(ooc: is is possible to hide behind one of these pillars?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
A broad hulled merchant ship slowly enters the harbor with sails reefed and a crew shouting instructions to dockhands.
Crates are unloaded steadily over the next hour:
Bundles of spice sacks
Crates stamped with some sort of merchant seal
Several barrels of salted fish
A loud harbor master records the cargo while two tax collectors inspect the paperwork.
2) (AMDAENG AND LIRA: PERCEPTION)
A pair of horses pull a heavy cargo wagon onto on the road escorted by two laborers.
The wagon carries:
Stacked wooden crates
Several sealed urns, wrapped in protective layers.
A long wrapped bundle
The crates are unloaded into a different warehouse near the pier (the one just to the east)
A clerk carefully checks each crate against a manifest while complaining loudly about late deliveries.
3) (ZARBYN (PERCEPTION ROLL)
Three small fishing vessels arrive within minutes of each other. The smell of fish fills the dock as crews haul in their catch.
Activity includes:
Dockhands carrying baskets of silver razor-wing fish
Fishmongers loudly bidding on the morning catch
Gulls and crows diving for scraps
A minor argument breaks out between two fishermen over dock space, drawing a small crowd before the harbor guard separates them.
In addition, the groups see a variety of people purchasing fish and other supplies near the docks.
While watching the docks the players also notice:
Dockworkers gambling with dice during breaks
Seagulls constantly fighting over scraps
The creak of rigging and slap of water against hulls
Those in the streets see a good amount of activity as well. Store owners getting supplies to their shops and taverns. A group of town guard walking about looking intimidating but also quite uninterested as the walk by. Several rough looking characters catch Lira and Amdaengs eyes, but....they move on after a few moments and do not go near the warehouse.
Jherak will position himself on the southeast corner of the building, trying his best to blend in without appearing to give away himself or any other members of the group nearby. As the barrels and crates are unloaded from the merchant ship, he wonders if any of them could actually contain weapons. He isn’t sure. Possibly, but seemingly unlikely.
Since there are fewer hiding places on a wharf Zarbyn will approach the fishermen, fishmongers, and dockhands hoping to assist in some way... as doing anything that might get him a basket of silver razor-wing fish so that he might blend in more with morning life on the docks, whether it's getting a temporary job carrying fish... to actually purchasing one off of someone, whatever quickly gets him a pseudo-excuse for being where he is.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
(I'll wait for any more posts on initial actions, already have actions for Zarbyn, Amdaeng, Lira, and Jherak.. If anyone else wants to move tokens, see owlbear rodeo. I will then post updates for next "round" of actions as the day goes on and the stakeout continues. Think of it as extended combat sort of, we'll have about 3 rounds of actions before the supposed meeting occurs at nightfall. We are on round 1 of actions.)
Amdaeng climbs easily to a high perch along the upper structure. From here she gains something the others cannot: a clear view into the second floor of the warehouse.
Inside, the upper level appears abandoned. The floor is dusty and mostly empty. Sections of railing overlook the cavernous space below. The architecture becomes clearer from this height—the first floor is one massive open warehouse, its ceiling stretching all the way to the roof beams.
The second story exists only along the rear portion of the building, forming a partial loft that looks down onto the main warehouse floor. From up here, anyone with a bow would have a commanding line of sight over the entire interior below—and even through the broken windows toward the docks outside.
Amdaeng immediately recognizes the tactical value.
Lira (If you like, Lira can hide near her current location)
From her position watching the street and waterfront traffic, Lira begins to notice something that at first seems ordinary—but the longer she observes, the more deliberate it feels.
People pass by the warehouse as they always would near the docks. Sailors heading toward taverns. Dockhands carrying coils of rope. A fisherman hauling a small crate toward the pier.
But several of them linger just a little too long.
One man pauses at the corner of the street, pretending to adjust the strap of a pack while casually glancing toward the warehouse doors. Another pair walk past slowly, speaking quietly to one another before separating—one continuing down the street while the other drifts toward the docks. A woman selling shellfish from a basket stops nearby for several minutes, her eyes flicking repeatedly toward the building before she finally moves along.
Individually, none of it would seem unusual.
But together, the pattern is harder to ignore.
Lira has spent enough time in cities—and around criminals—to recognize the signs. These are not random passersby.
They are watchers.
Some stand in shadowed doorways. Others pretend to be laborers or merchants. None approach the warehouse directly, but several clearly keep it within sight.
A quiet realization settles in.
If her group was able to learn about the weapons transaction scheduled for tonight, then it stands to reason that others may have heard the same rumor.
And in a place like Port Blacksand, information like that never belongs to only one gang.
The Crimson Legion may think this deal is theirs alone… but from what Lira can see, other eyes are already on it.
Jherek: Jherek positions himself on Herring road near the buildings to the east of the spice warehouse. From his vantage point and location, he learns and sees the following
The wagon carries several types of freight.
There are stacked wooden crates, reinforced with iron bands and marked with faded merchant symbols. Beside them sit several sealed urns, carefully wrapped in thick protective cloth and rope. Resting along the length of the wagon is a long bundle wrapped tightly in canvas, nearly the length of a man.
The wagon stops at the building just east of the abandoned spice warehouse.
The laborers begin unloading the crates, carrying them through the warehouse doors.
Standing outside the entrance is a thin clerk holding a ledger and pen, carefully checking each crate against a written manifest. As he works, he complains loudly about the delay.
“Late again… always late… we need you to pick up the pace. They are arriving at sunset.”
As Jherek watches the unloading, one of the laborers struggles with a particularly heavy crate. The wood shifts slightly as it is lifted, and for a moment the lid loosens along one corner.
Through the gap, Jherek catches a brief glimpse of dark iron inside the crate.
A short naval cannon, the kind once mounted on the rails of older ships.
The lid thumps shut again a several laborers place the crate on a flat wheeled cart and push it inside.
Looking over the area more carefully, Jherek studies the layout of the buildings. The warehouse currently receiving the shipment has a side door on its east wall, and the spice warehouse next door has a door on its west side, facing toward this building.
Although the crates are being unloaded into the eastern warehouse for now, it would be very easy to move the cargo between the two buildings later, especially once the streets quiet down.
Given what the party has learned about the meeting tonight, Jherek strongly suspects this shipment is only being staged here temporarily—and that the weapons and canon will likely be moved into the abandoned spice warehouse where the negotiation is expected to take place. (ADDED: NEW BLUE DOORWAY ON OWLBEAR MAP)
Halbert, Lev, and Vydar see Zarbyn start helping unload baskets of fish.
Zarbyn:
Within a short span of time, three small fishing vessels glide into the harbor one after another, their hulls creaking as they settle against the weathered piers. Nets hang heavy over their rails, dripping seawater onto the planks below.
The smell hits almost immediately.
Fish. Strong and fresh.
Crewmen begin hauling up baskets overflowing with silver razor-wing fish, their narrow bodies glinting in the gray morning light. Dockhands move quickly to meet them, lifting the heavy wicker baskets and carrying them inland toward waiting buyers.
The pier fills with noise.
Fishmongers gather near the boats, shouting bids over one another as the morning’s catch is sorted. Gulls and crows circle overhead, shrieking loudly before diving down to snatch scraps tossed onto the dock.
A short distance away, two fishermen begin arguing loudly over dock space, each insisting the other cut in line. Their shouting draws the attention of nearby workers and sailors, and a small crowd gathers to watch the exchange. The tension builds until a pair of harbor guards finally step in, separating the men and restoring a reluctant calm.
To most observers it would simply be another busy morning on the docks.
But to Zarbyn, who has spent plenty of time aboard the Twice Shy, the scene feels familiar—almost comfortable. He recognizes the rhythm of the work, the calls of the fishermen, the careful way the razor-wings must be handled so their sharp fins don’t cut through the baskets.
Spotting an opportunity, Zarbyn casually joins the other dockhands helping unload the catch.
No one questions him.
Within moments he is hauling baskets alongside the others, blending easily into the steady stream of workers moving between the boats and the pier. It is hard, messy labor, but it gives him something valuable—a perfect excuse to remain on the docks without drawing attention.
When the last baskets are finally unloaded, one of the fishermen tosses him a small pouch.
Ten silver pieces. Fair pay for honest work.
And now, from among the dockhands and fishmongers, Zarbyn has an excellent vantage point to watch everything happening along the waterfront.
From their position at the edge of the pier where the river meets the sea, Halbert, Lev, and Vydar watch the harbor come alive.
Most of the morning traffic moves away from the docks. Small vessels push off from the piers, crews casting lines loose as boats head out for fishing grounds, trade routes, or nearby ports.
Nearby, three fishing boats remain tied to the dock, their crews unloading baskets of silver razor-wing fish. Dockhands carry the catch inland while gulls circle overhead, diving for scraps. Among the workers, they spot Zarbyn, hauling baskets alongside the other dockhands and blending easily into the activity.
Not long after, a broad-hulled merchant ship slowly enters the harbor, its sails reefed as the crew shouts instructions to dockhands preparing the lines. Once secured, unloading begins.
Over the next hour, cargo comes steadily down the gangplank: Bundles of spice sacks, Large crates stamped with merchant seals, and several barrels of salted fish A loud harbor master stands nearby recording the shipment while two tax collectors carefully inspect the paperwork.
From their vantage point, the three companions can watch both the river traffic leaving the city and the ocean vessels entering the harbor, while the steady bustle of Herring Wharf continues around them.
While Zarbyn is working over the course of the morning he keeps an eye out for a potential hiding spot, somewhere nearby that he could react quickly if things go south later.
Zarbyn's Perception: 22
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
Zarbyn spots an alcove on the water side of the dock near his present location. It would be a great hiding place. In addition, there are a number of barrels dock side, that could provide partial cover. (Map updated with barrels, ships, and doors to spice warehouse that have been seen so far)
Docking wood and metal bollards (Sturdy vertical pillars, often made of steel or cast iron, designed for heavy-duty mooring of larger vessels.)
Jherak will position himself in an area or location that hasn’t been covered to help seal up a perimeter. (If you need any rolls, let me know)
(Use owlbear to pick area)
(ooc: is is possible to hide behind one of these pillars?)
(No, I don't think during the day a person could really hide behind one of these, unless invisible.)
(During the stake out, a number of events occur.
1) (LEV, HALBERT, JHERAK (Perception Checks)
A broad hulled merchant ship slowly enters the harbor with sails reefed and a crew shouting instructions to dockhands.
Crates are unloaded steadily over the next hour:
Bundles of spice sacks
Crates stamped with some sort of merchant seal
Several barrels of salted fish
A loud harbor master records the cargo while two tax collectors inspect the paperwork.
2) (AMDAENG AND LIRA: PERCEPTION)
A pair of horses pull a heavy cargo wagon onto on the road escorted by two laborers.
The wagon carries:
Stacked wooden crates
Several sealed urns, wrapped in protective layers.
A long wrapped bundle
The crates are unloaded into a different warehouse near the pier (the one just to the east)
A clerk carefully checks each crate against a manifest while complaining loudly about late deliveries.
3) (ZARBYN (PERCEPTION ROLL)
Three small fishing vessels arrive within minutes of each other. The smell of fish fills the dock as crews haul in their catch.
Activity includes:
Dockhands carrying baskets of silver razor-wing fish
Fishmongers loudly bidding on the morning catch
Gulls and crows diving for scraps
A minor argument breaks out between two fishermen over dock space, drawing a small crowd before the harbor guard separates them.
In addition, the groups see a variety of people purchasing fish and other supplies near the docks.
While watching the docks the players also notice:
Dockworkers gambling with dice during breaks
Seagulls constantly fighting over scraps
The creak of rigging and slap of water against hulls
Those in the streets see a good amount of activity as well. Store owners getting supplies to their shops and taverns. A group of town guard walking about looking intimidating but also quite uninterested as the walk by. Several rough looking characters catch Lira and Amdaengs eyes, but....they move on after a few moments and do not go near the warehouse.
Jherak will position himself on the southeast corner of the building, trying his best to blend in without appearing to give away himself or any other members of the group nearby.
As the barrels and crates are unloaded from the merchant ship, he wonders if any of them could actually contain weapons. He isn’t sure. Possibly, but seemingly unlikely.
Perception, 19
Lira carefully looks over the clerk and the men unloading for signs of affiliation or to see if she recognizes them.
Insight/Perception- 13
Amdaeng boosts herself up to the roof for a better view.
Acrobatics- 28
Athletics-18
Zarbyn's Perception: 7
Since there are fewer hiding places on a wharf Zarbyn will approach the fishermen, fishmongers, and dockhands hoping to assist in some way... as doing anything that might get him a basket of silver razor-wing fish so that he might blend in more with morning life on the docks, whether it's getting a temporary job carrying fish... to actually purchasing one off of someone, whatever quickly gets him a pseudo-excuse for being where he is.
Halbert perception 11
Perception: 8 (ouch)
(Will write up post after work today. Sorry for being slow)
(I'll wait for any more posts on initial actions, already have actions for Zarbyn, Amdaeng, Lira, and Jherak.. If anyone else wants to move tokens, see owlbear rodeo. I will then post updates for next "round" of actions as the day goes on and the stakeout continues. Think of it as extended combat sort of, we'll have about 3 rounds of actions before the supposed meeting occurs at nightfall. We are on round 1 of actions.)
https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/0fqD33C25Ytz/The%20Waste%20Crimp
ooc: fine where I am
Amdaeng:
Amdaeng climbs easily to a high perch along the upper structure. From here she gains something the others cannot: a clear view into the second floor of the warehouse.
Inside, the upper level appears abandoned. The floor is dusty and mostly empty. Sections of railing overlook the cavernous space below. The architecture becomes clearer from this height—the first floor is one massive open warehouse, its ceiling stretching all the way to the roof beams.
The second story exists only along the rear portion of the building, forming a partial loft that looks down onto the main warehouse floor. From up here, anyone with a bow would have a commanding line of sight over the entire interior below—and even through the broken windows toward the docks outside.
Amdaeng immediately recognizes the tactical value.
Lira (If you like, Lira can hide near her current location)
From her position watching the street and waterfront traffic, Lira begins to notice something that at first seems ordinary—but the longer she observes, the more deliberate it feels.
People pass by the warehouse as they always would near the docks. Sailors heading toward taverns. Dockhands carrying coils of rope. A fisherman hauling a small crate toward the pier.
But several of them linger just a little too long.
One man pauses at the corner of the street, pretending to adjust the strap of a pack while casually glancing toward the warehouse doors. Another pair walk past slowly, speaking quietly to one another before separating—one continuing down the street while the other drifts toward the docks. A woman selling shellfish from a basket stops nearby for several minutes, her eyes flicking repeatedly toward the building before she finally moves along.
Individually, none of it would seem unusual.
But together, the pattern is harder to ignore.
Lira has spent enough time in cities—and around criminals—to recognize the signs. These are not random passersby.
They are watchers.
Some stand in shadowed doorways. Others pretend to be laborers or merchants. None approach the warehouse directly, but several clearly keep it within sight.
A quiet realization settles in.
If her group was able to learn about the weapons transaction scheduled for tonight, then it stands to reason that others may have heard the same rumor.
And in a place like Port Blacksand, information like that never belongs to only one gang.
The Crimson Legion may think this deal is theirs alone… but from what Lira can see, other eyes are already on it.
Jherek: Jherek positions himself on Herring road near the buildings to the east of the spice warehouse. From his vantage point and location, he learns and sees the following
The wagon carries several types of freight.
There are stacked wooden crates, reinforced with iron bands and marked with faded merchant symbols. Beside them sit several sealed urns, carefully wrapped in thick protective cloth and rope. Resting along the length of the wagon is a long bundle wrapped tightly in canvas, nearly the length of a man.
The wagon stops at the building just east of the abandoned spice warehouse.
The laborers begin unloading the crates, carrying them through the warehouse doors.
Standing outside the entrance is a thin clerk holding a ledger and pen, carefully checking each crate against a written manifest. As he works, he complains loudly about the delay.
“Late again… always late… we need you to pick up the pace. They are arriving at sunset.”
As Jherek watches the unloading, one of the laborers struggles with a particularly heavy crate. The wood shifts slightly as it is lifted, and for a moment the lid loosens along one corner.
Through the gap, Jherek catches a brief glimpse of dark iron inside the crate.
A short naval cannon, the kind once mounted on the rails of older ships.
The lid thumps shut again a several laborers place the crate on a flat wheeled cart and push it inside.
Looking over the area more carefully, Jherek studies the layout of the buildings. The warehouse currently receiving the shipment has a side door on its east wall, and the spice warehouse next door has a door on its west side, facing toward this building.
Although the crates are being unloaded into the eastern warehouse for now, it would be very easy to move the cargo between the two buildings later, especially once the streets quiet down.
Given what the party has learned about the meeting tonight, Jherek strongly suspects this shipment is only being staged here temporarily—and that the weapons and canon will likely be moved into the abandoned spice warehouse where the negotiation is expected to take place. (ADDED: NEW BLUE DOORWAY ON OWLBEAR MAP)
Halbert, Lev, and Vydar see Zarbyn start helping unload baskets of fish.
Zarbyn:
Within a short span of time, three small fishing vessels glide into the harbor one after another, their hulls creaking as they settle against the weathered piers. Nets hang heavy over their rails, dripping seawater onto the planks below.
The smell hits almost immediately.
Fish. Strong and fresh.
Crewmen begin hauling up baskets overflowing with silver razor-wing fish, their narrow bodies glinting in the gray morning light. Dockhands move quickly to meet them, lifting the heavy wicker baskets and carrying them inland toward waiting buyers.
The pier fills with noise.
Fishmongers gather near the boats, shouting bids over one another as the morning’s catch is sorted. Gulls and crows circle overhead, shrieking loudly before diving down to snatch scraps tossed onto the dock.
A short distance away, two fishermen begin arguing loudly over dock space, each insisting the other cut in line. Their shouting draws the attention of nearby workers and sailors, and a small crowd gathers to watch the exchange. The tension builds until a pair of harbor guards finally step in, separating the men and restoring a reluctant calm.
To most observers it would simply be another busy morning on the docks.
But to Zarbyn, who has spent plenty of time aboard the Twice Shy, the scene feels familiar—almost comfortable. He recognizes the rhythm of the work, the calls of the fishermen, the careful way the razor-wings must be handled so their sharp fins don’t cut through the baskets.
Spotting an opportunity, Zarbyn casually joins the other dockhands helping unload the catch.
No one questions him.
Within moments he is hauling baskets alongside the others, blending easily into the steady stream of workers moving between the boats and the pier. It is hard, messy labor, but it gives him something valuable—a perfect excuse to remain on the docks without drawing attention.
When the last baskets are finally unloaded, one of the fishermen tosses him a small pouch.
Ten silver pieces. Fair pay for honest work.
And now, from among the dockhands and fishmongers, Zarbyn has an excellent vantage point to watch everything happening along the waterfront.
Halbert, Lev, Vydar, and Zarbyn partially
From their position at the edge of the pier where the river meets the sea, Halbert, Lev, and Vydar watch the harbor come alive.
Most of the morning traffic moves away from the docks. Small vessels push off from the piers, crews casting lines loose as boats head out for fishing grounds, trade routes, or nearby ports.
Nearby, three fishing boats remain tied to the dock, their crews unloading baskets of silver razor-wing fish. Dockhands carry the catch inland while gulls circle overhead, diving for scraps. Among the workers, they spot Zarbyn, hauling baskets alongside the other dockhands and blending easily into the activity.
Not long after, a broad-hulled merchant ship slowly enters the harbor, its sails reefed as the crew shouts instructions to dockhands preparing the lines. Once secured, unloading begins.
Over the next hour, cargo comes steadily down the gangplank: Bundles of spice sacks, Large crates stamped with merchant seals, and several barrels of salted fish
A loud harbor master stands nearby recording the shipment while two tax collectors carefully inspect the paperwork.
From their vantage point, the three companions can watch both the river traffic leaving the city and the ocean vessels entering the harbor, while the steady bustle of Herring Wharf continues around them.
OOC: Now, state next set of actions, move tokens, and I'll do the second scene for next few hours (Current time: 2pm)
Amdaeng let down a rope for Lira to climb up to her and Hide with her bow ready.
Amdaeng listened as Lira pointed out the various Operatives-, but remained where she was.
While Zarbyn is working over the course of the morning he keeps an eye out for a potential hiding spot, somewhere nearby that he could react quickly if things go south later.
Zarbyn's Perception: 22
Zarbyn spots an alcove on the water side of the dock near his present location. It would be a great hiding place. In addition, there are a number of barrels dock side, that could provide partial cover. (Map updated with barrels, ships, and doors to spice warehouse that have been seen so far)