Slowly, everybody starts to wake up as a loud bell ringing can be overheard, to only realize that you are in a dark, place. Everybody has a pounding headache, a sickly taste of cheap wine in their mouths, and as you lay on the floor and start to rise you can feel the rhythmic creaking noise, and the feeling of the room swaying, as if they were still drunk. All you can remember from last night was the laughter and noise of a wild night, mixed with the taste of good wild game stew and cheap wine. Before anybody has a chance to speak, a tall, slender, tan skinned man enters the room, flanked by 6 pirates armed with saps (you get the feeling that these pirates are not ones to be messed with and would only enjoy hurting anybody who tried anything funny). The tall man, cracks his whip and twirls his long, braided black beard and smiles before he speaks.
“Still abed with the sun over the yardarm? On your feet, ye filthy swabs! Get up on deck and report for duty before Cap’n Harrigan flays your flesh into sausage skins and has Fishguts fry ye up for breakfast!”
Everybody can roll either perception, craft (alchemy), or knowledge (nature), or can roll more than one if you are trained in more than one. Everybody obviously can roll perception even if you are not trained in it.
Mesdoram hears the bell and wakes up confused. Sure he'd been looking for a ship, but he didn't remember signing on to a ship's articles, or even if pirate ships had articles to begin with!
He pats his hands on all his pockets, including his hidden ones, looking for his hidden daggers and tools.
He starts when someone he doesn't recognize bursts in with armed pirates to smile evilly at them. Did I get press-ganged last night?
He looks around the room to try and take stock of his companions and the room before his headache gets the better of him.
In Common:"Who in the Nine Hells are you and where am I?"
percep
Always with your mouth Mesdoram, obviously we are captives.
Gorum's garters, you took Balthe? Please tell me there's a barmaid lying next to us too, I could definitely use a drink.
Mesdoram casts his eyes across the other late risers, slightly disappointed not to see Kamshi, his favorite barmaid from the Formidable Maid, waking up nearby. Well, nothing's perfect I guess.
Fine, where's this breakfast?
Balthe hauls himself to his feet taking an inventory or himself and what he has on him
mesdo you realize that I blame you for this predicament.
How is this my fault? I've never seen any of those guys before in my life.
Mesdoram jerks his thumb at the pirates and the man with the whip as he says this.
Besides I'd like to think I could do better than being pressed and waking up in a...what is this, a hold?
if you hadn't tried to get your change from the bar wench after she dropped it down her bodice I wouldn't have had to carry you out and neither of us would be here.
I needed that money! And who gives 2 silver weights as a tip anyway? I could buy a whole swordfish for that much.
He pats his pockets dramatically.
And even though you were throwing me out I still didn't get my change back. He looks over at his new crewmates/captors with an annoyed grimace on his face.
Under his breath in Tengu: I guess it won't matter that much now however.
i will be beating far more than two silver out of you before we are done
My head, by the nine hells what the #¥$@... Four Skulls quickly opens his eyes realising he does not know where he is or whose voices he is hearing. He takes in the hold, the man lying on the floor an his jailors as he slowly rise to his feat. His right hand tries to grab the shaft of his spear while his eyes never break contact with the mob of pirates.
As all of you pat yourselves you realize that you have none of your equipment on you.
The bearded man cracks his whip at the feet of Balthe and Mesdoram
First at Mesdroam: "I will be asking the questions, and you best learn to speak when spoken to or you will get lashings. (Now at both Balthe and Mesdoram) Now shut your traps and get your arses up to the deck before me and me boys have to drag you up there!"
As the bearded man speaks the last line, the other pirates grip their saps tighter and get eerie smiles on their faces.
Everybody does notice that four other people were on the lower deck with them and they have began to make their way up to the deck without saying a word.
Balthe folllows orders
I suppose I got what I wanted. Four Skulls thinks bitterly. He follows the bouncer to the deck up without causing trouble, for now.
Sleight of Hand
Mesdoram sighed to himself at the bearded man's words.
Well, a ship's a ship. This officer ain't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed since he did just speak to me.
He looked around and saw the other new sailors as Balthe started heading to the deck for breakfast. He recognized them from the maid and was a little startled to spot Four Skulls amongst those lying on the floor. He'd seen him in the Maid but they'd never been friendly back on his last ship and he hadn't expected to be serving with him again.
The other two were fellow barflies, an elfwoman and a large, scary looking sailor he'd played at games of chance once or twice.
Eclectic mix, hope no one's a bigger problem than me!
Mesdoram knuckles his brow with a flourish and moves up to the deck to grab breakfast. He's oddly looking forward to trying fishgut stew.
Her head ringing, clearly she is having trouble focusing and reorienting herself. What the...?
"I ain't no barmaid...hun...don't think y'were that lucky last night" responding groggily to Mesdoram.
Crud...the volume is waaaayyyy too loud, this isn't good. W..w...wh...what did I do last night, oh my head. I was talking to the Shoanti....then...wow, no recall. She ties to get on her feet as directed by the loud angry voices. Who's this Cap’n Harri... She is careful to say nothing out loud as she follows directions and makes her way on deck.
"I ain't no barmaid...hun...don't think y'were that lucky last night" responding groggily to Mesdoram.
Mesdoram smirks at the cute elf girl as she tries to wake up.
Shows what you know, Balthe has a great personality and a wonderful sense of humor.
going to enjoy throwing you off the boat
The crack of the whip shocks Holgur awake. He quickly rolls onto his stomach and presses his hands to the deck before trying to stand. It is an ingrained reflex that allows a sailor to measure the pitch of a ship and keep his balance. Then comes the stark realization that he is on a ship again, one he does not know.
Besmara's clam! I was shanghaied! he thinks as he clambers to his feet. Absently, his hands go to his belt to feel for weapons but he already knows they are not there. He has seen this drill before.
A thought sends a chill down his spine. What if there are crewmen from the Ravening Maw aboard. If so, I am a dead man.
He follows the others to the deck and tries to take the measure of the others pressed into service. The doorman from last night, that scoundrel from the dice game, the strange Shoanti and a woman that I never saw before. And now who is it cracking that whip?
The sun hurts his eyes and his pride at the same time. It tells him that he has been out for many hours. Grabbed like a land-lubber!. It also blocks out the stars and makes it impossible to tell their position in the sea.
Perception
Knowlege (nature)
As the PCs and the four other captives emerge on the deck, they can see a dozen or so pirates standing around the ship staring at them. Standing on the poop deck, there are two figures who are clearly in charge. One of them is a broad, muscular Garundi man with a shaven head, a long beard bound with gold rings, and an eye patch—clearly the captain. The other is a younger, balding man with a long black ponytail, wearing a long coat and
carrying a well-used cat-o’-nine-tails.
Upon seeing Balthe, the balding man, gets a hate filled look on his face and grips his cat-o'-nine'tails a little tighter.
As soon as the PCs are in place, the man with the eye patch addresses them:
“Glad you could join us at last! Welcome to the Wormwood!
My thanks for ‘volunteering’ to join my crew. I’m Barnabas
Harrigan. That’s Captain Barnabas Harrigan to you, not that
you’ll ever need to address me. I have only one rule—don’t
speak to me. I like talk, but I don’t like your talk. Follow that
rule and we’ll all get along fine.
“Oh, and one more thing. Even with you new recruits, we’re
still short-handed, and I aim to keep what crew I have. There’ll
be a keelhaulin’ for anyone caught killin’ anyone. Mr. Plugg! If
you’d be so kind as to make pirates out of these landlubbers,
it’ll save me having to put them in the sweatbox for a year and
a day before I make pies out of ’em.”
After the Captain's speech, Mr. Plugg (The balding man) walks up to the PCs. He slowly walks up and down the line staring at each person before coming to the end of the line, where Balthe stands.
"Well, well, well look who we have here, the mighty Balthe, the big, bad bouncer. I think we will have an extra special job for you," with that Mr. Plugg and the rest of the crew (except the Captain who has went into his cabin) begin to laugh.
Mr. Plugg moves down the line asking each and every person if they can cook.
not so big mr plugg. Just a fella who knows how to handle himself I a fight but not in the kitchen.
int
Balthe - Mr. Plugg gets in Balthe's face you can smell rum and tobacco on his breath, "If I wanted more than a yes or no from you I would of asked, you piece of dirt, Don't think I forgot you!" He spits on the ground before moving on.
Foul taste in my mouth...ugh...oil of taggit. Jasmine looks at the others, careful to move with the group....not talking. press ganged, nothing more than property right now...listen and you'll have a chance at surviving. She begins to look over the the group.
"Never much training in the kitchen...sir, but I've been feeding myself and family for years."
you missed me plugg my face is up here.
All good dm can't wait to throw him overboard[/ooc]
Once Balthe makes his comment, it stops Mr. Plugg in his tracks and the whole crew becomes quiet. He slowly walks back over to Balthe.
"Since you are new here, I will give you this one warning, besides Captain, I AM THE LAW! You may have been some big shot, tough guy bouncer , but now you are a botom of the ladder crewman, who takes orders from ME!"
Before Balthe can respond he swings his cat-o'-nine-tails at Balthe.
nonlethal
If Balthe does not do anything in response, he moves on to the next person feeling satisfied.
one. . Is all Balthe says as he nods
Intelligence
Mesdoram grimaces at someone spitting on the deck. It wasn't bad luck but somebody had to scour the decks and some idiot spitting on it didn't make the job more pleasant, especially with tobacco juice.
The question about cooking surprised him and made him wary. He foresaw a mountain of potatoes in his near future, although any presser who gave him a knife was asking for trouble.
Three years cook on the Wave Dancer out of Oppara.
Jasmine thinks to herself. Now is not the time to my mouthy...he's a bit foolish. She discretely slides a bit further from the person known as Balthe.
Mr. Plugg stops at Mesdoram. "We have ourselves a cook. Now go down to the kitchen and find ole Fishguts."
"Everybody else, we need a rigger so I want everybody to climb to the crows nest, fast as possible. The first one to the top is our new rigger."
Potatoes, I can tell already. Dozens of potatoes.
Mesdoram scowls and nods resignedly as he finds the stairs below decks and goes looking for the galley. He works his way aft through the middle deck and finds the door into the galley by the smell. He opens the door and takes in the scene.
She stumble as she begins up the rigging.
Still unable to get off the ground.
Finally she make it up a few feet.
7.5 feet
Before she stumble back down.
dang it...I'm gonna be swabbing decks.
She starts to make headway
15 feet
scurrying up the rigging.
21 feet
she slips again.
29 ft
37 ft
44 ft
slips
slips
52 ft
slip
slips again
hanging on catching her breath
hanging on still
finally getting to the top!
Disgusted with herself she steps off the rigging from 60 feet high and simply floats down to the deck like a feather caught in the wind. "Wisp" as she glides down.
init
i should be able to just take 10 right? that is a 14 and up i go
climb
climb
climb
climb
climb
climb
climb
and i fall and die probably
Funny taste in my mouth, cowards must have drug me. And half of the tavern by the looks of it.
Four Skulls listen silently to the exchange before moving to the ringging.
Small man with big egos. Officers are the same everywhere.
You only fall on a nat 1 per the DMs post. A failure by more than 1 is a slip but not necessarily a fall.
As far as taking 10 that depends on if you are in immediate danger or distracted. Hostile crew and environment could rule out taking 10.