OOC: Sorry, I was camping for a few days, but I'm back now. Those teenage boys are lucky as all heck that Thea couldn't hear them.
Thea heads off into the trees, her human eyesight lessened by the darkness, though her vision still searches, constantly twitching and noticing small details. She was always good at that, reading people and noticing small things. That's how you stay alive, you notice everything.
As William stops her, she starts, and whirls around the face him. Her hand slids towards her breast, presumably to pull a knife, until she realizes that it is William. Her hands drop to her sides in relief, and she looks back at the Company man "Our friends over there said not too venture off into the island. They must be hiding something, they have to be. I intend to find out what. And thank you for not trying to stop me, I really would like us to stay friends."
'Right.'William replied. His eyes followed Thea's hand. It was not hard to tell what she was reaching for. 'We could all make do with some good friends.'
His eyes darted to the darkness of the jungle. 'So is there an actual plan or are we just going for a midnight stroll and hope for the best?'
He took out his knife and made a scratch in the trunk of a nearby tree. It was nearly invisible, save if you knew where to look. It was an upside down triangle: the alchemical symbol for water. The top right corner pointed towards the beach.
'Shall we?'William asked before slipping into the jungle bushes.
Thea's eyes adjust slowly to the gathering gloom as she pushes deeper into the trees. William follows, staying close so as not to lose her.
The growth isn't as thick here as it was on the other island, so some moonlight does filter through the canopy here and there. Night creatures hoot and chitter from unseen places. Occasionally something startled by your presence takes off running or flying in a sudden crash of movement. You feel countless eyes upon you as the denizens of this landscape observe your passage through their domain.
The land rises gently as you head inland. After half an hour or so of travelling in this manner, you come across something quite incongruous with the dominance of nature all around you. At first it is hard to see, as choked as it is with vines and climbing plants, but as you grow closer you can clearly see a humanoid shape hewn from grey stone, standing on the slope ahead of you. It is about nine feet tall and seems to be an effigy of a person, gender unclear, standing straight and tall, legs slightly apart and arms at their sides. The stone is weathered and pitted, its condition speaking of the passage of many many years. You wonder if it was placed in the jungle or whether the jungle grew up around it. As you stand looking at it, a huge centipede, perhaps the length and girth of Thea's forearm, runs up the statue's leg and disappears into some foliage that covers its midriff. Looking up at the face of this figure, you see that it is either depicted wearing a helmet, or the haircuts of the time were very severe. The face is broad and angular, with a wide jaw and a flat nose. The brow ridge is prominent and overshadows the eyes, which are staring back the way you came, toward the sea.
Seri's underwater exploration brings her into contact with schools of small, brightly coloured fish, who approach her curiously and without fear. the sea bed slopes gently downward away from the beach, smooth apart from the ripples in the sand caused by the regular pull of waves. Here and there are patches of kelp, waving in the gentle currents as if in greeting. Finding nothing else of interest after a while of looking, you turn to return to shore. As you do so, you eye is caught by the slightest reflection of a moonbeam from something shiny, nestled among so grey-green kelp. Swimming closer you see a curved metallic edge. You reach down and dig it out from its resting place and inspect your find. It is a replica of the coin that Thea pulled from the top of the waterfall the previous day. Round and hard and shining in the filtered moonlight, it sits in your palm a mystery. What are these, and how did they get to such seemingly remote places? Have they been dropped or deliberately placed? And by whom? The object is mute on the matter.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thea shudders in disgust at the massive bug, but shakes it off and slowly approaches the statue. With a careful, searching touch, she runs her fingers over the rough stone, and looks up at the statue
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;
'Not liking the looks of that.'William muttered when seeing the centipede. He did not like bugs and ones the size of an arm were pretty high up there on the list of things he would rather avoid. After shaking off the unpleasant shivers, William joined Thea in examining the statue.
'Rough cut but unmistakenly human.'He said, thinking out. The image of Seri flashed before his mind's eye. 'Well, humanesque we'll say. Looks like a warrior. Maybe some sort of protector or war god?'
He looked around the area. With how the stone looked, it must have been here for quite a while. Was it carved out of rock that was already here? Or did some tribe dragged the statue to this spot? And if so, for what reason? William racked his brain trying to remember some of the more esoteric stories he overheard aboard the ships he had been.
Religion or History check, they have the same modifier: 6 Guess he doesn't...
Would I be right in picturing a Moai statue but with a helmet? ^^
Seri emerges from her moonlit ocean swim, refreshed as always from such excursions. Wordlessly, she shows Kairouani the apparently ancient Veridian coin she had found on the sea bed, a twin to the one Thea had snagged from just above the waterfall on the first island.
Seri has no answers and finds herself uncertain of what she and her companions are doing here. She does not wish to hurt anyone, but senses nothing good can come of following the unpleasant leader of the other islanders back so that some or all of them can be sold into slavery. She considers following after Thea and William, but does not wish to leave Kairouani alone with these islanders (or at least with this leader)
Eventually, stowing the coin in her pack, she walks slowly over to sit companionably next to Smiler. After a time, she asks quietly, privately:
"Do you ever regret using your gifts in the service of a leader who treats you so? Perhaps I have been fortunate, like a sailor who only experiences fair skies and following seas, never to have served such people. Trondro's cycle may be red in tooth and claw, yet needless cruelty has no place."
As Seri approaches, Smiler glances anxiously at his leader, who, fortunately, is now stretched out on the sand snoring gently. The few boys around the fire who are not already sleeping watch Seri approach Smiler but make no move to do anything.
It is a curious thing, to see the worry etched around his eyes coupled with the broad grin. He nods rapidly at Seri as she sits next to him. He replies to her question in a low voice, so as not to be overheard.
"I serve my people. They must eat, and Maheri is a good hunter. I keep the band safe so they can return to their families." He shrugs resignedly, the grin faltering slightly.
William and Thea investigate the statue but are unable to ascertain any more about its origin, meaning, or purpose. Thea is reminded of the mention of statues on the other island, though, and is led to wonder if they were like this one, and whether there is any connection. Her fingers trace the pitted surface, damaged by the action of the weather, creatures, and plants over many years. The colour of the stone looks similar to that of Billy's cave and the cliffs around it. Presumably these islands were all formed in the same way.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
OOC: interesting
After examining the statue, Thea promptly turns to William "I'm going to climb a tree and see what I see" With that, she scrambles up the nearest tall tree, using her daggers as spikes to help her climb
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.
Kairouani notes the gold in Seris hand with a nod and slight frown but her mind is occupied with the demands of honourable conduct and not disgracing her family name as much as it is with the logistics of cutting down the few boys awake enough to pose a threat before she could drive her spear into the leaders heart....no, Maheris heart...she overhears....
She sighs....too much time with fish-bellies....she should be ashamed to think such things, though part of her knows she will need to cross many more lines...some far more jarring...if she wants to achieve her goals. For a moment she has a flash of Theas face as she cuts open her belly and meeting her betrayed and confused eyes as she drops to the blood-soaked ground alongside Billy, William and innumerable others.....she looks down at her blood soaked hands, one holds a knife....the other shackles.....
She draws in a long shuddering breath and looks towards Seri and...Smiler?....releasing it slowly as she centres herself once more.
As Seri approaches, Smiler glances anxiously at his leader, who, fortunately, is now stretched out on the sand snoring gently. The few boys around the fire who are not already sleeping watch Seri approach Smiler but make no move to do anything.
It is a curious thing, to see the worry etched around his eyes coupled with the broad grin. He nods rapidly at Seri as she sits next to him. He replies to her question in a low voice, so as not to be overheard.
"I serve my people. They must eat, and Maheri is a good hunter. I keep the band safe so they can return to their families." He shrugs resignedly, the grin faltering slightly.
"And what of us, Elder Brother," Seri whispers quietly. "My ship sister Kairouani and the fish bellies who were our ship brothers and sisters, our friends..." (Seri's tongue feels the unpleasant tang of partial deceit here, like the mildest sting of a jellyfish, as she implicitly includes Billy, who she has never shipped with, though she suspects he has shipped with Captain Thorne from the way he had stared at Thorne's hat while departing the original island).
"What of us? Will you also help return us safely to our families? Or will Maheri see some of us into the bellies of Aseri ships in shackles? Perhaps we can pray to Trondro together, you and I, and then you can speak your mind to me, with the Wave Father as witness."
Seri does not hide her prayer for Trondro'sguidance once more. Feeling the need to seek absolution after her lie of omission earlier.
'Be-'William moved over to give Thea a lift up the tree but she had already scurried up with the use of her daggers. 'careful.'He finished his sentence.
He stood under the tree where the girl had vanished amidst the canopy. 'See anything?' he asked. He took up guard against the tree and kept his eyes peeled for anything that moved.
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;
Thea scampers up the tree like a monkey, and soon reaches a vantage point from which she can see over the jungle canopy. In the moonlight you can just make out the top of what looks like another statue, maybe 200 yards away. You can only see it because the canopy there thins out just enough for the curve of the helmet to be visible. It seems to be at a similar elevation to the first statue, i.e. it is not higher up the slope or lower down, closer to the beach. Further inland the jungle becomes denser and rises up over a crest and out of your view. From here you can also just about see the rear ends of the two beached canoes and the turtle carcasses tied to them. The men dragged them up onto the sand alongside the boats when you arrived here.
William racks his brain but is unable to recall anything about ancient civilisations or statues. You wonder if perhaps Seri or Kairouani might know more.
Similarly, as Kairouani watches Seri in conversation with the toothy islander, she is not graced by any recollections regarding the name Maheri, other than its meaning seems related to strength.
At Seri's question, Smiler's grin falters and fades. He glances about anxiously, suddenly unable to meet her eye. He hugs his knees tight to his chest and whispers, "I... I am sorry, sister." He grimaces, as if he is in pain, "Maheri exchanges people for weapons and trinkets. The ship-people... you call them, 'Aseri'? They take them. Seem to have need of many people. I am sure he means to do this with you and your ship-brothers and sisters." He pauses, looking at the sand in front of his feet. He looks like he might start to weep. "I only serve my tribe. I keep them safe. I cannot do more."
Thea climbs down from the tree and reports her findings "Why would these statues be here? Something feels off about this place"
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 see." Seri's voice is soft like the quiet lap of water against an old ship's hull. In truth, she does not know what to do.
"I sense your anguish, Elder Brother, and did not wish to be the cause of it. All be free to pursue Trondro's horizons, just as you are free to help your people as you see best. Yet it is plain on your face that you know what Maheri does is anathema to Trondro. None should be shackled so. Not by anyone, and even worse in great numbers. Nor should you yourself be mistreated. Do all leaders of your people sell slaves? Or only Maheri?"
Kairouani simply waited she could not hear Seris discussion over the sound of the waves lapping at her feet, but she could read the signs of worry.....inwardly she sighed....her feelings were likely correct. Still the boys and their chaperones had brought them closer to their goal, so they had served their purpose.
Part of her was intrigued that Maheri would break tradition and risk a blood feud with her people, taking captives in times of war to work off a blood debt was a recognized alternative to killing them......but Maheris people and hers weren't at war....and exchanging people for goods was anathema.
But if he wanted a war she was more than happy to oblige him, she smiled a grim smile....still, she should wait till Seri confirmed it.
"I see." Seri's voice is soft like the quiet lap of water against an old ship's hull. In truth, she does not know what to do.
"I sense your anguish, Elder Brother, and did not wish to be the cause of it. All be free to pursue Trondro's horizons, just as you are free to help your people as you see best. Yet it is plain on your face that you know what Maheri does is anathema to Trondro. None should be shackled so. Not by anyone, and even worse in great numbers. Nor should you yourself be mistreated. Do all leaders of your people sell slaves? Or only Maheri?"
"Maheri is not Chief, but he is strong. Chief cannot stop him, so how can we? The ship-people came and gave him riches in exchange for our war-captives. He is greedy and now does not stop at war-captives. He has already given some of our own people. It is wicked. I fear Trondro will turn his back on us for it, but the sea-harvest has been better than ever. Maheri says this is evidence of the Wave Father's favour." Smiler tails off, his eyes flicking about anxiously. The boys around the fire have now lost all interest in your conversation and most of them are fast asleep. Billy has also succumbed and is sprawled on the sand near the edge of the jungle, snoring softly. Roger has not emerged from the trees, where he flew earlier.
The sea-harvest better than ever. Evidence of the Wave Father's favor...
Seri's voice is thoughtful. "When the waters of the sea recede suddenly, leaving a seeming bounty of shellfish and other prey that dwell in the shallows, a shore-dweller not attuned to Trondro's rhythms may think themselves blessed. Just before the tsunami arrives. I hope that you will trust your heart."
She places a gentle hand on Smiler's shoulder as she arises and pads over to where Khairouani is waiting, sitting companionably with the Igneri huntress as if nothing is amiss. So that it does not look like the two are whispering together, Seri continues gazing out at the ocean, calling on slip of Trondro's onshore breeze to cast the Message cantrip, speaking in Kairouani's mind so the other woman can reply telepathically.
In Khairouani's mind through Message, allowing a telepathic reply: Their wide-mouthedshaman has confided in me. Their tribe, even their chief, hopes mainly for good hunting and safety, knowing that selling captives for goods is wrong. Yet Maheri has grown too powerful for even their chief to control. Maheri sells slaves to the easterners in great quantity in exchange for wealth and weapons. Selling not only war captives, but even his own people. The shaman is sure Maheri intends to do so with us. You are the warrior, Elder Sister, not I. My counsel is to find a way, perhaps once the others return, to deal withMaheri with as little harm to the others as possible.
" I can challenge him directly, the boys are easily cowed and will not interfere in a formal challenge...if their Wise One does not interfere then it will be him or me that falls. I am confident I can defeat him."
" Or our little fish-belly ocelot could prowl through and put a blade in his heart at the risk of starting a war with my people as I have already named her as sister."
" I am wanting to walk up to him now and rebuke him for his dishonourable ways and put my spear in his heart. Shall I?"
Kairouani pretends not to notice the leaders glare but internally notes that he is the one she must kill first if it comes to that.
'Right.' William replied. His eyes followed Thea's hand. It was not hard to tell what she was reaching for. 'We could all make do with some good friends.'
His eyes darted to the darkness of the jungle. 'So is there an actual plan or are we just going for a midnight stroll and hope for the best?'
He took out his knife and made a scratch in the trunk of a nearby tree. It was nearly invisible, save if you knew where to look. It was an upside down triangle: the alchemical symbol for water. The top right corner pointed towards the beach.
'Shall we?' William asked before slipping into the jungle bushes.
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
Thea's eyes adjust slowly to the gathering gloom as she pushes deeper into the trees. William follows, staying close so as not to lose her.
The growth isn't as thick here as it was on the other island, so some moonlight does filter through the canopy here and there. Night creatures hoot and chitter from unseen places. Occasionally something startled by your presence takes off running or flying in a sudden crash of movement. You feel countless eyes upon you as the denizens of this landscape observe your passage through their domain.
The land rises gently as you head inland. After half an hour or so of travelling in this manner, you come across something quite incongruous with the dominance of nature all around you. At first it is hard to see, as choked as it is with vines and climbing plants, but as you grow closer you can clearly see a humanoid shape hewn from grey stone, standing on the slope ahead of you. It is about nine feet tall and seems to be an effigy of a person, gender unclear, standing straight and tall, legs slightly apart and arms at their sides. The stone is weathered and pitted, its condition speaking of the passage of many many years. You wonder if it was placed in the jungle or whether the jungle grew up around it. As you stand looking at it, a huge centipede, perhaps the length and girth of Thea's forearm, runs up the statue's leg and disappears into some foliage that covers its midriff. Looking up at the face of this figure, you see that it is either depicted wearing a helmet, or the haircuts of the time were very severe. The face is broad and angular, with a wide jaw and a flat nose. The brow ridge is prominent and overshadows the eyes, which are staring back the way you came, toward the sea.
Seri's underwater exploration brings her into contact with schools of small, brightly coloured fish, who approach her curiously and without fear. the sea bed slopes gently downward away from the beach, smooth apart from the ripples in the sand caused by the regular pull of waves. Here and there are patches of kelp, waving in the gentle currents as if in greeting. Finding nothing else of interest after a while of looking, you turn to return to shore. As you do so, you eye is caught by the slightest reflection of a moonbeam from something shiny, nestled among so grey-green kelp. Swimming closer you see a curved metallic edge. You reach down and dig it out from its resting place and inspect your find. It is a replica of the coin that Thea pulled from the top of the waterfall the previous day. Round and hard and shining in the filtered moonlight, it sits in your palm a mystery. What are these, and how did they get to such seemingly remote places? Have they been dropped or deliberately placed? And by whom? The object is mute on the matter.
Thea shudders in disgust at the massive bug, but shakes it off and slowly approaches the statue. With a careful, searching touch, she runs her fingers over the rough stone, and looks up at the statue
Investigation check: 12
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!
'Not liking the looks of that.' William muttered when seeing the centipede. He did not like bugs and ones the size of an arm were pretty high up there on the list of things he would rather avoid. After shaking off the unpleasant shivers, William joined Thea in examining the statue.
'Rough cut but unmistakenly human.' He said, thinking out. The image of Seri flashed before his mind's eye. 'Well, humanesque we'll say. Looks like a warrior. Maybe some sort of protector or war god?'
He looked around the area. With how the stone looked, it must have been here for quite a while. Was it carved out of rock that was already here? Or did some tribe dragged the statue to this spot? And if so, for what reason? William racked his brain trying to remember some of the more esoteric stories he overheard aboard the ships he had been.
Religion or History check, they have the same modifier: 6
Guess he doesn't...
Would I be right in picturing a Moai statue but with a helmet? ^^
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
Seri emerges from her moonlit ocean swim, refreshed as always from such excursions. Wordlessly, she shows Kairouani the apparently ancient Veridian coin she had found on the sea bed, a twin to the one Thea had snagged from just above the waterfall on the first island.
Seri has no answers and finds herself uncertain of what she and her companions are doing here. She does not wish to hurt anyone, but senses nothing good can come of following the unpleasant leader of the other islanders back so that some or all of them can be sold into slavery. She considers following after Thea and William, but does not wish to leave Kairouani alone with these islanders (or at least with this leader)
Eventually, stowing the coin in her pack, she walks slowly over to sit companionably next to Smiler. After a time, she asks quietly, privately:
"Do you ever regret using your gifts in the service of a leader who treats you so? Perhaps I have been fortunate, like a sailor who only experiences fair skies and following seas, never to have served such people. Trondro's cycle may be red in tooth and claw, yet needless cruelty has no place."
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
As Seri approaches, Smiler glances anxiously at his leader, who, fortunately, is now stretched out on the sand snoring gently. The few boys around the fire who are not already sleeping watch Seri approach Smiler but make no move to do anything.
It is a curious thing, to see the worry etched around his eyes coupled with the broad grin. He nods rapidly at Seri as she sits next to him. He replies to her question in a low voice, so as not to be overheard.
"I serve my people. They must eat, and Maheri is a good hunter. I keep the band safe so they can return to their families." He shrugs resignedly, the grin faltering slightly.
William and Thea investigate the statue but are unable to ascertain any more about its origin, meaning, or purpose. Thea is reminded of the mention of statues on the other island, though, and is led to wonder if they were like this one, and whether there is any connection. Her fingers trace the pitted surface, damaged by the action of the weather, creatures, and plants over many years. The colour of the stone looks similar to that of Billy's cave and the cliffs around it. Presumably these islands were all formed in the same way.
Yes, a similar aesthetic to the Moai statues.
OOC: interesting
After examining the statue, Thea promptly turns to William "I'm going to climb a tree and see what I see" With that, she scrambles up the nearest tall tree, using her daggers as spikes to help her climb
Acrobatics check if needed: 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!
Kairouani notes the gold in Seris hand with a nod and slight frown but her mind is occupied with the demands of honourable conduct and not disgracing her family name as much as it is with the logistics of cutting down the few boys awake enough to pose a threat before she could drive her spear into the leaders heart....no, Maheris heart...she overhears....
She sighs....too much time with fish-bellies....she should be ashamed to think such things, though part of her knows she will need to cross many more lines...some far more jarring...if she wants to achieve her goals. For a moment she has a flash of Theas face as she cuts open her belly and meeting her betrayed and confused eyes as she drops to the blood-soaked ground alongside Billy, William and innumerable others.....she looks down at her blood soaked hands, one holds a knife....the other shackles.....
She draws in a long shuddering breath and looks towards Seri and...Smiler?....releasing it slowly as she centres herself once more.
History- ( Tales of Maheri )- 8
"And what of us, Elder Brother," Seri whispers quietly. "My ship sister Kairouani and the fish bellies who were our ship brothers and sisters, our friends..." (Seri's tongue feels the unpleasant tang of partial deceit here, like the mildest sting of a jellyfish, as she implicitly includes Billy, who she has never shipped with, though she suspects he has shipped with Captain Thorne from the way he had stared at Thorne's hat while departing the original island).
"What of us? Will you also help return us safely to our families? Or will Maheri see some of us into the bellies of Aseri ships in shackles? Perhaps we can pray to Trondro together, you and I, and then you can speak your mind to me, with the Wave Father as witness."
Seri does not hide her prayer for Trondro's guidance once more. Feeling the need to seek absolution after her lie of omission earlier.
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
'Be-' William moved over to give Thea a lift up the tree but she had already scurried up with the use of her daggers. 'careful.' He finished his sentence.
He stood under the tree where the girl had vanished amidst the canopy. 'See anything?' he asked. He took up guard against the tree and kept his eyes peeled for anything that moved.
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
Thea looks around from atop the tree, and surveys the twilight forest
Perception check: 9
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!
Thea scampers up the tree like a monkey, and soon reaches a vantage point from which she can see over the jungle canopy. In the moonlight you can just make out the top of what looks like another statue, maybe 200 yards away. You can only see it because the canopy there thins out just enough for the curve of the helmet to be visible. It seems to be at a similar elevation to the first statue, i.e. it is not higher up the slope or lower down, closer to the beach. Further inland the jungle becomes denser and rises up over a crest and out of your view. From here you can also just about see the rear ends of the two beached canoes and the turtle carcasses tied to them. The men dragged them up onto the sand alongside the boats when you arrived here.
William racks his brain but is unable to recall anything about ancient civilisations or statues. You wonder if perhaps Seri or Kairouani might know more.
Similarly, as Kairouani watches Seri in conversation with the toothy islander, she is not graced by any recollections regarding the name Maheri, other than its meaning seems related to strength.
At Seri's question, Smiler's grin falters and fades. He glances about anxiously, suddenly unable to meet her eye. He hugs his knees tight to his chest and whispers, "I... I am sorry, sister." He grimaces, as if he is in pain, "Maheri exchanges people for weapons and trinkets. The ship-people... you call them, 'Aseri'? They take them. Seem to have need of many people. I am sure he means to do this with you and your ship-brothers and sisters." He pauses, looking at the sand in front of his feet. He looks like he might start to weep. "I only serve my tribe. I keep them safe. I cannot do more."
Thea climbs down from the tree and reports her findings "Why would these statues be here? Something feels off about this place"
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!
"I see." Seri's voice is soft like the quiet lap of water against an old ship's hull. In truth, she does not know what to do.
"I sense your anguish, Elder Brother, and did not wish to be the cause of it. All be free to pursue Trondro's horizons, just as you are free to help your people as you see best. Yet it is plain on your face that you know what Maheri does is anathema to Trondro. None should be shackled so. Not by anyone, and even worse in great numbers. Nor should you yourself be mistreated. Do all leaders of your people sell slaves? Or only Maheri?"
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 shrugged. 'Religious reasons would be my guess but I confess that I don't know much about this stuff.'
He looked towards the direction of the beach. At least he hoped it was the right way. 'Ought we go back?'
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 simply waited she could not hear Seris discussion over the sound of the waves lapping at her feet, but she could read the signs of worry.....inwardly she sighed....her feelings were likely correct. Still the boys and their chaperones had brought them closer to their goal, so they had served their purpose.
Part of her was intrigued that Maheri would break tradition and risk a blood feud with her people, taking captives in times of war to work off a blood debt was a recognized alternative to killing them......but Maheris people and hers weren't at war....and exchanging people for goods was anathema.
But if he wanted a war she was more than happy to oblige him, she smiled a grim smile....still, she should wait till Seri confirmed it.
"Maheri is not Chief, but he is strong. Chief cannot stop him, so how can we? The ship-people came and gave him riches in exchange for our war-captives. He is greedy and now does not stop at war-captives. He has already given some of our own people. It is wicked. I fear Trondro will turn his back on us for it, but the sea-harvest has been better than ever. Maheri says this is evidence of the Wave Father's favour." Smiler tails off, his eyes flicking about anxiously. The boys around the fire have now lost all interest in your conversation and most of them are fast asleep. Billy has also succumbed and is sprawled on the sand near the edge of the jungle, snoring softly. Roger has not emerged from the trees, where he flew earlier.
The sea-harvest better than ever. Evidence of the Wave Father's favor...
Seri's voice is thoughtful. "When the waters of the sea recede suddenly, leaving a seeming bounty of shellfish and other prey that dwell in the shallows, a shore-dweller not attuned to Trondro's rhythms may think themselves blessed. Just before the tsunami arrives. I hope that you will trust your heart."
She places a gentle hand on Smiler's shoulder as she arises and pads over to where Khairouani is waiting, sitting companionably with the Igneri huntress as if nothing is amiss. So that it does not look like the two are whispering together, Seri continues gazing out at the ocean, calling on slip of Trondro's onshore breeze to cast the Message cantrip, speaking in Kairouani's mind so the other woman can reply telepathically.
In Khairouani's mind through Message, allowing a telepathic reply:
Their wide-mouthed shaman has confided in me. Their tribe, even their chief, hopes mainly for good hunting and safety, knowing that selling captives for goods is wrong. Yet Maheri has grown too powerful for even their chief to control. Maheri sells slaves to the easterners in great quantity in exchange for wealth and weapons. Selling not only war captives, but even his own people. The shaman is sure Maheri intends to do so with us. You are the warrior, Elder Sister, not I. My counsel is to find a way, perhaps once the others return, to deal with Maheri with as little harm to the others as possible.
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
In Seri's mind through Message:
" I thought as much."
" I can challenge him directly, the boys are easily cowed and will not interfere in a formal challenge...if their Wise One does not interfere then it will be him or me that falls. I am confident I can defeat him."
" Or our little fish-belly ocelot could prowl through and put a blade in his heart at the risk of starting a war with my people as I have already named her as sister."
" I am wanting to walk up to him now and rebuke him for his dishonourable ways and put my spear in his heart. Shall I?"