“Ah, thank you Faekin,” he says, spreading out the map on the ground in front of them, “though I am no cartographer—perhaps someone else among us specializes in that discipline.”  Continuing, he says, “and as important as knowing where we are on this map is knowing how to get potable water—you say the vines have water but hallucinogenic effects?  Fascinating.”

Turning to Shae, he says, “The rain catcher idea is great—we should get those set up tonight in case it rains, or maybe we can harvest some dew in the morning.  I’ll research the vine water in my Gazetteer and see what I can find,” he concludes.

The Professor leafs through his book and looks at the map, looking to identify good sources of water in general and determine if boiling the vine water will make it potable specifically.  He also references the local flora to see if that gives him any clues to their location on Chult.

The small figure sits near the fire, looking at his book and drinking wine from a small bottle.  His tired form soon falls asleep, anything gleaned from the pages of the book locked in his tired brain, at least until morning.

Quote from BlueBayou >>

"Ha, what did I say - alive and well!" Maxine greeted Faekin. "And as ungrateful as ever." 

Faekin replies: "Sure alive but well, you have to be kidding me, yeah I might be well if it were not for you little thief. And grateful I am but just not to you, the other sure, they relocated my shoulder, they try to help each other or carried me over here. Why should I be grateful to you, for stealing my stuff, destabilizing the ship while stealing or for letting me plumet to near certain death Huh? Tell me what for? That you opened a chest to steal from too and I just happened to be in there? But what should I expect from a dirty stowaway like you. Greedy, corrupt and lawbreaking is all you are. If you want me to be grateful you could start by giving back what you took. And before you say anything; yes I can proof that it is my stuff, it was my room you took it from and if you still do not believe me my initiales are sewn onto the backpack you stole and let me nearly die for.

Berrus recovers the pot and shield and whatever useful items he can before crashing down.  He also drinks some water and takes position near the gate

The professor finds no specific information on the drinkability of vine juice, but he does stumble upon the following entry: 

"Yellow Musk Creeper

A yellow musk creeper is an unholy vine whose flowers resemble an orchid’s. Bright yellow with splashes of purple, these flowers expel a musk that attracts prey. A yellow musk creeper destroys the minds of humanoids, then implants bulbs in those it kills. Twenty-four hours after being implanted, a bulb sprouts a creeper vine that magically animates the host corpse, turning it into a yellow musk zombie under the young vine’s control. In addition to protecting the defenseless plant, the zombie acts as fertilizer for the young creeper vine, which grows to full size in seven days. Once it is fully grown, the new yellow musk creeper becomes mobile and bursts from its zombie host, whereupon the zombie collapses into a mound of dead offal. If the zombie is destroyed before the creeper emerges, the creeper withers and dies."

Reading further, he finds another tidbit of information, going off the rough indications that the Captain gave him:

"Valley of Dread

Explorers entering Chult from the east are likely to trek through this passage, which is contained by the windworn Sky Lizard Mountains to the north and the jagged Sanrach Mountains to the south. The valley of dense jungle is well named; it’s a stomping ground for dinosaurs of all kinds. It’s also home to savage kingdoms of lizardfolk ruled by heartless lizard kings and queens."

Extending his research to dinosaurs and lizardfolk, he finds the following:

"Dinosaurs, or behemoths, are among the oldest reptiles in the world. Predatory dinosaurs are savage, territorial hunters. Herbivorous dinosaurs are less aggressive, but they might attack to defend their young, or if startled or harassed.

Dinosaurs come in many sizes and shapes. Larger varieties often have drab coloration, while smaller dinosaurs have colorful markings akin to birds. Dinosaurs roam rugged and isolated areas that humanoids seldom visit, including remote mountain valleys, inaccessible plateaus, tropical islands, and deep fens."

"Lizardfolk are primitive reptilian humanoids that lurk in the swamps and jungles of the world. Their hut villages thrive in forbidding grottos, half-sunken ruins, and watery caverns. 

Territorial Xenophobes. Lizardfolk deal and trade with other races only rarely. Fiercely territorial, they use camouflaged scouts to guard the perimeter of their domain. When unwelcome visitors are detected, a tribe sends a hunting band to harass or drive the trespassers off, or tricks them into blundering into the lairs of crocodiles and other dangerous creatures.

Lizardfolk have no notion of traditional morality, and they find the concepts of good and evil utterly alien. Truly neutral creatures, they kill when it is expedient and do whatever it takes to survive.

Lizardfolk rarely stray beyond their claimed hunting grounds. Any creature that enters their territory is fair game to be stalked, killed, and devoured. They make no distinction between humanoids, beasts, and monsters. Similarly, lizardfolk don’t like reaching too far beyond their borders, where they could easily become the hunted instead of the hunters.

Occasions might arise when lizardfolk will form alliances with their neighbors. These lizardfolk usually learn firsthand that humans, dwarves, halflings, and elves can sometimes prove helpful or trustworthy. Once lizardfolk forge ties with outsiders, they are steadfast and fierce allies.

Great Feasts and Sacrifices. Lizardfolk are omnivorous, but they have a taste for humanoid flesh. Prisoners are often taken back to their camps to become the centerpieces of great feasts and rites involving dancing, storytelling, and ritual combat. Victims are either cooked and eaten by the tribe, or are sacrificed to Semuanya, the lizardfolk god.

Canny Crafters. Though they aren’t skilled artisans, lizardfolk craft tools and ornamental jewelry out of the bones of their kills, and they use the hides and shells of dead monsters to create shields.

Lizardfolk Leaders. Lizardfolk respect and fear magic with a religious awe. Lizardfolk shamans lead their tribes, overseeing rites and ceremonies performed to honor Semuanya. From time to time, however, a lizardfolk tribe produces a powerful figure touched not by Semuanya but by Sess’inek — a reptilian demon lord who seeks to corrupt and control the lizardfolk.

Lizardfolk born in Sess’inek’s image are larger and more cunning than other lizardfolk, and are thoroughly evil. These lizard kings and queens dominate lizardfolk tribes, usurping a shaman’s authority and inspiring uncharacteristic aggression among their subjects.

Dragon Worshipers. Lizardfolk speak Draconic, which they are thought to have learned from dragons in ancient times. A tribe that wanders into the territory of a dragon will offer it tribute to win its favor. An evil dragon might exploit lizardfolk for its own vile ends, turning them into raiders and plunderers."

Somewhat scared by this information, Snively falls asleep, plagued by terribly dreams of being devoured by ravenous reptiles.

Shae Con Saving throw: 13

Shae would hold her hands up, looking from Faekin to Maxine and back, “Now, now. I think that’s enough of that. I sincerely believe this is all a misunderstanding. Both of you are were in defensive mode with adrenaline pumping through your veins. Now you’re still defending yourselves, your actions and your words. We can’t undo the damage that it’s caused, but the least we can do is move forward from it.” She’d sigh, visibly too exhausted for this delayed bickering. “We need to salvage and recover. Luxury and ownership of materialistic things are not of concern any more. We need to shift into survival mode.” 

Shae would decompress with a sigh, arranging herself in a more comfortable seated position. “Thank you for sharing your findings on the vine water. Hallucinogens may not help us now, but we may be able to weaponize it for defence. It makes me hopeful that there’s a range of species here that may even benefit us with medical properties. Once rested, I’d be interested in researching and cataloguing the local flora.”

When the professor would nod in thanks at the praise for the water catcher idea, agreeing that it would be best to get something set up as soon as possible, but she knew she’d have nothing much left in her at this point. She would take a glance over at the stuff Faekin gathered, recognizing some of ‘her stuff’, her heart would skip a beat, feeling like a piece of her is coming back. She’d laugh a little to herself at the irony considering what she just said aloud about relinquishing ownership of materialistic items. At first she’d bite her tongue when Faekin would offer ‘her cartography tools’ to the Professor. 

“Actually,” Shae would lift a hand, “I believe you may have stumbled upon what would have been my equipment.” She’d smile sheepishly. “Of course all who wish to borrow or use it, please feel welcomed too.” She’d gather the items she’d recognize into a pile, allowing any one to pick from it if they wanted it for anything immediately. “I brought cook’s tools and cartographer tools with me for this trip. We can use these in our effort to recover water and food.” Shae would nod with appreciation for what was salvaged. 

Once silence looms over the camp, Shae would grab a couple leaves to stoke the fire as suggested to keep the bugs away before finally settling down by the fire for the night. She’d curl up in her cloak and watch the fire crackle, lulling her to sleep.

(Shae would want to sleep/take a long rest. Normally she’s an early riser and would be willing to cover a final watch if needed for others to get their rest in too.)

Quote from Agyro >>

Faekin is glad to be back to his senses and not having to be alone anymore. He sincerely thanks Shae for relocating his shoulder and of course Berrus too. He adds: It is important to not drink from those vines, even if you are thirsty, they may have saved me from certain death after this stowaway deemed the backpack she stole from me as more important to hold onto than trying to grab me after she destabilize, the whole section of the ship and letting me willingly fall to my death.. but coming back to the vines, if you drink from them you get strange halluzinations. Before the the liquid from the vines made me fall unconscious I found some stuff, if any of it should be yours, I am happy to hand it back to you.

 

Faekin looks over to Shae as she starts to pick certain items out that he found. He smirks as Shae just said material needs are not important yes she is picking out what was hers before.

• He says in a comforting tone  "Well at least some of us can recover what is important to them

Berrus growls from his position. "Alright thats  enough, im needing some sleep an i don need to be listenin t'all the bickerin"

With that he props his head on the shield with his battleaxe lying by his side

Bertrand and Cliff shrug, looking at the sleeping form of their employer.  Left to their own devices, the professor’s porters Decide for themselves what to do.

Exhausted by the days events, all twelve of you go to sleep, hoping that the earthworks, the alarms strung around the camp, and the fire will keep you safe.

The next morning you all wake up, damp from the dew, but well rested (except Brax, with one level of exhaustion). The three barrels placed around the camp had managed to collect a total of 1 pints of dew and the fire had died down completely during the night.

After sharing a quick meal of some dried meats and nuts, the captain is starting to pack some gear and sharing it out between the crew, making ready to leave. “We should make the most of the morning, as long as the sun’s not beating down on us. As far as I know, we are somewhere south of the Skylizard Mountains. It might be several days walking from there, but once we see the peaks, we have a landmark to orient ourselves by.”

If you wish to leave camp, you need to decide what and how you are taking it with you. I also need to know your marching order, and who will try to navigate for you all. Should you instead wish to stay, let me also know what you’re doing.

The Professor awakes, a bit thirsty but otherwise hale.  At the mention of heading out, he volunteers, “If we are willing to stop once an hour for 10 minutes, I can conjure the floating disc to carry up to 500 pounds worth of material.  Perhaps food and water, plus anyone too injured to travel well?”

Spreading our the map, the Professor asks the captain, “Once we find our bearings, what is our intended destination?  Where is the closest civilization?”  Once he has an answer, Snively will check the map and the Gazetteer to make sure that seems to be the best and closest civilization—he is still concerned that their route and cargo were questionable and the crew may be hiding something.

Maxine did not suspect crew of any foul play, but she did not look for a particular destination (come to think of it, she had). She imagined some kind of settlement where she could get both information and, probably, supplies and it looked like now they were heading to something like this. She was helping to load collective belongings on the disc (truly, who would refuse to use such a thing?) and listening Professor's conversation with the crew.

She did not forget to collect the hallucinogenic juice from liane into one of her vial (the one that previously contained analgesic used for Berrus). Shae was right - it might get handy, and at least was worth studying.

When Professor's questions were answered she asked her own: "Captain, have you travelled here by foot before? Yesterday Professor read about a dangerous plant and lizard-folk, but it can not be the only danger here, right?"

"Wi this heat stopping once an hour doesnt seem to be that out of the question

Berrus looks thoughtfully at his trusty shield weighing its wieght against the conditions

Professor Snively gets busy working with his spellbook in the early morning, realizing with pleasure that he is now able to decipher two new spells he had been working on for some time -- Alarm and Feather Fall (2 new spells chosen for second level).  These may have come in more useful yesterday, but who expects a skyship to just fall like that?  I mean, like, really...

Somewhat thankful that he was required to learn an attack and defense spell to become a full professor, Snively prepares them this morning now that he is in somewhat dangerous territory (Mage Armor and Catapult) as well as a few other spells.  As he packs up to get ready, he realizes that he doesn't really have many possessions at all. "Excuse me, but did anyone find journals, ink, quills, and various other supplies in the wreckage?  It might be helpful for me to have some of my possessions from what is left of my room, if possible," he asks to anyone in general as people move around getting ready.

Once that is all sorted, the professor performs the ritual to summon the floating disk so the supplies that have been gathered in anticipation can be loaded and made ready to go, a strange affair of mathematical equations dealing with things called Gravitons and Tensors. Just before they head out, he will speak a quick incantation and sweep his hands in warding motions around his body, resulting in a faint shimmer of magic covering him briefly before it disappears (Mage Armor).

Faekin wakes up, feeling a lot better the day before. He wishes a good morning to everyone, also Maxine even if it is short, yet with good intentions.

As soon as the Professor conjured up his floating Disk, he puts the torn Backpack onto the disk and says: "I'll allow myself to put my backpack onto it since my shoulder fells better but I should not strain it too much and this one is not really made for someone of my size so it would only slow me down.

After the Professor ask if anyone had some ink and quill Faekin replies "I found some before I blacked out, they are in the Backpack on the floating disk, take it if you need it.

He hesitates but he swallows down his pride and turns to Maxine and asks as politely as he can"So we two definitely started off on the wrong foot. But may I propose something, we can not survive if we can not trust eachother or at least get along so we put our differences aside, we surely do not have to become friends but alleys. So would it be okay for you if we would change backpacks since the one I found is to big for my size. There should be one more Lodestone in the one you "found" so I would use my Mending to repair the one I found for you. With the second Lodestone I have. With someone who could repair things we all would profit from it. Would that work for you?

Berrus places the shield on the disk where he can get it if needed,  after much thought he cannot bear going without his armour  its like a part of him

Shae would spend her early morning rise pacing around and seemingly ‘speaking to herself’. Shae, yesterday might just be a taste of what this place has to offer and I do not wish for you to be unprepared. Do you agree to these gifts that I’m about to give? “This feels like a trap. Do I really have a choice?” Then she’d feel a surge in her forehead, like she suddenly had a brain freeze. Her eyes would dilate a couple times with a slight burning sensation. “Ow. Seriously?” She’d blink a few times, not knowing whether to rub her head or her eyes. Then the discomfort would just fade away. Shae, do you agree to the ability to see through the darkness, to speak with beasts and to armour yourself? “Yes, I agree.” 

Seeing the Captain, crew and others all gear up for heading out, Shae straps what she can to her person, but without a backpack, she too would have to rely on the professors disc if she wishes to take any cooking equipment. She’d keep looking back at the camp, feeling like she could be forgetting something.

The Captain looks at the Professor, and, when she thinks that no one else can hear her, she says "Truth be told, I'm not sure where we are… All I know is that we might fare better with heading for the coast or the mountains. Even if it'll take some days to reach them, we'll be better able to get our bearings. And we can use to sun to at least be sure to always head in the same direction. The closest sliver of civilization would be Kir Sabal, but the trek there would likely take several weeks, if we don't get lost on the way."

Taking a look at the map in his Gazetteer, he can't help but feel disheartened. Kir Sabal was indeed the most Southeastern settlement, but it was at least 150 miles away, if the captain was right in thinking that they had been south of the Skylizard mountains when they crashed.

After the Professor casts his disc and the loading of the items and gear begins, the Captain turns to Maxine, and at her question, gives a wary, mocking smile: "Oh, no. These lands are hostile. There are plants that will strangle you, much of the vegetation is poisonous, the wildlife has acquired a taste for human flesh, and between the lizardfolk and the batari any inhabitable spots are rendered dangerous by their inhabitants… Beyond that, the water is often not drinkable, and needs to be cooked, or collected directly from rainfall… THis is a nasty place, and it'll be a challenge to get out, that much is sure."

After the final preparations are made and the gear and Brax with his broken leg are placed on the floating disc, the party starts heading out.

Zip makes his way down the pulley from inspecting the ship and makes preparations to further alarm the camp. Once preparations are complete, he looks over the various locked chests, "I can probably help with these. Anyone not here to claim their goods is probably not going to need them anymore."

The conversation over the strange vines also draws his attention, "I came here with an interest in new plants for potions and weapons, truth be told. I'll want to get a sample of these yellow musk creepers and hallucinagenic vines." He pulls a dagger from his hip and stops short of a hanging vine, "I would...if I still had any of my equipment!"

The following morning, he spends the waking hours making tweaks to his crossbow. With the right introduction of a lever arm, he's able to work out a way to increase the firing speed and accuracy of his crossbow. Picking through the crashed rear section, he searches for the remains of living quarters and storage furniture along with any bedding or spare clothing. Such things were surprisingly helpful in hostile terrain.

(Investigation if needed for searching: 13. DEX+Thieves Tools for opening any locked chests: 23, let me know if 1 is needed for each lock)

As long as enough food is packed  :)

Berrus will stay towards the middle in order to best react to danger from any direction

 Captains answer was obvious, of course, but Maxine wanted more specifics: "Can you recognize those plants? What I mean, do you or others can look at the plants around us and tell what is what? Or at least what to expect of them?"