TUW: Welcome to the Jungle

[Sylvar B.]

Saemund chimes in. If in fact the lake is a tomb or some sacred place, visiting it would likely invite more vigorous attacks from the local tribes. I agree with Sheldon, A slight grins crosses Saemund's face. We have a rebellion to start and an official to undermine...we should be about our business.

 

[MacConnell]

Days 250 - 260: The Western Jungle

​

GM: The crew travels for an additional 10 days to circumvent the lake with enough efficiency to allow the horses to follow. Riding is not possible at the point for the horses are too insecure in their footing to allow a rider. A narrow gap in the second stream, the one that feeds Asylim with fresh water, is discovered which allows the horses a place to jump across. From the vantage of higher elevation the Seekers discover the silk collectors down in a vegetated valley after following the sound of their voices for about an hour. The collectors are intent on their tasks and have collected a good measure of spider webbing. There are armed guards with the collectors. Some are watching the surrounding. Some are watching the collectors. The Seekers and their mounts do not appear to have yet been noticed at their approximately 30 paces distance. Some of the guards are armed with bows, some with spears. All also appear to carry a small sword and buckler. The guards are mostly protected by canvass covering, with a smattering of skins. One guard is noted be carrying two swords at his hips rather than having a buckler. That guards is currently wielding his bow.

[sblock=Character Data]

OOC: Sheldon: full health Indigo: full health Tor: full health Merin: full health Bolo: full health Sannit: full health Turtle:full health Saemund: full heath Feroz: full health Vadin: full health

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[sblock=Purchasing Power]

OOC: Store Credit in Southroad Fair: 1123 clams 60 Plates: (platinum coin, 3000 clams) 10 Gold Ingots (200 clams) 50 Dublins: (gold coin, 1000 clams) 80 Rupees: (silver coin, 800 clams) 76 Ocrin: (tin coin, 76 clams) 20% Southroad Fair Olive Trade Proceeds

[/sblock]
[sblock=Current Party Holdings]

OOC: 2 Windrunner Stallions 8 Windrunner Mares 3 decorative saddles (San-Bolo, Saemund) 4 standard saddles (Tor, Sheldon, Indigo, Merin, Vadin) 4 Windrunner Colts (with pack rigs) 2 Harnin Mining Mauls 2 Harnin Mining Spikes 2 Harnin Pick Axes drawing of Assassins' Guild symbol parchment containing known message

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[sblock=Current Inventory]

OOC: Animal: Anhinga Talisman: 1 (++ Cohesion) Calling Bird Feet: 1 pair {+ Will} Calling Bird Tail Feathers: 5 (1 item) {+ Will} Chicken Feet: 2 pair {+ Confluence} Chicken Tail Feathers: 3 (1 item) {+ Confluence} Duck Tail Feathers: 3 (1 item) (+ Cohesion) Duck Feet: 1 pair (+ Cohesion) Flycatcher Talisman: 3 (+ Motility) Gallinule Talisman: 1 (++ Confluence) Harvester Feet: 1 pair (+ Health) Harvester Tail Feathers: 5 (1 item) {+ Health} Hawk Tail Feathers: 3 (1 item) {+ Strength} Hawk Feet: 2 pair (+ Strength) Huge Beetle Carapaces: 21 Mink Skulls: 4 (+ Adhesion) Songbird Tail Feathers: 5 (1 item) {+ Persona} Songbird Feet: 1 pair (+ Persona) Tapir Hides: 9 (262% cover) Volantin Skins: 6 (360% cover) Volantin Venom Glands: 2 (- Persona x3) Volantin Talons: 120 (++ Motility) Vulture Talisman: 1 (+ Adhesion) Metal: Zinc Ingots: 14 (+ Health) {Mend x2} Tin Ingots: 110 (+ Persona) {Muddle x2, - Persona x2} Lead: 2 {Rend x2, -Health x2} Iron Ingots: 37 (+ Confluence) {Mend x2} Iron Bricks: 10 Aluminum Ingots: 7 (+ Motility) {Thump x2} Chromium Ingots: 10 (+ Strength) {Rejuvenate x2} Magnesium: 2 (+ Will) {Soothe x2, Mend x2, +Health x2} Copper: 2 (+ Persona) {-Persona x2, Shock x2} Molybdenum: 9 (+ Motility) Palladium: 2 {sound x3} Silver: 1 (+Will) {-Will x3} Plant: Muddle Leaf: 1 {Muddle x2} Soothe Leaf: 2 (Soothe x2) Rend Leaf: 1 {Rend x2} Mend Leaf: 2 (Mend x2) Muddle Flower: 1 {Muddle x3} Soothe Flower: 1 {Soothe x3} Leaves of Harmony: 1 (Harmony x2) Stone: Slate: 16 (Thump x2) Bloodstone: 4 (+ Health) {Mend x2} Sunstone: 1 (+ Persona) {Charm x2} Heartstone: 3 (+ Confluence) {Mend x2} Carbone Bricks: 35 (Heat x3) Lodestone: 1: {Thump x2} Slickstone: 1: {Cool x2} Livestone: 2 (+ Strength) {Restoration x2} Milkstone: 1 (+ Will) {Harmony x2} Emberstone: 1 (+ Cohesion) {Charm x2} Soft Brimstone Brick: 1: {heat x3} Waterstone: 1 (+Motility) Nightstone: 1 (+Adhesion) {darken x3} Ruddystone: 1 (+Health) Pietrazulfo Brick: 1 (Acidify x4, Heat x4) .

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[sblock=Unknown Items]

OOC: Bird Skull (Heron): 1

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[sblock=Party Discoveries]

OOC: Hidden Valley in the Western Jungle Secluded Lake in Western Jungle with Mysterious Island

[/sblock]

 

[Kwargrow]

In this fourth scenario, the Southroad Seekers have decided to travel south in an attempt to acquire laborers at the expense of Asylim. Asylim has continued to send assassins to further hostilities with Southroad Fair, hoping to subjugate the community. This preliminary southern trip is also to be used to gather information concerning the structure and workings of Asylim and any possible dissension between Magisters.​

The collectors are intent on their tasks and have collected a good measure of spider webbing. There are armed guards with the collectors. Some are watching the surrounding. Some are watching the collectors.​

Sannit rubs his beard as he considers the dilemma. "I didn't expect the guards to be so close. These Magisters must indeed be paranoid. If we kill the guards will the workers come with us? We have discussed before how to use Way to make people see and think what we want them to. Could some of us leave our weapons and armor and attempt to convince the guards we are also collectors lost from our group? That could give us the element of surprise for an ambush."

Bolo says, "If we attack, are the guards under orders to start killing the collectors? What if we watch the group for a time and wait for an opportunity to sneak in and grab one of the collectors to question him? We could make it look like a bear attack." She scratches Turtle on the head.

Turtle can smell the other group of people and knows possible conflict is coming.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin reminds Sannit, “Do you remember how the caravan master reacted when we approached the caravan that time? And the workers had those collars, and didn’t want to leave, because even if the collars could be circumvented, the magisters had threatened violence against their families? If we attack, even if we are victorious, we shall defeat our own purpose, because those in Asylum shall be killed in retribution.”

”...It is good to see you again. It is nice to see the growth here in Southroad Fair, but before you say anything, I must insist that you do not get involved. We have been marked as criminals, but this irritating collar is only the half of it. You will notice that my wife is not with me. She is back in Asylim, as are family members of everyone in the train. If for any reason other than our own deaths we do not return to Asylim, our family members will suffer, so please, do not do anything.”

”...It was after I watched that man die that I was ordered to choose my men.

I can see the looks on your faces. You think ill of us. You probably think me a coward but you are wrong. My men and I may not be wearing collars, but make no mistake, we are not free. All of us have wives and children back in Asylim. I have no delusions of what their fates would be if we do not return.

So to answer you question directly, yes. Yes, Asylim is becoming a slave state, but it is so much more complicated than that. Frustratingly more complicated. Many of the citizenry are fully convinced that this new way of life is better for them, big claims of redistribution of wealth and geriatric care. There is so much more.

You think one of the caravaners is an assassin. If that is so, it may even be he or she was employed to keep tabs on me.”

Merin continues,”Remembering Marstoni’s words and attitude, I doubt the guards would be hostile to us. They might not trust us, but I think they would at least talk to us. Or let us talk to the workers. What say the rest of you?”

Merin looks around at the other party members, waiting for a response.

 

[MacConnell]

Sheldon Responds

... Merin continues,”Remembering Marstoni’s words and attitude, I doubt the guards would be hostile to us. They might not trust us, but I think they would at least talk to us. Or let us talk to the workers. What say the rest of you?”

Merin looks around at the other party members, waiting for a response.

Sheldon runs his left hand through his long hair, pulling it back from his face.
"It stands to reason on a direct approach. By the way, it may be the distance, but I do not see collars on the pickers like we did on the caravaners. The collars may have been specifically to create an affront in our community."

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Tor nods his head, “Agreed. The collars might have only been for the caravan, since Saucy knows that we were formerly members of it. But I’d still wager that the workers are under some form of duress, probably from emperiled family members. But it can’t hurt to at least talk to them.”

Tor waits for the other party members to add their thoughts.

 

[Kwargrow]

Sannit strokes his beard and replies, "If the guards go back and report us, Saucy might figure out that we are poking into his interests. It might put him on guard. Eventually he will know we are starting a rival silk collecting guild, and that is going to enflame his attacks on us. I will go with you if you wish to approach openly and speak to these people, but we should assume that anything we tell them is going to end up in Saucy's ears."

Bolo says, "I will stay hidden and cover you with my bow. Turtle will stay behind and guard the horses and gear." She gives the appropriate order to the bear.

Turtle knows these horses are part of the group now, and does his best to make friends with the riding animals.

 

[MacConnell]

Day 260: Indigo Gets Involved

Sannit strokes his beard and replies, "If the guards go back and report us, Saucy might figure out that we are poking into his interests. It might put him on guard. Eventually he will know we are starting a rival silk collecting guild, and that is going to enflame his attacks on us. I will go with you if you wish to approach openly and speak to these people, but we should assume that anything we tell them is going to end up in Saucy's ears."

Bolo says, "I will stay hidden and cover you with my bow. Turtle will stay behind and guard the horses and gear." She gives the appropriate order to the bear.

Turtle knows these horses are part of the group now, and does his best to make friends with the riding animals.

Indigo grips the pommels of her swords, cording the developed muscles in her forearms. The normally quiet girl puts on a feral smile.
"Maybe that is what we should want. We have been given every indication that Saucy has a temper. His actions thus far have been calculated and planned. If we make him angry, he will start making mistakes because he will be reacting instead of calculating. I think we should go at them peaceably but with a show of force. Sheldon and I will both go forward. Bolo, my sister, you will watch our horses, as well?"

Sheldon looks over at Indigo, surprised by the force of her words. He says nothing. He dismounts, whispering to his horse to go to Bolo.

 

[redraider629]

Vadin listens to Indigo, and smiles. "I love this idea. The thought of being a bit saucy to Saucy sounds fun. I will go with you and Sheldon."

With that Vadin makes sure his weapons are in clear view as he approaches the collectors.

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Merin and Tor agree with this plan; for a show of force, Tor will go with Sannit, Indigo, Sheldon, and Vadin. Merin will stay behind with Bolo and Turtle, because he believes that it is more strategic. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on Saemund, who has begun to doze...

Tor says, “Ok, let us go.”

Tor begins moving forward, toward the group of guards and pickers.