ximilia | audio, un: strange

I've just spoken with the Hawking's captains. The use of magic is strictly limited amongst the crew and I wanted to understand why.

It's because they have a benefactor. Lady Spiertower, regent of Kellir. Her money lets them pirate exclusively for knowledge without needing to worry about the costs of running a ship, and in return they're seeking out the treasure she desires, the finding of which they believe will benefit everyone. Unveil truth.

[ Given what Natasha's shared about Spiertower already, and all the rumour there is about Dracness and the riches and secrets it might hold - answers to questions that have been buried deep - it isn't difficult to assume what Spiertower's got the twins hunting for. Or why they're so willing to pursue it. ]

Bess herself has magic. Its use is only restricted aboard the Hawking to avoid doing anything that might jeopardise their financial situation and freedom to continue as they are. Lady Spiertower isn't a fan of pirates or power, and while she seems willing to overlook the first from those she's commissioned, the captains believe there's a risk she'll withdraw her support if crewmates are seen freely wielding extraordinary abilities.

We'll need to keep an eye on her and her people once we get close to the orb.

[ It's a quick drop of information shared in an earpiece-amplified murmur from his corner of the sleeping quarters on board the Hawking, ending abruptly when somebody else is heard greeting him at a distance as they wander in in search of a book. ]

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Ah, well. Isn’t that typical.

It sounds like she’s a fan of both pirates and power as long as she’s the one in control of them.

It does sound that way, doesn't it?

[ Dryly. Somebody else is Not A Fan. ]

You start to get the feeling there's a reason she's so paranoid, don't you?

I'd guess it's harder to take and keep things that aren't yours if the people with a claim to them are still kicking around. Riches. Secrets. Countries.

[ Not that he's a big fan of monarchy as a concept, but it does seem like there's something running underneath this, doesn't it? ]

Yeah, that tends to be the problem with autocrats. They're never thinking long term. It's always about how they can keep their power a little longer.

[Which goes to his point. If Lady Spiertower is lowkey in a survival mindset about her position, that could make her very dangerous.]

I wonder if there's a way we could send her on a bad lead.

That explains the wax seal from Kellir that Newt showed off in one of their cabins.

[ A pause. ]

The twins seem reasonable. We can probably convince them of the orb's dangers. Lady Spiertower sounds like the bigger problem.

[ Ah. Another clue he'd missed in his lax approach to keeping abreast of the latest - he notes it to check back on later. ]

She does. Those of us aboard the Hawking may need to be more ready than most if it comes to a race to the finish. If she's keeping close tabs on the ship, we won't be able to throw her off the scent once we land on Dracness. If she isn't, the captains will need to be persuaded not to fill her in once they discover its location - and that means risking giving up their freedom to live and research as they have.

It won't be the easiest sell, but I think you're right that they could be convinced.

Mm. I doubt I could find a way to convince them. And I just got here anyway.

[ Being one of the several of them who abandoned The Silent Plunder and its pirating tactics to join one of the other crews. ]

If we could think up some alternative means for the captains to keep doing their research without the threat of punishment for being pirates, that could soften things.

The threat of punishment is less a concern than a lack of resources. For now, Spiertower's money pays for all of their day to day operating costs and prevents them from needing to do any real pirating.

Without her support, they have no funding.

[ Which means they'll either have to start stealing wealth to survive and defeat the entire purpose of their ship, or give up the Hawking altogether. It's perhaps a more difficult problem to solve. ]

Hm, good point.

[ And even though he comes from a land that has literally no ocean based (or air-based for that matter) trade, he knows enough from his travels to know what merchant ships are. ]

If they could find a better way to organize all their books and artifacts out of the way, they can do what ships are meant to do and transport goods to make money to operate.

They could, but I doubt they would. They're only out here because it gives them the means and freedom to spend all of their time on their real work. Which isn't our problem, exactly, but I can't imagine we're going to convince them to help us by telling them they can make their own money.

[ If they'd wanted to, they would've done it already. On top of that... ]

And I'd guess the ship also belongs to Spiertower.

[ Sorry Joric. It's not that he loves playing Negative Nancy, it's just that some situations don't have the budget to cast any other characters. ]

We may have to go direct. Make them understand what it is they're looking for, and hope that they decide to prioritise the safety of their home over their own personal pursuits. I don't think they're thrilled with their affiliation with Spiertower - the loyalty seems to be to her money - so it's not an impossible angle.

I suppose that's the best plan, considering everything else. What's the point of hoarding this knowledge if it leads to their world falling to chaos, right?

Right. They're invested in uncovering their world's truth. I assume they'll want to protect it.

I'll leave it to someone who knows them better to try and convince them of that rather than someone who has just come onboard like me.

That explains why she knew I was from The Hawking when I went to her summer house.

[ Oh— ]

You met her. Did she give anything away?

Enough that I can understand why she wants the orb. She wants Kellir's prosperity secured, both through her lifetime and that of her descendants. It was never about knowledge or helping everyone. She wants to secure her lineage's reign.

Power, it seems, is best in her hands.

audio, un: strange

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{ audio } un: joric

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text - un: dante

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