Bangkha kicks water, grinning at Dantes who sets up flanking (a terrifying sight) and takes another swing at the next rat.
Chumtooth continues to flail at the surviving rats.
He also lunges with his teeth, biting at the remaining vermin.
Dantes takes it upon himself to try and set up another rat for Bangkha's strike. He slides through the water trying to confuse another of the vermin for Bangkha, while lashing out at one himself.
Step to set up a flank for Bangkha.
Miss chance for Dantes' strike
To hit
Damage
The elf yelps as the rats start coming after him, going on the defensive. He's got a couple new rat bites on his arms defending himself, backing up towards the pump. It looks like there's only one or two left alive that he could see.
Alwen really misses his bow. And his axe. And his armor. He's really looking forward to getting his gear back.
Satinder continues to struggle, and tries to aid the others by distracting the little rats as much as possible.
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Both of the remaining vermin are quickly eradicated by Chumtooth and Dantes, leaving you standing alone in the bilge. You return to the main deck, where Mr. Plugg is waiting. "About time, you maggots! I was just about to send someone down to rescue you! Now, get back to work!"
The remainder of the day passes painfully; the memory of the rat encounter lingering as the wounds fester. By day's end, Satinder already has a high fever and is having difficulty keeping anything down.
Alwen spends at least part of his time at the quartermaster's shop, talking with Grok. It takes some wheedling and convincing (and probably a promise he'd rather not keep), but he manages to get his bow returned to him.
Bangkha, working in the cargo hold, finds several bags of grain with large holes chewed in the fabric. It is likely that this is where the dire rats came from. There is little else of interest here and the cargo hold is mostly empty.
Sandra Quinn lays a cure light wounds ( ) on Ayaki, giving her enough energy to go about her chores, but even so, Alwen, Ayaki, and Dantes perform below expectations in their daily tasks.
As it must, the bloody hour comes. Among those scheduled for punishment are Alwen Ayaki, and Dantes. Each receives a dressing down before the entire crew, with threats of more severe punishment if efforts do not improve.
As the day wears on, the rush from fresh blood fades, leaving the sting of multiple bites from threats. Chumtooth sets his jaw and works through the pain.
When rum rations are served, he takes the cup and drains it, drinking in huge gulps.
hours
Chumtooth stands, swaying with the ship, still reeking of blood and bilge-water.
He throws back his head and gives a terrifying howl, then unceremoniously drops his cup, and shuffles below to his hammock.
Alwen is feeling rather sore - his rat bites are painful if shallow, and the rest of the day has been tiring. Still, he has plenty of people to try to get into good graces with tonight. He downs his rum to stave off the pain, before putting on his best smile for the ladies.
He sidles up to one now - Tilly Brackett, he thinks she's called - giving her a look. "Would you mind terribly looking after me for a bit? I had a harrowing fight against some of the meanest, biggest rats I've even had the misfortune to lay my eyes on, and I don't want to suddenly succumb to my wounds and keel overboard. I'm sure you'd be quite unhappy with that yourself."
Satinder drops the rum without minding if anyone can see her dropping it, and goes straight to bed. Today has taken too much out of her, and she's feeling feverish.
"Hate rats!" she says to nobody in particular.
>
>
She sleeps through the night, and wakes up with a dry mouth, and a clear infection of the leg. She is clumsy, and the first cough bring blood to her mouth, and some strange thoughts loom over her head.
Can't have this one taken off too, I'd rather kill myself.
Dantes endures his turn at Bloody Hour as stoically as he can, letting it feed his anger at the captain and his closest enforcers.
Dantes drinks down his rum, using its effects to help ward off thoughts of what may be waiting for him if he is reprimanded again.
Fort save .
Charisma bonus .
Fatigued for hours.
Dantes will sleep hard that night, hoping the faint queasiness is from the and not his still tender wounds.
Feeling drunker than usual from the rum ration, and a bit optimistic after surviving the encounter with the rats, Bangkha decides to talk to Giffer Tibbs, who he's done a bit of work with over the past days.
"You missed out on a bit of fun today," he says, cheerfully showing the scar on his leg where the rat bit him. "But at least there's a few less rats on board."
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Assignments - Day Five
Alwen - Rope Work: Handling the ship’s ropes, including coiling them, stowing them, and securing them to cleats and single and double bollards, requiring a DC 10 Profession (sailor) or Dexterity check.
Bangkha - Man the Bilges: Vile and sweaty work cleaning out the bilges, requiring a DC 12 Strength check. You must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.
Ayaki - Runner: Passing messages to the crew and officers of the Wormwood in all parts of the ship except officers’ cabins, requiring a DC 10 Acrobatics check and DC 10 Constitution check. Failing the Constitution check results you being fatigued at the end of the shift. If you have the Run feat you automatically succeed at this task.
Chumtooth - Man the Bilges: Vile and sweaty work cleaning out the bilges, requiring a DC 12 Strength check. You must also make a DC 10 Constitution check to avoid being fatigued at the end of the shift.
Satinder - Swab the Decks: Backbreaking work mopping the decks and scrubbing them with sandstone blocks called holystones, requiring a DC 10 Strength or Constitution check. Failing either check results in you being fatigued at the end of the shift.
Dantes - Special Occasion: Captain Harrigan is celebrating something today, and wants one of the ship’s pigs butchered and cooked for dinner. You must make a DC 10 Profession (cook) or Survival check to slaughter the animal, then clean, cut, and prepare the carcass. This requires a DC 15 Profession (cook) or Intelligence check.
A low rumble emanates from Chumtooth's throat as he heads down to the bilges again.
He wades down into the filthy water, now thick with blood and rat entrails, and sets himself to working the pump.
The pump mechanism is rusty, and moves slowly at first, but as he leans into it, Chumtooth establishes a solid rhythm. Unfortunately, it is a rhythm akin to sprinting up a mountainside.
Chumtooth will want sleep this night," he pants.
As he works, he looks around the bilges, looking for anything noteworthy in the fetid place.
"These Others do not run this ship well," he says to Bangkha between pants. "The whale ship was cleaner, and the crew did not not act like piglets hiding from panthers."
As much as Alwen was grateful to have his bow back, there was plenty more of his gear that he really could use here. His armor, for example. And he could definitely use a bit of healing. Shame that there wasn't a cleric on board...
...or there was one, actually. That young woman who'd treated the dwarf the first day when he took a tumble. Alwen looks for the woman with that distinctive tricorne hat while doing his rope work. He gave a her a smile, speaking to her quietly.
"Good day to you. As I recall, you tended to the dwarf when he fell off the rigging our first day, didn't you?" He asks her. "I was hoping that you might find it in your heart to use your blessings on me as well. I'm sure that I can make it worth your while..."
In the midst of his work, Bangkha sneaks down to the area where the cat is imprisoned, and tries to break the cage open.
Satinder, feeling sick beyond measure, doesn't quite feel she has the strength.
Where is a herbalist when you need one?
With the threat from the last Bloody Hour still looming, Dantes sets to work with a determined focus to get things right for dinner.
Working Diligently.
Slaughter pig
DC 15 Intelligence check
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ALWEN:
"Of course, my friend," Sandra replies, laying hands upon your wounds and chanting softly ( ).
BANGKHA:
You are successful in freeing Cat from his cage, but your effort does not go unnoticed. Grok calls to you from the Quartermasters store. "I will say nothing, but if you are wise, the cat will remain hidden from Mr. Plugg and his lackeys."
BANGKHA and CHUMTOOTH:
Both of you are fatigued at day's end.
AYAKI:
You rather easily win over the massive Mwangi woman, and soon she is smiling and trading stories as you work.
SATINDER:
You are fatigued at the end of your shift, and you must make another Fortitude save (DC 11). If it fails, lose 1d3 each from Dex and Con.
DANTES:
Try though you may, the food just doesn't taste quite right and you are filled with dread of what fate awaits you at the bloody hour.
You have not long to wait, as the sun begins to sink in the west and you find yourself assembled on deck, along with a few other crew members, for punishment. Much to your surprise, you receive only another reprimand.
After the Bloody Hour, Mr. Plugg addresses the crew. "Tonight," he says with a menacing grin, we have a special treat."[/b] He gestures to two pirates who bring up from below decks a tall, muscular man with a shaved head and who is covered in the remnants of tar and feathers.
"This be the Owlbear," Plugg says. "I'll wager that none of ye are man enough to take him, unarmed." He brings out a purse that rings heavy with coin. "Place yer bet and choose yer champion."
Alwen's glad for the magical healing, feeling pretty good right now. He finishes his work swiftly before the Bloody Hour, noting how bad Satinder happens to look. The woman really needed some rest. Then there was the sudden wager proposed to them. He would have certainly opted out, but considering how tired the half-orc and the kuru looked, the laughable notion that the dwarf could fist fight, and that the ladies also looked to be in no condition for it, he realized pretty quickly that he was in the best shape for this contest.
"Well, bugger. I suppose if you really have to twist my arm," Alwen says cheerfully, stepping up. "Any rules other than no weapons?" He asks, looking over the Owlbear.
"He'll stay out of sight," he says. "Thank you. I would speak with you later, if I may."
He finds a place to hide Cat among the contents of the ship's hold, and tells him to "Stay," a trick the cat has learned well. Then he hurries to resume his duties.
Bangkha drinks the rum and stays on deck to watch Alwen fight the tarred and feathered man.
Chumtooth holds his rum until the fight starts, then dumps it amidst the whooping and cheering. He has no interest in falling asleep before the evening's entertainment has concluded.
He watches the fight between the lean, pointy-eared Other and the very big, feather-covered Other with great interest.
"Well, I suppose that my bow will have to do for the wager," Alwen says, getting a close look at his opponent. He wasn't exactly the strongest fist fighter, but surely there was something that he could use to his advantage here.
Satinder drops the rum without minding if anyone can see her dropping it. Nobody says anything, so she'll asume she was inconspicuous enough.
"If i weren't sick, bloody and beat from a day's worl, i'd take him on with one hand behind my back" she says o nobody in particular.
She then adds in a stronger voice "Go get 'em tiger! Don't want to lose your girl do you?"
-------
"Right then, let's go," He tells them, putting his fists up.
Dantes has nothing to wager, so he remains silent during the betting. Watching as Alwen steps up to face the melee, he considers stepping in.
Would a beating by the owlbear be any worse than being the highlight of Bloody Hour? Perhaps if Alwen falls...
That gives Alwen all he needs to strike first, walloping Owlbear in the eye before bringing his arms back in defensively, bobbing and weaving on the deck.
Alwen staggers back from the blow, wincing from the strike on his jaw. He can't take any more of those, dancing around his opponent and looking for a way to take advantage of the fight.
Alwen grins as he spots the weakness - stepping over on the man's left side, he uses his natural dexterity to avoid his attacks, while hitting him with his own. He gives Owlbear a hard fist to the kidneys, playing keep away.
Alwen continues his defensive maneuvering, but misses with his next attack. He feels that he needs to finish this swiftly if he can. Avoiding the next blow, he attacks again, hitting the body of Owlbear.
"Hey, that's hardly fair!" Alwen comments. Surprised by the foul play, he doesn't manage to stay on the Owlbear's blind side, leaving him open to attack.
"This one called Plugg makes rules for the game, then changes the rules when losing. Chumtooth now sees the truth of Plugg's spirit," Chumtooth growls in a low whisper.
"Well, he DID bet on the Owlbear," Bangkha mutters to the Kuru. "It's not like his middle name was Trustworthy til now."
"Battles and hunts have no rule but to kill or be killed. But a game of skill must have rules!" Chumtooth replies, appearing greatly offended by the unfolding events.
He pushes his way to the nearest gunnal and grabs a belaying pin. He tosses it into the ring as near to Alwen as possible.
he bellows, and glares angrily at Plugg.