Or have Cap't Voodoo roll it. He's shown a propensity for rolling well
With Kaul revived the away team quickly makes their way back through the rain soaked streets to arrive back at the Broken Mug just after midnight. The morose clientel is well into their cups comisserating about how they lost their most recent women, home, or boat. Dingus and the Groom have returned to their table after meeting with Dagrit.
Jim has scorch marks on his armor and a really bad sunburn on his face, along with some claw marks. "You blokes all right? We met the wog and his--" Jim shudders again. "--little friend. He's after the box, and he's not really interested in any answer but 'Here it is, and have a nice day.'"
"Blimmin heck, you boys musta had a wee bit o fun without us. Sit down and have a drink." as they sit down Dibbets will hand them a tankard and give them a firm clout on the back.
Blessing those that look a bit more ragged with "Chin up lads, yere not food fer the Drowner yet"
Kaul sports a hang dog expression you've rarely seen from him and shivers as he sits down... it if is at the mention of the robed man's little "deader" friend or the cold ye cannae tell.
"Aye Dibbs... ran intae trouble likes o' which I'll happily avoid again... tho am feared the robed basterd an' his licking deader will cross us again..."
Kaul weakly drifts a finger up in acknowledgement with regards Dibb's offer of healing:
"Took a kicking out on the cobbles tonight. Dingus saved me with a healin' draught, but still ain't my usual handsome self yet hur... So could do with a drop more Dibbs..."
the Groom leans forward. "Describe this Deader. So we might know what we are up against."
Know(Religion +6)+3 Monster Lore ->
Kaul takes a deep drink o' grog and nods as he considers the Groom's question:
"Deader stunk worse than a cesspit... walked on stumps... an' was smart like... talked an such. Devourer's Teeth mate... I hit it with my sap... kept comin...hit it... BRUTAL like with ol'Bess... would have dropped any o' us... an it kept comin... Oh an' Groom... it had a tongue deadlier than a Kraken's tendril...hur."
Jim takes a swig of grog. "That helps, it does. Kaul, you didn't hear the worst of it. After you went down, it crawled over your body, guts hanging out, and--hold on. Hey! Double o' Salty Dog for my friend here, he'll need it." Once the drink has been delivered Jim continues. "Anyway, it plants its mouth on yours and the wog says 'Give me the box or his soul gets eaten!' Well, we talk a bit, an' eventually I make a break for it--tryin' to get them to follow me while Dingus worked on you. So then this thing talks with Beedle's voice--says, 'What's yer hurry?,' or some such, and all of a sudden it's the most reasonable thing in the world for me to walk back there all meek-like. The wog checked me for magic, didn't see any, and he and the thing ran off."
"Feck mates that sounds a right mess. Did the beastie utter anythin else before stumpin off? Like mebbe where it were headed next?"
"Here. Not here in particular, but to the Docks."
Dingus inspects the burnt sleeve of his robe and the slightly blistered flesh underneath. "He got me a little bit alright, but you might need that healing before morning". "I say we find somewhere to make ourselves scarce". "the last words I heard out of their cursed mouths was "We must find thissss Groom".
Despite the excellent descriptions, the Groom has no inkling what manner of hobbling corpse you encountered.
It is hard to see under the Groom's hat in this dim establishment, but you definitely get the sense that his eyebrow just went up.
"We just spent the evening with a floating deader under the pier, but that story can wait. How do these two layabouts know about me and that I have the box?"
As Dagrit approachs, "Thank You Ma'am. That will be great."[b] But in a lower voice, [b]"Can't really recommend sleeping much tonight, based on your story."
With Dibb's healing touch Kaul looks back to his gargoyle faced best...
The thug throws back his double o' Salty Dog and cracks his neck as if helping the rotgut go down.
Cheers Dibb's... feeling tip-top again, though ain't got a compunction fer dancing with the Licker again anytime soon... hur-hur."
Kaul mugs a forced smile and looks over at the Groom, all concerned like:
"Awwwww feck... lads, am betting they followed us here... or at least kept an eye out so we brought em to the Groom? Agree with not much sleepin... I already done some today hur... so maybes me an Bess keep our night eyes out?"
Dagrit comes around to clear the last customers from the bar. "Are you staying then? There are four rooms upstairs with two beds apiece. I don't have a lot of overnight customers so help yourselves. I'm locking up now. The girl will be around in the morning."
"Aye milady, I be thinkin we take ye up on yer kind offer of beds." before turning to the rest of the party "So which of ye lovely gents is sharin a room" beaming a 'disarming' smile.
It is hard to see under the Groom's hat in this dim establishment, but you definitely get the sense that his eyebrow just went up.
"We just spent the evening with a floating deader under the pier, but that story can wait. How do these two layabouts know about me and that I have the box?" ...
Jim looks sheepish. "That was my fault, I'm shamed to admit. I hadn't managed to touch the wog in two passes, the thing had Kaul--and I'm not shamed to say I was terrified of it--and I was trying to get the wog to call it off."
"Well. by tomorrow, this stumper should be coming here looking for us. We put on a show for all to see earlier. I would like first thing tomorrow to get back to the house...with the box...and see if we can't get Granny Skinbag to open it. For tonight, I would suggest two to a room with doors open while one stands guard in the hall. I could take first watch, I had less stabbins and grog then you lot."
Next morning you pull yourselves from bed and head down to find the barmaids already cleaning and prepping for the Broken Mug’s lunch which is somewhat renowned and even attracts some of the upper crust out of the more affluent districts. At your requests for breakfast, the barmaids merely tell you that the Broken Mug isn’t a breakfast place and humor you with toast and jam.
"Mmph. Sounds like Merrie Widow's helm's having trouble keeping her on course...idiot." Jim tries covering his ears with a pillow for another few minutes before giving up and getting up.
the Groom lifts his hat off his face to squint into the faint dawn light. "Free room indeed." The Groom settles his hat back down and attempts to find some peace.
From his guard stance in the hall, Kaul notices the Groom stirring and wanders over to his bunk.
Kneeling down so his brutish face in more bunk level, Kaul "hurs" and clears his throat before speaking:
"Hur... Emmmm Groom mate... Listen can I ask ye a question o' faith? See this deader shook me more than a little, reckon it shook all o' us that crossed it. Well I always thought my soul was the Drowner's see? On account of my scarrin' and such..."
The Groom can see the thug has a sheen of sweat on his wreck of a brow and is nervously fingering his scrimshaw holy symbol.
"... you can deal with this deader right? An keep our souls fer the Drowner's ledger? Jim said it was gonna eat my soul... but it belongs tae me and the Drowner right Groom? You keep it safe fer her right mate..?"
The Groom raises his hat to get a good glimpse at Kaul. He smiles a toothy but sarcastic smile. "She takes what is promised." He holds up his hand to show the missing finger.
"Saving souls is not the star my ship sails by, more to seeing that the crew all pulls to the same task. But, I would be more worried for the deader that got between Her and your soul. I am sure she has a hot spot waiting for you on one of her raids into the Hells. And She ain't one to take disappointment." the Groom give Kaul a playful slap to the forehead and lets his hat fall back over his face. "She has givin' me some powers over the deaders. I can whittle this one down a bit, maybe to the kneecaps. Hurgh!" As the Groom gives his watery laugh from beneath the hat.
Dibbets sleeps the untainted sleep of an innocent child, unmoved by the cacophony of noise outside the window. He doesn't rouse until Kaul comes in to query the Groom. Without rousing from his bed he adds "Don't worry ye big lummox, I'll put in a good word wi the skylord fer ye as well. He probly won't give a toss an will send some rain tae piss on us, but theres no harm in askin right?"
He rolls onto the floor stretching out like a cat, with straining tendons and abused joints crackling and popping as he does, before standing up. "Besides there be somethin far more important tae ponder at this early juncture. An empty chamberpot an an empty belly that both be in need o' fillin" giving Kaul a friendly slap on the rump (can't reach his back) as he stumps downstairs with a giggle and grin.
"Now fair maidens of drink, what have ye tae feed a hungry half-man?"
The dour blonde barmaid, you think her name is Inger, looks about to scream at the sight of the bedraggled halfling. ”Not you again! Look, this ain’t no breakfast joint and I ain’t making you anything special. There’s a bit of bread and jam in the kitchen that you can get yourself. You can also empty your own damned chamber pot off the dock!" With that said she pauses a moment to catch her breath and glancing at Jim as well she adds, "Why don’t you lot scram before the paying customers get here!” She then glares a moment at you both and goes back to furiously mopping the floor.
"You wound me with hurtful words milady, what have I ever done tae spite ye?" he fishes a grimy sail out of his pocket flicking it in the barmaids general direction "Mebbe this'll buy a smile an cheery disposition"
He steps outside and releases his effluent into the bay before grabbing some bread and jam and settling down to a table.
Dingus sleeps deeply through the night. His new friend sleeping coiled about his neck, will probably keep anyone from waking him too early. He is a little sore, due to the fact he's not used to sleeping in a bed. He finally comes down for tea as the morning begins.
Inger puts Dibbets' gold in a secure spot, shakes her head, and goes back to mopping. After Dingus requests some tea, "Tea? Look at the little emperor here. I'm kind of busy, but I'm sure you can find some at the Seaside Market." She heads into the kitchen to start preparing the lunch menu.
"Don't mind her Dingus, come an join me - we've got bread... or jam... or iffin yer feelin adventourus ye ken try both of em together"
"Don't get too comfortable. We should be hitting the streets. We need to get this box open before it is pried out of our hands." the Groom grabs the loaf and breaks off a chunk, before heading to the door. He opens the door a crack and scans the activity on the pier.
Kaul lumbers in to the breakfast scene... grabs a chunk o' break, smothers it in jam and walks behind the Groom;
"See anything? Our little robed mate an his deader probably still swingin' the hammock together I reckon hur-hur!"
As he shovels mouthfuls of jammy bread into his toothy maw its plain to see the half orc seems back to his rough-edged happy self after words with the Groom and Dibbits.
"Been thinkin..."(taps the side of his head with a thick finger) "...per'haps the Cathedral o' Pharasma might have somethin tae fight the deader with... least tell us more about it... seein as we're hittin the streets an all..." he announces to all and none in particular.
It's midway through forenoon watch as you head out. The morning is muggy and gray and the dock slick with the light rain that has fallen in the early morning. A light wind stirs the bay and you can hear the chop smacking the pier supports below you, but otherwise all is still on the rickety old dock the Brocken Mug hangs upon.
"Mates, I bin thinkin as well. Mebbe not as hard an as deep as our scarred friend here, but didnae Haskins work fer Finn? Would it be in our best interest tae see him first afore he finds out we been the same place as two of his employ who're now deaders?"
"Don't mind her Dingus, come an join me - we've got bread... or jam... or iffin yer feelin adventourus ye ken try both of em together"
Dingus eyes the bread and Jam with a wary look. "That stuff will make you fat, and rot out your teeth". "Maybe just a small slice of bread".
Dibbets- visit Finn
Keelhaul Kaul- Cathedral of Pharasma
The Groom- Witch House
Madman Jim- ? still owes the Pirate Priest a little money
Dingus- Tea?
split up the party? ; )
Dingus - I think I'll wait for an appropriately inopportune time to notice and subsequently overreact to your new boarder :)
The half orc looks over Dingus as if trying to spot something:
:
He then winks at Dingus and whispers "Hur. Little fella still sleepin eh?"
Then Kaul taps the side o' his noggin again as tries to wrack his brains remembering a tea shop for Dingus...
:
Jim eats the last bit of his bread and jam, then wipes his fingers clean in an incongruously dainty manner. Partway through, he stops and looks around. "What? 'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree,' as they say, an' my parents were masterful benders of twigs. I agree--first to the Temple, then to Finn. But I need to stop at the Pirate's Temple on the way over to the Temple of Pharasma--now that I have the coin, I need to settle what I owe."
Kaul thinks the best place to pick up some tea or nearly anything interesting or exotic is the Seaside Market which conveniently lies on the way to the Temple District via the Old City. As you walk over the planks toward the center of the Docks District you are surrounded by the mobs and commotion of the port. Ships are coming and going, unloading and loading; longshoremen, sailors, pirates, merchants of all races and nationalities jostle together. The Seaside Market fills the main corridor between the sea front and the Old City. Hundreds of small shops, pubs, booths, tents, and carts clamor for your attention.
A teen on the corner yells out today’s headlines from the Shipping News ” Read all about it! Giant Squid attacks the merchant ship Heron! Four lost to the tentacled terror! Plus arrivals and departures, times and tides, and more! Only two pennies, Get your Shipping News here!” as a fruit cart pushes its way past you. Kaul easily locates a tea booth where a kindly old Tian man gives you a toothless grin and expertly prepares your tea with traditional flourish. He says nothing, but nods at everything you say.
You are about to proceed when there is a shout from ahead and a goat suddenly barrels down the crowded aisle toward you!
Keelhaul Kaul-
Madman Jim-
The Groom-
Dingus-
Bad Billy
Jim has been twitchy all the way over, and when the goat starts coming towards the party he immediately draws his sword and prepares to attack it when it comes within range. (As he does so, he looks around briefly for hooded figures.)
"Don't kill it"! "Goats are useful", Dingus shouts!
"I have me doubts your little friend could eat all of it, Dingus."
The jumpy Taldan quickly draws his weapon and lunges at the small brown goat, a longhaired Napsuni by the look of it. As Dingus pleads for it's life and the Groom ponders its intentions, the ornery creature cocks its head to look at Jim with its creepy hourglass-shaped pupils and then butts Jim quite painfully in the groin.
the Groom makes an open fist as he concentrates on any nearby available water. Liquid flows and coalesces into his hand, it comes in the form of tea, from Dingus' cup and the nearby stand, but then swells into an improbable wave of tea the crashes in the goat...
...and the stand getting those in the stand wet.