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Storm King's Thunder [CLOSED]

I: The Snapdragon

Baba Luga

Vestige
I. The Snapdragon
Luskan, City of Sails. Flamerule 15, 1491

Luskan map small.jpgLuskan, the City of Sails, a noisy, raucous port city just south of the mountains dividing the Savage Frontier from the frozen lands of the Far North. Life in Luskan is dominated by five "ships," large ganglike organizations, each headed up by a "captain" who is essentially a glorified pirate king or queen. The secretive Arcane Brotherhood also has its home here; the twisted branching spires of the Brotherhood's Hosttower of the Aracane loom over the harbor from the mouth of the Mirar River.

Traveling north from Port Llast, Doctor Lurr has brought his circus, and you along with it, to Luskan, where you have been in residence for most of the past tenday. The crowd has been appreciative, if a bit wilder than what you're used to. Fights have broken out among audience members from rival "ships" and the patrons have been overly bold in their challenges to Kulanukate the goliath strongman and the perceived unfairness of the games of chance and skill.

Now it is time to move on to the next town. With the midsummer weather making the Far North as accessible as it ever will be, Doctor Lurr plans to take the circus to Mirabar, four to six days northeast of here on the Blackford Road. The Doctor has sent most of the circus ahead, while staying behind himself with just a smattering of his entourage:
  • Raven of the Forests, last of his tribe, the amazing mancat from across the Trackless Sea
  • Snikket, aka Draconicus Junior, puny kobold master of flames
  • Lecuis, the Demon Musician
  • Aseir Chernin, daredevil aerialist and envoy from the elemental realms
  • Angelica, Mistress of Serpents, the Charmer from Chult
  • Kulanukate the Goliath Strongman
  • Von Anvil, the mountain dwarf who sees to the wagons and inventory and prepares Doctor Lurr's meals
This morning, the Doctor announced with glee his reason for sticking is Luskan a bit longer: He's made arrangements for an exclusive performance this very evening, to take place on the deck of the Snapdragon, one of the greatships belonging to Dagmaer Suljack, Captain of Ship Suljack. Lurr is vague on the financial details, but suggests the added revenue will patch up some deficits remaining from the poor showing the circus had way back at Leilon. "Maybe if they hadn't built that town so damned close to the Mere of Dead Men, they'd have a more welcoming disposition!"

"Let's just make it Snikket, Lecuis and Aseir for tonight," Doctor Lurr proposes about the show on the Snapdragon. "What do you say, boys? Oh, and I think Raven too. Give them a taste of far-off Maztica! I have it on good authority that Captain Suljack is fêting some big shots from Neverwinter—nobles, merchants, a priest of Waukeen or two. I really should come along myself. I have a feeling Neverwinter will be booming again any day now, and I intend to sow some seeds with these dignitaries."

"Of course, we won't be putting on the whole show, just an act or two to wow them—your best stuff. Let's see what you come up with. I have every confidence, as usual. I imagine when we come back through Luskan in the Fall, all the Captains will want command performances. They'll have to compete for our attention."

"Well, unless you have any questions, I'll leave you to work out the details of your bravura performance."



 
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The small black kobold nods. "Yes yes, Doctor. Snikket will prepare his best" He pauses for a second, his tiny clawed hand on his chin as if considering the second statement. "Perhaps not best, Snikket does not think too much flame on ship is best idea." He starts to rifle through his bag. "And most of Snikket's powders and chemicals are with caravan we sent north. Yes yes, not best... safe."
 
Raven dips his head slightly in a small nod of understanding, one hand coming up to rub at the tight, black leather collar around his neck as he shifts to stand closer to the others. "Yes, sir."
 
"Boats are fun, the acoustics on the water will make my voice even more amazing!" Lecuis looks to his friends as he checks the tuning on his lute, "Whats everyone else's plans for the shows so I know what music to accompany them?"
 
Snikket looks around nervously at his compatriots. "Snikket is best in background. Flame good to make other acts better." The kobold nods to himself in agreement, and then shrugs. "Being in front of tall ones make Snikket nervous."
 
Lecuis Pat's Snikket on it's back "Come now Snikket! I can only carry us so far. As can Raven. We're gonna need you at your best and up front at least for a little while!"
 
Snikket shrugs off the pat on the back, briefly glaring at Lecius, and looks pleadingly toward the doctor. Not getting a reprieve from him, he sighs, resigned. "Yes yes, Snikket will do flame seer act. Lecuis can play music to make Snikket sound more wise."
 
Angelica.jpgPutting down a piece of scrimshaw she's been working on, Angelica announces, "Well, if you don't need me, I'm going to the beach." She gathers a shawl around her shoulders and heads for the door of the tavern side room where you've been breakfasting.

"Eh, I'll come too," says Von Anvil, getting up to join her.

"Ah, yes,"
says Doctor Lurr, "a morning constitutional. I approve. Good for the lungs, this sea air. Enjoy!"

Frowning slightly as he watches Angelica and Von depart, the Doctor picks up the discarded piece of whalebone. It has the beginnings of a snail's spiral shell scratched on it. Looking up suddenly with a smile, he says, "And, as it always goes, all countries have been heard from save one. Aseir, sir! We are promised prognostication, plecturn-work and poetry. What plots are you concealing over there?" Turning to the rest of you, he says, sotto voce, "He always has something."

The Goliath Kulanukate, who is still eating, mutters, "Blindness," before returning to his fish chowder. You've come to accept this sort of non sequitor as par for the course with him.
 
Aseir smirks, "Yeah, yeah blindness is a good way to go. We need to give these people something they've never seen before, a show they can never see again..." he trails off.

"Snikket, old boy, just how bright can you make those flames of yours?" Aseir asks, his smirk widening into a toothy grin.
 
Snikket strokes his chin, in thought again. "Some bright, not as much as if Snikket had his supplies." He thinks for another second before what you all have come to know as the closest thing kobolds have to a grin crosses his face. "Snikket can make bright lights!" He walks over to Aseir, and touches his pants, muttering something under his breath. They begin to glow with a bright orange light. Snikket shields his eyes, already uncomfortable being out in the daylight.
 
"Now that's a bright idea!" Lecuis begins to play a lively tune and sings just barely above a whisper "blackhole sun, won't you come..."
 
"Wow, buddy, reaching a little low there." Aseir teases as he stretches and flexes in his new personal spotlight.

"This is great though! We'll have poetry and snake charming to start the night, build them up into a mood. Then I'll draw their attention up to the rigging and masts and stuff as I flip around while you sneakily set up below. Then when I fall and die we'll have a big beautiful blinding flash of light and by the time they can see again we'll be vanished! With the money!"
 
lurr.jpgDoctor Lurr's jaw drops in mock horror. "I can only assume this money talk is metaphor. Artistic license. Otherwise..." he puts his hands over his ears and closes his eyes. Speaking more loudly on account of his stopped ears, he concludes, "I'll see you at the pier, at the sixth bell of the afternoon watch; I think that's how it's reckoned in Luskanese," before turning and walking out, leaving you here with Kulanukate and the dirty dishes.
 
"it's Ravens turn to do dishes, I'm pretty sure." Lecuis spits immediately as he heads for the door, "Im gonna do my best to research the boat." (And I'll roll to prove it lol)
 
Raven hesitates, frozen slightly a few steps away as he watches. "Yessir" he mumbles, moving slowly to collect the dirty plates. He stiffly begins to wash them, trying to suppress a hiss of annoyance at the water pouring over his fur.
 
Aseir leans back in his chair and props his feet up on the table, twirling his index finger in the air. "So now that business is taken care of..."
 
Raven yelps as his hand is grabbed, going stiff under the other man's fingers before scrambling after him, yanking his hand free and curling it into his chest while sending a sharp, distrustful look at Snikket as he down towards the docks
 
Raven has been in the kitchen mere moments when someone shouts, "Ey, what's that over there? Get it out of here!"

"One of them what's with the circus," says a young woman working nearby. "Shoo, you! I'll see to those," she says to Raven, taking the dishes from him before nudging him out the door.

While the whole circus was here, everyone stayed at an encampment outside the city walls. Last night, however, Doctor Lurr put those of you still here (the"rump circus" as he calls it) up in Luskan's only proper inn, the Seven Sails. Like all of the city's public houses, residences and shops, the Sails is on the south side of the Mirar River. North of the river lie warehouses and fortified trade facilities. It's a cool, clear day, pretty good weather for this time of year in the so-called Savage Frontier.

Even in this port town that sees plenty of visitors from afar, the four of you stand out. It's unclear whether you're better off sticking together for protection or splitting up to minimize the amount of attention you draw. In either case, by midday, Lecuis hasn't learned much about the Snapdragon that you didn't already know: she's a mid-sized, single-mast schooner docked at the Dragon Beach piers; she doesn't see much use; her full crew, capable of operating the ballistae, would be about 40; she belongs to Captain Dagmaer Suljack.

With his ears always open for such tidbits, Aseir has picked up that Ship Suljack is of middle ranking among the five "ships" that run Luskan. Since taking charge of the faction about a decade ago, Captain Dagmaer has brought a genteel style to the organization, making it the most attractive group for interests outside of the city to do business with.

Aseir further knows that Lecuin's pursuit of intelligence on the Snapdragon might fare better in the Soundings, a rougher district near the south end of the beach, a place the staff at the Seven Sails warned you to steer clear of.
 
"Well I've learned all I can. I'm gonna go get some practice in and make alittle coin while I'm at it. If you need me I'll be near our in, just follow my music!" Lecuis pulls his lute and starts to check it's tone as he heads back
 
"Really? It finally gets interesting and you're calling it quits?" Aseir shakes his head in confusion before addressing the others. "Will you be leaving as well or shall we have ourselves some fun?"
 
Raven glances after Lecuis, then back at Aseir, seeming to consider his options for a moment. "What fun?" He asks warily.
 

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