"Already told ya all I know 'bout Hooper," the half-orc drawls. "You probably don't wanna mess with Captain Barrow. Bastard's one of the Hurricane King's lesser captains but acts like he's a king himself. Barrow just recently seized a ship from our docks, I hear--guess that kinda proves he ain't afraid o' takin' what ain't his. Haven't met a soul yet who likes the man...save fer the Hurricane King himself, apparently. Barrow an' his ship, The Bonepicker, are in port across the bay."
"My thanks," Jordan says, turning from the table. The cloaked man took his time getting out of Bloodknuckle's. There was plenty of chatter, rumors flying in the air. The information he was looking for had to be on this island somewhere.
[dice-Diplomacy (sister)]1d20+2[/dice]
Having exhausted his search for now, Jordan headed back to his room for some rest. In the morning, he'd look for Culder, and begin visiting some folks.
Note: Remember, each Diplomacy check to gather information normally takes 1d4 hours; I'll probably reduce this time requirement some if you're asking about related subjects or asking about multiple subjects in the same places.
The pirate hunter gains no new leads on his missing sister or the pirate captain who kidnapped her, but he learns a little more about the dog owners whose beasts made the tournament semifinals.
As the bet-taker in Bloodknuckle's suggested, it's hard to find anyone on the island who has anything good to say about Captain Ludvar Barrows; he's definitely at the top of the suspect list.
Zeru Faitel--the Lady of Latchmin's Folly (an old sea fortress renovated into a mansion on a hill where most of Port Peril's wealthiest citizens dwell)--is a Katapeshi merchant who deals directly with the Hurricane King and runs an organization called the Viridian Cartel. It's said that she deals in all manner of merchandise...including drugs and slaves. She'd be the top suspect were it not for Capt. Barrows.
Kory Hooper's been an islander for as long as people can recall, but he mostly minds his own business. He's apparently some sort of herbalist, and his dog Black Spot usually guards his garden.
Jarvis and Aghon feel they've seen enough of Culder to make their report to Beliza Odabio the following night. Aggghhh (and maybe Moina) decides to follow the big man the following day and is probably surprised to see the Captain engaging mainly in some manual labor for several hours at the circus set up at the isle's northeast tip. It seems that when the Captain's mind has something else to hold his attention, he's less prone to drinking and brawling.
The islanders of Crescent Harbor have never had a circus visit and the turnout is good enough that the Varisian entertainers see fit to bring some of their monster and freak attractions off their ship, requiring a bit more labor to set up the pens and new tents but worth it from the increased admissions.
The night and hour of the meeting with Beliza to report on the anchor-wielding lug called the Captain arrives. She's seated at the same corner booth, and the same suspicious half-orc who was present at the last meeting is again drinking at the bar.
The woman stands, bows her head slightly, and asks what everyone would like to eat and drink. After placing the order with Connie (who quietly tells Aggghhh how sorry she is that he got fired), Lady Odabio gets down to business.
"So...two questions: What did you learn 'bout the Captain? An' would you be interested in workin' with him if, indeed, he's reliable?"
Culder wakes up in his favorite of the hammocks in the H&H common room and stretches loudly.
I oughta turn in early more of'en.
Rising, he saunters over to the bar and orders a thick dark stout and some crispy bacon for breakfast. When he finishes he stumbles out into the light and makes his way to the faire to work. After a full day of laboring, and a couple satisfying meals with the carneys, he gathers his wages and heads for the Rusty Drum.
Sitting down at the bar he orders his usually. When 'Jon' brings it by he tugs his hat and mutters, "four thousand."
"That's a sight of coin," Jordan omments, wiping the bar with a dirty rag. "But we can get a start in earning it." Jordan proceeds to tell Culder of the job with Bloodknuckle and the suspects, including Captain Barrow and the ship he recently seized. "The job pays a hundred gold dead or alive as long as the dog gets back. You keep any extra you get your hands on, I'll ask no questions."
Stopping to fill up a mug for a customer, Jordan pauses for a moment. "In fact, regarding our deal...you take me on your ship, when you get it, and all the gold I earn goes into it." Jordan moves away to serve customers for a few minutes, returning after giving Culder some time to think his offer over.
He is a terror in the ring for sure, laid a man out with his fists lickity split. Not surprised people didn't riot due to nto getting a show. As fer worken with him, I guess I will. Not one to be picky about jobs right now.
"If yer truthful, I accept," the burly sailor says with more enthusiasm than anyone in port has ever heard from him.
"Fer this dog job," he asks resuming his normal stoic demeanor, "ye got anythin' else or ye plannin' on me bustin' heads 'til we happen on it?"
Moina nods at Aggghhh's recounting of the events. "He picked his opponent well before the fight. I think I would like to work alongside him, certainly not against him."
Aye, he's a fair brute. Never glanced twice at his anchor before whalloping the sad sack with his hands, as per the rules. As the lass mentioned, I would prefer to work with him, not against. Jarvis shudders a slight bit at the prospect of being flattened into halfling pirate pie before going on. As for working, honestly, if you'll pay quality coin, I find myself shipless at the moment and in need of employ.
"I'm bound by my word," Jordan says, holding out a hand to the big man.
"If you've nothing against busting heads, then we'll let that be your part, while I track the dog down...though we may want to get a crew together if we end up having to go after Zeru Faitel or Cap'n Barrow. Hooper shouldn't be too much trouble," Jordan comments, topping off Culder's drink. "What d'you say to heading down there after I end my shift?"
Ha ha! Aghon laughs at his companions recounting of events he didn't care to witness. They have the right of it Beliza. Culder likes his drink, and he likes to fight, and I can think of no two better qualities to have in a Captain of men. Also, as they so poignantly stated, it serves a person much better to work with Culder Hargraves, than against him. If it's a crew your looking to put together, with Hargraves at the helm? I'm all in. I've been dying for a reason to give up filling cisterns for months. Count me ready, willing, and able. Aghon says, and then dives into his beef stew and ale with voracious gusto.
Beliza smiles crookedly at Aghon's comment about getting off the island and not having to fill cisterns any more.
"You may get sent off island eventually, but your first job'll be right here," Beliza says. "First off, though, I need to know somethin' from each o' you--can you leave your morals at the door and still get the job done? Look the other way when there might be things you object to happenin' nearby?"
Aghon looks up, stew dripping from the corner of his mouth. You mean to tell me there are still people in Crescent Harbor that have morals? I've never met any. He winks, and wipes the stew from his mouth with his sleeve and takes a long draught of ale.
If'n I could do that, then that gnome would have ended up in the goblin's bellies.
"There are indeed," Beliza replies, her gaze seeming to turn to Moina for an instant. "Perhaps 'code' would be a better term than 'morals.' Lots o' folks here have a code that they'll live up to...at least 'til someone offers them enough gold to compromise it."
Culder reaches out his hard, meaty hand and shakes on it, "I'll be in this stool fer a bit. Lemme know a bit 'fore yer done 'n' I'll head out to wait fer ye in th'alley."
I've served on a pirate ship for the better part o' my life. Morals are, subjective, at best. I do my best to stay right by my own head. And right now, stayin' right means stayin' fed. Jarvis jokes as he pops a piece of sausage into his mouth with a grin.
Beliza smiles at Jarvis and then turns a speculative gaze on Aggghhh. "Ah, but that was a bit different! You used your smarts to get out o' a bad situation. Let's pretend those idiot gobbos had taken the two servin' girls--your co-workers at the time--hostage, held 'em at crossbow-point, an' demanded that you roast the gnome in front o' their eyes or they'd kill the women? What would you do then? Would you risk the lives o' two livin' women for the body o' a dead gnome?"
Aghon smiles and raises his tankard in salute to Jarvis' statements. Here here Jarvis. Ha ha, to stayin' fed! He looks to clink mugs with Jarvis in a show of friendship and solidarity on the rule of "morals" in their lives.
That sounds like one of those 'Have you stopped beaten yer wife?' things. If ya want the truth, I'd cook the dead gnome to save their lives.
"Well, as soon as my shift is up, we'll be on our way to pay a visit to Hooper," Jordan says with a grin.
At the end of his shift, Jordan nodded to Culder and remarked as he moved towards the door, "Start headin' towards the south end of the island. Take your time. I'll be right behind you." Leaving the big pirate, Jordan hurries to get his gear and re-join his new captain.
Beliza gives the dwarf a knowing smile. "As would I...though I'd likely track down those same gobbos after they'd left an' run 'em through."
"Hell, love it or hate it--this be Port Peril, a pirate haven full o' smugglers, sellswords, slavers, drug peddlers, sociopaths, an' even some cultists...or so I'm told. Hard to actually like half o' the folk here, but you gotta learn not to piss 'em off or you're in for a fight or a blade in the dark."
She pauses a moment before again flashing her rakish smile. "Then again, I'll be givin' you folks a brief on any mission I have for you, and you can always choose to turn down a job, right?"
"Now...the big question: Do you want to try to talk the Captain into a meetin' here tomorrow night or do I have to do it myself?"
You're beginning to think this Hooper fellow keeps to himself most of the time. Only a few folks at the Rusty Drum know his name, and they know next to nothing about him.
Jordan gathers his gear and steps out into the humid night air to catch up with Culder. The pair gets a few looks from passersby (most are directed toward the anchor-toting big man, but a few surreptitiously glance at the brawler's cloaked sidekick as well). The pair follows Dock Street through the heart of town, but as they get farther south, taverns and other businesses become less frequent and small homes more numerous.
Eventually, the town seems to end and the road leads out into a grassy field flanked on each side by distant copses of trees--palms, mostly. In the moon- and starlight, the pair can see a stone tower near the island's southeast tip. Just before that building, however, a handful of small wooden homes are clumped. As the pair approaches, the deep, rumbling bark of a loud dog sounds and continues with each step Jordan and Culder take forward.
The Hooper place is a small wood cabin with a fenced-in garden on one side and stretching behind the building as well. A large black mastiff--chained to a fence post--stands just inside the gate leading to the side garden. A light burns inside the house. The door opens and a crossbow-toting man with badly-cut graying hair hails the two strangers.
"Whatcha want? A crossbow bolt in the gut?"
"Just came out t'see the dog," Jordan comments, "The tables down at Bloodknuckle's are rolling some pretty good odds in favor of your hound," he remarks, keeping his tone even.
You know the name Zeru Faitel--she's a Katapeshi woman who had an interest in the vessels and/or cargoes of the slaver and pesh smuggling ships you worked on previously.
Beliza suddenly gives herself a facepalm. "I forgot--got another meetin' tomorrow night. How 'bout gatherin' here for a spot o' lunch, maybe an hour after noon? Sound good?"
"More likely ye're out here ta steal me Black Spot, likey what happened ta Bloodyknuckles's beast! You work for that Captain...uh, Barrows, don't yas? Ye'll not get me Black Spot, too!"
He raises the crossbow and points it in your direction before flicking its business end back toward town, signaling you both to leave.
You're fairly certain the fellow saw through your bluff. You also notice that he seems nervous, either scared to death of you and Culder physically or perhaps just because you came calling on him.
Hooper seems on edge to you. Scared even. But then again, you have that effect on a lot of people.
Well talken to people and convincen them is na something I do well, unless one of us is real good with people.
Yeah, I'm with the dwarf. Diplomacy ain't really my thing. I can be here tomorrow around high sun to see what's what. I can't stay too long though, as I'm still beholden to the local temple to fill cisterns and purify rain barrels for drinking water. That is... unless some benevolent benefactor wants to start paying me for all the beck and call? Aghon winks at Beliza and offers his most winsome smile, clearly implying that if Beliza wants to start paying him for his services perhaps he could leave his work-a-day job at the temple.
"Seems awful nervous 'bout somethin' don't he?" Culder asks, looking for some guidance from his business partner on how the situation should be handled...
Aye, I'm more the 'dance around, make a joke, avoid getting my face punched in' entertainer lass. 'tis your coin and your need. I'll have to let you call the meet. Jarvis says with a grin as he spoons a mushy bite of stew into his mouth.
"Calm down there," Jordan says, "Y'got me. But don't y'go saying we work for the likes of Captain Barrows." Nodding towards Culder he remarks, "I work for Cap'n Culder here, and we were hired to find Rover." Seeing how nervous the man is, he finishes by saying "Coming out here to see you was t'make sure you didn't have the dog. If a man like Barrows would steal a ship, who's to say he wouldn't steal a dog and place the blame on you?"
"Truth be tol' though..." the captain says eyeing the man and his crossbow, "seems a bit 'spicious him not wantin' no one nowheres near his place... Ye ain't hidin' nothin' is ye?"
"Hells--I guess if ya want somethin' done right, ya gotta do it yourself! Fine."
Beliza chugs down what's left of her ale and starts to leave but reconsiders something and returns to the table, standing next to Aghon and looking down at the cleric. "You say you've got somethin' of a casual acquaintance with the Captain, no? Why don't you accompany me tomorrow when I approach this Culder?"
**********************************
"Hell, Barrows wouldn't have to frame no one--who's gonna dare accuse him? He's one of the Hurricane King's captains," Hooper tells Aghon.
Turning to Culder he adds, "Nah--I ain't got nothin' ta hide. Only people what come down here are lost drunks or folk who're up ta no good. But ya might wanna look inta dem goblin pirates--I heard they're tryin' to get some sort of hairless canine thing into the tourney in Rovergug's place. And don't them little buggers hate real dogs? Bet they stole Rovergug an' killed him and sunk his corpse in the harbor."
You think the man's either lying or keeping something back. You also caught him involuntarily glancing at the dog in the garden when he said he had nothing to hide.
Aghon looks at Beliza with a devilish smile. I've got a better idea. Why don't I accompany you now. It'll make it much easier for me to meet with you tomorrow if I wake up in your bed. He says, and winks, still smiling just as mischievously as possible.
Beliza says nothing in reply to Aghon's words; she just stares at him for several seconds, perhaps considering his offer, perhaps considering how hard to slap the man. Then she spins on her heels and walks out of the tavern. A few seconds after the woman leaves, the half-orc suspected of being her bodyguard departs as well.
Augier quaffs the rest of his ale and sighs as Beliza leaves. Names' Augier by the way.
"Well Augier, you're the first dwarf I've had the chance to meet. I'm Moina. It seems she is in a huff. Well done Aghon."
"He's hiding something," Jordan whispers to Culder. "Somethings's not right about that dog he's got in his garden."
Out loud he comments "Since you've nothing to hide, you won't mind us seeing your dog, will you? Bloodknuckle's still suspicious of you, and of all the suspects, you're the easiest for him to come after if he decides he doesn't want to wait for us. The least we could do is give him our word you're innocent."
Ahhh to the sea with her anyway. He says and takes a long drink, then raises his mug and swings it around, hailing the barmaid for another round. That woman's got too many secrets, and the captain she's looking to hire's got too many warts, metaphorically speaking. I'm not sure I want any part of this business... Though... He hesitates a moment swirling the dregs in his tankard. You sure can't beat the coin. He thinks for a moment, then his demeanor changes back to cheerful and whimsical. So, Moina, you say you've never seen a dwarf before? Were you living under a rock or something? He smiles and winks, first at Moina, then at Augier, and finally at Jarvis.
"Metaphorically speaking." She says, recycling Aghon's own words, "My village is along the coast of the sodden lands. Not much to see there. So I left. This place is much more interesting. Goblins, dwarves, pirates, the smell, the food. I'll never go back to that drowned place again." She seems to have something against her former home but does not dwell on it and changes the subject slightly.
"Perhaps Beliza has something important she needs done. Maybe it's dangerous. I think it could be rather adventurous," she smiles saucily, "The mighty Captain, the Holyman, the Storyteller, the smelly Dwarf and the Runaway. Will you spread our renown Jarvis?" she says the last as she looks across the table to him.
I'll gladly sing our song, so long as it's a ribald adventure full of debauchery and unimaginable wealth. Jarvis says between bites. He washes the stew down with a mouthful of mead before turning back to the group. I'm game to work for her, after all, this is the land of pirates and other such shenaniganry. Anyone willing to line my pockets with a spot of gold is worth talking to. I figure I can always hear the details and opt out then.
I guess I'm in. No jon right now so I need somethin to keep me fed.
Beliza was angry at Aghon's suggestion of bedding her. You guess that Beliza's most likely not attracted to Aghon but was particularly angered that he didn't treat her with the respect due to a 'boss' (since she's the one offering the party employment).
As you say the words, "That woman's got too many secrets," you have a revelation: Odabio is the last name of one of the Hurricane King's three lieutenants who run the city during his months-long pirating absences. The other two are the dwarf wizard Tjosmin Kreidoros (who's on the island and works out of Harborhorn Tower) and an elf or half-elf woman named Pherias Jakar who oversees Merchant Marina in the mainland city. You aren't aware that Sabas Odabio had any connection to the church of Besmara, though.
**********************************************
Hooper keeps his crossbow leveled but points it slightly away from his two guests.
"Ye can go as far as the fence iff'n ye'd like but no farther--can't have ye tramplin' me delicate herbs."
Without a light source, it's hard to make out much detail. The dog's stopped its howling now that its master's let you approach the fence. It looks like a mastiff named Black Spot should look--big and black. There's no sign of any wound or matted blood that's obvious in the poor lighting.
You recognize a large patch of Koby Hooper's crop--flayleaf. You're not sure if growing the hallucinogenic plant would be illegal in a pirate city or not.
Secret DM Roll While I'm Here: