The sailor brushes Noro off without a second thought.
The sailor brushes Noro off without a second thought.
As one of the new Rahaoundi sailors passes by Reck's piles of splicing rope, the tattooed half-orc gets in his way and confronts him. "Killed a fair piece o' your buddies, I did," Reck comments. "Enjoyed it, too. Pity you 'ad t' call it quits afore I could stack more o' you on th' deck. Word o' advice, boy - stay out o' my sight and don't risk my ire!"
As the crew shifts into the night schedule, Reck tries to identify a time where Plugg or Scourge could be found alone.
Reck's new ink is pretty well done for being a DIY job. It does lack the refinement and sharp edges that a professional would put on it. Noro could do better.
"Timing's got t' be right," Reck agrees. "When we strike, tis all or nothing. Won't be any going back."
Reck stretches out in his hammock and looks Noro up and down. "You 'aven't talked about doing tattoos afore. D'you bear marks yourself?"
Sarenth hits the hay early after seeding his whispers among the group. The next day, he's up bright and early with the rest for another backbreaking day of deck swabbing. When he gets a chance, he'll duck out of the sun and try to learn more about their new ship.
The next day is secretly abuzz with news among your allies. Scourge and Plugg have done a poor job hiding their plans to strike out alone, and everyone is thinking mutinous thoughts.
At assignment of roles, Plugg announces he is dissatisfied with the crew compliment in the rigging and orders Durvin up. He is replaced in the galley by a rotund Rahaoundi sailor.
Reck-the sailor you confront swollows hard and nods vigorously. He makes some weak excuse soon after and gets about as far away from you as possible.
The next morning dawn red and angry. Everyone is called to the rigging as the Man's Promise is lashed by a Storm at least as strong as the one that lashed the Wormwood. The rain falls in all directions, as if it has lost which way is supposed to be down and huge waves make footing on deck treacherous, not to mention the rigging.
= Line work
= Line work
= Upper Rigging
= rigging repair
= rope work
Sarenth leaps to man the lines, and focuses most of his energy on staying ahead of the storm. As it comes available, however, he'll take the opportunity to tell all members of the party and all friendly NPCs.
"I'm sure you noticed the course change. It sounds like Scourge and Plugg are planning on going into things for themselves. We're heading to somewhere called Rickety Squibs to have the ship redone."
Her failure to impress the new sailors is only compounded now by the weather. Not quite ready to face the lash under these new rules Noro quickly takes to the rigging.
+4 for work diligently
Isabella cracks her knuckles as the storm assaults the ship and she makes her way up the rigging to once again dance with the uncooperative ropes.
Her thoughts buzz with considerations as she snatches free ropes, ties down loose ends, and adjusts sails to keep them from ripping in the wind.
so they're t'have the ship go incognito at some out of the way port and Harrigan be damned. Never been there. No idea where t'go from there, and not sure if I like the idea of being branded a mutineer on my second pirate voyage, much as I'd like to leave a few marks on that slime, Scourge. We could just jump ship and slink off in a longboat. Might even be lucky enough to find a new ship and crew t'sail with. tossup as to who likes that idea, though...
A fierce gust of wind carries a slap of fresh rain, snapping Isabella's focus back to her task. Her arms grow sluggish as she ties yet another knot and starts to move to her next goal.
first things first. No storm's taking this boat on my watch.
Under normal conditions, Durvin would be fairly decent at working the rope, but given the storm and his first day on the job he wants to make sure he gets it right. He focuses on ensuring he does all that he's supposed to to get the work done. Besides, weather like this is no place for trying to have friendly conversations. Giving so much of his attention to the new job, and having spent so many soft hours in the kitchen, he is once again too tired by the end of the day, and just wants to sleep it off.
When you make it to the deck, you see odd, wiggling tentacles slithering up the railing!
As he looks to the railing, he thinks about what it might be, and decides it's better to say something and it be nothing than say nothing and it be something. He hollers out to whoever may be within earshot,
Durvin's call signals the appearance of 6 beasts. They have a goblinoid body, but their lower half is a mass of writhing tentacles. Each carries a crude spear. The storm still lashes the ship, though it is in something of a lull at this time (meaning the rain is actually falling down for once and the ship's rocking isn't threatening to toss you overboard).
Two appear at the foremast, two at the mizzenmast, and two appear near the aft stairs to the poop deck. There is one port and one starboard.
Plugg's voice cuts through the storm, Iron Maiden! Take your group! Clear the deck!
Durvin's call raises the alarm just in time, as he now sees ugly creatures climbing over the rails en masse, and hopes his companions can get down to help him in time. He decides to do what he knows best, and provide something to bolster the spirits for a fight. He begins to sing. As he does so, he draws the new blade he was awarded by the captain, certain he was once again going to have draw blood.
"I was caught,
in the middle of a goblin-squid attack. Thunder!
I looked round,
and I knew there was no turning back. Thunder!
My mind raced
and I thought what could I do? Thunder!
And I knew
there was soon help, soon help from you. Thunder!"
Best hope your not on the deck then Mr Plugg she mutters to herself from up in the rigging.
Noro grabs a rope to slide down to the Deck.
Noro - Reflex DC 15 If success, you catch another rope on the way down. If failure, take 1d6 fall damage (as I'm assuming you manage to slide at least a little before you loose your grip).
Reck welcomes the storm as a blessed change of pace from splicing line together. "Blow, ye winds! Blow forever, for all I care!" He springs to with a will, relishing the burn in his muscles as he hauls and pulls for all he's worth.
Reck will charge the first enemy he sees, using his magic to bolster his right claw attack.
Durvin's clarion call provides welcome distraction from fighting the wind, and her eyes follow his direction to the inhuman monstrosities now boarding their ship.
"devil's own luck, what the bloody hell are those things?!"
Not wanting to miss out on the action, Isabella searches for a suitable line to ride down to the deck, but grimaces as she reaches for one; they're all the ones she spent so much work tying.
damn me and my work ethic!
She then begins the descent normally.
Sarenth grabs the nearest rope and swings down to the deck, aiming to land near the bow.
Sarenth casts a spell to summon a swarm of rats to envelope the nearest goblin-squids.
The little beasts descend upon you in a flurry of spear jabs and a mass of writhing, tripping tentacles. None of the spears manage to make meaningful contact, but both Reck and Noro get tripped up by the tentacles and end up on their backs.
Reck's mighty blow immediately knocks one of the monsters to death.
The rats swarm all over two others, but they remain standing.
Noro landed with a thud on the deck she looks up at the whacked out octo-goblin. What the.... she makes a move to stand up. a quick flip from prone to her feet
in the course of her flip Noro comes down on the Octo-goblin with her fists.
Pink pokes noro as she stands, but does lite more than scratch the larger barbarian. (Take 1 damage) An instant later, three of Pink's teeth fly from its mouth as Noro's single punch drives it to the deck.
Drawing his quarterstaff, Sarenth will focus on keeping the rats engaged with the enemy.
The little beasties are overcome by the rats, but not put down. They futilely start squirming around and trying to smash the agile rodents.
Durvin stands his ground, and keeps the rhythm going, as he swings uncertainly at the creature nearest him. The feel of the new blade, even if magical is still unfamiliar to him.
Reck grins as he smashes one of the weird goblin-squid things into the deck. That grin is wiped off his face as its friend snakes a tentacle around his ankle and pulls him off his feet.
"Close yer eyes, dog. It'll all be over soon!"
The squid-goblin closes its eyes, then remembers who you are and opens them again!
The grindy stabs at Reck like his life depends on it. Because it probably does. Too bad he hits only air.
Finally reaching a safe height, Isabella hops down off the ropes, drawing weapons as she goes. she lands behind the seaborne monsters and lays into the one between herself and Sarenth with both leather and steel.
As more and more big humans pile onto the deck, the ugly aquatic goblins are quickly overwhelmed. Their tiny brain turns to survival and they flee back over the side of the ship, rats nipping at their tentacles the whole way.
Once the deck is quickly clear, ending the battle almost as suddenly as it began.
Ha! Cowards! Plug yells after them.
Just then there is a terrible crunch of splintering wood and the deck of the Mans Promise lurches aftward. The ship grinds against something unyielding for several seconds before settling. The storm has lost most of its fury from before, and the weaker winds and lower surf fail to budge her.
One of the Rahaoundi calls Plugg below decks and most of the crew follow like curious cars. Plugg either doesn't notice or doesn't care that they follow. A first.
"Looks like a 'appy couple o' days at th' capstan for me," sighs Reck, assessing the damage. Wishing he had gotten the chance to kill more of those goblin things, Reck strips off his shirt and sets his shoulder to the capstan of the bilge pump and starts working.
Sarenth follows the others belowdecks, but his attention is diverted from the damage by the sight of a holy symbol near a porthole. "They've taken Sandara! Kroop, too, by the looks of it. We have to go after them!"
Not noticing any indication that they were taken Noro simply takes Sarenth for his word.
whispering to Sarenth I agree, but what about Plugg? I expect we ain't got much time. he would shail off leaving ush shtranded here given the chance.
Isabella holds her footing as the ship slams into the new obstacle and watches for signs of further ambush, paying little heed to the crowd heading belowdeck as her mind races over the inhuman creatures she's just faced.
Bloody Besmara's bosom, what in the devil WERE those things? Where the hell is Plugg sailing this blasted ship? If he reckons he'll make seafood of us I'll carve my name in his back one lash at a time!
"This ship is going nowhere, Noro. He'll need all hands just to keep it from sinking. We'll have to cannibalize parts of the ship just to patch the leak. That won't be done quickly, especially if they're going to keep the ship from sinking at the same time. And we've no water." Sarenth will begin doing what he can to help patch the hole in the ship.
Durvin looks around worried, coming to the same conclusion as Sarenth, "We are missing two crewmen, we need to find them. Not just that, they are friends, they may need our help." He looks at the damages, wondering if his magical mending could help, but he doesn't feel like it would do enough.
It doesn't take long for Plugg to start giving orders. He sets a crew to scavenging the upper deck planking to repair the hull, then calls Noro over.
Alright, Iron Maiden, take your group and head out to that island about a mile distant. Take the Jolly and two 'o the barrels. Find fresh water and report back. Forget about the two missing. If they couldn't take care 'o themselves during a bit 'o weather then they aren't worth feeding. You have two days, then I'm leaving you sorry lot to rot.
Sarenth will (perhaps foolishly) interject. "Sir, did you notice that we were attacked during the storm? Strange creatures, like goblins with tentacles in place of legs. They may come back and attack the ship again."
And you think I can't fight them off, Swabbie? Huh!? Plugg roars. You must be deaf! I ordered you into that fight after Durvin raised the alarm! Now shut your missrable mouth and get a move on!
Noro gathers what is needed for the search and rescue mission.
you know what they shay, thoshe that can fight, do, and thoshe that can't order thoshe that can. Or shomething like that. she shrugs and gets to work.
"Sir, I am reluctant to point out that we are already running on a skeleton crew. Every hand counts. We lose too many, and there won't be enough to even get the ship moving again. They may not be able to handle themselves in either a fight or storm, but without enough men, we won't be able to move at all. I'm certain you already knew that, as you are most skilled at leading this crew, but it doesn't hurt to make sure everyone knows how important it is we return with the missing crewmates."
As the away team rows off in the jolly boat, Reck muses. "Seems t'me that Plugg an' Scourge are in a 'ard spot. Wrecked ship, short 'ands, no water. 'Ow's about we find th' missing crew an' set up a cozy camp an' wait for 'em to die o' thirst?"
Durvin screws up his face at Reck's suggestion, "So, we strand ourselves, so they can die, and then the five of us, maybe seven if we can find the others, sail a ship that needs at least twice our number?" He shakes his head in disbelief, "I don't know if you are really thinking things through. Sadly, even if we rid ourselves of just Plugg and Scourge, we need EVERY single hand on deck we can possibly get."
Plugg seems unprovoked by Durvin's comments, but isn't swayed to mercy either.
If I never see Kroop or Sandra again, I'll be all the happier. I hope they drowned. If they did survive, and you save those two, I'll have your hides. Now get out of my sight.
"Well, folks. Off we go, it looks like." Sarenth will grab the others and pull them in the direction of the jolly boat.