KHAZUUL

load previous
Jan 6, 2024 6:00 pm
Freki, who had initially ignored the rude shout from the man, felt a bit guilty as Cutwell prepared to fight because he felt like it was his fault for starting the situation despite the fact he was just trying to be friendly and drum up some moral in the miserable group. He almost stepped in to take the responsibility of facing the bully himself except for the confidence in Cutwell's manner.

After the knife master makes quick work of the old brute, Freki feels a flood of relief and cheers loudly, "Way to go Doc! You're as good at making wounds as you are stitching 'em back together." To Cutwell individually once the commotion settles down, he adds, "And thanks for sticking up for me. Hopefully we'll start getting a little respect around here and maybe influence the culture a bit."

Maybe we can even run this operation one day, he thinks to himself for the first time when he notices the change of mood that Cutwell had produced in the room, but he keeps that dangerous thought to himself for now.
Len says:

... an older man nearby decides to take your bait.

"I was there when Raven came back with them relics. Her and her crew were the best Hunters since Dario," an older Union man says, and then hastily adds "and Tunny."
"Raven was a Black Skull," Freki acknowledges with surprise, "I see why she has that deal with Dario now. Do you know what she did with the relics? Probably sold them to buy that shop of hers, eh? Nice little retirement."
Windyridge says:

To the rest, he puts a question. "What shall we do now to amuse ourselves?"
"Yeah, I don't know, not much to do down here." He looks around already starting to feel bored at the prospect of being shut in down here. Seeing some beads changing hands in the aftermath of the fight he asks, "Any one care to place some more bets on some games?"
Jan 6, 2024 7:01 pm
Chalrytharendir says:
"Raven was a Black Skull," Freki acknowledges with surprise, "I see why she has that deal with Dario now. Do you know what she did with the relics? Probably sold them to buy that shop of hers, eh? Nice little retirement."
Wilmot
"She sold 'em to the Expeditionary House, as sure as mud is brown, although rumour has it she kept one or two for herself. Why she hung around is beyond me, though. Some think she's in love with Dario, and the way those two fight I wouldn't be surprised."

He speaks a little softer, now.

"We've gone downhill, over the years, I hate to say it. Tunny's a good fighter but not a true leader. Building deeper into the jungle cost us a lot of our strength. Need some new blood, I reckon."

"My name's Wilmot. Well met, lad."


He sticks his hand out to shake.
Jan 6, 2024 7:34 pm
Freki shakes Wilmot's hand, trying not to think about Tunny's comment about his hygiene ... Probably just another example of the bullying culture here ... and introduces himself, "Good to meet you Willy, I'm Freki. I hope our group can bring some enthusiasm and optimism back to this place." He gives Wilmot an encouraging wink and gestures to show he's welcome to sit with the group.
Last edited January 6, 2024 7:45 pm
Jan 7, 2024 1:08 am
Coming forward to return Cutwell's cloak to his shoulders, Sow has something of a sly smile on her filthy face. His courage and skill impressed the young woman, who lacks the former in a meaningful way when weapons are raised in anger. It feels good to see the bully cowed. "Nice work," she voices raggedly.

A moment later, she is remembering a debt and repaying it -- pressing a glass bead into Freki's hand with just a look and a nod, trying to not pull him from his conversation.
Last edited January 7, 2024 1:08 am
Jan 7, 2024 1:53 am
Day 4, First Watch
Hex: 3
Wilderness Action: Hunker Down
Weather: Catastrophic
OOC:
Wilderness Event: Environmental - change in weather!
Die of Fate: Very favourable outcome!
As per the Die of Fate, we will roll weather twice and take the better of the two results. Weather result is downgraded to a 4, Inclement: Add a Fatigue or add +1 watch. Increase terrain difficulty by a step.
The hurricane rages overhead, and the water pours down the rafters and rolls into the stream, leaving out through the drainage stream in the cracked wall. The wet dogs are some of the better smelling occupants of this hole, but other than offending your nose, the time passes fairly calmly.

Cutwell offers to patch up the bully that tested him, but the bully is seething with a prideful rage. Another man does the job instead.

After 8 hours, the thunder abates for the first time in days. Heading up top to scout, it seems the storm has mostly passed. The wind and rain seems gentle by comparison now.

The camp has taken some damage, however. The wind has leveled one of the four sentry towers, and the gate has blown wide open. The Anzu are nowhere to be seen, and the grounds are a muddy mess.

Rolls

Wilderness Event Die - (1d6)

(3) = 3

Die of Fate - (1d6)

(6) = 6

New Weather - (2d6)

(44) = 8

Jan 7, 2024 10:01 am
A mild look of confusion crosses Freki's face as Sow presses the bead into his hand. Searching the meaning in her eyes, he remembers the debt and smiles as he accepts the bead with a quiet wink before continuing his conversation with Wilmot.
Once Freki is back above ground he takes a deep breath to clear the stale stinking air from his nose and begins to make preparations for the afternoon with food heavily on his mind. He takes out the lure from his pack and begins fascining it to his rope. He knows a good trap that he can make with the combo, although if he still had his net it would be even better.

"Shall we go and see if we can find some food?" he asks his companions.

KCCInactive for 1 months

Jan 7, 2024 1:24 pm
"Reckon I’d better watch me back for a while!" Cutwell says low, striding back to his companions. "He’ll be sore about that, won’t he? If he has sense, he’ll keep away!"

With the prospect of food, he pats his stomach.

"Bloody starving! Saying that… Tully might feed us if we follow the tracks of the lizards and bring them back." he says with a shrug. Thinking better of it, he nods:

"Best to rely on ourselves though, ain’t it?"
Jan 7, 2024 6:13 pm
I'm starving." Thorn announces as he emerges from underground, squinting at the brighter light of day.

"We should find food before we do anything else. I can't think when my stomach complains like this. I have no traps and only a small knife and my sword. I'm not sure how much help I'll be unless we set up an ambush. Or maybe we could trade in some beads for food?"

"I don't think you have to worry, Cutwell, Thorn says reassuringly. You gained respect from those Black Skulls. They might not look too kindly on revenge. You won fair and square."
Jan 7, 2024 7:36 pm
"Perfect, I'll do the trapping, you can do the butchering," Freki suggests to Thorn.

"We could consider splitting into two groups. One to go hunting and the other to look for those lizards. Although, last time having strength in numbers was really beneficial so it might be better to stick together!" he adds to Cutwell's idea.

Len Inactive for 1 months

Jan 7, 2024 8:35 pm
Day 4, Second Watch
Hex: 3
Wilderness Action: Supply Action
Weather: Unpleasant: Add a Fatigue or add one watch to the journey.


With your rations depleted, the group decides it best to take advantage of the break in the storm to forage for fresh food. Tunny needs all hands on deck for repairing the fort, but he allows the four of you to go. However, he orders Samir and Saffron to stay and assist with repairs.

He does let Freki take his choice of hunting dog, however. "Trading one bitch for another, eh?" he jokes cruelly, but out of Saffron's earshot.
OOC:
Hunting dog stats

Resolving event... Weather! Our favourite. The die of fate indicates it gets somewhat worse. We'll upgrade to inclement, but that has no mechanical difference.
The rain progressively worsens, but the winds stay calm and the skies are clear of thunder.

The jungle has definitely taken a beating through the hurricane. Trees have been uprooted, game trails flooded, and multiple mudslides have buried entire swaths of terrain. Fortunately, Cutwell's compass remains true, giving you clear bearings on your position, even if the terrain has grown unfamiliar.
OOC:
To resolve the supply action, we roll to see how much food you find. One person finds 1d4 rations with 3 uses each. Each additional person up's the die size, so all four of you searching increases that to 1d10 rations.

Let's roll! Looks like you found 2 rations, each with 3 uses, which will provide 6 meals altogether.
Searching for food is difficult. Game is scarce, having gone to ground in the storm. Sow identifies some edible roots, while Freki and his dog stir up some chicken-sized lizards out of their burrow. You won't go hungry tonight, but it doesn't give you much of a buffer.

Returning to camp, you see reasonable progress has been made at repairing the camp, although the sentry tower remains toppled.

Rolls

Wilderness Event - (1D6)

(3) = 3

Die of fate - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Foraging - (1d10)

(2) = 2

Jan 8, 2024 6:56 am
OOC:
Adding a 1/3 ration to Sow's pack.
"Will it ever stop raining?" Sow wonders aloud as they return to the camp with their meager findings. They won't lack for their next meal, but tomorrow's breakfast will be a lean one.

"There's so many people here... pickins' are slim all around the camp. They've eaten it all up. We'd do well to earn gold and then buy some dried foodstuffs back up top."

KCCInactive for 1 months

Jan 8, 2024 10:12 am
"We ought to have stayed up top until this rain cleared, ain’t we?" Cutwell asks unhappily. Had they asked him at the time, he may have scoffed at the idea of boarding the group for a few days. Knowing what he knows now, he’d happily pay for a week’s stay for the group…

"Bet all the creatures know to avoid this place like the plague. We’ll not find much to eat until we go further in…" Cutwell sighs, letting his empty stomach spin a yarn that sounded mostly true.
Jan 8, 2024 4:29 pm
"Gimme those lizards anyway. I'll cut 'em up into nice tender, juicy pieces." Thorn does his best to convince himself and the others that the meat will be tasty as he pulls out his knife and gets to work. As he slices, he nods at Sow.

"This rain is beastly and I've had about enough of it." Slicing the lizard pieces very thin to make them more palatable he scoffs at Cutwell's remark.

"It's easy to second-guess Cutwell. I think Sow has it right. Earn some coin and buy food. This won't hold us."
Jan 8, 2024 6:41 pm
Day 4, Third Watch
Hex: 3
Wilderness Action: Make Camp
Weather: Unpleasant


The crew makes camp within the soggy copmound. and prepares a meal with their slim gains from the day's hunt. The lizard meat is tough and stringy, but it might just be the way you prepared it. Tastes a lot like chicken. Tunny comes around with your 5 beads.
OOC:
The entire crew has 1 ration remaining with 2 uses. Please decide who is carrying this, as it will take up one inventory slot. Also add 5 more glass beads to your inventory!

Generating wilderness event ... and look at that, exhaustion! Being in the compound will negate that for everyone, as you can sleep in relative safety. We can say Freki sleeps in the kennels again to get the benefit of shelter, as he lost his tarp.
The night slides by in quiet, the steady drip of rain the lone sound. The entire jungle hushes this night, as if it exhausted its rage in the storm and now rests. Slumber is a challenge with the unwavering dampness, yet the warmth in the air fends off the chill.

Rolls

Wilderness Event - (1d6)

(5) = 5

Jan 8, 2024 6:50 pm
Day 5, First Watch
Hex: 3
Wilderness Action: TBD
Weather: Inclement (Add a Fatigue or add +1 watch)


You wake up in the morning to the sound of more rain, and start to make your plans for the day.

Rolls

Weather - (1d6)

(4) = 4

Jan 8, 2024 10:37 pm
The morning cookfire, even under shelter from the now constant rain, is more smoke than flame as the group gathers round it. Sow produces what’s left of yesterday’s foraging and hunting… and it’s not much. Enough to perhaps feed two maybe three people — certainly not four or six.

They do have their beads, however, and the girl asks lowly, "Has anyone seen someone selling provisions? If not, we might make a business of that… grow a garden here…"
OOC:
Putting the Rations (2/3 before we eat) on Sow’s sheet. Is there a place to buy food here in the camp? And where are our two pals? Does one of them have a turkey dinner in their pocket?
Jan 9, 2024 4:49 am
Quietly inquiring about the camp, you uncover an informal system of exchange among the Black Skulls. Rations fetch a price of 10 gold pieces (3 uses), yet they accept glass beads or a trade for essentials.

In particular, a Styrian by the name of Falco Sparra stands as the point person for securing jungle necessities. His inventory, though not as diverse, commands a 10% premium over Raven's offerings for the sake of convenience. Typically, he can be found during the third watch in the camp, unless he's embarked on his weekly journey up The Winches to Vanguard Bastion.
Jan 9, 2024 5:47 am
"Aaah, we got unlucky yesterday," Freki says with a bit of embarrassment in his voice given he was leading the hunt and even had Thunderstrike helping him out ... despite Tunny's awful comment about Saffron.

"The storm forced many of the animals into hiding, I bet. I saw enough signs yesterday to tell me there's normally a lot more activity out there, enough to feed 6 of us for a few days on a typical haul with all of us working together. I say we go again this morning. Even if we only get enough for the 4 of us that's worth more than another Black Lotus at Falco's prices.

"If I get stumped again, then we can buy from Falco and start making plans to find a relic! That's what's really going to get us above the muck."
Last edited January 9, 2024 5:54 am
Jan 9, 2024 6:46 am
Sow shrugs at Freki. "We're going to have to go farther afield at some point, but it don't make much sense doing that if we don't have food. There was that one hollow that looked alright, and those mushrooms on that big tree. I think they were edible."

Saying that, the girl lifts a stale crust to Samir and Saffron before she stuffs it in her mouth, to thank them for sharing the remains of their own meager rations.

KCCInactive for 1 months

Jan 9, 2024 12:00 pm
"And how about them, then? Are we six or four?" Cutwell asks the others. The two groups had naturally drawn themselves together into a group to be reckoned with within the camp, but it was all left unsaid for the most part.

"They had their situation, didn’t they? Maybe we can help them with that. On the hush hush, of course!"
Last edited January 9, 2024 12:01 pm
load next

You do not have permission to post in this thread.