bog 28/28 ; Caelvanna 25/25 ; Emm 10/10
WIH (primary/secondary): Bog – spear/shield (& other spears) ; Caelvanna – short bow/short sword (arrows fired: 0) ; Emm – spear/SC (SC = spell component/spell to cast)
M.O./Location Back on the main game trail at 1st stream crossing: Bogdan , Caelvanna , Emm

[tkrexx]

Sst! Emm hopes her barely audible whisper can be heard over the squawking birds and humming insects. She will point to her own eyes, then to the intersecting game trails in the area open except for high grass: The perfect place for an apex predator ambush. She would move forward, if for no other reason than the mission, to gain recon of the area from which the ocean sounds come, but will have it known senses need to be keen.

[dmw71]

Caelvanna nods, and finds herself impressed with Emm's observations. She will continue to follow the half-orc, unless or until her individual talents are called upon.

[Alethan]

Bog cautiously makes it to the branch in the path. He motions for the other two to wait there while he checks on the path to the cliff...

[Argennian]

~ Bogdan signals hold to Emm and Caelvanna and creeps forward across the small clearing of grass. He passes the offshoot trail to the north uneventfully and warily approaches the edge of the bluff. The well-armored and armed half-orc gets to the edge and looks down and around. Although the vegetation of brush is thick just below him at the edge of the bluff, he can see that there is water about 10-12 feet below. The sound of the water breaking gently below would seem to indicate that it extends underneath his position. Lying in the grass just to his left appears to be an old rotted rope about 20' long with a rusted hook attached to one end. By the way the grass has grown around it, it looks to have been lying there for quite some time.


******************************************

Actions?

Questions?


TOD: 9:45am of Day 1

HPs/Status: Bog 28/28 ; Caelvanna 25/25 ; Emm 10/10
WIH (primary/secondary): Bog – spear/shield (& other spears) ; Caelvanna – short bow/short sword (arrows fired: 0) ; Emm – spear/SC (SC = spell component/spell to cast)
M.O./Location At the small clearing at the end of the western trail of the first intersection: Bogdan , Caelvanna , Emm

[dmw71]

Caelvanna will lie in wait. With bow in hand and arrow nocked, she will confine to watch the immediate surroundings.

[Alethan]

Bog quietly prods the hook and the rope with his spear. If nothing untoward happens, he stoops down and draws his knife, cutting the rope off just below the hook. Rotten rope isn't worth anything, but ships can always use hooks, if the metal is good...

He makes a mental note that the rope may have been used to climb down for some reason. Maybe there is a cave below? Or maybe it is just where a boat that was floating by needed to grapple ground in order to get someone hauled up onto land.

Once he has the hook, he heads back to the others and quietly tells them what he's seen. If they do not want to examine it further (does anyone have any rope with them? Does Bog?? Lemme go check his backpack contents...), then he suggest heading up the trail to the north and coming back to the small cliff once they have rope.

EDIT: Bog has hemp rope in his backpack if you two want to see if there is anything below the cliffs.

[tkrexx]

Nope, no rope. It's a recon mission, just depends on how far you want to recon. Either is fine with me. We can always return with a sizable force.