GM: Neither men are sure what brings them to consciousness, the stong odor of fish, sea water mixed with death or the pain in their badly whipped backs. Sherlock and ELV have no idea how long they've been unconscious, but they are sure they are at sea and in the slave holding pens in bows of the ship. Its dark and damp. They can't make out anything be know they are together. Both men have been stripped to nothing. Both men feel heavy chains connected the shackles on legs, wrists and neck. They are weak from starvation (-3 to all actions). The roof opens up and light pores in. Both men hold up their hands to protect their eyes from the sunlight fighting the weight of the chains. The chains clang together. "The humans are awake," says the lizard man looking down on them. The lizardman reaches in and snatches Sherlock up by the wrist. Two other men help pull Sherlock from the holding pen. He is dropped to the deck hard. ELV is next. The listen to the laughter of the lizardmen as their eyes adjust to bright light. Sherlock: Uh, how about stunned silence? To the group: "Room service here sucks! Who's the Captain? I've got a few words for that, uh, reptile!" Looking around, what do we see? How's my rear doing? GM: Sherlock's rear and ELV's Groin are sore but the pain is gone (however the memory remains). The ship is on the open seas. There are humans doing manual labor as lizardman watch and occasionally crack the whip. There are four armed lizard men standing around Sherlock and ELV. Sherlock: That first sentence needs a serious rewrite, Frank. It just gives the WRONG impression. Well, let's see. Open Sea. No Weapons. Outnumbered. Too bad I don't know any water or wind spells. Do we see anyone in charge? ELV: My groin, your rear... You know Sherlock. That pill I put in your drink DID serve a purpose big boy. And yes I'll still love you in the morning. GM: [Don't read game turns while doing real work over the phone. Tears are streaming!] Yes, lizardman in charge is making his way over. ELV: Yours too huh? You for it... Sorry Sherlock! Sherlock: [Try asking next time. The answer might surprise you ] Heh heh. Everybody's a comedian. Sherlock: When the bossman gets closer, "Where we headed?" V, feel free to chime in, I'm kinda at a loss for what to do other than wait...for now. GM: There is a crack of the whip and a snap as it strikes Sherlock's back. He flinches a little in pain. "Do not speak until spoken too," hisses a lizardman from behind. "You are headed to trial for the death of one of my saliors," answers the Captain. ELV: So we got the man here..... If we can get free, we can kill him where he stands . One problem. Getting free. Since they are guards with us I would assume they keys on them to free us. I'm going to use my pickpocket skills to see if I can boost the keys from the nearest guards. If I need too I'll let my knees buckle and fall into him. Even if it means taking a crack from the ole whip. HOW's THAT! I really dug deep for this one! GM: [Killing the leader hasn't worked so far, but you are persistant.] ELV drops to one knee, there is a crack of the whip as it strikes ELVs back. ELV cringes. One of the lizardman moves to help him and the Capt stops him. He nodds and ELV takes another lashing. "On your feet human or the beating will continue," he utters with a hiss. Sherlock: To the Capt: "Sorry about your guy, really am, but he was about to fillet my partner and all we were doing was looking for the local trade guilds. Also, in our defense, you should put signs up, we didn't know where we were or that you'd response with such ferocity" ELV: While I'm taking the beating and Sherlock is talking, I finger some keys. Roll coming. GM: ELV must get close enough to the guard to grab the keys and he's naked. You won't be able to palm the keys or conceal them. Your current actions is at a -3 and to get to the guard would be a -2. It'll take 1 turn to get the wrist shakles off. "Tell that too the judge" answers the Captain. "I didn't pull you up here to talk, just for your regular beating!" remarks the Capt. # pickpocket 12 GM: ELV makes his move, nothing. There's a loud crack of the whip as it strikes him. The lizardman ELV moved towards backed up. ELV drops to the deck again his back burning. A second lizardman with a whip lets Sherlock having it, two quick strikes. Sherlock: You could probably swallow the keys. Don't want to think about the other option ELV: You misunderstand me, and now since we are in dire straights the need for detail is necessary. I thought you said the guards were surrounding us. I would take that to mean close in on us protecting/shielding their Captain. Hookay then. I go with it! First chance I get I stand up and shut up. GM: [I'll keep working on the details.] They are standing around in a loose semi circle, about 4 feet from ELV and Sherlock and 5 - 6 feet between each other. ELV and Sherlock are standing together and take the beating. After a few minutes the Capt orders them thrown back into the hold. Two lizardmen approach from behind putting their hands on Sherlock and ELVs backs pushing them forward. (-4 on all non mental skill rolls) (-2 for mental skill roles) ELV: Okay I stand down for now... I give Sherlock the stand down look and shake my head no. I had a couple of plans brewing none of which would likely work. As they push in on us to move us back to the holding area I try again to palm a key. GM: Send a roll for the pickpocket. ELV: [Considering how our luck has been Frank come on be a good GM and let me sub this roll for the pickpocket... Damn that dice server HAS gotten slow.] GM: Will do, I'll send out a turn when I can. # Blind Fighting 7 GM: Using the roll for the pickpocket, ELV grabs the keys before being shoved back into the hold with Sherlock. ELV: He smiles upon us with Favour Sherlock. I wait until they leave the holding area. We need rest to rebuild some of our strength, maybe get a point or two back. I'd like to once we are "relatively" alone Unlock our shackles. But hold them braced around us as if they are still locked. Hopefully soon they will bring us some slop to eat. Are there other prisoners down here? I am assuming yes. If so, how do they look and in what state? I would imagine a wide variety from weaklings to "me strong like bull"? GM: There are no other prisoners in this area - just ELV and Sherlock. It's small and crapped, barely enough room for one person, set a side two. This appears to be the area where they hold the "special" prisoners. After a few hours, there's no sign of anyone or any food (even slop). Sherlock and ELV don't know how long it's been since they've eaten but it's been at least two days. ELV and Sherlock are free with the shackles on but not locked. ELV: K Sherlock. Retrace the route to the deck. How far and how many obstacles in the way, we are Commandos so I would imagine we'd be able to call up every detail we noted. We need two plans. Plan A - We dock at night. Plan B - We dock in the daytime. Plan A - As soon as we hear the whistle blow signifying land in site. We sneak up and out then, steal a lifeboat, or swim ashore. Plan B - As they move us up we shake the chains and run like hell. Sherlock? GM: So is it plan A or plan B? ELV: We are waiting on you? Do I hear a horn blow? GM: Sherlock and ELV hear the call for land and captain hissing orders. You and the details.... The holding area we are in. Is there a door leading in? facing up like a hatch or like a regular door? Also I asked for details on the path we took before to get here after they slapped us around a bit. Is it long, is it short, is it somewhere in between? Did we see guards posted along the way? Did we see weapons or rooms that looked like they could be important along the way? Frank is the poster boy for the Hitch hiker's guide to the Galaxy. You are in a dark room. You see nothing. You hear nothing. You smell nothing. You feel nothing. GM: The holding area is at the front of the ship. Double hatch-like doors open up in the main deck into the holding area (see pic). Sherlock and ELV were pulled out of the holding area onto the main deck. They were taken a few feet to just past the main sail. The only thing along the way was the main sail. The deck was clear other than some sailing lines and wooden pieces attached to the line. The guards were all standing around ELV and Sherlock. So there's no way to determine what their regular position might have been. Nothing in the way of rooms or weapons, facing aft were the stairs leading below deck. ELV: Just the way I pictured it, had to be sure. If I didn't ask it would have turned out to be a cruise liner with 200 rooms on board... And 50 guards standing along the corridor. K. I'm going to sneak over to the hatch and see if I can peak out to get the time of day. GM: Lledrew, I think I've meet him. The hatch is locked and will take some work (2 turns to be stealth/1 turn just to get it open) from the inside. ELV lifts the hatch as much as he can to see it's dusk. ELV: Mwahahaha... That's Lledrev . Seeing as how we've been here a while. A) How long does it typically take until dark based on the hue right now? B) Can I see about how far away from the shore we are. I.E. Are we currently waiting to dock and In the process of docking. I should be able to feel if we are moving or stationary? Sherlock, don't be shy now lil buddy. The swelling in my balls has gone down and hopefully you're a$$ isn't as sore as it was... Sorry bout that. GM: A) you figure you've got about an hour before it's dark B) The ship is still moving but your field of vision is very limited. You can't see land. Sherlock: [Heh, heh. Still here. Working on a massive domain/email consolidation at the moment. I'm expectingng 3 weeks of pain. A sore rear is really the least of my problems at the moment, but hey, I'll get through it.] If we're docking at night, things should be easier. My idea is this: PLAN A: I [Magelock] the hatch so they can't get in Wait till we dock Make a hole in the side of the boat [Undo] Water rushes in Hold our breaths Pray Swim out of the hole Hide under the dock Should be simple...if I can make my rolls. PLAN B: Or, if we want a less risky (lower chance of drowning) approach: Magelock Hole to inner part of the ship Find weapons Blow hole in ship Sneak out in the confusion What'cha think boss. GM: The holding area is above the water line. ELV: This is actually a good thing. Sherlock plan A sounds like a good thing and less risky since we are above the water line. We don't have to worry about drowning. Frank I exit the cage and head over to the side of the ship. Since it is still light out this helps as well. Using the cuffs/shackles whatever has an edge, I see if I can pry a plank a little to see outside. Now that I think of it if we can blow the hole in the side while not yet docked the better. We get to swim and place some distance between us and the boat hopefully before they realize we are AWOL. So.. A) can I get a pry loose piece of plank/bulkhead and see out that way?? I'm trying to figure out what side of us land is on. GM: This is a wooden ship designed to withdstand high seas and ferious winds. You can't pry apart the ship with anything you've got. A sword would have a hard time chipping away at the thick, heavy wood that makes up the inner hull. It would take a high level of concentration and mana for Sherlock to "undo" enough planks in the hull that you'd be able to get a body through (2 bodies would have to be one at a time) ELV: Well Sherlock, I guess the jist of it is we don't loose anything by trying. If we fail then we just wait it out! GM: There's always - rush from holding area and dive off side of ship.... ELV: Wouldn't you love that....... You get hit with another whip lash. Now your at -20 for each action!!!!! Doh another whip lash, -40. GM: What no faith in the dice server that you can get from the hold to the water without being hit? chicken! Sherlock: Like El V said, it can't hurt to try. How are the planks arranges? Is each row 1 continuous piece of lumber or are they pieced together? ELV: Les' do it. GM: The are long single planks that meet at the spine on the keel. The spell will have to focus on there. Send a roll for concentration and for the spell. Sherlock: Rolls enroute. First I'd like to magelock the door. Since I'm not in a rush, can I assume it's successful? GM: Yes, Magelock doesn't require rolls. Does have a maintain cost of 2. # Sherlock: Concentrate and Undo: 7 10 GM: I looked at undo and it wouldn't work in this situation, but manipulate would. Sherlock could use the spell to work the carpenter nails out. 4 Nails would loose two boards. Sherlock could work all four at the same time. And it would take 3 turns. That's a total threshold cost of 13. To pull this off would cost Sherlock 24 treshold. One from empty. You can always go negative threshold and roll on the calimity chart. It is called a calmity chart for a reason. ELV: Mwahahahahaha. I LOVE it! This is so real life. Ahnold Swartzen eat your heart out. No 50 mile run with 10000 bullets flying all around you and no hits taken. We keep it REAL dawg. I massage Sherlock's temples so he can concentrate. GM: If that works - Sherlock goes to work. His stomach is grumbling due to the lack of food, but he manages to concentrate long enough to remove the carpenter screws from the beam. With a few quick kicks ELV is able to create an opening in the wood. One at a time both men can fit through the opening. Looking out, land is straight ahead and fast approaching (less than an hour). The sun will probably set just after the ship docks. Sherlock: Lower, no lower, keep going, keep going. Stop, yeah, right there. That's the spot. Calamity chart? I like that sound to that. I shudder to think what would happen if you combine that and Weirdness Magnet. Sorry Frank, you can't use it, it's copyrighted! ELV: K. Let's not get antsy here. Frank we likely know our limitations given our current state. If I judge us to be too far away still We wait until we are a little closer to hit the drink. GM: When the ship is closer ELV and Sherlock make their move. The jump into the water and go undetected. ELV: Swim. We'll take a 45 degree course from the ships heading. Instead of landing on the pier we are going to try to land instead away from the pier on a beach or rock outcrop. GM: Sherlock and ELV hit the water. And begin the swim. With the tide, they finally wash up on a rock outcrop miles away from the pier. Both men are tired, wet and hungry. ELV: Miles. Frank is feeling generous. Uh... Hmn, could that be food falling from the sky on this side of the planet? I didn't know it could do that.... You know the drill. Recon. GM: With the water current, sure miles. Sherlock and ELV quickly make it into the tree line. Beyond the tree line is dense forrest. This immediate area is tropical, is warm and humid. The night will get pretty cold. Sherlock: Tropical eh? Gotta be some bananas around here...besides our own, of course. I'd assume, since we're special forces, that we know something about animal trapping and building small SMOKELESS fires. ELV: You beat me to it Sherlock. Priority one is getting ourselves fed and rested. As safely as possibly. ELV: Oh and, We should have just broken into that damn house and stolen money!!! I had to throw that in my fellow ex-slave. GM: You've got survival skills. There are plants and fruits/vegetables on the trees. There are also some signs of animals you might be able to trap. Sherlock: Yeah, yeah, yeah. With our dice rolls, they probably would have beat us down and then sold us to the lizardmen. So we'd still be here. 'course at least our invis would have worked... Frank, didn't you mention these lizardmen saw body heat? That was why our invis didn't work? Or was that from some late night movie I saw? GM: The official answer: They don't "see" body heat but they sense it with their tounge as they breath. ELV: Let's do it. Once can work on fashioning a trap while one prepares a 'smokeless' fire... ELV: Ah, New approach on lizard men. Cut off their tongues. Sherlock: So, for long distances, they have normal eyesite, but when they get close, say 15 meters or so, they switch to their body heat sense. GM: [I've got enough problems with feet an inches...] About 50 feet? Then yes. Sherlock: Sweet, now we have an idea of our limitation with using invis. Alright, Iron Chef, let's get some grub and figure out what we're going to do. GM: ELV and Sherlock go to work. They get some grub and some sleep (in shifts I know). Both men are back to full and Sherlock's Threshold has been replenished. What's the plan? ELV: Figure out where the hell we are. We need to start looking for signs of civilization, looking for any trails or roads that we can follow to a town. GM: ELV and Sherlock move out. They head north in search of civilization. After traveling for a few miles they come to a walking trail running east to west. The docks would have been to the east. As they were swimming a shore they noticed the a port town attached to the docks. ELV: I'm guessing here... Is the port town presumably to the west? Or back to the east in the direction of the docks? If west we head west. If not we head west. But it would be better to know we have a port town up ahead or some other village. Sherlock: I'd say we avoid both the docks and the port town. The lizardmen should think that we're dead since they have no clue as to when we jumped ship. No need to give them opportunity to find out otherwise. Even if we bumped into the again, we probably all look alike to them. I know I wouldn't be able to tell one lizardman from the other. GM: The port would be to the east. Are you walking on the road or along side it? How far from the road are you walking if you're staying along side it? Are you moving side by side or one man up front? ELV: Uh oh, You know what this means. Setup time. I agree with Sherlock we avoid both which means we do head west. I'd say off road definitely, I'd also say single file to minimize us being jumped. Depending on the tree line I'd like to stay maybe 20 feet or so from the tree line that borders the road NOT the road itself.. Sherlock , you catch anything let me know. GM: Sherlock and ELV move out following along the room after about 10 miles. It goes until it comes perpendicular to a main road. The road is paved and two lanes. There are horse drawn wagons going in both directions all with male and/or female lizardmen driving. From the cover of jungle, they see signs pointing north and south, in a writing ELV and Sherlock don't understand. ELV: Just what I was afraid of. Lizardman Alley. Hey Sherlock there is another plan we have not considered. If it were a brick it would have hit me in the head.. A> Way I see it we have two choices. Pray that since this is an entire Island or land mass that the lizards let the human slaves have there own settlement and roam fairly freely. B> Stow away on the next pickup boat leaving the island to get back to Humanity. I'm starting to favor Option B. Is there an option C? Sherlock: Definitely in hostile territory. B is the only option. We have limited stealth ability and have no clue as to the make up of our surroundings. Know the terrain Know the enemy We're pulling zero on both. ELV: Sorry Frank we are bailing. About.... Face. Forwahd.... Mahch. Instead of following the road. I think it would be wise to head back to the beach area. The ultimate plan is to follow the shore line back to the docks. If we can't get close enough we will use the water again. Now here is what we need Sherlock if we think it out. We need to fashion some knapsacks out of big leaves or something like that. We need to stockpile 7 days of food in the form of fruit and trappings. Any meat we capture will need to be what... Cooked and then dried out? We also need to fashion some weapons. I'll make a staff out of some tough wood and sharpen both ends. For now. If something interesting happens in the process of doing this we'll roll with it. I forget anything Sherlock. Of course we could always try to sneak into the next nearest city and steal what we need, but... We see where that has gotten us so far. Feel free to have us stumble across and abandoned hut full of blaster rifles and ammo. Sherlock: Sounds like a plan. I can't really see much more to add except that we need to probably keep the animal skins to make some clothes. Last I heard, we were wearing just our birthday suits. Not that I mind being naked, I do my best work that way, I just don't want to waltz through a patch of poison ivy...or swim into a school of jellyfish. ELV: Good point. Frank would have reminded us at the MOST inopportune time. GM: You guys crack me up! GM response coming GM: Sherlock and ELV change direction and head south/East (towards the port city shooting for the coast line). Along they way they begin to work on the list of stuff. Starting with trying to find a weapon. Both men are able to make staves from a bamboo-type wood. They are gathering fruit but have no way of knowing weather it is posionous nor not. They come to the outskirts of a lizardman village. ELV: Mwahahahahaha. I knew this would happen. Well Sherlock. Here is our chance to spring the next round of mayhem. I want to spend an hour or more watching the village. I want to see patterns, how often lizards come and go, is there a main route. Is there a section not used often, are they armed, are they all civilians etc. I stay to one side of the town I send Sherlock to the other side where it looks like the main road in and out comes and goes... Most importantly, are there humanoid slaves about freely, tied up, serving or anything like that... I tell Sherlock we sync up in an hour. And most of all DON'T GET SEEN. I hunker down for the watching... Anything more specific you want Sherlock speak your piece. GM: From watching its easy to tell this is a matriarcial society - the ma'am lizards run the show. All the lizardmen and women are speak in their native language. They are all civilians. Most everything happens in the center of the village. There is a 10 yard circle clearing around the village. There is one path large enough for a beast of burden draw cart. It leads south (probably to the port). The beasts are non-intellegent lizard mounts. (you saw the same kind on the big road). The village has about 20 huts to it. There are large males walking around unarmed, they look like warriors/hunters. There are smaller males, probably tradesmen and gathers. Females wear robes of various colors symbolizing importance. Children run around the village freely. There are humans doing various tasks around the village from cleaning, to cooking too taking care of children. On occassion there will be a hunter with a spear but it appears to be for hunting and not fighting. No sign of anyone coming or going. ELV: Aw yeah boy, that is what I was hoping. How long before night fall? GM: You've been walking long enough, the humans are lighting the torches. ELV: When Sherlock gets back we need to formulate a plan.. Sherlock, whatta ya think? Is it worth the potential trouble to sneak in and get some supplies, clothes, maybe some decent weapons if possible? Sherlock: I think so. We should wait until late in the evening when most are asleep. Also should see if they have a library/bookstore type place for maps. We maybe closer to human civilization than we think Frank, do the humans look like they go to a central housing area, or do they stay with the family they're working for? ELV: Good thinking Sherlock.. I would have never thought of that. A slave in the same house with the master.... No way! GM: The huts are giligan's Island type, made of bambo type wood, tree bark and leaves. No sign of any libary or bookstore. Around the center of the village is one large hut for slaves. Sherlock: Any guards around the slave hut? GM: There are patrols of two walking around the village but no one is guarding the slave hut. ELV: Hmn figures. So we have no way of knowing if these chumps will turn us in if they see us or not. Based on the lack of guards I would guess subservience is so complete they don't need them. Or that they are wicked brutal to those who attempt escape. Either way it means we cannot be seen even by the people. Hmn, if we wait until wicked late. The invisibility will work on humans. As long as no lizards are around we should be able to at least get into the hut. I would imagine they have all of there own supplies inside. Sherlock: Any central supply huts? I'm sure they store food and stuff separately, I mean, it's not like they have refrigerators in their house. I still think we should contact the humans. Even though they're not guarded, it doesn't necessarily mean they're happy with the situation. They may know of an "underground". If they raise the alarm, we should have time to get out of the range of the lizardmen's heat sense. P Frank. There's around 20 huts, seems like a really small village. What's the population breakdown? Also, do I sense any magic? GM: Near the human sleeping hut is food storage hut. No sign of any other storage huts. There is about 100 villagers, 20 or so humans. This is a meduim mana area with one tent in the northern corner of the village giving off a magic aura. ELV: Well at least you said it and not me. Last time I was the one that got us into deep $hit. Now I get to blame this one on you... If it blows up. Lets put a plan together on making contact. First thing first, it should be only one of us. This way if things go south we've got a force (of one) in reserve. Also I'd say go invisible. This way if you can sneak in, you may be able to get a better sense of if they are happy/unhappy and will or will not cooperate. Notice I said YOU... Your said it first, so you get to go solo... Mwaahahahaha, POWER, I NEED MORE POWER..... Ahahahahahahaa! ELV: Oh oh, did he say magic aura? Let's also see if they have a magic mana absorber wizbang thingee. Sherlock: Well, I say we split up It's a small village, so it shouldn't be that bad. I'll head to the hut giving off the magic and you can go stock up on supplies. That way, we spend as little time in the village as we have to. If stuff hits the fan, which it will, let's meet back up about 1 mile south of the village. ELV: You can hear Frank chuckling??? No that was ME. And ONLY since I have a sense of humor and such a thirst for adventure.... Lets do it. Frank, you heard the man. I begin to concentrate for invisibility just before I enter the clearing to the town... Assuming it is now DARK and the village has wound down for the evening. How do I let myself be talked into this stuff. Rolls inbound. ELV: # Concentration/Invisibilty 11 15 Sherlock: Heh, heh. I figure we got into this mess by staying together, maybe we'll have better luck apart. I'll go invis too, rolls on the way. # Sherlock: Invis 13 6 GM: Sherlock and ELV head off into different directions. Sherlock arrives in the slave tent undetected. Some slaves are in bed sleep while others are reading and talking by lantern light. There are males, females and children. ELV enters the supply tent. I need a list of what your are looking for. ELV: Hey Frank, Sherlock wanted to go for the magic stuff and supplies, I'm heading to the Slave tent. I'm looking for a closet that drawer that will likely contain clothing. Okay, seriously I need a new dice server. GM: Otay I stand corrected. The beds are make-shift bunk beds two high. The clothes are neatly folded on shelves next to the beds. ELV could grab a set of clothes and put them on while maintaining invisiblity with a concentration roll. Sherlock are you starting at the supply tent or headed for the magic hut? ELV: I grab a set and dress accordingly. Roll coming... Frank would make me roll. Sherlock: The magic hut, not to be confused with the magic bus. GM: Sherlock approaches the magic hut. He steps inside to find a lizardwoman priestest reading from ancient text books. Sherlock: What other types of stuff are around. I don't want to move around too much. GM: There's a pet bird in a cage, several books and scrolls on the shelves. The lizardwoman looks up from her scrolls. ELV: # Concentration 13 GM: ELV grabs a set of pants and begins to put them on. He starts to loose concentration. A young girl about 13 notices him. ELV: I put my fingers to my mouth as if to say ssshhhhhh. Hush little baby don't say a word. Or ElV's gonna stuff you like a bird. If the dice server cooperates, ELV's gonna have to seal your fate. So don't you scream and don't despair, Or ELV's gonna hang you with your hair. That's all kids, and good night... GM: [Now, I'm going to have nightmares.....] Sherlock: Heh heh. Too funny. For my move, I'll duck out of the window. I doubt she saw me and the night air should be warm enough that I don't leave a heat residue. I'll head back to the supply tent that El Vs at. Quietly. GM: ELV is inside the slave tent. The little girl quickly lays back down. ELV needs to make a concentration roll before he's spotted. Sherlock makes a quick exit from the priestess' tent and heads for the supply tent. As he's making his way the door to the priestess' tent opens. She exits looking around. A patrol approaches her. She rushes them off and scans the area. Sherlock is behind the cover of a tent. A two lizard man patrol is headed his way. ELV: That didn't take long... Roll coming. Sherlock: She rushes them off? Like a "don't bother me, I'm busy" or a "go find the intruder" Wondering if she thinks she had a vision. Doubt she gets too many naked white boys showing up at her tent. GM: [t..e.a...r.s, can't sto..p laughing!] "don't bother me, I'm busy" Hard to tell she seems to be concentrating. Sherlock: Heh, heh. Well, I'll keep real quiet and try to keep the tent between me and the guards, then head over to El V to warn him that Stella's trying to get her groove back. ELV: Hahaha... A hearty Monday morning laugh. The Little girl lays back down and my concentration roll was good. I look for more supplies, a knapsack or carrying bag of some sort. Anything else of use stand out in the tent? ELV: # Concentration 9 GM: ELV grabs clothes for himself and a set for Sherlock. He finds a sac and fills it with extra clothes and loose rags. There's nothing else in this tent. # GM: Concetrate & Cast: 10 6 GM: Sherlock is moving stealthly between tents when he looks back and there's the priestest. Her eyes are glowing white and Sherlock is confident he's been spotted (see invisiblity). Sherlock hasn't been to the equipment tent yet. He started at the the magic tent. ELV: I am heading towards the equipment tent. GM: ELV exits the slave tent and spots Sherlock being spotted the priestest. ELV and Sherlock make eye contact. The equipment tent is to the right. ELV: I try to quickly duck in before she sees ME as well. Assuming she is further behind him. GM: ELV ducks into the supply tent. Sherlock? Sherlock: Well darn. To the priestess, "Uh, hi." I'll start moving to the right or left so I can position her with her back to El V. I'll also try to remain hidden to the lizardman patrols. ELV: Question 1: Lets see how many balls can Sherlock juggle? Question 2: Before or after the Priestess removes his? Sherlock: [Heh, heh. Hey! That's not funny. I'm pretty attached to what little I have.] ELV: [Not for long... You asked for that one.] GM: Sherlock, She's facing Sherlock, ELV would be behind Sherlock, headed for the supply tent. "What are you doing here?" she asks with hiss. (She's focused on Sherlock and ELV goes unnoticed.) ELV: [There is a God.] Sherlock: Time to be crafty, but I'll be darned if I can think of anything. I'll blink, pretending her talking startled me. I'll look around, as if taking in my surroundings for the first time, appearing dazed. "I don't belong here. Who are you?" GM: "Since I belong here a better question is who are you. And I'd answer quickly before the patrol gets back," she answers. ELV finds food stores and fills the sac he took from the the slave tent. Sherlock: "Look, all I know is that one moment I'm in a spaceship, the next I'm in the middle of a village, naked, surrounded my lizard folk who obviously like to use humans as slave labor. Forgive me if I can't get more specific than that." "Why are you so interested? If you'd wanted the guards to have me, you would have warned them by now." GM: "I detected your presence, in my tent and my curiosity was peeked. What do I find a human, almost invisble to the eye. Even more intriging," ELV: I listen to the conversation unfolding... Sherlock: Uh... Who am I? Priestess: I don't know who are you? Sherlock: Uh... I don't know. Priestess: Yes you do. Sherlock: No I don't. Priestess: Yes you do. Sherlock: No I don't. ELV: Okay actually I look to see if this is a standard tent as in canvas like material. If so I lift the rear to see if anyone or anything is out back there. Planning a quick escape route. Haw far to the forest from where we are now? GM: The quickest way back to the forrest would be the way you came in (back west). You'd have to go around to the village to get to the port. Out the back of the tent faces east, but it would take two turns to clear the village. From the back of the tent ELV can see another tent and just beyond that part of the priestest. ELV: Hey Sherlock, I'll yank her 'shorts' down around her legs and you run..... Kidding. I wait and listen. Then it progesses to: Priestess: Yes you do. Sherlock: No I don't. Priestess: Yes you do. Sherlock: Yes you do. Priestess: No I don't. Sherlock: Yes you do. Priestess: No I don't. GM: [you two need help!] What's plan Sherlock? ELV: Hahahah.. Ask her for help. Sherlock: "So now what? I have no intention of being anyone's lab rat." I figure I need to keep her talking long enough for El V to make a get away. She's GM: "If you leave now you might get away unseen. It would be hard for even a priestest to provide protection to a sub-species," ELV: Sherlock, Exit stage right. I head back the way we came to clear out of dodge. We got what we needed. Sherlock, you going to ask if she can do anything about this manna field? Sherlock: "Thank you. You wouldn't happen to be able to dispel a mana field would you? Seems like I'm generating a field of some sort that attracts mana wolves." GM: "Mana wolves, not a good thing. You're the source of the mana field? You could conceal it but not dispel it. That might help you be less noticable but any that's looking for you wouldn't have a hard time finding you. I'd be willing to help you if you'd be willing to help me. If you're interested sneak into my tent like you did before. Patrol is coming," Her eyes return to normal and she heads for the her tent. ELV: Overhearing this, I stay to the rear where I am and also head to the outside of her tent. GM: You'll both need rolls to remain undetected. One each roll against stealth. Sherlock: V hang back a bit tho'. She thinks I'm the only one and if you come too close, she might sense you as well. I don't know what she needs help with, but I'll be darned if I'm helping her make a little half human/lizard baby. GM: [ROFL - you would think after all these years of playing I would know better than to read a game turn while trying to do something requiring concentration - like take a tech call!] Sherlock: [Heh heh. As long as you don't spew coffee onto your keyboard you'll be ahead of me.] ELV: [Hey -> You gotta make sure the nads still work don't ya? Oh wait a minute... That's me.] GM: So ELV is hanging tight near the supply tent and Sherlock is heading to the preistest's tent? I'll go with it: Sherlock enters the tent unnoticed by the patrols. She's seated in her chair. "About two days ago two of my apprentices were returning from a pilgrimage to the holy site with the village idol. They were traveling with two of the village warriors when they were attacked by human rebels. One of the apprentices escaped the others were killed and village idol was taken. I don't care to see any blood shed so I've told the others that the idol was saved from the rebels. If my lie is revealed, this village will assemble with the other villages and hunt the rebels down. Up too this point the villages have tolerated the rebels because they have left us alone, Focusing on government targets. If you will return the idol to me, I'll develop a means to contain your mana aura," ELV: I knew Frank had it in him.... Sherlock: "Seems to be a fair trade. If you can tell me which way to find the rebels, I'll try to retrieve the idol. Do they have any use for the idol or realize what it is?" GM: "You'll want to head north. The forest is thicker and hard to pass. They'll have no use for the idol, they might realize what it is?" An female apprentice rushes in, she is shocked to see Sherlock. "I'm sorry to interupt, but there is rumor that that a human arrived in the captial city with a small combat force. He is meeting with the supreme chancellor," The priestest looks up at Sherlock. "You may want to make haste. This human maybe here for you," Sherlock: "To the apprentice, can you describe the human?" So, by capital city, can I assume that's the port city we landed at, or at least close to it. GM: the apprentice looks at the prietest who nods. "No, I heard this from someone traveling from the capital city. The news is several hours old," answers the apprentice. The captial city is different from the port city. It's a few hours travel by cart. ELV: Okay Now I'm confused. Sherlock if a Human warlord is here for us isn't this a good thing? It may our old friend that helped us before after we helped him get his man back! Sherlock: My thinking exactly, we all landed pretty close together, the other guy could have landed nearby and decided to build a following. To the priestess: "Why would he be here for me? Only you and your apprentice know about me?" Also for clarification, the supreme chancellor is in this village, so that means the human is here, or is all this happening in the capital city. ELV: [Oh and Sherlock, find out if the rebels are human. You never know they may be Lizard rebels in which case they are good guys...] GM: "Seems logical to me - Human's don't come here. Negotiations of any sort are handled elsewhere and by people much lower than the supreme chancellor. A human bold enough to come here must have significant power, something to offer, and looking for something important. With your mana trail it wouldn't be hard to track you here. Of course I could be wrong." The supreme chancellor is in the capital city. GM: Yes they are human - she said that. Sherlock: "Great, I'm a friggin' walking beacon. Is the idol magical? It has to be more than just a symbol for the village." ELV: True true. Too much is going on.... So if there are human rebels Sherlock on the Lizard territory they no doubt have found effective ways of dealing with Lizards... I'm not so sure we want to piss them off as that Idol may be a bargaining chip for them in some way. Why else would they steal it. This guy that is here for us. I say we meet up with him. We haven't pissed off anyone besides the lizards so if possible we should get out of dodge. As for the manna we can find a cure back on the HUMAN mainland instead of creeping around lizard world... Sherlock: I think she's going off what she knows. A human shows up in her village sporting a significant magical aura and then another human warlord shows up in the capital city with a small combat force meeting with the supreme chancellor. 2 rare events happening simultaneously--it's obvious to connect the 2. Imagine what she'd think if she knew there were 2 of us? ELV: I'm a little sluggish today and not connecting the dots (Frank shut it up). Like I said I say we meet our hopeful saviors and get out of dodge. We can always fix the manna leakage back on the mainland. The only thing we can do here is make mortal enemies and otherwise piss people (and lizards) off. Deals off, we are outta here. ELV: Change in heart. Lets go after the idol. Uh Sherlock, you may want to cover your little man... Teehee. Uh Master are you playing with the slaves again? Just don't bite his off this time. Sherlock: To lizardwoman: "Forget out your idol, I got a totem pole you just might be interested in." GM: The Idol has not magical properties. It's the symbol of the village. So what's the plan? Sherlock: Well, I personally was hoping the idol was magical, but since it isn't, it should be easier to get it from the rebels. So, I'll thank the priestess, check the exit to ensure the guards aren't coming and exit to El V's location. Relay the news to them. I'd imagine we should get clothed, rest for a bit then head north. ELV: Whats this we shit Kimosabee. I'M not naked any more , while pointing to his nub... Toss him the clothes and one of the packs. Presumably I divided up the take!!!! Once he is dressed we head to the fringes of the woods retracing our steps.