Chloris
Lanthair still looks dubious. "And then you will aid us? You will help us get to Sigil?"
GarbageBeGone
Sensing a more sympathetic ear in Raya than the rest of his clientele, the proprietor nods miserably. "I sent my best team up to the isolation dock. They haven't come back."
On her way back, Raya spots a hardware shop.
Thom and Barel
Chloris
The fortune teller sneers slightly. "I will get you to Sigil. After you deliver my supplies intact and unopened."
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Raya returns to the temple for now, to reorganize. If things still seem slow, then she will swap her outfit for something more work suited, and take care of things herself.
She murmurs, "I'd hate to see a wedding ruined by logistics....but I suppose Arishat strongarmed this mystic by now, and I have a higher cause to tend to."
"Right, we'll need to hire some mercenaries. And a band, I think." Arishat heads for the door, forgetting to be snarky.
Thom and Barel
I think we must stop by the bar to check on Raya (since that is where we left her), but will go back to the temple after that. I just hope that I can drag Thom away from the fruity drinks.
Chloris
Sensing they have gotten about as much out of Chloris as they are likely to get, Lanthair heads out with Arishat.
With a last cryptic comment, Arishat, Lanthair and the silent assassin leave Chloris and reconvene at the temple.
"I just want to make a small reconnaissance near the gith ship. See if there's a nice open space on the docks next to it, where a group of people can assemble. And somewhere for the musicians to stand and play." Arishat wrinkles her tail. "There's bound to some mercenaries in a town like this, willing to work for an afternoon in exchange for a few gold pieces. Hopefully ones who aren't used to work together, that's always good for a laugh. How long have we got today, I'd like to get this done before it gets dark? A couple of hours should be long enough, shouldn't it?" She looks at Lynore and Lanthair questioningly.
"Between twenty and thirty, I'd say. And forty ten-foot poles. Plus some musicians to keep time, and for the march afterwards. We should be able to find them easily enough. One afternoon's work, no or at least low risk, five gold pieces a head and no questions asked." Arishat sniffs dismissively. "In a town like this there'll be plenty of mercs with time of. They don't even have to be very good. In fact, inexperienced ones might be good."
Lanthair listens in silence. "This sounds more elaborate than sneaking on the ship, taking the crate, and sneaking off..."
"Raya, I think this is the fee for services to be rendered, if I guess correctly."
"Ah, Lanthair, they're meant to be a distraction for while you and Lynore get it." Arishat sounds mildly exasperated. "Turathi formation spear drill is complex and I'm reasonably sure we'll get a lot of people watching as I attempt to teach it to a group of mercenaries. I'm hoping to find some mercenaries who fight on ships, and who aren't used to fighting in formation the way land troops would. It's always good for a laugh, watching novices walking into each other and falling over. And if nothing else, they'll have to pay some attention in case we're actually planning to do something."
"She was not forthcoming with details," Lanthair says frankly. "Only that this was the deal she was offering in exchange for getting us to Sigil. I can only imagine that some sort of contraband is involved. Obtaining a legal and legitimate shipment should be an easy matter, and I doubt she would engage our assistance for such a trifle."
Arishat plans aloud to the amusement of the nearby acolytes.
"Contraband? That seems slightly unlikely, it's not called Freeport for no reason. Something she doesn't want people to know she has, perhaps." Arishat looks round speculatively. "I wonder if there are any preachers who would like to spend an afternoon yelling at people on the docks. Always draws a crowd, that."
Father Teech emerges from his room.
"I like your thinking," he bellows approvingly. "Nothing like a little overt evangelism for bringing Ioun's light to the sightless. We'll call it a field trip."
Stamping to the centre of the temple, he raises his formidable voice.
"I want five volunteers to bring the light to the heathens on the wharf. You, you, you, you and you. Added bonus - you get to watch a tiefling educating an army. No knowledge is wasted."
The selected look eagerly at Arishat for more information.
"I am sure we can pay some poor street urchin to stand on a box and spout doom and gloom."
"Yes, you do that." Arishat's reply to Raya is somewaht distracted. "Right, we're going to need about thirty mercenaries, and forty poles of ten feet in length to stand in for their spears. They can be paid a gold piece each beforehand, and four more afterwards, to turn up on the wharf with the githyanki ship on it and do some weapon and formation drills. We'll want three or four musicians, at least one with a drum and some with flutes, so we can have a parade back to a good tavern afterwards. I want them drilled to a satisfactory standard, which means being able to march in formation without tripping over each other and getting tangled up. And if they don't see a reason for it, I'll give them one. I'll bet have the mercenaries hear spend time fighting on ships, and if my experiences are anything to go by they'll be good brawlers but against a proper formation they'll be in trouble. So this will make them more effective as marines. We haven't got all day, people!"
Arishat and the informal riot party
Father Teech's volunteers can easily find the sort of mercenaries Arishat wants for her scheme. As ex-sailors themselves for the most part, they are happy to add to the number.
One shyly admits to playing the fife as a hobby. "Not well, but good enough to keep time."
After some discussion, they agree that it will take an hour or so to assemble everyone at the docks.
Raya
Father Teech overhears Raya's questions about the isolation dock.
"It's up at the end of the wharf - right where your friends are going. Freeport takes any cargo, but some of them get inspected before they get turned loose on the world."
Barel looks at the ongoing planning with confused amusement. Clearly this ruse could work, but he is used to the straightforward approach. Perhaps he will look into that Oytough thing with Raya...if she decides she wants to miss this spectacle. Otherwise he will stand clear and help his friends if they look like they are getting in over their heads.
Finding the isolation dock is easy.
Only two ships are currently moored there. On is the Cloudbreaker - future target of Arishat's attentions - but the second is a much tattier affair. Her begrimed hull bears the name "Maid of Allwork" and her crew are nowhere to be seen.
Two bored guards stand at the barrier.
"GarbageBeGone?" The first guard shrugs.
"Must have been before our shift. We only arrived at lunchtime. Know anything Mervin?"
Mervin thinks a bit. "Haven't seen an otyugh and haven't seen any crew from "Maid" either. She's a gnoll vessel. What are they carrying this time?"
"Poxy scavengers. I hate this duty."
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"And you haven't seen anyone at all on ship? So how do you know what to guard it from?" She looks puzzled, "If the ship showed properly, that means there was a crew here at one point, so I suppose they could be all carrying on, but I'm starting to wonder...would you kindly mind if I took a look on board to ensure things are fine? If one of you wished to join me to ensure nothing nefarious, that would be welcome."
Mervin grins.
"She's crewed right enough - she sailed in last night. Maid's a gnoll scavenger. Crew's just lazy is all. Can't let you through, miss. There's a reason this is the isolation dock."
Raya contemplates Mervin for a moment, reading his body language and vocal tics. While not strictly dishonest, he is probably open to bribery as long as the offer isn't blatant.
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She contemplates the words, "Yes, there is a reason, and a reason as well that I was given the honorific 'Guardian'. If there is trouble aboard this ship, I would rather seek it out than let it befall you or anyone else here. Listen, I'm sure you understand that as guardsmen you are trained to look for suspicious behavior, covert and overt. You have also been trained to recognize dangerous behavior.
Now, there is possibly a five hundred stone weight creature up there that lives on filth and breeds disease. This is a potentially dangerous action, especially since you haven't seen anyone maintaining the ship. Unless you know where the sheer entirety of this crew went to, there are only a few responsible courses of action here. I am offering one of them."
Diplomacy
Mervin exchanges glances with the other guard.
"She's got a point Alfie. Can you manage here for half an hour while I escort the Guardian?"
Alfie nods, completely overwhelmed by Raya's purposeful charm.
Mervin adjusts his helmet and heads to the Maid with Raya, Thom and Barel in tow.
Meanwhile, back at the temple, Arishat, Lynore and Lanthair are busy surveying their impromptu drill team, ready to head to the docks.
"Right. We're going to need some space to work in, while I teach you lot how to fight in formation. And if you listen and learn and remember, it might even teach you how to clear a deck from twice your number of enemies who can't keep together to save their lives. Now, grab a pole, and follow me down to the docks."
Arishat's drill team assemble on the docks just opposite Alfie, the sole remaining guard.
Raya, Barel and Thom in the meanwhile, are no longer in view. They, in the company of Mervin, are quietly exploring the depths of the Maid of Allwork.
There is no sign of the crew as the small group descend into the bowels of the ship. To all intents and purposes, she seems to have been abandoned. Ropes lie where they have been dropped, dice and booze sit on benches and from the galley comes the smell of burning food.
Mervin looks increasingly unhappy. "Don't think this is very normal."