[h2][color=SlateGray]Sidskold: Coralie D'Ambois, Alberto Grosso, Stefano Bene, Aghilas Jêle Doeli & Momin Assinger[/color][/h2]
(Cowritten with [@Pragia12], [@Badarby] & [@Tesserach])
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[i][b]The Black Court set plans into motion...[/b][/i]
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As the Captains began arriving, Coralie was sitting slouched in one of the armchairs by the hearth, toying thoughtfully with her pistol, one foot propped up on a drawing room table.  When she wanted to she looked the part of a noble, though more often she looked like she did now... like a bandit who had found a pretty black dress and put it on.  There was a large decanter of something amber, and probably highly alcoholic on the table next to her and flagons to go around, like she didn't quite trust the Captains with the glassware.

First through the door wasthe bloated form of the merchant prince Alberto Grosso, his body clad in a shimmering expanse of studded silk. He wore a wicked self-satisfied grin, his exotic leather boots clacking on the floor as he gets to the table and holds up the flagon appraisingly "Thank you for the invitation, Empress." his voice as silky as his shirt, dripping with the implicit praise before deciding the flagon was fit for his consumption but not yet partaking.

Behind the fat merchant prince was the much smaller but flamboyant Stefano Bene, the self-proclaimed legal expert of maritime and trade laws in three countries and Coralie’s negotiator. He snuck behind Alberto at the door, “Legal expert Stefano Bene at your service, your Majesty,” he said with an overdramatic bow while rolling of his left arm.

Before Coralie had a chance to respond to either of the gentlemen the distinct noise of a bawdy crowd washed over them as Aghilas Jêle Doeli, otherwise known as 'the Doel''s party arrived. It was hard to miss them, and it was clear they'd been drinking, heavily, in the lead up to the meeting. They seemed to be singing a jaunty melody that they must've worked out during their drinking down at the red-light district, which he and his company had barricaded and rebranded as their 'base of operations' through another of their now familiar and legendary bouts of celebratory partying.

The subject of the song seemed to be 'Going to Meet the Empress' and while some of the lyrics were difficult to make out, there seemed to be a refrain that involved the eponymous 'Empress' giving a spanking to each of the other claimants in turn.

Finally they seemed to finish up their signing just outside the door. Drunken voices could be heard outside, in raised tones that toyed with the affectation of being whispers despite plainly being audible to anyone nearby. "You're meeting an Empress right - you bunch of fucking degenerates - make yourselves presentable." There was a muffled guffaw of general agreements and some period of what sounded like people shuffling about just outside the chamber, some genuine whispers.

Coralie smirked slightly to the other's in the room, rising to her feet as she waited for the commotion to die down and the group to enter.

Someone in full-bodied voice was heard. "How's my sash look?"

Followed by. "You look good mate, yeah."

The murmuring slowly subsided and then, abruptly, a group of about sixteen heavily armed pirates spilled together into the room. The whole group was nearly as bedecked in mismatched finery and jewelry as they were bristling with weaponry - there wasn't a man among them with less than two visible pistols strapped to their persons.  

There was an almost imperceptible stiffening from the two Iktani halberdiers who formed Coralie's guard.  They knew the crew were unlikely to actually do anything to harm D'Ambois (not that the young lady couldn't handle herself), but drunks were always a bit unpredictable.

The largest of the crew, at the head of the group and he looked around the room and then to Coralie. He smiled from out of a great bushy beard and stepped forward and threw his arms wide in greeting. "Well if it isn't our little darling Coralie! Seems like just yesterday you were just a wee little sea cap'n still testin' your sea legs and now look at ya!? All grown up and Empress of the Haltian Empire!" 

"You know me, Captain Aghilas, I've always had plenty of big ideas!" Coralie declared with a grin, apparently liking Aghilas's informal greeting.  She paused, one hand on her hip as she eyed his men, before declaring, "We need more brandy!"

Which prompted one of the guards by the door to shuffle out to get some.

As Assinger shuffled in in the background, Coralie began a story, "So I recently received an emissary from Cousin Andronika - she wants us to 'form an Alliance' and bring her army over here. Now given she's also styling herself Empress, I'm not overly keen on that idea. Seems like we are getting into bed with an adder. However, I've said we'll do it if she swears realty to me and accepts being my heir," she paused before asking, "So what do you all think?"

Aghilas' smile didn't disappear but his disposition and tone grew more serious as he and his party filtered in and began looking for seating. "What I think? I think... they're a long way from the coast." 

One pirate in The Doel's entourage whose eyes lingered a little too long and intensely on Coralie caught a big meaty hand upside the back of the man's from The Doel, hard enough the man's hat came off. No one said anything about it and the man whispered hasty apologies in both Aghilas and Coralie's direction as he picked both himself and his hat up off the floor and took his seat, keeping his head down.

Coralie favored the chastened crew man with a cheeky wink, that suggested she thought the whole thing was a bit of a game before turning to pour herself a flagon of brandy, "Mister Bene, I would like you to negotiate for us. We'll give them transport but only if they give me their fealty. Importantly-" she added, turning to face Aghilas's crew, "-this means we control the division of loot! Never let it be said I take more than my fair share!"

Stefano rubbed his chin. He knew that a man came by the encampment seeking an audience with Coralie. Perhaps this relates to the meeting they’re having right now, “Any information you have about your cousin that may be of help to this diplomatic venture?” He asked. “While I like to believe that I can think quickly on my feet, it would be better for me to enter another dragon’s cave armed with knowledge instead of going in blind.”

"I think she's my third cousin once removed," Coralie gave a short laugh, "Never met her.  In fact I hadn't even heard of her before she raised her flag. So anything I tell you will just be repeating rumours. But here we go anyway.  I understand she's merciful and honorable... or at least claims to be... so I don't think you'll be in any actual danger."

“Still, a good negotiator must have some knowledge of who he’s negotiating with so even rumors could be of some help,” Stefano replied, writing down a few notes on his sheet of paper. “But I will perform my duties as an honorable envoy of the Black Wyvern and her court.”

"Well, you've heard all the same ones I have," Coralie pointed out, with another cheeky grin, this time for Stefano, "She was a farm girl who tangled with the wrong people and got enslaved.  She talked some guards into killing the others and helping her run away - so she's quite the charmer.  The Dawnbringer's friend. Has hagical abilities," she scratched her cheek, "She's kind. Charismatic. Mercurial. A teenager. Likes the attention of men -" she grinned again, "- a lot."

Alberto had kept his mouth shut, taking a full drink from his flagon, amber courage being gulped down as if it were lifegiving water. "I think the Lady Andronika would be an... unwise ally at this time." his voice reeking of that fresh drink "Leading her along, however, could have its value as we get situated. Embolden her and force her to play her hand first, perhaps?"

The Doel grunted and nodded at that. "What are they even offering us?"

Coralie gave a derisive laugh, "Some vague promise of unspecified land and titles in the future. Nothing concrete. I did glean they imagine setting that girl who claims to be the Dawnbringer up as Queen of Favis," she grinned roguishly, "Any clever artificer able to make me a glowing sword?"

Alberto smacked his sausage-like fingers on the edge of the table with a bark of a laugh "Pah, if you think she is the Dawnbringer, then I have an orcish army to sell you!" he shakes his head "I could probably find [i]something[/i] to that effect..." he muses in a lower tone, taking her jest entirely seriously. There were few things in this world outside the reach of a man of his... means.

Coralie nodded, her eyes twinkling with cunning and mirth in equal measures as she flopped back into her chair, "Stefano!" she said as she rested her foot back on the table, "Fancy being the Dawnbringer?"

"A lawyer becoming the prophesized Chosen One? I thought we want people to follow us," Stefano said with a chuckle. "I have heard that the Haltians are looking around for anyone claiming to be the Dawnbringer and well, I very much like to not be held captive by them."

"We know what this Dawnbringer looks like?" The Doel asked. "There's this story, back in Addonia, of a pauper that was a dead ringer for a deposed crown prince. Led a revolt for something akin to three years before anyone stopped him. Maybe we find a look alike?"

Alberto chortled at the Doel's suggestion "Hell, why not take it up yourself?" he offered to Coralie, "All the more reason to rally them around you!"

"I could," she mused, "But the peasants would lynch me when it inevitably came out," she laughed before declaring, "A new mission for you, Stefano!" Coralie seemed to find this enormously entertaining, "Study her likeness and find us someone who looks passably like her! Or we can give it to some handsome blonde stablehand with huge biceps and very little brain."

“I’ll see what I can do,” Stefano replied. “If the rumor about your cousin is true, perhaps her court’s Dawnbringer will be by her side, simplifying the assignment.”

"Well if you can gag her and throw her in the hold of a barge that would be super," Coralie mused, "She'd have more fun with me, anyway!"

"Or lure her to a port town. Really get her within a mile of the coast and we can make a go of it!" The Doel laughed.

“Maybe I should bring your cousin with her so this negotiation could be to our favor,” Stefano said, chuckling.

"Even better!" Coralie grinned roguishly before adding, "But on a more immediate note, we sit on the Coast with Calarians to the West and Imperials to the North. We have a similarly sized force to the Calarians though I suspect they're better equipped than us. The Imperials are weaker but not by much. If one of us fights the other and wins, the third will move in and take them off the board as well. So to prevent us from being a loser in that eventuality, I would like to open up talks with the Calarians and Imperials to form some kind of arrangement with one group or the other."

"The Calarians are fond of a good pirate hanging." The Doel observed dryly. "Maybe best not send someone you're overly attached to."

"Well we send someone who doesn't have a bounty on his or her head," Coralie shrugged, "Or we just talk to our good friends in the Empire and leave it at that. Any thoughts... other than the Calarians probably want to separate my head from my shoulders?" 

The Calarian in the room would speak simply "Luckily for us, I still have plenty of connections in the Republic, and while some may want my head still, most still understand and respect [i]tradecraft[/i] such as this intervention." he takes a swig only to realize the flagon was empty "I am sure I could come to an arrangement that involves paying off your bounty from hypothetical coffers and some much more real loot."

"I did capture a treasure ship," Coralie warned, "Though if you think you can convince them to settle for a fee, please feel free to organise an emissary.  I, on the other hand, intend to invite our friends from the Empire over for tea."

"While hardly a write-off, many sins can be forgiven, especially in times like these and especially if forgiveness comes with certain... indulgences." He smiles darkly "Do make sure to entertain them properly, I can spare some of the [i]Pride's[/i] stores if they are needed."