"If I may..." one of the prisoners hesitantly speaks up. "I don't think they have any kind of base of operations here in Green Fork. Always roll in from out of town, just show up looking for people to watch over their business."
Murmur, who has been leaning over the railing and watching the city, comes over to the group. "Listen, I really appreciate everything you all have done, but I'm getting the hell out of here. These docks are bad news, and I need to get back to my clan so we can put together a plan of attack against these dog-worshipping scum."
We shouldn't forget about Promise, Cadmael reminds Effort. I fear any long delays in getting to Gorta will only increase the risk that others will find him before we do...
"We...we told you everything," one nervously says. "We ain't never seen no elf. It's always Sir Peres and some crew. They show up one day, take a day or two handling their business, and then disappear. Sometimes a few months at a time. Sometimes half a year."
"Yeah," the other one nods in agreement. "Only place they ever talked about was some big festival in Frost Shore next month...but I don't think it were a cult. Sounded like some kind of harvest festival...or solstice or something."
There's a loud snort from Brask. That's everything? Not much. Not enough to buy your lives, slaver scum. Think real hard for something to offer, or it's neck snap time.
"Let's get going, then," Effort says, nodding at Murmur. "Our mission is these slavers. This fool Peres is just a distraction. Do we have enough knowledge and able hands to sail this thing?"
"We could...um...we could try and find out more next time they're in town," one offers up to Brask. "Or follow them or something. Whatever you want."
Murmur and Pip look over the sails. "I think that old man taught us enough. There should be more help to tie up anything in Gorta, and the river should be relatively smooth until then. Only gets wider as we get closer to the ocean."
They start to pull up the sails and get ready to head off down the river.
Feel free to do anything else or discuss. I'm out today but will be on tomorrow to update.
You once again set sail down the Green Fork River, heading toward the sea with the sun at your backs. It's late in the day now, and you take shifts watching the river, the banks, and attempting not to crash your very large sailing vessel. The next morning arrives without incident, and a bright sky welcomes you to an even wider section of the river. The banks turn into brackish marsh, with tall grass waving gently in the breeze. Red-winged blackbirds cross back-and-forth in front of the ship, stopping on the tallest pieces of vegetation to sing. The air has a decidedly more saltwater aroma.
A few hours pass, and the city of Gorta comes into view. It's built on some slight bumps among the marshes - too little to call them hills, but just high enough that buildings might be safe from flooding. More and more smaller boats start to pass you by - some transporting fairly large groups, others manned by only one or two fisherman. The city dots the landscape, with plenty of waterways and small channels cutting in between the districts. Wooden bridges connect the buildings where roads would be too low. The water becomes dense with boats by the time you reach the docks. Just beyond, the river completely opens up and the ocean takes over.
As in Green Fork, there are dock hands to help you tie up the ship. Effort, you know full well that Gorta has many unsavory elements, as did Green Fork...but here at the docks, everyone just looks incredibly busy. This is the main port of trade for the eastern half of Oshait, and strange foreigners arrive from places you've never seen or heard of. Everyone on the docks is rushing to and fro, carrying crates of spices or bags of grain. Everyone, except one human.
He stands in place, attempting desperately to stop people as they rush back and forth. You see him repeatedly try to ask something, but he's paid little mind.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Home sweet home," Effort says drily, though her voice is full of anything but affection. She zeroes in on the man at the docks, a frown on her face. No one is usually stupid enough to look that desperate in public around here; he's either foreign, or panicked. He's also painting himself as the biggest target on the dock for any idle thief. She subtly points her finger at him and sends him a message: Who are you, and what do you want? Simply whisper your response and I will hear it. I do not care how desperate you are, you will know who I am only if I find a good reason to care why you are making a spectacle of yourself here at the docks.
To Cadmael, she strokes him on the head once, whispering an arcane spell. Then she says, Take wing, and give me an overview of the city. Keep an eye out for anything that looks remotely like a coordinated local street gang, and let me know what they look like.
She spends a moment watching the city from the height of the ship's deck. Her eyes travel to the direction of the Temple of Lathander, and the sharp line of her mouth thins even more.
Back on the boat before leaving Green Forks, Brask gives an ultimatum to the two captured mercenaries: You work for us now. Help with the ship, and guard it when we're busy. Do as you're told, and I won't crack your skulls open. Do a good job, we might even pay you. Try to run, and it won't end well. Get it?
In Gorta, Brask is unlikely to have noticed anything yet, so he just stares at the people milling around and frequently turns to check that the two mercs are obeying.
As Kurama continued to fruitlessly reach out to people, he began to wonder if his failure was due to not being seen well enough by the passerbys. Unbeknownst to Kurama though, sticking out wasn't the problem. Wearing a fur-lined sleeveless vest with a bright colored one-armed shirt underneath covering his right arm, matching linen pants and "shoes" (which were nothing more than tape wrapped around his feet and ankles), Kurama was the definition of someone who would've stood out to the port crowd of Gorta. Placing his neatly organized pack on the ground he closes his eyes and scratches at the glyph tattooed on his forehead deep in thought before his eyes shoot open and he begins to stretch. As he was about to begin a more aggressive tactic of jumping directly into people's path, he heard an unfamiliar female voice in his head and stopped cold. "...Telepathy...What an interesting sensation..." Kurama muses to himself after pausing for a moment. "I am sorry if I have offended you." he begins, "My home was very different from Gorta and I do not yet know the customs of city life. I have been looking for someone named Promise. Perhaps you've heard of them? I have come to believe that they may have some truths about what has happened to my people and was told that they live somewhere in this city."
Brask comes to the side of the ship and regards the strangely-dressed figure for a few moments, and then says to Effort and Burik: Heh! What an idiot. Some people just want to be robbed and dropped in a ditch.
Effort stills, then focuses on the strange man making the spectacle of himself intently. "Perhaps an idiot, perhaps only pretending to be one. But he knows of Promise, one of the cultists' targets. We have to collect him before the baser elements of this city do."
She points a finger more openly at the man and beckons, sending him a message. Promise? I, too, am looking for him, and I would know what exactly you want with him. Stop making a fool of yourself on the docks like that and come to our ship, the River Horse.
Kurama swiveled his head back and forth for a few moments before spotting the River Horse; and grabbing his belongings began to walk over the large boat. When he reached the edge of the dock, he saw that the gangplank had somehow been damaged. Unperturbed, he casually leapt the gap and nimbly made his way up to the top deck, dusting himself off once he was safely aboard. Taking in the ship, the combination of clear evidence of recent fighting on the top deck as well as the strange & varied crew - particularly the Gensai & Minotaur which he'd never seen in person before - lead Kurama to believe one thing: that he'd boarded a pirate ship. Unsure which member was the Captain, he bowed and said to the group, "Hello, I am Kurama Mazia of the House of Truth. You mentioned knowing of someone named Promise? If we are all searching for him perhaps we can look together." Pausing for a moment he adds, "And what might I add is the name of your mighty pirate vessel?" trying his best to be polite.
Before this newcomer even boards the ship, Burik (dwarf) starts to head below decks. He grabs Brasks arm firmly before he heads down, quietly saying "Don't kill them. Knock 'em out, chuck them in the drink, I don't care. But don't kill them... Or maim them. They have more life to live, and they're not the evil sort. desperate maybe, but not evil." He releases Brask, not even waiting for a reply before heading down.
He starts to spend quite some time in a sort of meditative state, the area around him very slightly pulsing a kind of darkness that makes others unwilling to disturb it.
(OOC: busy busy at work and things, so I'll be quiet(er) for a little while)
"Kurama of the House of Truth. An interesting name," Effort replies, crossing her arms. "I'm Effort." She levels a stare at him. "What's your business with Promise? Why do you want to find him in particular? Are you working with anyone else, perhaps? Making your way towards the coast?" Her probes are definitely targeted, and the Hex curse rests on her lips as she watches this newcomer for any signs of a connection to the cultists they're hunting.
(Just on principal, whatever Kurama's answer is, here's Effort's insight check XD : 5)
Meanwhile, Cadmael is now looking specifically to see if anyone was following or targeting Kurama as he made his way onto the ship. Cadmael Perception: 6
(OOC: That's probably not necessary as I plan on playing him as someone who never lies lol)
"Thank you, I am honored to carry the name of my home..." He begins before pausing for a long moment. "...I am one of last of my people and I search for the truths of what happened to them not long ago." Pausing for another moment he continues with, "I'm also looking for the other survivor though I know nothing of their whereabouts since that day... As for Promise, I know nothing of this person besides rumors that they may have a connection to what happen to my home. If you are also looking for him I would be honored if you allowed me to accompany your crew." bowing again once he had finished speaking.
Effort, you believe everything Kurama is saying. He seems extremely forthright.
Cadmael cruises overhead and scans the docks for any signs of nefarious activity, particularly any that could be pointing toward The River Horse. He doesn't see much. This is difficult when there are so many humans, he thinks. I can't quite tell who is up to what, but I don't see anyone heading toward the ship.
In response to the strange newcomer's question, Brask responds: This boat is called... the.. he racks his brains for the name, and finally bursts out with the River Horse! Yeah, the River Horse. He pauses for a moment, and then: That name sucks. He turns to a goblin on the deck and calls over; Hey Pip. What's a better name for this tub?
Leaving the goblin to think for a while, he turns back to the man. Ku-ra-ma, was it? Weird name. Anyway, you can come if you want, but we get attacked a lot. There's some scumbags who don't want us to stop their plans, and every now and then we have to put down a half dozen or so of the fools. You okay with that? Not too squeamish, I hope?
Effort pinches her nose between her fingertips and lets out a sigh of annoyance. "Promise... gods, what did he get mixed up in now?" She looks up at Kurama, and backs up Brask as he talks, finishing his speech with a warning of her own. "Well, you don't seem to mean him harm, so you're welcome to join our ragtag group on that journey if you wish to find him. I should warn you, however. Promise has gotten mixed up somehow with some cultists who are targeting him. Yeenoghu demon prince worshippers... perhaps you've heard of them? We're intending to stop their thriving slave trade in people who display magical talents, and put a damper on their plans for domination of the continent." She grins in a slightly mocking manner towards Kurama. "Not getting cold feet now, are you?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
After hearing out Effort and the Minotaur, Kurama looks at them determinedly and says "Before, I might've second-guessed myself but after everything that's happened and all of this new information regarding dangers lurking in the shadows, there's no way I can turn back now. You'll also find that I can be quite useful in a fight should our journey come to that." Looking at Brask he follows up with "It's Kur-ama my friend. And what might your name be?"
History/ Religion check on Yeenoghu: 11 (Edit: I'm gonna assume I know very little of Yeenoghu)
"If I may..." one of the prisoners hesitantly speaks up. "I don't think they have any kind of base of operations here in Green Fork. Always roll in from out of town, just show up looking for people to watch over their business."
Murmur, who has been leaning over the railing and watching the city, comes over to the group. "Listen, I really appreciate everything you all have done, but I'm getting the hell out of here. These docks are bad news, and I need to get back to my clan so we can put together a plan of attack against these dog-worshipping scum."
We shouldn't forget about Promise, Cadmael reminds Effort. I fear any long delays in getting to Gorta will only increase the risk that others will find him before we do...
DM - Above & Below
Brask sits, glaring at the prisoner who spoke. Tell us everything you know about their operation. And make it thorough. I'm losing patience.
(OOC: Brask will not object if we decide to go straight to Gorta. Are we keeping the boat, and Pip to pilot it?)
"We...we told you everything," one nervously says. "We ain't never seen no elf. It's always Sir Peres and some crew. They show up one day, take a day or two handling their business, and then disappear. Sometimes a few months at a time. Sometimes half a year."
"Yeah," the other one nods in agreement. "Only place they ever talked about was some big festival in Frost Shore next month...but I don't think it were a cult. Sounded like some kind of harvest festival...or solstice or something."
DM - Above & Below
There's a loud snort from Brask. That's everything? Not much. Not enough to buy your lives, slaver scum. Think real hard for something to offer, or it's neck snap time.
"Let's get going, then," Effort says, nodding at Murmur. "Our mission is these slavers. This fool Peres is just a distraction. Do we have enough knowledge and able hands to sail this thing?"
"We could...um...we could try and find out more next time they're in town," one offers up to Brask. "Or follow them or something. Whatever you want."
Murmur and Pip look over the sails. "I think that old man taught us enough. There should be more help to tie up anything in Gorta, and the river should be relatively smooth until then. Only gets wider as we get closer to the ocean."
They start to pull up the sails and get ready to head off down the river.
Feel free to do anything else or discuss. I'm out today but will be on tomorrow to update.
DM - Above & Below
You once again set sail down the Green Fork River, heading toward the sea with the sun at your backs. It's late in the day now, and you take shifts watching the river, the banks, and attempting not to crash your very large sailing vessel. The next morning arrives without incident, and a bright sky welcomes you to an even wider section of the river. The banks turn into brackish marsh, with tall grass waving gently in the breeze. Red-winged blackbirds cross back-and-forth in front of the ship, stopping on the tallest pieces of vegetation to sing. The air has a decidedly more saltwater aroma.
A few hours pass, and the city of Gorta comes into view. It's built on some slight bumps among the marshes - too little to call them hills, but just high enough that buildings might be safe from flooding. More and more smaller boats start to pass you by - some transporting fairly large groups, others manned by only one or two fisherman. The city dots the landscape, with plenty of waterways and small channels cutting in between the districts. Wooden bridges connect the buildings where roads would be too low. The water becomes dense with boats by the time you reach the docks. Just beyond, the river completely opens up and the ocean takes over.
As in Green Fork, there are dock hands to help you tie up the ship. Effort, you know full well that Gorta has many unsavory elements, as did Green Fork...but here at the docks, everyone just looks incredibly busy. This is the main port of trade for the eastern half of Oshait, and strange foreigners arrive from places you've never seen or heard of. Everyone on the docks is rushing to and fro, carrying crates of spices or bags of grain. Everyone, except one human.
He stands in place, attempting desperately to stop people as they rush back and forth. You see him repeatedly try to ask something, but he's paid little mind.
DM - Above & Below
"Home sweet home," Effort says drily, though her voice is full of anything but affection. She zeroes in on the man at the docks, a frown on her face. No one is usually stupid enough to look that desperate in public around here; he's either foreign, or panicked. He's also painting himself as the biggest target on the dock for any idle thief. She subtly points her finger at him and sends him a message: Who are you, and what do you want? Simply whisper your response and I will hear it. I do not care how desperate you are, you will know who I am only if I find a good reason to care why you are making a spectacle of yourself here at the docks.
To Cadmael, she strokes him on the head once, whispering an arcane spell. Then she says, Take wing, and give me an overview of the city. Keep an eye out for anything that looks remotely like a coordinated local street gang, and let me know what they look like.
She spends a moment watching the city from the height of the ship's deck. Her eyes travel to the direction of the Temple of Lathander, and the sharp line of her mouth thins even more.
Cadmael Perception: 9 + Guidance 1
Back on the boat before leaving Green Forks, Brask gives an ultimatum to the two captured mercenaries: You work for us now. Help with the ship, and guard it when we're busy. Do as you're told, and I won't crack your skulls open. Do a good job, we might even pay you. Try to run, and it won't end well. Get it?
In Gorta, Brask is unlikely to have noticed anything yet, so he just stares at the people milling around and frequently turns to check that the two mercs are obeying.
(Ooc:Hi everyone and glad to be aboard!)
As Kurama continued to fruitlessly reach out to people, he began to wonder if his failure was due to not being seen well enough by the passerbys. Unbeknownst to Kurama though, sticking out wasn't the problem. Wearing a fur-lined sleeveless vest with a bright colored one-armed shirt underneath covering his right arm, matching linen pants and "shoes" (which were nothing more than tape wrapped around his feet and ankles), Kurama was the definition of someone who would've stood out to the port crowd of Gorta. Placing his neatly organized pack on the ground he closes his eyes and scratches at the glyph tattooed on his forehead deep in thought before his eyes shoot open and he begins to stretch. As he was about to begin a more aggressive tactic of jumping directly into people's path, he heard an unfamiliar female voice in his head and stopped cold. "...Telepathy...What an interesting sensation..." Kurama muses to himself after pausing for a moment. "I am sorry if I have offended you." he begins, "My home was very different from Gorta and I do not yet know the customs of city life. I have been looking for someone named Promise. Perhaps you've heard of them? I have come to believe that they may have some truths about what has happened to my people and was told that they live somewhere in this city."
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
(OOC: Welcome! Good to have another player.)
Brask comes to the side of the ship and regards the strangely-dressed figure for a few moments, and then says to Effort and Burik: Heh! What an idiot. Some people just want to be robbed and dropped in a ditch.
Effort stills, then focuses on the strange man making the spectacle of himself intently. "Perhaps an idiot, perhaps only pretending to be one. But he knows of Promise, one of the cultists' targets. We have to collect him before the baser elements of this city do."
She points a finger more openly at the man and beckons, sending him a message. Promise? I, too, am looking for him, and I would know what exactly you want with him. Stop making a fool of yourself on the docks like that and come to our ship, the River Horse.
Kurama swiveled his head back and forth for a few moments before spotting the River Horse; and grabbing his belongings began to walk over the large boat. When he reached the edge of the dock, he saw that the gangplank had somehow been damaged. Unperturbed, he casually leapt the gap and nimbly made his way up to the top deck, dusting himself off once he was safely aboard. Taking in the ship, the combination of clear evidence of recent fighting on the top deck as well as the strange & varied crew - particularly the Gensai & Minotaur which he'd never seen in person before - lead Kurama to believe one thing: that he'd boarded a pirate ship. Unsure which member was the Captain, he bowed and said to the group, "Hello, I am Kurama Mazia of the House of Truth. You mentioned knowing of someone named Promise? If we are all searching for him perhaps we can look together." Pausing for a moment he adds, "And what might I add is the name of your mighty pirate vessel?" trying his best to be polite.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Before this newcomer even boards the ship, Burik (dwarf) starts to head below decks. He grabs Brasks arm firmly before he heads down, quietly saying "Don't kill them. Knock 'em out, chuck them in the drink, I don't care. But don't kill them... Or maim them. They have more life to live, and they're not the evil sort. desperate maybe, but not evil." He releases Brask, not even waiting for a reply before heading down.
He starts to spend quite some time in a sort of meditative state, the area around him very slightly pulsing a kind of darkness that makes others unwilling to disturb it.
(OOC: busy busy at work and things, so I'll be quiet(er) for a little while)
"Kurama of the House of Truth. An interesting name," Effort replies, crossing her arms. "I'm Effort." She levels a stare at him. "What's your business with Promise? Why do you want to find him in particular? Are you working with anyone else, perhaps? Making your way towards the coast?" Her probes are definitely targeted, and the Hex curse rests on her lips as she watches this newcomer for any signs of a connection to the cultists they're hunting.
(Just on principal, whatever Kurama's answer is, here's Effort's insight check XD : 5)
Meanwhile, Cadmael is now looking specifically to see if anyone was following or targeting Kurama as he made his way onto the ship.
Cadmael Perception: 6
(OOC: That's probably not necessary as I plan on playing him as someone who never lies lol)
"Thank you, I am honored to carry the name of my home..." He begins before pausing for a long moment. "...I am one of last of my people and I search for the truths of what happened to them not long ago." Pausing for another moment he continues with, "I'm also looking for the other survivor though I know nothing of their whereabouts since that day... As for Promise, I know nothing of this person besides rumors that they may have a connection to what happen to my home. If you are also looking for him I would be honored if you allowed me to accompany your crew." bowing again once he had finished speaking.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Effort, you believe everything Kurama is saying. He seems extremely forthright.
Cadmael cruises overhead and scans the docks for any signs of nefarious activity, particularly any that could be pointing toward The River Horse. He doesn't see much. This is difficult when there are so many humans, he thinks. I can't quite tell who is up to what, but I don't see anyone heading toward the ship.
DM - Above & Below
In response to the strange newcomer's question, Brask responds: This boat is called... the.. he racks his brains for the name, and finally bursts out with the River Horse! Yeah, the River Horse. He pauses for a moment, and then: That name sucks. He turns to a goblin on the deck and calls over; Hey Pip. What's a better name for this tub?
Leaving the goblin to think for a while, he turns back to the man. Ku-ra-ma, was it? Weird name. Anyway, you can come if you want, but we get attacked a lot. There's some scumbags who don't want us to stop their plans, and every now and then we have to put down a half dozen or so of the fools. You okay with that? Not too squeamish, I hope?
Effort pinches her nose between her fingertips and lets out a sigh of annoyance. "Promise... gods, what did he get mixed up in now?" She looks up at Kurama, and backs up Brask as he talks, finishing his speech with a warning of her own. "Well, you don't seem to mean him harm, so you're welcome to join our ragtag group on that journey if you wish to find him. I should warn you, however. Promise has gotten mixed up somehow with some cultists who are targeting him. Yeenoghu demon prince worshippers... perhaps you've heard of them? We're intending to stop their thriving slave trade in people who display magical talents, and put a damper on their plans for domination of the continent." She grins in a slightly mocking manner towards Kurama. "Not getting cold feet now, are you?"
After hearing out Effort and the Minotaur, Kurama looks at them determinedly and says "Before, I might've second-guessed myself but after everything that's happened and all of this new information regarding dangers lurking in the shadows, there's no way I can turn back now. You'll also find that I can be quite useful in a fight should our journey come to that." Looking at Brask he follows up with "It's Kur-ama my friend. And what might your name be?"
History/ Religion check on Yeenoghu: 11 (Edit: I'm gonna assume I know very little of Yeenoghu)
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM