The Mariner's Box

[Bruce]

The cheapest inn in town, The Mariner's Box, or the Mariner's Pox as it is more commonly known, is a crawling hive of drunken sailors and thieves who cannot afford the opulence of the Dragon Isle Inn or pleasures of the Nectar House. Run by the harpy of a woman, Jezzine O' Marly, the 'Pox is a truly squalid establishment, with thinned soups, watered ales and lice infested beds on offer. Situated on the waterfront, this is the place to come if coin is a problem for here everything is cheap, including life!
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Coming from the dock, you take a short left to reach Cat St., at the end of which the light from the large front window of The Mariner's Box spills onto the road. Approaching the infamous boarding tavern, you hear the raucous din of laughing women and shouting men mixed with the caterwaul from an accordion as it murders a popular sea shanty. From the open door, playful groups of sailors and women of the night continuously spill into the cold night to carry on their parties elsewhere. Sidestepping these, you enter the inn proper and feel the welcome heat from inside. Starting to push your way through the greasy, stinking crowd that seems to be made up from flying ale and a thick aura of pipe smoke, you are stopped by a course woman's voice. Turning to see who addresses you, you see a pale skinned redheaded woman who was probably pretty once in her life. Now she has missing teeth and lines that show a hard life, bruises and blue tattoos cover her all but naked body; "'Ello darling! 'Ere for a drink are ya? Let Rose 'ere get it! What's your poison?"

[Havoc]

Jezzine O' Marly, has sold out her interest to a new owner, a massive sauroid by the name of ToBad Jones. ToBad has spread out a new layer of sawdust and sand, burnt the old lice infested bedding, he cut the throats of the wretches who used to work here, dumping their nasty bodies in the river. ToBad imports his new girls from the countryside. Farm girls, who’s families need money, provide the services, working under the pretext of being, "seasonal contracted laborers."
The Pox is large and square, the bar is against half of the north wall, the bar is made of scratched and beaten red oak, with a broken wrought iron foot rail. The customers enter through the east wall. There is another door in the west wall which leads to another ally, a staircase in the northwest corner leads up to a gallery on the north wall above the bar. Several doors open on this gallery from the north. The southwest corner hosts a continuous game of craps.
Sailors, seamen, shifty-eyed characters, and tough guys crowd around the bar, trading stories of their adventures, exchanging large sums of money, arranging quiet deals, and drinking rum.
Gathered around a large table in the northwest corner, are some tired looking young women, dressed in cheap smocks and leggings. They are poor farm girls, their parents, uncles, and brothers, have sold their labor for a season to the Pox. Some drink, some laugh, some move about The Pox talking to the customers and serving tables, all of them are waiting to be taken upstairs to, "Work off their contracts"

The bartender a large lizard man, by the name of ToBad Jones, smiles wickedly and says,
"What will ya have?"

Menu
Drinks: flagon of good beer, poor rum, cheap wine. 5 crowns
The Good Stuff: Rum Only, imported 10 crowns a mug, and higher
Warmed, Spiced Grog: 5 crowns

Roasted or Baked Salt Pork, and Hardtack 10 crowns

Pipe Tobacco: 3 crowns an ounce

Give A Girl A Fate Worse Than Death: half-an-hour: no tipping, she does everything or else.
10 crowns (includes 2 crowns for clean sheets)
Longer than half-an-hour: no discounts for liars
Save a girl from a fate worse than death: Depends on how much she owes.

Enter the crap game: 20 crowns non-refundable entrance fee.

Young Women, Need Money Fast? Ask About Our Employment Contracts.

Need a Loan?
Indenture Your Daughter Or Female Ward For A Season, Only 25% Interest, plus points
Unsecured Loans, 20% per week interest, plus points

[Kreal Donen]

Kreal entered the Mariner's Box for a second time, though the first time under the new management.

He strolled in, and looked at the menu for a few moments. He was quite surprised by the variety of options available.

He approached the bar, and attempted to get the attention of the bartender.

"Serale. I'd like to have a good rum, please," he smiled politely.

[Havoc]

ToBad, pours Kreal a large mug of Golden Sunset Plantation, it is flows form the bottle with a warm, rich aroma.
"Her ya go, that will be 10 crowns."

[Kreal Donen]

"Thank you," Kreal smiled, producing the money required.

He took a slow sip of the drink and he smiled again.

"It's very good."

He looked around the room, then bent backwards, stretching his back.

"So how's business, friend?" he asked the bartender as he loosened up his muscles, then leaned against the bar once again to continue the drink.

[Havoc]

"Not bad, since I took over I am having to fight for market share a little. That's why I got rid of the skags an da fleas, and brought in some clean girls from the farm. See anything you like?"

[Kreal Donen]

Kreal hadn't taken a look, and, having not noticed anyone else in the tavern aside from the bartender, couldn't comment.

Leaning back from the bar, Kreal took a good look around the room, taking special notice of anyone he believed the bartender may have been referring to.

[Havoc]

ttt

[Kreal Donen]

OOC: Um, is that your post? (ttt)

[Havoc]

OOC: Sorry I was sleepy, and didn't realize you needed a description of the available girls IC:

The room is crowded, but not too crowded for Kreal to miss the table of girls waiting to go up stairs. The girls are young, with different figures and builds. Some are pretty, some are plain. They are wearing short homespun smocks which show a lot of leg, breast, and shoulder. Two strike Kreal's notice. One is a waif like girl with blue eyes, and long wavy dark red hair. The other is a solid, but curvy, girl with shoulder length light brown hair.
Both girls smile at the handsome Kreal, trying to catch his eyes, and then darting quick looks towards the staircase.
The girls realize they are competing, and sit up straighter, the girl with the light brown hair has larger breasts and takes advantage of sitting up to display them. The red head starts fingering the hem of her smock, her fingers lifting the smock to show a well curved thigh.

Kreal then notices a third girl sitting back from the table, on a wide bench, her feet flat on the bench in front of her, bare knees raised to her face, arms wrapped around her calves, head resting on her knees as if she is trying to sleep in the crowded and noisy room. All that Kreal can tell is that she has short dark brown hair. Then he realizes that the short hared girl is not sitting there in the strange position trying to sleep. Someone has tied her ankles and knees together with rope, more rope has been used to tie her wrists around her calves, and other ropes are holding her bent over in that unnatural sitting position.

[Kreal Donen]

OOC: Not a problem.

IC:

Kreal noticed all three women, and smiled especially at the girl with shoulder length light brown hair. His smile disappeared when he saw the third, however. Kreal had never witnessed such a strange act.

He turned quickly back to the bartender, and pointed in the direction of the third girl.

"Excuse me, sir, but why is that woman tied up? Is she being punished for a wrong she has committed?"

[Havoc]

ToBad glances over to where Kreal is pointing, a smile crosses the sauroids face, and then turns back to Kreal.
"Oh Trish, ya she's new, and she bit a customer, don't laugh, its not funny. Guy had to be sewen up by a healer. Can't give you a discount on her, but for an extra 10 crowns, you can help with her punishiment."

ToBad gives Kreal a broad wink.

[Kreal Donen]

Kreal looked at the bartender, clearly disgusted by such a thought.

"No, thank you," he spoke sharply.

He looked back at the poor girl, but his tone had changed when he turned back to the bartender.

"What's the name of the girl at the table with shoulder length hair?"

[Havoc]

"The one built like a brick outhouse? That's Hanna. Ummm....The muscles that girl has."

[Kreal Donen]

Kreal looked at Hanna, then slowly shook his head.

"Actually, I've had a change of heart," he smiled apologetically.

Kreal quickly finished the rest of his drink, then left the tavern, into the night.