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

[GROMkill]

As the group inspects the beach where the scarf and coat lay, Takahaan gets a childish idea. Looking at his friends, he speaks. "Well, I am going to take this scarf for my own use. I doubt that Ieana would want it anymore." Leaving them in a state of suspense as to his intentions with it, he pulls his nodachi's scabbard from his back, and tightly ties the scarf around it, decorating the scabbard like a ribbon would.

"Ah, perfect. Now," he says, grinning despite the strange findings. "I wonder where the captain and Ieana have gone? Maybe we could follow the trail of the captain's clothes... After all, he would've had no problem undressing for Ieana," he says, with an even wider, devilish smile that shows his sharp, reptile-like teeth.

Takahaan seems to find the whole situation rather entertaining, despite how grave the occasion is.

[sblock=Rolls]Perception Check: 1d20=13 Failure![/sblock]

 

[twilsemail]

Most of the Irregulars take the most direct route down the cliff they can find. They fall. The Captain takes a slightly more dignified route in clinging unnoticed to Castile's back.

"Small hands and short legs were not meant for such a climb..." The Captain mutters when they reach the bottom. "The Tonic seems to be serving you well. How are your legs feeling? I always felt that mine lagged behind the strapping bands of iron that had once been my arms."

The rest of the irregulars have landed across half the base of the cliff. Immediately they begin to scour the area. Some of the Fitzpatricks swiftly return carrying some remains of a camp fire. The Pict returns with a loping gait moments afterward and simply points to the south.

The Captain announces to the group, "The Pict has seen signs that someone's departed here to the south. From the coat and scarf, I think it's safe to guess who."

Jennifer Sara Lynn Fitzpatrick leans over to Jeremy, "How does he--"

"Don't ask." The Grig cuts her off.

 

[Dekana]

"Small hands and short legs were not meant for such a climb..." The Captain mutters when they reach the bottom. "The Tonic seems to be serving you well. How are your legs feeling? I always felt that mine lagged behind the strapping bands of iron that had once been my arms."

Castile smiles, but she tries not to laugh outright. "I don't believe any part of me is lagging behind. I'm not sure that the tonic responsible, though; this isn't that steep of a hill."

The dwarf looks warily out to sea while the pixies investigate the scarf. Who knows how many of those lobsters are watching the party just underneath the waves - waiting.

 

[jbear]

Following the trail of those who climb down before him, Kane makes it down behind them with relative ease. He stares at the scarf and and coat with no emotion. He waits quietly while his companions decide which path to follow.

 

[Mewness]

The group's intended direction of travel being in accordance with the route apparently taken by Ieana and Kovack, the adventurers continue south along the coast for about an hour, the ground getting slowly but steadily higher. Even the sharp-eyed Pict has great difficulty in tracking their quarry, as the rain has wiped out nearly all traces of their passage. In fact, for the last quarter of an hour or so, he has found nothing.

Pausing briefly to look at another small, rocky island just off the coast (also the wrong shape to be one of those depicted in the picture), the adventurers hear the faint trickling of a stream to the west. The jungle thins out a little here.

[sblock=Perception 23 (active only; +2 on the check if you are trained in Nature)]You see signs that someone entered the jungle nearby, going west towards the stream.[/sblock]

GM: Map has been updated on the first page.

 

[BenBrown]

Hú Lí stops walking suddenly, although as she's at the back, nobody outside a few of the irregulars notices immediately.
"See!" she says, pointing to the edge of the jungle. "Someone has gone through here. Do we follow?"
[sblock=roll]Perception: 17(1d20) +7 +2 = 26[/sblock]

 

[twilsemail]

The Pict looks around the area. Eventually he bends down and sniffs. Finally he tastes a piece of grass. He stands and shrugs to the Captain.

The Captain informs the others of the blue piskies findings, "The Pict can't find any trace of their passage here, but he trusts Hu Li's word."

 

[jbear]

A shiver runs down Kane's spine. He nods at the bard's words, but unable to shake the growing sense of danger he draws his sword.

 

[Mewness]

OOC: Do you want to continue following Ieana/Kovack's trail (which now seems to be taking you out of sight of the coast), or keep heading along the coast?

 

[twilsemail]

The Pict looks at the trail Hu Li has found and then to the group. He scratches his nose.

"Well," the Captain says with resignation, "You can't argue with that. After the love birds then?" He looks to the rest of the group as he starts heading towards the trail.