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The sun hangs in the morning air high overhead and large fluffy clouds drift across the distant horizon. The sound of waves and the dull roar of the sea fill the the vastness that surrounds everything. The taste of salt is in every breath, and the air is rich with the crisp smell of the ocean. The tropical warmth begins to wrap everything in its heavy embrace.
The Jenivere rides the waves with a purpose. Large and massive, she powers through the water, ever approaching her goal, closer and closer. Her hull is strong and has weathered the storms of ocean, elementals, and The Eye of Abendego. The wind fills the Jenivere's billowing rouge canvas sails resembling nothing if not the rosy cheeks of a woman flush with victory. To port! she seems to cry as the days at sea rapidly approach their end. I have charges to deliver and cargo to trade!
The story starts here: on a beautiful and majestic merchant vessel striving to reach the end of a long journey. The beginning of the 103rd day of the Jenivere's voyage to Eleder is bright and warm. Another day at sea bursting with promise and opportunity.
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The salt air pulls a strand of fiery hair from beneath her hat, having been slowly bleached by the sun it's taken a radiant hue. However, becoming slightly wild under the salty airs ministrations.
Drawing a calloused hand, Harri tucks the lock back under the battered hat, before haulling upon the rope once more. Putting her whole body into it, the rope moves with a creak. In fact most things the ship seems to do involves creaking. Harri had got used to this over the past few years, but it was a considerable difference from the estate where she grew up.
'Must put the past away from me' she thinks. 'Lest the nightmares return.'
Knowing it's bad to slack, the Captain making that abundantly clear, Harri ties off the thick hemp rope to a cleat. She stands upon the smooth auburn deck, in her bare feet and pale britches. A heavy jacket conceals her feminity, it didn't do well to remind some sailors of that; as they object to having their faces rearranged.
Getting her breath back she leans upon the guard rail, looking out to the foamy waves.
A tall, slender elven woman leans against the rail of the quarterdeck, facing aft so the wind blows the long, black hair away from her face, slender arms folded for warmth against the breeze that snaps her loose clothing like a flag as it bellies the sails and speeds the Jenivere on her way. She turns to watch the sailors occasionally, admiring their grace, strength, and vigor, but always returns to her contemplation of where they have been, not where they are going.
I thought distance would lessen the pull, but it's still there. All I want to do is jump in and swim back... The bite of the wind and spray and the rolling of the deck seem to please her, breaking the occasional bored, distressed look in her huge, mismatched eyes.
There is nothing to do on this ship, she groans to herself, I hope we arrive soon so I can start work.
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Approaching the forlorn woman, Harris has a rolling gait and a lilting tongue; "Are you alright, Miss? You look a bit green round the gills." Harri's voice has a lovely rolling lilt, a pleasant homeliness.
She thinks quickly. 'Looking after t' guests, that'll make us look busy to the Captain.'
"Would you like some grub? Or a bit of a walk around? Help you get your sea-legs!" she asks.
Velia looks at the approaching sailor, smiling faintly at the question.
"I'm quite fine, thank you. This is a, er, lovely ship you have. You are fortunate that you get to work on it, though. Being a passenger is excruciatingly boring. This is quite a nice voyage, but I hope we reach our destination soon. Feels like we've been aboard for years." The woman's accent is clearly Chelaxian.
"Are you permanent crew here or do you find a new job with each voyage?" Her strange blue and green eyes are vibrantly colored and much larger than those of humans.
Another day, another silver. Quinn was itching to get off the boat and make some headway into his studies. The University doesn't want me? Fine! There are others who'll be more interested! His generally good fortune had started to flee the past few months of his life. First the University "not wanting to get in bed with the wrong sort" and then Markesh... Ugh. Markesh . As f the Universtiy wasn't content enough to tell him no, they had to go and rub salt in the wound with him. The past 102... no 3 days now isn't it?, on board have largely been an effort in avoiding the gnomes presence. You'd think he might get the hint but no, every few hours Markesh would find him.
It was a good thing Quinn had a solid mental fortitude, or else it may have gotten to him. May.
Quinn made his rounds in the hold. Checking his powder keg and then the package he was to make sure arrived. Everyday like clockwork he made the rounds, nothing ever changed. He didn't know why he expected it might. But hey, for that kind of gold, you do your job, he thinks to himself.
As he finishes checking the netting around the cargo he sees Markesh wheeling about the corner, whistling.
"Ah jeez." Quinn quickens his step and makes for topside.
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Having seen Velia around upon occasion she had never had an in-depth conversation. "I'm like new..." she lifts her hat with one hand, the other embarrassingly rubbing her hair. "There were some trouble in Quent... weren't my fault....how was I to know it would burn like that?" she mumbles the last, almost to herself.
"I'm just on trial here, learning t' ropes so t' say. Fancy a game of cards." there's a sly twinkle to her eyes. "I'll be entertaining the guests, whilst keeping an eye-out! Captain cann't complain at that."
"Cards? Can't say I know much about card games. It would be something to pass the time, though. Do you have cards? I don't. How many players do we need?" Velia scans the deck. "Perhaps the captain would play. Do you see him?"
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At the Captains name Harriet looks around like a naughty school-girl caught by the nuns. Eyes flicking and darting; "Nope." there's a touch of guilt to her voice. "I've got some cards in my foot-locker, there's loads of games I know. Or you could help with the ropes if you want to do physical stuff?"
An involuntary flicker of distaste crosses Velia's face as she surveys her clean, soft palms. "I don't think I'd be any good at hauling on ropes, thanks." She flickers a smile at Harri. "What, you don't think the captain is cute? Oh well. Perhaps there are more passengers as bored as I."
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"Cute!" her eyes bulge and she is flabbergasted at the notion; "c...cute!" the sailor splutters. Her colouring doesn't suit the soft blush that comes to her cheeks; at even the thought of the captain in that manner.
Out of the corner of her eye, Harri sees Quinn coming top-side. "Mr Quinn! Over here." she calls trying to change the subject and invite some else to join them.
Come on, hold it together... The dwarf's self-assurances were all that were preventing him from emptying the contents of his stomach onto the ship's deck - the captain had not been very pleased the first time it happened. Time and time again however, And so, leaning over the railing of the ship, he is very careful to hold what he can of his beard back as he heaves. You've been at sea for over a hundred days! This isn't even your first ride on a ship! How in the blazes are you still getting seasick?! This is madness! Rumbur's stomach groans in agreement, sending the dwarf into yet another fit of coughing. I hate boats!
"It's... it's gotta be that stew..." he mumbles to nobody in particular, having apparently finished his morning regimen. Pulling away from the railing, he pulls his hat back on, feeling considerably lighter than before. Not that I even got the chance to eat anything yet. With the voyage's end near, skipping out on Rambar's soup made for an appealing idea for an experiment.
Velia sees the dwarf stagger to the rail and discreetly looks in the other direction, off to the horizon, looking vaguely nauseated. "Let's not ask that poor dwarf, hmm?" she whispers to Harri.
"Hey Hari, what you got going on up here. Another wonderful day on board our most illustrious ship. " Passing by the vomitting dwarf, "Yeesh, easy big guy, dont wanna lose you." He walks over to the ladies. "What's got you red faced?"
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Her eyes flick to the poor brewer, he had been sick everyday. She had tried to keep his mind off the roll and lilt of the ship but was not successful.
"Bit bracing out." she mumbles the excuse, obviously not being too honest.
"Cards?!" as both a statement and a question she invites the man to join them. Tapping a barrel-top as a make-shift table, out of the way of the working sailors whilst still commanding a good view. "I'll nip to me locker, grab the pack from there."
"Korvosa! Hey!" comes a jolly voice from behind. A smiling gnomish face comes into view as he steps out from behind the human explorer's back. A silly rounded cone hat with various odds and ends stuck in its band or pinned to the fabric itself sits on his head of yellow hair. Not blond, not gold, but yellow. The color is almost eye-jarring and would make one think the gnome's head would glow in the dark.
An open honest face that always seems excited (typical of gnomes it seemed) sat above a slightly pudgy body covered by a loose cotton shirt with a plaid vest from which a pocketwatch chain dangled. The thigh panels of his simple trousers are slightly ink-stained matching some similar faded black marks seen on his fingers.
"Ah, Korvosa, my good man! We're getting closer to Eleder, I can feel it!" The obviousness of this statement is lost on the gnome. "I just can't wait for all the amazing artifacts we're going to find for the Academy."
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"Sir Brodinger, wanna join us?" Harri asks cheerfully enthused by the gnomes own bountiful energy. "5-card Brag, or summat similar."
The red-head stands dropping her hat onto the seat to ensure her position isn't usurped, she proceeds to below-decks. Her movements have a fluid feline grace, obviously practised for so long that they have been drilled into her sub-concious.
Within a couple of minutes, Harri returns holding the cards aloft like a treasured relic. In her other hand there's a small mug of flavoured-fresh water, she approaches the ill dwarf. "'ere this may settle your stomach." with a soft proffering of the mug.
Spreading the battered pack upon the make-shift table; "So as thee sees, they ain't marked." with a half turn she spits overboard, warding off bad luck. "Jus' a friendly game like, no coin at stake?"
"So Sir Brodinger, though you tol' me before..." she was a touch drunk at the time; "What artifact be these?"
"Gods be damned, Markesh what do you mean we ? If the Academy was interested they should have backed this expedition. You- they didn't, so they have no claim to whatever I find. Deal the cards Harri. "
Quinn sits and cracks his neck with a twist of his head. Those hammocks below deck weren't as forgiving as he might have expected. He thumbs absently at the grip of his flintlock.
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Harri picks up the cards, flicking them through her fingers. The sweet sigh of the riffle as the cards are mixed up with alarming speed. Showing face then back they are, shuffled throughly before sliding across the table to the parties involved.
This little display is trying to hide the fact that she's eaves-dropping on the pairs' argument/conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, Harri watches Quinn fingering his powerful weapon. ''Ope he doesn't go off half cocked.'
"I would not bet on it, lass," Rumbur replies with a weak smile, though he accepts Harri's mug regardless. He figured it was worth a shot. "I'll be fine until the 'morrow comes - the sickness always hits me at sunrise for some damned reason. Must be hitting me in my sleep." Tilting his head back, the dwarf takes a long draught from the mug, before setting it down and wiping his mouth off with his sleeve. "I'll tell you all - I will be a very happy dwarf when we hit land."
Having apparently finished retching for the day, the fog in Rumbur's mind clears up. Only half paying attention to the card game, he picks up snippets of conversation. "I still don't get why the Academy turned you down," he comments with a frown, able to sympathize with Korvo's frustrations - academics weren't really leaping all over his research, either.
Chuckling, Markesh scoops a hand of cards probably not intended for him and gets ready to play.
"Oh Korvosa, you're such a grumpy boy. I'm sure the Academy didn't mean it like that. Don't you worry. They'll be ecstatic for any of the research you and I uncover."
Markesh plays a card out of turn and chortles with an "I've got you now" sort of tone. The game hasn't even started yet.
"So... artifacts? What sort of artifacts do you expect to find?" Velia asks wispily, as she picks up her hand (careful not to touch it until the deal is complete) and shuffles absently through the cards.
Rumbur raises a brow at Markesh's card and looks to Korvosa with another knowing frown.
Two of the ship's other passengers stroll by to take in the view from the stern. Ishirou has obvious Tian features and looks a little rough. His expression is currently one of weary patience as the long-winded gnome Gelik Aberwhinge regales Ishirou with yet another version of how Gelik helped investigate the Crypt of the Everflame. Currently in 103 days, Gelik had offered the story several times. The other passengers were currently tracking at least four separate variations of noticeably different accounts so far by the intrepid gnome.
Ishirou seems to try his best to politely listen while admiring the view and the sounds of the sea. Gelik pauses in his story for a second as he and Markesh see one another. They each raise their left hand and bring it next to the eye and make a smoothing motion over their eyebrow. The two gnomes have done this every time they encounter one another on the ship. When questioned, neither gnome seems to have the faintest idea what anyone is talking about and are genuinely perplexed. After about day 24, everyone just stopped asking. Gnomes.
"You know, I'm not entirely sure myself. Markesh, just what are we looking for? I mean of course I have some ideas myself, but I don't think I've brought you in on them. Why don't you go bother the other gnome. Quinn slides Markesh's card out of the play area and waits for play to begin.
Velia gives a triumphant little chirp and lays down a card to play on Markesh'sm lead, not noticing that Quinn has slid the other card out of play. She lays down the wrong suit anyway.
"You folks would know what you're looking for. I'm just curious. I mean, my only goal is to bring healing to the folks of the Mwangi and see if they have any leechcraft we can learn. I do hear the place can be hazardous, though, so I could just as easily cure people along your trail as not. If you need a healer, that is," she says dreamily.
Markesh frowns at Velia's play. "Drat! You beat my card."
Absentmindedly, the gnome perks up an ear in Korvosa's direction as he examines his cards. "Other gnome? How absurd! We have no reason to be looking for another gnome's ideas. I have plenty."
Markesh glances around at the other players. He sees the card Korvosa moved aside, and his face brightens. "Ah-ha, there's my other card!"
Picking it up, Markesh triumphantly places the card on to Velia's with a "how do you like that" snigger. "Now I have beaten your card!'
"Uh. What game are we playing again?" the dwarf asks, watching the exchange of cards with puzzlement. He was rather sure that whatever Markesh and Harri were playing did not exist.
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"Thought it were 5-card brag, but seems that Mr Brodinger has some Chelliaxian variant? But that were a good play...?" she says with some vague confidence.
Harri shuffles her hand, then closes her eyes and trusting to Lady Luck picks one at random. Looking at it she's satisfied, placing it next to the other card. "Looks like I'm on a loser."
Korvosa bristles at Markesh's constant attention. Looking around for an excuse to avoid him he comes up lacking. "Ugh." he sighs, "Lets play then."
"Your play, Ser Gladstone," Velia murmurs, though the dwarf sits across the table from the sailor who laid down the last card.
"I'm not so sure that's right Velia." Korvosa fingers the top of his cards, obviously ready to make his play.
Rumbur looks down to check his hand, frowning. The cards he had could be excellent or terrible depending on what game they were playing. Indecisive, he yields to Korvosa's judgment. "Aye, it's your turn, Korvo."
Leaning back in the chair, the dwarf inhales deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers.
"Ah, yes, well I think you'd be right if we were playing River Land rules but I believe...." [dice=
"I think I'm gonna win this one."
Laying his cards face down and stretching back, Korvosa chuckles. "I could take a drink."
Velia begins building a little house of cards on the table before her, starting over each time the wind knocks it down.
"How much farther to port, do you know? Every day looks alike. I have lost track in the ennui."
"Rum. Always rum," the dwarf says with a smile, his stomach having settled. That was a close one.
"Not much longer, I hope," he adds to Velia, for reasons he does not believe he needs to state.
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Harri wanders off to get some of the ships rations, to give to the guests. Finding the barrel she looks around, making sure that no-one is watching before she gets a few jacks. Filling a couple with each fluid, the spicy rum assails her nostrils and she smiles reminded of her master...
With a slight shake of her head which dislodges her fiery locks, causing them to cascade down her visage. 'I shouldn't remember him, it's too soon.'
With a skip step of a person who needs to appear busy she moves across the swaying deck.
"If it's artifacts you're after, have you spoken with Ieana? She seems to study a lot. Perhaps she could tell you a thing or two about artifacts," Velia muses, as if to herself.
"I don't know about that. If she didn't come onto this ship with Korvo here, she could very well be his competition." The dwarf says this with a smirk, before playing a randomly picked card out of his hand. The game did not really seem to be on his mind.
"Ieana? I wish she'd spend more time out of her cabin and maybe I could have a chat with her. As is, she hasn't said peep to me." Korvosa plays another card and stands from the table. "Maybe today's the day. Play a few hands without me. I'll be back." Korvosa heads off to try and speak to Ieana.
"That's such a good idea," Velia remarks, standing and wandering away from the table.
She seeks out Aerys Mavato, looking first at the woman's cabin.
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Harri walks across the deck in the way of a seasoned sailor, taking a circuitous staggering path. She comes back to Rumbur to find the others gone, sliding a mug of rum over to the alchemist.
"Oh, t' others have left. Did you thrash 'em?" she takes a long drink of her brew. "I find that you quickly work up a thirst upon decks."
Then she places another card down, not a great one but freeing up her hand for better ones later - whilst leaving a small hook for her future plays.
"Ah, thank you," Rumbur says, helping himself to Harri's offering. It was far from the best brew he had ever had the pleasure of drinking, but it was certainly welcome. As he places his mug back on the table, he savors the lingering flavor in his mouth, trying to identify the individual ingredients.
A few foreign spices, but nothing particularly exotic, he thinks, jotting down some mental notes, Simplicity is for the best, sometimes.
"Nah, they left to talk to some of the crew. Guess they figured that after a hundred or so days, it was about time they socialized some." The dwarf takes another sip of rum, this time just appreciating the flavor rather than the composition. He looks down at cards before them and shrugs. "I still don't know what we were playing."
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"Aye, grand idea. That's what I'm doing now..." she gently punches Rumbur upon the shoulder. "Socialising with t' passengers."
Then she realises what he's said; "Don't know what we are playing? Well aren't we playing." she strokes her chin in thought. "Well, I thought we were having a go at 'Dead Man's Mare'. Though looks more like 'Fumbles Blankets' at least from the ones down."
She shrugs; "How about turning it into snap, while they are away?" She plays a high card, after tapping it once upon the side of her head.