Winding River Falls

Winding River Falls

Jordero

Arriving at one of the key port cities of the A-rake jungles. Saze Abdul and his crew are eating in one of the better port city restaurants. Ordering a popular meal of shrimp and parsnip dinners. A lone female figure approaches the lead crew. “Excuse me, I was told by a priest of Valkur that you are adventurers who may be able to help me.” The cloaked female removes her hood and shows a lovely A-rake women with pale hair and elf ears.

“Please my lady, have a seat. Bartender please bring this woman a cup of tea.” Comments Saze Abdul as he displays his smuggling pirate persona. “I am Captain Saze Abdul, my lady and you are?”

“You may call me Lady Jangie, I am a heir to an important tribesmen. I was hoping you could assist me with supplies and passing through the Grand A-rake river.” comments the A-rake female half-elf.

“The Grand A-rake is a obstacle and I am afraid my lady my boat is not meant for river t ravels.. However, if you have a river boat I can help you out.”

“I will get you a river-boat but can you help me get home within five days?”

A male Centaur known as Durant speaks for Abdul who stares mesmerized by the A-rake woman. “ Depending on the conditions it could take up to five days but with my expert navigation and direction sense over the good Cap'n we can make it.”

“Very good, I thank you for the tea and I will meet you in the morning at Dock 22.” As the A-rake woman rises finishing her tea.

"Until the morning my lady we will talk soon.”

Next morning

Saze and his top crew walk along the docks of A-rake and spot Lady Jangie standing by a riverboat that looks like a barge and has a small Ballistae on the port of the vessel. Spotting Saze and his crew Jangie joins them. “I hope this will do captain Abdul I had to sell a few rings of magic to get you this river-boat.”

'Please use care it was close to 1500 gold, I added the Ballistae to serve as a movable cannon since I have some hands on experience as an Artificer.” Comments Jangie as she strokes her pale hair.

“What do you think Durant?”

“I think our Gnome engineer might gripe but he is not joining us today do to a problem with the Trireme. So I will be serving as engineer.”

“Bo, ready for our ride down the Great A-rake.”

“I have always wanted to see my birthplace so yes I am ready.” comments the small monkey- like man with rose fez hat.

“This is Bo he was in the outhouse when you joined us. He knows these lands a little better than me “

“He is part of the Monkey Pygmies. I have seen his kind before captain. Can we get started time

is not on our side. I received news that my people need this plant medicine which we will taking

on this trip.” directs Jangie as she begins to board her ship.

“As the lady, requests lets take flight. Durant head to the engine room. Bo take the navigating pilot-wheel, Oh here comes my lovely sister who will be our healer on this adventure. Hello Selim.”

“The young woman with Yaren blood joins her brother carrying a large basket and field bag.

“Thought we could use some fresh food to avoid scurvy if that is okay, Saze?

“That's why I love you Selim always thinking ahead of time. Let me get that basket from you.”

Selim shakes hands with Jangie as the riverboat sets sail on the Great A-rake river.

Two days later.

The riverboat starts to shake from side to side as it passes through the winding river-bend

of the A-rake river. Durant looks over to Saze. “We've had a few leaks, Saze but I have managed to mend them up with your sister's mending spell. She probably will hold but we need to come to a port to check for water damage below the surface.” Water starts to splash and hit both sides of the vessel.”

“Jangie where is the next village so we can come to dock?”

“The next one is three miles up but it will be dangerous to dock there because it has cannibal pygmies living there and they don't take kindly to guests.”

“What do you think, Durant?”

“I need to get one of you guys to dive below the surface and tell me how bad it is. There maybe an alcove to stop and look there. Just have to be careful of Crocks.”

“Crocks or Cannibals. Easy choice. Bo find us an alcove to look at our damage.”

“Aye Cap'n.” The riverboat goes up the river looking for an alcove to repair the damage of the vessel.

Twenty minutes late the riverboat spot an alcove as darts come out of the surrounding jungles. Striking Durant and Selim which makes them collapse to the deck. Moving quickly

Jangie runs over to the injured crew members. “CRAP!” Moving quickly Saze takes the Ballista and fires it off like machine gun.

Jangie looks over to Saze and explains what happened to the crew. “Curare. As long as they do not get another shot or two of it they will be okay.” On those words Jangie mumbles a few words and a glimmering bubble surrounds the injured pair.

“BO, how are you doing over there.” comments Saze as he continues to fire into the surrounding jungle shrubs.

“I'm Okay how is my big poker play doing.” Comments the Monkey-like man as he stays below the range field. “ It must be those Pygmies they love using Curare for the targets they are firing at. “

“.We need to find some cover I am almost out of ammunition.”

“I think there was an alcove back a few hundred yards . I'll try steering her back that way

but these winding waters and damage to the bow may be tricky.”

“Do what you can? We need to find shelter or we will be the ripe meal for a pair of pygmies.”

“On it Cap'n.”

“Jangie can you help my friends?”

Jangie looks at the concerned captain of his crew. “Once we find some shelter I can grab some anti-toxin from the cargo, just find us a shelter, Captain.”

On the coastline

The mix group of A-rake pygmies watch as they vessel gets out of range of their weapon.

Signaling to a scout in the trees a loud horn is blown in the jungle steppes and shrubs. Soon a pair of Triceratops are used as transportation of the A-rake Pygmies in hide armor both animal and dinosaur hide armor. One female wears bone armor and appears to be the head pygmy. The Triceratops convoy pushes its way through the jungle shrubs and steppes to get in an advanced position of the targets.

Hidden Alcove

Bo pulls the riverboat to a small alcove as Jangie takes care of the injury by grabbing some anti-toxin vials for the curare. Saze reloads the Ballista and looks over to Bo. “ Bo, until we are ready to go climb up one of those trees and use it as a crew's mast. Take my spyglass with you.”

“I'll stay here and cover Jangie and our friends.”

“Okay Cap'n.”

Moments later Bo climbs up one of the trees to use as a spy perch. Chasing off a few squirrel monkeys who squawk at the intrusion. .

“How we doing, Jangie?” questions Saze as he chews on a date.

Pouring the vials down both the injured crew members. Jangie looks over to the the Yaren

smuggler. “All they need is time now but this delay makes it harder for me to get home.”

“Just curious...” Saze comments as he chews another date “What exactly is happening in your village that is so urgent?”

“My village is under siege with a plague and these supplies are necessary to fight off the plague.” Comments Jangie as she takes a piece of fruit from the food basket. “ Dragon-fruit supposes strengthens your system from bacteria. I only know this from what the shaman trained me in as a woman in the wilderness.”

“Interesting a scout/ spell caster.”

Moments later, Bo calls down to his Captain. “ Cap'n, I see movement about 120 yards from our current position in addition there is a pair of giant lizards with them.”

“I guess our stay here is limited. Get down here Bo why I make a quick dive below the surface. Jangie do you think you could camouflage us with a spell.”

“I'll be right down Cap'n.”

“I can cast something to help us look like a giant crocodile. The Pygmies fear the crocodile because of its god I think he is called OGO.”

Moments later

Jangie stands on the bow of the ship and begins to chant a few words. Within minutes the

vessel appears as a large crocodile resting calmly as Saze drops his trouser and goes over the side in breeches placing a ring of water breathing while attached to a silk rope tied around his waste. Tying the rope to look like a tail of the crocodile Bo and Jangie help him. Once the spell is cast.

Swimming beneath the riverboat Saze reviews the hull of the ship to see how much damage it has taken from the wild river. Noticing minimum but a few hard dents. Saze goes to work quickly as the waters around him are rough. Working as quickly as he can Saze manages to patch up the vessel with hammer and spikes as the waters start to act up again.”

Topside

The Triceratops convoy approaches the alcove as the pygmies stare in shock at the large

crocodile about 20 feet long. The lead Pygmy shows no fear but her followers show fear of the large crocodile. Raising her double bladed war-hammer she signals her convoy to leave the crocodile alone and continue searching for the riverboat. The convoy passes by without incident.

Saze rises from the river as he see Bo and Jangie showing a look of relief of the exiting convoy of pygmies and triceratops.” What did I miss?”

Epilogue

Three days later the riverboat arrives at their destination as they dealt with the crazy waters of the A-rake. Facing off with several gut wrenching tides of water that turned out to be the dark spirit waters of an elemental but managing to outwit and avoid the magical aberration the team manage to avoid a massive conflict of water damage thanks to the strong training of Saze and his crew.

Selim and Durant managed to recover after two days when the anti-toxin remove any harmful

effects of the curare. Though the team did spot the cannibal pygmies. The pygmies were

cut off by a T-Rex. Though no one could tell if the pygmies survived with the fight between pygmies, Triceratops and the T-Rex. Scouts of the village tell our heroes that the pygmies simply vanished back into the jungle from the T-Rex.

Thanking the heroes for their help the good people and their sorcerer-shaman transport Saze and his friends back to the coastal city with a little direction by Lady Jangie. The medicine took several days to distribute but Saze and his crew helped fix up the village from the plague and a couple of fires started by frightened villagers.

Returning back to the Coastal city, Saze and his crew were quickly directed to leave port again because several of his crew got a little unruly to the local constable office. Shaking his head as a pirate-smuggler Saze said “A Pirates Life for me.”

The End