Pirates! The Arr-P-G -- The First Chantey

[Malacandra]

Attracted by Tess's excited squeals and native charm, one of the patrons comes over to see what's going on, and soon a small crowd are gathered around. The lack of a common language doesn't prevent both sides from more or less conveying their meaning - they watch excitedly as Tess has another go, and then a coin hits the table from an excitable young man who is pointing to himself.

* * * * *

"Excellent", says your new sponsor. "We understand each other, then? Ye'll bring back every scrap ye find, from both hoards, and there'll be shares enough once you get back here, and more business to follow. If you need more hands for the voyage, have a word with Tomas and he'll right soon find you some. He can get you powder, shot, tuck and suchlike too."

A side door opens and a black woman enters, of late middle age and well dressed. She bears a silver salver with practiced ease and there is a set of crystal glasses already filled. Your host smiles at the woman, takes one of the glasses and gestures at you. "A pledge, gentlemen - to a successful cruise."

* * * * *

Abe examines the strange dagger. As expected, the oddly designed handle can and does contain a scrap of paper, now a little charred at the edges but still intact. He unrolls it and finds some writing that he cannot understand, and a picture that is perfectly clear: a death's head drawn in black ink and rather good detail.

[glee]

Attracted by Tess's excited squeals and native charm, one of the patrons comes over to see what's going on, and soon a small crowd are gathered around. The lack of a common language doesn't prevent both sides from more or less conveying their meaning - they watch excitedly as Tess has another go, and then a coin hits the table from an excitable young man who is pointing to himself.

When Captain Roger finds this out his first reaction will be based on a chap he met once (who ran a cafe):

- [after observing the gambling tables at Rick's]
Customer: Are you sure this place is honest?
Carl: Honest? As honest as the day is long!

- Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.

- Captain Renault: This is the end of the chase.
Rick: Twenty thousand francs says it isn't.
Captain Renault: Is that a serious offer?
Rick: I just paid out twenty. I'd like to get it back.
Captain Renault: Make it ten. I'm only a poor corrupt official.

His second reaction will be immense pride in his crew. What initiative!

[glee]

"Excellent", says your new sponsor. "We understand each other, then? Ye'll bring back every scrap ye find, from both hoards, and there'll be shares enough once you get back here, and more business to follow. If you need more hands for the voyage, have a word with Tomas and he'll right soon find you some. He can get you powder, shot, tuck and suchlike too."

A side door opens and a black woman enters, of late middle age and well dressed. She bears a silver salver with practiced ease and there is a set of crystal glasses already filled. Your host smiles at the woman, takes one of the glasses and gestures at you. "A pledge, gentlemen - to a successful cruise."

Captain Roger thinks back to stories of how a chap makes a toast, falls unconscious and wakes up chained to a wall in a sodden dungeon.
Then he thinks of the money he made last time working for this chap ...and swigs away.
"To a successful cruise! And to many more! Profit for all who deserve it!"

[RoOsh]

Hmmm.... ABE will try to locate anyone on the damn ship who can read... if not, he'll start getting the ship ready for sail as so that as soon as the captain and others arrive they're off to go. He'll keep the letter protected in some container on himself- no need for the rest of the crew to be TOO worried... but if one of them COULD read it'd be nice.
Damn scurvy sea dogs!

[Darth Sensitive]

Sean looks up at the man with a nod, then places his own matching coin beside the youngsters'.

He places the pea under the left hand shell and starts to weave them about, though he keeps everything above board for the moment, letting the boy follow the target before stopping and letting him pick, correctly.

Then, pulling his hat down lower, Sean nods at the boy as he pushes the money across, then pulls more out gold out of his bag before asking, "Again?"

[pedescribe]

I pretend to drink, but do not swallow any.

[Malacandra]

A number of crewmen are clustering around ABE curiously, but none can read (it is an unusual skill for a deckhand to have). There's no problem about finding a safe place to stow the letter, though. Looking around suspiciously, you see another schooner, a fair match for the Cormorant in size, slipping out of the harbour mouth. She would have passed within small-arms range within the last minute.

+ + + +

Gold appears to be too rich for the youngster's blood, but encouraged by his success at spotting the pea he is willing to put up another coin, and several other people are pushing and shoving for their turn.

+ + + +

Captain Roger finds the red wine he has been given as excellent a vintage as any he has been lucky to make the acquaintance of before, and evocative of the kind of lifestyle he would like to lead if only he were a little wealthier. Ah, to be a gentleman...

[RoOsh]

Bah!
ABE will try to find out the name of that Ship that just left from the docks from the local Dockboys who may be wishing to earn themselves a coin or two in the process. Any of the local boys who can keep quiet and get me the name of that ship gets himself the reward!

[Darth Sensitive]

Sean plays the boy again, moving things more quickly, but still doing things fairly, but not making things easy.

After letting the young boy succeed or fail on his own merits, Sean will move on to a new player, hopefully one more willing to lay down gold.

[glee]

Captain Roger will remember that he has been asked (by Tomas) to behave like a gentleman. Therfore, despite his natural desire to swig every bottle in the house, he will take his time, enjoy the taste and refrain from geting drunk. Instead he compliments his host:
"A superb vintage. My congratulations - and many thanks for serving this. Does it ... travel well?*"

*a sort of subtle 'hint' that Roger would like a bottle for himself!

[Malacandra]

"Ah, it travels well enough, but it costs, sir, it costs!" says your host, jovially. "And what I've seen, man and boy, is that it's them who tries to live like a lord when they ain't laid the foundations as mostly comes to grief. First the getting, and then the putting by, and lastly the enjoying of it, 'tis how it's done - not blowing two thousand guineas a year on coaches and fripperies, and then finding out too late that it's all spent and you're a beggar in the gutter again. Even a blind man should ha' seen more clearly." He laughs again, but grimly.

"There's a story as went with yon," he adds, gesturing at the map, "and mebbe I'll tell you one day - when you've earned the right to hear it - a story of more blunt than a sailor-man ever laid eyes on in his life. But I tell you right, if you do your part and all works out well, even the hoard in that story will look like beginners. - Belay there, Cap'n!" he yells, this last being directed at the unseen demented voice. And to Tomas: "Have the carriage up. These gentlemen will be needing to be about their business."

Finally: "There's plenty more in the cellar for when we meet again."

+ + + +

A gold coin is tossed on the table. The owner of the coin has a slow grin as wide and wicked as a hungry shark's, and eyes that glitter like diamond chips in a face maybe a quarter black. He has a knife belted at his waist, with well-worn handgrips and a disquieting stain or two on the leather of the scabbard. A respectful hush falls over the company as he gestures at you to play.

+ + + +

ABE passes the word for someone to quiz the boys on the waterfront, but it may take time.

[glee]

Captain Roger knows when his time is up ("Have the carriage up. These gentlemen will be needing to be about their business.").

He serenely finishes the last drop of wine, savouring the flavour.
Then he rises carefully and smoothly says "Thank you for your fine hospitality and useful advice. I hope that in time I may be as successful as you. We shall do our best on the mission."
He attracts the attention of his crew and organises a mass bow to their host.
Then he heads for the carriage...

[Darth Sensitive]

Sean pushes a golden coin across to match the stranger's, then places the ball under the left most shell. Looking around the crowd, he starts to shuffle the shells, palming the target with his left hand midway through the pattern.

Sean stops, and allows the large stranger to pick a shell.

[pedescribe]

I head for the carriage with Roger, trailing behind him quietly while furiously sketching the building, noting various things of interest.

[RoOsh]

ABE to one of the random crew hands.... "Aye gots a bad feeling about this....
Let's get ready to head out as soon as we can get some information and the others.... Always this stuff happens when we pull into port.... I'd like to see them try to match wits with me out in the full ocean.... :grumble grumble:"

[Kat]

Tess glances warily at the new player; he looks like trouble. She hopes that Sean is smooth enough to not get caught. Paying no more obvious attention to the game than the other spectators, she watches as he shuffled ths shells, trying to spot when he palms the pea, and at the same time, trying to determine if the player notices.

[Harlequin]

Having successfully played the strong and silent bodyguard type, Tuck follows the Captain.

[glee]

Roger thanks Tuck and Doc for their fine acting in front of the Patron:
"Sometimes a Pirate's gotta do what a Pirate's gotta do!"

[Malacandra]

Time to reunite the party, methinks... at any rate, most of it.

As the carriage is bowling down the road towards the edge of town, en route for the docks, the passengers' attention is drawn to a disturbance up ahead, where a lively brawl appears to be in progress outside a disreputable-looking tavern. At the heart of the scuffle are a pair of characters Captain Roger knows but perhaps would not care to admit to knowing just at this exact minute, although to be sure, five minutes ago in front of the patron's eyes would have been worse...

The good news for the shell-and-pea artists inside, scrolling back a couple of minutes, was that Tess's attentiveness was enough to provide a scant second's warning of the brewing trouble. Neither of you is exactly certain what a "¡Hijo de engaño de una puta!" might be, but you're prepared to guess, from context, that it is not meant as a term of endearment. It appears as though this scam may need a little more work.

Perhaps fortunately, though, when the scuffle broke out many of the clients here present seem to have taken it as a cue to settle some old scores of their own. The fight soon spills out onto the street outside, with our two heroes desperately looking for a way of escape without actually killing anyone (which is probably a bad idea in Porto Bello, a town not quite as wide-open as Tortuga). Fortunately the approaching carriage suggests a possibility. :wink:

[glee]

Captain Roger has 'removed himself' from various 'sticky situations' before (often with his trousers around his ankles ).
Taking in the situation at a glance, he explains to Tuck and the Doc about 'helping' their crewmates into the carriage and swiftly riding off (preferably without a mob in pursuit).
As Tuck is the strongest, he will yank Sean inside, whilst Roger (naturally) will assist the lady (Tess) himself.
Doc will open and shut the door and then deal with any injuries.

[Harlequin]

Tuck makes himself as large and menacing as possible while making his way towards Sean to grab him and throw him unceremoniously into the carriage. If it can be made to look as if Tuck's one of the disgruntled punters, all the better.

[Kat]

Tess lets the Captain pull her into the coach, where she tries to straighten disheveled clothing, muttering under her breath in French. "I told him to not get caught," she adds, in English, at the end of the diatribe. She picks at a ragged tear in her sleeve. "He will owe me une nouvelle chemise."

[pedescribe]

Captain Roger has 'removed himself' from various 'sticky situations' before (often with his trousers around his ankles ).
Taking in the situation at a glance, he explains to Tuck and the Doc about 'helping' their crewmates into the carriage and swiftly riding off (preferably without a mob in pursuit).
As Tuck is the strongest, he will yank Sean inside, whilst Roger (naturally) will assist the lady (Tess) himself.
Doc will open and shut the door and then deal with any injuries.

I follow the plan as Roger laid it out.

[Darth Sensitive]

Sean glares at Tess and tosses her one of the coins that he had the presence of mind to grab from the table just before it was upended at the start of the brawl. "You run it next time then"

[Malacandra]

The obligatory chase scene follows with the angry mob pursuing the carriage for quite some way through the city streets with much hurling of imprecations and improvised missiles in both directions. Tomas loftily forbears to comment, but if his glance at Captain Roger doesn't mean "Is this typical of your crew's behaviour on shore?" then he should be suing his face for slander.

After a while the mob runs out of steam and the carriage reaches the docks. ABE is just receiving the news from the dockyard boys who saw what happened with the strange schooner and the best guess seems to be that she was named the Artemis, though no-one yet knows anything more about her. However, more information is forthcoming when the slightly charred note is entrusted to someone who can read, and is able to decipher as follows:

A life for a life. Ye cannot hide behind the Dons for ever.
-- Jas. Boanerges

[RoOsh]

"Bah! Don?!?! I don't know any Dons! What use is this garbage! Damn You, Artemis and your quotations! It is unbecoming of young men to utter Maxims, don'tcha know? Stick that Aristotle in your pipe and smoke it, you stupid buggers!" cries out ABE to no one really in particular- just venting frustrations at quotations.
He then starts to get his ship ready to sail out of here as soon as the Captain and Navigator get a destination in mind, but best we be setting sail sooner than later.

[glee]

Roger reflects that life as a Pirate Captain is a real improvement on his earlier days. Being a Fencing Instructor of French descent led to contempt from the wealthy English Establishment ("damn Dago's a foreigner who works ").

Now he is in charge of a ship, has a talented senior crew and is currently relishing both the aftertaste of a fine wine as well as the sight of a lovely lady in torn clothing :wink: .
He turns to Tomas:
"As you see, my crew and I have successfully pulled off yet another daring 'training exercise'! Note the use of abilities such as improvisation, reflexes, timing and initiative.

Now to our employer's business. As offered, please could you supply the Cormorant with powder, shot, tuck and suchlike? I'll check if we need any additional crew. WIth a lengthy voyage in prospect, we'll need to be fully stocked.

Also knowing all about the enemy will help us bring home the treasure. What can you tell us about:

- the Artemis
- Jas. Boanerges
- why anyone would call you and our esteemed employer 'Dons'?

[Malacandra]

Some translation may be in order here. "Dons" are Spaniards. Porto Bello is Spanish-owned. It is the Spanish owners who make it inadvisable for anyone to engage in ship-to-ship combat right here or now. "Jas." is a common abbreviation for "James".

[glee]

Thanks for the translation. (I was sure that was the translation of 'Dons', but it's good to get the background.)

Captain Roger would like to know about the 'political' situation:

- what are the current relations between the Spanish and the English?
- where do the French, Dutch and Portugese come in?
- presumably any Great Power hereabouts will hang Pirates from the nearest yardarm if they catch them red-handed?
- are there any chances of becoming a Privateer?
- who are some of the famous Pirates currently rumoured to be operating in these waters/

[Kat]

Tess eyes Tomas, wondering if he's the man who scares the locals, or just works for that man.

[glee]

Once Tomas has departed (hopefully to arrange supplies), Captain Roger will update the senior crew about the mission and the (presumed) ex-Pirate that Tomas works for.

[pedescribe]

While listening to the discussion, I flip to a new page in my notebook and trace exactly the map we've been given. Also, I point out that this Tomas fellow has clearly made many enemies.

[RoOsh]

I fill Captain in on the Artemis information, if he hasn't learned of it already and await my next orders of where to sail towards.

[glee]

Roger thanks his crew for their enthusiasm and gets the Doc to read out the document his employer provided:

The paper bears a map of a small island, roughly rectangular with the long axis North-South, except that it has a piece missing in the south-east, where there is a narrow channel and a still smaller round island. There are latitude, longitude and soundings all marked, and two crosses towards the northern end of the island. There is also some writing on the reverse - small letters which are a little difficult to make out. Turning it this way and that you can read:

"The bar silver is in the north cache; you can find it by the trend of the east hummock, ten fathoms south of the black crag with the face on it.

"The arms are easy found, in the sand hill, N. point of north inlet cape bearing E. and a quarter N."

He adds that we need to wait for Tomas to bring supplies and any news about the political situation, the 'Artemis' and James(?) Boanerges.
However it may be ... expedient ... to leave this port soon after Tomas returns.

[Malacandra]

(Allow me to correct a mistake in a previous post - the signature on the letter should have been John Boanerges. My bad.)

One of the crew overhears the discussion. This is "Parson" Parsons, sometimes rumoured to be an unfrocked cleric in fact, and known to be better acquainted with the Bible than most pirates, for a start. "Poanerges?" he says. "Why, 'tis the Sons of Thunder, isn't it? James and John the disciples, look you, and propaply twins to poot. I wonder has this John a prother?"

Tomas shows no knowledge of the name, but says "It would be best if you could avoid trouble for now - your mission is more important than this little mystery. I shall have supplies and a few extra hands sent over promptly."

[RoOsh]

While ABE waits for the supplies to be loaded, and the Captain to give the orders to set sail, he'll make some small talk with this "Barson" I mean "Parson" Person. Who is he and how did he join my Crew? Any useful skills and what does he do? etc, etc....

[Darth Sensitive]

Sean climbs into the sails, looking for possible weak points in the rigging for him to mend before the ship sets sail.

[Kat]

"Boanerges?" Tess whispers the name softly to herself. She glances in Tomas's direction once more, not sure that she wants to give up any information in front of him. She backs away a bit before trying to catch the captain's eye.

[Malacandra]

Tomas is comfortably out of earshot...

[glee]

Captain Roger senses that something interesting is going on.

He agrees with Tomas that the mission is the things, waffles briefly about how he plans to spend his share and encourages Tomas to set off to town for supplies and crew ("so we can set off promptly").

Once Tomas is offboard, Roger happily chats to Tess - and also discreetly listens to ABE making useful small talk with the crew.

[Kat]

"Captain James of the Sunflower," Tess explains. "His name was Boanerges. The note, I think, is a threat. Vengeance pour sa mort."

[glee]

"Captain James of the Sunflower," Tess explains. "His name was Boanerges. The note, I think, is a threat. Vengeance pour sa mort."

Roger smiles at Tess. Once again a woman has come through for him (so to speak :wink: ):
"Of course, mon cheri! The Sunflower was the ship with the chest that we captured - and that's where we met you. :smile: "

[pedescribe]

(One of the crew overhears the discussion. This is "Parson" Parsons, sometimes rumoured to be an unfrocked cleric in fact...

Can he cast Speak with the Dead?

Although, it's not like we need it now anyway...

[RoOsh]

Oh honestly! We're Pirates! Possession is 9/8ths of the Law practically! Why's he need to get a bee in his shorts all trying to threaten our livelihood and all?
Stupid Sunflower... who names their ship after a Flower?

[glee]

Captain Roger understands what ABE means and fully agrees with his points about ownership and flowery names. (He thinks about 'Cormorant', but decides it is a talented bird.)
However Roger reminds ABE that Boanerges (or his friends / heirs) are probably Pirates too...

[RoOsh]

Bah... leave an old man to his hypocracy ! It's funny when THEY shoot a hole in their sails and sink and all end up drowned, but it's a fookin' tragedy if you get burnt by the scarlet touch after a local visit to the brothel, innit, Me Capit-tain?
Bah!

[glee]

Roger clarifies his position:
"ABE, all I meant was that other Pirates would sink us as soon as look at us. (Just like us, really. :wink: )
Obviously we are always in the right - because we are the 'Cormorant' crew!
But it's just as well to take threats seriously when they come from folk who can fire a dagger into our mast. "

[Malacandra]

A surprisingly short time later, your supplies arrive, along with the promised extra hands. You could leave pretty much any time, really - Cormorant can sail at any state of the tide from this harbour. Wind is west-north-westerly, a light breeze (the harbour mouth faces north).

[glee]

Captain Roger feels it will be difficult to search for Boanerges (or his friends) in Tortuga, especially if we run into any folk from the pub scam.

He suggests to the senior crew that we set sail on our mission - but bear in mind that a schooner left port a short time ago (probably the one that fired that dagger at us).

[Malacandra]

(It'll be harder still to find him in Tortuga given that you're in Porto Bello at the moment.)