Fun in the Sun IC1

[Defiant]

Marcel

"Lobster-heads, eh? Maybe this is the elite of their society?" Marcel speculates as he seems slightly annoyed at the terminology.

"Tell me everything you, and anyone else knows, about these things," he says, obviously suggesting to be referred to someone who knows something more if necessary.

[BDEYE]

John: "Have you managed to kill any of the... the blue ones?"

[playswithfire]

At the suggestion of the lobsters as elites, the dwarf shrugs. Maybe; they don't look much like the other sahuagin, though. You can ask Dartan, though. He's one of our physicians and he's spent the most time with the bodies.

[dspeyer]

Belis silently searches his knowledge of magical creatures and magical modifications to creatures in the hopes that he's heard of something like this before.

(1d20+9)[29]

[BDEYE]

John politely asks where the doctor can be found, and if no attack is forthcoming he'll go to wherever that is and ask if he can have a few minutes alone with one of the bodies of the larger creatures.

[Defiant]

Marcel

"If there is an attack, then we will assist in the defense, but Belis is right; we're not here to fight a war."

Marcel then also tries to meet up with the doctor.

[playswithfire]

Belis

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Nothing from the old country even vaguely resembles what they are describing, but you have heard one story since moving to the colonies about an odd carcas that washed ashore on the goliath islands and was inspected by a wizard on a visiting ship. The creature was more purplish than blue and walked on four legs like a lobster, but would be around the right size, assuming some mage decided to alter it to look more humanoid, which of course can be done. No one knew its species; the goliaths referred to it as simply Bigclaw.

At the doctor (John, Marcel, the others if you go)

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The dwarf at the pier gave you directions to the, well, field hospital is probably the best description, where you could find Dartan and you make your way there, passing a few damaged buildings along the way.

You find a pale, thin (for a dwarf) man with a very short beard oving about among a few wounded patients, attempting to be friendly in their presence but looking detached and clinical in between. At your arrial, he looks up, moves close enough so that his tone will not carry back to his patients. You're not from here and you're not wounded. State your business or turn around because you've come to the wrong place.

When John asks about the corpses of the lobster-heads, Most of their remains were burned or tossed out to sea, but I did have one partially frozen for preservation until I could get a good look at it. These people come first, obviously. You can look at it if you think you can get something from it. He points to a small storage area out the back door of the clinic.

Still on the dock

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Fallon addresses the dwarf Quite right, Marcel, but we are also hear to gather information, should that be necessary. If you have the time, could you share with the two of us he gestures to Edwards Tactical data you have gathered or inferred about where their major cities are, attack formations etc. We will, of course, bring over medical supplies and foodstuffs we can spare for your wounded while this conversation occurs.
The dwarf nods and the three head off towards the Escinya Eagle.

OOC:

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anyone who doesn't want to be with either group is free to wander

[BDEYE]

John makes his way back into the storage area. If the body is in good enough condition, he will begin the ritual. If allowed to complete it, he will ask three questions:

"Why have the Sahuagin attacks been increasing?"

"Why have your kind been a part of the attacks?"

"Where does your kind come from?"

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((Will save DC 17 to not answer))

[Sucrose]

Gareth

"I trust that you have some sort of alarm system for when the sahuagin attack, master dwarf? I have some interest in studying some of your texts, but I'd like to know that I'll be able to know when I'm needed. Also, would you honor me with your name? It feels disrespectful to refer to you as simply 'master dwarf.'"

If there is some kind of alarm system, then Gareth leaves to look for a likely location for a library, where he might find more information regarding magical theory.

[dspeyer]

Belis follows John, both to gain the most relevant information and to watch his back during the ritual. Following John's example, he does not speak unless it becomes necessary.

OOC questions:

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What time of day is this? (i.e. how many 1st level slots am I down?)
How many scrolls of sending did we receive?

[playswithfire]

The pier (Gareth)

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The dwarf sighs, You're right, of course. We're all on edge here. My name is Bartrix. We do have wards that give us some warning when an attack is coming. In the past, they'd started to learn to beat some of them, but the one 'good' thing about these new attacks is they tend not to bother. The texts you're looking for can be found in the main building down that road. He points and then heads off with the two captains.

The hospital (Belis and John)

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The creature responds, but is not particularly helpful.

Support morvas wybik
Grendum ally ank qindar
holdrum com sea

OOC: if either of you speak Aquan, PM me and I'll translate;

OOC Answers:

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You got 5 scrolls of sending. It's around 8 o'clock at night(I've gotta keep track of time better; thanks for the reminder), so you'll likely be spending the night here once you all finish what you're doing.

[dspeyer]

After the first incomprehensible answer, Belis casts Comprehend Languages.

[Sucrose]

Gareth

"Thank you, Bartrix."

Gareth heads down to the building Bartrix pointed out, and begins looking for advanced books on transmutational theory. If he finds any, then he'll offer to buy them, or rent, whichever is accepted, then go and look for some relatively cheap lodging for the night.

[BDEYE]

John closes his eyes as the creatures starts talking, profoundly affected by his own stupidity. It's obviously been too long since was out on a real job. Maybe that's why he decided to go- no good getting rusty just because you're not in the trade anymore.
OOC:

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If nothing interesting happens John will try and find a place to rest.

[playswithfire]

Belis

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What you hear the lobster-head say:
Our ally asked us.
Deep beneath the sea.

Gareth, As you pores through the tomes, the elderly librarian of sorts walks up, suggests a few of his favorites in that area of research and says that he will allow you to borrow as many as you like for just the night if you gives your word to return them unharmed the next day. Bring them back damaged, and the fee is hefty, however. You sense he's found this an effective system.

Taking your books with you, you are flagged down by a man attempting to repair an area of his tavern before night falls too deeply and offers you a room if you will help him finish his work.

[dspeyer]

Belis shares the translations with John, and speculates that the first answer might have been "support from us" or something similar.

He then raises to John the subject of using a scroll of sending now. "We don't have complete information," he reasons aloud, "but we have learned some useful things, and if we all die in tomorrow's raid, we'll regret not sending word. We have five scrolls, so we can send more later, but it's not an unlimited resource. What do you think?"

[Sucrose]

Gareth

Gareth agrees to the innkeeper's terms, and provides what unskilled labor he can. If any important structure is broken, he uses the Mending spell to repair it.

[playswithfire]

With a few judicious uses of the Mending spell, Marcel and the shopkeeper repair the most badly damaged parts of the tavern and the innkeeper shows him to the room he may use.

OOC dspeyer

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Waiting to advance your plot til BDEYE posts again. If he hasn't by, say, early afternoon tomorrow, I'll NPC his response to keep things moving.

[BDEYE]

"We should pool our information with the others first, but yes, we should send word back."

[dspeyer]

"Then by all means, let us go find them."

They set off looking for their companions. As they walk, Belis attempts to condense what they've learned into 25 words.

[playswithfire]

John and Belis make their way back in to town, looking for lodging and are flagged down by a man looking to rent rooms in his newly repaired tavern. A you enter, you are surprised to encounter Gareth leafing through a magical tome.

OOC: not sure what's happened to Marcel/Defiant. We'll assume he (Marcel) found different lodging for the night and see if he (Defiant) shows up soon.

[BDEYE]

John enters the tavern.

[dspeyer]

Belis

Gareth! I am glad we found you. Can we go to a private room to discuss the immediate future?

Assuming Gareth agrees and a room can be rented, Belis lays out everything they discovered, suggests sending a message back, and raises the question of whether they should stay and defend the settlement or maintain secrecy and head on for more information. He does his best to lay out the possibilities evenhandedly, but supports sending a message now, and then staying to defend.

[BDEYE]

"Defending this place isn't part of the mission. That doesn't mean we can't do it but we should have an exit strategy in case things go south."

[Sucrose]

Gareth

Gareth grins, pleased to see his compatriots.

"Certainly, Master Belis. We can talk in mine."

After the situation is laid out, Gareth is fine with sending a message, as it's Belis's resource, to do with as he wishes.

In response to John,
"That's true. The best plan I can think of is just fighting our way to the docks, and taking any ship that isn't scuttled. Perhaps we could define a retreating point, just so that we can combine forces for the push."

[playswithfire]

OOC:

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Obviously, you can all continue your talks that night, but once your ready for morning, they'll be there. No waking up to the sounds of explosions...this time.

As you awaken the next morning and make your way down for breakfast, you find the two captains and Bartrix, the dwarf from the docks, already waiting for you. Good morning, gentlemen. We've made it through the night with no new attacks, as you've no doubt noticed.
Perhaps a showing of the flag has given the enemy pause.
I doubt it, Fallon. I'd say this is just the calm before the storm and with the calm this long, the storm may be dire indeed.
Indeed. While I do appreciate the medical supplies you've brought over, I fear the cost may prove too high. But what say the three of you? Any insights from your brief time here

[BDEYE]

"Very little, I'm afraid. The bottom line is that we need to know more then we do."

[dspeyer]

The previous night:
Belis


Assuming we get a bit of warning before the attack starts, we could position ourselves at the docks, by our own ships, and retreat into them and make sail if they break through our lines.

Meanwhile, here's the message I propose sending:

Arrived Sammanilith. Expect attack here. Sahuagin goal pure destruction. Will assist defense. New Sahuagin ally: blue lobster-headed biped from deeps. Suspect alliance triggered increased attacks.

The message is written in his notebook with various crossouts of phrases that were too wordy. If the others approve, he sends it that night and waits for a response.

[BDEYE]

John approves the message.

[Sucrose]

Gareth agrees that the message will convey everything that they know.