Assuming everyone is cool with the tension now gone out the situation, you finish your trek to the west side of the city near the Sullen Sea, and the Docks of Pedestal.
A crooked stone pier juts hundreds of feet out into the moist darkness, lit occasionally along its length by a few lanterns fastened to it. Tiny waves lap at the sides of the pier, and at the dozens of decrepit watercraft tethered along the wharf's pocked length. A boat farther out along the dock seems to ride higher than the rest of the craft. It's just beyond a stone shack. A few of Pedestal's usual strange citizenry line up along the dock, fishing and gambling.
Assuming the party makes their way to the docks, Theldrin breathes a sigh of relief at having avoided the confrontation. And, he thinks to himself, even broke up the conflict by distracting the humanoids for a moment. He eyes the boat near the stone shack with interest but bides his time, deferring to Coriana's nautical expertise here.
Assuming everyone is cool with the tension now gone out the situation, you finish your trek to the west side of the city near the Sullen Sea, and the Docks of Pedestal.
(OOC: Yes. I'm good with that. I may be out all day tomorrow, so someone else should probably lead the conversations to hire a boat to Rikaryon's Isle.)
Xanrym was a little worried about Coriana's and Khessa's argument, but it seems to diffuse the conflict with the "Spiderhunters." He's not sure that he agrees with Khessa's assessment, but even if the Drow were innocent, he prefers not to jump into a fight with an enemy of unknown strength, especially not when it's unclear who's in the right. Xanrym is trying to stay focused on completing Es Sarch's jobs, getting the information they need, and recovering the lost king's bones before the cult uses them in some twisted ritual to unleash another great Evil on their world above. He does make a mental note to ask Coriana about the "Pirate Queen" and the "demon of the deep" some time.
Xanrym is not happy to be back near the Sullen Sea again. He eyes the dark water suspiciously and tries to stay as far from the edges of the pier as he can. Xanrym will defer to Corianafor evaluating the boats and even negotiating for The Company's trip to Rikaryon's Isle if she likes.
Before we get anywhere near the water, Coriana will reply to Khessa, "Well, there's a lot to unpack there, ain't there. I don't care that they were Drow, I cared that it wasn't my business."
Once we are at the docks, Coriana gets businesslike and, assuming the shack holds the owner of the one goodish boat, approaches the shack.
Before Coriana get's to the shack, A dusky and hairless female duergar in dark leather steps out of the shadows near the shack. Her black eyes scrutinize you, and she has a short blade readied. "What business have you here, sun warts?" she hisses in Undercommon (which I assume Xanrym can understand and translates for you all)
"We're looking for a boat to rent, we have business on one of these islands," Coriana says, shaking a (woefully empty) coin pouch and pointing to the boat.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
While Coriana and the duergar negotiate the boat rental, Khessa spiritually prepares herself for the journey to the island. The thought of the threat that emerged from the waters during their trip to Pedestal makes her uneasy. 'I hope we don't run into any lurking predators this time,' she thinks, as a shadow of worry clouds her blue eyes.
But the blonde arcane warrior soon finds reason to be optimistic. 'No, this time it should be different. After all, the route to Pedestal is still traveled regularly—Bruthwol had also taken it—so it has an appeal for any potential raiders. The trip to the island, on the other hand, if I understand correctly, is far from frequent... maybe, then, it won't be profitable for water predators to lay ambushes there, with the prospect of having to wait for scarce prey at who knows what intervals.'
Avery will look at the boat during the negotiations to see if it appears seaworthy. He too is concerned from their last encounter with the watery beast, if they face another, he wants to make sure they have a good vessel under foot if they have to make a fight of it. Perception: 2 (well, he doesn't know what to look for on that one); investigation: 9 (guess thats why he is a cavalier and not a sailor...)
The Duergar looks at you frowning, “You want a boat? A wreck is 50gp, one that floats is 100!” You get the feeling that while she isn’t necessarily friendly, she isn’t going to just stab you on the spot.
Theldrin stands by patiently waiting for the negotiations to continue, taking a few steps closer and looking the boat over again curiously. He then takes a moment to discreetly look around the docks to see if anyone seems to be paying close attention to the party. For some reason, perhaps just being paranoid, he can't shake the feeling that they're being watched since arriving in Pedestal.
Before Coriana get's to the shack, A dusky and hairless female duergar in dark leather steps out of the shadows near the shack. Her black eyes scrutinize you, and she has a short blade readied. "What business have you here, sun warts?" she hisses in Undercommon (which I assume Xanrym can understand and translates for you all)
(OOC: Yes, as usual, Xanrym is concentrating on Comprehend Languages while he isn't using any other concentration spells. If an hour has passed since he cast it before entering the market, he would have taken the 10 minutes to cast it again as a ritual before they went to the docks. I assume that the duergar at least understands Common because I don't think I saw Coriana switch to any other language. @drumdigby - Is the duergar still responding in Undercommon? Or did she also switch to Common?)
Coriana says we’re being ripped off but probably have to take it. She had no gold.
Since Xanrym is standing right there with Coriana and the duergar so that he can translate, he decides to attempt a different tack with the duergar. Considering her for a moment, he says in a brisk and businesslike manner, "You run a business, ma'am, and you need to turn a profit. We understand! We don't expect charity, but your prices are quite high! You see: our Company is trying to turn a profit too. We may be 'sun warts,' but we're not fools. If we accept a job, and the expenses are too high, we don't turn a profit. In that case, 'the game isn't worth the candle', as the saying goes. Now, your boats don't earn anything for you while they're just docked here. Wouldn't you rather have us rent a boat for a fair price -- say, 50 gp for the day for one of the good boats -- instead of demanding a premium price and earning nothing when we have to walk away?"
You’re still talking in Undercommon. The Duergar responds cooly, “The price is the price. What else can be done?” Her hand slips silently to her weapon.
You’re still talking in Undercommon. The Duergar responds cooly, “The price is the price. What else can be done?” Her hand slips silently to her weapon.
13
Disappointed, Xanrym says, "Indeed!" Then, as though quoting some relevant adage, he says something in Elvish. He speaks loudly enough for the whole party to hear.
For those who speak Elvish:
(in Elvish) "Be ready! And pray that this goes better than it did at the city gate!"
Then, Xanrym turns to Coriana and says, "I know that Es Sarch suggested we get a boat here, but I don't know that we can afford it. We may just have to go back to the Dripstone Inn and tell Es Sarch that we cannot do this job for them because the dueragar at the docks would not rent a boat to us for reasonable rate."
Xanrym doesn't know whether everyone in the city will be as ready to attack Es Sarch agents as the Kuo-Toa at the south gate were. Es Sarch seemed to command at least some respect from the three factions while at the Dripstone Inn, and Xanrym is hoping that the duergar is either aligned with Es Sarch or interested in staying on their good side.
Theldrin easily catches Xanrym's warning, Elvish always having been his favorite language to study since his early days of schooling as a young Osgard. A love that only increased when he left the family business behind to pursue the arcane arts. His eyes narrow as he watches the Duergar intently to see how she will react.
Assuming everyone is cool with the tension now gone out the situation, you finish your trek to the west side of the city near the Sullen Sea, and the Docks of Pedestal.
A crooked stone pier juts hundreds of feet out into the moist darkness, lit occasionally along its length by a few lanterns fastened to it. Tiny waves lap at the sides of the pier, and at the dozens of decrepit watercraft tethered along the wharf's pocked length. A boat farther out along the dock seems to ride higher than the rest of the craft. It's just beyond a stone shack. A few of Pedestal's usual strange citizenry line up along the dock, fishing and gambling.
Assuming the party makes their way to the docks, Theldrin breathes a sigh of relief at having avoided the confrontation. And, he thinks to himself, even broke up the conflict by distracting the humanoids for a moment. He eyes the boat near the stone shack with interest but bides his time, deferring to Coriana's nautical expertise here.
(OOC: Yes. I'm good with that. I may be out all day tomorrow, so someone else should probably lead the conversations to hire a boat to Rikaryon's Isle.)
Xanrym was a little worried about Coriana's and Khessa's argument, but it seems to diffuse the conflict with the "Spiderhunters." He's not sure that he agrees with Khessa's assessment, but even if the Drow were innocent, he prefers not to jump into a fight with an enemy of unknown strength, especially not when it's unclear who's in the right. Xanrym is trying to stay focused on completing Es Sarch's jobs, getting the information they need, and recovering the lost king's bones before the cult uses them in some twisted ritual to unleash another great Evil on their world above. He does make a mental note to ask Coriana about the "Pirate Queen" and the "demon of the deep" some time.
Xanrym is not happy to be back near the Sullen Sea again. He eyes the dark water suspiciously and tries to stay as far from the edges of the pier as he can. Xanrym will defer to Coriana for evaluating the boats and even negotiating for The Company's trip to Rikaryon's Isle if she likes.
Before we get anywhere near the water, Coriana will reply to Khessa, "Well, there's a lot to unpack there, ain't there. I don't care that they were Drow, I cared that it wasn't my business."
Once we are at the docks, Coriana gets businesslike and, assuming the shack holds the owner of the one goodish boat, approaches the shack.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Before Coriana get's to the shack, A dusky and hairless female duergar in dark leather steps out of the shadows near the shack. Her black eyes scrutinize you, and she has a short blade readied. "What business have you here, sun warts?" she hisses in Undercommon (which I assume Xanrym can understand and translates for you all)
"We're looking for a boat to rent, we have business on one of these islands," Coriana says, shaking a (woefully empty) coin pouch and pointing to the boat.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Go ahead and roll a Persuasion check for Coriana
While Coriana and the duergar negotiate the boat rental, Khessa spiritually prepares herself for the journey to the island. The thought of the threat that emerged from the waters during their trip to Pedestal makes her uneasy. 'I hope we don't run into any lurking predators this time,' she thinks, as a shadow of worry clouds her blue eyes.
But the blonde arcane warrior soon finds reason to be optimistic. 'No, this time it should be different. After all, the route to Pedestal is still traveled regularly—Bruthwol had also taken it—so it has an appeal for any potential raiders. The trip to the island, on the other hand, if I understand correctly, is far from frequent... maybe, then, it won't be profitable for water predators to lay ambushes there, with the prospect of having to wait for scarce prey at who knows what intervals.'
Avery will look at the boat during the negotiations to see if it appears seaworthy. He too is concerned from their last encounter with the watery beast, if they face another, he wants to make sure they have a good vessel under foot if they have to make a fight of it. Perception: 2 (well, he doesn't know what to look for on that one); investigation: 9 (guess thats why he is a cavalier and not a sailor...)
Persuasion: 14
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
The Duergar looks at you frowning, “You want a boat? A wreck is 50gp, one that floats is 100!” You get the feeling that while she isn’t necessarily friendly, she isn’t going to just stab you on the spot.
Theldrin stands by patiently waiting for the negotiations to continue, taking a few steps closer and looking the boat over again curiously. He then takes a moment to discreetly look around the docks to see if anyone seems to be paying close attention to the party. For some reason, perhaps just being paranoid, he can't shake the feeling that they're being watched since arriving in Pedestal.
Perception: 12
Coriana says we’re being ripped off but probably have to take it. She had no gold.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
(OOC: Yes, as usual, Xanrym is concentrating on Comprehend Languages while he isn't using any other concentration spells. If an hour has passed since he cast it before entering the market, he would have taken the 10 minutes to cast it again as a ritual before they went to the docks. I assume that the duergar at least understands Common because I don't think I saw Coriana switch to any other language. @drumdigby - Is the duergar still responding in Undercommon? Or did she also switch to Common?)
Since Xanrym is standing right there with Coriana and the duergar so that he can translate, he decides to attempt a different tack with the duergar. Considering her for a moment, he says in a brisk and businesslike manner, "You run a business, ma'am, and you need to turn a profit. We understand! We don't expect charity, but your prices are quite high! You see: our Company is trying to turn a profit too. We may be 'sun warts,' but we're not fools. If we accept a job, and the expenses are too high, we don't turn a profit. In that case, 'the game isn't worth the candle', as the saying goes. Now, your boats don't earn anything for you while they're just docked here. Wouldn't you rather have us rent a boat for a fair price -- say, 50 gp for the day for one of the good boats -- instead of demanding a premium price and earning nothing when we have to walk away?"
Persuasion: 17 (Silver Tongue feature)
(OOC: Ugh! Not much better. 😞 There's one other thing Xanrym thought to try, but it's a bigger risk, so I'll wait to see how this goes first.)
You’re still talking in Undercommon. The Duergar responds cooly, “The price is the price. What else can be done?” Her hand slips silently to her weapon.
13
Disappointed, Xanrym says, "Indeed!" Then, as though quoting some relevant adage, he says something in Elvish. He speaks loudly enough for the whole party to hear.
For those who speak Elvish:
(in Elvish) "Be ready! And pray that this goes better than it did at the city gate!"
Then, Xanrym turns to Coriana and says, "I know that Es Sarch suggested we get a boat here, but I don't know that we can afford it. We may just have to go back to the Dripstone Inn and tell Es Sarch that we cannot do this job for them because the dueragar at the docks would not rent a boat to us for reasonable rate."
Xanrym doesn't know whether everyone in the city will be as ready to attack Es Sarch agents as the Kuo-Toa at the south gate were. Es Sarch seemed to command at least some respect from the three factions while at the Dripstone Inn, and Xanrym is hoping that the duergar is either aligned with Es Sarch or interested in staying on their good side.
Coriana turns from Xanrym to the duergar expectantly.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Theldrin easily catches Xanrym's warning, Elvish always having been his favorite language to study since his early days of schooling as a young Osgard. A love that only increased when he left the family business behind to pursue the arcane arts. His eyes narrow as he watches the Duergar intently to see how she will react.
Avery has 100 gp and will donate it for the cause