The sound of nearby shouting and a loud blast wakes you up. You're lying on solid ground, but your skin is stinging with salt and there is sand everywhere. For a second, everything is fuzzy, then it all hits you.
You remember the storm, the captain yelling over the wind, and then that massive wave hitting the ship. After that, there was only water and darkness. You shouldn't be alive, but it seems the forces you've connected with (or maybe just fate?) had other plans for you.
The wreckage of the ship is scattered all around you on the beach, and luckily, your things have washed up nearby too. As you pull yourself together, you hear voices coming from just on the other side of a giant rock that’s hiding the rest of the beach from your view.
Paddy shivers as he feels the nourishing, restorative magics run through him like a cool, unexpected shower. Bones are set, and scales reattach themselves to tissue as a direct result of Borabash's wondrous magic.
"Oi'll be grand, don't ye worry... but thank ye fer the trouble. Oi owe ye one... Pev wasn't it?" He says, placing his pride, somewhat sunken though it might be, back atop his golden head.
A thick club-like claw claps upon Borabash's shoulder amiably as Paddy attempts to shake off his foul mood. "Let's head up t' the cloister. Salty Annie said there was an Elder up there we should speak to - a Runara if me poor scrambled brain still serves me right."
Devizes chuckles at Borabash's observation. "Ye ain't wrong there lad, ain't wrong at all," he says amiably, then stares out to sea, reagarding the water with new found suspicion. "Well, let's be gettin' up that there hill afore any more of those blasted things come out yon water." The gnome is still spitting out dust from the disintegrated zombie. "Hopefully this Runara be a bit more hospitable than the welcoming party, eh!"
Even as the body ached, if only just, instinct demanded action, and she was not wont to ignore them. Thankfully, nothing had been broken, or so Lothia's first efforts to put weight to any limbs confirmed it. But as determined as she was to get to her feet, it wasn't without the still somewhat soggy mess of a giant-kin(if only by ancestry) first uncovering a partially buried staff made of bone and stone from nearby, and then using it briefly as a crutch to aid in her rise.
A bit of hacking and coughing along the way saw her lungs free of the remaining sea water in them. But a momentary distraction couldn't keep her from sparing the next one scowling then scoffing after giving herself a once over. Although she hardly wore anything approaching true finery, Lothia still prided herself in taking care of her ensemble, ensuring it ever remained both functionally protective but also had its own far traveler charm. The sound of static buzzing her ears elicited first a grimace, and then muttered apologies as she scrambled to gather up the rest of her things scattered about the beach.
But whereas the noise from her activities may or may not have attracted attention to the giant rock that seemed to separated Paddy and the rest from own little slice of beach front ship wreckage, Lothia certainly shattered any illusion of the group being alone by coming around the easily missed bend and clearing her throat. At a little over seven feet in height and fairly soft muscled for a goliath, she cut an imposing figure with the polar bear mantle adorning her, partially obscuring long, pale blonde hair. "I hope you lot don't terribly mind if I accompany you? The name is Lothia, and I could very much use som--is that dead body?" She asks, her voice husky but cheery, before turning to mild alarm upon seeing the sundered remains of at least one of the zombies. Although in her defense, distance and angle made it appear far more intact. "Or is your friend there merely a touch, uhm... how do they say? Under the weather?"She added with a weak grin.
The young hot readhead grins at the exchange of banter. Not only were her new companions formidable in battle but, perhaps more importantly to her, they brought a smile to her face and seemed to be good company in every respect. Not that they would fully replace the old man, but they would certainly lessen the bleeding hole in her heart.
She is at first a bit startled, having let her attention down after the battle, and defensive flames flare in her eyes before she realizes the peaceful nature of the tall blonde dressed in a white bear. "Trust me, those are no friends of ours." The hot redhead says with a grin. "Just some poor sods that the old hag Umberlee caught and spitted out at us. Quite dead already when we met them, we merely helped them to a well-deserved rest." She goes on to explain. "Anyway, I'm sure we don't mind terribly at least, we were just heading up to the bahamutan temple up there. I'm Val by the way, and these here are Dev, Pev and Paddy. Say, how did you get here? I'm quite sure I would have remembered you from the Sailing Dragon." She asks with a curious smile.
Paddy jumps in surprise at the appearance of the seven-foot behemoth.
"Gahhh! Behind ye!" Padrionn cries in warning, his hands immediately finding his cleavers. When it becomes evident that the goliath isn't a threat, his shoulders sag in relief. "Full o' the weather, more like, the bloated bastid."
Given his relatively diminutive stature, he cranes his head upwards to look Lothia. "Ilmater have mercy, yer a big gal, aren't ye? Gonna have to fix me neck on top of me temples to look at this one, Pev." He chuckles, flashing a mouth full of misaligned fangs. "No offence meant, love. Oi'm Paddy, like the hennie o'er there said. Paddy Gilderglass. Yer more than welcome to join us - we're headed up to the cloister. Best we walk and talk though - no knowing how many o' those drowned castaways will come marchin' out to clobber us fer the crime o' still breathin'."
Devizes spins round at the newcomer and finds himself staring at a pair of knees. He almost has to lean back to look up at Lothia's face. He looks towards the dead zombies then back up at the goliath. He holds his axe out in front of him defensively, then relaxes as Lothia speaks. "Thought ye were one o' them dead things for a minute," he says, almost apologetically. "Ye not get dizzy all the way up there?" Curiosity is clear in his voice; such a small gnome could never know what it's like to be up at such a great height!
"Ye be welcome to join us, lass, for sure. Devizes is me name, but me friends just call me Dev. How'd ye get here? Didn't see any other ships landing." His eyes narrow in thought. "Ye didn't get caught up in that there tempest did ye?"
Although a bit unsurprise at some of the reactions, and even more so by the jests (intended or otherwise), Lothia would smirk or nod or even snicker wherever it felt appropriate enough. But as eager she may have been to answer questions as they came along as well, the moments never felt quite 'right' enough to get out more than a "Well..." or "Mnn.." before another new friend stepped up with their own two cents.
"Yea, well, uhh, glad I'm in descent company. Or at least not the kind in need of a swift kick to the rear. Although--" She looks first to Devizes, and judging him a little to stout of form, turned to Pev and adds with a bit of a note of amusement to her voice, "-- for some that swift kick might turn into a one way trip back to the mainland." With a grin, she then looked to Devizes. "You had the right of it though, Dev! Guess Umberlee found me a bit too much even for her to play with. Same can't be said of the rest of the crew though."
A look of sorrow flashed across her face at the admission, before being shook off without a second thought. She then took a knee and said, "Anyhow! You're welcome to ride on my shoulder, and find out fer yerself if a better view than the ass end of most ya meet suits your fancy. The quiet one over there too." She gestures to Pev. "Otherwise-" She looks then to Paddy and Val. "I 'preciate you lot letting me join you. While the trip here was quite venture the, the sooner I can find some place to dry off the better." At that, unless either Pev and/or Dev took up her offer, she'd get to her feet, dust off her pants, and eagerly followed whoever wanted to take point in climbing the stairs.
Pev tips his brass conical hat to her. “A kindly offer, and a flirtation well received I am sure, but I’ve only just gotten here, and I suspect I’d be no more natural in the air than on the sea!”
As Lothia continues, he turns his head sadly back to where the four of them fought the undead.
“I am sorry. Were any of the undead your former compatriots? Would you care to say a few words, or wish myself to, if not? I am only familiar with the funerary customs of my own people, but they are broad and there is no contravention for their performance for any who would want the Gnomish gods to guide them from here to barrow or burrow beyond.”
The adrenaline from the beach fight begins to fade, replaced by the realization that you've truly arrived. As you turn towards the cliffs, Pev, your eyes catch something out in the waves. With the sea calming, you can see the dark shapes of drifting planks and tattered rigging snagged on the rocks further north.
But the way forward is up.
A narrow, winding path cut into the dark basalt cliffs leads towards the temple at the very top of the cliff. It's a steep climb, and the trail is tight, only wide enough for one person at a time. As you leave the beach behind, the air shifts from the stench of the drowned sailors to a faint, surprising scent of jasmine.
[The path is only wide enough for one person at a time. Please let me know your marching order for the climb up to the cloister.]
Pev bows his head for a moment with Lothia, then begins his ascent. He’ll go at the front, who better to lead the way to the temple than a cleric? Perhaps he shall find out.
Although a bit taken aback for a second by the flirtation bit of Pev's words, she just as soon dismissed it with a small shake of her head. "Them? Uhh... Probably? I mean--" She walked over for a closer look, but barely give them a once over before sucking in a breath out the corner of mouth."-If they were, you guys did such a number on them that's it's pretty hard to tell looking up close. But, if it behooves you to see these poor saps on their way, then I'm not gonna stop you, friends or not."Lothia nonchalantly assured him. Yet as flippant as she appeared to act, her demeanor softens into something approaching solemn as Pev bowed and prayed for the fallen, and even bowed mirrored the gnome after the fact.
But, just as soon as the impromptu ceremony appeared to be over, she shuddered a bit as if uncomfortable, then more hurriedly made for the stairs with or without thought of the others.
(OOC: Lothia would lean towards being in the back, but would take point if the others appear too hesitant to do so after a few seconds.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Drozo - [Hobgoblin]Cleric - Blood Domain (Call of the Netherdeep)
The young red-haired sorceress would nod and follow along, eager to see this Runara that Goldie had mentioned, motioning for Dev to follow behind Pev, then following the hardy gnome and letting Goldie and Lothia bring up the rear.
(Suggested marching order; Pev, Dev, Val, Pad and Loth :-)
Dev laughs and replies to Lothia. "Thank'ee for the offer, but I ain't ever been one for heights,"and he taps his axe shaft on the ground. "Ain't never going to fall off this ere ground,"and he turns to look at the climb with a sour expression. "Let's get it over with."
He follows Pev onto the path, and begins the walk up to the temple. Outwardly the gnome looks confident and non-plussed, bet a slick sheen of sweat appears on his forehead as the little group gets higher, and his chest feels like the steady beating of a bass drum. He keeps his eyes fixed firmly on the path in front of him, and doesn't dare to look back out towards the sea.
Paddy watches Lothia and Pev take a moment to honour the undead, and suppresses the urge to check the pockets of the vanquished for coin. Perhaps it was the bell he still heard tolling in his ears from being boxed in the head, but it strikes him as odd to meditate in solemn reflection for the zombies. Folk die across the world, all the time. What's the point in standing around for these?
He snorts quietly to himself, but Ysolde's face swims into his mind's eye, as clear as if she were standing before him, and that's the end of that - he keeps his toothy gob shut.
When the band begin marching up the steep, narrow cliffs, he considers hopping to the front, given his capacity to quietly scout ahead. But as an order naturally forms, he accepts trudging up the trail near the back of the pack. "Ah now, what's this? Is it tulips? Roses?" He inhales deeply, eyes half-lidded as he savours the pleasant aroma wafting to his nares. "Well, that's a grand change from the reek of a bilge-sloshed hold, so it is."
((OOC: Fine to go with the order Oberon suggested!)) Perception: 18
A long path leads from the shore up the side of the cliff, with occasional stairs to ease the ascent. The scent of jasmine grows stronger as you climb the stairs. Here and there along the lower part of the path, well-tended garden plots hold flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
About thirty feet above the bay, the path widens into a long plaza. Halfway along the plaza, a stone statue of a dragon gazes serenely down the path. Just as you reach the plaza, Pev, Valeria, and Paddy, you all notice movement at the end of the plaza - someone disappears around a large corner rock.
Six open doorways are cut into the cliff side. These seem to lead into the inhabitants' dwellings, which appear to be currently empty.
"Seems the local clergy are a bit shy."The young redhead comments quitely with a small grin to her companions as someone seems to hide at the other end of the plaza. "Greetings all bahamutans, we come in peace and seek an audience with your revered Runara."She calls out for all to hear.
Lucky persuasion to make a good impression and peaceful contact: 19
Paddy's eyes gleam at the idyllic sight that greets the company. "Ah now, oi'm not usally one fer posies an' petals, like, but after those bloaters down by the beach... well, that's a soight fit t' soothe a man's bones, oi'd say."
When he clocks the large stone dragon dominating the centre of the long plaza. "Would ye look at the size o' that grand lad, heh." He begins limping in that direction, planning on paying his respects to what he imagines must be a depiction of the great King of Dragons who was the object of fierce devotion for his dearly departed beloved.
"Pssht! Cop on! Look loively." He stiffens, while his voice drops to a sharp whisper. "There's eyes on us. Up at the end of the plaza. Could be some bashful priest skulkin' about. Could be a bit o' bother." The golden dragonborn glances at the empty doorways suspiciously, and immediately begins scanning the area for something to take cover behind.
Dev is too busy worrying about the sheer drop to one side to notice anything, even as he reaches the plaza. He seems to not hear Paddy and Valeria and half scuttles into one of the openings, leaning up against the wall in relief and closing his eyes. On opening them he suddenly realises that he's in some kind of living quarters. "Anyb'dy home?"he ventures cautiously, risking a slightly longer glance round than he intended, before sliding himself back into the doorway. "Ain't meanin' to intrude like that, just....well....that there path got a bit high like." He laughs nervously. "Anyone?"
Perception if needed here: 12
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Lothia
The sound of nearby shouting and a loud blast wakes you up. You're lying on solid ground, but your skin is stinging with salt and there is sand everywhere. For a second, everything is fuzzy, then it all hits you.
You remember the storm, the captain yelling over the wind, and then that massive wave hitting the ship. After that, there was only water and darkness. You shouldn't be alive, but it seems the forces you've connected with (or maybe just fate?) had other plans for you.
The wreckage of the ship is scattered all around you on the beach, and luckily, your things have washed up nearby too. As you pull yourself together, you hear voices coming from just on the other side of a giant rock that’s hiding the rest of the beach from your view.
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and even more dragons
Paddy shivers as he feels the nourishing, restorative magics run through him like a cool, unexpected shower. Bones are set, and scales reattach themselves to tissue as a direct result of Borabash's wondrous magic.
"Oi'll be grand, don't ye worry... but thank ye fer the trouble. Oi owe ye one... Pev wasn't it?" He says, placing his pride, somewhat sunken though it might be, back atop his golden head.
A thick club-like claw claps upon Borabash's shoulder amiably as Paddy attempts to shake off his foul mood. "Let's head up t' the cloister. Salty Annie said there was an Elder up there we should speak to - a Runara if me poor scrambled brain still serves me right."
Devizes chuckles at Borabash's observation. "Ye ain't wrong there lad, ain't wrong at all," he says amiably, then stares out to sea, reagarding the water with new found suspicion. "Well, let's be gettin' up that there hill afore any more of those blasted things come out yon water." The gnome is still spitting out dust from the disintegrated zombie. "Hopefully this Runara be a bit more hospitable than the welcoming party, eh!"
Even as the body ached, if only just, instinct demanded action, and she was not wont to ignore them. Thankfully, nothing had been broken, or so Lothia's first efforts to put weight to any limbs confirmed it. But as determined as she was to get to her feet, it wasn't without the still somewhat soggy mess of a giant-kin(if only by ancestry) first uncovering a partially buried staff made of bone and stone from nearby, and then using it briefly as a crutch to aid in her rise.
A bit of hacking and coughing along the way saw her lungs free of the remaining sea water in them. But a momentary distraction couldn't keep her from sparing the next one scowling then scoffing after giving herself a once over. Although she hardly wore anything approaching true finery, Lothia still prided herself in taking care of her ensemble, ensuring it ever remained both functionally protective but also had its own far traveler charm. The sound of static buzzing her ears elicited first a grimace, and then muttered apologies as she scrambled to gather up the rest of her things scattered about the beach.
But whereas the noise from her activities may or may not have attracted attention to the giant rock that seemed to separated Paddy and the rest from own little slice of beach front ship wreckage, Lothia certainly shattered any illusion of the group being alone by coming around the easily missed bend and clearing her throat. At a little over seven feet in height and fairly soft muscled for a goliath, she cut an imposing figure with the polar bear mantle adorning her, partially obscuring long, pale blonde hair. "I hope you lot don't terribly mind if I accompany you? The name is Lothia, and I could very much use som--is that dead body?" She asks, her voice husky but cheery, before turning to mild alarm upon seeing the sundered remains of at least one of the zombies. Although in her defense, distance and angle made it appear far more intact. "Or is your friend there merely a touch, uhm... how do they say? Under the weather?" She added with a weak grin.
Closest Imagery:
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Drozo - [Hobgoblin]Cleric - Blood Domain (Call of the Netherdeep)
Lothia - [Goliath]Warlock - ??? (Stormwreck Isle)
The young hot readhead grins at the exchange of banter. Not only were her new companions formidable in battle but, perhaps more importantly to her, they brought a smile to her face and seemed to be good company in every respect. Not that they would fully replace the old man, but they would certainly lessen the bleeding hole in her heart.
She is at first a bit startled, having let her attention down after the battle, and defensive flames flare in her eyes before she realizes the peaceful nature of the tall blonde dressed in a white bear. "Trust me, those are no friends of ours." The hot redhead says with a grin. "Just some poor sods that the old hag Umberlee caught and spitted out at us. Quite dead already when we met them, we merely helped them to a well-deserved rest." She goes on to explain. "Anyway, I'm sure we don't mind terribly at least, we were just heading up to the bahamutan temple up there. I'm Val by the way, and these here are Dev, Pev and Paddy. Say, how did you get here? I'm quite sure I would have remembered you from the Sailing Dragon." She asks with a curious smile.
Paddy jumps in surprise at the appearance of the seven-foot behemoth.
"Gahhh! Behind ye!" Padrionn cries in warning, his hands immediately finding his cleavers. When it becomes evident that the goliath isn't a threat, his shoulders sag in relief. "Full o' the weather, more like, the bloated bastid."
Given his relatively diminutive stature, he cranes his head upwards to look Lothia. "Ilmater have mercy, yer a big gal, aren't ye? Gonna have to fix me neck on top of me temples to look at this one, Pev." He chuckles, flashing a mouth full of misaligned fangs. "No offence meant, love. Oi'm Paddy, like the hennie o'er there said. Paddy Gilderglass. Yer more than welcome to join us - we're headed up to the cloister. Best we walk and talk though - no knowing how many o' those drowned castaways will come marchin' out to clobber us fer the crime o' still breathin'."
Pev looks up, and up, and up…
Perhaps, to a woman that big, the sky itself feels like solid ceiling overhead.
Pev looks around, can he see any signs that their newest companion came to shore after a shipwreck?
Devizes spins round at the newcomer and finds himself staring at a pair of knees. He almost has to lean back to look up at Lothia's face. He looks towards the dead zombies then back up at the goliath. He holds his axe out in front of him defensively, then relaxes as Lothia speaks. "Thought ye were one o' them dead things for a minute," he says, almost apologetically. "Ye not get dizzy all the way up there?" Curiosity is clear in his voice; such a small gnome could never know what it's like to be up at such a great height!
"Ye be welcome to join us, lass, for sure. Devizes is me name, but me friends just call me Dev. How'd ye get here? Didn't see any other ships landing." His eyes narrow in thought. "Ye didn't get caught up in that there tempest did ye?"
Although a bit unsurprise at some of the reactions, and even more so by the jests (intended or otherwise), Lothia would smirk or nod or even snicker wherever it felt appropriate enough. But as eager she may have been to answer questions as they came along as well, the moments never felt quite 'right' enough to get out more than a "Well..." or "Mnn.." before another new friend stepped up with their own two cents.
"Yea, well, uhh, glad I'm in descent company. Or at least not the kind in need of a swift kick to the rear. Although--" She looks first to Devizes, and judging him a little to stout of form, turned to Pev and adds with a bit of a note of amusement to her voice, "-- for some that swift kick might turn into a one way trip back to the mainland." With a grin, she then looked to Devizes. "You had the right of it though, Dev! Guess Umberlee found me a bit too much even for her to play with. Same can't be said of the rest of the crew though."
A look of sorrow flashed across her face at the admission, before being shook off without a second thought. She then took a knee and said, "Anyhow! You're welcome to ride on my shoulder, and find out fer yerself if a better view than the ass end of most ya meet suits your fancy. The quiet one over there too." She gestures to Pev. "Otherwise-" She looks then to Paddy and Val. "I 'preciate you lot letting me join you. While the trip here was quite venture the, the sooner I can find some place to dry off the better." At that, unless either Pev and/or Dev took up her offer, she'd get to her feet, dust off her pants, and eagerly followed whoever wanted to take point in climbing the stairs.
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Drozo - [Hobgoblin]Cleric - Blood Domain (Call of the Netherdeep)
Lothia - [Goliath]Warlock - ??? (Stormwreck Isle)
Pev tips his brass conical hat to her. “A kindly offer, and a flirtation well received I am sure, but I’ve only just gotten here, and I suspect I’d be no more natural in the air than on the sea!”
As Lothia continues, he turns his head sadly back to where the four of them fought the undead.
“I am sorry. Were any of the undead your former compatriots? Would you care to say a few words, or wish myself to, if not? I am only familiar with the funerary customs of my own people, but they are broad and there is no contravention for their performance for any who would want the Gnomish gods to guide them from here to barrow or burrow beyond.”
The adrenaline from the beach fight begins to fade, replaced by the realization that you've truly arrived. As you turn towards the cliffs, Pev, your eyes catch something out in the waves. With the sea calming, you can see the dark shapes of drifting planks and tattered rigging snagged on the rocks further north.
But the way forward is up.
A narrow, winding path cut into the dark basalt cliffs leads towards the temple at the very top of the cliff. It's a steep climb, and the trail is tight, only wide enough for one person at a time. As you leave the beach behind, the air shifts from the stench of the drowned sailors to a faint, surprising scent of jasmine.
[The path is only wide enough for one person at a time. Please let me know your marching order for the climb up to the cloister.]
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and even more dragons
Pev bows his head for a moment with Lothia, then begins his ascent. He’ll go at the front, who better to lead the way to the temple than a cleric? Perhaps he shall find out.
Although a bit taken aback for a second by the flirtation bit of Pev's words, she just as soon dismissed it with a small shake of her head. "Them? Uhh... Probably? I mean--" She walked over for a closer look, but barely give them a once over before sucking in a breath out the corner of mouth. "-If they were, you guys did such a number on them that's it's pretty hard to tell looking up close. But, if it behooves you to see these poor saps on their way, then I'm not gonna stop you, friends or not." Lothia nonchalantly assured him. Yet as flippant as she appeared to act, her demeanor softens into something approaching solemn as Pev bowed and prayed for the fallen, and even bowed mirrored the gnome after the fact.
But, just as soon as the impromptu ceremony appeared to be over, she shuddered a bit as if uncomfortable, then more hurriedly made for the stairs with or without thought of the others.
(OOC: Lothia would lean towards being in the back, but would take point if the others appear too hesitant to do so after a few seconds.)
Goyo - [Tortle]Druid/Warlock - Circle of Sea/Celestial (Libretalia)
Drozo - [Hobgoblin]Cleric - Blood Domain (Call of the Netherdeep)
Lothia - [Goliath]Warlock - ??? (Stormwreck Isle)
The young red-haired sorceress would nod and follow along, eager to see this Runara that Goldie had mentioned, motioning for Dev to follow behind Pev, then following the hardy gnome and letting Goldie and Lothia bring up the rear.
(Suggested marching order; Pev, Dev, Val, Pad and Loth :-)
New perception if relevant: 16
Dev laughs and replies to Lothia. "Thank'ee for the offer, but I ain't ever been one for heights," and he taps his axe shaft on the ground. "Ain't never going to fall off this ere ground," and he turns to look at the climb with a sour expression. "Let's get it over with."
He follows Pev onto the path, and begins the walk up to the temple. Outwardly the gnome looks confident and non-plussed, bet a slick sheen of sweat appears on his forehead as the little group gets higher, and his chest feels like the steady beating of a bass drum. He keeps his eyes fixed firmly on the path in front of him, and doesn't dare to look back out towards the sea.
Paddy watches Lothia and Pev take a moment to honour the undead, and suppresses the urge to check the pockets of the vanquished for coin. Perhaps it was the bell he still heard tolling in his ears from being boxed in the head, but it strikes him as odd to meditate in solemn reflection for the zombies. Folk die across the world, all the time. What's the point in standing around for these?
He snorts quietly to himself, but Ysolde's face swims into his mind's eye, as clear as if she were standing before him, and that's the end of that - he keeps his toothy gob shut.
When the band begin marching up the steep, narrow cliffs, he considers hopping to the front, given his capacity to quietly scout ahead. But as an order naturally forms, he accepts trudging up the trail near the back of the pack. "Ah now, what's this? Is it tulips? Roses?" He inhales deeply, eyes half-lidded as he savours the pleasant aroma wafting to his nares. "Well, that's a grand change from the reek of a bilge-sloshed hold, so it is."
((OOC: Fine to go with the order Oberon suggested!))
Perception: 18
A long path leads from the shore up the side of the cliff, with occasional stairs to ease the ascent. The scent of jasmine grows stronger as you climb the stairs. Here and there along the lower part of the path, well-tended garden plots hold flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
About thirty feet above the bay, the path widens into a long plaza. Halfway along the plaza, a stone statue of a dragon gazes serenely down the path. Just as you reach the plaza, Pev, Valeria, and Paddy, you all notice movement at the end of the plaza - someone disappears around a large corner rock.
Six open doorways are cut into the cliff side. These seem to lead into the inhabitants' dwellings, which appear to be currently empty.
The path continues upwards.
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and even more dragons
"Seems the local clergy are a bit shy." The young redhead comments quitely with a small grin to her companions as someone seems to hide at the other end of the plaza.
"Greetings all bahamutans, we come in peace and seek an audience with your revered Runara." She calls out for all to hear.
Lucky persuasion to make a good impression and peaceful contact: 19
Paddy's eyes gleam at the idyllic sight that greets the company. "Ah now, oi'm not usally one fer posies an' petals, like, but after those bloaters down by the beach... well, that's a soight fit t' soothe a man's bones, oi'd say."
When he clocks the large stone dragon dominating the centre of the long plaza. "Would ye look at the size o' that grand lad, heh." He begins limping in that direction, planning on paying his respects to what he imagines must be a depiction of the great King of Dragons who was the object of fierce devotion for his dearly departed beloved.
"Pssht! Cop on! Look loively." He stiffens, while his voice drops to a sharp whisper. "There's eyes on us. Up at the end of the plaza. Could be some bashful priest skulkin' about. Could be a bit o' bother." The golden dragonborn glances at the empty doorways suspiciously, and immediately begins scanning the area for something to take cover behind.
Dev is too busy worrying about the sheer drop to one side to notice anything, even as he reaches the plaza. He seems to not hear Paddy and Valeria and half scuttles into one of the openings, leaning up against the wall in relief and closing his eyes. On opening them he suddenly realises that he's in some kind of living quarters. "Anyb'dy home?" he ventures cautiously, risking a slightly longer glance round than he intended, before sliding himself back into the doorway. "Ain't meanin' to intrude like that, just....well....that there path got a bit high like." He laughs nervously. "Anyone?"
Perception if needed here: 12