The Ides of March: Samduke

[Acanous]

Firstly, just to get this out of the way, if your name isn't on the thread and you're in my game, don't be looking in the thread. This thread is for Samduke. Don't read further unless that's you.

Everyone find their designated door or seat?

Great.

We begin.

Dagna has been traveling for weeks. From the Imperial City of Kyuetho, the City of Bridges, where marvels of engineering (Like those aforementioned bridges, which raise and lower by some mechanism that no one ever gets a good look at) have made it a jewel in the Ileteran Empire. That was where you were taken in, where you learned your craft... and where your master met a foul, unfortunate end. She didn't have any debts or rivalries that you were aware of, but still... with a river nearby, you thought it prudent to leave the city, and when the opportunity to leave the COUNTRY presented itself just by staying on course down the mighty Yert river (The elves call it the Yuertaquen, but you know that just means "Yert river" in Elven) you find yourself at a crossroads. Do you stay in the mostly human lands of Ileteran, in the river port of Iyragheine? Or continue into the Elven country of Kelfarast, going to the next town of Dotheas?
You lack any relevant knowledge skills, this one's a blind choice
Either way, you'll have to make your mind up quickly. You only have about a day before the riverboat continues on it's journey. The crew were happy to let a "Tinker" hitch a ride, in exchange for minor mending services, but they'll be carrying on, and there is no guarantee you'll find another boat willing to take you on.
Iyragheine is a very large hamlet, almost five thousand people.
There is a pub here, as well as a fish market and a nearby keep.
The captain of this little barge, Raymundo Biskerelli is a profit driven human, once an imperial soldier, now resigned, enjoying his retirement by trying to build a "Trade Empire". So far, he's got a boat, but you can't fault his enthusiasm.

(Please state at some point during your first post if you'd like to stay in human lands or travel into Elven country. Aside from that, the stage is yours.)

[samduke]

Dagna (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1798256) linked for ease of reference

with a little bit of time to ask around dagna will ask anyone she can as to the size of Dotheas. if the opinions of other puts it at very large hamlet, almost five thousand people, or smaller she will stay if larger she will go onwards
Gather Information [roll0] <- if unknown she will go onwards

[Acanous]

You ask a few of the fishermen, who shrug and start to argue among themselves about the size of Dotheas. How much of the surrounding countryside counts? Do the traders count? Depending on what time of year it is, and how the crops are doing...
You get the impression that Dotheas is a village of "Thousands", but weather that means three or eight is up in the air. Certainly not ten, and certainly not two.
Unsure of the actual figures, you decide to chance it- you do speak elven, and whomever arranged for your master's undoing will likely be as much a stranger there as you are. Which means they'll stand out, you may be able to see them coming.

Raymundo is accepting of your decision to carry on. There's some pot mending to be done, when you've got the time.
(Assuming a take 10 on craft: Pottery)
The world really rushes by when you're on a river. It seems slow, but when you check how far you've come in a day, the figure is amazing. You leave in midmorning, and arrive shortly before sundown of the same day!
Dotheas is, from the look of it, actually a bit smaller than Iyragheine was. But the population is mostly elven, and the settlement has walls and a keep attached. Honestly it seems a bit more militant than you thought it would be, but it IS a border town, you suppose.
There is no central market, just the docks. There is no tavern, traders and sailors are expected to berth on their ships.
"We'll be here for two days." Raymundo informs you. "One to do most of the selling, then another for the buying. Then we're off. You can stay on the ship tonight, but you'll need to find somewhere to be after that."

Well, that gives you a full day to figure things out.

[samduke]

wasting no time, leaving the ship, go and aproach the fortifications main gate asking in elven if I may enter, then asking who might be leader of this town so that I may possibly setup a home and shop.

[Acanous]

You approach the main gate, finding two elves on duty. Both are women, which is kind of surprising given the job. In imperial lands, it's mostly men in the guard.
"Selathis is the mayor here. Do you need to see him?
You may not enter, human. Curfew is sundown. Return to your ship and come back in the morning."
They give you some simple directions. The mayor should be in the town hall, when the gates open. You'll be able to apply for license to start a shop then, although from speaking with the guards, you assume there's a fee involved.
Actually, that they turn folks away at night is somewhat of a comfort. You spy a dagger and shortsword on the one elf, and a longbow with a quarrel of arrows, as well as a dagger on the other. Both are wearing studded leather, in good repair.
-If you'd like to just return to the ship and wait for morning, you gain entrance easily, are told to be finished your business by the evening bell, and either make arrangements for a place to stay, or be out of the city by nightfall.
The Council chamber is a plain looking building, though the oaken doors are carved, with the names of what you can only assume is prior or sitting council members in cursive elvish. It fills the top half of the double doors, with room for more. This settlement is probably only a couple hundred years old, then.
When you approach, you find a bit of a queue. Farmers and fishermen wait in line to make their cases before the council, which seems to act as a minor court as well as officiating.
You spend three hours waiting before it's your turn, and the three sitting council members, all male elves well into middle age, from what you can tell, seem bored. Two seats have been empty all morning, which you can only assume is for another two council members who just aren't here today. You have the opportunity to state your case, (Diplomacy) and may wish to embellish it or add other incentives or arguments (Knowledge: Law, Intimidate, or Bluff). (You may make up to three skill checks, though the Diplomacy is the big one. Any other skill merely adds +2 to the result of your diplomacy check if successful at DC 15, or -1 if you fail by more than 5. -2 if you fail by 10. Bribery will likely work on these officials, if you phrase it as a donation or a licensing fee of some kind. You must choose weather to throw gold at them prior to making your diplomacy roll.)

Edit: If you chose to attempt to sneak in at night, or attack the guards or something, it'll disregard much of this post. You can do that, and that's fine, just let me know if that's the case. Not trying to railroad you.

[samduke]

nope stay on ship for the night enter in the morning - do the waiting then the asking.

In Elven... Lord Mayor Selathis, Thank you for seeing me, I come from the north I am a craftswoman by trade, and offer up my skills such as they may be. I wish to petition for a license to have a shop and I would like to live here. I just need know what potential fee may be involved in this venture.

Bribery/Donation/Licensing fee: 5 gp - deducted

Diplomacy [roll0] DC 15 - edit - not sure if that 15 from profession will help but it does not fail by more than 5
Knowledge (arch/eng) [roll1]
Profession (Engineer) [roll2]

[Acanous]

He perks up when you make your case, gesturing to the single clerk to come take your fee. The clerk does, depositing it in a box. "Ah, we always welcome experienced tradespeople. What sort of craft will you be practicing? Our fees of course are based on the type of work. Everyone paying their fair share, or the proper fare as the case may be." He smiles, actually having something to talk about that isn't boring or pedantic. This'll probably generate gossip. A human woman coming to town to set up shop? That's unusual.
"I can get you a general business license for that five gold you've paid, but if you're involved in clerical work, jewelry, or real estate there's an added administrative fee. Also you will have to file a return every three months. For tax purposes."
That... seemed pretty easy, actually.
"Please, feel free to take the time you need to set up shop. Oh! And no alchemy! Too dangerous, that."
The town is not as big as you'd have hoped, but it's got easy access to the river, and security here is pretty nice. There is no market, however, which means you'll need to figure something out. A stall, perhaps? Most of the other businesses you find (Bakery, Blacksmith, Barber) are home-based, with the majority of traders sticking to the docks.
You have no idea if there's a carpenter in town. (This is all the free info, you'll need rolls or interaction to discover more :) )

[samduke]

my talents lie in the creation and construction of things, things that do sometimes require alchemy.
I would like to inquire of the resources nearby, other than the river and nearby trees are trhere hills or mountains that produce ores nearby?
Gather Information [roll0] forgot the -1 so 17...

[Acanous]

The nearest mountains are Northeast, in orc lands. Like, not close.
There are pit mines, however, and you can GET metal. If you want more than just a chunk of ore every couple weeks, though, you may wish to continue down the river, to Luthei, the capital city. It'd be a few days, but there's a huge population there. It's a trade hub.
How much metal do you actually require?

[samduke]

a pit mine ahh, as to how much is needed that is truly an unknown factor, Luthei, the capital city you say, is it an all elven city such as this? and if I decide to travel there, is there a boat that can take me? furthermore if I decide to travel there would you be willing to give me a letter of introduction so that I might have an opportunity to speak to those in charge there about a possible shop.?

[Acanous]

"Luthei is a mostly elven city, though the population includes a few halflings, humans and half-elves. It's about five hundred miles down the river. You could reach it in a week or so on a good boat. We could arrange a letter of introduction, but really all it would say is that you're looking for work and conducted yourself appropriately while here.
There are boats that can take you. Wait a day or two and you'll see several boats making ready to depart that way."
Well, you could start setting up here, or you could travel a week down to the capital. You'd have to buy food again, and you'd arrive with not much, but it's possible.

[samduke]

while I appreciate the offer of the ability to setup here, however the amount of commerce does not appear to support the efforts it would take to aquire the supplies let alone earn enough for any profit. As I will not be setting up shop here I would like to apply the money given to a purchase of trail rations as they are needed supplies and await a boat down river and thank you for your time and information.

10 days trail rations 5 gp - should be already paid if they agree

[Acanous]

"Very well. We'll help you with your foodstuffs. Check at the harbor and see about arranging passage. We bid you good luck. Should you pass back this way, do keep us in mind."
They dismiss you. You can have the rations, and you can still bunk on Raymundo's ship for the night, but you'll need passage out for tomorrow. Any plans for the day?

[samduke]

"Very well. We'll help you with your foodstuffs. Check at the harbor and see about arranging passage. We bid you good luck. Should you pass back this way, do keep us in mind."
They dismiss you. You can have the rations, and you can still bunk on Raymundo's ship for the night, but you'll need passage out for tomorrow. Any plans for the day?

inquire around about passage down river keep an eye out for anything odd and that is about it.

[Acanous]

You find a few different rates, ranging from 5 silver to 2 gold, depending on how fast you want to be there. The 5 silver option is going to take 5 days. The 2 gold one will take 2. Food is not provided on either, but you can fish if you have the supplies.

[samduke]

You find a few different rates, ranging from 5 silver to 2 gold, depending on how fast you want to be there. The 5 silver option is going to take 5 days. The 2 gold one will take 2. Food is not provided on either, but you can fish if you have the supplies.

lets go the middle ground at 1 gp (deducted) for x days I have 10days rations so no issues, I will continue to watch for anything odd during the trip

[Acanous]

As you travel down the river, time seems to go into an unusual fugue. You're in a two-tiered riverboat with a large, broad main deck for loading and unloading.
There's about 12 crewmen, plus the captain.

You travel for about a day, and are a half-day from next port (Which isn't your destination, but it IS the last stop) when a flurry of bolts rain from the sky, peppering the deck! A Bell begins to sound, and sailors run to and fro, gabbing up weapons and taking positions.
You're not sure where the bolts came from until you spot a pod of fish-like humanoids, IN the river, reloading.
There's about eight of the things, you hear one of the crew curse "Blighted Locathah!"
They're nearly 400 feet away, although the ship's course is taking you towards them.
You could get below deck, and hope it blows over, or you can engage, rolling initiative.

Crewman 1 [roll0]

Crewman 2 [roll1]

Crewman 3 [roll2]

Crewman 4 [roll3]

Crewman 5 [roll4]

Crewman 6 [roll5]

Crewman 7 [roll6]

Crewman 8 [roll7]

Crewman 9 [roll8]

Crewman 10 [roll9]

Crewman 11 [roll10]

Crewman 12 [roll11]

Captain [roll12]

Locathah 1 [roll13]

Locathah 2 [roll14]

Locathah 3 [roll15]

Locathah 4 [roll16]

Locathah 5 [roll17]

Locathah 6 [roll18]

Locathah 7 [roll19]

Locathah 8 [roll20]

[samduke]

oh seeing as I am already in an elevated position looking where I can see them
[roll0]
edit
*ooc well most of them get to go before me-swell..

Actions
Cast Shield of Faith on armor, load crossbow, find a fishman to aim at, move if needed to gain clear line of fire
AC:17 FF:15 TO:14

[Acanous]

A pair of crewmen act before you're even really aware of the threat, picking up bundles of fishing spears and moving to pass them out among the crew.
The creatures seem to be reloading.
You see more of the crew start running to and fro on the deck, grabbing the weapons and making for the sides of the ship, where the hull sweeps up past the deck, using it as cover.
Your action comes before the captain's.

[samduke]

round 1 : Cast Shield of Faith on armor, load crossbow, find a fishman to aim at, move if needed to gain clear line of fire

round 2: ranged attack with crossbow [roll0]; (threat) confirm crit [roll1]; Damage [roll2] Crit x2
Rapid Reload reduced to a free action - reload crossbow, move again to keep clear line of fire and not be close to any of the fishmen creatures.

[Acanous]

The boat continues on it's way towards the fish creatures. Crewmen make ready, the captain turning the boat to aim right towards the fishmen, presenting a smaller target.
A second volley of arrows begins, and one of the crew falls, pierced by several bolts.
You manage to line up what you think is an appreciable shot, pull the trigger- and it flies right into a creature's neck, killing it instantly.
The moat drifts 60' closer to the creatures, and while two sailors go over to try to aid their fallen comrade, you can tell from a glance he's not there to be helped.
round three. The creatures have reloaded.

[samduke]

round 3 : find a fishman to aim at, move if needed to gain clear line of fire
ranged attack with crossbow [roll0]; confirm crit [roll1]; Damage [roll2] Crit x2
Rapid Reload reduced to a free action - reload crossbow, move again to keep clear line of fire and not be close to any of the fishmen creatures.

round 4 : find a fishman to aim at, move if needed to gain clear line of fire
ranged attack with crossbow [roll3]; confirm crit [roll4]; Damage [roll5] Crit x2
Rapid Reload reduced to a free action - reload crossbow, move again to keep clear line of fire and not be close to any of the fishmen creatures.

[Acanous]

The fish fire a second volley, harming a second seaman and killing a third. The boat moves ever closer, and while you miss your second shot, your third strikes true, but barely grazes one.
The boat sails closer and closer, and the sailors are readying nets. The fishmen, reloaded, are eyeing the ship with ready wariness, about to pull back, when your initiative comes up again.

[samduke]

round 5 : find a fishman to aim at, move if needed to gain clear line of fire
ranged attack with crossbow [roll0] ; confirm crit [roll1] ; Damage [roll2] Crit x2
Rapid Reload reduced to a free action - reload crossbow, move again to keep clear line of fire and not be close to any of the fishmen creatures.

round 6 : find a fishman to aim at, move if needed to gain clear line of fire
ranged attack with crossbow [roll3] ; confirm crit [roll4] ; Damage [roll5] Crit x2
Rapid Reload reduced to a free action - reload crossbow, move again to keep clear line of fire and not be close to any of the fishmen creatures.

[samduke]

bump ten characters

[samduke]

wondering if this is dying...
GM Last Activity 2020-04-03 03:18 AM