[RP] Crag's Secrets: Chapter 1 - Arrival

Bartholomew takes in the situation, intuiting the possibilities. Princess, the corner chains all attach to one yoke, and that fastener is loose! he calls out. Faster, your highness, the crate is rising!As he speaks, he grabs a stone from the ground and places in his sling. Envisioning horrible thoughts of Shallan falling to her death, he feels he must hurry the failure process along. But, being no sharpshooter, he may hit the princess. If I fire, I may hit her, I may miss the weak point, or I may bring it down. If I do not, the likelihood of her falling to her death definitely increases. Forgive me, but I am going to take the shot.
DUCK, PRINCESS, Bartholomew screams.

Shallan frantically tries to loosen the bolt, throwing her weight at her lever, but the swaying container is the very definition of an unstable working environment and applying sufficient force while keeping balance is not quite on her side.
"Godsdamn move you rusted piece of..." she grunts between her teeth in most unladylike fashion.

As Belladonna feels her grip start to slip on the large container, she hears sounds she remembers only before their long air trip to this forsaken jungle.

But how in the world...?

"Ah! My lady, it's Pepper in there!"

She looks pleadingly at Bartholomew as she feels the container lift higher.

"Pepper, you have to get out of there! Keep fighting, jump!"

Kimbek moves a safe distance away where he is no longer in the way and sits in a meditative state. He begins moving his hands in a circular motion, and small sparkling motes of energy surround them after a very short while, then he directs those motes in a ray of gleaming light towards one of the chains. Suddenly a surge of light pulses through Kimbek's body, following the ray with a dazzling sparkle that pulses into one of the other chains as well. The chains begin to move on their own, thrashing violently against their restraints.

OOC:

DDM: Rubbery Tentacle Beard for 1d6 days

As the energy pulses through Kimbek's face, it glows briefly for a moment before the lower part of it morphs into an unsightly grasping mass of tiny rubbery tentacles. He does not seem to notice at first, as he is focused on the energy moving through his body and doing his best to direct it towards the chains.

Bartholomew deeply regretted the rebels having taken his sling. Nevertheless, something had to be done. Sadly, there was no time for him to move back and take a running start. "Climbing the Mountain" was not an option. However, he had his will, his wisdom…and his staff. It had been many years since he had performed "Ascending the Pillars unto Heaven", but the princess was in danger, there was no time to wait!

With a grunt, Bartholomew slammed his staff into the ground and started rotating his feet in circles whilst barely touching the staff, his hands sliding up and down the staff as well. More friction on the down strokes, less on the upstrokes, faster and faster Bartholomew moved, until his arms and legs were pumping in a blur and he seemed to literally glide up the staff! When his hands reached the top, and his feet were now about halfway up, he tightened his abdominal muscles, pulled his legs up to his chest, and with a might shout kicked them out perpendicular to the ground and used his hands to propel his body up and over the staff. His legs to the sky, his beard to the ground, Bartholomew bent at the waist and pulled his upper body up into itself to enhance the rotational effect, grabbing his legs behind his knees. He was aiming to land on his feet on the top of the container.

As he was in the air, he sensed a surge of power pass him in the air and suddenly a fearsome rattling was heard from the container he was fast approaching! Bartholomew, sensing he was the container was near, tensed his body and prepared to land.

Sadur order his dog to guard, then he rise his head and cry as loud as the barbarian possibly can: Hey You up there! Lower the damn thing two meters. We un-attach the box! Then you fly safely.

If the others are successful in getting the container onto the ground, Belladonna will jump as far out of the way as possible, maybe behind a tree, to prevent injury or being in the way of other's escape. She will also give the help action to Shallan if needed to escape safely from being on top of the box if Bartholomew has not already done so.

"You are all absolutely amazing!"

---

If they are not successful, Belladonna will instead call to the other NPCs to help pull down on the container together.

"Come on, we must aid the princess!"

As princess Shallan frantically tries to unscrew the only chain still holding the container above the ground, others could see magnificent show of grace and power provided surprisingly by - not so young - Brother Bartholomew, who managed to climb on vertically positioned, dug in ground staff of his own and propel himself with a nice flip onto the container.

While his feet touched the uneven surface of the container, just next to princess, making her another - this time much more angrier - attempt to fight off the holder, he hears the loud shout from the just met dwarf - Sadur.

The strong voice of short but bulky dwarf seam to attract some attention from the crew above, as Belladona notice that the shadow casted on them from the flying giant has grown a little on one side with a shape of a man leaning over the edge of their aircraft. Maybe because of that or maybe because of seeing Bartholomew already on the container with a princess, she instinctively moves away from the container, feeling that its chains are about to give way.

Sadur sees that it's one of jackal masked man checking why they are shouting so much or... just checking how the situation with container looks.

Meanwhile Kimbek seeing the dire situation was at some distance trying to focus immensely, calling some of his inner powers.

Only when he was about to feel very ready to unleash the power he accumulated in himself he hears the loud crack of the container hitting the ground, breaking in half and princess Shallan and brother Barholomew still holding to the chains. Swinging a little with the apparent skills of the seasoned monk, and landing quite gracefully next to Belladonna. [thanks to Barth's GS and being there]

For careful observers it's obvious that Kimbek just did something extraordinary, as if some kind of power flew between him and the chains that were holding the container just a moment ago. Fraction of seconds later the same observers would notice that chains start to move, as if they had taken on a life of their own.The rest of you (including The Rest) is probably more focused on broken container laying in front of them. After few seconds of silence, that probably made Belladonna's heart pounding much harder and faster, one could hear a slow, yet increasingly violent movement in one of the halves of the box that was cracked in half. Then the green snout of a fairly small - considering the amount of noise it made - dinosaur emerged from the broken crate.Feeling that the danger of container is no more and that giant, mechanical pterodactyl and its crew is about to depart from the area - as soon they will asses their status after the recent events - the party scrambles around the clearing deciding what to do next.

What do you do?

Watching in a semblance of relief as the container crashes to the ground, Kimbek's chains continue to snake vigorously up towards the hovering pterodactyl. He attempts to refocus on the mechanical transport in the brilliant light. The chains reach into the transport, grabbing around something with a haft or handle and pulling it down.

Seeing container down Sadur simply dismiss his dog's guard command. Silver. Do you smell anyone ? he then asks dog. Let's see if we can meet the host
And he moves further toward the jungle where he noticed possible entrance earlier, silver following him. He neither hides not stress to anyone what he is doing: everyone should be busy celebrating happy ending of the container issue he believes.

Shallan breathes heavily a moment, that was... more exertion than she'd done in a long time, though given the situation it's likely to become a frequent occurrence. She grins at Belladonna, in part happiness for her, but in part hysterical reaction to the realisation of how dangerous that had been. "I'm so glad we managed to retrieve Pepper. Your... um wellbeing is important to me."

The moment over she takes stock of the situation, none of her other family appear to be here, with a slight pang she can only imagine the worse and again briefly wonders why she wasn't just executed. She addresses the group "Most of you know I'm not one for speeches and I never even really wanted to rule, but I will not let the sort of person who did this to us get away with it, and I would appreciate the help of those who either are, or will surely become my closest friends and advisors." she indicates the small group, trying to put on a confident air even as she wishes she'd listened more in lessons on public speeches, but on the other hand, it's hardly a survival skill... more exercise and combat training would likely have been a better investment.

Brother Bartholomew cradles Shallan as the crate descends with a crash, depositing her lightly on her feet. About to ask after the princess's well-being, Bartholomew relaxes listening to her royal highness begin to take the measure of leadership. She has the potential to be a leader worth following, should we all survive. His back twinges slightly. Oooh, that is going to hurt in the morning. I am no longer a youngster of 40, he thinks as he stretches.

Gazing into the split container, he spies a familiar snout. Or was it a snoot?, and smiles widely as Belladona is reunited with her beloved Pepper. Belladona, not only am I glad for the two of you to have each other, we must be practical. Mobility in the jungle will be of great value. As would carrying capacity, if needed.

Bartholomew moves closer to the now-broken crate to see if there is anything else worth salvaging. Even sharp shards of metal can be bound onto the edges of branches or reeds for makeshift spears and knives.

As Belladonna sees Pepper's green snout and playful eyes poke out of the broken half of the container, she squeals and runs as fast as her little legs can carry her to wrap her arms around the dryosaurus.

"Oh my darling, what are you doing here? I'm so happy, but so worried..."

She beams at each of the others, grateful for all they've done to bring Pepper to safety.

"My eternal thanks my lady. May Pepper and I serve you well as we return you to your throne. Your wellbeing is very important to us as well."

Belladonna gives the most formal of curtseys to Shallan, but also looks up and gives a wink to the princess before she gently leads Pepper away from the debris so they are out of the way as the others investigate the crate and Kimbek controls the chain.

"Yes, you are right Brother Bartholomew. Let me see how Pepper is doing and in what capacity she can help us."

She then turns to whisper soothing words to Pepper and confirm she is unharmed. Despite all that has occurred, Pepper seems to be more hungry than anything, nosing at Belladonna's hands as though she must be hiding a treat from her.

After ascertaining Pepper's health, Belladonna focuses on Princess Shallan's words and feels tremendous hope that her charge will be a great leader once they return to the kingdom. She raises her fist and tries to lead the others into a cheer.

"Huzzah! Princess Shallan the Valiant!"

Kimbek stands slowly, allowing his body to recuperate from the energy that had rapidly transited through him. He walks over to the others, allowing the chains to quieten and roll themselves into loose coils.

"Well, it seemed my efforts were a moment too late and a trifle too strong. But I am glad you are satisfied with everyone's efforts."

He looks over the broken container to see if anything could be salvaged from ruins.

Shallan nods to Belladonna with a smile that she only half feels and joins Bartholomew and Kimbek in searching through the wreckage, maintaining her tools and improvising new ones may be about to become far more than a hobby, and her blast-spear more than just a curiosity.

But as Kimbek don't see what is currently on the deck - being many feet below it - the chains seam to try to catch something blindly not understanding the precise command of their master. Then a new idea comes to Kimbek's mind and the will to give jackal masked crew a little pay back. He concentrates on the one crew member that was lured by Sadur shouts and is currently leaning over flying machine edge and visible. The chains behaving like a high, but lean, giant, metal snake immediately bends towards their new target, as they would just noticed him. They rush towards him, wrap around him, shakes him like a toy and toss back at the aircraft deck. Fortunately, in the process they shaked some item out of him that falls north from the clearing.

After strange(for observers onboard flying pterodactyl) events with a chains and throwing one of their own across the deck, the crew apparently decided not to retract last chains that were left after the container and start departure of their sky vehicle towards destinations known only to them.

What is welcome by all (including the Rest) with another cheer, repeated after Belladonna's:
"Huzzah! Princess Shallan the Valiant!"

On the question of his master, Silver sniff the air few times becoming a little tense for a moment, but relax quickly and wages his tail again. Apparently not sensing anyone nearby. After they both made a few steps towards north, Sadur indeed see that the clearing from this side is much less dense and provides something that could be called as an entrance to the forest undergrowth. Not interested in the container he makes few more steps entering the forest, just to notice that there is quite visible path leading from the clearing further into the forest and a small, single-person hut that could only serve as shelter from the occasional rain, being too small to even spread out a bed and sleep in. Silver noticing it too, readies itself to approach the hut and sniff around.After careful examination of both container halves you collectively deduced that the possible scenerio could be like this:
- Pepper not closed in her pen [thanks for that quilltid! :) ] anymore had to sneak out of it, after Belladonna have left the barn, attracted by the commotion in the court.
- Smart, but distressed animal fallowed her master scent keeping some distance, only to be distracted by the delicious smell of food and rations from one of the open containers, probably Pepper's favorite delicacy was also in that container.- as captors where certainly in a lot of hurry, had to close the animal in the container not even knowing about this,
- tasty food and treats has kept Pepper calm for the most of the journey, but when she felt that Belladona is leaving the aircraft she fell in panic, and was a cause of container falling down. Almost crashing you, but fortunately it all ended not so bad.

The good news are: there were food, rations and bedrolls in the container - as the Jackals would prepare for some remote mission or invasion too.

The bad news is: most of the food was eaten by Pepper and you are only left with some dry rations. In the amount of about supplies for 5 days for each person among you and the Rest. Most of the bedrolls are in good shape too. There you find a few touches too. And full waterskin for each of you.Happy about the food, but a little disappointed that there wasn't anything more significant in the container, you are about to leave it and get back on the clearing, when one of you notice a small box hanged and camouflaged in top right corner of container. After opening it you find a Mirror and Holy Symbol of One True God.

This surprise you a lot! You start to wonder if there could be an agent of Church among the jackals? Hiding his mirror and the artifact of his or her faith in this "common container"?

Prudent Bartholomew, however, does not give up and decides to check the scattered remains of the container itself. He finds 2k6 nails and k6 chain holders that can work as pitons.Meanwhile Belladonna checks Pepper and notice that she only have some scratches, nothing serious. But what she initially took as hunger is something completely opposite: Pepper is overeaten to the limit. It will take her some time before she will be fast as nimble as before. You can feel and see that the night is very close and gather again to decide what to do next?