Draythos accepts a mug of ale from the bar keep with a nod and paces over the payment with a little extra for the service. He pauses with it half way to his lips as the Revanite notices his arrival.
Regarding the man and bird for a second, "No offense taken. Well met Kriv. I am Swiftblade." The mug closes the remaining distance and tips upwards.
With arrival of the others, Draythos turned to that he could see the rest and nodded a greeting. "I have a few days to spare." He eyed each arrival carefully, almost as if sizing up each one individually, though no harm was actually meant.
“Welcome to our litle band of... “ Codric looks to the others “ undead busters?” He says insecure. “I am Codric Wildstone, humble servant of Sarenrae. Nice to meet you.”
Can Codric have two more healer’s kit bpught before hand?.
"Raziel Cyridania of Marquet, Raz to my froends." The elf says as he steps out and walks with the group. "So Swiftblade huh? Any other name you gl by? Or do you prefer Swift?"
As the band gathers around them at the bar, Draythos stands and shoulders his travel bag. He turns so that he is facing all of them, nodding silently to Edward and watching Kriv head for the door. He turns to Codric as he addresses the monk. "I have never heard of this Sarenrae."
He follows the rest of the group outside, his right hand holding the straps to his bag so it hung over his shoulder while his left arm continued to rest atop the sword hilts on his hip. The monk looks down at the elf from the corner of his eye as they walk, though his voice was calm and level. "Draythos Swiftblade Inuliaga." He pauses for a brief second before adding, "and no, pointed ears."
"You'll find my pointed ears useful during this hunt." Raz said with a slight irritation in his voice. The elf unstraps the silver longsword and passes it to Draythos. "Here, you'll probably do better with this than I would. It's a silver sword only to be used when we fight a wight we are hunting."
After taking a few hours to prepare, your band of adventurers begins the trudge southward along the Alabaster Trail around 5 o'clock in the afternoon. It is a quiet journey among the towering pine trees of the Parchwood, which sway and creak in the breeze. By nightfall you reach an area where the trail branches off to the west; a sign in a rough arrow-like shape bears the words "Ashenport" as it reaches southwestward. You recognize it to be the name of the harbor where your ship captain is waiting for you. As you set up camp in a clearing near the trail, you can hear the distant howling of wolves as they hunt through the forest - they are not close enough to cause you any harm, however.
The night passes uneventfully into a gray, misty morning. You were lucky yesterday, for this is the real weather of the Alabaster Sierras. Chilly, cold, and damp. You begin to head southwest down the Ashenport pathway, which grows more narrow as you head deeper into the Parchwood Timberlands. You've heard stories that this place is haunted by those that die after losing their way in the maze of trees; hopefully you do not suffer a similar fate. About two hours in the journey the fog begins to clear as the path twists and you find yourselves headed west. In the third hour the path winds downward along a sheer white cliff face that offers you a stunning view of the bay. You spy a small town at the base of the cliffs to the south at the end of the trail that can only be Ashenport. The path winds down steeply toward the town. As you head down the steep section, you see a rudimentary elevator system has been built up to the top of the cliff by the trail. A man with a donkey is hoisted upward as another fellow with cart full of barrels. This must be how they get goods up the cliffs to bring them to Whitestone.
The town smells of fish and the sea. Some children are playing in the town square as their parents sell supplies, craft goods, or chat with one another. You head to the docks and find some fishing skiffs and a much larger ship that flies the colors of Whitestone. This must be the ship of Captain Oliveere, your contact. Under the intense stare of the townsfolk, you head up the ship’s gangplank.
A halfling with fair skin, thick sideburns, and a scraggly mess of hair is sitting with his feet dangling over the starboard railing. With a quick motion he hops to his feet and crosses his arms.
“Just where do you think you’re going, strangers? The Snow Queen is off-limits to outsiders, so get-“
”Milo, get off that rail before I push you into the drink,” a smoky female voice says from out of view. A tawny-skinned woman dressed in leather armor and a coat reminiscent to the ones worn by the Whitestone Rifleman steps down from the quarterdeck. She appears to be in her late forties or early fifties judging by the light wrinkles and graying brown hair. An eyepatch covers her left eye and you can see the ends of a scar peeking out from the top and bottom of the patch. She places a hand on the rapier hilt at her side and the other on her hip as she assumes a contrapposto sort of pose. “I thought halflings were supposed to be hospitable to strangers?”
Milo frowns. “Captain, I was only-“
”Dismissed, Mr. Thorngage. Go and help Fyara repair the port ballista before you scare off our guests.”
With a huff and a grumbled “aye, cap,” the halfling wanders away and disappears below deck. The captain watches him go and chuckles once he’s out of earshot.
”Milo’s a loyal member of the crew. Sometimes a little too loyal. But I suppose it would be worse if he weren’t loyal at all...” She says, turning her head toward you. “You must be the mercs Cassandra mentioned. I’m Cordelia Oliveere, former pirate, former Pale Guard, and current captain of the Snow Queen. We keep the area safe from pirates, monsters, anything really. Sounds like we’re hunting undead, huh? Some things never change...”
"Be pleased captain." Raziel says with a bow. "Indeed we are hunting undead, and from the sounds of it a wight. Is there a place my companions and I can make plans with you?"
Raziel waits till he is answered and then to see if his friends had anything to say.
Having just closed his book, Kriv seems deep in thought until Quoth lands on his staff and "CAWWW"s in his ear.
"What? Oh this must be the ship" Kriv says observing the obvious, aloud.
He takes a moment to look around and sees the others, including Captain Oliveere looking at him. "My name is Kriv and this is Quoth" He pauses to see if the others were in the middle of introductions and he said the right thing... "um... Permission to board?" He glances nervously towards Ed who (earlier) was telling him sea stories.
“Be pleased... A wight, eh? Sounds familiar. You’ll have to reacquaint me when you get the chance...” Oliveere mutters, turning to Kriv and Edward.
“Of course, gentlemen. Just respect my authority on this old girl and we’ll get along fine. Welcome aboard the Queen. If you wish to discuss the details of our task, you can join me in my quarters,” the captain says, indicating the door under the quarterdeck.
“We were waiting for you to arrive before we raised anchor. We’ll leave within the hour. Lucky for you all, I remember where this pirate’s cove is.”
"Excellent! I am more than ready to lend a hand, captain, just point me towards some ropes." Ed says with almost a sense of glee to his voice. "I'd also very much like to join you at the helm at some point in our journey. It's been a while since I stood behind the wheel of a ship"
“Codric Wildstone, Servant of Sarenrae and at your service Captian” says the young human. “ Do we have quarters of our own Captain? Perhaps we could leave our things there before going to your cabin and discuss the situation and possible strategies. So we let you time to guide the crew and the ship to leave port?” Hesuggests more to the others than to the Captain.
As they party arrives at the docks, Draythos raises a hand to shield his eyes against the morning sun as he surveyed the ship. He raises his right eyebrow silently at the sight of the tiny figure telling them to stop, however his attention is diverted by the arrival of the captain. As the others introduce themselves, he adds in his own greeting. "I am Draythos Swiftblade Inuliaga. A fine ship Captain."
"Now that's the look of a seaman who's been trapped on land for too long," Oliveere quips with a wry smirk. "Let's see if you've still got your sea legs, then I might give you a chance at taking the helm."
"You'll have to sleep with the crew below deck. Don't worry about your things, no one will nab them; the last thief on my ship got marooned in the ice fields up north, so these scallywags know not to misbehave while they're on my watch. If you have any trouble with the crew, come to me and we'll sort it out."
"Much appreciated." Raziel was the first to step on deck taking in the smell of the ocean breeze. "I haven't been on a ship since I left Marquet. To be honest, I was expecting pirates and sea monsters on that journey." He said with a chuckle, letting his younger age show.
Raziel shakes his head and follows Ed seeing as he once worked on a ship before. "Hope you don't mind I stick with you. I know next to nothing about ships."
Draythos made his way onto the deck and headed in the direction the Captain had looked when watching the halfling go below deck, ducking his head as he went through the doorway. He dropped his bag, but kept his swords, at the bottom of the stairs, slightly behind them, before returning the rest. Despite his size, the Goliath was careful to avoid bumping into anything, or anyone, as he walked through the ship.
After about a half an hour of additional preparations and getting yourselves settled in, the order to raise anchor is given. Captain Oliveere tells you that she will hold council with you regarding the specifics of the contract as soon as the SnowQueen was at sea. For those of you unacquainted with sailing, it is incredible to watch how quickly everything occurs - sails are unfurled, braces and sheet lines are rigged, and more - and each crew member performs their job with surgical precision. Cordelia Oliveere truly runs a tight ship.
The wind is currently in your favor and it should take you about a day's worth of sailing to reach Shadewatch Cove. The helmsman keeps the ship within sight of the white coastal cliffs, but not too close since hidden rocks beneath the water's surface tend to lie in wait for the unwary.
Captain Oliveere invites you into her quarters beneath the quarterdeck. It is a simple, clean space. A table and some chairs, a wooden desk with maps, books, and other items set upon it in a slightly disorganized fashion, some art, and glass windows offering a view of whatever the Snow Queen leaves behind in her wake. As the ship sways with the choppy waters and the crew sings a shanty about a tricky elvish maiden from Syngorn, Oliveere pours each of you some wine in pewter mugs on the table. "To the sea; may she bear us safely to our goal," she toasts before taking a drink. The red wine is slightly thick and quite sweet with plum and berry notes, and even has a bit of a bite at the end. The captain picks up the bottle and examines the label.
"Korzakoff Vineyards, Felderwin, Dwendalian Empire. An 803 vintage. Nabbed this off a band of corsairs we captured in the Shearing Channel near Wildemount. Thought today might be special enough to crack it open,"she remarks. Setting the bottle down, Oilveere leans forward on the table and looks around at you all. "So, what exactly has Cassie got you boys caught up in?"
Raziel toasts, "To the Snow Queen and her captain may she us safe during our voyage." The elf said just before sipping his own wine. The elf relaxes and lets the taste settle in his mouth before setting the glass back on the table.
"It would seem we are heading into an undead infested fortress. From what we gathered, we face a wight and a host of zombies which I'd say by count...how ever many two pirate crews can hold maybe more." Raziel jestures to Kriv and Ed. "I feel these two may know more about the numbers than I..however nothing short of a silver blade can kill the wight effectively."
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Draythos accepts a mug of ale from the bar keep with a nod and paces over the payment with a little extra for the service. He pauses with it half way to his lips as the Revanite notices his arrival.
Regarding the man and bird for a second, "No offense taken. Well met Kriv. I am Swiftblade." The mug closes the remaining distance and tips upwards.
With arrival of the others, Draythos turned to that he could see the rest and nodded a greeting. "I have a few days to spare." He eyed each arrival carefully, almost as if sizing up each one individually, though no harm was actually meant.
Edward smiles at the Goliath, "Swiftblade, we could certainly use the help. I'm Edward, friends call me Ed. Or Captain Ed" He grins at the others.
"Shall we depart, friends? I believe we have a short trek on foot to the harbour in the West."
Kriv gives a nod. "The more the merrier". He then stands up, grabs his staff and heads towards the door.
As he steps outside Quoth takes flight.
Quoth will be circling above Kriv, staying within 100ft of him keeping an eye out for anything dangerous / suspicious.
“Welcome to our litle band of... “ Codric looks to the others “ undead busters?” He says insecure. “I am Codric Wildstone, humble servant of Sarenrae. Nice to meet you.”
Can Codric have two more healer’s kit bpught before hand?.
PbP Character: A few ;)
"Raziel Cyridania of Marquet, Raz to my froends." The elf says as he steps out and walks with the group. "So Swiftblade huh? Any other name you gl by? Or do you prefer Swift?"
As the band gathers around them at the bar, Draythos stands and shoulders his travel bag. He turns so that he is facing all of them, nodding silently to Edward and watching Kriv head for the door. He turns to Codric as he addresses the monk. "I have never heard of this Sarenrae."
He follows the rest of the group outside, his right hand holding the straps to his bag so it hung over his shoulder while his left arm continued to rest atop the sword hilts on his hip. The monk looks down at the elf from the corner of his eye as they walk, though his voice was calm and level. "Draythos Swiftblade Inuliaga." He pauses for a brief second before adding, "and no, pointed ears."
"You'll find my pointed ears useful during this hunt." Raz said with a slight irritation in his voice. The elf unstraps the silver longsword and passes it to Draythos. "Here, you'll probably do better with this than I would. It's a silver sword only to be used when we fight a wight we are hunting."
After taking a few hours to prepare, your band of adventurers begins the trudge southward along the Alabaster Trail around 5 o'clock in the afternoon. It is a quiet journey among the towering pine trees of the Parchwood, which sway and creak in the breeze. By nightfall you reach an area where the trail branches off to the west; a sign in a rough arrow-like shape bears the words "Ashenport" as it reaches southwestward. You recognize it to be the name of the harbor where your ship captain is waiting for you. As you set up camp in a clearing near the trail, you can hear the distant howling of wolves as they hunt through the forest - they are not close enough to cause you any harm, however.
The night passes uneventfully into a gray, misty morning. You were lucky yesterday, for this is the real weather of the Alabaster Sierras. Chilly, cold, and damp. You begin to head southwest down the Ashenport pathway, which grows more narrow as you head deeper into the Parchwood Timberlands. You've heard stories that this place is haunted by those that die after losing their way in the maze of trees; hopefully you do not suffer a similar fate. About two hours in the journey the fog begins to clear as the path twists and you find yourselves headed west. In the third hour the path winds downward along a sheer white cliff face that offers you a stunning view of the bay. You spy a small town at the base of the cliffs to the south at the end of the trail that can only be Ashenport. The path winds down steeply toward the town. As you head down the steep section, you see a rudimentary elevator system has been built up to the top of the cliff by the trail. A man with a donkey is hoisted upward as another fellow with cart full of barrels. This must be how they get goods up the cliffs to bring them to Whitestone.
The town smells of fish and the sea. Some children are playing in the town square as their parents sell supplies, craft goods, or chat with one another. You head to the docks and find some fishing skiffs and a much larger ship that flies the colors of Whitestone. This must be the ship of Captain Oliveere, your contact. Under the intense stare of the townsfolk, you head up the ship’s gangplank.
A halfling with fair skin, thick sideburns, and a scraggly mess of hair is sitting with his feet dangling over the starboard railing. With a quick motion he hops to his feet and crosses his arms.
“Just where do you think you’re going, strangers? The Snow Queen is off-limits to outsiders, so get-“
”Milo, get off that rail before I push you into the drink,” a smoky female voice says from out of view. A tawny-skinned woman dressed in leather armor and a coat reminiscent to the ones worn by the Whitestone Rifleman steps down from the quarterdeck. She appears to be in her late forties or early fifties judging by the light wrinkles and graying brown hair. An eyepatch covers her left eye and you can see the ends of a scar peeking out from the top and bottom of the patch. She places a hand on the rapier hilt at her side and the other on her hip as she assumes a contrapposto sort of pose. “I thought halflings were supposed to be hospitable to strangers?”
Milo frowns. “Captain, I was only-“
”Dismissed, Mr. Thorngage. Go and help Fyara repair the port ballista before you scare off our guests.”
With a huff and a grumbled “aye, cap,” the halfling wanders away and disappears below deck. The captain watches him go and chuckles once he’s out of earshot.
”Milo’s a loyal member of the crew. Sometimes a little too loyal. But I suppose it would be worse if he weren’t loyal at all...” She says, turning her head toward you. “You must be the mercs Cassandra mentioned. I’m Cordelia Oliveere, former pirate, former Pale Guard, and current captain of the Snow Queen. We keep the area safe from pirates, monsters, anything really. Sounds like we’re hunting undead, huh? Some things never change...”
"Be pleased captain." Raziel says with a bow. "Indeed we are hunting undead, and from the sounds of it a wight. Is there a place my companions and I can make plans with you?"
Raziel waits till he is answered and then to see if his friends had anything to say.
Having just closed his book, Kriv seems deep in thought until Quoth lands on his staff and "CAWWW"s in his ear.
"What? Oh this must be the ship" Kriv says observing the obvious, aloud.
He takes a moment to look around and sees the others, including Captain Oliveere looking at him. "My name is Kriv and this is Quoth" He pauses to see if the others were in the middle of introductions and he said the right thing... "um... Permission to board?" He glances nervously towards Ed who (earlier) was telling him sea stories.
Edward's mood immediately brightens at the sight and smell of the sea. He inhales deeply, "Now this is more like it!"
He nods at Kriv and repeats his statement, "Aye, Captain Edward Smithson at your service. Permission to come aboard, captain?"
“Be pleased... A wight, eh? Sounds familiar. You’ll have to reacquaint me when you get the chance...” Oliveere mutters, turning to Kriv and Edward.
“Of course, gentlemen. Just respect my authority on this old girl and we’ll get along fine. Welcome aboard the Queen. If you wish to discuss the details of our task, you can join me in my quarters,” the captain says, indicating the door under the quarterdeck.
“We were waiting for you to arrive before we raised anchor. We’ll leave within the hour. Lucky for you all, I remember where this pirate’s cove is.”
"Excellent! I am more than ready to lend a hand, captain, just point me towards some ropes." Ed says with almost a sense of glee to his voice. "I'd also very much like to join you at the helm at some point in our journey. It's been a while since I stood behind the wheel of a ship"
“Codric Wildstone, Servant of Sarenrae and at your service Captian” says the young human. “ Do we have quarters of our own Captain? Perhaps we could leave our things there before going to your cabin and discuss the situation and possible strategies. So we let you time to guide the crew and the ship to leave port?” Hesuggests more to the others than to the Captain.
PbP Character: A few ;)
As they party arrives at the docks, Draythos raises a hand to shield his eyes against the morning sun as he surveyed the ship. He raises his right eyebrow silently at the sight of the tiny figure telling them to stop, however his attention is diverted by the arrival of the captain. As the others introduce themselves, he adds in his own greeting. "I am Draythos Swiftblade Inuliaga. A fine ship Captain."
"Now that's the look of a seaman who's been trapped on land for too long," Oliveere quips with a wry smirk. "Let's see if you've still got your sea legs, then I might give you a chance at taking the helm."
"You'll have to sleep with the crew below deck. Don't worry about your things, no one will nab them; the last thief on my ship got marooned in the ice fields up north, so these scallywags know not to misbehave while they're on my watch. If you have any trouble with the crew, come to me and we'll sort it out."
"Much appreciated." Raziel was the first to step on deck taking in the smell of the ocean breeze. "I haven't been on a ship since I left Marquet. To be honest, I was expecting pirates and sea monsters on that journey." He said with a chuckle, letting his younger age show.
Raziel shakes his head and follows Ed seeing as he once worked on a ship before. "Hope you don't mind I stick with you. I know next to nothing about ships."
Draythos made his way onto the deck and headed in the direction the Captain had looked when watching the halfling go below deck, ducking his head as he went through the doorway. He dropped his bag, but kept his swords, at the bottom of the stairs, slightly behind them, before returning the rest. Despite his size, the Goliath was careful to avoid bumping into anything, or anyone, as he walked through the ship.
After about a half an hour of additional preparations and getting yourselves settled in, the order to raise anchor is given. Captain Oliveere tells you that she will hold council with you regarding the specifics of the contract as soon as the Snow Queen was at sea. For those of you unacquainted with sailing, it is incredible to watch how quickly everything occurs - sails are unfurled, braces and sheet lines are rigged, and more - and each crew member performs their job with surgical precision. Cordelia Oliveere truly runs a tight ship.
The wind is currently in your favor and it should take you about a day's worth of sailing to reach Shadewatch Cove. The helmsman keeps the ship within sight of the white coastal cliffs, but not too close since hidden rocks beneath the water's surface tend to lie in wait for the unwary.
Captain Oliveere invites you into her quarters beneath the quarterdeck. It is a simple, clean space. A table and some chairs, a wooden desk with maps, books, and other items set upon it in a slightly disorganized fashion, some art, and glass windows offering a view of whatever the Snow Queen leaves behind in her wake. As the ship sways with the choppy waters and the crew sings a shanty about a tricky elvish maiden from Syngorn, Oliveere pours each of you some wine in pewter mugs on the table. "To the sea; may she bear us safely to our goal," she toasts before taking a drink. The red wine is slightly thick and quite sweet with plum and berry notes, and even has a bit of a bite at the end. The captain picks up the bottle and examines the label.
"Korzakoff Vineyards, Felderwin, Dwendalian Empire. An 803 vintage. Nabbed this off a band of corsairs we captured in the Shearing Channel near Wildemount. Thought today might be special enough to crack it open," she remarks. Setting the bottle down, Oilveere leans forward on the table and looks around at you all. "So, what exactly has Cassie got you boys caught up in?"
Raziel toasts, "To the Snow Queen and her captain may she us safe during our voyage." The elf said just before sipping his own wine. The elf relaxes and lets the taste settle in his mouth before setting the glass back on the table.
"It would seem we are heading into an undead infested fortress. From what we gathered, we face a wight and a host of zombies which I'd say by count...how ever many two pirate crews can hold maybe more." Raziel jestures to Kriv and Ed. "I feel these two may know more about the numbers than I..however nothing short of a silver blade can kill the wight effectively."