A River Into Darkness - GM Justaworm (Inactive)

Game Master justaworm

"I have to say" Stig says as he takes the contract that is handed to him "you really know how to make a job sound interesting." He takes the piece of paper and folds it up before tucking it into his belt. "The pay sounds good and the action better. I'm in" he says with a big grin as he sticks out his hand to shake Esteban's. Good to be moving on. I was wanting to head out pretty soon anyway. "Now whats this contract thing?" Upon looking around and seeing other members of the group looking at the contracts, it clicks. He pulls out the paper that he had tucked away and flattens it out on the table before signing it. As he hands the contract to Esteban with one hand, Stig downs the rest of his wine using the other. "When do we leave?"

Stig has 8 int and, as he hails from a more tribal culture, isn't very familiar with the typical way of doing business

"Yah, that's good. I need to get upriver anyway. And it would be nice workin' for honest merchants for once, instead of pirates. Too many pirates around here."

Is the paddle-boat steam-powered? Would I know what a "paddle-boat" is? I have +4 in profession (sailor).

. "Ahh ... Payment? Yes of course. Aspis will provide you with 25 gold coin each for the duration of the contract starting the moment you sign. Of course, the length of the contract is not set given the terms I outlined for fulfillment, but I can tell you that it is a 2 week trip to Nightfall. I can't imagine that the Aspis relief guards get to Bloodcove any earlier than 2 weeks as well, and so that is at least 4 weeks. That's ahh ..." he bobs his head about while doing the math, "that's at least 700 gold each. Plus I am authorized to give you each 250 gold bonus immediately available once you sign the contract. Finally, all spoils of battle are yours, provided you didn't receive significant assistance. If you did receive significant assistance, then the consortium expects you to share. Hey, that is only fair, right?"

Waseem packs a pipe with tobacco, lights it and takes a couple of puffs before handing it off to Jaqu. ”Waseem is confused by math. Do you mean 25 gold a day for two weeks? Wouldn’t that be 350 gold? Or is that 350 gold each for Waseem and Jaqu?”

Jaqu curls up under a table and puffs on his pipe. A dark shadow betrayed by the glow of the symbol on his forehead and the embers of burning tobacco.

"It's still refreshing to be offered money for doing work instead of threats for not doing work," Selena says with a grin as she looks over the contract. "If these two are in, I am as well. Will we have time to purchase some supplies?" She eyes the drinks but decides not to partake.

Waseem packs a pipe with tobacco, lights it and takes a couple of puffs before handing it off to Jaqu. ”Waseem is confused by math. Do you mean 25 gold a day for two weeks? Wouldn’t that be 350 gold? Or is that 350 gold each for Waseem and Jaqu?”

Selena looks over at Jaqu as he smokes under the table. "Umm, Waseem, I think the good Captain was not considering paying Jaqu... Umm... is it okay for him to be smoking? ... Nevermind... The captain mentioned four weeks. Two weeks to get there, two weeks waiting for reinforcements. That is why it is estimated at 700 gold. Is that about right, Captain?" She gives the captain her warmest smiles.

Attempt to influence attitude
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
+9 instead of +8 if he could be attracted to Selena

Oops. apparently Waseem isn’t the only one confused by math :-(

”Jaqu will be fine. It is a... cultural thing.”

"I assume that you will provide all our expenses directly involved in this. Including reimbursing us for any consumables that we use in defence of Nightfall or the ship. Or, at the least, selling us any consumables that the ship or Nightfall has at cost. And that payment will be made at Nightfall immediately upon completion (I'm not sure that I'll be returning with you)."

Shwarto will carefully examine the contract to make sure that it says what we were told that it says.

Take 10 on knowledge local for 23.

He isn't really expecting consumables to be reimbursed but he does actually expect that the Aspis will be willing to replace any used at cost. That IS to their benefit. However, he'll sign the contract anyway as long as there aren't any strange clauses. But if they're trying to cheat us (make us pay for room and board or similar nonsense) he'll sign with a fake last name and make sure that it isn't his real signature (take 10 on linguistics for 20).

Given that the captain likely has sense motive he IS planning on honouring any fair contract but won't feel at all bound to an unfair one

Oops. apparently Waseem isn’t the only one confused by math :-(

I had to read it several times myself to make sense of the numbers, so you're good in my book. :) And I like the thought of Waseem asking about Jaqu getting paid, too.

I like the thought of Waseem asking about Jaqu getting paid, too.[/ooc]

To Stig: "Yes, my large friend. This is a writen document that outlines the terms of employment I just described. We will both sign this piece of paper, which means we both agree to the terms are recorded in the contract. If the Aspis goes back on their word, you will have legal standing to bring a complaint. If you go back on your word, then Aspis will have legal standing to bring a complaint. All legals matters would be settle according to Bloodcove law, where these contracts are maintained," he finishes. "Of course, any personal mark of yours will do. And, if you cannot read Taldan, I am sure one of your friends can look it over for you.", he adds.

"As for leaving, my goal is to set out late tomorrow afternoon. There is a storm brewing supposedly and I would like to beat it. While the river itself is no issue, getting through the mouth in a storm can be treacherous with the all bars. It takes quite a bit of practice even in decent conditions."

To Shakaro: "Ahh, excellent. We can talk about what you might be in hurry to find upriver more on the trip if you would like. I know a great deal about the Vanji. While the river is full of natural excitement, I can say that river pirates are few and far between."

To Waseem, after Selena's correction: "Yes, my lady. Aplogies if I spoke unclearly. It is a 2 week trip to Nightfall station on my boat. I am just guessing that you would be guarding the station for at least another 2 weeks after arrival, as that is the earliest any reinforcements could make it there. I suspect, though, that it will be still some time later than that even. So, I was saying that there is at least 4 weeks worth of employment, and probably more. The 700gold, 25 per day, covers that 4-week time."

Esteban pauses a moment, "Yes, I should add that there is no formal agreement for the trip back, though there could be, and so I am not counting that time in the estimate. Your plans may vary, and so we'll handle that discussion later. The captain looks at Jaqu and then you again, "Of course, I do have to stipulate that your magical jaguar friend and you share pay. That is typical of these sorts of employment agreements."

Directly To Selena: "Ahh, a Kayal. Amazing. It is truly my delight. You must tell me about your home plane sometime, well of course assuming you've been there. Hah, if I hadn't seen you out in the daylight, I would be much more worried", he chuckles. "As I just mentioned we will set out tomorrow afternoon late. The market stalls in Bloodcove are open at all hours, but you should have plenty of time tomorrow morning and afternoon to purchase things."
He already seems to be about as open and friendly as possible.

To Shwarto: Looking more closely over at the wizard, "Excellent. As if one shadow creature weren't rare enough, we may have two. Ah, you are a shrewd one; I expect nothing less from a master of the arcane arts. Well, I have to say that the up front 250 gp bonus is meant to cover any consumbables you think you may need. Mind you, Nightfall doesn't have a store officially. However, if you need something that is available in the stored supplies and such, I am sure will be more than fair given your assignment."

"I am afarid of the situation there, however, and I might guess that many important items could be depleted given the seige and skirmishes. I highly recommend you bring the healing items and whatnot that you expect to use."
He adds, "I will say that if I am impressed with you all from the river journey, I will put in good word for you with the station keeper at Nightfall. I think that would carry weight anyway."
"Oh, also. As you should see in the contract, room and board are provided. Excess food and drink beyond 3 meals is of course on your own expense. Both my boat and Nightfall have a fairly decent cook and so hunting for everyone is encouraged when possible."

"Are there any other questions? If not, we can take care of the paperwork, your bonus ... for consumables and the like, and catch up again tomorrow."

The contracts are pretty simply stated and look sound. The Aspis relies on a lot of highly skilled mercenary protection. It probably wouldn't do to be jerking such people around too much.

Waseem will shrug slightly and sign the contract.

He already seems to be about as open and friendly as possible.

I just want all the friends I can get, haha

Hmm, a flatterer like myself. I'll have to keep my eyes on this one, Selena thinks to herself behind her frozen smile. She watches Waseem sign and follows his example. "Thank you, Captain. I look forward to working with you."

Shwarto signs the contract, satisfied that his issues have been resolved.

Assuming you are in agreement, you have all the next day to make purchases in preparation. You know there is going to be an extended river trip followed by a possible extended stay at a trade depot that is under siege. If you have other questions during the day for Esteban, you can find him or Faruq at the docks from mid-morning on.

You each have earned:
270gp from the contract bonus and 5-way split of the dragonnel carcass sale.

Feel free to strategize with each other and then let me know what you bought and when you are ready in Discussion.

Knowing exactly what she wanted to purchase, Selena quickly and excitedly bought everything on her list in the morning, ate a hearty lunch at the Salt Reaver, and found The River Queen in the early afternoon.

Seeing Esteban at the docks, she approaches him. "Hello, Captain Esteban. How does the day find you?"

Depending on his response if he doesn't seem to be overwhelmed with preparations, she would ask him about his time as The River Queen's captain, how well does he like Aspis, what does he expect the journey down the river to be like, how does he know the term Kayal when normal Material Plane residents call them fetchlings, and just a torrent of questions basically until someone else shows up or until he gets really busy or irritated by her pestering. I can do this all in character if you prefer, but I don't want to bog us down either if that might a problem. Selena the character may be pestering Captain Esteban, but GenericChick the player is not trying to pester GM Justaworm. :)

Here's a Diplomacy roll just in case
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Part I:

Selena, and anyone else, who visits Kelim at the docks earlier in the day is treated to roughly the same scene.

Artwork of Crew Loading the River Queen

As you approach, you can see Faruq lifting larger boxes while 3 other humans and a hunched dwarf load crates and supplies. Esteban may be seen riffling through an occasional crate, likely inspecting it before it comes on board. Mostly, though, the captain is likely in the wheelhouse or inspecting the River Queen before setting off.

Captain Esteban is happy to make small talk, give you an advice, and a cheerful smile. He is, however, generally short and looks anxious to get back to preparations. "Apologies, he says, "some of the deliveries were of improper quality and others are behind schedule. Its been a crazy morning and I am behind on final inspection as well. We'll have plenty of time to chat once we set off, I promise."

The River Queen, looks mostly like a high quality river barge as opposed to a traditional ship. She is some 80ft long and has a maximum beam of 20 ft. Her draft sits down at about 3 ft, as is noticeable to anyone who would pay attention to such a thing. The cabin and pilothouse have large windows and the topdeck area (just outside the pilothouse) is completely open, save for the mosquito netting all around. In fact, all the windows and cargo areas are covered in mosquito neeting. The exterior of the bow has large rolled up netting that seems to be acting as bumpers, and you can see crew cutting out old sections and replacing it. The River Queen looks perfectly made for shallow river transportation in a muggy, buggy environment.

As you walk away, the Captain offers up some advice. "Hey, make sure you've got something for disease. Sleeping sickness is no joke on the Vanji. (from diplomacy roll)

Part II

Outside Apperance. (Part III will cover inside tour.)

The River Queen map

First, use the side-profile look at the River Queen (in the center part of the picture) for reference on how the boat sections would look like.

• The Pilothouse is the most prominent part, as it sits high in the air. Heavy teak renders this area largely weather proof, especially if the shutters were closed. Mosquito netting covers the side and large front windows areas of the Pilothouse. Area J on the Pilot Deck map section is the Pilothouse.
  
• The Cabin (the other walled structure) sits below and just aft of the Pilothouse. Its large windows, which can be shuttered, and vented area below the ceiling are also covered in mosquito netting. Area A on the Main Deck map section is the Cabin.
  
• Just behind the Pilothouse and on top of the Cabin sits the Topdeck area. It has no walls, and instead there are 4 posts that hold up mosquito netting all around this area. It looks like this is meant for general sitting and perhaps lookout, though only to the stern and sides. You can get a sense what this looks like from the artwork picture from the previous post. Two funnels bracket the entrance doorway to the Pilothouse, and a think teak door can also seal access to the Pilothouse area from here. A ladder from the Cargo deck leads up to the Topdeck, giving access to it and the Pilothouse. Area L on the Pilot Deck map section is the Topdeck.
  
• Under the Pilothouse and in front of the Cabin is a covered cargo area. Large nets and ropes strap down crates and barrels here, and mosquito netting is drapped down from the Pilothouse and all around this covered cargo area. Area F on the Main Deck map section is the covered cargo.
  
• The area in the aft of the boat before the wheelbox is the (ucovered) Cargo deck. Crates and barrles that presumably are ok getting wet are tied down to the deck here. This area is uncovered. Area C on the Main Deck map section is the covered cargo.
  
• To each side of the Cabin is the Gangway area. It looks pretty narrow, perhaps about 2 ft wide and barely fitting a humanoid walking through this area. This area is uncovered. Area B on the Main Deck map section is the Gangway.
  
• At the bow of the River Queen, the Foredeck area is elevated 5 ft up from the main deck. A mass of modlering netting is attached over the bow railings. Unlike the sides of the boat, a thick well-conditioned teak railing lines the sides of the foredeck. This area is not covered, likely making forward watch not quite a terrific experience. Area H on the Main Deck map section is the covered cargo.
  
• Lastly (for outside anyway), at the stern the Wheelbox (label D) and Paddlewheel (label E) clearly give the impression that the boat should be able to make way against a decent current if necessary. The wheelbox is a closed wooden housing that likely seals in the machinery that turns the paddlewheel. Once aboard, you would also notice a well-crafted, masterwork padlock locking the wheelbox. The wood and iron paddlewheel propels the boat upriver.

I suggest reading through that a once or twice and look at both the Artwork picture (from Part I) and the referenced section map (the profile view is also helpful). For the most part, there is only a very low railing around the boat, except for the Foredeck. Mosquito netting clearly is drapped all throughout the living and sitting areas, though it looks like it is generally needs constant attention. The areas listed as uncovered are to mean that there is also no mosquito netting.

Part III (inside tour) is coming. But, feel free to question any questions you may have.

Part III

Inside tour (Part IV will be crew introduction)

Once everyone comes aboard, the Captain gives a tour around the inside of the River Queen. Feel free to ask any questions about the areas. The following descriptions compliment those given from the external appearance in Part II.

The River Queen map

• Area A: Cabin. This teakwood cabin is built with stanchions supposrting its roof. A single door provides entry and nine shuttered windows look out over the sides of the ship. The walls have several large cracks and a gap of 2 feet exists between the top of the walls and ceiling, allowing for maximum air flow.Cargo crates are often brought in to serve as table and chairs. Crew place their belongings in the bundles of netting that hang overhead, and hammocks are strung between the stanchions. Between the hammocks and sleeping bags, it looks like 10-12 people could sleep in this area comfortably.
  
• Area B: Gangways. This is as narrow as it looks from the outside. With a low railing, this looks like trouble during storms, rough waters, or perhaps if the boat is moving fast.
  
• Area C: Cargo deck. A lot of crates and barrels sit here. The central portion of this area would be considered difficult terrain to move through.
  
• Area D/E: Wheelbox and Paddlewheel. The wheelbox does indeed look waterproof. It also radiates a faint abjuration aura. The lock looks very well made.
  
• Area F: Covered Cargo. Several barrels are also sets up inside this area that look like good places to sit and take in the jungle view from behind the netting, especially when rain would douse the Topdeck sitting area.
  
• Area G: Magazine area. Just prior to the Foredeck, teak stairs lead down to this magazine area. A thick teak door and strong lock currently stand open allowing access to this area. Esteban informs you that this area and beyond are off limits to new crew and visitors during travel. He does show you down into this area though right now. This weathertight area appears to serve as a small cabin (In fact Hurg and Faruq quarter here) that also appears to contains crago crates, probably those that shouldn't get wet. The captain mentions that mostly the magazine holds the rum and some crossbows, boarding pikes, and a few javelins and spears.
  
• Beyond a set of doors under the stairs from the magazine area is the Furance deck. This area is pretty much strictly off limits unless otherwise approved by the Captain, Faruq, or Hurg (the engineer). The doors are closed and the captain does not show you into this area.
  

Part IV will be meeting the crew, but this will likely happen tonight or tomorrow. Again, feel free to ask any questions about the ship at this point.

Part IV: The Crew

Short overview of the crew. There are also plenty of dialogue opportunity along the journey.

Starting with Captain Kelim Esteban, he is a tanned human male, probably in his mid 30s, who looks native to this region. The captain carries himself with calmness and confidence in most any situation. He seems pretty reasonable, fair, and likeable so far. Now aboard the ship, the captain wears a rapier sheathed in an exquisitely detailed leather scabbard.

As you walk about the ship the captain introduces you to each of the crew as you pass buy. "You've met Faruq already. Faruq here has been my first mate for what, maybe 4 years now." Faruq for his part looks up at you and then back down at his work. He is a half-orc dressed in typical Vudrani garb of a bright turban, blood red vest, blue pantaloons, and a sash. He wields a fine looking,masterwork quality falchion at his side. "Well, he doesn't outright hate you at least, Esteban quips. He'll warm up to you, probably."

As the captain shows you down into the Magazine area, you come across a hunched dwarf, head shaved and beard kept very close to his chin. The old dwarf is probably well aged beyond his years in appearance, and he wears only an apron and short leather pants, revealing his leathery and cracked skin. "Hurg here is the engineer and part-time chef. He keeps the paddlewheel, machinery, and engine running smoothly." The captain points out each of you and introduces you by name.
Hurg, for his part sighs and greats you gruffly, "Welcome aboard. Don't break anything important and we'll get along jus' fine," he smiles.

On the docks and Topdeck you meet the last three crewmen, Danner, Houghman, and Speraggo. "I picked these men up from Absalom maybe a year ago and they've proven their loyalty ever since. Of course, we had Benji too" and nods solemnly, "but ... I supposed without that incident our paths wouldn't have crossed. So, it seems that it worked out." The three men offer a curt "welcome" and then continue with their work. All three are well-built human males of some Avistanian origin. They each wear a masterwork short sword and studded leather suitable for hot climates.

---------

Lightning arcs across the sky suddenly and the rumble of thunder rolls upon you in a few seconds. "Damn. I was hoping we would beat it," the captain states. His demeanor changes a bit and he barks some orders to the crew. "We need to go quickly friends. Please, stow your gear in the cabin and help get these last few crates and barrels aboard." He climbs the ladder up to the Topdeck and as he passes into the Pilothouse he yells out, "You were right Faruq. This is not a good start for us."

Seconds later the skies open, the rain begins falling, and the water begins to chop up.

If you wanted to contribute some more dialogue, we can fit that into the sections above. Also you can decide how to help with final preparations. There are also plenty of jobs to finish.

You have some creative license here if you want to give a description of your actions and result.

• If you are helping with loading, make an Acrobatics check (DC 10). Failure means you slip and fall, though no one falls into the water this way.
  
• If you help tie down the crates and barrels, make a Profession(Sailor) DC 10 or Climb/Disable/Survival DC 15 to see how well you do. (If you can apply another skill in place of these to tying down things with wet rope in a storm, feel free. The DC is 17.)
  
• One person can can also help by stowing everyone's gear, which lets the others get straight to work. No checks involved.
  
• Finally, you can opt to do nothing but come aboard and sit down; loading the boat wasn't in the contract after all.
  

Shwarto would definitely help to tie down the crates and barrels. Taking 10 on disable device yields a 23 :-).

Not immediately, obviously, but when the ship was moving and the opportunity arose he'd definitely want to talk to Hurg about the engines. He hasn't seen these kind of engines before and is genuinely interested in how they work (absolutely no ulterior motive). Hopefully he has enough knowledge engineering to convince Hurg that he knows what he is talking about and so can interest Hurg sufficiently that Hurg will share. Even more optimistically, Shwarto will have enough knowledge that he can actually help Hurg improve the performance of the engines (take 10 for a 25 after consulting his books). Note, he DOES have a Travellers Any-tool so he has the perfect tool for the job :-).

* If you help tie down the crates and barrels, make a Profession(Sailor) DC 10 or Climb/Disable/Survival DC 15 to see how well you do. (If you can apply another skill in place of these to tying down things with wet rope in a storm, feel free. The DC is 17.)

"Aye, Cap'n. I'll get to it."

Shakaro begins helping the deckhands tie down the cargo.

Profession (sailor): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

"Happy to help wherever I am needed captain." He moves quickly to wherever has the least manpower.

Stig would prefer to either help load boxes or tie things down.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 For loading
Climb: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18 For tying down

"I will gladly store all of your gear for you!" Selena declares to her companions with an outstretched arm.

(If her companions hand over their gear) That's weird... They actually gave me all their stuff... Is this what trust means?

If she can store all their gear and come back to help, she'll also try to help load and hand off crates and barrels to someone who knows more about tying these down.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Haha, as I was trying to think of a creative way to load crates and barrels onto a ship and drawing a blank, I pictured someone slipping around and dancing, so here it goes:
Perform(Dance): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Daaang, okay, I'm doing it.

Like a figure skater, Selena uses the slick surface as an advantage rather than a hindrance, sliding along the deck gracefully ? and quickly, delivering cargo to Shakaro to be secured.

If my roll was good enough to add one of those jump-twirl 360 moves at the end with the last crate, I'm totally doing that, haha. I realize that there's a versatile performance for Dance replacing Acrobatics and I did not take that, so I'm fine with the water skating not happening and would be content with just giving you guys that mental image. But that's the most creative thing I could come up with, haha

climb: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Waseem will assist packing crates onboard although he obviously isn’t adept at the task! After Selena’s performance art he’ll bow in appreciation, “That was...impressive. Waseem feels somewhat inadequate.”

"Nicely done, Selena. Very, very nicely done"

I'm voting for the "rule of that is just too cool to fail" applying to Selena's dance :-). Shouldn't work in combat but should definitely impress the heck out of NPCs :-) :-)

Like a figure skater, Selena uses the slick surface as an advantage rather than a hindrance, sliding along the deck gracefully ? and quickly, delivering cargo to Shakaro to be secured.

"Hey! Calm down! That's not how you're... supposed to..."

Shakaro stops talking, dumbfounded for a moment as Selena brings him another crate.

"... uh... actually, never mind."

You all immediately set out to work, leaving Selena to take any of your loose belongings up into the cabin to stow away. A few minutes later she returns to help and instinctively dances and slips around on the deck, putting on a masterful display of grace perhaps never seen before on the Blood Sea.

Some of you can overhear a voice from the crew (likely one of the human deckhands) over the storm, *whistles* ... "Oi mate, I think you were wrong about these ones. Perhaps they won't be the death of us after all. At least not that one there anyhow."

---------

Once everything is loaded, the crew unties the ship from the dock and pushes off. The engines start up quickly and the boat begins trudging out of the harbor and over the very rough bay towards the river mouth. The riverboat's combined low draft and low deckrails means that many of the larger waves crash over the sides of the deck and wash out the holes at the stern of the boat. While you at least think you trust the captain, it does appear that the current conditions are stretching the limit for this riverboat.

Speraggo, who is the only one sitting in the cabin with you, speaks up, "Aye, this is a nasty one. Capt'n will get us there. The river 'ell be smooth once we get past the bars. Ye should stay off the decks fer now though."

While the boat is chugging along, seemingly barely making headway through the stormy bay, the constant rocking and cramped quarters starts to weigh in on your senses, especially with the shutters of the cabin closed. You are definitely fighting off the feeling of sea-sickness.

You need to make a DC 5 Profession Sailor or DC 10 Fortitude save to avoid being sickened for the next 2 hours.
duration: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

-------

River Queen Battlemap
Here is the ubiquitous editable link to the ship battlemat. I cannot imagine why we would need it, but I made it just in case ... ;-)

Some rules to stay fresh on:
- Swimming / Drowning
- Water combat
I will put them in the campaign tab when I get a chance.

If combat were to ensue on while aboard the River Queen, and it isn't already apparent where you are on the boat, then I will randomly roll to see where you are located. Between guard duty shifts and just wandering the decks, you could find yourself most anywhere.

As she finishes helping load the ship and seeing the mixture of surprise and awe on her audience's faces, Selena gives a performer's deep bow.
----------
Fort: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
Ooh, boy.

Selena's complexion somehow turns paler. "How long... until... we get past... the bars?" she manages before deciding it was less risky to just keep her mouth shut. She curls up in a ball on her side in the cabin. After a few moments, the realization that it didn't matter whether her mouth was open or closed occurred to her as she fought her stomach's heave, and she started muttering like a mantra,
"All I ask is a safe retreat in a bar well tended,
And a soft berth and a smooth course till the long trip’s ended."

Profession (sailor): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

"Ah, this chop is nothin' compared to the open ocean."

Shakaro looks around at the boat.

"I never served on a boat without sails or oars before. How does it work? Is that dwarf down below running on a treadmill?"

Waseem: fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Jaqu: fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Shwarto fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Twikli fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Shwarto is obviously feeling queasy a couple of times but manages to keep everything down.

Twikli, on the other hand, is clearly having no problem at all with the swaying boat. While he is staying inisde and far away from the waves and water he is peering out with great interest, occasionally muttering to himself.

Fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 oof.

Stig sinks down next to Selena. "I'll keep her company. I just need to stay still for a bit" his head falls into hands as he speaks. The big man is clearly also not used to the lurching of the boat.

At various stages, many of you start feeling sick while huddled into the closed cabin. Selena is the first to go and perhaps that works to set off the others as well. Ultimately Selena, Waseem, and Stig are looking worse for wear (sickened).
(Sickened: The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)

"Oi, watch were ye puke, we sleep here too ya know. Here's some buckets," Speraggo says as he grabs some empty buckets and bowls out of the corner. "Shouldn't be too much longer now lass and it'll calm down, but ye may feel better out in the fresh air. It did the trick for me when I was green," Sperrago motions to Selena.

---

Some minutes pass buy and Shakaro remarks about the boat and Sperrago snorts at the comment about the dwarf, "Ay, don't let em hear ye say that that. As fer the ship, it seems some mix of magic and very hot machinery. Been down there once when it was going and I didnt care fer the heat. I have no idea how the old dwarf stands it. Hurg keeps the thing runnin, an I don't know much about it otherwise. I do know there's only two other ships like it on the Vanji though. Cap'n seems ta get along with the other cap'ns pretty good."

---

The silence of the storm is broken by the sound of a couple thuds on deck and one of the crew cries out in agony. Curses flee from Faruq and he shouts orders to you and Speraggo, "We're under attack. Get out here!"

--------------------------------------------------
Round 01
--------------------------------------------------

Initiative Order:
Selena (/) - Sickened
Shwarto (/) -
Stígandrr (/) - Sickened
Crew (/) -
---
Baddies
---
Faruq (/) -
Twikli (/) -
Waseem (/) - Sickened
Jaqu (/) -
Shakaro Jun (/) -

------------- Round 1 -----------------
Selena, Shwarto, Stig, and Crew are up in post order

Ship Battlemat Keep in mind the multiple ship levels.

What do the various letters on the battle map represent?

Note, do not have edit access to battlemap

Shwarto would head down to the 1/2 square immediately south of the door (he is small and so should be able to fit).

If the door is closed he'd then open the door.

If it is open, he'd at least look out

He moved far enough it isn't likely to help much but he'd definitely stealth from sheer instinct

stealth: 1d20 + 15 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 15 - 5 = 16

Ooh, you caught me in mid map making! Switch to this link Shwarto, I made a new copy, added the baddies, and put in edit mode (hopefully).
The letter squares are the crew, the letter matches their name (M is "mannie".)

Its a move action to open the door, and looking out the rear Shwarto doesn't see anything immediately. I believe you have another action still if I follow your post correctly

Ship Battle

At the cry of attack, Selena uncurls herself and manages to get on her feet, using all of her willpower to stop her stomach from emptying itself. "Get out here?" How exactly does one do that when one's body is trying to turn inside out? Selena thought, briefly putting her hands on her knees and focusing on her breathing.

"Rain, river, lots of water... definitely not lute conditions..." Selena mutters as she quickly ponders which instrument would be best for the situation, a protective instinct shadowing the fact that the instrument is magically summoned and dispelled thus not susceptible to such damage. "Pipe." With a subtle gesture at the tail end of her murmuring, Selena appears to pull a musical pipe from her sleeve. Summon instrument, as opposed to the pipe she has in her belt pouch

And I believe that's all I can do this round. Move to stand up from prone, action to cast Summon Instrument. Next round, you know I'm gonna inspire some courage ;)

Shwarto, I see. You did move to open the door and then opened the door. So, yeah you are done. I moved your character to the spot you mentioned.

I believe you have another action still if I follow your post correctly

Nope. Took me a full move to get to the door so I'd have just opened it with my standard.

That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it too. It is not at all as if I don't want to be the first out of the door :-)

Edit: Sorry, our posts crossed :-). Yup, we're in violent agreement

Why are we inside? Did I miss something?

"What's going on out there?"

Stig moves outside to get a view, bracing himself against any attacks. "Right away!"

Move action - move, Standard - total defense, swift - +1 to fort cause why not. Total AC: 21

Shakaro, you all are inside because the storm is bad and it isn't quite safe to be on the decks with the occasional rogue wave and such washing down the boat. Now that the boat is under attack, things are different…
Keep in mind that the cabin shutters are closed and latched, from the outside.
------------------------

Selena summons her pipes and prepares to embolden the crew with music.
Shwarto kicks into gear and rushes to get the door to the cabin open for everyone else. Not seeing anything at the stern of the boat, he motions that it is at least momentarily safe.
Stígandrr defensively walks out onto the deck to get an idea of what is going on. He quickly learns that teak is slippery when soaked and nearly loses his balance but is able to maintain his footing.
Amidst the cries of pain, he looks up at the topdeck and see a spear sticking through the netting and into Danner. Danner falls backward onto the deck in agony (still crying out and so not dying). Quickly surveying the thrashing waves to both port and starboard, Stig sees 2 humanoids that also seem to look like sharks some 20 ft away from the ship. They are preparing to throw spears it seems. (You can’t see the third near the bow from where you are.)

The Crew:
Danner lays down in pain and tries to pull the spear out of his shoulder.
Mannie fires his crossbow but misses the creature in the turbulence of the storm.
Speraggo rushes onto to deck, sees the adaro and readies his crossbow. The experienced sailor easily navigates the slippery deck.
Faruq rushes out of the pilothouse onto the topdeck, steps in front of Danner, and shoots his longbow through the netting at the creature. Stig sees the arrow miss wildly in the storm.

Baddies:
The creatures unleash another volley of spears.
One spear flies by Speraggo and Stig, striking the paddle wheel harmlessly and getting crushed up into the wheel.
Another spear slices through Mannie’s arm, and everyone hears his cries of pain from the foredeck.
A final spear again flies by Stig and harmless crashes into the boat.

Combat Conditions:

• Any round you move on the bottom deck, make an Acrobatics or Prof. Sailor DC 5 check to avoid slipping. If you fail, you fall prone. There is no check to stand back up.
  
• Generally, the low rails provide partial cover on the lower deck. Full cover is provided at the Foredeck. The topdeck cover bonus will be a judgment call by me.
  
• No perception checks are needed at the moment to spot them as others can point them out. They are tricky to see in the waves though.
  
• Fort Save, DC 15 (poison) if you get hit by an adaro weapon.
  

-----------------

Selena (26/26) - Sickened
Shwarto (26/26) -
Stígandrr (38/38) - Sickened, Total Def (Rnd 1), +1 Fort (Rnd 1)
Crew (S:0 / M:10 / D:5) -
Faruq (0) - I changed his init to help me out
---
Baddies
---
Twikli (13/13) -
Waseem (33/33) - Sickened
Jaqu (30/30) -
Shakaro Jun (35/35) -

Twikli, Waseem, Jaqu, and Shakaro are up.

Jacque will go to the cabin door and look out

Waseem will move to the door and look.
know local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
“Adar. Half sharks. They tend to use poison on those spears.” (He’ll pass on the rest of the info from the GM)

casting lesser evolution surge, Swim. Jaqu's feet grow webbing giving him a swim speed of 40'.

"Shark men?" Shakaro grunts. He murmurs a guttral chant and rubs some red and yellow paint on his face in lines. As he does so, his skin seems to roughen and thicken.

Casting barkskin.

He walks outside. "Shark men! Why you hiding in the water, shark men? Come here and fight. I want to make a sword out of your teeth!"

I can't seem to move my token but a 20' move should put me just outside the door. I'm hoping to draw a bit of fire away from the crew.

BTW I succeed on a DC 5 profession (sailor) check on a natural 1.

Shakaro, I can verify that the file is in edit mode from my iPhone, but I cannot move your character since google docs and the iPhone safari browser don't like each other (and work blocks file sharing sites).

If someone could move Shakaro to just outside the door, that would be great.[ooc]

Round 1 Close:
[ooc]Waseem moves closer to the door and gives Jaqu some webbed feet and the ability to swim. Jaqu isn't thrilled about the prospects of swimming in a raging storm, but at least it gets to bite things.
Jaqu: lesser evolution surge

Shakaro casts barkskin and heads outside the cabin.
Shakaro: barksin

------------------- Round 2 ------------------------

Selena, Shwarto, Stígandrr, and Crew are up.

Make sure you are using the Battle map link from the Friday 7:40am post above. post with link

I cannot relink the actual battlemap at the moment due to no access to google docs. Tonight I will hide the old version of the map to avoid confusion.

Moved Shakaro

Shwarto sneaks outside and attempts to shoot the left most Adar to the south with a snowball (I'm assuming that the cabin gives me enough cover to make a stealth check

stealth: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24

snowball (touch): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 (hopefully against blind flat footed so may actually hit) for damage: 5d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 4, 1, 6) = 16 plus
possible sneak attack: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10 Fort save DC 16 or staggered for 1 round

If the map is to scale, it looks like it's pretty crowded on the deck, so I'll just stay inside the cabin for now. If it isn't as crowded as it looks, I would step out in the middle of our group.

Selena steps up to the open door of the cabin and begins playing a battle tune to Inspire Courage. +1 to attack AND damage rolls :)

Flavor perform check
Perform(wind instrument): 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 8 - 2 = 13

Selena puts on a good attempt, though if it weren't for the distraction of battle, it would be obvious that her sea-sickness hinders her performance. Maybe I should have gone with drums... Blowing into an instrument is giving my stomach bad ideas, Selena thought, a little too late.

Acrobatics to Move: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 - 2 = 18

Looking up to the top deck and seeing Danner in agony snapped Stig back into the moment. "Hold on!" He raced up to the top deck to check on Danner, and grab the spear. Pointing over to the other side of the deck he makes an attempt to distract Danner "Hey what's that? I think it is something you should look at." As Danner looks over, Stig reaches down with both hands and pulls the spear out, wincing a little at Danner's cry of pain. "You'll be fine. Its just like a splinter, only bigger." Stig turns to Faruq as he readies the spear "Are there any other ranged weapons on here? Maybe a harpoon or something?"

Move - move up to the top deck, next to Danner. Standard - pull the spear out. Swift - +1 to Fort