"You have no understanding. You fear pain and this is how you are controlled. Transcend that fear, make the pain a part of yourself and it holds no sway. " Janus stares at Charolette, a look of pity in his eye. Oh but you are ruled by your fears girl, a child lost in the woods, mewling for a mother that will never come to take away those fears. You fear the shadow child when you should more fully fear the deeper darkness that chases behind you."
Charlotte's expression makes it clear that she disregards most of what Janus says as complete mumbo jumbo.
One word, however, gets a solid reaction, and Charlotte just barely restrains herself from striking.
"I don't care what kind of voodoo priest you think you are. You. Do. NOT. Speak to me of mothers." At once, she turns away and leaves for a more out of the way area of the deck, resuming her fiddling with a song of stormy, angry seas.
Ahh, there is her pain. I will have to remember that.[I] "Go witch, play your fiddle and hide behind the notes." Janus' gaze shifts to the rest of the crew. "And the rest of you have jobs to get back to." [I]Now where is that boy. Janus looks around for Salt.
The word strikes Charlotte like crossbow bolt, and it takes all of her restraint not to try and disembowel Janus right there.
Stay calm. Stay calm. You're better than that. Little Sister is counting on you, and getting keelhauled over slashing up some crazy doctor isn't going to help.
Variziel looks on as Charlotte and Janus have their argument, absently moving his mop while he watches. "Before we deal with the captain and mate, of course, we'll have to sort out our own issues, and decide which of us are working together," he whispers to Sandara.
As you argue, the crowd begins to build around you, drawn the the sight of the argument and fully expecting a fight. Ogruk lumbers out of the crowd and stands face to half-Orc shoulder with Janus, leaning down and snarling out, Oi, ya rood leetle cur, ya don't tawlk to no lady like that, 'less ya want Ogruk 'ere ta break somthin' ya can't put back togetha'! Ya get that, ya tuskless lil' sroat? Ogruk's large, misshapen nostrils flare out in anger and his small reddish-brown eyes flash with anger. The assembled crew of pirates seems to get somewhat nervous, likely not wanting to be lumped in with whatever was about to happen. Only a few from the crowd remain, eagerly watching the unfolding events.
Aye, what do ye think o' that freak o' a surgeon we got now? I don't know what to make o' him. He does a fine job patchin' people up, but there's something creepy about him I can't quite place. Still, with his skills, he could be useful in getting off o' this ship, so perhaps someone could try to bring him around to our side later?whoever did it would have to be careful though, so he doesn't go all batsh!t and gob to Plugg about it. Sandara replies in a low tone.
Variziel nods. [b]"He certainly fixed me up after the fall I took earlier on; I feel even better now than I did before that tumble. He has the hands of a healer, if not the manner. And I think it may come down to whether he hates Plugg and Scourge and Hannigan and the rest, and less whether he agrees with us or is 'brought to our side.'" Variziel shrugs again and continues half-heartedly swabbing.
Temerith watched as the insane docter and the bard with the fiddle began warring over the "salt" character. He needed their support if he was going to successfully mutiny and gain control of the Wormwood...
As the sun dies on the horizon, a call has been issued for all crew to appear on deck for the evening meal and 'Bloody Hour'. Judging by what you have seen on this ship already, you wonder exactly how brutal this event will be. As you head on deck, you spot the fellows you awoke with this morning.
Charlotte seeks out Ignatius wherever he is, fiddle put away in its case and slung over her shoulder.
"Any clue what that bloody hour thing might be?" She asks.
Variziel also attempts to meet up with the others on the way to the event, and he appears a little nervous. "Yes, I'm wondering that myself."
"Dis one be thinking it bein bloody enough, already.". Jesal moans as he rubs at his back and the ghost of the pain that was there before he was healed.
Memory of that reminds him, "Salt be thanking you, m'lady. Blessed be ya for da help.". Jesal knuckles his brow and bows slightly to Charlotte.
Charlotte smiles to Salt, for a moment dropping the scowl she had been reserving for the sawbones. "Glad I could help," she replies. "Every ship needs at least a semblance of decency."
"Whatever this bloody hour is...it's gonna be bad." The Markborn just shakes his head. "We're definitely in for a bad night. I am trusting them all less and less. Well, except for the ones we've shown as decent."
He brushes the stray hairs out of his face, as he remains close to the folks he has come to trust. "It won't be soon enough to get off this damned ship."
Does Iggy, from his pirating experience, think bringing the location of the items to light would reduce the sentence? If so, he wants to meet with someone higher up in the crew and will do so as soon as possible.
Temerith descended from the crow's nest via the ropes and quickly looked around for Rosie and that man from Rashadoum.
perception
As your gaze pans around, you easily spot your Halfling and Rahadoumi compatriots amongst the gathering crowd.
Iggy keeps his voice very low and nods to the young woman. "We have a thief onboard, and I have a strong feeling that it's going to be a keelhauling. There's not a dang thing we can do to stop it, but I think we can make things easier on ourselves, if all goes right. Can't really say too much on the matter, but just be prepared to have a strong stomach."
The Markborn obviously doesn't want to speak further on the specifics of what exactly will happen to the man, as even a hardened man can be disturbed by the brutalities of the ship.
Iggy will wait until a few minutes before the Bloody Hour. I have a feeling that the Markborn would at least have some idea on how to do it somewhat safely, when bringing it up. Since he's gotten some dislike from Plugg, but has shown he is a Markborn and has put a hurtin' on the keel-hauled one, he clears his throat.
"Sir, I made a bit of a discovery after my time in the bilges, and felt that, since the Captain prefers we not speak to him, that you'd be the only person we'd be allowed to approach. The soon-to-be keel-hauled individual decided he'd share the location of his storage with me, after a bit of...persuasion. I figured that since he stole from the ship, the ship would want the items back."
Once he has Plugg's interest, he'll show him exactly where the items are, then return to the group, to observe what the unfortunate man has earned. Steal from the ship, and the ship will eventually take things back.
"Chiure de mouette! They're gonna keelhaul someone? Ugh. Well, if he stole from them, I can't really say I blame them, though I can't really picture many worse ways to go. I've seen one of those in my last crew, and it wasn't pretty."
Charlotte judiciously avoids mentioning that, had her previous crew not been terrified by the hauntings she had brought alongside herself on the ship, she would probably have found herself keelhauled rather than marooned, a year ago.
The sun is now only a faint glowing line on the horizon and the ship is lit by cast-iron whale oil lanterns. After having received your evening dinner and rum rations courtesy of Kroop, due to Jesal being given the day off by the lug of a chef. Everyone eats and drinks, eagerly discussing how much they are looking forward to seeing Magpie get what he 'deserves'. Before dinner is over, Plugg and Harrigan emerge from the Captain's quarters and take their position at the stern. Harrigan raises his arms and booms out, How are ye tonight boys? Now, I know yer all eager to see old Magpie get keelhauled, but I wanted to say something first! As ye all know, we got some new 'recruits' from good old Port Peril last night. Well, one has proven his salt, recovering all o' the booty that b@stard Magpie swiped from us and proven his loyalty by returning it to us, rather than ferreting it away. All of ye salty dogs give a hand for Ignatius Hank! Harrigan points towards Iggy with an open hand and inebriated pirates all clap and cheer loudly for Ignatius. Harrigan holds his hand up for silence, Now, Ignatius, come up here for a moment, boy!
[ooc]Psst...your spoiler isn't closed.
Iggy pulls the hair back away from his mark so that those on the boat are able to see the Banshee Queen's "blessing on his cheek", approaching the captain but taking his time in doing so, obviously giving the man at the helm as much space as a wounded warrior would give a shark.
He remains silent, knowing that the wrong word at this point could very well be his last.
Charlotte watches on, fiddle held against her chest, keeping a mostly neutral face.
Keelhauling, what an awful way to go. That Magpie knew what he was getting into, though. It's just too bad these guys are so... barbaric. Sis, you might wanna turn away from this one, it's not gonna be pretty.
Harrigan notices your cautious approach and cracks a smile as he motions for you to come closer. As you approach, he reaches into his pocket and retrieves a single large gold coin the size of Harrigan's palm, intricately engraved with the image of a Cyclops emperor, a single small ruby taking the place of it's eye, A reward for yer services, boy! I've no use for such a thing, but ye could probably make a fair cut off of it next time we reach port. Also, stop by Grok and she'll get ye outfitted with some gear befittin' a proper pirate, since I've decided to make ye an officer. Can't let talent like that go to waste, boy. With that said, welcome to the crew Mr.Hank! May yer chest be full o' loot and yer sword ever red, dripping with the blood o' your foes!
The Markborn squeezes the coin in his fist, feeling the cool metal and almost sharp rub press into his palm. "Much appreciated, Cap'n. I'll do my best to make sure no more keelhaulin's will be required in the future." And that is all the man says, before joining his place among his friends, slipping the coin into his pocket, to more carefully examine later.
Iggy will definitely be looking among his friends for someone who can see if the coin has any magical qualities. Because, obviously, no more bauble would have stayed in the captain's pocket so long.
"You remember, back when we were on the Gull's Madness, when they dragged that halfling under the ship for attacking the captain? That's a keelhauling." Charlotte whispers back in the Varisian she shares with Little Sister. "Gotta say, I'm still surprised you took that one better than I did. I guess having been where you've been will give anyone a strong stomach."
When Iggy asks about the coin, Charlotte requests a closer look and slowly runs her hand over the coin, never actually touching it, just getting a feel for the winds of magic.
Variziel cocks an eyebrow at Charlotte's whispering. "Avec qui est-ce que tu parles?" he whispers back, also in Varisian, though it's slightly halted and with a definite Taldan accent.
When Iggy comes back, Variziel grins. "Ahoy, Mister Hank," he says with a small chuckle, just loud enough for Iggy and the others to hear.
"C'est une longue histoire." Charlotte whispers back to Variziel. "Je t'expliquerai plus tard."
Charlotte smiles and nods when Variziel greets Iggy. "That's a fast promotion if I've ever seen one. Sounds like you've quite impressed the cap'n, Mr. Hank."
"Nnhh... Oohhh, my head..." Charlotte moans woozily as she recovers from the sudden visions.
"Well, Mr. Hank," She leans in whispers to Iggy, putting a playful emphasis on the "Mr.", trying to be witty despite her pounding head.
"I can tell you there's some very powerful magic at hand here, but I'm afraid I'm not too savvy about magic and all that stuff. That coin's magic, and I don't mean little ship sorcerer firing missiles at seagulls. It's more like 'look across the sea and make me a beach out of curry powder'." Charlotte explains the vision she's had to Iggy, knowing that Little Sister wound understand as well.
Iggy nods slowly, leaning back over to Charlotte. "Many thanks to ya. I think that we may have run into a truly fierce bit of luck then. Besmara seems to have traded a trifling for a horde." The Markborn makes the sign of the Banshee Queen as he speaks of her.
"We'll have to study more in-depth later. Hopefully this keel-hauling will be the last we see."
"Hopefully." Charlotte adds, with a chuckle. "There are some creeps around here I wouldn't mind getting dealt with, but I wouldn't wish the keel on anyone."
As Iggy heads down to the deck, Harrigan turns to Plugg, I don't know about ye, Mr.Plugg, but I believe it would be best to finish this meal with a little keelhauling, wouldn't ye say? Bring out Magpie!
Plugg nods his head in affirmation, Of course, Captain sir. Would you like some Erinyes Red wine while you watch?
Harrigan let's out a hearty laugh, Wine? For a keelhauling? Bring me some Shadowood Absinthe! Best to savor the experience of watching the old crow become shark bait, right Plugg?
Plugg smirks, Of course Captain! I'll fetch the worthless sod, and your absinthe, presently.
After a few minutes, Plugg comes back on deck with a bottle greenish-black absinthe with a white label featuring a sinister looking leafless tree, as well as three very large thugs escorting Magpie. The entire group heads up the the bow and Plugg begins preparing the absinthe while the thugs begin preparing Magpie with the keel line. Magpie blubbers and cries, pleading for mercy from Harrigan, who only smiles mirthlessly at him. Plugg and the thugs finish their work at the same time, just as the last bit of sunlight fades from the horizon. Harrigan promptly takes the glass full of smoky grey absinthe and takes a sip, So, ye old crow, thought ye could steal from the ship? Thought I wouldn't know which sodding b@stard had the gall to steal from me? I've got eyes all over this ship, I do. Ye can't hide anything from me! Time to pay the sea it's due, Magpie. Any last words? Magpie wails pitifully, Please don't let me die like this Harrigan! Let the Markborn give me my rites so I won't become one of the Ocean's Lost! Please! Harrigan turns back and looks at Mr.Hank, then turns to Magpie and folds his arms across his chest, taking a moment to mock ponder the situation, Sure Magpie, I'll give ye yer last rites... Harrigan swipes out with one of his massive arms grabbing Magpie by the throat and listing him up off the deck, Ye can say 'em in the Hells, Magpie! Harrigan says as he throws Magpie off of the boat with one arm. Jakes screams as he falls into the inky black waters, trailing rope behind him.
Harrigan walks over and looks over the crew, Ye there, girl with the fiddle! Play us something classy, my dear!
"Aye, cap'n" Charlotte responds to the orders the all the false enthusiasm she can muster.
Charlotte closes her eyes and focuses entirely on her fiddling, hoping to drown out the man's last screams from her hearing. After a moment of hesitation, she decides upon a traditional song of Varisia her mother once taught her would be appropriate.
The song was one traditionally played as the last song of a party held between two caravans, before each parted way. It was a song of fond goodbyes and salutations, meant to wish to fellow travelers "may you find luck where you go."
In a way, she sees it as her way to pay respects to a man who didn't deserve the extreme punishment he got.
I'll be in trouble if any of them gets the meaning, but then what are the odds? Worst come worst, I'll just play stupid.
Much appreciated, girl! Now Mr.Plugg, if ye would kind take Mapgpie's rope and shred that son of a b!tch on the hull, it would be nice. Do it slowly though, boy, don't want to waste any screams, do we? Harrigan speaks with great gusto.
Plugg chuckles, I think I can manage that, Captain!
Plugg grabs the rope connected to Magpie and pulls the rope slowly, then letting it go slack, then pulling it slowly again, time and time again. A horrific screaming, punctuated by periods of gurgling and gut-wrenching tearing noises fills the air for the better part of half an hour. All the while, fiddling accompanies the horrific atmosphere, seeming to delight Harrigan as he slowly savors his dinner and drinks his absinthe as if he were some highborn nobleman instead of the bloodthirsty pirate he is. Once the screaming stops, Harrigan motions to Plugg, Bring him up boy, let's see what kind of art the fair lady Wormwood produced!
Plugg eagerly hauls up Magpie's remains, [b]Well, Captain, if it tells you anything he looks worse than today's lunch! What came out of that water looked nothing like Magpie. A pile of dripping gore in the shape of a man with a few scraps of bloodstained cloth splatted on the ground as Plugg heaved the remains aboard. Tears rent the corpse, gouged furrows cut into nearly every inch of Magpie, revealing quivering pink, red, and yellow tissues, as well as what could only be internal organs. Most disturbing of all was the face, half torn off with strands of meat hanging loose and the left side of the head cracked open, revealing the grey matter within. Somehow, a look of horror is still recognizable of the former crewman's face. Harrigan stands back up and claps repeatedly, Bravo, Mr.Plugg! Like one o' those fancy Chelish operas, but better! Now I remember why yer me First Mate! I would ask for an encore, but I think Magpie's a bit tired, isn't he? Hahaha, send that pile o' sh!t to the bottom o' the sea! Mr.Plugg nonchalantly throws the remains overboard, then shakes his hands free of the large amount of blood on them, B@stard sure made a mess, didn't he? Plugg comments with a smile. The majority of the pirates break into raucous laughter and cheering. You notice most of your compatriots, however, are not.
Ignatius remains quiet throughout the incident, his arms across his chest, trying to remain impassive. Once the man is shown on deck, he leans over to Charlotte.
"Best that Sandara woman and I have a bit of a small ceremony later to make sure he don't come back angry, I'm thinking."
His voice quivers slightly, although it seems to be less from being sickened or disturbed. More like the ocean boiling just beneath the surface, like a giant wave ready to rise, but hidden beneath the still water of his eyes.