Everyday Life in Beachtown

[Urson]

Luther

Luther nods as Monocar lays out his plan, finishing the fish trap as he does. It's ambitious- I'd guess you'll be at this for several days. I can help out, of course. I'm still pretty beat up, so I don't know how much use I'll be with an axe. But I can drag brush and keep an eye on the woods, in case something toothy comes out.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Grins good naturedly but there is an underlying grimness to his expression. "I can clear about 60 trees a day with all this soft wood. So progress could go quickly. But, yeah, it will likely take days. Just enough to clear my head..." he adds quietly to himself.

[OGRE MAGE]

The two enormous fighters that dealt with the worst hardships of battle, almost costing them their lives in the process, decide that helping the town out for a little while as they recover from their ordeal is the best way to approach this new day. It doesn't take long for their good deeds to be noticed either.

Once the pair starts marking the trees and clearing out brush, a few of the townsfolk begin to take notice. One pair of workers that were tending the gardens comes over to see what is going on. Once they are informed what the large duo is up to, they quickly rustle up some others to help out as well, quickly turning the pair of hard workers into a half dozen sweaty, dirty laborers.

The villagers are very receptive to the idea of clearing out more jungle towards the east, increasing the land that they will be able to farm exponentially. Within the first couple of hours of hard, hot, work, the group is able to clear a nice wide area that reaches almost the full distance to the plot that Raythan picked out for his house. A few more villagers come by and start chopping out stumps and staking out different portions of the new clearing. Some others get to work tilling up the soil for immediate planting.

After a while, Monocar and Luther notice Raythan wandering around in the trees, looking at the ground near his new construction. They haven't seen any sign of the local handyman Owen at all either.

Monocar 7/12
Luther 9/13
Raythan 6/6 CL, DM, RM, 1/1 first / 3/3 first (cleric)

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Happy for the help he quickly settles into helping coordinate and helping less experienced choppers with their technique and praising praising praising everyone that is working. He leads by example as his father taught him, making sure to be seen working as hard as anyone as he moves through the brush marking and chopping along with anyone else. He smiles, feeling pride as so many readily jump in to help. He doesn't want to let any of them down and for the first time in days, he feels like himself...

Id: "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Screams as he runs around inside Monocar's brain as the recently leveled Cherub and Imp chase him with a staff and a frying pan.

Imp: Brandishing his frying pan. "We're gaining on him!"

Cherub: "Get the cage ready! I have and Idea!"

The big man smiles seeing Raythan and waves. "Hale! Wizard! I'd have thought your man would be working here today as well. Do you need some logs? Where is he, we're coming through he and can help him make quick work of this section.
Would like to make sure we don't interfere with whatever plans the two of you have as well."

[Nuke66]

Raythan

"I'm not real sure, but I'm guessing poor Owen met his demise to a furry beast. Come take a look." Raythan waits before pointing out his observations. "He, and my gold."

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Looks concerned. "Lets have a look." he follows Raythan

[OGRE MAGE]

The three friends take a short break from the hard work to have a closer look around Raythans clearing. They find no signs of Owen, the local handyman that has mysteriously gone missing. They do find a number of short sharpened sticks and numerous fist sized rocks lying around in the dirt where the mans bloodied ax was found. The ranger in the group finds no animal or monster tracks leading into or away from the scene, but there are many small, four toed tracks in the area where you found the ax. Luther does not recognize the tracks and cant think of what creature might have left them. Even more frightening is the fact that none of the tracks actually exit this area.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Has a thought... and looks up.

[Urson]

Luther

Until they discover the clues around Raythan's new place, Luther is as good as his word- dragging brush and small branches to a burn pile on the beach, talking with the locals about hunting, fishing, and so forth. He keeps his bow handy, and keeps an eye out for any sign of small game- tracks, scat, whatever.

The four-toed tracks- are they four toes in the front? Three in front, one behind? Pairs?

When Monocar looks up, Luther does likewise- scanning the trees for any motion. He steps closer to Monocle, facing the opposite direction. If there is any motion, he tells the villagers, Scatter! We don't need any other casualties here.

[OGRE MAGE]

Always Look Up!
Morning in the Bush, Hot, Muggy, Bugggy

Luther takes the time to scrutinize the scene of the crime carefully. The prints are four toes in front and look like they were made by smaller two legged creatures. The lack of tracks leading away causes the pair of woodsmen to look up into the tree top canopy. The foliage above this tiny clearing and everywhere else in this area is very thick and quite overgrown. Even though Owen has already cleared out many of the smaller trees, the much taller trees that he left standing are so large that there is still almost no opening created in the high canopy. The men stare up at the trees for a while, thinking that they might have spotted wooden structures that are intentionally hidden from view to anyone on the ground. Raythan takes a look with his enhanced elven vision and confirms the humans observation. There are indeed a few structures built into the branches at the very tops of the tallest trees here, all concealed from sight with expert use of natural camouflage.

There are no unusual sounds coming from above and no creatures are spotted on or near the high wooden structures. Luther then notices the lack of human tracks leading away from this area that would indicate which direction the handyman might have traveled. It seems as though poor Owen was simply plucked right from the ground and then somehow disappeared.

Actions?

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

When the structure is pointed out he first thinks of the Monkoons but then remembers the Veggimites and his hands begin to shake and his swest runs cold. "We need to stop the workers... set up a picket line for the work to stop. Did one of those groups say they were headed to the river? We may need a rescue party for Owen..."

ooc: OM can we get an update on where the work has progressed and where we are on the map? Would we be closer to the River Party or the Monkoon Ambassadors?

[OGRE MAGE]

You are actually still in Beachtown, just a little ways to the east into the jungle off of the main clearing.

The "monkoon party" is also still in Beachtown. They are a little ways northwest of where you are cutting, on the other side of the loggers trail.

The "river party" is already about 4 miles away from you to the east.

I will make an update to the map and post it when I can.

[Urson]

Luther

Yeah. I don't think we're in danger yet- they're probably just worried that we're gonna cut down the trees they live in. Put your axe down a minute, Monocar.

Luther puts away his weapons and stands near the spot owen was taken from. He looks up toward the huts in the trees and shouts Hey! We didn't know you were up there! We're gonna stop now! Please give our friend back!

Raythan- I think you'll need to pick a different spot for your house.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Reluctantly puts down the axe, still visibly shaken but standing firm.

[Nuke66]

"Or, we could just cut down this tree, and that one." Pointing to two of the trees that hold the structures.

[OGRE MAGE]

Always Look Up!
Morning in the Bush, Hot, Muggy, Bugggy

Luther looks up into the trees and shouts for the unseen creatures to return Owen back to the ground. There is no response or any sign of movement from the tree tops.

Mountaincar appears very jittery, but lowers his ax slightly.

Raythan suggests simply chopping down the trees that hold the structures.

After a few moments of indecision, the trio begins to see a thick rope made of entwined vines slowly start to lower down from the area where the hidden structures are. It stops its descent after it gets about three feet off of the ground. It dangles there in front of you, but you still spot no indication of who lowered it or why.

Actions?

Monocar 7/12
Luther 9/13
Raythan 6/6 CL, DM, RM, 1/1 first / 3/3 first (cleric)

[Urson]

Luther

Yes, Raythan- we could- if we want to start a war with a group we know nothing about.

When the rope is lowered, Luther pauses, evaluates his injuries, and then begins to climb. I take it this is an invitation- I'm coming up.

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Groans. "I'm not exactly a diplomat, you know. Or ready for a fight..." he slips his axe into his belt at the small of his back so it is out of the way for him to climb. He then grabs the rope heaving himself up.

[OGRE MAGE]

Im Coming Up!
Late Morning.....

Luther calls up into the canopy again and then grabs ahold of the rope. When he begins to climb, the vine rope also begins to rise back up towards the elevated structures. The ranger is quickly lifted up to about 10 feet off of the ground, however, the assistance from above leaves Monocar and Raythan very little time to react and only a very short stub of the vine left to grab onto.

Actions?

Only one more person can grab ahold of what's left of the rope before it is too high off of the ground. A successful hard Dex check will allow someone to join the ranger on the retracting vine.

Revised Beachtown Area Map:

IMG_0881.JPG (436.07 KiB) Viewed 481 times

[Bluehorse]

Monocar

Seeing the rope jerk upwards she grasp the last nub, barely reacting in time. "I'm coming! Raythan! Warn the workers!"

[3d6] = 12 (Dex 17)