Is the feint a move you've done before? Note that whenever you say, "I'll do this", that demonstrates that it's the sort of thing you would describe as part of what you're doing, and that you expect it to have some sort of effect. Thus I'm posting to come to agreement on the effect, the cost, and your skill ability level.
My inclination is to list it as
- Feint B7@2 tactical untargeted skill check uses one attack, success adds +RS to next attack
Anyway, the questions are, does this reasonably describe your intention and expectation, how good are you at doing this, and do you still intend to use the maneuver?
--M. J. Young
Not exactly. It doesn't delay that long. It's really more like half an attack - the equivalent of making a Bluff check to leave someone flat-footed in D&D. I go high just long enough for you to reflexively guard high, then I drop down and attack middle low. Even if you reflexively try to drop your blade to slap mine down, all that happens is it goes into your gut or your thigh instead of your heart. It's a visual Bluff. I have no idea how you would express that in MV mechanics, but it is a very fast thing in real life. If that is as close as we can come, so be it, but I feel it ought to be faster than using up a whole attack if we want to be realistic.
One good way to start thinking about modeling these things is to hammer out exactly what price you're paying for your benefit. I don't have my 3rd edition books with me here in Chapel Hill, so I'm asking: what was the limitation on using the Bluff skill in this way in D&D? That is, why doesn't every reasonable player use this for every attack?
Also, you've left the question of your SAL open. (You may have done that on purpose, but in case you didn't I thought I'd remind you to help speed things along.)
Scott has hit the nail on the head: what this does maneuver cost, that makes it so that it is not done by every swordsman for every attack? The OAD&D OA martial arts rules cost an attack and gave +2 to the next attack--the equivalent of 10%. Multiverser uses the one attack cost but gives what is a more generous bonus--the die roll. However, the point of Multiverser rules is to be as emulative as possible while still being completely fair. You have to pay something to get something; if the feint is going to create a mechanical bonus, it has to come at a price.
That doesn't mean it has to be the price just given, or that you have to get the bonus just stated. Off the top of my head, here are some other possibilities, to get your thoughts pointed in the right direction. All of these start with the assumption that it does not cost an attack to do this.
- Sacrifice initiative, get +RS/10. This would reduce the bonus significantly, but you would keep your attacks--but the other guy would go first.
- On failure, the next attack is penalized--that is, you didn't fool him, so he anticipates your next attack and probably blocks it.
- Opponent Intuition check RS=S/D/N, success transfers the bonus to him--that is, if you do the feint "successfully" he still might perceive that it's a fake and be able to use your false move as his opening, taking your bonus as his own to land an attack. (RS=S/D/N means that if your roll is [successful and] not higher than fifty, he must make a simple 2d20 check, if it is at least fifty-one but not higher than eighty it is a d30+10 difficult check, and if it is a successful roll greater than 80 he does not get a check.)
And yes, your SAL will matter.
--M. J. Young
Go with the second part. That's the most like what happens in reality - if he doesn't buy your feint, ten gets you twenty he's going to block your second-intention, but if he does buy it, you'll chump him pretty easily. That's the most realistic to me - it either works or it fails, and either way fairly certainly, based on whether or not he falls for it. And it would cost me my second attack either way. So instead of me-him-me it would be me-him-new round.
- Feint B7@2 tactical untargeted skill check, success adds +RS to next attack, failure bonuses next opponent attack +RF
But we don't know your skill ability level yet. Amateur? High, low, average? Professional?
--M. J. Young
Amateur high. Compared to pretty much everything else in fencing, I'm a mite raw at this.
You draw the man's sword high, and then swing under it, doing a severe abdominal wound. The man will need medical attention, and knows he is extremely unlikely to survive another blow. He slashes out, injuring you yet again despite your effort to step away, and before you can respond he has run across the deck toward the hatch below. You might catch him, if you pursue.
Your own injuries are now serious but not life-threatening; you could take as much again as you have taken already.
The rest of the security team has now boarded, including a medic. Your partners have killed or wounded several pirates as well, and the fight is going favorably.
--M. J. Young
I look around, making sure the security guys are actually pressing the fight, not just pushing the pirates and leaving them there. If there is nobody around to fight, I hold back for now and survey the scene.
Are the pirates surrenduring? If not, then
Are the security guys continuing to fight? If so, then
Who are they fighting? Are there still pirates nearby? If not, then
Are either Ronny or Walt more badly injured than I am? If not, then
Is that medic nearby? This is really starting to hurt. If not, then
Can I get to that medic without getting stabbed on the way? This is still REALLY starting to hurt.
Once I get to the medic, I'll look around the pirate ship again. Once more, if there's pirates too near the edge, I TK Pulse them towards the edge some more. If there's not, well, there's that medic, and... yeah, ow.
The pirates are not surrendering, but the security force has boarded and is fighting to reach you. The pirates are falling away from them fairly quickly, and scattering onto the ship.
Walt has worked up quite a sweat, but he's not wounded. Ronny looks fine.
The security team reaches you within the minute, and the medic is immediately tending your wounds. The wash stings. He says, "Sorry, friend, but I've got to pull you out--you are going to need some stitching here, and we've got to get you back to the med bay for that. You! Johann, right?" He is addressing one of the men who boarded with the security team. "Get John here back to medical; Evan is going to need to work on him."
Johann is probably a deck hand; anyway, he's got the build for one. He lifts you to your feet. "Doc says you've got to see the Doc. Let's get back home."
--M. J. Young
I nod, wiping my blade clean before I sheath it.
Turning to Walt, I say, "You keep fighting. Teach these dogs a lesson for me, will ya?" and give him a somewhat pained grin.
Leaning on Johan - at least as far as the plank, I suppose I'll have to limp across it on my own - I allow myself to be led back to the Piper, all the while hoping they'll continue the rout I started and capture that blood pirate ship as a prize.
You are delivered to Medical, where Doc Evans does an expert job stitching and dressing your wounds. "You'll have to stay here a couple days, at least, so we can keep that from getting infected; but hopefully you'll be back on duty before we're in port, as long as you don't do too much climbing. I'll tell Donald that you're to be on light duty for a while."
You continue to hear the occasional gunshot, the clamour of battle, and then as the world starts to grow dark outside half a dozen people come into medical for treatment. Most of these are relatively minor injuries, and they are tended by one of the medics and sent on their way. Two of the deck hands are injured rather severely, and are given hammocks here so they can be watched. Captain John can be heard thundering in the hall. "Accursed pirates, tearing holes in my crew when I need them at their posts. Do what you can for these men, Doc. It's hard enough with a full crew."
You see Walter among those being treated. When the captain has moved away, he smiles at you and says, "We got 'er. Captain's happier than he sounds, as that's a good bonus; he just needs to crew both ships for a few days to get her to port."
--M. J. Young
As I hear the report that we got her - that we actually managed to take a fully manned pirate ship - I settle down in my hammock a happy man.
That siege was my idea, my project. If the captain decided to keep her, he could name himself Commodore and name that ship's new captain. If he decided to sell her, it would make him a rich man even if he did share the bounty with the crew.
Either way, the victory I wanted went just as I had planned. And if I have a new scar to show for it, so much the better. Victories should leave their mark.
I say to Walter, when I can, "Tell the Captain I'd like to see her, when the Doc will let me. Inside and out. If he'll allow it. I've... I've never fought actual pirates before." That last I finish with a sheepish grin.
Now the question is, what will the captain DO with her?
Ideal scenario: He keeps her and names me captain. (I wins. =^_^= Doesn't seem likely, even if it was my idea.)
Good scenario: He keeps her and puts me on her crew, naming someone else captain. (It's a step up in the world, and a heck of a story to tell.)
Decent scenario: He sells her and shares the gold. (So long as I get my cut, it still makes a heck of a story to tell...)
Bad scenario: He sells her and keeps it for himself. (He doesn't seem the type!)
Worse scenario: He loses her on the way due to lack of sufficient crew. (He better not spoil my sodding victory!)
Worst scenario: The surviving pirates escape, rebel, and take or sink both ships. (Good bloody luck, mate.)
Ah, well, company protocol is that the captain sells the ship (the company will consider buying her, but usually it's better for the company for the ship to be sold at auction). The money from the sale goes into the budget for the trip. That budget pays for all the supplies and expenses and the fixed salaries of the crew, and then whatever is left is called "profit". Of that, the company gets 10%. The First Mate, James, gets the same salary as the Pilot Commander (who is technically Second Mate) plus 5% of the profit. The remaining 85% is the Captain's cut; he gets no salary, and if the venture makes no profit he makes no money. However, as you observe, even 85% of the profit from the sale of the ship will be a lot of money, and there are twenty-six other people--apart from the Captain and you--who in one way or another risked their lives for him. When he gets to Sardic, unless he retires he will be expected to sign a new crew for the next run, and a reputation for being stingy won't get him the men he needs.
Assuming you are permitted to dock at Tristar, the ship will be sold there; that might be two weeks away. If Tristar is closed to shipping or overly restricted, they'll take her on to Haven, which is maybe another couple weeks.
The captain has no problems with allowing you aboard the pirate ship. In fact, he wants to keep two navigators over there at all times, in case there's a problem (e.g., storm) and the ships get separated. He's rotating crew for that, but at the moment with you in sickbay, he's got a navigator on each ship and a pilot on each ship, and one of each sleeping, so it's a lot of work to keep both ships going. You'll be over there as soon as Doc Evan permits it.
--M. J. Young
If he'll let me, once I'm up and about, I'd like to transfer to the taken ship. Nothing against the Piper, but I want to be on her, keep her as long as I can. I've never won a battle before, and as a first one, this is a really good one. I'd like to soak it up while it lasts.
What is her name, anyway? A ship without a name is bad luck...
Evan keeps you in medical two days, and orders that you're to be on limited activity for another three. His medical skill is impressive, given the primitive situation. The captain makes you part of the skeleton crew on the other ship. He tells you its name.*
It's a small fast ship, not so good for long-range cargo runs as for light combat. It may once have been a patrol ship--which might explain why it's being used in civilized waters instead of out in the deep of the Greater Syndic.
You've still got more than a week before reaching Tristar. Is there anything in particular you hope to accomplish in that time?
--M. J. Young
*See behind the screens for the meaning on this.
Other than convincing the captain not to sell my ship? Not really.
I don't suppose the captain or the company would accept keeping the ship as part of a contract that binds me to their service for a good long time, perhaps under the command of the Piper's captain, assigned to escort the Piper and protect her from further piracy?
I would be good with that. It keeps me employed for a while, even if I remain a navigator all the while, gives me something to do for a long time, since I like it here and want to stay, and ... I'm gonna cry if he sells it, but I'm not telling him that.
Since I'm doing light duty (doctor's orders) on a skeleton crew (captain's orders) on my ship (my bloody orders!), I want to spend some of the time trying to aid my own healing. This will consist of one thing you might want to roll dice for:
At night, I spend twenty minutes laying in bed, hands folded, praying to Odin, Frigga, and Baldur, the Norse gods most associated with life, healing, and rebirth, "Lords and Lady, I pray you, mend the body of your servant. I am wounded in glorious battle, and wear my scars with pride. But I am laid out, and my brothers risk battle without me. For their sake and mine, for your honor and glory, restore me."
It occured to me to try healing myself with psionics as well, but I have no idea how to do that and don't want to make my head explode getting it wrong, so I'm not.
Also, it occurs to me to wonder: there doesn't randomly happen to be a bounty on the pirate ship, her captain, or anyone surviving on her crew, does there? If there were, it would add to the take...
The citystate sort of politick of this world doesn't really support significant bounties on international criminals; there is enough profit from the sale of a ship.
The problem that the captain has in connection with the ship is that fifteen percent of it is not his--he has to pay five percent of its worth to his first officer and ten percent of its worth to his employer. He doesn't know how much the ship is worth on the open market without putting it on the open market. In theory, he could put it up for sale and then attempt to buy it; he'd probably have to pay the full price he bids to the auction house, who would take their cut for conducting the auction and then return the rest to him, from which he would pay a share to the company and a share to the first officer; but this is not a world in which men own ships, but one in which companies and governments own them. It's not against the law, but it's expensive. Captain John will probably retire before he can earn enough to justify buying such a vessel; the company will keep going much longer.
You could in theory discuss it with the company when you get to Sardic, but the sale will be completed before you get there, so it will be moot at that point.
On the other hand, there is good reason to think that Captain John will find a way to hire you for the next run, if you're still interested, and you've already demonstrated skill in navigation and in security, at least, so that's two departments that can use you if there's an opening.
Before I roll for the prayer, I want to put the options to you.
You've created a ritual which, by my calculations, has an inherent sit-mod of +83. Since your BRA is 2@3, if you had this skill at SAL 1@1 in a world with a flatlined bias and a -10 penalty for an anarch affiliation (that is, it's a world ruled by evil gods) your chance of success would be 120%. Your chance to learn it here, now, is similarly high (but I won't say how high yet).
This is a 2@1 limited damage repair skill, and will work in a flatlined bias such as this world. The baseline for limited damage repair is dangerous, which means the die roll divided by 10, 1 to 10 intensities of damage restored. You can increase that in the design of the skill--for each 10 percentage points you take off the bonus, you can gain a damage category bonus, to lethal (1 to 20), then fatal (1 to 50), then annihilating (1 to 100). I don't think I would let you boost it to obliterative, because that sort of takes away the concept of "limited" from the skill.
I should specify that the skill is limited thus:
- You pray for twenty minutes.
- You must be lying in your own bed with your hands folded, not doing anything else.
- It must be night where you are.
- You must pray those or essentially similar words aloud.
Your call.
--M. J. Young
I'll take it exactly as it is and, if I understand you correctly, I can drop my success chance from 120% to 100% and increase it up to Fatal? I think I'll do that. In the mean time, is there any chance of convincing the captain to keep my ship all the way to Sardic? Perhaps in the hope of either the company keeping it, or selling it at a higher price in a larger / better market?
Your prayer restores you to full health. Other than that you still can't bring yourself to climb the rigging, you could return to full duty.
"Mr. John, please do not ask me again. The company rules on this sort of thing are quite clear. We will sell her at Tristar if we are permitted, and otherwise we will take her to Haven and sell her there, and I will hear no more about it. I want to enjoy my retirement, not be fired."
--M. J. Young
In that case, I will indeed return to active duty, fully healed, on my ship, all the way to Tristar, hoping against all odds we won't be allowed to sell her there. It occurs to me that I could simply keep her. Convince whoever is commanding her that he could do better than what the company would ever pay him. Or simple take over and do it myself. But I don't know this world. I don't actually know the first thing about being a pirate. And who do I have that's actually loyal enough to me to do it? Walt and Ronny? Wait... where is Ronny anyway...? Ah, well. Maybe he Versed out. Le sigh. Onward to Tristar, then.
Ronny seems to have a berth somewhere else on the ships, but usually shows up when you're thinking about him.
The volcanoes at Tristar are not happy at the moment, so your stop there is brief, there is no shore leave, and the ship is not sold. Captain John is not entirely happy about that, as it means he's got to run short to the next port, increasing the chance of problems along the way--but there's nothing for it but to make for Haven and hope for the best.
A few days out of Tristar, it is reported that security officer Douglas never reported for duty. It was assumed by everyone on each ship that he was on the other. Since no leave was authorized, he probably left the ship when he was ashore on guard duty. Walter is bothered by it, since he worked with the man and had no idea he was planning to leave. Balcon is going to file a report at Haven, in case something happened to Douglas, but it seems likely that he simply jumped ship.
The bright side, Walters says, is that that means there's an opening in security, if you're inclined to want it and nothing opens in navigation. You've proved yourself in a fight, so Balcon will probably approve your application, and the captain seems to like you when you're not nagging him about the prize ship, so you could probably have the spot. It's unlikely that anything will be done to fill it before Sardic at this point anyway.
--M. J. Young
Sure, I'll put in an application. The Captain said widespread experience was a good thing, so I'll take a turn at Security, if they'll have me.
Despite the worries, the two week trip to Haven is uneventful. Quite a few of the men take advantage of the opportunity for shore leave in this primarily agricultural port, and navigators aren't really needed aboard ship when it's docked, so you're welcome to join them. Walter invites you to join him; he's headed out with a medic named Robin and a pilot named Simon, and they have heard of your exploits and are interested in having you along to hear more of it first hand.
Of course, if you want to stay with the ships for the present, that's fine. Captain John has already contacted company agents to deal with the sale.
--M. J. Young
I pass those two weeks in my usual ways - practicing with my Telescopic Vision during the day, my TK Pulse at night, and now learning the basic skll-set necessary for work in Security as opposed to Navigation.
I'll let Captain John know that I want to know how much she sold for, then I will take advantage of the shore-leave. I still have no money, but I have a good story to tell, so I probably won't go hungry.
In this port, I will make a point of looking for a cute girl tor two o flirt with. I've been gone for months now, and getting used to the idea of being here for a while, so it would be nice to meet someone, if only for a little while. I really am becoming a different person. I feel freer, easier in my own skin, having friends and having survived - and won! - a real battle. That victory has given me the confidence to actually flirt.
At first I try not to embellish the pirate fight too much. Just me, Walters, and Ronny haring off into battle. But of course, as with any good story, it gets bigger and flashier the more ale is poured on top.
The amount of the sale will be communicated to the main office in Sardic probably after you arrive there; at that time, the captain will be paid his cut and will (probably) give bonuses to crewmen.
You are improving slowly in your telekinetic pulse and your telescopic vision, although you've a long way to go before either will be either powerful or reliable.
Most of the free girls in the bar are what might charitably be called working women, and although your story interests them, they are more interested in the weight of coin. Walter says it will be easier to find a nice girl when you've got more than an overnight stay, so Sardic is a better place to look--and not in the bars near the docks, since the working girls know that's the best place to find clients.
You do get plenty of ale.
On the way back to the ship, Walter asks, "Who is Ronny? Don't remember him."
The next morning, there's a bit of a disturbance. Robin didn't make it back. The rumor is that he's being held by local authorities, but at this point you don't really know more than that.
--M. J. Young
Is anything going to be done about Robin being arrested? Talking him out of trouble? Rescue attempt? Bribing a guard? Anything?
Security Chief Balcon is talking with local authorities, trying to get to the bottom of the matter. Captain John says that the Chief will want to talk with anyone who knows anything about Robin's movements yesterday, and all such people should report to security so he knows who might be able to help him.
--M. J. Young
In that case, I'll go with Walters and report to security, to tell them about Robin going with us for a night of ale and increasingly fantastical storytelling, right up till... whenever it was I last saw him.
Your recollection is a bit fuzzy from the amount you drank. No one lost consciousness, but everyone lost wisdom for a bit.
Those wenches previously mentioned apparently caught Robin's attention. After you'd all been there an hour and a half, maybe (I do not see a watch in your equipment) and downed several drinks apiece, he vanished on the arm of one of the women.
Walter is in security, and confirms those details.
It seems that a woman claims Robin made indecent advances and demanded money from her. She's claiming robbery by threat of violence.
--M. J. Young
Is there any chance of getting to talk to either Robin himself or his accuser?
And you're right, I don't own a watch, and I didn't have a cell phone when I Versed out.
The port authorities are very cooperative, and expect the captain and security chief to be involved in the investigation, in part as legal representatives of their crew. They have access to talk to Robin. They do not have access to the accuser, as (no offense intended, but we cannot know who might be the dishonest sailors) they don't want visitors attempting to intimidate citizens. However, if the captain has questions for the accuser or anyone else, the local police will be glad to ask and bring back the answers.
--M. J. Young
I'll expect to hear Robin's version of things. Especially
1: How much DID he have to drink?
2: Did he or anyone else notice anybody spike or lace his drink with anything (i.e. was he poisoned unconcious to make a better patsy)?
3: Was there anyone else around, whether a member of the crew off with someone else, or someone else involved with his girl? I'm thinking maybe she had an accomplice.
4: Did she actually take anything from him? Was he himself robbed?
5: Can anyone think of any other way that she or anyone else might profit from setting Robin up?
6: Can anyone recall someone there who may have looked like Robin but wasn't? (Doubly so if it was one of the city watch. Yes I'm that paranoid.)
You pose your questions to Balconsohn and Walter (who was there with you and Robin, as you will recall).
How much DID he have to drink?More than you, as he had money and was buying his own. He was conscious, though--he had hoped to enjoy his tryst, even though he knew it would cost him something.
Did he or anyone else notice anybody spike or lace his drink with anything (i.e. was he poisoned unconcious to make a better patsy)?No one noticed anything of this sort.
Was there anyone else around, whether a member of the crew off with someone else, or someone else involved with his girl? I'm thinking maybe she had an accomplice.There was another girl tagging along; he doesn't know who she was, but wasn't going to argue with the possibility that there might be two girls with him for the evening.
Did she actually take anything from him? Was he himself robbed?He thinks not. He gave her money, and thinks he had a good time, although he can't remember things all that clearly and isn't entirely certain it was the same girl when it actually comes to it.
Can anyone think of any other way that she or anyone else might profit from setting Robin up?Yes. If she claims he stole a certain amount of money from her and he offers to "return" it, she would then accept the money and drop the charges. It's a sort of blackmail scheme. Obviously, a girl who does it often will be suspected by the police when she does it again, but that doesn't mean this girl isn't trying to do it.
Can anyone recall someone there who may have looked like Robin but wasn't? (Doubly so if it was one of the city watch. Yes I'm that paranoid.)Well, Robin isn't all that different looking. That he's a pilot means he makes a bit more money than the average crewman (pilots are the highest paid crewmen, although even the lowest paid of officers make more), but other than him tossing money around at the bar he wouldn't have looked much different from anyone else--nor too much the same as anyone else.
--M. J. Young
Does Robin remember what the other girl looked like? Was she at all distinctive? (Redhead in a town of brunettes? Only brunette in a house of blondes? Tall? Short?)
Is that girl or Robin's original girl known for this sort of blackmail scheme? Is this area particularly rife with it?
Considering how much drinks cost, and how drunk Robin was, his pay (which the captain would know) and his usual drinking habits (which Walter would know), is the amount the woman is claiming he stole from her (and thus wants him to return) more than he was likely to have on him at the time of his arrest?
Robin's memory is pretty spotty. He has the feeling that there was some sort of bait-and-switch going on, because he thinks he gave the money to one girl but wound up in bed with a different one. However, since he's been in jail, he's not even certain which one is accusing him, or whether he's right that there were two, or whether the change was entirely accidental.Does Robin remember what the other girl looked like? Was she at all distinctive? (Redhead in a town of brunettes? Only brunette in a house of blondes? Tall? Short?)
Obviously this is the sort of scheme that works best at the docks, where men will be present for a day or two at the outside and will have to get on their way as quickly as possible, so they're more willing to settle things than to fight them. The police are pretty sure that the girl who brought the charges is a "working girl", but she has no record. Since neither you nor Walter have seen the girl who brought the charges, you don't know whether she was at the bar or not. Robin is the only one who thinks there are two different girls, and his memory is not all that reliable under the circumstances.Is that girl or Robin's original girl known for this sort of blackmail scheme? Is this area particularly rife with it?
He had no money on him when he was arrested. Her claim is for fifty diktar, which is a fair amount of money, but not more than a sailor might take for a night on the town. The police assume that if Robin is guilty, he stashed the money or passed it to an accomplice. They're also not entirely convinced that he's guilty, but given that he's a definite flight risk they can't release him too easily.Considering how much drinks cost, and how drunk Robin was, his pay (which the captain would know) and his usual drinking habits (which Walter would know), is the amount the woman is claiming he stole from her (and thus wants him to return) more than he was likely to have on him at the time of his arrest?
--M. J. Young
It doesn't make sense to think that he would've handed it off to an accomplice. That would imply that one of us were in on it with him, that would besmirch the reputation of our good captain, and... them's fightin' words. More precisely, it makes no sense because it implies a level of planning that a man so drunk he can't remember which girl he slept with just isn't going to manage.
He's a flight risk only because he wants to get on with his life, free of this probably frivolous charge. This should be especially dubious considering it's a known ploy.
Hmm...
After your interview, Walter catches up with you in the galley.
"You any good at drawing? I can get paper and pencil from security, and get Balconsohn to authorize us disembarking for a few hours.
"I'm thinking that there's something really fishy about this thing, that Robin thinks he left here with one girl but slept with another. Can't quite figure out what it is, though. But I figured, if we could spot the girl he left with--we both saw her, even if we'd both had a bit much to drink--if we could get a sketch of her, we could find out from the police whether that's the girl who's making the charges, or what. I'm not sure what that gets us, but at least we'd know a few more of the facts. What do you think?"
--M. J. Young
I shake my head. "I think I can barely draw a passable stick figure. But yeah, it's a lot fishy. I'd like to find out more, but I can't draw for my life. You?"
Is it normal here for someone to go to trial without the right to face their accuser? I'll have to ask someone who won't think I'm stupid for having to ask... Maybe the captain. He at least knows I'm not from around here...
"A sword I can draw--and a pistol. Not a face. Well, maybe we can find her and get a good enough look at her to describe her or point her out to someone who knows her--or get a name or something."
The captain's a bit busy at the moment. Of course, you can talk to him if you want, but there might be others you could ask. This is something of a citystate world, so it's not at all impossible that the rules would be different in different cities--you already know that Tempest has very strict rules about weapons--and even if there are rules that are the same everywhere, there's no particular reason someone who has not traveled would know that. And if you ask someone who doesn't know, it only proves that it's not common knowledge.
--M. J. Young