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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Amaroq" data-source="post: 1292968" data-attributes="member: 15470">Issue #5: The Smugglers, Episode 1 of 516th of June, 2002Issue #5 The SmugglersAfter rescuing Fox’s son, Reginald, from the spider goblins, we return to our investigation of the tower. We spent several days in Southport, learning what we could. We have learned the secret of the lights, that they were signals from a group of bandits on land to smugglers on board a ship. The smugglers are selling people to slavery at the hands of the ratmen, exchanging human slaves for ratman poisons. We have a plan to stop them. Chuck has met another Vigilant, Jim, who rescued us when the spider goblins threatened to overwhelm us. He is keeping his identity concealed in town, but helped nurse Chuck back to health when the youth was stabbed in a bar fight. When he learned of the smuggling scheme, he offered to meet us outside of town and join us in trying to halt the smuggling.It is shortly after dawn on Hedraday, the 12th of Charder, 150 AV. We are gathered at the Laughing Ogre Inn for an early breakfast. We have been resting, for the most part, for three days, and everyone is fully recovered. Chuck, the young Vigilant, explains the plan to those who have not yet heard it. He keeps his voice low, lest we be overheard. “We’re meeting Jim outside of town,” he tells us, “And going back to the tower to the south. When we get there, we’re going to try and use the signal lantern, pretending to be that mage, Delonia, and her cronies, so that we can lure the smugglers to land and capture them.”Brunhilde, the tall, loud, red-headed mage who helped us rescue Reginald, shakes her head. “I am afraid that I cannot accompany you. I have to take care of some business in Lave, and I cannot tarry here longer.” Lave, the capital of Vesh, is a day and a half’s journey north of us. Stone says “I am going with her, to protect her. I’ll try to catch up to you, when I’m back.” The half-orc monk has been a stout fighter, and Paks says, "I'm sure we’ll miss you."Brunhilde pulls out the scroll which we found in the spider’s cave. “You should take this,” she says, offering the scroll to Miriel. “I’m done studying it. It contains an illusion spell, minor image, which I think Jim might be able to cast, as well as two arcane spells, shield and ghost sound.”“Thank you for your help,” Miriel says. Brunhilde wishes us luck on our journey, and we wish her well on her business. We finish the meal together, and Fox packs us some sandwiches, enough for lunch and dinner today. Miriel suggests stopping by the temple of Madriel to ask for her blessing on the mission and pick up a potion of healing. Chuck, Goldpetal, and Miriel contribute two pieces of platinum each, giving us six platinum, which is enough to buy a single potion of healing. The high priestess, Verenia is, as always, pleased to see Miriel, and gives us her blessing. “Madriel shines her light on you all,” she says, “And of course, you always have my blessing.”On the way back to the inn, we discuss taking horses. Goldpetal suggests that we not, in order to more easily pass through the forest. Chuck and Miriel think it would be better to take horses, and Paks doesn’t care. After a short discussion, Miriel decides that we should take the horses, and the rest of us agree.  The four heroes head south along the road, and meet Jim at the appointed place. He waits for us astride his large horse, a magnificent bay with a white star on its forehead. The Vigilant wears a dark cloak over chain mail, and has two swords sheathed, one at each hip. Strapped to his back is a beautiful long bow.He hails us as we ride within range, and the five of us ride south towards the tower. Chuck rides alongside Jim. “We found a scroll we think you could use,” he says. “It has an illusion, minor image, and two arcane spells.” The similarity between the two is striking – though his bow and horse are not as fine, he wears a similar kit: dark cloak over leather armor, a sword at each hip, and a bow strapped to his back. “I could cast the illusion,” Jim says.“Miriel, give it to him,” Chuck says. As Miriel hands over the scroll, Jim says, “Great, this will come in really useful. Okay, here’s my plan. We’ll use a lantern to give the signals, and lure the smugglers to the cove. With this scroll, I can create an illusion of Delonia and her henchmen, which will fool the smugglers even more.”“But…” Chuck says, “They may already know we’re looking for them. They took my notes, at the bar.”“I’m willing to take that risk,” Jim says decisively. “If they don’t know, we’ll be in great shape.”Chuck looks satisfied to follow the elder Vigilant’s lead, but Paks and Miriel exchange worried glances. We have had word that Delonia escaped, and when Chuck was stabbed in the bar fight, somebody whispered something about “For the tower.” As we near the tower, Goldpetal suggests, “We should track.” The elf is, like all his kind, slightly built.Jim chuckles. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but as we’ve been traveling, I’ve been checking both sides of the road for tracks.”Chuck looks at Jim with respect, and says, “I’ve also been tracking, looking for significant changes in the road.”“Have either of you seen anything?” asks Miriel.They both shake their heads. “No,” Jim says, “Nothing of any significance.”We reach the ruined tower around dinnertime with little incident. None of our woodsmen have seen any tracks, and we have seen no sign of the strange halfling, Fergus, or Delonia. The tower itself was once circular, and stood almost eighty feet high. It has fallen over, and now rubble is strewn southwest from it for over a hundred feet. The base still stands, white stone walls about fifteen feet high, with a forty foot diameter. As we learned in our first visit, holes in the walls offer room for those inside to shoot out, and vice versa. It looks unoccupied. We ride towards it. “It looks like we’ll get the usual coastal fog,” Jim says, as we draw within a hundred yards. “Which will make it very dark, this being the night of the new moon.”Goldpetal suggests, “Miriel, why don’t you go up to the top of the tower and maintain a lookout, since you can see in the dark?”She shakes her head. “I won’t be able to see through the fog,” she says, “But we should look through the whole tower and make sure there’s no one there. A watch up top is a good idea, as well, to make sure no one can sneak up on us.”“We should remove the ladder that goes down from the edge of the cliff to the beach,” adds Chuck.When we reach the large doorway of the ruined tower, we dismount. Jim, Chuck, and Goldpetal check for tracks. Jim looks at Chuck with an eyebrow raised. Chuck shakes his head. “I see only the tracks of the youths, Randall and Reginald, from a few days before.”“Very good,” Jim says, with approval in his voice. Goldpetal gives him a bland look, as though unimpressed.We all enter the tower. It remains empty. Paks begins hobbling the horses, while Miriel says, “Chuck, come stand watch with me.” “Great,” Jim says. “We’ll explore.”Chuck and Miriel head up to the ruined second floor of the tower. They don’t see anyone or anything around the tower, but they stay up to watch. Jim, Paks, and Goldpetal head down through the trapdoor. In the crypt, they find the rotting bodies of three ghouls, from our previous visit. The smell is almost overwhelming. There are some rats, but no other signs of occupancy. The rooms that were once occupied by the smugglers don’t have anything in them, but Goldpetal looks over at Paks. “These look like someone has rummaged through them since we left,” he says, brushing a lock of his long dark hair out of his eyes.She looks thoughtfully around. “Yeah, you’re right,” she says. “That table’s been moved, at least.” The three searchers go out through the tunnel to the beach, and remove the ladder, bringing it back up to the tower. We gather on the top of the tower, to discuss our plan of action. It is sunset over the water, which is just beginning to widen from the Hornswythe River into the southeast corner of the Blood Sea. It is a beautiful sunset, and, as Jim predicted, we can see a bank of fog rolling in.“I’m not so sure about your plan, Jim,” says Miriel. “If they’ve had warning, we may be the prey, not the hunters.”“I think it’s a risk worth taking,” Jim says. “There should be no problem fooling people into believing Delonia is there, with this spell. We hide in the dark, and start shooting at the boat when they start coming in.” Paks says, “We could try the classic Trojan horse...” Chuck laughs. “What, build a wooden model of the sorceress?”“No!” exclaims Paks. “We hide in crates and get them to load them on the boat.” Jim looks dubious. “There are probably a lot of people on the boat.”“We should try to lure them into the tunnel,” suggests Goldpetal. “We can trap them there.”“That might work,” Jim says, “But they might be suspicious. That illusion won’t hold at close range. It’s a big beach, and we can all hide in the shadows.”“Yeah, that worked before,” Paks says in agreement. The setting sun glints off of her chain mail, giving it a reddish hue.“We should split up,” Miriel says decisively. “Two of us will give the signals, then come down, while everyone else hides at the beach.”“We could take cover behind the various bits of seaweed and driftwood,” Paks suggests. “There are plenty of niches in the cove,” Goldpetal reminds her. “Without a torch, it is black enough that humans can’t see.”“Too bad we don’t know the signal for ‘bug out’,” says Chuck. “Why?” asks Jim with a half-laugh. “So we can send the boat away and not have to fight them all,” explains Chuck.“Very smart,” Jim says. “No wonder Steve picked you. Unfortunately, we don’t know that, nor would it put a stop to their trade.” “Okay,” says Paks, “So we adopt Miriel’s plan. Who stays at the top?”“Goldpetal and I,” answers the priestess. “We’re the ones that can see in the dark.”“What about the illusion not working at short range?” asks Goldpetal.“That’s easy,” says Paks. “Delonia’s figure should turn and head up the tunnel when they arrive.”“What happens when the boat doesn’t make it back to the ship?” asks Chuck. “What if the whole crew comes ashore?”“Then we’ll just capture the ship,” says Jim optimistically.Paks looks alarmed at his incessant optimism, but Miriel speaks before she can give voice. “They probably won’t come to shore,” the half-elf says, “Not knowing what they’d be facing.”Chuck teaches Goldpetal and Miriel the rhythm for the signals, and then all the fighters go down to to the beach to get set up, while Goldpetal and Miriel stay atop the tower with the lantern to signal. Chuck suggests lighting the cavern, and Jim says there should be a torch with the figure of the sorceress, to lend it credence. We light two torches, as it was the night we first met Delonia. Then the threesome down at the beach array themselves in hiding. Jim asks Chuck to stay close to him, so they all hide in a group, well away from the illuminated area. Miriel and Goldpetal plan to come down after giving the signals, with Goldpetal in the lead with his bow drawn. They will stop before the lighted area of the tunnel, in order to get a different shot on the smugglers and keep them from running up the tunnel. Everyone is in place.</blockquote>

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