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In a frenzy of attacks, Faengrim manages to badly wound his foe, the gutted pirate falling face-first to the floor! Taking advantage of Carmelia's positioning, Chumtooth manages to stab his foe once, though the pirate remains standing. Carmelia glares at the outlined figure that is Zarskia and the form immediately falls to the ground, unmoving. Navasi casts a spell and the pirate facing her staggers back, blinded. The pirate facing Chumtooth strikes at him, managing two hits for a total of 23 points of damage! The captain goes down, bleeding heavily. Pirate 2 strikes at Navasi twice, missing both times due to his condition.
[color=red](fail)[/color]
[color=red](fail)[/color]
STATUS
Dantes: unharmed
Chumtooth: -99 hp, dying, +4 Strength
Faengrim: -52 hp
Carmelia: unharmed
Navasi: -10 hp
Zarskia: asleep, blinded, hexed (-2 on saves, 8 rounds)
Pirate 1: -39 hp (facing Chumtooth)
Pirate 2: blinded, -21 hp (facing Navasi)
Pirate 3: dead
Pirate 4: dead
Chumtooth drops and continues to bleed.
Carmelia grins, showing sharp teeth as she recognizes the effective handiwork of her single-minded assault. Now what to do? Curse her to prevent her from ever being able to make a living from her craft again? Whittle her muscles to nothing? Slit her throat and let the chips fall where they may? Or...
There is a spray of blood as her young kuru captain falls to the ground.
"Bilge sucking rat!" she cries. She had gotten tunnel vision. She steps astride the offending party, her hand beaming with healing energy as she reaches for her captain.
It was easy to kill someone, but Carmelia had often been tasked with keeping someone alive. That was harder, but it was something at which she excelled.
Dantes touches the bloodied Chumtooth, infusing him with extra stamina for the fight.
Faengrim slides over to help his captain. He goes after the thug.
Claw: magic, silver, power attack, fav enemy
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Carmelia reaches down and heals Chumtooth, even as Dantes enhances him further. Faengrim slashes at the one that was menacing the captain, doing further damage. Navasi takes advantage of the distraction to move away from her opponent. The pirate who is unblinded throws down his weapon in surrender. The blinded pirate slashes at Faengrim, managing to hit for 23 points!
STATUS
Dantes: unharmed
Chumtooth: -75 hp, +4 Strength, +2 Constitution (3 rounds)
Faengrim: -75 hp
Carmelia: unharmed
Navasi: -10 hp
Zarskia: asleep, blinded, hexed (-2 on saves, 7 rounds)
Pirate 1: surrendering, -46 hp
Pirate 2: blinded, -21 hp (facing Faengrim)
Pirate 3: dead
Pirate 4: dead
"Your comrades are all dead or beaten, including your leader," Chumtooth says to the remaining pirates slashing blindly with his blade. "Drop your weapon or you will die where you stand."
Faengrim does not wait for his blind assailant to decide before lashing out at him again.
Claw: magic, silver, power attack, fav enemy
Claw: magic, silver, power attack, fav enemy
Bite: magic, silver, power attack, fav enemy
Relieved that her new captain is not dead and the tide of the swift melee has turned firmly in their favor, Carmelia breathes a sigh of relief.
"We just wanted information, gods damn it," she spits. Don't get her wrong, she was just as happy to slit their throats, but that wasn't the aim here, at least not initially.
Seeing Faengrim's deadly-looking assault on the blinded one still swinging, she kicks the surrendered pirate's sword away from him and then strides over towards Zarskia to begin restraining her while she is still asleep.
"Chumtooth, do you still have those shackles?" she asks. "She'll be out for a bit longer, and I think we'd rather her alive than dead."
Chumtooth Wallis gingerly over to the unconscious Zarskia, and clamps the shackles on her. He also looks to see if the pirate who nearly killed him is still alive.
Once Zarskia is secured with the shackles of compliance and roused from her slumber, Chumtooth points to the other pirate. "Hold him," he commands. Turning back to Zarskia, he says, "Watch, that you may understand."
"You fought well, drew my blood, and added count to my scars. You will not able to brag of this deed, only bear the marks of remembrance."
Chumtooth grabs the man's right hand, then savagely bites and tears the smallest two fingers off at the knuckle. He then grabs the man's left hand and does the same. As the man screams in agony, Chumtooth firmly grabs the man's face and pulls it close to him. "You have earned the Kiss of Vengeance." He places his mouth over the pirate's, as if to kiss him, but it is clear in the moment that he is biting the man's tongue out. Chumtooth pulls away, the blood chuck on flesh held between his teeth. He greedily chews the raw meat and swallows it, allowing the fresh crimson blood to stain his lips and drip from the corners of his mouth.
"Bind his wounds," he says to his crew, then turns his attention back to Zarskia.
"Now, you will tell us what we wish to know. Who hired you to kill the spies?"
Knowing what is to come, Faengrim makes sure to remove the last pirate's weapon and holds him for Chumtooth.
Carmelia watches the gruesome scene with one eyebrow raised. Kiss of Vengeance, hmm?
She shrugs as the tongueless, half-fingered man is passed in her direction, bleeding freely. "All right, let's make sure you don't choke on your own tongue first," she says, pulling out her tools from her vest to treat the man's wounds. "Or what's left of it at least."
While the witch considers channeling a bit of the positive energy plane into the fallen, surrendered pirates, she thinks it best to save that bit of talent for her actual crew. Chumtooh and Faengrim both look like they could use some healing soon. And though she bares Zarskia no particular ill will, she feels a certain urge to curse her in some awful way for this failed scheme.
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Zarskia watches the proceedings without emotion. When Chumtooth turns back to her, she scowls. "All I know is that my reports go to a noble house serving the Umbral Court in Nidal." She leads you, under duress, to a secret basement where you find a table full of papers. Many of the papers are encrypted or use ambiguous code words, but they nevertheless expose the identities of a widespread network of spies throughout the Shackles. The papers also detail the primary players in the spy ring—Corlan, Elliece Farhaven, Haddon Pike, and Roweena Kellet, as well as their ordered assassinations (by an imp in the case of Elliece, and by Giles Halmis in the case of the others).
Despite her lack of knowledge, there is more than enough evidence here to satisfy Tessa Fairwind.
The other pirate guards, seeing how Chumtooth treated their companion, fall into line swiftly, unwilling to suffer the same fate.
Zarskia carries 2 doses of Large scorpion venom, 2 doses of purple worm poison, 2 doses of shadow essence, a +1 mithril chain shirt, a pair of masterwork butterfly swords, a cloak of resistance +2, a headband of vast intelligence +2 (Acrobatics), an alchemist’s kit, masterwork thieves' tools, 3 tindertwigs, a ring of keys, her formula book, and a packet of diamond dust worth 500 gp. On the table, you also find 50 pp and 100 gp in a cloth pouch. A leather bandolier on the table holds an elixir of hiding, elixir of tumbling, and elixir of vision, as well as a feather token (swan boat). Among the papers on the table are writing equipment and a large vial holding four uses of superior invisible ink (Adventurer’s Armory 10), along with a smaller vial of the triggering substance that reveals this particular ink.
Everyone may gain a level!!!
The Umbral Court? Why would a bunch of sadomasochists care about the goings-on of pirates in the Shackles? Did they have aspirations outside Nidal? Carmelia shudders at the thought. She had come across some committed Kuthonites in her travels and, truth be told, they had always creeped her out.
But that wasn't her problem, not now at least, unless they made it her problem.
Of the items that Zarskia holds, Carmelia is particularly drawn to the diamond dust. "This is useful in powerful magic, especially restorative magic. I know I could use this. Perhaps Dantes or Navasi would be interested as well."
She also looks at the cloak. It seems to have a more heightened resistant abjuration than her own cloak. She then looks at Chumtooth, who doesn't appear to have a similar cloak at all. I suppose the Captain should get first choice, she thinks, not wanting to risk losing her fingers or tongue.
The rest is of middling interest. She admires the thieves' tools, pilfering a few picks to replace items in hers that have gotten worn out with use, and then leaves the rest for the others to sort through.
"Captain," she offers, "Do you want to explore the rest of this building and take any additional choice pieces we can find? Or are you satisfied?"
"We can search the rest of the building before we go. Zarskia did not wish to cooperate with us, so any other plunder she has acquired is forfeit. As for the items found on her, and her bootlickers, you may have first choice, Carmelia, in thanks for stopping my life's blood from leaving me. The rest of you may also choose items from them. Anything unclaimed will be sold or added to our coffers. Once we have cleared the building, we will deliver her and her papers to Captain Fairwind."
Faengrim has +1 chain already, but wouldn't mind a set of mithril magic armor.
"Let us take our prisoner, and our plunder back to the Kiss," Chumtooth says. "We will return to Captain Fairwind with her prize."
Carmelia admires her new cloak, providing her own (which looks more appropriate for a captain) ti Chumtooth. She eyes Zarskia, baring two rows of teeth. "I highly recommend your cooperation. We can make your life much more painful."
She twirls a knife around in one hand, even though a blade is rather far from what she is threatening with.
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A thorough search of the premises reveals the following:
* A large chest containing a pay register for the guards and 760 gp and 975 sp
* A beast with the form of a large panther with snakes growing from its shoulders (apparently this is Zarskia's pet, for when it sees that she is with you, it visibly relaxes)
* A collection of pretty stones worth 290 gp that the "cat" apparently plays with
* An alchemists' lab weighing 125 lbs, but worth 1000 gp
* 3 doses of id moss
* A pouch of dried sassone leaves
* 6 flasks of acid
* 4 flasks of alchemist's fire
* 2 vials of antitoxin
* 3 smokesticks
* 2 tanglefoot bags
* 4 thunderstones
* a vial of salve of slipperiness
* a sealed bottle with an ounce of sovereign glue
* 3 flasks of unguent of timelessness
* a jar of universal solvent (5 uses)
* A journal with notes about alchemical observations and experiments
* Expensive perfumes and cosmetics worth 240 gp
* The putrefying remains of an eviscerated, almost skeletal humanoid creature with a long tail, sharp claws, elongated skull, and needle-like teeth
* A stylish purse containing 10 pp, 47 gp, and 29 sp
* Several fashionable outfits and dresses worth 360 gp
* A jewelry box with imitation jewelry worth 215 gp
* A fully stocked disguise kit
Tessa is pleased with the information that you have brought her and rewards you with 3 points of plunder (newcomers: a point of plunder is worth about 1000 gp) and promises her backing and support in the Pirate Council, should you ever need to call upon her. She also casually asks if you are considering entering the Free Captains' Regatta.
Carmelia is thoroughly curious about what the crew finds, especially the corpse. Following a bit of divine guidance, she consults with Hap, and her ancestors, about what this could be and how it died.
"Tell us more of this Re-ga-tah, Captain Fairwind," Chumtooth inquires. "What sort of game is it?"
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Tessa smiles. "The annual Free Captains’ Regatta is a time-honored tradition in the Shackles, and one of the few opportunities that lesser, independent captains have to increase their station and status among the pirates of the Shackles. The Free Captains’ Regatta is a grueling nautical race held among the hazardous sandbars and reefs north of the Shackles among the dangerous currents and winds at the southern fringes of the Eye of Abendego. The race is open to any Free Captain with a ship, and while many captains and ships do not finish the race, or even survive it, the regatta has no shortage of competitors each year. The rewards are truly worth the risk—-a hefty prize purse, lordship of a small island, and a seat on the Pirate Council of the Shackles."
Chumtooth's lips part in a broad smile, revealing his rows of sharp-pointed teeth.
Yeess," Chumtooth replies, a gleam in his dark eyes. "What say you, ship-mates? The reward seems to be worth the risk!""
"A babau demon," Carmelia says wondrously as she assesses the needle-toothed corpse. "It must have been brought here through some more permanent means before its death and experimentation." As far as Carmelia knew, a summoned creature could not be killed on its non-native plane, but would return to its home plane to recuperate. So this demon must have traveled here on its own volition, or been otherwise called, or else it wouldn't have left a corpse. Had Zarskia harvested something of import from the creature? Or was she seeing whether some burrowing creature would work on a creature not native to the material plane?
Carmelia is tempted to ask, but is afraid that the answer would go over her head. She writes it off as a curiosity.
"A race? Now that sounds like a time," Carmelia says. "Of course I'm in. I'd like to see what the Kiss can really do."
"As you wish, Captain." Faengrim is looking forward to the regatta, but doesn't want to seem to eager.
"How do we make known our intention to enter the Reh-gah-tah?" Chumtooth asks Captain Fairwind.
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"You just did. All you need is to be a captain of a vessel and pay the 500 gp entry fee. Of course, your officers and crew are welcome to sail with you. The Regatta begins in a fortnight's time here at Port Peril. It will truly be an open race this year. The Master of the Gales, a druid-captain, has won the last five years in a row, but this year, he will be officiating instead of competing. That makes it anyone's race!" she says brightly, obviously pleased that you will be entering.
"Good," Chumtooth replies. "We will set sail for Port Peril, then." He nods to Captain Fairwind, and gives her a pointy-toothed smile.
Carmelia is awed in the presence of Captain Fairwind, but has tried to keep her fangirlish tendencies in check during the conversation. "Is there anything for us to expect at this year's regatta other than the opening left by the Master of the Gales? Any rules, a chart of the anticipated course, or other noteworthy captains who have committed to the race?"
Carmelia knows that she can likely seek the answers to these questions outside as well, but Captain Fairwind seems to be in a relatively good mood after their work at the Jasperleaf Apothecary. So there seems to be little harm in asking.
Once Tessa dismisses them, Carmelia looks appraisingly at the rest of the crew. Now that they have been sailing (and marauding) together for a bit, she wants to be sure that she is able to offer her best.
"I can't say that I've ever been in a formal race before. Chased other ships down, or been chased down, but not a regatta. I believe there are many things I could do to help. I have served on many ships and picked up on various skills. I can also commune with the spirits of the waves, or indeed other natural spirits, to conjure magicks that may help us or hinder opponents. I suppose that what I will do depends on..." Carmelia looks around and lowers her voice, "...whether there are any rules, and how closely the Free Captains will monitor them."
"The winds of the Eye are fearsome. If the race moves into the Eye, a ship could lose its mast and sails, or breach its hull. We have two weeks to prepare the Kiss for the race. Let us make her as strong as possible," Chumtooth says.
"The crew will be ready or they'll die as they get ready." Responds Faengrim. "Hmmm. We might need more crew."
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"The Master of the Gales has not yet revealed the starting point or the course to be taken, but the rules are very clear. This is a race, not a battle. Any ship that attacks or interferes with another without cause will be disqualified. Magic is permitted, though its usefulness may be questionable."
"IF magic is permitted, then cheating happens." Faengrim drills the crew even harder.
With Captain Fairwind, Carmelia nods sagely. Faengrim says as much what she was thinking. There was no point risking getting caught doing something that could get them disqualified (and worse, disgraced), but that doesn't mean that others would be of the same mind.
"And if we are attacked, are we permitted to defend ourselves?"
It would certainly be a shame to be attacked by some other dishonest crew and prevented from continuing in the race, being forced to wait for officials to come by and rescue or punish accordingly (if they would even bother rescuing victims). Carmelia has no particular confidence in the Free Captains' vigilance. If you wanted to make it in this world, you had to take care of yourself. If you could find people that you could rely on, that was...nice, but unlikely. It was likelier that you would find people who you could work with towards mutual advancement. And hopefully you trusted them to not stab you in the back as long as you didn't earn the knife. Make yourself more useful alive than dead, and keep yourself that way.
Speaking of...
As the crew begins their preparations towards getting the ship and crew in racing order, Carmelia sits down to prepare a Sending spell to update her handlers back in Ilizmagorti. This would be much faster than the letters that she had been sending, now that she had figured out how to do the magic.
"I have joined a new crew. We are racing in the Free Captain's Regatta. I welcome intelligence on the race or missions in Port Peril."
"Great, thank you," Carmelia says with a pursed-lip smile. There was plenty to do, and Carmelia had some ideas to discuss with Dantes. Dwarves were always a crafty sort, but usually around forges. Maybe they could collaborate to do some work around the ship. "Captain and Quartermaster, if you please. I'm something of a shipwright. Dad was a merchant who got me started with a carpentry apprenticeship when I was a girl. It didn't take much for tables or chairs, but I spent enough time in the harbors watching sailors knock away at hulls with hammers to learn what works--and more importantly, what doesn't."
Before they go too far, Carmelia looks momentarily flustered. She reaches into her bag and shuffles around a little bit. At last she pulls out a lightly torn and crumpled piece of weathered parchment and smiles. It's an old, Garundi Wanted poster, featuring a younger portrait of Tessa Fairwind. Carmelia blushes as she hands it over towards the Captain with an inkpen.
"Would you mind signing this? I won it in a game of liar's dice in Hell Harbor, but never thought I'd actually meet you."
Dantes scratches his chin at Carmelia's comment. "If you have thoughts on how to improve our chances in the regatta, I am open to hear it. I have little doubt that this will be the greatest challenge the Kiss of Vengeance has ever faced."
"Make the Kiss as strong and fast as she can be," Chumtooth replies to Carmelia and Dante. "Hire more crew, as needed, but be careful of who you hire. Other captains might pay loafers to sign-on, and then undermine our efforts. New crew must be watch carefully, and corrected harshly," he says to Faengrim. "Bring your prospects to me, and I will give them a first impression of what it means to fail the Kiss of Vengeance."
Carmelia beams and carefully folds the poster back up to place in a book. She'll find a better way and place to store it when she gets back aboard the Kiss.
At Chumtooth's go-ahead, Carmelia nods. "Aye aye, Captain!" She then turns to Dantes and starts jotting down notes about materials to broaden the ship's rudder and strengthen the hull. She also asks about some runes that could be added to further enchant the wood, and about the competencies of different crew members that she might order around.
The other mundane crafting systems presented in the core rulebook and Unchained are much more complicated, relying on lots of different tables for base progress dependent on the DC. With some rough back-of-the-napkin math, the broad rudder alone would take Carmelia anywhere from 6-18 weeks to complete.
The CRB wants you to convert the price to silver (5000 sp), and multiply the result by the DC to give a progress per week. A result of 41*16=656 sp progress/week, and 5000 sp/656 sp = 7.62 weeks. The other end of the spectrum leads to 14.2 weeks rolling consistent 1s for a result of 22. Thanks, I hate it.
The alternate crafting system says that you make 2 gp/progress per day on a DC 15 item and can increase your pace linearly by exceeding the DC by 5. With a base +21, a result of 20 (41) would lead to 6x progress, or 12 gp/day. (500 gp / 12 gp/day)/7 days = 5.95 weeks. Minimal 4 gp/day progress is 17.86 weeks.
The 2E crafting system is still somewhat complicated, but a bit less so. You spend minimum 4 days on something and can spend more time to reduce the cost. It's not necessarily realistic, but eh?
So I would love to know from the GM how you'd prefer to handle mundane crafting, and how much we could realistically do in 2 weeks, especially with a crew of workers at our disposal to guide.