Six From Gate Pass - Chapter 3: Shelter From The Storm

[Bannock]

At some point early in the trip, well before the party enters the hamlet of Vidor, Bannock managed to catch Arnir alone during a rest stop to finally ask him about the black glaive. The dwarven smith's suggestion that it might have magical properties had been nagging at him since leaving East Watch and he'd been eager to ask Arnir about it. He hoped that after a few days the Elven wizard wouldn't still be sore about having his pride sacrificed for the sake of not being stabbed to death by two dozen of Lady Timor's men at arms.

OOC: Is the 75 gold to be split 6 ways, or is that 75 each?

 

[digimattic]

Arnir's grudge slowly fades away along with his memory of the night, and he's soon openly warm with Bannock again.

Arnir takes a day to prepare the spell, and then casts Identify on the glaive. If there is a magical aura detected, he uses his skill in spellcraft to attempt to figure out what it is.

After a few moments Arnir nods his head in understanding, turns to Bannock and says "From what I could gather - which is everything - this glaive will do slightly more damage to anyone you hit with it than a normal one would. In addition, it's been permanently enchanted to look like it's always bloody."

OOC: The glaive does an extra +1 damage and has a permanent glamer making it appear constantly blood stained.

OOC: That's 75GP each.

 

[The Bashar]

Hrimr is taken aback by the press of people clamouring for their gold. He walks up beside Torrent.

"Torrent, what is our next course of action? Do we need to hire boats to get to the Lyceum? I've never been this far south."

 

[Gregor]

[sblock="for Arnir"]Arnir, the weapon is a +1 Glaive with a permanent illusion (glamer) that makes it appear as if it is constantly stained with blood.[/sblock]

"According to my maps," says Torrent, "we need to cross the swamp before we get to Seaquen. Its a town right at the end of the peninsula. However, I have never traversed the swamp and my maps are hardly exact on which way we should travel through. Last time I was in Seaquen I arrived and left by ship."

She takes in the villagers hawking everything and anything, while watching the miserable refugees huddling in damp tents. "We definitely need a map and some opinion on what to expect in there. Should we split up and gather information?"

 

[funkmamagoat]

"We definitely need a map and some opinion on what to expect in there. Should we split up and gather information?"

Kirio smiles "An excellent suggestion. I recommend we stay at least in pairs however, call me paranoid, but we are in a desperate place, best not be too tempting a target no?" He turns towards Alric "Care to accompany me Alric, let's go see what we can see."

OOC: Gather information Diplomacy check on the way, Kirio spend 4 hours wandering town asking locals about travel through the swamp (will spend 5 gold being "generous"... after spending an hour and rolling a $#%^& 2, Kirio tries again... wow, I suck!

 

[Adjuntive]

Alric looks about in disdain of the unwashed masses of people and crinkles his nose, presumably because of whatever stench he detects.

"Alright Kirio. I will accompany you to gather the information we require."

Alric follows Kirio's lead, follow-up questioning any people they come across to supplement the questions asked by Kirio.

OOC: Assisting gather info check coming. Consider Alric occupied for all the time Kirio is.

 

[fromage67]

Lars surveys the village and says, "This isn't a very promising bunch, is it? I'll go and check things out as well, see if we can't find a decent guide, or maybe a ship captain. I've never been in a large swamp, but it doesn't sound too easy to cross. And I wouldn't want to sail off in a leaky fisherman's dinghy. Anybody joining me? Bannock, Arnir, Hrimr?"

Lars, his new clothes already dirty and crumpled after weeks on the open road heads into the village. He finds a drinking establishment near the port and starts inquiring after ship captains or swamp guides.

 

[Bannock]

Bannock volunteers to go with Lars, and is happy to end up in a place where some refreshment can be found. He spends some silver buying Lars and he drinks and then splits with Lars to work the other part of the room. After some small talk with one fellow, he nudges him and says, loudly enough that the surrounding groups of travelers are within earshot, "I hear the way to Seaquen tru' the swamps near be impassable, I venture there ain't no man skilled enough to make it on foot, and the war up north is making all the sea captains too craven to sail. Ain't no brave men left in this world."

 

[Gregor]

The party as a whole is able to learn the following by walking and chatting through Vidor:

The town of Seaquen is about 50 miles or so away through the swamp. The road that runs through Vidor ends 15 miles away at the edge of the swamp. The swamp itself is a mix of waist deep mud and stagnant pools with patches of dry land interspersed. Traversing the morass without boats will be extremely difficult if not impossible. Seaquen can also be reached by skirting the coastline, but townsfolk discourage it due to craggy outcroppings and the constant tides which can mire travelers in impassable terrain.

The villagers in Vidor offer the following goods to help you get through the swamp or along the coast: Map of the swamp 5 gp, Rowboat (seats three medium creatures and gear) – 100 gp, Oar/pole – 5 gp, Gator tooth necklace (purported to ward off wild animals) – 25 gp, Portage of a rowboat 15 miles to end of the road (two men will carry the boats for you) – 5 gp. Everything else, such as food or equipment cost double the normal market prices.

In addition, Kirio and Alric bump into a portly human shop keep who tells them the following piece of information:

“Lots of refugees coming through here. Lots of mages. Too many, I think, with lots of black cats coming with them. Lots of bad luck concentrating in one place. Folks who can afford a boat through the swamp have already left. One crazy redhead, she just hired a couple of burly guys as bodyguards and walked into the swamp. Swamp’s dangerous. Guess she had a death wish. Too bad. She was the prettiest thing I ever seen in this town”

Lars and Bannock, elsewhere in town, hear this from a swarthy patron in the drinking room:

“Craven indeed traveler. None here want any of that swamp business. Even mages – rejects from that wizard school probably – get lost in the swamp and go crazy, start eating folks who get lost in the fog. Don’t trust any lights you see at night.”

Diashan and Torrent purchase maps of the swamp from various vendors, and learn that each one is different from the other. With a frustrated shake of his shoulders, the aged elf says: "Well, good thing I'm a ranger. Hopefully Hrimr and I can navigate the terrain through our survival skills."

 

[fromage67]

"It will cost us about 360 gp for three rowboats carried by these sturdy lads to the edge of the swamp. Doesn't seem to be many alternatives other than waiting in town for a trader's boat. Should be one coming around in the next while. Maybe sooner if we are lucky. I value my skin pretty highly. Not sure if the swamp is the best course."