Victoriana moves the flaming sphere behind the second boar, making sure it won't accidentally hurt Chumtooth if he tries to grab the thing.
Chumtooth drives his harpoon down on the bleeding boar.
Missing his mark, he tries to bite into the beast again.
Not wanting to risk jostling any of the others on the narrow ledge, Dantes will simply ready his axe and prepare in case the boar charges through the others.
Ready axe, ready action to attack if a boar comes within reach.
Satinder takes her boarding pike and stabs at the boar again from over Chumtooth's shoulder.
"Right. Well, I just cooked somebody's dinner for them. Let's keep going."
"Chum, are you hurt?" Satinder says as she cannot see the front of the Kuru properly.
She looks around and suddenly realises Alwen is not with them.
"Bloody ears, where is that scout when we need him?" she curses before continuing on the path they had set out on.
"It cut my leg," Chumtooth grumbles. "I can walk."
He turns and shows the wound to Satinder and the rest.
"A pity it is that we do not have an extradimensional space to store the carcasses; they could feed a crew for weeks! Oh well."
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As the second boar sinks to the ground, dead, a parrot flaps down from somewhere in the jungle and squawks, "Shoo, fly, don't bother me!" several times before turning and flying ahead along the trail to the watchtower. Arriving at the site, you first notice a number of broken rum bottles surrounding the base of the tower.
While waiting for the others to head inside first, Vic starts to cast Mending on one of the bottles, checking the damage to see if she can save any rum.
Leading the way, Chumtooth climbs into the watchtower. He holds his harpoon in hand.
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As he climbs into the tower, Chumtooth is greeted by a horrifying sight (though probably less so to him than others). Lying beneath the twisted remains of a rope hammock, amid scattered items of clothing, is the fly specked corpse of an elderly man. He is recently deceased, and one side of his neck is black and swollen to the size of a melon. A dried ring of foam cakes the man’s beard and mustache around his lips. The parrot flaps over, alights on the corpse, and squawks again, “Shoo, fly, don’t bother me!”
Chumtooth looks cautiously about the room, looking for threats as well as anything unusual.
"The watcher is dead," he says matter-of-factly to the others below.
"Something got 'im." Vic adds. "Never learned to tell what, if he's past savin'." And she draws her crossbow as the party prepares to continue up the tower, casting Abundant Ammunition on her quiver.
Heal
"Huh. Maybe poison? Maybe illness?" Dantes shrugs and adds "Maybe just old age."
He trots a little to catch up to Chumtooth's larger strides, not wanting to be left behind.
"Tower's empty? Hmm."
A search of the debris reveals only a morningstar.
Treasure +1 morningstar
"That looks like it could really kill something good. Chumtooth, it fits your hand, you keep it. Could there have been something bad that cooked this guy's brain?"
Satinder looks around, ready for a flying attacker or a creepy crawler under a filthy bag in the corner.
"Could be. Or just those giant bees. The ol' knowledge brain doesn't know much about those kinda things yet. But if we can't figure it out, I say we head back, and next time the island leaves two guards, one with a weapon 'n one with a real loud gong."
"We should bring the body back, to show we found him dead, and did not kill him," Chumtooth suggests.
He hefts the magical war club in his hand, swings it, and spins it in his hands a few times.
"Well made. It will strike hard and crush skulls," he says with a satisfied look.
Dantes will make his way back down to the base of the tower and the corpse. He'll look closely at the side of the neck that is black and swollen. Can he tell if there is a wound there? A tear or a puncture?
He'll make a circle around the tower as long as it isn't too precarious to do so. Does he see any tracks coming or going other than the group's?
Survival
"Could I have come from a knife? Blow-pipe dart?" Satinder asks the more intelligent of the group, while continueing to look around, ready for traps or ambushers.
What happened? If only we had Ears, he was good at tracking and scouting.
Chumtooth wraps the body in the hammock and heaves it up onto his shoulder.
"Let us go back. There is nothing else here."
"My guess is bees or boars; but if it was an ambush, they accomplished little and seem to have taken less."
And, tapping her foot, "But, I agree with Chumtooth; we have more important things to spend our time on, like asking for a serious discount on our shipwork after all the lives we saved on this island. I'd be happy to help with the carpentry, too, if it'll cut labor costs further."
Chumtooth cocks his head quizzically in response to Rickety's gifting of the weapon.
He then speaks to Satinder
"Why does this one offer as a gift the dead one's war club? It is mine already."
His tone is questioning, as if seeking clarification.
"I believe you had something to say?" she gestures to mr Rickety.
"Right, right!" and she steps forward. "Mister Squibbsy, here's the thing. We've saved quite a few fine fellows since we arrived on this island. Chumtooth there personally bit a mighty predatory-all water naga to death, and our crew together roasted those deadly wasps. Ye've got a couple of big noble heroes here—give us a few more weeks, and we'll have saved every life 'top this rock three times."
"It would be unreasonable to ask for payment on our end, since just leaving them to die an' all would be a right terrible course of action. But now that the deed is done, and this island's wealth clearly lies in labor an' ships' timber, it seems only fair that we ask for a discount on the work our fine captain has commissioned. And if you're worried about extra hands, don't forget," and here she waggles her hands "That you happen to be talking to one o' the finest ship's carpenters you've ever met, happy to help with the work and all."
Chumtooth nods and responds to Satinder
"Good. Rickety is skilled and useful. This one would hate to have to kill Rickety for making claim to this one's war club."
When Victoriana mentions his name and his exploits, Chumtooth bares his teeth and thumps his chest with his fist.
"Yes, Chumtooth is strong. Chumtooth has killed the great snake-woman. Chumtooth and his friends killed the swarm of great bugs. Chumtooth and his friends returned the body of your man, so that his spirit could be honored. Chumtooth and his friends have proven ourselves to you."
Satinder just looks around and smiles the most gifted of smiles, trying to aid Victoriana slightly in her effort to persuade the man.
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Rickety backs up slightly, taken aback by the forwardness of the little gnome. Glancing to Chumtooth, he says, "So it's mutiny , is it?" He chuckles at his jest and says, "Aye, sure'n I owe you that much. I'll take another 20% off, but that's as low as I'll go."
Another three days pass without incident and at long last your squibbing is complete. Captain Merill Pegsworthy approaches your crew, asking if you want to have him do the honors of rechristening the vessel.
In any case, the final cost is 1200 gp. You currently have a crew of eight plus the four of you, for a total of 12. You need at least eight more crewmen plus the pilot to be able to operate at peak efficiency. With less than that, your acceleration rating is cut to one-third and your speed if reduced by one-half. Your ship statistics can be found on the Campaign Info tab.
Recruiting crew can occur in any port (including Rickety's) or upon capturing an enemy ship. It requires a DC 20 Bluff check (to trick sailors on board), a DC 20 Diplomacy check (to convince people to join the crew), or a DC 20 Intimidate check (to press-gang new crew). Each check takes one full day, and a successful check results in 1d4+2 new crew members.
It is further assumed that each time you sell plunder, you spend 1 point to pay your crew. If this is not the case, please let me know, as the crew will become unruly and mutinous.
Chumtooth nods, satisfied that Rickety has acknowledged his prowess as a warrior.
He turns his attention to the bodies of the naga and the giant wasps.
"Veek-tor-eenah," he says the the gnome. "Can you take the ngau from the teeth of the snake-woman and the wero of the great bugs? I can put the ngau on these teka," he says, opening the pouch that holds his blowgun needles. "It is known that some shaman can use ngau to make a drink that will stop ngau from killing. You may have the rest to do so. I will skin the snake-woman, and make a trophy from her head. I will make a trophy from the great flying bug for you, if you wish."
"Sure, why not. If you can tan the skin for me, I can even turn that leather into some proper armor. If you want to make me a trophy, keep it small—I pr'fer things I can wear."
And, after a few more seconds of thought, she adds, "Wasps are kinda the captain's thing, right? Maybe we could stuff one, waterproof with resin 'n make it into a figurehead."
Chumtooth nods at the suggestion.
"Yes, the captain's god likes wasps. Perhaps this god will favor us if we mark our ship with this creature."
"As for your trophy, I shall make it a good size. A trophy should not make fighting...not good."
"This," he says, brandishing the naga's head, "shall be mine! Enemies shall tremble at the sight of the great snake-woman's head hanging from Chumtooth's neck!"
"I shall make your trophy, first, Veectoreeah, then I will begin mine. While the sankewoman's head boils and dries, we will have time to make the wasp totem together."
Chumtooth claps the little gnome on the shoulder and gives a gutteral chuckle.
After the negotiations with Mr. Rickety, Dantes will approach Satinder.
"Captain, I noticed that you and Chumtooth were conversing in a strange tongue in front of Mr. Rickety, and then you prompted Victoriana in the Common language. I fancy myself a bit of a collector of languages, including those believed lost to time and those from distant planes of existence. But I freely admit I don't recognize the dialect the two of you seem to share; I have not heard it prior to being pressed into service with him."
"From an academic perspective, I would be intrigued to learn it, and understand some of its origin. From a strategic perspective, it may be prudent for the core members of your crew to share a language that few others may know. We could discuss tactics in front of intelligent foes without tipping them off to our intent. Does that sound reasonable?"
Satinder strokes her thigh, grimacing some as the pain comes back into her leg and listens to Dantes' idea.
"You are the smartest one here master Goldforge, and you have proven this once again. Talk to Chumtooth and allow him to train you. Kuru is not an easy language, and I will help you should you have difficulties, for there are some traps in that language that are hard to figure out when he is explaining them."
Satinder looks around, and addresses Vic.
"Vic, what colour is your tongue?"
"Err, what?"
Victoriana spends the next day wandering around Squib's, offering jobs on the "newest, shiniest ship ye've ever seen, with a captain so fierce and honorable she keeps a cannibal as a first mate without shewin' any fear." As someone who's spent some time on the island looking for work, she's got a fair idea of who the least satisfied locals are.
"If it was silver, you could do my recruiting and show what you've got." she winked, and smiled at the gnome.
--
Upon listening to her story, she smiles slightly and adds:
"You can work here, for nothing.. You can work on a different boat, for next to nothing. Or you can join our crew, and at least you'll make a decent wage and never come across the Kiss of Vengeance ready to ram you."
She winks but leaves enough of an evil grin on her face to make people wonder.
"You have done well Victoriana. Let's make it interesting. You assist me, and we will see who can attract the most hunky sailors. A cask of fine ale for the winner?"
She winks as she walks into her captain's quarters, ready to get some shut-eye.
Satinder walks into the bar, her face as blank as a virgin's repertoire. She sits down, orders a drink for everyone at her table and starts talking. She talks, and argues, and when she winks at Victoriana she suddenly stands up and throws the mug through the bar.
"What did you say, gnome!? Filthy half-man.. Woman.. Whatever."
She makes a grand display of her wooden leg as she puts it onto a stool, and takes the drink of someone from her crew next to her.
"You listen to me, little one. I don't care how good you are, or how brave, or how big your t*~@ are. On my ship, everyone is made of gold and silver, and I want to see you *DO* something before I reward you with a piece of our plunder."
She lets the words sink in, and turns around to the 'audience', and bows. She continues with the most bombastic voice she can muster.
"And that goes for the rest of your landlubbers. If you think you are great, are born great or can become great, we could use you. There is room for doers, not talkers, on the Kiss of Vengeance."
She chucks the alcohol down her throat, and before leaving goes..
"... And those who sign up today, might be lucky enough to get a kiss from her captain, Satinder Morne. If you can floor her." she says, winks, and leaves the bar.