Take a trip to Pleasure Island

You walk down the hill from The Governor's Mansion and back to the market square, looking around the place. There's something strange going on here, you're sure of that, but don't know what. How Joseline was able to become the self proclaimed Cutthroat Countess with so much power beneath her, as well as procure so many resources here is really extraordinary, and in seeming defiance of what everyone suspected of both the Bastard Isles and her. Trandal's friends may have been right about this place, but you also have to admit that it may be coloring your perceptions with bias. By nature of being a pirate haven, it's certainly stranger than the rest of human society , but you also recognize it's not that there's anything additional or absent here from anywhere else, it's just that certain things are more or less prevalent than others.

**** being a key among them. Elves rely on water from rivers and lakes, so there was never much call for it ****, with fairly soft wines drank solely for the taste. Humans, being both highly industrious and highly short-sighted, frequently pollute their lands and water as soon as they put their feet down, and so create all manners of **** to be able to drink something that doesn't kill them in the process. This is even more necessary while out at sea, and so nearly every sailor acquires a taste for ****, to the point that many captains paid their crews in daily allotments of it at mealtime. An idea possesses you that you may begin to understand the people and the area better if you start to engage in the same acts and behaviors.

As you make your way through the streets, you come to a pier. Too small for any of the naval ships to dock, this is intended solely for navigating between this island and it's sister, Pleasure Island. While the two are largely similar, the island you're on is more where professional business is done, whereas the other place is where most of the recreating is done. Most sailors spend their liberty over there, and so you see fit to join them, at least to see what all of the fuss is about.

"My my my" The ferryman, a crippled old soul with a gaping smile asked as he lurched towards you "musta been salt water in my drink, 'ere being no way a gorgeous thing like you be working a ship."

"I'm the newly minted First Officer aboard the Vigilance. Name's Fiana"

"Ahhhh, so Cap'n Gildroy's ship. Crew is twice blessed than, if I may say so. You be looking to charter to the next island?"

"Yes sir, what's the cost?"

"Free to charter a boat over, but it being five pence on your return."

"That's a little odd" You say, perplexed "Why's that?"

"It's Madame Joseline's idea. Encourages the crews of the various ships to come and go together, eases the workload of my rowers. Also helps the lads to save some of their money and not spend everything on drink and pleasurable company. Should they fail that, they have to swim across or find a new occupation" The ferryman bares his gaping smile gleefully

"That's terribly cruel! most men can't make that swim."

"Aye lass, you ain't wrong about that, specially with a number of drinks in their belly. Cold chill of the water 'elps sober 'em up. Nobody ever makes them take the swim, it's all up to them and how badly they want to return to their ships."

You begin to wonder if that too is part of the Countess' idea, to find out who among the pirates are the truly committed, the truly capable, and who is dead weight that is best lost.

"Well, maybe sometime in the future the Countess can invest some money in a bridge" You reply with a neutral suggestion

"Aye, mayhaps, but I'd not be countin' on da Countess with that idea. Used to be a bridge, and when it came down, she came up with this. Some think she may have even sabotaged it, but that just be idle banter." the Ferryman catches himself as the next boat arrives "I'll not be wasting anymore of your time miss. I'll be seeing you soon I think. Enjoy yer time."

The journey to the other island was slow and quiet. The rowers are paid for their arms, not their mouths, but you can see by their wandering eyes they're surprised to see one such as yourself. Marriana's outfit certainly does cause you to stand out, even among the rabble of pirates, but you're starting to enjoy the attention it pulls towards you. Similar to being on stage or playing your lute, but now the stage is wherever your feet wander to. Today, they wander the streets of Pleasure Island. Bars, brothels, and the like as far as the eye could see. The name of a certain location strikes your humor and curiosity, and draws you in.

Rum, Sodomy, and The Lash was the name plastered above the door into of this seedy establishment, accompanied by a sign of a tankard and a woman in a provocatively prepared pose to further send the sign for anyone who either was too drunk or too illiterate to be able to read. Stepping inside, the establishment carries exactly the kind of heady stench you imagined it would; years of spilled ale combined with spilled bodily fluids, and a half hearted attempt to mask it. The place is heavily crowded, a popular bar on the main floor, with stairs going upstairs for Sodomy, and downstairs into the Basement for the Lash. You can hear the plying of the trade from both sides, even over the large crowd. You make your way to the main counter, where the portly human behind works constantly. Seeing you and recognizing you as someone either with great importance, or coin, he waves you closer, causing two of the other pirates to make room for you.

"Welcome to my humble little enterprise. Can't say I expected to see one of the fairer sex as a customer, especially an elf, but I'm sure we can find a drink fitting your tastes. Could also get one of the fine young lads to help you upstairs if that's more to your liking. Now, what'll it be?"

"Well, I'm a little shy on coin as it were. Might I make an exchange?"

"Ha! 'ere's naught you can do that my girls aren't already doing on a daily basis. Yer in the wrong place for hagglin'"

"But can your girls sing or play? A song, for a drink"

One of the sailors, overhearing your conversation piped in "Oy, she's part of our crew. Lil' miss is quite the siren, you won't regret the deal." Being backed by a crewmate, the barkeep agrees. Lacking a proper stage, you set your feet on the bar itself, and with a little arcane magic, project both your instrument and your voice.

"Lads, I come to congratulate you all on your voyages home, and wish you all the best in faring the wild seas. Tis a hard life we live, and we are better for it, but let us remember the lives of those who came before us, whose lot was harder still, and who sailed against their will..."

Pulling the weight up against the wind is the plight of the galley ****
Chained to this cold bench, six to the oar, sentenced to an early grave

With iron in our souls and fire in our wrists, Slicing the waves and the sea
Rotting below, they'll not let us go. Only mutiny or **** set us free

Arms grow numb and the blood doth drip
To the beat of the drum, from the crack of the whip

We're damned, to the galley
We're chained, to the galley of pain
We're damned, to the galley
We're slaves, chained to the galley of pain
Splintered and split, the hands of the doomed

Endlessly toil by the hour, Bodies broken,
shackled with hatredAs the soul grows sour

Off in the distance, the cry of the gulls
And the smell of approaching land
With our last ounce of strength,
we pull to the shore And dream to escape if we can

But sirens attack, with their songs of love
Mermaids surround us as off we shove
Our arms still numb and the blood still drips
To the beat of the drum, from the crack of the whip

Damned, to the galley,
We're chained, to the galley of pain
Damned, to the galley
We're slaves, chained to the galley of pain

We're rotting in the galley hole

Damned to the galley
We're chained, to the galley of pain
We're damned, to the galley
We're slaves, chained to the galley of pain

Only **** can set us free

The pirates hollered in triumphant solidarity as the song ended. The barkeep had his end of the deal ready for you by the time you sat down. "That was quite a tune, certainly not something to be expected from the likes of you. Imagine 'ere will be quite a few drinks bought and toasted now...." The barkeep hands you the tankard, filled to the brim "this here being a special little brew called the Pegleg Potion, from our special stock. You've earned it miss. Just...be careful, it's a little strong" You carry the tankard in both hands so as not to be bumped away from any of the jubilant customers. In doing so, you spot a familiar face; Trandal, once again sitting quietly.

"Hey sailor" You call out as you come to sit across from him "This scene looks a little familiar"

"It sure does" Trandal replied, with his soft smile "although I bet that's not juice this time"

"No, it's not" You smile "and I'm not bribing you either. How are you feeling?"

"Better than the last time you caught me drinking by myself" The two of you toast your drinks together "Things certainly have taken a wild turn from what I expected. Just wondering how in the world did I get myself here. Than I remind myself, that it actually wasn't me at all. It was you, the aspirational first officer of a pirate ship."

"Well, I hope you don't regret it. We're both in too deep to swim back now" You slowly take a swig of your free drink. It's certainly strong, a mix of different beverages, most prominently a sweet rum.

"Not at the moment, no. I had ideas in my head of what I wanted to be doing before you found me moping at the Rusted Dragon, but with some quiet time on the ship, I thought over them, they were never really going to happen. I was fooling myself."

"Why's that?" You inquire

"Achita would never have wanted to put down roots, despite being a druid." He laughed at the ironic pun "She was too committed to her cause, always trying to see herself in the big picture."

"And you?"

"I never had those kinds of lofty pursuits. I only wanted to be paid well for my work, and to feel like I belong somewhere."

"Well, it seems like you belong here"

"You as well. Whoever would have thought?" You and Trandal clink your tankards together again, less full than before. Thankfully, Trandal isn't the staggering drunk he was before.

"So, on that note? Do you think your friends were right? That there's something brewing here?"

"I don't really care at this point." Trandal spoke bluntly "I'm sure with their high-minded ideas they'll perceive this as some wretched hive of scum and villainy, but they're wrong. This place is just.....how folks really are. Men, Orcs, Dwarves, even Elves such as yourself. Strip away the need to pretend to be cultured, sophisticated, and whatever, and this is what you get. Enjoying the day while you can, cause there's no guarantee we have tomorrow"

"You're starting to sound like the Captain"

"Ya, I guess I am. She's rubbing off on both of us"

"Only a matter a time with all the other rubbing going on"

You both laugh, thinking of your moments of shared intimacy "Ya, that'll do it. What about you Fiana? You seem like there's something that you're trying to dance around."

"I don't know. Something seems odd to me. The Cutthroat Countess, Joseline. Met her earlier. She seems nice enough, but I can't help but shake a feeling that she's up to something."

"Well, we'll keep an eye out, or do you want to try sticking your nose where it doesn't belong? I'm with you either way..."