Staking Out an Island

[Asinjin]

Falcon and Chase to search and discuss the island.  Others plan out what to do when you arrive. 

[Asinjin]

Keeth's body is never found after the incident.  When the captain returns, he holds a short ceremony for the human seaman.  He becomes the 3rd death on the voyage.  He was a nimble human from Plateau, but not on the plateau or Port Talp.  There is sadness, but also great relief that Claude saved everyone else from a similar fate.

[Asinjin]

The crew remains in good spirits for the month waiting.  Weather is nice and food is plentiful.  Everyone is very happy to find the tuna, which are a delicacy and generally sold by the Horarians.  With the current state of relations, deep sea fisherman have not been coming to Port Talp to sell their fish and it has been months since much was delivered.  That which is delivered is bought up by the very wealthy.

[Asinjin]

You spot several dozen islands of various sizes (but none larger than five miles across) on your month sailing around.  No bases, no pirate ships (although you are trying to avoid them at this point).  The captain orders long range observation, but does not want to get too close for fear of being delayed getting back.

[Asinjin]

Veronica is ordered to make thirty sacks to be put over pirates heads so that they can breath but not see, in case lots of prisoners are taken.

The crew is trained and separated at times to prepare for the possibility that you may have to crew two ships away from the island.

[Zunder]

Tsunami asked me to leave this here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7WGIH35JBE


Fast forward to .28 seconds...

[Asinjin]

For Chase and Falcon; here is what you find on the island:

There are ten small shelters, Gilligan's Island style.  It looks like if they were left unattended for too long, the foliage and weather would probably destroy them.  There are no stones or large trees on the island to make more sturdy shelters.  The shelters are not locked or trapped.  Clearly, it is not expected that anyone would be here other than the Shelleshe.  The area around the shelters has been cleared enough to allow easy moment around the camp, which runs along the edge of the constructed lagoon.

The lagoon is about 200 feet across and the canal leading to it is about 50 feet wide.  It is clear from your investigation that it is man made, possibly with magic, possibly by hand.  There is a pier made of large wood board and pillars leading out into the lagoon.  Those materials must have been brought from off island.

The only useful things you find in the shelters are arrows and tools.  There is enough here that workers could not bring anything and continue to work on similar shelters and enlarging the lagoon.  You also find a plow.

[Asinjin]

The island has lots of small plants and trees.  It is sub tropical and even if the long nights it does not drop below 50 degrees, although sometimes a strong wind and make it feel colder.  There are lots of birds, rodents, lizards, snakes, and other small animals.  Birds fly to and from the island, indicating there are other islands nearby.  Fish and shellfish are plentiful.

[Asinjin]

The day that Lander sends the animal messenger that the Shelleshe have returned is the 23rd day of the 11th month.  That is 55 days after you left Port Talp.  There is currently just under 3 hours of sunlight per day, along with 12 hours of moonlight.

[Malchia]

"Falcon, have you any skill in designing or preparing traps?  It may be wise to install pit traps in each of these huts/shelters in order to trap whoever should return to them.  If we dig far enough down, say under the entrance to each hut, we could get to the sludgy sand closer to the water.  It will act as quicksand and hold them in place if they were to fall through our trap.  It's nothing fancy should be pretty easy to set up.  6 feet down ought to do the trick.  It would seem Tfop is smiling upon us since they left us a bountiful supply of tools, arrows, and even a plow.  All these items should help us prepare the traps."

"It may be wise to rig the pier as well.  If we could mount some spears or fishing hooks under the water by the docking area, it may cause enough damage under their hull to break their rudder or even poke some holes large enough for their boat to start taking on water.  This wouldn't kill them; it would simply prevent them from escaping and telling anyone else we're here."
(OOC: imagine the security spikes at a parking garage that let you ride over them, but prevent you from backing up without puncturing your tires)

[Asinjin]

Lander says, "We have to be careful not to alert them before the Pride is near enough to help us."

[Malchia]

Lander says, "We have to be careful not to alert them before the Pride is near enough to help us."

"True, but we could dig the pit traps quietly enough without attracting too much attention.  Rigging the pier would be real close to the surface and slightly below it, so that shouldn't be too conspicuous.  If you have any suggestions, I'm happy to listen.  I'm no expert in these matters." 

[Valdis]

Nothing so obvious I think. We might do better by keeping them busy. With as rundown as this campsite is, if we help nature along a bit, a cracked beam here, loose that ching there. If to catch my drift

[Malchia]

Nothing so obvious I think. We might do better by keeping them busy. With as rundown as this campsite is, if we help nature along a bit, a cracked beam here, loose that ching there. If to catch my drift

That sounds reasonable.

[Asinjin]

Lander says, "I can cause plants to grow more, nothing extreme, but enough to delay and annoy them.  I could also try to have the animals do more damage."