The Windward Isles - Game Thread

Seri continues to communicate through a Message borne on the ocean breeze.

I think your heart is in the right place, Elder Sister, yet I cannot foresee what will come of your suggested actions.  I wonder if you challenge him alone, with Billy asleep, and our shipmates away, whether Maheri will intimidate the 'easily-cowed boys' into interfering on his behalf.  Indeed, Maheri has his own shaman cowed into servility while being mistreated, and despite knowing Maheri's actions are shameful.

Seri pauses and gazes into the sea, her hair seeming to blow slower than the gusts of onshore breeze, as if kelp floating just under the waves.

Either way, Elder Sister, know that you would enter any challenge with Trondro's blessing if you wish it.

Kairouni nodded tightly and whispered back within her head, " I'll give the others a little longer to return....but now is the time...."

OOC: Sorry, sorry, was hiking the AT for the past few days and wasn't able to get on. But I am back now, and my calves are killing me

Quote from Furujiru >>

Quote from Raccoon_Master >>

Thea climbs down from the tree and reports her findings "Why would these statues be here? Something feels off about this place"

 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?'

 "I guess so. If those tribesmen really are slavers, who knows what could have happened while I was gone" With that, Thea starts making her way back towards the beach, approaching stealthily so as to not be seen returning by the Tribesmen.

As they wait for a few minutes, Seri conducts the Purify Food and Drink ritual once more, filling water skins with seawater and turning it into fresh water so that she, and more importantly, Kairouani before her impending challenge, can remain well hydrated!

Just before the challenge occurs, she will Bless Kairouani, but she hopes Thea and William return before that.  And she whispers her intention to wake Billy as well beforehand.  If Maheri plans to sell them all as slaves, and does so even with his own people, against the wishes of his own chief, then it is important to convey to their easterner allies the need to keep the other islanders (including Smiler) from being harmed in the process.

Kairouni touched Seri lightly on the arm, whispering,  " Can you touch the minds of Thea, Billy and William as soon as they awake/return?  My challenge will be loud and most of the young men will wake in confusion....if they accidentally lash out it must not be returned."

Kairouni gripped her spear and axe in readiness as she waited for the others to return, she turned away from the shore so any awake could not see what she was doing - cutting her forearm she took the red blood and striped it across under and over her eyes, dipping down she underlined it with a row of white sand dots adhered to the blood, she checked her reflection in the moonlit water.....not the best Guazabara marks...but it would do.

On her arms and body she painted turtles and spirals and sacred womans symbols that men were not supposed to look upon.....she bit down on her tongue and let the blood fill her mouth and stain her teeth red allowing it to spill over her chin.

She was ready.

Thea and William emerge from the jungle to see the following scene.

The young islanders around the fire are all asleep, apart from one who is apparently the appointed sentry (the one closest to the fire). He is staring at the low, flickering flames and periodically stirring the embers with a stick. Beyond the fire, Maheri (red border) lies stretched out on the ground with his steel blade beside him. On the near side, Smiler (green border) sits hugging his knees and staring morosely into the distance.

Seri is down by the water's edge conducting some sort of ritual, whilst Kairouani is conducting her own ritual with her back to the islanders. Her blood is black in the moonlight.

Billy lies sprawled by the treeline, snoring softly. Of Roger there is still no sign.

William followed Thea back the way they came, reaching the beach well past sundown. The natives had built a fire and fallen asleep next to it. In the dim light William could spot their leader sleeping a bit away from the group, as well as the one who had taken an unusual interest in them sitting a distance from the rest. Was he on bad terms with the others that he could not share in the warmth of the fire? William found it a bit odd but not as odd as seeing both Seri and Kairouani performing their own strange ritual. Seri seemed to be pouring sea water into waterskins which alarmed William greatly but, and he did not know if it was the flicker of the fire refracted or the moon and stars reflected, he could see the water glow a soft white for an instance. He reasoned that the elf was performing magic and guessed that she was making the water drinkable. He frowned. He could do the same using glass jugs, some tubing and a fire, he had done so before on long journeys, but it had taken him hours. It felt like cheating was what he thought.

He did not raise a fuzz over it however for his attention was drawn by what Kairouani was doing. William did not know much about tribal rituals but he knew that facial markings like that tended only to be for religious purposes or warfare. And Kairouani did not struck him as the religious leader type. He held out an arm to stop Thea.

'I don't know what we have missed,' he whispered to the young woman. 'but I have a feeling something unpleasant is about to go down. Keep your weapon at the ready.'

"Believe me, I always have my weapons ready." Thea mutters softly in reply to William's warning, but nevertheless heeds the older adventurers advice, drawing two daggers from the waistband of her belt. How she manages to hide the things without blade-shaped bulges under her clothes, William does not know. Maybe she has miniature Bags of Holding sown into her clothes. You never know with nobles.

Thea looks around at the campsite, surveying the scene. For a second, she calculates how difficult it would be to get rid of the tribes people through less than honorable tactics (read: shank them while they are sleeping), and comes up with the conclusion it would be very hard. 

After this conclusion, she silently makes her way down to the shore, and taps Seri on the shoulder, and whispers to her "We didn't find anything super interesting. Some weird statues. Ooh, and a centipede! Why does Kai look like she's preparing for war?"

Seri returns from where she had been standing, just inside the ocean's edge, with two water skins of fresh water.  She offers one to Kairouani if the Igneri huntress wishes to take a few sips before battle.  Gently nudging Billy awake, she quietly addresses the three easterners in Veridian:

"The hunter who leads these young men, Maheri, is indeed a slaver, against the wishes of his own chief, who is not here, and those of his own shaman," (she gestures at Smiler), "who he abuses and mistreats.  Profiting in power and riches to the point that his own tribe cannot control him.  Maheri has even sold those his own people to men with armor and fire-sticks aboard large ships.  Both the shaman and the ankoai have confirmed it."

"Please understand.  I wish neither to be a slave myself, nor to begin a war between tribes.  Their shaman, and likely all these young men are not themselves slavers.  Yet to the shaman's, and perhaps the others' admitted shame, none of them have the strength to stand up to Maheri.  I do not wish them to come to harm if we can avoid it.  Kairouani may speak for herself, but I understand she intends to challenge Maheri honorably."

She looks at them all to gauge their reaction.  "I will ask that Trondro bless my elder sister in this endeavor, for shackling and selling others in exchange for wealth is anathema to Trondro.  I will stand down and ask their shaman to do so as well, and that you too hold peace unless the others break it."

Kairouni waited a few moments for the others to respond to Seri...

Thea thinks for a second, then whispers to the group

"So let me get this straight: The guy with the sword" points at the Maheri "Is bad, and wants to sell us, but the others don't, including their shaman?" Points at Smiler "Why don't they just shank him and let the Shaman lead them?" Throws hands in the air

"But, whatever. Why are we challenging him to 'honorable combat'" She spits "No slaver deserves an honorable chance, he deserves to get his a..." Realizing her speech might be getting a little to loud, she stops, and then begins whispering quietly again "Anyways, I vote we kill him now and give command to the Shaman"

Kairounis eyes narrowed for a moment before relaxing, " That would mean war.....and blood paid by my people and their children and childrens children...."

" I will not risk that."

"My heart feels your indomitable spirit, ship-sister, yet we acolytes of Trondro, both their shaman and I, are meant to serve, not command," Seri murmurs in response to Thea's suggestion to put the shaman in charge after disposing of Maheri in a surprise assassination.

"And being outsiders, nor can we give the command of these people to anyone.  Such is not our place.  Yet we have a right to defend ourselves.  The shaman tells me that their tribe already has a chief, but that he can no longer control Maheri.  My Igneri elder sister believes that challenging Maheri is the best way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.  I cannot foresee whether this is true, but I trust her.  I hope the other tribesmen accept it."

Seri pauses, then adds hesitantly, "Should Kairouani fall, or the others interfere and attack during the challenge, then of course, I will revive her and fight back.   I would not ask that any of us go peacefully into the shackles which await us.  Yet I hope to avert the bloodbath that might ensue."

Kairouani began moving towards Maheri her weapons in her hands but lowered at her sides, she skirted the sleeping boys putting them to her left and the jungle to her right, she fixed Smiler with flinty eyes as she passed....

Intimidation ( keeping Smiler or any that awaken quiet; I'm going to assume advantage due to her earlier admonishment and Seris conversation with Smiler. Help Action.)

7

( So I guess Initiative to call out before one of them does? 22 )

( FFS)

'They are right.' William said after Thea got a reply to her suggestion. 'We are outsiders: any change we force will never be fully accepted.'

He gave a small nod to signal his approval and watched Kairouani go about her plan. William took his bow in hand and grabbed a couple of arrows which he planted in the sand near his feet. 'Still,' he said as he lined up a shot, 'never hurts to be prepared for when things go south.'

Thea watches Kai walk towards Maheri, silently wishing her luck. If worst came to worst, and dung hit the fan, she could always let her knives have a little fun.

Thea stands, and rests her hands on her hips, and subtly, her fingers touch the blades which are hidden there, the feel of cold Aserian steel familiar and comforting beneath her fingertips.

Before Kairouani moves more than 30' away from her, Seri murmurs a soft prayer, a gentle rushing sound, as if sailing a reach before a following sea.

(Casting and concentrating on Bless for Kairouani, William and Thea - add 1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws, though sadly NOT ability checks).

Seri then whispers a telepathic message to Smiler, her voice gentle in the shaman's mind, once Kairouani begins:

Fellow follower of the Wave Father.  Please do not interfere.  My fierce ship-sister wishes no harm to befall you, nor to these boys who hunt at Maheri's command.  The challenge to Maheri is a fair one.  May Trondro find him as unworthy as he seems of riches and power.  None here shall be slaves.

Seri's Initiative if needed:  5

OOC: Thanks for the bless

Initiative: 17