Morning at the Ambidexter Arms
Captain Bloody Jack Steele of the notorious pirate ship Narwhale had noticed, in the words of Lord Dunsany, that "there were huge rewards for his head in every capital city, with pictures of it for identification—and all the pictures were unflattering" He therefore invested a substantial share of his loot in the purchase of a prosperous sugar plantation on the island of Richport, together with plenty of Islander servants to work it, under the sharp eyes of his mistress, an Islander shamaness of fearsome reputation.
He then gathered his officers and crew on the deck of the Narwhale,paid them all their rightful shares of the loot they had won, announced he was having the Narwhale careened for possible future use, and meanwhile they were welcome to seek whatever adventures they pleased, and stop by for a tot of rum and a yarn over old times whenever they happened to be back in port. In short, they were on their own, and he wished them luck, loot and ladies, or lads as the case might be. He then had himself rowed ashore and stepped into a coach that bore him and his mistress away to a new life.
After exchanging some blank looks, his former officers decided they could make the finest start on their own new lives by celebrating their last successful voyage at the Ambidexter Arms, which maintained a carefully cultivated reputation as the most hospitable hostelry in the whole of the free port of Safehaven.
Passing under the inn's famous sign (two crossed arms, one bearing a ladle and the other a very sharp knife) they were warmly welcomed by the host, Ambrose Ambidexter, and his fetching daughter Ambrosia, with divers wenches, cooks, potboys and scullions, and settled down to dining on roast boar, roast ox, and whatever took their fancy, washed down with flagons full of rum, brandy, wine, ale and whatever else they pleased.
The day wore on, and so did the night, and the next day, and the next night, and then they woke on the third morning, feeling somewhat bleary, and facing Ambrose, who was no longer their smiling host, but a cold-eyed merchant presenting them with a truly gigantic bill. Even in their groggy condition, they could not quite believe they had consumed quite so many boars and oxen or drunk so many bottles and barrels of liquor.
However, Ambrose's brother Dexter, infamous as the most ruthless killer in the colony of Richport, was leaning against the doorpost of the tavern with his notorious knife in one hand, and a cluster of assorted villains around him. It appeared that if they wanted to leave the inn alive, the Narwhale's former officers would have to find a way to pay their bill.
Fortunately, Ambrose was ready to offer a solution: "There is an Esbanian seaman here who has need of a party with your skills, and the contract he offers is most generous. He is willing to pay a substantial deposit on the spot to obtain your release, provided you agree to his offer..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:09, Tue 18 May 2021.
