Into the Tidelss Expanse IC

[Lentrax]

Mantis looked at the merchant, not speaking for a few moments.

"I know as a Tya I can't use the 'starving children' play Merchants often use," She said, "but I still have a ship to maintain and a crew to pay. Try triple of your offer and we can speak."

“I add annadda half Talent to what I can pay, but I haf ta make profit myself.”

Carrying a small basket (ostensibly for the sundries she mentioned,) Pepper looks over at the unfortunate captain and with a voice tinged with faint sympathy approaches.

"Ah, pardon me, Good Captain, but did I hear you right?" Pepper's no actor but she can at least try to put up a front supported by half truths, "This sounds dreadful; I should alert my own ...ah.. master so they can see to their own ship crew, but why did he take half of yours? Just for exploring some new island?" she tries to leave things unsaid, perhaps to goad the captain, such as why the Satrapy is having man-power-problems to begin with. To her old life it sounds like a discipline and low moral issue, to say the least, but she isn't the Satrapy's master of arms. There could be other issues that would explain it.

Spoiler: OOC/Rolls

Show

Another round of manipulation and socializing, hopefully I come off as a sympathetic ear:
[roll0] Manip/Socializing

Also Int/Bureaucracy to think on how far-reaching this could end up; like, can the Satrapy conscript whomever they wish? If the satrapy is keen on getting ANYBODY and can legally do so, she'd best figure this out and alert the others: [roll1]

“Aye. Just came up, held swords to ‘em and led them off. Like criminals. Don’t know why, they’ve got plenty of men in ports further north. Though it could be the Tepets aren’t wanting to risk their own sailors on this until they find out what they’re up against.”

What he says sounds like it could make sense. Navies often press gang men into service to fill up ship complements whe they are short of sailors.

After drinking all his ale, Paw buys two more. He takes one drink for himself and second to some random man he was eyeing.

- Here, for you - he tried to be friendly - Tell me, what do you think of the new island? I have heard many theories, but nothing of true value. I'm from North, as you probably could quess from my accent. Surely you up here know more then we do in our part of Creation, right?

The man eyes you warily. He grudgingly accepts the drink. He listens to your piece, and takes a long pull, draining half the glass in case you take it from him after he answers.

“That’s cause there ain’t no true value in anything. Nobody knows about the damn thing. Just appeared during Calibration, and no ones gone out there yet. Most are still pissing their britches at it.”

He takes another drink.

“And how’s you get here so fast if you came from the North to see this thing for yourself?” His tone became surly as he asked the question.