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I think you are correct Shivaan, I will visit Otti tomorrow morning
After Garret has a good night of sleep and breakfast he goes out to the harbour trying to meet with Otti.
If he spots Otti:
Good morning good sir, how are you doing today
Assuming a conversation starts:
A couple of friends, myself, a pony and a mule are looking for passage to Escadar, are you able to assist in that?
Garret tries to determine if this captain is trustworthy:
Balak finds a couple of sailors interested in testing their mettle against his, apparently allured by the thought of beating a 'demon' in arm wrestling. He's able to beat most of them most of the time, although a great roaring cheer goes up when one particularly burly man of Ulfen descent manages to beat the tiefling without a problem. Throughout the whole affair, Balak is of course showered with a number of mugs of ales from his new compatriots, and is likely to wake up with a bit of a headache after this night from them all.
Thayn sleeps out in the wilderness this night, taking up residence at the base of a scraggly tree. Nothing sneaks up on him in the night, nor is there any danger, although he has a significantly less comfortable rest than the others. Everyone else manages to wake up in the morning chip and ready to go, although perhaps with a little bit of a headache thereafter.
In the morning, Garret (plus others, possibly?) go searching for the halfling sailor. A few words with people down at the docks direct him to Small Otti's modest home, located not far away from the central marketplace. His house is about the same size as the rest of the residential buildings nearby, but is actually a halfling-sized two-storey building. The place is quaint and homely, with frilly floral curtains and a cheerful welcome mat at the front door. In the front yard, two young halfling children play a game of marbles, and a tawny cat dozes in the sun shining on the path leading to the front door.
The halfling children pause their game and look up at you in confusion, and before you can explain anything they run off inside, shouting loudly. "MA! PA! THERE'S SOME WEIRDOS HERE!"
Soon enough, a well-groomed adult male halfling with curly brown hair pokes his head out of the door. He seems to be almost as wide as he is tall, wearing a bulging white shirt whose buttons threaten to pop out and brown overalls. He's currently halfway through eating a sandwich, and he hurriedly shoves the remains in his mouth and swallows before speaking to you.
"Hello there... and who might you be...?"
With the explanation that you're looking for a captain, Otti grins widely and introduces himself.
"Come in, come in, have a spot of tea, let's talk business, shall we?"
He invites you inside, which is a bit uncomfortable for any bigguns that have come along, requiring you to crouch over a little. He leads you into the sitting room, luckily sized perfectly for Garret, although less so for everyone else! Otti snavels up a couple of biscuits from a side table and starts pouring tea for anyone that seemed interested before speaking more.
"To Escadar, eh...? Well, I'd do it for 55 gold. Got plenty of mouths to feed, y'know? Six kids and my wife! It's a hard business out here!"
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We must make sure this halfling's boat will hold our entire party comfortably. Thayn says in a hush tone to Garret, before he enters into the building.
Thayn stays outside, not interested in trying to navigate his longspear (and his height) within the cramped halfing house, standing uncomfortably stiff at the door, waiting for his companions and trying to ignore the playing children.
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In the morning before Garret makes his way towards Otti's Valnir mentions he will try to hunt down Darice Sumore and see what sort of price their trip to Escadar might entail.
Well boys, I believe I'll call upon Captain Sumore and see about a boat to Escadar. What say we reconvene after we speak to the various Captain's and see which might be our best option. Truth be told I hope it's her, as after the last few days it might be nice to travel with the fairer sex for a bit.
With that Valnir asks around for some information regarding Captain Sumore, and then heads to her location.
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"I'll accompany you Valnir, going by our Tavern conversations last evening, I suspect we'll have to chat up some sailors for a ride to Escadar. My mind is prepared for a morning in the village.
Shivaan will cast Tap Inner Beauty and Enhanced Diplomacy when a captain is in sight or their home is in sight. He will try to do so just out of view if open spellcasting is not favoured in this area.
Garret's haggling attempt apparently falls on dead ears as the chubby halfling sailor sighs dramatically. "Ah, my friend, but it is rather expensive to set off on a voyage on such short notice... hiring hands, getting everything in order... it'd be like taking food off of the plates of my young children if I lowered it! Augh! Perish the thought!"
However, the mention of Garret's skills as a chef does cause Otti's ears to wiggle in curiosity. "Hmmm... but a cook, you say! Goodness me, what a fabulous profession you've followed, my friend. I may perhaps change my mind on your pricing if you're as good in the kitchen as you suggest..."
Thayn waits awkwardly outside of the halfling home, and the two young children watch him curiously for some time. Eventually they muster enough courage to approach the stoic ranger. Both are so small that Thayn wonders which is bigger, them or the sleepy cat.
"Hey, mister, whatcha doin'?"
"D'you like marbles?"
===============
Shivaan and Valnir (and others perhaps?) head off in search of Captain Sumore. They find her down at the docks, barking orders to dockworkers that are loading up a merchant vessel with cargo. Darice Sumore turns around with an arched brow and a foul expression that someone would interrupt her work. She has short-cropped brown hair and piercing eyes, and a nasty-looking cutlass is strapped to her belt. Beyond her sea-weathered face and seemingly permanent scowl, one could consider her attractive, possibly.
"Who are you? What do you want?" she snaps, sounding irritated.
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Shivaan takes advantage of her barking to quickly cast off two spells in the distance behind some dock equipment before approaching with quick strides. When he reaches her, he bows his head and looks back at her.
"I am sorry to intrude on your affairs, but we are in need of passage to Escadar. We need a voyage that is sure to be a success and by the way you keep order among these workers makes me think you could be the captain for us. We are able to pay and would promise to be of minimal hindrance once aboard your vessel."
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Thayn eyes nervously dart back and forth, without looking down, attempting to ignore the interrogation by the children. Realizing that, for whatever reason, Garret decided to make a display of his profession and left Thayn to wait. He suddenly bows at his waist to bring his head as close as the awkward move would allow to the halfing children.
Did you know there was a particularly dangerous kobold living just outside of your town? And she had a very vicious large crocodile?
Thayn does his best to produce a warm smile, but he can only manage an expression with very thin and tightly held lips, stretching across his face.
Otti waits rather impatiently for the cooking to be done, being an annoying and inquisitive pest by coming into the kitchen on a number of times just to see what was going on. And despite the potential of food to come, Garret almost always sees the fat halfling gnawing on something or another; a muffin here, an apple there. While the tart bakes, Otti introduces Garret to his wife Emsa who had been busy earlier with the washing; she promptly berates her husband for bothering the chef while he is at work and forcing a guest to cook for him!
"I'm so sorry about this, Garret. You shouldn't let my glutton of a husband get away with this sort of thing!"
Despite his chastisement, the halfling captain is excited to taste Garret's creation, and practically wolfs the delicious treat down. "My god--you weren't joking when you said you were good at this!"
Otti puts down his spoon and looks to Garret with a serious expression. "Look, just between you and me, y'know, as a fellow halfling and food connoisseur... my initial price is a bit high. You'd be surprised what you can wring out of the fools that come to this town." He grins widely. "But for you, friend? I'll do it at-cost. 15 gold pieces, and you've got a deal."
==============
The halfling children's eyes boggle wide like saucers when Thayn lets spill the news of the kobold and her crocodile. At first, he worries that he might have scared the children, but very soon after the fearless nature of halflings shines bright and true--"Whoooooaaaaaaa!"
"Did you meet her, mister? Did you fight her?!"
"Pew-pa-pew-pew!" The second child starts mimicking himself shooting a bow. "I bet you looked soooo cool!"
"What's a kobold?" The first asks, looking confused.
"Don't you know, dummy? It's like one of those things, y'know... they got lots of sharp teeth like RARRR and they go PSHHEWW and you fall down..."
"I'm not a dummy!! I'm gonna tell mum you're being mean!!"
Thayn begins to smell the rather lovely scent of apple tart wafting out from the kitchen... when would Garret be done...?
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Balak and Clacent spot nothing of any particular interest around the tavern. As far as they can tell, it's a pretty safe and quiet village for the most part.
On his way down to the docks, Clacent asks a couple of people what they think of Captain Sumore, but really doesn't find anything out that might be useful. Most people find her to be rather stern and unapproachable.
===============
"Of course I've been to Escadar before, what do you take me for?" Captain Sumore grumbles. "But taking just random strangers off the street onto my ship? And taking a potential detour...?"
She looks closely at the two (and, soon enough, three) of you, her eyes narrowed.
"It's odd seeing travellers round these parts, least of all those who didn't come in on a ship.... You lot wouldn't happen to be Pathfinders, would you?"
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To Emsa
Delighted to meet you madam, and I love the way you have organized your kitchen. Everything is very easy to find. Forgive me for barging in like this, I will leave everything just the way I found it.
To Otti
Glad you liked it. Your new offer sounds like a good deal to me! I will quickly run it by the tall ones I travel with.
Garret smiles
You know how they can be, sometimes they treat us Halflings like we can't do anything on our own. Best to keep them ignorant, don't you agree? Just to be sure: your ship is equipped for humans?
How long will it take to get to Escadar? And when could we leave port?
After getting the answers Garret makes sure that the kitchen looks as spotless as he found it and then he goes outside.
Oh Thayn, I completely forgot that you were waiting outside, my apologies! Shall we go back to the inn to report to the others? I will tell you what happened while we are walking there.
"Oh my, thank you very much! I do try my best to keep this house from going too crazy... with so many children it's a madhouse in here at times," Emsa laughs. "Not to mention keeping a leash on my husband!"
"Hey, hey, no need to be mean," Otti pouts, but you can tell that it's a game they play probably every day of their relationship. The warmth between them is clear to see.
Back to business, Otti laughs at Garret's suggestion that his ship would be as mini-sized as his home! "Of course it is, friend. I'd never get any business 'round these parts if it was sized to suit me! I've got some special renovations put in for my own sake, but the rest is just as you'd expect."
"It's a twelve hour trip across the gulf. I'd need some time to get things in order, kick my crew into action and all that. Plus, there's the tide to consider... hmm," Otti folds his arms and muses for a minute or so. "How about you meet me down at the docks at 6 in the evening? We can set off with the high tide at maybe 7 or 8, assuming your bigger friends are fine with it."
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Shivaan replies in earnest, "Yes captain, we are pathfinders and our mission is of utmost importance."
Upon hearing her reply, Shivaan jumps in a startled fashion, urging Valnir to leave the ship hastily using two hands.
"That went well, perhaps we should try our hand at Crazy Old Tanner? If that doesn't pan out, we can head back to the Tavern or find Garret and the others. Perhaps they have had more luck."
"Excuse me sir, but you wouldn't happen to be Tanner, captain of that fine vessel? If you are, my friend and I are in dire need of passage to Escadar."
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Clacent didn't even made it to the docks. He stopped a few blocks away with his greatsword drawn for he sees Valnir and Shivaan running as fast as they can towards him.
"What happened??"
After hearing the story....
"Ha! I thought the captain turned into some giant sea monster! Anyway forgive me for not being of any use, I will accompany you to Crazy Tanner."
+2 If Tanner is a human.
Shivaan asks around a part of the docks far away from the terrifying visage of Captain Sumore for the location of the third sailor that might be willing to take them to Escadar. One passing deckswabber is willing to talk, and gives you the low-down on Crazy Old Tanner, including directions to his home.
"Tanner? Ugh. I served under him once. God, he's a great sailor; I've never seen anyone with skills like his. But he's mad as a hatter. We rode right into a squall one night, and I've got no idea how he managed to get us out of it... It's like, I don't know. Maybe he's not as mad as he seems. But like hell I'm brave enough to try and find out!"
Following the directions, you head to Crazy Old Tanner's shack down by the piers to try and convince him to give you a ride over to Escadar. You hear the old sailor before you see him, shouting angrily at a bold seagull that apparently dared to come in and steal a scrap of beef jerky out of his tin of the stuff. (By the time you arrive, however, the seagull is long gone, and Tanner is merely yelling at the empty air.)
The old man cuts off mid shout as he spots the group arrive, straightening up and looking quizzically at the unknown faces. He's a dishevelled, fish-smelling, and wild-eyed man with a weather-beaten and wrinkled face and twinkling blue eyes. He holds a well-loved pipe in his mouth and frequently blows thick, aromatic gouts of grey smoke out of it.
"WHAT? Speak up, sonny! Ye want ta go ta Escadar?" The old sailor folds his arms, humming and harring as he considers your request. "Aye, me pretty lit'l lass ken get ye over there in a jiffy, but it'll cost yeh. Me goin' rate's 25 gold!"
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"Ah thank you my good Captain, I'll have to gather with the rest of or group so we can discuss your price for a ride on your fine vessel. 'Till then Captain!"
Shivaan begins to walk away from the docks, looking for Garret and the rest of the party. If they're not seen, he'll head back to the Tavern where lodgings were secured and order up some lunch.
Comparing your options--incredibly angry woman, crazy old man, and friendly halfling who's offering the cheapest rate to date, you decide to go with Captain Otti across the gulf to Escadar. You spend the rest of the day hanging around the tavern, walking through the marketplace, or doing whatever else it is you might want to do before nightfall. In Thayn's case, this is no doubt lurking on the outskirts of town avoiding all the people everywhere!
By the time the last of the preparations are done, it's about eight, and quite dark at that. Small Otti's ship, Ocean Dancer, is a small merchant vessel, rather average in make short for the various extra footsteps and hand holds designed for those of a smaller stature. Otti has dragged three of his older children on board to teach them the ropes on a simple journey, although only one daughter seems particularly interested in the sailing; the other two boys take to bemoaning the job whenever their father is out of earshot. Short of watching the stars in the evening and catching sight of a pod of dolphins in the early morning, it's quite an uneventful (although scenic) trip across the gulf between the Isle of Kortos and the Isle of Erran.
It's about eight or nine in the morning when you finally disembark on the docks of Escadar. In stark contrast to the simple fishing village of Pier's End, Escadar is a fully fledged city with constant hustle and bustle, especially at the docks. You notice immediately the sheer number of navy vessels all marked with the golden eye of Absalom, ready and waiting to defend the great metropolis should harm come to her harbour. As you move through the city, you notice a plethora of military bases and centres, as well as many off-duty navy sailors moving through the streets. The city is designed in a very logical and perfunctorily way, with an obvious focus on defense and practicality at the expense of any sense of welcoming or aesthetics. Every now and then you see a rather fascinating sight: people who, at first glance, look like regal humans, except for the gills on their necks and their webbed feet and hands. They must be the gillmen you've heard about.
"Master Dreng arranged lodgings for us at the Grindylow's Goblet," Nester Rees reminds the group quietly. "We just need to send word to the Low Azlanti embassy that we've arrived. Shall we go to the tavern and send a missive from there, or go there in person?"
To the tavern it is!
The Grindylow's Goblet is located on the harbour itself, not too far away from the docks you disembarked at - but then again, very little in this city is, by design. Resting precariously over the edge of the sea on a complex series of sturdy wooden planks, the tavern nonetheless seems sturdy enough. A tacky sign featuring a blue-coloured goblin's head smiling a shark-toothed grin is placed above the doorway, and a bell jingles as you enter.
The sounds of a somewhat busy tavern echo off the wooden walls when you enter; inside, it's quite busy with a mixture of largely sailors, travellers, and dockworkers. Two servers busily provide food and drink to tavern's half-dozen patrons, and a striking woman with dark hair tied up in a ponytail tends the bar. The windows on the far wall offer an unequalled view of the water, displaying a splendid vista of Escadar's harbour.
A thick glass aquarium presents a striking display in the centre of the bar, its glass bottom allowing a glimpse of the harbour below. Within the tank, a coral statue of a goblin with the lower body of an octopus hosts a school of colourful fish that flit about the nooks and crannies of its tentacles. Several torches fill sconces that cast the tavern in a cheerful light, alongside various cheap-looking paintings largely depicting vicious sea monsters.
The barkeep greets you politely when you enter, putting down the glass she was cleaning alongside the other fresh ones lined up along the bar. Nester inquires about your rooms, and she smiles in response.
"Ah, you must be the group from the Pathfinders, correct? Yes, we have rooms for you. Those three along the far wall," she gestures to the other side of the room, "as well as rooms one through four in the lodging area just over to the left there. If you're lost, do ask Mitty or Kaz - our servers - to show you the way, okay?" She gives you another warm smile before grabbing the next glass to dry.
The barkeep nods to Garret with a knowing smile. "Certainly, sir. Do make yourself comfortable in the meantime."
The intrepid Pathfinders settle in to their rooms and have a chance to sit back and relax with some food and drinks as they wait for the ambassadors from the Low Azlanti embassy to arrive. More than an hour passes as you wait patiently, but at least the tavern is warm and friendly, and the brew served here is quite tasty and a good price to boot. Those interested in the giant aquarium find that the fish are quite responsive to people standing close to the glass, swimming up close to the edge when they detect someone nearby.
In the end, you're all sitting around together when the guests you expected finally turn up. The two gillmen stand out from the crowd in your eyes, but none of the other tavern-goers even blink; they're probably used to the strikingly beautiful and yet somehow alien appearance of the Low Azlanti. The first, a man, is shirtless and completely hairless, but wears a number of pieces of seashell jewellery, and his head and face are tattooed as if to mimic the patterns of a fish. (Picture) The second, a muscular woman, wears little more than a simple bikini, although she has long and flowing hair; her face is likewise tattooed, although her design seems to follow a seaweed-like pattern, or perhaps a rune. They both seem somewhat damp, as if they had recently emerged from the water, and both carry rather ornate spears carved from blue steel. The male also bears a delicately wrapped bundle of cloth, cradled in his arm as protectively as one would carry a child.
Spying you in the far corner, the two Low Azlanti swiftly approach. "Hello there. I presume you are from the Pathfinders?" the male gillman begins with a thin-lipped smile. "Thank you for agreeing to come all this way. I do hope that nothing bad befell you on the way. I am Shoalo, and this is my guard, Ahrmisa." The woman nods to you in recognition of your presence, but otherwise remains stoic and silent.
Shoalo takes a seat across from Shivaan and Nester and gingerly places his package on the table before them. Ahrmisa does not take a seat, but rather stands behind him, eyeing the party suspiciously.
"Here is our half of the bargain. Do feel free to inspect it. Now, I do hope that you upheld our end of the bargain as well, hmm? May I see the relic?"
Whichever of the party carried the relic until now retrieves it from their belongings and passes it to Nester, who likewise sets the box down next to Shoalo's bundle. With both relics present, Shoalo reaches out to lift the top off of the covering of the Pathfinders' offering and gives it a cursory glance.
Nester likewise unwraps the white cloth covering the gillmen's relic. It appears to be some kind of ancient bronze disc decorated with the engraving of a setting sun; ancient writing spirals around the outside, eerily similar in appearance to the tattoo on Ahrmisa's face.
The Garundi man lifts the disc away from its covering and holds it up before him, inspecting the engravings closely. He does so for a couple of long and silent minutes, a dark frown gradually taking over the more he inspects the relic. After some time, he places the disc back down on the table and turns back to Shoalo.
"... Are you trying to pull the wool over the Society's eyes?" Nester demands flatly. "This is clearly a fake. The Azlanti text is complete gibberish. I would have expected you to know that."
Shoalo's hitherto perpetual smile twists into a snarl at Nester's words. At that moment, there's a loud shattering of glass from the bar, as if a glass had been dropped. Shoalo and Ahrmisa slam their eyes shut as the torches decorating the walls of the tavern suddenly flash with intensely bright and colourful light, dazzling any not quick enough to follow suit. There's a chorus of terrified screams and shouts as the other tavern patrons collapse on the ground or stumble out of their chairs, blinded by the effect. Nester likewise holds his hands over his eyes, groaning at the pain. "Don't let them get away with the relic!"
For those who can still see, Shoalo suddenly jumps up from his seat and grabs the box holding your relic, and shouts out over the cacophony: "Ahrmisa! Ulionestia! Let's get out of here!"
"Run, you fool! Don't worry about me!" The familiar voice of the bartender shouts back over the din. "Get going!!"
Ahrmisa merely grabs up her spear and gets ready to run.
Initiative: Valnir | Garret | Thayn | Clacent | Gillmen | Balak | Shivaan
Map Notes
All the tokens with grey outlines that aren't the PCs are other patrons or the tavern staff. They are currently blinded and are generally prone or slumped over at tables. The tokens with colour are Shoalo (blue), Ahrmisa (green), and Ulionesta the bartender (red). Shoalo currently has the box with the relic in hand.OOC
Everyone except for Balak and Shivaan are up!Don't forget to make your DC 15 Will save to avoid the blindness!