"Nay, not lookin' for wind n' wave. But if I were I know there's a Cap'n in port I'd want ta crew wit. A man by the name a' Anderas if ya heard o' him. But how 'bout you? If you were ta' seek a new voyage is there any in town you'd work?" She considers the man, trying to decide if his inaction during the fight was wise, or cowardly. May'ap we could use a new face at the Goblin? or may'ap he could be used to get some information for us... dare I trust yon knave?
Nessa moved up beside Cameron as well and said, "The First Sting Shoraffa Pamodae sent us. The disappearances haven't gone unnoticed, especially now that one was found dead. She's put a rather sizable bounty out for all of her abbesses and abbots to find who ever is doing this and wreak holy vengeance on them. I understand your caution and fear, I do the same thing you do for a living, I promise that we won't let this continue, we'll catch whoever is behind it and deal with them one way or another."
"The name's Cameron. I serve the great dreamer and somehow this is all part of her grand tapestry, although at times it's hard to fathom why things have to be so hard. Anyway that only partially answered your question. We are here because The First Sting asked for help, and I am here because my friend," He nods at Nessa, "asked for help."
The prostitutes seem relieved to see Nessa-even if she is strange looking- and knowing that both Calistria and Desna send servants to take interest in their fate seem to remove a weight from their shoulders.
The younger one even starts to shake and cry, putting her arms around Cameron's upper body in a tight embrace while bawling.
The oldest asks Nessa
How can we help? We don't know much...Everyone is afraid. People come and go in our work, and some die. But Lula's death was brutal, or so I heard.
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Anderas? Never heard of him, sorry...Depends what you are seeking. If you want to embrace a life of piratry, there are many ships coming or going to the port, always hungry for new sailors, willing or not. Word on the docks asked for new people for the Wild Drake who should be in Riddleport soon. Heard they could do with a few more men for their crew. If you want to find something more moral, the captains of this kind of ship have no use for my services, usually.
Izkrael, who remained silent until now, now catches his chance to speak: "Perhaps you can start with telling us what you heard about Lula's death".
In the meantime, now that he's sure the women are not to be feared, Izkrael keeps his eyes opened to ensure that no one is listening their conversation with the street-walkers with too much attention.
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Nessa nodded at Izkrael and Cameron as she said, "I'm Nessa and I'll let them ask the questions, I'm not very smart and I don't want to miss anything. Izkrael's question is a good start though. Another is have either of you heard anything of Sergeant Drexell and whether he's been looking into this? If he has or is pass the word that he can be trusted to help."
"Oh I don't know, I hadn't thought of that Nessa," Cameron replies evenly.
He gives the girls some time to answer Izkrael's question before adding any of his own. He's careful to keep his own council as for the truthfulness of whatever they say.
Lula was tough. She was walking the streets since a few years. She was found a few streets from here, headless, three nights ago. No one knows much more on that...The other girls who disappeared were working the docks, just like us. But I don't know their names. They were new faces.
There is a faint smile on the oldest streetwalker lips
As for Drexell, I know his rep, even if I never met him. He's as fair as he can, it seems. Heard he was takin" an interest in Lula's death, and on the other girls's fate.
Izkrael is satisfied with the streetwalker's report and nods as he listens the story attentively.
"That's all you can tell us? Everything, even the apparently most insignificant information, can make the difference."
If the women have nothing to add, Izkrael will try to decipher their expression to ensure they're not hiding anything, and then will say to his companions: "I think they said everything they know about this matter. We shall go and find that Drexell", before greeting the streetwalkers with a "Thank you" accompanied by a small donation consisting of some silver coins. Right after, he will begin walking away from the streetwalkers in search of Drexell.
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"Thank you, if you would, let the others know that we're looking into it as well as Drexell and should they know anything that might help they can leave a message at either the House of the Silken Veil or at the Gold Goblin." She reaches into her money pouch and produces five silver coins as well and gives them to the younger woman clinging to Cameron. "I think we should move along, we have a long evening ahead of us."
The ladies of negotiable affection thank you for the money, and the information.
As far as Izkrael can tell, they were telling the truth, or at least what they feel is the truth.
Having learned all they could from the streetwalkers Nessa wandered with her companions and asked questions, she was looking for both information and the whereabouts of Sergeant Drexell and she was determined to find both.
While Nessa is busy looking for any rumors, Cameron keeps his eyes and ears open for more girls to question and also for the gendarmes.
While Nessa asks around seeking interesting rumors and Cameron is intent on keeping his eyes open for more people to question, Izkrael does his bit trying to focus on his knowledge of Riddleport to gain some useful insight on where to search for Drexell. He also keeps his eyes open for anything that could point him to the person he's currently searching for. The elf walks the city streets with a grim expression hidden behind his cap, his pointed ears always on alert for any danger.
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After half an hour walking in the docks, and interrogating the various prostitutes working tonight, you hear that Drexell was seen near the Blushing Mermaid, a tavern near the docks where sailors drink too much... and perhaps talk too much too.
Nesta considered the information and said, "I think I know our next destination. Shall we?"
"The Blushing Mermaid you say, isn't that the really rowdy one a few streets that way?", Cameron points out a road that would lead in the direction he thinks the tavern is.
The Blushing Mermaid, uhm? I remember being there...Oh, yes, it was three years ago, in that job for Avery Slyeg.
Izkrael waves to his companions with a confident expression: "Follow me. I know where it is that place". A good place where to find information...I wonder if Drexell is there for that reason.
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Alayna walks a way with her little opportunist and picks a tavern she knows is not too unsavory, she buys the gent a drink of cheap ale, His favorite brew, I tell ya true! and then, in the midst of a bawdy rail, she jumps the rail and hits the streets. Time to find more about this Drake. Or at least where I can find Anderas.
Izkrael leads you trough small side streets and shortcuts even the Riddleport natives don't know about, and in only a few minutes you reach the Blushing Mermaid.
The Blushing Mermaid's tavern is of course still open at this hour, and you hear sailor's song
A blonde, whip-carrying girl just get out of the tavern, and puts a tricorn on her head.
Cameron follows Izkrael and as they get closer to the inn, the noise gets louder and louder. "Typical the sailors are having a fight." Cameron remarks to Nessa before adding, "Wait that sounds like Alayna!" He races round the corner to investigate!
Nessa was completely oblivious of what Cameron said as she spotted a gorgeous elven woman and her human boyfriend built like a body builder and couldn't look away as she started daydreaming about joining them for some f7n.
Cameron dashes round a corner, probably hoping that the rest of the group will follow.
Izkrael nods to Alayna before following Cameron. He puts his hand on his bow, ready to react to danger.
Maybe Drexell is punching someone?
---
When he sees the scene in front of him, Ikzrael cannot hold back a grin. Half-orc...That's where that stench was coming from.
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Krucina follows the group hurriedly to the Blusing Mermaid. When Cameron darts around the building's corner, Krucina yells out after him, "Wait, we need to stay together! Jesteś cholernie głupi..."
Unsheithing her short swords, she motions to the others: Let's catch up to him, even divine luck runs out sometimes too.
Seeing the half orc attempt to batter the sailor, Cameron finds his long spear suddenly in his hands as he bellows, "Stop!" The command resonates with more power than by rights it should from a small wiry man, and gives the combatants a moment's pause.
The massive half orc, with gore and blood on his fists and mouth, stops. Even when he doesn't move, his muscles and huge tusks make him a fearsome opponent.
"Oi! Wot's this, we meet and ya' go tearin' off like a mizzen in a hurricane! Well, I be on tha way, ya' cannae fight without your marines ta board!" Alayna follows the others around the corner, getting her scourge and rapier ready.
Oh, by Besmara's Beard! Not that one! Alayna pales, but knows she has to stand with her crew now that the ships are closing the gap...
Izkrael looks at Alayna, and seeing her shaken immediately steps before her to give her some cover. I understand her perfectly...Vile creatures like these shouldn't even exist. The elf tries to smile reassuringly to the girl, but the resulting expression is more like a grin than an actual smile.
Izkrael then extracts his bow and notches an arrow, but still does not aim to anyone.
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Nessa's distraction was broken by Alayna's appearance, her expression became rather hurt, especially when she was ignored. It didn't take long to realize that something was wrong though as she saw the look that came over Alayna and Krucina's faces as they looked down the alley. The sight was fairly gruesome, but she saw worse things in her mild nightmares and wasn't terribly bothered by it. Seeing that they had a chance to do something that might be helpful to the casino Nessa began to chant, the words slow and langorous, the gestures were much the same as the words, hypnotic in a way.
Krucina bounds around the corner trying to stop Cameron from doing something reckless without her as she hears a powerful voice resonate the word "STOP" like she's never heard it spoken before. And then her gaze meets the massive frame of the mountainous, monster of a half-orc.
She shakes off any fear that she might have knowing her friends are close by....that and the fact that the behemoth is not moving a muscle even though it looks as though he really, really wants to...
Smiling wickedly, she sheathes her short swords, draws her shortbow and follows Iz's lead and notches an arrow.
The last sailor succumbs to Nessa sleep-inducing magic...
And for a few seconds, it seems that the half orc will not be affected.
Then he falls too, his back on the wall, his eyes still defiantly open.
With a note of pleasant surprise, he nods at Nessa, "Nicely done! Right lets make sure these sailors are OK before we move them. Wouldn't do for them to wake up next to that mountain of trouble."
Reflexively touching his butterfly broach for luck, he goes to give first aid to the comatose sailors.
"Zilcher's pet know who we be! If 'e wakes it'd ba a mount o' trouble on us." Alayna does not seem thrilled with the hard reality.
Izkrael stands motionless, staring at the scene before him. Why is he helping them?, he thinks while observing Cameron aiding the sailors.
"Alayna's right Cameron, we should dispose of him now while we have the chance, we might not be able to handle him so easily next time." Nessa walked closer to the Half-Orc's unconscious body but kept a bit of distance between them still and said, "It'd be real easy, he wouldn't even feel it." She pouted slightly, "A far easier death than the monster deserves." Nessa sounded very cold and dispassionate as she spoke of murdering the half-orc, because there was no other way to view what she suggested. The serpent in her had never been so obvious before now.
Still, something about this troubled her greatly, Is this what I should really do? I'm trying to change but do I want to change like this? Do I want to become a murderess? And what happens if I get caught? What happens to Sylee? Oh goddess I can't do it. Then she had an idea, a brilliant idea, "Just a second, I have a better idea." She goes to head into the establishment where they hoped to find Drexell and said over her shoulder, "Oh, they'll wake up in a minute so be ready."
She ducked inside the building and looked around for Drexell.
Not seeing him she ducked back out into the alley. "Crap, he's not in there and the spells about to wear off. I thought maybe turning him into the Drexell might be a better option, sadly I didn't see the man in there."
Sounding disappointed, Cameron responds, "Oh Aye, that would be the expedient thing to do all right. I'll tell you another thing that would have been expedient, leaving Sylee in the flop house."
He stares down both women, letting his point hit home before adding gently, "We're supposed to be better than the likes of him. Let's take these sailors out of here and leave that cutter to his own devices."
Cameron will attempt to heal whoever looks the most hurt.
He looks around nervously, before trying to carry one of the men away to the nearest temple.
"Nae Cam, he knows our faces! Mayhap there be a way to fix 'I'm without a quick blade. Nessa, if'n ya'd be so kind as ta show our friend some o' your vixen's rough trade - none too tight on the bindings, don' wanna wake 'im jes yet." I know just the opportunist that'll make this little problem sail out on the tide...literally.
Alayna hurries back into the Mermaid and looks for her erstwhile companion. She snatches him up and hurriedly explains, "I got your press out side, you have thirty seconds to give yer cap'n both a sure sign of your loyalty, an' a sure sign of your skill. Bring yer blackjack, mate."
With the press-ganger in tow, she points to the orc, snarling in his sleep. "Fifteen ticks, mate. Knock 'im senseless and get 'im on yer cap'ns crew."
Not sure she understood what Alayna was up to Nessa decided to trust her despite their strenuous disagreements. She quickly took rope from whoever had some and trussed up the half-orc. It wasn't going to hold him for long, but it should suffice for now at least. She had just finished binding the half-orc and stuffing a gag in his mouth which she also tied in place when the big brute woke up and glared at her with murderous intent. Nessa quickly moved away to put others between him and her.
Sure thing, pretty one...
The man quickly prepares his sap, and delivers a powerful blow to the sleeping half orc.
Unfortunatly, not only the half orc doesn't lose conciousness, but the pain of the blow awokes him!
Dizzily, the half orc says
Uhhhh.... What's zis?
With the ugly, face eating brute awakening Nessa moved up and said to the sailor, "Move back!" With that she gets just close enough and avoids ehr companions and the sailor as she sends a spray of light into the half-orcs face.
The half orc takes the Color spray right in his ugly, tusky face.
Helpless, binded, blind and gagged,the half orc gets two more solid whacks on the head.
Then a third, just to take no chance.
Alayna's "companion" says
Well, that's one hard-headed fella!Mind to help me carry him to the neearest ship? Give ya some well earned gold.
Alayna grins broadly, "Looks like our work 'ere is done. His new Cap'n'll make a sailor out of 'I'm even it means makin' a few marks on 'is back"
Surprised by this turn of events Cameron blurts out, "But, ah hell! That half orc is pure trouble, if you want him be my guest. Frankly he would get strung up in many parts of the world for what he did here tonight."
After helping the sailor, Cameron reminds the group, "I'm glad that's over with, but it's not why we came here. If you remember we were looking for clues about the murder."
Assuming the others are ready and agree, Cameron will lead them into the Inn.
Izkrael stopts watching the scene involving the half-orc when Cameron and the other begin discussing about what to do with the brute. Oh, they have such a short time in front of them, and still they waste time with useless creatures...I won't never understand their ways.
Silently and without informing his companions, Izkrael sneaks into the Blushing Mermaid and without lowering his hood starts looking around for someone matching Drexell's description.
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