ooc: this is a long one, even by my standards. Sorry. There’s something to respond to for everyone at the bottom, so try to read at least your bit and then the everyone bit.
Tooly
Tooly exits the dugout hovel adjusting his breeches with one hand while he shields his eyes from the glow with the other. Here near the trees, the glow is diffused, but as he looks towards the pier and the logging camp ‘city’, his eyes burn.
The men of Timber had warmed to him; certainly not like they did Blendin, but he couldn’t blame them on that. Clovis was, after all, taking a valuable resource in the barmaid. Regardless of how Gertie looked, she snored like a logger, and so Tooly found it best to vacate her premises early each morning.
He had traded his excess pelts to some of the loggers for a true altitude suit, which was far more comfortable. The pelts used by his companions and on the ship remained. Jay had eyed him appraisingly when he showed up last night wearing the oversized clothing, but kept any comments to himself.
Clovis had convinced Rybeck the dayshift foreman at the New Mill to let him examine the workings. When he arrives this morning, Rybeck is there, with his ridiculous slicked ponytail and beady eyes. He shows Tooly the broken machinery and it is apparent that the men of Timber are not privy to any of the original design information.
They watch intently as Tooly mucks about in the gears and driveshafts. After a few hours of scrutiny, he finds the sources of the problem(s). The blades have all been replaced using those from the shipment he provided, good dwarven bronze. However, he notes a broken drive rod, a slipping locking mechanism, as well as assorted minor misalignments that probably lead to the first two problems. It will take some time to repair; probably 14 days total. The drive rod, once made from reinforced wood, should only take a day or so to install. The locking mechanism he guessed about 8 days to manufacture and install, with the remainder solving minor issues and testing. However, when he finished he felt sure the system would function as intended.
Unfortunately, he does not have time to get started, because he must attend tonight’s council meeting.
Jay
The Gipper was not a fan of this cold. His leaves near the walls shriveled slightly, but he was far too strong to give up against to a mere chill in the air.
Jay found he got along well enough with the fellows here. No one tried to kill him, which was frankly rather unusual. In fact, he found his usual behavior did not have its typical effect here; the men of Timber even laughed at some of his jokes. On the second night, he was ‘invited’ into the friendly games at the neighboring table for alittle “arm-wrastlin.” As was their custom, he wagered a small sum: The winner receiving a bottle of their choosing from the rest. First up, was Micky, a wiry fellow with a ratlike face, who Jay tossed from his seat in a flash of violence (Str Test 14 v. 3). Next was Hanover, who no longer in his pilot’s guise was a barrel-chested bear of a man, but his timing was off (Str Test 9 v. 3). Lastly was the only real challenge to Jay, Arnst, who stood a hand taller and had to turn his shoulders to enter the wide doorway. It was a long struggle, but Jay prevailed (Str Test 9 v. 7). The normal backslapping was omitted, out of deference to his spiky husk.
His alcohol of choice, a fairly expensive bottle of elvish wine, which made the men chuckle, and even the barmaid turned up her nose at it.
Since then, he was reasonably accepted (except by Micky, who grumbled about him constantly). As a general rule, elves were uncommon on Timber, he found. Those who came were typically looking for runaways in the woods. His “friendship” with Blendin seemed to ease the locals to his presence. It appears that a local band of wildlings had been attacked only a few days before their arrival on Canopy. No one was quite sure who the attackers were, and the wildlings had scattered.
Gardner
Gardner’s palm was still healing from the bloodletting a few days before. He had overseen the offloading of cargo, and reloading of the barrels, taking time to make sure the load was even. The new envelope seemed to do a better job balancing during offloading, but perhaps it was his imagination.
He spends his free time like his shipmates at the Sleepy Fog Shark. He actually makes a bit of coin off betting on Jay’s arm-wrestling talents, enough to cover his drinks, food and recoup the harbor pilot fees. He had spoken with Renault a few more times, and found him to be highly supportive of the plan he had put forth. He hoped his support on the council tonight would be enough.
Blendin
Blendin is singing softly to himself, when he feels a breeze of cold air from the woods beyond town, heavy with the scent of pine. It was a rare day when Blendin saw his own kind; let alone a handful of them at once. The small group of wildlings exits the treeline as he watches from aboard the ship, walking directly to him. They asked permission to board, and speak with him briefly. He considered denying them access; he was not certain the captain would approve. But before he can respond, they have already walked up the gangway. Three women and two men, all of them bear the scars of labor under their elvish masters, and one of the men bares more recent wounds. Even so, they are all smiling. They welcome him to Canopy, and tell him they had begun walking here two days ago, hearing that he had arrived from loggers. They speak about their villages fondly, the peace they have found in these woods, and the protection provided them by Alpha through the humans here.
Their story is not all happy, though. Their eyes darken as they tell about a recent series of attacks, not just the elves but ships bearing red-green sails that land on the far-side of the island. Many were taken in the latest raid, and not a few killed.
Before long, Blendin realizes he must attend the meeting with the others. The wildlings around him nod in understanding. As they leave, a dark furry female turns and hands him a flower, with a blossom the color of molten stone. Blendin asks where it came from. She smiles before saying, “From Alpha, of course,” and disappears toward the treeline.
Council Meeting, EVERYONE
Like most evenings, the Sleepy Fog Shark is their destination. However, tonight the bar is closed, and all the tables pushed to the walls. Nine chairs are positioned in a “U” shape, with the coals in the center. In each chair is a member of Timber’s council, but no one else is present in the tavern.
You are ushered to the center of the room by the coals. The councilors seem to have already been discussing your proposal, and you see some frowns and smiles suggesting you have both supporters and detractors among them.
The Magistrate, seated in the center and holding a smooth wooden staff across his lap speaks first, “Alright, we’ve heard our side of things, and I’ll tell you now, I don’t want to turn our back on the Dwarves. They should be here in 4 days time, and they have been very reliable. Why should I open up a new trade that could harm our good report with them? What assurances can you give me that this is in our interest and not simply to line your wallet? Well, speak up!”
ooc: Alright, this is one of the minigames I was planning. I’m going to need persuasion rolls (or, intimidate rolls) from everyone with a target. Feel free to choose either type of roll, but they have different effects. Intimidate will be used to shout down detractors of the plan (keep them from acting to influence others), persuasion to convince them to your side. A successful intimidate check will also move the target one step away from supporting your plan (a raise will still silence them, but they are not personally offended by you).
Describing your arguments will add a modifier based on the persona you’re trying to affect. This doesn’t need to be a paragraph or anything, but no description of your argument, and I’ll give you a negative modifier. If you choose not to speak at all, it is seen as an insult, and will apply a -1 modifier to your associates rolls.
Some of you don’t have one or both skills. Oops. I guess you’ll be making a default roll. That is a d4, with the d6 wild die, but you will subtract 2 from your total.
The councilors will also be acting, of course, but only on each other. Your opinion of the plan doesn’t matter to them. They will try to either persuade or intimidate each other.
You’ll need 8/9 votes of the council to broker the deal you want, and 5/9 votes to get any deal at all. There will be 5 rounds. After your influencing rolls are determined I will take a “vote” against a target number of 4 on each round (using a d6) modified by their current disposition to your plan. If you reach your goal number of 8/9 early, I’ll end the meeting early.
The Councilors (disposition):
Magistrate Hooper (strongly opposed)
Rybeck, the foreman (opposed)
Hanover, the harbormaster (supporting)
Micky, the logger (strongly opposed)
Milton, the Provider (indifferent)
Renault, the steward (strongly supporting)
Dirk, the Captain of the Watch (strongly opposed)
Gertie, the barmaid (supporting)
Arnst, the logging chief (opposed)
Current Vote: 4/9
Good Luck!
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Tooly is naturally loyal to his fellow dwarves, but he's deeply offended that they are too lazy, greedy, or incompetent to fix the mills properly. He won't disparage them directly, but he has no qualms about pointing out the truth. With his eye focused on Rybeck, Tooly asks with a lilt, "How many times have the OTHER dwarves 'fixed' your mills? How many times have you replaced those blades, Rybeck, and at what price? Done right, they should last you months if not years. Good bronze wears down, it doesn't break."
ReplyDelete(OOC: Persuasion roll: 5 without modifiers. Let's hope that was the right thing to say and I get a positive mod.)
Blendin focuses on Dirk. "We in no way mean to cause trouble by harming to your relationship with the dwarves. From the sounds of things, you could use the supplies coming from both suppliers."
ReplyDelete------------------------------------------
ooc: Persuasion roll: 3 without modifiers. None of you have met Dorpin (a Begquiler I created from D&D), but he would have everyone here believing he was the king of Canopy... Too bad Blendin isn't built that way.
ooc: Blendin informs Gardner of the red-green sails and the attack on the wildling camps. He indicates that he believes the quarantine flag was, in fact, a ruse
ReplyDeleteooc: before the meeting begins, of course
ReplyDeleteGardner turns his eyes toward Micky.
ReplyDelete"From the look of your hands you've been doing this a while. I understand that a man just wants to do an honest day's work and not rock the boat, so to speak. Before I was a trader I worked on the docks of Shadowhaven loading and unloading cargo. Back when I started we did it mostly by hand. But then we got smart. Block and tackles using elvish rope can lift twice the cargo twice as fast. I bet mechanically inclined fellows like yourselves could use that extra strong rope to rig up some device to move tree trunks faster than you've ever done before. Dwarves won't bring you Elvish rope, but Magnus will."
----------------------
Persuasion 15. My skill die aced.
Jay stoically and silently observes the proceedings.
ReplyDeleteTooly’s words seem to strike a chord with Rybeck, who strokes his chin and nods.
ReplyDeleteDirk says, “ah, the Void take you dwarf. At least the others didn’t diddle our women!” Gertie looks away uncomfortably. Micky chimes in, “Yeah, and you carry on with elves like that one? On this isle? Why, Arnst and I know what to do with elves when we find them in the woods.” His threat is somewhat hollow, and Arnst shrugs, “he wrestles fair, though.”
Blendin’s words only make Dirk roll his eyes in irritation. Rybeck speaks next, “We all know what your problem with elves is, Micky, they throw you on your lazy ass. Don’t make this about something its not.” Micky doesn’t appear phased. Hanover pipes up, “Priest, you know I’ve only been here to replace Whitaker going on five years now. but when I was on Dragonspine, I saw Magnus’ ships. They are a legitimate trading guild, and well respected.” The priest nods, saying, “They have treated my other patrons well, and paid with fair coin up front.”
When Arnst speaks, the room echoes, “The money man just wants to line his pockets. His words are of no use to us today.” Renault flinches and sputters. Gardner jumps in, and Micky’s mouth hangs open, “If he’s telling the truth, we could put that rope to work in the trees....”
Milton nods and says, “I think we should all hear what they have to say. Let them make their case, Magistrate. They came all this way.” The magistrate grumbles, but concedes, “Fine, they can speak. But you and I both know that words are hollow. We are a long way from shadowhaven, even this time of year. The Council doesn’t hear us as loudly as those who reside there.” The priest shrugs, “I don’t trust the council. I trust my Mother to protect me, from both word and deed.”
Jay crosses his arms.
============
ooc: Some changes in disposition. Looks like advantage is to you thus far!
The Councilors (disposition):
Magistrate Hooper (opposed)
Rybeck, the foreman (indifferent)
Hanover, the harbormaster (supporting)
Micky, the logger (indifferent)
Milton, the Provider (supporting)
Renault, the steward (strongly supporting)
Dirk, the Captain of the Watch (strongly opposed)
Gertie, the barmaid (supporting)
Arnst, the logging chief (opposed)
Current ‘Straw Poll’ Vote: 5/9
Gardner focuses on Dirk. "What makes any island in Skies unsafe is idleness. And that's caused by the dwarves not being able to keep up with demand here on Timber. I bet every time one of the mills is down or there's a ship in port waiting to load lumber because there's not enough ready yet you've got more fights, more tension. Am I right? The certainty of steady supplies that Magnus can provide will keep Canopy humming along and make your job easier."
ReplyDelete----------------------
Persuasion roll 9
Arnst, it is clear you and Micky have a problem with elves. And I can't much blame you, especially with the relationship you have with the local wildlings. Do you think I would work alongside just any elf? An elf truted by Magnus, is an elf even a wildling can trust.
ReplyDelete-------------------------------------
ooc: Focus on Arnst. Unmodified persuasion roll = 5 [aced my skill die]
Tooly Barely glances at Dirk before focusing back on Rybeck again. "Just think of all that lumber waiting to be sawed, and your workers sitting idle because your blades are broken and no one is even bringing you more, much less fixing the problem."
ReplyDelete------------------
(OOC: Persuasion 7 without modifiers. Rolled a pair of fours and was all disappointed before I realized that was an ace for my skill die.)
Clovis says his piece; Rybeck shrugs, and says, “the little guy’s got a point.”
ReplyDeleteThen Gardner speaks. Dirk grumbles back, “And so all these new merchant vessels, they’ll not bring their own share of violence? I know my boys well enough, and they know how I run things, and how far they can go. It’s you off-islanders that give me grief.”
Gertie clears her throat. “And its off-islanders that give us our life’s blood, Dirk. You keep the peace well enough, what’s a few more new faces? Milton and I can handle them.” Dirk seems unfazed by her argument.
Renault jumps in, “Look here, if the rope is as good as they say, we can hire three, maybe four more guardsmen with the extra income and still have plenty to spare. You’ll get your share, Dirk.” This turns Dirk’s head, “More men, eh? I could use a proper guard now that we have both Mills built and the town is growing. Plus we could patrol the forest…”
Rybeck rolls his eyes, “Next you’ll have Hanover here in a new boat! Why don’t you slow down, Renault, and think this through.” Renault ignores him.
Dirk tries a new tactic, “Provider, you’ve been here longer than any of us. You remember when the first mill burned, and the lumber flowed. You remember when we used bone saws, not bronze, and the lumber flowed. We don’t need to give away our most precious resource to make this trade. They’ll do it for a barrel or two on our terms.” Jay growls, “"Shut your gin-trip you lily-livered simian!"” but Dirk will not be interrupted.
Milton takes a moment to consider. “Dirk has the right of it, I believe, Magistrate. We’d be giving up our rightful blessing for a bit of bronze. We can always find another supplier, or another way. The right to sell iceseal, though, that belongs to us, and we should keep it that way.” The Magistrate nods.
Hanover clears his throat, “Magistrate, we’re getting the wrong of it, I fear. There’s more than enough iceseal, and the rights are only for Shadowhaven. There are many islands, and this is a fair trade. If they break the faith with us, the Council will be able to find them, and make it right. The dwarves are always travelling the Shattered City or the Lower Isles. What happens to us if they are killed or find a better buyer?“
Magistrate Hooper shakes his head, “The dwarves aren’t the point, Hanover. They may not be handy like this one, but they know their business well enough. I think we’ll need something more to give up the rights. Renault, what else does the island need?”
Renault responds, “Nothing that isn’t already provided. They bring a fair bargain sir, it is my recommendation we take it.” Micky breaks in, “we’ve heard your recommendation already, Renault. Why don’t you let the real men say their piece?” Renault smiles coldly, “I’d rather hear what the little one has to say.” Blendin’s voice cuts through the silence, but is followed by a guffaw from Arnst, “Hah! You tell me Magnus trusts this elf? I imagine his tree ‘god’ trusted him too? Broken promises are written all over him, eh Micky?” Micky nods.
============
ooc: Some more changes in disposition. Rough going this round.
The Councilors (disposition):
Magistrate Hooper (strongly opposed)
Rybeck, the foreman (supporting)
Hanover, the harbormaster (supporting)
Micky, the logger (strongly opposed)
Milton, the Provider (opposed)
Renault, the steward (strongly supporting)
Dirk, the Captain of the Watch (strongly opposed)
Gertie, the barmaid (supporting)
Arnst, the logging chief (opposed)
Current ‘Straw Poll’ Vote: 4/9
Tooly furrows his brow, genuinely perplexed by all the arguing. He fixes his eye on Magistrate Hooper, but asks in a voice meant for the whole group. "I don't get what the problem is. We want the right to be the only ones to sell iceseal on Shadowhaven, right? Do you already have buyers from Shadowhaven coming here regularly? 'Cause if not, it seems to me you're getting a whole lotta somethin' for nothing. You can still sell to whoever else you want."
ReplyDelete-------------
(OOC: Persuasion 5, before mods. That d4 aces easily, but it's still a d4.)
"Tooly's got the right of it. Do you realize the toll this kind of trip takes on most travellers? The long exposure to the void makes such trips almost unbearable for most traders. We are offering regular payments for your plentiful resource. I don't expect many more traders from Shadowhaven are willing to make these trips on such a schedule."
ReplyDelete-----------------------------------------
ooc: Persuasion 4, before mods.
ooc: sorry, aimed at the magistrate.
ReplyDeleteGardner focuses on Milton. "Dirk would have us all break our backs and needlessly suffer out of some misguided sense of distrust and hoarding. Why use bone saws when you can have bronze? We could all use only what we have on our own islands. But did the gods not show us how to sail the skies so that we might trade? Did they not show us how to build machines so that we could improve our labor? The only way we all survive in the Skies is if we trade what we have for what we need, as the gods have shown us. You'll always have the main supply of iceseal, and ships will still come here to get it. But you've got more here than you can sell from your own port. Why not make some profit selling some to Magnus and let him bring your product to new markets?"
ReplyDelete------------------
Persuasion 8
Micky joins in, “Too right, big guy! Send them home, we’ll take our chances with the dwarves.” Arnst does not appear to like the attempt at flattery.
ReplyDeleteThe provider has been shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He speaks softly, but the room seems to quiet. “Gertie, I know you’ve been, intimate, with that one.” He nods toward Tooly, “Perhaps that gives you reason to trust him and his, but perhaps it just clouds your judgment, hmm?” She stands up, knocking over her chair, “I’m one of a dozen women in this camp. Perhaps my personal life is clouding all of your judgments, priest!”
Anrst grumbles, “I don’t care what you do with what’s between your legs woman. And we know that Rybeck don’t neither, after the accident. What’s he have to say?” Rybeck’s face is sour.
Tooly says his piece. He points at various members of the council hoping to sell his position to as many as he can, but fears that his lack of focus may detract from his argument. However, the Magistrate and the Provider share a glance that tells Clovis his words found their mark. Blendin takes advantage of the moment, and now the Magistrate appears to be deep in thought indeed. Dirk tries to intervene with more words of outsiders, but this argument bears no fruit.
A side argument has begun on the left, among the loggers. Rybeck whispers furiously, “I’m man enough to know the difference between a woman’s good sense and your folly. Micky, you’ve been bringing in more logs this year than Arnst using your wits instead of your back. Use them now.” Gertie is too busy returning to her seat to enter the argument.
Hooper is still stroking his chin. “Go on, Captain. I want to hear more.” Gardner nods to the Magistrate, but directs his words to the Provider. The old man say’s, “I remember when we were both younger men, sir. Folly was always just a step away, hmm? Now that we have some years on us, how do we convince these young ones of your wisdom? I’ve been trying, but they only seem interested in my ale and stew.”
Renault says, “Magistrate, if the priest sees this is wisdom, who are we to argue? Your father was a wise man and no fool. He taught both you and I the value of a good trade. What would he say now?” The Magistrate smiles, “He’d say ‘listen to Rennie, that boy has more sense than most.’”
Hanover shares a private joke with Rybeck, which no one else overhears.
Jay has blended into the background, ready to strike with salty language and growls again if the need arises.
============
ooc: Whoa, way to go this round guys. Seriously good work, lots of progress. Keep it up, and you’ll finish this in time for tea.
The Councilors (disposition):
Magistrate Hooper (supporting)
Rybeck, the foreman (strongly supporting)
Hanover, the harbormaster (supporting)
Micky, the logger (strongly opposed)
Milton, the Provider (strongly supporting)
Renault, the steward (strongly supporting)
Dirk, the Captain of the Watch (strongly opposed)
Gertie, the barmaid (strongly supporting)
Arnst, the logging chief (opposed)
Current ‘Straw Poll’ Vote: 7/9. So close.
Tooly turns up his hands at Arnst, out of arguments because the ones he's made seem so obviously right to him. "I'm not a logger, but I know is it's easier to cut wood with bronze than with bone--and you don't have enough bronze as things are now. We want to fix that."
ReplyDelete-----------------
(OOC: Persuasion 2. Damn.)
(OOC Part 2, Electric Boogaloo: That's a 2 without mods. When I know the modifiers, I'll post my rolls as equations like 4+2-2=4. When I post a lone number, it's the raw roll.)
ReplyDelete(OOC and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Heh, the CAPTCHA word for that last post was "workwar." How eerily appropriate.)
ReplyDeleteIs the current status correct? I see 3 still opposed but the straw poll says 7/9.
ReplyDeleteBlendin looks to Micky, "So you seriously believe you don't need more bronze than those lazy dwarves have been able to provide?"
ReplyDelete-----------------------------
Persuasion = 2 without mods. (ouch)
ooc: yes. The "opposed vs. supporting" is an indicator of the modifier applied to the vote, not the vote itself (which is a d6 roll with a target of 4). In gameworld terms think of supporters who vote against as feeling a bit of voting booth anxiety for the status quo, and opposers who vote for as being cowed by the series of "Yays" that preceded them.
ReplyDeleteGardner focuses on Dirk, "Lets not forget the spices we're offering too. After a hard day's work out here in the cold even skyler stew can taste like a feast with some extra seasoning, and Magnus's trade network lets him acquire spices from all over."
ReplyDelete----------------------
OOC - first roll 5, spending a benny to reroll, new roll is 16 with an aced skill die and charisma modifier. Lets see if the stomach is the way into the cop heart.
Most of the committee is now staring down the few objectors rather than entering the argument directly. Even the Magistrate, once the staunchest defender of the “Nay” vote has quieted, and seems to be pleased with the way the winds are blowing.
ReplyDeleteThis silent support from the council is coupled with the simpler minds of Micky and Arnst, and although there are a few grumbles, both Tooly and Blendin make a bit of an impact on their disposition. Gardner gets his words in before Dirk can form an argument. “You boys have access to cardamom? I haven’t had it in years, but if you can guarantee some in the next shipment, I see no reason to fight the will of the group.” Some of the others look at Dirk with a degree of astonishment. “What? A man’s got needs, mine are just different than the barmaids.” Gertie glowers, but says nothing.
A vote is called, and the decision is settled, with only Micky voting against the plan. He storms out of the room as the last vote is made.
“Then it’s settled. We will require at least three trades per year, and guarantee up to eight. We agree to provide barrels of iceseal for an equal trade in bronze. Spices and elven rope will also be provided in every shipment, not to compose less than 10% each. You may purchase additional iceseal, timber, cut lumber, or whatever materials are available. The parties completing the trades will determine appropriate rates of exchange at the time of the trade, as per usual trade council policy.
“We grant your trading company exclusive rights to provide Shadowhaven with Iceseal directly for a period of at least three years from today’s date, to be renegotiated after the fact at a time of either party’s choosing. During this time, we will not sell Iceseal in amounts exceeding one barrel per year to any operation which acknowledges or is known to have significant holdings in Shadowhaven, but we retain the right to sell to in any amount to businesses which do not have such holdings, and also to apply it to any ships seeking harbor here at Timber. In addition, we may sell whatever other goods we see fit with merchants out of Shadowhaven, as long as it does not violate the other terms of this agreement. Agreed?”
Rybeck and Dirk bring over one of the tables, and you join the remaining council members around it. Renault completes the contract with these terms, and them Magistrate marks it with a silver seal that dangles around his neck. It hisses and sears the paper, burning an image of the island of Canopy into thick parchment. Renault passes the paper to you for your examination and signature. The Magistrate waits for your answer, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair.
============
ooc: I don’t like letting NPCs do the heavy lifting for you, so it was up to you guys to get the last vote(s). The council threw a bit of support your way in terms of modifiers, but the kicker was that both Arnst and Micky rolled 1s on their defense die for Clovis and Blendin’s ridiculously bad persuasions. Needless to say, with Gardner’s crazy good roll, this one is in the bag. The terms suggested are essentially what Magnus had wanted, but if you wish to modify the deal, you can try.
The Councilors (disposition):
Magistrate Hooper (supporting)
Rybeck, the foreman (strongly supporting)
Hanover, the harbormaster (supporting)
Micky, the logger (opposed)
Milton, the Provider (strongly supporting)
Renault, the steward (strongly supporting)
Dirk, the Captain of the Watch (indifferent)
Gertie, the barmaid (strongly supporting)
Arnst, the logging chief (indifferent)
Final Vote 8/9. Minigame completed, successful parley. Good work.
Gardner looks to his crew to make sure they're all in agreement [someone stop me if you have concerns on the trade]. "I'm glad we could work out a good deal for everyone." He signs the contract on behalf of Magnus. "Now lets tap a barrel of that lager. Its on us till the barrel runs dry." [pay for it out of the ship's funds, to be replenished from the payment for the bronze when we get it.]
ReplyDeleteTooly quirks an eyebrow at Gertie and grins, but sidles over to Rybeck. "Your mill still needs some realignment, and it might be a good idea to look at the other one, too. Thing is, it'll take me at least two weeks to take care of the New Mill." He jerks a thumb toward Gardner signing the agreement. "The skipper will have us out of here as soon as the ship's full, though. He'll need a profitable reason to keep us here, so if you have any ideas, let him--or me--know, eh?"
ReplyDeleteHe nods firmly and strides over to Gertie with a smile and a questioning look as Gardner offers a barrel of beer to the room. "Free beer's never a bad thing, but there're even better ways to spend an afternoon in Timber, I'm sure. You know any?"
-----------------------
Tooly will be equally happy to spend the rest of the day drinking or off with the barmaid, giving Rybeck time to hopefully come up with a way to keep the ship in Timber for a couple weeks. It doesn't occur to him that Rybeck might get the ship delayed somehow rather than, say, paying the crew to stay so Tooly can fix the mill.
Within a few hours, most of those in town have found their way to the Sleepy Fog Shark. A few are passed out in the corner, and Arnst is leading a group in what appears to be a heavily accented orcish song about logging (although Gardner seems decidedly more amused by the lyrics than would be warranted by a song simply about the chopping of trees). The entire crew has gathered around a small table. Even Fang has found his way into the bar, and snoozes by Gardner’s feet.
ReplyDeleteTooly sits atop an upturned bucket, frowning into his cups, as Gertie travels from Milton to the tables with sloshing mugs, no longer the council member but just a simple barmaid. The Magistrate too has returned to his role as a just another logger, and is singing along with Arnst’s crew from his chair near the coals.
Rybeck and Renault find their way over to your table, “Thank you, sirs, for the fine gift of drink. First of many, first of many.” Rybeck leans close to Gardner, in an attempt to be conspiratorial, however he speaks loud enough that those sleeping in neighboring huts may hear him. “Your dwarf says he can fix the Mill in two weeks, only two weeks. I say you should stay. What do you think of that, Cap’n?” Renault, the far more sober of the pair, interjects, “Thing is, Captain, you could benefit from remaining a few days. I’ve seen the weather gear you wear. The elf there, he shivers under his spines. It’s a wonder you’ve not frozen stiff. I can have suits made for you from our stores at half cost, in exchange for the work done to bring our mill online. We can provide work for your crew as well, if need be. Or perhaps there’s something else you’d desire? Perhaps seal your ship, while you’re here?”
Dirk wanders over to the table as well. “Elf. I can tell by the look of you that you’ve seen your share of trouble. I hope you’ll not have need to start any here after the words exchanged in the meeting. When I see a man silent and brooding, it gets me to worrying. The boys…” his voice trails off as he notices the blossom that blendin has in his hands. “Where in the Skies did you get that, Little One?”
Blendin looks to Dirk, confused for a moment, before looking down at where he has been endlessly twirling the flower. "Why, from Alpha of course."
ReplyDelete"Proper altitude gear and iceseal for the ship are very tempting. Let me talk it over with the crew."
ReplyDeleteOOC: Do they need to iceseal the envelope, too? Does iceseal even work on dirigibles? The rulebook doesn't say. Also, since Clovis has altitude gear already, he'll take cash or goods if offered.
ReplyDeleteJay slightly smirks at Blendin's response to Dirk, but stays silent and continues to watch the interplay between the two.
ReplyDeleteDirk shakes his head in what appears to be wonder, and then says, “Well, I’ll be.” He turns to walk away.
ReplyDeleteRenault suggests they discuss your longer stay and any travel plans in the next day or two, while the remainder of the payment is prepared.
Suddenly, you notice that the Inn has quieted. Three dwarves walk in through the tunnelway. They are clearly sailors. Each of them wears an altitude suit, and looks a bit like a stuffed sausage. They also are armed with throwing axes at their waist, which looks out of place here in Timber. The tallest one has opened their outer coat, revealing a long braided blonde beard with yellow-green ribbons, and speaks in a clear voice through the quieting din.
“Celebrations usually begin after we arrive, men of Timber! What is the occasion, hmm? Some human holiday? I say, you should have your pilots operating all the same! Bringing in the ship without help is worse here than at DeepSky, with these blasted winds.”
They approach the bar, where they are greeted with mugs of alcohol, and then Magistrate Hooper. They appear to be exchanging words, which gets slightly heated, before they shoot a glance at your table.
ooc: iceseal would be for the hull. The envelope will be treated like sails here, which wouldn't be sealed.
ReplyDeleteBlendin whispers to Gardner, "I thought these dwarves weren't supposed to return for quite a while yet. Might be a good idea for us to take up watches again on our ship. I volunteer for the first watch."
ReplyDelete----------------------------------------
Unless Gardner stops him, Blendin will make his way back to the ship and will quickly take up his musket and get himself into the best position to protect the ship and see what is going on in harbor.
"Don't leave just yet. We don't want them to get suspicious or think we're afraid. If things don't heat up here you can use your... talents... later to slip out and check on the ship."
ReplyDeleteGardner raises his mug to the dwarven leader in a friendly gesture and scratches Fang behind the ears with his other hand.
Blendin takes his seat and continues to twirl his flower.
ReplyDeleteJay starts to lean towards Blendin to tell him something when Blendin mentions his plan to Gardner. He pauses and for a fraction of a second one might mistake him for being impressed by the wildling. Just as Jay is about to lean back into his seat, mumbling something about "...not half as dumb as..." Gardner makes his response.
ReplyDeleteWhile Gardner salutes the dwarves, Jay replies to Blendin, "Of course, if they look distracted, slip out then."
Tooly hesitates for a moment, oblivious to the byplay among his shipmates, then stands up and walks to the bar, where he says loudly, "Provider, a bottle of that wonderful dwarven whiskey for the first dwarves I've seen in weeks!" Turning to the newcomers, he says, "Just off a manual docking, you boys deserve something stronger than ale, eh?"
ReplyDeleteThe dwarves return the raised glass with their own bottle of Tooly’s dwarven whiskey in salute to Gardner. The shortest of the dwarves, with a red cropped beard, shoots Tooly an angry glare, but is silenced by the blonde before speaking. “We thank you, dwarf. It appears you are the only one-eyed one, but clearly such distinctions are not worthy titles. May we know the family which we address? I’d make thanks for this kindness of yours upon our return to Deepsky.”
ReplyDeleteThe three walk toward you, taking chairs from a nearby table and sitting a comfortable distance away. The blackbeared one, with pink bows on the mustachios, pulls the cork out with a bite and spit, before pouring for the three of them.
The blonde addresses the assembled group. “I hear you are scavengers in bronze as well. What luck that you’ve found such a rich source. Sailor to sailor, perhaps you’d tell me where it is?” The words are bitten and icy, but with a glinting smile.
Tooly retakes his seat, but turns to half-face the other dwarves. "Clovis Oresmith," he introduces himself, either unaware or unconcerned that the other dwarves might try to make trouble for him later, "and it's nothing, boys. No, we're not scavengers, just errand boys. We just fly the ship. The bronze comes from a Council bigshot, Greenbottom. He can get anything if there's a market, but don't ask me how or where."
ReplyDeleteBlendin keeps his mouth shut but watches and listens intently.
ReplyDeleteGardner leans in and whispers, "One day we came upon a huge pod of Behemoths around two uncharted islands. One island was made of copper, and the other of tin. All the Behemoths did all day was eat chunks off those islands. As we watched we noticed that when they shit, the finest bronze ingots came out and floated in the air. They didn't seem to mind if we took them, so now we have a whole fleet out there catching behemoth shit in nets."
ReplyDeleteTooly blinks a few times, trying to decide if Gardner is serious.
ReplyDeleteThe dwarves turn from their cousin Tooly to all stare at Gardner for a few moments, before bursting into laughter.
ReplyDelete"Keep your secrets then, human." The blonde leans in close, "I suggest you keep ours as well, if you know what's good for you."
They sit and drink with you for a few minutes, before retiring to their room. Renault sidles over after they leave.
"That went surprisingly well. With your boxes of bronze, I think this will have to be our last trade with them. I'll talk with them in the morning, I suppose. But, on to our trading for your services on the mill. Why don't you boys drop by my home for lunch to finalize details. My wife is quite the cook - perhaps her food will convince you to stay."
The bar is beginning to empty now that the keg is drained.
ooc:sorry, I've had an interesting couple days. tell you all about it sometime. anyway, post any other activities for the next few days, determine what terms you are willing to bargain for to stay in town to fix the mill, and then post them. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll plan to start a new thread tomorrow night, probably, at the time of your payment, which will be ready in three days. Feel free to roll persuasion, streetwise or anything else that seems appropriate.
Oh, and by the way, I'm going to dispense points for the great work on the trade deal. Two points each. That's a ding for everyone. Get me whatever upgrades you want via email. If you have questions, let me know.
Tooly catches Gardner aside. "Seems to me that we could be out of here faster if I could work on the mill more. Think the boys would be willing to pull an extra 2 hours' watch each so I could work instead of sit on my butt on the ship? They'll be warmer in their new altitude gear, after all."
ReplyDelete"I don't think the dwarves will cause trouble. Is that your sense as well? If so then I think we can all do whatever is needed so you can fix the mill. New altitude gear and iceseal for the Swoose would be nice to have, and something that Magnus would never pay for. It'll also be a nice gesture to the locals that they'll hopefully remember if they ever begin to think they didn't get a fair deal. Even if it takes 2 weeks we may still be able to get back before Magnus is expecting us, given the good time we made here. Whatever we need to do to get it done."
ReplyDeleteTooly nods. "It's hard to tell with women, but I don't think they'll make trouble at this point. Still, always good to keep a watch.
ReplyDeleteI'll have all the help I need from the locals in the mill, so the rest of you can keep an eye on the ship and do whatever. I'll let you know if there's anything else I need.
I suspect the other mill's in no better shape, so you may want to open negotiations for fixing that one, if it needs it."
Jay doesn't see much to add to the conversation. At some point he leaves with an "I'll be in my bunk." While both they and the dwarves are in port he'll be spending all his time on the ship (sleeping, tending to the ship and his plants, and keeping a casual watch), unless anyone else needs him to assist with something else.
ReplyDeleteBlendin makes mention of searching for Alpha when he isn't needed on the ship.
ReplyDeleteupdate coming late tonight, closing this thread.
ReplyDelete