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<blockquote data-quote="peteyfrogboy" data-source="post: 1087997" data-attributes="member: 5677">Death In Freeport: Part 3&quot;Well, that didn't get us anywhere.&quot; Parika grumbled. &quot;Who does that Milos guy think he is, anyway?&quot;&quot;He's the high priest's assistant,&quot; said Nevroth. &quot;And we did learn something: Lucius got back into the temple by donating books he acquired during his travels. And I'd wager I know what two of them are.&quot;&quot;Right, but he wouldn't let us see them. I bet those travel logs are in there too.&quot; She glared at the temple as if she could intimidate it into revealing its secrets. &quot;I bet Edwin could get at those books.&quot;&quot;I doubt it. If he could, he would have already. Besides, he said he didn't want us to get him involved any more than he already is. With a boss like Milos, I can understand why.&quot;Rachel shrugged. &quot;Well, any way you look at it, this is a dead end. Maybe we should try to find this Scarbelly character instead?&quot;&quot;You guys go on without me. I'll meet you back at the inn,&quot; said Parika.***It didn't take long for Rachel and Nevroth to find out who Captain Scarbelly was. His ship was moored by itself; no one wanted to tie up next to a bunch of orcish pirates.Rachel walked up to the gangplank, where a burly orc stood guard. &quot;We want to talk to your captain.&quot;The orc blinked his piggy eyes at her. &quot;So what?&quot;Nevroth stepped forward. &quot;Look, we don't want any trouble. We just need to ask the captain a few questions.&quot;&quot;That not my problem.&quot; The orc grinned and fingered the hilt of his cutlass. &quot;And me like trouble.&quot;At that point, another orc came stomping up to the rail. He shoved the guard aside, sending him splashing into the water below. &quot;What you doing here? Why you waste crew's time with talky-talky?&quot; &quot;Are you Scarbelly?&quot; asked Rachel.&quot;Ha!&quot; The orc beat his chest with a gloved fist. &quot;Aggro. Captain not here. Now push off!&quot;&quot;Wait. Where can we find him?&quot;The orc shrugged. &quot;Me not know. Me not care if you find him.&quot;Nevroth looked over the side of the pier at the orc thrashing in the water. He didn't seem to be doing very well. &quot;Did anyone else come looking for him?&quot; asked the manhunter. &quot;A man named Lucius, perhaps?&quot;Aggro scowled, as though the act of thinking was causing him pain. &quot;Little skinny human? White skin?&quot; Nevroth nodded. &quot;Me remember. You know what me tell him? Push off!&quot;Rachel sighed and the two headed back up the pier. &quot;Well that wasn't very helpful.&quot;&quot;At least we know he's still alive. Or was recently, at any rate.&quot; Nevroth scratched his head. &quot;But why was he looking for an orcish pirate anyway? It doesn't make any sense.&quot;&quot;Who knows?&quot; Rachel looked around the busy docks. &quot;Maybe the harbormaster might know where Scarbelly is.&quot;It didn't take long to find him. Kaddaceous Serlin was making his rounds, flanked by half a dozen of the Sea Lord's Guard. The elf had been running the docks for longer than anyone could remember, and the years of practice had made him nothing if not efficient. When Nevroth and Rachel asked about the orc ship, he sneered without looking up from his paperwork. &quot;They're a pox, that's what they are. The sooner they're gone, the better.&quot;Nevroth raised an eyebrow. &quot;Since when did Freeport have a problem with pirates in port?&quot;&quot;I don't care what they do when they're at sea. But when they empty an entire pier with their stink it costs the city money. I'll be just as glad as the merchants when they leave.&quot;&quot;Merchants?&quot; asked Rachel. &quot;Have the orcs been causing problems?&quot;&quot;The crew have been behaving themselves, but the captain fancies himself a gourmand.&quot; The elf snorted. &quot;He's been making the rounds of local restaurants and practically shutting them down.&quot;***&quot;What you mean, no food?&quot; The shout was followed by people scurrying out the door of Mickleberry's Restaurant. Rachel and Nevroth exchanged a glance and headed inside.A large, garishly dressed orc was standing in the middle of the restaurant, brandishing a chair. Waiters cowered in the corners, while the hostess tried to hide behind a potted plant. &quot;I'm sorry, ah... sir... but our chef seems to have gone missing.&quot;&quot;Bah! Me no care. You find him. Me want special &quot;Salt Pork With Whiskey&quot; everyone talking about.&quot;The hostess looked pleadingly at the two people coming in the door. Rachel approached the enraged orc. &quot;Ah, Captain Scarbelly, I presume?&quot;The orc glared at her through narrowed eyes. &quot;Who you? You chef?&quot;&quot;No, my friend and I just had some questions for you.&quot;Scarbelly smashed the chair on a nearby table, showering Rachel with splinters. &quot;Grah! Me too hungry to talk.&quot; He grumbled something about &quot;false advertising&quot;.Nevroth said, &quot;Perhaps we could go somewhere else to talk? We could by your lunch.&quot;The pirate captain paused in mid-rant. &quot;Go somewhere else? Anywhere?&quot; Nevroth nodded uncertainly. Scarbelly grinned.***Rachel and Nevroth sat across the linen-draped table from Scarbelly as he perused the Diving Fin's menu. A waiter stood nearby, apparently unaware that his customer was anything out of the ordinary. Scarbelly stabbed a clawed finger at the menu. &quot;Me have Sea Lord's Feast.&quot;The waiter raised an eyebrow. &quot;You are aware that it is a seven course meal, sir?&quot;The orc scratched his nose. &quot;Good point. Make it two.&quot;Nevroth gaped when he looked at the menu, but dutifully handed the waiter a heavy pouch of gold coins. &quot;Now, do you remember a man by the name of Lucius?&quot;Scarbelly already had soup dripping from his matted beard. &quot;Yeah, me remember him. He ask questions about before. Not buy me such good food though.&quot;&quot;Before?&quot; asked Rachel. &quot;Before when?&quot;&quot;He was on me ship before. Three, four years ago. It funny, he ask about it like he not remember.&quot;&quot;Why was he on board your ship? I would think he could find, um, cheaper passage elsewhere.&quot;The orc shrugged, crunching a whole crab in his maw. &quot;He say he want to watch us. Made lots of writing in book. It very strange, but he pay good so me not ask questions.&quot;&quot;Where did he leave your ship?&quot; asked Nevroth.&quot;Me not remember. Somewhere on mainland. That all me know.&quot;Leaving the captain to his lunch, the two headed back to the inn.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="peteyfrogboy, post: 1087997, member: 5677"] [b]Death In Freeport: Part 3[/b] "Well, that didn't get us anywhere." Parika grumbled. "Who does that Milos guy think he is, anyway?" "He's the high priest's assistant," said Nevroth. "And we did learn something: Lucius got back into the temple by donating books he acquired during his travels. And I'd wager I know what two of them are." "Right, but he wouldn't let us see them. I bet those travel logs are in there too." She glared at the temple as if she could intimidate it into revealing its secrets. "I bet Edwin could get at those books." "I doubt it. If he could, he would have already. Besides, he said he didn't want us to get him involved any more than he already is. With a boss like Milos, I can understand why." Rachel shrugged. "Well, any way you look at it, this is a dead end. Maybe we should try to find this Scarbelly character instead?" "You guys go on without me. I'll meet you back at the inn," said Parika. *** It didn't take long for Rachel and Nevroth to find out who Captain Scarbelly was. His ship was moored by itself; no one wanted to tie up next to a bunch of orcish pirates. Rachel walked up to the gangplank, where a burly orc stood guard. "We want to talk to your captain." The orc blinked his piggy eyes at her. "So what?" Nevroth stepped forward. "Look, we don't want any trouble. We just need to ask the captain a few questions." "That not my problem." The orc grinned and fingered the hilt of his cutlass. "And me like trouble." At that point, another orc came stomping up to the rail. He shoved the guard aside, sending him splashing into the water below. "What you doing here? Why you waste crew's time with talky-talky?" "Are you Scarbelly?" asked Rachel. "Ha!" The orc beat his chest with a gloved fist. "Aggro. Captain not here. Now push off!" "Wait. Where can we find him?" The orc shrugged. "Me not know. Me not care if you find him." Nevroth looked over the side of the pier at the orc thrashing in the water. He didn't seem to be doing very well. "Did anyone else come looking for him?" asked the manhunter. "A man named Lucius, perhaps?" Aggro scowled, as though the act of thinking was causing him pain. "Little skinny human? White skin?" Nevroth nodded. "Me remember. You know what me tell him? Push off!" Rachel sighed and the two headed back up the pier. "Well that wasn't very helpful." "At least we know he's still alive. Or was recently, at any rate." Nevroth scratched his head. "But why was he looking for an orcish pirate anyway? It doesn't make any sense." "Who knows?" Rachel looked around the busy docks. "Maybe the harbormaster might know where Scarbelly is." It didn't take long to find him. Kaddaceous Serlin was making his rounds, flanked by half a dozen of the Sea Lord's Guard. The elf had been running the docks for longer than anyone could remember, and the years of practice had made him nothing if not efficient. When Nevroth and Rachel asked about the orc ship, he sneered without looking up from his paperwork. "They're a pox, that's what they are. The sooner they're gone, the better." Nevroth raised an eyebrow. "Since when did Freeport have a problem with pirates in port?" "I don't care what they do when they're at sea. But when they empty an entire pier with their stink it costs the city money. I'll be just as glad as the merchants when they leave." "Merchants?" asked Rachel. "Have the orcs been causing problems?" "The crew have been behaving themselves, but the captain fancies himself a gourmand." The elf snorted. "He's been making the rounds of local restaurants and practically shutting them down." *** "What you mean, no food?" The shout was followed by people scurrying out the door of Mickleberry's Restaurant. Rachel and Nevroth exchanged a glance and headed inside. A large, garishly dressed orc was standing in the middle of the restaurant, brandishing a chair. Waiters cowered in the corners, while the hostess tried to hide behind a potted plant. "I'm sorry, ah... sir... but our chef seems to have gone missing." "Bah! Me no care. You find him. Me want special "Salt Pork With Whiskey" everyone talking about." The hostess looked pleadingly at the two people coming in the door. Rachel approached the enraged orc. "Ah, Captain Scarbelly, I presume?" The orc glared at her through narrowed eyes. "Who you? You chef?" "No, my friend and I just had some questions for you." Scarbelly smashed the chair on a nearby table, showering Rachel with splinters. "Grah! Me too hungry to talk." He grumbled something about "false advertising". Nevroth said, "Perhaps we could go somewhere else to talk? We could by your lunch." The pirate captain paused in mid-rant. "Go somewhere else? Anywhere?" Nevroth nodded uncertainly. Scarbelly grinned. *** Rachel and Nevroth sat across the linen-draped table from Scarbelly as he perused the Diving Fin's menu. A waiter stood nearby, apparently unaware that his customer was anything out of the ordinary. Scarbelly stabbed a clawed finger at the menu. "Me have Sea Lord's Feast." The waiter raised an eyebrow. "You are aware that it is a seven course meal, sir?" The orc scratched his nose. "Good point. Make it two." Nevroth gaped when he looked at the menu, but dutifully handed the waiter a heavy pouch of gold coins. "Now, do you remember a man by the name of Lucius?" Scarbelly already had soup dripping from his matted beard. "Yeah, me remember him. He ask questions about before. Not buy me such good food though." "Before?" asked Rachel. "Before when?" "He was on me ship before. Three, four years ago. It funny, he ask about it like he not remember." "Why was he on board your ship? I would think he could find, um, cheaper passage elsewhere." The orc shrugged, crunching a whole crab in his maw. "He say he want to watch us. Made lots of writing in book. It very strange, but he pay good so me not ask questions." "Where did he leave your ship?" asked Nevroth. "Me not remember. Somewhere on mainland. That all me know." Leaving the captain to his lunch, the two headed back to the inn. [/QUOTE]

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