"The crew takes a cut of the profits, master.  Usually about half total profits are split by the crew, half by the command crew.  So, assuming you five are taking over, that would mean you would get about 10% each, and me and the rest of the lads get 50% to share between us.   Unless, of course, you saw fit to include me in your command crew," he suggests, hopefully.  "You see, milady," he says, turning to Claire.  "When we all get paid out of profits, it's even in the interests of the cabin boy to keep quiet about any 'free hands', as it means more money for everyone."  He holds up a hand, forestalling any objections Claire might make.  "Not saying it's right, miss.  Just explaining how things are."

Vaclav holds up his hands. "I think it would be best if no one heard my name and becoming a Captain doesn't exactly help that. I'm just a man on a ship as far as I care." 

Claire nods slightly at Birgen, still not completely mollified, but realistic enough to see that the man means her no ill.  The silent complicity still bothers her, as does Scragg's death, but she shrugs it off.  "My family name absolutely cannot be associated with the commandeering of a Guild ship," she says to the others.  "In fact, the more I think about it, the less we raise the Guild's attention that something happened here, the better.  There's no single good way out of this situation, but at least completing the Orca's last mission before doing anything to this ship will help keep anyone curious about this well-known Captain Karim from asking after him for a good long while... long enough for our trail to go cold, I would hope."

She pauses.  "As for refitting and renaming this ship... honestly, we're on the wrong continent.  My home is far from here.  And as I was kidnapped, there's absolutely no way I can afford passage back overseas as we are right now.  If we're to try to return to our homes, then perhaps keeping this ship really is the best way.  I'm... not much of a sailor, though," she admits.  "The most I can do is swim.  Badly, at least in this armor, I might add.  So long as we dock at the port and deliver this cargo, and let the remaining captives on this ship choose their own destiny, I'm fine with traveling the continent to raise funds to return to my home, or using this ship to attempt to reach it by sea."

She looks at Salazar.  "At least until we reach port, that rather makes you by default our captain.  You're the only one who can make himself look like Karim if anyone is to ask questions.  Let's just get this ugly part over with.  The good of the people who've been trapped here outweigh whatever smuggling operation that cargo is likely to hold.  I just want this portion of my nightmare to end already," she admits with a bit of frustration.

Salazar cracks his knuckles and says, "Very well.  This is temporary.  I at least know how to deal with businessmen, not to mention the lack of hesitation I have with selling the embargoed items.  We can get the money, give the slaves options, and get the heck out.  We have much to do.  Much planning.  Thank you, Birgen.  You're dismissed for now.  I'll come to you later for more information about the runnings of a ship.  I need to talk to the rest of our group for now."

Once Birgen has wandered away, Salazar will lead the rest to the Captain's quarters.  "Right.  So, we have options.  I want to get this ship retrofitted and sent off on its merry way.  Doing this delivery first will keep the Guild off our back for a time.  We don't have to stay on it, but if we do, we need to stay away from Guild controlled areas.  That may be in our best interest in any case.  If we decide we want to get off somewhere, we will need to have enough coin to survive for quite a while.  I say that we ask the slaves who wants to debark permanently with us in that case, and then we split the coin we found amongst the debarked.  Any thoughts so far?"

Claire nods at Salazar in gratitude.  "I, too, would rather not journey the seas on the retrofitted ship.  Should someone uncover the deception, and then further uncover us on it, my family's honor would be stained.  They'd likely disown me."  She winces.  They're probably going to disown me for having spent time at that bar in Southport anyway.  I can almost hear father right now... 'A knight of your position has no business seeking entertainment in such base establishments!'  Ugh. 

Shaking off the image, she looks back at Salazar.  "Your plan is good.  Even if there is not that much coin to spread around, I'm certain we can find a way to honestly earn enough to formulate a better plan once we've landed.  Particularly if we all stay together," she adds, looking at the others.  "It might be hard finding employment of quality as individuals with no proof or paperwork of our identities.  But as a group, we offer each other anonymity, and could even sell ourselves as a band of traveling mercenaries.  That, too, doesn't have to be permanent.  But it will get us safely out of the next town without drawing too many eyes, at the least."

Nos Heliwr shrugs his shoulders, "We could always sink the thing, then no-one would know what happened to it, except us o' course.  An I don't imagine any o' th' slaves'd wanna tell about that.  'n the guards...well, it is a thought."

Vaclav shakes his head. "Then we have an entire ships crew who are angry at us for taking away their ride back home and will tell the first authorities they see. I think it's best to do what Salazar said and sell the goods, take our cut and leave. If we want to go other places I'm sure we can find some jobs for coins. We all seem to have some skills that will make us useful to someone." 

The night has been a long and tiring one.  When the sun set, a few hours ago, you were slaves.  Now you appear to be the new, perhaps temporary, command crew of the Orca.  You seem to have many options available to you and a few decisions to be made.  Figuring that all this would be best done on a clear head, you decide to retire for the night.   Finding various cabins dotted around the ship which are no longer occupied, it's simple enough for you all to find a place to collapse in exhaustion.  Before you have time to ponder much on what tomorrow may bring you have fallen off into a deep, replenishing sleep.

Everyone can apply the effects of a Long Rest to their characters.

The next day you are woken to the sounds of gulls squawking in the rigging.  The ship continues to roll over a gentle swell and you blink a few times, pleased to note that you're still free, unbound and have all your equipment with you.  Making your way up on to deck you are greeted by a stunning spring morning, the sun already higher in the sky than expected - you have clearly slept longer than you would have thought.

Birgen approaches you all.  "Morning sirs, ma'am.  I trust you slept well.  What orders?"  He pulls his long, grey pony tail undone and reties it as he waits respectfully for your commands.

Captain Salazar Button looks at Birgin from the former captain's desk, wearing the man's hat.  He made sure to find it before getting settled in for the night.  Last night was troubling.  So much to do... so many directions to go.  There seemed to be no clear way to choose.  In addition to that, Salazar had had nightmares which he could barely remember.  The events, in the normal way of dreams were long gone, but the feelings evoked...  Those stuck with him for some reason.  Terror.  Pride.  Pain.  It was relieving to wake up in the morning.  Once he woke up, he decided to take charge for the time being, in keeping with his current... dubious appointment to captain.  He asked Birgin to summon the core group to the captain's quarters where they could have a conversation in peace.  (You can all decide how you responded to that). 

"Right, we have options ahead of us.  There's no correct answer, so I think we need to decide on a safe first step.  As of right now, I think we have decided that we would go ahead to the port that we were supposed to, sell the cargo, then use the profits to retrofit the ship.  From there, we can decide whether or not we will stay with the ship and sail or if we would prefer to walk the land as mercenaries.  Honestly, I would like to poke the Guild in the eye a few times, but beyond that, I have no plans for the future.  Now that we have had some shut eye and a chance to blink away this nightmare, I wanted to ask your thoughts moving forward."

Vaclav enters with Chernobog perched on his shoulder. He gives an exaggerated formal bow. "Reporting as ordered Captain." 

He leans on the wall off to the side and listens to what Salazar has to say. "I wouldn't say it's been a nightmare. Last night was a bit of fun. Everyone's always a 'potentially valuable prisoner' or 'just following orders.' It's nice to just fight a bad guy every now and then. As for plans I would lean towards the mercenary angle. Right now what I need is money and contacts and being a merchant doesn't get those quite so fast." 

Claire, following in after Valcav, hears the conversation and crosses her arm with a stern frown.  "I am no buccaneer.  My family's honor would be stained if I were to take up piracy, and besides that, I have absolutely no experience sailing on a ship.  I'd much rather travel across land and find a way to book legal passage back to my home, than try my chances at sea." 

It is a chance at freedom, part of her whispers softly.  And there's magic on this continent.  Old magic.  You wouldn't have to face your parents' lectures about your wild talent if you stayed here.

Old magic is dangerous magic, she tells herself more strictly.  There's a good reason mother and father lecture me.  Besides, duty comes before all else.

With a slight sigh, she shakes her head.  "Let's get this ugly business done with and allow the men and women on this ship to continue on their way without drawing the Guild's attention.  I can't imagine it ending any way but badly for us if we do that.  Besides... there's no guarantee this transfer of cargo will happen peacefully.  There's a lot of money at stake here... and the promise of easy money changes people.  Usually for the worse."

Vaclav points a thumb back over his shoulder at Claire. "The knight makes an excellent point. Anyone who is willing to pay for expensive goods quietly is also usually willing to keep that secret any way they know how." 

"So, ye be suggestin' we disembark 'ere abouts 'n trust in 'r own feet, aye?" Nos Heliwr replies to Claire and Vaclav.  "I be wi' a suggestion of me own, we takes 'r slave price, that be all the coin 'n gems, leaving the cargo wi' those who be stayin' aboard.  T' me that be a fair deal fer all concerned."  Hoding up the dagger he 'liberated' from Scraggs, he adds, "If there be nae objection, I'll likin' t' use this.  When it's true worth be known its future ken be discussed mor' fairly."  He waits for any objections and, if there are none, attaches it to his weapons belt.

"While I can't say I'm particularly excited about part of a mercenary group, it seems to be our best option.  Every mercenary group needs someone to manage the logistics anyway.  Very well.  Let's, as Nos said, trust our feet.  I agree that I want to take most of the leftover coin with us.  Those staying with the ship can keep that and enough from the cargo to survive and potentially do well on the seas.  Birgen, how much do you need to retrofit the ship and get underway?"

Birgen looks at you, his pony tail now properly tied once more.  "If you leave myself and the crew the illegal cargo we was supposed to be delivering to Varnell in Zaneth, we can make enough profit from that to make it to Black Sail and change the Orca's name.  If I'm reading you all right, you are suggesting you take your fair cut of the easily portable cargo - gems and the like - and disembark ship here?  Going our separate ways?"  Birgen appears at once excited and a little terrified by the prospect of inheriting a ship.

Claire bristles a little at even the mere suggestion of staying on the ship.  These people must not know of or fear the power of the Guild at all, she thinks with a bit of wonder. 

"I have no desire to be caught even in the vicinity of this ship when the Guild gets wind of something having run afoul here, or comes asking after Captain Karim's whereabouts.  I do not know your situations, but the Guild helped establish my family's holdings in Manabras, and they could just as easily ruin them if I were to embroil my family in any sort of piracy.  That they turn a blind eye to the slavers is disgusting, but I am realistic enough to know that my family's power alone would be chaff before the Guild's wind if we tried to resist them.  I will not bring ruin to my family's reputation and livelihood just because I want to take the easiest route home.  So no, I will not stay on this ship, no matter how much 'use' it might serve."

She crosses her arms and sighs at Ralfi; of all the members of this unlikely group, she'd thought the fact that they were both seemed troubled by the manner of Scragg's death would have given them a common ground together.  As it was, she was leaning more closely to agree with the four who'd orchestrated Scragg's demise, despite all of her moral and ethical misgivings.  "Taking Karim's broken glaive is already a start on the compensation for the trouble I've been put through; and if the ship has some coin to spare after being retrofitted to hide our deeds here from the Guild, then a portion of that coin surely won't hurt as well.  But I don't want to get greedy and ask for more.  It'll lead to ruin, and not necessarily my own.  I can't be that selfish, not to my own family."

"I'm happy to drop you off here at this cove, with a good portion of supplies and all the high-value, easily portable cargo - as long as you leave enough for me and the crew to rename the ship, we'll be fine."  Birgen offers.  "You can all go your merry ways together and work out what you want to do from here.   I would suggest heading for Grunal which is the nearest big town to here.  Though it is not a port you should be able to make it clear you want passage away and be able to arrange something.  Now spring is here there will be more ships passing this way in the coming weeks.  It's a bit of a backwater but trade will pick up soon."