The Wandering Archipelago (D&D 5e)

[Rodgeir]

((Yep, sorry))

[thinkslogically]

Varsk walks around the front of the hut, and moves to go inside. The door is closed, but jammed pretty tight in the doorframe. He can certainly force it, but it's probably going to make a bunch of noise if he does.

((Up to you - figured I'd better give you the choice before barging you in ))

[Rodgeir]

Varsk barges in, he isn't sneaking he is checking for hostiles. He trusts this elf as far as he can throw... Probably something heavier than the elf.

[Theis2]

Merric tries to keep watch, but it's hard when you try to make yourself lower than the sides of the canoe.

Merric perception: 1D20+1 = [6]+1 = 7

[thinkslogically]

Druid Group

Varsk puts his shoulder to the door and easily busts it open with a crash. The old man startles and whimpers a few words ((Syli, make an INT check please; you have ADV)):

The doorframe creaks in protest, but the hut itself appears to be empty, at least of lizardfolk or other inhabitants.

From round the back, you hear a cry of alarm from the elf:
"Hey! HEY! No! You can't just charge in! That's our home!"

((The rest of the group her a wooden slamming sound, and see the elf turn and move like he's going to rush back round to the front. If you want to try and stop him or anything, you can react now)).

Inside the dimly-lit hut, Varsk finds himself looking onto a scene of utter chaos. What looks as if it was once a cosy little hut, with comfy chairs, a couple of beds, dinner table and chairs, currently looks like a storm has rushed through it. Papers are scattered everywhere, there is crockery on the floor, a small table has been overturned and a large backpack has been pulled to near the bed. It looks like someone has tried to stuff a load of clothes, boots, a tablecloth and a walking staff inside it before giving up. A fraying rug on the floor has been rucked up. It looks like someone has made some attempt to restore order to the place - an upturned lantern has been set back upright, but the oil still spills on the floor, and a number of the papers have been piled haphazardly together and dumped onto the dining table. What's most noticeable however, is that virtually every surface is inscribed with words, though very little of it seems to be written in common.

[WearsHats]

Kal looks around, considering the paths ahead and looking for signs that they're already being watched.

► Show Spoiler

Perception: 1D20+1 = [14]+1 = 15
If Artho can give me advantage... It doesn't matter because the second roll is an 8.

[Rodgeir]

Varsk pauses at the entrance a moment and his face twists in disgust as he says loudly,

"Boss, you should have a look at this. The whole place looks like someone turned it lookin' for... I don't know. There's writing all over the place too."

He doesn't enter but does interpose himself between the elf and entrance/old dragonborn and Syli ((if I am picturing it right) should he come around.

((If the elf comes around))

Varsk will hold his finger to his lips and slightly lift the tip of the crossbow as he stage whispers, while staring the elf coldly in the eyes,

"You don't want to go makin' too much noise. It will disturb the elder."

Intimidating an elf: 2D20.HIGH(1)+4+2 = [17, 10]+4+2 = 23


He will let the elf pass as soon as Mehr wants it.

[thinkslogically]

Lizard Group

Kal sees no signs of anyone watching as they approach. Artho totally tries to help, but gets his paddle stuck while Kal's doing his thing and it distracts him. Otherwise, towards the left, it appears that there is a shallow slope a little way ahead that you might be able to climb out onto. The channel to the right heads on and round towards a bend.

MAP:

► Show Spoiler

Ok, so:
Green is basically overgrown / unclimbable without a bunch of effort.
Brown areas are slopes that you can use to get onto land much more easily.
Dark Blue is water more than 3 feet deep (i.e. the halflings and maybe the elves can't stand up in it)
Light Blue is water less than 3 feet deep (i.e. you can all stand in it; it's difficult terrain)

[Arch Lich Burns]

Gwen facepalms as she hears Varsk barging in. "I am Sooooo sorry. I didn't think he would do something like that. I was going to ask if we could look around, but it seems he is impatient and ruse. How about this, I will go inside and clean whatever mess he has made, and you can look after the dragonborn."

Deception: 2D20.HIGH(1)+6 = [17, 9]+6 = 23



Deception instead of persuasion because she has alternative motive of going inside of there and she miiiight not actually clean.

[Theis2]

Merric will suggest they pick the route going the most east. Also senses a potential campfire if they go straight forward rather than follow the water

[thinkslogically]

((that or a small railway ))

[thinkslogically]

Druid Group

Varsk yells back to Mehriv (I assume?) telling him to come and take a look at the house.

Gwen tries to stop the elf from getting up. He looks up at Gwen and Mehriv, seemingly taking in his current situation, and sits back down.

"You don't need to do that, just... please. Leave us be, we don't have anything worth taking. I swear, we don't. Please..."

He slumps against the wall, pulls his knees up and drops his head into his arms. He looks utterly defeated.

[Arch Lich Burns]

"I don't wish to steal from you, I don't understand why you would think that. I'm more interested in what he scrawled down than anything else." Gwen frowns and kneels down to the elf. "Are you okay? Maybe you would feel better if you'd come with me?"

(I was not refering to theivery! I'm not that good at deceptive stuff, I am far more blunt.)

[thinkslogically]

((I know you weren't I'll take an insight check if you want to make one?))

[Dlover]

Mehr Per (Rolled separately 'cause I wrote it wrong.) 15, 21 (Nat 20).

Well, if there's anything in that room to see, Mehr's probably seeing it.

[Arch Lich Burns]

insight: 2D20.HIGH(1)+1 = [12, 12]+1 = 13

[Nioca]

Syli starts seeing red as it becomes painfully obvious what the dragonborn's affliction is. As Varsk bursts in, she starts to rise, her hand starting back for her bow as the dragonborn mutters his words...

Intelligence (+1): 17

[Dlover]

((... Wtf forum, why did you not tell me there was an entire other page I hadn't read? Okay, let's get up to date, then.))

With Varsk's call, Mehr comes around the front with the others, looking over the scrawlings. Perhaps they will be something he can read. We can take those per rolls to the inside.

[Rodgeir]

Varsk glances over at Syli as she rises, lifting an eyebrow at her and whatever she is up to with the old dragonborn but shrugs and stays outside while Mehr goes in. He will thoroughly scan the swamp/jungle around the hut as he does a slow patrol.

He doesn't acknowledge the cowering elf as he passes him.

Perception: Patrol: 2D20.HIGH(1)+4 = [17, 20]+4 = 24


((He may also try to mine for gold and jewels with these rolls. Any ancient ruins to search ?))

[Dlover]

((Searching ancient ruins was our original business plan. xD))

[Rodgeir]

((Well today is the day to put that into action!)) a

[thinkslogically]

Druid Group
Gwen stays near the elf and watches him for a moment. He seems far more frightened than she'd expect someone to be, given the circumstances. It's hard to know if he's just a scaredy sort of guy though, or if he's expecting something worse to come from all this.

With all the noise going on, the old man seems to be even more restless. Syli is pretty sure he's speaking draconic, and hears the words:
"Astahii geou confn! Astahii re claxir ve! Astahii tepoha killed ve!"

She mutters it to herself a couple of times to try and remember the words as she stands up and reaches for her bow.

At Varsk's shouts, Mehriv comes around to the front of the house to see what's going on. Much like Varsk, he sees a cosy cabin thrown into chaos, and writings scrawled on virtually every surface. Unlike Varsk however, he can understand draconic, which means he can read a lot of it. One phrase in particular seems to have been repeated several times, scrawled in larger letters on the table, floor, fireplace, papers, and on the bedframe. It reads:

"When the blood star falls, the beginning will [die/end]** and old or [young/new]** will [die/end]** as what was once [dead/ended]** shall rise again."

** The direct translation of these words from draconic is tricky, as they use the same word to mean either thing depending on the context.

A glint of something shiny catches Mehriv's eye from under the bed.

Varsk takes a walk around the perimeter. He doesn't see any signs that there's anyone out there watching them right now, but he does notice some small, subtle, but deliberate marks recently carved into the tree trunks around the edges of the glade. He's not able to decipher what they might mean, but they put him in mind of the chalk marks thieves used to leave near marked houses before a robbery to indicate which doors and windows were going to yield the easiest access.

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Lizard Group
Merric declares east west to be the direction they should travel in (the map is oriented with south to the top). Artho shrugs, and steers the canoe towards the right.

"Seems as good a choice as any right now", he murmers.

MAP:

► Show Spoiler

[Theis2]

Merric will continue to push towards the true gods gift, but I assume the others will disregard Merric unless he's the only one with a suggestion

[thinkslogically]

((That's... not here There's not been any rocky ground around you guys for several miles, and nothing that would resemble the place you saw in your vision. Still no sign of that bird either.))

[Theis2]

((Oh, I know, but even the tiniest step closer is good enough reasoning for going that way for Merric ))