Talk. Yeah, sure. Go for it. Brask rolls his eyes. We'll come with, of course, in case the little buggers get nasty.
As they approach the settlement, Brask falls in line behind Effort as though he's the tiefling's bodyguard; it's a job he's done many times. He scowls and looks menacingly at the folk, intending to suggest that Effort should be treated with respect or else there will be consequences.
The goblins pay you little mind until you get closer to the shore. You see some taking woven baskets of fruits and vegetables on board the ship, sometimes bringing back cloth or tools, sometimes paying a few coppers. There are always four or five at the base of the ship at a time, trading places when another returns. You notice a larger goblin at the top of the plank, surveying the work and looking out over the ship. His skin is mostly pale with just a touch of brownish-green to it, and he wears a necklace of long claws along with some slightly dented armor.
As you approach, one of the goblins finally turns toward you, quickly scanning the party and noticing you aren't carrying anything. "Looking to buy, or looking for passage?"
"That depends on the wares and the pricing, of course," Effort replies with a smile. "What are you selling, and are you offering passage to Gorta? We may be interested in both, depending on your answer."
Attempting to look formidable, Brask coughs up what might be a hairball? He has to lean over so Burik can pound on his back and get it out. The goblins don't look impressed.
"Mm, yes, Gorta." The goblin nods. "Passage to Gorta is three gold pieces for each of ya. If the captain says you can come on board."
As another goblin comes down the plank, he picks up two satchels and starts to move toward it. "As for wares...not much you would be interested in judging on what you already have. Mostly for poor folk. But we have food, drink."
"Mmm… we might be interested in that. What do you call this port settlement, anyway? Is this Green Fork?" Effort asks curiously, pulling out and dusting off her manners. "We were looking to arrange passage to Gorta from there with a contact we had. Of course, we would still love to meet your captain even if I'm completely off the mark here. Gathering my bearings while traveling through the wilderness has never been my strong point, you see, so anything that might make this journey a little easier on my feet would be most welcome."
The goblin pauses at the base of the plank. He stares at you for a moment. "This? This is not Green Fork. Green Fork is a city. This is a pile of sticks and mud." He turns and walks up the plank.
A second goblin, eyeing Effort after he noticed her surveying the goblins so favorably, steps up next to you. "Green Fork still about two days upriver. Faster if we get a little wind and rain to push things along." His olive green lips curl up over a crooked jaw, and he offers a slight grin. "Sorry 'bout the others. Let me-"
"HEY!" The larger goblin calls down. "Enough chit chat, all of you! We're off in five minutes!"
All the goblins begin to pick up their pace, and the one who was just speaking to you is quicker than the others to hurry onto the ship.
Bleh,says Brask. So, we're going on the little boat, right Effort? He doesn't wait for a response, just stomps to the bottom of the gangplank and shouts at the larger goblin, who he assumes is the captain because he's the biggest. Hey, you. Take us to Gorta. We'll pay and stuff.
Effort tracks the friendler goblin with her eyes, noting his appearance for potential questioning later, before following Brask up the ship. "The captain should be interested in our gold, even if he's not interested in our story. The only questions we really need to ask him is whether to take us to Green Fork, or all the way up to Gorta. Honestly, I'm fine with either option, so long as we don't have to walk that entire way," she admits. Turning around, she eyes Burik, still standing reluctantly on the shore. "Oh, come on. If they were going to gnash their teeth and jump at you, they would have done so at the humans here already. Besides," she said, seeking out the friendlier goblin once more. "They're traders. They will have seen much of the coast, so they might have some relevant information that could aid us on our hunt."
"He! I am not the captain. Just making sure everything goes smoothly for him." The bigger goblin gestures for you to come up the plank. "Wait here, and don't touch nothing! Captain will be out in a minute."
You walk up the plank onto the main deck of the ship, passing by the lower decks. The steerage deck is mostly submerged, but the higher up windows have been replaced with steel plating. The cargo deck above that has dirty windows looking into what appear to be quarters. You see small beds lined up, and one of the rooms appears to be a pantry, filled with boxes and baskets. You reach the main deck and step up onto the boat. It's size is certainly impressive, especially for something traveling by river - although this is the largest in eastern Oshait.
Two sterns sit on either end of the main deck, with ballistas sitting unmanned on each. A large, single mast sits in the middle of the deck, with a lifting door down to the cargo deck. Closed doors sit on either end below the sterns. One of the larger doors towards the bow of the ship swings open, and the larger goblin steps out, hurrying up the stairs to the stern. Following him is an even larger figure. Much larger. The captain is an orc. Her blue-gray skin is partly covered with hide armor, but you see she also has white tattoos on her arms, shoulders, and face. Some are simply stripes across her arms, but a few turn and twist into runic shapes. She has a surprisingly friendly face, if an orc can. Her jaw only juts out a tiny bit, revealing large lower canines. Her long black hair flows down to her mid-back as she walks toward you carrying the remains of a mostly eaten turkey leg.
"Welcome to the River Horse," she studies you all carefully. "I am Umog, her captain. It's my understanding you need passage all the way up to Gorta, huh? I wouldn't want to walk that far either. Three gold from each of ya. And you have two options...you can stay here on the main deck, but you would need to give up your weapons until we get to Gorta. Just a precaution. I don't know you, meaning no offense. Or you can keep your weapons and hunker down in one of the trail boats." She leans over the side, looking back at the two significantly smaller vessels connected to the ship by chain.
She snaps the turkey leg in two and gnaws at the marrow inside. "We only man them when coming back up the river. Heading toward the sea, they just trail behind us. I'm going to be honest - they're not the most comfortable way to travel, but it'll only take two nights to get there. One if the winds help us tomorrow. Your call."
"Well now, I can't leave you to suffer that trail boat alone," Effort tells Brask with a charming smile. Nor can I give up this cursed dagger to these people,she thinks, considering the cultist dagger she still carries in her pack.
The trail boat is maybe 10-12 feet long. No risk of capsizing unless Brask decides to hang over the side to "fish". :) Be sure to hand over 3 gold to Umog.
Umog smirks at Brask's comments with a nod of understanding. "Very well. I suggest you all be sure your canteens and bellies are full. If the winds are with us, we won't be stopping again until Green Fork." She turns to head back to her quarters, stopping to direct a goblin to help you. It's the friendly one with the crooked jaw. He runs up to you and gestures back down the plank.
When you get to the bottom, you follow him around to the back, where the two trail boats are sitting on the bank. Each has a goblin sitting at the stern with a shortbow, and one has two old men sitting in it. They wear plain clothes and both have graying beards. One has a basket with potatoes in it. The other, nothing.
Before you get in, your escort stops short. "You all look like true warriors! Where did you come from? Have you been in many fights?" He turns back-and-forth nervously, and then starts jogging back toward the ship. "Nevermind, nevermind. We must be off!"
A moment later you hear a horn blow, and the sail of the ship begins to go up.
After handing over her coin, Effort follows the goblin to the trail boats. She gives the friendly goblin a grin and waves him off in thanks, but her smile drops as she surveys the two older men in one of the trail boats. Being distrustful by nature, she particularly eyes the one without any cargo, trying to discern what business he might have to travel to on the river without any cargo.
Insight + Guidance: 6 + 4
Making her way towards the empty trail boat, she nods in greeting to the goblin on the stern, then settles her pack comfortably on the boat. She allows Cadmael to take to the air to stretch his wings. We may have booked passage on this ship, but best tell me if you see anything odd along your flight. Even if it's not a danger to the ship itself... we're still looking for any signs of those cultists. ... Go hunt yourself a good meal, while you're at it, and come back when you're ready.
As you wish, Cadmael says, taking to the air, though she clearly hears the disdain in his tone - most likely from the suggestion that he work for his own food, for once, after being spoiled by the party over the last several days.
Cadmael's Perception: 17
Before she takes her place, she says to the goblin at the stern:
"Greetings. I am Effort, and my friends and I have booked passage on your ship. I was wondering if you happen to know the name of the fellow who escorted us to this boat? You know, your crewmate with the crooked jaw. If you care to share, I would also be pleased to put a name to your face as well."
Yeah, come on by some time, I'll tell you some stories,Brask says to the friendly goblin. He settles in the little boat, rocking side to side gently to test the viability of this mode of transportation. He leaves the socialising to Effort, and makes a start on grooming himself to avoid future hairballs.
Effort, from what you can gather, these two old men pose no threat. They look to be in their sixties, and you doubt they could get into your boat even if they wanted to.
The goblin in your boat looks a bit taken aback. "His name doesn't matter. Might not even have one." He looks at Burik and then back at Effort. "And if your friend has a problem with me, he can walk the whole way to stinky Gorta."
With the help of a few of the locals, a handful of goblins push both trail boats into the river and they start to fade with the current. The sail is up now on the main ship, and as it snaps into place, the ship begins gently riding along the Green Fork.
Not much to report except lots and lots of trees. Cadmael thinks. The river bends a few times slightly up ahead, but seems to keep heading northeast.
If you can get Effort and Burik to put their weight on one side of the boat, you're pretty sure you could lean over the other side without it tipping over...
As the first few hours pass, the landscape doesn't change much. This is a verdant part of the continent, and the forest is thick on both sides of the river. There are lots of birds flying around - gulls, hawks, vultures, and little songbirds flitting back and forth across the river. Some shorebirds probe at the mud when the bank of the river shows itself. You even see a beaver gliding along the surface when one of the river's many tributaries flows into it.
The goblins aboard the trail boats, as well as the older men, don't say much. They keep their eyes on the banks of the river, occasionally looking up at the ship.
Everyone, roll a perception check.
Brask, if you want to attempt fishing, roll a straight dexterity check to see if you can keep your balance. I'll let you roll with advantage if Effort and Burik give you the help action by putting their weight on the other side (I assume they do). DC12 to stay in the boat, and then you can roll a nature check to see what you catch.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nah, Brask isn't going to take those odds. He'll only risk fishing if he's certain it's not going to toss Effort and Burik into the water - he's a good friend like that. :)
Man, I wish I had a bow, he says as he watches all the wildlife. A bow with an arrow. Or a spear. Attached to a piece of string, so I could hit that beaver and haul it back. Roast it for supper. Man, I'm hungry. Hey, goblin! He calls up to the goblin on the boat, possibly startling numerous birds nearby, we gonna stop for the night? Or sleep in this thing?
Talk. Yeah, sure. Go for it. Brask rolls his eyes. We'll come with, of course, in case the little buggers get nasty.
As they approach the settlement, Brask falls in line behind Effort as though he's the tiefling's bodyguard; it's a job he's done many times. He scowls and looks menacingly at the folk, intending to suggest that Effort should be treated with respect or else there will be consequences.
The goblins pay you little mind until you get closer to the shore. You see some taking woven baskets of fruits and vegetables on board the ship, sometimes bringing back cloth or tools, sometimes paying a few coppers. There are always four or five at the base of the ship at a time, trading places when another returns. You notice a larger goblin at the top of the plank, surveying the work and looking out over the ship. His skin is mostly pale with just a touch of brownish-green to it, and he wears a necklace of long claws along with some slightly dented armor.
As you approach, one of the goblins finally turns toward you, quickly scanning the party and noticing you aren't carrying anything. "Looking to buy, or looking for passage?"
Brask, roll an intimidation check.
DM - Above & Below
Intimidation 9
Maybe he starts choking on a fish bone?
"That depends on the wares and the pricing, of course," Effort replies with a smile. "What are you selling, and are you offering passage to Gorta? We may be interested in both, depending on your answer."
Attempting to look formidable, Brask coughs up what might be a hairball? He has to lean over so Burik can pound on his back and get it out. The goblins don't look impressed.
"Mm, yes, Gorta." The goblin nods. "Passage to Gorta is three gold pieces for each of ya. If the captain says you can come on board."
As another goblin comes down the plank, he picks up two satchels and starts to move toward it. "As for wares...not much you would be interested in judging on what you already have. Mostly for poor folk. But we have food, drink."
DM - Above & Below
"Mmm… we might be interested in that. What do you call this port settlement, anyway? Is this Green Fork?" Effort asks curiously, pulling out and dusting off her manners. "We were looking to arrange passage to Gorta from there with a contact we had. Of course, we would still love to meet your captain even if I'm completely off the mark here. Gathering my bearings while traveling through the wilderness has never been my strong point, you see, so anything that might make this journey a little easier on my feet would be most welcome."
The goblin pauses at the base of the plank. He stares at you for a moment. "This? This is not Green Fork. Green Fork is a city. This is a pile of sticks and mud." He turns and walks up the plank.
A second goblin, eyeing Effort after he noticed her surveying the goblins so favorably, steps up next to you. "Green Fork still about two days upriver. Faster if we get a little wind and rain to push things along." His olive green lips curl up over a crooked jaw, and he offers a slight grin. "Sorry 'bout the others. Let me-"
"HEY!" The larger goblin calls down. "Enough chit chat, all of you! We're off in five minutes!"
All the goblins begin to pick up their pace, and the one who was just speaking to you is quicker than the others to hurry onto the ship.
DM - Above & Below
Bleh, says Brask. So, we're going on the little boat, right Effort? He doesn't wait for a response, just stomps to the bottom of the gangplank and shouts at the larger goblin, who he assumes is the captain because he's the biggest. Hey, you. Take us to Gorta. We'll pay and stuff.
Effort tracks the friendler goblin with her eyes, noting his appearance for potential questioning later, before following Brask up the ship. "The captain should be interested in our gold, even if he's not interested in our story. The only questions we really need to ask him is whether to take us to Green Fork, or all the way up to Gorta. Honestly, I'm fine with either option, so long as we don't have to walk that entire way," she admits. Turning around, she eyes Burik, still standing reluctantly on the shore. "Oh, come on. If they were going to gnash their teeth and jump at you, they would have done so at the humans here already. Besides," she said, seeking out the friendlier goblin once more. "They're traders. They will have seen much of the coast, so they might have some relevant information that could aid us on our hunt."
"He! I am not the captain. Just making sure everything goes smoothly for him." The bigger goblin gestures for you to come up the plank. "Wait here, and don't touch nothing! Captain will be out in a minute."
You walk up the plank onto the main deck of the ship, passing by the lower decks. The steerage deck is mostly submerged, but the higher up windows have been replaced with steel plating. The cargo deck above that has dirty windows looking into what appear to be quarters. You see small beds lined up, and one of the rooms appears to be a pantry, filled with boxes and baskets. You reach the main deck and step up onto the boat. It's size is certainly impressive, especially for something traveling by river - although this is the largest in eastern Oshait.
Two sterns sit on either end of the main deck, with ballistas sitting unmanned on each. A large, single mast sits in the middle of the deck, with a lifting door down to the cargo deck. Closed doors sit on either end below the sterns. One of the larger doors towards the bow of the ship swings open, and the larger goblin steps out, hurrying up the stairs to the stern. Following him is an even larger figure. Much larger. The captain is an orc. Her blue-gray skin is partly covered with hide armor, but you see she also has white tattoos on her arms, shoulders, and face. Some are simply stripes across her arms, but a few turn and twist into runic shapes. She has a surprisingly friendly face, if an orc can. Her jaw only juts out a tiny bit, revealing large lower canines. Her long black hair flows down to her mid-back as she walks toward you carrying the remains of a mostly eaten turkey leg.
"Welcome to the River Horse," she studies you all carefully. "I am Umog, her captain. It's my understanding you need passage all the way up to Gorta, huh? I wouldn't want to walk that far either. Three gold from each of ya. And you have two options...you can stay here on the main deck, but you would need to give up your weapons until we get to Gorta. Just a precaution. I don't know you, meaning no offense. Or you can keep your weapons and hunker down in one of the trail boats." She leans over the side, looking back at the two significantly smaller vessels connected to the ship by chain.
She snaps the turkey leg in two and gnaws at the marrow inside. "We only man them when coming back up the river. Heading toward the sea, they just trail behind us. I'm going to be honest - they're not the most comfortable way to travel, but it'll only take two nights to get there. One if the winds help us tomorrow. Your call."
DM - Above & Below
Trail boats it is, says Brask cheerfully, patting his maul. I don't hand my weapon to strangers, not even pretty ones. Maybe I'll get some fishing in.
What about you?, he asks Effort and Burik.
How big is the trail boat? Is Brask at significant risk of capsizing?
"Well now, I can't leave you to suffer that trail boat alone," Effort tells Brask with a charming smile. Nor can I give up this cursed dagger to these people, she thinks, considering the cultist dagger she still carries in her pack.
Burik will walk straight to the trail boat and board it, muttering "I'm not getting on that boat with those bastards."
He'll hunker down on the boat, making sure to keep the goblins in sight at all times (or the ship in general when that's not possible)
The trail boat is maybe 10-12 feet long. No risk of capsizing unless Brask decides to hang over the side to "fish". :) Be sure to hand over 3 gold to Umog.
Umog smirks at Brask's comments with a nod of understanding. "Very well. I suggest you all be sure your canteens and bellies are full. If the winds are with us, we won't be stopping again until Green Fork." She turns to head back to her quarters, stopping to direct a goblin to help you. It's the friendly one with the crooked jaw. He runs up to you and gestures back down the plank.
When you get to the bottom, you follow him around to the back, where the two trail boats are sitting on the bank. Each has a goblin sitting at the stern with a shortbow, and one has two old men sitting in it. They wear plain clothes and both have graying beards. One has a basket with potatoes in it. The other, nothing.
Before you get in, your escort stops short. "You all look like true warriors! Where did you come from? Have you been in many fights?" He turns back-and-forth nervously, and then starts jogging back toward the ship. "Nevermind, nevermind. We must be off!"
A moment later you hear a horn blow, and the sail of the ship begins to go up.
DM - Above & Below
After handing over her coin, Effort follows the goblin to the trail boats. She gives the friendly goblin a grin and waves him off in thanks, but her smile drops as she surveys the two older men in one of the trail boats. Being distrustful by nature, she particularly eyes the one without any cargo, trying to discern what business he might have to travel to on the river without any cargo.
Insight + Guidance: 6 + 4
Making her way towards the empty trail boat, she nods in greeting to the goblin on the stern, then settles her pack comfortably on the boat. She allows Cadmael to take to the air to stretch his wings. We may have booked passage on this ship, but best tell me if you see anything odd along your flight. Even if it's not a danger to the ship itself... we're still looking for any signs of those cultists. ... Go hunt yourself a good meal, while you're at it, and come back when you're ready.
As you wish, Cadmael says, taking to the air, though she clearly hears the disdain in his tone - most likely from the suggestion that he work for his own food, for once, after being spoiled by the party over the last several days.
Cadmael's Perception: 17
Before she takes her place, she says to the goblin at the stern:
"Greetings. I am Effort, and my friends and I have booked passage on your ship. I was wondering if you happen to know the name of the fellow who escorted us to this boat? You know, your crewmate with the crooked jaw. If you care to share, I would also be pleased to put a name to your face as well."
Yeah, come on by some time, I'll tell you some stories, Brask says to the friendly goblin. He settles in the little boat, rocking side to side gently to test the viability of this mode of transportation. He leaves the socialising to Effort, and makes a start on grooming himself to avoid future hairballs.
Effort, from what you can gather, these two old men pose no threat. They look to be in their sixties, and you doubt they could get into your boat even if they wanted to.
The goblin in your boat looks a bit taken aback. "His name doesn't matter. Might not even have one." He looks at Burik and then back at Effort. "And if your friend has a problem with me, he can walk the whole way to stinky Gorta."
With the help of a few of the locals, a handful of goblins push both trail boats into the river and they start to fade with the current. The sail is up now on the main ship, and as it snaps into place, the ship begins gently riding along the Green Fork.
Not much to report except lots and lots of trees. Cadmael thinks. The river bends a few times slightly up ahead, but seems to keep heading northeast.
DM - Above & Below
Is fishing really not going to work? Brask gets bored really easily, and his glaive worked so well last time...
Intelligence check on the capsizability of the boat: 5
If you can get Effort and Burik to put their weight on one side of the boat, you're pretty sure you could lean over the other side without it tipping over...
As the first few hours pass, the landscape doesn't change much. This is a verdant part of the continent, and the forest is thick on both sides of the river. There are lots of birds flying around - gulls, hawks, vultures, and little songbirds flitting back and forth across the river. Some shorebirds probe at the mud when the bank of the river shows itself. You even see a beaver gliding along the surface when one of the river's many tributaries flows into it.
The goblins aboard the trail boats, as well as the older men, don't say much. They keep their eyes on the banks of the river, occasionally looking up at the ship.
Everyone, roll a perception check.
Brask, if you want to attempt fishing, roll a straight dexterity check to see if you can keep your balance. I'll let you roll with advantage if Effort and Burik give you the help action by putting their weight on the other side (I assume they do). DC12 to stay in the boat, and then you can roll a nature check to see what you catch.
DM - Above & Below
Nah, Brask isn't going to take those odds. He'll only risk fishing if he's certain it's not going to toss Effort and Burik into the water - he's a good friend like that. :)
Man, I wish I had a bow, he says as he watches all the wildlife. A bow with an arrow. Or a spear. Attached to a piece of string, so I could hit that beaver and haul it back. Roast it for supper. Man, I'm hungry. Hey, goblin! He calls up to the goblin on the boat, possibly startling numerous birds nearby, we gonna stop for the night? Or sleep in this thing?
Perception check: 18