The Boundary Line

UncommonThe Crown Peak & the Hush FrontAct IV

From a chance meeting

Possible rewards: Windcaller's Vane Crown Pennant

5 scenes. Choices with a requirement only appear when you meet it.

The Crown Surveyor

Right away1

A survey barge hangs at anchor flanked by two armed House cutters—one flying Varrow green, the other Lorne blue. The surveyor aboard hails you through a speaking horn.

"I'm Bram Oster of the Crown Survey. I'm ordered to measure the air boundary between House Varrow and House Lorne, and neither house trusts the other enough to carry me to the boundary stone. Your ship is neutral. Will you take me across?"

Bring the surveyor and his gear aboard.
He climbs aboard with a brass wind-vane and eighty yards of measuring chain. Both House cutters fall into formation behind you, one off each flank.
→ Eighty Yards of Chain
Refuse to get caught between two noble houses.
He lowers his speaking horn without surprise as you fly on.
The questline ends here.

Eighty Yards of Chain

Right away2

Oster lays his measuring chain along your deck and oils each link while the two House cutters shadow your flanks within gun range.

After dark, a rowboat pulls up to each side of your hull. House Varrow's steward offers a light purse of silver "for the captain's trouble," while House Lorne's steward offers a heavier one. Both want you to drift your ship when the boundary reading is taken.

Refuse both bribes and send the boats away.
Both stewards row back to their cutters with their bribes untouched. Impressed by your honesty, Oster shows your helmsman how his brass vane leans just before a wind gust hits.
+1 Helm skill XP
→ The Boundary Stone
Accept House Varrow's bribe. (+25 silver)
You pocket Varrow's green-ribboned purse, and the Lorne boat rows away in silence.
+25 silver
→ The Boundary Stone
Accept House Lorne's larger bribe. (+35 silver)
You pocket Lorne's heavy purse of silver. On the other side of your hull, Varrow's steward records your ship's name before rowing off.
+35 silver+1 heat
→ The Boundary Stone

The Boundary Stone

Sail to The Boundary Stone (1–3 passages away)3

Carry the Crown surveyor to the boundary stone between the two noble houses.

The ancient boundary stone floats between two mountain terraces. As Oster sets up his brass sighting vane, boats from both cutters pull alongside again.

Varrow's steward offers their House pennant and forty silver if you drift eighty yards east during the sighting. Lorne's steward offers a hundred and ten silver if you drift eighty yards west. Oster looks at you. "It's your deck I'm standing on, Captain."

Hold the ship steady for an honest reading and fight the Varrow cutter.
You hold position and let Oster take an honest reading—which places the boundary line right through the middle of a Varrow lamp terrace. The Varrow cutter immediately opens fire to stop the report!
+1 heatBattle: Household ship · Close rangeIf you win:+1 The Crown standing
→ The Sealed Reading
[Helm 2] Have crewmate hold the ship rock-steady so Oster can seal the reading before either cutter can react.
Crew: Helm 2+
crewmate holds the hull motionless, allowing Oster to take and officially seal the boundary reading before the stewards even finish their offers. Once sealed under Crown law, neither cutter dares fire on you.
+1 Helm skill XP+1 heat
→ The Sealed Reading
Drift eighty yards east to rig the boundary for House Varrow.
You let the ship drift east while Oster takes the sighting. House Varrow sends over forty silver and their House pennant, while House Lorne is left paying air-tolls over its own terrace.
+40 silver
→ The Varrow Pennant
Drift eighty yards west to rig the boundary for House Lorne.
You let the ship drift west while Oster takes the sighting. House Lorne pays you a hundred and ten silver, while the furious Varrow cutter logs your ship's name.
+110 silver+2 heat
The questline ends here.
Leave it for now.
Oster coils his measuring chain and waits while you pull back for now.

The Sealed Reading

Right away4

Oster signs and seals the official boundary report, then unscrews his thirty-year-old brass wind-vane from its pole.

"I'm retiring after this job, Captain. Out of forty boundary lines I've surveyed, only eleven were ever measured honestly. Take my wind-vane—it senses gusts before they strike—or I can write you a Crown payment voucher for your transport fee instead."

Take the surveyor's brass wind-vane for your masthead.
Mounted at your masthead, the vane leans just before each wind gust hits, giving your helm an edge in every fight. Oster heads home on the public ferry.
Relic: Windcaller's Vane
The questline ends here.
Take the Crown payment voucher for ninety silver.
He writes out an official payment order, which the Crown pay office honors in cash on sight.
+90 silver+1 The Crown standing
The questline ends here.
Have him certify that your ship refused every bribe, and take the wind-vane.
He adds a formal commendation of your honesty under his seal, clearing your name with the Crown, and gifts you his brass wind-vane besides.
Relic: Windcaller's Vane+1 The Crown standing−2 heat
The questline ends here.
Return the bribe money you took earlier to earn Oster's wind-vane and respect. (30 silver)
Oster smiles for the first time as you toss the steward's bribe back into the House boat. He gifts you his brass wind-vane and commends your ship in the official Crown record.
−30 silverRelic: Windcaller's Vane+1 The Crown standing
The questline ends here.

The Varrow Pennant

Right away5

Varrow's steward boards your ship carrying a green-and-gold House pennant.

"Our first toll barge sails to collect duties from the Lorne terrace at noon," he says. "Fly this pennant and escort the barge against Lorne's cutter for extra silver—or simply take the pennant now and go."

Take the Crown Pennant and leave before the fighting starts.
He hands over the pennant with a bow; flying it will make Crown port inspectors think twice before bothering you. Behind you, Varrow's toll barge sets off toward the Lorne terrace.
Fitting: Crown Pennant+1 The Crown standing
The questline ends here.
Fly the pennant and escort the Varrow toll barge into combat against Lorne's cutter.
House Lorne's cutter is waiting at the terrace edge. Ignoring the barge, she opens fire on your ship!
+1 heatBattle: Household ship · Close rangeIf you win:Fitting: Crown Pennant+70 silver+1 The Crown standing
The questline ends here.
Admit you also took Lorne's bribe last night to extort double pay from him.
The steward turns pale, then hurriedly pays you double Lorne's bribe on the spot to keep the rigged survey quiet, leaving the House pennant behind as he scrambles off.
Fitting: Crown Pennant+60 silver+1 heat
The questline ends here.

Data from Magehold Fairwinds v1.9.26. Spotted something out of date? Discord