Samuel Sledge |
Swim: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
Zin'Retatarianna Mor |
Z sprouts her wings and flies towards the ship.
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Rynjin |
On the third round, Sledge, Jones, and Zin are actually a little BEHIND the ship, but can reach it in one move. Sledge starts climbing up, ad the other two can land on the deck.
What now? You guys can roll Profession: Sailor to try and bring him in. DC 15, with a +2 from the old guy aiding you, and a +2 from anyone else helping (I'll let you auto-aid here, essentially, since that's how this ship is meant to work in the first place).
Jones Shei'lac |
Prof. Sailor: 1d20 + 0 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 0 + (6) + 2 = 27
:D
Rynjin |
Jones springs into action, correcting the course of the ship and slowing it down slightly.
It is now coming in at 10 feet per round, and will be easy to slow down and dock on the quay.
Crisis averted, the old man looks at all of you.
"Thank the gods you showed up. I would surely have been smashed on the rocks without your intervention. My name is Dr. Horace Croon. The rest of my blasted crew dove overboard and left me in the boat when the storm blew in. I suppose they assumed I could swim as well as they."
"May I ask who I owe my life to?"
As a side note, Cassiel and Ezekiel would have recognized this man as having been one of the attendees of Professor Lorrimor's funeral.
Jones Shei'lac |
Jones doffs his hat. "Jones Shei'lac, at your service. And these are my companions, Sledge, Zin, and Darius."
"May I ask what you were doing out on the water before the storm arrived?"
Rynjin |
"Ah, of course!" he seems all too happy you asked.
"I've found that if I try to do my experiments within Thrushmoor, the local kids like to vandalize the equipment, so I went to the Tern Rocks to test my equipment." he pauses for a few moments, eyes staring off into space.
"Note to self, invent new nonlethal urchin deterrent. Cosider something involving nets and low voltage." he mutters to himself.
He shakes his head to clear it and pulls up a tarp to give you a peek at what's underneath. It bears a resemblance to a sort of mechanical fish, with windows where the eyes would be.
"I call it the Subaqueous Exploration and Research Vessel!" he exclaims proudly.
"Though perhaps a new name is in order. Something a layman would understand." he mutters to himself again.
Jones Shei'lac |
"Hah! A fellow man of science, I suspected as much!" Jones seems overjoyed.
He examines Horace's craft. "Subaqueous, you say? That's quite an achievement, especially without the aid of magic."
Darius Ral'algul |
Darius had watched fairly certain in his allies abilities, though he had prepared to use his Enlarge Extract just in case to lessen the Boats collision if need be. Luckily that was not the case.
Walking onto the vessel the gruff man raises a question, " What kind of crew did you have to abandon you? Have they never traversed a storm? I would think that a given within such use of a ship. "
Rynjin |
"I've no clue what got into them. They're all fishermen, and locals at that. They're usually such solid, reliable men I wonder if they hadn't gone temporarily mad somehow."
He thinks on that for a moment.
"Though that's unlikely. Nothing could have caused it, that I know."
Jones Shei'lac |
Jones freezes in place, then slowly turns his gaze toward the ocean.
"Yes..."
Then he turns toward his allies, with his back to Horace, speaking in an emotionless tone but with a look of urgency in his eyes.
"I can't even envision what would cause such behavior."
Take 10 Bluff+inspiration to pass a secret message to everyone except Horace: 20 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ 20 + (2) + 2 = 24
Jones is trying to remind his allies of the visions they received at the Desnan shrine, one of which was an enormous tentacled monster in the ocean that filled its victims' minds with madness.
Samuel Sledge |
Take 10 to pick it up.
Sledge will just eye Croon cautiously.
Sense Motive (Hunch About Croon): 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (20) + 22 = 42
Rynjin |
Croon is a f!!!ing space cadet. He's pretty much incapable of ignoring any idea he's had until he runs through its full potential (thankfully for him and anyone conversing with him, his intelligence makes that only a few seconds).
That's about all.
Rynjin |
"It's a bay, my lad. Not quite the same thing."
"And well, they didn't exactly have the greatest leaping power. A few feet from the boat is all they could manage. Unless you meant from shore? Not very far, 300 feet perhaps. No trouble for such strong swimmers as they."
Samuel Sledge |
"Were could they have come up? Near were we were?"
Sledge strains his eyes, searching for the sailors.
1d20 + 22 ⇒ (10) + 22 = 32
Samuel Sledge |
"Aye, but it can be swum as well."
Jones Shei'lac |
"Doctor Croon, did you actually see whether they made it to shore?
Samuel Sledge |
"Good. Is there anything else we can help ya with?"
Jones Shei'lac |
Jones waits until Croon is well out of hearing range before speaking.
"Well, we saw this coming. Literally. But I think it would be unwise to fight or even seek out the monster at the moment. I say we continue toward Illmarsh."
Samuel Sledge |
"I agree. But we should warn him first."
Darius Ral'algul |
" I also agree, ward him away from the possible suicide. It is the LEAST we could do. That Tentacled Horror is up to no good. of the things it could be I know for a fact one of them is out of our league, especially in it's preferred environment. The Question is why it made them leap off but took none of them? "
Jones Shei'lac |
"And what would we say, exactly? I doubt he would believe us if we didn't explain how we know about this creature, and telling the truth would make us seem insane."
Jones sighs. "Still, I suppose we should at least try."
"As for why the monster didn't take them - it's possible that its power over the mind extends a fair distance outward. Perhaps the sailors were nowhere near it when the madness took hold."
Darius Ral'algul |
" A warning even one given in the context of possible.. mental duress is still a warning. He doesnt seem particularly.. all there either. "
Jones Shei'lac |
Jones looks slightly annoyed.
"Just because he has an...unconventional mind doesn't mean he will accept anything he hears as fact. We should hope that, as a scientist, he can accept that his perception of reality is flawed or incomplete."
He starts flying again and chases after Croon.
"Wait a moment, Doctor! There is something we must warn you about."
Darius Ral'algul |
" Yes, that the fits of madness were not random. hey were contrived as far as we know by a creature. Likely from deep below and tentacled. You should be wary "
Rynjin |
"Interesting. I hadn't considered intervention by an outside force. Stupid mistake, really. Though if that's the case, why wasn't I affected?"
"More research on that subject might bear promising fruit, assuming it's true."
Zin'Retatarianna Mor |
"It probably only can affect simpletons, the kind who like to shoot other people with crossbows." says Z, paying only the slightest bit of attention to all the goings on.
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Jones Shei'lac |
"I would advise against confronting the creature. Our sources indicate that it is quite powerful, and can drain strength from its victims."
"Also, while you may have been able to resist its power, it cannot be assumed that you are completely immune. I urge you to be cautious."
Jones Shei'lac |
Jones gives a satisfied nod.
"Good. I just wanted to be sure that you were aware of the danger. We will leave you to your business."
Samuel Sledge |
We will carry on our merry way.
Darius Ral'algul |
Darius rolled his eyes at the situation and narrowed them at Zin's but overall agreed it was time to move forward by his action. " This issue isnt going to solve itself. "
Rynjin |
You travel a bit further, and make it to the town of Illmarsh.
The town is small, and quite antiquated in look, with the majority of the town being built of split logs (think Lincoln Logs) and few of more modern construction. The wharves are the most prominent feature, with many fishing trawlers either in dock or coming back as the sun starts to set. The more perceptive among you notice that many of the ships are riding distressingly high. The catch has not been good.
On every side but the bay side, the town is surrounded by the swamp of Soddentimbers. Jones heard in Thrushmoor that the townsfolk are often called "musties" when they come to visit, but discarded that the time. Now he sees why: The entire town smells of mildew and rotted wood. The buildings, the streets, and even the people and their clothing.
Off in the distance you can spot the Tern Rocks, a chain of small islands, so named for the small smuggler's ships that used to come through there. The original lord of Illmarsh was the leader of those pirates. This is where Croon was conducting his research.
The town boasts several points of interest in the town square, the town hall, the general store, an alchemist's shop, an inn, a tavern, a fish market, a boat maker, and of course the wharves.
You also see, at the outskirts of town, a large workshop with parts that look quite similar to those making up Horace Croon's submersible. Perhaps he lives here. You know he is not home, however, as he headed in a different direction.
Zin'Retatarianna Mor |
Z nudges Darius and points to the workshop, "Think that's the home of Croon? What do you reckon the odds are that he was actually affected by the monster?"
"Seems odd that he wouldn't return to his workshop but instead set off somewhere else, don't you think?"
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Jones Shei'lac |
Jones looks for information about the Neighbors and the suspicious black-garbed travellers.
Diplomancy, take 10: 28 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ 28 + (1) + 2 = 31
Rynjin |
The Illmarsh natives are shifty and quite unfriendly to you. You can't quite put your finger on it, but there's something...off about them.
They all give you cold glares, or even pretend not to see you at all unless you address one directly.
Jones however is able to pin one down and ask him some questions.
You actually need a Diplomacy check to make them Indifferent, then you may make another check. You can Take 10 again if you wish, but there are DCs up to DC 40 for gathering info here, so rolling is perhaps something you would consider. You can always try again if you fail, given more time.
Jones Shei'lac |
1d20 + 18 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 18 + (3) + 2 = 34
Hmm. Can I hand out bribes for a bonus like in Thrushmoor?
Rynjin |
These people don't want your filthy stinking outsider money. Keeps your grubby paws to yourself, stranger.
"Don't know nothin' about no Rider, but I ken tell ya we hain't seen the Neighbors fer a good long while. Mayber all these durn ferriner's have done drove 'em off. Fishin's been bad too. Prolly cuz of the Watcher in the Bay bein' around so often lately."
Jones Shei'lac |
Jones asks a question that he thinks he already knows the answer to.
"What's the Watcher in the Bay?"
Diplomacy?: 1d20 + 18 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 18 + (2) + 2 = 30
Darius Ral'algul |
Was the Wharf where we just came from?
Darius Sneers at Zin. " If something was off we would have nooticed. Mind Control magic has certain.. cues. " He nudges back, " You also need to get over your petty grudge. The Bolt barely harmed you. "
Rynjin |
No, you came from the Lonely Quay. The wharf is on the bay side of the town (the quay is along the bay too, but further along. It's kind of hard to describe and there's no map from quay to town so I'm assuming you did something like take a road along the bayside, then around the swamp a bit, coming up behind the town because there would be no other way without taking a boat).