“Are you the folks the Red Swans?” the captain of the squadron of guards that stood next to the table asked. He was a tall and skinny Yeumux man, as all Yeumux are. The Yeumux are a civil and social race of arthropoid humans, sporting four arms and a pair of legs, as well as a body segmented into head, abdomen, and thorax.

Simon paused eating his lobster- still partway in his mouth- swallowed, and answered the man.

“Red Swans are people?” he asked.

The guard captain glared at him, but the sheer earnestness of Simon’s expression disarmed him, and made him realize that Simon was, in fact, genuine. “Yes,” the captain sighed. “Red Swans are people. A very notorious, very criminal group of people, with a name you really shouldn’t be throwing around.”

“...Sorry,” Mina said meekly.

“Mind telling us what the problem is?” Lawrence asked between drinks of water. “We’re new here.”

“They’re a crew of pirates that have bent this city over recently. Gods above know what they did, but somehow they got a strangle hold on us, and now we owe them money? It’s all rather confusing to me, to be honest.”

“Sounds to me like a tithe to a pirate king,” Lawrence said.

“Sure, whatever that is,” the captain replied. “I’m going to be straight with you, I can’t stand to be in here, so can you lot finish your food and meet us at the barracks?” The captain wiped what looked to be sweat off of his carapace, which confused the four as Yeumux can’t sweat.

“Sounds like a plan,” Simon said as he began shoveling lobster into his mouth again.

“So, what’s the deal with these Red Swans?” Simon asked as he sat down across from the guard captain they’d met earlier.

The room they sat in was a basic brick-and-mortar building, divided into a room for bunkbeds and a jail for holding captives. Near the bunkbeds was the captain’s quarters, which was where this conversation took place.

“Like I said earlier,” the captain said as he reclined in his chair. “It’s a crew of pirates. They’ve somehow amassed enough power and influence here in Ad Limosa that they’re starting to siphon out our funds, not to mention the usual pirate activities they’re doing. Blue friend of yours seemed to know something, so, got any pointers?”

“Well,” Lawrence began, “it seems to me like these pirates have gone and appointed themselves a pirate king. A pirate king is basically a pirate captain, but with enough crew, firepower, and money to start actually influencing real politics.”

“Never heard of that happening before,” Simon said.

“Me neither,” the captain agreed.

“It’s a rare occurrence. To get yourself a pirate king, you need to have enough men, guns, or treasure to constitute a large city. What I’m saying is that this captain we’ve got on our hands holds as much power as the mayor of Ad Limosa- theoretically, at least.”

“Power?” the guard captain cocked his head. “What kind of power.”

“Any,” Lawrence answered. “Political, financial… literal… it could be anything. We just got here, so we’re probably more blind than you are.”

“Funny, that,” the captain nodded. “How come you know so much about all this anyways?”

“I’m ex-Navy,” Lawrence replied. “This won’t be the first time I’ve had to deal with a pirate king. Not that I ever personally brought one down, of course.”

“Navy, huh? What rank?”

“Lieutenant Officer, Second Class. Eighth from the top, nothing crazy.”

“Eighth from the top is mighty damn high,” the captain cooed. “Means you have- or, well, used to have- more authority than me, I’d say.”

“Used to, definitely. I’m retired now.”

“So, think we can borrow you for one last job?”

“I don’t see why not,” Lawrence laughed. “So brief us. What are we looking for here with the Red Swans?”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“They’re about half a knot east of our port, for one. In the old ship’s graveyard. Haven’t got much else past that.”

“Any victims, family of victims?” Dianna chimed in. “Witnesses, testimonies, we’ll even take rumors.”

The captain laughed a little. “I suppose it should be my job to keep track of that, huh? Nah, truth is we stopped tracking things like that once the Red Swans started operating with full force. You’ll have to canvas for that yourself if you want answers.”

“Lovely,” Dianna remarked as she slouched back into her chair with her arms crossed.

“Any details on what these pirates have been doing?” Lawrence asked. “Crimes, demands, you know, anything?”

“Crimes? Plenty of theft, a little bit of manslaughter, some vandalism, but the big thing is the extortion. These pirates will blatantly demand money from some of the nobles and politicians from the region, and there’s not a whole lot we can do to stop them.”

“And what are their threats?” Simon asked. “Violence, property damage, kidnapping?”

“To be honest? Not quite sure.”

“The fuck do you mean not quite sure?” Lawrence whisper-shouted.

“Easy, soldier. I mean none of the people getting extorted talk about what’s happening to them. Most of them are pretty influential, and need to save face. Most certainly they won’t tell a lowly guard captain like me.”

“...I see,” Lawrence nodded. “That makes things a little more complicated.”

“Could you tell us which people or families are being targeted? Maybe we could convince them ourselves.”

“Sure,” the captain said as he knelt down behind his desk and withdrew a sheaf of papers. “All of these folks.”

The four looked at each other, then at the stack of papers. Everyone grabbed one randomly.

“Well, off you go then,” the captain nodded, and dismissed the four of them.

“Well, this is what I get for dumping Luck,” Simon groaned to himself as he finished the six mile hike- fully clad in armor- to where he needed to go. He stood at the bottom of a great hill, before a gate of fine craftsmanship that wrapped its way all around the base of the hill. Two guards stood watch on either side of the gate, barring Simon from entry. Simon stepped forward, and put on his best noble voice.

“Greetings, gentlemen. I’m here on behalf of the Cathryll family to visit your employers, the Moriettes.”

The two guards looked at each other, and whispered.

“Cathryll, eh?” one of them scoffed. “Mind showing us some proof o’ that claim?”

“Certainly, though I do not appreciate the tone.” Simon withdrew from his person his personal signet ring, engraved on its face with a unique sigil that combined both his family crest and his own initials. “Simon Cathryll, of the illustrious Cathryll family. Former baron of Lindenmeyer Province, and heir-apparent to the Cathryll family’s throne of the Rhias Dominion.”

The two guards stared at each other. “This guy’s the real fackin’ deal,” the second one whispered to the first.

“Right, right, come on in, I’ll show you to the audience chamber.”

Simon smiled to himself, and thanked the soldier.

Simon gained 1 Experience

“Lord Cathryll!” a short, elegant, and rather well-fed halfling woman exclaimed as she descended from the stairs of her tower and into the audience chamber, where she seated herself at her throne. Her audience chamber- and her whole manor for that matter- commanded nowhere near the level of authority as the locations Simon was familiar with- not even the one he used to preside over. Still, it was a modestly well-furnished place, and a not-unwelcome sight for Simon after the months he’d spent adventuring, only recently disrupted by the visit to Versal.

“Oh, please,” Simon laughed. “Lord Cathryll is my father. Simon is fine.” Simon gagged internally for having said such a corny line.

“Well then, Lord Simon, to what honor do I owe our meeting on this fine morning?”

“An investigation,” Simon replied. He forced himself to stifle a laugh as the color drained from the woman’s face.

“A-an in-in-investigation?” she staggered backwards.

“Not an investigation into you,” Simon assured her, “unless, of course, you have something to hide?”

“Of course not! My reign has been nothing but lawful and dutiful!”

Simon laughed. “Ease yourself now, Lady Moriette. You know my family holds no authority here. Our Dominion does not stretch to these lands.”

“Aha,” the woman relaxed, “yes, of course. Then, might I ask, what the nature of this investigation is?”

“I have heard through the grapevine of a certain… blight upon the nearby lands. A crew of pirates. Sound familiar?”

The woman nodded slowly. “Yes, I am more than familiar.”

“I see. Then we have much to discuss. First and foremost: what are they asking for?”

“Nothing special, just a tithe of silver each month. Around three hundred.”

“Three hundred silver a month?” Simon looked shocked. “That’s all?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

“And what are they threatening you with?”

“They said they would flood my farmlands, and my manor along with it.”

“Did they…” Simon paused, wondering if what he was about to ask was too rude. “Did they give any proof?”

“Truthfully? No. They said it with such confidence, and they asked for such a low sum, that I simply gave in to their demands.”

“I… see…” Simon did his best not to stagger backwards. “Well, take heart,” Simon composed himself into a heroic manner. “You won’t have to pay this pirates this month, or any month after for that matter. My associates and I are here to protect you.” Simon flashed her a handsome smile.

Simon gained 2 Experience.

“Many thanks…” the woman smiled weakly, “but I have already paid them for this month…”

“Oh.”

Simon gained -1 Experience.