In reply to Jarvak Amendola (msg # 16):

]

In reply to Harald (msg # 13):

The man watches without expression as the bard struts in and goes on his exposition.

"Are you...are you finished? Fine. So you've got a minstrel and a tumbler. You could have passed yourself off as wedding entertainment.

So you took a mission without knowing the whole story. Understood. And Mister Dwarf, I doubt anyone in your party, even a lanlubber such as yourself, is so stupid as to not weigh anchor when you arrive in port.

As for the manticores, yes, everyone in this region knows about them. Particularly bad now being their mating season.

And WE are not the ones who raided that village! In fact we were telling people to follow us up here when the floods came! Normally it's some tourist trap for pilgrims to the Sun God - the local version, not the faceless one the Imperials brought with them - it's nearly abandoned most of the year. I don't work for orcs and I sure as hell don't work for minotaurs.""

He tosses Kalandra's hairband back in her lap.

"We call it the Gingerbread Man rule. Don't work for anything that might find you tasty."


"I suppose..." He stands slowly. "You'll want to rescue the peasants and take back Castle Braunstein from the monsters. Well, best of luck with that."

He offers his hand to Einhard.

"Do we have a deal, Your Lordship?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:07, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

In reply to Alietra (msg # 15):

[roll d6]

" As a show of trust, release Kalandra first."

"Of course.

He pulls his dagger from his waistband and slices the bonds on Kalandra's ankles, then frees her wrists.

This message was deleted by the player at 16:29, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

Still not trusting this unknown group Einhard waits until Kalandra is near before offering his hand...

"I am bound by a code of honor, however...those who do not abide by the code can be dealt with severly as dishonorable adversaries...

I don't think that will be a problem with our arrangement."

Einhard hesitates...

"By the way I didn't catch your name...I am Einhard."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:17, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

In reply to Einhard (msg # 24):

"You can call me Clark, good Sir. Now if you would...please lead us to our ship."

This message was deleted by the player at 17:50, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

OOC - You're right, I never put it back on the mule, Pock has it.

The gnome steps out from behind a bush, holding the bottle with both hands.

"Now you may find this hard to believe, but this is a magic bottle...and the ship we're using folds up into this bottle!"

Clark looks down at the gnome, then back at the horsemen, who all start chuckling.

"This is one of those gnomish pranks? An illusion maybe?"

Clark looks back to the Knight.

"This sounds more like fairy-tale magic! Sir Einhard! Do you vouch for this little man says? You ALL sailed here using a bottled boat?"

"Yes we did. shall we take it out of the bottle here? Or would you rather take it out in the water? Break the bottle and the magic is surely gone."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

Manaku remains quiet, standing at the back of the group in the clearing. He tilts his head to one side again, as is his habit when he sees something curious or amusing, and stares the leader of the others wanting to see how he will react to Pocks claim about magical ship-in-the-bottle.

Alietra rolled 2 using 1d6.  perception.

In reply to Alietra (msg # 33):

"Don't be absurd, no one can sail on a bottled boat...

You take it out first."

Einhard thinks about the what he said for a minute.

"Really, I don't know how it works but yes that's how we got here.

It's better if Pock explains.

You just have to really careful with it."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:32, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

Dwarghar stares aghast at how easily his companions throw away priceless artifacts of great wonder. He shakes his beard - he had of course tried.

I’m not a sailor but I thought the anchor is for when you don’t have a dock to tie to. He mumbles but of course nobody listens, they never do.

Dwarghar begins wandering away from this insanity toward he knows not what.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:54, Thu 20 Feb 2020.

Amalrik stays in place. Boats in bottles. Mating manticores. Dams under mountains. Privately though, he's glad Harald is here to make music of this tall tale. He moves about, a moving target is harder to hit as he scans the rear regions.

Kalandra stands and lets her hairband fall from her lap as she does. "I suppose I should be grateful to you for helping me with a new hairstyle direction."

She walks over to the side of the people who somehow bargained her release. "Thank you."

Turning back around, "Could I get my pole back, too? Since we're all doing the honorable thing." She smiles.

Two of Clark's horsemen speaks up.

"I know a bloody trap when I see one! You get us all on the boat and then your magic stops us back in the bottle!"

"And then you shake the bottle and we're stuck in a blizzard!"

"No, that's a snowglobe! That's totally different!"

"Hmmmm, okay. I guess they want to stay here and ride."

Clark examines the pole.

"Isn't this technically part of the boat...?"

" Unfortunately in our haste to rescue our comrade, several things escaped my notice.

I have been reminded that we also crew the boat, even though, tituarly, I am the leader, I am not a sailor.

I am more at home on a horse.

This why the bard suggested we take you back with us.

Perhaps we can work together to come up with a solution?"

Harald smiled like a cherub, "Well no Sir Clark, I've hardly even begun!"

The minstrel, as it were, began strumming gently on his lute as this parley began to crumble around them.



Harald's finger slipped, hit a wrong note, and nearly broke a string. So much for that idea... he thought as he picked up the melody once more.

If Sir Einhard didn't continue destroying their leverage in this negotiation, other opportunities were bound to present themselves.

"With swords and shields they win the field,
but upon the water weapons won't yield...
For those whose bodies are bare and free
are the ones most suited to the moaning sea..."

He plucked his lute and raised his voice. Time for the fallback plan had arrived.

"So follow me, my metal-clad friend,
and bring in all your sneak-ling men,
we'll tread the path to yonder stream
there to shed your metallic gleam!"

Like the pied piper of legend, he began to leave the camp along with whatever weak-minded fools he could enthrall.

"We'll take up ropes and hoist the sails,
we'll man the oars and bind the rails,
Your men, fine sailors they will be,
upon the deck, oh they'll be free..."

The suggestion, first subtle, now came by way of command as the bard led his prey toward the stonework docks.

"Come now men, come follow all!
Toward your freedom, away from walls,
And into the river your weapons discard,
For you'll no longer need them sayeth your...
most...
humble...
bard...
..."


OOC: Obviously this will take some effort to pull off, but I'm going to be unable to post until tomorrow afternoon and didn't want to miss out on the festivities... I realize there are saving throws and so forth, but hopefully it will at least affect the scene somewhat.

Song of Enchantment - 2HD of persons per level [so 4HD of persons total, starting with Sir Clark and hopefully others will just follow his lead], Save vs. Spells or drop what they're doing and follow the bard as long as Harald's playing.