Rocha Courier Run

Thalassa Rocha was in conjunction, and the Ripa Daneo Mount Faire was happening.  Damakaios had tapped a handful of Freelancers to go patrol it and faff about and stop ne'er-do-wells and actually be paid for the privilege.

Other Freelancers were instead hanging out.  Perhaps they were happy enough not to be in the middle of fields and cedar, and paddocks of mounts pooping.  Perhaps they made use of the Mount Faire to improve their own situation.

Two of these latter were Glesni and Hikawera.  They had flown to the Mount Faire on their pegasi with very different purposes.  Hikawera, a Fire sagani of dwarf extraction, had heard that the gear vendors had magical tack for the mounts that increased survivability and carrying capacity.  He got a saddle blanket of protection for his pegasus Allegro, and a saddlebag of holding as well.  Glesni, a Cloud elf noble, had come into a sudden windfall of coin.  She was fond of her pegasus Ikarus, but was aware he could be easily hurt in any altercations a Freelancer found themselves in; she was shopping for a peregrine gryphon.

The Faire had plenty of the latter, but one does not instantly buy and equip a gryphon there; measurements had to be made, and saddle and barding adjusted accordingly.  So Glesni returned to Freelancers Tavern, still with Ikarus, but with considerably less personal wealth.

The next morning, of course the both of them stuck their heads in Damakaios' office on the off-chance he had any missions.  The Pungarehu hanyou's eyes almost twinkled when he suggested either helping with prisoner transfer from the Mount Faire to Gata Nahaki; alternatively, Mudra Copperfeather, the dwarf running the Mount Faire, needed a small courier run to thalassa Rocha.

Both of their eyebrows rose at that statement, the two Freelancers were curious in spite of themselves.  They quickly agreed to a courier run to Rocha.  Damakaios explained that a clan of tritons, the Bevederen, who did osprey gryphon breeding and training, and Mudra would have the items to deliver.

Of course Damakaios knew about osprey gryphons.  His mount, Sneak, was one.

The two Freelancers headed back down to the Mount Faire, and flew straight to the medium-sized central building.  Leaving the pegasi hitched outside, they entered to see a Holder dwarf with a bright red beard in a back office, and a couple other people in a nearer office.  There appeared to be a place next to the back office for sleeping.  To the side were some holding cells, in which there were prisoners, a couple of them complaining, "It wasn't me."  <Narrator voice:  it totally was.>

Hikawera:  we're Freelancers, here for courier, what are you having us carry?
<The assistant near the door ushered them back to the Holder dwarf, who produced a courier pouch.>
Mudra:  this needs to go to Bevederen clan on thalassa Rocha; Hendrik is their chief factor.  He has arranged for transit on Paulgortan, which will leave from Ripa Daneo port later today.
Glesni:  are we expected to bring anything back?
Mudra:  I don't expect anything back from clan Bevederen, but I do expect you to report back.
Hikawera:  anything in particular with this bag?  …can it go into a bag of holding.
Mudra:  no, that's okay, bag of holding is okay.  It should be able to get wet, but actually, let the tritons deal with that.
<The Holder dwarf considered, as the Freelancers waited.>
Mudra:  the Paulgortan is a triton ship.  It's an air elemental ship–be careful which door you open.
Glesni:  are we taking our flying mounts?  They are pegasi, is there a place for them to be?
Mudra:  there's a raft town, creatively named Raftport; and actually, your mounts would be handy.

There was nothing more to say, so on that note Hikawera stashed the pouch in his bag of holding, and the Freelancers were off to return to Ripa Daneo.  It being the Mount Faire, someone had kindly fed and watered Ikarus and Allegro while they were talking.

The Paulgortan at first glance seemed like a standard air elemental airship:  long torpedo body, basket near the bow with the muttering elemental within, small deck on top, stabilizers swept back along the sides and near the stern.  A closer look showed an extra stabilizer opposing the small deck, folded back along the body; Glesni looked at it with interest, and noted the body was very slick, as if sealed to be waterproof, and also seemed to have thickened, detachable parts on the lower hull.

Anyhow the airship departed in the late afternoon.  The captain, a female triton named Efja, explained that Rocha was at closest approach, so they would get there in roughly 12 hours, and it would be morning time there.  As they pulled away from Commerce, the thalassa was not in sight.   Daystar illuminating the skylith from astern, and the Freelancers could see the crater and Rim for what it was, and the seam of mountains that ran east-west.  After crossing the boundary, the view of Commerce outward was oblique and increasingly dark, but the water's reflection from Moana's Eye and various streams etched a clear picture, to those who knew, of the collision with a thalassa and instant erosion that resulted.  The Paulgortan banked northward.

It was early neardark, and the Freelancers noticed quite a bit of Skyguard and Windscout activity, they even had small airships for patrols.  Captain Efja pointed some of them out, then explained that sometimes pirates would try to hide behind the thalassa.  Where they were going was nicer, she said, on the outward facing side of the thalassa, where Raftport was and also Clan Bevederen.  Wild Wave was also nearby.  The Freelancers had never heard of Wild Wave, and the captain explained they were druid-monks that were mostly water breathers.

After a while the Freelancers retired for the night.  But they were both up early enough to watch the thalassa approach.  It was smaller than Commerce, but still very sizeable, and very pretty in the dawn light of Daystar.

The Paulgortan splashed down; the extra stabilizer proved to be a keel, and the thicker parts of the hull extended out to become pontoons to either side.  <Narrator voice:  like a trimaran, not a sea plane.>  The water arc'd up in a way that shed rainbows in the morning light, after which a tug crew of dolphins hauled the ship to the waiting port.  The rainbows were very impressive, and both Freelancers just knew the air elemental had worked with the captain to practice that.

The ship docked with the waiting port, which was a series of rafts lashed together.  As a town goes, it wasn't terribly large, but seemed well-maintained.  Once fully docked, the Freelancers noticed some of the crew just dived off the Paulgortan into the water away from the port.  Others helped unload cargo, and brought Allegro and Ikarus.

Efja:  your passage back is paid.  Either tomorrow morning we can pick you up, or the day after that.
Glesni:  we're supposed to deliver something to Hendrik.  Where would we even look?
Efja:  you can get directions to Clan House by inquiring at the tavern/inn <pointed> The Salt Shack.

They looked, and it was not that far away, but it was on a different raft.  They thanked the captain and headed there, leading the pegasi carefully.  The way was easy which left them both with the impression that Raftport was intended to impress visitors.  It was barely dawn so not that many people were about.  Or was that normal as most people on a thalassa were in the water?  Both Freelancers were a little weirded out, having originated on large mountainous skyliths.  Here was water, with rhythmic waves, as far as the eye could see, and more over the curve of the thalassa was evident.

They boarded The Salt Shack and a Rain sagani took their mounts, for 5 cats each.  As they entered the tavern, a cheerful male triton keeping the bar called out, "What can I get you?  It's never too tasty for a delicious early beverage and meal!  We have trout, in addition to more standard fare!"  Glesni and Hikawera looked around for a seat.  There were others there, some even from the Paulgortan.  They found a seat and agreed to 8 cats each for room & board overnight, then had a delicious breakfast of trout and watercress.  <Narrator voice:  at this, the GM declared she was hungry.>

It was not yet busy enough to occupy the triton, and he chatted with the Freelancers a bit.

Barman:  what brings you to our lovely thalassa Rocha, and how can I help?
Hikawera:  we need to visit House Bevederen, do you have directions?
Barman:  the Bevederens have a nice osprey gryphon training facility, an hour away.
Glesni:  are there any hazards?
Barman:  mind the osprey gryphons; mind the storms and waterspouts
Hikawera <smiled>:  pegasi
Barman:  there are a few places you can land, but mind you don't mistake a sea tortoise for an island!
Hikawera <eyes widened>:  good to know!
Glesni:  how would we know straight there?

At this, the barman gave more explicit instructions:  fly to the northwest, look for a big ring that resembles that of an overgrown fish farm.  Hikawera and Glesni nodded sincerely, although the closest thing they'd ever seen that resembled a fish farm was Lakeview on skylith Duquesne.

The barman wandered off, and the Freelancers finished their tasty breakfast.  Then they rose to go retrieve their mounts.

Daystar was higher as the Freelancers took off, orienting themselves in the direction they thought was northwest.  Raftport quickly disappeared behind them, and they kept a reasonable altitude over the water.  They quickly learned that the water on the dayside of a thalassa had strange lake effects and could see clouds forming.  In the distance in front of them, they even saw a waterspout.

Glesni had lost all her bearings.  The relatively flat expanse of the water, with its visible curve for the horizon, confused her, as she had nothing to relate to for scale.  Hikawera, though, realized the curve had an effect, and that the waterspout has also curved, towards the Freelancers.

"Ehh," he called out diffidently, and when she looked, he continued, "I believe something else has spotted us."  Glesni looked at the waterspout, to see it was now rapidly approaching.  No longer confused, she pulled out her bow.

As the waterspout approached, it appears to be a pair of elementals, entwined and dancing together.  The combination was causing the waterspout.  One appeared to be made of swirly water; but the other, which seemed smaller, had streaks of lightning crackling through it.

When they got close enough, Hikawera cast bane on them.  Then he had Allegro move up and away, but stay within 60' of Ikarus.

The elementals split up and rushed towards the Freelancers.  The waterspout dropped, with nothing holding it up.  The stormy one moved up to Hikawera and the water one moved up to Glesni.

Glesni <in Primordial>:  what is going on?
Water elemental:  you exist, and I hate you.  Go fall into the water, so I can eat you!
Hikawera:  I would definitely give you indigestion
Storm elemental:  I zap you, you will fry and be delicious

Frowning slightly, Glesni had Ikarus disengage and fly slightly up.  Then she sank two arrows into the water elemental, calling out, "Not today, we have somewhere to be."

Allegro also disengaged, and Hikawera cast spiritual weapon in the form of a sousaphone next to the storm elemental.  It struck the elemental with force, making the farting sound a sousaphone does when the person doesn't know how to play it.  "I'm sure you're the family disappointment," Hikawera said conversationally, "but wow," and with that he applied vicious mockery to the elemental.

The storm elemental grumbled angrily, then sailed up to Hikawera & Allegro, turning dark.  Then it blasted them with thunder.  Allegro avoided most of it, but Hikawera was blasted, and only kept in the  saddle because of the straps.  The blast disrupted his maintenance of bane, and the spell dropped.

The water elemental flew up to Glesni and slammed her twice.  She retaliated by sending a piercing arrow through it and the storm elemental.  The water elemental avoided most of the damage, but the storm elemental did not, so Ikarus disengaged, and she sent another arrow through the storm elemental, which succumbed and fell down into the water.  Ikarus ended up 20' above the sousaphone.

Hikawera was still shaking his head from the disrupted bane.  So he used vicious mockery again.

Hikawera:  you are such a wet blanket
Water elemental <confused>:  what?  I am wet!

Glesni hadn't been on a mission with Hikawera since they were both on Duquesne, and she was impressed with his mockings.  The water elemental, still confused by the insult, tried to slam Glesni twice and missed both times.  Ikarus disengaged, and started circling the elemental from 30' out, above the sousaphone.  Glesni shot at the elemental and missed, then shot again and pierced it.

The spiritual weapon sousaphone crit the water elemental with force–and a farting noise.  "I've seen toddlers take out grown men!" Hikawera mocked it, "Is this really the best you can do?"  The water elemental grumbled angrily as the vicious mockery hurt what passed for its head.  Allegro prepared to dodge and moved closer to the sousaphone.

The water elemental again tried to slam Glesni twice, but the second time was a crit fail, and losing both balance and concentration, it fell into the water, 100' below.  The water rippled as it stuck its head up, then it decided the Freelancers weren't worth it, and it faded into the water below.

Glesni took the opportunity to invoke her second wind.  Then they took their bearings.  With Daystar higher and the fight turning them around, they weren't sure where to go.  It took half an hour to get back on course, and then another half-hour before they spotted the triton outriders, on osprey gryphons.

Two outriders met the Freelancers at the training ground perimeter.  They were friendly enough, but the young osprey gryphons they were riding couldn't believe that dinner had flown right up to them, so they had to wrangle the gryphons to prevent them from trying to eat the pegasi right there.  Once they were back under control, the outriders escorted them to the central ring, and the building where Hendrik was.

Hendrik was a wiry but muscled triton, with a shell breastplate made from tortoise shell and mother-of-pearl.

Hendrik:  how can House Bevederen help you?  I see you are on pegasus; perhaps you want an osprey gryphon?
Hikawera:  we are interested in delivering this package.

Hikawera produced the courier pouch from his bag of holding, without any flourish whatsoever.  Hendrik took the bag, and checked the seal, then opened it.  It seemed to have bills of sale, and many strings of stars.  <Narrator voice:  platinum coins in Skyway are called stars.  All skyway coins have holes in them, which make it easy to string large numbers of coins together in a way that's easy to count and hard to pickpocket or drop out of one's pocket.>

Hikawera whistled.  Glesni did not; she had caught and sold quite a few wild creatures for flying mounts herself.  Well, with other Freelancers.  After checking all was in order, the triton busied himself with a strongbox, and produced some strings of eagles, which he handed to the Freelancers.

Hendrik:  250 eagles each.  Please make sure 10% goes to Damakaios.  <paused, then more fondly>  Damakaios is on his second osprey gryphon from us.
Hikawera:  is there anything you'd like us to return to Mudra?  He asked us to stop in once this was completed.
Hendrik:  no; please convey my gratitude to Mudra.  We are quite happy, working with him.

It was Daystar zenith, a bad time to be flying over the open water, and Hendrik offered the Freelancers a tour around the ring, followed by lunch.  Of course they both accepted, but not before suggesting that he give them a token or sealed receipt for Mudra, which he did.  They met many tritons, some Sea elves, and of course Rain sagani.  The trainers looked a bit windblown, with cattail fluff in their hair.  Some of them were cleaning the nests, and cattail fluff was used as padding.

At lunch, the trainers were happy to explain advanced training, including teaching the osprey gryphons to help with fishing.  "That's how we get this giant catfish," they told the Freelancers at lunch.

For once, Hikawera was totally out of his element.  Glesni asked about poachers or pirates.  The Bevenderens replied, "Occasionally poachers, not here but on the wild nests.  Pirates occasionally, but the thing is, we have a bunch of gryphons… we're not a soft target."  Glesni nodded, impressed.

After lunch, the Freelancers returned to Raftport, with no problem.  By the time they arrived, Commerce was above the horizon, a crescent of it lit up by the afternoon light of Daystar.  They stabled the mounts and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Raftport, and the evening in the tavern.

They woke up obscenely early (as far as Hikawera was concerned) to get the Paulgortan back to Ripa Daneo.  The airship arrived an hour before twilight, so the Freelancers flew back to the Mount Faire to deliver the receipt to Mudra.  The Holder dwarf, happy they'd thought to get the receipt, paid them 10 eagles each for such consideration, and then they returned to Freelancers Tavern, enriched by both the courier fees and the experience of having visited a thalassa.

Glesni, however, discovered she had the most horrific sunburn, the likes of which she'd not experienced since encountering Daystar elementals in pursuit of Bright Thunder.  The worst part was on the underside of her ears.