3.5 Political Adventure [IC]

[sdream]

Sel continues to focus on preserving the rigging.

[redzimmer]

"This is proving fruitless," Ivor says, picking up his bow and looking over the side of the ship.

"Fair merfolk! Can you identify your thief? Is he onboard?"

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"Dwarves mined the broken cities and men came for what was ours. They carry it aboard their vessel, but haste, we grow impatient of you chatter."

[Starbin]

The duskblade was growing impatient. "Then speak more clearly and point out the thief. Else you'll find naught but death here!"

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You all should really take over the talking ... Cal's not very good at diplomacy

[Sgt. Cookie]

"How long ago was this? And where? If we know the answers to these questions, then we might be able to help."

[al'Lan Mandrag]

"We tire human. You delay us with your talk. We will come for the seeds ourselves." The woman seems vaguely regretful, but then waves her arms and mutters a few words. A light fills the air beside the party and with a cry an eagle appears, raking at Cal with its talons. 7 damage

The rest of the merfolk begin to swin towards the ship and quickly amass on one side.

[Sgt. Cookie]

"HOLD! By my right as a decedent of dragons, I say HOLD. I do not wish to harm you, but why, other than the fact that this is a human ship, do you think the Coral Seeds on on this ship in particular?"

"My goal is not to delay, but to resolve this peacefully, without losses on either side. Should one of the men on this ship attack, I will strike them down myself!"

Gonna guess diplomacy. Roll: (1d20+9)[19]

[Starbin]

Caladeran growled as the eagle attack, his spiked chain lashing out and banishing it back to it's plane of origin. "This merfolk seem intent on fighting. She has struck the first blow and I'll not wait for another!"

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Readying to attack a mer-person who gets within range ... or move to attack the mermaid, if she's w/in 10 ft of the ship's edge ...

HPs 21/21

EDITED FOR AOO

[Sgt. Cookie]

Upon hearing his friends remark Aquarius turned to him and gave a quick chiding in Elvish. "Ils sont plus nombreux et nous surpasser et vous voulez combattre? Avez-vous un désir de mort? Nous devons utiliser la diplomatie, et non des dommages."

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They outnumber and outmatch us and you wish to fight!? Do you have a death wish? We need to use diplomacy, not damage.

((BTW, that's french.))

[Starbin]

Caladeran growled back, "I'll not stand idly by while they attack us for trying to help. Make her listen or prepare for a fight."

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My written French isn't NEARLY what it should be after quite a few years in school, so forgive me if I don't reply in the actual language ... but it is in Elven

EDITED

[Sgt. Cookie]

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Neither's mine. Google translate suffices for this. I just find it helps verisimilitude. Since we're not doing a direct French reading, it doesn't matter if some words are a little off.

"Merci. Maintenant, maintenez toujours."

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Thank you, now hold still.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The merwoman speaks: "We traced the seeds. We are not mistaken, our diviners confirm it. And a scout watched them carry it aboard!"

[Sgt. Cookie]

"I see. I beseech you, give us one hour. If your Coral Seeds are not returned by then, you may take them by force."

Turning to face the rest of the crew, Aquarius said tautly. "Death or ruin? Because either way, the Merfolk are getting their jewels."

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The merwomen shakes her head: "You have only mintues. We will not tarry." The rest of Aquarius's words generally go unheeded by the crew, who are scattering, terrified, from the flaming rigging and the murderous merfolk.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Upon hearing the reply, Aquarius turns back. "I require at least twenty. Greed is a powerful motivator, one that is difficult to break. And one that I do not wish to die for. Did your scout tell you what, if anything, the Coral Seeds were being kept in?"

[redzimmer]

Finding the mass panic annoying, Ivor attempts to use force of will to get the crew to come to heel.

"Crew! Fall in! The next man not at his station shall ruin his shirt with all the blood his neck is spilling upon it!"

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Intimidate

(1d20+10)[14] Oh wait, I forgot the +2 for the ranks in bluff synergy. Dang.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Ivor sends half a dozen men back to work, and with Sel's help it seems like the flames are abating which aids in reducing panic. Aquarius's demads for further information are met with stony derision and these words: "A small wooden box, sir, I know you cannot swim, but I thought you could at least think!" It is obvious that the merfolk are not big on patience.

[sdream]

"I'm sticking with this, as I can't run to our destination, but if the pearls are as magic as they say, won't their power shine through quite a quantity of wood... if you know how to look?"

She continues working with the sailors to protect essential ropes and pulleys from damage. In the heat of the moment when someone mentioned needing to get wet towels to the cross mast quickly she grabbed them and tried to run them up.

The swaying of the deck was, however even worse on the mast itself, something her experience running up buildings on land had not taught her.

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Balance check: DC ? (running along a large rounded unfamiliar path)
(1d20+3)[20]

20 seems plenty.

When she got to the crossbeam, she grabbed on fear dear life, unable to hand over the wet towels she had draped over her shoulder as she was terrified by the way the mast tipped to and fro, as if it would drop her in the ocean at any moment.

[redzimmer]

Ivor wastes no times and casts detect magic.

"I shall begin my search below decks! If I do not return, avenge my death!"

Impulsive as ever, he bounds down the nearest stair, concentrating upon his cantrip for any telltale glow.

I see no way this plan can fail, he thinks to himself.

[Sgt. Cookie]

"20 minuites, and you will have the Coral Seeds. Aquarius goes below deck, and casts detect magic well. "Ivor, I'll take this half of the ship, you take that half."

[redzimmer]

Ivor nods, trying to maintain his concentration.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Seal performs admirable feats of bravery and athleticism as she darts through the mast trying to quench the roaring flames.

The two sorcerer warriors head below decks, and after a few minutes Aquarius finds a box glowing with a faint aura of Transmutation.
Ivor for his part finds no box, but does note a sword and a javelin that glow with their own auras (Faint Evocation for the Javelin and Moderate Evocation for the sword).

Cal stands around feeling slightly awkward.

[Starbin]

Caladeran smoldered at the merfolk, waiting with chain in hand. He was not a fighter of flames, and the two others had run off to find the magic box. That left the duskblade to watch the merfolk to make sure they don't break trust ...

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He does NOT stand around awkwardly ... he simply stares disapprovingly

[Sgt. Cookie]

Aquarius opens the small box.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The box resists him at first but with a mighty tug the flimsy lock yields and Aquarius finds four white pearls, with a strangely rocky texture rolling within the box.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Closing the lid, Aquarius returns to the deck and calls to the Mermaid. "I found the Coral Seeds, I think. Here." Aquarius casts Mage Hand and floats the box down to her.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The merwoman takes the box and opens it gingerly. "Tis true warlock, these are they. Human kind shall not take them from us again."

The woman sinks below the waves as do about half of her companions, leaving only the male sorcerer who cast flames at your ship, and 7 other merfolk. They drift around but none raise arms against the sailors, yet.

The captain staggers up to Cal: "Why are you letting them do that; they just took my cargo; I bought those seeds fair as you like. I want the bodies of those fish lovers!"

[Sgt. Cookie]

Aquarius turned and backhands the Captain."Greed filed oaf. Did you have ANY concept of the situation!? You may have bought them "fair like" but they were stolen, and the rightful owners. They would have sank this ship, and reclaimed the Coral Seeds from the wreckage, I saved your worthless, greedy life. So shut up."

Aquarius then walks to a more secluded spot and beckons one of the Merfolk.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

The man gasps as he sinks to his knees, but he makes no more argument, and the rest of the crew are too busy trying to help Seal with the fires to intervene.

One of the armed merfolk approaches Aquarius cautiously.

[Sgt. Cookie]

"Tell me, do any of your kin know the spell Geas, sometimes known as Spell Quest?"