You now see the gigantic grey-blue tentacles that twist around the ship. They shlop out of the water, one by one, and eventually encase the ship fully and pull down onto something hard in the water. The ship groans as it is ripped in two. As the two sides of the ship are drawn into the water, you see a massive triangular head poke out of the water, a large black scar running down it's right side.
(OOC: @drumdigby - From that description, did it look to the Company like the monster's tentacles squeezed the ship against its head / body? That is, the tentacles reached up and then shattered the ship against the "triangular head," which then poked out of the water. Or did it look like the tentacles pulled the ship down against something else, and once the ship was destroyed, the triangular head poked out nearby the "something hard in the water"?)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Xanrym was pleased at how effectively the new members of the Company of the Grey Chain worked and fought together, almost as though the new members had been part of the Company from the beginning. Everyone handled the unexpected surprises--a priest of Lolth, giant spiders, undead, and demons!--with the courage and skill of experienced adventurers. They found and retrieved Aubrek's chest and made it off of the ship without losing anyone. He felt encouraged by the Company's success and optimistic about their ability to take on new, tougher jobs. But his enthusiasm is tempered by their latest encounter: a sudden and stark reminder that there are Powers in the world far beyond the Company's capabilities.
Despite escaping the Emperor of the Waves completely uninjured, Xanrym feels shaken to his core by the awesome sight of the creature that destroyed the ship. He wonders to himself, "Did we just encounter a legendary kraken?!" Shattering a massive sailing ship with such ease demonstrated the otherworldly titan's immense and primal power. When the monster's head emerged from the dark depths of the sea, it was as though something surfaced from deep with Xanrym at the same time. Some raw and primitive instinct for survival. The terror made his mind feel weirdly numb and blank, wiped clear of words and language. He feels a little better now that they've reached the Soul of Winter, but the big ship now feels strangely small and vulnerable to him. With the waters of Nyr Dyv stretching to the horizon in every direction and no idea where the monster went, he feels weirdly exposed.
Captain Wolgar comes up to you and busts out, “Moradin’s Beard! Don’t know how you got out there alive! Y’all have more metal than the armouries of Irongate! What now? Do we get the hell out of here?” Most of the dwarves are looking dumbstruck at the now sinking tentacles.
As they all climb aboard the Soul of Winter, Xanrym agrees with his companions: "Yes, yes! It is too bad that we could not save the Emperor of the Waves, but we retrieved the prize that Aubrek wanted. Now, if you value your ship, Captain, hoist sail and get her underway as quickly as you can. The direction hardly matters. Make haste!"
Xanrym definitely understands the sailors' reaction, but in this situation, inaction could mean death. He tries to shake them out of their stupor by shouting encouragement: "Sailors, listen to my voice! We are in danger here, but there is hope! Hope in the wind and riding it away from here! So blot out the sight of the sea monster, and focus on the work in front of you! Your fate is in your hands!" Persuasion16 (Silver Tongue feature)
Once the Company secures Aubrek's chest and the other treasures from the Emperor in their cabin, Xanrym suggests that they all return to the deck and help keep watch for any signs of the sea monster while the sailors get the ship moving.
(The giant squid-like creature cracked the ship over it's head.)
Wolgar and the rest of the sailors snap into action at Xanrym's words, "Right you lot! Get us the blazes out of this mess!" Wolgar cries over the din of the crew rigging the sails and pulling anchor. The Soul of Winter pulls away from the wreckage and back toward the south.
The ship isn't disturbed again on it's way back to Greyhawk, apart from a couple swarms of piranha-like Quippers attacking the ship, repelled easily, and the remains of a giant eel attacked by something flying. What do you all do on your relatively peaceful 4 day trip back to Greyhawk?
Khessa, now even more familiar with all the members of the Company, will surely:
- ...chat a little with everyone (potentially telling about her past, if someone asks or is interested - I won't post it here again, since it's not short. You can read it in the orignal post, if you missed it). One thing that intrigues her and therefore certainly asks is what this "grey chain" is that gives the Company its name.
- ...train her martial skills with melee characters (I'm thinking especially of Avery - but if Coriana often trains with the sword, Khessa surely tries to train with her too to perfect her technique. Khessa is always acutely aware of the fact that she is an "improvised" adventurer. Quite successful, perhaps, but still "improvised", with no formal training with either weapons or magic. So she takes every opportunity to try to fill these "gaps". It's only RP, I don't expect this to have any effect on the mechanics of the game).
- ...study with Theldin, whom she sees as a sort of "tutor", if not a "master", in the field of magic (what was said for martial training applies regarding the fact that Khessa feels "improvised"), but she is also interested in the way of using magic that Xanrym, Syllen and Coriana use (because Khessa thinks that magic is still magic - she is a wizard, she has a student's approach to magic, which privileges knowledge. So, from her point of view, even the knowledge of how non-wizards manage to use magic is fascinating and potentially useful - even if in reality such knowledge will probably never be useful to her in game - even in this case, it's just RP).
Avery will catch up on some rest, go over his gear, clean and sharpen his sword, talk to the group, and if time permits, do some fishing to add to their meals.
When he is with the group, "So what now, what will we do once we complete this contract? Shall we take on another?" Then he will add, "That Kraken, that wasn't a mere coincidence was it? Are their darker powers afoot?"
Coriana trains with the fighters, if they are willing, realizing heavier (but not too heavy) combat styles could serve her well.
She appears preoccupied, and keeps staring back from where the kraken appeared.
Responding to Avery, she says, "I'd be interested in taking on more contracts with you all. We seem to work together well. I doubt the kraken was unrelated but we definitely would need more evidence to see any kind of connections. I have my own concerns about the kraken. My mystical abilities tie into a powerful undersea being I don't fully comprehend, and that kraken felt almost... familiar."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
The ship isn't disturbed again on it's way back to Greyhawk, apart from a couple swarms of piranha-like Quippers attacking the ship, repelled easily, and the remains of a giant eel attacked by something flying. What do you all do on your relatively peaceful 4 day trip back to Greyhawk?
Xanrym spends the first hour or two of the journey away from the wreck of the Emperor up on the Soul of Winter's main deck. He keeps a vigilant watch, looking out for any sign of the grey-blue tentacles or even of a huge, dark shape under the surface. He has to force himself to remain call and not to raise the alarm every time he feels the hull shudder as it hits a big wave, remembering the way the Emperor shook as the kraken attacked. Xanrym finally relaxes his guard, telling himself that Captain Wolgar knows how to handle the ship and crew, and they'll sound the alarm at the first sign of danger. He gives thanks to Fharlanghn for the party's success and, looking south-west to the far horizon, prays that their journey to the Free City is quick and safe.
Xanrym has finally gotten used to the motion of the ship, and the rocking helps him sleeps soundly that first night. During the journey back to the Free City, Xanrym occupies his time with a variety of activities:
In fine weather, Xanrym spends much of the days sitting in a dry spot up on the deck, reading from one of his books.
Xanrym talks about joining the martial practice, but you notice that he rarely follows through. When he does join, he mostly relies on his magic. He's pretty good at dodging attacks, but without the assistance of magic, he seems hopeless at attacking with his spear or mace. (Note: he's more effective with his Dagger or Crossbow.)
In the evenings, Xanrym entertains any sailors who are not on duty, telling tales of old myths or powerful heroes. He also starts to practice relating their fights aboard the Emperor.
Xanrym doesn't dominate the story-telling. He seems to enjoy hearing a well-told story even more than he does telling one. He's eager to learn anything the sailors can tell him about the history and myths of the dwarves. He's also interested to hear more about the peculiar superstitions of seafaring folk and any information about strange customs in the distant lands they have visited.
But Xanrym spends a lot of time down in the Company's cabin during the journey back to the Free City.
He diligently records notes about the Company's latest adventure and starts creating a few different versions of the story with varying lengths.
He also starts working on an epic poem that incorporates both their adventure in Orlane and the recovery of the Emperor's cargo. For now, he can tie it all together with the theme of thwarting evil cultists (the naga cult in Orlane and Krell, the follower of Lolth). He's careful to avoid including any information about Aubrek or the specific cargo that they recovered.
He practices using Minor Illusion to augment the story with the sound of the waves, the smell of the salt air, or even an image of the gruesome blazon on Krell's shield. He prefers to let the power of his words paint the picture in the mind's eye, but he has found that audiences appreciate these extra touches.
He also spends some time cataloging the treasure the Company recovered from the Emperor so that they can divide it when they get to the Free City. Of course, the greater potion of their treasure will be the reward from Aubrek.
Finally, he performs some experiments with a few drops of the acid from the Sahuagin Baron and from the Maw Demon. Xanrym is no alchemist, but his curiosity knows no bounds. He dabbles in various fields, and he's curious to learn more about acid.
(OOC: As above, nothing really mechanical here. Just some flavor for Xanrym's personality and a way to explain the source of his knowledge in History, Nature, and Religion. I'm also setting him up for a future cantrip swap to Acid Splash.)
One thing that intrigues her and therefore certainly asks is what this "grey chain" is that gives the Company its name.
Xanrym laughs and says, "Well, it's better to leave that mysterious! Perhaps we should create a badge of some sort that incorporates a grey chain? But I hope that I don't disappoint you, Khessa, when I reveal that the name comes from place where Avery, Theldrin, and I first met each other: the Inn of the Grey Chain near Orlane on the western frontier of the Gran March." He laughs again at the memory and at how much has changed in the few months since then. He glances to Theldrin and Avery and continues, "Come to think of it, we actually never learned the story of the Inn's grey chain, did we? There was a troglodyte attack just outside the inn, and once we saved the merchant, Maajid, from the troglodytes, we forgot all about the grey chain until later. After we defeated the naga cult and freed the Mayor of Orlane, Zakarius Ormond, from the cult's secret lair, he asked what we called our group. We didn't really have a name, but 'The Company of the Grey Chain' is the name that stuck." He shrugs in a way that indicates his acquiescence to the winds of fate in the matter of the Company's name.
When he is with the group, "So what now, what will we do once we complete this contract? Shall we take on another?" Then he will add, "That Kraken, that wasn't a mere coincidence was it? Are their darker powers afoot?"
Xanrym doesn't express any opinion about the Kraken, saying only that it's a matter that requires more research. But he agrees that he'd be happy to continue adventuring with the rest of the Company, if they're interested. He plans to spend at least a few days in the Free City before he starts putting out feelers for a new job for the Company. "And perhaps we won't even have to look for more work. After our success on this job, perhaps Aubrek will have more work for us."
Xanrym suggests pooling some of their treasure to establish some sort of headquarters in or around the City of Greyhawk if Aubrek pays them promptly after they deliver the chest. "It would be nice to have a more permanent base to use in between our jobs. Somewhere we could stay without paying for rooms at an inn. Somewhere where Syllen, Theldrin, and Khessa could pen scrolls or brew potions." For his part, Xanrym imagines building his own personal library and filling it with old books and ancient scrolls. Until Aubrek mentioned the size of the reward he was offering, Xanrym had never thought of owning his own property, and he has no idea what something like that would cost. He wonders whether Coriana will consent to spending money on a house or tower instead of a sailing vessel.
Responding to Avery, she says, "I'd be interested in taking on more contracts with you all. We seem to work together well. I doubt the kraken was unrelated but we definitely would need more evidence to see any kind of connections. I have my own concerns about the kraken. My mystical abilities tie into a powerful undersea being I don't fully comprehend, and that kraken felt almost... familiar."
Xanrym is curious about Coriana's magic. It's certainly different from that of the druids (Liarin and now Syllen) and wizards (Theldrin and Khessa)! He asks Coriana some leading questions to learn more, but he doesn't press the topic if she seems reluctant to talk about it. Xanrym knows that if he had any ties to a kraken, he definitely wouldn't want to dwell on them!
Inspired by Xanrym's suggestions for the base, Khessa expands on the idea: "We could also include a small spellbook library... a place where wizards could easily find spells to copy - either by paying a fee (which would provide income and cover maintenance costs, perhaps even earning a living) or by paying in knowledge (with spells written down to leave behind for the library, adding to its wealth of knowledge and thus its fame and usefulness)."
"Not that I intend to become a bookworm..." the blonde arcane warrior clarifies "I still have a lot of 'action' to do, if I want to free my family from drow slavery. But if the library catches on, it could be staffed by paid staff (while still being ours)!"
Once he's convinced the ship has left the Kraken behind, Theldrin finally relaxes and heads to the cabin to get some rest.
He seems in a pensive mood over the next few days, obviously not as interested in sparring as he was on the trip to find the Emperor, but still is quite enthusiastic about arcane studies with Khessa. He also appears to have a lingering interest in any info he can glean about Krakens, and is very intrigued with anything Coriana has to say on the matter, though he doesn't press her for any more information than she seems willing to readily share. He does however ask Wolgar and various members of the crew what they might have heard about such monsters of the deep in their seafaring voyages. Persuasion: 17
He nods agreeably when the subject of setting up a base in Greyhawk comes up, and especially seems to like the idea of setting up a place to brew potions.
During the journey back to the Free City, Xanrym occupies his time with a variety of activities:
I should have also mentioned that Xanrym spends some time taking care of Heckle and making sure that their trusty horse is doing OK during the return voyage. He's glad that they have Heckle with them, but The Company hasn't needed to go ashore at all on this trip. If The Company does invest in a building near the Free City, they'll need to make sure that it has stables for Heckle and whatever mount their knight eventually acquires.
During the few days it takes to return to port, Syllen spends most of the nights working on his star map. Syllen seems more interested in learning about the other members of the group than other things during the day. Having been trained as a wizard in his youth(magic initiate), Syllen would have joined Khessa and Theldrin when they were studying, not to learn but out of enjoyment. He would offer to spend time creating spell scrolls for any spells he knows that wizards can learn.
(OOC: @drumdigby - I assume most of the spells wizard knows stem from studying magic from other classes and it would be relatively common knowledge what spells overlap between wizards and druids. Also because Syllen has a connection to wizards via being a high elf and magic initiate. Let me know if the assumption is wrong.)
In response to Avery he responds
“I look forward to joining you all on your next adventure. Do jobs normally come to you or do you guys have to go looking for them?”
When Xanrym mentions getting a more permanent base of operations.
“As long as I have enough gold to get supplies for crafting I am more than happy to help buy a base.”
The sailors hide nothing from Theldrin, but admit they know little about the creature. They've all heard of the ancient Kraken, which the creature certainly resembled. Sindhuk mentions he thought the creature would be bigger.
After a few more days at sea, you eventually sight land, and then head into the mouth of a river to eventually arrive back at the docks of Greyhawk. The usual sights, sounds, and smells of the city greet you, along with the familiar sight of a very well dressed dwarf at the pier you pull into. Prince Aubrek Drallion's butler Vathroc awaits you at the dock with his hands behind his back and a crew of labourers with a draft horse behind him. "Did you retrieve the cargo?" He asks in his strangely gruff yet posh accent.
the familiar sight of a very well dressed dwarf at the pier you pull into. Prince Aubrek Drallion's butler Vathroc awaits you at the dock with his hands behind his back and a crew of labourers with a draft horse behind him. "Did you retrieve the cargo?" He asks in his strangely gruff yet posh accent.
Xanrym says, "Aubrek was wise to enlist the Company of the Grey Chain because it was more than simply a lost ship. Let's just say that our experience with fighting evil cultists and undead proved useful. But, yes, you may deliver word to Aubrek that we have the package, and we'll be delivering it to him shortly. Is he still in the same lodgings?"
Xanrym is trying to send the butler away without starting an argument about the chest. Given the value of the assets in Aubrek's case, Xanrym doesn't feel comfortable handing it off to anyone else, not even Aubrek's butler.
Avery likes the idea of setting up shop somewhere, a base of operation. "If we have our own base of operation, we can store extra gear or what not without worrying it could walk off."
Coriana, hearing Xanrym take a hard line with the butler, stays alert to what is happening as they dock. She tries to look vaguely threatening but in a way that has plausible deniablity. [[Hoping that counts as a help action if Xanrym needs to make social rolls.]]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
Vathroc bristles a little when Xanrym pushes against him taking the chest, but doesn't push the issue. "Would you like an escort? Or perhaps you can just try to guess where to drop it off. I'm sure if you walk around the docks with an enchanted chest asking where Albrek lives for long enough some fine gentleman will be happy to help you."
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(OOC: @drumdigby - From that description, did it look to the Company like the monster's tentacles squeezed the ship against its head / body? That is, the tentacles reached up and then shattered the ship against the "triangular head," which then poked out of the water. Or did it look like the tentacles pulled the ship down against something else, and once the ship was destroyed, the triangular head poked out nearby the "something hard in the water"?)
Xanrym was pleased at how effectively the new members of the Company of the Grey Chain worked and fought together, almost as though the new members had been part of the Company from the beginning. Everyone handled the unexpected surprises--a priest of Lolth, giant spiders, undead, and demons!--with the courage and skill of experienced adventurers. They found and retrieved Aubrek's chest and made it off of the ship without losing anyone. He felt encouraged by the Company's success and optimistic about their ability to take on new, tougher jobs. But his enthusiasm is tempered by their latest encounter: a sudden and stark reminder that there are Powers in the world far beyond the Company's capabilities.
Despite escaping the Emperor of the Waves completely uninjured, Xanrym feels shaken to his core by the awesome sight of the creature that destroyed the ship. He wonders to himself, "Did we just encounter a legendary kraken?!" Shattering a massive sailing ship with such ease demonstrated the otherworldly titan's immense and primal power. When the monster's head emerged from the dark depths of the sea, it was as though something surfaced from deep with Xanrym at the same time. Some raw and primitive instinct for survival. The terror made his mind feel weirdly numb and blank, wiped clear of words and language. He feels a little better now that they've reached the Soul of Winter, but the big ship now feels strangely small and vulnerable to him. With the waters of Nyr Dyv stretching to the horizon in every direction and no idea where the monster went, he feels weirdly exposed.
As they all climb aboard the Soul of Winter, Xanrym agrees with his companions: "Yes, yes! It is too bad that we could not save the Emperor of the Waves, but we retrieved the prize that Aubrek wanted. Now, if you value your ship, Captain, hoist sail and get her underway as quickly as you can. The direction hardly matters. Make haste!"
Xanrym definitely understands the sailors' reaction, but in this situation, inaction could mean death. He tries to shake them out of their stupor by shouting encouragement: "Sailors, listen to my voice! We are in danger here, but there is hope! Hope in the wind and riding it away from here! So blot out the sight of the sea monster, and focus on the work in front of you! Your fate is in your hands!"
Persuasion 16 (Silver Tongue feature)
Once the Company secures Aubrek's chest and the other treasures from the Emperor in their cabin, Xanrym suggests that they all return to the deck and help keep watch for any signs of the sea monster while the sailors get the ship moving.
(The giant squid-like creature cracked the ship over it's head.)
Wolgar and the rest of the sailors snap into action at Xanrym's words, "Right you lot! Get us the blazes out of this mess!" Wolgar cries over the din of the crew rigging the sails and pulling anchor. The Soul of Winter pulls away from the wreckage and back toward the south.
The ship isn't disturbed again on it's way back to Greyhawk, apart from a couple swarms of piranha-like Quippers attacking the ship, repelled easily, and the remains of a giant eel attacked by something flying. What do you all do on your relatively peaceful 4 day trip back to Greyhawk?
Khessa, now even more familiar with all the members of the Company, will surely:
- ...chat a little with everyone (potentially telling about her past, if someone asks or is interested - I won't post it here again, since it's not short. You can read it in the orignal post, if you missed it). One thing that intrigues her and therefore certainly asks is what this "grey chain" is that gives the Company its name.
- ...train her martial skills with melee characters (I'm thinking especially of Avery - but if Coriana often trains with the sword, Khessa surely tries to train with her too to perfect her technique. Khessa is always acutely aware of the fact that she is an "improvised" adventurer. Quite successful, perhaps, but still "improvised", with no formal training with either weapons or magic. So she takes every opportunity to try to fill these "gaps". It's only RP, I don't expect this to have any effect on the mechanics of the game).
- ...study with Theldin, whom she sees as a sort of "tutor", if not a "master", in the field of magic (what was said for martial training applies regarding the fact that Khessa feels "improvised"), but she is also interested in the way of using magic that Xanrym, Syllen and Coriana use (because Khessa thinks that magic is still magic - she is a wizard, she has a student's approach to magic, which privileges knowledge. So, from her point of view, even the knowledge of how non-wizards manage to use magic is fascinating and potentially useful - even if in reality such knowledge will probably never be useful to her in game - even in this case, it's just RP).
Avery will catch up on some rest, go over his gear, clean and sharpen his sword, talk to the group, and if time permits, do some fishing to add to their meals.
When he is with the group, "So what now, what will we do once we complete this contract? Shall we take on another?" Then he will add, "That Kraken, that wasn't a mere coincidence was it? Are their darker powers afoot?"
Coriana trains with the fighters, if they are willing, realizing heavier (but not too heavy) combat styles could serve her well.
She appears preoccupied, and keeps staring back from where the kraken appeared.
Responding to Avery, she says, "I'd be interested in taking on more contracts with you all. We seem to work together well. I doubt the kraken was unrelated but we definitely would need more evidence to see any kind of connections. I have my own concerns about the kraken. My mystical abilities tie into a powerful undersea being I don't fully comprehend, and that kraken felt almost... familiar."
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Xanrym spends the first hour or two of the journey away from the wreck of the Emperor up on the Soul of Winter's main deck. He keeps a vigilant watch, looking out for any sign of the grey-blue tentacles or even of a huge, dark shape under the surface. He has to force himself to remain call and not to raise the alarm every time he feels the hull shudder as it hits a big wave, remembering the way the Emperor shook as the kraken attacked. Xanrym finally relaxes his guard, telling himself that Captain Wolgar knows how to handle the ship and crew, and they'll sound the alarm at the first sign of danger. He gives thanks to Fharlanghn for the party's success and, looking south-west to the far horizon, prays that their journey to the Free City is quick and safe.
Xanrym has finally gotten used to the motion of the ship, and the rocking helps him sleeps soundly that first night. During the journey back to the Free City, Xanrym occupies his time with a variety of activities:
(OOC: As above, nothing really mechanical here. Just some flavor for Xanrym's personality and a way to explain the source of his knowledge in History, Nature, and Religion. I'm also setting him up for a future cantrip swap to Acid Splash.)
Xanrym laughs and says, "Well, it's better to leave that mysterious! Perhaps we should create a badge of some sort that incorporates a grey chain? But I hope that I don't disappoint you, Khessa, when I reveal that the name comes from place where Avery, Theldrin, and I first met each other: the Inn of the Grey Chain near Orlane on the western frontier of the Gran March." He laughs again at the memory and at how much has changed in the few months since then. He glances to Theldrin and Avery and continues, "Come to think of it, we actually never learned the story of the Inn's grey chain, did we? There was a troglodyte attack just outside the inn, and once we saved the merchant, Maajid, from the troglodytes, we forgot all about the grey chain until later. After we defeated the naga cult and freed the Mayor of Orlane, Zakarius Ormond, from the cult's secret lair, he asked what we called our group. We didn't really have a name, but 'The Company of the Grey Chain' is the name that stuck." He shrugs in a way that indicates his acquiescence to the winds of fate in the matter of the Company's name.
Xanrym doesn't express any opinion about the Kraken, saying only that it's a matter that requires more research. But he agrees that he'd be happy to continue adventuring with the rest of the Company, if they're interested. He plans to spend at least a few days in the Free City before he starts putting out feelers for a new job for the Company. "And perhaps we won't even have to look for more work. After our success on this job, perhaps Aubrek will have more work for us."
Xanrym suggests pooling some of their treasure to establish some sort of headquarters in or around the City of Greyhawk if Aubrek pays them promptly after they deliver the chest. "It would be nice to have a more permanent base to use in between our jobs. Somewhere we could stay without paying for rooms at an inn. Somewhere where Syllen, Theldrin, and Khessa could pen scrolls or brew potions." For his part, Xanrym imagines building his own personal library and filling it with old books and ancient scrolls. Until Aubrek mentioned the size of the reward he was offering, Xanrym had never thought of owning his own property, and he has no idea what something like that would cost. He wonders whether Coriana will consent to spending money on a house or tower instead of a sailing vessel.
Xanrym is curious about Coriana's magic. It's certainly different from that of the druids (Liarin and now Syllen) and wizards (Theldrin and Khessa)! He asks Coriana some leading questions to learn more, but he doesn't press the topic if she seems reluctant to talk about it. Xanrym knows that if he had any ties to a kraken, he definitely wouldn't want to dwell on them!
Inspired by Xanrym's suggestions for the base, Khessa expands on the idea: "We could also include a small spellbook library... a place where wizards could easily find spells to copy - either by paying a fee (which would provide income and cover maintenance costs, perhaps even earning a living) or by paying in knowledge (with spells written down to leave behind for the library, adding to its wealth of knowledge and thus its fame and usefulness)."
"Not that I intend to become a bookworm..." the blonde arcane warrior clarifies "I still have a lot of 'action' to do, if I want to free my family from drow slavery. But if the library catches on, it could be staffed by paid staff (while still being ours)!"
Once he's convinced the ship has left the Kraken behind, Theldrin finally relaxes and heads to the cabin to get some rest.
He seems in a pensive mood over the next few days, obviously not as interested in sparring as he was on the trip to find the Emperor, but still is quite enthusiastic about arcane studies with Khessa. He also appears to have a lingering interest in any info he can glean about Krakens, and is very intrigued with anything Coriana has to say on the matter, though he doesn't press her for any more information than she seems willing to readily share. He does however ask Wolgar and various members of the crew what they might have heard about such monsters of the deep in their seafaring voyages. Persuasion: 17
He nods agreeably when the subject of setting up a base in Greyhawk comes up, and especially seems to like the idea of setting up a place to brew potions.
I should have also mentioned that Xanrym spends some time taking care of Heckle and making sure that their trusty horse is doing OK during the return voyage. He's glad that they have Heckle with them, but The Company hasn't needed to go ashore at all on this trip. If The Company does invest in a building near the Free City, they'll need to make sure that it has stables for Heckle and whatever mount their knight eventually acquires.
During the few days it takes to return to port, Syllen spends most of the nights working on his star map. Syllen seems more interested in learning about the other members of the group than other things during the day. Having been trained as a wizard in his youth(magic initiate), Syllen would have joined Khessa and Theldrin when they were studying, not to learn but out of enjoyment. He would offer to spend time creating spell scrolls for any spells he knows that wizards can learn.
(OOC: @drumdigby - I assume most of the spells wizard knows stem from studying magic from other classes and it would be relatively common knowledge what spells overlap between wizards and druids. Also because Syllen has a connection to wizards via being a high elf and magic initiate. Let me know if the assumption is wrong.)
In response to Avery he responds
“I look forward to joining you all on your next adventure. Do jobs normally come to you or do you guys have to go looking for them?”
When Xanrym mentions getting a more permanent base of operations.
“As long as I have enough gold to get supplies for crafting I am more than happy to help buy a base.”
The sailors hide nothing from Theldrin, but admit they know little about the creature. They've all heard of the ancient Kraken, which the creature certainly resembled. Sindhuk mentions he thought the creature would be bigger.
After a few more days at sea, you eventually sight land, and then head into the mouth of a river to eventually arrive back at the docks of Greyhawk. The usual sights, sounds, and smells of the city greet you, along with the familiar sight of a very well dressed dwarf at the pier you pull into. Prince Aubrek Drallion's butler Vathroc awaits you at the dock with his hands behind his back and a crew of labourers with a draft horse behind him. "Did you retrieve the cargo?" He asks in his strangely gruff yet posh accent.
Xanrym says, "Aubrek was wise to enlist the Company of the Grey Chain because it was more than simply a lost ship. Let's just say that our experience with fighting evil cultists and undead proved useful. But, yes, you may deliver word to Aubrek that we have the package, and we'll be delivering it to him shortly. Is he still in the same lodgings?"
Xanrym is trying to send the butler away without starting an argument about the chest. Given the value of the assets in Aubrek's case, Xanrym doesn't feel comfortable handing it off to anyone else, not even Aubrek's butler.
Avery likes the idea of setting up shop somewhere, a base of operation. "If we have our own base of operation, we can store extra gear or what not without worrying it could walk off."
Theldrin is more than happy to have Syllen join in the arcane study group, and would graciously accept any scrolls that he would be able to use.
As the ship arrives at the docks, he appreciates Xanrym's caution, standing by quietly to see how Vathroc reacts.
Coriana, hearing Xanrym take a hard line with the butler, stays alert to what is happening as they dock. She tries to look vaguely threatening but in a way that has plausible deniablity. [[Hoping that counts as a help action if Xanrym needs to make social rolls.]]
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Avery will take up a supporting position for Xanrym with the butler.
Xanrym Intimidation check (w/ advantage): 19
Vathroc bristles a little when Xanrym pushes against him taking the chest, but doesn't push the issue. "Would you like an escort? Or perhaps you can just try to guess where to drop it off. I'm sure if you walk around the docks with an enchanted chest asking where Albrek lives for long enough some fine gentleman will be happy to help you."