The Nightmare Switch

Jan 11, 2020 10:21 pm
The land of Seshar is a dry desert crisscrossed with artificial waterways created in days long past. The village of Redstone lies upon one of these waterways, flourishing due to its brisk trade in stone quarried nearby and its extremely capable clave of three Aeon Priests. And then, one night, everything changed. A mysterious illness struck, and a call for aid was sent.

You are on hire on as guards to watch over the river craft piloted by a man named Deymish, on his way to Redstone to deliver medicine. Deymish doesn’t know any details about the illness there, just that he’s to deliver his shipment to the clave there, and that it is extremely urgent.

Deymish is a broad-shouldered, bearded man, about 40 years of age. He has a broad nose and bright eyes. A good-natured fellow, he tells jokes and shares in any labor he asks of another. His boat is an 18-foot (5.5 m) wooden trow with a synth sail that—even fully loaded—glides along a river seemingly effortlessly. Seshar is well-known to Deymish, with its strange, winding waterways. He knows the risks, but makes his living on his boat anyway, frequently employing a few strong arms to help with would-be raiders as well as large cargoes—or in some cases both. He pays each hired hand/guard 3 shins per day, but they get paid when he gets paid for the shipment.

When they arrive in town, Deymish asks for the PCs’ help in getting the four crates of medicine up to the clave’s tower.

"Come, friends, lift those crates, journeys end means pay day is close at hand!" You can easily manage three crates with one person at each end, or if two stronger characters wanted to each solo a crate (tough work but I won't make you roll to do it), leaving Deymish and the remaining three PCs to take the other two.
Jan 12, 2020 12:05 am
Raezhon flips back her hood, her dun-colored skin almost perfectly matching the sandy ground upon which Redstone is situated. The litheness of her build evident under her loose fitting earth-tone robes, she nevertheless volunteers to shoulder one of the crates on her own, and remarkably seems to have little difficulty managing it. Those looking closely might notice that for a brief moment as she lifts the crate, her face and hands, the only parts of her body that are exposed, seem to roughen and pointilate, almost as if made of sand. The effect lasts only for a split-second, before she asks Deymish for directions as to where to deposit the cargo.
Jan 12, 2020 12:16 am
Rohim seems to think for a moment, looking at the crate, the tower and the number of people. Then he simply head for another solo crate, bend his knees to lift the crate in an optimal position and slowly start walking toward the tower, focusing on the crate's balance and his body's position along the way.
Jan 12, 2020 11:27 pm
Aduan calls to Nim, "I think the two of us can handle this one." He steps over to the third crate and waits for Nim to join him.
Jan 13, 2020 3:30 am
Surveying the area around him, Nim stands in awe of the desert landscape. Entranced by what mysteries the sand might hide. Nim takes in a deep, yawning breath of desert air before coughing gently. "Dry." His revelry is soon interrupted by a call to aid. "I think the two of us can handle this one." he looks over to the crate nearby with Aduan standing at the ready. "Of course, of course, sorry I got caught up in thought. tends to happen to me more than I'd like to admit. He braces himself and begins to lift the third crate over to it's intended destination.
Jan 13, 2020 6:36 pm
Karam approaches the last crate, with a candid smile.

- Ah, well, this one looks heavy.

She starts whistling absent-mindedly, stroking what looks like a small reed flute.

- These waterways look impressive, she says to no one in particular.

She is patiently waiting for someone to come back and help her carry the crate. This was a fun trip.
Jan 13, 2020 7:30 pm
Deymish grabs the other end of the crate Karam is by. Together, it is light work.

Together, you all move away from the docks, up the main street. to the tower. You see very few people, and those you do see aren't looking around at all, simply trudging in a tired fashion.

The tower has three stories and a conical roof. It has a few shuttered windows on the upper two levels, with thick glass, about 30 inches (76 cm) across. Unlike the other buildings in Redstone, it is round, and surrounded by an equally circular wall. The tower has a diameter of about 20 feet (6 m). The wall, a bit over 70 feet (21 m).

The wall is 10 feet (3 m) high, 1 foot (.3 m) thick, and made of redstone. A locked gate of iron bars blocks the entrance (level 3 lock, level 6 iron gate).

When you get to the bars, Deymish calls out.

The guard is a tall woman with pale brown skin and short hair. She wears brigandine armor and a helmet, and carries a long spear (she has a small sword as well). "What do you want?" she asks warily, eyeing the crates.

"A delivery for the clave. The medicine they ordered." He hefts the one end of the crate as if it weren't obvious.

"Come by tomorrow," she says and returns to her chair.

Deymish protests but she doesn't listen.
Jan 13, 2020 8:31 pm
"Apparently it wasn't that urgent?" Raezhon posits to no one in particular.
Last edited January 13, 2020 8:35 pm
Jan 13, 2020 11:50 pm
"I don't wanna be carrying these crates any farther than I have to. I assume we won't get paid until they're delivered to the clave. Let's just leave 'em set here and we can sleep on the ground next to 'em."
Jan 14, 2020 12:13 am
Rohim carefully put his crate on the ground while Deymish and the guard argue. He goes up to the gate and take a look at the tower., trying to spot a more important person or discerns some clues as to why they closed off the place.
Jan 14, 2020 12:27 am
It looks quiet inside. The guard in her chair seems half asleep but struggling to stay awake. There doesn't seem to be anyone else, or anything out of place.
Jan 14, 2020 12:30 am
"Excuse me miss, may I inquire where we can find the priests of this clave?"
Jan 14, 2020 12:47 am
"Come by tomorrow."
Jan 14, 2020 4:33 am
"Not urgent and not helpful." Raezhon grumbles, emphasizing the last two words. "So...." She lets the word trail off before continuing. "We're here. And that happened. And of course, this didn't happen. Which, I guess brings us back to 'so.'"
Jan 14, 2020 6:07 am
Rohim shrugs and turn to Deymish :"So, what's the plan boss? We can watch the crates for the night, but you're gonna owe us one more day."
Jan 14, 2020 6:21 am
"Well I definitely wouldn't say no to a few more shins. If we are staying the night though, it would be nice to have a look around this place." Nim surveys the surrounding area, absentmindedly looking for anything of interest.
Jan 14, 2020 1:58 pm
Deymish grumbles. "I suppose so. Let's take these back to the boat then you lot can look around. I'll watch the stuff today, but come by later and spell me off would you."
Jan 14, 2020 5:53 pm
When everyone has gathered back around Deymish, Karam approaches the guard once more. She tries to do that in an amiable way.

- Apologies, she says in a soft voice, has something...happened recently?
OOC:
My aim is to try and understand what motivates this guard. My hypothesis is that she’s unpleasant for a reason. GM: is there some psychology-related roll I could make to get in her head?
Jan 14, 2020 5:57 pm
"Say, Deymish was it? Where might a hired hand have to take himself to find a drink and some friendly company around here, if you catch my meaning? Nim says this as subtle as he can manage despite the fact that it is a fairly common and straightforward request. Habit has seen him talking in shadier tones whenever the occasion permits. Thinking quickly about his request he adds. "And the illness around here. Do you know anything you can tell us about it? it's method of contagion perhaps?"
Jan 14, 2020 6:35 pm
OOC:
I'm trained in assessing deception. Depending on the answer the guard gives Karam I could see if I can tell anything
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