Sassarine with the broken Teraknian Bridge in the foreground. Note that the city has some decent hills in amongst the canals. That is the Noble District on the cliffs to the left, and Castle Teraknian just visible inside the harbour left of center.

THE SAVAGE TIDE ADVENTURE PATH
Module One: There is No Honor... (Dungeon #139)
Chapter One: A Noble in Need

Another day dawns on the city of Sasserine, the pearl of the jungle coast. People wake up and start their morning routines; in the markets fisherman and bakers start unpacking their wares, servants come down to the waterfront to throw the contents of the night's bedpans into the canals and lagoons, then pick out the supplies for the morning's breakfast.

OOC: You can post how your character wakes up and gets to the Vanderboren mansion in the merchant's District. This is optional, just for a bit of colour.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:01, Fri 29 May 2015.

OOC: FYI, you have all had a full night's rest. Heal 1 hp, and regain all spells.

As the dawn sun speared through his window and the fish-hawkers started selling their wares in earnest, Logan yawned and stretched, immediately noticing the smells of Shadowshore.  Are they particularly bad today, or is it that I've spent so much time elsewhere?  Shelving the thoughts for now, Logan removed himself from bed and threw on whatever relatively clean garments he could find.  He ventured into the common room of their flat, where his mother had once again fallen asleep staring out the window.  Logan worried for Tessara, and hoped that a change of scenery would do her good.  He couldn't imagine spending all day staring at the place where his father had died.  He had tried to get her to leave the house, but something had broken in her the same time that his father had been killed.  Shaking his head, Logan left the flat, traveling a few blocks to buy some cheap honeyed biscuits (which were still a relative luxury to the recently-penniless rogue), and returned back to his squalid apartment.  He ate his with gusto, and then, feeling cooped up, left the other for his mother.  Picking through his room for the best clothes he could find, Logan strapped on his shiny rapier and left the apartment.  His mother was still resting, and he fully expected that when he returned, she'd be stuck to the same spot, either asleep or silently staring where that cart and the terrible accident had taken Theodric away from them.  "Bye, mom," the half-elf whispered, hoping yet knowing he wouldn't get a response.

Logan rambled through the city, up to the Merchant's district, making his way to the front door just as the clock-tower in the main square was sounding its eighth chime.  Taking a deep breath, Logan knocked on the door.

"Rowyn Kellani my ipo ahi," he muttered to himself, smiling. Alohan had just turned onto Rubble Street deep in the now wakening Shdaowshore. The downtrodden district looked to still suffer from its own hangover of nefarious dealings and binge drinking and the native moved along unmolested to his temporary home. Back to his loyal Remmi, a clean loin cloth & vest, and then quickly off once more. Last night had been the most fun he has had since leaving his isles and it was only natural Remmi wasn't there to take part. He felt guilty but Alohan never asked him to leave. He was gone by the time he returned from the Mermaid's Secret. What was a native to do!

"Morning hoalhoa!" he hollered, forcing himself inside. He hadn't much time for anything but grabbing new pairs of clothes. He still needed to take a swim and wash the grime off!

Celene had not been drinking exhessively, and had retired early enough to the temple grounds, but was still groggy when the morning chimes awakened her. Her dreams had been plagued by scenes of shambling corpses tearing apart everyone around her, and everyone she had cared about. Throngs of strangers closing in around her, murmuring and pointing at her. Her companions standing securely around her but suddenly changing faces into that of the young relative of the plantation owner, who had barred her escape from the fiery death trap. Yet behind all these scenes, a menacing dread loomed, a vague green figure issuing a rumbling growl.

 The only thing that could save her lay deep within herself, hidden and unknown. Try as she might, she could not reach it. And while she fought within, the enemies encroached.

The chimes had saved her dream-self, but the thoughts lingered. Rising to do her morning chores, and getting ready for the day, Celene pondered what it meant. What was that blurred threat? And what was it within her that she could not reach? What could she do to reach it?

The chimes again woke her from her thought. Having finished her tasks, she was ready to leave. Walking the short way to the noble mansion, Celene pulled the bell string.

"Goodmorning Sire!" says the young man in an unusually chipper tone. "I assume you also had a pleasant evening last night? I, myself, made the most amazing discovery. There is a delightfully establishment not two blocks from here called The Velvet Hatch which has the most wonderfully friendly women. We should go there - after I have assisted with your morning toilet of course Sire."

Vanderboren Manor is located in the eastern section of the Merchant District and is an impressive three storied mansion surrounded by a seven foot wall. The front gates are wide open, so Logan walks straight through the estate's garden and up to the towering, gothic house that dominates the grounds within. Leering gargoyles and capering nymphs festoon the eaves of the manor’s roof, and several trees give the manor grounds a nice buffer from the bustle of the city.

After a few moments the door is answered, but not by who Logan was expecting.

OOC: Running in NPC mode

"Good morning," says Kassius as he stands in the open door, with an ironic grin on his face. "Don't worry, I am not branching out into a new line of work! Lady Vanderboren is currently occupied with other guests and I was told to wait here in the atrium." The half-orc hunter allows the rogue to come in, then closes the down behind them before continuing the explanation.

"The Halfling servant - I think her name was Kora -  said that she would be finished shortly and then disappeared off to help. It appears that Lady Vanderboren is a little short on servants at the moment." Logan hears a whine from behind him, and sees Logan's animal companion lying on his stomach along a wall in the atrium. The room is tall - the ceiling arches 30" above - and a set of ornately carved and polished staircases lead up to a mezzanine floor on either side. A hallway runs between the staircases and leads to two sets of double doors at the far end. Beneath the mezzanine floor the ceiling is 15" high.


Vanderboren Manner

OOC: I had to bring Kassius and Kibeti along. They are too cool to give up on yet.



Kassius raises and eyebrow. "It appears that my services are needed again. Perhaps her ladyship is merely short of a doorman and that is the secret mission she has called us in to help with?"

Kibeti yawns in agreement, and shows off a ridge of powerful teeth. Logan hadn't noticed before, but there was something weird about the cat now he was up close and seeing it in the light of day. The powerful animal's proportions are wrong and it has what appears to be an extra row of teeth behind the first set, not to mention some strange looking bulges set behind its front shoulder blades. The cat seemed to notice him looking, and opened its mouth and pulled back its lips - almost as though it was smiling at him.

Kassius opens the door and finds the young novice that Logan had been spending so much time with on the front door step. "Good morning Miss Celene," says the hunter politely. "Won't you please come in and join us?"

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:48, Sat 30 May 2015.

"I had an equally pleasant evening, my friend!" he began, kicking the door closed behind him. He unlatched the buttons to his vest and pulled the leathers over his head. "I be meeting a delightful young lady as fiery as the hair on her head. My first, by de way. And it is as de say -de bush matches de canopy." He was beginning to doubt his ability to be able to properly bathe so the native grabbed a bar of coarse volcanic soap and began to scrub the accumulated grime from his skin.

"Her name be Rowyn Kellani, me hoaalhoa. Can ya be inquiring about her for me? I want to know what me eel be getting into. Oh! I be havin' a job for today," he said, grabbing a slightly newer studded vest made from shark leather. "And dont ya be lookin' at me like dat. She be Amarilde's cousin... auntie... sister.. it be escaping me. Her name be Lavinia Vanderboren and she be requestin' help from me and de odders." Alohan didn't know what to expect from today's morning meeting but he found himself excited to see his new companions.

"Now come, hold ma cloth while I use dis chamber pot."

Angati's rest of the night was completely uneventful, and she retired quietly after a dropping quiet goodbyes to her companions.

Comming back to the shrine felt a bit of a chore in itself, and she really looked forward to the next morning. She would be expected to be doing things in the shrine, but there was really no obligation, although most of the time it was just done. Anyway, decissions might come that way in the near future, but for the time being she could just procastrinate that.

She arrived at the Vanderboren's and was happy to see everyone in the waiting room.

"Good day everyone, I trust the night went on fine for everyone ?... as for me, it was a bit depressing, but nothing that one could not get over with just a bit of sleep". It have been her first wedding ever and she had had much higher hopes and expectations.

"Well that is fantastic news Sire! Make this deserving young lady your wife with all possible haste, and let us be on a ship back to Nuari this very evening!"



OOC: Oh poor poor Remmi...

Remmi obeyed with a happy grin on his face. Soon they would be back in the Pearl Islands with a multitude of servants to take care of the young prince again - including the 'Royal Wipers' whose job it was to do this particular task.

The clocks in the city start striking eight. "Your eminence, what time are you meant to be at your... 'job'... this morning?"

OOC: Will his young highness be condescending to join the rest of the group at some point? :P