"Heya, Aerin? I been tinkin, didju ask me te git oudda 'ere? Witchu righ?"
Hedy will try and find a place to stack out the room, giving it a listen every once in a while.
"Well I can't get any info out of anyone here. I heard that man there," and she points, turning Paddy in the proper direction to make sure he knows who she is talking about, "mention Felnas but I wasn't able to get anything else from him. You can try but if it's a bust then I think we should try elsewhere."
Paddy sneers as Aerin points out the man in question, and he says "Leave it t'me luv, I'll 'ave 'im singin in no time."
Paddy staggers over to the man and looks him dead in the eye since he's sitting. "Oy bub. I's godda bone te pick wid Knife-Ears, an ye'll tell me all ye know bout 'im. Where'se now and where'se goin? Tell me afore I deck yer teef in an sell em te a doctor." He raises his fist menacingly.
Hedy looks around and quickly discovers that, although there are plenty of places to sit with a view of that door, there is no conceivable way to eavesdrop on any of the rooms off the balcony, short of magic. The balcony is only about five feet deep and peppered with other potential companions. An invisible person could stand outside the door and listen, or a spell like clairaudience could be used, but short of that, the only way to listen in would be to climb up the outside of the building and listen at the window.
Paddy stumbles over to the man Aerin indicated. The dwarf is too far into his cups to realize its the same man who already told him about Felnas' arrival in the rowboat (especially since all beardless humans look alike). The drunken threats, however, seem to jog his memory and he stammers, "no, no, wait... I, I do remember something else... one of his,uh, crew, didn't leave with him. An orc. He stayed here when the rest left rest. He, he's been working for Wide Olga..."
"Wide Olga!" Paddy exclaims, with his eyes nearly rolling into his skull. "Thanks b'y. Godsbye."
Stumbling past Aerin and heading out the door, Paddy says "I gots it. We gonna find an Orc! I feels like I'm takin me lost 'omelands already. Lesgo! Aerin!"
Once he's out the door, he realizes he forgot to ask where Wide Olga lives.
Hedy sighs, then goes to find their mage at the buffet "Can you make someone invisible by any chance?"
Aerin follows Paddy, assuming he knows where he is going. After all, she tells herself, if anyone knows where to find an Orc named Wide Olga it would be Paddy. "Damn! For a short guy he sure can move fast when he wants to." She says outloud as she hurries to keep up.
As Aerin heads out into the street she spots Hedy striding towards her and Paddy slowly turning in a circle--as if confused about where he's headed--not far from the entrance.
Aersten patrols the deck, doing his best to keep those on watch prepared. "Just be ready, folks. I don't know exactly what the Captain's plans will end up being, but there's a good chance we could find ourselves very busy very fast, okay?" He peers around, his enhanced vision helping to cut through the shadows to some small extent, but the chatter among the crew making it hard to focus.
It doesn't take more than one or two questions of people on their way in and out of the buffet for Paddy to discover that Wide Olga is probably on her ship--the Beckoning Nereid--which is docked in the harbor. When the man who volunteered that information realizes that the dwarf might not be thinking straight, he informs Aerin, "she's one of the two free captains fighting for control of the town... I'd steer clear of that ship unless you're ready to join her side..."
His canvassing of townsfolk complete, Murillo returns to the Talon and finds the bosun.
"Anything to report, Vidsun?"
As Aersten stands there peering at the far piers, Murillo comes aboard and calls to him. The young Ulfen's head snaps around to report. "Evenin' sir. Nothing to report as such. We're all quiet, but I'm awfully curious what's goin' on over there," Aersten points out the two ships at the west end of the harbor. "I had half a mind to try'n get a closer look, but that could be the kinda nosy that gets a guy into beaucoup trouble. Trying to figure a pretext for goin' wandering," he finishes with a smirk.
Hedy walks up to the elf with a "Felnas, is that you?"
To move us on, what she is will be trying to do is start a conversation. And then steer to the rumors from Port Peril, and hope to instill the worry he might be killed after he gets them to the treasure.
... realizes that the dwarf might not be thinking straight,...
Paddy staggers his way over to the Beckoning Nereid and starts looking around for an Orc.
Once Aerin hears who Wide Olga is she turns to Paddy with concern. "Paddy, are you sure this is a good idea? If we're seen trying to get on her boat one of two things will happen; either everyone will assume that we've thrown our support behind her or she'll figure we've been sent to remove her from the competition. Either one involves our entire ship. I don't see this as a good move without talking to Hedy first." She won't physically restrain him but she will definitely try to steer him away from The Beckoning Nereid and back to their own ship.
"Well.. erm. Ye make a good point, lass." Paddy says as he stumbles in the direction of the Talon, but then he swirls back around. "But it'd not 'urt te take a looksee, eh? Don't need te stand on de ship te find an'Orc."
"Yes," the elf answers as he turns to see how is addressing him. A look of confusion passes across his face and he asks, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
As the two officers stand on the deck of the Night Talon discussing a potential pretext for checking out one of the two active ships, they spot Paddy and Aerin. The sorceress appears to be following the dwarf and when they first arrive they head towards the docks on the northern side on the harbor (despite the ship being docked on the south side). Then they quickly turn and head back towards the fork, only to stop again there for some manner of conversation.
"Those could be Grudd and Olga's boats. Getting an idea of what they're up to would be good - it might help to figure out why they're bothering to fight over this town." Murillo frowns as he notices Paddy and Aerin's back-and-forth across the docks.
"Let's go have a look, bosun. For now, our "pretext" will be collecting errant members of our crew."
"Sounds good, sir." And with that, buoyed by the Chaplain's confidence, Aersten follows the man down the pier to engage in a little discreet snooping.
"Perhaps we can go with a 'Pardon us we are drunk and confused' defense if we are caught snooping. " She says, more to herself, as if trying to convince herself to do something that she knows is dangerous but could be helpful.
She lays out the terms she would at one quarter, and the promise of his life, from woman who gave him the respect as another captain by not disturbing his activities.
Felnas seems to believe you about the danger he may be in and appreciative of the respect you've shown, but he remains reticent about your offer. "A safer arrangement would be preferable," he agrees, "but that's a third of what Quince offered... a quarter isn't enough to get me going again. Halves. Go half and half with me and I'll head back to your ship with right now."
Murillo and Aersten arrive at the harbor's inner end while Paddy and Aerin are still discussing their strategy for snooping. Unfortunately, this journey did not take them past either of the two ships that the first mate suspects belong to Grudd and Olga.
Aerin, grateful that someone with more authority has shown up, tells Aersten and Murillo what they know about the situation. Which isn't much, Orc named Wide Olga, on her ship The Breaking Nereid, wants to take over the town, opposed to Felnas. Yes, it is info they all know but since everyone has gotten it separately she doesn't know what they know.
"The majority of the danger is on my ship and my people, as well as to seeing those people get shares of their own." Hedy takes a moment to consider, especially given this man's lack of appropriate fear. "A third I could do, as well as additional funds as an Investment, to be paid back of course. The Talon and the Soon-to-be-named would pair up until that debt was satisfied. Two wolves among the sheep."
"Nono, wide Olga ain't de Orc. De Orc used te be on Knife-Ear's ship, but jumped fer Olga." Paddy says. "I need ye's te 'elp me talk te de Orc."
"Does this orc have a name?"
Felnas' eyes narrow and he examines you with some incredulity. "So... you're offering one-third off the top, and then you'll loan me enough funds beyond that third to get a ship and crew together, and--in return--I pay back just the sum beyond my third and align my ship with yours?"
It's clear that he's giving the offer some real consideration as he asks, "what would the rate be on the loan, and what type of alliance are we talking about here?"
"We hunt together, two ships can take on bigger prey. Once gutted, we split the bounty, with a percentage taken out to pay your loan off. Over and again, until all is settled." Hedy sips her watered-down wine "Simple and beneficial."
"Midunno, but 'ow many orcs can dere be?" Paddy answers. He's slowly starting to sober... slowly.
”An equal partnership?” Felnas asks with a hint of skepticism, “That sounds messy... what happens when we disagree?”
"I didn't say equal, good sir. Until you would pay off your loan, you would be in my debt." Hedy smiled like a cat who is rather enjoying herself. "Meaning if we disagree, and we can't come to a reasonable compromise, well then you'd need to pay me back at that moment or we'd have a deep and rather painful discussion."
”Ah, I see,” the elf answers, clearly not enjoying the conversation as much as Hedy. “Allow me to make a counter offer... I take a third plus the loan at 25%, as you said, but once I get my new ship sailing you sail with me—follow my lead—until the debt is paid, then I’ll sponsor you for recognition as a free captain. Afterwards we can part ways amicably and remain allies from afar?”
Hedy shakes her head with the same smile "No, not interested in following anyone's lead. Not even an esteemed captain such as yourself.
Just as you don't want to follow mine. We'll muddle through with the Mess as you put it. Or we won't." Hedy sighs and stands. "It's been a long night, one irritatingly unfulfilling as I waited for our talk in a lovely den of pleasure like this. So make your choice, with me or take your chances."
"Midunno, but 'ow many orcs can dere be?"
"Ask Koldukar," Aersten quips. "So this guy, we think he might be on one of those two ships. We feeling lucky on which?" He gestures to the closer one that's on their side of the harbor.
Felnas frowns as he stares off contemplatively. "Do any of your crew have the means to breath underwater, or to allow others to breath underwater? My ship did sink and we won't have much luck hauling its cargo up if you don't have crew that can go down and get it..."
"Who's Kolduckar?"
Aerin looks around at the various ships at the dock and suggests a very piratey idea. "What if we set a ship on thefar side on fire? Then we can sneak aboard when everyone is distracted. "
Aersten dismisses Paddy's addled response, too horrified at Aerin's idea of them lighting the whole dock on fire. "Uhh, Aerin, even for a pirate town, that's a bit much. The watch would..." Aersten's eyes go wide a moment. "Hold that thought. No lighting anything on fire while I'm gone." Then, he heads over to the most bored-looking city watchman he can find. "Hey, which one of these is the Beckoning Nereid?"
"We have a cleric of the great goddess of piracy herself who is quite capable of doing so... plus I have these." Hedy pulls back her glossy hair to show a set of gills, then settles for one more moment to see if the elven captain has an answer.
The bored watchman barely even acknowledges Aersten, but grunts and gestures towards the ship at the far end of the northern dock.