The captain looks at Fin, incredulous...
"They're readying crossbows! If you can fire first, FIRE FIRST"
He pulls an ancient looking spyglass from within the folds of his clothes and looks again. "Aye, they're making for us." He runs to the edge of the deck and scans the horizons. "No one to see and their boat is fast enough. Ewem! Get up here!"
He looks at the frustrated gnome. "I know lass, 'tis frustrating to sit and wait for doom to call. When they be close, do what ye can."
Cole fires at the nearest enemy aboard the closing ship.
Finlogan shrugs learning a new lesson. He pulls the feathers of his arrow to his ear and targets a crossbow wielder.
Hansyn takes cover behind the makeshift barricades. He realized his bows range was not that of the ranger’s long bows so he decided he would wait until the other ship got closer so that he could be more precise with his aim.
Concentrating on his breathing and trying hard to stay calm, Hansyn has learned that the rush of danger is not always best for a steady hand.
For those looking, Aldelenna closes her eyes for the briefest of moments, and begins to mumble some words. Then, waving her hand at the spot on the ship where the cargo hold empties onto the deck she opens her eyes, and nine Razmiran soldiers in full war gear with crossbows at the ready, spill out of the hold and form up into a three by three formation, staring at the enemy vessel.
She nods at Venssa, smiling, winks, and says, "That'll give 'em pause to think, perhaps, and if not, it will at least give them something other than all of us to target with their ranged weapons."
Two of the Molthuni privateers stagger backward, hit by solid strikes from arrows shot by Fin and Cole.
They do not look happy and ready their crossbows.
The third, perhaps fiercer than either glares at the masked shapes of the Razmiran soldiers in a sort of shocked disbelief.
He scowls, shouting something to his crew. The distance is too far to make much out, but the words "filth" and "mask" seem to predominate.
Unnaturally perceptive, hearing what they have to say is no problem for you, even at this distance. The words filter through the lapping waves of the lake and settle with a bit of foreboding: "Change the course! Filthy masks! If those bleedin' masked priests convert more barges, won't be naught to steal! Get a move on and stop bleedin' on deck ye bilge rat! Filthy muckity priests. Hate 'em! Bloody Razmiran!"
The boat seems to be changing course. Certainly the privateers seems to be ducking behind cover.
You've been on a lot of barges with your father, and you've seen plenty of boats. You suspect that the privateer's boat is in fairly poor condition to have such trouble slowing and turning. Even so, it's more maneuverable than the laden barge is.
Finlogan pulls another arrow to his ear and targets a crossbow wielder.
5
Venssa gives a wide grin to Aldelenna and a small "whoop!" as the ship changes course away from them.
Hansyn looks over at the illusion and smiles. ”They are falling for it. They are turning away from the masked priests.” He says in a loud whisper. Just because he could hear them, he wanted to make sure they wouldn’t hear his affirmation of Adelenna’s ruse.
Aldelenna's ruse has worked, but it still sets everyone on edge. Twice more as you approach the city over the next two days pirates come close, but perhaps word has spread, because they never come closer once they see the flag flying.
The city itself is a thing of splendor. The buildings are impossibly close, and numerous, and the noise is something that has to be heard to be believed.
Walren leaves you at the dock with a reminder to check in promptly with your contact, and be wary of the priests, for "they're worse to come upon on land than on water, I reckon!"
Perhaps the only one not shocked by the noise and bustle of the docks is Lodric.
Walren wasn't kidding. You spot the masked priests shaking down a street tough, not much older than you. Street toughs are proud creatures. This one backs down and hands over his take for the day, still earning a cuff to the side of the head before he runs off.
"Who was it we were supposed to meet again?" Aldelenna says after thanking Ewem and captain Walren for the safe journey. Waiting for an answer, she takes time to check over her gear once more, making sure everything is there.
Also, after parting ways and thanking Ewem and Walren, Finlogan replies to Aldelenna, "Reginar. A ranger. Let's go."
Fin takes point with Cole as soon as everyone is ready to go.
Cole fans out a little with Fin on point.
Venssa stays close to Aldelenna. The size, noise and smell of this place have befuddled her senses and she walks in almost a daze.
"How can such a place exist? Only bees could appreciate living so close to each other. The smell...the noise!!! I need to get someplace to collect my thoughts!"
She looks for someplace quiet and away from so many people (a park perhaps).
Aldelenna grabs Venssa and hugs her close. Whispering in her ear, "Stay close, we'll find some place quiet soon enough. We need you with us in body and mind Venssa." She pulls the druid along as she follows after Cole and Fin, looking back to make sure Hansyn and Lodric are on their heels.
Hansyn rides the prow of the ship as Tamran comes nearer into focus. Unlike some of his companions, he was excited for the experience of the city. Even with the clear warnings, Hansyn couldn’t help but look forward to landfall.
The sights smells and sounds of the place have Hansyn’s head rolling from side to side like it was on a swivel. Hearing Fin call to get moving, he starts as his attention is drawn from watching something. ”I saw a few of the priests already. Over in that alley.”
Captain Walren seems happy to be in port, and pleased not to have to remind you of the name. He does point you in the direction of an inn. Gar's Last Meal. "Smells of fish. But that's probably better than smelling of the city for the lady Venssa. And Puglas, who runs the place, is your best bet for rooms cheap, and for finding your friend."
The press of people is oppressive, especially to Venssa and Hansyn, who are rather smaller than the rest of you. Parks may exist in the city, but if they do, they are not near the docks.
Perhaps Lodric knows.
Fin leads the troop to Gar's Last Meal.
Hansyn makes his way following the others. Jostled around a bit here and there. One particular man, paying absolutely no heed to him, damn near knocked the boy to his feet.
Perhaps he should have been paying more attention though, for he would have notice that he dropped his coin purse in the altercation. Hansyn would have made more of an effort to return it to the man if he had been more polite. Sliding the purse into a hidden pocket in his cloak, Hansyn continues following the others to Gar's Last Meal.
Venssa grabs hold of Aldelenna's hand tightly and keeps to the woman's side as if glued there. Her eyes are tightly closed and she breaths heavily from her mouth.
"Thank you Aldelenna! Please find me someplace where I can try to come to grips with all..all..of this!!"
The press of people is worst near the docks, but you don't really stray far. As might be expected of an inn called "Gar's Last Meal," the inn is not far from the docks, though far enough, you note, to attract more merchants than dock workers.
Fin seems confident in following Captain Walren's rather vague directions to the inn.
He's right. It smells of fish. A giant gar is mounted on the wall above the bar. Puglas himself is a grizzled old veteran of the lake, conspicuously missing one arm. He seems cheerful enough behind the bar, and he keeps his customers in good spirits.
The inn itself seems nice enough, if you don't mind eating and sleeping in a fish market.
"Are ye here fer spirits, or just to block me door?" asks the barman.
Aldelenna peeks her head inside the door and looks around to see if there's already an entertainer of any sort...
"Here for a bit of a rest on land, we've been aboard-ship for too long know. Bite to eat might serve as well, got any battered and oil-fried fish?"
"Spirits. Four, please. And a small beer for the boy." Finlogan easily replies while entering the tavern.
When the drinks are served, Fin asks, "We're looking for Reginar. Do you know where we can find him?"
Venssa breathes a sigh of relief as she can, for the moment, block out all the people and cramped spaces. While she can still "feel" all the people around her, the tavern is much quieter and gives her a chance to process her first impressions of the city.
Unlike in town, the barkeep here doesn't even blink an eye at serving Hansyn. The drinks he sets on the bar with a speed that you don't expect for someone managing with one arm. He taps the bar. "I'll be seeing your coin before the fish goes fryin'"
But it's a friendly banter... the fish is already being prepared. You don't need Hansyn's ever darting eyes to notice that.
"Reginar, you say?" he scowls. "I know that name. Give me a spell and I'll remember." He glances you all up and down. "I'd be guessing you're from the towns inland, in the forests. Save for maybe that one." He nods toward Lodric. "Though he might as well still be there. He looks lost for all the clothes fit."
Hansyn smiles appreciatively to the bartender. He then reaches up placing silver onto the bar of an amount equal to what is owed, plus a few to help the man remember Reginar. He’d watched his father use coin this way, it only seemed appropriate and in this situation.
Turning to the others ”The boy has this one” referring to the bill for food and drink. ”I’ll find somewhere for us to sit.” he continues. Although he walks off, he still keeps an ear on the conversation so that he keeps up to date with information.
Cole grabs his drink and follows Hansyn to some seats where his sits with his back to the wall, stretching his legs before him, and surveying the room.
"Got an entertainer on staff?" Aldelenna asks, after patting Hansyn on the shoulder to thank him for the offered coin.
"Hey. I knew the boy would be useful." Finlogan laughs at his joke and slaps Hansyn on the back.
"Right. The forests." The wood elf replies to the barkeep.
The ranger follows his squad leader to the tables.
Puglas pocket's Hansyn's coin and takes note of where Cole and Hansyn have taken their seats.
He turns to Aldelenna.
"Ah, lady, I fear the patrons here would not listen to your pretty music and would be looking for... baser pleasures. You're not that kind of lady, I can tell. Sit with your friends. My rates aren't so high that a song is going to make them notably lower. And your young friend seems to have more than what's required."
After a brief spell Puglas follows one of the staff to the table. The fare is, unsurprisingly, fish. On the other hand, the drinks aren't watered down, which is surprising. Puglas sits, a mug of his own on the table.
"This Reginar has been here, but not frequently, not lately. He comes now and then for information. Like any good barkeep I hear everything—" he smirks. "Or at least try."
Puglas glances around the common room and it's not lost that the final words come when he's not likely to be overheard.
"It's been a good month since he's visited the taproom, but I hear tell that he may have been seen at Forest Bounty, a feast hall deeper in the city."
"Oh, my friend... If only you knew." Aldelenna thinks to herself when Puglas makes a swift judgement about her lack of a bawdy spirit, but she leaves it alone. After hearing about a feasting hall further in the city, she realizes that her friend Venssa is really going to need to adjust her thinking about cities and travel if she's going to have the serenity necessary to make good decisions. To that end, she leans down to Venssa's ear and whispers, "Forest Bounty, that sounds nice, like being back in the woods." Then she pulls up and gives the girl a big smile.
Turning to Puglas, and, making a quick check to make sure she too isn't overheard she says in a low tone, "Is Reginar's absence from here outside of the normal for him? Also, do you know a place we could get at least a good sketch map of the whole city? We'll more than likely need it to navigate, unless we want to trust to following people around for our entire stay."
Venssa smiles back at Aldelenna and continues to seek nature in this most un-natural environment. She is surprised when she can feel, all around her, small hints of nature barely held in check. There are many small animals that scurry about the town...trees and shrubs in the parks and throughways and even the water sings back to her of its wild depths and streams which run beneath the ground.
Venssa slowly begins to open her senses to the surrounding room, and while still uncomfortably crowded and smelling of things she would rather not guess at, it did not fill her with the terror she had felt when walking through the town after leaving the ship.
Finlogan lets Aldelenna handle the barkeep. She always dazzles in the light.
Hansyn tucks into his meal and beverage. Listening to the conversation but not having much to add.
"Reginar comes and goes as he pleases. He's a ranger. That's their way." He looks both Cole and Fin up and down. "You have the look; I know you understand."
He leans back. "As for whether it's odd. Not particularly. Right now he has other things to deal with, I reckon. Even a ranger has a need to eat, and in the city, hunting down prey to eat is frowned upon. He'll still be keeping tabs on the Forest Bounty, and no doubt you'll find him there... eventually."
He glances at Aldelenna. "I wish I had a map to share with you miss, but even if I had, lately things have been changing so much I'd not trust much of it. Molthune holds everyone's attention, and right or no, people are apt to pay less attention to the stones under their feet."
"Thank you sir for your hospitality." Fin thanks the man for his information.
When he leaves the troop alone, he asks, "so, we'll head over to the Forest Bounty, after we finish with the meal?"
Aye, Fin. That seems like the best course.
While unable to provide a map, Puglas does draw a sort a sketchy map with his finger, using several mugs of ale as buildings to try to give you an idea how to get to the feast hall.
The fish is spicy, but tasty. These are varieties you don't get in Kassen, fresh from the lake and some of them fairly massive cuts. The fish must be big, but you catch in conversation that Puglas himself used to be a fisher. The arm he lost was not lost in a war, but to the massive gar mounted over the bar.
Despite the words of fear over the masked priests, you do note that there don't seem to be any here.
"Everyone full, restored and ready to move?" Fin asks.
Hansyn leans forward to ask Reginar a final question as they are getting ready to leave. ”How come thier aren’t any of those masked priests in here? Did you kick them out?” he asks quietly.
Hansyn is ready to go when everyone else is.
Venssa steels herself to venture back out into the crowded, noisy streets of the city. She keeps very close to Fin and Aldelenna as they leave.
"They made trouble at the wrong time. The bar was full and sailors aren't shy about fighting. In other parts of town the keepers of public houses have less luck keeping them out and pay a higher price for it." Puglas shakes his head. "They're out recruiting, oft enough. You never know if it's a boy behind the mask or thrice decorated veteran of the war against Molthune. Be careful of those priests boy."
Back on the streets you do notice that the presence of the priests picks up as you move further into the city. The Forest Bounty is a large feast hall located on the northern edge of town. Like Puglas' establishment, it is busy, serving food and drink to the many folk of the city, from travelers passing through to guards and common folk.
When you enter a serving maid points you to a nearly empty table.
It's a long hall, open at the front and back and made from enormous timbers. The whole of it is filled with wooden tables and benches. Dozens of people are gathered here—eating, drinking, laughing. The mood is joyous as one of the tables carries a bawdy song and the folk surrounding smile and laugh.
Humming along with bawdy song, Finlogan struggles through laughter to joke, »Sounds like they’re playing your song, Aldelenna. «
"I do believe you're right Fin." Aldelenna says with a wink and a smile, then she pulls out her lyre, and starts strumming the same tune and singing along as loudly as she can, trying to get more of the feast hall involved in the revelry. Best to set a joyous mood all around if we're going to try and get some information from people. She thinks to herself as she plays.
Finlogan smiles and pulls out his flute and accompanies them, too.
His playing sounds distracted as he surveys the room, instead of focusing on playing.
Hansyn smiles at his companions as they break out into revelry. It was nice to see the seriousness drain from thier faces for a short time at least. Assuming they will eventually find a seat for all of the and save one for him, the young teen makes his way through the crowd. Understanding the value of information, he makes his way around the room, picking out conversation here and there, trying to get an idea for current events in the city. If he manages to get some good gossip out of it, all the better.
Distracted though Fin's music may be, Aldelenna's is more than competent, honed by many months of covering for her mentor in a hall much like this, if smaller. Still, her patrons in Kassen were mostly from the lumber consortium, a group that defined rough crowd.
In an environment like this, joyous revelry and participating in the music and fun helps you blend in more than distinguishes you. Soon, your little stretch of table too is overwhelmed by merriment.
Finlogan surveys the room for rangers. Men who could fit Reginar's description who could know him.