As the spell takes place, a blue miniature trident appears above Garreg, slowly turning on itself.
"Thanks, this will help us find a good way to work together. As you've proposed, you said you can lead us in Bonegnaw's lair and you know the password. But we need more than that. Are you ready to come with us and fight alongside us for that?
If so, I'm ready to share the loot with you and I believe my comrades will do so.
If so, I'm going to ask you a few more questions about the cove."
"Do you confirm knowing the password and the location of Bonegnaw's cove?
Does that password ever change?
Have you already entered the cove?
Can you describe us what it looks like?
How many people are defending it?
What tactics you think they will use?
Do you know of any traps that could have been installed?
Besides directing his crew, is this Bonegnaw known for his arcane abilities or his worshipping of a god. Do you know if he's got a preferred weapon?
All those answers will help us devise a plan to take him out as quickly as possible."
Morgan adjusts his opinion of Garreg slightly in light of the man's willingness. Strange bedfellows we are already. Another one won't matter.
Watching Beth with Garreg, Morgan is impressed by her range of questions.
Additional questions:
Has Garreg actually had personal dealings with Bonegnaw?
Is there a way to come at them from a blindside/cliff?
What are the smugglers usual nocturnal/diurnal activities?
Is there anything Bonegnaw particularly craves/fears? Does he have a weakness?
"Ya don't wanna know nuttin' do ya?
"Do you confirm knowing the password and the location of Bonegnaw's cove? Yeah I know's it
Does that password ever change? Probably does, but hasn't recently.
Have you already entered the cove? Been in it once or twice.
Can you describe us what it looks like? It is about 300' across with a beach with some caves. Have not been in the caves, but Bonegnaw keeps some beasties in there.
How many people are defending it? From what I saw I am guessing 8-10 and he has got some other beasties I have never seen before.
What tactics you think they will use? He has lookouts on the ridge. If you don't have the password they'll signal below.
Do you know of any traps that could have been installed? Didn't see any
Besides directing his crew, is this Bonegnaw known for his arcane abilities or his worshipping of a god. Do you know if he's got a preferred weapon? He has a scimitar and a bow.
All those answers will help us devise a plan to take him out as quickly as possible."
Has Garreg actually had personal dealings with Bonegnaw? Only business
Is there a way to come at them from a blindside/cliff? yes, but it ain't an easy climb down.
What are the smugglers usual nocturnal/diurnal activities? Have only been there during the day.
Is there anything Bonegnaw particularly craves/fears? Does he have a weakness? He don't like the Ring none. Whut does a Gnoll crave or fear?
"How do you normally approach the cove?
How suspicious would he be of a ship even with you on turning up unannounced?
I also want to ask you about Barrett.
What backrooms are there at the Barnacle?
When did you see him and the priest in blue robes?
What defences does Barrett have?"
"Beasties? Do you mean hawks or snakes? Or larger ones? And you said you never saw them before. Can you describe them, maybe we can guess what they are.
Wow, this sounds like a proper interrogation. Sorry about that, Garreg, but we are eager to learn all we can."
"Silas and Beth, depending on the cliff, I can feather fall all of us down, though we would be drifting in air for a time as we descend to the ground below. I have studies bestiaries of a wide assortment, I may be of assistance in identifying the beasts?"
How do you normally approach the cove? In my fishing sloop.
How suspicious would he be of a ship even with you on turning up unannounced? Since I knows the password, prolly not.
I also want to ask you about Barrett.
What backrooms are there at the Barnacle? Dunno
When did you see him and the priest in blue robes? A couple of months ago.
What defences does Barrett have?" Dunno
"They are beasties. I know snakes and hawks and such. These ain't nuttin' like I've ever seen. Some like a scrawny chicken, one that flies with tail spikes.
Sandman had been away, doing whatever it was that he did. He strolled up on the group with a smile, puffing away on his pipe without a care in the world as Garreg finished speaking.
"If you will listen to advice
You will avoid the Cockatrice"
"A caution I need hardly say
Wholly superfluous to-day."
"Yet had you lived when they were rife
Such warning might have saved your life."
"To meet the Cockatrice's eye
Means certain death--and that is why"
"When I its features here portray
I make it look the other way."
"O Cockatrice! were you so mean
What must the Hen-atrice have been!"
Sorry to say but on an 11 it is a nice poem:)
Morgan considers Garreg's answers. He reminds everyone that he can merge with Tiki for a bit under a minute (40 seconds) at a time, if that helps with subterfuge or surprise. Tiki is very small, doesn't need to breathe and looks like a fancy necklace. He can also be launched from a catapult or thrown. :)
Need to do a review of her memory for beasts, Jequette reflects back on her training and hours spent in the academy library for so many hours.
Any information obtain will share with the party and expand on possible means to overcome such challenges.
Though Tiki might be immune to petrification...
Silas nods sagely as if he knows any of these creatures they are talking about. "We should plan carefully then for assaulting this place. There seems to be a few options for actually getting in, but whatever we do must be coordinated."
Obi, Jequette already got a 29.
"Garreg, thanks a lot, this will help us remove that blight on Port Shaw. We have to meet the governor later today but we'll should have time to discuss a plan. Maybe we can leave on the morning tide tomorrow? ", asks Beth around to her companions.
"And for myself, I say you're in with us if you want", she says, cancelling her spell on Garreg.
"Morning tide is 3 bells. Meet at dock 28."
"Good. Unless anyone has an objection, we'll be there."
As they take their leave of the half-reformed drug dealer, Beth turns to her companions. "We may have the time to have a look at Barret's Barnacle back rooms if there are any. How do you want to proceed? Shall we go round the back to try to fing a good entrance and send the Tlkka in ?"
Morgan is up for revisiting Barrett's. A back room window might be an easy in, if Obi or someone else has the break-in skills.
Apart from a back room/hidden room, determining whether there is an underground chamber should be fairly easy - most port buildings will be built at least partly off the ground, and if on the dock then an "underground" space will be between the building and the water.
"I can help with breaking in, but given we're trusting Garreg on the cove do we not trust him to go straight in to the Barnacle anyway?"
"Assessing the structure and visual review of the building compared to the inside from our brief altercation, it would suggest the building was of a particular design."
KN Engineering
"To be fair, I'm not sure I can make myself trust Garreg even if my soul tells me I should. But I'm fairly sure he won't tell Barret anything. And only because Barret did not lift a finger trying to defend him when we told him we were only after Garreg. There is no loyalty between these men." replies Beth to Silas.
"To come back to our visit to the Barnacle, Let's just stroll by it first to locate any basement. If we do, the tiki can just drop and have a first look while we wait close by. Afterwards, it is the middle of the day and Barret will be busy with his customers inside."
"I think we may want to look in the other building if only to establish if it's connected to the Barnacle."
"Hmm. I guess we either check the cellar hatch or the outbuilding first. I'm fine either way. It's still daylight - anyone have any ideas on how to obtain access to either without being seen?"
Obi raises his hand and almost bounces like an overexcited child. "Ooh! Ooh! I know! Um...yes, err, a distraction! Yes, a distraction will work nicely." The wild man seems to be bouncing between scholarly and just plain hyperactive.
"I can raise some fog to mask us, but a sudden apparition of fog will be suspicious. At night it will be easier as fog can naturally form."
Morgan listens to Beth, and can't help smiling when Obi's enthusiasm boils over into physical action.
"If we want to do this before we meet with Bonedeuce again we can't wait for darkness to hide us - Obi's distraction seems like the best bet unless Jequette or Silas have other ideas. Which one - cellar hatch or outbuilding?"
"We may ask the caster back at the Run-a-Round if he has a spell or two that could be cast? But there will be some gold that would need to change hands."
"Well I could go over there and play my fiddle. I can probably cause a distraction to most people."
"Correct me if I'm wrong but you're the only one that can open the lock. That said, that's an idea I like. If you play, we'll go and have a look at the cellar."
"Well unless Obi can open the lock or someone has a spell that can do it may mean I'm the only one who might get lucky enough to pry it open."
I do have knock in my spell selection, but would need a day to prepare it. So, if there are other matters we can attend to or address, that might be a better use of time till the early morning before we can access the cellar.
"Or someone else sorts the distraction and look out and I go take a look."
"Right, we seem to have a single plan left. Obi, can you set up a distraction while Silas, Morgan and the Tiki has a look. I can do the lookout and try to intercept/distract anyone coming your way. Sandman and Jequette can either come with you or stay out.", summarizes Beth.
"Oh and before you go, I would start with the cellar if I were you. It will be less obvious than opening the lock in the middle of the day, even with a nice distraction."
"Beth, if it helps with the plans, I can always recall the Knock spell with the use of my bonded item.