This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Watching the diminutive figure, Atax quickly comes to a decision. ‘I do not know who this thing is, so I will stalk it like prey until I know why it is here.’ With that decision in mind Atax stealthily moves closer to watch what the humanoid does. Hopefully it is a creature worthy of his trust.
Taking in their surroundings, the goblin and his owl familiar begin their hesitant journey towards the music. Shin quickly realizes that the music seems to be coming from atop a cliff rising above the treetops in the near distance. Straining his eyes, he thinks he might see a diminutive figure standing atop the cliff, and he watches as they begin to descend down one side of the cliff. Maybe they're trying to escape from the flock of birds circling above rock outcropping?
With his destination now in mind, he picks up his pace through the jungle undergrowth. He spots a patch of innocent looking vines sprouting pointed leaves growing over trees and shrubs up ahead, growing thick enough to obscure the forest floor. He recognizes it as razorvine, a nasty pest of a plant that had a tendency to shred anything that touched. Accordingly, the goblin wisely walks around the patch. He quickly arrives at a muddy river barring his path. While he couldn't tell how deep it was, it was fairly wide. Thankfully, Shin doesn't spot any wildlife that he would call dangerous, but with his observant eye, he does spot a corner of some sort of box peeking out from under the arching roots of a nearby tree.
...
ALL
Spotting no one else to feast upon, the predatory birds squawk in annoyance as they disband and fly off in separate directions in search of food in other places.
Shin squints at the... gnome? Halfling? Another goblin? No, the figure now descending the cliff lacked the coloration of Shin's own blood kin. And being honest, he has not thought about his clan in... well, actually, he finds himself unable to remember the last time he thought about... anything!
In any case, I should continue towards their direction. Perhaps they were the origin of the song! Hopefully not hostile if they're just trying to get away from those birds, now. Nasty animals, birds. Especially the huge ones which pick you up and drop you...
Shin touches his head and shakes it once more to clear it as, disconcertingly, his memory fails him again. Circumnavigating the razorvine, and arriving at the riverbank, the goblin pauses a moment. Wait, wasn't I just at a riverbank? What is happening to my mind?
Putting off the decision of whether and how to cross the river, Shin ambles over near the box he had spied and cautiously approaches it. He glances at his owl familiar for a moment before Pinky-toe, looking annoyed, flaps into the air and glides in low, slow circles, keeping watch using her Keen Hearing and Sight. Shin himself starts reaching for the box, then stops himself and scrunches up his face, backpedaling a few steps and trying to recall...
He mumbles and gestures out of instinct and an arcane Mage Hand shaped like a goblin's claw materializes in front of him and begins to gently prod at the box, trying to unearth it, look for hazards, and if safe, open it up on the dry bank and inspect its contents while Shin himself stands a bit further off.
Reaching the river once more, Korinth surveys the water's surface, searching for signs of threats. Unfortunately, with the sun where it is, he can't discern any immediate threat past his own reflection. Taking initiative, he steels himself and leaps in anyway, producing an audible <splash!>
After a few blinks, the halfling sees the fur, the pointed ears and the feline features… Unbidden, his mind suddenly races through a catalogue of hostile humanoid species… bugbears… hobgoblins… lycanthropes of all types.
He immediately feezes and shuts his mouth, unsure if the figure heard him. He waits to see how the figure responds, holding his driftwood at the ready should hostilities commence.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Origins - A Level Zero Adventure
DM - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
The Forge of Fury - Lehmani (L3 Tiefling Cleric, Forge Domain)
Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Fa'amae(L2 Shadar-kai Druid, Circle of the Spores)
Greyhawk -Tilliman Treewick Toadswaddler the First (L1 Gnome Rogue)
Euphemia pauses in the midst of her scramble down the cliffside, hanging onto a thick vine as she sticks her bare feet into a crevice and pushes her diminutive body under a bit of an overhang. Watching the flock of birds swarm, spiral, and then disperse. She breathes a sigh of relief. Right well, just didn't like me pipes, that's all... She feels a twinge of relief as the familiar name of her instrument returns to mind.
Looking around again at the expanse of steaming jungle below her and the occasional wink of sunlight off of the distant river under its bows, the unpleasant thought occurs to her that the jungle might be full of bloodthirsty creatures, if a mere flock of birds was equipped with such teeth. The halfling chews on her lower lip for a moment, undecided. Well, can't stay hanging on a cliff all day. So, she continues her descent, humming the same tune she played on her pipes, and as she gets into the swing of her motion, handhold here, slip down a vine there, she starts to sing the tune, hopefully, she thinks, quieter than the pipes played it.
"Rise, rise! Human and dwarven men, Bear true the thunderbolt made for the High King..."
She trails off abruptly as she spots a figure emerge from the jungle at the base of the cliff, long tail twitching, feline gaze casting over the cliff and then settling on the halfling. Oh, Lord! At first glance, Euphemia thinks it immediately some jungle predator. Escape the birds to be caught by the cat... wait a minute, why is it wearing clothes? In some distant fog of her mind, Euphemia thinks she might have heard of cat people, but somehow, she doubts she's ever seen one. They aren't in my song, either. Could still just be looking for a meal. Well, only one way to find out, 'cause I think it's seen me already. She takes a deep breath and, making sure her feet are braced well on a small rocky outcropping and her hands securely gripping a thick vine, she musters a shout to the bipedal cat.
"Hey there, lad! Or lass? Hey now, how's your day on this fine morning?"
Silvana stands in the shadow of the cliff in front of her, letting her tail swat at the incessant mosquitos. A shiver runs through her even though it is hot, between the cold water and the unfamiliarity of the jungle, the unease was palpable. She stares at all the life upon the cliff and her claws start itching to begin climbing. Wait. A person coming down? Silvana stares at the halfling and it doesn't take long before the halfling notices her.
As the person cries out to her, Silvana is taken aback and just as she is about to respond, she hears another voice and turns to look. Seeing another halfling further away, she's a bit stunned into silence. Is this some sort of Halfling land she stumbled upon? She waves to the one further away and then turns back to the one on the cliff.
"Well, I'm wet, confused, lost, being eaten alive by mosquitos, but at least not birds? Seems like they are flying away from you at least. And it's lass."
As Atax shadows the small figure he sees, he also notices what he thinks is a feline man, but corrects himself as he hears her voice. Apparently, another halfling calls out from a distance. Well, Atax knew he wasn’t alone anymore. Deciding that these short creatures could not possibly bring harm to him, he creeps up in the foliage. With a loud and commanding voice, he speaks as he strides through the vegetation and addresses the climbing hafling woman, “Who are you, and where in the Nine Hells am I?”
With his ephemeral hand, Shin reaches out and begins poking and prodding at the box, and nothing happens. Somewhat to his surprise, the box seems to be nothing but a box. With a heave of mental strength, the pries the box out from the thick mud with a squelching sound as the muck relinquishes its tight grip. Once the box rests at his feet, Shin finds a small latch on one side, and prying on the latch for a moment, the box pops open to reveal its contents. You find yourself looking at some kind of medical kit: clean strips of bandages, a suture needle and thread, various pouches of pungent herbs, glistening oils and creams, and various other medical supplies. Based off of the environment you find yourself in, you have a sinking feeling that you might end up needing this kit sometime in the near future.
But how did it get here? It's not like medical kits just grew on plant roots like potatoes. Little did Shin know that yesterday around the same time in the morning, a rather unfortunate fellow met their untimely demise in the very spot that Shin stood. A particularly hungry and vicious river predator decided that a passing humanoid would make a fine breakfast.
"By the Invincible, I'm sure glad they are," Euphemia calls down, still clinging precariously to her vine and crevice handholds. "One took a right hearty chunk out of my arm here. Didn't like me pipe playing, I expect. Well, it's a kind sight to meet you, lass--" and she stops as another strange humanoid, like a lizard and not a cat this time, pushes imperiously through the jungle growth with a few sudden questions. At least some of the animals here talk before they bite!
"And nice to meet you too, lad," the halfling says, warily. "My name's Euphemia Leagallow, and I haven't a sight more clue than you where you are, or I am. I'll happily wager you it ain't the Nine Hells, though. As big as the teeth were on those birds, it doesn't quite fit. And what are your names, might I ask?" She asks this last question looking back and forth between the cat and the lizard, still keeping a firm grip on her cliffside perch.
Donnyl's nerves ease a bit as he sees the feline figure joined by a fellow halfling... but prickle again when he sees a lizardfolk join the others to form a trio.
"What sort of a motley crew is this?"Donnyl thinks to himself... He does his best to sense whether or not they seem hostile. Hard to tell with his head as muddled as it is... But perhaps worth a gamble. Hard to imagine these folks being any greater danger than the host of predators and natural hazards he'd be facing in the jungle alone.
He begins a slow, but steady march toward the others, still keeping his driftwood gripped tight in his hand should he need to use it... that is.... if he can even remember howto use it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Origins - A Level Zero Adventure
DM - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
The Forge of Fury - Lehmani (L3 Tiefling Cleric, Forge Domain)
Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Fa'amae(L2 Shadar-kai Druid, Circle of the Spores)
Greyhawk -Tilliman Treewick Toadswaddler the First (L1 Gnome Rogue)
With his ephemeral hand, Shin reaches out and begins poking and prodding at the box, and nothing happens. Somewhat to his surprise, the box seems to be nothing but a box. With a heave of mental strength, the pries the box out from the thick mud with a squelching sound as the muck relinquishes its tight grip. Once the box rests at his feet, Shin finds a small latch on one side, and prying on the latch for a moment, the box pops open to reveal its contents. You find yourself looking at some kind of medical kit: clean strips of bandages, a suture needle and thread, various pouches of pungent herbs, glistening oils and creams, and various other medical supplies. Based off of the environment you find yourself in, you have a sinking feeling that you might end up needing this kit sometime in the near future.
But how did it get here? It's not like medical kits just grew on plant roots like potatoes. Little did Shin know that yesterday around the same time in the morning, a rather unfortunate fellow met their untimely demise in the very spot that Shin stood. A particularly hungry and vicious river predator decided that a passing humanoid would make a fine breakfast.
Shin stands up, holding the the medical kit, both heart mind racing. He glances up at his circling owl familiar, communicating through his telepathic link.
Logically speaking, I rate our chances of being in deep trouble at roughly 73%, Pinky-toe. Good to find medical supplies, and strangely, it all looks familiar to me despite my apparent memory loss. I think I can use it! But only if I'm alive. Of immediate concern is what befell the previous owner! Do you see any hazards nearby? Or a corpse for that matter? Or even blood? Maybe they fell afoul of the razorvine we spotted...
Eyeing the wide, muddy river nervously, Shin holds the medical kit in the crook of one elbow as his owl familiar responds telepathically in her dry deadpan.
73%? Sure. Did you know 50% of statistics are made up on the spot?
I see and hear nothing. No hazards, no bloody corpse, no predators unless hidden by foliage or water. If you hadn't lost your pack like a fool, I could fly a rope up across the river and loop it across a tree. As it is, swimming the river might prove terminal.
Throat tight, Shin agrees and retreats from the river's edge. Suddenly on edge, both he and Pinky-toe continue to glance nervously around them as they work their way left along the river's course, giving the muddy bank a wide berth as they continue to look for hazards and ways to cross the wide flow. Unfortunately, their tense awareness of possible impending danger renders both of them a little less sharp than usual.
From beneath the water, he watches the strange little creature. The rippling surface distorts the image. Halfling? Dwarf, perhaps? Gnome? For a moment, he considers breaching to confront the stranger. Curiosity gives way to caution and he elects to stay hidden. (Stealth 10) Masking movement beneath the water is difficult, however. A stray kick stirs up sediments from below. Panicking, Korinth whispers a few choice words and changes the opacity of the water between him and the stranger, making it seem murkier, hoping it helps, but fearing the worst (Casts Shape Water).
Silvana is surprised by the lizardfolk joining them, she hadn't noticed him coming with the two halflings in sight. Well, definitely not a halfling world, she muses to herself. Then to respond to the halfling on the cliff, she calls back, "The name is Silvana. I'm glad you were playing your pipes, drew me to you as well. And I'd wager these two as well." The commanding voice of the lizardfolk unnerves her a bit and she decides to look over to the other halfling to see how they are faring.
She waves at him again. Then looking back up to Euphemia, "Do you need any help?"
As the duo scans the river, they notice a fairly humanoid figure lurking in a cloud of sediment drifting down the river, but nothing else. Now the question is whether they are friendly or not…
Shin takes several nimble steps backward (behind partial cover of a tree if he can) and balances on the balls of his feet (dodge) as he and Pinky-toe first spot the strange, watery humanoid, then see him emerge and glare at them, bow drawn. Strangely, the goblin seems on the verge of humming.
"There are two reasons your question lacks the necessary antecedents for an unambiguous answer," Shin responds instead, earning an exasperated look from the equally wary owl on his shoulder.
"The first is that I clearly require prior knowledge in order to make the determination you ask of me. The second is that friend and foe are each reciprocal designations. Whether I am your friend is highly correlated with whether your are my friend, and the same with foe. Were you to loose that arrow you now brandish on your bow at me, from my perspective, it is you who would become my foe. Yet, I hold out hope it will not come to that."
The goblin pauses, as he and the owl briefly glance around in an attempt to discern whether this is a distraction for a larger ambush from the flanks.
"My name is Shindo, but you may call me Shin. I do not know how I came to be in this primeval place, and my memories of the past seem to be faded or obscured, as if by this thick mud on which we stand. Perhaps I can more specifically allege first that if you wish me no harm, then I wish you no harm, and in fact until just moments ago, was not aware of your very existence." The goblin holds up one finger, then adds another.
"Second, I ask you this: did you slay the previous owner of this medical kit I found further up the bank, just past the razorvine? I tell you that I did not slay them, and the kit may become useful given the current dire circumstances. Since medical supplies literally do not grow on trees, however, it seems likely that an aquatic predator may have been responsible for the previous owner's untimely demise. Pinky-toe here and I have no desire to follow in their footsteps. Can you disavow being said aquatic predator? If so, should you not be wary of one, submerged as you are in muddy waters?"
Following the creature's line of sight, he feints a knowing grin. "It's just me. No traps."
Pondering the little guy's other queries, he gives a simple answer: "If I was the killer, and I just sat along this here river all day pickin' folk off, why would I suddenly hesitate firing to ask your affinity?"
Donnyl continues huffing his way towards the lizardfellow, the catperson and the fellow halfling, singing out in a winded voice...
"Rise... Rise... Bearded and mountain men... (cough, gulp) ...Belt on your broadsword and fight.... for.... the High King!"
Performance (with disadvantage for the windedness, of course): 5
He finally stops, puts his hands on his bent knees and takes a moment to catch his breath... He looks back up at the halfling woman. "Was... That... You?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Origins - A Level Zero Adventure
DM - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
The Forge of Fury - Lehmani (L3 Tiefling Cleric, Forge Domain)
Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Fa'amae(L2 Shadar-kai Druid, Circle of the Spores)
Greyhawk -Tilliman Treewick Toadswaddler the First (L1 Gnome Rogue)
“My name is Atax.” He stares down his snout as he declares his name to the hafling and Silvana. Towering over Euphemia with his nearly 8 foot scaled and powerfully built frame he remarks to himself that this hafling would barely be a snack for anything in this jungle from what he’s seen of it. The tabaxi named Silvana is another matter, her claws could do some damage as well as her fangs. Atax has already prioritized that he would save her over the hafling if push comes to shove, might as well have someone that could help me survive out here than over this half-pint.
He looks back to see another hafling pushing through the foliage that carpets the ground everywhere. “And who might you be over there?” Atax folds his arms over his chest to create a rather imposing looking figure.
Following the creature's line of sight, he feints a knowing grin. "It's just me. No traps."
Pondering the little guy's other queries, he gives a simple answer: "If I was the killer, and I just sat along this here river all day pickin' folk off, why would I suddenly hesitate firing to ask your affinity?"
"Many potential reasons come to mind. Who claimed you shoot on sight? Perhaps you only slay the ones who answer 'foe' in some strange ritual?" The grin on Shin's face is genuine. "Or those who say 'friend' once they let their guard down. Yet I take your point. The lack of a corpse just seemed to indicate that the body may have been pulled underwater, which is where you came from..." Both goblin and owl study their interlocutor for a moment.
"And yet, your arrow remains safely in your bow. And what's more, you can either hold your breath quite well or breathe underwater. A useful skill, if so. As for myself, I have a few tricks as well. Perhaps we can help each other in this strange land?"
Shin gestures while briefly humming an odd tune and a spectral Mage Hand appears nearby to hold the medical kit as the goblin carefully advances, small, green hand extended as if to shake, clearly still ready to dodge or dash at any moment should the need arise.
"I have given you my name, and that of my avian companion, but I have yet to hear yours. And I must ask, if you are not a riverside killer, have you seen any person or beast below the waters who might be? This land teems with risks. Just past the other side of this river, I glimpsed someone of my stature, though not my coloration, descending a cliff, apparently to escape aggressive birds of prey. If the river poses risks as well, I'd like to know."
Watching the diminutive figure, Atax quickly comes to a decision. ‘I do not know who this thing is, so I will stalk it like prey until I know why it is here.’ With that decision in mind Atax stealthily moves closer to watch what the humanoid does. Hopefully it is a creature worthy of his trust.
Stealth: 17
Shin squints at the... gnome? Halfling? Another goblin? No, the figure now descending the cliff lacked the coloration of Shin's own blood kin. And being honest, he has not thought about his clan in... well, actually, he finds himself unable to remember the last time he thought about... anything!
In any case, I should continue towards their direction. Perhaps they were the origin of the song! Hopefully not hostile if they're just trying to get away from those birds, now. Nasty animals, birds. Especially the huge ones which pick you up and drop you...
Shin touches his head and shakes it once more to clear it as, disconcertingly, his memory fails him again. Circumnavigating the razorvine, and arriving at the riverbank, the goblin pauses a moment. Wait, wasn't I just at a riverbank? What is happening to my mind?
Putting off the decision of whether and how to cross the river, Shin ambles over near the box he had spied and cautiously approaches it. He glances at his owl familiar for a moment before Pinky-toe, looking annoyed, flaps into the air and glides in low, slow circles, keeping watch using her Keen Hearing and Sight. Shin himself starts reaching for the box, then stops himself and scrunches up his face, backpedaling a few steps and trying to recall...
He mumbles and gestures out of instinct and an arcane Mage Hand shaped like a goblin's claw materializes in front of him and begins to gently prod at the box, trying to unearth it, look for hazards, and if safe, open it up on the dry bank and inspect its contents while Shin himself stands a bit further off.
Pinky-toe Perception to keep watch: 12
Shin Investigation of the box using his Mage Hand if possible: 14
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Reaching the river once more, Korinth surveys the water's surface, searching for signs of threats. Unfortunately, with the sun where it is, he can't discern any immediate threat past his own reflection. Taking initiative, he steels himself and leaps in anyway, producing an audible <splash!>
“Ahoy!” Donnyl calls out to the distant figure.
After a few blinks, the halfling sees the fur, the pointed ears and the feline features… Unbidden, his mind suddenly races through a catalogue of hostile humanoid species… bugbears… hobgoblins… lycanthropes of all types.
He immediately feezes and shuts his mouth, unsure if the figure heard him. He waits to see how the figure responds, holding his driftwood at the ready should hostilities commence.
DM - Origins - A Level Zero Adventure
DM - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
The Forge of Fury - Lehmani (L3 Tiefling Cleric, Forge Domain)
Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Fa'amae (L2 Shadar-kai Druid, Circle of the Spores)
Greyhawk - Tilliman Treewick Toadswaddler the First (L1 Gnome Rogue)
Euphemia pauses in the midst of her scramble down the cliffside, hanging onto a thick vine as she sticks her bare feet into a crevice and pushes her diminutive body under a bit of an overhang. Watching the flock of birds swarm, spiral, and then disperse. She breathes a sigh of relief. Right well, just didn't like me pipes, that's all... She feels a twinge of relief as the familiar name of her instrument returns to mind.
Looking around again at the expanse of steaming jungle below her and the occasional wink of sunlight off of the distant river under its bows, the unpleasant thought occurs to her that the jungle might be full of bloodthirsty creatures, if a mere flock of birds was equipped with such teeth. The halfling chews on her lower lip for a moment, undecided. Well, can't stay hanging on a cliff all day. So, she continues her descent, humming the same tune she played on her pipes, and as she gets into the swing of her motion, handhold here, slip down a vine there, she starts to sing the tune, hopefully, she thinks, quieter than the pipes played it.
"Rise, rise! Human and dwarven men,
Bear true the thunderbolt made for the High King..."
She trails off abruptly as she spots a figure emerge from the jungle at the base of the cliff, long tail twitching, feline gaze casting over the cliff and then settling on the halfling. Oh, Lord! At first glance, Euphemia thinks it immediately some jungle predator. Escape the birds to be caught by the cat... wait a minute, why is it wearing clothes? In some distant fog of her mind, Euphemia thinks she might have heard of cat people, but somehow, she doubts she's ever seen one. They aren't in my song, either. Could still just be looking for a meal. Well, only one way to find out, 'cause I think it's seen me already. She takes a deep breath and, making sure her feet are braced well on a small rocky outcropping and her hands securely gripping a thick vine, she musters a shout to the bipedal cat.
"Hey there, lad! Or lass? Hey now, how's your day on this fine morning?"
Silvana stands in the shadow of the cliff in front of her, letting her tail swat at the incessant mosquitos. A shiver runs through her even though it is hot, between the cold water and the unfamiliarity of the jungle, the unease was palpable. She stares at all the life upon the cliff and her claws start itching to begin climbing. Wait. A person coming down? Silvana stares at the halfling and it doesn't take long before the halfling notices her.
As the person cries out to her, Silvana is taken aback and just as she is about to respond, she hears another voice and turns to look. Seeing another halfling further away, she's a bit stunned into silence. Is this some sort of Halfling land she stumbled upon? She waves to the one further away and then turns back to the one on the cliff.
"Well, I'm wet, confused, lost, being eaten alive by mosquitos, but at least not birds? Seems like they are flying away from you at least. And it's lass."
As Atax shadows the small figure he sees, he also notices what he thinks is a feline man, but corrects himself as he hears her voice. Apparently, another halfling calls out from a distance. Well, Atax knew he wasn’t alone anymore. Deciding that these short creatures could not possibly bring harm to him, he creeps up in the foliage. With a loud and commanding voice, he speaks as he strides through the vegetation and addresses the climbing hafling woman, “Who are you, and where in the Nine Hells am I?”
SHIN
With his ephemeral hand, Shin reaches out and begins poking and prodding at the box, and nothing happens. Somewhat to his surprise, the box seems to be nothing but a box. With a heave of mental strength, the pries the box out from the thick mud with a squelching sound as the muck relinquishes its tight grip. Once the box rests at his feet, Shin finds a small latch on one side, and prying on the latch for a moment, the box pops open to reveal its contents. You find yourself looking at some kind of medical kit: clean strips of bandages, a suture needle and thread, various pouches of pungent herbs, glistening oils and creams, and various other medical supplies. Based off of the environment you find yourself in, you have a sinking feeling that you might end up needing this kit sometime in the near future.
But how did it get here? It's not like medical kits just grew on plant roots like potatoes. Little did Shin know that yesterday around the same time in the morning, a rather unfortunate fellow met their untimely demise in the very spot that Shin stood. A particularly hungry and vicious river predator decided that a passing humanoid would make a fine breakfast.
"By the Invincible, I'm sure glad they are," Euphemia calls down, still clinging precariously to her vine and crevice handholds. "One took a right hearty chunk out of my arm here. Didn't like me pipe playing, I expect. Well, it's a kind sight to meet you, lass--" and she stops as another strange humanoid, like a lizard and not a cat this time, pushes imperiously through the jungle growth with a few sudden questions. At least some of the animals here talk before they bite!
"And nice to meet you too, lad," the halfling says, warily. "My name's Euphemia Leagallow, and I haven't a sight more clue than you where you are, or I am. I'll happily wager you it ain't the Nine Hells, though. As big as the teeth were on those birds, it doesn't quite fit. And what are your names, might I ask?" She asks this last question looking back and forth between the cat and the lizard, still keeping a firm grip on her cliffside perch.
Donnyl's nerves ease a bit as he sees the feline figure joined by a fellow halfling... but prickle again when he sees a lizardfolk join the others to form a trio.
"What sort of a motley crew is this?" Donnyl thinks to himself... He does his best to sense whether or not they seem hostile. Hard to tell with his head as muddled as it is... But perhaps worth a gamble. Hard to imagine these folks being any greater danger than the host of predators and natural hazards he'd be facing in the jungle alone.
He begins a slow, but steady march toward the others, still keeping his driftwood gripped tight in his hand should he need to use it... that is.... if he can even remember how to use it.
DM - Origins - A Level Zero Adventure
DM - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
The Forge of Fury - Lehmani (L3 Tiefling Cleric, Forge Domain)
Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Fa'amae (L2 Shadar-kai Druid, Circle of the Spores)
Greyhawk - Tilliman Treewick Toadswaddler the First (L1 Gnome Rogue)
Shin stands up, holding the the medical kit, both heart mind racing. He glances up at his circling owl familiar, communicating through his telepathic link.
Logically speaking, I rate our chances of being in deep trouble at roughly 73%, Pinky-toe. Good to find medical supplies, and strangely, it all looks familiar to me despite my apparent memory loss. I think I can use it! But only if I'm alive. Of immediate concern is what befell the previous owner! Do you see any hazards nearby? Or a corpse for that matter? Or even blood? Maybe they fell afoul of the razorvine we spotted...
Eyeing the wide, muddy river nervously, Shin holds the medical kit in the crook of one elbow as his owl familiar responds telepathically in her dry deadpan.
73%? Sure. Did you know 50% of statistics are made up on the spot?
I see and hear nothing. No hazards, no bloody corpse, no predators unless hidden by foliage or water. If you hadn't lost your pack like a fool, I could fly a rope up across the river and loop it across a tree. As it is, swimming the river might prove terminal.
Throat tight, Shin agrees and retreats from the river's edge. Suddenly on edge, both he and Pinky-toe continue to glance nervously around them as they work their way left along the river's course, giving the muddy bank a wide berth as they continue to look for hazards and ways to cross the wide flow. Unfortunately, their tense awareness of possible impending danger renders both of them a little less sharp than usual.
Shin Perception: 10
Pinky-toe Perception: 13
I mean, a boat would be nice, thinks the goblin wizard morosely.
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
From beneath the water, he watches the strange little creature. The rippling surface distorts the image. Halfling? Dwarf, perhaps? Gnome? For a moment, he considers breaching to confront the stranger. Curiosity gives way to caution and he elects to stay hidden. (Stealth 10) Masking movement beneath the water is difficult, however. A stray kick stirs up sediments from below. Panicking, Korinth whispers a few choice words and changes the opacity of the water between him and the stranger, making it seem murkier, hoping it helps, but fearing the worst (Casts Shape Water).
Silvana is surprised by the lizardfolk joining them, she hadn't noticed him coming with the two halflings in sight. Well, definitely not a halfling world, she muses to herself. Then to respond to the halfling on the cliff, she calls back, "The name is Silvana. I'm glad you were playing your pipes, drew me to you as well. And I'd wager these two as well." The commanding voice of the lizardfolk unnerves her a bit and she decides to look over to the other halfling to see how they are faring.
She waves at him again. Then looking back up to Euphemia, "Do you need any help?"
SHIN
As the duo scans the river, they notice a fairly humanoid figure lurking in a cloud of sediment drifting down the river, but nothing else. Now the question is whether they are friendly or not…
Realizing he's been spotted, Korinth sticks his head above the surface, bow drawn. With a hard glare, he asks, "be you friend or foe?"
Shin takes several nimble steps backward (behind partial cover of a tree if he can) and balances on the balls of his feet (dodge) as he and Pinky-toe first spot the strange, watery humanoid, then see him emerge and glare at them, bow drawn. Strangely, the goblin seems on the verge of humming.
"There are two reasons your question lacks the necessary antecedents for an unambiguous answer," Shin responds instead, earning an exasperated look from the equally wary owl on his shoulder.
"The first is that I clearly require prior knowledge in order to make the determination you ask of me. The second is that friend and foe are each reciprocal designations. Whether I am your friend is highly correlated with whether your are my friend, and the same with foe. Were you to loose that arrow you now brandish on your bow at me, from my perspective, it is you who would become my foe. Yet, I hold out hope it will not come to that."
The goblin pauses, as he and the owl briefly glance around in an attempt to discern whether this is a distraction for a larger ambush from the flanks.
"My name is Shindo, but you may call me Shin. I do not know how I came to be in this primeval place, and my memories of the past seem to be faded or obscured, as if by this thick mud on which we stand. Perhaps I can more specifically allege first that if you wish me no harm, then I wish you no harm, and in fact until just moments ago, was not aware of your very existence." The goblin holds up one finger, then adds another.
"Second, I ask you this: did you slay the previous owner of this medical kit I found further up the bank, just past the razorvine? I tell you that I did not slay them, and the kit may become useful given the current dire circumstances. Since medical supplies literally do not grow on trees, however, it seems likely that an aquatic predator may have been responsible for the previous owner's untimely demise. Pinky-toe here and I have no desire to follow in their footsteps. Can you disavow being said aquatic predator? If so, should you not be wary of one, submerged as you are in muddy waters?"
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim
Perception roll (17)
Following the creature's line of sight, he feints a knowing grin. "It's just me. No traps."
Pondering the little guy's other queries, he gives a simple answer: "If I was the killer, and I just sat along this here river all day pickin' folk off, why would I suddenly hesitate firing to ask your affinity?"
Donnyl continues huffing his way towards the lizardfellow, the catperson and the fellow halfling, singing out in a winded voice...
"Rise... Rise... Bearded and mountain men... (cough, gulp) ...Belt on your broadsword and fight.... for.... the High King!"
Performance (with disadvantage for the windedness, of course): 5
He finally stops, puts his hands on his bent knees and takes a moment to catch his breath... He looks back up at the halfling woman. "Was... That... You?"
DM - Origins - A Level Zero Adventure
DM - Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
The Forge of Fury - Lehmani (L3 Tiefling Cleric, Forge Domain)
Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Fa'amae (L2 Shadar-kai Druid, Circle of the Spores)
Greyhawk - Tilliman Treewick Toadswaddler the First (L1 Gnome Rogue)
“My name is Atax.” He stares down his snout as he declares his name to the hafling and Silvana. Towering over Euphemia with his nearly 8 foot scaled and powerfully built frame he remarks to himself that this hafling would barely be a snack for anything in this jungle from what he’s seen of it. The tabaxi named Silvana is another matter, her claws could do some damage as well as her fangs. Atax has already prioritized that he would save her over the hafling if push comes to shove, might as well have someone that could help me survive out here than over this half-pint.
He looks back to see another hafling pushing through the foliage that carpets the ground everywhere. “And who might you be over there?” Atax folds his arms over his chest to create a rather imposing looking figure.
"Many potential reasons come to mind. Who claimed you shoot on sight? Perhaps you only slay the ones who answer 'foe' in some strange ritual?" The grin on Shin's face is genuine. "Or those who say 'friend' once they let their guard down. Yet I take your point. The lack of a corpse just seemed to indicate that the body may have been pulled underwater, which is where you came from..." Both goblin and owl study their interlocutor for a moment.
"And yet, your arrow remains safely in your bow. And what's more, you can either hold your breath quite well or breathe underwater. A useful skill, if so. As for myself, I have a few tricks as well. Perhaps we can help each other in this strange land?"
Shin gestures while briefly humming an odd tune and a spectral Mage Hand appears nearby to hold the medical kit as the goblin carefully advances, small, green hand extended as if to shake, clearly still ready to dodge or dash at any moment should the need arise.
"I have given you my name, and that of my avian companion, but I have yet to hear yours. And I must ask, if you are not a riverside killer, have you seen any person or beast below the waters who might be? This land teems with risks. Just past the other side of this river, I glimpsed someone of my stature, though not my coloration, descending a cliff, apparently to escape aggressive birds of prey. If the river poses risks as well, I'd like to know."
Mud(Paladin2):Frandal's Scourge/Inge(Barbarian1):Krayveneer's After the Fall/Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles/Shin(Wizard2):Dimir_MTG's Surviving
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric3):Vos' Beyond the Veil/Soren(Druid4):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft/Nivi(Rogue3):Raiketsu's CoS/Lyra(Warlock2/Bard2):BlameItOnWinter's Will of the Ancients
Joren(Fighter5):NotDrizzt's Simple Request/Quyen(Adept1):Constance's Nentir Vale/Rel(Warlock2):Uhtred's Phandelver/Xarian(Fighter1/Wizard1):ShieldHero's Drakkenheim