"They've raised it again?" Talathel groaned. He leaned hard against a wall to try and help with the space situation, and slammed his head back against it in a sigh. "I assume none of that money is going toward helping road conditions. F%#+ing mages."
"Would it lower your costs some if you could unload the ship faster? I can ask my friend, Captain Silvers, if he can aid us with some of the city guard? Or perhaps have the customs process quickened?" Aria muses aloud, though not really pinpointing anything definitive. "I might be able to see if I can find some of my old unit, the Silver Eagles, in Coran, who could help unload. I think some of them still owe me a favor or two."
"What do we know about this new dock master? Is there anything in his background that might be used to make him consider entering into a similar agreement to the one you had with the old dock master?" Mikal racks his brain to come up with some contractural gymnastics that he had seen used in the church of abadar as he was being trained in the inquisition.
"Maybe there is a chance to use the weapon of our enemy against them. I am sure that the guild controls the loading and unloading process, the dock workers usually don't like others taking their work. But we could perhaps use magic to either effect the apparent value for tax purposes or move the goods through town faster."
I am not sure about the influence of the church in Coran, having been trained in Gumlat and spending most of my time on the road. We might be able to use the church to avoid some of the tariffs, but they might want a small cut for the effort."
The common people are starving.Cindy confirms. I've lived among them and know their hunger. I've not studied this tax thing before, but the way I see it is that a merchant is caught in the middle. On the supply end you can pay a fair price for your goods, or try to cheat the seller and if you do that he will not sell to you again at best. Then you must arrange advantageous transport and pay lawful tariffs of try to cheat the system and eventually get caught. If you do what you suggest, and take a loss, well that helps the common folk for this load of cargo, but you are unlikely to bring in more cargo in the future, and in fact could not keep doing so as no matter what your fortune it would eventually be exhausted. The solution, if there is one, does seem to be with the "lawful" assessment of tariffs. Perhaps if this new dockmaster truly believed that a fair assessment will bring in more gold than an higher unfair assessment...
Vados squeezes past his companions to the door, checks to make sure no crew are nearby, and closes it tightly. Turning back to the group, in a quiet voice, he says:
The guild has always maintained certain...waterways...in the sewers under Coran. It would not be the first time that I would have escorted Guild merchandise into the city without the knowledge of the Mageocracy. Though best used only in dire circumstances, if moving some or all of our cargo through without the tariff will prevent more citizens from winding up on the streets, I would consider that a worthy cause.
Vados tenses a bit.
But to think that we even have to ask these questions is infuriating. I wish it were enough that such imbalance would galvanize this city against the Mageocracy once and for all.
Vados bows to Master di Alkanov.
Lord, if I may be so bold, might there be someone with influence we could appeal to, and make known abroad the impropriety of those in power?
"In my experience, those with influence normally are those in power." Aria sighs. "And I would be careful about certain secret entrances. I think the thieve's guild has taken over most of them. And if they haven't, they certainly know of them and could interfere."
Vados crosses his arms and leans against the cabin wall, trying to hide the petulant look on his face after Aria's rebuff. Under his breath, he says:
I fear no thieves.
"They have indeed. If the raising of tariffs actually improved conditions I wouldn't object to them." Anton gives a chuckle, "Or at least I'd object less."
"I appreciate the offer Miss Stellar. The problem though isn't so much the unloading costs but rather the import duties applied to the goods. The tax depends on the type of good being brought in and the volume."
"The new dock master is unfortunately a stubborn man. He might soften up a bit with time, but he seems bound and determined to dot every i and cross every t to prove his worthiness of his new position. Although... maybe one of his assistants? That might prove risky without first evaluating them though." Anton absentmindedly takes a pull from his pipe. "It would take a good bit of magic to cover the entire cargo of the ship." He pauses to consider Mikal's words further. "The church of Abadar can be a resourceful ally. There are particular arrangements they have with the mageocracy that gives them tax breaks on certain types of goods - mostly raw materials, wood, iron, that sort of thing."
"Vados the... waterways is an interesting possibility. How much volume could the Myrmidos move in this fashion? Miss Stellar is right though, we are trying to work with the mageocracy to help them see that they are choking the life out of the trade economy. There are some on the council who are sympathetic, but it seems they excel at bureaucracy as much as at the arcane."
Talathel explained the law. "Perhaps you could doctor both ships' manifests, claim less of the cargo as from the trip, and state that the rest was seized from the pirates." He fiddled with the handle of his blade, rocking it back and forth in his hands, letting the blade way in a lazy but steady manner, like a metronome. It helped him focus. "Threaten to torture the pirates if they won't corroborate the story. If they refuse, I think I could stage a fairly convincing torture scene that would scare them into cooperation."
Aria wrinkles her nose. "Torture is unpleasant, and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. I am also not certain that di Alkanov would want that kind of stain on his reputation."
"The key word would be 'stage', darling. Smack around one of them until they're unconscious, and then the rest is all fake. Ghost Sound can make some very accurate agonized screams, and with my disguise kit I can make him look like he's been smacked to another plane and back. They'll snap, do exactly what we want, then we drop them off at a different port to face justice."
Vados softens his mood and stands up straight to reply to Master di Alkanov.
Using the tunnels that run out into the harbor, we could easily move a dozen crates or barrels through the city. Once we are in the tunnels, there are several discrete exits in the back streets that we can use to get the goods out of the sewers. Though I would recommend that anything we transport this way be fairly sturdy or watertight. It can be difficult to totally avoid the sewage that flows through the system.
Anton is thoughtful, "Considering their situation, I think there may be a better way to motivate our captives than threats of torture. A promise to ask clemency on their behalf and future employment could very well be all the motivation they need. With another ship in the fleet a crew will need to be hired regardless." As though reading your minds at that thought of putting all of them back aboard their ship he continues, "Oh not all as sailors aboard the same craft. Mix them in with those who already work for me till they've fully proven their dependability." Jokingly he asks, "Any of you have experience as a sea captain?"
"Now, as to this law, I'm familiar with it. We are not however strictly speaking at war. Though I don't see much distinction from war and being attacked by a lone group of pirates at sea. Someone persuasive might be able to convince the dock master of the same. And how good is your penmanship Talathel?"
"The food crates likely would not do well through the tunnels Vados, but part of our manifest is half a dozen barrels of fine tobacco, sealed tight to keep its freshness. How much time would you need to arrange transport of these goods?" he asks.
He nods slowly, a little disappointed he can't scare the pirates a little and not liking any plan involving showing them clemency, but he doesn't speak out against the idea. Instead, he shifted his body language and tone, appearing offended. "Oh, but we are at war, in a sense. The merchant's guild has been locked in struggle since its very beginning against the collective threat of pirates and brigands. To claim otherwise would be to ignore one of the purposes of the guild, and an insult to me personally, as it implies my job is without purpose." He smiled then, resuming his neutral posture against the wall. "If you need somebody to persuade them, then that happens to be a talent I posses, honed far more than faking torture sessions."
"Is the manifest written in your handwriting? If so, you would be best to handle this ship's. If not, I can copy it over reasonably well and merely omit large potions of it. Forgery is not my strongest suit, but I should be able to do a good enough job, unless the dock workers feel the need to examine every last drop of ink on the paper."
"If I might be so bold, Master di Alkonav, the first mate of this vessel is an able man and would make a fine captain of the captured ship. I think you are right about blending the crews among the fleet. The wizard we captured would make a fine addition to any crew." Mikal sees the wisdom in 'buying' the loyalty of the pirates and adding to the earning potential of the fleet.
"I would not be much help with any documents, but if you need protection to get some of the cargo through the sewers I can help with that." Mikal liked the idea of doing something rather than all the talking and diplomacy.
"The manifests themselves are easy to reproduce. The signature from the port of departure is another matter. You would of course be able to use the current one as a reference. The captain can get you the manifest papers."
"Vados? Will the myrmidos welcome some outside help in this matter?"
"If no one else has any further ideas to discuss on this, then I will leave it to you to take care of this issue, and I shall owe you a favor in the future, in addition to adding a bonus to your pay." he offers with a wry smile.
"With two ships to bring in to port now may also be the time to offer our new friends employment... with careful supervision. Our own crew will have to pull some long shifts without them."
Sir, I recommend this last course of action, especially in regard to the arcane caster that was part of the other crew. In addition to being valuable as a caster I believe she showed courage, valor, and a sense of fair play during the fight. She could have attacked us from invisibility but chose instead to attack the swarm I had summoned. She exposed herself to remove a threat to her crew and did not attack us directly. I would recommend we trust her in a leadership role on the second boat, under supervision, or course. And would further like to speak for her if she is tried by the mechant's guild for attacking this boat. She deserves a chance to show her value to the guild. She is a good risk.
"So long as I have a signature for reference, I shall be okay. The pirates' scrawl will likely be messy and without any notable details the harbor master will notice."
Vados nods to Master di Alkanov.
The Myrmidos welcome assistance from any trusted servants of the guild. If our current party were to take the tobacco through the sewer-ways, we need not wait on the intervention of my brothers. And I know that between all of us we could likely handle any unwelcome interruptions. We have to enter sewers that run into the bay by night, so we either wait to bring the ship in then, or take the cargo off in a smaller boat, and wait until nightfall to slip in.
Vados looks up thoughtfully.
I could arrange for other members of the Myrmidos to transport the goods, but it would take a short time to contact them and arrange it. And we would need to hide the goods away from the ship until it could be collected.
Anton inclines his head towards Cindy Lu, "I place her in your care then until we reach Coran. There will be questions asked by the mages of course, but humility on her part will help her there."
Anton dismisses you then with a nod and a smile.
The next few days pass quickly, the captives subdued, but willing to lend their skill at seamanship to the vessels. Coran soon comes into view over the prow, first the cliffs of the spine rising above all else, then the library clock tower, and finally the docks and the city laid out ahead of you.
Cindy offers to share a cabin with Iryani Szalanki for the remainder of the trip. She genuinely tries to befriend the woman, explaining that she is hopeful that the merchants will be lenient with her and offer her full employment, and generally talks up the likelihood of a good future with the guild. She does explain that agents of the mages guild will likely question her about her roll in the pirate attack and that she should simply downplay her roll, explaining that she had little choice but to participate, and keep a low profile.
She will also ask about he discipline (class) and what spells she knows and tries to get a general feel for her power level. And she will ask about the rest of the pirate crew. Are there any more worthy of promotion and trust? Are there any that we should not trust at all?
And finally, Cindy will give Aria 190 gold, asking her to scribe a a scroll of Lightning Bolt for Cindy to add to her mask.
Aria and Skyfire keep to themselves once di Alkanov temporarily dismisses them. While she wasn't sure if the conundrum had been completely answered, the individual voices were beginning to feel a little chaotic and she felt one of her high pressure headaches coming on. At the appropriate time, she retreated to whatever private space she had to study her spellbook, which was now decorated with fluttering pieces of silk (a bit effective for an air wizard, she had noted with a smile), and to scribe the scroll Cindy Lu wanted.
"Thank you for your patronage, Miss Lu. This will be available before dinner, I hope."
Excellent. You have my gratitude Ms Stellar. We should consider tactics of both having this spell prepared at one time and unleashing them on the same target.
As they leave Anton's cabin, Mikal talks to Vados about moving the goods through the sewer. "We should try to recruit a couple of the sailors to work the small boats and help carry the tobacco through the sewers. We don't need to spend our time dropping cargo if we are ambushed."
He also approaches Talathal about the manifest, seeing if his knowledge of linguistics might be of use (Mikal has 2 ranks in linguistics and might be able to 'aid another' with the manifest.)"Talathal, during my time in the temple of Abadar I learned some of the tells they look for when trying to detect a forgery, I might be able to help you make a more convincing manifest if you would like."
He also suggests to the rest of the group that we gather after dinner that evening to distribute the loot from our fight.
Talathel spends his remaining days in a small room cluttered in papers, humming to himself. He keeps quiet about not liking the pirates running around the ship, instead sequestering himself where it won't bother him.
Before he locks himself in his room Cindy make a recommendation to Talathel. Perhaps Garion could help "guide" your work with inspiring words from the Lady of the Stars.
Iryani points out two of the captives to Cindy Lu, a male undine and a female human. "They are a ragtag bunch, most had the same motives as myself - avoid getting conscripted for some foolish war. Those two were with Hakag from before... they might hold a grudge. The woman and Hakag were close."
Talathel smiles to Mikal, appreciationg the offer for company. It makes him feel less claustrophobic and isolated to be in the room with somebody else during his self-imposed exile. "Certainly. Sit down, please. You could try at the pirate ship one, and we could review off of each other to ensure a better finished product for both of us."
Aria spends time preparing the lightning bolt spell again, in order to cast it into the scroll.
She emerges shortly afterward. "Might anyone have fine ink and paper for the scroll? These types of arcane works require only the best materials."
Assuming that the costs for scribing the scroll include the cost of materials, she offers what coin she can to anyone with the proper tools.
Mikal spends the rest of the voyage working on the manifests with Talathel, and each evening giving prayers to Abadar. Explaining to his god that his actions in the forgery will allow more commerce to flow to more people.
On the last day of their voyage as the group is gathered for the morning meal, Mikal brings up the subject of their hard earned loot. "It might be wise for us to divide up some of the items we have captured from the pirates. They might be of use to us on the mission in the sewers. We can come to a final decision about what to keep and what to sell after the mission is complete. I for one am intrigued by the orc's breastplate and greataxe. I think they would make me a more stout combatant in the close quarters of the sewer."
"I agree. While they are intriguing and well made, I am not proficient in their use. You are probably the best melee combatant we have other than the monk, who also might have some difficulty using his special abilities with the armor."
If there are no rules objections from the DM, Aria will find normal writing materials for crafting the scroll and present it to Cindy Lu the day after her request.
"Here you are. A little later than originally promised, but I had to start over when the ship suddenly lurched and I misprinted a sigil."
Thank you again Aria. This is a powerful spell, and will make a fine scar. she says a little eerily.
She makes sure she shares Iryani insights on the crew with the captain and her party and recommends they be watched closely. She also thinks that someone with good persuasion (diplomacy) and sense motive skills should have a talk with each. These two could cause us a problem when we arrive if they chose to do so. Ideas?
If there are no rules objections from the DM, Aria will find normal writing materials for crafting the scroll and present it to Cindy Lu the day after her request.
Indeed, it would be unwise to overburden ourselves with the cargo. Though, if Talathel is accompanying us, I believe his bag of holding would allow us to move the barrels without impinging on the crew.
Vados picks up one of the cloaks and rubs it between his fingers.
I could make good use of one of these cloaks.
He raises his head and scans the group.
If there are no objections, of course.
Vados spends most of his training, trying to correct the mistakes he made in the last encounter. He also awkwardly tries to make conversation with the other party members. He rarely finds himself attached to such a capable and diverse group, but his relative inexperience with social interactions leaves some of his conversations hanging on an awkward phrase, when he will quickly end the conversation and depart to cover his embarrasment.
Vados will also answer any questions about the sewers that are posed to him.
With Mikal's help on reviewing, he successfully makes both manifests, taking up an entire day of reviewing and rewriting, until finally he comes out with forgeries that seem to be flawless.
Around the table with his companions, Talathel smiled, pulling from his bag the fine chest and opening it slowly. Letting them look at what was inside, he also pulled out the alcohol he'd stored away. "I found these in the pirate ship when I checked it over. With these, I think we have well made up for the enchanted armor staying with Mikal." As he speaks, he pulled out all the various items and lays them out on the table in front of him, opening the bag of platinum coins and toying with one before letting it clink back in. "None of the spoils interest me too much, personally."
"I don't believe my bag would be able to hold much cargo; maybe one barrel, two at most. It already contains plenty of things I keep on-hand for unforseen situations, and putting in too many barrels will run a serious risk of it breaking."
"I would offer myself up for the aim of persuading the pirates, but if anybody else has a less hostile inclination toward thieves, they may feel free to volunteer for it instead. If not, I suppose I'll have to."
"It is gracious of everyone to let me take the armor and axe, I will undoubtedly deduct their value from any gold we divide from the rest of the loot."
Aria will prepare a whispering wind instead of a summon monsters during the last day of their approach to Coran, and whisper a message to Captain Silvers office .
The newly acquired crew go about their work. Some mechanically, others with zeal to prove their worth. None cause any issues or disruptions aboard either ship.
Anton gives the necessary information to Vados where to deliver the smuggled cargo - a warehouse near the southern wall of the city a good mile and a half from the docks.
With the cargo shifted around between the two ships to match the manifests two small boats are lowered some distance from the port, laden with the tobacco.
With the last light of the day soon both ships are pulling into the docks, maneuvered the last distance under the power of oars. In moments they are lashed into place at the docks and the gangplanks lowered.
The docks are alive with activity as Anton disembarks and gives a cool greeting to the dock master. "You are going to need to call the city guard over. We had an incident out at sea that is going to require their attention." He looks back up to the deck at Talathel. "If you could explain the little problem we had at sea to this gentleman here and make sure everything is taken care of? I'm heading home for a good bath and meal."
Also, Talathel saves the sample signature of the dock master, placing it in his bag for later use.
Talathel greets the guardsman. He'd used Prestidigation to ensure his clothes were pristine-looking and clean before docking, as people were more likely to listen to someone who seemed well-kept. He assumes a very friendly tone. "As you can see, good sir, there are more boats docked than originally planned. Oh, it is quite a tale. The flagless ship had chased us for days, nipping at our heels like a diseased rat as it sought our cargo." He tells a long, flowery version of the events that transpired, getting caught up in his storytelling.
"Why this is all important, however, is because of the laws surrounding the matter. Their ship and cargo are forfeit, of course. That is a rule I'm sure you're familiar with. One you may not be, however, is Coran may not levy any tariffs on unloading from the docks spoils of war. Now, it is a blessing, I think we can both agree, that this rule is rarely enforced, that were are in a time of prosperity and peace here in Coran. The same cannot be said for the Merchant's Guild, however, and their efforts abroad. Pirates and highwaymen alike form a tangible and clear threat, a nation unified under their lack of a flag or true leader. I would say, and I think any sane man would agree, that the Merchant's guild is indeed at war. To unify against the threat of bandits was one of the major reasons for its inception, and it has been a bloody war. I am a mercenary hired by the crown of commerce, and I have seen the horrors firsthand. Surely, you agree that these are the spoils of war?"
"The good captain has entrusted me with the manifests of both ships, to ensure the process goes slowly while he takes his well-earned break." He hands both forgeries to the guardsman, one a very official-looking manifest standard of merchant fleets, the other a very messy and crude scrawling, fitting of unorganized pirates. "I do apologize that the pirates' papers are not the most eloquently-written forms you've had the displeasure to read. Their captain was a rather brutish half-orc with little patience."
Mikal takes in the sights and smells of his home town, glad to see it again. He stands a discrete ditance from the dock master and Talathal as they discuss the manifests, trying to look like a disinterested bodyguard.
Vados accompanies the tobacco in the longboats. He watches the sun set in the distance.