The first thing you notice is the taste of sand in your mouth; gritty and salty. You spit it out, on reflex as much as anything, and a volume of acrid sea water comes up with it – burning a throat you now realise to be raw and painful.

Blinking open salt-caked eyes you are nearly blinded by the glare from the white sand which you are slumped, face-down on. Coughing up more water you roll, groggily, onto your back and find yourself staring up into a clear blue sky with a fierce sun, beating down from high in the sky. It was night when the ship went down so you've been out for at least half a day. The sudden thought about the ship brings it all come flooding back.  The storm came on hard and fast; the crew unprepared for the viciousness of the weather. You remember several days – or was just hours? - of brutal heaving decks and desperate attempts to keep the ship afloat before panic overtook professionalism and terrified sailors abandoned their posts. After that pretty much everything devolves into a haphazard collection of memories of crashing waves, cracking wood and screaming men.

Sitting up slowly you can see you are on a long curve of white-sand beach which marks the edge of what seems to be a wide lagoon – the water clear and inviting. Out in the distance you can see the shoals which mark the edge of the lagoon and, canted at a sharp angle against one of the rocks, the outline of a ship. Without being of a more nautical persuasion it's hard to be sure but you would guess it is all that remains of the Sunset Mist.

The beach you are on is a wide expanse of sand which runs gently uphill for some twenty feet until it hits the treeline of what appears to be a thick forest or perhaps jungle would be a more apt description. Vibrant trees and plants are everywhere and tropical birds call out songs you don't recognise or emerge briefly in a blaze of colour before disappearing back into the undergrowth.


To the left as you stare out to sea, you would guess roughly North-West from the position of the sun, you can make out some sort of unusual rock formations jutting out into the water in the far distance. To the right, again some distance away, you think you can make out what might be an estuary emptying out into the lagoon.

Across the otherwise pristine beach is strewn the flotsam and debris of your previous conveyance. A number of bodies lie scattered across the sands, some moving and others obviously unlikely to ever move again.

Skitterlung wobbled to his feet, and started looking about himself. He ignored the talls--the word he used for anyone not goblin-heightlike--because the talls ignore goblins, and most talls are witchfolk, says Brother Popzit. But the first short he saw--this being his word for anyone goblin-heightlike--he scuttled over and started slapping their face lightly, taking care not to scratch. "Wake up, wake, wake."

The hulking form of the clockwork laid sprawled on the sand. The creatures were never meant for the sea, and it had taken a risk going on the boat, where the true horror became reality. It had managed to land, however, in some miraculous form. However, it was quite unmoving. As it sprawls on the beach, laying on its front, the form of its porcelain face in the sand, there is one clear thing; the key on its back does not turn. Whatever it had to do to get to land, had worn it out. The key needed turning once more, should its assistance be needed. Thankfully, this was a simple task for anyone.

Kaine awoke with a start, spitting out the sand in his mouth reflexively. Gathering his bearings he slowly rose to his knees, gazing about him in bewilderment. His mind snapped into focus quickly though, and he recalled the nightmare of the storm and the cowardice of the thrice accursed sailors as they abandoned their posts and left their passengers to their doom.

The sound of frenzied words intermingled with slapping sounds caused him to glance about and he saw a goblin, one of the passengers he recalled, trying to waken others. The goblin seemed to have ignored waking Kaine for some reason, he wondered why.

There were other bodies lying scattered about but Kaine's eye was immediately caught on the hulking form of a clockwork nearby. It had been one of the passengers, mostly silent and withdrawn, much like Kaine himself. Curiously Kaine got to his feet and moved towards the inert Clockwork; it did not appear to be moving but it also did not appear to be broken in anyway.

Kaine knew Clockworks did not need to breathe so there was no chance it had drowned to death, which could only mean...reaching down he grasped the key jutting out of the Clockwork's back and began to turn it cautiously. He had never done this before, in fact he had only met a bare few of the rare sentient beings in his life, so he hoped he wasn't doing anything untoward, like turning the key the wrong way.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:46, Sun 10 May 2020.

After a series of cranks of the key, the clockwork stirred once. Life comes back to its mechanical form, and with a few stiff movements, it rises to its full height - near enough ten feet tall, towering over most. Its voice has a hollow, metallic ring to it, as something inside of it speaks, not its mouth. The mouth of the porcelain mask remained still. It was a mere grim imitation of a man. Not more.

"I awaken again. I do not know this locale." it says, confused, looking about. Ah, yes, the human, it remembered him from the ship. Head turns, and it spots the goblin, among the others. "What happened to the ship?"

As if only now remembering, it reaches for its waist. It had had a belt, with a mere few items and belongings attached to it. The items were gone. How disappointing.

Seth woke up as his eyes burned from the brine water and sand, he slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with the blazing sun which caused him to wince. Shading his temple with his hand he slowly stood up letting his eyes adjust to the light of the morning as memories started to set in.

Storms, waves, winds and screaming passengers of Sunset mist. Did he drown? Did he died? Where was he now? As he looked around his fear was promptly confirmed by the ruined form of Sunset Mist seen in the distant rocky shoreline. So the ship sank, but what happened to the survivors? It was then he could see the bodies floating on the waves and the ones waking up.
He grimaced at the dead passengers, thinking about their painful passing. There were three others who were standing, a goblin, another man and the hulking clockwork which was hard to miss.

He surveyed the beach and observed the surrounding. The birds and plants in the distant were familiar to him. It dawned in him that he read about these wildlife and considering the beach and the sea route they were taking, it was evident about where they were right now.

Seth, walked towards the other survivors and greeted them, "It is great news that you all made it. We have to find our supplies and make a camp. Maybe save other survivors if possible. I am fairly confident where we are."

When Gren came too he noticed two things at once, first he had a mouth full of sand, not an uncommon feeling after all he was a molekin so eating a bit of earth or in this case sand was not uncommon.
The second and more annoying thing was he was being slapped across his flabby bulbus and rather sensitive nose.

With a moan and heave he back peddles across the ground away from the second annoyance while simultaneously spitting out the first.

Holding his shovel like hand up over his eyes to keep the glaring sun out of them "ENOUGH!" He shouted "I am awake please refrain from administering further aid you have done your job well and Gren thanks you" with that he rubbed his rather sore nose to make sure it was ok

Taking stock he squinted at his companion, ah the goblin, he nodded his thanks but at the same time his hand went to his belt to check he still had his pouch

Skitterlung, of course, was dumb, but not dumb enough to steal when he knew he'd be caught--and he was not well disposed to stealing from smalls either. If the talls gave him a chance, maybe. "Skitterlung saw you quick, helped quick."

"We were caught in a terrible storm, and the crew abandoned us to our fates, curse the ingrates," Kaine replied to the clockwork. "And as for the ship, that's all that's left of it," he added, gesturing towards the ruins of the Sunset Mist on the rocks in the distance.

Kaine watched another human survivor make his way towards them and listened to what he said with a raised eyebrow. "You know where we are? That's great news, could you pray share our location then? If we are anywhere near a major shipping route we can hope for rescue soon enough, otherwise we will have to hope to find some kind of a settlement here if we are to survive."

Kaine glanced about him for his staff and the meager belongings he had carried in his travel-bag, hoping it had survived the plunge into the deep.

Gren looked at the goblin for a moment then realised that he should say something , he thought for a moment then remembered seeing a man help another load his cart a few days before they set sail.

"Thank you, your help is much appreciated. I am called Gren" he added as a way of introduction

Seth nodded at the man, "Based on the wildlife, vegetation and the beach this is probably one of the island of Kingdom of Sails. If we can get to a city close, we should definitely have a port nearby. We need to gather our supplies and find the rest of the survivors. With luck we can salvage and make a camp before moving out. By the way, I am Seth Avano, you are?"

The clockwork nods, indicating that he took in what Kaine said. "I understand." it echoes, simply.

While Seth approaches, he looks over to the goblin helping the molekin. Such strange creatures, but it was relieved that more people were alive and that the tragedy did not reap all of their lives.

It looks back to Seth as he introduces himself. "My creator named me Cavalier. Is there anything I can do to aid the survivors? I assume that unless we can make for a port or city before too long, then some protection against the elements is advisable."

Gren  moved over to the others as they were talking of shelter

 "Perhaps I can help, if we could locate a bank, mound or hillock I could dig out a cave like space for us to shelter in this night" the million suggested

"I am called Kaine," replied Kaine to Seth and Cavalier. "The Kingdom of Sails...I have heard of this place, and if that is where we are then all is not lost at all!" he added with a smile.

Glancing about at the survivors he went on, "There is still light enough, let us gather what supplies we need and head out right now. I doubt there is anything left to salvage from the ship, all we really need is food, water and weapons to keep us until we find civilization."

Seth was talking with the others when this peculiar burrowing creature came upto them. At first he was surprised and his mouth was wide open with excitement. He had never seen such a creature, let alone a talking one! How curious!

Realizing how idiotic and uncouth it had been for showing such behavior, he promptly shut his jaws, "You . . . . You, can do that? That would really help us for making a viable camp. Pardon me, what is your name? I haven't seen the likes of you my entire life!"

"The tall is always ignoring the shorts, of course of course." Skitterlung gave a severe coughing fit as he half hid behind Gren. "And they always make the witchcraft, and they whisk away the shorts like Skitterlung, yes, yes."

Gren noted the goblin using him as a shield against, what was it he called them, the tall. The million shrugged, the little creature had obviously been badly treated in the past, he knew a little of that but to him the strong had the right to control the weak but he would treat carefully around his new companions for now in case his ways were not theirs

Turning his attention to the one who seemed surprised at his presence "I am called Gren" he replied holding up his shovel like hands to show the thick wicked looking class at the end of his thick figures " yes you could say we are designed by the earth mother to dig in the soil. We molekin are the masters of all under ground territories there is nowhere we cannot go" there was an edge of pride in his words, he was proud of his people and suddenly realised he missed his clan

" if we are to spend time together I will tell you a little about my people, it would be good for us that the surface dwellers know of us so they will keep our of our lands"

Kaine listened & looked at the little mole creature with a degree of fascination before saying, "Excellent, I am sure we will like to hear your tale as we journey. Your ability to dig will certainly be useful, especially if we need to dig for water further inland."

He turned and glanced towards the treeline in the distance and went on, "There is light enough, why don't we start off by looking for a trail in the forest to lead us further inland?"

Kaine had little skill in tracking or foraging through woods, so he hoped there was someone more capable to do it.

A quick survey of the wreckage spread across the beach turns up a few items of use. In addition to an impressive quantity of broken and battered timber in various sized pieces there is a bin of hardtack (which should provide enough food for a couple of days), a quantity of shredded sail, a sea chest filled with silk (which seems to have weathered the storm surprisingly well) and, bizarrely, the captain's table which you can see half buried in the sand but apparently in one piece.

In terms of making inroads into the jungle there are some beast trails you can make out leading away from the beach but nothing obviously man-sized meaning it's likely to be hard going to plough through though with weapons and perseverance it wouldn't be impossible.

Cavalier seemed less concerned about digging down to hide and more about protecting itself and the group. Giving the floatsam and debris a quick look-over, it spots what it deems to be a fine additions to his collection, and after walking over to the table sticking out in the sand, pulls one of the table's legs off with a loud wrenching crack. It gives it a few swings around - this would do, until it found a replacement. A good whack to the head of a creature and it would brain it good.

**Adding a Club to my sheet**

"I agree. The faster we can find a place to survive, the better. This beach does not give you any material for living." it states, very matter-of-factly. Sure, they could stay and fish, it supposed, but was that any way of living, truly?

Seth remained fascinated with the molekin named Gren, he was going to research and understand their people. Back in the cities no one knows about molekin race, he might be the first one to report something. He will have to search the libraries once he hopefully gets back to surely ascertain it. Right now, they need food and most notably a pathway to local village or town.

He nodded at Klaine, "I agree, the woods seem to have several game trails. Maybe if we can explore the woods, we might find a path? We also need food and it would be better if we can hunt some games. Everyone has their weapons with them?"

With a general consensus reached that there was little to be gained from waiting on the beach you decide to forge ahead into the jungle to see if you can find some shelter or at least something you can fix up into a form of shelter.

As you feared the undergrowth is hard work, even on the animal trails that you can find you have to hack your way through overgrown vegetation and plant life which looks like it has been largely undisturbed for years. Cavalier suffers the most - his bulk preventing him being able to duck and dive easily through lighter patches and even his prodigious strength not being a match for some of the thicker patches. Even worse - While the thick canopy gives you merciful cover from the beating sun but the trade-off is that the cooling sea breeze is replaced by tropical humidity.

As you move out of sight of the beach you find the jungle itself is oddly quiet. A few strange birdcalls can be heard here and there but there is little of the animal noise you would normally expect from such lush and unspoilt greenery. It is perhaps this unusual quiet that means the sudden noise of something moving, fast, through the undergrowth back and to your left is so unmistakable and so shocking. The sound erupts almost out of nowhere initially faint but growing louder by the second...

Skitterlung dove straight into the brush at this sound, hoping to silently hide before anything could approach.

When Seth heard the sound he was taken aback, "Wait, something is approaching us. Be careful everyone, stay prepared." He clasped his staff tightly, preparing for what was coming.

Gren used his claws as effective blades slicing through branches where he needed to.

Noticing the mechanical man had difficulty he lent his claws to clearing some of the branches in front of him to allow the man to move forward.

When he heard the noise he stopped not having good site he listened to locate the sounds direction.

He noticed the little goblin dive into the undergrowth the molekin stepped off the path and crouched arms spread out ready to attack anything that came too close

Finding his staff intact amongst the wreckage had been a blessing, doubly so Kaine realized as he used it as a walking aid during the trek through the jungle. Thankfully the rest of his equipment had remained on his person but much of it was of little use at the moment.

The strain of moving through the undergrowth meant Kaine had little time for talking or for reflection, only simple hard-work with a focus on surviving.

Therefore it was a shock upon hearing the loud noise, so jarringly different to their current environment. At first he could do little but but stare into the jungle, but then Kaine leapt off the main path and tries to use the heavy undergrowth as cover, in case what came was hostile.

With the difficulty of the growth and the jungle, the clockwork was thankful for the help given by Gren. It thanked it, wordlessly but with a nod, as it tried forward. Its massive frame surely was not built for this kind of adventuring. In the future, perhaps, a blade to cut the fauna to help itself. A club made little use here though.

"Stay behind me if you wish. I was built for this." it says, matter-of-factly, inviting anyone to use him for a shield, while he brandished the table's leg as a club.

You barely have time to take positions - Kaine, Gren and Skitterlung taking cover in the undergrowth - before the jungle behind you erupts in a spray of branches and foliage. Crashing through the trees, swinging through the branches by long hairy arms, come four small forms unlike anything you have seen before.

Each is about three foot long from the tip of one outstretched arm to the bottom of it's equally long leg and the entire body is covered in a short fur. You would take it for some kind of tropical ape but for the head which is unusually large for the body, hairless and sports a stunted snout with sharp tusks. You've never heard of anything like these beasts but, beyond that initial thought, you don't have much longer to ponder what they might be.


Upon spotting Seth and Cavalier - especially, the large clockwork is hard to miss - all of the creatures erupt into grunting barks and fix their piggy little red eyes on their you. Two drop to the ground and charge forward on all fours while the other two remain in the trees swinging forward at a startling pace!

OOC: It's the obligatory (and I promise not entirely gratuitous) early game combat! Anyone wishing to act 'fast' can go right ahead and anyone wishing to hold off just drop a line somewhere. Currently all four creatures are about ten feet away and closing fast...

Such strange creatures. But they were a threat, no matter how exotic or interesting they were. The clockwork was sure that a swift blow to the head would set them straight.

Fast Action: Prepare;
If a creature gets within range for me, I'll use an Attack action.

Seth was equally surprised and excited to see these new creatures that he has never seen or heard of in his studies. He braced with his staff and took a defensive stance while these creatures rushed towards them.

OOC: Fast action, Defend.

From cover Gren squinted and waited for one of the creatures to run past him within range of his claws.

Ooc fast action attack
 
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Sun 17 May 2020.

Nestled in the underbrush, Kain gazed at the abominations with a mixture of disgust and horror. Gritting his teeth, he grasped his staff tightly with both hands, waiting for one of the creatures to pass by so he could thrust at it with his staff, preferably at its skull.

---

Fast Action (Prepare): When a creature moves past him Kaine with thrust at it with his staff with 1 Boon

Attack Roll (Finesse, Prepared): 14; Boon Dice: 03; Total: 17

15:41, Today: Kaine rolled 3 using 1d6.  Boon Dice.
15:41, Today: Kaine rolled 14 using 1d20.  Dex Attack Roll vs Beast (Prepared; Finesse).

The creatures come on fast, grunting at first and then making a half hoot, half growl as they close with clearly murderous intent and then charge at those they can see with teeth bared.

Clearly focussed on the more obvious targets of Seth and Cavalier they pay no heed to their surroundings and so are vulnerable to the attacks of those in hiding. As the two still in the trees close Kaine steps from hiding and strikes one out of the air with a vicious staff thrust to the head. The blow is true and the impact shatters the skull – the blow immediately fatal. The other aerial creature completes it's charge by hurling itself through the air at Seth, bypassing his best attempts to fend it off and clawing furiously at him with sharp nails and slashing with tusks causing a series of shallow cuts.

Gren also manages to catch one of the ground based creatures by surprise, tearing a gash across it's chest as it closes with the feet of Cavalier. The blow isn't enough to stop it but does put it off balance enough for Cavalier to finish it easily with a mighty downward blow of his club spreading pieces of it across the jungle floor. The remaining beast latches to one of the clockwork's legs, tiny fingers getting in between metal plates and wrenching at vulnerable parts.

OOC: If in any doubt all four creatures 'charged' (though it worked out pretty badly for two of them...) so they've all gone. Skitter kept his action(s) so he goes next but after he's taken his action if you intend to take another fast turn you may as well go ahead and post as you'll go before the creatures in any event.

Seeing the metal man finish off the one he hurt Gren moved up on plodding stout legs and thrust his spear like claws into the back of the one trying to attack cavalier

Ooc
Fast action prepared / attack from behind?
18:44, Today: Gren rolled 5,5 using 1d20+1,1d6.  Claw attack...1boon for prepare total attack 10
18:46, Today: Gren rolled 3 using 1d3.  Damage
This message was last edited by the player at 17:51, Sun 17 May 2020.

Skitterlung moves through the brush to pop out on the other side, sling in hand, and lets loose a stone at one of the creatures.

OOC: I think this roll hits, right?

16:44, Today: Skitterlung rolled 2 using 1d3.  Damage roll.
16:44, Today: Skitterlung rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Attack roll.

Pain surged through Seth's body when the creature bit in but he was not going to backdown now. He swung his staff aiming the one that attacked him.

OOC: Seth Avano rolled 3 using 1d20.  Attack roll. A complete miss!.

"Ho there creature!" Kaine called out to the furred beast attacking Seth. He slammed his staff onto the trunk of a nearby tree, trying to get its attention.

---

Fast Action: Distract against the creature attacking Seth

Intellect Attack Roll: 11 (vs creature's Intellect) On a success the creature makes its next attack roll or challenge roll before the end of the round with 2 banes.

Gren's approach sadly telegraphs his intent and, as he strikes, the creature dodges nimbly to one side and skitters up Cavalier's side still frantically clawing and gouging but this time cannot find a way to penetrate his armoured exterior and can do no damage.

The other creature fares even worse. It proves easily distracted by Kaine, predictably spinning to face its new target but so confused its leaping attack misses by miles and the thing lands in the brush a short distance to one side where Skitterlung's stone connects with it's shoulder with a sickening crack though seeming to infuriate it further more than stop it!


OOC: It's now the slow turn for this round. Cavalier and Skitterlung have yet to act (as Skitter's action was technically the slow action from the last round) and then it will be the next fast turn. Probably not too much need to stand on ceremony with the order of posting as I suspect the monsters aren't going to last another round...

Skitterlung launched another stone, hoping to peg the same creature again.

OOC: "15:22, Today: Skitterlung rolled 13,2 using 1d20+2,1d3 with rolls of 11,2.  attack plus prospective damage." Don't think that hits...

As the creature tries to climb up its side, it hefts the club and aims to give it a good whack, to put it out of comission. He brings it down hard, hoping it would connect with something vulnerable on the creature's body, so it felt the pain properly, and perhaps it would let go of him.

---

Attack to hit at 11, with 3 damage from Club.

01:00, Today: Cavalier rolled 11 using 1d20+1.  Attack Roll, +1.
01:00, Today: Cavalier rolled 3 using 1d6.  Club Damage.

As the beast crashed into the brush close to him, Kaine pivoted on his feet and attempted to bring one end of his staff down upon it...just as Skitterlung lobbed a stone at it. The sudden shot caused Kaine to flinch instinctively and his strike missed!

---

Fast Action: Attacking. Attack (Finesse): 02 :(

Not wasting any time, Skitterlung launched another stone.

15:30, Today: Skitterlung rolled 22,2 using 1d20+2,1d3 with rolls of 20,2.  roll to hit + prospective attack damage.

With the swing missing the creature on him - an unfathomable thing, in its logic, and if it had a way to express itself visually, it would be surprised - Cavalier takes a faster swing, hoping this one would be it. Of course, its logical mind was not attuned, it seemed..

---

22:01, Today: Cavalier rolled 3 using 1d20+1.  Attack Roll, +1.

Gren took two solid steps and used his stout legs to propel him as high as he could after the one attacking the metal man with claws out he attempted to rake them gown it's back

Ooc
10:56, Today: Gren rolled 19 using 1d20+1.  Claw attack
10:57, Today: Gren rolled 4 using 1d3+1.  Damage.

While Cavalier and Kaine struggle to strike back at the quick little creatures Skitterlung strikes two with both of his missiles - first knocking it off balance and then caving in it's skull. Gren equally makes his mark; just reaching the creature on Cavalier and tearing it free with his claws in a shower of hot blood.

The thing writhes on the floor briefly in obvious pain before rolling onto all fours and racing into the undergrowth with a shriek of pain leaving a trail of gore across the low foliage. As the sound of the fleeing creature gradually fades away you look around but it doesn't look like there are any other creatures lurking nearby; you at least have the time to catch your breath...

Kaine cursed as the last of the creatures managed to get away leaving a bloodied trail in its wake. "Great, that is all we bloody need. It will spread the stink of its blood all across the jungle, drawing who knows what else to its trail, and to us. We should put as much distance between this area as fast as possible," he said quickly, glancing at the others.

Before taking his own advice he moved towards one of the corpses of the creatures', crouching down and studying the body thoughtfully trying to determine the manner of the beast, whether it was natural or something from some place...else. The years spent with his master had exposed Kain to the uncomfortable truth that their world and their reality were but one of many, and no matter how awful theirs could be, there were other place far, far nastier...and the things living there could be transported here in a number of ways.

Standing up from the carcass and ready to get moving he glanced at those companions who he had seen get raked by the creatures. "Seth, Cavalier, you were both hurt. Are you alright? Will you have any trouble walking?"

Kaine hoped the creatures' claws did not inject any kind of venom, otherwise Seth could be in trouble.

---

Intellect Roll (to study the corpse): 06

Gren dropped with the creature landing in a crouch his flawed hands at the ready. But the creature ran off into the busy wounded and in pain.

Looking round he saw the other creatures had been felt with so he bent and pulled up some large leaves and began wiping his claws and hands clean of the creatures blood

It's a grizzly but uncomplicated task to look over the corpses of the creatures. Between the three you have you can get a clear idea of what they were like but it provides more questions than answers.

Upon initial inspection the creatures appear to be a combination of some sort of ape and a boar or large pig. Closer consideration shows that is exactly what they are - the head appears to have been grafted on to the body of each one and you can see the ugly scars and stitch marks where the joins, slightly different on each one, are. There is nothing to suggest from any of the bodies that the creatures may be venomous.

None of you have heard of anything like this before in any of your travels.

Kaine's lips pursed as he studied the corpses, the scars and stich-marks clearly marking them as unnatural creatures. "Likely black sorcery was involved in creating these abominations, but what they are doing out in the wilds is beyond me. Typically such creatures are created for a specific purpose, they are not simply tossed out into the wilds to mingle with natural animals," he thought out loud.

Shrugging he glanced towards the others, eager to get moving again. "I say we continue on the path we were forging; if we come across a clearing we can use it to camp for the night."

Cavalier looks itself over as Kaine adresses the fact that it was damaged. It wasn't a lot, but it was noticable, it seemed.

"I remain functional and my movement will not be impeded. I can remain with you without problem." it says, looking at Kaine. "But thank you for your concern." It brushes itself off slightly, taking a slightly closer look at the injury. It was... Sufficiently small. He would attend to it later, if need be.

It looks at the others, eager to continue.

Skitterlung rushed over to the carcass to retrieve the good slingstones he tossed and to search for bugs to raise on the bodies of the creatures. He especially hoped he could find a cockroach, but he would settle for another kind of bug to raise.

"as you say they might have been bred for a purpose perhaps that purpose was exactly this to deter people from the area. Perhaps we have been trespassing on someone's land?" Gren offered as a possibility

"Our shaman raise and train large venomous centipedes to protect our fungus farms these could be someone's protection from interlopers" 

After taking a moment to catch your breath you continue your trek through the jungle taking a path which runs, roughly South East in your reckoning, away from the beach.

The thick undergrowth continues to make for hard going and it's difficult to tell exactly how far you've gone before the ground starts to slope upwards and the trees begin to thin out. You find yourselves at the bottom of a steep hill which rears up from the jungle, the sides of it largely untouched by the dense vegetation round you. It's the closest you've come to a landmark in the time, what must be hours, since you started out from the beach.

The hill itself is only part of the interest. Rising from the top of the hill is what is unmistakably a tall wall built of large blocks of grey stone. From this distance it looks to be at least three stories high and must be at least sixty feet wide - certainly no small dwelling place.

Kaine felt a surge of hope and elation upon seeing the wall; he had already resigned himself to spending days wandering about in the forest, and possibly dying there. But the wall was a sign of civilization, and possibly their salvation.

"Finally! Lets see if there is a gate or doorway, maybe someone is still living here," he said to the others, though the note of excitement in his voice was tinged somewhat with a hint of caution. After all, they had no way of knowing who or what dwelt inside, it could very well be whoever was responsible for the creation of the creatures they had fought earlier in the day.

Kaine cautiously started making a sweep around the wall, looking for an entryway inside.

---

ooc: Is there anything visible beyond the wall, such as a tower rising above them or something like that? Anyhow, Kaine will sweep around the hill trying to find an entrance.

Gren dropped back a bit as they stopped to study the wall and spent some time just surveying the jungle edge they had come from.

After a while the short little molekin shook his head and turned back to the others

"I would say to go slowly and with care. We have encounter man made creatures already, there is nothing to say they didn't come from here, wherever here is."

Staying well concealed in the undergrowth you make a sweep around the base of the hill. Your hopes at finding civilisation are somewhat dashed as you make your way to the side whereupon your immediately realise that the building is a ruin.

From staying within the cover of the jungle you can see that the side you came across first is the only side still standing in it's entirety. Two of the other sides are broken and crumbling in places and the fourth side of the building seems to be missing entirely. Very little, if any, of the roof seems to be in place. Whatever it was, however, must have been sizeable. From what you've seen so far you think it must have been a fort or a castle or something similar - it's large and functional looking.

In the time it takes you to surveil it from all sides you see no signs of life coming from within barring the occasional bird which wheels and glides across the top of the hill before returning to what you would guess is a roost on one of the walls.

"Well, I do believe we have found our shelter for the night!" Kaine exclaimed after surveying the ruins and returning to the others. "We won't find anything to eat or drink in there true, but we'll have shelter over our heads and safety for the night."

He wasn't fully sure about the safety part but it would beat spending the night in the jungle when various predators of the night came out to prowl.

Craning his neck he gazed at the horizon and said, "There is still light enough to find and prepare a good place we can get some rest until the next day, so I suggest we get moving."

Cavalier inspected the fort they had found, the ruins of it. He felt himself somewhat in that; an old creation, now void of purpose.

"Would it not better for you to rest and find resources to nurish yourselves? I can go on, but you require food, do you not?" it asks, as it continues looking around the ruin, partly lost in contemplation. The giant machine looked rather forlorn as it remained there, staring with its expressionless face.

"Yes, yes, the talls should hunt out a nice, fat, juicy beastie for us." The thin lips on his reptilian face split in an unsettling smile stretching across his face to glimmering red eyes, showing rows of sharp, jagged, crooked, brown teeth. "A raw beastie is good supper."

Gren crouched and ran his hand through the earth all the while looking around him

"I feel we are being watched or at least have been. I have tried to locate it but they stay just outside my vision which isn't the best as it is. I would suggest we camp here at least it is defendable. We do not want to be caught out in the dark in this jungle." He said in a low voice

"If need be I can reinforce the ruins with earth to give us more of a defendable area"

After a short discussion you ascend the hill towards the ruin. As you get closer you realise that it probably wasn't a fort - it doesn't seem to have been built with defence in mind. It's only when you are standing inside the ruin itself you realise what it was; a church or a monastery of some sort. High windows mark the walls which, where they remain, arch at the top and the bases of mighty columns show what used to hold up the ceiling which now remains only in small areas at the edge of the walls.

You can see that floor used to be flagstones but many are gone or covered in dirt. The jungle has started to claim back it's territory with vines and creepers which grow through and around what stonework remains. Rubble, presumably what used to be the ceiling and parts of the walls, is strewn across the ground and mixed in with the plant life. Suddenly you stop with a shudder - in one corner of the ruins is a human skeleton, clearly long dead and picked clean of flesh, sprawled awkwardly. As you look around you can pick out other bones, some human and some animal, spread across the floor with creepers and shoots pushing through ribcages or wrapped around skulls.

In addition to the large building you now stand in there appear to be, to one side, two smaller out buildings; both mostly complete and one even with most of a wooden door still on rusty hinges. To the other side of the main building is what looks like something that might once have been a garden or field though it is now hopelessly overgrown and barely recognisable as such.

There is no sign that anyone has dwelled in this place for years though plenty of tracks and spoor to suggest that it gets frequent animal visitors.

Skitterlung will try to set up nonlethal bug traps around before trying to cobble together a place to rest, making sure to keep an eye out for signs of any bugs around.

Upon reaching the ruins and seeing the remains, Kaine gazed about the area warily. He wasn't worried about immediate danger given the apparent age of the skeleton, but still this was not a good sign; the place could be cursed.

"Animal tracks indicate animals visit this place regularly, we should get a fire going before nightfall to keep them at bay," he suggested to the others.

Noticing the smaller buildings out to the side, Kaine walked over to them cautiously, trying to investigate if there was anything useful there.

---

Perception Challenge Roll (to spot anything else in the main building): 06

Note: Kaine will walk over to investigate both the outhouses/buildings to see what they contain. GM can feel free to make any needed Perception Checks

"What is this place?"

Cavalier walks around, looking and examining the building. It looked like a fort indeed, and still not. It was not very religious, as clockwork went, but as worldly experiences went, it was still young and unexperienced. The mechanical hand brushes over the stones of the building, carefully investigating the doors, and of course, crouching down to examine the remains, the skeleton. Perhaps there was obvious hints to its demise.

The age and overgrown condition of the skeleton makes it very difficult to place a cause of death. The bones are damaged in places which could suggest violence but equally that could be the handiwork of any number of beasts.

The side buildings are equally deserted save for a family of small vermin which beat a hasty retreat as you inspect the smaller of the two. That building seems to be set up as what would once have been a cookhouse and dining area but other than the mouldering remains of some tables and benches there seems to be little of use.

The second building was clearly once a dormitory of some kind and rows of beds, in varying states of decay and collapse, line the walls. Rotten pieces of what would once have been trunks or chests can also be seen around the building though, again, there seems to be little of value. This building contains more human remains; five or six skeletons (better preserved here) lie in or scattered around the beds. There is no mistaking here that they have been victims of violence and it looks considerably likely that they were killed in their beds.

By the time you finish your exploration the sun is starting to set. Your vantage point on the hill gives you an excellent view of the surrounding area which consists of jungle as far as the eye can see in every direction save for North, where you can see the coastline from which you have just come winding around in both directions. However, as you watch you get clear evidence that you are not alone. From an area to the North West, probably not more than a few miles away, you can see several columns of smoke rising as if from a number of small fires. Then from off to the South you can see more smoke - this in the form of one, thick column - rising into the sky.

"I do not think we should light a fire tonight " replied the molekin.

"I will dig a pit shallow and wide while there is light we can gather ferns to line it this will provide warmth for those that sleep. Perhaps we should each keep watch. To keep the animals away and to watch for whoever lit those fires in case they decide to visit us in the dark"

He was still concerned about the feeling he had of being watched so he wasn't willing to allow their position to be sign posted for all to see

"Goblins are good at sleeping without a fire. It's the talls who get cold." He looked, somehow accusingly, at the tall folks of their group, before continuing to set up the last of his roach traps. After this, he would follow Gren's lead and help him dig--although he was not on the molekin's level, his reptilian claws helped him scrape dirt away more effectively than a tall.

Kaine viewed the skeletons in the bed with pursed lips, clearly disturbed at the sight. Still, the killings appeared to have happened long ago, and there was nothing to be done.

Returning to the others he listened to what they said and replied, "I am not sure about not lighting a fire, it will keep animals at bay. Still, I will concur with the rest of you, and we should certainly keep watch."

He patted the travel-bag hanging snugly by his hip on instinct, recalling the torches he kept there. They had dried off since the shipwreck and would help if they were attacked by predators during the night.

Staring up at the skyline as day started to give way to night, Kaine eyed the columns of smoke in the distance, wondering what they entailed. The multiple number of fires to the North West appeared to indicate civilization of some sort, perhaps it should be the direction they ought to travel in the morning.

"I shall stand guardian. I do not require sleep, and it will give me time to contemplate things." the clockwork simply informs them, as it runs its hand over the stone walls of the ruin, tenderly, almost reverently. Its own form of worship, in a way. "Besides, if we are to travel further tomorrow, you will all need as much rest as possible."