This is Giant Halfling's kineticist/incanter (aka submission #3). He's a blaster with some control (via weather/environmental effects). Pending approval for his casting tradition, he should be completely done, I believe.
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With upto 6 gestalt characters we should probably have 2 people with at least some ability to cover any important task? Also, it just occurred to me that (if selected) I already have the perfect GM alias for adventures at sea. (This is Giant Halfling)
Thanks Paddy. I'm sorry too. I know that sandbox games are really hard to pull off in PbP unless the players are either super motivated or have some clear goal they're working for, and I'm not sure we ever really found one here. Probably I should have done a better job of baiting you all with something. At any rate, thank you all for playing and for your contributions to this game. I'll leave this up for a few days in the hopes that everyone that's still around will have a chance to see it (and maybe some of the others as well), and then I'll mark the game inactive. Best of luck, all, in your other/future games.
If anyone would prefer to PM me your answers, please feel free. I know it's kind of a heavy question/conversation, but the sooner we have it the sooner we can move forward.
Well... it’s been over two weeks since Aerin’s last post and even a few days longer for Murillo. I heard from Murillo and due to a change in his RL status he’s looking at dropping some of his PbPs- I’m assuming this will be one them. Aerin’s had times where he wasn’t able to post for a couple weeks before (in another game we play in together) but has always come back eventually in the past. So, what do you 3 want to do? We could just pull the plug, but it seems from your responses like you’d probably prefer to keep playing? I’m creating all the encounters, so we could get moving again with just the 3 of you (or 3.5, if we leave Aerin’s spot open), although that would make for a pretty low magic game. You could start bringing some of the other officers along and let the NPCs pick up some of the slack? Or, we could try to recruit, I don’t know, 1-3 more players- either from other players you know and might want to invite or just through a normal recruitment? Whatever you/we choose, I’m going to expedite the rest of this interaction so we can get back into things (assuming you choose to continue), but which of these options do you each prefer?
Well... I owe Aersten an apology- he had posted within the past 12 days also when I made my previous post. Unfortunately, this roll call is not going well. I’ll give it a few more days and if it’s still just the two of you to check in we’ll have to talk about if we want to try a re-recruitment or what.
”Join the cause, eh?” the not actually very clean man calls back. “if that be true, and if you be truthful about just asking questions, then I think we can come to an accord. Come aboard.” The men on the dock move aside to open up the gangplank to Paddy and his associates. The man who’d been speaking signals a woman nearby who quickly disappears into the captain’s quarters. A moment later a rather stout but pleasant looking woman emerges in a captain’s jacket and three-pointed hat. She stops just outside her door and waits for the new allies to come aboard.
Half a dozen people on the deck of the ship, and two more on the dock all turn to look at Paddy on his companions. "As far as I know," the cleanest man on deck calls back, "she ain't lookin' for you. Tell me your name and what your business is and I'll see if there's anyone around who might be interested in your questions."
Felnas scowls as Hedy turns and departs, though it's not entirely clear if he's upset at her for not offering a better deal or at himself for not taking what was offered. In either case, he resigns himself to his drink and lets her walk away.
"That's not really half then, is it?" Felnas replies unhappily. "Half of whatever you spend comes out of my share, and then I have to borrow it back from you at 25% to get myself back to sea... Thank you for your interest but I think I'll take my chances with Quince."
”But the scrolls come out of your current stores, not off the top of what we salvage, right?” Felnas asks. It’s clear that he is interested in Hedy’s offer but also that he isn’t thrilled with the terms.
The bored watchman barely even acknowledges Aersten, but grunts and gestures towards the ship at the far end of the northern dock.
Felnas frowns as he stares off contemplatively. "Do any of your crew have the means to breath underwater, or to allow others to breath underwater? My ship did sink and we won't have much luck hauling its cargo up if you don't have crew that can go down and get it..."
DC 11 Int check (-2 if drunk): There are a handful of dockhands and watchman on duty; you could probably just ask one of them which of the two ships is the Beckoning Nereid without arousing any more suspicion than wandering around the docks trying to look inconspicuous.
”Ah, I see,” the elf answers, clearly not enjoying the conversation as much as Hedy. “Allow me to make a counter offer... I take a third plus the loan at 25%, as you said, but once I get my new ship sailing you sail with me—follow my lead—until the debt is paid, then I’ll sponsor you for recognition as a free captain. Afterwards we can part ways amicably and remain allies from afar?”
”An equal partnership?” Felnas asks with a hint of skepticism, “That sounds messy... what happens when we disagree?”
It's clear that he's giving the offer some real consideration as he asks, "what would the rate be on the loan, and what type of alliance are we talking about here?"
DC 21 sense motive:
You get the sense that there's something he's not saying... he's concerned about the threat of Quince betraying him, but not as concerned as you might have expected.
Unfortunately I don’t have access to my computer/scanner right now, so I can’t post a map, but I’d like to try to clarify the lay out of the dock/harbor if I can. The harbor itself is shaped like an alligator’s open mouth, with the open end to the west and the ‘point’ where the jaws meet to the east. There are docks along both the north and south side of the harbor; the best spots (on the east side, closest to the center of town) are parallel to land and against the main docks (kind of like street-side parallel parking), and at the west end on both sides there are a few secondary docks that stick out into the harbor (like a more typical harbor). The two extra active ships are at the west end of the north and south docks (not far from each other across the water, but as far apart as possible by land). The Night Talon is docked about the mid-point of the south dock. So from the fork (where the two docks meet at the town’s main road) you could walk all the way down the north dock to one of the ships, or all the way down the south dock—past the Talon—to the other.
Hedy:
Disappointed at Aerin's inability to make you invisible, you return to the brothel to give good ole patience a try. Finding a table with your back to the wall and a clear line of sight to Arnot's door on the balcony, you sit and slowly nurse what (barely) passes for a decent glass of wine in this place. After a couple hours you are rewarded when an elf matching Murillo's description emerges from the room and struts down to the bar. He seems not to have a care in the world as orders himself a glass of elvish brandy.
Aersten: Perched on the ship you watch the people coming and going in the harbor. You don't spot anything especially interesting, but you do notice that two ships seem to have a lot more people coming and going from them than all the rest: the two furthest out from the main road.
I can't cite a page number or anything but I believe, iirc, it counts as being sickened (or whatever the lowest form of sickened is); it gives you -2 to most d20 rolls. I don't usually force it on people unless they're really hitting the drink hard, but feel free to give it to yourself if you want, lol.
As Aerin heads out into the street she spots Hedy striding towards her and Paddy slowly turning in a circle--as if confused about where he's headed--not far from the entrance.
Hedy: The ugly woman doesn't seem completely happy about your answer but she accepts the coin and informs you, "Arnot and Felnas are in the third room from the left on the long, middle wall of the balcony."
Hedy: ”I’d be glad to tell you which room,” she answers, “but you should know that barging into someone’s room’ll get you thrown outta here, quick. And if you get violent with someone... we’ll, Mara—the owner—she knows people and you might just find yourself not welcome in Oyster Cay any more...”
Paddy’s antics draw a few of the other rowdier patrons to congregate at his table. They eat, drink and, laugh together, and exchange stories about exploits at sea. None of the other diners seem to know much of anything about Quince or the Merman’s Spray, but one of them apparently is somewhat familiar with Captain Seabreeze. His ship, Deadly Wind, was a two-masted sailing ship with a crew of twenty or so. Felnas rowed into port here with five other survivors after the ship went down.
Hedy:
The ugliest woman available is so aggressively unattractive that it occurs to you she must be there to appeal to people with particular appetites outside of the normal. When you produce the gold piece she gives you a big grin that reveals half her teeth are missing and those that remain are yellow and brown. She turns and leads you to one of the small rooms, drawing a number of surprised looks from the people you pass.
Once you're alone and the questions begin, she chuckles and answers, "ah, so you're one of those... a talker." She sits on the edge of the bed and relaxes a bit. "I suppose that's easier work than most. There's new folks in here most nights. This's a small town, sure enough, but we're the last real port b'fore the Sodden Lands, so we get a fair bit of traffic passing through. As for an elf... we don't see as many of them. There was one through tonight though--a handsome one--but, uh... you may be outta luck there pretty girl: he's off right now with Arnot, a muscular, well-groomed Taldan man." Pady and Aerin: The food is hearty and delicious, and abundant. The beers are nothing to write home about (a decent local brew, it seems) but they quench the thirst brought on by some of the saltier meats. The atmosphere is jovial, and the people seated near you and quick to talk and joke with you, but the patrons seem more interested in feasting than the more raucous partying Paddy wants to pursue. The establishment is a bit more upscale than many of the places the dwarf frequents, and his antics actually seem to have the opposite effect he's come to expect (some of the nearby diners seem to clam up or even move farther away).
”I can give you directions to Wally’s Worse Wares, sir,” the older man offers to the dwarf, “if this establishment is too upscale for your budget.”
The Whore's Embrace:
Walking into the common room here is everything that might be expected from a brothel in the Shackles. A band sits in the far corner belting out jigs and reels on an accordion, fiddle, fife and drum, and the air is ripe with the smell of sex and stale rum. On one side of the room there's a bar and on the other is a staircase to the second floor. A balcony overlooks the room on three sides and a variety of scantily clad women and men display themselves on it with the doors to numerous small rooms visible on the walls behind them. Borrin's: The common room here is full of the roar of talking and laughter, and the smells of beer and roasting meats. Along the longest wall (opposite the entrance) a long, narrow table is piled with bread, soups, raw and roasted vegetables, and a variety of grilled, smoked, and roasted meats and seafood. A handful of tables nearly the length of the room fill it's space and a pair of serving girls carry trays of beer mugs to thirsty patrons. A grizzled gray-haired man in a threadbare sailor's coat, with a cutlass at his side, stands behind a podium by the door. Whenever someone enters he repeats, "a gold to me to sit and eat; drinks are a silver each and you pay the girl when she brings them by."
In asking around, Aersten discovers that few people in Oyster Cay know Quince at all and those that do know him by reputation, not personally. With so little connection to the town it’s unlikely that he has any direct stake in whatever’s going on.
Murillo: It takes a little work to get any of the locals to open up about what's going on, but once they do you learn that the town caught in the midst of a power struggle. Two free captains--Havalas Grudd, of the Scylla, and his former lover Wide Olga, of the Beckoning Nereid--are vying for control of the town after a messy breakup. Most of the townsfolk, it seems, are afraid to take a side because there have been a couple attacks by sailors and other townspeople against businesses and individuals who have declared their support for one side or the other.
Oyster Cay is a small town, with a population of a little more than a thousand. Walking through the streets, however, it feels even smaller; there are surprisingly few people out and about, and among those who are there seems to be a tense, apprehensive mood. There are two big inns on the main road from the docks through town--the Whore's Embrace and Borrin's Better Beds and Buffet--and music and laughter spill out of both in sharp contrast to the town's general feeling.
You guys are free to approach this however you want but (as a beneficent GM) I'll mention a couple a things. 1. They just docked and unloaded a bunch of people. That almost certainly means they're not leaving until morning, so you have time to try to learn more before settling on a plan (if you're into that kind of thing). 2. Given that a bunch of people went ashore, you really don't know whether the elf you're looking for is on the ship or not. 3. Even pirate towns have some kind of security and a fight in the harbor (unless its very short or very quiet) is likely to draw attention from whatever kind of enforcers the local leader commands.
Once the crew are all aboard, the Night Talon cuts short her time in Port Peril and speeds north along the coast. There's no need for navigation as they skirt the mainland heading towards Oyster Cay. Late in the afternoon of the second day of the voyage, Crow spots a ship on the horizon that could be the Merman's Spray. Some excitement builds among the crew as they close the distance, but in the early evening their pray turns hard into the harbor at the small town of Oyster Cay. When the Talon follows it in shortly thereafter, they discover the ship they were tailing was, in fact, the one they sought. Assistant Harbormaster Hargraves, who is apparently a cousin of Culder's*, makes only a cursory inspection before collecting his two gold pieces and welcoming the Night Talon to port. From her berth, the crew can see sailors disembarking from the Merman's Spray and heading into the town. Culder:
Culder is one of the original raiders from the Icy Death who still serves on the Night Talon. In the Icy Death's final battle he killed several Chelaxian sailors with the ship's anchor after someone broke his sword.
It's from the mascot familiar archetype. If they are designated as part of his team, Aerin and Murillo can both buff Jerk with the share spells ability and use him to deliver touch attacks.
Aersten happens to be nearby when Murillo learns of Quince's bargain and he asks about the terms. There is no "going rate" in the Shackles for helping a captain who survived a wreck to salvage his cargo, but their consensus seems to be that taking anything less than two-thirds or three-quarters seems too generous to be true. The table of half-drunk dockhands providing the information can't agree on the exact terms they heard were set but most believe it was only a quarter or half of the haul.
Hedy learns that Quince’s greatest strength is his boldness. The Merman’s Spray is a keelboat, a rather slow, flat-bottomed vessel that’s notably smaller than the Night Talon. Much of the success the ship has had thus far is owed to the captain’s boldness as well: slowly sailing towards larger, faster ships that don’t consider them a threat then hoisting their colors and attacking the unprepared vessel at the last moment.
So, Murillo got his info on day 1 in Port... You had originally said you’d stay 5 days (to max out the infamy you could gain here), what is the plan now? It seems obvious that you’re going to spend enough time to do some more asking around but is there still going to be infamy gaining going on are you hoping to learn more quickly and then head out on the chase? Also, regarding gathering information, please post what kind of information you’re looking for (and watch what others have already asked/learned). Murillo got a 30 on finding Felnas, so to learn anything else you either have to beat his 30 or ask a different question.
Paddy is greeted by Kristen with a smirk and a large tankard of stout with a heavy shot of whiskey poured on top. After her shift ends she invites the dwarf upstairs for absolutely no sleep at all. Murillo does some asking around and learns that Felnas Seaborn is no longer in Port Peril. Apparently he struck a deal with one Captain Quince of the Merman's Spray to go after his sunken treasure. Quince is a bold, perhaps foolhardy, young captain looking to make a name for himself, and the deal he made with Seaborn was generous enough that many suspect he plans to simply murder the elf as soon as the wreck is found. They set out for Oyster Bay only a day before the Night Talon made port, and the Merman's Spray is a keelboat (a significantly slower vessel than the Night Talon).
After thoroughly enjoying Quent for nearly a week, and even having an opportunity (for those interested) to watch the inaugural event of Saph and Ronnie's Ladies Wrestling League, the Night Talon raises anchor and sets sail east for Port Peril. Besmara smiles on the voyage and the three days pass smoothly with clear skies and a fine tail wind. By evening of that third day the Talon is moored once again at the docks of the bustling Port Peril, and her crew are free to work or play as their captain sees fit.
Sorry for the delay! I had some trouble getting back into the site after they get new hamsters running, but I'm back now and should be posting regularly again. I have to bounce through all my games and let everyone know, but I should have a post up for you all sometime today. You might have a lead on some treasure if the guy Murillo found in Port Peril is still hanging around...
Hey, so, it's definitely my fault that we stalled out a bit. I'm sorry. I'd really like to get us moving again, though. What do we need to make that happen? Are there any loose ends that anyone is waiting on me for? Is there anything else that anyone wants to do in Quent? Is Port Peril (to increase your infamy again) still the next stop?
Yeah, that’s right. I thought this captain’s was magical too. I looked back at Aerin’s detect magic post and it looked like maybe I failed to respond with everything else going on at the time. I’m sorry about that. Instead of making you wait longer while I look through my notes (and as something of a practical apology) let’s say it was a +1 cutlass and that you also recovered 2 fan feather tokens and a potion of waterbreathing.
It’s entirely possible I’m the one who’s misremembering... I’ll try to dig through my notes tomorrow. Maybe I was thinking of the undead guy’s sword?
Did anyone cast detect magic at any point? I’ll have to dig through my notes (and the posts to see exactly what you did and didn’t take) but I thought the captain had a magic sword and there might have been 1-2 other little things.
Murillo: Most of the city's clergy are followers of Calistria who ply their trade at the famed House of Stolen Kisses; however, on the first day of inquiry (having spent the actual first day selling cargo) you discover a small chapel dedicated to the Pirate Queen tucked away behind the Barnacle (one of Quent's many busy taverns). It is overseen by Valka, a raven-haired beauty with blue-green eyes like an angry sea. After a lengthy conversation in the chapel, she seems quite pleased to meet you and makes it a point to inform you that she often dines in the Barnacle around dusk before you leave.
The second day is less successful, turning up only a handful of random visiting pirates. You spend the afternoon drinking with one of them--Gob, the gunners mate from the Slippery Spear--and part on friendly terms. On the third day you discover that the harbormaster is a fellow Besmaran and succeed in ingratiating yourself to her. |