"You can breathe under water?! That's sooo cool!" Usul exclaims, both surprised and amazed at the same time

Stanley beams at Usul, undeservedly flattered.

Captain Three Earrings opens the door and walks back into the cabin. "So," she says, "have you decided?"

Darla nods, "Aye, t'would seem we 'ave." She steps toward the Captain, "Be a wee change tae th' plan though. Seein' as there's five o' us, an' we'll be th' ones literally divin' into danger, we'll be needin' a bigger cut. 'Bout 50/50, we say. On top o' that," she continues, crossing her arms, "we're gann need at least a piece o' th' prize up front, least ways if ye expect us to be outfitted fer all what we're tae be facin'." She looks at her companions again, then back to the Captain, "Ah hink tha' about covers it, aye? How's tha' sit wi' ye, sweetling?"

"Five of you, you say?" She brings her hand to get chin as if in contemplation.

Roll Persuasion

14

"Well," she says after thinking for a moment, "one third is for my crew. There's 6 of them and only 5 of you. The other third is for upkeep of the ship. Food, medicine, sails, rope, tools, munitions, and everything else doesn't come cheap. That 500 gold won't even get me everything I need. Plus, it's my vessel." She takes a dramatic pause. "As far as payment up front, I can't pay you with what I don't have, yet; but I can offer to buy the supplies you need at the next port. Now, if that's not good enough, there are plenty of sell-swords that would do it for a lot less. 500 gold, that's 100 a piece of ya, is a lot of money. I only offered it to you because I thought you'd like a chance at retribution on the ones that destroyed your home and murdered your neighbors. And I thought you might want to help stop that from happening to others' homes."

Stanley sighs.  He already knows how Darla is likely to react.

Nodding to a conversation he seems to be having with himself, Usul shyly speaks up adding "Cap'n? How do you know that there is exactly 1500 gold in the treasure?..." thinking to himself if there is less they'd still 'owe' 1000 to the ship... and that it's rather suspicious that she knows to such detail how much is there.

"I've got my sources," she says. "I can't go and give you all of my secrets, now can I?"

Usul simply squints looking closely at the captain ((insight 18))

It's hard for him to get a good bead on her one way or the other, but considering the other information she had on the sahuagin, you could see how she might have informants here or there.

"Y'know, yer lucky Ah find ye so pretty. Me family isnae anywhere near here, an' all me friends are in th' room, presently, so, sad as th' deaths o' all them folk is, there's nae retribution for sweet Darla tae be seekin'." Darla says, smirking at the Tabaxi. "As fer th' rest, it's a fair cop Ah suppose. Lady needs tae feed 'er crew and keep 'er ship afloat, but dinnae try and pull th' wool o'er my eyes on price. Any mercenary ye'd try an' hire for this would charge more, an' Ah hink ye know it, which is th' real reason for th' offer," she throws her hands up in an exaggerated shrug, "but, all told, it's nae th' worst deal ye could offer." She looks around at everybody once more. "Now, as much as Ah like th' sound o' me own voice, it's time we make a choice, aye? Ah'm in, but only if we all are. Otherwise, Ah appreciate th' timely rescue, an ye can count on me tae earn me keep til we make port, but that'll be all. So what say ye lot?"

Usul nods and says "We will help."

Nalos has been observing the conversation so far. He says, "I've seen what these creatures can do, and to some degree I can sympathize with their motives; but, I can't stand around and condone their methods. And right now, they have far more power than any of us tritons would like them to have. They need to be stopped. I'm in."

Captain Three Earrings leans back and takes a good look at all of you and a smile slowly creeps onto her face. "Alright, then. It's decided. Now," she booms, "we need to decide which port to go to." She walks back over to the map that she was hunching over when you all originally walked in and she says, "There were three ports of call I was thinking about. Bisaft Isle, Brokenbank, and Port Damali. I've got people at each of them that owes me one thing or another. I know a shaman on Bisaft Isle that might be able to help get you underwater. Then, at Brokenbank, there is an apothecary there. Now, at Port Damali, there's a blacksmith there with some unsavory connections."

While she's talking about the different ports and angles of approach (economically, as well as physically), this is what you would already know about each port:

• Bisaft Isle. This tiny island has a small port. Small port means fewer people aware of your presence which might be good for keeping away from prying eyes.
• Brokenbank. This village is the smallest settlement recognized by the Clovis Concord but is nonetheless filled with foreign ships.
• Port Damali. This is a huge port and the city will be far too big to actually explore it for this trip.

Darla hmm'd in thought. "Whatever we choose, it ought to be th' option which'll last th' longest. Ah dinnae care fer th' thought o' gettin' tae th' ocean floor and havin' a timer run oot on me." She bumps Stanley with her hip as she thinks. "Ye know yer magic, darlin', any idea what a shaman could do, an' how long might it last?" She points toward the Tabaxi, still speaking. "Potions ne'er last long, so if it's a possibility, maybe meet tha' shady blacksmith friend o' yers, Captain." She looks around. "Surely Ah cannae be th' only one brainstormin'. Speak yer minds if ye have a thought lads."

"I'd rather not put my faith in anyone else, to be honest." replies Stanley, uncomfortably rubbing one shoulder.  "I think the bigger city would actually afford us more cover because everyone will be everywhere.  We don't have to explore everything, just head right to where we need.  I need to find the right spell book, for instance.  I can learn a good spell overnight, and that Captain can pay for it." he says determinedly. 

Usul again takes a second to listen to a voice he can only hear, cocking his head a bit downward to do so, then replies "We're fine to go anywhere really. Though Port Demali always sounded like a cool city!" He clearly seems less interested in what the captain said about their contacts, and more curious about just site seeing.

"Seem's we all are of a similar mind." Darla looks to the Captain. "Ah hink we're all lookin' at Port Damali, aye?" Quietly under her breath, she also mutters, "an maybe Ah'll finally hear word o' th' caravan."

The captain scratches her chin and looks back and forth between you all and the map. She says, "I like that. We'll lean on the blacksmith to see what he can drum up for us when we get there."

After talking back and forth a little bit about docking at Port Damali, you all are ushered out as it's starting to get late. Seagulls squawk and chase behind you as Wavechaser sails on to your next port of call. Night settles around you, the crew guided only by the light of the stars. 

Do you all want to do anything or just hit the hay?