Faol Mhor's Skull & Shackles Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Faol Mhor

Jove will make the rounds with the crew, rum in hand, introducing himself to anyone who seems friendly (and even some that don't), and getting up to speed with what's happened on the ship. (So now most of the knowledge gained from Lex's life can transfer over to Jove :)

He'll attempt to win over some allies as well, using Diplomacy to influence Barefoot Samms.

Hello, I see you are not wearing shoes. There must be an engaging story behind that decision, and I would love to hear it. Jove smiles and nudges Zephyrus, who twitters Ignore my companion's lack of tact. He's stowed away far too long and doesn't know how to talk to people, other than the practice he's had with me. But if you do have a good story to tell, we'd love to hear it.

Diplomacy (Influence) 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Thea nods at Avakor's suggestion and looks around for the others who were assigned to crew the captured ship with them. "Let's see if we can spot them and try to talk with them outa the hearing range of any of Plugg's cronies."

Avakor goes looking for others that the group has befriended, including Sandara and Rosie, asking if they're going to be put on the Man's Promise and telling them he'd like to meet and talk later during the celebration.

Later at the meeting:

Avakor looks around at the group. "This change is a troublesome one."

"Plugg is going to be leading that ship and I've got the feeling that we all will not be so welcome as we have been on this lovely one. We need to stick together and support each other."

Looking for Grok:

"Grok!" He grins as he approaches her. "I would like to take a look at your stores, if you would be so kind. I am looking for alchemical items, particularly strong acids, gooey pastes, and/or flammables. Might you have any of these?"

I would like the potion of invisibility, any other takers?

Back at present time

Yea, thats going to be no pleasure cruise. Watch your backs.

Who is in this meeting? It will make a huge diference in what Four Skulls will say.

AT THE MEETING

Thea and Avakor, You have been able to determine who is all coming with you on the Man's Promise. You are able to invite them to a small meeting and around midnight off to one corner of the ship you all meet..

The only ones who seem interested in attending the meeting other than your group, or those whom you think you should invite, are Barefoot, Rosie, Ratline, Sandara and Fishguts. Conchobhar is too busy gambling to really care and Badger cant be found right now.

To all of your surprise Fishguts actually appears to be sober even though there is rum everywhere...

"I agree with Avakor, I'm happy to be off the wormwood myself but I think we are out of the frying pan and int the fire."

You are all at the meeting and may talk, I assume you invited jove as well? You can lay outa plan or express thoughts etc.

You guys heard the Captain speech about we only losing one man at the raid? That man was Felix. In the heat of the fight Scourge and Pluck tossed him overboard to the sharks at the sea.

Avakor nods, "I did no know that. This doubly worries me. We need to be absolutely sure to watch each others' backs..." He looks up in thought for a minute, before scanning about. "There might come a point when we will have to... resist their depredations. I would like to be prepared for that."

Just to be clear, Zephyrus can speak Common as a supernatural ability, just as a raven can. (But thrushes give a bonus to Diplomacy, which I fancied over Appraise :) Not that a talking bird would make her LESS apprehensive, but when I talk to my bird, at least everyone can hear it talk back.

So, from what I hear, Plugg is a cruel, nasty toerag who hates you lot? Probably me too, if he sees me with you all. Jove asks at the meeting, standing near Avakor. Sent an inquisitor of Besmara into the bilges to be jumped by two of Plugg's mates? By the gods, I thought pirates were superstitious! Sounds like life under him won't be quite as fun as a keelhauling. Jove mutters sarcastically. So what's the plan?

"I would rather not have Harrigan hunting us down for the rest of our days. That said, it may come to blows with those two leading the ship. We need to be careful to be ready for a fight. I urge everyone to consider the entire ship a hostile place. Always have a weapon on you." He sighs and shakes his head. "This is not what I wanted for my next voyage. I guess it was not for anyone else, though?" He grins slightly.

If this ship got where it was supposed to a Harrigan got his gold I dont think he would mind if those two live or die. But even if he do, the ocean is a big place...

Jove roll another diplomacy check

Diplomacy Check 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Well, bracing for incoming slap or dirty look... ;-)

A lot of thinks can happen in a long journey. the shoanti's voice turn to a wisper Like those prisioners in the bilge escaping during the night, cutting the officer's throats and running away in the jolly boat...

Four Skulls shrugs off his shoulders.
S#&t happens, just saying...

SO Four Skulls and Avakor are the only ones who have said anything to the rest of the group as far as the meeting goes. I guess I'm gonna assume then that nobody else has anything to say and we'll move on.

The others in the meeting look around nervously at the talk of cutting throats but they do seem to agree that if it comes to it that may need to be the way it goes.

"Well its set then, ready for a blood bath and see what happens I guess..." Sandara says looking not to enthusiastic about the idea but she seems to agree that's the best plan. "I'd also say that It might be best if we went everywhere in pairs o' twos as well. Might prevent them from taken us out one by one if'n they choose.

The rest of the crew on deck is starting to get rouwdy and the party is starting to get noisy. Rum is flowing and food is plentiful.

"Well if that's that then I'm gonna get me some %$#^'n grub." Rosie says as she wanders off to find some food.

The party will continue all night, if there are any actions any of you want to perform while the crew is partying or drunk during the night let me know. If not We'll move on tomorrow.

After the meeting is over Four Skulls joins he party. He pretends to enjoy himself but dont get too drunk. At some point he goes away and casts detect magic while hidden only to return and hang around examining the officers auras during the celebration.

After the confrontation with the captain, I remain quiet for my delivery to the bilges aboard the Man's Promise. Once in the bilges I sit quietly. I am mostly in shock. Shock that my life was spared but also that a man survived such a well placed gunshot.

I look at the stump where my hand once was feeling the tingling sensation of the phantom limb syndrome. I wince as I mentally relive the pain I suffered from the punishment. Was this truly it. To go from being a slave to being a slave. No way I would have made something of myself of that ship.

As I glare at the stump I can't stop thinking of all I had lost. I lost much when I was initially abducted but had gained quite a bit back. Then out of blind fear I lost it all again and more. The person who took it from me both times was captain Harrnigan. My thoughts were now consumed with the desire for revenge. At this point, I want nothing more than to see the pirate captain Harnigan humbled at my feet.

It was at that moment I realized I would survive this endeavor and return stronger than before. I look to other bilge chambers. I call out quietly to the other cells. "Hello, is anyone else in here besides me?" I await a response.

Gan, you can make out two other men in the bilges with you. They are both shackled by the wrists to the walls. Both of them are Rahadoumi sailors and appear dejected but also angry.

When you call out to them one turns to the other and says soothing in a language you don't understand.

He then spits in your direction and utters what you can guess is probably a curse i there tongue. You get the sense that life is not going to be so great down in the bilges and your company isn't going to be very forthcoming.

Meanwhile up on deck some of the crew is taking full advantage of their freedom.

Four Skulls finds that Grok is more than willing to entertain the idea and it isn't long before he find himself in her cabin with a full bottle of rum and a lusty half-orc wench in his arms.

We can leave it up to your imagination as to what happens behind those closed doors Four Skulls ;)

The morning, or is it late afternoon?, comes far to quickly and last nights sounds of partying and revelry are replaced with the familiar barks and yells of your favorite master and arms, and new first mate of the Man's Promise, Scourge.

Four Skulls finds himself in bed with several bite marks and a nasty hangover but Grok seems to have slipped out in the morning before he got up.

The day starts out busy for all of you. Enough provisions are stowed in the man's promise and each of you is told to get your gear aboard the new ship. You each take your locker with you so you still have a place to stow your things.

The ship is a buzz with activity as both ships get ready to sail. It isn't long before the Man's Promise is to set sail.

You can each take an action now, if you want to try and buy something from grok that's fine. Just let me know what it is and i'll tell you if it's available. You are also able to say your goodbyes to anyone you might want to. The Man's promise will set sail tomorrow...because I'm really busy tonight and this is all I can get in for the evening.

Perception Check 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Jove sees Gan's locker, and sighs.

It occurs to me, Zeph, that in all my years of stowing away, I should have learned how to pick locks.

The thrush laughs. You think?

He then fishes in his pouch for a piece of copper wire, then mouths some words, whispers, and points a finger at each of his new allies. Each of you hears a whisper as though coming from next to you, in Jove's voice. Anyone know how to pick locks? Gan will want his stuff if we are going to bust him out. (Jove is using the Message cantrip)

The shoanti goes below decks to retrive his stuff and and stops besides Jove and wisper.
Indeed he will. If we break it, can you use your magic to make it appear hole?

Where is everyone? I'm still waiting to be freed cause I can do much else besides self narrate or monologue to the wall. No one else seems to exist? Who all is still here?

Jove's brows furrow in thought and whispers back. I have one illusion spell, and it only lasts as long as I can concentrate on it. Wouldn't be able to throw anyone off of an investigation with the spell--I'd have to be present, and once I left, the locker would appear broken again. Suppose we should ask Gan what's in his locker? Or if he has his key? Maybe this is a lot of trouble just to retrieve his favorite pair of socks.

Jove nods to Zephyrus, who flies off his shoulder and off to the Man's Promise to talk to Gan.

Hey Gan, we were trying to decide whether to risk breaking into your locker to get your stuff before we all set sail on this pleasure cruise. We figure we'll have time to formulate a better plan to bust you out while we're en route, but your stuff is in the Wormwood. What is in there? And by chance do you still have your key on you? the thrush twitters.

I shake my head at the sight of the talking bird. "What the hell? Who are you and why you talkin.....to me....at all.....and I going crazy?"

Allow me to assume you explain the above nonsense you all have been up too above. Feel free to disregard the rest of the post if you don't want to explain anything just know it is in your best interest to do so as Gan still doesn't like Jove. First impressions are the ones that stick you know and your the captain's suck up to my knowledge.

I gaze at the bird apprehensively as it explains the scenario. "So you wanted to get in good with the captain and now you want to bust out his would be killer?" I look quizzically for a moment at the bird before answering. "My weapons, armor, some additional gear and a little over 100 gold. Guinness Flingspoo has the key. Not sure where the little rascal is right now but I'm sure he's close. Far as I know he may have gone back to hang with the cook again. He's the only other person besides me who'll feed him. If Guinness was caught, then the key is with whomever caught him."

I look over at the stump of my hand. I give a have grin and a chuckle. "I don't care what you do with the stuff. You don't have to lie about busting me out of here just to get it. I'd uv told the first rat who asked me. It doesn't matter anymore. I took my shot an it failed and now I'm back to square one. Can't even use my gun anymore so what does it matter? Just go take my stuff and do what you what you want. I'm done trying to fight back against all this." I make my self as comfortable as I can and start to whistle a merry sailor's song while using my good hand to fool about with some splinters.

I was thinking more in the line of the minor glamours like mending or open/close. zero lvl spells

Yea, I was waiting for one of the more sneaking characters from our group to step foward but we have not hear from them in a while now.

I figured Gan still disliked Jove. I also figured he'd accept even Jove's help for the time being.

Does Gan have more weapons and armor in his locker he didn't take to the raid on the merchant ship? Considering all the looting of Lex's body that occurred, I doubt Plugg would put back any of the weapons or armor Gan had on him when he was thrown into the bilges.

GM, did we see what happened to the stuff Gan had on him when he was taken prisoner? I know Plugg has his pistol, but I don't think you said what happened to the rest of his gear.

I can prepare a mending spell tomorrow, but that's cutting it awful close. It could take half an hour or more to repair the locker, even by magic. I don't have the minor opening spell, and even then, it doesn't work on anything with a lock.

Zephyrus flies back with Gan's reply. Alright, so it sounds like finding that monkey will be easier than a magical solution to our problem. To the galley!

I will try the kitchen, the cook knows me.

The shoanti walks to the ship's kitchen. He looks around making sure there is no one near by and pokes his head inside.
Fishguts?

I got something out of Gan when he was captured. Since I wanted to pick up his pistol but could not I guess it was his other weapon, a sword.

I shrug obviously not convinced the crew would risk their safe little slave lives on busting out an extremist like myself. I Then settle in for a long voyage.

Fours Skulls, when you rummaged through Gan's stuff as he was being carried away you did grab his key. So you should be able to get in it. Scourge seemed far to interested in the Pistol to think to grab the key.

Yeah it looks like Almathea and Sabinae have dropped as well

Anyway, what I'm going to assume is that you are able to get Gan's contents of his locker and stow them away during the hustle and the bustle of the ship transfer. I doubt he had a lot in there.

AS the crew splits and heads to both ships the goodbyes are short. Grok is the most surprising goodbye of all. She seems to even be trying to hide a few tears at seeing her best friend Fishguts leave. They share a few words.

Grok avoids Four Skulls as est she can but he does catch the half orc looking at him with uncharacteristically sad eyes as he boards the new ship

You all manage to make it on board the Man's promise and she sets sail, undermanned, for Port Peril, back through the waters that you just came through...

The voyage is arduous, Plugg and Scourge are right bastards and make life a living hell for all of you. They give you each the worst jobs for each day and work you to the bone.

The evenings entertainment time after supper is cut, which makes Conchobahr very angry, he's infuriated that he can't gamble anymore but has taken to holding small games of chance in the corner of the cargo hold away from prying eyes of Scourge.

It's on the third day that Fishguts comes to several of you and notes that the ship isn't headed to port peril, that Plugg has changed course and headed due East rather than North East.

Fishguts seems to think Plugg has changed course for a port called Rikkety Squibs, to have the ship squibbed (You would know that squibbing a ship means changing it's lines and hulls shape just enough to make it unrecognizable as the ship it used to be.)

He wonders, which Sandara and Rosie there as with the rest of you if it would be a good time to mutiny or wait to see what happens. The ship is already undermanned as it is and Scourge and plugg haven't tried to off any of you yet.

Gan kept ALL his gold in his locker and when he wasn't using it, his armor. After doing a quick tally, my locker would contain the following:

125gold, mostly collected and won from beating up Bugbear
His Gunsmithing Kit.

Everything else was on Gan. I never heard them remove my armor so I assume I am still wearing it. Short sword would be the only thing other than my pistol.

Beside, My pistol is the starter type and only I can use it. Counts as broken for anyone else who tries so Plugg is in for a surprise if he tries to use it hehe.

Avakor pauses for a moment as the thought goes around. He keeps his voice low. "I would rather not if it does not become a needed decision."

He pauses again for a moment. "That said, he is going against his captain's orders. Is Plugg intending to betray Harrigan and to what end? More importantly, though, where will we end up in all of this?"

There's a third pause. "I imagine Plugg will either keep us in his crew or dispose of everyone that he is not chummy with. Our choice is obvious in the latter, but for the former... If I am to be a target of Harrigan, I would rather it be as a free pirate than as this form of near-slavery."

He pauses a final time. "I say it is time for a mutiny."

Avakor grins.

Jove grins too, and his thrush nods approvingly too. Alright, let's do it. All this deck scrubbing when I could do, well, ANY job better, you know, is getting on my nerves. Probably our best bet is to just jump him when he's unawares like he had his lackeys jump Lex and Felix. Though he'd probably be expecting that. Can we count on any of the crew to help us?

I also have a handy trick of predicting the weather with absurd accuracy, a trick some sylphs, like me, are born with. I just understand the weather, can feel changes in the wind. Maybe we can use that knowledge to our advantage, plan an attack to take place during a storm or something?

Jove focuses on the air around him, feeling on his skin its subtle changes in pressure, temperature and movement. Jove is using his Weather-Savvy trait to determine the weather for the next 24 hours in the area.

"Although surprise would be a good thing to have, I think that it is going to be more important to have as much of the crew on our side as possible. The idea is that someone among us will be running this vessel afterwards, so it will be necessary to have as much in line already as possible."

Avakor nods to Jove. "Having the cover of a storm may help, or it might hinder."

"I would like to free Gan just before the mutiny begins in order to have another ally. Sandara, Rosie, Fishguts: Who else on the ship might side with us?"

He pauses to wait for a reply from the three.

Gan is close friends with Barefoot Samms, I made many successful diplo checks with her so she would be willing to help me....I think, I assume this cause the GM said her disposition was solid with me.

Agreed. Its time. The only reason Plugg have been nice is because he cant afford to lose us. This ship is undermaned as it is. Once we get to port things will change.

I say lets jump on him during the night. We will talk with the other sailors from our meeting and see who's with us and do some planning.

Do we have a map of this ship DM Faol or can we assume its equal to the Wormwood? I would like to do some sneaking around in the rest of this day. Also where does the officers sleep? Is there a watch during the night?