Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Theldrin sits crosslegged on the deck with his eyes closed, the Staff of Frost in his lap. After spending some time in meditation with the staff, he then studies his spellbook, and once the party is done resting, seems agreeable to seeking out Alaric first.
(OOC: attunes to Staff of Frost then uses Arcane Recovery to recover one 3rd level slot)
(OOC: @drumdigby - Do we know or can we find out approximately how long the voyage is expected to last before the Malachite Hierarch reaches its next destination? Whether The Company should split up and try to learn more about the various groups separately depends on how long we expect this voyage to last. And do you plan to run this part of the campaign like you did with Orlane? That is, there are a few time slots each day, and the group -- or each subgroup -- can pursue one activity or investigation in each time slot.)
Xanrym responds slowly as he considers it, "Yes...maybe."
Xanrym nods, "I agree! Some answers make a better story than others, but I could spin a convincing story for any of them! The 'Greens' are still a mystery, and it's easy to imagine that they're members of the Vanguard of Sertrous. Or maybe they're simply mercenaries hired to transport a locked chest, not even knowing what they carry. The same story could work for The Broken Crown or even the captain of this ship. After all, I don't think that most captains are willing to sail to the Empire of Iuz."
"But if the Vanguard thinks that they can subvert the prophecy and use the relics in their own dark rites," he continues, "perhaps the Horned Society seeks to do the same to further their own goals. I'm not sure what the nomads would want with the bones, but if Iuz has invaded Wegwiur, maybe they hope to bargain with the 'Fiend of the North,' trading the bones in exchange for a truce. And if Lord Alaric fancies himself a 'cunning diplomat,' he might plan to do the same thing: secure an agreement not to invade the Shield Lands and Furyondy in exchange for delivering the relics to Iuz himself. As Theldrin said, we cannot rule out anyone yet."
Before he talks more with any of the other passengers, Xanrym would want to settle two practical matters first:
If Khessa can wait for that, then Xanrym is happy to join her and any of the others in talking to Lord Alaric next.
Short Rest
( I'm going to be a bit looser with time here, if you want to try to speak to everyone today I don't have a problem with that.)
The ship seems to be travelling at the speed you would expect of a boat this size, likely to take a couple weeks to reach Iuz at this rate. Syllen is able to remember some information from his time studying this part of the world. The Shield Lands are a united federation of nobles and knights opposed to Iuz. It used to be part of Furyondy but broke off as they felt disconected from the King and wanted less executive oversight from a country days, if not weeks, travel away.
(I think we better do a poll here if you're all sticking together. Upvote the post that you want to do next.)
Talk to Alaric
Talk to the captain about lodgings
(OOC: Talking to the captain first seems prudent)
(OOC: Xanrym - Captain first.)
Lol! I vote Alaric first for role-playing Khessa's enthusiasm, but to me as a player it doesn't make much difference, whatever the majority decides is fine.
(OOC: Xanrym has proficiency with Cartographer's Tools, of course.)
Xanrym appreciates the praise, "Thank you!" Responding to Khessa's questions, he says, "How? Well, ever since I can remember, I've always been interested in stories of the great heroes. Their adventures always seemed to take place in faraway lands, not at some inn in a market town among the farmland in Old Keoland. Once I finally had access to maps and atlases, I poured over them. I learned to read maps and even to make my own so that I could trace the path of various heroes on their adventures: that made their journeys feel more real to me!
"I did travel...some...before I met Avery and Theldrin and formed the Company of the Grey Chain with them, but I have not visited most of these places in the north. Lately, I've been particularly interested in the area controlled by the Fiend of the North and the lands that surround his territory." By way of explanation, he adds, "A few months ago, we rescued a tiefling, Nithrissa, who helped us defeat the naga. She's a knight in the 'Order of Desolation,' in service to Iuz the Evil. But the naga cult seemed to operate south and west of the Gran March and didn't seem to have much reach beyond Hookhill. I wondered what a knight of the Order of Desolation could be doing so far south. Since then, I've spent some of my time in the Free City listening for rumors about what's happening in the north and studying these lands north of Nyr Dyv in the Great Library. I certainly don't know the geography in detail, not from memory, but I know the general lay of the land."
(OOC: Syllen votes to speak with the Captain first)
Note that you've only stepped into the back part of the Cargo Deck, but you can assume the rest of the layout from what you've seen of the outside and knowledge of boats.
After asking a few sailors and waiting for the ship to properly pull out of the river and into the Nyr Dyv, you are invited to the Stateroom to meet with the captian.
Anything you wish to do before going ahead with this meeting?
No, Khessa ritual-casts Comprehend languages (just in the unlikely event that the captain at some point orders one of his people something in a language the party doesn't know), keeps Anator in the safety of his pocket dimension, and is otherwise good to go.
Theldrin stores his spellbook securely in his pack, checks over the rest of his gear, then is ready to seek out the captain.
While the others gather up their gear, Xanrym plays a little tune on his drum to get psyched up for this conversation. He also casts Enhance Ability (CHA) on
himselfCoriana. Then Xanrym stands up and uses Prestidigitation to help remove any remaining blood or dirt from his clothes. He hopes that the captain won't be upset that they boarded at the last moment, but he says, "Thankfully, we have our own cunning captain to help us through any negotiations here!" Xanrym figures that Coriana can help them work out a reasonable deal with the captain: this can't be the hardest conversation she has had with a captain before. And if the conversation is quick, perhaps he can carry his spell through their planned conversation with Lord Alaric.Concentration: Enhance Ability for 1 hour.
Grant Bardic Inspiration to Coriana.
Once within the next 1 hour when she fails a D20 Test, she can roll a 1d8 and add the number rolled to the d20, possibly turning failure into a success.
You are shown into the Stateroom, the Horned Society priests looking at you with a mixture of scorn and questioning as you do so. Within the rather well adorned meeting room, you find a long table, and at one end are two women. One is an incredibly tall woman with long white hair and small pupils set in her black eyes. She wears a straight and completely emotionless smile of her face and a captain's hat on her head, long black coat trailing to the ground as she sits straight in her chair. The other woman is one some of you will recognize, the tiefling knight of Iuz, Nithrissa. Before the captain can speak, the knight stands up from her chair, "You! you are the stowaways? I should have known I'd encounter you again!" She waits for a response, while the captain sits unmoving, seemingly unsurprised by the tiefling's outburst.
The tall adventuress is pleased to discover that the captain is a woman about as tall as her—but is instead surprised by the tiefling's outburst. When the company spoke to her about Nithrissa, they did so in neutral terms, so Khessa would have expected a neutral reaction from the tiefling as well, had she known she would meet her.
The blonde arcane warrior, however, is reassured by the captain's composure. Evidently, the captain doesn't believe any particular problems will arise. And so, Khessa waits for the members who already know Nithrissa to speak to the tiefling...
[[I am assuming that enhance ability is on Coriana for charisma?]]
Coriana only knows Nithrissa from stories and does not recognize the tiefling as the same person. She attempts to deflect the situation.
"We're not bloomin' stowaways, we've made it very clear we were coming aboard even if it was a very last minute decision to do so. We just find ourselves in a poor position
to negotiate fair passage."
[[Persuasion: 19 (23 with bardic if that fails)]]
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Theldrin is initially caught off guard, his jaw dropping with surprise to see Nithrissa again, here in the captain's quarters. As well as finding himself being accused of being a stowaway. He manages to regain his composure, giving Nithrissa what he hopes is a friendly nod and smile, while waiting for Coriana and Xanrym to speak for the party.