Monte Verde

[Zhym]

Zoggrot looks for a good shadow to hide in, the better from which to jump out and make a surprise attack when the enemies arrive.

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc Save vs Poison 10 [1d20] = 14

despite his views on animals tries to grab the snake by the head near the jaws and get it to release it's fangs from him it he is able to he throws the snake back into the infirmary, if all else fails he will have to tear the thing away doing more damage to himself that or hope someone with a smaller blade than a scimitar can cut the head off the snake. "Crafty little serpent, damn my curiosity."

[Bluehorse]

Marine Rexlin "Devil's Scowl" Dupre

Grins at the job ordered by the captain. "Aye, Captain, Sir. Will be a pleasure!"

Siggard cringes when told to accompany the jar headed fighter, but he does not argue with the order. Dodging the incoming missiles, he proudly speaks up.

He whistles Face down from harassing the birds and lets him snuggle back into his pack. He shoots a wink at Rexlin and continues organizing plans.

"So........do we have any idea where this Pachucapatl actually is?"

He notices the monkey take his hiding place in Siggard's pack and groans inwardly. Still, he is happy to have the mage coming along to translate and was impressed with the Hag story. He considers it a boon to have him along. If he were honest with himself, he's happy to have Holden along as well. He liked the boy, though he would never admit it.

"I'd like to see if we can talk Blood and Crownthorneinto coming along as well. Either of them would be an asset on a job like this... Son of a bitch!" Steps aside as arrows come skittering in at them. Then he gets an idea. "If we can take one of these natives alive and hold his toes to the fire as they say, I bet we can get him to squeal where the village is and where they took the Sister."

He squints a bit gauging the distance from his position to the nearest native, curious if he might be able to shoot one at this distance.

[Hotgoblin]

Please show me the way to the children, their little bodies can't handle such an aggressive infection. We need to protect them, for they are the future of life on this island. Iggway gathers her belongings and goes to aid the sick children.

[Inferno]

Old Eli, sea priest:

Grumbling that half their number were leaving while they were under attack, Old Eli asks a nun, "Good sister, does ye settlement's galley have barrels of oil or animal fat? We be sorely in need of flammables to defend the gate."

[Bluehorse]

Marine Rexlin

After a brief exchange with the Padre he look to Siggard, Holden, & VdP. "We have a 10 mile hike to between a pair of hills at the base of the spine of these ridges. You can bet it will take longer to get back dragging a pair of satues and a granny, and likly in the dark on top of that. VdP, see what you can find for lighting our way back, torches, lanterns whatever. Siggard, I need you. That's no joke. You're the book savey one. I respect that. See what you can find for dealing with what we will see on the way. Potions, cures, oils for bug and snakes bites. I don't know enough about that sort of thing. Holden, we need to look into the rest. Food, water, first aid, the non magic no brainer stuff. You're clever and silver tongued. You can help us find that. Lets meet back side of the church double time, distribute what we have and make out under the cover of this fight that is about to stir up. I dont like leaving a fight, but the Captain is leaving at first light, with or without us. That is 20miles of hell with all the bad luck between we can handle. Any questions or concerns, nows the time."

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard looks around for the captain, not sure that he should, or wants to be, taking orders from a simple deckhand. He decides against arguing about, in the light of the current attack and all.

The mage quickly begins going from building to building, hoping to find some of the items on Rexlin's verbal list.

The white haired wizard has a few ideas himself, but he still wants to see what kind of supplies he can find for the trip.

[Spearmint]

Village People

Rexlin, Siggard,Holdenand 'Gin' Van de Poel scurry away from the mission station, its' white washed plaster walls reflecting with a pink hue as the dusky red sun sets in the distance. Within minutes the stars begin to twinkle through a darkening sky as a fresh cool breeze blows seasonal thick grey rain clouds every closer above. High in the church belfry Geoffrey Blood and Pascale load the muskets to give some covering fire and discourage the natives from harassing the groups. Pascale commits to loading one musket every round, so Geoffrey you can swap them over and fire the other one each round, give me a d20 roll for this round please.

With little time to prepare, the group do a 'supermarket sweep', grabbing what they think they will need from supplies at the store or based in the ransacked church. VdPshoulders a long musket along with several pouches of gunpowder, musket balls and swabs which dangle from around his neck. He has a bandolier of bolts and carries a heavy ironwood crossbow, his small dirks tucked inside his waist belt. He hastily grabs a few firebrand torches from the traders shop front, stuffing them into his duffel bag along with fresh canteens of water. He moves out last in the single file of the scout party, not too keen on trekking miles in thick snake invested forest throughout the night but committed at least to venture out again with the Hagslayer.

There is no drawn map of the island to navigate to the village with. However the Padre informs you that the chiefs' village, the largest native settlement, is in a dell at the end of the series of undulating verdant hills which run as a contorted spine across the island."Keep on the ridgelines you will be safer up there for the path has been frequently used. It will be more wild going off the hills or trying around the coast. We could trek there in half a morning usually." Any gift of anti-venoms potions is unfortunately turned down."They are stored in the Infirmary and entering has proved dangerous."he says also, gesturing towards Pocc. A rusty half-filled, pewter and smoky glass patio lantern is located and a small first aid kit of bandages and splints is taken from the 'Monte Verde Cub Scouts' store. Pockets are stuffed with crisp red apples and a string of large Gauloise cooking onions. You all tie again the snake greaves in place on your shins. With little else to fortify your inventory and time of an essence, the group dart into the forest and trust they are not running straight into some war like aboriginals coming the other way...


Mission Stations.

The remains of the McGregor rescue party station themselves in secure locations, protecting the women and children who huddle in groups in the chapel or the sisters' manse. The settlers reinforce the barricades on the west and east sidewalls. Well armed as a group you would be hard to overwhelm, well armed though the settlers are not. Most of the menfolk, as sturdy and as determined as they look carry only hatchets or hoes sharpened into spears. A few do carry light crossbows or old duck hunting muskets and these position themselves at the four corners of the plaza. 'Goldie' and Grimwald join the farmers, one half dozen group hunched behind each grain sacked redoubt.

Two families seek shelter alone in the shop upper storeys whileCaptain Lazarus and Padre Claude circulate among the groups.

Pocc, having shaken off the snake and any lingering effects of its venom stands alone, warding the north gap to the plaza between the manse and the infirmary, standing under the eaves of the manse door. The snake who attacked him quickly slithers out the plaza and down some rat sized burrow. Despite his bulk and large form, Zoggrot has quietly and effectively slipped unseen into the shadows which get cast in increasing lengths as the sun ebbs below the far horizons.

There are about half a dozen teenager boys who join in to secure the chapel with the two sisters and Eli Crowthorne who asks about oil. There are not any barrels about or flasks of oil that you can throw. The clerics could lay their hands on perhaps half a dozen flasks as a last resort but are wary about burning the natives. They want a peaceful resolution to the conflict after all. Besides a flask burns in a 3x3' area for a couple of rounds, to fill a moat or drainage ditch as a defence is not possible, they simply do not have enough supplied. Inside the church, the women and children move the wooden pew benches against the wall so folk may stand on them and shoot out of the broken windows. The side door remains closed but not locked. The front door stands slightly ajar to view folk nearing the plaza. The sisters repeat prayers and encouragements for the women and children, twitching rosaries and miniature caduceus symbols.

Sisters Manse

Iggway dutifully departs to the Sisters Quarters to attend to the sick children. Entering the front door you remember the layout. To the left a large room which doubles as both study and evening vespers chamber. It has wooden tiled floor with solid sideboards and shelves. To one side a small out of tune upright piano stands with a dusty manuscript of music on. The treble and clef notes on the musical graph appearing to look like a different language. The dark room usually lit by fragranced candles is now gloomy with little light squinting through the shuttered window. Various religious text books and junior scripture learning verses pile untidily around, mixed in with some thicker leather bound volumes, inked engravings and pictures. To the right the common 'day room' with earthen ware plates piled unwashed on the table along with still hot bowls of soup and bread. The room is furnished sparsely but has vases of flowers upon the window sills and a small weaving frame tucked in a corner. A kitchen is on the far west whose windows now shuttered open out to view the western vista. A flight of stairs ascends to three small bedrooms and a small bathroom, a ladder extends from the corridor to the attic which doubled as both storage and bedroom for yourself.

It seems that each bedroom has a family crammed into it. One or two of the settler women and a handful of children. Spare stuffed mattresses have been placed on the floors to accommodate them all. Cluttered trunks and holdalls spill all manner of clothes and personal belongings out. The women look nervous but greet you with a smile, despite your native dress."Padre du Lautrere sent for help and we have been here for nearly two weeks now. First the ship wreck, now the natives, does God not wish us to build a life anywhere, should we become vagabond gypsies?"says one despairingly. (Iggway give me a [4d6] intel roll please).

After the initial flurry of arrows and Geoffreys' retort, all remains calm for a while and it seems maybe the group of warriors sneaking in the forest have melted away. Until one of the men stand up behind his barricade and jeers loudly and obscenely,"C'mon then you mother f&*kers, show yourselves or crawl away on your bellies like the snake vermin you are!"

The answer he receives is as swift and as silent as the feared Azul mamba. native arrows [1d20] = 20 [1d20] = 17 [1d20] = 16 [1d20] = 12, he topples to the floor, clutching the arrow shafts which pierced him and watches as blood begins to streak like water through his fingers. "Is that all they got?" he bravely voices. One of the ladies scream from the manse and rushes out and across the plaza to his prone body. "Help me, help me, pull him inside. The fool the fool, always knew shooting his mouth off would land him in trouble." She reaches him while the others look too immobilised to move, ducking down for cover fearing another accurate volley from the tree line.

Padre Claude grabs one of his arms roughly and tries to lift him on a shoulder and limps to the manse, arrows still sticking through his ribs.

(actions everyone please...and happy Easter, back on Tues)

[thesniperknight1]

Holden Goldensinger

As they are going through the land to reach their destination, Holden lets his thought escape to anyone who can hear him, "Do you think that there was a rat that might have been worshiped had it not been for it's inferiority to the snake? This island was riddled with rats, and if one rat happened to be larger than the rest, all you would have needed was timing, he starts illustrating with his hands as if painting on the sky, "FIRE! The island is set ablaze by a forgotten campfire, the inhabitants pray for absolution from a place high above! A giant rat suddenly appears over the mountain, simply escaping the fire himself, then THUNDER! Rain falls saving the island and there was a new god to pay tributes to!"

[Bluehorse]

Rexlin

More amused by Holden's ramblings than he lets on. "Don't matter to me the size of the rat. Get the right sauce, the all taste good enough." He keeps his eyes peeled while keeping up a steady pace. He is far too conscious of the time and does not want to be left here when the Captain weighs anchor. His musket loaded and ready, in one hand, his scimitar in the other hacking at the bush as they move, ever weary of snakes. "Would like to breed a species of giant ferrets and dump them on this snake pit. Would be a good retirement plan. Sell em at a premium to the plantations on these damn islands. Clear out the vipers so you can raise your cattle and hogs. Gods willing some chickens for a good omelet now and again. Actually, forget that, used the ferrets as hunting dogs and make a meal of snake steaks every night. Barbecoa style..."

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc tries to stay down behind cover as best he can but still be able to see if anything is coming.

[onlyme]

Village People

Rexlin, Siggard,Holdenand 'Gin' Van de Poel scurry away from the mission station, its' white washed plaster walls reflecting with a pink hue as the dusky red sun sets in the distance. Within minutes the stars begin to twinkle through a darkening sky as a fresh cool breeze blows seasonal thick grey rain clouds every closer above. High in the church belfry Geoffrey Blood and Pascale load the muskets to give some covering fire and discourage the natives from harassing the groups. Pascale commits to loading one musket every round, so Geoffrey you can swap them over and fire the other one each round, give me a d20 roll for this round please.

from teh belfry [1d20] = 2
glad he's not aiming for anyone...

[Zhym]

Zoggrot waits in the shadows, ready to strike at anyone who ventures too close to those he is protecting.

Roll, if needed (does not include +4 to hit and double damage for backstab):

Cutlass (THAC0 20): [1d20+1] = 7+1 = 8. Dmg: [1d6+3] = 2+3 = 5/[1d8+3] = 4+3 = 7 (SM/L)

[OGRE MAGE]

Siggard grabs a long thin tree branch and snaps it off so it forms a Y on the end. He asks around about the statues, wondering how hard it will be to carry them so far overland in the harsh jungle conditions.

"Lets go now if we are already short on time! It will take a lot of effort to get our spoils back here before morning."

The wizard gets as much information as he can about the statues from the priest before departing. He slaps ol' Gin on the back, happy to have him along with the group. With that, he follows along in his place in line, straining his eyes to keep a lookout for any slithering pests on the path. He looks up to the ridgeline as instructed, hoping they can be successful on this seemingly impossible mission.

[Inferno]

Elijah Crowthorne, ancient mariner:

There are about half a dozen teenager boys who join in to secure the chapel with the two sisters and Eli Crowthorne who asks about oil. There are not any barrels about or flasks of oil that you can throw. The clerics could lay their hands on perhaps half a dozen flasks as a last resort but are wary about burning the natives. They want a peaceful resolution to the conflict after all.

When the loudmouth at the wall is riddled with native arrows, Old Eli snarls to the priests, "Are ye still countin' on a peaceful resolution to the proceedings? Get the oil. And pray that it be enough.

"It'll be fer defensive purposes only," he adds.

Then, to the six young men: "Lads! Arm ye-selves! The battle will be comin' to us."

[Spearmint]

Village People

Rexlin, Holden, Siggard and Van de Poel start the journey towards the native village, running in single file along the loose stone track which is scored across the spine of the saddleback hills. They jog fairly quickly the sound of gunfire at their backs, inspired by the imperative of redeeming the statues and rescuing Sister Adelaide. Not so long ago, two of the settlers also ran down this trail in the same fashion, Francoise and Petitjean though the Padre was quick to remind you that neither of them have returned safely to the plaza sanctuary. It is a stark reminder of the dangers lurking unseen behind every bush and tree. The group make startling good time, skipping the loose stone pebbles of the path like spring lambs (to the slaughter?), dodging every overgrown branch and side stepping the critters which slither at your feet. Small monkeys, distant cousins of Face, chitter excitedly in the trees and more than once, pairs of devilish shaped red eyes shy away into bushes as the sound of your footsteps get every closer. The first hour and first few miles seem to go without mishap...

The greaves you wear stand you in good stead for the ground contains many thick thorny vines and these would have ripped the skin on your legs to shreds. The thorns exude a milky white sap which runs down to stain your boots like bird shit. Rexlin has to chop through a particularly thick creeper which has stretched itself across the path. The forest seems to close in and now, the dim faint sunlight finally bows away for the night and pitches you into darkness. Van de Poel strikes his lantern, dimming the shutters to mark a fine radius around you. Maybe a fuller light would have alerted your presence to tribesmen but then you would have least seen the pitfalls of the track. Stepping the other side of the thick vine and pathfinder Rex steps into an unseen woven hemp net. It is not a natural forest item and as he looks surprised at it, curls around his ankles and legs and up he goes, rather like a mousetrap he thinks...

dex saves, R S H VdP[3d6] = 15 [3d6] = 14 [3d6] = 16 [3d6] = 16 With a heritage of elfin grace Siggard alone is able to dodge the net snare, stopping abruptly at its edge. The others are not so fortunate and tumble inside an ever tightening net, trawled up in the air like some shoal of freshly caught mackerel. A gaggle of hunting tribesmen surprised by the commotion and cries of surprise from the entangled trio, appear from the dense forest to release a flurry of sharpened sticks. They have no wild boar to feast on tonight but these fearsome intruders must be dealt with in only one traditional way.

native spear attack Rex, Hol, VdP [1d20] = 14 [1d20] = 11 [1d20] = 11The caught trio are denied any dex bonus to AC until released from the trap.damage R,H,VdP[1d6] = 5 [1d6] = 6 [1d6] = 2 (-5hp Rex!)
sorry guys, a simple covered trap avoidable by passing a normal dex save which only one of you did.

The wriggling mass of cursing arms and legs looks like a giant octopus and the natives manage to skewer only one tentacle, that one of Rexlins (tentacle not testicle... !). They haven't seen the mage who remains on the edge of the thick vine clump. (Next actions please)


Meanwhile back at the Ranch...Mission Station


The Padre stumbles across the plaza dragging the bleeding body of the settler, arrows piercing his chest. His woman comes running to help and together they bring him in the shelter of the manse. "Quickly, clear the dining table young Sir!" the padre orders Pocc who stands by the manse door. (let me know what action you take Pocc) Upstairs Iggway surveys the sick, moving from one room to another to grasp the severity of the 'pox'. (2 x [4d6] rolls please)

Inside the chapel, Elijah guards the door while the youths double up at the broken windows, standing on the pews to lean out brandishing their weapons to ward off natives from breaking in again. One lad nods to Elijah's request and disappears saying he'll be back in a few minutes. Geoffrey is given another loaded gun and encouraged to adjust his aim."Keep their heads down or knock them off!"says Pascale. (Another shot please Geoffrey) Zoggrot continues to watch and hide from his shadowy niche, surveying the east and north forest.

About 20 natives, girded in skin loincloths and leather moccasins come a few feet clear of the forest. The settlers tell you their farmsteads lie on the terraces on that side of the slope. They fear the natives have been looting and destroying their livelihoods and answer the approach of warriors with some musketry of their own. Gunfire barks out in the night, a couple of flesh wounds gained on the warriors who stand their ground and rattle their spears and clubs in defiance. Following the orders of a boneheaded (for his head dress is made of animal bones) leader type, the warriors spring forward in a straight line to the western wall of the plaza. A wave of natives is looming large but presently only attacking from one direction.

actions and verbals everyone...

[Zhym]

Zoggrot waits silently until the moment is right, when he can strike from behind.

Cutlass (THAC0 20): [1d20+1] = 1+1 = 2. Dmg: [1d6+3] = 2+3 = 5/[1d8+3] = 6+3 = 9 (SM/L)

*facepalm*

[Bluehorse]

Rexlin

"YEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOW!" As the native connects a solid jab at his leg, he howls with pains followed by a string of curses.

ooc: before i post further, can VdP and I still attack? How high are we?

[GreyWolfVT]

Pocc clears the table as asked/instructed "I have a healing spell if it will help Padre."

[Hotgoblin]

Iggway
[4d6-1] = 16-1 = 15 vs Intelligence (13)