Xanxan works the bilges, and tries to help Tylos a bit I think the elf is scrawnier than I. Ain't that a kick? Still taller though, so no gloating from me while we're wading in this muck
Ko'ulu shrugs as Plugg pronounces his sentence.
"At least we will be out of the sun today. The work is hard, but we can work together to get it done. And it is good work...if nobody worked the bilge, we would eventually fill up and sink to the depths."
"So when do we kill the bastard? I have a few ideas on how to do it."
"I knew you were a kindred soul. Me, I'm for killing Scourge, but I've no love of Plugg either."
Ko'ulu looks around nervously.
"I don't know if you should be talking like that. They is the officers. Mean, foul and hateful, but they are not trying to kill us, they need us to work the ship. As long as we are crew on this ship, we gotta follow the rules. To many people will get hurt otherwise... and I think that the ship can hear us too." Ko'ulu says in a harsh whisper.
Seeing Fishy falter in the muck Ko'ulu helps out the best he can. Ko'ulu works hard, and feels drained by the exertion.
"I don't know if you should be talking like that. They is the officers. Mean, foul and hateful, but they are not trying to kill us, they need us to work the ship. As long as we are crew on this ship, we gotta follow the rules. To many people will get hurt otherwise... and I think that the ship can hear us too." Ko'ulu says in a harsh whisper.
Xanxan laughs, "Crew? Ko'Ulu... I've been in many a crew. I got paid for my trouble. I didn't see myself and fellow sailors treated worse than most would treat a dog. You're not 'crew', Ko'Ulu. None of us are. We're slaves. And the only thing staying slaves will get us is life as slaves. Now...as for the ship listening in. Wouldn't that be something?" he looks around and pats the ship's wall, "Easy, Wormwood. We don't mean YOU no harm." he looks to Ko'Ulu, "There. Now she knows." He smiles.
Ko'ulu's eyes narrow sharply, to mere slits in the gloom of the bilge.
"Wait, what? Are you saying we are not going to get paid? If we are crew we should be getting paid. If we are slaves, then we don't have accounts with the ship. Perhaps I should ask what my account is right now! You know, thinking back, they never did say anything about pay...", he growls, his hands clenching and unclenching, his knuckles popping.
"Well, if we're getting paid, I haven't seen one copper yet, have you? But don't go tipping our hand by charging on deck asking for wages just yet. Let's go back to what the good elf was saying..." he looks towards Tylos, "You said you had ideas?"
Seeing Fishy falter in the muck Ko'ulu helps out the best he can. Ko'ulu works hard, and feels drained by the exertion.
1d20+4
1d20+1
Tylos mumbles an exhausted thanks before knuckling his back. He looks at his hands in dismay and says I think my blisters have blisters.
Turning his eyes upon Ko'ulu and Xanxan he says I think indentured servitude is more apt of a description. We have a bit more freedom than slaves but not as much as free men or actual crew who signed on or volunteered.
When Xanxan mentions ideas, Tylos gets a wistful expression before saying Oh there are quite a few, though how likely they are is up for debate. For instance we could grease the deck under him during a storm and send him overboard. "Accidentally" loop his foot into the anchor and set it loose. Scare him over the side with an illusion...although that one would need an effective knowledge of what he finds truly terrifying. Things like that. As I said they are fun to think of but probably not extremely practical.
Tully rolled out of his hammock. He took a few deep breaths. Remember to control yourself, he recited.
Carnvegas tweaked my last nerve with that stunt yesterday and frankly, I've grown sick of dealing with all of you lot. All of you are to man the bilges today. In fact, you might as well move your hammocks down there and save yourselves time as I think I'll have you manning those pumps for the rest of the trip. He gives you all a wicked grin. Of course if any of you have a problem with your new job assignments, I'm sure we can find another chest for you.
It's a trap, Tully intoned to himself. They want to break you. They want to make you as cruel and depraved as they are. They want to make you weak, so they can control you.
So when do we kill the bastard? I have a few ideas on how to do it.
That time may be fast approaching. There are very few further inroads I can make with the crew. There are a few sections of the ship that we yet know little about. But, we know where the armory is, and that is something. We know where the Captain and the officers sleep, and that is much. Many of the crew will likely side with us, and that is everything.
Tully set to work at the bilges, determined to give the officers no excuse to bring punishment down on him. Callum will be a day, at least, recovering from his time in the box. We should all be at our peaks, when the time comes.
Jirobo seems deflated as Plugg commands all of them back down into the bowels of the bilges. The tight, heavy-aired place with its rank odor and muck drains the spirit right out of the tengu as he seems to go into automatic work mode next to Xanxan.
When the others speak of murder, Jirobo's eyes blink one after the other as he looks to them, "Careful, careful friends. Time isn't right yet. Captain and others will have us keelhauled if Plugg or Scourge should have a mishap. Even if they don't know who did it for sure, they will look for a scapegoat amongst those who had the most hatred of the bad men. Storm is coming soon, I smell it in my beak, I feel it in my feathers, then soon after the tide will roll up and wash the deck clean of all bad karma-juju. Just wait little longer."
Gain a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saves against severe weather while moving up to half your overland speed, or gain a +4 bonus if you remain stationary. You may grant the same bonus to one other character for every 1 point by which your Survival check result exceeds 15.
A character in very hot conditions (above 90° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and might be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill description). Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per hour).
Working through the day, you all talk together about the various ways you'd like to make Plugg and Scourge pay, some inventive and cruel others more practical and serious. Even still, it's back breaking work and you're all grateful when it's over. With help from the others, even Tylos manages to complete his tasks, although Ko'ulu and Xanxan tire themselves out in helping him.
Coming up on deck, bloody hour arives and people are bound to the pole to receive their lashes. None of you earn any punishment from your work today but Ko'ulu takes his usual place at the end to receive his whipping for the rum. When it's done and he's dragged away, Plugg moves over to the iron bound chest and unlocks it. Flinging open the lid you can all see an unconscious Callum balled into the space, his body soaked in sweat but thankfully a weak rise of his chest indicates that he still lives, if barely. Plugg turns to you. Come get your man out of my chest.
As some of you lift him out, Sandara joins in your effort and as she does, a gentle light washes over Callum, unnoticed by Plugg. She lowers her voice as she helps lower Callum to the deck. I can't help your friends any more than I have right now, with the mood on the ship and Plugg's attention. But Callum will live. After that she moves off to take her food and rum with the rest of the crew.
Tylos looks at the battered Ko'ulu and, trying to repay a bit of the debt from his help in the bilges moves over to him. He gently opens his mouth and places a small glob of a viscous black liquid under his tongue before chanting quietly for a moment. Ko'ulu's wounds begin to visibly nit over the course of the following minute.
When his rum ration is given to him, Tylos waits for an opportune moment when no one is looking before vanishing and carefully dumping his rum.
As some of you lift him out, Sandara joins in your effort and as she does, a gentle light washes over Callum, unnoticed by Plugg. She lowers her voice as she helps lower Callum to the deck. I can't help your friends any more than I have right now, with the mood on the ship and Plugg's attention. But Callum will live. After that she moves off to take her food and rum with the rest of the crew.
Xanxan gives nod of thanks. He feels frustrated. Wait Wait Wait. That's all they do it seems.
But the others are right. They're weak right now. Some from wounds, some from work. Maybe it's time I make some peace.
He eyes the drink, a glum mood settling on him.
Again he tries to get rid of it.
He walks over to shortstone and sits down next to him,
Come get your man out of my chest.
Tully rushed over to the box and threw Callum's arm over his shoulder. Sandara grabbed the other arm, though Tully was forced to bear Callum's full weight while Sandara wove a spell to stall death from exposure. Tully dragged Callum first to the scuttlebutt, where he doused him in water before forcing a few sips down his throat. He then dragged him to his hammock, leaving him to recover.
By the time Tully returned to deck, dinner was being served and Grok was making her regular rounds. Tully accepted his cup, ditching it in the scuppers as she moved on.
As Tully walked among the crew, a flash of red caught his eye. Fipps Chumlett had very inexpertly tied several dirty strips of cloth around the wounds on his hand and wrist. He was trying to eat, and very clearly reopening his wounds with each movement, causing him pain as he did so.
He scowled deeply as Tully approached. Remember who you are...
Be at ease, Mister Chumlett. I am here to offer my help. Let me rebind those properly for you. Then, if you wish, you can go back to laughing at my ineptitude as a sailor.
Jirobo seems to brighten up somewhat as everyone finally leaves the bilges. The breeze has a noticable effect on him as his shoulders unstoop and his feathers seem not to be wilted now. The good mood, however, is ruined once again by Bloody Hour. Ko'ulu is the only one to feel the whip this evening but when Plugg has Callum dumped out of the box, the tengu covers his beak with one hand. The man looks like dead carrion left out on the beach for the gulls to squabble over.
After Sandara takes care of Callum, Jirobo nods his thanks to the pretty lady and follows up her touch with a few of his own. A prayer to the winds and a gentle touch to Callum's back as Jirobo seems to push fresh air back into his lungs.
Once Callum seems in better condition, the tengu hops over to Ko'ulu and starts his wound stitching again. After finished with both, Jirobo wags a solitary finger at the pair, "You both must be very careful. The winds can only be so merciful in the face of those looking for a bad end. Take care for a few days. Rest and recover. Do nothing to anger those who would see you dead."
At the evening repast, Jirobo dumps his rum in the usual manner then heads over to Ko'ulu and tries to switch out his empty cup with the fisherman's full one. If successful, Jirobo rids himself of another full cup.
Xanxan and Shortstone spend much of the evening talking to each other in gnomish, their words quiet and quick. Whatever it seems they talk of, it appears both men are enjoying themselves as soft laughter sometimes breaks out between them.
Tully used the opportunity from the previous night's gambling to make significant headway with Fipps, rebinding the man's injured hand and generally smoothing over feelings of anger and malice. While he couldn't be considered a friend, Tully was no longer worried about the man driving a dagger into his or his companions' backs.
The rest of you spend your evening in rest, Callum's ordeal having taken a lot out of you emotionally. Every day it seemed something new was waiting to further increase your disquiet thoughts about the ship. Drifting off to sleep, you wondered if it would ever change.
The next three days seem to slide by in a blur. The days are spent working and the nights spent dreading the next day. Things have improved immensely amongst the crew at least, with most of them friendly with you, if not downright allies. Plugg and Scourge still maintain a small contingent of people loyal to them but it's a good feeling to know that you've got friends on board.
Late into the afternoon of the third day, Maheem suddenly calls out from the crow's nest. Ship ahoy! With a look to confirm, Plugg moves quickly to the captain's quarters and Harrigan comes striding out on to the deck, moving up to the forecastle to confirm the sighting. With a smile he turns and moves down the deck to the sterncastle, his voice booming. Alright lads, now's the time to earn your pay! Trim the sails, haul those lines and give me every ounce of speed there is! The crew begins to rush around deck like a kicked ant hive while Harrigan takes the wheel and steers the Wormwood towards the other ship.
The rest of the day is spent slowly gaining on the sighted ship and the night is a restless one. Sleep is hard to come by for most including yourselves as the thought of combat keeps many of you up. Your first naval encounter, most of you don't know what to expect. The next morning most of the crew is out on deck before the first bell has even sounded.
Much of the distance has closed during the evening and the ship now looms in the distance. From the looks of it, it appears to be a Rahadoumi merchant vessel. You expect to close with her within another hour or two. Riaris calls the group of you forward as she opens the armory and begins to hand out weapons and gear. The ship's wheel is on the aft deck, just below the sterncastle. You lot will be responsible for taking that position and holding it. You will grapple over, kill the guards on the sterncastle, take the wheel, and guard any of the ship's boats. Kill anyone who tries to get away on one of those boats. Don't move from the wheel until the fighting's done or you'll answer to me! Also, when we get close it's going to get real foggy, real quick. Just stick to what I told you to do and don't get yourselves killed.
With your orders set, you join the crew in preparing yourselves for the upcoming encounter.
Finally some action what's not pokin' the narwhal, Callum thinks with a smile. He stands on deck in his wooden armor with a cutlass sheathed to one side, a boarding axe on the other, a brace of daggers strapped along his chest, and a heavy crossbow and quiver of bolts across his back.
"Aye, this be where me blade can get 'is fill o' blood. He's been a mite deprived this past while. Thirsty, I expect."
Alright lads, now's the time to earn your pay! Trim the sails, haul those lines and give me every ounce of speed there is!
"Pay? There's a novel notion on this ship,"Xanxan quips, but moves as fast as any other.
Much of the distance has closed during the evening and the ship now looms in the distance. From the looks of it, it appears to be a Rahadoumi merchant vessel. You expect to close with her within another hour or two. Riaris calls the group of you forward as she opens the armory and begins to hand out weapons and gear. The ship's wheel is on the aft deck, just below the sterncastle. You lot will be responsible for taking that position and holding it. You will grapple over, kill the guards on the sterncastle, take the wheel, and guard any of the ship's boats. Kill anyone who tries to get away on one of those boats. Don't move from the wheel until the fighting's done or you'll answer to me! Also, when we get close it's going to get real foggy, real quick. Just stick to what I told you to do and don't get yourselves killed.
One would almost think she cared for our lives. Xanxan nods. He worries he maybe too loaded down with his gear, but he's not going into a fight unarmored let alone unarmed.
"Aye, this be where me blade can get 'is fill o' blood. He's been a mite deprived this past while. Thirsty, I expect."
"Mother ocean favors the beautiful, so we'll be sure to win this one," Xanxan grins.
He'll also call out to Miss Quinn, "Good priestess, will ye give us a blessing on behalf of the goddess before we go?"
Tylos looks on with a practiced eye. Having been through a couple of boardings on his last ship although he typically did not go aboard and fought from a distance...this will be interesting.
Tylos looks over at Callum when he speaks and says Yes...and my magic thirsts for...stimulation...and...release.......that sounded bad. He blushes a little bit at the end before shutting up.
Ko'ulu takes the time to pack up his meagre supplies, wrapping them in the net, and tying the net to his back. He then slings a quiver over his shoulder, dropping his javelins into it before taking up his trident and going up on deck.
Ko'ulu grins and slaps Tylos on the back as he walks up beside him.
"That was very funny Fishy. It did sound pretty awful."
Ko'ulu moves past Tylos to stand by the rail.
"I don't know how many fights you have been in Fishy, but I want you to stay behind me and close to the rail as much as you can. I don't think this fight is going to be pretty."
"You know, we are going to need more crew to run both ships...Tully-man, are you going to be able to talk them into giving up? More sailors means less work for us."
Tully stood on deck ringing out his doublet. A brief rain squall earlier in the day had given him his first chance in a week to wash the salt and fish scales out of his clothes. As he knotted his shirt into the rigging to let it dry, the call sounded down from the crows nest.
Ship ahoy!
Word spread through the ship like wildfire. By the time the Captain came on deck, every idle hand in the ship was lining the rails, or halfway up the rigging, to get a look at the new ship.
With a smile he turns and moves down the deck to the sterncastle, his voice booming. Alright lads, now's the time to earn your pay! Trim the sails, haul those lines and give me every ounce of speed there is!
Tully was astonished as every hand on the ship fell with a will into their work. Sailors flew up the rigging like leaves caught in a windstorm, as every square inch of canvas was set. As Cook's Mate, with no particular duties to be about, Tully stood well out of the way and watched the process with growing excitement. In mere minutes, the entire evolution of the ship was complete, and she was tearing along on her new course, with all sail set to the royals.
Tully was transported, with childish delight, into the adventures he had read and heard so much about. But, none of those books, none of the songs, none of the tales, had ever properly explained how truly and completely boring a stern chase could be. Tully stood at the rail, craning his neck and straining his eyes, to catch a glimpse of the ship they were pursuing. After ten minutes, eagerness overcame fear, and he began climbing the netting to get a higher vantage. Ten feet higher up, there was... nothing.
He dropped back to the deck, disappointed and fretting in his inactivity. Hour after hour, he continued staring for their prey, jumping at every breaker that flashed white on the horizon. Finally, with the last of the sun vanishing below the waterline, he saw it. A tiny spec of white, too constant to be a wave, just off the starboard bow.
She's dead to leeward. The Wormwood is weathering on her, and she's headreaching on her. She'll be hull up by morning!
With the prospect of action so imminent, Tully knew that there was no chance of falling asleep, so he lay in his hammock mentally checking off the things he would need the next day...
The morning bell ripped him from sleep. With a start, Tully leaped from his hammock, astonished to discover that the entire night had passed in a dreamless instant. With a few minutes work, he deftly donned his armor and weapons, and dashed up to the deck.
Inheritor's mercy! We are almost on top of her!
The ship's wheel is on the aft deck, just below the sterncastle. You lot will be responsible for taking that position and holding it. You will grapple over, kill the guards on the sterncastle, take the wheel, and guard any of the ship's boats. Kill anyone who tries to get away on one of those boats. Don't move from the wheel until the fighting's done or you'll answer to me! Also, when we get close it's going to get real foggy, real quick. Just stick to what I told you to do and don't get yourselves killed.
Kill the guards? Kill men fleeing for their lives?
You know, we are going to need more crew to run both ships...Tully-man, are you going to be able to talk them into giving up? More sailors means less work for us.
I pray so, my friend. I'll be no man's killer, unless I have no other choice in the matter.
As the wind whips about, filling the sails of the Wormwood to push the vessel closer and closer to the other ship, Jirobo grips the railing in frightened anxiety. Having never fought another living, sentient creature his whole life, the tengu is nervous and distraught. He does take the time to go below deck and slip into his leathers and grabbing his weapons. He wraps his sling firmly around one hand just in case he'll need it before heading back up decks.
The other ship is ever closer now as Jirobo hops over to stand beside Xanxan. Jirobo looks to the gnome, his taloned hands wringing the handle of his sword back and forth, "I have never been in a battle before, Xanxan, with people at least. Do they feel the pain when you kill them?"
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The other ship is ever closer now as Jirobo hops over to stand beside Xanxan. Jirobo looks to the gnome, his taloned hands wringing the handle of his sword back and forth, "I have never been in a battle before, Xanxan, with people at least. Do they feel the pain when you kill them?"
Xanxan looks at his friend with some sympathy, "Aye. They do. Sometimes the rush of blood in their veins dims the pain, but mostly they feel it. I'm no warrior, Jirobo, nor am I an honorable gnome as a warrior might see honor. But I've known a warrior or two. I can tell you what one told me... 'Make it quick, make it clean. That's as much mercy as you maybe allowed to give but give it if you can. But whatever you do, once you see the foe don't hesitate. You do no mercy by letting them kill you when your brothers in arms may need you'" the gnome shrugs, "I don't know if that'll help you do what may need to be done, Jirobo. But I will do my best to keep us BOTH alive."
The two boats close the distance much quicker than you would imagine, the two vessels looming before each other. Kroop calls Tully over as they close, hauling a pig carcass up on deck next to one that was already brought up. Handing him a knife, Kroop stooped down and began making cuts into the pig's body, blood flowing freely from the wounds and pouring over the side of the boat. Brings the wolves to the fight and you best watch yourself when they come. Tully began cutting his own pig and once the two were thoroughly sliced, Kroop dismissed him back to his post with the others and dumped the drained carcasses into the water.
Moments later Peppery Longfarthing came up to the ship's rail and looked out across the distance to the other vessel. Moving her hands in a complex pattern and intoning words of power, thick billowing banks of fog suddenly began to envelope the enemy ship. She kept this up until there was hardly anything to see amongst the other ship. This didn't keep the sailors from taking pot shots at the Wordwood or the pirates from returning shots although none proved effective on either side.
Finally the ships close together and ropes are tossed across to the merchantman. Some of them are sliced off but enough of them manage to latch on to pull the two ships together. With a shuddering boom the vessels make contact and for a brief moment there is a strange quiet that falls over both crews. Then like glass shattering it is broken by a yell from Harrigan and the pirates of the Wormwood storm across to the other ship.
"'Ere we go lads," Callum whispers to the others before jumping across the gap and moving into the fog, his cutlass drawn.
Round 1
Xanxan will attempt a leap at the closest point, as the ropes haven't exactly been his friends.
And for Besmara's sake, he hopes to move quietly if he gets into the fog
Tylos looks at the others grimly before leaping across the gap. Once there he readies himself to teleport into the mist should he be attacked.
Jirobo watches the others sail across the gap with ease onto the enemy vessel. The tengu clenches his sword tight as he gulps and makes his own bounding leap. The air turns cool as the misty vapors of the fog sweeps up to enclose his body. Jirobo lands lightly then draws his sword as quiet as a mouse. His eyes dart around the billowing white folds of the fog, hunting for his friends and any bad men who want to hurt them.
This is where we show our fellows what true strength is, gentlemen. Be swift and sure, and merciful where the goddess grants us the opportunity. With an elegant bow and salute to his comrades, he leaped across the breach. En guarde, you curs!
Grinning savagely Ko'ulu jumps across the yawning gulf between the ships, trident in hand and oblivious to the danger in the water below. Landing unsteadily, it takes him a few strides to get his feet beneath him as he crosses the ship, searching for the enemy sailors.
"I am going to the stairs on the far side! I will hold them there!" he shouts as he moves across the deck.
As you board the ship, the sailors guarding the wheel move forward to engage you with a shout, drawing their short swords. Those of you hiding amongst the fog seem to escape their notice, for now. One of them fires a crossbow into the mix but the fog makes it extremely difficult.
The fog cover makes things difficult on the ship and everyone feels their adrenaline spike as the board. Two of the sailors rush Ko'ulu, seeming not to notice Callum in the fog next to him. One of the swings completely wide but the other one manages to land a solid hit as Ko'ulu tried to gain his footing on the new vessel.
One of the sailors tries to strike at Tylos but he can't land a hit in the fog. Tully is targeted by a rain of blows, one of which nearly hits him as it's passage moves the air in front of his face but the billowing fog manages to give him the edge he needs.
Surprisingly it is the last sailor with the crossbow who somehow manages to catch Tully off-guard as the bolt punches into his side, nearly doubling him over.
Tully staggered slightly as a crossbow bolt slipped through the fog and through his defenses. Friends, beware! These scallywags mean to do us deadly harm! Defeat them quickly, but accept their surrender if offered!
Tully's voice slipped into a dreamy monotone, sliding further into a soft chanting that sounds almost like a lullaby you knew as a child...
Blinking out of sight, Tylos begins a short series of gestures and words and a globule of green acid streaks away from him towards where the man who attacked him was.
...and the orb goes wildly out into the ocean.
Callum, realizing the pirates have yet to see him, attempts to roll through them while they are distracted with Ko'ulu.
Callum snarls and swings his cutlass at a pirate's head.
Ko'ulu growls as the blade skitters across his arm. Blood begins to dribble onto the deck, sending droplets in arcs as he moves. Seeing an opening, Ko'ulu growls at the attacking sailors, bats aside an attack and then lunges forward with his trident, stabbing into the fog.
Jirobo squints through the fog as he barely sees the outline of someone unfamiliar in front of Tully. Speaking softly so not to draw attention to himself, the tengu calls for the winds and fury of the storm to beat the man back from his friend.