It is a bright, if not slightly nippy morning in Newthrone. All things considered, this has been a faily mild winter into spring. The weather has cooperated with the group in everything they've needed to do, and while early mornings always have a slight chill, once the sun gets high overhead... life is fairly comfortable. It is the same today as it has been for the past month, and as the group arrives at the docks a little while after sunrise, the breeze from the water clips at each of you.
As the sounds of your footsteps thump against the wood planks of the dock, each of you look at the various ships anchored and tied off to the high pylons. All shapes and sizes, all captained by various men and women, and the question now becomes what will you all be sailing in as you make your trip north into the Lhazaar Principalities? After a few minutes, you find it... a mid-sized galleon named the Swiftwind... and you breath a sigh of relief. Although nowhere near the biggest ship here... it definitely is one of the highest quality. The hull looks fairly new and without water stains or dents, the metal bolts and supports on deck are without rust, and off the rear of the shp you recognize the swirling, churning water as a captured water elemental used for propulsion. High quality indeed! With that as your engine, the trip will take half the time that a conventional sailing ship otherwise would.
One by one you come up on deck, and are greeted by the ship's Captain... a Khoravar sailor named Phaellip the Squid. He is decked out in the usual captain's finery, and seems to be taking on all of the stereotypical mannerisms of your ocean captain. Whether this is how he actually is normally, or if this is all for show, is unknown.
"Arrr-ha! Welcome lads and lasses to the Swiftwind! The finest lady in the south seas! She is as strong and as fast as the storm, but if you treat her right, she'll be as calm and as comfortable as the storm's eye."
He motions to the hatch that leads below decks. "The others on our voyage are below decks already, claimin' their staterooms. Feel free to take any that you'd like. The Swiftwind has been chartered to be at yer disposal... so you have free rein to use it as ya see fit! We be settin' sail within the hour, so if you have anything final to do, go about your business quickly. Otherwise, make yerselves comfortable and then come mid-day we can discuss where in the pirate isles you first be lookin' to go."
The captain nods once and starts walking toward his cabin. "Good morn to you, folks. I be seein' you soon."