You arrived at the ship at approximately 3pm. I will say between the battles, the exploration, lock-picking, hatch-lifting, etc, that 90 minutes have elapsed, making it now 4:30 pm. You have perhaps 20 hours remaining until you are due to be transported to the New Farm.
The ship has been mothballed for a few years now, and the more important details of its participation in the slave trade were in the previously-recovered Captain's Log that Mina perused back at the safehouse. The records here on board ship are very mundane, and not up to date.
"If that is still the plan then yes." Akyan replies to Kyrsa. When Jhaartael asks about charts and papers, the drow shakes his head. He hasn't found anything in this ship.
The records in the chart and Navigation room are mostly mundane. Any important info on slaving or other transactions would have been recorded in the Captain's log, which was previously recovered, and is presumably back at the safehouse.
A quick survey by Mina estimates probably 5000 gp to make enough repairs to make her seaworthy, and another 5-10 thousand beyond that to make her into a fighting vessel with the latest armaments. A full crew of sailors would be about thirty, and their monthly upkeep would be about 800 gp. The ship could be sailed with just the six of you, but you would be pulling very longs shifts and certain maintenance tasks would go undone/
"For now, she isn't going anywhere. Even in dry dock, an old ship can serve as a very good hideout... as the slavers proved. We don't need to decide her future now. Are we heading back to the safehouse or do we think we have it in us to further harm the slavers enterprise tonight?"
The Nightmare was actually Aeric's personal property, which he did not share with the Serpents. As far as you know, the Serpents are unaware of its existence. He kept it as a safehouse of his own, in case he ever had a falling out with the cartel. This is one reason he retreated here when he thought an assassination attempt was being made against him. Another reason was so he could attempt the ritual on Liesel's spirit.
“Moving against th Serpents HQ? “ asks Lyndaran “I do think that we lack the intel or the resources… and honestly the time. Aren’t we supposed to go back and wait for extraction to the new farm? We have prevented that the Serpents learn from us, hindered their slavery business and giving them a reason to believe their operations are under attack once they discover what happened. For as much as I would like to bring them down I do not think we would be able to do it now. And I think that we’ve done enough for one night. Let’s not get greedy my comrades”
“I have to agree with you,” Kyrsa nods to Lyndaran. “I’d hoped that Aeric would be a potential help in that refused, but even if he wasn’t dead I doubt he would have offered much.” She scowls, shaking her head for a moment. “Even though going to the serpents HQ was what we’d intended…I don’t know if it is plausible at this point. As much as I would like to go in there we can’t do so without a solid plan…which we no longer have time to create.” She looks to Tamryn since he was the one who was set on following through with his mission.
Akyan nods to Lyndaran's and Kyrsa's assessment of the situation. This was what he had been thinking as well. "Then unless we wish to gather more Intel, I say we head back to the safe house. I doubt we are going to find much else pertaining to the Serpents in here... Though, I suppose we could go back and get Grignar's thumb. Tamryn said he needs the thumbs of three Serpent leaders. I don't know if that woman has a way of identifying that kind of thing, but If we have time to go back and get it, then it would save him some trouble."
(bot mode for Tamryn, whose player has been sick of late)
The wood elf looks thoughtful. "Well, with both of Aeric's thumbs that makes three, and we have three rings now, so that requirement is finished. Really all I have to do now is start a fire inside the Seven Serpents' headquarters, and we have 20 hours to go. Why don't we head back to the safehouse, meditate for a few hours, and I still think there will be plenty of time to finish my tasks for the Dannihyrs."
The group heads back to the safehouse, trusting that Lorna and Barty will keep squatters out of the Nightmare. It takes about an hour to arrive there and enter unseen. It is now 5:30 pm. The dwarves will be finishing their long rest around 9 pm, giving you some time to meditate, identify items, strategize or discuss any group business. Simple and martial weapons of most types can be replaced from the storerooms of safehouse.
Mina, still stewing, doesn't say anything to anyone as she first heads to the storerooms and grabs a new net, dropping off the basic studded leather armor that she had been carrying around. Standing in the storeroom, she recalls that at melee range she doesn't have much, and picks up a rapier as well.
Finding a quiet space in the safehouse, Mina does her best to mediate, hoping it will also help calm her down.
Jhaartael follows the party in silence. Reaching the safehouse, he goes to what serves as a study. He makes a space to sit. On one side he sets a perch for Artaquetië. He then sits, seiza style, on the floor opposite his familiar. The whistle and book found on the ship he removes with great care from his backpack, being sure not to touch them directly with his exposed skin. Arranging them before him on the floor, he also draws out his spellbook, quill and inks, placing these to one side of him and his backpack to the other.
Artaquetië watches as the wizard's posture straightens and relaxes, his hands resting lightly on his lap, palms down. Deep, regular breaths raise and lower the wizard's chest, but he is otherwise still, already deep in his trance.
((He will thus meditate for 4 hours - till 9:30pm))
The familiar steadfastly waits with the wizard, periodically preening his feathers, but otherwise making little noise.
Several hours pass and the elf's eye's slowly refocus to the present. Jhaartael looks at Artaquetië and greets him with a thin smile. "Let us see what we can learn.
With studied discipline, he first takes up his spellbook. Turning its pages he finds the page he looked for. The raven watches as Jhaartael's lips noiselessly shape the particulars of the spell, setting it into his memory. The wizard, closes the book and lays it back to the side. He pauses for a moment considering the necromatic book before him. He then turns to his writing supplies. From these he takes up the two small knives he keeps for sharpening quills and other such tasks. Using these knives as extensions for his hands, he moves the book about, carefully examining it from the outside. He does this for quite a while, making note of all the lines in the skin, the edges of the pages, cracks in the bone hardware.
A reluctant sigh precedes him turning the book with the knives so that the clasp is toward him. Using the knives, he slowly and patiently works the bone clasp to open the tome.
((Unless the clasp prevents this))
Another sigh as he turns the book with a knife so it sits as ready to be opened and read. He places the edge of one knife under the front cover. "Look away"he instructs his familiar. The two both look to one side and the other as he blindly flips open the tome with his knife.
((If no magical explosion or other horrible effect))
The wizard slowly turns his head back to glance at the now open book before him.
((If undisturbed he will get a bit lost in his examination of the book - always using the knives to turn pages - until others come looking for him.))
Kyrsa, satisfied with the plan, heads back with the rest of the group. When they reach the safehouse the day suddenly catches up with her. Her anger at the slavers and the adrenaline from the fights has finally worn off, leaving her tired and worn. Seeing Jhaarteal taking the opportunity to find solitude and meditate, she decides to do the same. She finds herself a quiet place to sit down, and silently prays that if she must dream...that those dreams will not involve unwanted memories.
She wakes roughly around the same time that Jhaarteal does, though she stays seated for a short while...her mind running through the events of earlier today. After a few moments, she shakes her head and lets out a long breath. Slowly, she rises and moves to rejoin the rest of her companions, wherever they are. If everyone is still separate, she will find Mina.
"I'm sorry we didn't gain much information about your brother from Aeric. ...What...are your thoughts on the information he did give us?" She asks slowly, realizing that it might be a little soon to ask.
Once back at the safe house, Akyan makes his way to his quarters. Even though he hadn't taken any physical damage during his possession, the hole thing had left him mentally drained. Taking off his hat and belt, he decides to sleep rather than meditate as he usually finds rest comes faster that way. Steeling his mind in an attempt to keep out unwelcome thoughts, he let's the darkness fill his mind.
He only awakes after hearing one of the others moving around outside his door. He gets up slowly, and gathers his things for the next task. Then he makes his way out to wherever the others are congregating. Seeing Jhaartael, he walks over to the high elf. Gesturing to the book and the whistle, he asks, "Well, did you figure anything out about those things?"
(That was a pleasure to read. However, to be clear, was this a ritual casting of identify? )
((unfortunately not. Don't have that one yet... Was just swapping my prepared spells for what comes next... Then spending some solid time trying to discern what I can about the book))
(That was a pleasure to read. However, to be clear, was this a ritual casting of identify? )
((unfortunately not. Don't have that one yet... Was just swapping my prepared spells for what comes next... Then spending some solid time trying to discern what I can about the book))
(Well, since the 5e rules allow for item identification from spending one hour studying an object, it sounds like this qualifies, so...)
As Jhaartael studies and opens his awareness to the necromantic tome, he identifies the book as...
...having the properties of a libram of souls and flesh.- The item description isn't very clear on this point, so I will rule that you can only cast spells from the book for which you have an appropriate spell slot available. i.e. no finger of death until you have 7th level slots, etc.
But apart from its content, the volume has an aura of evil, perhaps even sentience. Jhaartael suspects that a wizard who attunes to and uses this book would be exposing themselves to a corrupting power, and would have to continually be vigilant against its influence.
The whistle remains unidentified for now, simply because Jhaartael did not focus on it during his meditation.
Each of you completes a meditation or equivalent long rest. When you return to the common room, you find the dwarves finishing preparations for an evening meal, speaking cheerfully and joking around with each other. They make polite inquiries about your afternoon activities, Annika having already filled them in on she and Tamryn's visit to House Dannihyr. If you choose to recount your exploits they will nod and comment appreciatively at the descriptions of the battles, and hoot gleefully at the team's missteps. Spar smiles genially, pleased that you have been busy and successful.
(I leave it up to you whether you inform the dwarves about Aeric, the ghosts, the Nightmare and the Libram.)
After dinner, you all help clear and clean up, and then gather in the Common Room to decide how to proceed with the final request on Lady Dannihyr's list (i.e. Setting fire to Serpent HQ; the other condition, "continuing to pose as loyal members of the Serpent Cartel," is subjective and not easily verified... that you know of). Spar asks your thoughts on the matter, and reiterates his feelings that there are pros and cons to entering a relationship with the head of a powerful criminal syndicate. As a source of intelligence it could be invaluable, but the danger would be great, especially as Mallika has powerful mages and assassins at her disposal, and nigh-unlimited funds should she wish to pursue a vendetta against someone.
It is now approximately 10pm. You have 14 and a half hours remaining.
You arrived at the ship at approximately 3pm. I will say between the battles, the exploration, lock-picking, hatch-lifting, etc, that 90 minutes have elapsed, making it now 4:30 pm. You have perhaps 20 hours remaining until you are due to be transported to the New Farm.
The ship has been mothballed for a few years now, and the more important details of its participation in the slave trade were in the previously-recovered Captain's Log that Mina perused back at the safehouse. The records here on board ship are very mundane, and not up to date.
"If that is still the plan then yes." Akyan replies to Kyrsa. When Jhaartael asks about charts and papers, the drow shakes his head. He hasn't found anything in this ship.
The records in the chart and Navigation room are mostly mundane. Any important info on slaving or other transactions would have been recorded in the Captain's log, which was previously recovered, and is presumably back at the safehouse.
A quick survey by Mina estimates probably 5000 gp to make enough repairs to make her seaworthy, and another 5-10 thousand beyond that to make her into a fighting vessel with the latest armaments. A full crew of sailors would be about thirty, and their monthly upkeep would be about 800 gp. The ship could be sailed with just the six of you, but you would be pulling very longs shifts and certain maintenance tasks would go undone/
"For now, she isn't going anywhere. Even in dry dock, an old ship can serve as a very good hideout... as the slavers proved. We don't need to decide her future now. Are we heading back to the safehouse or do we think we have it in us to further harm the slavers enterprise tonight?"
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
slight spoiler
The Nightmare was actually Aeric's personal property, which he did not share with the Serpents. As far as you know, the Serpents are unaware of its existence. He kept it as a safehouse of his own, in case he ever had a falling out with the cartel. This is one reason he retreated here when he thought an assassination attempt was being made against him. Another reason was so he could attempt the ritual on Liesel's spirit.
“Moving against th Serpents HQ? “ asks Lyndaran “I do think that we lack the intel or the resources… and honestly the time. Aren’t we supposed to go back and wait for extraction to the new farm? We have prevented that the Serpents learn from us, hindered their slavery business and giving them a reason to believe their operations are under attack once they discover what happened. For as much as I would like to bring them down I do not think we would be able to do it now. And I think that we’ve done enough for one night. Let’s not get greedy my comrades”
PbP Character: A few ;)
“I have to agree with you,” Kyrsa nods to Lyndaran. “I’d hoped that Aeric would be a potential help in that refused, but even if he wasn’t dead I doubt he would have offered much.” She scowls, shaking her head for a moment. “Even though going to the serpents HQ was what we’d intended…I don’t know if it is plausible at this point. As much as I would like to go in there we can’t do so without a solid plan…which we no longer have time to create.” She looks to Tamryn since he was the one who was set on following through with his mission.
Akyan nods to Lyndaran's and Kyrsa's assessment of the situation. This was what he had been thinking as well. "Then unless we wish to gather more Intel, I say we head back to the safe house. I doubt we are going to find much else pertaining to the Serpents in here... Though, I suppose we could go back and get Grignar's thumb. Tamryn said he needs the thumbs of three Serpent leaders. I don't know if that woman has a way of identifying that kind of thing, but If we have time to go back and get it, then it would save him some trouble."
(bot mode for Tamryn, whose player has been sick of late)
The wood elf looks thoughtful. "Well, with both of Aeric's thumbs that makes three, and we have three rings now, so that requirement is finished. Really all I have to do now is start a fire inside the Seven Serpents' headquarters, and we have 20 hours to go. Why don't we head back to the safehouse, meditate for a few hours, and I still think there will be plenty of time to finish my tasks for the Dannihyrs."
Mina makes notes of what she has figured out for the ship, but nods in agreement on how it makes a decent place even dry docked.
"Yes, let's head back. The dwarves might have some information for us as well. And I'd like to get a new net, mine has been busted."
Akyan shrugs, "Sounds like a decent plan to me."
The group heads back to the safehouse, trusting that Lorna and Barty will keep squatters out of the Nightmare. It takes about an hour to arrive there and enter unseen. It is now 5:30 pm. The dwarves will be finishing their long rest around 9 pm, giving you some time to meditate, identify items, strategize or discuss any group business. Simple and martial weapons of most types can be replaced from the storerooms of safehouse.
Mina, still stewing, doesn't say anything to anyone as she first heads to the storerooms and grabs a new net, dropping off the basic studded leather armor that she had been carrying around. Standing in the storeroom, she recalls that at melee range she doesn't have much, and picks up a rapier as well.
Finding a quiet space in the safehouse, Mina does her best to mediate, hoping it will also help calm her down.
Jhaartael follows the party in silence. Reaching the safehouse, he goes to what serves as a study. He makes a space to sit. On one side he sets a perch for Artaquetië. He then sits, seiza style, on the floor opposite his familiar. The whistle and book found on the ship he removes with great care from his backpack, being sure not to touch them directly with his exposed skin. Arranging them before him on the floor, he also draws out his spellbook, quill and inks, placing these to one side of him and his backpack to the other.
Artaquetië watches as the wizard's posture straightens and relaxes, his hands resting lightly on his lap, palms down. Deep, regular breaths raise and lower the wizard's chest, but he is otherwise still, already deep in his trance.
((He will thus meditate for 4 hours - till 9:30pm))
The familiar steadfastly waits with the wizard, periodically preening his feathers, but otherwise making little noise.
Several hours pass and the elf's eye's slowly refocus to the present. Jhaartael looks at Artaquetië and greets him with a thin smile. "Let us see what we can learn.
With studied discipline, he first takes up his spellbook. Turning its pages he finds the page he looked for. The raven watches as Jhaartael's lips noiselessly shape the particulars of the spell, setting it into his memory. The wizard, closes the book and lays it back to the side. He pauses for a moment considering the necromatic book before him. He then turns to his writing supplies. From these he takes up the two small knives he keeps for sharpening quills and other such tasks. Using these knives as extensions for his hands, he moves the book about, carefully examining it from the outside. He does this for quite a while, making note of all the lines in the skin, the edges of the pages, cracks in the bone hardware.
A reluctant sigh precedes him turning the book with the knives so that the clasp is toward him. Using the knives, he slowly and patiently works the bone clasp to open the tome.
((Unless the clasp prevents this))
Another sigh as he turns the book with a knife so it sits as ready to be opened and read. He places the edge of one knife under the front cover. "Look away" he instructs his familiar. The two both look to one side and the other as he blindly flips open the tome with his knife.
((If no magical explosion or other horrible effect))
The wizard slowly turns his head back to glance at the now open book before him.
((If undisturbed he will get a bit lost in his examination of the book - always using the knives to turn pages - until others come looking for him.))
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
(That was a pleasure to read. However, to be clear, was this a ritual casting of identify? )
Kyrsa, satisfied with the plan, heads back with the rest of the group. When they reach the safehouse the day suddenly catches up with her. Her anger at the slavers and the adrenaline from the fights has finally worn off, leaving her tired and worn. Seeing Jhaarteal taking the opportunity to find solitude and meditate, she decides to do the same. She finds herself a quiet place to sit down, and silently prays that if she must dream...that those dreams will not involve unwanted memories.
She wakes roughly around the same time that Jhaarteal does, though she stays seated for a short while...her mind running through the events of earlier today. After a few moments, she shakes her head and lets out a long breath. Slowly, she rises and moves to rejoin the rest of her companions, wherever they are. If everyone is still separate, she will find Mina.
"I'm sorry we didn't gain much information about your brother from Aeric. ...What...are your thoughts on the information he did give us?" She asks slowly, realizing that it might be a little soon to ask.
Once back at the safe house, Akyan makes his way to his quarters. Even though he hadn't taken any physical damage during his possession, the hole thing had left him mentally drained. Taking off his hat and belt, he decides to sleep rather than meditate as he usually finds rest comes faster that way. Steeling his mind in an attempt to keep out unwelcome thoughts, he let's the darkness fill his mind.
He only awakes after hearing one of the others moving around outside his door. He gets up slowly, and gathers his things for the next task. Then he makes his way out to wherever the others are congregating. Seeing Jhaartael, he walks over to the high elf. Gesturing to the book and the whistle, he asks, "Well, did you figure anything out about those things?"
((unfortunately not. Don't have that one yet... Was just swapping my prepared spells for what comes next... Then spending some solid time trying to discern what I can about the book))
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - Volo's Trade Franchise - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
(Well, since the 5e rules allow for item identification from spending one hour studying an object, it sounds like this qualifies, so...)
As Jhaartael studies and opens his awareness to the necromantic tome, he identifies the book as...
...having the properties of a libram of souls and flesh.- The item description isn't very clear on this point, so I will rule that you can only cast spells from the book for which you have an appropriate spell slot available. i.e. no finger of death until you have 7th level slots, etc.
But apart from its content, the volume has an aura of evil, perhaps even sentience. Jhaartael suspects that a wizard who attunes to and uses this book would be exposing themselves to a corrupting power, and would have to continually be vigilant against its influence.
The whistle remains unidentified for now, simply because Jhaartael did not focus on it during his meditation.
Each of you completes a meditation or equivalent long rest. When you return to the common room, you find the dwarves finishing preparations for an evening meal, speaking cheerfully and joking around with each other. They make polite inquiries about your afternoon activities, Annika having already filled them in on she and Tamryn's visit to House Dannihyr. If you choose to recount your exploits they will nod and comment appreciatively at the descriptions of the battles, and hoot gleefully at the team's missteps. Spar smiles genially, pleased that you have been busy and successful.
(I leave it up to you whether you inform the dwarves about Aeric, the ghosts, the Nightmare and the Libram.)
After dinner, you all help clear and clean up, and then gather in the Common Room to decide how to proceed with the final request on Lady Dannihyr's list (i.e. Setting fire to Serpent HQ; the other condition, "continuing to pose as loyal members of the Serpent Cartel," is subjective and not easily verified... that you know of). Spar asks your thoughts on the matter, and reiterates his feelings that there are pros and cons to entering a relationship with the head of a powerful criminal syndicate. As a source of intelligence it could be invaluable, but the danger would be great, especially as Mallika has powerful mages and assassins at her disposal, and nigh-unlimited funds should she wish to pursue a vendetta against someone.
It is now approximately 10pm. You have 14 and a half hours remaining.