Elph's Boatride

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Elph reads the glyph notice, filling in the blanks as is usually needed with the limited vocabulary of the common glyph language. Talking to the local agent he learns there will be a boat heading downriver in the morning that he can get a ride on. With his lodgings are already paid for the night and a destination in the morning he can relax for the night

In the morning Elph boards the boat along with its captain, crew of 4, and another adventurer who signed on. The fist couple of days floating down the river are uneventful other than passing through a Boundary. The Boundary crossing gave Elph and most others a raging headache for almost an hour. A couple of the boatmen were even violently ill for a few minutes. the captain was apparently used to it and managed the boat until his men could help again.

Elph had heard of the borders, cracks in the planar border between the mortal lands and the outer planes, but never seen one. It was barely noticeable as vague shimmer in the air, most akin to a heat wave in the dessert. It was said that for much of the time after the Shattering crossing a Border at the exact same point at different times could lead one to different lands, as if the lands were floating loose in a pool and bumped into each other at the Borders.

Each night as the sun set they would pull ashore to make camp for the night. The captain said he was not familiar enough with the river to brave night travel but if this route persisted he would train up his men to handle the river and they could cut the travel time by a day or so by staying on the river at night. Each night Elph and the other adventurer, a bear-kin warior, were set to keep the watch as they had little to do but sleep on the boat during the day. They would take turns patrolling along or together at times but always within sight of the camp fire.

Elph luxuriates in the warm sun bathing, not having to worry about the "sun burn" affliction of the soft skins. He and Kun, the bear-kin, get along well. Kun is mellow and slow to move or decide, though Elph notes not slow witted, and has traveled more than Elph. Elph falls asleep to the smooth rumbling sound of Kun recounting his travels. Somehow Kun alwasy seems to know at which part Elph fell asleep as the crew chucklingly point out that they have heard certain bit several times as Kun continues his stories but it is all new to Elph.

During one of Elph's short patrols around camp one night he notes eyes in the water. Though this is not unusual he cant help but feeling that these are watching him and more alert than he would expect for a random creature late at night. Kun is back in the shadows near the campfire and boat about 50 feet downstream of Elph's current location. Elph casually shifts his head to get a better look but the eyes vanish in the dark followed by a gentle sploosh as something moves in the water.

Assuming Elph had access to some form of rapid illumination, he'd bring that up and search the water's surface for the motion; he's curious and alert, but not wary nor expecting attack

Elph gets a lantern from the boat and lights it with a piece of ember cord, a slow burning twine, then shine the light over the water. As the reflected light side over the boat you see a scaly humanoid figure hunched over some of the crates. The fight hisses at the light and tugs harder with its knife that it is using to cut the ropes anchoring the cargo.

Give me a standard test (2d6)

Elph advances and lanches a kick at the fishy humanoid. Swiping the feet out form under the figure he looms over it, careful of the dagger.The creature hisses at you and tries to scramble backwards waving its knife at you. The knife sinks into your leg 1 point of damage
You hear an answering hiss from the water as a couplle other hands reach over the boats side and begin pulling more of the fishmen onto the boat.

Allerted by the commotion Kun rises to his feat and roars a battle cry, raising the cew, and charges to your aid. The Koa-Toa, humanoid fish peoplel, turn to hack at the ropes binding the cargo and dump several of the crates into the water before jumping in after them.
The captain screams at his crew, who are a bit bleary eyed from sleep. Shoot you fools. Save the cargo! Go on get in there and fetch it back.
The two with bows fire a couple of shots towars the crates and bobbing heads while another grabs a gaf-hook to try and snag some of the crates. The last stares at the dark water as mutters You jump in there, could be anyt number of them under the surface.

The two arrows get lucky strikes and a couple of the Koa-toa vanish beneath the surface abandoning their floating loot.
There are 3 more targets in the water and several crates floating down stream.

Elph can't stop thinking about the excitement of the skirmish, and spends much of the rest of the journey asking Kun ─ and everyone to be fair ─ hypotheticals about similar contexts. If someone did this in front of you, what would you do next? He's enthusiastic but aware that he shouldn't ask too many questions, but isn't very good at hiding that fact.