Sands of the South - Game Thread

The sun is low, but already bright and hot. Salty ocean air and cool, ocean-soaked sands belie the dry, baked ground just a few yards away. And you feel like maybe you were better off unconscious.

The events of the night are a blur, dark and trying. All seemed fine, the ship tossing slowly side to side on the open waves in light rain, and suddenly a cry went out. Down in your cabin, it took a none to shake off sleep, but by the time you were on your feet, the ship lurched with a thunderous crash. Somewhere - close - timbers ripped and a lot of water began flowing into the hull. Exiting your cabin, you're met with chaos in the hallway as everyone else comes to investigate and flee.

Then another lurch, a hard toss of the ship, and everyone went down. The oil lamp too, throwing fire across the walls, and thick, black smoke instantly.filling the air. Now it's all screaming and scrabbling, and climbing the thin ladder to the deck, except now more than rain water is coming down the ladder as well.

Eventually, once you're on deck, you see fighting. Was it pirates? A mutiny? No time to tell - there's a very large spine of jagged rocks. Moments later the shudder throws you and a dozen others overboard, the ship giving out a wrecked groan as it rolls spills its contents into the now-raging sea. At that point the only lighting available was the regular thunderous stab of lightning in the sky.

And here you are. Alive. And feeling every muscle you didn't know you had, every belonging you were able to gather soaked through, and on a beach. Somewhere.

Scattered about you on the beach are various items from the ship. Crates, random clothing, an odd barrel, piece of hull and sail, and - not exactly surprisingly - bodies. Most of them weren't moving, but you can see a handful of other survivors getting their beatings as well, and they look like you feel.

Well... Time to get moving.

I gather my thoughts and look around at the other survivors. I declare to all "TOLR'AX CANNOT BE SLAIN BY THE SEA!" and head to the odd barrel to investigate it. (Rolled an 11 for INVESTIGATION)

Tolr'ax wrote:I gather my thoughts and look around at the other survivors. I declare to all "TOLR'AX CANNOT BE SLAIN BY THE SEA!" and head to the odd barrel to investigate it. (Rolled an 11 for intelligence)

INT (Investigate) tells you it is a barrel of wooden make. You are unimpressed with this barrel. This barrel is stupid.

I pick up the barrel and smash it on the ground. (Rolled 15 for ATHLETICS)

I wake up to a yelling barbarian to my right. I sit up and take a deep breath and take in what just happened. I shrug off the pain and slowly stand up to stretch out my muscles. I chuckle at the goliath as he smashes a barrel and decide to check the wreckage that washed up on shore. (Rolled 13 for Intelligence)

I wake startled as something cracks against the ground. I look toward the noise and roll my eyes at the barbarian. I gather my things and take extra care to make sure my instruments are still in working order. I get up and scan the bodies looking for my elf companion. Not seeing her, i decide to help salvage the wreckage

I quickly jump up and look around at the bodies, I begin to ask each if they are alive before investigating their bodies for gold and supplies. (Rolled 21 for Intelligence)

Tolr'ax wrote:I pick up the barrel and smash it on the ground. (Rolled 15 for ATHLETICS)

You smash the barrel. Vinegar and pickles explode from the wooden cask, drenching your legs and feet.

Dook wrote:I wake up to a yelling barbarian to my right. I sit up and take a deep breath and take in what just happened. I shrug off the pain and slowly stand up to stretch out my muscles. I chuckle at the goliath as he smashes a barrel and decide to check the wreckage that washed up on shore. (Rolled 13 for Intelligence)

It is wreckage. Broken hull, tattered cloth, ruined soaked goods, bodies, and a couple of survivors down the way. A blonde woman and a young man with a shock of red hair.

Olo wrote:I wake startled as something cracks against the ground. I look toward the noise and roll my eyes at the barbarian. I gather my things and take extra care to make sure my instruments are still in working order. I get up and scan the bodies looking for my elf companion. Not seeing her, i decide to help salvage the wreckage

You begin sifting through materials. What is it you're looking for?

Jamros Mageblood wrote:I quickly jump up and look around at the bodies, I begin to ask each if they are alive before investigating their bodies for gold and supplies. (Rolled 21 for Intelligence)

All of the bodies unmoving on the beach are, in fact, deceased. You recognise at least three of them as crew members, but don't know much of the rest other than that they were passengers. Something else, however, is that the sailors - experienced seamen and likely swimmers - have knife wounds.

Otherwise you find a few meager coins.

"Knife wounds huh? Did someone send assassins after these men? Or were they simply casualties in the way of someone else?"
(To the other survivors) "Were any of you targeted by the people who attacked?

I yell to the half elf, "Not to my knowledge."

I walk down to the blonde women and young man and asked who they were and how they are doing.

"Silly little drift wood! No weaklings tried to bring harm upon Tolr'ax"
I grab a few pickles and chew on them. "This green stick is most enjoyable!" and I laugh jubilantly.
I look around the area for any signs of civilization. (rolled 15 perception)

Ok what in Apollo's nether regions was that? Eiznof is not inclined to be stabbed. And pickles? Beyond the beach, what do we see? Is it wooded and secluded? Are we on an island?

I wake up on the beach to the sound of a smashing barrel and quickly grab for the piece of sail that is left and wrap my exposed skin. The hot, bright sun is already getting to be too much for my sensitive nature. I check my supplies to make sure they are ok and begin looking for my gnomish companion Olo. (14 perception roll)

Jamros Mageblood wrote:"Knife wounds huh? Did someone send assassins after these men? Or were they simply casualties in the way of someone else?"
(To the other survivors) "Were any of you targeted by the people who attacked?

You have no answers to your musings. If they are assassins, they were either interrupted or sloppy. These wounds are not efficient; the men suffered.

Dook wrote:I yell to the half elf, "Not to my knowledge."

I walk down to the blonde women and young man and asked who they were and how they are doing.

You notice as you approach that the woman is an elf, her nigh-ageless face giving no indication of her age. The young man was indeed human, and around the age of maturity; 16-20, give or take. As you close in, the young man brandishes a knife and steps between you and the elf woman. She doesn't seem the least bit concerned with your arrival, and merely tells him to "put that away, Taryn, before you hurt yourself." His freckled face flushes, but he does so. She steps forward, the picture of elegance despite the ordeal you all just experienced, and gives a slight respectable nod. "Do forgive my nephew, this whole incident has not been easy. I am Oridrys. And you are?"

Tolr'ax wrote:"Silly little drift wood! No weaklings tried to bring harm upon Tolr'ax"
I grab a few pickles and chew on them. "This green stick is most enjoyable!" and I laugh jubilantly.
I look around the area for any signs of civilization. (rolled 15 perception)

To the east is the sea, now calm and a shimmering vibrant blue. To your north in the far distance you can see the land edges upwards into a range of hills, but the land is craggy. To the west, into the interior of this land, you see little but boulders and larger stone formations in an undulating landscape that likely hides more than it shows at this distance. To the south, is more beach. Other than your fellow survivors and the wreckage on the beach, no civilization might ever have graced these desolate lands.

eiznof wrote:Ok what in Apollo's nether regions was that? Eiznof is not inclined to be stabbed. And pickles? Beyond the beach, what do we see? Is it wooded and secluded? Are we on an island?

You noticed about what the ash-white goliath notices - hills far to the north, tors and escarpments jagged and red to the west, and beach to the south. There are no woods that you can discern from your current vantage, only some light lowly scrub along the coast here. You do not know if you are on an island.

geraevers wrote:I wake up on the beach to the sound of a smashing barrel and quickly grab for the piece of sail that is left and wrap my exposed skin. The hot, bright sun is already getting to be too much for my sensitive nature. I check my supplies to make sure they are ok and begin looking for my gnomish companion Olo. (14 perception roll)

You notice her pilfering through the rubble.

I make my way over to her, picking up a few pickles and stashing them in the folds of my sail wrappings... The others about me are making me a bit nervous but joining back with my friend I'm a little more at ease. "Olo, look. There is a human and elf over there. Do you remember them from the ship?"

I continue looking for interesting things and exclaim to everyone around "Tolr'ax is done with this place" and then try to determine the best path forward to find a village.

Tolr'ax wrote:I continue looking for interesting things and exclaim to everyone around "Tolr'ax is done with this place" and then try to determine the best path forward to find a village.

Roll for Survival.

21 survival

Tolr'ax wrote:21 survival

Into the interior, rising from the red dirt is a tor jutting into the air. It could provide an elevated viewpoint for the lay of the land. It is not far, perhaps 2 miles inland, and it seems a relatively easy climb up. Especially for one of your stature.

"I too wish to leave this place, I hate being out in the open." I make my way towards the barbarian and exclaim, "The rest of you should move out, the enemy may still be near."

I remove my hood to reveal my face to ensure that I mean no harm to anyone. "All is well, I do not blame the lad for being cautious after what we have been through. My name is Dook. You seem calm for what has happened, unlike your companion. Where were you coming from?"

We look at the goliath as he is irritated with the situation and is determined to leave.

"We should walk and talk and get out of plain sight. Can you guys walk?"

I disregard the others and make way for the tor and exclaim "follow if you wish"

Dook wrote:I remove my hood to reveal my face to ensure that I mean no harm to anyone. "All is well, I do not blame the lad for being cautious after what we have been through. My name is Dook. You seem calm for what has happened, unlike your companion. Where were you coming from?"

We look at the goliath as he is irritated with the situation and is determined to leave.

"We should walk and talk and get out of plain sight. Can you guys walk?"

Dook
Oridrys stares at you for a moment. She says nothing, but she seems satisfied with whatever internal inquiry she had. "That's an interesting name... 'Dook.'" She rolls it around, as if deciding on the taste of it. "Lead the way."

Jamros Mageblood wrote:"I too wish to leave this place, I hate being out in the open." I make my way towards the barbarian and exclaim, "The rest of you should move out, the enemy may still be near."

Dook
As the half elf says this, the redhead named Taryn stiffens. In turns looks to you and Oridrys, "What does he mean, "enemy? Was that an attack?'"

Tolr'ax wrote:I disregard the others and make way for the tor and exclaim "follow if you wish"

The going is not terrible, but as you retreat from the cool ocean breezes, your white skin longs for the mountains. This land is stupid.

I attempt to listen to the conversation between Dook and the woman. (Perception 14)

Jamros Mageblood wrote:I attempt to listen to the conversation between Dook and the woman. (Perception 14)

You pick up only faint words over the water lapping and the ocean breeze in your ear.