Monstrous Menagerie II: Hordes & Heroes has a launch date! Mark your calendars for November 12th, 2024. 300+ more monsters for your D&D 2024, or Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition games, plus new horde rules and rules for heroic monsters who level up alongside you--whether they be allies, companions, or foes! Click here to follow on Kickstarter!
Coldtree offers to assist with rowing and other sailing tasks. When the boat is on shore, before everyone disperses to different chores, he says, "I suggest some cooperation among our endeavors, and not just on this island. There is a real chance when we return home our employers will not keep their word to us. As allies we would do far better than alone."
He helps collect fresh water and also starts scooping up some crabs for dinner.
90 (+93)=183; I would waste a roll like that on collecting crabs
Gretda completely agrees with the suggestion from Coldtree. Gesturing that it is a wise deduction. She has no trust for the elitist officials. She refreshes her water and makes a cookfire, indicating that she will set some snares. Eitleog thinks for a moment, rubbing his left thumb against his forefingers of the same hand. It is a gesture that gamblers often use, but he is not prone to leave things to chance. “This island is huge. We are not a typical group for short straws. I think there may be some greater power involved here, but I have no real knowledge of such things. I will help grab some of those crabs. They may not be much, but I like crab meat.”
Cycle: 500: Day: 12. Season: Rebirth.
Linstahl paced back and forth, behind closed doors. It was a terrible habit that sometimes irritated Laurel, his sister, being the only other person in the room, but she loved her brother and it more often brought concern. He was mumbling to himself. Laurel walked in front of his path. “You need to stop. If someone else should hear, this can be perceived as a weakness.”
He looked up from his pacing to meet her eyes. “It has been nine days. My ship has not returned. One of the other factions is going to jump the claim.”
“And commit an outright act of war. I do not think so. If any subterfuge is tried, it will be on a smaller scale. The Ancients are less than forthcoming with their information and often cryptic, but I can tell that the draw was influenced and the selections were not exactly random. These teamsters have some power within them. Trust me.”
As the party is making strides to establish a base of operation and acquire food and water, the necessary things that must happen first, the initial move at exploration is halted before it can begin. Being the tallest, Terrendale sees another sailing ship approaching, after the departure of the Sentinel ship and signals the other, though only Gretda is likely to not yet have seen it. This one is a tri-hull, indicating that it belongs to the island called The Zoo. That island is on the east side of the archipelago and is the largest in the ring. It is the only island known to contain large terrestrial animals. The residents are the foremost workers of textiles and leather goods, though sharks provide some material for all islands. Cotton is harvested from a smaller island near Thunder Mountain. This island is ruled by a lanky female with pale skin and pale hair, named Oshanti, who is rumored to be able to shift into a large feline.
The smaller fishing vessel is able to pass over the outer berm and make the beach. Six archers disembark, staking the vessels in the sand with two mooring lines. They are definitely not another group of Short Straws. They are all dressed and outfitted the same. It is a hope that they are not all master snipers. Having beached at almost the same location as the party, they see the footprints in the sand and discuss the matter. As all Islanders speak the same language, the party can understand them.
“So the Short Straws are here, should we approach them?”
“That will not do, we cannot have them reporting that we jumped a claim. If we come across them, we should kill them. Short Straws often die on explorations, that is the reason for the drawing.”
When he hears this a grim smile comes across Coldtree's face. To his companions he says, "Let us destroy these claim jumpers and take their boat. It will aid us greatly in our exploration of this island."
When the others are ready, Coldtree intends to manipulate waylines to push a current of air at the beach to blow sand into the face of the archers, hopefully blinding them so they cannot fire their bows. He intends to manipulate waylines to increase his speed and charge the archers to deal with them hand to hand. To the one he reaches first, he intends to strike and manipulate waylines to burn him the same instant his fist touches.
While returning from an adventure to see her daughter, Astarte unexpectedly landed at the archipelago. She explored all the isles, anywhere she could get but but she could not find any portal that would transform her back. She finally started to work at Zoo as a weaver and training at her free time. And 5 long cycles had gone.. Now she hopes that the portal exists at the new found isle..
She'll will keep all of her equipment and belongings. She will also take a kevlar tunic and the other items offered to everyone, except of the braces, as well taking off her shirt as all this gear would be too heavy for her. Additionally, she'll change her ularin arrows for better made of halurin, but she'll keep her mithrin arrows if they are better.
Seeing what Coldtree is planning, she'll test a new discovered technique of weakening her opponent, then to shoot this person with worse of her arrows, augmenting her shoot with heat.
Eitleog looks out acros the beach, seeing a group of people who look like they should be his kin but knows that they are not and can also hear that they are not friendly. “Having a sailing boat should be nice,” he says aloud but mostly to himself. Also wanting to face the enemy up close and personal, he takes off at a dead run through the trees, to circle around and go out at the right flank of the archers, from the perspective of the party. He draws his swords and works his arms around, as he runs. His appearance blends with the surroundings.
Gretda immediately drops another armload of wood on the fire to make it flare. “Hopefully it will distract their attention toward it.” She then moves slowly along the river toward the beach preparing to shoot a pebble with her blowgun. She mystically obscures her presence to become less noticeable.
Terrendale frowns. He is noticably non-plussed to hear what the archers intend, but keeps his focus on practical matters. "I'm going left," he says, as he takes off at a dead run. As he does so, he manipulates waylines to obscure himself, by blurring his appearance. His plan is to flank from the opposite side as Eitleog, that is, the left side, but instead of closing, he will remain at short sling range, and to use his wayline manipulation skills to deliver a blistering electrical charge (via a sling stone) to the closest archer.
A1: full wellness
A2: Body: 10 - 4 = 6, hurt. Strength -31%.
A3: full wellness.
A4: full wellness.
A5: Mind: 10 - 6 = 4, confused.
A6: full wellness.
OOC:
The word “Mithrin” was replaced with Halurin in a previous edit of the gaming system by the author. These have the same value. Remember only one physical action and one mystical action can be handled at the same time.
Having decided on a course of action, seeing the footprints, and running their mouths concerning the party. The archers moved into a trained formation and began making their way up the beach. At what would be considered medium range for a bow but long range for a stone, three of the party members launch a surprise attack, while the other three prepare defenses.
Needing a conduit or something the carry the manipulated mechanical waylines, Coldtree retrieves a random stone from the ground and throws it at the approaching archers. He has no need to hit one of them. He is only aiming for the sand in from of them, a target he cannot miss. As the stone flies tendrils of mist curl around in it passing drawn by the moving air. Particles of sand lift up from the beach, allowing Nigel to see his trajectory. When the stone lands, the air reverses direction violently, throwing out a mass of sand that temporarily blinds two of the archers, greatly delaying their first action.
Astarte fires one of her stone arrows, charged with manipulated mystical waylines. The arrow strikes one of the enemies, causing some harm but seemingly suffers more than physical damage, being significantly weakened. If these archers were using hardened recurve bows, he would no longer be able to draw the string. For his part, the silent O’ologist launches his own stone, using his sling and manages to strike another archer. When the stone strikes it emits a puff of greenish smoke, confusing the victim.
Being exposed on the open beach, the archers, who now know the location of some of the party members, pick up their pace as they continue forward, two of them trying to wipe sand from their eyes instead of taking aim.
Coldtree: full wellness Astarte: full wellness Kite: full wellness Gretda: full wellness O’ologist: full wellness Terrendale: full wellness
State physical actions and intentions. As intentions can be changed in an instant, previous desires not yet handled can be reposted or new ones selected. Provide 2 random rolls.
Eitleog fully expects to be faster than any opponent that he faces; although at medium bow range, he knows that his enemy will be able to get off a shot before he reaches him but only the one. He breaks from the palms, running hard at the archer farthest to the party’s right. He laughs as his camouflage will likely make him look like some kind of sand monster once on the beach. He will zig-zag a few times just to make himself a harder target and enhance his athletic skill. When he reaches the archer he will hop to his right and then cut back to his left aiming his right sword at the archer’s arms. It does not matter which arm he hits as either will prevent the use of a bow. “You were expecting run of the mill teamsters. Surprise!”
Gretda continues to follow along the river, allowing Terry to stay ahead of her. She puts one of her pebbles in her mouth, preparing to shoot her blowgun. Like Coldtree had already done, she charges the stone to generate a burst of air when it strikes, aiming at the second opponent on the party’s left.
