|
Kahwen bows to Armeline as they board the boat.
As Rallas speaks, the tengu is, indeed checking the vessel out. His gaze jumps from rope to sail, from rowing port to windlass. But he knows that sailing a vessel properly takes careful organization and even a trained assistant is no assistance if they aren't in the correct place at the correct time.
"I am at your service, captain."
|
Busy is likely an understatement. Anything you need us to do? Kahwen here is a fair hand at sailing tasks. I'm not, but will do what is needed...
Armeline steps over "Greetings Pathfinders. I have been busy as of late.""I can imagine. Eliza says you and your crew will sail us down to
Isarn and wait until we complete our mission to aid our withdrawal, and continue to Cassomir from Isarn. Do you anticipate any problems with this plan?"
"No lord Blakros...I absolutely will wait as instructed."
The journey from Rosehaven to Isarn is about 10 miles long
and takes several hours. The journey is quiet as the boat passes along. The keelboat maneuvers itself into an empty slip in Isarn’s docks around midnight. The crew lowers the gang plank.
"Good luck on your investigation!" says Armeline.
|
"Interesting letter - seems we need to find a cheap tavern with a bird in its name, and there we may find our contact Eylara. Fortunately we are on a boat heading for a dock, and where there are docks there are sailors and longshoremen, and they tend to have a bit of savvy about where to find a bargain beer"
|
|
Rallas and Granny ask a passer by for information on a bar with a bird in it's name and they suggest the Duck Dock. Heading through the town, you bar on a side street. A painted sign with a mallard hangs outside.
|
|
Percy
Perception
Sense Motive
Boffins the invisible dragon.
Perception
Sense Motive
"Good afternoon comrade, ale for myself and my companions" Percy slides a couple of coppers across the table "This place might be the Duck Dock, but a few fine cups of morale we will be soaring like Eagles" Percy slightly overemphasizes the last, then looks around the tavern, probably not the labourers, probably not the dwarves, the barkeep doesn't seem like an Eagle Knight, maybe the Half-elf.
Natharanak, riding on Granny's shoulder, does his best to act like a normal bird as his head swivels to take in the other patrons.
|
|
The party notices that the half eleven woman is nervous. She taps her fingers repeatably on her jacket. The table of merchants glances at you as you enter then goes back to their conversation.
particular.
|
|
"Pardon my intrusion, but I couldn't help notice your fine ornament there - I have a few friends with similar ones that are strikingly similar, and there I was making a quip about soaring like Eaglesdue to two of my companions being Tengu and one with a parrot, and now this pin, feathers indeed, a Major co-incidence, care to join us? I'd like to hear more about it, perhaps you can help me find the path to a suitable artisan"
|
"Oh, you look just like my son" Granny says, leaning next to Sinclair. "Well, if he had more human in him, at least. He used to live southwest of here, before he started travelling. The latest letter I got from him says he managed to cut himself pretty badly while gardening, of all things." She sighs, presenting the image of a put-upon grandmother. "Sometimes you just want to go to them and fix all their problems, no matter how old they get."
"You know what I mean, right?"
|
|
Kahwen is quiet as the group moves along, keeping to the back and with a keen eye for their surroundings.
He just points to Rallas' drink when it comes up and holds a finger up to indicate that he'll have one for himself.
He isn't quite sure why the group picks out the person they pick out but he doesn't join them. If they're being subtle, the last thing they need to do is all crowd around a table. He stays at the bar and watches the rest of the patrons to see if THEY'RE watching too closely.
|
|
Eylara nods trustingly at Rallas. She turns to Percy and Granny. "I admit that plants can be dangerous. But there's lots going on here with plants in a GARDEN. All aren't whom they seem to be. My friend likes letters too but isn't the gardening type." She pauses and turns to Percy. "Nor is he overly fond of nobles but likes PAPER and more." She stresses the last word as she looks at Granny. She turns her head and glances at the door, as if looking for a way out.
|
|
"Snakes in the grass are nobody's friend" Granny tells Eylara, "but you shouldn't need to worry about those around us."
She gives her practiced "trustworthy grandmother" smile. "They wouldn't need to stick their necks out, anyway. Flowers would get pruned with or without their involvement."
It's good of Jory to have a hobby... but sandwiches? Well, there are worse things he could be collecting.
|
|
"Granny your words give me hope that you are truthful. This way please"
She leads you to a back room with a worn table and several chairs.
"Pathfinders" she continues. "I know there are
executions scheduled for the coming morning and that the
convicted are not Galtan. I can show you the facility the
Andorens have been taken to." She provides you with
directions to it; She tells you she also noticed that the Gray Gardeners and others operating this
particular facility seem to be particularly fanatical about their
work—“even for Galtans”—and can relate that there seems
to be a surprising number of arguments taking place on the
streets around the prison. These arguments are an effect of
the pakalchi sahkils guarding the prison and influencing
nearby people, though it is unlikely that you would reach
such a conclusion on your own without further information.
Eylara also tells you of the prison’s history—under
Chelish colonization, it used to be a debtor’s prison, much
like the ones some of the people Colson abducted were
trying to bring to Andoran. She explains that she shares
Maldris’s view that such prisons are tantamount to slavery,
and pleads with you to do your best to save Maldris
from death.
"I'm not willing to enter the prison but can give you other indirect help"
|
|
"Eylara, tell us what you know about the prison, and any of the main people who might be there"
"Kahwen, Rallas, perhaps some scouting - time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted. Doors, windows, building materials, what the roof is made out of, guards, their patrol timings and routes, and any nearby sewers or drainage entrances. All the usual things. Worst case, find me someone important and we can find a magical solution..."
|
|
"Eylara, tell us what you know about the prison, and any of the main people who might be there"
"Kahwen, Rallas, perhaps some scouting - time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted. Doors, windows, building materials, what the roof is made out of, guards, their patrol timings and routes, and any nearby sewers or drainage entrances. All the usual things. Worst case, find me someone important and we can find a magical solution..."
s
Eylara says she doesn't have any uniforms but you might be able to steal one she says.
|
|
Kahwen joins with Jory and Rallas in the scouting. He is, unsurprisingly, not very chatty along the way given their task.
He skulks near the prison, making himself as unobtrusive as possible and hiding his more discernable features under his big hat and coat.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 17
[dice=Stealth]1d20 + 23
Rallas and Kahwen stay in the shadows with the dwarf, and they are able to learn the patterns of the guards within the stone building. They catch glimpses of light from their lanterns through narrow, iron-barred openings in the dreaded facility. It seems that the guards make a circuit of the building every 30 minutes; otherwise they remain in one area in the center of the prison’s southern side.
Having watched the prison for about an hour, the prison’s southern entrance opens and two Gray Gardeners exit, using a key to lock the door behind them. They don't notice the Pathfinders.