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Lilabeth’s Dream
The hammock swayed gently with the motion of the ship. Lilabeth was taking a nap in the Hammock of Hospitality. She had come back to the ship for a bit. The crew was just starting to tame the island that they had won and already they had encountered a tentacled monstrosity and undead hands. One undead hand had slimed her when she had slashed into it. The slime had sickened her even after she went to the water’s edge to wash it off, so she took the smaller of the two boats and headed back to the ship to recuperate.
She was just dozing, letting her mind wander. Lilabeth thought of Captain Pierce Jerrell and was filled with longing. Three months was a long time to be apart but she knew there would be plenty to do so the time would fly by. Her stomach gave a little growl; the nausea was wearing off, and her mind wandered toward dinner and what the cook might be making that night. Finally she drifted off to sleep.
Lilabeth walked down a street of Port Peril as the last glow of sunset dimmed in the sky. She neared the sign of the Golden Rooster, and suddenly the scene changed and she was inside, watching Pierce laughing and gambling at a table near the back. A black cat with bright green eyes stalked back and forth near his chair; he patted it absently a few times and dropped it some scraps from his plate. The cat wandered off and then was back shortly, but it looked bigger to Lilabeth. After pacing around Pierce’s chair, it jumped up on the seat next to him and Pierce petted it while it ate the tidbits he placed there for it. Soon the cat hopped back down and disappeared,
A few minutes later the creature returned again and this time there was no doubt that it was bigger; it had grown as large as a dog of middling size. No one else in the tavern took any notice. In fact Pierce welcomed the cat, saying something about it bringing him luck. He gave it some choice pieces of meat as it stood with its chin on his leg. It was not long before the cat again went wandering out of sight. This time when it returned it was a panther, dark and sleek with green eyes that practically glowed. No one else saw anything amiss; Pierce petted it and called it “nice kitty.” Finally he stood and said, “Come on, kitty, let’s take all this lovely gold and my new map, and go try our luck somewhere else.” He gathered his winnings and left the tavern with his hand on the head of the huge cat, which paced soundlessly beside him.
Suddenly outside again, Lilabeth realized it was late; after midnight, to judge by the angle of the moon. She could see Pierce and the huge black cat ahead of her. They turned into a small street that she knew was a short way to the next major street with several gambling establishments, though the short-cut is dark and not kept up well. She turned into the street right behind them and saw movement in the shadows just before the big cat snarled. Suddenly half a dozen other black panthers leapt out and attacked Pierce. He drew his sword, but went down in a flurry of white fangs and razor-sharp claws. Lilabeth was immobile, helpless to do anything to assist. The attack took only a few moments, or perhaps hours, and then it was over. The cats faded away into the dark and Lilabeth somehow knew that Pierce’s life, his winnings, and anything else of value he had, were gone.
A Quick Trip
Lilabeth woke with a start, still seeing the lifeless body of Pierce lying in a dark alley in Port Peril. She scrambled out of the hammock, frantic to find out the time of day. Up the ladder she went, to discover that the sun had just set. A feeling of relief washed over her; it was probably only half past eight, so she still had a little time to get to Port Peril. She could have Zarec take her by magic, and then bring her back in the morning. There was no sign of those ashore, though. Lilabeth shouted to the sailor in the crow’s nest, and he said he could see a faint glow of light but that was all. Later he called down to say that light had gone. It was nearly 10:00 before lights were seen in the yard of the fortress, and the others eventually headed back to the ship.
Lilabeth paced and fumed as the other officers seemed to take forever getting back aboard. She accosted the wizard the moment he stepped on board, practically shaking him in an attempt to convey her urgency. Zarec refused to be rushed, though; if he was going to Port Peril for the night, he thought plans for the morning needed to be clarified before he left. It wasn’t until after 11:00 that they finally stood in Zarec’s private room in their house in Port Peril and Lilabeth was nearly frantic with worry.
She left immediately for the Golden Rooster, with Zarec right behind her. She hurried through the night-time traffic, practically leaping with impatience anytime she had to wait to make way through a crowd of people. Finally her goal was in sight and she forced herself to take a breath, smooth her hair, and slow to a walk rather than racing into the tavern like a madwoman. Lilabeth and Zarec walked up to the door, then stood aside as two people strolled out chatting. When the lamp outside the door lit their faces, she saw one was Pierce! The other was a well-dressed woman clad in black with silver trim, with thick black hair waving around her shoulders and unusual bright green eyes.
Pierce saw Lilabeth standing there and was quite startled.
“Lilabeth! Darling, what are you doing here? Are you back so soon?”
Lilabeth tried to smile and speak calmly. “Just Zarec and I, for one night.”
Pierce smiled. “We’re just going over to the Emerald Maid to see if Kitty here can have a little better luck there; you’d be welcome to come along. Let me introduce you! Kitty, this is Mistress Lilabeth of the Osprey – the ship that just won the regatta – and the wizard Zarec. Lilabeth, this is Captain Kitty Montrose of the Sea Cat. Why don’t you join us?”
Lilabeth spoke up quickly. “We’d be happy to. Zarec here wants to get something to eat.”
“The Emerald Maid has decent food,” Pierce said. “You should be able to find something there.”
Ambush!
Lilabeth quickly stepped up to walk on Pierce’s right, while Captain Montrose walked on his left with Zarec trailing along behind. After some distance Pierce directed the group to a narrow street that was a short-cut to the Emerald Maid. Lilabeth stuck with Pierce; without saying a word the other captain dropped back several feet to where Zarec was and walked with him. The group moved a little slower in the dim light, then suddenly a cat yowled in the dark.
As if that had been a signal, half a dozen dark-clad figures jumped out from the shadows and attacked their small group. In the initial confusion Lilabeth was scratched a couple times. She didn’t think Pierce had been wounded, but wasn’t sure. When she could make out what was happening, Lilabeth saw she and Pierce were each faced by two of the dark figures; she figured Zarec and Captain Montrose could handle one apiece. Then she heard Captain Montrose call out.
“I got one of them!”
“That was me, you idiot!” Zarec shouted.
Figuring the wizard could take care of himself, Lilabeth dodged as the figures in front of her attacked again, and drew her great sword. She concentrated on her swing and managed to cut both people in front of her, narrowly missing the one on the near side of Pierce. Then she reversed her swing and came back through the group again, badly wounding one of Pierce’s assailants and killing both of her own attackers. She barely heard the conversation going on behind her.
“So sorry; I didn’t mean to hit you,” Captain Montrose said.
“I find that hard to believe!” Zarec exclaimed.
“Maybe you’re right,” the woman replied, and suddenly Zarec grunted in pain again.
A Quick Fight
A strange male voice cried out, “Somethin’s bitin’ my leg!” Lilabeth realized that Prattle, the dwarf caiman that was the wizard’s familiar, must have gotten into the fight. Then she finally took the time to activate her folding armor, and swung again at the attacker she had injured before, killing him.
Lilabeth heard Zarec’s voice casting a spell, and confusion from his attackers when he went invisible. She stepped forward to try to flank Pierce’s remaining attacker, who seemed to be still uninjured. Then she heard Zarec shout.
“She’s getting away!”
Captain Montrose was back at the mouth of the alley, about to round the corner into the main street, and Lilabeth couldn’t think of any way to stop her. Pierce, however, whirled suddenly, pulled a dagger seemingly from out of nowhere, and threw it at her back. It hit near the woman’s left shoulder blade and she stumbled, but kept going and was out of sight.
Lilabeth put her great sword to the throat of the woman still fighting Pierce and demanded, “Surrender!” The woman immediately dropped her sword.
One of Zarec’s opponents was down, victim of some sort of magical bite delivered by the caiman. Out of nowhere came the wizard’s voice. “Surrender!” The remaining thug dropped his sword as well.
Questioning revealed that the thug was named Bort Schlock. He was a sailor on the Sea Cat, was here because his captain had ordered it, and had no idea what was really going on. The woman was a bit more informative. She was Timiny Graves, First Mate of the Sea Cat – or “former First Mate,” as she referred to herself, certain she would be demoted at best for having allowed herself to be captured.
Graves knew Captain Montrose had been looking for a particular map and had determined the captain who held it was in Port Peril. She planned to gamble with him and win the map from him. When Montrose found someone else had already won the map, she sent a message to her crew to set up an ambush. They had expected to fight only the map’s new owner, though, not a wizard and a powerful warrior along with him. Unfortunately, Graves had no idea what her captain wanted with the map.
Aftermath
Lilabeth left the disposition of the two sailors up to Pierce, and he decided to just let them go; his quarrel was not with them anyway. Zarec thought it might be possible to make them into spies of a sort, sending them instructions in magical dreams, though he needed to work out a lot of details for the idea.
Pierce had Lilabeth stand watch while he methodically removed anything of value from the sailors they had killed and then pulled the bodies to the sides of the narrow street. Zarec remained invisible, staying that way even for the walk back to Pierce’s ship, the Salty Flagon. He had been injured more badly than the others realized, so Pierce offered to have his ship’s healer see what he could do for the wizard.
When they reached the dock, the group found the Sea Cat gone and the two sailors standing forlornly looking at the spot where it had been. Their captain had abandoned them and they had lost not only their livelihoods but all their possessions except what they carried with them. Thinking quickly, Zarec offered them work on the Osprey. He figured that would keep them away from both the Sea Cat and the Salty Flagon for a few months while at least giving them regular rations. He told the pair to meet him outside a certain magic shop in the city in the morning if they wanted to accept his offer.
Aboard the Salty Flagon, Zarec was fed and given some healing, then he left to get some rest. Lilabeth spent an enjoyable night with Pierce, but did a lot of thinking in the wee hours. The danger she had dreamt for Pierce was not over just because Captain Montrose had left port. Lilabeth had come to believe her dream was sent by Besmara, who Pierce acknowledged in an off-handed fashion. (When she made a sacrifice to Besmara on the way to the Free Captains’ Regatta, Pierce had made one also, joking he usually did so only in the middle of a storm.)
Lilabeth reluctantly came to the conclusion that she needed to stay with Pierce, rather than returning to the Osprey. That crew had a number of powerful people; the group could get along without her sword for a while. Pierce, on the other hand, discounted any further danger to himself from Captain Montrose. He needed Lilabeth to watch his back! She would write a note for Zarec to take back to Captain Yoshi; the captain would understand.
After he heard of the attack, Rory berated himself for letting his guard down, but Pierce had a habit of slipping his guard group.
He might have to shadow the Captain himself for the rest of the time in Port Peril, he thought to himself.
"Not called Port Peril for nothing" Rory said outloud.
He went to sleep with a plan in mind.
The following day he set the watch and assignments and left the ship to get information.
He reflected on his obscure morning rituals. He left with a different focus than he normally used on shipboard.
He started talking to his normal contacts and then broadened out from there.
What he found was troubling, there had not been even a whisper out there of trouble to come for Pierce and the Salty Flagon.
The attack was as random as it seemed.
Rory gave the appropriate amounts for advanced warning of any whispers of future attacks both from the Sea Cat and any other opportunistic individual.
He then went back to port to reboard the ship.
Lilabeth wakes in the wee hours of the morning. Pierce is sleeping soundly beside her, his breathing coming easy. The events of the previous evening play over in her mind. She just cannot shake the feeling that the danger is not passed. And while the danger is still present she cannot leave. She is not sure if the danger she is sensing is coming from Captain Montrose only or if there are other dangers out there as well.
As she mulls over things, a plan starts to form. The Osprey is working on taming the island they have won. They should be able to get along without her for a bit so she can stay with Pierce to keep an eye on things. She knows he will discount her feelings regarding the danger he is in, but she will just have to convince him that she should stay for a while.
She gets out of bed quietly and puts on Pierce's robe. Enough light from the moon is coming in so she doesn't have to light the lamp. She takes a piece of paper out of Pierce's desk and pens a brief note to Captain Yoshi telling him some of the danger that Pierce is in and how she feels she is needed on the Salty Flagon for a time. She hopes her stay will be a brief one and that she will soon return to the Osprey. She folds the note and places it in the breast pocket of her frock coat which is hanging on the back of the desk chair.
Feeling more at ease, she returns to bed to sleep for a little longer before heading out to find Zarec before he leaves.
A few hours later, Lilabeth awakens again when Pierce starts to stir. She stretches her arms over her head and starts to laugh when Pierce pounces on her to give her a good morning kiss.
"Good morning to you, too," Lilabeth said with a laugh.
Pierce bounces from the bed and starts to pull on clothing. Lilabeth moves a bit more sedately to her clothing and also begins to dress.
"I'm going to go into town for a bit. I have some things to do and I need to talk to Zarec. What are your plans for the day?" Lilabeth asks as she shrugs into her frock coat.
"Well, I should be back by lunch time or shortly thereafter," Lilabeth said. "I will know by then what my plans will be."
Lilabeth buckled on her greatsword. She then grabbed her hat off of the desk, turned and blew a kiss to Pierce, and made her way to grab a bite of breakfast before heading into port.
Lilabeth walked up to the deck and down the gang plank. She planned to head to the magic shop that Zarec frequented to tell him that she would not be going back with him at this time and to give him the note for Captain Yoshi. She needed to find out if the sending spell they had decided to use so she could keep in contact with Pierce would also work to keep her in contact with The Osprey while she was gone. She might still be of some use to them while she was off ship if she could keep in contact with them.
Lilabeth whistled a little as she walked the streets of Port Peril. She still had to figure out just what to say to Pierce to get him to agree to let her stay, but she figured it would come to her.
She rounded the corner and the magic shop came into view.
Eldon has had a busy morning. He studied his spells early then went by the captain's cabin to get a look at that map the captain had told him he had procured last night. Instead he found the captain busy with his current arm candy. The captain told him to come back a bit later.
Argh, since there seemed to be nothing important to do he decided to look over the ship and make some suggestions to the ships quartermaster about some key new acquisitions to make on board life a bit better when they are on the high seas.
Eldon reads the script "After the ship went down, Roronet was picked up by a fishing boat near Tempest Cay, dying from many wounds. When asked what had become of the treasure his ship carried, he only sighed and said the creatures of the sea had swallowed it. Few know that his mother was an undine; that statement may have more truth than anyone believes and he may have been hoping to return for it."
"The Undine are a race of Aquatic people, so there is another meaning this script might have. That he had given the treasure to his mother's relatives, so I suppose that is what the writer is talking about," Eldon speculates.
"The southwest of Tempest Cay around Drowning Rock is pretty calm, there may be few Undines around there. It would be easy enough to go and find out. I know there is a thriving fishing industry there."
Gray Fergie arrives after Eldon finds him.
Your orders Captain?
Captain we've been ready to sail since I found out you were attacked. I will lay in supplies and learn a few new spells to assist as well.
Grey Fergie heads of to the quartermaster.
Mistress Lilabeth, the captain’s current woman, returns to the Salty Flagon shortly before lunch. She confidently walks up the gang plank and heads below deck. The crew hears the door to the captain’s cabin close.
After a bit there is a loud thump, as if a fist had hit something wooden. The woman’s voice can be heard saying, "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"
Suddenly two raised voices come from the captain's quarters.
"I told Fergie I'm not a child that needs a nanny!" the captain yells.
"No, you're not!" shouts the woman, followed by something unintelligible. Then, "You fell for Kitty far too easily!"
"Is that it? You're jealous?" the captain bellows.
"No! I just want to help! Quit being an idiot!"
The voices die down and there is an appalled hush on the deck at the woman’s temerity. Suddenly everyone realizes they are staring toward the captain’s cabin, and all get busily back to work. Several minutes later Captain Jerrell strides quickly onto the deck, a dark glower on his face, followed by Mistress Lilabeth looking unconcerned. One or two people breathe audible sighs of relief at the woman’s unremarkable appearance.
“Signal all hands on deck!” the captain barks, and climbs up to stand near the ship’s wheel. Sailors run to take their places, though a few are missing.
“Mr. Ferguson, see that hands not present now are informed of the changes in ship’s status when they come on board.” He barely waits for his first mate’s nod before continuing in a sharp voice.
“Most of you are familiar with the woman next to me. This is Lilabeth Danwin. She has been on board previously in a social capacity, but now she is joining the crew. I am assigning her as the Commander of Marines. She will rank as an officer and be treated with the appropriate respect. If you have any questions you may address them to Mr. Ferguson. Or ask her; she seems to have all the answers.”
With that Captain Jerrell vaults the railing and disappears into his own quarters, slamming the door after himself hard enough to send quivers through the deck of the ship.
Fergie looks around makes eye contact with everyone he knows that might start trouble. As he does his hand drops to the hilt of his sword "You heard the Capt. Any one have any objections?
Sure there will be no murmurs or discontent he takes his hand off his hilt
"Good. Now back to work, this tub won't sail itself"
He smiles and it is obvious some of the tension has gone out of the crew.
"Commander of the Marines front and center"
When Lilabeth comes forward, Fergie says loudly so everyone can hear
"Commander you will conduct training exercises every day, I want this crew ship shape for combat. Dismissed!
As he turns he says in a whisper "I know you are the best in combat on this ship, I can see it in how you carry yourself, they need to know it too"
Lilabeth starts towards the first mate. She had gotten what she wanted even if it had not gone off as she had planned. Oh well, as long as Pierce was safe she didn't care.
When Mister Ferguson calls her forward, Lilabeth picks up her pace a bit.
Commander you will conduct training exercises every day, I want this crew ship shape for combat. Dismissed!
"It shall be done." she replied.
Lilabeth barely catches his whispered comment as her mind has something else in the forefront.
"Yes, I am." Lilabeth whispers back.
"By the way, I will need some place to bunk. I'm not sure how long he will be mad at me," Lilabeth calls to Mister Ferguson as he turns away.
"You can bunk in the old Commander of the Marines Bunk. He doesn't need it anymore, it's a bit Spartan but should do. Between the two us we should be able to keep the capt safe, despite his best efforts"
He turns and gives her a quick grin, then starts to go about his duties.
There hasn't been a Commander of Marines since an unfortunate incident with some Rahadoumi ships about a year and a half ago. In that time a number of miscellaneous things have accumulated in the area of the bunk, but when the quartermaster gets the word he straightens things up right quick, even giving a swipe to the dust and cobwebs.
He also pulls a bedroll out of stores and assures Lilabeth it's the best one he has. It seems clean and is only a little musty. Then he produces one more thing.
"This was left here by... uh... a previous passenger. I thought it might make you more comfortable. Welcome aboard." He diffidently presents Lilabeth with a small pillow covered in faded blue silk, then leaves quickly.
Lilabeth looks at the pillow in her hands with a bemused smile on her face. Obviously she had some work to do to convince the crew she was more than Pierce's current love interest. That shouldn't be too hard to do once she started training the crew.
She placed the pillow on the bunk and then sat down on the bunk, a little lost as to what to do. This was a new ship, with a new routine that she would have to get used to. She suddenly missed the crew of the Osprey and wondered how they were doing. With a sigh, she got up and headed up on deck to see what needed to be done.
Rory busies himself with making the evening tide. After issuing the orders he goes to quartermaster to put in the special supplies.
Rory arrives to the quartermaster.
We need to lay in supplies for underwater exploration. I will need water breathing potions, flotation devices, air bladders for 12 people. We need to leave immediately so this needs to be sharpish
Eldon comes in while Rory is chatting with the quartermaster.
"Rory I've got a waterbreathing potion and can make a few more on the way to Drenchport. They only take me a day of work for each and we will have the time on the way. Problem is that I will need about 700 gold peices for the supplies I will need for two potions. If we've got the money I can make it happen. I just need to get into the magic shop as quickly as possible so we can get underway this evening."
"I do have a waterbreathing spell and it can be split up amoung as many as six people. It would give six people an hour apiece underwater. Or three people two hours apiece. You see how that works. I like to have an extra waterbreathing potion with me how ever in case one of us get hit by a dispell magic spell. losing your water breathing when your a hundred to two hundred feet from the surface can make for a bad afternoon."
"I think the Captain will spring for it. Since it is for the mission."
He looks to the Quartermaster and holds out his hand. "Cross my palm with gold and I will be on my way."
After the quartermaster checks the ship's funds, Eldon receives his 700 gold and goes on his way. The quartermaster assures Gray Fergie that there's a place which can supply the bladders and a bellows to use to inflate them, and if that house doesn't have something to use for flotation, they'll know who will. It should take only a couple hours to have them all on board.
"I could do it faster, but that would attract some attention and I daresay the Captain would rather not do that. It won't be a secret that we're laying in supplies for exploring underwater, but if no one cares enough to ask what we've been up to, that won't really matter. I'll pick up some other supplies while I'm out as well, so a couple big sacks of bladders won't be quite so conspicuous."
Make sure the other items you get are so standard as to be boring
Lilabeth stepped out into the sunshine and looked around. Everyone else was busy with preparations for departure. She was not sure how she fit in yet.
She moved over to an empty spot on the rail and looked out over the water. She was much more at home on the water than on land. She was glad she would be sailing with Pierce and the crew for more than one reason. Land really was not the place for her. She felt a peace settle over her regarding her decision to follow Pierce. A smile played over her face and excitement stirred within her. A new adventure was about to start!
As Gray Fergie had promised, the ship sailed on the evening tide. Once they were safely out of the harbor and the traffic around Port Peril, Captain Pierce joined Lilabeth at the rail near the forward ballistae, where she had stationed herself for the launch. They had a good view of the ocean ahead, but the great sails obscured most of what was going on in the rigging as well as barely giving a glimpse of the stern, where one of the sailors now had the wheel. Eldon stood near the man, evidently giving instructions concerning the navigation.
Pierce stood beside Lilabeth silently for several minutes, watching the orange of the sunset darken to red. Finally he spoke. "I need to have a meeting of all the officers, to be sure everyone knows what is going on. It will be in my cabin in five minutes. I'll look forward to your input."
He strode toward the stern, calling for his first officer. "MIS-ter Ferguson! ALL officers in my cabin in FIVE minutes, please."
Gray Fergie took up the call immediately as Captain Jerrell headed to his cabin, though Lilabeth noted his echo gave the time as only four minutes.
Grey Fergie speaks up Was the attack on you related to our new venture?
"So, we are going after a possible sunken treasure. Possibly guarded by Undines? What is the venture after that one then, if you don't think Kitty's attack has anything to do with this venture?"
"Since it sounds like we are going to be underwater, do we have the means to breathe underwater? Also, in my experience, combat underwater requires a piercing style of weapon. I will need a rapier or something similar."
Lilabeth looks at the parchment that is going around to see if she can discern anything else, but doesn't see anything more than what Pierce is telling them. She hands the parchment to whoever wants it next.
Fergie speaks up We are in the process of making them, there were none available in the port
He accepts the document and looks it over trying to locate any new information not yet gleaned.
Eldon looks over at the lady, "I've got the materials to make a few more potions of the stuff. and I have a spell that works nicely. Yep, you'd better find a pig sticker. The bad part is that fire magic is pretty useless underwater. I suppose I'll have to find some more useful magic between here and Tempest Cay." He smiles as if he is hiding something. "Now we just need a few days of calm sailing so I can manufacture some descent potions."
Captain, I'm going to lay in a course that shouldn't add much extra time to get there but should increase our chances of eluding any ships trying to follow us. I have a bad feeling about that attack and have a hunch it will not be as easy as we think.
Also, remember when I had those 3 sections of the ship strengthened, it's because I have a few feather tokens of catapults that we can add in an emergency to our armaments. I've already informed the Master Gunner.
Lastly, If the Blue Buzzards Captain was part Undine, it may well have been more of a scuttling to get rid of crew and shares in the loot, as the Captain probably breathes underwater.
We need to be onguard for any contingency
Fergie sits down, having spoke more than in any two meetings before.
Rory scrutinizes the map
Eldon have you cast detect magic on it yet?
Ok Capn with your OK we will be about our business then.
Master Gunner make sure those 3 surprise catapults and their crews are ready when we need them
Fergie hands the master gunner the 3 catapult tokens
Master of the Marines make sure you drill our troops for an underwater boarding action.
Doctor make sure you are prepared for as many contingencies as possible including any and all venoms from the sea.
I will tell you all I know about Undines and this tribe of Undines in particular
(Sorry couldn't figure the online roller rolled a natural 20 for Knowledge Planes so with a point of inspiration and my bonuses it comes out to a 39; for Knowledge Local I rolled a 10 so with one point of inspiration and my other bonuses its a 30. Note any further rolls of these knowledge rolls 'today' I cant use my inspiration with, its a one and done for the day ability)
Doctor can you please use create water to get potable drinking water, and use any spells you have that can extend our provisions.
I will produce goodberries and water as well as I can.
We need to make sure that if it comes to a fight we are well provisioned, trained, and well armed.
I for one hope the rumors of the fabled treasure books of Rosaknar the sage turn out to be true. I could use some more spell books and lore books
Fergie lets a rare smile come over his face.
"I want progress reports on everything."