Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Every hair on Danica's body seemed to stand on end as they crept quietly through the jungle, her eyes darting more towards Hew for clues than their own surroundings, knowing that he would know what to look out for better than they would. She just began to let out a sigh of relief as the came upon a new beach, grateful for a respite to her legs if not her arms to sit down in the canoe. But it seemed she was relaxing too soon as the druid glanced over and saw their guide's eyes, now feeling just as panicked as he looked just from his expression alone. Helping the group get the canoes and themselves into the water as speedily as possible, Danica only glanced back once they were pushed away from the water. 

Though they weren't all that big, the sharpness of their talons and sheer numbers were daunting enough. The elf could hardly break eye contact from any of them, tense as could be as she watched and waited to see if any would try and jump into the water or possibly onto any of their canoes. Ready to cast a spell at any moment to try and fight back. But it wasn't needed thankfully as they gave up after hearing another call. Whether it was that of other prey or perhaps more of their pack was uncertain but she was glad for the distraction regardless. 

Muscles untensing and a violent shiver overtaking her body from the effort, Danica blinked as Hew spoke, her torso swaying slightly before she processed what he had said. "Have I told you recently how glad I am you approached us about being our guide? Cuz I am." 

The potential danger was less frightening than the anticipation of it. Meili walked and work as fast as the situation demanded, she learned her lesson and watched for their guide's expression, heeding his warnings. A terrified look in Hew's eyes talked louder than the calls from the jungle (there was no need to memorize them, with all things considered, it was probably instantly engraved in everyone's memory). Yet, when the creatures appeared on the beach, she was relieved - a known danger id always preferable.

"What do they called?" On the go and with the growing pack following the canoes, it was hard to remember books entries. Meili paddled but periodically glanced at the creatures too, watching and studying their movements for as long as the beasts were visible.

"Good," was her only comment to the appeared camp. The single torch was unlikely lit to scare predators away. It looked like the beacon for the lost, giving hope, that the group will be welcomed and can spend the night in the safety of the walls.

She helped to drag the canoe out from the river and was waiting for Hew's instructions on dealing with the locals. Danica was right, the group got incredibly lucky that Hew chose them. Whatever he was getting from that deal, it was worth it.

Mica grins at Ran’s comments as he moves the canoe away from shore with deep, powerful strokes, but he keeps an eye on the dinosaurs on the shoreline “Pack hunters, like wolves.  Reminds me of the one we saw at the coliseum, jumping up at the acrobat, but smaller.  No, I want the lad with the large, two-foot long prints.  That’s the king here.”

He breathes a sigh of relief when they spot the torch in the growing darkness.  As he helps pull the canoes up and secure the equipment, he looks over at Hew “Who are the Brave and the Bold, who exactly runs this camp?  Ran raises a good question, what will they require in trade, anything?”

"Raptors," Hew says with contempt in his voice.  "Think wolves, but clever as goblins...  they were shadowing us the whole way... planning to corner us against the river.  Lucky for us they aren't so clever as to understand what a canoe looks like... or see we had means of escape by water."  He pauses in his paddling, breathing heavy.  "They aren't much on their own, but they work together... its not fun fighting one, while another nips at your heels, and a third tries to jump on your shoulders."

He doesn't make eye contact with Danica or respond quickly to her compliment.  In end all he says is, "You just focus on shaking those shakes."

Regarding the camp... he is also slow to respond as you paddle toward the light.  "They are trappers.  The Brave and Bold Trade Company.  Hunters work the river and jungle, then pack skins, teeth, hide and feathers downriver for sale and export."  He sets the paddle across his lap for a moment and scratches his beard.  "Truth be told, I thought we might have picked up a skin or two along the way... maybe spotted a croc or a plessie to spear from the canoes.  As it is, we might have to buy our way in.  But let's knock and see what they have to say."

Pulling up along the beach, you spot a high wooden wall atop a sandy embankment.  Spiked barricades sequester the section of beach immediately in front of the camp.  There are three other canoes here, tied to posts along the wall.  Interestingly, there are also two heavy chains staked into the sand on the beach... the chains disappear into the water.  A weapons rack with four heavy harpoons leans against the outside of the wall.  You can smell smoke from campfires and can make out the glow from their fires against the trees surrounding the walled camp.  The air is also heavy with another smell... the tanners and preservatives used by leatherworkers.  Voices are just audible beyond the wall... that and another sound... the clucking of chickens or some other breed of fowl.

Right. Knock. Meili glanced at others, busy with unpacking, grim Hew (not like he was cheerful often), shivering Danica - and walked to the gates. It was unclear how much noise was safe to make, after all, the group still had a chance to sleep outside, so, Meili stated relatively quiet. She stood in the light of the torch, probably left specifically for that purpose, and banged on the gate with the hilt of her sword. "Hello?" Added she moderately loud and listened for the reaction. She left the introduction for after someone would come to ask for it.

Ran watches Meili rap on the door with the hilt of her sword but is soon distracted by the chains running into the river. He lets his gaze pass out over the river before frowning.

"Traps? For something yonking big?" Ran muses.

Then he moves over and nudges Mica. 

"Maybe you can swap hunting stories with them instead." Ran suggests before pointing out the chains. "Anyone got the foggiest what those are for?"

Frowning at the image of being taken down by the pack of raptors they had seen, Danica whole body shivered violently for more reason than just her illness. At his comment she just tried to smile in spite of her chattering teeth as she responded, "A-Aye..." The elf was grateful that Velan and Ran were rowing as she didn't think she'd be able to do much more than a circle in her current state. The only reason she kept with the group in the state she was in was because it was easy to just focus on the back of the person walking in front of her. It felt so very odd to feel as cold as she did and yet know how hot and humid as it actually was. 

Peering at the staked chains that lead to the water Danica hazarded a guess, "Underwat-ter dinosaur guard dogs? I think I'll be disappointed if it's anything else now." She didn't bother to look any closer though, the chains themselves hard to focus on and instead looked back towards the door that Meili had knocked at. "Let's hope we can afford their asking price. I don't want to know what happens if we're outside the gates when whatever those spikes are there for come around..." 

Mica looks over at the large chains as well “Big chains for traps, but then if everything is as big as that snapper they need to be.  Maybe pots for giant crabs?”  

 He grunts at Ran’s idea of sharing stories, as if they would get off that easy. “I am sure Hew has better stories than me.” he glances over at their one armed guide “And I wager you have a fair share of stories yourself.  Man is the most dangerous beast to hunt.  Maybe they will have some information on the one you hunt now.”  Still, he thinks to himself, only one way to find out.

 He strides up to the torchlight where Meili has knocked on the door and stands beside her. “Friendly sort, aren’t they?”  Mica clears his throat and calls up loudly “Hello the camp!  Is anyone there? Travelers seeking shelter for the night.”  and waits for an answer.

The voices from the other side of the wooden wall fall silent as Mica and Meili knock and call out.  A few moments pass, where the only sound is the unmistakable twang of a crossbow being cocked and loaded.  Another moment and a voice calls out from the other side of the heavy gate:

"Travelers, eh?  Nice try.  We told you, we don't need no trouble with the Gauntlet.  You deserters will need to bugger off and find someplace else to sleep.  We're not kidding.  Come back again and you'll have more to worry about than dinosaurs and crocodiles."

Hew steps up.  "Nonsense!  No deserters here.  This is Hew Hackinstone, guide in employ of Merchant Prince Jobal, leading a group of adventurers fresh out of Port Nyanzaru.  Is Karon Eyesore here?  He can vouch for me."

"The Eyesore's been lost to the jungle rot for 2 years now.  And we heard the same about Hackenstone.  Retired and then got himself killed down south.  So sod off!"

Hew growls,  "Then how in the nine hells would I know the names of Karon and Hew if I was some doe-eyed Order of the Gauntlet recruit?"

The voice on the other side falls silent for a time.  You wait patiently, and when you are ready to again pound on the gate, the same voice returns.

"Allright.  The boss says 5gp a head, and you can sleep inside.  If you don't like that, you can sleep on the beach."

It was affordable (if barely, at least she hoped it was) and it's not like they were expecting to pay for anything in the jungles... Though Meili did not expect to pay here either. She was also terrible at haggling, so she just looked at others. "We can use their wall as protection from one side and put some branches around as a fence?" Meili tried to not look too intently towards the river with unknown monsters in it on top of the know ones, like that giant turtle from yesterday.

"Thirty-five gold for the bleeding night?" Ran calls out. "We just want to get a bit of sleep, not buy your grotty camp."

He looks at the others and shrugs then he turns back to the gate and yells again.

"Anything you get from us is more than you would have," Ran says then pauses. "Five gold total for the lot of us for the night is more than we should even consider but it's getting late and I don't want to spend all night haggling."

Ran looks at the others again and lowers his voice.

"If these sodding jungle hunters makes us stay out here tonight I'm using the wood of their fence to start our camp fire."

Mica lets out a low whistle and glances over at Hew “5gp each? Are you sure these are trappers and not thieves?”

 He looks at the others.  “Still, inside is better than out.  And we need to be in to get any information or supplies. I am not sure it is worth arguing over, but it is up to you.”

 He looks back to Hew “Died in the south, eh?  There’s a story for the campfire later that I would like to hear”

"I'm not paying five a piece," Ran says, putting a hand on his pouch. He didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. After paying for the room back in Port Nyanzaru and then his donation to a lost cause, there wasn't close to that much in his pouch.

"I'll be fine out here. The light and heat from the bonfire these walls will put out should keep the beasties at bay."

Cursing like the sailor she was at hearing their ridiculous demands, the elf felt like she was shaking from fury and sickness now. "Even if we pooled together all our gold I doubt we could afford it." She was fairly certain that she currently had the most coin and that didn't even cover half of their asking price. Whispering to herself a prayer for the Moon Maiden's luck to be in their favor she then shouted up a counter offer, "Seven gold n ten goodberries total or we'll be sure to pee on yer walls!" She didn't have Ran's certainty that they'd be so fine outside the walls if their copious defenses were anything to judge by. 

Persuasion/Intimidation/Charisma: 13
Guidance: 4

A conversation between several voices plays out behind the walls.

- "35gp?  So that means... there's nine of them."

- "Nine?" (a pause) "Try again.  That means there seven of them."

- "Are you sure?  You were way off on the tannin count last moon."

- "I don't think they're going to pay.  Seven isn't too bad.  Should we offer less?"

- "One of them sounds crazy.  They might try to kill us in our sleep."

- "Everything here is trying to kill us.  And I'm sure Amphyretta can put a good scare in them and keep them in line."

- "OK.  Tell them 10gp total and they can all come in.  If they won't pay that, they can have the beach, and let that one just try and burn our walls." (another twang of a crossbow arming)

There is the sound of some feet walking on a wood floor on the other side of the gate.  "OK," a voice anounces.  "10gp altogether.  Pay up and you can spend the night inside.  Final offer."

Before anyone else can respond, Hew puts up a hand.  "I'll front the coin."  He digs into a pocket inside his hide armor and pulls out the gold.  "I need the rest."

"Deal!  Now open the gate, and let us inside."

The heavy wooden gate swings open, not out like a door, but down like a drawbridge.  Inside, you see four dirty human faces, long beards on every one.  Two are holding crossbows, armed but not yet pointed at you.  The man who opens the door takes coin from Hew and looks you all up and down.  "The name's Salazar.  I'm in charge here."  He points to the two men with crossbows.  "That's Dale, and Aaron.  The quiet fellow is Scratchy."  The last, unarmed man does a slight bow and smiles, showing many absent teeth.  

You stand on a raised platform against the wall.  Ladders lead down into the camp.  There is a large, fancy tent in the northeast corner, and a cluster of other tents in the southwest.  A tall palmtree and fire pit dominate the center of the camp.  On the far west side, there is a wooden walled hut, with a roof of clay and palmfronds.  Around the house and tree, black-feathered birds resembling little chickens roam.  Along the southern wall, crocodile and dinosaur skins hang on drying racks, and a pile of bones and skulls lies in the corner.

"Go ahead and pitch your tents where you can find room.  We have a bit of shine we can share around the fire if you be needing a drink.  Least we can do for paying guests," he says with a grin that makes it a bit confusing if he is being snide, or serious.

((Very important question GM: Can the party hear the beautiful conversation going on behind the walls before the gate opens? Cuz that was a treasure.))

As Hew immediately offered to pay for the ten gold for admittance, Danica got out her coin purse and counted out five gold before wordlessly handing it to the dwarf as the drawbridge was let down. Upon entering, her nostrils flared at the familiar yet still strong scent of tanning leathers. Meeting eyes with Salazar as he introduced himself as the leader, she reached a regrettably cold and shaky hand out to shake his as she tried to get out without too many chatters, "Name's Danica Amastacia and this here is my crew, the Seekers." Motioning a thumb to the people next to her. "Thanks for lettin' us in."  Humming at the offer of alcohol she commented, "Bit o shine from the moon always did perk me up. Most kind of ye." With that said and introductions had, she made her way to a spare area to set up tents with anyone else that hopefully wanted to help her slow and fumbling attempts. It was obvious that the Shivering Sickness was slowing her movements down and effecting her vision. 

Meili followed silently, glad the issue was resolved. She answered Scratchy's bow and Salazar's introduction with her own short bow and even shorter "Meili". There was nothing wrong with this little fort, in fact, everything was as "right" as one could hope for. Reminded her monastery a bit even, with all that simple down-to-earth life. But there was that uneasiness and suspicion you do not see on the mainland and she tried to stay quiet and unobtrusive.

"Maybe you go to the fire right away?" Raising tents on the safe ground was not much work and Danica's participation truly was not necessary. "Seems like warming up is the only thing helping a bit." Meili was still upset that her - granted, far from spectacular - skills were completely useless in curing the illness. "We will finish here and join you." Captain had a way with people, there still was time before setting night watch and as childish as it could sound, the idea of exchanging stories was quite exciting. 

Once the tents were set, she joined Danica at the fire.

Ran takes a look at the four hunters.

"Crikey," Ran says. "You should be paying us. One of those big beasts takes a liking to this place and you'll need a lot more than you lot to protect it."

But then he smiles and gives Hew a pat on the shoulder before he moves over to the side of the fire to find some empty space under the large tree to set up a tent, looking up to make sure nothing could fall on them in the night.

"Maybe these big fronds will help keep some rain off."

As he sets up gear he'll try and engage in conversation whichever of the hunters happens to be nearby.

"You had any luck charging anyone else to stay behind your walls in the past few weeks?" Ran asks.

Hew steps aside with Salazar, back near his tent in the northwest corner and they have a long conversation.

While setting up the tents, you notice a young woman standing near the hut.  She is clearly of Chultan descent, different from the men here who all look continental.  She has vines and other plants in the shape of a crown woven into her hair, which is matted into dreadlocks.  At first, her face seems to be as dirty or moreso than the men... but closer inspection shows she is actually covered in tiny dark tattoos, around her lips, eyes, nose and neck, making her face look a little like a brown skull.  On her shoulder perches a heavy looking bird with a curved black beak and bright blue and orange feathers.  For now, she merely watches as you converse with the men. Velan, you would also notice....

 They are obliged to pass Danica a drink of shine.  It comes to her in the hollowed horn of some large beast.  The concoction is vile and burns like fire... but it does the trick and she feels warm for the first time in days.  It is probably alcohol, but you have to wonder just what they used to mix and distill this out here, and what in the world the base mash had been made up of.  Or maybe you'd rather not think about that. [And yes... their conversation was perfectly audible over the wall.]

The man identified as Dale scoffs at Ran, though he does set his crossbow down.  "Aye.  The city boy who wore 40lbs of chain mail into the bleeding jungle, and who looks like his face lost a fight with a sidewalk, is going to protect us and show us how to fight the beasts of the jungle rot. Heh." 

Aaron is more congenial.  He does his best to answer Ran's question.  "Oh, yass, lots of traffic.  I mean, not that many.  And we gave you lot a much better deal then those folks.  Let's see..." he starts counting with his fingers, though the totals he speaks and the fingers he counts don't always seem to add up.  "There was them reinforcements for the Gauntlets.  That was maybe three moons back.  Then there was a group of... four, came through with another guide from the City.  Then all those uppity magic folks.  Snakes, them folk.  Came in, nearly a dozen of them, desperate as babes in the woods, but come morning they was all threats and fire and took back most of the gold they'd paid us for lodging.  I thought Amphyretta was going to really let them fools have it, but she said 'nah, not worth it.'  Then a couple young lasses came through.  Real friendly types... one of them took a shine to old Aaron, she did."  He elbows Ran in the side and gives him a 'if you know what I mean' wink.  Then he scrunches his face as he thinks some more.  "Oh.  Yeah and then those Gauntlet deserters.  Almost let them in, but Salazar smelled something fishy, and it weren't just the river.  He's a sharp one, Salazar.  When we turned them away, they tried to break in in the night.  We had to fight 'em off.  No surprise they deserted... bunch of cowards turned tail and ran as soon as we put a couple bolts in their arses, hahah!"

Mica nods at the hunters and grunts “Mica” in the way of his own introduction.  He gives the camp an appraising glance, then moves to help the others set up the tents and make camp before heading back to the fire.  He will try some of the shine as it passes around the group, grimacing a bit at the taste, especially after the Tej.

 He listens to Aaron as he responds to Ran, giving Ran a sideways glance as the hunter mentions the mages and the women that came in after them. “Order of Gauntlet, eh? We aren’t mixed up with them.  What are they doing out this way?  I heard their old camp was abandoned.”  He pauses, swishing some of the shine around his mouth.  “Any idea where those mages were headed? I would like to avoid that trouble if we can.”

 Mica points toward the skins on the back wall “Looks like hunting has been good.  We saw little on the way up the river but ran across a pack of raptors and sign of a larger beast walking among them.  Tracks two feet long” Mica holds his hand apart to show the approximate size.