Island Empire Part 1, to Mermaid's Rest

[Scotley]

Aboard the 'Rumpled Bedsheet'

Finally, there is a sudden silence aboard. The preparations are complete. The provisions have been loaded and the tools are stowed. The last of the workmen goes ashore and only the crew remain. A Master Singer and a quartet of musicians arrive and leads the crew and a chorus of dockside workers in the traditional songs that complete the making of a ship. The notes of the music touch upon the True Song and have been a part of ship building since the first keel was laid in the Empire. The magic of the music binds the seams and strengthens the timbers; it gives flexability as well as stability to the masts and empowers the sails to catch the wind. Notes of this music have been carefully carved into every joint of the ship and adorn the masts, spars and sides of the ship. Every sailor knows the words to these songs and is expected to join in the singing. With the final notes of the music Marienna breaks a bottle of champaign over the bow and the boat slides smoothly down into the water. A cheer goes up and the Rumpled Bedsheet is afloat. She is carefully towed out to Marin and Son's place at Pier Seven to await the morning tide. Those who look up toward the White Wake can see Captain Marin and too other old men looking on through the telescope and spyglasses. To no one's surprise the ship is seaworthy and no leaks are noted. A final check by the officers and she is ready to sail.

 

[Scotley]

Dockside at Cambre

By eight the ship is settled at the pier and Marienna joins Radoon for dinner. She suggests a place dockside just up from Pier Seven. She is greeted warmly by the woman who works the tables here. She is clearly a regular. You are seated at booth a bit away from the other customers. Marienna orders a salad of fresh greens and fruit followed by a steak cooked in rich spices with onions and peppers served over brown rice with a deep purple wine so dark it is almost black. She makes small talk until the meal is finished and a brandy is brought out. "So you wanted to talk to me about some things," she asks her eyes flickering in the candle light of the place?

 

[Scotley]

Aboard the 'Rumpled Bedsheet'

OOC:

The crew:

Captain Morwyn

First Officer Radoon--takes watch when the captain is off the bridge, advises the captain, commands shore parties, leads the forcastle in combat.

Second Officer Marienna Lockspar--Master of the ship, responsible for money and pay. Takes watch in when captain and First officer are not on the bridge. Also ships doctor.

Master or the Sails--Finnious Abalard (Halfling)--Serves as pilot and navigator directing the handling of the sails, somewhat in contravention of tradition he prefers to work from the crows nest and the rigging. Spends most of his time aloft. His son Vilnious is onboard and works the rigging with his father. He is a sorcerer of some minor ability.

Chief of the Boat or Boatswain Terry Lockspar--Sees that orders are passed and carried out. Acts as supervisor on board seeing to the handling of anchors, boats, yards and repairs. Commands the aftcastle during combat.

Steward/Chief Cook Verra Abalard (Halfling)--Now that the ship is at sea she has taken over as Steward from Marienna and serves as head cook, also the wife of the Master of Sails.

Master at Arms Peitro Tampopalus (Half-Orc)--A odd position for a merchant ship, he is responsible for training the men to fight. He issues weapons, conducts drills and provides combat training for the sailors, as there are no marines on this small ship.

The Crew-17 more able seamen, two apprentices, and a cabin boy round out crew. Most are human males, though a few are women and there is a Gnome, two other halflings, and a pair of lizardmen (husband and wife) among the crew.

 

[mleibrock]

Radoon - Mariner/Fighter/Master Thrower

By eight the ship is settled at the pier and Marienna joins Radoon for dinner. She suggests a place dockside just up from Pier Seven. She is greeted warmly by the woman who works the tables here. She is clearly a regular. You are seated at booth a bit away from the other customers. Marienna orders a salad of fresh greens and fruit followed by a steak cooked in rich spices with onions and peppers served over brown rice with a deep purple wine so dark it is almost black. She makes small talk until the meal is finished and a brandy is brought out. "So you wanted to talk to me about some things," she asks her eyes flickering in the candle light of the place?

I will order the same as Marienna, trusting she has eaten here before and knows the better items, also realizing it may be some again before fresh meat and fruit are available.

OCC - from your description of Marienna, she sounds midly atractive and so, describing her as too thin to be pretty, maybe it's the candlelight dancing in her eyes...

during or after dinner Radoon will try and get to know her, feel her out for reasons she is on the voyage, her relationship with Marin, what that outburst earlier was all about...all the while trying his best to charm her and get a feel for if she is all about work or if she might be interested in getting closer to a person.

Specific questions:
1. How did you and Terry come to know Marin?
2. How well did you know his son?
3. Why was Terry not wanting you to go on this journey?
4. What kind of trips have you made in the past?
5. How instrumental in the building of this ship were you?
6. Where did you learn to heal? and if you don't mind, I could use a bit of mending after the fight, maybe I could work this into the conversation if she asks about my bruises or if not, then when I walk her back to her room, maybe invite her to my room or into hers? Get a feel as she lays hands if she is all business or if there is TLC in her touch.

I will try to work these questions into the conversation without it seeming like I am drilling her.

 

[J. Alexander]

MIchael Storm (Warlock)

MIchael will finish completing what he has to do, and will get a good nights sleep. Before turning into bed he will address a letter to Captain Morwyn and have it deliverd by his newcabin boy. He will leave insturctions with the housekeeper that she is to start the normaly provisions of the house with solid staples and spices and have Nicholas make arrangements for the payment. Michael will make arrangement to be at Pier 7 and the ship one hour before it sails.

For Captain Morwyn [sblock]Dear Captain, I respectfully request permission to have the young man before you accepted into the ship as my cabin boy. When making arrangement with Captain Marin, I failed to request the approval of his accompanyin me. So as not to create a issue with space, he shall reside in my cabin so as not to burden any common seaman with a decrease in sleeping space. Additionaly, I have had supplies sent to the ship from a local Chandler and request that they be placed in my cabin and the cabin locked, pending my arrival at the ship this morning. As planned, I shall arrive one hour before the ship is to set sail with my party, but should you so require, I can make arrangments to arrive up to two hours earlier.
Please feel free to send any questions and or your reply, via this messenger. Respectfully, Michael Stormwarden.[/sblock]

For Radoon[sblock]Radoon will have deliverd to him several bottles of nice whiskey, think crown royal etc... a note will say "For an old sea dog should he get thirsty" M. Storm[/sblock]

For the DM only[sblock]What is the young man's name? I will send him on his first errands to deliver the two notes and bottles of whiskey to the party members aboard ship. If the cook has time, I will ask her to stay up late and prepare several cold roast chickens and perhaps a nice roast beef, anything that will keep for a few days, so as to entertain the party members aboard ship with fresh food for a while. Also I will instruct the young man to pack a sea chest for me with empasis on clean linens, writing materials and good bottles of spirits. This is just a test to see how well he packs etc and if he is intellgient enough to ask the right questions about what to pack as he does not know me as well as if he is smart enought to wait before interrputing NIchaals and me as well as does he knock before entering the study where we are at or does he just enter. If MIchale has to he will stay up into the wee hours of the morning to get everything done as he can always sleep on ship. Also I do have a techincal question, do warlock has access to cantrips or anything similar or will taht need to be a dm ad on ruling. Basically I am looking for the clean cantrip, the exterminate cantrip and just general housekeeping ones.[/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

The food is excellent. The Wheelands is generally regarded as the best part of the Empire for food, but it tends to be very spicy. Marienna proves a pleasant dinner companion. She asks question about your naval past as well. She tells you that she has known 'Uncle' Marin all her life. Her mother worked for him as a shipping clerk, while her real uncle--Terry was a sailor for Marin from age 10. Her mother and father both died of the plague when she was young and it fell to Terry to take care of her. He wasn't cut out to be a great father. He took her with him on his voyages and she learned sea craft from a young age. Both Terry and Marin felt this was not the best upbringing for a young girl and they sent her away to private schools. She showed an aptitude for healing and Marin paid for her to attend the Church of Heaven's academy of Healing (think Harvard medical school), where she did well and graduated with honors. She knows Allois and takes offense when Radoon refers to him in the past tense. She has sailed with him a few times and considers him a friend. She thinks maybe Marin thought she and he would marry, but they never really had the spark between them--more brother and sister. Terry and Marin just don't see her as a capable adult. They are too protective especially Terry. She reluctantly admits that she hasn't sailed much since her youth having only graduated last year. But she is confident that she hasn't lost any of her skill and she's had plenty of arms training as well. She is very proud of the way the ship turned out. She admits it was all Marin's idea and that she just helped out where she could, but you expect it was more than that. She does respond when you tell her of your injuries and she is highly amused by your tale of the man jumping out of a window on you as you walked by. Her laughter is infectious. She does take you back to the ship to examine your wounds. Her care is professional and you fear she thinks you might be a bit old for her, but she is friendly and seems to like you. You realize that it is almost midnight the two of you enjoying each other's company the time has flown by. She bids you goodnight. You have breakfast with Captain Marin at 5:00 am. She informs you that it will be the same place you had dinner.

 

[Scotley]

For Michael Storm only [sblock]A name, how about Guiseppi Cardossa who goes by 'Joe'? Names in the western reach are a bit italian sounding. He needs a little training, but he has served as a cabin boy, so the task you set him to pack is within his experience. He also knocks and waits until summoned. He doesn't have any real experience with spirits and does ask Nicolas for advice on that. However, he does seem a curious lad and obviously has an interest in what you are up to. Your cook does an excellent job of getting ready some nice eats. She bakes some hard crust bread that should keep at least a week if you keep it dry as well as the cold chicken and beef. She makes up some fresh fruit preserves that are extremely good to go with the bread.[/sblock]

 

[J. Alexander]

Michael Storm (warlock)

For the DM only [sblock]Michael will make the necessary arrangements, letter of authority etc so that the Housekeeps, and what is her name, can run the house, and will establish a household fund of 250 gp in cash for her to have access to during our abscense. IF possible I will have her establish local trade accounts etc for produce that we can pay off monthly or weekly, so as to save her the time and trouble of having to alwasy carry coinage. I am guessing this can be done with letter of credit/ reference etc. Also, I will tell her this : Madame, you will run this house, I keep weird hours at times and may be gone for extensive periods, but when i do return I want everything ready should i wish even a 12 course banquest with just 3 hours notice." "Failing, that you are to do as you please, as the stores get old and have to be used up or spoil, cook them and give them to the street children and young sailors needing a hot meal as they are bewteen ships and have spent their earnings. Feel free to engage waht day help you need, and if necessary a day and night watchman should you feel insecure." Do you have any questions? "Now do you have any children that will require billeting or that would be interested in working with you as you will be requred to live on the houseboat, and you are to never engage in idle gossip about who is here who is not here or what goes on. Is that understoon"

After that, Michael will make a big todo over the perserves and bread, and will polietly ask her if she would mind making another batch of them as well as the bread'? "Oh and madam, please see to the fitting of several wool dresses for yourself, "black with red accents and of course a white apron. Also please looking into having a more formal dress done in Black Silk for those occasion I will be entertaing. See Nichoals for the funds. Yeah i know , lol i am digging deep into my cash but I do think it will pay off in the long run. By the way does she too get the thumbs up from NIcholas and Grond. What is her stroy if any?[/sblock]

 

[Scotley]

For Michael Storm only [sblock]The cook's name is Frances Mittero, she is a widow. Her husband and children like so many others were lost to the plague. Before the plague she worked at her parent's resturant, but they also died and she couldn't keep the place going herself especially during the plague years, so lost it. She agrees with your requests though her eye widen at the though of getting a 12 course meal ready in 3 hours. She seems excited about the new clothes, and you suspect she is wearing her best for her first day serving you and it has seen better days. She knows some suppliers from her resturant days and is confident she can set up accounts and will be able to get better than average quality. Nicolas picked her and considers her a good choice, but Grond is dubious, perhaps oweing to the fact that she seems a bit afraid of him. She will get to work on more bread and jam and should just be able to get it ready by 5 in the morning if she works all night. She asks a few questions about your preferences for different types of food and use of spices, but otherwise asks little.[/sblock]

 

[J. Alexander]

Michael Storm (Warlock)

For the DM only[sblock]Picking up on the clothes bit, MIchael will increase her allowance to include non standard items (ladies undies etc) as well as a few casual clothes for her to wear on days off etc and even a sleeping robe , shoes, a hat, whatever she wants withing th e budget. I will make it clear, she does not have to account for these funds, but that I expect them to be used on clothes. If she has other needs, she has but to ask or failing our prescene, to use her own judgement and acess household funds. Michael will also thank her for her willingness to spend the night cooking for them as he knows it will be an inconvience.[/sblock]