Dungeon and Dragons: The Scarlet Corsair
First Session, Part One: Balow
The dwarven city of Malkoff. A major city among a popular and wealthy trading chain in the Dainik Sea. The city was well renowned for its special trade in gunpowder, from weak prank powder to well refined explosives. It's the only dwarven city built above ground, where dwarves love their dark caves and immense treasure hidden deep within, that the Humans and other creatures can do easy trade. But the dwarves have no imagination in their architecture, so the buildings look like they were thrown together, or torn apart, by a storm; making the city look foreboding and unfriendly.
But our story is not about the city.
It starts here.
It was the beginning of a new day, and the shops closest to the docks were just opening. The streets were vacant except for the select few who dared venture into the morning cold to get the best of what shop keepers had to offer and get swept up into the business of the day. Through the morning fog that was coming off the sea, a medium sized ship ghosted its way into the harbor of Malkoff and coasted into an empty dock.
It looked terrible.
The sails were torn and punctured, pieces of the heavy fabric fluttering in the early morning breeze. The hull looked like claws had ripped themselves along the wood and was missing chunks; a bloody miracle the thing was staying afloat. Pieces of the railing were missing, along with some cannons. The only thing that remained intact and unharmed was the well crafted figurehead at the ship's bow. It was a winged woman whose back was arched and her arms thrown back to be lost in the wings and her flowing hair. The mouth was agape, not in pain, but in song, for her face was calm and serene. A siren.
As soon as the ship-wreck was tied down, a ramp was lowered and two women immediately disembarked. The first turned to look at the ship, a grim expression on her lightly tan face.
"She certainly has seen better days." She said, the woman next to her nodding her head in agreement. "I want repairs started on it immediately, Miss Stuart." The first woman ordered. "I want to sail at first tide tomorrow."
"Aye, Lady Siren."
The one Miss Stuart called Lady Siren turned back towards the shops, pulling her coat closer to her body and flopped on a oversized hat, started to make her way towards the center of town, when a ugly and grubby dwarf dressed completely in rags bumped into her.
"A thousand apologies, Miss." He said, but he didn't stop.
"Hold it." Lady Siren cried out, making the dwarf freeze in his tracks.
"You dropped something." The dwarf turned to find a filthy bag being pinched between Lady Siren's thumb and forefinger dangling in his face. He smiled, revealing brown teeth, a few of them even missing.
"Thank ya' kindly, Miss." He said as he reached for the bag.
Just as the bag was in his grasp, Lady Siren pulled it away. "I'd keep a close eye on my belongings if I were you." she advised, a grin pulling the corners of her small lips upwards. "You never know what could happen to them, with thieves and pickpockets running about. Best to just keep them...close or else there could be trouble." She said as she pulled back her coat and fingered the intricate designs of a pistol that was tucked away in her belt.
The dwarf gulped down the lump the formed in his throat and smiled fearfully as he reached his hand towards his bag that was still between Lady Siren's pinching grasp. "I'll be sure to remember that."
Lady Siren dropped the bag and watched the dwarf disappear in the now busy street. She readjusted her gun on her belt and turned to Miss Stuart.
"Miss Stuart, would you be so kind to retrieve my purse that dwarf took from me?" Lady Siren asked. "It has something rather important in it and I'd hate to part with it so soon. Keep what you find." An evil and mischievous grin spread across Miss Stuart's young face, making her features more attractive and deadly.
"As you wish, Lady Siren." Miss Stuart said, inclining her head before she too disappeared into the bustling crowd.
******************
"Thank ye kindly for ya' business, Miss. Ye cargo will be ready tonight."
Lady Siren smiled and politely inclined her head at the dwarf before stepping out into the street. It had been a very successful day of trading. Siren had managed to find very rare, yet very powerful gunpowder for her first mate. The last bit of their previous batch didn't work as well it was advertised and nearly cost Siren the lives of her crew and ship. Miss Stuart lectured her for a good few hours afterwards. Hopefully this would make amends.
Lady Siren smiled contently to herself as she walked aimlessly through town. Most of the businesses were starting to close after a long day and she studied the faces of the people who passed her. It was a game she liked to play. It was more of something to keep her wits sharp and her mind focused and it always worked. She loved playing against Miss Stuart. Miss Stuart was brilliant and could remember facts at the drop of a hat and repeat something you said three months ago word for word, but she wasn't good with faces. At least, not as good as Siren.
Siren rounded a corner and she stopped suddenly where she stood. She found herself with a perfect view of the ocean. The setting sun cast an orange glow over the water, the reflecting light making the ocean appear to be on fire. The sky was starting to change to the quiet colors of night, from calm blue to rosy pink to blood red.
Siren watched the sky until it had long turned dark and the brightest stars were starting to twinkle far above.
She turned away from one of nature's greatest marvel and walked into the nearest tavern. In desperate need of crewmen, a tavern was always the best place to look. There are always enough drunks who are stupid enough to trust a pretty face. Siren was suddenly overcome with the sound of laughter, drunken singing and the smell of tobacco smoke and body odor. She quickly swept the room with her eyes. It was well kept, which is unusual for a tavern, but it was a nice change. It was still early in the evening, but the tavern was respectfully full, mostly dwarves, along with a few humans and elves. No possible aspects.
The young captain sighed and made her way to the bar where a stout dwarf stood easily over the four foot high bar. Closer inspection showed that a table was built behind the counter to run its entire length, giving the bartender the height he needed to run his business.
"What ye be havin', Miss?" The dwarf asked. Siren scanned the wall behind him, eyeing the brightly colored bottles carefully. She was impressed with the stock this particular bar had; they had everything from the finest of Elvin wines to the weakest of gnome spitsters. Siren pointed to one and placed a doubloon on the counter once her drink was served to her.
"Not that it be any of me business, Lass, but that's awfully weak." The bartender commented. "We have better drinks to offer."
"And fine ones I'm sure," Siren replied, "but I promised my first mate I would watch my liquor intake. Maybe next time."
The dwarf nodded his head in understanding and left to attend an incoming order, leaving Siren alone with her thoughts. Finding new crew men was going to be harder than she expected. She didn't want to have to stay another day. It doesn't take a lot of men to sail a ship, but the more there were, the more time that left her to do her own business. She sipped her drink and smiled when the group of dwarves started another song, a tipsy elf singing along. Siren hummed along with them, tapping her feet to the beat.
"So," the bartender said when he rejoined Siren, "what brings ya to be humble pub, Lass?"
"I need new members for...my now short-handed crew." Siren replied truthfully.
The bartender turned his head. "Oi!" He bellowed. "Which of ye sorry drunks want to join this beautiful lass's crew? She needs brave men and she needs 'em now!"
Every head in the tavern turned towards Siren and almost all turned away after a split second of looking at her and realizing she was a human or a woman. No one came forward. The bartender shrugged his shoulders.
Siren sighed, but smiled her thanks. "At least you tried."
The dwarf put another glass in front of the captain, shaking his head in embarrassment, but said nothing. Siren watched in disinterest as the dwarf started to clean glasses, her mind wondering how many taverns she could visit tonight and still get enough volunteers before tomorrow. The odds weren't in her favor; Siren sighed heavily in defeat.
Something heavy moved across her feet. Or more of, something rolled; slithered. Siren straightened in her seat and gripped her glass in anticipation. From the corner of her eye, she saw something wrap itself around the stool next to her and raise its head to her eye level. Siren turned her head slowly and met the snake's gaze calmly. They stared at each other for a brief moment until the snake turned away when the bartender started patting its head. A low, soft rumbling came from the snake as it nuzzled the dwarf's hand until he pulled it away to reach under the counter and throw something at the snake. With lightening speed, the snake snatched the mystery meat with its powerful jaws and swallowed it whole. Siren suppressed the urge to cringe.
The snake turned back to Siren and the young captain could see something in the animal's one eye that wasn't common in most mammals. A certain level of intelligence that made the snake even more deadly. It was unnerving and Siren didn't like it at all.
With deliberate movement and calmness, Siren reached down and grabbed a dagger that was tucked away in her knee-high boot and carefully set it on the bar. The snake hissed in protest, spreading its hood open to intimidate Siren, but she just glared at it.
Suddenly, a dwarf carrying the largest hand cannon Siren had ever seen burst into the bar and gave a boisterous greeting. Everyone responded cheerfully and he clambered over to the bar, sitting on the stool that the snake was wound around.
"I'll have the strongest you have and the next drink is on me!" He shouted, thumping his chest with pride. Everyone cheered.
"Something stronger, if you please." Siren begged and the bartender happily obliged. Siren took a quick swig and coughed at the drink's after burn, tears forming in her eyes.
The dwarf next to Siren drank noisily from his cup and belched so loudly that a few bottles shook on their shelves. He wiped the foam residue from his bearded lip and motioned to the bartender for another.
"So, Lass, I hear ye be needin' men for ye crew." The dwarf suddenly said to Siren.
Siren turned to the dwarf and gave an obvious inspection. He was a little taller than most dwarves, but he had the developed muscles of someone who was use to digging or working hard. He had a long orange beard that was split into braids and hair to match that stuck out everywhere. "…Aye. That I am." She responded cautiously, taking a small sip from her cup.
"Are there any...prejudices or stipulations you may have?" He questioned.
Siren turned back to him, one of her eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Why? Are you interested?"
The dwarf flashed her grin, his bright green eyes sparkling. "That I am, Lass. That I am."