[WFRP] Gold of the Phantom

[-Sentinel-]

Rico half-heartedly followed Renard and the others back to the Vixen, his eyes throwing furtive glances into dark alleys and narrow streets. Svanhildur's fingers tightened around his shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'll be good," he protested. "But I'd like to know what this is all about. Please."

By now, dawn was breaking. The port was still quiet but for a few early-rising sailors preparing to take advantage of the morning tide.

"Ah, you're here just in time captain," said Vasco, the halfling mate. "The Vixen is ready to sail any time." He grinned insolently at the prisoner. "Welcome on board."

[LCP]

"It's okay, it's okay, I'll be good," he protested. "But I'd like to know what this is all about. Please."

"Ah, Rico," said Renard, shaking his head without losing his grin. "You ask too many questions. Perhaps we will speak later."

"Ah, you're here just in time captain," said Vasco, the halfling mate. "The Vixen is ready to sail any time." He grinned insolently at the prisoner. "Welcome on board."

"Then what are you waiting for?" called back Renard. "Cast off at once, Monsieur Vasco!"

He turned to Svanhildur.

"Take this fellow below," he said, gesturing with his thumb at Rico. "I think we have some questions for him along the way."

[Bowerbird]

Svan nods, her free hand moving to the haft of her axe, "You heard the man, get below!" she says, giving Rico a push.

[-Sentinel-]

Rico glared back at her.
"No woman gives me orders," he spat. Still, he obeyed.

OOC: Music. How original, a play-by-post RPG with a soundtrack!

"Then what are you waiting for?" called back Renard. "Cast off at once, Monsieur Vasco!"

"Aye, sir!" His thick but nimble fingers moving with practiced ease, the halfling unfastened the knots. Then, turning to Arturo and Luca: "Hoist the anchors, lads. Arturo, to starboard. Luca, to port."

The two young fishermen obeyed at once.

"Ettore, Clemente, deploy the sails! The others, man the oars and get us out of here! Giulio, how's the weather?"

"The wind's against us, sir," said the navigator. "We'll have to tack."

"Oh, just great," grunted Vasco moodily. "Wilhelm, what are you doing?"

The priest of Manann rolled his eyes with annoyance. "Praisin' the Sea Lord, sir," he answered as he spilled several pints of beer into the sea. "To avoid storms an' pirates an' such."

"It's not like you to throw good booze away."

"Yeah, it pains me too, sir, but you remember the last time I forgot to pray for Manann's blessing?"

"No, Wilhelm. I can't, for the life of me, remember that time. That beer comes out of your ration, by the way."

The priest opened his mouth to protest, but already Vasco was barking more orders here and there, making sure everyone had something to do. Slowly, struggling against the light breeze that blew from the west, the Vixen sailed out of the port of Luccini as the first golden rays of the sun began to shine over the white city.

[Bowerbird]

Svan leads Rico to the top of the stairs to below, positions him in front, then kicks him viciously in the back of the knee of his good leg, causing him to topple painfully but not fatally down the stairs, "You'll do what this woman says, or so help me you'll not be a man for long! Now lie there and behave!" She turns to the captain, giving him a toothy grin as she heeds his orders and fixes the rigging, deploying the sails.

[Xsesiv]

"Congratulations, you Norscan cow. True bravery," grunted Gino "we indeed see in this back-attack by a warrior on a defenceless cripple." He stood up from the side of the boat, leaving off from his fishing line at the side of the ship. He wasn't paid to weigh anchor, but if it helped get him away from this prison, so much the better. He went and helped the first person he could find.

[LCP]

"Belay that, the both of you," snapped Renard. He approached them, lowering his voice. "I told you we need this man for bargaining with. How do you think his friends will like it if we hand him over black and blue, eh?"

He intercepted Gino, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb to the hatch down which the club-footed man had been thrown.

"Monsieur Gino," he said, his voice not softening, "since you are so sure about the proper way to treat our 'guest', go see to him. Find out why he is so valuable to these people, that they steal the Admiral's wife." He nodded to the Norsewoman. "Svan too. Don't let him think that he is safe."

Turning away, he headed towards the quarterdeck, shouting orders to the other crewmen as he went. Taking the helm, he felt the tension in the wheel, bringing the Vixen's bows around a point or so to bring her onto her best line - over the horizon, Gannet Crag was waiting. He couldn't help but wonder what else was waiting there...

[Bowerbird]

Svanhildur grips her axe and glares at Gino, but ultimately stands down at the Captain's order. "Norsicans do not take kindly to insults to one's prowess, you would do well to remember that. I did not claim that was brave, however it is necessary to teach respect." she says, climbing down the stairs after Gino.

[-Sentinel-]

Rico was making efforts to look defiant, but he was obviously cowed by the Norse woman.

"You really don't need to threaten me," he told Svan and Gino in a sullen tone as he followed them downstairs. "I got nothing to hide, or nothing that could make it worse. But first, you'll have to tell me who you work for and where you're taking me."

[-Sentinel-]

"Let me talk to your captain," Rico insisted. "I know how to make all of you rich men."

[Bowerbird]

Svanhildur glares at Rico, before finally relenting somewhat, "I'm a bit hazy on the details, you'll have to wait for the Captain to finish his duties up on deck if you want to see him." her attitude seems bored, yet she is obviously still alert, "Gino, watch him for a sec, I'll go tell the Captain that her majesty requests an audience." she says, before poking her head up on deck and shouting, "Ahoy, Captain, the prisoner wants to talk to ya! Whenever you've got a free moment, no rush."

[LCP]

Renard looked disgruntled. He didn't like to be prised away from the helm - but then this was a damned awkward wind anyway.

"Vasco, take the helm," he said, relinquishing his post to the Halfling. Walking over to Svan, he gestured for her to lead the way. "This had better be good."

[Bowerbird]

"Well he seems mighty willing to talk about the treasure or somethin' and I'm not the one for the planning.. also Gino can't seem to find his tongue.." Svan says, leading the way for the Captain.

[-Sentinel-]

Rico sat in the mess room, smiling but apparently nervous.

"You're captain Lanois, aren't you? I saw your ship's name, the Vixen. Your reputation precedes you." His face grew shrewd. "I think I know who you're taking me to... and truth to be told, I'm none too eager to meet him. Tell me, how much are you being paid for this job?"

[LCP]

Renard furrowed his brow, as if Renard had asked him a very mentally taxing question. Biting his finger, he looked down at the floor, then up at Rico.

"You are Rico the clubfoot, no? I'm sorry, I must have got confused - I thought we saved you from execution, and that you were now our prisoner, on my ship, on the open ocean."

He grinned a broad, false grin. "Svan?" he said. "Hit him."

[Bowerbird]

"With pleasure, Cap'n," Svan says, grinning wickedly she walks up to Rico cracking her knuckles, raising a hand to backhand him.

Spoiler

Show

Viking Pimp Slap!
WS: (1d100)[44]
Damage: (1d10)[2]

Also, if Renard tells me to stop before actually hitting him she will begrudgingly do so. Otherwise, BAM!

[-Sentinel-]

"Ow! Ow!" protested Rico. "Hey, no need to get violent. All I'm telling you is that, no matter how much you're being paid, it's nothing... absolutely nothing... compared to the gold of the Phantom."

He looked at the captain straight in the eyes, hoping to see a glimmer of interest.

[LCP]

"Thank you, Svan," said Renard. "You see, now he understands."

The captain turned his eyes back to Rico, leaning in close and lowering his voice. "This is my ship, and you are in my power. However clever you think you are, if you annoy me by trying to question me or my crew any further I will have you tied to the reserve anchor and thrown overboard." He gave another white-toothed grin. "Perhaps someone is paying us, perhaps not. Even if it were true, these are my loyal crew, and there is no-one to condemn me if I say you tragically tried to escape. I am a hot-tempered man, monsieur Rico. It is not in my character to be patient. I hope we are clear on that."

Straightening up, he cracked his knuckles. "So. Why don't you begin by telling us everything, and then if there's anything more I want to hear I'll tell you, eh?"

[-Sentinel-]

Rico nodded slowly and licked his lips.

"Let me start at the beginning, okay?" He breathed deeply. "I'm a navigator. Didn't really get trained in it, but I'm pretty good at it. Served in many crews, not all of 'em honest. About a year ago, I got hired by captain Velasco. Perhaps you heard o' him, he's an Estalian pirate with... a reputation. Velasco, he had a ship, the Phantom. Mighty ship she was, too, but sometimes Velasco got rash. So about a month ago, we met a galleon and we attacked her. The Trident, she was called. 'Twas quite a battle. We lost fourteen men, an' the Phantom got pretty messed up. Velasco wasn't too happy about that. He took no prisoners."

He had a cold little smile.

"He didn't mourn for too long, though, when he saw what the ship was carryin'. See, the Trident was comin' back from the Land of the Dead, and she was loaded with gold from the tombs of the great southern kings. More gold than you could possibly spend in a hundred lives."

His eyes gleamed. He went on:

"The Trident was in a sorry state, and we didn't have enough sailors left to man her. So we carried the gold to the Phantom and scuttled the other ship. But see, all that gold was awfully heavy, and our own ship had taken a few cannonballs. We tried to sail to Tobaro, but we never made it. When it was obvious we was gonna sink, the captain had us abandon ship in rowing boats and take as much gold as we could carry. Then he told me to note the exact spot where the Phantom sank. There was an island not too far, so I could use landmarks. We planned to come back with another ship to get the rest of the gold: the water wasn't too deep."

His face darkened.

"We made it to Tobaro, an' that's when I got stupid. I destroyed all notes of where the Phantom sank and I fled the city. I wanted to recruit a smaller crew, and I'd be the captain. To get a bigger share of the loot, you understand. I ended up in Luccini and that's where I got arrested. Now you see why Velasco wants me so badly... and why you better not bring me to him, if you want to become a rich man."

He flashed Renard a wicked grin.

[LCP]

Renard felt a chill run down his spine - like any gentleman of fortune, the prospect of a fortune in gold thrilled him to his bones, but like any sailor, he was a superstitious man. The name of that dread country alone was enough to cast a dark shadow over the treasure.

"If the Phantom sank," he said, keeping his voice quiet and level, "how were you going to retrieve the treasure? Fish-men?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Swimmers, ropes and pulleys," shrugged Rico. "We made sure the Phantom sank in shallow waters. It's going to be challenging, but it's certainly worth the trouble."

[LCP]

"So when you destroyed the charts, you had the funds to pay for these pulleys and swimmers yourself?" asked Renard. "We found you in a Luccini gaol, monsieur. What happened?"

[-Sentinel-]

"I was tryin' to borrow money for a new ship and a crew," said Rico in a sullen, bitter tone. "Everyone took me for a con man, and I became the laughing stock of the whole town. An' then I was thrown in gaol 'cause of something I did about ten years ago." He grunted sourly, then smiled again. "Of course, might be that my fortune just changed."

[LCP]

Renard didn't look amused.

"Svan, hit him again," he said, flatly. He looked Rico in the eyes. "Just so we're clear, monsieur."

"So," he said, when the prisoner had been reminded of his place, "captain Velasco, he lost the Phantom, his prize - I imagine he is a poor man now, no? Not able to afford a grand ship or a big crew." He looked at Rico. "Am I wrong?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Oh no, far from poor," replied Rico, glaring hatefully at Svanhildur. "He loaded as much gold as he could on the rowing boats. He ain't stupid, he knew he'd need a new ship to get the rest of the treasure. Must already have one by now, I bet."

[LCP]

"Heavily armed, would you say?" said Renard.

[-Sentinel-]

"How could I know?" grunted Rico. "Probably well armed, yeah. And big enough for three dozen men, that's the size of his crew. Not something you can handle, if that's what you're wonderin'. Look, pal, I have no idea what you're thinking, but the situation is simple, really. You want gold, I know where to find some, Velasco doesn't."

[LCP]

"'Pal'?" Renard sighed, and shook his head. "Svan, please remind our prisoner of his place. He seems to have a miserably short attention span."

Straightening up, the captain stopped at the door. "I must confer with the ship-master about this," he said to Rico. "If I return with him, I suggest you show some respect." He glanced at Svan. "Try not to do anything permanent."

Ducking out of the hold, he made for Dairuin's chambers. Much as he would rather it wasn't so, the elf had an equal say in the employment of the Vixen, and there were enough complications in this business for Renard to want another's opinion.

[Bowerbird]

Svanhildur cracks her knuckles and grins evilly at Rico as Renard closes the door.

[-Sentinel-]

Rico tried to throw Svanhildur a defiant glare, but could not quite hide the fear in his eyes.

"Careful, lass," he warned, cringing away from her. "I'm the only one who knows where the Phantom is. Hurt me too much and the gold's lost. Want it or not, I'm on the crew now."