Worms and Ringers - Caress Melani - Session 15

Shields, Scales, Shadows, and Shit 

The hull of the Grand Shanty was a bit too thoroughly infested for them to easily handle. Not in the sense that it would be difficult to kill the hull worms that had infested that part of the ship so much as it was that if they did kill the worms, then the ship would probably sink. They had replaced far too much of the structure of the ship. Though perhaps this needed explanation so rewinding a bit.

Talk on the Grand Shanty

When they had been swept up by the parade of ghosts, they found themselves escorted into the heart of a sailing ship that had been converted into a tavern and inn. And the entertainments were quite top notch. The food and company were high quality indeed with a lovely man behind the bar by the name of Sharkbite Sam who had a lot of advice to give about what to order.

Lyra decided to try Testing Fate, which apparently is a very intoxicating drink. Enough so that Caress wasn't entirely certain that it was merely alcohol in the drink. The sorceress certainly seemed to be having fun with it, though her dialogue got a little erratic for the next few minutes while they enjoyed the repast. The paladin took note, but didn't step forward to offer a cleansing for the moment, if Lyra needed it, she would ask... and later she did, when they took the job to clear the hull.

For her own part, the yuan-ti looked over to find something heated, that seemed as if it would be heavily spiced and aromatic. She'd recently been making effort to be less self-conscious about eating in a public place like a tavern or inn. Yuan-ti like her could and did do the whole human chewing thing, it was just not especially comfortable, and she had to be careful not to put her fangs into a bad position. Also, her tongue was more geared toward sampling the air around her than tasting her food, so a lot of the flavors humans put into their food was lost to her. 

She took the shark steak she'd ordered and cut it into strips which she mostly swallowed whole. Not that that was a swift process. The looks she was getting indicated some of the people around her were curious or disturbed by the sight of a large lump of meat being pulled down her throat until it slipped under her chest. The meat held the heat wonderfully, and the spices gave a heady aroma that she continued to enjoy as she worked at swallowing each piece, one by one.

From the meals, Caress sought out information about one of the jobs posted on the bulletin board. Brave souls needed for a dangerous task. Which brought her to her current state, covered in acidic spit and coming up from the hull to tell Commander Artimisia Faulstus, a stately tiefling woman in a wheelchair. Her infestation was already beyond what they could handle without destroying the boat and that she'd need a dry dock to have the creatures removed in a way that would allow replacing the wood of the hull.

In the wake of this information they discussed the origins of the Grand Shanty as a pirate ship that she had been rewarded after capturing it as a "retirement gift" after her legs were lost. The ghost at her side was not the immediate prior captain, as that went to the honor of the werepanther woman that had mutinied against him. But he, as a past captain, was now tied in to the service of the ship as one of its ghosts. 

Caress found the discussion awoke fond memories of reading the novels left in the Moonstone Mask by one adventurer or another and the number that spoke of the activities of famous pirates. In this case, she recalled the story of Cassie Wormreader and an artifact of great magic associated with her piracy and ship.She had been a legendary pirate in the days prior to when Luskan was taken over by the High Captains, and it seemed now that Caress was standing upon the deck of the boat that had belonged to this figure of her childhood reading.

"If it might help to defray costs, I can do some entertaining."

"You might have to duel Ringers for that," the commander noted. 

"Ringers?" Caress asked. And the tiefling pointed out another tiefling bedecked in tiny silver bells

"She claims. According to her, each of the bells represents a former lover."

"Well, that is interesting. From a perspective of faith."

As their meeting came to an end, Caress walked up to the other tiefling. "Well met, I understand that you're...somewhat experienced."

"That's more polite than the usual. Lots of people like to call me promiscuous or perhaps uglier words. But I just like people."

"No judgment from me, I'm a Courtesan of Sharess."

"Really now, Courtesan you say, not devotee or priestess or something so vague?"

"I am currently free if you wish to test my credentials...."

It is much later when a knock comes on the door of Caress's room. 

The group had been back to Larry's to voice the void opening up into infinite darkness that had replaced the pooper and how the general repair of the place has gotten much better. Lyra and Larry did confer that the entire toilets needed a more ominous title, perhaps "Pooper. HAHAHAHA!" instead of "Pooper, heh heh heh."

But that was earlier and now a Whitehawk Elara was waiting in a hallway. There was some obscured speech on the other side but it isn't long before Caress carefully steps out into the hall, a silky night robe draping to the floor and her hair hanging loose as she steps outside.

"Whitehawk Elara," Caress says.

"Good to see you Chevall," her eyes move toward the door, but reads the posture and nods, understanding, before moving on. "Recently a party of adventurers we hired cleared Castle Naerytar for us, slaying a dragon to do so. There is a teleportation circle and we're not sure what is on the other side. The party is recovering from their injuries and I'm afraid that my options to send an investigator are limited. There is a lot of call for the Order recently. If I were to provide you with some funds, are there mercenaries that you could employ to aid you in investigating the other side of this portal?"

Caress looks down to the left then right before looking up. "I can think of a few, yes."

"Excellent, come by the chapterhouse for the details when you can," she says, nodding.

"I certainly shall, and we shall be on the tasks shortly."

"Fare thee well, Chevall."

"Ma'am."

A duel interrupted.

Caress waited for the woman to turn the corner before turning back to her door and stepping inside, walking up to the tiefling woman tied upon the bed. "So, where were we?"

"Oh, I think round four," Ringers says in a lilt.  "Might be needing a tiebreaker at this point."

"Silly," Caress says smiling as she sat down beside her. "My ties don't break. Now, do you wish me to continue?"

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