[Adventure] Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv (DM: Mewness; Judge: THB)

[Mewness]

Gelik comes cautiously to sit down near Hú Lí. “A touch overdramatic for someone who’s already dead, isn't he?” (He’s referring to Ishirou, of course.) “But the situation really could be that bad. I’m certainly no expert, but--wizards talk. In fact they are quite possibly the very worst gossips in existence--but I digress. Forty or fifty years ago, a ship called the Nightvoice was lost in these waters. There was a wizard on board, supposedly rather capable. But his communications gradually became weaker and then stopped, and he was never heard from again. Not as though he was cut off in mid-sentence, you understand, but as though something was slowly weakening the magic he used to communicate.” Gelik considers the spider meat for some moments before taking a reluctant bite. “Or so I’ve heard. I didn’t know him. But it would be something to find the Nightvoice. There is a mystery there.”

[sblock=Insight 19 (active or passive)]You suspect that Gelik is understating his connection to the Nightvoice--it seems more important to him than he lets on.[/sblock]

Jade spends ten or fifteen minutes in prayer before joining the group for dinner. Castile recognizes some of the prayers--she has heard members of her family invoke the blessings of the god Quetzalcoatl on occasion. When he has finished, he sits down beside Castile to eat.

“I ask Quetzalcoatl for guidance, to show us a way to leave. And yet for me it is perhaps not de best t’ing if he hears,” he says, smiling. “If I return home, King Itztecolotl will have me kill. I live in Daunton for years. It is strange at first, but I come to like very much.... Yet I do not want to hide for the remainder of my life.” He pauses ruminatively. “Now I wonder about somet’ing,” he continues. “When I am on de Isle of Opposition, and I search for information about de King’s tribute, I learn dat de one whom I suspect has an associate who is a ship’s captain--Kinkarian is his name. His ship is call de Brine Demon. I don’t know exactly what Kinkarian does for de t’ief, but dey have a close connection--perhaps he helps him steal or buys de goods. When I flee and live in Daunton, I watch all the time for de Brine Demon, because I know from de records dat it comes to Daunton regularly. If I find Kinkarian, maybe I can prove de guilty one’s guilt. But dis ship never comes. It is very strange. Now I wonder--maybe de Brine Demon is catch in de waters of Smuggler’s Shiv and is wreck, like us. Am I foolish to imagine such a t’ing?”

 

[Dekana]

Castile listens attentively to Jade's plight. She doesn't interrupt often, so she ends up finishing her roasted spider while he is still speaking.

"It isn't that it's foolish, but..." Castile trails off for a moment, trying to think of how to phrase this politely. "Have you looked into the whereabouts of the ship, besides in Daunton? Maybe it docks somewhere else on the main isle, doubtlessly to avoid the authorities. Or if it did meet disaster on the ocean, there's no reason to suspect it ended up here." She glances around to the others - a large party of shipwrecked travelers. "No reason other than our current plight, that is." Castile smiles softly and looks to the ground.

 

[Mewness]

Jade looks a little crestfallen, as though he was somehow hoping that his ideas, however farfetched, might receive immediate, enthusiastic reinforcement. "No, I am sure dat he come to Daunton harbor in the past," he says. "Kinkarian has a legitimate business in trade, whatever else he may do behind de curtain, so to speak. But, as for what happen to de ship, whether it is here, dis is probably most unlikely, as you say." He sighs, finishing up his meal very tidily. "I go to sleep. You will wake me when it is my turn?" he asks Dartmoor, before climbing into one of the shelters.

 

[twilsemail]

OOC: I've updated the Irregulars. I decided to take Mewness' bait and now they are proficient with their "Accurate Staff." They're also going to find some herbs during the night with which they can make an Invigorating Brew (Bear's Strength).

The Captains eyes grow wide and seem to glitter with gold in the firelight. "Gelik, what more do you know about the Nightvoice? Mayhaps we could find it and see what treasures still rest in its hold." The Pict taps his shoulder and gives him a meaningful look. "The Pict is right, there are several cliffs around the island. We might be able to spot the wreck from atop one of those."

The Captain hears Jade's question and nods, "Aye lad, get some shut eye. Me or one o' mine will wake you when it's your time."

 

[jbear]

Kane suddenly sits bolt upright, his good eye still closed, his dead eye wide open and unseeing.

"Treasure?! Who said treasure? I'll be coming with you to find that then, to be sure! Count on Kane!"

As suddenly as he sat and spoke, he slumps back down to a sleep he never truly woke from.

OOC: Regards the Watch shift: Kane has no problem what so ever taking his turn on watch be it tonight or tomorrow. I'm guessing he may have not made it onto the watch shift for one of 3 reasons: 1) He has terrible perception (WIS 8) thanks to his dead eye. 2) His character is not yet trusted by the group, nor will be fully til he has proven himself or 3) Can't really define this one ... Last one on the group roster = last one on the watch roster? Anway,just to let you know that Kane will happily watch if and when its required. [MENTION=14889]Mewness[/MENTION] I'm also wondering when and how the material released in the Arcanist article affects Kane. His Daily, Flaming Sphere, has taken a fairly hefty Nerf, but it also seems that The wizard can choose their 4 cantrips. Which seems to suggest Wizards get access to Suggestion as well. If it were the case I think Kane would take Suggestion over Ghost Hand or Light. How soon does that become official here?

 

[Mewness]

"Not a great deal," says Gelik, in response to Dartmoor's question. "The captain's name was Havner Ames. I understand that it had a seahorse figurehead, which might make it distinctive. Much as I would love to make grandiose claims for the amount of treasure on board, I rather doubt there will be much. But Ordro chartered the vessel for his researches, so who knows what he found?"

While the conversation continues quietly, Noriaki has time to go over Kovack's logbook. Sasha sometimes peers over from one side and helps him puzzle out a word, but at other times is looking up at the stars or distracted by the half-dozen-or-so Irregulars that always seem to be around her for some reason. Noriaki is still making his way through the book when she says a good night to everyone and goes off to sleep.

For the most part, Kovack records the ports he visits, the cargo he takes on and unloads, the passengers he takes on and drops off, the crew he hires and discharges, and weather conditions at sea. All of this is noted down impersonally, with no illuminating detail at all, and is consequently extremely boring. Much of the writing is blurred, and it seems scarcely worth the trouble of figuring out exactly how much silk was selling for in any particular location.

The first thing that captures Noriaki's interest is the mention of Ieana, who is picked up on the Isle of O. Her name is recorded, as usual, without any added personal detail. A few more entries of typical weather reports follow, and then comes the section where the style changes completely. After Ieana has been on board for a little over a week, Kovack suddenly becomes obsessed with her, and goes over and over his obsession in intense, purple prose. He details every aspect of her appearance, and though he does not seem to find her exactly beautiful, he is constantly marveling that he had not noticed how fascinating any particular feature of hers was until now. He speculates on the meaning of every gesture she makes, every facial expression; indulges in wild flights of fancy as to her background and their possible future together; laments the fact that she does not appear to notice him that often; and, to Noriaki's distaste, records some extremely lurid sexual fantasies about her.

These passages are written over the course of several days. Kovack neglects to date the entries after a while (although it is clear that time is passing from his incidental mentions of meals or the time of day). Then the tone changes again, to one of smug triumph. Ieana, it seems, now returns his feelings. He goes over the various loving things she has said to him (which could have been drawn from a list of "most tired romantic clichés," but which he tirelessly invests with nuanced meaning and emotion). He reverently describes their sexual encounters (but fortunately, and perhaps curiously, these descriptions are much more vague than the previous fantasies). He also exults in the strange fact that he is the only one who knows Ieana's "true form": he seems to think that if anyone else saw her as she really is, they would all want her, as he does, and he would have to kill them to keep her. He is particularly concerned about Alton, the first mate, whom he suspects of knowing about Ieana's "secret splendor."

The final entry is a truly abysmal love poem that seems to have been written not long before the Jenivere arrived in Daunton. There are no records of the passengers and cargo taken on there.

OOC: [MENTION=75065]jbear[/MENTION] The usual standard is that new published material becomes official one month after publication (unless a proposal nixes it, as has been the case with themes). Errata become official immediately. "Playtest" and "preview" material don't become official until (one month after) they reach their final form. The community is pretty cool with people retraining stuff that has gotten nerfed beyond recognition. I use the compendium heavily, so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't really exist until it's in there.

 

[Pentius]

Noriaki keeps himself engrossed in the book for quite some time. Allarian is not his first language, but it gives him a chance to put his formal tutoring to use. Sasha is a great help to him, and he gives her his thanks before she goes to bed. At first he starts to miss her, but soon after she retires, Noriaki starts getting to the more intimate details of Kovack's desire for Ieana, and issues a small thanks to the gods that he's reading it alone, checking over his shoulders for any lingering Irregulars. He notes Jennifer Sara Lynn's face poking out of his satchel, but she seems to just be napping again.

The reading goes slower once he's alone, but given the subject matter, he doesn't ask for help. All in all, Noriaki ends up awake through most of the first watch before he finishes it, and resolves to tell the party what he's learned in the morning. Well, a cleaned up version, anyway.

 

[Mewness]

The first watch is uneventful. Everyone gradually drifts off but Hú Lí, Ishirou, Noriaki, and some of the Irregulars. Noriaki reads for a couple of hours, then goes to sleep not long before Jade is woken up to replace Hú Lí for the second watch.

[sblock=Dartmoor Irregulars]During the second watch, a large creature flies high overhead, heading northwest. You can only guess at its actual appearance, because it is nothing more than a moving shape--the only visible sign of it is the stars briefly going dark as it passes in front of them.[/sblock]

Ishirou finally goes to sleep at around midnight. Sasha relieves Jade for the third watch, providing a pleasant distraction for the Irregulars. Fortunately, nothing threatens the camp during this time, and Sasha is relieved by Takahaan. This period also passes peacefully, except for one of the sleepers.

[sblock=Noriaki]You wake up on the Jenivere, having fallen asleep for a moment, lulled by the motion of the waves. Thank the heavens, that horribly sweaty island was only a dream! Such is your delight that you leap up and almost bang your head on the cabin ceiling. “Noriaki!” barks Hachi. “What are you about, lazy boy, dozing off in the middle of a lesson? Do you absorb nothing that I teach you?” “Master,” you respond in confusion. “I thought that there were to be no more lessons. Have you forgiven me?” “Forgiven you!” says Hachi. “And what have you done that you must ask for forgiveness before you confess the wrongdoing itself? Never mind. We will talk after dinner, if you can get through the meal without further disgrace.” And you follow Hachi to Captain Kovack’s cabin, where everyone is gathered. Two of the Irregulars ladel soup into bowls. Captain Kovack leans as if to whisper in Ieana’s ear, but so close that his lips press her, lingeringly, in a way that makes you turn your gaze aside in embarrassment. You see one of the Irregulars falling into the soup tureen, and you suddenly get a strange feeling that you have seen this before. Castile picks up her spoon, which transforms before your eyes into a small fanged serpent. You notice the spoon set at Hachi’s place starting to wriggle and knock it off the table, but Hachi raises his bowl directly to his lips in the Kingdom of Jade manner. “Master, do not drink!” you shout, but you are too late. Hachi, putting the bowl down, gives you a quizzical look, and you see that a serpent has buried its fangs in his tongue, which drips with thick poison.

Reaching out in a panic, calling to your former master, you wake up on Smuggler’s Shiv. It is only about an hour before dawn.[/sblock]

 

[GROMkill]

Takahaan is awoken in the early morning for watch duty, to relieve Sasha. With a sleepy nod to her, he resumes her watch and yawns, his massive dragon-maw opening wide. When his mouth suspended in this way for a moment while he inhales a massive breath, an Irregular sneaks up, slipping a piece of the spider meat into Takahaan's maw and takes off with a giggle and a snort.

Surprised by the act, Takahaan's fog of sleepiness is cast away as he jumps in his seat a few inches. Finally chewing, he realizes that the Irregular had fed him a generous piece of the spider flesh. "Friends, he says, between bites of the delicious meat truly reminiscent of bacon, "This is quite delectable. If we run into anymore of those foul creatures along our paths, may we eat them up before they can do the same to us." Finishing the mouthful, Takahaan again stares off into the dark clearing and jungle, unlit by the comforting campfire that his companions had thrown together.

Seconds, minutes, hours pass before anything breaks the peaceful atmosphere of the campsite. Adding another log to the campfire, Takahaan notices his friend Noriaki tossing and turning in his sleep, something he hasn't seen him do before. Swearing he heard him mumble a few things, Takahaan edges his way over, confused and interested in the strange behavior of his sleeping friend.

With a shout, Noriaki seems to wake up, his arms reaching out in front of him.

"Noriaki! Hey! the dragonborn says, running the last distance up to Noriaki, who is lying amongst his bedding. "Did you have a nightmare? Tell me, friend, while your memories of it are still fresh."

 

[twilsemail]

OOC: This afternoon I'm heading into the woods to whack people with sticks for a few days. It's remarkably good for stress relief. It's remarkably bad for Internet access. Just an FYI for you guys.

During the second watch, the Pict watches the sky with a frown. He grunts a bit and Jeremy says cheerfully, "I saw it too. How big do you think it was?" At that the Pict grins. He turn to Hu Li, "Did you see it?"

The Captain is, of course, on duty for the shift the Irregulars share with Sasha. He regales her with the story of the time the Irregulars faced a squad of minotaurs working for a Fomorian King. From the way he tells it, the battle was quite the thing to behold. Jennifer Sarah Lynn Fitzpatrick may be heard to comment quietly, "I don't understand... The Captain never has watch." One of her brothers elbows her in the ribs and shushes her.