Jolly furrowed his brow at the comment about the King, but held his tongue. Between the rush to move and Slem's reaction to the near death experience, he was too shaken for much more than more the softly spoken words meant to persuade any plant-life to dance aside whenever necessary. Now that the group has stopped however, he takes one last swig of the remainder of his water before setting aside the tents for Zubeki's unseen servants.
Afterwards, he will consume the last of the first batch of Good berries and nuts before summoning and plucking 10 more off a temporary growth from his staff. With the exception of both himself and Zubeki, the remainder of the party (excluding the guides this time) are each given only one Goodberry again. Though before he hands it out to Vrak and the newcomers, Jolly makes a point of gathering them together and saying very explicitly, "This one is not good with words at times, so listen carefully. These are to be consumed ONLY in an emergency." He eyes Vrak pointedly with a warning look that still held traces of restrained humor.
"You--"He points to the half-elf ranger and chuckles. "You have the flicker! Yes! These are similar, and do serve the same purpose. But through Jannath's blessings, these are a bit more potent then what you might be used to. This one has extra rations if you are in need of them, and you are... more than welcome to make use of the tents, alright? Now -- Oh, wait. One, no, two more things-..." Jolly takes off his healer's kit from side, and two curious vials of water. Whereas one of the vials is handed off to Vrak, the second one along with the healer's kit is offered to the newcomers as whole (if not just whichever decided to heed the giant in the first place). "Here. In the event that this one issss indisposed... again. One of you should have this on hand. These, on the other hand, are filled with water blessed by the great mother, and meant to return her lost children -- the undead, as most call them, home. Use these gifts wisely now." He suggests.
Once all of those matters have been more or less settled in full, Jolly will go over to sit with Zee. What he doesn't offer by way of words, as words weren't exactly a strong suit (in spite the contrary shown), he shows in intent by his staff on his lap, and eyes set keenly on their surroundings after putting on a new layer of salve.
Naivara watches Vrak touch the statue and attempt to trace the maze path, once the explosion hit she dropped to the ground hands over her ears. Her eyes closed tightly once she was blinded by the intense light of the explosion. Her body ached in pain as she laid there for a moment to get a hold of her surroundings, opening her eyes. Everything was blurry for a moment and she took a bit of time sitting up. She listens to everyone rushing to aid the injured and the suggestions to get moving. I don't think I can move.. much less far enough not to get caught by whatever heard that.. Naivara groans softly as she slowly manages to get to her feet. Once everyone gets moving she stays close to the back, still a bit disoriented.
As soon as everyone settles down for the night she drops onto the ground, resting a bit. She drinks some water, taking a moment before she sets up her tent. Once her tent is set up, she eats one of her rations, and then Naivara waves to the others before going to lay in the tent. Some rest would do some good, especially after a rude awakening and an explosion.
Vrak follows Zee and the guide in silence, warily watching the jungle around them as they make their way .
When they stop and make camp he settles in, takes some food and drinks some water. He then sets his rain catcher up.
When offered the berry again he nearly pops it in his mouth again recalling how good the other one was. Jolly's warning stops him and he stows the berry away for safe keeping.
"What are these Jolly? Why do we save them for emergencies only? What do they do besides taste good?"
Still feeling ashamed of his actions earlier in the day he remains quiet except for offering to take the last watch again.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a Good Berry." Jolly snickers at the little jest. But sensing at least some of the Dragonborn's lingering disquiet, he quickly amends the statement patting Vrak on the shoulder. "Relax, young dragon. Only a jest. They are a... *clicks tongue*… Restoratives? Yes, that sounds right."He nods, seeming almost proud for a moment. "But yes! While not as potent as some of my more borrowed strength and channeled blessings, they are powerful in their own way. For instance, that sense of fullness you felt last? No matter how starved one feels, a single one of these can fill the belly for a full day. Annnd~ much like some minor potions and poultices, heal your wounds upon consumption."
At that Jolly will start to demonstrate on himself, hesitates, and then after giving Vrak a long look, passes it to the dragonborn. "Here. Have a bite. You see properly? Feel not so sore?"He flashes a toothy grin. Whether Vrak eats the second offered berry or not, Jolly will leave it in the dragonborn's hands to set aside. "'Specially blessed bounty, they are, thanks to the big mother. Under right circumstances, it helps me conserve on future strength.... Though aside from taste, the blessing fades after a full day's time. Thus, why I warn now, er, more properly this time."He chuckles weakly. "Either way, in end trust you to know best time, leader Vrak. But do not expect more for tonight. This morning was rougher than expected."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Zubeki places his bag down and starts to clear his mind. He can feel himself pulling too much weight on his staff and tries to readjust before he starts his rituals. First unseen servant to aid in the building of camp, with tents being built and a circle of stones being assembled for a campfire. After the 10 mins pass, he inhales a large breath and slow exhales as alarm is set around the camp. It didn't prevent the danger, but it kept us on our toes. The evening is your time to shine Zubeki, protect these people as they have protected you throughout the day.
After the 11 mins have passed, Zubeki gives a silent signal that everything is all set from his side as he collapses upon himself. Seemingly ignoring a dangling thread from the back of his jacket, he finishes off the day's water, enjoys the last bite of salty a ration, and pulls out the salve. He silently reapplies it over his skin, while rubbing the last of it off in his hair. He looks exhausted and dejected, but before crawling into a tent he stands again and says "A moment of silence to the souls who have left us. Either from the jungle's bloodlust or from the fear in their hearts, they are not forgotten."
You awake to the smell of something cooking over the firepit as you see Musharib with a large stick in his hand with some kind of creature attached to it roasting over the flames. There are eight other sticks with the same creature slow cooking as well.
"Rise and Shine my friends. It's a beautiful day for some treasure hunting." Musharib says with a smile on his face. " I took the liberty of cooking some lizards I found this morning. Eat them while they are hot." he says as he bites the head of the one on the stick he is holding.
You finish the meal of lizards and wash it down with some fresh water, you notice it rained last night and the one rain-catcher set up has 5 gallons of water in it.
"We won't have enough water for everyone today," Musharib says as he applies his insect repellent. "By evening some of you might get a little dehydrated. You need to choose who gets the water. Don't worry about me. I have my own as does Zee."
Zee nods as she looks over a map and eats her lizard absentmindedly. Once she is done she takes a sip of water and applies her insect repellent.
"It should only take us a few hours to get there. Let's saddle up."
You head out into the jungle with Zee leading the way. She looks nervous but keeps her mouth shut and her eyes open looking for anything dangerous along the way.
A little while later
Approximately 11:34 am
Almost six hours later you come across an old dirt road that looks to haven't been used in centuries. It is overgrown with brush and vegetation and it takes a while to get through but you finally come to a shoreline. You see a large river at least 45 feet across whose current is very fast, flowing in a southwestern direction. As you look in the river it is cloudy and you cannot see what is under the surface. Across the way, you see a large cliff that raises 90' into the air. You think you can see the top of a stone pyramid above the tree line covered with vines and heavy brush.
"It doesn't look the freshest but this could help our water problem."Zubeki smacks. Through this high humidity, it feels like the driest thing on him is his throat.
"This is a fast current though, so anything swimming in would have to be extremely strong. Musharib. Zee. Have either of you had any experience with the part of this river?" Zubeki turns back and examines the shoreline carefully for any hidden dangers (Perception: 6)
After Zubeki's grim request -- one the giant-kin somberly accepts -- Jolly sleeps troubled, but nevertheless sleeps fully.
Next Morning...
"Hm~ Unfortunate. But--"He pauses to look past his shoulder, and then with a big smile looks to the others and says, "The mother has seen fit to provide when the time comes, so... This one will abstain." He says before returning to breakfast. While he did not need to physically thanks to the berry the day before, he knew better than to waste a life sacrificed for another. That is assuming Musharib didn't look like he could go for another. Because he'll give it to the dwarf with a brief thanks/apology.
The water will of course be downed still, and after again checking to make sure the repellent held through the night along with completing his morning meditation, Jolly is ready to head out with everyone else.
Later that Day...
Jolly lets out a long, low whistle at the vista. "Oh my~ Uhm.. this one does not suppose you had a plan for this?" He looks to Zee seeming more curious than worried. A similar look is given to the others. While he had no trouble swimming, the first real night in Chult taught him to err on the side of caution ever more than his homeland. After getting an answer there, Jolly will mutter a curt prayer under breathe before looking about along the river for either convenient signs of passage via forgotten boats, a brachiosaurus, or trees that appeared to be on the brink of death.
"This is a fast current though, so anything swimming in would have to be extremely strong. Musharib. Zee. Have either of you had any experience with the part of this river?" Zubeki turns back and examines the shoreline carefully for any hidden dangers (Perception: 6)
They both nod at Zubeki's question. "Aye, I've been down this river 100's of times. It usually isn't this fast this time of year." Musharib says.
"Aye, It is usually a lot slower but it does happen on occasion. It's no big deal." Zee answers.
Zubeki doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
Jolly will mutter a curt prayer under breathe before looking about along the river for either convenient signs of passage via forgotten boats, a brachiosaurus, or trees that appeared to be on the brink of death.
As Jolly looks around he notices a lot of vines and broken trees around these parts that could be fashioned into some kind of craft with the proper tools and skills.
Vrak finishes the third watch and moves about the camp. He drinks some water and applies the salve again. He eats the offered food that Musharib has cooked up. Having done that he spends several minutes in quiet meditation on his spells preparing for the day. He refills his water skins offering water to those who may need it as there is extra.
"No one else put up their rain catcher last night? This will cause us problems later in the day. Hopefully we will come across some water to drink as we do not have enough for everyone right now."
Packing up his rain catcher after the remaining water is divided up and given to the others as needed he prepares his gear.
6 hours later they come across the river. He stops and takes a drink from his water skin. His heavy armor is hot and a bit uncomfortable, but considering the dangers thus far he is glad to have kept it.
"Well, this is fortunate. We can refill water skins here at the river. When that is done, pile them up and I can purify the water that they hold. It is that or risk dehydration. We do not have enough water for everyone." Looking around at the group he awaits what they decide to do about the water situation.
That morning Naivara applies the salve and looks at the rain catcher seeing they did not have enough water for everyone. She abstains from taking any extra water after having some that morning and eating one of the lizards Musharib had captured and cooked. She packs up her stuff and follows along with the others, she keeps one hand on the handle of her Greataxe in case they come across any enemies.
Once they come across the river Naivara looks at the water and then towards the others. She then folds her arms over her chest, "That is actually a good idea, if any of us suffered dehydration we might not be able to fight to the best of our ability if something attacked us."
"This one could t-...Mmmmn-nevermind. Uhm, sure thing. But uh, this one does suppose any of you happened to be kaperturns? If so-..."He'll gesture over to his findings, and then looks to the others expectantly. If need be he'll assist in cobbling together the supplies for making the craft. Otherwise, he'll wait his turn to refill his waterskin after the others have gone to the river from the sidelines with his shield and staff at the ready. After the whole surprise ambush at the beginning, the firbolg was less inclined to for taking things lightly again. .
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Zubeki unfastens his two waterskins from his belt and walks towards the edge. "I shall, as they say, test the waters." He looks back at the group and smirks. "Vrak, excellent idea about the purification. If our adventures keep us close to rivers and ponds, maybe fresh water won't be a worry after all."
Holding tightly to his staff, he uses it to help him gently kneel by the swift water's edge. Zubeki submerges one in at a time, waiting for the bubbles to fully escape from the mouth before pulling it back ashore. While this close to the river, he examines the cloudy water carefully. (Nature: 5)
Musharib smiles at Vraks words. "See you listen to Musharib, Drinking water from the jungle is bad. You will get throat leeches, very dangerous. Could be fatal if you don't purify it. Now about those supplies, Jolly has found. I Cannot fashion a boat from them but I can help. I am only good with stone, sorry."
Zee looks at the water and frowns. "I can get across the water no problem, Maybe if Someone had a rope I could tie it to the trees on the other side and if you could build a crude platform you could pull yourselves across using the rope."
As Zubeki looks into the water he can't see into the cloudy depths.
Vrak listens to Musharib as he explains about the water. "Yes, I understand, I have the power to purify the water once it has been collected."
Vrak surveys the group. "Do any of you have the ability to fashion a raft out of what Jolly has collected? Musharib says he can help. Perhaps Jolly can sing the vines in place? Or Zubeki can use that servant of his to build it, or perhaps even float across the water to tie the rope? Zee says she can swim it. If we tie a couple ropes together we could use it to guide a raft across or even hold onto to a pull ourselves across by anchoring it on either side. I'm not sure we want to swim across. Or we could march one direction or the other to find a shallower, shorter distance across the river, but we have no idea if any such place exists. I think the best idea is to build a raft, have Zee swim some rope across and use it to pull the raft across. It will take some time, but it could be done. Anyone else have any ideas?"
"My summons can help carry some light equipment and do simple tasks, but it would be washed down the stream at the current's speed. If Zee if confident, I say let her swim across after the raft is constructed. Then we can fasten two ropes together, tie it to a stone or piece of wood, and I can catapult it over to Zee on the other shore. That way she can swim unencumbered. Zee if you leave everything you don't want wet here, then we can bring it over with us."
Zubeki carefully unbuttons the zurkhwood buttons on his sleeves and rolls them up, revealing more of the brightly dyed fabric on the inside of his jacket. "As for construction, it's just a large unwieldy weave of logs and vines. Should be no different than a large, awkward loom." Zubeki smiles and places his waterskins down close to Vrak, as he starts drawing in the soft earth with his staff a plan for construction.
Jolly rapidly shakes his head at the idea at the idea of using the vines, and would say as much if needed to emphasize putting his foot down on the point. Heck, just mention the idea is enough to get the Firbolg to go over to the vines and whisper consoling words to them. "None here, leader Vrak." He eventually pipes up. Afterwards, he'll give a conspiringly glance before turning to Zubeki with a grin. "Something tells me that will not be necessary, young Vrak." At that, he'll pass over his rope to the druid to do with as she wishes before setting to work getting the wood in place.
Only once at least that much is out of the way does he trace stand before Zubeki again, trace a wide circle in the air, and then sharply pokes the wizard's forehead. "There. May your path find the other with the Mother's mercifulguidance." He says with a wink, and then goes to fill and set his waterskins aside for purification later.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
After Zubeki stops sketching, he smiles and starts to run around the group, dragging his staff in the ground to make a massive outline. When finished it is a rectangle, marked off where logs should lay and where ropes should be fashion. “Let us begin” Zubeki proclaims, wipining mud off of the silver foot of the staff.
With support of the team, and with Jolly’s extra boost in confidence, Zubeki builds a crude raft. (Intelligence at Advantage w/ Guidance: 20 + 2)
So you spend some time gathering the supplies and making the raft, once done Zee asks for a rope and tells Vrak to hold one end. Once he has it she places the other on the ground and her body begins to shimmer and in a moment where Zee once stood is a giant crocodile. She scoops the rope into her mouth and walks int the water and after a moment comes out the other side and transforms back into Zee.
She ties the rope to the nearest tree and waits for the party.
You get Zubeki's "raft" into the water and everyone climbs onboard as Vrak begins pulling on the rope dragging the raft through the swift currents. About halfway across the raft begins to shake violently and you think it's about to break but nothing happens and you all make it safe to the other side.
Zee looks up the cliff and frowns. "This part will be a little harder but I think I can get us up there."
She once again transforms her body and Giant wings, 15' in length, appear where her arms just were.
She flies up in the air over the cliff and you can see her circling overhead for a few moments before swooping down and grabbing Zubeki in her hands and flying him to the top with a smile on her face. She does that for each party member until you are all on the top of the cliff on a little dirt road that leads to the temple. She transforms back into herself and smiles.
"Nice and Easy." She says as she leads you down the path.
You make your way to the temple and it is a very large structure, almost 90' in height and it is made of some kind of green stone. It is covered from the top to the bottom in thick vines and brush as if the jungle tried to reclaim it. Zee brings you to the door of the temple. It is a large stone slab made of the same greenish colored stone that is 12' in height you notice that the door is sealed shut and hasn't been touched in centuries. A strange faintly glowing serpentine glyph is carved into the top of it.
"That glyph is a Yuan-Ti magical glyph. I assume it will be very dangerous inside and that is why I needed help. I have in my possession something that can disable this glyph but it will only work once. I found it years ago on another hunt but never had the chance to use it."
Zee pulls out a little statue of a snake, it is about 6" in height and the snake is constricting around a human. She holds it up to the glyph and speaks a few words that sound like a snake hissing. The glyph and the statue both flare a greenish color for a second. Once that is done you see the glyph on top of the door begin to fade away as the statue crumbles to dust in Zee's hand.
Zee frowns but shrugs. "Once inside I suppose it is going to be very dark and very dangerous. There should be many traps we need to avoid or disable. I wasn't worried about traps at first but I expended my ability to transform into animals for the day and I would not be able to do so again unless I take a short rest. It takes a lot of energy to shapeshift. Even with the ability to shapeshift the traps are still going to be a concern for us but I am sure it won't be anything that this group would not be able to figure out. That is why I am giving you half of all treasure found in here. Any questions? If not who can help me try and open this door. I'm not the strongest and it will take someone with the great strength to open this."
Jolly furrowed his brow at the comment about the King, but held his tongue. Between the rush to move and Slem's reaction to the near death experience, he was too shaken for much more than more the softly spoken words meant to persuade any plant-life to dance aside whenever necessary. Now that the group has stopped however, he takes one last swig of the remainder of his water before setting aside the tents for Zubeki's unseen servants.
Afterwards, he will consume the last of the first batch of Good berries and nuts before summoning and plucking 10 more off a temporary growth from his staff. With the exception of both himself and Zubeki, the remainder of the party (excluding the guides this time) are each given only one Goodberry again. Though before he hands it out to Vrak and the newcomers, Jolly makes a point of gathering them together and saying very explicitly, "This one is not good with words at times, so listen carefully. These are to be consumed ONLY in an emergency." He eyes Vrak pointedly with a warning look that still held traces of restrained humor.
"You--" He points to the half-elf ranger and chuckles. "You have the flicker! Yes! These are similar, and do serve the same purpose. But through Jannath's blessings, these are a bit more potent then what you might be used to. This one has extra rations if you are in need of them, and you are... more than welcome to make use of the tents, alright? Now -- Oh, wait. One, no, two more things-..." Jolly takes off his healer's kit from side, and two curious vials of water. Whereas one of the vials is handed off to Vrak, the second one along with the healer's kit is offered to the newcomers as whole (if not just whichever decided to heed the giant in the first place). "Here. In the event that this one issss indisposed... again. One of you should have this on hand. These, on the other hand, are filled with water blessed by the great mother, and meant to return her lost children -- the undead, as most call them, home. Use these gifts wisely now." He suggests.
Once all of those matters have been more or less settled in full, Jolly will go over to sit with Zee. What he doesn't offer by way of words, as words weren't exactly a strong suit (in spite the contrary shown), he shows in intent by his staff on his lap, and eyes set keenly on their surroundings after putting on a new layer of salve.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Naivara watches Vrak touch the statue and attempt to trace the maze path, once the explosion hit she dropped to the ground hands over her ears. Her eyes closed tightly once she was blinded by the intense light of the explosion. Her body ached in pain as she laid there for a moment to get a hold of her surroundings, opening her eyes. Everything was blurry for a moment and she took a bit of time sitting up. She listens to everyone rushing to aid the injured and the suggestions to get moving. I don't think I can move.. much less far enough not to get caught by whatever heard that.. Naivara groans softly as she slowly manages to get to her feet. Once everyone gets moving she stays close to the back, still a bit disoriented.
As soon as everyone settles down for the night she drops onto the ground, resting a bit. She drinks some water, taking a moment before she sets up her tent. Once her tent is set up, she eats one of her rations, and then Naivara waves to the others before going to lay in the tent. Some rest would do some good, especially after a rude awakening and an explosion.
Vrak follows Zee and the guide in silence, warily watching the jungle around them as they make their way .
When they stop and make camp he settles in, takes some food and drinks some water. He then sets his rain catcher up.
When offered the berry again he nearly pops it in his mouth again recalling how good the other one was. Jolly's warning stops him and he stows the berry away for safe keeping.
"What are these Jolly? Why do we save them for emergencies only? What do they do besides taste good?"
Still feeling ashamed of his actions earlier in the day he remains quiet except for offering to take the last watch again.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a Good Berry." Jolly snickers at the little jest. But sensing at least some of the Dragonborn's lingering disquiet, he quickly amends the statement patting Vrak on the shoulder. "Relax, young dragon. Only a jest. They are a... *clicks tongue*… Restoratives? Yes, that sounds right." He nods, seeming almost proud for a moment. "But yes! While not as potent as some of my more borrowed strength and channeled blessings, they are powerful in their own way. For instance, that sense of fullness you felt last? No matter how starved one feels, a single one of these can fill the belly for a full day. Annnd~ much like some minor potions and poultices, heal your wounds upon consumption."
At that Jolly will start to demonstrate on himself, hesitates, and then after giving Vrak a long look, passes it to the dragonborn. "Here. Have a bite. You see properly? Feel not so sore?" He flashes a toothy grin. Whether Vrak eats the second offered berry or not, Jolly will leave it in the dragonborn's hands to set aside. "'Specially blessed bounty, they are, thanks to the big mother. Under right circumstances, it helps me conserve on future strength.... Though aside from taste, the blessing fades after a full day's time. Thus, why I warn now, er, more properly this time." He chuckles weakly. "Either way, in end trust you to know best time, leader Vrak. But do not expect more for tonight. This morning was rougher than expected."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Vrak takes the offered berry and eats it. "Thank you Jolly, this is a great gift you have. Thank you for sharing. "
Zubeki places his bag down and starts to clear his mind. He can feel himself pulling too much weight on his staff and tries to readjust before he starts his rituals. First unseen servant to aid in the building of camp, with tents being built and a circle of stones being assembled for a campfire. After the 10 mins pass, he inhales a large breath and slow exhales as alarm is set around the camp. It didn't prevent the danger, but it kept us on our toes. The evening is your time to shine Zubeki, protect these people as they have protected you throughout the day.
After the 11 mins have passed, Zubeki gives a silent signal that everything is all set from his side as he collapses upon himself. Seemingly ignoring a dangling thread from the back of his jacket, he finishes off the day's water, enjoys the last bite of salty a ration, and pulls out the salve. He silently reapplies it over his skin, while rubbing the last of it off in his hair. He looks exhausted and dejected, but before crawling into a tent he stands again and says "A moment of silence to the souls who have left us. Either from the jungle's bloodlust or from the fear in their hearts, they are not forgotten."
Day 4 of the First Tenday
Approximately 5:48 am
Everyone hit the Long Rest button
You awake to the smell of something cooking over the firepit as you see Musharib with a large stick in his hand with some kind of creature attached to it roasting over the flames. There are eight other sticks with the same creature slow cooking as well.
"Rise and Shine my friends. It's a beautiful day for some treasure hunting." Musharib says with a smile on his face. " I took the liberty of cooking some lizards I found this morning. Eat them while they are hot." he says as he bites the head of the one on the stick he is holding.
You finish the meal of lizards and wash it down with some fresh water, you notice it rained last night and the one rain-catcher set up has 5 gallons of water in it.
"We won't have enough water for everyone today," Musharib says as he applies his insect repellent. "By evening some of you might get a little dehydrated. You need to choose who gets the water. Don't worry about me. I have my own as does Zee."
Zee nods as she looks over a map and eats her lizard absentmindedly. Once she is done she takes a sip of water and applies her insect repellent.
"It should only take us a few hours to get there. Let's saddle up."
You head out into the jungle with Zee leading the way. She looks nervous but keeps her mouth shut and her eyes open looking for anything dangerous along the way.
A little while later
Approximately 11:34 am
Almost six hours later you come across an old dirt road that looks to haven't been used in centuries. It is overgrown with brush and vegetation and it takes a while to get through but you finally come to a shoreline. You see a large river at least 45 feet across whose current is very fast, flowing in a southwestern direction. As you look in the river it is cloudy and you cannot see what is under the surface. Across the way, you see a large cliff that raises 90' into the air. You think you can see the top of a stone pyramid above the tree line covered with vines and heavy brush.
DM Tomb of Annihilation X2
DM Curse of Strahd
Redleaf Moutain Dwarf Circle of land(Moutain) Druid
"It doesn't look the freshest but this could help our water problem." Zubeki smacks. Through this high humidity, it feels like the driest thing on him is his throat.
"This is a fast current though, so anything swimming in would have to be extremely strong. Musharib. Zee. Have either of you had any experience with the part of this river?" Zubeki turns back and examines the shoreline carefully for any hidden dangers (Perception: 6)
If necessary:
Perception: 19 plus Guidance:3.
Subtract 2 off score if Survival would be more appropriate, and 5 if Investigation or just Int based.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
They both nod at Zubeki's question. "Aye, I've been down this river 100's of times. It usually isn't this fast this time of year." Musharib says.
"Aye, It is usually a lot slower but it does happen on occasion. It's no big deal." Zee answers.
Zubeki doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
As Jolly looks around he notices a lot of vines and broken trees around these parts that could be fashioned into some kind of craft with the proper tools and skills.
DM Tomb of Annihilation X2
DM Curse of Strahd
Redleaf Moutain Dwarf Circle of land(Moutain) Druid
Vrak finishes the third watch and moves about the camp. He drinks some water and applies the salve again. He eats the offered food that Musharib has cooked up. Having done that he spends several minutes in quiet meditation on his spells preparing for the day. He refills his water skins offering water to those who may need it as there is extra.
"No one else put up their rain catcher last night? This will cause us problems later in the day. Hopefully we will come across some water to drink as we do not have enough for everyone right now."
Packing up his rain catcher after the remaining water is divided up and given to the others as needed he prepares his gear.
6 hours later they come across the river. He stops and takes a drink from his water skin. His heavy armor is hot and a bit uncomfortable, but considering the dangers thus far he is glad to have kept it.
"Well, this is fortunate. We can refill water skins here at the river. When that is done, pile them up and I can purify the water that they hold. It is that or risk dehydration. We do not have enough water for everyone." Looking around at the group he awaits what they decide to do about the water situation.
That morning Naivara applies the salve and looks at the rain catcher seeing they did not have enough water for everyone. She abstains from taking any extra water after having some that morning and eating one of the lizards Musharib had captured and cooked. She packs up her stuff and follows along with the others, she keeps one hand on the handle of her Greataxe in case they come across any enemies.
Once they come across the river Naivara looks at the water and then towards the others. She then folds her arms over her chest, "That is actually a good idea, if any of us suffered dehydration we might not be able to fight to the best of our ability if something attacked us."
"This one could t-...Mmmmn-nevermind. Uhm, sure thing. But uh, this one does suppose any of you happened to be kaperturns? If so-..." He'll gesture over to his findings, and then looks to the others expectantly. If need be he'll assist in cobbling together the supplies for making the craft. Otherwise, he'll wait his turn to refill his waterskin after the others have gone to the river from the sidelines with his shield and staff at the ready. After the whole surprise ambush at the beginning, the firbolg was less inclined to for taking things lightly again. .
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Zubeki unfastens his two waterskins from his belt and walks towards the edge. "I shall, as they say, test the waters." He looks back at the group and smirks. "Vrak, excellent idea about the purification. If our adventures keep us close to rivers and ponds, maybe fresh water won't be a worry after all."
Holding tightly to his staff, he uses it to help him gently kneel by the swift water's edge. Zubeki submerges one in at a time, waiting for the bubbles to fully escape from the mouth before pulling it back ashore. While this close to the river, he examines the cloudy water carefully. (Nature: 5)
Musharib smiles at Vraks words. "See you listen to Musharib, Drinking water from the jungle is bad. You will get throat leeches, very dangerous. Could be fatal if you don't purify it. Now about those supplies, Jolly has found. I Cannot fashion a boat from them but I can help. I am only good with stone, sorry."
Zee looks at the water and frowns. "I can get across the water no problem, Maybe if Someone had a rope I could tie it to the trees on the other side and if you could build a crude platform you could pull yourselves across using the rope."
As Zubeki looks into the water he can't see into the cloudy depths.
DM Tomb of Annihilation X2
DM Curse of Strahd
Redleaf Moutain Dwarf Circle of land(Moutain) Druid
Vrak listens to Musharib as he explains about the water. "Yes, I understand, I have the power to purify the water once it has been collected."
Vrak surveys the group. "Do any of you have the ability to fashion a raft out of what Jolly has collected? Musharib says he can help. Perhaps Jolly can sing the vines in place? Or Zubeki can use that servant of his to build it, or perhaps even float across the water to tie the rope? Zee says she can swim it. If we tie a couple ropes together we could use it to guide a raft across or even hold onto to a pull ourselves across by anchoring it on either side. I'm not sure we want to swim across. Or we could march one direction or the other to find a shallower, shorter distance across the river, but we have no idea if any such place exists. I think the best idea is to build a raft, have Zee swim some rope across and use it to pull the raft across. It will take some time, but it could be done. Anyone else have any ideas?"
"My summons can help carry some light equipment and do simple tasks, but it would be washed down the stream at the current's speed. If Zee if confident, I say let her swim across after the raft is constructed. Then we can fasten two ropes together, tie it to a stone or piece of wood, and I can catapult it over to Zee on the other shore. That way she can swim unencumbered. Zee if you leave everything you don't want wet here, then we can bring it over with us."
Zubeki carefully unbuttons the zurkhwood buttons on his sleeves and rolls them up, revealing more of the brightly dyed fabric on the inside of his jacket. "As for construction, it's just a large unwieldy weave of logs and vines. Should be no different than a large, awkward loom." Zubeki smiles and places his waterskins down close to Vrak, as he starts drawing in the soft earth with his staff a plan for construction.
Jolly rapidly shakes his head at the idea at the idea of using the vines, and would say as much if needed to emphasize putting his foot down on the point. Heck, just mention the idea is enough to get the Firbolg to go over to the vines and whisper consoling words to them. "None here, leader Vrak." He eventually pipes up. Afterwards, he'll give a conspiringly glance before turning to Zubeki with a grin. "Something tells me that will not be necessary, young Vrak." At that, he'll pass over his rope to the druid to do with as she wishes before setting to work getting the wood in place.
Only once at least that much is out of the way does he trace stand before Zubeki again, trace a wide circle in the air, and then sharply pokes the wizard's forehead. "There. May your path find the other with the Mother's merciful guidance." He says with a wink, and then goes to fill and set his waterskins aside for purification later.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
After Zubeki stops sketching, he smiles and starts to run around the group, dragging his staff in the ground to make a massive outline. When finished it is a rectangle, marked off where logs should lay and where ropes should be fashion. “Let us begin” Zubeki proclaims, wipining mud off of the silver foot of the staff.
With support of the team, and with Jolly’s extra boost in confidence, Zubeki builds a crude raft. (Intelligence at Advantage w/ Guidance: 20 + 2)
So you spend some time gathering the supplies and making the raft, once done Zee asks for a rope and tells Vrak to hold one end. Once he has it she places the other on the ground and her body begins to shimmer and in a moment where Zee once stood is a giant crocodile. She scoops the rope into her mouth and walks int the water and after a moment comes out the other side and transforms back into Zee.
She ties the rope to the nearest tree and waits for the party.
You get Zubeki's "raft" into the water and everyone climbs onboard as Vrak begins pulling on the rope dragging the raft through the swift currents. About halfway across the raft begins to shake violently and you think it's about to break but nothing happens and you all make it safe to the other side.
Zee looks up the cliff and frowns. "This part will be a little harder but I think I can get us up there."
She once again transforms her body and Giant wings, 15' in length, appear where her arms just were.
She flies up in the air over the cliff and you can see her circling overhead for a few moments before swooping down and grabbing Zubeki in her hands and flying him to the top with a smile on her face. She does that for each party member until you are all on the top of the cliff on a little dirt road that leads to the temple. She transforms back into herself and smiles.
"Nice and Easy." She says as she leads you down the path.
You make your way to the temple and it is a very large structure, almost 90' in height and it is made of some kind of green stone. It is covered from the top to the bottom in thick vines and brush as if the jungle tried to reclaim it. Zee brings you to the door of the temple. It is a large stone slab made of the same greenish colored stone that is 12' in height you notice that the door is sealed shut and hasn't been touched in centuries. A strange faintly glowing serpentine glyph is carved into the top of it.
"That glyph is a Yuan-Ti magical glyph. I assume it will be very dangerous inside and that is why I needed help. I have in my possession something that can disable this glyph but it will only work once. I found it years ago on another hunt but never had the chance to use it."
Zee pulls out a little statue of a snake, it is about 6" in height and the snake is constricting around a human. She holds it up to the glyph and speaks a few words that sound like a snake hissing. The glyph and the statue both flare a greenish color for a second. Once that is done you see the glyph on top of the door begin to fade away as the statue crumbles to dust in Zee's hand.
Zee frowns but shrugs. "Once inside I suppose it is going to be very dark and very dangerous. There should be many traps we need to avoid or disable. I wasn't worried about traps at first but I expended my ability to transform into animals for the day and I would not be able to do so again unless I take a short rest. It takes a lot of energy to shapeshift. Even with the ability to shapeshift the traps are still going to be a concern for us but I am sure it won't be anything that this group would not be able to figure out. That is why I am giving you half of all treasure found in here. Any questions? If not who can help me try and open this door. I'm not the strongest and it will take someone with the great strength to open this."
DM Tomb of Annihilation X2
DM Curse of Strahd
Redleaf Moutain Dwarf Circle of land(Moutain) Druid