"Listen up, Bigjob! Ya can call me Gridolpho. Or ya can call me Ninefingers. Ya can even call me 'Hey, Sexy!'
BUT CALL ME SMALL AGAIN AND YE'LL FIND OUT THE DANGERS OF INSULTING SOMEONE WHO CAN HEADBUTT YA IN THA DANGLIES!"
" And you may call me Sayyida, Emirra al Hurra, Captain or, if you earn my admiration, Your Grace."
" I meant no disrespect as I'm certain you meant none with the term 'bigjob', as they say it is not the size of the weapon but the skill with which it is wielded."
" We'll put aside for the moment whether your head will be going anywhere near areas of mine that most certainly do not 'dangle' until we are much better acquainted."
She gave him a wicked smile and followed him up the gangplank.
A small crowd forms around Gridolpho to marvel at his skilled juggling. A good number of them toss silver pieces into the waiting cap, and by the time he is finished the total comes out to 36 silver pieces.
It is quite apparent that the gathered people have grown rather interested in the conversation, and many of them are openly gossiping as several members of the party have mentioned the meeting with Admiral North. But as the ship pulls into the port, they fall into silence. The gangplank falls with a dull thud. Two burly sailors descend down the gangplank towards you, followed by a girl who appears to be a half-elf.
"Greetings!" the girl says with a smile as she sees the six of you waiting on the dock. "I see all of you decided to come! How delightful! My father is eager to meet you, so let's not keep him waiting."
She and the two crew members step out of the way to allow you to ascend onto the ship.
She flashed the young woman a broad smile, " Indeed your deportment does your family proud, Bibi North.....forgive me, do your people take your fathers or mothers family name.....it is something I oft wondered on and those who sail the seas are not the best guides as so many go by colloquial names, descriptors or aggrandisements."
" Forgive me, I hope we can have a longer conversation once I have met with your Father."
"Most of the time I use my father's surname," she says in reply to Sayyida with a grin. "Though in some places my mother's is more convenient. In any case, there is no need to be so formal. You may all call me Alana."
Silent like a shadow Emrys watched as the five strangers. ‘Naut seemed to lack common sense, Areleo was either too uncouth or too egocentric, Gridolpho comically explosive. Sayyida behaved the best out of them, thick skinned and at least making efforts to be polite. Of course, the way she called Ninefingers was less than respectful. One should never use terms fitting for children when referring to halflings, dwarves or gnomes. It didn’t take long for the ship to dock. Tide Runner, he said with the voice of his mind. No merchant wort their salt was strange to the name. From its deck three emissaries came to the band of misfits.
The woman seemed to be a half-elf, which meant that she could be decades old despite her youthful appearance. Her words all but confirmed his assumption that they were all called there by the Admiral. Complete strangers, otherwise unlikely to meet. All but himself clearly adept at combat. So North needs muscle to deal with something and think it best to not use his usual forces. That was the only conceivable answer.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Alana.” Goldenleaf answered, following her into the ship. Whatever the case, he pondered, it will be at the very least an opportunity to cause a good impression on the man. That was a door for his kind of work. “I am Emrys.”
A fact he half expected her to know. After all, there were but two halflings amongst the those who were invited.
"Gridolpho, Sayyida, Emrys, Areleo, Alana. Noted and memorized." The Aquanaut counts off each head rather unusually, pointing to each with an individual digit, the fingers twisting without structure to lock onto each. A thick pinky slithers down to point at the dwarf. "You have not introduced yourself. It's okay if you don't have a name. They're sometimes very silly, if sometimes necessary when verbal communication is the prime method of conveying information in a society. People are boarding the ship now."
'Naut leaves to walk up the gangplank, which slightly bends under their weight, any thoughts about names seemingly immediately abandoned in favor of this new excitement.
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Merigar walks up the gang plank beside 'Naut and looks down as it slightly bends because of 'Naut's weight, He continues twiddling his marble and then opens his mouth to speak
"The name is Merigar, i hope we can make good acquaintances but i have to ask, what are you? I am sorry if it seems rude."
As Merigar twiddles his marble you see some small sparks starting to come from the marble but they stop abruptly. When Merigar notices the sparks a look of concern washes over him and he puts his marble away.
Once everyone is onboard, Alana proceeds to escort you to the Admiral's study while making cheery chit-chat with anyone who is willing to engage with her. You all notice that this is a really, really big ship and it takes several minutes to reach your destination. The crew mostly ignore you, though you may catch a few sidelong glances as you pass by.
Eventually, you make it to the study, where the Admiral is waiting for you.
It is hard to tell exactly how old the human really is, as it is likely that he has been prematurely aged by a difficult life. He looks up from his notes as the door opens to admit you, and he smiles tiredly.
"Ah, welcome! So good of you all to come."
The Admiral gets to his feet... or, at least, to a foot. His left leg is missing, replaced with peg prosthetic made mostly out of carved ivory and held in place with a few leather straps and silver buckles. He takes a moment to give each of you a firm handshake before returning to his seat and gesturing to several chairs surrounding the table in the middle of the room.
"Please, take a seat and make yourselves at home. We have much to discuss. And Alana, would you please get the door for us?"
The half-elf nods and closes the door behind her, then takes a seat in a corner of the room.
In response to Merigar, a tinny groaning sort of sound emerges from 'Naut. It could be a laugh, a sneer, an exclamation, it's entirely unclear. "I am an explorer, a scholar, and a creator. I am a sapient hadopelagic colonial hydrozoan, specifically of siphonophoric origin. I am, apparently, an Aquanaut, though that moniker implies that I am a surface-dwelling being sent to explore the sea, where in reality my situation is quite the opposite. Terranaut may be a more appropriate title, but it does not quite have the same charm to it. Regardless, the nickname 'Naut would work for either." Gone is that airy quality, flitting from subject to subject, replaced instead by intense academic focus. Each word is pronounced with relish. It is evident that 'Naut takes pride in their unusual nature.
'Naut remains standing, seemingly a little nervous as they fiddle with an armor plate. This does not, however, stop them from addressing the admiral in their unusually candid way. "You are the Admiral. I have seen your handiwork. It is... interesting to make your acquaintance."
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Aerleo walks quietly not fully picking up all the common that is being used. He has a visible frustration because of this fact. Once they finally go to the admiral Aerleo will dip his head in the door way and if the ceiling is not that tall he will crouch a little.
Aerleo looks at the tiny chairs the Surface dwellers sit in and he tries to sit too but breaks the chair. “Aarrr!! Aerleo will stand for not surface throne can handle Aerleo’s might.”
Aerleo walks quietly not fully picking up all the common that is being used. He has a visible frustration because of this fact. Once they finally go to the admiral Aerleo will dip his head in the door way and if the ceiling is not that tall he will crouch a little.
Aerleo looks at the tiny chairs the Surface dwellers sit in and he tries to sit too but breaks the chair. “Aarrr!! Aerleo will stand for not surface throne can handle Aerleo’s might.”
Merigar bursts out laughing at this, his uncontrollable laughter fills the room as he sees the Triton break the chair. His laughter slowly slows down but the look of disdain he had for Admiral North has quickly changed to a hearty dwarf smirk.
"Aerleo is it? Hate to break it ya but most chairs on the surface are like that, but the kings certainly have nice chairs that could seat you, though i doubt they would give you their throne without a considerable fight."
At the laughter a fin will shoot up on Aerleo’s head and you start to see his muscles grow and his teeth begin to get sharper.
He will take a deep breath and revert back to his original size and look at Merigar, “If Aerleo desired a puny throne from the surface, Aerleo will have no problem besting any of your rulers. But for now, Aerleo is here for other reasons.”
The Admiral gives a half-smile, but does not react further to the Triton's failed attempt to seat himself. Meanwhile, Alana stifles a giggle, and looks away quickly if Aerleo looks in her direction.
"I do apologize for that," the Admiral says as the Triton gets back to his feet. "I was assured that the craftsmanship was top-notch, but apparently I was mislead. I suppose that just goes to show how important it is to verify before a purchase, even from seemingly trustworthy merchants."
Once everyone is settled in, he leans back in his chair and pulls out his pipe. He lights it up and takes a quick puff, before he begins explaining himself.
"Now then, I suppose you all wonder what I want from all of you. Well friends, that is where things get rather interesting. I'm sure you all have heard about my confrontation with Captain Hailstorm... and some of you may even have seen it happen. I'm not going to mince words or tell you a long meandering seaman's tale. I want to explain the situation as succinctly as possible, and after I am finished I will answer any questions you have."
He pauses a moment for emphasis. Then he continues.
"You all know that Captain Hailstorm took the location of his riches to the grave, which is unfortunate but ultimately not my concern. What is my concern is that there are still those using the late captain's memory to spread terror on the sea. Most of them are of minimal concern to me, as they are ragged bands of thieves flying cheap copies of Hailstorm's flag. But there is one who is starting to become a real problem... Ms. al Hurra and Mr. Tearbridge, I am sure that you remember Hailstorm's first mate, Norwald Blackstone. Unfortunately, it seems that he has recently decided to come out of retirement and take up where his captain left off."
The admiral takes a deep breath.
"To be frank, I think that the man has gone completely mad. But... others seemingly share his madness. I suspect that the bastard is gunning for Hailstorm's supposed treasure, which wouldn't be so serious a concern if he wasn't commandeering every unfortunate vessel that he comes across on his way there and 'recruiting' the crews then murdering any who refuse. And I fear that if by some infernal miracle he actually finds the infamous treasure trove, then he will become a truly unstoppable force... and that is where you come in. Captain Blackstone may be mad as a hatter, but he is no fool. He knows better than to engage my forces openly, at least for now, and the coward is an expert in the art of disappearing whenever he notices the slightest hint of naval presence. And that is why I need people like you... people who he won't immediately pick out as a threat. Do the six of you see where I'm going with this?"
"Old Norwald eh? He always was a bit of a loose cannon. But like Mr. Gridolpho said it sounds like ye want an inside job. Shouldn't be to hard getting me into his crew at least, after all pirates are always looking for us evocation wizards for some on sea artillery that doesn't need to reload"
Merigar takes the marble out of his pocket and starts twiddling with it again, he eventually starts lightly throwing it from hand to hand.
"Yes, that is exactlywhat I had in mind. If possible, I would like Blackstone brought back alive so that he can face trial for his crimes and reveal what he knows about that treasure trove, but should that prove impractical there is still a very substantial reward available for his severed head."
"The first mate? My. I did not know that any had escaped the ship's sinking. So many bodies! I should certainly like to interview a former member of that ship. I look forward to meeting him, even if he might not share the same attitude. I certainly hope we won't be killing him. At least not without talking with him first. Such stories he must have to tell! I've never killed a captain before." 'Naut barely acknowledges Areleo's outbursts, their helmet not even turning towards him. They do, however, register the broken chair. "I see that my suspicions about the structural integrity of this establishment's seating arrangements were not unfounded."
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Emrys listened carefully as Marigar and ‘Naut spoke. The halfling shared the dwarf curiosity and found something endearing on the honesty and technicity of the hydrozoan, a fact expressed only by a subtle smile equal parts sincere and calculated. It was important for a merchant to look amiable.
The way to the Admiral’s study was fast and as soon as the door was closed the man started to speak. His words all but confirming Goldenleaf’s suspects. Of course, North didn’t do just that. Three words caught his attention above all else - Hailstorm's supposed treasure.
“Allow me to say, good Admiral, that I can arrange for verified purchases of quality products with the Ivory Guild.” That was his original reason to coming into Northport, after all. “That is, after the more pressing matter of our… quest.”When I’ll have followed the words and you’ll be more inclined to accept terms from me. “I am not sure how we would carry the infiltration, though I suspect it has something to do with someone’s abilities or connections. Besides clarification on this front, I would also like to pose you with some practical questions: How will our contract be sealed? Do you have some item or substance to be used on Baclkstone or is the abduction left entirely to our discretion? Do we have immunity for the practice of any crime that we may be forced to commit in order to keep our disguises? Will you provide us with some kind of code to deliver to any authorities that may get in our way, so we can have them step aside without having to resort to violence? What happens if some of us is captured by law enforcement during the mission?”
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"Fine. Letter. Admiral. Job ta do. I was gonna do this whole 'sneak aboard and have a snoop' thing but ah guess we're doin' this all polite-like."
Gridolpho walks up the gang plank.
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" And you may call me Sayyida, Emirra al Hurra, Captain or, if you earn my admiration, Your Grace."
" I meant no disrespect as I'm certain you meant none with the term 'bigjob', as they say it is not the size of the weapon but the skill with which it is wielded."
" We'll put aside for the moment whether your head will be going anywhere near areas of mine that most certainly do not 'dangle' until we are much better acquainted."
She gave him a wicked smile and followed him up the gangplank.
She flashed the young woman a broad smile, " Indeed your deportment does your family proud, Bibi North.....forgive me, do your people take your fathers or mothers family name.....it is something I oft wondered on and those who sail the seas are not the best guides as so many go by colloquial names, descriptors or aggrandisements."
" Forgive me, I hope we can have a longer conversation once I have met with your Father."
"Most of the time I use my father's surname," she says in reply to Sayyida with a grin. "Though in some places my mother's is more convenient. In any case, there is no need to be so formal. You may all call me Alana."
Silent like a shadow Emrys watched as the five strangers. ‘Naut seemed to lack common sense, Areleo was either too uncouth or too egocentric, Gridolpho comically explosive. Sayyida behaved the best out of them, thick skinned and at least making efforts to be polite. Of course, the way she called Ninefingers was less than respectful. One should never use terms fitting for children when referring to halflings, dwarves or gnomes. It didn’t take long for the ship to dock. Tide Runner, he said with the voice of his mind. No merchant wort their salt was strange to the name. From its deck three emissaries came to the band of misfits.
The woman seemed to be a half-elf, which meant that she could be decades old despite her youthful appearance. Her words all but confirmed his assumption that they were all called there by the Admiral. Complete strangers, otherwise unlikely to meet. All but himself clearly adept at combat. So North needs muscle to deal with something and think it best to not use his usual forces. That was the only conceivable answer.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Alana.” Goldenleaf answered, following her into the ship. Whatever the case, he pondered, it will be at the very least an opportunity to cause a good impression on the man. That was a door for his kind of work. “I am Emrys.”
A fact he half expected her to know. After all, there were but two halflings amongst the those who were invited.
"Gridolpho, Sayyida, Emrys, Areleo, Alana. Noted and memorized." The Aquanaut counts off each head rather unusually, pointing to each with an individual digit, the fingers twisting without structure to lock onto each. A thick pinky slithers down to point at the dwarf. "You have not introduced yourself. It's okay if you don't have a name. They're sometimes very silly, if sometimes necessary when verbal communication is the prime method of conveying information in a society. People are boarding the ship now."
'Naut leaves to walk up the gangplank, which slightly bends under their weight, any thoughts about names seemingly immediately abandoned in favor of this new excitement.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Merigar walks up the gang plank beside 'Naut and looks down as it slightly bends because of 'Naut's weight, He continues twiddling his marble and then opens his mouth to speak
"The name is Merigar, i hope we can make good acquaintances but i have to ask, what are you? I am sorry if it seems rude."
As Merigar twiddles his marble you see some small sparks starting to come from the marble but they stop abruptly. When Merigar notices the sparks a look of concern washes over him and he puts his marble away.
Once everyone is onboard, Alana proceeds to escort you to the Admiral's study while making cheery chit-chat with anyone who is willing to engage with her. You all notice that this is a really, really big ship and it takes several minutes to reach your destination. The crew mostly ignore you, though you may catch a few sidelong glances as you pass by.
Eventually, you make it to the study, where the Admiral is waiting for you.
It is hard to tell exactly how old the human really is, as it is likely that he has been prematurely aged by a difficult life. He looks up from his notes as the door opens to admit you, and he smiles tiredly.
"Ah, welcome! So good of you all to come."
The Admiral gets to his feet... or, at least, to a foot. His left leg is missing, replaced with peg prosthetic made mostly out of carved ivory and held in place with a few leather straps and silver buckles. He takes a moment to give each of you a firm handshake before returning to his seat and gesturing to several chairs surrounding the table in the middle of the room.
"Please, take a seat and make yourselves at home. We have much to discuss. And Alana, would you please get the door for us?"
The half-elf nods and closes the door behind her, then takes a seat in a corner of the room.
Sayidda nods politely to the Admiral then takes a seat, back straight and face neutral.
Merigar pulls out a seat, and sits down into the seat. He holds a look of disdain directed at the admiral.
In response to Merigar, a tinny groaning sort of sound emerges from 'Naut. It could be a laugh, a sneer, an exclamation, it's entirely unclear. "I am an explorer, a scholar, and a creator. I am a sapient hadopelagic colonial hydrozoan, specifically of siphonophoric origin. I am, apparently, an Aquanaut, though that moniker implies that I am a surface-dwelling being sent to explore the sea, where in reality my situation is quite the opposite. Terranaut may be a more appropriate title, but it does not quite have the same charm to it. Regardless, the nickname 'Naut would work for either." Gone is that airy quality, flitting from subject to subject, replaced instead by intense academic focus. Each word is pronounced with relish. It is evident that 'Naut takes pride in their unusual nature.
'Naut remains standing, seemingly a little nervous as they fiddle with an armor plate. This does not, however, stop them from addressing the admiral in their unusually candid way. "You are the Admiral. I have seen your handiwork. It is... interesting to make your acquaintance."
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Aerleo walks quietly not fully picking up all the common that is being used. He has a visible frustration because of this fact. Once they finally go to the admiral Aerleo will dip his head in the door way and if the ceiling is not that tall he will crouch a little.
Aerleo looks at the tiny chairs the Surface dwellers sit in and he tries to sit too but breaks the chair. “Aarrr!! Aerleo will stand for not surface throne can handle Aerleo’s might.”
Merigar bursts out laughing at this, his uncontrollable laughter fills the room as he sees the Triton break the chair. His laughter slowly slows down but the look of disdain he had for Admiral North has quickly changed to a hearty dwarf smirk.
"Aerleo is it? Hate to break it ya but most chairs on the surface are like that, but the kings certainly have nice chairs that could seat you, though i doubt they would give you their throne without a considerable fight."
At the laughter a fin will shoot up on Aerleo’s head and you start to see his muscles grow and his teeth begin to get sharper.
He will take a deep breath and revert back to his original size and look at Merigar, “If Aerleo desired a puny throne from the surface, Aerleo will have no problem besting any of your rulers. But for now, Aerleo is here for other reasons.”
"Easy there, big feller. Jusy a'cuz yer bein' hired fer yer prowess doesn't mean ya gotta go showin' it off right here right now.
After all, you don't see me stealin' stuff, do ya?"
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The Admiral gives a half-smile, but does not react further to the Triton's failed attempt to seat himself. Meanwhile, Alana stifles a giggle, and looks away quickly if Aerleo looks in her direction.
"I do apologize for that," the Admiral says as the Triton gets back to his feet. "I was assured that the craftsmanship was top-notch, but apparently I was mislead. I suppose that just goes to show how important it is to verify before a purchase, even from seemingly trustworthy merchants."
Once everyone is settled in, he leans back in his chair and pulls out his pipe. He lights it up and takes a quick puff, before he begins explaining himself.
"Now then, I suppose you all wonder what I want from all of you. Well friends, that is where things get rather interesting. I'm sure you all have heard about my confrontation with Captain Hailstorm... and some of you may even have seen it happen. I'm not going to mince words or tell you a long meandering seaman's tale. I want to explain the situation as succinctly as possible, and after I am finished I will answer any questions you have."
He pauses a moment for emphasis. Then he continues.
"You all know that Captain Hailstorm took the location of his riches to the grave, which is unfortunate but ultimately not my concern. What is my concern is that there are still those using the late captain's memory to spread terror on the sea. Most of them are of minimal concern to me, as they are ragged bands of thieves flying cheap copies of Hailstorm's flag. But there is one who is starting to become a real problem... Ms. al Hurra and Mr. Tearbridge, I am sure that you remember Hailstorm's first mate, Norwald Blackstone. Unfortunately, it seems that he has recently decided to come out of retirement and take up where his captain left off."
The admiral takes a deep breath.
"To be frank, I think that the man has gone completely mad. But... others seemingly share his madness. I suspect that the bastard is gunning for Hailstorm's supposed treasure, which wouldn't be so serious a concern if he wasn't commandeering every unfortunate vessel that he comes across on his way there and 'recruiting' the crews then murdering any who refuse. And I fear that if by some infernal miracle he actually finds the infamous treasure trove, then he will become a truly unstoppable force... and that is where you come in. Captain Blackstone may be mad as a hatter, but he is no fool. He knows better than to engage my forces openly, at least for now, and the coward is an expert in the art of disappearing whenever he notices the slightest hint of naval presence. And that is why I need people like you... people who he won't immediately pick out as a threat. Do the six of you see where I'm going with this?"
"Ye wanna set up an inside job."
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"Old Norwald eh? He always was a bit of a loose cannon. But like Mr. Gridolpho said it sounds like ye want an inside job. Shouldn't be to hard getting me into his crew at least, after all pirates are always looking for us evocation wizards for some on sea artillery that doesn't need to reload"
Merigar takes the marble out of his pocket and starts twiddling with it again, he eventually starts lightly throwing it from hand to hand.
The Admiral smiles.
"Yes, that is exactly what I had in mind. If possible, I would like Blackstone brought back alive so that he can face trial for his crimes and reveal what he knows about that treasure trove, but should that prove impractical there is still a very substantial reward available for his severed head."
"The first mate? My. I did not know that any had escaped the ship's sinking. So many bodies! I should certainly like to interview a former member of that ship. I look forward to meeting him, even if he might not share the same attitude. I certainly hope we won't be killing him. At least not without talking with him first. Such stories he must have to tell! I've never killed a captain before." 'Naut barely acknowledges Areleo's outbursts, their helmet not even turning towards him. They do, however, register the broken chair. "I see that my suspicions about the structural integrity of this establishment's seating arrangements were not unfounded."
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Emrys listened carefully as Marigar and ‘Naut spoke. The halfling shared the dwarf curiosity and found something endearing on the honesty and technicity of the hydrozoan, a fact expressed only by a subtle smile equal parts sincere and calculated. It was important for a merchant to look amiable.
The way to the Admiral’s study was fast and as soon as the door was closed the man started to speak. His words all but confirming Goldenleaf’s suspects. Of course, North didn’t do just that. Three words caught his attention above all else - Hailstorm's supposed treasure.
“Allow me to say, good Admiral, that I can arrange for verified purchases of quality products with the Ivory Guild.” That was his original reason to coming into Northport, after all. “That is, after the more pressing matter of our… quest.” When I’ll have followed the words and you’ll be more inclined to accept terms from me. “I am not sure how we would carry the infiltration, though I suspect it has something to do with someone’s abilities or connections. Besides clarification on this front, I would also like to pose you with some practical questions: How will our contract be sealed? Do you have some item or substance to be used on Baclkstone or is the abduction left entirely to our discretion? Do we have immunity for the practice of any crime that we may be forced to commit in order to keep our disguises? Will you provide us with some kind of code to deliver to any authorities that may get in our way, so we can have them step aside without having to resort to violence? What happens if some of us is captured by law enforcement during the mission?”