[OOC] Keratia: Story of the Surf, Tales of the Deep

[Lucius Cypher]

There is a door here but you would know that it's locked from the other side. You can try another perception check but it'll mean that you're here for a few more minutes with all the risks that would entail.

[rush99999]

Out of curiosity, what do the members of Talogan's crew look like?

[Lucius Cypher]

Yikes, gunna make me grab pictures for them? Well, suppose it'll bring more emotional impact if they inevitably get killed in the line of duty.

I'll add some face claims to their profiles once I find suitable pics.

[rush99999]

Just saw the pictures. I like the selection. Would you mind putting the pictures in hiders when you have a free moment though?

[Lucius Cypher]

Done. I'll get to posting soon, just settling accounts elsewhere.

[rush99999]

Due to a minor lack of intelligence in real life, I forgot to specify how much Talogan was offering the guards, leading them to take all where I only intended to give some. Would you mind if I edited my last post to specify the bribe amount?

[Lucius Cypher]

Sure but I can tell you right now you’ll need a better toll if you’re offering anything less than 30 gp.

[rush99999]

Then it's a good thing 30 was the amount I planned to fork over. Thanks for that, I've edited my post and will have the next one up soon. Also, is it readily understandable why the guard looked offended or should I roll to see if Talogan can discern a reason?

[Lucius Cypher]

It’s just for saving face. You know between pirates, guards, thieves, and other rough-and-tumble folks it pays to keep up a fierce appearance. The guard looks offended because he’s suppose to look like he’s not going to accept your bribe and would totally kick your ass if given the chance, something he’s probably thinking about as he takes your money and walking away. Plus I’m the off chance you do end up doing something that really would warrant the guards attention like murdering a dude or burning down a building, he can say that he was doing his job and planned to fight you if it comes to it. While still pocketing you’re hush money.

[rush99999]

Would I be correct in guessing that the crate of steel and the crate of pitch are each worth one unit?

[Lucius Cypher]

The crate of steel is worth a single unit, however a single box of pitch is only worth about 1 GP by itself, with each of it's ten flasks worth 1 SP.

[rush99999]

What does Talogan know about Sirens? Also, does he know anything about the drowned other than that they're zombies with a swim and climb speed?

[Lucius Cypher]

Roll two religion checks, one for the Siren and one for the Drowned.

[rush99999]

Talogan will be ordering Tayang to provide advantage with the help action.

Drowned Roll: 2 and 3

Siren Roll: 9 and 17

[Lucius Cypher]

For drowned, you know that that while they are capable of swimming and climbing, they aren't otherwise too different from your typical zombie. They’re tough to kill by conventional means but holy magic can put them down very easily, though again this is pretty obvious for anyone who has ever thought about dealing with the undead before.

Sirens are a bit more of a mixed bag. Firstly they are a Fey creature and while it’s not unusual for evil fey to command the undead, sirens as a whole aren’t typically “evil”. Granted they are fey, and fey have a very alien outlook on good and evil compared to mortals. Usually whenever you’ve heard stories about mortals succumbing to the song of a siren, it’s usually due to the mortals own carelessness and pride rather than anything the siren does beyond her alluring song. More importantly, sirens are vain fey, and are attracted to uniqueness and beauty. It’s not unusual for a Siren to this claim a shipwreck and it’s treasures, adorning themselves with things like jewelry and the like, but at the same time they are very disgusted by things they consider ugly, which is usually people and the undead. So a siren at the shipwreck? Normal. One control undead? Abnormal.

[rush99999]

Hmm. Morally flexible. Likes treasure. Do any of the stories about sirens that Talogan has heard make any mention of pirate captains attempting to ally themselves with sirens? If so, did the pirates find such a venture worth the effort?

[Lucius Cypher]

Inconclusive. Plenty of tried, but the details about their success or failures are left vague. It's not to say that it's impossible, as there is certainly those who have tried. But allying with a Siren comes with the same risks as there always is about allying with the fey, and even you'd know that most tales of greedy mortals working with equally greedy fey never end well. It's only fairy tales where pure and kind people do a favor for the fey and they get showered with niceties, but again those are fairy tales. Heck even the stories about pirates joining up with fey tend to also be part of those same fairy tales.

In conclusion: Most of the stories you've heard makes it seem like a bad idea, but mostly because those are children stories. Actual tales of pirate and fey interactions almost never go into an alliance, and often are sources of conflicts, albeit occasionally profitable ones.

[rush99999]

Would you mind not having them arrive immediately? I would like to have Talogan chat with the crew a bit on the way to the shipwreck.

[Lucius Cypher]

Sure, I’ll cut it to them leaving the town.

[rush99999]

When you said that most of the crew seemed to accept Talogan's reasoning, does that mean there were some who looked like they had seen through the ruse? If so, who was it?