Mission 7 - The Port, Turn 24 *Turn Ends
9PM UTC, 30 May 2025.*
Discussion order: Gilius, BenKii, (Enemies), Count, Grog'tial, BenKii.
Action order: (Dungeon), Count, Grog'tial, BenKii, Argy, Kyp, Bellandra, Gilius ...
Gilius, you turn to the crew: "Alright, mates, where do we go now?
Bellandra, do ye feel a shipkin's presence in any o' these paintings?"
BenKii: "For sure we need to go to the two paintings with the ingredients we need for Hagsbane first. I say we start with the graveyard painting and take the other two paintings with us so we can quickly jump to the next one."
(roll dice) The sounds of chopping comes from outside the room. Enemies are now cutting at both the vines and the door.
It seems the reinforcements have arrived.
Count: "This is absurd. Three conveniently placed paintings supposedly leadin' to places we just may need to visit? Oh I'm sorry, why should we need to go anywhere else if we can escape right now? Seems too easy to be true," you say while eying the completed paintings.
Grog'tial: "Let's connect up with
Devin in the brothel first," you state.
And hopefully everyone else, you think. "At least, that cat seemed awfully 'familiar'... It wouldn't surprise me if we're being listened in on, and might face some opposition if we try to gather the things we suspect might be found through the other two paintings - what if we're wrong? or what if that book was planted for us to find, and the whole recipe is hogwash? - so some extra hands in such a fight would be most welcome!"
After all, it's not paranoid to get some help when you know they're after you. Just practical tactics, you tell yourself.
BenKii: "You recognized that cat as
Devin's? Perhaps reinforcements
would be a better idea. We are running low on supplies and I am getting hungry. Very well then. I concur with
Grog'tial. To the Brothel!"
(roll dice)
The ticking gets louder. Count Karnstein: (roll dice*5)
(Weakened) While skeptical, you consider the off chance that it all may indeed be true. After all, this place has been reacting and altering around you
since the shadowy voice seemed to take note of your presence here. Who is to say what's possible? There is little reason to choose any other portal, let alone stay in this place. The decision has been made anyway and you have no argument not to follow, especially in this rather hectic situation. However, knowing that these portals are supposed to be two-way streets, so to speak, you look over the graveyard and lighthouse paintings to see if you can remove just one puzzle piece.
*Fail* Unfortunately they seem to have
fused into whole living paintings with no puzzle pieces to be seen anymore.
Count, you hear the rattling of bones as the noise and chopping increases at the door. Just as you are thinking the skeletons must have finally arrived, you once more feel that slight goody-goody protective aura and
the shield begins to faintly glow. There is a tug on your arm as
you feel it try to pull you towards the door and righteous battle with more undead FILTH.
*Success* It manages to pull you two steps before you assert your supreme presence of mind and
turn to step through into the brothel painting, shield first.
Grog'tial: (roll dice*4) [crossbow; 2 regular bolts loaded] Feeling enough time has been spent dilly-dallying, and with nobody offering a strong reason why you shouldn't, you approach the paintings. As you do
you notice your dirk very faintly react to the graveyard painting, but not to the lighthouse or brothel paintings.
You gather up the lighthouse painting under one arm with your loaded crossbow in the other hand. Urging the rest of the Crew to come along, you move to follow
Count through the painting showing the purported brothel, secretly feeling much better that
Count has gone through first. Not that you ever plan to admit it of course, you think, glancing at
Argy before
you step through heading in the direction you saw the cat go.
Captain BenKii: (roll dice*2) It appears the consensus is to go to this brothel where
Devin may be. Once on the other side and the rest of the crew have come through the portal,
you fully intend to see what can be done to block the monsters from following you. But just in case you can't, you are already planning to be ready to fight with your rapier and musket, using the portal as a choke point. Seeing
Count and Grog'tial go through already ahead of you,
you grab the graveyard painting and leap into the painting that had the cat in it. "Hey
Devin!"
Argy: (roll dice*3) You sigh at witnessing the enthusiasm of
BenKii and Grog'tial on visiting the brothel.
All men are the same... However, with the creatures outside now chopping at the door, this might be the safest choice. Besides,
you figure a brothel should have a kitchen ... and booze. You determine
you'll focus on finding ingredients for grog once you're there. Strictly for the grog recipe
BenKii showed you of course, you tell yourself.
Argy, noticing no alarms but that
the others have seemed to have stepped or fallen downwards on going through, as if the painting is hanging on the wall on the other side.
you prepare yourself and jump into the painting. You feel arms catch you and pull you off to one side.
Kyp: (roll dice*3)
(Weakened) You eat the apple and cookie Argy gave you earlier and begin to feel a little better. You're really not sure why you didn't eat them sooner. Better able to concentrate now, you try to remember if you sensed any aquatic creatures from the paintings.
*Success* Of course there was a sense and scent of the sea from the lighthouse painting before
Grog'tial grabbed it and took it through with him, but now
you get a faint sense of the sea somewhere through the brothel painting too. Seeing the other Crew entering the brothel painting
you follow Argy into the painting.
Bellandra: (roll dice*4) While the Crew works on assembling the puzzles into the three seeming natural pictures, you ponder the possibility that maybe there is more than one way to put the pieces together. Considering how this dungeon's layout has shifted several times before their eyes, perhaps the puzzle too could be made to take several configurations as its solution? If so, there could be more scenes still hidden. You keep it in mind, but for the moment you agree you should explore these first. As you behold the three scenes - graveyard, lighthouse and lounge room - come alive with motion you see where these may indeed be portals to other places. On hearing
BenKii and Grog'tial's exchange about the lounge painting depicting a brothel that might contain your missing crew, you pause to study them again. Your preference would be to explore the graveyard painting first, as it's the clearest lead to what you need. The brothel, if indeed it is that, could have its own delays and the ticking might follow you there too.
Bellandra, you agree with
Gilius' suggestion to see if you can find any shipkin traces emanating from any of the scenes. You barely have any time to try to
focus on the graveyard painting and note no feeling of kin before the lighthouse painting and it are
snatched up by Grog'tial and BenKii and taken with them into the lounge painting. With a sigh you turn to the final painting left. The resonance of kin you felt in the wood grain painted pieces of the lounge painting had been disconcerting. Had those pieces been cut out of one of your kin and not just painted to look like wood grain the puzzle maker would have much to answer for. However, now that the lounge painting with its paint rendered wood furniture and paneled walls has been placed into the frame and come alive, that resonance is explained. As you reach out
you feel the pull of your shipkin through it, stronger than ever! In fact you feel many kin, but
before you settle the overwhelming feeling and come back to yourself enough to tell any but Gilius, the others have already gone. With the ticking crescendoing,
you reload your hand crossbow with a regular bolt before following them.
Gilius: (roll dice*4) [Rocky, 2 Turns reserved] You've been trying to focus and see if you can feel any link to
Aylar or Clíodhna but cannot quite be sure. There may be
the barest hint of a familiar magic through the brothel painting. "Alright, let's try to find
Devin!" you say. You raise your staff again to call upon the vines in an attempt to strengthen them to stop the enemies at the door.
*Success* Having done what you can, you turn and
hop into the brothel painting just as the ticking stops ...
... Wakey, wakey.
Argy is the first to awaken. You feel wonderful. Completely rested and ... your mouth waters as the scent of fresh coffee and pastries tantalizes your nose and your stomach growls, loudly. Well, except for being hungry and thirsty you feel really good. Looking around you find yourself in a comfortable, if rather gaudy, room festooned with soft silky sheets and lots of pillows. Next to you in a bed obviously meant for two sleeps
Bellandra, looking peaceful with a small smile on her face. You notice
both your and Bellandra's armor jackets are carefully folded over two chairs, with your boots under them, next to a small table where a pretty deep blue carafe steams beside a plate of pastries and fresh scones. Next to it is a covered plate that smells of eggs and sausages, and a bowl of fruit. There is a small jar of honey, another of jam and a pitcher of frothy cream, with a silver knife and spoon, and two cups with smaller plates and eating utensils.
Bellandra, you wake to a soft surface that shifts slightly under you but not with the roll of the sea you are familiar with. You open your eyes to see
Argy sitting up and moving on the bed beside you as she looks over a small table laid out with food. Before you can even say anything a welcome presence touches your mind.
*Bellandra, sister, you have wakened,* the Owl-Gargoyle says to you.
*I will tell the others. Pearl and Finn patrol the waters. Zephyr and Rorn are lying low here at the docks but Sir Kay should be there near you.* Grog'tial, you wake to find your head pillowed on your backpack, your crossbow leaning against the chaise lounge you find yourself sleeping on but no battleaxe. Your longcoat is neatly folded over the back of the chaise while some silky robe is draped as a covering over you. Across the way you see
BenKii resting with his head in a human female's lap, his clothing rumpled. Looking around it's obvious you made it to the brothel, but you have no idea what happened afterward. The others seem to be sleeping, except
Argy and
Bellandra aren't there. Your stomach grumbles and you realize you smell coffee, sausages, bacon and eggs and scones with jam. Your mind relaxes slightly as you consider that
Argy must be cooking in the kitchen and breakfast is waiting.
BenKii, you are having a wonderful dream. There is warmth, softness and the sweet scent of flowers. Your head is cradled in a soft lap as a gentle hand plays and strokes through your hair, while another caresses your chest. You sigh, then slowly open your eyes to see a beautiful lady's face with warm brown eyes and honey colored hair smiling down at you.
"Why there you are, Cap'n Honeybuns," she says softly, the sweet voice caressing your ears. "I'm Candy. You must have been exhausted, sugah. It's almost midday. Shhh," she hushes you, smooth sweet smelling fingers pressing over your lips. "The others are still sleeping. Better, really. It means you'll have your strength for tonight." She winks saucily at you.
BenKii, looking around you find yourself on one of the old style chaise lounges. You are lying with your head in a gorgeous lady's lap while she continues to smile and play with your hair. Glancing down you see your clothing is rumpled. Your long coat is thrown over the back of the chaise and your boots lie scattered on the floor ... but your rapier and musket, while seemingly tossed with your long coat, are within easy reach. You don't see the silver sickle nor the large
Book of Armaments. Looking over at the others you see the males of the Crew in various states of slumber, hair tousled while silken feminine lingerie and implements lie tossed about the room. You have no memory of what may have happened last night, but it looks like someone had a wild party and enjoyed themselves. Suddenly your nose twitches. You smell fresh coffee, just baked bread, and eggs and bacon.
Gilius, you open your eyes to find yourself resting comfortably among some silken cushions, a feathered boa draped nearby, almost tickling your nose. You feel wonderfully refreshed, but hungry with the smell of cooking food in the air. Turning over you are startled to see a sultry dark haired human woman sitting beside you, clothed only in lingerie. She smiles and winks at you, then reaches over you to remove the feathered boa, revealing your staff hidden beneath it.
"I'm Jasmine," she says, "and you must be the sexy druid."
Count, you know you are dreaming, but the warmth and enticement of sensual low purring voices and silken furred handcuffs is hard to awake from. That is until you feel those cuffs against your own wrist and remember
Cap'n Rummyfangs and his uncouth revelation of another one of your dreams that got you into trouble. You open your eyes to come face to face with a Felinoid. Before you can shout at him about 'don't be a creep!', you realize this isn't
Rummyfangs, but an exotically sexy lady Felinoid who is purring at you while her tail plays at wrapping itself around your wrist. Your cloak is draped over the shield nearby and your saber is sheathed within reach, but the warhammer isn't there.
"Mrowr, handsome. 'Bout time you woke up. I'm Felara," she purrs in the sultry voice you remember from the dungeon. There is warm movement as someone stretches behind you, then another Felinoid lady rises from the mass of pillows you find yourself in to purr over your shoulder. "And that's Cinara, my twin. We've been waiting for you."
Kyp, you wake to find yourself being rocked in a silken hammock, your armor jacket folded under your head as a pillow. You feel strong, fully restored and rested, but the rocking isn't the rocking of the sea. Opening your eyes you see an alluring younger lady with teal dyed locks in the front of her long wavy hair. She uses one foot to gently rock your hammock as she swings lightly back in forth on a padded swing. Smiling, she playfully blows you a kiss.
BenKii, Count, Gilius, Grog'tial, Kyp:
You all wake up in a large room overflowing with various exotic silk and satin floor cushions, as well as a couple chaise lounges and divans. There are diaphanous robes and delicate sets of cushioned bindings strewn about. A padded swing in one corner near the silk hammock is offset by a set of leather webbing in another. Nearby is a rack with several silken, furry and feathery implements. There is soft lighting, but no windows you can see. Some of you realize you are in the basement playroom of the brothel.
"Interesting night?" You turn to see
Devin smiling as he leans against the doorway. "Madame said her ladies did their best."
[
GM: Yes,
Devin, you may post now. ;) ]
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Brothel: Argy, Bellandra, BenKii, Count, Devin, Gilius, Grog'tial, Kyp
???: Aylar, Cliodhna, Aeshma, Refyx, Rummyfangs, Baldbeard
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GM Note: LOL. You've all been driving poor Devin crazy. He's been playing behind the scenes for two months under strict GM rules trying to help get you out of the dungeon. By GM restrictions he could read the thread but his character could only go on what he was given in Dreams or from sources. As such he had to have his plans in place ahead of Crew reaching certain places, find certain items, beings or ways, inhibit others, and have dice rolls in his favor all without being able to tell Crew directly under threat of revealing himself and them to enemies. Congrats, Devin. For all their suspicions, you did fairly well.
Dungeon facts: The mannequins had special weapons and armors that certain of you could use. Not everything can be used by everybody, some have special requirements. Unfortunately with the fire oils involved, you didn't have the time to get them all and the dice didn't do you many favors there. I didn't expect for Count to take the shield as BenKii had used one in this dungeon prior and usually plays more to the heroic paladin type, but it is proving interesting. :P Had anyone taken the golden basket they would have found it makes food once a day which could have helped against the Weakened condition as well as Crew endurance and morale.
However you have come away with other treasures. I will leave it up to you on the extra coins some of you grabbed, but as there are restrictions for attunement and requirements for many of the items, those should be first identified and chosen among you all accordingly. Crew may ask Devin to do an Arcana check to identify items for you. He's a bard and very good at it, but that doesn't guarantee he'll get everything as Cliodhna would. Or there are shops in this port you can visit and pay for someone to do so per item.
