Cap'n Voodoo's Freebooter PBP

Game Master voodoo chili

"Sounds like a fine plan, mate. Something else we need to...deal with, though. And this time, I have a better plan. Before we go to the handoff, we need to rest up so Dingus and Corliss can get their mojo back. We need to be ready for another real fight."

"Aye," Corliss chimes in. "Iff'n I remembers the deal correctly, we were to steal a specific item--some orchid elixir--from Clincher's crew in return fer the return o' our crewmates and yer weapons. Seems there weren't no elixir here, so sweet Lixi's outta luck. Iff'n she was expectin' the Aqua Vitae instead, well...she be outta luck there, too. Not what we were supposed to steal, so we used it on Kaul--quite reasonable, in me opinion. Somehow, methinks neither Lixi's likely to see things that way, so we should go inta our next meetin' ready fer a fight."

"Oh yeah--I'd bet me last gold coin that Kaul's not gonna want ta have any more negotiatin' what doesn't include a great deal o' blood an' violence."

Corliss gives Kaul a closer look and reckons payback may be a little time coming. The thug looks much worse for wear after his brief round trip to the afterlife. His eyes are sunken and his scarred flesh more closely matches a shark's pale underbelly than the ominous dark sea gray of its dorsal fin. The gouged flesh near his claw bears ugly bruises that hint at cracked bone and the multiple stab wounds are red and raw. He is going to need all of Corliss' skill and a bit of time to restore him to full health after his brief journey beyond.
Kaul @ 12 hp, 2 negative levels

Jim prowls the rotting deck assured that Corliss can do more for Kaul than he can at the moment. The afternoon has grown hazy but the sun has only slipped slightly from its zenith. Nevertheless, no sign of Svetesky is seen. Jim can only guess whether he's hightailed it back to town or taken cover in one of the many wrecks littering the marshland.

"Dingus, is there a way you can get word to Cap'n Belinna? I'm worried Svetesky might get some official attention turned Fortune's way."

"Aye Aye Captain. I'll let her know".

Dingus picks up the hem of his robe, and begins to high step through the swamp... the wrong way.

"Dingus, is there a way you can get word to Cap'n Belinna?"

That would have been the purpose of the synchronized scolls, wherever they are now. So you all gathering Dingus and heading back to the ship?

Sounds like a plan.

After a night's rest, Corliss uses all his healing ability to get his mates back to full health. Once that task's taken care of, the Besmaran gets an unusually hard expression across his face. "So...anyone got a plan fer dealin' with the Lixi twins? Think she knows we're comin'?"

Corliss catches up with Dingus and directs him back out of the marsh leaving Jim to half carry their battered bosun after them. The going is much slower than before and the sun is getting low by the time they return to the city gate. Dingus takes the form of an elderly woman again and Jim keeps his face buried in Kaul's armpit as he assists his stumbling companion through town. No one tries to delay them and they make it safely to the ship.

Belinna has nothing unusual to report other than the usual unusual condition of the away party upon return, but the watch is doubled and the four itinerant officers collapse exhausted into their berths.

Clouds roll in during the night and the weather turns bitter cold as snow flakes drift down the next morning. Corliss lays some healing on his mates as they gather around the stove in the galley for breakfast. The Black Lady's blessings burn like raw rum but reinvigorate the crew though Kaul is still looking kinda ghostly. Corliss then turns the conversation to revenge.

"Oh, unless Svetesky blabbed everything they probably don't know all of what happened. Strikes me as a mite foolish, though--and I were in their shoes, I'd've followed us to the rendezvous. They had to know how competent Jaravo and his pupils were; if Jaravo took us down, we'd weaken him enough in the process to be easy pickings, and vice versa.

"What troubles me is the ties between Lixy and the Calistrians. That lot holds a grudge past the Boneyard, I'm told, so we'll have to be careful. I'm thinking we all go to meet them, and if everything goes well we get our gear and put Riddleport in our wake. The only small hitch will be that the Aqua Vitae isn't in the original container. Now, our intent is still to bring what there is of it to the Lixys, so hopefully their divination magic won't tell them we're breaking the contract. If they take exception to the method of delivery, well. This time I won't hold back, and we'll have Dingus and Corliss with us."

Kaul listens intently, beady eyes sunken and looking more like a revenant than a belligerent.

When Jim mentions a parley with the Lixy's, the bosun's pallid brow furrows and he speaks with a hoarse whisper;

"Ain't the Stingers that hold a grudge past death Jimmer... That would be me."

He leans forward, grinding his tusks;

"Them Lixys? They're dead... Just don't know it yet. Seen things when I was... adrift. Heard things. Said things. Oaths an' such."

Kaul mugs a weak grin;

"Once I get meself back proper then they'll be a reckonin'... A bloody one. Then debts'll be paid an' I'll be whole, not hollow like I is now."

Corliss nods at Kaul but is actually giving the half-orc bosun a quick examination.

Somethin' not quite right 'bout Kaulie.... Don't think I've ever heard 'im talk in a whisper before.

Corliss Blackboots Sense Motive Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Corliss can't claim much experience with a returned soul, but he's heard that sometimes a soul is depleted or altered by the experience. Certainly, the Groom seemed to bear some marks from his experience. Corliss hopes that a ritual of restoration might bolster Kaul's connection to his corporeal form again but that still remains to be seen.

First time using that feat. Can we assume that Corliss prepared lesser restoration and the other spell slots required to complete the ritual, or would he have spent most of his slots healing up the crew after the battles in the ship graveyard?

First time using that feat. Can we assume that Corliss prepared lesser restoration and the other spell slots required to complete the ritual, or would he have spent most of his slots healing up the crew after the battles in the ship graveyard?

Your channels would have likely covered a lot of it. Maybe mark off a couple cure light wounds and you could use lesser restoration and a 3rd level spell slot (or a 2nd and a 1st) to conduct the ritual. If Kaul wants agrees to waiting around for it.

As Corliss mends his companions' wounds, he gets a closer look at Kaul and notes some peculiarities. His pale skin is strangely cool to the touch and his amber eyes are now streaked with traces of other colors that seem to swirl around the pupil like a vortex.

Additionally, his red metal claw looks mottled. Closer inspection reveals that the metal has changed: a patina of rust flakes off in spots revealing iron beneath. The rust doesn't appear to affect the claw's function though. A couple small iron spurs are also visible erupting from Kaul's flesh above the claw as if the iron has alloyed with his arm bones and grown out in spots. Weirder still, Corliss finds a couple living barnacles on the claw that occasionally emit iridescent feathery tendrils into the air.

Dingus senses that Kaul has... changed... somehow... but he likes him even more now.

"Let's go dispense some justice".

Corliss privately points out some of the changes he's noted in Kaul, mental and physical to Jim, Dingus, and Capt. Belinna (if she's present). He asks for their opinions as to how best to proceed. Then he also shrugs and asks if they think it wise that he actually ask Kaul if he's feeling different. "After all, Kaul be the one who went through this ordeal; he'd have firsthand experience, mayhaps, iff'n he wants to share it. 'Tis usually the patient 'imself who has the best understandin' o' the symptoms he may be showin'."

Belinna sighs. "I didn't think Kaul could possible show up looking worse than last time. What ever you all want to do, we best be quick about it. We've been docked a couple weeks now and most of the crew have blown through their shares and are getting antsy. And I thought we were wanting to get on to the Queen's business. I don't how long she ought to be put off. I hope you are keeping us on the good side of the Sailor's Doom, Corliss."

Rafe chirps up. "May I help? I didn't want to disturb your rest last night. But if I can do anything for Master Kaul, I'd like to try."

"You certainly helped me out after the shadow captain, Rafe. Anything you could do for Kaul would be most welcome--right, Corliss?"

"Right ye are, Jimmer," Corliss replies as he starts to prepare for the restoration ritual he's never actually performed before. He gives Rafe a smile and a nod before ordering him to help gather all the items he'll need for the casting. Finally, he turns and addresses his patient.

"How're ye feelin', Kaulie?" he asks the scowling half-orc. "Can ye recall anything unusual 'bout yer ordeal...anythin' out o' place or the like? Will help me with the castin' iff'n I know as much as possible 'bout what ye went through after ye fell...."

Kaul sits, scowling into space whilst grinding his tusky jaw.

At Corliss' question, his beady eyes shift their maelstrom pupils toward the priest;

"Hurrrr. Kauly didn't measure up fir 'er crew... Got cast adrift... found me way back to shore. Here I be."

The brute bosun shifts his gaze toward his claw;

"Let 'er mark like a Jigsaw bite. Reminder tae me that I ain't fit for shift jus' yet. Need to get bloodier. Sos next time I ain't comin' back. .."

He emits a hacksaw chuckle;

"I ain't better than ever, but better than never. Feel cold like... like... revenge. Aye. That's the right o' it... Hurrrrr."

"Well, let's see iff'n I can't get dear Bessie to warm ya up some fer what's to come!" Corliss replies with a chuckle. "While I've heard o' the ol' adage that 'revenge be a dish best served cold,' I ain't sure I buy into that...not completely, at least. A little fire in the belly be better, methinks, an' them Lixies--pretty though they be--have earned their taste o' hellfire an' brimstone fer what they pulled. Besides, iff'n we're all to be near full power when we pay them gals a visit, maybe I ought not use all me lowest level spells to keep us warm: vengeance will burn in our hearts an' sword arms!"

Corliss will continue with the restoration ritual as soon as possible.

Rafe gives a nervous little laugh at Kaul's weird looks and demeanor. "That's certainly not blue whinnis this time." He goes about helping Corliss with an ear twitching to catch anything Kaul adds.

Restoration ritual takes an hour

Corliss believes he may have a bit of insight into what happened to Kaul while his soul was in limbo. Not sure how it'll affect his attempt at restoring Kaul to "normal," he keeps his thoughts to himself for now and concentrates on the ritual.

Corliss Blackboots Knowledge (religion) Check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Here goes nothin'! Commence restoration!

Captain Belinna actually gives a pained groan when Rafe tells her how much the ritual is going to cost. The young sailor is an excellent shopper though and returns within an hour with the necessary materials for the ritual: devilfish ink, a gallon of fine rum, and heavy pouch of pearls and precious stones. The Captain reveals later that this cost about half of the ship's remaining treasure though no one begrudges its use to restore Kaul.

Corliss magically dissolves the assorted gems in the rum blessing it and pours a cup out for each mate in attendance. Then he mixes some of the rum with the blood-red ink and leads his congregation in some sacrilegious shanties as he prepares a borrowed rudimentary tattoo kit. The words "HOLD FAST" are tattoed over the knuckles of Kaul's remaining hand and then a large awkward looking anchor over his heart to weigh his soul back his body. The work is poor, but glows with murky blue-green light like a phosphorescent lure in the abyssal zone. There is one more toast to finish up the blessed rum and then the tattoos fade and Kaul looks less tired and pale and more his crusty, cruel self. His claw remains transformed though, as does the unsettling eyes. All is completed by the time afternoon watch commences.

Corliss uses up a lesser restoration spell and three additional spell levels. First of two neg levels removed. Remaining level can't be restored until the following week.

Belinna pulls Jim and Corliss aside while the crew is at chow. "It would be best to get Ed and Grund back quickly. Cobb, the ship's carpenter, jumped ship last night, likely after taking one look at Kaul. He always was a superstitious fool. He took his tools with him so I don't expect him back. Moses is looking shakier that usual as well. If we don't set sail soon we may not have much of a crew left and I'd rather not further deplete our remaining funds on hiring more."

"All right. Let's do this. We go in peaceable-like, then see what happens. One thing, though--the Lixies put some kind of hoodoo on Kaul last time. Corliss, you got any witchery that'll protect us from that?"

"Does that mean don't fireball first and talk later"?

Kaul mugs an appreciative grin at Dingus' suggestion;

"Hur. I likes that. Burn 'em. Lopper ain't fir meltin' but them Lixies will... Hurrr. Them who ain't cooked we dump in the brine..."

"Hmmm...," Corliss contemplates after hearing Jim's question. "Somethin' to protect against them Lixies' feminine--an' magical--charms, eh? Methinks I can do that!"

I'm thinking communal protection against evil. If anyone else wants to make a suggestion as to what spells Corliss should prep for the coming conflict, just let me know.

"All things in proper order, mates. They're slippery ones, they are, and I wouldn't put it past 'em to have Lopper, my rapier, and our crewmates hidden away somewhere. We need to get everything back before we collect our pound of flesh, hey?"

As the group prepare to disembark, Rafe grabs Jim's sleeve and presents him with a vial of clear fluid. "Master Jim, I did it. I made some antitoxin in case Master Kaul is poisoned again. I wish I had been able to make more but it was very difficult. Anyway, I hope it will help."

Kaul casts jaundiced eye toward Jim, before nodding with a grumble;

"Hurrrr. Ye hav the right o' it Jimmer. Play it canny, then dress the cobbles with their innards! Hur-hur-hur."

Eager for revenge, Kaul leads the way off the ship and onto the wharf. Being Oathday, it should be a propitious day to complete a contract. They walk into a bitterly cold wind that blows down from the mountains and freezes the puddles they pass on their way to the Golden Goblin.

They arrive at the casino shortly and find the mid-day crowd light with more servers and attendants present than customers. A bored erin-yes dressed in a red corset ambles up and asks if they might want a drink or something else that's wet.

Corliss lets Jim do the talking. He instead surreptitiously sizes up the server, trying to detect if the seemingly bored woman might be more sinister and dangerous than she seems.

Corliss Blackboots Sense Motive Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

We'll bring the box that the elixir was originally packed in with us.

Down, boy. No mixing business with pleasure this time. "No, ma'am. We've business with the bosses--tell them we're back with what they asked for."

"And you are...?" Once she gets a response, she asks the crew to wait in the bar and heads for the back offices. Corliss doesn't sense anything other than boredom.

Kaul emits a low, hacksaw chuckle at the erin-yes' question;

"Tell 'em we's old friends... Hurrrrr."

You're left to wait a while in the bar portion of the casino. Long enough to be asked several times if you are ordering a drink. Finally, a Lixie appears followed by a trio of Erin-noes. The Erin-noes peel off and two stand, arms crossed and frowning, about fifteen off to either side of your table while the other one ignores you and heads behind the bar. Lixie stops a short distance from your table and raise an eyebrow, waiting for a report.

Jim nods in greeting without smiling. "We took the item in question and have it here with us. Where's our crew and our gear?"

"Safe. Show me." Lixie smiles.

"You first."

Lixie smiles faintly, "I guess we're dragging this out." She raises her right hand slightly to make a beckoning gesture. Ed is lead around the corner first by another Erin-no. The halfling looks bedraggled and his eyes dart nervously around. When his weary eyes settle on Jim, he gives a sigh. "It's about time."

Lixie nods. "Grund is fine as well and once you show me that you actually have something. I'll bring him out."

"Sorry about the delay, mate." Jim stands, takes the box under one arm and motions to Kaul to accompany him as he approaches the Lixy.

Lumbering after Jimmer, Kaul's beady eyes glitter menacingly as he studies his victim hostess' intent;

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17

If anything, Kaul senses that she is impatient to get things over with.

Once within arm's reach of the Lixy, Jim grins. "So. We had a bit of a spill, one might say, and the stuff's not in its original container. It's in Kaul, here--less whatever he's p1$$ed or sh@t out, of course. I don't recall you specifying condition, though, so as I see it we've kept our end of the deal. What do you think?"

Lixie frowns. "You got the empty vessel for proof?"

Kaul mugs a grin at Lixie, beady eyes like a vortexes of belligerence;

"Hur. Ye all be empty vessels"

Jim opens up the case, revealing the bottle that the elixir came in.