Chapter 3: Stabbin' Westward

The party is surrounded by a sea lover's dream landscape: the ocean waters ripple, and a warm breeze passes over your faces, refreshing and calming to the skin. Foamy green seawater ebbs and flows against the shore, slowly, rhythmically, almost hypnotically. Looking to the east you see the rest of what appears to be a quiet beach, and lands otherwise undisturbed by civilization. Cordial, were it not for the easily recognizable towers of Candlekeep to the north, you would have lost your bearings about where Mar'i's portal left you.

The human children--two females and one male--continue to play in the distance, a few hundred feet from the party's position. They seem to delight in picking up small stones and shells, and as they skip them out across the water, you hear cheers and squeals accompany the plinking and splashing sounds made.

[Everyone please roll Perception checks at this time. - DM]

Perception +3

The member 'Ezythyr Coalthane' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 13

Perception +2

The member 'downwarddawn' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 18

After hearing the hermit crab's threats, Cordial silently chastizes herself, realizing that her behavior and mood over the past day or so have been volatile. She had worked so hard, before meeting up with this group, to find inner peace and clearly, she was much further from that than she would have wished. It wasn't the group or the circumstances causing her to behave this way; she alone has control over herself, or at least could have, perhaps if she tried harder.

Cordial's thoughts are drifting inward, but she perceives much about the land around her (OOC: apparently).

(OOC: Perception +7... love that Expertise)

(OOC edit after roll: AW C'MON)

The member 'galaxysedge' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 2

+ 1 to perception

The member 'Mikegld561' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 4

Thokk and Eledriar, you are taken by the aural and visual beauty of the Sword Coast, in its most majestic form. The sights and sounds are almost too beautiful, leaving you to thoughts of old friends and new admirers...

But Cordial and Ezythyr, you are struck by a realization: skipping stones across water do splash, but they shouldn't "plink". Listening to the sounds, you both focus your gazes at the playing children, and further, you try to gaze at what exactly they are throwing their stones at. You can't make out a form, but you do indeed see something large swimming about twenty feet from the shore.

Before you can speculate, a telltale triangular fin emerges from the turbulent ocean waves, cutting through the water, catching the light brightly as it moves back and forth. You hear the kids delight at its appearance, and continue their stone skipping.

Looking to the right of this activity, you do also see a dirt path leading away from the beach, that cuts north and uphill from the beach, which Cordial you know will likely lead to the Candlekeep and Cloakwood.

(OOC: seems like maybe a stupid question, but here goes:)

Cordial tries to determine if the kids, or anyone else, is in danger from the finned-creature.

Perception +2

The member 'downwarddawn' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 6

Cordial, you cannot be certain if the kids are alright. They do appear happy, and are laughing wildly each time the fin cuts across the waters in front of them. They continue to skip stones towards the swimming creature, delighting at the plinks.

OOC: What can I roll to determine if the shark is dangerous? History? Arcana? Nature?

Cordial walks toward the children, attempting to discern the possibility of any danger to them from the shark as she goes.

(OOC: Perception? +6 Nature? +2 - I'll roll once and I guess you pick which stat to use?)

(Also OOC: I have been reading my damned character sheet wrong... I have been taking the modifier number on the left and I should have been taking the one on the right. Damn it!)

The member 'downwarddawn' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 7

(OOC: yeah, I'm totally perceiving that, not at all using any nature skills)

OOC: Nature +4

The member 'Ezythyr Coalthane' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'd20' : 5

[Cordial and Ezythyr, them Nature rolls are just shy. But I'll permit the pivot to Perception. - DM]

Cordial, you perceive the children to be safe from the creature swimming about in the ocean; if anything, on your approach the children--two girls and one boy--all stop their play to look at you. It's not unlikely that you are the first tiefling female they've ever seen in this part of the Sword Coast. Meanwhile, the creature continues its swim northward following the shallows.

The boy quickly steps forward, putting himself between you and the girls. His hand is clasped tightly around a larger rock, and he assumes a martial stance that is rather unexpected from a child so young, preparing for a fight.

He speaks plainly, albeit in a comical, high-pitched voice:

"Friend or foe?"

Cordial stops walking and opens her hands in front of her, showing the child that she means them no harm. "Hail and well met, my friend. I'm dreadfully sorry we have interrupted your fun. We were very curious about that creature. You seem familiar with it, can you tell me about it?"

While she is presenting a friendly, confident front to the boy, she is surprised by his abrupt question and hopes she gives him the impression she is a friend.

The boy motions back to the two girls, and relaxes his grip on the stone, before responding to you, Cordial.

"The girls here wanted to see the 'guardian', and I was just showin' them the fun sound it makes when we hit'im with rocks. Never seems to bother much, the 'master' made him super tough. He patrols the coast because of all the 'seaborne' attacks lately."

The two girls remain quiet as the young boy addresses you, again looking out to the ocean to the shining fin swimming away, towards the shoals beneath the cliffs of Candlekeep.