1: Price of Betrayal
I'm Alexandro, and that's all you're getting for free - I can tell you want information. What is it, then? Ah, the rumors about last year's badge! Well, I'm not saying I know anything about it, but take care of someone for me and I might suddenly remember. He was in my crew, but defected to a rival gang of the vovoi - that's us monster-smugglers.
I used to be a regular pirate like you, you see, but then I took a splinter from a cannonball ricochet to the eye...
2: Price of Admission
We vovoi capture and smuggle strange or dangerous creatures for the black market; the hunt is demanding but the rewards are many. Here's my deal: if my crew agrees, I'll cut you in on the hunt of the year, and also find you the badge you want. Are you in or not? You'll need to buy my crew's approval, I'm afraid - we're not at sea, so they have a say in what orders they follow. But gold is the universal language, and you'll find enough of it in a Treasure Chest or two.
3: Brief Hunting Season
Thanks to your generous donation, the crew's agreed to let you join our endeavor. You see, this is a special time: only when the Eighth Star is in alignment can the great Thyella Eels be hunted. Only the bravest hunters can go after them, and only if they work together to hunt in a pack, which is why delivering a live specimen pays so well. We were driving a big one ahead of us when a storm blew up and, well... we sort of lost it. Some fresh, still-twitching tentacles might bait it back to us.
4: Their Own Worst Enemy
It wasn't just a storm! Typhon, the huge Thyella Eel we'd caught, escaped due to rival vovoi sabotage! They must have been planning to recapture it themselves and snake our deal out from under us... But they're no good at hunting in packs! They got in each others' way, and Typhon escaped. That's an enormous payday swimming away! Sink the vovoi; fish any survivors out of the drink and I'm sure they'll be surprisingly talkative about where to look.
5: Fresh Bait
No wonder Typhon didn't go after our last bait! We'd set our trap in the wrong place altogether. But with some fresh bait, it'll work this time - and then we'll have a hunting trip the likes of which you'll probably never see again! And don't worry: I haven't forgotten about your badge. I used some of your bribe money to track down a corsair informant. What? It's a Captain's privilege to divert funds if he deems it necessary. This isn't the Navy.
6: Diversion
The other vovoi are planning to stick their oars into our business again and scupper our pack-hunt for Typhon. If you keep them otherwise occupied, they won't be able to sabotage our plan again, and I'll be able to get this trap set up and baited without interruption. Then we'll down this lightning-spitting beast and reap the rewards! At this point, I'm willing to deliver it alive, dead, or stunned and drooling - whichever is easiest.
7: Release the Hounds!
I like the cut of your jib; you're smart and efficient. I want to work together again someday, so when we take the giant eel Typhon down, it'll be worth your while. Not only will you get that lost badge you were looking for and your share of the reward money, but you'll also have first pick of any of the exotic little snakes that often live on Thyella Eels, if we see any. If you can domesticate them, their magic can make you as slippery and evasive as they are!
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