Quest #19 "Mapping Out The Jungle"

[OGRE MAGE]

"I dunno! Maybe it twer his first ride on the open sea and the kook thought he was a damn bird er something. I didn't like the guy much myself, always acting so weird and shit."

"They were heading to Saltmarsh, on the mainland. That is where Bing keeps the Flash docked, kinda his home port, if ye will."

"Once they left with most of the crew, the rest of us were attacked at our new camp and forced to regroup out here again. None of us are too happy bout that, either!"

[Karaunios]

Grimm reflects for a moment, tugging his beard lightly. "Doesn't seem like he went with you unwillingly. Did you take him as a slave or did he come with you? Because my friend here" he points at Powstap, "told me you kidnapped him."

Grimm has several questions for the pirates, should I post all of them in one post to save on time?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sure, if you like.

"That was the weird thing. At first, the sea priest was just another pain in the ass adventurer getting in our way out here. But then one day, he suddenly became very interested in what we were doin. Always hanging around the captain like he was his best friend er sumthin."

"He wasn't kidnapped, he went along on the journey home freely. In fact, it seemed like he almost begged to go along. Bing wasn't about to turn down a good thing like having the skills of a real life priest along to heal us and pray over us when things got bad. So, he obliged the man. We were watching for their return when you found us. They should be back any second now. Wait......is that a ships bell I hear on the breeze?"

[Karaunios]

Grimm turns to Powstap: "This pirate says Kelief wanted to go with them... he gets closer to him and says in a lower voice: We have to move and take them to the village. I think is dangerous here." He will start using the same bags he gagged the pirates with to cover their heads, so the don't see the way they're taking and then will use his dagger to cut some more vines in order to tie them around the sacks, at the level of their mouths, so they can't shout.

He tells them: "You're doing fine and nothing will happen to you if you go on this way. The jungle is full with our friends, so you better be careful."

Did Grimm hear the bell the pirate mentions?

[OGRE MAGE]

The lying smuggler pretends to hear the bell again, but nobody else notices it. "See! There it is again! Bing must be nearly back by now!"

Powstap's face grows angry.

"Dem lie! Kelief wanna elp us. Him neva go along wit da evil pirates! Him get sick, his skin turn a likkle grey, but him was a good person! Dem bastards trick mi fren, Kelief! Den dey took him from we." The native doesn't seem to like the idea of bringing the slavers all the way back to his village, nearly a full days travel north.

The two men are bound and gagged, their faces covered with sacks and ready to be transported. The natives survey their surroundings carefully, but none of them spot any commotion or the approach of anything dangerous.

[Karaunios]

Grimm doesn't like at all seeing Powstap this angry. Clearly Kelief was someone important for this people and probably deservedly so. He whacks the lying pirate on the back of the head. "That one's for lying to me." It is for the pirate to interpret ifnhe said so because of what he said of Kelief or because he lied when he said he heard a bell.

Despite all that, he decides getting a little further from the beach won't do any harm and gets the group moving northwards.

He loses the vine covering the other pirate's mouth and starts to ask several questions, each one after getting an answer for the previous one.

"What is Bing's business on this island?"

"How often do you come?"

"Do you dock always on that beach or do they have any other spots they like to make use of?"

"Where's your hiding place in the island?"

"How are your relations with the natives?"

"What do you know of the Stoneguts?"

He won't hesitate to poke the pirate with his dagger in the lower ribs if need be, even if it draws blood.

[OGRE MAGE]

"Bing is a profiteer, like most everyone else. He came here to transport people to the stupid little town on the beach, but he soon moved on to more profitable shipping ventures. First it was the black rubber trees, but that was so much work. Then we found the plantation of the natives, ripe for the plucking. We took their herb and bundled it up to transport. That was a lot easier work, and far more profitable than the heavy lumber."

"He goes back and forth every week or so."

"We always dock in the same place, above a deep hole on the other side of the rocky outcropping near the cliffs."

"We had taken over the camp where the natives lived, until we were routed by some Dudley Dogooders and had to flee here. We have a small camp set up in the first village on the trail, just north of here."

"We don't know much about the natives, or the dwarves. We killed a bunch of the natives, anyone who tried to put up a fight, but we haven't had any dealings with the Stoneguts. I am starting to think that you guys don't have as many numbers on the island as you say, because I haven't seen any of you around."

[Karaunios]

Grimm listens attentively to the pirate. At his last assertion, he answers with a chuckle: "Oh. One thing is that you don't see us. But that doesn't mean we're not there.". He gags his mouth with the vine again and addresses the two other indigenes: "Please, watch them."

He then approaches Powstap and takes him aside, far enough not to be overheard by the pirates, and talks to him in a low voice and making two seconds pauses after each sentence, so his friend gets everything right:"Alright, my friend. This is what they told me.

Their ship comes every seven days, more or less.

They had a camp they stole from your people. Then they were attacked and had to flee. Now they have a camp in the first village next to the river (?). I thought your people live there?

They have killed some... In-di-juns... But you know that already.

You heard what they said about Kelief, but I believe YOU.

I told them I'm a Stonegut. The Stoneguts are a clan of dwarves, short people like me. I'm not one of them. But I told them I am, because I think they fear them.

Don't say my name in front of them. I won't say yours. It's better if they don't know our names.

I think I don't have more questions for them. They've answered all I wanted. Ask them whatever you want. What do YOU want to do with them?

[OGRE MAGE]

“Yesa! Mi peepole liff all tru ear! Up an down dis riva! Till dese pirates come an take!”

“Sum ting appen wit Kelief. Him get sick! Dat da only reason fi him ta go wit dem!”

The native doesn’t seem to grasp all of the rest mentioned but he smiles and nods anyway.

He makes a cutting motion across his neck with his finger once asked what to do with these men.

“Dem kill us.........so we kill dem!”

[Karaunios]

Grimm reflects for a short moment on Powstap's words. "I don't know... If they are alive, they can tell us more about them." He stops to think again. "What if they work for you? We can know how to attack them in your village and finish them."

[OGRE MAGE]

Powstap tries to figure out Grimms meaning when a loud shriek rings out overhead, above the canopy of the jungle. The three natives rush to the nearest large trees and huddle as closely as they can to their trunks, urging Grimm to do the same. Leaving the 2 captives to their own fate.

[Karaunios]

Grimm runs like towards another tree, close to the natives, and leans against it, trying to hide avoiding being seen, felt, whatever, by the otherwordly creature that made such a loud noise.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Search Continues
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Late Afternoon, Hot, Humid, Very Buggy

The shriek rings out again, even louder this time. Then a large dark shadow looms overhead for a moment, passing slowly but still impossible to make out any detail of through the tree tops.

Then after one more shriek, whatever it was is soon gone. The natives look a little perturbed by the event but the smugglers look absolutely terrified by their experience.

“Vvtt vvaa vvkk vvss vvaa???” They both say in unison through their tight gags.

Action?

Grimm 7/8

[Karaunios]

Grimm notices his hands trembling despite himself. When everything gets quiet again, he walks quickly towards the pirates. "Something weird crossed the sky. Couldn't see it. Now, keep walking." He leads the group north/north-west, in order to avoid the first pirate camp.

After they have put some distance between them and the spot where the huge... thing flew by, he starts talking to Powstap again, a bit away from the group, while the other two natives guard their prisoners: "What do you want to do with them?" He points to the pirates. "I understand you're angry but, would you kill them as they are? Defenseless? They helped us. They told us a lot about their gang."

[OGRE MAGE]

The Search Continues
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Early Evening, Warm, Humid, Very Buggy

Another long march through the jungle puts the splinter group somewhere in between the first and second village along the river trail, hopefully well past the remaining smugglers holed up in the first standing village, closest to the shore.

The native guides continue to look up at the sky periodically as they travel, obviously worried about more than just the setting sun. Powstap tries to answer the dwarfs question as best he can, looking a bit glum and shaking his head as he speaks.

"Dis no Powstap choice. Our chief canna decide der fate, not I. Less get ta da nex village an see wha we fine der. Den we take dem bak ta our main camp an figure dis all out der."

Action?

Grimm 7/8

[Karaunios]

Grimm nods at Powstap's answer. "Good. Let's go then!" He continues on walking and concentrates on the journay ahead, hoping they'll get to the next village before the sun sets, without any undesired event. He keeps an eye on the pirates, walking closely behind the last of the two, this time with his long sword in his hand.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Search Continues
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Evening, Warm, Humid, Very Buggy

After a few more hours of marching back up the trail, being led by the native guides, the sunlight departs completely and the darkness of the jungle really sets in. The bugs come out even worse, making travel miserable for everyone involved. The group eventually ends up right back where they started the day out at the communal pavilion located about half way from the sea to the camp. Powstap speaks with the natives and then turns to Grimm.

"We ress ear now? Or keep going?"

Action?

Grimm 7/8

[Karaunios]

Grimm looks around him, bothered by the bugs and wanting to avoid having to spend a night like the one two or three days ago, in the middle of this jungle. "No. We should press on. Too dangerous out here at night... Are we too far from the next village?" He'll keep walking.

Grimm wants to try it out and come to the next village but, if after a while walking, the night settles in and they start to feel really tired without haven't ever the slightest sign of the village in sight, he'll reconsider and try to set camp, putting some fires around them to fence off any potential beasts and the bugs if the natives consent.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Search Continues
Freeday, 12th of Goodmonth
Evening, Warm, Humid, Very Buggy

The captives fall to the ground exhausted from their march. The native guards who stayed awake all night to watch the party look even more exhausted. Powstap looks around the clearing, clearly confused by the dwarfs question. Then he points to the pavilion.

“Dis nex village.”

Action?

Grimm 7/8

[Karaunios]

The dwarf shakes his head. "I think in tired myself either. Yes, my friend, we should rest here for the night." He helps the others to the pavillion and drags himself along with them, and takes out the gag from the prisoners and give them some water and a bit of his own food. He'll then gag them again and start a fire with his native companions, with which he'll gladly share his food and water, this time in proportional meal-sized shares, before they go to sleep.

I take there are other natives here who can take on the role of watchmen for us? Maybe is Powstap going to explain everything to his comrades? In this case, Grimm will come along with him.