Ambergris Cays exploration:

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard responds.

Well sure I can!

The half elven mage drops his dead lizard and begins to move towards the boat. He fumbles around inside his pouch for a minute, trying to locate the correct component for his sleep spell.

He gets a little closer before saying anything. It almost seems like he is stalling for whatever reason. Just before he starts casting, he drops the pinch of sand back inside and closes his pouch again.

Maybe it would be best not to waste my magic on these harmless crabs? We may need it later if those friendly rays lead us into another creatures lair or some such.

I am starting to think that we should just go back the way we came.

[Spearmint]

Understandably reticent about casting precious arcane power of such lesser foes, Siggard urges the other pair to return at once the way they came. 'Gin' Van de Poel takes a risky grab at the sack if juicy crabs he stashed under the seat.Van de Poel Hard skill check vs dex 12 [4d6] = 11 just barely missing a couple of agitated pinkie hued crabs busy waving snapping pincers at sandy coloured rivals. With sack collected and a few fresh specimens forked by Elijah the pair join the chase back.

It is uneventful bar skipping around various ankle twisting potholes, arriving to see Pocc treading water on a reef bank. In the shallows and circling him is a couple of man sized rays and a slightly larger one which animates it's flat wing shaped body, rippling the edges of skin and points with a long spiny tail. Pocc is busy tapping his hands in a rythym on the water and cups his ears to the water as if listening to a response.

From the higher ground you can toss the crabs into the water as if throwing a discus, VdP gets a short dagger and chops limbs off the lizards to throw.

The female ixitxachatl rays come closer to feed on the offerings and as you empty the sack and chuck in the remains of the carcass for the larger male rays to ravage, you notice Pocc begin to swim out from the shallow reef to the large cay opposite. (Big Ambergris Cay).

actions please. About 20 rays are swimming in the shallows feasting on the food, the other rays, having grabbed bits swim further away, ducking below coral banks. If Pocc could translate Ray-speech he would think the three circling rays have high-fived each other and gone off sniggering. Only Pocc has also gone off, suddenly urged to swim out to sea.

[Inferno]

Elijah calls, "Pocc! Be ye all right, lad?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc keeps swimming out to sea... to the other Cay. Almost like a hunting dog hot on the trail.

[Inferno]

Old Eli squints at the beast master and says to the other men on the beach. "Either Pocc's been ensorcelled by th' devil rays, or he's on th' way to th' minerals now.

"Either way, we'll be needin' the rowboat."

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard looks at the old salt quizzically.

Devil rays? Why do you say that? Do you sense something evil about those creatures?

[Spearmint]

'Gin' Van den Poel, also looks quizzically. Despite being a seasoned sailor he has no experience of such Ixitxachatl and Pocc made no mention of any threat save for 'rays'. Elijah, sea warden of Piseidon perhaps knows more.

You all turn to look at Pocc who does a 180 degree about turn and starts to furiously swim for shore.

Despite his fears of evil ray attacks he makes the shore unmolested and wet but safe.

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc comes out of the sea dripping "Sorry about that those were more than mere rays...my initial impression was wrong. I'd have relayed more but those creatures Ixitxachatl by name are extremely intelligent and can cast spells to which you just witnessed them commanding me to swim it would appear. Yes they are evil though I didn't get that impression until unfortunately I was in the waters with them. I did manage a trade with them the remains of the lizards for information the ambergris we seek is on the Cay to which i was swimming to. So then to the boat yes?" the druid asks while trying to get himself dry.

[Spearmint]

It is the early part of the afternoon, just after midday. You have beachcombed your way around maybe 1/3rd of Little Ambergris Cay, carefully picking over loose shells, pebbles and flotsam without much success, well without any success in finding flotsam of Ambergris deposits washed ashore.

The larger Cay is about five miles eastwards.

Next actions or decisions please.

[Inferno]

Elijah Crowthorn, ancient mariner:

The aged sea priest squints as he regards the (half) Elf with a scowl: "It's not fer Old Eli to be tellin' a beast master his business!"

"Good work, lad," Eli says upon hearing Pocc's report. Then the old salt repeats: "We'll be needin' the rowboat."

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard just stands there dumbfounded. What in the nine hells is this old man of the sea babbling about now?

And how is it possible that the Druid, who just admitted that the creatures are evil, spellcasting devil rays, escaped their clutches unscathed? That all seems fairly unlikely to the man of science.

Unless.......

There is definitely something fishy is going on here, men.........

The mage keeps a close eye on the old man and the wet druid, certain that something sinister is afoot.

[Spearmint]

Pocc gives his report of the encounter with the Ixitxachatl rays. A small pod with soon to lay females, nomadic generally they migrate around the Carib shallows, staying in well hidden lairs. It is not confirmed wether one such lair may be close by this cay. The leader reports they have been 'hunted' from around Big Ambergris Cay opposite and that he (the ray) assumes the 'sea druids' also wish to wallow in the whale excretion. He mentioned the 'south leewards' of the cay as a place of stink and filth.

'Gin' Van de Poel is encouraged by that as he doesn't favour beachcombing this Cay with scant reward for hours of effort. There was a report that the Big cay had some ruins on, which may make a good camp.

Agreeing to check that out and row over (DM assumption), you return to the rowboat. Like gladiators in an arena, a giant pinkie crab, savage viced mandible in one claw and a corkscrew like in the other, parades around the jolly seats. Feinting and snapping at his equally impressively armed sandy crab, thickly carapace with a Morningstar like clubber claw and retractable pincers.

"Ten gold says the sandy one will be champion," VdP says swigging from a flask of gin. He sits down to watch cheering on his mottled comrade."What say we bag the victor and train him for ring fights back on the sloop? Cheers for Amber Grizzly."


okay, ten gold gets you in the fight!

Pinkie, AC7, HP 6, attack does d3 dam with vice claw, success attack and screw claw attacks at +2 for extra d2 dam.

Sandy, AC 5, HP 5, attack with spike claw does d3, opponent save vs paralysis, failure to save means other claw attacks to cut off a random limb on a successful hit.


Who wants to be who, or do you bash both and start rowing."

[Inferno]

Old Eli blusters at Gin, "Are ye mad, boy?! Piddlin' over 10 pieces o' gold when there's a fortune waitin' ta be found?!"
The wild eyed sea priests kills or scatters the crabs and then puts his scarecrow frame to work pushing the jolly into the surf where he scrambles aboard and grabs an oar.

"Row, lads! Put yer backs inta it!"

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc "I find little sport in it, aye lets row." the sea druid avoids the crabs and gets in the boat and assists in rowing.

[Spearmint]

'Gin' Van de Poel, remarks "not the sporting type then. Amber Grizzly looked a winner for sure."

Eventually clearing the jolly boat, the four row unimpeded across the sea to the larger Cay opposite. You have heard of ruins on the island, the remains of a farm which failed to get established. Do you wish to head there or along the coast for the area the rays indicated. Trek across land after mooring the boat or row around the shoreline.

This cay looks much greener as you approach. Several wild sisal trees stand in regular plots, their boundaries of stone long since grown over. A few larger lizards bask in the last afternoon sun heat, ignoring your approach until you get too close for comfort. They flare frill necks and pout but soon submerge underwater leaving a minor wake to trail their hurried departure. You can moor the jolly in several small creeks or sandy coves.

Give me a group decision please to either find the ruins, the Ambergris spots or another action. Then I'll narrate the next actions.

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc "Just a suggestion but if we can manage it perhaps we should row around the shore line to see what is the best spot to moor the boat closer to a good ambergris site if we can spot it from here."

[Inferno]

Old Eli huffs while rowing, "I says we should be followin' the rays to the ambergris!"

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard is still not sure about this group of misfits, but he is glad that he didn't have to see them wagering over harmless animals killing each other. What is next? Pulling the wings off of flies?

I am with Eli on this one. Let us see if we can trail the evil rays to where they say the whale puke is located. Then we should look into those abandoned buildings.

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc "Well we can't really follow the rays they went deep underwater and just gave me the general location. We can go to the spot the indicated to me."

[Spearmint]

The four row across the strait and decide to circumnavigate the south of the Cay, heading towards the southern spit of land on the far side. You hope to find 'spit on the spit', deposits of precious ambergris in all its stool forms.

The sea is fairly choppy though with experienced sea hands aboard, it is not uncomfortable. With your backs to land it happens that Face the capuchin jumps up on a gunwale and chatters excitedly pointing to an object stuck on the reef.

A small merchant vessel rests on the reef, broken and half sunk. It looks a recent occurrence but how long you can't tell. No one is about.

A stink of rotten eggs or decaying vegetation wafts across the reef from further round the east shore, drifting on currents of wind.

actions please


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