|
Reggie is never one to mope and, though he is no follower of Cayden, he rarely passes up a free drink. His studied neutrality becomes a jovial grin and he leaves the books he's gathered on a nearby chair before springing onto Rowdy's back. The wolf practically jumps to his feet, as well, ready for the next adventure.
"I could do with a drink, but please, let me buy the second round. Other things would be welcomed, too," he says, riding along beside the fisherman and doing his best to look like an eccentric wizard with an odd familiar.
"Yarr!! if asked, we shall tell the ladies that yer workin' on some magical grease that prevents barnacles from stickin' ta ships' hulls! I've volunteered me ship for ye to try your concoction!"
As the trio gets closer to Auntie's, Son of Cayden scans the mass of ships that makes up Docktown, and try to spot a nice private yacht or sailing vessel that looks at least maintained and livable... :)
Muttering to himself, or to Reggie's wolf (hard to say), Boratio says, "Yarr.... only shytey vessels about... maybe that's for the best... ne'er good to raise a lady's expectation needlessly... a fisherman like meself would have no fancy vessel... YARR!! perhaps a briney, cod-scented sloop is what's needed with Auntie's most faithful sisters!"
Meese notes the departing men, but returns to the salon crowd.
Part of the party passes over the docks and into the chaotic tangle of merchant ships know known as Docktown. Docktown has its own gate guards (surly mercenary sorts with mostly-matching armor--at least for their particular entrance--that isn't too dirty or dented to be of no use) at each bridge that cross from the mainland on to its moldering territory. Every vessel seems loaded with people trying to sell something.
Auntie's Turns out to be merchant vessel every bit as big as the Grinning Pixie and given the way it is painted, the noise you can hear three ships away, and dress of the women of obviously negotiable affection who sashay along its decks, probably more fun.
"Yarr... Reggie! don't be sad! I had no luck either. Maybe this time at sea made me impatient and the people of this town can feel that... come with me! I'll buy ye a drink... and maybe other things.." says Son of Cayden, dragging the halfling cavalier into Auntie's establishment... :)
"What's that? Oh deary me!" says the Auntie the halfling. She's standing on a little shelf that seems to run the length of the back of the human-sized bar. "You must be new here, we don't take anything as useless aground here as coin. It's all barter you see."
"YARRR! Yarr! yar.... hmmm... ye run a tight ship here Madame! Watcha be needin' for a few pints of ale? let's see if we can accomodate ye!"
|
|
Reggie’s expression of placid neutrality transforms into a big grin as he sees Auntie. While big folks knew how to have fun, and they offered respectable portions, they didn’t always take into account the needs and preferences of shorter folks. This place was doing too well for the woman behind the bar to not be a good businesswoman and she undoubtedly catered to her clientele but he assumed she would take into account the likings of smaller folks, too.
He stands up on Rowdy’s back when they get to the bar so that he can see over it, too. He even leans his elbows on it and flashes his flashiest smile.
”I travel light, Ma’am, so I don’t have a lot to trade. But maybe this will get me and my friend a couple drinks and maybe a little credit, left over?” he says, putting a sunrod down on the bar.
"Yarr.... pains me to part with it, but how about this good old accordion me aunt gave me when I was a boy? worth at least 5 gold pieces on the mainland?"
Reggie’s expression of placid neutrality transforms into a big grin as he sees Auntie. While big folks knew how to have fun, and they offered respectable portions, they didn’t always take into account the needs and preferences of shorter folks. This place was doing too well for the woman behind the bar to not be a good businesswoman and she undoubtedly catered to her clientele but he assumed she would take into account the likings of smaller folks, too.
He stands up on Rowdy’s back when they get to the bar so that he can see over it, too. He even leans his elbows on it and flashes his flashiest smile.
”I travel light, Ma’am, so I don’t have a lot to trade. But maybe this will get me and my friend a couple drinks and maybe a little credit, left over?” he says, putting a sunrod down on the bar.
"AH! Now that brightens my day! Haven't seen one of these in a long time. That deserves the good stuff. You can keep your squeeze box bucko." the old halfling says, waving away the Blowfish's offer. "We're all sailing types here, and picked up the same kit. That, and accordions don't go bad unless Lestersen is playing them."
She sweeps the sunrod off the counter and into her apron.
"So what brings you in today gentlemen?"
"Ye mean aside from testin' barnacle-removal creams? well... lemme see... ye haven't seen good ol' Jax Telandril about have ye? been told he could help us test out that barnacle cream... aside from that, wonderin' if ye heard o' when the new fishin' licenses will go out fer sale? me stupid brother-in-law sold ours two winters ago, and now all the work we do involves beggin' and scrapin' fer work to the few license holders left in town... yarr........"
"You mean 'Jax Telandril' who works odd jobs around Docktown? Well," Auntie looks about and leans in conspiratorially. "Word is, that he's still up to eyeballs in debt after his magic shop plan went bust, but now he's gotten in good with that playwright, Wraxton, so I figure he's just waiting on her to produce another masterpiece--preferably one that doesn't burn the town down again--heh--to see him back in the black."
|
|
"Ha! A magic shop! What a fool! Everyone knows that if you want a successful business, you give the folks what they want. And does a person want, some kind of stupid cloak that will turn you into a weird fish or all the wonderful things offered here?" he waves the mug of ale that he's been served around to indicate everything she offers before taking a drink of it.
He gives a significant look at Boratio as a familiar name comes up, again.
"Any idea where this Wraxton woman is? Gotta be interesting seeing someone who writes masterpieces."
"Yarr! do ye know where he'd be doin' tha waitin'? an' why is he bothered with some theater business? are we talkin' about the same Jacks?"
Aiden continues reading into the evening. Afterwards, however, he decides to visit Madge's noodle cart for a meal.
Aiden sees the cart from a ways away being pushed by a goblin down the road while an old, lean woman dressed in a faded dress walks slowly beside it.
Other eyes both inside and from behind cracked drapes watch as Aiden approaches the cart. It doesn't stop moving when he approaches.
He smiles as he approaches. "I've heard good things about these noodles. What's your secret, Madge?"
"I knows when to close, like I am now." the woman says wearily. "Come back tomorrow. I'm about by dawn."
She stops and looks at Aiden for a moment while the goblin rolls the cart onward muttering to itself.
"Say, you a necromancer from the Academy?" she asks.
"Ha! A magic shop! What a fool! Everyone knows that if you want a successful business, you give the folks what they want. And does a person want, some kind of stupid cloak that will turn you into a weird fish or all the wonderful things offered here?" he waves the mug of ale that he's been served around to indicate everything she offers before taking a drink of it.
He gives a significant look at Boratio as a familiar name comes up, again.
"Any idea where this Wraxton woman is? Gotta be interesting seeing someone who writes masterpieces."
"Well, some say that she was captured by the Loyalists last year and handed over to the armada, but that don't hold water with me. Because others say that she and her marry band of players have been seen putting on performances all across town in secret venues hidden from the common folk for fear of that very thing. I though choose to believe that she was taken by the Merprince to his people's hidden city just off the coast. It's just more romantic that way. Of course there were rumors that she died when the soldiers stormed the Glass on the Hill all those years ago and someone else has been impersonating her since, but that's too sad to be true."
There is a shift change that occurs causing Auntie's story to take far longer as she makes her hellos to the evening crew, and farewells to the day shift.
"Yarr! do ye know where he'd be doin' tha waitin'? an' why is he bothered with some theater business? are we talkin' about the same Jacks?"
"Probably with wherever Wraxton is if it's not the Merprince who has bewitched her. As for why, well wealth man! To pay off his debts and perhaps to get some of that elf treasure that Wraxton's father--her real father--an elven archduke--she's only half human you know--left to her." Then she squints at Fishblower. "What other Jax would we be talking about?"
|
"Say, you a necromancer from the Academy?" she asks.
Aiden grunts, but decides to roll with it. "Sure, you could say that. Why, you need bones animated? I answer one of yours and you can answer one of mine. Do you know Phelerosa Ciucci? Maybe she's visited your cart? Ciucci family is minor nobility."
Then she squints at Fishblower. "What other Jax would we be talking about?"
"Well, I knew Jax was involved with magicks... didn't know he was also some kind of artist fellah! what other tricks can he pull from his sleeves?"
Aquavius follows Aiden and 575 around town until she sees Old Madge. "Huh, one of these days I'd love to try out yer noodles."
"Oh you'd like Old Madge's doodly oodly noodles!" the old woman says. She describes her noodles in a way that makes mouths water and stomachs grumble. The smell from the cart doesn't hurt either.
"When Madge is open that is.... Come back to the docks in the morning, Madge is always about dawn to dusk." she says finishing abruptly.
"Say, you a necromancer from the Academy?" she asks.Aiden grunts, but decides to roll with it. "Sure, you could say that. Why, you need bones animated? I answer one of yours and you can answer one of mine. Do you know Phelerosa Ciucci? Maybe she's visited your cart? Ciucci family is minor nobility."
"Yeah, I would never trust a necromancer." Old Madge turns to the other two 'wizards' pulls a sheaf of papers from under her overcoat and practically shoves them into their hands. "Here. Get these to Professor Poppo for critiquing. I don't normally trust serpent folk but, better that than a necromancer, I says." she says with contempt and spits on the ground. Then without further word she hikes up her skirts revealing hobnailed boots, and mismatched socks ineffectually covering ancient, stick-like shins speckled with blue veins and sparse, wiry white hairs. She turns and rushes to catch up with her 1 goblin-power cart.
Noodles! Madge got yer doodly oodly noodles!
Get these crabby shrimpy noodlies in a bowl!
In a cup! In yer hands!
I don’t care where!
Buy my dang noodles!
Save Pezzack! The end is near!
Save your noodles! The devil hates my noodles!
Abrogail hates my noodles! Madge’s noodles!
The papers seem to be filled with--well, poetry(?)....
Then she squints at Fishblower. "What other Jax would we be talking about?""Well, I knew Jax was involved with magicks... didn't know he was also some kind of artist fellah! what other tricks can he pull from his sleeves?"
"Oh, he's a right artist when it comes to shifting barnacles that's for sure." Auntie chortles. "And didn't I say he was trying to start a magic shop?"
The crowd at Aunties swells a bit as Pezzack's work day comes to an end. Already there are a few too far into their mismatched cups.
Indeed many places seemed to be closing for the evening.
"Keep the ale coming Auntie! it's an exquisite nectar from the gods! also, can we bunk somewhere below? got any rooms? or hammocks? also, Boration needs friendship tonight... the sea has been a cruel mistress..."
|
|
Aiden follows Aquavius to the tavern. "Right, let's go join the others." He takes the papers. "What the hell does Poppo see in this?" He shrugs and stuff it into their bags.
Once at Auntie's, Aiden orders a drink. He takes a seat away from the others and looks to see if anyone in particular is watching them.
Into his 4th beer already, Boratio is a bit loud now, and welcomes Aiden with gusto!
Aiden follows Aquavius to the tavern. "Right, let's go join the others." He takes the papers. "What the hell does Poppo see in this?" He shrugs and stuff it into their bags.
Once at Auntie's, Aiden orders a drink. He takes a seat away from the others and looks to see if anyone in particular is watching them.
No one in particular seems to be watching the 'black-robed student wizard', but the group does get some notice upon entry. After settling in Aiden overhears a drunkard near Boratio and Reggie who sniffs, apparently in reaction to something Auntie was telling the two, and says to his similarly besotted companion "Tha tain't so spacial, I saws a ghost o' a merman jist las night."
"Keep the ale coming Auntie! it's an exquisite nectar from the gods! also, can we bunk somewhere below? got any rooms? or hammocks? also, Boration needs friendship tonight... the sea has been a cruel mistress..."
"Glow sticks only buy so much.... Were you looking for a friend, or a crueler mistress?"
|
|
Aiden turns towards the the two drunks. "A ghost? Of a merman? Like with a fish tail and all? What was he doin', flopping around the streets?"
Boratio's yelling suddenly grabs his attention and you see the man, nearly put his head to the table. He gives a small smile and nods at the fishmonger, shaking his head, but also laughing.
"Glow sticks only buy so much.... Were you looking for a friend, or a crueler mistress?"
"No cruelty please! this humble fisherman is in need of bwahahahaha!"
Boratio winks, for a long time, to emphasize this to be a 'discreet' affair...
|
|
Reggie watches Boratio down a mug of ale. Then another and another.
"You drink like a follower of Cayden!" he declares.
He pats his friend on the shoulder and gives Auntie a wink and a grin behind his back. "Don't listen to him. He's just shy about what he really likes. As my old master used to say 'true love comes at the end of a whip.'"
He turns an ear toward the story about the ghost mermaid, though. He doesn't want to mess with ghosts, but it wouldn't be the first time someone thought they saw something other than what they really saw.
The drunk rambles on. "Aye, its eyes were *hic* bigger than really big eyes and all googly like *hic* big googly eyes. The ghost was all pale like really pale person who was nonetheless a ghost. I saw him go under over near the warehouse district and not come up for a long- like really long--like there is time right? Well, this was longer. It was a long *hic* time. And when he did he was holding his prince of the sea scepter. It was all white and pale and uncolored and white. *hic*"
"Some people don't know how to keep their liquor." Aquavius sits up at the bar. When she learns this bar works by trade, she grins. "How about oration? I could tell a story or two. If you think it's good, I get a drink. How about that?"
"Sure. if you can keep the crowd entertained, though I'll take any damages from thrown cutlery out of your hide."
"Glow sticks only buy so much.... Were you looking for a friend, or a crueler mistress?""No cruelty please! this humble fisherman is in need of bwahahahaha!"
Boratio winks, for a long time, to emphasize this to be a 'discreet' affair...
|
The Noodle Cart seemed like the perfect place to start, he could eat!
But he is dismayed to realize it is not only mobile and nowhere near the warehouse... but also closed... suddenly he was glad he snaked on some of the fish that were piled on them earlier.
He takes Madge's document almost by instinct, not sure why she's handing it to him. After they leave, he glances at it, a puzzled look on his face, not sure what to make of it, but tucks it away to give to Poppo later, assuming its some sort of code!
As they return to the others, he keeps an eye out for trouble, or anyone paying too much attention to them... but the scene at Aunties makes him wince.
Staying unnoticed
Is not often done this way
Is this 'blending in'?
He glances back towards Aiden and Aquavius, then lifts his shoulders in an approximation of a shrug. Eventually, he backs himself into a dark corner somewhere, and just watches what is happening around him. Hoping that if blending doesn't work, he will at least be able to spot trouble before it escalates too quickly.
|
|
"Aye, and lemme tell you about the Seaborne Captain!"
"He sailed the Inner Seas, attacking merchant ships and staking his claim!"
"The navy chased him day and night but they could never find him unless he wanted them to!"
"Some say he sailed into a hurricane, off for some loot. He never came back."
"But if you ask me, he's out there plundering so much the Pirate Queen herself is jealous."
|
|
The drunk rambles on. "Aye, its eyes were *hic* bigger than really big eyes and all googly like *hic* big googly eyes. The ghost was all pale like really pale person who was nonetheless a ghost. I saw him go under over near the warehouse district and not come up for a long- like really long--like there is time right? Well, this was longer. It was a long *hic* time. And when he did he was holding his prince of the sea scepter. It was all white and pale and uncolored and white. *hic*"
Aiden listens for a moment, tapping the table. He leans close to the drunk "A sea scepter? Are you sure? You know, I heard the Ciucci family holds one of those. Prized possession and about the only reason they were made noble. You don't think the family is really merfolk, do you? Maybe this ghost is one o'them looking to find their scepter again. I mean, you ever met one of the Ciucci? Betcha they got scales or something."
"Aye, and lemme tell you about the Seaborne Captain!"
"He sailed the Inner Seas, attacking merchant ships and staking his claim!"
"The navy chased him day and night but they could never find him unless he wanted them to!"
"Some say he sailed into a hurricane, off for some loot. He never came back."
"But if you ask me, he's out there plundering so much the Pirate Queen herself is jealous."
He takes Madge's document almost by instinct, not sure why she's handing it to him. After they leave, he glances at it, a puzzled look on his face, not sure what to make of it....
Maybe a hat? A broach? A pterodactyl?
... but tucks it away to give to Poppo later, assuming its some sort of code!
Aiden listens for a moment, tapping the table. He leans close to the drunk "A sea scepter? Are you sure? You know, I heard the Ciucci family holds one of those. Prized possession and about the only reason they were made noble. You don't think the family is really merfolk, do you? Maybe this ghost is one o'them looking to find their scepter again. I mean, you ever met one of the Ciucci? Betcha they got scales or something."
For his part Aiden believes the man--at least that he saw something and not just making up the story.
The drunk though seems too drunk to follow Aiden's tale, but after two hours of sampling the local scuttlebutt Aiden hears a tale that sounds remarkably like the one he just told except that now the reptilian-looking wizard sitting alone in the corner over there ("Don't look at him fool! He'll put the 'fluence on ya! A necromancer should know better. What are they teaching you in that school anyway?") is the bastard son of the last Mer-Ciucci, and the noted playwright Amalia Wraxton. "There's something fishy about that one."
It is a code! More than that it is a coded message from Olandil to Prof. Poppo!
It doesn't go into too much detail, but it seems that Olandil is planning on putting on some sort of performance on Wealday at the Manukirt Trading Co. Warehouse. He says he has a wand of some sort that he hopes will allow him to sow enough confusion that he will be able to slip out of Pezzack. He can't wait any longer for the Pathfinders to send anyone. Olandil notes in the message a place where the Guts opens up onto the rocks overlooking Whaler's Point. He also notes what was feared--that the Loyalists are on to him, is true, and that they plan on using him and his alternate personas, and what he knows about all the rebel factions to undermine them all. The message is meant both as a 'thank you' and a 'goodbye.'
|
|
575 returned to the college with Aquavius, though his rest is uneasy, his mind always returning to the strange notes and papers from the noodle cart lady.
In the morning, he seeks out Professor Poppo.
The woman named Madge
Asked that we give this to you
It appears coded
He hands it to Poppo, assuming the gnome will be able to confirm that.
Though I am not sure
I think it's from Olandil
A final farewell
And maybe thank you?
But mostly about noodles.
Now I am hungry.
"Yarr! will not part with this old accordion! it's got me through tough times..."
Poppo is up bright and early in the morning clipboard in hand. He takes the paperwork from 575, winks and puts one finger to his nose.
"Good morning again!" Poppo pulls out a complicated looking pen with an ink bladder. He notes the time and continues. "How do you feel? Do you remember your name? Do you know where you are? Madge's cart? I believe she winds all along the waterfront. How many fingers an I holding up? You know where the waterfront is? Say 'Ahh'. Good. Good."