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The bird man stops on the docks and answers your questions.
"Hail featherless ones. You seek the one called Charles, do you, the pilot of Higher Than The Sun? He is on board my lords. Seek him out up the stairs, you cannot miss him and his shining armor in layers."
"I am called Boo, and what more can I do for you?" He questions in a sing song like voice. "For I am in a hurry and must not be late, I have much to talk to about to my master Gunny and it's half past time I ate."
"Thank you," I say to the birdman, and then, feeling invited, I lead the way up to the ship, looking, I think, for a man in plate mail.
Duneriur walks pasted Boo and into the boat, he heads up the stairs looking for Charles
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Aubec will walk up the steps, last or twoards the end if others dally, but before going into or on the vessel, he will scan for evil one last time, first towards the shore then towards the boat. If he sense evil he will attemopt to follow where he senses lesd him
Spot: spot (1d20=17)+2=19
Search: search (1d20=17)+1=18
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Aubec will walk up the steps, last or twoards the end if others dally, but before going into or on the vessel, he will scan for evil one last time, first towards the shore then towards the boat. If he sense evil he will attemopt to follow where he senses lesd him
Spot: spot (1d20=17)+2=19
Search: search (1d20=17)+1=18
Grenep & Gritch enter the boat with the others.
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Ok, Aubec will enter the boat and follow along with the others. However, if he senses the evil fading he will pause and let the others go ahead, waiting and hoping to discover the cause.
Havin felt the soothing nature of the town's wards, Alvartus will reluctantly enter the boat last.
Kavelin thanks Boo for his assistance, bids him good day, and follows the others on board, allowing the armored folk to lead.
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There is only one stair case at this entry way, climbing a short series of stairs it deposits you into a large meeting room of sorts.
The room is dimly lit with hanging hooded lanterns that are colored in alternating yellow and orange hues. A large darkwood table is placed in the center of the room, with thirteen chairs lined around it's round shape. In the center of the table is a mosaic of yellow, red, and orange stones that again make up the stylized "A" logo with the sun background.
As you approach the chairs they magically pull themselves out for you to sit on, and assuming you do they adjust you properly as you sit down.
A bit wary at the obviously magicked chairs, I nontheless gingerly take a seat, taking my great sword from my back and leaning the scabbarded blade against the table near to hand.
"Our host intends for us to be impressed. He seems to be a man of great means. I look forward to meeting him"
Duneriur takes his seat
Alvartus looks at the magic chair for a moment before deciding better of it and leaning against the wall behind the chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
Delighted with the magic chairs, Grenep thunks his large frame down on one "Cooool" he says under his breath.
"Our host intends for us to be impressed. He seems to be a man of great means. I look forward to meeting him"
I smile.
"Powerful magic can impress but I will be better impressed with a worthy task."
"Our host intends for us to be impressed. He seems to be a man of great means. I look forward to meeting him"
I smile.
"Powerful magic can impress but I will be better impressed with a worthy task."
"I agree that a worthy task impresses. It just seems more likely that a man of great means is more likely to be involved in worthy tasks, one way or another."
"Or he just intends to distract us from his true intentions."
Alvartus is ready for just about anything to greet them - female, monster, disembodied voice, construct, he expects anything including the expected.
Unpurturbed, Kavelin takes his seat.
"I'm certainly looking forward to meeting him. He might be using magic for show, but a man with the means to do so should likely be a worthy patron who offers intriguing tasks that will pay handsomely in currency of a type both I and Alvartus should appreciate."
"Now, currency I can relate too. Gold, jewels, trinkets...favors. Nothing more valuable than debt."
"I thought as much. For myself, however, the greater glitter is the lure of knowledge; it's market price is higher than even the noble metals. Still, a good amount of coin or precious stones is a fine prize...it can be traded for lore readily enough in some circles."
"A scholar are you?" I say, "Perhaps this would be as good a time as any to introduce ourselves. I am Muerdon, a priest of the Swift Sword of the Gods. Members of my order are bid by our faith to spend a period of time in questing and fighting the forces of darkness. I had hoped that there might be a worthy quest in all of this." I wave my hands to indicate the ship and all that is in it.
"So what brings a scholar into such a place? Pursuit of the unknown?"
"It was merely a matter of staying secluded in training and feeding on whatever knowledge happened to trickle in through the walls or from between my masters' fingers, or going abroad and finding what I seek. If I had stayed with traditional study, I'd be old and feeble before I'd learned all I can.
The risks are greater, certainly, but the rewards are equally great."
"Risk, reward - it's all a bloody tightrope act if you ask me. I'm not disagreeing, but I'm just gettin' sick of stealing from robber barons."
"Perhaps ancient tombs and the ruins of lost cities would be more to your liking? They would tend to be less...vindictive than robber barons if their treasures are liberated, more often than not."
"I'm countin' on it. I'd rather steal from one dragon than a thousand noblemen. Excludin' of course if I don't get away with it."
"Hmm...I'm not sure stealing from dragons would be preferable, unless said dragon had already been slain. The wrath of a thousand beggared noblemen would pale in comparison to a dragon that found it's hoard a single coin short."
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"Ha! I think what the gilded pick is implying is that someone, we perhaps, have already slain said dragon? Or do you, Alavertus, plan on weilding blade and shield in this epic battle?" Aubec's eyes mist over for a moment as he poders the glory of a dragon-slaying. A slight crease of his brow, as his image of Alavertus, scooping his hard-won gold into bags. "Hmm..." he ponders, tapping his hands on the table impatiently.
"I am here to test what I have been taught to see if the world is as I read. Also, I do not wish to quitely sit and passively watch events. It would be better to die in the pursuit of wonderment than in the sick bed of someone who never set foot outside the village of his birth."
Gritch and I were just wandering the woods, as usual, when this messenger guy found us. Sounded like fun, so here we are!" Grenep says with a big ugly grin.
"Ninety-nine tankards of ale on the wall..."
"I'm sure that singing that song violates a paladin's code."
"Patience, good knight," I say to the Paladin, "Surely our host will arrive shortly, before we must all say good night."
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There is a low audible humming noise that briefly fills your heads and gives you a sense of vertigo and in the space of a single blink, where there was no one sitting in one of the empty chairs there now sits what you think is a human in full articulated plate mail made of Mithril.
The full helmet he wears has no visible eye holes, a solid sheen of mithral. The mithral armor is engraved by a skilled artisan and the etchings filled with what looks like platinum. It is truly a mark of a master smith that both created and possibly etched it.
His metallic clad hands rest on the dark wood table, and he swivels his head as he addresses the gathering.
"Greetings to you, those I hope to call business partners." He moves his head around the gathering, and the chairs used an unused but says nothing.
"I'm sure you are weary and I wish to not tally you further, however what I have to say will take so little time, yet reward you much."
"You thirteen have been gathered-" He pauses perhaps looking at the unfilled chairs, and shrugs his metal shoulders.
"-You have been gathered here for a special purpose. A 'job' offer if you will. My coffers are extreme, but my hands only two. I need some people to help me attain my goals, and in turn I will help you attain yours. What I purpose is simple, I have the means to find those in need, those that cry out in pain at night, those that are beset by evil forces, and those that just want someone to get a job done for the right price."
"Where you come in, is I need able bodies to help me get the job done. Of course I plan to compensate you greatly for this help. I simply cannot be everywhere at once. The gains will be substantial. What I purpose is to hire you long term on retainer, sort of a militia, or a band of mercenaries if you will."
"I will provide all your needs, be it gear, food, room, transportation, exotic items, and pay. You will simply provide your talents, your magic, or your sword arms and deploy to missions I assign."
"We can go over particulars, such as hazard pay etc. But it's quite simple what I offer, a long term job, with amazing pay and perks. You'd be reporting to me and only me."
"Let's talk contracts. I'm not one to be bound limb, favor, soul, and means to anything. How long is this "service" to last? What if we want out early?"
Alvartus squints his eyes at their host, looking for anything memorable or distinctive under that armor. He appears unphased by the sudden appearance.
"Well met, Master Able. I would echo Alvartus' sentiments, and perhaps ask for particulars. The general arrangement sounds agreeable, but specifics would be preferable."
Kavelin leans forward in his chair, tempted to cast detect magic and scan the man's armor, but having enough skill in etiquette not to do so...at least during a first meeting.
I arch an eyebrow as Able makes his speech. Then I smile.
"I am afraid my services are not for hire. But if your missions are worthy, I will gladly partake and should you choose to aid me in the pursuit of worthy goals, I would gladly accept. There is no need to worry about hazard pay or the like as far as I am concerned. May I enquire however what your thoughts are good sir, as to a soldier taking aid from the possessions of the fallen?"
"I be Caith Crunnelon, o' th' clan MacCailain. Fer short, ye can call me Caith. Th' Dwarffather called me tae service many a season ago," the stout dwarf introduces himself.
He mulls the armored man's offer for a moment before continuing, "Th' Dwarffather asks us tae assist those tha' need it. 'Twould be my honor tae be a part o' any venture tha' better'd th' world.
"Know this, though: His teachings come afore any quests tha' ye might be settin' afore meself. If'n tha' be acceptable, I be yer dwarf," he finishes.
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I arch an eyebrow as Able makes his speech. Then I smile.
"I am afraid my services are not for hire. But if your missions are worthy, I will gladly partake and should you choose to aid me in the pursuit of worthy goals, I would gladly accept.
"Indeed," Aubec intones, "I feel the exact same way! I will not kill, but to strike down evil. I will not take, but the spoils of the fallen evil."
I unlike my companions require a bit more information before signing on with just anybody.
The first would be to see the face of the man I will be undoubtedly be risking my life for. This is your ship and as such should be adequately protected to show the face of the master we will be working for.
Secondly just what goal's must be met? I don't take job's blindly, I require enough information to make a informed choice.
"I am most intrigued but like most here I need to know specifics such as have been asked for. How do you come to choose the tasks you would assign to us and what do you expect as your share?"
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"Well met, Master Able. I would echo Alvartus' sentiments, and perhaps ask for particulars. The general arrangement sounds agreeable, but specifics would be preferable."
Kavelin leans forward in his chair, tempted to cast detect magic and scan the man's armor, but having enough skill in etiquette not to do so...at least during a first meeting.
Spellcraft result:
You get nothing on a spellcraft check to identify his entrance, he was simply not there, then there.
I arch an eyebrow as Able makes his speech. Then I smile.
"I am afraid my services are not for hire. But if your missions are worthy, I will gladly partake and should you choose to aid me in the pursuit of worthy goals, I would gladly accept. There is no need to worry about hazard pay or the like as far as I am concerned. May I enquire however what your thoughts are good sir, as to a soldier taking aid from the possessions of the fallen?"
"Explain, I don't think I follow you, but worthy missions I do have. I have one waiting this very moment."