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<blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 590275" data-attributes="member: 96">Session Fifteen, Part Three: Dru Becomes Bored - Danger Ensues&quot;J'kal is a woman?&quot; Dru said. &quot;I think I could like this place.&quot;Mnembe shot her a wondering look as they climbed the earthen mound in the center of the village. &quot;That is not how it is done where you are from?&nbsp; How primitive.&quot;&nbsp; Then he waved them to silence, for J'kal had turned her eyes to them.The Matriarch of Tanaroa was a wizened, frail figure: small and brown, as all of the Tanaroans, but stooped and bent so as to appear smaller still - yet somehow she dominated the hulking honor guard at her side.&nbsp; A golden medallion hung around her neck.J'kal rose her arms to indicate the shipwrecked group, and spoke briefly in her native tongue.&nbsp; Mnembe turned to translate: &quot;She wishes to know why you have come here, and what your intentions are for Tanaroa.&quot;&quot;She probably thinks we're going to be like those dragon worshipers,&quot; muttered Di'Fier to himself.&nbsp; Then, louder: &quot;Please tell her that we are merely victims of ill fortune, and our goal is only to return to our homeland.&quot;&nbsp; Mnembe dutifully repeated the words in Tanaroan, then nodded as J'kal spoke to him.&nbsp; &quot;J'kal will now gaze upon your souls to know the truth of what you speak,&quot; he informed them as the woman rose with the help of her guards.&nbsp; With shaking fingers she lifted the medallion and pressed it to her forehead.&nbsp; Slowly, a curved line crept across its surface - a line that split, as in the center of the amulet an eye opened.That's what the Swamp Hag wants? Dru thought to herself. She can just forget it.&nbsp; There's no way I'm going to tick off the closest thing this island has to civilization.The eye roamed over the group, then slowly closed, merging seamlessly into the golden face of the medallion.&nbsp; J'kal sank back onto her seat and waved a hand, speaking a few words.&nbsp; Mnembe turned to Dru. &quot;She has ordered that your weapons be returned to you and that you be treated as guests of the village.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />&quot;I'll bet we're going to have to go to this 'City of the Gods',&quot; Di'Fier observed around a mouthful of fresh fish.&nbsp; &quot;Even if we don't find the spellbook, well, they're gods.&nbsp; They'd be able to send us back.&quot;&quot;Maybe it's not the gods at all,&quot; Dru mused.&nbsp; &quot;Maybe it's civilization.&nbsp; Then we could just get a ship back.&nbsp; Whatever it is, we should do it soon.&nbsp; I'm bored.&quot;&quot;I wanted to study the spellbook we got from the ship...&quot; Di'Fier began.&quot;Bah, you can do that later.&nbsp; Mnembe tells me that people have been vanishing when travelling between the villages.&nbsp; We should go check it out.&quot;&quot;I-&quot;&quot;I've gotten us some food,&quot; Dru pressed on. &quot;I tried to get you some armor, but that war leader Masawa didn't want to give me any.&nbsp; I'll bet he's tied into this somehow.&quot;Di'Fier sighed, closing the book.&nbsp; &quot;All right.&nbsp; What can it hurt?&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />&quot;This seems familiar,&quot; said Di'Fier, pushing a hanging vine out of the way so Shesara could duck under it.&nbsp; Of all the hipwreck victims, only Benares and Shesara had elected to accompany the Watchmen on their exploration.&quot;This jungle?&nbsp; I'm sure we're headed the right way.&nbsp; The path hasn't turned that much,&quot; Dru said.&quot;No, the situation.&nbsp; I mean, here we are again, wandering around and hoping someone tries to kill us.&quot;Benares laughed.&quot;We got some of our best leads that way,&quot; Dru objected. &quot;And plenty of potions.&nbsp; I used to think that my father was deliberately hiring incompetent assassins, stocking them up on potions and sending them after me.&nbsp; His way of ensuring I had a steady supply.&quot;Shesara frowned. &quot;Why would your father send assassins after you?&quot;&quot;Well, this was right after I had first joined the watch.&nbsp; He's sort of involved in the underworld so he wasn't too - do you hear that?&quot;&quot;Sounds like...bees.&nbsp; Big ones,&quot; Di'Fier guessed.&nbsp; &quot;Probably not what's picking off the travellers, but we should remember this area...maybe we can find some of that royal jelly stuff that Kathkallan had.&quot;&quot;It's getting dark.&quot;&nbsp; Benares pulled his makeshift pack off of his shoulders and set it by the trail.&nbsp; &quot;We should think about making camp.&nbsp; I'll gather some wood for a fire.&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />First watch:&quot;Dru?&quot;&quot;What is it, Di'Fier?&quot;&quot;This clearing.&quot;&quot;Yeah?&quot;&quot;It wasn't this big when we made camp.&quot;&quot;What the...you're right.&quot;&nbsp; A pause.&nbsp; &quot;Should we put the fire out?&quot;&quot;Then the trees might come closer...&quot;&quot;Good point...&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Dru scowled at the trees in the misty morning sunlight.&nbsp; As the fire had died down, they had silently crept back to their former places.&nbsp; &quot;I am totally out of my element here.&quot;Benares returned from up the trail.&nbsp; &quot;There's a group of people coming up the trail,&quot; he reported.Without Mnembe, communication with the islanders proved near-impossible - a few moments of conversation had exhausted their knowledge of the tongue ('I am from Tanaroa. I do not speak your language.') but produced only frustration in response.&nbsp; The group repeatedly mentioned Panitube as they shook their heads vigorously and and waving potions with their arms.&quot;I bet something's gone wrong at Panitube,&quot; guessed Di'Fier.&nbsp; &quot;We...will go...to Panitube,&quot; he said, slowly and loudly, trying to make gestures to suit his words.This brought an even more vehement response, as the islanders pointed back the way the Watchmen had come.&nbsp; &quot;Tanaroa!&nbsp; Tanaroa!&quot; they insisted, but Dru was having none of it.&quot;Come on, the sooner we get to Panitube, the sooner we can kill whatever's causing the problem,&quot; she urged.&nbsp; &quot;If I can't get off this stupid island at least I can take care of some troublemakers.&quot;&quot;I don't know,&quot; said Di'Fier.&nbsp; &quot;Maybe we should go back.&nbsp; If we go to Tanaroa, Mnembe can ask these people what happened to the village.&quot;&quot;Bah.&nbsp; We came into this ignorant, why let that stop us now?&quot;<img src="http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />&quot;From what Mnembe told us, we should be about six miles outside of Burowao,&quot; Benares said.&nbsp; &quot;But it's getting dark.&nbsp; I don't think we'd make it before sunset.&quot;Shesara collapsed on a log.&nbsp; &quot;We should camp here.&nbsp; My feet are killing me.&nbsp; I just want to lie down and rest them for the night.&quot;&quot;Sounds fine to me.&nbsp; I don't want to run into anything else by wandering around the jungle at night,&quot; Dru replied.&nbsp; &quot;I'll take first watch.&quot;As the others settled down to sleep, Dru pulled her rapier from its scabbard and set it across her knees.&nbsp; The magic protected it from the worst of the wear and tear but it never hurt to keep one's weapons in top condition.&nbsp; Besides, the humidity was making the grip swell...She heard it before she saw anything: a kind of rustling slither.&nbsp; Her eyes snapped up to scan the jungle, the grassy area they slept in...nothing.&nbsp; Wait...was that movement?&nbsp; Something in the grass?&nbsp; Or was it...&quot;Plants!&quot; she bellowed, leaping to her feet, away from the clutching tendrils.&nbsp; &quot;Attacking plants!&nbsp; Everyone get up!&nbsp; Di'Fier, Benares, get up!&quot;&nbsp; Her rapier, ill-made for cutting, still performed admirably at slicing through the thin vines that groped for her.Di'Fier struggled to rise.&nbsp; His arms tore free of the rootlets that had encircled them, but the vine around his neck was another matter.&nbsp; His vision swam as he saw Benares in the same position, pulling madly at the plant that choked off his air.&nbsp; Benares' vine began to loosen...but Di'Fier's did not, and the edges of his vision began to darken.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="drnuncheon, post: 590275, member: 96"] [b]Session Fifteen, Part Three: Dru Becomes Bored - Danger Ensues[/b] "J'kal is a woman?" Dru said. "I think I could like this place." Mnembe shot her a wondering look as they climbed the earthen mound in the center of the village. "That is not how it is done where you are from? How primitive." Then he waved them to silence, for J'kal had turned her eyes to them. The Matriarch of Tanaroa was a wizened, frail figure: small and brown, as all of the Tanaroans, but stooped and bent so as to appear smaller still - yet somehow she dominated the hulking honor guard at her side. A golden medallion hung around her neck. J'kal rose her arms to indicate the shipwrecked group, and spoke briefly in her native tongue. Mnembe turned to translate: "She wishes to know why you have come here, and what your intentions are for Tanaroa." "She probably thinks we're going to be like those dragon worshipers," muttered Di'Fier to himself. Then, louder: "Please tell her that we are merely victims of ill fortune, and our goal is only to return to our homeland." Mnembe dutifully repeated the words in Tanaroan, then nodded as J'kal spoke to him. "J'kal will now gaze upon your souls to know the truth of what you speak," he informed them as the woman rose with the help of her guards. With shaking fingers she lifted the medallion and pressed it to her forehead. Slowly, a curved line crept across its surface - a line that split, as in the center of the amulet an eye opened. [i][u]That's[/u] what the Swamp Hag wants?[/i] Dru thought to herself. [i]She can just forget it. There's no way I'm going to tick off the closest thing this island has to civilization.[/i] The eye roamed over the group, then slowly closed, merging seamlessly into the golden face of the medallion. J'kal sank back onto her seat and waved a hand, speaking a few words. Mnembe turned to Dru. "She has ordered that your weapons be returned to you and that you be treated as guests of the village." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "I'll bet we're going to have to go to this 'City of the Gods'," Di'Fier observed around a mouthful of fresh fish. "Even if we don't find the spellbook, well, they're [i]gods[/i]. They'd be able to send us back." "Maybe it's not the gods at all," Dru mused. "Maybe it's civilization. Then we could just get a ship back. Whatever it is, we should do it soon. I'm bored." "I wanted to study the spellbook we got from the ship..." Di'Fier began. "Bah, you can do that later. Mnembe tells me that people have been vanishing when travelling between the villages. We should go check it out." "I-" "I've gotten us some food," Dru pressed on. "I tried to get you some armor, but that war leader Masawa didn't want to give me any. I'll bet he's tied into this somehow." Di'Fier sighed, closing the book. "All right. What can it hurt?" [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "This seems familiar," said Di'Fier, pushing a hanging vine out of the way so Shesara could duck under it. Of all the hipwreck victims, only Benares and Shesara had elected to accompany the Watchmen on their exploration. "This jungle? I'm sure we're headed the right way. The path hasn't turned [i]that[/i] much," Dru said. "No, the situation. I mean, here we are again, wandering around and hoping someone tries to kill us." Benares laughed. "We got some of our best leads that way," Dru objected. "And plenty of potions. I used to think that my father was deliberately hiring incompetent assassins, stocking them up on potions and sending them after me. His way of ensuring I had a steady supply." Shesara frowned. "Why would your father send assassins after you?" "Well, this was right after I had first joined the watch. He's sort of involved in the underworld so he wasn't too - do you hear that?" "Sounds like...bees. [i]Big[/i] ones," Di'Fier guessed. "Probably not what's picking off the travellers, but we should remember this area...maybe we can find some of that royal jelly stuff that Kathkallan had." "It's getting dark." Benares pulled his makeshift pack off of his shoulders and set it by the trail. "We should think about making camp. I'll gather some wood for a fire." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] First watch: "Dru?" "What is it, Di'Fier?" "This clearing." "Yeah?" "It wasn't this big when we made camp." "What the...you're right." A pause. "Should we put the fire out?" "Then the trees might come [i]closer[/i]..." "Good point..." [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] Dru scowled at the trees in the misty morning sunlight. As the fire had died down, they had silently crept back to their former places. "I am totally out of my element here." Benares returned from up the trail. "There's a group of people coming up the trail," he reported. Without Mnembe, communication with the islanders proved near-impossible - a few moments of conversation had exhausted their knowledge of the tongue ('I am from Tanaroa. I do not speak your language.') but produced only frustration in response. The group repeatedly mentioned Panitube as they shook their heads vigorously and and waving potions with their arms. "I bet something's gone wrong at Panitube," guessed Di'Fier. "We...will go...to Panitube," he said, slowly and loudly, trying to make gestures to suit his words. This brought an even more vehement response, as the islanders pointed back the way the Watchmen had come. "Tanaroa! Tanaroa!" they insisted, but Dru was having none of it. "Come on, the sooner we get to Panitube, the sooner we can kill whatever's causing the problem," she urged. "If I can't get off this stupid island at least I can take care of some troublemakers." "I don't know," said Di'Fier. "Maybe we should go back. If we go to Tanaroa, Mnembe can ask these people what happened to the village." "Bah. We came into this ignorant, why let that stop us now?" [img]http://www.io.com/~jeffj/b2sep.gif[/img] "From what Mnembe told us, we should be about six miles outside of Burowao," Benares said. "But it's getting dark. I don't think we'd make it before sunset." Shesara collapsed on a log. "We should camp here. My feet are killing me. I just want to lie down and rest them for the night." "Sounds fine to me. I don't want to run into anything else by wandering around the jungle at night," Dru replied. "I'll take first watch." As the others settled down to sleep, Dru pulled her rapier from its scabbard and set it across her knees. The magic protected it from the worst of the wear and tear but it never hurt to keep one's weapons in top condition. Besides, the humidity was making the grip swell... She heard it before she saw anything: a kind of rustling slither. Her eyes snapped up to scan the jungle, the grassy area they slept in...nothing. Wait...was that movement? Something in the grass? Or was it... "[i]Plants![/i]" she bellowed, leaping to her feet, away from the clutching tendrils. "Attacking plants! Everyone get up! Di'Fier, Benares, get up!" Her rapier, ill-made for cutting, still performed admirably at slicing through the thin vines that groped for her. Di'Fier struggled to rise. His arms tore free of the rootlets that had encircled them, but the vine around his neck was another matter. His vision swam as he saw Benares in the same position, pulling madly at the plant that choked off his air. Benares' vine began to loosen...but Di'Fier's did not, and the edges of his vision began to darken. [/QUOTE]

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