D&D Gamer

Bluff:

of course...

(facepalm)

Unfortunately, Ullo stands out like a sore thumb. Barely is one clawed foot perched precariously on the plank than a chorus of "Woah whoah woahs!" emerge from the many workers. They swiftly move to intercept, blocking the way onto the ship.
(Make a spot)

One of them speaks in a rough, gravelly voice.
"Ye can't be coming up here, friend. Private vessel. No visitors."

Spot:

How many move to intercept him?

"This is the 'Wind of the North', is it not? I have orders to report to Gerard Keffler. Is he still on board?"

With your spot, you see one of the crew definitely dipped below decks, likely to report your presence.

It's a gangplank, so there's really only the one who spoke who's blocking the path, but there's one other who came over with him, standing just to his left. Most of the others are still working though with your spot check you see that two of those are definitely continuing to glance over, keeping an eye on the situation lest it escalates.
The speaker is older than the others, with more than a few grey hairs and a grizzled look. He's pushing fifty you'd reckon but still has that lean muscle of a lifelong sailor. The younger one to his side is a little beefier, his hair in a mini blond mohawk. There's 4 more in total working on the unloading, among them is the two glancing over at you, the foreman and one other. That's 6 in total, 7 if you count the one who dipped downstairs.

"Orders, is it?" he asks, clearly not what he was expecting. You can see the mental gymnastics as he tries to work out whether this is above his paygrade.
"Ye best be waiting here 'til Penelope clears ye."

You figure Penelope makes 8, Gerard 9. You're not sure if there could be more but it seems likely the ship would need another handful to function. Maybe they're belowdecks, maybe they're elsewhere in Pale Bridge.

"As you wish." Ullo replies. If his companions had come along, Ullo was sure this would already be a swordfight. His plan, since he was alone, was to be more tactful and hopefully come to a more peaceful resolution. He didn't want to lose his life, and he would, either here or otherwise if things didn't go exactly right.

Ullo doesn't have long to wait. A few nervous moments as he stares down the sailors before him, trying to stand nonchalantly on the gangplank as it wobbles occasionally with the movement of the water beneath. Moments later, thudding footsteps and muted arguing voices catch your ear as the sailor who had disappeared below decks initially now returns, followed moments later by a burly looking half orc female with one hell of an underbite.

Spoiler

Typical green skin with a scarred visage and heavily pierced ears and shoulder length black hair. She's wearing casual, baggy, dark blue clothes over which she has hastily donned a chain shirt. In one hand, a mug of ale, in the other a greatsword with a curve to the blade and a jagged point. Her eyes scan the docks and come to rest on you. A sneer touches her lips as she slowly strides over.
She stops before you, looks you over, glances past you at the docks and then meets your eyes.
"This had better be bloody good."

"As I was explaining to your shipmates, I have orders to report to Gerard Keffler. Is he still on board?" Ullo says.

"Well, I know for sure you ain't expected. So, who'd be orderin' you to turn up unexpected." she leers, "This late at night... When we came in on the down low..."

She still stands impassively, making no overtly hostile manoeuvres, but Ullo gets the feeling his next statement better placate her. Roll a bluff check with your reply.

"The order comes from a business associate of Mr. Keffler's." Ullo replies. "Perhaps your arrival isn't as down low as you think." He lets that implication sink in for a second. "If I could just be allowed to speak with him, perhaps we can clear this all up. "

Bluff (this should be interesting):

Too bad she's not human - it would be another +2 if it mattered...

But it didn't...

(Oof, your rolls are cursed, my dude.)

"Listen, punk." she sneers, getting up close in your grille. This close you can see the gleam in her eye that says she's serious. "I don't know who you are. I don't know how you found out we were coming in tonight. But I do know that Keffler ain't expecting any associates. You're not gonna be getting any advance glimpses of any merchandise if that's what you're after. No previews before the auction. Now beat it, before I beat you."

Turns out Ullo just isn't very convincing. If nothing else though he's eked out some information. Now how to capitalise on that.
As far as your team mates go, if you can think of a way to get one or more of them inside I'm willing to let you dual wield an afk character or at least command them if you want me to handle their rolls. Or if you can manage to get Bashnag in I'm pretty sure I can poke Maxwell repeatedly until he takes over.
Actually, to be fair, the kobold that can fly (think that was Maggot?) can probably make it in relatively easily. Dunno if that helps.

A smile crosses Ullo's face at being threatened. "You don't scare me." he says "I assure you my lord is much scarier than the likes of you. I have my own means, and am most certainly not alone. I had hoped to accomplish my task without bloodshed, but you're making that very difficult. Just doing your job, I know. As am I. If you don't want to let me on board, then bring the half giant down here for a private conversation. I don't think you want your shipmates hearing what I have to say."

OOC: How tall is she - Ullo is 6'-10", so I don't know how well she'd actually be able to get in his face...

Bluff, if necessary:

Ullo will ready an action to attack, if necessary, if she comes at him. Drawing his sword is a free action.

ooc - Are you freakin kidding me?

She's half orc so she's around 6'3". Didn't realise Ullo was so tall. XD

If you want Maggot to be here taking advantage of this situation then I'll want a Hide roll to see how well he got past the initial guards. If I'm reading this right he can fly for one round. XD He can fly for two if he becomes fatigued afterward.

He can essentially glide pretty well, enough that he could have glid(?) from the outside of town down to the docks and met you there, provided he didn't get spotted. As for getting on the boat after Ullo identified it, the wings might not be the play.

OOC: Well then, fuck. I didn't realize his fly was only 1 round. Not much of a benefit, unless you get knocked out the top of a tower. And I think you better do his rolls for him.
Assuming the latter situation to get in, I suppose he could try going up one of the mooring ropes (I don't know if the anchor would be down at the docks). He could take advantage of Ullo's "distraction" to climb on board.

The way things are going, Ullo could be dead soon...

Maggot Hide:

Omg, step away from the dice. Stop rolling ones. XD

So picture in picture mode as we see Maggot, watching from above as Ullo makes his way past the guards. The little kobold nods to himself, and waits for Ullo to begin descending down to the docks before launching himself off the cliff and gliding down there himself. Getting into Pale Bridge is easy for him. Getting out however, might not be so easy. He curls up real small like as he glides, to the untrained eye in the moonlight as it dips between clouds he really could pass for a large bat.

As the flashback continues, we see Ullo, shortly after he finished scouting, lounging casually in the shadows as he considers which boat might be the Wind of the North. He has worked with Maggot before and so he doesn't leap out of his skin when the kobold's familiar whisper comes from the shadows beside him.
"The key to not being eaten is not success, but merely a lack of failure." he quotes. Was that from the Little Book of Calm? That doesn't even make any sense. It's the exact same thing. Isn't it?
"Let's face it, there's no way Bashnag and Gnutmyx are making it in here. What's say me and you sort this out the old fashioned way and dump any consequences on those idiots?"

Charon wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:04 am Omg, step away from the dice. Stop rolling ones. XD

That's why I suggested you roll for Maggot - I seem to be cursed.

"It's already in my plans." Ullo whispers back to his winged companion (they'd probably be speaking in draconic). "I'm going to see if I can reason with them. You see if you can get on board and nab the arrows. I'm assuming they'll be close to the half giant."

(I dunno who's holding it so let's just make some assumptions)

Maggot holds out his hand, revealing one of the paired telecommunication earrings and the wand intended to be used on Keffler.
"Should I take the wand and stab him up a bit or shall I focus on arrows only?"

"Do what you need to, but the arrows are the mission." Ullo replies in his hushed conversation. He takes the Remember, Lord Karrthragoth said leave the half-giant alive."

ooc - Maggot should have the Little Book of Calm. Kwelzucht was given the wand. Ullo had the earrings, and I don't see a post indicating the other was provided to anyone, so I guess he should have one and Maggot the other. If Maggot has those already, he must have stolen them! LOL

I'm willing to assume that Maggot has "acquired" any of those items that you might wish.

He pops the earring in as Ullo does likewise and you hear his breathy whisper in your head. Trust Maggot to whisper even in his own mind.
"Ok bub, do your thing."

(fast forward to the ongoing altercation)

Hide roll appended

Ok this dice roller is frickin broken.
Luckily for Maggot that was still just enough to make it onboard undetected.

Right as it's looking like Penelope might lunge for you, you hear Maggot's voice whisper.
"I'm in."

Catch up to the moment we left off.

Penelope glares at you. "I'm getting real sick of your mouth. I do what Keffler pays me to do, which is to avoid him having to have altercations like these." She passes her beer mug to one of the nearby sailors and puts one foot on the gangplank.
"You got six seconds to scram or you're going for a swim."

Ullo's sword appears with a swift motion (free action to draw). "You can try." he says. "You might succeed, you might not. You might put me out of my misery. Lord Karrthragoth will most certainly make my death worse than any you can imagine if I return empty handed. When he comes, and he will come, think back to this moment and remember I gave you the chance for a peaceful resolution."

Again, bluff attempt, if necessary - not really a bluff, but whatever:
Initiative, if necessary:

Initiative is most definitely necessary. Penelope is already armed so...

Penelope shifts stance as Ullo draws his sword, now holding hers battle ready in both hands. At Karrthragoth's name she scowls.
"So, old scalypants got word of this after all. I might have known."
She enters a rage and steps forward, swinging the blade upwards.



A surprisingly quick opening move for the burly half orc. She's clearly well trained with her blade. Much to Ullo's chagrin she scores a keen strike across his scales.