Once everyone had their breakfast and finished with their morning routine, Taiga approaches each member and explains what she needs to build a raft. If they all work together, they may be able to build it relatively quick. Korinth had mentioned that he would make a rope but Taiga doubts that he has any memory of that plan and asks him again if he could make one that is long enough to cover the distance between here and the island, ideally twice. The rests, she asks if they could help cutting down small trees with her hatchet, the newly made small axe and the saw that she has in her kit. She would like to make the raft big enough that at least three can fit comfortably and that it would still float with five of them. She asks Shin specifically if his disk will hover above water as that could make things a lot easier. Once the first tree is cut down, Taiga begins to cut joints, and lets the others continue to bring in wood. She estimates that it would take her 3 to 4 days to craft the raft if they spend all the day bringing in wood for it.
(I looked up the time it needs to do this but feel free to suggest something different. Or we could make it roll dependent? The estimate assumes that she has four to six helping hands, too, for the three or four days of raft making plus the initial day of harvesting wood. This is for a raft for five. One for 2/3 would take a day less. Sorry, I didn’t have time to elaborate more on the RP.)
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Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
The hafling's tune washes over the sleeping form of Nanra, her eyes fluttering for a moment as Euphemia's charm takes hold of the raptor's mind once again.
ALL
The morning sun begins its inevitable rise, its coming painting the eastern skies a rosy pink. Thankfully, your makeshift camp didn't seem to attract too much attention while you all slumbered without anyone keeping a watch, a risky move in a jungle like this one. Probably best to not make that a habit, though you did have the excuse of being too exhausted from the day's ordeal to even have considered watching out for nocturnal predators.
With the day reborn once more with the rise of the sun, you have several tasks which you could do. Taiga seems determined to make a larger raft so everyone could safely make it to the little island in the center of the lake. She seems to know what she's doing as she directs those that help her create the raft out of materials harvested from the jungle. With that project well on its way, what do you do?
Shin marvels and scribbles notes as Euphemia's musical magic enraptures the raptor once more. He is glad that the Alarmritual he had cast around the camp to warn of intruders was not tripped during the night, as he had no desire to stumble awake in the midst of an attack.
He performs the ritual to summon Tenser's Floating Disk once more and shows Taiga how it works. How it follows Shin at a distance of roughly twenty feet, remaining a few feet over the surface, will will not work well on deeply uneven ground, and how it can carry roughly a quarter ton. As before, he busies himself moving the disk where it needs to go to gather materials necessary to build the raft.
To everyone, the goblin takes a moment to describe new magic that he believes he has learned (or recalled?) that may be of use in an emergency.
"If you can spare me a segment of any rope you craft, even five or ten feet should do, if an impossible situation arises and immediate escape becomes necessary for all of us, I can apply a specific transmutation magic so that climbing the rope leads to a safe, temporary extradimensional space in which we can take shelter for up to an hour, pulling the rope up behind us. If the massive predatory dinosaur returns, for example." (Rope Trick).
Unless the gems in your forearms prevent it and the big dino ends up with a nice buffet, Pinky-toe puts in ominously in Shin's mind, keeping watch from his shoulder. And would Nanra climb the rope into this cozy nest of yours too in this eventuality? That I can't wait to see...
Sighing, Shin makes some unobtrusive markings on a couple of the trees nearby, long lines for each of the humanoids (three of them slightly shorter), two little ones for the owl familiar and draconian companion, and a triangle for the raptor. He is not quite sure why he does this except perhaps hope that the group can stay together (and survive so one of the lines will not need to be scratched out). And perhaps to recognize this exact spot again if they return.
Just before any departure from the camp, over the lake or otherwise, Shin would cast Mage Armor on himself.
Euphemia sighs in relief as she feels the magic take hold again, and still Nanra sleeps on. Good friend, maybe one day I'll know that you trust me without any magic, but in the meantime, ye have awfully big teeth.She pats the raptor gently on the neck while the animal dozes. After finishing the song, and a good morning to anyone who is awake, she scurries off for the morning latrine and face-washing in the lake. The sweat of terror and the muggy climate feels sticky on her skin, and she longs to strip down and dive into the lake for a real bath, but she's not about to do that in mixed company, and that not even as much the males as the horrible hungry things that probably live in this lake. She chuckles as she splashes water over her face, smoothing back her curls with her damp hands, and pulls her hood back up over her head when she's finished.
"I'm not very big, but I'll help with some trees,"Euphemia offers to Taiga, and takes the hatchet the genasi made to get started. It's not her forte, but she's not unused to hard physical labor. Chopping wood and carrying water, I remember, even in the frozen mountains at the abbey we did that... and at home, with my family, we'd fell the logs and harness a horse or pony or a large dog to them to drag them home. She glances at Nanra, remembering the harness that Korinth had wanted to fix to haul the meat home with, and smiles. She's a hunter, not a draft animal, that won't ever change. But I wonder if there's critters here that would make good draft animals... maybe I can make friends with them, too.
As Shin describes another spell he's recalled, she grimaces. Sounds kind of fishy, an interdimensional pocket space? Well... if it works, I guess that could be useful. "I think I remember one too, another song. They come in bits and pieces, but this one filled in last night, I think. It's a halfling song, and I can find a sort of plant or animal with it. Like, if we wanted to find more of those berries, or another kind."
Taking a break from helping to gather wood, Euphemia hunts around the surrounding area, hoping that maybe in the morning light she'll be able to find some other plants she recognizes, but nothing at all stands out to her. Disappointed, she says to the others, "If not today, then tomorrow we should have another hunting party. Nanra and Korinth and I did pretty good yesterday, but between all of us and the raptor we'll eat through the rest of that spider meat by this evening."
The Genasi breaks from his conversation with the reptile on his shoulder to give the halfling a look of pure perplexion. "We did? When was this, small one?" More chittering from the creature, "...er, I mean Euphemia?"
The man with empty eyes seems to have no memory of his past dealing with any of these people. Only Keaid remembers.
During her work, she uses opportunities to relay the things she'd remembered, "I remembered something new, too," she says. "I can control the water in the air around me and attach it to my skin as icicles that can harm attackers and shield me to some extend." (Armor of AgathysSpiny Shield)
(Carpentry for the days work, if necessary: 11)
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Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
With the whole crew working on the raft for much of the morning, you make some pretty solid progress on the raft. You expect that at this rate, you'll be done with the raft by either late tonight or early tomorrow. As you all tinker away, Nanra watches you with a mixture of curiosity and amusement evident upon her reptilian face. She gets up a few times and wanders off for a bit, but she always returns after about a half hour or so.
Noon quickly approaches, and as the morning warmth gives way to the afternoon mugginess, you don't really spot much activity around the lake. Occasionally, you spot a few snakes slithering around near your camp, some of them growing to lengths of fifty feet, though they don't seem particularly interested in bothering you. You also spot several other creatures that emerge from the jungle edge to take hesitant drinks from the murky lake, though none of them stay long before disappearing back into the dense rain forest. You see several different species of dinosaurs that do this, but you also see several different mammals and few unrecognizable, monstrous creatures. Thankfully, none of them seem to notice you except for a pair of violet heron-like birds that splash down into the lake nearby. They watch the group with blood-red eyes for a while before they start stalking around in the shallows, spearing small fish and and other water creatures. Nanra watches them warily, but she takes no action towards them.
A gentle thunderstorm rolls through the jungle around midday, though it's nowhere near as powerful and violent as the one yesterday. Warm rain pitter-patters all around you, and an occasional rumble of distant thunder joins the chorus of chirps, birdsongs, and the other sounds of the jungle.
About an hour into the softly-spoken thunderstorm, Nanra suddenly leaps to her feet, her frill flared in agitation. She stares fearfully across the lake at something, and a small whine escapes her throat as she takes a few slow steps back. Looking around to see the source of her agitation, you spot the source of her fears emerging from the jungle about a quarter of a mile along the shore.
You see a truly terrifying monstrosity you're quite sure is actually made from the stuff of nightmares push its way through dense foliage to stand upon the shore of the lake. Standing at nearly 80 feet tall, it appears to a gigantic carnivorous dinosaur. Its scales, while a bit hard to make out at this distance, seem to be a mostly ochre yellow color with dark blue markings and patterns. Two small arms protrude from its immense chest, though you can see its left arm is withered and much smaller than the other. It swings its regal head to the side to look at something you can't see, and you see a massive scar running up its left side and part of its face. While he can't see it, Keras knows that its left eye is missing, and empty socket taking its place. That still didn't make it any less terrifying when it had chased him though the jungle when he first got there.
The colossal beast lowers its head down to the water and takes a long drought before rising and turning and disappearing back into jungle. Only as the last bit of its massive tail slips into the forest and vanishes from sight does Nanra seem to calm down, her frill flattening.
As the terrifying monstrosity emerges from the jungle, Taiga's heart skips a beat. Frozen in place, she watches in awe and horror as the gigantic carnivorous dinosaur makes its way to the shore of the lake. The sheer size of the beast leaves her breathless, and she can't tear her eyes away from its massive form. For a moment, Taiga considers fleeing to seek shelter, her instincts screaming at her to run. But something holds her back, a morbid curiosity perhaps, or a sense of awe in the face of such a fearsome creature. Instead of running, she remains still, her hands trembling slightly as she watches the colossal dinosaur take a long drink from the lake before disappearing back into the jungle.
Once the creature is out of sight, Taiga's heart still pounding in her chest, she turns to her companions, her voice shaky but determined. "We need to fortify our camp,"she says, her eyes darting nervously to the dense foliage surrounding them. "Large spikes buried in the ground could deter an attack from creatures like that, or at least might just give us the second we need to flee. Anyway, we need to be prepared." She recalls something she had heard about spikes being able to deter cavalry, and she believes that the same principle could work against any large predator. She continues the work on the raft in the afternoon but already starts to plan out how they can fortify a camp and protect themselves from future encounters with such terrifying creatures.
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Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
Keras offers his help to the Genasi as she works, helping to carry the logs that the two of them cut down back towards the campsite. He works mindlessly, using the manual labor to take his thoughts away from his past. The dream from the night before is already fading, but the urgency remains. He knows there's something important he needs to remember, but no amount of soul searching will reveal it.
He watches with interest as Shin conjurs his strange, circular platform out of thin air. "I never had any aptitude for magic, but I find it fascinating. I remember being distinctly disappointed when I failed the testing for magical ability, and I'm pretty sure the rest of my family was twice as disappointed as I was" He says with a chuckle. "Funny that I remember that about them, but nothing else. Disappointment was common where I was concerned, I think."
He basks in the warm rain, but leaves his sword inside the shelter to protect it from damage. Having nothing more productive to do, he moves a little ways from the camp and falls into a relaxed stance, then begins to run through a basic kata. Some of his muscles ache from sleeping on the hard ground the night before, but it's a good pain, the kind that motivates rather than discourages. Soon afterwards, all of the hair stands up on the back of his neck. He whips his head around, looking for what caused the sudden sense of panic, and realizes Nanra is agitated. He sighs, the fear subsiding a little, but then his eyes drift to the opposite shore. His heart starts to race, every instinct screaming at him to run, or fight, or curl up on the ground and pretend it doesn't exist. He reaches to his side for a sword that isn't there, and curses himself for the second time in as many days that he'd left it out of reach. He dashes back to the camp, quickly putting out any fires that still burned, making sure to smother the smoke as well. He keeps his eye on it until it finally retreats back into the forest.
"That is why I made camp on the island. It chased me for two days, unrelenting. It can tear trees from the ground with little effort and it tracked me perfectly. It wasn't until I made my raft and escaped over the lake that it finally gave up. We should avoid staying at the shore for too long - the moment we can transfer everything to the island, I suggest we do so."
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“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
"It was yesterday," Euphemia says, looking at Korinth curiously. "You really don't remember anything, eh? Well, I don't know if that's a bad sign that this amnesia we've all got is going to come back and cycle us again. But, so far, I remember everything just fine since I woke up atop that cliff yesterday morn." She shudders, a small boost of adrenaline coursing into her veins at recalling some of those events. Though there's plenty I'd rather not remember.
The halfling continues working, keeping an easy all-day pace, until a sudden movement from Nanra startles her to stand up quickly and look around, the memories of the dangers of the previous day crowding into her mind. The screamer, is the first thought that leaps up, that thing she never saw, that Nanra had picked her up and run for their lives from. But there's clearly more dangerous creatures than just that, and the sheer size and height of the terrifying thing that emerges from the jungle down the lakeside makes Euphemia's mind go almost blank with terror. In an instant, she melts into the surrounding bushes to hide, though choosing a spot where she can track the giant animal's movement through the trees.
When it departs, it takes a few minutes for her pounding heart to calm down, and seeing Nanra calm down is the only thing that entices her to come back out of hiding. She says to Shin, scribbling in his book, "Charm that? That's the first thing I'd be trying to do. I sure can't fight it. Nanra can already eat me in one bite, maybe one and a half bites, I'd be not even a bite for a thing that size."
Taking a deep breath, she looks between Taiga and Keras as they offer suggestions. "That hide looked thick. I.. ah... I think I like Keras' suggestion better, seein' as the critter's tried to have its fill of him already. Let's get this raft finished then, shall we?"The thought of hunting for food forgotten, Euphemia throws herself back into whatever task best helps with building the raft.
The great beast across the lake is a sight, sure. But Korinth has seen greater. Oh yes, has he ever...
He cannot recall any time with these people, though Keaid has been quick to elucidate. As they react to his seemingly sudden lapse in memory, he finds himself remiss thar he'd missed a chance to see more. Shaking off his disappointment, he continues in his work, weaving fibrous vines into braids of three, slowly coalescing them into a usable rope, one he believes will be able to span the lake, to the island.
Fueled by the fright of seeing the colossal dinosaur, the group manages to finish their 20 by 20 raft right around the time when evening began to fall upon the jungle. With the waning light, Taiga ties off the last bit of vine rope that Korinth gathered earlier. By now, the rain had cleared up, revealing the rosy hues of the sky transitioning from day to night. Nanra inspects the raft curiously, clucking quietly to herself.
"Precisely, Euphemia. I was merely suggesting that your ability to charm that behemoth may one day be the difference between life and death for us."
The goblin blinks once, then grins crookedly. "No pressure."
As the motley group are close to embarking, Shin takes several minutes to produce his Tenser's Floating Disk once more, offering it as a storage spot for anything in excess that might be too heavy for the raft, considering the significant weight the raft will have to carry. Spare wood, food, etc.
He also mutters a few words and gestures to produce a slightly shimmering Mage Armor around himself as he had yesterday.
To Keras' tale about magic, Shin tilts his head wryly. "I recall that my aptitude for arcane magic was as much a disappointment to my family, who I have not seen since I was a small kit, as your apparent lack of it was a disappointment to yours. Yet had we been switched at birth, I suspect your family would have been just as disappointed, if not more so, to have a goblin for a child, just as mine would have been to have a human."
The goblin's crooked grin flashes once more. "Yet I am glad all of us are here with our differences in tow. Taiga with her remarkable skill at carpentry. Those of you that know the outdoors well. Korinth's new draconic friend. And of courseEuphemia's slightly less recent sauro-avian one."
He looks across the lake. "Despite all this," (he gestures all around with his gem-implanted arm), "we may yet survive."
"Oh, aye, if it's life and death, I'll do it, don't you worry," Euphemia says, flashing an impish smile at the goblin. As the sun sinks lower to the horizon, she helps the others to load the raft and the disk with the spider meat, tools, and supplies they've gathered. Even the makeshift harness and woven shelter pieces look to her like they might be a good idea to take along. She counts the remaining smoked spider chunks. "I think we probably ought to go hunting tomorrow," she says. "I'll go with Nanra and anyone else who wants to track another kill..."She shivers a little remembering the hideous spider. I bet there's far worse things we could accidentally track down. But, nothing for it, we've got to eat.
She watches Nanra inspect the raft, wondering how willing the raptor would be to accompany them. Risking a little noise, once they all sit down to take a break and maybe have a bit more meat, Euphemia lets the pipes sing, warbling out a tune which is beginning to sound a little familiar to everyone there.
As East meets West And brute meets best, Twist our tongues less And together we nest.
After ten minutes of playing the tune, she feels the magic take hold, Speak With Animals. Smiling, she puts the pipes away and looks up at Nanra, and though her words sound normal to her, the magic shimmers them into clucks and hoots and hisses to the others... which, of course, to the raptor are perfectly comprehensible. "We're aiming to load up on this raft to cross over to the island. Would you like to come with us? We can take you back on it anytime you'd like to go ashore. But, we're thinking that it'll be a safer place to sleep tonight. Especially after seeing that mighty tall brute."
Taiga had worked feverishly on the raft and with everyone helping, it was finished much faster than she had thought initially. Then, of course, there weren't any notable distractions here, if one doesn't count gigantic dinosaurs that can easily swallow you whole. The thought alone sends a shiver up Taiga's spine.
When the raft is ready, but after a short rest, she helps to load Shin's disc first with everything water could spoil, and then everything heavy. "We should probably take as much as we can, and do several trips if necessary. You said something large and dangerous was lurking in the waters, Keras? Or is it only snakes and fishes? I mean if we decide to build a base on that island, we will have to cross regularly. If possible at all, we should try to take care of such a monster, ideally on our terms. No good comes from waiting until it surprises us," she suggests and just in case refreshes her Mage Armor.
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Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
As the others ready themselves in their own way, Korinth loops his makeshift rope over his shoulder, the vines scratching his flesh. He's deep in conversation with Keaid, who has perched himself on the genasi's head. Its chitters are discernible only to him, yet he speaks to it in plain common, knowing it can understand him anyway. "And how did his shirt become torn?" he asks, staring over at the lizardman. Keaid replies, a long line of clicks and chirps.
"So you just gave him mine?" More chirping. "Ah. That's a relief." The creature gives a soft whine, almost a tone of inquisitiveness. "It's only... well, you tend to exaggerate my interests." The little thing squeaks in protest and nips his ear. "Cry all you care to. I at least remember what others have said of you, whilst you were in control and I slept. I will assume it's the same case here." To this, Keaid remains silent. "Oh? Not denying it anymore, are you?" The creature remains further silent. I suppose that's the end of it, then. the warden muses.
Nanra looks incredulously at the raft for a moment before looking back to Euphemia and saying simply, "I will follow you." Maybe that was just the enchantment talking, but maybe it could be more than that. Could the raptor be growing to trust the halfling?
ALL
With everything gathered together, the group all climbs aboard the raft and prepares to cross the lake as the darkness of night fell across the land. It takes Nanra a few tries to stay steady on the raft, but she gets it fairly quick.
As you start to paddle out onto the lake, a few curious fish come up to the surface to nibble on the raft, but they quickly swim back down into the depths of the lake when they realize that the raft wasn't edible. About ten minutes of paddling in the darkness of night, you hear that mechanical thrumming begin to resonate throughout the jungle a moment before the Eye opens overhead, the celestial array of lights dazzling in the darkness. With the Eye's faint light bathing the land, you manage to make it to the lake without any incident. The islands dark shores beckon you, whispering of safety and solitude.
When they finally reach the other side, Keras lets out a long sigh of relief. "We should be safer here. My shelter is only a couple of minutes walk from where we are now. The location has the most protection from the elements that I could find." Keras makes a heading towards the center of the island, off of the beach and into to the treeline. His path is angular as he makes his way from landmark to landmark, and in short order he stands in front of his small, decrepit shelter. It is barely worthy of the name, little more than a handful of logs leaned up against a large rock and covered in leafy branches that have already started to rot.
"Home sweet home" He says with a chuckle. "I'm almost certain this is the first shelter I've ever had to build in my life, but who knows? Maybe I was a master of bushcraft and my skills were stolen alongside my memories. Somehow I doubt it, but I would love to be proven wrong." He looks around "I'll find some dry wood for a fire. I haven't been bothered by predators here yet, even with open flames, but we should consider setting a watch now that there are more of us. The fish in the lake are edible, if only barely, so we could supplement our deadly giant spider steaks with some carnivorous lake-fare if we so desire."
As the raft begins its precarious journey across the lake, Euphemia sits down near Nanra, sitting loosely cross-legged as it helps her to feel more balanced on the bobbing contraction. Oh, I've never felt a mite too comfortable floating on the water, that's for sure. I'm glad Nanra was so willing. She smiles at her saurian friend and pats her on the leg. As the Eye appears and the dark journey becomes illuminated a bit, Euphemia finds herself staring upwards, watching the show, puzzled and curious. I wish we could figure out what it's saying. I want to know why we're here... I want to remember everything.Idly she runs the different songs she knows through her mind, and, though her recall of some melodies and tunes is fuzzy, and others very clear, she has the sense that her repertoire is far larger than she recalls. If there's one to speak to animals, I bet there's one to understand the Eye. I just have to remember it.
The halfling breathes a sigh of relief when they reach land and her toes sink again into the sand, as she clambers off the wooden logs to help moor the raft. "By the Invincible, I'm glad ye've been here already, Keras, and know that it's, er, relatively safe. Should we unload everything out here? Maybe we can reinforce your shelter with some of the stuff we built. I'd sure love to build us a fire. Shin, ye need any help with that floating disk of yours? Maybe whoever's on watch can be hauling supplies."
Euphemia enthusiastically helps with moving their tools, supplies, and the last of the spider meat, seeming quite excited to build a home in a place she has reason to believe might actually be safe. "Tomorrow... anyone want to come on a hunt with me and Nanra? I think it'll be about time to find something big to smoke and get ourselves a good store."
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Once everyone had their breakfast and finished with their morning routine, Taiga approaches each member and explains what she needs to build a raft. If they all work together, they may be able to build it relatively quick. Korinth had mentioned that he would make a rope but Taiga doubts that he has any memory of that plan and asks him again if he could make one that is long enough to cover the distance between here and the island, ideally twice. The rests, she asks if they could help cutting down small trees with her hatchet, the newly made small axe and the saw that she has in her kit. She would like to make the raft big enough that at least three can fit comfortably and that it would still float with five of them. She asks Shin specifically if his disk will hover above water as that could make things a lot easier. Once the first tree is cut down, Taiga begins to cut joints, and lets the others continue to bring in wood. She estimates that it would take her 3 to 4 days to craft the raft if they spend all the day bringing in wood for it.
(I looked up the time it needs to do this but feel free to suggest something different. Or we could make it roll dependent? The estimate assumes that she has four to six helping hands, too, for the three or four days of raft making plus the initial day of harvesting wood. This is for a raft for five. One for 2/3 would take a day less. Sorry, I didn’t have time to elaborate more on the RP.)
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
EUPHEMIA
The hafling's tune washes over the sleeping form of Nanra, her eyes fluttering for a moment as Euphemia's charm takes hold of the raptor's mind once again.
ALL
The morning sun begins its inevitable rise, its coming painting the eastern skies a rosy pink. Thankfully, your makeshift camp didn't seem to attract too much attention while you all slumbered without anyone keeping a watch, a risky move in a jungle like this one. Probably best to not make that a habit, though you did have the excuse of being too exhausted from the day's ordeal to even have considered watching out for nocturnal predators.
With the day reborn once more with the rise of the sun, you have several tasks which you could do. Taiga seems determined to make a larger raft so everyone could safely make it to the little island in the center of the lake. She seems to know what she's doing as she directs those that help her create the raft out of materials harvested from the jungle. With that project well on its way, what do you do?
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Shin marvels and scribbles notes as Euphemia's musical magic enraptures the raptor once more. He is glad that the Alarm ritual he had cast around the camp to warn of intruders was not tripped during the night, as he had no desire to stumble awake in the midst of an attack.
He performs the ritual to summon Tenser's Floating Disk once more and shows Taiga how it works. How it follows Shin at a distance of roughly twenty feet, remaining a few feet over the surface, will will not work well on deeply uneven ground, and how it can carry roughly a quarter ton. As before, he busies himself moving the disk where it needs to go to gather materials necessary to build the raft.
To everyone, the goblin takes a moment to describe new magic that he believes he has learned (or recalled?) that may be of use in an emergency.
"If you can spare me a segment of any rope you craft, even five or ten feet should do, if an impossible situation arises and immediate escape becomes necessary for all of us, I can apply a specific transmutation magic so that climbing the rope leads to a safe, temporary extradimensional space in which we can take shelter for up to an hour, pulling the rope up behind us. If the massive predatory dinosaur returns, for example." (Rope Trick).
Unless the gems in your forearms prevent it and the big dino ends up with a nice buffet, Pinky-toe puts in ominously in Shin's mind, keeping watch from his shoulder. And would Nanra climb the rope into this cozy nest of yours too in this eventuality? That I can't wait to see...
Sighing, Shin makes some unobtrusive markings on a couple of the trees nearby, long lines for each of the humanoids (three of them slightly shorter), two little ones for the owl familiar and draconian companion, and a triangle for the raptor. He is not quite sure why he does this except perhaps hope that the group can stay together (and survive so one of the lines will not need to be scratched out). And perhaps to recognize this exact spot again if they return.
Just before any departure from the camp, over the lake or otherwise, Shin would cast Mage Armor on himself.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Euphemia sighs in relief as she feels the magic take hold again, and still Nanra sleeps on. Good friend, maybe one day I'll know that you trust me without any magic, but in the meantime, ye have awfully big teeth. She pats the raptor gently on the neck while the animal dozes. After finishing the song, and a good morning to anyone who is awake, she scurries off for the morning latrine and face-washing in the lake. The sweat of terror and the muggy climate feels sticky on her skin, and she longs to strip down and dive into the lake for a real bath, but she's not about to do that in mixed company, and that not even as much the males as the horrible hungry things that probably live in this lake. She chuckles as she splashes water over her face, smoothing back her curls with her damp hands, and pulls her hood back up over her head when she's finished.
"I'm not very big, but I'll help with some trees," Euphemia offers to Taiga, and takes the hatchet the genasi made to get started. It's not her forte, but she's not unused to hard physical labor. Chopping wood and carrying water, I remember, even in the frozen mountains at the abbey we did that... and at home, with my family, we'd fell the logs and harness a horse or pony or a large dog to them to drag them home. She glances at Nanra, remembering the harness that Korinth had wanted to fix to haul the meat home with, and smiles. She's a hunter, not a draft animal, that won't ever change. But I wonder if there's critters here that would make good draft animals... maybe I can make friends with them, too.
As Shin describes another spell he's recalled, she grimaces. Sounds kind of fishy, an interdimensional pocket space? Well... if it works, I guess that could be useful. "I think I remember one too, another song. They come in bits and pieces, but this one filled in last night, I think. It's a halfling song, and I can find a sort of plant or animal with it. Like, if we wanted to find more of those berries, or another kind."
Taking a break from helping to gather wood, Euphemia hunts around the surrounding area, hoping that maybe in the morning light she'll be able to find some other plants she recognizes, but nothing at all stands out to her. Disappointed, she says to the others, "If not today, then tomorrow we should have another hunting party. Nanra and Korinth and I did pretty good yesterday, but between all of us and the raptor we'll eat through the rest of that spider meat by this evening."
Survival: 6
The Genasi breaks from his conversation with the reptile on his shoulder to give the halfling a look of pure perplexion. "We did? When was this, small one?" More chittering from the creature, "...er, I mean Euphemia?"
The man with empty eyes seems to have no memory of his past dealing with any of these people. Only Keaid remembers.
During her work, she uses opportunities to relay the things she'd remembered, "I remembered something new, too," she says. "I can control the water in the air around me and attach it to my skin as icicles that can harm attackers and shield me to some extend." (Armor of AgathysSpiny Shield)
(Carpentry for the days work, if necessary: 11)
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
Day 2
ALL
With the whole crew working on the raft for much of the morning, you make some pretty solid progress on the raft. You expect that at this rate, you'll be done with the raft by either late tonight or early tomorrow. As you all tinker away, Nanra watches you with a mixture of curiosity and amusement evident upon her reptilian face. She gets up a few times and wanders off for a bit, but she always returns after about a half hour or so.
Noon quickly approaches, and as the morning warmth gives way to the afternoon mugginess, you don't really spot much activity around the lake. Occasionally, you spot a few snakes slithering around near your camp, some of them growing to lengths of fifty feet, though they don't seem particularly interested in bothering you. You also spot several other creatures that emerge from the jungle edge to take hesitant drinks from the murky lake, though none of them stay long before disappearing back into the dense rain forest. You see several different species of dinosaurs that do this, but you also see several different mammals and few unrecognizable, monstrous creatures. Thankfully, none of them seem to notice you except for a pair of violet heron-like birds that splash down into the lake nearby. They watch the group with blood-red eyes for a while before they start stalking around in the shallows, spearing small fish and and other water creatures. Nanra watches them warily, but she takes no action towards them.
A gentle thunderstorm rolls through the jungle around midday, though it's nowhere near as powerful and violent as the one yesterday. Warm rain pitter-patters all around you, and an occasional rumble of distant thunder joins the chorus of chirps, birdsongs, and the other sounds of the jungle.
About an hour into the softly-spoken thunderstorm, Nanra suddenly leaps to her feet, her frill flared in agitation. She stares fearfully across the lake at something, and a small whine escapes her throat as she takes a few slow steps back. Looking around to see the source of her agitation, you spot the source of her fears emerging from the jungle about a quarter of a mile along the shore.
You see a truly terrifying monstrosity you're quite sure is actually made from the stuff of nightmares push its way through dense foliage to stand upon the shore of the lake. Standing at nearly 80 feet tall, it appears to a gigantic carnivorous dinosaur. Its scales, while a bit hard to make out at this distance, seem to be a mostly ochre yellow color with dark blue markings and patterns. Two small arms protrude from its immense chest, though you can see its left arm is withered and much smaller than the other. It swings its regal head to the side to look at something you can't see, and you see a massive scar running up its left side and part of its face. While he can't see it, Keras knows that its left eye is missing, and empty socket taking its place. That still didn't make it any less terrifying when it had chased him though the jungle when he first got there.
The colossal beast lowers its head down to the water and takes a long drought before rising and turning and disappearing back into jungle. Only as the last bit of its massive tail slips into the forest and vanishes from sight does Nanra seem to calm down, her frill flattening.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Shin has his book out and seems to be drawing a hasty sketch of the apparent top predator. His voice is thoughtful and wry.
"There may come a day, Euphemia, when you find yourself quite urgently needing to charm that one instead of Nanra."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
As the terrifying monstrosity emerges from the jungle, Taiga's heart skips a beat. Frozen in place, she watches in awe and horror as the gigantic carnivorous dinosaur makes its way to the shore of the lake. The sheer size of the beast leaves her breathless, and she can't tear her eyes away from its massive form. For a moment, Taiga considers fleeing to seek shelter, her instincts screaming at her to run. But something holds her back, a morbid curiosity perhaps, or a sense of awe in the face of such a fearsome creature. Instead of running, she remains still, her hands trembling slightly as she watches the colossal dinosaur take a long drink from the lake before disappearing back into the jungle.
Once the creature is out of sight, Taiga's heart still pounding in her chest, she turns to her companions, her voice shaky but determined. "We need to fortify our camp," she says, her eyes darting nervously to the dense foliage surrounding them. "Large spikes buried in the ground could deter an attack from creatures like that, or at least might just give us the second we need to flee. Anyway, we need to be prepared." She recalls something she had heard about spikes being able to deter cavalry, and she believes that the same principle could work against any large predator. She continues the work on the raft in the afternoon but already starts to plan out how they can fortify a camp and protect themselves from future encounters with such terrifying creatures.
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
Keras offers his help to the Genasi as she works, helping to carry the logs that the two of them cut down back towards the campsite. He works mindlessly, using the manual labor to take his thoughts away from his past. The dream from the night before is already fading, but the urgency remains. He knows there's something important he needs to remember, but no amount of soul searching will reveal it.
He watches with interest as Shin conjurs his strange, circular platform out of thin air. "I never had any aptitude for magic, but I find it fascinating. I remember being distinctly disappointed when I failed the testing for magical ability, and I'm pretty sure the rest of my family was twice as disappointed as I was" He says with a chuckle. "Funny that I remember that about them, but nothing else. Disappointment was common where I was concerned, I think."
He basks in the warm rain, but leaves his sword inside the shelter to protect it from damage. Having nothing more productive to do, he moves a little ways from the camp and falls into a relaxed stance, then begins to run through a basic kata. Some of his muscles ache from sleeping on the hard ground the night before, but it's a good pain, the kind that motivates rather than discourages. Soon afterwards, all of the hair stands up on the back of his neck. He whips his head around, looking for what caused the sudden sense of panic, and realizes Nanra is agitated. He sighs, the fear subsiding a little, but then his eyes drift to the opposite shore. His heart starts to race, every instinct screaming at him to run, or fight, or curl up on the ground and pretend it doesn't exist. He reaches to his side for a sword that isn't there, and curses himself for the second time in as many days that he'd left it out of reach. He dashes back to the camp, quickly putting out any fires that still burned, making sure to smother the smoke as well. He keeps his eye on it until it finally retreats back into the forest.
"That is why I made camp on the island. It chased me for two days, unrelenting. It can tear trees from the ground with little effort and it tracked me perfectly. It wasn't until I made my raft and escaped over the lake that it finally gave up. We should avoid staying at the shore for too long - the moment we can transfer everything to the island, I suggest we do so."
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
"It was yesterday," Euphemia says, looking at Korinth curiously. "You really don't remember anything, eh? Well, I don't know if that's a bad sign that this amnesia we've all got is going to come back and cycle us again. But, so far, I remember everything just fine since I woke up atop that cliff yesterday morn." She shudders, a small boost of adrenaline coursing into her veins at recalling some of those events. Though there's plenty I'd rather not remember.
The halfling continues working, keeping an easy all-day pace, until a sudden movement from Nanra startles her to stand up quickly and look around, the memories of the dangers of the previous day crowding into her mind. The screamer, is the first thought that leaps up, that thing she never saw, that Nanra had picked her up and run for their lives from. But there's clearly more dangerous creatures than just that, and the sheer size and height of the terrifying thing that emerges from the jungle down the lakeside makes Euphemia's mind go almost blank with terror. In an instant, she melts into the surrounding bushes to hide, though choosing a spot where she can track the giant animal's movement through the trees.
When it departs, it takes a few minutes for her pounding heart to calm down, and seeing Nanra calm down is the only thing that entices her to come back out of hiding. She says to Shin, scribbling in his book, "Charm that? That's the first thing I'd be trying to do. I sure can't fight it. Nanra can already eat me in one bite, maybe one and a half bites, I'd be not even a bite for a thing that size."
Taking a deep breath, she looks between Taiga and Keras as they offer suggestions. "That hide looked thick. I.. ah... I think I like Keras' suggestion better, seein' as the critter's tried to have its fill of him already. Let's get this raft finished then, shall we?" The thought of hunting for food forgotten, Euphemia throws herself back into whatever task best helps with building the raft.
Stealth: 12
The great beast across the lake is a sight, sure. But Korinth has seen greater. Oh yes, has he ever...
He cannot recall any time with these people, though Keaid has been quick to elucidate. As they react to his seemingly sudden lapse in memory, he finds himself remiss thar he'd missed a chance to see more. Shaking off his disappointment, he continues in his work, weaving fibrous vines into braids of three, slowly coalescing them into a usable rope, one he believes will be able to span the lake, to the island.
ALL
Fueled by the fright of seeing the colossal dinosaur, the group manages to finish their 20 by 20 raft right around the time when evening began to fall upon the jungle. With the waning light, Taiga ties off the last bit of vine rope that Korinth gathered earlier. By now, the rain had cleared up, revealing the rosy hues of the sky transitioning from day to night. Nanra inspects the raft curiously, clucking quietly to herself.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
"Precisely, Euphemia. I was merely suggesting that your ability to charm that behemoth may one day be the difference between life and death for us."
The goblin blinks once, then grins crookedly. "No pressure."
As the motley group are close to embarking, Shin takes several minutes to produce his Tenser's Floating Disk once more, offering it as a storage spot for anything in excess that might be too heavy for the raft, considering the significant weight the raft will have to carry. Spare wood, food, etc.
He also mutters a few words and gestures to produce a slightly shimmering Mage Armor around himself as he had yesterday.
To Keras' tale about magic, Shin tilts his head wryly. "I recall that my aptitude for arcane magic was as much a disappointment to my family, who I have not seen since I was a small kit, as your apparent lack of it was a disappointment to yours. Yet had we been switched at birth, I suspect your family would have been just as disappointed, if not more so, to have a goblin for a child, just as mine would have been to have a human."
The goblin's crooked grin flashes once more. "Yet I am glad all of us are here with our differences in tow. Taiga with her remarkable skill at carpentry. Those of you that know the outdoors well. Korinth's new draconic friend. And of course Euphemia's slightly less recent sauro-avian one."
He looks across the lake. "Despite all this," (he gestures all around with his gem-implanted arm), "we may yet survive."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Oh, aye, if it's life and death, I'll do it, don't you worry," Euphemia says, flashing an impish smile at the goblin. As the sun sinks lower to the horizon, she helps the others to load the raft and the disk with the spider meat, tools, and supplies they've gathered. Even the makeshift harness and woven shelter pieces look to her like they might be a good idea to take along. She counts the remaining smoked spider chunks. "I think we probably ought to go hunting tomorrow," she says. "I'll go with Nanra and anyone else who wants to track another kill..." She shivers a little remembering the hideous spider. I bet there's far worse things we could accidentally track down. But, nothing for it, we've got to eat.
She watches Nanra inspect the raft, wondering how willing the raptor would be to accompany them. Risking a little noise, once they all sit down to take a break and maybe have a bit more meat, Euphemia lets the pipes sing, warbling out a tune which is beginning to sound a little familiar to everyone there.
As East meets West
And brute meets best,
Twist our tongues less
And together we nest.
After ten minutes of playing the tune, she feels the magic take hold, Speak With Animals. Smiling, she puts the pipes away and looks up at Nanra, and though her words sound normal to her, the magic shimmers them into clucks and hoots and hisses to the others... which, of course, to the raptor are perfectly comprehensible. "We're aiming to load up on this raft to cross over to the island. Would you like to come with us? We can take you back on it anytime you'd like to go ashore. But, we're thinking that it'll be a safer place to sleep tonight. Especially after seeing that mighty tall brute."
Taiga had worked feverishly on the raft and with everyone helping, it was finished much faster than she had thought initially. Then, of course, there weren't any notable distractions here, if one doesn't count gigantic dinosaurs that can easily swallow you whole. The thought alone sends a shiver up Taiga's spine.
When the raft is ready, but after a short rest, she helps to load Shin's disc first with everything water could spoil, and then everything heavy. "We should probably take as much as we can, and do several trips if necessary. You said something large and dangerous was lurking in the waters, Keras? Or is it only snakes and fishes? I mean if we decide to build a base on that island, we will have to cross regularly. If possible at all, we should try to take care of such a monster, ideally on our terms. No good comes from waiting until it surprises us," she suggests and just in case refreshes her Mage Armor.
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
As the others ready themselves in their own way, Korinth loops his makeshift rope over his shoulder, the vines scratching his flesh. He's deep in conversation with Keaid, who has perched himself on the genasi's head. Its chitters are discernible only to him, yet he speaks to it in plain common, knowing it can understand him anyway. "And how did his shirt become torn?" he asks, staring over at the lizardman. Keaid replies, a long line of clicks and chirps.
"So you just gave him mine?" More chirping. "Ah. That's a relief." The creature gives a soft whine, almost a tone of inquisitiveness. "It's only... well, you tend to exaggerate my interests." The little thing squeaks in protest and nips his ear. "Cry all you care to. I at least remember what others have said of you, whilst you were in control and I slept. I will assume it's the same case here." To this, Keaid remains silent. "Oh? Not denying it anymore, are you?" The creature remains further silent. I suppose that's the end of it, then. the warden muses.
EUPHEMIA
Nanra looks incredulously at the raft for a moment before looking back to Euphemia and saying simply, "I will follow you." Maybe that was just the enchantment talking, but maybe it could be more than that. Could the raptor be growing to trust the halfling?
ALL
With everything gathered together, the group all climbs aboard the raft and prepares to cross the lake as the darkness of night fell across the land. It takes Nanra a few tries to stay steady on the raft, but she gets it fairly quick.
As you start to paddle out onto the lake, a few curious fish come up to the surface to nibble on the raft, but they quickly swim back down into the depths of the lake when they realize that the raft wasn't edible. About ten minutes of paddling in the darkness of night, you hear that mechanical thrumming begin to resonate throughout the jungle a moment before the Eye opens overhead, the celestial array of lights dazzling in the darkness. With the Eye's faint light bathing the land, you manage to make it to the lake without any incident. The islands dark shores beckon you, whispering of safety and solitude.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
When they finally reach the other side, Keras lets out a long sigh of relief. "We should be safer here. My shelter is only a couple of minutes walk from where we are now. The location has the most protection from the elements that I could find." Keras makes a heading towards the center of the island, off of the beach and into to the treeline. His path is angular as he makes his way from landmark to landmark, and in short order he stands in front of his small, decrepit shelter. It is barely worthy of the name, little more than a handful of logs leaned up against a large rock and covered in leafy branches that have already started to rot.
"Home sweet home" He says with a chuckle. "I'm almost certain this is the first shelter I've ever had to build in my life, but who knows? Maybe I was a master of bushcraft and my skills were stolen alongside my memories. Somehow I doubt it, but I would love to be proven wrong." He looks around "I'll find some dry wood for a fire. I haven't been bothered by predators here yet, even with open flames, but we should consider setting a watch now that there are more of us. The fish in the lake are edible, if only barely, so we could supplement our deadly giant spider steaks with some carnivorous lake-fare if we so desire."
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
As the raft begins its precarious journey across the lake, Euphemia sits down near Nanra, sitting loosely cross-legged as it helps her to feel more balanced on the bobbing contraction. Oh, I've never felt a mite too comfortable floating on the water, that's for sure. I'm glad Nanra was so willing. She smiles at her saurian friend and pats her on the leg. As the Eye appears and the dark journey becomes illuminated a bit, Euphemia finds herself staring upwards, watching the show, puzzled and curious. I wish we could figure out what it's saying. I want to know why we're here... I want to remember everything. Idly she runs the different songs she knows through her mind, and, though her recall of some melodies and tunes is fuzzy, and others very clear, she has the sense that her repertoire is far larger than she recalls. If there's one to speak to animals, I bet there's one to understand the Eye. I just have to remember it.
The halfling breathes a sigh of relief when they reach land and her toes sink again into the sand, as she clambers off the wooden logs to help moor the raft. "By the Invincible, I'm glad ye've been here already, Keras, and know that it's, er, relatively safe. Should we unload everything out here? Maybe we can reinforce your shelter with some of the stuff we built. I'd sure love to build us a fire. Shin, ye need any help with that floating disk of yours? Maybe whoever's on watch can be hauling supplies."
Euphemia enthusiastically helps with moving their tools, supplies, and the last of the spider meat, seeming quite excited to build a home in a place she has reason to believe might actually be safe. "Tomorrow... anyone want to come on a hunt with me and Nanra? I think it'll be about time to find something big to smoke and get ourselves a good store."