Niobe breaks into a grin as she sees Rickety coming out to visit the new ship. "This is going to be amazing! We've gone from a fast pirate cutter to a serious warship. Wow, you surface-dwellers are so ingenious with how you build your moving-ship-homes."
"Captain," she says as she spins to Marnir, "since the crew are taking some leave, might I avail myself of the opportunity to lounge about on the rocks and shoals for a day or so? If you need the officers here to supervise, of course I will stay."
Jane looks at the journal and quickly translates it into common. “The ship was last seen passing Nalt's island and heading for the passage between the Rampore isles and Bag island. It's a tangled mess of reefs and islets there. They must have hoped to avoid Bonefist's hunt by taking the long route. No reports of anyone discovering the extract for that year have been reported. If I can find it's wreck and recover it's cargo I can regain favor at court.“
"It's your shore leave," Marnir replies to Niobe, "do what you want."
Marnir turns to Jane as she reads out her translation of the diary. "Any idea what any of that means? Bonefist is obviously the Hurricane King, and I'm sure I've heard of those places before. What extracts are they talking about?" he asks as he walks over to his desk to check the charts of the fairwinds.
Your time in the familiar surroundings or Rickety's Squibs is soon done. His work crews quickly and efficiently turn the new Unbound Drake into an unrecognizable ship.
"A mighty fine piece of work Rickety, as ever," Marnir says, slapping him on the back with a wide grin.
Marnir, your knowledge Arcana tells you that what the journal is calling an Extract is most likely Sun Orchid elixir.
The fabled sun orchid elixir is much sought after for its ability to temporarily halt the aging process, restoring the drinker to the age of its race's young adults.[1] The secret of its creation was discovered by the Thuvian alchemist Artokus Kirran in 1140 AR.
It is difficult and dangerous to make. The key ingredient is the nectar of the rare sun orchid flower. The flower can be found only in Thuvia’s desert interior, regions infested by the corrupted genies known as divs. Orchid hunters must also contend with the local tribal leaders, known as Water Lords; many of these lords are little better than bandits.
Only 5 vials of the elixir are sold a year and the bidding is both very expensive, and very lethal. You now recall the old story of a rivalry between Kerdak Bonefist and Ezaliah Thrune. Rumor has it that Bonefist has twice stolen elixirs that Ezaliah spent more than 10,000gp a piece to purchase.
Short version. A very rare and expensive elixir that makes you physically young again. Sells for 10,000gp and up.
Sandara Quinn sets sail to the south with her ship the Besmara's hunter. It's new figure head a female pirate eagerly scanning the waters ahead for her prey.
She intends to head for Senghor as you did so many months ago, hunting in the southern waters and building up her crew and experience before returning to the shackles.
Rickety's squibs makes good time on your squibbing and soon the much larger Unbound Drake is ready to set off.
What are you doing now?
As promised, Niobe spends her free time sunning herself on the rocks in her gauzy chemise, brushing her hair and singing. When any local sailors get too "handsy" she simply leaps into the water and swims away, only to return again later.
She seems greatly revitalized when she returns to the new and improved Drake. Just as much as most pirates like carousing, it seems that sunning on the rocks and enticing people to their doom with a haunting melody is what she enjoys.
It's a shakedown cruise as the Unbound Drake leaves Rickety's squibs and heads north. The new crew needs to be drilled into the routine, Red Mary has new crew on the expanded weapons and runs drills constantly. She does take the time to give her new fire drakes a good polish and a loving rub.
Even with your flag flying over the ship other shipping steers well clear of you, a Man-o-war is something no one wants to engage without overwhelming numbers.
Maddie spends some time while the ship is being retrofitted doing some shopping, either here in port or by teleporting to Absalom. Wanting to be able to do more damage, she will pick up a pair of scrolls and a wand.
Jane will look around, to see if she can learn any new spells. Even from some of the spell books that the crew has found.
“Okay guys, What kind of potions would you like to have?“
Marnir recounts the tale of the Sun Orchid Elixir, noting that Bonefist seems to loathe the Chelaxians as much as the crew of the Drake.
With the works on the Drake completed and Sandara's sent on her way as captain of Besmara's Hunter Marnir directs Jane to plot a course back to Port Peril to pick up some crew. "We'll need more hands if we're to take down this rum smuggler."
The trip is fast and uneventful, you come into Port Peril aware that there are many eyes watching you, a Chelaxian Man-o-war flying pirate flag will have the tavern gossip stirred to a frenzy.
Taking your berth you pay the crew enough to make fools of themselves in the taverns and brothels of a pirate harbor, and put put word you're hiring crew.
With the reputation that the Drake has made for its self you are soon flooded with a horde of villainous applicants.
Marnir spends his days hiring on the most capable and experienced sailors he can, and his nights drinking and carousing in the best taverns, inns, and brothels Port Peril has to offer.
Niobe catches up with Marnir while he's out drinking with the crew.
She twists the fabric of her chemise nervously. "I hope that's not too soppy and soft-hearted for a pirate."
Marnir is taken aback somewhat by Niobe's speech, unaccustomed as he is to hear people pour out their feelings at him. He thinks for a moment, stands up, and embraces Niobe in a colossal bear hug. He steps back after a moment and looks at her. "I've sailed with a lot of scumbags, scallywags, and ne'er-do-wells in my time. And there's none I'm prouder to have on my crew than you."
"Kung like to shop! How much loot Kung get?" The half-orc looks eager to acquire more gear, and to hit the docks and wharves for fun.
Maddie seems just as eager to learn the amount the group has to spend as Kung is, for likely the same reason.
Meandering out from whatever it was she was doing, Niobe hears Kung mention 'loot' and perks up. "Oh! Are we going shopping?"
Marnir smiles at Niobe as before she leaves. He downs the rest of his pint before he walks out to join her in the sun. "Shopping sounds like a good idea," he says jovially.
Sorry, it looks like my last post didn't go through. I was away this weekend for a wedding. I will complete Kung's level-up and shopping tonight. Thanks!
While you rest a relax in the many pleasures of Port Peril the Best revenge makes her way in harbor.
Her Captain looks to be in good cheer as she makes her way to your berth, stopping to stare and then laugh her head off when she sees the new Unbound drake.
"Bloody hells! You could land in a midden and come up with diamonds couldn't you?" She teases Marnir
"Things have been going very nicely for me and the boys." She tells you. "Reason I dropped by was I had an interesting meeting and I thought it sounded like something you could find more use for than a sweet, innocent girl like me."
She tells you that she happened to give passage to a group of ladies of negotiable affection. They didn't like the conditions of their brothel in Quent and are looking for a chance to set up a business of their own. They wish to speak to Marnir about starting a brothel on the Isle of empty eyes?
What are you doing now?
"You know, if we take them up on their offer, all we'll need is a brewery and we'll be awash in rogues in no time," quips Niobe wryly.
"Are the multitude of scoundrels currently available not to your liking lady Niobe?" says Maddie, who can't hide her smirk.
Jane smiles. I would love a brewery on board. It will allow me to make some new drinks for you all to try.
A beautiful, confident woman named Audessa Reyquio waits for you on the docks. Audessa is the defacto leader of seven former prostitutes from a
brothel in Quent. They abandoned their previous employment after suffering one too many abuses under their harsh overseer.
They bartered passage on a ship bound for Port Peril, hoping to start over. Now destitute and stranded, Audessa seeks an audience with the you to request safe harbor for her people in exchange for honest work.
Each of Audessa's courtesans also worked in their brothel's attached tavern, and is skilled in hosting parties and feasts-they can all
cook, clean, sing, and dance. It quickly becomes apparent to the you that professional entertainers and serving staff at your feast would further impress the pirate lords.
You are free to negotiate the terms of any arrangement with Audessa as you see fit, though she proves a shrewd business woman, and she expects her people to be paid fairly for their services.
Marnir is pleased to see The Best Revenge in port and he gladly hosts Captain Norva in his new, much larger, cabin aboard the Unbound Drake. "A brewery..." he says quietly and wishfully to Niobe.
"Bring them in," he says after Norva explains her offer, and he stands to greet Audessa, the self-proclaimed leader of her little band. "Welcome aboard the Unbound Drake miss," Marnir says politely, gesturing for the beautiful woman to take a seat. He listens to her explain her predicament carefully, wary of falsehoods.
"You and you colleagues would be welcome on the island," Marnir says warmly. "We're still rebuilding and readying the place to host a gathering of Free Captains, and you sound like you'd be the perfect fit for our little community."
He looks thoughtful for a moment before making his proposal. "We'll provide you food, lodgings, and security. You'll wait on tables, run the bar, and provide whatever entertainment you feel you can during our gathering. If, after the party concludes, you wish to stay on, we'll negotiate further. How does that sound?"
"Brothel, Kung think good good. Good for impress, good for future trade!" He shares these thoughts with Marnir on their way to the docks to meet the matron, but remains quiet from then on, allowing his captain and the more well-spoken of the crew to do what they are good at.
Momma did this kind of work, too. But she not get paid, she not rule herself. Just slave. Maybe things better for Kung if Kung momma like these ladies instead?
"Kung just wants a brothel so he can have a handy place to shed himself of spare coin." teases Maddie.
Audessa finds your terms agreeable. Your Sense motive tells you that she really does want to have a work place where she and the other girls can be safe and do more than just whoring.
Norva is happy to take the ladies to the Isle of empty eyes for you, along with building supplies and craftsmen if you wish? Putting up new settlements is a fairly common pastime in the Shackles it seems.
"Aye, send over your first mate and we'll make arrangements. We're going to need timber and builders carried over, so any space you can offer us would be very welcome," Marnir replies to Norva. "You're more than welcome to have a look around while you're there, once we're settled in it'll be the new base for the fleet."
"We won't need timber," says Niobe, "if we just set up a sawmill of our own. The Isle may not have that many trees, but it doesn't need them... if I plant several tree feather tokens to make giant oaks that we can then turn into lumber."
"And if we have a sawmill and local timber, we can make our own shipyard..."
The Unbound Drake makes sail, heading for Hell harbor on The Devil's arches.
Marnir takes Niobe's advice on board, musing over the possibilities that her magic would open up for them.
Soon the crew is back aboard the Drake in various states of disrepair and with their pay well spent, and they make sail towards Hell Harbour.
Devils Arches: West of the perilous Straits of Balthus, Devil’s Arches was one of the first major islands of the Shackles discovered by Chelish explorers
some 600 years ago. The island is covered with Ghol-Gan ruins—enormous, crumbling edifices and eroded towers that remain as reminders of humanity’s impermanence, as well as its capacity for evil.
The limestone platforms, amphitheaters, and ziggurats are covered top to bottom with bas-relief carvings and paintings depicting acts of repulsive depravity, suggesting a horrifically bloody and degenerate civilization. These ancient Ghol-Gan cities dot the entire island, and many stand in startling contrast to one another, depicting entirely unique facets of the civilization they collectively belonged to.
Yet each city possesses a singular constant structure: a great gray
stone arch devoid of any carving or decoration that stands at the center of each set of ruins. The Chelish explorers who originally stumbled upon these monuments found their blatant nakedness even eerier and more obscene than any other relics on the island, and thus referred to
each of these landmarks as the Devil’s Arches, giving the island its name.
These arches remain entirely endemic to the island, and both scholars and archaeologists continue to bicker about their significance; however,
many agree that the monoliths’ names are more accurate than the original explorers perhaps knew, and the arches may have once been diabolical gateways to summon the denizens of Hell or some similarly evil demiplane.
Hell Harbor: The port town now called Hell Harbor was a logical site for early pirate settlers establishing a base in the Shackles, as the natural harbor is deep and easy to defend. Limestone from ancient quarries and crumbling Ghol-Gan ruins was employed to construct tall watchtowers on spits of land flanking the narrow harbor entrance, and skilled archers make it difficult for unwelcome ships to penetrate the city.
The town earned its name thanks to the numerous imps that have populated the region since its discovery, and to this day these diabolical creatures can be seen perched on the eaves and sills of the settlement’s Chelish architecture.
________________________________________________________________________
Your new ship answers to your hands like a thoroughbred, seeming to be overjoyed to be free of it's previous grim masters. Between Jane's navigation and Marnir's seamanship you make astonishingly good time to Hell harbor.
Such good time in fact that you see your target The Jester's Grin still tied up and loading cargo at the docks.
What are you doing now?
"Seems like we might have time for a look around," Marnir says. "Maybe we stop by over there and see what we can see?" he suggests, pointing at where the Jester's Grin is tied up and taking supplies and cargo on board.
Slapping Kung on the back, Maddie says "So, ale?" then looks at the captain hopefully.
Jane smiles. “You've heard Maddie. He's getting everyone drinks.“
"You've persuaded me," Marnir says with a grin. "Good opportunity to pick up the scuttlebutt before we have a look-see around our target."