Serpent's Skull Part 1: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv

[Bong Bellowsmoke]

Tamarin was silent for a moment.

"You looked liked you needed it, before I saw those leathers. But it is no matter." Tam almost asked why Vyrian hid herself so, then stopped himself.

"The ship is full of lusty crewmen. I am but a passenger like yourself, as is Gelik. But I am a man - I imagine you might prefer the company of another lady." Tam was guessing, but from the many comments made by the crew he'd overheard of brothels and whores, he felt compelled to look after this new passenger. The olive skinned woman was aboard. Even in dwarven society, which was virtually all Tam was intimately familiar with, women seemed to flock together, feeling more comfortable and talkative in each other's company.

"There is another woman aboard, an olive skinned woman of great beauty. I caught a glimpse of her as we left the port of Mandibar. I have not seen her since, but I know she is aboard, with Captain Kovack." Tam thought it strange he'd not seen hide nor hair of her. Perhaps she was the Captain's concubine. Tam was learning quickly of sea life from the constant mutterances of the crew. All aboard were lonely for the company of a woman. He supposed a successful captain would bring his own woman, but shield her from the crew.

"Perhaps if we visited the captain, you could meet her," he offered.

[Pharathyse]

"Aaahh, yes... Well, you see, I am not really much for company," Vyrian hedged. The truth was, she would rather not meet the captain. If he got too nosey it might end up with her taking a very long swim.

"The constant motion is making me feel a bit ill. I think I'll lie down for a while. It' easier here below, where I can't see the waves."

OOC:
bluff check: d20(12)+2= 14

[Bong Bellowsmoke]

Tam thought it feasible this might be Vyrian's first sea voyage as well, and perhaps she was nervous about seasickness and other potential dangers of sea voyage. But that was not all, Tam could sense it. For some reason she clearly wanted to be left alone, but Tam didn't pry. Instead he respected her wishes and left her to her bunk, climbing back upon deck to take a look at the port city beyond, eyes squinting in the sunlight at first. The vastness and mysteries of the surface world was beginning to enthrall him.

OOC
Tam: Sense Motive d20+6= 16, beats Vyrian's Bluff.

[Spasseltock Nimblefingers]

And enthralled Tam was. Each day brought new lands and new mysteries for the young paladin. Sailing the coast from Kintargo to Pezzack was easy and Pezzack went almost as fast as she came. Leaving Pezzack, the Jenivere took a wide turn around a few small islands off the peninsula of Cheliax and into the Arcadian ocean. It took a good ten days to reach their next destination, Corentyn.

No matter how hard Tam searched he still saw no trace of the lovely olive skinned woman he saw on the fist day and a few rumors were circling among the men about who this woman was. Some believed this woman was the actual owner of the Jenivere, some thought she was a Chelish spy on a secret mission, while others thought she was Captain Kovack's newest lover. No matter what rumor was true no one saw hide or hair of the woman.

Finally they reached Corentyn. There, on the last day, the Captain met with a suspicious looking fellow. He wore black leathers that had an official crest on it of some sort. After a good half hour of haggling the man gave the Captain a large purse that could only have contained coin, and a good amount of from the size of it. A few hours later the man returned, this time he had another man with him. The other man was a middle aged Garundi man with slightly graying hair... he was bound in irons, hands and feet. His head hung low, his eyes sad and full of remorse. The official handed the prisoner over to the Captain, shook Kovack's hand and left. The prisoner was escorted down below by Alton and as he passed Tam and Vyrion he gave them a smile as a tear trickled down his face.

It took another ten days to reach their next destination, Illizmagorti. The isle that the city was on stood just off the ever torrent Eye of Abendego and was rumored to be where the infamous Red Mantis assassins guild was located. While in port at Illizmagorti, Alton took aboard a young woman named Sasha Nevah, she had fiery red hair and green eyes and all noticed she was missing her pinky finger on her left hand. She took to the crew instantly joking around with a few and even challenging a few to a rope climbing race (which she lost but never seemed to bother her). The woman never stood in one place long and seemed to raise the crews spirit with her laugh.

It took another eight days at sea as they left Illizmagorti and skirted the ever present hurricane to their next stop...

[Spasseltock Nimblefingers]

Ollo

Drenath had his things gathered. Ollo may have been home, but it offered little to nothing now. He knew the sahuagins would come again tonight since Avimar's ship left this morning. How convenient it was that the attacks occur when the ruler of Ollo was off the island. Drenath just wanted to start over especially since death of his parents. He calmly waited on the docks for the next ship to arrive. He knew when a ship came to port they weren't there long so he had to catch one fast. Luckily for him one was coming into port at that moment. It was the Jenivere, and he had known the ship well. It had been coming into Ollo for at least ten years or more and Drenath had always heard Captain Kovack was a generous captain. His luck was starting to improve. He knew he could do worse... much worse.

When the Jenivere docked it was just staying to gather enough supplies to replenish what was gone. Alton noticed the half-elf standing at the boarding plank with his things. "Ye need passage lad? If so we're makin our trip back south to Eleder." Alton looked and sized Drenath up. He knew someone looking for work when he saw one. He saw it a lot in Ollo and Quent, hell half their crew came from the Shackles. "I get it son. Yer in luck we need a few more good hands on deck. We pay well and yer fed with no extra cost. Depending on how many trips you make with us depends on how much of a raise ye get at each passing." The first mate stuck out his hand to Drenath. "Name's Alton. I'm first mate aboard the Jenivere, find a bunk or a hammock not occupied and get ta work. We set sail in one hour." And just like that Drenath was made a crewmen.

[Dorgyn Angylaxe]

Drenath looked over the side of the Jenivere, gazing upon the blue waters below of the Arcadian Ocean. He was no stranger to life at sea, having grown up in a small fishing boat that his father owned and practiced his profession of fisherman. He had grown up on Shark Island, in the small town of Ollo, surrounded by the ocean, and saw it more as a limitation than an opportunity, so he had little love for the sea. He saw it as a means to provide for his family, in the same manner that his father had his entire life, but he longed for more. He would sit in the small boat with his father, and watch the larger trade ships pass them by on their way to Port Peril from regions he had only heard about in stories at the market at which they would sell the extra fish from the days catch. He would dream of voyaging to distant lands, a brave warrior with an enchanted blade in his hand, magical armor protecting his body, and a stern look of determination upon his face.

He had lived the life of a fisherman until the fateful day when the village of Ollo was set upon by a hoard of raiding sahuagin. The fish barbarians pillaged and killed everything in their path. Drenath, just into his early twenties, took up sword and shield and joined the poorly trained town guard, and helped to repel the onslaught. However, in the battle, his father was killed, and the family fishing boat was sunk. Although his mother was unharmed, she fell ill shortly after the attack, and passed in her sleep leaving Drenath with little reason to remain on Ollo.

The first ship to arrive in the weeks after the passing of his mother was the Blood Moon, who’s captain was none other than Ollo’s ruler, Captain Avimar Sorrinash. Although he was eager to leave Ollo, Drenath chose not to book passage aboard the Blood Moon, for it was rumored around town that Captain Sorrinash had an arrangement with the fowl sahuagin which allowed them permission to raid the village when his ship was not in port. He felt that it was wiser not to put himself on the same ship as the person who may be responsible for destroying all that he had on Golarion.

Although it took some time, the next ship to arrive was the Jenivere, and was captained by Alizandru Kovack. He gathered up his meager belongings, and made for the wharf. Not having enough coin to pay for passage, Drenath agreed to work for his fare, and took to swabbing the deck, and other various tasks aboard ship. He discovered quickly that in a similar way to fishing, he had no gift for seamanship. He was fortunate in the fact that he was accustomed to the toss and turn of the ocean and did not suffer from sea illnesses known to afflict those who rarely traveled by way of boat or ship. He was also adept at moving aboard ship with fleet of foot, and could roll with the waves. But he still felt as though he were trapped aboard the ship in a similar way as he had been on Shark Island. He longed for something more, and hopefully, he would find it soon.

[Spasseltock Nimblefingers]

The next stop was just a small journey to Motaku Isle, the largest island in the Shackles and the second largest port of Quent. The Jevivere stayed here for two days. The crew loved to frequent the House of Stolen Kisses here and Captain Kovack let his men enjoy the pleasures of a woman, especially since he had a few women passengers aboard. He didn't want his men getting too fresh with the women on board, that was bad business.

From Quent it was another small trek across Jeopardy Bay to Port Peril. Alton warned all to watch their coin purses here. It would seem that Port Peril was one of the largest Halfling settlements in the Inner Sea region, and most were pirates at that, not fair trade pirates, but dirty scoundrel pirates. Here a half-elf woman named Aerys Mavato boarded the Jenivere. One of the crew men suggested that he and she share a bunk, Aerys took offense and humiliated the crewman in the resulting scrap that took place. Alton thought it to send Aerys to the forward cabin isolated from most of the men. Pirates can be a vengeful lot.

When the Jenivere left Port Peril it's next destination was...

[Spasseltock Nimblefingers]

Bloodcove

The Jenivere crossed the Fever Sea to the delta of the Vanji river, here lies Bloodcove. The port city was more than unique. It was built entirely into and around the roots and trunk of one of the gargantuan mangrove trees that only grew along the Mwangi coast. The whole city is perched on boardwalks and scaffolding to keep it out of the Fever sea.

Caladriel stood on one the floating docks clutching a red leather book bound in gold, staring at the reddish waters of Bloodcove. He stole it from the seawitch Calypso whom he had apprenticed under. It was a book on how to develop the talent of hexes and other witch related information. Caladriel knew he had to get out of Bloodcove before Calypso realized he had deserted her and stolen her most prized possession. Here he found the Jenivere. It had been in port for several days and it seemed as if it was being prepped to shove off, and soon by the looks of it. His wishes were already being granted, perhaps the book was worth the trouble he was in.

While staring at the ship Caladriel was bumped into by Tian man. "Pardon. Me." The man said in a quiet voice as he went up the plank of the Jenivere. He began talking with a man in a black bandana Caladriel saw. The tian man gave the crewman some coins and disappeared somewhere into the ship.

[Vittorio the Red]

The Tian man was polite in excusing himself but Caladriel didn't like being close to anyone. He instantly searched himself for the first thing that came to mind was being pick-pocketed by the stranger.

OOC:
Taking 20 to search my person to see if anything comes up missing
1d20 + 4 =24 to search my person

[Spasseltock Nimblefingers]

Caladriel was more than satisfied finding everything where it should be.