"Well, now what?" Tippi sighs. "Pay off the harbormaster? We can't leave Jacinth just lying here -- or Soller Vark and what's left of his henchmen, for that matter."
"Does anybody know what a degree of find this is? I mean, I don't know the severity of the crime for smuggling animals. What are they even used for? Betting pits?" Festa uses some spare rope (that he hopefully finds on the ship somewhere) to tie-up any surviving evil-doers.
"Does anybody know what a degree of find this is? I mean, I don't know the severity of the crime for smuggling animals. What are they even used for? Betting pits?"
"Haven't a clue," Tippi shrugs. "I used to have smelling salts," she frowns, gazing down at the unconscious Jacinth. "They'd come in handy about now."
"hmmm... okay then, I suggest some of us get the harbormaster - while the rest guard the ship. I'll stay here if you two will go quickly. I can look after... Jacinth was his name? ...in the mean time."
"We'll take the money pouch," Tippi decides, sliding Vark's blade into her own sheath and tossing Lavinia's payment to the catfolk. "No doubt Islaran will be more accommodating if we hand over the mooring fees."
Festa makes himself comfortable, making sure that Jacinth is likewise so. And glares if anybody makes motions to board the ship.
Felos and Xanthippe arrive back at the harbourmaster's office and are shown in to see him immediately. "Well, you took your time getting back," he says. "Where's the rest of you? And where's Vark?" He doubles over in another fit of coughing, wipes his mouth with his bloody handkerchief, then looks to you for an answer.
"Tried to kill us, thanks, before we could deliver your note," Tippi sinks gingerly into a chair, wincing as her clothing pulls away from her stab-wound where the blood has started to dry. "But we did find the money Lady Lavinia paid him that your magical book somehow failed to make note of." She nods to Felos to show him the moneypouch.
Felos shows the money pouch, but doesn't hand it over quite yet. "Your man Vark was using the Blue Nixie to smuggle contraband creatures, like this one." He upends his other sack, dropping the insect head on the floor of his office. "I assume you had nothing to do with that?"
"I most..." Islaran begins as he jumps up from his seat. Unfortunately, the rapid movement sparks off another round of coughing. "I...most...certainly...did...not!" he manages to gasp through the hacking. He takes a deep breath as the coughing calms down. "Smuggling, you say? That's a serious charge. How can I be sure..." He sighs. "You'd better show me."
He moves out from behind his desk and over to the door. "This better not be a trick." He opens the door and heads out into the entrance room and then outside. He snaps his fingers at two guards lounging by the doors and they snap to attention. "With me," he tells them.
The journey back to the Blue Nixie is slow as Islaran has to keep pausing, either to cough, catch his breath, or both. However, eventually you make it back to the ship where Festa has been relaxing in relative quiet the entire time. Islaran hobbles up the gangplank and begins to look around. Upon seeing the cages of animals in the hold, he shakes his head and sighs.
"Seems you were right," he says. "Is Vark still alive?"
Tippi rolls her eyes as the harbormaster summons his guards. "Seriously?" she mutters. "He could have sent his own men to fetch Vark to the office to explain himself instead of sending us into an ambush."
"Seems you were right," he says. "Is Vark still alive?"
Tippi shrugs languorously. "Don't know," she admits. "We spent more time worrying about whether or not our companion was still alive after being attacked without provocation -- and keeping Vark's minions from burning the ship and destroying the evidence."
Islaran goes over to Vark and looks like he's about to examine the body, but is apparently too squeamish and pulls away. He motions to one of his guards to check. The guard kneels down, checks for a pulse, and then nods to Islaran. "Well then," Islaran says. "He's going to have a lot to answer for."
He turns back to face the party and tries to straighten his back and look tall. All he succeeds in doing is causing another coughing fit. Once he has that under control, he says, "It seems you were right. My apologies for doubting you." He glances back at Vark. "He really did come with excellent references. At any rate, if you would be so good as to hand over the payment from Miss Vanderboren."
Assuming you do so, he opens that pouch and starts counting out coins. He stops when he reaches ten. "Please convey my apologies to Miss Vanderboren, and as compensation for her terrible treatment, we will forgive her ten percent of the debt." He hands the ten platinum pieces to Felos. "Please return these to her. The appropriate authorities will want to search the ship and round up these villains and the smuggled goods, but as soon as they have done so, Miss Vanderboren may have her ship back."
Felos nods. "That is very generous of you."
He puts the money away.
"I'm sure Miss Vanderboren will appreciate the gesture," Tippi replies. "Now, how can you help us with our companion who was attacked by your employees? Perhaps one of these gentlemen," she indicates the guards, "and a handcart of some kind to return him safely to our patron's home for treatment? Or have you smelling salts or some way to return him to his senses?"
The harbourmaster looks over at Jacinth. "Hmmm, yes, you're right there, too, I suppose." He points at the same guard who examined Vark. After a brief moment of coughing, he says, "You there, see to it that this man is transported safely to Lady Vanderboren's estate. Fetch a coach if you need to. I'll cover the costs. Oh, and summon the town guard while you're at it. I want Vark and his people rounded up." The guard nods and hurries off.
Islaran sighs, sits down on a crate, and wipes his brow with his handkerchief. "What a day," he mutters and breaks into another fit of coughing.
The guard returns a little while later with several members of the city guard. He says that there is a coach waiting at the end of the pier, and helps to pick up Jacinth. While the city guard go to investigate the hold, you follow Islaran's guard off the ship and along pier. Sure enough, there is a coach waiting, and the guard helps you to lay Jacinth out inside it. The rest of you can then climb in and get a ride back to Lavinia's.
"Well, this is much more civilized," Tippi bubbles to Felos and Festa in the coach, positioning herself at the window so as better to be seen traveling through the streets like the wealthy. She offers a beatific smile and a genteel wave to some passersby. "If only they could see the unconscious barbarian within, eh? I'll bet half the fine Taldan ladies in Oppara have something similar hidden in their carriages or wish they did." She sighs happily. "I could get used to this."
Jacinth wakes up during the journey back to the Vanderboren manor. He is still weak , but he is conscious and coherent.
If possible, Felos is curled up on top of the coach for the drive back, trying to catch some sun. Likely, however, the bounciness of the coach upsets his attempts to nap, so he arrives at the manor slightly frazzled, with his tail puffed out.
"Welcome back," Tippi smiles to Jacinth as he comes to in the carriage. "We won," she gestures around at the hired conveyance, "and are enjoying the fruits of our success."
Jacinth prays to heal himself
Cure Light Wounds
He then notices his comrades wounds and prays to heal everyone
Channel Energy
And again
Channel Energy
Jacinth asks how things went after he fell. He is happy to learn things turned out as he had hoped.
Felos needs some, but he's on the roof, so he loses out.
Jacinth, seeing that his feline companion is injured, offers his goddess' healing warmth.
CLW
Channel Energy
You arrive at the Vanderboren manor just outside the gate, and climb out of the coach (or off it, in Felos's case). You then pass through the gates, head up the path, and knock on the doors. A minute or so later, Kora opens the door.
"Lady Lavinia has been anxious about your return," she says. "Please, come in."
Kora shows you into the library and has barely turned to go get Lavinia when Lavinia herself rushes into the room. "You're back!" she says excitedly. "What happened? Did everything go all right?"
Felos hands her the 10 platinum pieces.
"My Lady, the ship is yours, and the Harbourmaster, gracious as he is, has waived 10% of the outstanding fees for your inconvenience. Vark had been using your ship to smuggle exotic and illegal creatures into Corentyn. He is now heading for prison. We also recovered the ring you needed."
"If I may be so bold, my Lady, the Harbourmaster is quite ill, and if you have any monetary means to pay for a spell-casting cleric to look at him, there are several magical remedies that may help him."
"I'm lamenting that things had to get violent. That Vark fellow seemed very unpleasant - I think it would do good to worry about the person that gave a glowing recommendation for Vark to the Harbourmaster."
"And yet when violence called, you answered quite admirably," Tippi points out. "More ably than the rest of us, at least."
"The watch still needs to check the ship and clear out the contraband, but once that is done, it will be available to you once again."
Festa nods, "I'm not good at many things; and I prefer it when I don't need to do what I'm good at. Being called a useless bum is better than being feared. Besides, none of us look really like warriors - Felos excepting - I expect a couple of hellknights would have had no trouble with that crew."
Lavinia takes the platinum and the ring from Felos, and listens with wide eyes to what everyone has to say.
"I don't really know what to say," she says finally. "Thank you so much! They were smugglers? You really had to fight them? I'm glad none of you was seriously hurt. I was starting to get a little worried since it seemed to be taking you awhile to get back." She's practically hopping about as she rambles on excitedly. "Now that I have the ring, I can get in the vault and get money to pay off the rest of my family's debts. I can probably get some sort of help for the harbourmaster, if you think that's a wise thing. He is really sick. I'll see what I can do. Oh, and I promised to pay you all, too! Kora, can you tell Edunel to bring it in?"
As the halfling nods and leaves the room, Lavinia continues, "Would you be willing to come to the vault with me? I've never actually been to it before and the priests of Asmodeus are kind of intimidating. That's not something you can get in trouble for saying, is it?"
"No, I imagine they'd take it as a compliment actually," Xanthippe smiles. "I don't think it's their intention to be easy to approach."
"I don't mind helping out a bit longer; I'm not currently busy with anything else anyway."
"Of course I will accompany you."
"Well, I'm not going to be left behind. I've never seen a vault full of money before."
Lavinia smiles broadly. "Oh, I'm glad. Thank you! We don't have to go right away though. You should rest first. Maybe first thing tomorrow?"
Edunel enters the room at this time, and Lavinia hurries over to her, taking several small pouches the elf is holding. Lavinia turns back to the rest of you. "Here's the payment I promised you. One hundred and fifty gold pieces each." She hands one pouch to each of you.
"I'll have Kora prepare food for us," she says once everyone has their money.
Tippi feels the impressive weight of the pouch in her hand with satisfaction. "Smelling salts," she confirms. "Perhaps a few other things. My luggage was, er... mislaid when we put in at Westcrown. Have we time to visit the market now, or ought I to wait until after supper?"
"Thank you," Festa confirms as he receives his due. "I too would like to spend my coin at the earliest possible convenience."
"Most generous of you, Lady Vanderboren." Jacinth says upon payment. "The morning will is most agreeable to me. After supper, I think I, too, would like to make my way to market. Perhaps some more protection is in order."
Hm, yes, I suppose it would be wise to stick together out in the marketplace -- in case any of Vark's henchpeople are holding a grudge for being put out of a job."
"This is more than enough for me to book passage south," Felos says, purring slightly. "But I'll hang around long enough to help you with the vault."
"Heading south, are you?" Tippi asks with interest. "To Garund? What's your business there?"
"Hunting pirates. I have a score to settle."
"Of course," he hastily adds, "I'll give them the opportunity to turn themselves over to the law and repent of their pirating ways first. But if they refuse..."
"...nobody makes me walk the plank." he adds, under his breath.
"Mmmm," she answers noncommittally, seeming not to share the catfolk's enthusiasm for purposefully seeking out danger. "I spent much of the winter in Osirion, attending antiquities auctions. Not a great many pirates in the desert. Bandits and tomb robbers aplenty, though, from what I hear. Not that I went looking for them."
"Is there an inherent difference between pirates and bandits? I mean, the skillset is a bit different due to the land versus water environment, but both are violent robbers and murderers," Festa muses. "That aside, my future plans are not fixed yet."
..."Of course," he hastily adds, "I'll give them the opportunity to turn themselves over to the law and repent of their pirating ways first. But if they refuse..."
"Sarenrae teaches that everyone deseerves a second chance. Her wrath is reserved for those who don't repent."
"Now..." Festa seems to be fighting with himself before continuing, "now I agree in principle. But how do you know if somebody already had a second chance? Or multiple for that matter? You cannot assume that some villain was doing his trial run on you specifically, so it is quite possible that he or she already had their fair shares of second chances."
"Clearly, you can only judge based on your own knowledge," Edunel, who has been completely silent until now, says. "If you don't know whether they've had a second chance, you must give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they haven't. If they have squandered previous chances, they will likely squander the latest one you give them, so you will know the truth soon enough."
Felos adopts a tone of voice reminiscent of a small child reciting a lecture he had heard too many times growing up. "Repentance is different from remorse. Many villains show remorse, false or otherwise, which is more accurately described as being 'sorry you got caught', not 'sorry for what you did'. True repentance requires a turn-around, a 180 degree change of path from sin towards light."
He loses the regurgitation tone. "Gybrael isn't interested in hearing people say they are sorry; he wants people to be sorry, and intend to cgange their ways. His followers are trained to detect sincerity in expressions of repentance."
Felos turns to Jacinth. "Before ascending to divinity, Gybrael was an angel in Saranrae's service. Naturally, he adopted all the good parts of her teachings to incorporate into his own church."
"And what did he do with the bad parts of her teaching?" Tippi asks innocently.