I'm happy as long as we're getting first pick/refusal on shinies, and that our noble... guide? travel pass? is written to be getting some sort of cut.
He did help stop the escape after all. And I want him to help us get access to scrolls, now we're looking likely to get some cash either now, or from selling stuff .
[X] Goldfish
-----
Just to check, but did any of the caravan/mercs die in that fight? I don't think any fell?
(Yay for windwall protecting from ranged attacks!)
Rather than attempting to Bluff Prisca into rushing back out to hunt the Razmiran, what if we offer to go with him to help locate the man?
I'm always hesitant to split the party, but this isn't a typical scenario and we would have plenty of people with both groups.
Kori and Gorok, with a few of Leontas' men, could accompany Prisca and his people while everyone else deals with the aftermath of the pirate attack. Between Kori's spell to track the man's mask and Gorok's tracking skills, we shouldn't have much trouble finding him.
It's a better bet, so long as we do it as a part of our bluff. Sir Pisca would likely not appreciate being pulled by strings and sent on a chase like a too energetic dog. Now, if we offer our humble services and go catch the perpetrator together, it's a lot let suspicious.
There's five of us, and only one of him, so we can spare manpower to keep him occupied under a plausible excuse.
I've updated my plan to have Leontas' take charge of securing the prisoners for us while Kori and Gorok speak to Prisca about finding the Razmiran.
I can change it back to the previous version if y'all don't like this approach.
[X] The Triumphant Slurk -[X] Gorok's Ghosts will stake a claim on the gear of the slain pirate leaders and their captain, including the contents of their bags, packs, etc. The approximate value of the pirate vessel and its contents will be cataloged, and the bounties of the pirates tallied.
--[X] A portion of the pirates' wealth (not counting what the leaders were carrying), the proceeds from the sale of loot, and any bounties the pirates may have had on their heads will be distributed among the members of the expedition who participated in the battle. Leontas will see to the distribution among his people and Urgor will do the same for his own.
--[X] A generous share will, of course, go to Sir Prisca and his accompanying River Guard as well, to be distributed among them as he sees fit. -[X] Leontas takes command of directing the aftermath of the battle, securing prisoners, etc. He has his men separate the prisoners and question them independently to see what they are willing to admit to and to check the veracity of their claims. He'll send a few of his people with Kori and Gorok if Sir Prisca if they help him hunt down the Razmiran.
-[X] Cob uses the satchel to quickly loot the dead pirate adventurers and the unconscious captain, then ransacks their ship of anything valuable while using the Cloak of the Hedge Wizard's Detect Secret Doors spell to search for hidden compartments. He's aided in this by Sirim and Pepper.
-[X] Mina heals Cob, Gorok, and any other allies who were injured in the attack. She keeps an eye on Kori while he speaks with Sir Prisca and uses her Fortune Hex on him if necessary.
-[X] Kori casts Stabilize on the unconscious captain to prevent him from bleeding to death while the Iruxi thoroughly bind and gag him, then stand guard to make sure he doesn't try anything should he regain consciousness. He and Gorok speak with Sir Prisca to offer their services to continue tracking him while the pirates and their ship are being secured. The spell tracking the Razmiran's mask has not yet elapsed, but Kori cannot cast it again today.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Oct 17, 2024 at 8:06 AM, finished with 26 posts and 7 votes.
[X] The Triumphant Slurk -[X] Gorok's Ghosts will stake a claim on the gear of the slain pirate leaders and their captain, including the contents of their bags, packs, etc. The approximate value of the pirate vessel and its contents will be cataloged, and the bounties of the pirates tallied. --[X] A portion of the pirates' wealth (not counting what the leaders were carrying), the proceeds from the sale of loot, and any bounties the pirates may have had on their heads will be distributed among the members of the expedition who participated in the battle. Leontas will see to the distribution among his people and Urgor will do the same for his own. --[X] A generous share will, of course, go to Sir Prisca and his accompanying River Guard as well, to be distributed among them as he sees fit. -[X] Leontas takes command of directing the aftermath of the battle, securing prisoners, etc. He has his men separate the prisoners and question them independently to see what they are willing to admit to and to check the veracity of their claims. He'll send a few of his people with Kori and Gorok if Sir Prisca if they help him hunt down the Razmiran. -[X] Cob uses the satchel to quickly loot the dead pirate adventurers and the unconscious captain, then ransacks their ship of anything valuable while using the Cloak of the Hedge Wizard's Detect Secret Doors spell to search for hidden compartments. He's aided in this by Sirim and Pepper. -[X] Mina heals Cob, Gorok, and any other allies who were injured in the attack. She keeps an eye on Kori while he speaks with Sir Prisca and uses her Fortune Hex on him if necessary. -[X] Kori casts Stabilize on the unconscious captain to prevent him from bleeding to death while the Iruxi thoroughly bind and gag him, then stand guard to make sure he doesn't try anything should he regain consciousness. He and Gorok speak with Sir Prisca to offer their services to continue tracking him while the pirates and their ship are being secured. The spell tracking the Razmiran's mask has not yet elapsed, but Kori cannot cast it again today.
"We'd like everything off the officers..." you start. Makes sense as far as you are concerned. After all, most of what you five did was kill two and Gorok was instrumental in capturing the last one. Alas, Sir Pisca doesn't see it that way.
"Beg pardon, master seer, but that is a claim that would leave you with all of the spoils and us with all of the risks. You don't know much about ships, do you? I mean no insult, being born so far from sight of salt water myself when I first saw a sunset on the Inner Sea I sat there in breathless wonder so long it was only by the grace of Desna a stray bee or beetle didn't fly right in."
The smile he wears invites one to share in the jape, to imagine one's self on that shore beside a much younger Pisca Fahlspar and it's not dishonest precisely, he does mean it. This is a man who makes friends easily, for all he might lose them just as quick, but he is also a man deep in dept, you keep to forefront of your thoughts. Swords and mail shirts, trinkets and horns are more easily pawned off than ships. Would it even belong to him and not to the River Guard, whose ship he is at least in principle seconded to?
Akorian Sense Motive vs Pisca Diplomacy: 31 vs 22 (Success)
"The ship, it runs on some kind of mad contraption that dwarf came up with according to the pirates awake enough to talk. Not that they can explain it, but apparently if you tickle the blasted thing the wrong way it will hurl molten steel from here to Absalom..." He sighs. "That is probably an exaggeration meant to keep the sorts of scoundrels who turn to river piracy from stealing the bolts right off it, probably. Sons of a pustulant goat."
Unless he's a lot more skilled than you give him credit for, the anger is real alright.
"What?" Gorok interrupts.
"One of them made that remark aloud where the crew could hear them and now the damn grass-drinking bastards won't get on the prize ship at all. She's called the Iron Maiden by the way. Yes, like the torture device, their bastard of a captain thought it would be more intimidating to merchants. They swear up and down that they treat their victims 'decently', that is let them off on the shore with provisions the way they offered those on the dwarf ship, though something tells me that wouldn't have extended the same courtesy to any of us. The Lord Governor of Cassomir can ill afford to leave these bastards flourishing at his door, between you and me, literally bastards. The sword style, the mingling of sorcery and bladecraft, they recall the lessons of the highborn, as if the sheer size and wealth of the operation does not hint at wealthy patrons. Another reason why you might not want to be seen with recognizable accountants."
"Or his kin might start a blood feud? Can that be done under your law?" Gorok presses. He had, you recall, been reading the book the Eagle Knights gave him, and from what little he shared about it you would guess it's not overly complementary of Taldan customs.
"They might, or they might fear you know too much, or some glass-sweeper, that is metaphorically a person who waits outside the windows of Great Houses for someone to throw a stone, an opportunist, decides to take you Ghosts before a magistrate as suspected thieves. There are some who favor the local and well-born over foreigners of uncertain peerage." Though he is trying to be polite, it's clear that you five would likely be counted as 'glass-sweeps' too in Cassomir.
"So what do you propose?" you ask, leaning back on the side of the ship just as a commotion briefly echoes from below deck. The Razmiran priest had almost been able to escape in the confusion, but given how fast the fight had gone you'd still been able to point out the direction of their mask and the fool hadn't thrown it away. He is presently entertaining himself by arguing with the dwarfs who had been set with watching him because they had lost the straw-draw, a droll game for an unwelcome chore.
"I keep the captain's equipment, you keep the elf's, and we wager on something, your choice, for the alchemist's," he answers with the swiftness of one who's made a great many wagers in his day, perhaps too many.
How does Akorian answer?
[] Agree, it's not the best deal, but not the worst either, and as self interested as Pisca is he raises good points about the captain's equipment potentially being too hot for you to sell
[] How about we wager for all three, winner takes all (Diplomacy vs Will Save with a -2 penalty for playing to his vice)
[] Wait to assay everything in Cassomir before we share out the loot (Diplomacy DC 25)
[] You really must insist (Intimidation vs DC 24, will cause resentment)
I really don't think he did enough to get more than one person's loot.
I am pretty darn opposed to gambling on this.
Thinking on it, if his concern is someone coming after us because we killed thier patsies/tools, and that's his argument for why he should take the Captain's loot, then
I strongly prefer to get first pick of magic items, and give "his cut" to him in terms of the value of the less cool stuff. Like, that's my main goal here, getting first pick on stuff.
Suggestion: We question the captain (now or in the morning, but if these are noble-backed pirates, then I am wary of a rescue attempt/silencing attempt) about stuff, including the boat (there's no way he won't know at least the basics of what not to touch while still letting it sail - what if the alchemist was unconsious/killed?), and then we can make arguments about what to give up to Pisca.
Then in the morning we can reshape our ship and go and investigate the pirate ship with Heroism and rerolls. (And energy resistance spells).
Nope. Nope, nope, nope. I will vote to murder Prisca and everyone of his men before I vote to just let him have that gear. Fuck that. We've already had to bribe this turd once.
[X] Present an alternative, the only alternative.
-[X] "Gorok's Ghosts will take our pick from among the gear belonging to the captain and his officers. If we cannot use it, then you are welcome take your share from the remainder. Of course, the value of what you keep will be deducted from the share you and your men would have received after the pirate's vessel and bounties are accounted for."
I really don't think he did enough to get more than one person's loot.
I am pretty darn opposed to gambling on this.
Thinking on it, if his concern is someone coming after us because we killed thier patsies/tools, and that's his argument for why he should take the Captain's loot, then
I strongly prefer to get first pick of magic items, and give "his cut" to him in terms of the value of the less cool stuff. Like, that's my main goal here, getting first pick on stuff.
Suggestion: We question the captain (now or in the morning, but if these are noble-backed pirates, then I am wary of a rescue attempt/silencing attempt) about stuff, including the boat (there's no way he won't know at least the basics of what not to touch while still letting it sail - what if the alchemist was unconsious/killed?), and then we can make arguments about what to give up to Pisca.
Then in the morning we can reshape our ship and go and investigate the pirate ship with Heroism and rerolls. (And energy resistance spells).
His concern is that he is deeply in debt and he wants magic items or weapons he can flog off quickly, the argument about it being potentially recognizable and a political hot button is accurate as far as it goes, but Kori can clearly see Pisca is an interested party here.
That's a good idea. If his argument is that he takes a risk by manning the pirate ship, let's tell him we will do it. We have good engineering knowledge. We don't need to mention that it comes from the goblin.
Nope. Nope, nope, nope. I will vote to murder Prisca and everyone of his men before I vote to just let him have that gear. Fuck that. We've already had to bribe this turd once.
[X] Present an alternative, the only alternative.
-[X] "Gorok's Ghosts will take our pick from among the gear belonging to the captain and his officers. If we cannot use it, then you are welcome take your share from the remainder. Of course, the value of what you keep will be deducted from the share you and your men would have received after the pirate's vessel and bounties are accounted for."
I understand your feelings, but keep the entire situation in mind.
We still have a few wagonloads of adamantine, presumably the most valuable loot of everything we gained on this journey.
With Pisca, we can move through Taldor with a good bit of official status, without him every guardpost, magistrate and local noble will be interested in getting a share, or better yet the whole cake.
We are not on the level of power to ignore local authorities yet.
We can't sneak the entire caravan through Taldor, as seen by the fact that Sir Pisca easily found us, without magic even.
Don't consider fighting a ship of Riverguard now, not when it can cost us everything we gained so far.
I strongly prefer to get first pick of magic items, and give "his cut" to him in terms of the value of the less cool stuff. Like, that's my main goal here, getting first pick on stuff.
Agree with the sentiment. The most fair way of doing this would be to count the items and assign them value. If he is greedy and prizes the gear too highly, more than it's worth to a merchant, and we don't take it, he'll lose on the gold he can actually sell it for. If he prizes it cheaply, we can just buy it off him. It incentivizes fairness, even in a noble who is willing to bend truth a little to get what he wants.
He doesn't care what items he gets so long as he can sell them. We can get our pick of the treasure within the estimated value, which would be more than enough for me.
The real question is how we are splitting the loot, as in, what share do we part with. He may not have done much, but then it isn't our money that we are paying him from. I'd say, split it 50/50 to stay on his good side... and to maintain the impression that associating with us is profitable.
His seems like he'd go for a 33/33/bet split, which is... also okay, provided we win the bet. We get the choice of what to wager for, which can be interesting in its own way.
I understand your feelings, but keep the entire situation in mind.
We still have a few wagonloads of adamantine, presumably the most valuable loot of everything we gained on this journey.
With Pisca, we can move through Taldor with a good bit of official status, without him every guardpost, magistrate and local noble will be interested in getting a share, or better yet the whole cake.
We are not on the level of power to ignore local authorities yet.
We can't sneak the entire caravan through Taldor, as seen by the fact that Sir Pisca easily found us, without magic even.
Don't consider fighting a ship of Riverguard now, not when it can cost us everything we gained so far.
We've already paid him 2000 gold, helped him secure the Razmiran priest, and probably saved his life considering how the pirates would have handled him and his ship if they encountered them without us around.
I'm not even going to try to argue against him getting some of the loot, but he isn't getting first choice, and whatever he gets is going to be deducted from whatever monetary rewards we get from the pirates defeat.
Y'all can come up with a different vote, but this is the one I'm going with.
We've already paid him 2000 gold, helped him secure the Razmiran priest, and probably saved his life considering how the pirates would have handled him and his ship if they encountered them without us around.
I'm not even going to try to argue against him getting some of the loot, but he isn't getting first choice, and whatever he gets is going to be deducted from whatever monetary rewards we get from the pirates defeat.
Y'all can come up with a different vote, but this is the one I'm going with.
If he hadn't been there the captain would have had a chance to escape. He had a potion of water breathing and healing potions on him. Once he was in the water he would have been much harder to deal with.
Which is not something he needed help with. It's mostly for the sake of Mina him not razing the village to the ground in the process that we intervened.
The pirates aren't generally trying to attract attention from the River Guard. You might accidentally kill a nephew of some Grand Duchess, and those kind of pirates tend to not live long. Without us (and the vote to make our vessel a lure to pirates), there likely would not be a pirate encounter.
Much as it galls me to part with anything of value, I believe a 66/33 split (in our favor) to be fair. Yes, he is pushing it with the bet, but that is expected from a man with a debt such as his. So long as we win the bet, I am fine with his proposal modified to allow us to pick and choose which of the equipment we keep.
We've already paid him 2000 gold, helped him secure the Razmiran priest, and probably saved his life considering how the pirates would have handled him and his ship if they encountered them without us around.
I'm not even going to try to argue against him getting some of the loot, but he isn't getting first choice, and whatever he gets is going to be deducted from whatever monetary rewards we get from the pirates defeat.
Y'all can come up with a different vote, but this is the one I'm going with.
If we were to agree to a wager, small or big, what would that wager be? Anything that requires a judge is out, since there is no impartiality. A card game? Sir Pisca likely knows cards, what with his betting habits. Anything analogous to poker where our Bluff/Sense Motive could shine? What would be Taldor's equivalent of chess?
Would we be willing to cheat at it, and if so, how? Sirim's telepathy (not known to many others) would be an obvious choice, as is Pepper's Evolution, so maybe pick an activity with those in mind.
Tentative vote, with the subvote detailing the wager.
[ ] We count the spoils, and we split them according to how much they cost. One third goes to us and one third to you, so you get your money either way. We wager for the last third.
Clearly this needs to be settled with a traditional game of rock-rock, flat-rock, sharp-rock (rocks presumably being much more common than paper or scissors among the caligni)
I will not vote to gamble on this. I refuse to gamble with this man. He did help, but it was minor.
For me it's "see the loot, assign approximate value to it, he gets stuff of an approximate proportional value of a third, and we also investigate the boat in the morning (with information from the captain.) when our spells are refreshed, for skill boosts and rerolls"
Also, we pick the stuff we're keeping and the stuff he gets.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I agree with the sentiment. Mine appends, "but I will humor him since we need him".
So it becomes, "I will gamble with this man; I just refuse to lose the gamble".
Since the start of the game Kori was about lying and bluffing to get his way. Not without reason, but playing with loaded dice is nothing new to us. I'd rather say "sure" and cheat them out of victory, than be confrontational and refuse them.
[X] Insist with Good Arguments
-[X] Your concern for us honors you, but we are used to danger.
-[X] It is true, if we take most of the loot, we should take also most of the risk. We will interrogate the captain about the ship and make sure it is safe. We have excellent engineers among us.
.
