Sa'sori will lead the gentleman aboard if he is willing showing him the remarkable cleanliness of the ship, making her way toward the doors leading below decks to the private cabins...
"Just how far from Lake Encarthen does Milord require transport?
The man approaches the gangplank with trepidation. Inching forwards like a shepherd approaching a lion's den. As he finally arrives on deck, his legs wobble with the shifting water. The man digs in his pockets removing a pair of gloves and sliding one onto his right hand before steadying himself on the rail. He lifts his hand and is surprised to see the glove still clean.
"Unfortunately I have business is Absalom." The man's voice seems frustrated and distracted as he speaks. He continues to inspect the ship visually before he abruptly speaks again.
"You said there are private cabins. I wish to see the finest available."
Sa'sori's eyes go slightly wide at the thought of such a long journey... only ever having heard of Absalom in tales!
"Yes, of course Milord this way...", in turn Sa'sori shows him the guest suites... starting with the best one first... pondering the time an cost of such a long journey .. not sure how much such a voyage would cost!
The man inspects the room for its cleanliness. Pressing his gloved hand against the bed testing it's softness. As he is exploring his head is turning this way and that, glancing about the room.
The man is clearly distracted by something on his mind. You also get a peculiar feeling about him.
while he is hiding it well. The man has glanced more than once at the door, seemingly inspecting the locks on it.
Sa'sori watches the man's examination.. giving him a respectful distance as she remains near the door way but reading his expressions ..especially to what he looks at when he thinks she not looking.
Sa'sori gets the feeling ...something is ..'off' about the man. She tries to place his face his clothing style.. all silks but no jewelry.. might be practical ..but no actual sign of wealth other than the silks he's wearing. Can she place his nationality or homeland based on the styling of his clothing. Is he actually human... or is he subtly trying to hide his race...?
As far as you can tell, he seems to be human. His ethnicity appearing to be a Lastwall native. His clothes are the latest fashion in Lastwall. Very similar to a very high end boutique you saw on your shopping trip yesterday.
Clearing his throat the man asks, "I must confess, I am not well versed in the knowledge of fares for sea travel. I do know the cost of privacy and confidentiality. 1,000 gold for every hundred miles is sufficient is it not?"
Sa'sori ponders briefly... considering his offer comes to about 10 gold a mile~ but she had thought she had heard it was usual for the cost to be 1 silver a mile? Quickly wondering if this was some sort of subtle trap?
Sa'sori was not a greedy person, and though the man might be rich enough to afford such a price.. was is fair to charge such an exorbitant over-pricing? Clearly the man was no seaman or that familiar with ships. If he reported to Nobles of his acquaintance how much he paid for a sea journey.. that might look bad upon the Captain if word got around of her being a price gouger! And Yet, there were many hazards for such a long journey through..certainly contested waters...
Sa'sori then speaks candidly, "First I must ask Milord, will you be bringing an entourage, or any additional cargo, are there any specific national, political or personal organizations or persons~ the details of which are not our concern, of course; you would specifically wish us to avoid all contact with during our journey and what is their identity?"
Clearing his throat he returns his attention to you. "Yes, of course. I will be bringing no other passengers except myself. My cargo will be brought to the dock by another party that has already been commissioned. I would request that your crew, if I choose this vessel, bring it on board. There will be no more cargo than what will fit in this room."
"I would prefer we make as few stops as possible and remain as far from populated shorelines as safely possible without adding time to our trip."
Sa'sori nods, "Then yes, that amount is More than sufficient... but not a fair price to you, Milord. 550 gold per 100 miles will be adequate, half up front for travel expenses, provisions and hazard pay~ the remainder to be paid upon your safe arrival at your destination. Is this acceptable?"
The man smiles brightly at you. "Well well, I began to think there were no honest Captain's left in Lastwall. You're the first to not let your greed consume you."
"Your price and terms are agreeable. I will warn this. I can do little to aid in the defense of this ship. Should my departure remain secret, as I believe it has, this should not be an issue. If certain parties discover my departure they will send agents to sabotage our passage."
"If the potential of danger is acceptable. Then I will happily pay your coins when I board. I will be prepared to leave in two days time. If you need to discuss with your captain, I will return tomorrow morning just after daybreak for your answer."
Sa'sori, slightly and bows again courteously, "You flatter me Milord, I only try to deal fairly with all who I am professionally contracted in business with... honor demands so. There will be no need for you to assist in defense of the ship, Milord~", to which she gently pats the scabbard of the cutlass at her side, "...we are well set to handle any.. danger, though my Captain 'may' wish to know more on the identity of 'certain parties' so she may adjust our route and traveling orders; the details of which I need not know. Captain would likely wish to reserve the right to discuss such 'complications' with you. Other wise you have a deal... and the is at your disposal Milord!"
With that Sa'sori reaches into her belt pouch and removing a leather glove dons it and offers her hand to seal the deal...
The man gives a simple bow, trying to subtly ignore your outstretched hand. "I will speak to your captain in private if she wishes when I return with payment tomorrow then."
Sa'sori, without issue turns the offered hand to a sweeping gesture to show him off the ship.
"Then I shall inform the Captain of our 'verbal agreement' for her approval..."
And she leads him off the ship... never asking his name.. discretion being what he's paying for, what she does not know.. she cannot reveal. As she watches him leave before he is too far away she casts and scans him...
After she sees the man off the ship... Sa'sori will find Captain Caromac to inform her of the potential charter... giving as many details and she can remember of the man.
As you attempt to activate your magic, you're jolted by the raw primal energy of a counter-spell. The source of which eludes you, as you neither heard nor saw any indication of a spell-caster.
Your search for Captain Cormack leads you to her quarters. As you knock on the door, the Captain will call out, "Who is it?"
The Counterspelling puts Sa'sori on immediate high alert! She looks around and listens to the creek of the ship's deck to try to hear if there were someone invisible on the deck moving away.. drawing her elven curve blade ready to fight immediately...
She looks after the leaving man... scowling darkly... watching to see if he had any reaction in the slightest to her cast spell...
Move Action: Draw Elven Curve Blade
'Red Wing' takes to the air also seeking the source of the counterspelling...
Sa'sori immediately re-casts her detect magic spell again... panning her vision around if possible scanning the retreating man again... seeking the source whoever counterspelled her magic!
concentration DC17
But her anger and flash of fear.. boggle the casting.. and the spell does not cast properly...
She frowns looking around... knowing its too late now to try again.. anyone who might have been close or responsible.. could easily have made good on getting out of range of her spell by now.
She mutters, "This is not good... perhaps a little safety-minded curiosity at first would have been best... nothing for it now though..."
She sheaths her Curve Blade with a frown, wondering darkly if the 'man' had been covered with a glamour... which might explain why he choose to avoid all physical contact to conceal whatever his true form may have been...
She pondered,
Uneasily she heads for the Captain's cabin, "..i-Its me . Captain... I have acquired an interested charter..."
It's a few moments before the captain cracks her door open. She glances down the hall, then in one fluid motion pulls you into her room and pushes the door back shut behind you trapping you inside. The Captain barely covered in nothing more than a dressing robe glides confidently across the room sitting on the edge of her bed. Beside her a tall, thin woman with gorgeous golden locks that rivals your own beauty holds the Captain's bed sheet tightly against herself timidly covering herself.
Sa'sori is not actually surprised... there were hints in the Captain's manner, how her eyes always lingered... hungrily on her.
Sa'sori curtsy's politely and smiles warmly, at the beauty in bed, "..milady, please forgive my interruption!"
Then turning to the captain, "Ma'am~ if this is a awkward timing.. I can come back latter...? I know your time in port is... precious!"
Captain Cormack harshly corrects you, "Captain," when you use her first name.
"Go on Sa'sori, tell me about your passenger." The Captain says, in a softer tone.
Sa'sori's eyes widen, in some surprise, but she recovers quickly, her mind moving even faster~
She takes an 'On-the-Clock' at attention stance, eyes forward focused on nothing in the room~ her tone becoming professionally serious, "Yes Captain, Sorry Captain Ma'am!"
"I engaged a man ..on the surface well dressed man on the docks who seemed he might be looking for a ship for transport. Fine clothing ..silks.. but curiously no jewelry. I offered him the use of the for clean, private rooms, for discrete, swift and safe travel. He seemed interested and wanted to look over our accommodations I obliged him escorting him on the ship to look at our passenger suites and see for himself the cleanliness of our . He seemed satisfied and offered an outrageously high amount for use of our services, but I listened to him. I asked if he had an entourage, additional cargo or any national, political or personal - Organizations or persons he would specifically wish for us to avoid all contact with. He indicated none... at first, then informed me he would be of no assistance in the defense of the ship, I told him his efforts were not needed. Then he informed me that if 'certain parties' discovered his plans to leave they might send 'agents' to sabotage our passage. I told him that the Captain will liklely be interested in discussing the nature of these 'certain parties', not for any details but so that we might better serve his needs to avoid them.. he seemed to find that acceptable."
"He offered 10sp per mile for the journey...", at this glances at the woman in bed then continues, "...to a Very far away location. I told him it was an unfair amount and charged him 3 silver/mile for the extreme length and hazard of the journey, plus 1 silver/mile for privacy, and another 1 silver/mile for active and passive discretion on our part to conceal for all his travel arrangements, and a final half silver/mile for cargo he wants loaded by us and placed in his cabin. Perhaps, I over priced him for the cargo... but it was clear he wanted its contents to be kept secret from us and unknowns aboard the ship are ... hazardous and can bring unnecessary complications, so in my opinion, worth some extra pay for our taking such a risk! If he had been unwilling to discuss even with you the identity of those seeking him.. I would have charged him 2 more silver/mile for a 'No Questions Asked' markup!! But he was agreeable to discuss with you in private so the total of 550 gold per 100 miles... half to be paid up front for Ship provisions, and hazard pay... the remainder to be paid in full on the safe arrival at his chosen destination was accepted. He seemed please with the deal .. and told me he was glad there was at least one honest Captain in .. apparently he had already made the same offer to other ship captains and their greed got the better of them. As per his payment for , I did not ask his name, and... I would rather reveal the destination and when he would like to leave to you in private, Ma'am."
At this Sa'sori takes a deep breath and continues, "However, Captain, something is not right. He refused to shake hands on our verbal agreement, at first I thought it was just a noblemen being effete and pompous.. nothing new, but when I showed him to the gang-plank to watch him leave.. I cast to scan him as he left. My spell was ACTIVELY Counterspelled! Meaning some wizard who I did not see realized what I was casting and countered it intentionally to keep me from scanning his person! They would have either had to been very close and likely invisible for me to not have seen them. The other possibility is that the man may have been wearing a magical ring of counterspelling.. which is odd to have it set to counter such a simple detection spell, most people rich enough to employ such magic would likely have it set to counter some dangerous offense area spell.. like a . I mention this because there are many ways to fool a simple spell to detect no magical sources when they are actually present... using a ring of such power counter cantrip detect spell... is like~ using a Great Axe to squash knats! Then it occurred to me something he said, , I began to wonder if there were interested parties seeking him.. any number of people saw him arrive at our ship and come aboard... an easy conjecture would be he was seeking to leave by ship... unless he was not recognized for who he was.. which could mean some form of disguise or glamour changing his appearance and might explain why he was so opposed to touching anyone or for a detection spell to be used upon him for fear the Glamour might be discovered."
"To the point Ma'am.. I do not trust this man! If he has opponents seeking him .. we may soon find them our opponents. I just felt you should know everything ma'am!"
"Will there be anything more, my Captain?"
Even Captain Cormack's eyes grow wide at the sheer amount of coin. Leaning back she lays a soft kiss on her lover before asking, "Where exactly does he wish to go? I have no secrets from this one, so she'll learn it soon enough."
"I understand you don't trust him, but does he seem dangerous himself?"
"If it were up to you, having met the man, would you take this journey?"
Sa'sori grimaces... taking a thoughtful expression... , raising a finger to rub her chin.
"The chartered journey is to , Captain. Is HE dangerous...? Undetermined... he could be an archmage for all I know.. but unlikely. He has secrets for sure... but a good rule of thumb.. if someone is offering more gold than seems likely... then its possibly 'too good to be true'... or they know the danger is Much more than what they're stating. No, he does not 'seem' dangerous.. but I'd keep in mind that could be a sham... and I'd take no unnecessary risks on his behalf! Being mindful that he possibly possesses magic of an unknown quality and power!"
"If it were up to me... the money is a big incentive, but I'd find out from him just exactly who it is he wishes to avoid.. and ask him bluntly what magic he is carrying onboard MY ship before I'd consent to the job! Magic can be dangerous and unknown magical artifacts of extreme power can be perilous to just have in one's presence! If it were up to me, Captain Ma'am!"
"Fair enough, will he be returning to speak with me? If so I'll finalize the details then. For now, why don't you post a trip to Absalom and see if you can wrangle any other passengers."
Sa'sori Answers smartly, "..he'll be coming by tomorrow morning to speak with you to finalize the details. Very well Captain, I do that right now!"
With that Sa'sori will salute and turn to leave...
Captain Cormack pushes the door shut behind you as you return to your post. Nearly every person sees the destination and scoffs at how far it is. The few who are interested get turned away after learning how little cargo they can bring aboard. As the sun drifts out of view and you begin to pack up, you hear heavy footfalls rushing towards you.
The man running towards the ship calls after you, "Wait! Miss! Please wait!"
Sa'sori turns to look the man over... first to see if he is armed or armored. Then she smiles gently, "Yes Sir? Are you seeking passage aboard the ?"
As the man gaps for air, slowly catching his breath, he leans against a well worn walking stick. Wrapped in dirty, mismatched clothes, with a grimy, rain soaked cloak, the fact that he is human is all this man shares with your other prospect. The weight of many years delays the haste in which the man recovers. "I do apologize for keeping you miss. Are you truly travelling to Absalom?"
Sa'sori takes in his appearance butis not turned off by his manor of dress or age, "Yes sir.. that we are. Are you seeking passage upon the ?"
Sa'sori kindly offers the elderly man a hand to take a seat on a near by barrel on the pier...
The man's wheezing leads him into a coughing fit. He doesn't seem ill, just pushing himself too hard. As it starts to pass, the man dabs the sweat from his brow with his cloak and takes a swig from a sagging waterskin.
"Sorry miss. I really must apologize, but it is so hard to find passage away from this lake, especially so far away. I do not have much, but I do have some coin and I can pay my way if the price is fair. Do you know when you'll be leaving or how long until you arrive?"
Sa'sori, replies, "The standard fair for such a long journey is 1 silver/mile... but customarily for such a long journey through hazardous foreign waters the price would raise to 3 silver a mile... for ship provisions and crew hazard pay. We leave in two days. As for how long it would take, it all depends upon weather and other hazards... I'd be guessing if I said with any certainty. The trip is roughly 1,355miles give a mile or two... if we have fair weather and no trouble... say perhaps 28 days? We do have to pass the boarders of .. lands full of thieves and pirates, plus not fall afoul of the Elves of as well as deal with the paranoia of and their bloody Grey Gardeners... and who knows what tariffs or levies the prickly will require to use the Sellen River past their lands! It would be anyone guess as to exactly how long it will take to reach the and Absalom's docks!"
The man cracks a grin at the time. "Good, you must not be making a lot of stops. About a month works for me, and I can pay that rate for that long. Not that we would be passing that way, but I would like to avoid any ships from Tymon. I have my doubts I'll be remembered, but it never hurts to be cautious."
Sa'sori shrugs, "Again, that's 28 days if nothing goes wrong or the Captain doesn't need to put in for repairs or some such.. but is out of our way.. I doubt the Captain would make for that port. I don't know much about other than that Gladiators run the City State... not sure how that works? But the miles would not change regardless, so no matter how long it took.. the price would still be the same. We take half payment upfront for provisions and hazard pay and the remainder is paid in full on arrival at your destination!"
"That is more than reasonable then miss. I will bring my payment with me when I board. You can add the name of Phargas to your manifest." The man gives a bit of a flourish and a bow.
Sa'sori smiles warmly and returns the fancy bow with a deep graceful curtsy of a courtly lady, "Very Well elder ... I, , shall inform the Captain and we will await your boarding."
She returns to heading back to the ship to report a new passenger...
Phargas shutters at the term elder, but allows it to pass.
You find your way back to the Captain's cabin, and find her and her guest dressed and talking with the door open. The Captain waves you in as the other woman's face grows red and she falls quiet.
"How did the day go Sa'sori?" Captain Cormack asks in a friendly tone.
As Phargas leaves Sa'sori will pause long enough to cast her to scan him before he's out of spell range... just a precaution.
Sa'sori comes to attention and reports, "Found another paying passage Captain! A elderly human fellow named . He'll be traveling alone with no cargo... at 3 silver a mile. He'll be arriving tomorrow, Ma'am."
Sa'sori makes no comment or even acknowledges the other woman is present.. being hopefully sufficiently discrete.
How old does the other woman appear to be?
Phargas's cloak detects with a hint of abjuration magic.
"Fair enough, well done today. You're dismissed, once your post is cleaned up. Enjoy your shore leave as I'm certain we won't have much for some time."
Sa'sori smiles, "Thank you ma'am Captain! Will get right on that!"
And with a snappy salute she turns and leaves... long hair swaying behind her with every graceful step...
She does indeed clean her post and goes to find Evlar... to see how his daily chores are coming. She does not want much ... just to walk about town holding hands enjoying his company.. stealing a lingering kiss in a dark corner or two.. enjoying the evening.
Elvar was not given much to do, and has been enjoying his time off. He slept in most of the morning even after you left. He tells you about a small bakery that he was able to get breakfast at and encourages you to try their pastries before you leave town. He explored the town through the rest of the day seeing a few sites and tells you about them. It was a simple, easy day. The moment you arrive back to the room you are renting, his smile lights up brightly and he is happy to just enjoy some time together.
Sa'sori will indeed love to see the sights Evlar has seen and will have him show her to the Bakery... she likes pastries! For the rest of the day, Sa'sori just enjoys being something she has not been for a long time.. a teenager {in-half elves ages}. Enjoying the company of her lover and friend.. she makes up for lost time.. just being a kid.
That evening when they return to their room, Sa'sori is simply content to sleep in his arms, telling him before sleep takes her~ , punctuated with a tender kiss.
Elvar curls content against you. "I love you."
The next day the captain sends you to the same mission. The captain has most of the day crew working on loading supplies on board, most of which are delivered by a familiar golden haired woman. The captain also brings two young men (1 human, 1 halfling) and a young lady (half-elf) on board and begins to show them around. (You get the impression these are new hires the Captain is bringing on board.)
Despite your best efforts your day is fruitless.
Sa'sori drags Evlar during the afternoon when her work is done to the prow of the ship to practice with swordplay out of the crew's way working on her forms. Afterward she has Evlar stand back a safe distance as she practices with her magic... testing the strength of her arcane fire pointed safely away from the ship but getting a good idea of her area effect should she have need of using spells to protect the ship.
Sa'sori will make a request to the Captain that perhaps securing some spell scrolls she could use on behalf of the ship might be prudent since we have paying customers.
She would suggest a single scroll for emergencies of .. to instantly patch a significant hole in the hull should such happen. That scroll would cost 150gp.
She would also suggest 4x scrolls of .. totaling 50gp~ not for the crew's needs but in case such would be needed to instantly douse fires that might have gotten out of control. Though they are indeed clerical magic.. Sa'sori is confident she could cast them in a pinch to save the ship from fire.
Sa'sori would also suggest getting at least 2x vials of .. as we have no healer aboard ship.. and the are rife with poisonous threats. That would cost 100gp.. but if the Captain was willing to spot for material costs.. Sa'sori being a skill alchemical crafter could try to brew up a batch of Anti-toxins for the ship...at only a 3rd of that cost!
She would also offer to mix up a batch of no more than 2x , 2x , 2x , and several doses of ; explaining that the River Kingdoms from what she knows are rife with some nasty river threats.. like trolls.. and blades will not end them.. but a little alchemist fire or some acid might save crewmen lives. Also, since the river kingdoms are almost just as much swamp as river.. some might not just be a convenience but a survival necessity as many insects are disease carriers!
These are OF COURSE.. only suggestions.
Throughout your practice, Elvar is impatient to return to the city, but when you begin to practice your magic his eyes light up in wonder as his excitement to head into the city fades from his mind.
While not being dismissive, the captain will inform you that she has made all the necessary preparations. The captain will also inform you she spoke with your client. She shares your concerns, but the man finally relented and stated he would explain some of the dangers once they were out of port. If we decided we were unwilling to go to Absalom then, he stated there were a few ports he would be willing to be left at.
Sa'sori accepts the Captain's word that necessary preparations have been made... knowing full well the Captain has been doing this MUCH longer than she has! So without complaint or any disappointment she accepts the Captain's decision.. only truly wanting to have helped if it was needed.
Sa'sori will not expend all her magical reserves in practice just enough to flex her arcane muscles as it were, amused at Evlar's fascination.
She will not practice long and will shortly lead him from the ship into the city for another evening of fun.
Sa'sori does pick up in small shop a little wooden holy symbol to CALISTRA to hang about her neck. But in one dock tavern she spots a small bone-carved Holy Symbol to BESMARA... and it catches her fancy.. so she buys that too and hangs is also at her breast.
Elvar, like usual, is fascinated and has a thousand questions to what your magic can and cannot do, his curiosity dangling the dangerous line between cute and annoying. He does eventually drop it, but his jealousy is evident. Elvar drags you out to tavern hop again tonight, as it is your last night in town. Outside one of the taverns you hear a familiar sounding voice coming from inside rising above the rest.
Exploring inside, you see Able and the other two night crewman on a half-lifted stage. The crewman on drums and a fiddle, as Able leads the group in sea-shanties and other songs he has acquired in the Red Lady's travels.
Sa'sori smiles at Evlar, knowing what she tells him will not satisfy his interest in magic... but she does try to be patient and kind in her replies.. for someone else she might be a little annoyed and curt.. but never with Evlar.
Entering the bar with Able and Evlar singing... Sa'sori smiles broadly and gets into the performance as well, climbing onto a table~ as always wearing her entertainer's outfit when tavern hopping in the evenings and begins to sing some of the dirtiest limericks she picked up working for the Temple of CALISTRA.. singing an dancing the erotic and graceful steps she learned to perform for church 'clients' in rhythm with the bawdy sea shanties in counter beat. She switches partners between Evlar and Able in turn.. laughing while she whips her long golden hair around spinning faster and faster... casting her spell to aid in the performance skipping and dancing the multi-colored light spheres about the tavern joyfully...
Elvar takes a bit of prodding to sing, but he eventually caves to peer pressure and joins in. The fun leads well into the night and your honestly surprised at how talented a half-orc is musically. Between a well trained singing voice and even on a flute for a few songs.
Eventually, Elvar will find you again in the crowd, thick with sweat from drinking and dancing, he leads you back into the streets where winters kiss finds you. Elvar pulls you in close knowing you must be cold and you're surrounded in his musk as he guides you back to your room.