The first night on the Sea Witch Harmony wakes up screaming during the morning watch. She stayed up all night, both to set a good example and in the hope of tiring herself out, but that didn't work as well as she'd hoped. She was very grateful to Polli's no nonsense approach to the crew keeping the majority of questions away, although the rumors that the ship was haunted did make things harder. Of course it also meant that Donomsail had to come across and 'exorcise' the ship, so the cleric and the wizard got to spend some more time together - good for morale in all respect.
"Thank you for your help." She says to Polli as the two work on her harpoon. "With everything here. I'd never split you and Dony up long term, you know that right? You never have to worry about that."
-------------------------------------
The rather odd sight of a man recoiling from Marisan's kiss attracts Harmony's attention and she walks over to see what's going on. "A new crew-member First Mate?" She asks.
It doesn't take long to size the young man up and Harmony makes a firm 'stay' gesture at him, before stepping away with Marisan. She keeps her eyes on the young man the entire time.
"He's a masochist." She says. "Someone who enjoys being pain. I assume that's why he didn't want you to kiss him. He'd prefer you stamp on his foot. If you want him on the crew then he's welcome, as long as he can submit to normal discipline. The decision is yours. If you don't want him then be really nice to him about it. That will help."
--------------------------------------
With the ships secured, a selection of suitably shiny and valuable plunder selected and the time of their audience decided, Harmony dresses to impress in fine black trousers, a snowy white shirt and an ornately embroidered leather jacket to meet the Hurricane King.
"So Lacey, you ready to become a Free Captain?"
Marisan rolls her eyes when Padwick flinches away. Fortunately, Harmony arrives to get her out of that awkward situation. Her nose wrinkles when she explains exactly what he wants. "Ugh. No, thank you. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but it seems he only has a one-track mind. I do not enjoy inflicting pain on others. He will have to find his pleasure elsewhere. Please tell him this for me. You are better with words."
***
Later, Marisan purchases a fine new dancer's outfit of blue and purple silks to attend the meeting with the Hurricane King.
Harmony nods and returns to Padwick. "Thank you for your assistance to my First Mate. You're free to go." She stands there, smiling politely and clearly not going anywhere until Padwick does.
Tessa also takes the opportunity to get fancy. A trip to the tailor when they first arrived in port allows her time to have a brand new outfit ready for this meeting, trimmed out in red lace of course. She takes Harmony's arm in her own and with a huge grin nods "Oh Vi, I was born ready. Let's do this."
"I didn't know... because we don't talk much. Which is equally my fault" she sighes out her tension. "[b]I will try and do better... and thanks" so Polli tries the occasional chatting thing, which is generally awkward and painful until Harmony who is MUCH better at it takes over and leads it around like a magical dance, which Polli appreciates.
------------
On the day of the captain's promotion, she stands next to Dony smartly dressed in blue robes and a crisp coat, decked out in all things magical from hairpins to rods to glasses. Turning to look at the most lovely of them (in Polli's eyes) the wizard looks nervous. "I found something I want to give you, if you are okay with it." she opens a small velvet box with two rings in it. One in Donomsail's favorite color and metal (Polli might have been not so subtly pestering her about what those were all week). The other cobalt with twisting winds engraved everywhere "They are communication rings, allowing us to talk to each other anytime we want within a mile from each other. But only when we want, I promise, no spying." she babbles quickly about all the parameters, then stops biting her lower lip and looks very anxious.
If the white-haired woman is surprised by Valeria's greeting, she doesn't show it. Her slight smile widens just a little as she shakes Valeria's hand. "Happy to meet you, Ma'am," she says. "What a coincidence, wouldn't you say? I am Meiying Preda. Happy to be aboard the Siren."
~~~~~
Padwick seems disappointed that there's no further punishment forthcoming and walks away with his shoulders slumped.
~~~~~
With the appointment made, there's nothing to do but prepare and preparing is what is done.
- Day 97
Ready for a day of relaxation and recruitment before the busy evening, the crew is surprised to see and group gathering on the dock early the next morning. The entourage is led by a half-orc that introduces himself as Tsadok Goldtooth in a sneering voice.
"I'm the Hurricane King's First Mate and formal representative. It’s unusual for a relatively unknown ship to request a letter of marque without the sponsorship of a recognized Free Captain. In that case, the Pirate Code requires the ship’s captain and officers to undergo 'Testing' to determine whether you're worthy of becoming Free Captains," he says, continuing in a voice designed to play to the crowd, accompanied by grand gestures.
He focuses his attention on Tessa. "I'm here to ensure that you're really pirates and not just some dandy in a pretty coat," he says, looking over her lace with disdain. "There are three tests. The first is can you actually work a ship." He turns and points to a square-masted ship on the other side of the dock with the name on her prow, Stingray. "One of you needs to climb to the top of the Stringray's foremast, unfurl, and set the sail from the top yard without assistance, before one of my crew does the same on the mizzenmast. Flight magic is illegal, and you have to unfurl the sails yourselves, not conjure creatures to do it."
Tsadok looks over the officers of the Siren and asks in an overly sweet voice, "So which of you dainty ladies will make the attempt?"
"Oh sweet summer child." Tessa teases at the first mate with a flirtatious wink and smile before turning to the slayer. "Val, if you wouldn't mind untying the sail for this gentlemen, I would appreciate it."
Val stands behind the captains in the same skintight black leathers she always wears, with her bow on her back and her shortswords on her hips. At Captain Steele's 'command' she smiles and answers, "it'd be my honor, Cap'n."
As she begins to move towards the trial, she examines the test ship and thinks on her best course of action...
Looking over the arrangement and the fact that she'll be doing it alone, Valeria realizes that untying all of the sail on one side of the yard will cause loose sailcloth to flap about in the breeze, making the job of setting the remaining sail more challenging. To avoid this problem, the sail should be released in stages on one side of the mast and then the other.
Valeria takes her place at the base of the foremast and Haines Boyne (Tsadok's crewman) takes his place at the base of the mizzenmast. They both look to Tsadok who grins widely before yelling, "GO!"
Harmony, before Val starts, puts a hand on her shoulder.
"You've got this!" She says firmly. "The Sirens are a match for any man and you are our champion."
As the challenge starts Harmony gets the crew chanting. "Sirens! Sirens!" And she cheers with them.
Val strides onto the deck of the Stingray, raises her hat triumphantly, then bows at the waist to the crowd (affording everybody one brief, glorious glimpse down into her ample cleavage. As the cheers and whistles subside, she sets her hat back in place, straightens her bodice, and prepares to move. When the word 'Go' rings out, she jumps onto the mast and scurries upward.
She covers the height with no difficulty (even though some of her climbing was terribly sloppy). Without hesitation, she steps out onto the yard and walks quickly to the outer tie.
Her balancing act is slightly more wobbly than she'd hoped, but she arrives safely at the far tie and sets to loosening it. As the first corner falls, she walks back to the inner tie and unfurls it as well. Picking up her pace she walks back past the mast to the inner tie on the opposite side and sets to work loosing it.
She arrives at the third tie quickly; it proves a bit more stubborn, but she still slips it loose in short order. The end in sight, she walks the last fifteen feet to to the final tie and sets to work.
As her sail falls open, Val walks casually across the yard, back to the mast, tugging her hat in salute to those who cheer her on.
Valeria reaches the top a little bit ahead of Haines and heads out to the end of the yard to begin untying the mainsail. In the meanwhile, the rest of you watch and cheer from the dock.
Donomsail is to caught up in the contest, her new ring and the book that was waiting for her in their room. Never had she imagined that others would care so much for her and she is currently not focused on some silly person that she has never seen before.
Alert for treachery (given that she's planning some herself), Harmony spots the sailor hanging around near the ropes and jabs Tessa in the side before hurling her harpoon towards the man.
It flies wide, sticking in the deck but drawing the man's eye before it reappears in Harmony's grip.
Marisan is oblivious.
Until suddenly, Harmony is throwing her harpoon at someone, quite badly, in truth. "What's going on?" she asks ready to throw lighting at the man if need me.
"What?! I'm wat-" she is interrupted by Harmony's harpoon hurling.
She looks back to Harmony and asks "Hey, Vi, what's that bald guy doing over there?" she says, pointing.
"He's near the forestay boom. Too near." Harmony says curtly. "It's sabotage, or a damn high chance of it. Go discourage him Lacey." Harmony isn't usually this bossy but clearly the tension is making her forget the usual niceties.
Tessa nods, backing up and slipping away to approach the bald man, Wayfinder somehow having slipped into her hand. As she quickly closes the distance she calls out to him, "Hey there! I seem to have lost my way, the same as you, funny that, hmmm?"
Pointing at forestay boom with her blade, she says "You wouldn't be attempting to do anything to that boom there, would you?"
As Tessa approaches the man, she sees him start. She can tell now that he was attempting to untie the rope holding the forestay in place. He sees her as well. Abandoning all pretense, he whips out a dagger and begins cutting through the rope.
~~~~
Valeria unbinds the sail at the far end of the yard and begins unfurling the material. Her competition reaches the inside binding.
Harmony takes a moment to grease the yard that the opposing sailor has to traverse. Apparently all's fair in this particular contest...
"I could cast haste on her. Should I?" Polli asks Harmony.
"Stop that!" she hissess as she spins and buries Wayfinder's pommel squarely into the man's nose with tremendous force.
The bald man collapses to the deck as a spray of blood covers his face. The crowd jeers and laughs at the sideshow while the contest continues above.
Both contestants display skill and the ability to handle rope and sail. But the edge Valeria gained climbing up the mast remains throughout and she finishes first to applause from below.
With a grumble, Tsadok pronounces Valeria the winner as she and her opponent descend to the deck. "At least it looks like one of ya knows how to handle yerself on a ship," he adds.
"Test number Two," he announces in a louder voice. "Do you have the luck and the smarts to be a Free Captain? A game of Bastard's Fool will decide."
A table is brought out and set on the aft deck of the Siren and a mismatched deck of cards is produced.
"The stakes be 100 platinum coins and the 'Port Peril' rule is in place - the winner of each hand drinks a ration cup of Gutburn Rum to the loser's health. Now who's playing?"
Harmony steps up with a smile, "The question is who am I playing? I'd like to commiserate them before I take all their money."
Before the game starts, Polli will slip off her new ring and give it to the Captain, "For luck" Polli has been worrying about if Dony will like the ring the entire trip here, so Harmony knows what is it about.
Then she will entwin her hand into the tielfing and lead her back to a decently quiet spot. Get a quick snuggle into her love, then start listening to the surface thoughts of Harmony's opponent, relaying the cards in his hand to Dony, and then from Dony to Harmony. Whispering words only the captain could hear.
"You'll be playing against me," Tsadok says with a grin, displaying the tooth that gave him his name.
Harmony has her stake converted into a hundred shiny platinum pieces and then she and Tsadok take opposite sides of the table with the dealer standing at the side between them.
"If the lady would like to cut the deck?" the dealer says, presenting the deck of mixed cards to Harmony. Meanwhile, Tsadok tosses a platinum coin in as his ante.
Harmony cuts, and then gives Tsadok a contemptuous glance. "Why use platinum if you're going to play like a beggar Tsadok?" She asks. "I thought you had balls."
She drops a full ten platinum onto the table and meets his eye. "So?"
Tsodok's grin fades a little and he pushes in nine more coins. He discards and draws more cards.
Harmony grins widely and triples her stake.
"Do you have the luck and smarts to lose to a Free Captain?" She asks, all easy confidence.
Tsodok narrows his eyes at Harmony and pushes his cards in.
The dealer collects the cards and gestures for each player to ante up. Tsodok tosses in another platinum. Once Harmony antes in, the dealer passes out the initial hands again.
Harmony smiles condescendingly. "Fine, we'll play your way for now." and adds a single coin.
She waits for Tsadok to bet, face impassive.
The half-orc pushes in five platinum with a calm hand.
"Betting big this time?" Harmony asks. "Well I like my cards too. So..." She adds fifteen coins, pushing the stake to twenty platinum.
"oh he does not like her" the wizard laughs lightly as she nuzzles further in, but Concentrates Not on the soft warmth of the cleric, or her silky hair, or... NO she is concentrating on the foul inky blackness of that Man's mind.
Tsodok grumbles a little louder this time and tosses his cards in along with a single coin as ante for the next hand.
"Oh for the love of the gods." Harmony groans as the orc continues to bet like an old woman. She throws five in and then looks at her hand - a load of garbage.
"He's cheating too" she tells Dony to relay that and then goes to grab Val. "See if he does any tricks when he deals, or if you can see any marks on the cards at all."
As Tsodok considers his cards, one of his flunkies leans in and whispers in his ear and gestures toward the small keg sitting next to the table.
"You should have said something earlier!" the half-orc snaps at him. A flagon is quickly filled from the keg and set on the table.
Tsodok pushes ten coins into the pot and smiles.
Harmony takes advantage of the half-orcs distraction and turns to Tessa. "Lacey, did I ever tell you the joke about the half-orc who thought he was a paladin? He went from Hero to Zero in less time than it takes to fall down a hole!" It isn't the best joke in the world so there must be a reason Harmony is doing this...
And indeed there is.
"Why Tsadok." Harmony says, all false concern. "Your dealer can't do his job. He dealt you cards from the bottom of the deck rather than the top! I believe that's cheating? Put the cards back, there's a good fellow. Then we can get a new dealer in."
"An incompetent dealer doesn't cancel the hand," Tsodok says with a grin, waving away the dealer. "Bets are on the table. The hand needs be finished."
The dealer steps away, leaving the deck on the table. Tsodok pushes ten more coins into the pot as his bet and waits for Harmony to respond.
Harmony matches the bet immediately. She knows exactly how good his hand is, but his bluffing skills have left a lot to be desired so far.
Tsodok flips over his cards with a flourish, revealing a perfect twenty which beats Harmony's fourteen.
The half-orc reaches over and grabs the mug. He drains it in one long swallow and hands it back for one of his flunkies to refill.
With exaggerated care, he, himself, deals cards out to Harmony and himself before tossing a single platinum onto the table.
Harmony rolls her eyes and slides a single platinum across the table with a sigh...
before sitting back to watch him calmly. The fact that he hasn't cheated on this hand is just irritating.
Tsodok grins and pushes ten coins into the pot.
Harmony returns her cards. Leaving the man with precisely two coins for his mug of rum.
"Can we please make this interesting?" She says, flipping her hair back. "Ten platinum from now on, each hand."
She makes a show of fiddling with her coins, weaving the stacks through a rapid series of gestures. "Go on. As a favor to me?"
Tsodok leans back as the magic fails to overcome his will. "Magic won't pass this test for ya," he says with a growl.
He slams back the Winner's mug and it's refilled. He deals another hand and tosses his ante in. The game continues on, but with Polli reading the half-orc's mind and passing that information along to Dony who whispers it to Harmony, the conclusion is a forgone conclusion.
With both of the contestants slightly tipsy, Harmony takes the final hand and Tsodok leans back in frustration. "Fine. You pass this test as well," he grumbles. As one of his flunkies grabs the small keg, the half-orc leans forward to take his platinum coins back. "It's just a friendly game for show. The stakes aren't real."
~~~~~
"The last test is taken by all of you," Tsodok says, gesturing towards the officers. "A pirate needs to be able to fight. So your task is to defend your ship from a single boarder. You should be able to handle that, right?" He laughs and indicates for the rest of the crew to leave the ship. It seems that this challenge is solely for the officers.
"You can position yourselves anywhere on your ship. The rules are simple; Defeat the border by any means available. This is really a pass/fail sort of test. You pass it or die."
Once the officers have positioned themselves, a very large, covered cage is rolled down the dock towards the ship. The cover is pulled off and the cage is opened revealing an obese, fish-faced giant.
Combat Begins!
Round 1