Quest #19 "Mapping Out The Jungle"

[Karaunios]

Grimm looks upward to the little beast-man. "People? They look like monkeys to me.". He says it in a casual way.

Sorry, took a day off yesterday and spent it lying on the grass like an iguana.

[Bluehorse]

Grimm looks upward to the little beast-man. "People? They look like monkeys to me.". He says it in a casual way.

Liam looks to Grimm. They are sentient.
As a matter of fact... if we can just communicate with them, we may have more allies against Bing.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Long Walk Back
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Hot, Humid, Very Buggy

Daisy addresses the tense situation in her own way, coyly catching the attention of the jungle dweller in the trees. Liam stays the throwing arm of the native just in time to prevent him from skewering the gliding phanaton. Grimm thinks they look like monkeys. Liam tries to set the dwarf straight about that.

Powstap and the other 2 natives spin around quickly once the creature disappears into the foliage, looking rather upset about the whole episode. Powstap says a few things to the angry men before speaking to the rest of the party.

"Wha you do dis? Dem......dem.......dey lic us"

Actions?

Hrothgar 20/20
Liam 6/6
Fiona 10/10
Daisy 8/9 3/3 1st
Sophie 5/6
Grimm 8/8

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Yes, Friend Powstap. They are like us. Their body is like an animal, but their spirit, and their heart, and their mind, are like any other man. They may help us fight Bing if we can convince them.

[OGRE MAGE]

Powstap tries to make out some words from the long sentence but clearly fails.

"No mon! Dey lic us! Dey lic us!"

The normally smiling native points to his mouth, makes a chewing motion, and then pats his bare tummy.

"Mmmmmmm......Dey lic us!"

[Karaunios]

Grimm strokes his beard in meditation after Monocar's words about the Phanaton being able to help against Bing but, when he sees Powstap and the farmer misunderstanding each other, he decides to step in: "You mean they like you? They EAT you?". He looks sideways at Monocar.

[Urson]

Daisy

They're people? Glory be! Daisy watches the glider a moment longer. When she hears Powstap comment on how tasty they are, her face darkens. She mutters, not loud enough for Powstap to hear, Protector, please don't make us work with these monsters!

[Bluehorse]

Liam... most certainly not Monocar

He shakes his head. Not delicious... Friend. He points around to everyone in a circle. Friends... people. he points up to the Phanaton. Friend. People. Phanaton's and friends not food.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Long Walk Back
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Hot, Humid, Very Buggy

The 2 natives still look upset that their snack was allowed to escape. Powstap looks sideways at Liam, as if he has heard this same argument somewhere before. Finally, he speaks.

"You fren wit da fly monky? Dem like you? You no eat dem?"

The scouts start picking their way through the underbrush again as the conversation continues.

Actions?

Hrothgar 20/20
Liam 6/6
Fiona 10/10
Daisy 8/9 3/3 1st
Sophie 5/6
Grimm 8/8

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Nods to Powstap Yes. There are people in the town who can communicate with them. They are like you and I.
They have regular people, warriors, and even a chief, or so say the stories I have heard.

[Karaunios]

Grimmm tags along, half listening at the conversation, half with an eye out to the jungle.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Long Walk Back
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Mid Afternoon, Hot, Humid, Very Buggy

Powstap tries to follow the long sentence of Liam again, but eventually gives up on trying to figure out all of his many words.

With a huff from the hungry native scouts, the group is soon trudging through the jungle again. After another long and arduous hike, they find themselves on the sandy beach again, about a mile from the river and only 3 miles from the relative safety of Beachtown. Both animals immediately start rolling and rooting around in the dry sand, attempting in vain to get the thousands of bugs out of their fur.

Powstap looks at Grimm and points towards the east, up the beach towards the river.

"Bing ship ova der last. We go look now?"

Actions?

Hrothgar 20/20
Liam 6/6
Fiona 10/10
Daisy 8/9 3/3 1st
Sophie 5/6
Grimm 8/8

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Frowns but hopes his words have at least given Powstap a reason to ponder his meaning. If nothing else, he has saved one life... That counted for something, surely.

As they broke out of the jungle and onto the beach, Liam takes a deep breath of sea air and holds out his arms to let the sun bathe him in unfiltered light a moment. He recognizes the spot where they are and smiles to the natives. Thank you, Friends. Thank you! he resists the temptation to run out to the water to dunk into the water and wash the bugs away along with the salt of his sweat and maintain some kind of dignity in front of these men. Hard to be a representative sometimes... he thinks to himself half-joking and then realizes the full weight of that single though. He had escaped leadership and responsibility only to have it fall in his lap here. He groaned internally and looked up and down the beach.

Looking to Hrothgar: What do you think, big guy? Should we beat it back to town to get word in about what has happened, or get a look at where Bing has been docking to get some more information? I hate to think of the mouth of the river being blocked by pirates and taking away the only real water supply for the town.

[Urson]

Daisy
Daisy smiles brightly as she leaves the woodline. Thank You, Avoreen! Bless the sun!
She scuffles around in the dry sand, trying to scrub off some of the caked mud on her feet. She walks into the surf, wetting her hair in hopes of getting the last of the Sticky Man adhesive out.
Sophie is rolling and digging in the loose sand, looking like a very happy welcome mat.

[OGRE MAGE]

Hrothgar looks up and down the beach for a minute.

"I don't see any pirates. Or natives."

He looks down at Grimm an Powstap.

"You guys seem like you are going to check it out either way though, right? Should we go as a team or split up here?"

The huge fighter seems to badly want to join Daisy in the water so he too can wash off the remains of the sticky resin still caked on him and his gear.

[Karaunios]

Grimm looks at the others in turn, after making a sign to Powstap asking him to wait just a moment. "I'll understand if you want to go back to town after having had to wade through that jungle, but any help will be appreciated. You can still go back to the town after we take a look. After all, we're not that far away, right?". He shrugs: "Anyway, your decision. Now, if you'll excuse me..." he goes and washes off the dirt from the jungle and he mosquito bites.

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Nodded. That was good enough logic for him. Agreed then. A quick look never hurt anyone. Plus it will be more Intel to take back for planning. Liam will also join Grimm in the shallows to splash himself down and rinse off the crud before they leave.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Long Walk Back
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Late Afternoon, Hot, Humid, Very Buggy

The group heads back towards the river again, trying to get a look at where Bing's ship was last seen. They get almost all the way to the area where the river runs into the sea when the natives stop short. They usher everyone into the bush and point up the trial a short distance. They eventually point out 2 men sitting on the branch of a tree a short way off the beach. These men appear to be watching out over the water, possibly awaiting their captains return.

Powstap looks around as he speaks softly to Grimm and the others.

"Bing ship lass seen ova der." He points towards an outcropping of the rocks past the black cliffs on the other side of the river.

"Dem gone now. Take mi fren Kelief."

Liam, who has been here before, doesn't see anything out of the ordinary since the last time he was here. It appears that the way to the fresh water hasn't been tampered with, though it is being watched.

Hrothgar adds in his 2 coppers. "I'm not sleeping outside around here again. I am getting my sorry arse back to town. We can figure out what to do about these smugglers after a decent meal and a good nights rest. If we aren't attacked and killed on the way home, that is."

Actions?

Hrothgar 20/20
Liam 6/6
Fiona 10/10
Daisy 8/9 3/3 1st
Sophie 5/6
Grimm 8/8

[Urson]

Daisy
Ah agree. Ah don't reckon we can handle Bing an' all his fellas. An' Ah suspect catching those two won't do us much good.

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Liam watches the pair for a while, letting Hrothgar and Daisy voice their opinions and seeming non-judgmental as he mulls it over. There are druids back in the town assuming they are not out on another task. I would like to get one or two of them together to meet first with the Phanatons to address an alliance against Bing's men and try to work out in advance a meeting with their chief and Powstap... A three-way alliance is best. It will bring us together against a common threat and end tensions between our peoples.

He looked at Powstap. Your people. What is the name of your people, Friend Powstap?

After answer. Are the People's name watching Bing's men? I want to go to the town, and bring more friends. I want to arrange for you to meet the chief of the Phanatons. Three peoples, as friends, to fight Bing. he holds up three fingers as he says this and jabs them in the direction of the two pirates at the river, hoping his meaning is understood.