Quest #27 "Detecting Snares and Pits"

[OGRE MAGE]

To The Pits!
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Midday, Hot, Humid, Sunny, Buggy

Nallissa has spoken with Fitzenbell and the dwarf Drakkar about an exploration to the west end of the beach in search of a grey slime that is reported to fill some natural stone pits in that area.

After hearing them talking about it, the shop keep is able to suggest and recruit a couple more friends to round out the group. With a spellcasting elf named Maximus and a huge human paladin warrior named Sir William Narramore (or Narramore for short), the party of four seems eager to get their quest started.

"I can pay you for your troubles, but I have no idea what would be a fair offer. Would 25 gold coins be enough? I mean for each of you, of course. I would like to offer more, but I really have no idea if this stuff is really going to be useful or not, so I dont want to drain my coffers over it."

"Does that seem fair to everyone?"

The gruff dwarf just nods his thick head, looking at the others to see if they agree.

So, looks like we have Fitx, Drakkar, Max, and Narramore so far. If you think that is enough, we can get this started as soon as you are ready to head out.

[Darklin2]

Max

Nallissa, I am sure 25 gold would be sufficient for myself. Are we able to keep anything else we may find on the way? I am interested in walking the beach and seeing what has washed ashore in the undiscovered places of this island. And don't you worry we will return.

He turns back to the others.

I will return to my tent and prepare for the trip. When do we wish to proceed? Tomorrow morning ok with everyone? It would give you new arrivals time to set up camp and get yourselves rested up. I am pretty much ready when everyone else is. We could meet here at sunup and depart.

[Paladin]

Sir William Narramore

The knight nods once. "I like it. I could use a fatter purse to keep myself in food and drink while I'm about my work here. Thank you for the opportunity."

I'm ready.

[hedgeknight]

Fitz

"Wow! A real adventure! Tomorrow morning can not come soon enough"

He turns to leave and then turns back just as quickly. "Fellas, where are we gonna meet? Here? Down by the beach? I'm staying at the old tower. I figure the crusty old fella will let me bunk for the night."

The Gnome turns to go again...and wheels back around. "Nallissa, what about the crate and this Monocat...Meercat...Monocarp person? Should we just leave it here?"

[OGRE MAGE]

If you would rather leave in the morning, that is also fine with me. That will give you time to prepare and rest before setting out again. If there is anything you want to do tonight, go for it. Otherwise we will time warp to sun up on the 21st and get this party started.

To The Pits!
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Midday, Hot, Humid, Sunny, Buggy

Nallissa beams as the group agrees to do her this service.

”Of course anything you find along the way will be yours to keep. I make no claim to that.”

“You can leave the crate with me, master Fitz. I will see to it.”

“Swing by in the morning before you leave and I will give you a couple of sealable glass jars to collect a specimen to bring back.”

[hedgeknight]

Fitzenbell

Fitz shows up bright and early...probably 2 hours early due to him being overexcited...at the mercantile, waiting somewhat impatiently on the others to arrive.

In reply to Nallissa, he says, "I know you will take good care of Monogram's crate, my lady. And, oh yes, I will make sure these do not break," he finishes, gingerly stuffing the vials into a pouch on the front of his belt.

[Darklin2]

Max

Max shows up at sunrise with Chainmail, shield, and Mace on his belt. Pack full of rations and gear.

Well It looks like a fine day to explore some country. How many do you think will show up for this? Let's hope we get a few more than just us. Strength in numbers and all. Anyone been out there lately?

[Paladin]

Sir William Narramore

The hulking paladin looms large in the wan light of early morning. He checks every strap, buckle, and hinge on his armor, then rests his hand on the pommel of his sword and nods once. "Ready." He greets the others with a courtly nod.

[OGRE MAGE]

To The Pits!
Sunday, 21st of Goodmonth
Mid Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Fitz arrives early and excited, ready to do something that isn't hard physical labor. If he only knew just how hard this island will prove to be. Once the others arrive, they collect the sealed glass jars from Nallissa before setting out down the beach. Max asks the others if anyone has actually been to this part of the island before, but he gets nothing but blank stares back from his 3 new comrades.

The morning is warm and the bugs are terrible. Walking up the soft sand of the beach proves difficult wearing armor and carrying heavy gear. There are plenty of tracks in the sand, going in both directions, but there is still no hard packed trail through the sand here like there is heading east towards the river. Slogging through the deep sand at the tree line keeps the party out of the direct sunlight, but the bugs are much worse near the foliage. Walking along the hard packed sand near the waterline is much easier, but the rising sun coming over the jungle heats you up even faster.

After about three hours of arduous but uneventful travel, the trail they seek into the western edge of the jungle comes into view around a bend, another mile or so ahead. As they are about to continue their journey to the trail, the sweaty group starts to here an eerie tone coming from the jungle. After listening for a moment, the noise sounds like music from a flute or some similar instrument. The music is clearly coming from somewhere inside the treeline, but it doesn't sound very far off.

Drakkar speaks for the very first time, wiping sweat from his furrowed brow. "Dont much like the sound o' that. Music in a place like this? That can only be trouble."

Actions?

map:

Inked~MyBitmap_LI.jpg (832.79 KiB) Viewed 2799 times

This is your marching order and status list.
Please let me know if you want to be moved somewhere else.
Sir William Narramore 12/12 LOH
Cornelius Fitzenbell 8/8 1/1 RM, DI
Maximus Fleetfoot 8/8 2/2 (C) 1/1 (MU) CL, DM, RM
Draakar Deepcrag 11/11

[Paladin]

Ooo...I forgot about this! Been wanting to check it out since we came for the stingray.

Sir William Narramore

The steel-clad knight takes a step closer and peers intently toward the source of the noise. "It is certainly out of place." He glances at his companions, Fitz in particular. "Would a quiet, unobtrusive member of our party like to investigate, or shall we press on toward our goal?"

[Darklin2]

Max

Max readies his sling with a rock on it.

It's up to you Big Man. I will cover your back if you chose to enter.

[hedgeknight]

Fitz

Sweat dripping off his nose and running down the crack of his...erm...backside, the Gnome's cheeriness at the start of the adventure is just about gone. But...the prospect of getting off the beach...

"Well, I wouldn't mind checking it out. It's not exactly what we came to do, but if it beats getting out of this thick sand and heat...then I'm all for it! I'll be right back."

Fitz looks for a likely spot to enter the trees and steps into the jungle...
If anyone is coming with...now's the time

[OGRE MAGE]

To The Pits!
Sunday, 21st of Goodmonth
Mid Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

The eerie musical notes are easily enough to pique the interest of the sweaty party members burning in the hot sun. Fitz welcomes a quick bit of shade, so he heads straight for the thick jungle that lines the beach. As he is about to poke into the foliage, the party starts to hear something else on the breeze. It sounds like a single voice calling out to them from a distance.

When they turn towards town, they see a halfling rushing up the beach towards them, waving his arms and shouting.

Actions?

map:

no change

This is your marching order and status list.
Please let me know if you want to be moved somewhere else.
Sir William Narramore 12/12 LOH
Cornelius Fitzenbell 8/8 1/1 RM, DI
Maximus Fleetfoot 8/8 2/2 (C) 1/1 (MU) CL, DM, RM
Draakar Deepcrag 11/11

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Dexter, nearly out of breath from the chase, finally slows and lets his arms drop. He bends at the waist, huffing and puffing for a moment. "Hey," he asks, looking around at the group. "Are you the guys Nallissa sent out? See, I was sitting there, helping the fishermen get their boats ready for deeper water and just as we were getting ready to put them out, it suddenly occurred to me, 'Hey Dexter! You're supposed to be trying out a new profession, using all the stuff Stan taught you, not doing the same old stuff you've done all your life. I mean, you can help these guys build better boats, you know, every now and then, but you're not a boatwright anymore!! You're an adventurer, and it's about time you got back to acting like one!!' So, you realize it was almost like a shock to the system! There I was, sitting in the sun, being a boatwright again, of all things! So I jumped up, ran back to my shack, grabbed my Adventurer's Gear, and ran back to the Hi-Lo to resupply a bit of rope. So anyway, I'm standing there, talking to Nallissa, telling her how if I'm not careful, I'll wind up being a boatwright again instead of an adventurer and, I must admit, whining just a bit about how I'm missing my opportunities for adventure because I let myself get all wrapped up with the fishermen. And fortunately for me, Nallissa tells me that she has a job for Adventurers and if I wanted to get in on it, I had better hurry. And when I say, 'Fortunately for me,', of course I mean that it will be fortunate for me if I come back alive and make a little extra money, but I don't have to tell you guys that! I mean, we're all adventurers here and we know the score, right? Except.... now that I think about it, I got offered the pay from Nallissa, but darned if I didn't forget to buy extra rope. I suppose one good coil will do the trick! At least, I hope one good coil will do the trick. Some of you guys have rope, too, though, right? But she told me what you looked like and what direction you headed out, and that we were supposed to get some kind of caustic goop. So, are you the guys Nallissa sent out?"

By the end of the introduction, Dexter, oddly enough, seems to have caught his breath again.

[hedgeknight]

Fitz

If he weren't sweating to death, Fitz would have enjoyed the Halfling's breathless(?) explanation even more than he already did.
"Well now! I'm not the only 'shorty' on this venture! Fitzenbell's my name and these are my very tall companions. Did you say your name is Dexter? Good to meet you!"
Fitz sticks out a sweaty hand, jerks it back, wipes it off on his shirt (which really doesn't help), and then sticks it out again, smiling.

"I'm about to go check out this weird music. Wanna come along?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Once Dexter stops talking for a few seconds, he too hears a strange, unsettling melody floating upon the warm breeze. It sounds a bit like flute music, and it is coming from the jungle where the party had just stopped.

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Listening to the music, and almost instantly suspicious, Dexter says, "Personally, I am a 'stick-to-the-job-at-hand' kind of guy. Unless you think that is the mating call of caustic goop, I would be just as happy to get on down the road." He kicks the sand at his feet, and adds, "Errrr, as it were."

[Paladin]

Sir William Narramore

The big man shrugs. "I'm curious, but not wedded to the idea--especially if the rest of you prefer to press on. We can always look into it another time."

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Dexter taps on one of Sir William's greaves, and asks, "How do you breathe in there? In this heat? Doesn't the sweat running down your back drive you nuts?" He then quickly returns to the question at hand, "Hey look, I'm sorry. If you folks had already decided to investigate, I'm in, and happy to help. If it was still up for debate, I'd say move on. But I don't want to be that guy."

[OGRE MAGE]

Drakkar just shrugs and wipes the surmounting sweat from his thick, angry, furrowed brow.

"Fairy music is usually nothin ta mess with, but if Fitz wants to check it out, I'll go along too."

All eyes seem to turn to the tiny but eager gnome.