The Aftermath

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Nothing may make sense to some of the group but the name Onja strikes a familiar note though she cannot piece where in her atlas of knowledge the name belongs. Perhaps that page is blank apart from 'an island off the strong currents'.
Valkrina hard intelligence check vs 8 [4d6]=13

She breaks cover and calls the man. Being the least Viking type among is, she hopes her appearance doesn't frighten him off.

"Hush friend. You will draw the natives to you. Are you well? Do you need food or water?" she says and offers out a canteen.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest holds his spot, waiting to see if it goes bad. He will be ready to rush to Valkrina's aid if needed.

[Paladin]

Apollonius Triton

Apollonius holds his position, a spell ready to leap to his lips if needed.

[Scott308]

Euripides Nereos

Internally conflicted between making sure Valkrina is not alone with some potentially dangerous stranger and fear of startling him should other people jump out of the bushes, the Atlantean is just barely able to remain still, watching to see what will transpire.

[shaidar]

Xenos also waits, spell at the ready

[OGRE MAGE]

Loony Welcome Party
Mid Morning, Cloudy, Cool

The party's only female thinks she remembers hearing the name Onja before, but cant put her finger on the foggy details at the moment.

When Valkrina steps out of the trees to address the man, he jumps back, clearly startled to see the pretty Esquimaux suddenly appear. The frazzled human walking the beach alone has a shaggy, unkempt beard and tattered clothing. He smells like he hasn't bathed in a good long while as well. His teeth are rotten and he is partially covered in dirty filth.

He initially looks as though he will attack, shaking his head violently and clenching up both his fists, nearly drawing the others out from their cover. But once the water is offered up to him, he stops his advance and starts babbling quickly and incoherently.

After an uncomfortable pause of total confusion, the man suddenly strips out of his meager clothing. Dropping the rags to the beach, he continues babbling in the nude, finally grabbing a couple of leaves from a large fern nearby and holding them up to his face. He trots and dances around in a circle in his leaf mask, grunting out the word "cannibals" over and over again.

Somehow, the entire scene is both frightening and somewhat comical at the same time.

Actions?

Apollonius AC:8 3/5 2/2
Valkrina AC:6 8/8 1/1
Drest AC:7 5/7
Euripides AC:5 7/7 2/2
Xenos AC:5 7/9 2/2
Hakon AC:4 8/9 1/1
overall map:

42FDF45F-9C2E-4639-86DC-EA7C813939E1.jpeg (25.35 KiB) Viewed 351 times

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Takes the canteen back. The man is clearly mad but has communicated all we need to know. The word "cannibals" confirm her fears of the blood licking savages devouring the body of Lazereth. Maybe that was the celebration crescendo last night.

She had a bizarre thought of some toothless hag getting her gums around his plums and chomping on the Captain's sweetmeats and some kids pulling his pelvis apart like she would a wishbone.

"We should hurry to get off this island. We either decide to build a raft or we steal some tribal canoes." she says to the others.

She carries on down the beach away from the crazy figure.

[Rex]

Drest

"Not without some sort of idea about where we are going and how far it is."

[Paladin]

Apollonius Triton

"Eaters of the dead," he murmurs, both appalled and intrigued. He wonders what sort of dark magics are practiced by these savages. If the others break cover, he will join them. Otherwise, he'll remain concealed and simply watch.

[shaidar]

Xenos

"Cannibals? Waste of good material" he mutters to himself in Ixian accented Thracian.

"I agree we need to get off this island, but I don't fancy our chances on a raft or canoes, although I guess a raft is the best of the two" he replies quietly in common.

[Scott308]

Euripides Nereos

Seeing the crazy man doesn't appear to be dangerous, Euripides leaves cover. If we steal canoes from the natives, they'll probably be better than whatever we build- unless someone has experience building boats or rafts? He looks around hopefully. If nothing else, it makes it harder for them to come after us since they won't have all their canoes. But without knowing what's out there, we have no idea where we should go.

[OGRE MAGE]

Loony Welcome Party
Mid Morning, Cloudy, Cool

When their bard isn't attacked by the crazed beach hermit, the others step out from the foliage as well. The man's eyes grow even wider as they appear, but he continues with his loony charade, dancing around naked with his leafy mask over his heavily weathered face. His constant inane babbling continues as well, the name Onja now becoming the dominating theme to his madness.

When the party simply ignores the man, discussing different means to escape this island while continuing down the beach, he follows them from a short distance behind. After another few hundred yards, the stony beach eventually comes to its end, the thin shoreline eventually being replaced by large trees and other greenery which grows right up to the edge of the island. Any further travel in this direction will require either hacking through thick forest, or treading water along the shore.

Another narrow trail is found right before the end of the beach. This path appears far less groomed, its tight confines quickly disappearing into the dark forest beyond. Their insane tagalong stops a few feet behind the group, looking at them with a silly smirk on his face, repeating only one word by this time. "Onja? Onja? Onja?"

Actions?

Apollonius AC:8 3/5 2/2
Valkrina AC:6 8/8 1/1
Drest AC:7 5/7
Euripides AC:5 7/7 2/2
Xenos AC:5 7/9 2/2
Hakon AC:4 8/9 1/1
overall map:

99B15C5B-7FBC-4B8C-8779-66A4B7523C4A.jpeg (24.59 KiB) Viewed 311 times

[Rex]

Drest

Drest will examine the first 25 yards or so of the trail, weeing if he can determine anything.

"Not many options."

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

"Anybody else familiar with the name Onja?" she asks.

She tries to 'shoo' the madman away as if he were a rabid dog. After wearing masks in PZ, maybe a few cultural assimilations are in order? She cuts a few thick leaves from the shrubs, large fronds of ferns and palm. She weaves the stems together and sows some threads using a bit of fishing line and sticks them in a band to create some form of jungle headress.

She hopes for something like this:

[Scott308]

Euripides Nereos

Happy to see he is no longer the only one wearing a mask, Euripides wonders what the next move will be. Trail or water? I'm fine with swimming around the jungle, but I know most of you don't like the water quite as much. Oh, for your question, Valkrina, I don't think I know anyone named Onja, but maybe it's someone from Port Zangerios?

[Paladin]

Apollonius Triton

"I'm going to put a hex 'Onja' if you don't be silent," Apollonius mutters to himself. He gazes over the water, then the trail. "If we choose to swim, I'll assist those uncomfortable in the water."

[shaidar]

Xenos attempts a conversation with the man in all the languages he knows to see if there is any reaction

Common, Thracian (Ixian), Hellenic (Kimmerian)

[OGRE MAGE]

Decision Time
Mid Morning, Cloudy, Cool

Xenos tries speaking with the beach hermit in all the languages he knows, but gets only insane rambling in return from the disheveled human.

Neither of the Atlanteans are any help remembering the name Onja, but they do offer to aid anyone who wants to try navigating around the overgrown shoreline.

When Valkrina begins collecting items and crafting a leafy mask for herself, Drest moves into the forest, scouting out the narrow trail. He doesn't get far before the madman soon follows, staying right on the Pict's heels, and watching him closely. About 20 yards into the foliage, Drest spots what looks like a small hut or shack made from sticks, leaves, and mud. When he moves in for a closer look, the mad hermit grabs the back of his arm, shaking his head back and forth, trying to get him to return to the beach again.

Actions?

Apollonius AC:8 3/5 2/2
Valkrina AC:6 8/8 1/1
Drest AC:7 5/7
Euripides AC:5 7/7 2/2
Xenos AC:5 7/9 2/2
Hakon AC:4 8/9 1/1
overall map:
no change

[Rex]

Drest

Drest quietly heads back to the beach. "I found a hut, the madman doesn't want me to go near it. Maybe we should check it out?"

[Bluetongue]

Valkrina

Models her Onja cultural headgear, flicking away any snails which want to nibble on the leafy treats.
The madman might still know what is prudent. The hut could be best left undisturbed but then it is man made so must serve a purpose.

"Sure Drest. Go check it out." she encourages the team scout.