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[Criptfeind]

Moubu grunts, looking up from his work as he finishes separating the last of the body parts of the monkey. Licking a spot of gore from his his thumb.

"Now then, what are we to do. You all seem antsy, but from what the frog said, everywhere in this jungle seems dangerous to me. I think we should catch some rest here, shipwrecks are quite draining. And then head out as soon as we wake up to try to find.... Whatever it is we want to find." Moubu says with a shrugs his shoulders.

[UXLZ]

Emilia slowly nods.

"It would probably be better to rest now and travel at night rather than attempt to push ourselves onwards. We'll have to travel through the darkness either way, and I would rather be fully aware... Though perhaps we briefly look for a better place to camp?"

She refrains from mentioning anything to do with beaches, and regardless of what happens closely follows Wen-Tsu.

[Dwarmin]

The group decides staying in place is the best idea for the night

...

She took the fruit, and plucked one of the Lampsur berries, and plopped it in her mouth.

*chew chew chew....BOOOM!*

Hmm! This actually tastes really good! She can feel life magic flowing through her body...somewhat erratically, but it's still there. This fruit could easily heal wounds, much like her own magic does.

Item: Lampsur Fruit
Type: Comestible
Action cost: Major
Effect: When consumed, gives the Heal boon to the user, with a random power level of 1 to 5.

...

As the party settles down to a well deserved rest, they consider their daily efforts and draw new experiences from their shared hardships.

+1 RP XP point for Anders, Wen, Jou, Emilia and Moubu

((OOC: Bonus Perks!

I've offered some suggestions as to how this might effect your character, but you can really think up the final effects for yourself.))

...

Anders

Testing the duality of life and death seems to unlock something buried deep within Anders increasingly strange mind. Something beyond human. As the long night rolls on, he feels no need to sleep-the voices he hears come to him clearer than ever.

As he finds himself balanced perfectly between two extremes, he finds an odd tugging in his mind-as if he is being divided yet again...

Choose one bonus Perk

1. Dark and Deep
Anders delves into the darkest depths of his mind. Continuing on this path may lead Anders beyond both what he was, and what he is now, to becoming something else entirely...

Effect: He can now use Dagonspeak twice in one day, and he can ask a single specific question about an intelligent being he is interested in. The answers he receives are usually easier to understand.

2. Love and Life
Anders rests for calmer waters, and gains the gentle wisdom of his Mother-her fathers consort and companion, she knows the truth of the old world and it's many monsters, many of whom are also her children-such as Anders himself. This path may see Anders embracing the inhuman nature he embodies, casting away his human shell...

Effect: Mother Hydra will once a day will heed Anders calls for advice in entirely worldly matters, such as a monsters weakness, it's habits and desires, or merely general knowledge of the world and it's dangers, or his own nature and that of his true people.

3. A placid island of ignorance
Anders flees from the waters, perhaps not in fear, but understanding. Perhaps he wishes to remain who is, or maybe he is not ready to go so far. Grounding himself among such powerful opposing forces give him unique insight into the ways of the mind, of magic, of the spirit...a balance of mortal and immortal has it's own advantages.

Effect: He gains Advantage 1 when resisting any supernatural attacks that affect his mind.

---------------

Wen-Tsu

Tasty fruit and a warm fire to sleep beside, seem to roll Wen-Tsu back in time, back to the Moon-Gardens she left behind. Perhaps for a being such as her, memory and deed, or dream and reality, are one and the same. She thinks back hard, her fey mind alighting upon different memories, like a butterfly on a flower petal...

Choose one bonus Perk

1. Remember the lessons of Fio-Fio!
Wen-Tsu could probably recall her gardening lessons...they were pretty boring, but highly informative. She could never have to eat a slug, if she could just remember her peoples secrets about growing living things...perhaps this way, she may feel more peaceful and less aggressive. Hugs for everyone!

Effect: Wen-Tsu can now identify any plant upon merely touching it, and no mere fruit or vegetable will ever harm her by merely doing so. She can also grow her own plants as expendable items, similar to if she took the crafting feat-these can be existing plants she has gathered, or for any effect mimicking an existing boon or bane she personally possesses.

2. Remember the lessons of Chi-Wen!
Wen-Tsu remembers being taught to fight by Chi-Wen, a tough old Moon Rabbit who bragged of fighting in Earth-Wars, falling in love with handsome heroes, and slaying many great monsters with her Moon-Mallet...rather than merely using it bop naughty moon-carrots for lunch. She likely had some effect on a young Wen-Tsu.

The Moon-Mallet is, in fact, her peoples greatest weapon-it relies not on brute strength, but pure magical power. Which most Moon-Rabbits have in abundance. Wen-Tsu could really become a lot tougher if she was more like Chi-Wen! She could perhaps be much more...proactive...in combat situations. Mallets for everyone!

Effect: As a Minor action, Wen-Tsu can turn any ordinary stick into a magical Moon-Mallet, which she wields in both hands. If she lets go of the weapon, it immediately turns back into a stick. Aside from it's general properties, such as being big and mashy, it uniquely uses her transmutation skill level for it's attack bonus, and is particularly effective when mashing vegetables.

Weapon: Moon Mallet
Effects: Two-handed, Magical Weapon (Transmutation), Veggie Bane (Advantage 1 on attacks/banes vs Plant Enemies)
Bane Bonus: Knockdown, Forced Move, Stunned

---------------

Jao

Jao is likely going to be spending all night listening to frog burps and belching. It's not a pretty job, but someone has to do it...right?

Or, maybe he can tinker with his bow a bit more...try to block out that annoying creature...

Choose one bonus Perk

1. Burp with the best of them
Blorp burp derp glorp glop blorp derp glorp slurp derp...

Effect: Jao now grasps Griks language completely (and early), and having done so, understands all similar reptilian languages with minimal effort. He gains advantage 1 when dealing with all the natives who speak froglish, or similar-for either general diplomacy or bardic abilities. Perhaps he becomes more friendly, but probably not.

2. Or maybe actually be useful in a fight
This fecking bow is a right piece of shite, yer bugger, but maybe he can make it better...a little customization, and it should shoot arrows TWICE AS FAST! Really going to exploit the fact that this game doesn't count ammunition.

Effect: Jao can fire two ranged attacks in one round, if he gives up his move action.

---------------

Emilia

Emilia's head hits the 'pillow' (a fairly soft rock, actually) and she immediately falls asleep...and dreams...of distant winding horns, fluttering wings, the gleam of sunlight on silvery spears and gilded shields...she sees green fields, puffy white clouds, a the gentle touch of a silent, stoic warrior mother...whom she only dimly knows...

Bringing a sense of contentment that is not to be found in the living world. And then, there are other dreams...

Choose one bonus Perk

1. She dreams of Flying
One moment, swinging through the jungle...then, her soft feathered wings unfurled, hurtling through sunlit clouds, with no fear...she perhaps is no longer quite of afraid heights as she might once have been.

Effect: Emilia gains a flight speed of 5’ added to her movement, a supernatural ability that cannot usually be dispelled. This effectively increases her speed by that amount on the ground, and allows her to make aerobatic movements that would be impossible for a mere human, as well as physically hovering very short distances. She might not initially realize she has this ability consciously, merely owing it to superior reflexes. This bonus is added onto any existing flight speed bonuses she gains from ability levels at a later time.

2. She dreams of Battle
...An endless host of foes arrayed against her...a hopeless and endless battle against the elemental forces of entropy, but not without a final purpose, or a sense of peace...a sea of blades breaks against her...she may become more patient and steady, even during the greatest storm...

Effect: Once a day, Emilia can channel her inner warrior to be completely immune to nearly all attacks, as long as she can defend herself-her ability relies on parrying, deflecting or dodging attacks-not physical invulnerability. She can also intercept any amount of attacks intended for a nearby ally.

---------------

Moubu
Moubu enjoys cooking. And fighting.

Orcs may not be very philosophical, but he might wonder which is better to be good at...

Choose one bonus Perk

1. Iron Chef
Orcs tend not to be very picky in what they eat, but this has had the effect of making them fairly skilled in making all sorts of things taste better. Halfling soup needs lot of salt, for example...

Effect: Moubu can craft delicious meals, much as if he took the cooking feat. These meals have tangible benefits, most providing a HP bonus for the next 24 hours, usually about +5 stacking per level. Among other benefits, depending on his ingredients!

Moubu will always gain 1 point for free in the learning attribute, to demonstrate his newfound thoughtfulness (maybe).

Sample Recipes
Base: Each recipe requires one day of rations as a base.

+Howler Meat=
Bees and Beans
This tasty concoction is made of tangy Howler Bee meat and a generous portion of beans and bacon, among other bits and bobs of meat. It certainly fills up the belly, and toughens the constitution. Also gives you terrible gas.
Effect: +5 HP, Resistance +2 Defense vs Might Attacks (24 hours)

+Lampsur Fruit=
Sunrise Soup
Lampsur Fruit is not only delicious, but has amazing healing properties. Kai Warriors use this traditional dish to prepare for a long day of labors, or as a quick pick me up.
Effect: +5 HP (24 hours), Heals One Level of Exhaustion (Once a day)

+???+???=
Swamp Hot Pot
Made from certain rare swamp spices and mushrooms, the secret to a good soup is lots of heat. It settles the stomach nicely.
Effect: +10 HP, Advantage on Saves vs Sickened Bane (24 hours),

2. Unending Endurance
Moubu's pushed himself to the very limits of physical exhaustion, and found himself stronger for it. He basks in his nature as a true warrior! Not a 'cooker of meals'!

Effect: Moubu effectively has one bonus level added to his fatigue penalty. If he would take 1 level of fatigue, he suffers no effects at all, and all other effects are one level higher. Thus, he only dies after 7 levels of fatigue, and takes an attack disadvantage on 4 levels of fatigue, for example.

---------------

Wen-Tsu

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 26/26

Defenses
Toughness= 10+2 (leather armor)=12
Evasion=  11+2 (leather armor)=13
Resolve=  14

Minor Action (Concentration)=None

Active Boons=None
Active Banes=None

Cinematic Effects
None

Active Effects/Abilities
Lucky: The Fey are so charming that even Death itself, sometimes turns his gaze. Once per day, an attack that would reduce you to less than 1 HP, reduces you to 1 HP instead. (Available)
Fey Aura: If you have a heart, she can touch it. Once per day, she can leverage her fey aura to turn an enemies mood in a certain way. (Available)
Innocent: Who could ever accuse a face like that of evil? Once per day, Wen-Tsu can leverage her innocence to turn an enemy and cause them to take pity on her. The enemy might choose to look the other way when you’ve done something illegal, forgive a debt you could never pay, or vouch in your favor before the authorities. (Available)

Passives
Boon Focus (Regeneration): As long the moon shines, Wen-Tsu is a beacon of life. She never fails when casting the regeneration boon. She gains advantage 2 when casting it on multiple targets.
Fey Presence: Something about Wen-Tsu reveals her inherent supernatural nature through a visible manifestation. Maybe it's the ears. Occasionally she can use your supernatural presence to gain Advantage 1 to a Presence or Persuasion action roll. From time to time the same bonus become a Disadvantage 1 instead, depending upon the beliefs and opinions of those you interact with.
Attractive: Wen-Tsu is one cute moon-rabbit-woman thing. Whenever her attractiveness would play a role in a situation, she gains advantage 1 to any relevant action rolls.

Equipped Weapon: Quarterstaff (Melee, Two-handed, Reach, Forceful, Precise/Banes: Knockdown)
Equipped Armor: Leather Armor (Toughness/Evasion +2)

Jao

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 20/20

Defenses
Toughness = 14+2 (leather armor)=16
Evasion =  15+2 (leather armor)=17
Resolve =  13

Minor Action (Concentration)=None

Active Boons=None
Active Banes=None

Cinematic Effects
Shoddy Black Market Gear: In retrospect, Jao considers it was less a visit to the friendly merchant, and more like a mugging by daylight.

Active Effects/Abilities
Lucky: Jao might not believe in any Gods, but it doesn't hurt to ask, right? Once per day, in a moment of need, Jao can call on luck shine to upon him. What form of luck this takes is not entirely certain... (Available)

Passives
Lightning Reflexes I: Jao gains +1 Initiative from general feckishness.
Supernatural Focus (Voice, Enchantment): Jao's voice has power. Tiny, annoying power. He cannot use his Enchantment abilities without his voice, but when he does his dice are one level greater.
Well-Rounded: Jao knows everything about approximately nothing at all. Any time he makes a non-attack action roll with an attribute in which he has a score of 2 or less, he rolls an additional d20 and keep the highest of the two d20s.

Equipped Weapon: Shortbow (Two-handed, Range 50, Precise, Swift 2/Banes: Slowed)
Equipped Armor: Leather Armor (Toughness/Evasion +2)

Emilia

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 28/28

Defenses
Toughness = 13+4 (scale shirt)=17
Evasion =  15+4 (scale shirt)=19
Resolve =  16

Minor Action (Concentration)=None

Active Boons=None
Active Banes=

Cinematic Effects
None

Active Effects/Abilities
Divine Intervention: Emilia hears the winding of distant horns and the flutter of wings-someone watches over her. Once per day, when Emilia is  subject to a Finishing Blow while her hit points are below 1, she automatically heals to a hit point total of 1. (Available)

Passives
Combat Momentum: When Emilia brings an enemy to zero hit points or less with a Might or Agility attack, she can immediately move up to her normal speed as a free action.

Equipped Weapon: Dagger (One-handed, Precise, Swift 4, Range 25/Banes: Persistent Damage)
Equipped Armor: Leather Armor (Toughness/Evasion +2)

Moubu

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 26/26

Defenses
Toughness = 14+8 (Scalemail+Largeshield)=22
Evasion = 13+8 (Scalemail+Largeshield)=21
Resolve = 14

Minor Action (Concentration)=None

Active Boons=
Active Banes=Speed Penalty -5 (Armor)

Cinematic Effects
Literally Coated in Mud: Liberally and literally. Filthy Orc!

Active Effects/Abilities
Inspiring Warrior: In the Karthela tribe to be great warrior and a great leader is considered one and the same. No matter how strong a warrior is if his fellows will not follow him into battle, he is powerless in war. No matter how inspiring he is if he can't lead his tribe in battle to crush a foe, he is not worthy to lead. Moubu brings these ethos of personal power and leadership forward. Once per day, if he makes a show of physical force, he can use his Might attribute for a Presence roll. If his Presence score is already equal to or greater than his Might score, he gets advantage 1 on the roll. (Available)

Passives
Battlefield Defender: Moubu smash! When Moubu uses the defend interrupt action, hs also deal damages to the attacker equal to the amount by which your action roll exceeds the attacker's roll
Defensive Reflexes II: Moubu has skin of iron! Any time he uses the Defend action, he gains advantage 2 on the action roll.

Equipped Weapon: Warhammer (Melee, One-Handed, Forceful/Banes: Knockdown)
Equipped Armor: Scale Shirt (Toughness/Evasion +6), Large Shield (Toughness/Evasion +2)

Anders

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 14/14

Defenses
Toughness= 10+2 (Leather armor)=12
Evasion=  15+2 (Leather armor)=17
Resolve=  12

Minor Action (Concentration)=None

Active Boons=Regeneration I (1d4)
Active Banes=Persistent Damage I (1d4)

Cinematic Effects
None

Active Effects/Abilities
Dagonspeak: Anders has practiced the ways of sneaking hidden charms and subliminal messages within everyday conversation. Once per day, when he converses with an intelligent creature for at least five minutes, he can choose to learn one useful secret of the GM’s choosing about the creature. (Used for today)

Passives
Lethal Strike I: Anders gain Advantage I on his attacks when his target is caught off guard or otherwise unaware of the attack, or if his target is within melee attack range of an ally.
Evasive Footwork: When Anders moves from a space adjacent to an enemy to another space not adjacent to that enemy, the enemy does not get the usual opportunity attack.
Combat Momentum: When Anders brings an enemy to zero hit points or less with a Might or Agility attack, he can immediately move up to his normal speed as a free action.
Blessing of Mother Hydra: Anders heals particularly quickly when in saltwater (Regeneration I when at least half his body is in salt water), and can act as though he had Sylvan ally with regard to fish, aquatic reptiles, and creatures of dark and deep aquatic places. Granted, he's also automatically detested by dogs, cats, and most wholesome creatures that walk under the light.

Equipped Weapon: Dagger (One-handed, Precise, Swift 4, Range 25/Banes: Persistent Damage)
Equipped Armor: Leather Armor (Toughness/Evasion +2)

Balecar

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 14/14

Defenses
Toughness: 10+2(Leather armor)=12
Evasion: 10+2(Leather armor)=12
Resolve: 12

Minor Action (Concentration)=None

Active Boons=
Active Banes=

Cinematic Effects
None

Active Effects/Abilities
None

Passives
Pure-hearted: Any good-aligned creature you encounter is friendly toward you by default rather than neutral. Circumstances can alter this, but even if rumors or actions you’ve taken would influence a good creature negatively, it remains one step friendlier than it otherwise would have been.

Equipped Weapon: Dagger (One-handed, Precise, Swift 4, Range 25/Banes: Persistent Damage)
Equipped Armor: Leather Armor (Toughness/Evasion +2)

Skeleton Monk

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hit Points = 12/12

Defenses
Toughness: 11
Evasion: 12
Resolve: 10

Active Boons=
Active Banes=

Active Effects/Abilities
None

Passives
None

Equipped Weapon:
Equipped Armor:

[Draignean]

Spoiler: Anders' Dream (click to show/hide)

Anders didn't dream, not precisely, but the whispers painted pictures. Pictures of a different island; floating upon a distant and sunless sea. Anders was not alone on the island. There was a fire built among the rocks, filth and driftwood making a pitiful flame that seemed to cast shadow as much as light. Around that fire were seated familiar shapes, humanoid in composition, but whether they were elf, orc, or human... Anders could not say. Anders could not count how many such indistinct creatures sat around that flickering fire -with each ebb and flow of the embers the shadows twisted, and figures seem to both emerge from and disappear into that blackness- but their habits inspired a ghastly curiosity in Anders. The figures laughed, but it was a hollow, croaking sound that revealed tongues tattered by the gnashing of their own teeth. They looked at one another, yet their eyes were gone, nothing left but gouged out sockets and weeping sores. Their ears were similarly disfigured, torn to shreds with layers upon layers of scars eradicating anything but the most vestigial remnants. They ate, but there was nothing living upon the island but their companions and Anders- and so from time to time one would be grabbed by his companions and pulled into the flames, held there while he screamed and burned. The others laughed and tore into his cooking flesh, stuffing their scarred mouths with the fresh meat.

They blasphemous revelers never looked away from the flame, never looked to where Anders stood at the rocky edge of the island. They kept their eyes ever fastened on the flames, as though the light could still blind their rotting eyes to the sight of what lay beyond their squalid camp.  They were the only thing upon the rocky island besides Anders himself, and he knew that the only way to stay would be to join them. To stay upon the island was to make himself blind, to tear away his own tongue, and claws his ears until the weight of dried blood deafened him. It was a horrible thought, to turn utterly inward rather than embrace the beauty of the elder ocean that lapped at the island's rocky shore.

Voices called up from the water, imploring Anders to join them. Beautiful things, born of the utter dark, yet covered in queer and eldritch light, spoke to him. They promised him the court of his mother, to let him sit by her side as she spoke of the world she had birthed, of her children- and of Ander's place among them. The voices sang, though none but Anders would have listened to that fae clamor and proclaimed it song. They sang of hidden wonders beneath the waves, of the wretched slimy things that had crawled forth to become man, and of their brothers who had returned beneath the waves. The sang of the creation of all things, of the ancestral root beneath the waves. They Sang of the union of Father Dagon and Mother Hydra, of the new kith that his former village struck their mignight bargains with, and somewhere, deep in Ander's thoughts, Mother Hydra sang too.

Yet for all its beauty, the song of his Mother could not hold Anders' thoughts. He loved his Mother and his brothers and sisters that swam and sang within the utter deep, but his eyes were fixed upon the horizon. With the light of the fire at his back, Anders stared out, his too-human mind struggling to make sense of the warped geometry of the world. Wherever he looked, the horizon flowed towards a vertical line, a silver pillar which never left Anders' vision and from which all the ocean seemed to flow. Wrapped in sinuous loops about that pillar, both a part of it and seemingly the source of it, was Father Dagon. The distance was impossible to determine, the distortion of spacing making Father Dagon more distant than the farthest star and yet terrifying in his reality defying scale. Dagon's eye found Anders, and Anders looked back. There was no love there, not the way that Mother Hydra loved her children, but there was something else. Acknowledgement. An invitation for Anders to join his Father at the Spire-That-Was-The-Sea-And-Sky, but it was an invitation no human could accept- a journey no man could complete.

Anders knelt at the edge of the rocky shore, running his fingers along the buttons of his coat, unclasping them one by one. He left everything upon the rocks, removing all the adornments and protections of humanity from his skin- leaving himself naked against the freezing spray of his Ancient father's sea.

Then he removed one more layer, and plunged into the welcoming blackness of the frigid sea.

Anders would not stand upon an island to mutilate himself and feast upon those likewise crippled, he would not rest in the waters and join his Mother and his brothers and his sisters. Anders would go to his Father, and become what he was meant to become.

Take Deep and Dark, listen to the nearing voice of Father Dagon.

[lawastooshort]

Choose Burp n Derp with the Best of Them.

I refuse to be useful in a fight!

Jao might also dream, but is somewhat busy right now, listening to the frogchap.

[UXLZ]

Spoiler: She Dreamt She Flew (click to show/hide)

Emilia had experienced dreams before, but tonight... Something was different. They were indistinct, hazy things. Memories forgotten, a past she had never experienced, a world she never knew existed, parents she had never met, a future that would never come. Tonight of all those things she dreamt, yet also none.

Beneath her stretched a verdant plain, alive with life, flowers in full bloom. Crystal streams of pure water, trues that never lost their leaves. It was beautiful.

And suddenly, the sound of snapping chains, echoing across the universe like shattering glass. In an instant, the plains and flowers turned to wasteland, bejewled by skulls beneath her. The crystal rivers red with blood. Fighting, roaring. A wolf unlike any she had ever seen. A battle unlike any there could ever possibly be. The souls of all the living, all the dead, they swirled beneath, a cacophony of noise and chaos.

And then, looking down at the melee, she felt her wings falter. Losing their strength, she plummeted toward the ground. Closer, closer, closer... She knew that if she touched the ground, within the maelstrom she would be forever trapped.
The shriek of the wind, the flapping of black wings. raven swooped down in front of her, and she heard its cry. "FLY!" it seemed to scream.

Time seemed to freeze. Emilia was perfectly still, hovering, the ground mere inches from her face, the sound of battle no longer ringing around her.

Then she awoke.

Her eyes opened with a snap, taking in the darkness, her pulse racing.
She did not remember the dream.

Spend four attribute points to upgrade Movement from 3 to 4.
[[Maan, mine isn't anywhere near as good as Draig's, but I tried. =P]]

[Criptfeind]

Moubu finished the night out cooking for the rest of the group. Busying himself over a fire and relaxing for the first time since the shipwreck. He didn't seem particularly worried about their predicament, used to being a stranger in strange lands, this island was simply one more adventure to him, and now that their lives were not in mortal danger, for the moment, he seemed to be enjoying himself slightly, relaxing his normal frown into a light smile as he considered the meal he had prepared for himself and the rest of the group.

After supper had finished, he practiced a set of arm and leg strengthening exercises, he had learned these years ago, on his travels to the west. It was his habit to do them every night before bed, if he had the energy left from the day at least, strengthening his body had always paid it's dividends in his work he had found, and just because he was trapped on an island he wasn't going to let his good habits slip.

Finally exhausted from the day and the workout he went to sleep, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the ground. Unlike some of the others, he seemed to have no dreams at all, resting peacefully, his body hard at work preparing itself for another day.

I'll take Iron chief. Cook everyone something if I can...? (Everyone has rations right? And we have both howler meat and these fruit, so I guess everyone gets to pick a bonus if they wish? If that's how it works.) then I'll spend 5 attribute points to increase might from 4 to 5.

[GiglameshDespair]

((Flipping a coin led me to taking crafting feat. Who needs combat effectiveness, anyway?
So in total I have 4 stat points and 2 feat points spare. ))

The gardener is but a dream of the garden.

Wen-Tsu had curled up into a tight ball, swaddled in her robes. Occasionally, she'd twitch her nose or shift slightly. Otherwise, she was still and quiet, and seemed almost ethereal in the dim light of the moon - as if the rabbit-eared fairy wasn't quite real, an illusion of moonlight.

Maybe it was the lingering, sweet taste of berry, or perhaps it was simply being surrounded by vegetation, but Wen-Tsu dreamed of the Moon, or the Moon dreamed of her. Wen-Tsu was the Dream, and the Dream was the Moon.

Wen-Tsu was in the elegant gardens of the Moon. The world hung high in the sky, a blue-and-green orb surrounded by a star-studded black. It was a beautiful sight, but the familiarlity had made it a mundane sight. The rabbit had never left the Moon, of course, spending countless days wandering the serene gardens and bustling palaces, listening to the music and laughing and living of countless fey - all white haired, small, female.

She trailed a slender finger along a fern, seemingly made of glass. It shivered and curled up, and she lifted a hesitant hand, afraid she'd damaged the delicate plant.

Fio-Fio - wise Fio-Fio, so entwined with the gardens, flowers bloomed where she stepped - offered no smiles at the sight, only a small frown (or pout, perhaps), interrupting her description of the habits of the crater-breed of moon-carrots. Seeing her student distracted, the teacher huffed a small sigh, before standing up.
"Wen-Tsu!" she cried, siezing her student by the ear, ignoring the surprised squeal of the student. "You pay no attention to your lessons, so I'll make you! Come!"
She released her iron grip and bounced off into the undergrowth, and Wen-Tsu scrambled to follow, rubbing her ear.

Any mortal would have been amazed at the wild variety of plants the two moon rabbits leap past. An azure rainforest, glinting with coral-like tubers that glowed faintly and sapphire-like leaves on the trees. A primitive jungle, all jagged leaves and vivid red ferns with jade beetles crawling across the trunks.

Fio-Fio stopped in a clearing. The trees had curved inwards as they grew, forming a sort of wooden dome with a natural skylight - the world could be seen through the aperture, casting a beam of light onto a circle of bare soil. She produced a small seed, and pushed it into the dusty ground.

"Grow this plant," she said, and stood back to watch.
Ever the bright student, Wen-Tsu said: "...what?"
"Grow this plant," Fio-Fio repeated patiently.

Wen-Tsu approached the circle of lifeless ground. She sat by it and focused.
Nothing happened.
She poked the seed.
Nothing happened.
She waved her hands dramatically, attempting to pour magic into it, and the seed turned to stone. That wasn't- !

Fio-Fio, without a word, placed down another seed.

It must have been a long time. At last something in her mind clicked, and a miniature green spout suddenly poked from the soil.
Fio-Fio smiled, but Wen-Tsu didn't see. She was too busy staring at the minuscule life she'd created, tiny and vulnerable, between her cupped hands.
"That's what we do," Fio-Fio said. "As the moon is a mother, so are we all, in a way, because we are the Moon..."
"...and the Moon is we." another voice finished the saying, and as Wen-Tsu turned to look, the dream faded away like morning fog.

Wen-Tsu's dreams of the moon take her back to the gardens, and Fio-Fio's lessons.

[Dwarmin]

Dreams flit and, in some cases skitter, through the minds of our heroes. Sleep is not entirely easy to come by, however as dreams fade...the marshy ground is soggy and wet, uncomfortable...and each person agrees a short night watch would be best for all, due to their need for an early rise.

...

Wen-Tsu draws first watch. She wakes from a doze to find that strange animals have begun to bedevil the team with loud howling and the banging of sticks on trees trunks.

She is able to dimly make out these haunting monkey-like shapes that begin swinging in the trees around the camp-furry, six armed beings, with compound eyes that glow in the darkness. Kind words and offers of treats do little to dissuade them, and they always lurk on the edge of the campfire light, lingering in the shadows of the trees.

...

Jao is roused by a tired rabbit-moon girl from his dreams of frog-belching to take second watch.

His crossbow fares little better against the beasts, but he supposes it's good target practice. He spends most of the time chatting with Grik-he makes astonishing progress, finding out that Grik speaks a variant of 'olde' dragyn tynuge', a language he knows well from his home islands.

Jao might wish to ask for clarification on any issues he's discussed so far with Grik

...

Emilia takes third watch. Aside from the constant banging of the monkey-creatures, little else happens. At one point, she finds her eyes drawn to the stars. She notes an oddity in the sky tonight, a luminous spot standing sentinel over the Southern sky-in the direction where her ship sailed from. She can't remember seeing a star in the sky there, that was so particularly bright before. She might consider it a hopeful omen, it certainly feels like one.

...

Anders does not sleep, but he rouses himself from waking dreams to attend the demands of a harsh reality. He reminds himself that death is a jealous miser, and while his father is beyond it, he has not taken the proper steps to ensure his own mortality. He can still die.

He realizes at some point, he doesn't exactly have to be here, of course. The sea would welcome him, if he chose to step into it. The bottomless sea, and the deeper dark. Perhaps, he meditates on his reasons for remaining with his all-too mortal friends-for a part of him will always now reside looking up at the pillar, patiently waiting for the call...

In the meantime, those monkey-beasts are getting quite annoying.

...

Moubu rouses himself, and sends Anders to rest-the odd man might have stayed up all night, otherwise. He carefully dumps out his shoes on the ground before putting them on, revealing at least three tiny snakes, four scorpions and centipedes (each), and a swamp fairy family who had moved in to his left boot. The mother of the family looks a bit like a pinky finger sized Wen-Li, albeit with a pair of dragonfly wings, with hair and skin shaded dark swamp green.

"Look what you've done to my house! You brute!" She squeaks, blasting Moubu with a mostly harmless spell, from her tiny lotus petal wand. It causes a large boil to form on his nose. She gathers her equally tiny children and flies away afterwards, buzzing furiously.

Bother.

...

Later, Moubu's meditation on how good spider-monkey might taste (they're still at it) are interrupted by the sound of many stealthy feet moving toward the camp from the East... The squishing of the mud indicates they're not small or light creatures, but they're doing good to mask their sounds. If Moubu wasn't paying attention, anyway.

Squish, squish, squish...

In the darkness, however, he does not yet make out any potential foe. He thinks that anything that moves that quietly, despite it's size, is no doubt an experienced swamp dweller.

Of course, he can wake up the group now, but that would also alert the approaching enemy...

What dose Moubu do?

((OOC: Everyone else is asleep or lost or Eldritch dreams for now, BUT if you think your character would wake up from these sounds, then just do so. Otherwise it's Moubu's time to shine!))

[Criptfeind]

To Moubu, the worst case scenario would be one in which they group was about to be ambushed by a large force of attackers. In that situation, his allies being aware of the current situation would be imperative, even at the cost of alerting the enemy group that they were aware of their intentions. With this in mind he moved over, as stealthily as a seven foot tall half orc can, to his companions, shaking them awake one after another with a foot as he readied his warhammer and shield. As they woke up he would silently shush them with a finger over his mouth, pointing to his ear and then towards the direction of the sounds as he moved towards the next person.

Wake up the crew!

[lawastooshort]

((Jao might clarify things in the future on the trail, if they both live that long))

"Mnng what the buggeri- mmmppfff..."

Jao did not quite like being woken up unexpectedly, but someone's firm hand over his mouth soon put paid to his need to express his dissatisfaction with life...

...Oh dear gods I don't wanna die in a stinking fecking marsh...

He tries to think what to do, and decides the best course of action is to try to will himself invisible, and tiny. Tinier.

[Draignean]

The answer to the question of why he remained with his companions was a simple one. They understood humanity- Anders did not. He needed to comprehend it fully, intimately, to understand every last shred of him that was still human.

It was the only way he would be able tear its influence free of his soul.

Anders' eyes open the instant Mobou laid a finger over his mouth, his reverie interrupted. He understood quickly, and pushed his will outward.

Fire off boon: Phantasm(countersound) to mask the noises the party makes

[Criptfeind]

Leaning over Jao and Anders, Moubu roughly jerked his head towards the squelching noises coming from the swamp, hoping that they get the idea. As he moved among his other companions he started to ready himself for a possible battle, muttering a small prayer to his ancestor spirits under his breath as he started to call forth from his inner well of vitality. Drops of sweat popped out across his brow as his muscles tightened, his breathing became heavier and more ragged as his lungs struggled to supply enough oxygen to his skyrocketing metabolism as energy flooded his body.

Start precasting boon regeneration II on myself (72 (or 69?) seconds.)

[Dwarmin]

Despite being cloaked in silence, the squishing stops some 30 ft from the camp, just beyond your torch light...clearly these beings can see in the dark. Though you can see some nasty looking shapes in the darkness-beings at least nine feet tall, with arms and fingers that stretch the length of their bodies...there's probably at least three of them, but who knows how many are lurking in the darkness?

Surprisingly, however, no attack is forthcoming.

There is a murky bubbling which is probably their language spoken between them, then a voice speaks in broken common, calling out to all of you. It's voice is very deep, and clearly in-human.


"Yoooou! Mans! Coooome! Trade!

Man-stoooone, for yoooou? Nooo goooooood...eat. Man-Stooooone kill, oooor we trade. Yoooou trade? Coooome! Foooollooow?"

Unless you're all gravely mistaken, 'Man-Stone' may be the one known as Caern-a fellow league members of yours, who had been voyaging with you. Half-Golem, Half-Man, All Attitude. None of you thought he could possibly have survived the storm-how he could have escaped drowning is a mystery...but, these beings have likely captured him...

The voices beyond fall silent in contemplation of your response.

[Criptfeind]

"Well hah! So the stone man survived did he? Too bad for him that he missed his chance to feast upon those beeasts. No matter though, certainly his strength of arm will not go amiss in these strange lands." Moubu said as strapped on his armor and readied himself to follow the strange creatures. "I wonder what these strange creatures want for him... That that he's properly theirs anyway." Moubu mused once he was ready to follow them.

Moubu is ready to rock and roll, and follow these strange monsters that seem to have a lost companion.