The Salted Dolphin

[Xxian]

Xxian only half listened to the group at the table prattling on about their promises and problems, he was more interested in carefully using a dagger to free a shard of bone that was stuck between his teeth.

"In morning time we go, early early, before the sun come up yees"  he continues to lever the offending partical with his dagger.

"Cost lot to run ship it does, mmm, so ship get on share of treasure too it does." he continues nodding, not bothering to look up for replies.

"plus, Chip here taking collection he will, once a week, 4 silvers, get you rations and lodging. No pay - you stay."

Xxian sheaths the dagger and places it back in its frog, folds his arms and leans back in his chair, waiting to see who won't be coming.



Chip

Now halfway through his second cup of watered down wine, the young gnome learns his first duty aboard the ship.  Given the tension that is already building at the table, he continues to remain quiet and observe.

[Mudguard]

Agneus does a mental double-take. What! A double share? Outrageous!

He smiles at Xxian  and says soothingly “Yes. That sounds fine. I’m happy to pay for the board and rations. And don’t worry. I think I speak for everyone when I say, it’s an excellent investment to spend your portion on the ship. It'll be a real money raker."

[Feff]

Dirk grins at his young charge, who doesn't even bother looking at him. He then turns back to Xxian, "We will either need to know the name of your ship or else will need to be escorted to it tonight or in the morning if we are to accompany you."

The girl crosses her arms and mouths something to herself. It's the first real sign of movement or even that the girl can talk. Dirk notices but says nothing, instead waiting for an answer from Xxian.

[Jereth Ingsbe]

Arak snorts, yet another con man, and he begins to wonder if anyone on this trip was actually being honest about their reasons. Not that it bothered him since the dwarf had no intention on paying his way himself.

"Yer friend there and the lass be the ones that hired me. Talk to them about how they pay fer me passage. Take it from me wages if'n ye want, but if ye be lookin fer us to crew fer ya, ye be payin me double, ye cracked gnome."

It had somehow gotten late, and he'd been drinking the swill humans called ale for most the day, yet he wasn't even the least bit drowsy or impaired. If they shipped out in the morning, he might have to find some kind of distraction in the meantime, the black bearded dwarf thinks to himself.

[Paks]

Lilac

I nodded to Arak, noting that our conversation would be picked up again at a later point. I listened in as Agneus and Dirk committed themselves to the trip but when Arak assumed I would be paying for his passage as well, I almost choked on the wine I was still sipping. This was turning out to be an expensive business arrangement!

Still, I firmly believe that Arak could be useful and he seemed nice enough, a tad money hungry but hey, there weren't too many at this table that didn't seem to be so far.

"I'll cover Arak's passage" I said loudly and fished about in my money pouch and pulled out one gold coin. I slid it across the table towards Chip, "That should cover us for a while, let me know when we're due to pay more keep and I'll gladly oblige"

I fingered the remaining coins, by the time I'd paid for the nights accommodation, meals and drinks so far, there would be little remaining to my name. I better find somewhere quiet on the ship and make some potions to sell, or Arak and I would soon find ourselves swimming.

"Perhaps if we were all to meet up here before dawn we could all go to Master Xxian's ship together" I suggested, it was getting late and I wanted a good nights sleep before facing a long journey at sea.

[Xxian]

" 'Oblivion', that the name of Xxians ship it is.  Xxian not know what that mean yet, but last Captain Xxian bought ship from said it suited Xxian, 'cos that where Commodore Xxian end up given the amount of rum Xxi.... food Xxian load onto ship - still, cant find this Oblivion on map yet Xxian cant, but might be nice place?"

The gnome smiles sheepishly and looks around quickly for another drink.

Chip

The gold coin was no sooner slid across the table and it vanished, the young gnome didn't even appear to have moved, but his non reaction of the coin not present on the table means he must of, right?

[Paks]

(Seeing as this thread has staggered to a halt, I'll call it an end and ff to the morning.)

XP: 80/level/3 hours