"Weigh anchor and man the boats," Chumtooth barks to the crew. "Use the boats to pull the ship into the cove!"
After Rickety has left the boat, Satinder will call all the lieutenants into her quarters.
"I say we ditch the dagger and try to pay up everything as to not leave a debt we are hindered by. The sword looks like a mighty useful thing to have, so I wish to keep it. Should you, Ayaki, wish to keep the dagger, we will of course do so, but know that we can always find another like that."
She looks around.
"If we do this, there is no turning back. What say you, first mate? Boatswain? Quartermaster? Master at arms?"
"Aye, Captain."
"We have seized this boat. Let us use it to take more. Let our names be feared in these waters!"
He claps the peg-legged woman roughly on the shoulder.
"Chu...I am with you."
"Neither a borrower or lender be. Let's try not to owe anyone money right off the bat. We'll certainly make more than enough to get more magical items later on in our careers," Alwen says, the elf grinning.
"Ah, but there's one more thing that I think we ought to discuss here. Renaming this boat. Can't go around calling it by its original name or else we'll draw the wrong attention."
"I'm open to suggestions.." Satinder says, hesitantly.
"Agreed. What we are setting out to do is challenging enough without starting with debt."
After a moment's consideration, Dantes offers "How about the 'Great Fortune'? It reflects the luck we've experienced going from gang pressed to running a ship. It reflects the luck we hope to have going forward. And it reminds of the great fortune we hope to amass in the years to come?"
"Parekura," Chumtooth offers with a grin.
"Slaughter"
"I was thinking the Serene Firefly perhaps. Or the Sultry Sea Witch. Or maybe Storm Eater, if you're looking for something a little fiercer," Alwen pitches.
"The Blood-eee Blayyy-d," Chumtooth counters, doing his best to speak the suggested name in Common.
"The kiss of Vengeance?" Satinder says, tasting the words as they leave her mouth.
"Food, drink, and takato will bring the name to our heads," Chumtooth suggests. "Let us meet the skweeb-man's demand now, and talk of names after we have found the rest ashore."
bow-chicka-wow-wowwww!
"Well, you're speaking to me, Chummy," Alwen says with a grin. "Let's go then. I have to find a jar of honey anyways. Hmm, the Honeyed Hive?"
"The kiss of Vengeance?" Satinder says, tasting the words as they leave her mouth.
Dantes taps his finger against his lips as he considers this, and then says "If our intent is eventual revenge against Harrigan, and I assure you that I harbor such a desire deeply and strongly, then that would be a worthy title."
"It is settled then. Everyone is clear on their duties?"
She looks around, looking everyone in the eye.
"Let's get to it then. I want to get this ship back onto the salty waters as soon as she is able."
Chumtooth claps Bangkha on the shoulder.
"You are strong, and fight well."
"Satinder, this may be a good place to round out our crew. The sooner the better. Those in port would know of the vessel's transformation and therefore be complicit in Hannigan's eyes. And there wouldn't be any chance of him being told of our success in such a short time, so no one we recruit right now would be a plant in his employee. I would guess that Alwen may have already determined the positions we need covered."
"One like Bangkha. With healing magic, but can fight," Chumtooth suggests.
He looks around, scanning the people on shore for indications of magical ability (in his mind: wearing symbols, carrying staves, animal companions, strange tattoos or in possession of books)
"Oh, let me deal with the recruiting, captain. I have a good eye for the people that we'll need to support our little ship. Plus I can help to weed out the useless ones and find a few gems in the process. Though I would like some permission to take a little bit of coin we have left to, say, loosen their inhibitions?"
Once he's situated, Alwen will grab Rosie Cusswell and Ayaki and head to the local tavern. "Now, all you two need to do is smile, play your instruments and look very, very pretty," He tells them, turning to those deep into their mugs.
"Avast, sailors! Perhaps there's some of you who are tired of trudging on the dirt, making barely enough coin to enough a rubbish bit of stale bread or watered down ale at the end of the day. Or perhaps you're bored with the tedium of the same labor, day in and day out? Are you looking for adventure, lads and lasses?"
The elf scans the crowd, looking for interested faces. "Then you should sign onto the crew of Captain Satinder Morne! We promise that with her, you'll experience the excitement of the sea like none other! When you return to port, you'll have enough coin to afford the finest liquors, richest cakes, and the prettiest companionship! There is excitement to be had here - and a crew full of beauties like these two makes the work easier on the eyes," he adds with a laugh.
When Dantes gives Alwen coins from the ship treasury to recruit, he'll quietly say "Make sure you get a good assistant for Kroop."
Dantes will mostly stay to the ship, checking inventories and carefully arranging their new ledgers, concealing the old ones should they be needed at some point.
He will leave the ship if any key stores are low to get replenishments arranged. He will also leave if Kroop does. He'll make sure the old cook makes it back to the ship at night and his tabs are covered at the end of the evening. He will try to do so discreetly, getting others to help if it keeps his appearance of involvement to a minimum.
Catching on to Alwen's plan, Chumtooth looks to Satinder:
"Shall Chumtooth follow them, protect them if these ones are attacked?"
A few of the bar's patrons seem to suddenly freeze up during Alwen's speech, allowing a single small gnone to step forward before they can.
"Right, right!" she says loudly, as she jostles her way to the front. "If'n you hire anyone, I'm the first one you should ask, Victoriana Whitecap, shipwright, been in this bloody cove with no crew entirely too long. Sailors are good, but what you really need is a proper doctor who can heal both your ship and people, and I can add a bit of firepower to that as well," and as others in the bar begin to stir, she slips out the door, adding "I'd like to talk to this Captain Morne 'fore anything gets signed, hear your terms 'n guarantees an' morality and suchnot."
Chumtooth shrugs, and assumes that the others can handle themselves. He grabs the sack containing the heads of Plugg and Scourge, and makes his way to the tanning area.
"Ch...I have work to do here," he says to the tanners. "I do not need aid. I need use of your tools and I need you to stay away from my work." he says with a rumbling growl.
To emphasize his point, he reaches into the bag and removes Scourge's bloody head.
"Alwen, you do your thing. I expect results, so don't be sloppy. Master Goldforge will see to it you have some gold to wiggle free the tongues and get people to talk. And don't forget to smile honey, you can be so charming if you want to be."
--
I'll go to the same bar ahead of Alwen, just so you know."
--
As Victoriana leaves the bar, she is followed by a woman with a peg-leg and a hat over her eyes. The steels on her side do not glint, but seem sharp enough for someone who knows their business.
"Little lady, you are quite temperamental. Think you have sufficient fire in your guts to be able to find your way on board of a mighty ship as the Kiss of Vengeance? It ain't for the weak of heart, I can tell you."
She looks her over, taking into consideration the spellcasting she just did.
"Magic eh? Anything else you can do?"
"Sufficient FIRE? Weak of HEART?" Victoriana leans against the wall, just outside the doorway, and laughs uncontrollably for about fifteen seconds before recomposing herself.
Pulling back her hair, she points to a large burn scar above her left eye. "First time I met slave-catchers on the Oubinga River. This was the backfire. There was summat less left of their boat."
And then, with a dainty cough, she continues quickly before the taller woman has a chance to get another word in, "And, of course, I'm a dab hand better with a catapult than any standard deck tar. It's all mathematics, of course, any proper gnome could work out the principles of aiming the thing, though it helps if y'know how to load the thing up with a right keg of alchemist's fire. I used to have some ideas on how to bring a sail to life with magic, though I've lost my notes on the subject. I can promise you every scar I've got is my own, and that's because I can dodge and stop a sword better'n anyone you've ever seen," rattling her sparkling chain shirt with a hand, "Though this old coat o'shiny brings me some comfort."
"And then there's this..." and Vic crosses her hands against her chest and her eyes go white and her hair starts to glow and her feet tap and twitch and then a few seconds later, still in a trance, she's rapidly reciting off every conceivable detail anyone would ever want to know about Squib's Cove, its regular customers, people of importance, general economic status, business model, and situation in the greater politics of nearby islands.
"..and I can answer a few other questions if you like, though there's only so much information to pull outta the air in a single day."
And without, somehow, pausing for breath, "And I think I would make a fine addition to any proper sailing vessel, and by Besmara's Booty Shim himself knows none have been through here of late. So I've normally got terms for employment owing to my shining grace 'n all, but I'm willing to relax a bit on that end. Though I've worked for good pirates and bad pirates and the first sort tend to be the ones who don't end up covered in flames, and I ought to say outright that I'd rather not set anyone on fire who isn't a proper villain or a Chelaxian slaver."
"Sounds very good... Though it might be difficult to chose who to burn, once we are out on the seven seas, my goal is similar to yours. I will never admit it to the crew, but ruthlesness to the wicked and vile, and vengeance against those who have done us wrong. Those are my primary motives, and the booty and piling heaps of gold would be most welcome to ensure the crew stay focused on my goal aswel."
She looks at the gnome, seemingly unphased by her reciting and glowing.
"Perhaps we could give you a small quest, to see if you are indeed as good as you say?"
"And it goes without saying I won't be here, waiting for you, but that shouldn't be a problem either, would it?"
She smirks, and takes out a pencil and writes down the name of the gnome.
"Hmm, within the hour? That shouldn't be hard..." As the Captain turns her back, Victoriana ducks out of sight, quickly casts Tongues, and ten seconds later runs after the woman, tapping her on the back to deliver the touch spell.
And then gives her reply in flawless Kuru, mirroring Satinder's accent.
"Excuse me! But I should ask whether this was meant as a test of my knowledge, cunning, or courage. If it's the first two, I decided to save time by learning the whole language, and if it's the last, I'd say asking the word for 'cock' isn't nearly as dangerous as some of the things you could've told me to say to the man without knowing what they mean, because my, but this cannibal language has some nasty vocabulary."
As an afterthought, "Oh, and there's plenty o' ways to kill a man, as I'm sure now any Kuru could explain quite well. Fire just gets especially cruel, is all, and shouldn't be used too lightly on a wooden ship."
As Satinder turns around a knife glints in her hands. It darted out, ready to strike at whoever it was that had touched her in back.
"You dare touch me? Without my permission?"
Her face is full of anger, and she breathes hard to calm her racing heart down.
"There are many vile people out there, poisoners and rogues and pressgangers, so I can be quite jumpy and wouldn't want to stab your eye out... I would have thought someone who had experience on the ships would know this?"
She closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath.
As she exhales, she softly says.
"It was a test of your abilities in a whole, and your speed and intelligence. You have decided to cheat, and I feel half the need to applaud, but the other have says other things.
Go then, and ask the Kuru what the name was of the large man I fought in hand-to-hand combat, within the first few days on the ship."
She slips the dagger back into her sheath, and whilst walking away again, adds: "You have 55 minutes now, Victoriana. Tick tock."
"My apologies, although my eyes are down here, and you'll find them not easily stabbed. Very well, then."
Rickety's Squibbs isn't a large town, at all, and a single Kuru should stick out like a sore thumb... right? And new money coming ashore should attract attention. Victoriana will ask around then, seeing what she can do to hear of a Kuru passing through.
Seeing the cowed expressions of the tanners, Chumtooth sets to work. He meticulously peels the skins from the skulls of Plugg and Scourge, stuffs them, and then sews the mouths and eyes closed. He places them into the boiling cauldron of tannin, and then sets to scraping the remaining muscle and tissue from each skull; stopping occasionally to savor a bloody morsel off the side of his knife blade.
"No more whips. No more threats from these ones. These ones are meat now. These ones are trophies. Testament to our strength. Others will join them."
He gives a deep, rumbling chuckle.
As Chumtooth cleans the skulls, a small gnome approaches him, keeping some distance from the smell of blood and whatnot. "Excuse me, sir," she calls out in Kuru, "But I've been sent here by Captain Morne to ask the name of the first large man she fought in hand-to-hand combat."
Chumtooth throws his head back in a low, loud guffaw.
"Has that one forgotten already?" he replies in Kuru. "Captain Morne fought me. A fist-fight for coins wagered. Morne lost, and had no money to pay the wager, so that one's leg was the payment. It was de-li-cioussss." He bears his teeth in a broad, wicked grin.
He's messing with you.
He ATE her LEG?!? (shudder)
In Kuru, "I've seen wounds, mister, and the pain they leave in even healed wounds. That one lost her leg a long time ago, and that peg ain't exactly new neither. Plus, I think she meant someone even larger than you."
"Hmmm," Chumtooth replies in Kuru with an approving nod. "So this one is not stupid. Good. If this one wants a boon from Chumtooth, this one must offer a boon in trade. If this one has nothing to offer, then Chumtooth has no reason to speak the name."
He's serious.
He's serious.
Victoriana tosses Chumtooth a piece of bent, scratched metal. "That's an any-tool. Turns into anything you can think of, including the best damn skinning and tanning knives you've ever handled. Wouldn't normally hand it out, but I'm in a hurry here, and I'll want it back when you're done with whatever you're making."
"I think that's a satisfact'ry show of goodwill."
Chumtooth looks at the piece of metal.
"How does this thing become many tools? Use this tool. Make it change. If it is truly as this one has spoken, Chumtooth will keep the tool, not borrow it, as this one will keep the name asked for."
"In that case, I'll need it back. That's a smith's tongs, and a carpenter's hammer, and a wrench for tightening crossbow fixings. It's too precious to me, and I use it far too much to let it be a single-purpose trophy."
"If you want something you can keep, how about answers for answers? I can tell you all you need to know about the alchemistry of tanning, f'rinstance, or use a bit of magic to scrape whatever you're handling, though I 'spect you prefer doing it by hand. Now, if there's an answer you want, whether it's identifying a mystery artifact, something about geography, the world around you, the mating habits of dolphins, the geography of the outer planes, I can rifle a bit through the old spiritual library an' whatnot, try to find you one."
Chumtooth tosses the piece of metal back to the gnome, considers for a moment, and then replies: "If this one uses magic to clean and bleach these skulls, Chumtooth will speak the name of the large man the Captain fought."
Victoria casts her daily prestidigitation, which should clean the skulls quite quickly.
Chumtooth looks over the skulls and finding them to his satisfaction gives a nod and grunt of assent.
"The man Morne fought is called Owlbear."
He's telling the truth.
Owlbear?? Could that really be the man's name?
"Thanks."
Take your classic "table at the far end of the tavern and in the darkest part of it" kinda deal.
Though with that roll, I reckon she'll find me easy enough.
For her, it's a matter of speed and willingness. You can describe how she finds me, I reckon.