(Adventure) Hunt for the Cirya de Pietro [Judge - garyh]

[GnomeWorks]

Hunt for some Crew

Moving to the nearest, unnamed tavern, those looking for a crew find themselves in the midst of a large number of men who vary only slightly in apparent temperament and nature.

A few stand out away from the crowd, however, and Katherine works her social skills to her fullest extent... she fails to start up a successful conversation the first few times, having difficulty adjusting to the environment, but on her fourth attempt, she hits it off very well with a half-elf, slightly bearded and with a variety of earrings of various metals in his left ear, and a blue-green eyebrow ring piercing his right eyebrow, who calls himself Ricardo.

"So, what can I be helpin' ya with, lass?" He asks, after having called for a drink for Katherine. He seems genuinely friendly and willing to help, and you think that he may hold a small amount of respect for a woman who would go so willingly into such a place as the one you're in now.

As Katherine gathers her information, Hallandor and ao'Thuir seem to stick out like a sore thumb, the various sailors either avoiding them entirely or eyeing them with something resembling distrust or hostility.

Hallandor -

Spoiler

The half-elf does not detect as evil... there are at least a few in the tavern who are evil, as you can sense their presence, but you can't determine who or where they are, due to all the mingling and chaos.

 

[ferretguy]

Hallador looks amongst the population in the inn. Opening his mind to the true intentions of the gathered lowlifes he tries to seperate those that think of causing him and his companions harm from those who actually pose a threat.

OOC: damn that blackness....

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Moving to the nearest, unnamed tavern, those looking for a crew find themselves in the midst of a large number of men who vary only slightly in apparent temperament and nature.

A few stand out away from the crowd, however, and Katherine works her social skills to her fullest extent... she fails to start up a successful conversation the first few times, having difficulty adjusting to the environment, but on her fourth attempt, she hits it off very well with a half-elf, slightly bearded and with a variety of earrings of various metals in his left ear, and a blue-green eyebrow ring piercing his right eyebrow, who calls himself Ricardo.

"So, what can I be helpin' ya with, lass?" He asks, after having called for a drink for Katherine. He seems genuinely friendly and willing to help, and you think that he may hold a small amount of respect for a woman who would go so willingly into such a place as the one you're in now.

Katherine deftly transforms his order into a non alcoholic beverage. If he seems to find it odd, she will just grin and say "I'm going to be making some purchases at the temple later, and I just know they wouldn't take wine on the breath in the right way... A few of my friends and I have recently had a bit of a windfall, and we've decided to try our hands with merchanting. What with the Red Dragon here, it seems like anything we do or find someone's likely to have found or done better, faster and in greater quantities... Might as well take a nice safe sail down the coast to vacation and trade somewhere where our stories and rewards might be a bit more impressive. We were able to buy a rebuilt ship, but it didn't come with a crew, so we're looking for a few solid sailors."

Katherine will keep an eye on the half elf's face, especially for any reactions to her comment about a "nice safe sail"...

 

[GnomeWorks]

Katherine
"I'm going to be making some purchases at the temple later, and I just know they wouldn't take wine on the breath in the right way... A few of my friends and I have recently had a bit of a windfall, and we've decided to try our hands with merchanting. What with the Red Dragon here, it seems like anything we do or find someone's likely to have found or done better, faster and in greater quantities... Might as well take a nice safe sail down the coast to vacation and trade somewhere where our stories and rewards might be a bit more impressive. We were able to buy a rebuilt ship, but it didn't come with a crew, so we're looking for a few solid sailors."

The half-elf seems to have no reaction when you change the order.

However, he does raise an eyebrow when Katherine mentions 'a nice safe sail'. "Ye do know that pirates come up the coast this time a year, aye? Any ship that goes south this time a year is bound to run into 'em. There are few good men on the sea, lass, that'll take on such a voyage... but I'll tell ye that I'm one of 'em. Some of us have certain... past histories, with the pirates, that we'd like ta have worked out, an' though I'm not lookin' fer a fight, if they start one with any ship I'm on, I'll be finishin' it. I've been workin' on ships fer a long time now, an' I know the ups an' downs of workin' 'em... an' I know this coast better 'n most."

He taps his fingers on the bar for a few moments. "So, do I have meself a spot in yer crew?" He says, winking at Katherine.

-----

Hallandor -

Spoiler

It is difficult to concentrate with all the noise, though you don't think anyone actually intends to do you harm... yet.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

He taps his fingers on the bar for a few moments. "So, do I have meself a spot in yer crew?" He says, winking at Katherine.

"My, my, you want to head into danger, and you haven't even asked about payment." Katherine keeps smiling but narrows her eyes slightly at the half elf. "Are you looking for the job, the adventure..." She suddenly flashes a grin, "Or the scintilating company?"

"As for the pirates..." She sits back and takes a drink (and a glance around the tavern to see if anyone is paying untoward attention to their conversation), "I've heard some, but little in the middle ground between stories to scare little girls and platitudes to sooth womanly fears. Perhaps you can tell me what will make our jounrey more or less safe, what we have to fear, and what we have to lose." As she says this last part, she glances at her signet, which though marred and made of less percious metals may spark him to discuss the ransoming tactics of local pirates (if any).

OOC: I trust that appropriate bluff and sesne motive checks are being made (or tens taken where possible) rather than the conversation alone determining if this gentleman is trustworthy...

 

[GnomeWorks]

Katherine
"My, my, you want to head into danger, and you haven't even asked about payment. Are you looking for the job, the adventure... or the scintilating company?"

"Aye, lass, I be what they call a free spirit." Ricardo says, smiling. "Payment or no, so long as I've food an' berth, I'm fine. As for why I'd take such a job, if ye offered it... well, a mix of what ye named. A sailor without a ship is like a knight without a blade, if ye get my meaning, an' I be a sailor without a ship, at the moment."

"As for the pirates... I've heard some, but little in the middle ground between stories to scare little girls and platitudes to sooth womanly fears. Perhaps you can tell me what will make our jounrey more or less safe, what we have to fear, and what we have to lose."

"Pirates... aye, I can tell ye of 'em." The half-elf says, leaning himself back against the bar. "Bastards, all of 'em. There be dozens of pirate ships, all kept in line by only the Code, that bein' basically the same as honor amongst thieves, if ye know what I mean. Pirates, though... they be usin' illegal weaponry, a nasty thing that they be callin' gunpowder." His voice takes on a somber air, and his expression grows serious. "It's illegal throughout the coast, an' no captain of an honest vessel uses it... but pirates, aye, they use it well enough. If ye're ta be fearin' anythin', it should be the pirates with gunpowder."

"What else...?" He seems to ask himself. "They'll board any ship they come across, a course, an' loot it, an' claim it fer themselves. Usually won't kill their captives, though they may throw 'em overboard and leave 'em to th' fishes. Most a their crafts are faster 'n any honest ship, so unless ye've got an exceptional ship, any corsair that sees ye'll be able ta catch up with ye. Some a th' nastier ones'll sink yer craft, as well, usually with ye on it."

"Also... there be a ship sailin' this sea, that some call th' Cirya de Pietro. Captained by a man they call Ramirez... a devil of a ship, an' some say that Ramirez be a devil 'imself! Rare is th' man who's seen that craft, much less Ramirez 'imself. She was th' first pirate ship ta carry gunpowder, an' shortly after all the others followed in her wake. She can sink a ship faster 'n any other ship sailin' the seas."

"What'll make yer journey more or less safe? Well, ye could start by not goin'," He smiles, "though that'd get ye nowhere. Keep outta sight a land near th' ports, that'll help ye avoid th' ships if they're closer inland, an' they usually stay further out ta sea when between raids. As I said, fear th' pirates an' their gunpowder... not all pirates have it, but most do. Ye can smell it on the air when they near, if they be carryin' it. What ye have ta lose? Yer lives, at most, an' yer ship, at best. Nobody ever said that sailin' the seas was safe, lass." He smiles once more.

"Now, ye could be askin' yerself why I'm tellin' ye this." He says. "An' I'll tell ye why - because ye shouldn't go ta sea without knowin' what ye'll run into. Courage ye have, aye, but it'll take more 'n that ta make it out there." He indicates, with a nod, the direction of the sea. "An' what I've told ye is only a piece of what I know... I've sailed many years in me time, an' I've come ta know many a th' pirate ships around here. If ye think ye'll be attacked, then I can help ye in tactics, an' help ye get out of a tight spot."

All in all, he seems to be relatively truthful; nothing would indicate otherwise.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Katherine smiles at Ricardo and offers her hand. "It would be good to have you along, both for your skills and the scintilating conversation." She winks and scratches out a quick note which she seals with her ring. "Come to the end of the docks tommorrow morning - if I'm doing some last minute shopping this should get you on board."

Katherine will do a bit of shopping then head to another tavern on the other end of the warf to start the process over again. Unless she hears blatently opposite advice on pirate prevention, I think we can skip the rest of the roleplay in favor of smiting... if she can only get two or three sailors she trusts, she will stick with that under the assumption we adventurer types can pitch in with untrained help rather than load up on dead wood or potential turncoats...

If you can let me know how the wand shopping goes, and the price for good help on a ship (I assume our friendly dwarf can give us some advice in that area), we'll know how much we can put into trade goods and weapons.

 

[Erekose13]

Once the first interview is over with Ricardo and it is apparent to ao'Thuir that he is out of his element, he will do as Katherine suggested and make the rounds to check on everyone's ranged weapon status. He will try to make a mental list of what ammo he should pick up as well.

 

[Pyrex]

"Zumar, now that we've checked out the ship, lets go find out how Kat and the others are coming along rounding us up a crew."

 

[GnomeWorks]

OoC: Wand shopping? I looked through the earlier posts and tried to figure out what you meant, but I didn't find anything, Kahuna. If you could elaborate...