"You know, why don't we try to attract his attention at the opera tonight. I mean, if it doesn't work we can always seek an audience tomorrow."
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Still here!
You look down and you realize you might not be in the best outfits for a visit to the opera, particularly if you're going to impress a Chelish admiral (even an exiled Chelish admiral).
There are several shops that would be happy to make you more suitable evening attire should you wish to make a better impression.
"Well, cap'n, we'll need something other than pirate garb if we're to blend in at the opera. But time is of the essence if we're going soon, and a tailor won't have time to make something custom - we'll have to find someone who has clothes that can be modified quickly," says Bahrin. "Still, there must be a few places in this town that can handle such a request. Shall we see if we can find a clothier who can outfit us?"
”Clothes? Fancy clothes? Huh...” Nymph lets out, curious at what they were about to get into.
"Okay, let's find some fancy clothes then." Yuki says with a slight grin.
”Whatdya gonna get?” Nymph asks Yuki.
"Ooh!", exclaims Galean. "Uh. Does that mean we have to have a behaviour as well? Because I never learned how to have a behaviour in fancy places.", the druid asks, paddle on his shoulder.
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You arrive at a tailor shop where an obsequious half-orc with his hair pulled back and plastered to his skull with a fragrant oil shepherds your around to take measurements and find styles.
He's more than happy to outfit you in classic Chelish attire - utterly impractical brocade or velvet strapless gowns with broad skirts seemingly held up by tight corsets for Yuki and Nymph and frock coats and breeches lavished with cloth-of-gold and cloth-of-silver thread for Bahrin, Galean and Ayre but he's happy to be persuaded to flout convention if you so choose.
The whirlwind fitting and dressing ends and you emerge on to the docks as the sun starts to set across the water, bathing Hell Harbor in the red and orange of late evening. The buildings seems to spark in a way that suggests the fires of the Nine Hells as you walk to the Opera House and begin to mount the steps.
Ayre is resplendent in various blues and greens that complement his naturally blue skin, covered about the coat is gold and silver brocade of various trees, and swirl designs. He looks dope, for want of a better word. Ayre does invest in an ornamental sheeth for a dagger at his belt. He will also spring for a designer bag in which he puts some wands and scrolls
Man I make this look good!
You arrive in fairly generic clothing, except of course for Ayre who cuts a swathe through the crowd that favors Chelish red and black, and enter to the sounds of the opera crowd warming up.
In the best operatic tradition as you climb the stairs there's a bar that's doing a brisk trade and knots of schemers seem to congregate around the various railings overlooking the floor below. Many are dressed as you are and you have a chance to catch Endymion before the performance starts.
Bahrin picks out a long red coat with black buckled boots and dark blue leggings that sheathe his well-turned calves. He wears a white ruffled shirt as well and a bold red sash, with a dash of cologne.
He cranes his head about, trying to catch sight of their quarry as the group waits for the line to move.
A number of people are dressed to impress but the crush of the crowd is too great to know just which one is the Admiral's coterie of admirers or if he's already in his box waiting for the opera to start.
If I was a Chelish disgraced admiral, how would I dress for the opera?, ponders Galean as he stares into the crowds. Hopefully more comfortable than this., a though crosses the young druid's mind as he fumbles around with his collar.
Galean, you hear the name of the admiral being spoken by a cluster of hideously opulently dressed courtiers - cloth of gold and silver accents velvet and damask gowns and heavily embroidered frock coats. In the midst is an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair trimmed short and a neat beard wearing a maroon coat with minimal trim.
He carries a jeweled chalice in one hand while the other rests on a weathered brass-handled cutlass.
You believe you've found the admiral.
Distracted by her uncomfortable corset, Yuki fails to notice the Admiral until Galean points him out to her, "Good catch! Let's introduce ourselves."
Leading the others to man with the jeweled chalice, Yuki puts on a polite smile and says, "Admiral Endymion I presume?"
If he indicates yes, she continues, "My name is Yuki Okano, Captain of the Calamitous Intent and these are my officers." After brief introductions, she gets to the point, "Some interesting musical pieces have fallen into our laps, I was hoping we could discuss them with you later after the opera."
After giving it some thought Nymph decides to opt for a dress, particularly something very crimson red if they had it to compliment her hair. Plus the immense amount of fabric splayed around her lower half let her strap her falcata to her leg if the need for it arose.
She was damned if she was gonna wear those foot based death traps with the stiletto on the back though, looking at them she swore you could spear for fish with them.
Trying to regulate her breathing while being "fashionable" she follows in behind the others.
Ayre communicates with Rocky asking him to fly up high and watch for trouble
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The gentleman, indeed Admiral Endymion, turns toward Yuki and looks at her with heavily lidded eyes.
A fool would think of the admiral as debauched and lazy but you can see the cunning animal who fought his way clear of half the Chelish fleet and seized a massive port for his own lurking beneath the flat, indifferent smile he turns to you.
"Ah yes, Captain Okano. I'd heard your ship had docked here in Hell Harbor. I'm pleased to hear you share my interest in music, and even more pleased you've found an interesting piece that you're willing to bring to me. Asmodeus knows that the pieces here are classic - but even a new arrangement of an old story becomes wearisome after the thirtieth performance."
He offers his arm towards you as the various women surrounding him stare daggers at you and Nymph.
"Please join me in my box - this evening's performance should be interesting, the impresario has assured me an evening to never forget."
Some of the men and women smoothly detach themselves from the crowd and start offering attention to Nymph, Bahrin, Ayre and Galean.
Nymph smiles at the women glaring at them, but probably not for the reason they would think.
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Nymph, you realize that the fans and purses carried by the courtesans circling are carefully reinforced and seem to carry more weight than they would normally - you're certain they're concealing weapons. If it were you, the fans themselves would have daggers hidden within and the purses would have heavy weights allowing them to act as flails at the end of the long strings.
The women themselves are made up prettily but they're also far more toned than the typical spoiled shore woman searching for a meal ticket in a successful merchant or sailor.
Nymph waggles her eyebrows at the circling women. I like these type of courtesans!
Ah I losty post about Rocky going invis. Never mind about that since e that's too much retconning
"It would be our pleasure to join you Admiral Endymion, thank you for the offer. I trust you won't mind if all of my officers are in attendance, I don't think a little culture will hurt anyone."
Yuki, Endymion is intrigued by your hints about music - he's always been a sucker for a good opera - but he's surprisingly willing to hear you out. He doesn't seem to be plotting your immediate death - or worse - but he's wary of your approach.
He escorts you through to his box, gilded wood with velvet covered seats and the crew's escorts settle in next to you. The orchestra begins to warm up and Endymion sits down without waiting for you - rank hath its privileges after all.
"Now Captain Okano, or perhaps your officers, I'd love to hear more about this piece of music. Is it a new concerto? Or perhaps a series of sonata? I myself play a rather good cello at sea, although I do have a violinist accompany me occasionally. I have sailors who play well, but they are...hesitant at best when a poorly played note can put me in an ill temper. I am afraid I can do terrible things when roused by a poorly played note."
... why do I know what a cello is?
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"Well, we aren't musicians ourselves, but we do appreciate a good tune. I have the piece of music with me, actually. Perhaps you could look at it and give me your opinion? I hear that it has some problems that a true music lover can easily identify. Don't get me wrong though, it's not a test. We just want to get another expert opinion." She replies, as she pulls the doctored opera from a hidden spot in the cleavage formed from her corset.
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Endymion raises an eyebrow, apparently no stranger to women producing interesting items from their decolletage, as all the courtesans tense like steel springs at the sudden production.
A passable tenor playing Asmodeus steps on stage and begins to open the opera. The song begins to wash across the audience, magical flames rising on stage as he speaks of his plan - to capture the souls of a nation fallen to despair.
"Interesting. This libretto is all wrong - no doubt inscrutable to the uncivilized sailors but too easy to see through for the connoisseur."
He sips from his goblet.
"Well, well. It seems our missing Miss Kellet had good reason to vanish. She was a Chelish spymaster, apparently the holder of this opera was to watch the comings and going from Drenchport."
Endymion is calm but you can see his eyes tighten as he tamps down on his rage.
"So, you seem to have done me a service. The Chelish government has never forgiven me for refusing to be murdered for political convenience. Unfortunately Kellet's house was ransacked earlier and my guard didn't find any good clues. Not that they found Kellet was spying for the Thrunes either so obviously I have to have a word with my sheriff."
"I'm so glad we could be of help, but I'm afraid there is one more thing. We found a logbook with your name in it, perhaps you could clear up what significance it could hold? We found it in Ms. Kellet's residence." Yuki adds after a moment, looking to one of her officers with pockets to produce the ledger.
Bahrin dutifully brings forth the ledger and hands it to his captain.
Ayre nods sagely.
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Endymion accepts the book and glances over it while tapping his foot in time to the orchestra.
"Ah, this new composition is sublime. Do you see the soprano playing Abrogail? She's not fantastic - to truly reach the heights of opera and the high notes you have to cast an elven singer and alas we have none at Hell Harbor yet - but she somehow manages to capture the mood. Abrogail's despair, her hope, her desperate bargain with Asmodeus. Peace for the price of her soul."
He sighs, and takes a sip, then hands the ledger back to you.
"That's what that is. I myself compiled such lists for merchantmen and privateers Cheliax sent into Andoran, Taldan and Osirani waters. The price of those men and women's souls. My name is marked out because I can't be bought. Not for anything less than Egorian burned to the ground with those thrice be damned Thrunes and their hellspawn."
You hear a creaking sound and realize Endymion's grip is crushing the gold chalice he's been drinking from.
"I don't know which of my colleague's sent you. Bonefist, Fairwind, that mad druid, Izanagi. But rest assured I have no place in your little scheme."
Endymion places the cup on the edge of the balcony and snaps his fingers. A footman comes up and after a few whispered words vanishes. The first act comes to a close with a baritone made up like the Prince of Hell triumphantly receives a contract signed by the weeping soprano who rends her garments at the height of an aria that holds most of the audience in the boxes spellbound; those on the floor of the opera house seem much more impressed by what her supposed grief has revealed.
Endymion tsks to himself, obviously displeased by the vulgarity.
The footman returns with a small book as the audience begins to applaud and he flips pages, running his finger through a list until he stops at a distinct point.
"Ah, here we are. In Port Peril there is a Mwangi woman named Zarskia Galembar at the Jasperleaf Apothecary. Although Bonefist doesn't know it she's an Asmodean - I...spoke with a cult member who had a passing intimacy with the woman at one of the tacky little rites his worshipers have when they can't steal a cathedral and coat it in gold leaf and embed rubies everywhere."
"She's also a bit of a poison aficionado if I recall the conversation correctly. Asmodeans are free to worship in the Shackles of course but they're hardly thought well of so they keep to themselves; wearing dark robes in chambers lit by black candles where they sacrifice black chickens - you know the whole 'look at me, I'm eeeeevil' bit that impresses halfwits and scares maiden aunts. I've been having her watched and I'd wager she's a Chelish spy. Rather playing to type I'm afraid but the current regime is dreadfully lacking in imagination outside their torture chambers and orgies."
He snaps the books closed and looks Yuki square in the eye.
"Kill her. Bring me her head and I'll have a necromancer chain her spirit to it and answer all the questions you could want. If she is a Chelish spy then we'll have her secrets. And if she isn't, well, one less Asmodean in the world is a nice step. At least until I sack Westcrown. I'll even give you a nice present."
He waves a hand to you and your audience, such as it is, is at an end unless you wish to ask him anymore questions.
"That sounds fun," Nymph comments unironically.
What kind of present? I like presents.
Endymion turns to Nymph and quirks an eyebrow before turning to Ayre.
"I'm a pirate lord, you'd be surprised what I can supply: men, women, a chest of gold, land, a flaming sword, a relic said to cleanse the greatest evil or a book filled with lore so forbidden that high priests have to cleanse themselves for three days before they can look at it." He smiles at you, clearly amused. "Opera can exaggerate many things but the wealth of a great pirate is rarely one of them."
Looking please, Yuki nods in response, "Zarskia Galembar at the Jasperleaf Apothecary, got it. We'll be in touch, Admiral."
Not terribly interested in finding out what happens next in the opera and eager to return to comfortable clothes, Yuki makes her way out once it's clear her officers don't have any further questions.
Nymph follows in behind Yuki, making sure to blow a kiss to the courtesans on the way out.
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The courtesans steadfastly publicly ignore you as you make your leave although they follow you with very sharp eyes to make sure you don't try anything on your way out.
Your journey towards Port Peril is, ironically, without any peril at all.
You drop anchor in the port and find yourself working through the warrens of the city to the corner of Fiddler's Lane and Anchor Way.
The Jasperleaf Apothecary is a large three-story building among several other shops and businesses and behind the humble storefront lies the faded grandeur of a decaying manor built a century ago.
The walls are made of clay brick two stories up with the last floor made of timber and you see the edges of the roof covered in stone tiles. The windows are all shuttered and nailed shut - a surprisingly uncommon occurrence in Port Peril even with virtually all the homeowners and shopkeeps heavily armed with cutlasses and crossbows.