You wake up of a sudden, a wet liquid covering your face and shirt. You soon realise this is ocean water from the salty taste. Your head still hurts from the drinking last night and you remember getting up and toppling into the arms of the fellow who wasn't too impressed with your story. He had said "Let me help ya there..." just before you passed out. There are several men in the room with you waking up some others in a similarly hospitable manner as you were treated to. Coughing, spitting out the salt water. All up about a dozen in total. You look at your peg leg, it is in tact and doesn't seem to have been tampered with in any way.
You wake up of a sudden, a wet liquid covering your face and shirt. You soon realise this is ocean water from the salty taste. Your head hurts from the blow you received the night before down near the docks. Some men must have snuck up behind you as you were taking in the view. There are several men in the room with you waking up some others in a similarly hospitable manner as you were treated to. Coughing, spitting out the salt water. All up about a dozen in total. You feel your holy book remains in your pocket along with your holy symbol.
You wake up of a sudden, a wet liquid covering your face and shirt. You soon realise this is ocean water from the salty taste. Your head hurts from the blow you received the night before down near the docks. You have a couple of scratches from being dragged away also. There are several men in the room with you waking up some others in a similarly hospitable manner as you were treated to. Coughing, spitting out the salt water. All up about a dozen in total.
You wake up of a sudden, a wet liquid covering your face and shirt. You soon realise this is ocean water from the salty taste. Having passed out last night from a little too much to drink you still feel some effect of it running through your head. You have no idea how you have come to be here but knowing Port Peril you can piece together a likely situation. There are several men in the room with you waking up some others in a similarly hospitable manner as you were treated to. Coughing, spitting out the salt water. All up about a dozen in total. You feel the press of thin metal in one of your pockets. They must have missed your thieve's tools when searching you.
You wake up of a sudden, a wet liquid covering your face and what you call a shirt. You soon realise this is ocean water from the salty taste mixing with the left over taste of the drink you are sure was 'spiked' last night. There are several men in the room with you waking up some others in a similarly hospitable manner as you were treated to. Coughing, spitting out the salt water. All up about a dozen in total.
You wake up of a sudden, a wet liquid covering your face and what you call a shirt. You soon realise this is ocean water from the salty taste mixing with the left over taste of the drink you are now sure was 'spiked' last night while discussing new jobs. There are several men in the room with you waking up some others in a similarly hospitable manner as you were treated to. Coughing, spitting out the salt water. All up about a dozen in total.
As you sit up or stand after being so rudely awoken you realise it's not just your sore heads or hangovers. The room is actually moving. Rocking, to be more accurate. Along with the creaking in the wood and the foul looking 'sailors' you can correctly deduce that you are on board or rather, inside a pirate ship.
Pressganged!
There are eleven others similarly in your plight. Stripped of weapons, armour and almost all possessions bar clothing. Before you can properly come to terms with what has happened to you a voice booms out, "Still abed with the sun over the yardarm? On your feet, ye filthy swabs! Get up on deck and report for duty before Cap’n Harrigan flays your flesh into sausage skins and has Fishguts fry ye up for breakfast!" You are virtually powerless to resist as the fierce looking man motions you up the stairs out of the hold towards the deck and the six sailors in the room with you each smack their saps into their fists, daring, no, wanting you to resist.
Reinald stands making a point to look groggy but obedient for now. Looking groggy is easy. As others stand he helps them up. "I doubt this will be good but better than if we stay." He straightens himself up and starts out. "Looks like a ship."
The doctor accepts the stranger's hand, and pulls himself to his feet. "I was looking for shipboard employment, but this is not how I wanted it to go." he grumbles. He pats the pocket of his coat thoughtfully, before quietly adding "Let us just play along for a while, and see where this goes."
Kunala, propping himself up with one hand rubbing his head with the other, glares at the man holding the empty bucket for the briefest second, What a headache...I didn't drink that ...ahhh I understand, I'm either going to love this Harrigan or hate him ...may as well see which it's going to be.'
Kunala quickly looses the glare and begins to stand, don't mind the boat rocking but I'd do without the headache. giving a sloppy salute to the fierce looking man he repeats the command. "Aye, report for duty, gov'n'r" and heads toward the gangplank.
Hearing the man beside him whisper "Just play along" Kunala makes eye contact with the intelligent looking man, giving a quick nod in agreement as he heads in the general direction as everyone else."Yes, we shall see shan't we."
Jerieth, like most undines, could drink salt water as easily as drinking non-salt water, but still the sudden feeling of the water in her mouth was the most pleasant thing in the world. Now, waking up in bed with a lover, be they man or woman (although Jerieth did have a thing for redheaded women) would be better. But given the fact that the undine watersinger was also tasting what she could guess as her drink being spiked from last night, meant she had been pressganged.
"In the holy names of Besmara, Calistria, and Desna! Where the sea sprites am I, besides being on a ship, most likely at sea!?"
Jerieth remembered that she had been ambushed last night, but she did put up a good fight, breaking one of her assailants' noses and kicking another in the balls, before she knocked in the back of the head again.
She then noticed that she was missing her gear.
"Well, at least I still have my clothes on this time. Plus, they didn't mess with sash from when I worked as a privateer for the Andoren Navy," the bard thought to herself.
Sejanus wakes up in a stupor, and stares dumbly for several seconds before his eyes sharpen. "What? Where are weaughhhhhhhh...." He had gained consciousness just enough to register his hangover from being drugged. He clutched his temples and rolled on his side. "Frack. Fraaaaaaaaaack. Frack. Frack. Frack."
Get up. You don't want to be a target.
He rose just a moment after the rest and took his place in line, massaging his face to rouse himself. At the mention of playing along, he grimaced. "It's our only option right now. Might as well."
"Arg.. swimming huh I'm not in the water.. "
No gear.. my symbol!!
Jord frantically checks his pockets and relieved finds his symbol and book
At hearing the barked orders and realising his situation. He gets up.. and walks up the stairs, trying to counter the swaying with his walk.
Jerieth decided it was best to do as she and the others were told, so she quickly nodded and heads onto the deck of the ship.
You remember the bearded man currently holding the whip over you as being at the 'Formidably Maid' last night. Though he seemed alone he must have been in charge of the 'recruiting'.
The pirates seemed slightly disappointed as first 2 then 3 then the rest of the 12 fell in line, no one wanting to be the first to resist and everyone feeling quite helpless and unarmed. It seems you have slept the night in the lower hold. As you become more aware of your surrounding there are crew births around the room, hammocks strung between the walls and pillars and foot lockers line one of the walls.
As you go up the stairs you enter the middle hold where currently all of the cargo is being kept. 'All of the cargo' is not alot and the room is mostly empty. Several crates, barrels, caged pigs, one of which has escaped and snorts in a corner, doors to the kitchen and the cabin next to it. At the foot of the stairs to the captain's quarters sits a bulky human chained to the nearby foremast. You are told to climb a rope ladder connected to one of the 10ft. square hatches which leads you up onto the main deck. These hatches are thick wooden grilles.
The ship’s main deck runs between the foredeck and poop deck. The mainmast rises from the center of the deck, extending 60 feet into the air and topped by a crow’s nest. Rigging connects the mainmast to the ship’s other masts. Several strands of thick rope are secured to the foot of the mainmast for use as a whipping post. The ship’s clock, a macabre brass-andcopper object depicting worms writhing through whale corpses, hangs from the mast above the whipping post. A large wooden box bound in iron sits just beneath thebridge. A small jolly boat (same statistics as a rowboat) sits on the deck next to the port rail. It has two sets of oars but no mast.
The rest of the crew waits to watch the newest batch of recruits be broken in. The man with the whip and the six pirates with saps climb up behind you. You see two figures on the higher deck of the stern looking at you. One of them is a broad, muscular Garundi man with a shaven head, a long beard bound with gold rings, and an eye patch—
clearly the captain. The other is a younger, balding man with a long black ponytail, wearing a long coat and carrying a well-used cat-o’-nine-tails. After a moment to look you over the captain speaks. "Glad you could join us at last! Welcome to the Wormwood! My thanks for ‘volunteering’ to join my crew. Well done on this group Master Scourge." The bearded man behind you with the whip nods. "I’m Barnabas Harrigan. That’s Captain Barnabas Harrigan to you, not that you’ll ever need to address me. I have only one rule; don’t speak to me. I like talk, but I don’t like your talk. Follow that rule and we’ll all get along fine. Oh, and one more thing. Even with you new recruits, we’re still short-handed, and I aim to keep what crew I have. There’ll be a keelhaulin’ for anyone caught killin’ anyone. Mr. Plugg! If you’d be so kind as to make pirates out of these landlubbers, it’ll save me having to put them in the sweatbox for a year and a day before I make pies out of ’em." Once finished talking the captain leaves through a door towards his and the officer's quarters, leaving the man beside him, Mister Plugg, to get you ship shape.
"Yer here on this ship and yer stuck here. Now I've a few tests to see where yer'll fit in here. Refuse to participate and my cat here will be givin yer a few scratches," he says mentioning the cat-o-nine-tails he holds. "First one is simple. Climb the rigging to the crows nest. The fastest will work in the rigging and report directly for me. The rest are swabs and work under master Scourge there. And if one o' ye can cook, yer the new cook's mate for old Fishguts."
"Now Climb!"
Barrels, baskets, blocks and tackle, candles, canvas, grappling hooks, hemp rope (any length up to 200 feet), lanterns, leather drinking vessels and waterskins, sacks(but not backpacks), simple tools or hardware (especially carpentry tools such as hammers and nails), and any other simple items I deem appropriate are common enough aboard you will have no trouble using or acquiring.
As for valuable personal items, you will need to locate them.
I see now, the bearded fellow was at the 'Formidable Maid' last night.' not daring to say anything while the higher ups were speaking, Kunala nudged the bald man on his left and nodded to the bearded fellow.
hearing the orders Kunala lines up for his turn at the riggings. 'I can work the rigging if I absolutely have too, but it's not my forte, and that Scourge fellow doesn't look any fun at all, I think I will volunteer to be the cooks assistant.
Climbing down off of the rigging, returning to the crowd near Scourge, Kunala smiles at the bearded man, "I'm not great in the rigging, and I'll do ok swabbing decks, but I would really be able to help the cook, you know us Vudrani, always finding different yummy spices to use!"
Jord hefts himself forward and onto the rigging and gives it a good go at climbing up as fast as he can
He didn't so awesome,... but not too bad.. he finishes climbing up and down then he leans on the rails to recover and watches the next climber.
Jerieth recognized the man with the whip as being one of those who was at the Formidably Maid last night. She couldn't remember if he was the one whose nose she broke or if he was the man she kicked between the legs.
"Ugh. I'm getting a feeling that this isn't going to be as fun as serving as a privateer for Andoran. Better pay attention and do what I can to get the rest of the crew to like me. Oh by the three goddesses I worship, this is going to be one long voyage at sea," she thought to herself.
Stretching a bit, she immediately took off her studded leather armor, so she wouldn't be slowed down by it.
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Reinald recognizes the bearded man from the tavern but move on no need to make things worse. He holds the whip. For now.
Reinald once on deck straightens himself up tugging on his waist band as military men do to put their uniform back in place.
This should be fun... Sejanus tries his best to shimmy up the rigging.
The man looks familiar. Was he at the tavern last night? Must have been.
The doctor looks up at the rickety rigging with disdain. He turns to this Plugg fellow, and says "My good sir, I am a physician, and I assume I was brought on board for those skills I was advertising last night. Where are my tools? You did pick up the sea chest I had with me, did you not?"
As the other 11 new recruits race each other to the crows nest Plugg is confronted with Genade. He quickly gets angry that his orders are not being followed. "I care not for your skills! I said climb!" He pulls back his cat-o-nine-tails and whips it towards you slicing over your shoulder and arm. "You will be a swab till yer back breaks. He's all yours master Scourge." As the climbers reach the top and return down Plugg chooses the first 4 to return.
"The rest of ye report to Master Scourge here. And you," he points to Kunala, "Report below to the kitchen. Fishguts'll break ye in."
'The kitchen, at least I'm not in the rigging, never did like the rigging.' Kunala smiles and gives a nod, "Yes sir, Mister Plugg. yes sir" Kunala quickly moves below deck to avoid any possibilities of getting stung by the 'cat'.
Kunala heads below deck to the kitchen. Finding a very drunk Kroop, he begins moving about the kitchen finding out where everything is. He quickly finds a large pot and a lovely boars head. Putting the pot on the fire with some water and the boars head, throwing vegetables and spices in he brings everything to a simmer. Then he starts cleaning and organizing the kitchen. When Kroop wakes up, Kunala talks aimlessly to the man trying to get on his good side.
After stumbling around in the dark, bumping into things .. Jord actually manages to catch enough greeblies.
Reinald nods as he received orders to hit the upper rigging. Once in the ropes he sets to his work. He in the course of works tries to get a feel for the ship watching what is going on. He takes some time to get to know a sailor who has been around longer he assumes Ratline might have some insight.
"Not sure if I should complain or rejoice, I was hoping for work on a ship." He chuckles, "I'd prefer walking aboard but it good to above the deck. How long you been aboard."
Wasteful, moronic ruffians! I suppose I should take my own advice and 'play along', he thinks to himself as he gets to swabbing, no more rocking the boat. It's long, hard work, and the welts on his shoulder don't make it any easier.
However, if there was one thing he learned at the Oppara Medical Academy, it was that no-one questions the cleaning staff. He had gotten into restricted archives by befriending a few cleaners. He turns to his fellow swabbers, looking to get to know them.
Let us see where this takes me...
Hauling rope and knot work.
When he can Jord will seek out another person to talk to, if there is another cleric on board maybe them so that he can learn what services he can provide and what services they provide so as not to get keelhauled.
Jerieth climbed up to the crow's nest, hoping to see if she could figure out where they were while also doing her job.
While she didn't like the fact that she was pressganged, the scantily clad undine was happy to be at sea once again. The wind in her face, the smell of the ocean, it was heaven to Jerieth.
Of course, she also knew that to survive aboard this pirate ship, she better make friends. Besides you can never have too many friends.
Upon overhearing Reinald talking with another crew member, she decides to help out some.
"Aye, been thinking the same thing myself. Always enjoyed being at sea. Nothing like having the wind at your back, taking you wherever it wants to. Some say that's how many adventures are started. And I agree. Seems like I'm in for another adventure," she said.
Sejanus is assigned to swabbing the decks. He is not very good at swabbing decks. It is not a strong point, firm point, or even semi-solid point in his repertoire of skills.
He briefly considers revealing his spellcasting talents. No, he thinks, that is a great way to be thrown overboard for being too dangerous, or assigned to the front line when we attack some poor slob trying to make a living in a dinghy.
He is greatly fatigued by the end of the day. However, he does make time to be friendly and outgoing with Sandara Quinn. He hopes that she takes a shine to him and heals him of his fatigue out of pity. He politely asks her about where she is from, how long she has been with the Wormwood, and a few questions about the faith of Besmara.
Diplomacy
The galley is the domain of Ambrose 'Fishguts' Kroop, the drunken ship’s cook. The cramped and chaotic kitchen holds two wooden worktables, several wooden cupboards, and two small stoves against the port wall, as well as virtually every cooking utensil imaginable and a frightening array of meat cleavers. A score of chickens and three goats wander freely throughout the chamber; the goats are meant to be caged, but have a distressing tendency to escape their bonds you discover. The kitchen is a madness of dirt, food, and knives, and finding anything in here requires a Perception check. The stoves are perpetually lit, and large cauldrons bubble away atop them all times. A huge array of spices mingle with barrels of rainwater, two tuns of rum, cupboards full of ship’s biscuit and salted beef, barrels of sauerkraut, and a small supply of fresh vegetables picked up in Port Peril.
Despite the chaos, the entire galley functions as a set of masterwork tools for Profession (cook) checks. And by taking the extra time and effort to clean up a bit you have found several items of value among the ruin and squalor. Don't expect the galley to remain tidy however.
of the galley:
- a masterwork dagger being used as a butcher’s knife
- a pair of handaxes used as meat cleavers
- 11 knives
- a short sword
- a vial of holy water
- a good lock hanging unused off a pantry cupboard
- 2 pounds of soap
- four waterskins
- a barrel of poor wine
- six bottles of good Chelish brandy worth 20 gp each
- three bottles of magnificent rum worth 12 gp each
- a large cookbook worth 125 gp (using the tome while cooking grants a +1 circumstance bonus on Profession [cook] checks)
- a prosthetic leg made of wood and edged with a silver band worth 45 gp
- 12 sp fallen behind a cupboard
- a trio of harpoons
- a spear
- Kroop’s steadfast grapple hanging on the wall
Ambrose is passed out for a good portion of the day but when he is awake he is talkative and friendly enough. After just one day he seems to take a liking to you and you have made an ally on this dangerous ship. Cut-Throat Grok the half ork Quartermaster also visits during his conscious spells and the two seem to be old friends. She is in charge of the Quartermaster's store where she can be found most of the day which you learn currently holds everyone's confiscated gear.
Ratline is a hard fellow who does not have much to say but at the end of the day Reinald and Jerieth manage to make an ally for themselves. "Well you're in luck. Follow along with the captain's orders and you'll be rewarded. I hear we're headed to intercept the merchant lanes. Captain's wasting no time getting down and dirty here."
Genade is fatigued after a rather hard day of work. It might take some getting used to. Unfortunately your talk only succeeds in irritating the other crew.
Sejanus is fatigued after all his hard work. He and Jord make easy friends with Sandara the cleric of Besmara. "I managed to get most of my things back when I told Grok of their religious significance. No pirate wants to risk the ire of Besmara. Grok is one of the more reasonable officers aboard it seems. Her store is down below deck just inside the galley. I'm from Hell Harbour, so I grew up in the shackles learning how to survive and sail since I was young. Besmara has always looked out for me."
At the end of the day all the crew gathers on deck before dinner as Plugg brings out a man from the bilges below and brings him before the Captain. "Are ye ready to admit to yer crime Jack? Did ye steal from Grok yesterday?" The boy quickly confessed and begged for mercy from the captain. He had been in the bilges since yesterday when he was caught.
"You know the punishment. Keelhauling!" Mr. Plugg ties him up and prepares to keelhaul him while everyone watches on. Slowly he is pulled under and around the bottom of the boat. Plugg seems to enjoy this torture. After a very silent minute Jack is pulled up on the other side of the boat, cut and unmoving. "Throw him overboard fer the sharks."
Sejanus tries his best to keep his face stony and unmoved. I wonder what will happen, considering the recent prohibition on killing crew...
Reinald sees Kunala's concern and puts a hand on his shoulder his grim expression is both angry and helpless, pleeds for the man to not get involved. He whispers almost silently "He holds the cat o'9 . . . for now."
Enjoying being back on ship, Kunala makes fast friends with Kroop. As he was cleaning and trying to organize things, while Kroop was asleep, he couldn't resist the urge to slip a small paring knife deep into his boot, where no one can see it.
'Pirates or not, this makes no sense' Feeling Reinald's hand on his shoulder, Kunala turns slightly seeing the mans grim expression, nodding his head slowly. For now, but not forever.
deciding not to intervene, Kunala smiles a grim smile, making a point to remember this moment. 'I hope I have a chance to invite Plugg to bring his 'cat' to a gun fight.'
"Thankyou Sandara for you information, It shall come in very valuable, if it not be offensive to Lady Besmara... Kurgess blessing upon ye."
At the Keelhauling scene.. Jord just watches studying the faces of the other crew members and trying to gauge which ones seem disturbed by the scene.
Jerieth nodded her thanks to Ratline, while hoping that they would go after slavers.
At the keelhauling, the undine clenched her fists, angry at what she saw. When she had served as a privateer for Andoran, there was no keelhauling. Only the brigs. The Shackles were indeed a different place and a harsh one at that.
She decided that she would talk the rest of the crew and see what she could do in making some friends on this accursed vessel.
The doctor watches the grisly display with a detachment born of exhaustion. He had planned to skulk about after dark, exploring the ship, but now all he could think about was collapsing into a bunk.
When he got out of this mess(hopefully sometime soon), he would work to introduce a bit of civilization and decorum to these godsforsaken isles, see if he didn't.
You can see that Jack is cut up and bleeding alot and if not dead already will die very soon. Jape and Fipps cut the ropes holding him before hauling him over the sides to become fish food. "That be a lesson to all o'ye that might be thinking of not following the rules. Jack stole from me. Don't make that mistake." There are a half dozen crew that seemed to enjoy watching the execution, those that you have noticed didn't ever try to interact with the new recruits today.
After the excitement dies down the captain and officers disappear back to their rooms to have their dinner away from the rest of the crew as Fishguts with the help of Kunala serves up dinner.
There are several games that the crew play and bet on as well as telling stories and singing songs for entertainment. The games consist of Arm Wrestling, Hog Lob(a throwing game) and Heave(a potentially dangerous drinking game).
After helping Fishguts with dinner, Kunala enjoys moving about the ship watching the different crew members entertain themselves. 'Ah, this is more like it, back on the ocean, part of a crew. seems like with the right leadership this would be an excellent place to be. There were a few that I wouldn't trust yet, especially those that enjoyed watching Jack die, but who knows, they may come around...'
Stopping and watching, for a moment where a few crewmembers were playing a game called Hog Lob, 'That's interesting, wonder if they would let someone new give it a try.' Asking one of the on looker,"Pardon me, I'm Kunala, new to the ship. Sailed the east-coast of Garund mostly, never seen this game, can you tell me about it?"
"Huh. Well you take this here hog and ya throw it as far as ye can. Throw it the furthest to win. I've heard of pirates playin this game vs Asmodeus himself. Using a real live hog." The 'hog' seems to be a lead ingot covered in pig skin and grease making the throw at least somewhat difficult. "Them's just stories ya fool. Why'd he wanna play Hog Lob for?"
'Need to start getting to know these folks.' Kunala smiles and shrugs his shoulders, "May as well give it a try, I've thrown a lot of things before, never a pig."
When given an opportunity Kunala grasps the "pig" with both hands and gives it a toss.
"Arm wrestling and hog lob.. i'd be delighted to join you in a game."
Seeing as Hog Lob is going on atm he'll join in on that
Jord almost drops it on his foot
"So come on someone show me how it's done then!"
Hearing the large beared Ulfen's invitation, Kunala introduces himself. "I may as well give it a try, Names Kunala my large friend" He then throws the "Pig."
Reinald eats and finds a spot on deck near Jerieth. He is quiet and watches the crew trying to get a feel for cliques. He looks toward the female undine, "How was your first day?" He continues looking about, "My guess is that survival on this ship is about influence. Captain said he don't want to kill crew but his mate and his fellows keelhauled a pirate for stealing. Seems that poor Jack was odd man out or at least disconnected enough to be an easy target."
Jord laughs loudly after Kunalas much superior effort
"By Kurgess, I should almost be ashamed of how wrong I was hen trying to throw this. Well done Kunala."
Kunala smiles at the large northerner, "It's all in the wrist my large friend." He stops and thinks for a moment, "Hey, didn't I see you at that 'Formidably Maid'? You were shouting when you entered something about the blessings of Kurgess?"
Reinald laughs at the antics of the sailors throwing the hog. He claps his hands and calls out, "I guess I can give this a go." Reinald rests the hog in his hand and gives it heavy launch.
He laughs along watching who is paying attention and who is carousing. Not sure what to think with this bunch they favor conscripted crew and make capital offense while they complain about being short handed.
Kunala watches as Reinald beats his throw, slapping him on his back, "Good throw, strong arms and wrists!" he looks around to see who may be nearby, winking at the big northerner he nods his head signaling him to move over nearer to the Taldan, he then whispers; So what are we going to do about the bastard with the cat o' 9 tails."
Jerieth was glad that tonight was open for entertainment.
"Hey boys and girls, who hears wants to see me dance?"
She decided to dance for her fellow sailors.
"By the way, are there any good looking redheads in the audience?"
She blinked at the audience.
Reinald claps at the idea of dancing. He quietly returns to Kunala, "Stay on his good side if we can." He laughs aloud clapping enjoying the dance. He continues quietly, "Ships move on power. Right now he has it and those he favor have it. Keep safe keep your head down so to speak. No matter what happens keeping safe requires allies." He claps again smiling at Jerieth when she dances remotely in their area. He looks again to Kunala quietly adds, "If we are gonna last any length of time we need some influence." Reinald calls out for laughs, He claps Kunala on the shoulder like they had been talking about the blue skinned dancer.
'wise words, an interesting man, his cloths are military cut and he has that look, but it's been days since he shaved.' Kunala nods his head in agreement, "You are right on all counts, we shall focus on influence, and find those who can help us." Nodding his head at the nearby northerner "Like our big friend here." Then nodding at the beautiful dancer, "and like her."
Kunala smiles as Reinald calls out to the dancer. Not to be undone he calls out to the beauty. Then he gives a spinning flourish to demonstrate his skills.