IC Story Thread: Ch.1,Ad.1 - A Sensitive Matter

Drakis2 says:

OOC:

@emsquared: Seonaid is interested in scouring the dock workers for anything they may remember of the Storm-tide, such as any cargo, if the crew visited anywhere notable, what they said to anyone. Maybe find if any visited a tavern and if anyone there has news.

She’s also interested in speaking with the custom agents and the harbour agents who schedule the ships for entry and exit on the Anduin.

She’ll start with people she knows thru her families business and go from there. She’l try to be discreet, and generous with bribes.

@stefron: are you fine to try this angle? What do you think we shld try as well? Not surd we’ll learn much more than we already have but worth a try i think.

OOC:

That's a lot of different stuff you've laid out. I want to bring up a couple considerations that will impact this effort/any checks and narrative:

1. The work day is ending, there may be some dock workers still on the docks finishing up work that came in late, and their foreman, fisherman still coming in with the day's catch, passenger ships arriving, but the bulk of administrative type people - customs and harbor agents are probably gone by now. If you're looking for those types of people, Seonaid can figure that she'd probably only be finding them in their homes or in a tavern at supper.

2. The docks of Pelargir are huge. Probably a couple miles of shoreline at least, I don't really know how much space medieval docks take up, but they're big. It's the main and biggest port of Gondor, and a hub for trade, travel, and fishing. Naval ships also but they're at least in a separate harbor which you don't have access too. If you want to question random dock workers, it will take a lot of time.

You mentioned starting with people she already knows, and bribes, why don't we start there. How much coinage are you sliding their way (go ahead and subtract that)? And give me the question(s) you're asking them.

Mnrtoler says:

Ragnarr will use his knowledge to find the right people to ask.

Being from Lake Town you both know at least something of the working of ships and docks, and so when Ragnarr confers with Bob, you both agree that probably some sort of harbor master - or their ledger - would be best to try and learn anything about the Storm-tide. As for it's crew or their activities? You can't really fathom what/who would yield anything there, other than just if you were to get lucky questioning a person that happened to see and pay attention to them (doesn't mean there ISN'T someone, just you guys can't think of who that would be).

Aug 2, 2023 3:06 pm

Dr_B says:

[ +- ] Cirion's Letter

OOC:

Woah! Super cool web-tool(?) to generate that!

Thank you for this insight into Cirion!

Aug 2, 2023 3:42 pm

emsquared says:

Being from Lake Town you both know at least something of the working of ships and docks, and so when Ragnarr confers with Bob, you both agree that probably some sort of harbor master - or their ledger - would be best to try and learn anything about the Storm-tide. As for its crew or their activities? You can't really fathom what/who would yield anything there, other than just if you were to get lucky questioning a person that happened to see and pay attention to them (doesn't mean there ISN'T someone, just you guys can't think of who that would be).

OOC:

I agree finding that one person is time wasted.

Ragnarr will search for the Harbor master and ask him for any information he can get about the ship Storm-Tide. I’m hoping this background feature will assist in gettting information from him.

[ +- ] Feature troubling to the wise

Aug 2, 2023 4:01 pm

OOC:

She’ll start with the folk she knows thru her families connections. She’ll spend the equivalent of a couple of ales or plate of food per person. Not sure how much that is, but she has 16 silver pennies so she’ll try to make it last

Aug 2, 2023 6:17 pm

Drakis2 says:

OOC:

She’ll start with the folk she knows thru her families connections. She’ll spend the equivalent of a couple of ales or plate of food per person. Not sure how much that is, but she has 16 silver pennies so she’ll try to make it last

OOC:

Let's call it 1 sp.

No one you speak with knows anything specific about the Storm-tide, which since it is a ship from the south (and so would most likely deal in more exotic things), and since your contacts deal more in exotic goods - that says something in itself. Namely that the ship probably hasn't been sailing as a trade ship for very long, at least not while trading it's most likely cargo.

Beyond that the input she gets back pretty much comes down to the fact that any ship coming from the Harad, destined for Minas Tirith directly, probably wouldn't have stopped for long in Pelargir. Otherwise it would just offload it's goods there and head back south for the next load. The trip up river is slow, and hazardous due to the potential shifting of the channel. And it's not a long enough journey that the ship would need to stop here and reprovision, or let the crew off lest they go insane. They likely just passed through.

However it would HAVE to make one stop in Pelargir, and that would have just been a quick anchorage for a customs-type inspection to ensure there wasn't an army on board/that it's carried goods matched a registered bill of lading.

Things like it's cargo and crew size could be found on that registered document, as well as who was to receive the shipment at it's destination, but that document is basically just a piece of paper in a large stack of papers somewhere now, waiting for some commerce ministry to review it.

Mnrtoler says:

Ragnarr will search for the Harbor master and ask him for any information he can get about the ship Storm-Tide. I’m hoping this background feature will assist in gettting information from him.

OOC:

The work day is ending, there may be some dock workers still on the docks finishing up work that came in late, and their foreman, fisherman still coming in with the day's catch, passenger ships arriving, but the bulk of administrative type people - customs and harbor masters are probably gone by now.

If you're looking for those types of people, you can figure that they would probably only be found in their homes or in a tavern at supper.

Where/how do you propose to find the harbor master?

Ragnarr

Aug 2, 2023 6:20 pm

Ragnarr will try to find a harbor master office to see if he can find a way inside to look for documents if no on is there.

Aug 2, 2023 6:39 pm

OOC:

So I forget if this is RAW guidance or not, but particularly early on, I like to remind players of the Shadow rules before implementing them.

AIME (and Tolkien's works) is often about an internal struggle between darkness and light, as much as the external. And that is reflected in AIME by the Shadow mechanics. The Shadow is a game that works best/is most fun when players willfully engage in it as a way to help tell their character's stories. But sometimes players view it as a pronouncement by the DM that; "You are EVIL! Bad wrong fun!"

I want to ensure you all that is not what I am doing here, I am merely opening up the Shadow game for you to engage in, if you want to, to help tell your character's story.

And in this moment, Ragnarr breaking and entering into the harbor masters office would be a minor Misdeed (you will gain automatic Shadow). I am giving you the opportunity for him to think better of it, and turn away, if you don't want to start chalking up Shadow/engaging in the Shadow-game just yet :)

From the book:

Quote:

Committing despicable or dishonourable deeds,
regardless of the end they sought to achieve (see
Misdeeds).

Ragnarr

Aug 2, 2023 7:13 pm

Just as Ragnarr is about to break and enter, Bob speaks up,

"Sire, sure you don’t want to wait til the harbor master is returned tomorrow?"

"Of course you are right young Bob. Thank you for stopping me in my time of weakness. I believe we are not leaving til the afternoon.

OOC:

Thanks Dm I was not thinking about that mechanic and no not wish to gain shadow this early.

Last edited August 2, 2023 7:13 pm

Aug 2, 2023 7:16 pm

OOC:

Seònaid will try to track down the custom agemts, asking around to find out which tavern any of them would likely visit.

If no success with that she’ll call it a day and go home to spend her last night with family before leaving

Aug 2, 2023 7:38 pm

OOC:

It's already late by the time Seonaid is done meeting with her familial contacts.

To press forward looking for a customs agent will take her deep into the night, beyond the time where she can still get a good night's rest before the meeting time with Andireg at the gates and the beginning of the journey.

If she presses on, she'll have to succeed at a DC11 Con save, to not begin the following day with 1 level of Exhaustion.

If you want to take that risk, go ahead and roll the save, and a skill check (Persuasion? Traditions? Intimidation?) that matches the narrative for how you propose she will achieve this. DC could vary based on her methods, but I don't see this as being a particularly easy feat.

Aug 2, 2023 7:57 pm

OOC:

That’s fair enough, as it would be a long slog. In that case she’ll call it a night and go home. Thematically she’d be more likely to want the time with family than spend it chasing scant evidence.

Seònaid, tired from her day of trudging between taverns and community halls decides to go home.

Walking into her parents house she is thrilled to see them busily laying out the evening meal. She greets her brothers families, sweeping up her youngest nephew in a big hug.

"Oh my Haluin, you are growing so tall!" she turns to her brother. "You’ll soon be bigger than your father, but that’ll be easy as he always was a shorthouse!"

She joins in the happy laughter and banter this starts. She decides to wait till after mealtime, when the children are abed, before she tell her parents that she is leaving on her travels again.

It is never easy, so let them have this time of joy first. Although from father’s glances I think he already suspects. He always seems to know.

OOC:

She will meet the others at the appointed time the next day

Duinhir

Stefron

Aug 2, 2023 8:29 pm

Duinhir follows Seónaid's lead as she has some connections and know some people to talk to. They learn some but nothing concrete about the Storm-tide.

As their way part in the evening when Seónaid returns to her home, Duinhir figures he might as well take a last drink at one of the harbour taverns, talking to sailors to pick up any rumours about the affaires of Southron. He does not have any hope that anyone he talks to knows anything about the ship, so he is content to learn a bit more about the place they are going.
After a few conversations he returns to his lodging to get some sleep before their departure.

Éothain

rpgventurer

Aug 3, 2023 8:09 am

"Til the morrow then." Éothain bids farewell to his new companions and weaves his way to the Crimson Fish. The inn, a simple but comfortable place along the edge of the academic district, was recommended by a Gondorian merchant who once visited his family farm. After a simple repast of roasted mutton and carrots, he goes to the stable next door, where the smell of horse sweat and dung greet him like an old friend.

Sixth stall, left. Skunktail sees Éothain and bobs her head in anticipation. He feeds her a clump of dandelions gathered during their excursion earlier in the day and pats her neck. "Good girl. We're back on the road tomorrow. No more empty caves. At least for a while."

"Where are you going? Not too far I hope. Skunktail and I are becoming friends." Thilioril, the stable master, was not far behind Éothain with her own handful of dandelions. "Two treats in one night? You are one lucky horse."

Meeting Thilioril was the highlight of his stay in Gondor. Her smile and welcoming manner put him at ease as soon as he arrived. More importantly, her knowledge of horses rivaled many in Rohan, although he wouldn't dare mention that in his homeland. They even shared a fondness for Sindarin poetry.

"I am escorting a merchant south to a border village. I'm not sure when I'll be back ... maybe a fortnight."

"Don't take too long, or I might finish the 'Rhymes of Rivendell' without you." She grins and heads back to the inn, leaving the warrior alone for his nightly practice of brushing his horse.

The next morning, Éothain discretely gathers some information about common customs and sayings in Umbar and Harad. After packing his belongings, he leads Skunktail by foot to the rendezvous location.

Last edited August 3, 2023 8:14 am

Aug 3, 2023 3:55 pm

Mnrtoler says:

"... I believe we are not leaving til the afternoon. "

OOC:

The meeting with Andireg is in the morning, but you all can decide to leave, ofc, whenever you want.

The rays of the rising sun are tinted orange this morning, perhaps by some wildfire burning far to the east, and the air is crisp and cool - a pleasant spring morning, despite a towering bank of clouds standing out over the Bay of Belfalas threatening the afternoon.

As you all approach the south gate, you can spot Andireg from some ways away upon a horse, although he is wearing fully civilian garb this morning. No raiment or colors of Gondor at all, really just his fine broadsword in it's sheath, dangling from his saddle to indicate he is any sort of warrior.

You also notice he has a small, wicker cage strapped to the rear skirt of his saddle with a small bird inside it.

His smile upon seeing you is wreathed in hope and gratitude, and he nods to each of you as you gather.

He hands over a buckled leather pouch that jingles with coin, and takes up the cage as well, "This is a carrier pigeon. The father is sick with grief, and our generals are making preparations for any greater military response, should it be necessary. Please send word once you have the children, or if there is any other... more significant development.

The Lady Diplomat should have a full report of what is going on by the time of your arrival. I would encourage you to not meet with her however, unless you believe you can do so under the utmost secrecy. Again we do not know who is behind this, and where they might have ears and eyes...

Gondor does have a small embassy that is currently staffed in Umbar. And you should take the children there upon their safe retrieval. That is where their mother is, and you all will be able to make a return journey under military escort...

Eh...", he lets out a heavy sigh, and searches for more words.

"I don't know what else there is to be said, other than, again, Gondor and all the Free Peoples of the North owe you a debt for your aid, and may Tulkas be at your back."

OOC:

There's 50 sp in the pouch, for your all to do with as you wish.

@GreyWord you can add 10 sp to Onar, and we'll call it monies he's earned with his smithing.

I don't want to rush us into the Journey of there are things ppl still want to to do in Pelargir. But I do want to get you all thinking about the Journey Tasks (with their most commonly used abilities/skills):

Guide – Wisdom & Survival
Hunter – Survival
Lookout – Perception
Scout – Investigation & Stealth

More than one character can be assigned to each task, for instance if someone is good at one skill or ability but not another that is important for the role.

I don't mind a meta discussion about those, of that's how you want to handle it.

Aug 3, 2023 5:32 pm

OOC:

Posted some ideas in OOC Chat

"Rest easy Andireg, we will tread softly in Umbar," she pats his arm, and reaches for the caged bird. "I shall use some of the coin to buy a pony, if Èothain would care to help me?"

Éothain

rpgventurer

Aug 3, 2023 10:24 pm

"I am happy to help, Seònaid. Lead the way to your favorite purveyor."

Aug 4, 2023 12:26 am

"Thank you, if you can help choose me a good mount as I typically travel afoot. I know a woman who is known to be fair in her pricing."

Seònaid turns to Cirion and asks, "Will you join us, and we can also help you get provisioned if you wish?"

Aug 4, 2023 2:39 am

OOC:

Do we know around how much a horse would cost? Also does traveling by foot and horse the same speed?

Aug 4, 2023 3:04 am

OOC:

@Mnrtoler: Good point. I saw in the PG that travel speed is 20 miles per day on foot, 40 miles per day on horse. I expect that depends on their being a maintained road of some sort. Doesn't have price of mounts, but saddles are listed 1GP. So Andireg has given us about 2 GP, which probably is not going to get us any mounts. So we travel on foot I'd guess.

@emsquared: How many miles is it to Umbar from Pelargir, and is there a road?

rpgventurer

Aug 4, 2023 6:42 am