The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)

[thinkslogically]

"Hey, lady? That you? We delt with the lizards. We came from town to save the people that were grabbed from the boat. Even got a writ to be on the Morley lands here."
"Fuckin'... fine."

The woman steps out from the tree she was hiding behind. She's still looking pretty beaten up and sore and is holding her side carefully, but she's apparently managed to wash off the worst of the mud and blood. She looks competent.

"Look, what do you want? You helped me out back there and I'm grateful an' all, but I ain't done nothing that some fancy folk from the city need to be interferin' with and I get on jus' fine by myself."

Stepping out of the shadows, Varsk can see that the woman is wearing the sorts of practical clothes that people wear when they're used to living in the wilds for long periods of time. She has a machete jammed into her belt that looks just like the ones the lizardfolk use, and, now that she's cleaner, you spy a small satchel strung across her body under her jerkin. She doesn't seem to be travelling with much, all things considered.

----------------------------------------------------------

Back at the ruins, Syli and Kal contniue to keep watch.

((Are you planning on staying put for the night? Anything you'd like to do while you wait?))

[Dlover]

Mehr groans as he wakes up, slowly bringing himself upright, "I assume we won, then. Did any of the lizards survive? The woman?"

[Nioca]

"Barely. It's just me, Kal, and the orc. And he's off chasing after the woman; she apparently bugged off outta here when it looked like we were all going to die." Syli replies as she turns her attention.

"...you're the first one to come back around. The others... aren't so good." Syli adds, her voice catching momentarily as her eyes avert themselves from Mehriv for a moment. "It's not good all around. We haven't been able to move with the casualties we took, I'm pretty well spent, Kal's half-dead... so we're all sitting ducks here, hoping the lizards don't stumble across us. Although, to answer your question, there weren't survivors on their side."

[Dlover]

"I don't feel too great myself. What of the corpses? I assume you hid them?"

Now that I think of it, how does the waking up procedure work? Does it consume a hit die? I just go to 1hp, right?

[Nioca]

"Yeah, of course. Though that just made things weird." At this, Syli holds up one of the scales from the lizard. "As I was dumping the bodies, I noticed some weird patterns on them. Some of their scales were dark and discolored, and they're harder than the rest too. Peeled a couple of 'em off, and the tissue underneath was horribly infected. Oh, which reminds me, here's your knife back." Syli pauses, pulling one of Mehriv's daggers from her belt and passing it to him.

"Normally I'd just assume it was whatever strange scale rot might afflict the scalier races out here, but for the extra weirdness, it was only on the lizards that ALSO had a tattoo on their throat, one of an eye. Which makes me think it might be deliberate, although WHY is beyond me. I mean, if you could get a full suit of those scales, it might make sense, but as it is, it seems like it'd just be horribly uncomfortable and itchy."

((I don't think she cleaned that knife either.))

[Dlover]

Mehr looks at the scales and knife for a moment before wiping the knife on the ground, "A few possibilities. First, it's a disease and the marking is to warn others. Second, it's a transplant from another as some sort of sign of rank while they lack the knowledge to prevent infection. Third, it's something their subject of worship inflicted on them and they treat it as a blessing."

[spiderwrangler]

Now that I think of it, how does the waking up procedure work? Does it consume a hit die? I just go to 1hp, right?

A stable creature doesnÔÇÖt make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain Unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isnÔÇÖt healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.

[Rodgeir]

Varsk chuckles at being called fancy and drops the nice talk and tries to copy her speak mannerisms, he learned that when making a deal people like the otherside to sound like them but only manages some gutter common from his home.

"I'm guessin' you got hit in the 'ead back there if ya think I'm fancy. If ya ain't from town all I want is to know wha' ever ya know about the lizards and their camp. Hell, if ya come back wit' me ta da ruins I can line up som food an' a bow an' som arrows fer ya. If ya don' wanna come back I'd be happy wit whatever ya can tell me."

Varsk takes the least threating stance a giant half-orc can take.

Performance:9
Persuasion: 16

[spiderwrangler]

((Varsk belly flops into the muck and spreads his arms to the side?))

[Rodgeir]

((That might be a touch too non-threating. So non-threating that it loops all the way back to threating again.))

[spiderwrangler]

((It would be puzzling, and might make her think you're getting out of the way for archers to take her down? ))

[Theis2]

Merric will barely wake up after the one hour has passed. He'll look at the scales and listen to the description of the tattoo but just shrug and rub his sore muscles.

Merric healing: 1D8+3 = [1]+3 = 4
Merric history: 1D20+3 = [5]+3 = 8

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen groans as she awakes, very sore. Her illusion went away not too long before she woke up. She takes a look at her sureoundings, letting a sigh of relief when she sees that Mehriv is okay and they are not being held hostsge or dead. She says to Mehriv "I am glad you are okay. I thought they killed you."
Healing: 1D8+3 = [4]+3 = 7

[spiderwrangler]

"I'm not dead... yaaaay... Everyone else ok?"

_: 1D8+1 = [5]+1 = 6
_: 1D8+1 = [4]+1 = 5

[Rodgeir]

((Gwen and Korrik's HP have been updated))

[thinkslogically]

((Thanks! Is that everyone good now?))

Varsk attempts to copy the woman's manner of speech, but it doesn't work quite as well as he was hoping...

"You takin' the piss out of my voice?

...look, I ain't got business with you townies, especially if you're in bed with them boat families. So I'll tell you what I know an' then you can piss off, all right?

Them lizards that were chasing me down have been getting all kinds of bold lately. We dunno what's going on, but they've taken two of our boys in the last month. We dunno what they're doing with 'em neither. Problem is, they're all fired up like they're preparing for some big battle with somethin' and we've not been able to get near their camp to get 'em back, or figure out if they've been eaten or what."

She shrugs.

"Good enough?"

[Rodgeir]

"Nah, why would I ask for somethin' an' give you shit at the same time. Just saved yer damn life on top of that. There is a lot of money ridin' on those boat people's 'eads."

"Ya know how about many there are of them and how far their camp is from where ya ran inta us? Anything 'bout their patrols?" If she knows anything about the layout of their camp he will have her draw it in the mud so he can get an idea.

Varsk will pause for a second and then ask,

"If yer losin' folks to the lizards seems like we can help each other with a problem we both got. How big a crew you got out 'ere? We can get yer boys back, kill the lizards an' all live happy. Hell we can do the hard part and yer crew can just 'ang in the trees and shoot the bastards."

[thinkslogically]

"I dunno much really, except their using their damn rope bridges to spread out more an' more. Seem to be going east up the river mostly, but I dunno really. We don't go much further north than this on account of the acid rusting everything. We reckon their camp is pretty much east of here. Maybe a bit north. I dunno what their numbers are, but you'll want a plan if you're goin' in. Far as we can tell it's got fortifications up the ass an' it's hell just tryin' to get near the place.

Theres another clan to the south. We ain't seen much of them at all since all this shit kicked off, but they were decent enough to trade with you know. Funny lot. They wouldn't move a finger to help if you was drowning, but they won't hurt you for no reason neither.

She pauses and seems to genuinely consider his suggestion about teaming up.

"I... I don't think that'd work for us. Not if you're working for the boat families... Its a shame really. You look like you can handle yourselves all right and it would've been fun to kick their asses for what they've done... But Trip would hang me by my boots if I suggested it and he's usually right about stuff.

'Sides, our boys have probably already been eaten.

Right, I told you what I know. You going to piss off or what?"

[Rodgeir]

"I dunno much really, except their using their damn rope bridges to spread out more an' more. Seem to be going east up the river mostly, but I dunno really. We don't go much further north than this on account of the acid rusting everything. We reckon their camp is pretty much east of here. Maybe a bit north. I dunno what their numbers are, but you'll want a plan if you're goin' in. Far as we can tell it's got fortifications up the ass an' it's hell just tryin' to get near the place.

Theres another clan to the south. We ain't seen much of them at all since all this shit kicked off, but they were decent enough to trade with you know. Funny lot. They wouldn't move a finger to help if you was drowning, but they won't hurt you for no reason neither.

She pauses and seems to genuinely consider his suggestion about teaming up.

"I... I don't think that'd work for us. Not if you're working for the boat families... Its a shame really. You look like you can handle yourselves all right and it would've been fun to kick their asses for what they've done... But Trip would hang me by my boots if I suggested it and he's usually right about stuff.

'Sides, our boys have probably already been eaten.

Right, I told you what I know. You going to piss off or what?"

"Ya, been cutting those bridges. They're gonna get a surprise next time they use'm. One last question, how far south is that other clan from 'ere?"

To here comment on not working with us,

"Trip sounds like a smart man. You stay outta the way of the folks with money and power and you usually end up doin' the right thing. Thing is - we ain't workin' directly for the boat families, just tryin' recover some of their lost valuables. If we find'm they pay us. If we don't, well fuck us then. You tell Trip far as we 're concerned ya ain't out 'ere and none of the boat people gotta know shit 'cept we got what they wanted back."

Varsk will toss her the bow and arrows he looted to her.

"Can't be easy out 'ere an' I'm sure we can come up with an agreement that lets us fuck up the lizards an' both get somethin' extra. I don't know how far ya are from your camp but if Trip decides to deal we're probably gonna be at those ruins tonight an' I will see what I can do to let ya know the direction we head next."

He backs up a ways before turning and starting to slog away, casually putting a few trees between them.

Varsk will then return the way he came back to the ruins.

[thinkslogically]

"Couldn't tell you where they are now. Might have moved on for all I know, to get some peace and quiet. Lizardfolk don't usually tie themselves to one place too often."

She catches the bow and quiver out of the air and pauses.

"Yeah, all right. I'll tell him at any rate. You seem decent enough folk and I believe you're not much for high society. No promises though."

Varsk turns to leave and follow his path back to the ruins.

((Survival check please))

[Rodgeir]

Going back to the group (hopefully): 1D20+2 = [2]+2 = 4

Nope

[thinkslogically]

Varsk sets off towards where he is 100% sure he left the others. The walk takes longer than he expected, and when he comes to the edge of a broad, shallow river, his doubts about his location are confirmed. He definitely does not recognise this...

-------------------

The others hide out in the tower a bit longer, resting and recuperating as best they can. About half an hour after they all woke up, there is still no sign of Varsk. Happily, there is also no sign of any lizardfolk.

[Rodgeir]

Hmm. Backtrack and try again?

[Arch Lich Burns]

"Where is Varsk? Did he die with the lizards?"

[thinkslogically]

((sure, roll survival again for me))