Port Kar

I have never understood why they are called 'round' ships, but I am told it has something to do with being wider through the beam than the 'ram' ship, which is more suitable for war than cargo and transport. I still imagine something more literally round, somehow, or at least ovoid, right up until the moment I see one of them anchored to the docks. The Drums of Tabor was a twin-masted craft with a crew of twenty four, including officers and sailors. I signed on to be the twenty-fifth. There were, of course, a few hundred slaves manning the oars. I make no claim of exemplary service to the Drums of Tabor. Szol of the Poets, though he appreciates the beauty of Thassa, well understands her disdain for him. The Captain was a good sort, and said he knew my name. This is always, still, a surprise to me. He did not know me for my songs, nor even my plays, for which I was not disheartened. While it is pleasant to be remembered for a verse or a well-written turn of phrase, my hope is that such things are savored most keenly in the moment, as they happen, when they are the most relevant, the most timely. It turns out that a crew member of his was in the City of Ar several years ago, and was served by a whore in the Anbar District.

"Paaarsha, ewned by a blook cawled So-luff-ahr," the Captain told me, doing his best impression of his First Mate's accent. After getting a look at the First Mate, I can't say I remember him, so I don't know in what capacity Portia served him, or if she served him at all. It is best not to gainsay the details of a man's memory, for two reasons. First, if he had been served by the 'Earner,' then at some point in time his coin made its way to my pocket, and I am grateful for that. Second, he clearly knew the girl and who owned her at the time. The Boarding House had become a tourist destination, it seemed, at least while it lasted. Several of the girls gained a bit of celebrity, though I would never have encouraged such a thing.

The upside of it all is this; the memory of a whore, and the respect for that whore's owner, allowed me to sell my service to the Drums of Tabor in exchange for passage to Port Kar, Jewel of Gleaming Thassa. I've booked a room here, above a tavern overlooking one of the countless canals. How long I will stay here, I do not know. Strangely, at this point in my life, it feels as if I am precisely where I am meant to be. A bit dingy, and the stench will take time to get used to, but still...precisely where I am meant to be.