Parley of the Century

Diplomatic action

The Iron Wolves press in on the pirates of Agate Cay and commit a deed that will send a stone rolling to change their lives.

We return to our story in a new Part of our book. Our previous chapter was the finale of drastic proportions. The Iron Wolves found themselves sneaking into the pirate hideout in the extremely early morning. Despite it being 3 am, the party found the occupants awake and working. The one man near the underground creeks' entrance into the hide out was packing up boxes. Lyle shifted into the from of a spider and found the cave much much larger than expected. People were packing up boxes, organizing supplies, and sorting between what to take or leave. Some individuals off-duty were playing with Daniel's card game as a respite from the work though one of them was a sore loser.
  Lyle eventually found himself in a curtained off chamber containing the officers in deep discussion of what to do. Only hearing the end of the conversation, it seemed that they would be leaving this outpost to go across the Ocean of Aber to go transition to the continent of Hiskalon. They would make the decicion the next night whether to continue packing or to just leave with the essential they could finishe up in the next 18 hours. When Lyle brought this information back to the group, they decided to strike immediately. Any wasted time was leading towards the crew getting rest and possibly even leaving early on them.
  Zeran took out the immediate worker quickly. Lyle guided the party through the upper hideout's cellblock, butchery, and storage. As the Iron Wolves stepped out upon a doubled cliff ledge with ladders down, they were slowly noticed in their decent. The laborers in the middle of the hide out went to talk to the party on the ledge before realizing they weren't part of the crew. The party sprung into action, some jumping from ledges, others scrambling down ladders. Daniel created the illusion of a great blaze upon a bridge that separated the immediate crew from the party, slowing their pursuit. This gave the others time spring towards the officers quarters before the sailors could intercept or get to the barracks to awake others. The officers began to come out to meet The Party as Gregor shouted for peace while emanating candor, intent, and conviction. Lyle entraped Captain Doga and his officers in vines as the rest of the party gathered. Crew shambled out of their barracks groggily, half clothed and some barely armed. Unknown to the rest of the party, Doga attempted to overcome Gregor's sensibilities with his enchanting force of personality but the goliath resisted. As Gregor told the captain to have his men stand down, he demanded he would only do so if he could parley with dignity, staring towards Lyle (this time, unknowingly reading a more rending psychic reaction if the vines remained). As the vines fell, the parley began.
  Gregor spoke of peace and repentance for all that could be allowed. The goliath acknowledged that pirates would be hung for their crimes and he did not wish more blood than necessary. The captain retaliated that there were no pirates here, only those that had served and had everything taken from them. Now they lived their own way outside of damning eyes. They only maintained borders for self protection. Despite this, Gregor knew innocents had been lost to that cause and retribution must come. If not everyone to be branded and possibly hung, Captain Doga could answer for the crimes of the whole lot. Ira Doga had attempted to give his men a second chance after the politics of Phaloxil had damned the men for serving under the orders they were given. He said a second, but Daniel saw that what was presented wasn't true. As a master of facades, Daniel saw the half measure and called out that Ira had the chance to do it right this time. The captain put it to his men that would otherwise stand with him to the last but all they had was silence. Zeran interrupted that silence to give them a line to follow to accept their captains sacrifice with respect. With salutes, they broke up. Gregor filled the Bosun in on the hazards of when to leave the Cay to not be seen by their military vessel.
  A story was hatched to cover the rest of the crew, have lost the an ambush fight at the rapids to use the wrecked ship as their active vessel if questioned about it. This would given them full freedom to leave once Captain Doga was in custody. Doga himself heavily influenced this plan to ensure his men's survival but also showing his control of negotiations. Daniel retrieved his tome and ritual cast his cloud manipulation to signal Captain Pogenoth to begin the extraction. In short order the party had the captain in a row boat going back down the stream, Doga navigating the water elemental rapids and the crew hitting the ocean shore.
  A brief beach rest continued into returning to the navy vessel on the original row boat. So close to complete, a final hazard appeared as the triton captain recognized Doga. His usual brief, straight forward countenance became overwelled with held back emotion. He barked out about Doga being skum and demanded everyone in chains below deck in case any of you had been inflenced already. Daniel suspected that the Doga had immediately gotten into Pogenath's head but Gregor understood a greater heldback pain in the man. Many arguments were had to have everyone in isolated cells but Pogenath demaned everyone be together with no chance that Doga have influence over more than a single chamber of the ship. The triton had a line of reasoning and was vehemently against hearing any other.
  In the end, the whole party spend two days, manacled below deck in isolated silence, unsure who might have been influenced by Doga. Reaching Phaloxil's harbor was but a penultimated step. The ship would remain in harbor for another day in some kind of magical quarantine. An arcanist was called in to divine for magical trickery. Daniel realized how serious this situation was when he stepped out to be scanned by the archmage Vulpenop, strategist a seer of the Phaloxil military. After confirming everyone, the archmage complimented the party for catching a whale before vanishing in a flash of light.