Blow after blow, the party hack at the man's body, so twisted and distorted by whatever fell magic possesses him that it is a wonder how much of the gory mess that was left afterwards was on account of their actions, and not just self-inflicted. Regardless of that matter, the deed is done--the caretaker is dead, the gate has been lowered, and though the city of Stayar'Dauthr is ever-frightening, nothing seems to take note of them in the short trek from the tower back to the ship.
A matter of hours, was all this journey was supposed to be. A passage through the night to the far side of a not-so distant shore. Two days have passed since, two days of struggle and strife. Lives have been lost, but others have been saved--an orc warrior, and sailor; a magician, powerful in the arts; and another, seemingly knowledgeable of these parts, if a bit too superstitious. Or perhaps the others aren't superstitious enough. Jack, and Cooke, and the other sailor whose name we've yet to learn, all have some distance to come if they are to pilot this ship through such dangerous waters, not to mention how short-handed they now are, with the casualties mounting. And then there is Zue; the catalyst, one might say. This all began when she and her partner killed the captain and attempted to sabotage the ship. She remains restrained in the ship's cabin, quietly plotting her escape, or perhaps simply praying for forgiveness. Her story has not yet been told, but perhaps she'd lie before putting it to speech, anyway.
Much has been done, and if our party is to survive this ordeal, and even return home, there is much yet to do. But, if the woman is to be believed, safety is not far from here. For now, the sun's brilliance gives way to a quiet, moonless night as The Berronar drifts further away from past dangers, and ever-closer to new ones.
As it sun had given way to night hours ago, now the night gives way to be early rays of morning. The new day brings little wind, so Jack, the man standing watch at this hour, strikes the sails and lets the boat drift slowly with the current. It does so for some time, quietly making its way down the river path, until the scarlet and orange hues of early dawn pale into the light blue of mid-morning. Time often passes like this on the boat. Slowly, as they trundle along at whatever pace the weather allows. Some play cards, or games of dice. For the crew's part, they are much too busy, sharing their duties in shifts.
The boredom is better than the excitement that often comes from being ashore, however, that much can be said for certain. And it wouldn't last much longer. A rustle comes from the underbrush off the starboard side, and stumbling into view is a man. He carries a bundle of sticks under each arm, and didn't seem to notice them, either, until he came into view. He stares for a moment, then takes off at a run down the shoreline, abandoning the sticks he must've been been gathering since afore the dawn.
Branch quickly heads to the side of the ship and places a hand on Archibald's shoulder. "Please, hold." she says to him. Then shouting to be heard, "Wait! We mean no harm, we actually need help, please?!" and starts waving her hand high, hoping to stop the man from running away.
Aluve awakens from a sleep he had fallen into,resting against a large crate. He stands and notices Archibald taking aim at something. Branch seemed to stop him rather quickly. The ranger adjusts his belt buckle and makes his way over to Branch and Archibald.
The man doesn't make a sound, and doesn't hesitate. If he heard Branch's call at all, he seems all-too keen to distrust her word, and is soon beyond sight. The moment is passed. The boat drifts quietly more, until it bends a corner and reveals from behind the all-encompassing canopy a rising column of smoke, and then two, and then three. It becomes clear in short order that whatever lies ahead, there'll be a lot of people there. There are but a few more moments to act before they round the next corner, and find themselves facing down whatever fate has next in store for them.
"Smoke in the distance,"Bramble calls out, having taken up a position as a lookout. "Could be a village, or more of those folks we gave the, ah, the slip to a while back?"
Branch runs over to the woman, "Ma'am, I am sorry for my display earlier, it was more than I could handle apparently. My name is Branch, and I do appreciate the information you have provided so far. I would like to know your name and is the smoke we are seeing... is that from the safe village you were referring to earlier? Or do we need to prepare for another battle? I know I would like a place to finally rest."
Alfreid, in a display of courage he'd yet to show so far, had left the safety of the ship's cabin to take in the morning airs. He stands next to Bramble, somewhat taken aback by the stranger's flight, and Archibald's reaction to it. "You don't think they'd truly mean us harm, do you?" He asks the firbolg, staring out over the water, and the forest, at the rising columns of smoke.
In the cabin, still half-asleep, the woman is sitting cross legged against the port wall. Since her rescue the day before, she and her companion both have procured proper clothing, if only ill-fitting fabrics that the crew had spare. The man yet sleeps in one of the hammocks above, as does the injured Nevael brother, who seems to've yet to recover from the wounds Zue, who remains tied against a starboard support, dealt him. Their prisoner watches as Branch enters to speak to the woman, who replies, "It is no name, but you may call me properly by Myrkfithr Chetowa. You may also refer to my superstitious friend by Myrkfithr Sveinninn. Hear me well: To shorten, distort, or otherwise misrepresent these titles would be an act of high ignorance--or worse, an insult. If you must, you may use another honourific of your own tongue."
She stands. "This portion of the river is little known, but I do not believe what lies ahead means us harm. Seldom has a ship travelled these waters that did not means its people harm, however, so they will be slow to trust us. They do know the two of us, but they also know of our imprisonment, they will assume we have broken and betrayed them. They may threaten, or posture, they may storm the ship with force or try to intimidate you. I must urge you and your people to do nothing they might consider hostile." Finally, gesturing towards the door in an offer to allow Branch to lead her back onto the deck, "Now, shall we go see them?"
Aluve leans against the wall near the cabin door. He saw Branch head inside and waits for her to exit in order to discuss their next move. He stares at the restrained Zue still confused about what had happened. Was this whole thing a coincidence? Was it Zue that transported them to this other plane? Or some other strange magic in the storm. Regardless Aluve need to see Branch about the current situation. Hopefully she got some info out of their new guests.
Chatcho enters the cabin after hitting his head on the door frame and places his cat on the floor. He addresses Myrkfithr Chetowa and Branch psionically.
I'd like to keep Tik-Tik/Hunts-Hunters/Guardian here for their own safety.
Branch nods as the woman answers her. "Thank you for telling me your name, Myrkfithr Chetowa. I hope you don't mind if I call you ma'am at times? Just in case I'm hurried and do not want to offend? I appreciate your concern for the situation and will urge my friends to be as friendly as possible. Yes, let us go see them."
Branch turns around with the woman behind her and sees Chatcho, giving her a little start. "That works for me," she turns back to the woman, "Does it for you and your friend?"
As she leaves she sees Aluve leaning against the wall, "Ah, Aluve, please help me to impress upon the rest that we will probably be met with hostility by the ones we meet, but we must do our best to do nothing that would consider us hostile, be as friendly as possible. Sounds like it will take a bit to win these folks over."
For a few more minutes, the ship drifts alone in the river. Those who can afford to miss out on the sleep gather at the railing's edge, held breaths marking their anticipation in seeing civilization again. And so it comes, emerging from behind the undergrowth. It is a village of modest means, but with ample strength to force the forest to give way to the advancement of their people. Farms mark the border between untamed wilderness, and the village's interior. A scant few raise crops, but most harbor herds of livestock. Approaching the center of town, things get more dense. Smithys and shops take the place of cattle and open plains. In the center, a simple wooden construction makes for their dock, a T-shaped thing with enough room for a boat to moor, but little more.
Jack and his men make sure the boat is made fast to the dock in short order, but as they work something becomes ever more clear in the minds of those watching the town. There's... no one here. There was no one in the fields, no one minding their animals, and no one in the town square. Fires still smolder in their places, billowing that smoke which announced the town's presence, but nobody minds them.
Aluve nods to Branch. "Ok. Let me give it a shot."
Aluve climbs up rhe railing near the helm and throws his hood back. "Alright crew listen up! Jack pay attention. The people who live along the shores are local to this area. We have it on good word they are nor like the horrific creatures that lie back beyond that gate. However their peoples trust has been broken! So we will need to take things slow and be careful. We need to be passive and kind regardless of what we first encounter upon the shores. These people are going to be weary of us and may seem threating at first but I assure you if we keep our heads we may find some more allies here to help us get home. I dont want anyone to use any adrupt threatening behaviour. Keep your arrows away and your blade sheathed. My companions and I have gotten you this far. Please trust us."
Aluve awaits a response and gives another nod to Branch, hoping this would work.
"I think I would be of best service indoors." Alfreid announces, quailing under the thought of another confrontation. The Half-Orc, meanwhile, stands at the starboard bow of the ship, looking out over the town. A hand rests on the head of his battleaxe, his fingers gently thrumming against the metal. Jack, for his part, nods in agreement with Aluve's well-spoken words. "We'll be right 'ere." He calls out, "Ready to cast off, if things go sour." It would seem that for all intents and purposes, Aluve's speech has had the desired effect.
The town itself remains in quiet defiance of their preparations, a held breath waiting for the most brazen of them to take that first step. The dock is laid next to and parallel to what appears to be a main road. The road terminates at the water's edge, and resumes on the other side. It appears that a rope bridge usually spans the distance, but at this moment it has been struck from its posts on the far side, and coiled into a small roll at the end of the near side, waiting to be deployed once more. The road splits fairly early as it heads into the town, a small dirt-path continues on its original course, and would take the party into an empty clearing in the buildings, occupied mostly by the single largest building in the whole village, what must be a temple, evident from its stone work and beautiful detailing, contrasting starkly against the simple and mostly hewn-wood construction of all the buildings surrounding it. The larger path, still paved, and what could be considered the correct path to follow the 'main' road, veers to the right and between two buildings, before taking them behind the temple and further into the city.
"They have most likely set up an ambush for us. We need to be careful here. They will be watching our every move. We need some kind of gesture they will notice which will hopefully reduce the chance of them attacking once we are in their kill zone......maybe offering trade....or I would be willing to leave my weapons behind.......what does everyone think? Oh and Branch? Do your new friends will join us on our trip into town?"
Aluve awaits to see what his friends think of the situation.
Branch appreciates Aluve's words to the crew, but is taken aback by the completely deserted town in front of them. She is unsure the next step to take, but she for one is not leaving her weapons onboard. She turns to her new friends, "Is uh, this what you expected? Not a soul to be seen? I hope you join us as we try to attempt a connection with the town, and I'm all ears as to what you might suggest? Other than just disembarking, I'm at a loss."
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Blow after blow, the party hack at the man's body, so twisted and distorted by whatever fell magic possesses him that it is a wonder how much of the gory mess that was left afterwards was on account of their actions, and not just self-inflicted. Regardless of that matter, the deed is done--the caretaker is dead, the gate has been lowered, and though the city of Stayar'Dauthr is ever-frightening, nothing seems to take note of them in the short trek from the tower back to the ship.
A matter of hours, was all this journey was supposed to be. A passage through the night to the far side of a not-so distant shore. Two days have passed since, two days of struggle and strife. Lives have been lost, but others have been saved--an orc warrior, and sailor; a magician, powerful in the arts; and another, seemingly knowledgeable of these parts, if a bit too superstitious. Or perhaps the others aren't superstitious enough. Jack, and Cooke, and the other sailor whose name we've yet to learn, all have some distance to come if they are to pilot this ship through such dangerous waters, not to mention how short-handed they now are, with the casualties mounting. And then there is Zue; the catalyst, one might say. This all began when she and her partner killed the captain and attempted to sabotage the ship. She remains restrained in the ship's cabin, quietly plotting her escape, or perhaps simply praying for forgiveness. Her story has not yet been told, but perhaps she'd lie before putting it to speech, anyway.
Much has been done, and if our party is to survive this ordeal, and even return home, there is much yet to do. But, if the woman is to be believed, safety is not far from here. For now, the sun's brilliance gives way to a quiet, moonless night as The Berronar drifts further away from past dangers, and ever-closer to new ones.
As it sun had given way to night hours ago, now the night gives way to be early rays of morning. The new day brings little wind, so Jack, the man standing watch at this hour, strikes the sails and lets the boat drift slowly with the current. It does so for some time, quietly making its way down the river path, until the scarlet and orange hues of early dawn pale into the light blue of mid-morning. Time often passes like this on the boat. Slowly, as they trundle along at whatever pace the weather allows. Some play cards, or games of dice. For the crew's part, they are much too busy, sharing their duties in shifts.
The boredom is better than the excitement that often comes from being ashore, however, that much can be said for certain. And it wouldn't last much longer. A rustle comes from the underbrush off the starboard side, and stumbling into view is a man. He carries a bundle of sticks under each arm, and didn't seem to notice them, either, until he came into view. He stares for a moment, then takes off at a run down the shoreline, abandoning the sticks he must've been been gathering since afore the dawn.
Archibald draws his bow. "If he gets away, they'll set more bandits and monsters and gods know what else!"
Paladin - warforged - orange
Branch quickly heads to the side of the ship and places a hand on Archibald's shoulder. "Please, hold." she says to him. Then shouting to be heard, "Wait! We mean no harm, we actually need help, please?!" and starts waving her hand high, hoping to stop the man from running away.
Aluve awakens from a sleep he had fallen into,resting against a large crate. He stands and notices Archibald taking aim at something. Branch seemed to stop him rather quickly. The ranger adjusts his belt buckle and makes his way over to Branch and Archibald.
"How are you guys going? Everything ok?"
Chatcho walks over to the assembled group with Tik-Tik cradled lazily in his bottom pair of arms.
The man doesn't make a sound, and doesn't hesitate. If he heard Branch's call at all, he seems all-too keen to distrust her word, and is soon beyond sight. The moment is passed. The boat drifts quietly more, until it bends a corner and reveals from behind the all-encompassing canopy a rising column of smoke, and then two, and then three. It becomes clear in short order that whatever lies ahead, there'll be a lot of people there. There are but a few more moments to act before they round the next corner, and find themselves facing down whatever fate has next in store for them.
"Smoke in the distance," Bramble calls out, having taken up a position as a lookout. "Could be a village, or more of those folks we gave the, ah, the slip to a while back?"
Branch runs over to the woman, "Ma'am, I am sorry for my display earlier, it was more than I could handle apparently. My name is Branch, and I do appreciate the information you have provided so far. I would like to know your name and is the smoke we are seeing... is that from the safe village you were referring to earlier? Or do we need to prepare for another battle? I know I would like a place to finally rest."
Alfreid, in a display of courage he'd yet to show so far, had left the safety of the ship's cabin to take in the morning airs. He stands next to Bramble, somewhat taken aback by the stranger's flight, and Archibald's reaction to it. "You don't think they'd truly mean us harm, do you?" He asks the firbolg, staring out over the water, and the forest, at the rising columns of smoke.
===================================================================================================================
In the cabin, still half-asleep, the woman is sitting cross legged against the port wall. Since her rescue the day before, she and her companion both have procured proper clothing, if only ill-fitting fabrics that the crew had spare. The man yet sleeps in one of the hammocks above, as does the injured Nevael brother, who seems to've yet to recover from the wounds Zue, who remains tied against a starboard support, dealt him. Their prisoner watches as Branch enters to speak to the woman, who replies, "It is no name, but you may call me properly by Myrkfithr Chetowa. You may also refer to my superstitious friend by Myrkfithr Sveinninn. Hear me well: To shorten, distort, or otherwise misrepresent these titles would be an act of high ignorance--or worse, an insult. If you must, you may use another honourific of your own tongue."
She stands. "This portion of the river is little known, but I do not believe what lies ahead means us harm. Seldom has a ship travelled these waters that did not means its people harm, however, so they will be slow to trust us. They do know the two of us, but they also know of our imprisonment, they will assume we have broken and betrayed them. They may threaten, or posture, they may storm the ship with force or try to intimidate you. I must urge you and your people to do nothing they might consider hostile." Finally, gesturing towards the door in an offer to allow Branch to lead her back onto the deck, "Now, shall we go see them?"
Aluve leans against the wall near the cabin door. He saw Branch head inside and waits for her to exit in order to discuss their next move. He stares at the restrained Zue still confused about what had happened. Was this whole thing a coincidence? Was it Zue that transported them to this other plane? Or some other strange magic in the storm. Regardless Aluve need to see Branch about the current situation. Hopefully she got some info out of their new guests.
Chatcho enters the cabin after hitting his head on the door frame and places his cat on the floor. He addresses Myrkfithr Chetowa and Branch psionically.
I'd like to keep Tik-Tik/Hunts-Hunters/Guardian here for their own safety.
Branch nods as the woman answers her. "Thank you for telling me your name, Myrkfithr Chetowa. I hope you don't mind if I call you ma'am at times? Just in case I'm hurried and do not want to offend? I appreciate your concern for the situation and will urge my friends to be as friendly as possible. Yes, let us go see them."
Branch turns around with the woman behind her and sees Chatcho, giving her a little start. "That works for me," she turns back to the woman, "Does it for you and your friend?"
As she leaves she sees Aluve leaning against the wall, "Ah, Aluve, please help me to impress upon the rest that we will probably be met with hostility by the ones we meet, but we must do our best to do nothing that would consider us hostile, be as friendly as possible. Sounds like it will take a bit to win these folks over."
For a few more minutes, the ship drifts alone in the river. Those who can afford to miss out on the sleep gather at the railing's edge, held breaths marking their anticipation in seeing civilization again. And so it comes, emerging from behind the undergrowth. It is a village of modest means, but with ample strength to force the forest to give way to the advancement of their people. Farms mark the border between untamed wilderness, and the village's interior. A scant few raise crops, but most harbor herds of livestock. Approaching the center of town, things get more dense. Smithys and shops take the place of cattle and open plains. In the center, a simple wooden construction makes for their dock, a T-shaped thing with enough room for a boat to moor, but little more.
Jack and his men make sure the boat is made fast to the dock in short order, but as they work something becomes ever more clear in the minds of those watching the town. There's... no one here. There was no one in the fields, no one minding their animals, and no one in the town square. Fires still smolder in their places, billowing that smoke which announced the town's presence, but nobody minds them.
Aluve nods to Branch. "Ok. Let me give it a shot."
Aluve climbs up rhe railing near the helm and throws his hood back. "Alright crew listen up! Jack pay attention. The people who live along the shores are local to this area. We have it on good word they are nor like the horrific creatures that lie back beyond that gate. However their peoples trust has been broken! So we will need to take things slow and be careful. We need to be passive and kind regardless of what we first encounter upon the shores. These people are going to be weary of us and may seem threating at first but I assure you if we keep our heads we may find some more allies here to help us get home. I dont want anyone to use any adrupt threatening behaviour. Keep your arrows away and your blade sheathed. My companions and I have gotten you this far. Please trust us."
Aluve awaits a response and gives another nod to Branch, hoping this would work.
Persuasion: Natural 20 + 1 = 21
Chatcho nods in approval of Aluve and considers the visions which had visited him the night prior.
Portent Rolls: 2 & 4
"I think I would be of best service indoors." Alfreid announces, quailing under the thought of another confrontation. The Half-Orc, meanwhile, stands at the starboard bow of the ship, looking out over the town. A hand rests on the head of his battleaxe, his fingers gently thrumming against the metal. Jack, for his part, nods in agreement with Aluve's well-spoken words. "We'll be right 'ere." He calls out, "Ready to cast off, if things go sour." It would seem that for all intents and purposes, Aluve's speech has had the desired effect.
The town itself remains in quiet defiance of their preparations, a held breath waiting for the most brazen of them to take that first step. The dock is laid next to and parallel to what appears to be a main road. The road terminates at the water's edge, and resumes on the other side. It appears that a rope bridge usually spans the distance, but at this moment it has been struck from its posts on the far side, and coiled into a small roll at the end of the near side, waiting to be deployed once more. The road splits fairly early as it heads into the town, a small dirt-path continues on its original course, and would take the party into an empty clearing in the buildings, occupied mostly by the single largest building in the whole village, what must be a temple, evident from its stone work and beautiful detailing, contrasting starkly against the simple and mostly hewn-wood construction of all the buildings surrounding it. The larger path, still paved, and what could be considered the correct path to follow the 'main' road, veers to the right and between two buildings, before taking them behind the temple and further into the city.
"They have most likely set up an ambush for us. We need to be careful here. They will be watching our every move. We need some kind of gesture they will notice which will hopefully reduce the chance of them attacking once we are in their kill zone......maybe offering trade....or I would be willing to leave my weapons behind.......what does everyone think? Oh and Branch? Do your new friends will join us on our trip into town?"
Aluve awaits to see what his friends think of the situation.
Archibald gestures at the town. "Well, I'm not walking into an ambush. Let's just wait outside the town and call out for them to come to us, maybe."
Paladin - warforged - orange
Branch appreciates Aluve's words to the crew, but is taken aback by the completely deserted town in front of them. She is unsure the next step to take, but she for one is not leaving her weapons onboard. She turns to her new friends, "Is uh, this what you expected? Not a soul to be seen? I hope you join us as we try to attempt a connection with the town, and I'm all ears as to what you might suggest? Other than just disembarking, I'm at a loss."