War of Shadows: Chapter 2

[DeTess]

Elva ignored Josiah's tirade. She was bothered by whatever was going on, sure, but this wasn't the time to lose her cool. "Tordic, Alyndra, can either of you fill me in on what you think just happened?"

[sarlon]

they both shake their heads, obvious confusion on their faces as to what you're talking about. Nuka excuses himself as you guys enter the city mumbling something about seeing a man about a horse. (sadly this player has to drop out for now and I don't want to kill off their character).

The 4 of you (Tordic, Alyndra, Elva, and Josiah) head into the city proper, the water elemental dancing around Elva's wrist making happy squeaks and you get the impression its actively looking at everything you pass. You're escorted into the audience chamber where you are able to give over the elemental an give your full report, the frown lines on Almira's face deepening with worry. She extends a hand out to the tiny elemental who hesitates for only the briefest of moments before bouncing over, splashing Elva lightly with water. You each are thanked for your service and a promise of your pay tomorrow.

********************************

2 Weeks have passed (yes you were each paid 2000 gold for your services), and fall is finally starting to come into full swing. Almost daily rain has made the weather start to cool down finally, and excitement all over is growing in anticipation of the harvest festivals (doesn't matter if you stayed in the city or left for any reason, enough time has passed.)

Sadly jobs have been few and far between until one day...

Spoiler: Elva (location doesn't matter)

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a young human male comes running up to you, he is wearing the garb of a runner (basically the post service for "common" folk), he bows politely and firsts confirms your name before handing you a sealed scroll. The insignia on the scroll of paper looks completely foreign to you and you don't recognize it at all.

Spoiler: Josiah (location doesn't matter):

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a young elf man runs up to you, wearing the garb of a runner (basically the post service for "common" folk), he bows politely and hands you a scroll of tightly rolled parchment bearing an unfamiliar seal.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Josiah takes the scroll and gives the runner a gold coin. Thank you. For your troubles." The young monk hoped a single gold wasn't an insult, nor an exorbitantly high amount to give a courier.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Heading back into the main hall of the monastery of the Brotherhood of the Open Palm, Josiah idly wondered what everyone else was doing. After the 10th day of no work, he'd returned to his studies with the Masters. He could still vividly recalled how ashamed he'd felt at not having done more, learned more, been more useful; maybe the Masters thought he'd done well, but Josiah couldn't face the sunrise without regretful wishes of having been more on his abbreviated quest.
Sighing as he looked back over his shoulder out through the gate, Josiah broke the seal on the missive and read,
"Greetings Master Josiah of the Brotherhood of the Open Palm,

I hope this missive finds you in good health after your most recent travels. A few weeks ago you and a party of adventures stayed overnight in my clans encampment. There has been some trouble since you have left and i have requested your presence to handle this delicate situation.

Please present yourself to the docks in the city of Cali'nast and present this letter to the captain of the ship the Wave Runner, to secure prepaid passage back into our desert lands. We will discuss more upon arrival.

Regards,
Chieftan Tolira of the bronze dunes Clan"

Josiah muttered, "I'm not a mast-- Oh! Doofus! Chieftain Tolira is using it in the Dwarven way: 'Master' in this context is the same as 'Mister'. Wonder what manner of circumstances...?"

The young monk packed his needed gear and was on the road within an hour of showing his superiors the letter.

[DeTess]

Elva thanked the courier, then looked over the scroll.

Greetings Lady Elva,

I hope this missive finds you in good health after your most recent travels. A few weeks ago you and a party of adventures stayed overnight in my clans encampment. There has been some trouble since you have left and i have requested your presence to handle this delicate situation.

Please present yourself to the docks in the city of Cali'nast and present this letter to the captain of the ship the Wave Runner, to secure prepaid passage back into our desert lands. We will discuss more upon arrival.

Regards,
Chieftan Tolira of the bronze dunes Clan

She frowned. Could this have something to do with the mysterious stairs she'd found before? Either way, it was very much worth checking out. She spend a day getting her gear in order and refreshing her supplies, and then headed off, following the instructions in the letter.

[sarlon]

The port city of Cali'nast is a good sized fishing port. All sorts of ships sit at anchor and there's a strange ship up in an obvious dry dock.....its made entirely of metal parts (unheard of this kind of style) with dwarves and gnomes (gnomes also being a scarce sight outside of elven settlements, and this is primarily a human settlement). The city is bustling with trade and while the city is tense its more an excitement of waiting for something big to happen.

The Captain of the Wind Runner is a burly old orc with a gruff voice and thinning grey hair, though his clothing is well-made and well-kept. He eyes both of you suspiciously as he inspects your letters, then grunts a greeting. "We'll sail with the tide, it seems its just the two of you (this is not a question)." he barks out someones name and a young man runs up and offers to carry any gear before leading you below decks.

The ship is good sized, 2 tall masts, and plenty of cargo space (you get the impression this is more cargo ship then fishing vessel). Your quarters are little more then a curtained off area near the captains quarters, but judging by the number of hammocks hanging below curtains were added as a courtesy. the boy offers to secure your gear in the captains quarters and advises you to stay out of the engine room. A loud clanging bell almost overhead is heard shortly after, and he bows quickly begging your pardon before scampering up topside.

you both feel a very slight lurch as the ship beings moving.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Josiah looked about and scoffed a bit. "Well, t'would seem we alone travel together again; eh, Elva?"
The young monk stretched out into his hammock and murmured,
"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."

[DeTess]

"It would seem so!" Elva replied cheerfully to Josiah. "What brings you out this way?"

[Tyg3rW01f]

"Oh, this letter from the Chieftain of that desert tribe we visited. I'm guessing you got a similar missive?"

Josiah sat up. ""Oh! need to do something! Be right back!"
With that, Josiah made his way to the ship's bow where he took a water lily out of his pouch. Making a hand gesture of Peace, the young monk then tossed the flower to the waves with the whispered tune,
"Ancestors, to whom we pray,
Watch as we traverse the waves,
Please bid the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep,
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea!"


((This hand signal, btw...))

((yes, edited this so the conversation could flow better.))

[sarlon]

the boat trip south is fairly uneventful (3-day trip), day two in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight, the captain seems nervous and is checking charts and talking with the weirdest-looking elf either of you have ever seen. Faintly tinged green skin, long leaf green fair, wears little more than a pair of swim pants and his hands are "weird", they have "fins" between the fingers which don't seem to inhibit his usage of his hands and make no effort to hide them. He is a member of the crew and well-liked, and at night he's often heard telling stories which both of you are invited to listen to of course.

After a long discussion, the elf comes toward the two of you, "begging your pardons fair travelers, but a storm has popped up in the middle of our intended course. Likely little more than a hurricane, but we will be delayed a further day to avoid sailing into the storm. You're still welcome to stay topside, but if the weather turns foul you land livers might be safer down below decks."

[DeTess]

"Thank you for the warning." Elva looked around, to see if she could see the storm coming. "I'll follow your advice once the weather turns."

[Tyg3rW01f]

Josiah lifted an eyebrow. He'd heard tales of the storms called the "Kami-Kaze" or "Divine Wind" by his Mentor, "hurricanes" by Brother Muh'Ali Lightfoot, and a bard who spoke of the "Gales of November". The young monk didn't really want to be on a ship in such lethal weather.
"I presume this ship has survived many of these hurricanes?"

[sarlon]

"we....generally try and avoid them....this one is strange and we're marking it since look...." he points one long finger in the direction of the dark swirling clouds to the south east.....but the clouds aren't churning the waters underneath them.

"I offered to swim over and check it out but the captain wants me to stay on board in case we catch any of it and someone might get swept overboard.... Do you have any wet weather gear?"

[Tyg3rW01f]

"I have only an oilskin cloak for the rain; nothing of what a sailor might require," Josiah admitted. "I'll stay below as you recommend, but if you need me, I will be available."

[sarlon]

despite the ship working its way around the storm, the winds quickly pick up and rain begins falling in earnest. the ship gets thrown around the waters and the crew is heard shouting orders to each other. The Captain is in the middle of things roaring orders and shoves the two of you out of the way to help another crewmate. what seems like 3 days have passed before the worst of the storm turns out to have been only a few hours.

The ship is in poor repair, 2 of the main masts have snapped completely off and the main deck is littered with debris. The elf is seen climbing back on board multiple times murmuring with the captain and first mate, shaking his head, and pointing at something at a sea chart.

[DeTess]

Once the storm had passed, Elva hurried around, helping where she could. Unfortunately, as far as ship repair or seafaring was considered, she was merely a pair of unskilled hands.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Josiah was slightly more help than Elva, but only by degrees. True, he had a bit of strength and endurance on her, but he was just as unskilled at repairs.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Spoiler: Dex Save

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To see if he can be helpful retrieving stuff IN wreckage... (1d20+4)[14]

[sarlon]

The Crew welcome your help and teach you just enough to be helpful in regards to minor repairs. one of the more agile crew members shouts from above "Land ho!"

mummers of confusion are heard throughout, as they mostly crowd to what remains of the railing to see if they can spot it. FAR distant you can see the faint outline of something starting to rise above the waves as you draw towards it.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Josiah strains to see the land, hoping the lookout isn't mistaking a very low bank of clouds for land.

Spoiler: Perception (SPOT) Check

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(1d20+3)[11]

[DeTess]

"If they're surprised, it must mean we're really off course." Elva murmured softly to herself before joining everyone else in trying to make out the object in the distance.

Spoiler: spot

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(1d20+11)[16]