Day 1 | Afternoon | Terra Incognita | Thopter #1

[Efren Lanville]

“This is my first time out in this jungle since I was a little kid.”

He tipped his head in Kiran’s way.

“Our best bet is probably first to listen to what our specialist has to say.”

[Kiran Alsahar]

“This is my first time out in this jungle since I was a little kid.”

He tipped his head in Kiran’s way.

“Our best bet is probably first to listen to what our specialist has to say.”

Kiran looked over and gave him a brief, appreciative smile. "Outsiders don't always take us seriously. Thanks."

[Eileen Marsh]

Eileen stretches, reopening her eyes after a short powernap. Her hand passed through her hair while she looked at the people there and arranged her thoughts

Flying was not her strong suit

''Always better to ask the locals their opinion.'' she chimes in before turning to the muadh ''Any trouble recently?''

[Kiran Alsahar]

Eileen stretches, reopening her eyes after a short powernap. Her hand passed through her hair while she looked at the people there and arranged her thoughts

Flying was not her strong suit

''Always better to ask the locals their opinion.'' she chimes in before turning to the muadh ''Any trouble recently?''

Kiran opens their mouth, seems to reassess what they were going to say, then finally speaks. "For us, not aside from the cartels causing all sorts of problems. And here they go again, appropriating an important cultural resource and getting us in hot water."

[Efren Lanville]

Kiran looked over and gave him a brief, appreciative smile. "Outsiders don't always take us seriously. Thanks."

“My mother was from out in these woods. I don’t remember much of her, but hard not to take the person who brought you into this world seriously.” He said with a smile.

[Eileen Marsh]

Kiran opens their mouth, seems to reassess what they were going to say, then finally speaks. "For us, not aside from the cartels causing all sorts of problems. And here they go again, appropriating an important cultural resource and getting us in hot water."

''How did the cartel operate the last time? Can you tell me?'' she asked

[Kiran Alsahar]

“My mother was from out in these woods. I don’t remember much of her, but hard not to take the person who brought you into this world seriously.” He said with a smile.

"Hey, we have that in common, if opposite in gender. My mother was the outsider between my parents," they replied warmly.

''How did the cartel operate the last time? Can you tell me?'' she asked

They sighed and ran a hand through their hair. "I wish I knew the details. From our perspective, people would just... disappear. Our ferns were totally normal; the Atreides tested them. They had to have been doing something to them to increase the effects. I know they kept people quiet with terror. I heard about the bombing even Cala City experienced. I did what I to help, but it ended up more being finding a good place to hunker down while the Atreides and the cartel blew the hell out of each other." They wear a pensive, complicated expression. "I'm glad I can do more this time. The last thing we need is for someone we'll never meet to decide we're more trouble than we're worth because of all this."

[Kannon]

With each flap, more of the ocean was coming into view, and the thicket turned less uniform, though the coast itself was rather elusive for their eyes for some time given the sharp drop of elevation where the tall blocks of basalt, draped in jungle overgrowth, met the sea. Seabirds started dotting the blue horizon, some dropping abruptly into the sea after their prey.

After a course correction they could finally get a good perspective on the cliffs. They stretched on miles in a winding, labyrinthine way, opening into caves and tidal pools. The column-like pattern all across them gave the illusion of man's stonework, or rather giant's stonework...



[Every person on the thopter has a chance to make one roll of the skill of their choosing reflecting their behaviour at this particular moment. The standard difficulty is Average: 1C+1D+1S. They can apply statements if they fit. The rolls will be resolved individually. You can start pocketing Triumphs and Advantages, I will start pocketing Despairs and Threats, both per thopter.]

[Efren Lanville]

Drawing from his experience in the military with jungle training and his affinity for the local people of this region, Efren continues to keep conversation going and providing practical information for the group to work more succinctly as a group after they land.

----

D1 Thopter Leadershipping "My Strength from my roots", Kill w/ Kindness: 2eA+2eP+1eD+1eC 1 success


No banking here. Just 1 success.

[Lydia Storm]

Lydia kept watch but all the talking and noise was distracting. She had to keep pausing when someone else spoke, and didn't get a good read of the area even if she got a somewhat decent idea on practical info.

(D1 Thopter Perception to keep watch: 2eA+1eP+1eC+1eD+1eS 2 failures, 1 advantage
)

[Kannon]

Efren's morale-raising was quite contagious. [Everyone gets one boost for one event roll they choose.]

Even distracted, Lydia might have been looking in the right direction. [Player Pool: + 1 Advantage]

[Player Pool: 1 Advantage; GM Pool: 0 Threat]

[Eileen Marsh]

Eileen's eyes were instantly drawn to the cliff's countless caves and tidal pools, her training and instincts kicking in. She knew how she could use those caves to hide and store contraband where she in the cartel's shoes.

Hard to access and to many to count properly? Gawd damn that was one hell of a cliff wall

But perhaps the Muadh people were using them as well? That might explain the dead bodies.

Her mind was focused

-----
Thopter approach, survival, Outdoorsman, Statement 1, Statement 3,: 3eP+1eA+1eC+1eD 5 successes, 2 advantage

banking the advantages

[Kannon]

Once Eileen shared her environmental assessment, everyone would become more prepared for things to come [If she does, up to 5 people get a boost on their next Survival roll.]

[Player Pool: 3 Advantage; GM Pool: 0 Threat]

[Cuyler Gray]

It was a majestic sight. It almost felt like they were simply out to view the natural beauty of Caladan. That, of course, was far from the truth. Even setting their mission aside, she knew things were seldom what they seemed.

However, nothing stood out to her at the moment.

- - -
Day 1 | Afternoon | Terra Incognita | Thopter #1, Perception (Cunning), Uncanny Senses, "What one wishes were true is seldom so.”: 1eA+3eP+1eB+1eC+1eD+1eS 0 successes, 1 advantage

[Kannon]

Enjoying the panorama was still making the place more familiar.

[Player Pool: 4 Advantage; GM Pool: 0 Threat]

[Razar Lanville]

*snip*

Razar attempts to maneuver into a position to provide a better vantage, but the wind rolling off the canopy and the sea breeze meeting makes the air too choppy for him to get too close for a good view and he has to take a wider path for safety. Because of this long ponderous path he has the time to note what the others are doing. He sees that Lydia's having a hard time blocking out the chatter, "Just imagine we're animals like in the jungle. You can drown us out with your mind," before going back to focusing on piloting.

D1 Thopter Piloting: 3eP+1eC+1eD+1eS 1 failure, 3 advantage


bank advantage, take 1 strain to provide assistance to Lydia's next check using Encouraging Words

[Kannon]

The venture confirmed the size and stretch of the basalt cliffs and demonstrated their unique shape of densely packed hexagonal columns, a unique and formidable challenge for any climber, but hid some coves and caverns from the crew's view, at least for the short time being.



[Player Pool: 7 Advantage; GM Pool: 0 Threat]

[Eileen Marsh]

''Beautiful sight but a smuggler's heaven'' she commented ''I do not know if the Muadh uses the grottoes and caverns but the smugglers just might. With some patience many of these caves could be linked, even if the stone itself is very hard.''

She eyed the cliff once more

''Climbing could be hard but if there is a good cleft in the wall I'd see how you could install a sneaky pulley system to bring stuff up and down.''

---
Eileen shares her insight

[Kannon]

... and at some point those in the pilots' seats noticed one mouth of the cavern that opened into a cove. There, something that could be scattered human corpses was being feasted on by some flat-winged fauna.

[I ask pilots and/or leaders for a really quick reaction of what the thopter does next.]

[Efren Lanville]

As the group saw the corpses out in the cove Efren spoke up.

"We should get down there before the birds cover whatever might be left of the trail."