Setting Sail

The docks were a hive of activity, dock hands were rushing back and forth taking crates from ships to stores or vice versa. Rhosgon Armadaer stood at the head of his group of friends and twirled the golden frog-coin along his knuckles.

'Well, this is the place,' said the elf. 'Need to find this Jans fellow.'

'Let's just ask someone,' said a small voice. Bingo Honeywell barged past his tall friend. Being only a halfling, everyone was tall to Bingo.

The others were more than happy to let their pint-sized friend take the lead on this. Bingo was probably the right person to make the overture to these dock hands. His demeanour and dress would be a perfect fit for what would pass as common for this area. Docks were known to be rife with criminal gangs and Bingo's history of questionable activities meant he would blend in and be able to speak the right words.

'Scuse me! Where can I find Mido Jans?' the halfling was shouting to a frazzled looking man with a clipboard.

At first the man was puzzled where the voice was coming from, then half smirked when he saw Bingo. The smirk quickly dropped from his face when he saw how heavily armed Bingo was. The series of daggers and darts running along his bandolier and belt, the short sword at his hip and the small, handheld crossbow swinging from a leather strap around his shoulder.

'Jans? You'll find the captain down that way,' he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder towards the end of the dock. 'Look for the Purple Sails.'

'Captain? Indeed,' said Rhosgon.

'Captain or not, looks like these frog people want us to go by boat,' said Adrik. The dwarven cleric was walking alongside his elven friend. 'I am not keen to leave the solid grasp of the land beneath my feet once again. Crossing that river to get here was possibly more than I could handle, I am not sure how I would fare at sea.'

'Me either, Mr Ungart,' said Newton, the other dwarf in this group. Newton said very little, but his sword, the Frostscythe, said a lot in battle. Made from the finger bones of a Northern Frost Giant, and imbued with the personality of a blood thirsty warrior, Newton Flowercade and Frostscythe were nigh unstoppable.

'Less talk, more walk. Then we can be done with these docks as soon as possible,' said the fifth member of the group. Klondike, a hulking half-orc, stomped off in the direction indicated by the man they asked for help.

The group carried on in silence for a spell until they saw a ship named "The Purple Sails".

'I thought it would have purple sails,' said Bingo.

'She does,' replied a man walking up the gangplank.

'Excuse me,' said Rhosgon, 'where might I find Captain Jans?'

'Cap'n! Landlubbers here to see you,' shouted the man as he continued walking up the gangplank.

A large half-orc, easily twice the size of Klondike, came to stand at the side of the ship and looked down on the dock. 'How can I be of help?'

The captain had two tusks, one broken, coming up from his lower jaw but he spoke with eloquence and ease. He had clearly had some education. His tunic was clean and spotless and the double row of brass buttons up the front gleamed in the late afternoon glow of the sun.

'Captain Jans, we have been told you may be able to help us,' said the elf. 'I have been given this to offer you in payment.' Rhosgon offered the golden frog coin.

Jans immediately recognised the coin. 'You'd best come aboard then.' He motioned for them to come up the gangplank.

Tentatively Adrik started to walk up the thin wooden walkway. It wobbled under his weight, but it held firmly and he managed to make it to the deck. Newton followed close by, then Bingo and then Klondike. Rhosgon was the last the walk up gangplank.