Part 1: Adrift on the River of Madness

[Mister-Kent]

Payterish, Abstentious, and Ambergris:
The darkening skies part to welcome the pale uncaring moon--in it's light, the three of you can see Lonny Haggarton and his mad companions head to the riverside. In daylight, Urbistadt's river is the busiest trade port of all the region's city-states, The docks are quiet now, but a small crowd of off-duty dockhands is gathering, raising their lanterns as they approach their meeting place.

Together, about a dozen men file into the largest boathouse in the dock district. Lonny Haggarton is the last of them, and secures the door behind him once all men are inside.

[Wiglaf]

Payterish

He nearly stumbles in the dim light of the night as Payterish comes up behind his companions when then finally catch sight of the boathouse and the last of their quarry entering inside. He flattens himself against a nearby wall with a hand fingering the hilt of his longsword. Leaning forward just enough to peek at the building with a single eye the former blast-piker shakes his head. "Seems to be a bit more than three of them now." He looked down at Abstentious. "Did you happen to get a head-count?"

[Pulpatoon]

Abstentious: "'Bout a dozen, that I saw. Think you could lift me up to one of those windows?"

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

While Abs is given a step up to look through windows, Ambergris will check out the boats and skiffs moored by the jetty if any of these men rowed to the meeting. Any writing on them displaying which ship they belong to?

secret meetings could be anything from 'alcoholic anonymous' to cock-fighting or organising a surprise birthday celebration. was there any suggestion the man Lonny had took something which set off his mood swings?

[Mister-Kent]

Abstentious:
By the time you are boosted up to peer through the window, the dozen men have formed a semicircle around a stack of closed wooden crates. The men bring in a long narrow crate from a locked room and place it atop the stack. There is not much else in the boathouse, but what's there is draped in torn cloth. You hear the muffled sounds of their voices, speaking in strange words as they pry the nails from the crate.

Ambergris:
One boat was used recently, still rocking in the water, its oars placed in an X over itself like a protection ward. In faded ink on the side, the word Brimos is written. Other than this one rowboat, that could probably hold six at most, no other boats have been used recently. In fact, all out of use boats are covered in beige cloth.

In one rowboat three down from the one you are investigating, something moves beneath the cloth.

Very suspicious activities! Wisdom checks galore!
Abstentious WIS [1d20] = 19
Ambergris WIS [1d20+1] = 5+1 = 6

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

It is strange indeed. Brimos doesn't ring a bell but he notes the name in case a larger vessel of that name floats in the harbour. When the sailcloth begins to move, Ambergris will stealth himself behind one of the crates or empty barrels on the quayside or from a shadowy spot by the warehouse. Using his 'mage hand' cantrip he will animate his spectral force and quickly drag the sailcloth away to reveal whatever lurks underneath. I think he must be no more than 30'ft away for the spell.

[Pulpatoon]

Abstentious keeps his gimlet eyes on the men in the box, anxious to see what's inside.

[Mister-Kent]

Ambergris:
As the rain begins to fall, you mystically tear the cloth from the rowboat--the figure beneath raises their hand to shield themselves from the raindrops in their face! It is a small beggar boy of fourteen, clearly startled by your arrival. "Ah! Eh mister! Lemme go! I din't see nuthin!" The boy sniffles and tries to scramble away from you. In the bottom of the boat is a half rind of cheese and a dry biscuit. The urchin had been hiding under that cloth well before you showed up.



Abstentious:
The men eagerly huddle around the long crate, prying it open while chanting in their garbled tongue. With a crowbar, Lonny Haggarton pries the lid from the box. Within the crate is another box--a coffin of rich red wood with some symbols or decorations carved into the lid. When the men set the lid aside they lean it against the wall, and part of the word Brimos can be seen painted messily on its edge.

[Shaede]

Lothar
A large, almost giant of a man, approaches the river to clear his head. Lothar has traveled from his moutain home to this almost alien city. He is running from nobody, or somebody, but mostly from himself and his past. The city is too much noise, too much uneasiness, and too unpredictable. Though Urbistadt has provided a place for him to figure out his next move in life.

As he approaches the docks, he sees a boathouse with a strange figure peering into one of the windows. It is almost comical, but perhaps the ale from earlier in the night is fueling his curiosity. As he approaches the goblin, his memories of his past life flood him and keep him on edge, ready for anything. Ho there! What are you getting into, goblin?

[Pulpatoon]

Startled, Abstentious whips his melon-head around and hisses at the newcomer, "You! Run an' get the gendarmes! Round up the priests! Grab a wizard if'n you can find one! We've got vampires!"

Slipping down down from the window ledge, he looks around for his compatriots. "Ambergris? Payterish? Looks like an incursion from th' Dark Baronies! Those poor sods must be enthralled!"

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

sees the young urchin in the boat."Nothing is a dark mass and matter boy. And the deep Nothing sees you!"he intones in a deep bass voice while shaking his hook hand at the lad. He grabs him by the collar and looks into his face,"don't be like one of them wise monkeys now. They that Hear All, See All and Say Nothing., speak before I get the goblin to loosen your tongue and string it on a hook to entice a cod to feed."

[Shaede]

Lothar
The distaste of this goblin yelling at him rises in his throat. Memories of his village being burned by orcs and goblins flood him as he remembers his young daughter run through by a nasty goblin. Lothar puts his hands on his sword and readies himself.

Who are you and why do you presume that I will help you?

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a man against the wall near the goblin. Considering to himself that he may be outnumbered, he waits for the goblin to speak.

[Mister-Kent]

The urchin winces under Ambergris's grip. "Not so loud! The mad ones will hear us!" he pleads. "Tear you up, they will, no hooks needed!"

Within the boathouse, the chanting stops.

[Pulpatoon]

Abstentious boggles at the stranger's reaction. "Dinnint you hear me? Vampires! Y'wanna keep yer claret inside yer neck, don'tchoo? Now run! You got longer legs'n me!"

[Shaede]

Lothar

Lothar is completely confused by this wiry goblin shouting at him. It can run from a threat..such is the way of the goblins. These things do not believe in glory and honour. They disgust Lothar.

He turns to the man, "Ho there! You know this....thing?" and he leans into the window to see what is happening inside for himself.

[Pulpatoon]

Are there any churches or temples nearby where Abstentious could raise the alarm and set up a bucket brigade of holy water?

[Mister-Kent]

You are on the pink X, investigating #1. The Church of Solemnas has a chapel southward at #7.

[Spearmint]

Ambergris

"Urchin boy, be a good runner lad. take this here cursed were-silver piece and run to the chapel. You know of the priests within? bang on the door and holler, tell them a cleric is needed to in the warehouse. You run out on us and you'll turn into a sewer rat but come back with his holiness and you can trade me for a gold." Ambergris wants to us his charismatic persuasion skill to get the boy to agree to summon the docklands cleric.

Ambergris skill roll [1d20] = 13 with ability score and skill choice preference I make that an 18

[Pulpatoon]

Abstentious beams a toothy grin of gratitude at Ambergris, and then climbs back up to the window to see how the horrors are progressing.

[Shaede]

Lothar

After peerIng inside, Lothar realizes that the goblin was telling the truth. “Goblin, my name is Lothar. I see that we are surrounded by evil. Will you stand with me to destroy it? My blade stands ready!”

Lothar looks back in the window to evaluate th boathouse, enemy position, and entrances to evaluate an assault plan.

OOC sent from my phone so apologize for mistakes.