A Brace of Returns

On a grey and blustery winter day a column of galleys straggles into view of the harbor watch across the choppy seas from the north and east. An alarm is raised, but as the watchers peer through the drizzle, they see the colors of the Hanse snapping from mast and prow, and as word goes through the harbor, a cheer is heard to erupt from the Gatehouse (at the Kantor). Hansemaenner run out to the piers, stoups of ale still in their hands, to watch the approach of the galleys, asking each other if Telman of Tsipa is finally come back.

Working their way down the coast from the Denyan Islands, the squadron has in its midst a few ships broader of beam as well—merchanters by the look of them, escorted on this last leg by the Hanse’s sleek galleys. As the squadron finally passes the breakwater to enter the harbor, led by the pilot ship, three cheers rise from those still watching from the pier.

‘That’s Telman’s boat! It’s Telman!’

The commander of the campaign against the Luwian pirates has returned to Cothon at long last, after almost two lunar years in the field. Delayed by storms, raids, and administrative troubles in the strongholds seized from the pirates, only now has the intrepid captain finally been able to make his way back to the Kantor whence he started. And how long will he remain? Through the rest of the winter at least, but he will no doubt be recalled to the fighting as soon as the seas are ready to bear warships again.

In the meantime, there is amaze in the eyes of Telman as he steps from his galley to the crowds on the pier. Two things stand out immediately as changes since last he was here—the windmill tower of Durham’s Ringing Anvil rises over the buildings nearby the Kantor, and riding there at the Kantor’s private docks is the infamous pirate galley Darkwing. What other changes wait to be seen? he must wonder to himself as he allows himself to be swept along by the Hansemaenner, into the Gatehouse to be plied with ale and wine—he and the crews of his galleys of course, and many are the glad reunions of friends separated by the seas, as well as solemn acknowledgments that certain friends never will return.

Within the Kantor itself, Captain General Zaytar offers a toast to this bright star of the Hanse—‘Long health to Telman of Tsipa! May his star never dim!’ Then with a shout, the men all agree, and drink to the toast, and call for the musicians to play and the girls to dance, and more ale for everyone. And despite protestations, Telman pays liberally with the moneys he has won while campaigning.

Those in the neighborhood got no sleep that night for all the raucous carousing at the Gatehouse.

Other Returns

Telman is not the only one to have returned in this squadron, of course. While he and his crew are rushed by the Hansemaenner and dragged into the Gatehouse for carousing, the merchant vessels lug into separate berths in the harbor. After the captains declare their wares to the harbormaster and pay their hawking fees and longshoremen’s wages, their ships are then swarmed by a mix of their own crew and those of the Longshoremen’s Guild, to have their goods hauled to warehouses or to prearranged merchants or stalls in the Souk.

One of these merchant captains is Halgerd Longlegs, who has come through the ports of Cothon before, and whose outgoing cargo then was financed in part by one Durham of the Ringing Anvil. Unfortunately for Durham, the other merchant he financed ended up despoiled by pirates—and Halgerd might have suffered the same fate herself, if she hadn't ended up with Telman in the end. It seems the Luwians are bold sailors, and have taken to raiding even now that winter storms are whipping Dirac's Sea to a frenzy.

Fortunately for Durham, Halgerd traded successfully up the west coast, then continued trading well east through the Denyan Isles toward Misria. She ended up with a hold full of valuable Misrian goods at a time when such things have become hard to come by, and so she is able to sell her cargo in Cothon's Souk at a good profit—an excellent profit, in fact, for Durham receives 7700 dirhams from his share of the cargo he bought (2500 originally). Such returns are unlikely in general, but circumstances certainly played a roll in such profitability.

Per usual practice, Halgerd also comes to the city with her own short list of goods for sale to persons of interest, first come first served:

Price	Item
1 gp/shell	80 iridescent shells and carapaces
100 gp/oz	11 oz. hallucinogenic pollen (1 oz = 1 dose)
50 gp/pod	7 strangler-pods
200 gp/vine	10 leechvines
80 gp/amphora	3 amphorae of passum (raisin wine; 55 pints ea.)
200 gp/amphora	4 amphorae of Misrian shajr wine (55 pints ea.)
130 gp/card	17 gilt cards w/intricate geometric designs
450 gp (entire set)	one set of 6 books, The Queen of Winds
600 gp	one ingot of zortrium

Strangler-pods emit sticky weblike strands when jostled (e.g. thrown), causing a victim to be held to the ground for 1 round after a successful ranged attack, plus one additional round if a save v. paralysis is failed

Leechvine removes poison from a body, though the blood-cleansing that they do causes 1-6 damage

Halgerd is happy to answer questions about the rest of her wares over drinks at a good tavern (spend 50 gp to ask about/haggle over any one item)

Of Coffled Slaves and Pirate Woes

 Not yet has the Hanseatic captain, Telman of Tsipa, returned to Cothon and his masters at the Kantor Kabljuahof--not yet, but word of his successes in his campaign against the Luwian Pirates precede his return! Running before a batch of foul weather blowing in from the east, Dirac's Wanderer, a single-masted dak, has come into the harbor of Cothon. Her captain, Lews Telaron, has come with a hold full of prisoner-pirates to be sold at auction in the souks of Cothon, and with news that Telman has driven the Luwians out of the greatest of their island strongholds.

Though ocean storms and bad weather--portending the coming winter--have stayed the campaign, preventing Telman's final victory, still, much has been accomplished. Unlike previous campaigns, Telman has invested the Luwians' islands with garrisons of the Hanse's men, preventing their being retaken by the Luwians (as has so often happened before). As the long winter descends, fraught with storms and bad weather that will prevent further campaigning until the next solar year, Telman has opted to return to Cothon for a time, to see directly to his own affairs in the Dual-Cities. According to Lews and his crew, Telman's galley should arrive by the end of the month, and with them will come a fleet of others like Lews and his Wanderer, ships and captains carrying holds of captured pirates to be sold off as slaves, the sales of which will back the war bonds offered by the Hanse at the start of the campaign.

Lews himself came early, hoping to make himself a tidy profit before the souks are glutted. The holds of the Wanderer hold not only war captives, but also a variety of other goods for sale:

(as with all such merchants, please comment on the blog below with any purchases, as these goods are first-come-first-served, and comments make an easy way to track such things)

Lews Telaron's Merchandise

Price	Item
40 dinars ea.	40 pirate-slaves, billed for hard labor
100 dinars ea.	8 prisoners billed as "household-worthy" slaves
25 dinars ea.	9 gilt or jeweled seax-knives (d6 damage)
300 dinars per case, OR 30 dinars per bottle	4 cases of sujamma liquor (12 bottles per case)
200 dinars ea.	7 pristinely white gadhar pelts, beautifully preserved
500 dinars ea.	3 polyjuice potions, allowing the imbiber to assume another's guise
2500 dinars	Ring of the Five Fingers of Pai

War Bonds Payouts

As Telman and his prisoner-bearing fleet return toward Cothon, and news of Telman's successes against the Luwians filter through the Dual-Cities, the Hanse begins to pay out to those who invested in war bonds back at the beginning of the campaign.

Per the records of the Scribes, Bartholomew Pettibone has been the only player-character who bought any such bonds, and he paid 1000 dinars (gp) into the coffers of the Kantor by way of this investment. When he receives word of the payouts, he also hears that the Hanse is returning investors' money, plus 25% of what was invested. This remarkable increase is based on the near-constant successes of Telman and his fleets against the pirates, the many captives taken and sold or to-be-sold in slave auctions, and the great amounts of booty recovered from the pirate isles. For, despite an early success by the Luwians (recounted here, as might be remembered, by Koway of the Weatherlight), every other engagement has been a success under Telman's sure hand on the steering-oar of leadership.

Which is to say, if Bart wishes to claim his money back, he would receive 1250 dinars. As this is based on the current success of the campaign, it is unlikely to change in the near future.

If Bart prefers, he can let the Hanse know that they can retain his investment for the upcoming renewal of the campaign in the spring (it'll be more than a few months), and their records will be updated to note that Bart's war bonds are now worth 1250 dinars, to increase or decrease the further campaigns play out.

Anyone wishing to may invest now in new war bonds, which will likewise pay out according to the future successes (or failures?) of the campaign against the Luwians--for the war is not over! Telman intends to return to the fray as soon as the evil winter weather recedes and allows it.

Halgerd Longlegs, Her Wares and Rumors

Close friends of Durham may recall certain snatches of conversation in which he wondered what happened to Halgerd Longlegs, and hoping for her safe return. Few among his barbarian friends are regulars at the Kantor Kabljauhof, and so they probably would not have heard her name when it was mentioned now and then in the Gatehouse pub--but now, as her cog sails into the harbor of Cothon from a jaunt west to the markets of Nous, her name is sounded in taverns around the city.

A part of the log; the hexes were the planned course, the x's the actual course, and records of wind direction, strength, and the decisions of the pilot in navigation

Taller than many men (hence her cognomen), with straight brown hair and long hands to match her height, the captain-owner of the Seeadler is difficult to miss in a crowd. Considered beautiful for a Hansefrau--not too fair, eyes dark and honest--she cuts a fine figure as she strides through the souk making sales or purchases. But her height is rumored to have intimidated away many would-be suitors.

Well, the Seeadler has returned to Cothon's port, and with it Halgerd has come seeking Durham to pay out his share of the money made by her venture. Word is, he invested 1000 dinars to help her buy a cargo destined for Nous, and now she returns to him 1850 dinars as his share from the profits! Not a bad return for such a short jaunt, not bad at all.

She sailed up to Nous, north past Ittiyqa, and then west along the coast to Nous, and then further west to Al Ragma in Nous' hinterlands. Her return was directly from Al Ragma to Cothon, but the recent bad weather delayed her ship in the Roads for a time before the winds came around and allowed her to sail into the harbor itself. Fortunately, that time allowed her to make the contacts she needed among the merchants in the harbor to make a good deal of money in the meantime, and now Durham has reaped his portion of the benefits.

But she has her own wares to sell, stored in her personal "liberty chests" on the Seeadler, to make a little on the side for herself. Her personal wares are thus described below:

[please comment on the blog or announce in "the taverns" of our server if you purchase anything from Halgerd, both for the Scribes' records, and for others to know what remains available]

Price	Item
15 gp ea.	7 vials of garum al fakr
5 gp/lb	14 pounds of reefstalk chitin
100 gp/oz	7 ounces of dreugh wax
1 gp/day	63 man-days worth of preserved biltong; nutritious and delicious!
1 gp/lb	12 pounds of Nousite salts from the salt flats of the desert
400 gp ea.	2 dreugh shells (a kind of chitin useful for armors)
10 gp ea.	3 atrox ivory fangs
50 gp ea.	3 scrimshawed atrox ivory daggers (ceremonial)
100 gp ea.	5 decorative stoles with traditional Nousite artwork
800 gp	a chlamis-cloak of traditional Nousite design
1200 gp	a  xyphos-type sword, blade etched as an elongated bathorn-terror-bird
500 gp	a hunting yeki (6 legged "giant weasel")
750 gp	a hunting-calot (10 legged "hound")
4000 gp	Faas al Sabag, a two-handed battleaxe of smokey obsidian, purportedly magical

Rumors (lots of politics below for those who are uninterested)

Having returned from Nous, Halgerd and her crew carry word of the goings-on in that western city.

One of the larger partner-cities in the League of Ten Cities, Nous is sometimes called the Souk of Arguments (Souk al Gidaal) because it is a center of intellectual and philosophical pursuits. Many natural philosophers teach there, and the great Library of Thymis holds innumerable and ancient works. Nous is also rumored to be the main seat of the secretive Druser cult, who are said by some to have strange and awesome mental powers.

Halgerd tells that Nous is currently in the midst of intense political activity, as the term of its current Souffet is about to end, coinciding with this month's end of the current lunar year. As such, two parties are engaged in a political fight to get their man elected into office--one party is upset with the general lackadaisical appearance of the the Souffets of Cothon-Gadeed in their approach to the Hanse's campaign against the Luwian pirates; the other supports non-action, preferring to keep out of the war, claiming that joining with the Hanse against the pirates would surely increase the duties paid by the cities to the treasury of the League--the treasury controlled by Gadeed.

The man of the "war-kynis" is Sikandar; the man of the "isolationists" is Nairan; and whichever of the two is elected as Souffet will certainly have quite an effect on the politics here in Cothon-Gadeed, because as noted above, Nous is among the larger cities of the League, and their Souffet traditionally has the ear of the magistrates of Gadeed.

Indeed, Halgerd tells that the Nousi claim that if Sikander is elected, that he will demand that Fadhlan and Khusra al Arasqiy (the Souffets of Cothon-Gadeed) be held to account for corruption and inaction at the end of their terms of office (at the end of the next lunar year).

The Seeadler also put in at Ittiyqa, about halfway between Cothon and Nous; a little closer to home, the Wazir of Ittiyqa usually follows pretty closely to the policy of the Souffets of Cothon-Gadeed; but Halgerd and her crew note that even there, people are upset that the Ten Cities aren't helping the Hanse in putting down the threat of the Luwians.

The pirates have plied the waters for so long, preying on unwary merchants--why shouldn't the Ten Cities help clear the waters? It would open easier trade to Misr in the east, and the lands beyond. And with the Hanse's recent successes [more on that soon, ~the Scribes], why should they get all the spoils of war, while the Decapolis is left out of the prizes of Luwian galleys and the mass sales of piratical prisoners to slavers?

Though these are only two of the other eight cities of the League beyond Cothon and Gadeed, nevertheless it seems to Halgerd, at least, that there is a great deal of unrest in the rest of the Decapolis, driven largely by Fadhlan's and Khusra's apparent inaction. What these politics may mean for the like of barbarians dwelling in Cothon is uncertain, of course ...

In the "Court of the Sword" -- Kzin v. Bulrathi

As the huge red sun leans west across the sky, the sands of the Coreguyi Arena are cleared of the detritus of preliminary matches to make way for the main duel, the prospect of which has drawn huge crowds from both Cothon and Gadeed, and caused many a dinar and nufdinar to be handed over to the bookmakers as bets fly fast and thick. The corpses of condemned criminals, who were offered their chance with knife and spear to survive against vicious leaping zrne, are carried from the sands, while the zrne are corralled by their handlers; fresh sand is cast over the floor of the Arena to cover the scent of blood; and in the seats above, hawkers sell sweet-wax cakes, refreshing posca, skewers of grilled meats and vegetables, and other such hand-snacks.

Finally, into the Arena stride the warrior-combatants, the champions of their respective sides in the legal dispute between the Heroic Companions of Hrrl-ra and the masters of the Migdol of the Dyers and Fish-Fermenters, i.e. the Bani Barcidae. For the former Companions, steps forth Seeker-for-Relics, a grinning Kzin warrior, unarmored and wielding his traditional wtsai-sword and a great shield (and at his side paces the gladiator Drago, armed with javelins and a light whicker shield); meanwhile, looming larger even than the tall Kzin, and gleaming in his fine plate armor, the Bulrathi warrior Kobur presents himself, carrying only his great macuahuitl warclub.

The crowd erupts in excited cheers, well-anticipating the titanic conflict that will play out on the sands below them. Many of them have silver or gold wagered on the victory of one or the other; some, including the onlooking Sesel of the Survivors of the Tel, are more interested in the legal outcome of the duel, for if Seeker can cut down his Bulrathi opponent, the Barcidae will have to withdraw their claims to assess tolls for passage on the beaches beneath their Migdol fortress (especially interested, given the Survivors' own legal troubles with the Barcidae!)

But before the combat can begin, a magistrate of the Court of the Moon rises and raises his hands, quietening the crowd. He reminds the audience of the reason for this duel--that the contestant parties were not satisfied with the arbitration of the courts, and so appealed to the final court, the Arena--the "Court of the Sword". With that, he nods to the heralds, and with a fanfare of trumpets, the duel begins!

---------

With the sound of the horn, Seeker-for-Relics immediately bounded forward fangs bared in a wild grin, snarling and screaming, following the Kzin warrior-tradition of "Scream and Leap". Against a mere man, such a show of sword, fangs, and bestial muscle might have ended the fight right there in a panic, but Kobur stood firm, raising his macuahuitl in defense and snarling back.

But Kobur could not give his full attention to the defense against Seeker, for Drago began circling broadly, hefting his first javelin in his hand, looking for an opening against the armored-Bulrathi. And so Seeker got in his first blow against his foe, using his shield for offense, trying to pin Kobur's club against his body while he thrust in with his wtsai. But even as Seeker earned first blood, Kobur smashed him back with his fists.

As Seeker fell back, shaking his head and spitting blood, Drago cast his first javelin. The missile glance from Kobur's gleaming armor, but distracting the Bulrathi. Seeing this opening, Seeker once again leapt in, pressing in close with his shield to use his sword in close, closer than the great swings Kobur needed to properly wield his club.

In the midst of this scrum, Kobur suddenly lost his footing in the sand and stumbled back, shaking his own helmed head as he sought to withdraw enough to set up properly in defense. Another javelin from Drago clattered off his back plate, and as he turned to roar at this foolish peltast, Seeker once again rushed in, striking desperately with his sword. It seemed clear to the audience that Seeker recognized that even one blow of the Bulrathi's great macuahuitl could lay him out dead, and so he was attempting to press the fight closely to prevent the warclub's use.

But Seeker was thrown back by Kobur, and the Bulrathi finally had the range to wind up a proper stroke. Instead of attempting to take it on his shield, Seeker instead cast the shield aside and leapt in again, claws bared, hoping to get in close enough with claw and fang to forestall the coming blow--and indeed, as he leapt up on the great ursine figure of his foe, he buried his fangs in the Bulrathi's throat. The deadly stroke never fell--rather, the great warclub dropped from Kobur's weakening hands as the great warrior slumped down, his blood staining both the sands and the fangs of the Kzin red.

Leaning over his fallen foe, Seeker unlaced the Bulrathi's helm and cut off one ear with his wtsai as trophy, and then took his lap around the Arena, howling his victory and raising the excited shouting of those in the crowd who supported him, and the sullen glares of the Barcidae representatives in the first rows.

---------

According to their rights in the Arena, the Heroic Companions of Hrrl-ra claimed the arms and armor of Kobur, but ransomed his body back to the Barcidae for the respectable sum of 500 dinars.

Concerning the few wagers by player-characters, both bet on Seeker-for-Relics, and so will no doubt be pleased to collect their winnings:

Persephone bet 200 dinars, and so will earn back her bet, plus 300 gold

Meanwhile, Durham of the Ringing Anvil (and more on the rumors of activity around that institution later) bet 400 dinars, and so wins back his bet, plus 600 gold

Kzin v. Bulrathi: All Bets are Open!

The Dual-Cities are busy preparing for the religious Procession of Locor--in Cothon, the brine of the sea-breezes mixes pleasantly with the perfumed scent of tetel flowers growing plentifully among rooftop gardens, which will be scattered before the idol as it is carried from its heroön in Gadeed, while storefronts and awnings are decked with blue-dyed banners and prayer-flags, both along the processional way and throughout the rest of the city. The great sun shines brightly red over clear days and fine weather, and anticipation is tangible, excitement for the pageantry, for the great fire and sacrifices; even the tinge of apprehension from dark rumors of disgruntled Longshoremen seems to have vanished under the bright sun.

(Odds and the procedure for betting are below the Bulrathi)

But meanwhile, quite different preparations are underway, and quite different anticipation is felt--as the Coreguyi Arena is prepared with fresh sands, and with the acquisition of criminals and beasts for the opening entertainments, the great tavern Herm & Stone is packed with guests drinking in support of the Heroic Companions and their chosen champion Seeker-for-Relics; while behind the walls of the Migdol of Dyers and Fermenters, the Bulrathi warrior Kobur, champion of the Barcidae, sees to the burnishing and fitting of his battle-armor.

For it is only some weeks since the Heroic Companions crossed the sands under the Migdol, but refused to pay the new toll demanded by the Barcidae overlords for such passage, ultimately resulting in a challenge to arbitrate the disagreement in the so-called "Court of the Sword"--the Coreguyi Arena.

Following so closely on the recent case in the Court of the Moon over almost the same issue between the Barcidae and another adventuring company, the Survivors of the Tel, this upcoming contest between the Companions and the Barcidae has drawn a great deal of attention, and bookmakers are excited for the prospect of a duel between a Bulrathi and a Kzin in the arena. The two great warrior races--heavy and ursine Bulrathi and leonine and ruthless Kzinti--when pitted against each other to the death will no doubt draw excited crowds to the Arena, crowds eager to wager on which of the warriors will come out of the Arena victorious (rather than slain, the body ransomed back to friends or family).

At stake for the contending parties, other than the prospect of death in the Arena, is whether the Heroic Companions are liable to pay the passage-toll to the Barcidae (if Seeker loses), or if they successfully deny the toll for themselves, and revoke the toll for all in future as an "innovation" (if Seeker should win). No doubt certain parties await the legal outcome with great interest; but most of the citizens and denizens who will flock to the arena are more interested to hear about the champions themselves. So:

Seeker-for-Relics

Kzin comrade of Akin the Beautiful, Seeker-for-Relics is one of the founding members of the Heroic Companions of Hrrl-ra. A young Hero, he has not yet earned a Name, and so goes by the description of his current occupation. He wields a wtsai, the traditional Kzin-sword, which though somewhat short for an eight-foot-tall Kzin, is nevertheless quite a sword. Before the formation of the Heroic Companions, Seeker has appeared twice in the Coreguyi Arena as a champion-for-hire, and bested his opponents both times.

Because of Kobur's natural advantages in size and strength, the judges have allowed Seeker-for-Relics to appear in the Arena with an inexperienced man-at-arms to be armed as a peltast, i.e. a javelineer (shield, javelins, and dagger). The Heroic Companions have purchased an untested gladiator for this purpose, and promised him manumission if Seeker wins and survives.

a Kzin, by me

Kobur Slagkh's-Nephew

Though not actually much taller than his Kzin opponent, nevertheless the hulking form of Kobur, broad-shouldered and heavy with muscle nevertheless projects a vision of gigantism, especially when viewed by mere humans. Nephew of the sro-wealthy armorer and arms-seller Slagkh, Kobur is well ensconced in the Bulrathi clan of the Barcidae who rule the Migdol-fortress just north of Cothon along the coast. Kobur has represented his clan as champion in the Arena twice before, crushing his opponents in both events.

Outfitted in plate armor and wielding a great macuahuitl fashioned of the mysterious greenish alloy zortrium, Kobur would seem an indomitable opponent. His only real disadvantage in this combat will be his reactions, slow in comparison to the Kzin's zrne-quick leaps, and his ability to chase down his lighter armed and armored opponents.

Kobur in armor ...

The Odds and Betmaking

As mentioned above, Seeker will enter the Arena with a human man-at-arms armed as a peltast, with shield and javelins, in order to even the odds--all of which is to say, Kobur is the expected victor and the odds are calculated in his favor. Nevertheless, the Kzin's faster reactions and the addition of the slave-peltast do somewhat to mitigate the Bulrathi's enormous strength. The fact that both champions have each bested two opponents in the past means that past victories weighs little in the calculation of these odds.

Therefore, the official odds for bets placed with the bookmakers of the Coreguyi Arena are 3/2 in the favor of Kobur. A winning bet of 10 dinars on Kobur will earn the bettor back his 10, plus 7 dinars and 1 nufdinar (7.5 gp); whereas a winning bet on Seeker of 10 dinars will earn the bettor back his wagered 10, plus 15 additional gold; etc.

The bookmakers of the Arena will not take bets in excess of 1000 dinars. Such great sums would be better gambled as private bets, as the nobility of the Cities do--often betting on more obscure criteria, such who will win "first blood", or if a combatant should ever fall prone, or give way, or bowl over his opponent, etc. etc.

Please leave a comment on this post with your wager, or message me with same, by Sunday night. On Monday I will actually roll out the combat, dice and all, and will thereafter post a description of the contest, its outcome, and any winnings.

Buy War Bonds!

(Trireme [Avalon Hill, 1980] is here, so the campaign contra-pirates is begun; skip below the picture for more direct rules)

Re-provisioned for war, their decks newly-lined with the shields of the marine-soldiers they now carry, the sister-galleys Wandersail and the Wind's Pleasure cut into the waters of the cothon from their slipways, and with silent wings of oarbanks, make their way to join the squadron of ships from the Kantor Kabljauhof taking sail to join Captain-General Zaytar's campaign against the pirates. Not to be parted from his ships and crew, Telman of Tsipa joins the effort on his "flagship" the Wind's Pleasure.

Long have pirates haunted the tradeways, preying on merchant vessels weak in artillery or marines, and yet the pirates themselves ever flee before the press of trireme or galley from the Cities or the Hanse. Rumor flies like the wind around these attacks--the Hanse pays for them; the Ten Cities are bribed by them; they are invincible because they are scattered; wizards direct their attacks; even claims that the sro themselves do their bidding!

Fed up with all of this, Zaytar (and his superiors among the Hansemenner) has long been organizing a campaign against the pirates of Dirac's Sea to put an end to their predations. Its fruition is nigh-to-hand!

And though the Soufets of Cothon-Gadeed have long resisted efforts to league themselves with this Hanseatic effort (the rumors claim the Soufets are in the pay of the pirates), a change of tune is now announced through the streets and along the avenues of Cothon: "Let those among the citizens and metics and denizens of these Two Cities--those who wish it--promise surety to the Kantor and the Hanse it represents, in the form of silver or gold, for the sake of Hanse's campaign against the various pirates of the Sea of Dirac. And let those who promise such receive at minimum a twentieth share interest in return above their promise if the campaign comes indeed to success, and more beyond that twentieth according to the degree of success. All is promised according to the risk of valor."

Which is to say, the Kantor is asking for private loans to finance its war-footing, which loans are allowed legally by the Soufets. Any loan granted to the Kantor is guaranteed a minimum 5% return if the campaign against the pirates is successful, though greater success will provide higher returns; but any investment and its interest are forfeit should the Kantor and Hanse fail in their campaign ...

All of this being a longwinded way of introducing a way for player-characters to invest their money in a risky endeavor:

The Kantor is seeking private loans to aid with the campaign-effort, and the Soufets of Cothon-Gadeed have guaranteed a minimum 5% return if the campaign is merely successful; but the intent is that the success should be so great that returns may be upwards of 20%!

That is to say, assuming the campaign is successful, a player-character putting in 1000 gold will take out 1050 gold at minimum; depending on the "success" of the campaign, a PC may receive up to 1250 gp (or more?) in return for a 1000 gold investment.

The campaign will be played out in-person as a series of Trireme scenarios, the outcomes noted as victories for either the Hanse or the Pirates. The greater the ratio of Hanse victories to Pirate victories, the greater the percentage of return for investments. If the Pirates win, any investments into the Hanse's war-effort will be forfeit ...

Players of PCs will play the Hanseatic fleet, whereas the referee (or a neutral party, if one can be found) will play the Pirate fleets, given that PCs have the possibility of a "vested interest" in the victory of the Hanseatic fleets.