Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

8th of Lamashan 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)

Impassioned as the prince's words might be they leave you with questions, a lot of questions starting with the knight's feelings and ending with how likely this is to cause war. It's one thing to stain your hands with the blood of someone you can look in the eye and whose corpse one's planning to put to flame, quite another to leave sparks trailing in one's wake. That's just asking to be burned yourself and all you love right beside it.

"Three years past near the height of of Midsummer there was a battle on these waters between ships flying the red and black pendant of the House of Thrune for protection as they crossed near Andoran, though I knew not one from the other in those days save the tales of the elders, the breaking of the Arch and the gifting of the stone that was taken east of here to Almas. It was important they said that the western landwalkers not take over from the eastern, but I didn't know why. I had not heard the groans of the enslaved as they were forced to draw the oars, the snap of the whip. I dared not come too close and I hid my face from the gaze of the black-armored Hellknights had it not been for the other ships. Two there were, coming under cover of near moonless night and flying no flag but a piece of sail-cloth stained red. They slammed into the first and the second ship of the convoy, planning to take them by force of arms even if it cost them their own vessels. I did not know then but I do know now that they were anticipating an attack from these foul 'knights'... the Order of the Pyre they are called and they would have put all of them to flame for the attackers were all escaped slaves fighting their own small war against those who had enslaved them. The Lordship-that-Has-No-Lords in Almas would not send their own soldiers against them for their sympathy lay with them, but neither would they send a fleet to protect those who did not place themselves under Andoran law. So the Chelish sent their Pyre Knights to recover 'fugitives'... they did not seem to be running to me. They seemed to be doing a good job taking the first two ships and it seemed that the third would turn at bay and flee, but then the devils came, four of them."

The boy's sea-green eyes turn haunted as though, looking over some distant scene in his mind. "Furies, they were called beautiful and terrible and cruel on blood-feather wigs. They hurled curses in to the melee and the freedmen withered while the devil bound cheered, where they saw one who was bold and lead the defense they would snare them with black chains and pull them up, cut them open and then hurl them into the sea still bleeding. I couldn't save more than one, I couldn't... even if the devils and the Chelish didn't finish off the people in the water the sharks surely would, but I pulled the nearest one onto my steed and and swam south into the open sea as fast as it could carry us, away from the battle. It was only by chance and the help of a passing pod that I found land in time. She told me her name was Cysenthia and that she was of Andoran, she told me other things that she maybe shouldn't have because she was sick with fever and I a poor healer, that she was with the former slaves in secret and that she was supposed to have gotten a dispatch to Augustana..."

In the silence that follows his expression hardens. "I found her as beautiful then, sick and shivering, desperate to do her duty by her vows as I never did later. I am not some fool child being tricked by a pretty face. You asked what would happen if we do not ally with the Usena, if I do not marry the chief's daughter, nothing. Nothing important, the price of Whale blubber doesn't go down and Old Chief Rokus will just have to accept that he needs us to sell him steel even without his grandson on the Gold Coral Throne. Fighting the Chelish is important, keeping devils from doing... that to more people is important. If we pledge out spears to keeping slaver ships out of Aspo Bay then the First Elect will not hesitate as they have done of late. If I marry Hypolea then I will be in time king of a greater people, half of which want nothing to do with landwalkers beside trading the bounty of the sea for steel."

It's hard to guess the rightness of his judgment, but you have no doubt as to the depth of his passion, for his lady-love or for her cause. More to the very sharp point it's that cause that explains why Cozut had not just ran, or you guess swam away to be with his lady love. He plans to bring the Izentis into the fight against Chelish ships on the waters above.

While you are pondering this though Cob cuts to the heart of the matter. "Why do they need more steel, who're they fighting?"

"The sahuagin, the shark-folk press them. They come and go like a bloody tide, depending on the richness of the deep waters and how many warriors spawn from their creches. They they are as sharks themselves and not just with their enemies. If there are too many warriors for their home waters to carry they are sent to claim more near the coast. This time it was where the Usena range. Will you help me, will you help us, please?"

Akorian Sense Motive (DC 20): 1d20+12 = 29 (Success)

You sigh, running a hand over your face throwing the hood back in frustration. It does not take the keenest of eyes to tell he's being dismissive of the fight he cannot see. No matter if the Northerners would have accepted trading steel over a marriage alliance previously that does not mean their pride would take the agreement being voided at the last moment with gritted teeth rather than anger. After all an ally who broke a promise once might do so again and some might count aid untrustworthy worse than no aid at all. "I don't suppose you've tried persuading your father that your way is right?"

"Not about Cysenthia, but about attacking slavers yes, he said the Government in Almas isn't looking for war and we would only pay lives in service of a hopeless cause," he all but spits the last of the words.

What do you do?

[] Agree to help him escape his wedding (Gain 2500 gp and a Spindle Solution Pendant)
-[] Truthfully, foretell dark omens to the King should the wedding take place
-[] Lie and keep the pendant

[] Refuse, this is madness

[] Cob tries to persuade him that he can do both, become king and then turn his attention to the Chelish

[] Write in

OOC: Yes, one of your options is to have the Charisma 8 Goblin do diplomacy, but at least he isn't actively cursed when attempting it.