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[Storm March] Group 2 — The Calling
Posts
The weather is the most interesting thing they talk about to the alpha. It’s been raining for longer than they’ve ever known it. A month at least.
Your trip back is quick. In the time you’ve been away Mido has gotten back on their mount and is popping a few friendly questions at Otto.
“You know, it strikes me as odd that Ma Kualu would want an Osnier soldier to scope out a new place for the Steading. Yes, of course we are all working together no matter our nation, but would she seek a man of the Republic out when so many warriors inhabit Maykupuni? She is the chief of her own tribe. Why not send one of them?”, he muses.
“Who exactly employs you... Otto, was it? Do they have ties to the Sabaan League? There’s no harm in finding your true allegiance, I would know.”
You got an answer for him Otto? You’re not beholden to honestly here.
[OOC: You sure can. Plus, I’d say you can easily navigate your way back here.]
Oo\ Ironsizide
He seems satisfied with your answer, giving you a winning smile. A thick leaf above Mido gives way and drops a gallon of water over him.
“Yes. Well. Let’s move on.”, he says through gritted teeth.
For the time being he heads north and you begrudgingly ride with him, taking a few feet of flight whenever you hit a stream. The rain is getting worse.
That guy you just met turned into a bird, flew away and then turned back. Wei falls through the air and is caught by his fox-like companion, landing in a perfect side-saddle. That’s a thing.
What do you know about the localised weather of islands? Otto, make the Spout Lore move.
Wei, Otto, where are you heading next? Roughly choose an area and I’ll describe what you see.
"Also, it's apparently been raining for an unusually long period of time, more than a month and this is unusual for the island. The apes seemed concerned about this."
To Wei, "I can't imagine anyone's gonna want to settle on this hunk of rock is it's always raining. And if those critters are concerned about it, I'd reckon we'd better look into it and see iffin there's anything unnatural causing it." Otto would wet this finger to sense for wind direction if he wasn't already soaked. He takes a moment to judge the direction of the storm (if any) to make a best guess as to the source of it.
Geth roll 2d6+1 for Discern Realities
[OOC Not sure if can do two dice rolls in a single post. If the Spout Lore somehow affects the need for the Discern rolls, I'll adjust accordingly. Once Otto has an idea of were to investigate for what may be causing the storm, he'll suggest that direction.]
If I have this right I may ask 3 questions?:
What here is not what it appears to be?
What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is useful or valuable to me? (gotta keep Syndy happy...)
Oo\ Ironsizide
Otto, the rain is falling straight down on you from the clouds in the sky as far as you can tell. You’re getting mighty wet.
Thunder rolls once, twice, then a fork of lightning rips through the sky, flashing bright enough to cast a hundred shadows through the trees. Jiang bucks up to watch it Wei, and yips in excitement.
What here is not what it appears to be?
This place has regular rains, but you can clearly see the water has risen above the usual waterline. All islands have their own localised weather system, but the dark grey clouds appear to be hanging directly above it with no breaks or overshot to nearby islands. You think it’s getting worse.
What should I be on the lookout for?
Nature herself is a bountiful resource. You don’t know much about it, but you bet any of the plants you’re marching through could be curatives or ingredients. Feel free to grab some.
Handful of Flora
1 resource, 1 weight
This is a resource; more on it later. As yet their use is a mystery, but who knows right?
Besides that the skull of some unknown beast could make a morbid trophy, Syndy probably would accept that, but it’d get shoved into one of the bathrooms or somewhere out of the way.
Next up you’ve got predators. Wouldn’t be the first time an animal thought it could take you, and the ones here don’t know what a man is capable of.
Maybe the island holds something more valuable, but you can’t guess what...
What here is useful or valuable to me?
Harley, surprisingly. While you’re on her back you’ve got a level of movement that can outmatch anything on the ground.
If you get split up somehow, the tons of vines hanging from the trees can be used to swing around or climb out of danger’s reach.
[OOC Before the collecting flora I'm at my weight limit for normal encumbrance. Is there a weight limit for our mounts? Can I just put the resources in a saddlebag and tie the skull to the saddle and be done with it? Note to self: probably not bring 10 rations next time...]
"Hells, this rain is coming from everywhere! Looking forward to drying out in front of a fire when we get back and warming my belly with some drink!" He pulls out a compass and studies it. "If we want to avoid those apes we best head west by northwest by my reckoning and see if anything that way is causing this damned downpour. If nothing there makes itself apparent, we got no choice but to go east, gentlemen."
[OOC Head for area 4 first, and if necessary, area 7]
Oo\ Ironsizide
[ooc: It's always good to be prepared...Also, I changed Wei's alignment to neutral. I feel it fits better.]
The trees thin somewhat, and light manages to bleed through the thick clouds.
You’re struck by a beautiful aroma, and see three flowering planets stood nearby towering over six feet in height. They’ve got to be worth something.
Are either of you going to cut them down for parts, or at least inspect them for sap or pollen?
Mido wipes his face and almost screams, “Graces, which one of you picked this sodden dump!? At least I can take two paces now without sinking or getting caught in a vine. I’m a diplomat! What good is this doing my career! What was Ma thinking asking me to go with you?”
Any semblance of cheer has gone from Mido. He flops off his mount and takes some squelching strides away from you both. He runs his fingers through his hair and mutters about the indignity of it all.
“If we keep moving west we’ll reach the highest point on the island, it looks like. Could be worth a visit. I’d name it Mount Mido, but nothing on this Gods forsaken island deserves my name on it.”, he laughs darkly.
The mountain up ahead is a single small (relative to other mountains), green peak that is shattered at the top, creating a ‘V’ crevice. A winding river runs from a spring at the top.
[OOC: Mounts have 5 load! So let’s say you put your finds in her saddlebags. Obviously they could carry more, but the rest of the weight is saved for you.
For future missions there will be a bit more prep time, I just wanted to bust out the gate!
That’s okay Cheeseliker. Acting in accordance with your alignment scores you 1 extra experience at the end of the session, so better to change it now].
geth roll 2d6+2 discern realities
what here is not what it appears to be?
what happened here recently?
what should i be on the lookout for?
[ooc: maybe that should've been spout lore instead... ]
He marches up to you and slams a hand on the plant you’re studying. It shakes, and then moves a lot more than his hand should have moved it.
What here is not what it appears to be?
Every island is an isolated breeding ground for life. Every island holds a creature you won’t find anywhere else. The plants are carnivores, and they can move.
You step back. Way back.
What happened here recently?
These plants have wandered up to this high ground to escape the flooding of their usual territory. They expended a lot of energy to get here, and are starving!
What should I be on the lookout for?
Food to ease their troubles and plant them back in the ground. They prefer fresh meat, but something a little older might do.
The first of the three plants snatches Mido off the ground! It begins to tear at his robes with its many flower-like heads!
Map continuation:
Wei shakes his head. He gives a glance at Otto as if to say, can we just let him be eaten? before giving a sigh. He transforms into the biggest creature from the Great Forest. A grizzly bear!
geth roll 2d6+2 shapeshift bear
Grizzly bear move:
— Pin them down after you Hack and Slash.
— Reduce damage taken by 1.
There’s no real drawback to being a bear, and besides your moves you also possess decent swimming and climbing abilities. There will be no rolls involved when you complete a task involving those actions.
What do you do?
Geth roll 2d6+1 for Arcane Bladework
[OOC if this connects I'm applying the Galvanic technique]
Oo\ Ironsizide
Oo\ Ironsizide
Harley throws you into the air and you land with boots and a clenched fist hammered into the ground. Your jacket lifts in the sudden energised air and your hair is blown back. Your screamwing circles the area, then lands on the far side of the battle. Her fur stands on end, and she gives you a grumpy snap of her teeth.
The plant-beast crumbles to the ground and spasms! Smoke trails up lazily from the shot. It’s stunned!
Before you can admire your handiwork the second is upon you! It shakes its body violently in front of you and spits out a sticky goo from its many heads!
Otto, you’re stuck in place, and it’s too close to reload and fire upon! Draw your blade if you want to deal with it!
Meanwhile, Wei, you charge your prey down and bat a few heads at once with your large claws, making a satisfying drumming noise as you do.
It scuttles back on its roots, dropping Mido in the process. He’s now wearing a fashionable ripped number.
Half the plant’s heads are crushed, and it’s losing a lot of sap from a gash in its side. It stumbles sideways, then swings it’s whole body at you like a battle-axe! You have to admire its fearlessness, even if it’s because it’s as dumb as a daisy!
Wei, you take 4 damage.
You land a foot away, still on your feet. Bears don’t get toppled easily. The plant is swung back by the force of its own attack, and rolls away. It takes its sweet time getting up, and seems to be rubbing its two brain cells together to decide if you’re worth the trouble.
Geth roll 1d6 for Batter Batter Swing
Geth roll 2d6+1 for Arcane Bladework
Oo\ Ironsizide
Geth roll 1d8+1d4 damage
Oo\ Ironsizide
It slaps you with its tail as it turns and falls like lumber.
It’s in bad shape, and hobbles off as the one Wei tackled gets up just in time to join it. They make their way as far from you as they can, intent on resting and regrowing lost parts.
The last one is unconscious, alive but dormant.
Raining as heavy as it is, that gunk pinning you down very quickly washes away Otto.
“Haha! That was amazing!”, the diplomat says between ragged breaths, “I suppose... You have my thanks, even you Otto.”
“I had a hunch Ma was trying to get rid of me this morning, no one trusts me.”
He lays on his back for a good long while.
Mido continues as his mount trots over to check on him, “Those fiends were desperate. They obviously aren’t built to take on anything as big as a person. Other than ruining my clothes there’s barely a scratch on me!”
There’s actually a bite mark on his head, and blood is gushing from it, but he seems like he’ll walk it off.
“It’s this damnable rain that’s got them acting up... Maybe...”, there’s an idea about the rain on the tip of his tongue, but he can’t complete it—not yet anyway.
Otto addresses Mido. "What's on your mind? I think you got a handle on what's causing this rain? Fill us on while we get a move on. I've had my fill of man-eating plants for the moment, and the bear seems to agree with me." Otto calls to Harley, "Sorry for the shock there old gal. Forgive me?"
[OOC if we have more ground to cover to the west, Otto will start off in that direction on foot to start unless Wei gets on his mount - do bears ride flying foxes?]
Oo\ Ironsizide
“You’ll laugh, but there’s this old myth of the Thunder Bird. A massive condor that can summon rain and thunder. Discredited as a simple story, yet... if a man can draw on the power of the storm for a moment, could a beast be a conduit for it too?”
He has a genuine smile for once, “I’m not one for tribal tales, but Wei has seen apes infused with darkness already, and I’ve just had a flower try to eat me, so perhaps it’s time to look at the world a little differently.”
“I think we should get to that mountain and see if there is some shelter so we can gather ourselves, then... maybe not me personally, but someone should see if there is something up in the clouds causing this rain!”
Otto, you take the lead on this one. When you look for shelter by the mountain, roll+WIS.
On a 10+, you find a shallow cave to regroup; describe it.
On a 7-9, as above, but choose one.
- You invite unwanted attention from the mountain.
- The rain has gotten to one of your items; say which one. It won’t work until you’re back at the Steading.
[OOC: There is no way Wei can ride in his bear form, guess it did have a down side after all. But he can keep up on land easily. Jiang will just walk with him.]
"I'm not seeing anything suitable for making camp, gents."
Oo\ Ironsizide
To top it off your Adventuring Gear is soaked. You’ll need to dry it off and maintain it when you get back. It’s no good today.
Mido sits back against the mountainside, then focuses with his hands outstretched. A small orange flame flickers in front of him, and you can both feel it’s welcoming warmth.
“Old family trick. My grandfather was a Karstuma, you know? This is all I can do, but it’s a clever trick, don’t you think? I had hoped I could start a little fire for us, but Hells, let’s just keep going. I want something worthwhile now half my gear is ruined!”
Otto
Damn. Has nature beat you too, Otto? Or are you gonna take the fight to it?
Wei
You’ve a great sense of smell. You wander just a few feet away and manage to find something of use. You’ll have to put it in Jiang’s sandlebags, as right now everything on you has been subsumed into your grizzly bear form.
Choose one:
- 1 resource. Resource is a catch all for bits and pieces found in the wilds that you can sell or use as an ingredient to something you make back at the Steading. One is worth about 25 coins.
- Another use of Poultices and Herbs.
"I hear ya Mido. Might as well investigate the clouds then. I'm gonna fly up, so if you want hibernate for five minutes, Wei, feel free. I think we should stick together, but is splitting up gets us out of here faster, I'm all for it."
Otto waits a moment for the others to decide and hops on Harley, takes off, and heads up to the clouds. "Ready, old gal?" If the others follow, so be it. If not, Otto will return to the area after he takes a gander and report back.
[OOC would Harley be able to echo locate in the clouds to help find, say a thunderbird-shaped object?]
Oo\ Ironsizide
[Ooc:poultice+herbs]
The storm is in full swing, it’s like it’s reacting to your presence. Coincidence, you hope.
Harley screams into the thunder, sheets of heavy rain do nothing to dissuade her as you fly into the dark grey clouds. She gives you a whistle when she finds something. You let her guide you closer...
Lightning strikes, and for a split-second, you see it.
Jiang yips and weaves under and over Harley for a better view. Wei, this rain... it’s not nature’s wish at all...
It’s no giant bird, it’s another, tiny island. It’s hanging over the middle of the one below it, hidden by the blanket of cloud. You’ve never have known it was here had you not ventured into the heart of the storm.
Wei, your innate connection to the wild reveals to you that this hidden island isn’t wholly natural. There’s something on it man made.
This could change everything.
[OOC: Hell yeah, because that’s cool.]
Oo\ Ironsizide
You could easily run the circumference of this island in ten minutes, and it’s pretty flat. Trees grow thickly across it, but that’s not what catches your eye. There is a man-made structure here!
This changes everything. The Storm March was thought uninhabited! Could there be native people out there?
It’s in ruins, and has been overgrown by nature. Who knows what lies within...
Wei, when you look for an entrance, roll+INT.
On a 10+, you’re in. Everyone can come with you easily.
On a 7-9, choose two.
- It doesn’t take long. Else you’ll take -1 CON ongoing from the effort.
- It isn’t treacherous to traverse. Else you’ll take damage from a danger.
- The way in is large enough to bring your mounts. Else they’ll have to wait for you outside.
Otto, along with what I describe, tell me one thing the building holds.
- Resources.
- Safety.
- A unique treasure.
Oo\ Ironsizide
it isnt dangerous and it doesnt take long but it is small
Harley leaps onto a overhanging area of the building somewhat sheltered from the wind and rain, and Jiang joins her. The pair will have to wait for you to emerge from this strange place.
It’s dreadfully dark, but perhaps your eyes will grow accustomed to it soon...
[OOC: You’ll get a map tomorrow guys. It’s been a busy one! I apologise.