THE SAVAGE TIDE ADVENTURE PATH
Module One: There is No Honor... (Dungeon #139)
Chapter Two: Trouble on The Blue Nixie

The party say goodbye to Lavinia and Kora and make their way back out onto the streets of the merchant district which are now coming alive. It is a short walk to the start of pier five, and they arrive there within half an hour.

The party  congregates is the nearest building to the pier's starting point. This is the major gondola waystation in the merchant's district and makes a great spying point since there are a lot of people coming and going.

OOC: There is plenty of people coming and going on the pier as well. The Vanderborens rent the berth right at the end of the pier which is about 100 feet long. There is no cover as such between here and there, but lots of workers carrying goods, merchant coming in from other districts to open their shops, and other folk. There are at least half a dozen vessels you can see moored on pier five at the moment, but you can't make out the Blue Nixie.

So... just run this past me again. Logan is going to observe from the roof and Alohan will swim? It is broad daylight (about 0900) and no-one else is climbing on the roof and no-one is swimming.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:51, Tue 09 June 2015.

Logan pulls up his hood, gabs and empty crate and joins the steam of workers heading to the pier. Meanwhile, the rest of the team stay in the large gondola waystation and enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

09:29, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 13 using 1d20+3. Disguise for Logan.
OOC: That's enough to get onto the pier at least.

The pier is a broad stretch of hard wood extending almost 100 feet out into the grand canal. The first moorings are kept free for the many gondolas dropping people off and picking up new passengers. The gondoliers maneuver aggressively to get into the wharf first and the sound of cussing and threats fills the air.

The rogue keeps walking out and starts passing big sailing ships that are unloading goods from other cities and lands. The first is a simple flat bottomed river boat that has brought food down from one of the plantations that surround Sasserine. The next is a carrack that is off loading coconuts - probably from the Pearl Islands guesses Logan. The number of workers milling around on the dock quickly drops off as Logan reaches the last third of the wharf, and he starts to be able to see ahead better. The thief looks down to the very end of the pier where the Blue Nixie should be and his heart sinks.

The ship is not there - the mooring is simply empty.

Logan's eye travels further out and is caught by a familiar eight pointed star embossed on the side of a vessel anchored in the middle of the grand canal. Bending down and pretending to tighten a shoelace, Logan studies the ship. Yes, it is the Blue Nixie alright. Anchored (illegally) right in the middle of the channel at a point equidistant from the end of pier five and Barge End.



OOC: The Blue Nixie is anchored about 100 feet (66 yards, 30 m) out from the end of Pier Five and roughly the same distance from Shadowshore. Logan can see several men moving around on deck - they are pulling water barrels onboard using a rope and tackle. He doesn’t recognize any of them (i.e. No Vark, Ketrana or Vanthus) The vessel is slap bang in the middle of a main naval thoroughfare and sailing vessels and gondolas are having to weave around it as they head to navigate past to other points in the city.

There is no-one moving around on the last third of the dock so it would be hard to get any closer than he is.

The gondola waystation is buidling 20 on the map.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:00, Wed 10 June 2015.

Upon getting this information from Logan Angati commented, "They are preparing to leave... if they are loading water that's what they are up to...we have two options that I see... either try to get into the boat at night or something.... or convince someone with the power to do so, that there is something wrong going on with the boat, it should not be there, and we would need to go with them in representation of the boat's owners".

"My skills are better set for the second course, and I daresay we loose not much by trying that route first, and if it fails taking on the first option... what's your call ?"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:15, Wed 10 June 2015.

Logan nods.  "The only flaw with that is that if we alert them by trying to have the ship impounded, or at least detained, they'll be aware that someone is trying something.  If, on the other hand, we just sneak on board at night, we might catch them unawares."  The rogue shrugged.  "But it might be worth trying anyway.  Of course, they might just ignore official pressure and leave.  After all, what they're doing right now is already illegal, and they don't seem to care."

Celene sighs. "And I'm indecisive. I am worried that Vark is going to play another 'corrupt sheriff-card' on us again, to keep the boat even if we get it back to shore. But your objections ring true, Logan. How about something in between? Logan, you say Keltar Islaran was really not corrupt, just old and tired - and you had his ear that evening. What if we ask for a meeting with him, you - or we - explain the situation and particularly the illegal anchorage of the ship, and request for a authorisation from him to detain the ship and get it back at the pier. We THEN sneak out there ourselves this night, to carry out his wish. Whatever document we have, they're bound to not give a frak - we are then in our good right to whop them around - and there we have it? This time he, Vark that is, can't hide behind corrupt law enforcers or bent rules."

Thinking it over, Celene sighs again. "Or do we now just have three equally good options to choose from? What do you think, Alohan?"

Alohan listened carefully as Logan reported his findings. It would seem the Blue Nixie's position just about eliminated the possibility of him swimming up to the boat undetected. Not without the aid of arcane magics and he wasn't well versed in them to know which he needed. Alohan considered Angati's method but agreed with Logan's assessment- any action to bring the authorities might just send the Nixie off into the sunset. Celene's idea of bringing Keltar into the fold did have merit but the ship already appeared to be in the final preparations of casting off. They night not have the time to get Keltar's permission. They might not even have enough time to wait until dark!

The native nodded at Celene, looking to the Shadowshore boy who continued to be the key to their continual success. "Logan, ya be thinkin' of talkin' to de Coughing Man? I be likin' dis idea. He be a powerful man ta have on our side when de fists be flying." He gestures out to the harbor, pointing at the moored ship barely seen through the forest of ship masts.

"But I be thinkin' we can't be waiting- not even for de night. De ship might be sailing by evening tide and I expect we wont be seeing it again for some time. I be sayin' we go as soon as we be able. Thinkin' Logan goes ta see what he can from dis Keltar. We stay and make a plan ta get out to de boat."

Alohan looks between Angati and Celene. "Ya be havin' any magics to help us get der under de water? Somting ta give me de breath ta swim?"

Angati nodded "Ok, before going to Keltar, make a stop by the Lady in Heat, let's inquire about him, and about this, she might know better how to pull the strings here... and she might even have a contact or two that we can pull on".

OOC: meaning Amarilde of course.

OOC: I’m going to take a few liberties here to move the story along.

The party decides that trying to enlist help from their contacts (Amarilde & the harbormaster Keltar Islaran)as this is a low risk  course of action that can be accomplished quickly.

Auntie Angati and Alohan head for the Toregson family mansion, where Amarilde Toregson (nee. Vanderboren) now lives, while Logan and Celene head over to the habormaster’s guildhall to explain the situation to Keltar. Kassius stays in the area of pier five to keep an eye on the vessel – this makes sense as he is the only one who Vark has not seen yet so is in no danger of being spotted. The team agrees to meet back at the gondola waystation as soon as they have finished their missions.

The oracle and the barbarian head over to the champion district and try to secure a meeting with Amarilde. It is a little tricky (it is the first morning of her honeymoon after all!) but she eventually appears at the top of the stairs with a mess of disheveled red hair and a happy grin on her face – she seems delighted to see them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:45, Thu 11 June 2015.

“Uggg! I have the mother of all hang overs, but it was worth it. You guys all left far too early last night, the party got REALLY wild later on you know. Come on, I need some breakfast and the hair of the dog.” When Alohan asks where her new husband is, she just shrugs. “He was up at dawn like usual so he could get to the arena and do his daily fitness regime. It’s fine, I like a slower start to the day anyway.” It is about ten o’clock by the time Angati and the pearl islander sit down with her for a second breakfast so it is a REALLY slow start to the day.

The noble lady takes her breakfast (mostly liquid in the form of tomato juice and some sort of strong Glantrian spirit) as she listens intensely to their story, then shakes her head sadly at the end of it. “I am so sorry to hear that cousin Lavinia is having problems. It is the last thing she needs after how rough the last month has been for her. That swine Vanthus should be helping her, not going around town causing problems! Anyway, I don’t see what I can do. I am well connected with the younger nobility in the town, but this is definitely a job for the harbormaster. Unless you can see some other angle?”

The rogue and the sorceress have a little more luck with Keltar – after a fashion. They arrive at the harbormaster’s guildhouse in the Azure district at about half nine but are told by a minor functionary that the harbormaster is sick and they should come back the next day. Logan takes the initiative of turning up at the Islaran manor and sweet-talks his way into an audience with the harbormaster. The old man is in his study, just as sick and morose as the night before, but he greets the rogue warmly. When the pair lay out the story of the Blue Nixie, paid mooring fees and illegal anchorage in the channel the man’s face grow red and steam almost starts coming out of his ears.

“I can’t believe this is possible – in my own harbor! I hired Soller Vark in good faith to look after a couple of the piers in the merchant district and this is the way he treats my trust?!” The man scurries around for a quill and some writing material. “I am preparing a document to authorize you as agents of the harbormaster with full rights to seize back the vessel and march Soller Vark back here in chains. This document is notarized and fully legally binding. I am sure that Vark will release control and come back here peacefully.” The man finishes the document, seals it with his signet ring and then wraps it up in a red ribbon. Then he coughs up a spray of red blood all over it, and presents it to them. “Good luck with you mission. I am sorry that I cannot provide any men to support you, but we are stretched at the moment – there was another attack by these weird manta rays last night and TWO ships were holed out and sunk. So we are scrambling around trying to get the harbor mouth clear, that has to be out first priority.”

The party reforms at eleven o’clock at the gondola waystation and Kassius has something to report. “They finished loading the water and then most of them went below decks out of the sun. There seem to be two or three on top keeping guard – it’s tricky to see from this angle so I can’t be precise. I think Alohan is right, they just missed the last high tide – probably because the harbor mouth is blocked, did you hear about that? So they might sail with the evening tide which is about ten o’clock tonight.”

OOC: Sunrise is always 0700 and sunset is always 1900. Welcome to the equator.

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:46, Thu 11 June 2015.

Logan thanks Keltar profusely, wishes the man good health and heads back to his allies.

Once back at the dock, Logan nods at Kassius's report.

"Well, then we've got about three hours from sunset until they can leave.  That's probably when we should strike.  It should be easier to sneak up unopposed, and hopefully catch them by surprise.  We've got this writ from Keltar that should make the whole thing legal."

Logan brandishes the sealed document as he would a dagger, then sighs.

"We'd have the same problem using this openly as we would using official pressure.  If it worked, we could show up on the ship and they'd all surrender peacefully.  Somehow, I don't think that'd be Vark's reaction."