The Elucidating Sojourn
Character Hooks:
FOR RIX
FOR STILGAR
FOR LEILI
FOR BURRLOFT
FOR GERR
FOR YAR
The Elucidating Sojourn
Part I: Journey of the Shanty Queen
Altus is the last remaining free city in the lands of Terran. Ruled by a council and defended by its independent militia it has held free of being enveloped by the Daklovi Empire. On this particular morning the Dock Ward is busy with the loading of ships. At the end of a pier you find the Shanty Queen. Dockworkers are loading the last of the cargo as a dwarf with a beard (tied in dozens of braids) shouts orders at them. Between bellowing his commands he seems to be arguing with a well dressed man who is accompanied by a lady with a babe in arms.
The gentleman is pleading, ”Captain Stonewave, you must remember that I purchased the boarding passes from you just three days past. One for myself and one each for my wife and child, you sold them to me. I have no idea where my pass could have gone, but surely with their two you will let us all board.”
The dwarf replies, “I told ye once already, no pass no passage! And don’t be thinkin’ you can be pullin’ any funny stuff or Leili be givin’ you the tough end o’ her axe”
Standing guard at the top of the gangway is a tall, lithe young woman. She wears form-fitting studded leather and carries herself as though she's ready for a fight at any moment. She bars the way resting the head of a great axe on the top of the gangplank.
FOR RIX
FOR LEILI
FOR BURLOFT AND YAR
FOR GERR
FOR STILGAR
** spoiler omitted **
FOR STILGAR
** spoiler omitted **
FOR STILGAR
"If you all wish so desperately to stay together then you can all stay on dry land" Leili points out in a matter of fact tone from her position at the head of the gangplank, seemingly unmoved by the family's plight.
Yar waits patiently as the debate continues in front of him. When the opportunity arises he boards the ship, and immediately looks to his charge, to ensure that they are well cared for.
Heading to the pier with a sauntering stride, Rix suddenly notices the family trying to book passage.
She halts and nonchalantly wanders over to a nearby merchant's stall, perhaps to purchase some last minute necessities for her voyage. Idly inspecting the merchant's wares, she makes a careful scan of the surroundings and the people present.
Gerr walks up to the dwarf and stops in front of him. "How much for a pass?"
Burloft tromps up the gangplank and waits among the people discussing boarding option or lack thereof. And he waits. And he waits. The wait is interminable... it must easily streach out to two minutes of talking or more. If its not study or appreciating jewelry, what was the point of taking that long?? But these people seem sincere, it would be tragic if they had purchased tickets and lost them. After almost a whole other moment, he reaches forward and tugs on the lady's skirt. "Pardon me, madame, I'm aware of my status as an uninvited participant in this conversation, but I can't help but overhear your lamentable predicament... do you think the possibility exists that you might have accidentally stowed the requisite passes away in the your baby's travel satchel? Or even twined in the swaddings for the nipper?"
When the stuation presents itself, Burloft will pull his pass from his sleeve and hand it over to the human woman. "Burloft Folldorall, ready to accept assigned passage, good woman. Here is my bil of passage, which quarters are mine to repair to?"
** spoiler omitted **
FOR STILGAR
Gerr waits for his answer, but as he does, he studies the young woman with the axe. Does she seem honorable?
Sense Motive: 1d20 7=21
As each of you approach the gangway, the dwarf steps to the front of it barring your passage on board. “Boarding passes.”, he bellows gruffly. He collects the rolled parchments carefully checks the seals and lets both Yar and Burrloft pass saying sternly, “Wait on deck for these others, an then Leili be showin’ ya to the cabin.” Turning to Gerr he says, “The ship has been fully booked but it seems this fella is one pass short, if he don’t come up with his passage I’ll sell ya his bunk for 70gold.”
The family standing to the side is distraught and the man barely notices the gnome waving off his suggestions as he continues to plead, “But sir, I must get my family to the Isle for my daughters naming ceremony.”
FOR RIX
FOR YAR
FOR GERR
FOR STILGAR
Yar is suspicious that they won't let him by to check on the horses. Is all as it seems?
Gerr nods to the dwarf. "Keep me informed." He then walks purposely over to the young woman. He nods a greeting, keeping his hands well clear of his weapons. "Ma'am, I have reason to believe that this ship might be carrying illegal slaves. All I need to confirm or deny this rumor once and for all is to have a brief look belowdecks. You may accompany me to mind my honesty, but I believe that the captain might be in on it. You seem honorable, however, and I believe I can trust your honor. Will you aid me?"
Leaning against her axe Leili raises a single dark eyebrow at the man's request. "Look, it's great that you're wanting to be a hero and do the right thing but I'm not taking you below deck. I'm here to do my job, which is to only let on people with passes and then escort people to their bunks" She informs him bluntly "You'll need to get the captain's permission to snoop around his ship before I let you down there"
Yar is suspicious that they won't let him by to check on the horses. Is all as it seems?
** spoiler omitted **
FOR YAR
** spoiler omitted **
FOR STILGAR
Gerr nods at the woman. "Very well. Thank you for your time." He tips his hat and walks over to the dwarf.
"Captain, I believe you might be carrying slaves belowdecks. I can bring the Guard, but I'd rather settle this quickly and easily without a great deal of fuss. I understand it's bad for business. Will you take me below? If I am incorrect, I will trouble you no more."
Rix saunters down the pier, pausing behind the couple.
She hisses a whisper to the man:
Satisfied, she walks up to the barbarian woman and hands over her pass.
Burrloft, who had been pacing the deck (within the proscribed area) was getting annoyed. There was no reason to keep him here like cattle, he should be allowed to go to his quarters. Preposterous about staying here for safety. Being of the small folk, he knew that it was safer to be ensconced in his room that standing in an area to be tripped over by some swarthy, oblivious stevedore. He was getting angry enough to consider some mischief, but then he heard that big human asking questions of the woman and captain about slavery... "The slave trade certainly doesn't sit well with me" he thought to himself "Maybe a modicum more patience is necessitated to see this scene play itself out."
Spurned on by the elf’s whispers the man at the end of the pier pipes up, “Capitan, the child will take up no room at all. I dare say you shouldn’t have charge me for her passage. Now let us board or I’ll go to the harbor master about your unfair practices and this mans claims of wrong doing on your part will be carefully scrutinized.”
The dwarf waves his hands in disgust, “To the depths with you all! Leili, show the land lubbers to da travelers cabin while I be takin’ this liar below. I’ll not be havin’ the good name o’ the Shanty Queen tarnished by his likes. Lixandir make us ready for sea.”
The first mate, a large human man (boarding on giant) with a menacing scar where his left eye should be, responds with a gruff, “Aye cap’n.”
Leili leads everyone on deck, including the young family to the stern of the ship and down a small flight of stairs into a large room with several double bunks and lining the walls with trunks attached to the floor below them for stowing personal belongings. The room is dank and musty, lit up by a smudged glass oil lamp hanging from a chain in the center of the ceiling that casts shadows about the walls. There are enough bunks for everyone plus four extra that remain unclaimed.
The dwarf points Gerr in direction of the bow and leads him to a ladder that drops them down into the cargo hold.
FOR GERR & STILGAR
Stilgar: Your tapping seems to attract some attention as a man followed by a familiar looking dwarf enter the area your cell is located.
FOR RIX & YAR
Yar drops to his hands and knees, and places his ear against the boards. He then raps sharply on the ground..."Hello" he shouts, then places his ear against the ground.
** spoiler omitted **
For MD and Ger
Rix looks at the man on hands and knees, pressing his ear against the floor. She prods him gently with the toe of her boot.
"Whatcha hear down there, chief?"
Not deigning to join him on the floor, she tilts her head and listens more closely, gesturing everyone else in the room to be quiet.
"Shhh"! "Sounds like a metallic tapping sound or something". "Definitely not something normal for a ship at harbor".
Yar drops to his hands and knees, and places his ear against the boards. He then raps sharply on the ground..."Hello" he shouts, then places his ear against the ground.
** spoiler omitted **
FOR YAR:
"Shhh"! "Sounds like a metallic tapping sound or something". "Definitely not something normal for a ship at harbor".
FOR GERR & STILGAR:
For MD and Gerr
FOR MD AND STILGAR
Fort Save: 1d20 2=11
RIX, YAR, LEILI, BURLOFT:
There is a shudder, a creaking sound and then the snap of splintering wood as the floor of the cabin bursts from below. Through a small hole you can see the man from the pier (the one who brought the accusations of slavery up) lying on the cargo hold floor below. A half-orc is bellowing with rage as he tosses aside two bars from a cell that once contained him, the bars having been attached below the floor of the cabin. The Dwarven captain is drawing a fat headed hammer off of his belt preparing to defend himself from the monstrous looking prisoner. Two horses (recognized by Yar) are stomping in a panic inside two makeshift stalls.
FOR LEILI:
GERR, STILGAR:
The powder does its job and Gerr crashes to the floor unconscious. Stilgar yanks with all his might and yanks two of the cells bars right out of the wood, putting a hole in the ceiling where the bars were once attached.
FOR RIX, YAR
Stilgar screams at the dwarven captain, "Murderer! Yous killed him with powder!" He advances on the captain with his improvised flail.
"Murderer! Yous pay!"
Atk; Dmg with improvised flail (1d20+6=23, 1d6+5=10)
Stilgar swings his chain at the dwarven captain.
"Captain Stonewave!" Leili calls out, apparently torn between concern for the dwarf and anger at the confusing sight below.
Rix looks down into the hole. "Huh. That's interesting."
For a brief second, she seems to be weighing something in her head, then she shrugs. "Ah, what the hell!" And with a grin, she draws a sap from her belt and drops down into the hole.
Mythril DM:
Yar, not completely trusting the Captain anyway, makes a quick decision to aid the captive.
OOC: I will be out of town on business the first part of this week, and posting will be sporadic, so feel free to play Yar as you see fit.
Burrloft's eyebrow arches up as he sees the half-orc who seems to be escaping bondage, the inert gentleman from the deck and the distasteful dwarven captain. Well, that captain is certainly an unsavory sort... I trust him less than the two whom I haven't actually met. "The captain presents himself as quite the big blowhard. Let us disause him of that notion." The gnome raises one hand and his ring glows with a lurid gold light. "Alz-Morphium et goh minreductumum." The light lances from his tiger-eye ring to the dwarf.