Yeah, I wanted to give the others a chance to influence without taking all the easy ones, I plan on going back soon if we start having problems getting the indifferent/unfriendly ones. From a character perspective, Yuki believes anyone can be won over with her looks and charm. :)
Galean has some bad sleep next night, worried about everything.
The next day, he wakes up and he's told that he's running again. Taking even bigger breaks this time, he takes his sweet time doing some of the running.
He then goes and talks to Cog, greeting him. "Hey Cog, how's it going? How'd you like the fight last night? Bet anything?"
I'll see what I can do for Rocky and Owlbear later.
Cog grunts at Galean's innocent approach, but somehow doesn't seem quite as irritated as he usually does.
Eh, I bet on Owlbear. He's a big guy but I'm too new to realize what they were doing to him. Guy like that doesn't belong on a ship, he should be somewhere on a farm or something. It's like beatin' a dog and it ain't right.
He broods companionably next to Galean for a while as the day passes, getting some fun about telling Galean the time he and shipmates found a deserted coaster off Osirion.
So when we got on deck we didn't find nothing. Not a soul, no blood, no anything. Just food burned in the galley, some rum cups set down. Spooky as anything that was, like every sailor just stopped what they was doing and hopped over the side. Sold the boat for a pretty copper though, full of Osirion cotton.
Kroop is really, really, REALLY drunk.
Cooking (of doom!)
Diligent moderate failure
Working along side an extremely drunk Kroop who is so drunk he's not even singing. Every time Carthus moves to work in the kitchen Kroop staggers behind 'fixing' everything and making things worse.
As if my reputation isn't bad enough.
After making a passable stew that could be served for lunch Carthus prepares to serve it, he goes to grab the bread only to hear the sound of one liquid hitting another. It looks like Kroop is unloading his last round of the rum ration in prepartation of another round.
Carthus sinks to his knees. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Owlbear hears Carthus crying and lets out a piteous moan knowing that the afternoon meal will not be any better than the last few. Hearing the moan Kroop heads out to the Middle Hold without even pulling up his dencency. On his way out he slips and falls on the bread for the mid day meal.
I'm pretty sure this could be worse. But I really don't want to know.
Kroop picks himself up, moves out to yell at Owlbear who roars at him and Kroop slips and colapses. Carthus runs back to the stores and grabs more bread and some vegetables. He brings them to the deck warning his companions what has happened.
I'm pretty sure I've been cursed by the gods.
After lunch Carthus drags Kroops drunken, odoriferous, slimey, listless body to the deck to air out. After which he feeds the stew to the pigs and tries to redo another stew. This time without the additional Kroop... seasoning.
Midway through the browning the rue Kroop stubles past and lets a pig free into the middle hold. Carthus has to run around avoid a lunging and straining Owlbear, a stumbling and generally obstructive Kroop amongst the detrius in the Middle Hold trying to recover the pig.
Come back here you swine! Kroop was highly offended and raced after Carthus or maybe the pig, he was so drunk it was hard to tell.
Carthus finally manages to tackle the pig after it had rammed Kroop in the side knocking both down. He then leads the pig back into the pen and figured out that the rue had burned. Unfortunately after the piggly hijinx in the Middle Hold there was no time to start again.
After bringing up the dinner to the crew Carthus came back with the pot to find Kroop trying to teach Owlbear to sing a sea chanty... badly. Owlbear looked more scared and confused than amused.
I'm pretty sure Rafter is going to run out of berries.
"Congratulations Carthus, I think this stuff actually tastes better coming up than going down.... That's a culinary feat not many can claim."
Galean chuckles at Wulf's comment, then gives Carthus a sorry look and casts Goodberry
"Don't worry. When we get our own ship, we're putting you as far away from the caboose as possible. Possibly in another ship. Plus, the mere fact that you're the cook makes our men pretty much fearless!"
Galean smiles, and gives all but two of his berries away to other people. He then tries to eat some of Carthus' food, swallows with a horrified look on his face, and forces the most miserable smile in the world.
"It's better than last time. Why is this bread flat, though?", Galean says, happily munching on bread.
Galean drinks the rum, eager to wash the taste of Carthus' stew from his mouth. The rum tastes surprisingly nice, so he goes and talks to Giffer.
"Hey, Giffer! Care for a rematch? If you beat me, I'll get you dinner! If I win, you tell me how you lost that eye, deal?"
Scourge spits up the stew in disgust.
How can you and Fishguts possibly make worse food together than he did by himself?
He begins the night's lashing.
Despite the complaining the stew isn't as terrible as it could be and Carthus only gets a bash with the rop.
Ayre, unfortunately couldn't even make it up the ropes, and he gets the lash
Yuki likewise gets a bash with the rope for 1 nonlethal damage.
Giffer laughs at Galean.
No thanks kid, my arm hurts too much from the last go round. You got any of those berries though, I hear you've been giving them around?
Aure is beaten unconscience
Discovering her punishment will be minor as compared to poor Ayre, Yuki remains silent and complacent just to get it over with. Afterwards, she makes her way over to the arcane spellcaster and heals him up with the necessary spells.
"There you go, you should be all right now, I hope." Yuki says with a friendly smile as Ayre comes around, adding an encouraging, "We'll get through all this yet, just you see."
* * *
Yuki disposes of the rum via her usual method, although in her tired state she comes close to being caught.
* * *
Yuki wanders over to Shivikah and casually says, "I don't believe I've ever gotten a chance to talk with you since we're all always so busy. Watching you work though, I can tell that you really know what you're doing, you must have a lot of experience on the ocean. Some friends of mine, we've been getting together to watch each other's backs on the ship, we'd really love to have you join us."
Ayre approaches Cog with dip
Mind if I just sit her with you, I just need a quiet spot to recover, I know you don't much like being bothered, so I figure its a good spot to be.
fort for rum
Influence on Kroop.
OK mate. Time to sober up, we've got to work the is out because I hate chasing pigs, and I seriously don't want the lash again.
Rum Ration Warrior status achieved.
After skating about doing her rope tasks Nymph pockets her teeth, she was starting to amass a bit of a pile, before heading over to the Quartermaster's store. "Hey! Grokkie! Ya still awake?"
Flowing the rum Nymph saunters over and sits next to Sandara, her red hair was a definte beacon amongst the others. "Well, I know f&&~ all what to do. Everybody else is getting all helpful and chummy with other people and I'm, well I'm not even people, strictly speaking."
After taking his grog Wulf sits down with Cog to try and get a feel for him.
"Tell me Cog, what do you make of this grand adventure? This ship seems to be dividing itself into two groups. We could really use a good man like you with us."
Fishguts looks at Carthus in surprise.
Wha...why would one of my pigs be loose?
He scratches at his stomach and lets out a belch.
Well if you're here with me, it's time to tell ya a story. So there I was in Quent, in the kitchen of my restaurant. I'd just gotten a huge supply of fresh water eels in from the mainland, right? And I was out of cream so I had to come up with something...
Fishguts delves into a long story about how he had to find something to cook the eels in to make sure the flavor wasn't ruined.
...so then I'd added the brandy but the order needed to be out before it cooked off see? And the captain who ordered the meal, he was smoking this big cigar and leaned over and the brandy ignited! He chased me all around the restaurant with his cutlass because it burned off his mustache and eyebrows! The whole place smelt of burnt hair for a week!
____________
Grok looks at Nymph in curiosity.
I was just heading to go drink with Ambrose. What ya need?
"I was hoping to get some of my stuff back, since I've got some coin now." she says before erring slightly. "I probably don't have enough to get everything back but I just need to get back Sekhmet's Holy Symbol, it's really important to me."
Shivikah warms up to Yuki's approach.
I can appreciate that! I spent years on a slaving ship, one thing goes wrong and you've got those savages down in the holds climbing all over you. So what's the play? Knife someone in their sleep as a warning? Hmmm, with what happened to Jakey, that would probably be bad.
You can actually see the murderous gleam in her eye.
Grok looks at Nymph and sighs.
Is that all? Come on in.
Grok unlocks a chest and hands Nymph the amulet.
Here, girl, I can't give you much but no one's gonna care too much about that.
She locks the chest and cheerfully waves with a huge mug of grog in her hand as she heads out.
Sandara looks over at Nymph.
Well, you're in luck because there's always something to do on ship. My advice is to try and figure out how to stop the worst from happening.
She motions subtly over and you see Scourge and Plugg talking with Badger and Tilly, making some sort of urgent case with a number of the pirates hostile to you.
Tilly doesn't seem to be agreeing that much, but Badger's nodding along.
You see Badger heading off to a knot of angry sailors.
When Grok gives her her amulet she actually squeals with joy before rapidly kissing the Half-Orc on the mouth and cheek inbetween thanking her.
-------
Nodding at Sandara she waits till Scourge and Plugg shove off, putting an affectionate arm around Tilly she kisses her on he cheek before asking, "Everything okay, luv?"
Tilly looks at Nymph and frowns.
Not really. The first mate and the bosun don't like the way you're making your own "gang" amongst the pirates. They were telling me and Badger not to make waves, and we'd be better off not siding against the captain.
Her scowl's pretty impressive.
Nymph begins to return her frown. "Really? Hells, the only reason we're all staying together is because those b&$~+es jumped us the other morning. Safety in numbers ya'know. And I don't really have a problem with the captain, aside from the whole press-ganging thing... I don't think I've even seen him after he greeted us the first day."
Her frown starting to turn back into a smirk she adds "Besides, I got to meet you. Definetly makes this trip not so bad."
Galean frowns for a moment as he hears about Shivikah being on their side. I suppose you can't be picky when in a situation like this...
He then goes to talk to Grok. "Hey, Grok! I wondered if I could get my fishing rod, bait and tackle back. I don't suppose I'd have time for anything, but it'd be nice to have something of my own again. I can't pay you for it, but I can give you a better meal than Carthus' "Baked Jerky Broth"."
Handing over the berry, regardless of the answer, "I don't suppose you can talk to Mr. Plugg or the Captain to let me do rigging work from now on? I wasn't really on my best the first day, but I'm quite confident I can do it. Please?" He gives Grok a smile.
Choosing not to comment on Shivikah's background, Yuki instead explains,"We're waiting right now for circumstances to change, if we take anyone out, they'll probably keelhaul everyone involved and just kidnap more people to act as crew, and nothing changes except we're all dead. I'll let everyone know how, uh, enthused you are if it comes to that though."
Tilly sort of shakes her head.
I'll grant you the captain doesn't seem to care much, but you'll see - it's different when we run into a prize or get some bad weather.
She gazes out at the horizon.
Speaking of which we'd better get ready, looks like we're heading into a bad storm.
-------
Grok shakes her head at Galean.
Sorry kid, if it was something small I could probably get away with it but something big like a fishing rod? There's no way they wouldn't notice. Don't fret though, sooner or later you'll get a chance to get your gear back.
After hearing his requests Grok whispers drunkenly at Galean.
Don't let 'em hear ya talking like that! Plugg and Scourge are the first mate and the bosun, they don't make mistakes assigning people jobs, you get me? They find out you're asking for a transfer and they're likely to give ya the cat for disrespecting them!
-------
I get ya, I get ya. Just watch your back, this is a bad place sometimes. You come get me if you need an accident arranged though, I've got allllll kinds of tricks for that sort of thing.
Shivikah gives Yuki a wink and goes off to sleep.
-------
Cog snorts.
Seems to me if anyone's dividing it into two camps it's you. Lots of going back and forth and trying to make pals. Not exactly neighborly right?
"Need someone to hold Ya when the thunder starts dancin?" she only half-jokingly says to try to lighten the mood.
"No worries, Grok. Thanks anyway. See you later!", says Galean, nodding in agreement.
He then will proceed into bed.
Not much neighborly going on, on this ship. I can see why you like to keep to yourself.
"Cog, this started when half the ship decided to jump us the first day. I'll be no man's whipping boy. This is a high stakes game that I plan on winning. I hope that we'll get another chance to talk a bit later."
As Wulf walks away he mutters under his breath.
"I've got the feeling that I'll be gutting some more fish before this thing is through."
Galean sleeps roughly this night, thinking about the fight, the ship, and the general state of affairs. He decides to do something about this soon and falls asleep.
No kidding, Ayre. This ship is screwed up but I've heard of Harrigan and at least he pulls in big hauls. I figure I stay on to first pay out and then he can press some other sucker while I find another ship. Maybe with one of Fairwind's captains.
He sucks down some Grog.
Well, do what you want but I'm going to keep to myself. I won't be a stick in the mud but I'm not going to help much either - I just want to get this whole lousy experience out of the way.
--------
The heavy rain falls all night and early in the morning before the first bell, Scourge calls you all up as soon as heavy winds continue to blow.
We've got a bad storm lubbers, and that means I need you worthless rats in the rigging. More pity us. Here's what you're going to be doing!