"All the Gods!" Quillin curses as he hangs in mid-air at railing level to the lookout. "That's a hell of an egg to leave in the crow's nest. Well, we'll tell Hake to send someone to clean it up because I sure ain't his swab!"
"I think that parrot's watchin' us. Does it belong to anybody we know?"
"Do you think the wasps got him?"
"Do you think the wasps got him?"
"That'd be my guess but I ain't getting close enough to check. Good luck on that." Quillin descends back to the boat to wait for the others.
Sooty climbs up the rickety ladder, shouldering his way into the small hut. "Let me through ya bunch of idgits, I gotta see!"
What Shaso gives offers as a musing Sooty confirms with science The wound is the right size for a wasp and the other reactions suggest an allergic reaction of some kind. Either from an impaired immune system due to age or drink...probably both.
Looks like the wasps came for the old bastard, he probably fought them off and they gave him a wound and a nasty piece of dead for the trouble.
Its around the time that Sooty wraps up his exam that the parrot exits the jungle cover and lands on the platform.
Get help ya blasted bird! I'm dying ya wretch! The bird keens enthusiastically at those still on the platform.
"Well we came and we saw..not much we can do here so I guess it's time to bugger off home again" mel says her eyes on the jungle in case any wasps are still around.
Shaso regards the bird before taking some nuts from his pack and holding them out toward the parrot.
Sooty sighs, "Another d*mn talkin' bird?"
Pfarna looks at the parrot:
Not much meat on this one. I wonder who told it to ask for help. Sounds like it took social lessons from Quillan.
The parrot descends to Shaso and greedily takes the nuts. Rotgut out of the rum! Rotgut out of the food! The parrot repeats itself then seems to cackle for a minute as it pecks at the food. The parrot bobs up and down in the direction of the body, Get help ya blasted bird! I'm dying ya wretch!
"I'm pretty sure it belonged to this poor sot. Strange that those wasps would fly in from off the sea. Some bloody wizard must be up to something."
Quillin waits impatiently at the skiff. "Get your dawdling arses down here! We've got a parlay with Pegsworthy to get to!"
Sooty looks at the bird for a moment and shrugs. "Guess we figured out everything we could about this place...what about the body?"
"Wrap him in his hammock a stone at his feet and send him to the waves...I guess"
Sooty nods and starts to work, muttering to himself, "I'd want the same."
Despite the gnome captain's impatience Sooty and Mel (and anyone else) quickly work to wrap the hammock around the dead man, secure it with stones and toss it off the bluff to the waves below.
The parrot flies down and lands percehd on the rowboat looking over at Quillin and the other parrot and keens loudly before it says Peas in a pod!
The lot who are up in the lookout find that the mace is extremely well made. Additionally the old lookout had a pouch and half a jug of rum. The pouch seems to contain the man's savings a casual count looks to be about 50 gold worth of coin.
The lot of you wrap up your business and make your way down to Quillin. By the time your work is done and you row back the bulk of the day is done and the sun has started to settle on the horizon.
The parrot flies down and lands perched on the rowboat looking over at Quillin and the other parrot and keens loudly before it says Peas in a pod!
Quillin curses and flings an acid dart at the newcomer.
"I don't take no sass from any bird except Smudge. Damned feathered toad."
Quillin jumps out as the boat grinds onto the shore, "Since you're so keen on cleaning up Hake's messes, you can tell him his lookout is dead. I've got captain things to do." The gnome then heads up to have a drink with Pegsworthy.
Sooty shrugs, "If you want me talkin' to the man, I can surely do that. Capt'n things are important." He heads in that direction.
Pfarna looks at the diminutive captain, shakes her head and then follows behind figuring that a drink is preferable to any other work that might be found for her.
Shaso sighs with a glance toward the bar, but tags along with Sooty.
Pfarna and Mel follow Quillin as he makes his way to the humidly stale hotbox that is the bar. Within, a number of your new crew and others are engaged in drinking of a variety of intensities while Pegsworthy mingles mostly with his own crew. Seeing your lot he waves you over saying something to those he is talking to and waving them away as he gestures at a table for the group to sit at.
The man breaks into a friendly smile as he scoops up a set of mugs and pours rum for each of you, How was your expedition to the lookout?
=====
Sooty leads Shaso back to the ship where it is not long before you find Hake actually overseeing honest work being done as his crew works on dropping the forward mast. Hake seems positively lively as he yells at his staff in a belligerent way but perhaps for the first time it is clear the old schemer knows what he is doing as yells at his folks.
After a minute he yells at a large half-orc to get him when they are ready to set the new lines on the forward mast at which point he turns to Sooty and looks the dwarf up and down, Either it was no big thing or your cap'n set you on me in hopes I not threaten his progress? Whats the word?
The man breaks into a friendly smile as he scoops up a set of mugs and pours rum for each of you, How was your expedition to the lookout?
"The lookout wasn't looking so good!" Quillin guffaws. "And he smelled even worse. Worse than this place even. The wasps got him. Time for a changing of the guard I'd say."
"So how's it looking out there? Taking that ship has cost us plenty and we're ready for a bit of compensation so to speak."
"Hoist the Jolly Roger!" Smudge croaks.
Sooty grimaces, "Sorry to say, your man was kilt by a wasp. I took a look at him and it was pretty clearly that. No sign of any other mischief, but the question is: Where all these wasps comin' from?"
Shaso keeps an eye on the workers and appraises their progress.
Mel perches on a barrel in a corner..slides her Aldori Sword from it's sheath and runs a whet stone over the blade.She pays little attention to the other crew but listens in at the conversation between the Captains.
Hake scratches at his chin and swears to himself, The old cus. Probably too drunk to keep himself up right to defend himself! You bring back his things? A mace? What'd you do with his body?
Shaso sees that the work is indeed good and quite "inventive" you wouldn't think you could make such dramatic changes to a ship's profile but there it is, right in front of you.
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Pegsworthy offers a guffaw at the gnome's comment and offers a nod. Hake has been pounding away now that it is cooler. I'm surprised a man that old and shriveled can hold the liquor he does but his reputation proceeds him and all that so I'd think you'll be taken care of in short order. The Man's Promise was a hard catch was it? I notice you not havin Harrigan's mate or bosun might tell some of the difficulty in that ship bein "yours" now?
"You've met Plugg and Scourge then? We didn't have much direct dealing with Harrigan as he was too high and mighty to deal with the underlings. If you can judge a man by the company he keeps though- I'd say Harrigan is a right sadistic bastard.
"Man's Promise was Plugg's command and well... he had a slightly fatal accident with his face impacting my mate's fist. Scourge, too. We had a bruiser of a mate. He got eaten by a grindylow big as a whale. I swear I'm not making this up! Sandara will vouch for me and Mel was there."
"Did I mention the ghoul whores?"
Pegsworthy nods at Quillin, You are not wrong to judge the man by his company. That damnable Plugg and that toadie of his cast the mean eye on me the whole time I treated with Harrigan the last time. That captain is a right violent bastard but his attack on me was unprovoked. I'm not sorry to hear of his demise. I think Plugg was making a play to get my ship. Probably to bring it here.
The captain takes a long draw and pours himself (and others if they are taking it) another drink, Tell me truthfully were you on your way to Hake's here before or after your mate sent Plugg to the deep?
Hake scratches at his chin and swears to himself, The old cus. Probably too drunk to keep himself up right to defend himself! You bring back his things? A mace? What'd you do with his body?
Sooty looks at Shaso for a moment with a confused expression, but finally seems to remember. "Right...his mace. I think we left that there. At least I don't remember anyone picking it up. As for his bloody corpse, we wrapped it up in his hammock and committed it to the sea. Seemed the right thing to do."
HAke lets out an exasperated sigh, Mace is worth more than a fair bit of coin. I leant it out as a means of giving an edge you see? Well a pity I'dve let you keep it for all the work instead it'll sit until I send the next poor bastard I guess. AS to the body that is well enough. Not like the dirt around here is good for buryin anyway...
Hake claps his hands and gestures at the alchemist and warpriest to follow him, pointing at various spots on the ship, We got all the kinks out of the hull, re-finished the deck and now we are on the lines proper... The man rattles off various things that are being done and some "improvements" he is making in the spirit of how cooperative the group has been.
Sooty follows and inspects each point closely. He grumbles incessantly under his breath, but says nothing out loud until Hake has finished.
Quillin scratches his knotty beard pondering Pegsworthy's question. "To be honest, I don't know. Plugg was ordered to take the ship to a squib, it could have been this one, but Plugg said he had other plans that didn't involve Harrigan and changed course. Truth be told, we'd be doing Harrigan a favor if we brought the ship back to him, but we've got no intention of doing that."
"Why do you ask?"
After the tour Hake scratches his chin and looks at the pair, Anything else? I'll look to you folk to set that masthead on the morning after today. I mean to push you outta my locks by high sun to get Pegsworthy up and ready.
=======================================
Pegsworthy offers a dismissive shrug, Plugg struck me as a snake. I reckoned when word came Harrigan got crossed it was him that done it. I don;t know about favors though. Barnabas is the kind to kill the messenger and his family if he is had wrong done to him. Way I hear it you should stay clear.
Offering that little gem in the classic "bar room conspiracy tone" the captain leans back and laughs, So a new ship to make your name! You got plans to sail or ideas on what to do? Crews gotta have a reputation in these parts to get what they want! What's your next play?
What's your next play?
Quillin smiles coyly, "Now this wouldn't be an example of a more experienced captain relying on the naivety of a less experienced captain to get a lead he can scoop now, would it? If you must know, I have an interest in the west coast of Mgange Cove."
Pegsworthy holds up his hands in mock protest, Never! never! aha ha haa! The man evaluates Quillin for a moment and nods, Its bad luck to pick on the new meat. Better to swindle ya when we are on equal footing! No I was just curious and maybe my lads and ladies know a thing that way. Its good luck to be sent to sea with the blessing of a free captain, and it just so happens I am one. I'll send you on your way set right in Besmara's gaze and you just keep an ear out for things I might find of interest that don't interfere with your own ambitions. I'm not like Harrigan, I like to make friends. The now obscenely drunk captain lifts his mug to Quillin in a toast.
Sooty finally breaks his silence as the tour ends, "It'll do, sir. It'll do. I can fix the things that you got wrong while we are underway, and that's somethin'. I'll report to the Capt'n and let him know you wanna us on our way tomorrow."
The gnome cocks a long tapering eyebrow and cackling, knocks mugs with his fellow captain. "Hear, hear! I'll take your blessing to see us off to a prosperous career!"
Thick as Thieves! Thick as Thieves!" Smudge announces.
Mel regales the company with the tale of Plugg and Scourges demise..
Perform orate..Dont know it that gets us an infamy boost or not.
Khuzdac and Shaso wrap up at the ship and make their way back to the group which is basically a bunch of drinking and Mel telling stories to the assembled folks in the bar. (I believe you will squeeze another infamy out of the place. I couldn't find my notes this weekend due to my pre-schooler deciding my notebooks were worth of scattering to the four winds but I will either find what I had figured out or go back through and re-calculate.)
Shaso will spend more time in the tavern gathering rumors.
"And so we managed to get out of there by the skin of our teeth with one of our own dead and the rest off us close to it.." Mel winds up some hours later.
Perform orate
Montage!
Drinking, drinking, ship prep and drinking are done throughout the next day with a brief stop the next night for the installation of the Besmaran masthead that Hake offered the group in exchange for its efforts.
Quinn invokes a ritual with fire, smoke, and a LOT of liquor as the masthead is set in place and the appropriate words and concessions to the Pirate Queen are made. The masthead will respond to Quillin (as a cleric) and whoever is made captain. Quinn notes that a ritual needs to be done to "transfer" the captaincy and that will make the mastehead unresponsive for 24 hours.
The next morning the ship is brought in out of dry dock through the locks and into the inlet proper. The crew that you have wrangled up (and those that stayed with you from before) get the ship prepped as Pegsworthy offers a cheerful blessing of the boat ready to head to sea.