Sapphire:Sessions:20150117

Sapphire Harbor, aboard the Moedian ship Far Quest, Shawna addresses the merchant trader Solt Delameter. "Excuse the unconventional and inconvenient hour, but I am here to serve a lien against this ship and its cargo."

Chalker, fast-drawing his sword, strikes an opponent in the wrist. The man steps back, clamping his hand tightly over his bleeding wrist, staring warily at Chalker. Chalker asks, "What is your position?" "Second mate." Chalker appraises him as a level 2 mage, greedy, amoral, determined, and a regular temple-goer. "I'm going to hold you hostage. If you do anything except heal your wound, I will cut your head off." Carefully, the man casts a healing spell, greatly slowing the loss of blood from his slashed wrist.

Up near the bow, Trace runs here and there, peering over the rails and calling out, keeping the crew busy looking into the dark water, whether for boarding parties or crewmen gone overboard, who can tell?

Chalker and his hostage make their way to the merchant's stateroom. Delameter: "After the lien is served, I am free to leave the harbor?" Shawna: I'm afraid that determination is not within my authority as the King's representative. Chalker: Who was your shield? Delameter: Seaman First Class Allen. Chalker: Two of your men have met an accident in the water. They're not coming back up. The sentry at the base of the mast is... breathing. You are to tell the others "false alarm" and send them back to their bunks.

As Delameter takes notes, he subtly casts a spell. Shawna: If you're wanting to bring in a third party, this is really not the time for that. Chalker glimpses something, a rustle of cloth. Chalker: Did you just get contacted? I'm not alone, I'm just not in charge. Second Mate: I didn't do anything. Delameter: Why do you think I was involved? Shawna: That is outside the terms of the lien.

Delameter picks up a quill. "I suppose you expect me to sign this." With a sudden flick of the wrist, he throws the quill at Shawna, who snatches it out of the air. Shawna: Do you refuse to sign? Delameter: I'm afraid I can't. Shawna fast-draws her sword and slugs him in the jaw with the pommel, stunning him.

The Far Quest's captain, Murrel Lansbury, appears in the doorway. Shawna: I know this looks bad, but it's strictly business. Lansbury wants a definition of the 'personal property' that is excluded from the lien. Shawna: Tell me what you are declaring. Lansbury: My merchant's ledgers and trade documents. Shawna: I assume he called out to you. Such loyalty! Lansbury: My crew is well trained. Shawna: We will overlook the attempt at bribery [he had, in so many words, offered payment is lieu of confiscation].

Trace hears one of the hatches slowly rising. The crewmen below decks attempt to throw up the hatch, but Rory had blocked it and it slams back down on their heads. To confuse things further, Rory yells "Die, Empire!" and fires his bow. Other crewmen slip and slide on Trace's oil slick.

Lansbury: I need to talk to my first mate. Chalker: Has he signed the paper? Shawna: He refused. Chalker evaluates Lansbury's aura: Dark, level 3 mage, has dealt with demons, but has no particular link with Asseraah. Lansbury: You're definitely not an acolyte of Asseraah. Chalker: I have to talk to him every so often.

Shawna lays her sword atop the writing desk, then ties Solt Delameter's hands. Captain Lansbury calls to First Mate Brandon to stand down. "We'll be turning over the ship to pay for damages. We are knee-deep in Imperial politics over something that happened in the last 24 hours."

Lansbury negotiates with Chalker over the disposition of the crew, care for the injured, and personal property. Chalker: What House are you from? Lansbury: I am part of the Quest Consortium. Chalker: Explain where you stand in terms of royalty. Lansbury: I am captain of the Consortium's flagship Far Quest; I am not part of the ruling class. Chalker: You're evil. So you *are* royalty. Lansbury: Moedia doesn't have royalty. We are a trading city. This ship is owned by three people, two of whom are high up in the hierarchy. They will not be pleased at all. Chalker: They'll kill Delameter. You'll be fine. Lansbury: There are worse things they can do.... Chalker: Like kill them and raise them up? Lansbury: That tends to anger Damarot. I want to die in bed and meet Dara. Chalker: You know we'll both die by pointy things. What were you going to do with the statuettes? Lansbury: Deliver them to one whose identity would be provided.

Rory lets down rope ladders for the Empire sailors who are boarding the Far Quest, then shouts to get the group's attention. Chalker: Captain, we need to go calm the Empire down.

With Molly's gang and the acolytes of Asseraah still tailing them, the group returns to the Boar's Head around midnight. Bajeeter is still at work. Shawna drinks a glass of light wine. Rory helps the stableboys tend the group's horses and acknowledges Jim and his lads who are hanging around.

Chalker and Shawna check the Far Quest's manifest versus the inventory list. There are around 20 items that aren't listed on the manifest, mostly curios, but including three magic items. The strongbox contains about 500 gold as well as bags of precious gems. The ship's next two ports of call are shown as Flynn (trading port) and Byness (capital of a duchy).