Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in- Marketplace
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in
Ensuring that there's no one close enough to hear those discussions, Xanrym says, "Thank you. It's a good reminder that we have a workable -- if frightening -- option." He looks around at the cabin and the hallway with a pensive look on his face before saying, "But maybe it won't come to that. Let's focus first on finding the relics first, and then we'll see whether we've figured out any other options."
(OOC: I guess we'd have to hold hands and do a "group skydive." Everyone would just have to hope that our wizard times the Feather Fall spell correctly, when we're in the final 600-ft of descent but before we hit the ground. Of course, that might be non-trivial if we're falling over a flat and featureless landscape. And we'd better time it so that we're not jumping overboard in the middle of Nyr Dyv or Whyestil Lake. Landing gently in the water doesn't help us if we have to swim 30 miles to get to dry land!)
Coriana heads down into the Cargo Deck, and into the Upper Cargo Hold, where she finds Darci chatting with other members of The Broken Crown. You notice that the other mercenaries tense up as you get close, but when they see you're just here to talk to Darci they relax. Darci comes good on her promise, "As always I've gotten myself the best accommodation on the ship. While the rest of the guys sleep here on the cargo deck guarding the VIP treasure down below, I've got the room up above on the main deck, just behind the Navigator's Room. I'll be working most of the time, so you guys should have the run of the place. Just don't disturb me when I'm trying to get some sleep." She goes back to her job guarding the Cargo Hold.
You all head to the Crew Quarters (6) on the Main Deck. You find comfortable bunks and a couple chests, one contains Darci's meagre possessions while the other is empty.
It should be notes that this room is on a different level to the ones everyone else is staying. Although you can keep an eye on Alaric, who will eventually return to his quarters below in a huff after arguing with Ironsmile.
Syllen is definitely caught off guard by the ship's ability to fly.
“I have not heard of a human ship with the ability to fly before. Luckily we were able to convince the Captain to let us stay so as to not be thrown overboard.”
Moving closer to Xanrym as he speaks.
“Though frightening it would make for a legendary story of the time a rag tag group jumped from a flying ship. Well for now I do agree that we should go look at our accomodations.”
As the party convenes in Darci's quarters and has some privacy as they wait for Alaric, Theldrin muses out loud in a low voice, "We should plan how to gather some intelligence on the Greens, maybe others..." He clears his throat, then continues, "I still have that potion of Clairvoyance we found. Or perhaps Syllen could shape change into a spider or similar. Possibly even an invisible one..."
Xanrym laughs at that, "Indeed, it would, Syllen! But, as you admit yourself, stories that are 'legendary' and exciting to tell tend to be 'terrifying and uncomfortable' more than anything else if you're one of the people in the story and doing the deeds yourself!" Lowering his voice, he adds, "Besides, it might make a better saga if the rag-tag group manages to take control of the flying ship and then proceeds to have a series of adventures: The Tales of the 'Sky Captain' and the Company of the Grey Chain."
Xanrym agrees with Theldrin's suggestion. Once he hears from Coriana about the 'VIP Treasure' in the cargo hold, he'll also be interested in trying to get a look at what's down there. Xanrym still has another Potion of Gaseous Form, and he feels confident that he could make it down to the cargo hold himself even without that transformation if The Company could create a big enough distraction.
But first, Xanrym would like to hear from Lord Alaric. It seems that he was the only other passenger surprised to be heading directly to Iuz, and Xanrym wonders what Alaric's mission is and how he came to be aboard the Malachite Hierarch without realizing its destination.
Khessa, hearing about the 'VIP Treasure,' has no doubts: "It must be the bones. The captain must have received them (if not Nithrissa—who then entrusted them to him) and had them secured. But at this point, it doesn't matter who the 'owner' is... If the bones are there, we must make sure we get in, take them, and escape."
"Personally, I wouldn't risk an attempt to conquer the ship," the blonde arcane warrior muses aloud. "It's a beautiful ship and, believe me, I'd really love flying with it... But aside from the fact that we don't know how easy it is to learn to sail it (and how tragic it is to botch a maneuver), we have no idea how well it's defended... If all the passengers turned against us, we could end up in trouble. In my opinion, our best bet after taking the bones is the one I already suggested: jumping."
"Anyway," the tall adventuress suggests "maybe we should go talk to Alaric for now! Maybe if we can easily complete the task he has in mind, we could get some help from him with our plans in exchange (perhaps without revealing too much to him)."
Coriana will tell the others of the VIP treasure as soon as she has privacy.
"Ultimately, this is a ship of servants of Evil, to the point where money is less of a goal then doing harm. I'm no goody-two shoes but I'm greedy, not out to serve darkness.
We should stick to the mission and escape safely. Investigate the other parties on the ship, but just enough to keep ourselves out of suspicion of the captain. I can make two of us invisible, but based on our performance, I should not be one of the people doing the investigation if we want to see the right details. I almost think we should investogate, then rest to recover our resources and then go for the bones, maybe being as crazy as blowing a hole in the side of the ship and leaping out."
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
It seems to me the only solid plan is to go and talk to Alaric once he returns to his quarters. I'll let that hang for a day, and see if anyone else has other ideas. Otherwise we'll play out that scene.
You all head to Alaric's quarters on the next deck down, within you find the older noble ranting to his scribe: "How was I to foresee we wouldn't be passing through any other port at all!? Iuz in two days? I can't go to that place! It is a land of demonic depravity and lawlessness. We must find a way off this ship, we must!"
The noble is pacing backward and forward, looking to continue his rant, when Khessa walks in at the head of the group: "Miss Khessa and her companions, can you all believe this?! We are flying straight to Iuz, this is completely unreasonable!!"
"Of course it's unreasonable, Alaric!" Khessa pats the nobleman on the shoulder. "And for that very reason, you'll see, I'll find a way to get you down sooner. Don't worry, we adventurers are resourceful—we have to be, with all the trouble we get into!" she laughs.
"And now, let's speak about that job you mentioned..." The blonde arcane warrior is curious. "What would you have us do for you? Tell us everything".
Once initial introductions are over, Xanrym would also like to ask Lord Alaric (or his man Clayton) how they came to be aboard the Malachite Hierarch. "Our Company knew that we needed to leave Greyhawk today for an ongoing job, and the Malachite Hierarch was the only ship leaving port this evening. You may have seen us come aboard even as the gangway was being lifted up. We thought only to cross over Nyr Dyv, perhaps to Critwall or Willip, and didn't imagine that a ship could make such a journey -- through the air! -- directly to Iuz. But how did you come to be on this ship without knowing its destination?"
Syllen seems a little curious about someone booking travel on a ship without knowing the destination or the speed of that ship. Syllen will look for any hints of deception from Alaric in his surprise at the flying ship.
Insight Check: 22
Alaric nods at Xanrym’s words, “Yes, yes, me too my well travelled friend. I knew there would be minimal stops on the way, but no way to get off at all?! These people truely are barbarians.”
His eyes open slightly wider when Khessa mentions getting off the ship: “Well well, if you have a way off the ship, perhaps we could come to some other arrangement. I was considering just offering you some money from my substantial funds in Critwal, but if you have a way to lower me down my Crown Token becomes almost useless, I could offer you that. As for the other job I had in mind, that may have to wait… once again.”
At that last statement Syllen notices his eyes glide over to a a package on the table, but come back to the conversation at hand. Otherwise he seems on the level, he knew Iuz was the destination, but thought they’d at least have to come within rowing distance of Critwal to get there.
Khessa does not know how useful the Crown Token can be... Not that this matters too much to her - she would save him just out of good heart - but she awaits for Xanrym or Coriana to bargain, if they so wish.
The blonde arcane warrior is a bit disappointed that the other job 'may have to wait'... She hoped Alaric wanted something from the cargo and coild help them enter... but judging from what the noble said, things are different.
The tall adventuress fails to notice Alaric's eyes or package so she just asks her fellow adventurers: "So... a Crown Token for a safe way down... What do you think, my friends?"
Theldrin seems agreeable to the idea, giving a slight nod as he listens to the negotiations.
At your apprehension, Alaric goes into diplomat mode: “No need to make a decision now. I believe we’ll be flying over Critwal in the morning. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable while you rest, and hopefully we can come to an arrangement once we get there.”
Khessa smiles: "You're right, Alaric, there's no reason to rush. If this is your best offer..." she raises an eyebrow, hoping the other will consider whether this really represents all he's willing to offer to get off early "...then this we'll consider".
And if the others had nothing to add, the tall adventuress would have been ready to leave the noble alone... but Xanrym intervenes - and she gladly lets the loquacious bard do the talking.
Xanrym tenses and winces slightly at Alaric's abuse of the language. Not stopping at any ports before Iuz might be called "driven" or "determined" or "unexpected," and not yielding to Alaric's entreaties could be called "uncooperative," "implacable," or even "obdurate." But Xanrym doesn't see how it could possibly be described as "barbaric." He almost says something to that effect, but he stops himself as Alaric addresses Khessa.
Xanrym smiles and says, "I'd prefer to settle some details now, if we may impose on your hospitality a little longer, Lord Alaric. It sounds like we may be helping you tomorrow, but events may overtake us, and we might not have time to speak further."
Regarding the price for getting Alaric off the ship, Xanrym says, "Gold is always useful, of course! On the other hand, you offered us your 'Crown Token', but I'm not sure what that is." Khessa didn't seem to question it, and he glances to her and Theldrin to see whether he missed something earlier when that was explained. "Perhaps you could explain what your 'Crown Token' is so that we can settle on a fair price for our assistance in getting where you want to go."
Xanrym would also ask whether Alaric has any cargo other than what he has in his room. Anything down in the ship's cargo holds that he would need to get and take with him?
Lord Alaric get's his scribe to pour you all tea as he explains: "I thought they offered the Crown Tokens to all passengers, but I can certainly enlighten you on their hack-job of a security system. The Broken Crown has taken on the task of protecting the passengers of this ship, as well as their cargo. The system is quite simple, we each buy a stake in the lower cargo hold so as to stash our valuables, represented by one of these tokens." He shows you a token with the markings of The Broken Crown. "At the end of the journey, we all hand in our Crown Tokens and get access back to our goods. I only stored an empty chest down there, as I thought I'd be getting off the ship early. But I wanted to see what the others were stashing, for intelligence reasons mainly."
Alaric goes on, pocketing the Token again, "If you want to gain access to the Lower Cargo Hold before the end of the journey, you must provide The Broken Crown with 3 Crown Tokens. I have one, and four other groups on the ship have others, with a total of 5 Crown Tokens currently in play."
Khessa struggles to understand: "The logic behind this decision escapes me... If each faction has only one token and access to the cargo requires three... doesn't that mean, in practice, that no faction can gain access to the Lower Cargo Hold before the end of the journey? (Unless they somehow steal other factions' tokens, of course.) Therefore, I wonder what the point of establishing this rule was..."
The blonde arcane warrior shrugs: "Not that the rules really matter, of course; they're there to be circumvented when they're not convenient; rules are made for people, not people for rules."