"That does sound like Aravele and Keria... but it still doesn't change the fact they left my office mere moments before you walked in, holding on to a contract promising them 300 gold pieces for bringing light back to the lighthouse." He then stops laughing. "How is that? No need to involve the crowds, and no need for me and my boys to put you behind bars for this affront either?"
He lets that statement sink for a bit and then adds: "I like your idea, orc. Fix the lighthouse and come back here with proof you did it instead of them, and the gold is yours. And don't think me a fool; the gold only changes hands once the task is completed."
EDIT: In response to Utar's question about possibly easing their way past Black Fist guards, Guard Sergeant Hurn says: "My men? HA, those are Grim's men you'll have to get past in Thorn Island, orc. Nothing I can do for you there."
The group leaves Guard Sergeant Hurn's office with a partial agreement and a bit of a sour taste in their mouths. Already at the docks, the group splits up and goes about finding transportation to Thorn Island. The docks seem busy at first in this early afternoon, but upon closer inspection there are plenty of dock-hands standing idle due to the lower-than-usual traffic of trade vessels.
(OOC: We'll expedite this a bit. I need volunteers for a few skill checks. One check per volunteer. I'd like to see persuasion, intimidation, deception, and Cartographer's Tools checks, the last one being Neya's specialty. Feel free to argue for substituting any of these proposed checks with another one. For instance, it could be argued that a nature or survival check be used in place of or in conjunction with the Cartographer's Tools check.)
Ok, Utar reluctantly will try the deception check on the understanding that maybe he's overselling something or bending the truth. I'm not sure he would want to outright lie.
Utar examines his surroundings for a bit and manages to spot a small boat traveling towards Thorn Island with what looks like three silhouettes in it. Asking around a bit, he finds out it belongs to old Karst, a bitter man who has worked as a ferryman for nearly forty years. It looks like Karst and his boat left shore no more than 8 to 10 minutes ago, carrying two passengers. Letting those he is talking to know of the importance of his mission in Thorn Island and letting their exaggerated understanding of it remain uncorrected, Utar manages to win their sympathy. They vouch to convince Karst to charge the half-orc and his companions the locals' price for the ferry, a measly 1gp per person. Nonetheless, the party would still have to wait for him to finish his current trip and then come back to the mainland before hopping on the ferry themselves (FERRY OPTION).
Graxx approaches a group of idle fisherman and tries his best to start up a normal conversation that would hopefully end in one of them willing to take some coin to take him and his companions to Thorn Island. A few minutes and some insults later, the barbarian is yelling at the fishermen instead, threatening to lop their heads off for their affront. The veteran fishermen, who have heard many threats from dockworkers over the years, know this is just steam that will eventually fade away, and as such, do not take the threats very seriously. After some more deliberation, one of them agrees to take the group on his dingy, but will charge an obviously overpriced 5gp per person. He would make himself and the boat available for the group until dusk and be able to leave after preparing his boat for the trip, which he estimates would take another 10 minutes (RENT OPTION).
Praxx seeks an isolated boatman and asks about his undoubtedly many sea tales. The man is more than happy to indulge and within the next few minutes the two of them become fast friends. His name is Otto and he has two little girls at home who he feeds with whatever money he can make from scavenging the bottom of the shallow portion of the nearby sea. Otto eventually agrees to sell the boat to Praxx and his friends, but does so knowing his livelihood will be affected at least in the short term. To help him and his daughters cope in the meanwhile, he asks 75 gold pieces in exchange for his boat. The bard manages to convince him to take that price down to 50gp, but the boat is ready to go out immediately (BUY OPTION).
While all of this is happening, Neya spends her time studying the ocean and choosing a trajectory towards Thorn Island. She pulls out a map of Phlan, a pair of compasses, some calipers, and a ruler from her pouch and goes to work. The isle is several hundred yards from shore, and the trip would take about 25 minutes in the monk's estimates, given the rowboat is captained by an experienced sailor. There are also some treacherous rocks on the way there. For a moment, Neya considers swimming the distance. Given the currents at play at this time of day, she gathers a strong swimmer could possibly make it within 1 hour, perhaps an hour and a half, but that it would be quite an exhausting attempt. Nonetheless, it is doable in theory (SWIM OPTION).
The group then reconvenes to mull over their options. (OOC: Feel free to do it in the OOC chat.)
"If we're going to compete against those mercenaries, we will need to leave as soon as we can with someone who knows these waters better than we do. Since we would otherwise need to wait for the ferryman to return, I'd say our best choice is renting space on the fisherman's dinghy. Any objections?"
“Lead on, Neya!” Graxx says excitedly. Then says, “If we happen to pass their boat on its way back and encourage it not to return to pick them up it may ensure victory.”
Rupert the fisherman looks surprised at first: "Really? I mean... I don't see that kind of gold in a year, but I ain't one to refuse generosity."
(OOC: please remove 5gp from each of your wallets.)
The five companions wait patiently as Rupert makes the final preparations. Before leaving, Drazzim, Utar, and Praxx do a final check around the docks just in case Rag has found his way to them, but it seems the friendly thief will have to miss this ride.
The first 20 minutes of the trip are quite smooth, despite the tight fit in the dinghy. Five minutes in and the fisherman recruits Graxx to do the rowing for him. Ten minutes in, he encourages Neya to keep the boat on course on his behalf. Once settled, he focuses on his true calling: telling tales. Among the many exaggerated stories of fish caught, loves lost, and adventures conquered, the group does manage to extract a few pieces of useful information (this is still considered part of your previous skill rolls):
He heard from Karst that the three attendants that serve Lord Igan Sokol in the keep are named Darvag, Shandra, and Rorin. As far as he knows, they are all good people and are all in good health, although Shandra apparently likes to eat her morning eggs raw and that is just disturbing;
Word on the docks is that being chosen to provide security at Thorn Island is considered a punishment for some minor infringements, but according to some Black Fist Guards that speak a bit more than they should, Guard Sergeant Grim has requested this specific assignment more often than not, especially lately. Must be one of those gloomy types.
His gram Olvi used to tell him that the island is full of spirits, but he has never actually seen any. Now mermaids, those are real; he swears he's had more than a few encounters in the past.
The second 20 minutes worth of traveling are a bit more treacherous. The boat has to slow down as the currents pick up in counterproductive directions and some sharp rocks hidden just beneath the foamy sea seem to reveal themselves with just seconds to spare as the boat approaches the island.
-> I need an athletics check from Graxx, and a survival one from Neya, both {DC 12}. Having Rupert on the boat with you has lowered this DC. Also, I don't think this is the case, but if anyone has the Sailor/Pirate background or proficiency with vehicles (water), now is the time to speak up.
Neya stands up and keeps her eyes peeled for the treacherous rocks while guiding Graxx, who powers through the currents with well-timed rowing strokes. With the help of his trusty pole (10-foot), Rupert himself manages the pushing of the dinghy away from some rocks here and there, providing back up to both Neya and Graxx.
After the rough patch is navigated securely, the boat finally approaches Thorn Island. From this close, you begin to better understand how strategically important the island is. Resting offshore in the Bay of Phlan, the sandy, wind-buffeted islet serves as a natural breakwater against the ravages of the Moonsea. The isle’s most prominent feature is Sokol Keep, its three large towers and the walls connecting them. The structure is the (former) headquarters of the formidable Sokol merchant house. A beacon atop the highest tower of the Keep serves as a lighthouse for ships entering the Bay of Phlan, though it is not currently lit.
There is a small quay on the eastern extend of the isle as well as a couple of large wooden warehouses. The dock and houses look like they have seen better times, but they are still sturdy. The doors to the warehouses are open, and as the group approaches the dock, they can see that the warehouses are mostly empty except for one that is filled with lumber, stones, and other building materials for the keep.
Standing at the docks, three humans and a dwarf await your arrival. The dwarf and two men are unloading boxes, crates, barrels, and sacks from the boat. The only woman in the welcoming group, a middle-aged short lady with a large smile, waves as you arrive: "Hello. My name is Shandra. Welcome to Thorn Island."
"Hello Shandra, my name is Praxx and these are my compatriots. We are here on behalf of Sergeant Hurn. Can you assist us? We are here to find out some of your issues on the island and what is going on" Praxx says
"To be more accurate, we are here to help find out why the lighthouse is out. I assume two mercenaries have already arrived regarding such a matter as well?" Neya adds.
Shandra responds: "Well, that's strange. Those two ladies indeed said just about the same thing as you did, just less polite-like. Are you part of the same group hired by the Black Fist? They did mentioned this Sergeant Hurn too, although I do not know him. Liela is a peach, though, isn't she?"
The older male adds: "As long as you are here to fix the lighthouse, it matters little who send you. Just let us know what we can do to help, although if you just want to storm off like those other two, be my guest. I'm Darvag, the groundskeeper and Shandra's husband. That there is Rorin, our son, who is helping the ferryman offload some of our weekly supplies." Both men nod in ways of introducing themselves, with the dwarf adding: "I'm Karst. Nice to meet you."
Darvag then answers Praxx: "We'll assist in whatever way we can, of course, but we don't understand magic or wield blades. We'll give you some lodging while you are here, food too." He nods to Shandra, who agrees promptly. "The grounds are all open to you as long as you solve our problem here. But introductions come first, do they not? You know our names; what were yours again? Praxx, and ..."
(OOC: Arriving at Thorn Island marks the end of ACT I. Each of you becomes the proud new owner of 400XP. Details can be found in the OOC Chat. Congrats!)
"That does sound like Aravele and Keria... but it still doesn't change the fact they left my office mere moments before you walked in, holding on to a contract promising them 300 gold pieces for bringing light back to the lighthouse." He then stops laughing. "How is that? No need to involve the crowds, and no need for me and my boys to put you behind bars for this affront either?"
He lets that statement sink for a bit and then adds: "I like your idea, orc. Fix the lighthouse and come back here with proof you did it instead of them, and the gold is yours. And don't think me a fool; the gold only changes hands once the task is completed."
Utar narrows his eyes, giving the dwarf a good hard stare. Content with the deal, or at least fairly certain he can't push any further, he relaxes.
"You've got yourself a deal dwarf. Anything you can give us to get us past any of your men on our way?"
"Humph" , Grixx moans as he steps back not wanting to instigate anything. He thinks to himself, "This is why I just stick to killing and not talking."
Neya steps out of the office and waits just outside, satisfied with the little bit of information Guard Sargeant Hurn provided.
Extended Signature
EDIT: In response to Utar's question about possibly easing their way past Black Fist guards, Guard Sergeant Hurn says: "My men? HA, those are Grim's men you'll have to get past in Thorn Island, orc. Nothing I can do for you there."
The group leaves Guard Sergeant Hurn's office with a partial agreement and a bit of a sour taste in their mouths. Already at the docks, the group splits up and goes about finding transportation to Thorn Island. The docks seem busy at first in this early afternoon, but upon closer inspection there are plenty of dock-hands standing idle due to the lower-than-usual traffic of trade vessels.
(OOC: We'll expedite this a bit. I need volunteers for a few skill checks. One check per volunteer. I'd like to see persuasion, intimidation, deception, and Cartographer's Tools checks, the last one being Neya's specialty. Feel free to argue for substituting any of these proposed checks with another one. For instance, it could be argued that a nature or survival check be used in place of or in conjunction with the Cartographer's Tools check.)
Graxx Intimidation: 8
Persuasion- 18
Ok, Utar reluctantly will try the deception check on the understanding that maybe he's overselling something or bending the truth. I'm not sure he would want to outright lie.
Burning his inspiration on it!
Deception - 14
Neya's going to use her new cartographer's tool set while reading the water around the port to try to chart a course.
Cartographer's Tools + survival: 8
Extended Signature
Utar examines his surroundings for a bit and manages to spot a small boat traveling towards Thorn Island with what looks like three silhouettes in it. Asking around a bit, he finds out it belongs to old Karst, a bitter man who has worked as a ferryman for nearly forty years. It looks like Karst and his boat left shore no more than 8 to 10 minutes ago, carrying two passengers. Letting those he is talking to know of the importance of his mission in Thorn Island and letting their exaggerated understanding of it remain uncorrected, Utar manages to win their sympathy. They vouch to convince Karst to charge the half-orc and his companions the locals' price for the ferry, a measly 1gp per person. Nonetheless, the party would still have to wait for him to finish his current trip and then come back to the mainland before hopping on the ferry themselves (FERRY OPTION).
Graxx approaches a group of idle fisherman and tries his best to start up a normal conversation that would hopefully end in one of them willing to take some coin to take him and his companions to Thorn Island. A few minutes and some insults later, the barbarian is yelling at the fishermen instead, threatening to lop their heads off for their affront. The veteran fishermen, who have heard many threats from dockworkers over the years, know this is just steam that will eventually fade away, and as such, do not take the threats very seriously. After some more deliberation, one of them agrees to take the group on his dingy, but will charge an obviously overpriced 5gp per person. He would make himself and the boat available for the group until dusk and be able to leave after preparing his boat for the trip, which he estimates would take another 10 minutes (RENT OPTION).
Praxx seeks an isolated boatman and asks about his undoubtedly many sea tales. The man is more than happy to indulge and within the next few minutes the two of them become fast friends. His name is Otto and he has two little girls at home who he feeds with whatever money he can make from scavenging the bottom of the shallow portion of the nearby sea. Otto eventually agrees to sell the boat to Praxx and his friends, but does so knowing his livelihood will be affected at least in the short term. To help him and his daughters cope in the meanwhile, he asks 75 gold pieces in exchange for his boat. The bard manages to convince him to take that price down to 50gp, but the boat is ready to go out immediately (BUY OPTION).
While all of this is happening, Neya spends her time studying the ocean and choosing a trajectory towards Thorn Island. She pulls out a map of Phlan, a pair of compasses, some calipers, and a ruler from her pouch and goes to work. The isle is several hundred yards from shore, and the trip would take about 25 minutes in the monk's estimates, given the rowboat is captained by an experienced sailor. There are also some treacherous rocks on the way there. For a moment, Neya considers swimming the distance. Given the currents at play at this time of day, she gathers a strong swimmer could possibly make it within 1 hour, perhaps an hour and a half, but that it would be quite an exhausting attempt. Nonetheless, it is doable in theory (SWIM OPTION).
The group then reconvenes to mull over their options. (OOC: Feel free to do it in the OOC chat.)
"If we're going to compete against those mercenaries, we will need to leave as soon as we can with someone who knows these waters better than we do. Since we would otherwise need to wait for the ferryman to return, I'd say our best choice is renting space on the fisherman's dinghy. Any objections?"
Extended Signature
“Lead on, Neya!” Graxx says excitedly. Then says, “If we happen to pass their boat on its way back and encourage it not to return to pick them up it may ensure victory.”
Rupert the fisherman looks surprised at first: "Really? I mean... I don't see that kind of gold in a year, but I ain't one to refuse generosity."
(OOC: please remove 5gp from each of your wallets.)
The five companions wait patiently as Rupert makes the final preparations. Before leaving, Drazzim, Utar, and Praxx do a final check around the docks just in case Rag has found his way to them, but it seems the friendly thief will have to miss this ride.
The first 20 minutes of the trip are quite smooth, despite the tight fit in the dinghy. Five minutes in and the fisherman recruits Graxx to do the rowing for him. Ten minutes in, he encourages Neya to keep the boat on course on his behalf. Once settled, he focuses on his true calling: telling tales. Among the many exaggerated stories of fish caught, loves lost, and adventures conquered, the group does manage to extract a few pieces of useful information (this is still considered part of your previous skill rolls):
The second 20 minutes worth of traveling are a bit more treacherous. The boat has to slow down as the currents pick up in counterproductive directions and some sharp rocks hidden just beneath the foamy sea seem to reveal themselves with just seconds to spare as the boat approaches the island.
-> I need an athletics check from Graxx, and a survival one from Neya, both {DC 12}. Having Rupert on the boat with you has lowered this DC. Also, I don't think this is the case, but if anyone has the Sailor/Pirate background or proficiency with vehicles (water), now is the time to speak up.
Athletics: 17
Survival: 12
Extended Signature
Neya stands up and keeps her eyes peeled for the treacherous rocks while guiding Graxx, who powers through the currents with well-timed rowing strokes. With the help of his trusty pole (10-foot), Rupert himself manages the pushing of the dinghy away from some rocks here and there, providing back up to both Neya and Graxx.
After the rough patch is navigated securely, the boat finally approaches Thorn Island. From this close, you begin to better understand how strategically important the island is. Resting offshore in the Bay of Phlan, the sandy, wind-buffeted islet serves as a natural breakwater against the ravages of the Moonsea. The isle’s most prominent feature is Sokol Keep, its three large towers and the walls connecting them. The structure is the (former) headquarters of the formidable Sokol merchant house. A beacon atop the highest tower of the Keep serves as a lighthouse for ships entering the Bay of Phlan, though it is not currently lit.
There is a small quay on the eastern extend of the isle as well as a couple of large wooden warehouses. The dock and houses look like they have seen better times, but they are still sturdy. The doors to the warehouses are open, and as the group approaches the dock, they can see that the warehouses are mostly empty except for one that is filled with lumber, stones, and other building materials for the keep.
Standing at the docks, three humans and a dwarf await your arrival. The dwarf and two men are unloading boxes, crates, barrels, and sacks from the boat. The only woman in the welcoming group, a middle-aged short lady with a large smile, waves as you arrive: "Hello. My name is Shandra. Welcome to Thorn Island."
"Hello Shandra, my name is Praxx and these are my compatriots. We are here on behalf of Sergeant Hurn. Can you assist us? We are here to find out some of your issues on the island and what is going on" Praxx says
"To be more accurate, we are here to help find out why the lighthouse is out. I assume two mercenaries have already arrived regarding such a matter as well?" Neya adds.
Extended Signature
Utar coughs nervously before adding, "To be even more accurate, we are also here on behalf of Liela at the House Sokol office in mainland Phlan."
Shandra responds: "Well, that's strange. Those two ladies indeed said just about the same thing as you did, just less polite-like. Are you part of the same group hired by the Black Fist? They did mentioned this Sergeant Hurn too, although I do not know him. Liela is a peach, though, isn't she?"
The older male adds: "As long as you are here to fix the lighthouse, it matters little who send you. Just let us know what we can do to help, although if you just want to storm off like those other two, be my guest. I'm Darvag, the groundskeeper and Shandra's husband. That there is Rorin, our son, who is helping the ferryman offload some of our weekly supplies." Both men nod in ways of introducing themselves, with the dwarf adding: "I'm Karst. Nice to meet you."
Darvag then answers Praxx: "We'll assist in whatever way we can, of course, but we don't understand magic or wield blades. We'll give you some lodging while you are here, food too." He nods to Shandra, who agrees promptly. "The grounds are all open to you as long as you solve our problem here. But introductions come first, do they not? You know our names; what were yours again? Praxx, and ..."
(OOC: Arriving at Thorn Island marks the end of ACT I. Each of you becomes the proud new owner of 400XP. Details can be found in the OOC Chat. Congrats!)