In the days that passed, Nilfy was relatively well behaved, mainly because she has been unable to cast spells as of late. She looks especially happy when she is learning to work with her hands, and especially enjoys not being chained up all the time, glad she has some degree of freedom.
Moving into the officers' quarters has been a big change for the lot of you. Instead of cramped quarters with various bunks stacked on top of one another, you actually find yourselves each with one (small) bed and a chest. The other officers raise an eyebrow about you being here but quickly shrug and get back to their duties.
As the days pass, you note that the Paracount seems to be getting more and more anxious. On the fifth day, he gathers you all together. "Iomedae has given me a vision. We are to be in danger very soon. I do not know the source, but it will come from the depths. Should we survive this, we should make land within another day, but until then, be on the lookout. Do you understand me?"
Your sense motive checks find that she is being entirely honest, probably because she assumes you'll know she's lying if she attempts it.
Nilfy shakes her head when asked about objections she may have.
The Paracount stares at you all before the smallest of smiles appears on his face. "The burden of keeping order in a place without civilization whatsoever can be trying... and I fear we must soon do exactly that soon enough. I just exposed you to one scenario in which we must make difficult decisions, and I expect many more will come in the upcoming days. What is right and what is most important? Punishing a criminal with retributive justice, or try a more merciful approach. I've learned in my years that both methods must be used given different circumstances.
Azrielan, you have found that you had difficulty getting your point across. I was expecting that. The bureaucracy in Cheliax is very similar, so the day you end up heading back there, you must remember that your methods must be more subtle, and perhaps with a gentler touch. Do not compromise, but learn to work within the system in place. Then, and only then, can you change it to your liking, and can order be established. As for the rest of you, I still do wonder... how exactly WILL you punish this halfling? A crime must not go unpunished after all. I cannot sell her to you because she is not mine to begin with... for now she remains my cousin's property, but in his absence... she is the equivalent of a free person."
Oh, aren't titles fun? Dominicus' oble title is Paracount while his Hellknight ranking is Paralictor
Nilfy shrinks back at Azrielan's demand for her weapon and carefully withdraws a dagger from her belt. She then points under the bed and looks to Nick, "Your bow is under there... sorry for stabbing you..."
She sits backs and takes a deep breath. "Okay, so where to begin... The Paracount's cousin see, he decided to put an arrow in my sister's back. She wasn't even running away, that's just what the Lord Mayor said. Now what the Lord Mayor did to my sister... that was murder, even under Chelish law! You can't kill a slave without good reason. Not that he would have ever been charged that no good..." Nilfy allows a colorful stream of language to flow through her mouth in the halfling tongue. "Anywho, soon after the Paracount here made it know he was leaving Westcrown, I was contacted by some folk from Andoran: Eagle Knights. They were a bunch of worshipers of uh... Cayden Caileen, that's right! so they wanted me to come onto this ship and well... sink it. Lot's of bigwig slavers on this ship you see. Well, I was going to go through with it too, but then the storm hit and well, I didn't want anyone else to die and so decided not to. You see, the barrels are filled with Galtan fire! It burns and burns and doesn't go out, even when spread onto the water. It would have been perfect to take this ship down. I was still going to get revenge for my sister, however, and well... look where that's gotten me..."
Azrielan, at this point you feel the halfling stop struggling and hear a sigh of frustration. "Very well." A small clink rattles on your armor you suspect she lightly struck you and the spell is broken, revealing the halfling. She is wearing bloodsoaked clothing, but Nick, you figure she had time to cast at least one healing spell since last you saw her.
She looks up at the party and gives a small, defeated smile. "Well then, you devil lovers got me."
Dominicus has been silent thus far, standing in the room with calculating eyes. He finally speaks up. "Chelaxian law dictates that in the absence of a legal system, such as on the high seas, a Hellknight Paralictor -such as myself- has the right to dictate who shall serve as a makeshift jury... I believe I will leave that to you all. However first and foremost..." He points to the halfling. "Nilfy Shortwick, you stand accused of attempted murder, passing yourself off as a deceased relative, escaping the bonds of slavery, and conspiracy. These fine people will act as officers of the law."
The Hellknight steps back and takes a look at the party. "I leave it to you all to question her, judge her, and punish her as you see fit. I am not disinterested in seeing what you all decide to do."
Azrielan is able to drag the invisible halfling out from under the bed whilst Akkad summons a dog into the room. Grunyar successfully demoralizes her and though you cannot hear her, she seems to whimper pathetically.
"Just leave me alone!" She shouts before you hears spellcasting taking place.
Concentration check:1d20 ⇒ 7
And you hear her spell fizzle out as if she were unsuccessful in casting it while grappled.
Grunyar and Akkad, the moment you detect magic in the room, you notice a few auras right off the bat. A few of the auras come from the Paracount's equipment and weapons, but one stands out. A form underneath the bed whcih seems to be in the shape of a miniature humanoid. This aura seems to be of the illusion school of magic and Akkad, you are able to tell that an invisibility spell is currently in effect.
Those looking at the journal find that it the earlier entries seem relatively mundane and discuss events which happened on the ship during the first few days of the trip. The original entries stop near the time the storms hit but there seems to be one more entry written after the storm.
Journal Entry:
I don't think I could go through with it anymore. Too many people have died already. Too much blood has been shed... and yet my sister must be avenged. I'm not going to sink this ship filled with Chelaxian scum (The Eagle Knights can play their own games), but I will make sure the Paracount dies by my hand. His cousin will know the pain of losing a family member and by Calistria's word, I will make sure that when we get back from... wherever we are headed, that I make sure to pay him a visit next.
Nick, demon lover you say? I'd think most Chelaxians would be offended by that. And you don't have to roll because we can go onto Arlan...
Arlan, you eye through the now many footprints within the room and just as you are about to give up being able to separate them, you notice a trail of tiny footprints of someone who is barefoot leading out the room exactly from where you came from. They trail off from there and become quite impossible to spot in the more traveled hallway.
Azrielan, you use your ability to detect chaos does not pick anything up which means whoever was here may have been a follower of Calistria in some fashion or another, but certainly not a cleric (as the aura would still be lingering if they were).
Grunyar, this looks like a hiding space of sorts. Pirates and thieves might use it to smuggle items, but legitimate ships might use it as a panic room should they ever be raided or if they have to hide valuable commodities. As your pry it open, you are able to peer inside and see...
What looks like a few barrels hidden within the revealed space. They seem to be marked with many sheets of paper in different languages which all read the same thing. CAUTION. DO NOT OPEN. On the other side of the space seems to be a sleeping mat and what appears to be a journal of sorts.
Ah, terribly sorry about that. Let's see, to answer your questions in order: Those are arrow holes. I didn't specify because technically you didn't know they were arrows, but seeing as Nick's weapons are gone, it is fair to assume. They are located further away from Nick than the pool of blood. As for the blood itself, it seems to be a pool that does not lead anywhere.
Arlan, Dominucs is glad to loan you one of his silver longswords in his weapon rack. He stays behind with Akkad so as to avoid aggravating his leg pains.
Nym, you blend into the shadows, but don't seem to spot anyone hiding about. Grunyar, you do not seem to spot anyone either, although you do spot that a few of the panels in the wall seem to be ridged slightly, almost as if you could pry them open and move them. Though you know that magic was used in the area, you do not seem to be able to spot any auras by the time you cast your detect magic spell other than the potions which Nick is carrying on his person.
NickYou, yourself do not see anything new, but do remember the footprints on the ground might give someone a clue as to where she might have gone... if someone can decipher the now multiple sets which lie on the dust."[/b]
As you were searching and healing Nick, everyone else would have had the time to make it to the scene.
Arlan, you clearly hear the explosion coming from downstairs. You and anyone you inform can make it downstairs in a minute or two if you hurry.
Nym, Grunyar:
You two rush down the stairs as quickly as you can. In the distance you can hear a chanting in a strange language before it suddenly ceases. About twelve seconds later, you make your way into the storage rooms.
What you see comes as a shock. Nick is unconscious on the ground with a pool of blood forming. Strangely it looks like the deep gash on his stomach has been bandaged. Even more strangely is that there seems to be another bit of blood further away than he is with two holes in the wood.
Nick:
Nick, you may want to note that uh... all your arrows and your bow are missing from your inventory.
Anyone else who comes downstairs at this point note the same scene which Nym and Grunyar do.
The halfling stumbles backwards, dropping to one knee as the arrow sticks out of her tiny chest. Just about when you might expect her to fall unconscious, she looks up at you with a snarl on her face. "You just had to get in my way. I told you to surrender..." Unexpectedly, she pulls out a set of reeds from her tattered outfit.
She begins chanting what sounds like some arcane language before finally blowing ln the reeds.
Sonic damage:1d8 ⇒ 5Fortitude save to avoid being stunned... but I don't think that would be your main concern.
Just then, a blast of sound strikes you and everything around you, causing some of the more fragile boxes to shatter while you are absolutely battered by the sonic wave.
As you begin falling unconscious, you can hear the halfling say. "I'm not going to kill you, but I can't have you in my way.
1d20 ⇒ 10
And with that, you can feel her bandaging your stomach wound. You are stable, but unconscious at this point.
Nym, Grunyar, you hear a huge blast coming from downstairs. If you pick up the pace from this point you can make it in a 5 rounds.
Grunyar, Nym, can you give me a Perception check? It's been about two minutes.
Nick:
The halfling doesn't flinch as she swiftly dodges the two arrows, advancing with the knife in hand. As you are still off balance, she lashes out and attempts to stick the dagger in your gut.
Attack:1d20 ⇒ 19 Critical Confirmation:1d20 ⇒ 14 ... okay, this is awkward.
You attempt to smite, but feel an almost empty feeling, almost as if the attempt was wasted. As you examine the girl more closely, it becomes more and more clear that her features are those of a halfling rather than a human girl.
"I'll not have you ruining my plans just yet. Not before Calistria has given me revenge on that devil lover!" She sneers and attempts to strike out at you, but quickly redirects her movement. It becomes clear that she never meant to actually hit you, rather, she was attempting to throw you off balance.
Feint:1d20 ⇒ 16
You are going to be denied your Dexterity bonus against her next attack. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I only very rarely let you see the actual modifiers to things.
Nick, Nick, Nick. Your second percwption check (the natural 20) actually tells you nothing. On the other hand, the 21 does allow you to see, but just barely, that the girl has drawn a dagger of sorts.
Minutes:1d4 ⇒ 4Nym, Grunyar, this is the number of rounds it will take you to go downstairs to the storage rooms. So about four minutes from your position. This... may or may not be relevant.
Nick:
The girl seems to be telling the truth. She stands from her spot in the barrel, dropping to the floor before scrambling to her feet. She doesn't seem to be more than six years old from the looks of things. The girl looks at the trail rations in your hand and nervously takes a step forward before taking the trail rations and jumping back a safe distance. She stuffs some in her mouth before saying, "My name is Sofia. I came here on this ship with my mommy. She... After the storm..." Tears well in her eyes slightly. "I don't know where she went."
Arlan, Akkad, Azrielan:
Dominicus looks to Akkad and a small smile comes to his face. "Of course Akkad. I meant you no disrespect of course. The relationship between Qadira and Cheliax is very important to me. The strength of my birth country is of course, always on my mind, and improved relations is always an ideal." He looks around to the rest of you. "If you all are willing to help Azrielan and I, I can ensure that you are greatly rewarded when we get back to the Inner Sea."
If you don't think that you'd be wearing armor, then I will assume you left it in a safe space.
1d20 ⇒ 19 1d20 ⇒ 17
As you look around, you actually cannot see nor hear anyone. You are about to give up hope when you hear a small tumble behind you. As you spin around, you see a small human child looking up at you from the inside of one of the barrels, and the cover of the barrel rolling on the floor. She gasps and ducks back inside the barrel, not making a sound before calling out, "I'm sorry sir... I know I shouldn't be here, but I was so hungry..."
From the sound of her voice, she is pretty weak, and seems terribly tired.
Akkad, Azrielan, Arlan:
Dominicus shakes his head and looks to Azrielan. "When all is said and done, my goal is still Varisia. But, if all goes well here, I am almost positive you would be a fully fledged Hellknight by the time we decide to head back across the ocean. You might do well to establish a Hellknight Order here before reporting back to Her Infernal Majesty and taking the credit for establishing a new civilization yourself. After all, I would have no need of the honor."
Grunyar, Nym:
The halfling shakes his head. "I have no idea sir, but I'm sure that she hasn't come around the cabins since then. She might be hiding anywhere, but it might be easiest to do so down below, where the food is stored."
The room would be about about 75 by 75 if it were empty, but right now it is full to the brim with different grains and non perishable food items. Like on any ship, as you walk, rats scatter back and forth in the dark crevices on the floor and in the walls, but you've grown quite used to those over the voyage.
As you continue looking around, you do notice very faint little footprints in the dust. Whoever made them, they were definitely not wearing shoes, so they seem humanoid in nature.
Akkad, Azrielan, Arlan:
Dominicus blinks when the idea of Arcadia is mentioned. "The children's story? It can't be real... Can it?" He blinks absentmindedly for a few seconds. "Well I must say that Hellknight training never covered this, eh Azrielan?" He chuckles briefly before becoming serious once again. "We might just be the first Chelaxians, no, the first humanoids to ever encounter this legend. And to think that together we might bring civilization to that fabled land. May Iomedae, Asmodeus, and Abadar be praised."
Grunyar, Nym:
As you two ask around, most of the halflings look at you absently, apologizing as they have no idea who Myrtle Shortwick is. One of them, however, waits until you are about to leave to confront you in private.
He taps Nym on the shoulders to get both of your attention. "E-excuse me. I didn't exactly want to say this in front of the others, after all, snitches do not last long but, well..." He looks down at his hairy feet as if embarrassed. "You see, I do know Myrtle. She was a friend of mine back in Westcrown see. Nice lady, really nice. Didn't have a bad bone in her body. We worked at the Avranxi manor together. Well, at least that is until the Paracount's cousin killed her.
"She wasn't trying to run away, Myrtle would never do that! After all, she had to take care of her little sister, Nilfy. Nilfy and I came on this boat together. After the incident with her sister, someone bought our freedom -we never met him or knew his name- but we weren't about to stick around in that devil worshiping country any longer. We jumped on board as soon as possible.
"The problem is that Nilfy... she blames the Paracount for the death of her sister. Even if it was his cousin who killed her, she was so enraged that... well, I think she wants to kill the Paracount." He looks around to see if there was anyone who may have heard him. "I tried to tell her that he didn't do anything! The Paracount is a good man who happens to be related to some bad people. Killing him wouldn't solve anything... but when I told her this, she didn't take it well. And the next day, she disappeared. That's when the storm struck."
Taking 10 is generally fine by me. If you take 20, I will assume you are doing an hour or so's amount of searching. You have time here, but know that for the future.
You take a look around the lower parts of the ship and generally find a lot of nothing. There is a storeroom down here, however. and as you search it you spot something odd. Moat of the barrels carrying non-perishable foods are sealed tightly, save for one. Upon closer observation, it appears as if the seal has been broken by a knife; someone may have been sneaking in meals from this barrel.
As Vimana stares at the maps, she remembers legends of a land called Arcadia; supposedly a myth and yet there is no other possible explanation. The old stories used to speak of how it was impossible to reach Arcadia if one was actually looking for it, leaving it to chance whether or not ran into the land.
Arlan, you know your location to be nearly impossible without magical means. Even if you had meant to go in this direction, it should have taken you at least another month or two to make it here.
Grunyar, Nym:
At this point I would ask you to specify who you are asking for help. Random passengers? Crew members? The other halfings?
Nick:
You head down to the lowest parts of the ship and take a look around. Make me a Perception check.
You ask around the ship along with Nym about this particular halfling, and you find that though no one know of anyone by this name, they are happy to point out the various halfings of board. It seems for the most part they have come on this ship together, about twenty total. They are not from the same family, but you can probably guess that the lot of them are probably freed slaves (Dominicus may be a Paladin, but he is not about to break the law to take slaves out of their bondage.).
You continue investigating, speaking to the various people who interact with them often, and find that one of them have actually been missing for quite some time, since even before the storm struck.
Indeed, Dominicus seems like the sort who is very focused on rule of the law, but has a soft side to him. He is much more focused on the redemptive aspect of punishment rather than retribution, but understands that not all Chelaxian Hellknights feel the same way he does.
Dominicus pulls out a few charts which look like nautical maps and motions you over to him. He points to a spot far west of Varisia and even Azlant for that matter. "This is where we are. As you can tell by the lack of... anything, we are in uncharted waters. I know that we are to make landfall but am not exactly sure if we are to end up on the other side of the word... or somewhere new entirely."
So Grunyar, should I assume you head off in search of information about any halflings which may be on board? And uh... not going with the matchmaker route? I mean we can if you wanted to...
As the storms die down for the first time in nearly a week and the sun begins to peer through the clouds, you hear a shout on the deck above. "Come on now, the Paracount wishes to address the crew and passengers!" Within minutes, everyone rose from the decks and squeezed on the deck. Though tightly packed, you look around and see that there are noticeably fewer people than originally started this journey with you, some of which you may have even gotten to know in this past month.
"Gentleman. Ladies." You look up and see Paracount Dominicus Avranxi standing in his old Hellknight armor, looking down at everyone with his arms folded behind his back. In a somber tone, he continues. "As you all well know, we begun this trip with five ships total and about three hundred passengers on each. It was supposed to be a simple trip to Magnimar... unfortunately Gozreh had other plans for us."
He stops, looking down at his feet for a brief moment before bringing his gaze back to the crowd. "We have forty-two people unaccounted for on this ship alone. Furthermore, we witnessed one of the ships -The Queen's Wrath- splintering into pieces during one of the fiercest moments of last weeks storms. Lastly, we have one more ship -Anarchy's Bane- unaccounted for. The other two ships, -Order's Pride and The Inheritor- are thankfully within sight. We have all lost people we cared about in the past few days, myself included. If you must grieve, by all means, I encourage you to.
"Unfortunately, the ill news does not end here. We have been blown hopelessly off course into what I fear are uncharted waters. I have spoken to my navigator and in the brief moments he has been able to observe the stars... she has determined our current location to be far west of where we should be. Our current location in the time we have traveled is... well, physically impossible. It seems that the storms we braved were not entirely mundane in nature.
"We cannot turn east now. We will run out of food far before we reach land. Do not fear. I have spoken with my goddess, Iomedae, and I have received a vision. If we continue traveling east, we shall reach land. Now, it will not be home, but it is something. Once we reach this land, we can stop, regroup and decide what to do from there."[b]
Dominicus turns his back to everyone and makes for the wheel. [b]"We will survive. We will return home. And by the gods, we will be stronger for it. Thank you for your time."
With the Paracount's speech finished the crowd uneasily begins dispersing, with most heading back down the stairs to their rooms. There is talk of those who were lost and an uncertainty lingering as to what the future lies.
