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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2117123" data-attributes="member: 1210">The Idol5:30 p.m.After some discussion, the party decides to draw straws for two items that they have picked up that radiate magic: a suit of studded leather armor and a dagger.  Chuief Jawbreaker gains the armor and Naomi the dagger.  As the sun sinks down below the horizon and a blustery wind rises, Naomi sighs.  “I wish we could find this damn idol!”“Well, we’ve searched all over- we’re bound to find it soon.”  Martini tries to sound reassuring.“Besides, we’re stuck on these islands,” Beau says.  “At least we have something to do.”“And don’t forget, my people said that there are more ancestral ruins here,” Achtung points out.They make camp and prepare to sleep.  Ethel, Federico’s new ‘beast of burden’ (or goblin of burden, as the case may be), cringes whenever anyone looks at him.  Jawbreaker snorts.  “Stupid goblin,” he says.***5/29/369 O.L.G., 11 a.m.It’s a beautiful day and our heroes have clearly seen some ruins up hill from them a few miles.  They move through the tangled undergrowth, Martini and Jawbreaker blazing the trail the others are following.  The sounds of birdsong and the chatter of exotic animals in the trees is constant.  The grunting of our heroes as they hike along is the halfling accompaniment.  As they head uphill they meet another shipwrecked human, this one named Quentin.  His speech is strangely accented; he claims to be from a place far to the west called Pesh.  He is slight of build, sunburned, with a swarthiness to his complexion.  His hair is reddish-blond, bleached by the sun.  He offers to join forces with the halflings, obviously more shipwreck victims.  He explains that there are goblins all over the island, and that they will kill a man without provocation.“They’re all over all these islands,” Federico remarks.“As you say,” Quentin says.  He shrugs.  “I am a skilled sailor if you have need of one, and I know where there is a hidden treasure.”“You okay,” Jawbreaker declares.  “You no Dogtooth, but you okay.  Chief Jawbreaker says you come with us.”Quentin nods.“Lead us to treasure,” Jawbreaker commands.Quentin is as good as his word.  He leads the group through an area of gnarled brush, then to a massive fallen tree leading onto an isolated spur of rock beside a waterfall (which reminds Timothy of the fey of the waterfall that he has met twice).  Uncertain whether or not it’s a trap, the party leaves Ethel behind, admonishing him to wait for them.  Federico takes his crossbow and bolts, but leaves the rest of his gear on the goblin.  Then they follow Quentin as he leads them behind the waterfall, where a small cave is concealed.  Hidden in the floor of the cave is a secret trap door.  Below it is a sealed wooden chest.  Within that are coins worth somewhat over 500 gp and a silver and platinum sword that later fetches the party almost 1000 gold.  Among the coins are almost 5000 copper pieces.“You know what I’m thinking,” Federico says. The party re-seals the copper in the chest, concealing it again beneath the trap door again.  Then Timothy draws a second treasure map while everyone giggles madly.Then it’s time for bacon in the well-concealed cavern.***5/30/369 O.L.G., 9 a.m.A quick breakfast, during which Naomi continues to work on getting Federico to accpet the idea of eating human, and then our heroes head back out past the waterfall.  “You could just gnaw on a bone, right?” she urges him.  “That’s not really eating it, right?”As they pass out of the waterfall, Federico exclaims, “Aw man, Ethel’s gone!”  He looks around in dismay.  “I knew I should have come and got him last night!”“Maybe we should have treated him nicer,” Timothy says ponderously.“Stupid goblin,” Jawbreaker grunts.  The kobold only sighs. “Maybe we can track him,” Martini suggests.  He and Jawbreaker cast about for tracks while Timothy demonstrates a new spell of his and takes to the air.“Hey, look, guys, I can fly!” Timothy shrieks with joy. “Great, Tim,” sighs Martini, “but you’re supposed to be looking for things, not attracting a lot of attention.”While the sorcerer flies about obliviously, Martini, Jawbreaker and Beau sneak forward along the trail, which soon leads to a cave with goblins guarding it.  Beau slits one of their throats from the shadows, and the other goblins flee.  The party moves up; but almost immediately, a counterattack led by a bugbear forms.  Our heroes rout the first wave, but then a goblin spellcaster arrives, throwing a volley of magic missiles at the party.  One missile zips into Martini, one blasts Federico and one blows Quentin into unconscious.  The Peshan sailor lies twitching and bleeding.  But he is no seasoned adventurer; our heroes are.  They tear through the goblins, destroy the bugbear and gracefully accept the spellcaster’s surrender.  “We’re looking for an idol,” Naomi says.  “Taken from another one of these islands.”  Timothy translates into goblin.  The spellcaster sags.  “We have your idol.  Will you let us go if we give it back to you?”“Of course we will,” answers Timothy.***At last they have the idol.  The next few days are spent returning it; and then our heroes are freed of a strange compulsion that has crawled on the back of the necks of several of the individuals that were at the other ruin when Naomi was restored.  As they ride their outrigger boat to a nearby island, they see a whale surface not far from them.  “Hail!” cries Federico.  The whale’s great brown eye turns to look at him.  “Haaaail,” it booms back.  Our heroes exchange glances.  “Maybe it can help us leave,” suggests Sandy.Another exchanged glance.  “We’re stranded here!” shouts Federico to the whale.  “Can you help us get somewhere civilized?”The whale rolls partway over.  “I caaaan heeeeelp yoooou,” it squeals.  Its vocal apparatus is significantly different than any in the throats our heroes possess.They talk for a time.  The whale is named Weeweerinwee.  It suggests to them that if they build a harness, it can carry them to the nearest civilized island- Dyshim.  Our heroes have heard of it, but only in name- none of them knows a single thing about it.  However, that is no deterrent.  They miss civilization badly; although, truth to tell, these isles seem well stocked with bananas, mangoes and, most important, bacon.  Would it be so bad to remain here?  But then again, they can always come back.   The whale agrees to come back in a few days to give them time to make the harness., and then the party and the whale part ways for a time.   That night they are attacked by giant crabs, and after the battle is over they have an immediate crab roast. Next Time: Riding the whale!</blockquote>

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