At your command, your men move the beds out of the way and ready themselves for battle. As the trapdoor is opened you are immediately hit with a wretched stretch like that of a thousand rotten fishes. It’s a surprise a smell this horrid hasn’t leaked from below. Many of your men begin to puke, with only a few who could stomach the odor. “Disgusting...” You could heat Tayang said. He was able to suppress a gag. “Smells like a plague down there...”

You could see a ladder descend into the darkness and the sound of water sloshing around. Seems like it was partially flooded which would explain the soupy smell. Some of your men struggle to retain their balance but they are ready to follow you nonetheless.

Talogan recoiled in disgust as the trapdoor was opened and the ungodly stench held within was unleashed. As he did so, he felt the divine power of the Mighty One moving within him. Whatever was down there carried with it some kind of disease, as evident by his divine health kicking in and the pair of crewmen who gained a diseased look about them seconds after the door opened. Talogan quickly kicked the trapdoor closed and put a small amount of distance between it and himself. "Whatever's down there, the sea can have it" Talogan declared "Back to the ship. We're done here". As they made their way out, Talogan put a hand on Hector and Johnathon's shoulders as they passed him, allowing some of Maglubiyet's divinity into them to remove all trace of the illness they had just contracted. Talogan followed his crew topside and came to a stop by the pile of sea goblin corpses that had been made at his order. The hobgoblin drew one of his daggers and descended upon the corpse pile. Using the dagger, Talogan carved his flag into the chests and backs of each corpse, along with the words 'Maglubiyet will find you' written in goblin. Talogan then cast the corpses into the sea and rejoined his crew on Maglubiyet's Kraken.

After that incident with the trapdoor, Talogan was more than happy to be back on his own ship and away from whatever had caused that sickening stench. "Pull back the boarding planks!" Talogan ordered "And set course for the nearest haven! We came away with a good prize today! Weapons, armor, cargo, and captives! Fine additions to our armory and, soon enough, finer additions to our treasury! You'll all be getting a good share of this haul once it's been sold!". Talogan paused a moment to let the resulting cheer of that last statement die down, then he spoke again. "Take the prisoners from the brig and bring them topside!" Talogan ordered "I would have a word with them!". With that said, Talogan ascended to the bridge to speak with Kulee and Nyx. "Mr Fishbones. Ms Orocho. I trust all went well topside while the crew and I were below" Talogan said as he closed to speaking distance "Did you get our guests settled in easily or are there any troublemakers I should know about?".

Your crew moves out on your command. Your crewmen finish the job the sea goblins started, scuttling the ship to ensure the sea truly does claim it if the flames don't do it. By the time the boat would be swallowed by the brine, your vessel would have already been across the horizon. The crew returns to their daily grind, fixing any damage done to the ship as well as attending to their wounds or repairing their gear. Tayang busies himself preparing the loot for use, while you speak with your helmsman and deck wizard. "Aye captain. We'll be heading to Red Shard in about two days time. If the winds are kind, perhaps around thirty-odd hours instead." Nyx looked at the deck as some of your men bring out the elven prisoners, explaining their status thus far. "The prisoners are compliant enough. They think they're clever by speaking elvish, but I know enough of the language to know they speak unkindly about us. Truly, you'd think they'd be more grateful as our prisoners instead of those sea goblins. Sea elves in particular; they don't even get the mercy of death."

Soon the elves would be on the deck for you to question and observe. Hector and Oliver stood nearby, swords drawn, ready to cut them down if they tried to make any suspicious movements. Their arms were tied in bags behind their backs while their legs were bound to a thick piece of wood. Two tricks which were the handiwork of Hurrik, the ship's scout. Apparently knew his way around rope in his previous life. Speaking of, the scout remained on his perch above, his longbow ready to shoot down anything worth shooting. Usually a sea bird that would hit the deck so the crew could eat it later. "Captain! Prisoners are lined up for ya!"

"Aye captain." Talogan listened to his deck wizard report as he watched the sinking merchant vessel shrink into the horrizon. "We'll be heading to Red Shard in about two days time. If the winds are kind, perhaps around thirty-odd hours instead."
"Excellent." Talogan said as he turned away from the wreck and spoke to Nyx. "Let us hope we are fortunate enough to receive such winds."
"The prisoners are compliant enough." Nyx continued. "They think they're clever by speaking elvish, but I know enough of the language to know they speak unkindly about us. Truly, you'd think they'd be more grateful as our prisoners instead of those sea goblins. Sea elves in particular; they don't even get the mercy of death."
At this, Talogan turned his attention to the prisoners being escorted onto the deck as his lip curled upwards into an annoyed snarl. Those who knew the him by reputation knew that Talogan was not the sort of pirate who allowed insults to go unanswered. Especially from those he was reputed to harbor great resentment towards. "They do not approve of our hospitality, hmm?" Talogan asked. "Well... Perhaps they'll show a little more appreciation once I remind them of the benefits that good manners can bring."

Talogan took a moment to regain his composure as one of his crewmen declared that the prisoners were ready. "My guests await." Talogan said. "Time to give them a proper welcome." With that said, Talogan descended from the bridge and approached the lined up prisoners to inspect his catch, side stepping to avoid a falling sea bird as he came. He walked along the line of prisoners, looking each one in the eye as he walked. His blue coat, having been partially stained red with sea goblin blood, showed that the line between brutality and civility had been crossed once today and could easily be crossed again if someone got careless. "Esteemed guests, allow me to extend a warm welcome to you all." Talogan said as he reached the end of the line. "I am Captain Talogan Malgrogar, and I am the one in charge of things here on Maglubiyet's Kraken." Talogan turned on his heel and walked back down the line. "Rest assured, your stay here will be brief. We will be making port at Red Shard within two days time. There we shall be handing you off to an acquaintance of ours who will see you safely the rest of the way." Talogan continued speaking as he turned at the end and paced back up the line. "In the meantime, you can look forward to being well accommodated on our vessel. Provided you behave yourselves. I have little patience for trouble makers on my ship. So should you deem it a good idea to draw my ire. Such as by causing a row, being a nuisance," Talogan came to a stop in the middle of the line. "Or speaking unkindly of your gracious hosts..." Talogan's hand shot forward, took hold of a golden earring one of the elves was wearing, and yanked it free of the ear that held it, taking a piece of the ear along for the ride. "Expect to be punished accordingly." Talogan finished.

Talogan then looked down at the earring he'd just taken and examined it for a moment. "This looks very nice." Talogan commented before removing the flesh that had clung onto the earring and eating it. Elf ears were a much loved snack food to the hobgoblin pirate captain. Especially when they were fried, though he certainly didn't mind raw elf ears either. "And I suppose the earring looks nice enough too." Talogan added half heartedly as he pulled from his coat a flag that once belonged to a rival pirate and used it to wipe the blood from the earring before putting it on. "Should any of you be in want of some Deadman's Gold, feel free to take it from our guests." Talogan said to his crew, particularly those who didn't already own a piece of Deadman's Gold. "They certainly won't be needing it. Also, search them for anything useful. It's a long shot, but one of them could have the key to those two chests we found."

The elf who you took the earring from gave a very pained scream as he fell over bleeding. You didn't take much that it would warrant such loud shouting, but it was sudden and painful nonetheless. The other elves were shocked as they also witness you eating just a bit of the elf skin. Whatever snide comments they might've had was silenced upon this display, and even your men looked a bit uncomfortable, however they kept their weapons trained on the elves. Your men took the gold earrings off the elves with far less force as well as searched them. Only one had a bronze key with them, and with a firm question from Hector, the elf informed the group that the key was indeed to one of the metal chests, but only one of them. The other key was with the captain, who the wasn't among the group. Sure enough none of these elves looked particularly higher ranking than the other, though it doesn't help that it doesn't appear as though they were in uniform either.

Each of the elves had a bit of deadman's gold, a gold earring worth up to 25 GP each. They were of fancy elven design, making such a tiny piece of jewelry worth so much. It'll also ensure that these elves are given some proper burial should they die at sea, or at least did. If nothing else it showed that they knew people willing to pay a decent ransom for them. "Anything else captain? Usual rations of the bread bucket?" The bread bucket referred to the ship's prisoner plate, which was a small wooden bucket that would be filled with some relatively clean water and the older bread bits the other crewmen haven't eaten yet or only partially eaten. Usually this was saved to make a gruel, but it also doubled as prisoner food.

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.

Tayang nodded and had Hector and Oliver bring the prisoners down, and in addition had Derrick go tend to the wound elf's ear. They have no room for corpses, and a dead elf is worth nothing at Red Shard. Once the elves were sent away the chests were brought up. Two large iron chests. It was obvious that these were not from the sea elves; iron was a horrible metal to use on the ocean as salt water would quickly erode it and cause damage. Even ones kept inside of a ship would suffer from the ocean's chaotic humidity warping wood and metal. Most sea bound chests were made of bronze or other metal that wouldn't react so violently against constant water exposure. That and the simple fact that sea elf crafts were, while complex and intricate, rarely ever made of metal.

With the two chests brought up, your crew were eager to see what bounties were inside. They were locked up tight and sealed shut, and no amount of shifting would let the crew hear what might be inside. Even taking account the dimensions and material of the chests, whatever was inside was quite heavy. However as always, Tayang made sure the crew didn't act hastily. "These chests aren't of elven design, but doesn't mean they don't have any tricks. They could have some sort of trap ready to go off if we try to tamper or force it open." He looked to the captain. "The key we got from the elves open one of these chests. Which one you think we ought to try? One on the left or the right?" Both chest looked nearly identical and both had a lock that needed a key to open it. Despite the potential for danger, the crew were looking on eagerly for loot.

Talogan watched as the prisoners were led back down to the brig by Hector and Oliver, with Derrick following them down to ensure the injured elf's ear didn't become infected at Tayang's request. Talogan was tempted to countermand Tayang's extra order. But he decided against it, knowing all too well that the elves would be worthless if they didn't survive the journey and that his neglecting to give the order himself and wanting to countermand the order when his first mate gave it for him were born of the hatred of elfkind that all hobgoblins possessed in some capacity. Talogan could control it most of the time, but it had a tendency to make him prioritize elven combatants in battle. Even if there were bigger threats or opportunities in play.

When his men returned with the chests, Talogan raised an eyebrow as he considered the choice of material used for the chest. Iron wasn't the best metal to make sea cheats out of. If you wanted something a little more secure than wood to hold your sea treasures, bronze was usually the way to go. Either way, Talogan nodded at his first mate's words. These chests could very well be trapped as a last line of defense against pirates and thieves. It was always a possibility, even with how laughably little the merchant vessel had in the way of defenses. When his first mate asked which chest they should try the key in, Talogan reached into his coin pouch, pulled out a single gold piece, sent it flying up into the air with a flick of his thumb, and caught it on its way back down. "I'll try the chest on the right." Talogan stated when the coin had come up tails. "Mr Hector, hand me the key." Once he had the key, Talogan walked over to the chest on the right, knelt down in front of it, and tried to unlock it with the key.

Once you receive the key, you slide it into the lock. At first it doesn't seem to work, but with a bit of wriggling you could hear mechanisms fall into place as the chest unlocks. Inside smelled wet and humid, and upon opening the box you find what appears to be a large egg of some sort. It was covered in a wet sticky membrane and there were some sort of hay like fiber serving as it's nest. The egg itself was grey and smells salty for some reason. Your men seem uneasy seeing such a large thing. "Is that some sort of monster egg captain?" Oliver asks as he clutches his weapon tightly, almost as if expecting the egg to hatch. Nyx looks from the ship wheel, rubbing her chin. "It's definitely an egg belonging to some sort of sea creature, but I can't say I know what. Why were the elves carrying something like this?" Tayang looks to you, not nearly as perturbed by the egg as the rest of your crewmen. "If I had to guess, this egg might be sea lion. Sea elves are known for raising them for their nobility and such, same as you would a hunting hound. Raising one from infancy will make sure it's loyal to it's master, might even come from a good breed too. Of course, we don't know what's in it until it hatches."

At first, Talogan believed he had the wrong chest. The key didn't seem to work. The chest wasn't opening. Just as he was about to give up though, it finally clicked into place and the chest unlocked. Still wary of any potential tricks or traps, Talogan opened the chest with care and raised a curious eyebrow at what he saw inside. A large egg of some sort that was covered in a strange membrane and nested in fake hay was what the chest contained. Talogan had a feeling a similar egg was in the other chest, as well as similar security measures. Vials of alchemist's fire had been placed above the lock in a way that would cause them to break if the lock was tampered with or the chest was forced open. If he wanted this chest opened without anything inside being burnt to ashes, Talogan would have to get someone good with thieves' tools to deal with both the lock and the trap.

"Is that some sort of monster egg captain?" Talogan heard Oliver ask.
"It does seem to be so, Mr Collins." Talogan replied, sensing the unease of his crew from the mere sight of a strange egg and wondering why he was paying them the amount he was paying them.
"It's definitely an egg belonging to some sort of sea creature, but I can't say I know what." Talogan heard Nyx say. "Why were the elves carrying something like this?"
"If I had to guess, this egg might be a sea lion's." Talogan heard Tayang say. "Sea elves are known for raising them for their nobility and such, same as you would a hunting hound. Raising one from infancy will make sure it's loyal to it's master, might even come from a good breed too. Of course, we don't know what's in it until it hatches."
"Indeed so, Mr Iron Guts." Talogan said as he carefully shut the chest. "For now, all we can do is keep it safe until whatever's in there is ready to come out. And not be so unsettled by it in the meantime."

Rising to his feet, Talogan began to issue commands to his crew. "Alright!" Talogan called out "You may all have an hour to rest, then it's time to get back to work! You've earned a break, but we've still got a ways to go until we arrive at Red Shard! Mr Collins! Mr Hector! Stow these chests in the cargo hold before you rest, and handle them with care as you do! Mr Johnathan! Before you rest, strike the Colors and run a Flag of Convenience up the mast in its stead! I don't want to draw any unwanted attention from pirate hunters while hauling this prize to Red Shard!" Having finished speaking, Talogan let his men get to their errands or resting. He ascended the bridge and struck up a conversation with Kulee and Nyx, learning a little more about sea lions from Nyx in doing so. After he was done talking, Talogan went to spend his hour of rest in the captain's quarters. There he washed the bloodstains from his coat, inspected his gear for any signs of wear and tear, and indulged in his favorite pastime other than piracy: Composing sea shanties. Since taking up the hobby back during his days serving in another man's crew, Talogan had composed 17 sea shanties. All of them were about piracy and violent battles on the high seas. None of them were sung by any on the ship other than himself though, as they were all written in goblin and only he knew the language.

As commanded, your men went to work, spending a brief respite to rest up before the journey ahead. Grog was had, pipes were smoked, and Tayang went about getting measurements from the men to suit them up. Eventually however the hour of rest would pass and the crew set sail towards Red Shard. The journey took the better part of the day and went into the night, but fortunately nothing else really occurred for the next few days. Some of the men were fitted with the sea goblin armor, cleaned and readjusted, and the crew ate well off their plundered rations. Soon enough Red Shard was in sight. It was a small coastal town known for it's deep brown clay deposited which made wonder red pottery, hence they name. Not exactly what you'd expect from a town safe for pirates, but it's precisely due to it's nondescript nature that it worked perfectly for various plunderers and traders. It helped that the local thieves guild has brought out the guards and has the mayor in their pockets, so as long as no one causes any trouble, people were free to sell their ill gotten gains as they so desire.

"Land ho, captain! Red Shard's just at the horizon. We'll be in port in roughly an hour from now. I'd imagine we'll flog our cargo, but is there anything else in particular you'll want us doing, sir?" Tayang asks as the men readied the ship to weigh anchor.

Talogan looked up from his work as Tayang entered the captain's quarters. He welcomed the distraction. Ever since he stated, the creative spark just hadn't ignited anything for him. As common an occurrence it might have been, Talogan still found it frustrating. "For now, have Ms Orocho throw a gust into our sails to get us to port a little faster." Talogan ordered as he rose from his desk, picked up his blue tricorne hat, and placed it on his head. "Also have the crew ready the looted trade goods for off loading. But leave the food, weapons, and egg chests be. I intend to keep those for future use. While the cargo is being prepared, I want you to fetch Mr Hector and Dr Boulder. The four of us will then go look over our guests in the brig to ensure they are in good condition for when we hand them off. Once we make port, the crew will stand ready to aid in transporting our goods and guests off the ship while you and I conduct all the necessary business with Ms Silvermane. Once that is concluded, the crew shall gather for the division of the spoils and will then be allowed to go ashore and do as they wish."

“Aye aye captain, I’ll relay the orders.” Tayang nods and heads topside you tell everyone your orders. What would’ve been an hour only takes thirty minutes thanks to Nyx’s magic, and the crew had amassed the cargo intended for trading ready as well. With your men you check in the prisoners who were quietly sitting in their cages, apparently praying for help by the time you arrive. It doesn’t take much to ensure they comply should you have any demands for them, the elf who’s ear you tore off in particular is very frighten of being around you. Finally at long last, the ship reached port.

There were little issues docking. Your first mate was experienced in these dealings and made sure to get a good spot and bribe the right people to verify their cargo (aka don’t ask questions and don’t actually look at what’s being brought to shore). Once docked your crew went to work offloading the cargo to be picked up. All that needed to be done now was for you and Tayang to speak to Ms. Silvermane, who just finished doing some business with another shop.

Talogan followed Tayang topside to personally oversee the first of his orders being carried out on deck. He nodded in satisfaction as he watched Nyx channel the wind into the sails of the ship. From the looks of things, the gust now filling the sails would have Maglubiyet's Kraken at port in Red Shard in half the estimated time. Talogan also admired the pace his crew set as they worked to ready the cargo. The thought of shore leave and shared spoils never failed to put them in an industrious mindset, so he knew they would be fine without oversight from himself or from Tayang for a time. Once his first mate returned with Derrick and Hector, Talogan led the way down to the brig. As he entered, Talogan took a moment to savor the dread he inspired in his captives. Their vain prayers for aid from their inferior deity, the terror in the eyes of the elf who he had taken a piece of ear from and eaten, their flame of hope doused as the Oath of Conquest demanded. Then, he spoke.

"Honored guests." Talogan announced. "Alas, your time with us draws to a close. But though our time together was brief, I would like to believe it has left a lasting mark on us all. We will make port in Red Shard within the hour. There we will leave you in the care of an acquaintance of ours. But first, you are to receive a last minute checkup from my ship's doctor, to ensure to your new host will have no injury or sickness among you to worry about. Dr. Boulder, see to it our guests are in good condition. Deal with any injury you discover as you see fit. I will tend to any illness you find. Mr. Hector, assist the doctor where you can. Tayang and I will oversee the checkup to ensure all goes well."

Half an hour later Talogan was leading the way down the gangplank onto the docks at Red Shard. He watched as his crew unloaded the necessary cargo and his first mate paid the necessary 'fees'. "A fine job." Talogan said once the crew had finished moving the plunder. "Keep an eye on this cargo until it is ready to be handed off. Mr. Iron Guts, time to make the necessary arrangements." With that said, he led the way to where Thersa Silvermane had just concluded business with another client. From the looks of things, said client was an honest sort, the likes of which she enjoyed bargaining with less than her more dubious customers. "Ms. Silvermane." Talogan said in greeting as he got within speaking distance of the halfling. "How is business today?"

The elves, though wounded, sore, and emotionally distressed, are fairly healthy all things considered. Their ability to effectively fight or be of any physical use is low, but at the same time not so dire that they would be in any danger. They ate their food, meager as it is, so they aren't particularly hungry either. They're otherwise cooperative enough to avoid your ire as you prepare them to be traded off.

The short woman looks up to you as you speak, a soft smile on her face but her eyes pierced through you like harpoons. The look of a killer. "An absolute chore. Nothing but smelly sailors hauling ocean fish in to sell in the market. It's getting warmer too, so it'll be even more costly to try and preserve them so sell in the next town. I suppose with any luck that alone would justify why I'll be raising the prices on them, just to make even... But I imagine that I'll make quite a tidy profit from you, Captain." Once the formalities were out of the way, Thersa will go about appraising your cargo. In total, Thersa will be willing to buy the textiles for 562 gold total. While high quality, since she can't exactly disclose who the true traders are, she'll have to make up a story about selling off some cargo she had piled up and needs to clear some space. As for the prisoners, she makes it clear that she's not a ransom broker. The best she can do is smuggle them to a city where she knows she can sell them off, and what they might give her isn't guaranteed to be good. But since they're sea elves and in relatively good condition, she'll pay 25 gold for each elf, for 100 GP total.

562 gold pieces seemed like a reasonable amount in Talogan's eyes. But just as he was about to close the deal, his first mate chimed in. Tayang pointed out that while Theresa could claim to have had these textiles in holding for a while, the three of them knew that since these textiles were new and in good condition without any damage from moths, insects, or other creatures, Theresa could afford to actually hold onto them and wait until she heard about a good deal to make even more money off of them. With this in mind Theresa allowed the price of the textiles to be haggled up to an even 600 gold pieces. When all was said and done, Talogan and Tayang walked away with 700 gold pieces, 70 pieces of which immediately went into his coin pouch. "Have the crew assemble on deck." Talogan said. "It's almost time to divide the loot." With that said, Talogan boarded the Kraken and went below deck to the captain's quarters. Once there, he opened a secret compartment in the floor beneath his desk. Therein lay a sturdy sea chest into which Talogan poured 300 gold pieces. Once he had shut the chest and closed the secret hatch, Talogan took 8 coin pouches from a sack put 60 gold pieces into three of them and 30 into the rest. Then he went back outside.

As per his orders, the crew had been assembled on deck. And from the looks of things, all of them were eager to receive a share of the spoils. "The time has come to divide this voyage's prize." Talogan declared. "It was quite the take this time. And because none of you displayed any notable incompetence or insubordination, there will be no deductions from anyone's share this time around." Talogan paused a moment to let the cheering die down before continuing. "Mr. Balannor, your sharp eyes spotted the ship in the first place, so you shall receive a larger share." Talogan said as he gave Hurrik one of the 60 gold piece pouches. He then turned his attention to Nyx. "Ms. Orocho, without you throwing the wind into our sails, we would have most likely found the ship deserted and ransacked. So you will also receive a larger share." Talogan said as he presented the deck wizard with another 60 gold piece pouch. Then he turned to Tayang. "Mr. Iron Guts, you will receive a larger share as well, for convincing Ms. Silvermane to buy from us at a higher price" Talogan said as he handed the last 60 pouch to his first mate. Then he turned to the rest of the crew. "As for the rest of you, you'll each receive a fair share. Even if it isn't as large as their shares." Talogan said as he handed out the 30 gold pouch to each of the remaining crew members. "Now then, I think I've kept you all from land and leisure long enough. Let's go find a tavern."

Your crew were quite happy to receive their cut of the plunder. As soon as you gave them permission to leave, most chatted about spending their earnings on wrenches and booze, lamenting that they haven't had good drink since last time they were on land. Hurrik opted to stay on the ship, saying that he will watch over it but will likely leave later a night for his own pleasure. Nyx also intended to pursue the market and see if there's anything of use for her there. Thus the rest of the men went to look for a pub. Soon Theresa would have some of her men come to the docks and haul away the cargo and secure the elves. With everything sorted, it was time to celebrate.

The crew would find a comfortable watering hole called Salt Rock Shots, a dockside pub popular with sailors and pirates such as yourself. They're named after their special drink: The Salt Rock Shot, a small but potent booze that was lined with salt on the edges, giving it a distinctive burn and texture. The owner of the tavern was a grizzled looking lizardman by the name of Crasher. He had a few barmaids who served drinks, a single chef working the kitchen, and other maidens who would tend to men's more personal pleasures. It wasn't long before a few of your crew members slipped off with these women, leaving you with only Kulee and Oliver as drinking partners.

"So captain, what's next for us?" Kulee would ask as he puts down a coin for a round of ale for the three of you. It was a strong, dark stout. "I hear a war is brewing to the north. Could find opportunity for plunder there." Oliver downs his drink quickly and soon a bar maiden would come by to refill it. "I'm sure there's some bounties we can go after. Too many hunters and not enough prey. I'm sure if we take a few heads of rival captains, the bounty and plunder will make us rich!" The goliath seems uninterested in Oliver's proposal and still looks to you. "Mercenary work can also be used to clear your bounty, captain. Well... Assuming officials are willing to contract us in the first place."

Every time he came to Red Shard, Talogan had always found Salt Rock Shots to be his favorite place to get a drink. He'd never tried the shot for which the dockside pub was named, but that didn't mean he didn't drink anything. Any time he came to the Shots, Talogan would soon after have a mug of rum in one hand and a smoking pipe in the other. This occasion was no different. As it always happened, his crew began to file off one by one with the place's various ladies of pleasurable company. None came to lead him away though. He'd politely declined enough of their offers to establish that any offer made to him was a wasted effort. Eventually, only he, Kulee, and Oliver remained. Talogan listened to them speak, considering their musings on what to do next. He already had a few plans for what came next, but the crew was often able to contribute some good ideas.

Heading north could be something to consider. With war brewing and sea monsters roaming, that stretch of the ocean was considerably more dangerous than the stretch Maglubiyet's Kraken had been sailing up to now. But with the possibility of scavenger crews plying waves for sunken treasure, going north would promise greater rewards to match the greater risk. It was certainly something to think about. Talogan didn't care much for Kulee's idea though. Mercenary work to clear his bounty? No thank you. Even if there were officials willing to hire him, Talogan actually preferred having a price on his head. He found it a good way to measure and display his reputation as a pirate. The higher the bounty, the more dangerous and fearsome it would make him appear. The bounty hunters that came after him as a result also helped with his reputation, whether that be by adding to the stories of his combat prowess and the might of his crew when he stood and fought or by creating more tales of his elusiveness and cunning when he chose to give them the slip. In any case a bounty had its uses and he had no intention of getting it cleared any time soon.

When his two drinking partners finished speaking, Talogan took a breath from his pipe and blew some smoke into the cloud looming above him. "I haven't decided just yet what comes next when we return to sea." Talogan said before pausing to take a sip of rum. "But I do have what will happen during our stay on land figured out. I intend to find some fresh blood willing to sign onto the crew. Specifically fresh blood that's good at opening locks and disabling traps. I will be asking Ms. Silvermane about that tomorrow."

You two crew members nod. Oliver even had an idea. "Oh! That does remind me, maybe we could see if there are any bounties. Been lots of pirates and raiders in these waters. If we don't head back to Red Shard but go for another port town like Jatahi or even Seiyomi, I'm sure we can find a broker who'll pay us good money for any rival bounties we capture." Kulee just shook his head as he downed his drink. "You've only had one mug Oliver, don't start talking drunk already. You know the captain already has a bounty on his head, right? If he goes into any big town with a bounty, the guards will eat us alive!" Oliver just rolled his eyes as he sipped his drink. "Not like I'm saying we ought to parade through the streets. You know there's places for people like us to dock safely. I'm just saying that in bigger towns, there are ransom brokers who'll have the money to pay bounties for the captains and crew we might run into. Hells, if we fight em in open water we might even be able to liberate em of any of their ill-gotten gains." Kulee just snorts at the idea as he beckons a serving wrench to come over and refill his mug.

"It's that sort of talk that makes me wonder how you've survived this long. The captain just said we need more men, and now you're suggesting that we go fight other pirate bands? I ain't saying I'm a coward, but picking fights with people we know who'll shoot first and parley never is just dumb. And any bounty worth chasing after will probably have big crews or cannons. Any that don't is just a waste of time and bread buckets." It doesn't seem like Kulee or Oliver would come to an agreement, so they both stop talking about it. That being said, nearby your table was a notice board with a few bounties on it. Most of them were petty bounties, things like thieves or bail bondsmen, hardly worth more than 10 gold to capture. But one stood out, hidden underneath the other bounties. Notable for having 5000G written on it. "Say captain, you want any of us to tag along with you when you're meeting with the thieves guild? I know we got them to thank for keeping this port friendly for us, but I frankly don't trust em." Oliver says between sips. "I respect Ms. Silvermane for all she's done for us, but last time I met with some thieves guild punks, they putting on airs. Like somehow picking locks and cutting purses makes em better than a hard working sailor like me."

Talogan continued to smoke his pipe and drink his rum as his two remaining crew members continued produce suggestions on what should be done next. Oliver further suggested hunting the bounties of other pirates and raiders to steal their riches and claim the prizes offered for their heads. Much like Kulee, Talogan didn't think this a good idea for the time being. Not because most towns with ransom brokers like Jatahi or Seiyomi were places where his reputation wouldn't be enough to dissuade the guards from coming after Talogan and his crew, as Kulee pointed out at first. It was the helmsman's next point that set Talogan against the idea. While he'd already gained quite a reputation for himself, Talogan was still a relatively new captain in the pirate trade and had neither the large crew nor the mighty cannons of his more experienced peers. And it was those more experienced peers he would need to go after for any worthwhile bounty. Anything less wouldn't be worth the effort. Though while he wasn't the sort that hunted other pirates just yet, Talogan still cast his gaze to the local bounty boards when he saw them. Sometimes they had posters of him on them, which was always a reliable way to track the price on his head. The board at Salt Rock Shots didn't seem to have a poster of him. But there did seem to be a poster sporting an impressively large bounty hidden under all the others. Talogan made a mental note to take a look at that later.

Talogan turned his gaze from the board and focused on the table again as Oliver asked whether the captain planned to bring any of his crew to the meeting and spoke of how guild thieves couldn't be trusted and believed themselves superior to pirates. Just as Talogan was about to reply, the words 'hard working sailor' set off a train of thought that gave him pause. After a moment of thinking, Talogan finally spoke. "I plan on keeping some of you nearby at all times during our stay." Talogan stated. "Red Shard may be a safe haven for the likes of us, but that doesn't mean it's completely safe. Red Shard being a haven means there's no shortage of killers and thieves here who would take up an opportunity to prey on a lone mark, so having some of you on hand to help dissuade that sort of thing would be useful. Also, I've decided on a last moment change of plans. We'll be staying here for a few days. Once the end of the month has come and gone and I've paid the monthly wages, I'll go see Ms. Silvermane then. That way, I won't have to deal with any new recruits possibly complaining about not getting paid with the rest of you even though they hadn't been with us for a month." Talogan remembered his old captain having that problem from time to time, so he decided it would be a good idea to wait for wage day to pass, then hire on fresh blood to avoid having the same problem.