The Treasure of Pinkbeard - Pirate Booty

[The Jenn]

Not for the faint of heart...

The small islands off the coast of the Midori Beach have long been suspected of piratical activity. For as long as any of the locals can remember, there have been tales of fearsome seafarers who set upon merchant ships traveling in from the Lakes or out to regions beyond, plundering their cargo and absconding with their vessels. Rumors fly about an island that houses a goodly number of the miscreants and their families, a place no honest man would visit.

None of the stories is quite as well-known as that of the fearsome pirate Pinkbeard, a Midori chipmunk of such great fame that songs have been written both praising and cursing his name. His long pink namesake was so grand, some would say, that women swooned at the very sight. Others maintain that it was filled with the skeletal remains of crabs and clams and other shellfish, left there to terrify enemies with their frightful stench.

Whichever of these claims holds true, if any, they all agree about one thing: the man was fabulously wealthy. With so many years as a successful pirate captain under his belt, he amassed a great amount of wealth and stole many a pretty trinket from travelers too foolish or inept to guard their belongings. He left this treasure in an undisclosed location, safeguarded from those around him who would think to lighten the load, but he died at the hands of an enterprising young soldier aboard the ship of a merchant he tried to waylay and it was lost to the ages, never found by a soul. For a few years, tales flew of a map that could lead to this fabulous wealth, but they slowly petered out as no fresh fuel was added to the fire of the tale.

To this day, though, many people believe that the map is out there... somewhere... and perhaps some fortunate soul shall soon discover it...

---

What the hell is she talking about?

I've been wanting to play around with the pirates of Midori ever since the region was first introduced, but I hadn't really had a reason to before the concept of Pinkbeard smacked me in the face with a two-by-four and said hello. Then I had to wait a little longer and try to think up what I could do with this impressively-maned chipmunk. And then it hit me.

Why not have a treasure hunt?

Using my own points that I amassed through roleplaying Femi - she's content and wants for nothing so long as she has her Kazifel - I have decided to purchase well over a hundred points worth of 'pirate booty' for Nat to make at her whim. Then I was left with the problem of what to do with it.

So I've decided to hold a quest. Because they're fun. >_>;;

This will be for one or two characters because they honestly get too unwieldy with more than one person playing. If it's more than one character, they both have to be owned and played by the same person as well as have a reason to be with or travel with one another. I only want to have to deal with one other person posting besides me. I'll go nuts otherwise.

If you think you might be interested in this, I'd like you to reply below with how your character or characters stumbled across the map to Pinkbeard's treasure and why they would pursue such a thing. Not every character is crazy enough to go haring off after buried treasure, though some may be greedy enough. What's their motivation? It doesn't have to be in character - I know that all of you are capable of writing and posting or you wouldn't be on this board. I just want to know how and why.

Keep in mind that successful completion of this quest will nail you pirate booty of some undefined sort. There's no set time limit on this and I'll likely pick someone after a day or two goes by if I see a premise that I really like. Please feel free to ask questions below.

Any takers?

[Shinigami]

Ooooh... *big, shiny eyes* Quinn's a professional adventurer. She won't be able to resist this particular lure... *ponders how to get her on the adventure*

[Nyx]

OMG, Midori fun! I am so glad that the idea for that region screamed at me! Blyn is just greedy and crazy enough to try something like this. *starts thinking up a good motivation*

[Vyn]

This looks positively awesome. ^_^

I'll work on scenarios in the morning, but Xylia (and Kaden) are painfully interested.<3

[The Jenn]

Good to see some interest in this! <3 That makes me happy. Everyone who's interested, keep in mind that because this is a quest, there'll have to be pretty regular posting. Not insane-regular, because I can't manage that, but letting it sit will make me a sad panda.

*giggles* Pirate chipmunk. That, however, makes me very happy.

[Greenie]

Casey totally would. Absolutely totally would. ..... That would possibly the scariest quest ever, but OMG. SO MUCH FUN.

[Satra]

At first I thought you were just being silly with the pink beard, then it hit me with the Midori colors. XD

Would love to, but Liv and Heilyn are so uninterested in this it's not even funny, and Hadrian has no say in the matter. Well, Heilyn is thoroughly uninterested, Liv wants to see the movie when it comes out. P:

Have fun!

[Lauryn de Vampyre]

Lariel is definitely interested. She's the kind of soul that would jump at an opportunity to increase her standings ANY way possible, whether it be through wealth, fame, infamy, power....And she's not scrupulous about how she attains those things either. Her loyalty is to herself first and foremost (though she does have the ability to care for others...just not as much as #1).
Lariel isn't an adventurer by nature, but she's willing to get her hands dirty if the conclusion or reward is worth it. Not being a born leader, Lariel fits well into the mold of a right hand man (or in this case woman). She is able to let another lead while still maintaining her own amount of influence and power.

As for the map, I know that Lariel cavorts with ALL kinds of Cards. Though she considers Lowlanders low, she still sees them as potentially valuable individuals. She sees Highlanders and sometimes pretentious and pompus, she admires their status and the ability to keep it. She disregards no one and therefor has friends in high, middle and low places. It would have been the low places where she stumbled across this map.
Although Lariel looks after #1, she doesn't condone the unnecessary abuse of others. While strolling down a grime incrusted street one unnameable evening, she would have picked up on the sound of scuffling and fighting long before seeing a two-man gang of mismatched Cards making their own brand of fun by harrassing and beating up a tattered old Mouse. Her stealthy approach would have allowed her to dispatch the first assailant with a quick blow to the back of the head. The second would have either fought and lost, or run away at the thought of a Card actually fighting back.
Lariel checked on the old Mouse and was admitedly surprised to find him still alive. Though bruised and bloodied, he was able to give directions to his home as the female bobcat helped him walk. Feeling her duty to the old man was done, she would have moved to leave without another word when the old Mouse stopped her.
Knowing he was in the last few months of his life's journey, he would have told her a story of how he had come into possesion of a very special map. A map to the treasure of a Pirate named Pinkbeard. He pulled out the map from a concealed compartment beneath the floorboards and offered it to Lariel. Scoffing, she told the old Mouse to keep his fairytale piece of parchment and was nearly out the door when she was called back a second time. This time, however, when she turned around it was to a gleam of gold in the tiny fists of the Mouse. After futher inspection Lariel was forced to admit it seemed genuine, and as the saying went........"Curiosity killed the cat". Though her motives for taking the map finally were based upon the realization of what it could mean to her if the treasure was real, Lariel was now cought by the fairytale she still had trouble believing.

EDIT: I can expand on how she obtained the map if you like.

[Ry]

My mouse is prissy, and formal, abiding by social standards and conventions where needed, but able and willing to adapt to gain the respect that comes with significant power and social standing - provided that her reputation remains intact, and that she appear to be above reproach.

She wouldn't go after Pinkbeard's hoard for his wealth, at least not openly, as she'd like to maintain the appearance that she wants for nothing, but the trinkets he amassed have the potential to be an item that would confer a unique power upon the holder. Between the wealth and the power, she'd try to seek the treasure, on the off chance that the treasure did exist.

The map to Pinkbeard's treasure, if such a map existed, would be a guarded secret. Perhaps deeply hidden in the Avington, Corvistowne, or the Tulgey Woods itself.

If I recollect right, Souris was going to deliberate braved the rumors to enter the Tulgey Wood, in a recent attempt to disprove general opinion, wandering around in the wood where she encounters some cards, and maybe her circlet. Or she could have discovered the map instead. Weak, but plausible.

Alternatively, she has been seeking a chemical Corvistowne skilled in poisons, to further her own knowledge, and see if she could circumvent the partial or complete immunity high ranking Hearts have to poisons. In the process, she could have encountered the map, and, the Corvistowneian dismissing the tales as not real, could have let her have the parchment.

Finally, in seeking out secrets, she could have braved the depths and secrets in Avington, seeking obscure, secret or long forgotten knowledge in the search to improve her poisoning skills, and circumvent the partial or complete immunity high ranking Hearts have to poisoning, and discovered the map, or her circlet instead.

[Dark]

DUDE. Jenn, I seriously love you. This is, like, the bestest idea ever. X3

Minh is probably going to jump you, given the chance. I don't know how familiar anyone is with her background, but she was enamored with becoming a pirate in her younger days. Her plans were only foiled by her complete and utter lack of direction.

She'd probably pick up the map from some seedy used book/map dealer and pay a ridiculous amount of money, despite the distinct possibility of it being a fake. She doesn't have much of an attention span, usually, but the thought of being a pirate--or finding a pirate's booty--would be enough incentive to focus.

Of course, you'd probably have to beat me so the entire plot wouldn't turn into crack. Her adventures in Taking the Initiative were...special. XD