Urixes' characteristic frown deepens at Gil's words, but he's not surprised. He cocks his head slightly to Jack's question, but his eyes remain on Gil. "I know what I am," he says quietly, a hint of weariness in his voice. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. Just ... looking for help." After a beat he nods to Oak and Meepo, then turns to follow Jack. "Yeah, let's go get the patient. Many hands make light work and all that."
Gil the Fish Man smiles with rubbery-looking teeth, satisfied at this arrangement being accepted. “Just so!” The Gold Medallion upon his neck swings about, catching the sunlight through the cracked windows.
To Jack and Urixes: “Zank you. Please understand, za Confessor will allow nossing to threaten the Great Return. Tell your Ship to back itself from the Feeding Waters, and return with your patients. Will lower you back to the drink now. When you come to sea, look for line of purple kelp leading southwest. Follow to the left of it on your departure; right upon your return.”
To Oak and Meepo (and Fusspot): “(pointing north) Heavy doors at the back? Open up upon the Left Claw. Follow stone pathway, over and under. Don’t stop. Don’t dawdle. Will lead you to the Abbott Grounds. Head to the doors. You will be met there, I am sure, by Confessor. Or the Priestess.”
Once his instructions are presented, Gil quickly moves to shuffle both groups from the Boathouse. “Now go! I will be here upon your return, to assist…”
Jack and Urixes are lowered back down via the chains into the ocean below. Being pushily escorted by Gil, Oak and Meepo are practically *shoved* out the back door, onto the “Left Claw”. Five minutes after leaving, the Wild Bunch can make out sudden, frantic flashes of light from the top of the Boathouse: a steady signal in some kind of code, pointed towards the Abbott…
Waiting until they're being lowered down in the boat, Jack watches Urixes' face, "Something seems fishy about that guy."
His expression sloooowly widens into a grin until he looks like a cat that ate the canary, extremely pleased with his joke. Oh, right, the mission.
"Whatcha wanna do? That kelp malarky feels like a really long way to go, but also I'm not sure we want to upset people who might be able to help us. The heck...?" His eyes narrow at the flashing, "Think that's about us?"
"I dun' like that guy much." Oak says softly to Meepo as they are pushed out the back door.
He takes a moment to take in his surroundings, but the path beneath his feet is firm and clear. "Right then, let's move. Hopefully we can secure some help by the time they get back."
Oak is focused on their objective, and he has a clear path to his goal, so he sets out down the stone path.
“Me neither,” Meepo whispers back at the Boatyard’s back door. After a beat, he regretfully adds, “…course, if these people can cure me mouthrot…not something ta’ jest discount…?”
Meepo follows behind Oak across the island’s Left Claw, down the stone path and under the large mushrooms and strange fauna. The light which comes in from overhead is sparse, and the shadows cast by the hill above cover much of the landscape. A thin, green miasma rests in the air here. The kobold is huffing and puffing, but making their most dogged attempt to keep up with the shifter this time! It becomes obvious the little lizard-person is trying to earn their way alongside Oak as best they can after the events of the last adventure…
The rocky path hasn’t been paved in a good long while, and the contours of the island are odd and slick (or sticky) in many places. More than once, the shifter and kobold nearly trip during their journey, or fall into a patch of shooting spores, but after a rough mile, they find their way to ancient looking stone gates, 3/4 of the way closed and barring access to the courtyard of the Abbott which looms above in the center of the grounds.
As the pair arrive, almost as soon as they find the gate, a figure begins to push through them…
Jack stares at the boathouse until it's obvious the messages have stopped. "Well..." He rubs his nape, "I didn't catch all of that, but I think they was just informing the Abbott about us. The only weird thing is, they ended it with 'Remember Villam'. Maybe we should be careful about what we say about that, what with... you know."
He finds himself a seat in the boat, "They also mentioned sending an envoy to the ship, should tell the cap'n about that so she doesn't blow them up."
"Hmm," Urixes grunts as he also watches the lights, barely registering Jack's joke. "Suppose we should follow the kelp. Might be nothing, but we have no reason not to do what he said. Everything about this place feels dangerous.
Geth, roll 1d20 for Insight Check
Or would the light code count as writing for the purposes of my ability to read all writing?
"Okay, yeah maybe don't talk too much about who and what we've destroyed on our way out here. Good thinking." Urixes sighs. "I'll tell you, Jack, one day when I'm not... this anymore, I'd like to come out here again and just be a stranger. Not a shadow of a shadow of a shadow. Just me."
…the figure which emerges is thin, young, wary. He’s carrying two long, fresh loaves of bread under his right arm, and a basket of assorted greens, roots, and vegetables in the same hand. With his left hand, the grimy young fellow munches upon a turnip, biting into the side of it fervently and sighing with great satisfaction as the juice runs down his face
So preoccupied is the young man at his meal that he weaves into Oak and Meepo without even noticing, and nearly slams into the Big Man’s chest as he walks up. The figure squeals, and the basket and produce go in all different directions! The little fellow screeches accusations, darting around the stone walk as he retrieves first the basket, and then begins to grab nearby vegetables. “Ya idjits!” the grubby urchin snaps. “What ye’ thinking, sneaking up on me like that! Damn near scared me ta’ death…thought you were’ couple o’ them fishies!…”
Oak looks down at the boy who bumps into his chest that then drops a basket of food and scrambles around to grab it all.
"Weren't sneakin'." The Shifter replies "Just standing here. Though.... fishies sounds like tha' guy at the boathouse that sent me up this path. You ain't one of the Abbey then? Mind tellin' me little about what's what in this place?"
The young child (likely, no more than thirteen or fourteen years of age), wriggles his nose and spits when Oak suggests he might be associated with the Abbey. “Man, hells no! I look dead er’ dying to you?!”
The Urchin, having gathered all his spilled belongings (Meepo handing him the final loaf of bread with a wary hand, which sees the young boy snatch it away), comes over to Oak and waggles a quiet, come hither finger. “Ye really wanna know? What’s going on past the grounds and behind them doors?” The Urchin leans over, gets on his tip-toes, and whispers up to the shifter:
”They brainwash the newcomers, with tales of health and long life…”
“They steal yer’ mates, friends an family…convince them they’re Gods, an’ turn em against ye..”
“They take acid baths below the temple that boils the makeup from their scales that make em’ look like humans an’ elves; ye know, “normal” people…”
“They throw each other from cliffs, stab each other, beat each other to death fer’ fun…”
“They do unspeakable, “sexy” things up’ en that hill during the full moons; dance an’ call the dead, drink blood an’ sacrifice to demons…”
From nearby, once more the gates rattles, and something moves to step through it. Bumping against Oak’s chest before scuttling right behind him, the little Urchin begins to move out of sight, stepping back towards the mushrooms and overhangs of the strange jungle around like a flash. “Don’t let em’ take ya, Big Un’…don’t let em’ get you, too!” He whispers with a dread warning back to Oak, before moving to vanish into the underbrush…
Out from the gates, a rabble emerges, bearing crude tools and weapons, swearing and grumbling almost as a single entity
Their eyes look cloudy and unfocused, and the sorrowful words which come from their cracked lips ("SO LOST", "SO THIRSTY", "WE HURT", "HELP US", "SAVE US") are equal parts pitiable and unnerving.
From the bushes, the young Urchin gasps out, "Accursed! Must've been the ones that wrecked on the rocks few days past..." Several moments later and the orphan has broken into a full sprint into the wilderness, footfalls coming strong with the sound of laughter. "Well...pleasant afterlife, lizard man and Big Un'! Sorry for ye, I yam, but then, best to die among the mad than to become one yerself..."
Meepo tugs at Oak's pants. "Meester....uhhmm, Meester Oak, ser..." Either because their eyes have fallen on you both, or because the Urchins screeching has drawn their attention, the rabble turns their heads, finding Oak and Meepo standing nearby. With groans and hisses, the teeming mass withdraws weapons, and begins to move forward...
"They do what?" Oak can barely get the words out before a mass of what he can only assume to be madmen appears. The kid runs off, and Oak draws his Great Axe as the crowd closes in.
His hands grip around the handle, a bit uncertain of the situation. Moment by moment, however, as they close in, the protective urge he has to keep Meepo safe ignites the anger inside of him. He wants to stand his ground, no, that's not enough, he needs to keep Meepo from harm, which means putting them down.
Oak doesn't waste time waiting for them to reach the two of them, he charges them in turn, using the flat of his axe to swing down on the nearest one's head. He was going to try and avoid killing them if he could, but time would tell how long that attempt lasted.
Rage
Attacking with non-lethal dmg.
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack 1
Geth, roll 1d12+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack 2
Geth, roll 1d12+7 for Dmg 2
Jack watches the kelp, disappearing off to the side, then looks to the Curse, "Yanno, that feels like a real long way, and we made it here just fine. Let's backtrack instead, yea? Faster we get there, faster we get back." He takes up the oars, eyes on the line they took to get here in the first place.
Geth, roll 2d20k1+7 for Perception
((OOC: When bad luck
hits your eye
like a great fat botfly
that's a Jack-ey ))
All seems the same, at first. The Longboat doesn’t travel quite as fast without Oak around to help pump the oars of course, but the day is fine, the wind cools your sweat beaded faces, and the sun shines pleasantly down between pits in the island far above head.
About halfway back, you both notice that the Longboat’s progress has slowed, considerably. Its Urixes who finds the snag, a few handfuls of kelp tendrils, subtly snaked around the back of the craft and beginning to drag it under. The Warlock and Young Jack take turns hacking at the fibrous, neon colored plant, and are eventually able to free themselves…but as they do so, they discover at their feet a half dozen pinpricks in the Longboat, each leaking a tiny drip-drip-drip into the craft, thimblefuls of ocean water adding up quicker than either of you could have imagined...
The Whispered Curse sits in the distance, maybe thirty yards away. From the water at your feet, vapors, subtle but increasingly visible, begin to gather and rise…
Jack and Urixes, please make a Constitution Save vs. the Copper Waters (DC-14). On a failed save, take 1d6 damage, now and again after every Long Rest, until you can cure “The Vapors”. If you fail the Save by more than 5, your character will also fall Unconscious!
Oak
Oak puts down the two mad men at the front, but those behind continue to pour in from the gate! Most carry simple weapons such as daggers, pitchforks; some even bear cutlery. Although most of the deranged individuals in front of Oak are clearly starving and weakened, two in particular stand out as made of heartier stuff: a man and a woman, both bearing large greatswords with relative ease, and both with a sinister glint in their eyes.
The Barbarian feels a gentle hand on his back, and a rush of vigor and vitality flood into his body as Meepo murmurs an incantation
Meepo has cast “Enhance Ability” on Oak: You touch a creature and bestow upon it a magical enhancement, Bear's Endurance: The target has advantage on Constitution checks. It also gains 2d6 temporary Hit Points, which are lost when the spell ends.
Geth roll 2d6 Temp HP (Oak)
“Steady on thur’, Meester Oak,” Meepo whispers cautiously to the shifter, nervous as he watches Oak begin to rage and the crowd build to a swell. “Keep yer’ eyes en’ the the two with the big swords…something “off” about em’…”
Key-
+Brown Doors- Solid Oak doors, partially opened. Pushing through fully would require an action
+Solid Black- A square yard surrounding the Abbott area, walls twelve feet high
+Solid Blue- The island’s edges, a steep (200+ feet) fall to the waters below lying on the other side
+Hashed Blue- Stagnant ponds in and around the lush walkway up the Abbot (Make a Constitution Save if you end your turn in one of these!)
+Hashed Purple- Hearty and sometimes massive clumps of exotic mushrooms growing up from the ground (Make a Dexterity Save if you enter this space at any point to avoid trampling and upsetting ferocious looking mushrooms!)
"Meepo. Stay close. Pick off tha' weaker ones." Oak says to the Kobold "We dun want 'em surrounding us."
His normally fire hot rage was burning more coldly in the face of so many enemies. He was still angry, but it was the cold passionless anger of doing whatever it takes to make it out alive.
Oak takes a single step forward and yells "Right then. Come and get it."
Hs presses his hand up against his arm, where the tattoo he had gotten back in Chaff. It activates, and he feels the inky magic explode from his back in tendrils. It swings at the deranged fighter in front of him, then swings a second time at the first of the two holding the large greatswords.
Move 1 diagonally NW (puts me in range of 3 and B )
Activate Eldritch tattoo as a BA, gives my melee attacks 15 feet of range (and adds 1d6 force dmg).
Doing non-lethal dmg against the simple guys, but the greatsword folks are getting the real deal.
Attack on 3
2nd swing on B
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on 3
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on B
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 2
Jack coughs, rubbing his eyes, "Maybe... maybe we shoulda gone the long way around." He prods the boat's bottom with his foot, splashing it through the water seeping through. "Cap'n is not gonna like this. HEY, UP THERE! Someone lower us a rope, will ya?" This one will need some fixing.
"Well, no Mister Fusspot, so at least Oak's still doing alright. Hope he's stayin' polite without me around."
Urixes' Scowl(TM) has turned into a pained squint. He reaches out a hand to freeze the holes closed, but thinks better of covering the boat in ice in the midst of a deadly kelp forest. The sudden change in buoyancy wouldn't do much to a ship like the Curse, but in this small boat he was worried about capsizing. "Knowing Oak, someone or something is trying to fight with him, and he probably isn't happy about it."
After a brief fit of coughing, Urixes waves his hand toward the back of the boat, willing the flow of water to propel them the rest of the way to the Curse.
Casting Shape Water to see if I can speed us up a little to get out of the danger zone.
Mister Fusspot, bristling with anxiety, departs Oak’s shoulder to take safe haven atop the nearby Abbot walls
Mad Man #3 has been knocked unconscious by Oak!
The cold-eyed bearer of the Great-sword (B) grunts as Oak’s Great-axe darts from smoky tendrils through the air, slicing his shoulder badly open! The skeezy looking-man presses a hand to the wound…meets eyes with Oak…licks his bloodied fingers and smiles with wicked intent. Cold-Eyes rushes forward, sword swinging, and as the massive blade cleaves the air, the man’s jaw opens unnaturally wide and he leans forward to exact a toothsome revenge upon Oak’s shoulder…
Geth roll 1d20+6 Great-sword B (Oak)
Geth roll 3d6+4 slashing
Geth roll 1d20+6 Bite B (Oak)
Geth roll 1d3+4 piercing
Note: Oak, on a successful Bite, please roll a Constitution Save vs. A DC-13 vs. “Creeping Madness”
Sensing an opening, two of Cold-Eyes fellows nearby (#11 and #4), bellowing half in rage and half in pain, rush in to help swarm the Barbarian!…
Note: Oak is currently flanked between Cold-Eyes (B) and Mad Man #4. Rolling with Advantage for Mad Man #4
Geth roll 1d20+3 Scimitar 11 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
Geth roll 2d20+3 Fork 4 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d4+1 piercing
From behind a copse of mushrooms, one of the crazed (#14), withdrawing a small dagger, suddenly breaks into a full sprint and makes for Meepo, screaming at the top of her lungs!
Geth roll 1d20+3 Dagger 14 (Meepo)
Geth 1d4+1 piercing
The rest of the scraggly mob begin to circle and close in around the shifter and kobold, swaying uneasily into the puddles of water and clouds of mushroom spores, sweating profusely and looking feverish. Only one of them (the female bearer of the other great sword) remains near the gate, eyes watching carefully, a smirk upon her blood-stained face…
Urixes and Jack
The pair arrive back to the Curse in the nick of time. The pinprick holes have begun to swell and expand, and the slow but steady trickle has soon turned into a full-capsize situation. From above, riggers rush to hurry down ropes from the Curse, barely fishing Jack and Urixes aboard in time before the Longboat begins to come apart as planks beneath their feet, which sink into the waters below…
The Captain is waiting to greet both men aboard the Ship as they arrive. Looking equal parts worried and frustrated to see it’s just the two of you, she’s quick to assess the situation and whistle for the Quartermaster. Michael comes out to the deck and the Captain shouts for fresh water. “Now!” she shouts. “We’ve gotta get these mates scrubbed, and we need to do it five minutes ago!”
A hastily assembled pair of bathtubs is soon paced above the forecastle deck, and with steaming hot buckets of water, uncomfortably firm scrub brushes, and a strong lavender soap provided by Carlee Burrowes the Chef, Jack and Urixes are instructed to scrub clean. Both will likely smell of lavendar for the next week, at least, but on the other hand, the stuff is probably strong enough to take off paint: whatever burned through your Longboat doesn’t stand a chance against it!
After a quick and proper cleaned-and-dried, the pair give their report to the Captain. Captain Ari looks angry, but unsurprised. “Can’t ever just be easy, cannit?” She grumbles. “Well, what sort of impression did ye’ two get? Are they on the up-and-up? Or we dealing with another pack of nutters?”
Stroking her chin, she considers. “Alright, well we can load up the “Queen’s Chest” and send you back the long way about in one of the remaining Longboats…careful with it, we’ve only got two of the fuckin’ things left! That being said…you need to get back as soon as you can! Don’t like the idea of Mister Oak and the Lizard being gods-know-where being subjected to gods-know-what over there!”
“In the meantime…what do you two suggest we do with the Curse? You want us to stay here and wait for ya til you give a clear? Should we head back to the village, see if we can find a way ashore to come meet up with you? We could even head back to that Boathouse, meet this “Gil” of yours…but if he didn’t want to let you two in, he probably won’t want to let fifty others in, and we don’t wanna cook the Hull finding out…”
“...but then,” the Captain considers, looking sidelong over at Rax’s Ravagers standing nearby (minus Rax, or course). “…maybe we don’t need to send the whole Ship? Just a backup team ter’ try to sneak up behind you…watch yer’ backs an’ report back if things get outta hand?”
The slashes and bites come in, and Oak dodges the best he can, but a piercing stabs him in the back. Angered even more, he roars out in defiance, and his features shift. Hair grows longer, teeth become fangs, and his nose even widens to make him look even more bear-like.
Oak ignores the smaller men, though, and focuses on the one in front of him, the one who seems more in control. They were the biggest threat, so they were going to need to meet the fury of his great axe.
Geth, roll 1d6 for Temp HP Gain
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on B
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on B
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 2
"Well, the guy was a bit fishy..." He pauses for effect, before remembering the captain wasn't there. Good joke, wasted. "He looked twitchy to me, but not aggressive? Seemed to know a lot about us from our smell alone. I'm prone to take out chances, but mebbe having backup wouldn't be bad?"
Jack looks around the ship, "'Side from our infiltrators, maybe send someone with us to act a frontman? Talk to the man, keep him distracted, negotiate a port for the Curse, that sort of thing? Me and Urixes can't chase after Oak and keep an eye on our guest at the same time."
He reaches up to his shoulder, looking surprised before remembering he left Fusspot with Oak.
Fangs glistening and eyes deadly with rage, Oak pulls himself up from the scrap and moves in on the Great-sword bearer, swinging his Great-Axe! The first blow connects, going deep into his foe’s belly! But in a moment, Cold-Eyes darts back, and the Barbarian finds his next attack glancing off his leather armor, as Cold-Eyes hisses and holds a bloody hand to the stomach wound…
From nearby, Meepo cries out as the ferocious mad woman (14) jams a rusty dagger in between their neck scales! Rolling away and circling the deranged accursed at Oak’s back, the Kobold yells, “Goddess o’ White, protect oss’!”
From the ether, insubstantial, ivory specters begin to ebb into existence around the Cleric. Small in stature but large in number, the creatures take up wing and begin to circle around the kobold: tiny white dragons, snapping and swiping at anything that comes near!…
Meepo moves north and up towards Oak, and casts “Spirit Guardians” as they go, hitting Mad Men #5 and #14 on this following turn and attempting to safeguard Meepo and Oak’s backs:
Spirit Guardians: You call forth spirits to protect you. They flit around you to a distance of 15 feet for the duration. If you are good or neutral, their spectral form appears angelic or fey (your choice). When you cast this spell, you can designate any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by it (Oak). An affected creature’s speed is halved in the area, and when the creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 radiant damage (if you are good or neutral). On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage.
Geth roll 1d20 Wisdom Save (Mad Man 5)
Geth roll 3d8 radiant
Geth roll 1d20 Wisdom Save (Mad Man 14)
Geth roll 3d8 radiant
Churning like a windmill before them, the wispy draconic spirts hack and bite at the Accursed. Both are savaged and beaten…but both remain standing! They each advance upon Meepo!…
Geth roll 1d20+3 Dagger 14 (Meepo)
Geth roll 1d4+1 piercing
Geth roll 1d20+3 Scimitar 5 (Meepo)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
Cold-Eyes, locked eye-to-eye with Oak as he holds his bloody abdomen, says nothing. But with a nod to his fellow just behind the Big Man (#4), the cannibal lunges in on one side, all sword and teeth, while his companion goes to put the fork in Oak’s back upon the other!…
Note: B and 4 are currently flanking Oak. They are each rolling with Advantage. Remember to make a Constitution Save vs. DC-13 on a successful Bite!
Geth roll 2d20+6 Great-sword B (Oak)
Geth roll 3d6+4 slashing
Geth roll 2d20+6 Bite B (Oak)
Geth roll 1d3+4 piercing
Geth roll 2d20+3 Fork 4 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d4+1 piercing
Some of the Accursed (11, 9, 10) nearby *hiss* and charge in on the Barbarian’s other side, attempting to overwhelm him, to beat the very life from him…
Geth roll 1d20+3 Club 11 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d4+1 bludgeoning
Geth roll 1d20+3 Mace 9 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d6+1 bludgeoning
Geth roll 1d20+3 Handaxe 10 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
Others (6, 12, 13) circle around the edges of the brawl, weapons held, looking for an opening upon which to attack the Barbarian…
Meanwhile, as Meepo is ganged up on by an eager pair of the deranged, two more (7,8) hover close-by, wary of the circling spirits. One refrains from the scuffle (7), enough sense left not to engage, but the other(8)…wiping a slow trickle of blood from under their nose, charges into the fray to attack the Kobold!
Geth roll 1d20 Wisdom Save (Mad Man 8)
Geth roll 3d8 radiant
Geth roll 1d20+3 Handaxe 8 (Meepo)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
From near the gate, the other great-sword bearer can be heard to fumble with machinery, apparently erecting some foul measure of machinery. A loud clank later and the woman chuckles to herself, then turns around and slowly makes her way towards the battle...
Oak roars in defiance as they surround him. He managed to sink some good hits into the one with the greatsword, but the others were able to close in because of it. Fumbling in his pouch, he pulls out a potion of blue bubbling liquid and downs it. He feels it ease any fears, and somehow still push his anger even harder.
He changes tactics for the moment, knowing the stronger foe was still there but annoyed at the gnats that were gathering around as well. Striking out, he smacks his axe into his flanker, then, using one of the inky tendrils that had sprouted from his back, he lashes out on one of the ones attacking Meepo.
Drank Potion of Heroism
Geth, roll 1d20+1d4+8 for Attack on 4
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+1d4+8 for Attack on 14
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 2
"Everything about that island raises alarm bells for me," Urixes says, "But the fish-man has been truthful so far."
He nods at Jack's words. "Yes, keep the Curse out here for now. There's still too much we don't know and I can't put the ship at risk like that. Someone to help us negotiate would be helpful, maybe Natali? There's a strong sense of worship there, but I don't understand their religion.
"I'm not so sure about a strike force. The fish-man was pretty serious about not wanting any aggression, and I worry that the Ravagers would send the wrong message."
Jack nods, looking back towards the island, "Sounds like a plan. We headin' back then? I worry Oak got himself intro trouble." There's an unspoken 'again' ringing in the air.
Posts
To Jack and Urixes: “Zank you. Please understand, za Confessor will allow nossing to threaten the Great Return. Tell your Ship to back itself from the Feeding Waters, and return with your patients. Will lower you back to the drink now. When you come to sea, look for line of purple kelp leading southwest. Follow to the left of it on your departure; right upon your return.”
To Oak and Meepo (and Fusspot): “(pointing north) Heavy doors at the back? Open up upon the Left Claw. Follow stone pathway, over and under. Don’t stop. Don’t dawdle. Will lead you to the Abbott Grounds. Head to the doors. You will be met there, I am sure, by Confessor. Or the Priestess.”
Once his instructions are presented, Gil quickly moves to shuffle both groups from the Boathouse. “Now go! I will be here upon your return, to assist…”
Jack and Urixes are lowered back down via the chains into the ocean below. Being pushily escorted by Gil, Oak and Meepo are practically *shoved* out the back door, onto the “Left Claw”. Five minutes after leaving, the Wild Bunch can make out sudden, frantic flashes of light from the top of the Boathouse: a steady signal in some kind of code, pointed towards the Abbott…
His expression sloooowly widens into a grin until he looks like a cat that ate the canary, extremely pleased with his joke. Oh, right, the mission.
"Whatcha wanna do? That kelp malarky feels like a really long way to go, but also I'm not sure we want to upset people who might be able to help us. The heck...?" His eyes narrow at the flashing, "Think that's about us?"
Geth, roll 1d20+1 for New Boathouse Who Dis
He takes a moment to take in his surroundings, but the path beneath his feet is firm and clear. "Right then, let's move. Hopefully we can secure some help by the time they get back."
Oak is focused on their objective, and he has a clear path to his goal, so he sets out down the stone path.
Geth, roll 1d20+3 for Con Check
Meepo follows behind Oak across the island’s Left Claw, down the stone path and under the large mushrooms and strange fauna. The light which comes in from overhead is sparse, and the shadows cast by the hill above cover much of the landscape. A thin, green miasma rests in the air here. The kobold is huffing and puffing, but making their most dogged attempt to keep up with the shifter this time! It becomes obvious the little lizard-person is trying to earn their way alongside Oak as best they can after the events of the last adventure…
The rocky path hasn’t been paved in a good long while, and the contours of the island are odd and slick (or sticky) in many places. More than once, the shifter and kobold nearly trip during their journey, or fall into a patch of shooting spores, but after a rough mile, they find their way to ancient looking stone gates, 3/4 of the way closed and barring access to the courtyard of the Abbott which looms above in the center of the grounds.
As the pair arrive, almost as soon as they find the gate, a figure begins to push through them…
He finds himself a seat in the boat, "They also mentioned sending an envoy to the ship, should tell the cap'n about that so she doesn't blow them up."
Or would the light code count as writing for the purposes of my ability to read all writing?
"Okay, yeah maybe don't talk too much about who and what we've destroyed on our way out here. Good thinking." Urixes sighs. "I'll tell you, Jack, one day when I'm not... this anymore, I'd like to come out here again and just be a stranger. Not a shadow of a shadow of a shadow. Just me."
…the figure which emerges is thin, young, wary. He’s carrying two long, fresh loaves of bread under his right arm, and a basket of assorted greens, roots, and vegetables in the same hand. With his left hand, the grimy young fellow munches upon a turnip, biting into the side of it fervently and sighing with great satisfaction as the juice runs down his face
So preoccupied is the young man at his meal that he weaves into Oak and Meepo without even noticing, and nearly slams into the Big Man’s chest as he walks up. The figure squeals, and the basket and produce go in all different directions! The little fellow screeches accusations, darting around the stone walk as he retrieves first the basket, and then begins to grab nearby vegetables. “Ya idjits!” the grubby urchin snaps. “What ye’ thinking, sneaking up on me like that! Damn near scared me ta’ death…thought you were’ couple o’ them fishies!…”
"Weren't sneakin'." The Shifter replies "Just standing here. Though.... fishies sounds like tha' guy at the boathouse that sent me up this path. You ain't one of the Abbey then? Mind tellin' me little about what's what in this place?"
Geth, roll 1d20+1 for Persuasion
The Urchin, having gathered all his spilled belongings (Meepo handing him the final loaf of bread with a wary hand, which sees the young boy snatch it away), comes over to Oak and waggles a quiet, come hither finger. “Ye really wanna know? What’s going on past the grounds and behind them doors?” The Urchin leans over, gets on his tip-toes, and whispers up to the shifter:
“They steal yer’ mates, friends an family…convince them they’re Gods, an’ turn em against ye..”
“They take acid baths below the temple that boils the makeup from their scales that make em’ look like humans an’ elves; ye know, “normal” people…”
“They throw each other from cliffs, stab each other, beat each other to death fer’ fun…”
“They do unspeakable, “sexy” things up’ en that hill during the full moons; dance an’ call the dead, drink blood an’ sacrifice to demons…”
From nearby, once more the gates rattles, and something moves to step through it. Bumping against Oak’s chest before scuttling right behind him, the little Urchin begins to move out of sight, stepping back towards the mushrooms and overhangs of the strange jungle around like a flash. “Don’t let em’ take ya, Big Un’…don’t let em’ get you, too!” He whispers with a dread warning back to Oak, before moving to vanish into the underbrush…
Their eyes look cloudy and unfocused, and the sorrowful words which come from their cracked lips ("SO LOST", "SO THIRSTY", "WE HURT", "HELP US", "SAVE US") are equal parts pitiable and unnerving.
From the bushes, the young Urchin gasps out, "Accursed! Must've been the ones that wrecked on the rocks few days past..." Several moments later and the orphan has broken into a full sprint into the wilderness, footfalls coming strong with the sound of laughter. "Well...pleasant afterlife, lizard man and Big Un'! Sorry for ye, I yam, but then, best to die among the mad than to become one yerself..."
Meepo tugs at Oak's pants. "Meester....uhhmm, Meester Oak, ser..." Either because their eyes have fallen on you both, or because the Urchins screeching has drawn their attention, the rabble turns their heads, finding Oak and Meepo standing nearby. With groans and hisses, the teeming mass withdraws weapons, and begins to move forward...
His hands grip around the handle, a bit uncertain of the situation. Moment by moment, however, as they close in, the protective urge he has to keep Meepo safe ignites the anger inside of him. He wants to stand his ground, no, that's not enough, he needs to keep Meepo from harm, which means putting them down.
Oak doesn't waste time waiting for them to reach the two of them, he charges them in turn, using the flat of his axe to swing down on the nearest one's head. He was going to try and avoid killing them if he could, but time would tell how long that attempt lasted.
Rage
Attacking with non-lethal dmg.
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack 1
Geth, roll 1d12+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack 2
Geth, roll 1d12+7 for Dmg 2
Geth, roll 2d20k1+7 for Perception
((OOC: When bad luck
hits your eye
like a great fat botfly
that's a Jack-ey ))
All seems the same, at first. The Longboat doesn’t travel quite as fast without Oak around to help pump the oars of course, but the day is fine, the wind cools your sweat beaded faces, and the sun shines pleasantly down between pits in the island far above head.
About halfway back, you both notice that the Longboat’s progress has slowed, considerably. Its Urixes who finds the snag, a few handfuls of kelp tendrils, subtly snaked around the back of the craft and beginning to drag it under. The Warlock and Young Jack take turns hacking at the fibrous, neon colored plant, and are eventually able to free themselves…but as they do so, they discover at their feet a half dozen pinpricks in the Longboat, each leaking a tiny drip-drip-drip into the craft, thimblefuls of ocean water adding up quicker than either of you could have imagined...
The Whispered Curse sits in the distance, maybe thirty yards away. From the water at your feet, vapors, subtle but increasingly visible, begin to gather and rise…
Oak
Oak puts down the two mad men at the front, but those behind continue to pour in from the gate! Most carry simple weapons such as daggers, pitchforks; some even bear cutlery. Although most of the deranged individuals in front of Oak are clearly starving and weakened, two in particular stand out as made of heartier stuff: a man and a woman, both bearing large greatswords with relative ease, and both with a sinister glint in their eyes.
The Barbarian feels a gentle hand on his back, and a rush of vigor and vitality flood into his body as Meepo murmurs an incantation
Geth roll 2d6 Temp HP (Oak)
“Steady on thur’, Meester Oak,” Meepo whispers cautiously to the shifter, nervous as he watches Oak begin to rage and the crowd build to a swell. “Keep yer’ eyes en’ the the two with the big swords…something “off” about em’…”
Key-
+Brown Doors- Solid Oak doors, partially opened. Pushing through fully would require an action
+Solid Black- A square yard surrounding the Abbott area, walls twelve feet high
+Solid Blue- The island’s edges, a steep (200+ feet) fall to the waters below lying on the other side
+Hashed Blue- Stagnant ponds in and around the lush walkway up the Abbot (Make a Constitution Save if you end your turn in one of these!)
+Hashed Purple- Hearty and sometimes massive clumps of exotic mushrooms growing up from the ground (Make a Dexterity Save if you enter this space at any point to avoid trampling and upsetting ferocious looking mushrooms!)
His normally fire hot rage was burning more coldly in the face of so many enemies. He was still angry, but it was the cold passionless anger of doing whatever it takes to make it out alive.
Oak takes a single step forward and yells "Right then. Come and get it."
Hs presses his hand up against his arm, where the tattoo he had gotten back in Chaff. It activates, and he feels the inky magic explode from his back in tendrils. It swings at the deranged fighter in front of him, then swings a second time at the first of the two holding the large greatswords.
Move 1 diagonally NW (puts me in range of 3 and B )
Activate Eldritch tattoo as a BA, gives my melee attacks 15 feet of range (and adds 1d6 force dmg).
Doing non-lethal dmg against the simple guys, but the greatsword folks are getting the real deal.
Attack on 3
2nd swing on B
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on 3
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on B
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 2
"Well, no Mister Fusspot, so at least Oak's still doing alright. Hope he's stayin' polite without me around."
After a brief fit of coughing, Urixes waves his hand toward the back of the boat, willing the flow of water to propel them the rest of the way to the Curse.
Mister Fusspot, bristling with anxiety, departs Oak’s shoulder to take safe haven atop the nearby Abbot walls
Mad Man #3 has been knocked unconscious by Oak!
The cold-eyed bearer of the Great-sword (B) grunts as Oak’s Great-axe darts from smoky tendrils through the air, slicing his shoulder badly open! The skeezy looking-man presses a hand to the wound…meets eyes with Oak…licks his bloodied fingers and smiles with wicked intent. Cold-Eyes rushes forward, sword swinging, and as the massive blade cleaves the air, the man’s jaw opens unnaturally wide and he leans forward to exact a toothsome revenge upon Oak’s shoulder…
Geth roll 3d6+4 slashing
Geth roll 1d20+6 Bite B (Oak)
Geth roll 1d3+4 piercing
Note: Oak, on a successful Bite, please roll a Constitution Save vs. A DC-13 vs. “Creeping Madness”
Sensing an opening, two of Cold-Eyes fellows nearby (#11 and #4), bellowing half in rage and half in pain, rush in to help swarm the Barbarian!…
Geth roll 1d20+3 Scimitar 11 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
Geth roll 2d20+3 Fork 4 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d4+1 piercing
From behind a copse of mushrooms, one of the crazed (#14), withdrawing a small dagger, suddenly breaks into a full sprint and makes for Meepo, screaming at the top of her lungs!
Geth 1d4+1 piercing
The rest of the scraggly mob begin to circle and close in around the shifter and kobold, swaying uneasily into the puddles of water and clouds of mushroom spores, sweating profusely and looking feverish. Only one of them (the female bearer of the other great sword) remains near the gate, eyes watching carefully, a smirk upon her blood-stained face…
Urixes and Jack
The pair arrive back to the Curse in the nick of time. The pinprick holes have begun to swell and expand, and the slow but steady trickle has soon turned into a full-capsize situation. From above, riggers rush to hurry down ropes from the Curse, barely fishing Jack and Urixes aboard in time before the Longboat begins to come apart as planks beneath their feet, which sink into the waters below…
The Captain is waiting to greet both men aboard the Ship as they arrive. Looking equal parts worried and frustrated to see it’s just the two of you, she’s quick to assess the situation and whistle for the Quartermaster. Michael comes out to the deck and the Captain shouts for fresh water. “Now!” she shouts. “We’ve gotta get these mates scrubbed, and we need to do it five minutes ago!”
A hastily assembled pair of bathtubs is soon paced above the forecastle deck, and with steaming hot buckets of water, uncomfortably firm scrub brushes, and a strong lavender soap provided by Carlee Burrowes the Chef, Jack and Urixes are instructed to scrub clean. Both will likely smell of lavendar for the next week, at least, but on the other hand, the stuff is probably strong enough to take off paint: whatever burned through your Longboat doesn’t stand a chance against it!
After a quick and proper cleaned-and-dried, the pair give their report to the Captain. Captain Ari looks angry, but unsurprised. “Can’t ever just be easy, cannit?” She grumbles. “Well, what sort of impression did ye’ two get? Are they on the up-and-up? Or we dealing with another pack of nutters?”
Stroking her chin, she considers. “Alright, well we can load up the “Queen’s Chest” and send you back the long way about in one of the remaining Longboats…careful with it, we’ve only got two of the fuckin’ things left! That being said…you need to get back as soon as you can! Don’t like the idea of Mister Oak and the Lizard being gods-know-where being subjected to gods-know-what over there!”
“In the meantime…what do you two suggest we do with the Curse? You want us to stay here and wait for ya til you give a clear? Should we head back to the village, see if we can find a way ashore to come meet up with you? We could even head back to that Boathouse, meet this “Gil” of yours…but if he didn’t want to let you two in, he probably won’t want to let fifty others in, and we don’t wanna cook the Hull finding out…”
“...but then,” the Captain considers, looking sidelong over at Rax’s Ravagers standing nearby (minus Rax, or course). “…maybe we don’t need to send the whole Ship? Just a backup team ter’ try to sneak up behind you…watch yer’ backs an’ report back if things get outta hand?”
Oak ignores the smaller men, though, and focuses on the one in front of him, the one who seems more in control. They were the biggest threat, so they were going to need to meet the fury of his great axe.
Geth, roll 1d6 for Temp HP Gain
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on B
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+8 for Attack on B
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 2
Jack looks around the ship, "'Side from our infiltrators, maybe send someone with us to act a frontman? Talk to the man, keep him distracted, negotiate a port for the Curse, that sort of thing? Me and Urixes can't chase after Oak and keep an eye on our guest at the same time."
He reaches up to his shoulder, looking surprised before remembering he left Fusspot with Oak.
Fangs glistening and eyes deadly with rage, Oak pulls himself up from the scrap and moves in on the Great-sword bearer, swinging his Great-Axe! The first blow connects, going deep into his foe’s belly! But in a moment, Cold-Eyes darts back, and the Barbarian finds his next attack glancing off his leather armor, as Cold-Eyes hisses and holds a bloody hand to the stomach wound…
From nearby, Meepo cries out as the ferocious mad woman (14) jams a rusty dagger in between their neck scales! Rolling away and circling the deranged accursed at Oak’s back, the Kobold yells, “Goddess o’ White, protect oss’!”
From the ether, insubstantial, ivory specters begin to ebb into existence around the Cleric. Small in stature but large in number, the creatures take up wing and begin to circle around the kobold: tiny white dragons, snapping and swiping at anything that comes near!…
Spirit Guardians: You call forth spirits to protect you. They flit around you to a distance of 15 feet for the duration. If you are good or neutral, their spectral form appears angelic or fey (your choice). When you cast this spell, you can designate any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by it (Oak). An affected creature’s speed is halved in the area, and when the creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 radiant damage (if you are good or neutral). On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage.
Geth roll 1d20 Wisdom Save (Mad Man 5)
Geth roll 3d8 radiant
Geth roll 1d20 Wisdom Save (Mad Man 14)
Geth roll 3d8 radiant
Churning like a windmill before them, the wispy draconic spirts hack and bite at the Accursed. Both are savaged and beaten…but both remain standing! They each advance upon Meepo!…
Geth roll 1d4+1 piercing
Geth roll 1d20+3 Scimitar 5 (Meepo)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
Cold-Eyes, locked eye-to-eye with Oak as he holds his bloody abdomen, says nothing. But with a nod to his fellow just behind the Big Man (#4), the cannibal lunges in on one side, all sword and teeth, while his companion goes to put the fork in Oak’s back upon the other!…
Geth roll 2d20+6 Great-sword B (Oak)
Geth roll 3d6+4 slashing
Geth roll 2d20+6 Bite B (Oak)
Geth roll 1d3+4 piercing
Geth roll 2d20+3 Fork 4 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d4+1 piercing
Some of the Accursed (11, 9, 10) nearby *hiss* and charge in on the Barbarian’s other side, attempting to overwhelm him, to beat the very life from him…
Geth roll 1d4+1 bludgeoning
Geth roll 1d20+3 Mace 9 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d6+1 bludgeoning
Geth roll 1d20+3 Handaxe 10 (Oak)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
Others (6, 12, 13) circle around the edges of the brawl, weapons held, looking for an opening upon which to attack the Barbarian…
Meanwhile, as Meepo is ganged up on by an eager pair of the deranged, two more (7,8) hover close-by, wary of the circling spirits. One refrains from the scuffle (7), enough sense left not to engage, but the other(8)…wiping a slow trickle of blood from under their nose, charges into the fray to attack the Kobold!
Geth roll 3d8 radiant
Geth roll 1d20+3 Handaxe 8 (Meepo)
Geth roll 1d6+1 slashing
From near the gate, the other great-sword bearer can be heard to fumble with machinery, apparently erecting some foul measure of machinery. A loud clank later and the woman chuckles to herself, then turns around and slowly makes her way towards the battle...
He changes tactics for the moment, knowing the stronger foe was still there but annoyed at the gnats that were gathering around as well. Striking out, he smacks his axe into his flanker, then, using one of the inky tendrils that had sprouted from his back, he lashes out on one of the ones attacking Meepo.
Drank Potion of Heroism
Geth, roll 1d20+1d4+8 for Attack on 4
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 1
Geth, roll 1d20+1d4+8 for Attack on 14
Geth, roll 1d12+1d6+7 for Dmg 2
He nods at Jack's words. "Yes, keep the Curse out here for now. There's still too much we don't know and I can't put the ship at risk like that. Someone to help us negotiate would be helpful, maybe Natali? There's a strong sense of worship there, but I don't understand their religion.
"I'm not so sure about a strike force. The fish-man was pretty serious about not wanting any aggression, and I worry that the Ravagers would send the wrong message."