Jesse wrinkles her brow.
"We need a crystal ball," the bard says, "We could probably focus on them using that. But then again, they might notice that."
"On the other hand, we know their rough speed, and how long ago they left. That should narrow the area we need to find. Can Neural detect invisible objects?" she asks.
"I can sense objects by their infrared emissions."
"Let's find out!" Niko interjects. Niko turns invisible.
"Nernal, can you sense me by my infrared emissions?"
"No. But I can detect you by your audio emissions as you respirate."
"Or maybe nernal has a good nose and can smell at a distance," Op Code thinks.
"Would you be able to find a ship below us by infrared emissions if it was the same temperature as the rest of the surroundings? I mean, the boat should cool to the water temperature at night. During the day, it'd heat up, but we came through the last four hours or so at night..."
"Yes. That is how I have been detecting vessels in the dark, plus with my sensors."
"What about discrimination? How close do two objects have ot be for you to determine they are separate? Especially with the temperature signatures of a humanoid? Can you distinguish a single figure at this range? I mean I know I have a hard time when I am throwing darts farther than 20ish feet or so, and we are many times farther than that," the bard asks.
"No. Not from this altitude. I cannot resolve human-sized creatures."
"How good are your audio emissions?" the bard asks. "If you cannot discriminate a humanoid shape at this distance, can you hear them respiring?"
"I assume you mean my detection abilities of audio emissions," the nernal replies."I cannot detect them from this altitude."
"Excuse me," interrupts Emm. "I do not understand most of what you are saying. But, it seems to me, that we have the element of surprise. We can take the ship down to the lair, then have the 'nernal' get rid of the ship. There will be no trace of our entry, magic or otherwise," continues Emm. "Or is that not the purpose of this mission?"
"Aye, but first we have to locate their main base! We raided this hideout of theirs a couple o'weeks ago, just before we picked youse up. I guess we'll head back south and try to locate their main base now."
Occa says, "Well, since we can't find the ship, we should just go to the pirates lair and take care of them at the source."
Niko spreads his updated charts out. "Nernal, please head back south about a hundred miles southeast of our former position. Then make a circling pattern again so that we can map the area out."
Niko looks out for islands and ships. "Perhaps the pirate ship travels underwater?"
Mostly trying to go unnoticed, Alyta now makes her way to the chart that Niko has spread, she studies it for a moment, smiles when she recognizes the layout, and points to a spot...
"Casablanca?" is all she says.
"The Empire of Mestom's main port on the west coast," Darian says with authority.
"It's one place we worked from, it's where the Pirate Lord Targon works from..." she says. "He's lives there as Lord Billian."
"... a noble of some temporal power," she adds for those who seem not to be following.
Looking around at the number of men looking at her, Alyta tries to fall back through the crowd of people who are gathered around the map.
The ship turns and heads back the way it came. You feel no sensation of motion at all, and all you see outside are the slow movement of the stars across the sky, plus the rising of new ones over the southern horizon as your latitude decreases.
As dawn comes you find yourselves flying over a heavily forested coastline. Most of you have retired by this time to get some sleep, for you have had two busy nights in a row. The cabins on the ship are luxurious but unfamiliar. Each one has two of the tombstone like constructs such as what you saw at the Euracha outpost. The nernal explains via Hardboard that they are energy beds using antigravity fields. Lying down between them causes you to float a foot or two above the floor, snug and warm. All of you sleep well, and awaken refreshed.
When you do awaken and return to the forward lounge around noontime, you see that you have almost reached the Straight of Dust again, where you rescued Alyta and left the Triton. The nernal directs your attention to the latter, with her orange sails, now some 30 miles north of her last observed location, tacking into the wind.
Per Niko's orders, the ship continues south-southeast, roughly following the coast. Again, the region is arid desert, with parched mountains in the distance to the east and north. From the summit of one of them belches clouds of smoke and ash. The sky is partly cloudy and the outside temperature at sea level is 96F.
Ahead of you now, you see signs of civilisation. Fields of sparse grass have cattle grazing in them, and they encircle several settlements. Straddling the Aztec Jungle Road is a city. A road links it to a small town on the coast. Niko identifies these places as Eaglesham and Faifley, respectively. Eaglesham is a rough, dirty place, he tells you, where ore out of the mountains to the north is smelted into ingots and then shipped south to Casablanca, either by road or by ship.
Some miles southeast of Eaglesham is another village on the coast: Oakdale...a place popular with smugglers, Niko tells you.
Soon after passing these places the coast turns more south, then finally west, before ending at a series of high cliffs jutting out into the ocean. Niko tells you that this place is known as Sadberge Point. Past this place, the coast runs east again.
At this point the ship pauses, then begins its outward spiral again, and for the next few hours you get closer views of the area. Apart from a few fishing boats around Oakdale and Faifley, you see no shipping.
You continue on down the coast. 69.6 miles east of Sadberge Point a large river flows into the Pacific, creating a marshy delta. This is the Rackham. Just upstream from where the delta begins, the Aztec Jungle Road crosses the river via a span about 0.75 miles long. Guarding the bridge is a small tower.
Once past that river the coastline curves southeast again, and you approach another settlement. Niko tells you that it is Babraham, another fishing port.
At last, off in the distance, you see another river delta. This river is far larger than the last, being a mile wide where it flows into its estuary. On either bank are settlements. On the north bank is the town of Wadborough (population 4500); while on the south bank is the great city of Casablanca.
Casablanca is the largest city that many of you have seen on this world, and it is an impressive sight. It is surrounded by a tall wall and most of the buildings within it are white. You see a number of great pyramidal shaped structures, apparently great temples. There are many squares, and the whole places seethes with humanity. The harbour is filled with ships of all shapes and sizes.
Niko tells you that the coastal area of Mestom running south from the Rackham River to the jungles some 100 miles south of here had been the independent state of Casablanca until 997TA. In that year the state finally surrendered to Mestom, with whom it had been fighting a losing war with for the previous six years.
During the first century of Mestomian occupation, the occupiers concentrated on consolidating their control, but after that their interest waned. Casablanca is far removed from the rest of Mestom, geographically, culturally and economically. Since 1300, Casablanca has been acting more and more like an independent state. The installation of the weak leader Lord Pedros, in 1344, had accentuated this trend. However, since the overthrow of the old dynasty of Mestom last year, things have been in a state of flux. Niko was refused entrance into Casablanca the last time he tried to enter here, and little word has come out of the city in many months. Even the smugglers and drug runners for whom the average blockade is but a minor nuisance seem to have been sealed out...or in...as the case may be.
As the ship swings back out to sea to begin another spiral mapping pattern, you see quite a few people stopping and pointing upwards at it. Apparently a small clump of clouds moving at many hundreds of miles an hour against the wind is still a curious sight...
Niko grumbles "Occa, any chance you have a powerful enough invisbility spell to hide us? Or is this a good time to set the ship down and explore Casablanca?"
"Alya, come here. What more do you know?'" Jesse asks softly.
Meekly she moves to Jesse's side and performs a curtsey when she arrives at her station. "I know most of what I learned in over 3 years aboard perhaps 10 different pirate/privateer ships, missus," she says, her eyes downcast. "I have a good mind for details and rarely forget things I've seen..."
"Excellent, excellent. We still have to talk about your future." the bard smiles, "And please, pretty please, call me Jesse."
"Yes, missus," she says with another curtsey, but no one is certain which comment Alyta is replying to.
"Don't bother, Jesse, she was raised to be courteous and I don't think she has ever called anyone by name," Salaam comments, based on his observations of the young woman. "Also, you guys best not crowd her, Alyta feels uncomfortable being near so many men since she is a single woman, and again, improper due to her upbringing."
"You my dear, may hold the key to this puzzle." she says brightly, smiling.
Something that resembles a nervous smile escapes Alyta's lips.
"Gentlemen," Jesse begins "I think we have to plan and pick Alyta's brain for clues. She probably have the information we need." the mage says, looking at Occa as she speaks.
"Someone contact Ramage and see what he knows about this Lord Billin guy." the bard commands.
Niko touches his communicator.
"Come in, Ramage. Over."
There is no reply.
Niko touches his communicator again. "Ramage, if you can hear me, you have to touch the communicator to respond. Over."
No reply.
"Why's he keep saying 'over'?" wonders Robert.
Niko shrugs.
"Don't know...just do."
"Anyone have a way to see the Triton? Otherwise, I'll memorize Reflecting Pool tonight and check up on her in the morning."
"Do we want to enter the city or resume our searching for the pirate's base? Do we even know exactly what we're looking for?"
Op Code suggests, "Let's enter the city. We may find out more information about the pirates if we check around."
Darian shrugs. "Whatever. Where do you go to find out about pirates, though? Taverns or merchants?"
Robert groans, stomps around the pool and kicks several of the bathing beauties into the water.
"I don't understand what all the pissy delays are all about!" he growls. "Why the hell are we standing around with our fingers up our asses debating what to do, when we have maps showing us exactly where the pirate stronghold is, and a sea captain that supposedly knows the area? Why don't we just get on with it and blow them to pieces? Barring that, if you want to find out about the pirates first then let's go into the city, or ask the slave girl. Hell, she lived with them for awhile, didn't she?"
Robert kicks another construct into the pool.
"Let's do SOMETHING!" he concludes.
Darian shrugs. "Sure, let's go take out the pirate lair. Fine by me."
"KARUMBA.. piratic-cal killin' now dat's fer me," says Gonzo a bit of a gleam coming to his eye.
"Rather a reasonable request. Occa, Niko, well ?? Let us land this craft and do the job that we need to do. At the very least, keep Robert away from the ladies, he might dent one," the cleric says with a slight smile.
Niko snorts. "On the contrary, Salaam, it sounds to me like Robert's in serious need of getting laid. Is he always this highstrung?"
Niko turns to the newest member of the crew "Would you like to volunteer any information? (Pointing to the pirate's lair on map) Have ya been to here before? I'd hate to go into another pirate's lair blind, ya know."
Alyta seems a bit shocked that her attempt to be invisible has failed so utterly, but seems ready to help. She again approaches the place where the chart is laid out, and begins fanning herself with a fan as she gets into the crowd.
Looking at the place Niko is pointing, Alyta says, "I've been there many times. What is it you need to know?"
"It is disguised to look like savages' huts, but in truth the huts hold supplies and shelter the crews of as many as three ships when necessary. The captains and mates stay in a building that passes for a temple here," she leans over the charts to point and oddly enough the fan happens to aid her in maintaining her modesty as she does so.
"The largest portion of their loot is kept in a hidden underground section of the temple building."
"I could draw the layout mostly..." she offers.
"I also know the recognition codes, and if we go in at night, we could get at least to the village by pretending to be Jake's crew..."
She looks around at the group of people listening to her and appears to wish that she could fade from their reality.
As Alyta starts fading back slightly, Niko pulls her back to the charts.
"None of that, lass. Since you're the only one who's been there, we're gonna have to rely on ya."
This doesn't seem to make the look of fear in her eyes go away.
Jesse smiles, and puts a conforting hand on Alyta's shoulder. "I'll be there to help protect you, and perhpas we can give you some means to help protect yourself," the bard says.
"Firstly, how many men are usually on the island? And secondly, do they have many mages or priests amongst them?"
The young lady takes a gulp of air, not knowing where to begin, but then says, "I believe there's a permanent camp of less than a score of men, a smith, a shipwright, and their assistants, among other people." She thinks and then continues, "There is usually at least one ship's crew in the camp, and sometimes two. If there's something special going on the camp can hold another crew, So that's usually, 2 score and can be as many as 5 or 7 score. But it smells really bad if there are that many men in camp," she adds with a bit of a memory crossing behind her eyes.
"As far as magical and devine aid, I don't know much," Alyta says as she looks Occa straight in the eyes, "I try to stay as far away from those wretched beasts as possible..."
Occa can't help but smile.
"The important people on the island stay in the temple. I'd imagine there's at least on priest or shaman there, and if there were a mage (she nearly spits the word) as a member of the crew, sure enough it would be quartered there."
"Interesting," Jesse mutters to no one in particular.
"If you're looking to hurt them, destroy the temple of everyone inside it first. That's what I'd say," she says, looking at Niko as if to say 'is that enough?'
Jesse looks at Niko. "I think that gives us a bit of an idea of who or what is there. Let's consider our options and come up with an appropiate manner of attack."
Niko nods "Occa, do ya have a preference? A direct assault on the temple during the day or night...or a more stealthy approach?"
"Personally, I think we should wait till their holding one of their little religious ceremonies and then blast dem! We could have the nernal create one of dem spy-do-hickies to watch em until then."
"That would definitely catch them off guard. I think that would be a good time to hit them," Op Code grins.
Alyta speaks up again, "And when times are good, and they have been, Targon likes to garrison mercenaries there, usually between 2 and 5 score, and they always come with magical support... Perhaps there will be 3 score mercenary soldiers."
"A spy-do-hicky? What is that? Something not detectable?"
"Yeah, like what Gonzo was talking about with the nernal the other day."
Darian pauses. "That wouldn't be a bad idea. Then we could hit them when we'd have the best chance of succeeding. With Hardboard here, we have even more mage power. A half dozen fireballs tossed into the temple should finish them..."
"Well, that's two for a direct assault. How about the rest of youse?"
Occa says, "I don't have a preference on attacking them...day, night...it doesn't matter...fire is fire."
"Ah, but it would be more dramatic at night," Op Code rubs his hands.
Jesse raises her hand. "I don't think that fireballs would be a good idea. Paper burns, and we could destroy valuable information that way. Much as I hate it, a stealthy mission is more in order."
"A sudden attack would do more good than a stealthy mission. Especially if there a lots of them," the ranger frowns at Jesse.
"A sudden attack then, is fine with me. However, I am afraid that if we go tossing fireballs around we will destroy information that might porove valuable to us. If we could, say, get them to the beach, and deal with he bulk of them away from temple or other areas that we need to search."
Jesse snaps her fingers, "An illusion. Niko, what do seamen fear the most? A haunted ship come toget a new crew? Could Neural create an illusion like that which would frighten the pirates?"
"Cool!" Gilstrock says. "Let's do that!" Slowly his face transforms. His eyelids droop, his jaw slacks, and as his face assumes a completely brain-dead look, a small string of drool starts to come out of one side of his mounth. His spear clatters to the floor as he extends his arms straight out in front of him, his hands hanging limply at the end. He beings to walk forward stiffly.
"Brain!" he says in a low moaning voice. "Must have Brain to eat!"
"He gets this way from time to time," says Pharian.
Niko guffaws.
"Nice touch, Gilstrock. However, most pirates fear what we've already seen...a ghost ship. That and a giant squid!
Gilstrock crosses his wrists under his chin so that his fingers are sticking out on either side and wriggles the fingers furiously. He makes growling and choming noises as he says, "I am a giant squid, come to eat you!"
Darian pouts. "You're no fun... Besides, what information are we looking for, anyway?"
Jesse puts her hands on her hips and stares at Darian. "If I - knew- what information we were looking for I'd tell you. Maps, diaries, ships logs... anything that might aid in the discovery of the culprits and such."
"Culprits of what?" interjects Emm.
"And I am in favor of a more stealthy approach, for what it is worth." He adds, "one or two of us could try to scout around to see where a concentrated assault would do the most damage. After all, we don't want to give away the element of surprise on a bad target."
"As much as I would like to see these bastards burn," he says as he looks at the condition that Alyta is in, he continues, "stealth is imperative so we can get to the root of the problem. If Raz is involved with the pirates, we could have a problem and I am still troubled by the visitation I had."
Salaam shudders as he recalls the brief, but chilling, touch of the evil voice that interrupted his spell sometime ago.
"I fear my link to Thoth is not what it once was, I was warned that otherworldly powers do not fare well here," the cleric says, matter of factly, "but as a Mulhoroundi, I will persevere regardless of the circumstances."
"Iffin it's stealth ya want... den I be da dwarf ta be doin it. Get me down ta da island and I kin sneaks my way 'round an give's ya a report befor' we goes in fer da killin. Lets drop me after it gets dark and I kin be back fer da pickup befor it gets light. Mr. Occa kin pop me in and back out of a selected spot. I kin look like a piratical and takes care o' meself alright."
Gonzo's face metamorphasis into the likeness of an really ugly human looking fellow with a pirate ear-ring and a bandana cap.
"KA- ARRRRG" he says.
Occa says, "If we are going in, then we should all go in...as a crew of pirates. Alyta, tell us how this should best be done?"
"Plotting like this is not very ladylike," she says, in way of protest, but seeing the insistence on the face of the archmage, and clearly not happy to be doing the bidding of an accursed spellcaster,she continues, "The times it's been successfully done have been at night after some are drunk and when seeing isn't so go..."
"The recognition signal for a challenge is 'Your mother's lover...' to which a counter of 'I ain't got no mother' is given and finally we say 'then I must have been humping a goat.' Then there's normally a lot of laughing and happiness at the joke, the point of which escapes me... Anyway, that's a new one and it won't change before you're done with your butchering. If they ask you what ship you're off of, tell them..." she rolls her eyes to the ceiling for a bit, "Tell them you're from the Markie Finn, she's due in in a day or so, and has a new captain... Jessup who's likely to have taken on a new crew..."
"If they notice me, tell you met up with One Armed Jake and he asked you to take me back here because I was bleeding on his boat and it was bringing him bad luck. That parts true at least..."
Then for no apparent reason, the young girl turns a pale green color and collapses on the floor shivering and wretching.
Jesse rushes to Alytas side and frowns as she begins to check her condition. She speaks softly to her. "Deep breath Altya. Deep cleansing breath."
Darian drops to his knees next to the shivering woman and looks at Alyta with some concern, but he's hesitant to touch her. "Are you all right, Alyta?"
"She looks unwell, Occa, would a remove curse or dispel magic be in order? As my heal did not work, maybe she is under some magical effect from the pirates. It is just a thought, I hate to see the young lady in such distress," Salaam remarks.
Darian frowns. "Hmm... I seem to remember voicing the same fear and being told there wasn't anything you heal couldn't fix..."
"Not true, my god's power channeled through me heals most things, but strong and powerful magics can stand proof against it," Salaam corrects, "or perhaps it is me.." he says in a low voice to no one in particular.
"I thought a heal would cure all illness, phyiscal and mental. Which would suggest it is not a natural disease, one induced by magic, technology or some other agent. Occa, is there anything that would cause this?" the bard asks from Alyta's side. She continues to tend to the woman as best she can.
Occa seems to think on this and then says, "It is possible that she is cursed somehow and it is causing this kind of reaction. There are some binding magics that can nearly kill you if you try to break them. A clerical Quest is a good example."
Occa says, "Next time Salaam comunes we will get to the bottom of this."
Occa says, "Her curse is self-induced at this point...her life experiences have put her where she is. Only she can deal with it or not. I don't think magic short of a wish will help her."
"Well, you are the expert in magic so I will be content with that answer. Seems she is not keen on those of the sorcerous arts. Lucky you," Salaam says with a small grin.
Coming back to consciousness in Jesse's arms, Alyta begins immediately to apologize, "I'm sorry, I got a bit winded there; I'll be fine... Seriously, I'll be ok. It's all this excitement of the planning and all it's very unladylike, and I must confess I got a bit caught up in it. I'll be fine as long as I slow down and don't try to do much outside my station..."
Jesse raises an eyebrow. "Your station? You are free and are part of this group at the moment., Your station, therefore is to assist us by every means as we will assist you too."
"I'll be fine. I'm just not used to this..." she says. "I feel quite silly really, laying here on the floor like this."
Darian stands back up and offers her a hand.
"When can you commune again, Salaam?"
Salaam replies that he can commune again on November 7th...five days from now.
Occa says, "Okay, that is the plan then...we head in tonight."
"Nernal, please set yourself down in the water. Can you change to look like a ship...similar to the one we had...or Alyta, does this new captains ship look different? then we can come in proper like any other ship."
"I am sorry. I do not have the pattern for such a vessel."
"Hmm, then we will have to go in via land. Is that doable Alyta?"
"Nernal, please take us to these coordinates travelling underwater."
There are no coordinates on the map.
"I can navigate us to that location by sight, but not underwater."
"Arrghh! Nothing is ever simple. Fine! Nernal, once we're within 10 miles of the pirate lair, can you navigate underwater there?"
"That will depend on the underwater conditions."
"Hmmm...how about travellin' like one of dem crocs? Ya know, just with yer eyes above surface and the rest of ya below."
"That could be done."
"If so, then fly us there, high enough so that we can't be seen, and then go underwater."
The ship abruptly changes course and heads south-southeast, paralleling the coastline. It is midafternoon. Some dozens of miles south of Casablanca you pass an island, lying off of the coast, separated by a narrow strait. You note that the countryside is becoming less arid. Finally, soon after you pass this island you come to a headland where the coast turns east again. The desert finally peters out, and you see grasslands. It is not long before the grasslands end and the jungle begins...running as far south and east as the eye can see. Niko tells you that you have now left the Empire of Mestom behind.
The ship continues to follow the coastline, running a little south of eastward, now. Below you is utter wilderness, interrupted only by the thin thread of the Aztec Jungle Road. Finally, you come to the point where a large river flows into the ocean. On the west bank by a long bridge spanning it is a small moat house.
Beyond, the wilderness resumes, and the coast turns more southerly for a time before you come to another headland where it resumes its eastern heading. The weather here is partly cloudly, and the nernal informs you that the air temperature at sea level is 103F, and very humid.
Then, out of the haze that seems to blanket the coastline and areas inland you see an island ahead. It is a low, swampy place, perhaps 60 miles long and 10 miles wide. At either end are narrow straits separating the island from the mainland, perhaps three miles wide. The western strait is quite long, about 25 miles, after which it opens up into a more broad expanse of water: Backwell Sound.
The coast of the mainland at this point is just as low and swampy as Waitby Island is. Into Backwell Sound flows another river, coming down out of the Central Cordillera, faintly visible in the distance to the east. Those mountains rise to a height of some 9000', and again you see that one of them is an active volcano, with a plume of smoke surrounding its summit.
Looking at the chart that you found in the pirate's lair to the north, you know that you have arrived at last.
The ship comes to a stop, some ten miles off of the western tip of the island, and begins to descend.
Gilstrock sighs. "So, what are we gonna do? If you guys are gonna do your sneaky thing, probably you'll want to take Pharian and Jesse and Occa, but not me. Me, I'll hang back and wait until y'all get yourselves in trouble and need some headbashing cavalry action to get your fat out of the fire."
"No. We are all going. We need a crew sized group, or at least as close as possible."
"How about we drop ya off and ya can hack at anything that runs out of the temple?"
The ship reaches sea level, and hovers for a moment. Then, it sinks underwater.
Through the viewports you see green seawater. Some small fish swim by.
The ship moves forward, as Niko, holding the chart, directs it into the narrow strait.
It has only taken you an hour to fly the several hundred miles from Casablanca, but now you move at a far slower pace. It takes another hour before you enter Backwell Sound.
Rounding a swampy point on the island, the nernal tells you that it sees a ship at anchor about three miles away. You cannot see it, though, as this ship is mostly submerged.
It is late afternoon.
Occa says, "Go underwater completely Nernal and back out of here...we have probably been spotted. Maybe they will think we are a sea turtle."
The ship sinks deeper into the water and then reverses course.
"I suggest we submerge and go to the other side of the island and disembark there. We can then make our way to their camp via foot."
Still a bit ill, Alyta stands with help, curtseys to the group, and weakly says, "There's a cove on the on the southeast part of the island. There's a trail to the camp from there. I know it well... Forgive my interruption."
The she curtseys again and excuses herself.
"Right. Nernal, submerge and go there immediately. Niko, prepare to scout the cove once we get there...you can go underwater, check it out and then check the landout. Once it is clear, we can surface and go to land."
"How long do we have, Occa? I'd like to change my spell memorizations to deal with our alterations of plans."
Occa says to Darian, "We can take some time if we need to in order to relearn spells. Doess anyone else need time?"
"Let's get at those pirates," Op Code says with a gleam in his eye.
Niko nods. "Aye. I need to alter my spell list."
"Suggestions? Do you want me to memorize a fireball or should I stick to lightning bolts?"
"Didn't we rule that fireballs were out?" Op Code asks.
"Probably lightning."
Darian nods. "I shall begin my memorizations now, then."
It is now that you realise that most of you left your spell books and such on the Triton.
Darian groans. "How could I have forgotten? Occa, we need to teleport back there and get all of our belongings!"
Occa says, "Right."
He grabs Gilstrock and teleports back to the Triton.
Pharian accompanies, using his own teleport spell if necessary.
After awhile, Occa, Gilstrock and Pharian return, laden with books.
Darian goes over and searches for his. "Got everything?"
"Yes."
Darian settles himself on the floor in a corner and begins to study his spellbooks.
It takes several more hours for the ship to retrace its course back through the western strait and then to move down the outer coastline of Waitby Island. In the meantime the sun sets and evening arrives. Dinner is served in the forward lounge. Much of the food aboard the ship resembles nothing that you have seen. Some of it you choose to sample, other tasties you decide to pass on.
Alyta rejoins you after awhile.
Finally, the nernal informs you that it has come to the mouth of a small cove. Apart from where a small stream flows into into it, it is lined with beaches of white sand. It sounds like the place Alyta knows.
Once the ship arrives there and Niko has re-learned his spells, he casts Stoneskin on himself and puts on his magical chainmail.
Turning invisible, he then exits the ship, changes into manta form and scouts the area. He will be very alert dragon turtles!
The rest of you wait.
Gilstrock clean his fingernails. It's been a while.
After about a half an hour, Niko returns.
Occa says, "What is the word Niko?"
Niko relates his scouting.
He adds "The place is clear, but I did notice that the statues radiated magic."
"How close did you get? They could be alarms of some sort."
"Not very...I was on the edge of the surf when I spotted the statues. I cast Detect Magic just to check them out."
You have the Nernal rise to allow yourselves to disembark. Occa says, "Does anyone want to stay here with Hardboard while we go in?"
"Hardboard, could you take the nernal down to the bottom of the bay and wait for us?"
Hardboard agrees.
"Darn! I was a hopin' that nernal could make one of dem spythingamajigs and guide us in."
Occa makes sure that everyone has their communicators attuned to them (especially Hardboard).
"Speaking of which, what did Ramage say?"
"He doesn't like to wear jewelry so he had the communicator in his cabin. I asked him to wear it henceforth."
"Hmmm..." Niko ponders "Nernal, can you shape my communicator so it looks like the ruby stud in my ear?"
"I cannot. I can, however, make it appear to be a a wristwatch or a pen...or a wingtip shoe."
Niko looks puzzled ."What's a wristwatch? Is it something that watches ya wrist? And why would anyone want something like dat!"
"It is a timepiece that you wear."
"Timepiece, eh? Show me, please."
A genuine Dick Tracey wrist communicator appears.
Niko examines the watch and taps the video screen. "Is it waterproof?" he asks suspiciously.
"Of course."
Niko fumbles around for a few moments until he figures out how to strap it on his wrist.
Occa asks Hardboard to direct the nernal to the shore...as far away as possible from the statues.
The ship maneuvers for a moment, then the voice of the nernal directs you to the exit port through which you originally entered. Looking through the open doorway, you see the shore perhaps 20' away. The ship is floating atop the surface of the ocean.
You step out into shallow water, which leads up to a beach. You are near the west point of the cove, which is about a half a mile across. The beach is about 75' wide, of white, fine sand, and is deserted. The stars shine down through holes in the clouds. The moon is new tonight. A dense jungle grows down to the edge of the beach.
Behind you, the exit port in the hull of the ship seals itself, and the vessel retreats out into deeper water. Then, it stops, and slowly sinks out of sight beneath the gentle swells.
You head to shore, and walk along the edge of the water, the invisible Niko leading. Near the centre and innermost part of the curving beach a stream flows out of the woods and down to the water. Beside it, st the forest's edge, you can see a faint trail heading roughly north-northeast off into the jungle. Flanking the trail where it enters the jungle are two large, ancient stone statues. From where you stand, they appear to be old, worn, chipped and overgrown with weeds and vines.
Otherwise, the place is deserted.
Occa says, "I suggest we cut through the jungle to avoid those statues and rejoin the trail a bit farther up."
He looks for a place to enter the jungle and then tries to make his way to the trail.
The jungle is thick and overgrown with bushes, ferns, vines and trees of all sizes. It is passable, but only if you cut and hack a trail through it. This will take you several hours, you guestimate.
Occa casts fly to get an aerial view to find the best way.
He sees little, since the only illumination comes from the stars above shining through breaks in the clouds. There is no moon tonight. The jungle appears to be dark and forboding.
"We need a druid," mutters Robert, swatting at a mosquito. They seem to be plentiful at the edge of the forest. "Whatever happened to Horny Jerry?"
"Maybe there is some sort of door hidden by these statues," suggests Emm to no one in particular.
Occa says, "Salaam, do you have an augury handy?"
"Yes, but it seems you have the situation in hand," Salaam replies.
"Occa, the cutlass I took from the pirate's captain can detect traps. Do ya want me to see if the path is trapped? Not sure if it'll be able to tell if the statues are just alarms, though."
"What distance does it detect at? Probably 10 feet..let's wait and see if an augury is available first. We can't go through the jungle...too thick."
The jungle is not impassable away from the path. Gilstrock and Gonzo hack away at the undergrowth for a few minutes as an experiment. To cut through it all will be slow...you estimate about 100' per hour.
Niko grins, as he watches Gilstrock and Gonzo hack and slash at the undergrowth.
"I've got a better way," he says, as he pulls out his Sinclair Molecular Chain Short Sword. "That is, so long as the nernal can keep making charges for it."
"Sheesh, a sword that needs charges," Gilstrock says. "Sounds like a magic user thing. Well, hack away. If we're gonna go at this rate, Gonzo'n I are gonna get mighty tired. Robert was right... we need us a Druid."
Niko grins "Just point me in a direction, Occa."
Once Occa shows Niko which direction they want to head, he powers up the sword and starts making a path through the jungle.
Niko tries it. The sword is much sharper than the conventional weapons that Gilstrock and Gonzo were using. It should take about half the time.
Satisfied that you can do it, you begin to cut a path.
You struggle into the jungle until you are about 10' in before you let Niko loose with his Sinclair sword. He sets to and quickly begins to clear a path. It is pitch dark in here under the trees, so Gonzo lights his flame tongue to provide illumination.
After fifteen minutes or so, though, the elf tires of swinging and hacking, and lets Gilstrock take over for awhile. He lasts a little longer than Niko did, then turns the sword over to Gonzo. Next, Robert takes over for another fifteen minutes.
When he is done Darian has a go for a bit. He is only working for about five minutes before you finally come to the path. It is faint but detectable, and you stop and rest for a minute.
What you also learn to your dismay is that the jungle teems with biting insects. As soon as you entered it, you were swarmed by mosquitoes and other nasty little bugs with big appetites. Darian lets out a squeak, as something bites into him for 3 hit points of damage. He quickly heals himself.
Once you are on the path and moving, things go faster, but the path is still heavily overgrown and you cannot move at your usual breakneck pace. It twists and turns, following the brackish stream for the first while. When that peters out it continues on, climbing ever so slightly.
After a bit you realise that it will take you the rest of the night to cross the island on foot.
After awhile you become used to the trek, and the only things that disturb you are the constant buzzing sounds of the insects about you, and the occasional squawk of sleeping birds whose dreams you have disturbed.
Suddenly, though, you hear a different noise, very close by.
"OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK!!!!"
Gonzo holds up his sword high, and you look towards the source of the porcine distress. Off to the right and just before you are three pig-like creatures: two adults and their young one. They all have large, nasty-looking tusks sticking out of their mouths. The are huffing and puffing at you, and look ready to attack.
"OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK!!!"
Gonzo makes his best rendition of a pig-face and oinks back... "OINK OINK OINK.."
"MMMmmmm, Porrrrk," Gilstrock says, regarding the pigs, as Thawbreaker swishes out of its sheath. "C'mon, piggy piggy piggy, want a piece of me?"
Gilstrock adpots a defensive stance. Some watching might speculate that he is treating the pig as a honored warrior, giving the challenge, but not attacking until the pig indicates battle. The same some might wonder why he doesn't afford his human and otherwise sentient opponents the same courtesy.
Emm, ready with bow and arrow, calls softly to the trio, "Peace to you tonight. We are not hunting for game and we intend you no harm."
They are off to one side. It looks like they are defending the young one.
"Niko. Please cut a new trail around this area....begin in here. Go in five feet, then up 15 feet and then back in another 5 feet to the trail. We should be beyond them at this point."
Niko frowns. "Why don't we just fry them where they stand. They're just pigs!"
"Because they are just pigs is correct. Let's go."
Niko shakes his head and snorts, "As you wish, oh mighty arch mage."
Niko begins hacking away to blaze a new trail.
Standing up from his warrior's stance, Gilstrock resheathes Thawbreaker and says to Occa, "Well, you're making dinner then."
Niko chuckles. "I don't know about that, Gil. He'd probably use a fireball to cook it!"
Occa chuckles at the warriors inane banter about the cooking of the next meal. He spends the next several minutes trying to think of a funny comeback, but finally gives up.
It takes Niko but a short time to cut a path a safe distance around the warthogs. They watch you all warily, but make no move to attack.
Soon, you are on your way again.