Calisro takes a step over towards the railing, and, leaning against a beautiful sleek ship's boat, waves at Locke.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
She laughs.
"If you were asking about the ship's boat... I can't get to it now, because I can't take my hands of the wheel."
She waves with both hands now-- grinning!
As the others jump and all end up in the water--
--you see that in the lee of the sandbar, there is no choppy water, nor much waves.
Calisro winks at you all.
And everyone can easily swimming to the sandbar and get out onto it.
As you shake yourselves off, and look around--.
"Sand, sand, sand everywhere", says Jamal.
"No!", adds Sor Reinhart, quite astutely: "There is water too!", pointing at the sea.
Water and sand, yes, thinks Sturgeon.
Shore? What shore?
Is it that line over there on the horizon? Oh... that might be another sand bar, or an island.
No, you are on a sandbar, out in the middle of... some bay?
Probably totally out at sea.
You all look around, wondering where Captain Snagrak went-- maybe he decided to join Calisro's crew?
A few minutes go by.
Is the sandbar getting smaller?
That is not possible, because-- oh, wait: yes... the tide is rising.
Minute by minute the water edges up, and, after a half an hour of waiting here, the water has risen and... there is not much space left.
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A black, pirate tricorn floats by, undulating gently upon the rising tides. Just as it's about to drift entirely past the sandbar it erupts from the water, clutched in a green skinned hand, quickly revealing the entirely drenched Snagrak. Spluttering up sea water he crawls onto what small parts of the sandbar remain and looks up at the rest of the pathfinders with a smile that seems entirely too unconcerned considering his near drowning.
"Snagrak need remember not to be looking over side when Captain Benarry piloting next time." Looking around at the situation he thinks for a moment, "Water much deeper than goblin legs." he finally adds, helpfully.
The water keeps on rising... slowly eating up the sandbar.
The keen eyed and perceptive Pathfinders are all six huddled there, as the water totally invades the sandbar... and you now are standing in water, not seeing any sand at all!
Pell knows that swimming towards the horizon is not good, and a boat would be the best.
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With his hat drooping down over his eyes it's a little hard for Snagrak to make out much beyond where he stands, though he doesn't seem terribly concerned by the rising water.
As Pell questions how the group will escape their apparent watery fate his hand shoots up into the air, "Oh! Snagrak did! Thought about bringing boat. Small boat, good for few peoples. Sail back and around places, very useful." Beaming he lowers his hand, before adding. "Did not actually bring. But thought about it."
Well, first it is the toes... but now it has been one full hour that you've been standing here, and the water is up to and creeping above your ankles!
When--
--a small boat appears!
It is sailed by some strange creature... or person? With a round helmet that has a grilled faceplate.
Coming closer, you see she is a female Dwarf, an elderly one, and she is wearing a diving-suit and helmet.
"Don't keep me waiting! I got me work to do. Name's Hlar! Come aboard."
She has to shift around sacks of shellfish, and crab traps ,to make room in the cramped vessel.
And then you are off, with wet feet.
The Dwarf stares at Jamal... then slams the grid closed on her helm, and--
--jumps overboard.
You look at one another.
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Snagrak scrambles up into the boat, climbing precariously over a sack of shellfish and wringing his hat out before jamming the slightly less sodden mess back on his head. Once aboard he sits, fidgeting and watching the dwarf until she leaps overboard. The goblin blinks once, twice and then breaks into a smile, "Guess this our boat now!" he says and begins looking around checking how seaworthy his new vessel is.
Snagrak sees that this is not a new boat, and it has a strange color, what with having been repaired a lot... but it is very well kept, and actually in good condition.
Locke has the impression that, no... there was nothing covering her body other than some light sea-worthy clothing, and nothing special around her neck.
Just then she pops back up out of the sea, a crab-trap in hand, filled with five beautiful king-crabs.
She tosses the trap back in the boat, climbs aboard-- nearly tipping a couple of you over, and then you are off again.
She sails along, meandering through all the sandbars, and small rocky island-like outcrops, stopping regularly to dive overboard and come back with filled traps, or sometimes just a big lobster.
She tosses these inside, so you have to constantly move your feet to avoid crawling lobsters and crabs trying to pinch you from within the cages.
A few hours later she stops and starts to sail towards some buildings in the distance.
You are all quite tired, very thirsty, a bit hungry, and quite fed up most probably.
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With aid from his squire Sir Reinhart does his best to gry dry.
"Well, I can hear those stomach's grumbling, but lets remember any unnecessary stops may put the mission in danger." Pausing for a moment to search for the right vernacular. "That said, we might find Ms. Fane and some grub at the same time..."
So, after the hour waiting on the sand bar with wet feet, over the next few hours, Hlar sails her boat in a meandering path to shore along the submerged rock formations, every now and then jumping overboard and diving for-- several minutes!
Before reemerging with an oyster, a sea urchin, or a squid.
The squid tries to become Captain Snagrak's hat.
The sea urchin wants to get into Sturgeon's hand and prick it.
And the oyster-- remains inscrutable.
Then the wind dies down. as you approach, and Hlar gets to rowing the boat instead, tossing a spare oar to Sir Reinhart:
"Work, instead of always thinking about eatin'.
Since Benarry made me come out of my way to get you lot, the least you can do is help get everyone to shore!"
Hlar’s boat arrives in Port Peril around sunset.
As you drift into Crescent Harbor, some with blisters on their hands from the oars, sailors disembarking for shore leave remain clearly visible, singing rowdily as they work.
Hlar soon lands at a smaller dock to unload her catch and gestures at Fane’s ship in one of the docks—the Risen Albatross painted on the bow.
"Stella Fane’s penchant for riotous nights on the town once she’s returned to port are well known. Aye, she'll be out partyin'!"
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Snagrak quickly comes to an understanding with the small squid, he will stop biting it and it will sit on his hat rather than his head. With this new, majestic, headgear the goblin mostly passes the time in the boat offering ‘helpful’ suggestions to those new to sailing, that and fighting some of the crabs for space... well, mostly losing to the crabs for space.
As the small boat puts in at dock Snagrak nimbly hops up onto the planks, ”Much thankings for boat ride!” he cheerily exclaims to Hlar, ”Also for new hat and crab fights, lots of fun!” Scanning the crowds he looks for anyone who might seem to be in charge of the docks.
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From down below in the ship, the short Goblin can only see up the kilts of a bunch of sailors on the wharf above him--
--he looks away, disgusted!
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"Stella Fane’s penchant for riotous nights on the town once she’s returned to port are well known. Aye, she'll be out partyin'!"
"Partying?" replies Pell. His face initially suggests that he is intrigued, but soon it shows only focused determination. "Let's get to it quickly, then. All night, if necessary."
"Oh, the harbormaster, Tsojmin Kreidoros. knows everything, he'll probably have a good idea of where he saw Fane head after her ship docked and unloaded."
She points to a bald Dwarf bureaucrat who is close by, checking off tasks written in a ledger.
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Jamal gets out of the boat, quite exhausted. But he doesn't seem much upset when he says:
"This mission is strangely organized, but that's not the point now. Let's get the job done."
And he gets to the harbormaster.
"Hello, I'm Jamal. I'm looking for someone in here and been told you should know where I can find her. Her name's Fane, she's the captain of the Risen Albatross."
"And I'm working, and not looking for anyone who should go to the Bureau of Locating People. Oh, we don't have one."
He keeps on ticking things off on his ledger--
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"And I highly respect your work and how you helped a poor stranger with such diligence while being in the middle of a critical task. Dwarves like you are why Port Peril works like a ticking clock. You are an example to young generations like me. An encounter like today's is life defining, I'll certainly tell my grandchildren how meeting you was the best thing that will have ever happened in my whole, and quite short, human life."
The man lifts an eyebrow, and looks around Jamal's body, and hands--
--but shrugs.
"You gotta silver tongue.
Won't put food on my kids' plate... so you're lucky I aint' got any kids."
He sighs, and points his thumb over his shoulder.
"The Last Catch, that's the drinking establishment where Stella is spending her hard-liberated gold right now."
Then he goes back to his work.
"Shines bright in the sky, in three letters, starting with an S and ending in an N... SIN?"
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"Put food on your kids plate, 7 letters, starts with br... Let me check my dictionary. Briar, obviously too short... Bride, too short, too. Look, they are contiguous words in my dictionary, lawful good edition! That's a pity, for your non existent kids."
And then Jamal walks away in the direction of the Last Catch, telling his companions to follow him and mumbling for himself once far away from the dwarf:
"I hate incompetence!"
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Snagrak stares back and forth between Jamal and the dwarf with a bemused look on his face, trying, and probably failing to entirely follow the conversation. Shrugging as Jamal begins to walk away he gives the harbormaster a wave, echoed by a tentacle from his hat, and then scurries off after the other pathfinder.
"You wizard of saying things!" he says to Jamal, seeming very impressed by the mans rhetoric. Looking around at the riotous town and the ne'er-do-wells who inhabit it he beams a smile as they go, "Snagrak happy to be back in Port Peril, is best place!"
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Jamal smiles at Snagrak, both amused and flattered.
"Where I come from, being a wizard with words is important if you want people to listen to you. Also, sarcasm is a pleasure!"
Jamal's smile gets larger when saying his last sentence.
"I could explain you if you want."
Turning to Locke:
"Bribery undermines governments all around Golarion, it's a a vermin that needs to be crushed without remorse."
Jamal looks around if he sees a tavern called the Last Catch.
"Finding a tavern shouldn't be hard..."