The journey was uneventful. Tooly spent much of his time repairing the Grandee, and while she is no ship-of-the-line, she has a single functional cannon on her port side, a working tiller, and a pair of small but usable sails.
This meant his tinkering time normally devoted to the Swoose was thankfully short.
You are in the middle of changing shifts when Moira calls down from the top of the envelope to inform you she has spotted land. Within an hour, you can see an island that can only be Dragon’s Spine laid out before you. It’s a long undulating ribbon of land, with two vast peaks in the center, the Wings of the Dragon. There is a small forest near what would likely be considered the head, and of course your destination, the Foreign Quarter, located near where one might expect the rectum were the island indeed a living dragon.
Aside from the small forest and some scattered shrubs, the island is largely barren. You see hundreds of statues and pillars dotting the island. Many appear to represent dragons, but you dare not fly closer to investigate; doing so would be doubly dangerous here as the drakin value their privacy above all else. As you near the Foreign Quarter, you see great arching walls of stone, 10 meters thick and three times as high, and etched with the visage of dragons. The etchings are each accompanied by a long script in the drakin language, detailing the deeds of the dragon it represents. You see a crew of drakin hard at work adding a new visage to the wall with chisels. There is no gate; a pair of elevators are located near the center of the wall, and heavily guarded. The only known way through is, in fact, over.
The FQ is an odd mismash of buildings, elfin longhouses next to orc or goblin hovels next to human wattle and daub, all over tunnels of dwarves. If there was a plan to segregate different races to occupy different areas of town, that plan had failed long ago, and neighborhoods appear to have intersected throughout.
The port is similarly cosmopolitan. You see a couple dozen ships of various types, including the Python and three vessels bearing red-green sails. A single TC ship, an older tub, is sitting at station in the harbor but its signal flags indicate free passage to arriving vessels. There will be no inspection today.
There is no need for a harbor pilot here as the winds are relatively calm. You pull your vessels into a wide slip near the gatehouse to the FQ; a stone palisade separates the shipyards from the rest, and can only be accessed through this gate. As you are securing the ships, a drakin militia patrol arrives. They number about 20, are wearing leather armor, and carry small shields and spears, except for their leader, who wears only robes and carries a staff. He speaks in a clear, smooth tone. “Welcome voidfarers. We drakin owe you a debt for your service to our home. May you fulfill your desires here. I am vice-commandant Brislim of the FQ Civic Watch.” Instead of bowing himself, he tilts his staff. His golden eyes never leave you.
“It is my duty to log your presence here, and my privilege to guard your ship while you partake of our fine city. But, I must first provide the Admonishments, as required by our Law, granted by the Great Wisdom of our Forebears. In addition to general good behavior and civic codes familiar to those who travel the skies, we have two Laws we enforce most stringently. First, you will not venture beyond the Wall. The penalty is death. Second, you surrender all personal weapons at the gatehouse, or leave them aboard ship. The penalty is death. Are these Admonishments understood? Very well.” Brislim waves a hand, and one of the soldiers hands a comrade his spear, and removes a logbook from its sling on his shoulder. He opens it, and stands ready to make an entry.
Brislim continues with a litany of questions, “What is the purpose of your visit? Names? Names of vessels? Number in crew? Port of origin? Cargo? Desired cargo? Do you require services from the shipyard? Intended time in port? Port fees are 5 cogs per week up front of 8 cogs per week prior to departure.”
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"We are escorting a message and may wish to have some relics analyzed. Gardner, Jay, Clovis, Blendin, and Moira. The Swoose, registered to Magnus Greenbottom, and the Grandee. We arrived from Canopy. We are carrying ice seal. We do not plan on trading unless we find an especially generous buyer and an exceptionally good deal at the Bazaar. Has anything interesting arrived recenlty, Brislim? Any good deals you know of? We will not require services of the shipyard and we plan to make our stay a short one, no more than a few days. We will pay the port fee for a week up front."
ReplyDelete-------------------------------
Those who took the relics may already have info on what they do, if not it seems like a Drakin wizard might be able to help us with that. If not please disregard.
After the formalities of checking in, Blendin approaches Gardner. "If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany Moira on her delivery of the message. From my understanding, it shouldn't take long."
ReplyDeletevia email, Jay intends to stay aboard ship.
ReplyDeleteTooly stretches. "Right, well, you guys can relax in your own ways," he looks suggestively at Blendin with a glance at Moira, though with one eye, it's hard to tell if he winks or simply blinks normally, "but I'm gonna find a place to relax for a bit, then come back and see what we can do to get the Grandee shipshape in a proper port."
ReplyDeleteThe dwarf eyes Jay. "You sure you don't want to come along for a real meal?"
With that, the dwarf strides over to the gatehouse to verify if his knife and hammer qualify as "weapons."
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OOC: If the drakins object to the knife and/or hammer, Clovis will leave them on the ship rather than risk his newly-modified dagger with strangers. He'll then go off to find a mostly-human pub for a few hours, with or without Jay, before returning to the ship after local dinner time.
LR:
I don't know if BR told you via email, but Tooly converted his dagger into a bayonet and would be happy to do so for Blendin as well. It still works as a dagger, but turns your musket into a spear (sort of) when attached, giving increased damage and range for melee attacks.
JWW:
Tooly also fixed the bronze and coin armor, and has claimed the bronze, so I assume Gardner is taking the coin shirt.
"I'm too old to be an effective first officer for your maiden voyage, Tooly, and I'm too stiff to want to stay on the ship. You're free to do what you want, Blendin. I'm going to go have a look at the Bazaar and see if I can spot any bargains." He whistles to Fang, "Come on, boy, let's see if we can find you a treat."
ReplyDelete-------------------------
Gardner will leave his rib blade but carry his new coin armor and his bronze dagger if allowed. Is the script going to be exchangeable here, or does it need to be done in Shadowhaven? Streetwise 10 to scan the Bazaar.
The drakin writes down a few notes in his logbook as you respond to the questions, and then another steps forward to take your port fees and grant you a receipt on thin parchment. Brislim continues,
ReplyDelete“All is in order then. The bazaar is 500 yards spineward; follow the main covered boulevard from the gatehouse. I don’t have much interest in trading, but you are the fifth and sixth vessels arriving in port today. Previous vessels carried,” He leans over and examines the log, “orcish beer, glowborn furniture, paving stones from some island called Quarry, ice and behemoth oil. With the damage to the Great Harbor at Shadowhaven, our port has been busier than usual and prices are good, I hear. If you are interested in other goods, I’d inquire at the bazaar directly.
“I hear the humans of canopy are prone to fits of anger. We’ve no trees to shade us here, and such things are not acceptable. Racial tensions here are bad enough without the influx of all these new souls. From the look of you, I’d expect that you’ll not add to our problems on that front, but if any among you feels the need to recover from the tribulations of voidfaring, make use of our common houses on your own accord. Know that we have contracted the dwarves to ‘house’ sailors in their tunnels when they get out of hand. A few days in darkness can cure many ills, but there are more comfortable ways to do it.
“We have a Courier guildhall on the other side of the gatehouse, by the Navigators. You’ll find a number of wizards who will happily look at any relics found in your travels – I might suggest my broodmate, Vinslim, his rates are fair and he lives here in the quarter. You can find him…” He continues to give you directions for his brother’s workshop a series of locations, including a few reputable common houses, as well as a couple less reputable ones after shooting a look at Tooly and Jay.
After the guard departs, Moira tells Blendin she’d appreciate his company, and lets the crew know she’ll deliver her message before talking to the Guildmaster here about your reward. She shoulders her bag, and prepares to leave. She hides her pistol in her chest, in which you also note she’s placed the lead sword, and then departs, with Blendin in tow. After passing the gatehouse, she reaches into her bag, takes hold of the message tube, and recites her name, and a series of words that Blendin doesn’t quite catch. Her eyes flash blue for a moment, as does the tube in her hand, and then she says, “This way, Blendin. It’s a bit of a walk, it would seem. Try to keep up.”
Tooly makes ready to go to a human pub. He finds no problem with his hammer or dagger, and makes way to the Blushing Canary Inn, from Brislim’s ‘reputable’ list. The Inn is four stories of wattle and daub, with the lower two dedicated to a large drinking establishment. On the second level, there are long tables with smooth stones, and many groups stand about playing some game of chance which Tooly is unfamiliar with. Occasionally there are cries of victory or defeat. The lower level is lightly populated at current, a mix of human women and men, seated on low stools around tables that appear to have once been large spools. An amiable fellow with a drooping mustache and receding hairline mans the bar. He fills a mug for Clovis from a large cask behind the counter. Tooly is increasingly aware he is the only non-human in the establishment, but is served quickly enough, and no one appears ready to give him any trouble.
ReplyDeleteJay reclines on the deck, his boots on the rail. He watches the crew of Mischa’s nearest ship, a frigate named The Revenge, who are unloading huge blocks of shadowy dark ice onto a wheeled pallet. four orcs from the crew have fitted harnesses to pull the ice cart. Fang watches Jay intently, tail wagging, as Gardner finishes entering the relevant details into the log.
Gardner pulls on the coin shirt, which jangles pleasantly. He takes a small bundle of ship funds with him carefully secreted in his purse beneath his armor. Fang lopes along with him down the boulevard. He passes the typical streetfolk hawkers, bakers and men selling food on skewers, an aging prostitute who has seen more use than most, as well as a pair of glowborn beggars holding a sign reading, “Have 13 hungry pups at home. Will sing for food.”
He arrives at the bazaar, which is much busier than he remembers it from a few years ago. The open front tents and stalls are crowded with goods. He spends awhile walking the shaded rows, and finds a few bargains. First, there is an elf selling a handful of thin sheets of laminated ironwood. He offers to shape them into a strongbox, door, a few planks or other use if you are interested. His prices are steep, but within your means, and such a good is rare outside of the elven lands. A second seller of interest is an eldery human woman, who is bent over a small cart, but it is loaded with glass phials containing honey-like Mother’s Restore and Woundseal. The last hawker that catches Gardner’s eye is an amiable orc, wearing a blousy tie but no shirt, selling aged books. It appears he has a number of ships logbooks, as well as atlases for various islands both known and unknown to Gardner and tomes with text translations for various languages. He seems thrilled with Gardner’s knowledge of the orcish tongue.
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ooc: taking 5 cogs from ship’s script stores for fees. If you have a location you don’t mind the city guards knowing you are interested in traveling to, assume you know how to get there, generally, and can ask for directions on the way of course. TC script will exchange here well enough, assume you have however much you think Gardner’d be willing to carry with him.
Blendin, whatcha takin’ with ya?
If Jay wants to go along with any of these trips, BOOM, you’re there! Because that’s how I roll!
Tooly has a few mugs of ale and a meal, but rather than striking up a conversation with any of the women, he decides to sit in a dark corner, trying to look mysterious and roguish. He suspects the Swoose won't be here long enough for any of his usual activities, and he has some projects to work on.
ReplyDeleteAfter dinner, he asks directions to the bazaar, where he scouts for custom woodworkers and gunsmiths (streetwise 3, notice 9--he's not shopping, just finding shops). He then returns to the Swoose to see if the rest of the crew is back. He's particularly eager to hear about Moira's reward.
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OOC: I assume that we can get dockyard repairs to the Grandee, here. Tooly's happy to do the work, but needs the materials, and will discuss with Gardner the possibility of buying them from ship's funds, given the chance. He'll also ask Gardner about any custom woodworkers and gunsmiths he might have come across, for a project he's working on.
OOC
ReplyDelete------------------------
Here's an e-mail from Ryan with some info:
Feel free to post this response if you want for the others to see.
So, its a bit of a sticky point. Since the ship was contracted by the Guild, but was independently owned by the captain (who you buried 5 weeks ago) there is no real owner anymore, and its yours as salvage. It's possible the captain had creditors or next of kin, but without a ships log or other papers aboard you have no clue if they exist, or how much is owed them. Frankly, they'd have to come looking for you, and have to prove however much they were owed. The TC probably brokered any such deals, and likely could find the paperwork if requested. Even if a creditor/kin is owed something, you get half the value of the salvage since you, well, salvaged it.
Which brings up the next point: at current, you do not know the registration status of the ship with the TC. Likely, it would be up to date, b/c the Courier's guild probably doesn't run messages on ships without papers for risk of losing them. That said, it might be a good idea to get papers. Of course, you'll need to re-register the ship, which is not cheap, and they'll do the background check business on the vessel listed above as a matter of course, so if there are creditors, you'll find out about them, and be expected to pay them fair market, as determined by the TC, prior to registration. The TC will even take care of the transaction for you, for a fee of course.
End of the day, you guys will split the value of the ship with magnus, as per your typical shares. If you were to pay him cogs/TC script from your share for the portion of the ship he would be owed, that would likely be fine with him, as a sky sloop isn't much of a merchant vessel. So, if you wanted to put the ship in your collective names, with the intent of paying him in script, that works for now too.
Another issue is the Grandee does not currently have a waysphere, and it needs one if you want to do much with it. These are relatively expensive, even in a big port like this, and the ship needs to go through a bonding ceremony with the sphere (here it is probably preformed by a drakin wizard, who you pay).
Tooly has done what he can for the Grandee with the materials you have for repairs. Local 'union' regulations require you to get your ship repaired by local builders, who can put as much or as little time into it as you want. Right now, she's set up to carry passengers instead of cargo and wallow like a pig at half speed and a maneuvering penalty. The dwarf isn't much for sails, I guess. They can probably put a mast on and rig the ship for basic in the week that you have already paid for. Dragonspine is also known for its tillers which provide handling bonuses. These are not cheap, and would take another week or two to install. You can add a loading hatch and convert the supercargo space into cargo space easily enough, that'd take another week or so.
You probably want to buy misc. repair goods, ropes, ammo etc. for the Swoose to replenish stores (call it 150 cogs worth) and you might want to stock up the grandee with its own as well (500 cogs). She could also use another cannon, of course.
- Hide quoted text -
On Mar 12, 2010, at 8:25 AM, James Wylie wrote:
What's the ownership status of the Grandee? Is it ours now or is it the Guild's? If its ours is it really Magnus's under our contract?
Can it carry cargo in its current state? If not how long would take to get in shape to carry a load of something to Shadowhaven?
I'm for spending the time in dock to have the Grandee repaired and able to carry another cargo to Shadowhaven. I'd also be interested in us buying the Grandee from Magnus (or the Swoose if he'd sell it, I bet we have enough to buy it out after this voyage) and going free enterprise if anyone else is.
Blendin reluctantly leaves his musket on ship, but is sure to keep his knife close and his knuckles prepped. In addition, Blendin empties his backpack and repacks it with the priest's armor and liquid. Before leaving, Blendin takes a moment to water his flowers and follows Moira closely.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I was hoping someone would bring it up. Clovis just assumes it belongs to the four of us, he has a very black-and-white attitude to salvage. I agree we can almost certainly buy out the Grandee, or take the salvage value and buy something comparable. The Swoose is nifty, but too fragile for serious adventuring. If we do, though, we might still want to contract with Greebottom for the connections, unless we want to do salvage instead of normal trade.
ReplyDeleteIf we want a tougher, faster ship, we might be able to sell off or take salvage value for the Grandee, pool our profits, and buy a dwarven ironclad sloop. They're faster and tougher than the Grandee, and Clovis would be happy to get everyone to Mount Ore to shop for one.
I think we should take the Grandee, though a trip to Mount Ore for a cargo upgrade would probably be worth it, and not invest in a new ship till we can afford a frigate.
ReplyDeleteBlendin is along for the ride and will shoot from whatever ship he is asked to shoot from. =)
ReplyDeleteBTW, Tooly, Blendin is much more interested in what you can do to increase the range of his musket than adding a bayonet.
OOC:
ReplyDeleteJWW:
I think a sloop is better for our group, at least for now. Besides being twice the cost, a frigate is less handy, no faster, only marginally tougher, and requires a crew of 12. A sloop can be piloted by a single person. Now, a doppleganger, that might be worth it someday, but a dwarven sloop would be a great adventuring ship that we might be able to afford now. Tooly's going to bitch about anything that's not an ironclad, anyway, because he's a dwarf.
LR:
That's the other project he's working on, but it will require a custom stock and barrel (the action could come from a regular musket) and a custom mold for the slugs. And Blendin will have to foot the bill. The bayonet is just a quick and easy weapon upgrade that costs nothing.
Tooly pays Griggs the bartender 2 cogs for his meal and drinks, and heads over to the bazaar. He finds a number of woodworkers, from coopers making barrels to fine furniture carvers. Unfortunately, he finds no evidence of a gunsmith – it appears the weapon ban within the Foreign Quarter extends to their manufacture.
ReplyDeleteHe bumps into Gardner while he is there, while he is speaking with a rather flamboyant orc over a table full of heavy tomes.
Moira and Blendin arrive at a tall tower of carved wood, and Blendin’s stomach drops. He has seen this type of architecture before – Back on Heartland. The elfin building has tall slender windows set into the otherwise seamless wooden surface; this building was not made, but grown.
Moira shoots him a look, but knocks on the door. Two elves open the leaves, and give you both a menacing look.
“A message, courtesy of the Courier Guild. I must see it into the hands of Halcon the wizard.” Moira seems surprisingly calm.
A voice from within calls to you both. “Please, little ones, come in. Sit, I would speak to those who have also departed our great island.”
Gardner peruses the orc's books and chats with him about current events and voyages.
ReplyDelete"You've got quite a collection here. Not many pilots would part with their logs willingly. You find any good salvage using these? Heard any news from Shadowhaven since the strike?"
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OOC: Scan the books to see if anything catches Gardner's eye as particularly valuable.
I'm not sure we'd have enough for a new dwarven sloop. That's like $30K. I'd prefer to take the Grandee since we already own half of it as salvage. We can always get some reinforced plates and a steam engine added when we get the money. Though I'd prefer blessed sails. To BR: Is the cargo capacity of 1 on a sloop accurate?
Blendin scans his surroundings as he enters. Upon entering, Blendin also does his best to keep himself between Moira and any elves that may be within.
ReplyDeleteTooly considers tagging along with Gardner for a while, disappointed with his findings thus far, but when the old man begins to chat with the oddly-dressed orc, he wanders off, looking idly for metal shops with an eye to bargains on bronze for vambraces and greaves (Notice 3, Streetwise 5-2=3).
ReplyDelete-------------------
OOC: Well, we might be able to get an ironclad if we're lucky. But yeah, the Grandee is decent, despite the low cargo.
ooc: You each have a share on the Swoose worth 1000 cogs. The remaining TC script is a bit below 14k. You have Iceseal aboard estimated at roughly 16k. Magnus gets half of those two, of course. You also own half the salvaged grandee, minus any percentage owed to creditors. You probably need to resupply both ships, pay for repairs, updated papers and necessary equipment, but even with that I’d expect you’ll have upwards of 17k between you to buy out the ship, if that’s what you want to do. I’d also mention the following “unclaimed items” in your possession:
ReplyDeleteLead Sword, Damaged Crossbow, 2x bone throwing dagger, 2x javelin, wooden mallet, hide armor
Selling the weapons at the bazaar might be hard, but knives hammers and armor could probably go. Or you could find a buyer on the docks...
Cargo capacity on the sloop is correct. Its advantage over the skiff is primarily in firepower and increased crew, but you give up a bit of handling to do it. Vs. the Swoose, it’s the armor that’s the key. You’ll just have to carry more valuable cargo.
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“Oh, these pilots are long dead. These texts are antiques of course, from the early years of the Council. Very rare.” He picks up a volume with cracked leather binding, but it appears to be in good shape. He opens it to a random entry. “I’m no sailor, but its quite amazing to hear of the things these men have seen. Hidden islands covered in relics, whole pods of behemoths, ships of the undead. Each one is a treasure in itself. It’s positively fascinating!” The orc lays the book down, open, in front of you on the table.
“Or maybe you’d be more interested in these books here. Collected from the Shattered City itself! They say the Grand Library there held the secrets of the Gods themselves – a man who could spend enough time in these books need only snap his fingers to hold untold treasures!”
“Bad business on Shadowhaven, I’ve heard. The riots were quite dreadful. They say the causeways were lost to the Void, and only a remnant of the pier remains. The storefronts in the Nexus were burned as well, I hear. It seems the TC has deployed troops within the city in an attempt to instill order again. I also hear that ships arriving there are boarded as a matter of course, and the TC is searching for the leadership of those who incited the riots. If it were any other island, I’d not be surprised if they’d have enacted an embargo.”
Clovis stays long enough to hear this, before returning to his search for bronze. Luckily, his search only takes him a few paces away, where he finds a Glowborn selling a pair of bronze hinges with long door straps among his various items. Tooly knows (metallurgy 5) that this isn’t enough for a set of vambraces or greaves, but it’ll get him close, and with the bazaar closing soon, considers trying to make a deal. The Glowborn seems savvy to your interest, and prices them somewhat high, at 300 cogs.
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ReplyDeleteThe door booms shut behind them, and Blendin and Moira make their way into the house. They enter a study lined with windows, flanked on either side by an elf in long robes. While they appear unarmed, Blendin does not much care for all this attention from Elves.
As they enter the study, they see a particularly guant, green-eyed elf, seated on a low stool in front of towering windows depicting a flowering vine that reminds you of “The Gipper”. He greets you with a smile, and bids you sit on a slender bench in front of him.
“I am Halcon, you bear something for me?”
As Moira hands him the message tube, Blendin realizes that she hadn’t been lying to him, after all. She had told the others she was to see a drakin wizard, but here they sat, in front of an elf. Aside from Jay, Blendin hadn’t been this close to one in a long time, let alone surrounded by three.
As he takes the tube, he intones something that sounds like elvish, but they are not words that Blendin knows. Glowing green vines grow out of his wrist, entangling the ruddy tube, and then the tube melts away into nothingness, leaving a scroll of parchment wrapped around a thicker piece of cloth and a tiny phial filled with a powder. The elf opens the parchment, and frowns deeply, and begins reading over the thicker cloth. You can see numbers and symbols, but it doesn’t make any sense to you. He opens the phial, sniffs it tentatively, before grumbling and throwing it onto the floor where it shatters in a flash of red light.
“It appears I will have need of you again. I bid you welcome in my home, Courier, and ask that you stay under my roof until I have completed my reading of this, and can return a message. I must insist. You’ll find too many elves who would do you harm in this city. If you must speak to your masters, go, but I will accept only wildlings to bear my messages, and your Guild has no others on this island. Your friend can stay or go as he pleases, he looks to be one who can evade unpleasantness.” The elf shoots Blendin a look. “I’d heard of one of your kind, a few years ago, little lizardling. They say the Queen’s brother ‘entertains’ the scaly ones in hopes of finding him again. Tell me have you heard such tales?” The other elves, look at each other, but say nothing. Moira looks to you with concern, but says, “I must make my report, Master Elf, but the Guild is happy to have your service, and I shall return promptly.”
Tooly snorts at the exorbitant price for the hinges, and doesn't bother to haggle over them. Instead, he steps back to the bookseller to listen and accompany Gardner back to the ship.
ReplyDeleteSo, I don't think Jay, as I've envisioned him, would much like to leave either the Swoose or Magnus's employ, without what might seem unfair compensation (i.e. a greater share of the new venture). That said, if this is the direction the rest of the party wants to take (and you don't feel like paying the grumpy sociopathic elf more than he currently gets) I'll "fix" Jay to be a bit more mercenary...
ReplyDeleteAnd while we're on the subject of boats, an Elven sloop...
OOC:
ReplyDeleteWell, it's likely we'll keep working for Greenbottom, because his connections would be useful, and Tooly is rather loyal to him, too. We'd just have greater shares and the choice to go haring off on our own if we wanted to between contracts. I think Jay could be persuaded to "go mercenary" if we kept trying to work for Greenbottom, right?
Elven sloops just heal themselves, but we have an expert engineer on board, so that's redundant. A draken one would be awesome--better, a draken skiff would be nigh uncatchable--but we don't have any draken (or elven, for that matter) connections yet.
We'll have to see if we can even keep the Grandee, but she's probably the most cost-effective choice, since we have possession of her already. And of course we have to get back to Shadowhaven in one piece...
Gardner scours the maps and logs contained the in books, looking for one which thinks might be reliable and might lead to decent salvage after so many years. "How much for this one?... For that? Since its missing a quarter of the pages and the text on another quarter is faded how about I pay you half that? Or you can throw in these others for the price you named." If the bargain is completed satisfactorily, Gardner will bid the orc farewell ("May your swordarm be strong and your rowers swift") and see about reprovisioning and resupplying both ships, then speak to Tooly about his thoughts on reparing and refitting the Grandee for cargo here in port. "With all the damage on Shadowhaven, and the glut of trade here we could snap up some building supplies cheap and make a killing back on Shadowhaven."
ReplyDelete---------------------------------
OOC: Notice 5, Streetwise 11. I kind of agree with Tooly. It really seems like a skiff is a better ship for our group than a sloop like the Grandee. A drakin skiff would be an awesome ship. But I'd be just as happy with a human skiff that we trick out as we go. Maybe we could expand the hold a bit with some Dwarven engineering and get the sails blessed? And I would foresee us continuing to work with Magnus, just with a fuller ownership of our ship and more control/autonomy, but maybe that's just wishful thinking.
ooc: Magnus has two other captain-owners in his fleet, so you don’t imagine he’d be opposed to you owning your vessel and contracting with him. In fact, as his scouts, he’s always provided you with a fair bit more autonomy than most of his crews. You imagine you could come to some kind of arrangement.
ReplyDeleteNext question: are we wanting to look for a drakin skiff or human skiff then?
Couple of item of note for the drakin one: You’re on dragon’s spine, so I’ll grant a rarity upgrade to uncommon, meaning if someone spends two weeks looking it’ll only take a 4 on a streetwise roll to find one. Cost would be 20k, so with some scrounging you might be able to come up with the money. You’d probably want to sell the grandee first, so that’d take a week to find a buyer. On a successful streetwise, you’d find someone willing to pay 25%, raises add additional 25% up to 125% (this is a house rule b/c I like it better than the actual 25/50 rule). You’d need to own the ship first, of course, and your streetwise roll would be affected by any damage to the vessel, so it might be a good idea to finish repairing it before you sell it. And, of course, the aforementioned paperwork would have to be filed, etc.
As for the human skiff, you might even be able to find someone willing to make an even trade as is…
The orc haggles poorly, for it is not in his blood, and before long Gardner has a small stack of three tomes: “The Motion of Heavenly Bodies” by Marhall, a Son of Spire, “The Five Winds of the Lady” written by Windpriest Fennet and a leatherbound log of travels for a vessel named Festival’s Lute that spans, it would appear, some 17 captains and 40 years of salvaging. As Tooly watches pages turn under the orc’s hand, something catches his good eye (notice 10): a passage in another of the books appears quite similar to the writing he saw five weeks before in the ruin. He signals this to Gardner, who makes sure the text, “A Comparative Analysis of Pre-Classical Drakonic Dialects” by Kersil the Chosen is added to the stack.
The orc sells the four books for 75 cogs, half his original asking price. He responds with a standard orcish goodbye, “May the Battlelord slay your kinfolk in righteous fury!” but his intonation makes it clear he finds the formal words distasteful.
You find provisioners easily enough, as well as a group selling sailcloth, rope, pulleys, and repair spars. They take a small deposit now and give you a bundle of fine rope in return, and promise to deliver the requested goods to your vessel in the morning. You find no one selling powder or shot for the firearms, but hear that such things can be purchased on the quay outside the city gates.
Building materials of all kinds are abundant in the bazaar, and prices are quite reasonable.
I’ve taken 10% of the payment out for the resupply – 585 remains to be paid. The rest I’ll take out when goods are delivered. This is common practice in major ports and doesn’t alarm you. The firearm stuff is just flavor, I’ll assume you pick that up on your way back to the ship whenever you head that way. Unless of course you mean to buy cannon, then we need to talk about it.
JWW, I’m granting a benny for always throwing in a clever line in your posts.
Tooly thinks for a moment about Gardner's suggestion about building materials. "Sounds like that would be a great plan, but we can only carry a ton in the Grandee. What's iceseal go for here? Think we'd make more by selling it here and loading the Swoose with building stuff?
ReplyDelete"It'd definitely be good to get the Grandee fixed up. Can't have our new ship handling like a crippled behemoth. Though I think we should sell her and get a nice ironclad. After the profits from this trip, I could get us to Mount Ore and we could pick one up."
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OOC: I need to stop relying on the map on the first page of the Skies book. I thought Dragon's Spine was close to Canopy, but it's even farther than Shadowhaven (SH is 5 weeks from Canopy, DS is 11). We might get more for iceseal here than Shadowhaven. Iceseal will likely be in high demand in SH with all the ships that burned there, but a lot of those same captains are likely here in DS, and even farther from the source.
I asked BR if Greenbottom would have an issue with us selling iceseal here to make room for building supplies. He said so long as Greenie gets his cut of the cargo value, and we bring some iceseal back to SH, he'd likely be okay, given the autonomy he usually grants us. We'd need to get cash for the overage, since the iceseal is much, much more valuable, and another written, notarized contract to prove we aren't shafting him on the cash. I think if we sold half the iceseal and loaded the Swoose and Grandee with building supplies, we'd be in good shape.
As for the ship, I noticed that we can upgrade any ship with dragon wings and/or an improved tiller for 150% of the original value of the ship. Given that we likely won't get more than 50% of the value of the Grandee for selling her, and she needs new sails anyway, we might be better off upgrading her rather than fixing her up, selling, and buying a whole new ship. We only lose 1 point each acceleration and handling compared to a skiff, and gain 2 guns and 4 crew capacity.
OOC: I'd also like to point out that Clovis still assumes the Grandee is ours free and clear, so someone with more legal savvy will need to talk to the TC office to clear up her title and licensing.
ReplyDelete"I'm sorry, but this story is foreign to me. Where, might I ask have you heard this, and why such an interest in my kind?" asks Blendin, purposefully leaving the question vague (the wizard's interest v. the prince's interest), to see what information he can gather.
ReplyDelete----------------------------------------------
Blendin will continue to accompany Moira until asked to do otherwise and while traveling to the guild for Moira to report in or on the way back to the Elf, will report to Gardner his intentions and try to find a wizard to inspect his vial and armor.
Gardner wants to look into getting proper registration for the Grandee (we'll need it no matter what we do).
ReplyDelete-------------------
OOC: I concur with selling half the iceseal if others agree and loading up on two units of building supplies. Gardner, as a native of Bridgeways, will argue that windsilk sails are the best form of propulsion ("almost as fast as drakin wings, faster in long hauls over the Void, and cheaper too.")
Consider this fantasy scenario: We trade straight up for a skiff here (seems to me we're unlikely to ever be able to man all 4 guns at once). We sail it to Shadowhaven, and we have it refitted with a reinforced hold and windsilk sails there for 3500ish. ("Who needs metal plating anyway? Plates are for know-nothing pilots who don't know how to get out of the way of a cannon volley. The more responsive the ship is, the better in my opinion.")
OOC: Grrrr, blogspot ate my post!
ReplyDeleteSemi-OOC: I guess we can assume Gardner and Clovis are discussing the ships while buying supplies, and Gardner has filled him in on the reality of salvage law.
Tooly can't upgrade windsilk the way he can dragon wings, (I could make those wings fly circles around any sailed ship, windsilk or no.") The drakin improved tiller would be good either way. A sloop would be better in the long run, I think, because the extra guns coul eventually be manned by extra crew we could hire, and we could carry a harpoon for behemoth hunting and still have more firepower than a skiff. The extra space would be useful for the improvements Tooly will make to whatever ship we get.
I did the math, and here's what I found:
The Grandee, after repairs (which we don't have a cost for) will be worth 15,000 cogs. If we get a raise selling her, we'll have 7,500, up to half of which we may have to pay to creditors. Half of the profit will have to go to Greenbottom. So best case, with no creditors and a raise for the sale, we get 3,750. Worst case, we get a quarter of that.
A human skiff with windsilk sails and a drakin tiller would be 2 points slower and 1 point handier than the upgraded Grandee. It would cost 10,000, plus 3500(ish) for improvments including sails, plus 5,000 for the tiller = 18,500.
A drakin skiff would be 20,000, but faster.
The Grandee, upgraded, would cost 22,500, minus the cost of fixing the sails, since we could skip that. And if we got the same raise bargaining for upgrades that we could have gotten selling the Grandee, it'll likely cost less.
The bottom line, since we don't have exact numbers, is that all 3 ideas are comparable in price. But there is another factor:
This is a barter-heavy world. The amount of cash we're hauling (in scrip) is pretty exceptional. Trying to sell the Grandee for cash and buy a ship or upgrades in scrip will likely make things more expensive. But the people who do the ship upgrades are probably the same ones who apply iceseal to ships when asked, and as I mentioned before, there are likely a lot of Shadowhaven ships in port clamoring for iceseal. We could probably get a great deal on drakin upgrades by trading in part for the iceseal we plan to unload anyway.
Finally, I would love to have a half-human, half-drakin ship running on steam-powered hybrid dragon wings, because we could name it the Makin. Half-man, half-drakin, and the USS Makin Island was the first gas/electric hybrid warship (set sail last month http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Makin_Island_(LHD-8)). The Grandee needs a name change, anyway, because changing a ship's name is supposed to change its luck, and since her last crew went glowmad, the Grandee's luck is about as bad as it can be. Plus, "Grandee" makes me think of fried chicken.
Additional OOC: Man, that was a long one. I was thinking about it while I was cooking.
ReplyDeleteTooly realizes that plating would have to wait for a trip to dwarf country regardless, so after talking to Gardner, his opinion will be in line with what I just posted.
“Foreign you say? No doubt, no doubt.” The elf smiles knowingly and stands, waving a hand at the door behind you, which opens with a sound like rustling leaves. “You are free to go, I’ll need time to investigate this before I can form my response to this… message.” As Blendin presses his questions, he remarks, “Oh, a father dotes on his children, but I have none, I’m afraid. A plight with which, I’m sure, you are both all too familiar. I suppose my time at the Forge has earned me the right to think of your kind thus. You’d be surprised what you look like, new and wriggling. Quite repulsive, to be frank. But not without your charms, I warrant. A wonderful gift from the Wild, each of you. My colleagues didn’t understand your purpose any more than the boughbreakers do with their false god, but I believe I’m beginning to.” He turns his attention back to the scroll in his other hand.
ReplyDelete“Leave now, Courier. Run along and make your report. But be quick returning, and know that any elf that approaches you outside these walls likely means to collect your hide.”
As you depart, you pass a group of ogres hauling a block of ice to the service door of Halcon’s home. Moira and Blendin make their way back to the Courier’s Guild without incident, and she goes inside to make her report, promising to stop by the Swoose before returning to the elf’s home. “What do you make of him, Blendin? An odd old elf, that one.”
At the TC office, Gardner submits a salvage request form 27B for the Grandee. As a licensed captain with a clean(ish) record and reputable firm, there is no formal inquiry required to show that the vessel was fairly salvaged from a wreck. The TC inquires as to the ship’s location at time of salvage, status of the former crew, and so forth. You indicate the ship was found demasted, crew maddened and with one survivor, omitting some of the more sordid details, such as the location of an uncharted island. The battlepriest taking the report doesn’t seem concerned, and begins going through his files. “Ah, here it is, Captain Gardner. Sky sloop Grandee, founded in Shadowhaven in the 208th year. Last known owner was a Olic Haversham. No next of kin, and the only creditor is, well, us. His trading papers came due 2 days ago. So, under Title 28, Subsection 134b of the Salvaging Act, I hereby remand the vessel and all accompanying property to your ownership. How will you be paying your ships registration fees?”
Blendin arrives on the quay at the same time that Tooly and Gardner are returning from the TC office. He makes his report on the visit to Halcon the Wizard, who you are all surprised to hear is not short and scaly, but an elf. Blendin hears about the purchases made. As he is giving his report, Jay remains at station, watching the men still unloading blocks of dark ice from their frigate’s hold and listening carefully to the others.
Moira arrives not too long after, with her satchel heavy around her neck. “The Courier’s Guild sends its thanks!” She reaches into the bag to reveal a dark grey bar flecked with red at the corners: iron. “The Postmaster of Dragon’s Spine would have come to thank you himself, but it appears his broodmate is having some sort of ‘choosing’ party? I don’t understand the details, but here is your reward.” She hands the bar to Tooly, who by the heft determines it to be work some 2000 cogs. “And my thanks as well gentlemen. A customer of the guild is housing me, apparently, and I am expected to remain there until his message is complete. However, I will likely require a vessel back to shadowhaven. Since you know the way, and have shown yourself to be resourceful, the Guild would like to inquire as to your ability to provide services. I understand you may have business here as well. I most likely will require travel before the end of the week.”
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took out 200 cogs for registration fees, good for one year.
those were orcs, not ogres with the ice...
ReplyDeleteooc: If possible, I would like to retcon that and fail to mention the race of the customer. Blendin doesn't understand the importance yet, but doesn't want to destroy Moira's apparent trust.
ReplyDeleteSure, I'll allow it, but you'll have mentioned his name.
ReplyDeleteTooly looks thoughtful for a moment, bouncing the heavy iron brick in his palm. "Well, seems to me that the Courier Guild has been good to us so far, and we're heading for Shadowhaven anyway, so we may as well take the lady along. Thing is, if we need to be gone in a week, that won't give us time to sell the Grandee and buy a new ship. What it WILL give us time for is to get her fixed, preferably with some of those fancy wings they do here. I'm sure they can improve the tiller while they're at it. That'll give us time to get a cargo of building materials for her, too. Whaddaya guys say?"
ReplyDelete"Here's my view: I think we should just get the Grandee seaworthy and be ready to sail for Shadowhaven when Moira is. Then we can decide what to do about a ship when we've settled up with Magnus and all our money is real instead of hypothetical. We can sell part of the iceseal for building supplies and load up the Grandee with building supplies too if possible. Thoughts?"
ReplyDeleteOOC: Tooly and I are still in favor of putting wings on the Grandee to save refitting her sails and get her top-notch. Drakin-modded ships are as fast as you can get, and with Tooly's mods, we'll likely be faster yet. Further, we'll likely get more value in trading the iceseal for mods than selling it for cash--remember how it took several days to get enough scrip on Canopy?--especially since the modders are likely the ones who apply the iceseal. We may not get back here for some time, so if we want a super-fast ship, now's the time. What else are we going to spend the money on besides making our ship into the Skies equivalent of the Millennium Falcon? Ice cream?
ReplyDeleteLooks like Jay and Blendin will need to have an opinion on this: fast ship or cheap ship?
OOC: I'm just not wild about the idea of showing up at Shadowhaven having spent 15K upgrading a ship which we still have to buy half of from Magnus, and having used trade goods not to get more liquid assets or tradeable goods, but to buy an expensive ship upgrade which he likely won't care about. We can upgrade to windsilk sails at Shadowhaven once we have it all sorted it and have officially been paid for 10% of that, be only 2 points slower in top speed, and get the bonus on travel time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is anyone getting the relics checked out?
Blendin looks back and forth between the arguing men. "I'd have to say I'm with the captain on this one. Sorry tooly, but I want to make sure we upgrade a ship we own, rather than a ship we may own. Besides, I must say, I like the swooop and its singing, the wind I mean."
ReplyDelete--------------------------------------------
Before Moira returns to the wizard, Blendin is going to ask if she would like him to join her while she stays in the wizard's company. Regardless, Blendin will escort her back to the wizard. If she says yes, Blendin will stop by a wizard to check on his wares on the way. If she says no, Blendin will stop by a wizard to check on his wares on the way back to the ship.
OOC: Sorry, this is a bookkeeping post. As much fun as the continuing saga of “what to spend money on” is, I think I’ll ‘help’ move things along.
ReplyDeleteFor now, I’ll rule the decision is made to make basic repairs to mast and rig. This costs 300 for parts and 500 more for labor and takes a week. You also require a Waysphere. A guild of Chosen drakin wizards provides waysphere and attune it to the grandee. Their wayspheres costs 300, plus 1000 to have the attunement ceremony. I’ve removed this money as well as the rest of your resupply costs. The drakin will throw in examining your relics for free. The ship should also be renamed as part of this ceremony, so lets see some ideas for that. That leaves you with 11,120 cogs in TC writ.
Other things that could easily be done at the same time but are optional:
1. Convert supercargo space to cargo space on the Grandee. Will cost 500 cogs labor, plus 100 cogs for a new door and small crane for offloading.
2. Add a Dragon’s Spine tiller 7500 for the a.) Grandee, 4000 for the b.) Swoose, 500 labor fee.
3. Add a Dragon Ram. 1000 cogs for either ship. 500 labor fee for a.) Grandee, 250 for b.) Swoose since it already has a mount.
4. Trade away iceseal. If you choose to sell 1 cargo unit of the iceseal, you will clear 7600.
5. Trade for building materials. You have found 2 cargo units worth of building materials: beams, wooden pins, cement and stone pilings. These materials cost 1050 total (525 per unit), that you expect to sell for about 4000 (2000 per unit) on Shadowhaven, assuming the stories of the damage there are true. a.) to buy 1 unit, b.) for 2 – with the obvious caveat that you need cargo space to haul it.
Basically, feel free to do whatever in character you want (I’m not trying to stifle that by any means, I actually really like the argument in character, especially with blendin sticking up for his wind elemental. Benny Granted for that.). But, for purposes of advancing things, please add an ooc comment at the bottom of your next post indicating which numbers you want to do. I’ll rule that if I get 3 votes for any of these optional tasks in your ooc comments, they are done. If you have a task that I missed, post that as well for your fellows to vote on.
Another thing I’d like to call on you for: islands! The canon islands are fun, but the skies are supposed to be teeming diverse locations. I’ve got additional islands rolling around in my head, but if there are islands (particularly inhabited ones) that’d you’d like to visit, let me know via email. Don't feel the need to write something huge; I'll fill it out. A simple description like “New Grognar - an island colonized by dwarves from Mount Ore that wishes to break away and assert its independence from the dwarven king” or “Watchurback – island of thieves and pirates that have retired to have families” is all I need. I’ll grant you a benny if I end up using it.
I will point out that windsilk on Shadowhaven will cost more than on Bridgeways.
I’ll let some responses come in, then post tonight with more ingame happenings.
ooc: oh, and I should add a note: I rolled for locating cannon, and no luck, at least not in the timeframe of your week long stay thus far. Looks like the influx of ships has caused them to be sold out for now.
ReplyDeleteooc: What did the Drakin wizards say about our relics? And will I be joining Moira back to the Wizard's?
ReplyDeleteMy Votes:
4. Trade away iceseal: sell 2 cargo unit of the iceseal. This will provide the room needed for:
5b. Trade for building materials. Purchase 2 cargo units worth of building materials: beams, wooden pins, cement and stone pilings.
Tooly looks to Jay for support on his dragon wing idea, though he knows he's technically outvoted as far as ship shares go. He grumbles about old timers and their oversized sheets, but lets the argument drop for now.
ReplyDelete--------------------------
OOC: I vote we convert the cargo space on the Grandee, sell 1 unit of iceseal, buy 2 units of building materials, and upgrade the tiller on the Grandee.
With the upgraded tiller (and windsilk) we'll still outperform most ships, so I think the awesome ram might be a nice upgrade. I can't seem to find the ramming rules anywhere, so I don't know just how good it'd be, though.
As for the name, "Makin" isn't as appropriate, now, so, I'll have to think on it.
LR:
I don't think Greenbottom would be happy if we returned to SH without ANY iceseal (we only have 2 units), since he sent us to Canopy for it in the first place.
"We should take on some additional crew, or even better, some paying passengers foolish enough to pull some weight and fight off any pirates we encounter between here and Shadowhaven. I don't like the odds of protecting two fully laden ships with less than a single skeleton crew."
ReplyDelete------
How many units of iceseal do we have? How many did Greenbottom expect us to get? Do we get better value selling here vice Shadowhaven? How much do we have in other assets (scrip, et c.)?
How much cargo space to the Swoose have? The Grandee?
I'll support loading up the Swoose and the Grandee (the Olic Haversham?) with as much building supplies as we can hold.
We shouldn't upgrade the Grandee unless we're sure we're keeping her, we're sure it increases our profit margin when we sell her (or the cargo the upgrade allows her to carry), or the upgrades bring her up to the capabilities of the Swoose. If the ships are of disparate ability, we should consider hiring on a trustworthy crew (does Magnus have a permanent contact on the island?) to bring the second ship in to Shadowhaven independent of our arrival. If of equal ability, any crew will do.
Okay, answering own questions with guidance from BR:
ReplyDeleteIceseal units: 2; expected: some; here vice Shadowhaven: same.
Swoose units: 2; Grandee: 0 (unless 1. is taken).
So, votes are: 1., 4. (1 unit), and 5b.
ooc: On second thought...
ReplyDeleteMy Votes:
1.
4. Trade away iceseal: sell 1 cargo unit of the iceseal. This will provide the room needed for:
5b. Trade for building materials. Purchase 2 cargo units worth of building materials: beams, wooden pins, cement and stone pilings.
1, 4 (1 unit), 5b.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of hiring a couple extra reliable hands, but don't want to split the ships during the voyage.
ooc: will you look at that, instant consensus.
ReplyDelete1, 4, 5b it is. update coming tonight, and all shall be revealed! Except not.
Extra hands would be useful, but not strictly necessary. Either ship is fully crewed with 2 people. We'll want to keep the ships together for both protection and because I don't think anyone is nearly as good a pilot as Gardner. Tooly can fly either ship, but unless he's following Gardner, it'll likely take weeks longer. In fact, we might be better off towing one of them, and only separate if there's trouble.
ReplyDeleteThat's assuming Tooly's coming all the way to Shadowhaven (dun dun duuuuuuuuuuun...).
The orc gangbosses stand some distance away, looking nervous. Their goblin workers are huddled in their cages; their normal cackles and chatter have subsided. From your vantage on the Swoose, the drakin wizards stand around the finished mast in a loose circle, hands interlocked and looking out. They are intoning some spell in a language that sounds, to your untrained ears, like the drakin tongue. You hear the new name that you gave this vessel, The Olic Haversham, and then they call out in a wailing harmony. Around them you see a mist of shimmering green light form, and then take the shape of a dragon’s skull. As you watch, the skull gains density and while still translucent, begins to form muscle and then scales. As it becomes complete, it’s mouth levers open and a jet of black flame envelops the stern of the ship. The waysphere glows white-hot under the flame in its bracket on the tiller handle, but the ship appears to be unaffected. And then, as quickly as it appeared, the dragon’s visage is gone. The needle within the waysphere spins slowly.
ReplyDeleteThe drakin look tired, but they have their scrip, and make their way back to the city gates. They had already examined your relics prior to their ceremony with some interest. The hook and mail are of an alloy they call talonite, but the name means little to you. Apparently they are quite old, and they offer to exchange it with you for the ceremony, although you see little value in doing so. The bottle seems to frighten them outright; they say it contains a spirit, and to drink it will cause it to possess the drinker for a time. They do not dare try to talk with it, and they claim it is likely quite mad.
ReplyDelete“Thank you, all of you, for doing Captain Olic this honor. He would have been pleased to know fine sailors such as yourselves.” Moira says, “I must depart to see if the message is yet ready to be carried. I fear the wizard has spent most of his time in his laboratory and so I’ve not any idea when he will finish his package. His servants assure me not long, but I am not allowed to enter and speak plainly with him about this message.” This causes her to frown somewhat. While Halcon himself had been aloof but gentle, the other elves in his employ were less friendly to the wildlings. Blendin had stayed the past few nights in the elf’s home because he felt a need to look after Moira. Not that she doesn’t look after herself. She has a tendency to “acquire” things; for instance, she has brought a spool of copper wire and a pair of tin plates back to the ship in her bag was haggling to sell them to Tooly for a handful of cogs. “Blendin, will you join me again today?” She begins walking back to the gatehouse.
The goblins are released and back to chattering, as they carry aboard spars and sails to finish their work. You leave Fang on guard on the Olic, give the civic watch a couple cogs to keep an extra vigilant eye on things while you leave to go about business. In the middle distance, Jay notes that one of Mischa’s ships is readying to leave.
Tooly had put the word out at the Blushing Canary for new crewmembers. As you arrive, you see that the Inn is fuller than you might expect for this time of day, and the clientele more diverse. You grab your drinks, complements of the house given the fact you’ve filled the bar with paying patrons. A human male with a tattoo of a checkerboard on the left half of his face approaches you. “G’day cap’n. I’ma man ye need, sah. Void take the man who tink he know’sa way ‘round the Skies more than I!” His words bring general derision from those around him. Another voice pipes up, from a human with waist-length blonde hair and a thin attempt at a mustache, “I think you’ll find that my references are in order, Captain. A 10 year man on the Council Ship Armageddon, outside Bridgeways.” A young drakin says “Neither of these fools has what I can offer. I have been trained by my gods to wield magic in their service, and must venture forth now to learn on my own the ways of the world.” “Human and drakin, pugh. You need hardwork? Wung do hardwork.” The voices begin to get louder.
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relic info: Chainmail. +2 toughness, grants a modifier to glowmadness resist rolls, casts a shadow on anyone contained within.
Hook. +1 parry +1 fighting
Potion. Contains the spirit of a glowmad priest. Will imbue the drinker with his edges in addition to their own for a time.
I’m assuming that Jay, Gardner and Tooly are definitely there, but Blendin may have decided to go to the elf’s place. You rolled a 12! on your crew roll, and thus get 2 special crew, a mate (the 10 year man) and a sorcerer (the drakin). They cost more, but are better. The ones that talk aren’t everyone, too. The rest is mostly (not completely of course) a cosmetic choice. If you want a specific skill training, lemme know, and I’ll see if one of these yahoos has it. Pay will be up front on a per month basis. 50 for crew types, 100 for the specials.
Tooly beams at the turnout for the crew, seeming especially amused by the idea of hiring a drakin and an orc (I assume) onto the already...cosmopolitan...crew. He listens in on interviews, but lets the more knowledgeable Gardner ask the questions to verify credentials. He is enthusiastic about hiring the draken sorcerer and the Council veteran, and has no objection to the more experienced sailors.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to common crew, though, the applicants seem very similar, so he winks his single eye at Gardner and says he'll find the "most resourceful" crewmen. He sidles through the milling crowd of interviewed sailors and asks each, in an undertone, one more interview question: "Can you give me an example of a time you bribed an interviewer to get a job?"
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OOC: How many crew do we want? I don't think we need any extra for the Swoose, and we don't want to hire more than we can staff on the Ollie (good name, JWW). So...the two specials, the mate, the sorcerer, and two to four common sailors, I guess. We can split them up on the ships for the run to SH, then keep them on for the Ollie afterwards, that way.
After the interviews, Tooly looks for an opportunity to speak to all three of his companions (if not, he'll talk to Gardner alone).
ReplyDelete"If what the bookseller said is true, and they're boarding ships looking for 'rioters' at Shadowhaven, it might be best if I weren't aboard. Cogsworth doesn't have a lot of clout, but he could get my name and description added to a list of troublemakers easily enough, and it'd be a mess to sort out. What say you drop me on that island we found, and by the time you deliver the goods and come back, I'll have that big iron door ready to haul off for salvage, even if there's nothing good inside."
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OOC: Cogsworth is the Council bureaucrat who sponsored his experimental musket, and now is rather angry at Clovis.
Tooly trusts Gardner to execute his shares of the ships (I assume we'll trade our shares of the Swoose for Greenbottom's shares of the Ollie, with some cash owed to Magnus), and will sign papers to that end. He figures Gardner and Blendin won't leave him stranded, and Jay will at least want a cut of the loot, so they'll be back.
If everyone's amenable to the plan, he'll want his flare gun, some tools, the draken language book, and preferably the draken sorcerer to stay with him on the island, though he doesn't mind going alone.
We could put Jay and Moira (Blendin optional) on the Ollie with the mate piloting, and Gardner could swing the Swoose out to the island and likely get to SH not far behind. Moira gets her message delivered ASAP, and Jay will keep the new crew in line.
During the interview process Jay listens to the crew histories of the applicants with Gardner; occasionally he asks a probing question or two about crews or companies with which he has experience, letting Gardner know afterward who Jay thinks is a liar, a thief, or a spy.
ReplyDeleteJay will ask Blendin to find out about Mischa's ship's business. Subtlety is key. ("Find out about what that ship's up to, fuzzbucket, and don't be some yakking rooster about it! I don't want them knowing we're interested.")
If Jay is present when Tooly makes his request, he will nod understandingly about the Council bureaucrat, but glare suspiciously at the portion devoted to dropping Clovis off on the island so he can get to the relics first. He won't verbally object, but if asked, he'll say something along the lines of "I'm sure Martog will vouch for you."
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Is it possible to have the hook reforged into a straight blade of some sort? Jay might be able to become a pirate, after all...
Also, not that Bact didn't account for this, but it isn't certain that a direct path from Dragon's Spine to Shadowhaven will pass our little island again. If the crew were taking on is primarily temporary, I wouldn't think we'd want to risk them knowing of the islands existence, or worse, gaining a sample of its soil.
Gardner will test the applicants' boating knowledge and their general trustworthiness (Boating roll 8, notice roll 9, streetwise 7). He's in favor of hiring the mate and the sorceror (though he questions the sorceror some on what kind of magic he knows) and 1-2 other crew members (he favors the orc if there's not a discernable difference in skill between the regular sailors).
ReplyDeleteWhen the permanent crew has come to a consensus, he'll speak to the new hires: "Glad to have you aboard gentlemen. We'll be sailing two ships into Shadowhaven to complete a trading voyage. I can't promise you work after that, though we may be refitting one of the ships and looking to sail with a larger permanent crew so it might be that some of you could find a place there. Our current employer also usually has openings for those that know their way around a skyship or have some sense for trade."
Gardner is also wary of Tooly's plan (from stubbornness not mistrust). "We're on the clock for Magnus here and we've already made one detour already. Some Council paper pusher wouldn't dare mess with you while you're working for Magnus. It'd be bad for business, and they need the building materials. I really don't want to make another detour or split the ships with a new crew. If Blendin and Jay will back you I'll go along."
Blendin has already agreed to escort Moira back to the Wizard, and is caught off-guard by Jay's request. "I'm all for sneaking about, but subtlety is not my forte as my presence is usually accompanied by a bullet. Perhaps Tooly would be better suited to such snooping. And besides, I've already made a promise. If you haven't discovered anything by my return, I'll what I can find out." Looking to Moira, "Shall we?"
ReplyDeleteJay and Tooly’s “nontraditional” interview methods help pare down the group into a manageable size, from which Drawlight selects 4. The drakin and human mate were easy choices, and the orc and a young bald human seem capable enough for this voyage. The others disperse into the bar, dejected. Gardner explains the voyage to them, and they seem pleased at the prospect.
ReplyDeleteThe new men leave to gather their things with the intent of meeting you at the pier. They will be paid as soon as the ship leaves site of the harbor, as is the normal custom. Tooly takes a moment to unveil his plan to Jay and Gardner. Gardner objects, and Jay seems to think Martog can smooth things over.
As Blendin arrives at the elf’s manor, he sees Moira sitting on the balcony of the upstairs loft she has selected. She waves down to him, and then points to the side of the house. He sees the orcs arriving yet again, the 4th time this week at least. Their ice deliveries are oddly regular. While visiting Moira before, he had noted that the roof fed a large cistern in the attic, and he thinks it odd they need ice as well, especially with the rains a few days before. The light catches the ice block, and for a moment he thinks he sees a shadow within, but perhaps its nothing.
He enters the building as he often has, greeted by glowers from one of the elf servants. Moira is waiting for him on her balcony, not being one for the small interior space of the room. “’ello Blendin! They say he’ll have the message tube for me later today. Whatcha wanna do until then?”
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ooc: Your new crewmembers. Jay gets a benny for the ship name.
Brecklum, Drakin sorcerer. Stocky with tiny winglets on his shoulders. His scales are a shiny green. Seems apathetic most of the time. Not a wild card.
Ag d8, Sm d8, Sp d6, St d4, Vi d4
Skills: Boating d6, Guts d8, Knowledge (Arcana) d6, Knowledge (History) d8, Knowledge (Dragons) d6, Fighting d4, Shooting d4, Spellcasting d8, Notice d4, Climbing d4
Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Arcane Senses,Dragonkin, Chosen
Powers: Blast, Elemental Manipulation – Fire, Light
Gear: Robes, Staff, personal effects
Taz Marlo, Human mate. Long blonde hair, wispy mustache. Wears his old TC uniform, but the overcoat is left open to reveal a leather undershirt (not regulation) and rank insignia has been replaced with bronze pips in the shape of feathers. Seems a diligent sort, eager to please. Not a wild card.
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vi d6
Skills: Boating d8, Guts d8, Knowledge (Voidology) d6, Knowledge (TC regulations) d8, Fighting d8, Shooting d6, Notice d4, Climbing d4, Intimidate d6, Stealth d4
Edges: First Strike, Fleet-Footed, Sweep
Gear: Leather shirt (torso only), rib blade, hand crossbow (stats like a normal crossbow, except half weight, and 2d4 damage)
Wung, “reformed” orc raider. Wears a necklace of teeth and a loin cloth. Big underbite with polished fangs. His orcish isn’t much better than his common. Not a wild card.
Ag d6, Sm d4, Sp d4, St d8, Vi d8
Skills: Boating d6, Guts d8, Fighting d8, Shooting d4, Notice d6, Climbing d6, Intimidate d6, Taunt d6
Edges: combat reflexes
Gear: Leather skirt (legs only), maul
Quint Falroy, human rigmaster. Shaves his head bald with a razor. Has a tattoo of a naked woman on the side of his scalp. Worked on a number of trawlers around Dragon’s Spine, but hasn’t been on a true island-to-island Void voyage yet. Knows his knots, sails, and winds well, and doesn’t appear particularly afraid of Jay’s questions. Disdains alcohol. When asked for a bribe by Tooly, he gave him the name of a girl who can do things that are best not elaborated. Not a wild card.
Ag d8, Sm d4, Sp d6, St d6, Vi d6
Skills: Boating d8, Guts d4, Knowledge (Voidology) d4, Fighting d8, Shooting d4, Notice d6, Climbing d8, Stealth d6
Edges: Block
Gear: hide shirt and trousers, stone dagger
"Have you had a chance to take a closer look at those blocks of ice? There is something curious about them. You wanna see if we can figure out what's up?" Blendin asks.
ReplyDeleteTooly waves a hand at Gardner and Jay's objections. "Look, I'm not saying that Magnus or even Martog couldn't get things cleared up, but with all the confusion it could take weeks, and I don't wanna sit in a cell with a bunch of riggers--IF they go through the proper legal procedures and don't just toss me into the Void first thing! Cogsworth wouldn't need to DO anything, it'd just be a 'little mix-up' with the names.
ReplyDelete"Besides," he lowers his voice, "I don't know if I mentioned this, but even if there's nothing else on that island we found but rat shit and flowers, and even if that iron slab is only as thick as a wildling's dick, it's still worth thousands. If we found the island, and Captain Olic found the island, someone else could, too, y'know, and we don't want them to beat us to the good stuff while I'm sitting on my ass in a Council jail.
"We wouldn't HAVE to split up, it's still safer to run together, but I figure Moira will bitch at a detour. Still, she's riding on OUR ship, so she can deal with it.
"I figure I can rig the slab to move in a week or two, but I'll probably wait for you guys to lift it. I wanna translate some of the funny writing we saw in case the slab's there to keep something in instead of out. Brecklum might be useful for that, but I think that book you found would be just as good."
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OOC: We can keep the crew from getting soil easily enough, just keep 'em on the boat while Tooly climbs down.
Very OOC:
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is only peripherally related, but I have to share:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/i-hit-it-with-my-axe/1533-Episode-One-Meet-the-Party
"If we go back for that door now, Magnus gets half the salvage. We go back later when we're operating more independent like, then maybe we can keep the whole thing. We're going to Shadowhaven. If you want to try to catch a ride here we'll come after you. But I know all the wenches in Shadowhaven are going to be heartbroken when we dock and you aren't there. Gets mighty lonely alone on an island."
ReplyDeleteTooly sighs. "We're not going for it now. You're dropping me off, and you can come back with the Ollie--100% ours--and pick me and the loot up. We get the full salvage, no one beats us to it, and I don't get tossed in a cell or off a Council ship because some dickhead put my name on a wanted list. Everyone wins. And I'll have plenty to do there, trust me."
ReplyDeleteMoira peers at him from her perch on the railing. “Mysterious aren’t they? Were I a more curious sort, I would have found out myself. But, the blocks go into the basement,” she points down at a door on the ground level with her toe dangling over the balcony. “Not that I’m utterly useless. Here.” She produces a key from her ever-present satchel. “This opens the door to the stairwell down the hall. I don’t care much for stairwells. But it looks like it goes pretty far down, and it smells like a laboratory, whatever that means.” As you watch, the orcs reemerge from the doorway, cart now empty, and trudge out the courtyard gate and onto the road. “I can keep an eye out for you, from up here.”
ReplyDeleteClovis, Jay and Drawlight walk back to the pier, their discussion continuing. Tooly does not feel he’s making much progress. The bustle of the city is picking up today. Rain is coming, according to the omens, and as such the townsfolk wish to collect their things before the skies open up.
As you arrive back at the docks, you are greeted by Brislim, and decide it best to table the discussion until you are once again in private. “Afternoon gentlemen. The orcs finished an hour ago, and claim their work is done. I suggest you inspect it and make sure you’re satisfied. Also, a rather foppish fellow was looking for you, ah there he is now.”
Taz salutes crisply. “Captain, sir. I’ve inspected the rig. She’ll need to shake down a bit, I fear the cordage is too tight for the winds around here, and the mizzen tops’l needs to be untangled or she’ll rip when we get up to speed, but the work looks complete. I have taken the liberty of bunking myself in the portside cabin, but can move is the space was already reserved. Oh, and your dog seems to have a taste for honeyed skyler flesh.” Taz smiles before turning on his heel to head back towards the ship.
"That's not how I would interpret the contract. I've said my piece. I told you if you could get the others to agree and have enough shares to outvote me we'd do it. I'll take the fact that you're continuing to talk my ear off about it as a sign you haven't."
ReplyDeleteGardner looks down at Fang, who gazes back panting stupidly, and says, "You taking meat from any man now? Maybe you want to stay on the Ollie now, huh? I would give you honeyed skyler flesh if I had any." Gardner pats Fang on the head and turns back to what he's doing and trails off, "That stuff costs a cog more though."
Blendin looks at her with a sly smile and accepts the key. "Sounds like fun."
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ooc: If Blendin strips, will the lack of clothes add to his chameleon bonus for (at least visual) stealth? If so, he will make his way to the door and if the area is clear, will strip down and hide his clothes in order to better hide on his way down the stairwell.
As he stands there, naked as the day he was forged, and presumably a number of days prior to that, he feels the cool air coming up from below, down the winding spiral stair. He'd shed his clothing upon entering the stairwell, and now secures his clothing in a crevice in the wood, out of sight.
ReplyDeleteHe takes care to walk down the steps slowly so as to make little noise. The stair is poorly lit, which is a boon in these moments. Before long, he smells the scent she was referring to: an aromatic smell, sickly sweet, which before long grows to a reek.
He reaches the bottom step, and feels reasonably certain he has been silent. A wooden archway leads into a low room lit by a glowing green plant suspended from the ceiling. There are wooden tables covered in delicate tools, perplexing devices, glass bottles and jars filled with mysterious contents. He is glad he didn't bring Moira; she'd feel the need to liberate some of these items. There are rows of large wooden casks, open on top, but he can’t see inside of them from his current vantage.
He notices that Halcon stands in the corner facing away from him by a pair of squat tables, each containing a slab of ice. He is chanting something with his hand outstretched over the left table in quiet elvish, and the ice appears to be melting unnaturally quickly. Blendin then sees a shape take form out of the ice, first a fuzz of fur, then limbs, then a face. As the ice melts away, splashing onto the floor, he sees a wildling, perhaps a badger or squirrel before his Forging, laying on the table, bits of slush still pooled around him. “Now then,” says Halcon in a clear elvish voice, “let’s see what you brought for me, little one.” He stabs down with a thin bronze knife, crunching into the chest of the unthawed wilding, and begins his grisly work.
ooc: gonna need a gut check. Target number is 4, you’ll be rolling a d4/d6, with a -2 penalty because it’s a default roll. Failure, you’ll be shaken and need a vigor roll to avoid a -1 penalty to everything until the end of the “encounter”. If you succeed, do whatever you wanna do.
Blendin feels himself losing his small lunch, but gets it under control [vigor:5-1=4]. And then the rage begins to rise, but he realizes there is nothing he can do in his current, natural state. Blendin continues to watch Halcon to see what exactly he is up to.
ReplyDeleteI nominate Blendin for a bennie for his simultaneous come on to Moira/stealth-increasing maneuver.
ReplyDeleteTooly sighs heavily, "Fine, then. When the little guy gets back..." Grumbling about lost loot and dirty bureaucrats, he looks over the new rig with an eye to structural integrity and potential modifications.
ReplyDeleteBlendin watches in revulsion as the elf does his work. Halcon chortles to himself as he removes ragged pieces of flesh and organs. Each one he studies carefully, weighs them on a balance with gold weights, adds some mixture of herbs, leaves and/or other chemicals to them, before entering notes in a small book on the bench. Each piece is placed with delicacy in either a glass jar, or tossed unceremoniously into one of the bins behind him with a squish.
ReplyDelete“Not quite, I’m afraid, but helpful none the less, little one. Let’s see what your friend has for us, hmm?” Halcon turns to the other block of ice, and begins chanting. Just then, Blendin hears a door open with a loud creak, not far above him. Halcon turns at the sound as well, but Blendin was ready for that, and already well concealed. All the same, a pair of footsteps are approaching from above, and there is little room to hide in the stairwell. The only other exit into the courtyard is beyond Halcon, and appears locked.
Quint finally arrives, and gets to work on the rigging under Taz’s direction, constantly talking about the “goblin mouthbreaters” who did the work that he examines now. Wung is put to task securing the new cargo, and Brecklum seems to be roiling over his selection of bunks, but says nothing. There is no sign yet of Blendin or Moira. A empty cart is being loaded back onto one of the green/red sailed vessels, which is looking to make ready to sail shortly.
Gardner busies himself with overseeing the preparations on the ships. He takes time to go over his log and update it and add details as necessary. As time permits, he walks Fang around the ships and the docks, knowing he'll soon be cooped up, and chats with Taz about Bridgeways, its notable seafaring inhabitants, and why the best pilots all come from Bridgeways: intuitive grasp of geometry and natural spatial thinking do to the structure of the island chain, experience with winds of every speed and direction from an early age, the Lady of the Wind's preference for and favor toward captains and pilots from her own island.
ReplyDelete"I thought Moira was watching for me," Blendin thinks regretfully. Blendin does a quick search to see where he might be able to fit his small body.
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If a location is discoverable, Blendin will blend in. I'm thinking among the barrels. If not, Blendin will make himself as small and as hidden as possible to keep himself from the newcomer's view, with his legs ready to bolt back up the stairs if seen.
ooc: Moira is watching doors –just not the right ones. You entered from an upper floor, and wound down to the basement level. You passed 2 other floors on your way down, and there was at least 1 floor up (the attic) from where you started. She’s also watching the ground floor exterior door, which is on the other side of Halcon, you think. The person coming down the stairs is between you and exit, so a bolt up the stairs is dicey at best – I think Blendin would hope he can dart behind the barrels, but with Halcon looking right at you it’s a pretty tough roll. If you wish to have me reroll it, I can but I’ll let you know I’ve already made those rolls 3 times for you, and it never worked – Halcon got a great notice check. I’ll call giving you this information in advance instead of making you spend all your bennies to find out your “getting’ naked” benny.
ReplyDeleteAs Blendin tries to slip unnoticed behind the barrels, the stench of them causes him to sneeze, and then he hears Halcon chuckle. “Oh my. Little one, I’m sure this appears quite, well, dreadful. But let me assure you there is no more danger for you here than you’d find with those psychotics who worship Alpha. Why don’t you come over here, and we can speak plainly.” Blendin, knowing he’s caught, stands bravely. Another elf exits the stairwell. “Master, we have lost track of the lizardling, and,” he notices Blendin, and reaches within his robe as if to draw a weapon.
“Stop! There will be no need of that, Bower. Leave him be. Go, prepare my evening meal. I’ll have need of it shortly.” Bower looks at Blendin and then Halcon in concern, but nods and heads up the stairs. Halcon, gaunt as ever, moves over and washes his hands in a wooden basin as you hear a door up the stairwell open and close.
“Now then, Blendin, isn’t it? Blendin, you weren’t supposed to venture down into my laboratory. On that point I believe I was quite clear with Moira, and given her disposition I feel certain she mentioned it to you. But, here you are. Tell me, what do you think you are seeing?” He waves a newly clean hand, and the light from the plant above increases, revealing more of the room. Blendin can see the insides of the barrels now. Half of them contain what looks to be flesh and fur suspended in a fluid, the other half are empty. “Torture? I assure you, they are quite dead when they arrive. A spell or ritual? Or maybe you think I do this for entertainment, hmm? Little would surprise me after what you’ve probably seen in your lifetime.”
Bledin looks at the wizard with hardened eyes. "My deepest apologies. I do believe it must have slipped her mind. As you can see, I was hoping she would respond to my note and visit me down here. I'm all about exotic locations.
ReplyDelete"Though I must say, I am quite pleased she did not respond, and probably due to the stern warning she received. As for what you are doing; best I can tell, you are harvesting wildlings. It appears you are searching for something, perhaps, the secret of life or the secret of the forge..."
closing thread, for those who use cellphones to read it...
ReplyDelete