“Hop to it, lads! Boss’s awaitin’ below!”
Greenbottom’s wiry batman Andreas stands in the doorway of your common sleeping room located on the third floor of a converted warehouse. He is bathed in light from a magefire sphere he activated just moments ago. It’s sickly yellow-green glimmers and dances cold light from his palm before glowing evenly. Gardner had watched him enter; he had in fact heard him ascend the stairs. The rest of you woke to the flickers and shouts. You have been billeted in this warehouse halfway between the shipyards and the nexus since arriving at Shadowhaven three weeks ago. It had been a quiet, restful three weeks, until now.
“Oy, outta bed boys. Cargo to be hauled, we got that tug of yours loaded this mornin’. I ‘ear that she may even be fit to fly, though I don’t envy you iffen she do.” Before anyone can respond, Andreas tosses the sphere onto an empty settee and makes his exit; he had dealt with Jay and Blendin often enough to know better than to give them a chance to repay him for his abrupt rousing.
The arched side-street is silent as you straggle outside. The heavy, stone walls echo your footsteps, and this area has the same green/yellow glow of magefire. Six liveried guardsmen, as well as 4 orcish litter bearers, stand in a rough semicircle flanking a massive wooden sedan chair. All wear dark grey and green piped trousers, though most have eschewed the matching high-necked jacket. Andreas has wisely moved beyond their cordon, and stands with a group of men hauling a small cart laden with goods. The heavy outer curtains on the sedan have been parted, so that you can see Magnus reclining half-dressed within. At least two female attendants are lounging with him, although between the gauze inner curtains and the ample pillows, its difficult to deduce the exact number. Magnus did not often leave his compound above the nexus; his presence here at this hour is an unusual surprise.
“Captain, gentlemen. Good morn. You and your cr-, well, you. You look alert. Here.”
Magnus beckons Gardner closer, and then opens the inner curtain. He holds out 3 tightly rolled scrolls in a meaty fist, each bound using ribbon sealed with wax.
“Orders, manifest, and new Council Registration. The Old Girl has her new envelope, courtesy of the Tailor’s Guild. A runner from the Lady’s priestesses informs me their ceremony is complete. Priestess Jorana will have a package for you on the docks.”
The Swoose had never been the best ship in rough weather; her large envelope presented too great a surface in heavy winds. Only luck and the will of the gods had gotten you into harbor on the last voyage; the Swoose’s envelope and Tooly’s carefully maintained steam engine were not so lucky. Greenbottom had arranged the repairs, which weren’t due to be completed for a few more days. Apparently the timetable had been accelerated.
You can tell that Magnus is uncomfortable, as are the men around him. Some of them are glancing about nervously at echoes from neighboring streets, and holding batons loosely at their sides. Shadowhaven had been somewhat more dangerous than usual lately. The Rigger’s had been denied formal guild status last week, and had responded with a series of violent protests.
“Best make time, gentlemen. Get supplies you need, visit the Navigator’s and get underway. I wouldn’t travel the streets alone. Word is the Rigger’s strike is worsening. They plan a march on the nexus before noon. Fear has closed half the shops there already. I am moving my offices and valuables to my Council Shipyard holdings until this quiets.”
Magnus strokes his mustache briefly, and then tosses a small leather bag, which Clovis catches out of the air. It has a familiar clink. “For water and supplies.” He opens a small napkin at his side, and removes a fresh piece of skyler flesh, which he tosses over your shoulders. Fang, who had been sitting rather silently by the door, waiting for his treat, gobbles it down. Magnus smiles, and then gives Jay a stern nod. “Look after my ship. Good luck and fair winds, gentlemen.”
Magnus signals the orcs, who shoulder the sedan, and make to move down the street.
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OOC: Captain Gardner passed his notice check for Andreas with flying colors, the rest of you didn’t. Blendin, Clovis and Jaay have 1 point of fatigue due to the abrupt rousing. You can take a vigor test now to remove it and wake up (Target Number = 4).
Gardner also gains 3 sealed documents: Orders, Manifest, and Council Registration. I have emailed the contents of these documents to you. You may share what you think appropriate.
Clovis (Tooly) wins the agility test to snag the moneybag. He gains 100 cogs and a small leather purse for ‘mutual’ supplies.
Tooly's eyes brighten from their slitted, half-asleep state while Greenbottom speaks, (vigor check: 5) allowing him to snag the bag with a quick snatch. He brightens further when checks the contents of the bag, and bounces it in his palm before stepping close to Gardner, saying "I'll want to look the old gasbag over to see if we need anything. What say you and me give her a once-over together while I hold on to this?" He squeezes the bag to make the iron disks clink dully, drifting toward the door and his gear inside.
ReplyDeleteGardner takes a moment to look over the documents before decided what to do.
ReplyDeleteGardner was annoyed at having to depart sooner than expected, especially given all the preparations that needed to be made and the Riggers' march looming. He preferred being methodical in preparations and overseeing them himself, but given the time constraints he would have to adapt.
Many considerations flashed through his mind: keeping Jay and Blendin apart, could he trust Tooley to keep track of money, Timber was cold and were there altitude suits on the ship, how to keep the crew safe in the streets given the current situation, getting rid of the intolerable situation of Jay taking up the whole cabin while the rest of the crew slept in the hold.
Gardner thought he could trust Jay to keep Tooley in line with Magnus's money, and that would keep Jay and Blendin apart. Blendin and Fang could protect him as he visited the navigator's hall and picked up the package.
"Given the situation we should travel in pairs. Don't be in the streets alone and keep your weapons handy but lets try not to use them. First we'll swing by the warehouse to get what we need.
Then Jay and Tooley will take all of our gear from the warehouse to the ship. Check out the ship to see what we still need, and check to see if there are altitude suits. Take 60 of those cogs and give me the other 40. Fill the water casks and get food for a few days, we'll catch the rest with the nets on the way. We're going to Timber so its going to be cold, if there are no altitude suits, buy some blankets since we won't be able to afford full suits. Any other necessary gear you see missing get that too. I want a detailed accounting of everything purchased so I can enter it in the ships log, along with the money you don't spend.
When you finish that, start stowing all the gear. The last voyage with people sleeping all over the causeway and hold and all your gear and those plants strewn about that cabin, Jay, was lubberly and unsailorlike. We're all sleeping in the cabin. Jay and Tooley will take the port side of the cabin, Blendin and I will take the starboard side. I want all your gear carefully stowed on your side, including those plants. We'll be sleeping in shifts so only one of you will be bunking on a cabin side at a time, the other will be on duty."
Blendin, you're with me. We're going to the navigator's hall first and then to pick up the package from the priestess at the docks. Then we'll come on board and start helping stow the gear. I expect we may beat you back to the ship so we'll start making preparations.
We want to check how the cargo is stowed. You know how she lists if its not packed evenly.
Once I visit the navigator's hall we've only got a short time to attune the waysphere. Hopefully we won't have any delays and will be able to leave before this Rigger business gets any worse.
Any questions?"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBlendin isn't quite sure he caught everything going on as he leaned on his musket, but he caught enough to know they are shipping out sooner than expected. With a large yawn [vigor check: 1], "Aye, Captain. Shall I stand with you or walk the shadows?"
ReplyDelete----------------------------
I don't have the rules at hand. What is the effect of the point of fatigue?
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ReplyDeleteFatigue has 3 levels of increasing fatigue, and can come from a variety of sources. The first level (where you are) is Fatigued, and grants a -1 to all trait tests (including the vigor roll you just made). Depending on the source, you can recover it a variety of ways. In this case, the source is essentially lack of sleep. Added sleep (an hour or so) will recover it automatically. Rest for a few hours will also recover it automatically. Since you aren't REALLY deprived of sleep (yet), I'll also let you make a vigor roll every ~30 minutes or so to 'shake it loose' as they say.
Also, remember to always roll your Wild Die (always a D6) in addition to your Trait Die and take the better result. When I see a test value of 1, I get nervous and think you didn't roll it, or you just used up all of your bad luck with a snake eyes.
After a moment, Blendin begins to feel a bit more energetic as the adrenaline begins to pump with thoughts of the riggers strike. [fixed fatigue roll: 4+1-1=4] Blendin's bare upper body begins to blend with the wall [stealth(d10): 10+2=12] while he awaits Gardner's response.
ReplyDeleteTooly looks a bit dubious about Gardner's plan, though what part or parts isn't immediately clear. He glances over at Jay, then says, "Well, I'll still need to give the old gasbag a look before buying stuff, but I'll leave the forty on your bed, and I guess me an' Jay can haul out gear over there first and I can take a look at her."
ReplyDeleteTooly strides inside and dumps 40 cogs on Gardner's bed, then stuffs the remainder, still in the bag, into the sturdy leather wallet on his belt, atop his own money. He unbuckles the belt with his wallets, dagger, and hammer, having strapped it on automatically as he got up, and tosses it onto the bed to put on his ships' leathers. Once dressed, he puts the belt back on, pulls his necklace of scrap metal and ore out of a wallet and puts it on, then begins to load his musket.
The process takes minutes, as Tooly shoves one round after another down the barrel, carefully ramming each home. After a dozen rounds, he fills the small brass box attached the hammer with primer and sets the gun aside to stuff his street clothes into his pack with the rest of his gear. Thinking of what Gardner said about Timber, he rolls up his blanket from the bed and puts that in his pack, too, then hoists it onto his back. Picking up his gun, he turns to Jay, looking eager and a bit smug, and says "Shall we get to the ship, big guy?"
(If Jay is good to go, Tooly will head to the ship with him, carrying his gun uncocked at the balance in one hand to look less threatening. If they reach the ship without incident, he'll dump his pack in the cabin, sling his gun, and begin looking over the ship and its repairs.)
Fatigue check of 8 (after penalty)
ReplyDeleteEven before he was fully awake Jay had strapped his sword to his back; his other possessions, a sleeping canvas and his pet plants, were still on the ship, and so he readily nodded his acceptance to heading out with Tooly.
Blendin and Gardner
ReplyDeleteBlendin takes the old man’s silence as a sign to follow along closely. You reenter the warehouse and gather your personal effects, as well as the money left behind by Tooly. Once packed, you return to the street to find Fang waiting patiently, licking his chops. Tooly and Jay are nowhere in sight.
The streets are relatively quiet as you travel, but it is an uneasy silence. Normally at this time of day the Piemaker’s Guild carts would be traveling throughout the city to set up stands of fresh bread, but they are nowhere to be seen and the smell of fresh baked goods are absent. Neither of you feel the urge to break the silence. Even Fang is unusually quiet. Your trip through the tunnel roads to the Navigator’s Guildhall is brief, and thankfully uneventful.
The Navigators’ have positioned their Guildhouse directly across a small, domed plaza from the Couriers’ Guild, and both are usually hubs of activity 25 hours a day. Instead, the gates to the couriers’ guildhall are barred, and with a few guardsmen seen behind them. As you look, an angular, thin wildling, covered in dark and light feathers, jumps out over the Couriers’ Guildhall wall, and darts down a passageway in the general direction of the docks.
The Navigators’ guild doors are open and the queue is all but empty in front of the Librarian’s desk. It appears that Bernard has drawn the morning shift, and he waves at Gardner in greeting. If he sees Blendin, there is no sign of it.
A few men and an orc wearing green armbands stand in the entrance to an alleyway nearby, but don’t appear to be paying much attention to people within the plaza, instead being focused on a game of dice. There is a tinker’s cart in the plaza as well, being pushed in the direction of the Nexus by an aged drakin owner.
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OOC: If there are any other items you want to bring with you from the warehouse sleeping quarters, let me know in an OOC comment. Assume it’s outfitted like a common sleeping area in a 16th century tavern. Also, if the item isn’t obvious (like say, a blanket) then make a notice roll to see if you can locate it. I’ll let you know if you found the item on my next post.
Jay and Tooly
ReplyDeleteThe trek to the shipyards is eerily quiet. As you near the gates that open onto the Great Shipyard, you begin to see traffic, although it seems unusually light for this port. You see 2 carts that have been overturned and burned, probably during a previous protest.
The Great Shipyards are accessed by one of 3 gates. These gates are actually a double layer of doors that act to protect the city from the intrusion of the Void. They are each of similar design, including heavy locking counterweights that allow only one set of doors to be opened at a time. This often causes transit time through the gates to be something of a chokepoint, but today the crowd is light. This gate, The Glimmerwing Gate, is the smallest, but in the most direct line from your sleeping quarters to the Shipyards. As you pass through the inner set of doors, you are joined by a handful of sailors, including 2 in Trade Council uniforms, as well as 3 human riggers and a single man wearing the orange cloak of the roofers. When the doors close behind you, the green-yellow glow of magefire reflecting off of granite disappears, and you are left in total darkness. Within a moment, the outer door levers open, and the Void pours its warm, uncomfortable orange in.
As you step out onto the causeway, you see that things have deteriorated. Piles of cargo lay unloaded, and much of the system of awnings that cover the walkways is either missing or damaged. You see the planks where the piermaster’s station used to stand, but there is no sign of the shack or the men who operated out of it. The Rigger’s guild has clearly been busy. The three riggers who transited through Glimmerwing Gate with you greet some of their fellows nearby, and sit atop a pile of cargo that does not appear to be from any single shipment. You see them remove bottles of dark liquid from an open crate, and pass them to their recently arrived comrades.
You make haste to the Swoose to minimize exposure to the Void. The ship is right where you left her. The envelope appears new, but has been painted with dark ochre swirls and symbols in a writing that neither of you recognize. It also appears to be deflated and rests on temporary posts only a few feet above the hull, rather than half-again a man’s height above it, and the cloth envelope hangs snapping in the heavy breeze against the wooden ribs within. The ship itself is laden with four cargo crates. Upon quick inspection, these crates appear to be surprisingly well balanced and secured. By the knots and care taken, it appears experienced merchant sailors, as opposed to the dockworkers who would normally do such work, must have loaded the ship.
As you look over the state of the ship’s stores within the cabin, you determine that the watercasks will need to be filled, and some food purchased as well. The tools and replacement parts are sufficient for basic tasks, and the blunderbuss and defensive weapons are clean and present. No altitude suits appear to be aboard ship, unfortunately.
As you exit the cabin back onto deck, you see the side of the envelope open, and 3 young women exit, 2 humans and a glowborn. The human women are shaved bald including their eyebrows, while the glowborn has a thin braid running along the left side of her scalp. All wear only thin shifts of undyed loose-fitting sailcloth that blow around them. They are all covered in ochre paint to their forearms, and don’t appear to have noticed you.
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OOC: if you want to know what’s in the ship stores, see my previous post on the subject. You find those items when you check things over. If, where I am vague, you have a question about X being there, ask.
In preparation for the trip to the Navigator's guild, Blendin dresses in his leathers, with his dagger at his side and his brass knuckles gleaming. In addition, Blendin spends a short moment loading his musket. In addition to the stuff already in his bag, Blendin adds a blanket from the bed and a lantern from the bedside table. "I may have to pick up some more oil for this," Blendin think as he straps it to the backpack.
ReplyDelete---
As Gardner enters the Navigator's guildhall, Blendin hangs back, closer to the door and keeps an eye on the outside world from just inside the doorway. [Notice: 3-1=2]
While standing in the doorway, Blendin pulls out a file and begins filing away at his horns, while watching the street.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the women, Tooly assumes they are the Wind Priestesses Greenbottom had been planning to hire to keep the gas bag filled, and mutters something to that effect to Jay. Tooly knows full well how reliable mystical solutions can be, but he wnts to know more about the...mechanism...that will be supporting the ship. Raising a hand, leaving his musket slung behind his back, he hails the women.
ReplyDelete"Excuse me, mistresses, but I was wondering if I might ask you about the work you've done here?"
(If the women respond reasonably, Tooly will seek as many details about the method of keeping the bag full as possible, with an eye to what might be needed to repair it. Rolls (if relevant): Repair 5, Boating 9 (6+3 on wild die) Notice 3.)
Blendin
ReplyDelete“You there, young wildling!” the eldery drakin pushes his cart eagerly toward Blendin. It jingles and jangles as it approaches. “I see you are using a terrible wooden rasp to polish those lovely horns of yours. Tanglewood, I imagine? Why, I have something here far nicer! This bone rasp, made from genuine fog shark tail caught by one of my broodmates, in his youth. Why, for only a few cogs, or a reasonable trade, I’d be happy to see it put to good use again. Or perhaps I have something else which might interest you?”
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OOC: Gardner probably overhears this pitch as well, if you wish to interact with the junk trader before continuing into the NavHall.
Jay makes what can be best interpreted as a derisive grunt, "Good luck." He then enters the cabin; "Zeus! Apollo! How have you boys been? I see it is time to trim and prune a bit. And you, Gipper, I see you're vines have grown some." Jay begins to move the pots that Zeus and Apollo are rooted in to one side of the cabin, moving any stored cargo to the other; Gipper wasn't moved since its vines were growing up the walls around the cabin's bay window and across the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteThis minor task done, Jay began a cursory inspection of the ship, walking along the exterior hull.
Notice 6, Boating 2 (what a crappy roll...)
"Fang, stay." Gardner says in Orcish and points at Blendin's feet before entering the Guild.
ReplyDeleteGardner nods in greeting to Bernard.
"Tough shift to draw, Bernard. Hopefully you can get out of here before the streets fill up. I've got to ship out on the Swoose again in a hurry. Did I tell you about that last voyage? Storm hit us and knocked all my soil samples overboard. Terrible luck, that. Hate to have to pay for a new one for Timber but I guess I've got to. Always worth it to see an old friend, though." [Persuasion 6]
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OOC: Carrying dagger and pistol with me and wearing them visibly and wearing armor. Keeping the cash in a pouch tucked under my clothing.
"I appreciate your offer, but no thank you. This file works just fine," says Blendin to the elder drakin. Blendin continues the habitual shave until he's certain the horns are smooth to the touch and much less visible.
ReplyDeleteJay and Clovis
ReplyDeleteThe human women relax noticeably as Jay turns to reenter the cabin. The glowborn is much more difficult to read.
“Fair winds, little man.” Clovis detects no tinge of insult in the glowborn’s greeting. She steps close to Clovis, speaking in lilting tones common to her people. “We are only here to make preparations. Mother Jorana holds your gift at the Behemoth Gate for the one named Drawlight. You must make haste from this place, storms are gathering.” Her eyes dart in the direction of the nearest group of riggers, a small group of half a dozen. She taps her thumb gently to Clovis’ forehead twice, above the empty socket of his missing eye. “Gentle Breeze and sustaining Rain.” The other two priestesses give the hint of a smile over her shoulder at Clovis, then all three turn in unison and walk down the gangway away from the ship, thin shifts whipping in the breeze.
As best you can tell, aside from being empty and covered in paint, the gasbag is in far better shape than you have ever seen it, and the repair tools and spare parts should do well at mending the envelope, lines, and basic planking of the vessel.
Jay exits the cabin and sees the dwarf’s forehead being smeared with paint by the priestess. He hops over the railing, and down the side of the hull, inspecting for damage. He sees no obvious sign of damage; the few planks that were broken have been mended or replaced. Many of the ropes and support lines have been replaced, and while Jay cannot be certain of all of their purposes, they seem to be functional.
Blendin
ReplyDeleteThe drakin shrugs his shoulders, and moves to roll his cart back towards the Nexus. A few moments after he disappears around the corner, the group of riggers moves from their position where they were playing dice to walk down the same alley heading toward the Nexus. Fang looks at you inquisitively before returning to his stolid gaze ahead.
Gardner
Bernard gives you a slap on the shoulder in greeting. “My shift ends in an hour, then its home to the wife and son. When you are back among the Shadows, you should come by; my wife makes a wonderful mushroom and onion stew. To Canopy is it? Better you than me, I suppose; never much cared for cold, or all those wildlings. Terrible news about your collection, though I daresay I might be able to help you start a new one. I tell you what, we have 2 samples here in the library for common use, but we keep a few small satchets of routine islands for the Courier’s guild and Council ships. I can part with one of our Canopy satchets for twice the normal price for Hall access, say 20 cogs for you, old friend. If not, the hall is open at the normal 10 cogs. Just ask one of the apprentices and they’ll get what you require.”
Clovis blinks but doesn't seem to notice or care that he has paint over his missing eye. He turns back to Jay and the ship. Tapping his bulging wallet, he asks Jay "Well, you see anything missing we need to buy? If not, I guess we should pick up some hides or blankets and fill up the water casks. I say we look for hides first."
ReplyDelete(If Jay is amenable, Tooly will look for a place to buy hides with fur or down still on them, and some rations for 4-5 days. He'll put off the water until last, seeing it as a dull chore that maybe someone else will do later. If he hasn't already, he'll dump his pack in the cabin, but keep his rifle slung.)
Seeing the Group of Riggers walk down the alley, Blendin turns to walk toward Gardner. "Catain, we may want to hurry this transaction up a bit. The riggers appear to be on the move and I don't think we want to get caught in their next protest."
ReplyDeleteOOC: Clovis, again, assuming that Jay wants to do a grocery/equipment run, anywhere in particular you're going to go looking to scavenge or buy these items? I figure you could go a variety of places that may have what you need. Here are a few I thought of, but others are welcome as well (The Nexus, butcher shop, brothel, piles of 'abandoned' cargo, neighboring ships). I'd also point out that the waterpriests have a small cistern by the docks you can draw the water from, and basic foodstuffs are available from trawlers arriving from the void into port. Where you go looking for other items will effect the time it takes and the price you get. Everything you've talked about purchasing so far is relatively common (except for altitude gear), and as such no Streetwise roll will be required. If you want to look for uncommon items, the Nexus is your best bet. Additional consideration: it sounds as if you wish to pay cash, but are you taking along any other items for barter?
ReplyDelete"I'll just take hall access. Thanks, I'll come by when I return."
ReplyDeleteI'll just pick up a sample when we get there, Gardner thinks to himself. Gardner reminds himself to pick up a sample of Shadowhaven soil before departing, too.
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OOC: pay 10 for hall access. Handle the Canopy sample, return to Blendin
(OOC preface: I wasn't sure about the organization of shops/trade. A place where the Piemakers' Guild is a feared syndicate could be a bit odd. After your OOC post, I rolled Notice 6 to see if Clovis could spot any ships or cargo that might have furry or feathery hides. I made a Streetwise/Persuasion roll (same dice) to find the best deal for hides/negotiate with the ship's crew, and rolled a 1-2=-1 on my regular die. My wild die was 6+6+2-2=12. To explain how someone so oblivious could be so lucky, I came up with the following:)
ReplyDeleteTooly gazes around the shipyard, then notices what seems to be rolls of fluffy hide at the edge of the pile of cargo where the riggers are drinking. He strides right over to the pile without a sign of nervousness. The riggers watch the approach of this lone, confident, stocky, well-armed, one-eyed dwarf with a mixture of wariness, tension, and catlike amusement. Pulling out his flask, he offers it to the nearest rigger with a bottle. "Trade ye a sip for a sip?"
The riggers goggle at him for a moment, then all simultaneously burst out in roaring, somewhat drunken laughter. The rigger trades bottles with Tooly, taking a sip of his strong, cheap whiskey. Tooly samples the bottle he was handed, and says generally, "I noticed you boys have a pile of hides, there. Any chance you'd be willing to part with them for some cold, hard cash?"
(OOC: I'll leave the price and amount of hides to you, and of course they could turn him down completely. Tooly will be willing to pay up to 80 cogs (taking 20 from his own funds) for sufficient hides to clothe the whole crew, assuming a steep discount due to the...unorthodox...transaction and his luck. Other offers will be considered.)
Clovis and Jay
ReplyDeleteA human, a hand smaller than the others, appears to be their front man. He also appears to be somewhat drunk, and his speech is slurred even before he begins to ‘haggle’.
“Way I see it, dwarf, these merchant guildshh have had their way with us long nuff. Hauling out here in the Glow, risking our neck for their palletsh and for what? For what? I tell you, tell you, that these goods are oursh by right!” This brings a ragged cheer from those around him, and a clinking of bottles. “Say, but you said cogsh? I don’t wanna carry any more of thish junk around. How about 40 pieces for the stack, and we keep your flask. Itsh good shtuff.”
The stack to which he refers is a tall bundle of cured skyler hides covered in a thick brown-grey down. Clovis has seen the type previously – it is used as a semirigid insulation under the roofing tiles. They ‘re are enough in the stack that they could probably be used to line the inside of the cabin, or likely with a little work softened so as to be flexible enough to be worn.
Jay stands a short distance away, watching the proceedings.
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OOC: The rigger’s opposing persuasion roll was poor. You have the upper hand in this negotiation, by a fair bit. You can either take it at this price, or talk him down. He seems reasonably amiable at the moment, but may become less so for a lower price. You can talk him as low as 25 cogs, but he’ll keep the flask whether you like it or not. Rather than continue the back and forth here, I’ll let you finish the negotiation and continue your work prepping to leave the island.
Common knowledge tells you that these hides should be light enough to wear, ifyou spend some time rough cloaks could be made out of them. They will not be as good as true altitude suits. Alternatively, you could use them to line the cabin. Food for thought.
Gardner and Blendin
ReplyDeleteThe glass jar is heavier than it looks, and about half-full of rich black earth. Gardner rolls up his sleeve, and thrusts his hand into the soil, feeling it run through his fingers, and letting his mind go back to his last visit to Canopy, many years before. He was aboard the Blue Bird then…
When he had finished, Gardner carefully extracted his hand, and used the tiny bristle brush to clean all the loose soil off his skin, back into the jar. Bernard takes your coin, and wishes you well.
Gardner and Blendin meet just outside the door. Gardner notices a loose brick in the plaza nearby, and has Blendin collect a sample of the grey rocky soil underneath for him, rather than touch it himself. Gardner considers his next action carefully, trying to remember if there are other things he wants before heading to the ship. There are 3 gates to get to the docks. The Glimmerwing Gate would take them back towards the Nexus a ways, but also near the warehouse had billeted them. He was reasonably sure he’d collected all his things, though, and wasn’t sure that was the best option. The Dragon Gate was a long way off, from both the Swoose and their current location, it’d take an hour just to get there, and then probably another to get to the Swoose once they were on the docks. The Behemoth gate was the straightest line by far, but it was also the busiest, and likely to have more than a few riggers nearby. The wind priestess Jorana was also likely waiting for him there, he knew, unless she had run into trouble.
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OOC: Blendin is aware of the bulk of the information regarding the routes to the shipyard, and could likely chime in if he was of a mind to do so.
Tooly figures 40 cogs for so many hides is a steal, and has no desire to push his luck with the drunken, disgruntled men. He hands back the bottle he'd sampled and reaches into his wallet. With a flash of insight, instead of pulling the money from Greenbottom's bag, he takes 40 cogs from his personal funds instead. He'll miss the flask, but he can get another, and something better to fill it...
ReplyDeleteBriefly, he considers asking the riggers to help him haul the pile of hides to the ship, but they might not take kindly to the suggestion even if he offered to pay. Instead, he gives them a nod and motions Jay over. "Gimme a hand getting these on the ship, big guy. We'll need them soon enough."
As he is moving the hides, he looks over the pile for anything else he or the ship might need.
Once the hides are on board, Tooly says, "I'll get these stowed while you get the water, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, Tooly breaks up the bundle and puts eight of the hides in the cabin, 4 on each side. The remaining hides, he lashes down atop the cargo, half on each side.
That done, he considers talking to the riggers about the rest of their haul. Eying the riggers, he says to Jay, "We should prob'ly stay with the ship 'til the skipper gets here. Don't want our cargo joining the pile, there."
(OOC: If Tooly noticed anything else useful in the riggers' pile (Notice 10--I'm gonna waste all my good rolls here, it seems), he'll casually ask about "hauling it away for them" (Persuasion 5). He's only interested in tools or supplies, nothing expensive or bulky and nothing the riggers might want to drink. Whether they have anything else to sell or not, he's unwilling to leave the ship unattended with cargo aboard, nor to go shop alone while Jay watches the ship.)
(Persuasion roll was actually 5-2=3 with modifiers.)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOOC: actually, quite the opposite. Canopy is a ice covered island of large forests. Its something of a wildling refuge, although you don't know many details about the locals. The only major habitation is a human settlement called Timber. You get 2 guesses what it's export is.
ReplyDelete"Shall we avoid the crowds?" Blendin asks hopefully.
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That is what I get for not buying a book to have in front of me.
"No time to worry about the crowds. We'll use the Behemoth Gate." Gardner whistles to bring Fang back to him, makes sure his pistol and dagger are clearly visible, and starts off toward the gate.
ReplyDelete"Aye Captain." Blendin takes a moment to adjust his weaponry and follows closely, keeping an eye out for trouble as best he can.
ReplyDeleteGardner and Blendin
ReplyDeleteYou have walked into danger often; and you do so now. As you near the Behemoth Gate, broken glass and splintered wood litter the roadway. Shopkeepers here typically cater to new arrivals rather than Shadowfolk. They stand ready to defend their property with help from the local streetgangs, probably as paid protection. The few Trade council soldiers you see look shaken, and carry naked swords or clubs. Not a few of them have seen recent use.
The riggers group in loose knots by the handful, armed with makeshift weapons. Those that aren’t in the process of looting watch you warily as you pass, but do no more than observe. Perhaps it’s the unusual site of two men armed with firearms, or Fang’s fearsome visage, or maybe there are just safer targets for their growing destruction.
Before you realize it, you arrive at the Behemoth Gate. Unlike the other gates that are named arbitrarily, the Behemoth Gate’s doors are made of massive jawbones that are as old as Shadowhaven. Unlike the smaller gates, Behemoth Gate is large enough to require a crew to man the doors, usually made up of riggers. However, today the windlass is unmanned, and as you approach the half-open inner door you realize why. As you step through it, you see the massive outer doors are torn from their hinges; one lays askew on the gangway, the other is nowhere in site, probably reclaimed by the Void. The orange glow pours in around you, and you step out of the city onto the docks beyond.
As your eyes adjust, you see that this part of the port is a flurry of activity, but not its usual sort. At least four ships are pulling out of dock. Cargo is being thrown into the Void from a nearby merchant sloop by a group of men wearing the riggers’ armband. You look toward where the Swoose was moored, and see that she is still there, as you’d left her. Even at this distance, you can make out a tall greenish shape and a squat tan one carrying a large barrel aboard. It appears the growing madness around you has not yet reached that portion of the dock.
You are interrupted from your revelry by a gentle voice from behind you. “Captain Drawlight. I have been waiting for some time.”
You turn to see a slender human woman, with flowing black hair. Her face is scarred heavily on the right side, and she wears the sailcloth shift of a Priestess of the Lady of the Winds. In her hands is a pentagonal box, a handspan to a side. It is made of weathered wood, but well joined, and from each corner a reed tube dangles.
She follows your glance to her package. “A gift, from my Lady.” She opens the package, which is intricately inlaid with polished stone inside and contains a small shard of porous bone. As the lid opens, you feel a rush of breeze on your face, and the reed whistles on the box corners sing.
“She may seem small now, but this little one is strong, and stronger soon. She and I have… discussed… that which you require. She has agreed to serve you, and carry your ship. Take care of her, and she will do the same for you.”
She closes the lid gently, and passes the box to Blendin. “You must make haste from this place. Her home is prepared, just take her within the envelope, and she will do the rest.”
A crowd of riggers is forming 20 paces away, and they are eyeing you with some interest. Jorana touches Blendin softly on the head, and whispers, “Gentle Breeze and sustaining Rain.” She then steps backwards, up onto the railing of the causeway, before pitching over backwards into the Void, disappearing from your site. Fang barks in alarm.
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OOC: You gain the box and its contents. The Swoose is relatively close, about 200 yards. Currently, the path to the ship is fairly unpopulated. The path back to the gate has a crowd of riggers gathering, approximately 2 dozen and growing. Blendin, you are no longer fatigued.
Seriously, guys, if Monty Hall still had a game show, you should all go on it.
Jay and Clovis
ReplyDeleteAs Jay rolls the last barrel toward the harbor cistern, Clovis sees a bronze crowbar laying on the ground next to the riggers loot pile. He approaches to ask about acquiring it, but is deterred when one of the riggers throws a bottle at a passing sailor, hitting him squarely in the head. He drops like a sack of stones, unconscious or worse, and one of his companions drags him clear of danger. The riggers laughter at this site turns your stomach, and also your willingness to ‘trade’ with them again. Instead, you choose to help Jay fill the remaining barrel.
As you top off the cask, a large group of riggers are gathered around the Behemoth Gate with tools and ladders, and appear to be disabling its mechanism. As you watch, the doors lever open, and then come crashing down off its hinges, splintering the causeway. One door bounces before tilting and sliding off into the Void, taking ropes, railings and a support strut as wide as Tooly with it. The Provider who guards the cistern drops to his knees in prayer. A handful of soldiers from the Trade Council begin to form up on the causeway, weapons drawn, along with two piermasters. The riggers disperse into the city before a skirmish can get underway, but your hear clashes as the soldiers follow them through the gate.
You both decide silently it is time to return to the ship, and await your captain and other crew. As you secure the last water cask, you see a merchant ship in the far distance near the dragon gate go up in flame, her sails spewing black smoke. Moments later, another ship, slightly closer also is alight. The riggers nearby are cheering the sight, and the short one appears to be pouring whiskey from your flask onto sailcloth rags they’ve tied around the ends of planks from the cargo crates. Another is pushing rags into the ends of open bottles of the strong alcohol they shared with you.
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OOC: Clovis’ guts roll: 2. With that persuasion roll and their mood, you’re probably glad you were deterred.
Blendin and Gardner also see these ships go up near the dragon gate, about the time that the Priestess jumps off the causeway, to give you a sense of relative time.
The destruction of the ancient, magnificent Behemoth Gate turns Clovis's stomach in a way even the casual assault on the sailor did not. The burning ships light a similar fire in his chest. As soon as he reaches the ship, Clovis scrambles for the new flare gun mounted on a swivel at the rear, his face frozen in a mask of fury. Seeing the nearby riggers preparing their own fire flasks--using his own whiskey!--Clovis charges the cannon, swinging its sights onto the pile of loot and the riggers atop and around it. By the Great Brazen Balls, THIS lot wouldn't be destroying anything while Clovis Oresmith was around! With a grim smile, he presses the butterfly trigger atop the dual spade grips.
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(OOC: I'm assuming, given the design of the ship, that it is pulled up to the dock sideways for ease of loading, docking, and undocking. I'm also assuming that since Clovis has walked the distance several times, he knows the range, but I don't. He'll charge it enough to make the attack short-ranged, but if the riggers start to disburse/attack before it's charged enough, he'll fire anyway.
I never clarified with you if Clovis needs to roll twice to use the gun, once for Weird Science and once for Shooting, or if a single Weird Science roll is enough. Weird Science roll was 14 (8+6). If a separate Shooting roll is needed, it was a 4. If that is a complete miss due to the range not being Short, I'll use a benny, result 11 (8+3).)
Blendin accepts the box and finds himself oddly refreshed after the meeting with the priestess. His sudden awakening is hightened by her sudden disappearance and the blast of ships catching fire. Supressing the urge to run to the ship, for fear of drawing further attention, Blendin looks to Gardner. "I think it is past time we get to our ship and get out of here." Blendin makes sure he has a good solid grip on the box and makes his way toward the Swoose with pruposeful strides.
ReplyDeleteThe flash of additional brightness out in the Void catches Jay's attention. "Looks like today's going to get interesting after all."
ReplyDeleteHe glanced at the ropes tying the ship to the dock, briefly looked up at the deflated envelope, then stepped forward onto the gangplank while drawing his sword.
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Notice 5 - Looking for immediate threats.
Intimidate 2 - Try to look menacing...
OOC: well then, looks like things are getting interesting. Tactical information will follow after I get to the house.
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