Dockside Diversion/Still Waters

[Songdragon]

"From what this one says...,' she motions to the halfling that remains alive, "The boat traffic around here is invading their lands... or the lands of their spirits... I know from experience what one does to protect and take back what is theirs. I would really like to know which side has the right of it... And who is doing what to whom." the gnome says... "I would rather not get mixed up in some local squabble... not to mention be on the wrong side of it. Right now we have a job, not gallivanting for halfling treasures."

[sblock=Knowledge Checks]Knowledge (religion) regarding the religion 1d20+7=8
Knowledge (history) of the area1d20+2=22
Knowledge (local) of what is happening locally1d20+8=14
Knowledge (geography) to get a lay of the area and how large the halflings claim 1d20+2=14[/sblock]

 

[perrinmiller]

Borric Hawkins, Male Human Fighter

OOC: Rumor has it Nate is AFK for a bit.

Borric nods, "Yar. We can do some investigating once we reach port and see what's to be done. Where's the lizzyman? Would like his opinion in all this. He is our employer and all."

[sblock=Mini Stats]Initiative: +4
AC: 26 (23 without shield, 21 flat-footed, 13 Touch) - Platemail
AC: 20 (17 without shield, 18 flat-footed, 13 Touch) - Chain shirt
HP: 43 Current: 53
CMB: +8 CMD: 21 (23 vs. Trip/Disarm) Fort: +7 Reflex: +4 Will: +3 (+4 vs. Fear)
Conditions in Effect: Ioun Torch (night)

Current Weapon in Hand: +1 Flail
Chakram: 2/2 MWK & 6/6 Cold Iron remaining
Light Hammers: 2/2 remaining[/sblock]___________________________

Borric Hawkins

 

[GlassEye]

GM: Sorry for the delay; I'll try to get an update up tonight

 

[GlassEye]

Rays of early sun are beginning to streak the sky to the east with gold. The halfling looks towards the sight and shrugs fatalistically. "My name is Eneko." When Sylvain mentions the possibility of great riches Eneko turns and looks at him but remains with a flat expression. "We've no great wealth such as you expect. What we couldn't easily carry with us we sent to the bottom of the Ouhm with the boats. The small portion we take is quickly used or sold to support our small community."

With a splash Sekmun pulls himself up onto the ship. He eyes the halfling like someone looking at his dinner plate before swinging his gaze to Borric. "My opinion on what?"

Eneko gasps at Sekmuns sudden appearance. "You are in league with the grayscales!"



[sblock=Zelenas knowledge checks]
Religion: Zelena knows little of the Tal cults and certainly less than what Sylvain has already mentioned about them being small cultic centers surrounding local nature spirits revered as gods. In the recorded history on EN, halflings have always had an affinity for water gods and spirits.

History: Zelena's lack of religious knowledge about the Tal cults may be because the cult of Tal Hollow was wiped out during the pogroms enacted by the necromancer that controlled her homeland for so long. Also, most gnomes of her homeland have always readily recognized the spirits for what they are and have had strong ties to their pantheon of gods.

In local history, tales of pirate activity have been told along the Ouhm and elsewhere for as long as anyone living can remember. It is interesting to note that the River Lords have taken little or no action to stop the pirates from raiding travelers and only once has a king along the Ouhm raised a force to eradicate the pirates. That force never returned to their city and the city eventually withered and was lost to the Ouhm.

Local: The Ouhm River Trading Guild complains the loudest about pirate activity as their merchants and captains work up and down the entirety of the Ouhm River and take the greatest losses.

Geography: This region is predominantly swampland with the best sites already settled by K'issp, Hruthrip, and Gist. Small settlements dot the banks of the Ouhm but all of them are small and racially mixed with none that Zelena knows of being dominated by halflings. The halflings don't seem to be claiming any territory except for the waters of the Ouhm which is extensive.[/sblock]

 

[perrinmiller]

Borric Hawkins, Male Human Fighter

Borric greets Sekmuns, "Ahoy, wet one."

"Ya see, we dealt with these alleged pirates an' all, but it is looking more and more that we are dealing with a turf war. Even so, we are planning to look into it once we reach the destination."

"This lil' turd is our prisoner and soon to be guide to their camp should we decide to go. You know anything about these hobbit bandits and their allegiance with the sea monsters in the river?"

OOC: Not ripping off Tolkien, but using the term "hobbit" as derogatory for fat halflings.

[sblock=Mini Stats]Initiative: +4
AC: 26 (23 without shield, 21 flat-footed, 13 Touch) - Platemail
AC: 20 (17 without shield, 18 flat-footed, 13 Touch) - Chain shirt
HP: 43 Current: 53
CMB: +8 CMD: 21 (23 vs. Trip/Disarm) Fort: +7 Reflex: +4 Will: +3 (+4 vs. Fear)
Conditions in Effect: Ioun Torch (night)

Current Weapon in Hand: +1 Flail
Chakram: 2/2 MWK & 6/6 Cold Iron remaining
Light Hammers: 2/2 remaining[/sblock]___________________________

Borric Hawkins

 

[Songdragon]

Zelena looks to Eneko... "Greyscales? He looks rather green to me... perhaps you could explain?"

She looks to Sekmun... "The halfling seem to claim the rivers as they revere the spirits that dwell within. Is there no compromise between each group? We ran into a bunch of the halflings and a small river monster that was aiding them."

 

[GlassEye]

"Sea monsters?" Sekmun looks at the halfling with cold, reptile eyes then shrugs. "That'd explain the lack of game. All hiding. I know little about these monsters. Dark shadows in the water, that's all, never anything seen clearly. We suspected they had powerful allies of some sort... I say tie a rock to the little brigand and toss him overboard; let him commune with his god then. If you insist on compromise, I have a mouth full of compromise." Sekmun grins revealing sharp teeth.

Eneko scowls, apparently reluctant to speak much more in front of the lizardfolk warrior, and motions vaguely in Sekmun's direction. "Gray..."



[sblock=OOC]
Re: Coloration. Sekmun was first described as 'a massive lizardfolk male, easily topping seven feet tall and with scales the dark gray-green of hanging moss'.[/sblock]

 

[perrinmiller]

Borric Hawkins, Male Human Fighter

Borric harrumphs to himself, "Well, there's his opinion." But, the fighter gave his word that he would not kill the halfling after talking.

He looks to Syl and Nate to see if they have anything further to add, otherwise he will shrug, "Make sure Eneko is tied up good, don't trust him to not try and escape on us. Shall we resume watches, then?"

[sblock=Mini Stats]Initiative: +4
AC: 26 (23 without shield, 21 flat-footed, 13 Touch) - Platemail
AC: 20 (17 without shield, 18 flat-footed, 13 Touch) - Chain shirt
HP: 43 Current: 53
CMB: +8 CMD: 21 (23 vs. Trip/Disarm) Fort: +7 Reflex: +4 Will: +3 (+4 vs. Fear)
Conditions in Effect: Ioun Torch (night)

Current Weapon in Hand: +1 Flail
Chakram: 2/2 MWK & 6/6 Cold Iron remaining
Light Hammers: 2/2 remaining[/sblock]___________________________

Borric Hawkins

 

[jkason]

Nathan Tchanlach, human sorcerer

Nathan felt sick.

He was good at pretending to be tough and ruthless; just pretend to be Grandfather, he always told himself. But those were just tools. Aids to getting what you wanted without actually hurting someone. But as it became increasingly obvious that one of these men was going to die, executed while bound, the young sorcerer began to draw into himself. Pretending to be Grandfather, with his judgement and his hatred, was one thing. This…

It didn't help that his unseen companions didn't even seem to agree. One faction clamored on about divine justice and smiting the wicked for their wickedness, while the other set chimed forth with an insistence on the need for the ascended to be above finality in their judgements, and to never deny forgiveness even unto the last breath. As a result, Nathan found himself unable to assert any kind of opinion when the time came. He simply watched, color draining from his face even as the blood drained from the halfling's slit throat.

He still felt a bit cold and nauseated, but at least the motes had stopped arguing once the point became moot. Slowly, he started to recover some sense of composure.

"No," he says softly as their employer makes overtures toward killing the remaining halfling. Then more forcefully: "Whether you worship the river or not, there's been more than enough blood spilled on it tonight. I'll have no more of it.

"You've our skills to guard your shipment, and we've done just that. The captain's made it clear the halfling is ours to dispose of as we see fit, and I, for one, intend to avoid doing anything that paints us any more clearly the villains of this turf war. This halfling makes it alive to Hruthrip, or I don't care who I have to hunt down for making an oath-breaker of me, I will send him to hell or drag him down with me."

[sblock=ooc]Okay, I think I'm almost all caught up on my threads now. Thanks to all for being understanding.

On the matter of choice, I think we're all more or less agreed we need to see through our current job before moving in a different direction? From the philosophical conflict, though, I would expect we're likely to leave Sekmun's employ once we've discharged our duty. Is that when we reach Hruthrip?[/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

Sekmun shrugs apparently dismissing the whole conflict. Glancing around at the aftermath of the battle he moves on to matters of business.

"Seems this qualifies as a threat successfully dealt with. I'll pay out your bonus when we arrive in Hruthrip." Putting the matter behind him the lizardfolk scrambles atop the cabin and stretches out to bask in the now rising sun.

The captain waves towards his men. "Grab those poles, you louts! We've distance to make."

---

The next five days are as uneventful as the first five. Eneko tries to stay in the little bit of shade at the side of the cabin and speaking little and avoiding Sekmun as much as possible. Aldino is subdued whether from the heat and insects or the unpleasant business with the pirates and takes it upon himself to see that Eneko is fed regularly.

Finally, rounding a bend in the river Hruthrip comes into view. Appearing less like a city and more like a wilderness fortress Hruthrip is surrounded by a palisade and tall wooden watchtowers. The trees press close, however, and there is a dock and a dilapidated jumble of buildings around it outside the palisade.

As the captain and crew take the boat into dock Sekmun pays out the expected reward for beating off the pirates. "Are you continuing in my service or do we part ways here?"



[sblock=OOC]The agreement was that you all work for Sekmun escorting his cargo until you arrive at his tribal compound some few days outside of Hruthrip. But the lizardman did give you an out by saying you could leave his service upon arrival at Hruthrip if you wanted. The choice is up to you all.

Note: 400 gp bonus (100 gp each) added to first post.[/sblock]

GM: And as of Jan 19 Nathan is 5th level. Congrats!