To The Island!

[Jernau35]

Oops! Forgot the WIS check.

Normal WIS Check (WIS 8) [3d6] = 13

[hedgeknight]

Drakkar
The Dwarf opens a single half eye from beneath a pall of languidly twirling smoke. He sizes the young Gnome, coughs and spits a thick gob of phlegm over the rail. "I recall ye. For ye were useful, aye.", Drakkar grunts dourly. Pondering for a good moment, he offers finally: "I call the Yeomanry my home. Th' Freehold under the mighty Jotens, west of Keoland, if ye know yer bearings. A fine place... if ye like hard work. Speaking of which, who be dat Maxwell ye spoke of and his silver hammer earlier?"

Fitz (retro reply to Drakkar)
"Ah, the Yeomanry! I know it eastern region well. I grew up in Longspear, venturing into the Little Hills. I always wanted to visit the Jotuns; maybe when I return home one day.
"As for Maxwell...he was an Dwarf, and a friend of my great-great grandfather. He was a fine metallurgist who created beautiful jewelry. Wherever he went, he always carried his silver hammer, which was rumored to be magical. Well, the story goes that Maxwell had an affection for the daughter of a rival in town, and he would send her gifts of jewelry he had crafted especially to gain her attention. Well, one night he decided to deliver a gift himself and finally speak with the girl he had adored from afar.
"So, he ventures to the house where she lived with her parents and as he approaches the lane, he spies her in the arms of another! Seething with rage and jealousy, Maxwell waited until the other Dwarf left the house, watching the girl he had come to love kiss and wallow with another all the time. Then, he approached the house and knocked quietly...and when the girl opened the door, he bowed and offered her the gift he had brought her. And as she reached to accept his gift...BANG! BANG! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head!
"Realizing he had killed his love, Maxwell fled into the Little Hills and was never found. Rumors say he has a hidden sanctuary deep in the hills where he continues to create beautiful pieces for the creatures of the Underdark. So, long story short, whenever folks are startled or amazed, some variant of Maxwell's Silver Hammer tends to come out."

Now...
Fitz jerks around at the Captain's yell, and spins around again when Drakkar takes off running for the cabins below deck. Seeing everyone in a tizzy, Fitz pulls his darts and prepares for the worst.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Open Sea

With Drakkar now nowhere to be seen, the others gather at the rails again to catch a glimpse of this newest threat. Looking over the side of the boat, they dont see any trouble, however the captain doesn't stop carving out huge chunks of the dead beast, pushing one after another into the sea as the ship pulls away again.

Anyone looking behind the vessel does spot something unnatural. The line of bluntskull chunks floating upon the surface of the water is slowly disappearing. What looks like swirling funnel cones develop under the chunks, causing them to sink below the surface and vanish. Every few chunks, an orangish looking beak or shell of some sort pops up out of the water slightly, but then disappears again once the chunk gets sucked in.

The captain and Keyon continue chopping and kicking in hunks of flesh as the ship picks up speed. After a few minutes of this, they both climb back aboard the ship and rush towards the stern to watch with the others.

"Well, hopefully that's all the excitement we see fer a while. It wont be long before we make port on the island. Since you were all so willing to help us stay afloat, I will offer you any information, tips, or advice I can before we arrive. Hells, I may even have a job for you adventuring types, if yer willing ta listen to an old salt like meself?"

Actions?

The captain will answer any questions about the island you have before arriving on shore. He has a short "favor" to ask anyone willing to help him as well, if anyone is interested.

Keyon elven thief (Paladin)
Brandy half-elven cleric/ranger (Darklin)
Feanol elven magic user (Ahlmzhad)
Drakkar dwarven fighter (Holy_Rage)
Elnaerel elven cleric (Baldorar)
Jinx halfling fighter/thief (Storm)
Fitz gnomish illusionist/thief (Hedgeknight)
The Knife gnomish thief (Jernau)

[Jernau35]

The Knife

The Knife decides he has better things to do than listen to some old sea-dog's ramblings. He wanders up to the forecastle deck and begins a bizarre routine.

First he takes out his knife and starts whirling and slashing it around, with the occasional cry of "Take that!" and "Have at yer, yer scurvy dog!". After a couple of minutes of this, exhausted, he sits down in a quiet spot. Then he begins to stare at the knife. He holds up it up at various angles, staring at it for long periods, then shifting to another angle. Finally, he lays the blade down on the deck and begins to mumble at it. Those close enough to hear could swear that it sounds like baby talk, "Kitchy-kitchy-koo".

After an hour of this, The Knife rises and goes in search of a cup of water. Having drunk it, he returns to the forecastle and begins the whole routine over again.

[Darklin2]

Brandy

Brandy approaches the Captain and asks:

I will need time to set up my camp life but, what is your favor Captain? I will do what I can to help with what ever you need. You have managed to get us here through the dangerous waters so it is the least I can do to help you. Maybe you would be willing to do me a favor in return.

She awaits his reply.

[Paladin]

Keyon

"Never a dull moment aboard this ship," Keyon mutters with a wry grin as he vaults over the side. He gathers with the others to watch the strange creature inhale their bloody offerings. A cold chill races down his spine at the knowledge of how close he'd come to meeting a similar fate. The beast had likely been watching him the entire time he was tying the bluntskull.

He once again sends a quick thank you to the weavers of fate for preserving his thread yet again. Keyon scans the faces of his comrades until he finds the lovely eyes of a still-damp elven mage.

"Don't fall in again, milady," he teases quietly, pitching his voice just for her ears. "You might think me a show-off if I dive in and single-handedly conquer that beast to save you." Chuckling at his own nonsense, Keyon turns to the Captain.

"I don't know what I seek in this place," he says with a nod toward land. "So I don't know how to find it, either. Or what questions to ask." He looks down into the depths and watches the waves break against the hull. "But I don't like having idle hands, either. Name your job, Captain, and consider it done."

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel approaches the captain, Brandy and Keyon and stands put, waiting for what he has to say, giving for granted that her attention is enough to lead him to believe she wants to help. Besides, the others have just posed the same question, so...

[Storm11]

Jinx wanders over, curious. What were those things captain, the funnel fish?

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

Seeing the ploy of feeding the beast from the deep is working, Feanol waits for Keyon to being his ascent, then moves some so as not to be where she is simply watching him climb back aboard. Once he's crossing the railing she moves around to hear the captain doing her best to not pay full attention to Keyon's safe arrival back aboard. Then he catches her looking so she quickly looks firmly at the Captain, and adds her voice to those inquiring of the favor he needs.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Open Sea

The island is getting larger on the horizon as the ship nears its destination. Several of the common passengers rush to the bow to witness the approach. Captain Quark gathers around him anyone willing to listen before he begins.

"There are........some creatures.........living just off shore, a short trip up the beach from town. I know a man back in Saltmarsh who is looking for one of these.......creatures. He said he would pay gold for any specimen that could be obtained for his studies. He also told me that he would double the reward if I could somehow acquire a living specimen." The captain looks over the faces of those gathered to see if there is any interest in his job.

"They can be dangerous I'm told, but shouldn't cause a problem for seasoned adventurers like yourselves. The creatures are fish. Well, rays, really. They live in the mangrove roots and hunt the shallows at the west end of the beach, right where the trees start and the sand stops. These arent ordinary rays however, and caution should be used in their capture. But if enough of ye go along, I dont see them causing a large group much trouble. I would have my own men go over there to harvest them ourselves, but we have much work to do aboard the ship and I dont have time for another fishing trip on this run."

If the captain senses any takers, he drops information about the reward next. "I can offer 100 gold coins for the group who brings me one of these rays. 200 gold if ye can manage to wrangle one that's still alive. So, whatta ye say, folks? Any of ye up fer a quick dip in the shallows to help ol' Quark out?"

Actions?

If anyone has other plans once they reach shore, feel free to decline this offer. Nobody is locked into this and everyone should feel free to do their own thing if they would prefer. I just thought I would offer a little side adventure for the newer players to keep them busy until a few more of the veterans of the island get back to town to recruit new members to fill in any party gaps. There are still plenty of other things to do and many new places to explore if this offer isn't your cup of grog.

Keyon elven thief (Paladin)
Brandy half-elven cleric/ranger (Darklin)
Feanol elven magic user (Ahlmzhad)
Drakkar dwarven fighter (Holy_Rage)
Elnaerel elven cleric (Baldorar)
Jinx halfling fighter/thief (Storm)
Fitz gnomish illusionist/thief (Hedgeknight)
The Knife gnomish thief (Jernau)

[Paladin]

Keyon

The young elf absorbs Quark's words as he scans the horizon. He looks back out to sea with a hint of longing in his eyes, then back toward land with firm resolve.

"A paying job is what I need," he says. "You'll have your ray, Captain."

[Storm11]

Jinx nods as she listens to the Captain’s words.

If you throw in some arrows to compensate the ones I lost fighting the bashers, it’s a deal. How long are you planning to be in dock Captain?

[Jernau35]

The Knife

Taking a water break from his leaping around, The Knife overhears the gist of the Captain's offer. "Having money is always better than not having it. The Knife would like to take part in the venture". He looks down at his belt. "Wouldn't you?"

[OGRE MAGE]

It has been pointed out to me that I haven't updated the "things to do" or the "current missions" thread in a long, long time.

Since we have a few new players in this thread about to make their first appearance on the island, I should probably clean that mess up a little so it makes sense to everyone and not just those who were involved.

While that happens, feel free to do things the old fashioned way by mingling with the townies or asking questions in the tavern etc. I just know we can find something for everyone to do eventually.

[Karaunios]

Elnaerel looks atentively at Quark's words, when she sees the others agree, she includes herself in the hunt. "To be honest, I think it'd be interesting to know about a new specimen. I'm in."

[Darklin2]

Brandy

I will help. That seems like easy money. Harpoon one, drag it to a shallow pool and I can heal it. Easy 200 gold.

[Holy_Rage]

Drakkar

With everybody seemingly busy on deck, the surly Dwarf finds his way back to his room, where he stows everything away in his backpack and makes sure nothing is left behind. He lights a torch of his own after removing a fair amount of grease and animal fat around the torch's top to keep its light low; and trying to remain in the darkness as much as possible, he will attempt to enter Captain Quark's quarters and if successful, check if the Captain's log can be found there, as well as anything else of interest.

"If ye like yer salt-ridden secrets, let none say a Deepcrag will take yer -no- fer an answer.", the snooping Drakkar hisses lowly in guttural, debased Dwarven to himself as he proceeds to his dubious task.

Thank you all for your patience, I was sick and now I am back!

[Ahlmzhad]

Feanol

"I'll be happy to join in on this one. I might even have something that will help us take one alive."

[OGRE MAGE]

The Open Sea

Quark actually looks surprised that almost everyone agrees to do this thing for him. He nods his head and addresses the questions from Jinx.

"Well, I dont have any arrows to give, little miss, but I can tell ye that we dont plan to be around for very long. I would like to get unloaded and head back right away, but I can give yer crew a full day to complete this task, if ye be needing that long."

A long floating bamboo dock can be seen extending off of a sandy stretch of pristine beach. The town of Beachtown stands directly behind that with several makeshift and dilapidated buildings on and behind that beach. There appears to be a large structure built right into one overly large tree that grows up near the shoreline. A stone 2 story tower that was built too close to the shore appears to be leaning heavily towards the waning tide. A large well built building can be seen further inland, surrounded by several small 10x10 thatch huts.

The captain smiles as he looks over his new employees."If none of ye has any questions, I'll commence ta getting this tug docked so ye can be on yer way." Looking around, first at his falling tower, and then again to the others, the stern captain continues.

"Hey! Now where did that grumpy ass dwarf disappear to? I was going to ask him if he knew anything about stone demolition."

Actions?

Keyon elven thief (Paladin)
Brandy half-elven cleric/ranger (Darklin)
Feanol elven magic user (Ahlmzhad)
Drakkar dwarven fighter (Holy_Rage)
Elnaerel elven cleric (Baldorar)
Jinx halfling fighter/thief (Storm)
Fitz gnomish illusionist/thief (Hedgeknight)
The Knife gnomish thief (Jernau)

[OGRE MAGE]

More information about Beachtown can be found here:
viewtopic.php?f=446&t=6316#p292564