IC Area - Chapter Two - "Welcome to the Jungle..."

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

“Well master Ser Bordello Raggins,” says Klarrrrchur attempting to show an old warrior the dignity he deserves, “seems we have poles, right Skurve?” he says turning to the youth to present the new spokes to the old man, “and a where there is will, there is a way!”

Lets unhitch Trombone and we can try and sort your wheel!”

'Crivvens, what am I saying,' thinks the Dwarf, 'this witch is ready for every error we make!'


Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Help with wagon, will help Will later if he not find his sword. He waits till Fridle reads note, I not yet, Dwarf canny read!

Nialldubh rolls 2d6+13 = 3 +3 + 13 = 19

TARO: rolls 2d6 = 5 +6 = 11 + 19 =30.

L3SR success! “Praise be to Aroshnavaraparta the Sea God!”

[houndle]

Will Darness 
Spends a few minutes thrashing through the bushes and muttering to himself but fails to find his sword.

WillDarness rolls 2d6+11 = 6 +1 + 11 = 18
Re roll scored 18

Fear of missing out then impels him to return to his companions in case they have found something worth having. He examines the potions.

WillDarness rolls 2d6+11 = 5 +2 + 11 = 18
Re roll scored 17

At which point he wanders off again to resume his search. More thrashing, louder muttering.

WillDarness rolls 2d6+11 = (3 +1) + 11 = 15
Re roll scored 17


Sadly Will returns to the company.

 "I think it's lost for good," he says. " Can't afford to waste time looking for it now. Perhaps it will turn up on the way back. " He stares hard at Firdle's hat as if expecting the sword to sprout from there, after the manner of a story he once heard.

OOC Having fumbled (again!) I assume any further searching will be pointless as well as time consuming.
 #EDIT just realised that wasn't a fumble. Just as close as you can get without actually fumbling. But likewise, conscious that time is moving on in the game world and there's a mission to complete. 

[cupboardgnome]

Firdle
Lets fly at the retreating spider with a minimal TTFY.
Later he examines the contents of the bag.
Stares back at Will.  Looks upwards at his own hat and then back at Will. "Please don't tell me I have a spider on my hat!"
Actions
Firdle the Adequate examines the contents of the bag.  Rolls on Lk for 2d6+11 = 2 +6 + 11  = 19

[apn]

OOC Some Book-keeping...

Klarrrrchur continues to be blessed by the gods... +5 Str thanks to that potion and that amazing roll on luck. He gains 17AP and is on 19AP.
He passes a potion marked 'Healing' to Will who takes a sip and is restored to full Con. Klarrrrchur has 2 doses of potion 1 (1D6 each) and 1 Dose of Potion 2 (restoration) having used up potion 3.

Will earns 22AP from his collected failures and is more or less hapless. He can't find his sword and may have to rely on others having a look. Will is on 112AP and full (8) Con thanks to that sip of healing potion.

Firdle fires off a minimal Take That You Fiend! at the Spider who is well and truly having a bad day by now. He is on 13/19 Wiz and earned 2AP putting him on 183AP. Re-rolled his luck for him and still fails. He earns 7AP and is on 190AP. He spends 110 to boost Luck to 12.

There is a sloppy unsavoury goop in the bottom of the satchel as well as shattered vials and bits of broken glass to be careful with.

Klarrrrchur plucked three vials from the off whilst the other two pulled bits of vials out and all were broken having leaked dry. Once more the Gods shine down on the Dwarf and he slugs down a Potion marked 'Klarrrrchur - Potion of Strength' on a hand written note tied with twine around the neck.

Skurve unties the 'sticks' he's been carrying about and moves to the wagon where, as predicted by the Dwarf, they are a perfect match to replace the four broken spokes of the wheel.

"How... how did you know?" he asks the youth.

"I didn't. There was this witch I tried to steal from and I got caught. My punishment was to sit out here all night waiting for you to come by and jumping at every noise. I don't know how I didn't get eaten, this place is crazy! Plus I'm wet through and hungry." replied Skurve.

The old man fished in the back of the cart and unwrapped a skin to reveal some cooked chicken which he handed to the boy who scooped it up and started wolfing it down without a word of thanks.

Gently ushering the mule forward the old knight manages to get the cart to reasonably level ground and pulls suitable logs out to set under the cart. Moments later he rocks the cart to stand on the log with the broken wheel off the floor and a whack with a hammer later has the wheel off.

"I don't understand ... how did you... what if I had not... you were waiting for..." he shook his head as he worked with the mule patiently stood eating grass.

Skurve notices Will looking for his sword and offers to help.

OOC Roll 3+6 +Lk10=19 Failed. Either Klarrrrchur or Firdle can pitch in with a search, the other would be needed to help the old Knight with the wheel which is something of a three hand job despite his experience.

At the end of the 10 minutes the party have helped the old man fix his wheel and someone (probably Firdle?) has helped Will find his sword - or not.

Finally with the rain coming down steadily the wheel is moved back into place on the cart good as new. The old knight Ser Raggins shakes the hand of the party and thanks them for their aid. He's somewhat embarrassed to need their help when he'd intended to aid them. The youngster, Skurve, is somewhat reluctant to return to Jepistra but is woefully unprepared to join an adventuring party. The old knight seems to have the answer.

"The youngster has said to return to Jepistra might be perilous to him. I've suggested a compromise. He will travel with me and my cargo of special jungle wood which is highly prized far from here, plus the plants I've gathered, assuming they can be kept alive." said the old Knight. "It's a long time since I was useful in a fight, I'll admit, and having to farm wood and plants from the jungle for a living is somewhat demeaning but pays the bills. The boy can travel with me and on the way I will teach him the basics of being a squire. Maybe he can learn something that will steer him onto a different path from that of street thievery."

With time ticking on the party can chit chat to the old knight but Rathmere is relying on that plant to keep him alive.

OOC You may want to say something to Skurve/Raggins but I assume you'll be eager to get back on the trail.

One of you (Klarrrrchur/Firdle) make the Luck check for a last look for Wills' discarded sword and we move on...

[cupboardgnome]

Firdle the Adequate rolls 2d6+12 = 4 +1 + 12, so LK17
The sword is no where to be found

[apn]

OOC Remember your Human re-rolls...

[houndle]

Will Darness
 "Tomorrow will be a better day," sighs Will optimistically despite all the evidence to the contrary.

OOC Spends 110 AP to raise his Luck to 12.

I have deleted one of my old posts in the character sheets area. You should have control over the others apn. 

[cupboardgnome]

May 7, 2022 17:50:12 GMT -5 apn said:

OOC Remember your Human re-rolls...

. Haha, Firdle the Adequate rolls 2d6+12 = 3 +1 + 12 so 16

[houndle]

Will Darness
Addresses his companions trying not to make it look too obvious.

 "Did Ser Thingy mention 'plants' just then? No chance they might be what we're looking for I suppose?"

 ACTIONS
Try to use influencing skills on the knight to get a look at his cargo. If it seems promising, explore the possibility of a deal.

OOC Saving roll to start a conversation about the plants. Not sure if this is a red herring, but...
WillDarness rolls 2d6+17 = ( 6 +3 )+ 17 = 26. 2nd level save

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

“Ha, ha!” Roars Klarrrrchur, “that seen him off, he be licking his wounds fa months after meeting the terrible threesome!”

“At least we did not get attacked by a flock of jubjub birds, now I remember a time, but ach, that's another story!”

Watching the old knight hammering the spokes in, the Dwarf holding the wheel surveys the woods for danger least the noise attract any more hostile creatures. He watches Will and Firdle brushing the bushes aside looking for Will's cursed sword and mutters to himself, “why would any person want to find a cursed sword, he must be possessed?”

“best make haste Will, he be off soon if you want to look!” Acknowledges the sturdy Dwarf.

“That is a fine idea Master knight,” said Klarrrrchur and he slams his chest in salute as the two trek away in the wagon.


Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Readjust his gear. Mount pony and wait for the other two to join him.

OOC: Thinking of new talent for Dwarf, will post in OOC Area in moment...

[apn]

The Once Knight is at first reluctant to talk about his cargo...

He is after all an old man effectively surrounded by strangers, three of them armed and handy with the weapons and magic it seems.

However Wills' natural disarming charm soon loosens his tongue and he relaxes as he refits the now repaired wheel.

"The wood in this jungle is special. Magical." He explains and continues. "It grows faster here than anywhere else I know and some of the plants have marvellous properties. Aside from growing extremely quickly they spread and grow very well in harsh environments. The wood can be treated and combined with metals and even other plants or fashioned into fine weapons or sculptures, but the plants? The challenge is getting them alive to the destination but I can command good prices for those and they make the trip worthwhile. These particular jungle plants are excellent for growing roots deep enough to find water even in deserts!"

Will takes a look. Thick green lush leaves but no flowers. Each was wrapped and tied in skin and soaked in water.

"Plant enough of those in the wastes or deserts and in a few years...?" the old man shrugged. "Unfortunately most of the plants I transported last time were lost when the ship went down. Barely got out of that mess by clinging to a broken mast..."

Skurve looked doubtful but smiled nervously.

"I'm sure this time we'll have more luck. I tucked one plant away in my shirt and got it back and that one plant was enough to fund my trip and ah, this fine wagon. These..." he waved a hand at the cart "...should set me enough to hire helpers and make these trips more profitable and regular. Hopefully." he laughed nervously, glancing at the Dwarf and Warrior and over at the magician who was searching the trees for Wills' sword.

OOC Firdle gains 4AP and is on 84AP despite not having any luck finding Wills' sword.

With the wheel fixed Raggins and Skurve are ready to head back to Jepistra and find a ship to get them passage to where they need to go. If there's nothing else Raggins thanks the party once again and takes the sheepish Skurve along with Trombone and the cart off down the jungle track.

Will earns 20AP for a 2nd Level successful Cha check (now on 22AP) and learns the following:

1) These plants are not the plants you are looking for. Any plant from this area of the jungle on the equator is affected in some way by low level magical radiation from ages past.

2) With the number of plants on board (as well as the chopped jungle logs) and from what Raggins is saying the haul might be worth hundreds and possibly into the low thousands of GP. The dangers are real. This jungle will eat the unwary alive - literally. Then getting all that back to a seller overseas ... there might be easier ways of earning a living at Raggins' age but the man may be desperate and willing to take risks.

[houndle]

Will Darness
Looks wistful at the prospect of all that money trundling off into the distance, but bids the Knight a cordial farewell and good fortune on his journey. Although tempted by the rewards of taking the encounter further he recognises that he, Will, is not the person you'd necessarily want to enlist for a commercial venture that might need a good deal of luck. He turns his face towards the jungle path and away from both the temptations of great wealth and a nagging regret for his fine new sword.

[cupboardgnome]

Firdle
Pat's Will on the back and says that he sure he'll find a better sword on this adventure, or at least the gold to buy one.
Firdle doesn't pay much heed to the old knight's talk of trade and profits, but the magic of the plants does intrigue him. Seeing the other two now prepare to leave, he does the same, whilst wondering what manner of growth spells he might extract from studying the local flora.

[apn]

The Party mount up on their ponies and turn to the Northern path after considering much fainter trails off to the left and right of that.

The jungle seems intent on reclaiming its land and without traversing on these trails there is a real danger of them vanishing. Even so the hanging vines, stray branches and narrowing gaps combine with the steady patter of rain and the mist from evaporating water ensure the group are a soggy mess even under their oiled skins.

There is no sight of the once Knight and his new squire now as they round a bend in the trail with a wave and a "Heee Hawww!" from the mule and vanish from view.

Firdle tries to shield the map from the rain but it seems to be impossible and unnecessary. Even when held out in the rain he sees the rainwater 'swerve' from the parchment then swerve back to resume what would have been its course. It does make one question what the magical map/parchment is made from...

Go from town to the North West for a way, turn north at what looked to be a fork in a stream, pass a cave of sorts and count to five hundred before turning West and following an old trail through the jungle past... was that a tree with skulls hanging from it? Then North again and an hour on a trail until you got to the Temple.

The going is slow and the ponies need to be dismounted on many occasions as the long hanging branches or foliage bar normal progress. The large insects of various types - including beetles, flies, wasps and aphids - are all somewhat larger than normal. A wasp feeding on the carcass of... something... takes off, a good six inches or so long.

An hour or so later the rain eases to a drizzle with the party squelching along on what is now a muddy, sucking sludge. A six foot long six inch wide millipede winds around a tree trunk near Wills' head and vanishes as the long tongue of something snags it and tears it out of sight!

There is a constant noise of chirruping, chirping, barking, screams, growls, hiss of rain and rustle of leaves and then it seems to die down to almost silence...

OOC Open ended Luck and IQ test from each of you please...

[cupboardgnome]

Firdle the Adequate rolls LK 2d6+12 = 1 + 3 +12 so 16

Firdle the not-quite-so-Adequate rolls IQ 2d6+12 = 1 + 2 +12 so 15! Oops.