Souls for Smuggler’s Shiv, Pathfinder 1e

[Darcstaar]

Part 1 of the Serpent’s Skull Adventure Path.  By James Jacobs, (c) 2010.

Paizo Publishing.

 

Using the Pathfinder Rules from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook

Sixth Printing, 2013 and copyright 2009 and on

Also uses Open Game License Content 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast

[Darcstaar]

The five of you are traveling aboard the Jenivere, a Wyvern Class merchant ship bound for Eledar in Sargava.  It makes the journey to and from Magnimar yearly.  There are currently 6 other passengers and about two-dozen crew including the captain and first mate.  Your paid passage buys you two meals per day, and a small personal space including a hammock and foot locker.  As passengers, you are not expected to participate in ships duties (except Lorak who is part of the crew).  If you’d like, you can spend some time with the crew shadowing them a bit to learn the positions and duties aboard a ship.  
 

 

(OOC see the player’s guide for notable other people on board).

 

Captain Alizandru Kovak and his first mate  Alton Devers seem very capable.  The captain is friendly to his passengers, fair but strict with his crew.

 

First Mate Devers is strong, intelligent and able.

 

The cook, Rambar Terillo is a humorless man without much culinary imagination.

[ShadowRaven]

Plain clothes of dull colours somehow managed to let him seem to blend into the background, in spite of his exceptionally tall stature. Only the bright plumage of some jungle bird, braided carefully into his hair showed any colour  on him, catching the sunlight the rare times that he moved. Most of the time he was content to stand out of the way at the ships rails and watch the world pass by, but every so often as if something caught his eye, he would turn his intense gaze as if seeking to see something that may or may not have really been there. Be it a flash of sunlight on a wave, or the shape of a passing cloud, but after a moment's time he would always seem to turn away, back to the horizon. Once in a long while he would cast his eyes up to the ships rigging, as if wondering what could be seen from above, but he makes no move to seek permission to climb aloft.

 

When spoken with, he is polite, friendly, and more than willing to converse for a time, but for his part he makes no attempt to speak with anyone, be they crew, or passengers unless approached first. Content it seems to remain out of the way. Having boarded in the Expanse, perhaps it is due to the short time on board, but he has not yet seemed to grow tired of the travel the way those who have been aboard since the beginning of the journey might have. At least not bored enough to seek distraction elsewhere beyond the passing sea and sky.

[dwarvenranger]

Lorak's nostrils flare as he deeply inhales. 'I enjoy the scent of the sea' he thinks to himself as his eyes scan the horizon from his position in the crows nest. He takes a moment to focus on the rocking of the ship, his own balance in tune with the movements of the Jenivere. Closing his eyes briefly he then enjoys the feeling of the sun and wind on his bare skin, his tattoos and scars both alternately dark and light in their patterns upon his bare chest, back and arms. His tightly braided and tarred hair, kept in a long braid down his back is unmoving, but he notices how warm it has become in the sun.

'I can see why some choose this life he thinks. 'The simplicity and discipline is appealing. Still, I imagine that there are some on the ship that are bored. I am glad that I am not among them.' And with that he sets his eyes on the sea again, while his arms go through a series of blocks and strikes.

[Kangaroorex]

Anyone on the ship who has been on the boat for more than a day knows and has met Arune (or Ari to his friends, which is just about everyone he meets... except the cook, he keeps looking weirdly at my legs) hes a Bright green Grippli with some soft brown mottling across his back. He wears a bright chain shirt that has been polished to a high shine and has questions for everybody about their clothing, their stuff, what they do, and where they came from and where they are going.  He has a bright chirpy voice, even if he's in a serious mood or casting.  The crew has long contrived to make sure that the grippli eats first because if hes eating, he isn't singing or talking.  He's always quick to show off his magic, providing light throughout the ship and making it 'his job' to keep the lights refreshed

 

Some people might consider him annoying until he looks up with his big orange eyes and a smile of curiosity and interest.  It doesn't work all the time but it usually keeps him from getting killed.

 

When he can, he askes about the blue feather:  Where it came from, how he got it, can he get one?

 

and every time that Lorak goes up to practice on the deck, Ari comes up to watch, but only askes questions after he has completed his kata.  Some people at his school did these but wouldn't share and he finds it interesting, although the few moves he tries to copy look rather silly with his big floppy feet and just don't really seem to have a lot of strength behind them.

 

 

[dwarvenranger]

Lorak watches the green frog man, how different than the brightly colored ones from the jungle! He inwardly cringes at his clumsy attempts at katas, but then grins to himself, if he was able to learn to calm his emotions and to focus his energy he supposes that well, the frog man isn't hopeless. Besides, that armor, isn't helping him any.

[ShadowRaven]

Turning away from the sea and sky, he watched the Gripli for a moment, with a bit of a smile. Such an oddly eager and excitable creature. Like a child, full of questions without the experience to know that some questions should not be asked, and that some answers can only be found through observation and patience. But like a child, even the moments of annoyance don't last long, swept away by the carefree curiosity. Hopefully life would temper some of that with experience, but not kill it outright. The world could always use a little more brightness and innocence, it has enough cynicism to go around after all. 

[Kangaroorex]

Ari pops up to a railing over by Lorak "I know that smirk, you think I'm a bit silly for tying something you worked most of your life to do and i probably sound like a sleigh horse while doing it.  But Mama Hopper always said to try something and see if it works.  When your race is considered food by a lot of the feathered kind out there, you either get all morose or you smile and grin, while getting ready to step away from the long pointy stick your dinner is about to impale himself on." 

 

He hops off the rail and holds out his hand "I'm Arune loghopper, but you can call me Ari, everyone else does. Whats your name, or do I just call you guy with the cool kicks?"

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

Sabine approaches the nascent cluster of passengers, the fetishes of bone, wood and feathers fastened to her hide armor twisting in the wind.  She absentmindedly fishes a nut out of her belt pouch and hands it to the large parrot on her shoulder.  The bird, predominantly blue, gold and green, makes short work of the tough nut, deftly cracking it with it's beak before fishing the nut meat out.  It then strops it's beak against the woman's head, in an apparent sign of affection; or perhaps a signal for more food.

 

Sabine looks at the half-orc and grippli, as an unlikely pair as anyone would guess.  She too is interested in the grippli's coloration, wondering if he(?) secretes the poisons that the jungle frogs do.  And as for the half orc, the tattoos are great interest.  Tattoos can tell you much about about a person and she is very interested if any of them mark him as a member to the Bekyar people.  If so, she vehemently hopes that he doesn't follow their demon worshiping ways.

 

"May the spirits look favorably upon our shared journey.  I am Sabine, and this is my companion Rika."

[Kangaroorex]

momentarialy forgetting Lorak, Ari looks over to Sabine "  Good to meet you!  I am Arune Loghopper, but you can call me Ari; everyone else does.  Do the fetishes on your armor do anything cool?  Are you a caster?  Where did you get your birdy?  He looks too small to make much of a meal..." He almost frowns for a moment "no, thats not right... Its a pretty bird and it looks really intelligent.  There is that better?  Common was the 4th language I learned, I can get things mixed up sometimes" 

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

"Well met, Arune Loghopper.  I do have some small ability with magic.  And as for Rika, he is indeed not for eating.  He is my companion and adviser. He came to me after a vision quest and has been with me throughout my travels ever since.  Say hello to Ari, Rika."

 

The multihued parrot, cocks his head to view the grippli.

 

*Squawk* "Hello Ari.  you look too small for meal too." *whistle*

[dwarvenranger]

"One year is what I have spent in the monastery learning, frogman. But I shall spend the rest of my life learning more and testing myself. And where better to test oneself than the Mwangi, almost everything wants to kill you there."

Lorak turns towards Sabine and nods, "Well met Shaman. Among my tribe Shamans are held in great esteem. But contacting the spirit realm is dangerous I hope you are up to the task.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do, and the captain doesn't want crew mixing with passengers." With that, he turns and heads below decks.

[ShadowRaven]

Only half paying attention, he couldn't help but let go a small laugh at the comment made by the parrot. Giving the bird a bit of a nod of acknowledgement, and another for the shaman.  At the orcs words he found himself nodding a third time, but this time he actually found himself speaking. "Not everything in the Mwangi is dangerous, but it can be very hard to tell, and there are things there to whom neither of us is too large, or too small, to make a meal of. If you look to go, find a guide who understands the jungle"

[Kangaroorex]

"Well Mom was the hopper witch.  She taught me my first spells.  But it was my cousin BoDeep who taught me to fight with a sword."  With that he sort of drifts for a moment.  'Well I have to move on.  Captain asked me to hit some of these crystals with light spells to keep the ship lit."  He starts to launch himself to the bow, "if you need Something,let me know" then he hops to the front

[Darcstaar]

Some time later, you all sit down in the galley for a meal.  The crew are below.  The captain, cook, first mate and the Varisian scholar are not dining with you.  
 

It’s definitely not the cooks best.  Despite a few curt conversations, the poor taste of the food keeps the tone somber, and conversations die down as the meal is completed in silence.  Almost in unison, you all feel ill and then your respective worlds go dark.

 

(OOC I need Fortitude Saves from everyone)