DM Carbide's From Shore to Sea (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

Yep! We help people and you seem like people that could use a little help. So, can we help?

The archer wisely keeps his mouth shut and allows those with more refined social skills to represent the party.

Lira nods in appreciation. "There is a small thing I would ask. One of my flock is wounded, and cannot walk. Would you be able to go up to the shrine and help him down here? Gervus can row him to the lighthouse once you have him to the beach."

Yup. 'S what we do. We'll get 'im. Meaning to punctuate his point and exemplify his resolve, the archer draws his morningstar and taps the head of the weapon into his off hand.

Diplomacy: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (17) - 2 = 15 , Woo hoo! :-)

Let's go. Bogenschützen isn't smart enough to stay and get any further information. But, he won't leave the lighthouse without his other companions.

Lira smiles. "Thank you! His name is Seth--tell him that I sent you."

I put a link to the village map above. The lighthouse is at A2, and the shrine is at A4.

By the way, who's Gervus?

At the archer's question, Lira dimples in a quick, embarrassed smile. "Gervus is the lighthouse keeper. He is above now, tending the light."

Do we want to:
1) Talk to Gervus first--to coordinate our efforts?
2) Go fetch Seth and trust Lira to coordinate with Gervus?
3) Get more info from Lira and company.
Whichever one is fine by me.

They aren't exactly forthcoming, let's just go find Seth.

"Yes, of course we would be happy to help, but before we leave, what is the nature of Seth's injury and what sort of dangers should we expect?" Maddie asks in a pleasant, conversational tone.

"His leg was broken in an accident. I was able to heal the superficial damage, but not the broken bone, and I was not strong enough to carry him back from the shrine after his sons left him there. They are out fishing, or I would have asked this of them. As long as you get back before nightfall there should be no danger."

Should be no danger, huh? OK! Quiven is ready to accompany the party to fetch the man with the broken leg. Umm, maybe you should come with us? This guy might not like a bunch of strangers carrying him off.

"Yes, you are likely right. I'll tell Gervus, and then we can be away." She picks out one of the children and sends her up the stairs. A moment later, a man makes his way down, followed by the little girl. "So! Making your extradition to fetch back Seth? A fine and charitable thing, considering...." His voice trails off. "I shall have my little dinghy all ready to go when you return, now that the reproducible light has settled down."

"Reproducible light?" Maddie asks with a raised brow, "Whatever do you mean?"

The archer is confused by all the big words. ( Sense Motive on Lira: 1d20 ⇒ 4 ) Not knowing what to make of the situation, he keeps his mouth shut. For now.

"Are you having trouble with the lighthouse beacon?"[b] Rah asks, her interest piqued. [b]"I am studied in all many subjects of the arcane and would relish the chance to study it up close when time permits. Of Chelish design, is it not?"

"Reproducible--unpleasant, or so I infer from context. I read a great deal." The lighthouse keeper points absently at a desk against one wall, piled high with books. He turns to the gnome. "It merely needs a little service--but the Chelish wizard who installed it has not been back in several years. It sometimes takes a little while to come to its full elimination."

Maddie nods with comprehension, "I see. Well, I suppose we should be off to rescue Seth. Thank you for the information."

What an unusual fellow...

Bogenschützen is completely lost. Whut'd he say???

He gives his fellow Pathfinders a sidelong glance.

Sense Motive on the lighthouse keeper: 1d20 ⇒ 11

As far as Bogenschützen can tell, there's nothing particularly odd about the lighthouse keeper (except for his appearance, though some of the oddities of his physiognomy are shared by most or all of the other villagers).

You walk past a beached keelboat partially buried in sand and surrounded by large piles of washed up junk--nets, glass floats, and other debris. Lira's usually placid look slips a little, and she seems a little uneasy until you're past.

There's a flight of carved steps winding up the bluff. Lira climbs them with an ease borne of long experience. On a rocky outcropping overlooking the village, you come to a small windowless church built of stained coral. She leads you in.

The room inside, illuminated only by pale green lights in the corners, contains a few pews and a simple altar (along with an old man resting on one of the pews, his wrapped leg outstretched in front of him). Behind the altar is a STATUE. The walls are decorated with strange murals depicting bizarre sea life, and a few carved alcoves contain coral statues. The statues, like the large one behind the altar, may have begun as representations of Asmodeus, but all are draped in seaweed and nets and festooned with fish bones, starfish, shells, and other offerings.

The old man looks up as you enter. "Lira! Shouldn't you be at the light?"

Maddie takes a closer look at one of the statues to verify if it is indeed a representation of Asmodeus.

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Seems legit

"This is Seth, I presume?" Maddie asks as she pulls herself away from the stone monument.

We've come ta fetch ya. We'll carry ya back ta the lighthouse for Lira. I'm Bogenschützen.

The archer approaches Seth, nodding towards the injured leg: Feel up ta gettin' some fresh air?

Yeah, I hear that fresh air helps with all sort of injuries and diseases and stuff. Quiven then look at Lira and says to the man, Oh! She came with us so you would know that we weren't trying to kidnap you or something.

Maddie, it clearly started out as a statue of Asmodeus; you're not sure about the rest of the decorations, though.

Lira nods at Quiven's words. "These Pathfinders met Alden on the road, and came here to help us." The old man struggles to his feet. [b]"Thanks, Lira...wasn't sure about spending the night here. Sure, big man. Let's go."

"Unusual... decor." Rah says as she looks curiously upon the statue and then around the small church.

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
Any other Knowledge?: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Rah, you recognize symbology characteristic of virtually every major sea deity you know of--some are adored, while others (including, possibly to your disquiet, the demon lord Dagon) are placated. There's nothing else you notice, though.

The old man struggles to his feet.

Bogenschützen has a look of alarm on his face and rishes to the old man's side. Careful, old timer. Don't wanna make that any worse. He says, nodding to the injury. The archer gently supports the injured human's weight.

"Thank you, sir." He leans on Bogenschützen as he stands, then takes a rough crutch from its place next to him. Lira heads for the door. "We need to get back to the lighthouse before nightfall."

Here's a picture of the LIGHTHOUSE.

"Yes, let us return quickly and address the greater problems facing your town."

On the way back, Bogenschützen asks: Anybody notice how creepy the lighthouse looks?

Then he does a double take when he realizes how insulting those words might be to toe 'Covers. Glancing at Lira and Seth he verbally stumbles: Uh... I mean... nice town... Much nicer than prison... Uh... I mean... Then he decides that silence would be wiser.

As the fighter picks Seth up, Maddie takes the opportunity to look over the old man's injury.

Heal: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

"How did you receive that?" She asks with concern.

Maddie, based on the scarring it looks like he had a compound fracture of the tibia; someone with a decent Heal skill reduced the fracture and splinted it, and regular cure spells took care of the soft tissue damage. Because the soft tissue damage was healed, you can't easily tell what might have done it.

"I got grabbed by this huge crab. Would've pulled me out to sea, but I got my leg caught in the dock. A couple of my boys put spears into it, and it decided to let go."

"I may be able to fix it completely. How long have these crabs been pulling people out to sea?"

At the mention of crabs, Bogenschützen's stomach growls a little. Crab sounds delicious.

Oblivious to Lira's warning glances, the garrulous Seth replies, "Crabs? Only once or twice. Was a squid came up once, but mostly it's be--" Lira smoothly cuts him off. "As I said, the sea's debt must be paid. We can speak more on this after we are back at the lighthouse."

Maddie, a break like that will take a regenerate spell to repair fully, or lesser healing and some time--on the order of a week or two.

Thinking about what "debt" means in prison, Bogenschützen asks: What does the sea give you and what does it demand in return?

This can wait till the lighthouse, if needed. :-)

"All in due time."

As you pass the beached keelboat on the way back, a gaunt man in ragged clothing climbs out of the cabin. "Thank all the gods living! You've come to save us from...from him! The one who tried to take the water's gift from our veins!" The man idly scratches loose a sand flea from his straggly beard and cracks it between his nails, licking it off of his fingers. He looks around nervously and lowers his voice. "He nursed that old, dead god, you know. Like it was his own babe, and he its mother." Seth sneers at the man, and Lira's carefully blank expression carries its own subtle weight of condemnation.

It's at that point that Gervus shouts to you from the water, where he has a rowboat in the surf. "Come on! There is a mighty storm on its way, and these waters are infected with sharks!"

So didn't they have crabs in prison? Quiven asks the ex-con as he rambles about life while behind bars.

After Gervus shouts at the party, the halfling turns to Maddie and asks, Are we going with him in that? I'm not sure we'll all fit!

So didn't they have crabs in prison?

Not the kind ye'd wanna eat.

Quiven Glist wrote:

So didn't they have crabs in prison?

Not the kind ye'd wanna eat.

*rimshot*

The archer looks around wondering where that drum sound came from. :-)

"You are right Quiven, that boat does look rather small. Perhaps we could just carry him back to the lighthouse?" Maddie says, looking a little uncertain about a trip over the sea, especially with all the stories they've been hearing

The keeper shakes his head. "I will do this in two trips--with the tide coming in, the path is too slippery for you to carry him!"

How many people does it appear can fit safely in the boat at once?

Four.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"Perhaps the first trip should be Bogenschützen, Rah, and Seth, while the second would be myself, Quiven, and Lira." Maddie suggests after a moment of consideration.

Bogenschützen volunteers to stay on shore for the second trip. Maddie, you should take Seth and go first. We'll cover you from shore as best as we can. The archer knocks an arrow into his bow. This worked pretty good the first time we ran into a boat in trouble.

"I'm fine with that plan, but I believe someone capable of swimming should accompany Seth as well in case of trouble. I'm afraid I will not be very helpful for that in my heavy armor."

Although the trip is hard on the stomach, Gervus is pretty good at handling the small craft, and he knows the waters well. You reach the lighthouse without incident.

Other villagers have moored their boats to the light as well. The second floor is crowded with them--mostly the very old and the very young, though there are a few in between. As you enter, Gervus calls out, "These are Pathfinders--Adler got through and sent them to help. They rescued Seth, so I think we can trust them." There are a few murmurs at this, and you can see nods and...not quite smiles, but less closed faces than you saw the first time. Lira sits down on a rickety chair and looks up at you. "This is what has happened here...."

And with that I have to shut down and go to bed. More revelations in the morning.

Hm. Easier than I thought, the archer contemplates silently.

:-)