Saorise looks longingly again at the buildings before agreeing with Jorgen. "It's agreed then."
She turns to those remaining and says, "Jorgen an I will come ashore and see the accomodations, but we will be remaining on the ship tonight as guards."
She then grabs her meagre gear and moves to join the others, Jorgen following her.
"Thank you, Breda, after week at sea or on a stony beach, it is welcome indeed! I know you have no tavern here, but as a skald I would be honoured if I could repay your hospitality by providing some mirth and song tonight, if there is a place your village meets for such things," Helga offers with a smile, her previous clash of horns with the other woman apparently forgotten.
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Breda tells Helga that she will mention this to Lord Mercik in the High Hall. "But the Festival of Samthain would be the time for merriment."
Ari searched all the way around the lodge and finds another wooden door at the far end. It is blocked by piles of heavy crates, designed to carry something weighty.
Diplomacy:
Sense Motive:
Kurn realises the enormity of the repairs and wanders off along the beach, finds a nice spot and sits down to contemplate what he should/wants to do next.
The old man stops, turns and raises an eyebrow to the Unfettered Druid, taking in his valknut symbol.
"Fine," he says after a few seconds. "Come." The man walks out onto the swaying rope bridge and stops in the middle, above the river. "This spot good for you?" He looks down at the serene river about 70 feet below.
The rope bridge is canted and rises up to the stockade side as it goes.
Ari - Perception DC13
** spoiler omitted **
"This is a beautiful spot for your village, and the bridge makes it easily defensible". After a moments pause, "Things might be different here, but in the villages I have visited, when a strange ship approaches, usually it is not allowed to get this close before being challenged...Then I noticed that the men of the village are not here". "Is there something wrong"?
Jorgen listens quietly for the response to Stefnir's inquiry.
Ari tries to determine if the crates have been used before and if there is any residue of what was carried in them.
Perception
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The crates are clean and unused, varying from five to two foot long and all about three foot square in their cross section.
Tavnia continues with Stefnir, "if you offer up help to Lord Mercik then maybe we can return the favour. Think about that for later." He doesn't appear to care one way or the other how you respond.
Kurn Perception check DC10
Ragnar
Sense Motive:
The mute sailor starts to tidy up the lodge a bit, sweeping out cobwebs, laying out his things.
Spotting something of interest, Kurn gets up and walks over to another part of the beach. When gets there:
Knowledge Religion:
DMThe crates are clean and unused, varying from five to two foot long and all about three foot square in their cross section.
Tavnia continues with Stefnir, "if you offer up help to Lord Mercik then maybe we can return the favour. Think about that for later." He doesn't appear to care one way or the other how you respond.
Kurn Perception check DC10
** spoiler omitted **Ragnar
** spoiler omitted **
Stefnir is silent for a moment. "I did not mean to imply that your defenses were weak...just unusual". "My party is in an unique situation right now". "We came aboard this ship for adventure, and yes...for gold, but there were many issues, and many of us...myself included have no desire to return to sea".
"The problem is at this moment, we have nowhere else to go, and little gold". "If we can somehow assist your people in exchange for hospitality...well...I think something favorable to us all could be negotiated". "What say you"?
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DM
** spoiler omitted **
Stefnir
FW
Helga bustles about the small stead, settling herself in before walking out into the sunshine to look around. if she sees the children playing she'll join in, and entertain them with a few tricks and tales before fishing for any information.
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The children flock to Helga in ones and twos until she has a small impromptu gathering. The boys and girls readily listen to her stories and call for more comical tales too. A pair of mothers, all drawn and thin, watch from a distance and smiling at the happiness that the half-elf has brought.
Ragnar will soon understand that the lodge needs a thorough wash and spring clean. There is a dirty rat's nest in a corner with droppings all over the floor. Several of the wooden planks have become spongy and wet from a leak in the roof. The lodge is habitable though.
Anya
Saorise/Jorgen
As it's cold, once Helga has told a few takes and drawn out a few laughs she'll make a game out of getting the children to dance with her, using the game to teach them one or two new things. She's actually enjoying herself a great deal, her own childhood being a little short on playmates. She'll try and learn the names of the children and their parents, and hopefully this will allow her to find out innocently enough a little about what happened to the men-folk. If she touches raw nerves she will change the subject, but then has reason to ask the mothers present as well.
Diplomacy:
Ragnar sighs and grabs some of the pails from the net affixed to the ceiling. He looks around for a spade or a broom, but (presumably) finds none.
"Uh'm guhn' guht suhm wuhtuh, fuhnd suhm fuhwuhd. Uhnyuhn wuhn tuh cuhm?"
Translation:
Anya's eyebrow raises in slight surprise at Breda's offer but after a moment's pause she does grunt an affirmative response. The warrior knew that many of her fellow spearmadiens prefered the beds of their sisters in arms over the rough and irrasable men that usually chose a life of combat, but she herself had never gone down that particular road. Still though, the woman was fit, and probably would perform as an interesting bedmate. Or perhaps she had something else in mind altogether? Not caring in particular one way or the other at the moment as she had something else on her mind, Anya carelessly dumps her sack somewhere in the lodge and with a nod to her sister, and making sure the Smith and the boys seem aright, she promptly departs.
Still carrying her longspear Anya heads straight for where she last saw the Qin, walks boldly right up to the man, plants the spear and, with a smile on her face which in now way hides her intentions states "I've always had an eye for a man who knows how to wield his weapon. Perhaps you might care to tell me all about your skill over whatever passes for an ale in this poor excuse for a village?"
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Helga manages to win some of the parents over with her games. The children enjoy the fresh attention and end up throwing snowballs at each other.
"I'm Voltagor the Reiver!" shouts one child and he is promptly deluged in snow by the others as they mock him.
Talking with the parents, several things become apparent. Stuvoy has very few men, almost all left to fight the dwarves. Also that the harvest is everyone's main concern, with one woman asking if Helga and her crew will help with the winter coming.
Another mother talks of how poor the fishing has been, since the shrine to Krakis became disused when its priest left with Bombur. Now the Stormlord is angry with the village and needs placating.
Helga
Eventually the mothers grab their children and take them in for food. All the children make a point to smile and wave to Helga.
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Still carrying her longspear Anya heads straight for where she last saw the Qin, walks boldly right up to the man, plants the spear and, with a smile on her face which in now way hides her intentions states "I've always had an eye for a man who knows how to wield his weapon. Perhaps you might care to tell me all about your skill over whatever passes for an ale in this poor excuse for a village?"
Anya arrives at the Qin lodge and when the door opens after a hard knock, she faces a Qin warrior in fine silks with hands on weapons. His face is angular and blank, with his brown eyes staring up at her.
After she speaks. "You want Matter ... Kejin?" That is all the oriental can manage, just. He waits for Anya.
Saorise wanders the hold with Jorgen while the others run the meet and greet on the shore. Probably better I'm not there, she thinks to herself with a grin, all it would take is for one of them to be an idiot and I'd have us kicked back out of the town.
Furrowing her brow, she motions to Jorgen at another set of Runes that have appeared on the interior of the hold since last they checked. Jorgen then points out yet more of them, explaining their meaning to her. She quickly pulls out her Iauk and scratches over the fire Runes while Jorgen goes to work on the others.
"What do you make of it," she asks him. "I'm fairly certain they weren't here last time we looked right? Do you think we should tell the others?"
Helga waves to the children as they depart, then goes in search of Kurn.
"Captain Kurn," she grins at him (assuming she finds him), "would a priest of Krakis say a prayer for these poor fisher folk? It seems they had a priest recently, but he left to the war with the dwarves, and their luck at fishing has not gone well since."
Returning from his visit with the village Druid, Stefnir sees Kurn and Helga chatting, and motions that he would like a word with them.
"It seems that there are several problems in this village. First the men are away for some reason...which usually means at war, if this many are missing", but I didn't want to pry too much".
"Second, they are very concerned about taking in their harvest with their reduced manpower". "If we were to help them, it might give us leverage with the village".
"Third, there is a man named Merick, son of Bombur who seems to be running things in his fathers absence". "I believe we need to talk with him sooner rather than later"..."I'm not sure the Druid and he are in agreement".
"What have you found out"?
"Much the same, Stefnir - the men have gone to war with the dwarves, it seems, following Lord Bombur. Their priest of Krakis went with them, Kurn, and I think they would welcome any prayers you led them in as their fishing has been poor ever since. And yes, they are desperate for help with the harvest - and they don't have much confidence in Merick, they think he is too young for the duties he now undertakes. They think one of the older men, Sawrik was one name mentioned, or Tavnia the druid, should have been left in charge instead," Helga says, making sure no villagers can overhear them.
"If we help them with the harvest and their other troubles, the villagers will be very grateful ... but we must meet this young lord. He's an unknown quantity, I think," she grins suddenly, "I promise to be on my best behaviour when we do."
Ragnar shoulders two of the pails and heads out toward the river to get water and find some springy branches to fashion a crude broom and sweep out the rat droppings and soiled hay.
"Much the same, Stefnir - the men have gone to war with the dwarves, it seems, following Lord Bombur. Their priest of Krakis went with them, Kurn, and I think they would welcome any prayers you led them in as their fishing has been poor ever since. And yes, they are desperate for help with the harvest - and they don't have much confidence in Merick, they think he is too young for the duties he now undertakes. They think one of the older men, Sawrik was one name mentioned, or Tavnia the druid, should have been left in charge instead," Helga says, making sure no villagers can overhear them.
"If we help them with the harvest and their other troubles, the villagers will be very grateful ... but we must meet this young lord. He's an unknown quantity, I think," she grins suddenly, "I promise to be on my best behaviour when we do."
On the assumption that Helga finds Kurn before he can commandeer a rowing boat. " I think there is a shrine to Krakis across the bay" Kurn points to where it is. " I was just looking for a small boat to row across and have a look. I will happily say prayers to Krakis on behalf of the village once I get there. Hopefully Krakis will let me know why he is unhappy with this place at the same time"
"I suppose that is a good place to start," Helga nods, "although it may be wise to get the Lord's permission first ... he may consider it presumptuous."
Ari hears Anya trying to speak to the Qin and getting nowhere.
He approaches her and says,"Anya, perhaps I can be of assistance, I can speak the language, what are you asking him"
"I suppose that is a good place to start," Helga nods, "although it may be wise to get the Lord's permission first ... he may consider it presumptuous."
"mmmm you be right Helga, but do we know where he is? "
"Well, apparently he'll want to see us, at some point," Helga shrugs.
As Jorgen continues defacing the runes he shakes his head.
"Either someone still in the crew did this or we have an invisible stowaway. It will be interesting to see what happens with everyone in the village."
Knowledge Nature
Knowlegde Arcana
Knowlegde rELIGION
Jorgen mulls over the sigils searching his memory for bits of lore that might hold a clue as to what they were hunting.
Dot as well
With a frustrated and angry look on her face, for she had never had any patience for those who came to her land yet refused to learn her tongue, Anya opens her mouth to say something that would likely get her in trouble when fortuneatly Ari arrives and offers his assistance at just that moment.
Somewhat surprised at his presence there, she still hesitates but a moment before she smiles openly and replies "Well, yes, perhaps you may be of help my friend. I was looking for that shirtless Qin we saw practicing his swordplay earlier and had intened to offer him a...different sort of sport. So maybe you'd like to explain that to this chol then." as she hooks her thumb rudely over her shoulder at the waiting servant. Yet despite her actions to the Qin waiting at the door, her large grin makes it plain she is more than a little amused to see how Ari will handle her request.
Kurn looks at Helga and Stefnir. " As the Lord has gone to war, I think we may be able to go to the shrine and back before he returns. That way we can hopefully prove our helpfulness to his people, so when he does return we will hopefully be looked upon favourably. I'll enter the shrine alone, so you will not have to be incriminated, but I could do with help to find a boat to get me there please." Kurn looks along the beach looking for a suitable boat that is bigger than a coracle!
"The lord has, but it's his son acting in his stead," Helga explains. "He's the one they feel is too young, perhaps."
"The lord has, but it's his son acting in his stead," Helga explains. "He's the one they feel is too young, perhaps."
"Ok,lets find this boy then". Kurn moves off toward the main hall.
Saorise nods her head. "Agreed. I too am interested to see what happens after everyone but us has left the ship."
Ari ponders the situation for a few moments, then says
Qin
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"The lord has, but it's his son acting in his stead," Helga explains. "He's the one they feel is too young, perhaps.""Ok,lets find this boy then". Kurn moves off toward the main hall.
Knowledge (Local) (trained or untrained) DC10
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The warrior replies in Qin, "Wait here." The door is closed then after a minute it reopens and the same small warrior beckons Anya and Ari in.
Inside the two Krieg are led down a silk corridor to the end of the lodge. The lodge has been partitioned into smaller chambers. Waiting at the far end is another Qin warrior, one that Anya recognises by the slick black hair and broader chest. He opens the end curtain and points to a beautiful silk rug where an old man sits drinking from a tiny cup.
The two Qin warriors take up station either side of the old man as he speaks in Krieg.
"Sit please. I have more tea boiling or there will be mead, if you prefer. I am Master Kejin Waan. What may I call you?"
Stefnir is content to follow protocol, and wait for the meeting tonight. If there is a way to get to get to the shrine by land, Stefnir will go. He will not get on any floating vessel with Kurn. However if there are two small boats, he might be persuaded to follow in a second.
Knowledge Local
Kurn has no idea where to find the boy, so he will go to the main hall and wait. "I'll just wait in the main hall until the boy turns up, but if he's not here by the morning, I'll take myself off to the shrine" he says to Helga and Stefnir casually.