Session 1, Scene 1
Ascending Fire 15, RY 768

Sol was near is zenith when the Forest Scent began to approach Nalahu, the rebel city of Kawaha. In the distance, the crew could see Mount Kao and its ever-present cloud of ashes. The city itself was build in the traditional style of the island, rectangular stone building with flat roof and pyramids with steps. The countryside was broken in many squares of earth divided by canals who flowed toward Nalahu.

It had been two days since the slave rowers of the Realm’s galley gained their freedom and Gou Jira could sense their optimism in the energy they deployed in even the most mundane tasks. The Forest Scent’s hold was half full of jewellery that the Realm wanted to sell on the island of Lawai for Oa’s wood. The other half was full of the treasure from the Lintha ship, mainly pearls and spices from the Whaea Archipelago. In total it was a substantial sum of money.

Treasures were not the only things the ex-slaves took from the Linthas. They found among of weapons to arms themselves and Gou even found an enchanted belt with the power to turn its wearer in a living shadow.

But as the ship approached her destination, the crew became restless with anxiety. What the future held for them?

[OOC: I let you write what did you do in the last days what did you decide with the crew for the future.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:46, Tue 29 Nov 2022.

Amusingly enough, life aboard a liberated Realm trireme is surprisingly similar to life aboard a service Realm trireme. The vessel still needs to be rowed, order needs to be kept, and for all the oppression and tyranny that the Realm is associated with, it's also a place of order and efficiency. Much as he tries to give everyone their personal space and not bother them, he is forced to admit that the ocean is a place where everyone stands together or dies alone, so it's back under the decks and pulling on the oars whenever the wind won't oblige them. The sight of Gou shapeshifting his arms into tentacles to man half a dozen oars at once is unsettling, but nobody can fault the contribution he makes, at least.

And on the plus side, the trireme has sails at least, and when the weather favours them the crew can often be found sunning themselves or taking the wind. Such occasions are a good chance to talk with the crew, to get to know them and what they used to do and what they plan to do once they make landfall.

On his part, Gou has been exploring his powers, though he does so at night when the crew is asleep so as to avoid alarming them. He is also known for leaping overboard in his guise as a storm lizard to drive shoals of fish toward the crew.

As land draws near in the distance, Gou can sense the anticipation among the crew. The excitement is mirrored in his own heart, and he approaches Moro for advice.

"The Scent has valuable cargo, but I am no merchant. Is there anyone among us who can sell them, or better yet, make something useful of them?"

OOC: I lost the stats we agreed on for Gou's spirit totem, which is pretty much supposed to be a cross between a tyrant lizard and a sea dragon...

Also, could I use the downtime as a chance to perform sacred hunts on certain creatures? So Gou would have a smaller marine form and a bird form, let's say. I was thinking of a blue marlin/swordfish and a cormorant. I'll pull up exact stats in a bit

Session 1, Scene 1
Ascending Fire 15, RY 768

Moro was on the deck near Lurys and Ajima when Gou came with a question.

-We have mainly goods of luxury, he said. Maybe we can dismantle jewellery to keep the metals for something.

-No, disagree Ajima. I was smith and I can tell you than the metals used in jewellery are often too soft for anything else. We need to sell them if we want something of it.

He turned toward Lurys.
-Don’t ask, said the sailor. I was on merchant ship but only has deck hand. I know nothing of how to be merchant.

Gou talked to his crew but while some did sells produce on local market, it was different than be a true merchant. The only who had any experience in the matter was Nilas.

-I was slave to some merchant before, he said. I ended playing aide for him in his dealings.

While he didn’t directly participate to them, he wrote contract and did accountancy. In the end Nilas was the closer they got.

Finally, the Forest Scent arrived in the port of Nalahu and were guided to a dock by a pair of little boats. Several soldiers were waiting for them and at their head, two men and a woman. The later was local in her late thirty with rich vestment and was quite lovely for her age but a frown marred her face. The two men were different, one was a large local in modest but comfortable clothes, the other was clearly an outsider with dark skin from the Burning Sand and wore a light amor made of leather and a single breastplate, at his side was a curved sword that Gou recognized has a daiklave, a magical weapon.

The swordman carefully observed the crew he could see.

-Escaped slaves, right? He asked with a strange accent. I am Erar Swiftblade, capitaine of the Sky Lions, and military commander of this city.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:47, Tue 29 Nov 2022.

Lurys is nominally captain of the Scent, but everyone has so unanimously decided that Gou is their leader that none of them dares stand in front of him. Thus, Gou must stand at the head of his fellows as they meet with the Nalahu port authority. He notices the magic blade at Erar's hip, and makes a mental note to tread lightly around the man.

"I am Gou Jira, of the Forest's Scent. These are Moro, Ajima and Lurys of the deck officers. It is true that we were slaves, but not escaped ones - we overcame our Realm captors during a Lintha attack and then defeated the Lintha themselves. We are no friends of the Realm or the Lintha and wish only safe harbor and to trade the contents of our holds."

OOC: Sorry this took so long.

Session 1, Scene 1
Ascending Fire 15, RY 768

-Linthas, the second man growled. We hear from them more and more since the last two years. You are lucky to have escaped them. I am Ahi by the way, the first dockmaster. What kind of merchandises you have in your holds?

-Mainly luxury items, jewellery and pearls, responded Moro.

-In that case you should speak with the lady, said Erar with a tump in direction of the woman.

-They should speak with my mother, she curtly said.

She turned toward Gou and his companions.

-I am Alys Ry, Overseer of Wealth, my job is to oversee transactions and tax collections, not be a merchant. But Commander Erar is right in a way, my mother is one of the wealthiest merchants of the city and member of the Council. She is specialized in luxury goods. I can let her know you wish to talk to her.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:47, Tue 29 Nov 2022.

"We would be grateful if you could introduce us," Gou says. "In the meantime, our comrades would probably appreciate being able to moor and come ashore. Is there a place where they can be lodged for the time being?"

Session 1, Scene 1
Ascending Fire 15, RY 768

-How many are you? Asked the dockmaster. At least forty on a ship of that size.

-We are fifty-four, responded Ajima.

-Well, except if you want to spread between different taverns, the only solution is to buy one of the manors sized from the Realm-kisser. If you can’t, I can recommend some taverns.

-Depending on your goods maybe my mother can sell you one, said Alys Ry. I send her a message so you can speak to her, you will have a reply in afternoon. A little advice, come with a detailed list of your merchandises.

Erar stepped forward.

-One last thing. We have a killer in the city, so we have a curfew between nine in the afternoon and 6 in the morning. Anyone caught after it will be interrogated and fined at the least. If you see anything, talk to the guards.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:47, Tue 29 Nov 2022.

"That seems fair," Gou says. "We will prepare ourselves in the meantime. Could you give us a list of the taverns, just in case? We may need to let the men go off in batches."

Session 1, Scene 1
Ascending Fire 15, RY 768

-The best one on the harbour is the Galley, said Ahi. But the largest is the White Shield. If you want to have something fancier, go to The Dreaming Pearl, inside the city. I think between the three you can have forty beds, that let fifteen of you on the ship to keep an eye on your holds.

-If you have nothing more to ask, I will go, declared Alys. A runner should come in the afternoon to your ship with my mother answer for you.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:47, Tue 29 Nov 2022.

"Thank you," Gou nods.

Once Ahi and Akys leave, he turns to the other leaders among the crew.

"Well, it seems we need to send people to scout these places out, see if they really can spare all those rooms until we can buy a home of our own. I don't mind waiting here for the letter to come."