let's set d o w n some (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
groundrules) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
westwhere2022-06-22 08:59 pm
groundrules) wrote in westwhere2022-06-22 08:59 pm
the concord
THE CONCORD
The vessel Concord of the Dawn’s Reach Trade Company once more appears in the horizon. She has learned her lesson from the previous scuffle and the minor charring her sails took at the hands of Sumeragi Subaru: she remains at a cautious distance from the pirate ships. Quicksilver Sam concludes the Concord’s reticence is unlikely to persist long term and asks a delegation of characters to deliver two gifts to captain Maximilian Hawk, in hopes of deterring further aggressions.
He entrusts the peace-bearing party with two items: an especially small scroll, rolled to the length and width of a thumb, and a modest, worn and a heavily locked wooden box to the size of a man’s palm. The scroll, if unravelled, only shows, 39.42116 N. The box cannot be opened, but weighs very little.
✘ OBJECTIVE: deliver the gift to Maximilian Hawk and retrieve his answer.
■ Travel by rowboats to the Concord, bearing large white flags. The Concord will not attack the incomers, but beware hungering, long-clawed mermaids and sharks within the Crossing seas.
■ Once within reach of the Concord, characters are welcomed by a small armed escort that insists all weapons must remain on the rowboats. They check that this instruction has been carried out. Those who refuse to give up their weapons are not allowed on the Concord.
■ The Concord is large, magnificently well attended, clean and armed with the most modern cannons and navigational instruments. The crew comprises trained sailors and graduates of a navy school — the Dawn’s Reach Trade Company’s own academy. Deck patrols and sails and cannon inspections are diligently undertaken every few hours.
■ You reach the Concord by noon. Marcos Diaz is received by first mate John Lattimore for an initial parlay (please wait for NPC thread). Lattimore introduces the newcomers as refugees from the Pariah to the crew.
■ Captain Maximilian Hawk is in deep strategic congress with his employers at the Dawn’s Reach Trade Company until evening. During this time, you remain under escort but can chat with sailors, enjoy a canteen meal, or take a tour of the ship’s deck. Characters also have supervised access to a guest cabin, the captain’s library or the medical bay, as needed. Use your time wisely to learn the lay of the land.
■ Noteworthy on deck: two sailors laundering uniforms and restitching membrane-thin diving suits that allow breathing underwater for two hours; a brawl that leads to four disgruntled men being taken down for jailing in the brig; several sailors carrying or taking tally of small boxes containing delicate, thin white powders (if they are inspected: opiates); two sailors drawing up a perfectly serviceable small steampunk boat to repair its rudimentary engine. Note: no further information or clues are forthcoming on any of these items — they exist as props for your getaway.
■ Come evening, Jim Kirk is finally received to present Maximilian Hawk with Quicksilver Sam’s gifts. (NPC thread link forthcoming!).
■ Discretion seems to have lost some value as everyone waits out the outcome of Jim’s talk in the captain’s cabin. It appears lips have loosened, and the crew has learned that the newcomers aren’t refugees, but representatives of the pirate ships, when a sailor recognises one of them from the Concord's previous altercation at sea. Several sailors spark a brawl, flinging accusations and demanding retaliation for the injuries they sustained when the Concord was singed. They progress from verbal to physical blows, which their superiors try but ultimately fail to calm down.
■ Smooth talk your way into being allowed a clean exit, or better yet, SOS Jim and run. Grab any weapon or valuable you can find, and jump either on the boat you came in, or on the partially fixed steampunk tanker that’s been set at sea. Row and shield to bide Viktor time and cover, if he’s up for tackling the last of the boat's engine repairs.
■ Beware cannons! And head back to the Pariah and Queen Zanyra, you delinquents. Marcos and Jim Kirk can share any learnings.
PLOTTING
Beitang Moran
[Moran is never one to refuse the exploration of something new - exciting, things to learn ! Either he will find somethings out on his own, or if not be a sufficient distraction so that people with more skills can do so. He is, after all, quite good in drawing gazes to himself when he wishes too.
So he wears his royal blue robes with the flashy silver flower embroidery. he's not wearing a weapon but the person frisking him doesn't try to take his hairpin, so there is that.
And of course once on board, it's hard not to notice this ship is in much better shape indeed, and of course, certain recent conversations come to mind.]
... Someone mentioned one of the ships we are on is carrying opiate drugs. They are too. I wonder if maybe, our pirate companions might not have stolen some of that cargo for themselves.
B - BOOKS!
[I'm sorry, did you say library? As soon as that is mentioned, Moran will make a beeline for it and just... disappear in there.
You can find him sitting at a table with about as many books as it will support while groaning slightly, trying to make sense of what he is deciphering. The constant traveling is making it hard to keep up with the language studies, but some of the contents can be inferred from previous learnings...
If he feels a presence nearby, he won't even look up.]
Would you mind seeing about bringing some tea in here? Thank you.
C - ROMANCE IN TIMES OF PIRACY
[So if you've been around you probably know that Moran and Xunxian are as well as married. They did come on the ship together. but right now, just as Moran is engrossed in his readings, Xunxian is ... busy slutting it up with some of the sailors on deck, in plain view of everyone and without any shame whatsoever.
Do you want to be the person who goes tell Moran his husband is... well, maybe not being very faithful right at this moment? Gently, of course, you wouldn't want to make him too sad, would you?]
b
It doesn't surprise him that others from their group might be having similar thoughts. It is surprising that he makes such a request, and Viktor raises an eyebrow, even if Moran doesn't turn to look at who he's talking to.]
Yes, I mind. [What does he look like? He will not be doing this.] What are you reading?
no subject
Instead he just answers the question.]
I'm not quite sure yet. These [he holds up the crystal] don't translate text, and we've been traveling enough that this dialect is slightly different from the one I have learned to decipher.
Some kind of travel journal, I think.
no subject
It seems Moran has some knowledge, however, which is better than nothing. Viktor invites himself to come into the room, leaning over his shoulder, as if he'll be able to help.]
Can you determine the author?
no subject
[He'll push forward his own notes about the alphabet and vocabulary although those might not be extremely useful for Viktor, given that all the notes not in the local script are written... in Chinese.]
no subject
[Though if the book is still being kept here, it must have some importance. He eagerly takes the notes only to stare at them for a protracted moment, realizing that it's not written in a language that he recognizes. He gives Moran a withered glance.]
Can you summarize?
no subject
The writing appears to be alphabetical, and while there are changes in style, so far most of the written word I have seen is pretty similar from one place to the next.
I did manage to acquire some sort of local early childhood schoolbook used to teach children to read if you want to see that one... here.
[He'll extract that one from the pile.]
If you can't read my notes, I could at least try and pronounce the alphabet for you, see if you can note it in something easier for you to understand?
no subject
[They might be dealing with different dialects, but if the fundamentals are similar enough, he thinks he can manage, even if he's not a linguist. Besides, it seems like others have already made some headway. He reaches for the offered book--it's better than nothing.
As to his other suggestion, Viktor nods.]
If you think it will help.
no subject
[But first, let him pronounce the alphabet and write it down and point out a few frequent combination of letters.]