Shaso listens at the door before opening.
Sooty sits chuckling and drinking from a bottle of rum, "Let's give 'm a few more minutes to kill any stragglers. They should fly away then."
"Quill.. your bird is in my face" Mel sputters.."can we get out off here before someone breaks wind?" She actually sounds petulant which isn't something Quill remembers her ever being before.
"Captain Quillin," the irritated gnome corrects. "And just be glad you only a have a bird in your face, you could be down here with me!"
Pfarna looks down at the diminutive captain:
Some people pay good money for that.
Shaso indicates that Pfarna is right and the lot of you open the door and escape the oppressive hot of the make shift storeroom for the slightly less oppressive hot of the open midday air. Like you, a few stragglers emerge from various nooks and crannies around the bar and you all see that the bar and the surrounding area have been somewhat torn asunder. There are no victims, you note. Only survivors.
As you stand and get your bearings a half-orc (Pfarna remembers him and his friends from yesterday) runs to the group, The old man needs you. He says now. The pirate shrugs having conveyed the message and starts to hustle back to the main complex.
"Capt'n, ya let that old coot blackmail us again, I'm gonna start doubting your double dangles." Sooty mentions casually as he empties his mug of rum. He tosses the mug at the nearest building, shattering it.
Pfarna frowns as the manpig takes off before turning to Quillin.
I'd trust him as far as I could throw him. But, I suppose he is talking about Hake, os we might as well see whats up.
Quillin spits, "Blackmail, Sooty? It was more of a tip-off now wasn't it? Toss out a slip louse and we got some nice loot without even leaving port. As I remember it, you've already left me dangling alright- right from a fekking cat's jaws. Shove off, you nearsighted smoke sucker!"
Still a bit piqued from his old mate's barbs, the red faced gnome wipes some sweat from his brow. "Let's see what Hake wants. Hopefully it's not any bad news about the ship."
Sooty chuckles and moves to follow Quillin, "Ya wasn't even gonna be a snack for that big ol' cat. Anyways, if yer spell would'a worked, then you wouldn't have turned into a big bag of catnip."
Pfarna falls into step next to Sooty.
So, when one goes dwarf bowling, what does one use as the ball?
"One of them new cannon balls if one doesn't wanna end up hanging off the end of an axe blade" Sooty gives Pfarna a devilish smirk.
Maintaining a completely straight face, Pfarna replies:
I figured you could just roll up a halfling of gnome. Suppose they would not have enough weight though.
Shaso ignores the banter as he follows, and looks around at the aftereffects of the wasp incursion, trying to figure out if this was a natural occurrence.
He muses aloud, "Do you think those wasps were natural?"
"Why the sudden interest in balls, Pfarna? You jealous you only got an old pigskin purse?" Quillin snipes.
He muses aloud, "Do you think those wasps were natural?"
"Natural? Not much natural about a wasp as big as a pony, but if yer asking whether they were conjured, there wouldn't be any remains left over if they were extraplanar."
Pfarna lets out a hearty laugh.
You all need to loosen up. It is not like we are conscripting to the Cheliax navy. We are freebooters, and we all need to learn to enjoy what we are doing and each other.
She then looks back to Sooty:
Perhaps we should hit a Cheliax galleon. I hear they have lots of halflings. And, considering our present company as a proxy, assuredly halflings will complain less than gnomes.
While she walks, Pfarna has once more begun to twirl and spin her cutlass in her hand like it is a game.
At the talk of Cheliax, Shaso becomes interested. "I'm in for that. Those devil lovers make their wealth off of my people."
"Chellies..I'm up for that..I hate the Bastards"
Mel wipes Wasp ichor from her blade as she walks, checks it then sheathes the finely balanced weapon.
"So d'ye think the old bugger up the hill will want us to find the nest of those things?..I wouldn't relish that"
Yeh, bugger that.
She then looks back to Sooty:
Perhaps we should hit a Cheliax galleon. I hear they have lots of halflings. And, considering our present company as a proxy, assuredly halflings will complain less than gnomes.
"Saying something complains less than a gnome is not saying much. Everyone complains less than the Capt'n. Except maybe that chicken of his!"
That's a chicken? I figured he had studied alchemy and figured how to grow wings on a rat.
"Ha.ha." Quillin's voice drips with sarcasm. "I have a lot to complain about with a crew full of half-wits. As for potential prey, I couldn't care less about their nationality so long as they've got gold and can't put up much of a fight. I don't want any other halflings than Rosie on though. Their quick little hands put me on edge."
Sorry for the delay, I will get us a solid update tomorrow. Glad to be back.
Ok all, we gotta put the booze away for a few minutes, the dread captain hath returned . . . at least until he turns his back and focuses on other things (campaigns).
Quinn snorts as the group walks, Aye we would all take a tough bite out of Chel's thats why they avoid the Shackles like a pox. You rarely see those lot out here and when you do it isn't long...
The group winds its way through the complex's grounds and see people emerging from various hiding spots as it becomes clear the attack is over. Most people move slowly but as you approach the dry dock you see more than a little commotion.
In the early days Hake merely used the cove off the water with his compound to hide whatever ship he was working on. The narrow land at either end made it easy to keep others out while he made his magic on changing lines. But greed outpaced good judgement and more recently Hake has relied on a dry dock setup to pull the current ship while allowing no more than 2 or 3 other ships to provision up or use the places as a waystation. (Obviously sending potential "clients" back on their way to return under cover of dark when the dry dock is available so that it isn't clear who is actually using the service. The higher traffic aiding the confusion on what ships are different versus merely stopping by for other things.)
That said the dry dock is still vulnerable from the southern approach in that whoever comes in that way can guide their ship close enough to the land to see the line change at the dry dock. Bad news for folks who want the former owners to remain "in the dark" about the whereabouts of their ships.
As the group approaches Hake's distress is clear. He simply points to a ship off the southern approach that seems anchor still while a longboat carrying a group is rowing right to the drydock approach, meaning if they haven't seen the soon to be rechristened Man's Promise already they will when they hit the dock off the approach.
I have a man on the approach who was meant to lookout. I don't know if it was wasps or something else but he never rang and the ship approached clean. Those bastards land on that dock ain't friends we are all in trouble. I change lines, its what I do. But the princes and what not leave me be because they can't prove what I change to what. Harrigan finds out we are all going to pay...
Hake offers a sharp nod in the direction of the south dock and the longboat that approaches.
Quillin scowls at the incoming ship, "I thought this place was supposed to be a secret. It's busier than a dockside brothel on shore leave!"
"Well, let's form a welcoming committee. It might be they've got the same game plan as us."
The half orc pulls out her cutlass and smiles to the miniature captain:
Aye Captain. Lets see what this boat wants. We all know that it would not be arriving from that direction if they meant well.
Shaso runs to the dock as quickly as he can (while drawing his longbow) and casts obscuring mist around the ship.
HP 23/27
Dex -2
AC 17/T 11/FF 16
Sacred Weapon 3/4 rounds remaining (add +1 or ability to weapon)
Fervor 3/4 remaining (1d6 heal or to allow swift action spell on self with no AoO)
Blessings 4/5 remain (entangle or no range penalty)
level 0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Purify Food and Drink, Light, Mending
level 1: Obscuring Mist, Comprehend Languages, Air Bubble
level 2: Aboleth's Lung
Mel squints against the glare from the water.."No need to start off with threats and bluster though Cap'n..It might be as well to jaw a little and find out where they are from and where they are headed."
Pfarna looks over at the rogue:
Where they are from is that ship. Where they are headed is to a watery death.
Quillin holds up a hand, "Belay that, Pfarna. Hands off your weapons until I give the say so. Our ship is a sitting duck in dry dock. If the opportunity presents itself, we'll take their ship too, but we're all smiles until we take a bearing."
"Dry Duck! Dry Duck!" Smudge cackles.
Seeing the jumpy Mwangi already in motion, he calls after him. "Shaso, wait for my orders, you jungle-bred jackass!@"
Pfarna does not sheathe her weapon, in fact you are not sure she ever sheathes her cutlass at it seems to practically live in her hand, but does stop at the captains command:
As you will captain, but the second they make a move, I will skewer them.
Shaso puts his bow back on his back. "Aye captain, want me to hide our ship with a cloud?"
"Aye, go ahead. Not a bad idea. I'm not sure if it will be big enough to hide the ship, but won't hurt. Just don't do anything that could appear aggressive for the moment," Quillin shouts back.
Sooty ignores all the confusion and looks around for a good vantage point to shoot pointy things at people and throw bombs, preferably someplace with cover. Hiding behind some crates he checks to make sure his crossbow is loaded and sets it on a crate. He pulls a potion of Protection from Evil and sets that on the crate as well. Finally, he drinks his mutagen, before settling in to wait and see what happens.
Shaso will go to the ship to cast obscuring mist, or if there is not time and he can block the sight line, he will just get in front of the ship and do it.
The lot of you approach in a gaggle, mist cloud slinging, shooting position finding and gnome captain yelling as you make your way to the newcomers.
Sooty finds a reasonable position though his approach is exposed and clearly seen by the group of 5 that are pulling up to the dock. While Shaso is able to place the mist over the majority of the lines though it is hard to tell if anyone got a good look before the cloud does its work. Pfarna fidgets and Quinn slows her step to be a half foot behind Quillin, pulling on her coat and chain to be sure she is presenting her "credentials" properly.
The group climb out of the longboat warily, the four sailors behind the captain clearly as worried of your approach as you are of theirs. Their captain, a tall and modestly round fellow with a thick brown beard and black coat, approaches unarmed and waves as his group climbs the dock and your group approaches.
Ho there! Can we approach without a tussle or did I miss the wasps' leavin and fly right into the nest?
As the man moves his right hand in the wave it is clear that his left hand rests on a handle or pommel sticking from his waist. There is no "threat" there, almost lazy confidence.
Ho there! Can we approach without a tussle or did I miss the wasps' leavin and fly right into the nest?
"Hopefully wasps are the only trouble we see today. What brings you to this particularly remote and forsaken spot on the Slithering Coast?"
Pfarna stands behind Quillin, arms crossed and cutlass in hand, but being held loosely and not threateningly, but in a position where she will be able to have it in her grasp in the blink of an eye.
Sense Motive:
Mel perches nonchalantly on a bollard her cross bow cocked and pointing upwards away from the boats crew.She affects an air of boredom though her eyes are searching for any subtle clue as to their origin.
Perception
Sense Motive
At Quillin's question the captain shrugs slightly with a bit of a grin, Oh you know, resupply...a bit of line work. Been a bit of a toss around for my group and were are at net one ship with more friends than we care to have...
The human looks at the gnome and then seems to convince himself to press his luck a bit, I'm noticing that the dock might not be ready for me and mine though...another ship bein dealt with...yours?
sense motive
Quillin squints and shrugs, "Just a bit of paint. We like to keep things fresh and new."
Bluff:
Pfarna smiles:
Bah, we are almost done. I doubt the the Cheliax fools would recognize . . .
She claps her hand over her mouth.
Oops, sorry captain.
"Just like a new ship! Just like a new ship!" Smudge squawks bobbing his head.
The man nods with that mixture of confidence and bravado that most pirates need to survive if they aren't outright tyrants, Aye a new paint job... And I suspect a bit of a change in the layout to keep others off their scent...Chelaxians you say. I'm gonna guess you aren't one of Harrigan's creatures. The man's hand hasn't moved but a bit of a tight lipped smile hides the obvious intensity of his question.
"We're all freemen here or at least half-men,"Quillin half turns his head a second scowling at the chatty orc-blood behind him. "Don't serve no man, but ourselves. And whose creature are you?"
Pfarna looks down at Quillin:
Watch who you call a half-man nature boy.