The miserable bilge-rat-bastard can beg off all he wants but it will get him nowhere.
Holgur steps in an attempts a knee to Jape's head while he is doubled over.
Attack
Ciera stablises himself against the roll of the deck and aims two quick punches at Fipps' kidneys, trying to put him out of the fight as quickly as possible..
Attack 1:
Damage1:
Attack 2:
Damage 2:
Holgur moves up to continue the attack on Jape, but missteps and throws off his attack. Syl, still holding her nose, moves around behind the stairwell but no closer with Ciera blocking egress.
Ciera launches two swings, but only connects with the first of them, as Aretta continues to step back away from the fight.
Fipps turns on Ciera instead, seeing that she blocks the one entrance makes her an obstacle that needs to be overcome. He swing is lazy, filled with overconfidence, and fails to find its target.
Kelly - Attempted to disarm Fipps
Holgur - Moved up to and missed Jape
Syl - 7 NL damage, Moved, Total defense
Ciera - Hits Fipps
Aretta - 4 L damage, Steps back 5', Total defense
Fipps - 4 L/2 NL damage, misses Ciera, 5' step to G4
Jape - 2 L /7 NL damage, 5' step back, Total defense
"Stop dodging, you rotten piece of bilge-filth!" Balsooma roars in frustration, slapping a hand to his chest and stepping forward, then swinging at Fipps with all his might.
Balsooma's hulking form steps up to Fipps and swings with all his anger, smashing the man square in the jaw. It sends the man spinning into the side of the hull, before he slides to the ground. He had only enough time for a weak swipe at Balsooma with his dagger before he was put down for the count.
Seeing the tide of the battle turn, Kelly decides that an unconscious adversary is better than a cowering one. He moves up to the brute Jape and takes a hardy swing trying to bypass his defenses.
Kelly uses the distraction of Balsooma dropping Fipps like a lead bar, and he shoves Jape's head hard into the corner of the stairwell. Jape slides to the floor, unconscious. Now only Aretta and Syl remain.
Syl - 7 NL damage, Moved, Total defense
Ciera - Hits Fipps
Aretta - 4 L damage, Steps back 5', Total defense
Fipps - 4 L/14 NL damage, Unconscious, misses Ciera, 5' step to G4
Jape - 2 L /11 NL damage, Unconscious, 5' step back, Total defense
Balsooma - Clocked Fipps hard
Kelly - Knocked out Jape
After knocking Jape to the wall, Kelly quickly looks to Ciera and hurries in a tone that should not carry up above the din of the struggle, "Ceria, the knife, make it dissapear!"
Holgur presses forward toward Syl, throwing haymakers and grunting "Come here, bastard!"
Attack
Attack
In the unlikely event that the first attack hits:
Ciera steps forward, leaning over Fipp's uncosious form and freeing up the entrance to the deck. Quickly she grabs the knife from the floor and slips it into the sheath on the inside of his wrist.
Slight of hand:
He turns and shouts at the remaining thugs, "Go on then ya bilge-rat cowards! Get goin' unless ya wantin' some more!" He cradles his bruised ribs with his left hand as he points the thugs up the stairs.
Holgur circles around the back of the stairwell, and takes a swing at Syl, but her mostly defensive posture makes it hard to get a decent punch on her. She moves closer to Aretta and the opening, still careful about leaving herself open at all, and makes for the stairs. As Ciera grabs up Fipps' knife, Aretta makes a mad dash to get out as well. Both of the, previously eager-to-fight, ladies beat a hasty retreat. Some of the onlookers that are still left groans at the whole affair dying down, and getting to work before lashes are handed out.
As the two flee up the stairs Holgur looks at the remaining three foes and says "Humn, violence before we have even had a chance to rub the sleep from our eyes! This sort of thing gives pirates a bad name!" and then he lets out a chuckle.
"Any good swag on them? Grab anything and then lets get up the stairs before the other two get a chance to make their case against us to Plugg and Scourge."
Ciera wipes the blood from his nose and stands, breathing heavily in the fight's aftermath. "We'd best git above deck and to work if we don' want a floggin'" he says, starting up the stairs with a cocky swagger.
Balsooma kneels down beside the slumped form of Fipps, and rifles through the man's pockets grumbling about "useless pirates" all the while.
Balsooma doesn't find much of value on the fat man, and the dagger already grabbed by Cieran may be the only thing worth anything that he had. It's likely he's got anything of value in his locker, like most of the others.
As you make your way on deck you can tell Master Scourge is watching the procession as each person comes up "So nice o' ye all ta join us! Didja git yer sleepy time in'trupted? Hells, why doncha walk a little slower ya fish-rot swabs!" He watches a little longer, expectantly, most likely to catch sight of when Fipps and Jape make it up from belowdecks.
Kelly ,
Ciera ,
Balsooma ,
Mr. Plugg swaggers over and coldly instructs Holgur, "You need to stop standing around all slack-jawed and get your lazy butt up into that upper rigging." High above in the rigging a woman clambers about, dressed in common fisher gear, all except for her bare feet. As Holgur gets up top, she introduces herself as Samms Toppin.
Scourge turns to assign tasks to Kelly and Cieran, "Since ye wants ta take yer sweet time maybe we can put a hurry in yer step. You," He points at Kelly "can run messages between the officers. As for you lad, ye can use some bulk, maybe haulin' rope'll build ye up.", He points Cieran over to another young man. The boy has a small knife and a chunk of scrimshaw hanging from his pocket. He introduces himself as Jack.
As Balsooma heads to work down in the hot and cluttered galley, the livestock once again loose from their pens, Fishguts isn't around. Before long Mr. Plugg walks in, wrinkling his nose and looking disgusted by the whole place. "Fishguts hasn't brought up the breakfast biscuit yet. That worthless sot probably got himself plastered again. You just may have your work cut out for you. Well, get them biscuits handed out, and so help me, that meal better be ready by supper." He turns and strides out. After a quick look around, lound snores can be heard from the room adjacent to the galley. Grok stops to offer a word of advice, "Ifn he's in a way, he won't be bein' much help fer ya today. I can try ta wake 'im, but ah wouldn't put any coin on it."
Ciera eyes up the lad and introduces himself. "Hey there, I'm Cieran." he says tenderly poking at his bruised eye. "'nother job that don't suit me i s'pose. Does 'e always have such an eye fer talent? I'da been much better as a runner'm thinkin'. How long've you been aboard?"
Str:
Con:
Daytime action (influence)
- befriend Jack: (diplomacy?)
If/when he gets time Ciera will visit the Quatermaster to see what he might be able to retrieve from the stores.
Whoops, sorry missed that.
Balsooma - not a quick learner - will set about working diligently at his day's task of preparing the evening meal.
Unfortunately, the skills he picked up in beating iron, melting metals, and forging blades don't cross so well over when it comes to making food.
Kelly cocks one eyebrow at the assignment, clearly annoyed again with misuse of his talents, but only nods curtly in acceptance with the assignment. Feeling winded after the use of his concoction earlier, and still feeling the effects of the past several days events he devotes all his attention to getting the job done so he can concentrate on other activities later.
The extra effort really helps as Kelly takes a few wrong turns trying to get used to the layout of the Wormwood, he just hopes it helped enough. The extra running really winds him, maybe he should lay off the drink a bit.
Holgur makes his way up the riggings without a word to Mr. Plugg.
Assuming nothing untoward happening Holgur introduces himself when he gets to the top.
"I'm Holgur. Do you always go about barefoot up here?"
Holgur works diligently considering the height that he would fall from if he is not careful. Rigging was one job he was glad to put behind him on his old ship the Ravening Maw, one slip and Besmara floats you down to Pharasma's Boneyard.
The lad, a decent looking young man not likely yet in his twenties, seems fairly uninterested in making conversation. Whenever he's given a chance, he pops the bone and knife out and carves away at it. He speaks only enough to Cieran to get the job across, but beyond that he doesn't have much concern in making friends. The rope work is brutish and brainless, but also very tiring and back breaking. The large coils of rope weigh a hefty sum, and the constant lifting, moving, tying, repeat of it all wears thin. Looking for any respite, Cieran spots Grok walking across deck and catches up to the tough woman as she gets to her store. "Aye lad, how are ye? 'Ave somethin' in mind yer lookin' ta pick up?"
At the store, located in the galley, Cieran notices Balsooma making a horrible mess of the cooking. There are ingredients laying everywhere, various pans of either burnt or raw contents strewn about, not to mention the blaze that almost erupted when some of the flour caught fire. The smoke and stink all through the room is thick and cloying, and Grok has left her store multiple times for the adjoining room where Fishguts sleeps to try and wake him. She has also left often just for fresh air. It's a few hours before signs of Fishguts' waking even becomes noticeable, and when he does, he's not any more useful than when he was out. Sometimes getting in the way, or trying to slur out some directions that only result in confusing Balsooma. Adding insult to injury, Mr' Plugg enters frequently to see how the progress is going, and soundly berates the cook's mate each time. He threatens often of punishment.
After a couple hours on deck, Fipps makes his way up top looking like a kicked dog and accepting his vulger admonishments by Master Scourge. The fat man grimaces when told he has earned stripes at bloody hour for his laziness. Well after noon, the Half-orc Jape finally arrives and Scourge nearly gives himself apoplexy in trying to find the words powerful enough to put the man low. Japes 'disregard for responsibility' as Mr. Plugg puts it also earns him stripes.
Despite a few wrong turns, Kelly manages to make his way amongst the hustle and bustle of the ship, and get a feel for the layout well enough to perform adequately at the task he was given. Despite how simple it sounds, passing notes, it turns out to be an exhausting duty. Kelly is lucky enough that there were a few long pauses belowdecks in the shade to allow him to rest now and again.
As Holgur reaches the highest points on the ship, he finds the task to be calming almost, despite the break neck distance above deck. Much of the sounds on deck are distant enough to be able to enjoy the sight of the open sea. The woman responds matter-of-factly to his question, "Oh, Ah don't go barefoot just up here, Ah'm always barefoot deary. It gives me better grip as ah walk about and nothing beats the feel o' wood under yer feet."
Don't forget to heal your 1 NL/hour, and we'll call the on deck work day as 8 hours. More to come later, feel free to interact (Ciera do your shopping), and I will post Bloody hour and night actions later.
As the night comes to a close, and most of the others head off to bed, Grok tells Ciera, "See me in the morn, Ah can probably give ya some o' yer stuff back without too much problems."
Peering in the storeroom yields no help for Cieran. The place is stuffed with crates, barrels, chests and bags. All of which is behind the imposing form of Cut-throat Grok and her notched greataxe. Grok balks slightly at just giving stuff back, but she looks as if she's on the fence about it, and may be convinced otherwise.
"Hey Grok" says Ciera, giving a sly wink. Whatd'ya recon about me maybe gettin some've me stuff back? I'd be 'appy ta do some jobs fer ye if ye like. Need anythin' done?[/b]
For the rest of the day Ciera continues chatting away at Jack, not minding his silence. Whenever his back is turned "he" sneaks a glance at Jack's behind, liking what "he" sees.
"Ya know what, Ah think Ah can 'elp ye out. Yer a good kid, seems like, and Ah sees no big problem givin' ya most o' yer stuff back. Though, Ah would'na walk 'round with it showin'. Use yer locker ta stores it. It wont be much missed, given it not be worth all tha' much." She turns around and unlocks one of the wooden lockers. Rifling through it, she decides on a bundle and hands it to Cieran.
After visiting the quartermaster's, Cieran makes it up on deck in time to see Jack Scrimshaw trying to tamp down some of the lines, with difficulty. Master Scourge looking around for Cieran spots him coming up on deck, and either grins or growls, it's hard to tell.
Come bloody hour three recipients are lined up, Mr. Plugg giving a short speech beforehand, "It seems we have an issue with laziness, here on board as of late! Some think that they can show up for work whenever it pleases them, and others find their jobs not worthy of their attentions! For that, swabs Jape, Fipps, and recent member Cieran will be given three licks! Master Scourge."
Each man in turn is brought to the mainmast where several strands of thick ropes hang to secure the punished. First is Jape. . The first two strikes draw grunts of pain from the half-orc, but the third is enough to cause him to pass out, the wounds bleeding slowly. Two of the crew untie him and haul him away.
Fipps is next, and as he is brought forth, he stares daggers at Balsooma. These of course are at least a little more successful than his actual dagger was. He is bound to the post, and Master Scourge performs his duty. . All it takes is the first hit to knock Fipps against the mast, the second leaves him slumped unconscious, and the third ends up having little bearing. Fipps is also borne away by two of the crew.
Cieran is last, the young man brought to the post and bound by the wrist. There is little to no play with the ropes, just enough to squirm from the strikes. There is no doubt that when it comes to readying himself to swing, the pained look on Master Scourge's face is pleasure. . The first strike itself is impressive, like the bosun put his all into it. The second leaves the boy hanging limply by his forearms, but it doesn't stop the bosun from delivering the third, a large bleeding stripe across the formerly smooth back.
As he delivers the lashes, Sandara grabs Kelly and brings him up with her, so that as soon as Master Scourge finishes the two of them can be the ones to return the lad to his hammock. As she helps haul the poor boy she lets Kelly in on a little information, "I can't do anything for him tonight or the bosun would have my hide just as well, but if our young friend is not well by morning, let me know and I can ask for Besmara's divine provenance in making him ready to carry out his duties befor ehe earns more stripes."
After Bloody Hour commences, Grok hauls the rum tun on deck to dole out servings. Balsooma and Fishguts come up to deliver an almost unpalatable slop, Caulky Tarroom having already tested it before delivery to the officers. There is much grumbling and complaining from the crew, and for serving such a slop many of them grab knots of rope and smack each the cook and his cook's mate soundly with them. Mr. Plugg looking on with a sneer before he looks as if he may gag, and spits the foul taste from his mouth.
The evening is open to do with what you will, and many of the men turn to dice, song and drinks.
but it doesn't stop the bosun from delivering the third, a large bleeding stripe across the formerly smooth back.
P.S. do I still get an evening action / rum ration, or am i out for the count?
As Sandara grabs at Kelly, he is already trying to ply his way through the crowd. He gladly follows her through the crowd to get to the young lad. As they haul him below decks, Kelly stops to grab his rum ration for the evening. Deciding he needs to take it easy on the drink for a while, he pours out most of his rum on his way below, saving an ounce or two.
Once below he takes stock of the wounds. He turns and asks Sandara "If I had my book, my formulae book, I could maybe do something more as well. Do you have any idea where it is? Could you help me get it back?"
Kelly then sets about treating the wounds. He uses the rum to help clean the wounds and then pulls some supplies from his healers kit to dress them.
Balsooma mutely bears the crew's anger, forcing his face blank as the heavy ropes and sailor's jibes batter at him. He forces down some of the meal by alternating mouthfuls with draws from his rum ration to wash the foul taste away.
When he gets the chance, he draws Ambrose aside, resentment bubbling to the surface like a foaming sea: "You need to lay off the rum, old sot," he hisses at the drunken cook. "It's no wonder this ship is rotten when men like you are too busy drowning themselves to bail it out. By Besmara's bones, I mean to make a name in these waters. You are either my sober friend, or a useless piece of slag, it seems."
Holgur is a bit encouraged by the little exchange that he had with samms Toppin but he still wants to know if she is claimed by anyone before he makes any overtures to her. He sits with his rum and watches for a game of dice or arm-wrestling to get heated (they always do) and uses it as an opportunity to sneak about the ship and see whatever there is that he should not see.
Stealth
{ooc]The dice roller does not like this character.[/ooc]
Sandara looks thoughtful at Kelly's request. "All of your stuff would be kept in the quartermaster's stores. I think I can play on her superstitions to get the book for you, but I don't know if she'll fall for it repeatedly."
Ambrose seems little worried at the rope bashes, seemingly brushing them off merely part of the job. When Balsooma gets mad at him, though, he looks sufficiently scolded, as he hangs his head low. "Ah'm shlorry, this plashe ish a ruv dill fer me. Ah'll do whud Ah ken duh shober shum un be mur hefful." he slowly slurrs out an apology, looks at his bottle of and makes like he's about to toss it, but takes a swig instead and shuffles off to his room. The effects of Balsooma's own rum hit him pretty hard, and he can see where, given time, someone can get drawn into it. The sight of Ambrose's level of sickness, though, may just have helped.
Holgur hangs out with the crew for a spell, but is able to wander off to have a look around the ship.
Wearily rubbing his face, Balsooma descends into the hold of the ship to return to his hammock. He offers up a quick prayer to Besmara, hoping that Fipps and his kind fear a keelhauling more than they wish to attack him during the night.
Ciera struggles ineffectually as he is dragged to the mainmast. As the first blow lands he lets out a stifled gasp, before crying out in true pain at the second and slumping against the rope, unconcious.
Disguise:
Kelly treates the young man's wounds and simply shakes his head in dismay "How old did this boy say he was? His shoulders haven't even broadened, and it looks as though he doesn't even grow wiskers yet. This boy likey isn't any older than 14," Kelly says as he settles back, tired from the day, and he sets to work with the components from his pouch.
Shortly after he finishes his work, he checks once again on the young boy, then grabs the rack next to him and settles to sleep as well.
Kelly appears to have spilled a bit too much of the Rum out in his haste to get below decks. That same haste also means that he applied the bandages too quickly and most of the makeshift poltice was absored, and did little to help the wounds.
Kelly treates the young man's wounds and simply shakes his head in dismay "How old did this boy say he was? His shoulders haven't even broadened, and it looks as though he doesn't even grow wiskers yet. This boy likey isn't any older than 14," Kelly says as he settles back, tired from the day, and he sets to work with the components from his pouch.
Shortly after he finishes his work, he checks once again on the young boy, then grabs the rack next to him and settles to sleep as well.
...
As Holgur looks around the hold, it doesn't seem at first to have much beyond what has been seen while passing through. There are the pigs that should be penned, but get out periodically. Still chained to the foremast, the brutish simpleton, marked with what look to be left of a tarring and feathering. The door to the galley, the stairs to the capatins quarters, and the stairs down to the lower hold where everyone sleeps and up through the officer's quarters to the deck. Eyes adjusting to the dimness, and more time to look than the rush to deck in the mornings, Holgur also sees two light ballistas, a disassembled light catapult, and about a dozen twenty-gallon barrels of oil.
Holgur makes his way back to the general quarters and get in what sleep that he can. In the morning he will take the first opportunity to inform his fellow "volunteers" of what he saw.
As the day dawns the new life begins to find a routine. You wake, make your way up top, get the breakfast biscuit and assigned the day's job. Holgur gets sent up to the upper rigging again, but this time he's joined by Conchobar, the little gnomish 'friend' he made the other day. "Ah, I zee they dezided to put you way up heere to keep yur awful smell from deezturbing zee others."
Kelly has been assigned the glorious duty of manning the bilges. They are found on the lowest deck of the ship, a trap door in the crew's quarters opens to a ladder that leads down into the darkness. The place is foul, damp, and thick with cobwebs. The bottom is covered in one to two feet of dark, brackish water that stinks abominably. A single bilge pump rests near the stern and six sets of manacles hang from the bulkhead at the forward portion of the ship. When you get to work, you notice that you have the distinct pleasure of working with none other than Fat man Fipps himself. During duty, you feel a small nick on your shoulder, and it seems like nothing at first, but as the day goes on your strength seems to drain away.
,
,
,
,
,
,
Oddly enough, Cieran gets some pretty light work. Either they are taking it easy on him, or they don't think he can manage the heavy stuff. For the likes of Master Scourge, it's most likely the latter. Working alongside him is a little, bedraggled, one-eyed, female gnome. She seems like a nice little thing, ready to make sure Cieran does the job right, and introduces herself as Giffer Tibbs
Balsooma is in for a nice surprise, as Ambrose looks like he's trying to drink as little as possible. He seems in low spirits though, and isn't much in the mood for talking. In a little fit of crabiness he sends Balsooma off to go turtle hunting. He hands the big man a treble hook and a net, "Go git yerself some harpoons an' git us somma 'em leatherback sea turtles. Imma make a stew fer tonight." Grok hands out a few harpoons for Balsooma to use to spear the creatures.
Upon learning of his assignment for the day, Kelly contemplates trying to blow Scourge into the sea. Upon reaching the Bilge, he contemplates trying to blow himself into the sea, and the thought of taking Fipps with him seems pleasing as well. The stench is awful and clings, he swears he can feel his strength draining away as he works. He doubles his efforts manning pumps, trying to get away from the muck as quickly as possible.
Nodding his acknowledgement at Ambrose's request - not wanting to irk the man any with his voice - Balsooma heads up to the deck to try his luck with the harpoon against the sea's shelled denizens. He tries to put the distractions of working above-deck from his mind - the yell of sailors and flapping of sail - concentrating on the task at hand.
Ciera painfully eases himself out of his hammock the next morning, the feel of the whelts on his back aching and rendering his movements stiff and painfull. Before heading to the deck he forces himself to stretch his muscles needing them to stay as flexible as possible. Next he heads to his locker to secure his newly retrieved belongings, which he places carefully in the space before locking.
Upon hearing his duty called out he sighs gratefully and kneels next to the small gnome, trying his hardest to do a good job today, and avoid another flogging.
DEX:
Holgur points his thick index finger in Conchobar's nose and says "Shut up and go about your work I will see how high you bounce off the deck."