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[syvarris]

Welp, I guess that's what we'll do.  We don't yet want to board the boat, but we also shouldn't have our sword clearly on us.  Instead, spend the day observing carefully, looking out for a sailor who looks like he has clout; somone who shouts at others, or gets shouted at less than others, or something similar.

Once we've spotted one or more people with rank, wait for them to leave the ship.  Follow them, and hope they go to a bar.  Pursue inside if we're that lucky, again preferably sans sword.

...If nothing is found, buy some small concealable knife on the way home.  Honestly, it'd be better to do first, but we don't want to waste time.

[Devastator]

...If nothing is found, buy some small concealable knife on the way home.  Honestly, it'd be better to do first, but we don't want to waste time.

Sorry, syv, getting equipment is always an action unless you find something.

Welp, I guess that's what we'll do.  We don't yet want to board the boat, but we also shouldn't have our sword clearly on us.  Instead, spend the day observing carefully, looking out for a sailor who looks like he has clout; somone who shouts at others, or gets shouted at less than others, or something similar.

Once we've spotted one or more people with rank, wait for them to leave the ship.  Follow them, and hope they go to a bar.  Pursue inside if we're that lucky, again preferably sans sword.

You watch the ship for a while, finding a dockside bar with a view of the ship's gangway.  After a while, (and a drink to keep from getting kicked out of the bar), you see someone who definately has some clout.  He's alone, whereas most of the other sailors tended to group up, and he's a big guy with a very weather-beaten face and rough, scarred hands.

Unfortunately, he's headed for the same bar you're in.  You inadvertantly make eye contact as he comes in and you can tell he's noticed you, but he simply shuffles and sits down at the bar, ordering a drink.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Assets and Abilities:
Prestige = 2
43 silver.
Ancient bronze short jian.
fine map of the Empire
poor maps of the countries across the sea.
plan for travelling across the sea by ship.

Skills:
Gather information, +1
Shopping, +1
Urban Navigation, +1
Weapon handling I
Jian skill +2/+2

Allies:
Min Li, spirit reader, 2 prestige, 1 favor
Huan Zhang, diplomat, 2 prestige, 0 favors

Job to waylay or damage the Swallow's Fortune, a coastal trade ship.  It's due to leave about end of week 18.
Spirit reading with Min Li scheduled for week 19
You are currently not armed.

[Egan_BW]

Lay low for now and see if he gets very drunk.

[syvarris]

Yeah, that's probably the best idea.  Later we can come up to him and deliver some stupid line.

[Devastator]

Lay low for now and see if he gets very drunk.

You watch the guy quickly throw back a beer, pay, and then leave the bar.  You then follow him as he weaves through the crowded street, around a corner, and down a small staircase into a low-key basement bar.  You open the door and are grabbed by your shirt and pulled inside.

The bar is full of old, experienced sailors like the one you were following, many of them with missing fingers and old scars.  The one you were following has you by the shirt, looms over you, and says with a strong southern accent,

"Why you following me, girl?"

[syvarris]

Uhh.  Do we have the sword?  Hopefully not, it just makes this situation worse, and it wouldn't have helped in our plan anyway.

If not (so this is even vaugely believable), start babbling in a panicked manner about finding him attractive and wanting to hit on him or something.  I... highly doubt this will work, but at least it probably won't lead to us being killed?

If we do have the sword, act confident, meeting his gaze right back.  State that we're investigating illicit dealings related to another ship (if we could actually name one that looked particularly shady, that would be great), and intended to speak with him about it after he moved to a slightly less overcrowded area.  He seems like a competent sailor who would have very relevant knowledge, and is sufficiently unrelated to the target ship.  This plan is riskier, since the dude we're talking to--or any of the others--might be involved in illicit dealings, and therefore violently hate anyone investigating such things... but it is a better lie, and could conceivably put us a step forward.

...You know what?  Screw it.  Do Egan's method, below.  Why the hell not.

[Egan_BW]

First break his grip, then:
"I'm following you because the ship you work on has illegal contraband, and you should just give up and help me because otherwise I'll kill you."

[Devastator]

(7+1-1 = 7) vs (4)

You struggle to break free, but you can't get enough leverage.  You then tell the sailor that there's contraband on his ship and that you'll kill him if he doesn't help you.

(4, 1)

"Well, then, I guess I'd better kill you first."

The sailor then pushes you up against a wall and snaps a scarred fist out towards your head.  You see the blow approaching and manage to barely twist out of the way.  The sailor's fist hits the wall beside your head with a loud bang.

In the ensuing silence, all the eyes in the bar are staring at you and the sailor.

"You shouldn't make threats like that.  It isn't nice.  Will you go away if I let you go?"

[syvarris]

Yes.

((I'm pretty sure that could be taken as evidence he actually is involved with contraband; why else would he initally react by murdering a clearly weak (and stupid) woman?  Most likely, he gave some thought after we avoided the first punch, and realized that it would be best to have us be killed somewhere more remote, where a whole bar of people won't witness it.))

[Egan_BW]

Thanks to super protagonist powers, we're an even match. And I'd never burn through so many characters if I didn't like coinflips.
Fight!

[Radio Controlled]

Yes.

((I'm pretty sure that could be taken as evidence he actually is involved with contraband; why else would he initally react by murdering a clearly weak (and stupid) woman?  Most likely, he gave some thought after we avoided the first punch, and realized that it would be best to have us be killed somewhere more remote, where a whole bar of people won't witness it.))

Yeah, let's hightail it outta there.

[Devastator]

Yes.

He lets you go, and pats his clothing down.  You leave the bar, and write that attempt off.

Four actions remain.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Assets and Abilities:
Prestige = 2
43 silver.
Ancient bronze short jian.
fine map of the Empire
poor maps of the countries across the sea.
plan for travelling across the sea by ship.

Skills:
Gather information, +1
Shopping, +1
Urban Navigation, +1
Weapon handling I
Jian skill +2/+2

Allies:
Min Li, spirit reader, 2 prestige, 1 favor
Huan Zhang, diplomat, 2 prestige, 0 favors

Job to waylay the costal trade ship the Swallow's Fortune, or damage her cargo.  It's due to leave about end of week 18.
Spirit reading with Min Li scheduled for week 19

[Egan_BW]

It didn't work, but we're not dead, at least. Time for some Tactical Espionage Action on that ship, I think.
Unless we want to buy a knife beforehand, perhaps? Sword scabbard could interfere with stealth.

[syvarris]

No.  Next action is immediately bribing the harbormaster into searching the ship.  If we wait, they could dump the stuff.

...Maybe Definitely detour to grab our sword though, if that won't cost an action.

[Devastator]

In the interest of fairness, Syv, you complete the mission by waylaying the ship or destroying its cargo.  If they dump it somewhere, you complete the job.