The half-orc Jape stares down at Bastardos with a frown on his face, his eyebrows scrunched together in thought.
"Oi, alright if Scourge says I need to mop the decks then yeh o cour... Hey! Wait a minute. Why can I nay speak to him? He is just standing there on deck doin nothing. You don't want me to ask coz he told you ta do it!" He laughed, kicking out at Bastardos and nudging him with his foot.
"Bloody sneaky lizard. Jog on and get ta work ya wretch!"
The Half-Orc Quartmistress looks up as you enter and grins, laying down the dagger she had been polishing and nodding to you. "So Scourge sent you down ta get some things hey? He must be in a good mood. Usually yeh got nothin till ya earn it with blood," She smiled, moving over to a locker on the wall and pulling it open, before beginning to root around inside.
"Oh aye, armor and sword is a must for fighting off giant rats, that is for sure lass. And scarf and dice right...? Okay. Anything else I can get ya? I have some stuff for sale..."
At that moment, Cadj entered the room, and Grok split her attention, nodding to the Chelaxian man a tad coldly. "You too then? Aye I can get you those..." she turned and grabbed the Spellbooks, the tools and the healing kit and sliding them across the desk to Cadj, before taking the ring. She bounced it up and down on her palm for a second, before frowning and going over it as carefully as she could.
"Okay, dagger, brass knuckles and..." she went to the locker again and came back carrying the weapons, an ink pen and an ink pot. "Fair?" she asked, laying them beside the other gear.
As Bastardos began to speak, the huge Half-Orc woman rolled her eyes in a suffering manner before smiling and shaking her head. "Bastardos, a pleasure as always, ya lyin sack o scales." She sighed, walking back towards the locker and picking out a crossbow, a suit of small leather armor, a dagger and some bolts, before sliding them over the table towards the Kobold. "There aint a Calistrians chance in Elysium that yer gonna get that kit back right now boyo. You straight up threatened to blow up the ship the second ya woke up on her. It is all ya talk about in fact.."
Grok smiled at Amara "Blessings on you and all girl, and I'll gladly get you yer things, anything ya want, coz YOU didn't threaten to blow up the ship. But sadly the scaly loon did, so I can't in good conscience give em the kit, Savvy? Tell ya what I can do though, we see sails on the horizon, we get set on the scent and I'll give em his kit. He can blow up the other ship once were done lootin it!" Grok set the armour, the clothes and on the table before Amara, adding the buckler on top of it upside down, with a wink.
Grok turned to Mateo and stared him up and down for a moment, smiling and nodding in appreciation, arms crossed over her chest as she listens to his request. "Oh I know what you mean, in a way." She nods to the corner behind her table where a well maintained Orc Doubleaxe sits. "Two at a time, or one at each end, jut as hard either way, hey?" She nods before fetching his gear and handing to him with a smile.
"Now anything else I can do for the rest of yeh? Anything ya have to sell or buy?"
Although he sees the extra transaction between Amara and Grok, Mateo says nothing.
"Hmm...could I sell these two little beauties for coin? I don't have much pocket change for gambling."
He digs the two agates he found out of his belt pouch and presents them to the quartermaster.
Grok nods and takes the stones, pulling out a small jewel lens and beginning to inspect the stones. "Hmm... these are nice but nothing too fancy. I'd take em for myself and get em fashioned in to a necklace but who has the time? I suppose I could re-sell them to some shiny whoreson who would like em, maybe Jape or someone. Okay, I'll give ya 10 gold pieces for both of em. How do ya want your coin...?"
"Mostly gold, I guess. What sort of stakes are popular on the Wormwood? Would I need anything less than silvers?"
"Depends on the game and who is playin, get me? Swabs play dice for coppers, Riggers play cards for silver and Officers play with lives for gold!" She laughed softly before grinning to show she was just joking. "I jest, but it holds true. The game and the people playing make all the difference!"
She counts out a mixed purse of coin and ties it tight before tossing it to the Ranger.
"Try not to lose yer life before ya get to come back to see me hey?"
Bastardos sulks when he receives his items. Amara, bending down and assuring him that he would owe her one, actually offered a glimmer of hope, despite the tone.
But when Grok shut them down, his face and tone soured. he looked up and hissed at Amara "I don' owe you a bloody thing!"
He looks to Grok, still sour and angry, but now with a very matter of fact tone; "And I didn't THREAT'N ta blow up tha ship! THERE'S A DIFF'RENCE 'TWEEN A THREAT AND A PROMISE!" He shouts and storms away.
He leaves the room, out of sight, for about six seconds before peeking his head back around the corner, angrily shouting "I AM VERY ANGRY RIGHT NOW! YA STILL LOOK LOVELY, THE MOSS' BEUTIFUL 'ALF ORC ON THE SEA!" his tone is very unfitting of his compliment's re-affirmation, as he ducks his head back out of the room.
He's gone for about another five or six seconds, before poking his head back in and shouting "THIS DUNN' MEAN I'M NOT GONNA BLOW UP THA SHIP! I'WLL STILL BE DOIN' THAT! JUST WANTED TA MAKE SURE YA KNEW MY ANGER 'BOUT THE SITT'ATION DID NOT AFFECT MY GEN'INE AFFECTION FER YA!" It would be hard to take him seriously as he leaves the room, again, but there is clearly a threatening nature to his tone when he mentions blowing up the ship.
That evening Bastardos spends his time vigorously scrubbing rat guts off the deck, muttering to himself as every scheme he cooked up that day either failed or backfired.
Amara bursts out laughing. "He's got it bad for you, Grok!"
She puts on her best smile and tries to get a little more information on the crew. "What's with all the new conscripts? Rosie, Crimson, and Conc--er, Conchobhar, not to mention us. Is there a lot of turnover?" Amara leans forward and adds, "Has there been a lot of action recently? Seems to me if a ship's good, people will be clamoring to sign up." She looks around, "But perhaps I've said too much. Thanks for my gear!"
I was hoping for more, as you seem to know who owns the ring and I don't, but I'll take what I can.
Cadj picks all his stuff, and gets out the quartermaster's place, seeking a quiet place to re acquire his arcane power.
Grok laughs as the little Kobold storms away, sighing and shaking her head, turning to Amara. "Well there is always some amount of turn around on a ship. We did a bit of a run down to Illizamgorti last and unloaded a few... freedom challenged crew. More freedom challenged than yerselves lets say. And we lost one to a storm, another to the talons of a mantis herself and one to the magistrate in Port Peril. Things change hey? The crew grows and evolves!"
As day turns to night, the sun sinking below the waves, the weather begins to change, subtly at first, the wind picking up, waves lapping the ship a little more violently than before. Dinner is drawn up on to deck as usual, fish stew, as usual, along with the rum and the crew gather around, the mood dark and tense. Night time activities are cut short, there will be no game of lob, heave or arm wrestling tonight. There are a couple gambling games below deck as the main deck is quickly become wind swept and rain washed.
Bastardos slips back dwn to the bildges, hiding his rum in an empty barrel for later use.
"F%$$in' ridiculous, they expect me, a Kobold my soize, ta drink all-a 'at! I'll figure out a better use fer it!"
Not wanting to risk a repeat performance of the previous night, Mateo drinks his rum.
Amara sighs. "Better to be serving this than drinking it."
I hope I'm not too drunk to talk
Amara is going to try to make more allies. She looks for Conchobhar and strikes up a conversation.
Cadj drinks his rum too quickly
To Hell with this... I need to work tonight, I have no time to waste.
Sitting himself in a corner, he starts studying his spells, hoping to be left alone
-Posted with Wayfinder
Not wanting at all to be as sick as the previous day. She manages to get rid of her drink other than to actually swallow the swill!
Once again she tries to entertain the crew with the stories she has come across. Trying her best for as many to come listen before she starts
Once she has as many ears as she could get. She begins her tale. Of a young seaman. He travelled the world. Searching for his love. When he was seduced by an enchantress of the sea. And how he almost died because of her betrayel. But a young merfolk saved him from drowning. In return he offered up his legs to join her to forever swim the vast oceans together!
Mateo heads to his hammock early, worn out from the day's labors and the debilitating effect of the rum ration.
Mateo heads to his hammock early, worn out from the day's labors and the debilitating effect of the rum ration.
Bastardos succesfully manages to sequester his rum in a hiding place, though it is in a cup, so really once the ship shifts it will just spill everywhere. The small kobold probably isn't too worried about it though.
After hiding the liquour he makes his way up to the mid deck, where he goes in search of the Quartermasters store.
The door to the stores is locked with a clean, well oiled and really confusing looking lock. After staring at the lock for a few minutes, the kobold realizes he probably can not pick it.
There is an alternative to picking locks however, keys. Bastardos knows that Grok keeps the keys on her person at all times, and that she would currently be in her bunk, in the room, just behind him, on the middle deck.
Amara feels the rum hit her in a pleasant manner, lulling her in to a sweet sleepy stupor, leaving her talkative, if a little drained.
Amara finds the little Gnome sitting by himself in a corner of the crew berths, drinking from a bottle of wine and humming a lively tune to himself as he thumbs through a small leather bound tome. The front of the book proclaims it as 'A Soft kiss from a Succubus'.
Cadj downs his rum in one and begins to cough violently. The alcohol hits his system like a bull, taking effect immediately. His tongue loosens and confidence swims up from deep down inside, but at the same time his eyes droop and he becomes very unstable on his feet.
The drunken Chelish man lounges in his hammock, reading his book and feeling a little more centred, now that he has his magic back.
Mateo downs his rum and feels it burning pleasantly in his stomach as he slips in to his bunk and closes his eyes, giving in to his bodies need for sleep.
Bastardos enters the quartermaster's cabin, and attempts to lift the keys off her person.
Amara decides that Conchobhar needs to be devoted to her. I need all the allies I can get, I think. She consults her background working as an, ahem, barmaid with benefits to figure out the best way to go about this.
She approaches the gnome, exaggerating the sway of her hips ever so slightly, making sure that he can see her over the book as she approaches. This is an expert performance. He's doomed.
"A soft kiss from a succubus?" She sits down next to him and adopts a wide-eyed look of innocence. "What's a succubus? Some kind of plant?" She smiles, dazzlingly. "Oh yes, I think I remember seeing one in the market at the fruit-seller's booth."
Pray to Besmara for guidance, +charming bonus + CHA bonus, since he is presumably possibly attracted to Amara.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Bastardos waltz in to the room and finds Grok sitting at a table, drinking. He moves across the room stealthily and sticks his hand in her pocket, basically to the elbow, till he pulls out the keys and leaves through the door once again.
"A succubus is a stunning creature who drains the life from her lovers through her li..." Conchobhar is at first annoyed by the interruption but, as he looks up from his book, his eyes widen and he swallows slowly.
The swaying hips, the sultry smile and the whole effect leave the poor little Gnome gobsmacked as he stared at the woman before him.
"T-that is to say YOU are a stunning creatur... I m-mean... Oh Calistria!" He sighed, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "What can I do f-for you m'Lady?"
Vex draws in the crowd gathered below deck, just enough to let Bastardos go about his plan unbothered by others, and soon they are enthralled in her story, listening avidly to every word.
Bastardos slips back to the door, and enters the Quartermaster's store. His eyes dart straight to his alchemy kit. His hands tremble a bit, as he painfully pulls his eyes away from his actual favorite thing.
"Not yet, Bastardos... They'll know it was you!"
He is going to try and pull some less conspicuous items off the shelves.
Bastardos leaves the room, looking down at the keys in his hook-like hand. 'Damn, these 'tings is hot" he says.
Bastardos tries to hide the keys in the belongings of Jaundiced Jape before going to sleep.
"Oh, silly me. I thought it was a flower." Amara giggles. "Draining life through lips sounds much more fun."
She touches Conchobhar lightly on the hand. "The problem, Conchobhar, is that Plugg and Scourge seem to be downright evil, if you know what I mean. I know this is a pirate ship and all, but one needn't be a sadist." Amara looks him directly with her dark brown eyes, a little moistened as if she's on the verge of tears. "When it gets bad, and I'm sure it's going to get bad, really bad, one needs allies and friends. You'll be my friend, won't you?"
The gnome swallows sharply and nods before smiling. "O-of course I will be your friends my dear. What ever else would I do? No no... That sounds perfect to me, yes!"
As the night wears on the storm begins to rise, till eventually, as dawn breaks, he storm is in full swing. The ship is tossed about in the high seas as you are called from your beds by the clanging of the bell, barely heard over the smashing of waves on wood.
You roll up on deck to a scene of chaos, wind, rain and sea pounding the ship mercilessly. As you appear, Scourge approaches you and glares over you.
"Yer all assigned to the deck today, rigger excepted. Trim the sails and drag as much line as yer told. We need ta fight through this. Dismissed!"
He then turns to the rigger, "Yer on top eyes. Gonna be bumpy so strap yerself on and dont fall. Keep a weather eye!"
Cadj has an hard time doing anything useful, struggling to keep his pace and balance.
But at least he's trying.
Her stories were full of bravery. Skill. Masterful pirates. Everything she was NOT...
"UUUUUUHG....."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Amara sees the storm, the chaos, and her eyes gleam a bit. It's so beautiful!
Mateo feels refreshed after his long sleep and works well as part of the crew, trying to cover for some of poor Vex's shortcomings. It seems she still hasn't thrown off the effects of the rum punishment from a couple nights back.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Already worn down from his previous evening of scrubbing the deck, Bastardos slides out of bed, sitting on the floor with his leg out. Slumped up against his hammock's post, he paws the pack at the end of his bunk blindly several times, finally grabbing his eyepatch, and affixing his false leg.
He barely manages to stand back up and hobble to the stairs, muttering something under his breath as he rubs the sleep out of his eye.
"Nar. This inn' happenin' t'day"
Bastardos heads towards the stairs leading to the deck with the others, hanging back a bit as they go. As they head up before him to start the day, he fakes out and crawls through the crack in the stairs instead of climbing them with his friends, where he does his best to stay hidden and catch a few more Z's.
Bastardos, Cadj and Vex struggle with the task at hand, the weather beating them down and exhausting all but the Chelaxian Wizard. As the day progresses the work gets harder and harder and by midday the crew, new and old, are soaked to the bones and miserable.
Amara and Machete making a good showing however, setting their backs to the ropes alongside the other crew, earning themselves some grudging respect.
As day turns in to evening, the storm begins to soften, the weather slowly leaching back to more normal bounds, having pounded the ship for a good eight or so hours. Dinner is taken on the deck as the sun begins to set, a boring affair of bland fish soup and ships biscuits, with the normal rum rations.
As the meal winds down, a tarred a feathered man is lead up on deck, a bucket of crabs in one fist. He japes and calls out to the crew, shouting and cavorting to make the men and women laugh at the poor fool.
Scourge steps forward, a bitter smile on his face, and turns to the new crew. "Well lads, lassies, which one of yeah will entertain the crew by going a round with the Owlbear? Only knuckles mind, no weapons." He looks around expectantly before sighing. "I'll make it worth yer while. Win and you'll get this..." he holds up a bulging purse of coins towards the group. "500 gold pieces."
Vex wont get over this. Feels like for ever. But best keep up appearances. And there is no way she was going to try and fight anything or anyone alone. Not in the state she was in. During the fight she tries to keep spirits up by providing some light hearted cometary
-Posted with Wayfinder
Mateo eats the poor fare, sopping up the last of the soup with the tough biscuits. He even drinks the foul rum ration without complaint, actually looking forward to the deep night of slumber the alcohol's likely to bring.
When Scourge carts out his pet Owlbear and makes the challenge, Mateo initially keeps his mouth closed. Looking around, he beholds the tired Vex, the fit-but-smallish Amara, the magic-flinger Cadj, and the remaining body parts of the alchemist/walking timebomb known as Bastardos. Of course, there is no sign of the hulking half-orc, Cuff, when he'd be most useful.
Standing and stepping forward at last, Mateo addresses Scourge. "Let me get this straight: If one of us bests your big beast-man there, fair and square, he gets that sack of gold? With nothing to lose but maybe some blood, teeth, and his good looks? I'll take that bet!"
Mateo immediately turns his attention to the lumbering Owlbear, trying to picture in advance how he'll try to topple the much larger fighter.
Amara attempts to create water (cleric 0 level spell) in her mug before it gets filled, hoping that there will be less rum, or that it will have less effect. If it spills over when filled, she'll bluff to whomever is dishing out the rum:
"Don't have your sealegs yet? Careful with my rum!"
If not, then fortitude:
Then, before she settles down to watch the duel with Owlbear, she touches Mateo on the shoulder and whispers: "Besmara's blessing!", casting guidance on him by touch. Her hand lingers a bit.
We need more allies. Who was that Crimson Cogburn person?
I wonder if I could bet against this Mateo fellow.THis is the guy I saw under the lower deck, I guess
Cadj doesn't drink his rum right now, hoping to get rid of it discreetly later, as everyone watches the fistfight.
He tries to get some info about this "Owlbear" from the crowd, but got only the cold shoulder treatment.
They all are blinded by their bloodthirst, I guess. All? Who knows? Who isn't interested?
But the mage sees nothing, being pushed around by a pirate for being too nosy
Vex makes her way in to the slowly gathering crowd, melding herself with the crew and beginning to stir up some emotion by dropping some half built gossip. At the same time Cadj joins the crew looking for some information on the beast but is met with far less success, many of the crew being automatically distrustful of Chelaxians. And mages. Cadj will find a few people willing to bet that Mateo will won, but they are in the minority.
Amara attempts some magic intervention with the Grog, but as it is Grok herself who is handling the drink, the woman ain't buying it.
Amara joins the crowd also, her lips feeling a lot looser than they were before. She asks some questions, remembers some things and managed to recall what she can of Crimson. The man liked dark tales and cruelty, by not aimed at himself. He was vicious and callous and cruel, but calculating at the same time.
While all of this happens, Scourge nods as he talks to Mateo, a dark smile crossing his lips. "Aye lad, just you and the Owlbear, man to..." he pauses, looking Mateo up and down slowly, the grin getting darker, "man. You'll go in swinging and the winner gets all of this shiny gold. Savvy?"
"Got it," Mateo tells Scourge, stepping up to confront Owlbear. "We haven't been introduced yet. I'm Mateo." With a grin, the young man adds, "Go easy on me, OK big guy?"
Bastardos quickly tosses his rum over the side. He's beat to s*@% and can barely stand, let alone down some of that poison. He prepares to curl up in his cot and die forever, but the fight seems interesting enough to hold his attention a little longer.
He slides up to the crowd and croaks for all to hear; "Aye, I spent some time wit'is land lubber, and I'm tellin' ya, owl bear got 'im beat! I'm layin' down A HUNDRED GOLD that owlbear'll mop the floor with that Machete! Which onneya's gonna take me up on that!?"
Bastardos pulls a box out of the locker before shoving it in to its bag. A set of thieves tools follow, along with a set of dice carved out of an animal bone, a deck of cards painted with some long dead monarchs likeness and a small metal device which looks like a pocketwatch. The gear remaining for the party was just too heavy for the kobold and he decided to scarper lest he get caught.
Owlbear frowns before grinning broadly at Machete and laughing. "Master Scourge say I have to hurt you."
"Get on with it then ya curs!" Scourge cracks his whip loudly and Owlbear startles, dropping in to a boxers stance, hands up to guard his face.
Someone snorts and steps up beside Bastardos, nudging the man with their leg softly. "With what money ya wretch? Yer pockets are as bare as Owlbears brains there. I'll take yer bet though, only it'll be 20 gold and one whole week of working as my slave, if ya lose. Do we have an accord?" Grok offers the Kobold her hand to shake with a broad grin. She seems quite sure Owlbear will not win.
Amara sways as the fire of the rum settles into her bones. "What was I doing? Allies. Yeah, that's it!"
After imparting the Goddess' blessing to Mateo, she looks around and sees Crimson. She unleashes as much charm as she can, adding a prayer of guidance to her own efforts. Help me, my Queen! I don't know why you chose me, but I'll need help. Friends, comrades, a crew!
"Hey! Crimson, is it?" She extends her hand. "Name's Amara. I'm new to the ship. You're new, too?" She giggles. "I think I just made a rhyme. That Vex girl would know. I'm not much for poetry."
Where was I? Oh yeah, diplomacy, make him think I'm like him, with a touch of seduction. He likes cruelty
"Do you know how I got to Ilizmagorti? I was a slave. I don't even remember not being a slave. This bastard Rahadoumi kept me like a dog. He liked little girls, bruised and bloody. Well, the damn fool came too close to the Shackles and we were boarded. Do you know what they did to him? The pirate hung him from the yardarm and invited the crew to take souvenirs, starting with his toes. She handed me a knife and let me take the first cut." She whispers to Crimson "I remember the look on his face as I started sawing off his painted big toe. It was hilarious!" She unleashes a brilliant smile. "I can think of some other people need carving, can't you?
"Oh, Mateo, don't hurt Owlbear! He looks cute.
He looks cute??!! Talk about serious mixed messages! One moment Amara was favoring him with Besmara's blessing and the next she was asking him not to hurt Owlbear. She was up to something, trying to manipulate someone or something. But was she also manipulating Mateo as well? Most likely. No time to worry about sizing up Amara, though; he had a much bigger problem looming before him.
Mateo's reflexes are--not very surprisingly--better than the lumbering fellow's, and he gets the first punch in, a blow so solid Mateo feels the impact shudder up his entire arm.
(+2 bonus for Favored Enemy if it's related to Owlbear or another human)
for
Bastardos slaps out his good hand, and grabs Grok's thumb, shaking vigorously. "Ha! Yer on! Twenty gold an'na week's servitude!"
He wiggles his eyebrows "But, yknow, if ya wanted ta spend a week a' quality time with me, ya didn't need ta make any bet, COULDA' JUST ASKED!" and is barely able to get through the sentence without barking out hideous laughter.
As Machetes blow connected, sending Owlbear reeling for a moment, the man growns, shaking his head and pouting. Owlbear lashed out at Mateo, throwing a huge roundhouse punch at the man in retribution.
As Mateo had feared, the hulking brute can punch harder than he can. Gritting his teeth, he throws another right at Owlbear's chin.
for
Owlbear howls as the fist connects with his face, stumbling back. Scourge shouts from the sideline and tosses a club at the mans feet.
The oaf stoops down to pick it up and stares at it confused before swinging it at the Rangers head.
Owlbear seems miserable to have to fight the man.
After being cracked on the head with the illegal club, blood pours down's Mateo's face. He withdraws from the armed man, toward Scourge (if possible).
"That was a costly lapse in judgment," he tells the man. "You just got your man disqualified...while he was winning. I'll take the fight purse now, if you please."
Amara, alarmed at the turn in the fight, says to Crimson, "One moment!" and tries to see if she can maneuver behind Mateo, ready with a quick heal if he comes close enough.