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"Oy, call, dey call me 'Da Scratcha', cuz of me claws. Kinda funny, though, since I typically poke wit 'em.", the large armored man demonstrating this by poking with his one of wrist-bound weapons. "I'm in wit da Great Protecta, Milani, meself. M'goal is ta protect dese blokes while doing their job, though lil Gray 'ad to help me out in a coupla scrapes.", Scratcher thumbing his way over to Xasay.
"A few stiff drinks it is!"
The man leads you to a crowded area on one of the small islands . Four bridges, one in such disrepair it can’t be safely traversed, connect the southern point of this small island to both the shore and one of the bay’s other small islands. Its hard-packed earthen paths are obviously heavily traveled by townsfolk. At the center of the area is a fifteen-foot-tall wooden statue of a grinning man armed with a rapier, hoisting a mug into the air. To the east, a similar stone statue stands on an outcropping of rock in the bay, though it is closer to twenty feet tall.
He takes one of the bridges to the other island, checking if you follow him. He walks to the large building at the other side of the bridge . It is clearly marked as both a temple of Cayden Cailean and a functioning tavern. It is well maintained and freshly painted. The doors of its broad doorway are held open with wooden pegs hammered into the ground. There’s no sign the doors have closed anytime recently. A sign above the door reads "Cailean’s Keg"
The building is packed with revelers. All seem to be in exceedingly good spirits, though as is proper, none are falling-down drunk. Anyabwile moves through the crowd towards the bar at the end of the room. There a woman is pouring drinks. She notices you and pours five beers into big mugs, shoving them in your direction. "Welcome in Lillywhite, I am Duwella Morin and your first drink in the Rum Punch Festival is on me! Are you here to participate in the Lucky Drunk’s Challenge?"
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The smile widens noticeably at Scratcher's admission. "Milani! I admit, my knowledge of Shelyn's fellow gods is incomplete, so I hope we can share our understanding soon. It seems we follow similar paths in our service." As the party moves inland, the cleric looks more at ease on dry land.
Gladly accepting the offered drink, Grisaia asks "What are we challenged to do? I'd enjoy thanking you for the hospitality by joining in."
"Oh, it is rather easy. As part of the Rum Punch celebration, we host a drinking game known as the Lucky Drunk’s Challenge. The game combines drinking, bravely facing the unknown, and entertaining other carousers."
She gets a cloth and moves it over the bar, cleaning it.
"During the challenge, a group of three to six people gather around a table and I put down a tray with twice as many drinks as participants. The drinks vary from mugs of ale, mead, and hard cider to glasses of wine, shots of distilled spirits, and cups of absinthe. You each take a drink, and if at least two persons are still able I put down another round. The record is eleven rounds, set by a sailor named Thal Thagolis several years ago. You can pass at any time, stepping out of the challenge."
"Nothing bad happens if you leave early. What do you think? Winner gets this stein."
She shows a beautiful engraved silver stein.
"Now mind you, it is not some holy item. It's just a price. So you two galls want to have a go? What about that small one and the silent big one there?" she points to Xasay and Scratcher
"Great, get yourself seated there with Abe and George." at that she points you to a table where two sailors are already seated. Everyone introduces themselves and moments later Duwella puts a large tray on the table with twelve drinks on it in different glasses.
Xasay picks a small glass with a cherry floating in it. He downs it in one go and gets a pet on the back from the bigger sailor "Well done, little one!"
Scrather picks the big glass in front of him and gulps it down, foam frothing from his mouth. Tori takes a glass of something that looks like wine while Tori gets something that looks like ale.
Xasay notices that even this small drink is already a burden on his system, his vision starting to get blurry.
The two sailors easily down their drinks, and another round of 12 drinks is served.
Xasay sees a glass which smells of fresh flowers, elderberries and very potent alcohol. He grabs it, drinks it and his throat seems to be on fire!
Grisaia picks the largest stein she sees. The foamy, black stout is very tasty, but the large stein might be just a tad too full for her liking.
Tori is quite sensible and picks a red ale, which is smooth on the palate. Scratcher picks a stein containing a light white beer.
The two sailors drink their steins, slamming them down once they are done.
Anyabwile asks "Do you people know what the origins of the festival are?" while Duwella puts down another tray of drinks.
"Are you all still in for the third round?"
The crowd cheers at Xasay "Well done, knowing your limits is a good thing" while Anyabwile starts his story
"The Rum Punch Festival is an annual tradition that commemorates a Sargavan slave escape that occurred in 4686 AR at the port of Crown’s End. The escape involved three large slaver ships crammed full of slaves captured from Sargavan docks and the Bandu Hills, bound for sale at the slave markets of Bloodcove. Prior to setting sail, the crews of the ships gathered for a celebratory drink, each consuming a few mugs of rum...
Grisaisa picks a small glass filled with a golden beverage while Scratcher takes a clear drink in a similar small glass. To their detriment they both find that the small glasses do not mean that it is a smooth drink, both contain quite a lot of alcohol!
Tori is staying sensible and picks a red ale again.
One of the sailors stands up and salutes you "Good luck, I've had my fill" The onlookers also congratulate him on knowing his limit.
The other sailor looks you up and down "Two down, three to go!" while Anyabwile continues his story
"...Surprisingly, the crews of all three ships got roaringly drunk despite consuming no more rum than usual. Many slavers fell unconscious in positions that left their key rings dangling within reach of the slaves in the ships’ holds. As the slaves freed themselves, five small seabirds flew past the ship. A few worshipers of the Lucky Drunk among the escapees took the amazing potency of the rum as a sign that Cayden Cailean had intervened to give them a chance to free themselves, and believed the five birds had been sent by his herald Thais...
Grisaia thinks she is smart and picks the same glass that Tori picked. It is some dark red, syrupy liquor. While before Tori managed to pick one of the glasses that were low on alcohol, this one is certainly not one of those! Scratcher has more luck with his glass.
The sailor stands up and excuses himself "I won't win this round, congratulations!"
Anyabwile continues ...As a result, the escaped slaves followed the birds and eventually found a small beached ship that they managed to launch and sail to the Shackles. The story spread, and Cayden’s faithful began celebrating the anniversary of the escape a few years later. As the tradition grew, it came to be named for the power of the rum that had given the escapees their chance at freedom.
And Duwella Morin places another round of drinks on the table "Hmm, I think you won't reach the eleven round record, anyway; who will win this challenge? There can be only one that wins!"
Grisaia picks another translucent drink, it is a tiny glass, so it can't contain that much alcohol can it... Unfortunately for the half-orc it contains a shot of almost pure alcohol! Tori is a also loosing her good luck, as she takes a strong liquor.
Scratcher is not to be outdone by the girls and picks a light ale...
Duwella is quick to point out some empty buckets that are strategically positioned underneath the table and presents an engraved silver stein to Grisaia "No, if you can't keep your drink in you are disqualified. Congratulations, here is your reward!"
The onlookers cheer for the half-orc's victory, while Tori and Scratcher wipe their face with a damp cloth.
You spend the afternoon trying to get rid of the drink in your system and taking in the sights. You quickly learn that something will happen at the lumberyard at the end of the day .
The Rum Punch Festival concludes this evening with a parade through town, a reenactment of the escape to freedom the festival commemorates, and finally, fireworks. The lumberyard is abuzz with hundreds of workers, revelers, and actors, all gathered before a small wooden stage.
Suddenly, a gunshot rings across the crowded square, and attention snaps to the sharp-dressed woman standing on the stage, holding a still-smoking pistol.
Now certain she has the attention of all present, she addresses the crowd. “I’m Captain Varossa Lanteri of the Magpie Princess and I have a business proposition. I’ve recently discovered the secret to finding the lost treasure of Captain Jemma Redclaw, and I’m looking for a few strong hands to help me secure it. The first to reach my bosun’s table on the second floor of the God’s Revel Inn down by the harbor will have the opportunity to receive an officer’s share of old Captain Redclaw’s gold. If you’ve been waiting for your chance at fame and fortune, it’s finally here!”
She fires her pistol over the heads of the crowd a second time, and shouts, “Now hop to!” A moment of shocked silence is followed by a riot of shouts as dozens of people rush out of the lumberyard.
So many hopeful pirates begin running that a crowd immediately forms and blocks the route.