[GAME POST] March-April

[beeblebrox]

With the light shining down and the bugbears levitating away, Riznet and Seji wanted to get a better look at the source of the light. Seji went counter-clockwise and Riznet went clockwise around the bugbear camp. When a few trees shielded their views and made the bright light bearable, they were both stunned by what they saw: a giant, flying, shelled sea creature.

No, that wasn't it. It only looked like that. Clearly, it was a ship of some kind, kin to the flying cargo transports that came in and out of Nokt bound for places like Greathaven. This one wasn't nearly as large as those, but it was still a substantial size -- perhaps forty feet across, it lacked sails but had what appeared to be tentacles.

Figures moved on the thing's observation deck, but because of the light and the angle it came from, no more detail could be discerned of them.

The bottom of the ship opened, a hatch into the interior, and the sarcophagus-thing was nearly inside. It looked like half the bugbear guard contingent was going to make it in as well, but the other half were slowly falling towards the ground, still mesmerized by the ship and its light.

[beeblebrox]

[ Guys? ]

[media_junkie]

{Does the "ship" look like anything I (we) would be familiar with from the Great Illithad War?}

[beeblebrox]

{Does the "ship" look like anything I (we) would be familiar with from the Great Illithad War?}

[ Yes, actually, it's a pretty textbook example of what humans would classify as a "scout ship." Lightly armed/crewed, and fast. ]

[media_junkie]

"Be sure not to get noticed by that ship, I believe the Illiathds used them in the great war."

{Well for sure we cannot go up against an Illiathd scout ship so yet again I am going to watch what plays out.}

[sadbad]

[ Waiting and seeing as well ]

[beeblebrox]

Presently, the six bugbears and the sarcophagus floated up into the (presumably) Illithid ship, the doors closed and the light vanished. The dim outline of the ship could be seen lifting into the sky, banking towards the north and quickly fading into the night.

The six bugbears left behind did not seem pleased. They shouted after the ship, raised their arms/weapons into the air, and yelled very nasty things in Goblin at the night sky.

[ They are absolutely unaware of your presence, as far as you can tell. ]

[beeblebrox]

[ Anyone? ]

[media_junkie]

Whisper to Seji I say, "I don't think there is much we can do here. Lets go back to our camp and wait for un-up."

[beeblebrox]

Seji shrugs in the darkness, saying, "Yeah, I think you're right about that. I could do with a good night's sleep anyway."

In the darkness, you both manage to avoid the remaining bugbears and get back to camp. You take turns at watch, and before you know it, the sun is up and the new day has begun.

There is no sign of the bugbears who were left behind; they've scampered off somewhere and you expect you will probably never see them again. There's only the barest sign of what happened last night, in that the remains of their camp is still there -- but that's all. The grass is well-trampled, and you think you see where their "prize" was probably last in touch with the earth. As you survey the camp, Seji feels a chill and realizes he is standing in the spot where the thing had been resting. Moving quickly out of that area, he feels the warmth return.

"So... what now?" he asks, looking at Riznet, then at the sky and the surrounding forest. "Seems the start of a nice day."

[media_junkie]

"Well Seji this expidition so far has been a bust. Perhaps we should head back towards the beach and see if we can at least salvage something for our trouble."

[beeblebrox]

"The beach sounds good to me," agreed Seji, and they were on their way.

After an uneventful trip back to the beach/peninsula, Riznet and Seji arrived to find it pretty much how it was left -- clearly, the area was not much-travelled or -visited by anyone. The hole from the excavation had filled about a foot or so with water, but everything else was as it had been left.

Seji spotted something sticking in the sand, just above the waterline of the hole. He jumped into the hole and quickly dug out the item. Holding it up to the sky for better examination, he was amazed to find that he was holding a necklace of some kind. It was a disk on a fine gold chain, and the disk was styled in such a fashion that it appeared to be an "O" woven out of something (worms? snakes?) that formed the circle. Where the chain attached at the top of the circle, there were two green-yellow gemstones at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions, though these were on the inside of the "O," not the outer edge.

"Curious," said Seji. "I wonder what it's for."

[media_junkie]

{I'd like to use a "Bardic Knowledge" check on the item to see if I know anything about it.}

[beeblebrox]

{I'd like to use a "Bardic Knowledge" check on the item to see if I know anything about it.}

[ It's a DC20 check, but your Bardic Knowledge grants you a +10... it's basically a "key" to one of the Illithid flying ships, required to get it going and flying. Clearly, this is the wreckage of such a ship... and, perhaps, that was an integral component to one of those ships that was just taken away... ]

[beeblebrox]

[ So...? ]

[media_junkie]

"Ok Seji, I've heard of these before, they are used to pilot the illithid flying ships, like the one we just saw. I think we should head back to town because once whoever was one that flying ship finds out they don't have the key to the "engine" they just took I am sure they will be back."

[beeblebrox]

[ I'm going to give Seji today to post a reply. If he hasn't, I'll run his guy for him again. ]

[beeblebrox]

Leaving the peninsula behind, Riznet and Seji made their way south, back towards Nokt. As they travelled, they noticed the weather seemed to be even more fair than usual, and they made good time.

Arriving at the outer edges of Nokt one midday, Riznet turned to Seji. "I have someone I'll need to check in with... you want to tag along?"

"Sure," came his reply. "I got nothing better to do."

The pair made their way into Nokt, and Riznet steered them straight for the Seventh Dragon. Dartharq was sitting at his "usual" table, and seemed quite surprised to see Riznet come stomping in. "Riz!" he said, standing. "Where've you been? You've been gone a month!"

[media_junkie]

{Did you mean to say a month, because by my count it has only been six days, seven at worst.}

[beeblebrox]

{Did you mean to say a month, because by my count it has only been six days, seven at worst.}

[ Yes, I meant to say a month. ]