Meeting the smugglers

[Jenara]

"Thank you. I believe our sailors can help." Brax responds, "We should secure him." She motions to the hook handed sailor. "Am I to believe Reller has the mage under control?"

[Breila]

"The mage is dead, Brax, or at least severely wounded" Kim answers. "He will not be able to cast spells if he wakes up at all, however many he had memorised."

[Jenara]

"Shame. Too much death." She shakes her head.

[Breila]

(OOC: Does anyone check if some of the smugglers are still alive?)

[Jenara]

(Brax with Gunters aid?)

[Kafen]

Reller keeps watch on the sailors while the others check for survivors among the unconscious pirates.

[Stik]

Of the four captured smugglers, three are wearing studded leather, and one chain mail. The one in chain mail nods at Reller, then looks at Martin with a slightly bored expression. "Calm down, man, no need to put on a show here. We're hired hands, with no particular loyalty to those three" he makes a slight gesture to the other three smugglers in chain mail. "We'll bring the ship to the pier, if there's someone among you who can tell us about the shallows and cliffs in the port entrance. Which I don't doubt, since you haven't lost a man - or woman" he says with a glance to Geraldine, Brax and Vee.

"One must observe the legal forms, my good man, on occasions such as this. And it is good to see you all embracing the moment. I believe we have brought a couple of men aboard who are experts in these waters, and can direct you.

"Now, since you are being so forthcoming and helpful, what else can you tell me about this vessel? Anything we need to know about? Vampire in the cargo hold? Zombies in the bilges? Giant diamonds for ballast? Anything?"

[Breila]

Brax and Gunter check on the fallen smugglers and discover that they have, by now, almost all bled out. Only the man who had held the lantern (#6 up on the poop deck) and the one who fought Searos and Vee (#7) could be stabilised at all.

Will Stoutley shakes his head at Martin's questions. "The cargo, for us, is chests, barrels and bales" he declares. It is rare that we see any of them open. We've been given brandy sometimes from a barrel after landing a load of cargo in the undersea cave, so I guess that's what's in them. The bales are too light to be wool. As for the chests, I've never seen any of them open.

The vessel is a normal cargo vessel for all I can say. But I've never been in the captain's private quarters, or the mage's."

Geraldine hear's Brax's and Gunter's report about the smugglers, then nods.
"Kim, Vee, you seem to be uninjured. Please stabilise the two survivors. Brax, take care of yourself and the other injured. I know you have access to divine aid there" she says with a slight bow at the half-drow. "Udo, you take the tiller. Ralph, you are lookout at the bow" she tells the two sailors who came aboard with her. "Reller, could you join Ralph? You know the area and see better at night than any of us. Thank you." With this, Geraldine organises the move into port.

Then Geraldine takes Martin by the arm. "Could I have a word with you in private?" she asks, leading him a little to the side, out of human earshot.

[Stik]

"Soitenly" says Martin. "But before you start, if this is about that spell, well, fog of war and all that. Couldn't be helped. And I did manage to maneuver the fighting elsewhere so as to keep you safe and well whilst you were in a less than conscious state, whereas if I hadn't taken the shot, who knows what those three lizard men might have done to you and to able seaman what's-his-name."

[Breila]

Geraldine shakes her head and smiles. "No, it's not about that that I wanted to talk to you."
Then her face turns serious. "Listen, Drake the Jester, behind your mask of frivolty you are a man of resources and good judgement, and I would be a fool not to heed your advice. There's just one thing: You yourself pointed out that people don't like to be killed by a clown. Well, they also don't like to be ordered around or manipulated by a clown. Me included." She looks him in the eye, trying to prevent him to gloss this over with a flippancy.
"You'll get resentment to this behaviour quite soon, I'm sure. I, for one, will have to ensure it stops, because it would undermine my authority. On a sideline: I have no official rank, but calling me »lieutenant« first and »constable« now didn't endear you to me either. But I disgress. I'd rather not lock you away, or get you exiled, because your advice is so valuable. So all I'd like to ask you is to behave more like the power behind the throne, and not like the commanding officer."

[Stik]

"Oh. That. Really? Well, since you brought it up.
" 'Twas merely a ruse, my friend. Street theater. Nothing more. Given that I am much less of a threat than some of the others here, it served our purposes for me to look important to the enemy. Making myself appear to be a high-value target drew their attention from my allies, thus freeing them up to do their part in this enterprise. It's classic misdirection. Like making the audience watch your left hand whilst your right hand puts the mouse in the teacup."
"That being said, what would you like to be called on those occasions when it would look unprofessional to address you by your given name?"

[Breila]

Geraldine looks at Martin sideways, not really knowing if he's serious or trying to fast-talk her. After a moment, she smiles, tosses her head back and says: "I must admit, I rather liked to be called »Lieutenant«.
Let's get this ship into port, and alert the council to what we've got."

[Stik]

'LT' it is, then. And I am very glad we spoke. I would hate to have anyone here thinking I am trying to step on their toes.

"That said, perhaps, until we have fully searched the vessel, we might want to stand a short distance offshore? Perhaps a hundred yards or so. That way nobody can disembark in a clandestine manner. Just a suggestion."

[Breila]

Geraldine's smile becomes even wider. "Ah. I was suprised, to be honest, that you suggested bringing the ship into port. After all, that would mean the council and guard would get to search it, and get some of the spoils, wouldn't they?"

She turns on her heels and makes a round of all the sailor's posts.

[Jenara]

Having stablised the ones she can save, Brax gives the Jester a look and then heads to the Mage's quarters, "Coming?" She asks the Ranger, "We should check it out."