"Aw, Hells. Shame. Your lot drank plenty and didn't smash things up. I guess they were here. Looked to be Just about near the whole ship though I dont recall you. No one's been back. Wouldn't be the first time sailors jumped ship. Not much here in the way of replacements though 'less the Baron sells you some slaves."
Having stumped in a bit after the others Dibbets lets Jimmer and Kauly run the querying... instead narrowing his eyes and sizing up the barman.
Dingus raises his eyes at the mention of slaves. "Slaves? Is this a trading port then? Is that where he gets his slaves to sell"?
Jim nods in agreement at Dingus' question, and watches the barman for an answer.
"Of course we're a trading post. Didn't you see the warehouses out there? The Baron is always interested in exotic goods to decorate his mansion or sell for profit where he can. And it takes a whole lot of slaves to keep the plantations going." From what Dibbets and Jim can tell, the man's been pretty straightforward and matter of fact so far.
Mulling things for a few moments Dibbs asks "Baron take visitors like?"
Mulling things for a few moments Dibbs asks "Baron take visitors like?"
"Sure. Loves 'em. He'll talk your ear off and pull your leg gladly."
Nodding brusquely Dibbs flicks a few gold at the barman "Roight... two bottles o' yer best worst... one fer tha Baron an' one frae tha walk"
Kaul grins at the prospect of a Baron mixing with hoi-polloi such as this crew.
Seeing no other evidence of authority in the village, the boys leave the bar with their bottles and quickly pass through the rather small and dour settlement by a dirt road which ends at a three-story white painted Grand House. Acres of pineapples and sugar cane surround it and three dilapidated dormitories house the squads of slaves laboring under the watchful eyes of several burly overseers. One overseer turns to glare at you as you approach the house, but doesn't interfere.
When you reach the grand door and rattle the brass knocker shaped like a pineapple, the door opens immediately and a tall, thin man of middling age and impeccable dress inspects you over a long thin nose. "Ye-e-e-s?"
A small walk doesn't stop the stunted inebriate from cracking open one of the bottles for a snifter, swig and gulp. He offers it to anyone else who's interested afore they find themselves moving onto the compound, and he turns his eyes and ears towards the situation before them.
Casting a weather eye over the slaves and overseers...
...the thin man gets a bottle waggled towards him from well below his eyeline as Dibbets offers "Mornin, we's here tae see iffin the Baron's takin visitors?"
There are Mwangi among the slaves as well as an equal number of Chelish and even some more exotic Vudran and Tian. The only thing in common is that they are all human. No demihumans are present among the workers that you see. As for their previous vocations, it is hard to say. A few perhaps spent some time at sea,but they all appear hard worn and fearful under the cruel eyes of the mostly Chelish overseers.
The thin man continues languidly, " Concerning....?
"Business an' pleasure both... yer master inna habit o' lettin ye in on everythin 'e discusses like?" raising an eyebrow.
The man's eye twitches a bit and his voice takes a cold edge. "The Quyann family has served important men like the Baron for generations. He has much to attend to and it is my duty as it was that of my father and his father before him to make sure that the Master is not bothered by gawkers or for trifling matters."
Chuckling "E gets a lot o' visitors then? Frae tha wee little village just there?" shaking his head slightly "We're from tha ship beached yonder, sent oot under auspiss o' our Cap'n tae look intae a matter of some delicacy that affects 'er an yer Master both... now I ain't fer disparagin yer duties 'ere... but where I'm frae ye dinnae get intae sh1te like this onna porch." smiling a yellow toothed grin.
Diplomancy:
Kaul nods at Dibbs' assertion adding his own flavour to the pot:
"Hur. Matters o' grave concerns..."
:
The thin man frowns, but makes no move to let you by. Then an elderly voice comes from within. "Quyann, who's there? Just let them in, boy. No need for formality here. You know I have nothing to do but sip lemonade and watch the workers."
Grimacing, the butler finally stands aside and you enter a huge foyer with a grand staircase. An aged man with neatly oiled white hair and dressed in white formal attire that looks a bit dated. He waves you over to a parlor and sends Master Quyann to fetch some lemonade and biscuits.
"Ah, welcome! Welcome! I'm the Baron. Good to meet you. Please have a seat. You're sailors? A new ship in or are you on Captain Lanteri's ship?"
Jim leans a little closer. "A few crew members have jumped ship, it seems, and the Cap'n's wanting to be sure they don't do anything that'd get her in trouble."
The Baron chuckles. "Oh ho! A little unauthorized shore leave? Can't blame them really; careening is some hard work. Not fit for slaves even really."
"I sure liked the cut of Lanteri's jib, eh? She reminds me a bit of Mastrien Slash. Sure, I knew Slash. We were a bit of an item back in the day. Woo-hoo was she a fiery one!"
Jim nods. "You've aged well."
Jim nods. "You've aged well."
The old man cackles again and gives Jim a broad wink. "Ha-Ha! Right you are, son. Sun orchid elixir! I recommend it if you can get a hold of it. It's kept me spry all these years. I'll bet you couldn't tell I'll be 1100 years old next month!"
Knowledge (Nature):
Raising a skeptical eye in challenge Dibbs postures "Eh? Iffin ye're so fulla coin tae take in tha elixir... what the hell ye doin in a backwaters like this?"
Jim nods again. What a loon. "You don't look a day over ninety. So, back to our missing crew, hey? Have any of your people seen them hereabouts?"
" ...what the hell ye doin in a backwaters like this?"
"Funny story that. I had a bit of a falling out with my cousin, Queen Abrogail. She demanded that I wear only black and red. I prefer white. It's a much more dignified color for one of my age. Red and Black indeed! Abby is such a willful child. Anyway, she had me exiled and that is how I came to be here," the Baron says, implying that he's a member of the royal house of Cheliax now.
"As for your companions," he continues. "I cannot say." The Baron sips his lemonade. "Perhaps the overseers know something. Mater Quyann, go fetch Mugg and Clayne."
"It's really not such a bad place," the Baron continues while you wait. "I'd stay on the coast though. Nasty swamps and such just beyond our lands. We do get a fair bit of trade though and the local captains do bring in some amazing stuff. I've got a RUBY bigger than my head! It once served as the eye of a cyclops idol here abouts."
The butler appears with two brutish looking men with muddy boots who doff their battered hats as they stand enter and stand before the lord.
"Here Mugg and Clayne, these gentlemen have lost a few of their shipmates. Have you seen any sailors creeping about?"
Mugg speaks for the pair. "No, sir. We ain't seen nothing. But er, had a couple slaves run off last night. Been looking for them all morning, but didn't see nothing of them or no sailors."
Kaul listens to the chattering with interest, mulling each wee tale;
:
Hur. Wonder if the auld bugger is immortal?
At the news that some of the slaves are missing too, the thug taps hook to forelock, attempting to draw out his thoughts:
"Hur. Maybees yer missin' slaves an' our missin' shipmates are missin' together... Or am I missin' summit?"
Kaul grins at his powers of deduction.
With a gesture of his head "Nuggets got it pretty fair... ye know iffin tha slaves headed swampward or beachward?" though he also ponders just how senile the old bastard is...
His inward thoughts are a mite less kind... Feckers half a keel short of a sailin ship... still... summat ain't right like... best keep what wits we gots ample and amped.
Dingus keeps standing around taking in the action... or lack there of.
"Are these disappearances recent, or have they been going on for a while? If recent, has anything changed in the area"?
"Nothing new about slaves or sailors running off. I jumped ship myself once. Unfortunately, I got caught by a bunch of cannibals and they ate my leg before I managed to escape and get rescued!"
Dibbets detects that the "Baron" is a few oars short of a galley, but slaves seems to fill the sails of sanity for a moment. "They'd head into the swamp. Most likely to be eaten by crocs, but there are a few poachers that manage to hang on out there."
He turns angrily to the overseers. "Why are you here?! You've got some runaways to go find!"
"Need a hand, gents? At the very least, it'd help us to search with some people who know this place as well as you do."
"Yeah... On it, Boss." Mugg murmurs before retreating with his companion under the withering eye of the Baron.
Kaul leers as its clear the baron is a total loon, and once the overseers have left sidles up to the grey peacock;
"So Baron Sir. Ye said ye had a ruby the size o' a noggin? Could we have a looksee? Ain't never seen a shiny that big afore! Pretty please?"
The thug shoots his shipmates a sly wink.
Jim follows the overseers, unless they or the Baron object.
"Ye said ye had a ruby the size o' a noggin? Could we have a looksee?"
The Baron looks pained. "Oh, I wish I could show you. It's a beauty. Unfortunately, there's a curse on it. For some reason only I can look at it safely. Anyone else suddenly turns inside out in a bloody mess! I can't be responsible for another death like that!"
"No don't ask again. I couldn't bear it. It's safe and so are you."
Much to the thug's chagrin, it look like the senile old fox has stymied his opportunity make a killing...
"Hur... Aye... would hate fer ye to have blood on yer hands..."
Kaul will follow Jimmer's lead, unless Dingus or the wee man offer a better opportunity for mischief...
Once outside, the overseers make it clear they aren't interested in your help. Mug growls, "We already look all over the swamp, but you're welcome to see for yourself."
"Look... all we needs is a pointer tae where tha latest ones fecked off frae... then we'll deal wi' it eh? Easy on ye, an we still gets what we wants"
Clayne continues to silently watch his partner, but seems obviously relieved at the turn of events. Mugg narrows his eyes suspiciously, but shrugs. "Fair enough. Back past the cane fields is a nasty bit of swamp. Maybe they're hiding there. Be hard enough to find them there though I doubt they're enjoying their time in the Hungermire."
"Hungermire eh? - just what's eatin lads in there then?"
Kaul leers a lantern grin;
"Hungermire... Sounds like our kind'o spot hur-hur-hur..."
"Hungermire eh? - just what's eatin lads in there then?"
"Place is full of crocodiles," Mugg notes.
"Some say the swamp itself will devour you," Clayne adds nervous only to receive a scowl from Mugg.
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Unimpressed "Pfft... crocs are good eatin an make fer decen throwrugs is all" before gesturing on "Roight... lead us on, then we's take over eh?"
Jim gives the surly pair a lazy grin. "Don't you worry about us. Right, mates?"
Mugg shrugs and wordlessly turns to lead you down a wide path between pineapple fields which give way to high sugar cane. Several slaves turn to watch, but look away quickly with a scowl from Mugg. Finally, after walking quite a while through the expansive plantation, you reach the end of the fields. The path narrows as it crosses a wide stretch of cleared marshy ground and enters the jungle.
Mugg indicates the trail with his chin. "Path hits the river and continues about a mile to the Hungermire."
Dibbs looks into the jungle and sighs... not keen on plunging back into the fetid hellhole, yet still willing to do his duty. Looking to the rest of his companions he asks "Roight... ready tae get feckin afters it?"
Kaul grunts a laugh;
"As always matey. Maybe we can bag Dingus some nice croc leather fer 'is robes... Hur..."
The thug will take point, Lopper at the ready...
Dingus stands there in his moldy sack cloth robe, and nods his head at Kauls fine fashion sense. "Yes some fine strips of croc hide would be fetching with a finer more mobile material as the basis. I like your idea... so try not to tear up the hides too bad".
Dingus is not too upset to be back in the jungle / swamp, but still believes they should have taken the ship and left.
"Hiss...sssss...sssss...hissss...sssss"
Richard eagerly squirms away from Dingus, and begins to explore the area, looking for any particularly tasty rats.