"In the captain's quarters, I imagine. I honestly haven't been on the Nixie much."
"If you could distract the crew Elaina. I could swim out and climb up the stern. Is there access to the cabin from the rear of the ship? A window or a balcony? Do you know, Lavinia?"
Arenel smiled at the blueberry scones arrived. Blueberries where her favorite and she gladly dug in as those around her spoke. Those most seemed to have already asked the questions that immediately came to mind she did speak up when planning began.
"You assume she won't get thrown off the ship once she's upon it... if not worse." Arenel pointed out. "I'd suggest we do something that leads the majority of Vark and his people away. Allowing those with, stealth skills, to have less chance of being caught. I have a few ideas for that but... not sure if Vark would take the bait."
"Well I've never been caught before." Arya says confidently. "But what do you have in mind to draw the crew away?"
"We play to Vark's greed." Arenel stated with a shrug. "Vark is obviously trying to not only make coin but a bit of power." Arenel said as she crossed her legs and leaned foreword on the table. "Offering a... profitable arrangement to Vark may be enough pull him and a few of his men away from the ship." She explained.
Chan makes his way to Elaina. "Please excuse my ignorance, Ms. Newberry, but I have not heard of you. What is it you are known for? I am a simple gardener, and a student of psychology. Although I believe I was chosen for this mission more for my martial training."
"What's worse than getting thrown off a ship? Getting thrown off an airship? They don't have an airship...probably. I'll have you know I'm a master of distraction. I distract myself sometimes."Elaina responds to Arenel.
"I am Elaina Newberry. Master dancer and entertainer." She pats Kay's arm. "You should spend more time on cultural things. They're important too, you know."
"If you could distract the crew Elaina. I could swim out and climb up the stern. Is there access to the cabin from the rear of the ship? A window or a balcony? Do you know, Lavinia?"
"From what I remember, there's a small porthole in the captain's quarters, but it's too small for a human-sized person to get through. A halfling or gnome might manage to squeeze through."
"Damn! I think that rules out any of us. We'll have to find another way in. In that case I think our success is going to hinge on your plan to draw the gang off the ship... sorry, I don't think I caught your name?" Arya looks toward Arenel.
"I am Arenel Alresian." Arenel said proudly with a smile. "And just what may I call the rest of you? Aside from Miss Newberry here." She questioned as she looked around the table at her new companions.
What an odd bunch we'll make I'm sure.
Mimi listens to the others ask questions and discuss plans for getting onto the ship and fetching the keys for several minutes, her hand eventually going to one of her pigtails, actually more like a bottle brush or poodle tail, which she curls about her fingers over and over.
When a silence falls lasting long enough for her to break in without the danger of interrupting anyone, she throws out a thought.
"I do like the idea of getting most of the people off the ship. But a monetary proposition seems like it would be difficult to make convincing out of nowhere and in a very short time."
"But, if you're a dancer" she says looking at Elaina, "and you're a prostitute, uh, I mean courtesan" she adds looking at Arenal, "then maybe the two of you could just get them to go with you for some, uh, you know, entertainment."
"They wouldn't have to think so much about what to do, and the story you tell them could be a simpler one."
"At least it seems like it might work to me" she finishes, her voice getting quieter and rapider so she could finish without taking up too much of everyone's time.
Elaina taps a pointer finger repeatedly against her lips. "Hmmm. So we have to hire a gnome..." When Berna says "prostitute" she covers her mouth with her hands and giggles, staring mischievously at Arenal.
"I'm a mercenary." Arenel corrected as she crossed her arms. "On top of that I never mix business and pleasure. Always ends poorly." She stated as she glared at Mimi Pia. "Re-frame from calling me such in the future."
"That said, the base of her idea isn't too bad of one." She said thoughtfully. "I may work long enough to get them away."
Mimi's eyes bug and her mouth drops open. Her face reddens.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I thought, well, since everyone looks to have come in their daily working clothes, and you have that really fancy dress on and you're not a lady..."
She stops and her face reddens even more.
"I mean you're not an aristocrat... Oh, gods you're not are you?"
"And you were talking about the importance of reputation in business.."
"Oh gods I'm so stupid, I'm sorry."
Mimi buries her face in her hands.
"Yes, because a mercenary with a bad reference can lose all other contracts before they are even made." Arenel pointed out. "I also wore a nice dress because I was invited to a dinner part that was hosted by an aristocrat. This was a potential job so looking nice was in my best interest."
"Besides, I doubt I'm pretty enough to be a courtesan." Arenel joked, trying to lighten the mood and make the poor girl feel better.
Arya's mouth drops open at the suggestion that Arenel and Elaina use their bodies to lure the men off the ship. Elaina looked even younger than she was, and although Arya felt Arenel was more attractive than she gave herself credit for, courtesan was not the occupation that sprung to Arya's mind when she first looked the woman up and down.
Remaining silent, Arya watches the fallout from Mimi's comment with an uncomfortable expression. She is relieved when Arenel attempts to lighten the mood.
"I think maybe we could all use a drink?"
"Aye." It was the first time that the dwarf had spoken thus far, as it was the first idea he could fully get behind. This talk of sneaking and prostitution was too far from his level of comfort or expertise.
"Why not just hire ourselves on as crew? Let's us wander at will, explore as we like."
"I don't wanna work on a boat! They smell bad and I'm very vulnerable to being snatched by sea monsters. What could I even pretend to do? I am a delicate waif and I don't know how to coil ropes."
"Uh, but if the ship is impounded at the dock because of the taxes, why would it need a crew?"
"A dwarf for repairs. They see me bearded face and see me as good skilled labor. An' for the rest of ye, I dunno. Hired muscle? Alchemists? Fookin' flower arrangers?! Easier to walk a place yer welcome than to swim aboard, or to convince everyone else to get off."
"Walking on board, all smiles and handshakes, then stabbing our new crew mates in the back? That doesn't sit well with me."
"If word got out that I'd been hired aboard a ship only to steal from those who employed me, even in service of a greater cause, I might never find work again!"
Lavinia listens to the conversation, her mouth making an "O" at Mimi's blunder. She does venture one suggestion. "Perhaps you should reconnoiter the Nixie before finalizing on a plan?"
"They aren't going to hire crew for a marooned ship. Nor will they repair it. After all it isn't their responsibility. But I do agree with our hostess. We should look the ship, and the trouble maker, over before finalizing out plans." She stated as she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.
"A fine proposition, we'll have a better idea of what we're dealing with after we've had a chance to see it with our own eyes."
"Now, about that drink?" Arya looks around hopefully.
Mimi still doesn't understand why the harbor would want to pay to crew a ship it neither owns nor uses, or why they would let the owner, who cannot herself even go aboard, hire a crew. But she keeps quiet, having had more than enough attention for one night.
She only shakes her affirmatively at the idea of taking a look at the boat first.
Kora brings out a glass of brandy for anybody who wants one.
--------------------------
The following day, it takes very little effort to determine that something is amiss. The Blue Nixie is not docked at pier five. In fact, it's actually moored to a float about 100 feet from the pier's end. Casual observation of the ship reveals at least three men on board - two standing watch on the main deck, and another on the quarterdeck.
"What's the plan to look at it? Six people with pencils and paper would be too obvious. Someone who knows about boats should go as a boat inspector."
=======
"Well now it's an unbreachable fortress!" Elaine huffs after asking a dock worker which 'boat' was the one she wanted.
Arya balances on top of a post near the entrance to the docks. Gazing out across the water. "They've impounded her, this complicates matters." Arya says, raising a hand to block out the sun as she squints to examine the Blue Nixie.
"Odd..." She continues, "It isn't standard practice to set such an excessive watch on an impounded vessel, but I count three men, at least. I fear your sentiment may be correct Elaina, they've moored themselves out there to fortify their position."
Arya hops down and turns back to the group. She rests her hand on the pommel of her sword, a simple cup-hilt rapier. Biting her lip she looks at the group. "Any ideas?
Half joking, Valghaz says "I could pray to have a bubble of air surround your head while you swim over there."
[ooc]There is a spell for that he could prepare...[/b]
"I have an extract that would allow me to swim out there almost as well as a dolphin. But unfortunately it's calibrated only to my particular physical qualities, and I'm not particularly sneaky I'm afraid."
"I am NOT!" Elaina emphasizes the word, shaking her head side to side, "Getting in that FILTHY water! It's supposed to be in it's slip. Let's just tell the old dock guy that it's been stolen."
Arya looks to the sparkling sea water then back to Elaina with a puzzled expression. Talk about over reacting.
Suddenly Arya is struck with the idea of emptying a bucket of bilge water over the young dancer. She struggles to contain a small chuckle.
"I'd be willing to swim out there, and I'm sure I could," says Chan helpfully. But then he lowers his eyes and sighs, "but climbing up the side of a slippery boat might be another matter."
Arenel pased slightly as she looked the ship over. "Maybe, we're over thinking it. Arya, from the comment you just made I gather you know a thing to two about ships hmm? Tell me, on ships that are being kept till payment is rendered are those who the ship belongs to still allow to ensure its condition?" She asked as she stopped in front of Arya.
"Actually the water shouldn't be filthy at all. There may be some debris floating in it, but between the inflow of the two rivers, along with the tides every day, the water can never become truly stagnant. If fact the combination of the inflow and lowering of tides would act like a hydraulic pump in some ways, forcing anything that accumulated from the city or ships out to sea. Why, I'll bet it could even be accurately measured by finding the position of the brackish band where the fresh water and sea water mingle, and tracking its movement as the tides change. It would be further out during the low tide, but be forced back in at high tide. Ideally waste would be dumped right at the beginning of the tide change toward low. Or maybe slightly before that to give it time to diffuse for faster movement..."
Mimi moves to the side of the pier and looks carefully at the water for a long time.
Arya quickly shoos the image of a soaking wet, angry Elaina from her mind as Arenel stops in front of her. Clearing her throat she thinks back on her experiences over the past two years.
"Umm....I don't see why not? Honestly, it hasn't come up before, up until now I've only been hired to crew ships that are actually allowed to set sail..."
Mimi bonks herself on the forehead with her fist.
"No, stupid stupid! Seawater is denser than freshwater and the fresh water is entering the bay at the higher altitude. It won't blend perfectly. In fact the freshwater will flow over much the the seawater on its way out. Waste should be dumped either at the tide change or after tides begin to lower, to prevent the waste from having time to disperse into the seawater below."
Arya is momentarily distracted by Mini's outburst.
"...The only problem is that we would have to go through the proper channels. Unfortunately in this case that would mean getting permission to board from Vark, as he's been placed in charge. Lavinia already tried that though. Otherwise we could go to see the harbour master and try to get him to overrule Vark's decision not to let Lavinia on board. But Lavinia said she already tried that too."
"It is city water." Elaina protests. "Cities are filthy, so the water is filthy."
"This city is a hive of scum and villainy!" The bard declares after Arya's explanation. "Why don't we get a little boat and row over there under cover of darkness? Or wait till someone comes from the boat. They have to leave some time to eat or take baths, right?"
Chan frowns as a dark thought--the kind he's been training to purge--enters his mind. "It seems Keltar Islaran is a coward. Perhaps we could intimidate him as Vark did. Lavinia already tried talking to him, but we could be more...persuasive."
"There is that." Arenel pointed out. "I was going to suggest that we just walk up to the boat and inform them that our mistress wished to ensure the boat was still in good condition. But if we could get a note from Keltar to allow us access there would be nothing Vark could do."
Arya nods. "Given present circumstances, I think that persuading Islaran is our best bet. Vark might be a bully but he still needs to respect the authority of the harbourmaster."
Responding to Elaina's comment, Arya walks over to the young woman. "There is beauty here if you allow yourself to see it. Why stay here if you're not going to give it a chance?"
Your group heads to the harbormaster's office in Azure District. When you arrive, you see a harried-looking young man sitting at a desk piled high with papers. He barely glances at you when you enter, instead studying a paper, consulting several other papers, then writing a note on the first. This continues for a minute or two, when he glances up again, sees you still there, and mumbles, "What can I do for you?" He continues working on his papers immediately after asking the question.
Elaina takes a guarded step back from Arya, suspicious as to why she cares about her reasons for being in the city. She regains her composure, telling herself the sailor probably didn't mean anything by it. "Someone stole an entire boat in broad daylight and no one is doing anything about it. That doesn't fill me with confidence about this place. Cities have their uses, like getting lost in a crowd, but being a clean place to live isn't one of them."
===========
Elaina smacks the surface of the mans table, though not hard enough to make a particularly loud noise. "You can get the Blue Nixie back into its slip where it belongs!"
"Whoa now Elaina! We are here to be civil." Arenel said as she held out her hand. "I am sorry sir, Elaina is a passionate person. I am Arenel Alresian, I've been hired to look over the Blue Nixie and ensure that it is in proper order. I wish to get a writ from you to go out and look the ship over."
"The Blue Nixie, hmm? Let me see." The young man thinks for a moment, glancing over the stacks of paper on his desk, then snaps his fingers and pulls a paper, seemingly at random, out of a stack. He reads the paper and says, "Yes, the Blue Nixie. Owner, Lavinia Van Rebvorn, inherited after parents perished. Impounded for defaulting on mooring fees. Amount owed, one thousand gold. Case assigned to Soller Vark. You will need to take the issue up with him." He slips the paper back into the stack and returns to the papers in front of him.
"Is it not the place of the dock master to sign those papers? I was under the impression you ran these docks. Not him." Arenel stated as she crossed her arms, an eyebrow raised.