Chapter One, Part One: Fires over Brinestump

[SteveRogers]

S'Vith squints.

Perception Check 1d20+7 : 17 + 7, total 24

[TheTick]

Spoiler: ShowHide

(rolled an 11 for Jeddy, and Horcrust wouldn't beat either of S'Vith or Faraway...this isn't for a battle so...)

Wandering around the clearing, it's obvious not much is left that is useful.  It is indeed a shipwreck, but one that burned fairly recently.  Judging from the buildup of mud and sand around it, it's been there for a while.  A search of the area finds nothing of value, and you're about to continue on your journey when S'Vith finds plank in the underbrush at the stern of the ship.  It's the nameplate from the vessel, and the monk does a double-take before calling everyone else over.  Brushing it off to be sure, but there's no mistaking it.  In large Common letters, it reads Kaijitsu Star.

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway: "GASP"

[Phil]

"Well...  I suppose this is likely where the chest came from, if this ship is also from Minkai."  Owen states the obvious, as he considers the greater questions raised by the discovery.

"The Sandpoint Kaijitsu family has been in Avistan for at least three generations...  I never did ask what the name 'Kaijistsu' means.  It could be a Minkai word with a different meaning, besides being their surname. A coincidence.  But that would be rather unlikely.  And besides, 'star' is written in the common tongue..."

Owen is kind of muttering his thoughts to himself. 

"Lady Ameiko must be told of this, of course.  Though there is the other ship and cave to also investigate first."

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway nods.

"I agree she must be informed. However, since we are already here, we might as well continue our search."

[SteveRogers]

"Think it would be safe to look inside the ship?"  S'Vith grumbles, doubting any bottles of ale are intact in the ship's hull.

[TheTick]

The ship itself has very little to offer - anything wooden is charred and burned, and most other things are rusty beyond recognition.

[TheTick]

Continuing on, Faraway easily picks up the trail, and continues towards the second ship marker on the map.  After about half an hour, he calls a halt as you come to a bridge.  Like a few of the others you've crossed in the marsh, it's really just a couple of logs cut in half and laid with the flat side up.  Crossing one at a time, things seem to be going just as well as the day before, until the final person is half way across.  Through the undergrowth you hear rustling, then a splash.

Everyone roll a Perception check, then toss in an Initiative while you're at it.  Let me know again who's bringing up the rear (was it Owen?).

[Phil]

I believe it was, in fear of the monster.  I suppose that'd still be the case.

Perception: 

Rolled 1d20+0 : 2, total 2

Initiative:

Rolled 1d20+1 : 4 + 1, total 5

[Phil]

Owen is still thinking about the previous ship and what it could all mean.  The commotion catches him pretty much completely unaware.

[SteveRogers]

Perception 1d20+7 : 3 + 7, total 10
Initiative 1d20+2 : 6 + 2, total 8

[Lotofsnow]

Faraway Perception 1d20+6 : 8 + 6, total 14
Faraway Initiative 1d20+8 : 8 + 8, total 16

Neith Perception 1d20+5 : 19 + 5, total 24
Neith Initiative 1d20+4 : 18 + 4, total 22

[SpamHead]

Rolled 1d20+1 : 10 + 1, total 11
Rolled 1d20+2 : 10 + 2, total 12

[Porteiro]

Initiative:  [1d20]19 + 4 = 23
Perception [1d20]2 + 6 = 8

[TheTick]

Neith squawks, and Faraway raises his hand to call a halt when a creature leaps out of the water and lands on the bridge in front of Owen.  It can only be the Soggy River Monster, with the back-bent legs and the split jaw with the grasping claws.  It's pallid, vein-covered skin drips with the swamp water as it bears down on the Paladin.



Okay, everyone that beat an 11 on their Perception check can act in the surprise round.  That's one standard action.  Note that Owen is on the far side of the creature, but still on the bridge.  Bridge is only one square wide, so one person can get on the other side to a flanking position.  HOWEVER, the bridge is difficult terrain and takes 2x the movement to get there - you won't reach him on the surprise round.  Well, Neith can flying.

Initiative: ShowHide

Jeddy - 23
Faraway - 16
Horcrust - 12
Sinspawn - 11
S'Vith - 8
Owen - 5