::Rumors heard in the Lucky Ferret::
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As word of the abovementioned spreads, Dentin makes a point of stalking Mercy and appearing just as she starts her routine, offering free healing and aid, and salvation from the stench.
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In other news of the Sea Hag, since the Temple of Tyr closed, Mercy has been pounding the Docks, forcing a coin or two out of its residents to heal their hurts and salve their diseases in the Queen's name. Desperate times, desperate measures and all that…
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_Colourful local priestess of Umberlee, Mercy, has been enjoying herself down the Docks of late. Apart from the usual pleasures of threatening fishermen and sailors alike with the wrath of Umberlee if they don't "supplicate proper", she has been holding court on subject of the Black Sails recent escapades against the Icelace Raiders. Reminding all listeners how one pyrate ship already fell to the Sails collective and concerted violence, she turns to subject of the sunken Nightmare's Executioner and the limping Raider's Doom.
With her usual, excessively florid detail, she explains how the heroic phalanx of the Black-and-Gold clad sailors set about the vicious pyratical coves, putting at least sixty o' 'em to the sword, storming some sort of tower, and generally leaving none alive. If asked about the skill of the raiding boys they encountered, she whistles, making them out for "rough-handed, sharp-armed lads wi' more'n a whisper o' death in'm." She is quick to point out, however, how effective - and perhaps vaguely patriotic - the Sails have been against the scurvy knaves. "Fire tae fight fire, eh, lads?"_
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Since the Black Sails ship slouched into port, everybody's favourite priestess of Umberlee has been making her presence felt at the drinking holes and corners of the Docks, talking-up the escapade in traditional and predictably lurid terms. Listeners are regaled with tales of the little sailoress aboard the defeated ship-of-less-than-ghostly character, who viciously used a teddy bear to knock John "Terror of the Sword Coast" Isle, into the Icelace's chilly waves. Mercy is quick to point out, however, that she personally eviscerated the brat, and sank her to the guts of the lake. When questions turn to the corpses of the pair of raiders brought in by the Sails, Mercy jauntily outlines how the devils-in-black-and-gold dropped the pyrate's mast on their own heads, pulping a good many "like o'er ripe turnips". As to the various marks and tears on their ship's flesh, Mercy adopts a loft attitude…
"Considerin' they all be sunk an' corpsed, a singe or two ain't gonnae draw a bead o' a tear frem this ol' eye, says I. 'Tis coward talk wha' be keepin' the scarety merchantiles off the Lake. 'Tis safe as houses - fer the faithful - wi' a cutlass in tow an' a small gang o' mates tae slaughter yon corporeals an' ready-gibbeted pyraticals, wi' a wanion, damme fer a brass-tongued, silver-necked, knock-knees, onion-eyed, sheep-soulderin', loft-moulderin' food runner if't'ain't so! Any merchants wha' fancy decent protection coul' do worse'n ask fer the Sails tae sail along. After all, wha' injury can befall such, argh?
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The redheaded bard makes her rounds in docks talking to the various crews and dock hands. She seems curious to learn more about the ghost ships and ships that come and go without being noticed.
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_Word has it a rather rag-tag crew of sailors and landlubbers set out with the ill-reputed Captain Dal recently, reportedly with the aim of helping the Peltarch authorities bring in hired forces from abroad to assist in the war. Assisting in the perilous task was the city's own Defender Sergeant Kara DuMonte, Cerulean Knight Lycka Zomasdottir, skald in training Mareann, Norwick Ambassador Ronan Redralen, the Narsman Rhyndar, Celebring of the Gypsy Warriors, Taria of the Black Sails, sailor Luke C. Leathertail and a rather eccentric man with a gull on his head.
Inspite of the captain's rather questionable track record, the group returned safe and sound a short time after, bringing fresh numbers of armed men and women to the cause. Tales of sanguin and undead gnolls rising from the waves might spread from the travel-weary adventurers, who also claim to have weathered a hurricane and an assault from the N'Jast fleet._
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A Black Sails vessel comes limping into port, sails torn and hull scorched and blasted with what looks like ballista marks. Supping their grog at the Ferret afterwards, the battered crew spreads the word that the elusive ghost ships are not so elusive nor as ghostly as rumour would have it, and that their crew bleed and drown like any mortal men. Sabre Seesaw can be overheard muttering bitterly about needing to sink such a fine ship into the briny, yet celebrations are in order as it seems the Sails picked up a bit of a reward from the Defenders for ridding the waters of at least one of the scores of raider ships terrorizing the waters of late. The Dockmaster at least seemed grateful, as part of the floatsam recovered appears to have been a crate of food originating from the Falcon's Folly. Two dead raiders were seen carried off by Defenders, both corpses sporting blue leathers.
"We'll catch us a live one next time", Sabre remarks. "This fleet may be fast an' well-armed, but they ain't unbeatable. An' wi' so many of t'bastards out there, there's gotta be at least one or two nice lil' sloops we cin liberate successfully.. "
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A young girl, around age seven, can be seen working in the ferret lately. Seemingly filled with boundless energy, she helps with cleaning the place and keeping it tidy, often singing little pirate ditties as she does. She can also often be seen with the fallen priestess of Umberlee, Taria, who works on teaching her to tie knots and other useful sailors tricks. Every so often Taria also takes her out to the docks.
When asked about the girl, the answer given is, "she's Taria's kid."
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Rumors mention a ship set sail from Peltarch, with such a prominent figure on it, as Seth and a merchant from Waterdeep, and two Black Sails. And while those figures are seen inside the city again, that same rumor has it that the ship hasn't been seen again. Some might even claim that Captain Dal, who steered the ship, is known for losing ships - but at least up until now, the captain herself always returned - even if sometimes her crews went missing. For which the usual suspects are superstitionally held responsible: cold, watery undead rising up from the Icelace, horrible sea monsters devouring the ship, or the flamboyant pirate captain Henri Bonfleur.
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_The Dockmaster and a Defender Sergeant were overheard talking on the docks about a late shipment of food from a well known trading vessel called the Falcons Folly. The Captain of the vessel, a man named Dedron who has long traded with the city in foodstuffs hasn't met his arrival time, the first time ever he has been late. This seems to have the Dockmaster a bit worried as they are good friends.
The Defender Sergeant was only heard saying that he will have the Marines look into it, but the waters seem filled with all sorts of odd things of late, pirates, ghost ships and ships filled with undead if the stories can be believed. After the Sergeant leaves, the Dockmaster goes about his business, but is seen keeping a keen eye to the lake most days after, while seeing to his duties._
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_Many sailors have been spreading tales of ghost ships tracking other vessels on the Icelace. These ships seem to just drift into view, trailing the small trading vessels before disappearing after a short time. Any attempts to get closer to these mysterious ships ends in failure as they seem to slip out of sight quickly, when they notice they are being approached.
Many a sailor has been tossing a few extra coins into the water and keeping their lucky charms close at hand whenever they set out on a voyage. As with anything sailors see, it sometimes gets exagerated and tales of burning ships still afloat, the whole crew gone missing, or whole galleys full of undead archers raiding any ship unfortunate enough to get in its path are told in the taverns during a good night of drinking._
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_On one of the few clear days, a group of adventurers is hired by the one and only Derek Underhill, they set forth on a ship, heading to find and retrieve a lost shipment of food. As they're leaving the harbor, the raw voice of a sailor on board can be heard bawling a classic taven song, Nancy's Harbor Café.
A few days later they return, a bit more somber but looking more tired than beaten. They speak of encountering angry wyverns, strange deer, cows, a wide varieties of hags as well as a small army of pirates and least but not last a mysterious raven.
And while they point out how Celebring's magic saved the day for them more than once, the rumor also mentions that the pirates' mage managed to escape from right under their fingers._
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Returning from a business trip to Hoarsgate, a travel-dusty Sabre dumps her light pack down and orders a drink, soon picking up on the rumour and commenting to Anah with a crooked grin:
"Oi, a nekkid lass runnin' from tha Ferret ta tha commons an' back.. an' one as pretty as Jack too.. must be tha best advertisement imaginable, eh? Lemme guess, a whole trail o' "curious" fellas came sniffin' after 'er, aye? An' stayed fer drinks.. oi, idea! Have yer lasses do tha same, only we make it a wee bit more obvious an' paint tha name o' this place on strategic places o' female anatomy, mm? Crowds'll come roarin' in, I tell ye."
Winking to Anah, Sabre swigs down her grog, before having a hot bath prepared to soak the cold and grime of her recent journey away.
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_It seems the sailor Luke and the Umberlant Priestess Jack got a bit restless and had a small drinking game in the tavern. Some say Jack lost the bet and was seen running naked through the streets of the city to the commons and back to the Ferret in all her drunken glory.
A few hours later, she was seen sitting at the same table, completely sober while Luke was almost passed out on the table. Any who ask about the naked running get a blank stare and a shrug as she denies it ever happened._
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The Umberlee priestess Jack was released from jail it seems, for her involvement in the recent criminal activity in the docks. Her first thing was to go to Anah for a strong drink, a hot meal, then a hot bath at the Ferret. A few hours later and she was back out at the docks, humming to herself and accepting donations from any sailors, preaching about the destruction that may come to their ship should they displease the Queen.
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_An old and considerably more scary visage has returned to the docks, namely the seashell-armoured dwarven priestess of Umberlee, Mercy, recently released from the same jails that now house the newly arrived priestess and the green-panted sailor known as Luke.
Notably, Black Sails Lt Sabre was escorted off by Fortesque along with the other two, yet emerged from the courthouse a free woman, just a few hours later._
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It seems a new priestess of Umberlee has wandered off a ship into the city a few days ago, a small woman who seems to be a bit less scary than the previous priestess' known to frequent the docks. Only a few days seemed to pass before she was wearing the colors of the Black Sails and also seemed to have been tossed in jail for a short stay. Courtesy of Guard Captain Fortescue and his mean right hook.
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An evening of drinking and merriment at the Ferret was briefly interrupted by contingent of guards, headed by none other than the grizzled captain Fortesque himself. Tearing herself from the company of new recruit John Isle, and a male exotic dancer wearing nothing but a hat and a loin-cloth, Sabre Seesaw supervised as the captain made an arrest inside the gambling room. After an unconscious nobleman was dragged off by the guards, Fortesque shared a quick drink with the manager before briskly striding off into the night.
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After moving to the city sometime ago with his wife, the Cerulean Knight, Lycka, Aelthas can now be seen patrolling the docks district in full guard armor, organizing the patrols of three other guards as they cover the dark streets of the usually troublesome district.
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_Sabre Seesaw, Black Sails Lt and manager of the Lucky Ferret, catches wind of said rumours as she saunters from the warehouse to the Ferret and twitches, unleashing a long string of colourful sailor curses. In between cuss words best left unrepeated, the attentive listener can hear the black-haired wench muttering doomsday-like remarks about "the Norwick curse" spreading across the lands, adding a sarcastic, yet shuddering comment about spiders being the only thing lacking to complete the horror.
Extra work opportunities are soon available for the burlier of the dock population, as the Lt orders security tightened on both warehouse and the inn, as well as reinforcing window shutters and doors against a possible attack. Paranoid? You bet._
