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Leastrie bows to Sheila Heidmarch.Thank you milady. I for one will take the alias of Grinfel Hokum and hopefully we will come to a decision as to who will portray the leader before the ship docks in Riddleport. You have been very informative. I will take my leave now to gather my equipment and be at the docks on time. Is there anything else you have for us?
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Sheila Heidmarch seems somewhat distracted as you discuss your plans; you certainly feel she is preoccupied with other matters. At Soth-Loren's direct question, she seems to rouse herself from her thoughts.
"The bronze agents working for Thestil are not known, either to us or the Aspis agent who has hired them, so you only need to "impersonate" Thestil. The rest of you need a cover name and story that will stand up to basic scrutiny, but no more."
"As to your other concerns, Soth-Loren, I do not know how I can assuage your conscience. Often Pathfinders are called on to perform duties which serve the greater good, and yet require subtlety and even deceit in pursuit of those goals. This is a battle every Pathfinder must face, and some decide not to tread the path any further."
She turns to address the entire group again. "I must stress, you are not there to eradicate either the Aspis Consortium or the cult of Lissala; your duty is to encourage them to fight each other, by impersonating Aspis agents and sowing dissent with the Lissalans. Keep casualties to a minimum. Now, your ship is in berth 94 in the Inner Harbour. Your passage and provisions have all been arranged. I bid you good luck in your mission." She turns back to her desk and takes a seat, opening a large ledger and giving every indication that your meeting is at an end.
You leave Heidmarch Manor and head to Magnimar's harbor district. It is a fine morning, with fair weather and few clouds. The shadow of the Arvensoar falls on you as you exit the manor grounds, calling your attention to this relatively recent addition to the grand monuments of Magnimar. A short walk to the docks brings you past many of Magnimar's businesses, if any gear need be purchased.
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Leastrie makes his way down to the dock. He finds berth 94 and goes aboard the Harpy's Wing. He settles into his cabin and carefully arranges his gear in pack, the spends some time sharpening his blades with a whetstone. He then begins to walk about the deck examining the ship, checking its seaworthiness, the character of the crew, ect.
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*i walk up behind andrazi and try to pull him back away from the rest as we walk out*
*he whispers*
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*Ranvar continues walking to the pier with his hood up and arms to his side, once he gets there he doesn't unpack, merely gets a large box from his backpack and sits there going through it on his bunk*
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Eating a lovely steam bun packed full of chickpeas, Esmerelda makes her way to the ship at berth 94, and asks to be shown to her room.
"I assume my friend here will not be a problem?," Esmerelda asks the porter. Smiling at she continues, "I will need a couple pounds of fresh meat each morning until we reach port, or if you prefer, I can let him loose in the hold daily to help take care of any rat problems the ship may have."
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Esmerelda: The ship's mate blanches when he sees what you are referring to, and calls for the captain in something close to a panic. A halfling comes out of the cabin, swearing a blue streak at the mate, and pauses mid-curse when he sees Esmerelda's pet. His tricorn hat, obviously too large for him, slowly slips down over his eyes as he stares open-mouthed at the velociraptor.
"Live animals must be in cages, in the hold!" he barks, although his tone is politer than he probably uses with other passengers. "I can't have...THAT...running around me ship! Bloody crew'd jump the first time the thing look'd at 'em sideways. Blight, show'er to the hold! What in Besmara's name they be thinking, Davey, I don't know, bloody Pathfinders..." he trails off in another string of expletives as he stomps back to his cabin.
The mate offers to escort Esmerelda to the hold, where a large area seems purpose-built for the transport of animals. While not exceptionally comfortable, it will likely provide a better journey than that afforded her two-legged mistress.
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Leastrie: the crew seem a typical sort for sailors in these parts. "Captain Davey", the halfling master of the ship, is full of bluster and curses. The first mate, Mr. Blight, is a terror to the men, especially the ones that are lazy or shirking their duties - in other words, he's an excellent XO. The crew is a swarthy but decent enough lot, you get the sense that they aren't overeager to spend time in Riddleport.
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Taking the scroll from the two knights, he uncaps the case and unfurls it, reading carefully. About half way through, Soth-Lorens eyes grow wide. He blinks a few times, lower his hands and looks like he will say something. After a moment, he rereads the missive and replies, "Is this suppossed to be some sort of jest? Is someone playing a joke upon me? A house of whores. . .?
Harpy's Wing sails soon after you board, heading out into the harbour towards the setting sun. Clearing the harbour, she turns north, sailing along the so-called "Lost Coast" of Varisia. The seas are relatively calm, which is good for those of you unfamiliar with nautical life.
On the morning of the second day, a white monastery of some kind is visible on a point of land jutting out from the coast. The sailors tell you that it is Windsong Abbey, once a place of peace where people of all faiths came together to resolve their differences. It is largely abandoned now, a testament to the troubled times.
You soon settle into shipboard life - the endless rolling of the deck, the smell of sailors, the creaking of the hull. Only the sudden absence of rats aboard the ship seems to be out of the ordinary for a voyage of this type.
On Oathday evening, on the 14th day of Neth, you can pick out a large oval arc at the end of the large bay you've entered. As you draw closer, it resolves into an immense stone arch spanning the entrance to Riddleport harbour. Again, the superstitious sailors reveal its identity: the Cyphergate, an ancient Thassilonian monument left over from a previous Age of the world. Your ship sails under the arch, and you can see it is covered with runes carved into its surface.
You walk down the gangplank and onto the bustling docks of Riddleport, Varisia's most notorious "free" city. It is just after sunset, and the dockside taverns are already loud and raucous. Cargo is being loaded onto and off of a number of vessels, or being transported across town by wagons, carts, trains of porters, and the occasional floating disc spell. No one seems to give most of you a second look, although Soth-Loren's noble dress and golden crown does garner more than a few sidelong looks from the ladies of the night and other professionals working the dockside tonight.
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Leastrie stares at the Cyphergate from the dock. His thoughts are broken by Ranvar's suggestion. He turns to Ranvar.I don't know what the others think, but I tend to believe, that is the wrong choice for us at this point. I think we should seek out this Barracuda Cartage, at least find out where it is located.
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Not making eye contact with the group members, and speaking in moderately hushed tones, Esmeremda expresses her views. "Separating is the first thing they taught us not to do in the Aspis Consortium Academy. I will bow to the wisdom of our masters, and suggest we stay together. However, I will leave that call to Thestil, since he is the strategist." Esmerelda strokes her companion lovingly and offers him a slab of red meat. "So sorry you had to be in that icky cage ...
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I'd like to try to ask around, particularly if there are any native Pathfinders, (Gather Information) for any details on either Aspis Cons, or th Cult of Lassala.
"I advise that we also taketh a day to acclimate ourselves to the area. Some time away from the mast aught to do us all a bit of good, and learn what information we can before jumping into anything unprepair-ed. Our first order of business needeth to be find lodgings, allies, and possibly, a map in the area."
"Mr. Ranvar. Perhaps thou might be able to spy into the normal workings of this "Barracuda Cartage". We would do well to learn any sort of passcodes, dialects, or secret embraces that the Aspis Cons. might use as identifying procedures or to ferret out decievers, beyond these badges. I am interested in learning the mysteries of Lassala, personally, and I'm certain that Aliera could use a chance to walk more than a few paces. I would also like to locate a temple, though even in this city, I am not hopeful of such."
And begining to flush a bit, "And as you have said, there is an issue I must see too. As much as I hateth to ask, would anyone wish to accompany me the house of prostitutes on behalf of Major Maldris of the great Eagle Knights of Andoran?", as a compltely rheutorical, or rather obvious question after stepping off of a ship fr some time.
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"I'll do it. I'll happily you out on this on."
"I would be very grateful, Soc. . ., er, Consortiam-brother."
"I will be glad to do some spy work"
"Thou art infinitly more talented in such tasks than I shalt ever hope to be, but I think that a wise corse of action would be to present thyself as a servant to a wealthy investor of whatever wares the man might peddle. For now just seeketh basic information, convince him that thou art a potentual customer and nothing more so than that. With luck we can reveal this ruse as a means to impress him later. What dus. . .", stopping to clear his throat before correcting himself with a rediculous accent, , "Whadda ya think abou' dat idea?"