Vale gasps at Zane's remarks. "I can not, and will not allow that to happen. He is here now and I will not allow any chance of me losing track of him by following the crate once dropped off at port. I need to know if he is dead or otherwise. I need answers dammit! I need to get that crate open now!" 

She lunges for the crate, giving Tex, Zane, and Thren a chance to react. 

Zane was ready for this and quickly modifies his voice with magic (casting suggestion), "Please hold off on that until we complete our assignment of delivering the chest and getting paid."

He nods to the other two, "Or we will be forced to actually grab you and inform the captain about it."

As Zane insists on leaving the crate alone and Tex agrees, Rel begins to protest.  "Wait.  Regardless of our contract, I cannot be complicit in transporting a slave, or disease agent or undead.  We have to at least talk to Captain Flame on Water about it to find out what he kno..."

But by then, events are already in motion and Rel, already at the top of the stairs at the door to the deck, is too far away to do anything.

Tex's options are limited when he notices Vale's swift motion towards the crate. In a rushed decision he tries to hold on (Athletics: 19) to her so that she cannot reach the crate just as quickly as she'd hoped. He's probably not strong enough to hold anyone back but it might win them a few seconds for someone else to enact a better plan. 

Thren will try and grapple her (19 in game log) 

“let’s not get too eager now we don’t know what could happen if we open it” he says trying to stay cool 

As Vale lunges, she ignores Zane completely, inching closer to the crate she is suddenly tackled by both Tex and Thren. She fights but the strength of the two is far too much for her to break free. Slowly her struggle stops as she accepts defeat. "Hired goons. That's what you are. Only in it for the money. Lord Agustin picked the right people I suppose." She sighs as the look of defeat washes over her face. "Do what you will then. I cannot take on the five of you..." 

Tex was panting after the exertion, "No need, " he tries to catch his breath, "really - no need to accept defeat just yet." He loosens the grip but keeps a watchful eye. "All we're saying is give us some time to sort through things, we might still be able to help you. Just hold your horses a little longer."

Thren looks at the women “it’s sometimes best to confront an something when you have courage is a very good thing,” he see Tex relaxing “this situation calls for proper planing, now if I let you go your not going to open up the cargo” 

persuasion 19 (again!!) 

Zane, seeing his magic fail, just positions himself between Vale and the box, resting a hand on the hilt of his rapier.

"You have all made it very clear that it is your way or no way. I will not fight you on this any further. Just know that if you lead me on a path so that I cannot ever find out what happened to my brother, I will pray every day that each of you dies a long horrendous death." Vale sheds a few tears at her feeling of helplessness. Her eyes wander to Rel for a moment before going back to the floor "I thought maybe one of you was decent...."

Rel shakes her head in exasperation.  "As I said earlier, I am going to speak with Captain Flame on Water.  Perhaps he is a smuggler or slaver.  Or perhaps he may actually care that he and his vessel are complicit in the transporting of a body, be it a captive, corpse, or infected or enchanted specimen.  Some of you sound fine with that, but I am not, unless there is a very good explanation, payment be damned."

Rel disappears above onto the top deck in search of the captain, seeming to take something about this entire scenario very personally.

Tex leaves Lizzy behind in the hold with instructions to trigger the alarm and to non-violently obstruct the way for anyone who approaches the crate. Then, he follows them up (assuming that Vale accompanies Rel in her search for the captain).

Vale, now sitting on the floor with her back rested against the wall, holds her head down in her hands as she sulks. 

Rel and Tex, as you walk up to the top deck you find the rain to have passed. The sky is still clouded and blocking most of the moons light. Captain Flame seems less tense at the helm now as the weather has eased off. "All good down below!" He shouts to you both, "Hope that crate is still in one piece. Would hate to have you lose out on payment due to my sailing!"

Zane, now staying down in the hold, sits down next to the crate, facing Vale. He opens a small compartment attached to the side of his armor and pulls out a nicely made flute. He starts to play a light upbeat tune and continues to play for a while. (rolled a 15 on performance check in game log) He's not flawless, partly because he's still wet inside his armor and slightly injured as well, but it's still very good considering circumstances.

Quote from Drcornwallis >>

Vale, now sitting on the floor with her back rested against the wall, holds her head down in her hands as she sulks. 

Rel and Tex, as you walk up to the top deck you find the rain to have passed. The sky is still clouded and blocking most of the moons light. Captain Flame seems less tense at the helm now as the weather has eased off. "All good down below!" He shouts to you both, "Hope that crate is still in one piece. Would hate to have you lose out on payment due to my sailing!"

Rel reaches out to her father's divine soul for Guidance and strides up to the captain, friendly but purposeful.

"Captain Flame on Water, my compliments for guiding us through the storm and the battle with the sea serpent, and to your men as well.  May you always find fair skies and following seas."  (Rel tries to recall phrases she has heard sailors use during her time in Port Zoon).

"My colleagues are inspecting the crate at the moment.  I am not yet certain whether it was damaged during the storm."

She attempts to choose her words carefully.  "You strike me as a capable and accomplished Tabaxi, Captain.  Not a slaver or smuggler.  We have a credible accusation from one of your sailors, the green one you just took on, that the crate contains a body.  That of her brother.  Trapped in the crate by Lord Agustin and strange accomplices with glowing red eyes while she watched in horror, hidden.  Being party, even unwitting, to the transport of a captive slave, or of undead or a disease agent is something that should give us pause, should it not Captain?  It certainly gives me pause."

Persuasion plus Guidance:  13 + 2 = 15

OR 16 + 2 = 18 if at advantage due to any help from Tex.

“And it worries me greatly what the officials at the port will say should they find a body, in whatever state it may be, in our cargo,” Tex adds in an attempt to be helpful to Rel and to learn if the crate is due official inspection at port.

The captain's body tenses again as this information is relayed to him. "Well that's a lot to unpack there. First off, thanks for thinking the best of me but I have been known to smuggle from time to time should the payment outweigh the risk. A slaver though.....never." His hazel eyes are fierce as he says that. "I was paid quite well upfront to not ask about the contents of the crate. I figured just another means of smuggling something into Port Damali and well I'm not perfect like I said before. Damali is one of the easier places to smuggle anything seeing as most criminal activity is overlooked to a point. As for inspections, normally nothing gets looked at unless the shipment is rather large. With all of that being said, if that is a person in that box and we are the means for the Lord to handle his slave trade unwittingly, no amount of gold will keep me from bringing wrath down upon him." His tension turning to anger "If you are certain there is indeed a person inside, we need to let them out and decide how to alter course. Is there any way to open it without anyone noticing? Maybe some sort of magics, you all seem privy to the arcane it would seem." 

Vale, continues sulking through Zane's music and looks up at him for a moment. "Would you mind playing something a little more melancholy? I'm kind of going through something here."

Tex follows the captain’s display intently, and figures that he seems honest enough, or does he? (insight in game log: 3)

“I can see at least three ways to get a look into that crate,” he decides to trust the captain. “It varies the risk to be detected and whether we will be  blamed for it. First, we could just open it in an inconspicuous corner and have a look. After I can patch up the damage and it would be very hard to notice, but if there is some sort of alarm spell it would trigger and expose us.” He gives time to let it sink in, “secondly, we could make the crate crash in the side of the hold and claim that happened during the storm, the lord would be angry but probably not quite as much as if we try to cheat him openly. But for this plan we should act fast because if there is an alarm attached it should go off during the storm if this argument is to hold.” Another pause, “and lastly, I could fashion a tiny object, say the size of a nail that makes infrequent knocking sounds. I could drill a tiny hole in the crate and place the nail inside such that it appears that someone knocks against the wood from the inside. We could present that to the officials at port, saying that it started when we entered port. Unless they are very deep in the lord’s pockets, I’d say they open it. Disadvantage in this option is that, when they open the crate, our own options what to do with the content will be very limited.” He remains observing Rel’s and the captain’s reaction to his assessment.

Rel listens carefully, trying to hide her relief that thankfully, the Captain seems as vehemently against slaving as she herself is.  Though of course she cannot be entirely sure, even with her father's grace.  Insight plus Guidance:  7 + 4 = 11.

"Captain Flame on Water, thank you for speaking plainly.  I am not certain if there is a person inside, but Vale, the young sailor you took on - she is absolutely certain that her brother is sealed in there.  I believe the crate is the right shape and weight for it, and Tex, did your... detector and Bellamy the wizard identify something that seemed the right shape for a body inside without opening it?  Given this, it seems quite plausible that Vale's brother's body is indeed within.  Though it is unknown whether they are alive.  It could be a corpse, or undead, or enchanted or diseased."

Listening to Tex appraisingly, Rel taps her finger to her lips.  Good thinking.  Have I been subconsciously underestimating the kobold?  For shame, if so.  "I think Tex has laid out some options.  If one of your crew can take the helm, Captain, you can come judge for yourself.  For me, I believe Vale, and I abhor slavers.  But I do not know all the risks involved here, whether from Lord Agustin and his allies, or from whatever is inside the crate."

The Captain looks about a bit before shouting "Zandir, come take the helm for a moment. The waters have eased and I need to go below deck to assess a situation." You see a half-orc man rush up to the helm and grab hold "Aye Captain. The Dragonfly is safe with me!"

The Captain walks towards the stairs to the lower decks "Lets go."

As you walk down, you can see Vale still sulking while Zane plays a tune on his flute. Thren and Lizzy stand guard of the crate.

The Captain walks over to Vale. "I thought you wanted to be a sailor. You have told me a lie. I hope you can speak of your intentions now without deception"
Vale stands and addresses the captain, recounting the same story she told all of you.

The captain thinks for a moment "I believe you Vale. Though maybe I shouldn't based on our meeting, but I do. I just wish you had said something while we were still at the docks." He looks to the party for a moment. "I agree with the idea that perhaps your brother could pose a threat if we were to open the crate, but.... If you believe that it is indeed your brother, and you believe Lord Agustin has done some wrong... I will be OK with you all opening this crate.....If you think you can do it in a way where we limit risk than so be it, but I think we should just open it and take on whatever comes."

"Thank you Captain." She looks to all of you and says softly "How shall we proceed?"