"I'm afraid your ship has left without you..."

She hurried down the pier to grab her fish, then returned.

"Perhaps you can sell it again in the morning.  If you wish a place to sleep for the night the captain of the ship adjacent has offered my companions and I lodging for the night.  I'm sure we can find room for one more.  I think you need a warm dry bed - and soon."

When Ilura delivered her grim revelation to Westley's ears, the man stood motionless, mouth slightly agape.  He watched Ilura with incredulity as she walked down the pier and returned.  He didn't even seem to notice the fish she had grabbed as he said, "Seriously?  They left?  N-now what am I supposed to do?  I risked m-my life for that bet!" He put his forehead in his palm and shook it.  His entire body seemed to ripple with shivers now and then, and the man's teeth were chattering, but he seemed to be actively ignoring those... inconveniences.

Finally he sighed, and with fake reluctance he agreed to Ilura's offer.  "I s-suppose it would be good to regroup for n-now.  Warm up a bit.  Not that I'm c-cold!  I could be out all night in wet clothes, no p-problem.  But if it would make you feel better, I suppose I c-could accept your hospitality. Thanks."  While the man was definitely not as tough as he tried to make himself sound, his thanks was genuine.

Once Ilura got Westly, the barrel of wine, and the fish aboard Captain Frost's ship, the adventurers were able to gather together once again below decks in the crew bunk area.  It was not as nice as the room Eryn and Marcus had crashed into, but it would do. The room was illuminated by a single lantern and consisted of little more than support beams with hammocks slung between them, and the occasional chest of personal belongings.  Westley borrowed a pair of pants that were draped on one of the hammocks and changed into them after introductions were made.

After one of the sailors brought in a sack of hardtack biscuits for everyone to eat, the adventurers were left in relative privacy.  The sounds of construction persisted throughout the night, but were easy enough for the exhausted party to ignore.  They also had plenty of time to share information, supplies, worries, and skills.

Marcus was able to reflect on the decision he had to make.  Would he risk the procedure to help remove Bolen's curse?  The old sea dog trusted Marcus and let the paladin know that he was willing to go along with it if Marcus wanted him to, but he still sounded extremely nervous about it.

Hiran had plenty of time to organize the magic items he had collected and explain to everyone what they could do.  Save for the doorknob with the leaking keyhole, of course. There was the Bracelet of the Brine, which would allow its wearer to turn into any creature they had touched with a connection to the sea (as per the druid ability). Then there was the Ring of the Reef, which allows the wearer to breath both air and water.  And finally, the Hairpin of Fickle Vestments, which would allow the wearer to change the appearance of their clothing with an illusion.

Eryn and Ilura were able to share the information they found out about the contract as well.  How Captain Frost was in a Devil's Bargain requiring her to bring bodies to someone bearing the name of The Overlord's twin brother, Yordakin Qizproteus.  And that the shipment is due near the Jungle of Blossoms before the dry season is over.

Bolen listened to all of this information with a grimace on his face, and Westley listened with the intensity of a child hearing campfire stories.  After all was said and done though, the night went by rather uneventfully.  With the exception of a huge lurch of the ship when they finally cut the remainder of the mast loose from the rest of the ship.  The group was able to get the sleep they desperately needed and awoke refreshed.

Possibly even inspired!

What do you do?

---

Everyone
The four of you took the opportunity to get some rest in the communal bunk area of the ship.  Westley and Bolen are there too.  It is noisy from all the work being done to repair it, but you still get the full benefits of Making Camp.  Ilura's fish, combined with the dry biscuits provided by the captain mean no rations are consumed.  Everyone who sleeps regains 1/2 of their max HP (round up).  Feel free to use the Level Up move if you have the XP. Anything else I forgot?

+1 XP to anyone who describes the dream they have after their long eventful day.

Eryn
Your level up from before finally takes effect!  How did your new move(s) and spell(s) manifest?  Also, your equipment you bought a looooooong time ago should be ready to pick up now. What spells do you prepare today?

Hiran
How are your magic items being divvied up?  What spells do you prepare today?

Ilura
You can gather enough supplies from the ship to make some of your arrows now if you would like. What spells do you prepare today?

Marcus
Would you still like to try and heal Bolen's arm? What spells do you prepare today?

Before she rested, Ilura took time to place her hands on the palidin's head and prayed to the mother for healing.  She was relieved to see some of his color return and his face looking less pained.  She also offered her services to the most gravely wounded on board the ship before retiring.

She joined the others as Eryn was relaying their discovery from the captain's quarters.  She asked a question that had been circulating in her mind while she'd been ministering to the sailors:  "Hiran, is there anything that can be done with a body that would leave it physically intact, but leave it useless for necromantic magic?  I'm wondering if we can allow the captain to fulfill the letter of her bargain, but not the spirit of it."

With a full belly for the first time in a while and with Thomas equally contented nested on a hook abover her, the ranger crawled into a hammock and fell asleep instantly.  It had been almost a two days since she'd last rested - and her dreams had been strange.  To her surprise, she dreamed again, though this time the dreams told no story - just a strange assortment of images and impressions

• Snarlmaw howling at the full moons and her wolf sitting atop a nearby building howling back
• Westly swimming in giant barrel of wine, telling her he was fine and would soon drink his way out
• Granny-greybeard beating a demon with a mop-handle
• Captain Frost sailing her ship across a river of ice towards a frozen waterfall
• A jungle full of strange purple flowers, with hidden eyes watching her
• A contract just like the one she'd seen on the captain's desk, but this time stained with tar and with Hiran's signature in blood at the bottom
• A map of the land showing creaping darkness, with Eryn's spear across it, keeping the darkness from spreading
• A cute soldier she'd had a crush on as a teenager pulling off his tunic to go swimming
• A silvery light shining on the ship slowly healing the timbers and surrounding her with a warm embrace

At this last image she finally fell into a proper sleep, awakening to the sound of saws and hammers and the light of the sun shining right through the porthole opposite her.

She got up and made use of the facilities, then washed as best she could while she took advantage of some of the ship's tooling to craft quills into arrows.


In addition to the half HP, everyone also gains

quote:

23:01, Today: Ilura rolled 4 using 1d4.

from the sanctify spell

quote:

23:01, Today: Ilura rolled 14 using 2d6+3.  Cast cure light on Marcus.
23:02, Today: Ilura rolled 3 using 1d8.  Healing for Marcus.

Not rolling for the ships personnel - she'll heal until she can't, then go to bed.

Together with the +1/2 HP, that should bring everyone to full I think :)

Question: does my bonus XP count for before determining level-up?  That'll impact what spells I choose.

How many arrows do I have time to make?

Even with how tired she was, once she had washed up, eaten, and talked for a bit with her companions, Eryn found herself momentarily refreshed enough to stay awake for just a few minutes longer. Lying on her back in bed and trying to ignore the dull pain in her body, she pondered over her book of magic even as she was meant to sleep. In the middle of the night there were finally no more tasks and no more distractions, which allowed her to process the evening's revelations.

"Light" said the top of the page. "Not like torchlight" was scribbled below the title. "Stay close to it" had been hastily added and then refined with some text for clarification after Hiran's explanation. The light spell had faded quickly, but it had been successfully cast just as Eryn had intended it to be. Good. She was seeing some improvement already.

The inexperienced mage began repeating the steps required for the Light spell to herself, but felt her tired eyes slip and decided to let it wait until the morning. Instead she flipped the page to quickly review her other notes, and froze when she spotted a jet-black, splotchy drawing of a human silhouette wearing horns on its head. It was a representation of the tar demon from the inn, but Eryn couldn't quite remember sketching it like this. A broad, toothy grin - yellowed by the texture of the paper - shone up at her from the pages.

Then the drawing opened its eyes.

The lantern flickered and went out. Even in the sudden darkness, however, Eryn could somehow make out the page of the book in front of her. The letters and drawings were moving. Flowing together. Running off the page and into her lap, dripping black on her clothes and the sheets. Eryn threw the book away from herself in a panic, uncaring of where it would land. It hit the floor with an unnerving lack of sound and smeared ink all over. Somehow she could still follow it clearly with her eyes in the dark. Somehow she could see the black ink cover the entirety of the equally black floor. Except it wasn't ink, not anymore. It was tar. Thick and bubbly like the bogs where the demon made its home. She caught sight of a humanoid shape standing within arm's reach of herself, and recoiled in fear.

Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the thick black tar turned to smooth flowing ink again, and it ran away from the surface of the being to reveal a human below, pale and featureless like a polished statuette. The liquid darkness pooled below its feet and drained away without leaving a single stain. The figure was glowing with a pale white light. Eryn was about to speak when she noticed the room was gone. Instead both her and the apparition were standing on the ocean's surface, illuminated by the full moon. All around were more figures standing motionless on the water, and although the distance made their features hard to see, Eryn's confused brain still managed to register that they all had real faces. They were dressed in old-fashioned clothing and each wielded a long staff in their right hand.

Movement in the corner of her eye caused Eryn to turn her attention back to the solitary being in front of her. It now held out its arm and presented a staff to her. Looking at it again, she realized the figure was not featureless so much as unclear. There were faint traces of a face present behind the obscuring effect of its odd glow. For a reason she could not explain, it felt familiar. With a lack of hesitation that surprised even her, Eryn reached out and took the staff being given to her. She glanced up and down its length. It was her own trusty spear. Suddenly she realized this semblance of a ceremony was reminicent of how the polearm had been handed to her by her father long ago, after completing her year of training to be a village guard.

Before she had a chance to process what was happening, Eryn felt herself falling, and the ocean swallowed her up in its depths. She struggled, but sank ever deeper and deeper. Water filled her lungs, aching pain made it impossible to move her body. Darkness clouded her thoughts and the only thing she could see was another figure - this one a pale white shark - circling around her before she drifted off into unconsciousness...

***

Eryn woke with a start. Around her, the sun's morning rays were seeping through cracks in the ship's hull and cast an oddly serene light upon everything. The spellbook was open and face down on her chest. She had fallen asleep immediately after all, then. Now that she was awake the warrior realized that everything she had just dreamt of - the demon, the pain, the moonlight, the shark - had all been sourced from yesterday's events. She felt a bit silly for not noticing before.

The nightmare made her new morning routine - of clearing her mind to focus on preparing and retaining spells - hard to follow. Yet it hadn't been exclusively a nightmare. The part of the dream with all the people had been comforting, in a way. Eryn glanced over at her weapon leaning against the corner. While it was a good spear, she had seldom thought of it as more than a tool. Today it looked a bit different, somehow. She almost felt nostalgic over its presence.

***

The warrior finished her preparations and ate breakfast almost without speaking a word. Eryn's mind was racing at the thought of all the work the group had set out before them. She also wished to practice a few new spells she now felt confident enough to attempt casting, but first she must travel into town and pick up her new gear.

Erny was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Vorlag skin scale armor made by Lady Hammersoft. The experienced smith had shaped it just right to sit comfortably without being too tight or too loose, and it did it make the clothing beneath clammy and sweaty either. The scales were laid expertly in such a way that they would deflect blows regardless of which angle they came from, ensuring that no blade could slip into a gap or get caught in the shape of the armor. It was still not as good as full plate steel, of course, but as far as this type of armor went, it was perfect.

The whip showed the same level of craftsmanship, but it would need to be tested out in a real fight before its usefulness could be acertained.

Eryn thanked the smith for her work and went merrily on her way. Her old and worn-out chainmail was left behind. Its resale value was nil, and it was almost broken anyway. No use in lugging it around.

There were several tasks to get to work on, so Eryn made a mental checklist. Bolen would already be doing his thing so they could deliver fish to Snarl-Maw, but Eryn still felt like she had to be there to speak with the clansman. Next there were the sailors - they definitely had to investigate that as soon as possible.




Ilura: Indeed, I am fully healed. :)

Unless we are doing another End of Session here I won't have enough XP to level up, so I'll just apply the changes from the level up (now Level 3) we started after the ritual. +1 to Wisdom (adding a +1 modifier), and my new move is Heirloom - which makes spirits speak to me through my Signature Weapon. My new Wizard spell is Telepathy (Lvl 1).

Prepared spells this morning: Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Telepathy, + the cantrips.

Gear change:
- Threw away old chainmail and left the poison bottles in the cabin for later.
- Got scale armor and a whip.

Ilura
After several hours of dedicated work, Ilura finally managed to craft all of her quills into usable arrows of rather high quality.  The Vorlag's quills turned out to be quite light and flexible, but also strong and exceptionally sharp.  The ship's little workshop aided in the construction process as well.  With so many archers aboard, they had an entire work station dedicated to creating arrows on the high seas.  The work area was small, as was to be expected aboard a ship, but it had all of the necessary amenities.

As Ilura put the last bundle of ammo into her quiver, Thomas glanced over her should and asked, [Who are they?]  Taking a peek herself, Ilura spotted three of the ship's sailors standing in the doorway, blocking her exit.

"Yo, giant-slayer," the biggest and burliest of the three women said with a flick of her chin. "Trixie over here says she saw you and that warrior friend of yours snooping around the captain's private documents." She pointed to the sailor over her right shoulder.  Then she pointed to herself and the woman over her left shoulder and said, "Vixen and Moxie here know the captain doesn't like people looking at her private documents.  Not at all.  Moxie's hand is proof."  The woman on her left held up a hook where a hand should have been.

"Now, we might be able to overlook such a slip up.  For the right price.  Whatever happened to that barrel of high-quality swill we saw you roll aboard last night?"  It was pretty obvious these three women were attempting to extort Ilura.  Aparently they were interested in Westly's barrel of booze.  Last Ilura knew he went to go find a buyer for it, but the barrel itself was still in the sleeping quarters.

Eryn
After picking up her new supplies and starting back toward the ship, Eryn passed through an alley between two warehouses.  Whether it was because she was distracted by her own thoughts or because he was being sneaky was unclear, but before Eryn knew what was happening, a man stepped out in front of Eryn and blocked her path.  The man was dressed in the same style as Captain Frost's officers.  He held up his hands in surrender before Eryn had a chance to get the wrong idea.

"I need to talk to you!" he rushed to say.  The man looked down both ends of the alley to make sure they were alone.  The alley was not particularly sketchy or dangerous looking, but the two of you were alone for the moment.  "I am Officer Brigg.  One of the sailors, Trixie, said she saw you peek into the captain's quarters.  Said you seemed to recognize what you were looking at too."  He looked carefully at Eryn's face, as if judging her reaction.  Seemingly satisfied, he continued.  "I assume you know the severity of a Devil's Bargain.  Captain Frost is a great leader, but she has sailed us into hot water on this one.  I was wondering if I might hire you, a mercenary who could take a direct hit from a jotun an survive.  I would like to hire you to help stage a-  Stage a-"  The word seemed to catch in Officer Brigg's throat, as if it were almost painful to say.  He leaned in close and whispered, "-a mutiny."

What do you do?

---

Everyone
Who is grabbing which of Hiran's magic items?

Ilura
Vixen, Moxie, and Trixie are trying to blackmail you into giving them the barrel of wine.  If you don't, they plan to inform the captain that you and Eryn were snooping around in her personal effects.

Eryn
Remember to subtract 40 coins for Bolen's fishing fee if you haven't already.  Officer Brigg wants to hire you to help stage a mutiny against Captain Frost because of the Devil's Bargain.

Hiran and Marcus
Feel free to hop back in when you are ready.  We'll keep the action focused on Eryn and Ilura in the meantime.

Ilura calmly slid the quiver onto her back before cleaning up the work area and picking up her unstrung bow.  All the while she assessed the women, using the silence and wait to help guage their confidence and certainty.  Thomas took advantage of the time to flitter around them tooflittered around, eyeing them as well.

quote:

12:27, Today: Ilura rolled 12 using 2d6+5.  Discern realities w/ Thomas.

What here is useful or valuable to me?
What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is not what it appears to be?

I'm particularly interested in anything I might use as leverage over the women and assessing how confident Trixie is - both in what she saw and in her comfort with the situation.

Fitted with new armor and with fresh air in her lungs, Eryn felt much more spry than she had earlier that morning. She had worried about where to start her search for information about the good Captain, when suddenly Brigg conveniently fell into her lap. "I won't cut down any innocents in this mutiny you propose, but I'm listening..." she replied to the sailor, and stayed with him in the alleyway without making any sign of wanting to cause a commotion. The officer seemed genuinely distressed, after all. It was unlikely he'd brought the crew for an ambush. "You are right. The Captain has gotten herself in some deep muck, and I might as well tell you - regardless of the bargain she's made, it is in our best interest that your cargo never reaches its destination."

Eryn decided to tell Brigg of the resurrection ritual in an effort to make sure he understood the gravity of the situation. She briefly explained the events that took place two nights before, but left out their connection to Ilura's former mentor and their regrettable agreement with the witch of the sea. The overlord's brother, however, she made sure to mention by name. Partly for effect, partly to see if Brigg might be sympathetic to his evil cause after all.

"I guess what I am asking is if you know how Captain Frost came to sign the contract," she asked the officer. "Who contacted her, how many, what did they look like? If we knew, we would be better prepared. And furthermore... how many of you disagree with the captain's dealings? If you and I announced the change of command right now, how many weapons would we find pointed at us?"

You are divulging too much information, said a voice in the back of her head. Still, the small group could sorely need some help, and the more who knew about these nefarious plans the better they could gather to stop them. Hopefully Brigg would be able to fill in a few blanks.


- I can't carry any more items at the moment unless they are weightless or I dump some food, so I'll let the others have first pick.
- I gave Bolen 40 coins back at the inn before we left, and checked the math now to make sure it's correct compared to what I got back from shopping earlier too.
- A mutiny sounds like a great way to get the daily workout in!

Ilura
As Ilura calmly and quietly cleaned up her area, the momentary silence seemed to unnerve the ladies slightly.  Moxie kept glancing down at her hook, which she seemed to keep further from her body than seemed natural.  Upon closer scrutiny, the curved metal appeared to be coated in something suspicious.  Trixie kept shooting nervous glances at both Moxie and Vixen, looking like she didn't really want to be there, but was too afraid to leave.

Vixen, for her part, seemed unperturbed.  The burly woman continued staring down Ilura in anticipation, keeping one hand hovering near her saber.  "So what'll it be?  You gonna give us the alcohol or do we need to report your crimes to the captain?"  The way she asked about the alcohol made it seem she didn't care much about the brand, so long as she could have a big swig of it.

Eryn
Officer Brigg breathed a sigh of relief when it became apparent that Eryn wasn't going to cut him down outright.  He then listened to what she had to say, his expression growing more and more horrified the more he learned.  When Eryn finished, he took a big gulp and composed himself before answering her questions.

"Nobody was with Captain Frost when she signed the bargain, but the officers aboard our vessels knew about it.  The general crew does not. She claims some of her family members were held hostage to strong-arm her into making the deal.  Frost was targeted specifically because she had experience sailing the frozen north, where most of the giants and their cousins live.  None of the officers were particularly thrilled with the situation, but our loyalty to Captain Frost won out in the end.  She really is a decent person, but if what you tell me is true, I think it is even more important than I knew to... relieve her of her authority."

Officer seemed to be struggling to keep his composure again, but continued.  "If we made our move now, most would probably side with Frost, even after the jotun mishap.  But I expect the scale would shift if we could explain everything to the others.  It would probably be best to start the conversation out at sea though, so the port authority has no chance to intervene.  Not to mention we would avoid much of the scorn cast upon us by other crews in the port.  Mutiny is not a term thrown around lightly in these parts."  He looked up and down the alley again, paranoid that they would be overheard or spotted.

What do you do?

---

Ilura
What here is useful or valuable to me?
The ladies know the barrel is worth a lot, but they seem more interested in the volume of alcohol than the value of it.

What should I be on the lookout for?
The hook on Moxie's hand looks like it has been coated in a layer of poison or similar substance.

What here is not what it appears to be?
Trixie seems to be reluctantly going along with the other two women's plan.

Don't forget to take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

Eryn

quote:

-I can't carry any more items at the moment unless they are weightless or I dump some food, so I'll let the others have first pick.

The ring, bracelet, and hairpin are all weight 0.  The Doorknob is weight 1.

If there was one thing Eryn had learned as a mercenary, it was that if you had a choice, you should never go all in without being reasonably certain of victory. In all other cases, avoid the fight and find better footing. A dead traveler would never pay a hired arm's salary, and a dead mercenary could not collect either. In the case of monsters, there was no use in dying for the sake of saying you tried. Retreat, rework the plan, and return stronger. She told officer Brigg this too. "If you attempt to seize command after you've left shore there will be nowhere to run if it doesn't work," she said. "If you don't know how many sailors will side against the captain it is a big risk to take. Do you think you could win against five opponents at once, if need be? Could you do it if they were your friends just a minute earlier?"

She considered their options for a second before continuing. "We need to discuss this with the other officers and make sure they agree with this course of action. Don't word it as a mutiny against Captain Frost; use more agreeable terms such as 'preventing a grave mistake that will doom her poor soul'. If the lot of you could then bring up the problem to the rest of the crew we could do this with minimal fighting. You told me Trixie saw me and Ilura when we were stealing a glance at the contract. Did she give you reason to believe she had told anyone else on board? If no one knows yet we could potentially bring that contract in view of the rest of the crew before Captain Frost hides it away. Depending on her reaction we can give her a graceful exit by telling everyone she was forced to sign it. Then we can work on resolving the problem together."

"If not..." she shrugged, "we could potentially end up with an angry demon on deck for all I know. Are you prepared for that?"



Shapeshifting seems to me like it would make Eryn uncomfortable, but being able to breathe water could be useful considering her armor just got heavier. :)

Ilura dug around in the small room and found a rag.  She tossed it to Moxie.  "Sorry about your hand.  However, it'd be best to clean that stuff off your hook.  In these close quarters, it's more likely to end up in your thigh or one of your friends than in me."  Her gaze shifted to the snoop.  "Trixie, I can see this wasn't your plan and I promise I won't hold it against you."

Her face hardened as she turned attention to the ring leader.  She shook her head.  "If you're going to resort to blackmail to get booze, you might as well do it properly.

First, don't ask for something that can't be given.  The barrel isn't mine.  It belongs to a man I saved from drowning, and it's his life savings.  Surely you don't take me for a thief?"  She paused and looked at each of the women in turn.

"Second, be sure of what you're accusing me of.  I was circling the ship and bringing the Silver Mother's blessing to help in the healing of all aboard.  That means I needed to bless every portion of the ship, even the captain's quarters.  They were locked, but there was a hole in the wall that allowed me to complete my blessing.  Given the injuries to the crew, I doubt your good captain will cut off my hand for providing such aid."

She continued on before Trixie could interrupt.  "That said, Trixie is right.  I did see *one* of the captain's papers.  And it concerns me greatly.  I'm sure if Moxie had been caught skimming that particular document, she'd have lost more than her hand." She glanced at the hand briefly, a tinge of sympathy on her face before returning her focus to Vixen.

"That brings me to the third issue.  Don't blackmail someone for something unless you're sure they want it hidden.  I fully intend to tell Captain Frost what I saw.  She's gotten in over her head and she's going to need help to get out of it.  However, I'm not planning to bother her about it until after the ship's squared away.  I doubt she's in the mood for discussion or interruption at the moment.  But we'll certainly be chatting before we sail - for I expect once we've had our conversation with the captain, my party and I will be accompanying you on your next voyage.

Oh, and one last thing.  When you're blackmailing someone, don't give them an opportunity to blackmail you in turn.  I doubt the captain would be thrilled to learn you were happy to conceal that someone'd been rummaging through her papers for the price of a few swigs of wine..."

She allowed her face to soften a bit.  "However, I understand where you're coming from.  With the damage to the ship and the injuries, I'm sure shore leave has been cancelled.  And that after what was surely a hard voyage to capture those giants, a woman has a right to a bit of well-earned relaxation.  You need to take what opportunities present themselves.

So I'll tell you what.  I was going to head into town this afternoon to sell a few of these arrows.  I can use some of that coin to bring you back a barrel of something that's got a whole lot more kick than what's in the drown-man's tiny keg.  But you're going to owe me a favor or too..."

She paused again.  "Or, if you prefer, you can forgoe your drink and see how you fare agaist a giant-slayer..."  Her hand rested easily on the pommel of her sword.

Her glance flicked to Thomas.  [Look scary]

quote:

09:36, Today: Ilura rolled 8 using 2d6+3.  Parley, with Thomas and +1.

I'm hoping that Thomas's "fight humanoids", which primarily manifests as the ability to distract includes the ability to ruffle his feathers, spread his wings and caw loudly...

Leverage: phyical threat, ability to get them in trouble with the captain and/or promise to supply booze


I'd happily take the Bracelet of the Brine.  Thomas and I could have lots of fun if I was a seagull...  Plus it'd work well with my speak-with-animals move.

Ilura
Vixen studied Ilura for a long long while after the ranger said her piece.  Moxie moved to wipe her hook clean with the rag, but Vixen motioned for her to hold up.  Trixie started to suggest they listen to Ilura, but Vixen quickly told her to, "Shut yer yap, Trixie."  Vixen continued to stare hard at Ilura with squinted eyes, occasionally diverting her gaze over at the poofed up Thomas.

After what felt like ages, it seemed Vixen finally came to a decision.  "The deal is... acceptable.  However!  How do we know you won't just slip away the second you're off the ship? You sell your arrows.  You get us the booze.  Then we'll owe you one favor.  One!  But in the meantime, we'll keep an eye on your bow.  Doubt you'll renege on the deal if we have that for collateral.  Fork it over and we have ourselves a deal."  Vixen had the greasiest smile on her face, obviously proud of her deal making skills.  She continued to keep one hand on the hilt of her saber though, just in case Ilura got any ideas.  It seemed almost as if the woman hoped Ilura would.

Eryn
Officer Brigg took in all that Eryn had to say with a solemn nod before answering the questions she asked. "Overhearing Trixie telling other crew member was how I found out.  I ordered them to keep the information to themselves, but who knows if they listened.  From how Trixie described the scene though, she didn't realize what it was that you were looking at."

With a sigh and a sad exhale, Officer Brigg removed his hat and placed it over his heart before continuing. "One of our officers, Officer Mar, didn't make it through the scuffle. May she rest in peace." He returned his hat to his head.  "Which means there are two other officers remaining aboard the ship.  Officer Tonya Star and Officer Dorian Gravelborough.  Gravelborough is a greedy old dwarf who only has an eye for profits.  He will insist on completing the transaction no matter the moral cost.  Tonya is a childhood friend of the captain and is extremely loyal.  I believe she could be convinced of the necessity of the situation and stand down, but I would not count on her bringing direct harm to the captain.  I believe the crew will be similarly split in the event of facing Captain Frost and- How did you put it? "Preventing a grave mistake that will doom her poor soul."  Some will want to complete the order to get paid.  Some will be too loyal to attack no matter how necessary it may be.  And others will be like myself.  Prepared to do what needs to be done, no matter how ugly it makes them feel inside."

Officer Brigg shook his head glumly at that last comment.  He did not seem the least bit happy about the situation.  "As for Frost herself, I do not think she will step aside.  Not even if she stands alone.  We are talking about her very soul being on the line here.  She is not going to just agree to forfeit it.  The only way she will be the least bit agreeable would be if you happen to know a way for her to get out of the contract."  Brigg looked to Eryn with suddenly hopeful eyes.  "Do you know a way out of a Devil's Bargain?"

What do you do?

---

Ilura
They will go along with your deal, so long as you give them your bow for safekeeping as concrete assurance that you will stick to your end of the bargain.

Also, go ahead and add the Bracelet of the Brine to your gear list:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Bracelet of the Brine: You can Shapeshift, as the Druid ability, but only into animals with a strong connection to the sea (saltwater fish, seagulls, walruses, etc.). You must have touched a living version of that animal since putting on the bracelet. You loose all forms if you ever take the bracelet off and must "collect" them again.

---

Eryn
Officer Brigg seems to think you can expect roughly one third of the crew to stand with the captain, one third to stand against her, and one third to stay on the sidelines.

Go ahead and add Ring of the Reef to your gear list:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Ring of the Reef: The wearer can breath both air and water.

---

"I would have asked the same in your position.  It'll be harder to demonstrate my arrows without the bow, but I have nothing else of value to offer as surity.  So I guess I'll have to find a way.

She traced her thumb over the holy symbol regretfully before handing it over.  <blue>"Trixie, I expect you to take good care of this."

She waited patiently, stroking Thomas's head as Vixen worked through her disappointment at the lack of a fight and eventually cleared her path.  The ranger wouldn't want to be the one who next crossed the burly woman's path - the brawler would definitely be looking for an opportunity to punch something or someone.

Once the way was clear, Ilura stashed one bundle of arrows in the room that had been "assigned" to the party, then went to see if there was a crew-member who might let her borrow a spare bow in exchange for a bit of leftover fish.  She expected there were a few bowman who wouldn't be needing their weapons for a bit.

She left a note for Hiran and Marcus who seemed better able to sleep through the early morning din.  The note included explicit instructions to *not* start the healing process until she was back to assist.  She didn't know if Marcus would listen, but she hoped so.  Then she headed down the gang-plank of the now-righted ship.

The captain had been working her crew hard.  Most of the damaged timbers had been removed and the shipmaster had somehow aquired a set of lumber to replace them.  Even now, planks were being sawed to fit and nailed into place.  Most of the damage had been to the top deck, not to the outer-frame, so there was nothing to impinge the seaworthiness of the vessel.  Ilura fully expected the ship would be ready to sail by morning.

There was no sign of the slain giant.  As she wandered into town, she vaguely wondered what had happened to it.  She chuckled slightly as she imagined the look on the grave tender's face if told to dig a grave for such a beast.

The dock was alive with sights and smells.  Women and waifs hawking delicious-smelling pastries to the dock workers.  Fishermen heading out, others heading in.  Not a few looking like they'd enjoyed themselves a bit too much the night before.

Ilura ignored the savory smells. She had no coin and once she found some, she'd have more important things to spend it on.

Eryn had mentioned the armorer she'd interacted with the day before and, having nothing better to go on, Ilura made her way there.  The woman was already at work with her forge, her hammer echoing through the neighborhood as she worked on some sort of sword.

"Good morning!  A friend of mine recommended you.  I have some arrows that might be of interest to you."

The ranger wasn't sure how much she'd get for them.  They were surely unusual and more effective.  But what she was really hoping for was enough coin to pay not only for Vixen's booze but also a rapier to replace her short-sword.  And rapiers didn't come cheap...

"There are possibly ways to break a contract and still keep your soul, but those desperate few who enter one in the first place aren't the sort who have any way to get out of the terms or kill a demon. If Frost was forced into the deal she may not even know how to converse with it. If she does we could renegotiate I suppose, but I can imagine it will only get worse the more you haggle without powerful leverage. " Eryn gestured towards the hilt of the sword she was carrying in her belt. "This weapon is special - it can cut spirits and all sorts of monsters. Magic is the only way I can think of to threaten a contract-writing demon into going easy on you, and this still only makes the task of fighting it possible, not a plausible victory or in any way a good idea."

Eryn hesitated, trying to recall what the cleric had told her after the tragedy she had witnessed with the previous contract she encountered. She came up short, but recalled parts of how the old village priest back home went about protecting them all from evil influence. "You would need a powerful warding ritual of sorts, I think, to buy time. Maybe you could have someone else take over the contract? That is not an option here," she added quickly and firmly, "but given enough time, we could find a better way. Our party is acting with the favor of the goddess at our backs. If anyone can grant freedom from demons, it is her."

Eryn knew in the back of her head that the captain's soul was as good as lost already, but she didn't believe she could tell Brigg this without risking him defecting back to aiding his captain. Instead she turned the attention back to the more immediate matter at hand. "Regardless of how we resolve the contract situation: You are right, I do not expect the crew to be happy about strangers interfering, nor do I believe they will abandon their captain in the midst of a crisis. Delivering a few jotnar corpses is inconsequential to them in comparison to figuratively stabbing their captain in the back."

Eryn adjusted the straps on her new equipment without really having a need to. The likely event of a battle in the near future was making her limbs itch to get moving. Planning, training, combat... whatever they ended up doing, there was no denying that fighting was what a warrior did best.

"This Gravelborough you mentioned... is he a threat? Would it be possible to distract him or quietly disarm and subdue him before he gets a chance to lash out at anyone? People tend to follow their leaders, and I honestly think it's better to be a bit cheap than having to go sword-to-sword with them all. We minimize the potential for bloodshed that way."

---

GM: I have added the item to my inventory now.

I don't believe Eryn would recall enough from her brief encounter with them to Spout any more lore on contracts specifically, but if you think the distressing supernatural nature of the subject could trigger Heirloom without Eryn being explicitly aware of the spiritual connection to her weapon yet, I would introduce it as a possible source of the info.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:41, Sat 15 Sept 2018.

Let's see what happens.  Go ahead and give me a roll for your Heirloom move.

03:55, Today: Eryn rolled 13 using 2d6+2.  Heirloom (How to break a Demonic Contract without losing your soul).

For reference:

quote:

Heirloom: When you consult the spirits that reside within your signature weapon, they will give you an insight relating
to the current situation, and might ask you some questions in return, roll+CHA.
* On a 10+, the GM will give you good detail.
* On a 7-9, the GM will give you an impression.

Ilura
"A recommendation, eh?  Let me see what ya got."  Lady Hammersoft shoveled one last scoop of coal into her forge, then wiped her hands on her leather apron and approached Ilura to take a look at the ranger's wares.  She picked up one arrow and eyed its length, checking its straightness.  Then felt for its weight and sharpness.  "I gotta hand it to ya.  These're some unusual ones.  The gal who brought in the vorlag skin must be tha one who recommended ya, 'cause these are from the same beast.  Exotic.  Well crafted.  Sharp.  I'll give ya 10 coins per bundle.  Which may not sound like a lot, but it's twenty times as much as I'ld give ya fer regular arrows."  She continued inspecting the arrow's balance as she waited for Ilura's reply, not paying the ranger much mind or seeming all that interested in haggling.

Eryn
Officer Brigg put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment on Eryn's question.  "Well, Officer Gravelborough usually goes over the books around noontime.  It would be simple enough to barricade him in at that time.  And Captain Frost normally spends the day sleeping.  The hot sun doesn't agree well with her icy skin, you see.  Additionally, around that time of day the sailors are..."

Brigg continued to talk about potential strategies, but Eryn's concentration began to drift away from the words he was saying.  She was distracted by voices.  Voices without words.  Voices she felt more than she heard.  It took a few moments for their words to come into focus, but when they did, it sounded like an old couple bickering.

[...can't do that.  It's bound by magic!]

[She should just skewer the captain and be doe with it then.  Her soul is forfeit anyway.]

[Not if they kill the demon used for the binding.  But they can't. It would be too strong...]

[How do you know that, Ramona?  They might have used a weak one.  It would be easier to do it with a weak one.]

[Because, Johnathan, the other signatory is the Overlord's brother.  He would use a strong one.]

[Skewer him then.]

[No that wouldn't-  Wait.  Maybe it would!  Johnathan, you heartless ass, you're a genius! If Frost pays a corpse, it would still fulfill the contract and avoid the demon involved in the binding!]

By now Eryn could tell that the voices were originating from her spear.  The names used sounded familiar as well.  Ramona and Johnathan were each the names of previous owners.  Coincidence?  Unlikely.

[Is... is she listening to us?]

[Her arcane strength can't have progressed that far already, could it?]

[Hush!]

The voices cut off suddenly and no more words were heard after.  Looking around, Eryn could see Officer Brigg was staring at her, concern on his face.  "Are you alright?"

What do you do?

---

Ilura
The bow you managed to borrow is a Ragged Bow (near, 15 coins, 2 weight).  You can sell Lady Hammersoft up to three bundles of ammo for 10 coins each if you accept her current offer. (a bundle is 3 ammo and 1 weight)

Eryn
The spirits of your weapon have unknowingly given you insight into your current situation.
You know Ramona and Johnathan were the names of two previous owners of your weapon. Who were they? What were they known for?
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:20, Tue 18 Sept 2018.

Ilura nodded.  "I might actually be interested in receiving some of the payment in-kind.  I'm interested in trading my sword here for something with a bit more precision.  Do you craft rapiers?"

Does Ilura have a sense of how much a barrel of strong-ish rot-gut would cost?  (Something around the same size as the wine barrel)

"Mostly," Eryn replied as she snapped back to reality. "Sorry, I got lost in thought after you mentioned Frost's peculiarities. What was that about the sailors? If many of them are busy too we may want to go to work immediately."

Internally her mind was still tumbling at the unexpected revelation that her family weapon seemed to be haunted. She had always considered the notion of her ancestors watching over the bearer of the spear as nothing more than an inspiring tale, but now they were whispering in her head, and yesterday's dream suddenly seemed to make a lot more sense. What's more, they were conversing with each other as if they knew what was going on...

Ramona had been her great grandmother. The woman was said to have been a stalwart defender of her people in times of unrest. Also a deeply religious individual, Ramona ended up as a devoted member of the clergy in her later years, after her old age made her retire from the militia and hand the spear over to the next generation. Jonathan was not a person Eryn knew much about, but she recalled seeing his name engraved on a small stone marker at the family grave. She surmised that he must have lived decades before her home village even existed, and that his body was put to rest elsewhere.

What the voices had said about the contract matched with what Eryn had thought about on her own. Fighting the demon could spell doom for them all. Handing over the jotnar would likely result in bringing about a dozen undead monstrosities if the recent attacks were anything to go by. Killing the overlord's brother would not stop a demon if the contract was broken, but at least there was nothing stopping them from fulfilling the contract and then immediately turning on Qizproteus to prevent the jotnar from being used for nefarious purposes. They had no way of knowing if they would even get a chance to get close to him, however.

Maybe the spirits would know, somehow? Eryn silently decided to converse more with them later, if at all possible. Them, and the rest of her party. If a mutiny was happening, they needed to know.

Ilura
"I do craft rapiers," Lady Hammersoft said as she took Ilura's sword to inspect it.  She then went on to remark on her inspection aloud. "It's used, but in decent condition.  No major gouges, warping, or dents.  I see it has a touch of the Blacksand curse on the blade here.  That could deter some customers.  Entice others.  I'll give ya four coin fer it, if you're still interested in sellin."  The blacksmith handed Ilura back her blade.

"What kinda rapier were ya thinkin ta get?  I got yer basic ones that are good for most battles.  Then I got the ones that are a bit higher quality that have a bit more of a point to 'em.  Only true warriors or rich kids usually bother with those though.  The basic ones are 25 coin.  The higher quality ones are twice that, since they're twice as hard ta make.  I can grab some samples outa my wagon if ya want."

Eryn
Officer Brigg gave Eryn a sideways glance that suggested he wasn't totally convinced about her being "mostly alright."  But eventually he shrugged, scratched his beard, and said, "I was saying many sailors eat lunch at around noon as well, meaning the crew on deck is lighter than usual at that time.  Perhaps we could use that to our advantage. Of course that is when we are out at sea.  Right now all schedules are in chaotic disarray due to the repairs."

Brigg then let out a heavy sigh.  "I realize that you landlubbers are hesitant to take risks out of reach of land, but I truly do think it would be best to wait and make our move out at sea.  Anything we try while still docked will not only draw the ire of the other vessels present, but we will also be subject to the local laws of Markhain.  We could succeed in overthrowing Frost, only to have the port authority come down on us with an iron fist.  Out at sea, whoever commands the ship makes the laws."

What do you do?

---

Ilura
Lady Hammersoft has offered to buy your sword for four coins.  She will sell you a rapier for 25 or 50 coins.  The one for 50 coins has piercing 1.

Eryn
What are some of the styles of rapiers that Lady Hammersoft pulls out for Ilura to look at?

Does Ilura know roughly how much rotgut costs?

Sorry, I forgot about that. You can get a barrel of the really cheap stuff of comparable size to the wine barrel for 35 coin.

"The risk is that we will be stuck at sea with more angry men than you can shake a stick at. My stick happens to be a rather intimidating one, but I still don't like our chances in such an event."

Eryn noticed that Brigg seemed scared of the town guard. If the rest of the crew followed suit, that was an opportunity. "Is there any reason why the port authorities shouldn't know about this?" she asked him. "If you are afraid they will stop us, it would be better to keep them aimed towards Frost in the first place. Their presence would be another deterrent to keep an all-out battle from breaking out as well. I can see why you would be reluctant to bring them into this, but without their blessing you may end up losing this port as trade station, which could cripple your business in the future."

She shrugged. "I'm not directly opposed to an open-sea mutiny, I just wish to discuss all options before we commit to something rash. Your call, just consider that hiring mercenaries for a risky job costs more," the sell-sword added playfully.

---

All rapiers have a long, thin blade in common, but you still notice several distinct styles. One style is straight and double-edged with a tapering tip, similar to a broadsword but thinner and weighted for swifter movements using more of the wrist. Another is single-edged, looking more like a dress sword and likely used for thrusting and chopping motions. The third style is so thin it ends a needle-like point; definitely designed for maximum thrust.

There are multiple hilt designs as well, which could be fitted to any of the blades. Some have a simple guard while others are much more ornate designs reminicent of a noble's or dashing rogue's dueling weapon of choice.

Ilura examined the woman's offerings and tests a few for weight and balance.  The smith did good work.  The ability to customize the hilt for the blade showed good business sense too.  She had no use for the flashier guards - they'd just draw attention, and almost always of the wrong sort.  Returning the last of the blades, she nodded her thanks.

"You do nice work.

For now, I think I'll just part with these two quivers.  I'm afraid I'll need a bit more coin for the blade that really appeals to me."

She made her way back toward the docks, keeping out a sharp eye for her warrier friend, instructing Thomas to do the same.

quote:

08:05, Today: Ilura rolled 12 using 2d6+5.  Perceive realities - find Eryn w/ Thomas.

Not sure exactly what question to ask to find Eryn.  Could also call this tracking.  If we call it discern realities, I'll let the GM decide what questions get answered :)

Ilura
Lady Hammersoft merely shrugged at Ilura's final decision, took the two bundles of arrows, then handed Ilura twenty coins in a little pouch.  Then, without another word, the smith went back to stoking her forge.

The search for Eryn wasn't particularly difficult, but it did take quite some time.  Thomas flew over the crowded streets several times before before finally reporting back to Ilura, who was having no luck of her own.  [She's in an alley, talking to some guy with face hair.  Over this way!]  The little crow began eagerly leading Ilura through the busy marketplace, apparently finding it funny that it was so difficult for her to move through the crowds while he flew effortlessly overhead.

Eryn
Officer Brigg sighed heavily again.  "I think you have the situation a bit backward, my dear.  Understandably so.  The reason we wouldn't want to involve the port authority is because they wouldn't really care about the Devil's Bargain.  The worst that telling them about it would do is put a black mark on Frost's record.  A reason not to do business with her.  While Devil's Bargains are certainly ill advised, they are not illegal.  Same with the cargo.  It is not illegal to transport giants or corpses.  Just ill advised. Whether the customer is the Overlord's brother or not."

"Now, when a ship causes problems for the city, that is when the port authority cares.  The jotun escaping would be one example.  Crew members battling their own captain in the harbor would be another.  Both are potential grounds for exile.  And I cannot afford to be exiled from Markhain. Especially if I am going to afford your services."

Officer Brigg looked suddenly a bit sheepish and he fiddled with the collar of his uniform. "Speaking of which.  How much will it cost me to hire you for the "riskier" option?  And how much for your allies?  Or, if you really do insist on staying on land, I suppose we could try and lure Frost from the ship to keep her from making her shipment.  But we would have to do the same for Gravelborough or else he will attempt to make the delivery in her stead.  At any rate, what is your rate?"

What do you do?

---

Ilura
No roll was necessary in this instance.  All it took was time.  Feel free to show up when you deem it appropriate. Also, don't forget to mark the sale of arrows if you haven't yet.

Eryn
Brigg wants to know your price.

Ilura hurried after her crow.  He was pretty good about taking her by a route that a human could physically travel.  Unfortunately, he didn't always understand the nuances of where a human *should* travel.  Or perhaps he did and chose to take her where he did for his own avian amusement.  There were a few times she had to detour to avoid going through a back yard, through the midst of a formal duel and through some sort of gathering that was a bit more intimate than she had a wish to observe at that time of day.

Eventually she got to the alley.  It was now approaching mid-morning and definitely time for them to get back to the ship for the ritual.  She recognized the 'guy with face hair' as one of the ship's officers from the night before.  He'd been busy coordinating clean-up and healing efforts and, from her observation, had seemed competent.  She wasn't quite sure what he was doing talking to Eryn down the alley-way.  She paused a moment, trying to decide whether or not to interrupt.