Tatsuo mentally face-palms as he follows the group. What kind of idiot girl would take a group of strange men that she clearly doesn't trust back to her apartment? She probably could have just taken us to a relatively empty tavern, and it'd have been fine.
Sighing to himself, he decides that it falls upon him to try to put the girl at ease. He gives her his friendliest smile before saying, "Please excuse my companions Miss. They seem to have forgotten simple niceties in their eagerness to be of assistance to one so lovely." He bends at the waist to give the girl a formal bow. "This one is called Tatsuo of the Arashi clan. I come from high in the mountains to prove myself worthy of returning home. My friend in the bright armor is Conner, sworn to slay evil where ever he may find it. The fellow with the musket is Felix, a great marksman. And last but certainly not least, we have Del." He pauses, considering. "I'm afraid I haven't known him quite as long, but I assure you, he is quite capable. Now please, when you're ready, if you wouldn't mind introducing yourself and telling us how we might be of assistance."
As he patiently waits for her to respond, he smiles in what he hopes is a non-threatening manner.
My name is Gabriel. My Uncle is an Alchemist, he was going to visit is associate Veoden in Hannex. something about a map and meeting a new client named Daresh.
She pours some drinks for those that would like them, That was about a month ago and he has not written and the last letter I got from Veoden said that he never arrived. He has offered to finance any search for him.
Daresh? That crazy woman? We've had dealings with her. She's bad news Gabriel. I guess your uncle is a pretty well known Alchemist?
Felix suddenly sits up ram rod straight. Wait a minute. Cayden Calien drown me in cheep beer I can't believe I didn't remember this. I was part of the crew on a ship The Albers. We picked up this slezeball of a wizard.... Vincent.. yeah. He was looking for someone but he had some connection to Daresh too. Vincent let slip that Daresh wanted a skilled Alchemist to help him make some special coin. And I figure this map that we've got is a part of the whole scheme. I'd bet my last flask of whiskey that your uncle is with Daresh and that he's safe until he makes this coin for her.
Delkaneth's eyes narrow. "Vincent? When I sailed to the isle one of the crew was called VINCENZ. Daresh was on the ship as well, but I dont think this Vincez was with her. He did spend a lot of time with her gnolls though....."
"Come to think of it, Daresh often yelled at her Osirian companion about an alchemist, but I kept hearing the name Atuur not Veoden. Does that name mean anything to you, Gabriel?"
Having done his part to at least introduce everybody, Tatsuo remains silent. It's not like he knew this Vincent/Vincenz and he hadn't dealt with Daresh as much as Felix or Del obviously had, so there was no point cluttering up the air with his pointless comments.
Gabriel takes a seat, I was apprentice to my uncle. he was working with a colleague by the name of Halaan. they discovered a way to make a magic coin. something very powerful. but in order to do so they needed a special material.
she takes a sip of tea, They consulted a diviner by the name of Veoden. I never met him as they never actually met in person, they corresponded via letters only. Veoden knew a way to find this material. it was discovered by an explorer by the name of Walker Dairoo.
When I heard that name I did a little reading on my own, his real name was Atuur Dairoo. and he created a map of all the locations that he traveled, and kept a journal. So, based on what you are saying, This Daresh person wants a magic coin. so all she needs is a map to the special material, and the proper person that knows the secret to forge it. which would be my Uncle.
If my uncle is with this Daresh, I fear his life may be in danger. Once he makes this coin, she will probably kill him so he can never forge another one.
She thinks a moment, Do you think we should go find Veoden, see what he knows?
Well we've got a part of a map. And Daresh managed to get it off of us. We need to offload some cargo here and get some supplies but after that I think finding this Veoden is as good a plan as any.
Looking to Conner, she thinks a bit, He has a shop in the town of Haanex. That was where my uncle was heading as well.
Delkaneth nods his head "Walker Dairoo comes from a long line of adventurers, makes sense that he would have found something like that. And if its as powerful as the stories tell, we do NOT want that woman to get her hands on it."
"If theres a clue in Haanex to get us ahead of her, I say we go there."
"Any idea what this coin is supposed to actually do?" Without knowing that, Tatsuo wasn't really sure what everyone's hurry was to go stop some strange people. Obviously if the coin would destroy the world or raise an army of undead, that was concerning. But if it just gave vast wealth or something, that didn't seem like much of a problem.
At the very least, I suppose we should probably help make sure her uncle doesn't get killed though. Although if this coin really is dangerous, I'm not so sure I'd like the fellow willing to make it for the highest bidder...
Partially with the aid of his hat throwing his expression into shadow, he keeps his face calmly neutral, betraying none of his inner thoughts.
Tatsuo gives Conner a suddenly suspicious look as the paladin appears to be able to read his thoughts. What's the likelihood that he would bring up the exact scenario I was thinking of? I would imagine not especially high. Hmmm...note to self, research spells to guard my thoughts.
As the group sits in Gabby's apartment discussing things.
The sound of the door opening can be heard.
Gabby gets up, Oh my, I almost forgot. My friend Miya should be here soon, and that is probably her.
Gabby goes to the door so as to not have the group take Miya totally by surprise.
From the other side of the door as Gabby allows it to open a hands-breadth, another young girl's voice, "Gabby, you look excited, did you learn something? Let me in, you have to tell me all about it!" Before the lady of the house can really get a word in edge-wise, a small robed figure pushes in past the door and turns to latch it. Still talking, she turns to face the room, "I didn't find any.... Oh, hello!"
The girl facing the party, finally silent in her shock, is petite and wears a heavy hooded robe. Having seen better days, it's best described as somewhere between light gray and light brown. Or maybe both. She has fine, but not remarkable, features, but her coloring stands out - hair, eyes, skin, all so pale as to make the superstitious look twice, but she lacks the complete lack of pigment of the albino. She looks over each of the party members in turn, studying them. "Um, Gabby?"
Felix, enjoying the newcomer's discomfort a bit, takes a swig from his flask, grins, and waves.
Hey Miya. I'm Felix
Realizing how she looks, she flashes a shy smile and mocks a curtsy. "Felix. Pleased to meet you. I am Miyaro Pielblanc. So - are you also friends of Gabby's?"
New friends I think Felix says sitting up a bit It seems like we've been chasing the people that may be responsible for Gabby's uncle's disappearance
"You have? So you know where he is?"
Off to one side, Tatsuo stands in distinctly foreign garb. He wears loose, flowing robes and simple sandals. His head and upper half of his face is currently covered with an odd, triangle shaped hat that appears to be made of reeds or wood or something you might make baskets out of. His skin appears tan, as though he spends much time outdoors though he looks too slight of build to have done much manual labor. Running up his right hand to disappear into his 3/4 length sleeves appears to be a beautiful tattoo of a storm cloud, and the black snout of some inked beast can just be seen poking out the left side of the deep v where part of his robe has come a bit loose. This also onlookers to just barely make out the hilt of something, probably a small bladed weapon, sticking out from where it's been tucked inside the robe. Apart from that, he seems to be unarmed.
For a moment Tatsuo considers remaining silent. But no, after that mini-outburst at his companions, it would hardly do to be rude and not introduce himself. He pushes himself off from where he had been leaning against a wall, places his hands flat on his upper thighs, and bends at the waist to bow formally to the newcomer. "Greetings Miya, friend of Gabby. I call myself Tatsuo of the Arashi Clan"
He pushes his hat back to expose his face as he gives her a relaxed smile. His face is young and free of facial hair, though whether the latter is due to the former or simply a stylistic choice is unclear. Either way, he looks to have barely reached adulthood.
"I do not believe we know where Gabby's uncle is, but we did run in to the people who he is most likely with not too long ago. I believe we had just been talking about visiting Haneex to look for further clues when you arrived."
Gabby gets some more drinks, I'm Sorry Miya, these people want to help find Uncle Arowain.
Gabby looks at Miya then back to the group. Can you take us with you to Haanex? She seemed a little forward at the request but she is hoping Miya will back her on this.
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Conner reflexively extends his senses to detect evil when he hears the arrival of the newcomer. When she enters the room Conner politely gets up and walks over to her, giving off a soft celestial luminance as is typical for him. He introduces himself with a slight bow, "my name is Conner m'lady. It is a pleasure To make your acquaintance" upon hearing them ask to come he begins to frown. "while I understand the desire to personally see your family" he then briefly looks to the disguised Kitsune "and the family of your friends to safety, the witch we are to face is a powerful foe, and I cannot garontee your safety if you are to come with us"
Miyaro smiles in recognition of the greeting and returns it - if not exact in form, close enough to show it's not new to her. "Tatsuo of the Arashi Clan. It is an honor."
Bowing slightly in return, "With all due respect, Sir Connor, remaining here in this city alone is not exactly a safe proposition for two girls, either. If we accompany you, we can assist you. I have traveled alone quite a distance and have developed my skills as a healer." She offers, "Even pirates appreciate and respect a healer's gift, but once you set foot on land, the predators care not. I offer my skills as a healer to aid you in your journey if you will aid us with ours."
Tatsuo let Conner voice his concerns about the question. He didn't know anything about this new girl, but if she was anything like her friend, it'd be better for them to stay put. Both for their own safety and for the groups; he didn't exactly want Gabby inviting hobgoblins working for the pirate back to the camp just because she took their claims of wanting to help at face value (although he dearly hoped even she wasn't quite that foolish).
Although there was the slightly unfortunate possibility that they'd come along regardless of what Conner or anybody else had to say. In that case, it was merely a matter of what would be less inconvenient: having them sneak along behind the group or travel with them where they could at least keep an eye on the two girls. Although perhaps they might also be able to convince one of them to stay behind while the other came along? Or would that be even worse, not having the two to at least look out for each other?
Tatsuo mentally raised an eyebrow as Miyo returned his greeting. She appeared to be more like his people than she let on. And unlike what he could tell of these flatlanders, most people from his village who had come of age had at least some basic capabilities, either in combat or magic.
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Conner nods as he considers her statement, internally thinking that this was more than sifficient for her to be around he asks her to which deity or deities she prayed for her gift. After she answers he turns to the other woman and asks her "and you? Do you have any ability to defend yourself should we need to briefly leave you? Can you use magic or a sword? Perhaps a crossbow?"
Healer? says Felix his curiosity piqued What kind? Magical or mundane?
Delkaneth is about to chime in with the new comer when Conner and Tatsuo take the conversation and run with it. Content to listen for the moment he remains seated and silent. Rude perhaps but I will make it up to her later. For now, best to listen and observe.
"My... gifts, I suppose... mystified the holy ones of my village as they did not seem to present themselves as a reward for prayer or a particularly religious lifestyle." She smiles at the memory, "I suppose I might have been a bit too rebellious for their taste. Since that time, however, I have found myself attracted to the teachings of Qi Zhong. He is not well known in these lands, but his worship is common back home."
"I have been able to perform minor healing miracles since I was a child, but they tired me greatly. As I've grown, they have gotten a little more potent and don't wear me out so. However, my time as a ship's surgeon - it was only for a few weeks, really, when the real surgeon fell to a naval officer's cutlass - showed me that I needed to practice my 'mundane' healing because my gifts were not sufficient to carry the day when it was most needed."
The quiet observant man in the corner is favored with a raised eyebrow, nothing more for the moment.
Gabby is unsure how to respond to the question. she really has no where near the talents of the others not even Miya.
Gabby shyly answers, I am an apprentice Alchemist. I have learned a bit about potions and such stuff. I am afraid I don't have much beyond that.
"You also bring with you a relationship with your uncle. You will know better than these gentlemen what your uncle looks like, how he talks, how he thinks. I don't know him as well as you do."
She gives the girl a hug, "I think we should both go. I would want to go to help and I would worry about you here alone. Nobody can guarantee our safety if we go along, but nobody can guarantee it if we stay here, either. I can teach you some more about healing and that crossbow idea is a good one."
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conner nods and then smiles at both of them in turn [b]"welcome to the team, if you'd like I can teach you both the basics of swordsmanship and ...archery? crossbowery? whatever, how to properly hit with a crossbow as we make our way to our destination, I'll even pay for a sword and crossbow for you each, and perhaps some light armor if you lack it. do either of you know how to help out with the knots and rigging and whatnot of a ship?"
Huh. Well I've been carting around a load of scrolls that we found on the island we were on. Take a look, maybe you could make use of 'em. But yeah. I think we've got some gear to get and then we can find a ship to get us where we need to go.
"I have spent time at sea, but the rigging was not my task, so I have little practice. I do know the basics one can get from observing, but that is really all."
Well, I guess they're coming with. Hopefully we don't regret this decision later.
Tatsuo would offer to teach something, but he doubted making tattoos would help them much. And it wasn't like he could really teach them any of his magic. He knew there were some of his clan who had picked up magic through large amounts of study, but he had been one of the ones the kami had gifted with innate magic. As such, his lessons had been more about listening to the flow of power that moved through him and tease it out rather than how to draw it from his surroundings.
"If we find a merchant vessel, we may be able to negotiate better rates by offering to come on as guards." Although if they were the common merchants he had seen on the street, convincing them that one with such a slight build as he could be a guard might be difficult. Although even with what he planned to buy, he figured he should still be able to pay his passage.
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Conner boards the ship with his procured items and contentedly makes his way to their destination.
If the others cannot find a way to work off their passage Conner will volunteer to loan them the money to pay their fair. Once boarded Conner help the alchemist gain a degree of proficiency with her new crossbow.
He will spend the rest of the journey in prayer or busying himself with reading, fishing, chalanging various members of the crew or his party to friendly duels.
When she is not working, Miyaro will observe the sparring, trying to learn her new companions' tactics. She will participate in the crossbow drills, also. Conner finds that while her technique is sound, her skill is raw - she's had training, but lacks practice.
Tatsuo politely declines any invitation to spar. Instead he switches between spending his time high in the rigging with the wind whipping at his body, in quiet meditation, or chatting with various sailors as he attempts to sketch and compare their tattoos. Occasionally any who might pay him particular attention may see him talking to himself. Or at least, that's what it looks like. Those extra observant may hear him mention 'Sora' a few times.
Delkaneth also spends much of the journey working small jobs on the ship, having no experience with sailing but being nimble enough to help anyway.
He gladly takes Conner's offer to spar and does so often. His two-weapon combat style is rapid bordering on frenetic, and there are moments when he cocks his arm as if to throw one of his axes but he holds back.
No reason to lose a weapon overboard or chop hunks out of the ship.
The trip to Hannex from Port Peril is un eventul. You do notice that the Captain sails under a different flag since leaving Port Peril.
either he has changes owners or perhaps he is an experienced smuggler and knows what flags will draw pirates and which ones they will leave alone.
You arrive at Haanex, a very small fishing village probably only about 300 to 400 people residing here.
The most noticeable thing in the town is the very unusal tower not far from the docks.
You learn from the crew that there two places to eat and only one inn
"The Ki-Ren's Rest" is an eatery/tavern and Inn
"the Thirsty Hound" is a little seedier tavern/eatery.
As for passage gabby and Miya learn enough to have free passage. the crew has taken a liking to Miya, perhaps it is her healing skills they admire the most.
since I failed to give this to you earlier here is the information about the ship you sailed (this may be important later)
The ship's name is the Forsaken
Captain Haager Pocaat
The Captain and the Crew are considered Friendly toward your group.
As they approach the town, Tatsuo prepares for when they'll dock and disembark. He takes the time to nudge a nearby sailor and point at the tower. "Since you've probably been here before, would you be so kind as to tell me what's up with that odd tower? It looks like someone dropped a house on top of it."
"We will probably want to be...discreet about our inquiries about Gabby's uncle. If those with him have half a brain, they'll have ears to the ground and informants on their payroll. It would likely be to our benefit if they didn't know we were coming."
On the ship Felix will help anyone who wants it with their aim. Muskets are kinda exotic, but aiming's aiming
After they board. Yeah I agree but first let's get a drink and some lodging. I'm parched.
As they approach the town, Tatsuo prepares for when they'll dock and disembark. He takes the time to nudge a nearby sailor and point at the tower. "Since you've probably been here before, would you be so kind as to tell me what's up with that odd tower? It looks like someone dropped a house on top of it."
Tatsuo continues to look expectantly at the sailor.
"Yes. Which of the two 'taverns' should we look at? The more reputable ones may be safer" his eyes flick to their two new comers, especially Gabby, in a significant manner, "But the shady one may be more likely to have relevant intel."
"We could visit both and make a decision later. The number of people in our group might attract attention if we all arrive together, anyway."
She looks around, trying to judge if two women will be seen as unusual, also. Perhaps it will benefit us to separate as though we were only traveling together by chance of the ship coming this way...
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[ooc]wow sorry, Del saying he'd spar with me was the last post that I got a notification for[/occ]"I am confidant I...and the rest of you.. can handle any threat likely to come at at us from a seedy bar." he says this as though it were a simple fact of life that a magical knight and others of similar level of skill could handle down on their luck thieves who'd target someone simply because they were in the wrong area. but if we go that route... perhaps we should continue to sleep in shifts
The town of Haanex is predominately male and mostly fishermen from what you have seen so far.
(of course you are just at the docks)
As you make your way into town you see more variety of people, but this is definitely a small village, probably less than a thousand locals here.
at the end of the pier is what appears to be a bulletin board. most of the announcements on there seem rather normal.
There is a sign for a lost dog. another is someone offering riding lessons.
The first thing that Gabby and Miya notice though is