Press Gang Pub Crawl

Aranel was dragging, and indulged in a cup of tea with breakfast.  She'd returned from Pembroke the prior day, and her internal clock was still adjusting.  Kairos and Vin were talking to Leafshadow, who was occasionally nodding.  Standing nearby was a burly Rock sagani she didn't recognize, at 6'5" possibly of half-orc provenance, in stained but clean clothes and a straw hat.  It turned out their name was Peb, and they had a rumbly voice and an accent from around Marshfork.  They were also a dung carter who, lacking business upon arriving in Cliffshadow, had decided to try the adventuring  life.

The tea was wonderful, and everyone wanted to see what Arnari had to offer for work, and perhaps to impress Peb, so they headed up to Arnari's office to find out.  As they entered, the half-elf was playing a harp behind her desk, but still managed to wave them towards the chairs mostly arranged through her office.

Aranel sat in an appropriate-sized chair, graceful and at ease.
Leafshadow found a chair with a tall back & arms, and occupied it, like a cat.
Vin sat in the most well-lit chair, happy in the brightness.
Kairos chose a chair very similar to those in Tomtom's office, and sat in it with poise.
Peb saw how fine the chairs were and opted to stand.  They held their arms in front, trying not to touch anything.

Arnari looked over the 5 of them, strumming her harp; then she set it aside.  Aranel, Vin, and Kairos shifted uncomfortably.  They all became aware of the bearskin rug in front of Arnari's desk, which was looking more and more like it would be more comfortable than these chairs.  "Normally," Arnari said, "I would have several missions.  Like checking out the pollution, or hippogryph eggs."

Aranel declared confidently, "We can handle checking out the pollution."  Arnari gave Aranel a sharp look, before continuing, "However, this time, Wymar Adelard would like Freelancers to check out what happened to his friend Amar.  When Leafshadow and Aranel checked out the tunnels, he wasn't there."  The others all had various levels of puzzlement on their faces, so she explained that Amar was down on his luck, and generally hung out in the tunnels panhandling for beer money.

Kairos:  do we have a description?
Vin:  were they [Leafshadow and Aranel] looking for this person?
<Aranel opened her mouth.>
Arnari:  they were doing a standard check of the tunnels.
Leafshadow:  I remember this
Aranel:  when we reported it, he said, was probably in a bar.
Arnari:  Wymar has been checking, or having dockworkers check, since.  No sign.  He has no people to spare to check taverns and does not know where Amar lives.  <to Kairos> general description is fairly standard Rain sagani, but a fairly big guy, a bit less burly than when he was a dockworker.
Vin:  I guess we can look for him.  Anything nasty in the tunnels?
Leafshadow:  just the poo
Vin:  I meant danger
Leafshadow:  nothing to attack you, brigands or monsters
Peb:  did you say poo?
Arnari:  so … the southern tunnel … the tunnels have doglegs, at one of them, the teenagers have a standing dare
Peb:  if that would be helpful, Ah can grab mah stick.
Arnari:  check with Wymar; hopefully it's already cleaned up.
Aranel:  are we supposed to be clandestine, here?
Arnari:  I see no reason
Kairos:  where should we start
Aranel:  if a standard mission, we can find which tunnels he's normally in and start there
Arnari:  the three southern tunnels, because that's near to the dockworker-serving bars
Leafshadow:  should we ask around near there?
Kairos:  yes, let's see if we can find what bars are frequented.
<Peb shifted uncomfortably.>
Peb:  Ah think Ah'd like to bring the cart.
Vin:  could put Amar in the cart if he's passed-out drunk
Kairos:  cart might be conspicuous.
Leafshadow:  might get stolen
Peb:  could be, but maybe Ah'm lucky, but people tend to leave mah cart alone.  <pause>  Ah dunno if it's the fancy water pipes, but Ah've not a lot of business [since coming to Cliffshadow]
Arnari:  Cliffshadow has sewers
Peb:  even so, if not too much trouble, would rather bring mah cart and Mary Jane.  <pause>  the mule.

Freelancers Tavern was a bit away from the docks, so they headed northeast towards the cityside of the tunnels so they could hit up the taverns and bars.  It was still early enough for some of them to be in the shade of the cliff when they got to the pubs in the northern part of Guildstrom district, and they started with a low, 1-storey stone building that had a sign proclaiming it The Aftburner.

Peb put the mule and cart in the back alley, checking if there was anyone there, doing their duty.  Vin just went into the tavern, and ordered a flaming drink.  While he waited, he looked around, and the other three Freelancers also came in.  The tavern was fancy, but not super fancy.

The barkeep, a Fire sagani, produced a pint of ale for Vin for 1sp, then lit it on fire.  Vin looked at it, then carefully drank the ale under the flames, avoiding setting his pretty hair on fire.  Aranel watched this, then with a slight frown looked at the entirely bald and beardless Kairos.  A look of understanding crossed her face.  Then she ordered a hot sake for 1sp.

Leafshadow ordered a mulled cider for 5cp, not wishing to risk his fluff to the flames, and Kairos ordered a mulled wine.  He pulled out his Freelancer badge and displayed it to the barkeep, as if he was part of the Guard.  Aranel drained her sake and walked out as Kairos said, "We're from Freelancers.  Someone has asked us to look around for his friend Amar."

The barkeep told him, "Amar didn't usually frequent this bar, he did not have that kind of money.  But sometimes he would come to the back and get the leftover mulled wine.  Hasn't done that in a couple primes, but not that surprising."

Outside, Peb was looking in the alley for anything in the refuse piles, poking carefully with their stick.  They found nothing.  Aranel looked around front at the other businesses and bars for a similar level of upscale.  She saw other taverns, restaurants, and brothels.  The Gull was at the other end of the street.  The Daystar was almost peeking over the cliff.

Kairos, Vin, and Leafshadow emerged into the morning light, just as Peb was bringing around the cart again.  Aranel explained to Kairos, "Flashing a badge, letting it be known Freelancers are looking for this person, is going to make it harder to find them, if they do not want to be found."

Leafshadow added, "Or, if they are not missing of their own volition!"

Kairos said nothing as the group headed down the street to The Gull.

The Gull was not fancy, but the establishment was clean.  Some murals decorated the wall, and the mugs were good quality but also not fancy.  The building was wooden, and 2 storeys.  Vin, Kairos, and Aranel went in as Peb took the cart around back again.  Leafshadow hesitated, then also went in.  There was an open hallway visible from the top of the stairs; apparently the upper floor was used for private parties.  Peb came in the back door.

The barkeep had hair that was rather fluffy, and the Freelancers could not tell if he was a half-elf or a human.  A duo was playing music in the corner, which caught Aranel's attention; one was on bongo drums, one playing a flute.  The others looked around at the surprisingly busy bar, given the time of the morning.  They saw almost all the Trading peoples represented, and realized these were airship crew, which explained the busy-ness.  A table in the corner had a mix of quinametzin and gnomes; probably crew from an airship from Grafton.  None of the Rain sagani they spotted matched Amar's description.

Vin ordered a strong stout, and sipped it at a normal speed, unlike the ale at the Aftburner.  Peb looked uncomfortable again, and tried to stay away from the furniture.  After taking another sip, Vin asked the barkeep, "A friend of mine is looking for their old friend Amar, a Rain sagani."  Vin sipped the stout again, avoiding the foam, and Aranel smiled at the barkeep.

Barkeep shook their head.  "I don't know this person," they started, and Vin described Amar.  Barkeep shook their head again, "Don't recognize that."  Aranel tried to figure out if they were lying, but the flute from the duo in the corner was out of tune, and she found it impossible to ignore.

Peb remembered what the barkeep at the Aftburner had said, and went out the back door again, waiting for the person to bring out the trash.  Not long after, a human man came out bearing wicker baskets.  He was in his late 20s, short and wiry.  He regarded Peb with suspicion.

"Excuse me, man, Ah'll help with that," Peb declared.  "Ah'm lookin' for someone named Amar.  Rain sagani, have you seen anyone by that description?"

The man's suspicion was not allayed by the Rock sagani's manners.  "This isn't our usual trash pickup day," he replied, but then he considered Peb's words.  "I just started working here," he declared.

Peb tried to sound soothing.  "That's okay," they started, but the man went back inside, leaving the wicker baskets on the step.  Peb regarded the situation, then emptied them all into the back of the cart, and left the baskets there.  Then they brought the cart around to the front of the tavern, again just as the Freelancers were leaving.  The light of the Daystar shone upon them as they headed to the next street northward, closer to the central tunnels to the docks.

The businesses on the next street were not quite as "nice".  Bars were intermixed with supply shops catering to dockworkers and airship maintenance, and repairs for carts and wagons.  The buildings with the bars weren't as well-maintained, and The Dredge Dump was no exception.

Peb, more comfortable with this class of tavern, went right in, and so did Vin.  Leafshadow followed them, also more comfortable.  They looked around at the tavern patrons; mostly down-on-their-luck people, carters who fared poorly and low-wage airship crew.  

Still outside, Aranel and Kairos looked at each other, hesitant.  "Let's go, good to bad," Kairos said to her.  Aranel made a face, and they went in the bar, and stopped, appalled, looking around.  Unbidden, they both said to each others, "This is not our scene."

A person went out the back door just as Aranel continued, "I want to get out of here."  Kairos replied, "Wait, I think that's him!" loud enough for all the Freelancers to hear.  <Narrator voice:  David rolled a 1 on perception.>  Then Kairos was gone, also out the back door.  Aranel had not really caught a glimpse of the exiting person, and she really did want out of the bar, so she moved to follow Kairos.  The other Freelancers looked at each other and shrugged; the person who exited wasn't a Rain sagani.  Vin thought Kairos was about to get into some trouble, so left out the front door intending to go around to the back alley.

Peb looked for a likely down-on-their-luck person to go chat with, and Leafshadow was still looking to see if Amar was one of the customers.

Kairos and Aranel emerged into the alley to see five people wrassling behind the next building over.  After a moment, they realized it was six; an additional person was on the ground and the center of attention.

Aranel cast message to Kairos.  "Don't flash your badge!"

The details penetrated:  four people had clubs, two of those were knobbly, and two of them also had rope; one person, a human man, had a shiny mace.  The person on the ground, a human man, was unarmed.  None of the assailants were a Rain sagani; there was a halfling, two half-elves, and three humans.

Kairos:  what's going on here?
<Human with the shiny mace turned, and so did the others, forming a 'V'.>
Mace wielder:  nothing you want to be involved with.
Kairos:  you expect me to walk away from five people beating another on the ground?
Mace wielder:  we're fine; you'll be fine, if you go back inside, and get another drink.

At this point, Vin rounded the corner into the alley and stopped, regarded the tableau in front of him.  He frowned at the familiar sight of a press gang impressing someone.  Aranel, frowning, had drawn the same conclusion, despite having heard Cliffshadow had no press gangs.

Vin's face twisted with hate.  He did not like press gangs.  Stepping forward 10', he cast armour of Agathys on himself, the frost visibly sublimating in the morning warmth.  Dirty press gangs so only deserve the darkness, Vin's mental voice echoed in the mace wielder's head; except unused to being able to do such a thing, Vin's mental voice broke like a teenager's at the word only.

• In the tavern, Leafshadow had still been looking around for Amar, but saw through the back door that Kairos and Aranel were about to throw down.  He went to the back door and stood next to Aranel, ready to stab anyone who attacked.
• Kairos pulled out his longbow, nocking an arrow.  "Back away from him," he demanded, ready to shoot if they continued to beat up or tie up the man on the ground.
• The mace wielder told them, "If you want a beat down, we can give it to you, but our business here is almost done."  He stepped back, next to the man moaning on the ground.
• Aranel was still frowning at the unexpected sight of a Cliffshadow press gang; she knew Commerce had them… 
  • Aranel:  what ship are you from?
    Mace wielder:  none of your business
    Kairos:  where is the None Of Your Business registered?
    Mace wielder:  everyone thinks they're a comedian
    Aranel:  I'm a comedian!  <frowned in concentration>  'Six guys walked out of a bar, and found a dude that fell into a rope.'
  • Aranel cast hideous laughter on the mace wielder, who collapsed into gales of laughter on the ground, unable to stop.
  • "I think your joke was better," she told Kairos mildly, granting him bardic inspiration.
• Peb, from the table they'd been sitting, had noticed Leafshadow go out the door, and Aranel's sudden focus; beyond, Vin had gone frosty.  They excused themself from the table, and crossed to the door, pulling out their stick, and spotting the group a ways down the alley.
  • Peb:  is these givin' us trouble?
    Aranel:  they appear to be impressing that person on the ground.
    Peb:  he doesn't look all that impressed
    Arnael:  into airship crew.
    Peb:  oh, my, uh, well,
  • Peb produced a hardened disk of… dung?! …from their pocket, and threw it at the person who had continued to tie up the person on the ground.  They missed, and it struck the wall, hard enough to crack the brick.  It smelled terrible.
• Three of the assailants with clubs moved towards the Freelancers gathered on the tavern back step, and Aranel and Kairos saw they'd been mistaken, these persons had maces.  The other two finished tying up their person and picked him up.
  • Kairos sank an arrow into one of them, nearly killing him.  "Fucking shit!  That hurt!" he exclaimed.  Apparently he'd never been hurt before.
  • Leafshadow stabbed at the assailant who'd come up to him, lightning-fast like a cat, unwilling to wait for a gratuitous beatdown.
  • That person crit Leafshadow over the head with his mace.
  • Another swung their mace at Aranel, but she ducked away.
  • The last one, the halfling, swung his mace at Kairos, entirely whiffing.

Vin cast mind sliver on the half-elf attacking Aranel, who shrugged it off.  Vin's mental voice was perhaps higher-pitched than before, when it echoed The Dark is coming for you, motherfucker in the half-elf's head.  Creeped out, they looked around nervously.

• Leafshadow stabbed again at his assailant, but missed.
• Kairos loosed another arrow at the same human carrying away their trussed-up victim.  The arrow sank between his shoulders, and he sank to the ground slowly and silently.
• The mace wielder was still laughing on the ground, his eyes rolling wildly as he tried to make it stop.
• Aranel cast unseen servant next to the trussed-up victim, and commanded it to untie the person.  However the unseen servant is not very bright, and was defeated by the knots.
• Peb peered over the group on the back doorstep, at all the attackers.  "Pardon, pardon, would you mind, let me squeeze through," they said, and Leafshadow made room.  Peb then used both hands to smack Leafshadow's assailant over the head with their trusty stick, and that person sank to the ground, unconscious.  Peb moved in place to protect the injured Leafshadow.
• This altercation was not going the way the pressgangers had been anticipating and they decided to run for it.
  • The half-elf disengaged and ran towards the trussed-up victim.
  • The halfling just ran to the leader, laughing on the ground.  Or rather, tried to.
    • Peb smacked him with their stick.
    • Kairos struck with the pommel of his daggar, knocking the halfling out.
  • The other human carrying the victim dropped him and ran around the corner.

Vin sent a beam of… well, it looked more like the absence of anything, than something… and it somehow looked hungry… at the fleeing half-elf, but this eldritch blast went over the half-elf's head, literally raising their hair.  That was a warning shot, keep running Vin's creepy high-pitched mental voice echoed in the half-elf's head.  Vin moved up to the other side of the laughing leader, and smiled with only his mouth.

• Leafshadow prepared to dodge.
• Kairos shot the creeped-out halfelf in the back, and they pitched forward on their face, then he also moved up to the laughing leader.
• Aranel knelt next to the assailant Peb had knocked out with their stick, and stabilized them.  The unseen servant again tried and failed to undo the victim's knots.
• Peb moved to the victim and clasped their hands in front of them.  "Hello there, don't mind me, we're here to help.  Ah'm just goin' ta pick you up – Ah promise mah hands're clean – move away from blood."  Then Peb propped the woozy victim up against the wall.  "I don't wanna go to Hindmarsh," the victim declared dazedly.

And that left the Freelancers ruling the alley, with four assailants on the ground… well, five, if you count the maniacally laughing leader.

The Freelancers moved quickly, stabilizing the down'd assailants, then disarming and tying up the leader before the hideous laughter wore off.  Then they turned attention to the victim, who by now the unseen servant had managed to untie.

Victim:  I don't wanna go to Hindmarsh.  Still don't wanna go to Hindmarsh!
Aranel:  why do you think you're going to Hindmarsh?
Victim:  I don't wanna go!  These guys said they were gonna taken me there.
Peb:  hi, uh, mah name is Peb and Ah'm here with these here Freelancers.
Victim <calmer>:  I'm Perrodin; I'm looking for work on an airship.  <pause>  in Cliffshadow.  Not Hindmarsh.
Peb:  ah, no, there's not much of an airship port in Hindmarsh.  Please <gestured> enjoy yourself.

Perrodin rose and nodded, "Thanks, everyone," and bailed even faster than the person carrying him had.

By this time, the tied-up leader had sat up, and was obviously ¼-elf.  He glared at the Freelancers, all of whom were watching him.  "I will make sure you're sorry for this…" he started, but was interrupted as Kairos moved, quickly, and force-fed him a philter of love.  The leader focussed on Aranel, of course.  "...you are so.  pretty."

Aranel closed her eyes briefly, gave Kairos the briefest of glances, then turned to the suddenly adoring ¼-elf with a small smile.  She squatted on her heels, expertly keeping her skirts from the grunge of the alley.  She pitched her voice to be ever-so-slightly melodious.

Aranel:  what's your name?
Mace wielder:  Klepperish
Aranel <disappointed>:  oh, Klepperish, what were you trying to do here?
Klepperish:  there's good money to be made, getting people for Hindmarsh!  If gladiator pits won't pay, then sell 'em to airship crew there!
<Vin tensed, and Aranel ignored it, focussing on Klepperish.>
Aranel:  once you get enough, then what?
Klepperish:  we just got back from Hindmarsh.  Get this guy, and a few more…
Aranel:  you already took people for Hindmarsh?
Klepperish:  o yeah, got good money too!  200gp per person.
Peb:  like a drunk Rain sagani?
<Klepperish spared Peb a side-eye, but stared at Aranel, crouched down right there.>
Aranel <with exaggerated puzzlement>:  Hindmarsh is… a city?  The city isn't paying you, Klepperish.
Klepperish <enthusiastically, happily>:  gladiator pits!  And, sometimes, airship crew.
<Aranel held Klepperish's adoring gaze, maintaining her smile and slightly disappointed mein as he happily explained to her this plan for wealth.  But in reality, she was thinking unkind thoughts about Kairos.>
Klepperish:  sold most of the last batch to the gladiator pits, but one of them, the Clorinde needed a crew member.
Aranel:  how many in the last batch?
Klepperish:  about eight of them
Aranel:  so, this is a regular thing you are doing?  <pitched her voice to sound amazed by cleverness.>
Klepperish:  indeed!  I'd never known how lucrative it was.
Aranel:  did you by any chance, last time, pick anyone up out of the tunnels?
Klepperish <frowned>:  a Rain sagani.  He was a lot of trouble, we had to sober him up first, slowing down the trip to Hindmarsh.
Aranel:  ah.  Was he sold to the pits, or to Clorinde?
Klepperish:  the Clorinde took him; he was no fighter.

Aranel nodded, and held up a hand.  She turned to Peb, "Can you go get the cart?"  Then she turned back to Klepperish and said, "Why don't you come with me to visit a friend?  We'll bring your friends along with us in this cart."  She moved to help him up as he said "Sure, pretty lady!"

They arranged the cart so Aranel sat in front and Klepperish in the back right next to her, and put the unconscious others in the cart with the trash.  Peb drove the cart and the other Freelancers walked alongside it, and they headed through the nearest tunnel, out to the docks, and looked for Wymar, which took a short while as he was out and about.

Wymar recognized Aranel and Leafshadow, but any possible pleasure in seeing them was soon wrecked.  "Hello Wymar, here is my friend Klepperish, who's been leading a press gang for Hindmarsh gladiator pits and airships," Aranel started, and they all started heading to the Dockmaster's office.  The Freelancers explained what they had found, specifically about Amar and Perrodin.  Wymar was very unhappy that Amar had been impressed into an airship crew, and promised to be on the lookout for the Clorinde and also Perrodin looking for work.  He paid everyone 80gp each, and took custody of the press gang.

"I must leave you here, Klepperish," Aranel said, "possibly you will feel differently about me when we meet again."

"Be prepared for more missions!" Wymar declared to the Freelancers, "We must stop Hindmarsh from doing this!"

• Peb → lvl 1 barbarian!
• Kairos → lvl 2!