I understand Geb, but what I did say was true. Wraith replies to her in our hidden tongue. After a second he send out a message to the entire group, Any losses or injuries I haven't noticed yet within our knot?
After asking his question, Wraith heads to his fallen minion and strips the equipment from its bones. Tossing the now useless material overboard while loading the equipment into his crate with his other material...Soon I'll have the power to make my personal guard.. till then enjoy your peaceful rest... now where can I find the material to make a new minion.
Odenkirk, glares at Wraith's question and says, "Can you not see the sun going down? It's too dangerous to sail these waters at night. We'll keep an extra watch."
Geborah summons up his trident from the deep into her hands. After silently warning Wraith, she studies Captain Odenkirk, and determines that while he was winded after his berserker fury, he seems to recover quickly.
Odenkirk looks at Jezabel, grunts, and says, "Yes, thank you. You're supposed to be protecting my ship, so it won't do to have you keel over and die on me."
Jezabel grins at the captain. "Perish the thought! But, if you don't mind, I'll start with you, my dear. You are in charge, after all..."
Jezabel begins to sing softly. A warm yellow glow envelops her hands. Jezabel reaches out to touch the Captain's wounds and a sudden wave of calming, comforting warmth flows from her hands into the man's body. As his wounds heal she removes her hands and grins at him. "Better?"
Then she moves over to tend the wounds of Timeon.
Finally she approaches Tatienne. "And look at you! You'll need extra tending... Come here, pretty thing, lovely little thing," Jezabel sings softly as she gestures Tatienne closer. "Rubies, rubies, glistening jewels, lick it up, lick it up..."
Jezabel thrusts her arms out to the sides, hands open. She mutters under her breath and her body tenses. A green energy seems to manifest in the air around Jezabel, and flow into her open hands. Her eyes glow bright green along with her hands. Jezabel begins to sing gibberish softly. The green energy in her hands changes colour, to a warm yellow glow. Jezabel reaches out to touch Tatienne's many wounds and a sudden wave of calming, comforting warmth flows from her hands into Tatienne.
Tatienne's wounds blanche, and the color slowly returns to the relic hunter's face. Grimacing, she waits until successive waves of healing wash over her, noting that Jezabel's magic has a twisting, painful quality to it - as if one is being bitten, even as the flesh and bone sutures back together.
Still, it was better than being on death's door. Nodding, Tatienne wishes there was more than water spread across her flail, so that she could offer it to the girl, a treat. "Thank you, dear. I owe you. I'll make sure to get you a nice proper treat soon."
Turning to the Captain, Taty thinks quickly to the others. We'll have to be careful when the time comes to bury the captain at sea. He's a better fighter than even Balam and I.
"I'll take a watch tonight."
Taty thinks quickly to the others. We'll have to be careful when the time comes to bury the captain at sea. He's a better fighter than even Balam and I.
But he's weakened after he falls out of his battle rage, Geborah replies. If we can trick him into a frenzy, then fall on him after he's spent, we would have a much easier time of it. Consider how this might be done.
"I'll sleep better knowing you're keeping watch, dearie. These old bones need rest."
Mindful of her disguise, "Auntie Geb" walks stiffly across the ship to Wraith. "Ach, too much hurly burly. My fires burn low. Be a sweet lad and tell me if this trident is enchanted." She holds the weapon out for the wizard to inspect.
Jezabel nods at Tatienne. "I'll take first watch."
Then she wanders over to check on her good pal, Grumblejack. "Having fun, dear?"
The Captain grunts, and nods as Jezabel heals his crew, before stomping off and shouting orders in Norspik. The sailors begin getting the ship ready for the night - lowering the sail and setting it up as a tarp above the deck, to keep the elements off, and beginning to get rations ready for dinner. Their smelly, fermented fish - which Odenkirk calls lutefisk - is quite unappetizing, but is the basis for the meal.
Grumblejack yawns, then looks to Jezabel. "Grumblejack like smashing things, but can't eat water-men. Grumblejack want more fresh meat."
"My thoughts exactly, my dear! I can't wait to sup on something... fresh."
As the thrill of battle recedes, Geborah feels the slow roil of her sea sickness return. "Must you talk about stuffing your bellies all the time? Surely there must be some other topic that interests you."
"Captain, have you any idea what that triton was talking about--'Your darkness is known to us', 'Mitra has shown me your darkness'? Some sort of anti-human religious bigot? Or might he have been after you for some reason?"
To her companions, she communicates, The alternative is that somehow the fishy fanatic had word of our mission. That would suggest the Cardinal has a spy in his court--one of the servants, perhaps--but how and why warning would come to the tritons, of all people, is hard to imagine. Whatever the case, we must redouble our efforts to hide our identities.
"How many days remain in our journey, Captain?" Grudgingly satisfied with the answer, 'Auntie Geb' curls up to rest and restore her powers, staying near Balam's protective bulk.
Ahahaha! Always jumping to conclusions. It need not be a spy. The gods might have spoken to them. Plenty speak to me.
Odenkirk spits, and answers Geborah, "Who knows what the fish man was talking about? Unless you want to dive down to the depths, bring his corpse up, and use black magic to speak with the dead, I say forget it."
Stomping away, he says, "We'll reach our destination in about a week or so, depending on how strong the northern headwinds are."
With that, you bed down for a meal and to sleep for the night, taking watches along with one of Odenkirk's sailors. Odenkirk doesn't seem to like you keeping your own watch in addition to his, but he seems to feel that you've a right to be paranoid after the attack this evening.
The next couple of days pass relatively uneventfully. On the third day since the triton attack, the Captain approaches you and says, "We're getting a little light on fresh water, I think. We're passing Seal Isle, and there is a stream that feeds into the bay there. We'll take on additional water there. Once we arrive, I'll send a party to shore. Of course, that means we'll be in some of the richest fur seal hunting grounds all along this coast. I'm thinking of organizing a hunting expedition. Interested?"
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Ahahaha! Always jumping to conclusions. It need not be a spy. The gods might have spoken to them. Plenty speak to me.
Geborah nods as if agreeing. ...or he could have been deluded. It is hard to imagine a spy that could deceive Tiadora.
When the captain mentions stopping for water, Auntie Geb cups her hands and whispers an incantation. Her hands immediately overflow, and the smell of fresh, clean water rises from the splashes at her feet. "If it will save time on the journey, Captain, I will gladly refill your barrels with fresh water every day--water enough for everyone on the ship, or if you prefer, just myself and my companions, so that you can stretch your remaining stores to the journey's end. It would seem safer not to stop, and our job is to keep you safe."
Jezabel resists the urge to laugh -- for once. Instead she smiles 'pleasantly.'
Odenkirk's face turns red. "I'll not have any of that foul magic water consumed by my people. I'm the captain, and I say we stop for water at Seal Isle!"
Odenkirk stomps away, shouting commands at his men in their northern tongue.
Jezabel smiles. "I've never gone seal hunting before. How exciting... I'll happily join in on your hunt, if you'll have me."
Tatienne shrugs, nonchalant. If nothing else, it would be a good opportunity to further judge the captain and his mens' competence.
"If you plan on going to hunt seals regardless of good advice, we will go with you. Our job, as Auntie Geb points out, is to keep you safe."
'Auntie Geb' forces a smile. The captain is essential to His Eminence's plan. This side trip is an unnecessary delay and complication, but it would be a bigger risk to try to coerce him to do otherwise.
I don't think any of us are particularly well-suited for hunting, but it's a chance to get off this damned boat.
"It sounds like good sport, Captain. I'll come along."
With you in agreement, the Captain orders the crew to set course for Seal Isle. After about half a day's travel, you arrive and the captain sets up two lifeboats.
The harbor on Seal Isle the Captain referenced was not on the way - in fact, you're pretty sure you just spent the half day sailing going out of the way.
The Captain approaches you and says, "Now, how about a little competition? My crew and I will take one boat, you take the other, and we'll see who can get the most seal pelts, hmm?"
Jezabel laughs. "Not much of a competition, I'm afraid, Captain. We won't hold a candle to you and your crew. Hunting's not our specialty. And we were hired to keep you safe. Please allow one of us to accompany you, at least? Then a member of your crew could show the rest of our team how to hunt seals."
Tatienne's serious countenance only grows deeper into a concerned frown as the lifeboats are lowered into the water.
Do you think he plans to betray us? We've gone off course by a half a day since we set out for this Seal Isle.
"Indeed," Taty says, her voice tinged with annoyance. "None of us are hunters, so there's no need for a contest. Have your fun and let's get back to the job at hand."
"Very well, one of you may accompany me. I'll assign a sailor to go with you, and he'll show you how it's done. If you enjoy it, perhaps we can spend an extra day or two here? These seal pelts are rarely harvested in Talingarde - too out of the way for most."
Captain Odenkirk's desire for seal pelts is clearly motivated by his greed - he has no plans to betray you.
Odenkirk is guided by greed, communicates Geborah. And greed is one of the sins the Dark Lord teaches. Perhaps there will be profit here for us--not that we're in any way suited to hunt seals, but let us explore while he hunts, and see what we find.
Geborah uses the travel time to prepare spells that might be of use in the hyberian wilderness.
Geborah's been dragged on enough noble hunts to know a little of the sport. She takes charge of the boat, and as soon as everyone is out of sight of the Captain, she invokes the God Asmodeus to guide their endeavors.
Jezabel smiles at the sailor that goes with them and takes a long, deep sniff. She grins again. When he starts giving them directions she casts a spell on herself, so she can understand what he's saying.
She refrains from helping search for seals herself, instead throwing her evil eye hex at any seal that appears, to make it easier to take down.
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With Grumblejack watching on the ship, you set about seal hunting. Balam and Timeon both prove to be somewhat inept at seal hunting, which distracts the sailor who keeps yelling at them when they do it wrong, causing all three to get in the way. Jezabel's hex, however, makes it easier to bring the seals in, and Tatienne seems to figure it out. Geborah, with Jezabel and Tatienne's aid and Asmodeus's guidance, brings in four seals to the boat, returning to the Frosthamar at the end of the day.
When Odenkirk's boat returns, they have only two seals, and Odenkirk has a look of anger and annoyance on his face that only worsens when he sees you've bettered him. The sailors all look distinctly uncomfortable, and Wraith tells you that his presence in the boat rattled them so much that they didn't weren't very helpful in their hunting.
Odenkirk approaches you and says, "Given that there are still many seals, I was thinking we would stay here tomorrow and hunt some more. Now that you seem to have mastered the basics, you shouldn't need my crewman's aid, and can take your own companion with you."
Geborah's eyes narrow at Odenkirk's request, and shifts to the group's hidden speech. Tatienne, Wraith...exactly how valuable are these seal hides?
'Well...we are on a schedule, Captain. But if you give us your word that we will leave after one more day's hunt with no ill will or malingering, then I am willing." The Dark Prince had clearly favored their hunt the day before--who was she to argue against such an omen?
Geborah leads the boat again, continuing to call on Asmodeus to guide the hunt. This day she also lays a spell of protection from the chill weather on Golachab, and her familiar joins in, flying high to spot seals from the air. When a prize specimen seems about to slip their pursuit, Geborah spits an spell between her lips and Golachab launches from her shoulder to deliver the life-ending energy in a agile dive.
"Quarry! Victim! Sacrifice! Sacrifice!"
Jezabel gives Odenkirk a lopsided grin. "Tick tock, tick tock, my dear Captain. One more day. Then we must be on our way."
As with the day before, Jezabel helps by casting her evil eye at the seals to hinder their defences.
On the second day of seal hunting, Timeon proves to be even more inept than the previous day, continually getting underfoot and in the way. Balam, however, has figured out how to handle things, and Wraith seems to have paid more attention the day before than he first appeared to. Tatienne, of course, continues to be useful and efficient. This day, you retrieve seven seal pelts.
On your return to the boat, Odenkirk seems please that he has brought in three, bettering their total from yesterday, but seeing that you've managed to net seven, his face grows read and he mutters to himself and yells at his crew in Norspik for a bit, before saying, "There are still seals here, and no doubt we can linger for another day. We will stay and hunt tomorrow as well."
Geb I suggest we leave, the longer we stay the less more we risk capture by other patrols. I feel the captain won't rest until he proves he's the better man, so I suggest we offer him the skins we managed to get or threaten him with a loss of coins. Either way its not like it matters in the end. He projects to first Geb then to the rest of the group
Red-hot anger blossoms in Geborah when Odenkirk declares they'll stay another day. She clamps down on the scathing words that jump to her lips, and manages to say instead, "If you are merely envious of our success, Captain, then take half our hides and let us be gone; we must not be late for our delivery." And we'll take back the hides--or the money you sell them for--when we kill you.
If Odenkirk is unconvinced, she leads the second boat and calls on Asmodeus to guide their hunt once more--if the only way to get the captain back on the ship is to kill every seal in the harbor, then by the flinty pits of Avernus, she'll make that happen.
Golachab spots seals from the sky.
"Prey! Prey! Pray!"
Jezabel chimes in with a little rhyme, "You said only one more day. Now we must away, away."
Balam says, "Indeed. It is vitally important for us to arrive on time."
Apparently mollified by the offer of seal pelts, and swayed by your words, Odenkirk says, "Fine. We will be on our way, then."
Odenkirk takes 5 of your seal pelts, and begins shouting orders to his crew to be underway.
The next day, you are back on course, heading towards the rendezvous with the Fire-Axe.
You spot several small ships hugging the coast, heading your way from the north.
Hey guys, we got something off the shore north of us... Some kind of boat. He transmits to his allies. Do we avoid or confront?
Odenkirk might know these vessels.
"Auntie Geb" approaches the seaman and points out the approaching craft. "Captain, there are several small ships heading towards us from the north, staying close to shore. Is this cause for concern?"
She nudges Timeon. "Do you recognize those flags, boy?" If the ships are still too distant, she sends her familiar to spot the heraldry for her.
The seal pelts are worth 50 gp apiece.
Odenkirk looks over at the ships, squinting. There are no flags, and the vessels are definitely smaller than the Frosthamar. He shakes his head and says, "No, no cause for concern. Looks to be a Yutak hunting party, down from their islands. They sometimes journey south to trade with the Talireans. Try to, anyway - most Talireans don't trust them and don't really want anything to do with them. We'll wave as they sail by, most likely, but they won't bother us."
As the Yutak ships approach, you can more clearly see that they are three one-man kayaks, each with one Yutak, and a larger, open seal-skin canoe called an Umiak, rowed by four men. Seeing your ship, they approach. One of the men in the umiak, dressed in hides with a shield painted in Yutak symbols and a walrus bone club at his side, calls out to the boat, "Hail, southern vessel. I am Joseph Calls-Fire-From-Water, medicine man. I speak on behalf great chief White Tusk, slayer of narwhal. We seek to trade ivory and the horn of the narwhal. Will you trade with us?"
Wraith thinks on what those items are worth in the kingdom.
Talerians persecute them? Potential allies, then.
"Such an honor to meet such proud hunters! What do you seek in trade, Joseph? Your weapons are bone--would castle-forged southern steel interest you?"
Wraith isn't quite sure of the value of the ivory, although he can see they have 15 tusks of various quality and sizes. The narwhal horn is an 8-foot long single piece of ivory, easily worth 2000 gold simply based on the rarity and quality of narwhal ivory. He also knows that narwhal horns are incredibly durable, and can be used like a high quality quarterstaff.
He also knows that narwhal ivory is easier to enchant than most materials. If enchanted as a staff, rod, or wand, it requires fewer raw materials and allows one to enchant the item faster.
Joseph Calls-Fire-From-Water nods and says, "Indeed. We would be most happy to trade ivory for steel, especially spears. We will also trade for food or tools, if you have them."
He then says something to Chief White Tusk in the Yutak language, and the chief says something back. Joseph turns and says, "Great Chief White Tusk has also taken an interest in southern finery, should you have any, and would accept that in trade as well."
I thought you might need a reminder, and I'm not sure what the fate of some of it was, but here is a list:
masterwork longsword
dagger
masterwork agile breastplate
heavy steel shield
13 spears (highly valued)
13 short swords
13 short bows
260 arrows
13 daggers
13 leather armors
All of the above is stamped with the seal of Talingarde, which means trying to sell it in Talingarde will result in a lot of questions being asked.
You also still have 2000 gp of mithral from the cobras, and you were each given a noble's outfit at Cardinal Thorn's manor.
Anything else you have on your person that you want to sell can be sold as well.
That horn would make perfect staff material for those that want one. I figure it'll be easier to trade with these guys then the Mitrans.
"I'm interested in that horn, let's see if we can't make a deal here."
Geborah has Timeon lay out all the Talirean's arms and armor for the Yutak's consideration, glad to trade the suspicious goods for as much ivory as she can get.
She also gives the triton leader's trident* to Joseph, as a gift to his chief. Out of Odenkirk's earshot, she tells him, "Please tell Great Chief White Tusk that Geborah the Laughing Pyre wishes to honor him for slaying the narwhal. Perhaps our paths will cross one day."