The Jaguar's Paw (Tribal Choose-Your-Own-Adventure)

[Fyrra]

[BCOLOR=transparent]You are drowning. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The cold sea presses against you, struggling to force its way into your lungs. As your eyes flutter open you can see the ghostly visage of sinking ships and dying men. Then, after a flash of lightning, there is only darkness. Blood, and darkness. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Slowly, your eyes close.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Prologue I: Ancestry and Skill[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]You were born to a small nomadic tribe, one of many united under High Chief Kilic. As a child you were very active, causing much mischief yet still beloved by your own. Many knew you by name and face, just as they knew your parents.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]1) What is your name (and by extension, gender)?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]2) Who were your parents?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Erie and Calfuray[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A fisherman whose laid back demeanor and skill with trading has always kept him in high spirits, and a shaman who often tended to the wounded and sick.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Little Nanuq[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A herder who, as a child, beat a fur trapper senseless with a shoe and blinded him with the deadly dirty snow; in real life he's very big, though he never took another wife after your mother died.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Red Nita[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A strong hunter who often left the tribe for days, sometimes weeks at a time. She met another hunter one day and had you later in the year, and though you never met your father, Nita did teach you his language. You are a half-blood.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Nahuel and Maiara[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - One of several scouts in the tribe, known for his charm, and his wife of several years who would make tools. They are creative, and believed to be very lucky.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Somebody Else[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Describe them[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Your parent(s) always doted on you, while still pushing you to learn as much as you could (or was appropriate) from them. Yet, being a bright and restless sort, you often sought other teachers as well.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]3) What skills did you pick up in your childhood? [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent](Choose four. Results will be placed in order of most to least votes)[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A. Combat[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Most males learn to be a warrior of some sort.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]B. Singing[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Augments one's natural charm; has other uses as well[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]C. Hunting[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Specifically, tracking and knowing one's surroundings[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]D. Fishing[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Self-explanatory[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]E. Trading [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]- Knowledge of objects' value, and the ability to convince others of such things[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]F. Farming [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]- Some tribes are more settled, and grow their food from the land[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]G. Spiritcalling Rituals[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - For seeing beyond the surface, among other things[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]H. Riding[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Also includes bonding with non-herd animals[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]I. Herding[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Specifically, keeping herd animals in line[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]J. Herbalism[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Knowing which plants and berries make decent food, medicine, and poison[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]K. Crafting[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Most females learn to craft items from the carcasses brought back from hunts. Also includes trap-crafting and arrow-making.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]L. Other[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] (specify)[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]Your teachers often had many stories to tell, regarding the various animals and spirits of the world, for it is through them that the world functions. The sun provides light and causes the rain, which brings life to the land, which feeds the elk and the rabbits so the hunting animals may eat, while the moon lights the path for those who hunt at night.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]4) Which beast lends you its spiritual strength?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A. Wolf[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A hunter who does everything for the safety of the pack [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]B. Jaguar[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A fierce hunter whose agility keeps it untouched in battle; he lives for the moment[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]C. Bear [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]- A strong, sturdy warrior who mauls through the toughest of hides[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]D. Coyote[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A mischievous trickster with a knack for confusing others[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]E. Snake[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A cold predator who relishes the shadow, using poisons and deceit to strike down foes[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]F. Eagle[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A guardian who takes to the skies, watching over the land and those he favors[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]G. Fox[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - A wise scavenger who can see through trickery; her sense of humour is only matched by her wit and her sense of wonder[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]H. Otter[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] - Aquatic hunter and joker; a playful, adventurous spirit[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]I. Other[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] (explain)[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]5) Which aspect of the sky grants you comfort?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A. Sun[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]B. Moon[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]C. Wind[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]D. Storm[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Though you've prayed to many things, you've never seen the spirits at play. None of the beasts you've encountered speak, not even in riddles, and though they understand how to survive in the wild much as your tribe does, at times they act like they only follow their instincts. That said, your parent(s) insist that the spirits are real, just as they believe that there are bad spirits as well as the good ones. You've never seen these either, but you do ponder on the nature of such things. Some of the medicine-men and women claim to see the spirit-beasts themselves, while many a chief will tell a warrior not to come home until he's banished the dark clouds above him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]6) Are magic and monsters real?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Your life in the tribe would have been enough for you. It would have been somewhat monotonous, sure, but you enjoyed what company you kept and the day to day mundanities. The tribe moved often, so you often had new places to explore, new neighbors, and you could escape the cold seasons without too much trouble. But, something happened that changed your life forever, and you embraced the call with every fiber of your being.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]7) What made you take flight from a comfortable life?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A. A man named Maquinna killed your parent(s).[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Though others in the tribe share your enmity toward his, they are reluctant to make war. That hasn't stopped you in your hunt for blood.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]B. While playing in the woods near one of the coastal villages full of settled people, you found a shiny weapon made from a strange, foreign material.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] It proved more efficient at cutting things than the bone-crafted axes you were used to, and more sturdy as well. This discovery marked the day you took an interest in learning the wonders of other cultures and their inventions.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]C. At one of the seasonal gatherings you met Kiche, the young daughter of a wolf-shaman who claimed to see interesting things around you.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] When you asked her what she saw, she said that in order to find such things, you must search for them. And then she took you into her tent, where the two of you passed the pipe back and forth. You don't know what spirits possessed you that night, but you agreed with her earlier statements at the end of it: things [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]were[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] worth investigating.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]D. A group of warriors visited your tribe one day.[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] Though they appeared friendly at first, they slew every experienced warrior and took any able-bodied survivor as a slave. You were one of the survivors.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]E. Other [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent](explain)[/BCOLOR]



_________________________

Welcome to the game!

This Choose-Your-Own-Adventure will be kept relatively freeform. We will be taking some artistic license with history, starting with the natives of "The New World" being discovered much earlier in history, and probably including large ocean-traveling ships long before such ships would have seen much use, to say nothing of the possibilities of where this ship will be crash-landing.

This thread will chronicle the life of a certain nomad, encountering people and triapsing through the wild, possibly dealing with the supernatural from time to time. Since I don't know jack about native culture beyond stereotypes and am unwilling to sift through Hollywood's butchered, whitewashed revisioning of their cultures, I'm going to be reading some things while this is going on. If anyone has suggestions for reading material on the subject, I will happily look for it.

This will be part roleplay, part voting on choices. There will be open-ended questions after the prologue, and you don't need to worry about being penalized for going against gender norms.

The only rule I have for open-ended suggestions is to not suggest gross or stupid things, and don't go into detail about sexual things. This isn't [Libertine] and I don't want this moved there, because if it does get moved there, somebody will make me want to abandon the thread. And then there would be no more game.

 

[Razilin]

Takara, male
Red Nita as a parent
skills are combat, riding, hunting, and herbalism
wolf
wind
magic and monsters are real
the nomad met kiche, who saw interesting things about him



i think i did this right

gotta say, this is an interesting thread

 

[Fyrra]

Yeah, you did. I just had a peek at this board's rules though, so I'm not sure if this was the best place to post it if it's just going to be closed in ten pages.

Thanks for showing interest! =D

 

[Fyrra]

Prologue II: The Quickening


You are Takara: warrior, scout, and hunter; son of Red Nita, who was also a warrior and huntress. While you are of mixed origin, you still grew up in your tribe, so you had your fellow tribesmens' respect and trust. Physically, you don't show very many characteristics of your father's bloodline apart from your skin being of a different colour, but underneath it all you have what the wise-women refer to as a "dual-minded nature."

1) Your father was a(n)….

A. Mayan
B. Aztec
C. Englishman
D. Frenchman
E. Viking

Your mother trained you in combat herself, teaching you to use many of the different armaments she'd picked up in her travels. Many of these weapons were foreign to you at first, as you had never seen others in the tribe wielding such things, and Nita explained that she'd kept them hidden, as it wouldn't do to have those she took the weapons from encountering a tribe equipped with items of their own make: that would have provoked hostilities.

2) You are skilled with many weapons, but which two do you favour? (Choose two)

A. Axes and machetes
B. Spears and glaives
C. Daggers and kukris
D. Clubs and hammers
E. Bows
F. Crossbows
G. Swords

Hunting came swiftly to you, as you had both Red Nita and Kiche as teachers. Kiche taught you how to track and read the emotions of several animals, both prey and fellow hunter, and Nita taught you several methods of bringing a beast down. It was when you set off on your adventure that Kiche taught you about plants: as she wasn't a warrior, she didn't want to be the only one with knowledge of medicines.

Your friend Kiche is a peculiar girl: distant, yet observant. Her methods of cleaning and treating wounds have little regard for a person's pain tolerance, yet if anyone with a short temper tries striking at her, she generally catches this limb and presses it to a wound to staunch the bleeding. Somehow, she usually seems to see things before they come, but when asked how she never elaborates beyond a cryptic statement, such as "Sister Wolf could smell it." You've never seen any wolves near her tent, but she claims Sister Wolf sometimes finds you in the fields.

Sometimes Kiche is vexing. Her presence unnerved many in your band of travelers, and though she rarely joined you in battle when there were others to do so, she did make sure nobody with hostile intentions got too close to the camp in the middle of the night.

There were many skirmishes regarding proximity to others' hunting grounds however, and your training as a warrior was quickly put to use.

3) When others speak of your skill in battle, what do they emphasize?

A. Your unpredictable ferocity
B. Your calm wit and reflexes
C. Your cunning tactics
D. Your luck
E. Your ability to lead others
F. Other

But, you realized early on that battle led to death, and it was in your nature to learn a new approach when it came to resolving unfavorable conditions, as that would keep more of your followers alive.

4) How did you settle conflicts peacefully?

A. Patience and wit
B. Lies and deceit
C. Charm and laughter
D. Backstabbery
E. Gifts and favours

As the years passed, many knew your name and what to expect from you. You took part in the landgrabbing wars, just as you preyed upon the skirmishes between settlers and tribes against their own kind. Though you could not blend in with those who shared the other half of your blood, they allowed you into their towns on your own without any trouble, as long as they had no reason to start trouble with you themselves.

But, somewhere along the way, you became famous. Not to everyone, mind, and perhaps not in the most positive way, but it did happen.

5) On your travels, what were your two greatest feats?

A. You traveled to the great city of stones, and on the day of the human sacrifices to Quetzalcoatl, you made your way into one of the less-guarded chambers of the temple and fled the city with a sack full of treasures.

B. You slew a great bull that had been terrorizing a hungry village, and had a very strong bow made from its horns. The hide was used for protection from the elements, and the meats were used for a great feast.

C. You saved a witch from a mob in an English settlement. Though the townsfolk were angry, their speed was no match for that of your horse. The witch gave you a magical jade amulet that would let you breathe underwater in return for your rescue.

D. You returned a missing wolf-pup to its den, having deduced that it was the pup's disappearance that caused this pack to take a young mother's infant as their own.

E. You swam into a bandit group's river-fortress under cover of darkness, slaying sentries and raiders alike. Afterward. you moved a farming tribe into the settlement so they could shelter themselves and their herd for winter.

F. You challenged another tribe's best scout to a competition, giving him a day's head start to gain some distance before you would track him. Though you took on a few wounds from his traps, you emerged victorious and took his magic feathered anklet in place of his life.

G. You made a fool of the French Cavalry, luring them away from your allies and into a chase that ended in many pit-traps and finished with a few falling from a cliff, horse and all. Many of their infantry were coerced into serving you.

______

Only one more prologue post to go, before we enter "the present."

 

[Razilin]

1) Mayan
2) Axes and Machetes, Bows
3) Ability to lead others
4) Patience and wit
5) Slew a great bull that had been terrorizing a hungry village, swam into a bandit group's river-fortress under cover of darkness, slaying sentries and raiders alike

 

[Razilin]

well, hopin' this don't die

 

[Fyrra]

It won't. I'll write something over the weekend.

 

[Fyrra]

We aren't making separate characters for this. Everyone votes on the most recent update, and the choices with the most votes are implemented. Or, in the case of tied votes, coin-flips are implemented.

 

[GreenSea]

We aren't making separate characters for this. Everyone votes on the most recent update, and the choices with the most votes are implemented. Or, in the case of tied votes, coin-flips are implemented.

then I must wait for chapter 3 pftt~

 

[Fyrra]

Prologue III: How We Got Here

The spirit of the wolf led you far, far into the south, beyond the jaguars that served the Aztecs and into the limestone and obsidian cities of your father's people. Although an outsider, you were welcomed not as a potential sacrifice but as a friend of the city, and you were taught in the ways of the bow, as the only threats to one's safety were outside of the walls, and the Maya are a people of practicality and invention. You still honed your skills with axes, as one must always be ready to use their rending claws when the bite of an arrow's tooth proves ineffective.

The great bull was a massive beast, said to have walked on two legs. You didn't believe it at first, but it did rear its front-hooves up in the air as a horse would. Even after several dozen arrows pierced its hide, the bull would charge at you while your allies shot at it. It wasn't until it had you cornered between several boulders that you slipped through its relentless pursuit, climbing onto its back with a machete and carving into its back, neck and spine. When it managed to throw you off, it staggered toward you and fell right at your feet from bloodloss.

The river fortress was another story shared amongst the nomads: the Seminole tribe had split from the Creek, but couldn't travel very far without facing certain problems. Specifically, English traders often sought labourers to assist them and be sold to others, and splitting a tribe meant having a less intimidating size. So when the 'traders' arrived one day and a few hunters vanished without a trace, you followed the tracks back to a river fortress, and that night you solved two problems in one bloody, nightmarish turn of events, with a lot of help from your friends of course. Of the Seminole, the otter clan held a ceremonial dance in your honor, giving you many fruits and a choice of personal entertainment, and the wind clan gave you a beaded spirit-ward, meant to protect from the prying eyes of any malicious witch.

Your followers show faith in you for a mixture of your resourcefulness, your scouting abilities, your knack for leading pursuing forces into traps or splitting them apart to be fought separately, and your ability to find useful medicines in the wild, to say nothing of the way both the Maya and the nomads of the north respect you. Your band grew to fifty followers or so: enough to be considered a small tribe in its own right, though split amongst a culture of hunters warriors and a culture of farmers and archers; split amongst wolves and eagles, though the bickering never got out of hand.

But, as the Spaniards, French, and English wanted more land to themselves (a silly idea, as one does not simply take the land with them as they move), they enforced their demands by attacking those they deemed to be of lesser descent. That included you, but you established yourself as a viable threat to their advance early on by ambushing a Spanish troop after they raided an Aztec village. With the spaniards' general caught in the arrow volley, you had his underlings take you to their ship, and in exchange for their lives they offered to take you anywhere you wished. All things considered, by your twentieth year you had seen a lot. The visitors from beyond the sea had all landed on the eastern coasts, using those lands to communicate with their homelands. The nomads survived in everything west of the coast, and south from there lived the Aztecs and Mayans. Vikings had a home somewhere in the north, but since they weren't on the coast, you think they are just travelers making their own home away from everyone else.


1) Where did you have the ship take you?
A. East, toward an uninhabited peninsula.
B. The northern gulf, to rejoin the people of your birth.
C. The southern gulf, near the Spaniards and Aztecs,
D. Far to the north, where Franks and Vikings are said to reside.
E. A nearby rainforest, to establish a hidden foothold.


The journey was not very remarkable, as a small vessel was difficult to impede in shallow waters. But, suddenly and within sight of your destination, disaster stuck.

2) What happened to cause the ships to crash?

A. A fierce storm came out of nowhere. Though everyone fought to control the ship, it capsized into some rocks.
B. A Spanish warrior attempted to wrest control of the ship from you, killing several people in the process. When the person steering the ship died, your course took the worst turn.
C. A great feathered serpent rose from the deep, swallowing three of your warriors whole. Though you fought to retrieve them, its thrashing wrecked your transport.
D. Flaming arrows from the shoreline set your transport ablaze, and when the fires reached the mast everything began falling apart.


3) When you land, what do you intend to be your role in the wars?

A. An ally to the nomads against the imperialist invaders
B. An extension of the Mayan empire.
C. A neutral body, pursuing survival amidst it all.
D. An ally to the French colonists trying to tame the land.



________

Voting closes Wednesday, 15 October at 21:00 CST

 

[Razilin]

1) Where did you have the ship take you?
B. The northern gulf, to rejoin the people of your birth.

2) What happened to cause the ships to crash?
C. A great feathered serpent rose from the deep, swallowing three of your warriors whole. Though you fought to retrieve them, its thrashing wrecked your transport.

3) When you land, what do you intend to be your role in the wars?
A. An ally to the nomads against the imperialist invaders

 

[Vaalintine]

1) B. The northern gulf, to rejoin the people of your birth.
2) B. A Spanish warrior attempted to wrest control of the ship from you, killing several people in the process. When the person steering the ship died, your course took the worst turn.
3) A. An ally to the nomads against the imperialist invaders

Hey Fyrra, remember me?

 

[Fyrra]

Dude, it's been like a million billion years. =D Update coming this week, I swear!

(I know I said votes're closed, but what the hell I want to encourage more participation; time for die-rolling!)

 

[Fyrra]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Part One: Where We Left Off[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]You are drowning. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The cold sea presses against you, struggling to force its way into your lungs. As your eyes flutter open you can see the ghostly visage of sinking ships and dying men. Then, after a flash of lightning, there is only darkness. Blood, and darkness.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Slowly, your eyes close. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Quetzalcoatl! It's coming to sink us!" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The shout could not be mistaken, but as incredulous as the claim was, it was hard to argue that the serpent meant you harm. Perhaps not personally you, but somebody on the ship had earned that beast's ire, and before your crew could ready their weaponry, the ship shook from a forceful collision while many crew members were knocked into the water. You grabbed your bow and started firing, partially out of the instinct to protect your followers and the knowledge that those in the water would be defenseless, and partially out of the worry that the serpent saw you as an intruder. A few of your allies join you in the frantic volley, but most were either knocked into the water by the force of the second collision, or they had jumped ship of their own accord to save themselves. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When the ship capsized, you were knocked into the water as well, and on the way down, you hit your head on a floating plank. That cloud in your vision is your own blood leaking into the water, and the faint image of Kiche standing at the front of the ship while light flashed all around her is burnt into your mind. You aren't sure what she was doing, but you didn't have the chance to ask her. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Soon, your eyes open. You cough, water comes out, and you notice that you're clutching onto a wooden plank. Your head hurts, your vision is still cloudy and blurred (and red?), and you can't even see very far in the moonlight. At first, all you can make out is the bow and shawl in front of you. Then you notice a spear drifting by, and you grab it just in time to drive it down under you, meeting resistance to your thrust right below your feet. A nearby splash confirms that it was the serpent underneath you, and you can barely make out its shape as it flies away with the spear skewering its mouth. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Pulling yourself together, you turn your attention back to the bow and shawl, your two most prized possessions. That serpent was no [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Quetzalcoatl[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], to be frightened off so easily, so the idea that a shaman, witch or sorcerer might have sent that out to attack you is fresh in mind: the Spaniards were attacking Aztecs, and [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]QuetzalCoatl[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] is the one the Aztecs worship. You were told the shawl would protect you from witchery and hexes, but you know the strength of your bow: a direct hit in the right spot easily bypasses most armor, depending on the arrow used. You would grab both, but in your weakened state you don't want to risk weighing yourself down too much.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]1) Which item do you take?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Taking your chosen treasure, you drape it over the driftwood that's been keeping you afloat. Swimming comes naturally to you after putting yourself through the fortress raid, but your limbs are sore and your head still aches.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Several minutes pass as you paddle toward the shoreline. The waters are rough, yet never enough to cause you much trouble. There are moments when you think you see a wolf running far ahead of you, but you attribute it to the minor concussion you must have faced when you landed in the water. Either that, or you're dead and this is the path to whatever comes after dying, but you drive those thoughts away to be sorted out later, on land.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As you drift, your vision clears in odd places. You can see a fraction of those that were on the ship with you, without their own things to float on. You've no idea how much time has passed, but you don't see any other stable planks to use. Suddenly, you feel your strength returning: it will likely pass the moment it is no longer needed, but right now, your companions need help.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]2) Who do you save? Why them? (Choose three; top three votes get pulled to shore, and everyone else gets a die roll for their survival) (Alternatively, you can choose to rescue two and keep the other item, or rescue four and leave both items)[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kiche[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], the wolf-shaman. She's been with you from nearly the beginning, and for somebody not eager to kill or wield a weapon, she knows [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]a lot[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent] about hunting, and claims the bull you slew was just a taste of what's out there.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Sacnite[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], a creative Maya blacksmith, skilled with making weapons and tools. Apart from you, she's the only one strong enough to use your bow properly.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Tiriaq[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], a young fisher, not from any tribe you know of, whom you bought on your adventure to the Maya. He tends to know a little about many subjects. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Isi[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], an old warrior from Kiche's tribe who followed to keep an eye on her. He's hard of hearing, and though spiritual, he doesn't share Kiche's instinct.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Catahecassa[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], a Maya farmer looking for untouched land to work with. He didn't like the city life, so he left with your group.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Shikoba[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], a sturdy warrior you bested in wrestling, who followed you because it seemed like fun. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Rayen[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], a young shepherd, tanner and clothmaker. She's somewhat naive about the world, and anemic.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Wapasha[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], an agile, red-haired Viking half-blood from the north. He's never quite comfortable around the others, but he's been a loyal friend through the years, and you always took him on your hunts.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Esteban[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], the Spanish ship's navigator. Apparently he was exiled from the mainland.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Aristide[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent], a French traveler who found himself in your entourage after some English colonists wrecked his trade wagon; claims to be the greatest lancer.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Razilin]

Bow

Aristide, kiche, rayen

 

[Fyrra]

Bow

Aristide, kiche, rayen

[BCOLOR=transparent]2) Why them? [/BCOLOR]

 

[Razilin]

Lancers have reach. Kiche is a longtime friend. Rayen...meh, we need one 1st level newbie in any party.

 

[Fyrra]

With your bow slung onto the driftwood, you begin paddling, your vision blurring at times but clearing as you near your friend Kiche, paddling in the water while trying to stay above the surface. She looks like she's struggling a little in the water, but her eyes lack any sense of urgency, as though she knew you would be coming for her. The two of you make eye contact for a moment, and then you pull her onto the board and paddle up to the next person, the sound of Wapasha's voice faintly ringing in your ears as you look for somebody else to pull onto your wooden life-preserver.

You see Rayen, unconscious but floating, her face in the water. When you pull her up, Kiche socks her one in the stomach, causing her to cough up some water. She then lays the sickly girl on her back, telling you to hold her up for a moment. As you comply, Kiche applies a lot of pressure to Rayen's chest, rapidly pressing on her at frequent intervals before leaning up to blow into her mouth. A few minutes later, Rayen heaves up everything she's swallowed that day, and while Kiche looks very annoyed to have been caught in the blast, she quickly washes herself off. The two of you silently agree that there wasn't any other way Rayen would have survived this night, but Rayen herself is crying from having her ribs broken by Kiche.

You tell her to be glad she's alive, and to focus on not falling under. Then you keep paddling. Kiche helps, so it's easier to make progress.

As more time passes, you find you've forgotten where everyone else has drifted, and in your haze you realize you've little choice apart from trying to get closer to land. Just as you pass a large chunk of the ship's wreckage, you catch a glimpse of Aristide underneath a pile of it, struggling to get out. Pulling up alongside, you leave your driftboard for just long enough to climb onto the pile of wreckage, and you lift up a piece of the broken mast while the frenchman scrambles out. He has a tired look in his eyes, so you give him the last spot on the driftwood while you swim alongside them, trading places with Kiche when you tire out.

Hours pass, and your feet can touch the floor. You keep going, closer and closer to the shore, and you find your strength fading. Your legs ache. Your arms are sore. Your head is throbbing harder than it ever has in your life. You keep moving, and your vision fades. The last thing you hear is Aristide's voice, calling out your name and shaking you.

~

You blink, and when your eyes open a bright light is blinding you. You're lying on your back, on solid ground for some reason. It's mid-day, and there aren't any trees nearby. When you sit up, you rub at the back of your head. It still hurts, a lot, but it's a little bit manageable if you don't focus too hard. You can make out Kiche's body nearby, sitting with her back to a large rock. She's watching you. Rayen is asleep next to her.

"You are awake," she observes, "Probably not alert, but awake. This is good: I was worried you might not wake up. It's been two days. "

Is there anything you would like to say to Kiche, or ask her?

 

[Razilin]

"Where are we? How are the others?"

 

[Fyrra]

1-2 = dead
3-4 = wounded
5 = not wounded
6 = assists another (+1), not wounded

Let's roll~

Wapasha, Sacnite and Shikoba are strong, so they get a d6. Everyone else gets a d4.