Jenner offers the man another salute, then confers quietly with his colleagues.
"I'd still like to see Father Ironhorse," he says. "Both to talk to him, but also because he might have scrolls or the like what could be useful to us if we're sloggin' it."
"I would have words with Priest Ironhorse regarding the Undead creatures. We shall walk to the chapel or the hospice together, Holystone."
******************************************************
I will join you, Tai.
Jenner
Sounds good via the gear.
Jenner - an unidentified person will yell out - I got your collapsible 10 foot pole right here! - but seriously; you can buy all of that stuff except the scrolls for standard book prices (unless you want to try to haggle). The stuff regarding the scrolls will need to be done with a little RP with the priest, though.
Taissa
Your gear is on the ship - don't worry; it's in harbor under the standard guard while everyone is off doing their thing. You can take all of your gear from the ship before you leave if you want, but it's all safely on the ship.
You can craft Alchemical things if you want, but it may take time. It may be faster to buy some alchemical stuff, though.
Hack
You dang ninja! Okay - you're off with Tai, who's going with Jenner to visit Father Ironhorse, as well as Daya and White Fang. Still waiting on Melthune and Polux; but I'm sure they'll check in soon.
By the way Hack, did you want to buy anything while in town before you head into the swamps?
The rest -
I'll give everyone else a chance to check in a bit; then it's Taissa and Jenner on the way to Ironhorse. If people haven't checked in by the next time I post, I'm just going to move forward and they can ret-con their actions as to where they are.
See you all soon!
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The companions move from the hostel that the lieutenant from Korvossa is currently staying and move to visit with Father Liam and the Chapel of Erastil.
Erastil notes can be found here.
As you approach the Chapel you notice a hooded figure move from the doorway as you approach. They draw their hood over their face and hop to the side of the stairs leading from the chapel and turn quickly from your approach, moving down the narrow alley between the chapel and the clothing store to the left of the chapel to disappear into the shadows.
A moment later you notice a man step from the doorway to greet you.
Father Liam is roughly as you remember him; a powerfully built man who is about fifty years old. A large gray beard hangs down his chest which gives him an almost regal look.
His blue eyes stare at you from under the dark green hood that frames his wizened face as he watches you approach.
”Welcome my children,” he says with a booming voice and a twinkle in his eyes.
”How can I help you?” he adds as he watches you, his eyes turning to gaze down at White Fang who trots up to him and stare intently at the priest, then peeks down the alley, then back at the priest.
Melthune stands quietly with the others. Her track record with town's folks has been under par of late.
"Ahoy!" Jenner says, offering his callused hand for a firm shake if Ironhorse is amenable. "Pleasure to meet you, sir, tho' I wish circumstances were better... we come bearin' some ill news, I reckon... Oh, m'name's Jenner, tho' folk call me Holystone-- as I understand it we're in the same line o' work, after a fashion..."
Solemnly, Jenner relates what they know of the undead plague-- bringing up their theories on things like the intentional spread of the disease by this cult, and the fact that it is not necromantic in the traditional sense. He tells of the possibility of curing the infected, if the disease is caught soon enough, but doesn't sugarcoat how hard that task might be.
"Ahoy!" Jenner says, offering his callused hand for a firm shake if Ironhorse is amenable. "Pleasure to meet you, sir, tho' I wish circumstances were better... we come bearin' some ill news, I reckon... Oh, m'name's Jenner, tho' folk call me Holystone-- as I understand it we're in the same line o' work, after a fashion..."
The priest beams at Jenner after hearing that the sailor is also a priest and grips his hand warmly.
”Welcome indeed, brother!” he says cheerfully, his eyes flicking to Jenner’s companions for a moment, but seeing that Jenner is the one doing the majority of the talking, he lets the man speak about this “ill news”…
”Come in, come in, lad – let’s talk inside so we don’t panic the town folk none,” he says to the company before Jenner can really speak of the real trouble.
While the priest has many features of an older Cheliax warrior, his accent isn’t from Cheliax. Instead, you recognize it as Sargavan. That means he’s traveled a long way from home to come here and it’s a safe bet that he’s seen a few things in his travels…
Father Liam takes the company inside they see that the chapel is very sturdily built, but it is not very artistically decorated as many churches or temples usually are. The inside is cool, however, and you can see that the chapel would hold about forty people.
Father Liam leads you all forward to the pews and has you all sit down on them as he flings his bulk into one as well, completely prepared to hear Jenner’s information.
”Gods’ damn my eyes, but that’s some o’ the worst news I’ve heard in a long time,” Father Liam says with a dark frown after the news is finished.
He looks at the company.
”Magic scrolls cost a pretty penny to fashion – but I’ll do what I can to get things prepped,” he says.
He looks at them thoughtfully.
”I hear your lot may be headed south soon?” he says somewhat casually.
”Well, I can’t help you much on that caper, seeing as I don’t know your business formally – but I’ll say this, if you don’t mind – there’s a lot o’ poisons in the marshes… you may want to pack accordingly,” he adds with a nod.
Taissa politely inclined her head at the Erastil priest. "Good day, Priest Ironhorse."
Daya and White Fang had come to rest by her side. Since Holystone surprisingly took the initiative of speaking for the group, Taissa remained quiet as he relayed the information and speculation regarding the Undead to the priest.
Taissa noted the origin of the cadence and inflection of the priest's speech but did not remark openly on it.
As they sat in the chapel, upon the pews, Taissa waited for Holystone to finish his account before giving Ironhorse an account of the crescent-shaped island in the seas near Varisia where the dark Thassilonian relic was discovered and where the initial blood rituals were uncovered.
Ironhorse glances at Taissa with a shrewd gaze; hearing her tale of the dark relics.
”Gods damn! That’s a pestle of trouble; make no mistake,” he says with a gruff voice.
He frowns, thinking a bit, then sighs and attempts to compartmentalize everything and try to take the issues one at a time.
”Well that’s a lot on our plate; for now your chief issue seems to be dealing with those sell-swords out of the goblin dens who came up from the south. Hmm... you know, maybe their being there is kind of a bit of good fortune in a roundabout sort of way, maybe…” he says stroking his chin thoughtfully.
”See, the big problem you’re heading for now is a bunch of basterds out of Tharovace; they’re pretty far north here, but they’re sure to have southern ships in these waters…”
”Meantime this dark cult that’s been pissing folk off is operating out of Osirion – so there’s a good bet that any more of those poxing cultists will be conning more of them bleeding Dhow ships like the folk from Tharovace,” he says.
White Fang’s little eyes widen in surprise, and he cocks his head.
”Oh! That’s good because, um, everybody is searching for the ships from Tharvovace… Tharovase… Wait… that south place – and the snake people have the same type of ships… So that means that if the good guys sees a south ship they’ll attack it because they think it’s pirates!” he says quickly, showing off how clever he can be.
The priest chuckles at White Fang.
”He’s a smart one,” he says with a little grin at the warg pup, who promptly wags his tail.
Ironhorse looks at everyone thoughtfully.
”I also hear you’re maybe looking to expand a bitty of property north of here? Kind of like that sod Zergev’s done with his little cadre of ‘boys’ that’s he’s running up there; only maybe you’ll have a little more class about your operation, eh?” he says with a merry twinkle in his eye, then he gets a bit more serious.
”Before you head out – if you’re looking to bid on some land, that is – let me know about details and I’ll have one of my lads head up to survey out some good turf – if you tell me what you’re looking for specific-like, they’ll head up while you’re gone and scout something out and “claim it” on your behalf before you get back?” he says with a genial voice.
"So, here's the deal Snaga" - he starts, once they have a chance to speak privately - "We've spoken with the Lord Regent in town. He has assured us that there will be no ill will towards you for the simple fact that you are a goblin - but we all know a promise from the ruler is not the same thing as the attitudes of the people that live here - I guess I don't have to tell you that. So if you want to set up shop in Beacon, you will only have to deal with the xenophoby - guess it could be worse" - he chuckles - "The regent also asked me to keep tabs on you, register your actions and so forth, to make sure you are a civilized guy, instead of pretending that you are, and garner what chances there may be of finding some sort of common ground with other goblins in the area. I'm telling you this just so you know your steps will be scrutinized somewhat - I'm not for following anyone around, at least not someone I consider an ally, so I will not do this with you. Will check up on you however, whenever I am around, to see how things are going"
Sitting back, the man clears his throat and continues - "From our part, we are going to begin scouting out the goblin dens around Beacon - it seems they may be harbouring some old... Acquaintances of ours, intent on wrecking some havoc on trading ships, and using the goblin settlements as base for their operations - we will be putting a stop to that. You are welcome to tag along with us if you so wish. In fact, we believe those same sea dogs have intercepted the details about the goblin den locations you provided us before, when we sent them back to Beacon, and that is the reason why they are able to use them for such purposes - we're not sure what sort of relation they have established with the local goblins, if any"
Pacing around, he finishes - "Last but not least, everyone is expecting you to again provide as much detailed information regarding goblin locations as you did last time, since that information was lost as I explained - we also need to know if you are up for that"
Turning back on the goblin, Polux grins - "Bottom line, you are free to do as you wish, and accept the consequences for it. Isn't freedom a grand thing?" - he asks with some irony.
"On a personal note, I am still curious about that weapon you got me all hyped about. Did you drop the project?" - he adds matter of fact.
Priest Ironhorse, give us few minutes to chat, and I will give ya a location for you to stake a claim for us. I agree we need to get this done quick like. I thank ya for the offer.
Priest Ironhorse, give us few minutes to chat, and I will give ya a location for you to stake a claim for us. I agree we need to get this done quick like. I thank ya for the offer.
Father Ironhorse nods.
"Of course, my son - take all the time you need. I am happy to help you in any way that I can, though," he says with a friendly nod.
Snaga looks at Polux thoughtfully, scratching his arm a little as he listens.
”Ah! You go to find goblin base – close to here; south of here, yes?”
He nods.
”It not far, maybe one day – maybe longer… But travel might be hard if you don’t got road to walk on. You got no road… You come from the north that means you walk through swamp… Swamp be hard ground; you take long time to walk in it, maybe…”
”You maybe take a small boat? Carry some way and then use when ground get too wet… It rains lots now; maybe water be up to your chest – maybe your chin… you don’t want to walk through water; maybe dangerous if you don’t know good paths.”
”It not easy to make a map of all places; it would be better to show you places in person… but also there are things to do in town, maybe,” he says looking at you thoughtfully.
”You talk about making base north of town, eh? You could maybe take over goblin den and make your own base… but maybe it would be too hard to get to when winter comes… Roads are very good; goblins don’t make many roads above ground… Road is important; snows make it hard to travel, so does rains and ices and muds…”
”You make den north of here, maybe, aye? They say maybe twenty miles, eh? That maybe one day of travel, but maybe longer if the ground is bad… Do you know what ground looks like to north?” he says peering at you.
”You be between Man Town and the u bagronk sha pushdug… the enemies that live in tall mountains…” he says licking at his fingers a bit, as if recalling some old trouble in the northlands.
”If you make home between enemies and Man Town then enemies attack you first, aye? And if they attack you first, who help you if the ground between your den and the Man Town is filled with broken rocks or ice and snow to make it hard to run on?” he asks you.
”If you build a den beyond the Man Town you should know how to run. You may need to flee… Snaga live long time; he follows strong Chief and smart Chief… a Chief knows when to fight and when to run; but also a smart Chief knows best path to run on… If you build den in north, make sure you have good path to run on… they do not ask you to build den to make your life good… You stand between Man Town and enemy; so you must be ready to fight… and if you fight too many, you must have good path to run on…” he adds with a nod.
Snaga turns away to stare into the distance, as if thinking about something.
"On a personal note, I am still curious about that weapon you got me all hyped about. Did you drop the project?" - he adds matter of fact.
Snaga turns back and moves closer, staring at Polux with a strange light in his eyes, as if studying the human.
”You ask about weapon, eh? You think forget, eh?”
He watches you a little.
”No – Snaga doesn’t forget; he remembers very good… but it would not be right of push gifts on you… Snaga give you gift, aye… but only when you want it…” he says slowly.
”You be hard to make gift for… You say weapon, aye? Huh! That be hard one for you… I make you weapon before, you not like it… so I think I not make you weapon now; I make another bad weapon, maybe you not like it again…”
He watches you carefully, as if studying you.
”What type of weapon should Snaga be making, eh? Huh! Not sure…” he says softly.
”Maybe I make you the Long Sword… that be one type of weapon, good for a knight in field, you could use it very good, maybe… Or maybe I make you the Long Bow; that be very good for archer, maybe you like that type of weapon best… Snaga not know; he think it be hard to be sure…” he says thoughtfully.
He looks at your knives and cocks his head, as if thinking. After a moment he takes out something from a pouch at his side and unwraps it and tosses it to you.
You examine it to see that it is a pair of sheaths that seem to be made specially for your kukri’s.
”You like the knives; so maybe that’s the weapon you like best, eh? Snaga not know, but if you like knives best then those are good for your knives…” he says with a nod.
The sheathes seem to be mundane items; at least, there is no magic in them. However, they are overlaid with runework on them, Snaga clearly took time to decorate them artfully, though the runes seem to have a barbaric and bloody imagery to them somehow, even though there are no specific letters or shapes.
On closer inspection you notice that the sheathes are uniquely designed; unlike others sheathes that you have seen … It must be some sort of goblin trick used for making sheathes, especially for knives, because unlike other sheathes you observe that your blades seem to slide out of them much faster than other sheathes – as if the blade is almost eager to leap out of it and do serious damage.
Snaga then thinks a minute longer about the trip south.
”You want Snaga to come guide you south, or make map, or stay here? Snaga not know; you Chief – tell Snaga to come, Snaga will come. Tell Snaga to stay and he will do work here for you… Maybe Snaga head north and scout place to build den, eh? Then you not have to do it later… Easy to hide alone in woods… they not find Snaga; or maybe Snaga come with you… You the Chief, you must decide."
"Snaga cannot tell you what to order him to do,” he says watching you.
Polux turns the sheathes in his hands for a few seconds, then turns to Snaga again - "Thank you for this Snaga, you've got the gist of it about right - knives are my weapon of choice, and have been for some time now" - he draws one of the kukri and stares at it - "For a long time, sticks and stones were the only weapons I ever had to defend myself. A dagger was the first real weapon I ever wielded, and it made a huge difference" - he twirls the weapon and shakes his head - "Guess I am a sentimental guy after all" - he adds with a low chuckle - "I owe you one"
Turning to the goblin again he states - "I wanted you to make a decision Snaga. There is much more to life than simply following someone else - that is the easy part - deciding on what path to thread yourself is the tricky one. So I will not order you anything this time - if you ask my 'opinion' I'd rather have you come along with us, instead of staying here or go out scouting on your own. Those are my two cents"
”See, the big problem you’re heading for now is a bunch of basterds out of Tharovace; they’re pretty far north here, but they’re sure to have southern ships in these waters…”
”Meantime this dark cult that’s been pissing folk off is operating out of Osirion – so there’s a good bet that any more of those poxing cultists will be conning more of them bleeding Dhow ships like the folk from Tharovace,” he says.
Father Ironhorse nods.
"Of course, my son - take all the time you need. I am happy to help you in any way that I can, though," he says with a friendly nod.
Taissa smiled at the clergyman, "Your knowledge of the lay of the land and the strategic position would be useful to us, Priest Ironhorse. We are tentatively leaning toward establishing a base at the foot of the mountain, 20 miles west from the Guild leader, Anton Zergev. It will provide us with a defended homestead, but there will be creatures coming down to feed during winter. We have no ship so remaining by the coastline, near the Varisian sea, at the present time isn't logical or practical. If we build on open grassland to the east of Zergev, we would have land to expand, surely, yet we will be susceptible to attacks from all sides and could be at the mercy of the Mammoth Lords and ogres, too."
Taissa tapped her finger against her lips. "Which would make the best base, Priest Ironhorse? You have travelled across these lands and I'm certain you have an informed opinion."
Taissa tapped her finger against her lips. "Which would make the best base, Priest Ironhorse? You have travelled across these lands and I'm certain you have an informed opinion."
Ironhorse leans back and thinks a moment.
”Well, that depends… first; how enterprising are you planning on being?” he says somewhat casually.
”Right now you’re thinking of building a basecamp – nothing wrong with that, but what about a year from now?”
”So the place you're thinking on now will likely be the easiest to defend, I’ll grant you. But that’s only because it’s rough country up there. I mean – you won’t find much arable land to cultivate for foodstuffs; and the terrain up there’s hard.”
”I’m sure you all noticed the road that’s snaking up from the keep in a somewhat leisurely northeast direction,” he says casually, even as White Fang nods sagely, and somewhat ironically, as the pup never actually saw this town before to even know that the road was new ”but that road’s been started by Zergev himself.”
”Seems he put his boys to work at once smashing up some mixture of crumbled salt and crushed rock and clay, then dumping it on the grass in a wide track. It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll be a lot easier for him to get horses up to his basecamp – as well as supplies and other gear in the years to come. But building and maintaining a road like that ain't cheap, you know?"
Ironhorse regards you thoughtfully.
”So I guess the next question I got for you is: You up for something like that?” he asks casually as he studies you.
Then he shrugs and continues.
”Of course, before you really answer that the next thing to think on is the fact that building next to the water may not be the greatest; but the perk there is that no matter how rough the ground is between Beacon and a place you build near the water, if you do build on the coast, well, as your base expands you’ll be able to sail supplies straight up to it, and back – in a pinch – and so you’ll be able to move gear a lot easier without worrying on keeping a road decent and safe.”
He stretches a bit.
”Then that turns us to the next pickle you’ve dug yourself,” he adds, casually mixing metaphors like a Hobbit mixes sugar into a blueberry pie.
”Sooner or later you’ll need folk to protect whatever it is you plan on carving yourself out. Them folk will need stuff to eat… Now if you make it on the coast you probably do a bit of fishing; though the land there’s pretty thick with forests, so if you ain’t getting food out of the sea you’ll have to chop a lot of trees before you start farming.”
”On the other hand, if you pick the part to the far east you’ll have a pretty easy set of terrain to trek over, you might not even need to make a road or nothing – and at the same time there’ll be lots of room to farm; good pastureland up there and all… but like you already said before, it’s open country and easy to get attacked by them that might come down hard on you,” he adds easily.
”So I guess before I can answer that question square I guess I need to know what exactly are your plans for the long run? I mean, if you want to just build a tower or something to hide in and watch enemies while you send your pal Daya south to let them know that you need help, that’s one thing and the place you just picked is a pretty decent one, but you'll have to pay for food and supplies over the years and you won't make much money sitting on a tower in the middle of a rocky place like that. But maybe you got money already?"
"Still, if you’re looking to build a place that you can live out and be somewhat self-sufficient over the years, well... that’s another thing – I kind of need to know that stuff better before I can answer you better,” he adds, curious to know what your long term goals are.
"I wanted you to make a decision Snaga. There is much more to life than simply following someone else - that is the easy part - deciding on what path to thread yourself is the tricky one. So I will not order you anything this time - if you ask my 'opinion' I'd rather have you come along with us, instead of staying here or go out scouting on your own. Those are my two cents"
Snaga gives Polux an amused grunt.
"You say "opinion" - that is good enough."
"Very well; Snaga will come with you," he says with a nod.
"Tonight Snaga will sleep in ship; tomorrow will leave with you and your folk at first light... or whenever you wish to leave," he adds.
Taissa hadn't been aware that the land at the bottom of the mountain could not be farmed or cultivated. She would have preferred to be self-sufficient -- grow crops and raise animals ... Yet, she had no clue what her companions sought from the camp or the future of it.
"Priest Ironhorse, you have given us much to think on. Mayhap we need some time to discuss it among ourselves before we seek your advocacy." Taissa inclined her head in short bow to the respected clergyman.
Jenner listens to Ironhorse laying out the various points of the three potential areas. He chuckles ruefully at the end of the speech, looking to Taissa and the others.
"I'm a sailor," he says, spreading his hands. " 's what I know, and what I've known all my life. My vote's for the coast-- you can always hoist anchor and run before the storm... even if the storm is a storm of enemies. Bringin' supplies by water is easier'n keepin' up roads, and as the good father says, there'd be fishin' handy to help keep us fed..."
Holystone shrugs. "Havin' said all that, my fate is your fate, my friends. I count three of you what wish for the mountains? Then I'll throw my lot in on the rocks with you, and see if the Blue Lady can guide me on land as well as she can on the waves."
*
Afterwards, when Taissa brings up her planned trip to the alchemist, Jenner hums thoughtfully. "Might I give ye a bit of gold and have you see if there are some things to be bought? I'd like to spend my time doin' a wee bit of writin', an' mayhap see if there's a little skiff we can wrassle up too, per th' suggestion of Mr. Snaga."
Jenner hands over a little pouch containing a number of coins that add up to about 40 GP. "Could use a flask of alchemicky fire, and one of acid, and a little jar of that stuff you smear to keep off th' bugs, especially if we're goin' in a swamp...."
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Afterwards, when Taissa brings up her planned trip to the alchemist, Jenner hums thoughtfully. "Might I give ye a bit of gold and have you see if there are some things to be bought? I'd like to spend my time doin' a wee bit of writin', an' mayhap see if there's a little skiff we can wrassle up too, per th' suggestion of Mr. Snaga."
Jenner hands over a little pouch containing a number of coins that add up to about 40 GP. "Could use a flask of alchemicky fire, and one of acid, and a little jar of that stuff you smear to keep off th' bugs, especially if we're goin' in a swamp...."
"Holystone, I will take your coin and speak with Mistress Mossbanks. So far, I have a list for you, Hack and myself. A raft could be useful." Nodding her head. "You two, gesturing to Polux and Melthune, interested in repellents and such from the Apothecary?"
Good advice, Priest Ironhorse. I was not a fan of the coastal spot, but your explainin' leads me in that direction. I have a history of loggin', and it seems like the only place with forests, which would also be nice for Tai and her animals. It also seems like the only spot with arable land, no?
Snaga gives Polux an amused grunt.
"You say "opinion" - that is good enough."
"Very well; Snaga will come with you," he says with a nod.
"Tonight Snaga will sleep in ship; tomorrow will leave with you and your folk at first light... or whenever you wish to leave," he adds.
"Agreed" - Polux nods - "It will be good to have you with us" - he shakes the goblin's hand for the first time since they met - "We will come get you when we are about to leave. Be prepared"
"The shopping list for Petunia has been completed. Melthune said she will join me on my visit to the Apothecary, so she can make her own purchases, then."
Father Liam glances at those of you who are there.
”Right! Well, if you’re really interested in the coast I know a pretty good bay you might like… There’s a pretty narrow mouth – maybe about one hundred feet wide and about sixty feet deep… But the bay beyond is pretty wide. You could build a decent little dock there and the harbor’s deep enough for a full sized clipper ship, not to mention a few keelboats in there, and a small stream runs into the harbor; I’ve seen some trout swimming down the stream, too,” he says casually.
”The rocks that flank the entrance to the bay are pretty sturdy and make it pretty easy to defend it, if you ever put something up on them. The trees are mostly oak; pretty sturdy and good for building… The northern side’s got some rocky ledges a couple hundred feet up with a bunch of good blueberry thickets there, too, so every now and then you’ll see some goats in the northern ridge,” he adds, doing what he can to cover all the bases and nods.
”There’s just one little catch about that harbor – if you’re interested, that is…” he says glancing around.
”They say that there's a cave in the rocks on the north side of the harbor and that a witch lives there… I reckon that’s why no one tried to claim it... Of course, that thing about the witch? Well, that may just be a campfire tale... But if it's true and you deal with her you'll like have a pretty decent little cave to set up shop in, and plus the stories about a real witch living there probably scared off any competition. But you know - that whole thing about the witch might just be a rumor,” he says with a little shrug.
White Fang's eyes narrow and he nods his head, then whispers to Taissa...
"Alpha, I hope there really is a witch!" he says eagerly.
"Because, I've heard that witches have lots of candy!" he says sagely, his little tail wagging enthusiastically.
Father Liam leans back in the pew and glances at everyone.
”You let me know what you think, though; when you decide, that is,” he says with a nod.
Jenner listens with interest. If he had ears like White Fang, they would be perking up at the mention of a trout-filled stream... and blueberries! There's a treat he hasn't had in a while.
His enthusiasm dims only slightly at the prospect of a witch.
"If I've learned anything from my time on the sea, it's only those tales what stand most to inconvenience you that turn out to be true," the sailor chuckles. "The stories of buried treasure? All nothin' but froth and foam. The stories of a dragon to eat you? Damned true! So we'd have to approach cautious-like, I reckon. Witches, hmmm...."
To the others, he says, "Well, you know my thoughts on it-- I'm most comfortable when I've water to dip my toesies in, or go for a swim. And the cove does sound defensible, with much to recommend it..."
***
Once arrangements are made for their various shopping, Jenner wanders whistling down the street and enters Nemo Sartorius's general store.
"Clear skies and smooth sailin' to you!" he says, touching fingers to his bandanna. "I'm in the market for a few sundries-- might yeh have fine writin' materials handy? Good vellum, I'd be needin', the sort you might sell to his Grace to write his proclamations on... or the sort a man might use to write a love letter on, if the lady were a discernin' sort," he adds with a grin.
" 'n otherwise, I could use a raft-- don't have to be seaworthy, just a bit of a puddle-jumper, eh? Somethin' to keep my toes dry if I'm crossin' some creek. If it could be broken down and lashed to a mule, all the better.
"--oh, and that's the third thing I'd be needing, a mule! Might you have recommendations for anyone sellin' a sure-footed beast o' burden, an' bridle an' all to go with?"
***
With a new sack of purchases under his arm, Jenner wanders back to the Floating Log once more. He'll take a bit of time in a room to do his writin', focusing his will to capture his prayer to the Blue Lady. And then he'll see if Ella is free for the night...
Holystone creating a scroll of Magic Weapon:
Cost, including fancy writing materials that are suitable for magical writing:
12.5 x 1 (spell level) x 2 (caster level) = 25 base, + (whatever additional cost would apply for these items being harder to come by in this setting)
DC is 7. (Caster Level + 5.) If permitted, Jenner takes 10 on a Spellcraft check and succeeds with a 15. If no taking 10 is allowed:
The base price of the scroll is less than 250 GP, so it takes only 2 hours to complete the crafting thereof. Seems pretty straightforward mechanics-wise, unless I'm doing something wrong.
Taissa handled the pup's fascination with the witch first.
In rapid, whispered worg, she responded,
"Why can't we attempt to live side by side with the witch? It is her cave and why should she have to move... We can find or build another place for us by the bay/harbour. If we can get her on side, I'd rather a live, allied witch than a dead one to scare away trespassers. Her magic could be a boon, but only if we treat her with care."
Yes, I am certainly leanin' towards the shore location. We can make it defensible, then look towards a boat in the future. maybe one will fall into our hands, like the last one. All we need to do is kill more attackin' pirates. I am not fond of a witch in our claimed area. We may have to deal with her by sendin' her to the mud.
To be able to scribe the spell into a scroll you must have the spell memorized for the day already. If you have Magic Weapon memorized as your spell of the day, you’re good to go. Otherwise you have to do it tomorrow (but that’s not the end of the world as it’s only 2 hours for the scroll).
You can’t Take a 10 on a skill check if failing means that there will be negative consequences (in this case if you rolled a natural 1, you would have failed, for example).
Also, you need to make either a Craft: calligraphy or Profession: Scribe. Those are skills that you can attempt only if you have taken a Rank in the skill. If you haven’t done that, I’ll allow a one-time chance to Ret-Con the scroll.
The shopkeeper considers things.
”If you need a skiff of sorts you’ll likely find one down by the bay – just talk to the harbor master, name of Jean Gascon; he’s from Galt, good guy. I’m sure you can get your hands on a decent skiff or rowboat… As for an actual raft? I don’t know that anyone’s got one for sale in town; but I reckon you could make one in a pinch,” he says with a shrug.
Nemo looks a bit surprised.
”You’re looking for a mule? Well, you ought to try talking to that guy Vick; he’s the guy who runs the Inn? Anyhow, he also has a livery stable attached to it; rents out baggage ponies, mules, and sometimes horses to them that need it,” he says with a nod.
Father Liam glances at Taissa at the suggestion of befriending a witch with a cocked eyebrow.
”Well, good luck on that – but to be honest folk who have managed to head that way and come back haven’t had much success in being friends with this thing, but who knows? Anything’s possible,” he muses.
Taissa inwardly balked at the reference of the witch as a thing. The woman had made a home in the cave and it wasn't their right to chase her out or kill her because she was simply in the way and inconvenient. Taissa had crossed paths with many who had run her out of lands she had entered and resided for a time because she lived differently to them - alone with just Daya. The witch had claimed the spot as her own -- she had more right than them and to protect what was hers. But she would never be able to convince the others of this -- Taissa knew deep in her heart they would not understand. She looked across at Daya, who watched her with perceptive golden eyes. Together, they had lived, from place to place, shelter where they could find and claim. The people would come, challenge and threaten them. What harm could come from speaking to the witch, showing her they did not mean to harm or kill her, but live nearby, in relative harmony? Taissa's sapphire eyes peered at Ironhorse. A clergyman would naturally abhor a witch -- their magic was sourced differently. Yet, Ironhorse had to remain an ally for he had influence in the town and with the Regent. So Taissa bit down a retort and acknowledged his words with a brisk nod and small smile.
If the group decided to kill the witch without speaking to the caster first, then she would play no part in it. Of course, if Taissa's offer of friendship was rejected and the witch fought back with magic, then she would fight back.
"For now, we must simply come to an accord as to where we would reside. We have other pressing matters to attend to on behalf of the Lord Regent. The matter of the witch will be handled wisely at the appropriate time. Thank you for the information, Priest Ironhorse."
Yes, I am certainly leanin' towards the shore location. We can make it defensible, then look towards a boat in the future. maybe one will fall into our hands, like the last one. All we need to do is kill more attackin' pirates. I am not fond of a witch in our claimed area. We may have to deal with her by sendin' her to the mud.
"Well Hack, maybe in fact it is we who are moving in on her claimed area, and not the other way around?" - Polux remarks with a wink to his companion.
Aye, true words friend, but I am no friend to the dark arts. I see them as a blight on nature. As Tai said, let's see how it plays out.
I did not realize I needed Profession: Scribe or Craft: Calligraphy. According to the entry on creating scrolls, you need:
Feat(s) Required: Scribe Scroll.
Skill(s) Required: Spellcraft, Craft (calligraphy), or Profession (scribe).
Emphasis mine. Additionally:
To create magic items, spellcasters use special feats which allow them to invest time and money in an item's creation. At the end of this process, the spellcaster must make a single skill check (usually Spellcraft, but sometimes another skill) to finish the item. If an item type has multiple possible skills, you choose which skill to make the check with.
Emphasis also mine. All of this seems to state pretty clearly to me that Spellcraft is the only skill required to utilize Scribe Scroll, because it is one of the multiple possible skills used to scribe scrolls, and, per RAW, you may choose which skill to use when making the item.
If you are houseruling it differently, that is fine, of course, but I did not put in ranks into Scribe/Calligraphy because I was pretty sure I didn't need those to actually utilize my otherwise-pointless Scribe Scroll feat.
Anyway, long story short: if it is your ruling that I absolutely need one of those two skills to scribe scrolls, I will be retconning the purchase of the paper, and I won't be making scrolls until such a time as I have put a rank into those skills. If it is your ruling that I can scribe the scroll, I scribe one copy of the spell.
I'm not interested in purchasing in bulk right now. I'm interested in creating a FEW scroll-versions of level 1 cleric spells that would be useful to us, like Read Weather, so that I don't have to constantly give up in-combat spell slots for utility spells. I'm buying, at most, 100 GP worth of writing materials, dependent, of course, on whether or not I can even scribe at this level.
Regarding the pricing: that is not taking into account the fact that I'm making the spells as a level 2 caster. A scroll of magic weapon cast at level 2 lasts twice as long as one cast at level 1. This is useful and not something I would want to give up just for ease of figuring out price.
One more thing: You CAN, per RAW, take 10 on skills that have a chance of failure. You cannot take 20 on skills that have a chance of failure. Again, if you are houseruling it differently, that's fine, but as RAW:
When your character is not in immediate danger or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10. In most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure—you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10).
Jenner beams at the suggestion of who he ask about the skiff, and the mule. "Thank ye kindly. You have a blessed day, sir!"
Taking his leave of the shopkeep with another jaunty salute, Jenner makes his way down to the docks to look for Jean Gascon.
You’re correct about both the Taking 10 and the rules for Scribe Scroll.
When it comes to Taking 10 I was referring to things like an Opposed Check – such as bargaining for supplies with someone. As for the Craft Scrolls – if you have all the time in the world, you’re right – you should have no issue with Taking 10.
As for the rules regarding Spellcraft OR the Craft thing – that was my bad; just an oversight when I misread the rules. You are correct with that, too.
Finally, you’re free to purchase the scroll stuff as much as you’d like. If you only want 100 GP of Gold via Crafting Supplies, that’s cool.
Just remember the price for crafting scrolls has essentially “doubled” in terms of cost. So if you want to Craft a 1st level scroll as if you were a Second Level Caster the price would be (correct me if I’m wrong via the price): Instead of 12.5 x Caster Level x Spell Level I think it would now be: 12.5 x Caster Level x Spell Level x 2. I think that keeps the math consistent via spell level progression, but if it doesn’t please let me know and we can work something out.
As you head off to meet this Jean Gascon you end up down at the dock. Looking around (it takes you roughly an hour to head there and track him down) you find him sitting at an office drinking a cup of wine and smoking a cheroot. He’s playing a game of dice with some other men.
When you walk in to meet him he looks up at you.
”Bonne journée my friend,” he says in a booming voice, his Common broken with influences from the Galtic region.
”How can I help you?” he asks, his attention turning back to the dice game as he takes a drag from his smoke, watching the dice rattle in the cup.
We should stop on our way out to have our friend the Priest stake our claim on the coast. I will give him some gold to start moving in some supplies for clearing the area and staring the construction of a dock. Are we all in agreement?
"I am with you brother" - Polux smiles, raising his cup - "And I don't care who is listening - this deserves a toast... To possibilities!"
Hack raises his glass.
Aye, mayhap we should use the Seahawk to officially stake the claim with a presence, and maybe I can get them to start work on a dock?It would be a place for them to safely dock locally.