"I don't come aboard looking for any fights either, but so far Mal'undil is the only person here who has not tried to mislead me or control me. I don't like having my friends or family members threatened and I am well aware I am not the most dangerous among them. But, I think I understand where you are coming from and I do not know all of Mal 'undil's history, only a small portion. If this ship and its crew is threatened I will fight for them as well. I hope we will find our journey unadversarial."
"And since we are in private I'd pinch your ass back, but I don't want to lose any fingers."
Karthan gave the captain a grin back, but the blood was rushing in his ears.
The Windsinger nodded approval. "Well done. There is no better crewman than one who knows his place." She gestured to party and the crew ascending the gangplank. "I can't have all of them trying to do my job or Cendrik's or Kraken's...nor can you have your sister standing the line when you have the paladin or the inquisitor standing by with their shields, ready to take the blows."
"I will say this, Karthan. Speak your mind when you're on my vessel. I don't have the time nor the inclination to have to steer the helm through a mire of drek and fodder."
She stared up at the gangplank, eyeing the other Dawnsetter. "I"ll be honest with you, my succulent scallop. I'm not overly fond of your sister. Your cousin? He's quiet...and I can use a tosser on board." Onura shook her head. "The inquisitor, the paladin? I'm glad for their bluntness and forthrightness."
The captain turned to Karthan. "I mean no disrespect, but as I said, all aboard my ship speak their mind. Your sister bandies the words of the Court to and fro like an Osirion cat dangling her tail over the walls of the pharaoh's citadel. This city...the open seas...they're no place for such trivial things. On my ship, it goes without saying that she's safe...but out there in the streets of Absalom..." She shrugged as if saying that was a whole other matter all together.
"Zandra . . . She is very complex. Don't underestimate her. I often do so myself and find myself surprised. . . . Thank you for saying that she shall be safe on your ship."
The crew aboard and the guests given their quarters, the Lucky Slip set sail, navigating through the Flotsam Graveyard. The signal callers, at Scribble’s command, lit their directional lamps to acknowledge passage to Pilot Island and the enormous lighthouse standing watch over the harbor. The winds were picking up, filling the sails as the storm in the west continued to brew and gather strength. Between Onura and Scribble, there was high confidence that if they made all speed to the last position of the Lydia's Wake, they would have time to make it back to harbor ahead of the worst.
All told, the entire journey should take two to three days.
Zandra followed in Sacredos's wake down to the cabin deck. The Inquisitor was always so driven and singular in purpose, getting moved into his quarters was his mission at that moment. He spared no wasted effort. Zandra imagined that he was going to be like a caged animal willing the ship faster to get to the Lydia's Wake. She walked behind him as he chose a cabin at the rear of the ship.
She stepped forward to occupy the southern side cabin.
"Here, this should do nicely, there are two beds and plenty of room for you in between---"
Thor put up a sheathed paw to stop Zandra gently and looked into the diminuative elf maiden's eyes as he made his sending.
"This time, we will take the one across the way."
"But, there is only one bed there."
"Exactly, my cub, that is why we will take it. If you wish for your brother to grow, you will do this. Can you see that he is looking to Mal'undil for guidence more and more? He also needs time with Fir'umil if that is whom he winds up bunking with. Or even Sacredos for that matter. Of course bunking alone might bring its own growth. . . Do you see that?"
Zandra pursed her lips. She did see what Thorendel was saying, but although she saw the wisdom in it, part of her rebelled against it.
<sigh>
"Alright . . . It is only for a few days. If things go sour he can always move in with us, but yes Karthan needs this for his development. . . Alright you win you are right."
Thor pulled himself up and tilted his nose in the air.
"Well of course, I most certainly am."
"lol, Okay, but this better not just be about you getting more space!"
"well . . . . . . ."
"THOR!"
"Well, it is a nice circumstance which arises out of the necessity. It doesn't really enter into my deduction of the matter, well, hardly at least."
Zandra gave her companion a crooked grin as she moved into the northern side cabin with the great cat.
"Uh huh, I bet."
Outside, Karthan did not wait for the moment to become strange or stale with the captain so he moved up the ramp after Zandra, but unlike his sister or the currently terse Inquisitor, Karthan took his time crossing the deck and took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the ship.
This is to be my new enviornment for the next three days. I should get to know it.
Karthan got a feel for the deck under his feet as he looked around at the crew in an interested, yet polite, yet self assured manner. After taking a lookabout and a walk of the deck making sure that he stayed out from underfoot and the way of the crew members preparing the ship to shove off.
Having satisfied his curiosity he wandered down to the cabin deck and looked for his sister. The other members of the group were down below.
Sacredos had claimed a cabin and was taking stock of his items ensuring that they were stowed and invintoried. Olivia had chosen one as well. She would be bunking by herself no doubt, it was proper for her order and sex of her race. Karthan and his sister roomed together, nudity was not an issue to elves as it was to humans. The fairfolks bodies were slim and trim so there was nothing to hide out of shame, plus centuries of being led to a sense of familiarity with ones body and the bodies of others, elves were not driven sexually like humans, though the Captain had a way of making Karthans blood stir.
Karthan heard his sister singing quietly to herself and stepped into the doorway of what he thought was to be the cabin they were sharing. He quickly summed up that there was only one bed and his sister was already unpacking atop it. Against the wall, opposite the bed, Thor glanced at him then resumed lounging on a stack of sailcloth and cargo blankets.
Dang cats.
"Uh, there is only one bed in here. Are we not rooming together."
Zandra turned to look at her brother with a pained look.
"No, I am sorry. With all the talk of the storm coming and the cramped quarters here and the new crew and all; I thought it was best to give Thorendel the most space possible. You know, because I can send to him that is me coming through the door and it's one less person coming in and out, or moving around. It will be help Thor stay off edge, especially after the past couple days. It's only for a few days, I hope you aren't cross, but I was hoping you might bunk with one of the others for just a few days. I really think it would be for best. Is that okay?"
"I can't believe you are pinning this on me. I mean you are practically lying to him."
<Shuuush> "A situation that arises out of necessity, and besides, I am hardly lying, you do prefer your space."
"True"
Karthan was caught a bit by suprise. He looked at Thor who was facing away from him and was still except for an ear twitch. Seeing his sister's pained look Karthan wanted to ease her discomfort.
"Uh . . . oh, yeah, yeah yeah, that's uh, that's fine. I'll just, um, get a cabin with one of these other guys out here, there is plenty of space. I'll make it work. Yeah that's fine."
Zandra gave her brother one of her big smiles, threw her arms around her neck and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Oh thank you for being understanding. I was afraid you'd be upset or think that I didn't want to room with you, or you might think I was upset at you or something like that. It's just for a few days."
"Yeah, I mean no, no hard feelings. Its fine. I mean, yeah."
"Okay, thanks. I am going to lay down for a bit, because we are going to get underway and I need time to realign my spells. thanks again." Zandra bubbled as she withdrew and closed the door.
"I ---" The door closes in his face "--- will be fine."
When the door was closed Zandra's face looked entirely different as she looked daggers at her cat.
"He'd better be fine Thor. I am going to be pissed if he winds up sleeping alone. I know its only for a few days, but with everything that has been going on lately, I still don't like it."
Thor lifted up his head and looked at his elven companion humanoid.
"Chances are that Karthan won't be sleeping alone. Especially if he winds up rooming alone. Serving under this captain, he won't be alone or sleeping. lol"
Thor laid his head back down and closed his eyes . . . missing the hard missile aimed at his head.
<WACK!>
. . . Ow, that hurt . . .
" . . . AND, it was well deserved . . ."
Karthan looked at Mal'undil and Fir'umil as they walked into the breezeway.
"What do you guys want to do about bunking up?"
.....................................................
Fir'umil had a distaste for sea travel. Especially after his studies into teleportation. Master Tabir had made great strides in the field...partly why Fir's heart had lept at the possibility of just teleporting to the Lydia's Wake and then right back to Absalom. But all the notes he'd read on the topic indicated that blind teleportation was akin to madness when it came to the open seas.
The wizard held his council, preferring to observe at this point as he continued to reassess his situation. First and foremost was the lowered tension between himself and his cousins. It meant better communication at the least, but also a stronger connection to Fir'umil's family at the most. Since his father's disappearance...no, since my father's death...he corrected, Fir had done everything he could to distance himself from his blood relations. Only Hal'dorel had been so persistent that such distance - physical or emotional - had been nigh impossible.
Maybe that was the true reason he'd parted with him in such a dreadful manner. Deep within the fortress surrounding Fir'umil's heart, he hoped that his musically inclined cousin was faring well in the Lonely Coast. Perhaps the wizard would have an opportunity for reconciliation.
"What do you guys want to do about bunking up?" Karthan's question stabbed through Fir's reverie.
Was he already on the ship? Fir collected his thoughts and stammered out an answer as he gestured to one of the empty rooms. "If it's not too much of a bother, I would prefer to room to myself. It will give me time to meditate on what I've learned from Tabir's tome. There is a spell within that may be of great use to us out on the open seas...something about creating a bubble of air within which one can breath even under water."
"Could be useful..." Mal remarked with a side-long smile. The half-elf clapped Karthan on the back and turned himself towards the other available room. "C'mon, kid, you can rack with me...but no funny business." He paused a pointed a finger back at the ranger. "Plus, I snore...so invest in cotton ear plugs...just sayin'"
Fir nearly bristled at the comment, but realized he had to tamp down his sensitivities...even where the interminable rogue was concerned. He simply nodded. "Just so. I shall need my full concentration to study and prepare for investigating the derelict ship."
He touched a hand to Karthan's shoulder. "Cousin, back at Caleb's shop, Zandra was provided with a bag of holding which contains several of the books we accumulated for the research into the crystal daggers. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you inquire after it? I may be able to make use of the passing days to study those as well."
"That makes sense Fir'umil, I think any magic that could aid is out here in the ocean is going to be a big help. Although, I sincerely hope that we will not be needing to breathe underwater anytime soon."
"Okay, roommates it is then Mal."
"Yeah I can get those books. Right now though Zandra is getting settled in, she said she needed to get her spells in order and Thor to settle down."
As the first day wears on, the crew set about their tasks with the efficiency of gnomish machinery. They worked the sails and maintained the deck and prepped the cannons and ballista. The growing swells kept the crew busy, but at the least the rain was remaining on the western horizon. If anything, the storm clouds provided a brilliant show as the sun set on their first day.
Below decks, the guests were safely secured in their rooms, having been given a satisfying dinner supplemented by some of the “carry-on” food provided by Caleb the Scroll. Mal’undil sat back in the quarters he shared with Karthan and lit his pipe, satisfied with his meal and feeling relaxed. He and Karthan had settled in for a night’s conversation when a heavy thump sounded against their cabin door.
Mal rose to answer, pipe hanging from his teeth. ”Yes?”
The immense form of Kraken the half-orc stood on the other side of the doorway. ”We’re gonna be rollin’ tha bones down a deck. Liar’s Fives ifn’ yer intrested…” The crewmember was doing his best to seem less threatening. From what the party had seen throughout the day, he was the heavy lifter in the crew, but his simple nature (despite his orcish heritage) lent him a kind aspect. ”Ifn’ yer not inersted, Cap’n says she kin use some help mannin’ tha crow’s nest in the eve’s. Not a lotta crew wid night-sight…”
With that, the half-orc stomped off. ”Dice startin’ in a few…25 buy in...” he offered before leaving the guest area.
Mal looked back at Karthan and winked, mischief in his eyes. ”Oh my stars and garters, it’s been an age since I’ve played Liar’s Fives…25 gold buy in’s not too bad either.” he closed the door to their quarters and sat down to explain the game to Karthan in case he was interested.
Once done, he grinned towards the elven ranger. ”Well, what’s your pleasure? Taking a shift at the crow’s nest? Or want to dice a bit?”
Karthan's heart started beating like a human teenager's.
Oh man, this may be it, she wants to meet me in the crows nest. In this rolling and swells . . . heh, the sea isn't the only thing that is swelling. okay, okay, what should I do?! This is it buddy are you going to do it or not?
He started getting sweaty hands and the shakes from the rush. Lust struggled against morals and animal instincts. Karthan was exhilarated and intimidated at the same time by the prospect of being with the captain. He didn't know what he should do. He felt young, akward and foolsh in comparisson to the captain's smooth purring sexuality.
Karthan tried to play it off.
Wil check
Bluff
"Uh what?! My pleasure? Um,taking her dice in the nest for a bit shift. <ulg> Sorry, I got my tongue in my throat. Hey do you have anything to drink? I seem to be having blood rushing to my . . . head."
Mal chuckled at the elf's nerves. "Keep it under control, kid. You're not going to make it to the nest." He gestured to his gear. "Top pouch, there's a flask of brandy. Take a swig."
Mal'undil turned to go. "Keep your wits about you, Karthan. I'm not so sure she'd send Kraken down here with fluttering invitations of a crow's nest harpsichord..." He shrugged as if to say, I've been wrong before.
Across the hall, you here Kraken speaking to Zandra, but the words are muffled.
Kraken kept his back turned to the elf lady as she opened her door, not wanting to catch her inappropriately dressed. "Ifn' yer interst'd, se o' tha crew's playin' at dice down a deck. Or ifn' ya rather, Cap'n's wonderin' ifn' ya'd be interstd in takin' a shift in da crow's nest tonight. Seein' yas got elf eyes n' all."
With that, Kraken coughed into his meaty fist woth embarrassment and promptly departed.
"Thank you, for the invitation Kraken. I will speak with my companions and let you know." But, I can't help, but think I would not be welcomed by this crew to the game unless I was "game" for other advances, so I think I will give that one a miss.
"Um okay, so go with you then? I take it we are going to join in the game downstairs. Um, are you taking your weapons?"
He was a bit disapointed, but relieved to have some direction.
Zandra stepped over to Karthan and Mal's cabin and addressed them in elven.
"What do you think Mal'undil? Are we supposed to go down and play or does the captain really want us up in the nest? Thor won't be able to get up there easily, I definately don't want to be below decks or in the rigging without you guys, not afraid, but not stupid either."
"However, Mal'undil, do you think that we should contribute as the captain is asking? I don't wish to be seen as impolite, but I also wager the ship has gotten along for quite sometime and successfully without out elven eyes."
Mal leaned against the door frame, folding his arms across his chest. In the interest of the conversation he switches to elven as well. "Look, I'm not going to worry too much about weapons at this point. The last thing they want to do is put a burr in the saddle of a ranger, a druid, an inquisitor, a paladin, a wizard, a tiger..." he rubbed his fingernails against his vest color and blew on his fingers. "...or me."
His hand dropped to his side, no weapons were visible, but he swept back his leather vest, revealing a bit of slip-cloth covering a tandem quickdraw set for a pair of daggers. "Old habits die hard, but I've been called paranoid by more then just the Old Man." He lets the vest fall and he proceeds to button it up.
"Other thing is..." Mal'undil's normally cocksure exterior melted away revealing the pained look Karthan had seen the day before. "...I lost a close friend. Frankly, I could use a night of worrying about losing some coin versus losing my life...or the lives of anyone else close to me." The half-elf let a grin slip again. "My advice, have some fun, or help out with the crew. I think Onura's just offering up some work our way so we don't feel like barnacles on the hull. Hells, I saw Sacerdos on deck earlier stripped down to his breeches helping with the rigging."
"Fair enough, lets go get robbed of our gold slowly and enjoyably, but I've only got enough for one buy in."
"Oh and Zandra, I almost forgot, Fir'umil needs those materials from the Scroll that you have in your bag."
"Very well, I will go see him. Perhaps we can figure something out from them. I may wander down to see how you are doing later."
Mal nodded. "Fair enougn." He departed the room, following the narrow corridor to the stairs leading down a deck. "C'mon, kid. U'll spot ya the 25 buy in, so long as you don't take yourself too seriously for the next few hours."
Down the steep stairs he slid, hooking the lacquered wood rails under his arms and giving the actual steps a miss. Once down a deck, he could hear the makings of deep and drunken laughter. The rogue and ranger soon found themselves in the doorway to a cramped storage room, maybe 15 by 15 with a group of crewmates standing along the wall. In the center was a trio of barrels and a wooden door lay atop them to serve as a long table.
Seated were Cendrik, Velryssa, Croaker and Kraken. A pair of crewmates were just vacating seats as Mal and Karthan arrived. There were empty crate upon which to sit, a leather cup on the table before them.
"Well, well, well..." Velryssa spoke softly like a blade across velvet. "Look what the half-orc dragged in... Join us and set your gold in my pouch!"
"Hopefully only for a little while, I would like to get my coins back and then some." Karthan smiled at Velryssa. "Hopefully I will be granted some famous beginners luck this night."
Zandra knocked softly at Fir'umils cabin.
Rules
- 5 Dice / 1 Cup per player
- Take the bones, shake them 'round and slam the cup down but hide your results.
- Then you view your own roll on your turn, careful not to allow other players to see the roll
- You call out how many fives or higher you've rolled, this may be the truth or it may be a lie. (roll a bluff check) 5's and 6's count as all fives. If a tie, then 6's will break the tie.
- The bluff check you roll is the target #for other players to hit with a sense motive check.
- Each round, you place your bet, and you can alter your bluff; raising or lowering the number of fives you claim to possess
- When there are only two players remaining the two "walk the plank"; a house roll us made in the open.
- Then you reveal you results, whoever of the the tools had the most fives wins.
- If it's the house roll, then the pot is carried over to the next game
--------------------------
The Tian woman chuckled to herself and swept a graceful hand towards the two empty chairs. ”Come, let us see if luck is truly with the beginner…” Her exotic accent is a not so easy reminder of Lau’s own language patterns. It’s not intentional, but Mal and Karthan notice it from the offing. ”Let’s see the color of your gold, gents…”
Both lay down their gold before them.
For the joke, Croaker chuckled...well, he croaked to himself as he rattled his hardened-leather cup of dice.
Kraken, stripped to only his breeches, the crate beneath him making croaks of its own under his muscled weight, nodded greeting.
Cendrik only knuckled his brow with a grin upon his ebon visage, then he signaled two of the crew in the corner, one a man with a metal bar about the length of a hand, the other with a long, thin instrument with 3 strings. ”A song for the gamblers, Stretch…”
The two in the corner nodded, grins made of mismatched remnants of teeth. The metal bar went to the mouth of the first man who blew through the row of openings in it, a mournful melody poured into the small room. Then the other man plucked at the long instrument, a deep thumping bass resonance sounding followed by his gravely voice...
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many poor boys
And gods, I know I'm one
My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new blue jeans
My father was a gamblin' man
deep in the Riddleport scene
Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a haversack and trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk
Oh, mother, tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the house of the rising sun
Well, I got one foot on the dock
The other foot on the gang
I'm goin' back to Riddleport
To wear that ball and chain
Well, there is a house in Riddleport
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And gods, I know I'm one...
”Alright, gents,” Valryssa began, rattling her cup of dice. ”We roll, we slam, then we lie!”
All at the table rattled their dice, even Karthan as he fell into the mood of the gathering. Then all arms went high, then slammed their cups down on the makeshift table, shaking it upon the barrels it rested. No one lifted their hands.
”Opening bids, eh?” Valryssa tossed in a stack of 5 gold.
All others followed suit, the gold landing in a pile at the middle of the table.
”Let’s take a gander, shall we?” She glanced under her cup, careful to not let the others see. As did the rest around the table.
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Fir looked up from his book, having only a moment ago sent the half-orc oaf on his way. Gambling? Isn't gambling on the available food on this deathtrap enough?
Of course he had to admit that the accommodations were slightly better than his own quarters at the Arcanamirium. Of course his room wasn't moving!
The wizard slid from his bed, placed the book down and trudged over to the door, opening it with a frown. "I said 'no'..." Then he paused, seeing Zandra in the narrow hallway. "Sorry cousin, what can I do for you?"
Karthan mentioned to me that you were needing some of the material I was given by Caleb. I figured that we could look at them together and see what we could gleen from them, but if you need to look over them in private I will not be offended."
Sense motive
"Well three seems to keep me in the running then."
bluff
Fir stepped aside from the doorway. "By all means. I'll not get much in the way of studying my spells accomplished this evening." He signed and pointed towards his bed and a trunk he'd dragged over next to it. "Let us view some of the books there."
Closing the door behind him, the wizard waggled his fingers and spoke a simple word of arcane magic, conjuring forth his unseen servant to begin clearing a place for both him and Zandra to sit.
His mood brightened a bit as Zandra drew forth some of the materials from the bag of holding. "One good thing about research, it settles my mind and will provide me with a good night's sleep once we're done."
"Where shall we start, eh?" The unseen servant, work accomplished, was sent away by Fir'umil with a wave of the hand. "The book on Mwangi Spirit Faiths? The Varisian etchings about the Thassilonian ruins and the thralls with unwavering loyalty and adoration...? Or the story on the rock from Geb?"
- Book on Mwangi Spirit Faiths - Rumor in Mwangi Expanse of a rite designed to provide the spiritual leader of a village with the strength of the faithful during times of war...
- Varisian etchings on a vellum rubbing – An ancient Thassilonian ruin, speculated to be used on thralls to inspire unwavering loyalty and adoration / found over the door of a temple...
- Finding of a rock by adventurers in Geb, the land of the undead. On the rock were etchings of strange symbols. Only word decipherable was “Zamnahd Ur”… only one of the adventurers (all from Magnimar in Varisia survived the return trip / others driven to madness and suicide)
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Kraken Sinks ”Too much fer me, eh?” He pulled his cup back, letting his dice fall from the table and into his large, calloused hand.
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Croaker Sinks - With a scratch to his chin whiskers, an absent rub to the throat where the horrendous sword wound scar leers like a joker’s grin, Croaker spit to his side and draws his cup away from the table, taking the dice with it. ”I’m out, ya dirt-eaten whoresons.”
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Over to Karthan...