"Don't twist my words. If all you can offer is a retort then you may keep silent. Asking for ideas doesn't mean I have to take them. I'm done talking to you."
"Good, you can just listen then you moistened bint, it'll be educational... Grrr, what in the hells are you doing at that end of a primed cannon barrel you cretin?! Whose going to load it if you blow your head off? The lady here's "busy" she in't going to help you!"
By Besmara's plunder why was he given a ship half full of lubbers. From the wheel he hears the exchange.
"Less talking more canon fire. If your of no use on deck then go below and drag someone up that is. Or find a weapon you can use from a distance if you don't have one yourself. If nothing else ferry powder to reload the canons, it takes no skill to do that."
He didn't care who ended up in charge of the ship. Useless people were the first to go, ships don't need leeches.
"Silence dog! That goes for BOTH of you! Everyone can't man the cannons so you do that and I decide what I'll do!"
Sabinae looks around for anything that could be used to jam a ship's rudder.
It's certainly hell and brimstone out here on the water.
Luckily, Rissdan's swift maneuvering positions the Queen in range of her cannons which allows Zephry's small crew to fire off a round of their cannon. Combined with some of Kiana's peppering, some of the enemy crew aboard the ship are taken down.
Most of the men and women have taken refuge below with only a small crew manning the sails.
Also, there's a few dead bodies still littering the deck, with the newest fresh corpse bleeding from his bullocks.
Kiana had managed to spot the enemy flagship's name: The Ironhide.
===
An hour later
===
The Queen has made it out to the open sea, Rissdan piloting. A few more crewmembers have been persuaded to help and some more cannons are being manned on the gun deck. The ship itself took some damage but thanks to fate the Queen is mostly unharmed.
One of the crew, a lumbering half-orc who calls himself Black Rock murdered a good number of men and women before finally being brought down by Sabinae and Warren.
As the morning slowly comes, everyone is waiting for the sun to rise.
As they approach sunrise Zephry attempts to gather the people he "knows" together around Rissdan on the wheel,
"Look I know we've been getting along like a ship on fire, but the plain fact is we all need allies. We don't trust each other, but we do need each other, and that is almost as good. I say we make a pact to watch each others backs, and agree that we won't any of us go back on it without, say, a days notice. If we all take rooms near each other, maybe have someone on watch, then we can sleep without too high a risk of getting our throats cut. What do you say?"
Kiana, once she returns to the ship, will spell Rissdan at the wheel. As the gunner rounds up the people from the upper deck and begins plotting, she listens and eyes Sabinae. When the gunner finishes, she hooks the rope on the wheel, to keep it from turning, and turns to face the humans.
"I am Kiana Sunbane, daugther of Milana Sunbane, Matriarch of the Elvona Strix. I will speak truth to you, human and non-human alike." Her words seem heavy with formula and tradition, a ritual of sorts. "I have never met a human who did not betray me. I have never met a human who did not secretly desire to destroy me and my people, to enslave us, to kill us, or even to cook and eat us." Her voice is harsh, and filled with hate. "My friend Sabinae and I have worked a ship before, I as crew, and she as Quartermaster's Mate. She has sworn to me that there are humans in this world who are not like those I have ever and always known. I will give her words credence and give thee the benefit of the doubt that perhaps one of the 3 noble humans in the world stands these decks before me." Not that I for a second believe all 3 of the noble humans in the world stand before me, but I do not know which one if any he might be. She thinks to herself.
"If we are going to claim this ship, we must claim all positions of authority, and we must not accept anyone usurping that authority. And we must be united in that front. I will give my word to ally with you five, to take control of this ship. And I will kill any who betray this oath, on my blood, and on the blood of my mother." She draws an arrow and stabs it into the palm of her hand, and squeezes blood onto the deck, directly in the center of the assembled group.
She then continues, ignoring the bleeding palm. "By my reckoning, we are the more experienced, or at least the more battle tested, of the people aboard this ship. I am, I judge from the short battle earlier, the most experienced ship handler among us. Or at least one of the most experienced. Yet, I am unsuited for command, I am too honest to honey words as a captain must do to play off people against each other. I nominate myself for First Mate. A first mate must know how to run the ship, and must be ruthless in their loyalty to the ship. I nominate Sabinae as Quarter Master, she is experienced and an expert in identifying rare and expensive treasures, a good asset if we go pirating, or even if we just sail and move cargo." She turns to Zephry. "I nominate you as Master Gunner, you are experienced with gunpowder, and I do not see any of us besides you who would be so experienced." She turns to Rissdan, Warren and Heregrihm. "That would leave one of you Captain. I would feel more comfortable with the Undine, as he is at least nominally not human. However, Warren seems to have the honeyed words a Captain must employ. And finally, Heregrihm is the imposing figure of a Captain, and is likely to intimidate the crew into obedience. In addition, we need a Boatswain to take charge of the ship and repairs and upkeep, a Sailing Master in charge of keeping the ship on course and to guard our maps and instruments, our most valuable property. Which we must secure from the Captain's quarters, if nobody else has gotten them already. Finally we need a Chirurgeon, for those who get wounded. Of those, if I am not to be First Mate, I nominate myself for Sailing Master, as again, I feel I have the most experience."
The Strix then goes silent as she begins to tend to her hand, one eye watching to see if anyone else takes the blood oath with her. Also to see if anyone is shocked at the long and brutally honest dialog she gave, rather than her usual insults and threats.
Warren smiles as Kiana finishes her speech:
"For a self-avowed human-hater, your speech has the wisdom of cooperation. Unfortunately I see little self control or discipline here. Who will go on a rampage next like the big half orc Sabinae and I had to gut?"
Kiana shrugs, looking supremely indifferent. "It matters not which goes next on a rampage. It is only important that it not be one of us, and that we put the animal down hard, fast, and publicly. It will happen, worrying about it won't stop it from happening. It is much better to simply accept that we will have to kill more people to maintain control. If you are not willing to kill to maintain control, then you should not be here." The speech is delivered not with any biting snark, but simply as truth as the Strix sees it. "It would be better if no-one had to die for stupidity, but it is an unfortunate truth that stupid people will kill you to prove themselves better. And if you do not kill them first, they will kill you or someone you care for. Better to remove them hard and fast before they kill other innocent bystanders." She then looks around, and laughs with genuine amusement. "Assuming of course you can find an innocent bystander on this ship."
Warren smiles:
"Well, who is the next to go off?"
He points to the undine:
"Is it you, the heretic? Refusing to consider anyone here a shipmate or listen to the writ of Besmara. After burning a half orc, I still feel enough fire left for one more."
Rissdan narrows his eyes.
"I don't need some fancy jacket who was to busy running his mouth, rather then minding the ship. To tell me anything."
His rapier is already whirling out of it's sheath.
"Come on then sense your so ready to start up again."
He does not move from where he stands but his stance is ready.
"That's why your no good. Your just about words and when you have to do a little work you cry like a babe about it. You claim to follow a goddess of piracy, sea monsters, and strife. Then whine about a little blood and how everyone is not listening to you or being nice enough."
Letting air out through his gills with a some what puffing sound he speaks again.
"I don't ask anything from anyone I have not proved. I have proved I can kill fast, pilot a ship like a fiend, and care more about keeping this crew alive then who preys to what. What have you proved?"
He doesn't wait for an answer.
"I will say I am inclined to side with darkwings, blondebeard, and after seeing that cannon work even boomstick over there. They've proven what their about, same as I."
He looks over at the blood from the strix.
"No offense feather lass but my blood don't get spilt without a heavy return. Not like it's red ether. As long as you got no quarrel with me or try to boss me around, my steel won't do you no harm."
Warren smiles as Kiana finishes her speech:
"For a self-avowed human-hater, your speech has the wisdom of cooperation. Unfortunately I see little self control or discipline here. Who will go on a rampage next like the big half orc Sabinae and I had to gut?"
Warren smiles:
"Well, who is the next to go off?"He points to the undine:
"Is it you, the heretic? Refusing to consider anyone here a shipmate or listen to the writ of Besmara. After burning a half orc, I still feel enough fire left for one more."
Sabinae turns a smoldering glare at Warren.
"Oh no you don't. There will be no religious zealotry here." Sabinae says darkly.
Heregrihm returns to the deck, a few men in tow willing to spill blood to repel boarders. He'd been selective, some were bloodthirsty and uncontrollable like the half-orc Warren had put down. He'd left them alone, he needed men who would listen. As the action subsides, the Ulfen orders the men to gather gear as needed to be ready in the future.
Back on deck the group of more competent members of the forming crew gather on the deck. It is an unimpressive mixture of common sense and threats, only serving to raise Heregrihm's ire. As each gives voice to their opinions and grievances, the Ulfen raises his greataxe above his head in rage.
the Ulfen roars, his eyes bulging with a barely controls anger. "You bicker like old woman drying seal pelts! The decision will be made now or by my father's name I will swab the decks with your blood!"
His axe held down towards the deck in one hand, he points with the other at the gathering in turn; "Risddan Kai, Sailing Master. Your blade and will alone to keep us on course and the navigation in your trust."
"Kiana Sunbane, your demon hide will be 1st Mate, you've proven your mettle beyond your stream of words..."
"Sabinae, Quartermaster, your kind are blessed by the goddess..."
"Zephry Kreel, Master Gunner, you know one gun, you can learn the Queen's guns..."
The Sea Reaver turns his attention to the last man. His tone levels, but all can see he holds his rage by a single line. "And you, Warren Redmont, who would be captain. We will have need of your tongue, as the dem..." Heregrihm comes to a conclusion, sparing glance for Kiana. "As the strix so put it. You can choose to take the rank, or ply your skills in support of the half-elf and the others."
The Ulfen steps back and faces all of them. "I will handle problems with the crew, boarding and repelling...and enforcing the orders you all hand down." He looks back to Warren. "If you do not want the mantle, then I will take it until such time as someone worthy stands to."
Heregrihm draws his palm along his axe blade, dripping blood upon the decks. Then the barbarian's eyes drift to the deck, going distant as he readies himself for challenge. "I will see these bandied words at an end. There will be order on this ship."
Warren looks at first the Ulfen and the undine. He swallows after the big man finishes obviously affected.
"Let us end this bickering. There will be plenty of time for violence, but not now. I will be captain."
He adds honestly to the barbarian: "I would not want to be on your bad side."
He consults with Kiana: "Let's get the corpses overboard and make sure we are free of pursuit. We still need a decent inventory--maybe our quartermaster can help there."
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Kiana watches the tall blonde human cow Warren, and snorts under her breath. She has seen too many of her kind to ever willingly show fear, or even deference, to a threatening human. However, she does at least tip her head to the oversized human. "You are a strange human. Perhaps you are one of Sabinae's rare humans. Time will tell." She shrugs. She'd had no intent to get involved in Warren and Rissden's fight, had they kept going.
Instead, she heads over toward the gaggle of surviving crew members, and her white eyes flash brightly in the dim predawn. "ALRIGHT YOU SCURVY DOGS YOU! GET YOUR WORTHLESS HIDES TO YOUR JOB POSTS! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A JOB POST THEN FIND ONE YOU ARE QUALIFIED FOR! IF I HAVE TO MAKE YOU DO YOUR JOB I'LL HAVE YOU LASHED 50 LASHES FOR BEING TOO STUPID TO BE ON THIS SHIP!" She glares at the non-humans and humans alike.
She points to a heavyset gnome who's trying not to be seen. "YOU! GNOME! THE FAT ONE! FAT GNOMES EAT TOO MUCH! THAT IF YOU KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND A SHIP, THAT MEANS YOU KNOW HOW TO COOK BECAUSE NO CREW WOULD HAVE A FAT GNOME AROUND FOR ANY OTHER REASON! GET BELOW AND START WORKING ON THE MEAL! WE WILL HAVE VERY HUNGRY CREW!" The gnome pales and screeches as she races below decks.
Turning back to Warren, she spits at his feet. "You are captain by virtue of being the one who could be least spared for other things. I suggest you practice your honeyed words. A captain is a captain until the crew says they are not. I'll save your butt if anyone tries to kill you in your sleep. If the crew bands together to oust you as Captain, you are out. Honeyed words are needed by you, not fire and vinegar." She huffs her wings, pounding the air and shoots up and out in an arc, until she reaches the crow's nest in a large circle, taking up the spyglass stored there and searching the horizon to see if the Iron B@+@% is coming after them still.
"Master Gunner suits me fine, Warren is Captain, I'm not serving under you Rissdan, you've got my back up too much for that and your too quick to reach for your rapier. I hope we can learn to be mates, I am not slow to reach for my weapon either, but I think there'll be mutiny within a day if your Captain, and I'd probably be in it, and I am not keen on mutineers..."
He meets the undines eye, giving him a chance to respond before moving on.
"I vote Heregrihm 1st mate, he'd couple well with a less imposing, no offense Warren, Captain, and it'll lend him more authority for leading boardings and that. Kiana seems suited to Sailing Master, and I reckon we'll want her scouting on the wing a fair bit, which would make the title of 1st mate less useful to her. I didn't have a notion of what a Strix is, and I doubt most humans do, but you don't look like good eating and having a mate who can fly just seems handy."
He claps his hands together,
"If this is sorted I say we go and find some quarters for ourselves, and I think we are going to need the Captain's cabin to make a point. If we take the plum quarters we'll declare our intent, and get the comfiest rooms besides, you lot in?"
"Very well then. I'll take stock of the ship. I will bring this list to the captain when I am done. I will make all purchases needful when we are in port. I will also appraise any goods we have for use in trade. Bargaining power. As long as we have something the other party wants we will be able to dictate terms for it. I do have an eye for quality."
Sabinae turns to the other crew on deck.
"You! The two halflings there! I need volunteers and you're it! As for the rest of you, you'll get rations as I deem fit! Work hard and you get fed! Work less, and you'll get scraps! Don't work at all and you'll get tossed overboard! Don't let me catch you or anyone else keeping back food or other supplies or by the deep you'll find yourself there! Now get to work!"
"I hope they believe me."
Turning to the halfling pair she brings them in close and addresses them.
"You will be responsible for going through all supplies, food or otherwise, and report to me. All expenditures for said supplies will go through me and me alone. Also, keep an eye out for anyone who you have that gut feeling might be holding back any and all supplies. Don't be bringing me names just to gain my favor. I don't like that. You will receive a bonus for your work. First, you will find out what food we have. Next, you will list all other supplies, be it gunpowder, sails, weapons, clothing, and anything else a ship needs to run. Also make note of any exotic items like spice, silk, tobacco, tea, cotton, and the like. You know what I am looking for. Finally, any rum or other booze is not to be touched without my express approval. I trust I am clear?" she says with a hint of menace.
Once they voice an affirmative:
"I expect a basic report on our stores in 2 hours, a full report by end of day. Off with you now!"
Zephry nods approvingly,
"Let me tally the powder and shot though, I'm happier knowing I've only got myself to blame and I'll probably mix most of the powder myself if I've the time, saves coin and I know the quality."
Kiana listens to the continued arguing from above. Unsure whether she is First Mate or Sailing Master, and happy either way, she shrugs and steps off the crow's nest and drops like a stone for the quarter deck. Her wings pop out with a boom sound just above the deck, and she lands lightly despite the fall. It looks like showing off, but it's really the only way she's found so far to avoid tangling her wings in the rigging when she needs to get from the top of the Mast to the deck quickly. "Either way, First Mate or Sailing Master. In either case, the Master Gunner has a point. We should take the officers quarters immediately." She waves at anyone still on deck, and points to the big door leading under the Stern Deck. "The captain's and Officers quarters are though there." She readies her bow and when whoever is going with her get's with her, she advances into the officers quarters, ready to kill anyone who tries to attack.
Rissdan was growing tired of the whole thing. He shakes his head.
"I don't care if you say he is a fairy princess, I don't give respect or take orders from someone who has not proved themselves. Getting tired of saying that. I have no interest in the position unless I am the only worthy one. Which I made clear I was not, just because I don't support his claim does not mean I am pushing my own."
He makes a point of giving a few who had that idea a look.
"That sort of thinking is for people who have their own plans. I am on the ship so I got what I wanted, but that does me no good if it gets blown to pieces or torn apart on account of those on it. Give me the wheel and my pick of some crew and I will be satisfied. The rest I have already said my peace on, if it takes an enemy to prove me right, well that's how you choose to learn."
They better hope they don't run into real pirates, find out how much of a prince he is and how useful words are with them. He unhooks the wheel Kiana set up, taking it in hand and lining it up better with the current and wind.
The ship lunches forward with renewed speed and full sails with his adjustment. The ride a fair bit smoother as well with the waves no longer bashing against them as much.
"Never have a man off the wheel, unless your willing to gamble your ship. As to the officer's quarters, anyone in mine that is not there to put away my things will get my steel. As to picking rooms, they should be outfitted according to ship position. The Captain's is normally the largest with the most stuff, the sailing master's has the maps and such, master gunner's has some spare gun parts, you get the drift. Not like this is a new ship, but I will warn you. Officer's quarters are often trapped, so if you don't see some dead bodies around you may want to be on your toes."
"I will investigate the captain's quarters for any hidden things such as traps, compartments, and the like. I will do the same for the officer's quarters. No sense in being surprised by unexpected gifts."
"I need someone to come with me while I do this. I don't want to be incapacitated and not have help."
Once someone comes with her she heads off to the quarters and searches them one by one.
Kiana smiles at Sabinae. "I'll follow you Sabinae. No need to have a human do it. Besides, you never know, one of them might decide you are enough woman to love or enough fish to eat." She winks at the merwoman, following her into the ship.
Kiana aids Sabinae in looking for traps.
Once Sabinae is done checking each room for traps, Kiana aids her in searching for valuables as well.
Zephry barely manages to suppress the urge to say, "or both," and instead says,
"We should all go, chances are we are going to need to evict people from those quarters. Besides what kind of a man would I be if I let you ladies go into danger alone?"
"The usual type?" She quips, but the smirk on her face removes most of the sting from the words.
Heregrihm slips his greataxe to his back, resting it next to his boarding pike. Instead he withdraws his smaller, boarding axe and stands near the opening leading to the quarters. If there's any trouble, and the two females and Zephry speak up, then he'll head in and sort it out.
As he waits, he follows up on the new captain's orders, calling to several of those milling about the deck to see to the dead that they are cast overboard.
Zephry beams,
"Ha, if there is one thing Zephry Kreel is not its usual... Wait... No, no, I'm good with that, heck I'm downright unusual!"
Keeping Bethany hooked in the crook of his arm he moves to accompany those headed for the cabins whistling,
"Wish I could fly, always wanted to be able to go where ever I wanted at a whim. My Pa was a pirate, and that's what I always thought he did, he'd swan in every few years with all these amazing stories... Then he got himself mutinied and murdered and now his crew are suddenly all blood and guts instead of swash and buckle. So I suppose I'm out for revenge, although I'm thinking of it more as putting down a pack of rabid dogs, they're dragging my Pa's name through the gore with there own. Think they're spelled a bit, Weresharks all most like now, makes a man change in more ways than one they say, makes him rotten to the core. A shark isn't evil, but they're men that think like sharks and that is a different thing."
Warren smiles at the story, and recounts:
"My dad was also a big pirate. Mostly I remember that he was gone so much. Then he would come back and we'd make such a big deal about it. I'd get these little curios from around the world and then he'd disappear shortly after for months on end again."
He claps Zephyr on the shoulder: "We better not get ourselves mutinied and murdered. Deposed officers don't fare well."
Kiana listens to the stories, her face stoney, but then glances at Sabinae, who's always at her to be friendly to humans. "If I ever find out she's doing it for her own amusement I'll wrench her tongue out and make a purse out of it." The strix promises herself, a small smile coming to her face imagining the extremely talkative merfolk frantically trying to pantemime a story about a crab and a spider falling in love at a tidal pool.
"My father was chieftan of our clan, and my mother the matriarch. We carved wood, made nets, fished the shoals, and hunted the island and nearby islands." Kiana says frostily, as this story is never told warmly. "Humans came on a ship and fired their cannons into our village until it was destroyed. Then they came ashore and shot and hacked the survivors to death, even the children and babies in their cribs. Then they stole everything they could carry and got drunk and celebrated a 'victory' over the demons." Her cold white eyes burn with fury as she looks at Warren and Zephyr. "I will find the humans who did it, and I will destroy them. And the man who gave them their ship, and I will kill his line, down to the babies."
She pauses, and with a visible effort, calms herself down. "My... sorrows... for your father's name. A name is not something that should be tarnished in death. It's owner is no longer around to defend it. Should your rabid sharks come within sight of my bow, I will be happy to slay them."
Zephry nods to Warren, fully in agreement,, and meets Kiana's eyes expression serious for once,
"Well I'd go out of my way to put down anyone capable of genocide like that, but ask yourself if you want to become the kind of person that kills babes. Seems to me that telling a bastard you'll hunt down the rest of his line hurts him as much as doing it. But, if I'd suffered that I might well feel the same."
Kiana shrugs, her eyes cold. "I am the last of my people human. If I become the demon they thought me, there will be no children to sing the songs of shaming. There will be no family to mourn my soul. There will be no one to perform the rights of cursing on my grave. There is nothing for one such as I in the future, save to live long enough to ensure that those who caused this have nothing in their future's either."
"Big world Wings, I'd be pretty damn surprised if there weren't anymore of your kind somewhere in it. Might not be your people, but plenty of time to change that. Me I'm going to live life hard and be a legend, Zephry Kreel's a name that needs to be sung."
Heregrihm listens in silence as the others talk, uncovering more of their personal mysteries. In listening to them, he begins to understand them more, if not forming a small sliver of respect for them. Zephry he understood, the desire for glory, to bring honor to his name. Heregrihm sought to do the same thing, at least to bring honor to his father.
Then there was the strix. Kiana had a sad tale, but it was one that should see its end. Her family fell, yielded up to ones stronger than them. She should let it go, carve her own path unshackled by a hopeless vengeance. Such things brought down entire clans, one of the reasons why Heregrihm owed his allegiance to Broken Bay, not the mainland of the Ulfen.
"I have seen others of your kind amongst the mountains east of Pezzack. You are not the last." Heregrihm says evenly, leaning against the entryway to the officer's quarters. "Pure anger, that is the gift. Not vengeance. Vengeance will only eat away your will. It is an anchor around your neck...but anger..." The sea reaver's lips split into a fearsome grin as he chuckles. "Yes, anger is a gift. Anger and glory."
As Sabinae takes charge of the pair of crew halflings, the poor gnome treads out to the kitchens... as far as you can tell.
Investigating below decks simply is a grisly tale for the moment. A great many fights occured and the current crew's number has dwindled shockingly... though it would seem the amount of corpses do not match the amount of missing crewmembers.
The captain's quarters are unattended and no traps can be detected. As they stand, the captain's quarters are reached on deck.
Description of the Decks
- Forecastle Deck//Aft Deck
- Main Deck (Captain's Quarters)
- Gun Deck
- Berth Deck
- Hold
- Hold (2nd level)
- Bilges
Currently the Hold is locked and cannot be entered... though many have tried.
===
The first glimmer of sunlight rises over the horizon and suddenly, midst an emerald flash of scintillating colors. the Queen vanishes from the open blue...
... and you find yourself beside a small sandbar. In the distance you notice numerous other islands. The cries of gulls echo in the air. The water is a pale, clear blue.
The Queen has begun her journey once again.
Kiane looks out the captain's windows as the ship vanishes and reappears, and begins to let out a string of curses, her planned reply to the ulfen forgotten in her anger. "We've been magicked..." She finally says in common, going to the window and looking at the islands in the distance, and at the sky. "We're bugger north of nowhere 'till night time comes and we can spy the stars."
Rissdan had stayed at the wheel sense no one seemed to take his warning seriously about the ship being manned at all times. When the magic took effect he was not surprised, the legend stated very clearly about what happened come dawn after all. He wasted no time in making sure the ship's course was clear, turning as needed. He took not of the sky, the waves, and the wind to make sure this new sea did not have a surprise in store for their arrival.
He waited for the others to return. Keeping alert and ready.
Warren assesses the crew as they find themselves 'bugger north of nowhere' and is shocked to discover their battle experience greatly exceeds that of his group. He confers with Kiana.
"We have a capable and diverse crew. We can't just bust out the cat and start breaking them like first passage swabs. Those corsairs would make a powerful ally and a deadly adversary. Pass the order that there will be no imposing our new roles until we have the corsairs with us. I am going to take 'ghrim and meet with leader of those corsairs."
Warren takes the new Master of Arms and approaches Minasa with an approving glance.
"Excellent rigging work--your crew knows its business. We sail free this day, but in strange lands. I hope we can work together. Names Warren, Warren Redmont."
Warren extends his hand as he indicated Heregrihm. "This is Heregrihm."
Zephry glances out of the Captain's Cabin window c right.to, underwhelmed by their potentially otherworldly destination,
"Well it is The Queen, whole point is she's magic right? Not like to find anything new and exciting bootling about the shipping routes."
He moves back onto the deck when Warren and Heregrihm leave, leaning casually against the forecastle and keeping an eye on proceedings in case negotiations sour.
"Well it is The Queen, whole point is she's magic right? Not like to find anything new and exciting bootling about the shipping routes."
"New waters, more pillaging," Heregrihm concludes, then moves off to follow the captain. He pauses for a moment and looks back to the strix. "Remember, anger is a gift."
"We have a capable and diverse crew. We can't just bust out the cat and start breaking them like first passage swabs."
Heregrihm looks down at the man and frowns. Why wouldn't we? Those that break go over the side, those that stand are worth our time. The big Ulfen shrugs, not sure he'd ever understand southerner's soft attitudes towards the lazy or inexperiences.
"Those corsairs would make a powerful ally and a deadly adversary. Pass the order that there will be no imposing our new roles until we have the corsairs with us. I am going to take 'ghrim and meet with leader of those corsairs."
"My father did not name me 'grihm, Captain..." The sea reaver warns, tone even.
He isn't sure if Warren heard him as he approaches the corsairs across the deck.
"Excellent rigging work--your crew knows its business. We sail free this day, but in strange lands. I hope we can work together. Names Warren, Warren Redmont." Warren extends his hand as he indicated Heregrihm. "This is Heregrihm."
He stands behind the captain, massive arms folded across his chest as he surveys the corsairs. Whether or not the newly minted captain was going to treat them like babes in swaddling clothes, these crewmen were going to know the cut of Heregrihm's cloth.
"I am Heregrihm Skoningslos, son of Raseri the Iron Eye, descendant of Skallangbiorn the Blackwater."
Warren once again looks at the reaver with some trepidation. He had seen much in prison, but the force of the reaver's will once again touched him to his core.
After recovering, he says: "Mister Heregrihm, select an armed party and we will see what is stored in the hold below."
He moves to the helm. "Mister Kai, if you can delegate your watch, we will be opening the hold as you suggested. It may get...interesting down there."
Zephry swaggers over, Bethany resting upon his shoulder,
"I'm in, let's go shoot some hypothetical ghosts!"
Kiana raises an eyebrow at Warren. "Do I look like a human, who'd want to beat someone for no reason? You are wrong, however, if you think we must not invoke discipline if someone attempts to break it at this time. This is the worst time to show fear or weakness. We are new to these positions, and any sign of weakness will be like blood in the water to a shark." She tells Warren, but then dimples. "Of course, that weakness, now ordered by you, will be your weakness, not any other officers. So if the waters churn with a feeding frenzy, it will be you who is eaten alive, Captain. I suggest you consider that before you decide to lock the lashes up."
Kiana however, keeps this conversation to just those checking out the cabins, not the general crew.
Heregrihm signals two of the crew he'd selected earlier, "Brady Marx, you and Gearldina Kestun come with us. We may have need of your talents. There are doors to open, and perhaps purging to be done." The sea reaver looks from the rogue, then to the Inquisitor in turn.
He unshoulders his boarding pike, falling in with the captain as he heads to the hold. Once there, the reaver steps in front of Warren, signaling the Rogue and Inquisitor to check things for danger.
...to aid in convincing the NPCs to go along if needed...
...listening at the hold
"Let me take a look at the hold. Barring any issues, I should be able to get in."
Sabinae gets her tools out.