Giving Quanderil a sharp this-is-ALL-your-fault glance Kethra replaces the apple back in his mouth, throws him over her shoulder and walks in between the arguing ranger and wizard.

"Below deck there's only 3 books...but Quanderil says he owns the books so that means he doesn't have any cargo. The halfling here says he's Quanderil's employee, so that means no passengers. But Quanderil said at the start that he's running a caravan." 

She first stops and addresses Rubin. "With no goods or people to transport, the only possibility left is that this top secret caravan is waiting for their cargo. Or passengers. We should get going...but should we hide and wait? Or move on? (I kind of want to use him as bat bait.)"

She addresses Mr. Tyde next with a moral question, "I'll bring Quanderil, but what should we do with his first mate here?"

Xanranzan gives the Q-man a once over after the little outburst. Just to make sure it wasn't some attempt to cover his butt by getting all heated about a "politely" asked question.

Insight: 20.

... But after that, he looks up to the others and shrugs. "Think Mr. Scared-of-Sunlight has'im, so no problem there. Ain't find much else tho'... surprisingly." At that, Xan takes the initiative and scoops up the halfling first mate. "I'm gonna leave this guy below deck, if that's alright. Folk might still come running if he gets chatty, but hopefully that help some." If noone then argues against his idea, Xan almost more than happily carries the man off and sets him on whatever bedding is down below.

"Now you be a good Galeb Duhr, and chill out here for a bit, M'kay?" He grins, tries to ruffle the halflings hair, then makes his way topside to follow after everyone else.

The pale eyed girl nods at Mr. Tyde's and Xanranzan's suggestions, although she would give the latter a gentle scolding look for saying 'Mr. Scared-of-Sunlight'.

Kethra retrieves and puts away her maul and javelins and wonders out loud, "He had a sleeping spell on him and it looks like he doesn't look that hurt...is that why he's so confident?"

Once Xanranzan finishes taking the halfling away, Kethra will toss the tied up and silenced Quanderil off the ship and into the docks.  Unless anyone objects she'll drag him somewhere out of the way and maul him with the maul until he's unconscious, then pick him up on her shoulder again until he wakes in 4 hours.

Rubin, with the books in his pack already, has already moved off into the shadows. He keeps an eye out as the others cart off the prisoners. He stays close by as they move away from the ship and then off of the docks. Once a bit away he would move up to the others, assuming he has not noticed anyone paying too much attention to them. "Just let him go." he says to the others, glancing to the unconscious mage. "Unless you truly plan on torchuring him, we are not likely to get anything else out of him. Just leave him here to wake up whenever he does so, and let's be off. I'd like to check out that spire place we were told of before myself, we have already been to this riverguard keep after all."

Xanranzan would give Kethra a funny look, then gesture between her and Rubin just as he walked into whatever shadows the man could find. Besides all that, he just shrugs plodded along until he caught up with everyone else.

"Uhhh.... Well, I would need to get other guy out of there first, but burning his boat sounds good to me. Probably a bit excessive for trading and maybe ferrying those other dudes before, but I don't think smuggling is exactly a well to do, uh, job on this plane. So.... yea." He said, shrugging again. "That said, if he didn't have, uh, a hate boner, I think ya'll call it. But uh, if he ain't have that for us before, he'd certainly have one for burning his ship down and ruining and slash or delaying his business. But hey.S'pose that's the, uh, lesser of two evils all things considered. And the spire sounds... nice." He said, if albeit with a bit of tight smile after.

When the plan gets officially decided, Xan will take the halfling off the ship and go about tossing the other dead bodies on it while whoever worked on setting it ablaze.

(Just to be clear—where are you heading towards?)

Rubin is not taking part of destruction of the boat. "I will wait for you at the edge of town." He informs the others, obviously displeased with this idea. "When you are done I'll be ready to move on towards this spire we were told about previously."

Quote from DragonDenn >>

Rubin is not taking part of destruction of the boat. "I will wait for you at the edge of town." He informs the others, obviously displeased with this idea. "When you are done I'll be ready to move on towards this spire we were told about previously."

"For someone that's hard to convince to spare a lone guard's' life by knocking him out when we had the surprise on him, I'm a little surprised you'd take the high ground when it comes to destroying property that the cults have been using."

Kethra's puts a hand Rubin's shoulder and gives him a little soft squeeze to let him know she cares. "Is it too bright and flashy? Xanranzan's still getting the boat ready, would it make you feel better if we just sank it in the middle of the river? --oh, I know!"

Leaving as suddenly as she as she showed up, Kethra runs back to the boat where Xanranzan and Mr. Tyde is, a guard in each hand and Quanderil over her shoulder.

"Hey, is it okay if we just sank the boat? Sail it to the middle of the river, throw anchor, then punch a hole in the hull? Then we won't make too much of a scene and maybe Rubin will be happier that way."

"Uh... So long as I don't have to be on the boat when either of those two things are s'pose to take place, ya'll let me know. I know I said I /could/ swim, but uh... yeeaa... again, if I ain't say before... not quite how this rock likes to roll, ya dig?" He said after finishing his part in the pet project. Knowing next to nothing about sailing, he stays out of Tydes way outside of any directions the man might throw out to help smooth out operations. 

However, he looks to Kethra regarding actually putting the hole in the boat. Because as soon as that was all there was left to do, the earth genasi could not be back on shore faster to watch from safety.  He deposition the first mate beside him on the ground at that point, waiting for everyone to gather up, before the group moves on.

Unless the plan entailed leaving said first mate alive and on board. In which case, a very perturbed but unwilling to comment Xan still helps with the process. But afterwards is sort of mentally checked out.

As Xanranzan leaves the boat, Kethra holds up one hand for a little fist bump.  

“Well, the majority has decided we're not taking Quanderil with us. But given what he knows about us and that he's willing to defend the cults--"

She takes one of the guards' weapons and kills Quanderil with it. "--it's as they say, the captain has to go down with the ship."

Securing the three bodies below deck (so their bodies don't just float up), Kethra takes the maul and smashes a hole to the side of the boat and gives Quanderil and the two crewmates a little salute.

"Die with honor. Jerk."

Quote from DragonDenn >>

"Unless you truly plan on torchuring him, we are not likely to get anything else out of him. Just leave him here to wake up whenever he does so, and let's be off. I'd like to check out that spire place we were told of before myself, we have already been to this riverguard keep after all."

Joining the party at the shore, Kethra gathers the party together.

“The spire's going to be a bit too far for us. For now, I think it’s more important to find the missing people of this town. There might be another secret cult base just like back in Lance Rock.” nods at Rubin with a smile, “Probably underground?"

"While Xanranzan and Mr. Tyde can ask the local townspeople for clues and where the people were last seen, us not people-persons can look for some tracks. Is it okay if we do this instead?” 

Xanranzan perked up at the mention of underground. The rest though... the rest left him scratching at his head. "I mean... we could, but uh.... at least from what we've seen on the way inside, most folk not needing to work I reckon have shut themselves up pretty tight in their homes. But, uh, I'm of course willing to try at least, if ya'll think that's next best step. Though, I'd be lying if If'n I ain't say that the whole sink'n of the ship has me a bit antsy to leave sooner than later... j-just in case, ya know? Local, uh, authorities 'n all that."

Pretty sure Rubin is waiting at the edge of town for the rest of you. He left as soon as you mentioned burning the ship, letting you know where you could find him.

(To DragonDenn: You did indeed mention that, and our bad for missing it)

Xanranzan scratches his head and appeared a bit torn between two thoughts at once. Ultimately he looks to Kethra and snaps his fingers a few times and counting up. With each snap that almost sounded as if they echoed through a cave system, the following occurred in rapid succession: Her clothing would be 'cleaned' of water, and segments of it grew comfortably warm.

"There ya go. Sorry, uh... if that was a bit on the invasive side. But, uh, I figured ya could... uhm... anywaysanyways! Ya wouldn't need a fire I don't think if its like a wand or somthing. Don't know much 'bout magic, but I doubt it'll hold up to anything you could put out to snap it in two, ruining the whole thing." He says to Kethra, then looks to Tyde. "So, basically going door to door then? Aight... oh! And I suppose we can ask anyone actually out and about too. But uh... might wanna send yer owl friend to that otha fella to let'em know what we're up to, as this'll take a hot minute." He suggests.

Persuasion: 15.
(Rolling if only for flavor given DM admission)

At that, if there's nothing else to speak of, he'll do his part in asking the locals they can coax out to talk. And if/when that falls through (as per DM admission in PM), he suggests regroup outside town.

(Anyone mind if I cut straight to traveling to the spire?  We can go through interrogating the town more if you’d like.)

(To DM: Sounds good to me.)

(Fast forward sounds good! But thanks for your RP, Mehmen and brian)

Works for me.

(Before travel . . .)

As you all are walking out of Womford, a figure approaches you . . .

(I’ll let @See_Ess describe himself.)

A figure stumbles out from behind a tree. Clearly male and most certainly drunk, he notices your group. He attempts to adjust his shift and trousers, but has obviously forgotten he's wearing armour. He stumbles and falls in front of Kethra.

"Well, hello pretty lady. Which way to the tavern?" He drags himself to his feet. Swaying, he addresses no one in particular. "You look like I could do with another drink." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pair of dice. He hands the blue one to Tyde. "Tell you what, we roll. You get higher, I buy you a drink. I get higher, you buy me one"

He rolls the red one. 6

(For Tyde only)