Thea looks at Billy and William, talking to them in a normal voice, so as not to be heard by the strange men "We should stay low, so as not to reveal our true strength. I''l try to get a better vantage point" Slowly and stealthily, Thea crawls through the jungle, attempting to climb a tree, so as to have the high ground. Once she gets up there, she silently draw her shortbow, and knocks an [Tooltip Not Found].
[skill]acrobatics[skill] check to climb the tree: 17.
With Kairouani striking up a conversation with the stranger in a tongue William did not understand and Seri joining by her side left William with little else to do. Seri had that divine magic so she could handle herself and Kairouani seemed to be making smalltalk, as far as William could tell, so he decided to play it safe and remain unseen for the time being. It was an advantage he was not eager to squander.
He nodded at Thea's suggestion and warned her not to overextend herself on any unsteady looking branches. He followed her example but in lieu of climbing a tree himself, he spread out through the underbrush to give off the illusion of more archers, should it come to that. He took his improvised bow in his hand, stuck a couple of arrows in the ground before him and waited to see how the conversation would go.
As Thea slinks up a tree unseen, and William slips into the undergrowth, Billy remains seated on his log, humming and looking around as i he hasn't a care in the world.
Kairouani counts eight men facing her from the opposite bank, and from her vantage point, Thea counts the same. They don't seem to be making any effort to conceal themselves. Rather they are staring with open curiosity at Seri.
The apparent leader, he of the steel blade, is the only one who seems unperturbed by the appearance of the sea elf. He responds to Kairouani's comments with an upward nod of acknowledgement.
"Where are these others you speak of?" He says, his words familiar enough to Kairouani and Seri to convey his meaning despite the dialect. He looks around at his companions and scowls at their goggle-eyed stares. Turning back to the women on the far bank, he says, "We can take you from this place."
Thea pulls back an arrow, ready to fire, just in case. She takes the ready action, preparing to attack with her shortbow if the strange men turn violent.
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum:The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
" They are here."
She called back over her shoulder to the others.
" These honourable warriors have offered to take us from this place. Their leader has stated so and been witnessed to do so by Trondro through his Holy One."
She did this first in her own tongue and then in others until she was sure all had understood.
" They will not harm us."
Kairouani would be absolutely certain if these were her own people but there were some tales of other island folk not being as true to their word, though the Wise Ones presence should put fear into them, offending the Ocean was not smart for those who had to live upon it.
But confidence is key.....so she did her best to present herself so.
Intimidation/Deception/Performance- 6, with Adv. 13
Languorously, Seri raises her free hand at Kairouani's words, a faraway look on her turquoise eyes. Not thinking about what she does, just doing it.
Gesturing gently, she casts Shape Water on the torrent of the fast-flowing river, causing a stream of water to rise and cycle in a standing wave with the additional shape of a trident, forming one of the symbols of Trondro in the air just above the falls.
"The Ocean God abhors slavery, it is true. But so too must these easterners have their choice in the matter, as they neither took nor are slaves. If all come voluntarily, and your aid is freely and sincerely given, hunters of the far islands, then it pleases Trondro that it be so."
Seri's murmur seems to mesh with and carry over the sound of the falls and her own aerial waterworks.
(Attempting to help and provide advantage to Kairouani's check, provided William, Thea and/or Billy are willing to come along of course.)
'Guess we're doing this then.' William muttered to himself. He pulled the rough shaped arrows out of the ground and put them back behind the leather straps of his backpack. He wiped the dirt from his knees and straightened his back. Moments later he appeared from out of the bushes. Knowing he did not have the Kairouani or the divine backing of Seri, he made sure that his bow, rapier and buckler were in sight. The two ladies may have called these strangers honourable but William was not taking any chances.
The man beckons you to cross back over the river (I won't make you go through that ordeal again!) and watches impassively as first William, then Billy, then Thea emerge from the jungle. There seems to be little reaction from any of the turtle hunters. They are as inscrutable as the cliffs that flank the great waterfall. They merely watch with a sort of detachment as you take it in turns to skip across the rocks and fallen trees, some with more grace than others, to once again reach the southern bank. Now up close with your apparent rescuers, you can see that they are mostly young. One or two seem to be teenagers. The leader is older, though it is hard to say exactly how old. There is one other who seems more mature as well, who seems to be the only one who knows how to smile. He nods and grins at each of you in turn, and looks with naked fascination at the easterners, looking Thea, William, and Billy up and down as if you are a wondrous new breed of animal. He seems oblivious to the scowl that this display earns him from his leader.
As the last of you sets foot on the bank, the leader grunts, turns, and sets off back toward the coast. The rest of his group fall in line behind him, moving through the jungle with practiced ease. Evidently he expects you to follow, though is making no concession to any of you being less familiar with the terrain than he. He sets a tough pace, with which his youngsters keep up easily. The rest of you find it more difficult and soon find yourselves falling behind. Trying to maintain such a pace through the tangle of undergrowth and vines is frustrating, and even Billy's insouciance begins to crack. He swears as yet another branch whips him in the face.
"He's a rum sort, eh, William?" he mutters to the sweating Epironian labouring along just in front of him. "None too friendly, and you'd think there's a devil at his heels. What's the... Blast!" he fends off another branch, "damn hurry?"
The smiler is the closest member of the hunting party. He is hanging back and keeping an eye on you all. Hearing Billy speak, he turns and grins, screwing up his eyes, and nods enthusiastically before facing front again and slipping nimbly between the trunks and vines.
(OOC: I am having one of those stretches across all my campaigns where whenever I roll a d20, it's like rolling a d6. Literally 6 or below for well over ten straight rolls across my campaigns, including three nat. 1s. Seri's d20 roll above for Insight was a 3. I'm sure you all have been there...)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thea stows her bow, emerging from the trees. She glares back at the staring men, looking like she wants to crack a bottle of rum over their head [intimidation: 16]
She studies the leader and his lackeys, her gaze searching for any sign of treachery [insight: 4]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum:The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
OOC: I think I caught Seri's luck with that insight check.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum:The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
I've sent the results of the insight check to Furujiru by DM. Can you just confirm you've got that please? I sent you the result of your history check as well the other day. Just want to make sure you're getting them.
Those of you with less stellar insight rolls notice little more than the men seem quite surly and uncommunicative, with the exception of smiler, who seems to be trying to ingratiate himself with you.
As Kairouani moves through the jungle alongside the leader of the men, he pays her little attention.
Eventually, as the sun climbs to its zenith in the clear blue sky, you emerge sweating and weary onto the beach. The familiar sight of the stern section of the Horn of Plenty sits exactly as you remember. Nearby, pulled up the beach, are the two large canoes, with two young islanders sitting cross-legged in their shade. At the sight of their leader they spring to their feet and look to him for his command. Without wasting any time, he directs that half of his men start to load some of the supplies from the beach onto the boats, while he directs the others to accompany him further up the beach. Kairouani and Seri gather from his terse commands that they are going to complete their turtle hunt. Just as they depart, he turns to Kairouani and says,
"Stay here. We leave soon."
As the youngsters start shouldering casks of gunpowder and crates of rum, Setroka and Matsira, the hunters set off to the west.
Thorne's hat still rests atop the staves driven into the sand. Your shelter remains where you built it. And somewhere round here is a buried box of documents.
Billy walks over to the supplies and stops one of the islanders as he is about to lift an open crate of rum. He reaches in a takes a bottle as the man eyes him suspiciously. He turns back to the group and walks back over, studying the label. "Carina? It's the good stuff," he says. He pulls the cork with his teeth and spits it onto the sand, then offers the bottle around. "You all must have a terrible thirst after that. I know I do."
After watching Billy walk away with the bottle, the young islander continues with his task of loading the supplies onto the boats.
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum:The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
Seri is saddened, as she knew she would be, at the imminent death of the stately and majestic turtles.
But she does not interfere with Trondro's cycle, red in tooth and claw. Her melancholy is balanced by her happiness at being back at the shore. Languidly, as if in a dream, she begins walking into the waters of the lagoon until she is submerged and swimming (and breathing) gracefully beneath the surface.
(After all, the leader only asked Kairouani to stay, not Seri).
She searches (30' swim speed and water breathing) for anything different under the water since yesterday, other than the hulls of the islanders' canoes. She prays for Trondro'sguidance once more and summons her invisibleMage Hand to push and prod things as she needs in order to explore.
William fell in with the others for the trek through the jungle. A part of him was glad to have encountered people who could help get them off the island but he had been through enough to know to keep a wary mind. When he finally stumbled out of the jungle onto the beach, William took a moment to collect his bearings.
'Is this wise?'He muttered to those near him. He was not sure if the islanders could understand his language so he lowered his voice out of precaution. 'Judging from that steel and those glass beads, these folks are used to trading with outsiders. Am I to understand that we are giving up our entire loot from the Horn of Plenty in exchange for getting off this island?'
William glanced around to make sure no islanders were near and leaned in closer, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. 'They are not surprised to see us and, as I said, are used to trading with people like us. Only problem is: as far as I know, no company has a port or trade route this far up north. So who is out here trading steel and for what?'
After voicing his concerns William walked over to Thea just in case any islanders got any funny ideas.
Does William need to roll an Intimidation check or does that count as the Help action and Thea has advantage on said roll?
Kairouani sits on the beach and waits, she doesn't really care who takes what its not like there will be much if any room on the canoes for cargo when the men come back laden from their turtle hunt anyway.
" The papers are of no use to them, so you can keep those....the rest is pretty bulky. It'll be hard to find room for it anyway."
" Would the company not seize it when we arrive back anyway to try and recoup some of their losses?"
The islanders' eyes are on Seri as she slips into the water, but they carry on with their task. As they watch her, they don't see Thea slipping a bottle of rum out of a crate and into her bag.
Billy shrugs as no-one takes him up on the offer of rum and takes a good swig. He smacks his lips and sighs contentedly, a broad smile on his face. "That's the stuff!"he says. "It's been a long time, I can tell you." He also watches Seri's underwater exploration with interest, before turning to William as he speaks.
"Aye, you're a sharp one. Where does an Islander get good steel? I've never seen 'em blacksmithing. As for the loot, well, I don't see we've got much choice in the matter. Maybe there's some negotiation to be done when we're on a firmer footing, eh?"
To Kairouani, "What's that? Papers? What papers are these?"
Seri finds nothing in the water other than that which you found a couple of days ago. A school of small fish darts in and out of the flotsam, mouths opening and closing as they feast on the microscopic algae and particles of plant matter that are suspended in the brine.
After a while, maybe half an hour, the leader returns with his party. Their arms are red to the elbow. He barks some commands and the men rush to haul the canoes off the sand and into the water. They are weighed down with the crates and kegs, and as the islanders leap nimbly over the gunwales they sink yet further into the waves.
The leader of the islanders gestures for you to climb into the canoes. Billy looks hesitant. He stands a good 12 inches taller than the tallest of the islanders and must weigh half again as much as the stoutest.
"That may be sound for you sprightly coves, and if the sea stays as flat as a pancake, but you get me and William here into one of those and there's a hint of a swell? We'll be shipping water faster than a mermaid's underclothes." He looks imploringly at Kairouani. "Can't you tell 'em, sister? I didn't scrape a life here for two years only to be drowned by some surly natives."
Kairouani does not answer about the papers she assumes one of the others will take them.
When the Islanders return, Kairouani is confused and turns to the leader, " I thought you went turtle hunting? Did you not find any? Where is the meat, skin and shell? To kill his children without need or use is to risk Trondros ire.....is it not?"
" Also the large fish-belly is afraid that the boat will not take his weight....my people often lash bulkier baskets to the outrigger...but I am unsure if that will work for your boats...perhaps it is better to bury some of the crates and come back for them later. You are the only ones locally who know they are here."
With Kairouani striking up a conversation with the stranger in a tongue William did not understand and Seri joining by her side left William with little else to do. Seri had that divine magic so she could handle herself and Kairouani seemed to be making smalltalk, as far as William could tell, so he decided to play it safe and remain unseen for the time being. It was an advantage he was not eager to squander.
He nodded at Thea's suggestion and warned her not to overextend herself on any unsteady looking branches. He followed her example but in lieu of climbing a tree himself, he spread out through the underbrush to give off the illusion of more archers, should it come to that. He took his improvised bow in his hand, stuck a couple of arrows in the ground before him and waited to see how the conversation would go.
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
As Thea slinks up a tree unseen, and William slips into the undergrowth, Billy remains seated on his log, humming and looking around as i he hasn't a care in the world.
Kairouani counts eight men facing her from the opposite bank, and from her vantage point, Thea counts the same. They don't seem to be making any effort to conceal themselves. Rather they are staring with open curiosity at Seri.
The apparent leader, he of the steel blade, is the only one who seems unperturbed by the appearance of the sea elf. He responds to Kairouani's comments with an upward nod of acknowledgement.
"Where are these others you speak of?" He says, his words familiar enough to Kairouani and Seri to convey his meaning despite the dialect. He looks around at his companions and scowls at their goggle-eyed stares. Turning back to the women on the far bank, he says, "We can take you from this place."
Thea pulls back an arrow, ready to fire, just in case. She takes the ready action, preparing to attack with her shortbow if the strange men turn violent.
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum: The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
Hope to see you around!
" They are here."
She called back over her shoulder to the others.
" These honourable warriors have offered to take us from this place. Their leader has stated so and been witnessed to do so by Trondro through his Holy One."
She did this first in her own tongue and then in others until she was sure all had understood.
" They will not harm us."
Kairouani would be absolutely certain if these were her own people but there were some tales of other island folk not being as true to their word, though the Wise Ones presence should put fear into them, offending the Ocean was not smart for those who had to live upon it.
But confidence is key.....so she did her best to present herself so.
Intimidation/Deception/Performance- 6, with Adv. 13
Languorously, Seri raises her free hand at Kairouani's words, a faraway look on her turquoise eyes. Not thinking about what she does, just doing it.
Gesturing gently, she casts Shape Water on the torrent of the fast-flowing river, causing a stream of water to rise and cycle in a standing wave with the additional shape of a trident, forming one of the symbols of Trondro in the air just above the falls.
"The Ocean God abhors slavery, it is true. But so too must these easterners have their choice in the matter, as they neither took nor are slaves. If all come voluntarily, and your aid is freely and sincerely given, hunters of the far islands, then it pleases Trondro that it be so."
Seri's murmur seems to mesh with and carry over the sound of the falls and her own aerial waterworks.
(Attempting to help and provide advantage to Kairouani's check, provided William, Thea and/or Billy are willing to come along of course.)
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
( Well....hopefully there's some mystery bonuses in there somewhere......Kai is more a doer than a talker.....)
'Guess we're doing this then.' William muttered to himself. He pulled the rough shaped arrows out of the ground and put them back behind the leather straps of his backpack. He wiped the dirt from his knees and straightened his back. Moments later he appeared from out of the bushes. Knowing he did not have the Kairouani or the divine backing of Seri, he made sure that his bow, rapier and buckler were in sight. The two ladies may have called these strangers honourable but William was not taking any chances.
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
The man beckons you to cross back over the river (I won't make you go through that ordeal again!) and watches impassively as first William, then Billy, then Thea emerge from the jungle. There seems to be little reaction from any of the turtle hunters. They are as inscrutable as the cliffs that flank the great waterfall. They merely watch with a sort of detachment as you take it in turns to skip across the rocks and fallen trees, some with more grace than others, to once again reach the southern bank. Now up close with your apparent rescuers, you can see that they are mostly young. One or two seem to be teenagers. The leader is older, though it is hard to say exactly how old. There is one other who seems more mature as well, who seems to be the only one who knows how to smile. He nods and grins at each of you in turn, and looks with naked fascination at the easterners, looking Thea, William, and Billy up and down as if you are a wondrous new breed of animal. He seems oblivious to the scowl that this display earns him from his leader.
As the last of you sets foot on the bank, the leader grunts, turns, and sets off back toward the coast. The rest of his group fall in line behind him, moving through the jungle with practiced ease. Evidently he expects you to follow, though is making no concession to any of you being less familiar with the terrain than he. He sets a tough pace, with which his youngsters keep up easily. The rest of you find it more difficult and soon find yourselves falling behind. Trying to maintain such a pace through the tangle of undergrowth and vines is frustrating, and even Billy's insouciance begins to crack. He swears as yet another branch whips him in the face.
"He's a rum sort, eh, William?" he mutters to the sweating Epironian labouring along just in front of him. "None too friendly, and you'd think there's a devil at his heels. What's the... Blast!" he fends off another branch, "damn hurry?"
The smiler is the closest member of the hunting party. He is hanging back and keeping an eye on you all. Hearing Billy speak, he turns and grins, screwing up his eyes, and nods enthusiastically before facing front again and slipping nimbly between the trunks and vines.
I'll take Insight from anyone.
Seri might continue concentrating on Trondro's Guidance throughout the journey back.
Insight plus Guidance: 9 + 2 = 11 with Guidance or 9 without it.
(OOC: I am having one of those stretches across all my campaigns where whenever I roll a d20, it's like rolling a d6. Literally 6 or below for well over ten straight rolls across my campaigns, including three nat. 1s. Seri's d20 roll above for Insight was a 3. I'm sure you all have been there...)
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Thea stows her bow, emerging from the trees. She glares back at the staring men, looking like she wants to crack a bottle of rum over their head [intimidation: 16]
She studies the leader and his lackeys, her gaze searching for any sign of treachery [insight: 4]
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum: The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
Hope to see you around!
OOC: I think I caught Seri's luck with that insight check.
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum: The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
Hope to see you around!
Kairouani keeps pace with the leader, she has offered her name but not her family name or people....she will wait to see what is offered in return.
Insight check: 23
Will post after results
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
I've sent the results of the insight check to Furujiru by DM. Can you just confirm you've got that please? I sent you the result of your history check as well the other day. Just want to make sure you're getting them.
Those of you with less stellar insight rolls notice little more than the men seem quite surly and uncommunicative, with the exception of smiler, who seems to be trying to ingratiate himself with you.
As Kairouani moves through the jungle alongside the leader of the men, he pays her little attention.
Eventually, as the sun climbs to its zenith in the clear blue sky, you emerge sweating and weary onto the beach. The familiar sight of the stern section of the Horn of Plenty sits exactly as you remember. Nearby, pulled up the beach, are the two large canoes, with two young islanders sitting cross-legged in their shade. At the sight of their leader they spring to their feet and look to him for his command. Without wasting any time, he directs that half of his men start to load some of the supplies from the beach onto the boats, while he directs the others to accompany him further up the beach. Kairouani and Seri gather from his terse commands that they are going to complete their turtle hunt. Just as they depart, he turns to Kairouani and says,
"Stay here. We leave soon."
As the youngsters start shouldering casks of gunpowder and crates of rum, Setroka and Matsira, the hunters set off to the west.
Thorne's hat still rests atop the staves driven into the sand. Your shelter remains where you built it. And somewhere round here is a buried box of documents.
Billy walks over to the supplies and stops one of the islanders as he is about to lift an open crate of rum. He reaches in a takes a bottle as the man eyes him suspiciously. He turns back to the group and walks back over, studying the label. "Carina? It's the good stuff," he says. He pulls the cork with his teeth and spits it onto the sand, then offers the bottle around. "You all must have a terrible thirst after that. I know I do."
After watching Billy walk away with the bottle, the young islander continues with his task of loading the supplies onto the boats.
Thea tries to subtly put a few bottle in her bag without being noticed
sleight of hand check: 23.
If caught, she will glare at any who oppose her, as if to say back off!
intimidation check: 14
Hey, It's me, RaccoonMaster! I'm back! I disappeared for a while there, and I'm very sporadic when I'm online lol.
I'm an actor, writer, singer (opera, musical theatre, and rock are my preferred genres), backpacker, and tall person (6'5 and counting). Pronouns are whatever, I mostly use They/Them though.
My Characters: Elsenia Selevarum: The Popular Paladin, Aasimar Noble, Level 4 Paladin of Redemption;
Hope to see you around!
Seri is saddened, as she knew she would be, at the imminent death of the stately and majestic turtles.
But she does not interfere with Trondro's cycle, red in tooth and claw. Her melancholy is balanced by her happiness at being back at the shore. Languidly, as if in a dream, she begins walking into the waters of the lagoon until she is submerged and swimming (and breathing) gracefully beneath the surface.
(After all, the leader only asked Kairouani to stay, not Seri).
She searches (30' swim speed and water breathing) for anything different under the water since yesterday, other than the hulls of the islanders' canoes. She prays for Trondro's guidance once more and summons her invisible Mage Hand to push and prod things as she needs in order to explore.
Seri's Perception plus Guidance: 14 + 3 = 17
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
William fell in with the others for the trek through the jungle. A part of him was glad to have encountered people who could help get them off the island but he had been through enough to know to keep a wary mind. When he finally stumbled out of the jungle onto the beach, William took a moment to collect his bearings.
'Is this wise?' He muttered to those near him. He was not sure if the islanders could understand his language so he lowered his voice out of precaution. 'Judging from that steel and those glass beads, these folks are used to trading with outsiders. Am I to understand that we are giving up our entire loot from the Horn of Plenty in exchange for getting off this island?'
William glanced around to make sure no islanders were near and leaned in closer, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. 'They are not surprised to see us and, as I said, are used to trading with people like us. Only problem is: as far as I know, no company has a port or trade route this far up north. So who is out here trading steel and for what?'
After voicing his concerns William walked over to Thea just in case any islanders got any funny ideas.
Does William need to roll an Intimidation check or does that count as the Help action and Thea has advantage on said roll?
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Valerius Sergius Publius: Dhampir Paladin - Vae Victus
Kairouani sits on the beach and waits, she doesn't really care who takes what its not like there will be much if any room on the canoes for cargo when the men come back laden from their turtle hunt anyway.
" The papers are of no use to them, so you can keep those....the rest is pretty bulky. It'll be hard to find room for it anyway."
" Would the company not seize it when we arrive back anyway to try and recoup some of their losses?"
The islanders' eyes are on Seri as she slips into the water, but they carry on with their task. As they watch her, they don't see Thea slipping a bottle of rum out of a crate and into her bag.
Billy shrugs as no-one takes him up on the offer of rum and takes a good swig. He smacks his lips and sighs contentedly, a broad smile on his face. "That's the stuff!" he says. "It's been a long time, I can tell you." He also watches Seri's underwater exploration with interest, before turning to William as he speaks.
"Aye, you're a sharp one. Where does an Islander get good steel? I've never seen 'em blacksmithing. As for the loot, well, I don't see we've got much choice in the matter. Maybe there's some negotiation to be done when we're on a firmer footing, eh?"
To Kairouani, "What's that? Papers? What papers are these?"
Seri finds nothing in the water other than that which you found a couple of days ago. A school of small fish darts in and out of the flotsam, mouths opening and closing as they feast on the microscopic algae and particles of plant matter that are suspended in the brine.
After a while, maybe half an hour, the leader returns with his party. Their arms are red to the elbow. He barks some commands and the men rush to haul the canoes off the sand and into the water. They are weighed down with the crates and kegs, and as the islanders leap nimbly over the gunwales they sink yet further into the waves.
The leader of the islanders gestures for you to climb into the canoes. Billy looks hesitant. He stands a good 12 inches taller than the tallest of the islanders and must weigh half again as much as the stoutest.
"That may be sound for you sprightly coves, and if the sea stays as flat as a pancake, but you get me and William here into one of those and there's a hint of a swell? We'll be shipping water faster than a mermaid's underclothes." He looks imploringly at Kairouani. "Can't you tell 'em, sister? I didn't scrape a life here for two years only to be drowned by some surly natives."
Kairouani does not answer about the papers she assumes one of the others will take them.
When the Islanders return, Kairouani is confused and turns to the leader, " I thought you went turtle hunting? Did you not find any? Where is the meat, skin and shell? To kill his children without need or use is to risk Trondros ire.....is it not?"
" Also the large fish-belly is afraid that the boat will not take his weight....my people often lash bulkier baskets to the outrigger...but I am unsure if that will work for your boats...perhaps it is better to bury some of the crates and come back for them later. You are the only ones locally who know they are here."