Move on. I'll do what I can.
The halfing woman inspects Marven's burns and wounds, and treats them as she can
SL+2
Marven stirs as Magda work to bind his wounds. He tries to raise his hand, but his assistant pushes it down.
"Please bear with her, good dwarf. Sandra is young and has always had a sharp tongue..." he croaks. "I want to thank all of you for helping the way you did. My livelihood is in ruins, but you tried. I will answer all of your questions, but please give me time to rest." The man seems utterly exhausted.
Sandra looks displeased, but turns to you. "Master Fermahn must rest for now. I will have him taken to the Carved Crown. If you wish to speak to him further, please meet us there tonight."
"Seek your healers Manling. We will speak soon."
Well this is a pickle... and no mistake. I dare not return to my employer until the merchant replies, and so I am bound to you all if your intent is to meet with him anon... alas, I will need to use the river a moment, he says.
Ludger will wait until Magda finishes with Marven before approaching her. "Um, Doktor, the stupid Snotling cut up my legs pretty badly. Would you be able to help? They are both quite painful now that the fighting is finished."
Magda sets to work on Ludger's wounds, but all she can do for now is cleaning the wounds as much as she can and apply some bandages
Unfortunaty there is not much I can do for now. You should get these wounds cleaned with some clear, warm water, fresh bandages right after, and some rest
Night is settling in when you arrive at the Carved Crown, a moderately upscale tavern near the docks. The smell of the river and fish waft together through the stilled air. The Crown's typical clientele consists of merchants, clerks & ship officers: each of you immediately stands out when you enter and several heads turn to take notice.
A servant dressed in simple livery approaches you. "You are here to meet with Mister Fermahn, correct? May I have your name?"
+4
Axel Rorendorf, he says, bareheaded and hood clasped in his hands so as to appear humble... and glad of his newly washed clothes.
Night is settling in when you arrive at the Carved Crown, a moderately upscale tavern near the docks. The smell of the river and fish waft together through the stilled air. The Crown's typical clientele consists of merchants, clerks & ship officers: each of you immediately stands out when you enter and several heads turn to take notice.
A servant dressed in simple livery approaches you. "You are here to meet with Mister Fermahn, correct? May I have your name?"
** spoiler omitted **
”Braunlich, Ludger Braunlich,” Ludger says in his best imitation upper class accent.
Unfortunately, Ludger knows no Lore.
"My Name is 'The mean Dwarf Lady Who Doesn't Like It When People Demand Her Name But Refuse To Give Theirs First'."
"It's Bretonian."
Kupferaugen, Magda. And you are?
The halfling girl seems a little taken aback by the dwarfess rudeness
Despite Bolka's lack of an answer, the man seems satisfied. Despite the looks you are getting from the other patrons, Albwin seems unbothered. "I am a servant in the employ of the Greater Reik Trading Company. My name is of no importance, but if it will put you at ease you may call me Albwin. I believe you know Mister Fermahn. He is working with Lutz Fischbein, a representative of my company, tonight. Please follow me. I will show you to them."
Albwin leads you through the common room of the Carved Crown and out a locked back door he opens with a key into a cramped but well-tended common space between two buildings. High bricked walls are on either side of the miniature courtyard, and a pool of water inscribed with iconography of Verena is on the left. Ahead of you is an unmarked building and Albwin leads you up a set of stairs to a door on the second floor. He opens the door and ushers you inside.
The room you enter is large and richly furnished. A polished wooden floor is covered with an intricately designed carpet. Two couches stand back-to-back in the center with cream-colored seat coverings. A fireplace on the left wall has two small plants in simple vases resting atop its mantel and above that is a painting of a stately man. The far wall has shelves filled with several books as well as a small collection of what are likely expensive alcohols. The wall to the right is furnished with a small table with a collection of confections, a set of finely crafted ceramic cups & a pitcher of water. Doors lead out of the far side of both the left & right walls.
"Please wait a moment while I announce your arrival," says Albwin. He leaves through the left-side door.
Ludger is definitely not used to such luxurious surrounding but refuses to be intimidated. I killed four Greenskins by myself, that's even more than the Slayer so fancy furniture ain't scaring me, Ludger tells himself. To demonstrate his newly confident mood, Ludger walks over to the confections and shoves a couple into his mouth and then puts a few more into his pockets. Ludger points-out the fancy food to the others and with a full mouth says, "Twy deese, 'ummy" spewing crumbs as he speaks.
Axel follows and then waits nervously for the representatives return.
Are... are we supposed to help ourselves?, awed by the 'wealth' displayed. Particularly the books... He wanted so badly to gain literacy. He would need it to get to his dream, his most cherished ambition.
They are here in the open, as an offering, I see no harm in taking a snack and appreciate the dish. It would be impolite,however, to stuff our pockets with more than needed. Some people starve in the city, and it's bad for your own health.
Magda glares at the big man, and having said her piece say nothing more
Being an halfling, Magda knows a few things about cooking, and she wants to savour the taste of the confections, so she picks just one, and savour it.
She doesn't gorge herself, as she knows, by her training as a doktor, the virtues of a balanced diet. That doesn't mean you have to deprieve yourself of something good, just that you need to eat no more than you need.
She does help herself with a cup of water, too, to wash away the taste of burning wood.
Magda's exploration of the delicacies sadly reveals little to her. Beyond the obvious sugar, something else is helping to sweeten the treat, but she can't tell what.
Not long after, Albwin returns to the room and invites you further in. "Master Fischbein and Mister Fermahn are ready to see you now. Please follow me." He doens't comment on the sorely depleted confectionary tray.
Following Albwin, you go down a narrow hallway with a turn to the right and pass several doors. The wooden floors of the hallways are similarly polished and you see a few paintings on the walls, but nothing as obviously extravigant as you saw in the front room.
Albwin opens of the doors and shows you in to what appears to be a sitting room. The wooden floor here is covered by a thick blue rug with a design that is obviously foreign. Three glass windows look out over Grunburg from a high vantage point, with a view of the Teufel where it meets the Grunburg Canal in the distance. The carpet has a deep blue fringe & dominant color to match the trim of the baseboards. The walls themselves and the primary seating are covered in a cream-colored fabric, while some additional chairs that were brought in for the meeting have wooden seats and backing. A fireplace to the left of the entry door crackles warmly. A small end table sits in the middle of the room's cramped quarters fails to match the rest of the decor. The metal object that you saw earlier today sits atop it.
Marven is laid across a couch in the room in a resting position. A young man with blonde hair sits in a chair nearby. A young woman with black hair sits in the far corner of the room, positioned with plenty of space for herself despite the cramped conditions elsewhere. She is reading a book and pointedly ignoring the proceedings.
Albwin steps to the side to allow you to enter. He gestures toward the blond haired man. "May I introduce you to Lutz Fischbein. I believe you are already familiar with Mister Fermahn. Master Fischbein, this is Axel Rotendorf, Ludger Braunlich, Magda Kupferaugen and The mean Dwarf Lady Who Doesn't Like It When People Demand Her Name But Refuse to Give Theirs First."
With a bow toward Lutz, Albwin backs out of the room. As the door closes, Lutz gestures toward the remaining seats in the room. "Thank you for coming tonight. Hans is a friend of my late father, and I'm told that you each were of great assistance to him this morning." One cream-covered chair remains, along with three wooden chairs.
"I represent the interests of the Greater Reik Trading Company here in Grunburg. Hans tells me that he wishes to reward you for your efforts earlier today by offering a place for you in a business venture of his that the company will be backing. Before we begin, please: tell us a little about yourselves."
I? Your honour, I am but a simple commoner... but I've always wanted to be a scholar sir... to know letters is a great thing! I have little to add except I have no family, having been raised by my Grandfather, who has since passed on.
Ludger hurriedly wipes the crumbs away from his mouth and smiles at Lutz. ”Pleasure to meet you Herr Fischein. I am Ludger Braunlich of Ubersreik at your service,” Ludger says while trying to ape the bows he seen from higher status folk. ”Expert cargo mover and Greenskin slayer. You may have heard that I personally killed almost half a dozen of the vile beasts earlier,” Ludger gestures to his torn and bloody pants and his bandages,”and paid a bit of a price myself saving Marven here. Now then, if I had a sword and maybe some armor I probably could have killed all of the Greenskins and saved the wagon.” Ludger finishes by again smiling at Lutz and then adopts a posture of attention, mimicking a soldier the best he can.
I am Magda, Magda Kupferaugen
says the copper-eyed halfling girl
And I'm studying to become a doktor. I'm from the Moot, as most halflings, and my extended family still lives there. I know a few basic things about sailing, but of course my height doesn't help me much. I'm not much a fighter, obviously, but I do have other talents.
After a pause, she adds
I was looking for some Thirsfen herbs, for a young patient of mine. As you are in the trading business, do you know where I can find some? I would appreciate the gesture.
Lutz nods as you complete your introductions. "Thank you. This is all very unusual, bringing people we hardly know onto sensitive work but I'm going to trust Hans on this. It is his project, after all. Please, be seated."
"Ah, I suppose you might need an introduction to him as well, though you've spoken with him before." Lutz gestures to the man on the couch. "This is Hans Fermahn. He still goes by Marven while he's working, I assume. The things we all won't do for a magnificent-sounding name..."
Hans raises himself up on the couch. His voice is croaking and harsh, still raw from the flames. "You always tease, Lutz. But 'Hans' has no flair to it. All that is done now, though. Without my wagon...so be it."
He turns to Magda. "I'm afraid that I no longer have any Thirsfen to provide you. Anything I had is gone now. I've already spoken with Lutz about it, and he cannot provide you with what you seek either. His business is shipping, not acquisition of rare and exotic goods. If you are willing to accompany us on our journey, however, it is possible we might be able to find some."
"And that brings us to the heart of the matter," Hans continues. "Lutz, if you would explain? Speaking is exhausting and you've heard it all before."
Lutz gestures to the metal device on the table. "Please, examine the compass for yourselves."
He waits for the metal device to be passed around. As he indicated, it is a compass with a firmly built metal casing, made to fill the outstretched hand of a human. The glass covering the compass is cracked with a line crossing the casing off-center of its middle. The pointer is made from roughly cut stone, contrasting with the workmanship of the remainder, and it drifts about listlessly in the water inside. A metal covering snaps firmly into place when shut, and a metal chain is connected to one side.
The outside of the case is embossed with a design on the sides, on opposite ends, bearing the symbol of a rampant lion set against a pair of crossed spears.
After the group has had an opportunity to examine the compass and ask any questions, Lutz takes the compass back and continues. "Hans obtained the compass years ago. As you can see, it appears to be broken: a compass should point to the north. A scholar he consulted with called the pin inside a magnet and said that either this compass lacked a proper magnet altogether or that it had lost its strength. I confess I'm not sure what that would mean, but scholars can be mysterious."
Lutz leans forward in his chair. "Of course, if that is what all of this was about, Hans wouldn't have invited you here. Observe what happens now." He takes a silver-white bar of metal from his pocket and holds it near to the compass. As he does so, the compass needle snaps to point in its direction, following along as Lutz moves the piece of metal around the rim of the device. Finished with his demonstration, Lutz holds up the metal bar. "This is known as alchemist's silver. It has some value, though less than gold, only because it is rarely created and only for specific needs. We ship it to the College of Magic in Altdorf on occaision, for example. If you attempt the same trick with a related metal such as the silver in a shilling, the compass does nothing."
"So what we have before us is a compass made to point not northward, but to alchemist's silver. It is a fine parlor trick. But again, we would not have called you here merely for that."
"The symbol on the side of the compass is heraldry of a fallen noble line, but was last associated with a wrecker captain named the Redblade Lion. His predations ended almost two hundred years ago and was quite successful until the Empire caught up with him. His last conquest before he was hung was the Earl of Harwich, a ship belonging to my company." Lutz picks up a piece of paper on a stand next to him. "And its manifest shows that it carried a large amount of alchemist's silver."
Hans Fermahn raises a hand and picks up the conversation, his voice rasping. "The Earl has never been found, and the compass gives me cause to think that it was crafted to direct its bearer to the ship or to its goods. A map for buried treasure, after a fashion. I had intended to straighten out a few more details and sell the compass to some intrepid soul, but after the disaster this morning I no longer have such a luxury. All of my holdings are gone and it is time to take risks. I intend to find the Earl of Harwich myself. If you wish, I would be willing to take each of you on. I can offer you a portion of the value of anything we salvage."
"Of course, if the compass fails us or if the goods have all been moved, such a share might be nothing. But this is what I can offer to you now."
It takes Ludger about 3 seconds to think through the implications of what's been stated and then he blurts out exicitedly, "I'm in Marven! When do we leave? Wait a minute, supplies, we need supplies. I need a sword and some armor and maybe a bow and some arrows and some food and some rope and warm clothes and, uh, anything else that someone who's hunting for treasure should have."
"My name is Bolka, and I am a Slayer. I was promised information about my doom, and I will see that promise honored."
While she does her best to remain stoic when the compass is passed around, there is a certain gleam in her eye when treasure is mentioned.
"I saw that before and it is well made, but if it can lead us to treasure..." she leaves the words lingering.
It is indeed an old problem among the Dawi; Dwarves are naturally greedy. Even the most noble of Dwarven souls feels the unmistakable pull of wealth from time to time; on the other hand, a Slayer's oath is to slay until they die. An activity that clearly doesn't lend itself to the acquisition of material wealth.
It was in the offing that Bolka made herself a deal. She would find and take her part of this treasure, and THEN she would find her doom.
I need funds to reach my dream, and this at least seems a legal, if danegrous, way to find some money. What would be our share?
Mere mention of the college of magic made the young warlocks heart flutter with excitement. A gift of such silver would do much to ease his way into the good graces of the wizards...
I cannot say no! I only ask that a man of enterprise such as yourself undertake to teach me letters around the campfire at night... we can use canvas and charcoal or a stick in the dirt I suppose... and maybe bring along a few of these books?
Hans looks over to Lutz, who shrugs, before he answers. "The Greater Reik Trading Company will be providing capital for the expedition and is taking on a great deal of risk for this endeavour. I've already promised Lutz that the Company will receive seven shares in ten. I can promise you each one share in forty."
Lutz taps the shipping manifest before speaking. "Talk of shares might be too much of an abstraction. I've had my clerks review the records of the Earl's cargo based on the assumption that this is a simple salvage operation. They lined out several items that they felt would spoil over this length of time: foodstuffs obviously, but fine materials like silk would also likely not survive. Based on current market prices, they estimate that as much as two to three thousand crowns worth of salvage might still be available for the taking. Your share out of a haul of two thousand crowns would be fifty."
"Of course, just like our company that estimate is highly uncertain. It assumes that Redblade's crews left the Earl of Harwich largely unlooted. That isn't as crazy as it might sound: wreckers have a great deal of trouble fencing goods of this value in amounts this large, and the Redblade gang didn't survive for long after the attack. The estimate also assumes that the Earl herself did not survive the attack. Returning the ship to the Company would have its own reward. It is even possible that we might be able to recover goods unrelated to their attack on my company's ship, which could raise the total even higher."
"The largest risk, of course, is that we find nothing. I believe in the work that Hans has done to verify his story enough to take risks on behalf of my company. But we all need to understand that this effort is highly speculative. Coming away empty-handed is perhaps the most likely result."
"With that in mind, some of you might prefer guarantees for your work. I've advised Hans that if you wish to secure a minimum reward for your efforts, he should reduce the share he has offered to you. If you prefer, you can work for the Company on this expedition for wages, but that would come at the expense of a share of any potential salvage altogether."
"There are a few remaining matters: as Hans said, the Greater Reik Trading Company will provide capital for the expedition. That includes provisions as well as some equipment you can use to protect yourselves. We would require that you return such equipment after the expedition, and any damage would come out of any share of salvage you receive."
I would like shares please sir... I have confidence in this enterprise.
The math is a struggle for Ludger to keep up with considering all the talk of parts of shares but he gets the main point he thinks. ”Okay then, give me half of the 50 Crowns up front and then give me half of what I would have gotten at the end. Do that and I’ll pay for my own gear and keep it when this is done. Fair’s fair right and besides I did kill the most Greenskins,” Ludger says then spits on his right palm and hold his hand out to Lutz to shake.
"There is no salvage yet, and so your share is worth nothing. ..." the young woman sitting in the back blurts out. Her muttering afterward is inaudible, but obviously wasn't polite.
Lutz glares backward at the woman behind him, then sighs. "That was rude, but she is correct. I apologize if you misunderstood, Ludger. Any rewards from a share of the salvage can only come after we know how much that is. The fifty crowns I mentioned were meant as an example of how much we might expect the reward to be. It could be more than that, or much, much less. You cannot expect anything up front."
For my part, I do understand sir, and again, I am fine with a share... that said I am a halfway decent archer. Unfortunately I am without a bow or money to buy such... if a bow could be bought with the understanding it belongs to the company until I pay for it out of eventual shares? That would make me far more useful against any potential risks..., he says diffidently.
"There is no salvage yet, and so your share is worth nothing. ..." the young woman sitting in the back blurts out. Her muttering afterward is inaudible, but obviously wasn't polite.
Lutz glares backward at the woman behind him, then sighs. "That was rude, but she is correct. I apologize if you misunderstood, Ludger. Any rewards from a share of the salvage can only come after we know how much that is. The fifty crowns I mentioned were meant as an example of how much we might expect the reward to be. It could be more than that, or much, much less. You cannot expect anything up front."
Ludger gives the annoying young woman a disgusted look and then shrugs his shoulders and accepts Lutz's offer of 1 share in 40.
Magda takes a few minutes to ponder the pros and cons and finally says
I agree to the share
For my part, I do understand sir, and again, I am fine with a share... that said I am a halfway decent archer. Unfortunately I am without a bow or money to buy such... if a bow could be bought with the understanding it belongs to the company until I pay for it out of eventual shares? That would make me far more useful against any potential risks..., he says diffidently.
Haggle 33
+0 success?
Lutz claps his hands as the deal is settled. "Excellent. With that matter out of the way, we should proceed with our investigation. Hans has done a great deal of work in determining the whereabouts of the Earl of Harwich, but one significant hole remains in what we need to know. We lack information about where the ship was lost. Unfortunately, the events are too long ago and the records I have access to no longer say which port she was last seen, nor her expected route of travel. Unfortunately, the compass cannot guide us here: we suspect that it needs to be far closer to the alchemist's silver to be of any use."
"That said, we are not without a lead. There is a man in Ubersreik that left my company on rather...unfortunate terms. When he left, the more historical records our company were retained for his personal use as part of the settlement we made with him. At the time we had no reason to suspect that the company had further need of the documents, and he had long since been made their caretaker. Ideally, we need contracts of sale for goods the Earl was shipping, which should tell us more about her destination. Even more important, however, would be the last port in which the ship docked."
"The man's name is Timon Walbaum. He lives in Ubersreik's Marketplatz. Unfortunately, any letter of recommendation I send you with would hinder your efforts more than help: it would be best if Timon never learned of your association with the Greater Reik Trading Company. To make matters worse, we recently corresponded with Timon in an effort to gain the information ourselves and were rebuffed. Asking directly may rouse his suspicions."
"Nonetheless, we would ask you to sail upriver to Ubersreik and learn what you can. I've prepared a barge you can use to take you to Ubersreik. The ship leaves tomorrow morning, and you can find it by asking for the Sunfish. Your passage and board are taken care of, so you will not need to concern yourself with that."
Bolka listened to the plan then shrugged and said "I need an inn."
"The boatswain of the Sunfish will see to your outfitting. I'm not aware of what preparations he has made, but it's unlikely that he has bows in stock. Until we have the shipping records from the Earl of Harwich, the company also needs to limit its expenses. I doubt that a bow or other specialized equipment will be on hand."
"If you return from Ubersreik with the shipping records, we'll see what we can manage. It all depends on what our prospects of finding the Earl look like at that time."
"As for accommodations, if you wish to stay at the Carved Crown for the night, we can put you up in the common room. Albwin will make arrangements with the inn. In any case, be sure to be down to the docks early in the morning."
"The boatswain of the Sunfish will see to your outfitting. I'm not aware of what preparations he has made, but it's unlikely that he has bows in stock. Until we have the shipping records from the Earl of Harwich, the company also needs to limit its expenses. I doubt that a bow or other specialized equipment will be on hand."
"If you return from Ubersreik with the shipping records, we'll see what we can manage. It all depends on what our prospects of finding the Earl look like at that time."
"As for accommodations, if you wish to stay at the Carved Crown for the night, we can put you up in the common room. Albwin will make arrangements with the inn. In any case, be sure to be down to the docks early in the morning."
"If this Timon gets a bit broken during handling, that's not a problem is it? As long as we get the records?"
"I'm sure that you would find your job easier to accomplish if you had Timon's assistance. The historical records he took with him are extensive, after all. That said, as long as our company's name isn't brought into the matter I'm sure that we have little reason to be hear about petty domestic disputes in Ubersreik."
The next morning, you make your way to the docks and have little difficulty finding the Sunfish. It's a small barge by comparison to many of the large haulers around it, but still has deck space for a single cabin above the voluminous hold. A few sailors are on deck, making preparations to cast off.
As you approach the Sunfish, you are met by a short man with a slender but tanned and well-muscled build. He looks up from his ledger and takes note of your names before waving you on board. "Not much to look at, but you'll do. On these here docks, the name is Isaac...Isaac Krieger. Up there, he points a thumb back at the Sunfish, you will address me as 'Sir'. If you forget that, you can use 'Lord Master' or 'Yes Lord'. I'm the boatswain here, and if you need to speak to the captain for anything, you come to me first."
He guides you toward a pile of leather armor and boat hooks that has been piled next to the cabin door. "Take one each. That's yours while you are aboard. If you lose it or return them damaged, it'll come out of whatever arrangement you've made with Fischbein. I'm lucky enough to not need to care about that. That said, I'm still responsible to see that equipment on the Sunfish isn't squandered carelessly. Come find me after you are outfitted. We'll be casting off as soon as that wench makes it back here, so don't dawdle."
When you locate Isaac later, he looks you over your gear critically but doesn't comment. "We're short-handed, so if any of you know your way around a ship I can pay you wages while you are here. Thirty clanks a week. The rest of you are passengers, but if you can pole a barge without falling into the Teufel, we'll see if we can work something out."
He jabs a finger toward a pile of rocks on the deck and then raises his arm to point at some dock pilings rising out of the water nearby. "I have a few axes I can arm you with, but I can't hand them out to any sot with five fingers. Show me you can throw properly and we'll finish your kit."
He is happy for the armour and boat hook.
He declines to test out for the throwing hatchets. He knows that he's better with a bow.
No bows then? Here's hoping that there is a lone syphilitic bandit with a bow on the way... I'll try my hand at polling then... I have the benefit of being able to at least being able swim a little if I take a spill.
"Yo Ho Ho Isaac. I've got some experience working on river barges and will gladly take you up on the employment. I definitely need more clanks. I should be able to throw an axe so let's see how I can do with rocks."
Ludger takes aim at the piling 20 yards away.
Ludger smiles and winks at Magda.
Ludger takes aim at the piling 30 yards away.
"So, 30 yards may be a tad long to hit with a rock, huh Guv?"
Ludger takes aim at the piling 20 yards away again.
"Good enough for you, Isaac?" Ludger says with a happy grin on his face. Ludger backs away from the rocks to give the others a chance to shine.
Magda takes a stone and throws it
I don't have strong arms as you do, but I used to have a decent aim
It's only on the third throw that Magda barely hits the closest target
It seems "Used to" was the essential part of my previous sentence.
Bolka secures a hook, but scoffs at the armor and follows the Bosun up to the ship.
When asked about relevant nautical experience, she says "I flew on an airship once, but I don't think that counts. I can help pole, however, and guard as well."
With his test complete, Isaac issues a hand axe to Ludger. "Keep in mind that we're over water, aye? If you throw this around like you did those rocks you'll be out a crown just as fast. Be sure you know what you're throwing at."
The bells of Grunburg begin to toll as Isaac spots something on shore and whistles for the crew. "Capn coming aboard! Prepare to cast off!"
As the work on the ship intensifies, a barrel-chested man crosses the plank onto the Sunfish. At a glance, you can tell that his meaty right hand is missing his second and fourth fingers, with heavy scarring crossing the rest. "Cast off, Krieger!" he bellows over the clamor of the docks and heads for the cabin. "Send me the starlings after we're off."
He's followed on deck by Sandra Abicht, the young woman you met the prior evening. She's dressed for travel, but makes no move to help with the ship as she follows the captain into the cabin area.
As the docks disappear behind a bend in the river, Isaac directs each of you to go meet with the Captain in his office in the cabin. The 'office' consists of a small room with cramped desk space and uncomfortably small quarters for four people. Sandra rests on one of the bunks outside.
With his test complete, Isaac issues a hand axe to Ludger. "Keep in mind that we're over water, aye? If you throw this around like you did those rocks you'll be out a crown just as fast. Be sure you know what you're throwing at."
The bells of Grunburg begin to toll as Isaac spots something on shore and whistles for the crew. "Capn coming aboard! Prepare to cast off!"
As the work on the ship intensifies, a barrel-chested man crosses the plank onto the Sunfish. At a glance, you can tell that his meaty right hand is missing his second and fourth fingers, with heavy scarring crossing the rest. "Cast off, Krieger!" he bellows over the clamor of the docks and heads for the cabin. "Send me the starlings after we're off."
He's followed on deck by Sandra Abicht, the young woman you met the prior evening. She's dressed for travel, but makes no move to help with the ship as she follows the captain into the cabin area.
As the docks disappear behind a bend in the river, Isaac directs each of you to go meet with the Captain in his office in the cabin. The 'office' consists of a small room with cramped desk space and uncomfortably small quarters for four people. Sandra rests on one of the bunks outside.
Ludger is a bit cheeky as long as they are on the dock..."Aye-aye guv, axes don't float. Got it."
But as soon as he boards the Sunfish he is deadly serious knowing how quickly disaster can strike on the rivers of the Reikland.
Following the Boatswain's directions, Ludger gets to work helping get the boat underway.
Ludger easily shows that he deserves his place amongst the crew.
Well underway, Ludger cheerfully goes to introduce himself to the Captain and knuckles his forehead respectfully.
"Begging your pardon sir, I was instructed to report to you once we were underway. Trained sailor, Ludger Braunlich of Ubersreik at your service. Honored to be aboard and looking forward to getting back to Ubersreik. You may know my father, he leads the Braunlich crew of stevedores in Ubersreik."
I can't believe that I spent so long trying to get away from Ubersreik just to have to turn around and go back and Da is going to want me to give up on 'this sailing nonsense,' Ludger thinks with annoyance even as he maintains his cheerful and respectful demeanor.
Once Ludger has a break, he happily puts on his armor and straps his new weapon into place.
Madga does her best, but she is ill suited to rowing, nearly becoming a nuisance more than a help
Row STR
His polling efforts are awkward... clumsy even.
He introduces himself to the boatswain.
Sir, I'm Axel... I'm happy to work and not skive off. I'll even bail if this boat requires it. I'll try not to get underfoot.