"Captain, I don't know much about piracy yet, but this is all of value we found," Variziel offers. "I don't imagine a haul better than this is common?"
"To be honest, Cap'n, if we had something more...impressive, we'd be coming straight to you."
He pauses for a moment, looking in the direction Mr. Plugg disappeared to.
"Especially after Mr. Plugg attempted to get first dibs, which doesn't entirely seem right.."
"Hmmm... I suppose ye lot are not stupid enough to hide something from me and risk getting strung from the yardarm by yer bowels. Plus, Mr. Hank backs ye up and he's proven to be a trusty part o' the crew. Very well, let me get my share and I'll leave ye to it then." Harrigan says before rummaging through the treasure chest, taking items which catch his eye. "I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship, eh? Ye all take the rest o' the day off!"
As Harrigan walks away, Kroop speaks up, "Well, let's get these here reefclaws to the kitchen so 'dey can get a-boilin'! What are ye all plannin' on doin' for the rest o' the day?"
Iggy keeps his voice low and just smirks. "Oh, just communing with the bounties of the seas, my friend."
He then looks to the rest of his fellow swimmers. "When should we bring some of the sea life onboard?"
He makes sure to keep his eyes looking around, so they are not being closely watched by Plugg or Scourge.
"Dis one be thinking tonight. Ya be havin a place ta hide it?"
"Lockers are good hiding places. And I'm sure the kitchen has a few hidey holes as well, aye?" the Markborn just grins. "We now have a tradeable commodity, wouldn't you say?"
Iggy looks to the sky and grins. "Ask and the seas provide."
"Much appreciated, capn!" Charlotte smiles. [i]You know, if it wasn't for the whole horrifying brutality, Capn' Harrigan wouldn't be that bad a captain."[/b]
Then, as the others start planning, "They most certainly do. Aren't they kind?" Charlotte laughs. [b]"Although I'm not sure how you'd go ahead trading it without attracting attention before we do anything about this whole 'press-ganged' business."[/b}
"Indeed. I take it there's something special about the... ahem... that we need to be so careful?" Variziel leans against the railing. "I may have a good place to hide it. After all, I managed to stay there all night into today without anyone knowing it." He raises his eyebrows and shrugs.
Another day of servitude aboard the Wormwood, another day you watch the sun die over the horizon as one of Harrigan's crew. The nightly games and drinking begin and the sounds of raucous laughter, shouts, and punches echo in the cool night air.
"Ya, dis one be gettin in da water ta swim and help. Be needin one more dis one thinks to haul up to da ship, one to haul to da hidin' place, and one to be lookin' out. Whatcha be thinkin?" Jesal asks once they all gather together.
Temerith will find Variziel and use the message spell to communicate with him(he will do this in such a manner that all think he is say just drinking a bottle of rum)...
Meet me down below decks, I shall have a bottle o rum with me as well... It is time to discuss your careers prospects my lad...
Variziel nods at the Mwangi man's suggestion. "Aye, that seems a good plan, Salt. If we can get the coral down to the cabins, I'll stash it away." He leans against the rail and suddenly cocks his head to the side, blinking. Then the half-elf shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. "Let's get to it, then?" We'll take care of this, and then I'll meet... whoever, I suppose.
"I'll get a discraction going while you guys are up to this. Hopefully it'll get the focus away."
Assuming the others are fine with her plan, Charlotte will find a place in the ship where a group of pirates are already at rest or play, and brings out her fiddle...
"Oooooo...
You cutthroat, you sea dog, you brigan'
Listen to me when I'm singin',
And maybe you'll hear the legen'
Of the proud cap' Harrigan!"
"We just need to make sure we keep things safe, secure, and unseen. The latter most important of all. Here is hope that the Banshee Queen is on our side..."
Janus will mingle among the crowd of scum and scallywags. Looking for an opportunity to turn another too the true path.
Temerith will lead Variziel down to the lower decks to talk...
Charlotte's shanty seems to strike a chord within many of the pirates on deck and they begin to throw themselves at whatever entertainment they were previously pursuing with great gusto, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.
Janus walks on the ship's deck and spots Scrimshaw crouched over facing the wall, holding something in his hand.
Janus approaches the crouching figure of his compatriot. "Ahh, young master scrimshaw. How does the night air find you this day? A fine night for it."
The four of you dip into the cool ocean water. Thankfully, the ship has been anchored for the night, so you easily spot the general area where the coral grows. The four of you swim to the coral.
Upon hearing Janus' voice, Scrimshaw speaks in a disjointed fashion as he pets whatever he has in his hand, back still turned to Janus, "Yessssssss, the night air fits us SPLENDIDLY, great one! It's so nice and cool and dark and you can almost feel the salt spray from earlier today! A fine night indeed! If... if we show you something, will you promise not to tell? We want to show someone, but we can't. Too many secrets, dirty hurtful secrets, secrets the crew doesn't know what to do with. Weak, simple, stupid, LOVELY creatures. They exist as little pain puppets, fun little toys to play with and break. But you? You are a puppeteer. All you need is some string to make them dance, don't you? No, Scrimshaw, don't tell him... we promised it would be a secret. Promises are meant to be BROKEN, Jackie-boy, I would think even you knew that. I wonder, how did we ever share this body, you miserable, whining ingrate? Forgive me, oh lordly Janus, Jack sometimes forgets his place. I control Jack, not the other way around. So, would you care to see our little secret?"
Janus smiles broadly at the demented creature."A secret is a useful tool my friend, be sure when you share it you can still control it. We make the puppets dance until it comes time to cut those strings, then it is time to see if they can walk or if they fall and clatter."
Salt will be using a spear to leverage off piecrs. He doesn't intend to try and break anything off by hand recounting for his friends that coral tends to be really sharp.
While she's playing for the pirates, Charlotte will eavesdrop on any conversation she can, to see if she can catch on any interesting tidbits. She'll also gladly engage in any conversation that comes to her.
Variziel decides that it would be better for him to stay on board and let the more experienced swimmers get the coral. He pulls the journal, pen, and ink out of his waterproof sack, puts them in his backpack, and waits for Iggy and Salt to return, at which point he'll help them put the coral in his bag.
If the knife ears is busy I might as well see what's about with my friend, that man from the Godless lands.
Temerith will go to find his fellow conspirator...
Jack, or is it Scrimshaw now, cackles madly, "Oh great one, such wisdom you have! But what does it matter if they dance with the strings cut, if they dangle above a pit of roiling fire? One can place that with ease... make a puppet dance, then cast it into the flame when one is done with it so no one else can play with the broken, beautiful toy! But I wouldn't do it... YES YOU WILL, WORM! Strings are control, strings are power. Strings can strangle too, give some unlucky person a fine ruby necklace. Why could you cut the strings, Janus, when so much fun can be had? Is it because you want a free hand to do other things? Like play cards and fondle a fine wench? Or wet a pretty blade with fresh red ambrosia cut from lovely, quivering flesh?" At this last suggestion, the man giggles a high-pitched laugh.
You begin breaking off chunks of coral, which waver strangely as they are cut, before releasing gouts of strange silvery fluid that manages to touch your weapons and arms as you collect the pieces. Your flesh feels strange where the silvery fluid touches it, like the euphoric numbness that alcohol induces but multiplied several hundred fold!
; fail
, :
Variziel continues to stand by, hoping he looks relatively inconspicuous. Realizing an easy way to accomplish this, he pulls out his journal and pen and begins writing an entry, scribing some of the events of the past days.
Janus smiles at his young friend, the kind of smile normally reserved for sahaugin and grindylow. "Oh there are many fine things one can do with a spare hand. Sometimes though it is better to let a puppet think it has some free will, it gives them hope.... hope..." Janus stares off at the stars as they shimmer upon the sea. "Hope is the cruelest joke ever played upon mortals... the belief that something better lies out there. If they only knew."
.
As the silvery fluid touches Jesal his body convulses in pain and his mouth opens up in pain, releasing a gout of bubbles. He thrashes around and, oddly, a set of three slashes appear on the sides of his throat and the salty water around the cuts turns a deep crimson with blood. Suddenly, the blood stops flowing out of his throat and his body stops thrashing. He looks around momentarily, the slashes on his throat moving with the rise and fall of his chest... he's grown gills! He looks at Mr. Hank, confused at what just happened and as he blinks, a strange membrane can be seen closing over his eyes.
As the strange silver fluid touches you, a strange tingling sensation begins to spread throughout your body. Your vision begins to blur and searing pain courses through you, feeling as if you were placed in a vat of boiling oil. Your eyes, especially, feel as if they are on fire. Your vision shifts though strange colors, nauseating you with their intensity, until a certain color washes over your vision. The blurring gradually gives way and your vision returns as the color begins to fade. The agonizing pain and tingling feelings cease and you look around...
You hear whispers amongst the crew as you walk around. Three conversations seem to stand out the most.
1. "You 'ear 'bout dat new sawbones? Sod fixed Syl up real good, scared all dat craziness out o' her. Came out yesterday, shakin' and cryin' like sum lil orphan in da rain. Ol' Ogruk's ugly arse tried to cheer her up wit sum tawdry jokes, but she took him serious-like and led him belowdecks! Ne'er thought she'd let dat green lump walk between'er swingdoor, so she musta been scared shitless by dat sawbones. Odd thing is, she ain't even really got no scratch on her! Weirdest thing oi've ever saw, and I put down the Pesh strips years ago!"
2. "That damn Malenti's out and about again! I tried being all friendly, asking the bugger where he went, but all he said was 'Elsewhere,'. What in the gods' name does he DO when he goes through those portals and where did he get that sword? I've half a mind to swipe it from that fish-boy while he sleeps, if you call that cross-legged, sitting-up-against-a-wall shit sleeping. Think you'd be up for it or are you a yellow jellyfish?"
3. "I'm not going back into the bilge, boyo, it's haunted! No, I'm not crazy! I went down there to clean out some rats and I saw Magpie floating there, all torn up like a mangled piece of shark bait. He stared at me with his one eye and motioned with what was left of his hand. He said he had a warning for one of those newcomers... no, I'm not going to tell you!"
Scrimshaw, or possibly Jack now, hangs his head low, speaking in an oddly calm voice filled with some deep sorrow, "Yes, a cruel dream, nothing more... life's greatest illusion. We know this, we know it all to well. Tell us Janus, how do you know it? Shattered dreams of your own? Or have you picked up enough shards from others that it sliced you to your core, cut away the illusions?"
Charlotte seeks out Variziel, passing on a warning about those wishing to rob him, and suggesting he seek out Iggy and Jesal's help for strength in numbers if it happens.
That done, she decides to head down to the bilge and see Magpie's Ghost for herself.
"Psst. Little sister. Seems you're not the only spook on the ship. What do you say we go take a look?"
Iggy grimaces, trying to focus on swimming and not drowning as the pain sears through his body. Calm. Must remain calm. Don't look at anyone else; don't focus outwards. Just calm down, let Mother taught, and then figure out what happened to both him and Jesal.
Jesal looks at Iggy after he too quits thrashing in pain. Seems normal except... his eyes. His irises glow a strange, vivid shade of purple.
As you look around, you spot something in the water near the chest that was found earlier in the day. You see a rotting spectre overlaid over the bones lying in the silt, its form so hideous you cannot even tell what gender it is or what race it belonged to. It stares at you intensely, though whether it be friend or foe is unknown.
.
Variziel looks up as Charlotte approaches. "What? Planning to rob me?" He frowns, then smirks. "Well, we'll see. I don't have much worth taking, and I know how to defend myself. Thank you for the warning, though."
In hindsight, Charlotte shouldn't even know about Variziel's magical buddy, so my apology for this major derpin'.
Iggy seems shocked at the new sights before his eyes, as he stares in disbelief. Well, if the Pirate Queen was known for one thing, it was definitely for being capricious and unpredictable. And this definitely was that.
Collecting the bits of coral into a bag, he begins moving towards the creature, his weapon moved to his side to show no real interest in provoking it, focusing for a moment to show the mark of the Banshee Queen on his cheek, hoping to gauge its nature based on that.
"Some are just born without illusion my friend, there was no room for it where I come from. We are taught the stark realities of life from crib to death, never a moment where our lives had not been in service to the truth of the universe."
You head down the ladder into the bilge, your feet splashing in the smelly water. Glancing around, you do not spot any sort of apparition. The bilge does seem unnaturally cold though, given how stuffy the air has been tonight. Perhaps it warrants further investigation?
You move towards the rotting phantasm, prominently displaying your mark to the creature. It's wasted features contort oddly, almost as if it were in some sort of pain.
Jack's mouth turns into a faint smile and closes his eyes wistfully, "That must be a wonderful place, sir, a wonderful place indeed. Do you ever dream of going back?"
As you continue writing in your journal, you smell a faint perfume behind you. "Whatcha writing there, lad?" You hear Sandara beam out from behind you.