Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Hesitating just a moment at Meili's insistance that she leave the setting up to herself and others, Danica eventually nodded, frustrated at her current shortcomings. Maybe a night sleeping behind safe walls so she could relax would help her put this past... Sitting by the fire, she still shivered just as much but it still felt a bit nicer. A dry heat was a welcome change. While she was attempting to warm up and her companions were still setting up the tents, she noticed another figure standing over by the hut, a woman. Squinting over the firelight, the elf's vision focused and unfocused before she rubbed her eyes tiredly and gave it up as a bad job. She saw the bird and the dirt covered woman but minute details were difficult for her to make out currently. Perhaps she was a fellow druid considering how comfortable she was with dirt and animals. Danica gave a half hearted wave to the woman, but stayed seated. She must be this 'Amphyretta' that was mentioned.

Smiling as Meili sat beside her, Danica listened as Ran and Mica conversed with their hosts before gratefully accepting offered horn. Taking a quick swallow and grimacing at the taste she then hummed at the burning sensation and sighed in relief before drinking again before passing it around, though would definitely drink more if it returned back to her. It certainly wasn't Tej, but it was something at least. Her vision definitely didn't improve but she felt with the help of sitting down by the fire and alcohol warming her inside she was finally shivering and chattering less. At mention of women passing through, she couldn't help but eye Ran. Two women traveling alone didn't exactly sound like what he was looking for. Wasn't his sister in a group with the noble? Glancing in the direction that Hew had stepped aside to speak with the trappers leader, she wondered if it was South where he had lost his arm and began the tale that he was dead. At Mica's description of the raptors that had chased them she grunted, "Lizard wolves." Their name might be 'raptors' but they seemed just as familiar as the wolf predators of the forest. "Any game in particular you try to get that sells better?" Wondering if perhaps on the return trip if they would be able to buy another night of rest here via barter. 

"You're thinking of Camp Righteous," Dale says in response to Mica's comments about the Order of the Gauntlet.  "Its a couple of days upriver... just a couple of ruined buildings now.  It was overrun years ago.  But the stubborn bastards just moved deeper in and build a bigger camp on the edge of the Basin.  Call it 'Camp Vengeance.'  Don't know what's up with them... mostly knights and soldiers loyal to Torm... or Try or Helm or one of those gods.  Not like them to wilt and desert.  But this place isn't Waterdeep.  Maybe those wet-nursed sons of lords can't hack it out here in the real jungle."  He shows some professional curiosity at the talk of tracks.  "Hmmn.  Might be worth making a run to check out.  Probably an Allosaur.  But it could be a big Ceratosaur.  Their eye horns bring good coin...."

Aaron, meanwhile, shakes his head about the wizards.  "Nah.  They didn't say much.  Asked a lot of questions, though.  Wanted to know anything and everything about who was moving on the river.  Real interested is some Cormorant Company or something.  Also wanted to know about other wizards, but we haven't seen anything else like them come through in... well... ever."

Smiling at Danica, Aaron says, "We do well enough with the crocs.  We can fetch them out without too much effort, and the skins bring good coin.  The dinosaurs... well, the jungle is getting awful dangerous.  Its hard to justify ranging too far to hunt."

"Are those chains on the beach for the crocodiles?" Meili continued to be quiet and as unobtrusive as possible, but could not help it with her curiosity. She did not try the strange drink (hoping it did not offend the hosts) but would share the food should they suggest. Turned out, the place was quite popular and she even allowed herself a joke after all the visitors were listed "Looks like you can open an Inn here". Considering the prices they asked, it could be even lucrative.

At the mention of "uppity magic folks" and another group with the guide, she asked almost automatically "Were those mages wearing white robes or red?" That was not even a curiosity, more like a reflex now. What was interesting, however, is the mention of the snake people. They still sounded fascinating and seemed to be closer to the big city that one could expect after all the stories about their secrecy. Like Danica, Meili kept glancing at the woman with the bird - she obviously saw snake-people as dangerous, she knew more than those trappers. She could know about the Curse too. But will she talk? Finally, curiosity overwhelmed her common sense, she whispered to Danica "I'll try to talk to her" stood up and walked to Amphyretta.

"May I join you here? The hunters speak of you as an elder and we here would truly appreciate the advice. Our group is searching for the source of the Death Curse, like many others, maybe. Unlike them, though, we know where we are going, but there is always more to learn. What do people in the jungles know about the Curse?"

Ran smiles at the mention of the two women.

"Well, she made it at least this far," Ran says mostly to himself. "She'll stay after them until she sees an opportunity to snag Tobem without the wizards noticing."

Satisfied they're still making progress, and once the camp is set up, he wanders around the fort just to see what he sees, taking a closer look at the hut in the one corner.

Perception: 22  

He was fascinated by the raptors. They were dangerous, sure, but looked so lean and agile and they had feathers. Reptiles with feathers! The researcher in the wizard could not help but be fascinated by them. How did they coordinate their attacks to the point of killing a large beast? How did they fight? By the look of their bodies Velan would guess the claws were their main weapon. And the level of intelligence Hew mentioned… What if a familiar could be made to take their form? Maybe someone had tamed one in the Port. The were so many questions, so many possibilities that for a while he forgot about the Crone. He even forgot to speak with his companions.

Surprise took hold of him when the man in the camp named the price for letting them stay the night. Not like I will have other uses for the coin where we are going. He thought looking at both Hew and Danica. Fortunately, his friends put harder bargain than he would and soon enough the price was lowered to something at least acceptable. These men are terrible doing business, the chronurgist decided pondering the values.

One after the other the members of the camp introduce themselves, Scratchy with a smile that makes the wizard question if the man does not have scurvy. By the time they finish putting the tents he notices the eyes of the woman. Maybe it was the tattoos or the living crown, maybe it was the tint on her blood, so familiar. Whatever the case, he knew she was of his kind. Maybe of his lineage, even. The Crone was looking at him, after all.

“I may have to speak with the bird master.” He says approaching Inete as discretely as possible. “We can talk later, if you want”. Before Velan could move in the direction of the woman, though, Meili was already there. Better I got latter, then. May presence may very well hinder any attempt to talk peacefully with her. “You think one of the women was your sister?”

The wizard asked approaching the fighter.

Ran looks away from the wooden hut to see Velan approaching.

"It matches what they said back in the last village," Ran says. "And right now, mate, I just have to assume the best."

He looks around the camp a moment longer then returns his gaze back to Velan.

"You've got to be a hard case to make your coin like this," Ran says, nodding at the bedraggled appearance of the hunters. "Everything out here wants to stab, bite, eat, or drown you. And the noises. How do they get a decent night's rest? Give me the drunks, and ships' bells, and the shouting back in the Dock Ward. That's a lullaby I can live with."

Inete seems quite out of her element here, and nods to Velan before sitting close next to Danica.

Ran, looking around the camp, you don't learn much else.  It is quite dark, but for the handful of torches and bonfire.  Before Velan joins you, you do get a closer look at some of the little black chickens.  They are quite aggressive when you get close, clucking, bobbing their heads and hissing at you.  You also notice they have sharp spurs on their ankles that would put the fiercest gamecocks in Waterdeep to shame.

Meili asks Scratchy about the chains, and he nods exuberantly, and moves his arms in a 'gator-chomp' motion.  Aaron giggles.  "You won't get much more answer than that out of ol' Scratchy.  Throat leeches took most of his tongue.  But he don't care.  You can't stop this guy from drinking river water.  He's a real jungle madman, Scratchy he is."  To this Scratchy nods, and gives Meili a big wink.  Aaron continues, "Yeah, its the easiest and safest way to hunt crocs.  Just put a big hook and some old meat out on a chain, then pull them in after they've had a day or two with a hook in their guts to take most of the fight out of them.  Sometimes we get one o' them big river cats instead.  No money in them, but they're good eatin.  And a welcome changeup from croc meat and plantains every darn night."

When moving on to the young woman leaning against the hut, she is greeted with an enigmatic smile.  "My my.  In through de gate and barely thirty words spoken, and de little thing is already speaking bout curses.  Tsk Tsk," she says, looking over at the bird, which cocks its head knowingly.  "You need to learn, child.  Listen to Amphyretta.  Some things are best left unsaid when out in de open.  De night..." she pauses and looks at the sky around and behind you, over the walls, "... she has ears.  And she will sell your secrets right out from under you, she will."  The words are not unkind, and there is a certain playfulness in her tone.  "But maybe Amphretta has ears of her own, and she hears things too, and maybe she be willing to help.  Why not you and some of your friends come knock on my door later, and maybe we talk when there ain't so many ears listening in."  With that, she gives a curtsy and saunters back into her hut and closes the door with a creak from the hinges.

“I am not exactly optimistic, but to be honest, I think you are right.” It is not like there was anything else to do in Ran’s position. “And I think that it is more of a matter of habit, really. I mean, put me in a ship and I won’t be much help besides rowing as much as your average guy could. Put me in front of anything but the rarest of herbs and I can point you which is a seasoning, which will help with pain, which will give easy sleep and which will put you to sleep forever.” Hells, give him a couple minutes and he could do so even with the rarest plants. Such was the commodity of arcane magic. “For me and everyone around this is the world we know and these are the sounds we are used with. It is simply strange to think it will be ever different and so we sleep as normal.”

That and compared to the place where he came from even the jungles of Chult were but a gentle place. Here, he thought, most of the things trying to stab, eat and drown you are just wild beasts. And most important of all, she was not by his side.

“I think I would have a harder time sleeping with your lullaby.” As he soon as he finished uttering these words Velan remembered. “Danica! The glass. Let me identify it.”

Yes, it was most blunt on the border of rudness approach, Meili fully understood it. But before she could explain herself - the group had to leave early and most likely would not be able to speak to Amphyretta - the woman left. Still, she invited them to talk - that was something. A lot, even.

"I will come," promiced she to Amphyretta's back before the door closed. Meili returned to the fire not telling yet how the conversation ended. Whatever "ears" the woman meant, she did not want to risk wispering right into them. Instead, Meili spent the rest of the campfire part of the evening listening. She considered to ask about throat leeches, but it looked even less appropriate than jumping on Amphyretta.

Later, when the guests and the hosts were ready to retire to the tents, Meili told the group about invitation. "Amphyretta did not say when, just "later when it's quieter". I am going. Would someone go with me?"

"Happy to go with you," Ran says. "Though if she's some sort of wizardy type, Velan or Danica might be better ears to have along."

Mica laughs and jokes with the hunters as they share their stories of hunting crocs and throat leeches, making a mental note to never drink the river water.  He perks up at Aaron’s reluctance to travel too far from the camp  “The jungle is getting too dangerous to go far to hunt?  What is more dangerous than the dinosaurs you hunt?”

 He watches with interest as Meili approaches the lone woman, noticing her tattoos and overall eerie appearance.  Later that evening as Meili shares her invitation,  Mica agrees to join her. “I will go with you.  I am not sure any of us should go anywhere alone out here, even in camp.  And she may have news of the path ahead.”

"Fracking zombies.  And worse.  It's an awful fright when you think you're creeping up on a hunt, only to have some bony hand slip out 'a the ground and grab your ankles."  Aaron shivers at the thought, then takes a long pull of shine, gagging slightly.

About this same time, Hew returns from his conversation with Salazar.  He makes a point of speaking with you all, either together or individually, about what he has learned.

• The white robed wizards passed this way a month ago, and then two women came through a week later.  Both groups met with Amphyretta for counsel before they departed.
• Other than that, the only humanoid traffic on the river was a band of Order of the Gauntlet deserters who attacked this camp four nights ago.  The Order of the Gauntlet, by reputation, are do-gooder knight types.  But these men looked haunted, desperate, and prepared to kill everyone here just for their food, water and boats.  Other than that ill omen, Salazar knows nothing of the circumstances at Camp Vengeance, or what would have driven the men to such acts.
• Undead have historically been an 'other side of the river' problem, but recently they have been encountering more and more on this side.  Its made hunting more dangerous than usual.
• The next day's travel will be dangerous.  Water levels are low this time of year, and the 'Bloody Beaches' are the next stretch of river.  We should expect to run into a lot of crocodiles and other threats.
• After tonight, there are no fortifications until we reach the ruins of Camp Righteous, which will take three more days.  Then Camp Vengeance, and the Aldani Basin beyond, are another day further yet.

Hew then takes out a cigarette, declines the horn of shine, and sits.  He takes long drags off the stick, staring into the campfire.

Danica looked absolutely horrified about Scratchy's state and tale of "throat leeches". She knew just what her nightmares would hold now... Though these '"big river cats" intrigued her. Danica watched as Meili went over to speak with the strange woman but attention was turned as Inete sat at her other side. Smiling at the young priestess, the elf asked kindly, "How are you holding up? This is your first time really out of the city, right?" Sure she was a local but there was clearly a huge difference between living in a city in Chult and exploring its jungles. 

Smiling at Ran and Velan's conversation she chuckled before adding, "Not a bad lullaby. But I miss the sound of the waves of the open sea, creaky wooden ship and wind hitting sails." Closing her eyes briefly she could almost imagine she was there... When Velan called her attention to the here an now, "Gah, right." Scrambling to reach for her pack where she had dropped it and extracting the ornate spyglass before handing it over to him. "If it's cursed, best just don't tell me. Save it for when I've at least get over these shivers. I can only handle so much ill news at a time." She joked, not serious. 

Glancing up as Meili returned to sit at her other side, Danica listened pensively to her go over what was said, taking care not to look at their other hosts. Nodding at the offer she agreed with Mica and Ran, "Wouldn't hurt for all of us to go if we want. Might be willing to tell us a bit else about those who've passed through."

Listening to Hew's news with serious expression, the druid drank more of the foul shine. Three days... And encountering more dinosaurs and likely undead to boot. She tried to focus on the heat in her belly and prayed this sickness would leave her soon. She'd be holding them back and putting them in danger if it carried on any more. And yet she knew she couldn't just call it quits. She stared into the flames and noticed she wasn't the only one. Hew looked dour as ever. But he was still here. They were still here.

Eyes drawn back to the fire as a lull in conversation grew, Danica's voice raised in a low lilt as she began to sing, "Watch that old fire as it flickers and dies, That once blessed the household and lit up our lives. It shone for the friends and the clinking of glasses. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes." 
Glancing over to their hosts, "Capture the wild things and bring them in line And own what was never your right to confine. The lives and the loves and the songs are what matters. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes."
Eyes roving over them to Inete and Hew, "Do you feel heavy? Your eyes drop with grief. Your spirit is wild and your suffering is brief. So never you buckle and bend to the masses. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes." 
To Mica and Meili she smiled a little, "Get round the fire with a glass of strong ale And tell us a story from beyond the pale. Bury some seeds and expect some strong branches. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes."
Blue eyes fell on Ran as she continued to sing, "Now show me a man that can meet all his needs, For what we need most now is unity's seed: A common old song for all creeds and all classes. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes. I'll tend to the flaaaaaaaame..."
There was a slightly longer pause, the crackle of fire not able to quiet the melody in her head before she continued with serious expression, gaze roving from the flames to Velan, "What will we do when the world it is ending, And time it is halted for friend and for foe? Try to hold on to the time as it passes. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes."
Focusing back on the campfire she finished, "I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes. I'll tend to the flame; you can worship the ashes...." With another swig of shine, Danica was quiet, feeling empty yet some catharsis from the exercise. 

“You’ve been holding just fine.” He says taking the ornate spy glass and sitting before a tent. “Soon you will have no shivers to help with the heat of Chult.”

Or at least he hoped as much. Opening his spellbook the wizard start to chant, not longer before the druid started singing. He could not help but to find it funny that he looked at him the moment the shanty spoke of time. It was, after all, his specialty, but he didn’t remember mentioning as much to the others. For a moment he felt a tinge of suspicion, but not even her knew in what he would specialize. By the time he left he paid no special dedication to any single school and was just as likely to become an enchanter, illusionist or a transmuter. Becoming an abjurer would make the most sense and he always showed fascination with evocation. In the end he chose neither. He took to the craft she performed the least. Maybe it was desire for distance and distinction. Away from her specialties, different. Maybe she anticipated that. Either way, he would pay special attention to Danica from now on. And you keep eyes on our tents. His thoughts echo to Ninlil.

“I will go too.” He says when the ritual finishes. “Didn’t say as much before because of the spell I was performing, but I intended to speak with her from the start.”

Notes:

Velan ritual casts Identify on the spyglass and commands Ninlil to watch over their tents from afar.

Ran taps his foot in time to Danica's shanty, smiling as she sings. 

When she's done he stands and looks over at Amphyretta's hut.

"From what Hew says, we're all going to need a full night's rest," Ran says. "Might as well go have a chit chat with this Amphyretta now, then."

Once Hew mentioned that Amphyretta had spoken to the two women, Ran knew he was going along with the others.

"She said to wait until "there are fewer ears around"," reminded Meili, relieved that everyone wanted to join, "maybe at midnight?" There was time to sleep before and - hopefully - after that time. Should Hew and Inete agree to watch? After all, they were inside the solid walls and watching was more of a formality.

Velan:

Inete shrugs and scoots a little closer to the fire.  "I've never been out in the wilds like this, no.  But I am happy to be with such a capable group of adventurers.  Not that I had any doubts, but it is nevertheless clear that Savras knew what he was doing when he paired us all together."

The hunters clap along with Danica's song and give her a cheer at the end.  Hew seems moved... you swear his eyes mist over... but then he stamps out his cigarette and moves away, climbing up to the front gate and looking out at the clear moonlit night sky over the river.

Scratchy and Dale soon retire to their tents, though Aaron pours himself some more shine and continues to poke the campfire.  You notice that Salazar has been watching the festivities from a chair outside his tent, but he to soon moves inside, and you can see the candle inside snuff out.

If the moonlight reflected a bit too brightly in their dwarven guide's eyes, Danica paid no mind or mention to it. Nodding to Meili at the plan to wait until midnight she then glanced at Inete with a smile, her fingers instinctively tracing the eyes of Selûne's symbol at her hip. "Clearly fate guided. You haven't let us down yet and I doubt you will. We're glad to have you along." She had to admit she was a bit apprehensive that having such a young inexperienced tagalong would slow them down but she was glad to have been proven wrong. After making sure rations were had and incense lit, Danica checked the stars and moons positions, she calculated, "Have a few hours before mid night. Anyone want to take a rest before our little meeting? Unless..." Glancing about the elf noticed that all of their hosts had already retired and posed, "We could see if she'd be willing to speak with us now?" 

Ran looks around the camp, noticing most have gone to sleep.

Then he notices Aaron and nods at him, "Sleeping or drinking too much to care what we do. We should try now."