|
Oh! Nobody have calling me "fair" since ... a long time.
Thanks your man my friend, we head to the Rosy Fingers Tavern, not for their fried cod, but to find this rented warehouse.
It's too hot to lose any time, and I don't want to be cold but we have a man to save !
Like a spoiled little girl, Sagart rebuffs with, "Ahem, 'dearie', although ye are fetchin' to the eye of most, not all complements will be fallin' at yer feet all the time. I think Master Wrigsolar was speekin' to me!"
Not a second later, the Cleric sinks her head, her cheeks flush, and she says, "My deepest apologies, Jair... we need to be stickin' together, not actin' like children. I must learn to filter me mouth! Ye be fetchin for sure; both inside n' out."
|
Jair smiles back at Sagart
Don't worry my dear Sagart, you are forgiven. Your story seems so great ! You have to share it with me, around a drink after our mission, and may be we could share more than that ? I have no gnomish lady to stop me from heading home with someone.
A crystallin laughter follows Jair's speach.
On a more serious tone she adds
If we choose a more rounded approach than a direct one, I could change my looks to look like one of the guard we killed at Master Skelg's house.
The group of Pathfinders head towards the western dock as pointed by Wrigsolar, where they find an inconspicuous warehouse next to a heavily perfumed tavern called The Rosy Fingers.
The warehouse across from the Rosy Fingers Tavern is built right on the docks, part of it extending over the water. The building is thirty feet tall with no visible windows . On the landward side is a pair of large cargo doors with a smaller door built into the right one. Piers run along either side of the building and on the seaward side is a massive set of door able to accomodate a small ship.
The street is busy, with several taverns among the warehouses. Most of the warehouses have sentries in front of them, and the ships at the docks are similarly guarded. It would otherwise be uncertain whether this is the right place if not for an Ulfen man lounging by a pile of crates just outside the warehouse, obviously on a lookout although trying to be nonchalant about it. Despite the hot Summer's sun, the warrior is clad in traditional Ulfen clothing, axes included.
|
|
"Mistress Jair, this may be an opportunity to use your, talents and distract that lookout, ya know... what say ye? Is ye up to the task? This may give us the chance to gain entry... if we only had someone who could pick a lock or disable a device, the cleric exclaims as if she has just figured out the meaning of life. She continues, "Someone could swim under the back door and then simply open her up from the inside! Any water treaders amongst us?"
|
|
If he is alone, I could also charm him. says Jair who adds
I have a wand of disguise self, I could land to Yâble. We could, together, under the disguise of the two Ulfen Guards come to the sentinel and tell him that Skelg is dead and it's time to go back to homeland.
I also could try to charm him under the disguise of one of the tavern's wench
|
|
"Drostan, me thinks this is a matter for finesse... I'll do the swimmin' if you will secure my pack, armor, and most weapons and bring them inside once I open the door. Our fairer Cleric and Bard will still need to distract and dispose of the guard so we aren't seen openin' the warehouse"
-Posted with Wayfinder
As Jaïr and Yâble approach, the Ulfen guard stands up and looks at them both, starting to speak with a language neither recognize. Right after that the man begins to look suspiciously at Jaïr chest region as if something is not right.
The guard is apparently so distracted by his companion's gender shuffle he doesn't pay enough attention to Jaïr's spellcasting. Her charm spell apparently pays off, and the guard's face turns into a grinning smile showing all the rundown teeth. He chuckles and points at Jaïr's chest and speaks odd words, apparently asking something in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
|
|
Sagart, on the western dock and outside the view of most passers by, will prepare for her short swim under the seaward side of the warehouse. She will hand her pack, hammer armor and crossbow over to Dros, telling him to wait for her signal, a knock on the western side which will signal the door is unlocked.
Lastly she will cast guidance on herself as she makes her swim...
"Åh right," the Ulfen man says with broken common, "what är you doing here? You were supposed to look after that Skelg?"
"Och why you have breasts now, Joakim? Sudden change of heart, hreh hreh. Or maybe you're not Joakim at all."
Meanwhile Drostan and Sagart have moved to the western pier. After Sagart has taken off her cumbersome equipment she plunges into the water and easily gets under the shipyard doors.
Once she gets her head above the waterline she quickly determines there are more people inside the warehouse. From where she's at she can't see any of them, but can hear their footsteps and foreign speech.
There's also a small Ulfen longship docked in the cramped space. It's a simple one-level, single-mast ship capable of oversea sailing. From the prow of the ship hangs a lantern.
The warehouse gets its light from skylights; grated holes on the roof covered with oiled paper to keep out rain.
|
What do we do? Calm down Yâble. There are only one. If we fail... let's fail greatly!
Magic! ,says Yâble in his best effort of broken common. Some adventurers have come to see Skelg. We tried to repulse them, but they were insistent. So we fought them inside. They were no match against us ulfen, but they were using strange magic. One of those spell transformed Joakim there into a women. They were wearing all the same symbol, maybe Skelg has some ties with them. We thought it was better to tell what we sow now. The ice cube can't even move now and his follower is too weak to move also.
Perception bonus, distracted, favorable conditions from water splashing.
As Sagart reaches to the lantern and grabs it, she loses her balance and falls down back to the water creating a larger splash than intended. She was detected, or at least the splash was, and two men speak with each other in Skald and walk over to the edge. So far Sagart remains unseen on the other side of the ship.
Outside the Ulfen warrior chuckles again and relaxes a bit, obviously buying Yâble's story. "Ja, strange things happened there!" the man says, "maybe sage can fix Joakim once we get back. But Bengeirr said you should wait until everything is ready, then we get you back and sail away. Not wise to disobey Bengeirr, even if turned into woman!"
Sagart plunges below the waterline and swims out of the warehouse with ease, and reemerges on the safe side of the warehouse. She and Drostan both hear some disgruntled speech coming inside, but nothing else.
"Sure, you är not in a condition to fight, not with breasts! Hreh hreh," the Ulfen man chuckles and escorts Jaïr over to the warehouse door and unlocks it. "Ladies first, hreh."
|
|
Sagart will ask Drostan, "Oi! Howzbout helpin' a fair damsel in distress and get me back to Warrior Priestess mode..." meaning to receive help with her armor. She continues "an' look wha' I found on their boat!" The Cleric holds up the lantern before quickly stuffing it into her pack.
She will also quickly describe the general layout of the warehouse to include the skylights and the fact that there were more people inside the warehouse to Drostan and Wrigsolar.
As Jaïr opens the warehouse door as directed by the Ulfen guard, she sees a tall room open, with a small ship docked on the side. A steep staircase next to the eastern wall leads up to a loft 20 feet above the ground level. Immediately two Ulfen guards turn their gaze towards the door while they were wondering what's going on in the waters. Another man comes to watch up from the loft, leaning against the wooden railing. This man on the loft is obviously the leader of the group, Bengeirr, visibly by his more decorative horned helmet.
One of the guards by the ship points at Jaïr and shouts something in Skald, but it as apparent her disguise has failed her, and since he is not charmed, the guard isn't taking the sight in a favorable way. He is apparently insisting on Jaïr to leave, conclusive from the finger pointing outside the warehouse.
The confusion begins as Jaïr disguised as the Ulfen guard Joakim asks the other guard a favor, and Yâble emerges to the door still in disguise, and addresses Bengeirr.
"What is the meaning of this?" Bengeirr shouts from his loft, "why are you here? You two should be back at Skelg the Puny's manor making sure he suffers the worst fate a sad warrior can face! Have you gone utterly mad?"
Bengeirr is obviously cautious, and as a result all guards draw their axes ready to repel intruders.
|
|
My Lord ! I was transformed in a Woman ! One of Skelg's men came back from the tapisserie with a ... a ... a thing ! And pointed at me !
Then, I was transformed in ... in ... in a woman ! Look !
I think that the lantern you took from him could reverse that.
As we managed to take care of Skelg's man, other people came and in the confusion they took the thing as we drive them out.
We followed them and they are still in town, we can attack them and took the "thing". It's not far ! Me and two other men I'm sure we will be able to handle this thing.
Bengeirr seems to buy Jaïr's bluff.
"They took the thing? What thing?" Bengeirr asks, a bit alarmed but not as hostile as before, "what is this sorcery, they could be hunting for me now. Alright then. Sven, Olav, accompany Joakim and Gustav and hunt these others before they reach here and inflict their foul magic on me too!"
"And the Beacon of the North won't fix your affliction, Joakim. You saw what happened to Skelg when the light him, hehe. You'd only freeze to death."
The two guards, one being a bit more concerned, nod and sheath their axes and rush to the door, ready to leave the warehouse with Jaïr and Yâble. The guard who stayed on a lookout at the crates will remain.
Wrigsolar, Drostan, and Sagart all stay well hidden from the Ulfen guards, who couldn't spot them through the crowd. In fact the Ulfen guard hasn't even seen them before and wouldn't recognize them at all.
Once the band of disguised pathfinders and Ulfen men leave the scene, the one left locks the door and returns to the crates.
Although Sagart only takes a quick glance at the beacon, he can easily tell this one is not magical. The workmanship is sloppy, and the lantern could barely hold a light when lit. Additionally, a magical lantern wouldn't have as many dents and knocks as this one has.
This is just an ordinary lantern.