Quillin gives Sandara a suspicious look, "What kind of ritual? and what does the thing do anyway?"
Quillin eyeballs Sooty's obvious disdain for his name, "Well, if a Poxy Doxy doesn't give you pause, you're not the man I thought or maybe that's just an advantage of dwarf constitution...
"I'll bet you have some brainstorm like Pfarna there. Perhaps the Bloody Blood Death Death? Yawn. It's not the name that's important, it's the deeds and the threat. We could call her Daisy and strike fear throughout the Fever Seas if we play our cards right."
"I like the idea of people being terrified of Daisy but it might not work for a new crew. Stormcrow? Reaper? Sting? Shadow?"
Shaso looks at Sandara, interested to hear about the figurehead's powers.
The gnome is unimpressed. "Poxy Doxy it is. I've even got an idea for her signal- a great pair of cankered lips in crimson upon a sable field!"
Pfarna simply shakes her head as the discussion returns to naming the vessel. Having previously had her say, she instead climbs onboard to begin to get a feel for the vessel.
The crew loads up. The ship is ready to go. Quinn looks everything over in her capacity as the rest of you look around. Hake seems happy to see you go.
Most of the rumors that the group manages to glean refer to a handful of villages nearby that are ripe for the taking. Additionally a fair number of ships have been spotted south ans west, not flying pirate colors.
Quillin smiles, " Good call Pfarna, Goatshead seems a sound destination for our shakedown cruise. Guess you can't really call it a "maiden" voyage on the Doxy!"
Mel sighs as Cap'n Quinn names the ship..but says nothing..
"Well then Cap'n..any post you want me t' fill or am I just to muck in"
As Quillin brings up the ships name again Sooty mutters something about a diseased whore, but he does nod and agree. "I'd rather be raiding ships than villages at this point. The booty is better and easier to sell off."
The first day of sailing is smooth and despite the heat a good wind carries you in the right direction with ease. Night comes, passes, and the new crew starts acclimating to each other and to your group in command. Problems arise in the morning, mostly around confusion about jobs, but these are quickly set right.
About two hours in to the next day a yell comes down from the crow's to the Pfarna, Bosun ma'am we have a ship! No flag, no colors. Her sails are flat to the wind. I'd say she's adrift ma'am!
Pfarna looks to Quillin:
Shall we see what this holds? Sounds like a good test. No flag flying.
Pfarna turns to see Quillin is off deck. Quinn who is not too far from the half-orc gestures to a nearby halfling, Rosie, spot after the captain... before turning to Pfarna, No Mate on this boat bosun, that makes you acting. Orders? Rosie nods at Quinn and disappears to find Quillin while the rest of the deck crew look on at the newly minted bosun for orders.
Pfarna calls back:
All get your arms. Lets make a heading close, but not too close so we can get a better look. Ships don't go adrift unless something bad happened. Lets find what happened before closing or boarding.
And someone get the Captain.
Pfarna givers her orders and the crew start barking various things down the chain of command as folks run around working the lines, sails, and distributing basic weapons.
Between Quinn and the NPCs the ship is set for the next few minutes following Pfarna's orders. What would the PCs like to do?
Pfarna looks to her fellows:
More likely a trap than actually stranded in the middle of the water. Could also be inhabited by undead or some sea predator.
Pfarna moves forward and tries to keep a sharp eye on the ship ahead as well as on anything else in the area which could be a danger.
Spells per day 5/4/2
Level 0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance, Purify Food/Drink, Resistance
Level 1: Obscuring Mist, Read Weather, Remove Fear, Doom
Level 2: Aboleth's Lung, Surmount Affliction
Shaso orders a crewman to make sure the ballistae are loaded, and then takes up watch in the bow, ready to detect magic when they approach close enough (60').
Sooty climbs up out of the hold. Looking out across the water he grunts, "Drifter huh? You're right to keep your distance for a bit. See what there is to see." He locates his crossbow and loads it.
Mel cocks her crossbow and winks at Pfarna.."you just give the word." she whispers as she scans the derelict
Perception
Rosie returns with the captain who straightens his mass of blue dreadlocks and rights his hat. The gray parrot roosting on the spars and watching from above squawks his greeting.
"What's this?!", the gnome demands. "I can't take a nap without Pfarna thinking she can run things?"
"Mutiny! Mutiny!" the treacherous bird warns.
The small captain huffs, but his attention is drawn to the derelict ship. "What's this now? A derelict- careful on the approach now. Look sharp! Reef the sails, but keep on the right side of the wind and be ready if we need to break off. Send a swab over to take a look. Careful though, could be plague or haunts or even a trap! Didn't think of that did you, Pfarna?"
Pfarna sighs and rolls her eyes at the captain's comments:
Captain, orders already to hold short until we determine what the cause of the derelict ship is. All sailors are armed and prepared should boarding be necessary.
Crew members chuckle at the exchange on the deck as the ship pull closer and slows near the derelict. Sooty sees, and Mel confirms, a number of bodies on the deck that seem to be "intact" but not moving.
Crimson Cogward {Anger impaired Pharasma worshipper, along with Rosie, Quinn and Shorstone were the group of recent folks pressed onto Harrigan's ship} emerges from the bustle and approaches Mel,
Perception:
The half-orc's ears perk up, but she does not say anything.
"What's this? A volunteer for the boarding party?"
Mel arches an eyebrow at the Captains sharp ears.. "Me an' Crimson 'ere will hop over an take a gander at what's what Capn'n..If that be meetin' with yer approval o course"
"We are gonna need more than just them two in the dingy Capt'n. If they run into trouble, some people with crossbows and such could keep 'em alive."
"I'd pull up aside it. If there's trouble we can all help." The warpriest makes sure all his weapons are at hand.
"We are gonna need more than just them two in the dingy Capt'n. If they run into trouble, some people with crossbows and such could keep 'em alive."
"Sure and keep 'em covered with that ballista, Sooty. Mel, Crimson, Shaso, and Pfarna can fill out the away team. The rest look lively!"
Archery is not her strong point, but Pfarna will lead the boarding party.
Mates, keep your crossbows ready and prepared to fire on the captain's orders.
She then looks to her team.
Lets find out what is up with this boat.
As the group is getting ready, she looks to Sandra Quinn and then the captain.
Quinn should be with us. If this is somehow been overtaken by the dead. Then Besmara's blessings could be most useful.
"Good thought, Pfarna. Alright, come along side to let the away team over," Quillin commands.
Shaso scrys for signs of magic as they approach, then leads the way with a vault over the rail when he judges it close enough.
Pfarna stays at the stern of the boat, cutlass in hand, carefully watching for any signs of life, or movement, on the ship.
Perception:
Quinn rolls her eyes sardonically at the suggestion she should go but grabs her gear none the less and makes her way to the boarding boat.
A couple of the crew do the boarding party a favor and launch grapnels over the stalled boats rail. With ample rope to trail out the group is able to keep the lines in hand as you cross the narow divide and get up the side faster.
Neither Shaso nor Pfarna see anything as the warpriest makes the move to climb with Quinn standing by to follow, quick on his heels.
Quinn calls from below. Hey now! Can I come?
Back on your own ship the crew is hit with a crosswind that carries a foul enough stench but it dissipates quickly. The smell of rot is sharp but not so bad as to make it anything but a note of unpleasant.
Quillin fans the foul breeze from his face. "Seems you've already discovered some interesting new smells," he wryly notes to the boarding party.
"Careful people it might be a plague ship..." Mel looks around to see if the bodies are genuinely dead or if they are infact undead.
perception
Sooty snorts at the smell and pulls out two bottles. He downs the first, which causes his mouth to glow. Then he downs the second but spits it back into it's bottle, which he recaps and puts back into it's case on his bandolier. "Bloody plague is likely."
Not waiting any more and seeing that Mel is eager to get up too, Quinn climbs the rope with the swashbuckler in tow with Pfarna bringing up the last of the boarding party. Like Shaso the baording party sees 6 bodies on the deck that seem to be bloated and rotting in the sun. They are all dressed and don't appear (from casual inspection) to be injured, just dead.
Sooty and Quillin can't quite see the bodies but as the ships line up and lines are tightened (with good space between for the boarding boat) it is easy enough to see the proceedings.
From up in the crow's a voice calls down, Uhm. I think I see something in the water? But it's gone... The voice trails feebly with the sort of apologetic wincing knowing that the information is probably important but not that helpful.
"Can you see what did 'em in, Quinn?" the captain asks.
Looking up to the crowsnest, the gnome frowns. "Well, did you see something or not?!" He begins summoning a devilish dolphin to check things out below the hull just to be safe.
Shaso, keeping his distance from the bodies calls for the others to come. He wraps a bandana around his nose to deal with the stench while he begins an inspection of the deck.
seeing if anything is wrong with the ship
Growing up with orcs and having been apprenticed to a shaman for a short period, few bad smells truly phase Pfarna. However, the fact that these sailors appear dead without cause concerns her. She, thus, takes a watchful position with her cutlass in hand carefully watching for anything that might move.
Perception previously rolled unless I need another.
Excellent questions Shaso. I will get a map up as soon as I can (its by far my weakest skill as an online GM, I post from many different computers and I have not yet found a good solution.)
You arrive mid deck. Three door (left, center, right) go beneath the rised aft deck and surely lead to officer/captain quarters. The raised aft deck features two stairways (one on either side) to get to the wheel, aft mast, etc.) A large hold grate is closed and locked (10x10) on the main area. Two of the bodies are withing 5' of the left door. 1 within 5' of the right. There is a clear (if winding path) to the center door. The nearest stairway up is not impeded.
Quinn looks over her shoulder and shouts back to Quillin, Not seein anything captain. Disease maybe? We could flip em over... HEr voice is clear she has little enthusiasm for the notion.
Up in the crow's Jake Scrimshaw offers a half hearted reply, I'm sorry cap'n it was like a fleeting flash of white and blue. Like a dolphin or shark? It was real fast and there is a bit of white on the caps so...I'm not sure. I'm keeping a keen eye out though...
Quillin finishes his spell and leans his head over to await a report from the noxious oily black dolphin he's summoned.
While he's waiting he orders the away team, "Give 'em a zap first, Quinn. Make sure they ain't undead before you get handsy. DO I have to think of EVERYTHING?!"
"We could turn them wi a boathook Mistress Quinn..I'd rather not set me hands to 'em"
Sooty sighs deeply, "Capt'n, do ya want me to go over there and handle this for these squeamish dandies?"