Quest #16 "What's On The Other Side Of The River?"

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"Indeed, today was extremely unproductive and unsatisfying," Gwen summarizes succinctly.

Gwen works with Wes to recross the river.

[OGRE MAGE]

Mostly Exploring
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Early Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

The frustration of the pair of hunters is palpable as they work to get across the river again. Once on the other side, they notice much of the same. There are a few signs of large game, but there are still none around. The druid starts to get visibly upset over the fact that the townspeople have overhunted the area around Beachtown, and now these damn pirates are doing the same thing out here.

As they are about to depart, they look back one more time at the single line of tracks in the sand that lead from the edge of the beach up towards the cliff cave.

Actions?

Can I get a d6 roll from each of you in your next post, please?

Wes 16/16 4/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 1/1 first

[Jernau35]

Wes

The druid wonders briefly about the tracks again, but knows that it will need a larger group to investigate them. As far as he knows, most of the adventurers of his acquaintance are out in the jungle right now. And he still has The Plan of The Shalm to begin.

Thinking about Obad Hai makes Wes consider if the answer had not been there in his face all along. He turns to Gwen.

"In our first venture into the jungle here after we arrived, our group was attacked by giant apes and a large cat only a couple of hours up the trail. Perhaps we should consider trying our luck closer to Beachtown after all. Maybe The Shalm has placed the prey for our hunt in front of my face all along."

Wes lifts his pack, waits for Gwen to don hers, and begins the trudge back to Beachtown.

[1d6] = 2

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

Gwen briefly considers the new suggestion from Wes, but decides that she needs more information, and that a lengthy discussion is not appropriate in this place.

She says tersely, "Lets discuss it tomorrow."

Gwen gathers her gear and begins walking toward town on the now familiar route.

[1d6] = 2

[OGRE MAGE]

Heading Home
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

As the two hunters don their packs and begin to leave the area near the river, they begin to hear something strange on the warm ocean breeze.

The sound of men talking is drifting in off of the sea, coming from the east, though there is clearly nothing noticeable out on the water.

Actions?

Wes 16/16 4/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 1/1 first

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

Gwen looks at Wes and raises a finger to her lips. Using hand signals, she asks Wes to keep watch.

Then, with hands cupped to ears, she turns slowly to determine the direction of the voices, and perhaps hear them more clearly.

[Jernau35]

Wes

Wes positions himself slightly in front of Gwen. It allows him to keep watch on the treeline in case danger threatens from that direction, but also allows Gwen to look out to sea. In addition, he hopes that any observers out to sea will assume that he and Gewn are simply talking, rather than noticing that Gwen is trying to listen in their direction.

[OGRE MAGE]

Heading Home
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

Spending a few minutes really concentrating on the noise, along with Wes's additional preparations, helps pinpoint where it is coming from.

Facing out to sea, Gwen is certain that the sounds are coming from off of the water somewhere. The voices are faint, and she cant make out any actual words, but the diminutive elf is certain that the noise is coming from the east. Seeing nothing but the jutting and undulating cliffs that poke out into the ocean in that direction does nothing to help solve this current mystery.

Actions?

Wes 16/16 4/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 1/1 first

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

Gwen sniggers and says, "Master Wes, if you stand there, they may get the completely wrong idea, given the difference in our heights." She sniggers again.

Gwen's puerile mood does not last long as she considers the implications of the voices. Her expression becomes that of someone who just found fresh shit on her shoe.

"Where does an evil little turd Bing get all these magics? His hidden his entire ship. That's no small feat."

"But how? Common invisibility spells are limited. An illusion, perhaps?"

Gwen decides this is a good possibility, and disbelieves the jutting and undulating cliffs from which the voices originate.

[Jernau35]

Wes

Wes begins to let out a loud belly-laugh at Gwen's lewd insinuation, but then realizes that anything too loud might attract unwanted attention, so tries to cover his mouth and snort into his hand, not entirely successfully. When he finally recovers, he adds his own thoughts to Gwen's speculation.

"However it's done, it might explain the footprints we saw on the far bank. The ship may be invisible, but once Bing's men disembark they may well not be. So they travel up and down on the far side, now that they know adventurers from Beachtown are using the trail."

"Presumably they embark or disembark before dawn or after dusk, to keep the location of the ship concealed once they are visible. So anybody hiding out here would be able to watch them as they come and go. And from that, could work out where the ship is anchored."

Wes shrugs. "Even if we were inclined to do that, tonight is not the night. There's a good chance somebody on board is watching us, so they'd notice if we slipped into the bushes hereabouts. Besides," he grins, "I'm not sure my virtue would be safe, alone out here with a lass like you".

"And on the subject of being safe, we'll need to push on soon".

[OGRE MAGE]

Heading Home
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

Gwen stares at the jutting cliffs to the east. She closes her eyes, disbelieves their existance, and puts them out of her mind. Yet there they still are. The cliffs appear to be quite real once she studies them closely. The waves that break upon them are also quite real, spraying water all about and making loud crashing noises in the distance.

She stares at them just long enough to reveal another clue. Watching the movement of the waves motions just beyond the first outcropping, she starts to notice a vertical wooden post or some other cylindrical object rising up over the tops of the cliffs when the big waves roll in. There are ropes tied to the very top of this post that run down at an angle on both sides.

Nothing below the very top of this post can be seen behind the massive cliff wall.

Actions?

Wes 16/16 4/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 1/1 first

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"We found yet another mystery." Gwen sighs. She points out the posts to Wes, no longer caring if anyone is watching them. "Why does a rinky-dink little island have so many mysteries crammed together? It is more like a dungeon without walls than an outdoor wilderness."

"Anyway, as you say, it is getting late. This latest find will have to wait for another day."

Gwen grins. "And do not worry, your virtue is safe. I am not a cougar on the prowl."

She starts walking towards the town.

[Jernau35]

Wes

"Well, I think we may have solved one mystery. That post and the ropes that run down from it are the mast and rigging of the ship. She's anchored behind the headland. I'm not sure how the voices carried this far. It must have been a trick of the wind."

Wes turns away and starts the long walk back with Gwen.

[OGRE MAGE]

Heading Home
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

Wes spots the ships mast after Gwen points it out clearly to him. He also notices that the cool ocean breeze is blowing nearly directly at them from that direction.

With only enough daylight left to make the hike back to Beachtown, the dejected hunters start heading home. It isn't long before they come upon a disturbance in foliage at the edge of the jungle. A loud rustling noise about 20 feet in front of them catches their attention when a huge lizard emerges from the bush. The monster is 15' long, head to tail. It flicks it's forked tongue out, tasting the sweat on the air, looks in the pairs direction, and begins tearingbthrough the sand towards them.

Actions!

IMG_0999.JPG (64.8 KiB) Viewed 925 times

Wes 16/16 4/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 1/1 first

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

Gwen warns Wes, "This spell affects friend and foe!"

OOC: Cast Sleep centred 35 feet in direction of lizard.

OOC: If its bigger than Giant variety we are so dead.

[Jernau35]

Wes

Wes sees the lizard rushing out at them. Knowing that he only has a few moments to react, and seeing Gwen weaving a spell, he resorts to magic of his own, calling on the power of Obad Hai to affect the onrushing beast.

Good call with the Sleep spell! But if it doesn't work, only one us will be dead. The other one of us has Invisibility To Animals...

Unless it's the frickin lizard version of Steven Hawking. Then, yeah, we're both so dead.

[OGRE MAGE]

Heading Home
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

Wes and Gwen both immediately go into a spell casting frenzy at first sight of this monster, waving their hands and tossing a pinch of sand at the giant lizard.

The dangerous encounter is over before it even begins once Gwen has finished with her spell. For the beast drops down into the sand in a deep slumber. As she wipes the fine sand from her hands, she looks over to the druid again. He is busy rubbing holly all over himself, but she can see no reason for that strange action.

Actions?

Wes 16/16 3/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 0/1 first

[tomlowshang]

Gwethglersinwen Larendirina

"Its not over yet. The beast is an easy kill while it sleeps, but it will awaken soon."

Gwen draws her sword, moves moves to the beast's neck, looks for a suitable place to deliver the blow. She plunges the sword deep into the side of the throat area to sever blood vessels and air passage.

OOC: Is that enough for a hand-wavy automatic kill? If not, she just woke it up. Oops.

[Jernau35]

Wes

To ensure that the lizard is dead, Wes assists by driving his spear into the base of the beast's skull. Then he turns to Gwen. "Well done! The prey becomes the hunter!" He laughs loudly.

"Now then, this beast will feed a good many people. But the two of us clearly can't drag back a dead weight like this on our own, especially at night."

"We can bury it in sand. The dry sand will keep the meat preserved until we can return tomorrow morning with more help. And it will keep it hidden from scavengers"

Wes turns and starts to use his shield to scoop sand over the lizard, making sure to get a good pile started.

"Since you have the dagger, do you want to start cleaning this? Or do you want to switch places?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Heading Home
Earthday, The 4th of Goodmonth
Evening, Hot, Muggy, Very Buggy

Gwen and Wes sneak up to the sleeping lizard and put it down in the most humane way they can, not wanting this innocent creature to suffer needlessly. Their death blows cause a small pool of blood to form in the soft sand under the head of the monster. Once the deed is done, the pair of hunters begins to discuss how to get the good meat back to town. Wes suggests burying it right where it is.

The discussion is quickly halted when a second rustling noise is heard coming from the same place as the lizard. The noises are more feint this time, but they certainly catch the attention of the tired duo.

Actions?

Wes 16/16 3/4 first 3/3 second
Gwen 8/8 0/1 first