The Savage Tide [IC]

[lostsole31]

This is the site for the actual game! Let the color-claiming begin, if you haven't already claimed in the recruiting post (prefer here, though).

[lostsole31]

And so, we begin ...

Celiss

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You can figure out what set you on the road, but your actual thematic background is probably cloistered in a desert culture somewhere. Your very long study, and two in-depth classes with focus on study for both means that you didn't have much time for much else.

Then you left ... (I am still interested in what set you on the road, however.)... perhaps one of your fellow students was jealous of your intellect and talent. He was a greedy nobleman's second son, and much better at motivating people. Despite your intellect, you met with some disgrace and decided to leave (or it was decided for you).

Of (minor) noble birth yourself (for no one else could afford the learning opportunities you had, yourself), you were born with a particularly strong knack for magical powers. When you got to Sasserine you felt most comfortable in the Noble District, where you set yourself up as a type of sage-and-mage for those that needed cheap knowledge.

So it was that the daughter of the owner of several boats of a fishing fleet in the Azure District came to you for help. It seems her father was being pressured by a rival to sell his assets. Her father refused to pay and went missing. The man specialized in coastal collection of shellfish, and the Azure District City Watch was more focused on protecting the whaling assets and only performed a perfunctory search.

Having given your word to help the daughter, you went to the rival and attempted to intimidate him to let you search his property, claiming that if you found the old man, as you are not a law officer you could not arrest him. In that case, you would be able to at least save the old man. He laughed, and sent three goons to teach the 'freak-muscled woman a lesson.' You evaded and went outside to 'power up.' Then you went back in again ... but close to 12' tall and nearly untouchable with your martial and magical defenses! You pounded the goons easily, and then got the frightened business rival to tell you in what warehouse storage area the old man was being held. You figured that if this man wanted to beat on a woman with three men, he must be dirty.

You took him with you by the ear, and a crowd followed (for they hated this man, too). You had someone call the city watch before going into the property. After they heard your story, they escorted you and found the man. Reunited with his daughter, the fishing company owner gave you a 100 gp reward. And that is how you are starting the game with so much cash on hand. Cash, by the way, which will run out soon if you do not get some more work to keep up the lifestyle to which you are accustomed. Cloistered never meant spartan for you, and being a wizard is expensive.

A wizened-looking halfling woman, introducing herself as Kora, hand-delivers a note, and stands by as you look it over. It reads:

Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health!

May name is Lavinia Vanderboren, and I humbly request your attendance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think that I can present you with an opportunity uniquely suited to your skills. Please inform the carrier of this letter of your response to this invitation, and I hope to be speaking with you soon!

Lavinia
Vanderboren

You inform the halfling woman that you will be there (because otherwise there is no adventure). You ask around, and find out where that address is - within the Merchant's District.

[lostsole31]

Wanderfar ...

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[OOC: I have to tweak your recent conquest. Sasserine is an island city made up of many linked islands. Though there is a nature preserve (small), there would be no rabid wolves. Also, I'm reprinting what you wrote for future reference.]

Aka "Wanderfar" For all appearances Denomar is an itinerant rake. In truth he's been traveling non step for half a decade. He once was a Squire to the Order of the Rook in the country of Veluna far to the north. Denomar distinguished himself in battle when his battalion obliterated a raiding orcish band. Unfortunately, jealousy rears its politically ugly head even in the military. Your personal glory outshone that of your captain's leadership in the battle. He sent you on a sortie. You discovered that this sortie was a suicide mission, and you and the other two soldiers attempted to retreat - but not before they were killed. Unable to stand the idea of serving a man who tried to secretly have you killed - and yet were unable to prove his guilt - you deserted and have been traveling ever since.

Embittered by his loss of face and livelihood, and absorbed by his own problems, Denomar was eventually brought out of his stupor by a young orphan girl who traveled with him for a while. Denomar feels that freedom is the greatest blessing and should be defended as much as possible. And has turned to Fharlanghn as his patron. He has developed a reputation as one who shows up in town long enough to solve a problem. Although, this backfires as he also has a reputation of bringing trouble along with him....

Sasserine is the latest stop in his adventures, and you heard the Champion District calling your name. One of the livelihoods - though not always legal - in this city is the import of dangerous animals, often for combat in the arena (another livelihood). A pack of wolves that were slated to fight in the arena managed to escape into town after mauling the keeper.

On your way to the arena to ask questions about becoming a gladiator, you saw the wolves burst out of one of the service entrances. They surrounded a fishmonger, who clambered onto her cart, to try to escape. The two-wheeled cart with slippery fish piled up was hardly a safe place, and you knew it wasn't likely to hold.

So, the fearless warrior (that's you, bub) did the only thing you could figure to do ... you dropped your quarterstaff and jumped right in there with your bastard sword. You actually killed one of the wolves, but the pack animals are far better than you at working together. You were seriously wounded, and barely managed to keep your footing against these creatures that nearly dropped you to your feet. You clambered up onto the cart as well, trying to get some high ground, but bleeding profusely. This was quite an embarrassing situation, you felt. Not 50 yards to the entrance where you intended to work as a gladiator, and these wolves sucked all of your confidence away.

That is when you were saved by a strange, winged, human-like woman that flew in and alighted 10' from the cart. She dropped her scythe on the ground so as not to appear hostile, and looked quite strange in her armore of tiny scales (you come learn that it is finely made sharkskin armor). Instead of using aerial superiority to attack nearly untouched with her javelins and huge, reaping blade, she instead growled at the wolves. They snarled back, but after a minute of her facing off with them, they finally relented ... long enough for professional animal catchers to come out and corral them (with her help) into a barred cart.

Her name is Vakrissa Flint-Eye, and she refers to herself as a flying shifter of were-eagle heritage, and a "dreamsight" druid of some goddess named Duthila, Lady of Abundance. (Sadly, for being a cleric, you never were much for study - except of magic spells that you might recognize in battle. Though wise and talented, your clerical side is a more recent addition to your repertoire, not something you were trained to do as a warblade. You discovered Fharlanghn through the orphan, but your wandering has kept you out of study. Therefore, you have no idea who Duthila is, what a "dreamsight" druid is and how it differs from other druids, you've never heard of a were-eagle, and you don't know what a shifter is.) She's only a little bit weaker than you (which means she is still frickin' strong), as hardy as you - but far more seasoned - but her skill matches yours and she is fantastically agile (especially compared to you). She cast a healing spell upon you - but one you had never seen before. Instead of your wounds being healed in one burst, you gained greater healing than a normal spell you could cast, but it took a minute to take full effect. Great post-battle spell, you reckon.

Despite the embarrassment, the fact that you faced off five wolves and killed one while trying to save an old woman? Yes, indeed, that bespake more of your real bravery. Retreat was merely sensible, and kept you out of the posthumously-labeled "foolhardy." She already had some relatively minor fame, but this added to it. She had come from her home in the Sunrise District to try to at least get better living conditions for the arena animals; they might die soon, but at least them be treated with dignity until that time. (She knew it was hopeless to ask that they be freed.) She thought to guide the wolves to the preserve set up by the lords that live in Sunrise, but having attacked and killed a man, even she realized that they would be more prone to do that again. She wishes you luck, and then returns from whence she came.

Though you learn about your fame afterwards, you decided to hold off on getting an interview in the arena just yet for fear you'd be laughed at. You have a decent amount of money saved up, but another 3+ weeks of tavern living and you'll be out of money.

A wizened-looking halfling woman, introducing herself as Kora, hand-delivers a note, and stands by as you look it over. It reads:

Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health!

May name is Lavinia Vanderboren, and I humbly request your attendance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think that I can present you with an opportunity uniquely suited to your skills. Please inform the carrier of this letter of your response to this invitation, and I hope to be speaking with you soon!

Lavinia
Vanderboren

You inform the halfling woman that you will be there (because otherwise there is no adventure). You ask around, and find out where that address is - within the Merchant's District.

[lostsole31]

Darrius ...

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Background:

Many races of the sea, especially those who live quiet lives without much interaction from outside races, name their children according to tradition. In this manner most children are named after a deceased grandmother or grandfather in the belief that the sea is returning the spirit back unto the community. However, there are those who are named as a sign of honor and trust in an outsider, sometimes even a landwalker. Darrius Wavebreaker is one of these exceptions in that while his two brothers have the traditional names for his bloodline of Eemel and Marriton he is named after a landwalker. He grew up in the reefs and deltas from rivers out of the Amedio Jungle, just outside the city of Sasserine in a small settlement of his kinsmen who created what amounts to underwater caves within some of the coral formations found there. Tales were often told of branches of the Wavebreaker Clan mingling with the other races of nearby sea-folk but the reason for the family's preference of the reef over finer living arrangements was never made clear to the public.

As he matured it was explained to him that his name was bestowed upon him because of a man who called himself Darrius Cross. Cross was a landwalker who enjoyed spending time both at sea and under the waves, often bringing supplies and trinkets to trade with the fairly reclusive clan. Cross had always befriended the Wavebreakers while maintaining peaceful relations with the people of Sasserine. Though he never voiced his opinion he found pity in his heart for the Wavebreakers, assuming they had been exiled from their peers for some terrible deed.

This was not true in the sense that Cross assumed. The Wavebreaker family was one of strange mutation and even more bizarre power they could only guess stemmed from the power of draconic blood. Some of the earliest Wavebreakers were said to be half dragons of some sort of dark dragon, presumably black, with roots in the merfolk and human races. They hid themselves away in the reefs and silt plains not far from Sasserine in hopes that their strange bloodline would not bring fearful commonfolk to their door with harpoons and fishhooks.

Cross helped to reintroduce the Wavebreakers to the outside world, and more specifically the nautically inclined folk of Sasserine. No harsh words were exchanged and there was only acceptance of the long-lost clan. Cross eventually sailed off into the sunset and the Wavebreakers began slowly reintegrating into a real community. Despite an increased interaction with the port city of Sasserine, the majority of the Wavebreakers remained in their compound. One of the chief reasons was the young children, Eemel, Marriton, and Darrius, who would be kept inside the compound during their early years for safety concerns.

At first they considered Darrius's strange appearance some sort of sign from the gods of the sea or as a black mark on their family. The others in the family all had skin tones in a healthy variety of tans and peaches, but none had the bruised, almost black skin of the young Darrius. Even into his teens they did not allow him to leave their coral home under the fears that he might be seen as an ill omen among the various clergies of Sasserine. Despite this, the young man became fairly well versed in fleeing from the compound after the sun had set upon the seas in order to visit the nearby city. He gravitated towards the Azure District so as to be among those well acquainted with the sea, but also frequented the Merchant District to palm various trinkets. By day he practiced aquatic swordplay with light blades and stabbing instruments or taught clownfish to not be so cheeky. By night he was yet another of the many youths on the streets of Sasserine, doing his best to stay away from the disreputable Shadowshore establishments.

He soon noticed that, despite his gills and odd skin, no one really paid him any attention. While it was true that he was the odd man out in most instances there were many fantastical races abundant in such a port city. He even heard tales of men born of killer whales and how his skin was oddly reminiscent of their own, though Darrius never met such a man himself. In his first expeditions to Sasserine he had tried to find the man of his namesake, Darrius Cross, but with the many years since he had even been seen few even recognized the name. After years of odd jobs around the Merchant and Azure Districts, most often as a messenger due to his ability to take more direct paths through water than running about the city, he finally found a lead. He was directed to one of the elder merchants who in turn mentioned that the last time he had seen Cross he was headed to a place called Fairwind Isle.

He departed as soon as he was able, taking up temporary employment aboard a merchant vessel by the name of the Silver Duchess. They never made it to their first stop, Port Joli across the Jeklea Bay. They were set upon by pirates and the Duchess was mortally wounded in the battle and began to flounder. The crew was able to fight off the pirates, but only barely, and boarded their ship in return in order to save their lives from the sinking merchant vessel. Darrius was not concerned about potential drowning so much as the distance from shore and the fact that the bay held many predators that would no doubt enjoy a delicious young man. Even as the fighting raged aboard the pirate's ship he fled below deck to find and fortify a position where he could hide until combat had ended. He had unfortunately chosen one of the private holds reserved only for the captain, who had also made his way down after being gravely wounded. The two exchanged blows and the young man was on the edge of death when he got in a lucky swipe with his knife that split open the captain's belly.

Not knowing who he had slain, other than that it was indeed a pirate, he tried to hide the body when several of the valiant sailors of the Duchess came below decks to flush out any remaining pirate scum. With his hands covered in blood, both his own and that of the captain, he was indeed caught red-handed. He stammered excuses and tried to slip away but he was dragged to the deck to see that the pirates had been subdued and that Darrius of the Wavebreaker Clan had bravely killed the captain. He was all but carried back to Sasserine and set aside several of the true heroes of the battle to be commended for bravery. He's actually done his best to duck the limelight, with so much vigor and skill that his stealth throughout the city of Sasserine might well have caught the attention of the less reputable types he had once tried so hard to avoid.

A wizened-looking halfling woman, introducing herself as Kora, hand-delivers a note, and stands by as you look it over. It reads:

Greetings, and I trust this missive finds you in good health!

May name is Lavinia Vanderboren, and I humbly request your attendance at dinner at my estate on Festival Street and Blue Skink Lane tomorrow evening. I think that I can present you with an opportunity uniquely suited to your skills. Please inform the carrier of this letter of your response to this invitation, and I hope to be speaking with you soon!

Lavinia
Vanderboren

You inform the halfling woman that you will be there (because otherwise there is no adventure). You ask around, and find out where that address is - within the Merchant's District.

[lostsole31]

Vanderboren Manor is located in the eastern section of the Merchant District; the seven-foot-high stone wall that surrounds the estate is impossible to miss, as is the towering, gothic, three-story house that dominates the grounds within. Leering gargoyles and capering nymphs festoon the eaves of the manor 's roof, and several trees give the manor grounds a nice buffer from the hustle of the city.

The front gates have been left open for the PCs, but no one greets them until they reach the front door and knock. After a few moments, the same wizened halfling woman answers the door. She introduces herself a little more formally this time, as Kola Whistlegap. She thanks you each for arriving on time and asks you to wait in the atrium, claiming Lady Vanderboren shall be with you shortly.

There are four of you in the atrium, the three of you who are PCs, and another that Wanderfar recognizes: Vakrissa Flint-Eye.

Darrius Wavebreaker's Appearance ...

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From a distance Darrius looks to be a human or darfellan monk of some sort but upon approaching him his dark skin is neither black nor a deeply tanned brown but a shade of blue so dark that it nearly drinks in the light. His eyes have vibrant blue irises with a faint hint of a lighter cerulean around the few prominent veins in the sclera of his eyes. Though hard to notice, when he becomes angered the gills on his neck flare and the pink flesh within shows quite obviously that he can breathe both water and air. As if born from the deeps, his hands and feet are slightly webbed, allowing him to swim through the water with relative ease. He generally wears clothing which dries quickly and is not damaged by exposure to salt water. He is almost never seen without his pair of swimming goggles, usually perched on top of his shaved head.

Under his fairly baggy clothing he wears studded leather and has a heavy wooden shield hanging from his side, but shows no visible weapons. Most often is seen wearing some sort of shaggy animal pelt with what looks like a wolf's head perched atop his own. Those that recognize the dark fur and red eyes would no doubt identify it as a Worg, but may possibly mistake it for a sea-wolf. More often than not he wears a pair of black leather gloves and a blue-green torc depicting a black and green dragon's head meeting at his throat, each items of fairly fine make, but when not wearing them he does not seem to have them in his possession at all.

Other strange items he has been seen with include the following:
A pair of silvery bracers that are almost clear, shot through with veins of azure. (Astral Vambraces)
A coil of blue fire in the vague shape of a dragon coiled about his skull. (Elder Spirit)
Simple leather bands about his wrists. (Sailor's Bracers)
A large crystalline helm of pure white. (Crystal Helm)
Lenses , goggles, or spectacles of blue crystal (Keeneye Lenses, Truthseeker Goggles, or Mage Spectacles)

Celiss Nightrom's Basic Appearance ...
[Please fill out in your next post, in a spoiler block above what you'll say for RP.]

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This woman is an extremely athletic looking monster, just shy of 6' tall and weighing in at 225 pounds of pure muscle. Sadly, her exaggeratedly thick neck and muscular jaw that diminishes what might have been an otherwise beautiful face. No one else recognizes her particular nationality, other than that she fits into as cosmopolitan a city as Sasserine, while still definitely not being a native. She has brown hair and eyes.

She has light, pinkish-red clothing that allows for ease of movement. The only visible weapon she carries is a short sword. She has a backpack that does not appear to be very full, and a couple pouches at her side. She seems to be well taken care of, even sporting a faint perfume (not heavy) and despite her build has very searching eyes. She definitely comes from money, while appearing to have chosen a life beyond the norm of other aristocrats. Most notably - in contrast with her well-cared for skin - are her hands. They are very roughened looking, and it looks like she has suffered many breaks (especially the pinky and ring-finger knuckles) over the years that healed into her having thick, bony knuckles. There is no doubt that of everyone in this room, if you were without weapons she would wipe the walls with any one of you.

Wanderfar's Appearance ...
[Again, feel free to update this at the beginning of your first RP post.]

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This man is a moderately attractive man in his mid-20s. He is 2 inches taller than the woman, and weighs in at a wiry 189 pounds, with blond hair and green eyes. While not carrying the exaggerated muscular of the lady, his pecs and arms make him looks strong enough to cleave a seasoned orcish warrior with one two-handed stroke of his bastard sword.

His garb and bearing seem to be reticent of a soldier that has seen some service, which extends to his worn chain shirt, hand-and-a-half sword at his side, and the gnarled walking stick he carries (the latter of which is proven to be a serviceable staff with what looks like old, rust-colored blood stains). Fitting for one of his (former) profession, he carries his backpack with him, and he seems like he could be ready to leave on a mission even now, as it is full, with bedroll at bottom and a coil of rope hanging from the side.

At his neck is a wooden-carved symbol of some sort on a leather thong. It is made of a light, rough unpolished, grainy wood. Circular in design, but made crudely, it seems to look like a soft, downward-facing curve and what appears to be a downward-facing crescent moon above that.

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Celiss recognizes this as a symbol of Fharlanghn. With that information, she is perceptive enough to notice that he carries a spell component pouch, and thus is likely more than a soldier, but possibly a priest of the God of Roads.

Vakrissa's Appearance ....

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Vakrissa is quite small, considering how tough and powerful she is to the average member of her race, standing merely 4' 10" and weighing in at an extremely tightly-muscled 115 lbs. The most striking thing about her are her wings - feathered and similar to those of some raptor!!

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Wanderfar only knows that she referred to herself as a 'shifter of were-eagle heritage' when they met.

Darrius, having seen all sorts come through Sasserine, recognizes her basic form as that of a shifter, descendants of humans and lycanthropes that managed to breed true as their own race. That said, the wings really throw him for a loop, so it could be that she isn't a shifter at all, but a race that merely resembles them. Shifters are known for not being good with people or intelligent, but are blessed with great athleticism and senses.

She is neither petite nor voluptuous for her kind, but has the 'desired huntress' form', not a seductive one. In shifter society, a woman who hunts as well as the man is more valuable than one who provides a decadent home. Her hair and feathers are a dark, charcoal gray, and her hair is tied simply in a rough-cut ponytail. Her eyes are a stark blue and very expressive, but not particularly striking or attractive. She wears very ornate armor made of rough, tiny scales (you'll learn it is sharkskin armor), carries an ornate and well-made scythe, a quiver of a half-dozen javelins, and a hunting knife. She is also apparelled as if to travel at a moment's notice.

She also appears to have some sort of holy symbol at her neck (and a spell component pouch at her side), but is otherwise very exotic in bearing and regalia.

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Wanderfar doesn't know much other than the name Vakrissa told him about her goddess.

Celiss, genius scholar that she is, recognizes the symbol as that of an obscure goddess named Duthila, the Lady of Abundance. She knows that this goddess is only (normally) worshipped by some race of flying, feathered elves called 'raptorans' - and this woman doesn't appear to be a feathered elf (other than her wings). Although she is as tall as an elven maid, there is nothing elven about her otherwise.

Duthila is a lesser neutral goddess of autumn, hunting, and abundance. She holds sway over the autumn harvest season in raptoran culture, during which food is abundant but the trees lose their leaves.

Maturity and travel are withing her purview, because raptorans hatched the previous spring often take their first steps in autumn. Duthila also concerns herself with the preservation and storage of excess food for the next season. Her domains are Animal, Plant, Sky, and Travel. Favorite weapon? You guessed it ... the scythe.

[lostsole31]

At some point after the last of you (Darrius Wavebreaker) shows up, four figures emerge from the hall and head toward you. Kora races behind these figures, which include a jaunty male half-elf dressed in leather armor and armed with a half-dozen daggers of different shapes, a dark-skinned dwarf with a sour with a sour expression dressed in green and brown robes clutching a large, curved spear, an attractive but haughty-looking woman dressed in dark, purple robes and with a tattoo of a crescent moon one one cheek, and lastly, a tall and handsome man dressed in polished breastplate carrying a bastard sword. Kora sees them out the door, and then escorts you into a private dining hall.

This hall is comfortable and cozy, softly lit by wall-mounted lanterns. A window overlooks the manor's central courtyard and the carpet is thick and soft. A large portrait hangs on the wall, a fine work depicting a handsome young man with a short beard. Standing before the portrait is an attractive human woman wearing a long, flowing blue dress. She smiles as you enter, and says, "Good evening, and thank you for coming. I am Lady Lavinia Vanderboren."

She has you each sit down, and Kora comes in with a tray of tea and cakes. That is when you notice another person sitting at the far end of the table (not a long table, as it is the lesser dining hall), on top of a few books. It is a hill dwarf in dark clothing.

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Darrius actually recognizes enough of the nuances of this dwarf to recognize that he is a 'seacliff dwarf' - a subrace of dwarves that live close to the water, and all of whom are considered fairly salt beards. He is also keen enough to notice what the others will not - that this dwarf is barely out of adolescence, probably not even 45 years old.

The dwarf sports a painted, wooden symbol of of a warhammer superimposed in front of an anvil - easily recognizeable by the scholarly Celiss and the well-traveled Wanderfar as a symbol of Moradin, the All-Father King of the Dwarven Pantheon. His clothes are very strange. He wears a black hat with a broad, round brim and a rounded top. He wears a blacket overcoat whose lapels are ripped. He wears brass-rimmed spectacles. He has some manner of white shirt underneath with lots of pleating. From out of the bottom of the jacket you see all sorts of little tassels from some inner garment. Black, straight-legged pants, and black shoes. Though the clothing was once fine, it looks like it has fallen into disrepair - though the ripped lapels seems to be damage, not wear and tear. Darrius has seen this from a few dwarves in town, but this sub-culture is clannish and unknown even to him.

The dwarf himself is not the craggy-faced dwarf one might expect. He is a tall (for a dwarf) 4' 4", and weighs between 140-150 pounds. He does not appear to be a traditional dwarven warrior (or even warrior-capable) in any sense of the word, looking rather weak. Still, his steel-blue eyes, sadly but kind demeanor, and deep grayish-blue hair (note, not bluish-gray) - even a sense of palpable goodness within him - lends itself to what you might say - dare you say it in reference to a dwarf - a very proper and handsome look.

"Ladies, and gentlemen, I would like to introduce," and here she halts with some difficulty for a split second before recovering, "our new family doctor, Rabbi-Doctor Eliezer Whuraili Cohen ben Mordechai of Clan Ironoath, originally from Oiradeth. He will merely be observing the precedings as he is, in addition to being the new family physician, also my legal counsel."

When she mentions "our new family doctor", the rabbi lowers his head, tugging at the ripped lapels lightly.

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Celiss, rabbi is a dwarven word for "teacher." However, the term is only used with a splinter group of dwarves that focus on justice and Moradin's role as the Soulforger. A rabbi is not just a teacher, he is usually a very-well schooled holy man, often a priest requiring years of training (for a dwarf). The very fact that Lady Vanderboren referred to him as doctor and legal counsel means that he must be a very studious one, indeed. As you put this together, you then notice that he is extremely young for a dwarf - a hell of a lot younger than you would ever expect of one of those professions, let alone all three. Either he is a genius, or Lady Vanderboren is scraping the bottom of the medical and legal barrel.

Lady Vanderboren introduces all of you to each other by name (though you may or may not have done that in the atrium for the brief time you were there). For the benefit of the others, she recaps the exploits you each made recently that brought you to her attention. [See the individualized posts above, taking care only to 'note in character' the recent heroism, not the past history before that.]

"As you may have heard, I recently inherited my parent's estate. Along with this fine house, unfortunately, came a fine amount of debt owed the Dawn Council, the harbormaster, and quite a few guildhalls. It seems my parents, for all their success as adventurers, were not as skilled at finance as one might expect. f I'm to get these taxes paid, I'll need to access my family's vault under Castle Teraknian.

"And that's the problem, you see. The vaults are magically locked - keyed to special signet rings, at least, until recently. My mother lost hers a few months ago. she arranged for a replacement, but it won't be done for another month or so, too late for me. Which leaves my father's ring. He never wore it - he had a thing about men wearing jewelry. He kept it hidden somewhere on his ship, the Blue Nixie.

"The problem there is that the harbormaster's seized the ship until someone pays for the last four months of mooring. I've paid the fines to the man the harbormaster's put in charge of my ship, a brute named Soller Vark. Yet, when I went to claim my ship, Vark's men wouldn't let me board, claiming that I hadn't yet paid the fines. I spoke to Vark again and he denied ever receiving my payment. My complaints to the harbormaster have fallen on deaf ears - he's a doddering old fool who trusts his man and won't relent.

"Vark and his men are up to something on my ship, I know it. What I need is to find out exactly what they're up to. Unfortunately, Vark's nto the type to react well to diplomacy or logic. I need someone who speaks his language...which is where you come in. If you can find out what he's using my ship for, or even better, recover the money I paid him, I'll pay each of you 200 gold in return once I've access to my vault."

Done with her presentation, the rabbi-doctor - who has been writing this whole time - queries the party, "Do you have any questions, and do you accept the job?"

[PersonMan]

Celiss smiles slightly, finding it amusing at how the only plausible options are for this noblewoman to be taking either the best or the worst for employment as her doctor/legal counselor.

The work itself was a bit odd-it included actions that would quite possibly be illegal. However, if this woman's story was true-and Celissa had no feeling that it wasn't-then at the very least this was a case of rather severe corruption in the dock authorities. Once this whole matter with the ship was resolved, it would probably be fairly easy to bring this Solar* man to justice.

I accept. I assume we'll be briefed on the layout and position of the ship in question? Celissa says after a moment, when it seems like she wouldn't be interrupting anyone.

*This may or may not become a running gag.

[lostsole31]

Lavinia blushes, "Abolutely, I will have it ready for you after our discussion."

Seemingly one to not pay attention to more business-like details, Vakrissa Flint-Eye has been taking time looking at various colorful things in a room. Totally off-topic, she asks, "Whose portrait is that?" while pointing to the picture of the attractive man. (Great, leave it to the NPC woman to think about men ....)

Caught by the off-side question, she simply says, "That's my brother. He left town."

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Cerissa, Lavinia isn't just suprised by the question from the wandering-eyed shifter, but is actually distraught when the topic is brought up.

Vakrissa (not appearing to detect the nuances of people like Cerissa), shrugs and nods once. The druid then looks at the rest of you, her eyes resting on the aquatic human and asks, "What is that magical, semi-real stuff all over you?"

[Denomar]

Denomar scratches his chin, unsure of the best way of approaching this situation.

"Well, I didn't Really know about your parents, I'm sorry to hear about it though. The actions of your ships captain don't make much sense to me. You imply that Vark has taken your ship? Why? Surely he'd be safer just being paid by you no? Is it likely that he knows about your family vault?"

Denomar grins.

"The Lord of Horizons appreciates the freedom of the seas, but I don't much like Thieves. I'd be glad to assist you."

[lostsole31]

Denomar scratches his chin, unsure of the best way of approaching this situation.

"Well, I didn't Really know about your parents, I'm sorry to hear about it though. The actions of your ships captain don't make much sense to me. You imply that Vark has taken your ship? Why? Surely he'd be safer just being paid by you no? Is it likely that he knows about your family vault?"

Denomar grins.

"The Lord of Horizons appreciates the freedom of the seas, but I don't much like Thieves. I'd be glad to assist you."

Lavinia: "You see, it's not my ship's captain ... it's just the harbormaster's man that is seeing to the ship while it is impounded at anchor. He can't 'take' the ship since it is still legally mine, but since he's lied about being paid, I believe there is something else going on here. I don't know what, though, which is why I brought you here. Everyone knows that Castle Teraknian is the site of the vaults of all the noble families, but I doubt he has any idea how to proceed. Even he is not given clearance to leave the harbor with the ship impounded. No, there is something going on on that ship, I think.

"I do so appreciate your willingness to help."

Vakrissa muses, and then asks, "It sounds to me like there could be some trouble. You realize there might be some retaliation, right?"

Lavinia's jaw sets. "Listen, please. I want you to do everything to not throw the first punch if it comes to it, okay? But in the end, why would Vark's men put up a fight in the first place unless they were up to no good? It's my ship, after all!"

The Rabbi-Doctor speaks up, "You see, there is nowhere else we can go for resolution. Not even the City Watch."

Lavinia looks at him as he speaks, and nods her head as she looks back at the party. "I approached the watch and the government about my complaints, but unfortunately I have no proof of wrongdoing. I know, I know, Lazer, it was foolish of me to hand over the money to Vark without allied witnesses, but what's done is done. The city watch has promised to look into the matter, but without poof, the investigation takes a back seat to other, more pressing matters.

"I'll tell you what, Lavinia. I shall accompany these mercenaries. We'll try one last attempt at diplomacy and legal intimidation. If that fails," the rabbi-doctor says with a shrug, "I'll step back and tend to the wounded."

"Absolutely not," rebukes Lavinia, "what if things get to be too much, and these adventurers are not worth the price I was willing to pay? That leaves you alone. You aren't an adventurer: you can't fight, you don't know how to wear armor, you aren't a proper cleric other than the odd healing spell, and you are as stealthy as a rat in plate armor scuttling across a tile floor. You may have been the youngest dwarf to have ever --"

"J u s t i c e!" interrupts the mild-mannered dwarf - pounding his soft fist into the table. Before he didn't look like much use at all. Now, though his words silence everything, even minute little fidgets that the PCs might have been making. Celiss and Wanderfar are actually a little frightened by the passionate burst, though the others are merely impressed by the meek scholar. Even Lavinia swallows hard.

The rabbi lowers to a firm, even-toned speaking voice. "I. will. have. justice."

After a pause, Vakrissa asks hesitantly of Lavinia, "What happened to your parents?"

Such a direct question takes Lavinia aback. After she takes a moment to gather her thoughts, she says in a quiet voice, "They burned to death in a ship fire in the harbor last month - they were taking the recently purchased ship for a cruise when something caused the ship to catch fire and burn to the waterline. There were no survivors."

There is something there in Vakrissa that seems sympathetic to Lavinia and she says simply and softly, "I will do this for you."

The rabbi-doctor has calmed himself, and he returns to his softer speaking voice - a pitch that is higher-toned than most dwarves, and continues, "I have sat shiva for a month. A week for my father, Rabbi-Doctor Mordechai ben Gilad, of blessed memory. A week for my mother, Kashet bat Kaila, of blessed memory. A week for my wife, Irit bat Eriola, of blessed memory. And a week for my godparents - your parents - the Lord and Lady Vanderboren, both of blessed memory.

"I don't know Moradin's plan for me is, or why as much was taken from me as was you. But now the rest of the world seems to be taking it's shot while your brother has abandoned you for parts unknown, and even strangers are trying to pick your hair with the Blue Nixie. This is what we must do - not only to find your father's signet ring to get to the island to help you out of debt. No, more important than that is for you to show the rest of Sasserine that you will make a stand when challenged by the vultures!

"Now," he says, shifting from angry-sad to kindly, "you asked me to help be your legal counsel. As your legal counsel, I advise you to let me go and see this through. If nothing else, if things go sour, I have good stamina as a swimmer and will throw myself overboard to get back here and report what has happened."

She nods her head in resignation, "Okay, Lazer, you can go with them."

"Thank you," he says. "Now about that 200 gp ..."

"What?!".

"You said I could go, too, right?"

She blurts, "Well, yes, you can go ... but not as a hired mercenary."

"Hmm," he thinks, "well obviously not that. We agreed I was legal counsel, and a doctor if need be, right?"

"Yes, but you're not being paid to be a mercenary, nor are you trained as one."

"Oh, no, no, no ... no arguments there. That's why I want 400 gp, instead of the 200 gp you originally offered these kind soldiers here."

"Wh-Wh-WHAT?!?"

"I am not a mercenary, as we agreed. Which means if I am sorely pressed, I have less ability to do my job as legal counsel and less likelihood of returning alive to you to report."

"Okay ... how about 300 gp, and I promise that the younger generation of Cohens shall serve the younger generation of Vanderborens as did our parents. I shall not interview anyone else for legal or medical counsel while you are in Sasserine, except by your recommendation. Congratulations, you now have your father's job for certain."

"Agreed," he says, and they shoot a glass of port to seal the bargain. They look comfortable again, and even Lavinia is impressed by the dwarf's guile.

"Now," he continues, "about these mercenaries, only three of four of which have agreed on this job, thus far."

"Yes," she says to Darrius, ""what of you, sir?"

"Actually," says the rabbi-doctor, "I wasn't talking about him specifically."

.......... "What do you mean?" she asks guardedly.

"Well, if you can send a candy-bottomed, weak lawyer to possible death or dismemberment for 300 gp and future employment if he acquits himself well ... and survives, surely you could do the same for a set of real mercenary professionals that can fight and cast spells and all of that derring-do."

*palm slap to forehead*

"Yes, yes, 300 gp for each of you ... and no more. If you do well and do not bring dishonor, then I will keep you in mind for any future jobs I may have in mind."

The dwarven rabbi-doctor looks at Darrius, "Are you salt for this? or, is this too rich for your blood?"

[Tacitus]

Darrius Wavebreaker

Though the dark-skinned man has learned the basics of social interaction with those of the upper classes he still seems to have some trouble with actual manners. He's not been the most attentive of the bunch, and upon eating one of the small cakes very nearly spit it out as an extreme bitterness flooded his mouth upon a single taste. His last meal had been a nice cut of meat from some beast out of the jungles, and indeed it was particularly delicious, but he'd not really noticed the vague bitterness growing in his mouth for the majority of the day. A minor side effect of the torc around his neck and its caustic properties, the poor man's spittle was itself slightly more acidic than it should have been otherwise and was thus the culprit.

He barely catches Vakrissa's comment about the various items arrayed about his body and quickly tries to hide a bit of half chewed cake out of sight, "Ah, ahem, uh, I'm not sure what name to best give them, but I do know that others that can do it refer to some of them as totems or something. Bits of soul energy, not at all of a malicious sort of soul manipulation I assure you, brought into physical form. More like the potential and ideas of thousands of the long dead formed into mostly solid temporary magical items."

After this he does his best to listen to the exchange between the Lady and her counsel until he is addressed directly once again, "This is not really my line of work. I'm little more than a messenger most days. Anything you may have heard is greatly exaggerated, I assure you. However, I know my ways around the Azure District. From what I know of your parents, they were good people, and for you I will do this."

[PersonMan]

Celiss smiles slightly at the maneuverings of the dwarf. Politics had never interested her beyond strictly practical things, but this was fun to watch, at least.

While the conversation drifted a bit away from business matters, Celiss considered some bits of theory she had been studying earlier. She was already able to temporarily empower herself and her weapons with arcane energy, so obviously the next step would be to see if she could do the same to others, followed by testing to see under what conditions the enhancements could be made more powerful...

As Celiss drifted deeper into thought, her posture changed slightly and her eyes became unfocused. After a moment, she began to hum a tune in a low voice. Another short silence like earlier would make it obvious, but unless somebody wasn't paying attention to the conversation they probably wouldn't really hear it-unless, of course, they happened to be standing right beside her.

[lostsole31]

@Darrius: Lavinia says, "Thank you, sir. You are the only local here of the mercenaries, and your knowledge of the area would be invaluable."

@Celiss: Wanderfar, sitting next to you, hears your faint humming. However, it seems that Vakrissa and Lavinia also note the same. Both of the women don't know quite what to make of that, so they continue on. (Wanderfar is his own man, of course, but it seems that you caught his attention.) You can see that as a) you were louder than you anticipated, or b) the three that noticed are to be commended for their fine senses; makes sense in the shifter huntress, but more the respect in the other two - one of whom might make sense as a traveler, but the other nothing more than a noblewoman!

Lavinia calls a servant for the plans to the Blue Nixie, and she shows them to you. "Unfortunately, I don't know what is what on a ship, and there is no guide to tell me. But these are the plans."

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[OOC: You should all have received the plans of the Blue Nixie in E-mail, along with pictures of Lavinia and the portrait of her brother.

"Now, the Blue Nixie is docked at pier five in the Merchant District - this pier is the long one between ther Merchant's Guildhall and the Smith's Guildhall. It is yet early. Will you go this 'eve'?"

"I'd like to," says Vakrissa. "Why wait?"

The rabbi-doctor nods his head and purses his lips in admiration. "Sounds fair to me. What say you three? One more 'aye' and it's a done deal."

[Tacitus]

Darrius

With the barest of motions the dark-skinned man nods, "Aye, if we intend to try to do this peacefully I'd rather have it done during the day. Maybe I can grab a witness to back up our claim of defending ourselves, should the need arise."

[lostsole31]

The rabbi-doctor says, "No, no witnesses. While we are going to try diplomacy, I am sure it may well fail. In that case ......" he trails off. "For that reason, Lady Lavinia isn't going to go as a witness, because she needs some -- distance -- from any unpleasantries that might ensue. It would be bad for a young lady to be linked to such trouble."

[Denomar]

"When Lavinia said that we 'speak his language' I don't think she meant the language of the silver tongue."

Denomar shakes his head ruefully.

"Face it folks. We're bouncers"

[PersonMan]

Celiss blinks after a while and her eyes flicker across the others before she slowly nods. "Tonight? Sure, that's fine." She said, her musings having reached an end.

[lostsole31]

Lavinia smiles once Wanderfar makes the connection and says, "Good luck, and may the gods favor your success!"

Darrius is still familiar enough to guide them to the pier, but the rabbi-doctor stops him (and the rest of you) before you trundle down.

"Now," he warns, "as I've said before I wish to give them one last chance to listen to reason .... but I firmly believe that they will not listen. We should look menacing, but perhaps not obscenely so." This last is directed at Vakrissa. "Besides, if the angel-of-death looking winged lady with the scythe could fly in the darkness and track our progress ... and be willing to fly in and give us a hand should things get ugly ... that would be wisest, I feel."

Vakrissa nods and smiles, looking very much - with her scythe and wings - as a compact harbinger of doom. She flies up, and is easily lost on this cloudy night and with the glare of the continual flame lamps at your level.

He looks at the rest of you, "Anyone else need to make preparations?"

[PersonMan]

Celiss nods, muttering a few incantations and making some hand signs. After a moment, her body is surrounded by a quasi-visible field of force. I'm ready. She says, stretching a bit.

Actions:

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Cast Mage Armor on herself, +4 armor bonus to AC for the next hour.

[lostsole31]

Wanderfar, any preps? Longstrider is the only significantly longer spell that would do you any good - and is a domain spell and can't be turned into a cure. Shield of faith is good for a battle, but only lasts a minute (you peon ), but it is an 'obvious spell with a shimmering aura that seems like you're ready for battle (unlike mage armor or shield).

Darrius, is your essentia set where you want it?

[Tacitus]

Darrius Wavebreaker

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Male CN Amphibious Human Incarnate//Rogue, Level 1,
Init +3
HP 13/13, Speed 30 ft (Land), 15ft (Swim)
AC 17 Touch 13, Flat-footed 14
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +5
BAB/Grapple +0/+2
Abilities Str 15, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 12
Condition Amphibious
Resistances +1 save vs sleep/ paralysis (racial)
Immunities -

Soulmeld Effects
Essentia: 2. Capacity: 1, +1 Capacity Feat
[1] Dissolving Spittle: Ed6 Acid Damage as 30ft Ranged Touch. Provokes AoO
[0] Theft Gloves: Insight to Disable Device and Sleight of Hand of 2+2E
[1] Worg Pelt: Competence to Stealth of 2+2E

Incarnum Feats Capacity: 1
[0] Indigo Strike: +2E damage on Sneak Attacks

Class Features
Detect Law: At-Will

With a brief moment of focus the sheen of his leather gloves dials down a shade from a semigloss to a matte black while the torc around his neck not only becomes more defined but the dragon's heads seem to move ever so slightly as their eyes burn with a faint blue light. He pauses for a moment and then spits off to one side with a disgusted look on his face. The ground hisses and pops for a few seconds where his spit landed. He slips his goggles down over his eyes and tightens the strap ever so slightly and then nods, "Lets go."

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Edit: Swift action to reallocate essentia as described above.
His shield is currently not equipped.

[lostsole31]

"Well, Traveller," says Rabbi-Doctor Cohen (to Wanderfar, referring to a term used for priests of Fharlanghn), "are you ready?"

[Denomar]

Wanderfar casts his awareness into the shining part of his mind that holds the knowledge of his granted spells. Longstrider seems unnecessary. It's a boat after all, and movement will be restricted. And he is in no immediate danger so abstains from casting anything else.

"Oh yes, I'm ready. Lead on. The harbor awaits!"

[lostsole31]

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[OOC: Often when folks want to RP NON-GAME-CRITICAL data, that is, things that might be interesting later but do not bear on the actual 'task' at hand, I allow "Flashback Conversations". Just put them in spoilers like this, with a heading before the spoiler of Flashback. That way, even though the plot gets pushed along, background conversations and the like that don't have a bearing on the game can still be made for those enjoying such ... the experience of RP (other than the temporally immediate, part-of-the-mission chat with NPCs and such) while not slowing the play due to the limitations of PbP. Once that's done, use periods crossing half the page "......." and such to cut from that Flashback to "real-time" (in-game "real time", that is). For example...]

FLASHBACK (with party)

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During the walk over, considering his small, dwarven legs, the rest of you have been at a stroll (that, and you were walking, not hustling). He would mention - for the benefit of the "newcomers" - various interesting things and facts about some of the sites and buildings you pass, and about the bridge you have to cross to get from Azure to Mercant's Districts.

This probably had spurred Darrius to chime in as well, and the two learn that they are equal in knowledge of the local area. There is one thing about the local clime that the Rabbi-Doctor Eliezer ... oh, hell, just call him Rabbi Cohen ... is particularly good at: gossip. He seems to be very solid on a lot of what is said in various places - or at least putting information together. Despite his surprising and fishmongering skills, he has a very pleasant and chatty demeanor, and has a fine grasp of a self-deprecating humor for him and his people - a far different contrast from any dwarf you have ever known, especially given that he is (as you learn) wearing clothes of mourning.

He will explain that "sitting shiva" is the seven days of mourning required of one after death of a loved one - a parent, spouse, or child. After that, it is seen as self-indulgent to keep mourning, and you should get on with life. However, when Vanderboren's cruising ship burned, he lost his father - the family physician, he lost his mother - family legal counsel, his wife - who was with child and was permitted to enjoy a relaxing cruise, and his godparents and sponsors for his otherwise astronomical education - the Vanderborens themselves. Now, this evening's twilight marked the end of his 4 weeks of mourning ... and he gets to spend that with you. He considers that this is an auspicious sign that however things unfold, it will also herald a shift from grief to joy for everyone - except, perhaps, any who might be unjust, of course.

.................................................

"Well," he says cheerily, "shall we?"

The four of you stroll casually down the pier - for that is what Mr. Dwarven Sunshine is doing, causing everyone else to go very slowly - and finally get to the Blue Nixie. Now, everyone smells the smells of a wharf - a nicer and better kept wharf in the Merchant's District, vice the Azure or Shadowshore Districts, perhaps - but full of various smells. "Ahhh," breathes in Rabbi Cohen, "the smell of dead things and the sea. I always loved the smell," he muses, almost to himself.

Wanderfar, of course, who nearly always invokes his hunter's sense, is often overborne by low tide (when the sea rolls back to reveal the smells of dead crabs, fresh mollusks, and pungent weeds ... but middle tide right now is kind to him.

The group sees that the Blue Nixie is not moored to the dock at all, but to a float about 100' from the pier. Rabbi Cohen stands for a moment, not looking deterred, but finally says, "We row."

He rents a punt from the on-watch pier master, stating that he has business with the harbormaster's man on the Nixie from the owner concerning back payments and scheduling. The pier master asks for a little extra ('for the hour of the night, good sir') and Rabbi Cohen pays it.

Wanderfar and Celiss, most likely, are the two brute rowers, and you make it to the Blue Nixie's quarterdeck entrance at the middle of each side of the ship's outboard. Just before you sidle up next to the Nixie, Rabbi Cohen prays to Moradin that his words may sway the hearts of his audience. Darrius and Celiss notice that he actually cast an orison (guidance), though Wanderfar is still recovering from shutting down his olfactory sense.

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It is at this point that Wanderfar - in a boat next to the Blue Nixie - is overwhelmed by smells and has to relax his hunter's sense.

There are two men with crossbows looking down from the quarterdeck - it is easy to see since 'watch lights' are burning near the nets leading up to the quarterdeck - and they say, " 'hoy there! Who's that? Stay where you are, by order of Lady Lavinia Vanderboren, or be venty-lated with bolts!"

Rabbi Cohen takes on a particularly congenial tone, "Uh, hello, friends! I am Rabbi-Doctor Eliezer Whuraili Cohen, the temporary legal counsel for Lady Lavinia Vanderboren. I wish to confer with Soller Vark concerning the disposition of this vessel in relation to its owner."

"That lady ain't paid her fees, and her vessel is impounded!" calls down one man.

"Well, yes," he chuckles, "of course that's true, else I wouldn't be here now, sir, having this conversation with you."

The other one says, "It's well after business hours. Get lost!"

Here Rabbi Cohen maintains his almost indwarvenly cheerful demeanor, yet there is something dangerous there as he reminds them of what could happen .... "Gentlemen, I am here because if you looked at Section 14 of the Vessel Laws - covering disposition of 'held' or impounded vessels - you may well find that there might just be a little passage concerning Unlawful Ship's Movement, wherein you might see that movement of an impounded vessel without the owner's express notification offered 24 hours beforehand, is subject to various sorts of legal indemnities ... not the least of which is possible imprisonment for the offending parties."

Now, he shifts to a very business-like tone segueing into haughtiness, and it is here that his voice carries particular power. [Intimidate check of 24.] "'Offending parties', in case you gentlemen do not understand legal parlance ... includes you. Now, request for four to come aboard, and get me Soller Vark, or there will be such a seaspout of trouble for the lot of you!"

In a far less sure voice, bordering on trepidation, the first man says, "Alright, but only you and one other. Understand?"

"Sounds good! Thank you." Rabbi Cohen says.

He then looks at Celiss and mutters, "I would take Wanderfar up with me, but without armor you can move a lot better, I think. That and you have magic. Can you please help me up the Jacob's ladder-nets? I'm not very strong and don't think I'll do well."

Celiss, he has a lot of trouble getting up, even with your help, and it takes twice as long as you'd expect (seems he has a mild fear of heights - even though the ship is 8' from the waterline. You are pretty sure, observing him, that he is not putting on a show. His arms do seem weaker than any dwarf you've met, and he has no skill at climbing, whatsoever. The two of you finally get aboard, and the deck watches actually had a good time laughing at the two of you.

One of the deck watches goes for Soller Vark, while the other one covers you from 10 feet. "Make sure you stand right there whilst we get the master."

Rabbi Cohen tries to engage him in polite conversation, to defuse the tension, but that only serves to have the guard train his light crossbow on the chatty dwarf, instead.

You wait about a minute, when the other guard returns with a disagreeable bald man with a jagged scar running down one arm, the result of some combat, no doubt. You do see that of his various gear, he carries a masterwork rapier and a masterwork buckler - both out and readied! He also carries high-quality studded leather, a normal light crossbow with a case of 10 bolts, and has a gold earring and a silver ring. He is very well outfitted, it would seem. He and the other guard stand 10' from you as well, with this guard's crossbow readied against you (Celiss).

"What the hell is all this about! I'm Soller Vark, and I'm in charge of this vessel!" he bellows. The others seem tough, but this guy definitely knows how to use his looks and his demeanor to his benefit (unlike the flunkies).

"Good evening, Mr. Vark. I represent Lady Lavinia Vanderboren as legal counsel. My name is --"

"Pirates!" he yells. "Protect the vessel. Repel boarders. Repel boarders!!"

R1T21: Darrius, you heard someone shout that last line. You're in the boat with Wanderfar. There is a Jacob's net-ladder leading up to the middle of the starboard side that the rowboat is next to. It is a DC 10 Climb check to make a normal climb check to get up to the gunwale of the vessel as a move action. You don't know the position of folks on the vessel. What do you do?

Everyone else ... you are all flat-footed as combat begins, meaning you can't even vocalize or take other free actions (let alone actions of any kind) until such time as your initiative comes up (which was pre-rolled by me).

[Tacitus]

Darrius

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Male CN Amphibious Human Incarnate//Rogue, Level 1,
Init +3
HP 13/13, Speed 30 ft (Land), 15ft (Swim)
AC 17 Touch 13, Flat-footed 14
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +5
BAB/Grapple +0/+2
Abilities Str 15, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 12
Condition Amphibious
Resistances +1 save vs sleep/ paralysis (racial)
Immunities -

Soulmeld Effects
Essentia: 2. Capacity: 1, +1 Capacity Feat
[1] Dissolving Spittle: Ed6 Acid Damage as 30ft Ranged Touch. Provokes AoO
[0] Theft Gloves: Insight to Disable Device and Sleight of Hand of 2+2E
[1] Worg Pelt: Competence to Stealth of 2+2E

Incarnum Feats Capacity: 1
[0] Indigo Strike: +2E damage on Sneak Attacks

Class Features
Detect Law: At-Will

At the call of boarding pirates, something that is bloody unlikely so close to the city, Darrius lets out a sigh as he glances to Wanderfar, "You see this coming too?" He was never much for climbing, but with a slight furrow of his gills he regards the net-ladder before attempting to ascend and either keep his head down in wait for an opportunity to strike or try to clamber aboard awkwardly.

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FA: Rhetorical questions!
MA: Climb up the net-ladder. (1d20+1)[12]. If I can remain hidden at the end without use of an additional MA, then Stealth: (1d20+10)[17]
SA or MA: If I succeed but cannot maintain my location I will attempt to get up onto the deck. If I fail then I will try to Climb again (or a roll to get on deck if necessary). (1d20+1)[4] If I ascend successfully, can remain hidden, and stay in place without too much trouble I will Ready an Action to attack anyone who moves towards my comrades on deck with weapon drawn with any apparent hostile intent.
Ranged Touch Attack (RTA in future): (1d20+3)[5] before any negative modifiers.
Acid: (1d6)[6] + Sneak Attack if applicable: (1d6)[2]
As remaining stationary after getting up the net-ladder was the closest approximation to my if/thens and my intent, and there has been an OOC to clarify, I'll get up the net-ladder and then Stealth, using the roll above.

[lostsole31]

R1T21: At the call of boarding pirates, something that is bloody unlikely so close to the city, Darrius lets out a sigh as he glances to Wanderfar, You see this coming too?"

He was never much for climbing, but with a slight furrow of his gills he regards the net-ladder. He decides to go up stealthily and hold position. If no one heard him coming up the net, then perhaps he can pop up for a stealthy shot next round.

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No need to go up and then Hide (2 actions, btw) ... better to start out stealthy from the get go, and then simply spend the 2 actions anyway so your ascent is unheard and unnoticed.

R1T20.9: Celiss, split second after Soller yells, your reflexes kick in and you can act. One goon is off by himself towards the bow, 10' from you - with a light crossbow loaded at the rabbi. The other goon is 10' from you towards aft with his light crossbow trained on you. Soller has rapier and buckler readied, and is standing next to the aft goon. You figure the two in the boat heard Soller yell and know what to do, but you're not sure.

What do you do?

EDIT: FYI, Tac, Stealth is something I roll, since you do not know how successful you might be or not ... so what you rolled for Stealth is a 'secondary confidence roll' (not the actual result) to give you an idea of how generally succesful you might think you are.

[PersonMan]

Get down and take cover-it'll make it less easy to hit you. Celiss says to the dwarf quickly, her mind racing. She wanted to charge Soller immediaely-but at the same time, it would probably be easier to bring down one of his thugs first. After a moment, Celiss breathes deeply and speaks, words of magic rather than Common coming from her mouth. With a flourish she sweeps her arms in front of her, magic flowing from her and imposing her will on the world-forcing a shield of pure energy into existence in front of her. With her defenses in place, Celiss tenses her muscles, ready to move-she's confident that the energies protecting her will make it much more difficult to hit her than the dwarf, so she's willing to place herself in the line of fire.


Actions:

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Free: Blah blah
Standard: Shield

Celiss is readying an action to move to block Soller if he advances. If it looks like he's going for the dwarf, she'll move up so that she's in his way.

[lostsole31]

R1T20.9: "Get down and take cover. It'll make it less easy to hit you!" Celiss says to the dwarf quickly, her mind racing.

She wanted to charge Soller immediately, but at the same time, it would probably be easier to bring down one of his thugs first. After a moment, Celiss breathes deeply and speaks - words of magic rather than Common coming from her mouth. With a flourish she sweeps her arms in front of her, magic flowing from her and imposing her will on the world, forcing a shield of pure energy into existence in front of her that quickly diminishes from sight, but still warns the thugs that it is probably still there. With her defenses in place, Celiss tenses her muscles, ready to move; she's confident that the energies protecting her will make it much more difficult to hit her than the dwarf, so she's willing to place herself in the line of fire.

R1T16: Vakrissa charges in from the air at the lone thug (who is aiming at the rabbi), and slashes across his leather armor but does not cut through. She is five feet above him with high-ground advantage.

R1T15.9: Rabbi Cohen prays to the Soulforger to protect him from hostility, glad that he has protectors like you, but still fearful of the combat and the crossbow trained squarely upon him.

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He casts sanctuary, but only Celiss is there to notice and understand.

He then backs into the gunwale and moves to the side so as not to impede the others. "Help! Gentlemen, help! They mean to do away with us!" he yells for Wanderfar and Darrius.

R1T13: The watch standing by Soller fires at Celiss, but he just misses her without her even needing to dodge.

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Celiss, more out of an understanding of fight psychology rather than a desire to understand people, has a unique understanding of combat mentality. It seems that most people - even soldiers, law enforcement, and criminals - do not really wish to attack or kill, usually hoping on brandished weapons and words to make others stand down. In studies held of several archery squads, it was determined that most arrows were expended without a target (some overwhelming 80%) - not because the archers were that incompetent, but because they were afraid of actually taking aim at another human being. It seems that most wars are won through individuals pushing the masses, rather than the masses themselves, unless they have exceptional training regimens that help them past this fight mentality.

In this very case, you have a guy who is probably paid to take orders and do violence when directed, but has little real experience doing that. Only if he were to shoot/ attack something 'less human' might the humanistic desire be overborne. In short, you might be able to demoralize one of the thugs without resorting to take his head off. He looks scared now.

R1T12: Wanderfar, you are significantly faster than Darrius, stronger, and seemingly more athletic, but your armor weighs you down a little. Same DC to clamber up the rope, but you think you can get up and pop over the gunwale all in one move action. Based on where you heard Rabbi-Doctor Cohen's voice, you should choose the aft-side of the Jacob's ladder. [OOC: That will bring you out in front of Celiss - you won't block her movement, btw - but you actually don't know that.] What do you do?

[Denomar]

And...To think....I WANTED to be on a boat.

Hand over hand, Denomar pulls himself up over the ladder, as he reaches the top if there is sufficient room he will throw himself onto the ship. Trying to put some room between the edge of the ship and himself. It wouldn't do to be thrown overboard....

Actions.

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Move Action: Athletics (1d20+2)[10].
Standard Action: Acrobatics (1d20+2)[7]

....Only to make a glorious pratfall!

"Gruumsh's balls."

[lostsole31]

No need for acrobatics ... your athletics got you up and over. You have a standard action left.

You are standing to Celiss' left ... and in 'front' of you (facing aft) are two thugs. One significantly with better equipment ... but far less hygiene (unbelievable, I know). That better equipment guy is the picture of Soller Vark I sent you ... of course, you don't necessarily know that for sure (but might guess). What do you do?