Everyday Life in Beachtown

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

The Halfling's face is less is less a mixture of fear and horror than one of anger and hate. "I'm going to set a trap for that thing," he says. "Just like it did for us. And I'm going to drag it into the sun and watch it shrivel and die in the heat. It's going to pay." He turns to Jombo. "I'm sorry about your friend. I really am."

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Shakes his head. That is going to be a real problem. A bigger one than the pirates ever were. I hope we can find Powstap and get some information about whatever that beast is. I hope it has moved on by the time we come back. We will need to be ever watchful.

He looks to Marge and her waterbearers. Ladies. I am so deeply sorry. I had no idea any such beast was out here or I would never have asked you out here. I think it is becoming more and more clear that we need to move away from the beach.

[OGRE MAGE]

Splitting The Party
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Hot, Humid, Buggy

The monster slowly sinks back into deeper water, taking it’s sufficient meal along with it. The survivors of the horrible sea monster attack are glad to have fled with their lives, even after losing two of their group to the hungry beast. Jombo is clearly horrified by the viscous and terrible way his comrade was killed, unable to speak of it for several moments. The two men who fled can still be seen sprinting back towards town, leaving only Jombo, Joe, Liam, Dex, Marge, and six young women to retrieve their water and their friends.

Marge answers Liam’s apology with minimal tact. “Don’t blame yer self. Unfortunately, this is a way of life we’ve grown to expect out here. Kill one threat, and a bigger, badder threat takes its place. If we can’t even get water safely anymore, I’m starting to agree more and more with the idea to combine the settlers with the tribe of natives, if they’ll even have us.”

Liam is visibly worried about the threat they are about to leave behind, knowing they may well have to face this creature again when they return.

Actions?

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Dex looks back at the location as they leave. He is looking at the trees and figuring how much weight they could take, tied off at the trunks. His mind is full of netted hooks and slip- and sheepshank knots and getting that thing dragged onto the hot sand, where it can die in pain. He looks forward once again and marches with the others silently.

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Unable to let it go, walks in silence. His own mind trying to work out how to combat such a creature. Something like a trout line? What would they even use as bait? Losing more people to it was out of the question. Drag hooks maybe... They would need a meeting over this new threat.

[OGRE MAGE]

Splitting The Party
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Midday, Hot, Humid, Buggy

The rest of the trip is filled with fearful and angry emotion, but it goes by without any further incident.

The mouth of the river lies just ahead and looks clear of any animals or worse threats. There is the slightest stench of something rotting as the group approaches the trail into the jungle, but its source cant be discerned from a distance.

Marge has her girls stop as she looks to the men in the party for their suggestions.

Actions?

[SirOwen]

Hmmmm.... does that stench bring to mind the unpleasant scent of decomposing human bodies?

[Bluehorse]

Liam curses under his breath and moves ahead of the line of people to investigate the river for snagged bodies, hoping the water is moving swiftly enough to not be fouled.

[OGRE MAGE]

The stink does indeed have a hint of decaying body to it, fresh decay, though Liam doesn't see anything near the shore of the river.

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Dex follows and looks up at Liam. "Looks like you're thinking the same thing I am..... but I'm not seeing any pirate bodies." The Halfling closes his eyes and focuses on his nose, trying to note wind direction and discover the source.

[SirOwen]

Just wondering.... have we had any stories, sign or spoor of crocodilians along the river. From Caimans to Salties? Anything?

[Bluehorse]

Liam

The man tentatively kneels to lean over the water and give it a sniff to see if that is the source of the smell. There was always a chance of something being dead in the treeline too.

[OGRE MAGE]

Splitting The Party
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Midday, Hot, Humid, Buggy

The familiar looking body of a human male is eventually found, not caught up on something at the side of the river, but 10 feet up in a tree that overhangs the water. How it got up there is anybody's guess, but it looks about half eaten already. The stink it is giving off is pretty bad, but bound to get worse as more time passes. If a closer look is to be made, the tree will need to be scaled somehow.

Marge keeps her girls focused, trying to ignore the partially eaten body hanging over the tree branches above. She is about to start filling buckets but looks to Liam and Dex first. "I suppose we should find yer friends afore we fill up on water, yes?"

Actions?

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Dex stand near the tree holding the body, looking up into the foliage for sign of anything that might have dragged the corpse up there. He has heard tales of the big cats of the southern jungles pulling carcasses into trees to cache them, but hasn't really seen any other sign of such here. "Hey dummy," he thinks in response to that thought. "You've only been here a few days. There could be Oliphants here and you wouldn't know about it." Looking to Liam, he asks out loud, "Big cats?"

"I can get the body out of the tree and back into the river, if you want....if we don't mind angering what put it up there."

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Making sure everyone can hear him. Looks like something a big cat would do. Leave it be. Not worth getting chewed up over.
Let the jungle have him, he won't last long. Marge, you and the girls go ahead and fill up on water, settle here but keep your eyes open in all directions. Joe, turn Jack around and come with Dexter and I. We are going to go check on our companions and get Keg and the rest, load up and get back here as soon as we can. Then we will load up and head back to town. If everyone is in agreement, I mean. he looks around for confirmation.

[OGRE MAGE]

Splitting The Party
Starday, 20th of Goodmonth
Midday, Hot, Humid, Buggy

Marge looks up at the dead body, then back to Liam. Then up at the dead body again, and then back at Liam. “You want us to wait here.” She looks back up at the dead body. “While you go get your friends?”

Dex finds large cat prints in the mud near the base of the tree. The girls take their pails and head for the sandy riverbank. Joe steers Jack the ass towards the jungle trail.

Actions?

[Bluehorse]

Liam looks to Marge. Sorry, Love. Would you feel better coming with us?

[OGRE MAGE]

Marge nods her head emphatically and calls her girls back to the trail.

“Yes, I think that would be best. You said it ain’t far, right?”

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Looks to Dexter. I thought it was close by. Just up the trail, right?

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

"Marge and her team should most certainly come with us," Dexter says. He points out the tracks he found. "It IS a big cat. I don't like the idea of leaving these ladies behind with it around. We'll stop and get the water on the trip back." He looks up into the tree again. "Besides, the cat may decide he doesn't want to leave his food here after he catches a bunch of human scents."

Looking up the trail, he adds, "No, not far, especially since Marge's team walks all the way from town to here every day. I doubt they'll mind this walk."