Flitterbug hops up and down on Mindartis's shoulder, saying, "Can i?  Can I?" excitedly.

"So be it."  Raven says with a shrug.  She hands the hat to the little faerie. 

Elwin nodded. He hadn't expected them to be able to get an insider, and Flitterbug's ability to grow and possibly use the hat would be invaluable.

"Okay then, Flitterbug and Raven sneak on board. What should the rest of us do? The increased recruitment isn't exactly a secret, so I don't see an issue with just addressing it directly and seeing what happens. And if hiring the kids is just a cost-saving measure, then there should be some price that would cause them to reconsider. But if there's more to it, they'll resist the idea of leaving the kids alone, even for a while."

((I think it is just F-bug that is going - she has to fly there and is going invisible not disguised. And I think a quick check at first, might be back before we can do much))

Shall we follow some of the poshest ones and confront them? Lean on some lieutenants until we get brought to the captain? May I suggest as we encounter them make it clear what we want - something like "we know your scam - stop abducting kids and selling them to hags" - loudly enough to maybe discourage the kids too

Flitterbug says regretfully, "I probably won't be able to carry the hat if I'm flying and invisible at the same time."  Handing it back, she buzzes out over the river, disappearing from view...

"Be careful," Mindartis says as Flitterbug flies off.

Quentin thinks for a moment before saying, “Perhaps we should give the kids a new ideal besides the pirates. Lots of them seem to worship and try and become one, what if we give them something a little more wholesome to try and become?”

Yah Del answers Q Ideally kids would be in school, and they'd have families to care for them and some prospect of a good life when they grow up. Some few might seek adventure, but it ought to be possible to live well as a slater too. That of course means disrupting the ease of yonder nobles Del gestures up the hill I don't expect to finish the revolution  quick, but if some disruption happened, it'd be a start

Elwin gave a sympathetic shrug. He felt for the kids--he'd been in the same situation himself, after all--but he knew his limitations. His long-term goals might eventually impact this area for the better, but for the moment, it wasn't as if he intended to adopt any of the urchins they saw. And he wasn't eager to try to dissuade them from admiring pirates--he knew adults who still did that. There was a better chance of trying to stop the rain from falling, in his mind.

Trying to refocus on their current plan, he asked, "Well, shall we try to find some posh lieutenants?"

"Sounds good to me."  Raven agrees. She looks around to see if she can spot where some might be holed up.  A tavern, a pirate walking by, something...

perception: 22

The taverns are down nearer the river, and are loud and boisterous, even this early on the day.  You can see plenty of sailors down on the dock, and can probably pick out the pirates by the fact hat the local kids are shadowing them.  The two gaudily dressed pirates who passed by you a little while ago with their admiring entourage of urchins are still in view, wandering the markets and examining luxuries and weapons.  They are currently at the hatter's stall, trying on hats.

"What do you think?" Elwin asked the others in a low voice, subtly thumbing toward the two pirates trying out hats. "We can tail them to their ship, or just confront them now. I'd rather follow, but I'm open to just getting into it with them too."

We cannot tail them to to their ships - those are anchored out in the river. We will have to fly there or row. Del does not want to get too far away until F-B gets back with the recon. But while the fops are hat-shopping lets see if we can attract some of the kids away...we look pretty fancy and adventury too. Del gets on a knee and plays his Battle of Zanderfell's Tree ballad  Crwth 20 (adv due to urchin powers)

If he attracts some kids he'll tell them You don't wanna be 'round them lot fer now. First, they sell kids to the hags, make 'em work mines worse than the quarries. B, we gonna whack'em like they was moles. You here'd o' us? There's a chance he knows a kid by name - he's only been away from the school a month - he'll use it if he does, otherwise pick a leader-looking kid (if any ain't been pressed already - or are they picking the most sheepy kids to abduct??) and give her a gold piece Get a big bag of (apples? something season/market appropriate?) and as many kids as you can. Go to the Abbey, we might find a mission for y'all. Say the Amateurs' need them.

Del's playing does attract the attention of the nearby children, and several even come over to listen. (18  19 23 2 4)

Del does indeed find children who remember him, and names he knows. They are delighted to see him and impressed at how much more skilled he is now than when he left.  Some eyes go wide at the news that the pirates are selling children to hags, but Del is known and trusted. The girl he is thinking of is there and takes the gold piece, saying, "All the kids are banzo for ship's biscuit right now, because pirates.  I can get a whole bangin' lot for this much scratch.  Meetcha at the Abbey with everyone I can get!"

After a while, Flitterbug comes flying back looking disappointed. "I never turned big because it was boring.  There weren't a lot of kids, but the ones that were there were all scrubbing and polishing stuff.  The pirates told them that the first thing a sailor needs to know is how to keep the ship clean. So their pirate training seems to be swabbing decks."

“Remedial work for now.” Quentin says quietly before asking, “Did you get a chance to check out the load out of the ship? Know where some unkindly folks might be hiding aboard there?” 

"Nope, just a lot of smelly, greasy pirates," says Flitterbug.  "The captain had a pretty fancy cabin, though. Lots of shiny stuff."

"You're alright?" Mindartis asks, smiling a little.

Raven stays back in the shadows as Del plays, not wishing to be in the center of that much attention.  She keeps ehr eye sout for anyone following or paying too much attention to the group as she does so.

perception: 13

"I'm fine," says Flitterbug with a sigh. "But it WOULD have been fun to turn big and play pirate a little, except it would have meant i had to peel potatoes or scrub cannons." She makes a face.

Raven keeps a sharp eye out for anyone watching or following...unfortunately, with Del playing fine music in the middle of the market, there are a lot of people looking. None of them seem especially suspicious.

“Elwin, who is in charge of the city? Do you have like a court or a singular king of anything?” Quentin asks having an idea.