"You must have pretty weak goblin babies where you come from!" Battered as she is, Thren continues to bait Syl and sing while fighting. This time she headbutts the other woman square between the eyes.
"I'd end this now before anyone gets a lashing for being late to work, like Jape's gonna be." The tiefling advises.
As always Lark is only too glad of the help from Lehland. He quickly steps in to pummel Fipps.
Taking advantage of Fipps’ distraction Lark lands a precisely aimed and potentially devastating strike to the temple.
Lee scurries around the stairs and through the junior officers' berths to try to get behind Fipps and thus give his companions a better advantage. As an aside, he notices that not only are there no officers there present, Owlbear who had been put to bed there last night is also gone.
Indeed, with Lee harrying Fipps' backside, Fipps leaves himself open and Lark lands a nasty blow to Fipps' head, although having clearly hit a nonvital component of his Fipps' body, he somehow remains standing, however barely.
In the meantime Threnody slams her head, hard, into Syl's.
Syl loses all "friendly fisticuffs" demeanor, dropping the banter routine as her face contorts into blind rage.
"YOU F%*#ING B&$** ONE DAY I WILL F$#!ING CUT YOUR THROAT AND DRINK YOU DRY!" Syl shouts, trying to grab Thren and knee her in the gut.
However, she is obviously so disoriented, Thren manages to pull out of her grasp and avoid taking any damage. Syl takes a step back, trying to recover.
Fipps clutches his head and gives Lark a glare. Covering his body protectively, he squeezes past Lee and flees up the stairway, halfway tripping (but harmlessly) over Muffin in the process.
Lee tries to kick him in the shin as he goes...
... but misses, however just barely.
You can hear Fipps scrambling to get above deck.
Jape is on the ground, unconscious, and Fipps has fled. Syl is practically frothing at the mouth, but at this point seriously bruised and unlikely a further threat to the party. With Fipps fleeing, the party is likely to be able to find a way up the stairs safely without continuing the fight, or they can attempt to pummel Syl into unconsciousness if they wish to do so. None of the other pirates in the room make any effort to help or hinder them.
Addressing Syl: "Okay. We know none of you lamers have what it takes to plan an attack this coordinated. So tell us who put you up to this and you'll continue to enjoy solid food. Otherwise..."
And the Halfling motions meaningfully to where Jape lays moaning and suffering the results of the non-consensual dentistry that Lark performed on the Half-Orc.
Addressing Syl: "Okay. Why don't you yield? We don't have anything to prove by beating you further and if we stop now you may continue to enjoy solid food. Otherwise..."
To further reinforce the point, Thren moves up 5' and throws a punch straight at Syl's face. The bard scores a noticeable hit, splitting the other woman's lip.
"You'll be lucky if you don't get to feed the sharks before I'm done with you, Syl. And for no good reason. I haven't done a thing to you." Thren shakes her head, much as it hurts to do so. But then she smiles evilly. "But if you get lashed for being late, I'm going to be there and watch it happen."
Syl looks berzerk, so Lark is worried she’ll do something crazy. He steps forward next to Thren and cocks his fist . He hopes she will either flee or be flat-footed if he has to attack her again.
Syl backs against the barrels behind her in a protective motion and it is obvious she is not going to make any further attacks on you. "All I need to enjoy is the taste of your blood!" she retorts to Lee, refusing to let go of any bravado even as she is obviously backing away from the fight.
And then regardless of her backing off, Threnody punches Syl hard enough that she actually does spit out a few teeth and wobbles back and forth uncertainly. Fire still in her eyes, she mumbles something that in her head probably sounds like a chilling promise to murder all three of them in their sleep but comes out incomprehensible. She waves at them as if to shoo them away.
As Threnody mocks Syl for being late for shift, it does occur to the three of you that you have about 30 seconds before you yourselves are late, and the passage upstairs is free. The last few pirates who are due for the day shift are in fact at this point pushing past you to get upstairs, while the six pirates from the night shift finish coming downstairs, eating their biscuit and drinking rum. They step over Jape as if his being unconscious on the floor is a normal occurrence, likewise do not seem to pay any of you any mind.
You run through the mid-deck, noticing on the way that Owlbear is literally chained to his post today, with a strong steel chain that runs from one of the posts in the hold to the collar on his neck. In spite of his circumstances, his face brightens as he sees the three of you and waves as you pass by.
Reporting for duty just in the nick of time, you find that the day is rather miserable, with heavy rain pouring down from skies that stretch dark grey in all directions. You notice Harrigan is making a rare appearance on the poop deck, going over nautical charts with Peppery Longfarthing.
Fipps has reported and is gathering batting and repair supplies, presumably to prepare the ship for worse weather ahead. Syl comes up shortly behind you and with a sneer as the only reaction to her bloodied face, orders her in the rigging to do sailwork.
With little introduction or elaboration, Plugg barks your orders at you:
Lark is assigned to hauling rope to various parts of the ship, tying and untying rigging attachments as required. The coils of rope are hard and heavy, and a long day of doing this is exhausting.
He is also notably constantly sent to parts of the ship where there are few friendly (to Lark) crew members working, making it hard for him to interact or get help. ()
Lee is told the captain wants an especially hearty dinner tonight, and must slaughter, dress, and pluck a chicken in addition to assisting Kroop with cooking duties. ( In addition to the big chicken dinner, Kroop is cooking extra food as, he explains to Lee, there's fear the rain will turn into a storm and there'll be no time to cook should all hands be required to dealt with it.)
Threnody is not assigned to the rigging today, but rather to the bilges. It is especially hard today because of the rain and should really be a two-person job, but she is assigned down there alone. ()
As you think upon your unpleasant duties assigned to you today, perhaps your thoughts are brightened however slightly by seeing Rosie pass, with a small violin-shaped case secured to her back. She gives you a sympathetic look, knowing you're likely being handed s$~*-jobs today because of what happened the night before. She is working as a runner today, kept moving constantly by the officers to bear messages and carry supplies to different parts of the ship, also tiring work.
Lee is having nerves about the day.
*Bad times are here.*
Muffin will take the daily action SNEAK.
He will shadow Lee and catch rats when he is able.
Thren, hurting from the fight (at the time orders are given), mutters under her breath how it doesn't pay to get out of the hammock some mornings, then reports to the bilges.
Despite the morning's "exercise", the tiefling girl still has plenty of energy left for the work, but finds that it's too much for her to do on her own regardless of how energetically she works.
Lee has decided that today is a good day to SNEAK, so he'll poke around some while he's working.
First off, he doesn't want to be noticed while he's fetching and working with the chicken, so he'll doing it on the sly...
...and looks like he's retrieved a chicken and gotten to work on it with nobody being the wiser.
As far as the killing and cleaning process goes...
...Freddie Farmhand's description of chicken slaughtering, though too vague to be really helpful, gets him through.
Lee, being from a seaport city on an island, is very familiar with cleaning fish and seafood, but this dealing with chickens business...
...is too much for him. Anyone interacting with him today will notice pale skin, sour breath, a bit of the shaky hand and a light coating of sweat on his brow and upper lip. A good portion of his day will be spent chewing ginger root and making "erping" sounds.
Despite his weakened state, Lee will get on with making dinner...
...and despite the shaky hands will be able to knock together something decent and is okay for being kept for tomorrow or even served cold.
Lee's had a big day, but despite that, he'll take some time to look around...
...and enjoys what may be described as 'limited' success.
Between the action, Lee will undoubtedly see and speak to Grok.
"You are right about me owing you. If you want me to do something, ask and I'll do my best. If I see something that will benefit you, I'll act on it."
Lee's not sure how impressive that sounded in his sickened state, but it kind of is what it is at this point.
Distracted by pain in her face and other choice squishy parts, Threnody foregoes any extra activities for the day and heads to work in the bilges. The rainy day is causing the bilges to fill up faster than she can keep up with. She frantically works to keep things under control as the icky water rises to her knees. Adrenaline keeps her alert but she simply lacks the muscle power to keep up.
Halfway through the day, the bilge door opens, and an odd scent of ozone announces the presence of Peppery Longfarthing before her well-kept boots descend the ladder. The red-haired Second Mate is on her rounds renewing the light spells that keep the lower holds lit. She raises an eyebrow at the tiefling straining at the overworked pumps and clicks her tongue.
"What's Plugg thinking, having only one person down here on a rainy day?" She asks, more to herself than Threnody. She reaches into one of the many pouches on her even many-er belts, producing a tiny candle which she lights with a spark cantrip. The candle melts to nothing rapidly and a strange "popping" noise sounds as two Lee-sized earth elementals appear. She signals to them and they begin pushing on the pump handle, making headway to get the bilges emptied.
She tilts her head, eying Thren. "Still, failing to get the job done is failing to get the job done, isn't it? I suppose you're owed a few rope bashes," she says, pulling at a length of rope hanging off one of her belts. Rope bashes are a standard sailor's punishment--your old captain frequently used them on slackers--painful but not terribly damaging.
She pauses, "Or... I do need some powdered fiend horn for some of my experiments. Tiefling could do in a pinch, I suppose... oh don't look at me like that, I just need a little!" She locks eyes with Threnody.
"Which will it be?" She holds up the rope in one hand and a small ball-peen hammer in the other.
Worried about Lee given his message, Muffin spends time rubbing against Lee's legs, both making him distracted from the vermin hunt and distracting Lee from investigating the mid-deck. Hence he does not find much new. He does see Owlbear sitting somberly on the steps to the officers' quarters, still chained to the post nearby. He is talking to himself very quietly, about winning fights and prizes and buying piles of crabs to eat.
Lee does at least do a good job with his assigned duties, although while he knew to expect the scent and look of chicken innards to be awful, the oddly overwhelming scent of the chicken when it is plunged into boiling water to prepare it for plucking sends him over the edge, and he is pale and shaky for awhile.
Grok nods at Lee at his offer. "Let's just both lay low for a bit, eh?"
The tiefling reflexively reaches up one hand to her horns. "I'll take the rope. Last time I even chipped a horn, it took weeks to get them even again! Besides, you obviously know some magic, but I'm not a fiend, how do you know my horns will work? I don't want to find out something got set on fire because my horns were involved."
Disoriented by the pouring rain, Lark delivers rope to the wrong section of ship. Rather than correct the error, he slips away for a quick visit to Grok’s shop. There he inquires about purchasing an empty bottle or jug.
Threnody : Peppery chuckles and shrugs, delivering two rope bashes to the arm. ( "You're probably right, but you don't know unless you try, right? If you change your mind I'll pay for the sample. And don't worry, my lab's well warded against accidents. I wouldn't dream of endangering Barnabas's ship, especially while I'm standing in it!"
She places her lighting and says. "The elementals won't last long so you'd best get back to work. I'll tell the Captain to remind Plugg we'll need more bilge crew for the next few days.I'm pretty sure the weather's going to get worse before it's better. You keep our ship dry and I'll keep us well clear of the reefs." With a wave, Peppery departs.
Lee: Grok is surprised by the simple request but can certainly accommodate his needs. She has simple clay jugs and flasks (2-3 cp) to high quality thick glass bottles (2 gp). There are up to 2 of the latter and they each hold a pint. The poorer quality clay jugs are many in quantity and hold a gallon.
Lark is punished also with 3 rope bashes for losing rope in the rain, his punishment meted out by Scourge, who takes delight in the task. (3 nonlethal)
As Peppery departs, Thren shrugs. "Okay...I'll think about it down the road a bit. Sorry but I am a bit sensitive about them!" She doesn't even take it all that badly that she got set up for failure and punished for it. That done, she gets back to work. No reason to give Scourge more chances at her.
Lark buys a clay jug with a good stopper. If there's time he'll rinse it with water and stow it in his locker to dry.
You all eventually finish your long day of work. Bruises from the morning's "adventure" and poor work punishments and sick tummies from ickyness are eased, and even largely forgotten after a shot of rum.
You pass Owlbear, still chained to his post. Someone has placed his bowl of stew about three inches from his reach at the extent of his chain, and he strains for it helplessly.
Muffin expresses concern to Lee that the "dog-man" has not been fed and wonders if he should bring him a cockroach.
The evening goes pretty normally, the stew good, the rum still excellent for thinning paint.
Rosie, unafraid to show her softer side now that most of the crew has witnessed her beat a man three times her bulk and size into submission, pulls out her fiddle and plays. She's not even particularly very good--perhaps rusty after being parted from the instrument for awhile--but manages after a few rough starts to produce a passable tune. She pours herself into her music and for the first time since you've met her, she looks content. Conchobar watches her play, fascinated, even though he is likely a better musician than she is. Quinn sits near the three of you, tapping her foot to the music while smoking her pipe.
A dice game breaks out with Tibbs, Cog, and Tilly playing.
Syl and Fipps sit in the corner and sulk.
"Finally! A way to make the rum better. Sadly, though, it involves directly comparing it to everything you find inside a chicken."
*The dog-man will be okay for tonight.*
*He's sad but if we pay him any attention, he'll get punished.*
*Tomorrow we'll make sure he gets fed.*
After Rosie is done playing (but before wandering over to the game), Lee will try to get a moment alone with her.
Speaking in Halfling, he says, "Nice song. I wish I could toast you with a beverage that's fit to drink," though he touches his tankard to hers anyway. "I was sitting next to Grok while you were fighting Owlbear. It was quite a display. I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth, but I think you made an impression. Congratulations."
Night action: Entertain
It takes Thren a bit of time to eat and drink. She's sore, she's tired, she's had someone want a piece of her horns. But when that's done, she comes up to Rosie between songs. "I do believe I asked to perform with you," the tiefling says respectfully. Once the tiefling and the bard confer, Thren will sing while Rosie plays.
Rosie grins at Threnody and nods. "How about Fiddler's Green?" she suggests for a good voice-fiddle duet.
Your song has a poignancy that touches many seamen and -women's hearts that night, and many join in or watch. Many complain of their eyes itching--must be mold in the hammocks!--and wipe them repeatedly.
Conchobar is even MORE enthralled watching both women perform. It occurs to you he spends every night gambling so for him to take the time to watch he either likes music, pretty ladies, or both quite a lot.
It’s been a crummy day and Lark is focused on disposing of the evidence currently sitting in his locker. He quickly drinks his rum and doesn’t spare much attention to how much easier it goes down.
When Rosie starts playing Lark goes to his locker and decants the stolen brandy from its bottle into an anonymous clay jug. He keeps the containers inside the locker and obscured as much as possible.
When Thren and Rosie start their lovely duet Lark seizes the distraction and moves to open Syl’s locker and plant the empty bottle and the two flasks of holy water.
Lee plays a game of dice with Cog, Tilly, and Tibbs. What all of you have in common is that you were forced into service onto the Wormwood, Tilly having been recruited longest ago and Cog most recently.
Cog tells Lee much of what he told Lark a few days ago: he was a Varisian merchant mariner whose ship got lost in the Eye of Abendego. He was one of few survivors and made his way to Port Peril, where he spent months finding mostly trouble and little work. The press crew came for him only a few nights earlier than they did for you, but he surrendered at the sight of them---he asserts he "could have taken them" but figured it was the best opportunity for a job and for adventure he was going to get. Cog goes quiet at questions about his family, save that he would not have gone to sea if he had family ashore that had not "gone to Pharasma's embrace"; he absently touches his scarf as he does so. He brings up Pharasma a LOT and seems obsessed with the goddess of birth, fate, and death. He appreciates Lee's good manners although he himself seems a bit rougher around the edges. When Owlbear is brought up, he shakes his head, "I'd love to see him be able to go all out in a fight, I bet he'd be great at the top of his form," Cog says, "But I reckon Plugg has him too whipped. I know he ain't bright, but a big fighter like that doesn't deserve to be chained up a dog no matter what."
Tilly is from the Shackles. She and her husband served aboard a ship that Harrigan conquered, and her husband was killed--a sentiment she expresses out of sympathy when Cog mentions his family is gone.
Tibbs went traveling on a merchant ship--out of Absalom of all places--feeling she'd lost interest in older hobbies and thinking she'd avoid the Bleaching (an eventuality that Golarion gnomes are terrified of, which seems to be a combination of old age and unshakable ennui) by travel. She got more than she bargained for--"But I'll live if only to spite that bastard Harrigan, and I won't let'em break my spirit."
Tilly wins the game of dice, and wins a pool of coppers.
=============
Steadying his nerves with some rum, Lark manages to successfully decant the brandy as well as sneak to the locker area, but isn't able to get the lock open.
You wake up today realizing that if you get through this day, you've survived a week on the Wormwood. In celebration, the sky is pouring all of its angst upon you--winds are getting worse and the rain is even consistently harder today, and an oppressive feeling in the air tells you it you haven't yet felt the worst of it. Harrigan is again on deck, directing officers to various tasks to be sure the ship is ready to weather the torrential downpour. Plugg is much quieter in his presence, and eager to toady up to him to impress him every moment he has.
On the mid-deck, Owlbear is unchained and in fact set to work tying up barrels of cargo to keep them from sliding around.
Reporting on deck for duty...
Lark is assigned to the bilges, along with Crimson Cogward. With water pouring in, the job of keeping the bilges pumped is more crucial than ever--but no more pleasant.
Lee is assigned to normal cooking duties, and better still, Kroop is sober today! So his duties are easy--slicing cheese and cured meat--he has time at last to finish working on the reorganization of the kitchen he began a few days ago.
Kroop is talkative, but concerned. "I been through many a storm and I reckon we're about to go through a doozy."
Threnody is back in the rigging, as with the awful weather, all riggers being on duty (Syl, Samms, Maheem, Conchobar, and herself) is crucial. Unfortunately, the weather makes doing rigging work harder. . She is assigned to the upper rigging, and 50 feet in the air feels a lot higher when the wind is whipping you around.
Day action: Work diligently
"I love the weather!" Drenched by rain and hair whipping in the wind, Thren is in a strangely good mood that day. She climbs about in the rigging like a child at play. Too bad that while she can climb about easily enough, she can't manage to keep a grip on anything besides what she's hanging from at any given moment.
On the mid-deck, Owlbear is unchained and in fact set to work tying up barrels of cargo to keep them from sliding around.
Lark thought he felt better ever since last night’s pot of rum, but apparently it was a false sense of well being. He strives diligently at the bilge pump, but despite exhausting himself, he provides little help for Cogward.
Lark struggles all day in the wet and foul bilges,never seeming able to get a firm footing to pull his weight. Cog manages to do his part so the bilges are adequately pumped, but that's not much consolation when a corner of Lark's shirt gets caught in the mechanism, and he struggles so hard to free himself, he falls into the filthy water at their feet. Cog can't help but laugh, but offers him a hand up.
Peppery comes again late in the day to light the rooms, but seeing Lark in his state, opts not to add to the punishment fate has inflicted. She remarks however, "You 'privateers' need to build some bulk. I hope you can pull your weight if the weather gets worse."
Threnody is less lucky on the punishment front, as Scourge catches her daring to enjoy herself. "Stop pissin' about ya lazy bint! Get down here ya lazy bint!
As soon as Thren gets within range of his whip, he swings his whip at her.
LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN.
Thren takes this hit without comment. She knows that she's earned it, because nothing seemed to want to stay tied in the rigging and it's her work that wasn't up to par. This doesn't make her like Scourge any more, however.
Lark manages a curt “thank you” as Cog helps him up. He can’t bring himself to thank Peppery for not beating him, but he bites down on a curse and lowers his eyes with a quiet ”Yes, ma’am.”
Lark heads up the ladder trying to decide if the rum is the cause of his terrible day or the cure for it.
Lee puts a few slices of turtle jerky into a small pot (a coffee pot or teapot would be best), pours boiling water over it and starts to let it steep.
While that is happening, Lee will keep an eye out for Peppery Longfarthing making her rounds. He'll get her attention and ask if she has a moment. If she does, he'll lead her to the kitchen and offer her some the turtle broth he's made (Turtle Bovril or Turtril).
He'll make a point to let her choose the mug and he'll drink from the other first.
'During the bad weather we'll be facing, we may want something to fortify the crew. Do we have any interest in making this available?"
While discussing the pros and cons of Turtril, Lee will let it be known that on his last ship he was the quartermaster's mate because he has good math and solid writing skills. He also aided the navigator, again with maths and copying charts. If she's interested in having Lee aid with the mundane tasks, he'll defer to Kroop, saying, "I suppose my current supervisor would need to free me up for a different assignment..."
Lee will chat with Kroop all through the work day. He'll discuss the reorg with Kroop, paying special attention to prep for foul weather.