Talogan stood back and allowed the prisoners to be searched. As he did so, he glanced about the deck. No man on board, be they crewman or captive, could bring themselves to meet the captain's gaze. After what he'd just done to one of the elves, Talogan figured his act of suddenly ripping an earring from an ear and eating the flesh that he had pulled off must have been quite unsettling to witness. Good. Unsettled captives were less likely to resist. Unsettled crewmen remembered the consequences of crossing their captain. Unsettling displays in general were necessary for building and maintaining the fearsome reputation that no true pirate can be without. And when your god commands you to rule with nothing less than a fist of iron, unsettling displays were pretty much par for the course.

When he finally managed to pull himself together enough to look at his captain and ask what was to be done next and how well the prisoners were to be fed, Talogan responded to Tayang's question with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm done with our guests for the time being." Talogan declared. "Have them returned to their quarters and then bring the locked chests topside. As for food, give them the standard fare from the bread bucket." Talogan then pointed out the elf who had explained that the key would open one of the chests. "But give that one a little extra." Talogan added. While the fear of punishment was effective enough, that fear coupled with the promise of rewards in exchange for cooperation never failed to be even more effective than either one used alone.