The Tortle Package (DM Lerus)

Yulmiath's additional insight on the water flow's intensity is enough to convince the party to just sit and wait, despite some light disagreement between Kairus and Hun on whether or not the group is in a hurry. They start by dedicating the first hour to patching their wounds and keeping watch. While the group rests, Kairus plays a soothing tune:

-> Song of Rest die (same roll for everyone): 6 (2) 

(OOC: Everyone but Kairus took some river damage, so feel free to roll Hit Dice if you'd like. You can add the Song of Rest die to it.)

Mr. Thicc keeps watch while the others patch their wounds and listen to music, but it is Rhogal who eventually points out an approaching creature. He spots a uni-horned fluffy bunny hopping towards the group. It continues approaching until it raises its head and notices the group. At that point, it "freezes" on the spot and stares at the party, likely trying to determine whether they pose a threat to its existence or not. Most of the Snackers have spent enough time in the Chultan region to know that this rare creature is commonly referred to as an almiraj and that it poses little threat to the party. 

From his reclined position on the side of the river bank Yulmiath lazily turns his head towards the approaching creature.  Given how the other inhabitants of the island have greeted the Packers he decides it likely needs a threat assessment, an ocular pat down should suffice.

Hmmm, a weird unicorn bunny.  It's cute enough, hardly likely to make a decent meal though and not really much of a threat.  Given his current focus on relaxing while the flow of the water calms down, he gives the little unicorn bunny a small smile and silently wishes it well, then gets back to chillaxin' to the max.

After a short while, his breaths slow to be replaced by a few gentle snores.

"Awwww..." Kairus looked at the bunny with childish admiration. " So fluffy! You know, underwater creatures can be beautiful, scary, magnificent, but rarely cute. Can not believe such a sweet little creature could survive in this place." He took a ration, separated a piece with the dry fruits in it, and slowly moved toward the almiraj. "Hey, little fellow, want to try some?"

(Animal Handling: 19)

"Never underestimate the size of a creature, be it on land or beneath the waves, Young Blue." The Kobold commented without looking away from a freshly panel in Mr. Thicc's leg. Inside of which appeared to be a nest of clock work, pullies, and junk somehow strung together into simple yet complex system. That is, such is what one might see should any peek over the kobolds shoulder. "So mind your hands if you decide to go handling... well, whatever it is got your attention." 

DM's Screen:

A couple of Snackers' curiosity is piqued when Rhogal points out the approaching rare bunny. After an initial analyses, Yulmiath determines it is not well suited for either a fight or a meal, deferring to others on what to do with the creature. The dragonborn then settles in for a nap.

Kairus, on the other hand, is ready to interact with the creature. The bard ignores Hun's warnings and approaches, reaching into his bag for some dried food. The rustling sound coming from the triton's bag, in conjunction with his approaching figure, are enough to put the almiraj on full alert. The creature only lingers for a second before springing into successive hops and disappearing into nearby foliage. Kairus tries to pursue it, hoping to spot it once more, but it becomes clear after just a few feet of sprinting that the creature was expertly successful in fleeing. Perhaps the triton will get another chance, another day.

A full hour passes before the group determines the river flow has slowed enough for a second go at canoe-powered river crossing to be viable (no check needed to row the vehicle across the river this time). In a strike of luck, just enough time has passed for the group to feel a bit revitalized.

(OOC: You complete the short rest successfully. Last call for rolling Hit Dice.)

Having spent most of the last hour napping on the riverbank, Yulmiath gives a sudden snort, something having gone down the wrong pipe.

Suddenly sitting up, he wipes a good amount of dribble from the side of his mouth, "We all here? Anything happen to that horned bunny rabbit?"

Standing up, he stretches and points at the canoe. "We ready for round two with the river?"

Should he fail to hear any other options, Yulmiath will hold the canoe in place in the river while the other Packers board, before either jumping into the canoe himself to paddle across.  If there isn't room, he'll flip the hood of his cloak and dive into the river, swimming across.

Kairus could not fly anymore, but could swim, should it be needed. Rowing was not the problem either if Yulmiath and Krodhen did not feel like doing it.

HD(1): 5 (3)

Burning another: 8 (5)

"I swear... If we manage ta capsize this time..." Rhogal says, not exactly enthused.

Hun grumbled in agreement with Rhogal, but could offer no other alternatives. At least none he hadn't already spoken of in a fashion, and with added remarks at the time of being at least somewhat against those ideas anyhow for one reason or another. That said and at the risk of even greater catastrophe, Hun makes a point of tying himself to Mr. Thicc. Despite the better choice being almost anyone else, it perhaps showed just how much more the kobold trusted construct over his compatriots after the last go around on the boat. 

"Hmph! Let's be on and done with it. We got a lot of ground to make up for." He comments on as he finished up the waist ties and climbs aboard the ship with Mr. Thicc in tow. And short of anyone suddenly volunteering to row, the construct thoughtless takes up his position once more to row. 

The excitement of coming close to an almiraj is but a fleeting distraction in the grand scheme of things. The rest of the group rest goes by as calmly as it can.

SHORT REST

• Hun recovers 7 HP.
• Rhogal recovers 8 HP. 

The rest period comes to an end just as suddenly as it had been suggested. Yulmiath snorts himself awake and notices that the river flow looks ripe for crossing. The dragonborn spurs everyone onward and the party soon finds itself in the shallows, getting on the canoe.

Hun hops onto the vehicle after tying himself to Mr. Thicc. Rhogal climbs up next, followed by Kairus and Krodhen. Although there is still enough space in the canoe, Yulmiath decides against putting all of the team's eggs in the same basket. He volunteers to swim alongside the boat, an effort made trivial by his cloak of the manta ray.

Kairus considers going for a swim as well but eventually decides to try something different. The bard grabs an oar instead of his musical instrument and, in conjunction with Mr. Thicc, begins rowing the group to the other side of the river. The crossing is not swift, but neither is it dangerous this time around. Eventually, the task is completed and the group finds itself on dry land again, carrying the canoe instead of it being the other way around.

Although this crossing took much longer than initially planned, there should still be plenty of sunlight for the group to reach Ahoyhoy today. The jungle trek the party has to complete before reaching the settlement is a noisy and sweaty one, but no predators catch their scent this time. Plants displaying an array of colors and smells adorn the group's peripheral vision and fill their nostrils as they advance but, by now, none of these life forms are unfamiliar to the party.

Before the sun slips beneath the sea, the Snack Pack spots Ahoyhoy in the distance. They are welcomed back into town as they always were, that is, with smiling faces but not too much ceremony. Some of the younger tortles asks for new tales of your adventures, while the older ones are busy cooking tonight's supper: another soup or stew of sorts. Despite his advanced age, Mudgraw is just as eager to hear your stories as the younger tortles. Eeyal is here too, her fresh wounds being treated by an elderly tortle over yonder (nothing too serious). Kwilgok and Deadly Treasure are nowhere to be seen. Damu is among the curious children, despite his earlier claims of already being a grown-up hunter.

Hun had been willing to put up with the attention to a point, but would just as gratefully use whatever convenient distraction Kairus made upon inevitably succumbing to his own 'insatiable' desire to share tales. Or so how the Kobold saw things anyhow. Yet before seeking to handle his own business, he made of point of approaching to Eeyal, and hadn't really said much while studying her for a moment, before nodding and finally saying, "Thanks again, Young Green. You're welcome to refuse of course, but we may be needing you come tomorrow or so. So if you don't mind, I'd patch you up alotta better than some holistic methods of your kin there." 

He winces a little as he looked to the attending elder. "Not to down play your, uh, honed technique, Elder Green." He assured, before again regarding Eeyal. And if she would agree he'd see to her wounds are covered in his quick healing foam prior to leaving without much thought to hearing a thanks. Short of being pulled away by others or being forced to delay seeing his intended targets hard at work cooking, Hun would try to get hold of the crafters he met before, hoping to get their insights on the shell piece he gathered and applied so far to his armor. Namely to see if his work could use some improvement. Or failing that, humbly ask to make use of their work stations. In exchange, he'd barter with an offer to share some of his own magical tinkering techniques, opening them to the path of Artificery! 

Yulmiath is gladdened to see Eeyal has made it back to Ahoyhoy and notes her injuries.  He'll have to ask about them later, for now, he lets Hun take the lead.  Yulmiath is self-aware enough to know that he's no healer.

Heading for the stalls that represent Ahoyhoy's marketplace, he takes the five or shiny stones he found in the Geonid caves some days prior.  Finding the most appropriate stallholder, he displays the stones in his hands for them to inspect.

"Any chance you might be interested in these, friend?"

And the stories they got! This time around there was no need to downplay any part of the adventures (mostly concerning table manners and food choices) and Kairus could fully express himself. The dangerous caves, unbelievable monsters that can strangle you with tentacles or burn and cove in glass - everything was there. (The roper part was greatly enhanced by the tales of sea monsters like giant octopuses and krakens). Even mountain climbing and river crossing found their place in the stories. (Ok, there were parts to downplay - who wants to hear about serious injuries? Bruisers is the most that brave adventurers could have!)

Damu got a personal present - Kairus shared one of the pieces of the shining shell, polished in a shape of a tear. The turtle did not have hair to weave it in or a string musical instrument to pinch the strings, but it was a memento accompanying the story.

Ala and all Kairus took the most of the settlement's offering regarding rest and enjoyment.

Rhogal regales the young ones about his discovery of the mushroom men of the mountain.

Both Kairus and Rhogal welcome the attention the group receives from the curious tortle children and adolescents. The bard leads the way, sharing tales of explorative adventures, tough climbs, dangerous rivers, the obscure underground and so on. When the tale hints at the existence of the myconids, Rhogal takes over and describes their world, powers, philosophy, and way of communication with a sense of child-like wonder of his own. Mudgraw loves to see and hear it all, and the storytelling duo bathes in the gasps and undivided attention of their listeners. Kairus and Rhogal have surely inspired some future adventurers here tonight. Damu might very well be the leader of that future pack. He accepts and treasures the gift Kairus gives him, unable to take his eyes off of it for most of the rest of the night. Lost in his wonder, he is capable of sharing only a few words: "Th.. thank you."

-> For entertaining the kids, Kairus and Rhogal both get a DM's Inspiration token!

Hun uses the story time as the distraction he needed to slip away from the crowd. Instead, the artificer finds his way to Eeyal and threads a thin line when interjecting. The older tortle is almost offended, but it would seem her own personal philosophy precludes her from fully achieving that state of mind. Good for her.

Eeyal accepts Hun's healing foam with a grateful nod: "I can't say I have even seen that foam before meeting you, but I have witnessed what it is capable of doin' since then. Thank you, Hun." 

Yulmiath passes in the background and Hun notices he is heading toward the marketplace. Little dragon joins big dragon and they are soon negotiating with some tortles who are eager to see what the party brought to Ahoyhoy this time. 

@Yulmiath: One of the vendors is more enthusiastic about the colorful rocks than his compatriots. They don't have much in the way of coin apart from what they may have salvaged or what the party has spent here before. He offers you 7gp and 4 large coconuts from a barrel. You remember seeing him selling his coconuts in previous visits to the market. (Coconuts can be used as part of your daily rations. Let's say two coconuts makes up a rations (1 day). If bargaining for more, please roll a persuasion check.) 

@Hun: The best the island has to offer are the basic smith, a space where they do some leatherwork and/or scrimshaw, and a carpernter's workbench. They have some gear and tools here, and they are willing to let you use them, but this is far from the workshop you desire in order to properly work with such a rare and high-potential material. (If you'd like to try an improve on your previous design, you may roll another INT-based tinkering check. Since you asked for their advice, the tortle artisans will give you the help action. The DC is still going to be pretty high.)

(OOC: Feel free to continue interacting with all the folks here. When you are ready, you may complete a Long Rest in the safety of Ahoyhoy.)

Yulmiath takes a look at the shiny stones, then at the hard currency being offered by the Tortle then at the coconuts. Bit more hard currency in his pocket, bit of food in his stomach. All in all, a good trade.

Unless the stones are more valuable than that...

Unless he's being taken for a chump...

Although how would he know...

Mulling the decision for a bit, Yulmiath concludes that 1) he's no idea if this is a good deal or not, b) who else on this island is going to buy these stones, and lastly, those coconuts look tasty, everyone in Ahoyhoy is eating them, why not Yulmiath too?

"You've got yourself a deal, friend."

Having worked in far more strenuous conditions, Hun speaks not a single disparaging word on their workstations; but rather, he focuses instead on making sure things are as set properly with a few guiding words to his tortle helpers. Then the real work was to begin. Despite himself, the Kobold couldn't help using some of the less stressful points of the project as teaching moments. Odds were the Tortle wouldn't wind up being able to use even half of what he had to teach during the moment. But given how explorative at least some of their people tended to be, he half hope the knowledge might be enough of a jumpstart should they find their way off the island and into other professions. 

Of course after recognizing this habit, the Kobold grumbles something along the lines of "stupid young blue starting to rub off on me" before doubling down the focus on seeing the enhancements to his armor improved before the night was over. 

Tinkering Check: 17. (I assume no guidance can be used, since this would be work over a minute)

.

@Yulmiath: The tortle vendor is more than happy to close the deal with you. You don't get a feeling he is trying to swindle you. In fact, he invites you to come by his stall and share a coconut with him, on his dime, next time you stop by the settlement.

@Hun: Be it the presence of helpers or the availability of an actual workbench, your second go at reinforcing your shield with the snail shell pieces bears a lot more fruit. You spent lots of time, effort, and your own resources on this, but you are happy with the outcome. That said, you know you can't completely undo your past/recent failure in extracting the fragment pieces. Some of that magic is lost. Whatever essence is still in the material, you succeed in extracting this time. Although you may regret attempting to tinker with this valuable material out in the open, in a rush, out of excitement, you know you have managed to salvage as much of it as you now can. Your shield will provide you with incredible protection against magic for some time. Once that fades, the shield will forever be changed. Though it might not have the snail's power anymore at that point, it should still be a piece of armor like no other, exotic enough to be worked into a new design after being exposed to the magic shell for a period of time. You won't be able to cook with it anymore, though.

-> Please choose two pieces of mundane gear from your inventory and discard them. They represent the resources you had to sacrifice to make this happen. Let me know what you are sacrificing. It doesn't need to be anything major, but neither should it be something trivial.

-> For 1 month, your shield gives you a fraction of the flail snail’s antimagic shell trait. While the shield is donned, you have advantage on saving throws against spells. When the shield’s magic fades, it becomes an exotic shield that is perfect for being worked into another type of enchanted shield.

@All: Please go ahead and complete your long rest. Let me know if there is anything you'd like to do in Ahoyhoy in the morning.