Heroica RPG - Quest #114: The Tale of the Sea Fiend

[Captain Settle]

Francis walks up to the Mandalorian.

"Uh, hi... Nice costume."

[CMP]

"Dastan is an... interesting place." Kiray stared at the "Dragon Knight." "I've seen dragons, and I've seen real dragon knights. Some of them certainly aren't worth dressing up as."

" 'Fraid I wouldn't know, didn't spend too much time there before I had t'head on back to Eubric. I'm a sailor by trade, ye see. Cap- erhm, well, just Whales now, I s'pose, at your service, miss. Aha, and that hairy little bastard over there is my first mate Thimlin."

Actaeon walks up to what appears to be a pirate, a knight, and an elf... something or other.

"..so I says 'take that thing you call chive- chisel- ' aw hell I ferget- and, damn if I remember the rest, but ye should've seen the look on 'is face."

The dark-skinned man laughed loudly, spilling a little of his drink on the elf at his side in the process.

"Oh hell Nat, I wish I coulda been there. But whatever, makes up for that time you missed me and that mermaid when we went down to Charis."

"Always with you and the damn ladies." The armored 'pirate' looked over at Actaeon. "Hey, what're ye looking at?"

Francis walks up to the Mandalorian.

"Uh, hi... Nice costume."

The cloaked figure regarded Francis silently.

"...."

The woman manning the bar shook her head at Francis as she cleaned out a goblet.

"No good sir, he's been here for almost half an hour and hasn't said a word. Just this weird note."

Edited October 22, 2014 by CallMePie

[KotZ]

" 'Fraid I wouldn't know, didn't spend too much time there before I had t'head on back to Eubric. I'm a sailor by trade, ye see. Cap- erhm, well, just Whales now, I s'pose, at your service, miss. Aha, and that hairy little bastard over there is my first mate Thimlin."

"Oh really now?" Kiray replied. "Well it just so happens I need a few sailors. Whales? Cap? How about you get Thimlin over here?"

[Tachyon]

Mizuki went up to the mushroom looking thing and asked "So are you meant to be dressed as ?"

[Actaeon]

"Mermaids, you say? Are you a sailor?"

[CMP]

"Oh really now?" Kiray replied. "Well it just so happens I need a few sailors. Whales? Cap? How about you get Thimlin over here?"

"Ah, 'fraid I can't do very much for ye lass. I lost my ship, The Mercutio, last week." Whales sighed and shook his head. "If yer lookin' for a ship, you'll have to look elsewhere I fear."

Mizuki went up to the mushroom looking thing and asked "So are you meant to be dressed as ?"

The dwarf, Thimlin, pulled away from the woman, and very nearly tripped off his footstool.

"...Hmm? Yup. Mushroom man. Forget the name. Redcap?"

"Mermaids, you say? Are you a sailor?"

"Of course not. I'm only a...business associate of Nat here."

"Sets up work for sellswords like meself."

[Tachyon]

"You look like you can handle your liquor. What's your choice of drink ?"

[Captain Settle]

Francis turns to the bartender.

"Oh, okay. Well, can you tell me if anyone in this pub is looking for work?"

[KotZ]

"Well good thing I already have myself a ship. Just need an able bodied crew."

[Actaeon]

"A sellsword, eh?" Actaeons smiles, "Then you're the man I'm looking for!"

[CMP]

"You look like you can handle your liquor. What's your choice of drink ?"

"Ale."

Francis turns to the bartender.

"Oh, okay. Well, can you tell me if anyone in this pub is looking for work?"

"You'd have to ask Madam Camorea about work. She oversees all the business that goes on here. More importantly, she'll want to know why Heroica is back and recruiting in her place..." There was some quiet, but obvious discontent in the girl's voice as she finished. "I'll go and fetch her now..." She slipped out from behind the bar and went into one of the doors attached to the main room.

"Well good thing I already have myself a ship. Just need an able bodied crew."

"Really now? Ye have my attention lassie. Dragged Thim off here so we could drown our sorrows in booze'n women, but good, profitable work beats that any day'o the week. What've ye got?"

"A sellsword, eh?" Actaeons smiles, "Then you're the man I'm looking for!"

"Nat's not-"

"I'll take this one Kharad." Natnail looked towards Actaeon quite seriously despite his obvious drunkenness. I don't think so. Fer one, I don't have a sword to sell right now, damn ogre wouldn't let it inside. Fer two, I'm busy. Fer three, I don't like yer face."

Kharad sneezed out half of his drink in deep laughter as the elf at his side giggled along with him.

[Captain Settle]

"Oh god, I hope Madam Camorea won't make fun of my outfit too..."

[KotZ]

"We need to take down a sea beast, and we need strong, brave, hearty men who are bold enough to take down this beast." Kiray leaned in close to the "Dragon Knight". "I may even be able to get you work after this job."

[CMP]

"We need to take down a sea beast, and we need strong, brave, hearty men who are bold enough to take down this beast." Kiray leaned in close to the "Dragon Knight". "I may even be able to get you work after this job."

"Really now? Interesting ye should mention a sea beast-"

"Oh god, I hope Madam Camorea won't make fun of my outfit too..."

Whales was interrupted by the sound of something that sounded distinctly like an enormous snail slither into the room. A hulking thug slug (and a rather gussied-up one at that) wormed her way into the main room of the Locale, guffawing croakily at a sharp-looking human at her side.

"Bonapartes? Indeed?"

"I've dealt with more than enough to know one when I see one, Cammie."

"Haw haw! I guess you would."

The thug slug - Madam Camorea, presumably, frowned, halting in her slime-covered tracks and inhaled the air, a sour, annoyed expression crawling across her face.

"Heroica. I should've known Trovsty would let something...unpleasant slip through his fingers."

"That's why I got you, Madam."

"Good. This is exactly why I train you girls." Camorea slithered over to Francis, one eye practically bulging out of its socket at him, inhaling deeply. "Haw. You're still green, boy. Haven't even made it to your advanced class, have you?"

"...What does that mean?"

"Nevermind that. I always knew one day Heroica would come walking back through my door. I never doubted that. Something made it inevitable. The only question here is why heroes have come crawling back and begging for help. Where's your party leader, boy?" She snapped intimidatingly. "Or maybe you'd like to explain your presence here yourself?"

[Captain Settle]

"Oh, well there's this beast...thing, and, uh... Kiray? Can I get some help?!"

[KotZ]

"I'll be right back," Kiray said to Whales.

"Kiray Nastayo, party leader," the knight stated to the slug in a suddenly silky smooth voice. Her gaze kept even on the madam. "I'm actually surprised Trovsty would let something slip through his fingers, Cammie. His hands look pretty large. But I'm sure you only hire the best people here, Cammie." Kiray's voice held just a hint of sarcasm. "I'm actually not looking for help from you, unless you're willing to of course. We're just here on our own business, nothing involving you and your lovely staff. Besides this is a costume party, what's your outfit?" Kiray threw a glance to the bunny girl. "And what are you supposed to be? An undercover journalist?"

[Tachyon]

Mizuki dropped down from the floor above, and went forth towards the bartender. "Uh I know this is a bad time but how much is the price for ale here ?"

[CMP]

"Oh, well there's this beast...thing, and, uh... Kiray? Can I get some help?!"

"Kiray Nastayo, party leader," the knight stated to the slug in a suddenly silky smooth voice. Her gaze kept even on the madam. "I'm actually surprised Trovsty would let something slip through his fingers, Cammie. His hands look pretty large. But I'm sure you only hire the best people here, Cammie." Kiray's voice held just a hint of sarcasm. "I'm actually not looking for help from you, unless you're willing to of course. We're just here on our own business, nothing involving you and your lovely staff. Besides this is a costume party, what's your outfit?" Kiray threw a glance to the bunny girl. "And what are you supposed to be? An undercover journalist?"

"That's Madam Camorea to you, missy."

"And everything that happens in here is my business. If you're here looking for something, you go through me. Especially if you're Heroica. I'll ask once more: what do you want here?"

"What? Of course not. We're just suspicious of heroes running amok in the Hovels is all."

"And for damn good reason. They let the Houses block off this entire district, you've got no business having the run of the place in here, where people have to work themselves ragged for a living."

Mizuki dropped down from the floor above, and went forth towards the bartender. "Uh I know this is a bad time but how much is the price for ale here ?"

"Fresh out hun, sorry." She frowned and tilted her head accusingly at the drunken leprechaun at the end of the bar. A full bottle of ale swung from his hand, but he hardly even seemed aware of it.

[Tachyon]

"You got any other forms of liquor ? Even mead would do."

[Actaeon]

Actaeon steps next to and slightly behind Kiray for support.

[KotZ]

"Right, Cammie. We're looking for some people to join us. Maybe you can. We need some bait, and I'm sure one as lovely as yourself would be perfect."

[Captain Settle]

Francis whispered to Acteon from behind Kiray.

"Oooh, shots fired!"

[Actaeon]

Actaeon looks back at Francis briefly, "Yeah, things could get messy," he whispers back, smiling.

[CMP]

"You got any other forms of liquor ? Even mead would do."

"He's ordered about the last of it, I'm afraid. Madam Camorea still has some hidden away in the back."

"Right, Cammie. We're looking for some people to join us. Maybe you can. We need some bait, and I'm sure one as lovely as yourself would be perfect."

Camorea snorted.

"Haw. Are all heroes so impertinent these days? By Mercutio, it seems like every generation of Veterans just breeds more arrogance." Her bulbous eyes slid over to the human woman at her side. "Would you believe one of their founders pulled this place out of bankruptcy?"

She shrugged.

"The heroes I've served with are typically more reasonable." She stared hard at the party. "Pretty poor way to go about recruiting people, hm? I had to kiss some serious megablocks when I started out, but now I've got a ship, I've got a crew, and I set the rules. If you're looking for trouble, know I owe Cammie a few favors and would be quite content tossing you out on the street to be swarmed by a hundred hungry beggars. If you're looking for people, perhaps you could be a bit more specific."

[KotZ]

"Haw. Are all heroes so impertinent these days? By Mercutio, it seems like every generation of Veterans just breeds more arrogance." Her bulbous eyes slid over to the human woman at her side. "Would you believe one of their founders pulled this place out of bankruptcy?"

"The heroes I've served with are typically more reasonable." She stared hard at the party. "Pretty poor way to go about recruiting people, hm? I had to kiss some serious megablocks when I started out, but now I've got a ship, I've got a crew, and I set the rules. If you're looking for trouble, know I owe Cammie a few favors and would be quite content tossing you out on the street to be swarmed by a hundred hungry beggars. If you're looking for people, perhaps you could be a bit more specific."

"Sorry, I just got back from Dastan and the last time somebody came up to me confrontational, they ended up dead. Look, we went here because we're in a rush and figured we could find some sailors to help us on our quest."