Everyday Life in Beachtown

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Seeing that Liam is a bit pre-occupied with his additional responsibilities, Dex just starts wandering the village. He puts some of his extra gear in his shack. (His extra set of clothes and about half his remaining rations.) He finds the Treehouse in fairly short order, but he decides to let it get a bit later before he starts his revels. Wandering down to the water's edge, he finds the fishermen, and more interesting to him, their boats. He introduces himself and mentions that he has some considerable skill as a boatwright. Thinking there might be something in it other than money, which seems to be in short supply among most of the islanders, he asks if anyone might have need of his services.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche stops by to observe the proceedings from a discrete distance. He waits patiently while Liam converses with the crowd of settlers, and thereafter the discussion with Glansandi and the halflings about their scouting mission. After Liam, Dexter, and Daisy adjourn the planning session, Andron approaches Glansandi. "Constable, may I have a word with you ... in private?" He glances around to ensure they are outside range of any casual eavesdropping. "I'd join in your scouting mission, however I have previously commited myself to an exploration of the small island. The real reason I wanted to talk to you though, is concerning the pits of grey ooze just past the far side of the beach. When I mentioned the possible connection to the ... thing ... that mimicked Captain Bing, your expression indicated you have some additional knowledge?"

Andronichishche glances over to Liam talking with Marge and Caleb, as he continues, "I had intended to include Mr. Liam in this discussion but I can see he has much more pressing matters to attend to." His gaze shifts back to Glansandi, his voice lower now, almost a whisper. "Besides, the web of this mystery entwines Mr. Liam, and I suspect he was intended to meet the same fate as Mr. Nehru, and likely Captain Quark as well. I would like to continue tracing the threads of this web to its source, and as we have yet to gain access to the boxes in Mr. Nehru's office, those pits are our only lead at the moment."

[OGRE MAGE]

Dexter Broadleaf

Seeing that Liam is a bit pre-occupied with his additional responsibilities, Dex just starts wandering the village. He puts some of his extra gear in his shack. (His extra set of clothes and about half his remaining rations.) He finds the Treehouse in fairly short order, but he decides to let it get a bit later before he starts his revels. Wandering down to the water's edge, he finds the fishermen, and more interesting to him, their boats. He introduces himself and mentions that he has some considerable skill as a boatwright. Thinking there might be something in it other than money, which seems to be in short supply among most of the islanders, he asks if anyone might have need of his services.

Dexter sees a few boats pulled up onto the shore, some of them are definitely in need of a bit of repair. The fishermen he sees don't seem overly friendly, giving him the same story that everyone else gets. No fish around anymore, trying to feed their families is getting harder and harder, none of them can afford the trip back to the mainland, etc., etc.

None of them jump at the idea of having their boats worked on, since only a few boats are still in use anymore. The men who are working on nets and other tackle aren't outright mean about their current situation, but they do seem a bit unhappy.

[OGRE MAGE]

Andronichishche approaches Glansandi. "Constable, may I have a word with you ... in private?" He glances around to ensure they are outside range of any casual eavesdropping. "I'd join in your scouting mission, however I have previously commited myself to an exploration of the small island. The real reason I wanted to talk to you though, is concerning the pits of grey ooze just past the far side of the beach. When I mentioned the possible connection to the ... thing ... that mimicked Captain Bing, your expression indicated you have some additional knowledge?"

Andronichishche glances over to Liam talking with Marge and Caleb, as he continues, "I had intended to include Mr. Liam in this discussion but I can see he has much more pressing matters to attend to." His gaze shifts back to Glansandi, his voice lower now, almost a whisper. "Besides, the web of this mystery entwines Mr. Liam, and I suspect he was intended to meet the same fate as Mr. Nehru, and likely Captain Quark as well. I would like to continue tracing the threads of this web to its source, and as we have yet to gain access to the boxes in Mr. Nehru's office, those pits are our only lead at the moment."

Glansandi looks back at the half-elf for a long time, sizing up his words carefully. Eventually he answers the priest of Rao.

"I can see that your elven senses serve you well, friend. For I was thinking that very same thing about Liam......and Quark.......and maybe even me!"

The town constable looks around nervously at the other groups as they continue their meetings, making sure nobody comes within earshot of his conversation.

"I have heard of these grey pits to the west, yes. But I myself have never seen them. The grey puddle in the brig of the ship is troublesome, as I have heard a few rumors of similar instances, though I am having trouble tying everything together at the moment. There are a few other non related things that have me concerned as well. Like the dwarves, pirates, and a number of other less urgent mysteries."

The elf looks around again before motioning for Andronichishche to nonchalantly follow him towards the entrance to the loggers trail.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche's eyebrows rise, almost imperceptibly, at the Constable's insinuation that himself may also be a target of this sinister web. I had considered the possibility that Glansandi may also be in danger, as those involved are all prominent members of the community. It's no comfort to know this theory may be correct. That may also include Marge and Caleb ... Andron keeps this latest revelation to himself, for now, and finishes listening to the Constable's insights. When Glansandi mentions the rumors of similar events his thoughts immediately switch to Nallissa and her close working relationship with Mr. Nehru. Andronichishche represses the urge to check up on the mercantile again, realizing that there isn't anything he can actually do at the moment to alleviate the danger. He pauses for a minute before following Glansandi's lead to the logger's trail, being careful to take a slightly more circuitous route ...

[OGRE MAGE]

Glansandi leads Andron a few feet up the loggers trail where he darts off into the jungle on the west side. There the young priest can immediately see the object of the constables troubles. There is a hidden structure there, built form what looks like large black rocks of some kind. The stern faced elf tries to explain.

"I found this construction about a week ago now, but it was just small foundation walls at that time. Somehow, in a weeks time, someone was here putting up this building that nobody knows about and nobody has seen or heard being built."

He moves inside of the rectangular stone structure that is nothing more than four solid walls at the moment.

"I think it must be the dwarves doing, but I have checked at all hours of the day and night and have never seen even one of them here working on it. Yet, here it is."

"Tell me what you make of this, friend."

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[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche moves into the black rock structure behind Glansandi. While the Constable relates the history of its construction, Andron carefully examines the stones. He specifically looks for evidence of masonry work, or that the rocks were hewn using a tool of some kind. After reviewing the walls he begins to examine the floor for traces of movement or indications of the soil being graded to form an even floor. "The rocks themselves, in such quantities, suggests a source outside the jungle. Perhaps the black cliffs to the east, but to transport such a large amount would take a considerable amount of time and effort ... using mundane means, of course."

Finishing his analysis of the floor he stands and regards Glansandi thoughtfully. "I have also overheard from the town guards that other rock formations have randomly appeared? Granted, not a complete building, though ..." He rubs his chin for a few moments, considering the the situation. "Whatever is building it has not proven overtly hostile, even being so close to town, which suggests there isn't an immediate danger. I also suspect the dwarves are not responsible as they generally aren't given to stealthy activities."

I have strength to cast one more spell today, with which I can scan for evidence of arcane auras.

Casts clerical Detect Magic.

[OGRE MAGE]

The ground inside the structure is almost perfectly level and has obviously been cleared of all thick vegetation. Heavy dwarven sized footprints are seen everywhere. There is a clear path of trampled vegetation leading from the trail to the structure.

The black rocks have all been hewn by tools, making them flat on two sides to aid in leveling the construction, but there is no area nearby where this appears to have been done. Closer inspection of the walls reveals no mortar or any other joining compound was used to secure them together.

Glansandi answers as best he can as he pokes around outside the walls. "I can hear a dwarf breathing from 100 yards away, so I want to doubt they would be able to do anything like this in secret, but who else would it be? I have monitored this area at different times of the day and night, but have never seen anyone here. It's like they can tell when someone is watching them or something."

Andron casts a spell of detection, but finds no auras of magic coming from anywhere in or around the place.

The constable speaks up again. "Look here! There are tracks that lead away, up the trail. It doesn't look like wheel marks, more like a sled of some kind. And Im no ranger, but those look like lizard tracks, big ones!" He walks a little further up the loggers trail. "And here! Drops of fresh blood on the ground! What do you make of this?"

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche listens attentively as Glansandi relates his fruitless monitoring sessions. He's not sure if the Constable isn't aware of accounts about other rock formations suddenly appearing, or if the reserved elf is opting to withhold any information. He decides not to press the question until he learns more about this new mystery. "I detect no obvious magical emanations from the rock or the surrounding area."

Andron follows up the trail to examine the Constable's discovery. He frowns slightly in consternation upon learning about the lizard tracks. "Like yourself I was inclined to disregard the dwarves as the culprits, yet the evidence now seems overwhelming. The ground in the structure is finely graded and the black rock hewn on two sides to such a degree that mortar isn't required for the construction. Combining that with dwarven sized boot prints and lizard tracks yields only one logical conclusion. They must be using, or perhaps have an ally that uses, powerful magic to completely mask their presence here."

Andron kneels to examine the fresh blood, looking for evidence of a blood trail and damaged vegetation that would indicate a battle took place. "I am certainly no tracker myself, yet we are definitely now in need of one to trace these tracks to their origin. Especially a blood trail, which I suspect would be nigh impossible without an actual ranger."

Andronichishche stands and surveys the surrounding jungle, rubbing his chin in thought. "There must be something either in the immediate area or directly below the structure the dwarves found of value. They have the numbers to easily destroy the town though, so that suggests they're interested in keeping this discovery absolutely secret. I'm most concerned this structure will be discovered by others in town. The dwarves may decide to change their strategy if they feel their secret is divulged."

[OGRE MAGE]

Glansandi agrees with most of the thoughts expressed so far.

"If I am not mistaken, we already know where these tracks will lead. My bet is they turn west into the jungle at the four standing stones marking the Stoneguts territory. These I have seen myself, though I didn't get close enough to set them off."

The elf walks around the area as he finishes. "I don't believe that it is a major threat at the moment, or they wouldn't allow us to snoop around in here. But I would like to find out its purpose all the same. It wont take long for someone else to discover this so close to town, so I hope to figure out this mystery before then. Keep it in mind during your travels and let me know if you come up with a logical hypothesis."

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche listens quietly as Glansandi concludes his survey and analysis, carefully looking for clues in the elf's expression to indicate anything withheld. The stoic Constable's face is as smooth and unemotional as the hewn sides of the rock composing the structure. "We are in agreement then on the risk this poses to the town, and as you said this will be discovered by others soon, hopefully we can identify its purpose before that happens. I have also heard mention of this Stonegut clan and will certainly consider any correlation with their activity to new discoveries." Andron extends an arm to shake the Constable's hand before departing, "Good luck with the scouting expedition tomorrow, may Rao lead us to a peaceful solution."

Andronichishche turns about and walks back to his cabin, grateful for some much needed rest after a long day on Quark's ship and the consequent whirlwind of activity on the island. The Stoneguts. The dwarves Randall mentioned earlier. It would seem whatever they are interested in on this island is not confined to their explicitly claimed territory. It still feels that Glansandi is withholding something else, though. Why? The blood also suggests something occurred here recently, but what? Andron rubs both temples with his fingers, attempting to process all of the information he learned today. What had started as a quest for new knowledge and experiences has quickly blossomed into much more than he had anticipated ... and the consequences of failure far greater now than a bruised ego.

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Seeing that the poor fishing has had a bad effect on the men's morale, Dexter makes a suggestion. "Back home, when we had to move a heavy load, like a barge, we would double our weight capacity by connecting two boats. But we also noticed that it made our boats a lot more stable. We could go out in high winds and not worry about capsizing." He goes on to describe a simple catamaran. "If you don't want to do that, you can still improve your stability with an outrigger." He then explains that.

"The idea is this. If you can change your boats to go out into deeper water safely, you can fish in waters that haven't been exhausted, right?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The fishermen gather around the halfling with some interest.

"Hey, would that actually work?"

"I think it might be alright on calmer days, but if ya was ta get caught up in a storm er something, ye'd be skay rude."

"Not a bad idea fer days like today though. Should we give er a try?"

A few of the fishermen gather up some short sturdy ropes to try the wise halflings idea out.

"Ye wanna come along fer the maiden voyage of ye ol' fishing barge, shorty?"

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

"Close, as my dear old dad says," Dexter says. "But no cigar. You don't just tie the boats together. For a catamaran, you have to attach them with sturdy poles, with the hulls about... oh, ten feet apart. It's a solid connection between two hulls. Doubles the stability. You'd be surprised how much wind you can take, as long as you keep turning into the waves. And you can drop your nets between the hulls. That makes for sturdy handling and more weight."

"And if you're going with an outrigger instead, that has to be solid, too." Dexter nods at the last part. "As for me going out with you, I'm going up the beach in the morning, and you'll probably be working on the boats most of tomorrow. But when I get back, I am in."

[OGRE MAGE]

The anglers seem a little excited by the idea of fishing deeper waters. It has to be better than starving, anyway. They listen to the advice of the Halfling closely and take his suggestions seriously. They set aside more rope and talk about constructing outriggers for their secured boats.

"If you make it back here alive, you welcome to fish with us anytime little fella. Thanks fer the tips!"

[Urson]

Daisy
When the group returns from their scouting expedition, Daisy heads back to her shack to hang up her gear and her wet clothes. She is soon out in the village, dressed in her robe and greeting everyone with big smiles and happy chatter.

[OGRE MAGE]

Daisy is soon approached by Marge, a large human woman, one of the towns unheralded leaders.

“Hello there, Daisy. You just came in with the Constable, correct? Can you tell me what you have learned about the pirates out there? Will we be able to retrieve more water soon?”

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Once Dexter gets back to town, he goes back to see the fishermen again. He has a lot more time on his hands now, and is curious to see if they understood his ideas about outriggers and catamarans for reaching deeper waters. He sits down with them and helps them refine their changes for the best results.

[OGRE MAGE]

While helping the downtrodden fishermen construct his latest idea for them, Dexter gets asked a strange question.

"Hey little guy, In all the times you've been out fishin in yer life, have you ever seen a real live sea monster? You know, like the ones they write about in books? Huge mouth filled with rings of sharp teeth, big long tentacles that can pull a huge ship down below the waves. Ever seen one a them?"

[SirOwen]

Dexter Broadleaf

Dexter shakes his head slowly. "No, sir," he says. "I have never seen anything like that. I've been around sailors of the rivers and the seas all my life, and I've heard a lot of stories about monsters and sea serpents, but I've never seen one with my own eyes." He shuts one eye and cocks his head."As a matter of fact, most of the stories I have heard were second hand. Folks talking about friends and folks they had lost. Have we got something around these waters like that?"