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Post by Beriadan on Mar 14, 2023 7:17:58 GMT
The port town of Towanroath lay nestled in a natural, protective bay. The only safe docks for miles, it sits as the largest and busiest port along the Jagged Coast, the rest composed of high cliffs and treacherous shallows. Everyone knows of Towanroath. While not the major trading hub for Galt, its key location, and the fact it sits on the edge of the Kingdom, make it one of the better docks to land for someone who doesn't want to answer too many questions.
Or, at least, that is what the rumours say aboard the ships, pirate or otherwise, that say they've docked their. True freedom comes with a cost of uncertainty, but the one fact known is that Towanroath is a better place than most to find brokers of information and direction. For someone seeking adventure, Towanroath is the docks that they would head to first.
As the Dauntless slices through the rough ocean waves, Towenroath appears on the horizon. The town is well built, with a few trading galleys anchored out in the bay and many smaller skifs sailing back and forth. Approaching one of the jetties, a landing bell rings out to notify that this ship is coming in, and as it is being secured and lashed by deckhands, a prim looking human can be seen striding down towards it, a paper pad in one hand and a large, bulky leather pouch hanging off one hip. They are followed by a younger human, and both seem very official as they lock-on to the Dauntless, waiting for people to start disembarking.
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Post by MisterMau on Mar 16, 2023 21:11:29 GMT
It was a strange thing for Vella to sail on a different ship, especially one that wasn't being hunted down by anyone. When she saw the name of the ship though, she knew it was the one she had to get passage on, it didn't even matter to her where they were making port when it seemed like it was just meant to be! Seafaring folk were superstitious like that.
The voyage wasn't bad, it was sorta nice to not be one of the people in charge of things around the ship. However she couldn't just sit back all day, she would do some deck work where they needed a hand, but she didn't want to seem too experienced, questions were the last thing she needed...well, besides getting recognized. As it was she traveled under an assumed name, Sally Greene, to stay as anonymous as possible around ships and ports. Anything inland should be much safer when it came to that, they might've heard of her father or his ship, but inland folk tended not to know much beyond stories about pirates.
Once docked, Vella couldn't help but chuckle at seeing who she had to guess was the dock master walking towards the ship with what looked to be a hefty pouch of... let's call them earnings. This was as gonna be an interesting shakedown, this wasn't the first time she had made port around here... perhaps being out of context and dropping a few coins in his pocket would be enough to keep things quiet. She headed down the gangplank towards the man, there wasn't much chance of just getting by him, and honestly getting caught trying to sneak by sounded like a pretty bad option for the start of her solo adventures.
"Afternoon, dock master" approaching openly with a wave. Vella wore a set of poorer clothes than usual; simple gray pants, brown leather boots, a white shirt under a brown leather coat that had seen better days, and a large rucksack with the rest of her effects carried at her side.
"Name of Sally Greene" now to see if she found her first roadblock of the trek.
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Post by Beriadan on Mar 17, 2023 12:37:54 GMT
The dockmaster stopped before her, looking her up and down along his nose, as one might observe something dredged from the bottom of the sea. He cleared his throat, opening his pad and flourishing a ragged feathery pen. Still looking at her down his nose, he scribbled something down on the pad.
"Sally Greene, passenger of the Dauntless. Occupation? Reason for making port at Towenroath? Come on, come on, we don't have all day."
His younger colleage was watching the bag by her side with a shrewd eye as the dockmaster spoke, clearly interested in what Vella had brought with her from her seaward travels.
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Post by MisterMau on Mar 24, 2023 0:12:45 GMT
This one was certainly pleasant, not atypical of dockmasters really. C'est la vie, she'd deal with it in her own ways.
"Ah, right! My head escapes me sometimes, just so excited to be traveling so far y'know? I used to be with a traveling group of musicians, I do a bit of singing ya see. But I set out on my own, doin' odd jobs here and there where I can. Got handy with the odd bit of woodwork, had to repair the cart on the road on more n' one occasion" she spoke quickly with a naive air about her, her hands in plain view the whole time, fiddling 'anxiously' with them, as well as teetering from her left foot to her right. The persona of 'Sally Greene' seemed to be quite the ball of energy. "Oh! I'm here because I apparently have a cousin who lives in the next town over, this was the closest port I could get passage to" beaming at the dockmaster, then gave a cheery smile and wave to his...assistant? "hello! Somethin' ya like?" giving him a playful wink as she caught him eying her stuff, though Sally clearly mistook it for him checking her out.
"Anything else you need from me dockmaster? I haven't sailed a lot, so I don't know all the procedures here. Used to land travel really" stars in the sky was that the biggest lie she'd said, it almost tasted bad to say it. It was a good way to see what sort this dockmaster was though.
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Post by Beriadan on Mar 24, 2023 12:39:50 GMT
The dockmaster listened without comment, though one eyebrow raised higher and higher with every word she spoke. His assistant folded his arms, smirking at Vella behind his superior's back. As she finished her spiel, the dockmaster looked down at his clipboard, letting out a huff of air through his long nose.
"Mm. I see. Sally Greene, no occupation. Here because a distant relative might live nearby, in... what was the town called, prey?"
His keen eyes were on her now, pen hovering over the paper.
"I trust you don't know much about our town, or the Kingdom of Galt, miss, but we come down hard on liars and criminals. It would be a shame if we discovered something... uncouth about you. So, what town does this cousin of yours live, that lies so close to our fair dock of Towenroath?"
Behind him, the assistant mouthed a word, giving Vella a wink back at her.
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Post by MisterMau on Jul 2, 2023 23:53:43 GMT
It took a lot of self restraint to not pick on the authority figure in front of her more. Something about being raised in an environment where she not only shirked the law, but actively worked against it oftentimes didn't really breed subordination. At least not towards officials. Just keep being a benign normal girl, not a pirate.
"Hm, must get a lotta bad sorts around here. I'll keep it in mind on my travels!" she caught the assistant's gesture and beamed a bit. He either thought the dock master was being too hard on a sweet innocent girl, or maybe wanted to get something out of the sly aid he was giving her. The latter was the cynic in her perhaps, but only time would tell "It would be rude of me not to answer though, gotta keep the streets safe! Windrush" said with a confidence that would hopefully not be her downfall, it wouldn't be the worst to start off with a quick getaway...but, not exactly her preference on beginning a little stint as a land walking normal girl. Man, she was not ready for so little water to be around though, that was going to be an odd turn for her more than anything.
"What parts of town should I avoid, by the way? I don't wanna get caught up in the wrong sort of business n' all that, especially if I'm lookin' for some work"
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Post by Beriadan on Jul 22, 2023 20:05:59 GMT
The dockmaster sniffed in irritation as "Sally" answered, indicating it was a correct answer. He shrugged, noted something in his ledger, and turned away.
"I'm rather busy, Ms. Greene. I have a dock to manage, and I hardly have the time to direct waifs and strays about the town. Good day."
His assistant lingered, grinning at Vella for a second.
"If I were you, I'd stay away from Lowtown. Down by the waterfront across from the lower docks. Real rough place. I would definitely avoid the Drowned Lord, a tavern where only nasty sorts gather for an evening."
He winked before he turned to follow his boss.
"Hopefully I won't see you there, eh?"
The two of them strode away across the docks to the next arriving ship, leaving Vella alone among the sailors. Salt air whipped at her face, bringing the smell of the sea with it. From the town of Towanroath came shouts and cries of sellers, merchants and crowds, a market that brought with it fish, smoke and meat. Beyond the walls of the town lay great cliffs, enclosing Towenroath against the sea.
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