(1) Atalantia - Scourge of Magic

Game Master mdt

Adran looks at the strange little lizard on the mast as he lays tangled in the crows nest among rope.

He speaks in draconic for the lizard.
"What the hell was that? Did my eyes see that right. What did you do? Many thanks."

He says as he begins to untangle and untie himself.

"Hey boss you alright down there? This little guy stared that thing in the eye, it was crazy. I though for sure I was gone. I will be down in a few minutes."

Over the next few minutes Adran uses the vantage point to look over the town and see if there is any thing they may want to address after the carnage of the storm.

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"What the hells was that?" Volita inquires, finally managing to close her jaw.

"Was Mad One-Eye! Tarvin, who seek all to die!" The little lizardfolk responds, sounding exhausted despite his chipper attitude. "All thank Ambergriss, Keeper of Healing Lore... Kept us from being armor for Tarvin forever more..." The small lizardfolk then climbs down the mast, avoiding snapped spars and broken ropes.

He draws himself up in front of Connor. "Mad One-Eye be gone for now, and you be alive another day. My job I did, none can gainsay. Ambergriss thank you should, he keep The Tempest away."

Then the small lizardfolk sags. "Tokhen feel like flounder three weeks old... so hungry would eat cheese of mold..."

Nearby the blood continues to hiss and boil on the deck.

Glancing over, the lizardfolk seems perplexed. "Not see that before... never heard of in any lore..."

"Wait, so, you're, like, a cleric of Ambergiss, and the Healing Lore kept away Mad One-Eye?
Also, wow, I hope someone not me kills that thing because that...was not nice at all."

Volita's been working on her power of understatement.

The cleric suddenly looks aghast. "NO NO NO NO! No kill god! Better evil god you know! World tilt and all be worse, your thoughts are flawed!"

Connor, after putting Tenfa's artifacts into safekeeping, nearly lashed himself to the upper deck, near the rudder wheel. Magic or not, this was information that the people at home needed to know. He kept shouting commands to the crew during the storm to prevent any further damage to the yardarms.

The mer-giant was totally unknown to Connor, and made the Surface oceans seem that much more terrifying than the open skies of the floating islands.

--------------

Up to Adran, Connor shouted "Watch the port side! Tell me where we need Shapers to start repairs."

Releasing the ropes that held him and the wheelman fast, Connor hopped down to the main decking. Also noticing the blood-spatter on the wooden planks, Connor gave it a wide berth and called out for the anti-magic teams to assemble and quarantine the substance.

Glancing sideways, Connor added after Involo's question, "Let sleeping gods lie, Seaman. Wait until you've been through a dragonswarm." Giving the lizard cleric two more gold coins, he asked "You seem less belligerent than the usual hulking scale-skins I have met. Do you know much about the jungle north of here? And where we might get a native guide?"

The lizardfolk takes the gold coins, doesn't bite them this time, and slips them into it's pouch. "Tokhen local guide is, god Ambergriss doth say be kind. North of here more swamp than jungle, keep in mind." The lizardfolk digs a fish wrapped in seaweed out of his pouch, the fish seems much bigger than the pouch is. He rips it in half with one bite, chewing noisily for a minute or so before swallowing. "Wing captain have ale or wine? Maybe we talk as Tokhen dine?"

Upon landing back on the airship, Elrohir went belowdecks pretty much right away. As somebody more likely to fly than walk, he *hated* when his wings got wet.

After drying off, he tied himself to his bed, knowing that to try and remain un-secure would be very bad indeed.

Once the storm was over, with all of its rocking of the boat, Sting made his away back up top.

Spotting Conner he said "Well, that was just plain awful. Can we never do that again?

Once Connor yells up Adran nods.

"You got it boss."

He stays up in the nest and looks to see where repairs are needed.

"I can get you a drink." Connor replied. He looked around at his people recovering from the, er, call it a "god-storm". Rather than call out to a countryman as a servant to bring ale for the lizardfolk cleric, Connor made an astral construct for the job.

To Sting, Connor said "Now you know why Surface missions require 'volunteers'."

Looking around again, Connor called out "Report by numbers! Any causalities?" (New members, chime in!)

"That was a rough one, but it'll take a lot more than that to take out the likes of me!" the exuberant, boastful halvavian commented, wet as he was. "I came to be helpful, and god or no gods, that's what I'm going to do! ...I wouldn't mind a drink, too, though, if they're on the table..."

Volita stares at the city. "Um, I'm right next to you, and no, I'm not hurt.

Y'know, I'm not that bright. Where are we headed and why?"

Dr. Exposition, please report to the gameplay thread. Dr. Exposition, to the gameplay thread stat."

Sorry everyone, things have been hectic over the holiday. We confirmed my brother in law tried to commit suicide. He's stable now, and out of ICU and off dialysis. He will, however, be instatutionalized now by the state. He's fighting his med levels, despite trying to commit suicide. So they're not going to let him out anymore. Beyond that, I had to spend most of last week searching for a facility to put my dad in here in Texas (Assisted living, not institution or nursing). So lots of crap going on. Part of my delay is I didn't have time to put up posts for each game, and I didn't want to put up one game and not the others, as I feel awful when I do that. So, tonight is the first chance I've had to work up posts for all my games. Due to the big delay, I'm kind of fast forwarding all my games a bit, in order to get them past the delay my RL stuff imposed.

Recap

The crew is tasked with tracking down Grimjowl, a massive green lizardfolk who has somehow merged with a demon of some type and is slowly becoming a chimera of lizardfolk and demon. Since first encountering him, he has grown batlike wings, managed to get an ancient 2nd generation Skyship airborne, and is now a menace to the skies. He also tortured Flick and ripped off the Atalantian's wings to ensure he couldn't escape. The only clue they have is that the lizardfolk uses a mixture of Humans and Lizardfolk in his crews. They have landed in Taksi, a catfolk/lizardfolk kingdom on the northern continent to search for information about the massive blue/gray lizardfolk he uses.

However, so far the search has turned up nothing. They have found large green lizardfolk, such as Grimjowl, and small green ones, and even large black ones. But no blue/gray lizardfolk. Their search was interrupted by a visit by a god, or at least an avatar writ large, which nearly destroyed the port and their ship. Only the interruption of a small rhyming priest of a water god shielded them.

In the week since the attack, they have found out from the small priest that there are only four types of lizardfolk in the Taksi area. The Klatha, who are medium sized green lizardfolk such as those they usually encounter. The Klatha'man, who are large green lizardfolk who are said to be the progenitors/ancestors of the green lizardfolk. There are the Klatha'nui, who are small hyperactive lizardfolk who prefer to speak in rhymes. Finally, there are the Ratha'man, who are large black lizardfolk who are much more violent minded, who tend to be warriors. Their new friend has heard rumors of blue/gray Lizardfolk, but not on the northern continent. He's only heard of them from ships that have travelled from the southern continent and the lands of humans.

Adran keeps to his day to day chores and keeps an eye out in the crows nest while the crew comes up with a plan.

"Why don't we go ask my new large green friends about Grimjaw, surely they know of him. They may not be friends. Either they can provide information or if they are friends, maybe they will alert him to people asking about him. You know draw him out to a fight. Maybe we start spreading the rumor that these skies are ours. I find people with ego are easy to draw into a fight"

He paces back and fourth whistling as he pauses and thinks between his statements. Rocking back and fourth on his heals as he talks as if proud of what he has come up with.

Art helps as he can, eager little guy that he is, though being of little help in the way of skills, other than another set of eyes, his helpfulness is mostly restricted to cleaning and other such sundry tasks. "It almost sounds like," he says between bites of a particularly loud, juicy apple, "[/b]like they're 'specially recruited, if they're all the same type. Maybe, even, he's making them? Is that a thing demons can do? I wouldn't put it past the buggers...[/b]" Art obviously has no idea what he's talking about, speaking in vagueries about his theories and such.

"I like this one," Art says, smiling broadly as Adraniel suggests goading their enemies into a fight. "Just brash enough, I think, that it could work!"

(I hate weeks like this. First day I'm not under pressure for someone else.)

Connor thanked Tokhen the little lizard-man for his work, and set up a table on the deck. While seeing to some of the Elephant's repairs as Captain, he listened to Adran and another crewmember, Art. Going back to Tokhen at the table, Connor asked about the kinds of lizard-men in this region, and listened to the descriptions. But after Tokhen left and Connor had nearly a week of uneventful failure getting any further progress, he asked his crew for more suggestions.

(That should cover the above three posts.)

"All right." Connor said to a select group on the deck as the sun rose one morning. (I.e., the new guys & gals!) "We can either draw Grimjowl out by rumor, or turn into explorers needing a native guide to the North. Preferably around the monsters that they guard against here. Either way, we're about to run out of rent time, and I don't want to pay for another week of sitting on our feathers while nothing happens. Any other comments?"

"The wondering adventurer thing? Does that ever work?" He chuckles.

"Look boss, see this Grimjaw guy wants power right? I mean he made deals and all to get what he has. He sees himself as the head guys. Well your the boss so think how you would feel if something you had control of fell into someone elses hands and that someone else was getting rich. Hey cone on who you gonna trust here. My plans always work 50% of the time."

He smiles and starts pacing and whistling again thinking if he has missed anything.

Elrohir spends as much of the intervening week as possible flying around, whether its in the city or just around there ship. Whatever time is not spent in the skies is generally spent either engaging in target practice, or personal alone time(ie brooding).

When the group gathers to discuss what to do next, he comments "I get the feeling we've exhausted our options here. If the only place where even rumors of the blue/grey lizardfolk are from the south, then should we not head there?"

Volita spends much of the first few days in the city, tasking her powers in creation of utility golemns to aid in rescue, salve, and, in the last few days, rebuilding efforts.

At the end of the week she gravitates back to the ship and is just landing when Conner is discussing the plan.

"I concur. If we dangle ourselves as honest bait, we might just stumble into Grimjaw."

Yep didn't realize he wasn't round these parts.

Connor appeared to be having an internal conversation as well as listening to the others. "New plan," he concluded, "South it is. Somebody get me a map - this is the first time any of us will have been there. We've got a little money, now's the time for last-minute preparations. I'm not paying any more rent."

"Adran, start your plan. Get us a city name, at least." Connor ordered. "But be as cautious as possible - we don't want you to lose your sunny disposition. One Sting is enough. Take Art here if you need to. Everybody else, you've got to sundown, and we launch with the morning winds. If any one can find me a cargo to take South, I'll buy it!"

"I'll be at the Mapmaker's Street looking for anything on the Southern Continent."

Oops though I posted, I must of forgot.

"Sounds good boss."

Adran heads back into town to start the rumor mill.

Volita nods quickly. She only came back to the boat to eat and see if there was anything important before heading back to the city and continuing her constructs' work.

She flies off again, and she'll ask all the people she's helped if anyone needs any cargo carried South.

Art nods enthusiastically with Connor's suggestion for him to tag along with Adraniel. "We'll have him on us in no time, I'm sure," he says, before assisting how he can in rumormongering.

Art, Volita, Elrohir, Connor, if you could put your skills in your profile like Adraniel has them, that would help the GM

Art & Adraniel go flitting through the area, trying to set up rumors. Art finds that Adraniel has no training for it, and only minimal natural talent...

Diplomacy, Art: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34
Diplomacy, Adraniel: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 Not even an aid other

...and despite his best efforts, Adraniel is mostly just there for moral support as Art spreads rumors.

Volita's efforts at helping with rebuilding do not go unnoticed, and the Governor of the city, a greenscaled lizardfolk with a beautiful pattern of green and silver scales gives her thanks personally, as well as a very finely wrought Pendant that has the Taksi arms on it. Volita finds out that the pendant is basically an award given out to those who render assistance to the Taksi. [ooc]Wearing the Pendant confers a +2 to any Diplomacy checks made to interact with Taksi inhabitants going forward).

She also finds out, after asking around a bit wearing the pendant, that nobody has any cargos going south, trade with the southern continent isn't that stable. Very few ships will chance the 10 week trip through the deep ocean given the Mad Sea Gods rampages except for Pirates, and they don't do scheduled cargo. She does find out however that there are some cargos that could be picked up on the cheap from ship owners whose ships were damaged and need repairs, if Connor wants to buy speculative cargo.

Connor, meanwhile, is able to track down a shop that specializes in Maps. So nice to be in civilization where maps are common place things. He finds a relatively recent map of the southern continent for 150GP that's only 10 years old. It's made out of a large animal skin and is 5 ft wide and 3.5 ft high. The details are very well done, and only slightly faded. According to the map maker, it was commissioned by a well known pirate who was killed a few years ago, and his crew sold it off.

Volita's face lights up like an early dawn and she graciously clasps the necklace about her slender neck, the small pendant nestling comfortably in her firm cleavage.

Volita returns to the ship and reports on the rumor of a speculative cargo. Then, unable to contain her curiosity, she rushes off to the docks, investigating the captains with damaged ships. She takes out an impressive (and blank) legal pad, and begins chalking up an exhaustive graph on who is carrying what, how much of it, how much they'll take to part with it, and how much they had expected to get once sold.

She keeps dogging the captains for data, trading labor (of her constructs. It's like -she- will lift barge and swing hammer. Sheeeyah. Right.) in exchange for information, if she thinks the effort will pay dividends.

She keeps at it until Conner joins her, and gives him the product of her condensed data.

Adran congratulates Art on the way back.

"You sure are good at talking. Oh man they seem to hang on every word. Boy I like talking but you sure are good at it. People always look at me with a puzzled look. I just always thought they don't know how great I am or understand me. Good job. The boss will be happy."

Art is more than content that his charismatic gabbing has proven itself useful, beaming as he and Adran return to the rest of the group.

"Of course I am! I've got a passion for all I do, even if it gets me into trouble! Especially when it gets me into trouble. If he doesn't come after us, either he's not in the area, or he's no longer interested, I think!"

Sting accompanies Conner, as finding a map seemed like it would involve interacting with the least amount of people. With his current mindset, he was a bit of a liability, and figured it would be best to avoid getting into any unnecessary fights.

Art, Volita, Elrohir, Connor, if you could put your skills in your profile like Adraniel has them, that would help the GM

Connor, meanwhile, is able to track down a shop that specializes in Maps. So nice to be in civilization where maps are common place things. He finds a relatively recent map of the southern continent for 150GP that's only 10 years old. It's made out of a large animal skin and is 5 ft wide and 3.5 ft high. The details are very well done, and only slightly faded. According to the map maker, it was[/ooc]...

Knowing the possessiveness of navigators worldwide, Connor bought the map for 150 gp. (I'm going to have to sell the Alexandrite (108gp) and Star rose quartz (41gp). How much did we get for that cargo, again?)

(And how much for the new cargo, Volita/mdt?)

You got, I believe, 4,500 GP for the cargo.

Volita finds a cargo of fruits and nuts for 1,200 gp. They are local fruits and nuts, so not really in demand here. But they've been slightly salt water damaged, and the extra two weeks has shortened their shelf life. Still, the ship can fly faster than the sailing ships can sail, so they might survive the trip.

She also finds a cargo of cloth (cotton, hemp, and even some silk), as well as some local swamp wood (cut logs, unfinished), and a few hundred skins both reptilian and furry (nutria). The entire lot will cost 5,500 gp.

Finally, she finds a ship with a three ornate carriages, disassembled, some uniforms with a livery mark on them, and several chests full of ornate nobles clothes. The owner of the ship is willing to part with them for 4,250gp

(Thanks, mdt. I'll let Volita decide what to tell Connor! (Rolls the dice...))

Can I Haggle(Diplomacy) with them at all, or are these Book Prices(tm) and therefore immutable? (Unmutable? Not mutable? Un-not-gonna-ain't-not-ever-no-can't-not-dis-un-mutable-able?)

I took your diplomacy into account when setting prices. The fruit will get cheaper if you wait a week. :)

Volita taps cutely against her notepad as Conner joins her. She gives him the full rundown, together with her own observations. "How much are we able to haul? If we can't take all of it, I'd recommend trying to ween the skins and furs first, and the fruit an' nuts after that.
I don't about where we're going, but I'd not roll the dice on the clothing an' luxury items without a confirmed buyer, but skins an' food and even wood can usually at least be moved, so we've a high chance to at least get our money back, if we can't make a profit.

What do you think?"

Knowledge: Nobility: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

"Skip the livery." Connor told Volita. "Advertising another man's mark never works. Same for the carriages - not much use outside of capital cities. If the sellers won't go piecemeal, go for the fruits and nuts, and at least we can pay whatever Customs the next port has. I'd rather have the logs and cloths, if you can get just them, but the skins might offend our buyers. Much like someone selling our feathers and skins would offend us! I don't want to scrape together 5,500 gp and go into another port dead broke, though."

(Dunno if mdt could divide that 5,500 gp into just the cloth & logs for less, or if they're all package deals. )

It's all or nothing, but you do realize that the locals sell lizard skin right? Gators and gecko's to be specific. Lizardfolk skin would be a big deal. Gator and gecko skin is as much a problem for Lizardfolk as ape skin would be for humans.

"Hrrmmm. What say we get the first two deals, then? The food we'll probably be able to move right away. Same with the cloth and wood.

That should at least give us some profit right there. Then we just keep the skins in the hold until we visit a non-lizfolk populated area? Fur and leather is usually a good deal...to must human-folk."

The cargo's would fill the hold individually, you're buying the entire hold of cargo

"Well, if the cargoes are full-sized and the owners won't split them," Connor says after the discussion, "I'm not scraping a thousand gold pieces on top of what we got for our own vegetables and goods on a chance the Southern Continent is low on wood and furs. Get the nuts and fruits. At least we'll have enough gold in the strongbox to take our time looking for something to take back to Atalantia, if we have to."

"If everybody is back from Taksi, let's get the cargo and haul anchor. Adran, Art, I hope your mission was more profitable."

Volita nods, not sure enough of the economic situation to press the matter, and facilitates the purchase and delivery of the fruit-and-nut cargo.

When it's been loaded and put away she nods, happily, feeling that she's done some fine, fine work progressing society.

"Everybody ready?"

Art nods, grinning widely. "I think we've spread word pretty well. We'll be hearing from him soon, I'm sure, or he's deaf. People'll be talking for a while!"

"Ready to go."

Adran hops up from the crate he was sitting on and flies up taking his normal position in the crows nest.

You have access to a map, you are on the northern continent, where Takis is (the brownish swamp that juts out near the mountains). Based on the map you bought (see earlier link), where do you plan to try to make port on your first stop south?

Volita points at a spot in the relative middle-top of the Southern continent. "What about Onsi? It's on a river and in the middle of the continent. Surely we could stop there to refresh our supplies, and maybe ask around a bit?"

Connor put the map he purchased on a larger table down in the galley. "It'd be nice if we could go to a city that's not in a war, or has underworked and on-the-graft Customs." he muttered to Volita in reply. "Let's see...Onsi? In Esara? That's a straight-line, all right. Looks like grassland with trees. A capital city should be more open to travelers and trade."

Knowledge: Geography: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

(Anybody have regional knowledge, or can we say the past week in this city can tell us a little more about the Southern Continent?)

Random Gossip Info from Traders: 1d100 ⇒ 82

You have, talking to 'traders' and traders, found out the following about the Southern Continent.

The Southern Continent is divided up into small kingdoms and city states. Each is largely divided up along racial lines.

Bastra : One of the largest countries on the continent, but not the most populated. It's primarily a giant swamp and Jungle with either fresh or salt water, depending on the weather. Primarily populated by Fashtali and Lizardfolk, the trees there are called Skybrooms, and sweep the sky. The cities are built in the trees. They export hardwood and rare plants usually.

Belrie : A desert land with only one major city in it, the capital. It's a den of thieves and lowlifes, although the 'traders' comment that it's the one major city where they don't care who you are or what you look like, only the color of your gold matters. They usually comment on this while looking at everyone's wings. The ruler is The Royal Bastard of Olaistan, currently a half-orc woman named Veronique Mastrail. Besides being a 'clearing house' for 'found' goods, the city is also known for it's glass works, and makes most of the glass on the southern continent.

Cormar : An almost traditional human country, Cormar is a mixture of farmlands and soft wood groves, especially fruit trees. Cormar exports primarily food and soft woods. The capital city of Kalesio is considered to be the largest city on the southern continent. The country, however, has a reputation for treating non-humans as second class at best. They are famed for their knights.

Elishtru Kaava : A land of barbarians, of elves who are as muscle bound as any dwarf, and twice as ornery. Nobody is allowed to trespass on their lands without permission, and permission is rarely given. They may eat people, rumors are mixed on that. They do some trade at their capital city of Kastri.

Elishtru Seevra : A land of tall pointy eared elites, with their noses in the air. They are in heavy forests, many of the trees being skybrooms. They don't get on well with the barbarians, or the halflings, or the humans, around them. They have a weird political arrangement, with each city being ruled by an Elven Prince or Princess, and then all the princes/princesses being ruled over by a King or Queen. They export arrows by the job lot, and wood.

Esara : Esara is a human kingdom, often at mild to moderate armed conflict with the stuck up pointy ears. They have heavy vegetation that makes their land hard to invade, and they cultivate it to be harder. They do have more fruit trees than any other kingdom, and export quite a bit of fruit to countries other than Cormar, especially Bastra. They also export wood to some extent. And arrows by the job lots, although most people don't like receiving a shipment of them. Esara is reknown for it's bowmaking.

Fabria : Fabria is a kingdom of halflings. Good luck. Oh, the halflings are all insane. Oh, right, they're halflings, didn't need to add that. They like dogs and pony's, too much if you know what I mean. Don't rile them up though, a dog in full plate packs a punch with a lance in front of it. The queen is married to a gopher... what do you expect? They export diplomats, or as most other countries call them, thieves.

Feld Ranges : Bunch of dwarves and gnomes, living in the mountains. They don't like outsiders. They do like gold and silver and jewels, and don't like giving them up. They do like wood, and pay well for it. They make the best weapons in the world. Oh, theres lots of giants living in the mountains, don't go up there unless you like being stepped on.

Gand Ranges : Meh, who can tell the difference between them and the Felders? They say they are totally different, but ain't seen no difference ever.

Hellhoare : BRRR! Ice, death, ice, death, snow, ice, death, did we mention ice and death?

Iska : Damned gnomes, good place to do business though, they keep their noses out of other people's business. They invented those damn boom tubes though, ain't right, anyone can kill a knight with one of those things. 'Course they train their people to use them, nasty mercenaries. If you want something dead, hire Iskans. They don't care what you look like though.

Kisan : Lizardfolk I think? It's on the other side of the continent, don't get down there, ever. Desert place, not sure what they buy or sell. Don't think I've seen desert lizardfolk before, so not sure what they look like.

Kord Ranges : Like Feld and Gand, but evil. Mostly drow and duerger, other than being evil, not much difference.

Ograga Magra : Bunch of Orcs in a desert, they'll eat your guts while they talk to you. They make good glass though. And they got some gem mines...

Polastra : That actually a country? Thought it was just a place people dumped their exiles...

Rime : Cold, Snow, Ice...

Salvanus : Salvanus is a human kingdom that is reknown for it's beef, bison, and horses. Also as the major source of ale and wines on the southern continent. They get along with all their neighbors, usually. However, they have a major cavalry based army, and that helps a lot. They sell a lot of horses to Calmar for their knights. The Salvanus Bison Cavalry is a scary sight to behold on a charge.

The more like a tourist book the description sounds, the more people you found to give you info. The more like one person it sounds, the fewer people who gave you info.

"On the other wing," Connor adds, "we've got a hold full of nuts and fruits now. Esara has its' own fruits. Not much call for fruits and nuts there. Same for Cormar. Bastra sounded like they need our cargo, however. Maybe we'll pick up some rare plants. Salvanus is a long shot for second choice."

"As for our 'original' mission," Connor said, "Bastra also has lizardfolk. I'd rather not go all the way to Kisan at the southern edge."

(mdt, can you add the above and the map to the front page?)

"I don't think Esara sounds like a place I would want to go anyways" Sting says, running a hand over his right ear.

"Bastra could be a good place to fly" He says wonderingly.