The Seas of Blood - The Price of Fame (Chapter One)

[Phoenix]

Bart finishes up his tale, then bids his audience good eve. When he stands, Captain Smith scampers up to his shoulder, and he gives Captain Swoops a nod. "I'll see ye on the Goddess Cap'n." With that, he stomps out and down the road to the docks.

[sblock]Bart Spot check (DC hidden) +7 - Failure
Captain Smith Spot check (DC hidden) +5 - Failure
[/sblock]

Out in the cool, crisp night air, Bart and the 'Captain' begin their trudge through the darkness towards the docks with only dying lantern lights from select house windows to show the way.

Up ahead Bart can easily hear the vocal slaughter of Doc Morgan's rendition of "My Horse is a Sailor's Teacup" and see the much more sober Lukda pushing the staggering cleric towards the docks.

The hand on Bart's shoulder was a surprise, the knife against his throat was a shock, but the strawberry scented blond hair that rolled across his shoulders from behind was just surprising.

"Hello there pretty," the voice of Bart's female assailant was intoxicating. "What say you and I have a little chat over here in this alleyway for a moment, perhaps I can teach some lessons about waking home by yourself at night?"

 

[IcyCool]

The hand on Bart's shoulder was a surprise, the knife against his throat was a shock, but the strawberry scented blond hair that rolled across his shoulders from behind was just surprising.

"Hello there pretty," the voice of Bart's female assailant was intoxicating. "What say you and I have a little chat over here in this alleyway for a moment, perhaps I can teach some lessons about waking home by yourself at night?"

Bart let's out a slow gulp, then slowly regains his composure saying, "Aye lass. 'Twould do no good you an' me gettin' intimate here in the street. 's jus' not proper. Though I must admit, yer bein' a bit forward for me tastes. Perhaps me Cap'n'd be more to ye likin'." At this last he winks to Captain Smith, trying to tell him to go find Swoops. Sadly, the monkey simply stares at him, completely missing the innuendo.

OOC: Provided she doesn't slit Bart's throat right then and there, he'll continue with the following.

As she slowly pulls him into an alleyway, Bart sifts through his available spells, trying to find a good one for this situation. "Well, if only I'd walked Captain Swoops or one of the crew back to the ship, I wouldn't be in this pickle." He gives Captain Smith a meaningful look and an empathic flash in an effort to get the monkey to get help. "Now be gentle with me lass, it's been a long time fer me."

OOC: Dang, I knew Bart would get in trouble. And seeing as how he'd have a tough time fighting Swoops' grandma, I'm going to have to get creative with his escape.

 

[Phoenix]

Bart let's out a slow gulp, then slowly regains his composure saying, "Aye lass. 'Twould do no good you an' me gettin' intimate here in the street. 's jus' not proper. Though I must admit, yer bein' a bit forward for me tastes. Perhaps me Cap'n'd be more to ye likin'." At this last he winks to Captain Smith, trying to tell him to go find Swoops. Sadly, the monkey simply stares at him, completely missing the innuendo.

As she slowly pulls him into an alleyway, Bart sifts through his available spells, trying to find a good one for this situation. "Well, if only I'd walked Captain Swoops or one of the crew back to the ship, I wouldn't be in this pickle." He gives Captain Smith a meaningful look and an empathic flash in an effort to get the monkey to get help. "Now be gentle with me lass, it's been a long time fer me."

Bart's captor swings him against one wall, never allowing the blade to leave his throat for a moment. The woman was beautiful, long blond hair, lush full lips, and a long thin blade ready to slice him open. She smiled though...

"Let's not start with any of that pirate-charm lad, I'm here for business only."

She draws a long sheaf of paper from beneath her dark longcoat and begins to read, her eyes on both the paper and the knife at Bart's throat.

"I, Justicar McPhane, hearby deliver this message of summons to you, Captain Jerimiah Smith, on behalf of the Lawful Courts of Plegis. You must present yourself for trial within 30 days else the crimes of which you are accused will be judged against you and your punishment set by the Justicars of Ediora at there leisure."

Every time Bart moves to open his mouth the knife prods a little against his throat, emphisising silence on his behalf. Once the Justicar finishes she rolls up the sheet, drops it at Bart's feet and jogs away into the main streets of the city, leaving him alone with his monkey...

 

[Bront]

[sblock]Diplomacy (DC 13) +29 - Exceptional Success
[/sblock]

The bartender looks at Swoops and mutters with a smile and a chuckle, "Damn you Swoops. Fontane paid me good gold to send you on a goose chase given half the chance, but bugger the ol' coot."

"The merchant vessel Waverunner is usually in the waters north of here, the Captain pays Fontane good protection money in these waters for escort, but since's he'll be off searching for gold to the south..."

"I thank you very much my friend." says Jonathon as he leaves a few extra coins behind.

Satisfied has has a lead on something, he heads back to the ship, keeping his eye out for any supprises that he may find along the way.

 

[IcyCool]

"I, Justicar McPhane, hearby deliver this message of summons to you, Captain Jerimiah Smith, on behalf of the Lawful Courts of Plegis. You must present yourself for trial within 30 days else the crimes of which you are accused will be judged against you and your punishment set by the Justicars of Ediora at there leisure."

Wary of her blade, Bart simply stares at her in open-mouth disbelief, as she rattles off her speech. When she's gone, Bart is still left confused, staring at the scroll. Finally he picks it up, and unfurling it he says to Cap'n Smith, "Jes what in the name o' th' Cursed Sea Witch did ye do?" The monkey, sharing his look of shock only mutely shrugs his shoulders in a strangely human-like gesture. Bart then reads the scroll to see if they list any charges, and if he remembers making them up in one of his stories.

OOC: By the way, that's just brilliant!

 

[Phoenix]

Wary of her blade, Bart simply stares at her in open-mouth disbelief, as she rattles off her speech. When she's gone, Bart is still left confused, staring at the scroll. Finally he picks it up, and unfurling it he says to Cap'n Smith, "Jes what in the name o' th' Cursed Sea Witch did ye do?" The monkey, sharing his look of shock only mutely shrugs his shoulders in a strangely human-like gesture. Bart then reads the scroll to see if they list any charges, and if he remembers making them up in one of his stories.

OOC: By the way, that's just brilliant!

[sblock]
"I, Justicar McPhane, hearby deliver this message of summons to you, Captain Jerimiah Smith, on behalf of the Lawful Courts of Plegis. You must present yourself for trial within 30 days else the crimes of which you are accused will be judged against you and your punishment set by the Justicars of Ediora at their leisure."

"Captain Jerimiah Smith has been charged with unlawful acts that include, but are not solely, piritical actions, theft, robbery, murder and unlawful handling of an animal. These charges will all be set forth in the Lawful Courts of Plegis in 30 days after the successful delivery of this message."

[/sblock]

 

[IcyCool]

Rolling the scroll back up, Bart steps back out into the street and almost stumbles into Captain Swoops. After composing himself, Bart hands the scroll to Swoops and says, "There's a bit o' troublin' news Cap'n. Seems that Cap'n Smith here's garnered a bit o' a reputation. He's a wanted monkey." He grins. Then the color drains a little from his face as he says, "Th' jus-tee-car wot give it to me were a bit confused tho'. Seems someone's gotten me confused fer Smith here." He jabs his thumb in the monkey's direction as he says the last. "I hope it won't cause no trouble fer ye and the crew. I'd hate ta be a burden on yer wager."

Bart leans in close with a wink and in a conspiratorial whisper says, "Speakin' o' which, what prize be we after first?"

[sblock]OOC: Does Bart know of any rumors about possible targets in the area we'll be searching?[/sblock]

 

[Bront]

Jonathon laughs aloud at this. "Are you serious man? How thoroughly entertaining."

He collects himself and gets on to business "There's a ship, the Waverunner, that pays our estimed Mr Fontane a fair bit of protection money, but since he'll be heading the other way..."

 

[Phoenix]

Jonathon laughs aloud at this. "Are you serious man? How thoroughly entertaining."

He collects himself and gets on to business "There's a ship, the Waverunner, that pays our estimed Mr Fontane a fair bit of protection money, but since he'll be heading the other way..."

Swoops and Bart make is back to the Moon Goddess to find the drunken Morgan slumped within a coil of rope on the deck, Lukda making a methodical search of the ship and a'Shelys resting easily nearby, calmly awaiting the return of the Captain.

[sblock]Bardic Knowledge check (DC varies) +18 - Common Success

The City of Loridunne - Located on a large island of Lori, west of the mainland, for years it has housed the most famous and called upon artists of the Kingdom. The rich and powerful would travel to the city to petition artists to make masterworks to show off in their manors back on the mainland. It is said that many guards protect the artists within the city, but the law enforcement is based solely around the artistic houses rather than the streets that surround them.
[/sblock]

 

[Ferrix]

"Captains back," a'Shelys says hopping up to his feet, with the sound of his movement a massive eagle-head pokes up from behind a pile of boxes and Rysha, his griffon mount keens with approval at the arrival of the Captain. "Where are we headed?" a'Shelys asks throwing a smile back at his companion.