Everyday Life in Beachtown

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"Exactly. Why would Randall choose to stay when virtually his entire customer base had left? Perhaps if we can continue to gain his trust, he may reveal the answers to our questions. As for Melania, if she had any involvement, it was long ago while she was still alive. From reading her diary and the notes from the Wizard, my guess is that her interference in the other members of his collection and experiments were more along the line of Stop turning my stuff to stone, driven from boredom and spite."

[gurusql]

Torbath

"You most likely are right, but she was messing things up AND trying to escape. I would not be likely that she could find a great wizard walking around but what if she found a Great Druid or a great psionic being that left a seed that grew into the tree. Just trying to find a story that will fit the facts."

[OGRE MAGE]

Talking an awful lot of shop as they cautiously creep through the jungle, Andron and Torbath pass a few side trails. The first pair seem to stop at dead ends, while the next simply loops back around on itself. Though neither of the spell casters are experienced trackers, the main trail leading north seems to be the most traveled, so that is where they stay.

After passing a few more of these bogus side trails, a hint of smoke can be detected on the air, coming from somewhere up ahead. Pausing for a moment to get their bearings, a feint voice can then be heard coming from the same direction as the smoke.

Actions?

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

Utterly oblivious to the potential dangers around and above the spell deprived pair, Andronichishche continues their discussion about the strange tree.

"As am I, my friend. What I do know, one cannot make any assumptions on this island. Whatever this Wizard was collecting, he was quite peculiar and specific about his selections. Your theory about a seed then does have merit. Who else also but a druid could nurture a tree to such size on a sandy beach? I haven't seen evidence of druidic involvement on the island, but if the Wizard required help in caretaking his collection, it's a logical choice."

Andronichishche stops and sniffs the air for a moment. "Do you smell that? Smoke? It seems Randall was correct and we are on the right trail."

[gurusql]

Torbath

“Any thoughts on who we are approaching and what the smoke it for? I almost can hear some voices but I am struggling to understand what is being said.”

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"Randall said a few of the town's refugees fled into the jungle and established a hidden camp."

[gurusql]

Torbath

“Let’s take it nice and slow and do our best to sneak up - just in case it is not them.”

[OGRE MAGE]

A short distance ahead, the winding, multi-branching trail suddenly stops, but the smell of smoke gets even stronger.

The voices remain as well, though they are still incomprehensible. Any attempt to get closer to them will need to be done by crawling through a nearly impassible thicket of underbrush.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

Andronichishche gives the thick underbrush blocking further passage a definite frown of disapproval. He glances back along the trail they just meandered from and gestures at the impeding undergrowth. "I have already encountered carnivorous trees ... I don't fancy attempting to crawl through this mass of vegetation- even worse if those voices turn out to be the unfriendly kind."

He heaves a weary sigh and rubs his chin in befuddlement. "Thoughts? I'd prefer to try the last side trail we passed."

[gurusql]

Torbath

"I, for sure do not want head out again into the jungle randomly - I had to do that once and I do not recommend it. If we have enough light left lets check the path you are suggesting, remembering that if we have to camp we should do it closer to the beach."

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"Agreed. We follow it straight. No turns. Dead end, we return here and review our options again."

[OGRE MAGE]

The pair of unusually smart adventurers wander around the side trails for a while, basically walking in several smaller circles before getting frustrated enough to stop again.

After some more consideration, it would seem that the hidden camp Randall told them about must be.......hidden, as none of these trails get them any closer to the smell of smoke or the voices they heard.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

Andronichishche crosses him arms and bows his head in thought for a few moments. He nods at the thick, leafy underbrush again. "Either this is an illusion, the path is concealed ..." He peers up into the jungle's green canopy that covers most of the island, "... or maybe they were helped by arboreal neighbors?"

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath is obviously torn between two points of view. “If this hidden camp has no trail to it we would have to travel through jungle. If we assume for the voices to carry it must be a few hundred feet from the trail.” I am assuming that nightfall will be coming soon and I do not want to get stuck in the jungle at night. So I think the current time of day will drive my suggestion.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"Randall said he would bring some of the cooked boar meat, though ... how would the camp have no trail? I mean, attempting to carry anything through this wall of vines and branches is near impossible, not without blazing another path, at least." To test the illusion hypothesis, he steps to the edge of the trail and reaches out with his hands while attempting to disbelieve any foliage exists to block them.

[OGRE MAGE]

Starting to become worried they wont find the others in this tangle, Andron gets an idea.

He walks up to the thicket and tries to convince himself that it isn't actually there. The scratches he gets on his face and hands when he tries to walk through it exposes the fact that the deterrent is actually quite real.

However, when Torbath looks around for another alternative, he spots a strange anomaly a short distance off the main trail. There is a spot very close to the ground that appears to have been cleared out, with only some thin vines covering the area. Lookin at it a bit closer reveals that the vines are actually covering a small tunnel that was cut into the thicket.

[gurusql]

Torbath

"Oh . . . my . . Luck always beats skill, only because if it didn't we would not call it luck. Look here Andron, it looks like a hidden tunnel. " Torbath uses his staff to move it around the perimeter of the tunnel in a circular fashion and when he completes that he taps the ground with the staff just inside the tunnel. Assuming that nothing bad happens he moves the vines with the staff, gets down on his knees and takes a look down the tunnel.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

I think it's a tunnel through the undergrowth?

Andron joins Torbath, blinking in surprise at the latter's discovery. "Well then, concealed it is." He peers over his companion's shoulder to get a better look for himself where the tunnel leads.

[OGRE MAGE]

The vine covered tunnel leading into the thicket looks intentionally built. Moving his staff around on the ground, Torbath reveals another string of vines running along the ground in the same direction as the hidden path.

Sticking his head into the low tunnel, Andron can see that it does indeed appear to lead through the worst of the oppressive thicket ahead to a more open area beyond. He also spots the vines running along the floor of the jungle in the same direction of the hidden path.

Actions?

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"If I am not mistaken, these are used to pull heavy objects through the tunnel." He picks up one of the vines and gives it a stiff yank. Assuming this doesn't trigger a trap or disturb yet another carnivorous plant, he crouches down and enters the thicket tunnel, probing the ground ahead with his bamboo pole.