Beket mounts the ladder and notices the extreme heat of the bilge. Beket is still on the ladder when Crow casts dancing lights. The lights brighten up the small space and Beket and Crow are able to see a half dozen giant rats moving in and out of the crates and other items along the edges of the bilge. A large pair of holes in six bales of barley up on some crates hint at where the rats came from. The animals are the size of a medium dog and flee from the light.
"We have rats. Big rats." Beket says to the others. Staying on the ladder, he quietly casts a spell and the club in his hand would strengthen and seem to grow. The wood would become fortified, looking far more dangerous now in the large man's hand.
The extreme heat resonating in the air brought sweat down his head as he looked into the dark corners of the room, growling softly. "Be careful. Rats are most fierce when they're cornered." Moving into the bilge properly, he'd give the others space to descend down and join him.
Ya mean ya didn't have plans to go creepin' about below decks af'er rodents of unusual size? Bessie says as she smiles at Nasifi, before softly adding, Wha'ever ya be up to, I'll help ya if I can, later, and if ya like. the last part is said softly, and seriously with a nod and a pat on Nasifi's shoulder.
"Yeow, it's as hot, wet, and smelly as Gozreh's codpiece down here," Crow says as he slides down the ladder. "I see ya came by the smell honestly, lad" he says to Bleepos. He moves forward through the muck to make way for others to come down as well.
I can provide all the water anyone needs, btw. Create Water as an SLA.
Guillaume follows the others down and tries to set up in a position where he can see as many rats as possible without getting too close.
As he comes down the ladder, Guillaume swings ineffectually at the nearest rat with his new mace.
Beket's club crunches into the oversized rodent, with a series of cracks and an agonized squeak, the rat drops to the floor.
Noting that the bilges should make quite the echo chamber, Crow decides to give his comrades a bit of a buff down here. He starts weaving a tale of barbarian hordes that drove out all that opposed them. "Think of them as land-based pirates, if ye please," he snickers.
After starting his tale, he steps up next to Beket, mace ready to strike.
Bessie looks down at the boys as they start whomping rats. So far so good...
Bleepos's mouth waters when he sees the large rodents. The goblin notices his companions advancing and making good progress, and moves to help as well.
Obviously, something has gotten these rats stirred up. No sooner do the men hit the water than the rodent's come splashing through the water. Half swimming, half running to close the distance. They attack the nearest person to them heedless of the size difference.
The rats are quick and their teeth sharp. They manage to bite all but Guillaume.
A story begins to be told up above Beket as Crow begins to tell this colorful tale of the raiders from far North in the sea. The words were no ordinary words though, an essence in them that would bring out the strength and violence within him.
"I don't know what you're doing Crow..." Beket murmured, grinning wide and maliciously now. "...but I like it." A rage grew in the druid's heart as the rats came swarming in towards them all, hungry and just as angry as the Mwangi man.
The rat would bite into Beket's arm, drawing blood, but it was as if he couldn't even feel it. His blood pumped through his form and all concerns and worries of his own safety disappeared. Almost gleefully now, he swung at the rat who caught him on the arm.
The rat leaps up to strike at him again and is caught in the mid-air by Beket's powerful swing. One could almost hear the way that its tiny bones shattered underneath the force of the strike. It'd collide against the wall, falling limply on the ground, and a wicked laugh would leave Beket's lips.
The bite hurts Bleepos, who started to blink frenetically on his left eye. He was used to be bit by rats, and maybe the diseases were starting to become common nature for him. Nevertheless - he was also used to bite back! He lets himself get inspired by the skald's tale.
Bessie grimaces as the rats take a bite outta the boys, then has to laugh as Beket crushes another and Bleepos bites back, literally.
Besmara keep you safe boys. Remember her teachings - out fight 'em, out smart 'em, or out run 'em.
The wounded rat runs away and scurries back into the barley. As for the others, they lack any tactics and so they continue to overwhelm the target which they had chosen. Crow gets bit again but Guillaume continues to be elusive and avoids the snapping jaws of the rats.
Seeing her chance to act, Bessie slides her forearm through the hatch and summons the powers of Besmara in a burst of pure energy to heal the wounds of her friends.
Amandla wesiteshi! and with a golden glow, a burst of positive energy radiates out from her.
Damn, those bites sting! Crow's tale of "martial bravery" (a kind term for looting and pillaging) continues to aid him and his allies.
Meanwhile he lashes out with his mace at that damned rat again.
This newfound rage continues to run through that rushed through Beket's body made him feel incredibly strong, the fierce grin on his face growing as he continued to laugh. That pulse of power came over his whole body and the sting from his body seemed to dissipate as the bleeding stopped and fresh skin knit the tear close. The Mwangi man said with a laugh, his voice booming before he brings the club down towards the one that Crow had been fighting.
Guillaume unleashes a stream of water at the rat in front of him.
Bleepos wades through the water toward the rat biting Vladimir and pounces, teeth bared.
Feeling put upon, outnumbered and outsized, the last rat loses heart and flees back to the barley bales.
Nice goin' boys! Now lets get to pumping out 'ese bilges. I'll start, you stand guard. As she starts her climb down she gives Nasifi a "come with me head nod" with a finger pressed to her lips.
Bessie climbs down the ladder and looks around for some sort of bilge pump to operate. Once she has a little noise for cover,
Neat trick with the water blast Guillaume, while it is just us here lets compare some notes before Nasifi has to go... What else can you do?
Bessie calls for them to start pumping out the bilge and Beket shakes his head, gripping hard onto the club in his hand. "Shouldn't let the beasties get hungry again. It'll be best to kill them now." Licking his teeth like they were fangs, Beket would move after the rats, the bloodlust around him almost palpable. "How long have we had to be careful with our weapons, our strikes? No, this will be a useful vent for now." Beket thinks, the rage still pumping through his form.
Crow takes advantage of them bunching up to cast a spell. A horrific noise comes out of his throat, causing the rats to be splintered by shards.
piercing damage to any rat who doesn't make REF save DC14
the shards rip through the barley bales (the rats ran back into the barley it's just not represented on the map) hampering the attack a bit (+4 REF save). The one rat that struggles free is quickly dispatched by Beket. Bessie starts on the pump.
Bleepos works normally on the bilges for the day.
Still on the day, Bleepos searches for one of the riggers to talk to. He has (Goblin) ideas on his giant, empty head.
The Goblin approaches with his usual semi-drunk smile.
Ahoy, mate! - he says, trying to sound friendly - Bleepos had seen you around. Did you came onboard recently too?
Although she has the dagger fro the kitchen, Nasifi hesitates when faced with the dark, wet bilge. It matters little, the rats are dispatched very quickly.
Feeling rather silly, Nasifi just tucks the dagger away. So much is happening so fast that Bessie's question startles her a bit.
"Oh! Well, I know some chymistry, mixing compounds for different effects. Some healing, some for my own body. Mostly my training is in making bombs, grenades."
She touches the small satchel attached to her belt almost lovingly, like a caress. "I've only just gotten by kit back though, so I've done nothing of the kind yet on board."
"What about you? You're a priestess right?
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Before going out on the boat to get turtles, Nasifi tells Fishguts she will need some time and space to work in the kitchen in order to make the curative she mentioned. "Maybe tomorrow."
Catching turtles later on in the day turns out to be fairly easy. Nasifi is used to using nets from a boat. She spends the time between casts talking with Kipper some, asking him about the gunnery aboard ship and what they use, how they procure supplies and equipment for it, and other things of the type.
@Bleepos: Conchabar Shortstone is a rather fastidious gnome to be a pirate. He appears to fancy himself a Captain and dresses as such. He wears a brown and gold striped shirt with a purple vest detailed in gold colored thread. He also wears a wide brimmed purple hat with a gold trim. He has a large handlebar mustache he is obviously rather proud of and he wears an eyepatch over his left eye.
"Get away from me goblin, I don't care for your kind. If you come near me again you'll regret it." The gnome says in response to Bleepos.
It is obvious to Bleepos that Conchabar is scared of him.
@nasifi:
Kipper seems rather bored but answers the question, "Most of what we've got is in the middle hold. You've probably noticed them if not step on parts of the stuff. Two ballista and a light catapult. the barrels around it has oil in it. The real dish is in the armory though. We have quite a bit of alchemists fire. You should see it. A cask of oil or two from the catapult, then followed up with some alchemists fire and poof," he makes the gesture of an explosion with his hands.
Besssie smiles brightly as Nasifi describes her alchemy skills, nodding approvingly.
Yes, I am a healer, blessed by the Pirate Queen, Besmara.As she speaks her goddesses name, she crosses her forearms in front of her with her fists up by her collar bones, showing the symbol for Besmara tattooed upon her right forearm - the skull and crossbones. With her arms and head she makes herself into the same icon. I am also knowledgeable in magic and spellcraft, and a fair sailor myself. I have worked a ship's surgeon on several crews.
She looks to the others and takes in all the information we share with each other. Before Nasifi leaves for the galley, she says to the group, Master Scourge has made us a target. We stand or fall together - with Besmara's guidance we can outfight, outsmart, or out run him.....
The others begin to share what it was that they were capable of and Beket points at the club that slowly begins to reduce in size and power. The impressive wooden weapon becomes simple once more before being stowed away upon the large man's side. "I have been given power by Besmara, power that will grow in time. In my sleep, she whispered the secrets of the krakens to me, secrets she stole away from the devilish beasts." A kraken caller, Bessie will have surely heard rumors of them. Druids capable of summoning tentacles from their form and having great affinity for the oceans."[/b]
He seems to hesitate for a moment, eyeing the rest of them carefully before letting out a sigh. "The priestess has a point. Outfight, outsmart, outrun." Beket becomes more resolute before he speaks up. "I am also more than I appear; I am a Runetooth. We find heritage with the shapeshifters in the sea but...it may be easier to just show you."
Beket seems to focus for a moment, eyes closing before his muscles tense. The already large man seems to grow larger now, knotted muscles twisting underneath his skin. The hue of his flesh becomes notably grayer, almost a blue-grey. When his eyes open, they have shifted in a pure blackness like the sharks of the sea. His lips split at revealing himself, like a weight has been taken off, and the razor sharp teeth he sported would bear a striking similarity to Bleepos's,
"I am of the Seascarred. descended from the greatest predator in the sea; the wereshark. This is my secret and I trust you all to keep it. Let the enemy think we're not as strong as we are, we shall prove them wrong." With a shake of his head, the muscles would relax and his human nature would resume control.
"Beyond that, I am an excellent sailor, cook, and my eyes see farther than most. I know the depths and I know the sea. My magic makes me stronger and will, in turn, make all of you stronger." Turning from the others, he gives a shrug. "Now, let us get to work."
Work in the Bilge, the most unseemly of work. Despite his strength, Beket cannot seem to give it all. Such work is beneath the pride of a Runetooth and he finds it hard to focus on clearing it. Only when he notices how badly they're lagging behind does he put his back into it. "No reason to let Master Scourge have a chance to beat us.
"Besmara's boots!" Crow exclaims seeing Beket transform. His face cracks into a wide smile. "Oh, we've got quite a surprise for Scourge!" He laughs long and hard. "As fer me, you've seen most of what I can do. I've a little bit of magic, and a bit of the bard's tongue. It don't do much fer spell casters, but I can raise the hackles of most any crew."
He sets to working the bilges, but seems to be having some trouble. He's feeling a bit weak. He thinks it might be the rat bites... or the breakfast he wasn't able to hold down. He finally ties a bit of cloth around his nose and mouth and casts prestidigitation on it to give it a healthier smell. It seems to help him work through the day at least.
Bessie had started pumping the bilges, she wasn't the strongest, and found herself struggling to make any headway.
Bleepos feels the fear on the gnome, but doesn't really understand why. Yet, he likes it - Bleepos likes to fancy himself as a pirate captain as well, and seeing that there are already some (no matter how ridiculous) that fear him gives him great pride.
Meh! - he just says in disappointment as the gnome replies with his empty threats.
The Goblin then proceeds to pretend to leave, but tries to hide near Conchobar on the first chance. He tries to stay close and catch a moment when the gnome is by himself.
Finally, if succeeded, Bleepos will leave the shadows from behind the gnome and try to quickly "steal" a feather from Conchobar's hat.
Bleepos smiles to the gnome as soon as he notices that the goblin is near him. Bleepos shows all of his teeth, and some of them are still bloodied with the rats from the bilges.
You sure you don't want to be Bleepos friend? - he asks, faking innocence - Ship dangerous, friends important!
Bleepos smiles and steps back.
Oh! Bleepos thought it was big, juicy bird! Bleepos hungry, Bleepos always hungry.
Bleepos manages to get the feather off the gnome's hat without being noticed. When Conchobhar turned around and saw Bleepos' smile he reacted. "Aaaghh!" Conchobhar exclaimed when Bleepos smiled. "Stay away from me goblin else I'll go to Master Scourge." Conchobhar squeaked as he hurried away. As the gnome hurried away, Bleepos recalled that gnomes, along with dwarves, tended to hate his people. Perhaps that was the cause of the gnome's reaction. (indifferent > unfriendly)
Guillaume regards Beket levelly as he transforms. Mildly impressed, he nods once. "Not bad." Turning slightly, to encompass the others (and especially Bessie), he shrugs. "What abilities I have come naturally to me, I often forget which ones normal humans don't have. Somewhere in my ancestry is a native of the Plane of Water, and that blood flows strongly in my veins. I can summon water directly from that plane, for blasts as you saw, but also for more mundane purposes like drinking. We need never fear a water shortage while I am here. I can also purify polluted water and dry wet things. In combat, I can summon armor made from the elemental matter of the Water Plane, but only for myself. I can swim and breathe water like a fish, and see in the dark." he stops for a moment, then begins again. "Oh, and in the water I heal a bit faster and can sense vibrations in the water. Not that any of that is much use here standing in a ship."
Bessie is all smiles as they exchange information, and makes note to change her spells, as Guillaume can cover water and purifying, she can focus on other aspects.
Besmara has blessed us with the strife of being press-ganged aboard this ship to bring us together. Thank you Besmara, for the gift of these amazing crew mates. I promise to use your powers to keep them healthy and strong.
The team manages to work together and get the bilge pumped. Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, no one walks away overly fatigued. (no fatigue for anyone in bilge) Again, the bloody hour comes and goes with no one punished. Grog is passed around (DC 5 FOR save) and the crew moves into evening entertainment.
Right after the bloody hour, Bleepos hands to his companions whatever they asked for (on the list of things he "recovered" previously), such as the potions for Bessie to identify.
The Goblin drinks and dances happily with the others, hearing the stories but not sharing much.
Gotta open sum'space for more rum in Bleepos green belly! - he says, getting ready to leave on the first chance.
Once he feels he has a small window to go explore, he sneaks out to go check on the Lower Hold and Crew Berths.
His intention is to complete the exploration of the place. He takes his time, but as soon as possible he will return to the group and continue enjoying the "night time" before going to bed.
Beket would settle in for the nightly revels, a wide grin on his face. Guillaume had helped him cover up the rest of the work in the bilge and they weren't even that tired. The spellcasters would make sure that the smell didn't linger on them. Out of the prying eyes of others, Beket would eagerly take one of the tanglefoot bags just in case things got hairy later on.
Up on deck, Beket eagerly drank down the strong ration of rum and savored the burn it left in his throat, grinning wide at the others. He would watch the others move and join in with Vladimir, whispering the the skilled bard.
"I...I am not good...with people." He said with a scowl, nodding softly. "I will follow your lead." Beket was willing to follow along the suave man's trail, helping him however he could as they talked to others.
[ooc]Just enough to aid another.
Bessie drink her grog and finds Tibbs to check on his bites. After checking on him she joins the others on deck, taking a moment to revel in the tales Crow tells. She is still looking for Habbly, for a chance to talk a little shop.