"C'mon Marisan, I don't care how you do it or why you do it that way, as long as it's done right."
"Crow, me ducky, tell me about yerself. Who knit ye?"
In chatting with the crew, Saph finds that the raiders who've been around for a while are all pretty helpful already and the new recruits are less committed than she wants to deal with , so she settles on spending some time with the old riggers and improves the attitudes of both Mouse and Desertflower. Aersten's first day talking with Marisan does not go well and she leaves very nearly in a worse mood than when she arrived; the next day, however, goes much better and she seems more certain of her new crew and position by the end of it. Paddy doesn't make any progress with Crow, but doesn't make things any worse either.
Hedy concentrates on a few of the raiders, Kito and Zahur.
Looks like I am creating Aersten's Amulet of Natural Armor.
@Aersten: Do you want a +1(1,000 gp)? or +2 (4,000 gp)?
Aerin immediately starts to make the Amulet that Aersten asks for. It had been quite some time, with the exception of Sappire's gloves, since she'd made anything for anyone else and she found that she enjoyed it more than she remembered. After a day spent locked in her room she comes out with the Amulet and starts searching for Aersten, upon finding him she holds up the crafted item.
The amulet itself would remind one of Aersten's own armor. Except that it is made of black gold and is, of course, smaller. Also it has a cap or a lid that goes across the top, where the head would emerge on a suit of real armor. Turning it over Aersten can see that the bottom is similarly sealed except that here you can see through the sealing material, upon looking inside he can see a small piece of a Chuul carapace floating inside. All of it accompanied with a thin but strong chain that reminds one of the chain the anchor is attached to.
"Here you are. I hope that this keeps you safe for a long, long time."
She stands there watching him as he looks it over, ready to answer any questions he might have.
Aersten takes the amulet. "I hope so as well," he says, grinning as he examines it. "I don't have to do anything with it, do I? It just does its thing?" He slips it aorund his neck, then tentatively taps his chest. "No, I can feel the difference already." Focusing back on his shipmate, he nods gratefully. "Tak, Aerin." Nodding at the bit of carapace inside the amulet, he asks, "Is there a market for this sort of stuff, or did you pick that up yourself? I've kind of been hoping the former; increases the chance someone's gonna pony up for old Waffles."
Still idly examining the back of his neck with his fingers, he muses out loud, "Huh, feels almost like Mother."
Lifting your hand to her mouth, she gives it a soft kiss and almost whispers, "Honestly, right now it's hard to think about much past a soft bed and some privacy..."
Two full days pass at sea as the Night Talon makes it's way south. Hedy's efforts, like those of several other officers, are rewarded with a happier more loyal crew. In the afternoon, Crow spots Motaku Isle growing on the horizon. As the sun starts to set, the ship rounds the bend into Quent's deep water harbor. The city is only about a fourth of the size of Port Peril, but that's still large enough to be bustling with activity. As the ship approaches the docks, the harbormaster--a middle aged Chelaxian woman with dark hair and a hooked nose--guides it towards an empty berth with the glowing tip of her staff.
All along the coast, the docks are surrounded by warehouses. A wide, well-lit road leads inland, flanked by all manner of taverns and shops; it runs straight to a tall temple at the city's center: Calistria's House of Stolen Kisses, known far and wide for both the quality of its sacred prostitutes and its reputation as an information brokerage. The sides of the hills overlooking the city and the harbor are dotted with large manor houses.
Once the Night Talon has been tied off, the harbormaster boards and enters her in the ledger with only a glance into the hold. Once she has collected the standard fees (2 gold to dock plus a gold per day to stay), she smiles and says, "Welcome to Quent."
When the ship is secured at the dock, Saph says, “Oh! Tessa Fairwind is from here! I heard about her! She and Hedy Bogg should get along just fine! I did actually do some research at Port Peril.”
Saph intends to do more research on this area at the Lilibeth’s. And if there’s a map, she’ll ask about Little Oppara.
But before she gets that far, she learns something that comes as a shock. “Ronnie… I have to ask Hedy something.” She looks for the Captain. She wouldn’t leave the ship without saying goodbye or offering to join the crew for a meal anyway. She might not be a pirate, but she isn’t about to get all judgy.
When she finds Hedy, she says, “There’s a very odd place here. I just want to know…"
Hedy is organizing their cargo to be sold when Saph comes up. She raises a dark eyebrow as the blue woman starts to talk and then pauses, waiting...
“Well, I learned about Tessa Fairwind before at Port Peril—you’d like her. She’s favored for Hurricane King. Should change it to Queen, but anyway… she started out at the House of Stolen Kisses.”
Saph seems a bit puzzled by this place. And apologetic for even mentioning it.
“Sorry. I should be saying things like goodbye and thank you, and… planning a meal to celebrate. I mean, it was a victorious raid!
“If you’d rather not talk about this… place… yeah, I mean, it’s a touchy topic for me actually. But I thought maybe your opinion might help.”
Hedy shakes her head "The House of Stolen Kisses does not keep slaves. Nothing wrong with being a whore, Sapphire. It is only wrong to be forced to be a whore."
Aersten seeks out the dwarf quartermaster. "Oi, Paddy. Will the captain already have a plan for how to do this, or should you and me maybe look for a buyer for baby Waffles?"
Saph smiles. “Okay. That’s what it sounded like. I just wanted to know they’re free before I… y’know, maybe settle here.”
She stammers a delayed self-correction. “Not free like… y’know. Money for services. Free, like… of choice.” She blushes.
Paddy replies "Last time, it be de First Mate dat did the sellings, but I reckon we could do it. Ye any good barterin b'y?"
Aersten shrugs. "Dunno. Better'n some, worse'n others. Just keen to see old Waffles gone and turned into coin in our pockets before some kinda calamity happens. If that's Murillo's job, no harm in us lining something up, makin' things easier for him, eh?"
"I tells ye what. I'll play good pirate, an ye play bad pirate, an we sees what fish swim by."
He claps Aersten on the shoulder. "If we does good, I reckon de First Mate be right impressed. Let's get er underway."
Aersten grins a troublemaker's grin. "'Course, we screw this up, and instead of eatin' waffles, Waffles might well be eating us!"
"Settle... there? You are going from pirate to prostitute? I mean you will do well, I don't doubt, but it seems odder than the opposite path." Hedy gives the big woman a grin. "We'll be selling and telling tales for a few days. Stop back in when you are ready for your goodbyes... never liked them myself, but..." she shrugs, not finishing the sentence. "Excuse me" she nods, then goes to collect their wizard.
"Aerin, if you would be so kind I'd like you to come with me to tell the tale of the Talon. It helps make sure other pirates don't get an idea to come after us... and it's fun. Your magic, combined with the fact you look like heaven manifested in the flesh, will help get and keep an audience."
“No, not—I wasn’t implying—I don’t even…!” Saph sees Hedy has business to tend to, so Saph doesn’t delay her with a fourth attempt to explain herself.
She gets back to Ronnie, intent on getting a room at Lilibeth’s and learning about the area.
Aersten grins a troublemaker's grin. "'Course, we screw this up, and instead of eatin' waffles, Waffles might well be eating us!"
"Aye! An a lardy Boolay she'd be!" Paddy grins as he dashes to catch up to Mr. Long Legs
“I was thinking that my masters had a good idea, aside from the forced prostitution. Y’know, like… wrestling for a crowd? I think you and I could pull it off, but especially if we found a bunch of other girls who don’t mind basically writhing on a mat with each other in their underwear. They could have stage names like Hulk Helga, Stone Cold Steph, Audrey the Giant…
“How about we head over to the House of Stolen Kisses and propose this idea, then demonstrate a rigged match. See if we can get any interest?”
Assuming Ronnie is interested in seeing how this goes, Saph puts on her gold dress and, once at the ‘temple,’ she introduces herself and Ronnie, then asks for a moment with some of the ladies.
If they hear Saph out, she tells of her past—of the wrestling matches, as well as the forced prostitution that she learned of prior to escaping. “I think the wrestling attracted a decent crowd, but I will admit—if you wanted to practice your faith, I guess you could get some donations to Calistria after your match.
“I could teach you all some very effective self-defense techniques—so you’d be quite capable of wrestling for real. But matches would be somewhat scripted.” Saph takes a coin and flips it.
“Rowdy Ronnie and I will get into a five-minute match. The coin has decided the winner.”
Saph and Ronnie then strip down to their lingerie and put on a show!
Saph seems to be at a clear advantage, she pulls off several holds, trips, cheap shots, and some of the holds might appear better suited for the bedroom than the ring. She lifts Ronnie overhead for what will surely be a savage slam—only to end up in a leg lock. She pratfalls quite convincingly as Ronnie tumbles with her and defeats the Sapphire Bullet with a pin.
“A girl’s gotta be very comfortable with her body to do this sorta thing in front of people. And you gotta be comfortable with another girl’s body to enjoy it. Any takers?”
"Narrative aid! Sounds like fun. Count me in." With that Aerin gets herself ready to be part of a show. Putting on a dress designed to show off herself the best way possible, but not to take away attention from Hedy as the story teller. Using her magic to add to the drama of the tale is something that Aerin found fun, being able to use her abilities in a new and unique way as well as seeing how to keep the attention of the audience was all a learning experience for her.
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EDIT: no way Murillo would smile, even I know that.
Saph replies to the priestess, “Well, I wouldn’t suggest doing the matches here. It would be false advertising, and that wouldn’t help my show or your temple. I’d imagine The Lusty Mermaid would attract the right crowd. If the show starts attracting larger audiences, the theater’s my long game.”
She looks around at the women. “If men see you wrestle, they will pay to spend the night with you. But you’re already getting that without a gimmick.
“So it’s not a matter of whether you ladies need to be part of the show I’m proposing. It’s a matter of want. If you think it would be fun, those interested can get free martial arts lessons on the rehearsal nights, and you’re welcome to add your own talent to make the show a better feast for the eyes.”
She pauses to see if there’s any interest at all…
Failing that, she’ll sincerely thank the women for their time. (And see the pink-haired priestess’ demo, if Ronnie wants.)
Hedy has never been one to feel she must be alone in the spotlight. Yes, she likes attention just like most, but sharing is fun as well. So the raven-haired beauty pulls the stunning sorcerous into the actual telling just as must as the 'technical' side of the performance. Her own quick wit and exotic looks weave well with Aerin's, making each telling a sight to see.
The captain of course dresses as always as the captain. Tricorn in waves of black, velvet blue fitted coat, soft white blouse over silver chain, and layers of colorful skirts.
And also, as always, she finds a partner(s) each night to enjoy some long and thorough exercise with.
After promising just to look around at prices, Paddy's eyes turn to golden coins at the sound of a thousand gold pieces. Without even consulting Aersten, he reaches out and says "Ye got yerself a deal b'y!"
Somewhere, Murillo discovers that the baby bullette is missing.
Unless someone tells Paddy to stop, he takes up selling the rest of the plunder, hopefully with Aersten's assistance. He's quite aggressive with his negotiations, with his tactic to be as much of a nuisance as possible until people just do what he wants, so they can get rid of him.
On the evening of the third day in port, the officers gather at the Barnacle to eat and drink together and to appraise one another of how their tasks are progressing. As they finish eating, the door to the tavern bursts open. In stumbles a burly, drunken dwarf with wild hair and a big, bushy beard (even by dwarven standard). He’s garishly dressed in a ridiculous suit of armor comprised of large plates of red reefclaw chitin secured to a backing of white ray-hide. ”Happy Kristog!” he bellows, as he reaches into the bag hanging from his shoulder.
”What the f#ck is Kristog?!?” a rather surly, half-drunk woman hollers back at him.
”I am!” he shouts in reply. ”Today’s m’birthday, ‘n I’m happy ‘bout it...” His hand emerges from his bag clutching a bunch of paper-wrapped poppers of various colors. “presents for everyone! Happy Kristog! Use ‘em caref’ly though...” The dwarf stumbles through the whole common room, tossing exactly one of his gifts to each person present.
Hedy's drinking with proper restraint, coupled with a heaping bowl of the local gumbo, which she favors with obvious delight. "Happy Kristog, Kristog?" she voice trails into a question at the oddity of naming the day after himself, but she grins none the less when she is given a gift. She starts to open it immediately but stops once she notices (or is told) about its magical nature. "Oh that is a little bit of lovely chaos isn't it."
"We set sail again in two days. Is everything in order?" she goes back to talking to her officers.
Aerin smiles hesitantly but accepts the gift, putting it aside she forgets about it until it is time for her to leave. "Two days? I shall be ready. Any idea where we are headed?"
Hearing Hedy’s questioning tone, Saph notes, “Kristog being synonymous with ‘birthday’ isn’t so bad, since his Kristog suit isn’t his birthday suit.”
Thanks to her ‘stage’ training, such as it was, Saph successfully treads that fine line between stupid and clever.
"Settin sail again? But I hasn't spent all me shilins yet." Paddy complains
Saph studies her Kristog present, seeing it as a shiny new toy or maybe more like an ornament? She eventually takes her eyes off it and says to the others, “Wherever your next journey takes you, I wish you well. It’s not the life for me, but I never would’ve met Ronnie had I never given it a shot.
“Still gotta scope out the area, particularly that little island to the south, but… I think we got a fun future here.”
"We're sailors, dear Paddy. Too much steady land under us makes us soft." she smiles then turns to Aerin "We need to head back to Peril to grab the shipless captain Murillo found for us to exploit. I hate making the trek with nothing in our hold, so we'll keep an eye out for a ship on our way. Hope is a forever sputtering candle though so it might just be a quiet stroll."
To the blue one, "I wish you two all the best." she raises her glass "To the most stunning blue warrior queen the sea has ever seen."
Te de Blue Boobie!
"Well we best see what's in store first, eh?"
“You make a better Queen of the Sea than I do,” Saph replies, clinking her glass. “I’m gonna settle for Queen of the Ring.”
“Best of luck to you both, Sapphire.” The first mate’s wishes sound genuine, as does his follow-up praise. ”And a good job done by you lot, Vidsun and Paddy, dispensing of that bullette first, and at a fine price.” It would seem even Murillo is caught up in the Kristog spirit!
Since his crew has handily sold off their cargo, Murillo will spend his time in port seeking out and commiserating with fellow faithful of Besmara.
The second day is less successful, turning up only a handful of random visiting pirates. You spend the afternoon drinking with one of them--Gob, the gunners mate from the Slippery Spear--and part on friendly terms.
On the third day you discover that the harbormaster is a fellow Besmaran and succeed in ingratiating yourself to her.
“Best of luck to you both, Sapphire.”
“Thanks, Murillo,” Saph replies, adding the obligatory “We’ll need it! But if we can take our tales of life on the Talon, and pique people’s curiosity, maybe we can use that to push our own careers…”
As Murillo congratulates Paddy and Aersten for their salesmanship (Saph guesses), Saph decides to embellish on her punishment of the lowest of the low.
“So, there we were, ready to accept a mostly-peaceful surrender.” She conveniently leaves out the bolt-ridden warm bodies and the burning sails. “And what does the head guard do?” She gives a listener a chance to guess.
When a drunken codger immediately guesses, Saph acts like it was expected. “F!$@er, right? Maybe you can guess what happened after that. A hint: the people they betrayed survived. They knew not to fight when… well, do you want the gory details?” Saph gives the crowd what they want. She plans to make a habit of this.
"Thank ye, First Mate. Me n Aersten know a ting or ten, I reckon." He slaps his buddy on the back, proud of the accomplishment.
Paddy takes his share of the treasure, and buys himself something he's wanted for years: A Neverspill Tankard. He fills the tankard with some of his favourite ale, Dwarven Fire.