[sblock=ooc]Alright, majority has it. Onward to the Gnomish village...[/sblock]
"Ma," says Matjala, "You mob going to visit gnomes, then we part ways for now. I must stay. My place with my own people."
Pointing back towards the mainland, Matjala gives you some brief directions toward your destination, "Best way to get to Laughing Glade is follow river, Python's Tail River, back north on mainland. You go past river fork where Rripangu live, then just before you get to big mountains you going northwest along Thorny Gorge, it big canyon. Keep going till you getting to creek called Weeping Elf Brook. Follow west and you come to Laughing Glade."
When it is clear that the party is departing, Gepu, the Djaapana shaman speaks up,
"Marrkap djambatj mala. Nhuma yurru manymakkuma dhuwala wahnga."
Reaching into a woven reed bag slung over his back he pulls out a small leather pouch and hands it to Ferris saying,
"Dhuwala nhungu. Djutj'tjutj," and without another word he turns and departs back toward his clan's camp.
"Gepu say him know you mob gonna make this land right," says Matjala with a flicker of a smile. Then pointing to the pouch in Ferris' hand he cautions, "Use medicine wisely, eh healer man? Powerful, but only for time of great need. Good luck djambatj mala. You can use my canoe to get back to mainland." The Djaapana lawman then turns and follows Gepu back toward the camp.
[sblock="Treasure Received!"]Woundstitch Powder (from Ferris' wish list)[/sblock]
The Riverbanks
You arrive back on the shores of the mainland about three hours past midday. Heeding Dhakanmirr's warning about the danger of the forest canopy, the party sticks close to the river bank as you travel. You make good time, as the heat seems to have let up a bit, a refreshing south wind blowing down the banks of the river lifting your spirits and keeping the more annoying insects away.
Following Matjala's directions you pass by the western branch of the river that leads to the Rripangu clan camps in the late afternoon, continuing northward along the course of the Python's Tail. Prospects look good for arriving at Thorny Gorge before nightfall until your progress is suddenly impeded by an unusually thick stand of mangroves that completely blocks your passage along the riverbanks. It is fast approaching sunset, and though the dim light makes it difficult to see under the forest canopy you are forced to move some 25 meters away from the river bank to look for a way around. You hear the splash of a short waterfall up ahead.
map
[sblock=Nature 10]Nowhere else on Kythira have you seen mangroves growing within 10 feet of fast-running water. It is very unusual for them to be standing directly on the water's edge like this.
[sblock=Nature 15]You notice that there is an uncanny quiet to this place not unlike what you experienced at the great fallen tree on the Djaapana homeland. All the plant and insect sounds you've been hearing during your travels have fallen suddenly silent.[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Arcana 15]There is a sense of wrongness here. The air hums with arcane energy. You get the distinct impression that the landscape of this place was magically altered, and recently.[/sblock]
[sblock=ooc]Alright, so we're moving to turn-based format now. Feel free to take a turn's worth of standard/minor/move actions with each of your posts. Alnar and Bann-ur can see very little in this dim light, and will take a -2 penalty to all applicable rolls unless a lightsource is lit. Any square containing roots of mangrove trees is considered difficult terrain, as is the muddy slope just up ahead near the falls. The areas of green foliage/dense growth are impassible terrain.[/sblock]