Just a suggestion. More bonds mean more XP after all.
"The merfolk's words mean nothing out of context. Pity you could not get more. Still, we have what we have.
To the harbor?"
Chaney leads the way down to the harbor proper. You hear the cries of seagulls on the breeze as the sun finally shows itself on the horizon, turning the entire sky a brilliant blend of pink and orange hues. You hear fishermen shouting to one another as they go about their business, gathering nets and checking traps from the night before. The smell of fish is on the air.
When you approach the harbor, you get a full view of Magna Gracia's modest fleet, mostly tied to the docks; seven warships in all, all that Magna Gracia has defending it by sea. Naval soldiers, often with tells betraying their underwater animal were-morphs, scrub the decks and haul barrels from one pier to another.
You smell food being cooked in a few nearby flophouses designed for sailors to come and get a warm meal and bed. There are numerous areas that can be found in the harbor district that are decidedly dangerous to walk around in. You see urchins with monkey faces crawling out of their beds in the gutter, eyeing your coinpurses hungrily and trying not to show it.
There are vendors who will rent out a boat large enough for your purposes for 1 gold piece / 2 days. What do you do?
Mazatl simply looks dissatisfied with how things are going.. Things will end badly if they don't have adequate rest -and- go after them by day, after Chaney said himself, they'd know we were coming... but she couldn't just abandon everyone, no matter how unwise their course of action.
At the harbor
"Yes Mazatl you were right. Opportunity lost, time passed. Hook midnight tonight."
"I am away to do what must be done by daylight. Until darkness friends."
"We are not resting? That will be bad..."
As before, you stand in the harbor district of Magna Gracia, near a vendor's shack that rents small boats cheaply. You have until darkness falls to meet up with Chaney, the mysterious werewolf spellcaster. He seems to have an agenda all his own...what of the rest of you? How do you spend the hours of daylight?
Mazatl heads to Feustus's home. As uncomfortable as she would likely be away from home... And in the graveyard, of all places, he was the only one to offer. And there was still the probability that the wolves knew where they lived... So sitting at home was a good way to not wake up.
As for the rest of the day... If nothing interrupted it, Mazatl would spend the day preparing for the seaside raid (adjusting techniques)... And what time she had to spare would be spent utilizing trickle to beautify the graveyard a bit, as a way of paying her debt.
As before, you stand in the harbor district of Magna Gracia, near a vendor's shack that rents small boats cheaply. You have until darkness falls to meet up with Chaney, the mysterious werewolf spellcaster. He seems to have an agenda all his own...what of the rest of you? How do you spend the hours of daylight?
The dark(dressed) wizard's first stop is a bank to change the paper into coin. Walking back into the sun he turns towards the market district.
Since they are resting Athena would head to her own home and store her items she pocketed an item as she walked around.
Aifric has no idea whether they should rest or act now, but he figures that, if they know where he lives, they also know where Feustus lives. Might as well go home and be comfortable.
Come to think of it, I am concerned that most of my success tonight was because it was dark. That my dark feathers gave me a necessary edge. Also, all of you were asleep when you were summoned. I was working.
"Not so. I am often awake later in the day. There are very few occassions where 'flowers in the morning' are necessary. There are many occassions where one would require them at night." Mazatl smiled to Feustus.
Athena, you manage to steal a minor coinpurse from a merchant stall that was left unattended briefly. As you turn away, pocketing (1d8+5 coins), you see two children looking right at you. They appear to have caught you in the act, but they do nothing but smile and giggle. Their skin is faintly greenish. You hear the merchant coming and glance to make sure you're not caught by him, and when you look around again, the children are gone.
Chaney: yes sir, as long as you visit a bank.
Athena would shrug the kids off and return to her trip home.
Svog will look for a place to rest, if they are going to move by night it will be best to be fresh at that time.
"I'm off to rest, but I'd be glad if we all rest together.." Svog looks at the women of the group, "..don't get the wrong idea, is just to be safe..."
"If not...we can all meet at the same place again at midnight."
Chaney: yes sir, as long as you visit a bank.
The dark(dressed) wizard's first stop is a bank to change the paper into coin. Walking back into the sun he turns towards the market district.
...we can all meet at the same place again at midnight.
"I will see you then, good morning my friends"
With a short bow the wizard turns to the street leading to the nearest reputable bank.
You're able to find the First Bank of Magna Gracia, Wharf Branch, fairly quickly. The staff, primarily weres of unsavory types like rats and carrion birds, smile lugubriously at you as you enter, and process your request with a simpering sense of service. You still don't know why so many of the people who work for banks are cursed with such unsavory creatures as their inner beast.
Chaney sets off at a brisk walk towards the market district.
Purchanses made he heads for his rooms above the Obscure for some much needed sleep.
Is everyone more or less ready to reconvene and proceed just before midnight?
Place: The Gilded Hook, waterfront district.
Time: Approaching midnight. Moon phase: Just past half-full. It'll be full again in two nights.
The 'Hook is much busier this time of night than when you visited there previously. As you haul open the heavy door covered in iron, you notice that there are a large number of dock workers and sailors all carousing and having a merry time. Shouts and drunken singing can be heard as the rough and tumble men and women of the waterfront district blow off steam by caterwauling like alley cats.
Where are you? What do you do?
Athena would make finding at least one of the others her first goal preferable without being noticed by any of the workers.
Arriving early this time Chaney loiters waiting for the others.
Mazatl goes shopping for some leather armor of a lighter shade. Making it a little harder to kill her seems wise. During her off-hours she ensures that her techniques will work in and around water, and then proceeds to ensure that Feustus's place is beautified a bit; given that he shared his home, making his graveyard more pleasing to the eye is certain to bring him a bit more money at some point for his services...
Then later, she heads to the Hook, wearing the pale leather armor, and carrying her living-wood staff. She moves to a table with the others and quietly drinks some water.
Svog joined the sailor with the singing and story telling, he will just eat some meat and drink water. He will have fun until everyone gathers here.
Are the following considered Adventuring gear?
1)Surface strike matches (attested in China in AD 577. Confirmed by 950AD.)
2)A foot of slow fuse (one hour to burn), a foot of quick fuse 7.5min to burn.
3)A lump of painters linseed putty or easily worked clay.
4)A small bag of gunpowder, enough to lay a foot or two of makeshift fuse or to bed a fuse in packed powder.
5) A handful of slow burning tapers suitable for moving fire from one spot to another.
6) A dark lantern
If not what is the price?}
Athena, mark an XP! As you make your way through the Hook, trying to catch sight of one of your companions, one of the serving girls bumps into you! You're knocked backward so that you're almost sitting down on one of the nearby tables - that happens to be occupied by a group of 4 burly-looking men with dog-like animal tells. "Hey, what's the big idea? This the Hook's idea of entertainment?" asks one, roaring in laughter, and grabbing you by the wrist.
Chaney, you were already here, but Athena hadn't noticed you yet. Svog Kos, you were also there, but carousing in a corner, do you notice Athena's trouble? Mazatl, you'll be arriving in a few seconds, just in time to see what happens next. So, what does happen next?
Aifric would love to carouse, but, like Svog Kos will refrain from drinking any alcohol. He will certainly come to Athena's aid, if he notices when he arrives and if she needs his aid.
And how do you come to her aid? Say you arrive right about when Mazatl does. What do you do?
Aifric is happy to see Mazatl arriving at the Hook about the same time he does. "So what was it like staying with Feustus?" he asks with wide eyes. "I just couldn't do it." Before Mazatl has a chance to answer, he notices Athena's predicament halfway across the bustling room. "Hey!" he exclaims. "That's Athena! Hey!" he shouts. "No touching! She does not look like she wants you to touch her like that! Turn her loose now!" While he is shouting, he wades through the room, heedless of whom or what he bumps as he makes a beeline for Athena.
Mazatl was certainly ill-equipped to aid in any manner in a bar-fight... especially with her prepared techniques. Anything she did, short of summoning an elemental, would result in foliage... within an establishment. Hitting things with a stick was truly her only option once she was inside... hopefully, someone could get them to back down... or off. Mazatl created her vine armor upon herself before she'd enter.
Athena would try to shift into her fox firm and slip away.
As Aifric begins to challenge the drunks, Athena demonstrates that she can get herself out of a jam quite nimbly if she tries. Shifting to full fox form she squirms violently and breaks free of the surprised man's grasp.
When Aifric approaches the men, formerly all humans, instantly shift to weredog form and begin to growl. "NO FIGHTING IN THE HOOK!" warns the barkeep.
"It's looking like this is clearing itself up, then..." Mazatl says as she heads into the room, watching the dogs carefully. as she moves to back up Aifric and ensure Athena can slip as far as she'd like.
"My amigos! This lady already has company, if you would be kind to let her go" Svog stops his singing and hurries to where Athena is,
"We don't want trouble and the owner doesn't want them too, let's just enjoy our drinks..." Svog smiles, turning the inside of his mouth to his shark form and showing his teeth.
The were-dogs glance from the barkeep to Svog Kos and look in Mazatl's direction as well. "Then tell her to watch where she's going! Her jostling knocked over my drink!" one of them angrily growls, sitting back down at his table and allowing his features to return to full humanity.
"Then it would be positively rude of us to leave you worse for wear than we found you, no?" She adjusted her course to purchase a meal from the bartender, keeping the meal for herself, while delivering the drink to the sea dog in question. "No hard feelings, I hope?"
"A drink? On you? Why, you're a sweet lady! Come have a seat with us, miss!" the weredog accepts the drink you offer him, and the men all smile at you in a very friendly way that makes you mildly uncomfortable.
"No thank you, though that is quite kind of you to offer. My friends and I have a lot of business to take care of... And I'd hate to get in the way of your singing and drinking. I'm no good at either. Really, though, the drink is no trouble."
"I'll see you guys around, and if you happen to wind up with a lady friend, I've got a flower shop just down the way. She motioned down the road, through the wall. "I can likely give you a good deal if you're looking to romance someone. Besides, if business does well enough, I'll be able to afford more drinks!" She flashes them a smile -without- shark teeth, before moving to join Chaney, meal in hand.
"So, where were we?" She smiled as she slipped into her seat, and began to tuck in, as if that had been her intent all along.
As the situation cools down, Aifric joins his group. He says, "I'm glad we didn't have to fight. I would have, though, if Athena hadn't escaped. I wouldn't have hit them with my spear, though. There's a difference between a bar fight and a spear fight. I might have bashed them with my shield, though." He pauses to contemplate before continuing. "Maybe. I'm not sure."
"So, where were we?" She smiled as she slipped into her seat, and began to tuck in, as if that had been her intent all along.
"Skillfully done." The wizard nods to Mazatl.
"We are left with the same problem as before but with slightly less information. I suggest Mr. Blue.." Here Chaney nods towards Svog. "Ms White" A nod to Flynn. and Mr. Grey when he arrives look over the property with an eye to it's occupation.""Ms. Green," Nod to Mazatl."Mr. Brown To Aifric. "and Mr. Black" Chaney's hand touches his own chest. "will endeavor to maintain a general overview as the situation unfolds."