Troy and Sulpu gathered more provisions.
For some reason, it was a whole lot easier to find stuff. When they first entered the city, all the merchants had sort of stonewalled them. Buying anything had been a huge hassle. Only after they’d officially registered for the Task had the citizens started treating them warmly. Perhaps too warmly. And too nosy.
The prices were another issue. For some reason, it was like they knew that they had Sulpu transmuting coins for them. Everything was marked up, almost 300%. Thankfully, they were printing coinage (illegally), so Troy didn’t say anything. He was pretty sure medieval cities pursued the death penalty for doing that sort of thing, though it was usually because the coinage was not real gold. In fact, he was pretty sure the current coinage in distribution throughout the Caliphate weren’t 100% gold anyways. Technically, he was doing them a favor.
But that lingering thought worried him. That they might know about them. The signs were there. They’d been browsing for proper sealant for the water because Sulpu wasn’t actually sure how they did it here and he didn’t want to be too anachronistic. Suddenly, some guy came up to them and started helping them find the proper jars.
Overly helpful, that was it.
Troy was certain they’d have tons of volunteers for manning the boat as well. They needed 15 people to manage it, according to Sulpu. Recruiting proper sailors would be an issue. He had a plan to deal with any infiltrators, though. Didn’t want to say it out loud, obviously, as he was sure they were being followed everywhere.
Perhaps the simulation was a bit too real. What if, in creating a fake simulated world, Sulpu had actually created sentient AI? Or, slightly more worrying, had they actually been transported to Lancer’s world? If either were the case, no fucking wonder they were being suspicious. As far as the people here knew, he’d transformed from a Rhox to a human and Sulpu was creating things beyond the current science could support!
He didn’t know much about fantasy worlds, but he did know how the real world worked. If someone wanted to kill you, you had a problem. If a country wanted to kill you, you died. It was just that simple. He’d spoken about the Books several times-and sometimes in public. They might know about them. And-
“Icarian?”
“Hmph?” Troy looked down at Sulpu, who was staring at him.
“Are you okay?” Sulpu asked. “You’re looking around all paranoid.”
“I’ll talk to you after the game.” Icarian replied.
Troy shook his head. He had actually thought of himself as Icarian for a moment. The little kobold eyed him and they continued shopping. Around noon, they gathered at the warehouse, carting in supplies to the ship. Sulpu was right, of course. The inside was sprawling. Huge cargo hold. Huge rooms, a full galley and working electricity and plumbing.
Whoever the took with them would be…well, they’d need to have their memories erased. Drew had told him about his powers. They were, in a word, broken in a role-playing setting. Need to talk to the King? Just use Suggestion on the guards! Want him to give you money? Suggestion! Say something that upsets someone? Modify their memory! It was terrifying. Not mind control, but more subtle and harder to detect.
Kharduom helped load everything, the half-giant was practically built to carry heavy things. The cargo was quickly loaded with his help, making a two-hour project take one. Now was the time Troy had been dreading.
“So, where are we going to find recruits around here?” Rashid asked, the otter looking around. “Where at the docks. Shouldn’t be hard, right?”
“There’s a reason companies have an entire department dedicated to finding the right people for the job.” Troy replied quickly. “I think you should do some screening.”
Rashid frowned and glanced at Troy. “yeah? Any reason?”
”Inside the warehouse. With the lead lining on.” Troy said softly.
Rashid blinked, processing that, and nodded. “Alright. We still don’t know how to find them.”
“Just start talking about needing sailors and they’ll practically appear out of nowhere, in an entirely coincidental way.” Troy muttered.
“Right.” The otter said, then smiled. “Then I guess it shouldn’t be too hard then! I’ll be back.”
The otter loped off towards one of the better taverns.
No accidentally recruiting Crimson Corsairs. And that was the other worry. He was pretty sure the Caliph was maneuvering to put his people on their ship. But another angle could be in play. If the Crimson Corsairs had managed to survive all these years, they likely had an insider in the Caliph’s ear. They might try to place their man with them as well.
Unsurprisingly, the interviews lasted all day. As predicted, sailors were practically beating down the doors to join the crew. They hadn’t even seen the boat. They had no idea who any of them were or what their experiences with ships were. Very suss.
However, because they were so popular, a bunch of other sailors also tried to sign up. Troy was hoping that would be the case. Drew stayed in the back while Lancer and Troy conducted the interviews. Anyone they decided was worth anything, they sent to the back for Drew’s more..invasive interrogation. They called it ‘a friendly chat with the captain’. Only five had passed so far.
Troy had asked him to allow one-just one-of the Caliph’s people on board. That would send a message, he hoped. He kept the most qualified guy over in the corner to wait while they finalized their decision.
“Icarian?” Rashid called. “Can you come here for a moment?”
Troy also had another order for Drew, just in case he found a Crimson Corsair.
He smiled at the sailor he was currently interviewing and shrugged. “Captain needs me. Be right back.”
“Yes sir.” The older, scarred half-orc said.
The half-orc had seemed genuine. So had three other sailors who’d ended up being spies. Hopefully he wasn’t a Crimson Corsair or he’d end up leaving…different. He was very careful with the reality shifts.
Troy walked to the back room. It was a supply closet, actually, but Sulpu had worked his magic and it was bigger on the inside than it should be. It looked more like a Captain’s Quarters than a walk-in closet with shelves now, at least, with the carved wood-paneled walls.
Rashid sat in a large, plush chair. Across from him was a dark haired, swarthy man with tattoos and large cuts on his legs. His physical appearance wasn’t an indictment, but the nervous looks he was giving Troy were.
“So this guy is a Crimson Corsair.” Rashid pointed. “Got any ideas what we should do about him?”
“What information does he…” Troy paused when Rashid shook his head.
“Low rank. Nothing.” Rashid said. “Wasn’t even ordered to join us, wanted to get a promotion.”
Troy frowned, rubbing his chin. The biggest problem with having two Books that let him transform people into anything was analysis paralysis. He could turn the guy into a bilge rat, but that would just be contributing to the rat population. Dogs or cats require owners. Perhaps…
“Do we have room for horses?”
“Yes. I had Sulpu build 7 stalls. But he said not to do horses.” Rashid fumbled in his pocket and drew out a note and handed it to Troy.
Troy read it, and raised his eyebrows. “Interesting choice.”
“Please! I did not do anything!” The man said, turning from Rashid to Troy, desperation on his face.
“Hmm.” Troy paused. “Modify his memory quick. He has no idea we’re onto him.”
“Right.” Rashid pointed at the pirate. “Erase.”
The man’s face went slack. Then he blinked, rubbing his hand in his eye.
”What happened?” He asked.
“You’re joining the crew, bud!” Troy slapped the man on the back.
“Really? That is great news!” The man looked between them. “When do I start?”
“Right now! Follow me.”
The man looked at Rashid. “Thank you Captain.”
Rashid smiled. “I suggest you do everything my First Mate there says.”
The man nodded, face slack, and followed Troy out of the room.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
“So what’s your name?” Troy asked as they entered the ship.
“Abdullah, I-By all the gods!” The man said, staring at the interior of the ship in wonder.
It was much bigger on the inside. The exterior was a solid golden brass color. The inside had teak wood paneling and soft lighting. The floors were a special marble veined in a similar color to the ship itself. It lent a very elegant look to the entire ship.
“H-how big is it?” The man asked.
“Two hundred feet.” Troy preened. “Spatial magic was used to hide the real size. We have every amenity from the modern world here, including a refrigerator unit and proper showers.”
“A what?” The man asked.
“We can chill food for preservation and the engine heats the water, so you have warm baths prepared almost instantly.”
The man’s mouth moved silently.
“Yes?”
“Uh, where will I be working?”
“Oh, of course. The stables!” Troy snapped his fingers. “Follow me.”
“I do not know much about horses, sahib.” Abdullah said.
“Oh, not horses. Riding lizards.”
“I-”
“Yes, I know, you don’t know anything about them. But trust me, in a few minutes, you’ll be a natural.” Troy smiled grimly.
Abdullah stayed silent as the walked down stairs and past the Galley.
“Where is it?”
“Right above the cargo hold.” Troy said. “We have a small coop and a cow for fresh milk. You won’t be working with them.”
They stopped in front of a stall.
“Alright. This is where you’ll be working.” Troy pointed to some straw. “Get in the stall and start spreading the hay.”
“Yes sahib.” The man bowed and beg spreading the straw over the floor.
“Shape.” Troy whispered, pointing at the man while he was in the stall.
Abdullah shivered and felt a coppery taste in his mouth. He shrugged it off and kept working. Then the stall door closed behind him.
“Sir?” Abdullah glanced up at Troy, body starting to tingle. “Did you close the door?”
“Yes, I’m checking the lock. Keep working and I’ll be back for food and water.”
“But the door-”
“I don’t want you wandering the ship, Abdullah. Can’t trust anyone right now. You understand.”
Abdullah shook his head, trying to ignore the tingling as it intensified. “Aye, I can understand your fear. It is as you say, sahib.”
Troy smiled and retreated.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Abdullah grinned when he thought the First Mate had gone. The fools had allowed him onto their ship! He tossed some more straw around to make it look like he’d done something, the tingling becoming a heat that prickled his skin.
A wave of warmth rippled through his entire body, making him pant. The tingling made its way to his head, where the warmth prickled pleasantly in his mind. Dizzy, Abdullah stumbled against the wall. Rolling waves of pleasant warmth percolated thorough his body.
Abdullah had wanted to leave the stall, but instead he found himself slumping to the floor.
His muscles were feeling oddly sore, like he’d just had a hard day’s work and he found he had no strength to lift himself up. His gaze fell upon his hands, splayed wide on the wooden floor of the ship. The skin was becoming rough, scaly and green and his nails were elongating and darkening into talons. His hips popped, legs splaying out behind him, and he felt his feet grow snug in his shoes.
Another wave roiled through him, stretching his form out larger and larger. His ankles popped and his hips grew wider, threatening to tear his pant. There was a painful bump and the base of his spine, and then, with a load tearing sound, a thick tail thrust forth. Multiple pops rippled up his spine as his tail and torso lengthened.
His shoulders cracked and hunched, his chest and shoulders widened with disturbing crunches as his ribs grew, chest deepening and broadening. Stitching split and threads snapped as his barreling torso outgrew Abdullah’s clothes. Scraps of fabric fell to the floor, lost in the straw. Muscles all over his body swelled and Abdullah stretched himself out and hissed in pleasurable relief as the pain in his muscles faded.
The pops reached his neck.
The ripples of heat flowed through his neck and up into his face. His neck began to extend, lifting his head further and further away. Soon he could see over the top of the stall, all four legs still flat on the floor.
Abdullah wasn’t sure what was happening to him, mind awash in a haze of pleasant heat. Each ripple muddied his thoughts further and further. He barely noticed as his jaw popped forward. His ears twitched as the scales covering his body reached them and they lengthened.
He felt constricted as his remaining clothes wrapped around his widening neck and torso. Abdullah snorted and clawed at the rags, tearing them off his body. A happy rumble issued from his throat. He rested his growing head against the top of the stall and watched as a human walked down the hallway to him.
Abdullah knew he needed to do something, that he wasn’t supposed to be this big, but the tingles in his brain hadn’t stopped. He was beginning to forget things about his life-where he grew up, what hid did. Even basic thoughts were talking longer to formulate, lost in the strangely pleasant haze. Everything but the thoughts needed to be a proper riding lizard were gently fading away.
The growing lizard saw the human carrying a dead goat over his shoulder. Abdullah rose on his hind legs and bounced in place, barking. His tail swished and slapped against the ground and the sides of the stall.
The man reached out and pat Abdullah’s head, running his fingers through his soft, mane-like head-frills. Abdullah hissed in delight, rubbing his face into the man’s hands, a soft rumble developing deep in his throat as he purred. The tingles rose to the top of his head and horns pushed out, extending backwards.
The man was looking into his eyes, one hand scratching Abdullah’s chin. Abdullah’s eyes were growing duller and darker, pupils thinning to slits. His jaw popped and more pressure welled up behind his eyes as his muzzle grew larger and his head swelled bigger and wider.
He continued scratching Abdullah as the light of thought behind his eyes began to flicker. Whatever was left of Abdullah faded as the lizard grew larger and larger. The man had to reach up higher and higher as the lizard began to loom over him.
Abdullah hissed contentedly and continued to purr. The man watched as the flames extinguished, Abdullah gently erased, leaving only a very obedient riding lizard with some funky scale patterns where his tattoos had once been.
The man smiled and patted the riding lizards head and tossed the goat into the stall and filled up his water bucket from a faucet.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Troy finished feeding the last riding lizard. It was incredibly useful, being able to create perfectly healthy riding lizards. He’d had Kharduom and Gnuz run to the market to buy goats. He walked over to Rashid to find out how they were doing as far as recruits were concerned.
They’d finally managed to find 14 good candidates. The corsairs he didn’t turn into lizards, he turned into messenger birds. They would be useful for long-distance communication. He's decided to hire an experienced Bosun who had plied the seas for twenty years and, regrettably, was one of the Caliph's men.
He was a handsome, squint-eyed half dwarf and half orc with huge muscles and a barrel like torso name Mr. Al-Kiyudh. No-nonsense, smoked a pipe, hit it off with Zuberi immediately. Very familiar with him, if you get my meaning.
The next morning, they set sail. As the ship motored out into the harbor, the kobold pressed some buttons. The ship grew. It went from 50 ft to almost a hundred feet long. The masts rose, lifting the strange translucent material up, and they practically flew out of the harbor.
Their crew was staring in awe at the amazing ship. Troy himself had never seen anything like it. Standing on the deck, he barely felt the waves as they raced across the sea.
“And er, what’s the crew supposed to do?” Ajmal (the bosun) asked.
“Sulpu is going to train you on the maintenance. It’s mostly automated, but in emergencies, everything needs to be done manually.” Troy explained.
“And you…expect things to go wrong?”
“They’re pirates Mr. Al-Kiyudh.” Troy smiled. “And I hope for the best but plan for the worst.”
“Good policy.” Al-Kiyudh muttered.
Sailing was smooth for the day it took them to make port at Gurudia. The crew was impressed with the time they had made. The ship could actually go much faster, but Troy had decided not to run it at full power. Keep it a secret.
They docked at port, shrinking back down to 50 Ft. The boat got stares of awe and a little fear. They tied it off and paid the harbor master generously.
“Alright!” Gnuz said, little tail wagging. “What do we do now?”
“Have the crew watch the ship. Rashid?” Troy said.
“Yes?”
“Come up with a proper uniform for them.”
“I’m already on it.” Rashid grinned. “Of course.”
“Hasta, advice in tracking them down?”
Hasta paused and stroked his mane. “We could just start openly asking questions.”
“Does that work?”
“Oh yes, the last time someone did that ere, they were found dead within an hour.” Hasta smiled.
Everyone looked at him.
“What?” Hasta said defensively. “You wanted to know the fastest way to get their attention. No criminal organization likes being asked about.”
Kharduom grinned, flexing his muscles. “Sounds like a good enough plan to me!”
“Should I activate METAL DRAGON?” Sulpu asked.
“It just looks like a Dragonborn wearing full-plate, don’t know why not.” Troy shrugged.
“Great! Oh, Icarian, one last thing.” The kobold gestured to be picked up.
Troy did so, noting the kobold blushing. The little kobold whispered in his ear.
“You can generate bullets with your ki if you run out.” Sulpu said quietly. “It only draws the minimum energy for your spells, so unless you snipe them or silence your weapons, no reality shifts. Also, the bullet needs to touch the skin.”
“Armored opponents?”
“Good luck?”
Troy sighed, but was kinda happy. He wasn’t too OP.
They wandered to the market and started asking questions. Everyone was acting cagey or avoiding them. Troy pressed hard on one shopkeeper selling exotic goods from foreign lands, noticing him sweating more than was natural in the dry desert heat.
They met up an hour later.
“Anything?” Troy asked Rashid.
“Plenty. They’re here and they’ll kill the shopkeepers if they talk.” Rashid said. “They’ve got people monitoring the market at all times.”
“Then they should be making their move soon.” Hasta nodded.
“Finally!” Gnuz said. “Some action!”
“I don’t know about you.” Zuberi said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “But I prefer to be the one doing the ambushing.”
Troy agreed with him. But everyone else looked eager for a fight. It was mildly disconcerting.
As they continued wandering through the market, questioning shopkeepers, a young man slipped silently up to Troy. A semi-transparent dice rolled over his head as he slipped a note into Troy’s trench-coat. Natural 1. The thief fumbled in Troy’s pocket, hand caught on the lip.
Troy felt the tug of someone reaching into his coat pocket. He turned and saw the little rogue withdraw his hand. The kid froze and looked up into Troy’s eyes, panic stricken. Acting quickly, Troy grabbed the kid’s arm and held him as he struggled and squirmed, pounding at Troy’s arm.
Troy read the note.
STOP ASKING QUESTIONS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT. -LOTAN
The kid finally managed to shrug out of his garb and slipped away, running down the street. Troy saw him dart down a nearby alleyway.
“Hey, that dude just reverse-pick pocketed me!” Troy yelled, pointing.
“Reverse pickpocket?” Lancer asked.
Troy handed him the note.
The Leonin read it, brows raised. “It appears we hit a nerve.”
“Are you going after him?” Troy asked, glancing at the alley where the thief went.
“No. Gnuz.” Hasta said.
The gnoll sauntered over, tail wagging. “Yeah boss?”
“Track.” Lancer held out the note.
Gnuz-Dustin, Troy mentally corrected-sniffed the paper and scented the air. “Down the alley?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly where he went!” Troy grinned. “You can smell him?”
“It’s mah job!” Dustin wagged his little tail happily.
“Are we running?” Zuberi-Greg-asked, stroking his beard. “I’m not exactly the running type.”
“Naw, mate.” Rashid said. “I know the way these types think. Ya just wait a minute. When the kid thinks it’s safe, he’ll slow down and catch his breath somewhere. I say we walk after him, not run.”
So they walked, Gnuz leading the way as the followed the rogue’s trail. It wasn’t a big city, but it was large enough that strangers could easily get lost in the twists and turns. The gnoll’s nose was unerringly accurate however, a D20 rolling over his head and coming up as a 16, which combined with his substantial Perception bonus for smells, meant he got a 25.
The adventuring party ran after the thief.
He ducked and dodged though the crowded streets.
A large covered wagon parked at the end of the small street, blocking it off.
Troy turned to find another way around-maybe a side street they’d miss. At worst, they’d have to double back and likely lose the little thief-and discovered a covered wagon blocking the street behind them.
He whirled. “It’s an ambush!”
Cloaked figures rose from the rooftops around them and Troy heard the *twang* of crossbows. Bolts rained down on them. Troy dove for cover in the awning of a store.
Over his head, a D20 started spinning. Initiative!