A Warlock Alone, Island Empire solo game

[Scotley]

...if at all possible could you give me a slight breakdown sometime of what he has in the 3500 gp so he can detail it in his cargo section

OOC: Hmmm, according to post 49,

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2344419&postcount=49

it was only 3,000 gp not 3,500 gp. Unless you found another 500 somewhere else???

Most of the goods look to have been stolen by the freedom fighters/thieves guild in Axiopolis. You figure they must have taken much of it from cargos being loaded or unloaded at Axiopolis or from ships passing through the port, while other items have seen use and were likely stolen from homes. There is a silver tea service worth 150 gp, a box of lady's fur jackets sized for dwarf women that likely 'fell off a wagon' worth 300 gp, a case of vintage brandy from the shield arm woth 100 gp, a set of rare illustrated fencing manuals by a reknown master of the last century worth 200 gp, a set of 6 drinking bowls that appear to be of elf make in Linden wood, which is not found in the Empire worth 300 gp., a matched pair of cold iron masterwork hammers of dwarf make with darkwood handles worth 675 gp for the pair, a box of 12 wide brimmed genlemen's hats in felt with tooled leather bands and exotic plumage worth 200 gp, a large silver candle stick with an incense burner in the base with finely etched risque scenes and a selection of incense and candles suitible for romantic encounters worth 400 gp, a masterwork dagger 302 gp in a jeweled sheath worth another 150 gp, an onyx and narwhale ivory chess board with brass and silver pieces in an ornate wooden case worth 125 gp, a silver box of assorted cheap jewelry worth 100 gp including the box.

OOC: That should keep you busy for a while.

 

[J. Alexander]

Storm and company

Before dinner conculds, Michael will ask the assembled officers if they will find out if any of the men sailing with him are married, as he would like to host a going away party/ships cleaning completion party for the crew as a thank you. He also asks that they keep it to themselves as he wishes for it to be a suprise.

OCC: After we finish with the priestess, shall we advance time till tomorrow afternoon and the Dye Merchant. I am trying not to bog you down in all the little details that come to my fertile mind.........

 

[Scotley]

Officer's Mess continued

"Captain," Priestess Nac'Losin Nabrill says, "I am a woman of the world and I understand the need for revenue. You need not abandon a choice prize, merely rethink your approach to getting it. You are not a warrior by nature I think, yet you fall back on a warrior's approach. This is not a harmony. Find a balance between yourself and the task and perhaps a way shall present itself."

All the officers who have seen them agree that the charts aboard are woefully substandard, being only fairly accurate in the area around the lower Sword arm and northern Wheelands. The further away the less accurate. Fairly good charts can be purchased here, but for a really good set that covers large areas of the Empire and especially the far North you'll need to go to a major port.

They discuss local carpenters and shipwrights, but no one name comes out of the discussion. Some fair timber can be had here for a price of course.

Priestess Nac'Losin considers your suggestion, she is chilling in her seeming ability to look deep inside you. You suspect that taking on such a woman will be a life altering decision. "I would be willing to consider joining your crew, but I must warn you that I need some time to myself each day for religious meditation. What sort of offer do you wish to make?"

 

[J. Alexander]

Dinner with the Officers

"Well we must proceed as best we can with the construction" Looking at the First Officer he will say "Check with the local merchants and get the necessary timber as well as some additional planking and boards. The ship has some high quality timber aboard allready but i would rather use that as a last resort. Oh hell, go ahead to refit both upper portions of the hold. Make sure they are water tight and sealed well. We may need the space seggerated and it is better to have it done now than when we need it"

As to the charts, we will make do until I can find a respectable set. I do ask that you gentlemen consult with you local friends before we leave and try to gain as much information as possible about as many islands and waters routes as you can. I know it is an inconvience, but failing adequate charts, it is best to be prepared as bests we can."

OCC: How much high quality timber did i find with the Masterwork Carpenters Tools?

AS the conclude the dinner, Michael will ask the priestess to stay while the officers see to their duties. Once they have left he will offer to refill her wine glass and say..

"Madame you are more than correct with your insight, I have been in a martial frame of mind lately due to a recent grieviance and it has thrown me out of harmony I fear" "I shall think on the matter of the raid, and perhaps may be able to come up with a stealthy apporach that may well serve us all"

"As to your offer of employment, I do not really know what adequate compensation is for a ship's healer. Giving that I am willing to open our discussion with 50 gp per month and a full crew share for our immediate voyage. Should we both be of like mind then we can make the arrangement permenate at a later date. Further, I will offer you a room of your own though it may be small and it's size will not be meant as a slight,it is just that until i can get barrells made that replish themselves with water each day and a couple of larders for holding our food I am pressed for space. Eventually we will be building a ship and should you become a permenate fixture, then you will have all the space you desire. (This is not a big an issue as it seems as the ship is configured to allow a private cabin to the healer) I am also willing to grant an allowance for any religous items as well as the an above average allowance for bandages and medecialn herbs. I wish for a healthy ship and should we stumble into trouble, then I wish for my crew to be well cared for. Should you require or wish it I will aslo try to find space for an assistante of you choice."

Also though i can not always say I will agree to your point of view, I will consider it most carefully and respect any differences of opion that we may have. At times I have a dark nature and it does come to the fore and clouds my mind with thoughts of vengenace and (Michael will smile as he says this) Retribution.

Offering to replish her wine glass yet again, Michael will contiue. "There is several other matters related to this voyage that I will discuss with you at some time in the future should you accept this offer, but for know they are unfinished and not ready for disclosure.

"Will you join our crew Madame"

 

[Scotley]

Officer's mess continued

The timber aboard is suitable for extensive repairs and includes a replacement mast, but it is in three pieces owing to space limits and thus would not be strong enough to serve as more than a temporary replacement. However, the supply of timber is not adequate to build the floor, stairs and walls needed for quartering the Marines.

Lo'Dasse will go to local carpenters and shipwrights to take bids for the overhaul of the hold tomorrow.

Nac'Losin considers your offer as she savors the profered glass of wine. Michael begins to suspect that she never speaks without careful consideration. "Your offer is a generous one, but I think perhaps you misunderstand my priorities in life. I need but a small space and somewhere to store medical supplies of course. As to money, I need but a small stipend for my own use. Pay me 10 gp a month and donate the 50 gp a month you offer to the mother church in the name of my patron Godess Irudis'Do, lady of wisdom and the people of the swamps. I will take my fair crew share, but do not be offended if much of it goes to the needy or the church. I would ask that you take on an apprentice for me. I have a young acolyte in mind. Pay her 2 gp a month and she may share my cabin. As I said, we requre little space, but I do ask that you seperate us from the male crew. The people who have joined your crew are good hearted and I do not fear them, but they are unused to being away from their community and may become restless with time if you understand me." She fixes you with that uncanny stare and pauses for a moment. "I see much unrest in you. I hope you will take me into your council and let me advise you. It is the calling of followers of Irudis'Do to provide wise council." She holds up her now empty glass, "If you'll be so kind as to refill my glass and you agree to my terms, we'll drink to our harmonious future." Michael senses a tension in the air as if the world waits on the next few moments. Something about this strange woman with her odd amphibian features and those piercing frog eyes makes him feel as if she is the center of something much greater than she appears.

 

[J. Alexander]

Done Deal

Michael will slowly extend his hand toward the lady..."It is Agreeded then. I shall have transfered to you the entire 300 gp for your churches use immediately and shall make what other arrangements you require."

Pouring himself another glass Michael will say, "Sit Madam I pray you, let me refresh your glass, and tell you my true mission" Michael will then relate to her the story told to him by Honager Marin and the true reason for them going to Mermaids Rest and eventually to icewatch. He will relate the strange disapperace of the Marin Ships and even how he came to be in Tereger with the "Retribution" " I fear i am on the hunt for something dark and dangerous and currently am at a loss as to where to start. Thus I shall trade my way northward hoping to uncover any information I can as well as a profit. Cpatain Marin has been more than geneorous in his outlay of funds to my former associates and I do not feel comfortable with asking him for more funds.
That explains my greed and blindness in regards to the Shark Men. We do have enought to see us thru but it will be somewhat strained with the cash I have now, but if we can turn the cargo we are amassing into profit, then all worries will be settled. The tobacco we carry alone will more than pay for the voyager and incidentials many times over.

Do you think a stealth raid on the shark men compound would be worth it or shall we turn to other venues and wait for other opportunties?

 

[Scotley]

Hiring a Healer

Before taking your hand, the Toad Woman makes one request. "While I am sure the church could put the money to use now, I think it will do your soul good to pay each month and perhaps you'll even decide to tithe some of your own along with it as we turn a profit." Then she shakes your hand with her firm grip and holds your hand gazing into your eyes for a moment. As if seeing something she doesn't like she says in a low voice, "I'm going to be busy, I should have asked for more money." She listens with interest to your tale. "The Sahaugin are possessed of a greed that knows no bounds. If they have been raiding for some time it is likely that some value has been amassed. The trick will of course be in getting to it and then getting it back to the surface. It is much easier to get treasure to the bottom than it is to carry it back up. Worse these Sahaugin you describe sound like the deep water dwellers. They live far below the surface." She purses her lips in an odd toad way that you think must indicate she is torn about something. Finally, she speaks again. "Chandar is a good man. Perhaps even a great man. He has the potintial to be a hero among his people. Part of the reason I take this job is to be sure that he doesn't forget who he is and where he comes from. To you he is just another powerful warrior, but to me he is the hope of a people...even if some of them are too stupid to realize it."

 

[J. Alexander]

Closing the Deal

Laughing at her comment "Madame, perhaps i shall learn to tith if for no other reason than to make my passage with you easier" He says this warmly and with a smile. "Yes i do view Chandar as an excellent warrior but I too sense something great about him which is one of the reasons I named him Captain" "Shall we have him to dinner tomorrow and discuss his thoughts on a hit and run raid for treasuer on the Shark Men's lair?"

"One question before we leave if I may. Does Mr. Broudeau hold his workers in bondage either by indebitness or fear?"

 

[J. Alexander]

The Dye Merchant

At the conclusion of the discussion with the Priestess, Michael will bid her good night. He will then summon Grond and bring him up to date and ask his thoughts. He will aslo ask Grond to give some thought on how they can stage a quick hit and run raid on the Shark Men without brining on a general battle and will tell him they will all four be discussing it tomorrow night.

He also will ask Grond to detect Psionics on the assembled crew so there are no nasty suprises.

Michael will then turn into bed. The next day he will spend it taking care of the 1001 things his officers and crew need in order to set sail. He will do that until his afteroon appointment.

Michael will arrive promplty at the appointed time.

 

[Scotley]

Discussions with the Priestess

"Mr. Boudreau hmmm," she looks at you with curiosity. "Well, he is not a bad plantation owner as such things go. You must understand that there is little usable land on our swampy island and few jobs. The plantation owners control all the land going back to the time of the Rain of Uncounted Days. Once they ruled over the people as slaveowners. When all were freed it changed things only a little. In order to get work one has to work for the plantation onwers. They have strict rules and can expect hard work for small pay. Some times the foremen are aggresive in enforcing the rules. We have recourse of law, but if one of the people reports a plantation owner then he and his family are blackballed by all the plantation owners and that means no work. We can survive in the swamps without the money of the landholders, but it is an even poorer existance. Things were better before the plague. There were more opportunities because of all the open trade. More of the people worked building boats or on the docks or even had shops of their own. With the collapse of trade during the plague years there were no jobs for anyone and the people lost their shops and there were no cargos to load or boats to build or repair. Now only the landowners have jobs to offer. To make money we have to work for them at whatever wage they pay and under whatever rules they make. Trade will make things better. The landowners will get richer, but the lives of the people will also improve."