"Well, your secret is safe with me, Anatha!"
When he arrives in the hold, Gnixgnox takes a few minutes petting and cooing at the horses, trying to get them used to his presence. Then he'll cast speak with animals.
"Hi, friends! I'm one of the people who will be caring for you! I don't know if anyone told you, but we'll all be aboard this ship for a while. When we're done, we'll be in a beautiful land with no fences! I'll visit you down here often, but I'll only be able to talk with you like this for a short time every few days. I can answer any questions that you have when I do. For now, nobody is going to ask you to do anything except stay calm. Everyone on board this ship will work to keep you fed and safe!"
Grunval appreciates Plink's words.
"Well Plink, I'm glad to know all of that. I'm happy to serve where I can."
Kaylee takes a moment to chew over what the captain said. Before she can stop herself, she's approaching the closest knot of merry-making sailors.
"Ah, h-hello, I'm Kaylee, one of the rigging runners I guess," She says nervously after she realizes it's too late to back out.
Anatha watches Gnix become familiar with the livestock.
Do they say anything back? I suppose I could have used my speak with animals to be assigned down here too, but I am much better as a watcher. I like to keep an eye on things. Make sure everything is where it belongs.
He pushes a little bit of the hay on the floor around with his feet, and then yawns deeply. It's getting late, and they will want to leave port with the morning tide no doubt, whatever that means. I am heading for. My cot. See you in the morning.
Anatha watches Gnix become familiar with the livestock.
Do they say anything back? I suppose I could have used my speak with animals to be assigned down here too, but I am much better as a watcher. I like to keep an eye on things. Make sure everything is where it belongs.
"Sometimes they respond. But I don't plan on talking to them like this every day. Sometimes they don't like it, so talking to them too much upsets them; other times, they come to expect it, and that creates its own problems. But I'm sure most of them haven't been on a boat, before, and none of them realize that they'll be down here for months (aside from the pigs, and maybe the chickens). I'm just letting them know what to expect so that they trust me more."
He pushes a little bit of the hay on the floor around with his feet, and then yawns deeply. It's getting late, and they will want to leave port with the morning tide no doubt, whatever that means. I am heading for. My cot. See you in the morning.
"Good night!"
You spend much of the night discussing with Plink various crafting techniques and sharing tools of the trade, many of which are new to you. He seems fairly shy, and distances himself from most people.
D’ya see her there? (He points to the triangular sail of the Maribosa) She’s the reason I am on this voyage. I know someone like you can see her glory. She’s a new model, more beautiful than any of those clumsy squares. I came along to care for her, but The Captain told me to repair the ship as well...
Plink walks off toward his cot, muttering about how he’s never appreciated.
Harvey turns around, almost dropping the bottle of rum in his hands. The group of people surrounding him do the same, turning to Kaylee. I knowyer name And you’re deifntely a rigger, greenhand. he slurs. Y’know it’s bad luckto haev grills like you aboard the ship. I guess Alyne is here cause shes more man than woman. He and his friends walk off laughing.
The morning after, you wake up to find that the ship has left harbor. Each of you are assigned to menial tasks related to your job and, I assume, complete those tasks. While working you are able to talk with the crew and learn about who is aboard the ship.
The work is tough and rest is sometimes hard to come by which is compounded by the fact that as green hands, you have been given the Twilight shift every night.
A few nights later, when the ship is far out sea, the five of you are on watch at 2:00 in the morning.
Well, that went better than expected, Kaylee thinks to herself before calling it a night and going to sleep
Despite this, you have been working in the rigging with the two goblins named Tig and Tag, a halfling named Siv Lightfoot, and a gnome named Pink Sugarspoon. Tig and Tag tend to keep to themselves, while Siv and Pink are very outgoing, constantly chatting amongst themselves. At dinner, they will always get some music going with their flute and violin.
You spend much of your time feeding the horses and and cleaning their hay, while taking out their desecrate every day. Also, you round up the occasional pig that makes its way aboard decks during work hours. Among the crew who have been assigned general tasks such as cleaning the ship, you have grown to know a few of them. The orcs, Gruul and Morris will usually be assigned to cleaning tasks below decks. It becomes apparent that Gruul is mentally impaired, but he is still able to form basic sentences occasionally. Morris Tuskgutter seems quiet most of the time, but is very protective of Gruul, when other members of the crew poke fun at him.
"Did you hear that? It sounds like there is something in the water."
Anatha will move to the side of the ship, pulling a torch out of his pack to light should the need arise. He climbs up ontop of a pile of rope and looks over the side into the dark waters below.
Guys, don't worry about initiative right now, take your turns.
"I hear it, too! Do you see anything?"
"Something in the water?"
Grunval moves to the side of the boat and looks around.
"There's some sound coming from the sides of the ship."
"And it's getting louder."
"Somebody better alert Alayne or Harvey!
Hanzir then readies his sling and looks over the side he's nearest.
Kaylee, hearing the others say that something is over the sides, goes to take a look at the water below.
"Shouldn't we see what it is first?"
"Nothing friendly coming up the side of a ship is going to make that sound," Gnixgnox says readying his lance.
Those of you who move to the side of the ship are able to see creatures with an upper body similar to that of a goblin colored blue, and a lower body to that of a squid. They each carry a spear in their hands and seem to use their tentacles to slowly climb up the ships side. As you peer over the side, the beasts abandon any attempt at stealth and rush upward. They reach within 10 feet of the the top of the ships rail.
A round has passed, you should not take another turn, don't worry about initiative right now.
"Those things are ugly! I have no idea what they are."
"I think these are grindylow," Gnixgnox hollers, pointing Chunks in the direction of the nearest one in preparation for a charge. "They grab you and drag you under!"
"They're gridylow; definitely!"
"They will eat anyone they can catch."
Hanzir will step back slightly and draw his greatsword, ready to hack at the first grindylow he can.
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Grunval attacks what he now knows to be a grindylow that is crawling up the ship near him.
"I will blow you away"
Hanzir lobs a sling bullet at the nearest gridylow climbing up the ship
Hanzir steps back and draws his greatsword.
And bellows out loud:
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. They look angry. Or hungry...there should be a word for both at the same time. Angry/hungry. Anungry?"
Anatha will move towards the aft and inboard, heading to the main mast. He ends his movement just next to Grunval. As he does he will drop the unlit torch and pull out his shortbow, knocking an arrow.
"I don't suppose they are here to talk, do you?"
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. They look angry. Or hungry...there should be a word for both at the same time. Angry/hungry. Anungry?"
Anatha will move towards the aft and inboard, heading to the main mast. He ends his movement just next to Grunval. As he does he will drop the unlit torch and pull out his shortbow, knocking an arrow.
"I don't suppose they are here to talk, do you?"
"No, I think talking would be difficult while being stabbed in the chest and I'm fairly certain that's what they are aiming to do."
"I think these are grindylow," Gnixgnox hollers, pointing Chunks in the direction of the nearest one in preparation for a charge. "They grab you and drag you under!"
And then he charges!
Kaylee grabs her bow and fumbles nocking the arrow so badly, she drops it overboard.
Oh gods! I'm gonna die!
Grunval fires a blast of air that strikes the climbing Grindylow, and does successfully blow it away. Gnixgnox impales the Grindylow he targeted, and it falls into the water. Hanzir’s sling hits one of the Grindylow, but leaves it standing, the one you attacked climbs up next to you and attempts to trip and attack you.
The Grindylow that Kaylee missed now climbs up to attack her and trip her.
Kaylee, you fall to the ground beneath the Grindylow, it looming with it's spear above you.
Bad news: The Grindylow that were not killed on each side have made their way aboard the ship. Also, three Grindylow can be seen to have made it on the fore and aft of the ship. Two more Grindylow can be seen on each side beginning to climb up.
You see a Grindylow at the top of the front of ship shouting:
快速！ 快速！ 快速！船员的其余部分将在这里很快！
Good news: You all here the sound of a bell ringing down below decks, it seems as if someone heard Hanzir and is attempting to wake the rest of the crew.
Grunval turns his focus on the creature 15 ft away from him on the deck.
Where the hell did this power come from?
Gnixgnox and Chunks take a 5 foot step aft. Chunks attacks the grindylow climbing aboard...
...while Gnixgnox twists in his saddle to stab at the grindylow ten feet downship that just climbed aboard.
"I wonder if these guys know how gross they are!"
"Oh no, now there's even more of the anungry green-dee-loes! I don't want to be eaten by a squid thing!"
Anatha will backpeddle towards the mid-ship mast and fire an arrow at the grindylow that is on the deck on the port side near the stairs.
Hanzir starts a rage, steps diagonally 5ft toward toward Kaylee and tries to hit the nearest grindylock, which is right beside him.
And then bellows out:
Kaylee lets go of her bow and pulls out a curving shortsword to stab the monster with.
I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I don't wanna die!
Chunks bites the head of the grindylow, his maw turning blue with blood. Grunval’s blast of air hits the grindylow across the deck, where it’s impaled on the tip of GnixGnox’s lance. The tentacles fall limp, dragging along the ground. The nearby Grindylows start hissing with rage. Anatha knocks another arrow which grazes one of the grindylow’s tentacles, but leaves it basically unharmed. Hanzir swings and misses the Grindylow beside him, his sword cleaving through the wood of the deck. Kaylee -in blind panic- swings wildly at one of the Grindylow and misses.
The Grindylow who were not already engaged slither toward the humans, engaging themselves in the battle.
The two Grindylow engaged with Gnixgnox try to attack and trip both him and his wolf.
Chunks, unlike some people on the internet, can dodge tentacles.
The Grindylow that moved toward Grunval attacks.
The Grindylow, scared of this small man that can seemingly kill on sight, does the only thing he knows how to do: Stab it in the knee.
Grunval clumsily dances away from the wriggling tentacles that seem to surround him.
The 3 Grindylow engaged with Hanzir, fearful of his powerful blows, all attempt to trip and grapple him.
Hanzir falls on the floor, getting a face full of tentacle.
None of them seem to be able to grapple him, though. We'll call it his great strength that prevents them from doing so.
The 3 Grindylow engaged with Kaylee attempt to grapple, and begin dragging her down into the water.
Kaylee, fearful for her life, struggles out of two of the grindylow's grasp, but the third one manages to snag her arms.
The two Grindylow engaged with Anatha try to attack and trip him.
Anatha barely deflects a spear off of his shield before ducking beneath another blow. However, the tentacles on the ground prove too much for him, and he falls as one of them jerks his leg backwards.
As the Grindylow begin their attack, a few sailors rush up from below decks. Many of them have one or two weapons, but none seem quite ready for a fight.
Grunval feeling the blood drip from his legs lashes out at the Grindylow with the power he so recently became aware of.
At least the rest of crew are finally here
Hanzir stands up and tries to hit the grindylock that just came down from port starboard steps
Gnixgnox drops his lance and draws his battle axe. He swings around to face the grindylows attacking him from behind, focusing on the one directly to his square's left on the map.
"Attacking a wolf from behind, eh? You tentacled, blue baboon biter! Let's see how well you fight face-to-ugly blue maw!"
"Has anyone here ever had calamari?"