(If it wasn't meeting Syl in short order, and after Effort realized the Kenku weren't Aarakocrans, she would have likely attempted to press them for some information from them since they're nomads. Like about where they would have seen the most trouble brewing in the settlements during their travels. We can kind of skip that if people want to move on, though.)
One of them speaks up in a raspy voice. "The closer you get to the coast, the more trouble there is." He looks to his companion. "But there's trouble all over, like there always has been."
The second one joins the conversation. "About four miles up ahead, you can take a little game trail off to the right. Doesn't look like much, but it'll eventually lead you out to one of the fishing villages. Still intact. Boats, traders, and so forth. Should be able to get there early tomorrow."
"Well," Effort says to the others as the travelers pass them by. "Seems like we're agreed on going by boat. The question is how? Syl's contact in Green Fork, that Tabaxi Lucky Shadow? Or the nomad's suggestion of the fishing village? I'm guessing that tabaxi smuggler is going to ask us for a pretty penny whether we drop names or not... but at least we'd be traveling in comfort. Conversely, we could visit the fishing village itself first just to see what the situation is. I'm not so sure a local fisher would be willing to ferry us all the way to Gorta, but if there's a trader in town, they might do it for a more reasonable price. The locals might also pay us for an odd job or so requiring some muscle, if things are as bad on the coast as they suggested."
Let's go meet the tabaxi,says Brask. That sounds more fun. Probably more profitable too. Smugglers often have side work they need doing. People beaten up, you know. Much better than a stinking fishing village full of stinking peasants. What do you say, Burik?
One of the Kenku picks up at least a bit of what you were saying. He and his companion loiter nearby. "Sure is a long way up to Gorta. If you walk up the road it'll take ya weeks. Even a little fishing boat could get you there in a handful of days. Maybe a week at most."
The Kenku scowls at you and stands there for a moment, and then slowly begins to back away, finally turning and walking back to the other side of the road with his companion.
OOC: Your plan is just to continue heading up the coastal road until you get closer to Green Fork, correct?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"... that was really uncalled for," Effort murmurs to Brask as they continue down the road. "Kenkus can't fly, so it was likely a particularly greivous insult to make to them, after I approached them first."
Seeing that they party seems to be in agreement about finding the tabaxi smuggler in Green Fork, they continue down the road. Effort sends Cadmael up ahead in the sky to scout for them, giving him an enchanted boost beforehand.
"That may have been a particularly bad insult, but this is not their business. And besides they're not the most trustworthy folk..." He then looks towards Brask, "That being said, we don't need more enemies at this particular moment."
There's another few hours before sunset, and so you make as much headway as you can heading north on the coastal road. Cadmael soars high above you - there's a nice wind giving him some lift - and notices the two Kenku starting heading north as well shortly after you did. He gives warning to Effort, but about two hours into your journey the two bird folk veer right off the main road and into some forested dunes.
Once in awhile the road heads up modest hills, and when you get to the tops, you can see the vast ocean off to your right, only a mile or so away. Just before nightfall, you crest a final hill and the open expanse of Oshait's eastern seaboard spills out in front of you. The winds shift a bit, and a rancid odor fills your nostrils. It burns terribly at first, but after a few minutes the sensation eases and you're left only with the horrible stench that nauseates you.
The sun ducks behind the now distant White Wind Mountains. They're hazy but barely visible on this clear night, but have been getting harder to see as you've traveled northward toward Green Fork.
(I confess I'm a little bit lost. I thought we were headed to the river and then to Green Fork by river. Something like this (below). Is that too mountainous? I wasn't expecting to get tot eh ocean...)
OOC: The coastal road is further east, along the...coast, haha. That's the largest, most well-traveled road and it'll get you very close to the city before other roads branch back inland to Green Fork. You could travel the inner continent, through the valleys, although those roads are smaller, and the villages are more spread out and not well known. Getting to the headwaters of the Green Fork (the river, not the city) would certainly lead you to the city as well. Up to you which way you want to go! And I can make more detailed maps if you guys think it would be helpful! Sorry, sometimes theater-of-the-mind is tougher than it should be, especially when I'm throwing out directions all the time.
The smuggler tabaxi is IN Green Fork, however. You won't find him that far south in the headwaters.
(My vote would be to follow the small roads to the headwaters/source of the river, then find/borrow/steal a small boat down Green Fork City and meet the smuggler. Would that work?)
They'll both get you to Green Fork in about the same amount of time, and neither would be terribly difficult to navigate - you're basically just heading north for awhile. The only difference will be what situations and encounters you have to deal with on the way.
(I'm on board with Brask's plan, catching a ferry downstream to Green Fork seems easier than walking the coastal road. I mean physically easier. Effort's lazy. XD)
There's another few hours before sunset, and so you make as much headway as you can heading north on the coastal road. Cadmael soars high above you - there's a nice wind giving him some lift - and notices the two Kenku starting heading north as well shortly after you did. He gives warning to Effort, but about two hours into your journey the two bird folk veer right off the main road and into some forested dunes.
Shortly before dusk, you crest a modest hill and find a smaller path forking off to the left. To your right, you can see the glimmer of a vast ocean off in the distance. To your left, the hazy White Wind Mountains are still barely visible.
OOC: If you decide to set up camp, let me know if you do so along the main coastal road, or if you hike down the smaller path first.
Effort puts her nose to the wind and tries to determine where the smell is less offensive. "I don't think we should continue along the main coastal road tonight," Effort tells the others. "The two Kenku we may have pissed off seemed to veer off toards the ocean, but I don't trust that they will remain there. If it were me, I would certainly return to get some payback for that insult we gave them, even if it was in the form of some simple thievery. Let's make ourselves a bit less obvious by camping away from the main path to Green Fork for the evening."
You head down the side road, which heads north - you presume it'll take you closer to where you need to be. As the coastal road fades behind you, the trees start to grow a little taller. The smell from shore also fades, although when the wide changes direction you can still catch a bit of decay on the breeze. As the last bit of sunlight starts to vanish, you find a clearing that seems like a nice spot to set up camp.
Surveying your surroundings, the clearing seems nicely protected from the elements and just barely in view of the road. There is a dead deer on the far side of the clearing, but it appears to have died of natural causes. Along the edges are verdant green plants, and throughout the clearing are brilliantly colored wildflowers. A mockingbird perches on a nearby oak, singing it's evening tune.
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DM - Above & Below
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(If it wasn't meeting Syl in short order, and after Effort realized the Kenku weren't Aarakocrans, she would have likely attempted to press them for some information from them since they're nomads. Like about where they would have seen the most trouble brewing in the settlements during their travels. We can kind of skip that if people want to move on, though.)
One of them speaks up in a raspy voice. "The closer you get to the coast, the more trouble there is." He looks to his companion. "But there's trouble all over, like there always has been."
The second one joins the conversation. "About four miles up ahead, you can take a little game trail off to the right. Doesn't look like much, but it'll eventually lead you out to one of the fishing villages. Still intact. Boats, traders, and so forth. Should be able to get there early tomorrow."
DM - Above & Below
"Well," Effort says to the others as the travelers pass them by. "Seems like we're agreed on going by boat. The question is how? Syl's contact in Green Fork, that Tabaxi Lucky Shadow? Or the nomad's suggestion of the fishing village? I'm guessing that tabaxi smuggler is going to ask us for a pretty penny whether we drop names or not... but at least we'd be traveling in comfort. Conversely, we could visit the fishing village itself first just to see what the situation is. I'm not so sure a local fisher would be willing to ferry us all the way to Gorta, but if there's a trader in town, they might do it for a more reasonable price. The locals might also pay us for an odd job or so requiring some muscle, if things are as bad on the coast as they suggested."
Let's go meet the tabaxi, says Brask. That sounds more fun. Probably more profitable too. Smugglers often have side work they need doing. People beaten up, you know. Much better than a stinking fishing village full of stinking peasants. What do you say, Burik?
"Comfort is always nice. That and a smuggler is likely to have a bit more urgency than a fisherman.... So long as that's all he's doing."
One of the Kenku picks up at least a bit of what you were saying. He and his companion loiter nearby. "Sure is a long way up to Gorta. If you walk up the road it'll take ya weeks. Even a little fishing boat could get you there in a handful of days. Maybe a week at most."
DM - Above & Below
We ain't walking, bird, says Brask. Not that it's your business. Fly off. He will shoo the kenku away if they persist in bothering him.
The Kenku scowls at you and stands there for a moment, and then slowly begins to back away, finally turning and walking back to the other side of the road with his companion.
OOC: Your plan is just to continue heading up the coastal road until you get closer to Green Fork, correct?
DM - Above & Below
"... that was really uncalled for," Effort murmurs to Brask as they continue down the road. "Kenkus can't fly, so it was likely a particularly greivous insult to make to them, after I approached them first."
Seeing that they party seems to be in agreement about finding the tabaxi smuggler in Green Fork, they continue down the road. Effort sends Cadmael up ahead in the sky to scout for them, giving him an enchanted boost beforehand.
Cadmael Perception: 14 + 3
Heh. Yeah. Grievous insults are the best, Brask agrees (or thinks he's agreeing), and he walks along feeling very pleased with himself.
"That may have been a particularly bad insult, but this is not their business. And besides they're not the most trustworthy folk..." He then looks towards Brask, "That being said, we don't need more enemies at this particular moment."
(heading towards the smuggler boat I believe)
There's another few hours before sunset, and so you make as much headway as you can heading north on the coastal road. Cadmael soars high above you - there's a nice wind giving him some lift - and notices the two Kenku starting heading north as well shortly after you did. He gives warning to Effort, but about two hours into your journey the two bird folk veer right off the main road and into some forested dunes.
Once in awhile the road heads up modest hills, and when you get to the tops, you can see the vast ocean off to your right, only a mile or so away. Just before nightfall, you crest a final hill and the open expanse of Oshait's eastern seaboard spills out in front of you. The winds shift a bit, and a rancid odor fills your nostrils. It burns terribly at first, but after a few minutes the sensation eases and you're left only with the horrible stench that nauseates you.
The sun ducks behind the now distant White Wind Mountains. They're hazy but barely visible on this clear night, but have been getting harder to see as you've traveled northward toward Green Fork.
DM - Above & Below
(I confess I'm a little bit lost. I thought we were headed to the river and then to Green Fork by river. Something like this (below). Is that too mountainous? I wasn't expecting to get tot eh ocean...)

OOC: The coastal road is further east, along the...coast, haha. That's the largest, most well-traveled road and it'll get you very close to the city before other roads branch back inland to Green Fork. You could travel the inner continent, through the valleys, although those roads are smaller, and the villages are more spread out and not well known. Getting to the headwaters of the Green Fork (the river, not the city) would certainly lead you to the city as well. Up to you which way you want to go! And I can make more detailed maps if you guys think it would be helpful! Sorry, sometimes theater-of-the-mind is tougher than it should be, especially when I'm throwing out directions all the time.
The smuggler tabaxi is IN Green Fork, however. You won't find him that far south in the headwaters.
DM - Above & Below
(My vote would be to follow the small roads to the headwaters/source of the river, then find/borrow/steal a small boat down Green Fork City and meet the smuggler. Would that work?)
Theoretically. :)
They'll both get you to Green Fork in about the same amount of time, and neither would be terribly difficult to navigate - you're basically just heading north for awhile. The only difference will be what situations and encounters you have to deal with on the way.
DM - Above & Below
(I'm on board with Brask's plan, catching a ferry downstream to Green Fork seems easier than walking the coastal road. I mean physically easier. Effort's lazy. XD)
OOC: Okay, let's try this again then. :)
There's another few hours before sunset, and so you make as much headway as you can heading north on the coastal road. Cadmael soars high above you - there's a nice wind giving him some lift - and notices the two Kenku starting heading north as well shortly after you did. He gives warning to Effort, but about two hours into your journey the two bird folk veer right off the main road and into some forested dunes.
Shortly before dusk, you crest a modest hill and find a smaller path forking off to the left. To your right, you can see the glimmer of a vast ocean off in the distance. To your left, the hazy White Wind Mountains are still barely visible.
OOC: If you decide to set up camp, let me know if you do so along the main coastal road, or if you hike down the smaller path first.
DM - Above & Below
Effort puts her nose to the wind and tries to determine where the smell is less offensive. "I don't think we should continue along the main coastal road tonight," Effort tells the others. "The two Kenku we may have pissed off seemed to veer off toards the ocean, but I don't trust that they will remain there. If it were me, I would certainly return to get some payback for that insult we gave them, even if it was in the form of some simple thievery. Let's make ourselves a bit less obvious by camping away from the main path to Green Fork for the evening."
You head down the side road, which heads north - you presume it'll take you closer to where you need to be. As the coastal road fades behind you, the trees start to grow a little taller. The smell from shore also fades, although when the wide changes direction you can still catch a bit of decay on the breeze. As the last bit of sunlight starts to vanish, you find a clearing that seems like a nice spot to set up camp.
Surveying your surroundings, the clearing seems nicely protected from the elements and just barely in view of the road. There is a dead deer on the far side of the clearing, but it appears to have died of natural causes. Along the edges are verdant green plants, and throughout the clearing are brilliantly colored wildflowers. A mockingbird perches on a nearby oak, singing it's evening tune.
DM - Above & Below