Cap'n Voodoo's Freebooter PBP

Game Master voodoo chili

Jim resists the urge to roll his eyes. Idiots. Get that complacent and stupid at sea, and you die. "Dingus? Groom? Mind carrying Kaul? Unlike some folks, we don't leave our mates behind."

Jim will look around for a street food vendor as the party heads back to the house. Anything that can be carried in one hand and has some meat in it, and he's not too picky about what kind.

He'll murmur to Dibbets at some point, "I'll take the ocean, thank you very much. This place is like navigating shoals when you don't know iffin' the tide's in or out...."

I mentioned we only had time for the ring....any thing else the guard or scavengers must have taken. ;-)

Background and appearance updated on profile, my Captain.

The Groom will spit a gush of salt water into Kaul face (Create Water). If that does not revive him, he will struggle to get the half-orc to his feet. "Will definably require assistance," he manages to mutter.

An unusual smile crosses the Grooms's face. He is glad to be going back....so much left unanswered.

As Dingus and the Groom struggle to get the densely muscled half-orc off the ground, Jim finds a nearby vendor selling fried shark on a stick for 4 pennies. Vinari ambles over while Jim is buying his meal and demands, ”Hey, get me one of those, too.”

penny = brass or copper coin of lowest denomination.
sail = gold coin as per the Chelish sail which makes up the bulk of Freeport's plunder.

edit: lowered the perception DC to gives ya a better chance.

Perception vs dc25 ->1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Yeah, no chance on that first one, this one is pretty tough too.

Perception check:

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Jim looks at Vinari, looks back at the vendor, wordlessly hands over a skull, and holds up two fingers.

How does the vendor react to Vinari's presence?

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Dibbets is walking alongside Kaul, periodically giving him a light slap to see if he'll come round.

As the vendor makes change, Jim catches his eye to see if he reveals any particular reaction to the overbearing Taldan. If any ill will exists, the man keeps it well hidden behind a façade of professionalism.

Dingus and the Groom manage to get the half-orc in a vertical position and stagger back up the wide street at about the same rate that Dibbets can hobble. Eventually Kaul comes back around still blinded and incoherent for a moment, but shaking his head and blinking he rejoins the world of the conscious with a slight headache.

As the group approaches the house again the door remains open and a small knot of five Watch members confer in front. You see a couple of Easterners watching from across the street or peering from their windows. Upon spotting the Hell Hounds in the lead, the leader of the Watch holds up his hands in front of him. ”Hey, Hey, Dolo, Vinari, we don’t want any trouble. We had to respond here. A runaway cart ran down a couple in front of us and then this fat bastard comes running down the street wailing like a banshee. We followed the trail of piss back here and find this mess. I think that’s Goyne in there, but the body was already looted when we got here. You know what’s going on?”

At about this moment Kaul notices he feels a bit less encumbered than before and realizes the ring and the bag of loot from the witch’s chest are missing…

Kaul gives his noggin a couple of bumps as if emptying seawater from his ear, then squints suspiciously at the scene unfolding before him...

He brushes himself down, unslips his brass knucks and stows them (using the opportunity to see if anything else is missing).

Kaul sports his gargoyle grin as he wryly mumbles "Good to be back lads... hur-hur-hur. Close my eyes fer a damn'd second and we's up to our hairy pits in Hounds and Watchdogs hur-hur-hur!"

"Thank the sky lord we're back Kaul, methinks they'd a tired o carryin ye after a while" he says with a genuine grin of relief.

Addressing the guard "See anythin else in there but Goyne?"

The sergeant looks down at Dibbets and then sheepishly at the other Watchmen. ”Um, we didn’t really look around much. The place just doesn’t feel right. Some folks were saying it’s haunted, you know, being a witch house and everything.” he mumbles.

Dolo, the tall Bekyar makes the spiral of Pharasma across his chest and spits. Vinari chuckles and taunts the sergeant in his nasally voice, ”Ooooh, spooooky!”

The sergeant turns a little redder and stands aside, ”Well, have a look yourselves. It’s your business anyway!” he growls.

Aside to the Groom "Whats yer skull sayin? Said in a quiet voice so the hounds and watch don't hear.

Kaul flashes an ugly smile at the halfling: "Good ta be back Dibbs"

Then attempting to take the attention from Dibbet's conversing with the Groom and his boney oracle Kaul bundles up to the guard sergeant: "You flat feet notice any o' my kind around? With the fat-man per'aps?" he queries in his grumbling tongue.

With Keelhaul off his shoulder, the Groom reaches into his satchel and pulls out his sheet-wrapped bundle. To Dibbits, as he peeks in at the contents, "Let's see if she is awake."

"You could stand to lose a few pounds". Dingus grunts to Kaul as the man regains control of his senses. "And a bath wouldn't kill you" .

The man then withdraws further into his hooded cloak, and watches events unfold. He would like another shot at this place.

The sergeant lifts an eyebrow at Kaul's question, "No, not many of your kind around. Mainly keep wharfside or in the Bloodsalt where they belong," he adds pointedly.

As the Groom pulls back the sheet he is greeted by a reddish glow rekindled in the skull’s eye sockets.

the Groom drops the sheet back. In a low voice to Dibbits, "We have her attention. Keep yer eyes peeled."

Passing Kaul, "I retrieved this while you dirt napped in the street. Needed to show them a gesture of good faith. It's why they wanted to come here." He places the ring in his hand. (I think I still have it, I showed them, but there was no exchange.)

Kaul grins back at the sergeant - all sharp teeth, scars and a belligerent glint in his eyes: "Heh. Ain't too many of yoursort neither in the Bloodsalt flatfoot... well not breathin that is... heh.heh.heh."

He then eyes Dingus cautiously... and leans in, with a course whisper: "Big and stinking I may be mate... but thems handy traits when I be rippin a man a new smile on yer say-so... keep that in mind eh? Hur-hur."

His thought broken by the Groom placing the ring in his hand. Kaul looks up his amber eyes glinting as he addresses the Hellhounds...

"So you boys comin or are we the spook bait?"

After finishing his shark on a stick, Jim will help with Kaul as much as he can.

Is Jim still fatigued?

In response to the guard, Jim asks, "Witch house? I'd credit that, after what we saw--how long since anyone lived there?"

"So you boys comin or are we the spook bait?"

The sergeant frowns at Kaul and shrugs at Jim’s question. “I dunno, you should probably ask someone who lives around here. I think there was an old lady selling herbs and remedies here pretty recently.”

”Spook bait.” Vinari sneers and getting a lantern from the sergeant leads the way. Dolo follows Vinari into the building stooping a little to clear his formidable height augmented by his traditional Bekyar hair sculpture, in this case his hair dyed red and shaped into a pair of inward curving horns.

Inside the interior door remains open and kettle and corpse remain undisturbed in the kitchen. A close inspection of the kitchen however finds that a stone from the floor near the fireplace has been pulled up revealing a small empty hole beneath.

"Watch out for any more of those flying bloodsuckers--they're what got your buddy. Would've done for me, too, if they'd all hit me at once."

Jim looks back at the rest of the crew. "I don't remember that stone being pulled up. One of you do that while I was squashing bugs?"

Spitting to the side Dibbets says"No Jim, don't think that were us"

He also recasts light on his staff and watches the hounds warily.

Kaul peers over Dibbs and sucks in a involentary gasp at the sight of the stone being moved:

"Ghaa...... Whadi say eh? Eh!? Bad damn ju-ju!

His paw slips up to his scrimshaw symbol at his neck and he whispers a few warding words to the Drowner...

Vinari walks over to the corpse and pulls it away from the wall to check the back. ”Routine around here.” he sniggers. ”Yep. Look at this. I think your spook was probably alive and carrying a sharp knife. “ He points out the blood stain on the wall from a neat stab wound in Goyne’s upper back.

Dolo looks at the hidey hole under the flagstone that has attracted your attention. ”Wonder what was in dere.” As if in reply a faint hissing comes from the glowing skull. ”Lossst...”

Dibbets pulls out the skin bag from his flower sack and holds it up for Vinari, "Well this was floatin around last we were here too." before being cut off by the skulls utterance...

Looking at the corpse, the Groom gives the overturned and dented cauldron a kick. "Blood-bugs did that...after he was a corpse. It was the cauldron that laid out him with the cut-nose, and unless he ran into it head first, the spook did have something to do with it."

After Dolo's question was answered, in a low voice, "Gentlemen..the Spook." the Groom then pulls back the sheet revealing the skull. "You of the Glowing Eyes, what has been lost here?"

Vinari glances at Dibbets’ pride and joy, ”What the- get that away from me, you little freak! That’s disgusting.

In response to the Groom, Vinari continues yapping, ”What? You telling me I don’t know what a knife wound looks like? I think I’ve seen enough of those. Maybe someone bashed him with the cauldron while someone knifed him from… Hey, was that you? That’s you making them noises. Wow, what a bunch of crazies we got here, Dolo.”

Dolo holds up a hand to silence Vinari and watches the Groom handling the glowing skull. The skull responds with a fainter hiss, "boooxxxx…"

Kaul's eyes narrow at the scene and he nods knowlingly..."Heh. Looks like we know what happened tae the Bloodsalt boy now... nailed Goyne with tha pot and bled him... bugbats did the rest.... I meself would hav used a sap, then Bess but its good bloodwork... Hur-hur-hu..."

Kaul's gloating laugh is cut short by the skull's sudden communication and he steps warily away from its gaze.

Grinning with manic wild eyes at Vinari's reaction, Dibbets casts the skin-bag off to the side.

"Why don't you boys talk to bony there, I'll check upstairs to see if anythin else is where it wasn't." he then moves up the stairs and checks the bedroom for any changes.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

After they reach the house, Jim attempts to lean against a wall as unobtrusively as possible while he catches his breath from the walk back.

Are any of the dead bug-bat bodies still around?

The realization comes to the Groom, he turns the skull to look into its eyes. "So you did not do this? He of the Red Face, killed this one, and ran? But this stone was not moved when we left. Did he come back? or did someone else do this?....Who took your box"

He looks up to the others. "That Wizard Vagrant seemed to think the One called Dibble carried something he did not have. Could that one have returned here, once discovering we did not have what he sought?"

Jim closely watches to make sure that those nasty bug-bats stay dead as Dibbets steps over their battered remains and heads upstairs to find nothing changed since his last visit except perhaps a curtain pushed to the side.

Despite the flurry of questions from the Groom, the hissing sound from the skull fades into something like a sigh. Suddenly in your midst a small presence is felt and with a rustling of wings that you feel more than hear a shadow darts out the front door.

Dolo again draws a spiral over his chest as Vinari looks confused. The red gleam in the skull’s eyes winks out.

Jim chuckles slightly at Vinari's apparent confusion. "Seems like there's a little more going on here than you might have thought. As long as we're back here, there's something else I want to get a look at."

Jim takes a look at the cauldron, trying to figure out what happened to it and how it got dented. Are there any traces of anything that might have been in the cauldron before it was tipped over? (For that matter, any sign of where the bug-bats came from?)

Perception check:

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Seeing the skull animate again, Dingus quickly utters his Detect Magic cantrip, and studies the skull more carefully. Before releasing it, he also scans about the room.

Kaul warily watches everyones movements, then as the skulls eyes fade he recovers his composure and addresses Jim's detective work;

"Jim...I's tellin ye... the half orc... one like me? Know of him and reckon he did fer Goyne... Clocked Goyne with the pot, then as he stumbled he knifed him - quick an nasty like. Clear as chum on the tide that's what happened."

Kaul chuckles to himself at a private joke... "Hur-hur-hur... I should be a flatfoot...hur-hur-hur!"

Seeing the skull animate again, Dingus quickly utters his Detect Magic cantrip, and studies the skull more carefully. Before releasing it, he also scans about the room.

Coming down the stairs Dibbets relays "Upstairs don't look like anythin new happened.". He then leans against a wall and takes a swig of grog from one of his flasks while his shipmates continue investigating.

"Aye, you may have the right of it, Kaul. But I'm wondering--looks to me like this pot was thrown hard, not picked up and slammed into someone. We heard the crash upstairs, you remember. An' it happened fast enough that Goyne didn't have a chance to draw, so he had to have his back to th' half-orc...seems to me that seeing someone wind up to throw that pot would be just a mite on the obvious side. I think we're not seeing something, but I don't know what. Dingus, you gettin' anything off the skull? That might be a piece of the answer, and I think I know who might have another piece of it.

"Vinari, Dolo--the fat man said he worked for Finn. Why would Goyne go along with that, if the man was spinning a yarn?"

Vinari thinks a minute and grins, ”Not that it is any of your business, but this block is part of Goyne’s territory. If Mr. Finn had something going on here most likely he was working with Dunbar and Goyne would have been in on it. If that’s true than I’d guess the fat man was one of Trask’s enforcers. We don’t usually work with them much. Doesn’t really explain what you bunch are doing here though. Believe me if I thought any of yous could get the drop on Goyne, I’d gut you now.”

He looks apppraisingly at Dingus. "This quiet guy is kinda suspicious though. You another spell slinging rat like Beedle?"

In a hissing voice "Not like Beedle". "His opponents still breathe".

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 Intimidate

"Fat man hired us to clear out the building, an' when it all went ass-up we all figured it were best to make sure our side of the tale was heard in case he wanted to pin Goyne's death on us. So we went lookin' for...other folks that work for Finn, an' found you right after Beedle caught up with us. Dingus is right, y'know...that Beedle, he's not much of a spell slinger if he couldn't take down more of us at once.

"Funny thing--he thought you were with us."

Something in Dingus' tone strikes a nerve and Vinari drops his swagger, "Hey, no offense there. I said you guys are OK with me. I don't even have to mention you to Dunbar if you don't want me to. As far as I'm concerned it was ghosts. I’m sure the big guys can figure this all out. Whatever happened here is the fat guy's problem now."

He nods to Dolo as he heads for the door, "I could use a beer. Should we hit Strebeck's?”

Piping up from the corner "Maybe the sea salts crusted me ears up, but I don't remember any mention o' this Dunbar and Trask before. Where do they come intae it?"

Vinari laughs nervously, "Dunbar's the head of the Hellhounds and Trask is Mr. Finn's second in command. He runs-"

Dolo butts in,"I tink you say plenty, Vinari. Wait for me outside." Looking at the crew the towering Bekyar adds, "You might not want to ask too many questions. Sometime knowledge is dangerous."

Note: Important people and places listed at this profile.

Kaul warily eyes the Hounds as they walk out

"Not sure there's much more tae be hand from them. We could get em drunk, an they might spill their guts more... but might as likely spill ours too boys..."

The burly half orc rubs his head as if in deep thought:

"'sides... if this witch has stuff missing maybes the Bloodsalters got it... and I reckon I know where tae find him. See this witch had an Eastern carpet right? Maybe she's Eastern... maybe the Assad’s Smoke Shop or Kafe Ilkin know's o' her?? Maybe's I just thinks too much!"

With a shrug of his scarred shoulders he spits on the floor...

As the pair of Hell Hounds leaves, Jim straightens up from where he was leaning against a wall. "Good thinking, Kaul. But now it's past time for us to be leaving, too. Unless you think the guards won't want an excuse to push someone around after that?"

the Groom rewraps the skull and places it back in his satchel. "Feel free to continue to speak up."

"Assad's seems as good a place as any."

Are there street markings and such? - or any reference in the house such as a name or the like?

street numbers? that's far too organized for Freeport. they usually go by districts and landmarks. There are maybe four named streets, but you're pretty sure you could find this place again at this point. It looks like there was a shingle hanging out front, but it has been removed.

You hear raised voices outside and Dolo strides back in with a curse. He looks at Goyle's body and back at Kaul. "You help me get heem to de temple of Pharasma and maybe I forget where hees blade went to, eh?"

Dolo explains,"Fool Vinari just want to dump Goyne off a dock, but I say man die here good chance come back. So better take heem to de temple."

"We go tru de Drac's End. Not takin' too long. He look about ready for de temple, too." Dolo indicates Jim.

Cheers Dibbs - feats look pretty interesting. Particularly the Press Ganger for flavour and given how much the sap has been wielded of late lol.

May well consider em as we progress if the Cap'n is happy to have em onboard...

the Master of the Winds ability actually seems a bit extraneous now. And Far Sight is probably a bit of overkill given I've got Wind Sight as well....hmmmm.

I kinda thought so too. Far sight maybe has a greater range and master of winds a longer duration, but I don't see them as significantly better.

Kaul- Press Ganger is cool. I think the +2 is a bit generous, but I guess it's balanced by the flat-footed requirement.

Aye Cap'n the +2 is pretty generous... am happy to go with +1 on the bonuses if you feel its more balanced?

Will need to take Weapon Focus: Sap first [which ain't the sexiest weapon choice in the armoury lol] as a Rogue talent, but by 3rd will probably go Press Ganger [should ol' Keelhaul make it lol]

Will need to take Weapon Focus: Sap first

Ouch. missed the feat tax there. well hell, use as written then, would be the equivalent of Weapon Spesh Feat with rogue-y sauce.

Groovy. Kaul will end up a lean(ish), mean(ish) sappin machine ;)

Kaul - just so you have access to it - full text for the Press Ganger below:

PS: Saw your teaser update on your other PbP re: your labor of love. Look forward to it and am polishing my Ulfen Barbarian in preparation :)

Cool-cool Dibbs - thanks for this.

Aye the "labour of love" is coming together - am off work today so writing up some of the elements, brushing up on weather rules etc... should be fun...heheheh.

Saw your recruitment for a pbp - would love to submit for consideration but am stretched already and need to clear the decks a little more! Besides the Aldweg Saga won't convert itself lol...

Nae problem Kaul - if you're interested in anything else from that book (or pretty much anything in the Paizo stable as well) let me know and I can look it up.

One of the advantages of living in Malaysia is that with no FLGS all my Pathfinder stuff is PDF, so I carry my whole library around on one flash disk.

Re: the PbP - no worries there either. Will be hard enough with the Groom and Cap'n on my back (if they get in :P )

Tea at the Seaside Market...... 1 cp
Damages to the Fruit Stand..... 1 gp

Panicked fighter getting butted in the 'nads... priceless

Tea at the Seaside Market...... 1 cp

Damages to the Fruit Stand..... 1 gp

Panicked fighter getting butted in the 'nads... priceless

Some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Napsun(i) Charge.

"No, really...I'm fine. My eyes cross like that normally...."

Dibb's with the collapse of one of The Crimson Kings pbp, keep me in mind iffin your needing another player for your Osirion Expedition.

Will pop something in the recruitment thread for you to cast that evil eye over should someone drop out...

Aye Kaul, will keep ye in mind. Unfortunately for you I haven't scared anyone off yet, and the guys have just gotten their very own camel to play with - but if someone does go AWOL I'll make sure ye get a chance at a look-in.

Skull and Shackles AP on the horizon. We're cutting edge, mates! : )

btw thanks for indulging me with the Freeport madness. We'll be out to sea very soon and I wanted to squeeze in as much fun as I could before we leave port.

Aye, I noticed the incoming pirate AP as well - looks like it should be fun.

The Freeport madness has been fun indeed so I think we've all been indulged :) I'm looking forward to getting out to sea as well, Dibbs is a different person entirely afloat....

Freeport has been brilliant fun Cap'n, city has really come alive (and dead) throughout... Sea will be interesting - think Kaul is a lubber at heart, prefers sending em to sea, but he's blessed by the Drowner so who knows!

The Pirate AP did make me smile... bet the paizo inspiration spies have been at work...lol

No problem here with being a fish out of water for a while. Freeport is a lot of fun. In much the same way that a lot of ports were fun for sailors...right up until they went to the wrong neighborhood, or drank with the wrong people, or went to the right tea shop at the wrong time (ow), or did any number of other wrong things. I can sympathize.

I'm at a hotel this weekend without decent internet service, so my only access is through the phone. I'll be kind of hit or miss until Sunday.

Heads up that I might be quiet from Sat to Monday evening - off to Manchester for the weekend to see Kings of Leon. Will post as/when I get the chance, but move Kaul along as required Cap'n...

OK, I guess you can have a REAL life :P Thanks for the heads up.
I may try to get out o' doors a bit this weekend as well so it's all good. Expect alot of action next week though! :)

Heh - while we're sharing, I'll be in a 5 day training course from 20-24 June.

Will still be posting in the evening, but not during the day.

Training? they actually expect you to pay attention? what kind of work are you up to out there, Dibbs?

as for the game, any specific plans as to what to do next? I knew Jim was looking for Dolo so I pushed it along a little. you can use the Assad's detour as a planning meeting as well. otherwise I'll just sit tight over the weekend.

Heh, there's even an exam at the end that I need to get 70% in.

I'm a scumbag consultant in Oil and Gas, on the Planning and Supervision side. Or in plain words, I plan jobs then go out onto the drilling rigs to watch other people do all the work :)

Training is for Well Control for Interventions, which is a fancy term for 'How to Prevent Stuff Blowing Up and People Getting Killed'. Well, not really - more likely to be five days of 'This is the answer to the questions so you pass and your company is happy'. But its 5 days out of the office while still getting paid and with free hotel buffet lunches, so should be ok :)

As for the game side, my great plan of go and see Finn was about as successful as standing on a street corner picking my nose for a half hour, so I'll just follow the more better plannerers in our little group :P

I'm a scumbag consultant in Oil and Gas, on the Planning and Supervision side.

Oh noooo! ; )

Training is for Well Control for Interventions, which is a fancy term for 'How to Prevent Stuff Blowing Up and People Getting Killed'.

well then perhaps you ought to pay attention.

As for the game side, my great plan of go and see Finn was about as successful as standing on a street corner picking my nose for a half hour, so I'll just follow the more better plannerers in our little group :P

No, actually a great idea, however, getting in to see one of the most important people in Freeport let alone arguably THE biggest crime lord just isn't that easy. When HE wants to see you, you'll know.

Ahoy Dibbs... so you work in Oil & Gas - bizarre, worked in a pipeyard and as a Roustie for a few years before going back to College and getting all educated.

One of my best mates is actually a Planner for Premier Oil based here in sunny Aberdeen.

As for the planning - Kaul clearly is the keen mind of our little group, so leave thinking tae him. Hur.

@ Kaul - had the pleasure of getting my education prior to hitting the oilfield, so have had the benefit of keeping my coveralls clean for the most part :P

So what now fellows? - do we try and lure the deader out for the kill?

Yeah, enquiring minds want to know.

That is a good question. We now have what everyone wants, but what is it? I am assuming, as it is made of jade, that it is ornamental? Would the Nethys temple be a sensible place to get it identified? Or is there a magic store or association if Freeport..the Groom is not a local..nor is the player.

One thing to remember in all this, iirc the Aspis Consortium is after this as well (if they are in fact not the ones who set the deader after us). They were trying to buy the skin bag property.

I think the Groom still needs to fill in the details from the floater under the pier, as one deader seemed enough to worry about.

I see some options here, though none of them are without Risk.

1. We could contact the Temple of Nethys, and either describe/draw the dagger for hoped for help. Presenting the dagger as a last resort.

2. If the Aspis Consortium is after this item, then it stands to reason the Pathfinders might be interested as well. We could try to contact them, as their methods of dealing with desired objects is less...dangerous than the Consortium's.

3. We could chuck it in the ocean, and be done with it. (Might take some real convincing for Dingus to agree to this).

4. I have a feeling that if this object is so desired by others that simply defeating one group sent to take it would only lead to more powerful beings sent to take it. We need allies or answers...

As far as the poker goes - it's your show Dingus.

The only thing Dibbets would object to is giving it up without a fair windfall of gold and booze :)

Kaul has decent local knowledge but I'm not convinced that he'll have much of a clue regards magic/ju-ju... but something might come to mind... (sure he's pressed a mage or two in his time ;)

I think the danger is the more folk know that we have this, the worse it could get for us... but that's tempered with an insight into what it actually is... Are the Aspis know for a certain modus operandi? [summoned creatures and deaders for instance?]

More powerful beings may well come after us down the line... but hopefully we'll be in better shape to defend ourselves by then?

I'm with Dibbs - if we do hand this over its gonna cost a mighty haul of coin and grog.

We need to tie up loose ends as well... the deaders under the pier is a good start.

just wondering if y'all are feeling a little too out to sea (in the metaphorical sense anyway). i'm planning a bit of a reveal that might explain things more, but I kind of like the film noir aspects of the game. (hey, you guys kind of inspired me with the maltese falcon references : ) )

if it's getting a little too obscure i can throw in some spoilers or give you some more direction... jes lemme know.

Personally I'm liking that this motely crew have fallen in over their heads and there are still a bunch of pieces of the puzzle still missing.

The noir feel is excellent - I'm all for making us work a little more before any reveals... besides Kaul's building up a healthy armada of conspiracy theories :)

Kaul has decent local knowledge but I'm not convinced that he'll have much of a clue regards magic/ju-ju... but something might come to mind... (sure he's pressed a mage or two in his time ;)

I think the danger is the more folk know that we have this, the worse it could get for us... but that's tempered with an insight into what it actually is... Are the Aspis know for a certain modus operandi? [summoned creatures and deaders for instance?]

More powerful beings may well come after us down the line... but hopefully we'll be in better shape to defend ourselves by then?

I'm with Dibbs - if we do hand this over its gonna cost a mighty haul of coin and grog.

all valid concerns : )

local knowledge won't reveal much about ju-ju or the Aspis Consortiums MO, but Kaul would know that 'The Vault' in the Warehouse District is the safest place in town to store things if those things are feeling a little too hot to carry around. pricey, but secure in lieu of an anachronistic bus locker.

just wondering if y'all are feeling a little too out to sea (in the metaphorical sense anyway). i'm planning a bit of a reveal that might explain things more, but I kind of like the film noir aspects of the game. (hey, you guys kind of inspired me with the maltese falcon references : ) )

if it's getting a little too obscure i can throw in some spoilers or give you some more direction... jes lemme know.

I'm fine with it. I mean, we're a bunch of first-level characters optimized for atmosphere over power...we *should* be sweating this.

And sweating it we are...

Lads (like Kaul) I've been thinking; as Kaul I'm more than gung-ho for a rematch with stumper and the wog... but Kaul nailed it with a hefty crit and it was still standing... throw in some yellow robed fell ju-ju and even with full numbers we could get overmatched...

Our plan needs to be pretty air-tight or like Cap'n alluded to this could be a quick sloop to Tombstone.

There's also the above option of "The Vault" that Cap'n V threw our way... am not 100% on how secure it would be with the Aspis Con after it but might be worth considering as a Plan B?

Also the magic sticker might be easier to track outside the box... remember it gave off very faint aura when in the box... out of it might be a beacon for all to find...

Thoughts? Plans? & Notions...

My 2 lashes worth

BTW If you read back some of our round the inn-table discussions and banter, not only is it fantasic roleplaying but they also have a certain Tarantinoesque quality to them. Kudos to us and the Cap'n I reckon :)

Without metagaming too much I think we can assume that the deader has some DR, which might be more easily overcome through application of a certain wand Mr Dingus is carrying.

We also would have the Groom (disrupt undead at will for 1d6 per round) and myself (for healing up those that are in risk of losing their tongues) in the fray.

The tombstone reference might be more of a 'showdown at the OK Corral'?

@tombstone: Check - should have clicked, one of my fave movies [am a sucker for Westerns and big 'taches lol]

Aye with the wand and some holy rum/disruption etc it might... just... work...lol

Ah - if you're a fan of westerns, then you should understand when I say Swedgin, Gwei lo cocksucka

If we're tarantino-esque, then I vote Kaul gets to be Mr Pink :P

Do indeed - the mighty Deadwood...and the mightier Al Swearengen. Awesome series - sadly finished all too early.

Fine...fine... Kaul is Mr Pink... Dibbs is Marsellus... and the deader is Zed ;) heheheh.

Aye with the wand and some holy rum/disruption etc it might... just... work...lol.

I had a thought that holy rum might remain flammable-

man, stumpy really put the scare on y'all, which always warms a DMs heart : ) would y'all feel better with a little assistance? I was gonna save the meeting with Finn, but if it helps, he'd be looking for y'all about now...

I'm loving this game as well. Dingus is by nature a quiet guy, but I'm still following along, and he will jump in when he deems it appropriate. the other characters carry more than enough loudness and brashness for one group.

You're characters Pirate lingo is so good however, that I'm getting close to needing a translation guide :-).

Personally I want to take down stumpy on our own... or at least give it a try

Loving the Holy Molotov Cocktail idea lol...

Dingus - anytime you want to provoke a reaction or cow a certain loud and brash halfling into submission, you just need to flash lil old Ferdie around a bit.

I do think we make quite a merry little band of pirates - with a Cap'n foul enough to keep us stocked in grog and shakin in our boots. I'm still looking forward to seeing if my early speculation on Voodoo's avatar rings out true

Unfortunately I think my pirate tends to drift off into a hash of Scots every now and again... though I doubt Kaul would have trouble following it :P

Personally I want to take down stumpy on our own... or at least give it a try.

Cool. you've got the resources! you've got the know-how! now you just gotta find it before it finds you!

btw. stumpy would definitely be the GIMP!

also i'm heading out to a music festival for the weekend- not sure if i'm leaving today or tomorrow, but prolly out 'til sunday evening.

@Dingus- it helps if you read it out loud although maybe not in public ; )

the merriest. def enjoying the interactions. what a bunch of characters.

i forgot, what was the speculation about me leetle mun-kay?

Speculation wasn't stated explicitly, but was thought of...

hee-hee. we shall see...

If we're talking Tarantino, I'm not sure about Dingus, the Groom has got a certain Bill vibe going, and Jim is Vincent.

OK the scene is changing on the set. The director has it fading to black in the tavern and we as a group are going to...

A say Vault it. If the vault is supposedly reliable. And I image that in a town full of thieves and pirates, it would have to be, to still be in business.

Get the knife to safety. Draw out the Deadific Duo with the box. Or fight em where we meet them. He knows we are here, and is likely watching. It may be we have it out on the way.

just lighting a little fire under your bums ;) and giving you another thing to consider.

that said, feel free to plot and banter as I'll likely be out this weekend.