Feeling a bit more refreshed and reinvigorated after Annie's healing energy flows through his wounds and sore, tired body. Phillip pauses to sip some water as the Bryson opens the way out. Responding to Ghirrak's readiness to depart, Phillip sighs wearily and wrinkles his nose and the growing stench coming from the bat's monstrous remains.
"I think a change of venue would be most appreciated." The half-elf says with a thin smile. He then moves over to hustle the professor along. "Come along Professor Forol. There will be plenty of time for study once we've cleared the place of dangers. We need to be moving on. These things have been here for thousands of years, I doubt they will disappear in the next few days."
"You say it twer'nt you and ah believe you." Bryson gives Annie's hand a gentle squeeze to reassure her. "It don't have to be a bad thing. Ah mean, maybe you was channeling the wrath of your god. Ah know it ain't his usual, but e'rey god got a bad side somewhere. Right? You shouldn't worry about it no more."
Opening the passage back is a basic exercise now, and Professor Forol's enthusiasm has been switched from the Sarcophagus Room to the golden statuette (and how did he get that across the void?). Something about a style differential he wanted to examine in daylight.
In any case, after an hours worth of carefull climbing, you stumble out of the ancient step pyramid and into the bug infested green tinged daylight again. The hot and humid air, the deadly reptiles, all heaven after the long time underground.
Annie took a deep breath in the sunshine, hacking a little as she inadvertently inhaled a gnat. "Ah...I suppose this is better, though I"m already missing the coolness from underground. I suppose you're right Bryson, but I don't really feel like that was Cayden Cailean. I don't know." Annie looked back over her shoulder at the diminutive professor. "I wonder if the professor has any idea what that could have been. I suppose if I look at the golden statue with him, I could find out a bit more."
"Well if it wasn't Cayden then we'll just have to find out who it was. Don't worry none. You ain't alone. Ah'll be with you, no matter what." While he's talking, Bryson takes Annie by the hand. He's still holding it when he's done.
Annie turns the full force of her smile on him, and her hand tightens on his. "I'm glad."
Brsyson blushes. After a few moments he becomes increasingly self-conscious. "Uhh. Maybe we ought to get going. They're gonna start worrying about us soon. The boat, ah mean." AS they walk back, he is still holding her hand. (unless she doesn't want to of course)
The expedition headquarters greets your eyes after a refreshingly warm rainstorm, the riotous flowers and colorful wildlife seemingly more glorious after your stressful journey underground.
As you return to the University of Greyhawk expedition headquarters you see the settlers and crews of Lavinia's expedition are taking the rare chance to stretch their legs on shore leave, protected as they are by the wooden palisades of the perimeter. The scholars of the ruins here lay out a feast for the travelers, hungry for news of back home and a break from the tedium of their work.
Chancellor Halin invites you to dine privately with him in his pavillion, along with Lavinia and the Jade Ravens. There you enjoy a pleasant meal of local foods before servants clear it away. Spinnaker Jon lays out charts of the Tamoachan peninsula, and you start plotting the next dangerous passage of your voyage...
Bryson goes to Avner for more help in wooing Annie at the dinner.
Avner greets Bryson effustively in the company of several of the local girls. He has a couple of bottles of wine and girls in each hand, and clearly started the party early; he is weaving enough to stumble and fall backward onto a grassy mound (and girls).
”Bryson my friend! Pull up a girl and sit down! What can I do for you this glorious evening? Does it have anything to do with a lovely young priestess hm?” He gives the most lewd wink you’ve ever encountered.
In the chancellors quarters;
Spinnaker Jon lays out the charts of the Tamoachan Peninsula and points out the route for the next phase. This leads you actually north as well as east, following the coastline. After another two hundred miles, they reach the tip of the peninsula where they can turn south again following the trade routes.
”But there be a kink in the line here,” Growls Spinnaker Jon frowning ferociously.
”Unfortunately,” notes the Chancellor, ”The Scarlet Brotherhood has seized control of the passage south, and is actively seizing the cargos and ships of Port Sasserine, trying to choke off the trade there.”
”’But Spinnaker Jon’ ye might ask. ‘We c’n jest swing wide around ‘em aye?’” Says Spinnaker Jon. ”Well now, y’see the peninsula extends out into the ocean in a series of islands, rocks and reefs; goes out most of two hundred more miles north and east. The Brotherhood has the only towns there, no way to sneak through. And swingin’ wide ‘ll add weeks if not months t’ the voyage. We do that an’ the season’s ‘ll turn on us before we make Farshore. So we ain’t gonna do that.”
Lavinia steps forward.
”I’ve studied the reports of the Captains that have made it through.” Said Lavinia, passing out folders filled with extracts of the reports. ”First; however vigilant the Brotherhood crews are, about one in two ships manage to sneak through without being spotted. Weather hides them, they dare to go at night, wind favors them, etc. etc. That is too much of a risk for us.
“Second; they all say that those who convoy through get swarmed with a dozen or more Brotherhood ships. I don’t like the odds there, even with the brave and skilled crews we have here. But single ships, well, they detail only one ship to board and inspect.”
Lavinia leans in close.
”So what we’re going to do is run the passage separately, and rendesvou down the coast afterward, out of reach of the Brotherhoods ships. We’ll dress the ships to look like ratty coasters, so hopefully their guard will be down if they manage to catch us. If they catch us, it’s up to the captain to either bluff their way through as poor traders carrying worthless cargo, or fight as circumstances decree.
“Luckily, the reports I have make the crews down here of poor quality and easily bored. It’s hard for them to get good crews down in the arse end of nowhere. If it comes to a fight I like our odds.”
She looks around expectantly.
”Here is where you weigh in with questions, comments, or changes to the plan. Anyone?”
Phillip sits back and listens thoughtfully as Lavinia outlines her strategy. As he shuffles through the reports and documents she hands him he continues to listen and then speaks up when she asks for thoughts.
"Not a bad idea. But if what you say is true, that these crews are desperate and poor. Then even a ratty old cargo ship with little value will likely still draw attention. Sometimes it is not the thought of gold a pirate captain needs, but just a way for his crew to blow off steam and focus on killin' something besides himself." He adds that last with a grim smile. "More pirate captains die at the hands of their own, unhappy crews than the law."
He glances around the room and then looks at Lavinia, "But there is one thing everyone avoids no matter what sea you are on. A plague ship." He pauses and looks to Spinnaker Jon and the others in the room. "We need to simply fly a plain yellow flag, and be ready to disguise a few crew as dead or dying of some grim pestilence and it'll likely keep the scoundrels from coming within a hundred ship lengths. Add Lavinia's decoy of old and useless cargo ships, and we should be able to slip through with ease."
"The likelihood of encountering 2 fully loaded plague ships, even days apart is extremely small. That ploy may work once....it won't work twice." Ghirrak says quietly.
Spinnaker Jon looks astounded.
"No, no Ghirrak, that be a good idee! An' if it be an old trick, it can't make us less able t' fight!
"Tell ye what. Let's have the Nixie go first, 'cause she'll have the best chance to bluff her way through. The Kracken goes next, maybe an hour or two later and late in the day as we can manage. If we gotta fight and run, they can't pursue at night. Past the point its open water straight south; we can sail by compass and not run aground till morning.
"Right then. What ye think 'o Phillips addition?"
Like in most of the meetings about the ship, Bryson does not really participate much. He barely seems to be listening at all. He does report what he as learned about the weather.
Read Weather spell
Back to the begining of the gathering.
Bryson comes in wearing wearing a well made noble's outfit. Either it doesn't quite fit or he doesn't feel comfortable wearing it and it shows. He sees Annie and goes right to her. After a few steps he stops and changes his demeanor to be like Avner's, or more like a caricature of Avner. When he gets up to her, Bryson takes her hand and kisses it. "My dear, you are as lovely and refreshing as the first rays of the morning sun." He says in a bad imitation of Avner's voice.
He continues like that for a while and it is quite comedic until it becomes obvious that he is serious in his desire to woo Anne.
Though the Captain of the Blue Nixie and Tolin look skeptical, the majority of Lavinia's advisers vote to adopt the strategy proposed by Phillip. At her assent, the meeting adjourns and goes back to the banquet.
During the next couple of days, the crews work enthusiastically at turning Lavinia's little flotilla into a couple of decrepit merchantmen.
Bryson reports what his predictions from the spell (read the spoiler).
Phillips spends the banquet eating, drinking, and generally enjoying himself. After finishing his first mug of ale, he approaches Lavinia and offers the noblewoman a quick bow. With a smile and flash of his eyes he says warmly, "I've not had a chance to offer you proper thanks for pulling me off of that island, my lady. You could have simply ordered your ships to move on, so I am grateful for the rescue."
He glances toward the Professor as he continues to speak, "I understand the professors interest in ancient ruins and wild places, but if you do not mind my asking, what brings you to these distant waters?"
After the banquet he will help prepare the ship and crew's disguise. He'll pull a few willing crewmen aside to play the role of those infected but not dead yet. For those men, he creates a greenish-yellow paste that can be applied on the face and hands to look like boils and pustules from a distance.
At the banquet, Zan had gotten into a contest with some of the local Olmen and was juggling flaming torches in the cleared circle. He was up to five now, the banqueters cheering and slapping the ground in time.
At Phillip's question, Lavinia invited him to sit at her table with Ghirrak. She seemed far more relaxed in his presence than she had at the start of the voyage, leaning into him like he was her pillow.
"Come now, sit with us Phillip. Well, to answer your question, my parents had inherited a couple of ships from their family, and when they got married they built up their trading company all over the Vouhoun Ocean.
"But, I don't know; somewhere along the line they got bored with business. They had always wondered where some of the exotic things that filtered up from the far southern ocean, past the Deneic Gulf. So they fixed up a ship to explore in. The very Blue Nixie I sail in now in fact.
"They sailed south and explored. They traded and fought off hostile tribes and storms and pirates and sea kings and monsters and... Well, the stories they told when they returned every couple of years were magic. My chums at school scoffed and said they were foolish tales told to little children."
A shadow flitted over her face.
"I didn't get to go with them, they had sent us... me to finishing school. Until they died in the explosion of one of their ships."
She sits up then, staring off into space for a while. She grasps Ghirrak's hand a little tighter.
"Anyway, the family fortunes fell on hard times for a while. I don't know if they told you, but I was on the verge of losing my last ship when I hired Ghirrak and his friends to get it back. They also recovered access to the family treasure vault and my parent's Logs. And what my brother Vanthus had done to murder our parents and steal their fortune."
A single tear coursed down her cheek.
"Anyway, I learned from their Logs they had established a chain of trading posts all along the southern coast down to the Pearl Sea. And on the far side of the world, they created the colony of Farshore. A lot of the family fortune came from trade there, exotic minerals, spices, oils, woods, plant life of all kinds. It's been silent for five years though, and I thought it was high time contact was reestablished.
"That, and I just had to get out of the city for a while."
She smiled at Joseph.
"And what of you Joseph? What lead a lucky young man to shipwreck in the southern seas?"
Annie's eyes widened as Bryson walked in, doing his best to copy Avner's speech and mannerisms, then she smiled as Bryson took her hand and kissed it in as courtly a manner as he could manage. "My dear, you are as lovely and refreshing as the first rays of the morning sun," he said.
Annie giggled and responded, "Why sir! Surely you flatter me too much!" She allowed him to continue his determined courting for just a bit longer, then chuckled and turned her wrist he held so gently so she could grab his arm and pull him closer. She put an arm on either side of his neck and laced her fingers behind it. "Silly man. You don't have to pretend to be anything than what you are - a good, kind man. I adore you just the way you are." Her eyes twinkled as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Now what are you going to do about that?"
Ghirrak sits quietly, enjoying the sway of the ship as Lavinia leans against him, taking in the smell of her perfume as she talked to Phillip. Though far from the most talkative of the group, the massive monk tended to generate a sense of calm and peacefulness except when in battle. A feeling that those around him welcomed.
As she speaks of her parents, he gently slips an arm around her waist, gently responding as she squeezes his hand, providing the sense of safety she needed.
His yellow eyes show his interest as he listens intently to the half –elf tell his tale.
Bryson is totally caught off guard and flustered by Annie. Its easy to woo her while pretending to be someone else, but he is scared to open himself up to her. His first impulse is to flee, but her sparkling gaze holds him fast. "Ah.. ah.. ah.. ah don't know. All ah know is at my first look at you ah could tell you was heaven sent." He if finally able to say around his stammering. "Ah don't.. ah don't have the words to say what ah want to say, but you are fire an rain and I want to always be near you." After a little pause he continues. "Accordin to what Avner says, I should kiss you now, and I really want to, but you said I shouldn't pretend to be him anymore." So he stands there looking hopeful.
"Well, I think if you want to kiss me, that's what matters." Annie tried to sound serious, but her lips kept involuntarily turning up into a smile. "To be honest, I couldn't care less what Avner says." She leaned in close, her grin widening. "And now I've finally got you next to me - shaking like a scared rabbit - but here you are. I say, if you still want to kiss me," her voice dropped almost to a whisper "you should probably kiss me."
Bryson's feet wouldn't move. He tried to make them, but they wouldn't. He was trapped like the rabbit Annie called him. "Ah'm not shakin'", he claimed in a voice a few octaves higher than normal. "It's just the boat's rocking." The best lie he ever told because it was the truth. It still sounded hollow coming from Bryson. "You're like the she-cat waiting for just the right moment to pounce. Well ain't no prey wanted to be caught half as much as me by you." He does eventually muster the courage to lean in for a kiss. It is only a timid, quick peck on the lips, but it is as wonderfully blissful as he thought it would be. "Can ah do it again?" He asks with the biggest smile on his face.
Maybe it was Cayden Cailean's own splendid bravery coursing through her veins as a gift, maybe it was simply that Bryson's nervousness emboldened her, but Annie felt like she could take on the world. "No," she said as she let go of her loose hold around his neck and grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him back to her, "it's my turn!" and she kissed him back, a happy chuckle she couldn't quite suppress making it a little awkward.
"A she-cat waiting to pounce, am I?", she demanded with a laugh after coming up for air. The room seemed empty except for the two of them, she was focussed so sharply on Bryson. "I think I've been incredibly patient!" Realizing she's still got a death grip on his borrowed clothes, Annie gasped and let go, trying to smooth out the deep creases she'd left. "Oh dear!"
Bryson comes out of that kiss weak kneed. After a few breaths he whispers "You are fire and rain and I love you." He is only too happy to get drunk on Annie and will spend the rest of the evening doing so.
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Phillip laughs lightly when Lavinia mentions his own luck. "I dare say if I've much luck it's mostly been hard my lady." He reaches over a fills his mug for the second, third, or possibly, the fourth time. With a smile for Lavinia and Ghirrak he says, "I've spent the several years sailing these seas. Served under kind hearted captains with good crews. Also sailed with some real no good scoundrels and cutthroats. But such is the life of a sailor, sometimes you have to go where the wind takes you no matter what."
For a second his eyes drift away in memory, but then he quickly recovers, takes another drink and continues.
"I was last aboard the Dancing Walrus an ill-fated treasure hunting ship, but commissioned by a man who had a better mind for books and academics than dealing with the Lady Sea and a bunch o' rowdy sailors." He shakes his head with a bit of sadness. "A man who hires a crew to go treasure hunting needs to be prepared for a bit of sneakin' about and treachery if he isn't careful with who he hires. Good ole Edwin Chavensham wasn't."
He flicks his gaze over to the Professor while unconsciously running his hand through his hair a couple of times. "I tried to warn him that trouble was brewing, but he'd have none of it. Couldn't believe some o' the boys would try and find his great treasure himself."
"It all came to a head during a big blow we had a few weeks ago. Bunch o' the crew took advantage of the storm to go after Edwin's maps and journal. I stepped in to stop them, but then the storm intervened and Mistress Fate reached out and thumped us all."
"Lightning took the mast and set the sails and rigging aflame. Next thing you know she was broached and all of us were going for a swim. A few of us made it to that bloody, bug-ridden island only to end up a morsel for those blasted spiders."
"But Mistress Fate must have other plans for me, on accounts she brought you folk along to pull me off of that island and here I am."
He finishes by polishing off what's left in his mug and standing to offer an unsteady bow to Lavinia. "So there's my story. Now if you'll excuse me, I think a bit of fresh air on deck is what this body needs now."
ABOARD THE SAVAGE KRAKEN, A WEEK LATER...
Spinnaker Jon looked through his spyglass to the northeast for a long minute. Some twelve miles away, the rocky Tamoachan point lay naked to wind and wave. There was no sign of the ancient Olman lighthouse that was mentioned in Lavinia's parents journal; swept away by storm or pirates, no one knew. There was no sign of any sail, but neither was there any smoke as from a burning ship either. The Blue Nixie had set out early in the morning and it was late afternoon now.
Jon collapsed his spyglass and slid down the ratlines to the deck with easy grace.
"Right then." He addressed the officers.
"It's clear for right now, and it's time to make our run. Is the makeup ready?"
Phillip applies his disguise skill to the volunteers, along with Annies professional touchups, as Spinnaker Jon turns the ship about.
The ship picks up speed as she comes out of the lee of the peninsula and out into the passage around the point.
A weeks worth of work has changed the Savage Kraken into a slovenly and decrepit coaster; hardly worth a buccaneers time to even consider boarding. Hopefully.
If he can, Bryson will Take 10 on those rolls, if not...
Perception
Knowledge- nature
Knowledge- geography
Bryson isn't much for the make believe, but he tries to make himself useful to the expedition.
Phillip does the best he can to get the ship in shape and make it as unappealing as possible to any potential enemies. Focused on the task at hand he fails to keep at eye out for the actual threats they are trying to avoid. That, and perhaps the patch over his eye was making it more difficult to see than he originally anticipated.
With sharp eyes out, Spinnaker Jon pilots the Savage Kraken northeast along the last part of the Tamoachan peninsula. When the ship finally passed the last series of rocky islets, including the strangely bare patch where an ancient lighthouse should be standing, he finally made the turn south and into Parrot Passage.
Looking north, the seas are clear.
The seas are clear of traffic.
Along the Amedio Jungle coastline, the seas are clear but for 2-3 native dugout canoes hugging the coast and travelling north.
Looking East you can all see the next island in the chain, South Olman Island. The glint of a lighthouse/watchpost is just barely visible.
You can see seven, eight, maybe ten sails on the horizon to the East, all flying the flag of the Scarlet Brotherhood. They are all hull down though, so must be more than 20 miles away.
Looking South/SouthEast you can see a ship barely a couple miles away travelling south, away from you on a parallel course.
You see the ragged looking caravel flying the flag of the Scarlet Brotherhood. You can barely make out the name “Purity’s Prow”.
It is a fine day for sailing, the ship partly heeled over, winds moderate out of the East.
Looking up, Spinnaker Jon frowns and barks out; "Parrotless! Where's the bloody yellow flag? Get it up already!"
Parrotless Booker, by the signal flag locker gives him a wide grin and calls out; "Aye-Aye captain!" and gives a two fingered salute as he pulls a lanyard. You hear the snap and flutter as the flag unfurls at the masthead high overhead.
Turning the wheel a little, Spinnaker Jon glances up and freezes. You can see the blood drain from his face and his mouth open but says nothing.
... you see a large white flag flying, bold as brass and stenciled with the words:
The Port Sasserine coat of arms, and
Spinnaker Jon swears long and loud.
"Booker! He shouts, looking around for him.
Parrotless Booker steps out from the forecastle. "What? I'm not done with makeup yet!"
"One of you haul that down 'for they spot it!"
Bryson attempts a Faerie Fire on the the Parrotless Booker trying to duck below decks.
Watching the flag go up, Phillip's expression of satisfaction turns to disgust and anger as he realizes what has happened. He dashes over and grabs the rope, hauling the treacherous flag down as quickly as he can in hopes that any nearby ships don't have a chance to spot it.
Only after the flag is down, and the proper yellow flag has been hoisted does he look around to try and find the one who may have been responsible.
Perception
With a stony expression, Ghirrak makes his way to the aft ladder-way seeking the worthless traitor.
Annie, concerned about the flag, jumps forward to try to take it down. Phillip is faster than her, but she does what she can to assist.
Bryson's spell struck the hatchway just as it closed, making it glow that unearthly blue/octarine radiance.
Phillip dashes over to the lanyard and hauls away, but it gives and falls in a pile right in front of you. The traitorous flag continues to fly, but streams a bit as one of its stays is loose. Looking at the end you see one end had been almost burned all the way through, breaking when you tugged at it.
This forces Phillip to waste long seconds climbing to the masthead to either cut it free or haul it in.
Ghirrak runs quickly to the aft ladderway and plunges down them, crashing the hatchway open as he does so. When he hits the fore passageway he looks right and left...
Annie rushes over to the signal flag locker to quickly sort through them looking for the yellow plague signal flag.
Chase after him!
Annie calls out "Anyone have any magic that changes the color of things? I can cast fly to let you up likity-split!" Annie grabs any flag that is a single color, hoping someone can cast prestidigitation and fly it up there.
Hearing Annie's shout from the masthead, Phillip finishes dealing with the traitorous flag and then shouts back down.
"I can do that! He grabs another rope from the rigging to replace the sabotaged line. "Keep it bundled up and goahead and run it up on this line. I'll make the change up here."
Perception
Hearing the commotion Ghirrak dashes forward.