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There is no Honor
And you.
And the horse. Something has spooked it, and its spirit has broken free of the reins that hold it. Just as its body has. Hard hooves pound on the ground as it charges through the crowd. Men and women dive out of the way.
The young ones don’t. They are too focused by a brightly colored lizard, darting this way and that across the lane. The hooves will crush their little bones, but the man holding the reins has let go after being dragged along. You step in front of the children and raise your hand.
The horse rears up, hooves slashing the air inches from your face.
”Stop,” you say, but not just with words. With your spirit. ”There is nothing to be afraid of. Do not harm these children.”
And the horse’s eye meets yours. Its hooves hit the ground, and it stands, panting and trembling. The man gets back to his feet and catches up. He takes the reins, mumbling thanks to you, leading the horse away. You feel many, many eyes on you, wondering what this strange creature from the jungle is. There is fear, gratitude, curiosity.
A middle-aged halfling woman in a dark cloak approaches you. She offers a warm smile, and then beckons you to lean down.
“That was very brave,” she says. She lowers her eyes. “My name is Kora Whistlegap. My family needs the help of brave souls. Please come to the Rusty Pirate tonight at ten. I will make it worth your while.”
The eldest leads the ox, and the middle one follows, pushing the wheels out of ruts. The wagon groans under a load of red meat, that draws more flies than you ever imagined could be in one place. The youngest waves a palm frond to keep the flies off the meat.
The road is too narrow to pass, not without leaving the safety of the road. The jungle is thick, and it feels like even brushing against it to pass the wagon invites danger. And as if conjured by your thought, danger appears. Dropping from a tree limb, a cat of some kind lands on the wagon. It’s no house cat, but a creature of the jungle, as long as a man is tall.
It grabs a huge joint of beef in its teeth. The youngest farmer, heroically, moronically, swipes at it with the palm branch. He gets the creatures attention, and it coils. It springs.
And it hits an invisible barrier. You’ve never cast so quickly in your life, and it was just enough to stop the cat from bringing those claws to bear on the boy. You must have yelled the incantation, though, because the cat’s attention is on you now.
Fire! Force!
It is quick, and strong, and you tumble in the mud out of its way once before you can get the barrier up. Fire! Fire!
”It’s dead,” the eldest says. He helps you to your feet. ”Thank you, sir wizard.”
This morning, you venture to the market. You could take the farmer up on his offer of free prime steak, but they threw the cat on the wagon with the beef, and you don’t want to risk having cat for breakfast.
A middle-aged halfling woman in a dark cloak approaches you. She offers a warm smile, and then beckons you to lean down.
“I heard what you did on the East Road yesterday,” she says. She lowers her eyes. “My name is Kora Whistlegap. My family needs the help of brave souls. Please come to the Rusty Pirate tonight at ten. I will make it worth your while.”
In hindsight, you may have been better off letting her think you were stealing.
A week later, you still hear her voice, ringing in your ear. What were you thinking? That the Master of the Alchemist’s Guild was really the only gnome in Sasserine with more wealth than the Erkenwalds? That alchemical products were high profit, if you knew how to make them?
That nobody had ever successfully broken into the Alchemist’s Guildhall. That it would be an adventure. And now you’re paying the consequences. Which begs the question of who is paying for the ale you’re drinking, because the Erkenwald’s fortune is no longer at your disposal.
A middle-aged halfling woman in a dark cloak sits beside you.
“Allow me,” she says, placing a few silver coins on the bar. Each one stamped with the Alchemist’s Guild mark. She gives you an understanding smile. “My name is Kora Whistlegap. My family needs the help of brave souls. Please come to the Rusty Pirate tonight at ten. I will make it worth your while.”
This is the price of your freedom, in this city that was unknown to you until you found yourself here two weeks ago. This may be - in some unfathomable way - the first step on your road to redemption. And it leaves you time to study. You pull the vines down, and sweep the floor of the shrine. Everything is in place. Everything is as it should be.
You turn towards the door to see a middle aged halfling woman in a dark cloak standing in the doorway. She steps inside, but after a few steps, it is clear she is not going to the altar. She is coming to speak with you. She beckons to you to lean down, so she can speak with you more easily.
“I understand you are a scholar as well as a warrior,” she says. She lowers her eyes. “My name is Kora Whistlegap. My family needs the help of wise souls. Please come to the Rusty Pirate tonight at ten. I will make it worth your while.”
She turns to leave, and you see the priest standing in the doorway. She thanks him and he nods. He looks at you, and nods his approval. Perhaps this is the first step.
The children run and scream and laugh and play. The nuns of Pelor that run the Dawnlight orphanage are, for the most part, kind. They are firm with the children, but never malicious. And none of these children are here because they came from someplace happy and safe. Why Tucker wanted to burn down an orphanage is a mystery, but you couldn’t do it. If you had been to a place like this, instead of falling in with thugs and thieves when you were a kid, who knows what you could have been?
Of course, with no boss to answer to, and no familiarity with life as an honest citizen, you find yourself something of a (grown) orphan yourself - adrift in the world with nothing to fill your time.
One of the nuns comes into the yard and points to you. The child she was with is no child, but a middle-aged halfling woman in a dark cloak approaches you. She offers a sly smile and takes a furtive glance around.
“So you’re the one who broke your boss’s jaw rather than burn this place,” she says softly, and smiles. “My name is Kora Whistlegap. My family needs the help of wise souls. Please come to the Rusty Pirate tonight at ten. I will make it worth your while.”
The Rusty Pirate is a typical Merchant District watering hole, where Ditch Street ends at the canal. The legend tells that the founder was an actual pirate, and that the boarding pike hanging above the bar was used in some famous sea battle, but her great grandchildren are running things now. The stew is peppery, the ale not too watered down, and the bread is hard enough to break your teeth.
Kora Whistlegap has reserved a private room, and awaits you there. The room is furnished with barrels, and you suspect on other days it serves as storage, but today there is stew and ale and bread.
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Milton nods to the halfling and says "I'll be there. I know the place." Thinking to himself Some money won't be a bad idea. Without Master Xerxes I'll be paying the bills.
A few minutes before Milton arrives at the Rusty Pirate. So far on his walk he hasn't run into anyone he knows. Which is good as far as he is concerned. He walk in and looks around. When he doesn't see Kora he stops one of the barmaids and asks "I am here to meet Kora Whistlegap do you know where she is" When pointed to the room, he heads back and nods at Kora and says "I have arrived as promised. Looks like I am first here."
Kora tells him "Have a seat and when the others arrive I will tell you all at once."
Milton sits and looks at the stew. It smells good but he pokes at the meat. He looks to Kora and asks "They didn't get their meat from the farmers I helped did they? I don't fancy having cat I've already cooked myself."
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Just because his is a crooked smile, rather more than merely a trifle diabolical, doesn't make it beam less brightly at even the hint of potential good news. Finishing his chores, and not forgetting his promise to stop by the Shrine of Lydia later this afternoon, Svetozar Lanezra asks the priest of Mayaheine if he knows where, what did Cora the Halfing say, "The Rusty Pirate," is located. .... 'Not sure, either the Merchant District or Azure District -- basically somewhere in the Sasserine center.' .... No problem.
Skipping out of the southeastern Sunrise District due north to the Shrine of Lydia, Suel goddess of Music, Svetozar Lanezra habitually looks for his 'Birthmark'; it's innocuous on his left forearm for now, nothing more than a livid blotch. 'Good Omen.' At the Shrine of Lydia he listens to some street music while he cleans an already cleaned altar and gets vague, ambiguous directions for The Rusty Pirate -- in the Merchant District. As the afternoon wanes to twilight, he even has time to stop by his favorite haunt, Callisto's Needle, before heading into a part of the city he's never before visited -- right around sundown.
Heading into the Merchant District and stopping to get further directions from moment to moment, Svetozar Lanezra becomes aware he can no longer see his Birthmark, gone from his left forearm and who knows where. Or what it looks like now -- 'A Pentagram? On his forehead? ....Worst case scenario.'
Not completely aware of the time, he guesses his arrival at The Rusty Dragon is one hour or so before the tenth hour of day -- being about two hours beyond twilight.
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"Hello Auntie Kora. The Spirits have led us to meet. I do not know what this "Rusty Pirate" is. Nor do I know when "10" is. I will follow you until you tell me we are at the right place at the right time"
With that, he drops some 10 or 20 feet behind her and follows her through the rest of the day.
When he gets (eventually) to the Pirate, he tries the ale and manages to not spit it out.
"I do not like this. Can I get some fresh water instead please?"
He is quite happy with the stew and the bread, dipping the bread into the stew and eating it that way and holding up the bowl and slurping the stew directly from the bowl. If there are any utensils he glances at them and then completely ignores them
When he hears the reference to cat being cooked he looks over at Milton in a very startled way.
"You are a hunter? That is good. As long as you say the Words to send on their spirits, which of course you do. But hunting cat? That is bad. They do not make good eating. "
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Honeylyn takes one of the silvers and flicks it in the air, catching it and repeating a few times. "Almost funny that Tittertop can literally mint his own money here in Sasserine. Cushy deal with the Lord-Mayor he's got. Even funnier that someone used it to pay my bar-tab after my face was plastered all over the broadsheets in Noble District. This Whistlegap lady, she knows things...seems like the kind of person a person who also wants to know things...a great many things...a great many profitable things...should make friends with. I'll play her game...sounds like by the mention of "souls" she's putting a crew together. Maybe this adventuring idea wasn't a bust after all...gratification was just delayed..."
After that internal monologue of mixed metaphors, she wanders the city through the rest of the day, mostly trying to keep out of sight to practice her sneaking skills and also to avoid more embarrassment from people recognizing her. She uses what's left of the money Kora gave her to buy a quick lunch and eats it on the go, until finally the appointed time draws near and she begins making her way to the Rusty Pirate.
She saunters in nonchalantly to see Kora, as expected, a relatively plain-looking human who she can easily sense magic within, and then...a cat-man? Honeylyn knew Sasserine was a cosmopolitan city (at least as cosmopolitan as a city COULD be in the remote jungles of the south, this was no Free City of Greyhawk!), but she'd never seen a cat walk on two legs and speak as a man. The other man wasn't quite as strange, but strange nonetheless, with a slight smell of brimstone and hellish vibes.
"Good evening, one-and-all," she says with a polite, though slightly-exaggerated bow. "Honeylyn Penabwa Uani Erkenwald of the Noble District Erkenwalds, at your service."
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Annelise has spent her time at the orphanage trying to be useful, but all she really knows at the moment is hurting people. So that's what she puts to use, giving some of the older girls some lessons in what might loosely be called 'self-defence' but should probably be more properly called 'how to maim someone in a hurry'
"You do it like this, grab and then jerk your head into their nose. Most guys will protect between their legs, but almost nobody expects a girl to headbutt them - oops ok that's enough now." She trails off as the nun appears. She didn't exactly ask permission to run these classes and she isn't sure if the nuns know about it or are pretending not to, but she tries not to be too blatant about what she is doing.
As the girls scatter back to other things, Annelise looks the newcomer up and down as she makes her speech. Her lips twist in a grin as Kora says she's looking for wise souls. If she was looking for lost, violent souls then Annelise would be first port of call, for sure, but she doesn't really know what to make of "wise" right now. On the other, empty, poor, coinless, hand, she is for sure very much out of options right now.
She nods. "Rusty Pirate. Ten. Tonight." A pause. "Thanks?"
Her reconaissance of the Rusty Pirate starts well before ten, with a full look around the outside to spot exits and nasty surprises that might be waiting. Only once the bell has tolled for ten does she finally mvoe away from the patch of shadow she has been using for cover, and walk carefully in.
It's surprsingly easy. All she has to do is spot the people who don't belong. She arrives just as the gnome has finished speaking "Hello Honelyn of the Noble District Erkenwalds." She nods at the others politely but warily. "I'm Annelise Wykes, of the Shadowshore Wykes."
Her green eyes briefly size up each of them in turn, raising her eyebrow only on seeing the talking cat-person, before focusing on Kora. "You said you have family troubles?"
Svetozar Lanezra sat alone in what he would have liked to have been an isolated corner, waiting for the Halfling Kora to arrive -- as he was quite early to The Rusty Pirate. Quiet and alone, without a mug or bowl, the Hellbred wasn't able to find a spot in the corner, and so he sat at the bar, pretending to be far away from those around him.
Awkwardly, an hour passed, the Fiend-Soul not seeing the Halfling he saw early this morning, and nervous feelings of embarrassment began blushing his cheeks. 'Certainly it is the tenth hour by now, three hours past twilight. Was I fooled? Could this have been a ruse to get me away from the Shrine of Mayaheine tonight? That seems unlikely.'
The bartender came back, almost half-an-hour since his last query to the demonic-looking guy *not* spending coin. Svetozar Lanezra had said he was waiting for someone when he first arrived, but attempting to preserve privacy meant he *didn't* provide the bartender with a name or a description. Now an hour has passed. "Looks like your friend stood you up; time to spend money or leave."
Svetozar Lanezra began standing to leave when he thought to ask if the Bartender had maybe seen a Halfing woman arrive earlier. That's when he was told of the private rooms. He felt so foolish, chiding himself for not thinking of that as a possibility. Now he's probably late.
.
Walking hurriedly to the private room, embarrassed for his lack of common sense, and his tardiness, Svetozar Lanezra steps into the interior door to see everyone else already there. Pausing at the presence of persons other than Kora the Halfling, he nonetheless enters and sheepishly apologizes for being late. He has no excuse.
In his haste to get from the barstool to the room, he almost forgot to check where his Fiendish Birthmark had gone -- and the image of him looking anxiously down his sark, jerkin and breeches as he apologetically took his seat was something between awkward and uncomfortable. Like he was looking for a bug in his clothes. But he couldn't find the Infernal mark.
.
He was obviously interrupting a conversation, and so tried quickly to allow the blonde girl with the piercing green eyes to continue. He did, though, inadvertently glance at the Tabaxi and release the briefest of breaths to seeing the mildly unexpected, "Rakasta."
She laughs and shakes her head at Milton's question. "I am quite sure the meat is fish," she says. "With a generous addition of salt pork." And it does seem to be the case.
When Honeylyn introduces herself, she nods acknowledgement of the family name. Not so for Annelise, but she does betray the ghost of a smile.
When everyone has arrived, the halfling pulls a curtain closed over the doorway to this room, granting them a little privacy, and a little quiet.
"Thank you all for coming," she says. She clears her throat. "Please help yourselves to food and drink. If there is anything lacking, I will see what can be done. I chose this place for the sake of discretion, not fine dining, so, hopefully it will suffice."
She realizes she is stalling, and takes a deep breath.
"For near sixty years, I have been employed by the Vanderborens," she says, clearly expecting that the name will be familiar to you. "I raised Verik, gods love him, alongside my own children, and attending Larissa through both her pregnancies. But, by then, my duties in the household had grown beyond looking after the children and... well." She shakes her head, realizing she's straying from her subject.
"Verik and Larissa died when their ship burned a little over a month ago," she says, quickly, as if trying to escape the weight of her words. She pushes on, obviously upset by what she is reporting, but keeping her feelings more or less in check. "Their children were once each other's dearest friends, but Vanthus had been abroad for the past five years. Since his return, he and Lavinia have argued, several times. The last time was three weeks ago, and he went to live on his ship."
"Or so I thought," she goes on. "Lavinia went to the harbor three nights past, to try to reconcile with her brother. I have not seen her since. When she had not returned by the next morning, I went to the harbor myself, I found that the ship had been seized by the harbormaster and was under guard, until the harbor fees were paid. The man on guard, Soller Vark, would not let me aboard, even to look around. He swore he hadn't seen either Vanthus or Lavinia, but I did not find him trustworthy."
"Please," she says. "Find Vanthus and Lavinia for me. We have lost the parents to tragedy already. I cannot bear to think the children are gone as well. My personal funds are limited, but if you find them, I will see that you are suitably rewarded for your efforts. Vanthus's ship is the Blue Nixie. I would start your search there."
"Uh, Lavinia and Vanthus are brother and sister? And you think they are on board ship? And you want us to look? Is that right? What these Lavinia and Vanthus look like? How we know them?"
Svetozar Lanezra pays close attention, putting it together in his mind, .... 'Verik and Larissa Vanderboren died in a boat-fire about five weeks ago. And now, after the son's return (Vanthus) from (5 yrs) abroad three weeks ago, both he and the daughter (Lavinia) are missing. Also from a boat. The siblings have been uncharacteristically arguing. And an untrustworthy dock-person (Soller Vark) told Kora that The Blue Nixie (the brother Vanthus' boat) has been seized for non-payment of dock fees.'
.
Nodding to the Tabaxi for his request of descriptions, he speaks up. "Also, I'm quite new to Sasserine, but can we find out, is it a matter of public record, how much is owed to the Harbormaster regarding The Blue Nixie? Kora said Soller Vark seemed untrustworthy. Is he maybe just looking for a bribe?"
Milton shuffles nervously in his seat as the Tabaxi calls him a hunter. He says "I'm not a hunter. Just an apprentice. I was out of town on Master Xerxes.. behalf and a big jungle cat hopped on the merchant's cart in front of me after the meat they were bringing to market. One of the farmers tried to wave it off and it attacked him. I managed to get a barrier between the two but then it came after me. I kept it off with another barrier and then had to kill it with my fire magic. They threw the dead cat on top of the meat and took it all to market."
He listens to the story of what happened to Verik and Larissa and says "I can't get us on the boat but if something happens I can defend us. I am not the stealthy type. Perhaps you are right. If the boat does owe fees that should be on record somewhere."
To Milton : "You right to defend yourself and others. But cat also right, just hungry. Hope its spirit is now at rest."
He doesn't really understand the conversation about the ship. Obviously, for some strange reason, just going onto the ship isn't a good idea. These people know the ways of this awful smelly place better than he does so he just listens for the moment but does contribute a little.
"I sneak good. If that helps"
She laughs and shakes her head at Milton's question. "I am quite sure the meat is fish," she says. "With a generous addition of salt pork." And it does seem to be the case.
When Honeylyn introduces herself, she nods acknowledgement of the family name. Not so for Annelise, but she does betray the ghost of a smile.
Honeylyn takes a seat and taps the bread with her fingers a few times. Upon ascertaining its crustiness, she begins dunking it in the stew to soften it up. She munches on it and listens thoughtfully, moving on to begin eating the rest of the stew itself with a spoon when the bread is finished.
When everyone has arrived, the halfling pulls a curtain closed over the doorway to this room, granting them a little privacy, and a little quiet.
"Thank you all for coming," she says. She clears her throat. "Please help yourselves to food and drink. If there is anything lacking, I will see what can be done. I chose this place for the sake of discretion, not fine dining, so, hopefully it will suffice."
She realizes she is stalling, and takes a deep breath.
"For near sixty years, I have been employed by the Vanderborens," she says, clearly expecting that the name will be familiar to you. "I raised Verik, gods love him, alongside my own children, and attending Larissa through both her pregnancies. But, by then, my duties in the household had grown beyond looking after the children and... well." She shakes her head, realizing she's straying from her subject.
"Verik and Larissa died when their ship burned a little over a month ago," she says, quickly, as if trying to escape the weight of her words.
"Wait, those Vanderborens?!" Honeylyn interjects through a cheekful of soggy bread that she quickly gulps down. "I'd heard about that fire! Was the talk of the District, for at least a week after the funeral even!"
Almost as soon as the words are out of her mouth she realizes she's accidentally made light of what was probably a great tragedy for the poor woman (even if Noble District gossip really DID move on that fast to the next scandal or drama), so she clears her throat with an embarrassed look on her face and says "Forgive me, please continue."
She pushes on, obviously upset by what she is reporting, but keeping her feelings more or less in check. "Their children were once each other's dearest friends, but Vanthus had been abroad for the past five years. Since his return, he and Lavinia have argued, several times. The last time was three weeks ago, and he went to live on his ship."
"Or so I thought," she goes on. "Lavinia went to the harbor three nights past, to try to reconcile with her brother. I have not seen her since. When she had not returned by the next morning, I went to the harbor myself, I found that the ship had been seized by the harbormaster and was under guard, until the harbor fees were paid. The man on guard, Soller Vark, would not let me aboard, even to look around. He swore he hadn't seen either Vanthus or Lavinia, but I did not find him trustworthy."
"Please," she says. "Find Vanthus and Lavinia for me. We have lost the parents to tragedy already. I cannot bear to think the children are gone as well. My personal funds are limited, but if you find them, I will see that you are suitably rewarded for your efforts. Vanthus's ship is the Blue Nixie. I would start your search there."
Upon hearing the rest of the story, Honeylyn sneers a bit.
"That's harbormasters for you," she says. "Been a plague on my family's vessels almost as long as the Erkenwalds have done business in Sasserine. I think the last one, the one Islaran took over from, he 'confiscated' my grandfather's favorite silverware when he came home from a long voyage. As if he'd be dumb enough to store his 'smuggled goods' in his cabin! Wouldn't surprise me if Islaran 'inherited' them afterwards and is eating with them to this day! An opportunity to do some good, save some lives and tweak the nose of an overbearing prick? Count me in!"
She punctuates the statement by slugging back the rest of her ale and slamming the tankard down on the table.
At Trail's mention of his capabilities, she nods.
"That it does...Trail, was it? I'm something of a sneak myself, and good at creating distractions both magical and mundane."
Annelise listens quietly as she eats the food that Kora has provided. She nods in reply to Svetozar's question. "Yup. Harbourmaster would know that sort of thing. But let's see if we can get on the ship first."
Her green eyes focus on each person in turn as they talk about their capabilities. "Quite the skills you all have. I can hurt people and I know my way round this city." She finishes her plate, and stands, rolling her shoulders slightly before looking at the rest of the group. "No time like the present. Shall we?"
You would also know that Lavinia and Vanthus were responsible for a number of pranks, culminating with the introduction of a powerful elixir of love into the wine at a meeting of the Dawn Council which caused a great deal of scandal and resulted in Vanthus being sent abroad for five years, and Lavinia being sent to the nearby Thenelar Academy for roughly the same period of time.
Svetozar Lanezra was a trifle unsure how to proceed. The ranking Priest of Mayaheine nodded for me to assist Kora. 'Wise persons' needed. If this guy is just a bully, a mildly corrupt bottom-dweller in a broken System, a little stealth is good. But more information is better. What if stealth fails? What if the harbormaster has a legitimate claim of unpaid fees and this guy is just doing his job to feed his kids?
Our task is to find missing persons.
He waits before offering his thoughts, still nervous about his hiding birthmark.
"I can not help in matters of stealth for what could be unlawful breaking-and-entering. But if we find out how legitimate the levying of unpaid fees is, and any other information, that could give us a better understanding of what is right or wrong here. .... If it does seem fishy, I propose that while you two stealth in, I can approach the guard(s) at the boat and inform them that I am an Inquisitor seeking information of an imminent threat or crime. If I fail, at least you two will have had a distraction, and could have an extra moment to search. If I succeed, they may allow me passage onto the boat to search. Once in -- an admittedly fluid situation -- I can claim either that you two (already on the boat secretly) are either Inquisitors like me, or the ones I need to take into custody. Depending on how it looks to the guard. .... But first, I would like to know more about the validity (or lack thereof) of unpaid dock fees."
"If some of you stealthy types want to hang around the area of The Blue Nixie to keep it under surveillance -- eyeball the boat to help your attempt later, the apprentice wizard and I," he nods to Milton McMurray, "can visit The House of Lords to gather information on the financial situation. I'm familiar with the sage there, having studied a bit when I first arrived here. .... Of course, if you," looking at the local Sasserine citizens, "know of a better place to start, the Wizard and I can go there as well. But at the House of Lords, I may also be able to find out something of the missing Vanderboren man, Mr. Vanthus.
"Does this sound like a good plan?"
Annelise's green eyes narrow slightly as a memory jogs her. "Soller Vark, the man you encountered - think I know him. Of him. Probably not a trustworty type."
As Svetozar outlines a plan, she nods. "So whos in which group? Me, Honeylyn and - Trail here in one group and you two in the other?" She hesitates sliightly, still not familiar with the sight of a talking cat. But she'll get over it.
"We stay and watch wood that floats? Ok
Kora Whistlegap nods as she listens to your discussion.
"The Harbormaster wll most likely be found at his office, at the harbor in the Azure District," she says. "Of course, your connections at the House of Lords may have other information."
"I guess The House of Lords is not the place to go after all, but rather the Harbormaster's Office.
"100 yards off shore? .... Madame Kora, can we use whatever you used to get to the Blue Nixie when you went?" Looking back at the group, "If Kora has a dinghy or jon-boat maybe we can all go, but as we get closer our stealthy friends can swim (or kitty-paddle) out to sneak aboard while Milton and I try the gambit we come up with based on whatever the Harbormaster says. .... So tonight Kora can get us her little boat and tomorrow morning first thing we can ask the Harbormaster what's what, then finalize our plan. Does this sound like a good idea? Am I missing anything?"
"Yeah, I don't know how good those connections are with my current...reputation," Honeylyn adds. "Recon for now and maybe checking with the Harbormaster in the morning seems a good plan. Or we could get some sleep."
"Better sneak at night. You hairless ones helpless at night, can see nothing. But I do as you want"
Milton says "We could go take a look tonight to see what we can. I'm no expert in magic but if it was necessary I might be able to get us out in an emergency but getting to the boat.... Maybe a big force plate to get us out?" He seems to be talking to himself at this point.
"You'd be surprised what we gnomes can see at night! My ancestors lived in burrows and were roommates with badgers, after all!" Honeylyn retorts.
At Milton's suggestion, she raises an eyebrow.
"Out-of-the-box thinking...not bad...though it raises the question of how we get BACK after we're done. Unless you've got enough arcane oomph to make that plate twice?
Milton shrugs and says "I would think I can do that twice. Force is one of the areas I have some knowledge of."
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Trail is obviously VERY impressed. "You lived with Badgers? You're braver than I thought!. They very fierce"
"Well, it's been thousands of years since those days. I grew up in a small manor in Noble District. Last time we had a badger around they called the local druids to escort it out of the city," Honeylyn replies with a shrug.
"Excellent, let's recon now and go to the harbormaster (and House of Lords) tomorrow day, and tomorrow night out to the Blue Nixie. We have a small boat and a magical platform."
There is a man on watch at the harbor. The Blue Nixie's tender is with the men aboard, but the watchman sleepily indicates another boat you can use. It is big enough for the five of you, though there is only one set of oars, and it is far from graceful.
Still, people rowing a boat in the harbor is business as usual, and won't draw any undue attention.
Of course, you're welcome to try...
[/evil laugh]
Also, the magic stuff I'm making up as I go along. I'm trying to follow the magic rules I outlined earlier, and keeping the D&D/PF source material in mind as well. If you think I'm being unfair, tell me in the Discussion Thread or a PM.
Annelise looks around carefully, ignoring the comments about who can see what in which degrees of lighting. Her half-elven ancestry is something she generally choses to keep to herself. "I don't think a few people in a small boat is going to draw too much attention in the harbour, and if the guard on the Blue Nixie is as sleepy as that watchman, we could be on board before they know what's up."
Annelise looks around carefully, ignoring the comments about who can see what in which degrees of lighting. Her half-elven ancestry is something she generally choses to keep to herself. "I don't think a few people in a small boat is going to draw too much attention in the harbour, and if the guard on the Blue Nixie is as sleepy as that watchman, we could be on board before they know what's up."
"Think you're right, Annelise. You wanna take the oars or should Svetozar?" Honeylyn says quietly. "You two look like the strongest in our merry band, if you don't mind me saying."
"I've got this," Annelise reassures Honeylyn. Sasserine is built partly on water and any native of its streets can at least point a rowboat in the right direction without hurting themselves. That said, Annelise realises that it's been a while - the last time was probably when she dumped a body that needed to disappear.
But she doesn't do that any more.
Pushing the unwanted memory away as firmly as she can, she takes the oars and focusses on getting to the Blue Nixie without being seen. The rhythm of it quickly comes back to her and the soft sound of the oar as it slips into and out of the water is oddly relaxing.
Trail clutches the side of the boat. While he can swim he doesn't like to do so as it usually results in him getting wet and he HATES getting wet. Sometimes he can convince the stream to not wet him but generally not, streams LIKE to make things wet.
But out here, on a body of water this large? It makes him very nervous.
He can sense no spirit in the boat and the spirit in the water seems too distant for him to reach
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Honeylyn thinks a bit and says, "I've got something that may help our approach."
She begins murmuring under her breath, as a purple glow forms on her hands. Fog begins to swirl around the boat, but for some reason, it's easy for them in the boat to see through it.
Annelise hasnt encountered many spellcasters and certainly nobody who seems to do it as naturally as her new companion. But if she's unnerved it certainly doesn't show, the oars continue to dip in and out of the water smoothly. And if she takes a moment to give Honeylyn an appraising look, it is only for a moment.
"Useful. Learn that in the Noble district?"
Setozar Lanezra was relieved when Annelise took the oars; he isn't as strong as she and didn't want to be embarrassed.
Annelise hasnt encountered many spellcasters and certainly nobody who seems to do it as naturally as her new companion. But if she's unnerved it certainly doesn't show, the oars continue to dip in and out of the water smoothly. And if she takes a moment to give Honeylyn an appraising look, it is only for a moment.
"Useful. Learn that in the Noble district?"
"Partially, yeah. But it's as much traditional gnomic gnowledge," Honeylyn replies with a wink.
"OK." Annelise nods, content that her new companion has some pretty useful skills. She keeps her voice down as she whispers her plan. "If you can hold this fog in place, I'm going to move us to the other side of the ship so we can't be seen from the docks." She slows the pace of her rowing, and concentrates on slipping the oars into and out of the water with a minimum of splashing.
It takes a bit longer, but soon they are approaching the ship from its other side. Hopefully any guards will be focused on watching the shore.
A thin mist appears to rise from the water around the little rowboat. It has no substance, no damp feeling for those who move through it. It is nothing to do with Honeylyn, whose lips may be moving, whose fingers may be twitching, but in an absent-minded, fiddly way. Annelise guides the boat across the water carefully, quietly, moving through the mist.
Several minutes pass, and then the hull of the Blue Nixie appears. Silently, the boat comes to rest next to it, and Annelise pulls herself up, over the rail and onto the deck.
Moonless Night (it's dark! though there is starlight)
Lantern (shedding light, carried by the watchmen, who are currently relaxing at the stern of the Nixie)
Illusory Fog (surrounding the rowboat)
Watchmen
Milton looks around and thinks I thought we were just scouting. Guess we are going up. He then pulls himself onto the bow of the boat hoping no one notices him.
Honeylyn follows, trying to quietly clamber up, mentally cursing that her gnomic gnowledge came at the price of a gnomic physiognomy.
Trail leaps from the boat up onto the ship
Svetozar Lanezra nods to Annelise and takes the oars so she can sneak on the Blue Nixie. When the illusory fog clears he can call out to the guards and provide more of a distraction.
Milton climbs up after Annelise, silently, but is momentarily blinded by the lantern light.
Trail slips over the side, silent as a cat, landing in the shadows.
Honeylyn scrambles up, but misses the rail. She tumbles back into the rowboat, with a thud.
"You hear that?" says one of the men on watch.
"I heard something," the other says, standing.
The first stands, picking up the lantern, as the second draws his cutlass.
Overhearing the guards, Svetozar Lanezra begins his distraction a bit earlier than he had hoped to.
He calls out from the small boat wafting next to the Blue Nixie, but speaks slowly, deliberately -- hoping to provide more time for his allies hired by Kora (rightfully searching for her missing employers). "Ho, there! It is I."
He allows the briefest second for the two to turn their heads and step closer to the Blue Nixie's bow. "I'm with the Temple Inquisitors investigating a serious crime." He feels exhilarated for a moment as the lie snakes out of his figuratively forked tongue. Then for a second he averts his eyes, ashamed. Kora is rightfully looking for missing persons; the Temple of Mayaheine approved my helping. I hope this is okay.
Allowing them to speak up, Svetozar Lanezra attempts to control the conversation,, at least at first, "I know you guards are doing your job, but I would hate for you to get into serious trouble for just the few coins your bosses are paying you -- just for the crime of obeying them. Would you like to answer questions?"