Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Danica un-tucks her shirt but then stops and offers some water in the cap of the canteen to the tiny pterosaur hanging at her hip and then wiping the mouth of the canteen before putting it away, simply nodding at the man's eccentric greeting. Watching him carefully and paying even closer attention to his wording, she lingered on the part where he clarified that neither was he from Thay, nor working with them. That was reassuring. ...Assuming it was true. Not wanting to get into who the Sewn Sisters were just yet, she simply listened to Nalomanterys the Great's story. 
((Religion to recognize "Amaunator": 21 ))

At the wizard's comment about their smell, Danica shrugged. "Not as bad as a full crew at sea for the same amount of time. Rain gives a nice wash. And bug repellant distracts the nose a bit." Though perhaps not in a pleasant way. "You're welcome." She responds in kind automatically to his thanks before looking at Ran. "It was my water, I'm not giving yours away Ran, don't worry. And we just filled up the raincatchers anyway." Before smirking a little at his turn of phrase. "We are the Seekers in fact. And we want the very same, an end to the Death Curse. ...Among a few other things along the way, or after if we live that long." Glancing at Ran, Mica and Hew. 

Taking in 'the Great' display of magical prowess, the elf nods, more interested in his claims than his over the top displays. "Don't suppose you have the great power to un-magic things? Or birds perhaps?" Gesturing to the colorful one on Ran's shoulder. 
At the way Nalomanterys phrased his generous offer of his help to their group, Danica gave a humorless chuckle. "How lucky indeed." Saying this at the same time as Mica and giving a genuine chuckle with the earthen ranger. Turning her attention back on the new arrival, she waits for Mica to finish asking his questions before adding, "If you will help us do whatever necessary to see the end of the death curse and will pull your own weight, I don't see any reason why you can't join our crew." Yet even as she says this, she's already looking to the rest of the Seekers to get a feel for their opinions. 

((Danica is speaking with a slight "Scottish" brogue/accent.))

Meili watched the magical demonstrations with a very serious face expression, getting even more serious by the second. "You are a wizard..." She looked at the others. "We can not leave him alone in the jungles. Not with the Sisters on the hunt."

The girl seemed to buy Nalomanterys' story fully, including his unfamiliarity with the Sisters. At least she elaborated on the latter. "The Sisters are the hags, who try to take Chult. Or so we've been told. They are enemies of anyone with magical abilities who do not join them. We lost two of our companions to them already. Both wizards. We probably got protection from them - for now. But did not have a chance to test it, and you might be safer returning to the city."

Meili did not expect the newcomer to jump at the opportunity (whether he was genuine in his desire to find the Death Curse or not) but had to warn the stranger. "This bird is in fact a cursed person. She saw what happened with the last companion we lost. Unfortunately, she can not speak - part of the curse. And yet..." Meili looked at the others again, "I think we did not ask the right way. I mean... No, let me show what I mean."

The girl stood in front of the bird on Ran's shoulder, offered her a piece of fruit from the ration, and said. "We know you can understand us, you proved it many times. You can not talk, but you must be able to signal. Do you understand me now? Tap your foot once for "yes" and twice for "no"".

Should the bird prove her understanding, Meili would move on with the questions, the first of which will be "Did you see what happened with Inete?" If "yes, then she would ask more: "Did she simply disappear into the air? Did something else happen at the moment of her disappearance?"

[Oh, man.  This bird really is cursed.]

Meili asks her questions of the bird.

 "Do you understand me now? Tap your foot once for "yes" and twice for "no.""

The bird looks at Ran first, then back to Meili.  Then it taps its clawed foot once with a little 'tink' on Ran's shoulder.

"Did you see what happened with Inete?"

At this question, the bird once again taps its foot a single time.

"Did she simply disappear into the air? Did something else happen at the moment of her disappearance?"

The bird shuffles from side to side on Ran's shoulder.  It spreads its wings and calls out "Wrank!"  It shuffles again and tries again.  "Wrank!"  It looks at Meili, then at Ran, then back to Meili again.  Then it whistles, softly and dejectedly, and defecates down Ran's shoulder, adding to the white collection on the back of his chainmail armor.

[For curiosity's sake, here are the bird and Pterry the tiny Pterosaur.  The bird is a seemingly intelligent scarlet macaw.  The Pterosaur is about the size of a pigeon, but its anatomy, movement and flight is more like that of a bat.]

Hew seems relieved to have the attention off of him for the moment.  While the others question Nalomanterys and Ran's bird, he asks for Danica's map and begins puzzling over it.  He also takes stock of the current status of your supplies.  [DM note: This is something I've been meaning to do for months IRL.  I need to go back, count the days, figure out when you ate forage vs rations, and calculate how much food, bug repellent and other supplies you have left.  I'll also need to determine what, if anything, Velan and Inete were carrying when they got disappeared.  Still not sure when that is going to get done, but it remains on my to do list.]

"You're a right dag, aren't you?" Ran says to the bird. "If you really are Shepherd, we're going to have words after all this is done."

He finds some leaves and wipes up the latest addition to his armor as best he can, but given the aroma of the combined body odor, repellent, and dried blood lingering around him, what's a bid of bird shite?

Ran then looks over at Meili.

"I don't think this munted bird is going to answer much of anything until they're changed back," Ran adds.

"Oh..." And she was so excited about her idea. "You think the curse would not allow even this way to talk?" Meili offered to the bird another piece of fruit and in a hopeless tone asked again. "Do you still understand us? It does not have to be tapping, you can flap your wings or move. If you are Shepard, move to another Ran's shoulder!"

Quote from LAXGunner >>

"Where was your expedition headed before you split up?  Here to the village or somewhere else?” He looks over at Hew “We’ll take any leads we can at this point.”

 "Nowhere." He shakes his head and looks exasperated just thinking about it. He pinches between his eyebrows, as if fighting off a sudden headache. "The fools brought outdated maps and got us stuck in the middle of the jungle. We were somewhere out there." He points North-northwest. "And the priests took two days to decide if we were going west to a pirate stronghold on the mouth of the Tarth," he now points southwest, where the unseen Tarth River flows into the faraway ocean, "east to a supposed Order of the Gauntlet outpost on the Soshenstar," he points east, toward the vast expanse of jungle canopy that disappears into the horizon, "or up here to some village, which doesn't even exist any more. They probably would still be arguing had they not all been killed... or taken, or whatever happened to them."

Quote from Piera_Jade >>

 

Taking in 'the Great' display of magical prowess, the elf nods, more interested in his claims than his over the top displays. "Don't suppose you have the great power to un-magic things? Or birds perhaps?" Gesturing to the colorful one on Ran's shoulder. 
...

"If you will help us do whatever necessary to see the end of the death curse and will pull your own weight, I don't see any reason why you can't join our crew." Yet even as she says this, she's already looking to the rest of the Seekers to get a feel for their opinions. 

 Nalomanterys the Great purses his lips, thinking, then says plainly (for once), "No. Not at the moment, anyway." He holds out his spellbook for inspection, which looks like many of its pages have been torn out. "Alas, an incorrigible and recalcitrant buffoon with whom I was recently traveling has clipped my wings, so to speak. I lost a great many spells to that chronically drunken luddite. I fully intend to re-scribe what has been lost, but it will take time. Any magical formulae from other wizards would help speed up the process, as well. I still hope to find a repository of knowledge in some of these old ruins."

The blue wizard nods when Danica accepts his offer. "Well reasoned, Ms. Danica. And an excellent decision."  

Quote from BlueBayou >>

Meili watched the magical demonstrations with a very serious face expression, getting even more serious by the second. "You are a wizard..." She looked at the others. "We can not leave him alone in the jungles. Not with the Sisters on the hunt."

The girl seemed to buy Nalomanterys' story fully, including his unfamiliarity with the Sisters. At least she elaborated on the latter. "The Sisters are the hags, who try to take Chult. Or so we've been told. They are enemies of anyone with magical abilities who do not join them. We lost two of our companions to them already. Both wizards. We probably got protection from them - for now. But did not have a chance to test it, and you might be safer returning to the city."

Meili did not expect the newcomer to jump at the opportunity (whether he was genuine in his desire to find the Death Curse or not) but had to warn the stranger. "This bird is in fact a cursed person. She saw what happened with the last companion we lost. Unfortunately, she can not speak - part of the curse. And yet..." Meili looked at the others again, "I think we did not ask the right way. I mean... No, let me show what I mean."

 

...

 Nalomanterys frowns at the revelation of these 'Sisters.' "I spoke true when I said that I work ceaselessly toward the goal of breaking the curse. A magnanimous defender of the common man am I, if nothing else, and the breaking of the death-curse is my foremost priority. Even these 'sisters' shall not obstruct me, though I will have to take precautions against them. What is this 'protection' of which you speak?"

Nalomanterys watches the display of the bird-person with interest. "Yes, I will be able to break that with the right magic, I am certain. Is this a victim of the hags of which you spoke? Their magic is powerful, typically... it will take a great deal of energy to break it. And to be honest, would they not be better off as a bird? To fly and scout where you cannot? No? You are certain? Very well, I shall endeavor to lift the curse when the first possibility shows itself."

Having answered ((I think)) all the questions, Nalomanterys claps his hands together a single time. "Splendid. I infer that I have caught you leaving this wind-scoured plateau." He looks over Hew's shoulder at the group's map. "Where are we off to now?" Although the wizard looks like he can barely walk at the moment, he seems eager to leave this mountain.

Meili, the bird responds by flapping its wings, taking to the air, and coming down to land on Ran's other shoulder.  It then takes its foot and taps the end of its beak with one claw.

Hew looks up from the map and then gathers the rest of you around him.

He points at M'bala near the center of the map.  "Here we are.  A long way from anywhere else."  He raises his lone arm and he points to what looks like a cluster of lakes at the headwaters of the Soshenstar [the area outlined in yellow].  "This is the Aldani Basin - the Swamp of Sorrows."  He points off the side of the plateau and gestures south... you can see the area in the distance, shrouded in steamy fog.  "The map is good, but doesn't do it justice.  The basin is just a huge swath of wet ground that doesn't drain and can only get out down the Soshenstar.  There are some lakes, yes, but mostly it is bogs, swamps, marshes and sandbars, interrupted here and there by outcroppings of rock and pockets of jungle.  It floods ocassionally and the jungle all around its perimeter is thinner... free of the great canopy and with more open grasslands.  Dinosaurs come here to breed and raise their young... which of course draws more predators."  He purses his lips.  "The swamp itself is full of crocodiles and worse.  And the perimeter is patrolled by packs of hungry dinosaurs."

He adds, almost as an afterthought, "And if Inete's god is to be believed, it is also the location of a Red Wizard base.  I never for the life of me understood what they could be doing down there or why they would make a base in the Aldani, but that group you were tracking did seem to be headed there, so who knows?"

"The point is... unless you have a good reason to want to search the basin, we should steer clear of it.  And if for some reason you do want to venture in, then we should backtrack to the canoes and take them in with us."

Then he traces his finger toward the bottom of the map.  "You told me Savras gave a vision that the death curse was located in the far south, in a place with mountains in the distance on both sides."  He points out a number of locations [the area outlined in red].  "Anywhere here could fit that description."  He is quiet for a moment.  "That's a huge area."

He grunts.  "Nothing to help that, then."  He traces a long line, southwest, then straight south.  "If you ask me, I recommend we skirt around the basin, sticking to the deep jungle.  Then just push south."

"This is the real Chult, down here.  No roads.  No villages.  No relief."

[FYI - Y'all asked Hew where to go.  This is Hew's answer based on what you've told him about where you are trying to get.  That doesn't mean this is the right way to go.  Doesn't mean its the wrong way, either. ]

Ran looks at the map as Hew talks and lets out a sigh then shakes his head.

"That swamp sounds like a real dunny. And the red wizards are the shite making its way there," Ran says. "As much as I don't want to go there, but Red Wizards and death kind of go together, eh? I'd rather take a look at what they're up to then have them at our back when we head to the mountains."

He then looks over at the Maybe-Shepard-Parrot, "And if that whelp Tobem Rosznar is there, he's coming with me."

His vote noted, Ran looks around at the others to see what their thoughts are.

Meili breathed a sigh of relief when the bird answered. Not everything was lost. She smiled.  "Welcome, Shepard. It's good that we found you. Don't worry, you will get your body back. See, we now even have a wizard to help." She smiled at Nalomanterys but then looked at Ran, "And since we did find your sister, Ran, we do not need to go to the basin. Hew is right, we were pointed towards the south. Inete and Velan wanted to get to the wizards. Inete to watch them, Velan - to kill. Both are no longer with us. The death curse is not there, we do not need to go this way."

She lowered her eyes and then looked up again with stubborn determination. "I vote south."

Nalomanterys waves with his fingers at the parrot. He smiles, too, though it doesn't touch his eyes.

"Though I am no friend of the red wizards - and would be content to see them all dead - if we have no business with them, I, too, would prefer to head toward this lead with the mountains in the south. I defer to your group's judgment, though; you have made it farther than my last companions..."

At Meili's mention of not being able to leave Nalomanterys alone due to being a wizard with the Sewn Sisters about, Danica grimaces, not having thought of that. As she describes more about the Sewn Sisters to the wizard, Danica adds, "We're pretty sure they're the reason we're down two of our companions, Velan and Inete. Both wizards.  ...So keep your wits about you if you do stay, since our track record isn't the best. But Meili's right, we might have some protection now." As he inquires as to what it is, she fishes out the creepy doll looking idol from her pack, showing it to the man. "This fetish was given to us by uh-" The elf's eyes flick over to the hut and she hesitates before saying plainly, "Somewhat nicer hag named Nanny that lives just over there. Told me a spell to cast on it every sunset to keep us unseen by the Sewn Sisters. We've had a lot of problems with them scrying on us or creeping up on us at night. Word to the wise, try and keep an eye put of if you're missing any hair clippings. Or see a lot of ants." 

Grimacing in distaste, the elf corrects, "Just 'Danica' is fine. I'm no 'miss'. Just a sailor." Listening to the harried man explain woefully about his former traveling party, her eyebrows rose a fraction in interest as he mentioned a pirate stronghold, gesturing to a place on the west coast of the map. "I'm guessing you didn't make it to that Gauntlet stronghold. Or you'd still be stuck there after being surprise  like we almost were. Camp Vengeance may have had better outfitting and walls, but the few people we found alive at Camp Righteous were leagues nicer than the piece of work running Vengeance. Unreasonable prick..." His mention of being on the lookout for more knowledge, especially from other wizards, green eyes flicked over to Mica briefly, thinking of the red leather tome, but kept quiet for now, waiting to see if Nalomanterys the Great would truly be sticking around. 

Looking over Hew's shoulder down at the map as he spoke, Danica considers for a moment before her eyes flick to the new bird perch, "I'm for getting to the source of the curse as fast as possible personally but... Didn't you say something about needing to find Tobem or something was going to happen to your family Ran? If you don't think the bastard is there then that solves it, but if he is..." Leaving it open ended for the mercenary and the rest to consider. 

“Well then, welcome to the crew, Mr. the Great” Mica holds out one hand to the wizard and slaps him on the back with the other as Danica extends the offer.  He watches Meili interrogate the parrot with amusement as the creature hops from one of Ran’s shoulders to another.

Mica squats down next to Hew and studies the map, then stands at the edge of the plateau and shields his eyes with one hand as the dwarf points out the nearest landmarks.  “We do have reason to search the basin..Inete.”  He visibly pales when Hew mentions Inete. “We can’t just leave her.  She must be with the wizards, where else?  Maybe we can find one with the power to lift the bird's curse as well.”  He has a small grin and adds  "And if we bag a big dino or two all the better."

Quote from Piera_Jade >>

At Meili's mention of not being able to leave Nalomanterys alone due to being a wizard with the Sewn Sisters about, Danica grimaces, not having thought of that. As she describes more about the Sewn Sisters to the wizard, Danica adds, "We're pretty sure they're the reason we're down two of our companions, Velan and Inete. Both wizards.  ...So keep your wits about you if you do stay, since our track record isn't the best. But Meili's right, we might have some protection now." As he inquires as to what it is, she fishes out the creepy doll looking idol from her pack, showing it to the man. "This fetish was given to us by uh-" The elf's eyes flick over to the hut and she hesitates before saying plainly, "Somewhat nicer hag named Nanny that lives just over there. Told me a spell to cast on it every sunset to keep us unseen by the Sewn Sisters. We've had a lot of problems with them scrying on us or creeping up on us at night. Word to the wise, try and keep an eye put of if you're missing any hair clippings. Or see a lot of ants." 

Grimacing in distaste, the elf corrects, "Just 'Danica' is fine. I'm no 'miss'. Just a sailor." Listening to the harried man explain woefully about his former traveling party, her eyebrows rose a fraction in interest as he mentioned a pirate stronghold, gesturing to a place on the west coast of the map. "I'm guessing you didn't make it to that Gauntlet stronghold. Or you'd still be stuck there after being surprise  like we almost were. Camp Vengeance may have had better outfitting and walls, but the few people we found alive at Camp Righteous were leagues nicer than the piece of work running Vengeance. Unreasonable prick..." His mention of being on the lookout for more knowledge, especially from other wizards, green eyes flicked over to Mica briefly, thinking of the red leather tome, but kept quiet for now, waiting to see if Nalomanterys the Great would truly be sticking around. 

 Nalomanterys frowns more and more deeply at every bit of news about these 'Sisters.' "Creeping up at night? And attacking? Or just taking hair and releasing ants?" The wizard looks quizzically at the strange fetish. "And you... you have reason to trust this... Nanny?"

When Danica announces that she is no miss, Nalomanterys puts his palms up in a gesture of deference and nods his head, as if you say "as you wish." He then answers her question about the Gauntlet stronghold in the negative. "Two days the priests spent arguing over which way to go. All the while, we sat idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean while... something... laid a trap all around us. Never did we stray from our camp during that time. And on the third night, the trap sprung around the Amaunator Expedition. It sounds as though there were no good decisions for my ill-fated former comrades, but that does not excuse their inaction."

Quote from LAXGunner >>

“Well then, welcome to the crew, Mr. the Great” Mica holds out one hand to the wizard and slaps him on the back with the other as Danica extends the offer.

 "A pleasure, Mr. Mica." His handshake is as weak as overcooked spaghetti, and he nearly falls over when slapped on the back. He purses his lips as he regains balance.

Now speaking to the whole group, he says, "I have no skill as a navigator, nor do I wish to undermine your personal..." He fishes for a word, "...quests." He places his tome back on his head like a hat. "If we are setting out with intention of ending the death-curse, then that it sufficient for me."

Expression somewhat regretful as Mica brings up Inete, Danica intervenes, "We don't know that she's in the Basin though Mica. That's where she wanted to go, but unless we know for sure the Theyans were the ones that abducted her, we don't have any clue as to where she is now. The Sewn Sisters had been targeting her, my gut says she's with them. ....If she's still alive at all." The last sentence said with thick throat and dour visage. "Nal and I can work to try and fix the bird that's hopefully Shepard." Meeting the wizard's gaze she asks flatly, "Mind if I call ya Nal? Nalo maybe? Bit of a mouthful, the whole thing." 

Smirking a bit at the wizard's reaction to Mica's greeting, she followed suit with holding out a hand and gives a hearty shake. "Welcome to the Seekers Nalomanterys." Purposefully not using the last bit. "We can trust Nanny to an extent. At least with this I'm sure. We traded for it. Did her a favor killing a bunch of Pterafolk. I'll fill you in on what I saw before later." 

Turning to Ran once more, Danica runs a hand up through her oily hair. "Best case scenario for you if we go into the Basin is we fight some red wizards, somehow survive as well as get Tobem....then what? You likely still won't have Shepard back to herself just yet and then you'll also have this Tobem fella to haul around, as I'm sure he won't be willing. So then you'd hafta head back to Port Nyanzaru or try an drag an unwilling man with us while we try to get to and survive ending this Death Curse." Looking around at the rest of the group she says finally, "I'm for pushing south as quickly as we can and circling back to the basin after." 

Hew, having already given his thoughts, remains silent at first.  After a while of circular arguments and will we / won't we about venturing into the Basin, he steps back into the discussion.

"Whatever we do, we start by climbing off this vile plateau.  What say we get started, and continue this debate on the way down?"

He looks at Ran.  "If you have doubts, consider... It isn't just a hop, skip and a jump to get past the Basin.  It will take us a few days at least to pass it by and leave it behind us.  If we change our minds, we can always turn west and venture in." 

"Though," he adds, "if we go that route, we'll be going in without canoes."

Ran looks towards the swamps and then back to the bird as he listens to the others.

”The whelp can wait. If we can turn this guano maker into my sister, she and I can stop and scoop up the brat on the way back.” Ran says as he starts towards the trail down.

”I’d be happy not to see those canoes for a bit. So where else can we get a boat to take us to those mountains?”

Mica sighs “You are right, Cap’n.  If the sisters have Inete we have no idea where to look.”  He casts a longing look back toward the village “Maybe we should have traded a question for the hag’s guess.  What’s done is done, our paths separated at the basin anyway. To the south then.”

He shoulders his pack to move down the trail off of the plateau, tossing a look back at Ran “I am in no hurry to get back in any boat. Let’s stretch our legs a bit.”

Nalomanterys looks stung when Danica calls him Nal/Nalo, for some reason more-so than when Ran did. "My name was not meant to be shortened... but if 3 or 4 extra syllables are so unpalatable, Danica, then you may call me whichever name most delights your ears." ((Just call him whatever you want. He'll be fine. I knew his name would be shortened to Nal when making the character)). He tightens his scarf back up and prepares to follow Hew down the mountain.

Answering Ran, "I know it is rude to ask a person of their finances, but have we any money? As I mentioned, my former traveling companions were convinced that a colony of pirates lives at the mouth of the River Tarth - I see that your map corroborates that idea. They would be the closest ships that I know of. I have enough food and bug repellant for 8 days... Which among you is the guide? Mr. Hew? Do you reckon we could make it on current supplies?"

"Though I know little of such scoundrels, I surmise that their type would as soon cut our throats as deal with us as proper gentlemen and gentlewomen. I expect that much gold will be needed to grease palms and open doors... ... ... of course, if we have no money, I have other ideas." He says it flatly, but there's a mischievous gleam in the wizard's eye, as though he secretly hopes the group has no money.

While walking down the mountainside, Nalomanterys matches Ran's speed to walk next to him. "A nom de guerre, Mr. Ran, is what I was saying earlier. It is a pseud-- it is a fake name created by a person for purposes of remaining incognito during a war or mercenary work. I suspected Deadgleam was one such name because it suits you so well." He tries to get a look at Ran's eyes again while they walk side-by-side.

"They say that eyes are windows to the soul. they are wrong, of course - mere peasant superstition. However, your eyes are the color of souls. A bright green. Deadgleam. Very fitting."