Bleepos accompanies Bessie, but for times he looks more like a pet than actually any sort of helmsman. The goblin was particularly small for his race, and his giant head made so that his balance wasn't so perfect - so for times he walked with his arms somewhat open.
Those who travel inland make it back in two days. Bessie finds Vlad at the main house. He has become the regular entertainment. Hake has him on retainer and provides free drinks. The workers at Rickety's keep an eye on Bleepos but make no threatening remarks nor do they shy away. Apparently they are not unfamiliar with goblin pirates.
Bessie will take advantage of a port with lumber and tools to continue working on the cannon carriage.
Once the group has returned from the trip inland, Guillaume convenes the command staff. "Well, we've got Orslaw's issue fixed. What next? In my opinion, I think we need to find more crew. There's a few options there; we could drop by a major port, sailors are always around wanting jobs. If we can take a ship, some crew might like to join our cause. I suppose shanghaiing is always an option, but one I'd prefer to avoid."
Bessie gives Guillaume a look when he suggests they press gang sailors.
Lets make for a bigger port and sell our cargo there, see if we can't gather more crew! Should try to get enough to make full sail with the ballista and cannon manned.
Nasifi helps Bessie out with the gun carriage as best she can, but mostly she gets to work on trying to produce some gunpowder. Getting the trial run right takes up most of her time, and most of what little free time she has remaining she spends hanging out with Jack Scrimshaw.
Guillaume sees Bessie’s look and shrugs. ”I trust you all to not be interested in pressganging. But I present all options, even the ones I don’t like and don’t expect anyone else to like.”
Bessie gladly accepts Nasifi's help and continues to be impressed by the alchemsit's skills. She will talk with Nasifi and share stories as they work.
Besmara, thank you again for such wonderful companions as my Peril Crew-mates. You have truly blessed me and I will make the most of the blessing.
Bessie and Nasifi will need two more days after the team gets back from the jungle to finish the carriage for the cannon. Otherwise you should be ready to leave by week's end.
Once returning from the jungle temple, Orslaw will spend time making sure all the arms and armor on board the ship are up to snuff. He would certainly help in seeing that the cannon carriage was properly repaired and installed as well.
Having finished up the cannon carriage, by the end of teh week, Bessie is ready to get back to the sea. Looking at charts and maps, she suggests that the Perilous Pearl set sail for Blood Cove, or one of the smaller ports in the isles to the west. We need plunder to pay the crew and to get more crew to get more plunder.
Avoiding Harrigan would also be a nice option as we mutinied and stole his stolen ship.
The crew is more than ready to set sail. The officers get everyone on board, thank Hake for his hospitality and hoist anchor. They head out for a port of interest. (tell me which one to determine how many days on sea you will be, your ship sails 48 miles per day)
Bloodcove is on bad terms with the Free Captain Pirate Council. It is less likely you will run into Harrigan there than the towns within the shackles.
It is five days to the Cove, a day and a half will put you in at Goatshead.
"You know, I remember hearing that Bloodcove is on bad terms with the Free Captains. We'd not likely have to worry about crossing Harrigan's path if we head that way."
Blood Cove gets my vote!
The Pearl makes good time and reaches port in just under five days. The crew however, is quite fatigued as everyman is needed to work constantly just to keep up. Bloodcove is a very unique looking city having been built out over the water on numerous stilted platforms. The city expands over the entire delta of the river flowing out of the Mwangi jungle. It is this river that gives the city its name as the water flowing out of the jungle has picked up sediment and appears to be red and murky. Still there are docks, empty of buildings where boats and ships of all sizes are tied up. The Pearl pulls up and is tied to the dock. Everyone walks down the gangplank leaving behind a small contingent to guard the ship.
Before we head into port, lets get everything we know about Blood Cove shared. Is there anything special here? Schools, businesses, temples?
The Witchlight is a prominent inn on the Warehouse Row in the city of Bloodcove. The large and comfortable building is made of wood from the same twisting mangrove trees over whose roots Bloodcove stands. Moss hangs from the inn's eaves and glow faintly in moonlight, giving the inn a strange ghostly appearance.
Trade is the lifeblood of Bloodcove and without it the settlement simply would not exist. It was founded to further exploit the vast wealth of the Mwangi Expanse. Bloodcove is ideally positioned to exploit this being situated where the River Vanji, the only river to emerge from the depths of the Mwangi, meets the Fever Sea.
The famous Free Trade Square is the financial heart of the city of Bloodcove in the Mwangi Expanse. It sits on an elevated platform just north of Warehouse Row, looking down the harbor.
Bloodcove is officially ruled over by just one man—The Grand Admiralty of the Fever Sea, currently Harthwik Barzoni.
The Castellany of the Fever Sea in the city of Bloodcove in Mwangi Expanse is built into the trunk of the largest mangrove. It consists of several chambers and lodgings belonging to Grand Admiral Harthwik Barzoni. From his departments Barzoni oversees the the day-to-day business of Bloodcove. A large number of guards serve as a militia protecting both the Castellany and the city.
The Vanji River is one of the larger of the many, many rivers that cut through the verdant rain forests of the Mwangi Expanse.
Behind the scenes, the true ruler of Bloodcove is the Aspis Consortium, whose control over the city has traditionally been absolute.
The Aspis Consortium has owns the Witchlight.
the Consortium has established supply and trade depots on the river at Whitebridge Station and Nightfall Station, ignoring the objections of the local Ekujae tribe.
The consortium has found signification gold deposits in the mud of the delta. It is speculated there may be larger deposits up river and could be the reason why the Consortium setup the inland trade depots.
Bessie will share the Local DC 10 info with all the crew.
Guillaume will share was he knows (up to the DC 20 spoiler) with the rest of the crew.
Bleepos sticks around with Bessie and tries to help her to the best of his limited social abilities.
Recruiting crew... and what pirate can resist a goblin and Besmarian priestess!
Bessie and Bleepos spend day one carousing and talking up the Pearl. By days end they have rounded up 4 interested sailors.
"Make sure and come back to the ship nightly, lads and lasses. I'll be in a foul mood if I've got to go fishing your sorry carcasses out o' some back alley. But for now, enjoy yourselves!" Guillaume tells the crew once they're safely docked in port.
Turning to the command staff,he says "How long do we need in town? At the very least, we could see if we can offload some plunder while we're here. Also, see if you can scare up some rumors. Busy sea lanes, buried treasure, whatever. Let's not wander aimlessly when we put back to sea."
Bessie suggests they give the crew three days; she will recruit, if other can sell any items and prepare, and listen for rumors.
Looking over their maps and notes, she will suggest heading to Goatshead next, resupply, perhaps pick up more crew then off to Ngozu to investigate the tales of the lost messenger and then out to the shipping lanes unless something more promising comes up.
Day 2 recruiting - Bleepos is encouraged to join if not doing something else!
The goblin goes around the port lying and boasting about the crew's adventures - it's easy to see he enjoys doing that, and in most cases his own participation is absurdly exaggerated (especially since he had been stranded in an island for the past several months!). Regardless, the little green guy lets his tongue run around trying to conquer more infamy to his team.
Bleepos picked up the bragging on the crew piece. Anyone want to try for a DC 10 aid in diplomacy for Bessie? Only one can try and you need that one but if no one does then she fails to bring in any sailors on day 2.
Guillaume accompanies Bessie, telling prospective crew about the joys of a life of freedom, beholden to no one, with food, drink, and plunder for all!
Another successful day of recruiting and exaggerating leads to an increase in crew size (4) and the growing of your reputation (+1 Infamy / disrepute).
You have one more day to earn infamy and gain additional crew.
Bessie enjoys spending the day in port with the Captain, and as with Nasifi when they worked on the cannon carriage, she takes the time to talk and learn about Guillaume.
Day 3 Recruiting and Bessie will encourage anyone who wants to go ashore with her to join.
After three days of the tales of the Pearl floating around Bessie finds the harvest is sweet. Over the course of the day six new sailors join the crew. That evening they meet with the other new crew members as well as the veterans. Talk and banter is light and friendly since all of these have signed on of their own accord. Talk eventually turns to setting sail the next day and where the Captain may lead them.
The ship sets sail for parts unknown with a full crew and a lust for adventure. With the wind at her back the Pearl plows through the chop into the open sea. On day three, the lookout cries, "Ahoy! Sails on the horizon off the port bow!"
Using your spyglass you see it is a longship running on sail alone and flying the colors of the Aspis Consortium.
Is it a new target? - asks Bleepos, as the lookout announces the Aspis vessel - Maybe some plunder for ol' Bleepos?
"Captain, if this is a vessel from the company who runs the Witchlight we just spent 3 days at, we should either stay away from them or fully commit to the kill. I believe our boys," glancing over at Bessie and Nasifi, "er... all our crew, is itching for a fight. So we'll follow your lead, which ever way you call it. But I would advise against any hostile action that allows them to get away and identify us. It could get nasty next time we go to port there. But we've got a full crew and are battle ready, so I suggest we take them.
How much cargo could a longship potentially be carrying? Does she seem to be sitting low or high in the water, how fast is it going? Bessie cals to the lookout, to try to figure out how much cargo it would likely be carrying. - trying to determine if it is worth the effort to attack. How much cargo could a longship potentially be carrying max?
She's riding low, at least half full, that could range from 1/2 to about 5 pts of plunder depending on the cargo.
”So if we take her, we’ll need to be putting the crew to the sword? I’m prepared for that if the crew is. Let’s take her.”
Need three rolls from Bleepos, assuming he is on the helm. Guillaume can encourage with a DC 10 Diplomacy or intimidate roll.
Orslaw adds, "Actually, Captain... I was just meaning that we can't let her get away if we pursue. I'm not opposed to letting her crew swear an oath to us rather than joining the sharks. I'll keelhaul them myself if they break their oath."
Having the captain's orders, Orslaw immediately makes sure that any men not needed for piloting the ship are heading towards the ballista and cannon. "You heard tha' captain! Get your lazy rears in gear and prepare for assault!"
Bleepos is having a truly lazy day, and the movements of the goblin are absolutely erractic - for moments it looked like the ship was going on the opposite direction!
Guillaume nods. ”Yes, any who refuse to join us, I meant.“
The Aspis lugger obviously spots you well before you close the distance. They strike out and even though it seems you may have more speed they make a couple of course corrections that pulls them far out ahead. Then Bleepos makes a risky guess at their next tack and turns early to undercut them. It works and he manages to keep the lugger in sight.